New Zealand laid down an impressive marker on their return to ODI cricket for the first time in a year with a thumping victory over a disappointing Bangladesh. Trent Boult top and tailed the wicket-taking as the visitors’ batting was overwhelmed on a surface offering bounce then Martin Guptill briefly peppered the grass banks as the target was hunted down with more than 28 overs overs to spare.Only Madmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim passed 20 for Bangladesh as the line-up was challenged by the University Oval surface which was exploited perfectly by New Zealand after they bowled first. In a sign of the hold they had with the ball, there were only eight boundaries (along with three sixes) as they bundled the opposition out with eight overs remaining when Boult claimed the last two wickets in three balls. Jimmy Neesham and Mitchell Santner claimed a tidy brace each.Guptill picked up his T20 form from the series against Australia, sending seven of his 19 deliveries to the boundary, including four for six, in an opening stand of 54 in 5.3 overs. His fun was ended when he had a huge swing at Taskin Ahmed, who bowled with good pace, and edged behind although Guptill wasn’t sure and used up a review.With no scoreboard pressure Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway, the latter of three New Zealand debutants, went along at a leisurely pace. Conway departed with a handful of runs needed, picking out deep square leg, but it allowed fellow debutant Will Young a brief stay at the crease and his consecutive boundaries wrapped up victory, leaving Nicholls one short of his fifty.This was New Zealand’s first ODI since their aborted tour of Australia last March and just their fourth since the 2019 World Cup final. For the first time since 2012 they handed out three new caps in the same game with allrounder Daryl Mitchell joining Conway and Young. Mitchell wasn’t needed with bat or ball and his one chance to get on the scoreboard was spurned when he was distracted by Tom Latham diving across him as Matt Henry found the edge of Liton Das in the sixth over. It was New Zealand’s only error of the innings.The opening scoring shot of the game was a six as Tamim Iqbal upper cut Boult over backward point, but the contest was soon won by the left-armer with a classic set-up: after twice beating Iqbal with late away swing he made one hold its line which thundered into Iqbal’s pads to earn the lbw. Three balls later and Boult had his second when Soumya Sarkar played a poor stroke against a shorter delivery, popping a catch into the off side.Das shaped up well in challenging conditions as he tried to commit either fully forward or fully back, but his hard work was undone when he got a leading edge to mid-on in Neesham’s opening over.The scoring rate rarely got above three an over against a relentless New Zealand attack. Kyle Jamieson, who struggled in the T20I series against Australia, went wicketless but at times Bangladesh could barely lay a bat on him as he gained troublesome bounce from a reasonably full length.Rahim played solidly to try and give his team some chance of building a foundation but became Neesham’s second wicket when he was cramped for room playing a cut and found gully. That was the first of three wickets to fall for nine runs in six overs.Bangladesh’s woes were compounded when Mohammad Mithun was run out backing up after a firm straight drive from Mahmudullah flicked the finger of Neesham into the non-striker’s stumps. Mehidy Hasan then moved too far across his crease against Santner and had his leg stump tickled.Debutant Mahedi Hasan marked the occasion when his first scoring stroke in ODIs was a huge 94-metre six over long-off but an attempt to repeat it four overs later offered a catch to mid-on leaving Bangladesh seven down with 18 overs remaining.Madmudullah and Ahmed formed a 10-over stand although large parts of it was purely survival before Madmudullah, attempting to inject some impetus, picked out midwicket where Santner timed his leap perfectly. Boult did the rest.

Newcastle United will reportedly "make a move" for a manager who Pep Guardiola thinks is "excellent", should Eddie Howe become England's next boss.

Newcastle manager Howe linked with England job

Gareth Southgate has announced that he is leaving his role in charge of the Three Lions, with the FA now searching to find an ideal successor in the coming weeks and months. The 53-year-old enjoyed an impressive eight years in the role, so his replacement will be under pressure to impress from the off.

Howe has emerged as one of the favourites to take over from Southgate, even long before this week's confirmation, having enhanced his reputation as one of the best English managers of his generation during an excellent spell in charge of Newcastle. He guided the Magpies into the Champions League, and while last season was disappointing overall, he still has more than enough credit in the bank.

The likes of Graham Potter and Lee Carsley also appear to be very much in the mix to succeed Southgate, as well as more left-field and unlikely appointments such as Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho, but Howe could arguably be among the front-runners if he wasn't already.

