Former Italy hero Gigi Riva – still to this day the national team's all-time top scorer – has passed away at the age of 79.

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Italian legend passed away on MondayHad been hospitalised over the weekendRemains Azzurri's all-time top scorerWHAT HAPPENED?

Riva had been taken ill at his home in Sardinia over the weekend and was taken to hospital for treatment for a suspected heart problem. However, it was confirmed on Monday that the legendary forward had died after a short spell in hospital.

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Riva spent a year at Legnano before going on to become a legend at Cagliari, spending 13 years at the club and winning a Serie A title. He was also crowned the Italian top-flight's top scorer on three occasions with Cagliari and was runner-up in the Ballon d'Or in 1969, losing out to AC Milan and fellow Italy hero Gianni Rivera.

DID YOU KNOW?

It was with the Italy national team that Riva secured himself as a national hero, however. In 42 appearances for the Azzurri, he netted 35 times to become their all-time top scorer – a record he still holds. He helped fire Italy to the Euro 1968 title, scoring in the final as they beat Yugoslavia 2-0. Two years later, Riva scored three times in the World Cup as the Azzurri made it to the final, where they were beaten 4-1 by Brazil.

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The Italian football legend's passing was confirmed shortly before the Supercoppa Italiana final between Inter and Napoli in Riyadh, so no minute's silence was held in his honour. Serie A clubs will likely pay tribute to him before their matches this weekend.

Sabbir Rahman’s aggressive style of batting could tip the balance in his favour on what is expected to be a turning pitch in Mirpur

Mohammad Isam07-Feb-2018

Sabbir Rahman’s return to the Test squad leaves Bangladesh with a dilemma: will they pick him for the No. 7 position or continue with Mosaddek Hossain? Both are free-flowing batsmen but Sabbir is more aggressive of the two and quick runs could prove valuable on what is expected to be a turning pitch in Mirpur.The previous two Tests in Mirpur had also assisted spin with both matches not going into a fifth day. Sabbir’s style of batting could be more suited to the team, despite his iffy form in the last five months.On his return to international cricket after suffering an eye infection, Mosaddek managed only 16 runs in two innings in Chittagong. He had got out to a poor shot in the first innings, but soaked up 53 balls in the second after a wobble to put the match beyond Sri Lanka’s reach. Mahmudullah, the stand-in captain, said that he was particularly impressed with Mosaddek’s measured innings on the final day in Chittagong.”He started well in the first innings but he had a rush of blood to get out,” Mahmudullah said. “He worked hard in the second innings but since we needed to survive, he curbed his shots. Mid-on and mid-off were up so he had to contain himself. A wicket would have put us under pressure so he did that well during our partnership. I am sure he can perform better.”Shakib Al Hasan’s absence has shaken up the balance of the team, and Bangladesh, perhaps, are now willing to gamble on an aggressive batsman. Sabbir might be out of form, but his ability to take the game away from the opposition is recognised by the team management.At the same time, Mosaddek is also one of the most talented young batsmen in the country, but his relative lack of Test experience – coupled with Sabbir’s shock value – could put him out of the XI in Mirpur.When asked how the team management evaluated a quick-fire fifty to a match-saving innings, Mahmudullah looked back at the home Tests against Australia and called for intent with the bat.”A lot of it depends on the conditions,” Mahmudullah said. “Even when there was a lot of help for spinners in the Dhaka wicket last year, the Australian batsmen played with a lot of intent. They didn’t allow the bowlers to settle down by sweeping at them and going down the wicket. You have to know your strong zones and which bowlers to take on.”While it doesn’t say much, Mahmudullah reveals just about enough on who will be Bangladesh’s No. 7 in Mirpur. Picking Sabbir might be a quick fix for Bangladesh, but it will be hard on Mosaddek, who has long been considered as an exciting talent.

David de Gea turned down the chance to make his Premier League comeback with Nottingham Forest, seven months after his Manchester United release.

