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Tottenham Hotspur are now keen on signing an “elite” Champions League goalkeeper, who could be brought in as a replacement for Guglielmo Vicario.

Spurs eyeing new goalkeeper amid Vicario criticism

Tottenham have been underperforming as a collective this season, currently sitting 13th in the Premier League, having won just one of their last five matches, but their goalkeeper has received some particularly heavy criticism.

Following the 3-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest last month, Jamie Carragher slammed Vicario for refusing to take responsibility, saying: “Typical Vicario, he’s always blaming someone else. Every time I see him when a goal goes in, he’s throwing his arms at someone else.”

Since then, the Italian has gone on to put in some improved performances, keeping clean sheets in two of his last four matches, but Jamie O’Hara remains unconvinced by the goalkeeper.

Interestingly, a report from TEAMtalk has revealed Tottenham have ‘growing concerns’ about whether the 29-year-old has a long-term future in north London, and they have now started looking at replacements.

The report states Tottenham are now keen on signing Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who could be allowed to leave the Spanish club this year, despite being highly regarded at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Indeed, the Spanish club may now be willing to sanction Lunin’s departure, given that he has found game time hard to come by this season, and youngster Javi Navarro could be utilised as a back-up to Thibaut Courtois.

There could be fierce competition for the Ukrainian’s signature, with Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Hove Albion also named as interested parties, and there is a belief a move to the Premier League would strongly appeal to the £76k-a-week shot-stopper.

Lunin could be "elite" as a first-choice goalkeeper

The 26-year-old has made just two appearances for Madrid in all competitions this season, which came in the Champions League and Copa del Rey, suggesting he may need to leave the European giants for the good of his career.

The Ukraine international being a back-up goalkeeper arguably isn’t a great sign, but in fairness, he is playing second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois, and he has impressed at Real Madrid when given the opportunity.

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Lauded as “elite” by scout Ben Mattinson, the Madrid ace played a major role in his side reaching the Copa del Rey final last season, keeping a clean sheet and making five saves from inside the box in a 1-0 win against Real Sociedad in the semi-final.

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The Kharkiv-born goalkeeper has also proven himself in the Champions League, making 13 appearances in Europe’s elite competition, including eight en-route to glory in the 2023/24 edition, during which time he received high praise from Carlo Ancelotti.

As such, should Tottenham decide not to persist with Vicario as their first-choice goalkeeper, Lunin could be a solid replacement.

Liverpool look set to miss out on a deal to sign Antoine Semenyo from Premier League side Bournemouth, as he closes in on a move to their rivals.

Manchester City are reportedly close to sealing a swoop for the Ghana international after positive talks with the Cherries, and the transfer could be completed in the coming days now that the January transfer window is open.

The Reds were said to be in the race to land the £65m-rated left winger at the end of last month, but the Cityzens appear to have won the race for his signature.

Semenyo’s return of nine goals and three assists in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, suggest that it is a blow for Liverpool to miss out on his services this month.

Liverpool set to sign £43m star in January

However, the reigning Premier League champions are reportedly closing in on another player who could be an even better signing than Semenyo.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to the Mirror, Liverpool are set to complete a deal to sign Club Brugge central defender Joel Ordonez in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Reds are poised to wrap up a move for the Ecuador international ‘in the coming days’, as they close in on their first signing of the month.

It adds that the initial fee for the centre-back is expected to be around £35m, but it could rise to £43m if add-ons are achieved, with Arne Slot keen to bolster his backline.

The outlet explains that Giovanni Leoni’s ACL injury and the fact that Ibrahima Konate’s contract expires at the end of the season have played a part in Liverpool’s move for Ordonez.

Why Ordonez is a better signing than Semenyo

Whilst missing out on Semenyo will be frustrating, because of his impressive output at the top end of the pitch this season, the Club Brugge centre-back could be an even better signing for the second half of the campaign and beyond.

Liverpool currently rank joint-fifth for goals in the Premier League this season, with 30 goals scored. Meanwhile, they rank joint-10th for goals conceded, with 26, and only eight teams have conceded more goals.

Konate’s individual errors have been costly for the Reds. Liverpool podcaster and writer Eddie Gibbs described him as “Liverpool’s most alarming fault line” who “looks like a footballer fighting his own reflection” earlier this season.

