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Chelsea are among the favourites to sign Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio this summer, but they may have to do battle with Premier League rivals Liverpool, according to reports from Spain.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

Chelsea are in the market for a new centre-back this summer, and they have recently been linked with a move for Real Madrid Castilla's Rafa Marin, who could be available for a cut-price fee, given that his contract is set to expire next summer.

The Blues are also in the race for Juventus defender Gleison Bremer, though they will have to do battle for his signature with Manchester United, while Manchester City's Aymeric Laporte also remains an option.

Inacio has been attracting the attention of multiple Premier League clubs, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool recently being named as potential suitors, however the Blues are now very well-placed to compete for his signature.

That is according to reports from Spain (via Caught Offside), with it being detailed that Chelsea are one of the main favourites to acquire the services of the 21-year-old, alongside Liverpool.

However, there is also a great deal of interest in the youngster from abroad, with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid also being named as interested parties.

Sporting CP are said to be holding out for €50m (£39m), which should be more than affordable for a club with the resources of Chelsea.

Who is Goncalo Inacio?

Despite his age, the Portugal international has been an important player for Sporting for a number of years now, already making a total of 122 appearances for the first team, including 33 in the Portuguese top flight last season.

Hailed as "fantastic" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the starlet has most commonly been utilised at centre-back, but he has shown a keen eye for goal, registering a total of 11 goals and eight assists for Sporting CP.

The Sporting CP star is also very competent defensively, as indicated by the fact he ranks in the 81st percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level.

Although he is only 21 years old, Inacio already has a great deal of first-team experience, and his performances demonstrate he is ready to take the next step in his career, so Chelsea should undoubtedly test the waters with a bid in the coming weeks.

South Africa’s current coach Russell Domingo’s contract expires at the end of the England tour in August

Firdose Moonda18-May-2017Cricket South Africa has nominated a five-man panel including two former national coaches, Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons, to recommend a suitable candidate for the position of head coach, which it aims to fill by the beginning of September. Current coach Russell Domingo’s contract expires at the end of the England tour in August and while free to reapply for the post, he has not indicated whether he will put his name in the hat.If Domingo does apply, he, along with other candidates will be screened by a panel which consists of CSA’s lead independent director Norman Arendse, board member Rihan Richards, transformation and cricket pipeline committee member Oupa Nkagisang and the two former coaches. It is not clear whether the panel will search for suitable candidates or whether applications have been opened, but either way, the panel will have about three months to decide on their recommendation. It will then be up to CSA’s board to ratify that choice.Domingo has been in charge of South Africa since after the Champions Trophy in mid-2013 and has had his contract renewed three times but cannot be rolled over again in order to meet corporate governance requirements. Domingo enjoys widespread player support and is the only coach to oversee a South African victory in a World-Cup knockout match – the 2015 quarter-final. He has also been in charge through a severe dip in form – when South Africa crashed from No. 1 to No. 7 on the Test rankings – and a subsequent revival that has seen them climb to No. 2. They cannot move any higher in their next series against England – even with a 4-0 victory – but that is unlikely to have as much effect on whether Domingo stays on as head coach or not as the Champions Trophy. With the new coach’s tenure set to include the 2019 World Cup, CSA is likely to lean towards someone who it thinks will bring the team success there.CSA has already put faith in the current crop of selectors, whose tenure began after the 2015 World Cup. Convener Linda Zondi, along with Hussein Manack, Errol Stewart and Lux Qoboshiyana (who replaced Ashwell Prince after he became Cobras’ coach last September) have had their term of office extended until after the 2019 World Cup. The selection panel has presided over the rise of several stars for South Africa, including Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj, and has done so while adhering to strict transformation targets.The only other notable change to the structure is the appointment of Robin Peterson as the eminent past-player representative on the cricket committee. Peterson replaces Prince in that role.

Glasgow Rangers have been beaten in the race to bring Liverpool starlet Leighton Clarkson back to the Scottish Premiership after it was confirmed that he has returned to Aberdeen.

