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Tottenham and Manchester City have both launched enquiries for Bologna midfielder Mattias Svanberg, according to Calciomercato.com.

The Lowdown: Svanberg profiled

Svanberg is a 15-cap Sweden international who can play in a defensive, central or even attacking midfield role.

The 23-year-old has been with Bologna since 2018 and has made over 100 appearances for the club – 20 of which have come this season.

He holds a career-high Transfermarkt valuation of £13.5m so appears to be at absolute the peak of his powers, with reports previously suggesting that Svanberg is a top target for Antonio Conte.

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The Latest: Enquiry made

Calciomercato.com shared an update on Thursday morning, claiming both Spurs and City have made contact for Svanberg.

The report added that the midfielder’s agent, Martin Dahlin, is set to arrive in Italy for a meeting with Bologna to discuss a possible renewal or future sale.

A January exit was also mentioned, should the parties fail to reach an imminent agreement.

The Verdict: Shrewd addition?

Conte will know just what Svanberg could bring to Spurs following his time in Italy managing Inter Milan, and it seems he likes what he sees in the player after making him a top target.

Capable of playing in three different midfield roles, it could be a wise under-the-radar addition, with Svanberg not exactly a name known around the world.

Franck Kessie is another Serie A midfielder linked with Spurs, and Conte could really do with bringing both to the club. Tottenham have a total of six defensive, central and attacking midfielders on the books, and that number could decrease with the likes of Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso tipped for possible exits, meaning reinforcements would be needed this month.

In other news: Spurs now take next steps to sign ‘one of the best’ from PL rivals; Conte personally wants him. 

South Africa’s women’s selection panel has included 16 year-old Chloe Tryon in the 14-member squad for the ICC Women’s World Twenty20

Cricinfo staff24-Mar-2010South Africa’s women’s selection panel has included 16 year-old Chloe Tryon in the 14-member squad for the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in the Caribbean in April and May. The call-up is a result of Tyron’s impressive form for KwaZulu-Natal in the CSA Women’s Provincial League this season.”Nobody’s place in the women’s squad is secure and Chloe has pushed some of the experienced campaigners this season. She has been superb for Gauteng and she can definitely play an important role in women’s cricket in the future,” national coach Noor Rhode said. “We have kept it consistent, with 12 of the 14 players having taken part in the last home series against West Indies, but have included some dynamic performers.”Tyron, an allrounder, is a powerful hitter of the ball, a skill that will come handy in Twenty20. “Bowling is my strong point but I can definitely bat as well,” she said. “The national women’s team has had disappointing runs at previous World Cups so hopefully I can help the team bring the trophy home.”The selectors also included experienced allrounder Susan Benade, who had been dropped for the series against West Indies. Cri-Zelda Brits was reappointed as captain, returning after a two year absence.Squad Cri-Zelda Brits (capt), Susan Benade, Trisha Chetty, Mignon du Preez, Shandre Fritz, Shabnum Ismail, Ashlyn Kilowan, Marcia Letsoalo, Sunette Loubser, Alicia Smith, Angelique Taai, Chloe Tryon, Charlize van der Westhuizen, Dane van Niekerk.Reserves Marizanne Kapp, Kirsty Thomson, Dinesha Devnarain, Masabata Klaas.

Celtic have seen a bid for Iran forward Mehdi Ghayedi rejected by Shabab Al-Ahli but intend to return with another offer, according to sports journalist Hatam Shiralizadeh. 

The lowdown

The 23-year-old is predominantly a left winger but can also play on the right and through the middle. His club compete in the UAE Pro League and currently sit in fourth place, just outside the AFC Champions League qualifying spots.

Ghayedi is under contract for another four-and-a-half years and is valued at just under £1.1m by Transfermarkt.

Ange Postecoglou already has nine forwards at his disposal, having added Daizen Maeda and Johnny Kenny to his ranks already this month, but it has been reported that Celtic could look to offload one of their existing options in Albian Ajeti during the current transfer window.

The latest

Shiralizadeh tweeted that Shabab Al-Ahli had rejected an offer from Celtic for Ghayedi, as they are relucant to sell him this month, but the Hoops are not set to go quietly in their pursuit of the 23-year-old.

