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Kings XI Punjab were knocked out of IPL 2017 after they recorded their lowest total in the tournament’s history and their director of cricket operations was not pleased one bit

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-20172:28

Overseas batsmen shouldn’t complain about pitch – Sehwag

Virender Sehwag, Kings XI Punjab’s director of cricket operations, was unimpressed by the performance of their overseas players in the knockout game against Rising Pune Supergiant on Sunday.Kings XI careened to 32 for 5 in the Powerplay, with all four of Martin Guptill, Eoin Morgan, Shaun Marsh and the captain Glenn Maxwell having fallen. They were eventually bowled out for their lowest total in the IPL – 73 – and were knocked out of the tournament.”I’m very disappointed,” Sehwag said in the post-match press conference. “I can say that none of the foreign players took responsibility and at least played 12 to 15 overs. Their role was at least one of the top four should bat for 12 to 15 overs, but none of the batsmen took the responsibility.”I think they were complaining that the wicket was a bit slow but when you play international cricket so much, you should get used to playing on difficult or good wickets. There are very rare occasions when you get a good wicket to bat on but whatever wicket you get, you have to play at least 20 overs for your side. But Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Guptill and Morgan [were all disappointing].”The procession began from the very first ball as Guptill smashed an on-the-up drive to short cover. Marsh popped a catch to mid-off in the fourth over. Morgan was run out for 4 and Maxwell fell for a duck.”Guptill’s role was to cash in during the Powerplay and [the other opener] Wriddhiman Saha’s was to just bat around with him,” Sehwag said. “So I don’t mind him getting out on the first or second ball as long as he knows what he’s doing. There’s no point blaming him; I should rather blame the other batsmen.”Even Marsh, his role was to play till 10-12 overs, but the way he got out was disappointing and then Maxwell and Morgan, these are the experienced players… I mean the players who got out had been informing the next batsman that it’s a slow wicket and even then if you throw away wickets, it means that you’re not up for the game.”Kings XI had picked Maxwell to lead them this season even though he did not have any experience leading a side in senior cricket. He managed 310 runs in 13 innings with an average of 31.00 and a top score of 47.”We always knew that when Maxwell fires, then he can win the match on his own,” Sehwag said. “But he didn’t fire in eight or nine games. That is a big disappointment, especially since he’s experienced, having played for Australia’s Test and ODI teams. He didn’t take the responsibility as a captain and didn’t perform for Kings XI Punjab.”Kings XI were without Hashim Amla, who hit two hundreds in the tournament – neither of them resulted in wins, though. Sehwag was effusive in his praise for the South African opener who had left on national duty.”We missed Hashim Amla, for sure,” Sehwag said. “The kind of consistency he showed, none of the other players could do that, an individual couldn’t take responsibility. Saha played one [good] innings, Manan Vohra played one innings but apart from that none of the others played responsibly.”He [Amla] is an experienced player and has played more than 100 Test matches and averages close to 50 in Test cricket and also one-day cricket. He knows how to score runs immaterial of the format. And he takes very few risks. Whatever risks he takes, it is always after 12 or 15 overs, when he knows that he has completed his role and there’s a need to score quick runs. Otherwise, for the first 10 overs he takes less risks and remains on 30-40 and converts them into big scores. The two hundreds that he scored were brilliant. The other players in the team have a lot to learn from Hashim Amla, be it international players or Indian.”

Chelsea are on the verge of completing the signing of Brazilian youngster Angelo as early as this week, according to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Chelsea target Angelo?

The Brazilian is currently plying his trade with Santos, already becoming an experienced part of the squad, despite still being such a young player.

Incredibly, Angelo has 129 appearances with Santos to his name before even turning 19 years of age, scoring five goals and registering ten assists in that time, showing what rapid progress he has made in such a short space of time.

This summer looks likely to see him move on from his current club, however, with Chelsea seemingly the strong favourites to acquire his signature. Mauricio Pochettino has now officially started life as the Blues' new manager and he will be wanting to bring in the right players, following such a poor 2022/23 season at Stamford Bridge.

A new update has now emerged regarding Chelsea's pursuit of Angelo – one that is positive from a Blues perspective, as they look likely to close in on an eye-catching piece of transfer business.

Are Chelsea signing Angelo?

