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Angela Williamson, the former Cricket Australia (CA) employee sacked over her tweets criticizing the Tasmanian government’s abortion policies, has rejected an alternative job offer from the board, and is set to fight her case in the Federal Court.On Friday, Williamson argued before the Fair Work Commission, in a conciliatory hearing with CA, that she had been unfairly sacked over a political opinion. The two parties failed to come to an amiable agreement, however, and Williamson has resolved to continue her battle in court.”I spoke my mind on a political issue because I believe strongly in the reproductive health rights of Tasmanian women,” Williamson said. “I am disappointed the case didn’t resolve today but I am prepared to continue my fight in the Federal Court.”On Friday, CA chief executive James Sutherland said he had offered Williamson a new role within CA – that of communications manager – community cricket. She had been employed as a government relations manager in Tasmania before her dismissal.”We have reflected on Angela’s dismissal and been empathetic to her personal circumstances and the sensitivity of the underlying issues,” Sutherland said.”Over recent weeks, I have personally been involved in discussions with Angela about a return to CA in the role of communications manager – community cricket. She has informed CA that she will not be taking up the new opportunity and, whilst we are disappointed, we fully respect Angela’s decision.”Kamal Faroque, Williamson’s lawyer, said Williamson had rejected the offer since it was not the same role she had held previously.”Angela Williamson spoke about about women’s access to abortion in Tasmania, and she lost her job. That should never have happened,” Williamson’s lawyer Kamal Farouque said. “We will now continue the case in the Federal Court to determine that she should not have lost her job for expressing a political opinion.”We note that Cricket Australia made a statement early this morning, a few hours prior to the conciliation, disclosing that it had offered Ms Williamson an alternative job.”The offer was made two weeks ago, directly to Ms Williamson by Cricket Australia. Ms Williamson considered the offer and rejected it as it was not the same position she had been dismissed from.”While revealing CA’s offer of an alternative role, Sutherland had stated the organisation’s view that it would be untenable for Williamson to continue in a role that involved engaging with the government.”In our reflections we have also reaffirmed the necessity to administer social media policy while respecting people’s rights to publish personal views,” he said. “The need to be bipartisan in our government engagement has also been acknowledged.”While this is a difficult matter with many aspects and layers, it’s important that in our leadership of cricket in this country, we continue to be guided and influenced by our values. Our values focus heavily on demonstrating appropriate behaviours and showing respect to members and stakeholders of our diverse community all the time.”Getty Images

The tweets that led to Williamson’s sacking criticised Tasmania’s health minister Michael Ferguson, describing him as “most irresponsible … gutless and reckless” for helping the government reject a parliamentary motion to return access to abortions in public hospital. In a report published by Fairfax Media, Williamson revealed she had been compelled to fly from Hobart to Melbourne on the mainland to have a surgical abortion in February this year.Tasmania Police, meanwhile, has dismissed calls for a probe into allegations that Ferguson – who is also police minister – had revealed medical information to CA before she was sacked, when Cricket Tasmania CEO Nick Cummins had called him to apologise for Williamson’s tweets.Ferguson has denied these allegations, saying he had no access to Williamson’s private medical information, and that any knowledge he had of her experiences came from what Williamson herself had posted on social media, referring to a link she had tweeted to a article while identifying herself as the subject of the piece.He also denied that he played any role in getting Williamson sacked, and said he had no issues with her expressing her opinions.”Mr Cummins rang me because he was concerned that I would interpret Ms Williamson’s comments as an attack on me by Cricket Tasmania,” Ferguson said in a statement. “My point was that anybody who had seen Ms Williamson’s tweets, as I had, would appreciate that her contribution was a personal one and that it was understandable that she was passionate about the issue.”I expressed that as a politician I am used to public criticism and as Mr Cummins has stated, that I was happy to forgive and forget the tweet Mr Cummins rang me to apologise for. As has already been established, I made no attempt to influence Ms Williamson’s employment status.”In fact, I asked Mr Cummins to understand that the Government was unreservedly willing to keep working positively with Cricket Australia / Tasmania and was not seeking any apology from Ms Williamson.”

Euro 2000 winner Frank Leboeuf has claimed Portugal are a genuine contender at Euro 2024 this summer but must first drop an ageing Cristiano Ronaldo.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Leboeuf picks Portugal to win 2024
• But victory depends on key condition
• They must drop 39-year-old Ronaldo

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Leboeuf, famously once of Chelsea and a World Cup winner with France in 1998, suggested that Portugal's chances of claiming a second European Championship title in the space of eight years depends on a 39-year-old Ronaldo not being involved.

