Ben Stokes has branded criticism of England’s performance in the Trent Bridge Test as “harsh” and “unfair”

George Dobell25-Jul-2017Ben Stokes has branded criticism of England’s performance in the Trent Bridge Test as “harsh” and “unfair”.England were defeated by 340 runs in the second Investec Test leading some well-known former players to dismiss their performance as “appalling” (Michael Vaughan), “rubbish” (Nasser Hussain) and “tripe” (Geoff Boycott). And while Stokes admitted that England had failed to adapt to either the match conditions or pitch in Nottingham, he took exception to any suggestion that the side lacked commitment.”The whole fight and desire [question] and everything like that that’s been thrown at us I think is very, very unfair,” Stokes told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s almost like people are saying that we don’t have the desire or the fight to play for England but everyone who takes part in the game – not just the 11 but everyone in the squad, coaches – the desire, the commitment, the fight to represent your country and do well is always there. So I think that kind of criticism is harsh, yes.”Whether anyone in the media did question England’s “desire”, “commitment” or “fight” is debatable. While Vaughan said England’s batting hinted at “a lack of respect” for the values or Test cricket, the context of his comments suggested he was referring to a lack of sophistication rather than effort.Indeed, the one man who did bring up any lack of fight was England’s assistant coach, Paul Farbrace. Almost immediately after Stokes had given his interview, Farbrace told reporters that “everyone” in the dressing room accepted the team “lacked some fight” at Trent Bridge.”Everyone put their hands up after the Trent Bridge performance and said it lacked some fight, certainly in the second innings, and there were some disappointing dismissals in both innings,” Farbrace said.While it would be stretching a point to suggest such conflicting comments hint at any unrest within the England camp – there is no indication of that at all – it is possible they reveal a lack of direction coming from the dressing room and team management.Certainly both Stokes and Farbrace accepted England’s batting had been below par in Nottingham. Stokes talked of a failure to “assess” the situation, while Farbrace suggested some dismissals were “reckless” and others were “disappointing defensive dismissals”.”The big thing is just for us is to be able to adapt quicker,” Stokes said. “We didn’t adapt whatsoever in that second innings at Trent Bridge to what we needed to do, which was just to bat. But unfortunately it didn’t happen. The only way we can give ourselves the best chance is just assessing the situations better.”Farbrace agreed: “There is a fine line between being positive and being reckless. We had some reckless dismissals, and we also had some disappointing defensive dismissals in the last game.”Not all of them were people playing big shots and getting caught on the rope; we had people caught around the crease, and being bowled, through perhaps being not quite as positive with their footwork and clinical as they could have been in defence. It unfortunately wasn’t a one-off – it’s happened a few times before.”It appears the balance of England’s side will be unchanged at The Oval. While Tom Westley – who had a nervous first session in which he was bowled by a net bowler – will replace the injured Gary Ballance at No. 3, it seems the flat pitch expected for the ground’s 100th Test renders it unlikely that England will drop either of their spinners. “We know what [our best team] is. We play two spinners who are attacking bowlers,” Stokes said.”We have the option to play two spinners or bring another batsman in,” Farbrace added. “But I think the one thing our selectors have done well in the last few years is be very consistent. Players have sometimes been given one game more rather than one game too few and I think that’s the way we should be.”When you pick people, you want them to know they’re going to get a run of games. We’re trying to build confidence in the team. Yes, we know it was not a great performance at Trent Bridge by any means, but chopping and changing doesn’t tend to solve anything.”The only question, then, will focus on the fitness of Mark Wood. He has never previously played three successive Tests in the same series and it emerged at the end of the Trent Bridge Test that he had a heel injury – though he bowled with impressive pace in the Oval nets, knocking Joe Root off his feet. If he is not deemed to be fully fit, Toby Roland-Jones will come into the side in his place.It was also interesting to note the presence of Ben Foakes and George Garton in the England net session. Garton, an unusually quick left-arm seamer who plays for Sussex, has represented the Lions recently and is clearly seen as an outside option for the Ashes in Australia – he is only 20 and has played just seven first-class matches – while Foakes, the Surrey keeper, might well be emerging as England’s second choice behind the stumps.Matt Walker and Anthony McGrath, coaches at Kent and Essex respectively, were also at the training session as part of England’s attempts to involve more county coaches within the set-up.Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For Out of the Ordinary thinking visit investec.com/cricket

