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Leeds United have been credited with an interest in Aston Villa defender Matt Targett, 90min report.

The Lowdown: Newcastle loan

Targett has been on the books at Villa Park since 2019 but made the move to Newcastle United on loan in January after Steven Gerrard brought in Lucas Digne.

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The 26-year-old, who Villa Park legend Gabby Agbonlahor believes is ‘really comfortable on the ball’, has made 12 appearances for the Magpies, helping them climb up the Premier League table under Eddie Howe.

Jamie Carragher has hailed the left-back during his time at St. James’ Park, and it looks as if his displays have now caught the eye of Leeds chiefs.

The Latest: Leeds links

90min shared a Newcastle transfer story on Tuesday evening, which involved an update on Targett.

They claimed that Leeds, Leicester City and Wolves all hold an interest in Targett, although his preference is to stay at Newcastle, who have a ‘broad agreement in place’ ahead of a £15m permanent deal.

The Verdict: Firpo replacement?

It is interesting that Leeds have been credited with an interest in Targett, as they have also been linked with Celta Vigo left-back Javi Galan earlier this month.

Junior Firpo was the club’s main marquee signing last year from Barcelona but has had a first season to forget, making just 15 Premier League starts and picking up more yellow cards than any other Leeds player.

Links to two left-backs this month could mean that the Whites are looking to replace the Spaniard ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge, however, relegation back to the Championship could blow the club’s transfer plans wide open in regards to both incomings and outgoings.

In other news: ‘Big blow…’ – Sky Sports man now reacts to ‘dramatic’ confirmed Leeds news for run-in. 

Confusion surrounds the fate of the five-match one-day series between Sri Lanka and West Indies, which is scheduled to begin in rain-hit Hambantota on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2010Confusion surrounds the fate of the five-match one-day series between Sri Lanka and West Indies, which is scheduled to begin in rain-hit Hambantota on Thursday, with reports today suggesting the two national boards were working on rescheduling the series for January. The confusion was heightened by the circulation of an “official statement” by Sri Lanka Cricket, which was later denied, and by the absence of any official confirmation or denial from the West Indian side.Adding to the bizarre situation was Chris Gayle’s Twitter update – the former West Indies captain tweeted as early as Wednesday afternoon that the series had been officially called off and that he was headed out of the country.Hambantota, which also hosts the second ODI on Saturday, has been hit by torrential rain over the past few days, with players unable to have any outdoor practice. Given the likelihood of rain affecting both ODIs, it appears SLC had proposed a deferred three-match series starting at the end of January, and were awaiting an official response from their counterparts in the West Indies. The time difference – nine-and-a-half hours – was not helping matters.Rain has been the only constant in this ill-timed tour, with the players spending most of the time during the three-Test series in dressing rooms. The weather-induced stalemate pushed Sri Lanka from third to fifth in the ICC Test rankings, and Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, went on to describe the series as the worst of his life.If the poor weather continues through the one-day leg, it could upset both sides’ plans to finetune their preparations for the 2011 World Cup. Sri Lanka have rested Muttiah Muralitharan for their last assignment before the big event, and are looking to identify their best back-up spinner. Offspinner Suraj Randiv has been favoured in recent times, but Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis, both of whom are in the squad for this series, are also in the hunt. Having sat out the Test series, seamer Lasith Malinga will also look forward to hitting his straps ahead of the World Cup.West Indies endured a forgettable time against South Africa in May-June, losing 5-0, and will be eager to turn a corner here. Their performance in the first Test in Galle, on the back of a tremendous triple-century from Gayle, hinted at the beginning of a resurgence, but the washouts in the next two Tests robbed them of the chance to build on the momentum. The Tests offered little insight into Darren Sammy’s abilities as a captain, while his personal form was shoddy. He has plenty riding on this series, and will hope for enough action to assert his leadership on the group, and find some confidence with both bat and ball.The series was meant to hand World Cup auditions for the new ground in Hambantota and the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo which is slated to host the last three matches. Little is known about the pitch at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, though a notoriously low-scoring A match in September had raised doubts about its nature, doubts that were shot down by curator Anurudda Polonowita and national selector Ranjit Fernando.Another striking feature of the ground is the distance between the square and the boundary – estimated at 100 metres by Fernando. Given the conditions, one can expect a low-scoring tussle under the lights with the bowlers having a big say in the proceedings. If the rain stays away, that is.