The journalist outlined: “Shabab Al Ahli have turned down an official bid from Celtic for Mehdi Ghayedi. UAE side don’t want to sell the Iranian striker in January, however, Celtic are determined to sign the young talent, so they are planning to offer a new bid for the 23-year-old.”

The verdict

Ghayedi would arguably be a risky signing for Celtic if Ange Postecoglou were to raid Asia once more, having brought in Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi from the J1 League since taking the reins at Parkhead.

The Iranian’s record this season is reasonable – three goals and one assists in 11 league appearances, only six of them starts. Having been named as Iran’s young player of the year, he has also earned opportunities at senior level, scoring in just his second game against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Could he cope with the step-up in quality to Scotland, though? No club from the UAE Pro League features in FiveThirtyEight’s list of the top 645 sides in the world, while UEFA rank the Scottish Premiership as one of the 10 strongest divisions in Europe.

That said, Furuhashi joined from Japan – a ‘largely untapped’ market in the words of Kris Commons – and he is the Hoops’ top scorer this season, so perhaps we shouldn’t be too quick to make a judgement on what Ghavedi could do if he becomes Celtic’s latest Asian acquisition.

In other news, Celtic are on the brink of this £6m deal

A round-up of the Caribbean T20 matches that took place at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad on January 11

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2013
ScorecardDerone Davis, a 20-year old CCC spinner, stunned Barbados by taking a hat-trick off the first three balls of the chase and bowled his side to their first victory of the Caribbean T20 in four games. Davis, who played the 2012 World Cup for West Indies Under-19, took a career-best 4 for 5 in his third T20 match.For Barbados, it was their second consecutive disappointment in a chase of a low total, having been dismissed for 66 by Guyana. In a chase of 112, Davis had Dwayne Smith and Ryan Hinds caught by Kyle Corbin, before trapping Sharmarh Brooks lbw to complete the hat-trick with the third ball of the innings. From 0 for 3, Barbados slipped to 12 for 5, with Davis picking up his fourth wicket in his second over and Jason Holder getting rid of Justin Brathwaite.Kyle Mayers, who was Davis’ team-mate at the U-19 World Cup, revived Barbados a little, leading them to 51 before he lost his partner Shane Dowrich in the 14th over. The asking-rate was not unmanageable but after Carlos Brathwaite and Mayers fell with the score on 66, the Barbados innings fizzled and ended on 99 for 9.CCC had also had a shaky start to their innings, with Tino Best cutting through the top order to leave them at 13 for 3 in three overs. Wickets fell regularly but Floyd Reifer scored 37 and Ryan Wiggins 28 to prop CCC up to 111 for 8. Best finished with 4 for 19.
Jamaica won the one-over eliminator
ScorecardJamaica fast bowler Krishmar Santokie bowled an outstanding over in the one-over eliminator, conceding only two runs and taking two wickets to set up his side’s victory against Leeward Islands, after the match had ended in a tie.Santokie dismissed Chesney Hughes and Devon Thomas, and Rahkeem Cornwall was able to score only 2 off four deliveries for Leeward Islands. Andre Russell hit the first ball of Jamaica’s chase, off Tonito Willet, for a four to seal victory.It did not seem like the match would end in a tie when Leeward Islands, chasing Jamaica’s 110 for 8, slipped from 49 for 1 to 64 for 5 at the end of the 15th over. The equation boiled down to 36 needed off 18 balls before Thomas and Cornwall turned it on. Cornwall hit three fours – two cuts and a scoop – and Thomas cleared long-off, leaving Leeward Islands needing 13 off the final over, from Russell.Only five runs came off the first four balls, before Cornwall carted Russell over the straight boundary. With two to get off the final delivery, though, Cornwall failed to connect but the batsmen stole a bye to level the scores.Jamaica had looked set for a more substantial score after they chose to bat and reached 62 for 2 in 12 overs. They then lost a set batsman Tamar Lambert for 34 and Andre McCarthy also fell before another run was scored. Both had been dismissed by Cornwall, who finished with 3 for 10. The Leeward Islands bowlers did not allow any acceleration and Jamaica went from 104 for 5 to finish on 110 for 8.