Writing on Twitter, Romano claimed that the west Londoners are on the cusp of snapping up the Santos starlet, with a deal expected to be done by the end of this week once a medical is completed:

"Understand Brazilian talent Angelo will travel to England this week in order to complete medical tests and then sign six year deal as new Chelsea player. All documents are in place with Santos set to receive €15m fee."

This is great news for Chelsea, and with fellow Brazilian youngster Matheus Franca also looking likely to head to Stamford Bridge, it is refreshing to see Pochettino eyeing up players with long-term potential.

It is essential that the Blues also sign players who are in and around their peak years, of course, but there hasn't been enough future planning at the club at times down the years, which hasn't always been a good thing.

While Angelo is clearly still extremely young, to have made over 100 appearances already does suggest that he could come straight in as a squad option for Pochettino, predominantly being used as a right winger, but also playing in midfield, on the left-hand side and even as a centre forward in the past, displaying his versatility.

The hope is that he will thrive working alongside superiors footballers to the ones at Santos every day, maturing into a formidable player who eventually makes one of the wide spots his own, becoming a star at Stamford Bridge in the process in the same way a prime Willian did.

With Moises Caicedo also looking increasingly likely to seal a move from Brighton to Chelsea before the 2023/24 campaign gets started, it does feel as though a concerted effort is being made to fill the squad with upcoming talent, having grown a little stagnant with older players such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho, Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly and Cesar Azpilicueta in it in recent times.

Tottenham Hotspur need defensive reinforcements this summer and might have unearthed a superlative new option in Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba.

What's the latest on Edmond Tapsoba to Tottenham?

That's according to Fabrizio Romano, who has stated that the centre-back is on Spurs owner Daniel Levy's radar as the club look to recraft their defence.

Valued at a staggering £61m by his German Bundesliga outfit, Tapsoba has been integral for Leverkusen since signing from Portuguese top-flight side Vitoria Guimaraes in 2020.

While Romano confirmed that 'nothing is advanced', the Burkina Faso international is said to be keen on moving to the Lilywhites, who have held an interest in the defender for a long time.

Should Tottenham sign Edmond Tapsoba?

In what tantalised promise at the season's inception, Tottenham's year disintegrated like a smouldering log as the term dragged on, with a premature exit from the Champions League preceding chastening Carabao Cup and FA Cup defeats to Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United respectively.

The promise of a top four finish once again also faded away, with the dismissal of Antonio Conte failing to spark a late-season purple patch, and the Lilywhites floundered to an eighth-place Premier League finish and the concession of European football next year.

This is largely down to the dismal defensive displays, with Spurs' 63 goals shipped in the top flight the sixth-worst tally in the charts, and Tapsoba would provide a coveted layer of resilience and robustness to the ranks, having been hailed as an "elite ball-carrier" by one tactical analyst and boasting an imposing physique to "bully players" by another.

He would most certainly be an upgrade on Clement Lenglet, who recently concluded his one-year loan deal in north London and has returned to Barcelona, having been at the epicentre of Spurs' woes and branded a "defensive liability" by journalist Roy Nemer.

The 28-year-old Frenchman recorded an uninspiring average rating of 6.65 in the Premier League, as per Sofascore, and while he completed 87% of his passes, he only averaged 0.7 interceptions and 1.5 tackles per game, also winning 54% of his duels.

These might not seem like the worst statistics in the world, but Lenglet kept just one clean sheet across his 26 matches, indicating that he was sustaining heavy and incessant fire, and clearly did not provide the defensive mettle required.

His showings were a far cry from that of the "monster" Edmond Tapsoba, as he has been dubbed by journalist Antonio Mango, who is listed as a comparable player to Lenglet by statistical site FBref but undoubtedly utilises his skills more efficiently.

Indeed, the £37k-per-week centre-half ranks among the top 15% of positional peers for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Having also recorded a more reputable Sofascore rating of 6.88 in the Bundesliga, the 24-year-old completed 86% of his passes, averaged 1.1 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and three clearances per game, succeeded with 62% of his ground duels and kept seven clean sheets. Those are certainly more-rounded numbers compared to the club's former loanee.

Evidently, major surgery is vital for Tottenham's backline, and while he will fetch a pretty penny, Tapsoba must be signed by new boss Ange Postecoglou to return the club to prominence and play an instrumental role in finally gleaning some silverware for the Lilywhites.

Burnley are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to retain their Premier League status in their first season back in the top flight.

The Clarets earned promotion in style last season, going up with triple digits in terms of points, but impressive head coach Vincent Kompany is not resting on his laurels.