As it is, the Newcastle manager appears to be happy at St James' Park currently, but the lure of taking the most high-profile job could still be looming over him. Should that happen, PIF will need to find a replacement, and it looks as though their priority option has been lined up.

Newcastle line up "excellent" Howe successor

According to a new update from The Mirror, Newcastle will "make a move" for Mauricio Pochettino as a replacement for Howe, should the latter leave for England. It is noted that he has "just lost his two biggest allies in the boardroom, Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi", which could arguably sway his thinking.

The Magpies boss is "believed to be torn between the chance of managing his country and staying at St. James’ Park", and Pochettino is described as the "No.1" target to come in.

Pochettino's stock has fallen a little in recent years, having been an extremely highly-rated manager during his Tottenham days, guiding them into the 2019 Champions League final, which they eventually lost to Liverpool.

The Argentine's time at Paris Saint-Germain wasn't exactly earth-shattering, even if he did still win one Ligue 1 title, and he left Chelsea by mutual consent after less than a year in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea

51

1.78

Paris Saint-Germain

84

2.15

Tottenham

293

1.84

Southampton

60

1.45

Espanyol

161

1.22

Still, Guardiola has described him as "excellent", clearly thinking of him highly as a boss, and it would be unfair to judge his time at Chelsea too harshly, considering the number of managerial changes at Stamford Bridge in recent years.

Pochettino plays a good brand of attacking football, often adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation, and while keeping Howe should be the preferable outcome for Newcastle, he could be a strong option to come in if the current boss opted to take the England job.

Rob McElhenney made a surprise video call to a young Wrexham fan battling a rare form of cancer, while Ollie Palmer paid him a visit in hospital.

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• Young Wrexham fan has rare cancer
• Owner McElhenney makes video call
• Striker Palmer visits him in hospital

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham supporter Archie White had an uplifting video chat with Red Dragons co-owner McElhenney while he was on the set of his TV show . The 12-year-old from Wrexham was diagnosed with a cancer, myeloid sarcoma, that affects less than one in a million children and is undergoing treatment at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool. On top of the call, forward Palmer spent hours at Archie's bedside in a heart-warming meeting.

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• WHAT ARCHIE'S MUM SAID

  Archie's mum, Sarah, told Wales Online: “The doctors told us that Archie had cancer just before Halloween, but we only told our friends last Friday. We started getting video messages from the Wrexham players, because Archie is a die-hard fan. I messaged the players just to say thank you for their messages and Ollie replied to me. He said that when he's feeling better, he’d really like to take him to the training ground and that was it. Yesterday was a really difficult day for Archie with his chemotherapy treatment. He's obviously been feeling really weak and tired, and he broke down. He was like: ‘Why is this happening to me?’ I went to the toilet after that and when I came out he said: ‘I think that Ollie Palmer’s outside.’ Then the door opened and he just walked in, and I said: ‘What are you doing here?’ He said Archie’s story really got to him and he had a family member who went through something similar. He stayed with us for hours and that was when he rang Rob McElhenney.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A video of McElhenney's call shows him introducing Archie to his co-stars Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton. After being called back to set, the American rang again for a longer chat and showed him around his work.

  McElhenney also said: “Hey man, how are you doing? I'm sure you're not old enough to watch my show, but this is the set that we shoot on. We would love to have you and your family come and sit up with us in the box so we'll make sure we get your information and invite you when we're out there.”

  Acts like these just show Wrexham's class.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While everyone hopes and prays that Archie gets better, his beloved Wrexham host Exeter City in League One action on Saturday in a battle between third and ninth in the division.

