Assured of winning the ODI series, South Africa captain AB de Villiers said they looked to not miss out on the opportunity at hand to complete a 5-0 whitewash against Sri Lanka

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg05-Feb-20171:52

Target of 250 would have been tough on this pitch – De Villiers

After a few questions about South Africa’s continued swarming of a Sri Lankan side with little sting, AB de Villiers suddenly could not believe where his post-match conversation was actually going.”Guys, we are talking about bees,” the captain balked. And they were.Some asked how de Villiers knew the bees had arrived at the Wanderers? “When the slips went down,” was the answer. Others wondered whether the break in play affected concentration? “It was annoying,” de Villiers said, while Niroshan Dickwella offered a much more stern assessment. “Our momentum was taken away by that break,” he lamented. The rest of the reporters may have opted to skip the player interviews in search of the beekeeper who saved the day. Requests to talk to him were coming in even as play continued.But novelty aside, South Africa had something really sweet to enjoy afterwards.They have now won their sixth successive ODI series at home and have racked up a record 12 wins since beating England last February. Their previous best – 11 victories in a row in their own conditions – came in the 1996-97 season. They are stacking up well ahead of the Champions Trophy and de Villiers’ only hope is that they keep on winning, especially over the next week.Sri Lanka appear unable to keep up, which has given South Africa a chance at a whitewash, even though de Villiers is wary of putting too much pressure on the side too soon. “There were too many 3-2 results in the past and we’ve had many opportunities to win series 5-0 and 4-1. We are all a bit sick and tired of not taking our opportunities and we are sitting here with another opportunity,” he said. “We try to be clinical about every game we play, with a bit more emphasis and importance on getting results in every single game we play and not just trying to win a series. Having said that, I don’t want to mention it too often and I don’t want to make it our main thing that we play for 5-0 whitewashes, because that can backfire quickly.”Dwaine Pretorius, who replaced Wayne Parnell, took three wickets in his seven overs•AFP

As much as winning is a priority, South Africa may also use the next two matches to experiment because “we are trying to give the whole squad a chance of playing,” de Villiers explained. They’ve already been forced to use bench strength in the batting department because David Miller was ruled out of the series with a finger injury. Farhaan Behardien, who replaced Miller, was not needed at the Wanderers but he will hope for some time at the crease in Cape Town and Centurion. The other player South Africa may want to look at is chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi, who is being kept out by the evergreen Imran Tahir, but has a reputation for being a secret weapon. But the real battle will be between the allrounders.Wayne Parnell, who played in the first two matches and did “fantastically well” according to de Villiers, was left out in Johannesburg in favour of local lad Dwaine Pretorius and de Villiers liked what he saw. “He is pretty accurate. He is consistent in his areas and is open for advice from some of the senior players. It’s an open door to chat to him, I always like to work with bowlers like that,” de Villiers said.Pretorius’ tight line and effective use of the short ball saw him finish with a career-best 3 for 19 and stake a claim for a more regular spot in the XI. It’s little wonder that he, too, could not stop buzzing. “This is the biggest crowd I have played in front of and it was amazing. It was a great atmosphere the whole time. I know there were bees on the field but it sounded like bees were everywhere,” Pretorius said.

A mature century from Eoin Morgan helped England to what may well prove a daunting total in the first ODI of the series against West Indies in Antigua

