Chelsea have had a summer to remember when it comes to signing players and it looks like fans could be treated to yet more spending, following a key update from journalist Simon Johnson.

Do Chelsea need more signings?

The Blues have made a disappointing start to life under Mauricio Pochettino, with their Premier League campaign flattering to deceive in the opening two matches.

While the 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool on the opening weekend was an adequate result, Sunday's 3-1 defeat away to West Ham was a shock to the system. Chelsea may have dominated chunks of proceedings, but they didn't create enough opportunities and their finishing wasn't good enough when chances did arrive.

The west Londoners may have spent big this summer, most notably signing the likes of Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Nicolas Jackson, but they still look short of elite quality currently, especially in attacking areas.

There is now less than two weeks of the summer transfer window remaining and failure to bring in one more wide option in the final third could ultimately prove costly.

Will Chelsea sign another attacker?

According to The Athletic's Johnson, Chelsea are still eyeing up another attacking signing this summer, although a new No.9 is out of the question, despite Christopher Nkunku's long-term injury after arriving from Borussia Dortmund:

"With the transfer window closing on September 1, there is still time for the chequebook to be used again. Chelsea have been looking at signing another attacking player anyway, but not a tried and tested No 9 as such.

"A move for Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise broke down last week, while Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson was put on the wish list last month."

While rival fans may balk at Chelsea's need to bring in another attacker, given the money they have already spent since the end of last season, there is no question that they look short of reliable options in that area of the pitch.

Raheem Sterling was superb in a losing cause against West Ham, arguably producing his best performance yet in a Blues shirt, but he has been a disappointing signing so far, and his very best days could possibly be behind him.

Meanwhile, Mykhailo Mudryk continues to experience a torrid time of things, failing to score in 19 Chelsea appearances and missing a glorious opportunity late in the day at West Ham, while Noni Madueke also hasn't had the desired impact.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

A move for Michael Olise has fallen through after he signed a new deal with Crystal Palace, so signing him is out of the question, but someone of a similar ilk could be ideal, in terms of a young wide talent who can combine pace, trickery and a steady flow of end product.

It looks as though Rennes winger Jeremy Doku is a possible option to come in and ease the Blues' woes, and the Belgium international could be a brilliant addition, having scored 12 goals and chipped in with a further ten assists for the Ligue 1 side to date.

Some of West Indies’ best-known players are claiming they were “denied the opportunity…. to help Caribbean people” by being omitted from the teams involved in the Hurricane Relief game at Lord’s

Colin Benjamin24-Apr-2018Some of West Indies’ best-known players are claiming they were “denied the opportunity… to help Caribbean people” by being omitted from the teams involved in the Hurricane Relief game at Lord’s.The charity T20 match between West Indies and a World XI is being staged on May 31 to raise funds to repair five major cricket venues damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. West Indies named a 13-man squad last week and it did feature some big names – Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels – but Dwayne Bravo insisted he, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard and Darren Bravo had all hoped to be involved as well. None of them were picked.”We were denied the opportunity to be a part of something to help Caribbean people in a charity game we wanted to play in and were looking forward to being a part of”, Bravo told ESPNcricinfo. “We weren’t contacted or selected, so we just want people to know that we were fully available for the game and are seeking answers behind our non-selection.”This led former West Indies captain Darren Sammy to suggest Cricket West Indies has missed an opportunity to build bridges between itself and the players.”What better chance could the board want to engage players?” Sammy said. “They could have swallowed their ego and pride and brought the World-Cup-winning side together, even if it’s one last time.”I have personally done fund raisers, sent food and water supplies to Dominica, played and helped organise previous charity game in Trinidad. I was looking forward to this game.”During last October’s Hurricane relief charity game between Trinidad & Tobago and a West Indies XI, all the senior players were picked despite the Trinidad players having a similarly poor relationship with the local TTCB board.Bravo has also requested bank details from the board so he can make a financial contribution. “They’ve given the public the false impressions we don’t want to play in the World Cup qualifiers because we went to play for money, but now we’re available for free for a good cause and they don’t pick us,” he said. “Caribbean people need to know the truth. What we will do also is to ask CWI to provide bank account details, so we the players who are not part of the game. can still make a contribution towards it.”The players are understood to have enquired whether they could represent the World XI side, but were told it was not possible.”It’s a Rest of the World XI not a World XI,” CWI chief executive Johnny Grave told ESPNcricinfo. “And it’s a fully accredited T20I so counts for stats, hence why Caribbean players can’t play for opposition team. It needs to be a proper game of cricket for people to buy tickets to go and see it at Lord’s.”However, Grave said he would like to meet the players to discuss their international futures.”They weren’t invited to take part,” he told . “Darren Bravo has refused selection on a number of occasions now so we can’t continually go back to him every time we have a match and ask if he wants to be part of it.”Dwayne hasn’t played for quite a while in any of our sides… and said he does not see his future playing international cricket. So we’ve asked him for a meeting to see if that is his firm position.”The problem we have at the moment is that there is a huge amount of uncertainty where some players say they are not available and then suddenly they are available.”We can’t have a situation where players pick and choose when they want to play international cricket. In any team you need to have a group of players that are committed to playing and winning cricket matches and then build that cohesion to keep same group of players together for as long as possible.”So we will hopefully be meeting with Dwayne, Kieron, Sunil and Darren in June after the IPL to explain to them what the fixtures are between now and the World Cup in England and World T20 in Australia, who we are playing, when we are playing and if they want to be part of it or not.”What we can do is give them clarity in what it looks like to play for us, We know our tours all the way up to 2023. We’ve got an IPL window and a CPL window. Whether that is enough for them or whether they want to become T20 specialists and travel the world to play franchise cricket, that is kind of what we want to find out from them.”

