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Aston Villa have agreed personal terms to bring West Bromwich Albion starlet Rico Richards to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Rico Richards?

Richards is naturally an attacking midfielder who is an academy product at the Hawthorns and has predominantly been a regular feature of the U21s, who he’s registered a total of 55 appearances for. He’s only ever made two senior outings for the Baggies.

The 19-year-old’s contract also expires this Friday and West Brom have confirmed that he has been released and will therefore be leaving the club as a free agent, something which has alerted Unai Emery across the Midlands.

Football Insider previously reported that the Villans were in advanced talks to sign the teenager and it was stated that the recruitment team were confident of striking a deal, and reports on Friday then revealed good news on another deal, as an agreement has been struck to sign Pau Torres from Villarreal.

Are Aston Villa signing Richards?

The good news keeps coming for Villa fans, as according to another update from Football Insider, Richards has "agreed personal terms" to complete a summer switch to Aston Villa.

NSWE and Monchi are "closing in" on a deal for the talented prospect having "finalised" the smaller details of a contract with the player himself which is seen as a "key development" in the move. He is now set to join Torres as their next two signings of the summer.

With Richards being just 19 years of age, it’s unclear as to whether Aston Villa would slot him into the youth setup or give him a chance to prove himself in the first-team, but regardless, the attacking midfielder could bring a fantastic prolific threat and securing him for the cost of nothing is an absolute bargain.

In the Premier League 2, West Brom’s left-footed gem posted nine goal contributions (five assists and four goals) in 19 appearances last season and has been hailed a “technician” in the centre of the park by Data Analyst Tom Williams.

England U17s former international would also add wonderful versatility to the club’s ranks having operated in seven various positions since the start of his career, including three roles in the midfield and all across the frontline, which will be another attractive attribute to the boss.

Richards is a creative individual who has excellent “close control, fast dribbling ability and presence in front of goal” according to the Baggies’ official website, so he would be an extremely promising recruit for the long-term future at Villa Park.

A round-up of the Group B matches in the WICB Regional Super 50 2016-17 played on February 5, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2017Barbados pulled off a two-wicket win over Guyana in a low-scoring match at Bridgetown’s Three Ws Oval to seal a semi-final spot in the Regional Super50. Chasing 187, Barbados’ Kevin Stoute (51) and Shai Hope (63) consolidated their chase in a 70-run second-wicket stand but Raymon Reifer’s four wickets kept Guyana in the hunt.Barbados collapsed from 119 for 2 to 180 for 8 and went into the last over needing six runs, before Carlos Brathwaite (11*) and Jomel Warrican (2*) helped them cross the target with three balls to spare. Earlier, Guyana were all out for 186 off the last ball of their innings, failing to recover from a position of 100 for 5 after Ashley Nurse’s three wickets at the top. Six Guyana batsmen scored 18 runs or more but their top score came from Veerasammy Permaul , who scored 32 at no. 9.Jamaica defended 204 against Combined Campuses & Colleges in Bridgetown courtesy a spirited bowling effort led by Nikita Miller, who took 3 for 12 from nine overs. Miller’s haul saw CCC slip from 124 for 5 to 130 for 8, before they folded on 160 to give Jamaica a 44-run win that took them to second place in Group B.Jamaica reached 204 after fifties from Jermaine Blackwood (51) and Andre McCarthy (51), and a late surge from Jerome Taylor (41). Between these knocks, CCC took regular wickets to keep Jamaica in check. They lost their first two wickets for 26 and then slipped from 109 for 2 to be bowled out in the 46th over. Offspinners Mark Deyal and Vikash Mohan took three wickets each.For CCC, their top score came from the extras conceded by Jamaica (30, of which 24 were wides). Cassius Burton (28), Amir Jangoo (24) and Mark Deyal (21) got starts but, with regular wickets falling, Jamaica completed a win in the 42nd over.

Everton could do with landing an exciting player to get supporters in the mood for next season's Premier League campaign, but a move for one such option appears to be off the cards.

The Toffees had been tipped to move for Udinese striker Beto after showing an initial interest in the January window, though Italian outlet Tutto Udinese suggests they have yet to make an approach.

Instead, Serie A champions Napoli are considered to be the frontrunners for the 25-year-old, albeit with their initial €20m (£17m) offer said to be some way off the €30m (£26m) Udinese are holding out for.

However, with Sean Dyche unable to rely on injury-prone Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Ellis Simms seemingly next in line to lead the attack, Everton should reconsider making an offer for Beto.

Who is Udinese forward Beto?

