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Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams could potentially stay put at the club beyond this summer, according to a promising update from journalist Ben Jacobs.

Could Tyler Adams leave Leeds?

The 24-year-old was one of the few positives to take from last season at Elland Road, following the Whites' disappointing relegation from the Premier League. He arrived from RB Salzburg as an exciting signing and he made an immediate impression, adding bite and quality to Leeds' midfield.

Adams started 24 league games in total, averaging 3.7 tackles per game, and he also appeared four times for the USA at the 2022 World Cup, completing 90.2% of his passes at the tournament.

An injury to the American towards the end of the season came at a terrible time – his last appearance came at home to Brighton back in March – and it was no surprise to see the Whites' form suffer badly without him around, and they were consigned to the Championship in the process.

Unsurprisingly, various exit rumours have emerged when it comes to Adams' future, with Aston Villa one of the clubs thought to be eyeing a summer move for him, but an encouraging update has now emerged regarding his situation at Leeds.

Could Leeds keep hold of Tyler Adams?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs claimed that Adams is one of the players who could yet remain at Elland Road this summer, even though there is clear interest in him:

"Compared to others, Tyler Adams was definitely more open to the Leeds project and the challenge of trying to get them back into the Premier League first time. But there is, of course, interest and uncertainty over his future. I think that Leeds are fighting to retain him. He is recovering from injury as well, which is probably why it's been a bit more of a delayed clarity over his future."

The idea of Adams staying put at Leeds next season is arguably bigger than any new signings that comes in, considering he has been hailed as "exceptionally bright" by England legend Gary Lineker in the recent past.

His vast influence was highlighted by how much he was missed during the back-end of last season, and it could certainly be argued that the Whites could have remained in the Premier League if he has avoided injury completely.

In truth, it would be hard to begrudge Adams a move away from Leeds this summer, should he feel he is too good to be playing Championship football, but if he stayed, it would immediately enhance his legend with the Whites, making him even more of a popular figure among the fanbase.

Daniel Farke will certainly be desperate for him to stay put, no doubt being aware of what a force he could be in the Championship next season, and if that did happen, the Whites would surely be one of the front-runners in the automatic promotion race.

There is still so much more to come from Adams in his career, so to lose him this early in his time at Leeds would be a crushing blow, but one that has admittedly been down to their own shortcomings as a team.

Lancashire have prospered on a bouncy Southport pitch and the outcome is likely to be more frustration for the defending champions, Middlesex