South Africa’s head coach Ottis Gibson was steadfast in his defence of Quinton de Kock ahead of an ICC code of conduct hearing on Wednesday

Firdose Moonda07-Mar-2018South Africa insist Quinton de Kock only acted on provocation in the Durban stairwell dispute, even though he has been found guilty of breaching the ICC’s code of conduct.De Kock did not contest the charge at a hearing on Wednesday evening, though he aimed to lessen the sanction that applies to a Level 1 offence. Although he was unsuccessful in the endeavour and admitted he had said “something” to Warner, the South Africa wicketkeeper maintained he was not the instigator.CCTV footage of the passageway leading to the dressing rooms showed David Warner being physically restrained and shouting at de Kock, who did not respond. Warner was charged with a Level 2 offence on Tuesday evening, and fined 75% of his match fee. Though he has accepted those sanctions, Australia claim Warner was responding to a jibe from de Kock, and they say it was “personal.”South Africa, however, have denied de Kock provoked Warner in any way. “We are appealing Level 1 because we think Quinny didn’t do anything,” the head coach Ottis Gibson said. “Quinny wasn’t aggressive. You saw some footage, and the footage showed Quinny walking up the stairs and somebody else being restrained, and then Quinny gets a Level 1. That doesn’t seem fair.”Gibson would not comment on whether de Kock was entirely silent, and neither would several team sources, only for the man himself to admitt he had answered back.”Quinny would not have said anything had something not been said to him in the first place. But I wasn’t out there. Faf was there. Faf probably knows what was said,” Gibson said. “But there’s one guy walking up the stairs going back to his dressing room, there’s another guy having to be restrained. If I am walking, trying to get back to my dressing room and somebody is being restrained, how can you fine me for something?”Asked if de Kock said anything about Warner’s wife, which is what Australia are alleging, Gibson chose to focus on the undefined line and called for clarity. “I wasn’t there. I can’t categorically speak for another person. There’s this thing and I have seen it recently now about the line. They are saying they didn’t cross the line, but where is the line, who sets the line, where did the line come from? When you are saying you didn’t cross the line but we didn’t cross the line, you went very close to the line… whose line is it?”South Africa would really like the umpires to start answering that question. Du Plessis called for them to step in immediately after the end of the first Test. But Kumar Dharmasena and S Ravi have made no reports of anyone breaking the code of conduct and Australia subsequently used that as part of their defence. Gibson, however, believed that the umpires must have heard something.”The match officials are there to do a job and to govern the game on the field, and off the field I guess,” he said. “If they hear things on the field, they should clamp down on it. It becomes unfortunate when everybody else hears stuff and the match officials say they haven’t heard anything. They are there to do a job and they must do their job.”If things are happening in the game and things are being said, and if it’s within earshot – if the player is standing at point or wherever he is fielding, surely the umpires can hear. Maybe the umpires need to stand up and take control of the game.”Unhappy might not be the right word. We just feel that the umpires are there to do a job and they must do their job. When they hear things, they must take charge and don’t leave it to: ‘oh, we didn’t cross the line.’ Can you say whatever you want, and then when something is said, it’s offensive. You didn’t tell us where the line was. Let’s be clear where the line was.”With tension escalating on both sides, the umpires’ roles will be in sharp focus once again in Port Elizabeth. Dharmasena will be the on-field official again on Friday and he will be joined by New Zealand’s Chris Gaffaney.”I am happy with aggression being shown on the field if it’s coming from the bowler,” Gibson said. “If a fast bowler is bowling bouncers and trying to intimidate batsmen, to me that’s aggression. When everybody else is chirping or sledging the batter as he is trying to bat, that’s not aggression in my book. That’s how I grew up, playing the game in the Caribbean. But, obviously, things change.”Gibson recalled the West Indies greats of the past, who “didn’t have to (say anything) because they were aggressive with the ball and their body language, and that’s what aggression is. When a batsman is trying to take his guard and people are standing around and saying whatever they want to say, I’m not sure that it’s necessary.”If a bowler has tried everything he can to get a batsman out and he can’t get him out because a batsman is playing well, and then they have to revert to that, then is it aggression? I don’t think that it is.”That was the case at Kingsmead, where de Kock scored 83 and partnered Aiden Markram for a sixth-wicket stand of 147 which stalled Australia’s victory push and dragged the match into the fifth day. De Kock had not struck a half-century in 15 Test innings before that, and there were questions over his form. But Gibson believed the Durban knock showed what de Kock is capable of, both with bat and in his conduct.”It takes a strong character to stand up and bat for three hours when everybody on the field is saying whatever they want to say to you. But then, as soon as you respond, then it’s a different thing. The game should be about cricket on the field. I feel like everybody needs to focus on cricket. Calm down and get back to cricket.”

