Al-Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo seemingly lost his temper with a cameraman following Al-Nassr’s 0-0 draw against Al-Shabab on Friday.

What happened between Cristiano Ronaldo and the cameraman?

The former Manchester United man hasn’t necessarily cut the happiest of figures lately over in Saudi Arabia.

For instance, he recently delivered a rather bitter interview in which he took aim at a number of people as he insisted the “Saudi league is better than MLS” – where long-time rival Lionel Messi now plays – while also claiming “Serie A was dead” before his spell at Juventus, and finally insisting that “in a year Saudi league will overtake the Turkish league and Dutch league.”

He also hasn’t endured the best pre-season so far and this was well summed up when former Real Madrid teammate Angel Di Maria embarrassed him with a fine bit of skill as Benfica thumped Al-Nassr’s 4-1 in a friendly.

Well, it seems that misery has continued into the Arab Club Champions Cup, which is an annual regional club football competition organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations.

Indeed, coming up against Al-Shabab in the first match of the tournament, Ronaldo was left on the bench from the start and only came on in the 62nd minute of the game.

CR7 was unable to help break the deadlock during his cameo as the match ended all square at 0-0 – leaving Al-Nassr now on a winless run of five matches.

At the full-time whistle, Ronaldo was visibly annoyed as he walked off the King Fahd Sport City Stadium pitch, which you can see in the footage below.

This only tells half the story of his anger, however, as a different video captures just how annoyed the Portugal legend was.

Yes, a moody Ronaldo can be seen pointing and moaning about something before becoming aggravated by the camerman’s proximity to him.

The perturbed 38-year-old then squirts his water bottle at the media worker and firmly gestures for him to go and film someone or somewhere else.

How many goals has Ronaldo scored for Al-Nassr?

Speaking about the match on his official Twitter account, Ronaldo appeared to reference some of the frustration he had over the result as he wrote: “Tough 1st game in the group stage! 2 more games to go. We keep fighting.”

No doubt the striker will be desperate to soon get his team back to winning way as well as getting himself on the teamsheet once more.

So far with his current side, he has played 20 competitive matches, scoring 14 goals and providing two assists in the time. Not a bad rate by any means, although Messi already has three goals and two assists in just two games for new club Inter Miami (albeit those haven’t come in actual MLS matches).

Of course, Ronaldo could improve his goalscoring feats with a better group of players around him.

On that front, the good news is that transfer guru Fabrizio Romano is reporting Sadio Mane, Seko Fofana, Marcelo Brozovic, and Alex Telles are all set to make the switch from Europe to join Ronaldo at Al-Nassr this summer.

With that being the case, it will certainly be interesting to see how Ronaldo gets on with so many new – and some familiar – faces joining him in the Saudi Pro League shortly.

Big Picture

Only soured friendships and damaged relations remained after the on-field taunts and verbal scuffles on Australia’s previous tour to India. In between, there was a darn good series of Test cricket as Australia proved the stiffest challenge to India’s immaculate home season. Apart from the format, the nature of the surfaces and a few personnel adjustments, not much will change on the limited-overs leg.Australia’s recent ODI form has been atypically horrendous away from home. They have lost their last eight completed matches on the road, last winning one in September 2016, against Ireland. Their emphasis on rotation has meant the set-up, save captain Steven Smith and vice-captain David Warner, has consistently changed. Yet, Australia, who are coming off a resounding Test-series-levelling rout of Bangladesh in Chittagong, are never far away from finding their best, irrespective of the format.In contrast, India have lost just three of their last 15 ODIs, all away from home. They’ve preferred wristspinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav to fingerspinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, and possess two of the best end-overs specialists in Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.Their only apparent weakness, it seems, lies in their batting. Does Ajinkya Rahane, who could open in Shikhar Dhawan’s absence, have the ability to match modern scoring standards? MS Dhoni’s finishing skills aren’t getting better, while KL Rahul, Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav haven’t yet carved their name in any of the open spots in India’s middle order.

