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Leeds United winger Wilfried Gnonto could get 'restless' at Elland Road if he isn't sold before the Sky Bet Championship commences in early August, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Which clubs are interested in Wilfried Gnonto?

According to Football Insider, Crystal Palace are considering a move for Gnonto this summer alongside teammate Crysencio Summerville as Roy Hodgson looks to bolster his options in the final third.

Wilfried Zaha has left Selhurst Park to join Turkish giants Galatasaray and Eagles winger Michael Olise is attracting interest from the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea, which has prompted Hodgson to enter the market for a winger and a striker due to dissatisfaction at his offensive options.

Everton also saw a £15 million bid turned down for Italy international Gnonto earlier this window and Leeds United are believed to be desperate to keep the £20k-a-week ace at Elland Road, as per The Daily Mail.

Aston Villa have been mentioned as another potential suitor in the hunt for Gnonto and other Premier League clubs have kept tabs on his situation.

Leeds United have already lost several key squad members in the off-season and Daniel Farke is keen to keep Gnonto around due to the fact he was a rare bright spark at the club last term.

In 2022/23, Gnonto made 28 appearances for Leeds United across all competitions, registering four goals and four assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones thinks that Gnonto may become 'restless' if he is not allowed to leave Leeds United to seek a new challenge elsewhere.

Jones stated: “At the moment, it’s not impossible they both stay, but we will have to see if that remains the case as we get towards the start of the season and other clubs realise these two are still up for grabs.

“I hear that Gnonto wants to leave, I think he’ll get a bit restless if he’s playing in the Championship when it kicks off. So, let’s see how it all develops.”

What other events could occur at Leeds United this window?

Leeds United boss Farke's prime focus between now and the close of play in the market will be ensuring quality additions enter the building at Elland Road to join recent arrivals Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow.

Football Insider claim that Leeds United, Southampton and Leicester City are all competing for the signature of Swansea City striker Joel Piroe following his goalscoring exploits in 2022/23 for the Jacks.

The Sun On Sunday (30/7; page 59, print edition) via Leeds United News have revealed that Leeds United are in the race to sign Manchester City youngster Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who could be available for around £15 million.

West Ham United and Fulham are also keen to sign the England Under-21 international, who was part of the Three Lions squad that lifted the UEFA Under-21 EURO 2023 Championship earlier this summer.

German coach Farke has confirmed that he will make a decision on the future of full-back Sam Byram this week as he has been on trial at his former club, stating via Leeds Live: "We will see, so we will assess right now pre-season. We've not discussed it so far but we know what we've got. Sam has shown great attitude, experienced player, homegrown player, free agent, so then I don't find many, many arguments against them."

He then added: "There was some really good performances but yes, we'll have a closer look at this. So it's not a big, big topic and not a big issue, but we're all happy that he’s gone through this pre-season without any injuries and also, need to listen also bit to what he thinks and what he wants and then we'll come to a conclusion I think over the next week."

Ian Botham is “100% wrong” if he believes Paul Coughlin was lured to Nottinghamshire by promises of England selection, according to Andrew Strauss

