Tottenham Hotspur remains "in contact" with Bayer Leverkusen over the transfer of defender Edmond Tapsoba, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The deal could however hinge on the departure of legendary forward Harry Kane.

Are Tottenham Hotspur signing a defender?

A central defender is a targeted position for Spurs this summer.

They were linked with Wolfsburg central defender Micky Van de Ven earlier on this window, with reports stating that the 22-year-old defender is one of the club's top targets, however, the two sides are currently apart on the valuation for the Dutch defender who impressed during the recent U21 Euros.

Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo is another player who has been linked, with journalist Alasdair Gold stating that there is a "growing expectation" that Spurs will make a bid for the defender who is available this summer for a cut-price deal due to his contract situation. However, should the club want to bring in the former Manchester City youth product, they will have to move quickly as French side AS Monaco have reportedly made a bid for the defender.

Tapsoba is another name that has been heavily linked, however, according to reports progress hasn't been made on the deal due to the German outfits high asking price, with the clubs position only strengthened following the recent sale of Moussa Diaby to Aston Villa for £52m. Leverkusen chief Simon Rolfes has also confirmed this stance, stating in an interview that the defender is not available under normal circumstances: "No, not under normal circumstances! It is clear that at some point there are always limits. But Edmond is a very important player. He is one of the top players of our team, without question. He still has a long contract. Therefore, there is no reason for us to think about handing him over.”

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Romano revealed that Spurs remain in talks for the defender, however the move could hinge on the money they bring in from a potential Harry Kane sale to fund it: "Tottenham are still in contact with people close to the player at Bayer Leverkusen. And so, I think it could depend also on Harry Kane. In the case Harry Kane leaves, and they have big money to invest in the market, Tapsoba could be realistic, otherwise it could be difficult.”

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Is Tapsoba the right purchase for Tottenham?

Tapsoba, who has been hailed as a "frightening" player for his pace, is one of the finest defenders in the Bundesliga currently.

The Burkina Faso international enjoyed a strong campaign under Spanish legend Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, making 46 appearances in all competitions and recording an average Whoscored rating of 6.76. The centre-back became almost undroppable for the side, with only goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky playing more Bundesliga minutes than the defender. The Burkina Faso international also shone on the European stage, with an 7.28 rating across his eight Europa League appearances.

The defender is thought of very highly, with his former coach Ivo Vieira stating "I’m sure he will continue his development and become one of the greatest players in the world. He can end up where he wants to. At one of the world’s biggest clubs.”

As Ange Postecoglou looks to revamp a shaky Tottenham defence that conceded 63 goals last season, Tapsoba could become the perfect partner for Christian Romero and the perfect anchor for the team to build on.