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• WHAT LEBOEUF SAID

  Speaking to sports betting site , Lebeouf said: "For me, Portugal are actually one of the contenders for this summer's European Championships. I actually think they can win the Euros, but only if Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't play.

  "You cannot take away anything that Ronaldo has done for football just because he has gone to retire in the Saudi League. I want to thank him for taking the sport to another level, but there is an end for everyone. He has every right to play in Saudi Arabia, although I'm not sure he needed even more money! I have no problem with players coming to the end of their careers going to play in lesser leagues to earn more money, the same has happened with Lionel Messi. Both of them were fantastic players but they have chosen not to play at the top level anymore and we have to respect that. You can never take away what they have done for football. The competition between those two actually made the entire sport better. It made it more attractive."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo captained Portugal in all but one of their 10 qualifiers for Euro 2024, scoring 10 times across those nine appearances. But while he has always found the net at a prolific rate in qualifying games and friendles, his record at major tournaments is much less strong. Ronaldo scored only once at the World Cup in 2022, drew a blank in Portugal's last 16 exit to Belgium at Euro 2020 and failed to find the net after the second group game at the 2018 World Cup. Portugal also arguably even won Euro 2016 in spite of him, rather than because of him. Now that he is in his 40th year and playing club football away from an elite level, the argument to let go is only growing stronger.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ronaldo is among a handful of players that were present at Euro 2004 who are still playing in 2024. Lukas Podolski, 38 and playing for Gornik Zabrze in Poland, ex-Manchester City striker Valeri Bojinov, 38 and now based in Bulgaria's lower leagues, and Igor Akinfee, 37 and still CSKA Moscow captain, are the others.

كشفت صحيفة الرياضية السعودية، عن تلقي أحد لاعبي الهلال عرضًا من أستون فيلا الإنجليزي خلال الفترة الحالية.

وكان الهلال قد نجح في التتويج بالدوري السعودي الموسم المنصرم دون الوقوع في أي هزيمة. 

طالع | تقارير سعودية: مصير ساديو ماني معلق مع النصر

وقالت صحيفة “الرياضية” أن نادي أستون فيلا الإنجليزي يرغب في تعزيز صفوفه بالدولي السعودي سعود عبد الحميد، بعد متابعة دقيقة له في الموسم الماضي، وهو الذي يسعى لمشاركة مختلفة في دوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم المقبل، بعد عودته إلى منافسات البريميرليج منذ ثلاثة مواسم من الدرجة الأولى.

سعود عبد الحميد يعد أبرز اللاعبين المتألقين في دوري روشن السعودي، رفقه فريقه الهلال حيث حصد بطولة الدوري وكأس السوبر وكأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين.

وأشارت إلي أن عبد الحميد يرتبط بعقد مع الهلال بطل الثلاثية المحلية، تبقى منه عام واحد، إذ يسعى الهلاليون لتجديد عقده من الآن، بعد النجاحات الكبيرة التي حققها تحت ألوان الفريق منذ قدومه من الاتحاد.

واختتمت: “عبد الحميد يظهر عدم ممانعة في مناقشة العرض الإنجليزي، بهدف خوض تجارب جديدة مختلفة في دوري قوي مثل الإنجليزي”.

It's still early into the 2023/24 season, but Newcastle United cannot afford to drop points this evening after suffering defeat across the past three Premier League outings.

St. James' Park will host Brentford, who have yet to taste defeat this season, drawing three of their four outings; Eddie Howe's side will need to harness the quality from the performance against Aston Villa on the opening day if they are to dismantle a stubborn and cohesive outfit.

There is no cause for panic, with the Magpies possibly enduring the toughest start of any team in the division, and there is now an opportunity under the Tyneside lights to kickstart an exciting campaign, with a two-decade-long wait for Champions League football only days away from ending.

What is the Newcastle team news?

Speaking to the media in his pre-match press conference, Howe confirmed that there are a couple of injury issues to wrest with ahead of the pivotal clash against the Bees.

Star defender Sven Botman has been sidelined since sustaining an ankle injury during the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool last month, but is nearing a comeback, with Howe claiming he could "possibly" feature today.

