Chelsea have already agreed personal terms with Montpellier striker Elye Wahi as the Ligue 1 side await their first bid, according to reports out of France.

Who will Chelsea sign?

Mauricio Pochettino's side are preparing for their new manager's debut season behind-the-scenes, having already sealed summer deals for Christopher Nkunku from Leipzig and Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal.

Chelsea have also seen a plethora of stars from last season leave through the exit door, including the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Kai Havertz, Edouard Mendy, Mason Mount, Kalidou Kouliably, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, N'Golo Kante and Cesar Azpilicueta.

That's not even counting youngster Ethan Ampadu, who joined Leeds United in a permanent deal too. The mass exodus helps to balance Chelsea's books and frees up squad space for more potential signings this summer.

The west Londoners are still believed to be locked in talks over a move for Brighton star Moises Caicedo as Pochettino looks to shore up his central midfield options.

Meanwhile, they have also been tipped to sign a new forward as out-of-favour flop Romelu Lukaku is likely to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, if a solution can be found.

Chelsea have been linked with Tottenham's Harry Kane – though he will be near-impossible to prise away from chairman Daniel Levy – and even Napoli's Victor Osimhen.

The Blues also hold a serious interest in electric young forward Wahi from Montpellier, with reports this week suggesting Chelsea are set to lodge a formal bid for him and lead the race.

According to a report out of Europe and French news outlet L'Equipe (via Get Football News France), the 20-year-old has "found an agreement" on personal terms with Chelsea.

The idea of moving to London is "attractive" to Wahi, but a move would see him join sister club Strasbourg on loan for the 2023/2024 season under Patrick Vieira. That idea isn't exactly enticing to him, but he isn't completely closed off to it either.

Meanwhile, it is believed Montpellier are "awaiting a €30 million (£26m) opening proposal from Chelsea" – which is the "minimum" Montpellier Chairman Laurent Nicollin expects for him.

How good is Elye Wahi?

The young forward scored 19 goals and assisted five others in just 33 Ligue 1 appearances last term, making him quite the exciting prospect for Chelsea supporters.

Ex-Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo, speaking to the media on Wahi, believes his potential is sky high – while he also lauded the forward's exceptional speed and physicality.

De Taddeo said:

"He is a powerful, athletic and fast player with a range of dribbling skills where only he knows what he is going to do next."

The starlet has been revered by members of the media as well, with journalist Andrés Onrubia Ramos explaining on Twitter how Wahi can be a "real beast" in the final third.

"Elye Wahi (2003). If he manages to polish the definition, we are facing a striker who is going to exceed ten goals per season," said Ramos.

"A real beast in space that, in addition, associatively also leaves interesting things. It should definitely explode."

On a day of two halves, Sri Lanka’s bowlers fought back after a 188-run opening stand between Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul, taking six wickets for 141 to leave the Pallekele Test nicely poised

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy12-Aug-2017
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:43