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2017Shai Hope got an inside edge on to his stumps in the first innings and was lbw in the second•Getty ImagesKyle Hopec Stokes b Anderson 25, feisty, rearing off a length, clips the shoulder of the bat and flies to gully! Hope has been blasted out by an absolute ripsnorter from Anderson! Stokes this time holds on without drama, it was a straightforward catch after the ball had kicked like Buckaroo and taken Hope completely by surprise. He battled through admirably last night but couldn’t do too much with thatlbw b Roland Jones 12, full, straight and given lbw! After a long talk, Hope calls for the review out of, well, hope. It has angled back in a little, Hope plays around it, but it’s umpire’s call on clipping leg stump. Not plumb, but out enough with it being given on the field by S RaviKieran Powellrun out (Anderson) 20, angled in and tapped down towards mid-on, Powell calls for the single – but it’s a risk, direct hit! Gone, run out by a yard! Calamitous stuff from West Indies and they’ve lost two in two overs… It was a good throw from Anderson but Powell really misjudged thatc Cook b Anderson 10, edged and taken at first slip! Anderson nips out the first again, maybe could have been left on length but it veered away as Powell pushed stiffly from the crease and sent a fast nick straight into Cook’s bucket handsRoston Chaseb Anderson 0, bowled ‘im! Precision stuff from Anderson, decking back in off a perfect length, Chase can’t get his bat down quite in time and edges on to his stumps… The pink ball pops the bails and England are right amongst ’em, herelbw b Broad 24, shoots on low, into the pads – Chase has been done! Easy decision for Marais Erasmus, Broad gets his wicket and moves within one of levelling up Ian Botham… Chase might have come forward but couldn’t then get his bat down as it seamed in at himShai Hopeb Roland-Jones 15, timber! Hope plays on, Roland-Jones breaks the (brief) resistance and West Indies are five down… An ill-advised shot, given the circumstances his team were in, trying to drive on the up and there was enough seam movement to mean the ball ended up cannoning into the stumps off the inside edgec Root b Stokes 4, edged, sharp catch at second slip! Stokes has found some good rhythm in this spell, but it’s a loose poke outside off, really. Was just short of a good length, but quite wide, Hope hangs his bat out and the edge is grabbed by the captainThe West Indies captain Jason Holder was another who went twice in the day•Getty ImagesShane Dowrichlbw b Roland-Jones 4, that’s stone dead lbw! Gets it full and straight, that actually straightens off the seam and beats the outside edge as Dowrich shapes to play towards mid-on and that’s clattering off stump.b Broad 5, bowled him, neck and crop! That went through Dowrich like a battering ram, seaming in to smash the top of off stump – and it moves Broad clear of Botham as England’s second-leading Test wicket-taker! Anderson and Broad are together at the top of the pileJason Holderc Bairstow b Moeen 11, caught behind after a review! Another one past the outside edge, and Bairstow is convinced he’s nicked it! The review is called for. Moeen certainly wasn’t sure. There are spikes on Ultra Edge – although did they quite match up? – and this is overturned! Holder isn’t impressed. Bat was nowhere near the ground or the pad. Noise can’t have been anything elsec Cook b Broad 0, gone first ball! Broad is off and running again, no need to check with the umpire this time… A beauty holding its line on off and Holder can only steer it low to first slip! He’s level with Botham and on a hat-trick!Kemar Roachb Broad 5, that’s through him! Full at off stump, Roach goes for the drive and this spears past the inside edge to take out off stumpb Anderson 12,that does the job, full and straight. Very similar to the first-innings dismissal, Roach misses his drive and the stumps are clatteredAlzarri Josephlbw b Broad 6, fired in at the stumps, hits the pads and up goes the finger! Joseph misses playing across the line, pinned like a gigantic butterfly on the crease… That looked plumb and S Ravi agreed with Broad, who was off and running in familiar fashion before glancing round to have it confirmed. West Indies still have two reviews left but Joseph doesn’t even bother to burn onec Stokes b Roland-Jones 8, edged to slip, and that’s the win to England. In the channel outside off, excellent line, the outside edge carries low to Stokes who grabs it down to his right

