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Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a decent start to the 2023/24 campaign after the loss of Europa League-winning coach Julen Lopetegui shortly before the opening gameweek of the season.

Wolves are sitting twelfth in the Premier League under new manager Gary O'Neil and are currently on a five-game unbeaten streak in the top-flight, a run that includes a 2-1 win over last season's treble winners Manchester City as well as a 2-2 draw with Newcastle United.

However, the Wanderers suffered a massive setback last Saturday evening against the Magpies when Pedro Neto was stretchered off the rain-soaked pitch at Molineux with a hamstring problem. The Portugal international is expected to be out for around six weeks, although O'Neil is hopeful that Neto can return before the gruelling Christmas period.

Nevertheless, Wolves are reportedly already looking at bringing a new attacking option to the club ahead of the January transfer window.

Latest Wolves transfer news

The Midlands club have been closely scouting the progress of Fluminense attacker Jhon Arias, according to TEAMtalk, as the Colombian forward prepares for the biggest game of his life at the weekend against Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores final.

Wolves are said to be one of seven clubs keeping tabs on the 5 foot 6 ace, alongside Premier League rivals West Ham United, Crystal Palace, and Burnley, Championship duo Leeds United and Leicester City, as well as Scottish giants Rangers.

Arias has been an integral part of Fernando Diniz's relationist system with the Brazilian side, a tactical set-up which is concerned with how players interact and connect with one another on the pitch as opposed to their relationship with space.

Arias' form under Brazil's interim national team boss Diniz has been noticed not only by clubs in England but also by his country, having made ten appearances for Colombia since his first call-up last year. The 26-year-old still has three years remaining on his current deal but TEAMtalk have claimed that the wide-man could be available for sign in January.

Neto could return before the winter window but has been linked with a move to top-flight title challengers Arsenal while Daniel Podence is currently out on loan for the rest of the season with Olympiacos, having been frozen out of the squad by manager O'Neil when the coach arrived at the club back in August. Wolves could be planning for the future by scouting Arias.

Jhon Arias' stats this season

Impressively, Arias has been in better form than even that of seven-assist Neto this term, scoring nine goals and registering 13 assists for Fluminense in all competitions in 2023 and has played across both flanks under Diniz. The Colombian will be hoping to improve on this tally as the Brazilian club looks to lift South America's biggest crown for the first time ever.

Over the past 365 days, Arias has closely comparable data to that of Sunderland star Jack Clarke as well as Middlesbrough's versatile wide player Isaiah Jones, according to FBref's 'Player Comparison' tool.

#1 Everton Soares

Flamengo

#2 Cheikh Tidiane Sabaly

Metz

#3 Isaiah Jones

Middlesbrough

#4 Jack Clarke

Sunderland

#5 Luis Enrique Quinones

Tigres UNAL

Data via FBRef.

The former Santa Fe man ranks extremely highly on a number of attacking metrics on FBref over the course of a year, sitting in the top 8% of positionally similar players in comparable leagues for progressive carries per 90, the top 6% for shots on target per 90, the top 13% for shot-creating actions per 90, the top 2% for touches in the attacking third per 90 and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90.

But Arias is not just a superb offensive player, as he shines defensively too for Fluminense. When pinned against all other wingers and attacking midfielders in Brazil's premier division, Arias is in the top 8% for blocks per 90, the top 14% for tackles per 90, the top 10% for tackles in the defensive third per 90 and the top 10% for passes blocked per 90.

However, it's also important to note how Arias would fit in at Wolves, especially if partnered with the high-flying Hwang Hee-chan, who has found the net seven times at Molineux this season under O'Neil in all competitions. Only Manchester City's "goal machine" Erling Haaland has scored more headers than Hwang in the Premier League this term.

Arias would be the perfect player to keep this form going. So far in 2023, the Fluminense star ranks in the top 8% for crosses per 90, the top 11% for crosses into the penalty area per 90 and averages 1.7 key passes per 90. This could be a great acquisition for Wolves, particularly if a Neto-less hole is left in the team when the transfer window opens.

أصدر نادي ريال مدريد الإسباني بيانًا رسميًا بشأن لاعبه البرازيلي إندريك القادم من صفوف بالميراس البرازيلي.

