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Leeds United remain interested in signing Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer during the summer transfer window, but Fulham are also thought to be in the race to snap him up.

Is Gustavo Hamer leaving Coventry?

The Whites have now secured the services of former Norwich City boss Daniel Farke as their manager, which was an appointment that took time and seemingly slowed down their summer transfer business for the time being.

It is now vital that Leeds conduct good some work in the market in the next month or two, with new players required to boost their chances of making a quickfire return to the Premier League.

One such individual could be Hamer, who has been linked with a move to Elland Road, following an excellent season for Coventry, who so nearly achieved promotion from the Championship.

The 26-year-old midfielder enjoyed an impressive tally of 11 goals and ten assists in the league, en route to the Sky Blues reaching the playoff final against Luton Town, which he scored in, but his side eventually lost on penalties.

Coventry are finding it difficult to keep hold of their star players – the same applies to fellow Whites transfer target Viktor Gyokeres, who could be set to join Portuguese giants Sporting CP – and rumours of a move to Elland Road are refusing to go away.

Are Leeds signing Gustavo Hamer?

According to The Daily Mail in the early hours of Monday morning, Leeds see Hamer as a key summer transfer target, but are now joined by Fulham, who are of course able to offer him Premier League football:

"Fulham are keen on Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer who has also been targeted by Leeds and has one year left on his contract. Hamer was one of the Sky Blues' standout stars in their run to the Play-off Final last season, scoring the crucial winner in the semi-final win over Middlesbrough.

"Leeds meanwhile are also interested in Hamer, as they look to bolster their midfield ranks following the departure of Brenden Aaronson."

Hamer could be such an exciting signing by Leeds if they manage to entice him to the club, transforming their midfield options in the process. His aforementioned end product in the final third is something that nobody for the Whites came close to replicating last season, with no central midfielders scoring more than twice in the Premier League.

The Dutchman is a former Netherlands youth international, further showing the pedigree he possesses as a player, and the fact that his current Coventry deal expires at the end of next season means that this summer is the last chance of them to receiving a good amount of money for his signature.

The fact that Fulham are reportedly in the race to sign Hamer is a potential issue for Leeds, though, given their guarantee of Premier League football next season, so Farke may have to sell him the Whites as a club, in order for them to leapfrog the Cottagers.

The Coventry ace has been hailed as "unbelievable" by Marko Marosi in the past, and if he can take his recent form with him to Elland Road, he could be a signing that ends up being inspired this time next year, at which point Leeds will hopefully be back in the top flight.

Crystal Palace have made contact to enquire about a summer deal to sign Newcastle United forward Allan Saint-Maximin, according to reports.

Is Allan Saint-Maximin leaving Newcastle?

Since joining from Nice back in August 2019, the left-winger has been a regular feature of Eddie Howe’s first-team clocking up 124 appearances to date, but ever since last season, he’s started to drop significantly lower down in the manager’s pecking order.

The Frenchman was limited to just 12 starts in the Premier League, being forced to come off the bench on 13 occasions following the arrival of Anthony Gordon in January and shift of Alexander Isak into the left-wing role, so despite his contract not expiring for another three years, there’s a chance that he could be on the move.

Back in April, TEAMtalk reported that Magpies chiefs don’t believe that the 26-year-old is deserving of being offered fresh terms which was then further backed up by talkSPORT, who claim that the hierarchy are ready to cash in on him to keep on the right side of Financial Fair Play rules, and it seems that his situation has alerted Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles have so far only brought in Jefferson Lerma on a free transfer from Bournemouth so are yet to splash the cash on any fresh faces, but that could all be about to change because the boss has earmarked the black and white stripes attacker as a potential transfer target.

Are Crystal Palace signing Allan Saint-Maximin?

According to 90min, Crystal Palace have "checked on" Saint Maximin's situation alongside Everton ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Overseas, AC Milan and Marseille have also "shown an interest", whilst Saudio Pro League clubs Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli are additionally considering a summer swoop.