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have enjoyed considerable success at Wrexham, but the Hollywood stars have been told they “could have done better”.

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Hollywood superstars arrived in 2021Immediate impact made on & off the fieldRed Dragons continuing to move forwardGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

A stunning takeover at SToK Racecourse was completed back in the spring of 2021. Quite the journey has been enjoyed from there. Wrexham have taken in a trip to Wembley, returned to the Football League in record-breaking style and pieced together an immediate push for promotion out of League Two.

AdvertisementWHAT HARVEY SAID ABOUT WREXHAM

Reynolds and McElhenney have helped to make all of that possible, but Red Dragons director Shaun Harvey has said when casting an eye over three eventful years: “Yes, we could have done better. We could have got promotion that first season. But I think the majority of people are happy with where we are at the moment and if you can keep the majority happy then that's probably not a bad result. Off the field, we continue to drive a path forward. It's not pretty around the edges at times. The objective of the club was to get as far forward as quickly as possible and in doing that, there are always going to be things that are missed or could have been done better. We continue to find our way through the more challenging periods and it is always with the eye on making sure that we give the team the best chance of being successful.”

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Stars on the field – such as Paul Mullin and Elliot Lee – have helped to steer things forwrd, while off it head coach Phil Parkinson has embraced life under the brightest of spotlights. Harvey added: “You can only watch on in admiration of the playing squad and Phil, and what they have succeeded in doing. It is alright in theory but it doesn't work unless the players deliver in practice and they deserve massive kudos for what they have achieved so far. But knowing them, they know they've achieved nothing yet. It's a little bit like being ahead at half-time, it counts for nothing if you don't win the game. The playing squad know they've given themselves a great opportunity but equally, they know they have got to finish the job as well for the work they have done so far to deliver the fruits that it deserves.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham, who continue to star in what is now an Emmy Award-winning documentary series, sit second in the League Two table as things stand – five points adrift of leaders Stockport with a game in hand. They will be back in action on Saturday away at Salford, with another transfer window set to have swung shut by then.

Liverpool have now been given a promising update as Bayern Munich may sell midfielder Ryan Gravenberch "in the final few days of the window" accordung to reporter Ben Jacobs.

What's happening with Ryan Gravenberch?

Gravenberch is at the centre of a transfer battle this summer, with Liverpool and Manchester United both keen on signing him, having already tabled contract offers, and there is a belief that Bayern could let him leave for a fee of around £22m.

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood believes the Reds will win the race for the midfielder's signature, recently saying: "I am sure Ryan Gravenberch will go in there, the midfield player from Bayern. Hasn’t played since he has been there."

After missing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who both joined Chelsea, Jurgen Klopp will be determined not to lose out to another Premier League rival in the race for a midfielder this summer, particularly considering the Bayern ace is high on his list of targets.