Allrounder admits that batting challenge in India has been hardest of his career

Andrew Miller04-Mar-2021Ben Stokes says that the conditions England have faced in the past three Tests in India have been the hardest challenge of his career, but insists that the team should not be castigated for their aggression – with the bat or, in his case, with the verbals – on the opening day in Ahmedabad.After winning the toss and choosing to bat first for the third time in the series, England were bowled out for 205 shortly after tea, with Stokes himself getting embroiled in a lively exchange of views with Mohammad Siraj and Virat Kohli en route to top-scoring with 55 from 121 balls.By the close, however, India were winning all the battles that mattered, having reduced the deficit to 181 for the loss of Shubman Gill, and are well placed to cement their 2-1 series lead and secure their place in this summer’s World Test Championship final.Speaking at the close to the host broadcaster, Siraj – who claimed two wickets on a brisk return to the team – told how Stokes had given him gaali (abuse) in the early stages of his innings, with Kohli also getting involved after he informed his captain of what was going on.However, both batsman and bowler played the exchange down afterwards, with Siraj stating that “these things happen”. Stokes meanwhile insisted that the sight of professional sportsmen getting stuck into an intense exchange should not be seen as a transgression.Virat Kohli and Ben Stokes exchange words during a staredown, while umpire Virender Sharma tries to keep the peace•Getty Images

“It was just two professionals showing that they care about a sport that they love,” he said. “A lot gets said these days when two guys seem to come to words out in the middle, but it was nothing untoward. We’re competitors going toe to toe, and no-one’s backing down. For me, that’s what it was, trying to get one over one another.”In the end, however, India were able to get one over England with a more conventional weapon. It is a measure of England’s struggles against the turning ball this winter that, having posted a match-winning 578 in their opening innings of the series in Chennai, today’s effort was their second-highest total in six subsequent attempts, and actually exceeded their match total of 193 at the same venue last week.But as Stokes admitted, the conditions on this opening day were far more manageable than they had been last week, and his own frustration at falling to Washington Sundar after a two-and-a-half-hour innings was matched by the team as a whole, after England had let slip another opportunity to make the running in the series.”We are more than capable of scoring 300 on a wicket like that so we’re frustrated but can’t dwell on it too much,” Stokes said. “We sit down as a group, and try to put it behind us, but it’s easier said than done.”It was pretty apparent we weren’t going to get anything like we did on day one in the last Test [when England were bowled out for 112],” he added. “It was the bounce that was more the issue than the turn, but overall it’s a much better wicket than it was last time we played here, so we’re disappointed not to still be batting.”Ben Stokes shapes to sweep•BCCI

Stokes himself has been in a lean run of form, with an aggressive 82 in the first Test giving way to a next-best score of 25 in five subsequent innings. In particular, he has been troubled by the spin of R Ashwin, who has dismissed him 11 times in Tests to date, and though he avoided that fate for a change today, he still departed in a very similar manner, as Sundar slid one into his front pad from round the wicket to end his promising stand with Ollie Pope.”Fifties are never going to win you a Test match, so I’m very disappointed to get in on that wicket, start feeling comfortable with it and get out again,” Stokes said. “Especially after spending two-and-a-half hours protecting myself from the ball that skids on, I ended up getting out to the ball that skids on, so it was very frustrating.”Nevertheless, Stokes was adamant that England would not be apportioning any blame for their latest batting shortcomings, and insisted that the team’s major goal at this stage of a tough tour was to absorb the lessons being handed out by a well-drilled India bowling attack, and be ready to perform better the next time they arise.”I’ve played 70-odd games now and these are the hardest conditions I’ve faced as a batsman,” he said. “It’s a case of finding it in your own way. It’s not about coming together and saying what we need to do better as a group, but how can we go away as individuals and progress when we come back next time.”Everyone plays in a different way, I have a gameplan out here that is completely different to Joe Root’s, which is different to Dom Sibley’s, and if the outcome of those gameplans is that we score runs, then happy days.”Related

As it happened – India vs England, 4th Test, Ahmedabad, 2nd day

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As it happened – India vs England, 4th Test, 1st day