Heather Knight led England to 220 on a slow surface before their bowlers strangled West Indies in the chase to set up a semi-final clash against South Africa

The Report by Akshay Gopalakrishnan15-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHeather Knight brought England back into the game with a well-paced half-century•Getty Images

West Indies threw away a top-class spin-bowling performance by showing a dismal lack of intent with the bat on a slow pitch in Bristol. Having shown little urgency in a tricky chase of 221, West Indies lost wickets in a cluster, and ended up ambling to 128 for 9 as England ended the group stage of the 2017 Women’s World Cup on top of the table.England had hardly been clinical themselves when they batted. They played all around the legspin of Afy Fletcher, who returned figures of 3 for 33. With Anisa Mohammed and Hayley Matthews playing more than just a supporting hand, the trio tied down England until their captain Heather Knight mounted a late fightback with a gritty 67.The cushion provided by those extra runs was all England needed. Unlike in England’s innings, it was a medium pacer – Natalie Sciver – that inflicted the bulk of the damage. With her team having already combined to reduce West Indies to 73 for 4, Sciver struck thrice in the space of 15 balls to push West Indies into a hole they never got out of.West Indies’ only period of stability came during an opening stand of 34 in 9.4 overs. Matthews and Kycia Knight employed great caution in playing out the new ball. By the end of the sixth over, West Indies had scored 16 with just one boundary.West Indies soon found their fluency. It began with Knight collecting a four with a trickle down to fine leg off Katherine Brunt. She then pulled Anya Shrubsole through midwicket before Matthews launched Laura Marsh for a monstrous six over long-on in the next over. Any signs of a shift in momentum, though, were snuffed out with a run-out the next over.England then swiftly seized control, helped by a 12-ball duck from Stafanie Taylor, the West Indies captain. Then, Matthews, after a brief period of solidity, was deceived by the angle of a straighter ball from Alex Hartley that she attempted to sweep.It wasn’t until the 27th over that the first signs of intent appeared, when Dottin swept Knight for a boundary. By then, the required rate had crept over six, which meant West Indies needed a sustained period of acceleration. Heather,however, denied them that when three balls later, Dottin perished lbw trying the same stroke.With West Indies on shaky ground, Sciver then produced a double-strike in the 32nd over to hasten the slide. First, Chedean Nation was caught brilliantly by Tammy Beaumont running to her right at deep backward square leg, before Merissa Aguilleira misread a straighter one to be trapped lbw. Sciver finished with figures of 3 for 3 in four overs, and West Indies managed all of 29 runs from the final 88 balls.It might seem strange that the turn had been sharper and a lot more vicious in the first innings when England batted, but that was down to the skill of West Indies’ spinners. Perhaps influenced by the overcast conditions, Taylor, surprisingly, chose to put the opposition in with the surface expected to get slower as the game progressed. Fletcher, in particular, got the ball to rip past the outside edge of right-handers, and reaped the benefits of looping it up and slowing it down.She struck in her second over, removing the well-set Beaumont, who scooped a full toss onto her helmet which then ended up a catch to the wicketkeeper. Two balls later, Sciver was sent back for a duck, bowled by one that spun from leg stump to crash into middle and off. Fran Wilson toe-ended a sweep to her body for the Merissa Aguilleira to snap up another catch behind the stumps and England had slid to 105 for 5.Knight then mounted a fightback in the company of the lower order. She did have her share of luck, surviving an lbw shout against Fletcher on 39, with replays showing that the ball would have hit middle and off. The legspinner should have had a slip, considering the purchase she got, but West Indies did not afford her one and Knight, on 45, benefited again. England’s captain enjoyed another reprieve when she had sprinted more than halfway down the pitch at the non-striker’s end after the ball had struck batsman Jenny Gunn on the pad. Aguilleira went after the ball to effect the run-out, but in her haste she couldn’t pick it up cleanly.West Indies also slightly slipped up with their fielding towards the end, letting a couple sneak through to the boundary. But the bigger mistake, perhaps, was their giving away as many as 24 wides on a pitch that was hard to score on.