وأوضح ريال مدريد في بيانه الصادر اليوم الجمعة، موعد تقديم إندريك لجماهير الفريق في ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

وأعلن ريال مدريد أنه في يوم السبت 27 يوليو، في تمام الساعة 12:00 ظهرًا (بتوقيت إسبانيا، 1:00 ظهرًا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية)، سيتم تقديم إندريك في ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو.

وسيستقبل رئيس ريال مدريد، فلورنتينو بيريز، إندريك لحضور حفل التوقيع الرسمي الذي يربط اللاعب البرازيلي بالنادي في المواسم الستة المقبلة.

وبعد العرض التقديمي، سيتحدث إندريك إلى وسائل الإعلام في غرفة الصحافة في سانتياجو برنابيو.

اقرأ أيضًا | كومان يواصل الهجوم على لابورتا: احترام الأساطير مهم.. وبرشلونة بحاجة لـ مبابي

ويبدأ العقد، الذي يربط إندريك بريال مدريد لمدة 6 مواسم، من تاريخ 21 يوليو، عندما يبلغ البرازيلي السن القانوني.

يذكر أن ريال مدريد قدم لاعبه الفرنسي كيليان مبابي للجماهير قبل أيام، في حضور ضخم بملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

Sri Lanka ended the first day on 277 for 9 with the left-arm South Africa spinner leading the fightback; Dale Steyn’s wait for his record-breaking wicket to overtake Shaun Pollock continued

The Report by Firdose Moonda20-Jul-2018Stumps Keshav Maharaj and Hashim Amla celebrate a wicket•Associated PressKeshav Maharaj singlehandedly kept South Africa competing on a dry pitch in Colombo, where he claimed the best figures by a visiting spinner on Sri Lankan soil. Maharaj was operating as the only specialist spinner in the XI, and his career-best 8 for 116 engineered mini-collapses in a Sri Lankan innings that could not sustain its strong start.Danushka Gunathilaka and Dimuth Karunaratne, put on the first century stand for the opening pair since October 2016 , and the first at home since 2010. Both went on to score half-centuries. Dhananjaya de Silva joined them with the milestone but none of the three pushed on to a three-figure score, and no-one in the middle-order made more than 22.Sri Lanka lost 3 for 37 after their first-wicket stand and 5 for 41 later in the day, and may not get to 300. But with three spinners in their attack, they will believe their total is worth much more.South Africa have armed themselves with an extra batsman to prepare for the challenge, leaving out the second specialist spinner, a selection which threatened to backfire on them when the seamers failed to make inroads.Dale Steyn’s wait to overtake Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker continues. Steyn bowled 15 overs but caused few problems, fewer than Kagiso Rabada or Lungi Ngidi, who was selected ahead of Vernon Philander for this Test. Of the three, Rabada was the stand-out performer, putting in the most work and enjoying some reward, when he claimed the only other wicket in the day.Gunathilaka and Karunarathe began confidently, taking on the full ball and in Karunaratne’s case, the short ball too, and it was only when Ngidi replaced Steyn, seven overs into the morning, that they were properly challenged. Ngidi had an appeal for lbw against Karunaratne with his fifth ball, beat his outside edge with his next, drew a leading edge from Gunathilaka in this third over, an uncontrolled aerial shot four balls later and an outside edge that fell short of point. Gunathilaka settled after that trial by Ngidi and registered the first half-century of his five-Test career, with the milestone coming post-lunch, the delivery after Karunaratne’s.By then, Maharaj had bowled nine overs without success, and he went on to deliver a 10th before things started to happen. Maharaj tossed one up, Karunaratne flicked feebly as it spun down the leg side and Quinton de Kock moved quickly to take the catch. In his next over, Maharaj dangled a delivery outside off, Gunathilaka went on to slog sweep and top-edged to deep-square leg, where Rabada took an impressive diving catch.Kusal Mendis carried on where the top two left off and played enterprisingly for his 34-ball 21 but became the second batsman to fall to the sweep. Sri Lanka had lost three of their top four in the middle session and needed to consolidate.But Angelo Mathews did little to aid the cause when, three balls after tea, he played at a Maharaj ball that bounced and took the outside edge to offer Faf du Plessis a catch at slip. Mathews did, at least, manage to score the eight runs he needed to become the ninth Sri Lankan to 5,000 Test runs.Instead, it was up to de Silva to steady Sri Lanka. He found runs off Maharaj fairly easily, used his feet well, built a fifth-wicket stand of 54 with Roshen Silva and recovered from a blow to the shoulder after he ducked into a Rabada short ball to bring up fifty off 100 balls. But he could not stop the slide that followed afterwards.Roshen became the only Sri Lankan to fall to a seamer in the innings when he was bowled by a Rabada yorker, and the lower order fell away, largely of their own doing. Niroshan Dickwella gloved a sweep to first slip, de Silva was given out on review off a slider, Dilruwan Perera swept to backward-square leg and Suranga Lakmal drove to short extra cover. Maharaj bowled 25 overs in his first spell and seven in his second, putting a workload of 32 overs on the first day, and leaving South Africa to question whether they should have instead sacrificed a quick for a second slower bowler, especially on the evidence late in the day.Part-timer Aiden Markram, bowling offspin with the second new ball, found substantial turn and bounce and on one occasion, got the ball to explode off the pitch as it spun sharply away outside off stump. After South Africa take the last Sri Lankan wicket, their batsmen will have to step up on this pitch, and will need to show better application than they did in Galle if they are to stay alive in the series.