George Dobell20-Sep-2017Ian Botham is “100% wrong” if he believes Paul Coughlin was lured to Nottinghamshire by promises of England selection, according to Andrew Strauss.Botham, the chairman of Durham, released a statement on Tuesday in which he suggested Durham’s players had been unsettled by talk of “greater England opportunities” if they moved to different counties. He went on to warn of a “potential for conflict of interest” in serving county directors of cricket also working as England selectors.Many interpreted that as a swipe at Mick Newell, who combines his role as director of cricket at Nottinghamshire with a part-time position as an England selector. Coughlin is expected to be joined at Trent Bridge next season by his Durham team-mate Keaton Jennings who is understood to have agreed a deal subject to Nottinghamshire securing promotion back to Division One. Angus Fraser also combines his role as an England selector with his position as director of cricket at Middlesex.While Strauss, the director of England cricket, said he could “understand why there is that perception”, he defended not only the individuals involved but the principle of directors of cricket combining their roles with national selection duties.”He’s 100% wrong if he’s implying that Coughlin has gone to Nottinghamshire on the back of one of our selectors saying he’s got a better chance of playing for England coming to my county,” Strauss said.”All I can do is support the guys who are currently in position. I know what goes on in selection meetings. I know that they are exceptionally conscious of when they might be compromised and will ensure they will not have an input in those matters when it may be seen that they have a conflict of interest.”Those selectors’ job are part-time roles and, as a result, if we want experts who are up to speed with what is currently happening in the game, county directors of cricket are obviously pretty well positioned to be able to do what that role requires them to do. That’s why those guys are in position. They are two outstanding individuals and although there might be a perception of conflict of interest, I just don’t believe that to be the case.”I would be exceptionally surprised if any of our selectors were going up to players and saying ‘if you come to us it will improve your chances of playing for England’. They won’t say that. I know they don’t say that. And if they did, that would be a problem.”We are always looking at ways to improve both the system and the structure. Currently, I am very comfortable with where we are.”Botham also expressed concerns that counties were not being sufficiently rewarded for developing England players. While Strauss pointed out there is an agreement in place to do just that, he admitted the ECB would review its performance related fee payments (PRFP) system to ensure it was working.”Counties do get money – PRFP – for developing England players,” Strauss said. “And we are just starting conversations about what a new county partnership agreement looks like. We are going to be looking at all this and saying, ‘how does it work currently and does this incentivise what we want?'”I want counties to develop their own players. It’s the right way to do it and the cheaper way to do things long term. It’s really important that people focus their time and their resources into their academies to make sure they are supporting players properly.”There are a lot of instances of that happening really well and probably a few that could be better. So we need to challenge the counties on that and make sure that people are rewarded for producing England players at all levels. That’s ultimately one of the jobs of county cricket.”At present, counties can earn in excess of £100,000 a year in PRFP for a player who has developed through their academy and gone on to represent England. The developing county continues to receive those payments even if the player leaves for another county: for example, Northants continued to benefit from Graeme Swann’s England success even after he moved to Nottinghamshire. Warwickshire continue to receive payments for their role in the development of Moeen Ali.While there is no official transfer system in place – another suggestion put forward by Botham – it has become increasingly common for counties to reach deals between one another for the services of players who are in the middle of long-term contracts.

Crystal Palace are keen on bringing Southampton striker Che Adams to Selhurst Park this summer; however, journalist Dean Jones isn't 'convinced' by his capabilities as an 'out and out goalscorer' in the Premier League.

Which clubs are keen on Che Adams?

According to The Daily Mail, both Crystal Palace and Fulham have enquired about the possibility of signing Adams from Southampton this summer amid uncertainty over the future of the striker.

The Scotland international is keen to stay in the Premier League to boost his chances of being selected for the Tartan Army at EURO 2024 and Southampton are believed to be determined to recoup a fee of £15 million for him in the event of a departure.

Journalist Alan Nixon has claimed on his Patreon that Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth are also in the race to sign the 27-year-old.

Adams is out of contract at Southampton next year and in addition to the aforementioned clubs, he is also garnering interest from Everton and foreign clubs. It is thought that sides from further afield could wait until January to try and land the £30k-a-week forward for free on a pre-contract arrangement.

Leicester-born Adams featured 35 times last term for Southampton, encompassing all competitions, registering ten goals and three assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany is eyeing a swoop for Adams as he looks to strengthen his forward line at Turf Moor before the new season commences, TEAMtalk understands.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones isn't sure if Adams can guarantee a regular goal flow at Premier League level and thinks that interested parties may view him as more of a 'backup option'.

Jones stated: "If Che Adams is looking for a move away from Southampton, then I can totally see why clubs start to consider him as a backup option as a striker. I'm not convinced on the back of last season that you would be counting on him as your out-and-out goalscorer."

Who else is Roy Hodgson keen to add at Crystal Palace?

Roy Hodgson will be keen to add some quality reinforcements to his squad at Selhurst Park to ensure the Eagles find themselves in good shape for the start of the season.

Everton attacker Demarai Gray has cropped up on his radar and is reportedly open to leaving Goodison Park due to a lack of game time at the Toffees, according to The Daily Mail.

The outlet claim that Everton need to raise funds due to Financial Fair Play rules and would be willing to part ways with the Jamaica international for a fee in the region of £12 million.

Manchester City star Aymeric Laporte has emerged as a shock target for Crystal Palace and the Premier League champions would be open to selling the Spain international at a loss this window, as detailed by The Daily Star.

