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Everton reportedly remain interested in signing Salernitana forward Boulaye Dia in the summer transfer window, and could use Neal Maupay as part of any deal.

Are Everton signing a new striker?

The Blues have been on the lookout for attacking reinforcements since the end of last season, with more quality in the final third something that has to be addressed ahead of the new Premier League campaign after scoring just 34 top-flight goals last season.

El Bilal Toure is one player who has been linked with a move for Goodison Park, but he has instead opted to join Atalanta, acting as a blow for Everton.

Another target who has also been seen as a primary target is Dia, though, who caught the eye for Salernitana last season, scoring 16 goals and chipping in with six assists in Serie A. It was a highly impressive first season there, having initially joined on loan from Villarreal, but his temporary move has now become permanent.

Despite this, a move away this summer doesn't look out of the question, with a new update suggesting that there is one Everton player who could help a move to Merseyside come to fruition.

Do Everton still want to sign Boulaye Dia?

According to Tutto Salernitana [via Sport Witness], Everton aren't willing to pay the player’s €25m release clause but have "asked" to hold a meeting with Salernitana sporting director Morgan De Sanctis to discuss a potential deal.

Maupay is seen as someone who could become a key part of any move, with the Frenchman someone who the Italian outfit "like a lot", having been "one step away" from heading there last summer. The report also states that Salernitana want any potential transfer to be done and dusted in the next 10 days, rather than negotiations going on for too long.

This is certainly a positive update from an Everton perspective, not only giving them hope that they could sign Dia this summer, but also getting Maupay off their wage bill at the same time. He has been a big disappointment since arriving from Brighton last year, producing a poor return of just one goal and assist apiece in 29 appearances for the Blues.

For that reason, he may not be any real loss, and instead, they could be acquiring the signature of a more prolific player in Dia, having scored six goals in 25 appearances for Senegal at international level, netting once at the 2022 World Cup. Back in 2020, Senegal and former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane spoke highly of the forward, saying:

"I didn't know him before. But since the start of the season I started to follow him, and I'm really impressed by his qualities. I think he won't stay at Reims forever, believe me!"

Meanwhile, journalist Josh Bunting highlighted a key asset of Dia's, saying:

"Boulaye Dia the key man for Salernitana a goal and two assists so far since joining, a handful to deal with due to his hold up."

To be praised for such a big figure in his country's history speaks volumes about what Dia could be capable of in an Everton shirt, and his aforementioned assist tally last season shows that he is more than just a goalscorer. There still looks to be plenty to do, in order for the transfer to happen, but the Maupay factor is an added bonus, and it would be exciting to see Dia lining up for the Blues when they host Fulham in their Premier League opener next month.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their pursuit of further additions to the playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest Sunderland transfer news?

According to Foot Mercato, the Black Cats are one of a number of teams interested in signing Manchester United winger Noam Emeran during the summer transfer window, as Tony Mowbray eyes up the left-footed wizard.

The report claims that Anderlecht, Vitesse, Strasbourg, and Coventry are also in the running to sign the 20-year-old Frenchman, who could be in line for a contract extension at Old Trafford.

It states that a loan move could be on the cards for the exciting attacker and that would take up one of the club's two Premier League loan spots for the upcoming season.

How good is Noam Emeran?

He is yet to make his senior competitive debut and that makes it difficult to say with confidence that the Red Devils youngster would be a good player for Sunderland.

However, the potential is there for him to come in as Amad Diallo 2.0 for Mowbray after the Ivorian international spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan from United as a left-footed winger.

The ex-Atalanta starlet produced 14 goals to go along with three assists in 39 Championship matches, which made him the club's top scorer in the division.

Diallo was able to make an instant impact at the Stadium of Light and made himself a key player for the head coach throughout the season, which has set the standard for Emeran to follow.

Both of them featured for United in their pre-season clash with Leeds United earlier this week and the French maestro came out on top.

The £1.5m gem replaced Diallo on the right flank at half-time and showcased his talent at the top end of the pitch. As per Sofascore, Emeran completed four dribbles, created three chances for his teammates, and ended the match with one goal to go along with one assist.

That came after the Ivorian talent produced one key pass, three dribbles, and failed to directly contribute to a goal in the opening 45 minutes of the game.