Kompany's side have been linked with new players in every position since the Championship campaign came to a close last month, including in the heart of defence.

Indeed, French outlet L'Equipe reports that Burnley are in advanced talks to bring in teenage centre-back Soumaila Coulibaly from Borussia Dortmund.

Who is Soumaila Coulibaly?

The 19-year-old came through Paris Saint-Germain's academy before making the move to Dortmund, where he spent a year in the reserve side prior to making his first-team debut last season.

Coulibaly made two appearances for BVB, both from the bench, including an 18-minute cameo in a Champions League group draw away at Copenhagen.

Despite being highly regarded at the Westfalenstadion, it is reported that Dortmund are happy to let the France U17 international find his feet elsewhere on an initial loan basis.

Where would Soumaila Coulibaly fit in at Burnley?

Coulibaly hails from Ile de France, which is the same region that Kylian Mbappe and Paul Pogba originate. Coulibaly may play in a different position to those two, but he will hope to rise to the very top in the same way as those global superstars.

Mbappe made his senior debut with Monaco at 16 years and 347 days, whereas Coulibaly has just a couple of appearances under his belt for Dortmund at the age of 19.

But that is not to say the Frenchman cannot make a name for himself, with this proposed move to Burnley providing a chance to do just that in the Premier League.

The £23k-per-week youngster may be young but you would not know that by looking at him, measuring as he does at 6 foot 2. Indeed, his stature and ability on the ball has earned him comparisons with Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano.

The youngster previously revealed he looks up to Presnel Kimpembe, whom he worked with at PSG, given they are both left-footed centre-backs. For that reason, Coulibaly would be a perfect replacement for Taylor Harwood-Bellis at Burnley.

Harwood-Bellis started 31 of Burnley's 46 Championship matches last season, but he has now returned to parent club Manchester City. Jordan Beyer's loan from Borussia Monchengladbach has been made permanent, however, making him a natural partner for Coulibaly in a back four.

Coulibaly may only have played a couple of games at senior level, but it is clear to see he is a defender who has an eye for a pass. Indeed, his 12.9 progressive passes per 90 minutes last season – completed passes of at least ten yards, as per FBref – is more than any Burnley player managed.

For comparison, Harwood-Bellis registered 5.77 per 90 minutes last term. Coulibaly also completed 96.7% of his passes, which was better than that of Harwood-Bellis' 85% success rate.

It must be factored in that Coulibaly's figures are over a far smaller sample period, and it remains to be seen if he can have the same impact as Harwood-Bellis – let alone a career even half as special as compatriot Mbappe.

But the initial signs are promising, and Kompany has shown during his time as Burnley boss that he knows a talent when he sees one.

West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice will receive interest from the Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich over the coming weeks but no deal is close.

How much does Declan Rice earn?

A huge few days lie ahead of the Hammers as their season will come to an end on Wednesday when they face Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final.

It was a season which will not bring many positive memories in the Premier League for the Irons as they finished 14th in the table.

However, David Moyes' men could make history by landing the club a European trophy which could potentially even save his job at the London Stadium.

But it could well be the end of the road for Rice in a West Ham shirt with his future up in the air ahead of the summer transfer market.

Indeed, it is believed the likes of Arsenal and Bayern Munich are just some of the clubs who are showing significant interest in the £60k-per-week Englishman.

And it would be a stunning way to bow out from his time with the Hammers if he was able to captain the side to European triumph.

Although it is expected the 24-year-old will leave West Ham over the coming months, Fabrizio Romano has insisted there is nothing ongoing currently ahead of Wednesday's final:

"From what I told, I really respect all the sources as you know but, in this moment, I'm told that nothing is done for Declan Rice with Bayern or with any other club.

"Bayern will try, for sure. Arsenal will make a bid after the Conference League final so the race is still open. Man United also have an interest this is the reality but at the moment nothing decided yet."

How much is Declan Rice worth?

Losing a player of Rice's calibre will be a huge loss for the Hammers if he is to leave over the coming months considering just how big of a role he has played at the club.

Despite being just 24 years old, the England midfielder has been able to rack up 244 appearances for the Hammers (via Transfermarkt).

Rice has been hailed as an "absolute monster" by some in the media and that can be seen through his return of interceptions which has him ranked inside the top sixth percentile, as per FBref.

And as a result, this is a player who the Hammers value incredibly highly with Moyes previously suggesting it would take more than £100m to secure his services.

