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Queens Park Rangers are now plotting a move to sign a 14-goal striker as a possible replacement for Charlie Kelman, who has been strongly linked with a move away this summer.

QPR line up attacking overhaul

It’s been a steady transfer window for the Hoops so far, as they’ve added four new players to their squad, two of whom are Kwame Poku and Karamoko Dembélé, who are both well known in the EFL and are considered exciting attacking additions.

Related QPR plan to make 21 year-old international striker Stephan's first signing

QPR are now closing in on a new manager as well as a new signing for the first team.

Posts 1 ByBrett Worthington Jun 19, 2025

However, QPR and manager Julien Stephan are in the market to further strengthen their forward line, this time by bringing in some out and out goalscorers. Indeed, it’s been reported that QPR are now in advanced talks over a deal to sign Pape Meissa Ba from German side Schalke 04.

The Rs are also planning on letting a few of their own strikers leave the club in what remains of this transfer window – West London Sport reports young forward Alfie Lloyd is set to leave the Championship club on loan.

Meanwhile, League One side Luton Town have made an offer to sign Charlie Kelman, who spent last season on loan at Leyton Orient. QPR are said to be ready to cash in on Kelman should they receive an attractive offer, and already have his possible replacement in mind.

QPR plotting move to sign 14-goal EFL striker

According to West London Sport, QPR are interested in signing striker Samson Tovide from Colchester United.

The 21-year-old joined Colchester at an early age and has since come through their academy set-up to play for the first team. Tovide has been a regular in the first team in the last three campaigns, during which he has scored 13 goals in League Two and one in the EFL Trophy.

Despite missing two months of last season through injury, Tovide scored seven goals and impressively recorded six assists in 29 League Two games, as Colchester missed out on the play-offs. His performances in the fourth tier of English football have now caught QPR’s attention as well as several other unnamed teams.

The Rs are looking to add some youthful exuberance to their frontline, and they believe Tovide fits the bill.

Samson Tovide’s Colchester United stats

Apps

101

Goals

14

Assists

12

There is no mention of how much the young striker could cost, but given he is under contract until 2027, Colchester will look to try and maximise the fee, especially as it is a Championship side that is lurking with interest.

Tovide’s potential arrival could be as a direct replacement for Kelman, who has struggled to nail down a starting spot at QPR, playing just 26 games and failing to score a single goal.

He has signed a three-year deal with the club to replace Cameron White who moved to Melbourne Renegades

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2024

Matthew Mott has joined Sydney Sixers in the BBL on a three-year deal as assistant coach following his departure as head coach of the England Men’s white-ball team.Mott, who was in charge of Australia Women for eight years before shifting to England, will link up with Greg Shipperd at Sixers as a replacement for Cameron White, who was appointed head coach of Melbourne Renegades earlier this year.Related

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“I’m delighted to join back up with the Sydney Sixers,” Mott said. “Having started my coaching journey in Sydney many years ago, it’s a place that evokes both great memories and a comforting sense of familiarity, which I’m looking forward to.”The idea of being an assistant to Greg Shipperd, who I have a tremendous amount of respect for, really appealed to me.”Mott’s spell as England’s white-ball coach started brightly when they won the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, to unite both global white-ball trophies, but ended after their semi-final exit at the tournament earlier this year which followed a poor performance in the ODI edition in 2023.Mott started his coaching career with the New South Wales men’s side in 2007. His return to the state’s system will see him reunite with Rachael Haynes who was one of the key members of the Australia side he coached to extensive success.”We couldn’t be more pleased to have Motty committed for the next three years with the club,” Haynes, Sixers’ general manager, said.”When the opportunity arises to bring a coach of Motty’s calibre into your ranks, it’s a no-brainer. We know what a fantastic resource he will be for our playing group.”It goes without saying that his coaching resume speaks for itself. He has an incredible track-record of success around the world, and he’s proven he knows what it takes to build, and sustain, a winning culture.”Our club is in safe hands under the leadership of Greg Shipperd, and Charlotte Edwards in our women’s program, and we’re delighted to be able to add Motty’s experience to that group, taking us forward.”In the BBL draft last weekend, Sixers retained James Vince when Renegades attempted to sign him and later sprang a surprise by taking Yorkshire legspinner Jafer Chohan as their last pick. They have secured West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein before the draft.