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• De Gea offered Nottingham Forest lifeline
• Ex-Man Utd goalkeeper rejected proposal
• Remains without a club since last summer

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  With Forest seemingly losing faith in goalkeepers Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos, they were on the hunt for a new stopper in January. has reported that they tried to tempt free agent De Gea to the City Ground, with intermediaries pitching a proposed short-term deal to his camp. This was seen as a way for the Spaniard to put himself in the 'shop window', with a view to securing a bigger move in the summer. But he wasn't interested, and Forest then signed Matz Sels instead.

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  De Gea remains a free agent and now faces spending a whole year out of football, unless a team find themselves in a sticky goalkeeper situation and he finds the opportunity appealing. Ironically, the Spaniard could very easily have still been playing for Manchester United this season, had the club not withdrawn the offer of a new contract and gone on to pursue Andre Onana. Repeated speculation about going to Saudi Arabia has never yielded anything concrete, while Bayern Munich and Real Madrid were linked with De Gea last summer when both had goalkeeping needs that have since been addressed.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Even away from football, De Gea is finding ways to fill his time. He founded and owns an esports team called Rebels Gaming, convincing ex-United teammates Bruno Fernandes and Juan Mata to join as shareholders in the autumn of 2022.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DE GEA?

  At 33, De Gea is by no means considered old for a goalkeeper. But the longer he is out of football, the closer he is to sleepwalking towards retirement, as it will only get increasingly difficult to get back into it. If the summer comes and goes without him joining a new club, the likelihood of anything but retirement seems slim.

As a result, one demerit point has been added to each player’s disciplinary records

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2018Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has been fined 20% of his match fee while Sri Lanka opener Danushka Gunathilaka has been officially reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the tri-series final in Mirpur on Saturday.Both players breached Article 2.1.7 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”As a result, one demerit point has been added to each player’s disciplinary records. Both players admitted their offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee David Boon.The Mashrafe incident occured in the sixth over of Sri Lanka’s innings when the Bangladesh captain dismissed Kusal Mendis and yelled while running close to him during a send off in a “manner that could have provoked an aggressive reaction,” according to the ICC release.The incident involving Gunathilaka happened in the sixth over of the chase when Tamim Iqbal was dismissed by Dushmantha Chameera and Gunathilaka gave the batsman a send-off when he was walking towards the dressing room.It was Gunathilaka’s first offence while Mashrafe was sanctioned for the second time since the introduction of the revised Code in September 2016. Mashrafe had received one demerit point during the home ODIs against England in October 2016 and now has a total of two demerit points.

Newcastle United are still active in the transfer window even though the new Premier League season is well underway. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has offered an update to GIVEMESPORT on their pursuit of Arsenal and Scotland fullback Kieran Tierney.

Something stands in the way of Tierney transfer?

Newcastle got off to the best possible start last weekend as they put Aston Villa to the sword, romping past them at St James’ Park to a 5-1 victory. Alexander Isak scored a brace whilst the opener was grabbed by none other than debutant Sandro Tonali.

An even bigger test is up next as the Magpies prepare to face Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City who are fresh off of their Super Cup victory.

Dan Burn started at left-back against Unai Emery’s Villa and will surely hold on to that spot for the trip to the Etihad. That being said, Eddie Howe and co are on the hunt for an upgrade in that position with Kieran Tierney at the top of their list, along with Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella.

This Tierney saga has gone back and forth with Real Sociedad and Celtic also interested in striking a deal for the Scotsman. The major sticking point has been surrounding whether it would be a permanent deal or a loan, something which La Real and the Gunners have been unable to agree on.

What is Fabrizio Romano's update?

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano gave his opinion on what we can expect regarding Tierney and Newcastle to GIVEMESPORT.

"There is interest from Newcastle United, it's true, but again, with Arsenal asking for a permanent transfer, we know the Newcastle situation with Financial Fair Play is not that easy.

"So they have to be careful on how they spend money, what kind of proposal they can offer to Arsenal.

"So that's why the deal is not so easy. But it's true that he's appreciated. So, I think in the next few weeks, something could happen for Tierney."

Should Arsenal let Tierney leave?

A lot of the chatter amongst the Emirates faithful relates to these Tierney links and whether or not their club should allow him to move on to pastures new.

Ben Jacobs revealed on the Loaded Mag NUFC podcast the position of Arteta on the future of Tierney.

