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Everton have identified Norwich City’s Max Aarons and PSV Eindhoven’s Denzel Dumfries as their primary right-back targets for the summer transfer window, according to 90Min.

Ajax’s Devyne Rensch was apparently on Everton’s radar as well, only for him to sign a new long-term contract last month.

Both Aarons and Dumfries have represented their countries on the European stage this year, with the former competing at the Under-21 tournament and the latter at the recently-concluded Euro 2020.

How did Aarons and Dumfries fare internationally?

Aarons started England’s group stage opener against Switzerland, which they lost 1-0, and helped them to a 2-1 victory over Croatia on the final matchday. It wasn’t enough to stave off early elimination, though, as the Young Lions bowed out on goal difference.

Meanwhile, Dumfries shone in the group phase for the Netherlands at Euro 2020. He scored the winning goal against Ukraine and then contributed a goal and an assist in their 2-0 victory over Austria (Transfermarkt), but his journey would end in the round of 16 as the Dutch were stunned by the Czech Republic.

Fan feed The Toffee Blues relayed 90Min’s report on the right-back duo, and here’s what these Everton supporters made of it.

Everton fans react as right-back options emerge

“Get it done Mr. Brands.”

Credit: @Snakepl08350140

“I needed this news today”

Credit: @XXXCloutistic

“Happy with either. Just want it done.”

Credit: @OpinionHated6

“If true this is very positive. We really could do with pace on the right preferably with some crossing ability too.”

Credit: @geoff_in

“OK, get 1 done quickly and move on to the next. We need a good few signings this summer”

Credit: @efac1878

“Get one please Everton please!”

Credit: @thomas41448377

In other news, there’s another key update on the pursuit of Dumfries. 

Andre Adams, the bustling all-rounder, was probably the only Aucklander who could raise a smile as Northern Districts outplayed Auckland by 60 runs with a smart all-round performance in the State Shield one-day cricket match on Eden Park’s outer oval

Don Cameron28-Dec-2002Andre Adams, the bustling all-rounder, was probably the only Aucklander who could raise a smile as Northern Districts outplayed Auckland by 60 runs with a smart all-round performance in the State Shield one-day cricket match on Eden Park’s outer oval today.Adams’ place in the New Zealand World Cup squad became firmer as he survived a stiff test on his back injury. He bowled at about three-quarter vigour to take four for 37 from ten overs in leading the Auckland bowling effort as Northern Districts scored 218 for seven in their 50 overs.However, Adams scored only a seven-minute two as the Auckland batting struggled and finally expired at 158 in 44 overs.Ross Dykes, one of the New Zealand selectors who must deliver the 15-man World Cup squad by the middle of next week, said he was heartened by Adams’ vigorous bowling, and by the way he was able to come back for a strong second spell.”He will have to come through a similar test at Alexandra on Monday when Auckland play Otago,” said Dykes, “but Andre gave a very encouraging performance and that pleases me.”If a stranger without World Cup favourites in his head had watched the game he would have lavished more praise on the two Northern Districts men – Joseph Yovich, the 26-year-old all-rounder, and Matthew Hart, the former New Zealand left-arm spinner – who saved their team’s cause in the early afternoon.After choosing to bat first on a tired-looking pitch – a relic of the Auckland-Wellington State Championship match earlier this month – the Northern Districts first innings stuttered along. Adams and Richard Morgan reduced Northern to 26 for two and then three (the third being Scott Styris, another World Cup candidate, for a four-ball duck) and eventually Northern were on then ropes at 81 for five.Half Northern Districts’ overs had been used up, and 150 or 160 seemed an optimistic target as the old pitch was not the easiest of batting surfaces. By the time Yovich arrived at this critical point, Hart had dug in with his dogged left-handed batting.Yovich is usually a low-order struggler, but he started today at No 7 as if he regarded himself as the confident batting star of the team. Soon he was stroking fours about the smooth outfield. A couple of sixes rocketed over the long-on line. Heartened by this (pardon the pun) Hart increased his scoring rate.Very soon the Auckland bowling began to look a little thin, the fielding not as keen and sharp as it had been early in the innings. They scored 50 runs together in 37 minutes from 66 balls and kept up the momentum with a second 50 in 40 minutes from 56 balls.By the time Adams bowled Yovich, the tall young man had scored 70 from 90 balls, including two sixes and seven fours, and the 107 runs he added with Hart had carried Northern Districts to 198, considerably better than the early limp batting had suggested.Hart went at 204 for seven, 153 minutes for his 62 from 81 balls, and Northern Districts probably had a very comfortable lunch.Matt Horne might have upset them with four quick fours in the opening Auckland attack, but he hit himself out at 30, Llorne Howell did the same at 39 and when Mark Richardson was caught behind after an unwise slash outside the off-stump, Auckland were three for 52, and worse at 55 for four when Tama Canning was run out.Hart, aided by Styris, then stifled the Aucklanders with their pin-point accuracy (Styris’ first spell read 6-3-6-0), and Hart thoroughly deserved figures of 10-0-30-2, although why he should concede eight no-balls must remain a mystery.Brooke Walker, the Auckland captain, led a dogged rearguard action with 33 not out from 79 balls, but the smart Northern Districts fielding wrapped up the rest of the innings.James Marshall was the star in this department, with superb catches to remove Horne, Howell and Rob Nicol, and them a brilliant stop and dive-pass of the ball to run out Morgan.

