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An update has emerged on Wolves transfer target Martin Braithwaite regarding a potential move to West Ham.

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet Sport, the Irons are in advanced talks over a deal to sign the Denmark striker from Barcelona this month.

The report claims that a fee of €15m (£12.8m) has almost been agreed between the two clubs, with personal terms then set to be worked upon once that has been ironed out.

Disaster

Wolves manager Bruno Lage must avoid a major disaster with Braithwaite by allowing West Ham to complete this deal. The Midlands club should go nowhere near a transfer for the Denmark international as he would not represent a significant upgrade on the squad, while his attitude has been put into question in the past.

He scored two goals in 29 La Liga appearances for Barcelona last season and one goal in 11 league games in 2019/20 for the Spanish giants. This does not suggest that he would arrive at Wolves and be a quality option for them in the Premier League, as he is horrendously out of form and has not shown enough in front of goal to prove that he can score consistently.

In terms of his attitude, former Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis ripped into the player and claimed that he showed disrespect to the Teesside club and its owner during a previous spell in England.

The Welshman said: “The biggest disappointment for me is he’s the highest-paid player I’ve ever worked with in the Championship.

“As a matter of fact, the last club I worked at, which was a Premier League club, he’d be in the top five earners at the club without a question of a doubt. Steve Gibson bent over backwards, backwards, to give that lad everything he wanted to bring him to this club.

“To show the disrespect he’s shown to this club by saying he’s not coming back, to Steve Gibson, who’s made him a multi-millionaire, let’s make no bones about it, the wages and what he’s earning are astonishing.

“I’ve dealt with players all my life, some can make your hair curl – not mine. But for him to come out and say that, it just puts him up there as such an ungrateful person.”

Wolves should not be signing a player who could be disruptive off the pitch and these comments from Pulis do not suggest that Braithwaite is the type of character Lage will want in his dressing room. Therefore, the club should step aside and watch the Hammers sign the 30-year-old instead, rather than taking the risk on what he could do on and off the pitch.

AND in other news, “Wolves have a real player on their hands” – Journalist makes exciting Molineux claim…

Dammika Prasad’s raw pace pulled India back after an explosive start,whereupon the spinners took charge of the game, as has been their wontover the course of the series