“The starting point of Arteta, I understood, was that if Tierney was happy at Arsenal, Arteta was happy with Tierney staying because he’s hugely valued as a squad player and they’re going to have a lot of important games now that they’re back in the Champions League.

Jacobs then went on to echo a sentiment shared by a large amount of Arsenal fans, saying that, “What if Zinchenko gets injured? You’d love a player like Tierney there that can come in.”

As previously mentioned, the Gunners now have UCL action to contend with as well and Zinchenko hardly boasted the most positive fitness record last term. Knee problems and two separate calf issues kept the Ukrainian international out of action for over 150 days in 2022/23, as per Transfermarkt, so the decision to part ways with his only realistic replacement would certainly raise eyebrows across the Premier League landscape.

Even the Under-19 side has bought into playing one-day cricket with absolute freedom as they gunned down a target of 197 with 24.5 overs to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2018
ScorecardA ferocious partnership between Will Jacks (73 off 44) and his captain Harry Brook (59 off 48 balls) took England to an eight-wicket win in their Under-19 World Cup match in Queenstown.As eye-catching as the batting was, considering they put on 130 runs in only 88 balls, little could overshadow legspinner Luke Hollman’s performance, who picked up 3 for 41 in his 10 overs to ensure Namibia were restricted to a mere 196 for 6.Harry Brook bats for England Under-19s•Getty ImagesThis after Namibia had elected to bat and got off to a decent start, moving to 42 for 0 in 9.4 overs. Following opener Jurgen Linde’s dismissal, however, wickets fell regularly and Shaun Fouche’s 44 off 75 balls ended up being the most notable contribution.In reply, openers Savin Perera and Tom Banton stitched together 55 runs in 7.5 overs, until Namibia quick Gerhard Lottering (2 for 33) struck to dismiss them in successive overs, leaving England at 68 for 2. Brook and Jacks then came together for the third-wicket and completed the chase in with 24.5 overs to spare.

Fabrizio Romano has shared what he's heard on star Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard and how they plan to tie him down with a new deal.

Which Arsenal players are leaving?

Following a major summer spending spree of around £200 million, Mikel Arteta and co now must decide who is free to leave as they attempt to balance the books.

There are many who could reportedly part ways with the north London club, including left-back Nuno Tavares, winger Nicolas Pepe, striker Folarin Balogun, defender Rob Holding and midfield ace Albert Sami Lokonga.

The focus for Arsenal is shipping these surplus-to-requirement players out the door if they're to make more signings before September 1, though an injury to summer signing Jurrien Timber means they could dip back into the market.

"It’s a huge blow, especially for him having just joined the club to have the injury that he has is a huge disappointment for him," Arteta said on Timber at his most recent press conference.

"It’s true that he was giving us very different things in terms of what we could do on both sides, but again, these things happen, and we have to be prepared for that.

"We are always open and we have to always be open to react if something happens, not only with an injury but with the market as well and that’s what we are doing."#

It appears a further overhaul could be on the cards at Arsenal going by Arteta's hint, but one player who is very unlikely to be going anywhere is Odegaard.

The Norway star, who was a key player during Arsenal's title challenge last season, could be about to receive a bumper new contract offer as Romano shares some news.

Taking to X, Romano says that fresh terms for Odegaard are "one of the priorities of the year" at Arsenal and initial talks are "set" to take place.

"Arsenal want to advance in talks to get new deal done for Martin Ødegaard in the next weeks," wrote Romano.

"AFC Initial discussions set to take place as extending Martin’s contract will be one of the priorities of the year."

The 24-year-old started 37 league matches as a mainstay under Arteta last season, bagging 15 goals and seven assists in the process.

What's been said about Martin Odegaard?

There is little question Odegaard is deserving of improved terms after a phenomenal 2022/2023 season, with Arteta heaping praise on the former Real Madrid player.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

"Those are the demands he puts on himself and the areas he had huge margins to improve. He is making huge steps in the right direction to become a game-winner," said Arteta on Odegaard's goal tally.

"Then you need really good team-mates around you, which he has, and that obviously helps as well.

"He needs to continue to develop those skills in the best way because the demands will keep increasing, and his role hopefully as well."

