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Leeds United are in talks to sign experienced full-back Sam Byram this summer, according to reports, with the defender currently without a club.

Recently appointed Leeds manager Daniel Farke has previously worked with Byram at Norwich City, and has allowed his former player to train with the Yorkshire club.

What's the latest on Sam Byram to Leeds United?

The experienced defender is currently training with Leeds, as he is without a club. And, according to The Yorkshire Evening Post, the Championship club are considering turning his stay into a permanent one this summer.

Byram has featured in three of Leeds' pre-season fixtures this summer, and has reportedly impressed those in charge at the club, making a deal possible before the deadline.

The full-back has also been without any injury issues after featuring in those pre-season games, in what could be the defining point in whether Leeds decide to go ahead with a permanent deal. Byram previously struggled to stay fit, ending his time at Norwich.

If they are to sign Byram, then they must do it by today if they want him to feature against Cardiff City on the opening day of their Championship season, which takes place on Saturday.

It's certainly a potential deal to keep an eye on, whether it happens as soon as today, or before the transfer deadline.

Should Leeds United sign Sam Byram?

After impressing during pre-season without any injury problems, a deal for Byram feels like a no-brainer for Leeds this summer, who need all the experience they can get on their quest for instant promotion back to the Premier League in the coming season.

Byram, 29, has 151 Championship appearances to his name, and has plenty of Premier League experience on top of that, too. The added bonus, of course, is the fact that he has previously played under Farke, so would waste no time in becoming adjusted to his system at Elland Road.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

When speaking about the defender, and whether Leeds will offer him a deal this summer, Farke said, via The Yorkshire Post: “It's too early to judge.

"Sam is obviously a top, top player once he's fit and a top class character, a Leeds academy product, he's had a really good spell here and he's homegrown which is also important for the Championship.

“He's an experienced player, that's what we need in a few positions. We could definitely also need some signings. But the most important topic for Sam is that his body is fit and ready to go.

“I was quite pleased with him in the final 30 minutes today, he came in in a difficult spell, we were a bit under pressure from Monaco and I think he had a solid start to life here in pre-season.

"The most important topic is that he stays fit and all the other topics are decisions that will be made in a few weeks but we are all happy that we have him because he's good for the dressing room at the moment.”

So, as things stand, it remains to be seen whether Byram will be lining up for Leeds United in the Championship in the coming season, but everything seems to be pointing in the positive direction for the defender.

ScorecardJoe Burns plays a shot•Getty Images

Test opener Matt Renshaw spent some valuable time in the middle and Joe Burns provided a reminder of his ability as Queensland wrapped up a seven-wicket Sheffield Shield victory over Tasmania inside three days at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.Set 156 to win, the Bulls were well-served by their opening batsmen, who were not parted until the 36th over of the innings when the visitors were more than halfway to their target. Renshaw, who will be expected to soak up plenty of deliveries against England’s new-ball bowlers to smooth a path for stroke-makers at the other end, lasted 109 deliveries for his 19.Burns played the most recent of his Test matches on the same ground a year ago, and was the more expansive of the pair in striking eight boundaries and a six to ensure the captain Usman Khawaja and Sam Truloff were able to complete the win without much trouble after the loss of Marnus Labuschagne.

Rangers and Nottingham Forest are still working on a deal for Jonathan Panzo, but the proposed switch has not advanced much further in the past week, according to a recent report from Football Scotland.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

Transfer insider Dean Jones suspects that Rangers may still have some work to do in the transfer market, despite already bringing in a number of players, recently telling GiveMeSport:

"I think it's seven they've got through the door already, at least a couple more to follow. The Cifuentes one is being held up a bit, but even with that, I don't think Rangers are finished yet. I'm expecting another forward player and another defender as well to be signed."

One defender the Gers are still considering a move for is Auston Trusty, who could be leaving Arsenal this summer, however, they now face a transfer battle, with English Championship side Ipswich Town also joining the race for his signature.

