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Arsenal could be set to add another midfield general to their ranks, following on from the expected capture of their top target.

What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Arsenal?

That's according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter to issue an update on the Gunners' pursuit of Romeo Lavia.

Having been relegated with Southampton, the young star showed more than enough in his first year in senior football to merit widespread interest.

With the Premier League runners-up one of the teams interested, the Italian journalist expanded upon this:

"Understand Arsenal are advancing in talks to sign Roméo Lavia. Negotiations ongoing with Southampton and player’s camp, still no official bid."

Manchester City, his former club, do retain a £40m buy-back clause which would expire should he make the switch to north London.

Would Romeo Lavia be a success at Arsenal?

The 19-year-old "diamond" – as dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig – may have suffered the drop in just his first campaign in the top flight, but many would argue that his performances did not deserve such a fate.

He was the ever-present heartbeat of a struggling Saints side, forming a fine partnership with James Ward-Prowse in the engine room.

His workmanlike exploits allowed the English maestro to push on and shine in a more advanced role, and in the end, the 28-year-old recorded 16 goal contributions with Lavia as the catalyst for such success.

Should the £25k-per-week Belgian now opt to move to the Emirates, he could once again strike up a similar partnership if Mikel Arteta manages to get his hands on Declan Rice too.

After all, recording 1.1 interceptions and 2.1 tackles per game in the league offer this defensive foundation, whilst Lavia marries this with an 86% pass accuracy and 68% dribble success rate too, via Sofascore.

He is as press resistant as he is solid, and is only set to grow with age too. This makes for a scary prospect, given that journalist, Benjy Nurick already views him as a "monster".

He could soon be one of the best defensive midfielders in the division, which could allow West Ham United's captain to flourish into a true creative threat too, something Ward-Prowse was able to do for the Saints despite their relegation.

The West Ham skipper did manage to record four goals and two assists last term, alongside his 2.1 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and one key pass per game in the league, via Sofascore.

It is the former figures that Arteta will be keen to help stand out, given he is set to lose the 14 goal contributions that Granit Xhaka offered with his expected exit.

To think that Rice did all this beside Tomas Soucek, with someone like Lavia in his place and the qualities of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and more to supplement him, this midfield hero could soon be set to explode into an imperative cog that helps to topple Pep Guardiola's current monopoly on English football.

Unai Emery kickstarted Aston Villa's summer transfer business over the weekend with a swoop for Youri Tielemans on a free transfer.

The Belgian will officially join the group at the start of next month, upon the expiry of his contract at Leicester City, to bolster the club's options in the middle of the park.

He could be joined by Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is also set to be a free agent at the end of June. talkSPORT have claimed that Villa have held talks with the former England international over a possible move to be their second addition.

The Villans are also reportedly eyeing up West Ham United ace Manuel Lanzini, who is another Premier League player who is on the verge of being available on a free transfer.

How did Manuel Lanzini perform this season?

The Argentine attacking midfielder only played 19 times in the Premier League and the Europa Conference League combined but produced impressive progressing passing numbers that suggest he could be a bargain signing for Villa.

Over the last 365 days, Lanzini ranks in the top 12% or higher of players in his position in the Men's Next Eight Competitions for shot-creating actions, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90.

This means that the West Ham ace has been one of the best midfielders in that group of players at moving his team up the pitch and opening up space to either create a chance or allow one of his teammates to provide the creativity.

The Hammers wizard, who was once hailed as "magical" by West Ham Fan TV co-founder Nicky Hawkins, excels at breaking lines and dribbling past the opposition to make things happen in the final third, suggesting that Lanzini could be an excellent option for Villa when they are trying to break down a low block.

Emery could call upon the 30-year-old in tight matches where his side will need to find ways of progressing the ball up the pitch quickly and effectively, which the Argentine gem is seemingly superb at doing.

