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Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale is set to be in the market for a new number nine this summer to replace current forward Alfredo Morelos.

The head coach recently confirmed that the Colombian international, whose contract expires at the end of this month, will be leaving Ibrox, saying:

“Morelos is moving on. I think you saw the difference in energy in the forward area when Morelos came on. And not in a positive way. We'll need a focal point to the team, for sure."

In the same interview, the boss lamented his team consistently missing "incredible chances" and this indicates that the Englishman wants to add a clinical edge to his side next season.

Who could replace Alfredo Morelos at Rangers?

Beale could find an upgrade on Morelos and a player who provides excellent finishing by securing a swoop to sign Coventry centre-forward Viktor Gyokeres this summer.

Earlier this month, Football Insider reported that the Light Blues have enquired about a potential deal to sign the £20m-rated attacker as Beale is said to be a big fan of the ex-Brighton prospect.

How has Gyokeres done this season?

In the Championship, the Swedish international has scored 21 goals from 16.08 xG (expected goals) and this means that the dynamo has found the back of the net 4.92 times more than expected based on the chances his teammates provided him with. Whereas, Morelos scored 11 goals from nine xG in the Scottish Premiership – two more than expected.

Coventry's star man has overachieved his xG and scored ten more than the Colombian marksman to date, which indicates that Gyokeres would be an upgrade on the departing Gers forward in terms of the finishing quality he can provide.

The 24-year-old goal machine could offer more creativity than Morelos in the final third to go along with his goalscoring.

He has racked up 10.16 xA and 1.84 key passes per 90 in comparison to the 26-year-old's 4.81 and 1.62, which means that the Championship bulldozer has opened up opposition defences on a more regular basis for his teammates.

Gyokeres could also provide a focal point at the top end of the pitch as the goal machine has won 6.2 battles per game in the English second flight, whilst the Light Blues attacker has only won 1.9 duels per outing in the Scottish Premiership, and this shows that the Coventry gem can compete with defenders and put himself about in physical contests, thus preventing the other team from easily winning possession back off the number nine.

Taking all of this into account, the Swedish phenomenon – whose ability was hailed as "unbelievable" by his manager Mark Robins – could be a big upgrade on Morelos due to his clinical finishing, creative output, and his willingness to do the dirty work, which is why Beale must work hard to secure a deal this summer.

Hanif Mohammad, the man who played the longest Test innings, died in hospital after respiratory complications from his lung cancer

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-20162:50

WATCH – ‘Hanif Mohammad – one of Pakistan’s finest’

Hanif Mohammad, the original “Little Master” who played the longest innings in Test cricket, has died at the age of 81. He had been undergoing treatment for respiratory complications from his lung cancer in Karachi’s Aga Khan hospital. Late on August 8, he was shifted to the ICU and placed on a ventilator. Hanif was diagnosed with the cancer in 2013, for which he received treatment in London.Hanif played 55 Tests, including Pakistan’s first. Imtiaz Ahmed, 88, and Waqar Hasan, 83, are the only two survivors from that team. Hanif was renowned for his immaculate defensive technique. He scored 3915 runs at an average of 43.98. His best was an epic 337 as Pakistan saved the Barbados Test in 1958 while following on. It was the longest first-class innings then. At 970 minutes, it is still the longest Test innings.Hanif also held the record for the highest first-class score, 499 which he made for Karachi against Bahawalpur in 1959. The record stood for 35 years before Brian Lara surpassed the record by scoring 501 for Warwickshire against Durham.Hanif was born in Junagadh in the Indian state of Gujarat. He and his four brothers moved to Pakistan after partition; four of the five brothers played Tests while Raees, the fifth, was a 12th man once. At least one of the Mohammad brothers played in Pakistan’s first 101 Tests. Hanif’s son Shoaib played 45 Tests and grandson Shehzar 30 first-class matches. In 2010, a Cricinfo jury chose Hanif as the opener alongside Saeed Anwar in the all-time Pakistan Test XI.After retiring as an international cricketer, Hanif co-founded the magazine in 1972, which he edited for two decades. He also served as the manager of the formidable Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) team, which won the domestic one-day tournament, Wills Cup, three years in a row in the 1980s.ICC’s chief executive David Richardson paid tribute to Hanif, pointing to the impact that his triple-century against West Indies had. “It’s sad to hear of Hanif’s death and I’d like to extend my condolences and those of everyone here at the ICC to Hanif’s family, which counts so many cricketers in its number,” Richardson said in a press statement. “Hanif took batting to great heights and many batsmen drew inspiration from him.”His contribution to the game has been enormous and one can only imagine the kind of impact his batting had on others over the years. Hanif’s triple-century against the West Indies was a legendary innings and unsurprisingly he was one of the original inductees into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.”