The Report by George Dobell03-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEoin Morgan acknowledges his 10th ODI hundred•Associated PressA mature century from Eoin Morgan helped England to victory in the first ODI of the series against West Indies in Antigua. The win was secured with almost three overs to spare, with Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett taking four wickets apiece.Morgan, the England captain, had spoken the day before the game about the need for his side to temper their aggressive instincts a little on a surface that he anticipated would do little to encourage stroke-play. It proved an accurate analysis. On a sluggish, slightly two-paced pitch England were precariously placed at 29 for 2 when Morgan walked to the wicket after West Indies had won what appeared to be an important toss in a match delayed by rain.It took Morgan seven balls to get off the mark and 33 to reach double-figures. But he did not panic. Recognising that this was a surface on which a total of 270 might prove match-winning, he batted accordingly and reached his tenth ODI century – and second in three matches – with his second six in the 49th over of the England innings. It was a masterful demonstration of experience and calculated aggression in conditions demanding more subtlety than aggression.It was the first time England had failed to post a total of at least 300 when batting first in an ODI since February 2016. But, in these conditions, it was a challenging total and testament, perhaps, to some growing sophistication within an England side that has tended, until now, to try to blast its way to success. Had they attempted to make 350, they could very well have subsided for fewer than 200.”It wasn’t easy or pretty,” Morgan said afterwards. “It was hard work, especially getting in.”It was very tacky early on. When they peeled the covers off, it was damp. They rolled it and it looked dry but it just rolled the moisture into the wicket. Over the first 15 or 20 overs the moisture came out of it and that balls that dismissed Joe Root and Jason Roy both kept low.”It was Morgan’s fifth century as captain, a new record for an England skipper surpassing the four made by Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook.West Indies will rue two missed chances, though. First Kieran Powell, at slip, was unable to cling on to an outside edge offered by a loose drive off Carlos Brathwaite’s first ball when Morgan had just 4, while later Shai Hope was unable to complete a tough catch after a delivery from Jason Mohammed turned, bounced and took Morgan’s outside edge when he had 69.Perhaps more significantly in the grand scheme of things, Morgan also had an escape when he was struck by a bouncer bowled by the impressively sharp Shannon Gabriel. Through a pull shot too early, Morgan was struck on the stemguard but, thanks to the extra protection, he was able to go on and celebrate a fine century in front of a crowd dominated by travelling England supporters. Ticket prices of USD75 appear to have done little to attract local spectators.Morgan accelerated intelligently after his careful start. He struck the spinners for four fours in eight balls at one stage, going deep in his crease to pull and lofting the ball over mid-off when the man was pulled into the circle, while also clearing his front leg and striking the seamers for his two sixes.He was given excellent support from Ben Stokes. Stokes, too, ensured he played himself in before going on the attack and it took him 26 deliveries to reach double-figures but once he settled he went on the attack and helped his captain add 110 in 18.4 overs.Struggling to hit fours on the slow surface and with bug square boundaries, Stokes instead relied on his power. He struck three sixes in 12 balls at one stage – helped by Kraigg Brathwaite stepping over the boundary as he attempted to take a catch at deep midwicket – and registered his sixth score of 50-plus in his last nine ODI innings, from 56 balls.While he was eventually caught at long-on and Morgan was run-out backing-up – Moeen Ali hit the ball straight back at the bowler, Brathwaite, who threw down the stumps – Moeen contributed 31 from 22 balls to help England plunder exactly 100 runs off the final 10 overs of their innings.West Indies rarely threatened to get close to their target. After Evin Lewis pulled to deep midwicket, Kieran Powell sent a leading edge to point as he tried to turn one into the leg side, and Kraigg Brathwaite pulled to mid-on. Mohammed and Jonathan Carter added 82 in 13.5 overs to revive West Indies hopes, but when Carter was brilliantly caught by Jason Roy, charging in from deep midwicket, and Mohammed was run-out by some nifty footwork from the bowler, Steven Finn, having been called through for a sharp single, their chase fell away.”We were in the game right through,” Mohammed said afterwards. “But when a team scores a hundred in the last 10 overs, they’ve got a really good chance. That was a crucial part in the game.”A couple of chances went down, too. If we’d held on to them, there could have been a different result.”England’s victory was achieved without the need to use Stokes’ bowling skills. The much-anticipated rematch between him and Carlos Brathwaite, therefore, will have to wait. Woakes, who finished with four wickets as reward for an intelligent display of control and variation, dismissed him with a slower ball. Plunkett also finished with four wickets, while Finn, in his first ODI since September 2015, was wicketless but bowled with good control. It was, in short, a good display by England’s seamers.”I thought they were brilliant in conditions that don’t really suit us,” Morgan said. “We were relentless in making them hit cross-bat shots into the wind. It was an outstanding performance from the seamers.”It wasn’t pre-planned not to us Ben. I just didn’t need to go to him.”Sam Billings will feel he only partially took his chance to impress having retained his place at the top of the order. He registered his second half-century in three ODI innings to steady England, after Gabriel defeated Roy with one that may have kept a little low and bowled Joe Root with a beauty that cut in off the seam. Billings may feel he squandered a chance to register a really telling total, though, when skipping down the pitch and drilling a catch to mid-on.”He’s got to keep churning out runs,” Morgan said when asked if Billings had done enough to see off the return of Alex Hales over the next couple of games. “Alex is a very formidable player in our side and has scored a lot of runs when we’ve won games. It’ll all depend on how Hales has pulled up from training.”