Whilst it was only a pre-season outing, the 20-year-old ace showed plenty of promise with his performance – particularly in comparison to the former Sunderland man.

Emeran also caught the eye for United's U21 side last term with five goals in 15 Premier League 2 appearances, which works out as a strike every three games on average, whilst Diallo managed one every 2.79 matches.

The 5 foot 10 dynamo, who has been hailed as "athletic" by journalist Josh Bunting, displayed his creative ability during his time at U18 level with five goals and six assists over 16 league outings, which suggests that the potential is there for him to replicate Diallo's creativity alongside the goalscoring impact.

Therefore, the French prospect is a player with the scope to come in and make a significant impact on Wearside if he is able to translate his youth and pre-season form to a first-team environment, in the same way that his current teammate was able to do last season.

Last summer, Glasgow Rangers swooped to sign Millwall starlet Zak Lovelace as Giovanni van Bronckhorst looked like he was focusing on youth talent in order to fill out the academy squads and ensuring the Ibrox side had a plethora of teen gems ready to be plucked from the B side when ready over the coming years.

Lovelace made his Millwall debut aged just 15, becoming the second-youngest player to represent the club in their history during a substitute appearance against Coventry City in December 2021 and made another four appearances for the club, which prompted the Gers to make their move once the season finished.

It was a successful 2022/23 season for the 17-year-old, with the added pressure of trying to make an impression in the B team, he scored 18 goals in all competitions while grabbing another ten assists and was even given his first team bow against Queen of the South in August during a League Cup tie.

His performances obviously impressed Michael Beale, as he was given a two minute cameo against Celtic during their excellent 3-0 win in May and the future looks bright for the England U17 international.

With Beale clearly trying to lower the age of the Rangers side, releasing players such as Scott Arfield (34), Allan McGregor (41) and Filip Helander (30) upon the expiration of their contracts, a focus on youth could pay dividends over the next few years.

With this in mind, the Light Blues have been linked with a move for former West Ham United starlet Divine Mukasa according to the Secret Scout, who claims that the youngster has “visited Rangers and Newcastle United” after he left the London side recently.

He confirmed via Instagram he was departing and posted a heartfelt message, saying: “Thank you to all the players and staff at West Ham that have helped to develop me into both the player and person that I am today.

“This club has been my home for the past 10 years and for it to come to an end is bittersweet, but it’s time to move on to the next chapter of my career.”

Who is Divine Mukasa?

The 15-year-old midfielder would be hoping to follow in the same trajectory as Lovelace by moving to Rangers at such a young age, yet he does have pedigree at U16 level, especially for his country.

He has made nine appearances for the England U16 side, scoring three goals, and grabbing one assist during those matches, netting against Scotland, and he certainly showcased his attacking abilities by being deployed just behind the striker.

It’s evident he has a keen eye for goal, and he even managed to register two goal contributions during the U18 Premier League last term, playing against players two years older and this maturity has could entice Beale into luring him to Rangers.

The Ibrox side are trying to add some of the finest talents from South of the border to their academy and by convincing Mukasa that a move to Scotland would be the best for his development, Beale could repeat Rangers’ Lovelace masterclass from 2022.

Sam Northeast for England! Kent fans will demand it once again after his unbeaten 173 at Hove, but is anyone in the England set-up listening?

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Hove16-Apr-2017
ScorecardSam Northeast’s reputation seems consigned to Kent•Getty Images