Liverpool won 2-0 at home to Union SG in the Europa League on Thursday night, but who was the pick of the Reds players at Anfield?

Jurgen Klopp's side welcomed the Belgian outfit to Merseyside, as they looked to keep up their 100% record in Europe this season. It wasn't necessarily a classic contest at Anfield, but Ryan Gravenberch gave Liverpool the lead, scoring his first goal for the club in the process, and Diogo Jota put the icing on the cake with a good finish in stoppage time. Here's how we rated each Reds player on the night, as they picked up another important three points.

GK: Alisson – 7/10

Alisson started the game because of an injury to Caoimhin Kelleher, and this was a fairly quiet evening between the sticks for the Brazilian. He was largely untroubled, and barring one flap from a corner in the second half, he went about his business in unruffled fashion.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6/10

Alexander-Arnold made his first start in a number of weeks, and in truth, it showed, in what was a fairly rusty performance on and off the ball. There were moments of quality, as you would expect from the 24-year-old, but he never quite felt fully in rhythm.

CB: Ibrahima Konate – 8/10

For once, Konate was the senior figure at centre-back for Liverpool and he was excellent throughout at Anfield. He used his pace and power expertly, rarely allowing a Union SG player to get the better of him.

CB: Jarell Quansah – 8/10

Quansah was a relative unknown figure back in the summer, but this was another performance that showed he is now a good squad option. Possessing good speed and coolness in possession, the 20-year-old was one of Liverpool's best players on show.

LB: Kostas Tsimikas – 6/10

Tsimikas is still firmly behind Andy Robertson in the left-back pecking order, and he was more solid than spectacular against Union. One lovely cross in the second half almost created an opportunity, and while he did little wrong, more is required from him.

DM: Wataru Endo – 6/10

Endo is still feeling his way into life at Anfield, and this was another relatively forgettable showing. He was neat and tidy for much of the game, but was guilty of losing possession a few times, and looks nothing more than a squad player currently.

CM: Harvey Elliott – 7/10

Elliott has made the leap from young hopeful to strong squad player now, and this was another match where his quality really shone through. He used his lovely left foot to create openings and keep the ball ticking over, and one driving run led to Darwin Nunez missing a sitter.

CM: Ryan Gravenberch – 8/10 (Man of the Match)

Gravenberch was Liverpool's star performer on Thursday night, as he showcased why he should start in the absence of Curtis Jones at Brighton this weekend. He was a class act on the ball, and had real dynamism, not to mention scoring the opener.

RW: Mohamed Salah – 6/10

There will certainly be more vintage nights at the office for Salah, who missed a one-on-one and just couldn't fully get into the swing of things.

LW: Diogo Jota – 6/10

Jota is a curious player in many ways, and this was typical of him. For much of the proceedings, he was a frustrating watch, especially his first touch, but then he buried a late finish impressively.

CF: Darwin Nunez – 6/10

Nunez is clearly a player with so much potential, but his display against Union outlined how raw he can still look. His aforementioned miss was one of the worst of the season so far, and while he worked hard and looked a threat, he struggled to link effectively with those around him.

