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Manchester City could turn their attention to signing Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski this summer, with the Polish forward reportedly keen on a new challenge.

What’s the word?

Pep Guardiola’s side were linked with the 32-year-old earlier in the transfer window, but in recent months, attention has very much been on a potential deal for Spurs striker Harry Kane.

However, with Daniel Levy seemingly set to reject all of City’s advances after a £125m bid was recently turned down, City may have to look elsewhere if they want to bring in a top-quality striker before the window shuts later this month.

It now seems as if a move for Lewandowski could well be on the table for City after it was widely reported that he has told Bayern Munich that he wants a new challenge this summer, although the German champions are reportedly set to demand as much as £100m for their talismanic forward.

Should Man City sign Lewandowski?

For £100m, City would probably be best avoiding Lewandowski, as there is no guarantee that he will maintain his current form as he approaches the latter stages of his career, with the forward turning 33 later this month.

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However, if City could negotiate a lower price lower, then they would be getting one of the best strikers – if not the best – in world football at the moment, and he would certainly add the goalscoring instinct that Guardiola’s side currently lack following Sergio Aguero’s exit earlier this summer.

Last season saw the former Borussia Dortmund man contribute a remarkable 41 goals and seven assists in just 29 Bundesliga appearances, earning a superb 8.07 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The forward has excelled on Guardiola’s watch in the past, scoring 67 goals in 100 appearances under the Spaniard at Bayern, whilst Ilkay Gundogan – who played with him at Dortmund – also labelled him “phenomenal”.

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Given that City have failed to score in their opening two fixtures of the new campaign, the need for a clinical striker is clear to see this season. If a move for Kane proves to be impossible, then Txiki Begiristain should definitely consider bringing Lewandowski to the Etihad Stadium.

And, in other news… Txiki heading for Man City disaster with exciting academy talent

An update has emerged on Porto midfielder Sergio Oliveira, regarding Wolves’ interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to reports in Portugal, via TEAMtalk, Wolves are interested in a deal to sign Sergio Oliveira from Porto this month and are preparing to make a bid for the midfielder.

The report claims that Portuguese giants Porto are looking for a fee in the region of £17m for the player, whose agent is, of course, Jorge Mendes.

Get it done

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi must ensure that he can get a deal over the line for Oliveira as he could be an excellent addition to the squad and boost Bruno Lage’s chances of having a successful debut season in the dugout.

Lage’s side failed to score in their Premier League opener against Leicester and the club only scored 36 goals in 38 games last term under Nuno Santo – the lowest out of all the sides to finish higher than 17th. This suggests that adding another goalscoring threat could be a massive boost for Wanderers between now and the end of the month.

Oliveira enjoyed a sensational 2020/21 campaign with Porto as he found the Midas touch in front of goal. He plundered 20 goals in all competitions to go along with his seven assists. This included an exceptional five goals in eight Champions League games and 13 goals in Liga NOS.

27 goals and assists from central midfield for Porto was a phenomenal return for the 29-year-old and that could be why Wolves are now looking to bring him to the Premier League this summer. He has shown that he can score goals consistently in Portugual, whilst also chipping in with assists, and that could help to alleviate Wolves’ goalscoring issues.

Therefore, fans would be over the moon with this signing if Shi can snap him up. The supporters would love to see the club add a midfield player with an eye for goal, as it would improve their chances of increasing their goal tally from last season and that, in turn, would hopefully allow them to win more games and move higher up the table.

Of course, there is no guarantee that he will be able to score 20 goals in one season in England. However, Wolves are not going to go and sign Kevin De Bruyne from Manchester City, which means that they are going to need to take some gambles in the market.

With Oliveira’s record in Portugal, though, he could be a signing the fans are able to get behind and be excited about, as it shows that the club are serious about adding more goals to their side.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Neves: Lage could land dream Wolves duo with “very strong” 18 y/o…

Adam Voges, the Western Australia batsman, has agreed to re-join Nottinghamshire as the club’s overseas player for next season

Cricinfo staff23-Dec-2008Adam Voges, the Western Australia batsman, has agreed to re-join Nottinghamshire as the club’s overseas player for next season.Voges stepped in when international commitments and an IPL contract prevented David Hussey from appearing last season. In 11 Championship matches he made 550 runs with three fifties.”Adam made a good contribution and we feel that there’s more to come from him now that he has more experience of English conditions,” said Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, Mick Newell. “We were keen to find a player that can commit to us for the whole season and Adam is in a position to do that at the moment.”He played some good innings for us, did a very good job at first slip and he can bowl left-arm spin. We don’t think that we’ll have quite as much access to Graeme Swann and Samit Patel next season so we may be able to make more use of Adam’s versatility.”