However, it appears as though both clubs are currently well-placed to sign the central midfielder, with Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg claiming they will be the favourites, should his current employers give the green light for him to leave.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has now spoken about the Reds' ongoing pursuit of a new midfielder, telling CaughtOffside:

“Liverpool do still want another midfielder, but not necessarily a No.6 unless the right opportunity presents itself. That’s partly because Stefan Bajcetic is back in the squad.

“Keep an eye on long-standing target Ryan Gravenberch, though, who is a more versatile midfielder. Bayern’s position all summer has been that they don’t want to sell, but the player is open to Liverpool having endured a tough first season in Germany. Let’s see if Bayern’s position changes in the final few days of the window.

“Liverpool have also been linked with Kalvin Phillips. I have been told all summer Phillips wants to stay at Manchester City and fight for his place. Nonetheless, this one could still be one to keep an eye on, because Liverpool did look at Phillips when he was still at Leeds.”

Read The Latest Liverpool Transfer News HERE

How old is Ryan Gravenberch?

The Bayern midfielder is just 21-years-old, but he has already started to make a real impression in European football, having made 103 appearances for Ajax, while he has also appeared in 20 Champions League matches.

Over the past couple of years, the Dutchman has also made his breakthrough at international level, amassing 11 caps for the Netherlands, but his career has stalled since arriving at the Allianz Arena, having received very sparse game time for Bayern.

If the "outstanding" central midfielder is to fulfill his lofty potential, after being lauded as a future star by former Liverpool man Dirk Kuyt 18 months ago, then a move to Anfield, where he should feature more regularly, could be the perfect option.

Having received confirmation that Gravenberch is open to the move, Liverpool now need to make sure they beat Man United to his signature, as they cannot afford a repeat of the Caicedo and Lavia situations at this stage in the window.

Mauricio Pochettino admitted that he is yet to feel loved by Chelsea fans after a poor start to his maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge.

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• Pochettino does not feel loved at Chelsea
• Blues are currently 11th in the Premier League
• They have reached the final of the Carabao Cup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Tottenham Hotspur coach did not have the best of starts to his journey as Chelsea boss as the Blues have already lost 10 matches in the Premier League in 23 outings and are currently ranked 11th in the league.

  Unlike most of his predecessors at the club, which include managers like Jose Mourinho, Thomas Tuchel, and Antonio Conte, who have all been adored by the fans, Pochettino claimed that he is yet to feel the love of the fans although they have been respectful to the Argentine.

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• WHAT MAURICIO POCHETTINO SAID

  When asked if he felt the love of the Blues fans, the former Paris Saint-Germain coach said, "No, no, I need to be honest with you, no because I understand they were winning the Champions League, they won cups, the Premier League. Why are the fans going to love me after six, or seven months?

  "We are in a final but we are not in a good position in the table in the Premier League. I think at the moment I feel the respect from the fans, I see them on the street and they are all nice to me, but I cannot lie."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While the club's performance has been below par in the league, they did manage to reach the final of the Carabao Cup where they are set to face Liverpool on February 25. They also recently beat Aston Villa 3-1 to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  The Blues will aim to get back to winning ways on Monday as they take on an out-of-form Crystal Palace side in the Premier League.

Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League earlier this year and went through a mass summer of change during the transfer window.

Who left Leeds United this summer?

Alongside manager Sam Allardyce, who was replaced by Daniel Farke, the Whites allowed a staggering 15 players to depart the club either on loan or permanently.

Rodrigo

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Joel Robles

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Adam Forshaw

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Tyler Adams

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Tyler Roberts

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Robin Koch

Loan

Max Wober

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Rasmus Kristensen

Loan

Marc Roca

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Luis Sinisterra

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Brenden Aaronson

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Sam Greenwood

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Cody Drameh

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Sonny Perkins

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Jack Harrison

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The Yorkshire-based outfit moved on a number of first-team stars, alongside a few of their younger players to gain experience, to shift the mood amongst the group in preparation to attack the Championship with a positive mindset under the German head coach.

One of the players who moved on was right-back Rasmus Kristensen and, as it stands, the decision to sign him in 2022 was a huge howler by then-manager Jesse Marsch, before his departure later that season.

How much did Leeds pay to sign Rasmus Kristensen?

In June of last year, the American head coach snapped the defender up from his former club RB Salzburg for a reported fee of £10m, whilst Sky Sports claimed that he was also a target for German giants Borussia Dortmund and Premier League side Brentford.