Panzo has been a target for the Light Blues for quite some time, with talks being held over a deal for the Nottingham Forest defender well over a month ago, and there has now been an update on their pursuit.

According to a report from Football Scotland, the deal is still being worked on by both clubs, but there has been very little progress in the past week, with Rangers aware it is likely they will need to pay £2.5m to secure his signature. Michael Beale is keen to add the 22-year-old to his squad, despite the recent arrival of Leon Balogun on a free transfer.

The player's salary has been put to the Light Blues, but there has been no recent movement while they are out in Germany for their pre-season training camp, and the deal does not appear to be edging any closer to completion.

Who is Jonathan Panzo?

Hailed as an "exciting young player" by Forest boss Steve Cooper, the centre-back started his career at Chelsea, making a handful of appearances at youth level, before going on to test himself in Ligue 1 with AS Monaco and Dijon, and in the Jupiler Pro League with Cercle Brugge.

Despite his age, the Englishman already has a considerable amount of first-team experience, emerging as an important player for Coventry during their push for the Premier League last season, making a total of 32 appearances in all competitions.

Forest U21s coach Dave Rogers has also praised the 6 foot 1 defender, who is represented by the same agent as Ben Davies, saying:

"He is a great professional. He's enthusiastic and has got good experience and energy too. He brings a great vibe to the dressing room too."

Over the past year, the former Monaco man ranks highly across a number of key metrics for defenders, when compared to players at a similar level, ranking in the 95th percentile for interceptions per 90, and in the 85th percentile for tackles. Therefore, Panzo could be a fantastic addition for Rangers, and Beale may well be hoping that more progress can be made in the coming days and weeks.

Afghanistan are closing in on playing their maiden Test, and are in talks with Zimbabwe for a full series later this year. The series is likely to be hosted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). Afghanistan were conferred Test status by the ICC in June earlier this year.ESPNcricinfo understands the series is likely to comprise one Test, five ODIs and between two to three T20Is. With Afghanistan not in a position to host cricket at home, the ACB is looking at hosting the series either in India or the UAE.It is understood that Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) sent an e-mail to the ACB last week giving an in-principle nod. Both boards will take a final decision once ZC finalises the dates of the scheduled tri-series in Bangladesh, which, as per the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), is to be played between January-February next year. Ideally, ZC wants to play Afghanistan in the UAE and then travel to Bangladesh.If the plans materialize, it will give Afghanistan a significant boost, after they have hopped into the top echelons of international cricket since gaining ODI status in 2009.During this period, Afghanistan registered memorable results, including three consecutive limited-overs series victories against Zimbabwe before recently drawing the ODI series in West Indies in June.

Manchester City were dealt a huge blow at the end of last month as midfielder Ilkay Gundogan departed upon the expiry of his contract with the club.

The German has signed for Spanish giants Barcelona on a free transfer after captaining the Citizens to the treble last season.

This has left Pep Guardiola without one of his trusted midfield options heading into the 2023/24 campaign, which could tempt him into the transfer market in the coming weeks.

Mateo Kovacic has joined on a permanent deal from Chelsea but his six goals in 221 competitive matches for the Blues does not suggest that he has the goalscoring ability to adequately replace the ex-Borussia Dortmund ace.

Gundogan found the back of the net 11 times in all competitions for City last term, scoring crucial goals in vital games – including two in the FA Cup final against Manchester United.

Who could replace Ilkay Gundogan at Manchester City?

Guardiola could forget all about the now-Barcelona dynamo by securing the signing of Celta Vigo prodigy Gabri Veiga, who is a reported transfer target for the club.

He has a €40m (£34m) release clause in his contract with the Spanish side and City are said to be willing to match it, although they face competition from a host of European clubs – including Newcastle United, Liverpool, and Chelsea from the Premier League.

Like Gundogan, the 21-year-old magician, who was once hailed as "dangerous" by journalist Euan McTear, is a central midfielder with an eye for goal and his exploits in the final third could make him the dream replacement for City.