Maharoof: Tremendous fightback from Sri Lanka

The first half of the day produced a massive opening partnership, a seventh successive 50-plus score for KL Rahul and a second century of the tour for Shikhar Dhawan. Then, Sri Lanka hit back through their trio of left-armers, the orthodox spin of Malinda Pushpakumara, the unorthodox spin of Lakshan Sandakan, and the swing of Vishwa Fernando.India scored 188 without loss in the first 39.2 overs of the day, and 141 for 6 in the remaining 50.4. Having won their third toss of the series, they would have taken 329 for 6 at stumps, given the strength of their lower order, and given the amount of turn – albeit slow, for now – this Pallekele pitch is beginning to offer. But, given the position India’s openers put them in, Sri Lanka would have ended the day thrilled with their efforts to pull things back.The first two wickets came from aggressive shots against Pushpakumara, Rahul stepping out and failing to clear mid-on, and Dhawan sweeping hard but uppishly to square leg. Given that opening, Sri Lanka’s bowlers ensured the pressure did not let up. Having seemed to go through the motions right through the morning session and for most of the post-lunch session, they suddenly began bowling with purpose.Pushpakumara, who dropped short far too often at the SSC, bowled much fuller here, attacking the stumps and keeping batsmen guessing with his scrambled-seam delivery. On a day when India went at 3.65 per over, Pushpakumara finished with 3 for 40 from 18 overs. He entered the attack late – in the 40th over of India’s innings – but made such an impact that Dilruwan Perera, Sri Lanka’s most senior spinner, didn’t bowl a single ball after lunch.Sandakan, meanwhile, forced the batsmen to keep a wary eye on his wrist to pick the variations out of his hand, and in the process, they sometimes misread his variations in trajectory. Cheteshwar Pujara, rocking back to cut one that wasn’t short enough, top-edged to slip.Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane saw out a testing period until tea, and found no release after the interval. Sandakan kept floating the ball above Rahane’s eyeline and got it to dip, forcing him to reach for the ball. Fernando, consistently clocking speeds in the high 130s, began finding a hint of reverse, accentuating his angle across the right-handers. He teased Kohli, bowling wide outside his off stump, daring him to drive. Kohli picked off a couple of overpitched balls, and ignored the rest.Dip undid Rahane and a loose drive undid Kohli, even if the bowler in each case wasn’t the one that initiated the respective plans. Rahane, reaching well in front of his body, played across a Pushpakumara ball that didn’t turn and also kept slightly low. Kohli, having fought his way to 42, threw his hands at a wide, flighted delivery from Sandakan and nicked to slip.With 13 balls left in the day, Fernando, armed with the second new ball, belatedly struck. In his 18th over of the day, he slanted one across R Ashwin, pitching just short of a good length. In his previous over, from the other end, he had kept swinging the ball back in. This one just went with the angle; Ashwin poked, and Niroshan Dickwella dived across first slip to grab a stunning one-hander.The mood of the match was transformed, and the events of the morning seemed to belong to a distant past, although they had ensured India were probably still in the ascendancy.Those events had occurred at great speed, the openers scoring their runs at 4.75 per over, with Dhawan going at close to a run a ball, capitalising on the smallest sign of width from the quicks and using his feet superbly against spin.Rahul made his seventh successive 50-plus score in Test matches, becoming the joint record-holder alongside Everton Weekes, Andy Flower, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kumar Sangakkara and Chris Rogers. As was the case with most of the previous six innings, he looked good for a century before getting himself out, against the run of play.Batting was expected to be at its easiest on the first day, with the pitch looking dry beneath an even but not extravagant cover of grass. Kohli chose to bat again, and Sri Lanka made life easy for his batsmen by failing to make use of the new ball.Fernando, pushing close to 90mph and getting some swing, began reasonably well, finding Dhawan’s outside edge in his second over, the ball not quite carrying as third slip dived in front of second. Lahiru Kumara, however, leaked runs, pitching persistently short, feeding Dhawan’s cut and Rahul’s pull.Kumara went out of the attack after bowling just three overs and conceding 26. In his place came Dimuth Karunaratne, who, having dismissed Pujara in Colombo, now began to trouble Rahul with his wobble and lack of pace. He beat his outside edge once, then clipped it – once again the ball didn’t carry to the slip cordon – and then caused an attempted flick to balloon high over mid-on. Kumara, running back and watching the ball over his shoulder, got his hand to the ball on the dive, but couldn’t hold on.That chance, in the 12th over, would be the last of the session. Leading the spin attack in Rangana Herath’s absence, Perera wasn’t allowed to settle, Dhawan dancing down the track in only his second over to loft him over mid-off. Rattled, the offspinner dropped short a couple of balls later and Dhawan pulled him for another four.A return to the attack with a slightly older ball made no difference to Kumara’s fortunes – he went too full, rather than too short, in his first over back, and both Rahul and Dhawan drove him for fours. By the 20th over, both batsmen had brought up their fifties.India ended the first session on a dominant note – Rahul cutting and driving Perera for two fours in the last over before lunch – and continued in that vein after the break, with both batsmen finding the cover boundary off Fernando with drives on the up against good-length balls. Then, Dhawan brought out the sweep that had served him so well in Galle, hitting Sandakan square and fine.Aside from a top-edged cut from Rahul off Sandakan, which flew to the left of Angelo Mathews at slip, there was little sign of a wicket arriving, but the belated introduction of Pushpakumara provoked a mistake from Rahul, a mistake that would have far-reaching consequences.