Substitutes

Alexis Mac Allister (46' for Endo) – 6/10

Curtis Jones (46' for Salah) – 6/10

Luis Diaz (46' for Nunez) – 6/10

Joe Gomez (62' for Alexander-Arnold) – 7/10

Dominik Szoboszlai (78' for Gravenberch) – 6/10

Subs not used: Mrozek, Jaros, Van Dijk, Matip, Robertson, Chambers, Doak

Manager

Jurgen Klopp – 7/10

Klopp will know that bigger tests lie ahead for his side, but this was a solid performance overall, and the boss will be happy to have given fringe players some minutes.

Sunderland opted to part ways with their 2022/23 Player of the Year on deadline day as Danny Batth joined Championship rivals Norwich City on a permanent basis.

Why did Sunderland sell Danny Batth?

The Black Cats decided not to offer the experienced central defender a contract extension at the Stadium of Light which left him in the last 12 months of his deal.

Instead of spending the rest of the 2023/24 campaign on Wearside knowing that he would be moving on next summer, both parties agreed to find him a new club during the summer transfer window and the Canaries swooped in at the last minute to secure his services.

Journalist Phil Smith suggested in an interview with Norwich-based outlet The Pink'Un that Batth was not going to be a frontline option for Tony Mowbray as the club wants to evolve the team to be more progressive in playing out from the back, which is not a strength of the former Stoke man's.

Who could replace Danny Batth?

Whilst Sunderland do not need a player to step into the XI after Batth's exit, the Black Cats could require someone to step up to be a rotation option and feature on the bench.

The 32-year-old stopper was on the bench for all four of the club's Championship games prior to his exit and played the full 90 minutes of the League Cup defeat to Crewe on penalties in August.

This is where 19-year-old central defender Zak Johnson could emerge as a surprise replacement for Batth, who won 66% of his aerial battles in the Championship last term. The impressive youngster has caught Mowbray's eye and was handed an opportunity to start against Crewe.

Johnson, who predominantly plays as a centre-back, was selected at right-back and showcased his defensive qualities with an assured performance. As per Sofascore, the teenage titan won an eye-catching five of his six duels, which included three of his four (75%) in the air, and made three clearances to go along with one tackle.

The talented gem, who made his first-team bow at the age of 16 against Manchester United's U21s in the EFL Trophy in 2021, has also racked up 35 appearances for the club's U21 side to date.

His form for Sunderland's academy team led to international recognition earlier this year as he made two appearances for England's U18 side in June.

At the age of 17, journalist Josh Bunting hailed Johnson as an "exciting" talent with "key" defensive attributes that could make him one to watch moving forward.

The central defender has now established himself as a regular for the club's U21 team and earned a place within his country's youth set-up, whilst also making his League Cup debut this season.

However, Johnson has not been named on the bench for any of the side's Championship matches this term so that should be the next natural step in his progress on Wearside.

Mowbray could replace Batth's position on the bench by offering the promising ace the chance to be part of the first-team squad week-in-week-out in order to build up valuable experience, along with having the potential to get on the pitch if needed.

Sunderland pulled off one of the shock results of the season so far, thrashing Southampton 5-0 at the Stadium of Light last weekend.

The Black Cats managed to put five past one of the promotion favourites to the bewilderment of many having only netted four times in the fixtures prior.

Despite finding their goal-scoring touch here, supporters were left disappointed late on in the window as star striker Ross Stewart coincidentally joined the Saints, leaving them light on quality options in the forward line.

The Scotsman supplied ten goals in 13 starts last season and if it wasn't for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, could have fired Tony Mowbray's side to automatic promotion.

With Stewart out the door for a reported fee of £8m, a proven Championship striker was needed to fill his void but in this climate, those are hard to find and Sunderland were made to settle for a deadline capture of striker Mason Burstow on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

Who is Mason Burstow?

Burstow is a promising 20-year-old striker who was named on the bench in Chelsea's season opener against Liverpool.

More recently, he has was brought off the bench in their 3-1 defeat against West Ham, and again in their victory over Luton Town.

Burstow made his full debut for the Blues in their Carabao Cup clash against Wimbledon last Wednesday night and joins the club with hopes of setting the Championship alight, to the belief of Sunderland Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman.