An update has emerged on Liverpool defender Ben Davies, regarding Celtic’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, Celtic are chasing a deal to sign Liverpool central defender Ben Davies on a season-long loan. The report claims Celtic and Bournemouth are both interested in landing the centre-back this summer as Ange Postecoglou is eager to strengthen his defensive options ahead of next season.

Former Hoops boss Neil Lennon attempted to sign Davies from English Championship side Preston in the January transfer window, only for Liverpool to usurp them and snap him up for £2m.

Bye-bye Ajer

It could be time to say bye-bye to Kristoffer Ajer and hello to Davies this summer as Postecoglou restructures his defensive unit. The Athletic reported last month that Ajer is disappointed by the club’s attempts to keep him after they rejected £10m bids from Norwich and Bayer Leverkusen.

The Norweigan has 12 months left on his contract and has an informal agreement with the club that he will be allowed to leave should a respectable offer come in.

Therefore, the 23-year-old could be parting ways with the Scottish giants before the end of the transfer window and that could leave a gigantic hole to fill in the centre-back position, one which Davies could fill.

Prior to his switch to Anfield, the 25-year-old averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.82 in the Championship for Preston and previously managed an excellent score of 7.01 in a second-tier campaign for the Lancashire-based side.

This shows that he has the defensive quality to potentially be a great addition to Postecoglou’s side, which is why the Hoops must work hard to seal a deal for Lennon’s former target. His ability on the ball is another reason why he should be brought in. Calvin Andrew, a former teammate of Davies’, heaped praise on the defender and highlighted his quality to play out from the back with the ball whilst also being a strong defender.

He told The Athletic: “He’s robust. He can play. He’s naturally a left-back, I would say. He has that ability on the ball, he can play and see passes. But he’s not afraid of the dirty part of the game and puts his head where it hurts; a really brave and talented young man.”

The £60k-per-week beast, therefore, could be a terrific signing for the Hoops as he merges defensive stability with ball-playing qualities. This means that he could be perfect for a Celtic side likely to dominate possession in the Scottish Premiership, with his passing from the back able to help unlock defences and push Postecoglou’s side up in the pitch in transition as effectively as possible.

AND in other news, Ange must avoid Celtic blunder with “inspirational” £15m beast, fans would be livid…

Juan Mata’s decision to sign a new contract at Manchester United was surprising, says former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer.

The club confirmed at the start of the month that the 33-year-old attacking midfielder has agreed a new one-year deal, keeping him at Old Trafford until June 2022.

Mata found himself on the fringes last season, starting just six Premier League games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

And with Jadon Sancho, another attacker, swapping Borussia Dortmund for the Red Devils, it is hard to imagine Mata’s fortunes improving.

Speaking exclusively to TT about the Spaniard’s new contract, Palmer said:

“It surprised me that one, Juan Mata signing a new contract. Coming to the latter years of his career, surely he’ll be wanting to play football?

“He played very, very little football last season and I never get that. If you know you’re not going to be playing regularly, why would you stay at a football club?”

Mata is not the only United player who could be facing more competition this upcoming season.

The likes of Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly could also be in for a real battle should the club land Real Madrid central defender Raphael Varane, who they are currently chasing, as Solskjaer looks to build a title-winning squad.