Sandro Tonali, signed from AC Milan in a £55m transfer in July, has picked up a knock on international duty and appears to be a doubt, while Elliot Anderson may also miss the match against Thomas Frank's side after withdrawing from Scotland duty with a knock of his own.

There were concerns that dynamic winger Miguel Almiron had picked up an injury with Paraguay earlier this week, though such fears appear to have been quelled, but after an intense start to the season and fears of a muscular issue in South America, Howe might now be inclined to issue a change to his starting line-up.

How good is Jacob Murphy?

Having failed to grace the grass since making a four-minute cameo against Aston Villa, Jacob Murphy may well be in contention for his first start of the season later today, with Howe likely considering ways to rejuvenate his side after a disappointing opening.

The £35k-per-week gem failed to impress for much of his time on Tyneside before growing into his skin under Howe's stewardship, now a valuable and versatile member of the squad.

Before the 2022/23 campaign, Murphy yielded just five goals from 106 outings for Newcastle, but almost doubled that tally after plundering four strikes in the Premier League last year, hailed for his “relentless” work rate by journalist Chris Waugh.

One of those goals came against Brentford in a 5-1 demolition 11 months ago, and Howe might indeed be wise to unleash a player who enjoys playing against today's opposition in Murphy, whose application and tenacity could prove crucial.

Indeed, as per FBref, the 28-year-old ranks among the top 25% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and the top 12% for progressive carries and touches in the attacking box per 90, which could be integral in breaking the Bees backline, pushing through a resolute block.

Having also been dubbed "so important" to Howe's system by Waugh, Murphy deserves a maiden starting berth against Brentford, with his composure and diligence down the right channel the coolness needed to restore the Magies' verve.

كشفت صحيفة “ذا أثلتيك” البريطانية موقف نادي ريال مدريد تجاه مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، خوسيلو، مع اقتراب فترة إعارته على النهاية.

ولعب خوسيلو مع ريال مدريد بالموسم الحالي على سبيل الإعارة من إسبانيول مقابل 500 ألف يورو مع شرط أحقية شراء قدره 1.5 مليون يورو.

وتألق خوسيلو بقميص ريال مدريد هذا الموسم خاصة في دوري أبطال أوروبا وحسمه مباراة بايرن ميونخ في الدور نصف النهائي على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ديل بوسكي: محمد صلاح من أفضل لاعبي العالم.. والأهلي وريال مدريد متشابهان

وشارك الإسباني في 4 بطولات خلال 49 مباراة وأحرز 17 هدفًا وصنع 3 آخرين، ولكن لم يحسم ريال مدريد موقف خوسيلو خلال الفترة المقبلة.

ولكن اليوم، الإثنين، أفادت الصحيفة أن ريال مدريد يعتزم تفعيل شرط أحقية شراء خوسيلو من إسبانيول ولكن سيوقع اللاعب لمدة عام واحد.

حيث أن استراتيجية ريال مدريد مع اللاعبين الذين تخطوا حاجز 30 عامًا هي توقيع عقد لمدة موسم واحد، وبالتالي، سيكون عقد خوسيلو مستمر إلى 30 يونيو 2025.

الجدير بالذكر أن خوسيلو كان لاعبًا في فريق ريال مدريد الثاني خلال الفترة من 2009 إلى 2012 قبل الرحيل إلى هوفنهايم مقابل 6 ملايين يورو.

AB de Villiers is expected to play in a three-day match against the touring Zimbabweans next month, before the four-day Boxing Day Test