Newcastle's forward is "considering his options" after learning that he won't be tabled a new contract and it's believed that he would bring in a "big sale" should he depart.

How many goals has Allan Saint-Maximin scored?

For Newcastle in the Premier League last season, Saint-Maximin posted six goal contributions (five assists and one goal) in 25 outings, which shows that whilst he wasn’t given a fair amount of game time, he’s more than capable of producing the goods when handed the chance, so the left winger would be an exciting signing should he put pen to paper at Crystal Palace.

The Magpies’ £70k-per-week earner ranked in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons during the previous campaign and was averaging 5.22 shot-creating actions per top-flight game, which was the second-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef, so he loves to use his quick feet, strength and pace to take on his marker and produce chances.

The Puma-sponsored ace would also provide Hodgson with plenty of versatility having operated in seven different positions around the pitch since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even three roles in the midfield, so he’d be a great option for the boss to have at his disposal.

Wilfried Zaha has now become a free agent upon the expiration of his contract, and whilst he’s been offered a new four-year deal to remain in SE25, Saint-Maximin could be the perfect successor should he start a new adventure elsewhere having been dubbed “unstoppable” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Chelsea are considering opening a fresh round of discussions to bring Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana to the Premier League, according to reports.

Is Andre Onana leaving Inter Milan?

The Cameroon international still has another four years remaining on his contract at San Siro, but having made 24 Serie A starts from 38 games last season after sharing the gloves with Samir Handanovic who is the club’s captain, he could be looking to secure a move and establish himself as a prominent first-choice elsewhere.

The Athletic credited the Blues with an interest in the 27-year-old three years ago, so they have clearly been long-term admirers, but back in March, Gazzetta Dello Sport reported that they had knocked on his door only to be turned down by the player with Simone Inzaghi’s side also resisting the temptation to cash in.

However, Nizaar Kinsella, who is a journalist for Standard Sport, recently claimed that the shot-stopper is now “open to the move” so he must have had a change of heart, something which Mauricio Pochettino and Todd Boehly are considering capitalising on.

Are Chelsea signing Onana?

According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea could "discuss" Onana once again "in the coming days" when they hold talks with Inter regarding the future of Romelu Lukaku.

The Blues would be "open" to striking a deal for the goalkeeper, though it would likely mean players "moving in the other direction". Manchester United are also pushing to reach an agreement, but the SW6 outfit are not "out of the race" despite initially thinking his price tag of £50m was "too expensive".

Recent reports have suggested that Pochettino is happy to head into the 2023/24 season with Kepa Arrizabalaga as his number one, but with Edouard Mendy having completed a medical to join Al-Ahli, Chelsea’s manager will need a replacement to challenge the Spaniard and Onana could be just the goalkeeper he’s looking for.

Across all competitions last term, he kept 19 clean sheets from 41 appearances and in Serie A made 61 saves from 83 shots on target against, giving him a 73.5% save percentage – higher than both Kepa and Mendy.

Inter’s 6 foot 2 colossus also has a strong range of passing having successfully completed all of his 224 short passes and 98% of his medium length attempts, an attribute that has seen him hailed “exceptional with his feet” by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, so for such a well-rounded player, it would be a massive coup to secure his services.

Newcastle United have already spoken to Juventus about Federico Chiesa, according to a report from Sky Italy journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, via his website.

How many goals has Federico Chiesa scored this season?

Juventus have struggled this season in Serie A and will miss out on Champions League football in the 2023/24 campaign due points deductions.

The Turin outfit finished in seventh – much further down the table than one would expect considering their domestic dominance in the 21st century – and it means we could see some stars depart this summer.

Chiesa was able to contribute on a regular basis despite more struggles with injury, and played on 21 occasions for the outfit. However, the winger was only able to actually start six games throughout the season – his worst ever total.