Everton have been put through the wringer over the past several years, but the return of David Moyes in January has turned the club back in the right direction.

The Friedkin Group have a daunting task ahead, with so many players out of contract at the end of the month. But it’s also a golden opportunity to redesign the Toffees squad as they step into a new home at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

New CEO Angus Kinnear, who left Leeds United to replace Kevin Thelwell in May, has got his work cut out, but Everton are willing to entrust their senior figures with the big decisions, and understandably so, given Moyes has identified an exciting new option to strengthen the frontline.

Everton make their first move

According to Turkish outlet A Spor, Galatasaray’s Baris Alper Yilmaz has been approached by Everton as they look to add depth and dynamism to Moyes’ squad.

Yilmaz can play across both attacking flanks and thus would fit the bill as to what the manager hopes to add. It’s understood that the Merseysiders will soon present an opening £16m offer, but that the Istanbul club are holding out for a figure closer to £29m.

With Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom both returning to their parent clubs after difficult loan spells at Goodison Park, this could be a shrewd signing indeed for the Blues.

What Yilmaz would bring to Everton

Everton’s Premier League pedigree has at times felt threatened by the turbulence at the club over recent seasons, by the dysfunction that has led to palpable fears of relegation.

Moyes, though, transformed the club when arriving in January, after 12 years away. Everton finished comfortably in 13th place, and if they can get things right during the off-season, bringing in players such as Yilmaz, they could be headed for a new level of success.

Yilmaz, a silky and talented winger, would certainly ease the burden on Iliman Ndiaye’s shoulders, the Senegalese star hailed by pundit Jamie Redknapp for his “dynamite” qualities after joining from Marseille for £15m last summer.

He could even prove an upgrade on Dwight McNeil, taking his place in the starting line-up as Charly Alcaraz makes the number ten spot his own, especially after notching 20 goal contributions from 48 matches for Gala last season.

That came after a EURO 2024 showdown with the Netherlands, which led Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk to declare his adversary “difficult for every defender”.

The Turk’s constant running and unrelenting intensity suggest he’d be a fantastic addition to the Premier League, potentially even capable of keeping McNeil on the bench.

Everton’s industrious playmaker started the 2023/24 season off with aplomb, but a knee injury ruled him out for the entirety of the midseason. Still, the one-time Burnley talent finished the year with four goals and eight assists from 21 top-flight fixtures, 15 starts.

Matches (starts)

32 (29)

21 (15)

Goals

12

4

Assists

3

8

Touches*

46.9

39.4

Shots (on target)*

2.4 (0.9)

1.2 (0.5)

Pass completion

75%

83%

Big chances created

8

12

Key passes*

1.4

1.8

Dribbles*

1.4

1.1

Ball recoveries*

3.0

3.6

Tackles + interceptions*

1.7

0.9

Duels won*

6.3

2.8

Though McNeil is evidently the more naturally creative player, Everton could add a new dimension to their attacking efforts by bringing Yilmaz in.

Everton, let’s not forget, finished 13th in the chance creation standings last season (63 big chances created) but only scored 42 goals, fewer than all but the three relegated outfits.

Ultimately, it would serve Moyes well to have both players in the team next season, but Yilmaz’s pace and directness offer shades of Ndiaye, and we’ve seen how well he took to life in the Premier League when signing for Everton.

Everton ready to trigger £30m release clause for "exciting" DCL replacement

The Toffees could land their Liam Delap alternative.

2 ByTom Cunningham Jun 8, 2025

Manchester City are headed to the Club World Cup and expect to bring in a proven Premier League operator to strengthen their ranks before the tournament commences, according to David Ornstein.