The Spain U21 international averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.96 across 36 LaLiga outings last term and contributed with 11 goals to go along with four assists from the middle of the park, which came after he managed nine goals in 31 outings for Celta B in the 2021/22 season.

Veiga, who predominantly plays as a number eight or ten, is not a seasoned campaigner who would come in with a guarantee of success but his impressive goal return from his position at the age of 21 suggests that the potential is there for him to be an excellent addition for Guardiola.

Gundogan averaged a goal every 5.06 matches on average throughout his City career (60 in 304) and the Celta Vigo starlet has averaged a strike every 3.35 league games on average for the first-team and reserve sides combined over the last two years (20 in 67).

Only Erling Haaland (36) scored more league goals for the Citizens than Veiga's tally of 11 in LaLiga, indicating that the Spanish maestro could provide the manager with an excellent goalscoring option from midfield, as the Germany international did during his time at The Etihad.

Lionel Messi has taken the United States by storm at Inter Miami, but that boom is bad news for shirt sellers that have seen business “destroyed”.

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Argentine icon now chasing American dreamMade a stunning impact in the StatesHistory being made on and off the fieldWHAT HAPPENED?

The Argentine icon, who is poised to land the eighth Ballon d’Or of his remarkable career, has made a stunning impact on and off the field in America. He helped Inter Miami to a historic League Cup triumph within weeks of his arrival, while ‘Messi 10’ jerseys became the biggest-selling shirt in history at the official MLS Store just 45 minutes after going on sale.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Dave Zighelboim runs Miami-based Soccer Locker and has been selling soccer apparel for 42 years. He has never seen anything like the interest in Messi, but that is not doing his business any favours as punters have stopped buying jerseys of more established Premier League and La Liga clubs. Zighelboim has told the : “They’re not buying Barcelona, Manchester United and Man City right now; they’re coming from Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, Brazil, Colombia to buy Inter Miami jerseys. That’s been the biggest shocker. A person from El Salvador who couldn’t care less about Inter Miami four months ago, now with Messi, they all want the Messi jersey.

"Subsequently, that has destroyed my business of all the other jerseys. I’m not selling Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool. I’m not selling anything but Inter Miami and maybe Real Madrid. I had tons of product because the team [Inter Miami] was losing and their stuff wasn’t selling much. Then they signed Messi, and all hell broke loose."

WHAT THEY SAID

Brian Berklich – the chief marketing officer of soccer.com, a soccer specific retailer in the United States – is another to have witnessed the Messi effect first hand, with the South American superstar even eclipsing the furore sparked by his new boss in Florida – Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham. Berklich said: “Before that time, Inter Miami would not have been in our top 20, the top sellers were jerseys from the typical global powerhouses like Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG; so, for a U.S. club to land in that spot was groundbreaking. That top spot has never been held by a player actively playing for a U.S.-based club. When David Beckham came to MLS (2007) there was a lot of interest and excitement domestically, but what we’re seeing now with Messi … there’s no parallel in recent history.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

While Messi was able to inspire Inter Miami to a first piece of major silverware shortly after his arrival, an untimely injury contributed to his side failing to reach the MLS play-offs. He will now rest and recuperate – taking in friendly outings and 2026 World Cup qualifiers – before his 2024 domestic campaign gets underway in the spring.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has said that the team needs to be better at “sucking up pressure” with the bat after their 159-run defeat against South Africa

