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A six-wicket haul from the left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate completed Kerala’s humbling in Surat, where Vidarbha won by 412 runs to set up a semi-final meeting with Karnataka. Kerala, who were bowled out for 176 in their first innings, did even worse in their second, slumping to 165 all out after being set an improbable target of 578.Vidarbha already led by 501 when the fifth day began, and they declared after scoring a further 76 runs for the loss of three wickets in 22.4 overs in the morning. Akshay Wadkar, their wicketkeeper, completed his second half-century of the match in that period, and was unbeaten on 67 (110b, 4×4, 1×6) when Vidarbha declared. KC Akshay, the left-arm spinner, took two of the wickets that fell in the morning to finish with innings figures of 4 for 118 and match figures of 9 for 184.Kerala had been batted out of the match, but they still had a chance to save it. Sarwate, however, had other ideas, taking 6 for 41 in 16.2 overs – his fifth five-wicket haul in only his 14th match; he now averages an astonishing 16.40 in first-class cricket – to bowl them out in 52.2 overs. Salman Nizar, batting at No. 3, scored 64 (104b, 4×4, 4×6), but none of the other Kerala batsmen got to 30.

Glasgow Rangers secured a much-needed victory in midweek during their Champions League qualifying tie against Servette, prevailing 2-1 at Ibrox.

It follows on from the poor start to the 2023/24 Premiership campaign, losing 1-0 to Kilmarnock, and it’s clear that Michael Beale may need to add another defender or two before the transfer window shuts.

With this in mind, the Light Blues have been linked with a potential move for Leicester City centre-back Harry Souttar in the coming weeks in a bid to cure their defensive issues.

Are Rangers interested in Harry Souttar?

TalkSPORT journalist Geoff Peters discussed Souttar’s future on Twitter, saying: “Rangers are interested in taking Harry Souttar on loan from Leicester City. Souttar was an unused sub against Coventry at the weekend and not in the 20-man #lcfc squad tonight at Burton. Other clubs also monitoring the situation. His older brother John joined Rangers last year.”

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

A temporary deal appears to be in the works, although it looks as though Beale faces competition to secure the £41k-per-week defender.

The Ibrox side have missed out on Auston Trusty recently, while a deal for Jonathan Panzo now appears off the table and it’s clear Beale has moved onto other options.

Could Harry Souttar improve Rangers?

Although Beale has five centre-backs at the club, the Gers’ defensive frailties were exposed during the loss to Kilmarnock, where a mix-up in the box saw the Rugby Park outfit score the winner in the second half.

Connor Goldson is the key fixture in the heart of the defence and was one of the few bright sparks against Killie, winning 90% of his total duels while making four tackles and not committing a single foul.

The Englishman has been a mainstay since arriving at Ibrox in 2018, racking up 263 appearances and what is needed now is a player who could form a solid duo alongside him in defence.

Souttar could be the ideal candidate, and he has more experience than his older brother, John Souttar, who partnered Goldson during the first two matches this term.

Starting off at Dundee United (like John), he then moved to Stoke City before eventually moving to the Premier League with Leicester in January.

Across 12 league matches in the top flight, Souttar won a staggering 5.1 total duels – a success rate of 73% – while making 1.3 tackles and 3.8 clearances per game, ranking him 13th and third across the squad, which is a solid return considering how few matches he played.

Both the Foxes ace and Goldson are strong in the tackle and exude a solid physical presence, both aerially and on the ground which could allow them to form a wonderful partnership.

Statman Dave certainly supported this, saying: “Harry Souttar has won 88% of his aerial duels in the Premier League so far this season, That’s more than any other player.

“Big man at the back.”

He was even hailed as a “beast” by journalist Sacha Pisani following Australia’s World Cup victory over Tunisia, a match where Souttar made six clearances, won five of his six duels, and blocked three shots, turning into a rock at the back.

If Beale could secure a move for the 24-year-old in the coming weeks, it may well turn out to be one of his finest summer signings.