Jamie Carragher ripped into his defensive work in the 3-3 draw with Leeds United at Elland Road last month, as his defending partially led to the team giving up 2-0 and 3-2 leads.

The France international has been too much of a defensive liability this term, with six errors leading to shots, goals or penalties, per Sofascore, and Ordonez could come in to improve Slot’s backline by providing a more reliable presence alongside Virgil van Dijk.

25/26 season (all comps)

Konate

Ordonez

Appearances

24

21

Error led to shot

4

1

Error led to goal

1

0

Penalties committed

1

0

Dribbled past

6x

5x

Fouls committed

28

18

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Club Brugge star has only made one error in 21 appearances in the Pro League and the Champions League combined this season, whilst he has also committed ten fewer fouls than the Liverpool flop.

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These statistics suggest that Ordonez is less likely to make costly errors at the back for the Reds, which could tighten up their defence and improve their defensive record in the second half of the campaign.

The 21-year-old star, who was described as “imressively complete” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also a consistent defender, as he only made one error that led to a shot or a goal for the opposition in his first two seasons in the Pro League with Club Brugge, per Sofascore.

Therefore, Ordonez would be an even better signing than Semenyo could have been because he has the quality to have a bigger short-term impact in an area of the pitch that Liverpool have struggled more in, whilst he is also four years younger than the attacker and has more scope to develop further in the future.

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The Ecuador international is also five years younger than Konate, whose contract expires in the summer, and this piece of business could ensure that they have their new long-term right-sided centre-back in the building already.

The South African fast bowler, Monde Zondeki, has signed as Warwickshire’s overseas player for the 2008 season.Zondeki, 25, has represented South Africa in five Tests and 11 one-day Internationals, having made his Test debut on South Africa’s last tour of England in 2003.His ODI debut came six months earlier, at Bloemfontein in December 2002, where he made an immediate impact with his first-ball dismissal of Sri Lanka’s Marvan Atapattu. To date he has taken 201 first-class wickets in 63 appearances at an average of 27.81, as well as 78 limited-overs wickets at 28.67.Zondeki will be available for all of Warwickshire’s competitions next season, except when Sanath Jayasuriya comes across for the Twenty20 Cup in June.”I am hugely excited about signing for Warwickshire,” said Zondeki. “The opportunity to work under Ashley Giles and bowling coach Allan Donald is one that was too good to refuse. This promises to be a huge year for the Bears and I am looking forward to playing an important role in the upcoming season.”Warwickshire’s director of cricket, Ashley Giles, said: “Monde comes highly recommended from South Africa. Myself and AD have had many discussions about world-class bowlers and he rates him as one of the quickest bowlers in South Africa.”Monde will add pace and experience to our bowling attack and will be a good addition to the squad. I look forward to welcoming to Edgbaston in March.”

Scott Styris has been disappointed with his form since returning from a back problem © Getty Images

Scott Styris feels he is “off the pace” after his lay-off with a back injury but remains confident he can be a major contributor in New Zealand’s World Cup campaign. Styris has had an interrupted few months since aggravating his problem at the Champions Trophy and has struggled to find form on his return to the ODI side.His CB Series and Chappell-Hadlee Trophy scores were 34, 16, 17 and 0, and he followed up with 26 in New Zealand’s warm-up game against Bangladesh on Tuesday. Styris conceded he would need to lift if he wants to help New Zealand fulfil their World Cup potential.”My form’s there or thereabouts,” he told . “I was quite happy when I came back into the side but I think I need to get more up to speed with the intensity of the game, more than anything. There’s a massive jump in intensity between our domestic cricket and here, and I’ve felt a bit off the pace, if anything.”But Styris is comfortable with Caribbean conditions, having made a Test century on debut there in 2002. “I’ve got good memories from the tour of the West Indies in 2002,” he said. “In the one-dayers I had an opportunity to bat higher up the order and did pretty well, and I guess that’s where I first persuaded the skipper and the selectors that I could play a front-line batting role.”The slow and low pitches expected during the World Cup would suit his playing style, Styris said. “They also tend to stop and turn a bit, which is conducive to what I try to do with the ball,” he said. “I feel I should be able to make a good contribution.”Having said that, they’ve got a whole lot of new grounds over here now and the pitches are pretty much an unknown quantity. There’s a suggestion that they’ll still be low and slow but I haven’t seen too many new surfaces play that way. We’ll just have to wait and see.”New Zealand’s final warm-up match is against Sri Lanka on Friday. They begin their World Cup campaign in earnest with a vital clash with England next Friday.

