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Richard Hughes has now been put on red alert in the race to sign Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk successor ahead of Real Madrid, according to recent reports.

Liverpool on red alert in race to sign VVD heir

The Reds have had a centre-back problem ever since missing out on Marc Guehi on deadline day. Left with just Ibrahima Konate, Van Dijk and the injury-prone Joe Gomez to choose from, Arne Slot has seen his side suffer defensively and forced to adopt a more pragmatic approach in recent weeks.

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It’s a problem which could become worse before it gets better, however, with Ibrahima Konate still on course to leave the club as a free agent at the end of the season. It would leave Liverpool with just two senior central defenders and desperately needing to secure Guehi’s signature.

To that end, recent reports have claimed that Anfield chiefs are ready to make an offer to sign the Crystal Palace defender in hopes of beating the likes of Real Madrid to his signature next year.

That would at least replace Konate before their Van Dijk problem emerges. The Liverpool captain has less than two years remaining on his current deal and is likely to bring an incredible Anfield spell to an end when next season concludes.

His exit will hand the Reds an impossible task. Van Dijk has been one of, if not their most important players of their most successful Premier League era and there is arguably no one like him in European football.

Nonetheless, those in Merseyside are certainly willing to give it a good go. According to TeamTalk, Hughes is now on red alert in the race to sign Alessandro Bastoni.

£66m Bastoni could replace Van Dijk

Liverpool are reportedly among the clubs to be contacted by intermediaries about a potential move to sign Bastoni in 2026. Sources told TeamTalk: “Alessandro is happy at Inter, and in Italy, but at 26, there is the belief he might look to try his hand abroad. He is at the top of his game, and not many in the world currently compare to him.”

In terms of price, Liverpool will have to splash the cash once again if they want to sign the Italian from Inter Milan, given that the Serie A giants have set their price-tag at a hefty £66m. That fee would quickly look like a bargain if Bastoni became the heir to Van Dijk’s Anfield throne, however.

League stats 25/26

Bastoni

Van Dijk

Minutes

1,223

1,440

Progressive Passes

80

110

Tackles Won

25

5

Ball Recoveries

51

32

When compared to Van Dijk it’s easy to see why Liverpool have their sights set on Bastoni. The Italian has that unique composure in possession combined with a more aggressive nature off the ball than the Anfield captain.

The ongoing war in the north of Sri Lanka seems to have had the least effect on Sri Lanka Army who produced an outstanding performance over the weekend to record their third successive win of the season and take over the top position in Tier B.With Tier A clubs being given a weekend off because of the country’s 60th Independence Day celebrations which fell on February 4, clubs in the other tier came to the limelight with Army being the only club to record a win out of the five matches. They beat Lankan Cricket Club by three wickets chasing 242 in the fourth innings in Panagoda.Army’s match-winners were two 22-year-old bowlers who produced career-best returns Ajantha Mendis, the right-arm slow-medium bowler, accounted for seven Lankan batsmen in the first innings for 37 runs and in the second innings, legspinner Seekuge Prasanna took 6 for 76 as Lankan was dismissed for 164 and 283.The only resistance came from Yasas Tillakaratne, brother of former Sri Lanka Test captain Hashan Tillakaratne. Yasas who spends a good part of his time playing in the English leagues made a rare appearance for his club to score only his fourth hundred (121) in a first-class career spanning 15 years. However, it was not good enough to stop Army from advancing to the top of the table.In a high-scoring game at Havelock Park,identical centuries by the Burgher Recreation Club pair of Dilan Sandagirigoda – scoring his maiden hundred in only his third first-class match – and Dilum Harischandra, with a hundred on his first-class debut were not good enough to stop Saracens Sports Club from collecting valuable points on the first-innings lead. In reply to Burgher’s 418 for 8 declared, Saracens were boosted by a 132-run seventh-wicket stand between Sachithra Serasinghe (118),who also made his maiden first-class century and Ravindra Karunaratne (52) replied with 484 to move to third place in the standings.Panadura Sports Club lost their position at the top of the table when they were deprived of victory by Sebastianites Cricket and Athletic Club’s last-wicket pair at the Panadura Esplanade.Set 403 for victory, Sebastianites lost their ninth wicket at 283 and looked in danger of defeat. But their tenth-wicket pair of captain Primal Salgado (49*) and Suranjana Rajitha (3* off 32 balls), playing in only his third first-class game, hung on for 11.3 overs to deprive Panadura a win.