Form guide

India WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia LLLWW

In the spotlight

How do you stop India’s master chasers Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni? In South Africa’s previous ODI series in India, captain AB de Villiers employed a 4-5 field for his tall seamers, who angled the ball into their ribs. In their defense of 270 in Rajkot, South Africa stole the game from an improbable situation. Kohli and Dhoni may or may not be susceptible to the short ball, but the point is South Africa executed a set of discernible plans while defending a middling total. Bowling without gameplans in favourable batting conditions may not be the best way to go, as Australia found out in their last ODI series in India.Confidence is an influential factor in sport. David Warner would have gained plenty after he overcame arguably the biggest flaw in his record, scoring hundreds in the sub-continent; he scored two against Bangladesh in successive Tests in gruelling conditions. Opening the batting in ODIs in India, against hard, new balls, is every batsman’s dream, and Warner, with his attacking template, is best suited to taking advantage of the Powerplay.Getty Images

Team news

With Dhawan absent for the first three games, Rahane should slot into his opening spot. With Australia – and the rest of the world – struggling to pick wristspin, Kuldeep is likely to be persisted with. Axar Patel is out of the squad after injuring his ankle during a practice session, with Ravindra Jadeja named as his replacement. India will therefore have to choose between him and Yuzvendra Chahal for the second spinner’s slot.India (probable): 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Manish Pandey/KL Rahul, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal/Ravindra Jadeja, 11 Jasprit BumrahWith a calf problem ruling Aaron Finch out of the first few ODIs, Travis Head might be forced to open the batting, a position he is accustomed to, having opened for South Australia. With Glenn Maxwell’s offspinning ability, Australia may stick with just one spinner.Australia (probable): 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Peter Handscomb, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Pat Cummins, 11 Adam Zampa

Pitch and conditions

The surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium tends to get progressively worse for batting. The average first-innings score at this venue is 264, but with modern-day batting at its best, 300-plus totals in both innings isn’t entirely implausible. There is a forecast for thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon.

Stats and trivia

• Since January 2013, the average first-innings score in games between India and Australia is 321.
• In that same period, Rohit Sharma has scored 1104 runs in 13 matches against Australia, at an ” target=”_blank”>average of 110.4 and a strike rate of 102.88
• In the last year, India’s top three batsmen have contributed 57.6% of the team runs, while Australia’s top three have accounted for 54.5%.
• David Warner will most likely play his first ODI in India on Sunday.

Quotes

“You can say what you want, you can keep talking the whole time but if you don’t deliver on the field it doesn’t matter. All those things are to get that aspect of mind games which I think creates an excitement for the fans watching as well. And also the players involved in the series, you know, that becomes more exciting and players are more pumped up to win games and outdo each other.”
India captain Virat Kohli on the verbals between the two sides“I think India play a lot more ODI cricket than we do. I’m not sure how many games Virat has played.”
1505 GMT: The preview was amended to reflect the news of Ravindra Jadeja’s inclusion in India’s squad following Axar Patel’s ankle injury

Chelsea have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, with Mauricio Pochettino looking to bolster his shot-stopping options ahead of his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Should the deal go through, Sanchez will be Chelsea's sixth signing of the summer.

What's the latest on Robert Sanchez to Chelsea?

The London club have reached an agreement on an initial £20m fee, which could rise to £25m in potential add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano, who has also reported that the shot-stopper has agreed a long-term deal.

It always seemed likely that Chelsea would sign another goalkeeper this summer, following the exit of Edouard Mendy to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli. And with that, Sanchez was identified as a target, before this recent breakthrough in negotiations will see him join his compatriot at Stamford Bridge.

Whether the Brighton goalkeeper comes in as an instant starter remains to be seen, with Kepa Arrizabalaga set to compete with his fellow Spaniard in the coming campaign. Of course, competition is no bad thing, however, as Pochettino looks to identify his best starting line-up as early as possible at Chelsea.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

It will certainly be interesting to see just who makes the new manager's preferred side, especially in between the sticks, should Sanchez complete the move.

Is Robert Sanchez a good signing?

So far this summer, the Blues have addressed some serious issues within their squad – they've cleared out plenty of deadwood, shipping out a total of 14 players so far.

The Premier League giants have also attempted to solve their issues in attack, with the arrival of Christopher Nukunku and Nicolas Jackson bolstering their offensive options, as they look to better their disastrous tally of 38 goals in the previous campaign.

One problem that remained unsolved, however, was their need for a goalkeeper, and Sanchez's potential arrival looks set to change that in the coming weeks.