Midlands journalist Luke Hatfield insists that Divock Origi has been a target for Wolves for a few transfer windows amid new links with the Liverpool striker.

Reports have claimed that the striker is available for a fee of £20m in this transfer window as the Reds look to trim their squad.

Wolves have been linked with an interest but Hatfield holds doubts over whether the Belgium international will end up at Molineux, given the sheer weight of links over the past few years.

Origi has somewhat struggled for minutes throughout his spell at Liverpool and he made just nine appearances in the Premier League last term.

Origi did not score in those games and it seems almost inevitable that he will be on his way out of the club before next week’s transfer deadline.

Hatfield has not ruled out the prospect of him moving to Wolves, but he does not see it being more likely than in previous transfer windows.

He said: “He came close to joining, I think it was a couple of years ago, when Wolves really showed some serious interest in him.

“It’s not to say that they’re not still interested in a move for him, it’s one that could happen, but in the same respects, after a couple of windows when you’ve been linked and it didn’t happen then, what makes it more likely to happen now? I suppose that’s the question.”

Derbyshire have confirmed that the club are turning the square through 90 degrees to face north-south, in a bid to eradicate play being stopped by sun

Cricinfo staff09-Jan-2009
Sunset: the bane of cricket at the County Ground © Getty Images
Derbyshire have confirmed that the club are turning the square through 90 degrees to face north-south, in a bid to end their regular problem of play being stopped by the setting sun.Currently, all the pitches at the County Ground face east-west, and the early-evening sun has often caused delays and, in some cases, defeat, as the sun sets right behind the bowler’s arm. The club even requested special dispensation from the ECB to bowl all overs from one end.From 2010, however, the problem ought to be eradicated for good. “By turning the square, sun stopping play will become a thing of the past for ever and that can only be of benefit to Derbyshire,” Keith Loring, the club’s chief executive, said. “Lancashire is currently the only other county that currently plays in a west-east direction and they have also started work on turning their square. We certainly don’t want to be left as the only county playing the ‘wrong way’.”Floodlit cricket is great for the sport because it allows matches to be played at a more convenient time for spectators and adds atmosphere to the occasions.”This decision will ensure that it continues to thrive at the County Ground unhindered for years to come.”The work is expected to cost in the region of £100,000.

An update has emerged on Crystal Palace’s plans to sign a striker before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

What’s the talk?

According to The Guardian, Crystal Palace have narrowed their striker search down to two names; Eddie Nketiah and Odsonne Edouard.

The report claims that Palace are keen on a deal for the latter, who is valued at around £15m by his current club Celtic. Everton and Brighton also hold an interest in the French centre-forward.

Get it done

Steve Parish must sanction a £15m deal for Edouard before Tuesday’s transfer deadline as the Celtic attacker could be an excellent addition to Patrick Vieira’s squad, more so than Arsenal’s Nketiah would be.

Edouard is in form, playing regularly, and has proven that he can score can goals regularly at a decent level – in the Europa League and Champions League. He has seven goals in his last 15 starts across the two European competitions, whilst he also found the back of the net 16 times in 23 Scottish Premiership starts in the 2020/21 campaign – with two goals and one assist in three starts this term.

Former Hoops forward Frank McGarvey hailed the 23-year-old last year and compared him to ex-Arsenal striker Charlie Nicholas. He said:

“I just love watching Edouard. He has that bit of magic in his feet, and he reminds me of Charlie Nicholas.

“You just know if he gets the ball just outside of the box the other team are in trouble. Edouard has that ability to produce something out of nothing because he has such quick feet.

“I think someone will come in this summer and put £20million on the table for him. You can’t blame Celtic for taking it, especially in the current climate.

“I’ll be sorry to see him go because he is an outstanding footballer. His temperament and his ability are genuinely top class.”