Even before he bowled a ball in Test cricket, Toby Roland-Jones could be said to have made a name for himself. Double-barrelled international cricketers, after all, are a bit of a collector’s item, just enough of them to raise an XI with a 12th man and manager in support.By the time he finished his first spell, Roland-Jones was more than part of a statistical quirk; his name was about to permeate the cricketing world. Four for 22 was quite an introduction for his first eight overs in Test cricket, South Africa’s top four all back in the dressing room, caught cold by a debut that, whatever the extent of his Test career, will go down in England’s history.As the weather deteriorated from the west, and the floodlights pierced the south London gloom, England followed up Ben Stokes’ astute century – his fifth in Test cricket – by revelling in a perfect bowling day. South Africa crashed to 61 for 7 by the 26th over before stabilising at 126 for 8 by the close of the second day, still 227 behind.Widely criticised for the manner of their defeat at Trent Bridge, England remain well placed to go 2-1 up in the series with one to play. South Africa need a further 28 runs to avoid the follow-on.Supporters spending a day at the Test buy into a lottery. On Thursday, a capacity crowd at the start of The Oval’s 100th Test observed Alastair Cook’s orderly resistance as England reached a creditable 171 for 4. Friday’s full house delighted in something more enticing: Stokes’ enthralling hundred – raised during a rush of three successive sixes against the left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj while the last man, James Anderson, looked on from the non-striker’s end – followed by the high drama of Roland-Jones’ introduction to the Test scene.South Africa were hampered by the loss of Vernon Philander, who left the field midway through the morning with his stomach ailment unrelenting and went to hospital for tests, which also rendered him unable to bat as wickets crashed in the final session. His involvement on the third day had not been confirmed at the close.Strong, willing and decidedly able, Roland-Jones has a commodious run-up and, when he finally reaches his destination, hits the seam. He has long been regarded as a redoubtable bowler on the county scene, the man whose hat-trick against Yorkshire at Lord’s last September gave Middlesex their first Championship for 23 years. At 29, he has now made his mark in more exalted circumstances south of the Thames, Dean Elgar, Heino Kuhn, Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock all accounted for, the first three in a burst of 3-3 in 15 balls.

Roland-Jones’ stunning start

2009 – Last instance of a fast bowler from England to take four or more wickets on Test debut. Graham Onions took 5 for 38 against West Indies at Lords in 2009. Toby Roland-Jones took 4 for 39 from his 11 overs. With two wickets remaining he can look to add to his tally.
5 – Number of wickets lost by South Africa before they reached 50. The last instance of South Africa losing their first five wickets for less than fifty was also against England at Johannesburg in 2016. They were bowled out for 83 on that occasion.
72 – Balls taken by Ben Stokes to reach his half-century. Incidentally he also took the same number of balls to move from 50 to 100. After negotiating the second new ball, Ben Stokes scored 27 runs from 12 balls to move from 76 to 103. Stokes scores his second century against South Africa and averages 49.83 from 12 innings.