Lanzini, who has scored 27 goals in 179 Premier League appearances, is a proven top-flight performer in England and could be a shrewd addition to Villa's squad as they would be getting someone who can hit the ground running and instantly perform.

This is also the case with Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has featured in 235 games in the division throughout his career, and Tielemans, who played 151 times in the league during his time with the Foxes.

Such a dynamic and fluid midfield trio would no doubt boost Emery's ranks next term and to get three hugely experienced Premier League players for £0 would be remarkable business.

Indeed, this has the potential to be a masterclass from Emery if he can get these three deals over the line and, hopefully, the Spaniard will be able to do just that in the coming weeks.

England’s series win over West Indies has handed Australia the ICC Women’s Championship with games to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2016Australia have won the ICC Women’s Championship with their last set of matches still to go.Australia, currently on 30 points, emerged the winners after England beat West Indies by five wickets in Kingston. It was West Indies’ last match of the Championship, and they are in third place with 22 points, behind England who moved to second with 23 points after the win.The Championship, which started in June 2014, is scheduled to end on November 23 with Australia facing South Africa in the tournament’s last fixture. As things stand, England can finish with a maximum of 29 points, which won’t be enough even if Australia were to be whitewashed by South Africa in that series.Australia have won all six series on their way to the top. Among them are whitewashes of West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as a 2-1 victory over England during the Women’s Ashes in July 2015.Meg Lanning, their captain, has led the Australian batting effort in the Championship with 1000 runs, including four centuries with a highest score of 135 not out. Allrounder Ellyse Perry is the second-highest scorer with 797 runs.On the bowling front, Australia’s spinning duo of Jess Jonassen – leading with 29 wickets – and Kristen Beams have shared 50 wickets between them, while Perry has picked up 20 wickets with her medium pace.With their victory, Australia also become the first team to achieve automatic qualification for the 2017 World Cup in England and Wales.