Paul Edwards at Southport11-Jun-2017
ScorecardTim Murtagh took six wickets but Lancashire are in charge•Getty ImagesSharp calls for singles piercing even the gusts of wind and the noisy bowing of the tall, full-leafed balsam poplars; almost every run greeted with rattles of applause from a huddled crowd, their absorption in the cricket seemingly absolute; sunlight, yes, but warmth confined to pockets of the ground which the locals knew and occupied early. If this game has not provided salad days from anyone’s Arthur Ransome summer, it has offered tense, fluctuating cricket and Lancashire are winning the match.That it should be so can be explained by the home side’s determination to prosper on a bouncy pitch and by the failure of the Middlesex attack to hit the tight lines and lengths that generally bring dividends on most surfaces. These contrasting qualities allowed Lancashire to build a lead of 129 runs, 87 of which were scored during a resourceful and uncomplicated ninth-wicket stand between Ryan McLaren and Tom Bailey. Then, as if clearly aware that the balance of the contest had shifted, Steven Croft’s bowlers fell upon the Middlesex top-order, no one more so than Stephen Parry, whose removal of Paul Stirling and John Simpson in the same over helped to leave the visitors languishing on 156 for 6. Their chances now rest on Dawid Malan and the tail.Parry’s two successes followed his removal of Stevie Eskinazi for 34 with a fine ball which turned and hit the top of the off stump. Operating from the Grosvenor Road End and on a pitch he knows well, the slow left-armer has taken 3 for 40 and is no doubt looking forward to the final day of this match. Combined with McLaren’s removal of Sam Robson for 42 and Saqib Mahmood’s yorking of James Franklin for nought, Parry’s successes mean that he and his colleagues may well inflict the first defeat on the champions in 21 four-day games, since they lost to Worcestershire in the epilogue of the 2015 season.It is by no means done yet, though. Dawid Malan was batting very capably at the end of the Sunday’s cricket and he will be accompanied by some of the best tail-end batsmen in the First Division. Middlesex’s lead is only 27 but Malan and James Harris have already added 46 runs for the seventh wicket.Yet the atmosphere of the evening session offered a substantial contrast to a morning in which any sort of Lancastrian advantage was nothing like assured. Indeed, the day had begun perfectly for Middlesex when a ball from Tim Murtagh, his side’s best bowler by several leagues, brushed the edge of Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s bat before the Guyanan had added to his overnight 32. In his next over, only the fourth of the session, Murtagh claimed the wicket of Dane Vilas, fencing loosely outside off stump and caught by Franklin at second slip. At that point Lancashire were still 44 runs in deficit and one imagines they would have settled for a lead of 29, never mind a hundred more.Batting remained perilous. No boundaries were struck for 12 overs until Jordan Clark cover- drove Murtagh to the tennis courts. Franklin rotated his trio of seamers in the full knowledge that they represented his best hope. Then Clark cover-drove Murtagh to the tennis courts and levied three more boundaries off the next two overs from Toby Roland-Jones. Umpire Steve O’Shaughnessy’s sun-hat blew off and bowled along the outfield like a paper plate. McLaren and Clark raised their fifty stand and took Lancashire into the lead. If the tension was not broken, the dynamic of the contest was changed.It was, though, hardly a day for seamers and some in the Middlesex attack struggled. If well-secured marquees were buckling in the wind off the Irish Sea and the trees were raising a tragic chorus in the gale, one could have some sympathy for any bowler seeking a moment of calm in which to begin his grooved run-up. There were times when Harris and Toby Roland-Jones looked like landlubbers on a tilting deck.Any such discomfort was seized upon by McLaren and Bailey. After Harris had removed Clark for a resolute 38 and Parry for 4 just before lunch, the ninth-wicket pair took the battle to Franklin’s seamers, milking them for 44 runs in eight overs with the new ball. McLaren played yet another well-judged innings but Bailey’s batting was something of a revelation as he clipped and drove Harris and Murtagh in the chill sunlight. He reached his fifty and secured Lancashire’s third bonus point by attempting to evade a bouncer from Harris but still edging it over third man for six. The following ball was also short and it disappeared over the fence guarding the railway line. Harris dismissed Bailey for a career-best 58 with his next delivery but it was a joyless triumph. A lead of 129 was probably beyond Glen Chapple’s fondest breakfast imaginings.And Lancashire’s lead immediately seemed even more decisive in the second over of Middlesex’s innings when Saqib Mahmood’s confident appeal for a catch at the wicket against Nick Gubbins was met with Steve O’Shaughnessy’s raised index finger. At once the batsman began shaking his head. He returned to the Trafalgar Road dug-out, an area well-acquainted with Anglo-Saxon oaths and protestations of innocence, pointing at an area above his elbow. Strangled in the first dig and sawn off in the second, Gubbins has hardly had a fine weekend at the seaside. One doubts that even a trip to the Miniature Railway or the Botanic Gardens will give him happy memories of Southport. In twenty-four hours’ time he may be joined in his discontent by ten other cricketers from Lord’s.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to bolster their defensive options ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign…

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

According to the Scottish Daily Mail's Stephen McGowan, Brendan Rodgers is keen on a deal to sign Volendam central defender Xavier Mbuyamba during the summer transfer window.

Sky Sports reported in May that the Hoops were keeping tabs on the Dutch colossus.

This suggests that the interest has been carried on by the Northern Irish tactician in spite of Ange Postecoglou's departure.

McGowan's report also notes that Turkish side Fenerbahce are interested in signing Israel international Liel Abada, which would be another blow to the club's wide options after Jota's permanent move to Al Ittihad.

How good is Xavier Mbuyamba?

The jury is still out on just how good the former Chelsea academy prospect is as the 6 foot 5 titan has only played one full season at senior level.