Don Shepherd, a giant of Glamorgan cricket and widely regarded as one of the best county cricketers never to play for England, has died, aged 90.Shepherd was one of the great servants of county cricket, a source of huge pride for all cricket-lovers in Wales, as he totted up 668 first-class matches between 1950 and 1972. Born in Port Eynon on the Gower Peninsula, he began life as a fast-medium bowler but in his vintage years was highly respected for his slow-medium offcutters.He died only a week after celebrating his 90th birthday after complications set in following a heart operation.John Arlott, the great broadcaster and cricket writer, termed it “inexplicable” that Shepherd never played for England, and, especially on responsive pitches, he would doubtless have made the grade. But he was never seriously considered and was up against some fine practitioners – the Surrey pair of Jim Laker and Tony Lock in the fifties, and by the likes of Raymond Illingworth and Fred Titmus later in his career.At the end of it all, he had 2218 first-class wickets, all of them genially claimed, and the most ever taken by a player who failed to represent England. It left him 22nd on the all-time list. He was a shrewd analyst of a batsman, with deceptive changes of pace and flight and his contentment in his work made him a captain’s dream.The lack of England recognition did not overly bother him. In a BBC interview to mark his 90th birthday, Shepherd recalled: “It never worried me. There were so many terrific offspinners around towards the end – Fred Titmus, David Allen, John Mortimore, Ray Illingworth – and they could bat, while I was a bit of a slogger. I was happy enough doing what I did and what happened to me through my life.”Glamorgan endured many lean years during his career, but there was achievement, too, in the winning of the 1969 county championship, which they finished unbeaten. Shepherd took the final wicket, and, to add to the happy coincidence, had taken his 2,000th first-class wicket earlier in the game. He took five or more wickets in an innings on 123 occasions.Victory against the 1964 Australians at Swansea, when he took 9 for 93 in the match, was quite a turn-up for the tourists who had only lost to one county side, Surrey, since 1912. To swell the outpouring of Welsh pride, the national Eisteddfod – a traditional Welsh festival of music, literature and performance arts – was being held a mile down the road and both teams accepted an invitation to attend one evening. Shepherd and Jim Pressdee, who between them had bowled out the Australians in the first innings on a rain-freshened pitch, were given a huge ovation.Shepherd later recalled: “After going up on the stage, we were so full of that there was no way we were going to lose that match.”Glamorgan followed up with another defeat of the tourists in 1968, this time with Shepherd standing in as skipper for Tony Lewis. Some put the victory down to Shep’s “guile and cunning”, a tribute he would treat with characteristic modesty. No wonder Australia always regarded him highly.He had few pretensions as a batsman, and called himself “a walking wicket”, although his rustic hitting brought much pleasure, and said he was able to empty “bar and beer tent in five seconds flat”. There was nothing better than his 51 in 11 scoring shots against Australia at Swansea in 1961.Glamorgan had collapsed to 94 for 8, undone by the legspin of Richie Benaud and left-arm wristspinner Lindsay Kline, who both benefited from a dry and dusty surface, tailor-made for Shepherd. His 50 came in 15 minutes and off 21 balls, equalling the world record. Famously, Benaud termed it “the greatest bit of sustained hitting that I have ever seen in my life”.Shepherd would often reflect: “Most things used to happen at Swansea”, and, as his home town, that made things all the more pleasurable.As a fast-medium bowler, he took 155 wickets in 1952, winning his county cap, but he lost his form in the mid-1950s, and, after advice from senior players including wicketkeeper Haydn Davies, converted to bowling offcutters as a result. In the first season of this change – 1956 – he took 168 wickets, and he exceeded 100 wickets 12 times in all. Lean and crinkly-haired, canny and persevering, he became one of the county game’s most reliable figures.The nearest he got to an England call-up was a match for MCC against the West Indians at Lord’s in 1957 and a tour of Ceylon and Far East with MCC in 1969-70. He was named one of ‘s Cricketers of the Year in 1970, a tribute he marked by taking 106 first-class wickets that summer, more than any other player in first-class cricket.He was a hugely popular figure on Glamorgan grounds after his retirement, a shrewd and respected bowling coach who acted as a mentor for many years for Robert Croft, a Glamorgan offspinner who go on to play for England.He was also a genial commentator on BBC Radio Wales, where his melodious and affable judgments were much prized, and where his double act with fellow commentator Eddie Bevan was the very essence of cricket in Wales. After the broadcast was over, he would generally lean against the bar and chat about the game some more, in generous and forgiving tones which made him a wonderful representative of the game he cherished.

Veteran Paul Collingwood scored his maiden T20 century but was upstaged by a player nearly half his age in Joe Clarke as Worcestershire Rapids overpowered Durham Jets

ECB Reporters Network30-Jul-2017Joe Clarke is back to his scintillating best [file picture]•Getty Images