Who is Leighton Clarkson?

Clarkson is a midfielder and academy product at Anfield having worked his way up through the various youth ranks over the years, but in order to gain regular game time, he’s carried out two loans during his career, the first at Blackburn Rovers and last season at Aberdeen.

The Merseyside outfit’s gem has only ever made three senior appearances under Jurgen Klopp so he was clearly never going to make a significant breakthrough into the first-team any time soon, and with his contract also set to expire at the end of next term, his future lies away from his boyhood club.

Back in May, Football Insider credited the Light Blues with an interest in the 21-year-old and claimed that Michael Beale was a big admirer of the up-and-coming talent having worked with him previously, but a significant development has now been publicly announced, and he won’t be completing a summer switch to Ibrox.

Are Rangers signing Clarkson?

Taking to Twitter, Aberdeen confirmed through their social media channel that Clarkson had re-joined them on a permanent basis from Liverpool following his successful loan in 2022/23. They wrote:

"Leighton Clarkson has signed a four year-deal with the Dons, joining from Liverpool for an undisclosed fee. Welcome back Leighton."

Is Clarkson not joining a blow for Beale?

Rangers will know how much of a “technical” player (Josh Bunting) Clarkson is having faced him whilst on loan at Aberdeen, not to mention the existing connection he already has to Beale, so the defensive midfielder not joining is definitely a huge blow.

The Unique Sports Group client, who pockets £3k-per-week, averaged 2.2 tackles per league game last season and established himself as Barry Robson’s second top-performing defensive player, but he was arguably even more of a positive influence at the opposite end of the pitch in the final third.

The Adidas-sponsored ace clocked up 11 goal contributions (seven assists and four goals) in 29 Scottish Premiership outings which are impressive numbers for someone whose natural role is to sit in front of the backline, but the Gers boss will now have to turn his attention elsewhere and start focusing on who else he can target after falling short on this occasion.

Brenden Aaronson's late missed header proved costly as Union Berlin fell to Braga in stoppage-time.

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• Aaronson comes on in 81'
• Misses golden chance
• Braga win in stoppage-time

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Braga came out on top in a wild 3-2 victory over Union Berlin. The Bundesliga side's Sheraldo Becker notched a brace, but a stoppage-time winner from Braga's Andre Castro stole the show.

  Becker scored twice in minutes 30' and 37' to put the home side up 2-0 up, but Braga capitalized on a defensive mistake four minutes after the double to get one back before the break. Portuguese winger Bruma equalized just after half-time and then set up Castro at the death to take home the glory.

  USMNT midfielder Aaronson was subbed on in the 81st minute, but failed to leave a lasting impact on the match, spurning a headed chance late on. The miss proved costly, as Union lost their second group-stage match of the campaign.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Aaronson's loan has been nothing but disappointing so far, and Tuesday was just an amplification of that. He was benched for the second-straight match and for the second time this UCL campaign. He was their last substitute used in the match and only played a total of 14 minutes, and it appears his confidence is drained.

  He had a great opportunity to put the German side ahead minutes after entering the match, but missed a point-blank header.

  For Union Berlin, it's a second-successive heartbreaking loss in stoppage-time loss in the Champions League. On matchday one, the Bundesliga side fell to Real Madrid 1-0 due to a 94th-minute winner from Jude Bellingham.

• Getty Images
  

  USMNT IMPACT

  Aaronson not starting nor getting regular minutes for Union Berlin has to be a worry for Gregg Berhalter and the USMNT.

  With upcoming October friendlies against both Ghana and Germany on the horizon, it's important that the 22-year-old finds both his confidence and his shooting boots as the two matches ahead are their toughest international opponents yet.

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• GOAL'S RATINGS

  Brenden Aaronson (5/10):

  Despite coming on late in the 81st minute, Aaronson nearly set up a goal immediately and then missed a point-blank header late; one would argue he has to score in that moment.