Paul Collingwood is scoring heavily late in his career•Getty Images

The twilight of Paul Collingwood’s career is proving longer and brighter than most, underlined by his third Specsavers County Championship century of the season.The Durham captain’s form is in stark contrast to that of his potential successor, Keaton Jennings, who departed to the first ball of the match against Derbyshire at Chester-le-Street.There were three more wickets for Hardus Viljoen, but after dispensing with the toss it turned into a day of toil for the visitors, especially when Paul Coughlin showed his power in contributing 68 to a stand of 130. He fell lbw to Viljoen just before the close, when Durham were 376 for seven with Collingwood on 127.The floodlights were on at the start and end of the day, otherwise there was little encouragement for a Derbyshire attack in which Harry Podmore, on loan from Middlesex, was making his debut.He was accurate and got past the bat a few times but came under fire from Coughlin when the second new ball was taken.There was also another sound contribution of 72 from Cameron Steel following his 224 in Durham’s last match at Leicester. But it was Collingwood’s day after striding in at 94 for three just before lunch.Other than having to sway out of the way of one sharp lifter from Viljoen, he was scarcely troubled as he accumulated steadily, largely through well-timed textbook strokes and leg-side nudges.When Derbsyhire turned to the medium pace of Alex Hughes his second ball was casually paddled to fine leg to take Collingwood to 50 off 77 balls. He reached his 100 off 150 when he turned Viljoen to fine leg for his 11th four.Viljoen began with a short, wide loosener, which Jennings tried to slap away, only to edge to wicketkeeper Harvey Hosein.Tom Latham scored only five off his first 36 balls, but then cut Tony Palladino for two fours before shaping to drive and having his off stump rattled.Viljoen nipped one back to bowl Jack Burnham for nine during a second spell in which he also troubled Steel. He was missed at third slip by Matt Critchley off on 38, and it was a thicker edge wide of the slips which gave him his ninth four and took him to his half-century off 81 balls.Left-armer Luis Reece broke a fourth-wicket stand of 53 when Steel drove at a ball slanted across him and edged low to Wayne Madsen at slip.Michael Richardson edged Viljoen behind for 20 and Ryan Pringle made 19 before hooking Palladino straight to long leg.Pringle’s exit left Durham in danger of under-achieving on 217 for six, but Coughlin eased to 33 against the old ball then cut loose against the new one.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are edging closer in the pursuit of Bristol City gem Alex Scott, as Julen Lopetegui aims to secure the signature of the highly-rated youngster.

The Midlands club have been linked to the Championship star since January, however after making sufficient sales, the Old Gold can now focus on the chance to equip the Englishman to their side.

How much is Alex Scott worth?

As reported by Football Insider yesterday, Wolves are believed to have leapfrogged fellow Premier League side Bournemouth in the race for Scott.

The report claimed that Lopetegui’s side are in ‘pole position’ to sign the midfielder after having two bids rejected by the Robins, with the latest figure said to be around the £20m mark.

It’s believed that the Championship side will hold out for £25m for the teenager, who was an integral part of their squad last season.

How good is Alex Scott?

At just 19, the teenager has imposed himself as a key figure in Bristol City’s line-up, being the conductor to orchestrate the midfield with authority and skill.

Described as a "top talent" by Jack Grealish, the Guernsey-born diamond played a mammoth 49 games for his club last season, adding to the 39 appearances recorded in his breakthrough term in 2021/22.

Deployed as a box-to-box midfielder, Scott could prove to be a youthful cog in Lopetegui’s depleted Molineux midfield, following the departures of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves earlier this summer.

The Spaniard could equip his side with a promising fearless talent, who could force fans to forget about the magic that the Portuguese duo once brought to Wolverhampton.

After signing Joao Gomes from Flamengo in January, Wolves displayed preliminary signs of a midfield revamp, which could be rounded off by the potential introduction of Scott, who could pose to be an upgrade to existing options to partner the Brazilian.

29-year-old Mario Lemina was also introduced in the winter transfer window of 2023, signing from Nice in the bid to bolster the midfield.

While the Gabonese star has been a strong introduction to Lopetegui’s side, the former Southampton player could find his position in the starting line-up compromised should Scott enter the Spaniard’s plans.

When comparing the two players based on their respective 2022/23 league campaigns, it’s clear to see why the former Real Madrid manager wants to bring in the 5 foot 10 Championship star, who would represent an upgrade on Lemina.

As per FBref, the teenager recorded a higher average than the Gabon international for his distribution, averaging 3.43 progressive passes per 90 to his 2.91, as well as 1.04 key passes to the Wolves man’s mere 0.21 per 90.

Acting as a lively dominator of the middle of the park, Scott also scored higher averages while in possession, averaging 1.22 successful take-ons and 2.34 progressive carries to Lemina’s 0.76 successful take-ons and 0.42 progressive carries per 90 in the Premier League.

While tackling is a major element of maintaining control of the engine room, the Englishman showed his potential in comparison to the former Juventus ace, making an average of 2.05 tackles and 0.98 interceptions per 90, to his 2.63 tackles and 0.97 interceptions.