In spite of this, the forward was still able to produce the goods when he was called upon. He bagged himself two goals and five assists along the way and that was a better tally than his efforts last season, despite the fact he both started and featured in more Serie A games for Juventus during that campaign.

It also meant that the player had a goal contribution rate of 0.74 per 90 – which is his best ever total barring a short spell with Fiorentina before his Juve move.

Do Newcastle United have an interest in Chiesa?

It was recently reported that Liverpool were lining up a cut-price £34m bid for him and were prepared to splash the cash, despite no official offer having been lodged yet. Now, according to a report from Sky Sports' Di Marzio, via his website, the player could indeed be about to try his luck in the Premier League with yet another team throwing their hat into the ring for him.

That's because it appears Newcastle have also asked about Chiesa. No formal bid has yet been made for the £150,000-a-week star however.

After all of his injury issues, it appears as though Chiesa might finally be refinding the kind of form that thrust him into the spotlight. Football journalist Josh Bunting for example stated back in June that Chiesa performed as the player that "we've missed" during a game, adding that he still has "drive" and scores "beautiful" goals.

The player could be back at his best now then – and with Juve perhaps prepared to sell, Newcastle appear to be prepared to capitalise.

Newcastle United are currently the "frontrunners" in the chase to bring Leicester City midfielder James Maddison back to the Premier League, according to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas.

Is James Maddison leaving Leicester?

The Foxes playmaker will be out of contract at the end of next season so Dean Smith’s side are likely to cash in during the upcoming window in order to raise funds following relegation, and after establishing himself as their overall top-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.24, he isn’t short of potential suitors.

The Magpies reportedly had two offers worth up to £50m for the 26-year-old rejected last summer as a result of it not meeting the Midlands outfit’s £60m price tag, but that hasn’t stopped Eddie Howe from wanting to take another bite of the cherry.

Football Insider have reported that PIF are already laying the groundwork on a deal for the England international and are preparing to make an official approach, and whilst they are set to face competition from Tottenham Hotspur, the former are the ones at this stage in pole position.

Are Newcastle signing Maddison?

Taking to Twitter, Thomas revealed that Newcastle are the club currently leading the chase to sign Maddison ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. He wrote:

"Newcastle are currently thought to be the frontrunners in race for Leicester and England midfielder James Maddison – and can offer him Champions League football – but Tottenham are also keen and could come in."

Newcastle are clearly serious about landing Maddison to still be pursuing him 12 months on from their first attempt, and it’s no surprise considering that members of the media dubbed him a midfield “magician”, so whilst he won’t come cheap, he’s definitely a player worth cashing out on to bring him to St. James’ Park.

The World Cup participant clocked up 19 goal contributions (ten goals and nine assists) in 30 Premier League appearances last season and was recognised for his performances by receiving three man-of-the-match awards, and he was also a major threat even when the ball didn’t hit the back of the net.

The Coventry-born talent recorded 138 shot-creating actions and 123 whipped crosses over the course of the previous term, which was more than any of his teammates, via FBRef, not to mention that he was also strong at set pieces being the joint second-highest free-kick scorer in the division behind Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse.

Finally, Maddison shares the same agent, CAA Base Ltd, as Kieran Trippier and Matty Longstaff, so this existing connection that his representative will already have to the club could give them a small additional advantage in the race to secure his services over the summer.

A roundup of the second day’s action at ICC World Cricket League Division Four in Los Angeles