Firdose Moonda28-Nov-2017

AB de Villiers is expected to play in a three-day match for the South African Invitation XI against the touring Zimbabweans next month, in a bid to make a Test comeback. South Africa take on their neighbours in the inaugural four-day day-night Test starting Boxing Day, and to prepare for the fixture, Zimbabwe will play a three-day practice match in Paarl from December 20 to 22 where de Villiers may play.”We’d like to get him back in whites as soon as possible and we have some plans in place. There’s the practice match which will be good for him,” Linda Zondi, South Africa’s convener of selectors told ESPNcricinfo.Zondi has kept an eye on de Villiers’ performances in the Ram Slam T20 matches – he has scored 130 runs with a half-century in three innings – and is satisfied that de Villiers has sufficient match fitness. “The manner in which he has played has shown that he is ready. It was never a case of him being rusty but just about getting him match fitness,” Zondi said.De Villiers has not played a Test since January last year because injuries kept him out of series against New Zealand and Australia in 2016 and a self-imposed sabbatical from the longest format has seen him sidelined throughout 2017. As a result, it was widely speculated de Villiers would retire from the format, something even former captain Graeme Smith confirmed he had heard, but in August de Villiers stepped down as ODI captain and committed to play across all formats. This week, he explained to reporters in Centurion that the long break had done him good.”I’ve had time at home to get fresh, time to work on my body, and time to work on skills I’ve not worked on in many years.,” de Villiers said. “I’ve sort of rediscovered that love of the game. I’ve not had an off-season where I’ve gone to nets to work on my skills and technique for ages. Last year, in the peak of the season, I was less ready for Test cricket than I am now.”Though de Villiers has played international cricket this year – he was part of the ODIs in New Zealand and the limited-overs matches in England – he has had most of the year, especially the winter, off. On comeback this summer, he struck 176 in an ODI against Bangladesh in Paarl and has since been back to his aggressive best. Since his last Test, de Villiers has only played one first-class game, for Titans, but still feels he is ready for a longer stint and the warm-up match will help.”It will be nice to go out there and spend some time on my legs. Form-wise I feel ready, but it’s important to stand in the field for a while and hopefully get a long knock,” he said.The only question that remains is how (not if – because coach Ottis Gibson made it clear de Villiers and Dale Steyn would play as soon as they were available) de Villiers will slot back into the Test XI. Not even Zondi has a proper answer yet. “For us as selectors, it’s about getting him into the squad and then it will be worked out from there. It’s a nice problem to have,” Zondi said.South Africa’s Test team composition has shifted from seven batsmen, three seamers and a spinner to six batsmen, two allrounders, two frontline quicks and a spinner in recent months which has complicated the case for de Villiers’ return. The six incumbents are Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock, and of those, only Bavuma did not score a century against Bangladesh. Bavuma also occupies the No. 4 position that used to belong to de Villiers, so it would seem he is the likeliest to go. But Bavuma had only recently been promoted to the position and dug South Africa out of several holes and is seen as someone to invest in for the future, leaving South Africa with a conundrum.A possible solution could present itself if du Plessis is not declared fit for the start of the Test summer. Du Plessis suffered a lower-back injury during the third ODI against Bangladesh in late October and was ruled out of action for six weeks, which puts his comeback sometime in December. He has since also had surgery on a troublesome shoulder and is not expected to participate in the Ram Slam at all. Though Zondi is hopeful du Plessis will be available to lead the Test team against Zimbabwe, some of South Africa’s de Villiers puzzle may be solved if he is not. And then it remains to be seen how South Africa will line-up for the three Tests against India in January.

Sheth and Meriwala, yet to make a mark in their first-class careers, took a giant leap towards recognition by skittling the 41-time champions across 35.2 overs