However, his debut campaign with Volendam was impressive and suggests that the potential is there for him to develop into an excellent option at the back for Celtic.

Mbuyamba's arrival at Paradise would be terrible news for current Hoops defender Stephen Welsh, as it was reported by Football Insider in May that the club would be willing to ditch him this summer if they managed to sign a replacement.

The 23-year-old enforcer has only made 14 Premiership appearances over the course of the last two seasons, as he has struggled to nail down a regular place in the side ahead of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt.

Celtic seemingly do not believe that the Scottish defender has the potential to develop into a first-choice option, given their willingness to sell him, and Mbuyamba could now come in to take his place.

The towering Dutchman would arrive with time on his side to improve as he gains more experience, given that the ex-Barcelona gem does not turn 22 until December.

He could learn from Carter-Vickers (25) and Starfelt (28) before breaking into the team in the future, as his form for Volendam last season suggests that the quality is there for him to be a superb defender for Rodgers.

Mbuyamba averaged more interceptions (1.2), tackles (2.3), and clearances (5.4) during the Eredivisie campaign than Welsh did in the Premiership, whilst no Celtic player in any position averaged more in each of those respective defensive statistics.

Therefore, the impressive youngster could make a greater impact in defence in comparison to the former Scotland U21 international, due to his ability to read the game and cut out opposition attacks more frequently.

The Volendam star's five-goal haul was also two more league goals than any Hoops centre-back managed, which suggests that he could provide Rodgers with an upgraded aerial threat from set-pieces.

At the age of 21, Mbuyamba, who was hailed as "dominant" by scout Jacek Kulig, would be able to come in as a backup option initially and be afforded the time to adjust to Scottish football before kicking on.

That is another reason why he could be a fantastic signing to replace Welsh, who could be on his way out of Parkhead if another central defender comes through the door to further restrict his potential playing time.

Tamim Iqbal has been forced to pull out of his T20 stint with Essex due to “personal reasons” which have required him to return to Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2017Tamim Iqbal has been forced to pull out of his T20 stint with Essex due to “personal reasons” which have required him to return to Bangladesh.His signing for the NatWest Blast was only confirmed last week and he made his first appearance against Kent on Sunday. He scored 7 before being bowled by Adam Milne in a seven-wicket defeat.A brief Essex statement said: “We wish him all the best and it would be appreciated if Tamim’s privacy is respected during this time.”

Angelo Mathews has stepped down as Sri Lanka captain in all three formats

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-20170:55

Quick Facts – Mathews as captain

Angelo Mathews has stepped down as Sri Lanka captain in all three formats, following his side’s 3-2 ODI series loss to Zimbabwe. Mathews, who called the defeat “one of the lowest points” of his career and said in its aftermath that he would discuss his captaincy future with the SLC selectors, conveyed his decision to the selectors on Tuesday.Mathews has led Sri Lanka in 34 Tests, 98 ODIs and 12 T20Is, having taken the reins at the age of 25, in 2013. Though Sri Lanka have been modest in limited-overs cricket through the latter half of his tenure, they have, on his watch, tasted rare success in the Test format. In 2014, Mathews had personally played a pivotal role in the Test series triumph in England. Last year, Sri Lanka had also whitewashed Australia – a side they had won only one Test against previously.There have also been significant lows under Mathews, however. Sri Lanka’s campaigns in the 2015 World Cup, the 2016 World T20 and the 2017 Champions Trophy were disappointing, and even in the Test format, they suffered two 0-2 whitewashes in New Zealand, and a 0-3 result in South Africa. All told, Mathews has 13 Test victories to his name as captain, against 15 losses. On the batting front, Mathews had an outstanding 2014, in which he scored 1,317 runs at an average of 87.8, but his form had since fallen away, though his average as captain still remains 50.94. With the ball, he was only sporadically effective in Tests, but much more valuable a limited-overs bowler.The last year of Mathews’ captaincy was characterised by injury, however. He missed two Tests and an ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe as a result of multiple leg injuries, was absent for a five-match ODI series against South Africa thanks to a torn hamstring, missed Bangladesh’s tour of the island, and was most recently unavailable for Sri Lanka’s Champions Trophy fixture against South Africa – though it is possible he was prevented from playing that game by the board. The injuries have usually come when Mathews has had a high bowling workload, which he has attempted to carefully manage during his captaincy.The announcement that he would resign from the captaincy was not unexpected. The paucity of Sri Lanka’s returns in 2017 had placed substantial pressure on Mathews, and applied fresh scrutiny on his on-field strategising and decision-making, which has largely been seen to be Mathews’ weakest suit as captain. The series loss against Zimbabwe has been particularly chastening to the Sri Lanka team – they had never lost a match to Zimbabwe at home before, let alone a series.Sri Lanka are due to name a successor to Mathews – in the Test format at least – early on Wednesday. Upul Tharanga, who has led the ODI team when Mathews has been injured, and Dinesh Chandimal, who has served as Mathews’ deputy and led the T20 team in the past, are prime candidates. Rangana Herath, who captained the most-recent Sri Lanka Test, may be an option as well.