Mitchell Johnson wants umpires to call no-balls immediately after Australia were the victims for the second consecutive Test when a front-foot decision was referred by an official

Peter English at the SCG04-Jan-2011Mitchell Johnson wants umpires to call no-balls immediately after Australia were the victims for the second consecutive Test when a front-foot decision was referred by an official. Michael Beer was celebrating Alastair Cook as his first Test wicket when Billy Bowden asked for – and then received – confirmation that the debutant spinner had over-stepped.”If the umpires know it’s a no-ball I think they should call it, instead of waiting to call it,” Johnson said. Bowden had a hunch Beer had gone over but he waited for the catch to be taken at mid-on before requesting a replay.”Everyone’s going to have different opinions on it,” Johnson said. “I suppose it’s not a bad thing, but it can be frustrating. I suppose you’ve just got to get your foot behind the line.”Johnson was the one who transgressed last week when Matt Prior edged on 5 at the MCG before making the hosts pay by finishing with 85. Cook was 46 when he miscued today and was unbeaten on 61 at stumps.It was a tough entry to the elite level for Beer, who bowled steadily during his nine overs, and his team-mates made an effort to cheer him up. What it shows is that Beer has learned one of the attack’s bad habits very quickly. The Australians have always struggled with no-balls and it is common practice for them to go over the line by a long way at training.”We always have this argument between batters and bowlers,” Johnson said. “We always try to find a way to get behind the line. We all try and do it. Whether you feel enclosed with the nets being there, I don’t know what it is. I still bowl half a foot over in the nets but I don’t know how we’re going to fix that.”James Anderson said the no-ball referrals represented “good cricket” because the right decision was made. “I think they should do it more often, I don’t think they use it enough,” he said. “A no-ball is a no-ball. You should get the correct decision when he’s bowled one.”England’s approach to over-stepping with David Saker, the bowling coach, is much more meticulous than Australia’s sloppy method under Troy Cooley. “We think it’s a very important part of our job to stay behind the line – even more so in one-day cricket,” Anderson said.”We try and practise it in the nets, and I hope we can replicate that out there.”The practice certainly seems to be working, as England have bowled just seven no-balls in the series, while Australia’s tally stands at 19.

Manchester City have seen numerous players join the club since Pep Guardiola was appointed as their manager back in 2016.

One of Guardiola’s earliest recruits for the Manchester club was midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who joined the side from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of £20m in the summer of 2016.

Since then, the German has gone on to make 249 appearances in a City shirt across all competitions.

In those appearances, the midfielder has scored 47 goals and delivered 33 assists along the way.

To further highlight how prominent the World Cup winner has been for City over the past few years, only Raheem Sterling (288) and Kevin De Bruyne (260) have made more appearances for the club under Guardiola than Gundogan (248).

With the 31-year-old’s current contract at the Etihad Stadium set to expire in the summer of 2023, the midfielder has already spoken about his potential next career step, with a move to America or Turkey in mind.

Taking this into account, the upcoming summer transfer window could give the Citizens an ideal opportunity to bring in a potential long-term replacement for their German midfield star.

Having been recently linked with a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, he could well be the right figure to come in and fill Gundogan’s boots once he calls time on his spell with City.

Since joining the Spanish club back in 2019 from Ajax for a fee of £65m, the Dutchman has gone on to make 137 appearances, scoring 13 goals and delivering 17 assists in the process.

Labelled as a “dynamic” player in the past by his current manager Xavi, the La Liga giants have reportedly put a price tag of £58m on their midfield talent.

To compare him with Gundogan from their individual domestic seasons, while De Jong may not have as many attempts on goal as the City star, he has a higher percentage of shots on target (41.2%) than him (31.9%), meaning he is more clinical in front of goal.

In terms of his passing, the Dutchman also trumps Gundogan with a higher percentage of passes completed.

While De Jong has five more league games under his belt than the German, from a defensive point of view, he’s made more tackles, pressures, blocks, interceptions and clearances this term.

Taking all of this into account, not only could City and Guardiola find their ideal heir for Gundogan with the 24-year-old, but they may also blow the Etihad faithful away by securing the Barcelona star’s signature this summer.