This shows the level of quality Edouard has been displaying in Scotland and, along with his goalscoring statistics, suggests that he could potentially be a superb signing for Palace if he can adapt to Premier League football.

Nketiah, meanwhile, is yet to show that he can produce consistently at senior level. The 22-year-old has scored 11 goals in 70 games across the Premier League, Europa League and Championship for Arsenal and Leeds (loan) during his career. Last season, the Englishman scored three Premier League goals in 17 games as he averaged a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.33.

This, along with Edouard’s impressive resume, is why Parish must sanction a £15m deal for the Celtic beast to bolster Vieira’s squad.

The Antigua Recreation Ground resembled a building site this morning as construction staff, painters, groundstaff and even firemen all helped to try and transform the venerable but near-derelict ground into a Test arena for tomorrow’s hastily arranged thi

Andrew McGlashan in Antigua14-Feb-2009
Work has continued at apace, but the groundstaff are winning the battle. Just © Getty Images
The Antigua Recreation Ground resembled a building site this morning as construction staff, painters, groundstaff and even firemen all helped to try and transform the venerable but near-derelict ground into a Test arena for tomorrow’s hastily arranged third Test. By 5pm, however, all that hard work had paid off, as Alan Hurst, the ICC match referee, gave the all-clear for the match to get underway at 10am on Sunday, barely 48 hours after the original Antigua Test had been consigned to history’s scrapheap.”I’m very happy with the ground,” Hurst told Cricinfo. “I think in the 24 hours they’ve had to prepare the ground, they’ve done a fantastic job. There are a few problems with the surface and it is not perfect, but they’ve done as good a job as they could have, and the wicket looks great.”People have been working through the night to bring the venue up to standard, and all through the day, the facilities slowly took shape. By the time it had passed its final check from the ICC, one of the most remarkable transformations in sporting history was well underway. Now all that remains is the action itself.A few days ago this venue was basically a football field, albeit one used by both teams to prepare for the second Test, and the goal markings are still visible on the outfield. “The soccer lines were quite deep and embedded,” said Hurst. “It was an area of concern for the players that the lines would give bad bounce. We can’t guarantee that it will be perfect, but when the players see it they will be quite surprised.”However, the pitch looks sound – it was the one prepared specially for the net sessions of both teams, and described by Andrew Strauss as “spicy” – although, seeing as the ARG was famously the scene of two Brian Lara world records as well as the highest run-chase in Test history, there is faith in its ability to last the course.”The pitch is never a problem here,” Andy Roberts, the former head groundsman at the ARG, told Cricinfo. “I think it will last. The slight problem is the outfield.” The ground is bumpy because of the football usage, and one piece of turf near the Viv Richards pavilion has been replaced using sods of turf from the local golf course, compacted into place with the heavy roller.”There was a sandy patch at the pavilion end,” said Hurst. “It wasn’t like sand at the other ground, it was stable and never a safety issue, it was more what it looked like.” An embarrassment on the scale of the second Test is certainly not anticipated.One of the key issues facing the ARG is the state of the spectator facilities, but the double-decker West Indian Oil stand, the heart and soul of the ground in years gone by, will now be open on both levels after it was cleared by health and safety executives this afternoon. That leaves the total ground capacity at around 10,000, most of which will be taken up by dislocated England fans, although there is a hope that the locals will now show their support. “They will come down to the game, now that it’s back at the ARG,” one WICB official told Cricinfo.Everyone has pulled together to try and make this work. Andy Flower, England’s interim coach, arrived on the ground at around 9.45am to inspect the pitch and conditions, and was soon seen talking on his mobile phone. Both teams though had already expressed a desire that the show must go on.The fire brigade were called in to water the outfield, while all the advertising hoardings were imported from North Sound and put into place first thing in the morning. The stands have been cleared of rubbish and were given a new lick of paint that remained tacky to the touch for much of the day. Out on the pitch the goal-posts, quite literally, have been moved.The TV crews have been working flat out all day to get themselves ready for Sunday’s 10am start, and while some of the detail will be lost because of time and logistical restraints – specifically no stump microphones and no referral system – full and uninterrupted coverage is anticipated.The old scoreboard, which has already seen so much action in the 28 years since the ARG hosted its first Test, is poised and ready for action, while joiners and construction workers have put up a temporary sight-screen to one side of player’s dressing room. There is a sense of optimism that was distinctly lacking at North Sound yesterday, and there are even a few smiles on faces.The final verdict will only be ascertained once the Test gets underway, and rain late in the day was not what the groundstaff ordered. At the moment, however, it looks like the ARG is back.