Glasgow Rangers striker Fashion Sakala is set to be presented with the “opportunity” to shine following the departure of Alfredo Morelos, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Is Alfredo Morelos leaving Rangers?

The Zambia international first arrived in the Scottish Premiership back in July 2021 from KV Oostende and has since gone on to make 89 appearances to date, with another two years still to run on his contract.

The Light Blues forward has been a regular feature under Michael Beale since the manager joined, being involved in 25 out of his 26 games in charge, but even so, he’s still had to compete for his place with Alfredo Morelos up top.

The Colombian’s deal, however, is set to expire at the end of the season and the manager has already confirmed that he is set to depart as a free agent meaning that his 26-year-old teammate could emerge as a more concrete option moving forward, albeit the potential addition of any new players during the upcoming window.

Does Sakala deserve more of a chance at Rangers?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones insisted that Sakala will be able to capitalise on Morelos’ exit to show Beale what he’s capable of and establish his place in the squad ahead of the start of the 2023/24 campaign. He said:

"It's definitely an opportunity for him. One thing he's got to find now is some consistency. What you're going to get from him is so unpredictable. Sometimes, when he's on the ball, that can be a good thing because things can work out well. He's got an edge to him but, at the same time, it could go the other way sometimes."

According to journalist Josh Bunting, Sakala is a “quality” player for Rangers when full of confidence and so the centre-forward should certainly be handed an opportunity to shine heading into the new season that gets underway in August.

The Champions League participant, who currently pockets £8.3k-per-week, has 16 goal contributions (eight goals and the same number of assists) to his name in 24 Premiership outings this season, with this impressive form having seen him receive three man-of-the-match awards. The 2021/22 Scottish Cup winner has also recorded a total of 86 shots since the start of the term which is higher than any other of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef.

Furthermore, Sakala is a wonderful option for Beale to have at his disposal with his versatility to operate in seven different positions over the grass, including everywhere across the frontline and even three roles in the midfield, so this is a great attribute to have should any unexpected injuries occur.

Glamorgan’s seamers picked up Leicestershire’s last eight second-innings wickets for just 85 runs to put the visitors in a strong position to go on and win their Division Two Specsavers County Championship match