Elgar fell to what became the last ball before tea, crouching forward to be caught at the wicket off a faint edge, a decision Elgar failed to overturn on review and which, by his expression, Roland-Jones did not entirely expect until he saw the spike on the big screen.Amla might have fallen to the next ball – the first after tea – but England’s review, in search of an lbw decision, narrowly failed. Considering that the last time Amla played at The Oval he batted for more than 13 hours it was perhaps a better gamble than most.On this occasion, however, the balance heavily favoured the bowlers. Roland-Jones brought one back in his third over to have Kuhn lbw, struck on the back leg. Amla followed in his fourth – a ripper, this one, which took off and flicked his glove as he tried to drop his hands. The fact Amla walked somehow made it seem even grander. Finally, came de Kock who aimed to work a full delivery to the leg side and sent an outside edge to Stokes at gully.Roland-Jones had replaced Anderson after only three overs – a sensible nerve-settler by his captain Joe Root – and Anderson’s eventual switch of ends did the trick. He was in no mood to waste the opportunity. Du Plessis left one that seamed back and was lbw on the back leg and Chris Morris patted back a return catch.Their recovery, of sorts, was some relief. No side has made less than 100 in the first innings of an Oval Test since 1957 when Surrey’s spinners, Jim Laker and Tony Lock, tore through the West Indies.Stokes’ 112 from 153 balls was one of his most accomplished, an innings of contrasting shades as he defended with conviction and appreciated the opportunities to play more expansively.Anderson’s emergence at No. 11 with Stokes still nine short of his hundred persuaded him that it was time to crank things up. Maharaj’s second ball should have caused his downfall at deep midwicket only for du Plessis to touch the boundary markers as he stretched to take the catch.Undeterred, Stokes stretched to swing a ball well wide of off-stump down the ground and into the stands; du Plessis applauded ruefully. His century secured, for good measure Stokes slog-swept the next one for a third six in a row. The next over, from Morne Morkel, silenced him as he launched the bowler high to Kagiso Rabada, running in from long-off.There was no 31st Test hundred for Cook – 82 overnight, he had only added six when Morkel won an lbw decision. Morkel’s wicket confirmed his excellent record against Cook as he dismissed him for the 10th time in Test cricket. No bowler has dismissed him on as many occasions.South Africa bowled impressively as long as Philander and Morkel had the ball in their hands, but their support seamers posed less threat. Morris found so much swing from the Dukes ball that he was unable to control it: he was one player, on this evidence, who did not benefit from South Africa’s decision to rest between Nottingham and The Oval rather than request a further warm-up match.Stokes’ recognised an opportunity to press ahead. He had stood so far outside his crease against Philander, to negate his movement, that one half expected him to follow Philander into the dressing room and take guard.Instead, he feasted upon Morris. Three overpitched deliveries in one over from disappeared to the boundary and Maharaj, conceded three more against Jonny Bairstow, one of them an advance to drive down the ground, a typically defiant repeat of the shot that caused his downfall at Trent Bridge.England rattled up another 73 at nearly five an over, making excellent use of the hour leading up to the second new ball.Unsurprisingly, South Africa took it immediately with England, at 256 for 5, threatening to break free. Rabada felt the benefit as he took the new ball for the first time in the series. Ten deliveries into the new ball and Bairstow was dislodged, pushing at one that bounced and moved away for du Plessis to take the catch at second slip.Late-order allies slowly departed as Stokes edged towards his century. Moeen Ali fell to a keeper’s catch via an inside-edge onto his pad, Morkel the deserving bowler. Roland-Jones’ spirited 25 from 25 balls also provided a glimpse of his dangerous late-order hitting. Morris leaked 17 off an over to complete a miserable day.Roland-Jones’ best shot was a pulled six off Rabada. As he revelled in the near-absurdity of it all, he might have imagined that he would have no happier moment all day. Then England tossed him the ball and he realised that it was only the start.