Manchester City close to landing double midfield deal

With Kevin De Bruyne moving on to a new challenge elsewhere, Manchester City have wasted no time in finding a replacement for the Belgian icon and look set to wrap up a double deal in midfield before they jet out to the United States.

Pep Guardiola is closing in on AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders and Lyon star Rayan Cherki. The latter is set to arrive for a fee of £34 million after Florian Wirtz opted to move from Bayer Leverkusen to reigning champions Liverpool.

In the case of Reijnders, the final details of a transfer worth £50 million involving the Netherlands international are being ironed out before he officially links up with his new teammates at the Etihad Stadium.

Legendary defensive midfielder Rodri is also back after injury, creating a new-look engine room to take the Premier League by storm next term as the Citizens aim to reclaim the title.

Cementing what he wants his midfield to look like after a period of instability, Guardiola is also set to offer Rodri a new Manchester City contract to stave off interest from heavyweights Real Madrid – that could be worth £300,000 per week.

Man City now in contact for £29m DM who is Switzerland's "greatest talent"

City have stepped up their pursuit of a new midfielder, who just won a Player of the Season award.

ByDominic Lund May 28, 2025

Pressing on in their hunt for reinforcements, City are now closing in on another addition elsewhere on the pitch to equip themselves ahead of their Club World Cup endeavours.

Man City expect to sign Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers

Taking to social media platform X, reputable journalist Ornstein has reported all parties involved – from both clubs to the player’s camp – ‘expect’ a deal to be done that would see Rayan Ait-Nouri arrive at the Etihad Stadium from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

There is still work to be done before a final agreement can be reached, but they appear to be in pole position to land their main left-back target relatively quickly.

Labelled “incredible” by Gary O’Neil, Ait-Nouri has registered five goals and seven assists in 41 appearances across all competition for Wolves this campaign.

Creating 24 chances on Premier League duty this term, the Algeria international provided a regular threat in forward areas for the Old Gold as they managed to secure their top-flight status.

Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake have both shouldered the left-back burden at Manchester City, though bringing in a natural in that position could gift Guardiola the added bonus of being able to move one of them to a central role once all paperwork is completed.

Deemed to be worth around £51 million on the market, signing Ait-Nouri appears to be a shrewd addition by the Citizens ahead of the new campaign.

Italy captain says when he is asked about the plan for the 2026 World Cup, his reply is, they’re planning to “win every game”

Matt Roller12-Jul-2025At least one will play at a next year. Italian football is in chaos: their men’s national team have a proud World Cup history but have failed to reach the last two, and sacked their manager after losing the opening match of their qualifying group for the 2026 edition. But in a small Dutch town on Friday, their cricketers created their own legacy.Italy lost by nine wickets to Netherlands in Voorburg, but Jersey’s win over Scotland earlier in the day – and their own results over the previous week – meant that it did not matter. Instead, Italy wrapped up one of the two spots available at the European Qualifiers for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, the first time that Italy have reached a major ICC event.”It’s still very surreal,” Joe Burns, Italy’s captain, told ESPNcricinfo on Saturday morning. “We’ll probably take a few weeks to get home and decompress a bit to fully realise the impact that the occasion will have on so many people. It was an emotional moment that we’re going to try and reflect on as a group as much as we can over the next few months.”The crucial result for Italy was their 12-run win over Scotland on Wednesday. It was launched by Emilio Gay, the Durham opener, who cracked 50 off 21 balls; set up by Grant Stewart, the Kent allrounder, who hit 44 not out off 27; and sealed by Harry Manenti, who has played a couple of BBL games for Adelaide Strikers, and took 5 for 31 with his medium pace.Those names are reflective of a disparate group of players who are based all over the world, but their heritage provides a common thread. Burns’ own story is typical: his roots are in Calabria, in southern Italy, but his grandfather was a prisoner-of-war in North Africa during the second world war and the family relocated to Australia. He has always felt a connection with Italy, and made his debut for them last year.