However, there have been some reports suggesting the likes of Arsenal are hoping to land a deal for the midfielder in the region of £70m.

If Rice is to leave this summer it will naturally feel like a huge blow for all at West Ham. However, the club and fans will surely appreciate the manner in which he is handling his future.

Although speculation surrounds where he could potentially move, it is apparent the player is solely focused on the upcoming final as he looks to end the season on a major high.

Sharing the new ball in conditions that initially encouraged seam and swing, Hardik Pandya and Umesh Yadav ran through New Zealand’s top order to set India up for a six-wicket win in the first ODI in Dharamsala

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy16-Oct-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:46

O’Brien: NZ batsmen didn’t read the pitch right

Sharing the new ball in conditions that initially encouraged seam and swing, Hardik Pandya and Umesh Yadav ran through New Zealand’s top order to set India up for a six-wicket win in the first ODI in Dharamsala. From 65 for 7, New Zealand recovered to post a relatively respectable total thanks to Tom Latham, who became the tenth batsman to carry his bat through an ODI innings, and Tim Southee, who struck a 45-ball 55 at No. 10, but a target of 191 was never really going to test India.Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma got India off to a solid start with a 49-run opening stand, and Virat Kohli took over thereafter, as he does so often in chases big and small, and his unbeaten 81-ball 85, full of trademark cover drives – the straight-bat punched variety as well as the wristy flat-bat swishes – guided India home with 101 balls remaining. He brought up the winning runs with a cleanly struck six off Ish Sodhi, skipping out of his crease and clattering the sightscreen behind the bowler.Sent in to bat, New Zealand would have been disappointed to get bowled out with 37 balls still remaining in their innings. There was swing early on, a bit of seam movement, and a tendency for the ball to stop on the batsmen occasionally, but nothing so devilish in the conditions to cause their top order to collapse so rapidly.Opting to bowl first, India sprang a bit of a surprise by handing Hardik Pandya the new ball ahead of Jasprit Bumrah, but the allrounder soon showed why MS Dhoni may have taken this decision.Fifteen minutes before the toss, Pandya had received his ODI cap from Kapil Dev. He may also have absorbed some lessons about new-ball bowling from the great man: where he has bowled predominantly short in his 16 T20Is so far, Pandya here pitched the ball up and swung it away from the right-handers, while consistently hitting the high 130s.Having produced two edges and a play-and-miss from Martin Guptill in his first over, Pandya broke through with one that straightened towards off stump, forcing the batsman to play from the crease and nick to second slip.Then, Umesh Yadav removed New Zealand’s two most accomplished batsmen. Kane Williamson slashed the last ball of his third over to third man; then, off the first ball of his fourth over, Ross Taylor, late to withdraw his bat from the line of the ball, edged a perfectly-pitched outswinger to the keeper.India frustrated Corey Anderson by bowling into his body and denying him room to free his arms, and he made 4 off 13 before seeing a rare glimpse of width and flat-batting Pandya uppishly to the right of mid-off, where Umesh completed a stunning diving catch. The same combination of bowler and fielder then sent back Luke Ronchi, who flicked in the air to mid-on.When Kedar Jadhav, given the ball for the first time in his ODI career, sent back James Neesham and Mitchell Santner with successive deliveries in the 19th over, New Zealand’s innings seemed unlikely to last beyond the 30th over.Watching all this from the non-striker’s end, Latham may have felt slightly puzzled, because he had looked utterly at ease at the crease, playing close to his body, and driving crisply through the covers and down the ground. He needed someone to stay with him. Doug Bracewell did that for 45 balls before flicking Amit Mishra to short midwicket, helping New Zealand past 100, before Southee arrived at the crease.He could have been out for 2, but Umesh let him off by dropping a straightforward chance at fine leg after he had skied a pull off Bumrah. Southee thanked Umesh and hit two fours in the same over, off the unfortunate Bumrah, punching him on the up through the covers and pulling him through midwicket.He then skipped down the pitch to Mishra and lofted him inside-out over the covers before launching the first six of his innings, off Axar Patel, over long-off. Before this match, Southee had hit a six every 24 balls, roughly, in his international career. This one came off his 25th ball, evidence of the restraint he had shown initially.He hit two more sixes on his way to his maiden ODI half-century before skying Mishra to cover in the 42nd over. By then, he had scored 55 out of a partnership of 71 for the ninth wicket. With only No. 11 left for company, Latham went after Mishra, chipping him inside-out for four and slog-sweeping him for six off successive balls, but the innings wasn’t to last too much longer. Almost as soon as he had Ish Sodhi in his sights, Mishra trapped him on the crease with one that hurried on straight, legspinner foxing legspinner.