ECB Reporters Network21-Sep-2016
ScorecardAngus Robson made 72 but Leicestershire could only set a target of 181•Getty ImagesGlamorgan’s seamers picked up Leicestershire’s last eight second-innings wickets for just 85 runs to put the visitors in a strong position to go on and win their Division Two Specsavers County Championship match at Grace Road.Needing 181 to win, Glamorgan did lose an early wicket, pacy left-arm seamer Dieter Klein trapping Nick Selman lbw for just 2 before bad light saw play ended 15 overs early.The morning had seen Leicestershire openers Angus Robson and Paul Horton extend their second-innings partnership to 123 before being parted. Robson hit three fours in a single over from Timm Van der Gugten to bring up his ninth half-century of the season before Horton was drawn into pushing at a Craig Meschede delivery and edged to second slip.On the same score, Robson attempted to cut a short ball from Lukas Carey but succeeded only in edging to first slip, where Will Bragg held the catch.Neil Dexter and Mark Cosgrove added 75 for the third wicket before the lCosgrove, having survived two vehement appeals for catches behind the wicket, drove airily at a Meschede inswinger delivered from around the wicket and had his off stump knocked back.Ned Eckersley played two glorious back-foot drives through the off side before clipping a Michael Hogan leg-stump half-volley straight into the hands of square leg, and Mark Pettini, having suffered a first-ball duck in the first innings, had made only 1 when he chopped a wide delivery from Van der Gugten on to his stumps.Harry Dearden, making his home debut for Leicestershire, played solidly in going to 16 before being trapped leg before on the back foot to a van der Gugten inswinger, and the tail quickly followed, with Hogan picking up two wickets in two balls. Dexter was the last man to go, looking to force a wide delivery into the off side and like Pettini, edging the ball into his stumps, to give van der Gugten match figures of 9 for 133.Klien’s dismissal of Selman indicated Glamorgan might not find their target easy to reach, but with the ball continuing to swing Leicestershire were frustrated when light forced an early close.

Everton stand a good chance of keeping midfield powerhouse Amadou Onana beyond the summer transfer window, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's going on with Onana and Everton?

The midfielder has had an impressive first campaign in English football since joining from Lille last year, and earlier this season had attracted transfer interest from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.

The 21-year-old helped Everton survive the threat of relegation, and although there may be fears that he could depart this summer, the Toffees may be able to keep hold of one of their star players.

Speaking on the Here We Go Podcast, Romano claimed that Chelsea's pursuit of Manuel Ugarte is their priority, meaning any current move for Onana is unlikely, and that Everton stand a good chance of keeping the Belgian.

"I think Everton have a chance to keep the player, it's not going to be easy, but they have a chance because he really loves the club," he stated.

"He loves the atmosphere, the city, his teammates. So he has a special connection with the club. And also at the moment, while we're speaking there is nothing advanced.

"I saw new rumours about Chelsea in the last 24/48 hours, but I'm told that Chelsea are busy with Ugarte, this midfielder from Sporting, so they have not made Onana a priority.

"This is positive news for Everton. Also, let's see what's going to happen in the coming months, because maybe in July or August, some big club will arrive with big money on Onana, but at the moment the situation is quiet and the player is not desperate to leave."

How important is Onana to Everton?

The midfielder has provided a strong presence in the middle of the park for Everton and was described as "superb" following a player-of-the-match display in his side's victory over Arsenal.

Everton won just eight league games all season, and Onana started in seven of them, highlighting just how crucial he is to Sean Dyche's side, who struggled to find victory without him in the team.

The Toffees will be hoping to avoid another season where they are involved in a tense relegation battle, and building around younger talents like Onana could help them to start progressing up the table.

If a big bid does arrive for Onana, then the club may have to consider a sale, but they will be wary of the potential consequences of losing such an important player ahead of what could be another difficult campaign.

West Ham can look to next season with huge excitement and optimism. Their first major trophy in 43 years secured Europa League football and makes them a compelling option for any footballer looking to challenge themselves at a higher level.

After their £166m outlay last summer, David Moyes has demonstrated he isn’t afraid to be active in the transfer market, and the club is set for a busy summer.

One player who has been linked to joining the Hammers at this fruitful time is Brennan Johnson, who has been one of Nottingham Forest’s most consistent and productive players since their promotion back to the Premier League.

What’s the latest on Brennan Johnson to West Ham?

According to the Daily Mail, the 22-year-old is set to be the subject of an intense transfer battle between Everton and West Ham.

This outlet details that the Welshman is valued at £40m due to his massive effort to keep his side away from relegation.

However, with the added attractive option of European football, the East London outfit may have the edge to secure this talent.

How would Brennan Johnson fit in at West Ham?

The tricky attacker has been an indispensable component of a Reds side that gained promotion and kept their Premier League status.