West Bromwich Albion missed out on the Championship play-offs by just three points as they finished ninth in the table at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Carlos Corberan now has the summer transfer window to bolster his squad with the aim of competing for promotion to the Premier League next season.

One area in which the Spanish head coach may look to strengthen in is the forward department. No Baggies player managed more than seven goals and Karlan Grant, in particular, endured a difficult year in front of goal.

The former Huddersfield gem only scored three goals in 31 Championship matches for the club and the service to him was not the issue as he missed nine 'big chances'.

Corberan could land an upgrade on the profligate dud by signing Jerry Yates in the coming weeks, as both players are strikers who can also play on either flank.

How did Jerry Yates perform last season?

Despite Blackpool's relegation from the second tier, the 26-year-old marksman enjoyed an excellent campaign for the Tangerines and his form suggests that the potential is there for him to be a superb addition to West Brom's squad.

Yates, who is a reported £4m transfer target for the Baggies, plundered 14 goals in 41 league appearances, whilst he only missed eight 'big chances'.

The English finisher proved himself to be a reliable goalscoring option at that level, which is something Corberan did not have in his roster last term.

He scored twice as many goals as any member of the Spaniard's side and almost five times more than Grant, who played out wide or through the middle, produced. This means that the 5 foot 9 dynamo could, therefore, provide the club with a huge attacking boost.

Along with his predatory instincts in the final third, the £6.1k-per-week hotshot also showcased his creative ability with four assists and nine 'big chances' created for his teammates.

Meanwhile, Daryl Dike was the only Baggies no9 with at least one assist as Grant failed to create a single 'big chance' or register any assists in the Championship.

Yates' 0.8 key passes per match would place him in the top five performers for West Brom and above every other centre-forward at the club, which means that he provided his fellow attackers with more opportunities in front of goal.

These statistics suggest that the Blackpool ace, who was lauded as "immense" by journalist Sean McGinlay, would be a significant upgrade on Grant due to the threat he poses at the top end of the pitch as a goal scorer and creator.

Tottenham Hotspur's impressive start to the transfer window looks set to continue, with various reports suggesting that the Lilwhites have reached an agreement for the signing of Manor Solomon on a free transfer.

The Shakhtar Donetsk ace – who spent last season on loan at Fulham – joins James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario in arriving through the door at N17, with new boss Ange Postecoglou having also overseen the permanent captures of both Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski.

In the case of Solomon, the 23-year-old showed flashes of his quality at Craven Cottage last season despite missing the first half of the campaign through injury, notably scoring four goals in four successive Premier League games between mid-February and early March.

That impending addition will help to strengthen a forward line that does appear rather thin on the ground at present, particularly with Lucas Moura having been allowed to depart at the end of his contract.

With that in mind, it would be no surprise if Solomon is not the only attacking asset to join Postecoglou's ranks this summer, with the Daily Mail having notably revealed at the weekend that the ex-Celtic boss is a big admirer of Brighton and Hove Albion star, Kaoru Mitoma.

The Greek-Aussie did reveal earlier this year that he had tried to sign the Japanese sensation – who is now valued at around £35m – during his stint in charge at Parkhead, with it perhaps not out of the question that the 57-year-old could revive his interest in the dazzling wing wizard.

Should Tottenham sign Kaoru Mitoma?

After previously scoring eight goals and laying on four assists in 26 games during his time on loan at Union Saint-Gilloise during the 2021/22 campaign, the 26-year-old went on to replicate that impact in the Premier League last time out, scoring seven goals and contributing six assists in 33 top-flight outings.

The highly-rated speedster – who also provided a further five goal involvements while on cup duty – has been something of a revelation of late under Roberto De Zerbi, having helped to power the Seagulls to European qualification last term.

A move to Spurs, therefore, would undoubtedly be warranted, with there a potential for Postecoglou to form an exciting attacking partnership moving forward involving Mitoma on one side and the aforementioned Solomon on the other.

While the latter man typically operated on the left-wing during his time in west London, the Israeli international has featured heavily throughout his career on the right flank, thus allowing Mitoma to rival and compete with Heung-min Son on the opposite side.