It wasn’t such happy days on this occasion, however. Sibley set the tone for another substandard innings as Axar Patel bowled him with a slider in his opening over of the day, while his fellow opener, Zak Crawley – whose fluent fifty on the first day of the last Test had been one of England’s few positives – tried to take the aerial route to the same bowler, and holed out in the covers.”It’s such a fickle sport, cricket, it’s why we love it,” Stokes said. “It’s such a leveller. If Zak had put that into Row Z, everyone would have said what a great shot because the outcome would have been a six, but unfortunately on this occasion he hit it straight up in the air. But that happens.”As batsmen you have to take risks to score runs. That’s how Zak chose to go about it today, and you can’t hold that against him, because he had the backing of the whole dressing room. Just because he’s hit one up in the air early on, are we going to pull him into the room and say never run down the wicket again? No.”Stokes did, however, have some words of encouragement for Dan Lawrence, one of the few relative success stories of England’s innings, after he made 46 from an unfamiliar role at No.7, albeit he too departed with one rash stroke too many, a wild swing at Patel and an easy stumping for Rishabh Pant.”When Spoons [Chris Silverwood] told him [he was batting at No.7], he was like, ‘I don’t care where I’m batting, I’m playing’,” Stokes said. “To have that attitude and keenness at a young age, just to want to play in an alien position, is such a good trait to have, and it was refreshing seeing him go out and stick to the way he’s got into the team. He’ll be disappointed with the runs he’s got so far, but we’ve seen a small glimpse of what he can offer.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo tentará contra o Red Bull Bragantino, no próximo domingo (24), às 18h15, em Bragança Paulista, melhorar o seu retrospecto recente contra o Massa Bruta. Isso porque, nos últimos cinco jogos, o Tricolor venceu apenas um, além de três derrotas e um empate.

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Curiosamente, o retrospecto negativo começou após a parceria da Red Bull com o Bragantino, em 2020. Naquela ocasião, o São Paulo perdeu por 3 a 2 no Morumbi pelo Campeonato Paulista. Foram mais dois jogos naquela temporada: empate por 1 a 1 no primeiro turno do Brasileiro e derrota por 4 a 2 no segundo turno, em jogo já disputado em 2021.

Já nessa temporada, as equipes se enfrentaram duas vezes. Uma delas foi a única vitória do Tricolor nesse recorte, quando venceu por 1 a 0, no Morumbi, com gol contra do zagueiro Léo Ortiz. Já no primeiro turno desse Brasileirão, o São Paulo perdeu por 2 a 1, no Morumbi.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021!

O São Paulo tentará aproveitar a fase de invencibilidade para conseguir um bom resultado diante do Massa Bruta. A equipe comandada por Rogério Ceni não perde há oito jogos, com seis empates e duas derrotas. O time está na 12ª colocação do Brasileiro, com 34 pontos conquistados.

VEJA OS ÚLTIMOS JOGOS DO SÃO PAULO CONTRA O RED BULL BRAGANTINO
04/07/2021 – São Paulo1 x 2Red Bull Bragantino – Brasileirão 2021
12/04/2021 – São Paulo1 x 0Red Bull Bragantino – Paulista 2021
06/01/2021 – Red Bull Bragantino4 x 2São Paulo – Brasileirão 2020
09/09/2020 – São Paulo1 x 1Red Bull Bragantino – Brasileirão 2020
23/07/2020 – São Paulo2 x 3Red Bull BragantinoGrp.ABrasilPaulista 2020

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Caetano está nas semifinais da Copa Paulista. Depois de um confronto emocionante com o XV de Piracicaba, com direito a gol aos 50 minutos do segundo tempo e vaga conquistada nos pênaltis, o Azulão agora quer chegar à final da competição para ficar com uma vaga na Copa do Brasil ou na Série D.

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Uma das principais peças da equipe do ABC Paulista na competição é o atacante Luccas do Brasil, que atuou em seis dos nove jogos da equipe.

Para o camisa 21, a campanha já é histórica, em especial pelo momento difícil que o São Caetano passou neste ano, com a queda para a Série A2 do Paulista.

– O nosso grupo trabalha muito. Entramos desacreditados na competição e estamos mostrando o nosso valor. Sabíamos do nosso potencial e os resultados estão aparecendo. Agora temos mais dois confrontos muito difíceis pela frente, para chegar ao objetivo principal, que é ir para a final e garantir uma dessas vagas que é muito importante para o clube – analisou Luccas.

Agora, o adversário nas semifinais é o São Bernardo. O primeiro jogo é no Anacleto Campanella no sábado, às 17h. A decisão da vaga é na próxima terça-feira, fora de casa, às 19h. O outro finalista sai de Portuguesa e Botafogo.

Whilst it has all felt rather quiet at Anfield in recent weeks, it appears that Liverpool have been handed an unexpected boost in their pursuit of Arne Slot's top target.

Liverpool taking a patient approach to transfers

While few expected Slot to dive head first into his maiden transfer window in charge of Liverpool, the lack of action on the transfer front may be of concern to some of the Anfield faithful. Despite there being no incomings at the club as of right now, there have been no shortage of rumours surrounding stars who could be making the move to Merseyside this summer.