In the 2021/22 campaign, the forward recorded 25 contributions in 46 appearances in the second tier and followed this up with 11 goal involvements in his debut season at the top level of English football.

Johnson appeared in every single domestic game and his manager Steve Cooper is a massive fan, saying: “He’s a fantastic player, we know he’s got qualities and is a great finisher.”

One of his most impressive attributes is his chameleonic ability to play across the frontline and his potential link-up with the dazzling Lucas Paqueta is a mouth-watering prospect.

The dazzling Brazilian ranks within the best 7% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive passes per 90, and has averaged the second-most dribbles per game (1.2) in the West Ham squad.

Described as “simply sensational” by CBS’ James Benge, the former Lyon star’s impudent vision, skill, and passing, coupled with Johnson’s endless running and commendable athleticism could be a devastating method of attack next term.

The way Paqueta expertly slipped in Jarrod Bowen to win the final last night is a teaser of how Johnson can benefit from his creativity.

The 18-cap international was born in Nottingham and has been in the youth ranks at Forest since 2009 – to tempt Johnson to leave his boyhood club will take a humongous proposal.

The £30k-per-week man’s current deal expires in 2026, so it would certainly be an audacious swoop for the high-flying Hammers.

Martin Guptill’s rapid half-century, and canny bowling from Tim Southee and James Neesham, were vital to New Zealand forcing the series into a decider at Visakhapatnam

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu26-Oct-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:44

Agarkar: Burden on Kohli if Rohit doesn’t perform

Martin Guptill’s opening salvo, and canny bowling from Tim Southee and James Neesham, ensured New Zealand forced the ODI series into a decider at Visakhapatnam. Having won their first toss of the tour in their eighth match, New Zealand, led by Guptill’s bruising half-century, tactfully exploited the field restrictions and ultimately finished at 260 for 7 on a track that offered turn and variable – sometimes negligible – bounce. The bowlers then frequently varied their pace and found equally good support from the fielders to throttle India’s chase.Southee was New Zealand’s key figure with the ball, first having Rohit Sharma caught behind with a perfectly-pitched outswinger. He returned with the old ball and produced a double-strike to all but snuff out the chase; a ball after Manish Pandey holed out off him, he had Kedhar Jadhav pinned in front by a slower offcutter for a first-ball duck. Three overs later Hardik Pandya was caught at long-off, Tom Latham running to his left to pocket a smart catch. India were left needing 94 off 84 balls, with three wickets in hand. Axar Patel, who was promoted to No. 5, and Amit Mishra briefly rallied with a 38-run partnership for the eighth wicket, Dhawal Kulkarni and Umesh Yadav then added 34 for the last wicket, but the hosts were dismissed for 241 in 48.4 overs.Neesham had produced a double-strike of his own, before ceding the stage to Southee. He dismissed Ajinkya Rahane for 57 in the 28th over and followed it with the bigger wicket of MS Dhoni in the 30th over. Rahane shuffled across and was trapped lbw by a straight ball while Dhoni was bowled through the gate for 11 off 31 balls.India, however, had started positively in their chase, with Rahane jumping onto any width offered and swatting away short balls with authority. He even uppercut Trent Boult for a six over point. He strung together 79 for the second wicket with Virat Kohli, who played a few trademark whiplash drives and punches during his 45 off 51 balls. Mitchell Santner, meanwhile, held his own and spun a few past the outside edge, with his family watching from the stands. And when he found the outside edge there was nobody at slips to snap it up.The partnership ended in the 20th over when Ish Sodhi found Kohli’s outside edge with a short legbreak and BJ Watling, who was playing his first ODI since February 2013, pouched it. The middle order then faded away, and although Axar showed glimpses of bravado in his cameo – 38 off 40 balls – India are yet to identify a genuine finisher with only four ODIs to go for the Champions Trophy.MS Dhoni was bowled through the gate for 11 at his home ground•Associated PressNew Zealand, on the other hand, ticked many boxes. For starters they read the conditions expertly, picking three spinners and taking the mind back to their success in the World T20. Guptill struck his second fifty of the tour. Latham was solid as usual, and Ross Taylor, under fire from all quarters, spent some time in the middle, although he was edgy throughout his 35 off 58 balls.But the most telling contribution, perhaps, arrived from Guptill. He didn’t always look pretty, but bent India’s attack out of shape in the Powerplay. He gave Kulkarni a cold welcome, hitting three fours off four balls. The first two were skewed drives wide of point and over mid-on. The third was disdainfully scythed through extra cover. He pressed on to unfurl sublime inside-out drives too. The nature of the pitch put in perspective Guptill’s early assault. As the match wore on, the odd ball kept low while several stopped on the batsmen. A couple of grubbers even raised puffs of dust from the surface.India could have had Guptill on 29, but Mishra could not hold on to one after diving to his left from mid-on – a decent effort, but he might have done better if he were a bit quicker to react. Mishra gave him another life later on, misjudging a much simpler catch at long-off when Guptill was on 62.Guptill had reached his half-century off 56 balls at the start of the 17th over, four balls after Axar had Latham top-edging a sweep to short fine leg for 39 off 40 balls. By then Axar and Mishra had settled into an asphyxiating rhythm. Guptill needed 12 balls to score his first run against spin, and was further stifled by Jadhav’s loopy offbreaks and straighter ones. The spinners conceded only 19 runs in the seven overs from the 11th to the 17th. But it was Pandya who eventually removed Guptill, when he had him playing inside the line and feathering behind to leave New Zealand at 139 for 2 in 26 overs.Mishra dragged them back further by removing Kane Williamson and Neesham in successive overs. New Zealand scrounged only 99 runs for five wickets from the last 20 overs of their innings, and only three boundaries in the last ten overs, including one of the final ball of the innings. But it proved enough to square the series.