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga08-Aug-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Ajantha Mendis capitalised on Dammika Prasad’s strikes before lunch © AFP
Dammika Prasad’s raw pace pulled India back after an explosive start, whereupon the spinners took charge of the game, as has been their wont over the course of the series. India’s middle order failed again, as they fell from 51 for 0 in seven overs to 198 for 9, after which Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma frustrated Sri Lanka for one ball less than 20 overs – the longest partnership of the innings, and at 51 runs also the joint highest. Ishant followed up the good work with the bat to get Malinda Warnapura’s wicket two overs before stumps.Mahela Jayawardene made exceptional use of the review system, getting the wickets of Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid after challenging decisions. Gambhir had got off to his fifth start in five innings, and his third half-century in three, in characteristically aggressive fashion, but could only watch from the other end as his partners came and went, before he himself failed to convert his fifty into a big one.Ajantha Mendis ended the frustrating last-wicket stand to finish with his second five-for, the fifth time he has taken at least four in five innings, but the real impact was caused by the debutant, Prasad.Ever since Prasad was called up into the Sri Lanka squad after the first Test, his pace had been a talking point. And when he finally got the cap, that speed made the difference. He didn’t bowl at 150kph, but he was quick enough to thwart any thoughts the batsmen might have had of dominating the bowlers. The difference he made was clear from Gambhir’s contrasting approaches against Chaminda Vaas and Prasad. To Vaas he walked down the pitch, as he does in domestic cricket when facing lesser bowlers, nullifying any swing. When Vaas managed to beat him, he opened the face to run it towards third man. Vaas tried bouncing him out, but he managed to rock back and pull him for fours. But no such tactics were trotted out against Prasad, who took all three of his wickets – as opposed to buying them, which was what the Sri Lankan medium-pacers had done in the series till then.After India chose to bat, both Gambhir and Sehwag outdid each other, hitting boundaries at will in the first half-hour. Prasad, fast and erratic to begin with, was handed a cruel baptism: Gambhir took a boundary off his first ball, Sehwag one off the first ball of his second over. After he managed to start his third over with a dot-ball, Prasad bowled a no-ball immediately after, which beat the keeper and went for four. The first ball of his fourth over was pummelled back to him and hit his left wrist viciously. After three minutes of treatment, he stunned Sehwag with one that held its line and took a faint edge through. The celebration – Prasad’s eyes almost popping out of their sockets, Murali-like – spoke of how important the wicket was.India had done enough damage by then, it seemed: they had reached 51 in 7.2 overs. In came Dravid, struggling to find form, struggling to keep the strike rotating. The scoring-rate came down, and even though Dravid looked comfortable defending, it allowed the bowlers to settle into a rhythm.Prasad, in his second spell, came up with another special effort. He got one to swing in late, and beat Dravid’s defence. Jayawardene challenged the not-out call that ensued, and replays showed that about 40% of the ball was inside the mat at the point of impact. As it would definitely have hit off and middle, and there was no inside edge, the point of impact was the only matter of contention, and the umpire was convinced enough to overturn his decision.
Mahela Jayawardene used the review system exceptionally again © AFP
To make a good first session better, Prasad got Sachin Tendulkar, playing in his 150th Test, beating him with inward movement. Tendulkar, given out by Mark Benson, asked for a review, but the replay didn’t show any conclusive evidence of an inside edge, which would have been the only reason to reverse the decision.With two of the Fab Four gone, the spinners – especially Mendis – reinforced the vice grip they have had over the Indian middle order. Despite a quick start from Sourav Ganguly, who began with a boundary off Prasad and then lofted Muttiah Muralitharan over long-off, the middle order never really took charge of the game. Murali came back with a fastish offbreak that took Ganguly’s edge even as he tried to hide bat behind pad.Gambhir, meanwhile, seemed to be picking Mendis early, and looked to use his feet to him. He stepped out to hit a full toss from Mendis wide of mid-on to get to his sixth half-century. He then slowed down, which suggested he realised the need to get to at least a hundred, which he had last managed in 2004-05 against Bangladesh. But Mendis and Jayawardene teamed up again: Mendis beat Gambhir with an offbreak and Jayawardene opted for another challenge, after the proximity of the bat to the front pad and the ball had created enough doubt for the on-field umpire to rule in favour of the batsman. Replays suggested otherwise, and Sri Lanka had reduced India from 51 for 0 to 155 for 5 even before Murali and Mendis had really got going.In the last over before tea, Mendis made sure India had squandered the advantage of winning the toss, by getting the last recognised batsman, VVS Laxman, with a legbreak. The rest, bar Zaheer and Ishant, were a mere formality. And the ease with which the last-wicket pair batted only made things look more threatening for India as they went out to field.

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC’s chief executive, says that cricket’s governing body will not sacrifice bilateral cricket for Twenty20 leagues and is trying to regulate the latest format to ensure that

Cricinfo staff24-Sep-2008Haroon Lorgat, the ICC’s chief executive, says that cricket’s governing body will not sacrifice bilateral cricket for Twenty20 leagues and try to regulate the latest format to ensure that.”All these tournaments are springing up and what we are trying to do is regulate them in a more effective way,” Lorgat told the . “A private businessman might have different ambitions but we have to protect the game of cricket.”Twenty20 is an opportunity that people have spotted they can take advantage of, but that doesn’t detract from what has been agreed by all members that we will not sacrifice nation-v-nation cricket. Everyone recognises its importance. People are not disregarding it.”There has been plenty of criticism of the growing importance put on Twenty20 cricket, a lucrative proposition across the globe. Most of it has centered around the IPL’s second edition, provisionally scheduled for April-May 2009, which clashes with Sri Lanka’s tour of England and its third season, which will clash with Bangladesh’s tour of England.”Out of a difficult situation can come a lot of good,” Lorgat said. “If there wasn’t an interest in the sport there wouldn’t be so many challenges. I would rather come into a scenario where things are moving at great speed, with new forms of cricket and a new audience.”The first edition of the IPL, devised by BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi, was a huge success and the inaugural Champions League – backed by the Indian board – will be held in India from December 3-10, where two teams each from India, Australia and South Africa, and Middlesex and Pakistan’s Twenty20 champion will compete.The second Champions Twenty20 League will take place next year between September 25-October 10, and will feature 12 teams, four more than the first edition. Even the unofficial ICL will be starting its third season from October 10.