“I think we had six Australian-born players in our team yesterday… If we do play Australia and I’m on the field, it’ll obviously be a very special occasion”Joe Burns

It was a long way removed from his first international career, which saw him hit four hundreds in his 23 Tests for Australia. “When you play for Australia, there’s such a history to the baggy green that you’re honouring the past and representing the people that have gone before,” Burns said. “When you’re playing for Italy, it’s very much a blank canvas, trying to shape the future.”Burns first reached out to Cricket Italia in 2009, when qualification rules were stricter, and had to undergo a three-year cooling-off period from his final Australia appearance, in 2020, before he became eligible. But he has thrown himself into his new challenge, taking over the captaincy this summer, and has worn the number 85 shirt in tribute to his late brother, Dominic.”A lot of our grandparents left Italy after World War II, so it’s very much a shared story to come together and to represent past generations,” he said. “I know my grandparents would be very proud, and I know mum and dad have been following the games really closely. There are Italians dispersed all over the world, and I hope this team is a beacon for Italians everywhere.”Burns admires his medal•International Cricket CouncilItaly ramped up preparations for the qualifiers last month with a training camp in Rome, and Burns has demanded the full focus of his team-mates: “I told the guys that I don’t care if we’re playing Luxembourg in the sub-regional qualifiers or India in a T20 World Cup final: I want our team to be the most prepared team in world cricket for every game that we play.”This has all come together on the back of a lot of planning. People ask me what the goal for the World Cup is and I say, ‘Look, we’re planning and preparing to win every game – so we’re planning to win the World Cup.’ I want the guys to enjoy the experience and play with freedom – but you have to earn the right to play with freedom on the back of really solid preparation.”Cricket is a niche sport in Italy, but World Cup qualification will unlock new sources of funding. “It will go a long way for us,” Burns said. “We don’t have any turf facilities, and very little facilities in general, but this gives us an opportunity to develop the game. We’ve had a lot of support from CONI (the Italian Olympic Committee) which keeps building in the background.Time to celebrate after Italy qualified for the T20 World Cup for the first time•International Cricket Council”Associate cricket is very much the grassroots of international cricket, so for us, it’s about trying to unlock funding and build facilities to create opportunities for future generations to come. It’s very rewarding. At different stages in your career, you have different motivations, and I think this came at a really good time for me. It really reinvigorated my love for the game.”Italy will welcome back Wayne Madsen – a man with more than 20,000 runs in county cricket to his name – for the World Cup after he missed the qualifiers due to his Derbyshire commitments, but Burns hinted that he himself may step aside before the main event. “This [qualification] was such a big goal for me,” he said. “It’s probably going to take me a few months to think about it.”But if Burns, 35, does play on, there is one team he would relish the chance to face next year. “We’ve said briefly as a group that we want the big stage. We want to be drawn against the best in the world, and we want to take it on. I think we had six Australian-born players in our team yesterday… If we do play Australia and I’m on the field, it’ll obviously be a very special occasion.”

He has a bunch of variations, can touch 150kph, specialises in bowling in the end overs, and has even impressed the OG, Lasith Malinga

Deivarayan Muthu06-May-20231:10

Ruturaj: I don’t want to face Pathirana in the nets

He doesn’t have blonde-tipped curls, but the slingy action, yorkers, dippers and the smile are all reminiscent of Lasith Malinga.Chennai Super Kings have bad memories of Malinga – he broke their top order in the 2013 IPL final, then in the 2015 final, he tricked MS Dhoni with a slower dipper, and more recently in the 2019 final, he broke their hearts with a sequence of five 140-plus-kph yorkers and a deadly slower ball. Malinga was also part of Mumbai Indians’ six-match winning streak against CSK at Chepauk between 2011 and 2019.But CSK now have their own Malinga, or (Little) Malinga: Matheesha Pathirana. For a change, a slinger in yellow spooked the team in blue on Saturday – Pathirana bowled the 13th, 15th, 18th and the 20th overs for just .

I see continuous improvement from Matheesha.
Good gas
Better control@matheesha_9 | #IPL2O23

— Lasith Malinga (@malinga_ninety9) May 6, 2023