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Shoaib Akhtar, who missed the ICC World Twenty20, is eyeing a return to international cricket in the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka

Cricinfo staff08-Jul-2009

Shoaib Akhtar, who missed the ICC World Twenty20 due to a skin infection, is eyeing a return to international cricket in the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka which starts at the end of this month.”It was a heartbreak missing out on Pakistan’s World T20 success, but that’s in the past now and I want to play the one-day series against Sri Lanka,” Shoaib told . “I have attained full fitness and have been gaining rhythm in bowling. I hope to stage a comeback in the one-day series against Sri Lanka, if I am selected.”Shoaib said he was dropped from the Twenty20 team despite being fit, saying it was the “desire of the PCB” not to select him. He also mentioned that he had the right to challenge the PCB in court for publicly revealing the nature of his injury, but decided against it. “I had the right to move the court of law at that time but decided not to do that because of the central contract, and I did not want to create any trouble for the national cricket ahead of the mega event,” he said.Shoaib last represented Pakistan in the five-match ODI series against Australia two months ago. He had just recovered from a knee injury which kept him out of Pakistan’s scheduled tour of Bangladesh in March, subsequently postponed due to security concerns. The ODI series in Sri Lanka will begin on July 30, after the conclusion of the three-match Test series which Pakistan currently trail 1-0.Shoaib, 33, has not been a regular member of the Pakistan side of late due to disciplinary issues and injury. He was involved in a tussle with the PCB after reportedly criticising the board publicly for not awarding him a central contract. Subsequently, upon his return to international cricket, he was dropped after a poor ODI series against Sri Lanka and again under-performed against Australia, taking three wickets with an average of over 50.The Pakistan squad for the ODI series will be announced next week, Wasim Bari, the interim chief-selector of the PCB, said. “I will tour Sri Lanka to consult captain Younis Khan and coach Intikhab Alam who will give their feedback on the players,” Bari told . “Akhtar’s return will be based on his fitness, which we will assess, provided he is wanted by the team management.”Bari also said that Mohammad Asif, currently serving a one-year ban after testing positive for the banned substance nandrolone during last year’s IPL, and Shoaib will be considered for the preliminary squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa later in the year. “Asif’s ban will expire on September 22, two days before the Trophy starts, so he will be considered for the squad, and Akhtar will also be considered once he proves his fitness.”

Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has made no secret of his enjoyment of Twenty20. In his own words, it “wouldn’t be so sad” if Test cricket gave way to the 20-over version and he was considering giving up the longer formats to focus on Twenty20. The way his men played in the Tests and ODIs in England it looked as though he wasn’t the only one whose attention span was suited to three-hour games. Expectations will therefore be raised that West Indies can lift for the World Twenty20.They are in a difficult group along with Australia and Sri Lanka – it’s the only group that doesn’t feature an Associate side – and therefore they must hit top form from day one. They beat Australia the only time the teams have met in a Twenty20 and they have never faced Sri Lanka.West Indies have the quite remarkable record of having tied two of their 11 Twenty20 internationals – both against New Zealand – and they have won four and lost five. At the 2007 World Twenty20 they went down to both South Africa and Bangladesh in the group stage and were bundled out in the space of three days.Strengths
A batting line-up boasting Gayle, Xavier Marshall, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Andre Fletcher, Denesh Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard should score its runs quickly. They are all capable of demolishing an attack with clean strikes and opposition bowlers must keep the wickets falling to stop West Indies posting a big score. Throw in Shivnarine Chanderpaul as the man who can anchor one end should wickets tumble and it’s a batting order with the potential to scare any bowling group.Weaknesses
Those who live by the sword die by the sword. West Indies’ batsmen can be destructive but they can be just as liable to capitulate dramatically. And it’s impossible to predict which version of the side will arrive on any given day. At their best Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor are fine fast bowlers but opposition batsmen’s eyes will light up when they see the backup brigade of Lionel Baker, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy.X-factor
The X-man is the X-factor. Nobody highlights the disparity between potential and consistent performance in West Indies’ squad quite like Xavier Marshall. Never one to back down, he has the ability to dominate even the best attacks, as he proved when Australia visited the Caribbean last year. His 36 off 15 balls in the Twenty20 in Barbados set up West Indies’ victory over Ricky Ponting’s men. Far too many failures fill the gaps between his triumphs but even one matchwinning effort in this tournament will justify his place.Key players
Gayle is the only man to have scored a century in a Twenty20 international and it came at the previous World Twenty20. Having shown little interest in the Test series in England, he has no excuse now that his preferred format is taking centre stage. At his best, he can win a game in a handful of overs. The question is, after such a lean patch in England, can he reach his best?Twenty20 form guide
Over the past 12 months, West Indies have won two Twenty20s, lost one and tied one. Importantly, they beat Australia – who they meet in the group stage – in Barbados last year. But their matches have been infrequent and it’s impossible to ignore their failure to win a Test or ODI in England this year – much of the personnel remains the same from those longer formats.Squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Denesh Ramdin, Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Xavier Marshall, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor.