Durham are in danger of becoming the doormats of the north group in the NatWest T20 Blast after Nottinghamshire wiped the floor with them

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-2017
ScorecardRiki Wessels saw Notts home•Getty Images

Durham are in danger of becoming the doormats of the north group in the NatWest T20 Blast after Nottinghamshire wiped the floor with them. Notts won by nine wickets with four overs to spare at Chester-le-Street against an inexperienced side who, after five games, remain on minus four points.Being obliged to start with that four-point deficit cannot have helped the morale of a side shorn of five players from the team which reached last year’s final.All out for 123 with 11 balls unused, there was no attempt to exert pressure as 18-year-old debutant Liam Trevaskis was asked to bowl the first over and Alex Hales hit the left-arm spinner for two fours.When Durham’s T20 skipper Paul Coughlin came on for the third over Hales twice drove him straight down the ground. With 15 coming off the over Hales set about finishing it as quickly as possible, only to be bowled for 44 when going down the pitch to Trevaskis in the seventh over.There were already 69 on the board and Riki Wessels was able to continue his good form by coasting to an unbeaten 49. Brendan Taylor finished the match with a six over long-on off Ryan Pringle to finish on 33 not out.Any chance of a contest looked remote from the moment Durham slipped to 8 for 2 after ten balls. They were briefly revived by Graham Clark with 41 off 27 balls, but from 54 for 2 Durham slipped to 65 for 6 with Samit Patel picking up three wickets.On the day he was awarded a full contract until the end of the 2019 season, Cameron Steel cut the first ball of the match, from Patel, for four. But after adding two singles he lifted left-arm seamer Luke Wood’s first ball to extra cover.Paul Collingwood was moved up to No. 3 but fell for nought, skying a pull off Wood to backward square leg. Clark cut, pulled and drove three fours in taking 15 off the first five balls of a Jake Ball over, only for Michael Richardson to bottom edge the sixth into his stumps.Patel was recalled and had Clark caught behind when aiming to leg. Jack Burnham’s fierce drive to extra cover was well held above his head by Dan Christian then Stuart Poynter played all round Patel’s next ball.Coughlin and Pringle could afford few risks but did well to add 39 before Pringle pulled Steven Mullaney straight to deep backward square. Smart work by Mullaney saw Coughlin run out and Barry McCarthy stumped by Tom Moores off Ish Sodi before last man Chris Rushworth lofted to mid-off.It was a tame end to a stuttering innings, leaving Nottinghamshire with a simple task to complete their third successive win.

أحرز لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم برشلونة، أندرياس كريستنسن، الهدف الأول أمام ريال مدريد ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

ويواجه ريال مدريد نظيره برشلونة، في إطار منافسات الجولة الـ32 من الدوري الإسباني، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

اقرأ ايضاً.. تشكيل برشلونة أمام ريال مدريد في الدوري الإسباني.. ثلاثي هجومي

وبحلول الدقيقة 6، تمكن أندرياس كريستنسن من تسجيل الهدف الأول لصالح فريق برشلونة في شباك ريال مدريد.

وجاء الهدف بعد تنفيذ رافينها لركلة ركنية، حيث وصلت الكرة إلى كريستنسن ليضعها بالرأس مستغلاًَ خروجاً خاطئًا من حارس ريال مدريد لونين. هدف برشلونة الاول في مرمي ريال مدريد بالدوري الاسباني كريستينسن

West Ham United are said to have entered the race for highly-rated defender Ian Maatsen.

What’s the latest on Ian Maatsen to West Ham?

This week, Chelsea played their first-ever game under Mauricio Pochettino, and it ended with a resounding 5-0 pre-season victory over League Two outfit Wrexham.

Maatsen began the encounter in his unfavoured position of left-wing and sparkled. In the first half, the full-back actually netted twice.

His glistening potential is likely to give Pochettino a major selection headache due to Chelsea’s fierce competition at left-back.

The 21-year-old is rivalled by Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, and Lewis Hall, whilst a pathway at the London Stadium looks far clearer.

According to the Guardian, West Ham’s technical director Tim Steidten has shortlisted Maatsen as a target if Aaron Cresswell leaves.

