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Kieran Dowell has already spoken to Rangers midfielder Todd Cantwell ahead of his proposed move to Ibrox, insider Dean Jones has claimed.

What's the latest on Dowell and Rangers?

The 25-year-old is set to join Rangers on a free transfer this summer, following the expiration of his contract at Norwich City.

The English midfielder, who has been hailed as "outstanding", has made just 23 appearances this season in what has been an injury hit campaign, but has scored five times and provided three assists for the Canaries.

He will be following the footsteps of Todd Cantwell, who has impressed since his move from Norwich in January, and he has reportedly already spoken to his former teammate about the move.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones indicated that the pair had conversations prior to Dowell's decision to move up north to Ibrox:

"The path from Norwich has obviously been trodden before, and Dowell will have checked out this one with Cantwell, no doubt, to get the lowdown and what he will be becoming part of," he stated.

Can Dowell become a success at Rangers?

There have been numerous occasions where Rangers turned to the Championship side for players. Cantwell has been impressive since his arrival, but in years gone by the likes of Russell Martin and Graham Dorrans have been less successful.

There will be concerns over Dowell's injury record, given that he has failed to make more than 26 appearances in any of the last three seasons, and if he is unable to maintain his fitness, he may not be able to make an impact like Cantwell has.

The attacking midfielder could add some experience as Michael Beale aims to rebuild the Rangers squad, having previously played for Nottingham Forest, Everton and Sheffield United amongst others, but it remains to be seen how he will fare in Scottish football.

His conversations with Cantwell were clearly positive as he elected to join him in Glasgow, and given how Cantwell has rediscovered his form, Dowell may be hoping for a similar rejuvenation.

Cantwell's career had hit a crossroads when he arrived at Rangers, but he has quickly made himself popular at Ibrox with five goals and five assists in his first 18 appearances for the club.

There is going to be a lot of turnover within the Rangers squad, with the likes of Scott Arfield, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos departing for free, and bringing Dowell in on a free could be an inexpensive way to fill the depth of the squad.

Will Gidman was left stranded on 99 not out but he and Matt Coles ensured Kent picked up the fifth batting bonus point they desperately wanted

David Hopps at Hove01-Sep-2016
ScorecardWill Gidman was left stranded on 99 not out (file photo)•PA PhotosThis was a bonus point that mattered. There really are such things. Will Gidman knew it. It had been his sole objective for five hours. On the dressing room balcony, Kent’s players could think of little else. While some spectators gazed upon a Hove ground clad in sunshine, and indulged in the bittersweet regret of the first day of September, the professionals were doing sums. Essex were too far ahead at the top of Division Two already. Not a point could be wasted.A lap of the Hove ground on a gorgeous afternoon. Kent’s prospects of achieving 400 had looked meagre when they closed the first day at 211 for 5, 15 wickets lost in all, seam bowlers in command. But Gidman and Darren Stevens had batted through the morning unscathed and, although Stevens’ poles had gone walkabout to the first delivery with the second new ball from Steve Magoffin, Sussex’s angular metronome, Kent were 38 short with 10 overs left and seven down.From the darkest recesses of a dark bar, a barman with no view of the game waved to attract attention. Just hoping he might sell a lager. He would not see Matt Coles, a muscular smiter, nodding anxiously at Gidman and promising that Conscientious was his middle name.Only four runs added from two overs. Fielders repeatedly hit. On the balcony, Daniel Bell-Drummond fiddled with his sunglasses and looked unperturbed. The hotchpotch of stands were well populated. Kent had drawn the biggest Championship crowd of the season. They watched patiently, mixing cricket talk with family worries. “Good stop… Nell’s out of hospital.” An elderly man dropped his scorecard and winced slightly as he picked it up. A snatch of an REM song – “Will you live to 83, will you ever welcome me?” – briefly came to mind.I should have had a whack – Gidman

Will Gidman: “It was a bit unfortunate not to get to a hundred. Mitch Claydon did his best and I should probably have had a whack earlier on to be honest, but I was pleased with the innings. It would have been nice to get over the line but it wasn’t to be.