Globo via The Daily Mail cite that Crystal Palace have made 'proposals' to try and land Flamengo star Matheus Franca, who's valuation is set at around £22 million by his current employers.

Franca himself is open to the challenge of plying his trade in England, which has alerted a number of clubs in the Premier League to his availability.

Matt Walker has withdrawn from England’s tri-series against Australia and New Zealand due to his commitments with Kent

George Dobell19-Aug-2017Matt Walker has withdrawn from England’s tri-series against Australia and New Zealand due to his commitments with Kent.While Walker, the Kent head coach, had previously indicated to the England team management that he was keen to take the opportunity to join the coaching unit during the T20 tournament, he contacted head coach, Trevor Bayliss, on Friday night to inform him of his unavailability. Kent are intending to spend February playing cricket overseas as part of their pre-season plans.”I have been asked. But I’m unable to do it because of my commitments with Kent. It coincides with hopefully going abroad,” Walker told Kent Online. “You can’t have your head coach not being around for the whole of that pre-season trip. It makes no sense to me, so yes, great to be asked, really honoured and hopefully another opportunity will arise in the future.”It’s very flattering absolutely. I’m chuffed to bits. It’s a shame I can’t do it, I would’ve loved to have been involved with England over that period but my priority is with Kent.”The original plan was for Walker to replace England’s assistant coach, Paul Farbrace, for the tri-series section of the tour allowing Farbrace a month off during a hectic winter. It is understood England will continue to search for a suitable stand-in.

Braga goalkeeper Matheus appears to be interested in completing a move to Nottingham Forest this summer, with a contract offer tabled, according to a fresh transfer update.

Who is Nottingham Forest target Matheus?

The 31-year-old has been a great servant for his current club, arriving way back in 2014 and proving to be a consistent performer between the sticks. He has made 293 appearances in total, keeping 98 clean sheets in that time, highlighting his longevity with the Portuguese giants.

Matheus made six starts in the Europa League last season, not to mention 32 in the Primeira Liga, winning one Man of the Match award from WhoScored for good measure. The Brazilian's current deal at Braga doesn't expire until the summer of 2027, so they clearly see him as an important figure heading well into the future.

That doesn't mean that he will definitely stay put beyond the summer transfer window, however, and Forest have been linked with snapping him up, as they continue to look for a new 'keeper. Dean Henderson and Keylor Navas have been backed to return to the City Ground after loan spells there last season, but the Braga man also looks like a strong target.

It appears as though Matheus is very much weighing up his options currently, following an important new update regarding his future.

Could Nottingham Forest sign Matheus?

According to O Jogo [via Sport Witness], the Reds are a "concrete suitor" for the veteran stopper this summer, with the player himself interested in a move to the City Ground. In fact, the report even states that Forest's attempts to sign him are "messing" with his mind.

A "fantastic contract" is believed to have been tabled by Forest, but he "feels challenged" to move to England, with Braga making it clear that they don't want to sell their No.1.

It remains to be seen if the Reds can strike a deal for the goalkeeper in the coming weeks, but he could be a really astute signing if a move comes to fruition. He has so much experience at a high level, admittedly not breaking into Brazil's team, but that is no surprise considering that they have world-class pair Alisson and Ederson to call upon.

At 31, Matheus has seen it all in the game, so he wouldn't be coming in as a gamble of a signing, as could be the case with a younger target, and he could help ensure Forest remain a Premier League outfit moving forward, going about his business in unruffled fashion.

Equally, seeing Henderson return would arguably be even better, considering he is a homegrown player with his best years still potentially ahead of him – 36-year-old Navas is probably past his best, in comparison – so either him or Matheus look like the best options moving forward between the sticks.

It is such a vital area of the pitch to have a top-quality option in, especially considering Forest can find themselves under plenty of pressure defensively during Premier League games, conceding 68 times, so it is absolutely essential that the issue is sorted sooner rather than later this summer.