Ben Duckett, the Northamptonshire opening batsman, has become the first player to land the two most prestigious honours at tonight’s NatWest Professional Cricketers’ Awards ceremony in London.Duckett, 21, is expected to make his senior international debut in the forthcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, and will fly out on Thursday having been named both the PCA Players’ Player of the Year and the Young Player of the Year in the same season.”It seems to have been good news each week. I keep saying every week: ‘that has topped off my summer’ and then something else happens,” Duckett said.”I can’t keep the smile off my face. I wasn’t expecting this. To be nominated for both awards was an honour in itself so to win them both is something very special.”Most of the guys who have won the awards in the past have played for England or in international cricket so to follow them is a very great honour.”Duckett made 2,706 runs across all formats in 2016 and began the season by scoring a career-best 282 not out in Northamptonshire’s Specsavers County Championship match against Sussex at Wantage Road, and followed up with another double-century against Kent at Beckenham earlier this month.The left-hander also made a maiden List A double century, an England Lions record 220 not out against Sri Lanka A at Canterbury, one of three three-figure scores in one-day cricket, and helped Northants to win the NatWest T20 Blast for the second time in four years.He was voted Northamptonshire’s Players’ Player of the Year last week and he collected the Cricket Writers’ Club Young Cricketer of the Year Award at their annual lunch on Tuesday.”It’s a tough season but I think no matter what state your body is in, after being picked for England I would be more than happy to go and play for the next 12 months straight for my country. It’s a new thing for me and I am absolutely buzzing to get out there,” he said.Tammy Beaumont was voted Waitrose Women’s Player of the Summer by her fellow England players after a breakthrough season in which she followed up a maiden ODI half-century against Pakistan with successive centuries against the same opponents.Her aggregate of 342 runs was a record for a three-match series and Beaumont followed up with 142 runs in the NatWest T20 Series. She also helped Kent complete a Royal London County Championship and NatWest T20 double and will fly to the West Indies with England on Friday to prepare for the forthcoming ODI series.”It’s been a bit of a breakthrough summer for me. I hadn’t really cemented my place before so to have a season like that was unbelievable,” Beaumont said.Somerset and former England batsman Marcus Trescothick was presented with the PCA Special Merit Award by the Association’s President, Andrew Flintoff, in recognition of his efforts to raise awareness of depression in sportsmen.Chris Woakes won the Investec Test Player of the Summer after a breakthrough year in red-ball cricket, while Glamorgan’s overseas star Colin Ingram joined Duckett in winning two awards – the NatWest T20 Blast Player of the Year and the Sky Sports Sixes award: he hit his first ball of the season for six and ended with 29 in total.Northamptonshire’s slow left-armer Graeme White was awarded the Royal London One-Day Cup Player of the Year after finishing on top of the MVP rankings, while former Durham batsman Michael Gough retained the Harold Goldblatt Award for the PCA Umpire of the Year.”Huge congratulations to Ben who has made history this evening by being the first man to win the NatWest Players’ Player and Young Player of the Year in the same season,” said David Leatherdale, the PCA chief executive. “He has had a remarkable summer with Northants and fully deserves all the plaudits that go his way, and I’m sure he will go on to show his talent in the international arena starting in Bangladesh next month.”Reg Hayter Cup for the NatWest PCA Player of the Year Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire)
John Arlott Cup for the NatWest PCA Young Player of the Year Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire)
Waitrose Women’s Player of the Summer Tammy Beaumont
ECB Special Award Mike Selvey
PCA Special Merit Award Marcus Trescothick
Investec Test Player of the Summer Chris Woakes
NatWest T20 Player of the Year Colin Ingram (Glamorgan)
Royal London One-Day Cup Player of the Year Graeme White (Northamptonshire)
England FTI MVP of the Summer Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire)
Greene King PCA England Masters MVP Mal Loye
Sky Sports Sixes League Winner Colin Ingram (Glamorgan)
Harold Goldblatt Award for the PCA Umpire of the Year Michael Gough
FTI Team of the Year Adam Lyth (Yorkshire), Keaton Jennings (Durham), Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire), Joe Root (capt) (Yorkshire & England), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire & England), Liam Dawson (Hampshire & England), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire & England), Keith Barker (Warwickshire), Toby Roland-Jones (Middlesex), Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire)

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAndre Russell smashed 44 off 24 balls and picked up 4 for 23•CPL/Sportsfile

Two days before he was to face an anti-doping hearing, Andre Russell was in fearsome form, which meant Jamaica Tallawahs finished on the right side of a thrilling game against Trinbago Knight Riders, not to mention on top of the points table as well.The fans at Sabina Park had to watch their team twiddle their thumbs until the start of the 18th over. But 119 for 6 became 158 for 7 with Russell at the helm. He made sure to face eight of the final 12 balls of the innings and finished with 44 off 24 with five fours and three sixes.Russell came out with a new bat, bright pink in colour drawing comparisons with the bright gold bat his captain Chris Gayle had used in the Big Bash League. The experiment didn’t last too long though, he asked for something a little less flashy two balls into his innings. The third disappeared for four.Later, with ball in hand, and the match in the balance, Russell took two wickets in two balls in the 17th over. A haul of 4 for 23 put the final touches on a well-earned victory. The only thing that disturbed Russell during his match-winning performance was a soft landing spot at the bowling crease. That combined with a long-standing knee problem meant he had to undergo some treatment during the course of the match.”I’m playing, but I’m still not a 100%,” Russell said “But, everything in the game is tough. The wicket is tough, the ball, the pitch, bat everything, so you the player have to be tough. A little niggle is not going to keep me out.”As soon as I get back to the dressing room, I’m going to be back on the massage bed, doing whatever I have to do, ice bath, make sure I recover and recovery is very important so as much as I’d like to go out and have a drink with the lads, I’d have to stay in my room and do what I have to do.”A required rate just under eight meant neither team had a clear edge at the start of the chase, which progressed with both sides fighting quite hard to earn that upper hand. Tallawahs had Knight Riders at 60 for 4 in 10 overs, but Hashim Amla’s solidity and Denesh Ramdin’s enterprise – he walloped Shakib Al Hasan for two sixes and a four in the 14th over – reduced the equation to 58 off 36 with captain Dwayne Bravo still to bat.However, Amla fell in the next over, Steyn knocked Bravo over one ball after the batsman had smacked him for a four and a six in the 16th, Russell took over in the 17th and then it was done.Kevon Cooper dismissing Gayle for a nine-ball duck, and picking up two wickets in the 13th over including that of Kumar Sangakkara, became a footnote. So did a miserly spell from Sunil Narine. All that remained was the Tallahwahs’ joy, which peaked when Sangakkara, 38 years old and long retired from international cricket, leapt full length to his right to claim a superb low catch in that eventful 17th over from Russell. By that point it was clear who had claimed the upper hand, and the Tallawahs’ joy was to last long into the night.