In other news: Pep can seal dream MCFC move with £100m “freak” who “can do anything”, he’s Ferna 2.0

Powered by a knock of 98 not out from 92 balls by Ryan ten Doeschate, Netherlands beat Kenya by two wickets in a close World Cup warm-up match in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2011
ScorecardSeren Waters’ knock of 126 not out for Kenya went in vain•Associated PressPowered by a knock of 98 not out from 92 balls by Ryan ten Doeschate, Netherlands beat Kenya by two wickets in a close World Cup warm-up match at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, on Tuesday. After tottering at 130 for 7 in the 30th over, Netherlands chased down 264 with five balls to spare thanks to ten Doeschate’s innings and useful lower-order cameos.Winning the toss and batting, Kenya built their innings around opener Seren Waters. While wickets fell around him, Waters steadily piled on the runs, scoring 126 not out in 150 balls with 12 fours. A 129-run partnership for the fifth wicket – the best in the match – between Waters and Rakep Patel took Kenya past the 250 mark. The stand was broken in the last over of the innings by Pieter Seelaar, but not before Patel had boosted Kenya’s run-rate (57 runs came in the batting Powerplay) with 64 off 59 balls.Netherlands got the start they wanted chasing 264, with an opening partnership of 67 in 10.1 overs between Alexei Kervezee and Eric Szwarczynski. But five wickets – most courtesy Steve Tikolo, who took four in the match – in the space of 28 runs put Kenya ahead. It was left to ten Doeschate, who had Netherlands’ best bowling figures of the match, to take his team home. He timed his innings to perfection, scoring a measured 50 off 69 balls in crucial partnerships with Atse Buurman and Mudassar Bukhari, before opening up. He went from 50 to 98 in 23 balls, displaying some of the hitting ability that has bought him places in overseas Twenty20 teams like Essex, Tasmania and Canterbury.

Leeds United have been in contact with the representatives of Adama Traore, who is also wanted by Everton, ahead of a possible summer move.

The Lowdown: Traore at Barcelona

Traore, described as ‘undefendable’ by Jurgen Klopp, joined Barcelona on a season-long loan last summer from Wolves.

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The 26-year-old has made just 15 appearances for the Catalan giants however, failing to score and registering four assists.

Barcelona have an option to make a move permanent at the end of the season, but Wolves expect him to return to the Midlands this summer.

The Latest: Leeds contact

TEAMtalk shared a story regarding Traore on Thursday, claiming Leeds are chasing the Spaniard’s signature.

The winger has a long-standing interest from Elland Road chiefs, who have already made contact with Traore’s representatives.

Everton are also keen on the Wolves man, so this update may come as a blow to Leeds’ relegation rivals.

The Verdict: Avoid?

You’d expect that Leeds will need to remain a Premier League side over the coming weeks to have any chance of signing Traore this summer, but it looks as if Victor Orta is looking to put a deal in place regardless.

However, Traore hasn’t exactly hasn’t had the best of seasons in Spain, continuing to struggle in front of goal, so a summer swoop could be another big gamble.

Traore has lacked end product throughout his career, scoring just 20 senior club goals in 256 games. Therefore, if Jesse Marsch guides the Whites to safety, they could be better off looking at a more prolific wide man, especially with Raphinha looking likely to join Barcelona.

In other news: Leeds officials sent abroad as Radz plots move for 56-goal attacker. 

India go in to their first World Cup warm-up match with decisions to make on their middle order and fast-bowling combination, while Australia will hope their spinner Jason Krejza can find some form