Peter Della Penna in Los Angeles 31-Oct-2016USA preserved their perfect start to WCL Division Four with a tense one-wicket win over Italy in a match that was reduced to 41 overs a side due to rain. Timroy Allen was named Man of the Match for his vital 53 off 27 balls at No. 7, which rescued USA after they were 107 for 5 in their chase of 186.Allen struck four fours and two sixes and teamed with Elmore Hutchinson to add 46 for the eighth wicket – USA’s best partnership of the match – before falling in the 35th over with nine still needed to win. Allen was dismissed by left-arm seamer Luis di Giglio. Hutchinson was also caught behind off di Giglio two overs later to force last man Danial Ahmed into the fray with two runs still required.The 37th over ended with two dot balls and and No. 10 Jessy Singh took a single to third man off the first ball of the 38th, from Gian Meade, to level the scores. Ahmed then guided the next ball to short third man and a frantic single clinched victory for the hosts. It was a moment of redemption for Ahmed after he conceded 18 runs in his only over of the day.Italy elected to bat first on an overcast morning and rain then caused a 30-minute delay to the start of play and curtailed the match to 46 overs a side. Allen had bowled only one delivery before the rain returned and play was delayed for 45 minutes, causing the overs to be cut down to 41.USA’s pace bowlers struggled to grip the wet ball but USA added to their troubles by missing six chances in the field. Italy’s openers Manpreet Singh and Supun Tharanga got a reprieve each when they were on 5 and 1 respectively. Tharanga’s was the easier of the two chances, spilled at second slip by Alex Amsterdam off Hutchinson in the sixth over. Both batsmen went on to make half-centuries and put together a 118-run opening stand.The partnership showed no signs of slowing down but was broken due to a blunder by the batting pair, which arguably cost Italy the match. Manpreet flicked a single off Timil Patel to deep midwicket to bring up his fifty in the 26th over and, in their excitement to celebrate the milestone, both batsmen left their crease to meet at the centre of the pitch. However, Jessy Singh had not yet collected the ball running in from the boundary, let alone relay it in to the wicketkeeper Akeem Dodson. The bails were taken off by Dodson and USA appealed. After a lengthy discussion to confirm the ball was still live, umpire Iftikhar Ali raised his finger to rule Tharanga out for 52.It was the catalyst USA needed to slow down Italy’s progress and three balls later Manpreet top-edged a pull off Amsterdam’s part-time offspin to be caught at midwicket by Allen for 50. Italy struggled to regain momentum as Allen took 1 for 16 bowling five overs of offspin after going wicketless in three overs of medium-pace with the new ball.Oman survived a scare from Bermuda before prevailing by four wickets at Severn Cricket Field. Following their loss to USA in the first match, Bermuda shook up their batting order, promoting Kamau Leverock and Dean Minors as openers after they were asked to bat in a match reduced to 40 overs a side. The move had the desired effect as Leverock left Oman shellshocked by racing to 30 off 18 balls in the first five overs to take the score to 40 for 0.Leverock eventually made 47 off 37 balls before the opening partnership of 72 was broken by Mohammad Nadeem in the 13th over. Once Leverock fell, Bermuda added 101 runs to their score in 27.2 overs and were kept in check by legspinner Khawar Ali’s 4 for 25, which limited them to a score of 173 for 9.The Oman chase got off to a shaky start as both openers fell within the first three overs to make it 15 for 2. Midway through the chase, Oman lost two wickets in the space of three balls – Saturday’s Man-of-the-Match Swapnil Khadye was run out by Leverock’s relay throw for 24 and Ajay Lalcheta fell for a golden duck in the next over – and found themselves at 70 for 5.Jatinder Singh held his nerve to score an unbeaten 68 off 52. His unbeaten 55-run seventh-wicket stand with Amir Ali helped get Oman over the line with six overs to spare.Denmark, too, were unbeaten after recording a six-wicket win over Jersey in another match reduced to 40 overs after morning rain. Denmark sent Jersey in to bat at the toss and bowled them out for 158 in 36.4 overs. Offspinner Bashir Shah wiped out Jersey’s top order, taking four of the first five wickets, to finish with his second successive four-for.Anthony Hawkins-Kay top-scored with 35 at No. 6 for Jersey and dismissed Freddie Klokker for 9 at the start of Denmark’s chase but Denmark cruised through the rest of the innings. Man-of-the-Match Saif Ahmad struck an unbeaten 67 and added 83 for the third wicket with Hamid Shah to take their side to within 17 runs of victory. Ben Kynman broken the stand and then added Michael Pedersen to his haul of 3 for 45 but lacked support from the rest of the attack as Denmark achieved victory with 7.5 overs to spare.The tournament will resume on Tuesday after a rest day on Monday. USA and Oman will clash at Wright Cricket Field while Denmark will take on winless Bermuda at Wong Cricket Field. Italy and Jersey will square off at Severn Cricket Field with both sides seeking their first win, while the loser will be in danger of relegation.