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington25-Feb-2017Kane Williamson has said that New Zealand needed to be better at “sucking up pressure” with the bat and learn to play a smarter game after they crashed to a 159-run defeat in Wellington.Their innings lasted just 32.2 overs with Colin de Grandhomme’s unbeaten 34 the top score. The openers fell cheaply, and though Williamson and Ross Taylor tried to mount a recovery they were squeezed by some challenging bowling from Andile Phehlukwayo and Dwaine Pretorius, whose combined nine overs in their opening spells claimed four wickets for 16 runs.”Restricting them to 270 was not a bad effort, but going into that second innings they were able to exploit the conditions and made life difficult,” Williamson said. “It probably showed that it was a tough score to chase, but as a batting unit, we want to be better at sucking up that pressure. Not only did they extract movement but they put the ball in the right area the whole time.”If we were smarter with the bat, soaked up pressure for a period and cashed in at the back end, we would have been far better off. A disappointing performance from us, but we do need to move on quickly.”Williamson highlighted that the drop-in surface at the Westpac also made it difficult to rotate strike, which helped bowlers build the pressure.”When you can use the pace of the ball you can rotate that strike, get momentum and the game can take a different shape,” he said. “They were able to bowl tightly then, when the ball does stop because there’s no block to work with, you can soak up pressure and feel like you’re not going anywhere.”That’s how Ross and I felt in those middle stages. It was similar to how they played, a lot of dots but if you go bang-bang, the run rate catches up. It wasn’t an easy surface but wasn’t a bad one either.”Either side of the solid batting performance in the second ODI in Christchurch, New Zealand have put in an indifferent top-order display in Hamilton, where they slipped to 82 for 4, and an awful one in Wellington. They will name their squad for the final two matches on Sunday morning with Martin Guptill returning from hamstring injuries, and will have to make a decision on Tom Latham following a third duck in six ODI innings. If he is dropped, New Zealand will need to make room for Luke Ronchi as wicketkeeper.While Guptill’s return is assured, Williamson was non-committal about Latham. An issue the selectors will have to consider is that Latham is one of the Test openers and he may be better off stepping away from the one-day side to try and get himself prepared for red-ball cricket.”Tom works hard like all of us to get more runs, he’s been unlucky with some dismissals, found some fielders, and that’s very much nature of the game,” Williamson said. “He’s up against a good attack as well.”

Australia’s selectors have made a host of changes for the Adelaide Test, with five men dropped after the loss to South Africa in Hobart