He was also on a reported wage of £40k-per-week throughout the 2022/23 campaign, which added an extra £2m to the amount of money they paid for his services last term.

It was a significant fee to pay for a player who had yet to prove himself in a major European league, albeit he had played 27 matches for Ajax earlier in his career, and the gamble did not come off for the Whites.

Why did Leeds sign Rasmus Kristensen?

Marsch snapped him up after a campaign of sublime performances for Salzburg during the 2021/22 campaign that suggested that he had the potential to be a superb signing for the club.

Kristensen averaged a phenomenal Sofascore rating of 7.31 across 29 Bundesliga matches as he caught the eye with his displays at both ends of the pitch, whilst no outfield player for Leeds managed a score higher than 6.99 that season.

The marauding full-back chipped in with seven goals and seven 'big chances' created, to go along with an impressive haul of 1.2 key passes per match, for the Austrian side.

He also won 72% of his aerial duels, which highlighted his dominance in the air against opposition forwards, and was only dribbled past 0.4 times per game as players found it difficult to get past him on a regular basis, as per Sofascore.

What happened to Rasmus Kristensen?

Kristensen was, unfortunately, unable to make the step up to Premier League football after his impressive year with Salzburg in Austria.

The 24-year-old warrior averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.70 across 26 top-flight outings for Leeds as they were relegated to the Championship.

This was the 11th-highest average score within the squad and that suggests that he was far away from being one of the team's top performers, which does not shine well on the right-back given how poorly the side performed on the road to finishing within the bottom three.

The Denmark international was dribbled past 1.3 times per game throughout the season. Luke Ayling (1.5) was the only defender who was dribbled past more times per match than him, which shows that opposition forwards found it far too easy to take the ball past him week-in-week-out to create chances for their respective sides.

Kristensen did not make up for his sloppy defensive work with quality attacking play from right-back as he rarely created opportunities for his teammates going forward either.

The £10m signing averaged 0.3 key passes per outing for Leeds and created just two 'big chances' in total, which led to one assist for the Dane.

To put that in context, 18 players within the Leeds squad averaged more key passes per game than Kristensen, showing that he was one of the worst attacking players on the team as he struggled to make things happen at the top end of the pitch with regularity.

Where is Rasmus Kristensen now?

The 24-year-old, who was rather harshly described as like a "League One defender" by Leeds YouTuber Conor McGilligan last season, was sent out on loan to Italian giants AS Roma to work with Jose Mourinho this summer.

It appeared to be a fantastic move for the Danish defender on paper, given his poor performances for Leeds, but it has not gone to plan for him so far.

He averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.44 and scored one own goal across his five pre-season friendly appearances with the Serie A outfit and carried that form into the opening match of the league season with a rating of 6.4 against Salernitana.

Mourinho gave him another chance from the start against Verona in their next Serie A clash but embarrassingly substituted him at half-time, which led to the Whites flop being an unused substitute for their most recent game against AC Milan.

Kristensen has been dealt another blow this week as the Portuguese head coach has opted to exclude him from the club's squad for the Europa League group stages this season.

This does not bode well for his chances of being a regular starter in the Serie A for the remainder of the campaign as the former Chelsea manager seemingly has other options that he would prefer to use.

A lack of time on the pitch this season with Roma could be more bad news for Leeds as it is likely to lower his possible resell value even further. Indeed, any onlooking clubs are currently seeing him struggle at a second club for a successive year and may be wary of spending money to sign him.

This could affect their chances of being able to cash in on the Danish defender next summer, or in January if Roma opt to cut the loan deal short.

Overall, this transfer has certainly turned out to be a huge howler by Marsch and one that has been an expensive failure for Leeds, barring a miraculous turnaround in fortunes and performances before his time at Elland Road comes to an end.

Jude Bellingham could face a suspension if proven guilty of aiming a slur at Getafe star Mason Greenwood during La Liga clash.

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• Decision to be made in the Bellingham-Greenwood incident
• Lip reader submitted report to the competition committee
• Could face a four-match ban

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The incident in question happened during a league encounter between Real Madrid and Getafe on February 1. Bellingham challenged his compatriot on the pitch before allegedly mouthing the word 'Rapist' towards the Manchester United loanee. Getafe had lodged a complaint with La Liga's representative who was present at the ground after which the league hired a lip reader to assess the incident.