Pakistan’s new Test captain Sarfraz Ahmed believes filling Misbah-ul-Haq’s shoes will be a difficult task, but is counting on senior players to help Pakistan continue to move forward

Osman Samiuddin06-Jul-20173:59

Bazid: Sarfraz is first name on team sheet

The hardest part, Sarfraz Ahmed might reasonably think, is over. Becoming Pakistan’s limited-overs captain always loomed as the greater challenge, given the depths to which they have fallen there. But he’s come through that with flying colours, the Champions Trophy win the icing on a captaincy record that currently reads 14 wins from 17 matches (ODIs and T20s).Taking over the Test captaincy, by comparison, should be easier, given it is a more successful, settled side. Except that it is here that expectations will be highest – Sarfraz, after all, has the shoes of Misbah-ul-Haq to fill, Pakistan’s most successful and longest-serving Test captain.”It will be very different to ODIs and T20s,” Sarfraz told ESPNcricinfo. “Misbah did so well for so long and he really built the side up, a side that had some great success and was very stable.”So it will be a real challenge to follow on from that. And Tests anyway are not easy. You need some serious patience. I will try and do as best as I can. I’ve had some success with the limited-overs captaincy and hope I can do likewise with the Tests.”The exits of Misbah himself, and his middle-order comrade Younis Khan, mean that Sarfraz will effectively be overseeing as big a transition as Pakistan have faced in Tests since 2010. Their retirement leaves the side considerably less stable and identifiable than it had hitherto been, a quandary Sarfraz recognises.”If you look at the Test side right now, there are only 4 or 5 players settled in the XI,” Sarfraz said. “Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, myself, Yasir Shah and now Amir. In the middle we used to have Misbah and Younis with whom we knew, whatever position we were in, they could get us out of it.”If you batted first, you knew with them that we could target 400. That gave a sense of comfort. Now we have players coming in, like Babar [Azam]. Asad will move up the order in Tests now. Azhar will be there. These guys are the type of guys I hope, I feel, can take Pakistan along like Misbah and Younis used to.”As the schedule currently stands, it will be some time before he really gets a chance to build the Test side. To the bounty of 2016-17 – they played 15 Tests between July 2016 and May 2017 – comes the drought this season. Pakistan have a Test series against Sri Lanka in October-November this year, and then nothing – for now – until a two-Test tour of England next summer.Continuity of selection, Sarfraz said, will be the theme even in those limited opportunities. “Whoever we get in to the Test side, we’ll try and take them along for the future and build a team around them. We want to give guys a full opportunity so that they if they tour once, we don’t just drop and forget them.”The other challenge will be an individual one. Wicketkeeper-batsmen leading their sides across all formats are not that uncommon anymore. But that doesn’t make the role any less burdensome. Sarfraz’s batting has more or less held firm since he established himself in the Test side in early 2014 but his glovework has oscillated: generally unblemished to pace but error-prone to spin.But, as Sarfraz pointed out, captaincy is something his batting and wicketkeeping have had to accommodate almost from the start of his professional career. “I’m probably one of the only players in Pakistan history who has captained from junior level all the way up,” he said. “I’ve captained at club level, U-19, in every format, at domestic also.”I’ve come step by step. When I became T20 captain, I was vice-captain first. When I became ODI captain, I was vice-captain. Now I’m Test captain, I was vice-captain. So of course this is a challenge but I’m prepared for it. My responsibilities have increased so I will have to work harder on my fitness but I’ve been working hard on the ‘keeping and batting as well.”

Two new captains will face each other at Lord’s, but while Dean Elgar is just a stand-in, for Joe Root it is the beginning of his era of English cricket