أعلن النادي الأهلي عن خوض مباراتين وديتين، خلال معسكر الفريق المقام في الوقت الحالي بدولة الإمارات.

Newcastle United have six fixtures of the 2022/23 Premier League season remaining and they have put themselves in an extremely strong position to secure a top-four finish and therefore qualify for the Champions League.

The Magpies ran wild once again on Thursday night when they secured an emphatic 4-1 victory over Everton at Goodison Park and Eddie Howe will be hoping that the north-east outfit continue their outstanding form during the run-in.

The St James’ Park side have four of their final games at home so having the majority backing of their supporters is something that they need to capitalise on to get them over the line, so with that being said, here’s how we think their remaining matches will pan out.

Newcastle fixtures

• 30 April: Southampton (h)

• 7 May: Arsenal (h)

• 13 May: Leeds (a)

• 18 May: Brighton (h)

• 22 May: Leicester (h)

• 28 May: Chelsea (a)

Newcastle v Southampton

Following the 4-1 away win over Everton, the St. James' Park outfit next return home on Sunday to host Southampton and they will be full of confidence that they can continue their outstanding run of form having scored ten goals alone over the past two games.

The Saints will know that they are in serious trouble after failing to beat relegation-battling rivals Bournemouth, and whilst they desperately need to start collecting points to aid their chances of survival, logic suggests that they won't be able to take anything from the game in the northeast.

Prediction: Newcastle 3-0 Southampton

Newcastle v Arsenal

The Magpies are set to hold back-to-back home games when they welcome Mikel Arteta's Arsenal to St James' in what is sure to be the most difficult remaining fixture of the run-in. The Gunners lost control of the title race when they suffered that heavy 4-1 defeat to top-of-the-table rivals Manchester City meaning that they will miss out on the trophy should Pep Guardiola's side win all of their final matches.

The Emirates Stadium outfit will know that they have to put up a strong fight in front of a loud and excitable crowd in the northeast should they want to take something from the game, but based on recent form, they might have to settle for a point.

Prediction: Newcastle 1-1 Arsenal

Leeds v Newcastle

After what are sure to be two fast-paced and entertaining games against Southampton and Arsenal, Newcastle hit the road once again when they travel to Elland Road to take on Leeds who are in real danger of being relegated, sitting just one point above the relegation zone where they face dropping down to the Championship.

The Whites held the Magpies to a goalless draw the last time the two sides met in the reverse fixture of this game back in December, but considering how much the standards and level of performances of both clubs have changed since that time, you'd expect the visitors to wrap up a comfortable victory in West Yorkshire.

Prediction: Leeds 1-3 Newcastle

Newcastle v Brighton

Eddie Howe's outfit return to Tyneside for their penultimate home game of the season when they host Brighton and Hove Albion, who are still in with an outside chance of qualifying for some kind of competition in Europe despite recently suffering a surprising 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Roberto De Zerbi's Seagulls will be looking to capitalise on the fact that they have got at least two games in hand on their opponents that are around them in the table, but the black and white stripes won't go down without a fight.