Bruno Fernandes will miss Manchester United's match against Liverpool next week after moaning at the referee during the loss to Bournemouth.

Article continues below

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• Fernandes booked fo dissent against Bournemouth
• Now has five yellow cards in Premier League
• Midfielder will miss clash at Liverpool next week

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The midfielder was shown a yellow card late in the game at Old Trafford on Saturday for complaining to the referee. The booking is his fifth in the league this season and means he will have to serve a one-match suspension, ruling him out of the trip to Anfield on December 17.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The loss of Fernandes will come as a big blow to Erik ten Hag's team as they gear up for a big game against a Liverpool side in fine form. The Anfield club have won their last four matches and are on a six-game unbeaten run in all competitions. United, meanwhile, were left humiliated on home soil with a 3-0 loss to Bournemouth on Saturday.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Fernandes has been a key figure for the Red Devils this season, with the captain having started every Premier League game this season, scoring five goals and setting up a further five across the English top-flight and the Champions League. Indeed, the Liverpool game will be the first league match the Portuguese won't have played in since November 2022, when he was absent for a 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa, again due to suspension.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  Ten Hag will at least be able to call on Fernandes in his side's next game as they take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League before they face Liverpool. The Red Devils need to beat the German side to have any hope of getting into the next round of the European competition, and will be relying on a draw between Copenhagen and Galatasaray otherwise they will definitely be out.

Hibernian boss Lee Johnson has acted sharply during the transfer window, making six signings as he looks to improve on the fifth-placed finish they achieved in the Premiership last term and with Europa Conference League qualifiers fast approaching, another one or two new arrivals wouldn’t do any harm at all.

The Easter Road side have been linked with a potential loan move for Manchester City starlet Lewis Fiorini ahead of next season, although they face competition from clubs in the Championship for his signature, yet Johnson will be hoping that European football could perhaps be an ideal incentive for the midfielder.

Hibs scored 57 goals in the league last term, which was the fourth-best total in the division, and these were spread out amongst the attack and midfield, with Josh Campbell netting nine from the heart of the Hibs midfield, yet adding Fiorini into the side could give them another extra attacking edge going forward.

Johnson could even form a dream midfield duo of Fiorini and new arrival Dylan Levitt – who is a product of Manchester United's academy – which he will be hoping can propel the club into the group stages of the Europa Conference League while also impressing on the domestic front too.

How good is Lewis Fiorini?

The 5 foot 10 starlet has yet to make an appearance for the City first team, however he has shone for their youth sides, scoring 12 goals and grabbing five assists in that period too. It has been his loan spells away from Manchester that have given him the platform to showcase his talents.

Registering 25 goal contributions – 13 goals and 12 assists – in temporary spells with Blackpool, Lincoln City and NAC Breda throughout the previous three seasons has not only given him an opportunity to play senior football, but an outlet to get his creative juices flowing.

He could thrive alongside Levitt, who notched eight goal contributions for Dundee United last term alongside creating four big chances and making 1.6 tackles per game, suggesting that not only does he provide an attacking threat from the centre of the midfield, but he also likes to get stuck in and win the ball back often.

Despite United's relegation, Levitt proved to be one of the standout members of the squad, ranking third for overall Sofascore rating, second for big chances created and fifth for tackles per game, and these sorts of attributes could allow him to shine at Hibs.

These traits could give Fiorini – who has been lauded for his "quality" by former Lincoln boss, Michael Appleton – more freedom to push forward on a regular basis, and it would surely prove to be a popular pairing at the centre of the Hibs midfield as they aim to finish in third place, behind Rangers and Celtic next term.

The 21-year-old is also a fixture at U21 level for Scotland, scoring twice for his country and under Johnson, Fiorini could land regular game time next season which could help bolster his chances at not only securing a first Scotland cap, but also giving him a chance at bursting into the City first team.