Hove is a wonderful ground to watch square of the wicket even for those who prefer to sit behind the arm. There are beaches which shelve less fiercely than the rush of the ground towards the sea end. The tilt of the ground adds an extra dimension, especially when the pitch is near the edge of the square. A fast bowler dashing down the slope can be a terrifying prospect. Ajmal Shahzad is not terrifying but Gidman ignored his bouncer all the same with two men back. Coles stole a boundary off Ollie Robinson, a bowler with an air of breeding, but forced to do the hard yards uphill.A light plane passed overheard, glinting in cloudless skies, drowning the distant clamour of the gulls. Henry Hawk, a kite brought from Devon, to try to keep the seagulls at bay, swayed gently by the side of the south-west stand. The scorecard showed the balls gradually being whittled away. A man in the Players Club rose from his seat, in search of a coffee or a comfort break. Another suddenly grabbed his binoculars and looked on intently – the focus of his interest hard to know.Still 28 needed from six. Wickets now could scotch the plan. “Danny Briggs,” announced the Sussex scorer, Mike Charman, sitting in for the regular PA announcer with aplomb. Few spinners possess such gentle rhythms, but Briggs’ switch from Hampshire has been a challenging one. The pitches rarely turn, certainly not for Briggs, and the boundaries are short. His bowling in four-day cricket is the epitome of niceness, with all the negatives the word can convey. Coles missed a sweep and settled for a maiden. Briggs knew he was not going to settle for another one.From a marquee at the Sea End, Martin Corry, a former back row forward for Leicester and England, gathered pace in a speech for the Wooden Spoon charity. Kent sought to gather pace with him. Laughter burst from the marquee: the speech was going well. Gidman edged Shahzad at catchable height wide of first slip. Kent, 22 needed from four, were not quite as confident.In the Life Members stand above the media box, a man in a Joyce replica shirt fiddled with his shoelaces. Across the ground, spectators had set their deckchairs upright. It was here, about 25 years ago, where I had hoped to introduce myself to the ‘s football correspondent, David Lacey, only for him to doze, deckchair on the lowest setting, through the entire afternoon session with that morning’s paper on his lap.Briggs bowling to Coles might have been a mix-up of Olympic sports: the grace of a gymnast met by the primal threat of a wrestler. Coles finally opened his shoulders and heaved him to long-on, where he was caught to cheers – but only by a spectator 10 rows back. A four followed, slogged flatter this time.All this tension for a point. A point that might prove not to matter if Essex scoot the division by 40 points. Or which might prove to be priceless on the last afternoon of the season when the sides are locked at Canterbury and Kent are scenting a table-turning victory.Six from three overs; a woman in a flowery sunhat returned to her crossword, confident the job was as good as done. Gidman had the luxury of digging in and playing out a maiden. “Come on Briggsy,” Sussex exhorted, but Coles now looked twice the size. He reverse-swept the first ball for four and stole a single into the leg side off a glove. On 399, Briggs clamoured for lbw as another reverse from Gidman this time went awry, but the appeal was lost, the leg bye taken.”Come on Sussex, show some fight,” came a cry from the crowd. The game was lost; the pressure released, Kent’s lead would soon be rushing past 300. In the marquee, Corry’s speech done, the audience was laughing and applauding. Kent’s captain, Sam Northeast walked down the steps from the dressing room and hollered congratulations. Kent were now laughing and applauding, too.Gidman would be left stranded on 99 not out, missing his sixth first-class century in frustrating fashion, Magoffin claiming a five-for as Mitch Claydon drove a slower ball to mid-off. Sheepish apologies followed.For five-and-three-quarter hours, Gidman had steeled Kent’s ambitions. Few will gush over their evening meals about what they had witnessed, especially in Sussex. His wagon wheel suggested he struck only two off side boundaries, one of those the edge past slip, one authentic stroke against Robinson – but some insisted they had seen more, and anyway he had achieved his objective. September is upon us and Kent are not giving up without a fight.