Prediction: Newcastle 2-2 Brighton

Newcastle v Leicester

Alongside Southampton and Leeds, Leicester are another team fighting for their lives to stay in the top flight that Newcastle are set to face during their remaining fixtures between now and the end of the season, with Dean Smith having a mixed bag of a start to life in charge, winning one, drawing one and losing one of his three opening games at the King Power.

The Foxes' inconsistency could be a main reason as to why they find themselves in relegation bother, and the chances of them pulling a shock result out of the hat in front of the north-east massive are very slim, so this should be a comfortable three points for Howe.

Prediction: Newcastle 2-0 Leicester

Chelsea v Newcastle

Newcastle's Premier League season concludes with a trip to London in what is sure to be a thrilling encounter with a lot potentially on the line for the visitors.

The Magpies gaining a positive result on the final day of the campaign could prove definitive in their hunt to finish in the top four, but with the Blues wanting to send their fans home for the summer happy and with a win following their disappointing term, this fixture could prove to be the unlikely banana skin that no-one saw coming.

Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Newcastle

• Predicted run-in points: 11/18

• Predicted total points: 73

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has surprisingly claimed that he expects Chelsea to win their Champions League quarter-final tie despite being handed a tough draw.

What's going on at Chelsea?

Graham Potter withstood a disastrous run of form to eventually turn Chelsea's fortunes around, putting together a number of wins in the league as well as knocking Borussia Dortmund out of the Champions League, although they were held at home this weekend.

In Europe, they have been drawn against holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, and given the form of both teams, it is hard to look past the Spanish champions as favourites.

However, Merson stated on Sky Sports (via Football Daily) that Chelsea's recent switch to a back three has made them dangerous going forward – and he now expects them to beat Carlo Ancelotti's side.

He said: "I think Chelsea are a dangerous, dangerous football team. The Champions League draw ain't kind, but I do expect them to beat Real Madrid over two legs, I do.

"I don't see them [finishing] in the Champions League places, but they are in a position where they will be able to rest people. Before the Real Madrid game, he could rest the whole 10 players that he believes are going to be the players playing against Real Madrid."

What has Chelsea's biggest problem been this season?

Chelsea have been solid defensively, as only Newcastle United, Arsenal and Manchester City have better defensive records. The main issue has been scoring goals, as they are currently averaging around one goal per game – which is significantly lower than anyone in the top half of the table.

Attacking signings such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke are yet to have an impact on their attack, but the latter two have looked promising at times since they arrived in January.

Without a recognised, in-form striker, Chelsea have lacked goals at times, and their lack of cutting-edge up front contributed heavily to their nightmare run of form.

They have also suffered injuries to key players such as Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante throughout the campaign, and despite their large squad, they have struggled to maintain consistency until this recent run.

Their large squad means they will be able to heavily rotate their side ahead of the games against Real Madrid, and this could help them gain a fitness edge over the 14-time winners, but it will be a tough ask to beat them over two legs.

Trevoh Chalobah has established himself as a regular at Chelsea over the past few seasons and his market value has understandably rocketed as a result.

Although the young centre-back recently signed a long-term contract extension at Stamford Bridge, the west London side are now safe in the knowledge that they would receive a significant fee should the academy graduate ever depart.

How much is Trevoh Chalobah worth?

Chalobah has been at Chelsea since joining the U9 set-up and progressed quickly into senior football, enjoying loan spells with Ipswich Town and Huddersfield Town in the Championship, where he was a regular for both sides throughout the season, making a combined 82 appearances.

He would impress again in the 2020/21 season with FC Lorient, making 30 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit, in which he contributed two goals and two assists, with his excellent performances clearly enough to convince those at Chelsea that he was ready to feature in Thomas Tuchel's squad the following year.