Takashinga secured their third successive National League title with an eight-wicket win over Bulawayo Athletic Club at Kwekwe Sports Club

Cricinfo staff23-Feb-2009Takashinga secured their third successive National League title with an eight-wicket win over Bulawayo Athletic Club at Kwekwe Sports Club.Takashinga, who contributed two of the eight sides in the competition, were the odds-on favourites, and they more than lived up to that billing. Their innings was built around a super 81 not out from 15-year-old opener Roger Kahiya, who smashed a hundred in the semi-finals three days earlier.BAC never appeared to have posted a big-enough score after being bowled out for 160. Only Taurai Madhiri (36) and Charles Coventry (34) made reasonable scores, while Kahiya notched an impressive all-round performance by taking 3 for 5 and Tafadzwa Kamungozi chipped in with 3 for 24.Takashinga made an flying start, Kahiya and Chamu Chibhabha (53) adding 131 for the first wicket, and Hamilton Masakadza continuing to dominate with a six off his first ball.The result confirmed Takashinga’s dominance of club cricket, something that some inside Zimbabwe argue comes as a result of what they claim is their favoured status. There is more than anecdotal evidence that the club has strong ties to the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Cameron Carter-Vickers spoke with Joe Hart over a move from Tottenham to Celtic and could have joined Torino, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: One of three in

The Hoops were extremely busy in the final hours of the transfer window, with three players in and three out at Parkhead on deadline day.

Carter-Vickers was the final deal of the day and Celtic’s 12th signing of the window. He penned a season-long loan move to Parkhead, with the Hoops having the option to make it permanent next summer. However, it could have been a different story for the USA international.

The Latest: Torino snub, Hart conversation

According to Football Insider, who were informed by a Spurs source, Tottenham actually accepted a loan offer from Torino for Carter-Vickers. However, the 23-year-old turned down a move to Italy as he wanted to stay in the UK.

He revealed to Celtic TV that a conversation with Joe Hart, who is on £15,000 per week at Celtic Park and previously played for the Serie A side, helped to convince him to move to Scotland.

The Verdict: A shrewd move?

It appears as if Carter-Vickers may well have ended up elsewhere if it wasn’t for Hart, and only time will tell if bringing the American to Glasgow will be a good call.

The good thing is that the Hoops now hold the cards when it comes to the defender. Should he impress, Celtic can exercise a clause to make the move permanent. If he struggles, the Hoops can always send him back to London at the end of the campaign without making a major financial commitment.

In other news: McKay eyes record-breaking ace for Celtic and Ange; could be available for a cut-price fee 

A report has shed further light on Fulham’s deadline day deal to bring Domingos Quina to Craven Cottage.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, Marco Silva’s side fought off competition from the likes of Southampton, LOSC Lille, Swansea City, AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest in order to land the 21-year-old on the final day of the summer transfer window – with the Cottagers securing a season-long loan deal for the central midfielder, while also holding the option to purchase the Portugal U21 international next summer.

Major coup

Considering the sheer amount of potential Quina quite clearly possesses, the fact that Silva managed to fight off what appeared to be some extremely strong competition for the signing of the youngster this summer represents something of a real coup for the Championship side.

Indeed, with both Real Madrid and Barcelona having enquired about signing the 21-year-old prior to his move from West Ham United to Watford back in 2018, the £2.7m-rated man is a player who boasts impressive positional versatility – having been deployed at left-back, defensive midfield, left midfield, central midfield, right midfield, left-wing, right-wing and at centre forward during his time with the Hornets – the ability to score a variety of goals from almost any position around the penalty area and incredible athleticism – particularly his speed.

As such, while it may take a little while for the man Slaven Billic dubbed a “talented” player to establish himself as a first-team regular under Silva, having only played a handful of games over the past few seasons, it would undoubtedly appear as if the youngster could go on to play a key role for Fulham in the not too distant future, with his signing looking to be a very exciting one indeed.

In other news: Fulham issued warning on “fantastic” gem, Silva may be heading for unforgivable error