Zimbabwe’s Harare-based players have refused to train in protest over unpaid match fees, which date back to July last year, and have insisted on a meeting with ZC MD Wilfred Mukondiwa

Firdose Moonda14-Sep-2016Zimbabwe’s Harare-based players have refused to train in protest over unpaid match fees, which date back to July last year. The players were due to begin preparations for a series against Pakistan A, which starts at the end of the month, followed by fixtures against Sri Lanka, but have instead insisted on a meeting with Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa to discuss “their worsening situation”.Several sources told ESPNcricinfo that apart from the outstanding player bill, ZC has also neglected to bring players from outside Harare to the training camp because of a lack of funds, or to ensure there are sufficient balls for training or nets for practice.”We are just fed up at the moment. It is crisis after crisis over here,” a player said while detailing the cloud of uncertainty hanging over them. Also, players said, since the end of July, when player contracts expired, there has been no indication on when new ones will be issued at either national or domestic level.Nationally-contracted players were given a month’s extension on their deals which covered the New Zealand series in July-August, but the situation at domestic level remains unclear after ZC announced it would move from a franchise to a provincial system this summer. No fixtures have been released yet.When contacted for a comment, ZC spokesperson Darlington Majonga said: “The players have asked ZC for an update on new contracts and their delayed match fees, but to equate their honest request for an engagement on the important issues to an ultimatum of some sort would be kind of making a mountain out of a molehill. What is important is that their contracts are ready following an all-inclusive negotiation process that involved representatives of the players. On the other issue, ZC has been paying the match fees in tranches and will settle the outstanding amounts soon.”*Other insiders confirmed Mukondiwa would address the players on Thursday, the day after the board’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).Meanwhile, there has been no announcement on Zimbabwe’s schedule for the rest of the international season. They are scheduled to play two Tests against Sri Lanka, but there was initially speculation of that series being altered into a triangular fifty-over competition also involving West Indies. More recently, there has been word that both the Tests and the tri-series will take place.The players are preparing with the latter in mind under the watch of interim coach Makhaya Ntini and fitness trainer Sean Bell, while ZC deliberates over the vacant head coach post. Heath Streak, currently the bowling coach for IPL franchise Gujarat Lions, is believed to be the favourite to take over.*15.55GMT, September 14: The article was updated with ZC’s response.

Celtic can round off their season in style on Saturday as a win over Inverness in the Scottish Cup final would secure the domestic treble.

The Hoops have already wrapped up the League Cup and Scottish Premiership title and have the opportunity to add a third to their collection for the year with a victory over the weekend.

Ange Postecoglou, however, may have his eyes on the summer transfer window with a view to improving his squad for the 2023/24 campaign.

One area in which the head coach may look to strengthen is his goalkeeping department after the depth of it was exposed in the recent 4-2 defeat to Hibernian.

Scott Bain was selected to start the match and dropped a Sofascore rating of 6.1 as the veteran conceded four goals and made one error directly leading to a goal and this came after pundit Tam McManus claimed number one Joe Hart is not "good enough" for the Champions League.

There are conflicting reports on Bain's future, as Football Insider claimed that he is set to leave the club and the Scottish Daily Mail have stated that the shot-stopper has signed a new contract, but Postcoglou must brutally ditch the dud from his squad by signing Liverpool's Caoimhin Kelleher.

What's the latest on Celtic's interest in Caoimhin Kelleher?

Back in March, it was reported that the Hoops are one of a number of sides who are keen on a deal to snap up the Republic of Ireland international this summer.

The 24-year-old, who is valued at £30m by the Premier League team, is said to have asked for a transfer away from Anfield in search of regular game time and the Hoops could provide him with that in a potential loan deal.

Kelleher averaged Sofascore ratings of 7.20 and 7.10 in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Premier League campaigns respectively, as he made four appearances, and enjoyed a phenomenal season in the EFL Cup last term. The colossus averaged a Sofascore rating of 8.03 across four outings and saved a stunning 84% of the efforts on his goal.

He followed up on that with an average rating of 7.96 in two matches in the competition this season and these statistics show that the titan, who was lauded as "exceptional" by Ireland boss Stephen Kenny, has the quality to produce excellent displays at the top level between the sticks – playing under pressure for a huge team in England.

His arrival could push 36-year-old Hart, who only averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.77 in the Premiership, to the bench and that would leave Bain, who was described as a "cheerleader" by ex-Scotland full-back Alan Hutton, further down the pecking order and either not needed to feature in any games or available to leave the club.

The 31-year-old's woeful showing against Hibernian was a worrying sign of what could be to come in 23/24 if the other goalkeepers at the club suffered a long-term injury lay-off or suspension and that is why Postecoglou must ditch him by signing Kelleher, who has shown incredible promise in his time at Liverpool.

Everton are in the market for prolific attacking players this summer after struggling to score consistently in the Premier League this season and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Moussa Dembele?