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide20-Nov-20164:23

We were given charter to revamp side – Hohns

Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson have been thrust into the firing line as debut batsmen for an embattled Australia amid a drastically changed squad for the third Test against South Africa.The interim selection chairman Trevor Hohns also included Chadd Sayers as an Adelaide Oval specialist for the day/night match alongside Jackson Bird, with Matthew Wade to retake the gloves in a Test for the first time since the 2013 tour of India.Six changes from one Test squad to another is a figure not seen in Australian cricket history since 1984, when the same number was made between back-to-back Test series against the fearsome West Indies team that ultimately broke Kim Hughes’ captaincy.Joe Burns, Adam Voges (concussion), Callum Ferguson, Peter Nevill and Joe Mennie are the casualties of the innings defeat in Hobart that handed the series to South Africa and also triggered the resignation of the selection chairman Rod Marsh. Hohns spared a thought in particular for Ferguson, dropped after his debut Test.”We were given the charter to revamp the Test match side,” Hohns said. “Sure it may sound harsh but Callum like all of our players except for our bowlers went back to Sheffield Shield cricket, had their opportunity to press their claims for inclusion in this side. Some have, some haven’t and I would suggest that Callum is not discarded by any means. Doesn’t mean the end of the road and we would love Callum to continue to score a lot of runs and belt the door down and demand selection again.”There may have been another change too if not for a calf injury to the left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe, who had up until Saturday been favoured to oust the incumbent the spin bowler Nathan Lyon, who has struggled notably for wickets or impact so far this summer.”Stephen was in serious contention there’s no doubt,” Hohns said. “Nathan as we all know, has over 200 Test wickets, he’s our best off-spinner that we’ve had ever, so it might not be that he’s not taking wickets at the moment, but there’s no indication that he’s bowling poorly. I’m sure if he continues to bowl well as we say in cricket, the wheel always turns.”Hohns spoke strongly of Renshaw as an occupier of the crease, and of Handscomb and Maddinson as aggressive players in the classic Australian mould. Maddinson’s inclusion was somewhat surprising ahead of his fellow New South Welshman Kurtis Patterson, but he has been highly regarded for some time – even playing for Australia A in England in 2013 on the day Darren Lehmann was appointed coach in place of Mickey Arthur. Maddinson is also close to the captain Steven Smith, who will fancy his chances of extracting the left-hander’s best.”We see him as a player of enormous potential,” Hohns said of Maddinson. “He is definitely a game breaker and if we can get the best out of him at that level as I think we can, he could be a very, very important player for us down the track.”Form on the first two [Renshaw and Maddinson] were very important, there was always an area at the top of the order that was in contention. And Peter Handscomb getting 200, he’s been there and thereabouts for a good couple of years now. He’s always been spoken about in our selection meetings, hasn’t quite made the cut recently but now his form can’t be ignored.”Sometimes you do of course go with your gut, as they say. It’s all very well looking at statistics all the time but sometimes, particularly right now, we were asked to go with some players. And we decided to do that of course, because we obviously need to, go with some players that we thought could play for Australia and hold us in good stead for years to come.”Bird and Sayers were included primarily as support bowlers for Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. Both had been chosen for the tour of New Zealand earlier this year. “Chadd’s a very good performer, and a very good performer in Adelaide and that’s why he’s been chosen for this Test match,” Hohns said. “He bowls very well here as we all know, it was only two Sheffield Shield games ago he took 11 or 12 wickets here. Hopefully, if he plays, he can continue to perform well.”Wade’s inclusion marks a significant change in philosophy for Australia, rewarding his batting ability and fighting demeanour ahead of the neater gloveman in Nevill. Lyon in particular will have to get used to the change. “[Nevill] very unlucky, there’s no doubt about that, but we consider Matthew Wade’s wicketkeeping has improved to the extent that we’ve gone in that direction,” Hohns said. “There’s no secret Matthew Wade’s batting is very, very good, in fact he’s scored hundreds in Test cricket.”He’s obviously seen as a tough competitor and that is what we’re looking for in our players now, and we want them to get out there now and have a fair crack at this and go forward with that. We don’t expect an immediate turnaround, but we’ve got a bit of faith in these guys now.”Squad David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Peter Handscomb, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Wade (wk), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.