West Brom are reportedly interested in signing winger Adam Reach this summer, following his recent exit from Sheffield Wednesday.

The Lowdown: Reach leaves Wednesday

The 28-year-old enjoyed a good career with the Owls, scoring 24 goals and registering 34 assists in 230 appearances for the club.

Reach departed Wednesday after his contract expired last month, however, and he is now on the lookout for a new club ahead of next season.

The winger has already been linked with a move to West Brom and that rumour doesn’t appear to be going away.

The Latest: West Brom keen on move

According to The Express & Star, Reach is still on the Baggies’ radar, with Valerien Ismael viewing him as a possible summer addition.

He is described as one of ‘several targets’ West Brom are looking at, with Blackburn Rovers mentioned as potential suitors, too.

The Verdict: Strong squad addition

Reach could be an ideal signing for the Baggies, bringing with him quality in the final third and an ability to play almost anywhere on the pitch – he has been deployed in as many as 11 positions throughout his career.

While the former Wednesday man wouldn’t necessarily come in as a regular starter, he would provide great squad depth due to that versatility and is capable of moments of individual brilliance.

Reach was described as a ‘top player’ by Tony Pulis during his short stint at Owls manager and he could thrive at the Hawthorns alongside superior players who have recently been plying their trade in the Premier League.

In other news, one West Brom signing has been ruled out this summer. Read more here.

Jon Newsome has urged Daniel Farke to stick to his Norwich City philosophy and strengthen his options ahead of the Premier League season getting underway.

The Canaries sealed an immediate return to the top flight after getting their hands on the Championship title last term.

However, Norwich suffered a heavy blow after talisman Emiliano Buendia was sold to Aston Villa for a club-record fee just a matter of weeks after the jubilant scenes at Carrow Road.

Farke – who moved into the Canaries’ hotseat four years ago – has responded by welcoming 14 signings to the club, including Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour on a season-long loan and Milot Rashica in a £9million move from German outfit Werder Bremen.

Norwich suffered relegation to the Championship after conceding 75 goals during their last season in the Premier League, but ex-Canaries defender Newsome has called for the newly-promoted side to trust their instincts.

He also hopes Farke will add more strength in depth before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.

Newsome exclusively told Football FanCast: “I think the biggest thing about the Premier League is you need to have some strength in depth.

“If you’ve got a fantastic first 11 but your reserve team players aren’t quite at that level, you still get found out in the Premier League. It’s a massive step up so I can see the club investing. I don’t think they will go crazy and splash the cash because that’s not the Norwich way.

“We need to strengthen in certain areas and I would like to see Norwich still play with the same philosophy of attacking football.”

Former Australia opener Justin Langer, who retired from the Test scene in January 2007, is considering extending his competitive cricket career to the age of 40