The Portuguese attacker arrived at Udinese from Portimonense in the 2021 summer transfer window on an initial loan basis, which the Italian side happily took up the option to make permanent last year.

Beto scored 11 goals in his first Serie A season with Udinese and followed that up by hitting double figures again last season with 10 in 33 games as the Bianconeri finished in a comfortable 12th.

To put Beto's scoring rate into some perspective, his 0.42 goals per 90 minutes in the Italian top flight last season, as per FBref, is a near identical rate to that of Ollie Watkins in the Premier League with Aston Villa (0.43).

His ability to cause unrest has also been noted by football writer Sam Tighe, who described Beto's ability to "spook defenders" as "amazing".

The Udinese number nine is ranked in the top 13% of all forwards across Europe's top five leagues in terms of touches in the opposition box, putting him on a par with Newcastle United's Alexander Isak, as per The Analyst.

Beto is a player who can get on the ball in dangerous positions and indeed find the net at the highest level, then, which is something Simms has so far been unable to do.

After impressing with seven goals in 17 Championship appearances with Sunderland in the first half of last season, Simms scored just once in 11 Premier League outings – albeit a late equaliser away to Chelsea – after being recalled by Everton.

The 22-year-old did show the odd encouraging moments but, as put by football writer Josh Bunting, he "just is not ready for the Premier League" and looked "out of his depth" in Everton's 2-0 Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool in February.

Even when factoring in that Simms spent half of last season playing at a lower level, he is still unable to match Beto in terms of key attacking metrics such as shot-on-target percentage (33.3 v 27.5 respectively), successful take-ons (1.35 v 0.53) and aerial duels won (52.2% v 44.6%).

There was little between the pair in terms of shot-creating actions per 90 (2.07 v 2.06) – used to measure factors such as passes and take-ons leading to a shot – and pass-completion rate (63.5% v 63.7%), while Simms will naturally get better in other areas as he ages.

But Everton are after a player for the here and now, and in Beto they can sign someone who has already registered successive seasons of double figures for goals in a major European league. Do that, and supporters may just have a little more hope for what is ahead.

A confrontation between James Anderson and R Ashwin provided a “sour end” to the fourth Test in Mumbai, according to Alastair Cook

George Dobell in Mumbai12-Dec-20163:04

Trott: Saw frustration from Anderson’s side

A confrontation between James Anderson and R Ashwin provided a “sour end” to the fourth Test in Mumbai, according to Alastair Cook.Anderson, England’s last batsman, received quite the welcome party when he walked out to bat in the dying moments of the match. Ashwin, in particular, appeared to have taken exception to his comments on the fourth evening that seemed, at best, grudgingly respectful of Virat Kohli’s dominance, and accompanied him for much of his walk to the middle. While it is unclear exactly what was said, it seems safe to assume Ashwin was not offering his full support. Play was delayed briefly before Kohli and umpire Marais Erasmus stepped in to ensure order was restored.The England camp felt Anderson’s comments were, in Cook’s words, “blown out of proportion”. But while Cook accepted Ashwin and his team-mates were “sticking up for their captain” he still described the episode as unnecessary and disappointing.”It was a bit of a sour end really,” Cook said. “It was a disappointing end in terms of how well the spirit between both sides has been played.”It was clearly in reference to what Jimmy said yesterday which has kind of been blown out of all proportions, which it can do here. He was just stating a fact which if you asked Virat is probably quite true. But yes, it was obviously just sticking up for their captain which I thought was slightly unnecessary.”Kohli was more relaxed about the incident and confirmed that he had made his peace with Anderson and agreed to “move on”.”For the first time I was trying to calm things down in the middle at a time when [Anderson] is involved,” he said. “Ashwin wasn’t pleased with what he said in the press, but I didn’t even know about it. So I didn’t know what to make of it. I was laughing about it.”Ashwin wasn’t too impressed and he let him know, not using any bad words honestly. I think he told him he was pretty disappointed with what he said and it is important to accept defeat as it is. Things like that. Just general, you know how Ashwin is, he is to the point, he can really strike you well and he doesn’t need to say bad words. Later on I told James these things happen and let’s move on.”While Kohli said he was “not going to sit here and comment about someone else’s faults” he had already expressed his views. Having suggested England’s batsmen lacked “intent” as they battled to save the Test in Visakhapatnam, he told Star Sports after this match that England had played too expansively as they were “not so confident of their defence”.He may well have a point. Just as Anderson may have had a point about Kohli’s record in England and Parthiv Patel may have had a point about the limitations of England’s spinners and the early struggles of Jos Buttler in the first innings of this game. The way in which these views are expressed, which sometimes seems intended to goad the opposition, is the issue.But there is history between these teams. India felt England’s behaviour towards them was poor on the tour of 2014 – in particular, the alleged incident between Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja was never satisfactorily resolved from an Indian perspective – and England can feel their proud record against India crumbling by the moment.Either way, it all seems unnecessary. India have proved themselves the better side. No amount of comment will change the scoreline.