The concussion substiute rule will be activated in this season’s domestic limited-overs competitions in New Zealand – the McDonald’s Super Smash T20 and the 50-over Ford Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2016New Zealand Cricket is set to introduce the concussion substitute rule in this season’s domestic limited-overs competitions – the McDonald’s Super Smash T20, which begins on December 4, and the 50-over Ford Trophy, which begins on January 15, 2017.The move came after two players – Canterbury opener Chad Bowes and Otago wicketkeeper-batsman Ryan Duffy – were forced out of games after being struck on the head.Bowes, who was hit by a Scott Kuggeleijn bouncer in Canterbury’s second innings against Northern Districts in the Plunket Shield game in Christchurch, was forced to retire hurt on 9 and missed the following two rounds.A bouncer from Lockie Ferguson resulted in Duffy falling onto his stumps after being struck in the second-round Plunket Shield match between Otago and Auckland. Duffy has not played since.New Zealand Cricket, however, will not have the concussion substitute rule in the Plunket Shield as the ICC had earlier rejected the idea for first-class cricket.The rule was used for the first time in the Matador Cup Elimination final in Sydney in October. New South Wales batsman Daniel Hughes was struck by a bouncer from Peter Siddle and was forced to retired hurt, before eventually being ruled out of the match.Under the new rule introduced by Cricket Australia this summer, the Blues were then entitled to pick a concussion substitute. The replacement player, Nick Larkin, then officially became part of the playing XI, and came in to bat at No. 8.In Australia, only a like-for-like player can be activated as a concussion substitute. In New Zealand however, the 12th man will be the replacement player to create a level playing field for away teams who travel with only 12 players, as opposed to Australia where sides carry more reserve players.

Liverpool are working on a midfield rebuild this summer with the signing of Alexis Mac Allister already confirmed, and now a new update has emerged on the club's next move.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Tyler Adams?

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in signing Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams this summer.

As per the report, the player has told his recently relegated club that he wants to play in the Premier League next season and the Reds are one of the top-flight clubs who have checked on Adams' situation.

It is claimed that Manchester United and Newcastle United also have the midfielder on their radar and Leeds will command a £40m fee to part ways with one of their biggest assets.