Jason Dasey10-Nov-2008
Matthew Hoggard wants to make sure the tour of New Zealand earlier this year will not turn out to be his international farewell © Getty Images
Matthew Hoggard, the fast bowler discarded by theEngland selectors during the tour of New Zealand eightmonths ago, has set himself a target of getting backin the Test side by July’s home Ashes series. But Hoggard, 31, admitted the odds were stacked against him.”The selectors have almost said to me it would be abackward step picking me,” he said. “Obviously Englandhave moved past me at the moment and have got somegood youngsters in the team. I’m at the back of thequeue at the moment.”Hoggard, who was on a flying visit to Asia at the weekend to play foran All-Stars team in the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes, saidhe was interested in playing in next year’s IndianPremier League (IPL). But he added that his priority wasto start the next English county season in style aheadof the Ashes.”There’s a massive summer coming up. There’s nothingmore than I want to do is put the three lions on myshirt if it’s playing against Australia, or playingagainst Zimbabwe or Bangladesh,” he said. “It onlytakes an injury to someone or a lack of form tosomebody else to open up a chance. If you’re the guywho’s knocking loudest on the door, then hopefully thedoor will be answered and you’ll be asked to come in.”Hoggard, sixth on the all-time England bowling listwith 248 wickets at 30.50 in 67 Test matches, arguedagainst the perception he had become too one-dimensionalfor the top level as a prolific outswing bowler. “People have been saying that ever since I’ve been in the England Test team,” he said. “I think I’veevolved.”I think I’m more canny than just running upand bowling away-swing. I’ve proved that by takingwickets on the subcontinent and at some of theharshest places to go.”In 2005, Hoggard played an important role as Englandwon the Ashes for the first time in more than 18years. After a quiet start, he took nine wickets inthe fourth and fifth Tests and shared in a memorableeighth-wicket partnership with Ashley Giles as Englandscraped home in the fourth match at Trent Bridge totake a 2-1 series lead.He hopes that his contribution last time out will beremembered when the selectors choose the bestcombination to win the Ashes back in 2009. England’sbowlers will again be looking to make the most of home conditionsto expose weaknesses in the Australian battingline-up.”The good thing about our swing bowlers in 2005 wasthat we were all different,” he said. “I was a moreconventional swing bowler, Freddie was a hit the deckreverser and Simon Jones was a skiddy reverser. Ittested out the Australians’ technique because we hadso many different kinds of bowlers.”As he prepared for his first winter at home in almosta decade, Hoggard said he would enjoy the time inYorkshire with his wife Sarah and baby son Ernie. However, he said he would be dreaming of being part of what would be his fourth Ashes battle.”Every game back in 2005 was special,” he said.”Probably my strongest memory was the Old TraffordTest match where the Australians were out on thebalcony, celebrating a draw. They were so happy thatthey managed to draw against England. I think thatgave us the belief that we could beat Australia andthat’s what we did.”

Charlton were left frustrated as they were knocked out of the League Cup on Tuesday night by their League One rivals AFC Wimbledon.

Paul Osew’s goal in the 26th minute was enough to seal the Dons’ progressing through to the second round, leaving Nigel Adkins pondering what went wrong in the game.

This comes after the Addicks were held to a 0-0 draw by Darren Moore’s Sheffield Wednesday in their League One opener at the weekend, which means that they have failed to score a single goal in their first two competitive matches of the season.

Naturally, this will draw attention towards the attackers and one forward, in particular, struggled to grasp his opportunity against Wimbledon.

21-year-old centre-forward Josh Davidson was handed the chance to stake a claim for his place in the side with a start on Tuesday night and he failed to make the most of his outing.

SofaScore awarded him a rating of 6.5 after the game, which was the lowest of all the outfield players for Charlton, highlighting his struggles on the pitch.

With Jayden Stockley joining the club permanently from Preston North End this summer, Davidson may not get too many more opportunities to show what he is capable of in a Charlton shirt this season. He needed to prove to Adkins that he is a reliable option – particularly against League One opposition – and that he can be called upon if needed in the coming weeks/months.

Unfortunately, he ended up putting in a disaster of a performance that will leave Adkins livid.

The Charlton boss will be fuming with what he witnessed from the attacker, as Davidson struggled across the board. Not only did he complete just seven passes in 90 minutes, but he also lost a whopping 67% of his ground and aerial duels throughout the match.

He had 17 touches of the ball, resulting in four duels being won, one big chance missed and five losses of possession along with his seven passes – as per SofaScore.

This shows that he was not good enough in his all-around play or when it really matters in front of goal, which is why Adkins will be devastated with Davidson’s display.

The former Peterborough man could now be waiting a long time for another start as the Addicks boss will surely not want to pick him any time soon after this shocking showing, with Stockley primed to return next weekend in place of him.

Flocking to Twitter, many Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been in full voice following an update on defensive target Nikola Milenkovic.

The Serbian powerhouse, who has been linked to Spurs throughout the window, was reportedly on the verge of a move to West Ham at one point with that deal thought to be advanced.

However, in a stunning turn of events, it appears his move to east London has stalled for the time being and managing director Fabio Paratici is attempting to take full advantage.