The Preview by Alan Gardner05-Jul-2017Match FactsJuly 6-10, 2017
Start time 11am local (1000 GMT)Big PictureHere we are, then. Three months into the English season: a Lord’s Test. The Champions Trophy has been played out, with England still reliably pot-less in 50-over cricket; the Championship is more than halfway through, Essex sitting atop the pile thanks in part to the efforts of a certain AN Cook (not to mention SR Harmer, although that’s a different story); a one-day final has already been contested at HQ. Now, after a break of almost seven months, England are about to get their Test on.Good things come to those who wait. Since February, Joe Root has known that when he next walked out at Thomas Lord’s grand old ground in whites, he would do so as England’s 80th Test captain. Not since South Africa last visited St John’s Wood for the final Test of the 2012 series has a man other the aforementioned Alastair Cook handled the toss and teams. Andrew Strauss, like a couple of his predecessors, was finished off by the arrival of South Africa – for Root, it is just the beginning.Anticipation is further sharpened by a schedule that bends ever more accommodatingly towards the white-ball formats. The last time England had to wait until July for the Test match summer to begin was in 1983, when the World Cup (still a red-ball business back then) occupied the first part of the season. As if bombarding the format with affection after recent neglect, England will now cram seven Tests into the next nine-or-so weeks.South Africa have tended to enjoy their visits to Lord’s, winning four of their last five Tests here. They are unbeaten in Test series in England in almost 20 years, though relinquished the Basil D’Oliveira Trophy at home 18 months ago. That was Cook’s last great moment as captain, with victory over a feeble Sri Lanka England’s only success in four series thereafter. Five defeats in seven Tests in India and Bangladesh was enough for Cook to finally release his stubborn grip on the job.Plenty has changed for the tourists in that time, too. AB de Villiers, who assumed the captaincy from Hashim Amla halfway through the 2015-16 series, is not currently involved – he is managing an elbow problem – and may not play Tests again. His successor, Faf du Plessis, has led South Africa to four series victories in a row but misses this Test due to complications at the birth of his first child; Dean Elgar will step in, becoming South Africa’s fourth Test captain in a little over 18 months.They may be depleted by the absence of de Villiers and Dale Steyn (who has only played three Tests since the England series due to injury), as well as du Plessis at Lord’s, but South Africa are still able to call on a number of high-quality operators: the veterans of 2012, Amla – who became the first South African to score a Test triple-century – Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel; plus young talent like Quinton de Kock and, perhaps most excitingly, Kagiso Rabada, the gifted quick who claimed a 13-wicket haul against England in Centurion last year, not to mention the Man of the Match award on his first appearance at Lord’s during May’s ODI.This may feel like the night before Christmas for Root, who joins Steven Smith, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson as the last of the Big Four to take on a captaincy role. There won’t be too many surprises to unwrap in the morning, however, with Liam Dawson confirmed to come in at No. 8 and share the spinning duties, rather than Toby Roland-Jones adding a couple more barrels to the seam attack. It seems a tad cautious for a brave new era. Root was supposed to be captain cavalier but his new England look more like allrounder-heads.Whatever, the Root regime is about to begin. Two years ago, New Zealand came to Lord’s and England began their rejuvenation with a barnstorming win, with Root and Ben Stokes (now Test vice-captain) to the fore. Following the trails of a winter on the subcontinent, the Test XI could do with another dose of that magic. South Africa, particularly on tour, have the reputation of being an immovable object. Can England bring the irresistible force?Start of a new era: Joe Root prepares to lead England in Test cricket•Getty ImagesForm guideEngland LLLLD (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa DWDWWIn the spotlightIn 2016, Joe Root scored 1477 Test runs, narrowly missing out on breaking Michael Vaughan’s England record for a calendar year. Nevertheless, with only three hundreds to go with 10 fifties, there was a sense that his stellar abilities were not quite being fulfilled; only his masterful 110 in Johannesburg and 254 against Pakistan at Old Trafford indelibly shaped England wins. Will the captaincy elevate his game, as it has appeared to do for Smith, Kohli and Williamson? We are about to find out.Dale Steyn may not be here but the reason South Africa aren’t so perturbed by his absence is down to a winsome 22-year-old. Kagiso Rabada has pace to burn and an old head on young shoulders, as England know from their recent encounters; in the fourth Test at Centurion in January 2016, he took match figures of 13 for 144, the second-best by a South African in Tests. The fact Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel have also had injury problems in recent times only increases the weight of expectation on Rabada.Team newsGary Ballance, Root’s former Yorkshire flatmate, returns after averaging more than 100 for Yorkshire in the Championship this season. Root has confirmed he will bat at No. 3, reversing their roles at county level. There was no room for Haseeb Hameed, who shone in India last year, with Keaton Jennings retaining his spot as Cook’s opening partner. James Anderson and Stuart Broad have both recovered from recent injuries sustained while playing for their counties.England 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Keaton Jennings, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James AndersonSouth Africa will have a debutant at the top of the order, with Heino Kuhn coming in for his first Test at the age of 33. Theunis de Bruyn filled in at opener in South Africa’s last Test, in Hamilton in March, but will likely drop down and cover du Plessis’ spot in the middler order – although Elgar suggested there was a debate about “whether to go in with four seamers or three seamers and an extra batter”. That could mean Chris Morris being considered to bat at No. 7 and bulk up the attack.South Africa (probable) 1 Dean Elgar (capt), 2 Heino Kuhn, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Temba Bavuma, 6 Theunis de Bruyn, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Morne MorkelPitch and conditionsLord’s has tended towards the slow and the low, both in Tests and for Championship fixtures, but the pitches have shown signs of life this season – Middlesex beat Yorkshire in three days here last month. The strip for this Test was being covered the day before, most likely to retain moisture, and was fairly green when briefly glimpsed, although it will be cut again in the morning. There is a chance of thunderstorms interrupting play on Thursday but the rest of the weekend is forecast to be clear, with cooler temperatures.Stats and trivia South Africa have not lost a Test at Lord’s since 1960. Since readmission, they have won four and drawn two at the ground. England have only won one of their last six Lord’s Test – against New Zealand in 2015. They have lost to India, Australia and Pakistan in that time. England lost eight Tests in 2016, equalling their worst calendar year. Amla goes into the match needing 48 runs to become the third South African to 8000 in Tests. Moeen Ali is two shy of 100 Test wickets; England last played two spinners at Lord’s in 1993.Quotes”For it finally come around, it’s starting to feel a bit more real now. I’m very excited, I just want to get out there.”
“You can see it in my batting, I’m a little bit tougher and nuggety. So I think the captaincy will be along those lines, a little bit more aggressive, a little bit more of a fighter out there.”