The major benefit of that partnership would be the duo's innate dribbling prowess, helping to offer a real devastating and direct threat down either flank, with the Brighton dynamo ranking in the top 5% for progressive carries among his European peers as well as in the top 16% for successful take-ons, while Solomon ranks in the top 6% for that latter metric.

Aside from being able to blossom alongside the Shakhtar menace, a further positive of snapping up Mitoma is his apparent likeness to a legendary figure of Tottenham's recent history, with Tim Sherwood (Premier League Productions, 15/04/2023, 15:55) having stated that the £10k-per-week ace manipulates the ball "like Gareth Bale".

The now-retired Welshman – who also typically operated on the flanks – is a figure who needs no real introduction, having scored 72 goals and provided 58 assists in 237 games for the north Londoners across two spells.

To think that the Lilywhites could potentially be able to line up Bale's heir apparent – and a dream partner for Solomon – with the addition of Mitoma is a truly mouthwatering prospect, indeed.

Mauricio Pochettino looks to continue his overhaul of the Chelsea squad this summer by adding to the two signings of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, however this time he will be bolstering his midfield options having already lost N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek this summer as talks have been held with Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia.

Is Romeo Lavia heading to Chelsea?

Graeme Bailey of 90min provided an update regarding the chase of Lavia, saying: “Romeo Lavia is emerging as one of this summer's most in-demand players.

“Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea have all held talks, whilst former club Man City, Man Utd and Newcastle are being kept informed.

“Southampton want £50m…”

The fee shouldn’t represent too much of a problem, especially considering the money they have raised via player sales so far and with Pochettino lacking depth in the heart of the midfield, Lavia wouldn’t just be a signing for the future, but a player who could stake a claim for a first team place straight away.

Could Romeo Lavia become the heir to N’Golo Kante?

Following a lacklustre 12th place finish in the Premier League last term, their worst since 1993/94, there is plenty of change at Stamford Bridge this summer as Pochettino looks to assert his own authority on the team which certainly has the talent to be challenging for honours.

The onus will be on him to find a perfect heir for Kante, with the Frenchman departing the Premier League by joining Saudi Arabia outfit Al-Ittihad after seven fruitful years at the Blues, which include a Champions League crown and Premier League title among other trophies.

The Frenchman flourished in a defensive midfield slot for the Stamford Bridge side, making nearly 300 appearances during his spell at the club and his debut campaign saw the midfielder complete 53.8 accurate passes per game along with making 3.6 tackles per match, ranking him as second and first in the squad, showing just how effective he was across these metrics as Chelsea won another league title.

These have been the hallmarks of a great career, as the 32-year-old is able to circulate the ball extremely well while also using his tackling abilities to good use as he remained an immovable force at the heart of the midfield.

Lavia could certainly follow in his footsteps, no doubt about it as he embodies a few of the traits which made the former Leicester City star such a wonderful player.

He made 2.1 tackles per game for the Saints last term, the second most in the squad, and it would also rank him fifth in the Chelsea squad, indicating how useful his dogged nature would be to Pochettino next term.

Although Lavia made just 29.5 accurate passes per game, this would surely increase in a Chelsea side which would look to dominate the ball for long periods of time, further enriching himself as the player who could take over the mantle from Kante.

Lauded as an “absolute monster” following yet another solid performance last season by journalist Benjy Nurick, it’s clear that Pochettino should be going all out to secure his signature this summer.

A contentious, fractious and ill-tempered Test series has claimed a final victim: Virat Kohli’s relationships with Australian players, the Indian captain said, have been irrevocably damaged. Tensions continued to simmer even after the conclusion in Dharamsala, with Steven Smith apologising for his behavior during the series, but also registering his disappointment at another bit of off-field sparring.Before the four-Test series began, Kohli had spoken warmly about his friendships with all of the Australian players but indicated that would not affect the upcoming series. When asked if he still felt the same way after India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1, Kohli was blunt in his reply.”No, it has changed,” he said. “I thought that was the case, but it has changed for sure. As I said, in the heat of the battle you want to be competitive but I’ve been proven wrong. The thing I said before the first Test, that has certainly changed and you won’t hear me say that ever again.”

Kohli’s pre-series comments

“I’m really good friends with all these guys off the field,” Kohli had said before the first Test in Pune. “I know them really well, but I know where to draw the line of friendship. “When you step onto the field, I could be playing against my big brother it wouldn’t matter.”