The Brighton man is certainly capable of slotting straight into the number one role at Stamford Bridge, too, especially when at his best. During the 2021/22 season, for example, Sanchez made more saves than his Chelsea competition, Kepa, managed during the last campaign, according to FBref.

Of course, one concern will be the fact that the Spaniard lost his place to Jason Steele under Robert de Zerbi last season in a surprising turn of events at The Amex. When asked to play the role for the Seagulls, though, Sanchez received plenty of praise, with former coach Graham Potter previously saying, via The Argus:

“He is a monster in terms of his physicality. He’s not just big but he is powerful, he is fast. In terms of attributes as a goalkeeper, he has got everything to be a top goalkeeper.

“I’m pleased for him. It’s another step forward in his development but he has still got a lot to do and he has still got a lot of experience to gather.”

With that said, it will certainly be interesting to see how Sanchez does if he does complete an expected summer move to Chelsea.

England’s new No. 3 has not looked out of his depth early in his Test career and is determined to maintain a relaxed approach to the pressure

Alan Gardner23-Aug-20172:21

‘I just desperately want to score runs for England’ – Westley

Almost three years ago, Tom Westley was standing round the back of the pavilion at Chelmsford, wiping the sweat from his brow after Essex had completed their final match of the season and talking softly, almost hesitantly, about his “ultimate goal” of playing for England. Westley had been selected – for the first time at the age of 25 – for the England Performance Programme, on the back of his impressive white-ball form that summer.That winter, he went to Sri Lanka, playing a few games for the Bloomfield club in Colombo while also working on his spin bowling; the following summer saw his best first-class return, 926 runs at 44.09, followed by an even more prolific season in 2016, when he averaged more than 50 and broke the 1000-run barrier for the first time. Now, at 28, he is England’s incumbent at No. 3 in the Test side.All of which is to say that Westley has worked long and hard to get to where he wants to be – he made his first-class debut for Essex more than a decade ago – and is intent on enjoying the experience. Called up for the Oval Test against South Africa, after Gary Ballance suffered a broken finger, he became only the second England debutant to score a fifty batting at No. 3 this century and, despite failing to match that contribution since, has so far featured in three consecutive Test victories.Westley is already getting used to the extra attention that comes with being an England cricketer – at least from the media, if not the general public, as a trip into Birmingham last week with Alastair Cook brought home. When an England fan stopped and asked for a selfie with Cook, Westley was not required. “The guy was like ‘no, no, it’s just his mate’. So I was just stood there.”Opposition analysts, you can be certain, will not make the same oversight, focusing on his strong leg-side game and a habit of occasionally letting his bottom hand take over, closing the bat face when he drives down the ground. Having spent many years forging a technique he trusts to bring him runs, Westley is not about to start making changes now and his conversations with those who know his batting best – including the gnomic Gnome of Essex cricket, and former England captain, Keith Fletcher – have centred on sticking to what works.”I score consistently through the leg side so that’s not something I’m too concerned about,” Westley says. “That’s the way I play. But I just thinking making that step up, and Cooky and Rooty showed it in the last game, that’s when you get in you have to make it count. I’ve got a start in a few of my innings and that’s the difference between county cricket, where you can get to 30 or 60 and hope a score comes along, but in Test cricket the scrutiny is on you because you have to go on there and then.”It’s my role to score hundreds. That’s what I’m there to do at three and make match-winning contributions but I’m confident in my ability and my game plan. It’s worked for me for a number of years at Essex and hopefully I can implement it at Test level.”I spoke to Fletch yesterday. I speak to him a lot. It’s the same advice. Keep it simple. Try to implement what you’ve done at Essex. I spoke to him briefly yesterday about a few things I try to tick off. I’ve done it from a young age. For instance a big thing for me is my balance so I was disappointed to be lbw in the last game because the leg side is a massive strength of mine and it was disappointing to get out that way. I may get out lb several times a year but generally I score a large volume of runs through the leg side. Everybody has their check list before a Test and a big thing for me is my balance. Then everything takes care of itself.”Westley’s dismissal at Edgbaston, trapped in front for 8 by Miguel Cummins, saw his opportunity extinguished before the pink ball had lost its first blush – and such was the scale of their dominance, England did not need to bat again. While he could have been forgiven for stewing in the dressing room while Cook and Joe Root each proceeded serenely to three figures during a stand of 248, Westley has been around long enough not to let such frustrations bite too deeply.”Some would say I missed the boat, but I just looked at it as them laying a platform for England to win which is the most important thing,” he says. “Maybe when you’re a bit younger, 19 or 20, you look sideways at what other people are doing and you wish you are scoring those runs, but I’m a bit older than that, although I don’t look it, and I just enjoy other people’s success.Tom Westley focuses during training•Getty Images