According to The Mirror [June 7th 2023 13:14 pm], the Toffees are one of the clubs interested in signing the out-of-contract Lyon striker Moussa Dembele this summer.

The report comes as Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano revealed that Dembele has parted ways with the Ligue One club:

"Official: Moussa Dembélé leaves OL as free agent, confirmed. He’s set for new chapter this summer as many clubs are keen on signing him."

Would Moussa Dembele be a good signing for Everton?

There is no doubt that bolstering the forward line will be the highest priority at Goodison Park this summer and breaking the cycle of signing a centre-forward who can't offer important goal contributions throughout the campaign will be massively important for Sean Dyche.

Nobody in the entire Premier League scored fewer goals (34) than the Toffees this season, with Neal Maupay, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ellis Simms evidently failing to consistently perform when needed most, which ultimately led to a final-day relegation stand-off where they were spared relegation to the Championship by two points.

As a result, the signing of Dembele would be a great opportunity to add some experience to the forward line without running into further financial troubles during their efforts to improve the squad and would be a much better option than reported transfer target Wout Weghorst, who scored just twice in 31 games in all competitions while on loan at Manchester United.

Indeed, the 6-foot machine hasn't had his best season with three goals and one assist, but the 26-year-old has had limited game time over his 28 appearances in all competitions, averaging just 37 minutes per game.

Dembele has had a fantastic career so far playing at several clubs in Europe beyond his five-year spell in Ligue 1 – scoring 70 goals and registering 19 assists over 172 appearances – with stints at Fulham and Celtic where he earned high praise from former boss Brendan Rodgers following a clash with Sparta Prague in the Europa League:

"Moussa was everything with his power and pace. His opponent at centre-back was strong but Moussa is so powerful with ability, touch and work rate."

Not only is the Frenchman younger than the 30-year-old, Weghorst, but the £52k-per-week man is also far more impressive at using his stature to knock opponents off the ball and win the ball high to win possession in dangerous areas of the pitch – ranking in the top 24% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for aerial duels won, whilst the Man United loanee ranks in just the bottom 36% for that same metric.

With that being said, if Dembele can get back to his goal-scoring ways with consistent first-team football at Goodison Park it would be a major coup for Everton and could be the key component in competing more comfortably in the Premier League next season.

The second morning began with Australia firmly on top; the third will start with South Africa in a position of strength