Lopetegui could form a youthful spark in Molineux’s midfield by recruiting Scott, however, it could be uncomfortable viewing for Lemina, who could see himself usurped by the teenager.

Crystal Palace target Matheus Franca has real 'potential' to succeed at Selhurst Park if he was to join the Eagles from Flamengo, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Is Matheus Franca moving to Crystal Palace?

According to Torcedores via Sport Witness, Crystal Palace have had a bid of around €40 million (£34.6 million) accepted for Flamengo midfielder Franca and only minor details remain in order to make the deal official.

Nevertheless, journalist Vena Casagrande has disputed these claims and indicated that a different fee is involved in negotiations that has actually been rejected by Flamengo, which is mooted to be €15 million plus €5 million comprised of bonuses.

Globo Esporte claim that Chelsea are also in the race to sign Franca and are willing to match Flamengo's reported €25 million asking price to try and lure the 19-year-old to Stamford Bridge.

If Franca was to join Chelsea, it is planned that he would then head out on loan to Ligue 1 side Strasbourg to continue his development. The Blues' co-owner Todd Boehly has purchased close to 100% control of the French outfit as his multi-club ownership project starts to take shape, as per The Guardian.

In 2023, Franca, who has been hailed as a "sensation", has amassed 29 appearances in all competitions for Flamengo, registering three goals in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Jones thinks that Franca has the potential to be a smash hit at Selhurst Park if he completes a move to Roy Hodgson's men.

Jones told FFC: "I'll be honest, initially, when they were linked with him, I was very sceptical about it because I just didn't believe that he would consider joining a club at their level. But he is open-minded about this; I think from a Crystal Palace point of view, there are a couple of things that still need to be ironed out in terms of their own squad and how they open this up, but, there's very big potential for him if he does go to Crystal Palace and he'll probably be impressed too by the way they were playing last season if you can get that sort of freedom."

Who else could Crystal Palace sign this summer?

Crystal Palace boss Hodgson will have several targets in his sights as he aims to consolidate his side in the Premier League for another campaign and see if they can improve on last season.

L'Equipe via Sport Witness claim that Crystal Palace have submitted a verbal offer for Montpellier forward Elye Wahi, who is also attracting interest from Chelsea. The Blues would look to then send the 20-year-old on loan to Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg if successful in securing Wahi's services.

Chelsea outcast Callum Hudson-Odoi has been earmarked as another target at Selhurst Park this window; however, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and clubs in Saudi Arabia are also keen to sign the 22-year-old winger, according to The Evening Standard.

The Eagles have inquired about the possibility of signing Southampton striker Che Adams, who is keen to ensure a return to the Premier League as he battles to keep his place in Scotland's squad ahead of 2024, as per The Daily Mail.

Arsenal are among the contenders for Fenerbahce's teenage sensation Arda Guler, with the north London club considering a swoop this summer.

What's the latest on Arda Guler to Arsenal?

According to Football Insider, Mikel Arteta's Gunners have 'leapfrogged' Premier League rivals Newcastle United in the race to sign Guler, who has emerged as a first-rate prospect this term.

The attacker has captured the excitement of all who have observed his trade, and as such Arsenal are joined in their interest by Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

The 18-year-old possesses a contractual clause that could see him leave the Yellow Canaries for just €17.5m (£15m), but this has prompted his Süper Lig outfit to offer a new deal to tie him down for a further year, potentially cashing in for a more lucrative fee.

Should Arsenal sign Arda Guler?

The north London giants have earned their distinction for boasting one of European football's most prominent youth academies around, with Bukayo Saka, Serge Gnabry, Cesc Fabregas and Ashley Cole just some of the salient names to have risen from Hale End.

And while Guler is now 18-years-old, he would have the opportunity to nurture his way to prominence with the Gunners, absorbing the fruits of his senior peers' labour and gradually blossoming into a world-class talent, having been described as a "magician with a wand of a left foot" by one European scout.

As per Sofascore, the four-cap Turkey star – with one goal – has averaged a match rating of 7.48 in the league this season, scoring four goals and providing three assists from just 11 starts in the Süper Lig, completing 85% of his passes and averaging two key passes per game.

Given his natural prowess with the ball at his feet, his role as a left-footed winger on the right flank and his clear aptitude for clinching both goals and assists, the "fantastic" Guler – as dubbed by Fabrizio Romano – could rise to the fore as the Premier League's next Riyad Mahrez under Arteta's stewardship.

The Arsenal boss will know the Algerian's skill set well from his time as Pep Guardiola's understudy at Manchester City, and given Saka's rise to prominence as the Gunners' starring attacker on the right side, it's evident Arteta knows how to utilise attacking options in this regard.