“I’ve seen it first hand with other people at Essex and with Cooky, there is not point competing with him, he is the leading run-scorer for England of all time, so it was more important that they laid a platform for England to win and that is what happened. If I play this next game and get a good start and kick on then my time will come as it will for other players in the changing room. That is my philosophy.”England will hope that he does kick on at some point over the next two Tests, with an Ashes series looming and questions hovering over the make-up of the top three. Having shown an impressive temperament in coming through his first test, against South Africa, Westley knows that a big innings is required to prove his belongs – never mind the quality of the opposition.”As far as I’m concerned runs are runs regardless of who they’re against. I know that the West Indies didn’t cover themselves in glory in the last Test but they are a very talented side. They’ve got some good bowlers, I know Shannon Gabriel didn’t play the last game, but they’ve got Kemar Roach and bowlers who have performed consistently in Test cricket.”For me, I just want to score runs for whoever I play for and for England against whoever. I think there is nothing else I can do. These are the Tests that are here in England at the moment so if I can score runs in them then it is only going to help.”So level-headed and thoughtful is Westley, that it is a surprise to hear that he recently made his mum cry. But then it is also a bit of surprise to hear university-educated Westley talk about his builder dad: “very vocal, covered in tattoos, very different to me.”. Should Tom ensure himself a place in England’s party for Australia, it will be a source of great pride for the whole family (he also has two sisters).”I spoke to my mum on the phone last night about hopefully getting selected for the third Test of this series at Lord’s and she just started crying, she couldn’t speak back to me. Growing up that’s what she envisaged for me as her son: playing at Lord’s. I can’t even bring up the Ashes to her. I was actually shocked on the phone because she couldn’t speak back to me, and I was like ‘signal gone?'”It was surprising to hear her well up. We were talking about tickets for Lord’s if I was selected and she couldn’t get a word in. I think getting selected on the Ashes would be times that by 10.”Before Australia, before Lord’s, even, comes the Headingley Test and the next stage on Westley’s journey. If he does well, he won’t be doing his interviews round the back of the pavilion; if he doesn’t, it seems fair to assume he will mop his brow and get his head down once again.”I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself because there is pressure as you’d expect playing for England,” he says. “I play cricket because I love playing cricket and the team, management and changing room has been unbelievable these last three games. I know there is a pressure to score runs but fundamentally I want to enjoy playing cricket for England, which I have, and hopefully in time the runs will follow.”Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For Out of the Ordinary thinking visit investec.com/cricket

An update has emerged on Leeds United's efforts to bolster their playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 Championship campaign…

What's the latest Leeds transfer news?

According to Football Insider, the Whites have made an enquiry over Everton central defender Mason Holgate as they pursue a deal to sign him during the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Sheffield United and Southampton have also made contact with Sean Dyche's side in order to gauge how much it would take for the Toffees to sanction a move.

It states that the manager has told the former West Bromwich Albion loanee that he is free to leave but his £72k-per-week wages could limit his options unless the Premier League team are willing to continue paying a percentage of it.

Where can Mason Holgate play?

The 26-year-old enforcer is an extremely versatile defender who has proven himself capable of playing in any position across the back four, as well as in a defensive midfield role.

His flexibility to be deployed in either a full-back spot or in the heart of the defence would make him a useful player for head coach Daniel Farke, who could then forget about the possible departure of Max Wober.

Despite having only been signed in January for £10m from Red Bull Salzburg, it has been reported that the Austria international is set to complete a move to German side Borussia Monchengladbach on loan.

The 25-year-old ace, like Holgate, is a versatile player who has played at left-back, centre-back, or in a no.6 position, although both players predominantly play at the heart of the backline.