There are few surprises in South Africa’s provisional 30-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20 in June this summer

Cricinfo staff06-Apr-2009

There are few surprises in South Africa’s provisional 30-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20 in June this summer. The bulk of the squad includes those that featured in the inaugural edition at home in 2007, as well as rising stars like Roelof van der Merwe and Wayne Parnell and players to have excelled in the domestic Standard Bank Pro20.The final squad of 15 to 16 players will be announced before the tournament begins on June 5. The IPL assumes significance because it ends on May 24, leaving little time for a camp before the players leave for England.van der Merwe top-scored with 48 and took the wicket of David Hussey with his left-arm spin to set up South Africa’s 17-run win in a Twenty20 international recently and bagged the Man-of-the-Match award. Parnell, the left-arm fast bowler, was fast-tracked to the national team during the one-day portion of the tour of Australia this season. He took four wickets in just his second ODI at Centurion over the weekend and was named Man of the Match.The likes of Yusuf Abdulla, CJD de Villiers and Robin Peterson have performed well on the domestic circuit. de Villiers was the second highest wicket-taker in the domestic Pro20 with 14 at 14.64, and Abdulla had 10 at 17.10. Abdulla has played 26 Twenty20 matches, and his economy rate of 5.83 ranks among the best in the world. He made an impressive Twenty20 debut against Australia last week and was subsequently drafted into the IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab based on his success in the Twenty20 format and his experience of conditions in Durban.Peterson and Alviro Petersen – both of whom have represented South Africa – featured at the top of the run tally in the domestic Pro20. However, the top scorer in the tournament, Morne van Wyk, has been overlooked.There are five other international hopefuls – Henry Davids, Friedel de Wet, Arno Jacobs, Heino Kuhn and Daryn Smit. Graeme Smith will lead the side with Johan Botha as his deputy.South Africa squad:
Graeme Smith (capt), Yusuf Abdulla, Hashim Amla, Gulam Bodi, Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (wk), Henry Davids, AB de Villiers, CJ de Villiers, Friedel de Wet, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Arno Jacobs, Jacques Kallis, Heino Kuhn, Johann Louw, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Peterson, Robin Peterson, Ashwell Prince, Daryn Smit, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe, Vaughn van Jaarsveld.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo vai trazer um ponto na bagagem após o empate sem gols com o Atlético-PR. Na noite desta quinta-feira, na Arena da Baixada, o placar zerado pode ser definido pelo bom rendimento defensivo do Glorioso. Pelo lado dos donos da casa, o destaque foi Sidcley, que foi opção ofensiva recorrente pelo lado esquerdo. Confira, a seguir, as notas do L! para os jogadores e técnicos.

BOTAFOGO

6,0
Jefferson
Uma grande defesa no primeiro tempo e uma espalmada perigosa no final. Bem protegido, o ídolo alvinegro saiu sem ser vazado de Curitiba.

4,5
Emerson
Suas costas foram muito exploradas pelo Atlético-PR. Expulso na etapa final por carrinho desnecessário. Partida ruim do zagueiro/lateral.

6,5
Carli
Bons cortes pelo alto, sendo soberano no miolo de defesa. Argentino ganhou quase todas, seja contra Pablo ou depois, contra Éderson.

6,5
Igor Rabello
Algumas pixotadas no começo, mas logo se recuperou. Junto com Carli, cortou de tudo que vinha. Um dos destaques do Glorioso na partida.

6,5
Victor Luís
Aceitou o papel de defensor, apenas preso pela esquerdo. Fundamental em salvar rebote de Jefferson na etapa final. Pouco chegou ao ataque.

6,0
Rodrigo Lindoso
Dentro dos meias, foi um dos mais lúcidos. Seja na distribuição dos passes ou na marcação na frente dos zagueiros alvinegros no decorrer do jogo.