According to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, Spurs have now entered talks to sign Milenkovic as Nuno Espirito Santo seeks to add two new defenders to his ranks.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-gossip/” title=”Tottenham latest gossip!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Lilywhites supporters have already seen 2020/2021 Serie A MVP award winner Cristian Romero come through the door from Atalanta, and it’s safe to say many have been in full voice over this update on another defensive target.

Given he could leave Italy for as little as €15 million (£12.7m) according to some reliable sources, it’s little wonder some see the 23-year-old as a possible ‘bargain signing’.

Find a flavour of the best verdicts from Spurs fans, in reply to The Spurs Express and The Spurs Web, down below.

Tottenham fans erupt over Milenkovic talks…

“Yesssssss get him in to partner romero he’s cheap”

Credit: @petermo65841775

“He’s perfect and cheap”

Credit: @oliver_grant24

“Please tell me this is true”

Credit: @TheirishY

“Really hope we get him, perfect partnership”

Credit: @_Just_A_Guy1

“€15m and just get it done”

Credit: @wymondTHFC11

“Perfectó.”

Credit: @GicaCALCIO

“He’s built for the prem”

Credit: @jasper96693650

“This could be a bargain signing- massive upgrades on last season’s CB’s”

Credit: @cillian_gm

In other news: Agreement reached: Tottenham confirm another N17 exit in social media announcement, find out more here.

Matthew Hayden’s career timeline

Cricinfo staff27-Nov-2008
Matthew Hayden reads the papers the day after posting a world-record 380 in a Test in Perth © Getty Images
November 1991 – Bursts on to the scene with 149 on first-class debut for Queensland against South Australia at the Gabba, only a few days after his 20th birthday. Finishes his first Sheffield Shield season as the competition’s leading run scorer.May 1993 – Makes his one-day international debut at the age of 21 on the tour of England. Scores 29 at Old Trafford but does not break into the Test side during the Ashes tour.March 1994 – Mark Taylor falls ill on the morning of a Test in Johannesburg, allowing Hayden to receive his baggy green. His debut is unremarkable – he scores 15 and 5 – apart from having his thumb broken by Allan Donald. In the next six years he manages only six more Tests.January 1997 – Scores his first Test century when he makes 125 against West Indies at the Adelaide Oval. His hundred took four and a half hours and his effort was overshadowed by Michael Bevan taking ten wickets for the match.March 2000 – Wins a permanent recall to the Test team during the tour of New Zealand when the incumbent opener Greg Blewett is dropped for good.March 2001 – Completes a remarkable Test tour of India as the leading run scorer from either team with 549 at 109.80. His trip concludes with a then career-best 203 in Chennai.April 2001 – Stamps himself on the one-day arena with his first ODI century when he makes 111 against India in Visakhapatnam.November 2001 – For the first time he reaches triple-figures in a Test at his home ground the Gabba. His 136 is part of a 224-run opening stand with Justin Langer. The two men are in their second Test as an opening combination – the partnership would last more than five years.February 2002 – Rounds out one of the purplest patches imaginable when he scores 122 in Johannesburg. It is the fourth consecutive Test in which he has made a century. He narrowly misses making it five in a row when he is dismissed for 96 in Cape Town.February 2002 – Wins the Allan Border Medal following a terrific 12 months in which he scored 1509 Test runs at 71.85. His tally of 1391 Test runs in the 2001 calendar year had been an Australian record.January 2003 – Is named a Cricketer of the Year.October 2003 – Enters the record books with the highest individual innings in Test history when he scores 380 against Zimbabwe at the WACA. He holds the mark for six months until Brian Lara posts the first quadruple-century in Test history.July 2004 – Scores a century in each innings of a Test against Sri Lanka in Cairns.November 2005 – Repeats his four-centuries-from-four-Tests effort when he brings up 110 against West Indies in Hobart. His run included 111 against the ICC World XI in Sydney.January 2007 – Regains his ODI spot permanently having been on the outer since the 2005 tour of England.February 2007 – Hammers the highest score ever by an Australian in an ODI when he makes an unbeaten 181 against New Zealand in Hamilton. Incredibly Australia lose the match but Hayden’s effort is remarkable all the same, considering he broke a toe during the innings.April 2007 – Finishes Australia’s successful World Cup campaign in the Caribbean as the tournament’s leading run scorer with 659 runs at 73.22 including three centuries, none of which came against minnows.January 2008 – Wraps up another outstanding Test series against India, this time at home, when he scores 103 in Adelaide to finish with 410 runs at 82 from three Tests.May 2008 – Misses the tour of West Indies with an Achilles injury.January 2009 – After struggling through a tour of India, finishes the home summer of Tests with 149 runs at 16.55. Receives a standing ovation when he walks off the SCG after making 39 in the second innings as speculation grows it will be his last Test. Is told by the selectors a few days later that he has been dropped from Australia’s one-day team.