Mahrez signed for Leicester from French side Le Havre in 2014, historically winning the Premier League and earning the division's Player of the Year award, before completing a £60m transfer to the Citizens in 2018, where he has gleaned five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three League Cups and the Champions League, heralded as "exceptional" by his boss for his diverse attacking nature.

Over the duration of his career, the 32-year-old, who like Guler drifts inside from the right flank, has averaged 2.1 shots and 1.6 key passes per match, as per WhoScored, also completing 82% of his passes and averaging 1.8 dribbles per outing.

To put those numbers into context, the fleet-footed Guler has averaged 1.6 dribbles per match over the maiden period of his career, certainly exhibiting his class and breezy gait on the pitch, while the aforementioned Saka has posted 1.4 dribbles a game.

The Turk is undoubtedly a "serious talent" – as he has been called by reporter Duncan Castles – and by arriving at the Emirates Stadium he could grow into one of English football's most prodigious phenoms, potentially even replicating Mahrez in the process.

Newcastle United are set to sign Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes, having seen off competition for his signature, according to a recent report from The Telegraph.

Who are Newcastle United signing?

Newcastle are still interested in signing a winger this summer, having recently rekindled their interest in Bayer Leverkusen star Moussa Diaby, who Eddie Howe will be hoping is available for a cut-price fee, given that he has just two years left on his contract.

The Magpies also like Eintracht Frankfurt's Jesper Lindstrom, who is planning to leave the German side this summer, as he is keen on playing Champions League football next season – potentially opening the door for a move to St James' Park.

While Howe is running the rule over a couple of options from the Bundesliga, he also has his eye on a target from closer to home, with talks recently being held with Leicester over a move for Barnes, who could be brought in as a replacement for Allan Saint-Maximin.

Now, it appears as though those talks are rapidly advancing, as The Telegraph reports Newcastle are set to sign the Leicester star, having seen off competition for his signature from West Ham United and Aston Villa.

The report also claims that Magpies are closing in on a deal for the Englishman, and they hope to get the move over the line in the next week, with their first bid expected to be made over the next few days.

Leicester value the 25-year-old at around £40m, with the Tynesiders hoping to pay closer to £35m, though a deal is still expected to be agreed upon.

The player himself is keen on a switch to St James' Park, and he is unlikely to turn down the opportunity to play Champions League football next season – even if the likes of West Ham or Villa decide to make a late swoop.

How good is Harvey Barnes?

Micah Richards clearly rates the one-cap England international highly, having lauded him as "incredible" back in January 2021, and he has since gone on to impress even further, scoring 13 Premier League goals last season.

Former manager Brendan Rodgers has also spoken highly of the left-winger, saying: "He's a really talented player, so whether it's in the Premier League or in the Europa League, he's a threat. His speed on the counter is a particular attribute away from home. He'll always be a goal threat.

"He's shown a really high level, and people want to get tight to him and double-press him. I'm sure he's only going to get better and better."

The 5 foot 9 winger has now been given the platform to impress at Champions League level, and there are plenty of indications he is capable of making the step up.

As per FBref, Barnes has out-performed his expected goals (xG) tally over the past year, averaging 0.43 per 90, having been predicted to average 0.3, and he has previously demonstrated he is capable of setting up his teammates, recording ten assists in the 2021/22 campaign.

ScorecardShaiman Anwar steered UAE home with his seventh ODI half-century•Peter Della Penna

Imran Haider, the legspinner, took four wickets in his second ODI to help United Arab Emirates record a six-wicket win over Hong Kong in their tri-series fixture in Dubai on Thursday. UAE got to their target of 175 in 38.1 overs to finish the series on top of the points table.Hong Kong were put in to bat and lost wickets in clumps, tottering at one stage at 85 for 5. Nizakat Khan, the No. 4 batsman, held the lower order together in making a 111-ball 93 including seven fours and three sixes. Nizakat’s 67-run stand for the eighth wicket with Ehsan Nawaz, who made 11, was the highest of the innings which folded in the penultimate over.Haider removed Babar Hayat, the Hong Kong captain, and Shahid Wasif for ducks. At one stage, he had three wickets in as many overs; he eventually finished with 4 for 25 off his 10 overs to take his wickets tally to seven in two matches.UAE started solidly courtesy a 76-run opening stand between Rohan Mustafa and Mohammed Qasim, before losing three quick wickets – two of which were picked up by Ehsan Khan, the offspinner. Shaiman Anwar then took charge to make a half-century to take UAE to within 27 runs of victory before giving Ehsan his third wicket. Muhammad Usman (20 not out) and Mohammad Naveed (9 not out) then saw the chase through.