He said: "Mason is one of the brightest young centre forwards on the cusp of the Premier League environment and he is a player that we have monitored for some time.

"Mason is a mobile number nine with experience in the EFL and he has had a really positive impact on Chelsea’s first-team squad this summer, so we are excited to see the impact he can make in our team.”

While huge praise has been directed towards Burstow, he is yet to fully justify his hype at senior level having failed to score in his loan spell at Charlton Athletic last season which could make Sunderland regret not moving for Tom Cannon, who swatted away the Black Cats' interest to join Leicester City on deadline day for £7.5m.

How good is Tom Cannon?

Sunderland were one of several Championship clubs eyeing up a move for Tom Cannon this summer but were beaten to his signature by Leicester's war chest.

Cannon's stock has quickly risen since January having impressed during a loan spell at Preston North End, netting eight times in 20 appearances.

Since the departure of Stewart, Sunderland have lost their complete forward, who is not only intelligent enough to drop deep and link play effectively but also possesses the pace to run in-behind, latch onto through balls and finish with aplomb.

The 20-year-old is of a similar mould to Stewart as demonstrated by his ability to bully defenders with his physical attributes and remain composed in front of goal, recording 1.24 successful take-ons, 1.13 shots on target and 0.43 non-penalty goals per 90, as per FBref.

Cannon is also the focal point in attack, the one who is going to trigger the press and prevent the opposition from playing out of the back. During his spell at the Lilywhites, he showcased his ability to win the ball back high on a consistent basis, placing in the top 1% of forwards in the Championship for passes blocked and the top 16% for tackles in the attacking third.

Following his move to Deepdale, journalist Josh Bunting described Cannon as a "threat" and he certainly demonstrated that on numerous occasions for the Lilywhites, with the clip above highlighting the youngster coming alive in the box to showcase his superb finishing attributes.

Although Sunderland were unable to stump up the £7.5m to bring Cannon to the Stadium of Light, he would have undoubtedly aided Sunderland's promotion bid and been a huge upgrade on their signing of Burstow.

Glasgow Rangers have not won a trophy since Giovanni van Bronckhorst led the club to Scottish Cup success at the end of the 2021/22 season and Michael Beale is now facing the pressure as a result.

Who were van Bronckhorst's most expensive Rangers signings?

The Dutch head coach, who was replaced by Beale during the break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar last term, secured just the one piece of silverware during his time at Ibrox.

That said, van Bronckhorst was not blessed with a huge amount of money to spend, making his accomplishment rather impressive.

Player

Fee paid

Ben Davies

£4m

Ridvan Yilmaz

£3.4m

Rabbi Matondo

£2.6m

Antonio Colak

£2.1m

Mateusz Zukowski

£511k

Fees via Transfermarkt.

This meant that the former Feyenoord boss had to be creative with how he and Ross Wilson went about their business in the transfer market.

They had to spend wisely and pick up unearthed gems in order to significantly bolster the team and one player they missed out on would have been a perfect fit in that regard.

Former Rangers defender Bert Konterman recently revealed that van Bronckhorst attempted to sign Tijjani Reijnders from AZ Alkmaar in 2022. The ex-Gers man advised the player's father that a move to Ibrox would have come too soon and convinced him to remain with the Dutch side.

How much was Reijnders worth at Alkmaar?

There is no mention of how much the Light Blues were willing to pay for the 25-year-old but, Football Transfers placed his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at just €1m (£860k) in August of that year.

This came after the Dutch talent had an underwhelming Eredivisie campaign with Alkmaar during the 2021/22 campaign as he struggled to break into the team on a regular basis after showcasing his talent at youth level.

The talented prospect racked up 19 goals and 13 assists in 92 matches for the club's U21 side to earn himself an opportunity within the senior squad.

Reijnders averaged an unimpressive Sofascore rating of 6.84 across 33 league outings in 2021/22 and was only named in the starting line-up on 11 occasions, which suggests that his manager did not trust him to start week-in-week-out at that time.

He did produce four goals and two assists, along with four 'big chances' created for his teammates, but there had not been any evidence of consistently impressive displays.

However, van Bronckhorst clearly saw a talent there and wanted to bring him to the Scottish giants to unearth a gem but was unable to convince the player to make the switch, due in part to Konterman's advice.