Crystal Palace have said goodbye to club legend Wilfried Zaha and may be about to lose Marc Guehi to circling Premier League rivals, but Roy Hodgson's side could have a defensive alternative lined up.

What players have left Crystal Palace?

The Eagles have so far brought in only Jefferson Lerma on a free transfer following the midfielder's departure from fellow top-flight side Bournemouth.

Zaha is the most notable of those who have departed Selhurst Park, the forward officially joining Galatasaray on Monday, while the likes of Luka Milivojevic, James McArthur and Jack Butland have also reached the end of their contracts.

Guehi may be the next player to leave Palace, though the ball is very much in the South London side's court as the centre-back has three years to run on his deal.

According to The Evening Standard, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Chelsea are all interested in the 23-year-old, who is valued at £50m by the Eagles.

Palace could in turn make a surprise move for Aymeric Laporte, with the Daily Star reporting that the Eagles may move for the Manchester City defender in a cut-price £35m deal – a £22m loss for the European champions on what they paid Athletic Bilbao five years ago.

What is Aymeric Laporte's contract situation?

The French-born Spain international has two years to run on his City contract, meaning Pep Guardiola's men are certainly in no desperate need to offload this summer.

Laporte recently admitted he did not enjoy last season as much as his previous campaigns at the Etihad Stadium, having started just 11 Premier League games in City's treble-winning campaign.

Despite his relatively limited action in the top flight last season, Laporte still showed he is among the best centre-backs anywhere on the continent when used.

The 29-year-old ranks among the top 1% of all defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted (86.43 per 90), as per FBref, the top 3% for pass completion (92.7%) and the top 1% again for both progressive passes and progressive carries.

Laporte completely outperforms Guehi in each of those categories, the latter completing 'only' 85.3% of his passes, though there is nothing between the pair when it comes to tackles won per 90 (0.73), as is also the case in terms of aerial duels won (55.8% and 55.7% respectively).

Guehi does edge things in terms of blocks per 90 (1.22 v 0.91), which goes to show that, even at six years younger than Laporte, Guehi is an incredibly talented player in the purely defensive metrics – going a long way to explaining his hefty valuation.

For the here and now, though, there is no denying that Laporte is the better all-rounder for Hodgson. Indeed, the fact Guardiola would be reluctant to sell a player he previously described as "incredible" says an awful lot about the former Athletic Bilbao ace's stature.

Laporte's performances have been consistently strong across his six campaigns at City, five of which have resulted in him lifting the Premier League title at the end of the season.

Should Palace match the Citizens' valuation, and indeed persuade Laporte to join them over a bigger-name club, it could prove to be the biggest coup of the transfer window.