Smith, meanwhile, admitted his emotions had got the better of him at times during the series and offered an apology for his behaviour. He first apologised on the televised post-match presentation and then reiterated it in the following press conference.”I set myself high standards and I wanted to lead from the front with my performances” Smith said. “I have sort of been very intense in my own little bubble and at times I have let my emotions and actions just falter a little bit throughout this series and I apologise for that.”That’s a big stride for me moving forward and something I can really learn from and continue to grow as an individual and as a leader.”Smith, however, expressed disappointment with the BCCI for airing on-field exchanges between R Jadeja and Matthew Wade through a video clip on its website, in which umpire Ian Gould could be heard trying to intervene.”Yeah, I was a little bit disappointed that the BCCI sieved through the archive to find a conversation out on the field that was happening between Matty and Jadeja,” Smith said. “It’s happened between both sides throughout this series, so the fact they’ve done that to us is a little bit disappointing.”Usually what’s said on the field should stay on the field. It’s been a hard-fought series and guys are going to say things here and there, their emotions are going to be high. And so they should be in such a big series. So I was a little bit disappointed by the fact the BCCI did bring that out.Kohli also fired back at sections of the media who criticised his behaviour and form throughout an unusually lean series: he made only 46 runs in three Tests.”As I’ve said before, it’s not in my control,” said Kohli. “I’ve heard a very wise person tell me that when a person is down, the weak come out and speak about him. It takes courage to speak about someone when they are on top. It’s fine, I was targeted individually and I hadn’t done well in the series. So opportunities galore for everyone to come out and speak about me.”When I’ve done well in the past, people have spoken about me. When I haven’t done well I obviously expect them to come out and say all sorts of things. It’s obviously very easy to sit at home and write a blog or speak behind the mic. I think that’s easier than coming out and competing on the field.”That’s all I have to say about that.”

علق وائل جمعة مدافع الأهلي الأسبق على أداء الأحمر خلال الشوط الأول من مواجهة سيمبا في دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وتقدم الأهلي بهدف سجله أحمد نبيل كوكا في مرمى سيمبا التنزاني بالدقيقة 4 من عمر الشوط الأول.

طالع.. أحمد نبيل كوكا يٌسجل هدف الأهلي الأول أمام سيمبا التنزاني في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وقال وائل جمعة في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “أفضل بداية للأهلي، واستغلال لخبرة لاعبيه والأخطاء والمساحات المتواجدة في المنافس”.

وتابع: “تعامل الأهلي في البداية بشكل جيد جدًا، وبعد ذلك حدث هبوط مستوى بعد 25 دقيقة، وأصبحت هناك سيطرة كاملة للاعبي سيمبا”.

واستطرد: “نتيجة ممتازة للأهلي، ولكن على مستوى الفرص سيمبا أتيحت له 4 فرص، الشكل العام وتنظيم الأهلي جيد، ولكن هناك خطورة وثغرات في الأحمر، ومصطفى شوبير نجم الشوط الأول، وتصدى لهدفين محققين”.

وأوضح: “أرى كرة موديست تحتسب ضربة جزاء وكان بها إعاقة من مدافع سيمبا، لو انا حكم احتسبها ركلة جزاء للأهلي”.

وأتم: “كان هناك تعامل ممتاز من محمد هاني بالخبرة في كرة الهدف، راوغ مدافع سيمبا وصنع تمريرة، وسجلها كوكا البديل المثالي لإمام عاشور”.

Faf du Plessis praised his team for fighting hard through the difficult phases of the second Test, after they overcame a score of 94 for 6 in the first innings to win comprehensively on the third day