While he knows all too well how tough it will be for his inexperienced side to beat India and Pakistan, Hong Kong captain Tabarak Dar sees the Asia Cup as an excellent opportunity to learn and develop

Cricinfo staff22-Jun-2008
Hong Kong’s inexperienced players hope to gain plenty by competing against stronger opponents in the Asia Cup © AFP
While he knows all too well how tough it will be for his inexperienced side to beat India and Pakistan, Hong Kong captain Tabarak Dar sees the Asia Cup as an excellent opportunity to learn and develop.The tournament starts in Karachi on June 24, and Dar believes it will encourage Hong Kong and other smaller sides to lift their game in the future. “I believe this [Asia Cup] is a very good chance to play with big guns Pakistan and India, the two world-class outfits,” he told the , a Pakistan daily. “And if we are able to compete with them it would only benefit Hong Kong cricket.”Even though our task is very tough, we are pretty optimistic of putting up a good show here because the stage is set for our lads to prove everyone where we stand in international cricket.”Hong Kong lost both their matches in the previous Asia Cup in 2004. They play hosts Pakistan on Tuesday and India the next day.”At the end of the day, we are not here on holidays,” said Dar, 32. “Our aim is to be competitive in this tournament and try to create an upset or two. Playing alongside the best teams will be a good learning process for my team.”While Dar could not single out any one player to watch out for, he had confidence in his team. “There are individuals in this squad who are capable of big things,” he said. “Basically, ours is a side that contains all-round players. However, we are pinning our bowling hopes on Nadeem Ahmed, who was a youngster when we played in Sri Lanka in 2004.””Straight after the Asia Cup we have the ACC Trophy, so we are looking at it as an opportunity to play against bigger Test nations and show the world where we stand here and then in the ACC Trophy,” said Dar.Aftab Habib, Hong Kong’s coach, admitted they were up against the odds. “We are a very small team but this Asia Cup gives us an opportunity to know where we stand against bigger teams and it is a huge stepping stone for us,” Habib, a former England Test player who took over as coach 10 months ago, told . “I am honoured to be associated with Hong Kong cricket and by now have got to know the boys well and the goal for me is to take them further.”

After the first Test at Lord’s, Mickey Arthur promised that the real South Africa would turn up at Headingley. And so they did, with an emphatic 10-wicket win over England to take a 1-0 series lead

The Bulletin by Will Luke21-Jul-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Dale Steyn removed Tim Ambrose as England slid towards defeat © Getty Images
After the first Test at Lord’s, Mickey Arthur promised that the real South Africa would turn up at Headingley. And so they did, with an emphatic 10-wicket win over England. They were made to work for their victory today, but with England only squeaking a lead of eight runs, it is South Africa who have taken a 1-0 series lead with two Tests to play. England have plenty to ponder.However great the feeling of inevitability was that England wouldn’t survive six sessions, they didn’t lie down submissively and wait for the axe to fall. South Africa were frustrated by Alastair Cook and James Anderson at the start of the day; by Stuart Broad and Darren Pattinson at the end. Broad smacked his third Test fifty and most authoritative to date, with 11 perfectly timed fours in a partnership of 61 in just 12.3 overs with Pattinson.Broad has improved with each of his Test innings, but while his batting average is going in the right direction, he is taking his wickets at forties. Not that his place was directly under threat today, but his innings of 67 not out was a timely reminder of how valuable he is at No.8. His back-foot play through the leg-side off Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn was remarkable for the timing he showed, twice swivelling on shorter deliveries to lift them over the infield. After bringing up his fifty from just 41 balls, a powerful cover drive off Makhaya Ntini handed England the lead, though Pattinson was bowled shortly afterwards to end the entertainment. Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie knocked off the nine runs in seven balls as South Africa recorded an emphatic 10-wicket win.South Africa have enjoyed the better of the conditions, truth be told, but such is the advantage of winning the toss at Headingley. Regardless of the pitch, however, their bowling performance was far improved from their Lord’s display. Today’s effort with the ball was a team performance. Steyn and Morkel each took three apiece; Kallis and Ntini two. Even Paul Harris briefly threatened, even though he went wicketless. Graeme Smith’s seamers were made to work for their wickets, however, and England nearly managed to survive until lunch unscathed, thanks to a partnership of 59 between Cook and Anderson.Anderson played with impressive composure and no shortage of class, though South Africa passed the edge of his bat on numerous occasions. Morkel and Ntini opened the bowling and Anderson, mostly playing off the back foot, was beaten twice by Morkel as the fourth-day pitch began to show worrying variable bounce. Balls shot through; the occasional one from Morkel, with his extra height, spat up, but it was an early concern for South Africa that they extracted so little movement.Cook showed excellent judgement of his off stump all morning and the pair began to irritate South Africa with impish running between the wickets. If anything, it caught South Africa off-guard. Anderson was particularly eager, nudging singles out to cover and midwicket and taking on the fielders. These were decidedly dangerous runs, but South Africa’s wild throws missed the stumps repeatedly. England were beginning to really frustrate them.Smart statsSouth Africa’s ten-wicket win comes on the back of the Lord’s Test they saved after following on. The last three times they managed a draw after following on, they have gone on to win the next Test.The win was Graeme Smith’s 28th as captain. He now holds the mark for most wins by a South African captain, with 28 wins in 59 matches. Hansie Cronje had 27 from 53 Tests.The result continued the trend of teams winning the toss going on to win the match here – the last six Tests, and ten of the last 14, have followed that format.This was England’s second ten-wicket loss at Headingley, where they have lost five Tests by an innings margin.Mark Boucher’s nine dismissals in this Test equals the best for a South African wicketkeeper. Boucher’s nine was the most in a Headingley Test, and for a South African in away Tests. He also goes past Jeff Dujon as the opposition keeper with most Test dismissals at Headingley.Stuart Broad’s unbeaten 67 was his third fifty in as many Tests. It was the highest score by an England No. 9 since Peter Lever’s 88 not out against India at Old Trafford in 1971.A languid cut by Anderson demonstrated his growing confidence, and he bettered it with two excellent fours off Harris, threading him through cover with the panache of a No.4. Steyn, meanwhile – delayed into the attack until the 12th over of the day – persisted with a war of bouncers against both batsman, and only when he pitched it up did he trouble the two left-handers. He was at his most vicious from around the wicket, however, and rapped Anderson a nasty blow on his forearm that required treatment from the physio .The next ball, however, really shook Anderson’s resolve when the batsman ducked into a bouncer, the grille of his helmet hammering into his right jaw. He was immediately floored, prompting Steyn and Hashim Amla to assess the damage, and though he looked groggy and stunned by the bouncer, he gave a sparse Headingley crowd reason to cheer by deciding to bat on. He only lasted a few more overs, but richly deserved the standing ovation for his courage.Kevin Pietersen marched to the crease for a frenzied 13 from five balls, and Ian Bell fell to a screaming catch by de Villiers at gully – taking it one-handed, low to his right – while Cook carved out an impressively calm 148-ball fifty. Unlike South Africa’s rescue act at Lord’s, no England batsman could contribute a hundred, and though Tim Ambrose and Andrew Flintoff briefly threatened to take on the bowlers, South Africa were too disciplined and probing to let England get away.Some of South Africa’s fielders practised their golf swing at mid-on and mid-off earlier in the day, and tomorrow represents a much-needed break for both teams before the third Test gets underway at Edgbaston. England, however, need more than recuperation if they are to bounce back and level the series a week on Wednesday.