Celtic are concerned that they could lose manager Ange Postecoglou to Leeds United this summer, according to a fresh rumour regarding the Whites' future.

Is Postecoglou shining at Celtic?

The Australian is excelling in charge of the Hoops currently, arguably proving to be one of their best managers over the past decade or two. He has achieved great success since arriving at Parkhead in 2021, winning back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles, as well as two Scottish League Cups and one Scottish Cup.

Postecoglou has only been signing one-year extensions at Celtic, so his current deal is set to expire at the end of this season, which will no doubt lead to speculation surrounding his future. This is where Leeds come into play, with their managerial situation still up in the air.

Sam Allardyce is currently in charge until the summer, as he looks to inspire them to Premier League survival, but it remains to be seen if his services will be retained beyond this season.

Could Postecoglou be Leeds' next manager?

According to Football Insider, Celtic are worried that Postecoglou "has already made up his mind on joining an elite Premier League side this summer". He has overseen an "incredible transformation" at Parkhead, according to the report, and he is on the "wanted list" of both Tottenham and Leeds.

One of the things that has potentially attracted the Whites is his "superb knowledge of the Japanese and Asian markets", turning Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda into "fan favourites" at Celtic.

Postecoglou could be an inspired appointment by Leeds if they stay in the Premier League this season, with the 57-year-old surely unlikely to want to manage in the Championship next term. He has got the Hoops playing an exciting brand of attacking football since coming in, while his aforementioned trophy count is proof that he can instill a winning mentality in his players.

Granted, the Premier League is a different challenge entirely, but he has the experience in management to not be daunted by it, and the general classy manner in which he conducts himself could make him an enormously popular figure at Elland Road, much in the way Marcelo Bielsa was.

Postecoglou should be viewed as an upgrade on Allardyce, even if the 68-year-old keeps Leeds in the Premier League, with the Englishman viewed as a short-term fix rather than someone who can be a long-term success story at Elland Road. Australia head coach Graham Arnold has lauded him as "fantastic" recently, further outlining his reputation.

Bangladesh’s domestic season will now begin with the National Cricket League, after the Bangladesh Cricket League franchises showed a reluctance to hold the tournament in September while the national cricketers are busy with the ODIs against Afghanistan.The NCL, which begins this season on September 25, is the division-wise first-class tournament that is played among the seven divisions from across the country, as well as Dhaka Metropolis. It is divided into two tiers with the top team from the bottom tier being promoted to the top tier after every season.The BCL is the franchise-based first-class tournament, which is placed along geographical zones like north, south, east and central. One of the franchise owners, Prime Bank Limited, pulled out this year due to unavailability of players and a supposed lack of quality in the tournament.BCB’s cricket operations chairman Akram Khan said that since these franchises spend a lot of money on the teams, they wants the top players to play for them. “BCL franchises don’t want to play without the national players. They make a lot of investment. So we planned to postpone the BCL since the national players will be busy at that time with the Afghanistan series. So we will hold the NCL first,” he said. “When an international series is suddenly planned, we are forced to change our calendar. Everyone wanted to play Afghanistan before the England series.”The NCL will be held in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Bogra, Khulna, Fatullah and BKSP.

Sri Lanka held their nerve to claim the Royal London Under-19 one-day series with one match to spare after a tense finish in Chelmsford

ECB Reporters Network13-Aug-2016
ScorecardShammu Ashan’s unbeaten 77 led Sri Lanka Under-19s to a last-wicket win•Getty Images