  Now according to Cope, La Liga have transferred the case to the competition committee. The lip reader has already informed the committee about the decision although the league remains tight-lipped on the final report. Bellingham could be hit with a four-game suspension if found guilty.

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  As per some reports, the Real Madrid star did not utter the word 'Rapist' and had rather said 'rubbish' which was misinterpreted, although Getafe has demanded a proper investigation. The club have backed Greenwood in the entire episode who joined them on a season-long loan from the Red Devils after having seen charges of attempted rape, assault, and coercive control made against him dropped in February 2023.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The English winger has been impressive for the Azulones in the ongoing season having scored seven times and provided five assists in 23 matches across all competitions. The Spanish club are considering making his loan move permanent in the summer.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JUDE BELLINGHAM?

  If proven guilty, the England international could face some time on the sidelines. He is currently out of action with a sprained ankle and is expected to remain out of action for at least three weeks.

Aston Villa are approaching the final few days of the summer transfer window in the mood to potentially sign another one or two fresh faces.

Following the acquisitions of Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Nicolo Zaniolo, Unai Emery has already secured some exciting players but in order to balance their European and domestic commitments, the squad will need padded out.

With this in mind, the Spaniard is showing interest in a former Tottenham Hotspur player who could be available for a transfer before Friday.

Who will Aston Villa sign next?

According to reports in Spain (via The Birmingham Mail), Villa have been linked with a move for Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

He is expected to leave the La Liga side before the end of the transfer window, either on a permanent basis or a loan move, and it looks as though the Midlands side are ready to swoop for his services.

Fellow Spanish sides Valencia and Sevilla are reportedly keen on the player. He has two years left on his contract and according to Football transfers, he is valued at €22.8m (£20m) and this could represent good business if the club could secure him for a fee in this region.

How good is Clement Lenglet?

The Frenchman spent a season on loan at Spurs during 2022/23 in what was a turbulent campaign for the club.

He did rank fourth across the squad for accurate passes per game (48.4) while also ranking in the top ten for tackles, interceptions and clearances per game, suggesting that his spell in London was decent enough, although far from the high standards expected when he arrived.

Upon arriving at the club, he was lauded by compatriot Hugo Lloris, who said: "He's a modern defender. Comfortable to be able to play from the back. He has a great left foot and can be very strong in one v one and he's strong in the air.

"Even if it's never easy when you arrive in the Premier League and he will have to adapt to the intensity of the games but he is a high level player, with experience.”

Indeed, when compared to positional peers, the 28-year-old ranked in the top 6% for progressive carries per 90 (1.53) and the top 9% for assists (0.07), further backing up Lloris’ praise.

This could allow him to forge a solid partnership alongside Torres, especially with Tyrone Mings injured.

The former Villarreal defender is also a forward-thinking defender, ranking in the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.8), the top 2% for progressive carries per 90 (2.17) and the top 7% for progressive passes per 90 (5.48) when compared to positional peers.

This suggests both are always looking at playing the ball out from defence in order to start attacks, giving Villa and Emery the chance to constantly dictate the play during matches.

WhoScored also states that both Torres and Lenglet like to dribble often and this could be a huge advantage for Emery, giving him something different at the heart of defence as opposed to the robust nature of Mings.

With just a few days left, the former Arsenal manager will need to act swiftly to get a deal over the line.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAssociated Press