England A 283 for 9 (Joyce 85, Clarke 58, Solanki 47) beat West Indies A 226 (Joseph 45, Richards 39, Mahmood 4-37, Batty 4-40) by 57 runs
ScorecardSajid Mahmood and Gareth Batty grabbed four wickets apiece to bowl England A to a 57-run series-leveling win over West Indies A under the lights at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia on March 11.Rikki Clarke spurred England with an allround effort: he rattled a breezy 44-ball 58 to lift the visitors to 283 for 9 and then strangled the hosts, after they had run away to 95 for 1 in 15 overs, with a miserly 10-over spell – conceding only 26 runs and picking up Dale Richards’s (39) wicket in the bargain. Richards’s wicket opened up the gates for Batty and Mahmood to barge through, and the duo kept striking at regular intervals: seven wickets fell for 94 runs as West Indies folded up for 226.Ed Joyce, who top-scored for the second successive match, and Vikram Solanki, who missed the first game, got the visitors off to a great start, racing away to 97 in only 15.4 overs. However, their march was halted by Ryan Hinds, the left-arm spinner who bowled his 10 overs on a trot, grabbing 4 for 38. Hinds got rid off Solanki in his first over and removed Alex Loudon and Ravi Bopara cheaply before nailing Joyce to leave the visitors at a wobbly 168 for 5.It was then that Clarke stepped in, counterattacking his way out of trouble. Gavin Tonge came in for special attention from Clarke who hit him for four fours in succession in the 48th over. However, Tonge soon got his revenge, removing Clarke off the last ball of the over.The battle will now resume in Barbados on Tuesday where the final three matches of the series will be played.

Pakistan A 239 for 3 (Faisal 102*, Aamer 65*) beat England A 125 by 114 runs
Scorecard
Points tableEngland A’s winter ended with a whimper, as they crashed out of the triangular tournament after a crushing 114-run defeat to Pakistan A at Moratuwa. While Ian Bell’s side head home, Sri Lanka A will now face Pakistan A in the final on Tuesday, but they will face a stern test: Pakistan have won all four of their group matches.Faisal Athar and Aamer Bashir set up Pakistan’s latest triumph, their unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 168 lifting their side to 239 for 3 after a stodgy start from the top order, who were limping along at little more three an over. But Faisal and Aamer floored the accelerator when the dismissal of Ashar Zaidi – who made a painstaking yet painful 17 from 69 balls – brought them together in the 21st over. Faisal struck an unbeaten 102 from 133 balls and Aamer joined in the fun, bashing 65 not out from 79 balls.England’s batsman struggled from the outset and the writing was firmly on the wall at 25 for 4, the opening pace attack of Mohammad Asif and Abdur Rauf taking two wickets each. Imran Tahir then helped himself to the next three wickets to kill off England’s slim hopes (71 for 7).Richard Dawson and Paul Franks gestured at revival, putting on 38 for the eighth wicket, but it was far too little, far too late and England slumped to 125 all out.

ScorecardDay 5Bulletin – New Zealand win despite defiant RudolphDay 4Bulletin – Martin spell pushes South Africa to the brink
News – Tuffey to miss third TestDay 3Bulletin – Cairns sparkles in a run-fest
Day 2Bulletin – Styris and Martin make it New Zealand’s day
News – Pollock becomes South Africa’s leading wicket-takerDay 1Bulletin – Smith and Gibbs make it South Africa’s day

The Tasmanian Cricket Association in conjunction with the Office of Sport & Recreation and the Indigenous Sports Unit of the ACS are pleased to announce the Tasmanian Indigenous X1 to compete in the Imparja Cup to be held in Alice Springs from 28th February to 2nd March 2003.All states and territories will be represented at the championship, with all teams playing four (4) preliminary matches. The two leading teams will then play off in the final in a 40 over a side match to be held at Traeger Park under lights.The Tasmanian team has a blend of youth and experience and will be keen to improve on its second place at last year’s event.The team will be captained by Colin Lamont, an experienced player who has played many seasons of first grade cricket with the South-Hobart Sandy Bay club in the TCA grade competition.The team will be coached by Ali de Winter and managed by Don Gardiner.The team is;Colin Lamont (Captain), Greg Medcraft, Sean Gower, Selwyn Deverell, Adrian Jones, Daniel Williams, Darren Jones, Jamie Green, Guy Grey, Bernie Lamont, Wayne Hogan, Shane Brown, Brian Summers.Coach: Ali de WinterManager: Don Gardner