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai09-Nov-2017

Not many had turned up at the Wankhede Stadium to watch Mumbai in action on the opening day of their 500th Ranji fixture. The few that did – scattered across the Sunil Gavaskar Pavilion – were in with the hope of watching the Prithvi Shaws and Ajinkya Rahanes make a statement of Mumbai’s fabled supremacy on their home turf. Much to their dismay, as that of most in the media box, it was two unheralded Baroda bowlers who stole the thunder from a Mumbai side that reeled under a masterclass of swing bowling.In 10 prior Ranji appearances at the ground, Mumbai had never been bowled out for a sub-200 score in the first innings. On Thursday, a combined 35.2 overs from Atit Sheth and Lukman Meriwala is all it took to dismiss the line-up that returned only one half-century and two other 20-plus scores.Leading the charge was Sheth, whose first-class credentials boast 36 wickets from 13 innings with three five-wicket hauls and as many three-fors, coupled with 337 runs at an average of 37.44. In the ongoing season alone, he’s already made a century and two unbeaten 50-plus scores, while bagging 11 wickets from the preceding three games. As he rattled through the top order on a green top, he showcased his ability to move the ball both ways and did so with aplomb from either side of the stumps.”This season has been good. I have been taking wickets and scoring runs. This match, especially against Mumbai in Mumbai… I wanted to do well in this game, and carry on the good season. They have good players in their ranks, so doing well against Mumbai gives you a good platform,” Sheth, a former Under-19 Youth ODI player, said after his five-for.The two deliveries that perfectly encapsulated his control over the lateral movement also fetched him what was in his assessment the “most important wickets.” In the first two overs of his opening spell, he burst through Shaw’s gate with an inswinger and elicited an edge from Rahane with one going away – both fixed by the driveable length offered.”They have been in form, [Rahane] is a Test player. The plan was to not give their batsmen width as they like attacking. The ball was moving, it was a green wicket, and [I] wanted to take advantage of that. It had to be pitched up, because there was movement on offer from there.”Perfectly complementing Sheth’s onslaught was 25-year-old left-arm pacer Meriwala, whose earliest encounters with cricket began some 90 kms off Baroda, as a 12-year old. Located in the Bharuch district of Gujarat, Sarnar village has been home to Meriwala since his birth and had been the incubator for his cricketing aspirations. The son of a farmer, with a younger brother and a homemaker mother and a wife making up the family of five, it was only at the behest of an acquaintance in the neighbourhood that he moved to Baroda, nearly 90 kms from his native place.”An uncle in my village took me to the city after my parents realised how much I wanted to give cricket a try. I’ve never had any coach per se; it’s been only the training I got at the Baroda Cricket Association that I ever had.”On a day when he made deft use of angles – the crowning glory being the one bowled around the wicket to have Siddesh Lad poke at one that moved away late – Meriwala conceded he hasn’t had to look beyond his immediate environment to give wings to dreams of showcasing his swing-bowling skills at ” cricket” (higher-level cricket). He attributes much of his learnings to the Pathan brothers – Irfan and Yusuf – the former he regards as one of his idols, and another fellow quick bowler, Munaf Patel, from a nearby town of Ikhar in Bharuch.”Irfan has backed me since my early days in Baroda. Whenever he comes to practice [at BCA], we discuss a lot of cricket. I have always held him in high esteem, even when he’s not around, he shares his inputs with me over the phone.”Yusuf advises me on batsmen and the kind of deliveries I should be bowling against particular shots. Munaf Patel lives some 25-30 kms from my village, and he too helps me with my bowling. Their guidance has had a big role to play in getting me to this stage. Going forward the target would be to bowl as few loose deliveries as possible. With my action and swing, I’m sure if I keep things tight, a wicket is never too far away.”Exuding a warmth and shyness he ascribes to his humble upbringing, Meriwala says he wants to cash in on the season to further his India ambitions via the IPL route. He acknowledges Baroda coach Atul Bedade for his friendly disposition, which, he says, has been integral to helping him familiarise himself with ways of the city.”He is like a friend to us; even if I make mistakes, he explains all that with a lot of patience. For a lifelong village-dweller like me, an approach like that helps unhindered communication.”Bedade, a former India and Baroda batsman with 13 ODI and 64 first-class appearances, has been coaching the side for the past three years, after a two-season stint with the Under-19 side from 2014-16. He describes Meriwala as a “blank canvas” whose humility and hunger to learn complements the hard work he is ever-willing to put in.”His is what we usually call ‘raw talent’. Baroda being a small family, we try and help each other out in every way possible. There’s an inherent reticence in Lukman, but is always on the lookout to learning something new.”Bedade was equally effusive in his praise of Sheth, who, he believes can be an asset to any team he’s part of. “He moves the ball both ways. A bowling allrounder who can contribute to the team’s cause with handy knocks. With the kind of all-round talent he has, I’m sure his skills will come to better use at a bigger stage.”

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was left exhausted by the Saudi heat on his Al-Ettifaq debut, according to multiple reports.

How much will Jordan Henderson earn in Saudi?

During the summer, the English midfielder made the controversial decision to leave Anfield and the Premier League and head to the Middle East.

The transfer – worth £12m plus add-ons – drew criticism from the LGBTQ+ community, however, as same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Saudi Arabia and yet the player has publicly claimed to be an ally in the past.

Despite that though, Henderson is now officially an Al-Ettifaq – earning a reported £700k-p/w – and even made his debut for the club this week as his new side beat Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

Former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane actually netted for the opposition after just four minutes, but Henderson and co fought back to win 2-1 thanks to goals from Robin Quaison and former Celtic man Moussa Dembele.

According to a report in The Guardian, though, the English debutant was absolutely exhausted after just 30 minutes of action in the 34.6C Saudi heat.