Firdose Moonda in Wellington18-Mar-2017

At 1pm on Friday, South Africa were at risk of losing a Test. By 7pm on Saturday, they had won it. It took them just 30 hours to turn things around and they did it the full 360 degrees.”It’s happened a few times this season where we’ve been in impossible situations and then there’s one or two guys putting their hand up and making the impossible very possible,” Faf du Plessis said. “Lunch time yesterday felt like not too long ago, and now we’ve won a Test match so just that shift in pressure was really well handled.”South Africa were 104 for 6 at lunch on day two, with Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock, the last two recognised batsmen, at the crease. In a stand of 160, they took the score over 250 and put South Africa in the lead. Their fightback was underlined by self-assured batting that, even in the trickiest of situations, they stuck with. Bavuma was cautious and rode the bounce, while de Kock was aggressive. Together, they scored at a rate of 4.13 to give South Africa the advantage.”We’ve found this ability to have a lot of faith in our batting line-up, whoever they are, to stand up to pressure situations. Quinton and Temba hadn’t been in massive run-spells these last couple of games, so for both of them to do it at a critical time says a lot about them mentally,” du Plessis said. “And it was the way they played [that was impressive]. To counter-punch and put the pressure on the opposition was remarkable.”An obdurate last-wicket stand of 57 tipped South Africa over 350 and gave them a match-winning lead, but they did not expect things to come so quickly on the third day. With the southerly wind slicing through the city, South Africa expected being on the field to be uncomfortable at best, impossible at worst.”It was a challenge for us. What we asked for this morning was real hard cricketers. Mentally we needed to be very strong, to be ready to be challenged and pushed to extremes because it’s not conditions we are used to. There were no excuses; the wind and the cold were never going to be excuses. Just real, hard Test cricket and that’s what they produced.”Du Plessis lauded his spinners, particularly Keshav Maharaj, who took his second five-for in as many games•Getty Images

The seamers were rotated in short spells and they all seemed to find their rhythms unaffected. Vernon Philander was unlucky not to be rewarded for a probing effort and Kagiso Rabada had his pace up to the mid 140s again, but it was Morne Morkel’s new-ball spell that broke New Zealand. He removed both Tom Latham and Kane Williamson, the man South Africa see as “a big threat in terms of holding that batting unit together,” as du Plessis has consistently explained. “To get him cheaply obviously helps. We knew if we could get a few early ones we could really put them under pressure.”Morkel then had a third, Neil Broom. He completed a comeback that should see him retained as a certainty in the starting XI for the tour of England in July-August.”It was a bit of a punt as he’s been away from the game for so long. But I knew what I saw from him. Every time he’s bowling, he’s getting better. In the second innings he hardly bowled a bad ball. His consistency is there and he’s getting his pace back up. Today with the new ball, [he] was as tough as you could face. I was standing in the slips and it looked nasty. A lot of bounce with good intensity and pace. When he’s on like that, he’s a real handful,” du Plessis said.By the time Morkel was done with New Zealand, he had opened them up for Keshav Maharaj, who surpassed all expectations with a second five-for in as many matches.”It is surprising given the conditions – cold and not a lot of spin,” du Plessis said. “But I thought both spinners bowled incredibly well. Their control and consistency meant the New Zealand batsmen just couldn’t get away. Their run rates were very low. The pressure that created chances for wickets. When spinners are contributing like that, it makes the seamers’ lives much easier, especially with us having to rotate the seamers quite often because we only have three.”The other spinner was JP Duminy, whose low returns with the bat were masked by the career-best 4 for 47 he took in the first innings. Du Plessis still thinks Duminy has an important part to play in South Africa’s Test side, with both bat and ball, and hopes Hamilton will be the place where he proves that.”What was really good for me was the way JP bowled in this match,” du Plessis said. “That confidence from the bowling was something I was looking for. We gave him a little bit more responsibility and he got through it really well. He didn’t score a hundred in the second innings but the way he played looked really good. It’s the way he plays at his best with positive body language.”

Liverpool have begun discussions with Southampton over a move for 19-year-old Romeo Lavia, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Is Romeo Lavia joining Liverpool?

One of the few players to have come out of last season with credit in the bank at Southampton was Romeo Lavia. The Belgian was impressive in his debut Premier League season and was one of the few positives the Saints could take from a bitterly disappointing campaign.

Arriving from Manchester City last summer, the teenager probably didn't expect he would have to play so much at St Mary's Stadium, featuring 34 times at senior level for Southampton.

Lavia's potential has made him a target for some of the Premier League's biggest clubs, with Fabrizio Romano stating on his YouTube channel that Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all hold an interest in him.

However, the Italian has revealed that it is Liverpool that have opened talks with Southampton over a potential move for Lavia in recent days, with the club sounding out how much a potential deal may cost.

"So, Romeo Lavia is in Arsenal's list," said Romano. "But, from what I understand, also Liverpool have opened talks to sign Romeo Lavia. So, Liverpool have an interest in Lavia."