Emmanuel Petit has raved over the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham United, calling him a "bargain" Arsenal addition this summer.

Who are Arsenal signing?

The north Londoners, after reaching an agreement to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea for £65 million, have now also put pen to paper on the signing of Rice after weeks of talks.

Arsenal and West Ham agreed a total £105 million fee for 24-year-old some time ago, according to reports, but negotiations over payment structure were ongoing for a while after that.

Agreeing to pay an initial £100 million, plus £5 million in add-ons, Mikel Arteta's side eventually compromised on terms of the deal and will give West Ham the £100m over a 24-month period.

Reported to be Arteta's top summer target, Rice's arrival at Arsenal marks a very significant coup, with the player having his medical yesterday.

Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, who also underwent his medical tests on Friday, will follow Rice through the door in what has been a very busy last few days for the club.

Speaking to SportsJoe, Petit has praised Arsenal for the signing of Rice, calling the move a "bargain" despite it being a record for any British player.

The £105 million paid for Rice means he will eclipse both Jack Grealish and Jude Bellingham as the most expensive English player in history, yet according to Petit, he's worth every penny.

"A bargain," said the France legend on Rice.

"The way Declan wants to play, and the way Arteta wants his team to play, I think they will fit perfectly together".

The England international performed incredibly for West Ham under David Moyes last season, making more interceptions per 90 than any player in their squad whilst standing out as their best-perfomer per 90 (WhoScored).

What's been said about Declan Rice?

Due to his imperious form at the London Stadium, former Irons and England defender Matthew Upson is a huge fan, calling Rice a "quality" midfielder.

Upson also suggests that he is playing beyond his years, and having worked with Rice personally, believes the sky is the limit for Arsenal's new midfielder.

"I really enjoyed working with him," Upson told BBC Sport.

"He was so receptive. He had the ability to take criticism or feedback. It didn't deter him. He took it all in such a positive way and had the intelligence to absorb the information and add it to his game, which is a real skill.

"Declan was already at a super high level when I worked with him in terms of what he was capable of. You could see the ability he had in his character to be at the top of the game. That is him. Nobody has added that or given it to him. That is just Declan. That is his star quality."

A measured all-round display of 78 runs and figures of 10-3-46-1 from Deepti Sharma led India to their fourth straight win, beating Sri Lanka by 16 runs in Derby