5,0
Bruno Silva
Erros técnicos e sem a esperada presença no ataque. Voltando de lesão, não conseguiu corresponder. Fechou o corredor pela direita.

6,0
Matheus Fernandes
Bem nos desarmes e composição defensiva, mas pecou no ataque. Teve uma chance de ouro no segundo tempo, finalizando sem nenhum jeito.

5,0
João Paulo
Era o passe “diferente” do meio-campo, sendo o único capaz de deixar alguém de frente para o gol. Mas pouco apareceu. Preso na marcação.

5,5
Rodrigo Pimpão
Pela esquerda, buscava centralizar o jogo. Até achou alguns bons passes, mas sem resultado. Faltava ousadia e velocidade para fazer o gol.

5,5
Roger
Isolado, o centroavante mais contribuiu na marcação na linha do meio do que no ataque. A bola pouco chegava para o camisa 9 do Botafogo.

6,0
Guilherme
Em dois minutos em campo, criou dois lances de perigo pelos lados. No elenco, é um dos poucos com drible e velocidade como características.

6,0
Marcelo
No seu tempo em campo, fechou bem pelo lado direito. No último lance da partida, ainda se arriscou no ataque. Fez o que se era esperado no final.

5,5
Gilson
Chegou a criar uma jogada com Guilherme pela esquerda. De resto, entrou para contribuir na recomposição e para segurar o empate fora de casa.

6,0
Jair Ventura
A tática do Botafogo era de se defender e a equipe ficou contente com o empate. Talvez o Glorioso pudesse ter ousado mais dentro da partida.

ATLÉTICO-PR

6,0
Weverton
Pouco exigido pelo time alvinegro. Contribuiu nas saídas do gol.

5,5
Jonathan
Chegava com perigo pela direita. Machucou no primeiro tempo.

6,0
Paulo André
Apesar do pouco trabalho, algumas rebatidas importantes.

6,5
Thiago Heleno
Levou a melhor no combate com Roger. Defesa saiu invicta.

6,5
Sidcley
Principal arma ofensiva. Bem presente nas ações pelo lado esquerdo.

6,0
Otávio
Correto na marcação. Faltou criatividade para melhorar o ataque.

5,5
Eduardo Henrique
Vitalidade para marcar, levando vantagem sobre o rival.

5,5
Lucho González
Tinha espaço e poderia ter tido maior presença na frente.

5,0
Nikão
Sumido nas ações ofensivas. Deu um único chute, no segundo tempo.

5,0
Douglas Coutinho
Velocidade, mas pouca técnica no jogo. Saiu no meio.

5,5
Pablo
Preso entre os zagueiros, teve cabeçada defendida por Jefferson no início.

5,5
Cascardo
Foi regular, dentro do que se espera. Deveria ter se arriscado mais.

5,0
Éderson
Como centroavante, perdeu a espalmada de Jefferson no final do jogo.

6,0
Guilherme
Até deu maior técnica ao meio, mas a equipe pouco criou com ele.

5,5
Fabiano Soares
O Atlético-PR tem problemas para corrigir. Seu primeiro jogo.

RelacionadasBotafogoJefferson vê jogo parelho e Guilherme lamenta chance final: ‘Caprichei…’Botafogo20/07/2017BotafogoCom um a menos, Botafogo segura empate contra o Atlético-PRBotafogo20/07/2017BrasileirãoArtilharia gringa? Saiba como estaria a lista só com estrangeirosBrasileirão20/07/2017

Tottenham Hotspur have earned an early-season victory over Arsenal as they are set to officially overtake the Gunners in the UEFA rankings simply by participating in Thursday’s Conference League clash.

The Lowdown: How they work

The UEFA rankings, which has Germany champions Bayern Munich at the top of the tree, are based on results within the last five years within European competitions.

With Arsenal finishing eighth in last season’s Premier League and Spurs securing passage to the Europa Conference League on the final day, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will earn points this season for their games.

The rankings have Liverpool in third and European champions Chelsea in fifth, with Manchester United eighth after being knocked out of the Champions League group stage last season.

The Latest: It’s official

In an official development reported by the Daily Mail, Tottenham are set to overtake the Gunners in the rankings for the first time in 29 years due to their qualification for the Europa Conference League.

Arsenal’s worst league campaign of the century saw them fail for Europe and Spurs drop into UEFA’s brand new club competition, meaning they are to set to overtake their North London rivals for the first time since 1991-92.