Therefore, Farke could forget about the blow of losing, if the move goes through as reported, Wober by bringing in another gem who can cover across multiple positions to alleviate any injury or suspension issues when needed.

Holgate, who was once hailed as a "leader" by the Liverpool ECHO's Sam Carroll, is also a player with the potential to be an excellent signing for Leeds due to his quality.

The English brute has endured a couple of disappointing top-flight seasons with Everton, as he has failed to average a Sofascore rating higher than 6.65, but his form prior to that was impressive.

During the 2020/21 campaign, he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.82 across 28 Premier League games, and that came after a superb rating of 7.01 over 27 matches throughout the previous season, in which he demonstrated his dominant defending with a ground duel success rate of 69%.

The latter score would have left him top of the Whites team during the 2022/23 campaign, which suggests that the potential is there for him to be an outstanding performer for the club.

Wober, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.84 in 16 league outings for Leeds last term, which placed him third within the squad of players with at least one start and won 51% of his battles on the ground.

Therefore, Holgate could replace the Austrian titan both in terms of quality and versatility if Farke can use his coaching skills to get the Everton man back to his best, which could be aided by a drop down to the Championship to play a lower standard of football.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، عن توتر العلاقة بين رئيس نادي برشلونة، خوان لابورتا، ووكيل اللاعبين بيني زهافي الذي يتولى أعمال روبرت ليفاندوفسكي.

زهافي أحد الوكلاء الذين كانوا من المقربين من لابورتا، خاصة في ظل الصفقات التي أبرمها الرئيس الإسباني مع الوكيل في العديد من المناسبات.

إذاعة “بار كاناليتس” الإسبانية، أكدت أن بيني زهافي غاضبًا من خوان لابورتا، لأن رئيس نادي برشلونة، أجرى محادثات هاتفية مع موكله هانزي فليك لخلافة تشافي، دون أن يستشيره.

طالع أيضًا.. سبورت توضح موعد إعلان برشلونة تجديد عقد سيرجي روبيرتو

وأشارت التقارير إلى أن لابورتا عندما كان يبحث عن بدلاء لـ تشافي، اتصل بـ هانزي فليك مباشرة، دون أن يعود لوكيله بيني زهافي، وهو ما جعل الأخير يغضب من تصرف رئيس النادي الكتالوني.

وشددت التقارير على أن لابورتا حاول التواصل مع زهافي بعد ذلك، لكن صاحب الـ80 عامًا لم يرد على رسائل الواتساب الخاصة بـ رئيس برشلونة منذ ذلك الحين.

العلاقة المتوترة بين لابورتا وزهافي ستجعل الأمور صعبة بشأن اللاعبين الذين يريد النادي الكتالوني التعاقد معهم ولديهم عقود مع بيني، بالإضافة إلى أن روبرت ليفاندوفسكي نفسه يفكر برشلونة في رحيله، ولن يتمكن من تحقيق ذلك إلا في حالة تصحيح الأوضاع مع وكيله.

The South Africa fast bowler feels the league’s cancellation this year could hurt the hopes and finances of the country’s up and coming players

Firdose Moonda19-Oct-2017South Africa’s younger players will suffer the most from the postponement of the T20 Global League, according to pace spearhead Dale Steyn. The league was due to be played from November 3 until December 16 but has been put off for a year as CSA struggles to deal with the costs and logistics of a tournament of this nature.Though no replacement fixtures have been announced, the domestic franchise T20 competition is expected to played in that period. There is some talk of increasing of payments for that event, but it will not nearly be as monied as the T20 Global League.”I feel for the younger guys, the guys who were set to earn some cash and were maybe looking at buying a flat or a car. The excitement gets to you, especially when you’re young and all of a sudden you get the opportunity to earn US$100,000,” Steyn said at a sponsor event on Thursday. “Could you imagine being 21 and someone offers you 100,000 dollars and then three weeks later says, ‘oh you are not getting it anymore’. It kind of ruins your plans and hopes.”Recent ODI and Tests debutants Dane Paterson and Aiden Markram, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lungi Ngidi and Heinrich Klaasen all became overnight Rand millionaires after the draft but will not see that money just yet, if at all. It’s not simply a case of rolling the contracts over for next year because things change in cricket, neither is there any certainty the tournament will actually take place given that its organisation is now under investigation.The South African Cricketers’ Association is in the process of negotiating with CSA but, according to CEO Tony Irish, is doing so while being “mindful of the situation CSA is in”. CSA has already lost millions of Rands in stadium upgrades, marketing and a lavish launch for the T20 Global League and though player payments must be made, it is unclear if that will happen in full. All that means the young players who were expecting big pays may not see them.For Steyn, it’s not just the financial implications of this tournament being postponed that matter but also the intangibles. An event like T20 Global League would have also provided young players with exposure that could have resulted in them getting deals in other T20 leagues, where South Africa’s most established players already have contracts. “For the older players, it does not matter so much, they are set. You look at AB [de Villiers], anybody in the world would take AB, any team. He doesn’t have to prove himself but maybe a Dane Paterson, who is just making his way and was set to earn some money… This would have been a nice platform for him and other guys. It’s unfortunate but it’s the way it is.”