The Report by Brydon Coverdale04-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsWhen Australia and South Africa play, you should expect the unexpected. Not literally, of course, because then it wouldn’t be unexpected anymore. But in recent Tests between these two nations there have typically been more swings than a children’s playground, more roundabouts than Canberra. It is always hard to predict the direction of the contest. Such has been the case over the first two days at the WACA.The second morning began with Australia firmly on top; the third will start with South Africa in a position of strength. By stumps on day two, the visitors had a lead of 102 runs with eight wickets in hand, a quite unbelievable state of affairs only eight hours earlier. Dean Elgar was on 46 and JP Duminy had 34, and South Africa had completely loosened the tight grip Australia had held on the match the previous evening.It all started with David Warner dabbling outside off and edging Dale Steyn to slip on 97. Strange things then started to happen. Firstly, Steyn failed to complete his next over; clutching his right shoulder he walked off the field, a sorry sight for South African fans, who have seen their team win a Test without him only once in the past eight years. Late in the day, Steyn’s injury was confirmed as a fracture that ruled him out of the entire tour.Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and debutant Keshav Maharaj ran through Australia’s order with renewed vigour, completing a remarkable collapse of 10 for 86 that began with the single wicket taken by South Africa’s best bowler, perhaps of all time, who was otherwise absent. Philander became the leader, and they applied constant pressure on Australia’s batsmen.Philander and Rabada found some reverse swing, and Maharaj bowled impressively, keeping things tight enough at his end while also picking up a few wickets. He is the first specialist spinner in Test history to make his debut at the pace-friendly WACA, and he justified his inclusion by dismissing Australia’s captain Steven Smith, wicketkeeper Peter Nevill, and then Mitchell Starc.The wicket of Smith was particularly jaw-dropping, mostly for the brazen – though legitimate – lbw decision given by umpire Aleem Dar. Smith, yet to score, advanced down the pitch from his fourth delivery and could not get bat on ball, which prompted a zealous appeal from Maharaj but a half-hearted one from his team-mates. It was, as the police might say, just a routine enquiry – until Dar unholstered his finger.Steven Smith was lbw for a duck as Australia lost all 10 wickets for 86 runs after being 0 for 158•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesSmith looked dumbstruck, and immediately asked for a review. The broadcaster’s technology suggested he was well down the pitch – 2.8 metres from the stumps when struck – but the ball was hitting in line, and was going on to clip the top of leg stump. The umpire’s decision stood: Maharaj had his first Test wicket, and Australia were starting to wobble at 3 for 168.Already Usman Khawaja had been and gone, bowled for 4 by a beauty from Rabada, who angled one in from around the wicket and sneaked through the batsman’s defences. Shaun Marsh, who had batted so solidly with Warner in a 158-run opening stand, fell to a similar delivery from Philander for 63 – he did get his pad in the way, but Nigel Llong’s lbw decision was also upheld on review.There was precious little resistance from the rest of Australia’s order, although Adam Voges and Peter Nevill at least reached the 20s. But Mitchell Marsh, under pressure to hold the No. 6 spot after selector Rod Marsh said last week “he needs to get a Test hundred I reckon”, fell a hundred runs short. He was lbw for an eight-ball duck to Philander, and perhaps the biggest worry was the distance by which he missed the ball.Voges spooned a return catch to Rabada for 27, Starc was caught at midwicket for a duck off Maharaj, Nevill was caught at slip off Maharaj for 23, though was unlucky Australia’s reviews were exhausted for he appeared not to have touched the ball. Josh Hazlewood was taken at gully off Philander for 4 and Nathan Lyon was caught at slip off Philander for 0. Peter Siddle remained unbeaten on 18, having helped Australia squeeze into the lead.It was a quite remarkable collapse; not on the scale of Australia’s 47 all out in Cape Town, of course, but remarkable mostly because South Africa achieved all but one of the wickets without their best bowler. Australia went rapidly from complete dominance to serious danger of conceding a first-innings lead. By the change of innings, the Test was effectively all square.Still, South Africa needed to avoid the kind of top-order wobbles that had left them at 4 for 32 on the first morning. Stephen Cook and Elgar provided a more solid opening stand on this occasion, although Cook still could not survive for too long, and was caught for 12 pulling Siddle to midwicket.The loss of Hashim Amla, who chopped on to Hazlewood for 1 – his first-innings duck meant a Test aggregate of one run in this match, equalling his career worst – had the potential to give Australia the momentum, but they could not find another breakthrough. By stumps, Elgar and Duminy had moved the total on to 2 for 104.On the first day, Australia’s bowlers had run through South Africa for 242, and their openers had then cruised to 105 without loss. The question was not whether Australia would take the lead, but by how much. That was even more the case when the score moved along to 0 for 158. Then the unexpected began to happen. Who knows, then, what might happen on day three?

Arsenal have been "informed" on the conditions of a potential deal to sign Galatasary defender Sacha Boey, namely that he is set to cost around £22 million this summer.

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

The Gunners and manager Mikel Arteta are looking to shore up a number of key areas of the squad, coming after they missed out on their first Premier League title in nearly 20 years.

Arsenal had been in pole position for much of the 2022/2023 campaign but were eventually beaten to the punch by champions Man City, who are also on course to potentially clinch an historic treble.

It's back to the drawing board in north London with Arteta and sporting director already drawing up plans to make major signings this summer.

"Our planning has already been done," said sporting director Edu in April (ESPN via 90min)."It has already reached the owners. Now, we're taking things step by step. We're focused on how we will finish the season, but we've put in the planning and I'm very excited."

In terms of who Arsenal could sign, it is believed that the Gunners are targeting multiple midfield additions, with West Ham's Declan Rice and Brighton star Moises Caicedo attracting serious interest.

Defensive signings are also firmly on the agenda, especially at right-back, with Real Valladolid starlet Ivan Fresneda and Boey being linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Sharing an update on the latter target, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has some news for supporters.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano claims that Arsenal have been "informed" that they can sign Boey for around £22 million, but as of yet, there is yet to be any serious talks or contact with the player's agents.

"For Boey at the moment, I'm just told that they are informed on the conditions of the deal, €25m price tag."I'm not aware of any direct contract between Arsenal and his agent in terms of negotiations, so at the moment it's still a quiet situation."