The Report by Annesha Ghosh05-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDeepti Sharma’s 78 was her sixth ODI half-century•Getty ImagesIf four top-order half-centuries had powered Sri Lanka’s 138-run shock knockout blow to India in the 2013 World Cup in Mumbai, this time around their middle and lower order made a spirited attempt to bring India’s winning streak to an end in Derby. But that was not to be as Deepti Sharma set up a 16-run victory – India’s fourth successive one in the tournament – courtesy a 78-run knock and 10 crucial overs that returned 1 for 46.After India opted to bat on a fresh pitch that barely had any tinge of green, Deepti’s 118-run third-wicket partnership with captain Mithali Raj laid the platform for India’s 232. While the total was 18 short of what Raj had originally intended to get, her decision to introduce legspinner Poonam Yadav in the 16th over proved crucial in ensuring it was enough. Yadav’s mix of legbreaks and wrong ‘uns sniped out two top-order batsmen in Chamari Atapattu and Nipuni Hansika, and bumped up the required rate with a flurry of dots.To begin, it was Sri Lanka who kept a tight leash on things. Medium-pacer Sripali Weerakkody and left-arm spinner Chandima Gunaratne bothered Smriti Mandhana and Punam Raut in dominating opening spells with well-planned lengths, sending them back for 8 and 16 respectively. That India were off to a shaky, sluggish start at 39 for 2 in the 11th over was also down to Sri Lanka captain Inoka Ranaweera’s attacking field placements. She ensured a short cover and short leg breathed down the batsmen’s necks relentlessly even well after the first Powerplay.Dropped on 5, Deepti initially struggled to put away both full and short deliveries, managing to score only 16 off 39. A release shot – a lofted sweep over square leg for four – off Weerakkody in the 15th over helped her find fluency. Thereafter, her strokeplay revolved around lofted shots over midwicket and the cover region, and singles off the back foot that were converted in twos. She brought up her sixth ODI fifty off the 89th ball of her innings, and took another 28 runs off the next 20 deliveries before failing to execute a lofted drive in the V.With 13 overs left and only on 156 on the board, India experimented with the batting order and Jhulan Goswami came in at No. 5 ahead of the more-established power-hitters Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy. The move didn’t quite work out, and the loss of wickets in pairs during that period further hurt India’s chances of a late flourish. Goswami’s run-a-ball 9 came to an end in the 40th over, only to be followed by Raj’s dismissal for 53 the next ball. While Ranaweera removed the veterans, Weerakkody accounted for Harmanpreet and Krishnamurthy, who shared a 54-ball 50 stand before falling for 20 and 29 in the 49th over.With the ball, too, India deviated from their set formula of introducing spin within the first six overs. Raj, instead, let her medium-pacers – Goswami and Mansi Joshi – share the new ball for a greater part of the Powerplay. Mansi swung the ball into the left-hand batsman Hansika and struck her plumb in front with the first delivery of her opening spell, but a stifled appeal and the lack of intent to review the umpire’s decision meant Hansika could press on to score a 66-ball 29. Goswami’s dismissal of Hasini Perera in the fifth over, however, dealt Sri Lanka a first blow, before Deepti, Yadav, Harmanpreet and Ekta Bisht began to operate in tandem to choke the chase with spin.By the time Goswami came back in the 37th over, the required rate had climbed up to 9.28. Shashikala Siriwardene, the former captain who had played a substantial part to stun India in the last World Cup, however, refused to give in. Her 60-run stand with wicketkeeper Dilani Manodara inspired a late fightback. Siriwardene clobbered two fours apiece in the 37th and the 38th over and survived a couple of run-out chances before falling for 37 to Goswami.Despite the breakthrough, Manodara motored on and kept the chase alive with a second ODI half-century that featured a healthy tally of inside-out drives, reverse sweeps and paddle scoops. Her resistance towards the end was made easier by a rather casual approach from India. A spread-out field ensured singles didn’t dry up, and some sloppy fielding – including Goswami’s boot-work in the outfield that gave away a four, and a missed stumping to reprieve Manodara – kept Sri Lanka in the game. It took a flighted offbreak from Deepti to end Manodara’s 61-run innings in the 48th over and the lower order then managed only 25 runs out of 42 required off last 17 deliveries.

A concise look back at the events that led to the pay-dispute crisis between the Australian players and their cricket board

Daniel Brettig30-Jun-20173:46

What is the CA-ACA pay dispute?