West Bromwich Albion have made contact over a potential loan move to sign a versatile midfielder.

What’s the latest West Brom transfer news?

The Baggies and Carlos Corebran are looking to bolster their squad even further with weeks remaining before the transfer market slams shut on September 1.

Things didn’t get off to the best of starts on the pitch in their Championship opener, falling to a 2-1 defeat at Ewood Park against Blackburn Rovers. New loan signing from Brighton & Hove Albion, attacking midfielder Jeremy Sarmiento, made his debut from the bench last weekend, and the club have also brought in centre-forward Josh Maja on a free transfer after leaving Bordeaux.

Another midfield addition appears to be of interest to the Baggies, though, with an update emerging on Borussia Monchengladbach teenager Oscar Fraulo.

Journalist Dominik Schneider took to X to share what he’s heard about Fraulo’s future. He stated that Borussia Monchengladbach are looking to loan the player out, with West Brom one of five clubs credited with an interest after the Baggies made contact over a possible transfer.

“Borussia Monchengladbach is looking for loan options for Oscar Fraulo. According to my information there are already some initial inquiries. Hannover96 + SV Darmstadt are interested. Also West Brom + Brondby + Vitesse have been in contact.”

Who is Oscar Fraulo?

Fraulo is just 19 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder who can also play as a holding or attacking midfielder, showing how he could offer plenty of versatility at The Hawthorns.

Already sponsored by Nike, Fraulo holds citizenship in both Italy and Denmark but has represented the latter of the two countries at youth level up to U20s.

The midfielder came through the youth system at FC Midtjylland and made just four senior appearances for the club before leaving for Borussia Monchengladbach in a deal worth around €2m back in 2020.

Since then, Fraulo has once again had to mainly make do with featuring at youth level and has turned out on just two occasions for Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga.

It appears as if the German side now want the player to get senior football out on loan to continue his development, though, with West Brom viewed as a possible destination.

The midfielder was named among the top 50 players to feature in the UEFA Youth League with those in the media describing him as a hard-working player.

“Fraulo is highly rated by Borussia Monchengladbach and is expected to play a key role in the club's future. Fraulo is a hard-working midfielder who is constantly looking to improve his game.”

West Brom and Corberan currently have five holding or central midfield options in Okay Yokuslu, Nathaniel Chalobah, John Swift, Alex Mowatt and Jayson Molumby, so a move for Fraulo could make sense, and by the looks of things, a deal could be one to watch.

The Baggies may need to beat a number of sides to his services, so may have to guarantee the prospect of first-team football ahead of the likes of Hannover 96, SV Darmstadt, Brondby and Vitesse.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to add another central defender to their squad before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, the Hoops have made an enquiry over a deal to sign Volendam centre-back Xavier Mbuyamba.

The reporter has revealed that the Scottish giants are in the market to land another player in that position to replace Sweden international Carl Starfelt, who is reportedly set to join Spanish side Celta Vigo.

He has also claimed that Brendan Rodgers has enquired about a swoop for Elfsborg’s Gustaf Lagerbielke, which shows that the club are exploring multiple options at this time.

How good is Xavier Mbuyamba?

The 6 foot 5 colossus enjoyed a strong season in the Netherlands with Volendam and due to his stature and quality, he could come in as the Northern Irish tactician's next Jozo Simunovic at Parkhead.