The Blues has not made a decision on the Dutch’s future, but he has made an extremely positive impression on Pochettino. It's also thought that the west Londoners may command a fee of £20m.

With manager David Moyes assessing his dubious left-back situation, Maatsen could be the most attractive option.

Is Ian Maatsen a good signing for West Ham United?

Last season, young gem spent the season on loan at Burnley and was a key component of a side that cantered to the Championship title.

The Chelsea graduate demonstrated that was a supreme attacking threat and a solid defensive asset – this is mirrored through his average of 2.0 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game, as well as ten goal involvements. The impressive consistency across 39 Championship appearances meant he was named in the division’s team of the season.

This was also recognised by Vincent Kompany, who said:

“He's just turning into something that we expected him to be able to become. He's a very, very versatile full-back with lots of energy and great potential."

Maatsen has previously spent time at Coventry, and goalkeeper Simon Moore also noted the youngster’s imperious quality, saying:

“It says a lot about how good he is that even a slightly off day stands out as exceptional.

“It is not normal. The kid is bright, he’s hugely talented, he wants to learn, and he never gives up. Maats has got an exciting future ahead of him.”

From a West Ham perspective, signing a player of this potential and profile would be an astute piece of business, especially when you consider the gradual decline of Cresswell.

Last campaign, the Englishman averaged lower figures in a number of defensive metrics compared to 2021/22, including tackles per game (0.8 vs 0.9), interceptions per game (1.0 vs 1.1), and blocks per game (0.4 vs 0.6).

He is now 33-years-old and has been at West Ham since 2014 – it was a glorious chapter that ended in a Europa Conference League triumph.

Therefore, the youthful and accomplished Maatsen would be a fantastic option for Moyes and the east London outfit.

From the player’s view, if Cresswell departs, he would only have to compete with Emerson for the starting spot.

The Irons also have the added incentive of competing in the Europa League to add more appeal to the move.

Liverpool have now received a boost in their pursuit of Nicolo Barella, with it being reported that Inter Milan are now willing to sell him if they receive a bid worth over €80m (£69m), according to reports from Italy.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

Fabinho has recently followed Jordan Henderson out the exit door, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, meaning there is now a pressing need for Jurgen Klopp to bring in new reinforcements in central midfield.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed that Southampton's Romeo Lavia is Klopp's "priority" target in midfield, with talks currently ongoing, however the deal is not straightforward, with the Saints looking to hold out for a package worth £50m.

Fluminense midfielder Andre also remains an option for the Reds, with the Brazilian club said to be holding out for a fee of €25m (£21m), while they have made contact over Eintracht Frankfurt star Jesper Lindstrom, who is also being targeted by Arsenal.

According to recent reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), Liverpool have also been handed a boost in their pursuit of Barella, as Inter would now consider selling the midfielder, if they were to receive an offer worth over €80m (£69m).

The Serie A side are now closing in on a deal for Udinese's Lazar Samardzic, which means they may no longer consider the Italian non-transferrable, in what would come as a real boost to his potential suitors.

In the Premier League, the Reds "in particular" are keen to sign the 26-year-old, with their interest mainly being driven by Klopp, who is believed to be a "great admirer", however Manchester City are also in the mix for his signature.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

How good is Nicolo Barella?

It is clear to see why Klopp is such a huge fan of the Italy international, as he is a real threat going forward, averaging 0.22 non-penalty goals per 90 over the course of the past year, which places him in the 92nd percentile compared to his positional peers.

The central midfielder averaged a 6.94 WhoScored match rating in the Serie A last season, the fourth-highest in the Inter squad, amassing a total of six goals and six assists, the joint-third highest number of goal contributions of any Inter player.

With an average of 1.6 key passes per game, the Cagliari-born maestro is clearly a very creative player, however he is also happy to pitch in with the defensive side of the game when needed, as indicated by the fact he averaged 1.4 tackles during that time period.