Alastair Cook’s impressive form in the Royal London Cup has earned him an automatic spot in next year’s North v South one-day series

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2017Alastair Cook’s impressive form in the Royal London Cup has earned him an automatic spot in next year’s North v South one-day series.Cook, who was sacked as England’s one-day captain shortly before the 2015 World Cup, scored 503 runs in Essex’s group stage campaign, from which they secured a home semi-final. That tally put him third in the PCA’s MVP rankings, thereby qualifying him for the pre-season series. Only England-qualified players are eligible to play for the North and South with four spots in each side determined by the MVP rankings. The rest of the names are decided by the England selectors.The matches are billed as a chance to push for England selection with the PCA release saying they will be “watched closely by the England selectors and management in their planning for the 2019 ICC World Cup.” But while Cook has never officially retired from ODIs, it would be far-fetched to suggest he will come into the reckoning.It is also possible that the North v South contests – which this year were held in the UAE in late March – will clash with England’s Test series in New Zealand, set for the end of March. Although Cook stepped down as Test captain in January, barring an unlikely sequence of events or injury he will be involved in those Tests which follow the Ashes in Australia.The other players to qualify through the MVP rankings for the South are Hampshire’s James Vince, Kent opener Daniel Bell-Drummond and Essex allrounder Ravi Bopara.The North are set to include Test batsman Keaton Jennings, Sam Hain from Warwickshire, Yorkshire captain Gary Ballance and Derbyshire allrounder Shiv Thakor. However, as with Cook, England commitments could impact the availability of Jennings and Ballance.Jennings, Hain, Bell-Drummond and Vince were involved in the first North-South series. Batsmen have dominated those qualifying automatically from this year’s group stage in what has been a high-scoring competition. Last year, seam bowlers Matt Coles, Tim Groenewald and Harry Gurney earned automatic selection alongside left-arm spinner Graeme White and allrounders Tim Bresnan, Lewis Gregory and Liam Dawson.

Tottenham Hotspur could make Harry Kane the highest-paid player in the Premier League to keep him in north London, with the club willing to offer a deal in the "ballpark" of £400,000-a-week, claims transfers expert Graham Bailey.

Is Harry Kane leaving Tottenham Hotspur?

It has been an excellent start to the summer transfer window so far for Spurs this year.

The club have added genuine first-team quality to the side with the £40m signing of England international James Maddison from the recently relegated Leicester City.

The window has also seen the addition of Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Serie A side Empoli and Israieli international Manor Solomon, who looked good for Fulham last season when he was fit and playing.

However, all of that could mean very little if the club can't keep a hold of their talismanic striker and all-time record goalscorer, Kane.

The England captain has been the subject of many a transfer saga over the years, but with just 12 months left on his current deal, it feels different this time.

So far, he has been the subject of interest from both Manchester United and Real Madrid, but both clubs have seemingly cooled their interest over the price or the reluctance to enter into negotiations with Daniel Levy.

However, one club that has not been put off so far is German giants Bayern Munich, who have already made two bids for the player, with the second reported to be worth €94m (£81m), according to ESPN.

With both offers being rejected by the Lilywhites, ESPN have also reported that the Bundesliga champions will submit a third offer as they further test the resolve of the Spurs board.

It sounds like it might all be for nothing on the side of the Bavarians, though, as the North London side look to stick to their plan of keeping Kane over the summer before offering him a new and improved contract, per Graham Bailey.

He explained the situation on the Talking Transfers podcast:

"We're being told roughly the ballpark would be £400,000-a-week. That's what Tottenham would be willing to go to.

"Would he be the highest paid in the Premier League on that terms? I think he probably would."

Who earns the most in the Premier League?

While £400,000 would certainly make Kane one of the Premier League's highest earners of all time, and certainly Tottenham's all-time highest earner, according to French publication L'Equipe (via the Daily Mail), it would only be enough to make him the third highest paid player currently playing.

The highest-paid player in the league is Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, who earns an eyewatering £424,000-a-week at the Etihad. The 31-year-old has probably been the most important player at the club during Pep Guardiola's silverware-laden tenure, so it's hard to say it hasn't been money well spent in a footballing sense.

The man in second place has only been in England for a single season, but for his inhuman scoring ability, it's hardly surprising to see Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland make the list.

The former Borussia Dortmund man is on a reported £402,250-a-week in Manchester, and considering he is still only 22-years-old and showing no signs he's hit his ceiling, that wage will likely go higher still as the years roll on by.

The third spot on the list is where the Spurs legend would find himself should he accept the rumoured £400,000-a-week offer he might receive.

It would represent a 100% increase on his current £200,000-a-week pay packet and dwarf Spurs' next best-paid player Tanguy Ndombele who currently earns £200,000-a-week.