Veteran Paul Collingwood scored his maiden T20 century but was upstaged by a player nearly half his age in Joe Clarke as Worcestershire Rapids overpowered Durham Jets by eight wickets at New Road.Collingwood, 41, reached three figures in the final over of the Jets innings off 57 balls with four sixes and nine fours. It surpassed his previous best T20 score of 79 for England against the West Indies at the Oval a decade ago in June 2007.Collingwood also became the first Durham player to score a century in the short format of the game as they amassed 201-2 in their 20 overs after being put into bat.But England Lions batsman Clarke gave another demonstration of his considerable potential as the Rapids chased down their target with 11 balls to spare.The 21-year-old reached his first T20 ton off only 45 balls with six sixes and 10 fours and sparked a standing ovation as he helped to lift the gloom of a difficult start to the campaign. He finished unbeaten on 124 from 53 balls with eight sixes and 12 fours.Collingwood made the home side pay dearly for dropping him on four with the normally reliable Brett D’Oliveira spilling the chance at point off former Durham all-rounder John Hastings.Collingwood ended with 108 not out and his second and third wicket partnerships with Graham Clark – 106 in 10 overs – and skipper Paul Coughlin – an unbroken 92 in eight overs – were both records in matches against Worcestershire.It was another chastening experience for the Rapids attack despite the tonic of Hastings dismissing Cameron Steel (2) – caught at short fine leg – from his first delivery.The Rapids handed a T20 debut to paceman Josh Tongue who had taken four wickets on his first appearance for England Under-19s in the opening ‘Test’ v India Under-19s at Chesterfield.He bowled a tidy opening over but then Clark and Collingwood, profiting from his escape, cut loose to such an extent that the powerplay reaslised 63 runs.Clark completed his half century off just 26 balls with five sixes and then Collingwood lofted young paceman Pat Brown over long on to bring up the 100 in the 11th over.Clarke (52) holed out to long off attempting another big hit against D’Oliveira who was the only bowler to stem the tide of boundaries.He returned the excellent figures of 1-16 from his four overs but Collingwood found another able ally in Coughlin as 61 came from the final five overs.The Rapids needed a quickfire start – and it was provided by Joe Clarke and Hastings. Clarke collected three fours and a six in an over from Coughlin costing 20 as the fifty came up in the fifth over.The Rapids reached 65-0 at the end of the powerplay but Collingwood came into the attack and his first ball accounted for Hastings (24) who perished at deep mid wicket.Clarke has been a revelation in the opening role after Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s departure to Yorkshire left a vancancy at the top of the order. He completed his third half century in the last five T20 innings with his third six – off spinner Ryan Pringle.Ben Cox was equally effective in helping Clarke plunder 97 off only eight overs for the second wicket before he was caught at long-off off ther bowling of Barry McCarthy for 43Clarke went to his 100 with six over long on off James Weighell and then sealed victory in double quick time

Chelsea have reportedly entered the race to sign Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe in a huge development in the transfer saga.

What is the latest with Kylian Mbappe's PSG future?

After months – and indeed years – of speculation surrounding his future, Mbappe appears closer to the PSG exit than ever after being left out of the Ligue 1 giants' squad for their pre-season tour of Asia.

The Parisians' all-time leading goalscorer turned down the option of a one-year extension at the Parc des Princes, meaning he will become available on a free transfer next year should he not be sold this summer.

Real Madrid have long been considered the favourites to sign Mbappe, but RMC Sport reports that Chelsea have shown an interest in the France international, as have Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal.

It is reported that Al-Hilal are willing to pay PSG €200m (£173m) to sign Mbappe, and double that amount to the player himself over the next two years to persuade him to ply his trade outside of an elite European club.

Are Chelsea going to sign Kylian Mbappe?

This is not the first time Chelsea have been linked with Mbappe. However, the difference this time is that PSG are now actively seeking offers for the World Cup winner.

It is not known exactly how much it would take to persuade PSG to cash in – the sum being offered by Al-Hilal would surely be enough – but Football Transfers values the Frenchman at around £109m, which would make Mbappe the most expensive player in Premier League history.

The mammoth fee aside, it goes without saying that Mbappe would be an almighty acquisition for Chelsea. The Frenchman first emerged as one to watch when overtaking Thierry Henry as Monaco's youngest goalscorer at 17 years and 62 days in February 2016.

Mbappe has since cemented his status as one of the greatest players of his era across six goal-laden campaigns with PSG, during which time he has scored 212 goals in 260 appearances in all competitions, on top of his international success with France.

As per The Analyst, Mbappe ranks in the top 2% of all forwards for goals scored last season across Europe's top five leagues, the top 1% for shots, and nobody rates higher in terms of touches in the opposition box.

While more than just a goalscorer, it is the 148 goals in 176 Ligue 1 appearances – an average of 0.84 goals per 90 minutes – that will get Chelsea supporters most excited about a deal going through.

That type of scoring rate has never been seen at Stamford Bridge before, though Didier Drogba – one of Chelsea's greatest-ever strikers in terms of goals scored – 104 times in 254 Premier League games at a rate of 0.41 per 90.

That gap between Mbappe and Drogba highlights just how prolific the PSG forward has been over his career to date. However, Drogba's figures are skewed somewhat by a couple of off-seasons, including the campaign he returned in 2014-15.