Tier B

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Sri Lanka Army	3	3	0	0	0	0	50.4
Panadura	3	2	0	0	1	0	45.07
Saracens	3	1	1	0	1	0	30.05
Singha SC	3	1	0	0	2	0	28.12
Police SC	3	1	1	0	1	0	27.59
Lankan CC	3	1	2	0	0	0	23.815
Sebast CAC	3	0	1	0	2	0	19.1
Moratuwa	3	0	1	0	2	0	18.77
SL Air SC	3	0	1	0	2	0	18.615
Burgher	3	0	2	0	1	0	10.52

‘Yuvraj will be available to play in the latter part of the one-day series against West Indies’ – Mithun Joshi, sports physiotherapist exudes optimism © Getty Images

Yuvraj Singh, expected to be out of action till the World Cup, could make a return of sorts as early as the home one-day series against West Indies. Yuvraj, who has been training in Mumbai in the Bandra Kurla Complex, at the same time as the finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the zonal under-19 tournament, could make a comeback as soon as the second half of the four-ODI home series against West Indies.”He is in the final phase of rehabilitation. He is doing light fielding, functional agility, netting,” Mithun Joshi, sports physiotherapist and son of the board’s medical expert Dr. Anant Joshi, wrote in a report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. “It is likely he will be able to return to light Twenty20 style match play by the 19th of this month. He could be with the team for the preparation for the West Indies series and be available to play in the latter part of the one-day series against West Indies, or for the series against Sri Lanka.”Yuvraj had recently practiced against a bowling machine, and was doing light exercises. He has been out of cricket since the middle of the Champions Trophy, when he tore a ligament in the knee in a pre-match training session at Mohali, while playing , a traditional Indian game, as part of warm ups.”There was never any pain,” an audibly elated Yuvraj told Cricinfo over the phone from Mumbai. “From the beginning it was never a question of pain. It was bone bruising because of the ligament tear. Obviously there is discomfort in using crutches, wearing a brace but it was not about pain.”It’s hard to come back so quickly without surgery. I have really worked very hard over the last 40 days,” said Yuvraj. “The problem is that it plays on you mentally, especially when fielding. You’re wondering whether you might get a recurrence of the injury and that could put you out for a long time.”Assessing his own fitness, Yuvraj concurred strongly with the doctors’ judgement. “Actually in plain terms I’m about 90-95% fit at the moment,” he said. “But it’s always different being in a match situation. It’s just about getting some match practice under the belt. Hopefully I can play three or four practice matches, and then if all goes well declare myself fit and eligible for national selection.”

Umar Gul is back in the Pakistan squad after overcoming his back injuries © Getty Images

Pakistan have included the uncapped opener Raffatullah Mohmand in their 18-man squad for a training camp ahead of the series against India. He replaces the dropped Hasan Raza while there is also no place for Mushtaq Ahmed.Mohmand, 29, scored 444 runs including three hundreds in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy last year and has caught the eye of Inzamam-ul-Haq. He also scored an impressive 55 against England in the warm-up match ahead of the one-day series in December.There are also recalls for the fit-again paceman Umar Gul and opener Yasir Hameed, who made 57 against England in the final one-day international. Gul played the last of his five Tests against India two years ago before being sidelined due to a back problem.Abdul Razzaq makes it into the squad despite fears that he would miss most of the Test series after being admitted to hospital with a serious chest infection.Pakistan squad Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Salman Butt, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Sami, Danish Kaneria, Arshad Khan, Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, Asim Kamal, Yasir Hameed, Raffatullah Mohmand

Ray Jennings: Will the one-day series win increase the chance of his appointment?© Getty Images

Graeme Smith, the South African captain, has backed Ray Jennings to be the permanent coach of the team. The United Cricket Board of South Africa, which is currently advertising the post, will consider Jennings, if he reapplies. However, Jennings said that he would reapply only if his team wanted him to.”Jet (Ray Jennings) is very important, but we will have to wait and see what the United Cricket Board of South Africa decides. It is a difficult situation at present,” said Smith. “I think Ray is also enjoying his position more now. It is always easier when you win.” After a humiliating loss 1-2 in the Test series against England, South Africa salvaged some pride by winning the one-day series 4-1.Jennings was appointed the temporary coach of the team before the tour to India last year, and had come under pressure after the series loss to India and England. He re-iterated that the support of his players would play a big part in his interest in pursuing the position further. “It does not help if I waste my time and energy and the people around me do not support me,” Jennings said. “I will talk to the players in the next two or three weeks and ask them, because I am still in the dark at present.”