“Northeast for England!” It’s one thing for Kent fans to chant for their captain (and, to be fair to them, they’ve been singing that for a while). But when those chants are coming from his own dressing room, it does strike a different note. As Sussex slinked off when bad light ended play, Kent’s players, with a 426-run-lead in their step, were in full voice. They, more so than the fans, are annoyed he has been overlooked for as long as he has.Sam Northeast, a decorated youth cricketer, an England Lion and a regular “well what about” selection in many an England XI thrashed out over beer-soaked tables, must be close to the real thing. And it’s innings like today – a barbaric, unbeaten 173, which saw him race to 37 from 23 balls to quell Sussex’s early attack, before bringing up three figures in 123 balls – that will push him close to the front of the queue. It was his 17th first-class hundred and, remarkably, it is hard to peg this as his most devastating.Naturally, Northeast was fairly chilled about England talk, happy to let his record do the talking – 1,474 Championship runs since the start of 2016 at an average of 77.6, if you’re wondering. “There are a lot of people in my position around the counties,” he said. Kent seamer Mitchell Claydon, within earshot, interjected: “Not with 18,000 effing runs in a year-and-a-half,”. Northeast laughed: “See what I have to put up with?”Considering Northeast’s hot streak started during his first full season as club captain and that his role at Kent is wide-ranging – he plays a prominent role in team meetings, player contracts and overseas recruitment – it says a lot about his character that the extra distractions seem to have focused his work out in the middle.During the North-South series in the UAE, in which he scored a century in the second match, he had chats with Andy Flower and England assistant coach Paul Farbrace. There was a chance for a catch-up with Flower today: the ECB technical director was at Hove and spent time talking to Kent’s coach Matt Walker. Northeast, of course, was otherwise occupied.His England claim is not just limited to one format. Recently, he has been one of the standout domestic Twenty20 batsmen in the world. Across the last two seasons in the T20 Blast, he has scored 1,103 runs at an average of 40.9. It is telling, too, that when analysts involved in recruitment for franchises across the world crunch the numbers in search of the most valued picks, Northeast’s name often makes an appearance.But, for now, the England Test side need a middle order batsman. And as well as Northeast’s free-scoring nature aligning with Trevor Bayliss’s blueprint for the Test side, he would also bring with him a knack for big runs. Including today, his last six Championship hundreds have all exceeded 160. He does not have a double hundred to his name – 191 against Derbyshire and 190 against Sussex, both last season, are as close as he has come – but looked like he was on the way to addressing in the final session on Sunday, hitting two sixes and a four in the last four balls of the day to take him to 173 off 181 balls.He shared a stand of 123 with opener Sean Dickson which put Sussex in their place and then one of 161 inside 27 overs with Darren Stevens (71) that whipped them into submission. Sussex, a bowler and ideas light, simply had to accept the punishment that was being dished out. Together, Stevens and Northeast put on 52 off the last five overs.But without Dickson’s patience, Kent would be a long way from the position they currently occupy. His grafting 68 gave Darren Stevens and Wayne Parnell a platform for their 123-run stand in the first innings. Disappointed he was not able to convert that to three figures on day one, it looked like he would get there in the second innings.He was in complete control, knocking the ball about diligently to get to 89 but, again, fell short after being trapped in front by Ajmal Shahzad. When you consider he suffered a recurrence of the hamstring injury that kept him out of the opening fixture against Gloucestershire, it was a remarkable effort from the 25-year-old. Just as every good band needs a reliable bassist, Dickson’s calm and diligence allowed the more flamboyant around him to flourish.It’s still a good pitch, as Northeast and Stevens showed by the way they were able to hit through the line so well. “It would be nice if it was a bit cloudy in the morning,” said Northeast. “We’ve got a good bowling line-up here, with good variations and we’ll try a few things out there tomorrow.”

Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing Serie A ace Hirving Lozano as the Villans prepare to introduce reinforcements to their squad.

Unai Emery isn’t expected to be the only Spaniard with control in the market this summer, with former Sevilla sporting director Monchi sealing a move to Villa Park.

The club have been linked to a host of top talent already, with the latest link being a potentially strong suitor to partner Ollie Watkins.

What’s the latest on Hirving Lozano to Aston Villa?

As reported by various Spanish outlets this week, Aston Villa have emerged as a club interested in Napoli forward Lozano.

One report states that Villa have shown ‘clear interest’ in the Mexico international, who could depart Naples this summer due to a frailed relationship with the board.

It’s claimed the Midlands club are among the ‘most attractive’ options for the 27-year-old, with Villa planning a ‘formal offer’ believed to be in the region of €30m (£26m).

What could Hirving Lozano offer to Aston Villa?

Hailed as a “sensation” by broadcaster Bolarinwa Olajide, the forward could be a revolutionary addition to Emery’s attack.