Queens Park Rangers are interested in a deal to bring Kai Garande to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that Mark Warburton’s team are lining up a deal for the Charlton Athletic left-back, with the Rs believed to be keen on strengthening their U23 side ahead of next season.

The report continues by stating that the 18-year-old is set to train with the Rs this week, with developments regarding the youngster’s contract at The Valley meaning that he would be available on a free transfer this summer.

Finally, it is claimed that QPR are not the only side interested in a move for the defender, with competition for the highly-rated player’s signing expected.

Warburton surely buzzing

While Garande is yet to make a professional appearance for Charlton, considering the significant amount of noise regarding the player’s potential, the fact that QPR appear to be leading the race for his signature this summer is sure to have left Warburton buzzing.

Indeed, Charlton’s U18s head coach Anthony Hayes appears to believe that the 18-year-old has a fantastic future in the game, as can be seen from his comments when discussing Garande in an interview with Benjy Nurick last year:

“Kai signed at U14, left-back, very good left foot, loves to get forward, and definitely is a threat when he joins in with the attacking side of things.

“He’s got a good left foot so he’s very capable of delivering, not only from dead balls but crosses, beating players 1v1. He’s got a trick to go past people and a good left foot and he does enjoy the attacking side of the game as many modern full-backs tend to do.

“He’s an intelligent boy, Kai. He’s a thinker. He does grasp that defensive side of it. The pride he’s now showing in his 1v1 defensive situations as well as improving his footwork is something he wants to ensure is a real strength of his.

“He’s a good kid. He’s a bit of a quiet assassin! You never really hear him, but he’s always involved in some light-hearted fun. He’s got a lovely personality, he’s very easy to speak to, and he’s a thoughtful kid. He thinks about the game.”

As such, it would indeed appear that, if QPR do indeed go on to win the race for the left-back this summer, Warburton could well have something of a star in the making on his hands.

And, although it may take a little while for fans of the club to see Garande in action for the first team, the fact that the Rs are not only searching for immediate improvements to their starting XI this summer, but also considering the long-term future of the side, is certainly something that should delight the QPR faithful.