After only picking up a point in their previous Championship match in a 0-0 draw away at relegation strugglers side Barnsley, West Brom currently sit in fourth place in the league table just four points behind league leaders Fulham.

With the January transfer window around the corner, this will give Valerien Ismael the chance to make any changes to his squad that he thinks may increase their chances of securing promotion by the end of the campaign.

One deal that the Baggies could do in January that may not improve their chances of winning promotion but could be very beneficial for one of their rarely seen youngsters, would be to send the £1.7k-per-week Rayhaan Tulloch out on loan until the end of the season.

The likes of Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield Wednesday, MK Dons and Fleetwood are reportedly monitoring developments around the 20-year-old attacker with an eye for a potential temporary move in January and this could be West Brom’s chance to offload the youngster on a temporary basis and give him the chance to shine at another club if he’s able to get regular playing time.

Taking into account how Tulloch has only played one minute of senior league action for the Baggies this season suggests that he isn’t likely to play regularly during the remainder of the campaign and they aim for promotion, which would make a loan move to a League One club a smart move for the youngster.

The Athletic have claimed that West Brom are looking at bringing a new attacking player to the club in January such as Daryl Dike or Cauley Woodrow and this would only make Tulloch’s chances of playing regularly even less likely.

Labelled a “star boy” in the past by Jonathan Leko, there is every chance he could go on to cement his place at the Hawthorns next term if he plays regularly and manages to show Ismael what he’s made of.

In doing so, he could potentially save the club millions in future transfer fees if they don’t manage to secure a striker if and when he returns from his temporary spell away.

After all, his immense potential is quite incredible. Former England U17 boss, Steve Cooper, once said:

“He’s quick and the type of player that’s broken through a lot recently — like Jadon Sancho and Callum Hudson-Odoi. I’m not saying he’s at that level but he’s that type of player that could quickly change a game through an explosive movement, a quick dribble or a run in behind and that can have quite an impact on a game.”

If West Brom don’t manage to secure a deal for Tulloch to go out on loan in January, even with the number of clubs reportedly eyeing him up, it could then be worth giving the youngster a shot in the team to see if he can help push the club to promotion.

In doing so, it may well prevent Albion from dipping their toes into the market and overpaying for a new forward.

In other news: WBA could spark promotion charge with £2.7m-rated beast who “carries a goal threat” – opinion

As per SofaScore, Tottenham Hotspur trio Ben Davies, Steven Bergwijn and Giovani Lo Celso struggled for Nuno Espirito’s Santo’s side as we analyse the number’s from their 1-0 Carabao Cup victory over Burnley.

Spurs edge into quarter-finals…

Lucas Moura bagged the eventual winner as Spurs edged into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday evening, easing some pressure off the under-fire Nuno following a regrettable week of action.

Defeats to both Vitesse and bitter London rivals West Ham had attracted heavy fire but the Lilywhites’ victory against Burnley ensures they remain fighting on all fronts for now.

Here, we take a take a statistical look at Tottenham’s three worst players from the night with the trio of Davies, Bergwijn and Lo Celso sticking out in particular.

Giving away the ball 50 times, losing 19 duels and spurning one big chance in total, it’s safe to say they didn’t enjoy the best outings.

Steven Bergwijn: 6.4/10

The Dutchman had been one of the Spurs players actually looking revitalised under Nuno at the start of the season, attracting praise from the Portuguese in particular as a ‘very talented’ and ‘unique’ asset.

However, since returning from his injury lay-off, you could make an argument that he hasn’t hit those same heights and it showed against the Clarets last night.

Coming in as Tottenham’s worst player on the night to start and play the majority of the game, being hauled off after 66 minutes, Bergwijn was handed a 6.4/10 match rating having lost possession 17 times whilst losing half of his duels and three in total (SofaScore).

Giovani Lo Celso: 6.7/10

Lo Celso is one player who has attracted criticism over the beginning of 2021/2022 and it’s safe to say his performance was once again in question last night.