Indeed, if you take Mbappe's figures from last season and Drogba's from 2009/10 – his best in a Chelsea shirt – they scored at a staggeringly similar rate: 0.93 per 90 for Mbappe; 0.94 for Drogba, as per FBref.

When taking assists into the equation, Drogba outperformed Mbappe (1.27 goal involvements per 90 v 1.09), while they found the net from a similar number of their shots on target (0.42 v 0.36 respectively).

Mbappe is showing more longevity than Drogba and, as Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti put it last season, is an "unstoppable" force.

Chelsea have been accused of overspending in recent windows, but no price would be too much if Mbappe is indeed in their reach.

The ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit has launched an investigation even as the players, including captains Dinesh Chandimal and Upul Tharanga, urged SLC to probe the ‘baseless allegations’ reportedly made by former selector Pramodaya Wickremasinghe

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Sep-2017The ICC has confirmed its Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has opened an investigation in Sri Lanka, less than 48 hours after 40 top cricketers petitioned Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to launch an inquiry into corruption allegations.On Friday, SLC confirmed it had received a letter signed by national players, including captains Dinesh Chandimal and Upul Tharanga, urging the board to probe the “baseless allegations” the players claim were made by former cricketer and selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe. The board, however, stopped short of stating it would launch the probe, and merely recounted the current players’ dismay at having their integrity questioned. But the ICC itself has now publicly established ACU officers have recently visited Sri Lanka in relation to an investigation.”The ICC Anti-Corruption Unit works to uphold integrity in cricket and this includes conducting investigations where there are reasonable grounds to do so,” Alex Marshall, the ICC’s General Manager – ACU, said. “There is currently an ACU investigation underway in Sri Lanka. Naturally, as part of this, we are talking to a number of people.”There have been rumours in Sri Lanka about the nature of play in a particular international match for several weeks, but no evidence of any sort has been produced, or even pointed to.And while some present cricketers claim Wickramasinghe made wild allegations against them, Wickramasinghe himself has more recently suggested that he was only making note of allegations that were already in circulation.Nevertheless, Wickramasinghe has been cast as the source of these allegations. SLC said the players had expressed “profound shock and displeasure at a former national cricketer and selector making such serious allegations,” and that SLC should “initiate an immediate inquiry by summoning Wickramasinghe in fairness to their good names that have been slandered by such diabolic [] allegations.”Whatever the case, it is uncommon for the ICC to comment on ongoing ACU investigations as they have on this occasion.

Tottenham Hotspur finally seem set to address their outstanding problem, further bolstering Ange Postecoglou's already impressive summer window…

Are Tottenham Hotspur signing Micky van de Ven?

That's according to transfer insider David Ornstein, who took to Twitter to issue an update on their pursuit of Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven. He wrote:

"Tottenham on verge of agreement with Wolfsburg to sign Micky van de Ven. Fee approaching €50m (£43m) inc add-ons. Once deal finalised, 22yo left centre-back will fly to UK to do medical + complete move on long-term contract".

Their pursuit of the Dutchman has been a longstanding one, but at last it seems they will get their man, and that all-important centre-back to boost a fragile backline.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Having fought off rival interest from Liverpool, the 22-year-old stalwart would mark an important signing, should the positive talks from earlier in the week transform into a tangible acquisition.

Is Micky van de Ven any good?

Despite only enjoying his breakout year in European football last term, such was the quality of the hulking speedster, he has already drawn an impressive level of interest.

Scouts likely see the 6 foot 4 frame of Van de Ven, and are subsequently stunned when his blistering pace is then showcased. Marcel Schäfer, Wolfsburg’s managing director for sport, even sought to outline it:

"Left foot, extreme speed, plays every second. Micky [has performed] consistently very well throughout the season. He’s a player with huge potential and this season in particular has shown incredible development, playing himself into the spotlight with his performances."

Given his preference to play from the left, which is a unique and important asset to have in any top side, it is thought that his signing will spell the end of Spurs' permanent pursuit of Clement Lenglet.

After the torrid season he has just endured in north London, perhaps that is a blessing.

Having joined on loan from the mighty Barcelona, many assumed Antonio Conte had earned a coup by tempting the Frenchman on loan. However, having played 26 Premier League games, it quickly became clear he was not cut out for this level.