Sri Lanka held their nerve to claim the Royal London Under-19 one-day series with one match to spare after a tense finish in Chelmsford.The tourists, who had won the first match of the series comfortably in Wormsley last Wednesday, seemed to be cruising again at 229 for three in the 36th over, after England had posted 315 for 8. But the dismissal of their opener Avishka Fernando for an excellent 117, run out by a direct hit from Somerset’s offspinner Dom Bess who was again the pick of England’s bowlers, breathed fresh life into the contest.Ben Green, Bess’s Somerset team-mate, took three wickets and there were two more run-outs, leaving Sri Lanka nine wickets down and still needing two to win at the start of the 50th over. But Shammu Ashan, who scored an unbeaten 60 at Wormsley, drove the first ball from Aaron Beard through the covers for the match-winning boundary, to set off wild celebrations among the Sri Lankans – who completed a 1-0 win in the two-match four-day series between the teams earlier this month.Ashan ended with 77 from 75 balls, and England will now be playing for pride in the last match of the series at the St Lawrence ground in Canterbury on Tuesday – a day-night match starting at 2pm and being televised live by Sky Sports.England’s total had been built around three significant contributions from Tom Moores, George Hankins and George Bartlett – all old boys of Millfield School. Moores, the Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper-batsman who has just completed a successful loan spell at Lancashire, came in to open with captain Max Holden, and shrugged off the loss of his partner in the first over to make 70 from 68 balls with nine fours and a six.Hankins, the tall Gloucestershire right-hander who had opened in the defeat at Wormsley, played a sensible supporting role in stands of 123 in 24 overs with Moores, and 148 in 22 with Bartlett. The latter fell in the 47th over for 85 from 68 balls with eight fours and two sixes, one of them soaring over long-on and into the River Can.Hankins then fell agonisingly short of a century, middling a square cut but picking out backward point after making 98 from 144 balls. Worcestershire’s Zen Malik and Surrey wicketkeeper Ollie Pope contributed handy cameos in the closing overs, allowing England to set a tough target.But Sri Lanka made a flying start to their reply, with an opening stand of 67 inside nine overs before Yorkshire’s Ed Barnes had Dilan Jayalath coolly caught on the square leg boundary by Malik for 41 from 34 balls.That was the first of three boundary catches by Malik, and Bess bowled beautifully to concede only 36 in his 10 overs. Worcestershire’s left-arm spinner Ben Twohig took two wickets on his debut, but England paid a heavy penalty for an inconsistent ground-fielding display.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could not have picked a better time to play Chelsea, with the west London outfit struggling recently, and having sacked Graham Potter, they will have Frank Lampard back in the dugout on an interim basis.

Julen Lopetegui started off well at Wolves, but the Old Gold haven’t won since the start of March, and with things extremely tight at the bottom of the Premier League table, a win against the Blues could go a long way to securing safety come the end of the season.

The Molineux side had the perfect chance to move further clear of the relegation zone against Nottingham Forest last week, but they stumbled to a 1-1 draw and Lopetegui could make a few changes in response.

One player we think must be unleashed against Chelsea is winger Adama Traore, whose pace and strength could seriously test their fragile backline.

Will Adama Traore start for Wolves against Chelsea?

The Spaniard started against Forest last week, succeeding with two dribble attempts, making one key pass and winning seven duels during the tight encounter, but he couldn’t push his side towards a winner.

Chelsea have conceded 30 goals this season, and although they could receive a 'new manager boost' with Lampard arriving in midweek, Wolves will have other plans in order to make his first match back one to forget.

Traore hasn’t quite been at his swashbuckling best this season, scoring just twice in the league and creating only four big chances – but there is an argument to say the better the opposition, the better he plays.

Against Tottenham Hotspur last month, the £55k-per-week speedster scored the winner, hit the woodwork and made one key pass in a fine 45-minute display, proving that when he is on form, the 27-year-old can cause havoc to opposition defences. He also assisted in Wolves' 3-0 win over Liverpool in February.

He enjoyed a loan spell back with Barcelona last season in a bid to gain some more game time and get back to his best, and Xavi was full of praise for Traore, saying: "Adama has matured a lot. And physically, he is a beast, a monster… In 1v1 situations, you cannot beat him. Adama is the perfect winger for me. I am convinced that he will be great for us."

His hot-and-cold nature is certainly problematic, but Lopetegui should give him another chance this afternoon, especially with Pedro Neto still battling back to full fitness.