Mushfiqur Rahim has already made a sound start to his new role in the Bangladesh team: that of just a batsman. Coincidentally, it has come at a time of personal joy. On the day after the Chittagong Test, his wife Jannatul Kifayat gave birth to their first child.Ahead of their training session at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Monday, Mushfiqur treated everyone to sweets. The 92 first-innings runs in Chittagong must have added to his joy as it was an important contribution to the team, while also giving him a personal boost.In December, BCB had ousted Mushfiqur as the Test captain (handing over the job to Shakib Al Hasan) after Bangladesh’s diabolical tour of South Africa where he also courted controversy by criticising the fast bowlers and suggesting that the team management gets away with losses while the players don’t. With Liton Das also being given a longer rope as the regular wicketkeeper, Mushfiqur’s job in the team became more condensed.Mushfiqur said that now he has to solely think as a batsman, and he is enjoying the new role. “There was always pressure but as a captain, I was an automatic choice,” Mushfiqur said. “Now as a top-order batsman, I have to perform. I tried to give my best in the last game. I was unlucky in the second innings, the ball wasn’t that great. I will keep trying, and get more runs in the next game.”I had three jobs and now I have one job. I always try to perform my responsibilities to the best of my ability. I scored while being the captain and wicketkeeper and I even got out for a duck. I have to face whatever comes in front of me, and go forward. I am enjoying it.”Mushfiqur said that he misses at least one side of wicketkeeping, which allowed him to have a closer look at the pitch. But, otherwise, he believes Liton is in it for the long haul. “I always enjoy fielding. Keeping wicket of course gives you a better perspective, especially about the wicket,” he said. “But I am happy. Liton is batting and keeping well and I think he can give serve Bangladesh cricket for eight to 10 years.”Although Shakib had inherited his job, Mahmudullah was the captain in the first Test that Mushfiqur has played after losing his captaincy because of Shakib’s injury. Mushfiqur said that Mahmudullah is a kind of captain who chooses to lead by example.”I liked his captaincy,” Mushfiqur said. “He has been a good captain at the domestic level including the BPL. He tries to lead by example with his performance. He says what he believes in, which also inspires me. The team is really looking forward to playing under him in Dhaka.”

Manchester United are in the market to sign a new defender after news that Luke Shaw could miss months of action, rather than weeks.

The muscle injury has left Erik ten Hag without a senior left-back with Tyrell Malacia also out with his own injury problem.

Who could replace Luke Shaw at Man United?

The Red Devils are thought to be considering three options, as per Fabrizio Romano.

The Italian journalist claims that Marc Cucurella at Chelsea is one possibility on a potential loan deal.

However, Sky Sports suggests it is a different Premier League left-back who is the subject of United's focus before the window closes on Friday evening.

They claimed on Saturday evening that Tottenham's Sergio Reguilon is now an option.

The £13m-rated full-back can leave Spurs before the market shuts, but they face competition from Fulham, who would no doubt be able to offer the player more game time in the long term.

How good is Sergio Reguilon?

Now 26, the Spaniard has endured a rough few years after trading Spanish football for the Premier League.

In the 2019/20 season, he played a pivotal role in Sevilla's Europe League triumph but has found consistency rather hard to come by since.

He hasn't played 30 league games once after moving to Spurs and was forced to move to Atletico Madrid last term on a loan deal in order to play more regularly. That said, he could only manage 11 La Liga outings in another difficult term.

That said, if any coach can extract the best from Reguilon, they would be unearthing a fine flying wing-back.

You only need to head back to that Europe League winning season to understand that.

Indeed, during that campaign he was compared, as per FBref, to former Real Madrid superstar Marcelo, and one of the best left-backs in the Premier League now, Pervis Estupinan.

At the time, Estupinan was playing at Osasuna before bursting onto the scene with Brighton a few years later.

That term, Reguilon ranked inside the best 3% of full-backs in La Liga for progressive carries and touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the best 8% for shot-creating actions.

Those metrics paint the picture that the now Spurs man is an incredibly offensive asset on his day, one that would certainly help to fill the void that Shaw will leave behind while on the treatment table.