The 25-year-old hasn’t evolved into that Christian Eriksen-type creative figure badly needed by Spurs and Nuno with Lo Celso’s numbers, again, hardly worthy of celebration.

He ranked in as Tottenham’s second-worst performer behind Bergwijn, again having started and played the majority against Burnley.

While he did make two key passes in the final third, Lo Celso also spurned a big chance to get on the scoresheet – giving away possession 16 times and losing the vast majority of his duels, seven out of nine to be exact (SofaScore).

 Ben Davies: 6.8/10

The best of the worst, Davies still didn’t particularly enjoy a great evening against Sean Dyche’s men and it would have done little to silence his critics.

The Wales international, being ranked a 6.8/10 and playing the whole game for Tottenham, was dribbled past twice on that flank and lost nine of his duels.

As well as this, Davies gave away the ball 17 times and recorded no accurate long balls or crosses from out wide (SofaScore).

In other news: Talks ongoing…Sky Sports journalist makes exciting Spurs transfer claim involving ‘phenomenal’ star, find out more here.

There was still no word on how long Clarke will not be available for selection, and a back-up player was yet to be named

Cricinfo staff08-Mar-2010Michael Clarke will return home from New Zealand for personal reasons, Cricket Australia has announced. There was no word on how long he would be unavailable for selection and a back-up player was yet to be named.”Michael is attending to personal, non-cricket matters and we ask on his behalf that his privacy be respected,” CA general manager of cricket, Michael Brown, said.Clarke’s departure from the tour comes amid a controversy back home surrounding his fiancee Lara Bingle, whose topless photo, allegedly taken in 2006 by an Australian rules footballer, was published in a magazine last week.The third ODI of the trans-Tasman series is on Tuesday in Hamilton, with the series squared at 1-1. The limited-overs leg of the tour is followed by two Tests, the squad for which will be announced on Tuesday.

Lalit Modi has said it is vital for Test cricket to shift to the day-night format and become more broadcaster friendly in order to ensure its survival

Cricinfo staff02-Mar-2010Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, has said it is vital for Test cricket to shift to the day-night format and become more broadcaster friendly in order to ensure its survival amid the burgeoning popularity of Twenty20, which he believes will “become the dominant format – without doubt”.”I am a great supporter of Test cricket. People say I’m not but I also run the marketing department of the BCCI and Test cricket is extremely important to us,” Modi told the . “All I am trying to do is remind people that we live in a modern age and Test cricket has a big problem: it is played in the daytime when most people are working.”Administrators, according to Modi, should embrace every opportunity to attract more viewers to Tests and playing it day-night was an effective way of doing so. “If you take it to day-night, then people can watch it on TV when they get home from work – or they can go to the stadium. There has been a big drop in Test cricket viewing [outside England and the Ashes] and it’s because people don’t have the leisure time in the day to watch it.”Modi believes that the five-day format will fizzle out unless there is a change in its timings because the broadcaster will not be interested it in. “Whether we like it or not, broadcasting determines whether a game survives. Without broadcasters you don’t have money to pay players or keep the sport alive. You don’t need to fiddle with the format at this stage. All you need do is change the timing. If we went day-night then we would see a real resurgence in the ratings. Look at Twenty20. It has gone to night cricket and the viewership has exploded.”Modi said the Twenty20 format – three hours for a game – was the ideal vehicle for cricket to compete with football and other sports for new consumers and markets. His aim is to make the IPL the “dominant sporting league in the world” across all sports.”We are only a two-year-old league but we had close to 3.8 billion eyeballs last year. Every game last year we had 100 million eyeballs,” he said. “But because our objective is to become the most watched sporting event in the world we are now targeting 150m every day.”Modi believes that the IPL could develop an edge over English Premier League football because, unlike the most popular league in the world, its unique model was based on team equality and therefore was unpredictable.”Look, my son is a Manchester United fan and I’m a Chelsea fan – and I was very upset to see my team lose [last Saturday],” he said. “But, normally, we know exactly what is going to happen. My son and I know that nine times out 10 either Man U or Chelsea is going to win it. The Premier League is basically so predictable. I wanted to base my league on an unpredictable model – so we don’t have a Man U or a Chelsea in the IPL.”If you look at our ratings, all 59 games in the IPL last year were within a 5% margin of each other in ratings. That has never happened in any other league in the world. From a broadcaster’s or advertiser’s point of view this is a dream because, when they buy a match, or advertising, they know they are going to get value for money. The other key point is that 52 out of those 59 matches went down to the wire. No one knew who was going to win until the final stages.”Our model works but a lot of English football clubs are going under. Look at Portsmouth going bankrupt. With the next auction we might have even more surprising figures and people coming into the IPL.”