In other news: Imagine him & Austin: Bhatia must seal QPR swoop for “unplayable” £2.7m-rated machine

Ricky Ponting’s recovery from wrist surgery will prevent him from appearing in the one-day series against Bangladesh

Cricinfo staff15-Aug-2008
Matthew Hayden has been picked in the squad, but faces a fitness test © Getty Images
Ricky Ponting’s recovery from wrist surgery will prevent him from appearing in the one-day series against Bangladesh at the end of the month while Matthew Hayden must prove he is ready after a long-standing heel problem. Ponting’s absence makes him an unlikely starter for the Champions Trophy – if Australia go to Pakistan – while Hayden will be monitored over the next two weeks.Both players left the tour of West Indies early, with Ponting heading home during the one-day series, and Hayden departing without playing a Test. “I’m feeling pretty good but if you’d asked me this time last week I would have said I was no chance,” Hayden told the . “I saw my local physio [on Friday] and he said it was a completely different tendon to the one he treated last week. He was really worried.”It’s a race against the clock. Given its rapid improvement from last week I’m certainly a chance but I can’t give a definite answer whether I’m in or out. I’ve got to be careful I don’t take any risks over the next month or so given what we have ahead of us. I’ll certainly be conservative with it.”Michael Clarke, who was in Melbourne for a meeting with ICC officials over the Pakistan situation, will take charge of the 14-man squad. Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said the three games against Bangladesh in Darwin would be ideal preparation for a busy time over the next 18 months. “While it is disappointing not to have Ricky Ponting available,” Hilditch said, “we are confident that continuing his recovery and missing this series will assure Ricky is ready for the demanding cricket schedule ahead.”Australia’s previous engagement was the 5-0 win over West Indies and players such as Shaun Marsh, Cameron White and David Hussey have held their spots. “This series provides us with an exciting opportunity to see our senior players and youth combine in what will be a very important series for us,” the coach Tim Nielsen said. “We are very hopeful of Matthew Hayden being able to rejoin the team and our medical staff will continue to monitor him over the next two weeks.”The Australians go into camp next week in Queensland before the first match of the series on August 30. Originally Bangladesh were supposed to appear in two Tests, but they were postponed to 2010 when it was realised they clashed with the Olympics. Both teams will use the contests to fine-tune for the Champions Trophy, which is currently due to start in Pakistan on September 12.Australia Matthew Hayden, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (capt), Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Brad Haddin (wk), Shaun Marsh, David Hussey, James Hopes, Cameron White, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark, Nathan Bracken.

Crystal Palace reporter Matt Woosnam has revealed the Eagles are not interested in signing Michy Batshuayi on a permanent basis.

The Chelsea striker has enjoyed two loan spells at Selhurst Park and scored eight goals in 33 appearances.

Although the Belgium international has returned to Stamford Bridge ahead of the new season, he is among those boss Thomas Tuchel is keen to sell in order to boost his transfer kitty.

Chelsea are looking to offload a string of high-earning fringe players as they set their sights on signing big-name targets like Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.

Batshuayi has failed to nail down a regular starting berth at Chelsea following a reported £33million transfer from Marseille in 2016.

The 27-year-old has also spent time at Borussia Dortmund and Valencia since his move to west London but new Palace manager Patrick Vieira, who was appointed earlier this month, will not be dipping into his transfer budget to secure Batshuayi’s services permanently.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, The Athletic journalist Woosnam said: “I think that’s almost certainly not going to happen. It’s out of the question.

“Palace are looking at revitalising their squad and it’s very clear they’re looking at younger players.

“That does not mean completely avoiding slightly older players but Batshuayi is slightly old in that respect.”

Carl Starfelt fits the bill for Celtic, according to The Celtic Way journalist Tony Haggerty.

The Sweden international has agreed a move to Celtic Park from Rubin Kazan, subject to international clearance, for a reported fee of £4m.

Starfelt made 31 appearances for Rubin Kazan last season, scoring three goals in the process, and has represented his national team on three occasions.

Tony Haggerty believes Starfelt is the calibre of player that new manager Ange Postacoglou wants in his team and is pleased with the experience Celtic’s new signing has, telling Football FanCast: “I think it’s the kind of calibre Postacoglou wants. 

“Starfelt fits the bill, you see he’s got Europa League experience also got some good experience in the Swedish League and the Russian League and he’s got some international experience to. If you put all that together that’s a player that could thrive in Scotland and Celtic have a successful track record of recruiting Swedish players.”

The Hoops have recruited four other players so far this summer, with Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada, Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide all arriving at Celtic Park.

Starfelt plays at centre-back and his arrival comes following the departure of Kristoffer Ajer, who left Celtic to join Premier League newcomers, Brentford, for an initial fee of £13.5m according to Sky Sports.