Cricinfo previews the Group B clash between Karnataka and Baroda in Bangalore

Sriram Veera22-Nov-2008Match factsNov 23-26, 2008
Start time 9.30am (0400 GMT)The Big Picture
One for the future: Karnataka’s Manish Pandey © AFP
It’s a battle for the No. 2 position in a group where no team barring Tamil Nadu has struck any kind of form. Karnataka have managed one win and are currently at the second spot with seven points, Uttar Pradesh have six points and Baroda have four points, though they’ve played one game less than the other two teams.Baroda are without the star power of the Pathan brothers, Irfan and Yusuf, and Munaf Patel. It is the absence of Irfan, in particular, that is bound to hurt most for he carried the team in the first two matches.”We didn’t have Irfan for the majority of the last season,” admits Paras Mhambrey, Baroda’s coach. They had Yusuf, though. But Mhambrey’s point is that Baroda fully expected to be bereft of these star players at some point and are ready for it. Mhambrey believes that batting is Baroda’s strength and they will look to get a first-innings lead.Karnataka started scratchily, yielding first-innings lead to Railways and following-on against Tamil Nadu, before registering a win against Andhra Pradesh. The top order and the bowling have looked a bit iffy and Vijay Bharadwaj, the coach, has promised several changes in the side. Ganesh Sathish, who batted at No. 3 in the three games, is expected to be out and so is KP Appanna, the left-arm spinner. Considering the number of left-handers in Baroda’s line-up, the offspinner Sunil Raju is expected to get a look-in. The good news is Robin Uthappa, the captain, is in great form with two hundreds, Rahul Dravid hit a fifty in the last game, and Sunil Joshi had a match-winning haul against Andhra.Pitch and conditionsThe track is a mystery. Owing to the international game at Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Ranji encounter will be played at the nearby RSI Ground. There has been a bit of rain around in Bangalore and the drainage facility at the RSI is going to be severely tested. Two pitches – one bouncy and one a spin track – have been prepared as per the instruction of the hosts and it will be interesting to see which one they finally decide on.Players to watchApart from Uthappa and Dravid, Manish Pandey is one to be keep an eye on. An elegant yet busy batsman, who has hit two half-centuries so far in his maiden season, Pandey looks to be one for the future. A very handy fielder as well.For Baroda, watch out for Azhar Bilakhia and the journeyman cricketer Connor Williams. Both have hit centuries this season and Baroda’s batting will revolve around the duo.The teamsKarnataka (from): Robin Uthappa (capt), Rahul Dravid, KB Pawan, C Raghu, Thilak Naidu (wk), Manish Pandey, Sunil Joshi, Vinay Kumar, NC Aiyappa, Sunil Raju, B Akhil, Deepak ChouguleBaroda: (from) Connor Williams (capt), Satyajit Parab, Azhar Bilakhia, Rakesh Solanki, Pinal Shah (wk), Shatrunjay Gaekwad, Ketan Panchal, Rajesh Pawar, Salim Veragi, Utkarsh Patel, Ajitesh Argal, Maitrek ShahQuotes:”One victory here will turn the season for us. They are without Irfan Pathan and it’s going to be interesting to see how they respond to that. We will be making a few changes in our team.”
“Our strength is our batting. Our two previous matches were played on flat tracks and so I am not concerned about our bowling.”