November 11: MoU negotiations between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) formally begin in Melbourne, with a meeting between CA’s chairman David Peever and his opposite number Greg Dyer. The meeting was preluded by news that the ACA was chasing a more expansive definition of Australian Cricket Revenue – the agreed pool of money from which their payment has been drawn – to include digital revenue.December 7: Australia’s captain Steven Smith and deputy David Warner dine with CA board directors where the governing body’s desire to break up the revenue sharing model is discussed. It is an evening that begins a trend of CA trying to go around the ACA to deal directly with the players.December 12: CA sends its initial pay submission to the ACA and players, detailing plans to break up the revenue sharing model and offer fixed wages to domestic male and female players, while only offering surplus profits – capped at A$20 million – to international men (subsequently expanded to also include international women). A particular sticking point is the pregnancy policy for female players.December 19: CA suspends pay talks with the ACA after the pregnancy clause revelations, locking the players’ association’s negotiating team out of a scheduled meeting at the board’s Jolimont headquarters – this is the first major breakdown in pay talks between the two bodies in 20 years.December 22: Australia’s men’s and women’s captains Steven Smith and Meg Lanning write to the CA chief executive James Sutherland requesting that the board respects the ACA as the players’ collective bargaining agent and asking that they cease attempts to deal directly with individual players.December 27: Sutherland seeks to take some heat out of discussions by stating during the Boxing Day Test match against Pakistan that Australia’s players’ association and board have “more in common than not”.January 24: The ACA claims that it is not being offered substantial financial details on which to judge CA’s proposal and weigh it up against its own.March 5: Sutherland maintains CA’s desire to break up the revenue percentage model while visiting India for Australia’s Test tour.March 21: Players are presented with CA’s formal pay offer, which adds some detail and some adjustments to the December proposal but remains largely unchanged in its modelling and overall thrust, seeking to breakup the revenue sharing model and return wage control to the board. The offer also outlines what CA intends to do with the money raised by changing the model – expanding its media wing and investing in other new projects in addition to https://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/1087893.html” target=”_blank”>funding the grassroots.April 19: Tim May, the former ACA chief executive and an architect of the first revenue sharing MoU in 1998, challenges CA to provide a more substantial case for breaking up the model.April 27: CA’s head of cricket operations, Sean Cary, one of few board employees to work closely and consistently with the ACA, quits to take up a tennis job in the United States.May 11: Mitchell Starc insists that no Australian players will entertain contract negotiations until a new MoU is agreed upon, following revelations that CA’s team performance manager Pat Howard has offered multi-year deals to the top five players – Starc, Steven Smith, David Warner, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.May 12: Sutherland writes to his opposite number at the ACA Alistair Nicholson, criticising the ACA’s approach to negotiations and informs all players coming out of contract that they will be unemployed as of July 1. The ACA requests mediation to move pay talks forward after numerous rounds of fruitless meetings between the players’ association and the board.May 15: David Warner further inflames the dispute by saying CA might find itself without any players for the Ashes if the two parties cannot reach an agreement.May 17: CA’s chairman David Peever rejects the ACA’s request for mediation, stating that negotiations had not yet begun.May 18: The ACA unveils a contingency fund for players left out of pocket in the event of the pay dispute going beyond June 30.May 25: The ACA announces the foundation of The Cricketers Brand, a commercial wing of the association for the use of the players’ intellectual property, which passes out of the hands of CA beyond June 30 when the MoU expires.May 27-28: Peever rejects the ACA’s calls for mediation a second time as CA again attempts to deal directly with the players. Australia’s federal minister for sport, Greg Hunt, reveals the governmentwould be prepared to provide mediation for the two parties if the dispute were to threaten the Ashes.May 30: CA releases a video featuring lead negotiator Kevin Roberts explaining CA’s pay offer to players, with another released the following week. One of the graphics accompanying the video states that the Big Bash League lost A$33 million for CA over its first five years, a claim attacked by the ACA’s Simon Katich.June 8: Warner criticises CA for the release of the videos to players in the middle of their Champions Trophy campaign. Australia would be eliminated in the first round after a pair of washouts are followed by a loss to England.June 20: South Africa launches its new Twenty20 tournament and it is revealed that numerous Australian players, including internationals, have expressed interest in the event which will clash with the home season. At the same time it emerges that players have discussed playing exhibition matches should the dispute be lengthy.June 21: Following the announcement of the AFL’s pay deal with its players, the AFLPA chief executive and former ACA chief Paul Marsh criticises CA for endangering the international game. At the same time CA’s lead negotiator Roberts goes on a national roadshow to explain CA’s position to the players.June 23: CA offers a pair of concessions relative to its previous offer – increasing payments for domestic male players and also linking all players to the capped bonus system originally offered only to international players – at the same time as sending contract offers out to all players. The ACA, angered by the offers being sent out without an MoU, rejects the concessions.June 27: Players meet at an annual golf day in Sydney and implore CA’s chief executive James Sutherland to get directly involved in negotiations. Sutherland, who has kept at arm’s length from talks, arrives back in Melbourne from ICC meetings a day before the MoU expires.June 28: Players are sent a communique from the team performance manager Pat Howard outlining arrangements beyond the expiry of the MoU, including a warning that any players taking part in exhibition matches will be banned from the Ashes. Limited talks between the two parties go nowhere substantial.June 30: MoU deadline day arrives, and CA marks it by hardening its stance against the players, announcing that all money originally intended to be paid to out of contract players will instead be diverted to grassroots funding programmes until an MoU is agreed upon. This move enrages the playersfurther.