Arsenal view Barcelona star Jules Kounde as the "leap in quality" manager Mikel Arteta "needs" for defence as they eye a move, according to reports.

Who could join Arsenal this summer?

The Premier League side fought long and hard this season in contention for what would have been a first league title in 20 years, but after being beaten to the punch by champions Man City, it's time to prepare for next campaign.

Gunners transfer chief Edu, as he recently admitted in an interview with ESPN (via 90min), has already begun preparations for the summer window.

"Our planning has already been done," said Edu."It has already reached the owners. Now, we're taking things step by step. We're focused on how we will finish the season, but we've put in the planning and I'm very excited."

Central midfield is viewed as a real priority within Arsenal, according to reports, with West Ham star Declan Rice and Brighton's Moises Caicedo among the names they could sign.

Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan, Leicester City playmaker James Maddison and Chelsea's Mason Mount are also of interest to the north Londoners, with reports suggesting they could also go after centre-backs.

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is one name to be mentioned by the press, with another report now claiming they're interested in a move for Kounde.

The France international could apparently leave Barcelona this summer, mainly due to his dissatisfaction at playing right-back, with Arteta's joining both Man City and Man United in targeting him.

This is according to one Spanish source, who state Arsenal view Kounde as the "leap in quality" needed at centre-back. It's claimed the former Sevilla star "would be a great addition that fits perfectly", and Barca would be willing to part ways in the event of a suitable offer.

Who is Jules Kounde?

The £158,000-per-week star has been a fixture under Xavi in La Liga this season, playing the seventh-most minutes of any Barca player (WhoScored).

Kounde also ranks among their best-performing crop by average match rating, with only Gerard Pique and Andreas Christensen averaging more clearances per 90 in the Spanish top flight (WhoScored).

Journalist Raul Varela even likened him to Sergio Ramos in 2021, writing for Marca:

"Kounde is the closest thing to Ramos that the Spanish league has to offer at the moment. In terms of leadership, charisma, physical power, technical quality, versatility and now, it seems, even a love affair with goals."

If Arsenal decide to step up their interest and negotiate a good price for the 24-year-old, he could be a stellar alternative to William Saliba.

Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin has indicated he will not be part of West Indies’ squad in the upcoming series against India, which begins in Antigua on July 21. West Indies have not announced their squad yet, but Ramdin gave his fans a “heads up” on Twitter, suggesting the “new chairman” had spoken to him of his sacking.Courtney Browne, the former West Indies wicketkeeper, had replaced Clive Lloyd as West Indies’ chairman of selectors in June.Ramdin has played 74 Tests and has scored 2898 runs at an average of 25.87. He captained West Indies in 13 Tests before Jason Holder replaced him in September 2015. Ramdin scored 59 and 62 in his most recent Test innings, during West Indies’ 2015-16 tour of Australia, and alluded to those scores while voicing his frustration.West Indies have not played any Tests since that tour. In their last international assignment, the ODI tri-series last month, Ramdin scored 197 runs at 28.14, with a highest of 91 against Australia in Bridgetown.

Celtic defender Alistair Johnston could miss the remainder of the 2022/23 Scottish Premiership season with an ankle injury, according to reports.

What's the latest injury news on Johnston?

The Hoops right-back only arrived in Glasgow from Montreal back in January, but during his 18 appearances to date, has flourished under the leadership of Ange Postecoglou having already become his top-performing defensive player at Parkhead.