Siddarth Ravindran12-Feb-2011
Sachin Tendulkar has played just two ODIs since his 200 against South Africa in February last year•AFPIndia’s lower-middle order
Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli and Yusuf Pathan are fighting for the No. 6 and 7 spots. All three have been getting games in recent series due to the absence of some of the seniors at the top of the order, but one of them will have to be benched in the World Cup. Current form suggests it will be Raina, since Kohli was India’s most assured batsman in the one-dayers in South Africa, and Yusuf has repeatedly shown what a destructive force he can be lower down the order. Raina, though, is expected to fare better on the flat tracks likely to be served up in the subcontinent. Which of the trio misses out in Dhaka in a week’s time could be decided by the performances in the warm-ups.The return of Punter
Entering his third campaign as captain, Ricky Ponting is yet to lead Australia to a loss in a World Cup match. With the legends of past World Cup triumphs retired, and his own batting rarely hitting the imperious heights of old, this will be his toughest World Cup at the helm. A finger injury has sidelined him since the Boxing Day Test, forcing him to be away from the game for a month, a break which Ponting says has refreshed him. He has played only one ODI since July, has only three centuries in the format in three years, and there have been several calls for him to give up the captaincy. Sunday’s game will be the first chance to remove some of the question marks.Heavyweights at the top
India’s batting order starts with three of the biggest names in the game: Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. The talent, experience and firepower they provide forms the bedrock of the strongest batting unit in the tournament, but all three are returning from injuries (Sehwag – shoulder, Gambhir – elbow and Tendulkar – hamstring). One other slight concern is the lack of match practice in the format in recent times: the trio has played only seven ODIs between them in the past five months, and hasn’t been in a one-dayer together since December 2009. Match fitness and their slightly changed roles when all three are present will be things to work on at the Chinnaswamy.Australia’s spinners
Few things caused as much mirth for England fans as Australia’s muddle-headed picks in the slow-bowling department over the past few months. With their two preferred options – Nathan Hauritz and Xavier Doherty – out injured, their frontline spinner for the World Cup is Jason Krejza, a man with all the experience of one ODI. His performance on Test debut, in India, two years ago was the definition of a mixed bag; he took 12 wickets while shipping 358 runs. There’s support for him in the form of young legspinner Steven Smith, and a wealth of part-timers – David Hussey, Cameron White and Michael Clarke – but in a tournament where quality spinners are likely to be game-changers, how Krejza adapts to the subcontinent will be pivotal to Australia’s chances.The Indian quicks
Less than a week ago, Sreesanth thought his only contribution to the World Cup campaign would be a song he wrote and dedicated to the Indian team. Praveen Kumar’s slower-than-expected recovery from an elbow injury signalled an ‘I am back’ tweet from Sreesanth, though whether he will make the XI remains uncertain. Over the past year, India have had three quicks who were definite starters when fit – Praveen, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra. With Praveen injured, and Nehra’s form taking an alarming dip in the previous two series, Zaheer is the only one absolutely certain of his place. Nehra has a solid record over the past two years, Munaf Patel has shown he can be a steady option when given a one-day chance, and Sreesanth has more pace than anyone else in the squad. Another conundrum which the Indian selectors will solve over the two warm-up matches coming up.

After Australia’s quicks blew New Zealand away in Nagpur, their coach had said the top order needed to bat for 35 overs, but against Sri Lanka, the entire line-up was gone by then; this time to spin

Nagraj Gollapudi at the Wankhede Stadium18-Mar-2011New Zealand may wonder how far they have progressed after the seven-wicket defeat against Australia three weeks ago. Then, as now, their batsmen failed to build partnerships. Then, as now, New Zealand collapsed without putting up a fight. The only difference: back then they were tried by pace, while today the noose was tightened by the spinners. Just replace Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Brett Lee with Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga.So have New Zealand become such an easy picking? Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, was confident that New Zealand never liked the variety in his bowling attack. And it was not a recent allergy they had developed. “We kind of understand that they find the variation in our bowling attack a bit troublesome,” Sangakkara said after the 112-run victory. “They find Mendis, Malinga and Murali quite difficult, so we try to maximise on that particular fact.”The only time New Zealand’s batsmen showed some promise was when Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor were steadily beginning to rebuild the innings after the early loss of the openers. Ryder was timing the ball well, while Taylor showed the same spirit visible during his match-winning century against Pakistan. But it was not an easy pitch – it was taking sufficient turn, and coupled with a good bounce, it was a shot in the arm for the spinners. Also the dew made the ball skid. Patience was New Zealand’s life vest. Sadly their batsmen left too many loose ends and lost their way pretty quickly.After the demoralising loss to Australia, John Wright, the New Zealand coach, had imposed a condition that it was mandatory the top order lasted for at least 35 overs. The other rider was that not more than three wickets could be lost. On Friday, the New Zealand innings folded in exactly 35 overs. “We just did not get there,” Taylor, New Zealand’s stand-in captain for the game, said. “We put plans in place to try to achieve them and today we did not do it.”Jesse Ryder timed the ball well before he edged one from Ajantha Mendis•Getty ImagesIt would be harsh to single out Taylor because he was only filling in for the injured Daniel Vettori, who has been sidelined by a knee injury. Also, the absence of Kyle Mills, a frontline bowler, has not helped matters. New Zealand’s problems were aggravated when Hamish Bennett, Mill’s replacement, was forced to leave the field midway into his fifth over after he picked up a calf strain.Taylor felt that Bennett’s absence in the crucial middle overs allowed Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene to establish themselves and lay a good foundation. “In losing Hamish Bennett, we lost a little bit of firepower during the middle stages. But the way we came back to restrict them to 260 with a bowler down was not too bad. But we just kept losing wickets. At the end we were up with the rate but when you keep losing wicket 260 becomes a big target.”The loss will not hurt New Zealand’s cause much as they have already booked a quarter-finals’ berth. Even if it is not yet clear who their opponent will be, Taylor felt that it was important for the players to regroup fast and start from a new page. “The confidence would have taken a dent. But we have played some good cricket over the last little while. We have got to think positively. In the next couple of days we will know who our opponents are and then plan accordingly. The break allows us to recover from the injury toll.”