Likened to Premier League ace Bukayo Saka based on statistics by FBref, the winger is a seasoned attacker, as supported by his career statistics representing PSV, Napoli and Pachuca.

As per Transfermarkt, the Mexican has contributed to 184 goals in 383 recorded appearances, scoring 113 goals and registering 71 assists in consistent streaks that convey a danger in the final third.

When speaking to The Athletic in April, Emery revealed his plans to sign a second striker to play either alongside Watkins or in rotation with the Englishman – which is something he could deliver in signing Lozano.

While the two are most notably strong in front of goal, they have opposing attributes that suggest they could form a complete partnership leading the line at Villa Park.

In the past, Lozano has been likened to Lionel Messi, with his low centre of gravity contributing to him being called “explosive and agile” by PSV director of football Marcel Brands, who formerly scouted the forward – as relayed by football.london.

As per FBref, the £97k-per-week attacker averages better than Watkins in areas that could greatly benefit the ex-Brentford man, registering 4.78 progressive carries per 90 to his average of 1.44.

Having a player that excels in progressive play beside him could be vital to taking the 15-goal striker to the next level, with an added benefit being the Napoli star’s ability to score himself.

Emery has a comprehensive right-winger already in his arsenal in Jacob Ramsey, but to adhere to the Spaniard’s aims of adding depth to his squad that will challenge in Europe next campaign, the move could be significant.

Lozano's contract in Naples expires next summer, so it’s likely that the Serie A champions will wish to cash in on his talents rather than see him leave as a free agent at the close of next season.

Wellington toppled Central Districts by five wickets in a closely-fought third preliminary final to set up a final date against Canterbury on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2017
ScorecardMichael Papps put behind a string of low scores to score a half-century and take Wellington into the final•Getty ImagesAfter falling short by 27 runs against Canterbury in the first preliminary final, Wellington did not squander their second chance as they toppled Central Districts by five wickets in the third preliminary final at the Basin Reserve to set up a final against Canterbury on Saturday. Medium pacer Anurag Verma’s 4 for 49 helped bowl out Central Districts for 247, and opening batsman Michael Papps scored 80 to help Wellington scale down the target with three balls to spare.Like Papps, George Worker shone opening the innings for Central Districts. Worker strung together a century stand with captain Will Young (57 off 60 balls) to lift his team to 176 for 2. But Central Districts slid thereafter, losing five wickets for 29 runs, including that of Worker for 85. They were shored up by Josh Clarkson’s rapid 42, off 33 balls, with four fours and two sixes.Wellington showcased their batting strength in the chase. Barring Scott Borthwick, who was caught in the sixth over for 1, all their batsmen made contributions. Papps was supported by captain Hamish Marshall (37), Tom Blundell (21) and Michael Pollard (24).Papps’ wicket was the last Central Districts would take, when he was stumped off left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel. At that point, Wellington still needed 58 with just 47 balls and five wickets remaining. Luke Woodcock slammed an unbeaten 41 off 35 balls with four fours and two sixes, while Matt Taylor raced to an unbeaten 31 off 29 balls to seal a tense chase in the final over.Blair Tickner and Kieran Noema-Barnett took two wickets each, although the latter was expensive, leaking 59 runs in 10 overs. Patel finished with 1 for 52.

Vlatko Andonovski has some tough decisions to make with his XI, but it may be worthwhile to let the teenage forward loose early in the tournament

On a good day, it's really, really hard to predict what Vlatko Andonovski is going to do with the United States women's national team line up. Throughout the course of this cycle, Andonovski has often chopped and changed, experimenting plenty as he looked to nail down a first-choice XI. At this point, we don't even really know what that is, simply because we haven't really gotten to see it.

And that's on a good day. Friday's World Cup opener against Vietnam, meanwhile, is a weird one. It's the start of a major tournament, sure, but also a game against, on paper, the USWNT's weakest opponent. If there was a chance for Andonovski to really throw in a curveball, this is the game.

Part of that is due to injuries. Rose Lavelle, Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe aren't 100 percent fit, although only the first two are the contenders to start. The other part of it is due to squad rotation, as Andonovski could very well look to, at least initially, rest some key players while looking ahead to tougher games against the Netherlands and Portugal.