Lauded as "fantastic" by Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, the Inter Milan star has proven he could be a quality addition to Klopp's squad, however he is not a like-for-like replacement for Fabinho or Henderson, given that his main qualities are on the front foot.

As such, it is important the Reds get a deal for Lavia over the line first, but they should undoubtedly reignite their interest in Barella, should Inter Milan make it clear they are willing to sell him this summer.

Burnley announced their ninth signing of the summer on Thursday with the addition of Jacob Bruun Larsen, but Vincent Kompany still has time to make it double figures in terms of arrivals in time for the start of the Premier League season.

Who have Burnley signed?

Danish winger Larsen joined from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim on a season-long loan, meaning a reunion with Kompany after spending time together at Anderlecht in 2020-21.

Larsen follows in the steps of Zeki Amdouni, James Trafford, Dara O'Shea, Luca Koleosho, Nathan Redmond and young goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux in joining Burnley this summer, while Jordan Beyer and Michael Obafemi have been signed on permanent deals after starring on loan last season.

The Clarets' move for Larsen comes amid ongoing speculation that they are looking to sign fellow attacking midfielder Jack Clarke from Championship side Sunderland.

According to The Northern Echo, Burnley's latest bid of £10m plus various add-ons has been rejected by Sunderland, but the Black Cats would be willing to sell if offered £15m.

What position does Jack Clarke play?

Sunderland snapped up Clarke from Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent deal 12 months ago after he impressed during a spell on loan in League One.

The 22-year-old was one of the best players in the Championship last season, as he scored nine goals and set up a further 12 goals in 47 appearances for the Black Cats.

Those 12 assists were a joint-high among players in the Championship, level with former Coventry City star Viktor Gyokeres, who has earned a big move away this summer to Sporting CP.

Clarke's 0.48 goals or assists per 90 minutes in the regular season, as per FBref, was better than that of Burnley regulars Johann Berg Gudmundsson (0.46) and Josh Brownhill (0.38) last season, while Anass Zaroury (0.50) only fared marginally better.

That goes some way to showing that Clarke has the quality to be part of Burnley's squad, and his arrival could be particularly good news for Burnley's centre-forwards.

The former England U20 international played mainly on the left-hand side last season, which is likely where he would fit in at Burnley should he indeed sign, on the opposite flank to Manuel Benson.

Benson scored and assisted a combined 14 goals last season – only Brownhill (15) could better than among Clarets players still at the club – as he played an integral part in the Lancashire side's dominant title win.

Having Benson on one flank and Clarke on the other would give many Premier League defenders a torrid time next season, especially when you factor in that the Sunderland ace was level with creative force Brownhill last season for shot-creating actions (147).

That metric takes factors such as passes and take-ons directly leading to a shot into account and gives a strong indication of the danger Clarke can cause in the final third.

Labelled an "unreal" player by football reporter Josh Bunting, Clarke – as is the case with many Burnley players – showed last season that he is ready to make the leap from the Championship to the Premier League.

If that is not with Kompany's Burnley, then it is surely just a matter of time before another club pounces.

Everton have been tracking Oumar Solet, and they could be set to make a move for the RB Salzburg defender this summer, according to a recent report from The Daily Mail.

What's the latest Everton transfer news?

Everton boss Sean Dyche has recently admitted he has found it difficult to bring in some of his key targets this summer:

"It's a tough market," he said. "There is only so much that we can do, so we are working very hard – I can assure everyone of that – to construct deals that can work.

"There is no exact moment until it's over the line. There have been situations where we have been into where we thought we were going to get it over the line and we don't – that's the way it goes.

A new defender remains of interest to Dyche, with it recently being reported that Mason Holgate is expected to move on this summer, however the manager is set to miss out on Facundo Gonzalez, who he became keen on during the U20 World Cup.