Aston Villa have been linked with a host of talent as the transfer window officially opened yesterday to commence a busy summer for the club.

Unai Emery is expected to be joined by Sevilla sporting director Monchi in the bid to strengthen Villa ahead of next season, which will mark the club’s first European involvement since 2010.

The Midlands side have had a strong link to Spain so far this summer, with the theme repeating with the club’s latest reported interest.

What’s the latest on Nico Williams to Aston Villa?

As reported by The Athletic in May, Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams was revealed as a ‘target’ for Aston Villa.

The speculation has resurfaced this week, with Spanish publication Marca stating that the Spaniard is the Villans' 'number one objective' with the player edging 'closer' to a Premier League move than extending at Athletic.

With a €50m (£43m) release clause, Villa could swipe the 20-year-old from La Liga for a fee in the region of £43m.

What could Nico Williams offer to Aston Villa?

With 10 goal contributions coming from six goals and four assists in LaLiga last season, via Sofascore, Williams has cemented himself as the club’s favoured right-winger.

Having been lauded as “dynamite” by U23 scout Antonio Mango due to his impeccable footwork and skill on the ball, the 20-year-old could become the next talent to set the Premier League alight.

While Jacob Ramsey has been a revelation playing under Emery, the Englishman could be forced to take the backseat to accommodate the talent of Williams in his position.

When comparing the two wingers, the Spaniard excels in a number of key areas that wide players are expected to be skilled in, suggesting that he could be a better option to Villa’s attack than the 22-year-old.

As per FBref, the Pamplona-born star averages 2.81 successful take-ons per 90 to Ramsey’s 1.06 per 90 in the Premier League, showcasing his skill when presented with a 1v1 scenario.

The 20-year-old whiz ranks in the top 5% of wingers in Europe when it comes to progressive carries, recording an average of 5.90 per 90 in comparison to the Englishman’s 3.21, highlighting his ability to drive the ball into threatening positions.

Also praised for his “pure energy” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Williams is a live wire on the flank and a danger in progressive play, as communicated through his monstrous average of 10.88 progressive passes received per 90, showing the advanced positions he creates for himself.

Ramsey averages only 4.06 received progressive passes per 90 in the Premier League, which suggests that if the Spain international is captured by Villa, he may have to work to maintain his spot in the starting 11.

Emery could land his side a phenomenal talent should the club opt to pay Athletic Bilbao his release clause fee, which at £43m is a pretty reasonable price for a player as bright and young as Williams.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Roger Ibanez, with AS Roma set to lower their asking price, according to reports from Italy.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Tottenham have already started work on bringing in a new defender, with it recently being reported they have submitted a £19m bid for Galatasaray's Victor Nelsson, although they may have to slightly increase their offer to tempt the Turkish side into a sale.

Personal terms with Nelsson have already been agreed, meaning a move may not be far away, however the Dane is not the only defender Spurs have their eye on, with journalist Rudy Galetti reporting they are "tracking" Villarreal's Pau Torres.

Incoming manager Ange Postecoglou reportedly does not view Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez as valuable assets, with the duo poised to depart this summer, meaning the manager may be tasked with bringing in multiple new centre-backs.

Another player who has been linked with a switch to north London is Roma's Ibanez, with reports from Italy previously detailing the Italian club are set to demand €40m (£34m) to sanction his departure in the upcoming window.

However, the defender has made it clear he wants to leave, and the Serie A side have now lowered their asking price to €30m (£26m), in what could be a real boost for Tottenham.

The 24-year-old is popular in the Premier League, and AS Roma may be forced into making a sale before the end of June, as they need to make sure they abide by Financial Fair Play rules.

Is Ibanez joining Tottenham?

Considering Tottenham only want to spend €20m (£17m) on the Brazilian, Roma's current asking price may still be considered too high, however they may be able to use Roma's ongoing financial situation to lower the price even further.

The opportunity to sign the centre-back for a cut-price fee would surely be attractive to the Lilywhites, considering how well he performed in the Serie A last season, averaging two interceptions per game, the second-highest figure in the entire league.

Hailed as "untouchable" by manager Jose Mourinho, the Roma star ranks in the 82nd percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and in the 81st for non-penalty goals, indicating he also poses an attacking threat.