Everton have a lot of work to do this summer to improve the squad after a second consecutive Premier League relegation battle this season and Sean Dyche will get his first proper opportunity to make new additions.

The Toffees boss was confirmed as the successor to Frank Lampard at the tail end of the January window, leaving the experienced manager with little to no time to snap up the services of players and ultimately signed nobody to replace Anthony Gordon in the dying hours of the window.

Now Dyche will have the opportunity to significantly improve and bolster his forward line ahead of next season and will be working hard to not make the mistakes of those before him by identifying prolific and quality forwards who can make a genuine impact at Goodison Park.

The Blues have been linked with a number of forwards already this summer as The Athletic's Patrick Boyland named Che Adams, Beto and Moussa Dembele as targets for the club earlier this week, alongside Manchester United academy graduate Anthony Elanga who could be an interesting prospect for Dyche.

Would Anthony Elanga be a good signing for Everton?

There is no doubt that the Everton forward line has been significantly weakened over the last 12 months following the departures of both Richarlison and Gordon, but now there is a real opportunity for a fresh start on the blue side of Merseyside.

Elanga was one of the hottest young prospects in Premier League football when he burst onto the scene under Ralf Rangnick at Old Trafford last season, which led to high praise from his compatriot and former Man United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic who hailed the Swiss winger a "great talent".

Although the talented youngster has seen much less game time since the arrival of Erik ten Hag – having made just five top-flight starts this season after making 14 the year prior – he has still managed to show glimpses of quality over his limited appearances this season that could make him the next Demarai Gray at Goodison.

In fact, the Everton winger – who has 12 goals and six assists to his name for the club to date – is named as the most comparable player to the Man United ace over the last 12 months, as per FBref, and it's not hard to see why when considering the similarities in their output this season.

The Premier League positional peers came close in their shots-on-target rate (40% v 38.6%), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.59 v 3.37), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.21 v 0.18) and take-on success rate (33.3% v 35.9%), proving that Elanga could be as much of a valuable asset as Gray has become in the Everton team.

It has been reported that the Red Devils will command a fee of around £10m this summer to part ways with their 21-year-old forward, dubbed "sensational" by journalist Alex Turk, which would be an absolute steal considering he already boasts Premier League experience unlike some of the other targets that have been named as potential targets.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer to snap up Elanga's services this summer as he could become a real threat in the forward line with consistent game time and reach his full potential under the guidance of Dyche.

Glasgow Rangers have been given the perfect opening to bring Jack Butland to the Scottish Premiership, according to reports.

Is Jack Butland leaving Crystal Palace?

Butland first joined Crystal Palace from Stoke City back in 2020 but has only made 17 senior appearances since that time and was therefore sent out on loan to Manchester United at the start of the year for the remainder of the season.

However, the 30-year-old failed to record a single outing across all competitions last term, and with his contract set to expire this month, he’s currently set to become a free agent having not yet been offered the chance to extend his stay at Selhurst Park.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Dean Jones, transfer expert and journalist, claimed that Michael Beale is on the hunt for a new first-choice shot-stopper and the Eagles star is someone that he has “looked into”, with Fabrizio Romano since revealing that the Light Blues have held talks and are in “advancing” negotiations to bring him to Ibrox.

Are Rangers signing Butland?

According to The Sun, Rangers are now "clear" to sign Butland on a free transfer as a result of Crystal Palace having "passed on the chance" to trigger his one-year contract extension. The Teddy Bears have reportedly been "keen" on the goalkeeper for 12 months but have only started to pursue a deal in "recent weeks".

Rangers have confirmed that Allan McGregor will be leaving the club this summer upon the expiration of his deal so a replacement will need to be recruited, and having been hailed “confident” between the sticks by journalist Josh Bunting, Butland could be his ideal experienced successor.

The 6 foot 5 colossus, who’s sponsored by Nike, has kept 83 clean sheets from 293 appearances throughout his career and impressed at Palace when given the opportunity to showcase his talents during the 2021/22 campaign.

England’s former international, who earns £35k-per-week, made 16 saves from 28 shots on target against when in the net and displayed an extremely strong range of passing having completed 61 of 61 short passes and 108 of 108 medium passes, giving him a 100% success rate for both statistics, as per FBRef.

Football Insider have since reported that Butland is undergoing a medical on Monday after agreeing personal terms on a move north of the border, and if this is true, then he would be a fantastic acquisition and definite bargain for Rangers.