Under the German manager, Chalobah, who earns £50k-per-week, would make 30 appearances last season, which included three goals and one assist in 20 Premier League outings, with the 23-year-old earning a superb 7.03 average rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Teammate Thiago Silva sang his praises after he broke into the team last season and featured alongside the experienced Brazilian in defence.

He said: "He is a player despite being so young who plays like an experienced professional,’ says the Brazilian, ‘and that makes me really happy because I'm there alongside him playing the same position and I can see how he's performing, how he's developing.

"Some people said that he didn't have the ability to do so but he's made it because of his own capacities. That's something that makes me really happy because a player like Trevoh Chalobah is the future of this club."

This season was perhaps always going to be more of a struggle for the Englishman, given the signing of Benoit Badiashile and the return of Wesley Fofana from his long-term injury, but he has continued as a regular under Graham Potter, making 21 appearances in total this campaign.

Unsurprisingly, Chalobah's recognition as a regular first-team player at Chelsea has seen his market value soar in recent years, with FootballTransfers now suggesting that he would be worth €35m (£32m), which obviously is significant for the Blues considering he cost them nothing as an academy graduate.

After criticism for the loan army that Chelsea created years ago, with many never featuring for the club, it is good to see the likes of Chalobah, Mason Mount and Reece James playing a part at Stamford Bridge having come through the academy.

The mood at Chelsea has shifted from overwhelming pessimism to fruitful optimism in one week, with Stamford Bridge overseeing two pivotal victories against Leeds United in the Premier League and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, with the latter advancing the Blues to the quarter-finals.

Graham Potter had led his side to a dismal run of two victories from 15 matches across all competitions before the succession of wins, with Chelsea still mired in the mediocrity of tenth place in the league, an alarming 11 points adrift of Tottenham Hotspur in fourth.

With a trip to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester City forthcoming this afternoon, with the Foxes two points above the relegation zone and desperate for a slice of respite, the west London outfit will need to ensure the recent good fortune emerges as a timely purple patch to lay the foundation for a run of form that can be sustained over the business end of the campaign, after money was pumped in on the transfer front this January by affluent owner Todd Boehly.

Reece James is expected to be absent due to injury, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling – who netted against the Yellow Wall earlier this week – are also sidelined.

How will Chelsea line up against Leicester?

With this in mind, here is the predicted line-up that Football FanCast expects Potter to field for the crucial clash, with as many as three alterations from the preceding winning formula.

(3-4-3) (GK) Kepa; (CB) Fofana, (CB) Koulibaly, (CB) Badiashile; (RWB) Loftus-Cheek, (CM) Kovacic, (CM) Fernandez, (LWB) Chilwell; (RW) Ziyech, (CF) Havertz, (LW) Felix.

Kepa Arrizabalaga will continue to deputise between the sticks, having kept four clean sheets from his past seven league outings.

At the back, Benoit Badiashile could return after being omitted from the Champions League squad after his £35m winter arrival, with summer signings Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly completing the back three; £60m summer signing Marc Cucurella might start this one on the bench, having been lauded as “top level” by Fabrizio Romano for his display in midweek, to rest.

With James not expected to feature, Ruben Loftus-Cheek may well adopt the role down the right flank, with Cesar Azpilicueta’s status still unknown following his concussion three weeks ago; Ben Chilwell will hope to impress once more on the alternate side following his good form.

In the centre, Mateo Kovacic and Enzo Fernandez will hope to nurture their collective understanding, respective skill sets seeming to meld well since the Croatian’s return from injury, interestingly coinciding with the upswing in form.

With Sterling injured, Hakim Ziyech might be deployed on the right wing, with £10m loan signing Joao Felix bringing dynamic flair on the left.

Up front, Kai Havertz will hope to build upon his goalscoring performance against Dortmund several days ago, with his seven seasonal strikes the joint-highest in the Chelsea squad.