Paul MacInnes wrote: "Henderson was on his haunches. He had given everything. The former Liverpool captain, and new talisman for Al-Ettifaq, had pushed himself to the physical limits in the service of his team. It was the sort of moment that has previously served to build the Henderson legend, except with a small difference: his team were 1-0 down here and there was still an hour to play."

He added: "An important qualification should probably be made here: it was 34.6C in the stadium at this point and with a level of humidity high enough to hydrate a pack of instant noodles. It was surely, by far, the hottest football match Henderson had ever played in, but one recovery sprint, and a not entirely full-throttle one at that, had entirely done him in. And the England man was hardly alone."

This wasn't the only report to note the extreme weather, with Tom Kershaw of The Times also making sure to note the "gruelling humidity" that left Henderson's spirit "sapped to a despondent trudge" during a water break, with "his head bowed in resignation as he gulped for respite in the suffocating heat".

You can watch highlights of his debut via YouTube below.

What age is Jordan Henderson?

Now 33 years of age, perhaps it's not surprising that the former Liverpool star is struggling in such conditions – although it sounds like he would have found it tough going even at the peak of his powers.

After all, in the aforementioned report in The Guardian, Henderson's new manager and former teammate Steven Gerrard explained how "tough" it has been adapting to the heat.

“When I’m sitting in my house, and I have Sky News on, you see the weather in different countries around the world come up, but you don’t really appreciate that type of heat until you actually come and work in these conditions,” Gerrard said after the match.

“The climate has definitely been tough and challenging. So I’m going to have to adapt, and so are some of the signings we’ve made from Europe. We don’t want to leave our energy on the training pitch. There are things we have to change and … I’m facing the challenges, accepting them. I know what I’ve signed up for.”

It will certainly be interesting to see how all these new stars in the Saudi Pro League will get on. By the sounds of it, the biggest obstacle may well simply be the high temperatures.

While much of the talk at Tottenham Hotspur are present is centred around the potential departure of talisman Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, there also other members of the first-team squad who are yet to resolve their futures at N17.

Among those looking set to join Kane out the door is former Southampton man, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with the Denmark international looking set to seal a move to La Liga giants, Atletico Madrid.

Following prior reports that new boss Ange Postecoglou was open to offers for the 27-year-old, the speculation surrounding his future is now ramping up, amid claims that a €20m (£17m) bid from Atleti has been rejected.

If the experienced playmaker is to leave the north Londoners this summer it will leave Postecoglou in need of potential replacements, with a handful of names having already been tipped to fill the void.

Who will replace Hojbjerg at Tottenham?

According to previous reports from the Daily Mail, the likes of Conor Gallagher, Douglas Luiz and Gabri Veiga – the latter of whom plies his trade for Celta Vigo – have all been mooted as possible targets to replace Hojbjerg this summer.

As per journalist Rudy Galetti, the Premier League side are also said to have Barcelona's Franck Kessie on the "list", with the former AC Milan man having previously been a target for Daniel Levy and co during Antonio Conte's time at the helm.

The Ivory Coast international only made the move to Camp Nou last summer on a free transfer, although the belief is that the 26-year-old could be up for grabs for as little as €15m (£13m) after just a solitary season in Catalonia.

What is Franck Kessie's style of play?

The 6 foot sensation undoubtedly during a disappointing 2022/23 campaign after being restricted to just seven starts in Spain's top flight, albeit while having previously racked up over 200 appearances during his time in Milan.

Lauded as a "warrior" by talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past, the £149k-per-week talent could well prove to be Tottenham's next Moussa Sissoko, with the pair said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities, as per FBref.

That likeness between the Barca ace and the Frenchman can notably be seen by their willingness to get forward from their midfield berths, with Sissoko averaging 1.30 per 90 for touches in the attacking penalty area, while Kessie is just ahead as he averages 2.60 in that regard – thus ranking in the top 12% among his European peers.

The duo are also alike, however, in that they aren't typically able to offer a real goal threat in the final third, with Kessie contributing just one goal and one assist in the league last season, while Sissoko – who currently plies his trade for French outfit, Nantes – scored twice and laid on no assists in 30 Ligue 1 outings.

That comparison between the pair could well showcase that Kessie can also prove to be a success at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium if he is to make the move this summer, with his French counterpart previously overcoming early struggles to thrive in north London.