Mbuyamba averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 28 Eredivisie matches last term and displayed his ability with 3.5 tackles and interceptions, which is more than any Celtic centre-back managed last season in the Scottish Premiership, and 3.4 aerial duels won per match for the Dutch side.

The 21-year-old talent, who was once described as a "dominant" player by scout Jacek Kulig, is a physically imposing enforcer who can consistently win the ball back for his team and dominate the opposition when the ball goes in the air, which is why he could be like Simunovic for the Bhoys boss.

During Rodgers' first spell at Paradise, the Croatian titan was a mainstay at the back and made 84 appearances in less than three years for the ex-Liverpool head coach.

Only seven outfield players and one centre-back – Dedryck Boyata – played more matches under the 50-year-old manager, which shows how much he trusted the now-free agent, who was also eligible to represent Bosnia.

Standing at 6 foot 3, Simunovic was a towering presence in defence for the Hoops who caught the eye with his consistent defensive interventions in Europe.

The giant averaged 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game in European competitions for Dinamo Zagreb and Celtic combined throughout his career.

He also won at least 2.3 aerial battles per match in two of his Europa League campaigns with the Hoops as the colossal defender showcased his ability in the air.

These statistics show that Mbuyamba is a similar type of player to Simunovic as he is capable of making a similar number of tackles and interceptions per outing whilst they are also both huge, in height, defenders who can make themselves a presence in both boxes.

The Dutch colossus used his height to great effect last season as the ex-Chelsea academy prospect managed to score five goals from centre-back for Volendam, which is two more than any Hoops player in that position produced in the Premiership.

Therefore, Rodgers could land his next Simunovic by securing a deal to sign the 6 foot 5 battler as he would have another reliable central defender who could be a mainstay in his backline over the years to come.

Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin would prefer to stay put at Goodison Park beyond the summer transfer window, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

How old is Dominic Calvert-Lewin?

The striker is still only 26 years of age, but having seen his reputation skyrocket after a brilliant 2020/21 season, injuries have held him back in cruel fashion in recent years.

Calvert-Lewin has seen his playing constantly limited by ongoing fitness issues, with only 15 Premier League starts coming his way last term. Even when he did play, he struggled to look full of match sharpness, and his performances arguably played a part in Everton having another relegation battle on their hands.

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The Englishman still has two years remaining on his current Blues deal, meaning there is no huge rush to sort an extension, but he has been linked with a move away from Goodison Park this summer, with the club potentially willing to sanction his sale.

It looks as though there is a good chance that he will stay at Everton, however, following a fresh update.

Could Dominic Calvert-Lewin stat at Everton?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Galetti claimed that Calvert-Lewin's preference is to remain at Everton moving forward, as he provided an update on other players, too:

"About the ongoing market, Gray could leave this summer. There is a well underway deal with Fulham, despite interest from Saudi Arabia and Turkey. With Calvert-Lewin, nothing concrete in this moment. The player would like to stay and get back into the game after a difficult season due to injuries.

"Finally, many clubs admire Branthwaite. During his loan with PSV Eindhoven last season, he made very good performances."

There is no question that Calvert-Lewin has failed to kick on since 2020/21, but much of that is not through his own doing, with injuries preventing him from reaching his potential.

For that reason, this claim suggesting he wants to stay at Everton should be considered good news for Blues supporters, with the England striker still having so much to offer as a player, should he be able to overcome the fitness woes and enjoy an extended run in the team.

Should Calvert-Lewin, who earns £100k per week, be able to do that, he could genuinely feel like a new signing, bringing a strong flow of goals and generally being a huge handful in attack, having been described as an "exceptional footballer" by Sky Sports presenter Pete Graves.

At 26, there are no concerns about his age, with many good years still hopefully ahead of him, and he certainly deserves this upcoming season to prove his worth and showing that he can remain fit for long periods.

Should injuries continue to derail his progress throughout the 2023/24 campaign, a decision may then have to be made this time next year, at which point he would only have 12 months remaining on his contract. At that point, Everton may feel that receiving a fee for him makes more sense than allowing him to leave for free in 2025, but before that, it will be intriguing to see how he fares in the coming months.