Even if Tottenham have to fork out £26m for Ibanez, he could be a quality addition to the squad, and it is very good news that Roma have lowered their asking price before the window has even officially opened.

A round-up of the final round of Ranji Trophy matches from Group B on December 7, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2016A total of 18 wickets fell in Vadodara as four wickets each from medium-pacers Sumit Narwal and Pradeep Sangwan saw Saurashtra fold for 92 before Delhi went to stumps on 194 for 8 with a 102-run lead.Delhi, who need an outright win to be assured of a playoff spot, chose to field. Wicketkeeper Snell Patel (26) and Kishan Parmar (12) scored 24 runs for the first wicket, but the latter’s dismissal saw Saurashtra quickly fall to 35 for 4. Narwal and Sangwan removed the top seven batsmen, before part-time offspinner Nitish Rana took two wickets with the score on 81 in the 30th over. Saurashtra folded for 92 inside 34 overs. Prerak Mankad top-scored for the third Saurashtra innings in a row with his 33.Shikhar Dhawan and Gautam Gambhir opened Delhi’s innings and were out in consecutive overs after scoring 16 runs each. Their wickets were part of a collapse that saw Delhi go from 38 for no loss to 57 for 4. Rishabh Pant then hit a 28-ball 40 to take Delhi past Saurashtra’s score before Kushang Patel had him caught. Kushang finished the day with four wickets as he troubled Delhi’s middle order who were 128 for 7 at one stage, before a 62-run stand for the eighth wicket between Manan Sharma (33) and Sangwan (39*) took them to stumps with a sizable lead.Vinay Kumar took his third five-wicket haul this season as Karnataka dismissed Maharashtra for 163 before finishing the day on 67 for 1 in Mohali. The spell also saw him move past Madan Lal’s tally of 351 wickets to become the leading wicket-taker among seamers in Ranji Trophy history.Maharashtra, who also need an outright win to qualify, were put into bat. Openers Swapnil Gugale (25) and Rohit Motwani (32) added 42 runs for the first wicket before the former was caught behind off Stuart Binny. The next six overs saw only 3 runs, before Vinay picked up three middle-order wickets as Maharashtra lost six batsmen before they reached 100. Motwani, the innings’ top scorer, was removed by Binny as the team’s seventh dismissal on 113, which was followed by a brief resistance from the lower order before they were wrapped up for 163.Although Karnataka lost debutant opener Arjun Hoysala in the first over to Anupam Sanklecha, his partner Ravikumar Samarth (33*) put on 67 with Kaunain Abbas (30*) to cut Karnataka’s deficit to 96 runs.Noida saw only 46 overs of play due to inclement conditions. Play only began after the scheduled lunch time, and Rajasthan were bowled out for 140 by Vidarbha.Each of Vidarbha’s five bowlers had wickets to their name, as Rajasthan’s wickets fell within 98 runs after openers Amitkumar Gautam (18) and Manendar Singh (27) had put up 42 runs for the first wicket. This included collapses of 4 for 5 and 6 for 50 on either side of a 43-run fifth wicket stand between Rajat Bhatia (26) and Siddharth Dobal (19). Left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate finished with 3 for 22 while Shrikant Wagh, Rajneesh Gurbani and Lalit Yadav took two wickets each.In response, Vidarbha openers Sanjay Ramaswamy and Faiz Fazal played out the day’s last four overs and took them to stumps on 14 for no loss.

Paris Saint-Germain are "working on" a deal to sign Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha this summer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Zaha leaving Palace this summer?

The future of the Eagles hero has been a major talking point of late, with his second spell at Selhurst Park potentially coming to an end in the very near future.

Zaha's current Palace contract expires at the end of this month, meaning he will be able to talk to other clubs about a free transfer from July 1st onwards. As of yet, there are few signs that the 30-year-old will sign a new deal in south London, which has therefore made it increasingly clear that a move away will come to fruition.

There is likely to be plenty of interest in the Ivorian, considering the talent he possesses – he has scored 90 goals and registered 76 assists for the Eagles – and one of Europe's biggest clubs appear to be circling for his signature.

Are PSG set to make a move for Zaha?

Taking to Twitter, Romano claimed that PSG are interested in signing Zaha this summer, also hoping to sign France international Marcus Thuram at the same time:

"Wilfred Zaha, on Paris Saint-Germain list as free agent alongside Marcus Thuram. PSG are working on both deals but will make decision next week.

"Zaha has also bids from Saudi but he’s giving priority to European clubs, as Le Parisien called today about PSG."

Losing Zaha would clearly be a huge setback for Palace, considering what a talismanic figure he is, so often proving to be their attacking inspiration.