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.

Jake Ball and Stuart Broad are doubtful for the Royal London Cup final on Saturday and that is also bad news for England with the first Test around a week away

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge27-Jun-2017
ScorecardWith doubts lingering over Stuart Broad’s fitness for Saturday’s Royal London One-Day Cup final at Lord’s, Nottinghamshire face another anxious couple of days assessing the fitness of a second key bowling asset after injury forced Jake Ball to leave the field during the final session here.Despite playing the injury down overnight, Ball was sent for a scan by the ECB on Wednesday morning, and the selectors will be monitoring the results closely as they prepare to meet to select the squad for the first Test against South Africa at Lord’s next week.The England fast bowler, who had already struck an important blow for his team in this match at the start of Kent’s second innings, pulled up in his follow-through after bowling one delivery of his third over, feeling some pain in his right knee.After receiving attention on the field it looked at first as if he would continue but after a couple of attempts to replicate his run-up to the crease under the supervision of his county physio he asked the umpire for his cap and sweater and left the field, leaving Luke Fletcher to complete his over.Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores described his withdrawal as “a precaution” and said his prospects of resuming in this match would be assessed in the morning. However, he is being monitored by Notts and England medical teams, and he will not bowl again in the match.Broad, who was forced to miss this match after suffering a heel injury against Leicestershire last week, was still rated as doubtful on Monday but there was better news today. Put through his paces before play, he appeared to be moving well enough, although Nottinghamshire will be wary of risking any further damage with the opening Test against South Africa just over a week away.After playing his part with a flurry of boundaries with the bat in helping Nottinghamshire to a lead of 191 on first innings, Ball had dealt Kent the early blow they least wanted as they began their second innings against the pink ball in the awkward day-to-night phase.After bowling brilliantly with scant reward in the first innings, with only one tailender’s wicket to show for his efforts, Ball found success in his second over this time, producing a full and fast delivery to which Daniel Bell-Drummond, who had so valiantly held Kent together on Monday, had no answer.Yet Ball’s absence hardly made things easier for Kent, who were four wickets down and still 86 behind at the close. To make matters worse, Sam Billings, unbeaten on 39, now leaves this match to play for the Lions at Worcester. The 20-year-old batsman Joe Weatherley takes his place.Despite a career-best 168 from Steven Mullaney, who was 63 not out overnight, and a partnership of 222 between the opener and Alex Hales, Nottinghamshire had not fulfilled their objective of batting Kent out of the game, losing their last wickets for 41.They fell short even of maximum batting points, which felt almost like a formality earlier in the day when Hales and Mullaney, having come through a tough pink ball baptism on the first evening, plundered runs under the pale sky of the second afternoon.Mullaney, one half of the key partnership in the historic win over Essex that booked Nottinghamshire’s place at Lord’s, completed the 12th first-class century of his career, punching the air as he might after a bout of nausea almost forced him to leave the field in the early part of his innings on Monday.Jake Ball limped off – and that will worry England•Getty Images