"Man United asked about the situation, Chelsea did the same a few weeks ago. So, both clubs are informed, but at the moment they are not that close or active on this deal because it depends also on the timing. But for Liverpool, Romeo Lavia is one of the players they are considering."

"We know about [Khephren] Thuram, we know about Manu Kone, especially Thuram in this moment for Liverpool is a concrete target, but we have to add also Romeo Lavia to their list because he is one of the players they appreciate. Let's see if they decide to bid."

One stumbling block could be the price tag, however, with Romano stating that Liverpool would need to fork out over £40m for Lavia, with Southampton desperate to cash in on their star.

Liverpool have already added Alexis Mac Allister to their squad, but they need more than one midfielder given the departures of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner on free transfers.

As Romano mentions, Nice's Thuram and Borussia Monchengladbach's Kone have been linked with Anfield, as have Nicolo Barella, Gabri Veiga and Ryan Gravenberch.

Should Liverpool sign Romeo Lavia?

One of the reasons for Liverpool's performance issues last season was the lack of midfield resilience, as well as the dwindling influence of defensive midfielder Fabinho.

Therefore, the introduction of a highly-talented holding midfielder at the other end of their career could be exactly what the Reds need, as well as easing the workload on the shoulders of Liverpool's number three.

Jurgen Klopp hailed Southampton's midfield for their "proper football" last season, of which Lavia was a huge part, and the starlet's defensive acumen makes him a tempting option for the German coach.

Per 90 minutes last season, Lavia, who has been hailed as a "monster", put in an average of 1.9 blocks, 2.43 tackles and 1.34 interceptions in a team that left him laughably exposed as the anchor. His 7.48 ball recoveries per 90 highlights his impressive ability to read play defensively, something Liverpool are crying out for in midfield.

Defensively, Leeds United were simply not good enough last season, shipping 78 in total – the most in the Premier League – as they suffered relegation to the Championship in just their third season back in the top flight.

In a frantic campaign, the Yorkshire club went through three managers, starting with Jesse Marsch, before handing Javi Gracia the task of keeping them up, and eventually having one more desperate throw of the dice, hiring Sam Allardyce. None of the three managers could address their defensive issues, however.

Now, it is up to new man Daniel Farke to get them back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. And to do that, he may need to replicate the leadership of the likes of Liam Cooper by securing summer target Nat Phillips – something that transfer insider Dean Jones believes the Liverpool defender is capable of doing.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones said: “I mean, Liam Cooper was never someone you would typically get most excited about seeing on the ball or anything like that, but when you see the team sheet, he was a player as a Leeds fan that you’d always want to be on there on their rise to the Premier League.

"And they need to find that again, and maybe Nat Phillips has the determination and the focus and the talent to replicate that. They certainly have got to find figures like that if they’re going to bounce back.”

How does Nat Phillips compare to Liam Cooper?

When compared, Phillips and Cooper have been incredibly similar players throughout their respective Premier League careers.

As per FBref, the Liverpool man, who has a "colossal" frame, just about edges the Scot when on the ball, with a better pass completion rate and more progressive passes per 90 – something that could prove crucial in the Championship when Leeds will likely enjoy more possession than in the Premier League.

Off the ball, Cooper makes more blocks, wins more tackles, and makes more interceptions than Phillips, who, to his credit, is still within touching distance of all three statistics.

It must be said, too, that Phillips has played in a Liverpool side which holds the majority of possession, reducing the need to block, tackle, and intercept compared to that of Cooper's in a Leeds side who were pinned back in their own half in the Premier League.

Praising his defender back in 2020, Klopp said: "He's a brilliant guy, smart guy, intelligent, everything. He's not easy on the eye, he's not Messi but who cares?'

"In the air, he's a monster! He was incredible.

"For the first game, I think everyone can imagine how nervy that must be after a long wait. It's a crazy story, three years ago he was on his way to America to college.

"Twelve Championship teams wanted him and to me it was clear he was going, and I was fine with that – and it didn't work out for whatever reason, and it's great! Tonight he was spot on, helped the team incredibly."

Currently valued at £10m by Liverpool, according to The Athletic, it's the 26-year-old's experience in such a possession-heavy side that could be crucial for Farke.

He has played at the very top, winning at the San Siro in the Champions League against AC Milan. Phillips can not only replicate Cooper's ability, he can exceed it.