Their campaign starts on Thursday evening with a trip to Stade Rennes, with Dutch side Vitesse and Slovenian top-flight side NS Mura completing the group.

Nuno’s side will be awarded bonus points for each round they reach in the competition, with two points for a victory and one for a draw.

The Verdict: Fall from grace

The news highlights the fall from grace for Mikel Arteta’s side, with Arsenal only coming out on top on four occasions in meetings with Spurs since 2015.

Whilst participating in another tournament every Thursday evening may disrupt Nuno’s season with injuries and fatigue, the chance to qualify for the Champions League or Europa League will be their goal for this campaign.

If Nuno can lead Spurs to their first trophy in 13 years – they are joint-favourites with Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma to lift the Conference League – he will put his name into the club’s history.

In other news, news emerges of Nuno Espirito Santo being unhappy with international events. Find out more here.

Football Insider pundit Kevin Phillips has been reacting to Celtic and Rangers’ reported interest in Millwall star Jed Wallace.

The Lowdown: Wallace links

Football League World shared a report regarding Wallace just a day after Dominic McKay left his position as Celtic CEO.

They claimed that a number of English clubs, as well as Celtic and Rangers, were all interested in securing Wallace’s services.

The 27-year-old is out of contract next summer and has already been involved in six Championship goals in eight appearances this season.

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The Latest: Phillips reacts

Phillips was asked by Football Insider if right-midfielder Wallace would be a good signing for either Celtic or Rangers.

The former forward labelled Wallace as a ‘top’ player and backed him to ‘shine’ if he moved to Scotland.

“Wallace has been a top player for Millwall over the past few years. He has proved to be a good signing for them.

“I think he would shine if he went up there. He has all of the attributes to move up to Scotland, settle in quickly and do really well.”

However, the 48-year-old then went on to name-check Rangers ahead of Celtic, labelling a possible free transfer as a no-brainer.

“We know he possesses a lot of quality so if he goes up to Rangers, which I can see happening, Steven Gerrard will be getting a player who can slot into that squad quickly.

“On a free it really would be a no-brainer.”

The Verdict: January battle?

Both Glasgow sides could hold an advantage over interested English clubs due to cross border rules.

Should Wallace’s situation remain the same, both the Hoops and the Gers would be able to discuss pre-contract terms with the Englishman in the New Year, something clubs down south wouldn’t be able to do.

On that basis, a winter window battle between Celtic and Rangers could be on the cards.

In other news: 12 games out – Ange handed more Celtic injury problems as update emerges.

Liverpool kick off their 2021/22 Champions League campaign with a clash against Italian giants AC Milan on Wednesday night.

Jurgen Klopp’s side head into the match having started the Premier League season with three wins and one draw from four games. They were held to a 1-1 draw by Chelsea, whilst beating Norwich, Burnley and Leeds without conceding a goal.

Their most recent win was against Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds, with Liverpool winning 3-0 thanks to goals from Mo Salah, Fabinho and Sadio Mane.

How many changes will Klopp make to the team for tonight’s big game? Here is our predicted XI for the match…

We are predicting that the Reds head coach will make three changes to the side, with Ibrahima Konate, Jordan Henderson and Kostas Tsimikas coming in.

The headline of those changes will be Konate making his competitive debut for Liverpool. He has been an unused substitute in all four of the club’s Premier League matches this season and a change in competition could open the door for Klopp to throw him in for Joel Matip.

Joe Gomez could also be in contention to partner Van Dijk, but we believe that the German coach will give him a bit longer to fully recover from his injury – starting Konate over him for now. It gives the French defender a chance to show why Liverpool paid £36m to RB Leipzig for his services and gives the often-injured Matip a chance to recover from the Leeds game.

We also believe that Robertson will be given a break to offer Tsimikas some more first-team minutes. The £55k-per-week Greek international started Liverpool’s first two Premier League matches and achieved SofaScore ratings of 6.8 and 7.6 against Norwich and Burnley respectively, providing an assist in the latter.

This shows that he has the quality to put in decent performances when called upon, which allows Klopp to rest Robertson when required. The Scot suffered an ankle injury earlier this season and giving him a game off against Milan could help to prevent any problems from reoccurring due to an overload of minutes.

Finally, we are predicting that Jordan Henderson will take Harvey Elliott’s place in the side following the youngster’s horrific ankle injury. Thankfully, he has had successful surgery on the ankle, but he is still expected to miss the majority of the campaign and will, obviously, not be fit to face Milan.