The 15 cricketers representing Sri Lanka ‘A’ who left on a five-week tour of India on Saturday will have the home series against England very much on their minds.The reason for such thinking can be explained by the fact that they have been told by Lalith Kaluperuma, the chairman of selectors, that anyone performing outstandingly well will be given due recognition for the England Test series starting on December 2. Kaluperuma emphasised when the team was picked 10 days ago, that in the event the national team needs any replacements during the England series, players who are in form in India will be given due consideration.That comment by Kaluperuma is encouragement enough for the players to perform well. “Touring India is not easy. We expect to play tough cricket. If anyone can score runs and take wickets in India he has to be good,” explained Hemantha Devapriya, Sri Lanka A’s coach. "Our strength is batting and we have a few batters who can fill the middle-order slot in our national team with good performances here.”Among those who are vying for places are Jehan Mubarak, a beautifully balanced player who scored centuries in South Africa and Kenya during Sri Lanka ‘A’s recent tour, skipper Naveed Nawaz and Lanka de Silva, who batted with tenacity. All of them have had a brief taste of Test cricket some time during their careers.The tour also affords wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene to make amends for his batting failures in South Africa and Kenya and prove to the selectors that he can get useful runs at the highest level. “Prasanna is the best wicketkeeper we have today," said Devapriya. "He kept beautifully on the African tour. It is very unfortunate that he cannot combine his high level of wicket-keeping with some runs on the board.”Devapriya said the bowling was a bit inexperienced and a lot of their success on the tour would depend on how well they bowled. That Kaushalya Weeraratne is the most experienced of the fast bowlers tells a story of how green the attack looks. Others in support are Tharanga Lakshitha, Lasith Malinga and Umesh Wijesiriwardene.To persist with left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, who was one-time Muttiah Muralitharan’s spin partner, is an indication that he is still the best spinner available apart from the banned Kaushal Lokuarachchi. Apart from his lack of height which at times is a disadvantage, a lack of confidence has been his main concern.Batsmen Nuwan Shiroman and Anuska Polonowita and off-spinner Chamara Mudalige are being rewarded for their performances in the Premier trophy competition.Sri Lanka ‘A’ will play four first-class matches against India ‘A’ and then participate in the ACF ‘A’ team one-day triangular with Pakistan and India. Kaluperuma said that changes will be made to the team for the one-day competition.Sri Lanka A tour party Naveed Nawaz (capt), Lanka de Silva (vice-capt), Ian Daniel, Tharanga Paranavithana, Nuwan Shiroman, Jehan Mubarak, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Anushka Polonowita. Thilina Kandamby, Kaushal Weeraratne, Rangana Herath, Chamara Mudalige, Tharanga Lakshitha, Lasith Malinga, Omesh Wijesiriwardene, Officials: Nuski Mohamed (manager), Hemantha Devapriya (coach), Chris Clark (physio).

Close of play at Northlands Road Photo © Richard Binns Former Hampshire slow left armer John Southern has not been back to Northlands Road for 15 years. He tells Kate Laven what the ground means to him and how living in Auckland, New Zealand, he keeps in touch with the English game Cardigan Connor, Hampshire’s popular bowling workhorse who retired in 1998, returns to Northlands Road for the final match and recalls some happy memories from his 14 year career at Southampton Umpire John Holder, who with former ex-Hampshire player Trevor Jesty is standing in the last first class match to be held at Northlands Road took 3-100 in 1972 and explains to Kate Laven why those three wickets were special.