While it could be argued that his very best days could now possibly be behind him, given his age, there is still a feeling that he has so much to offer – he scored seven times in the Premier League last season – acting as a guiding light to younger attacking teammates such as Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.

The hope is that Zaha has a change of heart and ultimately decides to sign an extension at Selhurst Park, seeing out the rest of his career there, but it would be hard to begrudge him a move to a club like PSG, considering they can offer him Champions League football.

If he does leave, he should be remembered as possibly Palace's greatest player of the Premier League era – if he stays put, it will only enhance his legend, and the fact that he hasn't yet made a decision does at least give supporters some hope.

Somerset are preparing to stage their first England fixture next season buoyed by further proof that they are one of the most financially-stable counties in the country

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2016Somerset are preparing to stage their first England fixture next season buoyed by further proof that they are one of the most financially-stable counties in the country.The 2016 accounts show a pre-tax surplus of £596,700 for the last fiscal year. Earnings before taxes, interest and depreciation were £670,111, compared with £411,681 twelve months ago.Continued evidence that Somerset remains a hotbed for professional cricket comes ahead of their staging of a T20I between England and South Africa on June 23 as well as hosting matches in the women’s World Cup in England, a tournament which runs parallel to the Champions Trophy and staged in England for the first time since 1993.Somerset reported that the club benefited from the opening of the new Somerset Pavilion and exceptional NatWest T20 Blast sales with every fixture sold out. Although Somerset’s T20 form was disappointing, a late challenge for the Championship, conceded only on the final day, helped to ensure satisfactory catering and commercial revenues.Somerset’s Chairman Andy Nash said: “These excellent results crown a decade of significant financial progress. The strong growth in turnover and profit last year allow us to continue investing heavily in our cricket squad and press ahead with further significant improvements to facilities at the Cooper Associates County Ground, while paying down our borrowings on schedule.”

Arsenal are looking ahead to the summer transfer window, as the Gunners have been linked to a number of midfield gems, with one name going back to a saga from the January window.

Moises Caicedo has been publicly on Mikel Arteta’s radar since January, with the Brighton midfielder sharing his desire to depart the Seagulls in the winter window amid links to the Emirates.

What’s the latest on Moises Caicedo to Arsenal?

As reported by Ecuadorian outlet Teradeportes, the 21-year-old has already ‘agreed’ personal terms with Arsenal.

The report states that the Brighton midfielder wishes to play in the Champions League, with the Gunners being his ‘priority’.

A separate report from TheSecretScout claims that the south coast club has placed a £100m price tag on the midfielder, who signed a new deal in January

What could Moises Caicedo bring to Arsenal?

Lauded as being a “machine” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the talented youngster could be a critical signing for Arsenal, who require a boost of depth in midfield this summer, following the expected departure of Granit Xhaka.

The Gunners fell just short of the title to Manchester City, ultimately coming down to the size and quality of the two squads, with Arteta’s side unable to replace first-team players following a double defensive injury blow.

Caicedo, who has been a monstrous figure in Brighton’s midfield this season, could be a perfect element for the Spaniard in crafting a midfield that can compete with the best of the best next campaign.

Arsenal have seen an array of midfield combinations over the years, some impressive and some not so much, however a pairing that Arteta could emulate in signing Caicedo, is the formidable pivot of Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin.

The 2014/15 campaign was a strong one for the duo, who were lauded for their memorable domination at the Etihad, where Arsenal won 2-0 on the day.

After the display, the Frenchman was praised by journalist Julien Laurens as being “really impressive”, with the game simply being a highlight of a hugely successful season for the midfielder.

That year, Coquelin averaged a dominant 3.2 tackles and 3.7 interceptions per game in the Premier League, numbers not too dissimilar to that of Caicedo this campaign, who averages 2.7 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game. Not quite as high but still incredibly impressive.

The Frenchman had a perfectly balanced partnership with Cazorla, who was the creative influence between the two, as highlighted by his seven goals and 11 assists in the 2014/15 term – as per WhoScored.

The success of the two could be emulated by the characteristics of Martin Odegaard and Caicedo, with the Norwegian possessing a stroke of genius, and the 21-year-old being a rock in midfield.

Like Cazorla, the Arsenal skipper’s contribution to his side’s goals is essential from the middle of the park, scoring a whopping 15 goals this campaign and registering seven assists – as per WhoScored.

Only time will tell if Arteta can finally get the deal over the line, however, there is no doubt of the influence that the youngster could have in Arsenal’s midfield, and could unlock a further level to Odegaard in giving additional strength in the engine room.