So how does he handle that balancing act? GOAL takes a look at how the USWNT should line up on Friday against Vietnam…

Getty ImagesGK: Alyssa Naeher

One of the few players in this XI that is pretty immune from rotation. Naeher is the starter and, barring injury, we'll almost certainly see her play every minute this tournament.

Well, certainly. Casey Murphy or Aubrey Kingsbury could conceivably challenge her for that spot if her form isn't where it should be but, realistically, this isn't the time for goalkeeper drama. Give Naeher the start and let her warm-up for the tougher games ahead.

AdvertisementGettyLB: Crystal Dunn

Could we finally see the great Dunn midfield move in this game? Maybe! Will we? Probably not! Andonovski has shied away from using Dunn in that position all cycle, so it would be pretty wild to see it happen now, even with Lavelle's injury issues.

Instead, we'll likely see Dunn provide some attacking thrust on the left against a team that should have few options to stop her.

GettyCB: Naomi Girma

Even if Andonovski wanted to rotate at center-back, it's not like he has many options. Girma and Alana Cook are the only two central defenders in the squad, which means there really won't be many opportunities to rest those two throughout.

You could see someone like Emily Sonnett or Ertz start centrally, but it's probably more valuable to get Girma on the field so she can shake out any potential World Cup nerves.

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CB: Alana Cook

Ditto from above. Andonovski will almost certainly want Cook to get a taste of the World Cup in a game where she likely won't be challenged too much. Let her walk out, hear the anthem, make a few plays and then, maybe, take her or Girma out if he wants to save their legs for the rest of the group stage.

India A’s spinners, led by Yuzvendra Chahal, took eight wickets between them to lead the side’s 57-run win over Australia A in the final of the Quadrangular A-team one-day series in Mackay

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2016
Scorecard1:18

‘Dravid helped us be calm’ – Mandeep

India A’s spinners, led by Yuzvendra Chahal, took eight wickets between them to lead the side’s 57-run win over Australia A in the final of the Quadrangular A-team one-day series in Mackay. Chasing 267, Australia A lost all but two of their set batsmen to spinners, eventually folding for 209. Earlier, Mandeep Singh’s 95 and Manish Pandey’s 61 had guided India to 4 for 266. This is also India A’s third successive win over Australia A in the final of an A-team tournament, with the previous wins coming in July 2014 and August 2015.Australia A began their chase promisingly with a 31-run partnership between openers Cameron Bancroft and Kurtis Patterson before the latter was bowled by Dhawal Kulkarni in the seventh over. A 51-run partnership for the second wicket between Bancroft and Nic Maddinson further strengthened Australia A’s chase but India A fought back through wickets from Karun Nair, whose part-time offspin accounted for both batsmen. Despite a few quiet overs in the middle, Australia A captain Peter Handscomb and Alex Ross kept the asking rate in sight during their brisk 77-run stand, until Kulkarni got the breakthrough with Ross’ wicket.Chahal and Axar Patel wrapped things up quickly after that. Axar’s left-arm spin dismissed Handscomb for a top-score of 43 in the 39th over, and Chahal took four of the next five wickets to seal a win by the 45th over. Australia A’s last six wickets fell for only 26 runs.India A had a quiet start after losing Nair in the second over but recovered through a string of half-century partnerships. Mandeep was part of two of those partnerships, with Shreyas Iyer (41) and Pandey, during his 108-ball stay. The opener struck 11 fours in his second successive fifty before he was out caught behind off Joe Mennie, five short of what would have been his fourth List A century.India A scored only five boundaries in the last 15 overs but still scored 100 runs, steered along by Pandey with help from Kedar Jadhav who chipped in with 25 off 33. Pandey, the India A captain, who has been in good form through the tournament, surpassed David Miller on the series run charts with his 61, ending with a tally of 359 runs in seven innings, including two centuries.The lack of boundaries, Mandeep said after the game, was largely due to the slow outfield. The resulting difficulty in run-scoring, he said, made his knock of 95 one of his best so far. “More than the wicket, I think it was the ground. I knew that I had to run hard on this ground, take a lot of twos and threes. I think I probably did that, that’s why I got success,” he said. “Definitely it was very hard, because in India you get a lot of boundaries, so definitely it was one of my harder innings, but I enjoyed it.”