Liverpool hit the jackpot on "special" talent worth 500% more than Endo

He’s shaping into a first-class player.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 30, 2024

The name that has dominated the majority of the headlines around Liverpool has been that of Anthony Gordon. First offered to the Reds in order to ease Newcastle United's financial worries, the club have remained intent on bringing the player to Anfield this summer.

A recent report has also linked Liverpool with a move for Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup. It is claimed that the Serie A side would entertain offers of around £21million for the Denmark under 21 international this summer. Joining Frendrup on Liverpool's list of potential targets is Wolves winger Pedro Neto, who also has interest from across the Premier League's top six.

With Liverpool's summer business bound to kick into gear anytime soon, there has been a development in the pursuit of Slot's top target this summer.

Gleison Bremer transfer update

As reported by Sport Witness, the Italian press have named the price it will require for Juventus to part ways with Gleison Bremer this summer. It was previously thought that the Serie A giants were reluctant to sell the defender for any fee, however the report states that an offer of €70million (£59million) would satisfy the Turin outfit.

The higher ups at Anfield are said to have asked for information on Bremer's situation at Juventus, meaning that they are likely already aware of this figure. This development follows news from last week that Slot had identified the Brazilian defender as his top target this summer with the Reds' new boss clearly eager to bolster his side's backline.

Whilst it is not yet known as to whether Liverpool would be willing to meet Juventus' valuation of the player, it does give the Anfield faithful hope that the deal can actually be done during the summer transfer window, If Liverpool are to get a deal for Bremer over the line they would be getting their hands on a highly rated defender who would no doubt be an instant improvement to the Reds' defence.

The 27-year-old featured 36 times for Juventus in the Serie A last season as the Old Lady finished third in the division. The Brazilian defender also managed to bag himself three goals over the course of the campaign, showing another dimension he could add to Slot's side.

Whilst there plenty of work still to do to get the deal over the line, this development is a step in the right direction as far as Liverpool are concerned. With the number that Juventus would consider letting Bremer leave for now known, this deal could be one that develops quickly throughout the final weeks of the window.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca believes Moises Caicedo is on the same level as Arsenal's Declan Rice and Ballon d'Or winner Rodri.

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Maresca praises CaicedoChelsea star having great seasonCompares him to Rice and RodriFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After a difficult first season at Chelsea, the 23-year-old has come good at Stamford Bridge this term. When asked how he stacks up to Arsenal midfielder Rice and Manchester City's Rodri, head coach Maresca said the Ecuadorian was "at that level" as well.

AdvertisementAFPWHAT ENZO MARESCA

He told reporters: “He [Caicedo] is for sure now at that level. No doubt. Unfortunately, Rodri is injured but Declan is playing. But I think Moises can sit at that table with that kind of midfielder.”

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Chelsea paid a British-record fee of £115 million ($146.5m) to sign Caicedo from Brighton in August 2023, while Arsenal forked out £105m ($133.7m) to snap up West Ham captain Rice a month prior. Rodri is seen as one of the best players in the world after this year's Ballon d'Or triumph so to be compared with these two is quite the compliment. It seems Caicedo is beginning to justify his monstrous transfer fee.

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Caicedo will hope to continue his impressive form this season when his Chelsea side, who are second in the Premier League, travel to London rivals Tottenham on Sunday.

With just five days left to welcome crucial incomings, Crystal Palace have reportedly set their sights on a Premier League defender in a move that could see the Eagles spend the money gained from the sale of Joachim Andersen to Fulham.

Crystal Palace transfer news

Amid two defeats in two games against Brentford and West Ham United, the last thing that Oliver Glasner and Palace needed was Andersen's exit. But Fulham came swooping in nonetheless and off the Dane went in a deal worth around a reported £30m. His exit could at least mean that Marc Guehi's future, for this season, remains at Selhurst Park despite a reported bid of £65m from Newcastle United.

Even with Guehi seemingly set to stay put, however, Palace may have plenty of work to do before the window slams shut, having been linked to the likes of Max Lacroix and Raheem Sterling in what could be one of the most surprising deals of the summer.