Would Tyler Adams be a good fit for Liverpool?

It is no secret that Liverpool desperately need reinforcements after a difficult and disappointing season with the club failing to qualify for Champions League football for the first time since 2016.

Not only that, several mainstays will leave the club when their contracts expire next month as Naby Keita, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Roberto Firmino all move on, paving the way for Jurgen Klopp to build the next generation of success at Anfield.

As a result, the Liverpool boss could repeat the same transfer masterclass he performed with Andy Robertson by saving Adams from his relegated side and turning him into a player who can take his career to the next level by winning trophies.

Robertson's incredible journey from being relegated with Hull City in 2017 to becoming a Champions League and Premier League winner in just three years would surely inspire any player and if Adams could seal a move to Merseyside he could emulate the left-back's fairytale.

Despite Leeds' struggles, the American midfielder has been a standout performer at Elland Road this season and boasts a clear ability to play top-flight football.

Over 24 Premier League appearances, the 24-year-old ace – once hailed "top-class" by journalist Josh Bunting – tallied up an 82% pass completion rate and created one big chance, as well as averaging one key pass, 1.5 interceptions, 3.7 tackles, one clearance and six duels won per game, proving that he is a solid and reliable defensive presence in midfield.

Not only that – to highlight just how impressive Adams has been for the West Yorkshire outfit – the prolific defensive midfielder matched Casemiro for tackles won in the top flight this season (89), which is made even more impressive when considering he played four fewer league games than the Manchester United superstar. Impressively, he also came second for tackles completed per minute in the entire league (22).

The opportunity to sign Adams could not come at a better time for the Reds with Thiago Alcantara in the last year of his contract next season and Brazilian midfielder Fabinho starting to show signs of a decline this season. That means the USMNT star could not only provide strong competition in the deeper midfield roles but could succeed either.

With that being said, if the club's hierarchy strikes up a cut-price deal for Adams it would be a no-brainer to snap up his services this summer, as the American could be a real asset in midfield for many years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks with Leicester City over a summer move for James Maddison, according to a recent report from 90min.

Is James Maddison leaving Leicester?

Back in May, Simon Jordan told talkSPORT that Maddison would be "one of the first to leave" Leicester this summer, and following their relegation from the Premier League, the midfielder looks like he will be on the move.

According to journalist Rudy Galetti, Aston Villa are "in the race" for the Englishman, while Newcastle United are "still in talks" having started work on a move back in January. He also claimed Tottenham "may decide to take some concrete steps soon".

Galetti confirms the 26-year-old wants to leave, and The Athletic reports his current club could receive around £40m given his contract is set to expire next summer, though his price may be driven up if a bidding war breaks out.

Tottenham have now taken one step closer towards lodging an official bid, as they have opened talks with Leicester about a summer move for the former Coventry City man, who they have been interested in on a long-term basis.

Incoming manager Ange Postecoglou has already given the move the green light, but 90min reports the Foxes could hold out for as much as £60m, given the level of interest from numerous top clubs.

Spurs are hoping to beat Newcastle to the England international's signature, and his entourage has also spoken to the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal over the last six months.

Is Maddison signing for Tottenham?

One potential stumbling block for Tottenham is the fact they do not have any European football on offer next season, while Newcastle will be in the Champions League, so a move to St James' Park could be a very attractive proposition.

However, the aforementioned 90min report details that Newcastle are unwilling to spend much more than £50m, so if Spurs outbid the Magpies, they could be well-placed to win the race for the Leicester star.

If the Lilywhites are able to complete a move, the midfielder could be a very good acquisition, having been hailed as "outstanding" by journalist Henry Winter back in 2021, while he also impressed considerably last season.

With an average WhoScored match rating of 7.24 in the Premier League, Maddison was ranked as the Foxes' best-performing player by a huge margin, amassing a total of ten goals and nine assists – more goal contributions than any other player.