Arsenal have now registered their interest in signing Crystal Palace forward Michael Olise, who is believed to have a £35m release clause included in his contract, according to a recent report from 90min.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners have been fairly busy in the summer transfer window, having already spent €231.6m (£200m) on new players, however Mikel Arteta is yet to bring in a back-up option for Bukayo Saka, which may be needed ahead of next season.

With his side set to return to the Champions League, it is important that Arteta has plenty of strength in depth to ensure they can compete on all fronts, and Saka may need resting at times, having played in every Premier League game for the past two seasons.

According to journalist Charles Watts, Arsenal "like" Ajax forward Mohammed Kudus, who is able to play on the right-wing, while he is also versatile enough to slot in at central midfield, and at striker, which could make him the perfect signing.

Fabrizio Romano has made it clear he believes the Gunners could add one more player at right-wing in the latter stages of the summer transfer window, and they have now identified Olise as a potential target.

That is according to a report from 90min, which claims that Arsenal have now made contact to register their interest in signing the Crystal Palace forward, who is believed to have a £35m release clause included in his contract, but there may be fierce competition for his signature.

Manchester City and Chelsea have also expressed an interest in the Englishman, and the latter club are most confident about being able to get a deal over the line, due to the existing relationship they have with the player's family.

Michael's younger brother, Richard Olise, is currently on the books at Stamford Bridge, which could help the Blues win the race for his signature.

Outside the Premier League, French champions Paris Saint-Germain also retain an interest in signing the 21-year-old.

How good is Michael Olise?

The Crystal Palace star is extremely versatile, having featured on the left-wing and in a central midfield role throughout his career so far, but he has most commonly been utilised at right-wing, to great effect.

After making his breakthrough in the Premier League during the 2021-22 campaign, the winger really kicked on last season, registering two goals and 11 assists in 37 league appearances.

As mentioned in the 90min report, the London-born attacker broke the record to become the youngest player ever to register three assists in a single Premier League game, achieving the feat in a 5-1 victory against Leeds United last season.

Lauded as "sensational" by members of the media, the starlet is also more than happy to pitch in with the defensive side of the game, ranking in the 85th percentile for tackles and the 86th percentile for interceptions per 90 in the past year.

Olise could be the perfect back-up option for Saka next season, and £35m seems like it would be a fair price, considering his performances last season.

There were three India A wickets left standing on the final day and the seamer took three of them to wrap up a 235-run victory

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJunior Dala picked up his fifth first-class five-for•Getty ImagesThere were three India A wickets left standing in Pretoria at the start of the fourth day, and they were toppled in fewer than six overs as South Africa A registered victory by a whopping 235 runs. Stephen Cook, who had been dropped from the senior team, was awarded the Man of the Match after scoring 120 – a score that took all 11 of India A’s players to match in the first innings, and as such might give him hope that he remains a contender for the opener’s position when South Africa’s home season begins.India A’s first-innings capitulation featured a top score of 31. On their next try, Ankit Bawne got as far as 46 before he was dismissed off what became the last ball of day three. Junior Dala, the 27-year old seamer, had made that blow and he proved too good for the tail as well, taking all of the wickets the tourists had left on the final day to finish with 5 for 36 in 10.1 overs. India began the day at 192 for 6 after 46.5 overs and, thanks to Dala completing his fifth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, they ended it 211 all out in 52.1. Allrounder Vijay Shankar who retired hurt for 26 in the first innings did not bat again.