Having made just eight league starts in his debut season at Spurs after joining from Newcastle United on a £30m deal in 2016, Sissoko shook off those early woes to cement himself as a key figure in the centre of the park, having eventually been "transformed", according to pundit Noel Whelan.

Also described as a "massive player" in the team by Whelan, the 33-year-old was memorably part of the side that reached the Champions League final in 2019, before departing for Watford in 2021.

With the 6 foot 2 gem – who was also dubbed a "warrior" by national team boss, Didier Deschamps – making his mark during his five-year stay in the capital, perhaps Kessie can follow suit as his heir apparent if Levy can strike a deal.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKesrick Williams adds another name in the book•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / Getty

Kesrick Williams defended seven off the final over in a dramatic finish that saw Jamaica Tallawahs steal a two-run win from Guyana Amazon Warriors. With three needed off the last ball, Roshan Primus, facing his first ball, skied a slower ball to deep midwicket to deflate the home team fans at a packed Providence.Williams took out his imaginary notebook to chalk up his third scalp of the night, and scribbled down another win for Tallawahs – their fourth in a row to move to second, trimming the gap between table-toppers Trinbago Knight Riders to two points. Amazon Warriors missed a valuable opportunity to draw level with Barbados Tridents, who are in fourth place, and remained stuck at fifth with just two points from five games.Phillips’ maiden fiftyGlenn Phillips followed up his 32 on CPL debut in Tuesday night’s win in St Lucia with a resolute 51 off 47 balls that anchored the Tallawahs innings. On a traditionally spin-friendly surface where the ball wasn’t coming on, Phillips waited for the odd loose ball to cash in for his four fours and two sixes in what ended up as a valuable contribution in a low-scoring thriller.Rashid v SimmonsOne of the eagerly anticipated contests of the night lasted exactly two balls. Lendl Simmons was on 14 off 22 balls when Rashid Khan was introduced in the sixth over. Simmons lashed Rashid’s first ball – a full one – over mid-off for six. But Rashid dragged the length back slightly next ball, pitching a perfect googly. Simmons prodded forward and the ball split a sizable bat-pad gap to hit the stumps.Guyana’s own gets twoIt was a good homecoming for Steven Jacobs, who took 2 for 18. His first wicket was of Andre McCarthy, who came into the match on the back of two half-centuries in three games. But Jacobs ripped one in to beat McCarthy’s heave and bowl him for 8 in the 10th over. In his next over, Sangakkara played for turn and was beaten by an arm ball to be bowled for 5 as Tallawahs struggled to get the run rate up, ambling at 62 for 3 in the 12th over.Foo fighterThe short but sweet spark provided by Jonathan Foo was pivotal to the Tallawahs innings. For the third match in a row, Foo provided a late boost to a sagging innings. On this occasion, he made 20 off 12, which included two fours and a six off consecutive deliveries against Rashid in the 18th over. The legspinner claimed him off the final ball of the over, but by then, Foo had ruined his figures, and Rashid finished with 2 for 38 in four overs.Hat-trick of dropsAmazon Warriors’ reply was steady, but aided by poor fielding from Tallawahs. In three consecutive overs from the ninth to the 11th, Tallawahs had a chance to break the opening stand between Chadwick Walton and Martin Guptill, but put down straightforward chances all three times.First, Sangakkara spilled Guptill on 16, diving to his right after Mohammad Sami found the outside edge. Five balls later, Garey Mathurin let a low return catch go through his hands and hit him hard. Imad Wasim too shelled a chest-high catch when Walton drove a full toss on 36.Williams to the rescueWilliams led Tallawahs’ revival when he got Walton to sky a catch to backward point, ending an opening stand of 67. Mathurin bowled Guptill for 33 in the following over, but Amazon Warriors had the match in their grasp, requiring eight from the final over with eight wickets in hand.After a single and a dot off the first two balls, it seemed like Tallawahs had blown it when Rovman Powell caught Jason Mohammed at long-on. But with Powell falling over, he flicked the ball back to Simmons, who dropped the ball and kicked it 20 yards away to allow a third run and Babar to return to strike.With four needed off three, Williams got his second wicket when Babar drove flat and low straight to Powell. A single by Mohammed put new man Primus on strike for the final ball, with three needed. Primus shuffled across for a leg side heave, but Williams went wider with a slower ball, and Primus muscled it to deep midwicket.