Henderson came on to take his place against Leeds and we believe that the substitution was an indication of Klopp’s thoughts ahead of the Milan clash. So, that means that the Reds skipper will be leading the team out to the Champions League anthem tonight.

AND in other news, Signed for £8m, now worth £58.8m: Edwards struck gold for Liverpool with £50k-p/w gem…

MatériaMais Notícias

Com boas atuações em todos setores, o Santos teve em Kayke, autor de dois gols, o melhor jogador na vitória por 2 a 0 sobre o Atlético-PR, na Arena da Baixada. Confira as notas do LANCE! para o duelo em Curitiba:

SANTOS

7,0
Vanderlei
Mais uma grande partida. Exigido principalmente por chutes de fora da área de Nikão, foi obrigado a saltar para tirar a bola no ângulo direito.

5,5
Daniel Guedes
Voltou a jogar depois de oito meses, com aparições no ataque e segurança para compor a marcação. No fim, fez cera para cobrar falta e foi expulso.

6,5
Lucas Veríssimo
Se antecipou às jogadas do Furacão, evitou contra-ataques e fez cortes seguros. Causou polêmica ao deixar a mão na bola dentro da área.

6,5
David Braz
Também teve uma atuação segura e não deu brechas ao Atlético-PR, apesar da pressão do adversário perto da área.

6,5
Jean Mota
Não foi tão bem quanto o companheiro. Levou a pior contra Nikão e tomou algumas bolas nas costas. Também errou nos cruzamentos.

7,0
Thiago Maia
Foi o “elemento surpresa” na área do Santos. Teve tempo de bola para deixar Kayke livre em contra-ataque e abriu espaços no segundo gol.

6,5
Renato
Foi discreto, mas fez bem sua parte na marcação. Diminuiu os espaços do Atlético-PR no meio e fez cortes seguros para afastar a bola da área.

6,5
Vitor Bueno
Desarmes no meio, habilidade e velocidade nos contra-ataques. Também arriscou chutes de fora da área, mas não obteve sucesso.

7,5
Bruno Henrique
Aproveitou os espaços para puxar os contragolpes. Grande participação na jogada do primeiro gol e assistência para Kayke ampliar.

8,0
Kayke
Oportunista, aproveitou as boas jogadas dos companheiros e marcou duas vezes. Poderia ter feito mais, mas se precipitou nas finalizações.

6,5
Copete
De volta à ponta esquerda, teve noite apagada na Arena da Baixada. Não participou das jogadas dos gols, mas foi bem na cobertura a Jean Mota.

6,5
Alison
Voltou após empréstimo ao Red Bull no Paulista e foi bem. Melhor lance foi tabela com Bruno Henrique na área, mas a bola ficou com o goleiro.

6,5
Cléber
Entrou no fim para segurar o resultado e teve atuação regular.

–
Leandro Donizete
Entrou no fim. Fica sem nota.

7,0
Téc: Elano
Proposta de jogo do interino deu certo. Time esperou os erros do Furacão, encaixou contra-ataques em velocidade e venceu a primeira fora de casa.

ATLÉTICO-PR

5,5
Santos
Não teve culpa nos gols. Ficou vendido pela atuação de sua defesa.

5,0
Jonathan
Segundo gol saiu em suas costas. No ataque foi pouco produtivo.

5,0
Paulo André
Mal posicionado em ambos os gols de Kayke. Comprometeu.

5,0
Thiago Heleno
Assim como o companheiro de zaga, foi mal nos dois gols.

5,5
Sidcley
Arriscou um belo chute, mas tomou contra-ataque de gol nas costas.

6,0
Otávio
Errou poucos passes e teve de cobrir as laterais sempre desguarnecidas.

6,0
Lucho González
Tentou chute fortíssimo no primeiro tempo e procurou o jogo.

5,0
Matheus Rossetto
Atuação bastante discreta. Faltou participar mais do ataque.

5,0
D. Coutinho
Foi outro que ficou devendo. Nem voltou para a etapa final.

6,0
Nikão
Buscou o jogo, arriscou finalizações e quase marcou gol de fora.

5,5
Pablo
Bola rodou, rodou, rodou e não chegou ao centroavante. Muito isolado.

5,5
Grafite
Trombou com os zagueiros, se movimentou, mas não achou o gol.

5,5
Éderson
Faltou partir para cima. Preferiu apostar nos cruzamentos.