Liverpool have submitted a second bid to sign Romeo Lavia in their pursuit to continue their midfield rebuild, but now a new update has emerged on the club's next move.

Who do Liverpool want to sign after Romeo Lavia?

According to reports coming out of Spain, Liverpool are now interested in signing Barcelona centre-back Andreas Christensen this summer.

As per the report, it is claimed that the Reds have already had a formal offer of €30m (£25.6m) rejected by the La Liga giants for their defender, but Jurgen Klopp is willing to improve the bid to secure Christensen's signature this summer, with a €50m (£43m) offer being prepared to present in the coming days.

Liverpool are hoping that Barcelona's financial troubles will encourage them to sacrifice Christensen in their pursuit to strengthen other areas of the squad.

How good is Andreas Christensen?

With the exit of Jordan Henderson confirmed and Fabinho set to follow his former club captain to Saudi Arabia imminently, further reinforcements, such as the incredibly promising Lavia, in the midfield set-up have taken priority at Anfield in recent weeks.

However, it is clear that Liverpool are also keen to strengthen their defensive set-up too with links to a number of defenders across Europe including Joska Gvardiol, Perr Schuurs, Jurrien Timber and Levi Colwill, but now it seems that Klopp has set his sights on Barcelona's centre-back.

The Anfield faithful will be familiar with Christensen owing to his decade-long tenure with Premier League rivals Chelsea which ended last summer when his contract expired, and he joined Barcelona on a free transfer.

Over 23 La Liga appearances last season, the 27-year-old titan – hailed "extraordinary" by Xabi Alonso – scored one goal, tallied up an impressive 94% pass completion rate and won 60% of his duels combined, as well as averaging two clearances per game, proving he is a huge presence in the back-line and competent in possession of the ball.

The potential arrival of Christensen could be bad news for Joe Gomez, as the Denmark international has a wealth of experience covering both the right-sided centre-back role and right full-back position too, so would likely push the Liverpool mainstay even further down the pecking order at Anfield next season.

When comparing Christensen's output to the Liverpool defender last season, the Barcelona ace outperformed Gomez in a number of key defensive attributes including pass completion (94% v 85.7%), percentage of dribblers tackled (62.5% v 57.9%), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.10 v 0.06) and aerial duels won (68.9% v 54.8%), as per FBref.

What that suggests is that the Dane is a great deal more composed on the ball, while he's also far better in aerial situations.

Whilst the Merseyside giants have not lost any of their first-team defenders during the huge clear-out that has taken place this summer, Joel Matip is now in the last 12 months of his contract and Ibrahima Konate is still finding his feet after suffering injury issues last season, so bringing in a fresh perspective would be advantageous.

With that being said, if Liverpool could strike a deal for Christensen it would provide Klopp with a defender who can make an instant impact on the defensive set-up with his wealth of knowledge and experience in the Premier League to provide Virgil van Dijk with a worthy partner.

New Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is on the hunt for yet another striker and transfer insider Dean Jones has offered an update to GIVEMESPORT on one of the names linked, Dusan Vlahovic.

What is the current striker situation at Chelsea?

It seems remarkable that Romelu Lukaku is still a Chelsea player given the constant setbacks as well a loan move back to Inter Milan.

Lukaku may be heading towards the exit door once again with another Italian giant sniffing around him. According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea could bring Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic into the club but only if Juventus get the aforementioned Belgian back in return.

Yet another new face will be prowling the Chelsea technical area and it would seem that Lukaku isn’t the striker that Pochettino wants in his system. Vlahovic meanwhile, after a meteoric rise in the Serie A landscape, could be the man for the job. That being said, he endured a very mediocre season last time out, as did the Bianconeri on the whole, 10 goals and two assists hardly tearing any trees up. He is still just 23-years-old though so he has many years of football ahead of him.