South Africa A levelled their five-match one-day series against Bangladesh A with an easy victory in the second game in Paarl

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSouth Africa A levelled their five-match one-day series against Bangladesh A with an easy victory in the second game in Paarl. The result was set up by big-hitting from the hosts’ lower-middle order, which plundered 68 runs off the last 25 balls of the innings. That took South Africa A to a score of 285, which proved too much for Bangladesh A.Having chased successfully in the first one-dayer, Bangladesh chose to field, and they got a couple of early wickets. Jacques Rudolph, the South Africa A captain, had not had a big innings in the four-day matches or the first 50-over game, and was keen to get some runs. His 89, along with Farhaan Behardien’s 66, gave the hosts a platform from which to launch.The score when Behardien fell in the 46th over was 217 for 5 and at that stage Bangladesh were still in the game. Vaughn van Jaarsveld started the onslaught, smashing two sixes and a four in the 47th over, before holing out in the deep for 37 off 25 balls. The next two overs went for 18, and in the 50th, 19-year-old legspinner Noor Hossain was taken apart. Allrounder Vernon Philander hit him for two straight sixes before wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn struck two more, again straight. The over cost 27 and South Africa went into the break with all the momentum.Bangladesh needed to start their chase aggressively and they did, but lost wickets too. Philander, who had scored 23 off 9 balls, did the early damage, picking up three wickets to leave Bangladesh 87 for 4. Bangladesh A captain Mohammad Ashraful, who had scored an unbeaten century in the previous game, raced to a run-a-ball 39, but wickets continued falling at the other end. Once Ashraful was caught at third man off Craig Alexander, the match was as good as over. Philander came back to take a fourth and Bangladesh folded for 229 in 48 overs.

Confusion remains over Elton Chigumbura’s position as captain of Zimbabwe, but it would appear he has been retained ahead of Zimbabwe’s return to Tests in three months’ time

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2011Confusion remains over Elton Chigumbura’s position as captain of Zimbabwe, but it would appear he has been retained ahead of Zimbabwe’s return to Tests in three months’ time.It had initially been thought that Chigumbura was on the brink of handing in his resignation, wanting to concentrate on regaining his own form, but subsequent reports in local newspapers suggested first that he would retain control of the Twenty20 team but hand over the reins in the longer forms, and then that no resignation had happened and that Chigumbura was still in charge.”I’m still the captain of the national team and you can seek confirmation from Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC),” Chigumbura reportedly told . “Yes, at one time I contemplated quitting the post but I never officially tendered my resignation.”This would appear to contradict comments previously attributed to ZC managing director Ozias Bvute in the same newspaper, in which he explained that “the board only received a formal resignation letter from Chigumbura recently and they are still deliberating on the issue. Honestly, there is no hurry at all to name the new captain as the international calendar only resumes in August. There is still a lot of time before that.”It was suggested that Chigumbura had been pressured into his initial decision, but decided to stay on as captain after talks with ZC officials. “Chigumbura never intended to quit and most of the players know that,” a source allegedly told .”He was willing to continue working hard and regain his form and that is what he told the officials who were asking him to step down. He is a talented player and he has not become the worst over night and it is unfair for ZC to strip him now. It is a sensitive issue which had the potential to degenerate into another fight with Takashinga as they were already planning to protest moves to oust the player.”Chigumbura, 25, has enjoyed some notable successes since taking over from Prosper Utseya, including victories against India and Sri Lanka in a triangular series, in which Zimbabwe finished runners-up, at home. His own form has dipped alarmingly, however, as he’s averaged 21.06 with the bat and 158.50 with the ball in 20 ODIs as captain and was a disappointment at the World Cup.Batsmen Brendan Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza, who was controversially left out of Zimbabwe’s World Cup squad, were apparently in the running to take over the captaincy. Left-arm spinner Ray Price, who recently joined the Mumbai Indians squad in the Indian Premier League, emerged as the fans’ favourite to take over the leadership role, topping a poll in the , Zimbabwe’s largest government-owned newspaper.