Who is Sacha Boey?

The 22-year-old has been a key player for Galatasary, especially last season, with only Victor Nelsson and Fernando Muslera playing more league minutes (WhoScored).

Boey also averaged their joint-highest rate of tackles per 90 and second-highest number of interceptions domestically – emphasising his importance to the Turkish Super Lig side (WhoScored).

Former Gunners defender Bacary Sagna, commenting on the links to Boey recently, also believes that he would fit in "perfectly" under Arteta.

Tom Latham said the top-order collapse had prevented him from batting as freely as he wanted. He was the first New Zealand batsman to carry his bat in an ODI

Arun Venugopal in Dharamsala17-Oct-20161:36

‘Couldn’t be as free as I wanted to be’ – Latham

Tom Latham saw his team-mates fall in all sorts of ways as he battled for nearly three hours and became the first New Zealand batsman to carry his bat in an ODI.While his more experienced colleagues crumbled once again during what has become an arduous tour of the subcontinent, Latham was firm in Dharamsala, where his half-century was the only resistance India faced until he was joined by two defiant lower-order batsmen. From 65 for 7, Latham first collaborated with Doug Bracewell to add 41 runs, and then Tim Southee smacked 55 off 45 balls – his maiden half-century in his 100th ODI – in a 71-run stand for the ninth wicket.New Zealand finished with 190, which was no where near enough to prevent them from going 0-1 down in the five-ODI series, having lost the Tests 0-3. Latham was the only New Zealand batsman to make more than one half-century during the Test series against India and he scored his unbeaten 79 in the first ODI in the same manner as his long-form runs.He either left or defended deliveries that moved outside off stump and accumulated his runs through 39 singles and three twos. With a few deliveries bowled from the College End stopping on the batsmen after landing on a good length, Latham played the ball late. His most productive stroke was the cover drive.As he began to run out of partners, Latham went after the legspinner Amit Mishra, hitting his seventh four and only six before Ish Sodhi’s dismissal made him the tenth batsman to carry his bat in an ODI.”As an opener you want to spend as much time out in the middle as possible,” Latham said after New Zealand’s six-wicket defeat. “Obviously, losing wickets at the other end dictated the way I could play and I couldn’t be as free as I wanted to be throughout the middle [overs], when I had to build a partnership towards the end with the tail. I suppose that’s the reason for batting the way I did in the middle and towards the end.”When Latham bats, especially when he plays the back-foot punch and the flick, he reminds you of Kumar Sangakkara, but he said he grew up idolising Michael Hussey. Like Hussey did, Latham sweeps powerfully and the stroke has brought him runs against the Indian spinners.”It is one of my favourite shots and it’s a shot that seems to work for me, especially in conditions where it’s slow and turning,” he said. “I find it an easier option than maybe hitting down the ground. Obviously I have to adapt to conditions and that’s a shot I like.”Latham said the Dharamsala pitch had offered variable bounce early on and that New Zealand could have adopted a better approach. “We know we weren’t quite there in all facets of the match, with the ball especially and in the field too. Hopefully we can change a few things in the next couple of days. When we play our best cricket we will beat most teams in the world.”He also defended New Zealand’s decision to rest fast bowlers Trent Boult and Matt Henry from the first ODI because of the workload they had in the Tests. Boult bowled 106.4 overs in three matches while Henry sent down 82 in two.”I think it’s important for our team that they rest and they are able to go in the next few matches,” Latham said. “It is pretty tough for the bowlers when they play every game, especially [after] the amount of overs they bowled in the Test series. Hopefully they are rested and recovered and when they do play they are ready to go.”

Nottingham Forest are ready to turn their attention to the transfer window, as Steve Cooper prepares for a busy summer in charge.

The reds will aim to make improvements over the break to ensure they can cement their stay in the Premier League for another season, after confirming their safety in the penultimate fixture.

Latest news links a Serie A ace with a potential move to the City Ground this summer.

What’s the latest on Carlos Augusto to Nottingham Forest?

As reported by Fabrizio Romano earlier this week, Monza left-back Carlos Alonso has emerged as a potential target for Forest.

"Nottingham Forest also appreciate the Brazilian LB but Inter are now ahead," the Italian transfer guru revealed in an update on Twitter.