The winger may just deliver again when it matters most and secure Wolves a precious three points, which could go a long way in the relegation battle.

The same South Africa squad that will play three T20Is against West Indies in March will travel to compete in the Women’s World T20 in India next month.

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2016The same South Africa squad that will play three T20Is against West Indies in March will travel to compete in the Women’s World T20 in India next month.South Africa Women’s coach Hilton Moreeng said South Africa had picked their best squad for subcontinent conditions, and believed the side’s experience gave them a good chance at making the knockouts.”It’s a well-balanced squad with lots of experience and a bit of youth. We’ve given ourselves the best chance to play well and compete, as well as to qualify for the knockout phase,” Moreeng said. “The fact that our first three series in the Women’s Championship were in the subcontinent has helped us a lot in terms of getting players used to those kinds of conditions and pitches. Eighty percent of the squad going to the World T20 has been exposed to subcontinent conditions, especially India, so there won’t be too many players who will be experiencing the conditions for the first time.”South Africa are in Group A along with Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Sri Lanka, and will kick off their campaign on March 18 against Australia in Nagpur.Squad Mignon du Preez (capt), Trisha Chetty (wk), Odine Kirsten, Moseline Daniels, Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk, Dinesha Devnarain, Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus, Shabnim Ismail, Masabatha Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka, Marcia Letsoalo, Lizelle Lee, Yolani Fourie

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Napoli are not currently even considering selling touted Manchester United target Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

What’s the latest on the Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Man Utd links?

With Napoli performing so well as they look set to run away with the Serie A title this season in Italy, it’s no surprise that a number of their players are being linked with big moves.

For instance, the Red Devils have recently been spoken about as a possible future destination for Victor Osimhen, with club scouts reportedly watching the talented striker.

On top of that, his Napoli teammate Kvaratskhelia has been linked with the same Premier League club – alongside many others – but it seems as though nothing serous has been discussed at this stage. 

Indeed, while talking on his YouTube channel, Romano explained that the winger’s current team are too focused on their exploits this season to even think about possible summer sales.

He said (0:46): “He’s doing fantastic with Napoli. So congrats again to Napoli because Kvaratskhelia, in Serie A and Champions League, is always performing at a super level. Fantastic, fantastic player. What’s the point?

“I always see many rumours and many of you asking me about Kvaratskhelia and Man United, Kvaratskhelia and Chelsea, Kvaratskhelia and Real Madrid and many others. But guys at the moment, and trust me it’s not usual to say something like that, Napoli don’t want to open negotiation or to speak to any club or any agent.“

Napoli are insulating the player. Napoli are protecting the player. It is the same with Osihmen, but with Kvaratskhelia too. Napoli don’t want to make a price tag. It’s not about 100 million euros, 200 million euros.

“Napoli want to focus on the second part of the season. They want to complete this fantastic Serie A season by winning the title. They miss more than 30 years. And also they want to do something special in the Champions League  So they don’t want to speak about their players nothing will happen nothing will be discussed before June for Napoli players.

“ This is why for Kvaratskhelia the interest is normal for many clubs following the player but no one is speaking to Napoli or is negotiating or they don’t even know the price tag. So don’t trust all the stories.”

What does the Kvaratskhelia transfer update mean for Man Utd?

Man United already have in-form winger Marcus Rashford in the team while they’ve also spent big money on other attacking wide men such as Jadon Sancho and Anthony in recent transfer windows, so it remains to be seen if they would chase Kvaratskhelia in the summer.

However, if he is available for the right price, Erik ten Hag may feel as though it’s worth splashing the cash to bring the player to Old Trafford. After all, the 22-year-old has a stunning 12 goals and 15 assists in 26 appearances across all competitions for his club so far this term – which is better than a direct goal contribution every 90 minutes.

The problem, however, as Romano explains, is that we have no idea just how much Kvaratskhelia could cost as Napoli are yet to even start discussing his possible sale with any interested clubs behind the scenes.

It feels like patience will have to be required with this particular deal.