Estupinan, for comparison, sat inside the best 15% for shot-creating actions that same season, the top 6% for successful take-ons and the best 7% for progressive carries to illustrate their impressive range of similarities.

Of course, the Ecuadorian has been a great deal more impressive in the Premier League after he made his own move to English football, notably registering ten assists in 44 games to Reguilon's nine in 67 outings but the evidence is there that the Spaniard could make his mark in equal manner.

He has never really had the manager to extract the best from him at Tottenham. Antonio Conte's style of play, for instance, was too defensive even if he does prefer wing-backs in his system.

Ten Hag, however, could be a game-changer as far as Reguilon is concerned. It's just whether he sees himself achieving regular minutes once Shaw returns.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could finally make their efforts in the summer transfer window count, as the club eye a market move in what would be Gary O’Neil’s first signing.

The Englishman has got off to a less desired, but somewhat expected start to life at Molineux, still waiting to get his first point on the board after two games played in the 2023/24 Premier League season.

The Old Gold’s prognosis was negative before the campaign got underway, after suffering a trialling summer due to increased pressures of Financial Fair Play (FFP), leading to the departure of former manager Julen Lopetegui just five days before the opening fixture.

Things could be on the up at Wolves under O’Neil, with reference to a potential signing that the club could finally make after a testing time financially.

Who could Wolves sign this summer?

From failed bids for midfielder Alex Scott, who eventually captured by Bournemouth, to directionless interest for players that were way beyond the club’s financial reach, Wolves have been put to the test this summer.

However, there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for O’Neil, with a new update linking Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill to Molineux.

As reported by TEAMtalk, Wolves have made an approach to sign Brownhill from the newly promoted side, who was purchased at Turf Moor in 2020 from Bristol City for a fee of £9m.

The speculation has been reinforced by transfer insider Dean Jones, who spoke exclusively to GIVEMESPORT about the “interesting” prospect of the 27-year-old joining Wolves.

“Wolves’ interest in Brownhill is interesting, and while I have seen some fans suggesting that he would likely just be a backup option, I don’t get the feeling that is so much the plan.

This is a player O’Neil knows well from his playing days, and further than that, he looked into signing him when he was Bournemouth manager.

When a new manager comes in, he wants to make his mark on the squad, and one way to do that is to add players with a certain character that reflects what you are looking for in the overall squad.

So, I think it’s an interesting link and makes sense as we see this latest version of Wolves' first-team squad emerge.”

What is Josh Brownhill’s playing style?

Described by former Wolves striker Steve Bull as a “top-class” talent back in 2021, Brownhill could solve a lot of questions regarding the club’s midfield.

Deployed as a central midfielder, the Englishman is versatile in his positioning in the heart of the squad, with the ability to play in both defensive and offensive roles in the middle.

Last term in the Championship, the Warrington-born machine registered 15 goal contributions, scoring seven and assisting eight in 41 appearances for the Clarets, highlighting his strengths in the final third.

For Wolves, his introduction could come at the perfect time, following the club’s farewell to midfield duo Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, who had graced the field of Molineux through the highs of the Nuno Espirito Santo era.

At 36-years-old, Moutinho had built up a stellar reputation in the Midlands, seeing him dubbed “wonderful” by journalist Liam Keen for his passing ability, an area that will be missed in his absence.

In signing Brownhill, O’Neil could bring a sense of the Portuguese veteran back to Wolverhampton, with the player possessing a very similar skill set to the classy midfielder.

Renowned for his strengths in playing the pivot in the engine room with a balance between defensive and offensive duties, Moutinho averaged 2.58 tackles and 6.67 progressive passes per 90 for Wolves last term, as well as averaging 1.82 key passes per 90 to showcase his edge in the final third, via FBref.

Such numbers were followed closely by the averages recorded by the Burnley whiz during the club’s journey to the top-flight, with him averaging 2.29 tackles, 4.78 progressive passes and an impressive 1.81 key passes per 90 in the Championship.

With 79 Premier League appearances already under his belt in his career, O’Neil could equip his side with his own version of Moutinho by signing Brownhill, who could be the missing piece to rebuilding the squad tarnished by heavyweight exits over the summer.