The final chapter on Hampshire CCC’s long association with the Northlands Road ground draws to a close this week as the county plays its last first class match at Southampton before the bulldozers move in and a new phase in the Club’s history beckons.It was 115 years ago that Hampshire played its first game at the ground, but opponents Marylebone Cricket Club, fielding such distinguished names as William Gunn and Russell Bencraft, who became the main influence in Hampshire cricket in the first half of the 20th century, won the game by an innings and 113 runs,In that first match in 1885 [Match], a Hampshire bowler by the name of James Fellows ended with the best figures of 3-38 in the opening innings as MCC made 269. Batting last, he was also top scorer with 18 in a miserable first innings total of 74 and remained unbeaten on seven when the second innings was wrapped up for 82.Coincidentally, the name Fellows reappears on the scorecard in this final match and Gary Fellows of Yorkshire CCC would have been harbouring dreams of ending Hampshire’s record at the ground in the same momentous way that it began.After that inauspicious start, Hampshire went into their first championship match against Derbyshire [Match] with their confidence in tatters. Losing the toss, they struggled to stem the flow of runs coming from the Derbyshire blades, in particular from the blade of one Frank Sugg who made 187. Fellows snapped up three more wickets but Hampshire once again replied feebly, crashing to an innings and 243 run defeat.It was not a happy introduction to championship cricket at Northlands Road but despite that, Hampshire asked for the final fixture to be against Derbyshire as a fitting end to a long tradition but after a controversial final match between the two sides in 1999, a sentimental end was denied them.The disappointment of early 1885 has been matched during 2000 and Hampshire will bring the curtain down on Northlands Road knowing they will be heralding the new era at the new Rose Bowl ground just outside Southampton playing second division cricket, following one of their poorest summers in years.If there is a symmetrical feel to the start and finish of the Northlands Road chronicles, the intervening years have delivered an extraordinary range of contrasts, from the championship successes of 1961 and 1973 plus the one day triumphs of recent times to the sizeable collection of nightmare seasons, to which 2000 can now be added.The highest score on the ground was completed two years after the Club moved to Northlands from its previous base at Itchen. In 1887 Francis Lacey made 323 not out against Norfolk that no batsman, not even Barry Richards, Philip Mead, Roy Marshall or Gordon Greenidge were able to match. Mead came closest with an unbeaten 280 Nottinghamshire in 1921 but Mr Lacey’s record remains in tact to this day.The bad times of 1889 when the groundsman’s donkey went missing leading to a ten shilling reward were tempered by some good times in the early part of the 20th century, starting in 1912 with a victory over touring side Australia, Hampshire’s first and only win against the auld enemy.Australia got their own back in 1921 by scoring a whopping 708 for seven declared, the highest first class innings on the ground and again in 1930 when crowds flocked to watch Don Bradman complete his 1,000 runs before the end of May.But Mead was the local hero and by 1932, the great man had completed centuries against every county, finishing with a hundred against Derbyshire. In a career that spanned from 1905 to 1936, he made 138 centuries in 700 matches and heads the list of Hampshire’s great runmakers.Another prolific batsman Roy Marshall made his debut in 1953 against Australia and he too finished on Southampton’s batting leaderboard making 30,303 runs in 19 seasons with the county. Five years into his career, the county appointed a new captain and Colin Ingleby-McKenzie kicked off with a duck, century and victory against Kent then took Hampshire to second place for the first time in their history.He bettered that achievement in 1961 with the championship title, a famous and historic moment for the county and one that is still fondly recalled by many of today’s members.Between then and now, those members have been able to enjoy some of the world’s best exponents in the arts of batting and bowling, including ten years of the legendary South African Barry Richards, 17 years of West Indian great Gordon Greenidge and 14 seasons of Malcolm Marshall who went on to become the county coach in 1996 and remained so until his death from cancer last year.They have also been treated to some fine recent performances from county stalwarts such as Cardigan Connor who took 9-38 in 1996 and Kevan James who took four wickets in four balls in the match against India the same year.Mark Nicholas, the popular captain of the 1980’s and 90’s, had a star studded array of talent in his side, David Gower, Marshall, Chris and Robin Smith to name but four, but despite some one-day trophies – the Sunday League in 1986, the Benson & Hedges Cup in 1988 and 1992 and the NatWest Trophy in 1991 – he was never able to generate enough consistency in his side to add the championship title to his trophy cabinet.Hampshire have now gone eight seasons without a title but the move to the new £20 million Rose Bowl ground, made possible by Lottery funding, will do much to renew optimism.In the meantime, the final days at Northlands Road are played out amid a haze of nostalgia and affection and for those who want to keep their special memories of the ground alive long after it has been replaced by a new housing estate, an auction is to be staged on October 21st where patrons can bid for their favourite piece of memorabilia, be it the elegant Edwardian pavilion in its entirety or a tired old slither of the sacred turf.

Transfer insider Graeme Bailey has revealed that Newcastle United could now be in the mix to sign Harry Kane this summer.

The Lowdown: Future uncertain

Kane’s future at Tottenham Hotspur remains uncertain, with Manchester City still and Manchester United now reportedly interested in signing him in the summer.

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Some pundits believe that he will leave Spurs, especially if they fail to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

Kane has just picked up the Premier League’s Player of the Month (POTM) award for March, which is a joint-record seventh time with Sergio Aguero, and really needs to be playing in a team with the ambition to win trophies.

The Latest: Kane on radar

Writing in his latest piece for 90min, Bailey has revealed that Kane is one of a number of high-profile players on the St. James’ Park faithful’s radar this summer, should he end up quitting North London.

Kalvin Phillips, John Stones, Sven Botman, Nico Schlotterbeck, Lloyd Kelly, Hugo Ekitike, Darwin Nunez, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Patrik Schick are also mentioned, as well as a potential permanent deal for Matt Targett.