Tottenham Hotspur may swoop for AS Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo in next summer’s transfer window, according to Calciomercato. 

The lowdown

The attacking midfielder was heavily involved for Roma at the start of the season but has not started either of their last two matches (via Transfermarkt), while there was apparently some light ‘bickering’ with his manager, former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho, in training last week.

Zaniolo is yet to register a goal or an assist this season but he is certainly a highly-rated talent. Roma legend Daniele de Rossi marvelled at the 22-year-old’s ‘incredible natural physique’ and backed him to become ‘a great player’.

According to FBRef, he boasts a similar statistical profile to Wolves’ Adama Traore, Brighton’s Leandro Trossard and in particular Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha.

The latest

With Zaniolo an unused substitute for Roma’s 2-0 victory over Genoa on Sunday, alarm bells are ringing and his future is in doubt.

As per Calciomercato, there have apparently been ‘several’ approaches already, ‘especially’ from Juventus.

The report noted that Zaniolo’s contract runs until 2024 and revealed that he’s currently valued at around €40m, equating to £33.5m. That’s a sum which could well ‘intrigue’ Tottenham.

The verdict

What made Mourinho’s snub all the more significant was that he turned to 18-year-old Felix Afena Gyan rather than Zaniolo when assessing his options. In fairness, the teenager did go on to score two goals, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a damning decision without the benefit of hindsight.

He continues to pose a threat in the final third, averaging 2.2 shots and 2.2 successful dribbles per game in Serie A. Those returns would put him third and second in Tottenham’s squad respectively, highlighting how transformative he could be to their attack.

Indeed, now might actually be a good time to invest in Serie A’s one-time Young Player of the Year. He might not be on top form, but he has just returned from a serious injury and he may soon remind the footballing world of his abilities, considerably increasing his price tag in the process.

In other news, read Fabrizio Romano’s claim regarding Antonio Conte

The renovation and modernisation work at the Wankhede Stadium has run into a legal wrangle, which could make the venue miss the deadline for the 2001 World Cup

Cricinfo staff13-Jan-2010The renovation and modernisation work at the Wankhede Stadium has run into a legal wrangle, which could make the venue miss the deadline for the 2011 World Cup. The ground is scheduled to host the final of the event, along with two league matches but its south-eastern section of the venue that reportedly violates environmental and safety norms.A public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the Mumbai High Court, which comes up for hearing on Thursday, has brought the matter up. “The stadium falls in the Coastal Regulation Zone. There are several areas where permission has not been given, but construction is on and in full swing,” YP Singh, counsel of Amit Maru, who has filed the PIL, told the Kolkata-based .Among the many concerns are the lack of access to the fire brigade to all parts of the venue as required under the National Building Code of India, and a green belt around the stadium. Also, the Western Railways had issued a “no work” order as the portion adjoining the east and south stands did not leave the minimum 30-metre vacant space from the rail tracks, Singh said. “The stadium authorities have not taken the necessary no-objection certificate from the Railways. They have taken away the entire exit from the Railways.”Apart from the legal hurdles, the venue was also struggling with the completion of the construction work before the arrival of the south-west monsoon in May-June. The south stand, where work has been suspended pending the court verdict, is likely to miss the deadline.Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI’s chief administrative officer and tournament director for the 2011 World Cup, assured the construction work was on schedule and the stadium would be ready in time. “The PIL relates to the 30-metre gap between the stadium and the railway tracks, and it is only (regard to) the east stand. Even there, we are not demolishing it, only strengthening it,” Shetty said. “If anyone has talked of any issues with the south stand, I don’t know. The rest of the work is on schedule.”