5,5
Felipe Gedoz
Tentou qualificar e acelerar o passe no meio-campo.

5,0
Téc: Eduardo Baptista
Time é inofensivo, troca passes sem objetividade.

RelacionadasBrasileirãoFuracão Kayke! Santos vence Atlético-PR na Arena e quebra tabuBrasileirão11/06/2017BrasileirãoNúmeros da Bola: Estatísticas de Atlético-PR 0x2 SantosBrasileirão11/06/2017

West Ham United face fresh competition over one of their latest striker targets…

What’s the word?

Over the weekend, the Irons were linked with a move for former Premier League frontman Salomon Rondon, formerly of Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion.

The Daily Mail believe the east Londoners are one of several teams eyeing up a return for the Venezuelan international.

And now, according to Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre (29th August, 18:19), Rondon’s former manager Rafa Benitez is thought to be lining up a swoop for his old striker in a bid to add some depth to his attack.

The 31-year-old is currently on-loan to Russian side CSKA Moscow but talks are said to be ‘ongoing’ with the Toffees.

Sullivan must act

If the Hammers are to end David Moyes’ striker nightmare, then it’s time for the club’s majority shareholder, David Sullivan, to take matters into his own hands to provide his boss with the tools he requires.

It’s no secret that the Scotsman is absolutely desperate for a new forward. He may well have remained coy about the prospects in recent interviews but you have to imagine he’s a little nervous heading into a potential 50-plus game campaign with only one senior option – Michail Antonio.

And whilst the 31-year-old talisman has started the season like a house on fire, with four goals and three assists to lead the goalscoring charts in the Premier League, many will be expecting his injury problems to come to the surface at some point.

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Since the 2017/18 campaign, Antonio has failed to surpass 24 league starts, per WhoScored, and that’s all down to persistent niggles and knocks.

Last season, for example, he missed ten matches through injury yet still finished at Moyes’ joint-top goalscorer on ten goals. His presence is certainly needed in this squad but a solid backup option would be very beneficial.

Rondon isn’t a name that’s going to have fans at the London Stadium super excited but at the very least, it should allow Moyes to rotate his line-up in competitions such as the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League in a bid to improve on last season’s incredible sixth-place finish.

The 83-cap international has a respectable record in the English top-flight, where he has delivered 35 goals across four straight seasons for the Magpies.

His form up north earned the tag of him being a “swashbuckling” centre-forward with qualities similar to that of Les Ferdinand by Lee Clark, via ChronicleLive in 2019.

At 6 foot 1 with target man qualities – he has an average of 2.8 aerial duels won per game throughout his career – the towering colossus would also offer Moyes something different in attack, so he too could change matches in the Premier League.

Valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt, Rondon could be the perfect, easy and cheap stop-gap solution to the Irons’ ongoing striker situation. But given interest from his former boss Benitez, GSB will have to act fast.

AND in other news, West Ham “unlikely” to move for this mooted target, fans won’t be happy…

Everton need to offload a midfielder before they can sign Matheus Nunes from Sporting, according to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

According to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, Everton are ‘very much constrained’ by Financial Fair Play rules in this summer’s transfer window after years of ‘significant losses’.

They’ve been left with ‘next to no wiggle room’ in terms of their net spend.

The Blues have spent a mere £1.8million so far, meeting Bayer Leverkusen’s demands for Demarai Gray. They have also recruited Andros Townsend and Asmir Begovic on free transfers.

Nunes is a 22-year-old central midfielder who made 12 starts and 19 substitute appearances for last season’s Primeira Liga champions. He scored three goals and provided two assists (via WhoScored).

The Brazilian has been described as ‘impossible to catch’ and ‘unbelievable’ with the ball at his feet (via Liverpool Echo).

The latest

The report says that Everton retain an interest in Nunes but are still awaiting the green light to proceed with the signing.

They have placed James Rodriguez, Andre Gomes and Fabian Delph ‘on the market’ in an attempt to facilitate the deal.

The verdict

If you scanned Everton’s squad for deadwood that could still fetch a reasonable fee, Gomes and Delph are probably two of the players you’d pick out.

The team would suffer far more from the loss of Rodriguez, but the player’s recent comments have raised serious questions over his commitment to the cause too.

Everton need quality additions like Nunes in the next three weeks if they’re to be a factor in the race for Europe, and it looks like difficult decisions will have to be made with regards to outgoings first.

In other news, Rafael Benitez is eyeing this defensive reinforcement.