Before they potentially steal the headlines by landing the Premier League winner though, they've reportedly set their sights on another reinforcement. According to Alan Nixon on his Patreon via Molineux News, Crystal Palace are now eyeing a move to sign Rayn Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers, who value their defender at more than £30m.

The left-back was reportedly the subject of interest from Liverpool earlier in the window, but as we know, a move never materialised. Now, those at Selhurst Park could take full advantage to land competition for Tyrick Mitchell and perhaps even reportedly use Sam Johnstone in a player-plus-cash deal, given Wolves' interest in the goalkeeper.

Parish and Freedman submit Crystal Palace bid for 22 y/o to replace Andersen

Andersen is reportedly closing in on a departure…

ByTom Cunningham Aug 23, 2024

That said, a deal is likely to be a difficult one for Palace to seal ahead of deadline day, given that Wolves are direct rivals in the battle to avoid Premier League relegation and push towards the top half. What's more, the fact that the Midlands club already allowed left-back Hugo Bueno to leave on loan to Feyenoord this summer suggests that Ait-Nouri will not be up for sale.

"Incredible" Ait-Nouri would bring ideal versatility for Glasner

Of course, it's not just Mitchell that Ait-Nouri would compete with if Palace did manage to land his signature this summer. His ability to play left-midfield as well as in the number 10 role and on the right-hand side means that Glasner could yet get the chance to work with a player capable of making an impact all across his current side.

Alas, Wolves boss Gary O'Neil won't be too keen to lose his defender, having been full of praise for Ait-Nouri last season. O'Neil told the club's official website: “I’m enjoying working with Rayan, I think he’s an incredible talent, a great guy and he brings a real enthusiasm and life to the place. We can use him anywhere so, unfortunately, at the moment we have to because we don’t have many others.

“But he is talented enough when we roll him in and play him in midfield a few times and we played him as a right 10 in the second half today, and he’s come on loads – his work rate and everything about him."

A Euro 2016 winner has been linked with a summer move to Southampton, with the Premier League club keen to offer him a fresh challenge.

Southampton transfer news

Saints are still eyeing new signings between now and the end of the summer transfer window as they look to give Russell Martin the best possible chance of keeping his side in the top flight this season.

A new goalkeeper has been targeted for a while now, with Alex McCarthy not necessarily seen as the solution between the sticks given his age and questions over his ability to play the ball out from the back at the highest level. Feyenoord shot-stopper Justin Bijlow has emerged as a primary target, with a move potentially set to be agreed in the coming days.

Vladyslav Krapyvtsov has also been mentioned as a goalkeeper target for Southampton, with Chelsea and Sunderland believed to be providing competition for the 19-year-old Ukrainian ace's signature. He has been without a club since the end of last season.

Newcastle United left-back Matt Targett is another player who has been linked with joining the Saints this summer, with the Englishman appearing to be out of favour at St James' Park behind several players in the pecking order. Now, another transfer claim has emerged as the south coast outfit look to strike some late business.

Southampton willing to sign controversial Euros winner

According to a fresh update from Record (via Sport Witness), Southampton are keen on signing midfielder Joao Mario by offering a proposal to the Benfica ace, which he is now considering. However, he also has approaches from Galatasaray and Brazilian outfit Flamengo.

The Portugal star has received criticism from his own supporters recently, testing the relations between the two parties. It is said that Joao Mario responded to whistles from the stands by "applauding ironically".

After heading straight down the tunnel after a match, it is believed that he had discussed his non-partaking at this weekend's league clash with manager Roger Schmidt, though it is unclear how related recent events and the uncertainty hanging over his future are.

Mario could an eye-catching signing for Southampton in the next few days considering his pedigree as a top-level footballer.

The 31-year-old has won Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League with Portugal, racking up a total of 56 caps for his country – more than holding his own in a star-studded squad spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mario has Premier League experience after a stint with West Ham, too, during which Pablo Zabaleta heaped praise on him, saying: "Joao Mario showed his outstanding quality for us on Saturday. He has great technique and works hard for the team. On Saturday he played his best game for us so far and we were all happy for him. He took his goal really well and then his cross for [Marko Arnautovic] was also fantastic."

Granted, the £62,000-a-week Joao Mario falling out with his own fans may raise the eyebrows of some Southampton supporters, but he has the quality and experience to make a huge difference. His ability to play in a central attacking-midfield role and out wide would also give Martin priceless versatility.