With one year remaining on his contract, Monza risk losing the 24-year-old next summer for free, sparking news that they could cash in on his talents this window to gain profit, with Inter leading the race.

What could Carlos Augusto offer to Nottingham Forest?

Once hailed as “impressive” by journalist Josh Bunting, the Brazilian has impressed in Serie A this campaign for his contributions to Monza’s attack.

The left-back found the net six times this season, as well as assisting five goals for his teammates in a joyous term for the Italian club following their promotion from Serie B last summer.

Despite having contact with Inter Milan, the 24-year-old could be a perfect fit for Forest if a deal can become more concrete between the two parties.

Ranking in the top 5% of full-backs in Europe in terms of non-penalty goals, averaging 0.18 per 90 via FBref, to cement the abstract element the defender can bring to his game.

It’s a playing style lauded by managers in the Premier League to have full-backs capable of being attacking savvy, making Augusto a suitable fit for the Reds.

When comparing the left-back to current Forest defender Harry Toffolo, his form this season indicates that the Brazilian could be Cooper’s answer to a significant upgrade on the Englishman to boost the overall quality of his side.

Putting his attacking quality aside, the £12k-per-week target averages 2.13 tackles per 90 to the 27-year-old’s 1.63 per 90, as well as winning a total of 56% of his duels in Serie A this campaign to the Forest man's 50%.

While his goal contributions are glaringly impressive, his general activity on the ball proves that he would be a more influential figure to Cooper’s plans than his current options.

As per FBref, the Monza gem averages 50.18 attempted passes per 90 with Toffolo averaging considerably less with 37.05 per 90, highlighting the Forest target’s desire to make a difference on the ball.

With Inter reportedly in the lead to capture the Brazilian’s signature, only time will tell if Forest can turn the tide, however, there is no denying that the 24-year-old would be a significant upgrade in the club’s squad.

Leicester City are still coming to terms with their recent relegation to the Championship, but things are set to get worse for the Foxes as Premier League vultures pounce for scraps.

Youri Tielemans has already departed for Aston Villa on a free transfer, and it is widely expected that star attacking duo James Maddison and Harvey Barnes will soon follow – albeit for fairly substantial fees if City get their wish.

Timothy Castagne is the latest Leicester player to be linked with a move away, with Arsenal said to be interested in snapping up the full-back.

However, according to National World Publishing writer Chris Wheatley, Crystal Palace are one of a trio of other top-flight clubs – along with Fulham and AFC Bournemouth – showing an interest in the player, who is currently valued at around £26m by FootballTransfers.

Is Timothy Castagne a good option for Crystal Palace?

Castagne featured in 37 of Leicester's 38 Premier League games last season, starting all but one of those, with no player in the squad coming close to his 3,257 minutes played.

Not that that is much to shout about in what was a terrible campaign for the Foxes, as they dropped out of the Premier League just seven years after winning it.

However, Castagne did catch the eye with his performances down the right-hand side, the Belgium international – who was also occasionally used on the left – scoring two goals and assisting three more.

To put that in some perspective, Castagne's 0.14 goal involvements per 90 in the Premier League last season – which is a slight drop on 0.19 in 2020-21, as per FBref – is substantially higher than the 0.04 Joel Ward managed last season.

Ward, Palace's most used right-back in 2022/23, also comes out second best to Castagne in terms of pass completion per 90 minutes (75.3% compared to 80.1%), take-ons (0.36 v 0.83) and tackles attempted (1.99 v 2.40), though he does perform better when it comes to aerial duels won (2.31 v 1.52).

Indeed, still aged just 27, Castagne is not just someone who can immediately help improve Palace's back line, he is also a player who can stick around for the long term.

There are clear comparisons to be made with Chelsea's long-serving full-back and skipper Cesar Azpilicueta, who is very similar to Castagne in terms of pass completion percentage (80.1 for Azpilicueta compared to 81.9 for Castagne), shot-creating actions (1.47 v 1.41) and tackles won (1.71 v 1.52).

Described as a "fast, non-stop running" player by former Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers, Castagne showed last season in an underperforming Leicester side that he is good enough to stay in the top flight.

With no shortage of potential suitors, Palace chief Steve Parish must ensure the southeast Londoners are at the front of the queue for the Belgian, who has plenty to offer in both the short and the long term.