The Canadian international, however, sustained an ankle injury during the 1-0 Scottish Cup victory over Rangers last weekend and was spotted in a boot on crutches following the conclusion of the game which will have no doubt caused plenty of concern among supporters.

The Australian boss revealed after the game that he was unsure of the specific extent of the 24-year-old’s problem but admitted that it was likely to be “significant” having needed to be substituted, and an unfortunate in-depth update on his situation has now emerged.

According to Daily Record Sport, Johnston is set to be ruled out of action for “three to four weeks”, with a best and worst case scenario in place dependent on how he “reacts to treatment”. The Bhoys star will definitely be unavailable for the potential title-decider vs Hearts on Sunday and there’s a chance that he “could miss” the “bulk” of the four remaining league games of the campaign after that, but he is expected to be “pushing” to return for the Scottish Cup final vs Inverness on June 3.

Will Johnston's absence be a blow for Celtic?

Celtic have Cameron Carter-Vickers also ruled out for the rest of the season to undergo surgery, and Johnston could be set to follow in his footsteps so it’ll definitely be a blow for Postecoglou to have to end the term without two of his best defenders.

The Vancouver native, who is renowned for putting in “blood and thunder” performances according to journalist Chris Smith, was averaging 1.8 tackles and 1.2 key passes per league game prior to his absence, via WhoScored, but is also capable of contributing to his side’s efforts in the final third.

He has posted three goal contributions (two assists and one goal) since joining and has whipped a total of 36 crosses into the box so is always looking to create chances for his attacking teammates when bursting down the flank, therefore, it will be a massive boost when he stages his comeback.

Chelsea return to Premier League action on Wednesday night, as Frank Lampard looks to ensure that the Blues don't make it five defeats from five under his tenure.

The west London outfit were treated to a weekend off due to Manchester United's involvement in the FA Cup final, although last week's 2-0 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid will still be fresh in Lampard's thinking ahead of this evening's game against Brentford.

If the former Everton boss wants to turn his fortunes around at Stamford Bridge, he must consider dropping Marc Cucurella, as the Spaniard has been a liability at the back since joining from Brighton last summer.

Should Chelsea drop Cucurella vs Brentford?

Lampard was forced to select the former Getafe man in the game against Real Madrid following Ben Chilwell's suspension, but now that the England international is available for selection, he should surely get the nod to start on the left side of Chelsea's defence.

Cucurella, who earns £175k-per-week, showed in both games against Madrid that he cannot be considered a reliable defender, as he was caught out of position for Chilwell's red card at the Santiago Bernabeu before he left Trevoh Chalobah completely exposed against Rodrygo at Stamford Bridge.

Jamie O'Hara, who works as a pundit on talkSPORT, labelled the 24-year-old a "disgrace" after his performance in Madrid, while BBC Sport contributor Raj Chohan also criticised him for his performance in the return leg.

He said: "Cucurella’s aggression is such an issue. Always mistiming his jumps out of the back 3. And doesn’t have the recovery pace to get back into position when it gets played around him. Leaves the gap for Rodrygo to run into there. Shocking."

Chelsea spent £63m to bring the Spanish defender to Stamford Bridge, but he has definitely not justified his price tag thus far, averaging a disappointing 6.65 rating from WhoScored which ranks him as the joint 14th-best performer in Lampard's squad.

Despite often featuring as a centre-back as well as a left-back, the summer signing fails to rank in the top six Chelsea players for interceptions or clearances per game, while he is the second-most dribbled past player at Stamford Bridge, which emphasises why he has established himself as a defensive liability.

Brentford may be struggling for form at the moment, but they are still ahead of Chelsea in the table and will cause real problems with the dangerous attacking duo of Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbuemo at Stamford Bridge, so Lampard must ensure that his best defenders are on the pitch tonight.

Therefore, Cucurella must be dropped to the bench, with Chilwell returning to the starting side after his recent suspension in the Champions League.