Once something of a bit-part player among stars at Trent Bridge, Mullaney has become a key figure in all formats. Always an all-round asset in the one-day sides, he has found his niche at the top of the order in the four-day side, and a useful partnership-breaking bowler to boot. Well respected in the dressing room, he led the side in Chris Read’s absence last season and looks a natural choice to take on the captaincy in his own right when Read retires at the end of the season.As a batsman, he may lack the flair and natural timing of Samit Patel, with whom he shared that epic stand at Chelmsford, and he does not dominate in the way Hales sometimes does. Yet he has the temperament to concentrate for long periods and packs a punch when the moment arrives to up the tempo.He and Hales were together for 47.5 overs for the fourth wicket before Hales was caught on the rope attempting a second six straight off Joe Denly’s leg spin, missing out by 15 on what appeared to be a certain hundred.The innings lost some of its impetus after Hales. Riki Wessels was unusually subdued and Mullaney went an hour without scoring a boundary before a couple in quick succession off Adam Milne eased the pressure.He passed his previous best, 166 against Somerset here last year, with a six off Will Gidman and the applause that accompanied his return to the pavilion, caught behind off Matt Coles, was a measure of his popularity. He acknowledged it properly, too, raising his bat to all corners of the ground.Kent’s bowlers have to be commended for the way they maintained their discipline and in denying Nottinghamshire their full complement of points they might consider they scored a minor triumph.Yet, the possibly unwelcome consequence of this was that it was their batsman who were exposed to the day-into-night phase. After Bell-Drummond, Denly edged a fine, swinging ball from Fletcher to be caught behind before Harry Gurney struck twice, Sam Northeast following a ball outside off-stump to be caught behind, Sean Dickson edging to Brendan Taylor at third slip.July 28, 11.36am – This story was updated with news of Ball’s knee scan

Liverpool are the best-placed club to complete the signing of Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, according to Dean Jones.

The 19-year-old enjoyed a stellar campaign for the Saints last season and is wanted by a number of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

How much will Romeo Lavia cost?

Southampton stand to make a very big profit on the Belgian midfielder they signed one year ago.

Brought in from champions Manchester City for a fee that could potentially rise to £14m, Lavia was joined at the club last summer by Samuel Edozie and Gavin Bazunu, who also made the switch from Manchester.

The midfielder made 31 appearances for the south coast side last season and scored one goal. He received lots of credit and praise from pundits and managers alike last season, with Premier League legends Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand quick to lavish praise on the 19-year-old before the Saints clash against Manchester United earlier in the season.

Scholes said: “He has chosen to move on and I think he is a player with so much potential and he could potentially go back, but he has settled in so well. He has got a pass in his locker and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in-front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there.”

Ferdinand also shared that sentiment, stating: “The way he has started and immediately performed here kind of justifies the conviction that Southampton have had in going and getting him. He is a young player who can do both sides of the game, equally good defensively but also once he is one the ball he has tremendous feet and can pass it.”

Reports this summer have suggested that following the side’s relegation, Lavia is looking to leave the now Championship club, with clubs such as Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all having interest. However, no club has agreed to pay the £50m asking price that Southampton are demanding for their young star.

Transfer insider Jones says that he believes that the Merseyside outfit are best placed to sign the midfielder, with the potential departure of Thiago Alcantara a factor.

What has Dean Jones said about the potential move?

Speaking to FootballFanCast, journalist Jones said: “Yeah, I think at this stage, it’s fair to say that Liverpool would be best placed to sign Lavia. I think it’s interesting how this story is now being paired with the fact that Thiago could leave Liverpool.

You know, some suggestions are that Liverpool needs some money. And in order to go do that Lavia deal but I’m not sure that that is strictly true.”

Where would Lavia play for Liverpool?

Lavia, who has been hailed as a “baller” who is “big and strong” would seemingly be the final piece in the Liverpool midfield rebuild this summer.

The Reds have brought in two midfielders already, with Alexis Mac Allister arriving from Brighton and Hove Albion for a fee in the region of £35m and Dominik Szoboszlai from German outfit RB Leipzig for a fee in the region of £60m.

Should Liverpool employ a similar system to the one manager Jurgen Klopp utlised in the final games of last season, only a left-sided defensive midfielder to partner Trent Alexander-Arnold would be needed, and that is where Lavia would come in.

The 19-year-old would most likely be tasked with being the defensive anchor for Liverpool to allow their more attack-minded and creative players the license to get forward and showcase their talents, and that aspect of his game is something he excels at.

Twitter user @SawkurGod posted a graph showcasing the U24 best duel winners in the Premier League last season, and Lavia sat among some esteemed company at the very top alongside Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, both players who could command fees in excess of £100m this summer according to reports.

With reports recently that club captain Jordan Henderson might also be departing this summer, with clubs in Saudi Arabia interested, a move for Lavia seems like an incredibly smart and shrewd piece of business for the Reds as they look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last season