La Liga defender Ferland Mendy's agents are now likely to seek transfer talks with Tottenham Hotspur, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

What's the latest Spurs transfer news?

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy currently has a plethora of issues to solve in north London, not least the lack of a permanent manager to replace Antonio Conte, who departed nearly two months ago.

The search goes on for Conte's successor and Levy's list is apparently narrowing down, with former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann now out of the frame.

Arne Slot, Roberto De Zerbi, Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim, according to The Athletic, are all in contention but Levy must also find a new sporting director after the departure of former transfer chief Fabio Paratici.

Amid this chaos, Spurs are also apparently working on transfer targets for the summer, with Leicester City star James Maddison and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi among the names linked.

The back line in particular is a real problem with Spurs holding the worst defensive record of any team in the Premier League top 10, having conceded more goals than every other side above Bournemouth.

It will be interesting to see who Tottenham could sign to address this key issue, with The Daily Mirror making an interesting claim on Real Madrid left-back Mendy.

The Frenchman has apparently been told he can start searching for a new club, which may well be Spurs depending on developments.

Mendy's representatives, according to The Mirror, are "likely" to "seek talks with Tottenham" in their search for his new club – with north London rivals Arsenal also in the frame to sign him.

The 27-year-old no longer has a future under Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu, with Mendy deemed surplus as Real look to trim their squad and fund summer signings.

He's also going to cost any club just £17.5 million.

What could Mendy bring to Spurs?

If Spurs are to take his agents up on their potential talks, Mendy may have to take a pay cut on his current £154,000-per-week wages, but the player's quality may well be of interest to Levy.

The former Lyon star is highly versatile, able to play as both a left-back and left-winger, with former Galacticos star Raphael Varane once praising Mendy's "incredible" strength.

He explained to Marca in 2020:

"The physical strength he has is incredible. He is adapting very well and allows us to put together great efforts in matches."His forte is defense but he helps us a lot in all facets of the game. He's confirming his potential. We gave him a brick for the clubs he puts in training. He's very tough."

At £17.5m, he may well be a player worth considering at Spurs.

Captaining a team is about man management, according to Mahela Jayawardene, who said his style was about allowing individuals space to express themselves within a set of rules

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jul-20164:12

‘Man-management is key to captaincy’ – Jayawardene

Captaining a cricket team is about man management, according to Mahela Jayawardene, who said his style of leadership was about allowing individuals the space to express themselves within a framework of rules. Jayawardene was speaking on , to be aired on July 22 on SONY ESPN, about captaincy and how he grew into the job for Sri Lanka.Jayawardene captained Sri Lanka in 38 Tests (won 18, lost 12), 126 ODIs (won 68, lost 49) and 19 T20Is (won 12, lost 6) between 2004 and 2013. Under his leadership, they made the finals of the 2007 World Cup and the 2012 World T20.During his tenure as captain, Jayawardene said he took pains to understand the players under his charge. “I thing it’s about man management for me number one, because the team will trust you more than a coach or anyone else,” he said. “You need to understand the characters in the team and allow them to showcase what they’ve got, give them that freedom but in a manner that, you know, you don’t treat each and every individual differently because there should be a set of rules to guide all these people.”But at the same time, they have that little bit of freedom to express themselves and to understand who they are, I mean the background, the family backgrounds, what triggers them, how do they react to situations and how can you get the best out of them.”Jayawardene felt that a good way to build a rapport with the players was to be a “friend” rather than “a captain at the top giving orders.””I realised I could get the best out of the guys a different way, where I’d be their friend and then allow them to be leaders in their own right, allow them to make decisions and back those decisions, and tell them that they’ve done a good job. Even when they make mistakes we sit down and have a discussion … and they would like to know that from you rather than someone else or a selector or a coach.”Jayawardene’s career overlapped with that of his close friend Kumar Sangakkara, who captained Sri Lanka in 82 matches across formats between 2009 and 2012. He was a senior player while Jayawardene was captain and vice versa, and Jayawardene said their personal equation had not interfered with team dynamics.”When Kumar was captain, I would always question certain decisions he made and when I was captain he would do the same,” Jayawardene said. “You need that kind of friend and those kind of people in your team. I allowed people to ask questions because that’s when I would make better decisions as a captain. I allowed the younger members of the team to ask questions because they might have a brilliant idea and if you shut them down, you will never know that.”So my theory on teamwork is everyone talks and everyone has to contribute and I will pick things from them, and if nothing comes up then I’ll take the decision but whatever the decision I take out there, it’s my decision, I take responsibility for that. It doesn’t matter that it came from a different person, but it’s my decision once I’ve made that call. So, Kumar was fantastic in the sense that we had very honest, opinionated discussions on certain matters and they were good for both of us.”Watch with Mahela Jayawardene at 9.30 pm (IST) on July 22 (Friday) on SONY ESPN