He maintained a 6.65 average rating during that period, but journalist Muhammad Butt had predicted such a failure whilst lambasting the Catalonian giants' poor squad depth in April 2022:

"Garcia and Lenglet are both just terrible."

Meanwhile, the Wolfsburg star has been shining in the Bundesliga, having featured 36 times across all competitions and earned deserved praise.

His 6.85 average rating in the league perhaps even belies his influence, as he maintained an 88% pass accuracy, a 70% dribble success rate, 1.4 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

For comparison, Lenglet would only offer an improvement on one of those figures, with his 1.5 tackles per game hardly an outstanding upgrade on his potential successor.

At six years his junior and already past the level of the former Sevilla man, Postecoglou seems set to avoid his first big blunder by opting for Van de Ven over last season's loanee.

Even if FBref seek to outline a potential comparison between the two, including the Catalan dud on his 'similar players' list, it is clear that this is solely regarding play style rather than quality.

The young defender could underpin a long-lasting reign in north London, with Postecoglou using his impressive assets as the foundation for a brighter future. Lenglet would have instead just been a reminder of one of the worst campaigns in Spurs' recent history, without nearly as much talent.

Daniel Farke's Leeds United kick off their Championship campaign with a clash against Cardiff City at Elland Road in less than two weeks.

Who have Leeds signed so far this summer?

Versatile ace Ethan Ampadu is the only official addition to the German head coach's squad to date after he joined on a permanent deal from Premier League outfit Chelsea.

However, Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara is reportedly closing in on a £5m move to west Yorkshire and Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow could also arrive as a third signing ahead of the opening match against the Welsh team.

That may not be the end of their business, though, as they have recently been linked with interest in Coventry star Gustavo Hamer, who is a player with the potential to be Farke's next version of current Aston Villa magician Emiliano Buendia.

How many goals did Gustavo Hamer score last season?

The 26-year-old wizard scored 11 goals in 44 Championship appearances for the team that lost in the play-off final to Luton Town at Wembley.

Hamer, who was once lauded as "unbelievable" by former teammate Marko Marosi, proved himself to be capable of making a huge impact at the top end of the pitch from a midfield position with both his ability to score and create goals at that level.

The 5 foot 7 maestro racked up ten assists to go along with his strikes and created 16 'big chances' for his teammates in total, which shows that the talented gem was able to offer a significant goal threat whilst also being able to open up the opposition's defence on a regular basis.

Hamer averaged a superb Sofascore rating of 7.35, which is 0.35 higher than any Leeds player produced in the top-flight last season, and would arrive at Elland Road as a proven Championship performer with time on his side to get even better.

He could, therefore, become Farke's next Buendia as the Argentine wizard, who stands at 5 foot 8, was a prominent figure in both of the manager's promotions to the Premier League during his time at Norwich City.

The 26-year-old sensation scored eight goals and assisted 12 in 35 matches throughout the 2018/19 campaign before he enjoyed a phenomenal 2020/21 season, which saw him plunder a staggering 15 goals and 16 assists from a wide midfield position.

Buendia was also a hard-working attacker who liked to win possession back for his team, with 3.5 tackles and interceptions per match during the second title win.

In the most recent term under Farke's management, the Argentina international created 18 'big chances' for his teammates and earned himself the Championship Player of the Season award for being the most impressive star within the division.

Hamer, who made 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game last season, is a player with similar qualities to Buendia, albeit in a more central position in midfield, as they are both combative – despite being small in stature – workhorses who also provide immense quality in possession as scorers and creators.

Farke and Leeds must now push to win the race for the Dutch phenomenon's signature as he could slot straight into the team as a proven Championship star over the coming weeks and months.

Newcastle United continue to be linked with Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney, who has admitted he remains unsure where his future lies beyond the end of this summer's transfer window.

Is Kieran Tierney leaving Arsenal?

Tierney, a £25m signing from Celtic in August 2019, lost his place in the Arsenal side last season following the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City.

The Scotland international has been linked with a move away in the past two transfer windows, with Newcastle widely considered to be the favourites for his signature.

According to The Evening Standard, Newcastle remain interested in Tierney, despite spending close to £100m already this summer on Harvey Barnes and Sandro Tonali.