Bailey has also revealed that the Tyneside outfit have set a £100m budget for the summer transfer window, and taking to Twitter, he added that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) have made it clear that money is available for marquee signings:

“Newcastle have set a transfer budget for the summer. Eddie Howe will be allowed to mould squad and will look for evolution rather than revolution. That said majority owners PIF have made it clear that there is a money available for marquee signings.”

The Verdict: Exciting

While there are some very exciting targets listed, Kane is the one that really stands out, and the fact PIF are willing to splash the cash if a marquee option becomes available should have supporters on Tyneside buzzing for the summer.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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After a slow start, he now has 22 goals and six assists in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt), and would no doubt be the kind of marquee signing that would make the world take notice of the Magpies.

Of course, Kane would have to believe in the long-term project, but with the ambition that the new owners have, he could well win trophies at the Toon in time if he joined.

In other news, find out what ‘interesting’ NUFC transfer update Craig Hope has now revealed here!

	He’s out: Herschelle Gibbs is set to lose his place after an extended poor run in Tests © Getty Images

Without putting too fine a point on it, West Indies’ 128-run victory in Port Elizabeth was one of the major surprises of 2007. They hadn’t won a Test for 19 months and, more significantly, had beaten major opposition away from home only once since the turn of the millennium. Now the question is whether they can continue to turn the tables on South Africa in the New Year Test in Cape Town and complete a series triumph no one really thought was possible.The key to their success last week was a determined effort from the batsmen, which set up a total of 408 for the five-pronged pace attack to bowl at. An undercooked South Africa battling line-up slumped twice, although West Indies still showed their ability to conjure a collapse as they lost 6 for 22 late on the third day. It didn’t cost them dearly – and meant the possibility of a safety-first declaration was taken out of Chris Gayle’s hands – but they will need more of their stickability to keep the home side at bay for a second time.Shivnarine Chanderpaul led the batting with a fine 104, but his limpet-like qualities are already well-known. The eye-catching performance came from Marlon Samuels, named Man of the Match after his innings of 94 and 40, as he showed previously unseen powers of concentration and responsibility.”Test cricket is very difficult and I would love to get a chance to play more Test matches back-to-back instead of being in and then out of the side so often,” Samuels told the . “It will give me the chance of getting better scores more regularly and being more consistent. I was very disappointed that I didn’t get the century, but if I could score 94 and the West Indies go on to win every time, I’ll be satisfied.”South Africa have tried to avoid appearing in panic mode and they have recent form in bouncing back from an early loss. Last year they slipped up against India in Johannesburg before coming back to taking the series 2-1. Mickey Arthur, the coach, said: “We’ve won four Test series in a row. We intend to win this one too. The bowling attack has led us to victory in the last four Tests we’ve played, and don’t forget they bowled the West Indies out for 175 in the second innings. We had one bad innings and that happens to teams from time to time.”Captain Graeme Smith is also banking on the past experiences of his team: “We had a very good training session yesterday, and we seem to be hitting our straps again,” he said. “Hopefully it’s just about executing and getting things right out in the middle. We know we’re capable of it, we’ve proven our worth. We know we’re going to play this game under pressure, and we know we can play a lot better than we did in Port Elizabeth.”However, the call-up of Neil McKenzie highlights the concerns over the top order, which has failed to perform consistently for a lengthy period of time. Even during their success in Pakistan and easy victory over New Zealand the run-scoring was largely in the hands of Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla. Smith is desperately in need of a score and Herschelle Gibbs appears set to pay the price for his pair in the first Test.The axe has been looming over Gibbs for some time; his last Test century came in January 2005 against England in Johannesburg and in the subsequent 26 Tests he has averaged 26. But the selection of McKenzie, one of the few high scorers in domestic cricket, to open while he is primarily a middle-order batsman shows the lack of options available. Boeta Dippenaar was another option, but there has been a push around South Africa to get McKenzie back in the fold for some time.Another old face pushing for a recall is Shaun Pollock, who hasn’t played Tests this season after being left out in Pakistan, and Arthur said “he’s definitely in the reckoning.” A return for Pollock would strengthen the lower order to a more familiar level for South Africa. However, the management has been keen to build the attack on the three frontline quicks and Paul Harris, with a view to the tough tours of England and Australia later this year. Recent events, though, could force a rethink as this series against West Indies, initially thought to be a formality, has now became a major challenge for South Africa.South Africa (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Neil McKenzie, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 Ashwell Prince, 6 AB de Villiers, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Shaun Pollock, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Makhaya NtiniWest Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Daren Ganga, 3 Runako Morton, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Daren Powell, 11 Fidel Edwards