What has Dean Jones got to say about Vlahovic?

"I remember a few weeks ago describing how Chelsea had felt out this situation and had a conference call with Juventus ready for talks with the new sporting director over a potential deal.

"On the back of those discussions nothing was picked up, I thought maybe the ship had sailed on Vlahovic for now. Chelsea felt the situation out, they knew everything they needed to know in terms of signing him, but they didn’t pull the trigger.

"After what we have seen from Chelsea and Jackson in pre-season I don’t really see a reason for them suddenly making a signing like this right now, yet I am hearing that the interest remains and obviously there is the whole Lukaku factor now in the mix.

"Vlahovic would be an unbelievable signing. Do not underestimate what this guy could do in the Premier League. Jackson has had a good pre-season and adds a really nice mix of assets to the attack, but I’m sticking by my opinion that he won’t score more than 15 goals.

Vlahovic has a ceiling much higher than that in my eyes."

Where Does Vlahovic Fit in at Stamford Bridge?

As previously mentioned, there have already been a couple of new signings in the attacking third this window. Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson have joined from RB Leipzig and Villarreal respectively surrounded by hype and expectations. The former is an injury worry as the start of the new season looms after he was substituted in a recent friendly.

Vlahovic is a very different forward to Frenchman Nkunku, who has been one of the best players in all of Germany over the last couple of seasons. Whereas the latter is of a smaller stature, Vlahovic is 6 foot 2 inches and is of a muscly build. At the same time, the pair are both known for good movement in and around the box and it remains to be seen whether they will play together or not.

Beyond the central forwards, the list goes on for attackers: Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling to name just a few. If Vlahovic does join the Londoners, Pochettino won’t be short of attacking options that is for sure.

The actual cricket looks to have taken a back seat, but Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed is eager to push it back into focus, looking to maintain Pakistan’s T20 ranking by winning games

Umar Farooq in Lahore11-Sep-2017The emerging theme from the series between Pakistan and the World XI is that it’s more than just cricket, with the feeling that this is the first time real, high-profile international cricket returns to Pakistan. The actual cricket looks to have taken a back seat, but Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed is eager to push it back into focus, looking to maintain Pakistan’s T20 ranking by winning games.The players comprising the World XI hail from seven different countries, and landed in Lahore with a view to reviving cricket in Pakistan. It is a series being celebrated around the country as the future of Pakistan as viable host hinges on the success of the series, which has been ratified by the ICC and holds T20 international status.”I think the burden of responsibility has been increased because we are playing at home but we take every series seriously,” Sarfraz said ahead of the first T20. “This might be a series for a great cause to revive cricket but we have to watch out for our T20 ranking as well. Our ranking is quite high (No. 3) and we want to maintain it so the series is equally important. We will try to win every game one-sidedly. But obviously, they are a strong team on paper and we will have to fight to win.”Sarfraz grew up in an era when Pakistan used to host international teams frequently. He played in the 2008 Asia Cup and was part of the Pakistan squad when Zimbabwe toured the country in 2015. He had also captained Quetta Gladiators in the PSL final earlier this year, but this will be the first instance of him captaining Pakistan on home soil in an international game. Apart from Sarfraz, as many as 10 players out of the 16-man squad have never played an international game at home.Amir debuted in 2009 but has never played at home while Babar Azam, Ahmed Shehzad, and Imad Wasim played their first international in 2015 against Zimbabwe. “I am very excited to have cricket back home after a long time and it is a moment of joy,” Sarfraz said. “Since the incident (Sri Lanka team attack in 2009) this is my third event in Pakistan.”As captain it’s my first, so for me, it’s a proud moment, as well as for all those who have been selected to play against World XI. I think nothing is more joyous for them than to be playing cricket in Pakistan and we are hopeful that after this series, cricket will be regularly played in the country. We have a young team building up and we are fully prepared ahead of the game. We played with a blend of young player in West Indies, as we are now, but at the same time, we have the likes of Ahmed Shezhad, with ample experience along with Shoaib Malik, so there isn’t any worry at all. We are actually trying to play young players who will step up to the plate.”