Mahmudullah, sublimely poised while chaos roiled around him, hoisted an Isuru Udana ball over the square leg boundary when six runs were required off the last two balls, propelling Bangladesh to victory in scintillating fashion. It is difficult to overstate the importance of his innings, though the numbers – 43 off 18 balls – bear witness to its quality. Incensed by several mistakes from his team-mates, maintaining his focus even through an ugly final over in which a Bangladesh sub was given a shove by a Sri Lanka player and Shakib Al Hasan seemed intent on bringing his batsmen off the field, Mahmudullah completed the chase of 160 with No. 10 batsman Rubel Hossain at the other end.A year’s worth of nerves and acrimony was packed into the final over. Tension between these teams had been high throughout the tournament, owing partly to the “nagin” [cobra] dance that they had mockingly traded with each other, a childish saga that had begun during Sri Lanka’s tour of Bangladesh. But it was upon the umpires’ failure to call the second delivery of that over a no-ball for height (it was the second bouncer of the over, the first having been a dot ball to Mustafizur Rahman), that the drama really sparked off. Mahmudullah was in the umpires’ faces, imploring them to award a no-ball that would make the requirement 11 off five balls with a free-hit to boot, instead of 12 off 4. Mustafizur, meanwhile, was run out attempting a bye at the other end.While Mahmudullah was arguing with the umpires, a fracas had boiled over elsewhere. A Bangladesh substitute who had come on to the field with drinks had become embroiled in an argument with the Sri Lanka players. It was when one of the Sri Lanka fielders gave the sub a push – not an almighty shove, but not a gentle prod either – that the Bangladesh dressing room became truly incensed. In a flash, Shakib came down the stairs and to the boundary, where after after speaking animatedly with the fourth umpire, he summoned Mahmudullah and Rubel off the field.In the end, after things had seemed to settle slightly, Mahmudullah carved a four over cover the first ball after resumption, then hit two to deep midwicket and gloriously lifted that leg-side six, with Udana having overpitched. His euphoric team-mates charged the field to embrace him, dusted off a group version of the nagin dance, and were celebrating when another unseemly altercation ensued. This time Kusal Mendis was yelling at the Bangladesh players and gesturing animatedly, while Tamim Iqbal put an arm around his shoulder and attempted to calm him down. In a month in which player behaviour has been under the microscope, all this made for especially disagreeable viewing.Celebrations in the Bangladesh dressing room in Colombo went a little down the wrong direction•Andrew Fernando/ESPNcricinfo

It was a pity that the theatrics marred what was otherwise an incredibly riveting game: a T20 that had had a top-order collapse, a stirring recovery, wonderful bowling, baffling dismissals, and a myriad dramatic moments even before that denouement. This was a match in which Bangladesh had justifiably installed two slips to Thisara Perera in the ninth over of Sri Lanka’s innings, after the hosts had found themselves 41 for 5, the collapse engineered by Mustafizur, Shakib and Mehedi, with a run-out thrown into the mix. Kusal Perera was the only top order batsman to survive this mayhem, and together with Thisara, forged a courageous 97-run stand that yanked a side on the brink of being annihilated, to a respectable score.Beautifully did the Pereras dovetail, Thisara laying low and digging in early in their association, while Kusal struck vital, boundaries to keep run rate above water. His scorching cut off Mahmudullah in the 10th over produced the first boundary in 25 deliveries. After two more fours off Rubel Hossain, Kusal took a mighty gamble – he attacked Mustafizur who had taken two wickets and conceded only four runs in his first two overs. That over – the 13th of the innings – would yield 18 runs, and energy would re-enter the Sri Lanka batting effort. Boundaries began to be found regularly, and twos were desperately run in between – the pair forever flirting with another run out, but just escaping. Thanks largely to the Pereras, Sri Lanka managed 69 off the last six overs – their 159 for 7 just about a par score on a slower deck.Akila Dananjaya made two breakthroughs in the Powerplay, to have the chase wobbling at 33 for 2 in the fourth over, but Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal combined for 64 runs off 52 balls, and ensured the chase stayed on track – Tamim hitting an important 50 off 42 balls. Bangladesh’s senior batsmen perhaps banked on being able to score quickly towards the end of the match, because one of Sri Lanka’s frontline bowlers – Nuwan Pradeep – sustained a game-ending leg injury in the field, after he had delivered only one over.Associated Press

Mushfiqur was out to Aponso in the 13th over, the bowler playing an imaginary snake-charmer’s flute in celebration, which was perhaps the only piece of real wit throughout the exchange between the two teams. When Tamim was out next over, and Soumya Sarkar soon after that, Bangladesh were in a little discomfort, with 51 still required off 31 balls, and only five wickets in hand.Mahmudullah eased himself into this innings. His first boundary came via a misfield at long-on in the 16th over. His next was a six down the ground off Jeevan Mendis, to bring the equation to 31 required off 21 – very gettable, so long as this senior pair saw them home. Shakib, however, would hole out to long leg with two overs to go, off a leg side half-volley, leaving Mahmudullah visibly angry.He would be even more irate at Mehidy Hasan at the end of the penultimate over, after Mehedi failed to dive at the end of a risky run, and was found to be short of his ground. As important as his nerveless boundary hitting was Mahmudullah’s running between the wickets, and his ability to place his shots between fielders. His innings contained six twos and a three, as well as four singles. He failed to score off only one dot ball. In purely cricketing terms, this was an outstanding T20 finish. His innings only glows brighter for having come amid such rancour.