As such, the Toffees could now turn their attention to another young defender, with The Daily Mail reporting they have been tracking Solet, who they could make a move for at some point.

Newcastle United are also interested in signing the Frenchman, and the Premier League duo may hold an advantage over the likes of Torino and Inter Milan in the race for his signature, as he has admitted he is keen on a move to England, saying:

‘I have a lot of ambitions, to be honest. I’m just on my way – for sure the Premier League excites me a lot,’

‘I feel it’s a league that I can perform in really well and it can bring me to the top. It’s probably the best league in the would. I feel if I have the chance it’s going to help make me become the top player I want to be."

What position does Oumar Solet play?

The Red Bull Salzburg star has most commonly been utilised at centre-back throughout his career so far, however he has also slotted in at defensive midfield on occasion, indicating he could be a versatile option for Dyche.

Speaking about his key strengths, the 23-year-old has said: "I’m a quick player and feel like I’m strong. I think I’m a player who is ready for the 1v1 situations – I like to compete with strikers. This is my mindset.

"For any team I feel I can bring something with my quality and intelligence."

The £5.8k-per-week defender has also been hailed as "superb" by journalist Zach Lowy, for the way in which he tracks opposing forwards' movements, and drives forward with the ball.

Solet already has experience playing in the Champions League with RB Salzburg, and with Newcastle also in the race for his signature, it may be difficult for the Toffees to tempt him into a move.

However, if Dyche is able to bring the 6 foot 3 titan to Goodison Park, there is every indication he would be a solid addition to the squad.

Newcastle United and Southampton are still £10m apart in their valuation of Saints defender Tino Livramento this summer, according to a fresh transfer update regarding the youngster's future.

How old is Tino Livramento?

The Englishman, who is still only 20 years of age, endured a tough 2022/23 season, not necessarily because Southampton were relegated from the Premier League, but because he missed most of the campaign through injury.

Livramento suffered cruciate ligament damage to his knee very early in the season, and it meant he only actually made two appearances for his current club and featured for 26 minutes in the competition in total, highlighting his lack of involvement.

With the Saints heading into the Championship in 2023/24, it is no surprise that they are going to find it very difficult to retain the services of some of their most important players, including midfield pair James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia.

Livramento, who actually shares the same agency as new signing Harvey Barnes, is another who surely fits into that category, considering his long-term potential as a player, and he has been continually linked with a move to Newcastle this summer.

As of yet, the two clubs have failed to come to an agreement regarding the price of the 20-year-old, but the hope is that that changes in time for the new Premier League season. A new update suggests that there is still plenty of work to do, though.

Could Newcastle sign Tino Livramento?

According to i News [via Geordie Boot Boys], there is still a £10m difference between what the Magpies are willing to spend on Livramento, and what Southampton value him at currently, proving to be a stumbling block.

A £30m bid for the right-back is believed to have been rejected, with the Saints instead wanting £40m for the services of one of their most prized assets. Because of this, talks are ongoing but appear to be at something of an impasse, with both parties remaining stubborn and not wanting to budge.

While it is important that Newcastle don't pay ridiculously over the odds for Livramento in the current transfer window, he is still a top young player who could have a massive future in the game, so they should do all they can to snap him up. The fact that he is a homegrown youngster is an added bonus, in terms of the English quota in the squad, and Theo Walcott once claimed he possesses an "aura", despite his tender years, also comparing him to Wales legend Gareth Bale.

Kieran Trippier will go into the new campaign as an undisputed key man and captain, but he is now 32 years of age and the Magpies can't rely on him forever, meaning Livramento could be viewed as an ideal successor, coming in and learning from the England international from the second he walks through the door.

Should Southampton continue to hold firm, it could be time for Newcastle to look at other candidates to come in and provide competition at right-back, but their level of interest in the Saints youngster suggests that Eddie Howe really likes the look of him, meaning pursuing a move for him for the time being should take precedence.