Asked about his future during Arsenal's pre-season tour of the United States, Tierney, who is set to fetch around £35m for his services, said: "It's not really up to me. I'm happy, I'm working hard every day and getting minutes. I'm just trying to do as well as I can."

How good is Kieran Tierney?

Newcastle do not have many weaknesses in their squad, but left-back is certainly an area that Eddie Howe could do with strengthening. Dan Burn, a centre-back by trade, played there 32 times in the Premier League last season and did a good job on the whole.

However, if the Toon are to push on from last season's fourth-place finish and make an impact in the Champions League, they need a top-class player in that position.

While Tierney may have been restricted to just six league starts last season, on top of 21 appearances from the substitutes' bench, he still showed what he is capable of when called upon.

Ironically, Tierney – who can himself also play centre-back – recorded very similar figures to Zinchenko last season in a number of key metrics. According to FBref's comparison tool, Zinchenko was the player ninth-most like Tierney across Europe's top five leagues.

Comparing Tierney and Burn's figures from last season must first be prefaced by the fact that both played in a couple of different positions, but the numbers still provide an indication of the two players' quality.

Tierney outperformed Burn in terms of tackles won per 90 minutes (1.25 v 1.10), interceptions per 90 (1.25 v 0.92) and recoveries per 90 (4.89 v 4.80) though the Newcastle fan favourite was stronger when it came to blocks per 90 (1.21 v 0.91) and aerial duels won percentage (69.4 v 25).

Ultimately, Howe must decide what type of player he wants playing down the left-hand side. In Burn, he has a player who is defensively solid and can offer the occasional attacking threat – albeit in a rather awkward manner – while Tierney is attack-minded but can also do a solid job defensively.

The fact Tierney has been restricted largely to substitute appearances of late means his stock has undoubtedly fallen, but it would be unfair to write him off just yet.

Tierney's versatility in particular, being able to play at full-back, wing-back or in central defence, could come in particularly handy for Howe. Just do not ask him to play as an inverted full-back, which is the reason he is not fancied by Mikel Arteta.

As former Scotland international Billy Dodds put it after watching Tierney play in a couple of different positions in the same game against Israel, the defender – on a reported £110k-a-week, according to Capology – remains an "outstanding" talent.

A move away from the Emirates Stadium may do Tierney's career a lot of good, though it is a transfer that could ultimately come back to haunt Arsenal should he shine at top-four rivals Newcastle.

أعلن الجهاز الفني لفريق الكرة الأول بنادي الإسماعيلي بقيادة إيهاب جلال، عن تشكيل لاعبيه لمباراة الأهلي المرتقبة.

ويحتضن ملعب استاد الجيش ببرج العرب، مباراة الأهلي والإسماعيلي، ضمن منافسات الجولة 20 من عمر الدوري المصري “النيل”.

ويتواجد الإسماعيلي في المركز الثالث عشر برصيد 19 نقطة، حصدها من 19 مباراة خاضها ببطولة الدوري حتى الآن.

وحقق الإسماعيلي هذا الموسم 4 انتصارات و7 تعادلات فيما نال 8 هزائم، سجل الدراويش 18 هدفًا واستقبلت شباكه 22 هدفًا.

ويحتل الأهلي حامل لقب النسخة الماضية من بطولة الدوري، المركز الحادي عشر في سلم ترتيب النسخة الحالية برصيد 21 نقطة من 11 مباراة، ويتبقى له 8 مباريات مؤجلة، لم يخوضها بعد.

حكم مباراة الأهلي والإسماعيلي في الدوري

وجمع فريق النادي الأهلي نقاطه من 6 انتصارات و3 تعادلات فيما نال هزيمتين، سجل لاعبوه 24 هدفًا واستقبلت شباك المارد الأحمر 13 هدفًا. تشكيل الإسماعيلي أمام الأهلي في الدوري

حراسة المرمى: أحمد عادل.

خط الدفاع: عبد الكريم مصطفى- محمد عمار- محمد نصر- حمدي النقاز.

خط الوسط: محمد بيومي- محمد مخلوف- عمر الساعي.

حط الهجوم: أحمد الشيخ- عبد الرحمن مجدي- نادر فرج.