Darren Lehmann spared Yorkshire’s blushing by steering them to a four-wicket victory over Bedfordshire at Luton in the third round of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.The Australian held the batting together with a faultless 88 off 98 balls with seven boundaries and he was only out when Yorkshire were nine runs short of their target.But it could have been a much different story without Lehmann’s expertise because Yorkshire were rocking on 62 for four at one stage and looked like plunging to a humiliating defeat at the hands of the plucky Minor Counties side.The man to do the early damage was paceman Shaun Rashid who took the first three wickets with only 41 scored and he later rounded off an excellent performance by clean bowling Lehmann.Yorkshire’s revival started when Lehmann found a reliable partner in fellow left-hander Vic Craven who helped him add 62 in 14 overs for the fifth wicket.When Craven was caught at mid-wicket off Will Sneath in came another left-hander in Gavin Hamilton who continued to ease the pressure with some well-executed shots.Lehmann’s 50 came when he cut Sneath for his third boundary and he increased the tempo until he went for a heave at Rashid and was bowled.Winning the toss, Bedfordshire chose to bat on a good pitch and played well for their 211 for nine but they were greatly assisted by a lot of inaccurate bowling which cost Yorkshire 24 runs in wides and 12 in no-balls.Skipper Andy Roberts and David Clarke laid a solid foundation with a 51 stand for the second wicket and James Knott and Andy Trott boosted the total later on with 48 in nine overs for the seventh wicket.Top scorer, with 34, was Oliver Clayson who was stumped going down the pitch to Lehmann while Ryan Sidebottom was Yorkshire’s best bowler with four for 39, despite sending down two legside wides which both sped to the boundary.Chris Silverwood and Lehmann each captured two wickets and there was a tidy 10 over stint from off-spinner Richard Dawson who went for just 39 runs in only his second competitive match.Yorkshire now look forward to a testing encounter with Surrey at Headingley in the next round.

Leeds United continue to be linked with a summer swoop for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is becoming extremely likely to move on from Rubin Kazan.

The 21-year-old winger is currently playing in his home country for Dinamo Batumi, thanks to FIFA’s ruling to allow players to leave Russia or Ukraine outside of a transfer window if they wished.

He has since seen his contract terminated by the Red-Greens.

According to Italian outlet Il Mattino, the Yorkshire outfit are among the leading candidates to secure him during the off-season, where he will be looking for a new club.

Serie A outfit Napoli and Premier League rivals West Ham United are also mooted with interest by the report.

Whilst Raphinha may be on his way out at Elland Road, the potential arrival of Kvaratskhelia could spell trouble for Dan James as his struggles following a club-record £30m move from Manchester United continue.

If the Brazil international does depart, the Welshman is in line for more game time in his natural right-wing position but given his form and the interest in the Georgia international, he could well be axed by manager Jesse Marsch going forward.

Once described as being “headless” with his decision-making in the final third by Darren Bent, the £16.2m-rated dynamo has only delivered four goals and four assists across 30 appearances but only one of those goal contributions have come in their last seven outings, via Transfermarkt.

Kvaratskhelia is an exciting young talent and one that had been one of the most dangerous attackers in the Russian Premier League this campaign – on top of two goals and five assists from only 17 starts, the Georgian leads the division for successful dribbles per 90 (3.14).

That ability has seen him earn quite the praise indeed, with former Russia U18 coach Denis Bushuev likening him to two greats in his position.

“Naturally. He is from the same galaxy of players as Ribery or Robben. He could play in the top five clubs in the Bundesliga – he has crazy technique.”

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By comparison, James only manages 0.9 successful dribbles per 90 in the Premier League and whilst the quality of the two leagues is like chalk and cheese, he ranks as low as 13th in the current Leeds squad, even behind the likes of Tyler Roberts, Junior Firpo and all three of his positional peers.

As such, Marsch and co should look to sign the £14.4m-rated Kvaratskhelia for an absolute bargain price this summer. There’s little point in persisting with James just because he’s a club-record signing when a player like this is available.

AND in other news, Forget Raphinha: Marsch heading for Leeds nightmare over “explosive” £13.5m-rated gem…