يستقبل فريق ريال مدريد خصمه ألميريا، مساء اليوم الأحد، في مباراة ضمن مواجهات بطولة الدوري الإسباني 2023-2024.

وتقام مباراة ريال مدريد وألميريا على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” في إطار مباريات الجولة الحادية والعشرين للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

وشهدت قائمة ريال مدريد لمباراة ألميريا، عودة لوكاس فاسكيز بعد تعافيه من الإصابة.

ويستمر غياب الثلاثي تيبو كورتوا وديفيد ألابا وإيدير ميليتاو حيث يواصلون التعافي من إصابة الرباط الصليبي.

ويأمل فريق كارلو أنشيلوتي في تحقيق الفوز لاستعادة صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، حيث يتواجد ريال مدريد في المركز الثاني خلف المتصدر جيرونا بفارق نقطة واحدة، أما ألميريا يتواجد في قاع الترتيب بـ6 نقاط. تشكيل ريال مدريد المتوقع أمام ألميريا

حراسة المرمى: كيبا.

خط الدفاع: داني كارفاخال، ناتشو، روديجر فيرلاند ميندي.

خط الوسط: تشواميني، توني كروس، فالفيردي.

خط الهجوم: بيلينجهام، فينيسيوس جونيور، رودريجو.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Tottenham Hotspur manager candidate Julian Nagelsmann 'ruled himself out quite early' regarding the vacancy at Hotspur Way, according to journalist Alex Crook.

What's the latest news involving Julian Nagelsmann?

As per The Independent, Nagelsmann has given Spurs an ultimatum if he is to become the new manager of the club. The 35-year-old is said to want to take over in north London in the summer while also demanding that he has the final say on any incoming transfers at the Lilywhites.

The report states that if the German coach doesn't fancy taking up the opportunity of becoming Tottenham boss, then it is likely that Feyenoord's Arne Slot will come into consideration as the 'leading contender'.

Several other candidates have been linked with the role, such as Luis Enrique, Brendan Rodgers, Ange Postecoglou and Vincent Kompany.

Of course, Spurs have already engaged in a managerial shuffle on an interim level this week, as caretaker Cristian Stellini was fired following their dismal 6-1 defeat to Newcastle United last weekend, being replaced by his assistant Ryan Mason who will take charge until the end of the season.

In his first game in charge, Mason and his side will take on Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night, in a match that could be pivotal to keeping their slim hopes of Champions League qualification alive.

On the subject of Nagelsmann, journalist Crook has heard information that contradicts some media reports and isn't sure whether the former Bayern Munich boss would consider the Tottenham vacancy.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Crook said when asked about whether Nagelsmann should be Spurs' preferred candidate: “I think if it's true, yeah. But it goes against what I've been told. I was told he ruled himself out quite early.

"So, unless it’s because he's not got the Chelsea job, and he's so desperate to get back in, I think there are more risks for Nagelsmann when taking that job than just waiting to see what else comes available.”

Would Julian Nagelsmann be a good appointment by Tottenham Hotspur?

Bringing Nagelsmann to north London would be an ambitious step by the Tottenham hierarchy that would show they mean business heading into 2023/24.

Despite being 35-years-old, Nagelsmann has already claimed a Bundesliga title as a manager with Bayern Munich in 2021/22 alongside two German Super Cup trophies in 2021/22 and 2022/23, as per Transfermarkt.

When he was at RB Leipzig, the German coach also made history in 2020/21, becoming the youngest manager in Champions League history to reach the semi-final stage at just 33.

Tottenham look to be a club in free fall at the minute and Nagelsmann could finally provide them with some long-term stability following a period of turbulence on and off the pitch.