The Dutch head coach will surely regret not pushing harder or being more convincing as Reijnders went on to enjoy a phenomenal 2022/23 campaign.

How much is Reijnders worth now?

After an impressive season with Alkmaar, Italian giants AC Milan, who reached the semi-final of the Champions League last term, secured his services for a reported fee of €19m (£16m) plus add-ons this summer.

This means that his value rocketed by 1,800% from the initial €1m that he was rated at by Football Transfers a year ago. Although, they currently rate his xTV at €14.3m (£12.3m) which is less than the actual value of his move to Milan but still a whopping increase of 1,300%.

Therefore, Rangers could have signed a player who had the potential to exponentially increase his worth to the club within the space of a year, which could have resulted in the Scottish giants being able to rake in a significant profit on him further down the line.

Why is Reijnders worth that much?

His soaring market price has come off the back of his superb form for Alkmaar last season. Reijnders finally established himself as a regular starter for the Dutch side and delivered consistently excellent displays in midfield.

He averaged a sublime Sofascore rating of 7.32 across 34 Eredivisie starts and caught the eye with his contributions at both ends of the pitch.

Reijnders showcased his creative quality with seven assists, 1.8 key passes per game, and 12 'big chances' created in total for his teammates in the Dutch top-flight.

The 25-year-old wizard also displayed his defensive ability with 2.7 tackles and interceptions per match in the middle of the park, which shows that he was willing to put his foot in to win possession back for his team on a regular basis each game.

Only three outfield players, Todd Cantwell, James Tavernier, and Borna Barisic, averaged a higher Sofascore rating for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership last season than Reijnders did for Alkmaar. This suggests that he had the potential to be one of van Bronckhorst's, and subsequently Michael Beale's, top performers at Ibrox.

The Milan star's seven assists also indicate that he could have been a terrific creator in midfield for the Light Blues. No Gers midfielder managed more than four league assists during the 2022/23 campaign, which suggests that the side lacked creativity in that area of the pitch.

How has Reijnders performed this season?

Reijnders, who made his debut for the Netherlands earlier this month, has hit the ground running in Milan since his £16m transfer to the Italian side.

The terrific midfield general, who was once hailed as the star of an "unplayable" midfield for Alkmaar by journalist Josh Bunting, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.10 across three Serie A outings to date.

He has completed 92% of his attempted passes and provided one assist, from one 'big chance' created, to go along with a 100% dribble success rate, as per Sofascore.

At the age of 25, Reijnders also still has plenty of time left on his hands to develop further to increase his market value by even more over the years to come.

The Dutchman could hone his skills with Milan, thanks to the experience of playing in a major European league, before making another big move in the future, if he continues to grow and adapt his game.

Indeed, it's safe to say that Van Bronckhorst certainly made a mistake by failing to sign him for Rangers.

New Zealand’s Colin Munro and Ish Sodhi have vaulted to the top of ICC T20I rankings for batsmen and bowlers respectively, while the team regained its No. 1 position as well following the recent 2-0 drubbing of West Indies.Munro, who finished as the top-scorer in the series with 223 runs – which gave him 137 points – jumped 11 places to top the rankings for the first time in his career. “It’s a bit of a surprise but one that I think anybody would take,” he said. “It’s been a bit of a goal of mine to get up the rankings and to get to the top is pretty special.”Munro’s assault included back-to-back half-centuries and a 53-ball 104, which made him the first batsman to hit three hundreds in T20 internationals. He leapfrogged team-mates Kane Williamson, who has slipped two places to seventh, and Martin Guptill, who moved to the 11th place, and become the third New Zealand batsman to occupy the No. 1 position after Guptil and Brendon McCullum.Sodhi, who also achieved the milestone of topping the rankings for the first time, moved from 10th to first after he took three wickets at 18. The 25-year old wristspinner earned 70 points for his efforts in the series, has 729 in all, and is seven points ahead of Pakistan’s Imad Wasim. Sodhi is also the third New Zealand bowler after Daniel Vettori and Shane Bond to rise to the top.”I’m really grateful for the success I’ve had and I’m stoked to be ranked number-one,” Sodhi said. “It hasn’t really sunk in just yet, but I’m sure it will as the days progress. I’ve been trying to find a really good balance between attacking and defending, and I think it’s getting better and better the more I play.””I played club cricket with Colin when I was about 15-years-old and he handed me my first premier cricket cap. So, I’m stoked to see him doing what he is doing at the highest level.”Munro and Sodhi are also the second New Zealand pair to simultaneously top the T20I batting and bowling tables after McCullum and Vettori between 2009 and 2010. Other New Zealand players to have improved their rankings following the series were Mitchell Santner who rose to sixth position among the bowlers, while Trent Boult has claimed the 13th spot.