Sunderland's impressive season came to a disappointing end on Tuesday night as they fell 2-0 against Luton Town in the playoff semi-final second leg.

Having won 2-1 at the Stadium of Light last week, Tony Mowbray's side looked to be in a strong position against the Hatters and would have been hoping to make it to Wembley, where they would have been one match away from securing back-to-back promotions.

What happened in Luton vs Sunderland?

Unfortunately for the Black Cats, that dream wouldn't become a reality as the aggregate score was levelled at 2-2 within ten minutes as Gabriel Osho smashed home from a corner.

Mowbray's side were trailing on aggregate before half-time as centre-back Tom Lockyer headed in Alfie Doughty's wicked delivery, with injuries in defence leaving Sunderland exposed in the air against a physically dominant Luton side.

It was always going to be tough for Sunderland given that the likes of Dennis Cirkin, Danny Batth and Ross Stewart were all absent from the matchday squad.

This forced Mowbray to play both Lynden Gooch and Patrick Roberts as full-backs at Kenilworth Road, despite them being short tricky wingers, and this certainly backfired against Rob Edwards' giant Luton side.

How did Roberts play against Luton?

As per Sofascore, the former Manchester City man would earn a shocking 6.2/10 rating for his performance, which was comfortably the worst of any player to start the game from both sides.

It is perhaps harsh to judge the 26-year-old given he was playing in an unfamiliar position, but it wasn't just his defending which let the Black Cats down on Tuesday night.

Mowbray will have selected Roberts on the right in the hope that he could attack and link up with Amad Diallo, so it was perhaps no surprise that the slight winger struggled against Doughty down the left, as he was dribbled past three times and won just eight of 26 duels during the 90 minutes.

However, his performance going forward was a real letdown and arguably a major factor in Sunderland's failure to find the goal which could have taken the game to extra time or taken the north-east club to Wembley.

The English winger lost the ball on a remarkable 23 occasions against Luton, as just one of his five crosses and none of his three long balls found a teammate.

Roberts is certainly known for his dribbling ability but tried to do it far too often at Kenilworth Road, succeeding with just four of his 12 attempts on the night, although he did nearly score a wonder goal after beating a number of Luton defenders on a mazy run.

With Sunderland struggling to create chances late on, the right-winger engineered the space for three shots but put every single one off target, when a pass would have perhaps been the better option.

His greediness was disappointing on a night when Sunderland needed to be at their best as a team to get through, and his underwhelming performance was no doubt one major factor in the 2-0 defeat.

The WICB has agreed to release captain Jason Holder, Darren Bravo, Carlos Brathwaite, Devendra Bishoo, and Denesh Ramdin for the Caribbean Premier League, starting June 30

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2016The WICB has agreed to release captain Jason Holder, batsman Darren Bravo, allrounder Carlos Brathwaite, legspinner Devendra Bishoo, and wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin for the Caribbean Premier League, starting June 30, which is four days after the tri-series final in Barbados. They can remain with their franchises until July 11, ten days before West Indies’ first Test against India in Antigua.WICB announced a confirmation of the India tour last December, but they released the full itinerary only last week. A possible clash of dates with the CPL had been one of the main reasons for the delay.According to the WICB policy, the head coach and the national selectors had final say in determining whether their players would be free to participate in the CPL. It is understood that head coach Phil Simmons had no objections with his men playing the tournament’s initial stages, provided they returned in time to prepare for the four Tests against India, which are the only Tests in West Indies’ home season.Damien O’Donohoe, the CPL chief executive, welcomed the WICB’s decision and said that the players’ availability would would be a “tremendous boost”.”Our thanks to the West Indies Cricket Board, coach and chairman of selection committee for facilitating the release of the players for the opening weeks of the CPL,” he said. “It’s a tremendous boost for the competition and I have no doubt that each of the players will be motivated to add great value to their squads.”Ramdin, who is part of the onging tri-series against South Africa and Australia, was announced as the replacement for injured fast bowler Fidel Edwards, for St Lucia Zouks. Edwards had suffered a fractured ankle in the lead up to the final day of Hampshire’s County Championship match against Yorkshire at Headingley in April.