A round-up of the second day of Group A matches in the third round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2016Mehul Patel took his second five-wicket haul and career-best figures of 5 for 35 to help Gujarat snatch the first-innings lead against Railways in Lahli. Gujarat had been bowled out for 187, after which Railways were brought down to 63 for 7 as 17 wickets fell on the opening day. Railways were shot out for 124, before Gujarat responded strongly in the second innings, ending the day on 295 for 3 for an overall lead of 358.Railways resisted when play resumed, with Karn Sharma and Anureet Singh, the overnight batsmen, adding 52 for the eighth wicket. Mehul then dismissed Anureet for his fifth, before Rush Kalaria wrapped up the innings with two wickets in the 44th over. Karn scored 48 and Anureet made 27, finishing as two of only three batsmen to record double-digit scores.Priyank Panchal scored 101 and shared a second-wicket stand of 141 with Bhargav Merai (70) to sink Railways. Parthiv Patel, the Gujarat captain, and Manpreet Juneja added 98 unbeaten runs for the fourth wicket before stumps were drawn. Parthiv was not out on 39 and Juneja had made 59.Madhya Pradesh snuffed out two Mumbai wickets to end the second day in Raipur in a dominant position. After MP’s first innings ended on 445, Mumbai were reduced to 38 for 2, trailing by 407 runs.MP had ended the opening day on 239 for 2 with Rajat Patidar unbeaten on 83 and Devendra Bundela on 36. Patidar batted on and raised his century before being dismissed for 106, while Bundela scored 60. Patidar, Harpreet Singh and Bundela fell for the addition of 16 runs, before MP were buoyed by Shubham Sharma (83 not out) and Ankit Dane (47), and the duo’s sixth-wicket partnership of 102. Vijay Gohil and Tushar Deshpande took three wickets each.Mumbai lost Kaustubh Pawar and nightwatchman Balwinder Sandhu in their reply. Akhil Herwadkar played out 58 balls and stayed not out on 29.Uttar Pradesh piled on a mammoth 524 before taking a Tamil Nadu wicket late in the day at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. Tamil Nadu ended the day on 34 for 1, behind by 490 runs.UP began the day on 207 for 1, with Samarth Singh having struck his maiden century in only his second first-class match. Samarth added 72 more to his overnight tally, before being dismissed 13 short of a double ton. Umang Sharma, who resumed on 36, added only 10 more to his overnight score, but UP were lifted by contributions all around, including half-centuries from Eklavya Dwivedi, the captain and wicketkeeper, who struck 60, and Saurabh Kumar (51). T Natarajan, the left-arm medium pacer, inflicted the bulk of the damage, taking 4 for 83.Sandeep Sharma added two wickets to his overnight tally to finish with 4 for 96 as Bengal’s first innings ended on 404 against Punjab at the Lohnu Cricket Ground in Bilaspur. Amit Kulia, Bengal’s new-ball bowler, then struck thrice in 16 overs as Punjab went into stumps on 168 for 4, behind Bengal by 236 runs.Bengal began the day on 332 for 5, with Pankaj Shaw unbeaten on 11 and Pragyan Ojha on 2. While Ojha fell on the same score in the 10th ball of the day, Shaw batted on and raised a half-century. He was the last man dismissed, for 55. Sandeep Sharma was supported by Vinay Choudhary, who took 3 for 75.Punjab lost Manan Vohra and Jinwanjot Singh early, while Yuvraj Singh, the captain, and Gurkeerat Singh got off to starts, but couldn’t convert them. Uday Kaul held up his end and scored an unbeaten 73, and in the company of Taruwar Kohli (26 not out) prevented further damage. Kulia finished with 3 for 44, while his opening partner Ashok Dinda took the other wicket.

Arsenal may be faced with a tough decision this summer as they continue to work on a new contract for William Saliba, journalist Charles Watts has claimed.

What's going on with Saliba and Arsenal?

The France international has performed well for Arsenal this season, but has just one year left on his contract at the club.

This summer is a crucial one for Saliba. Arsenal are in talks to extend his deal, but if they cannot reach an agreement, they may have to think about a sale of one of their most important players.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts highlighted Arsenal's potential concern over Saliba this summer.

"The clock is ticking when it comes to William Saliba, because you can't really end this summer without Saliba having signed a new contract. You can't go into the new season surely, with Saliba less than 12 months away from the end of his current deal," he stated.

"It's almost a bit of an elephant in the room type situation with Saliba, no one really wants to talk about it, but if this contract doesn't get sorted in the next six weeks or two months, maybe before everyone comes back for pre-season, then Arsenal are going to have a big decision to make because there's going to be lots of clubs sniffing around and thinking he's got 12 months left on his deal with this blatantly generational-almost quality defender, which he's proven in the Premier League this season, can we get him on the cheap?

"Bids are going to start coming in for William Saliba this summer if he hasn't signed a new deal and that's going to leave Arsenal with a bit of a decision to make."

What should Arsenal do with Saliba?

The 22-year-old has been sensational for Arsenal this season, helping them sustain a title challenge before picking up a long-term injury, and the Gunners capitulated without his presence in the back line.

Mikel Arteta described him as "superb" early on in the campaign, which was his first at the club following at number of loan spells away since he signed in 2019.

Tying him down on a long-term contract should be the priority for Arsenal, and with Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale reportedly agreeing new deals, there may be hope that the Gunners can hold on to their best talents to remain at the top level for years to come.

If no resolution can be reached in the summer, Arsenal may have to consider sizeable bids for the currently injured centre-back, but they may elect to keep him and attempt to tie him down throughout his final season.

If Saliba is to depart, it would be a huge loss for Arteta, and a top-quality replacement would have to be found.