Nottingham Forest's pursuit of Sevilla defender Gonzalo Montiel has been well-documented and a big update has now emerged, courtesy of journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Gonzalo Montiel?

The 26-year-old was something of an unknown amongst British football fans until relatively recently, even though he was a perfectly solid performer for Sevilla, having arrived at the La Liga side from River Plate back in 2021.

That all changed at the 2022 World Cup, however, as he tasted glory with Argentina, famously stroking home the winning penalty in the shootout victory over France in the final. It was a truly iconic moment for the country, as they won the competition for the first time since 1986, and it etched Montiel's name into Argentine folklore forever.

At club level, a move away from Sevilla – where he makes £20k-per-week – has looked increasingly likely this summer, however, and it is Forest who have emerged as the strong favourites to snap him up for some time now.

The Reds are still looking for defensive reinforcements and the right-back has stood out as a good option to battle the likes of Serge Aurier and Neco Williams for playing time this season, allowing Steve Cooper to rotate his squad and keep it fresh the longer the campaign goes on.

Now, a fresh update has emerged – one that suggests Montiel could be announced as a Forest player sooner rather than later, as the City Ground welcomes yet another new face to the club.

Will Nottingham Forest sign Gonzalo Montiel?

Taking to Twitter, Romano provided a significant update regarding the Reds' move for Montiel this summer, with the transfer now very close to being completed and medical potentially on the cards imminently:

"Nottingham Forest are closing in on Gonzalo Montiel deal – agreement on personal terms being finalised then medical on Monday. Deal will cost €11m (£9.4m), as @CLMerlo has reported."

This is great news for Forest, at a time when they need to build on last season's Premier League survival and become a genuinely established top-flight club again, rather than finding themselves battling for their lives come the spring.

While Montiel may not be the most explosive of full-backs, he is an experienced head with lots of defensive nous, having made 72 appearances for Sevilla and won 23 caps for Argentina, scoring once for his country, aside from his aforementioned penalty heroics last winter.

That moment back in December may have given him an extra winning mentality – he also scored the winning spot-kick in last year's Europa League final – which should stand him in good stead and possibly impact on the squad's mentality when he arrives, with World Cup winners a rare commodity in football.

Montiel could come in as a less flamboyant but more solid alternative to Aurier at right-back, having averaged 1.5 clearances and 1.3 tackles per game in last season's Champions League, as well as registering three assists in La Liga in 2022/23.

These are exactly the kind of signings that will make Forest strong moving forward, and at 26, there is no reason why the defender can't be a key man for the next five or six years.

يخوض فريق إنتر ميامي مباراة، اليوم الأحد، وذلك ضد خصمه ريد بولز، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الأمريكي.

ويلتقي الفريقان في إطار لقاءات الجولة الحادية عشر من الدوري الأمريكي، نسخة 2024.

اقرأ أيضًا | لمزاملة ميسي.. إنتر ميامي يستهدف التعاقد مع دي ماريا

ويتواجد إنتر ميامي في صدارة المجموعة الشرقية برصيد 21 نقطة، في حين أن ريد بولز لديه 17 نقطة في المركز الثالث.

وحسبما نُشر، يتواجد النجم الأرجنتيني ليونيل ميسي في التشكيل الأساسي لفريق إنتر ميامي في مباراة اليوم. تشكيل إنتر ميامي أمام ريد بولز في الدوري الأمريكي

حراسة المرمى: كالندر.

خط الدفاع: نيجري، فريري، أفيليس، وايجاندت.

خط الوسط: رويز، بوسكيتس، جرسل.

خط الهجوم: تايلور، لويس سواريز، ليونيل ميسي.

البدلاء: روخاس، كامبانا، دوس سانتوس، ريان سيلور، كريفتسوف، كريماسكي، نواه ألين، برايت، أفونسو.