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Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Lautaro Martinez to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Jacque Talbot, with the Football Transfers journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Fabio Paratici is a big fan of the Inter Milan centre-forward, before going on to claim that the Spurs sporting director even attempted to sign the 24-year-old in the January window.

In a further tweet, Talbot confirmed that both Tottenham and Atletico Madrid are once again interested in the signing of the Argentina international at the end of the current campaign, with recent reports from Italy suggesting that the Serie A side would be willing to accept an offer of between €60m-€70m (£50m-£58m) for Martinez this summer.

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In his post, the transfer insider said: “In what’s becoming a running trend, our story from two weeks ago confirmed by Fabrizio Romano. Tottenham and Atletico Madrid have interest in Lautaro Martinez of Inter.”

Talbot continued: “We’re told Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici is a fan of the 24-year-old and even tried to do a deal for him in January. While Atletico readying themselves for Luis Suarez’s departure when his contract is up in two months and see the 24-year-old as the ideal replacement.”

A steal at £58m

Following his £22.5m move to Inter back in the summer of 2018, Martinez quickly has gone on to establish himself as one of the most dangerous centre-forwards in world football – bagging 69 goals and registering 23 assists over his 175 appearances for the Nerazzurri.

A large portion of these goal involvements came under the stewardship of Antonio Conte, with the Argentine hitman finding the back of the net 40 times and providing 19 assists in 97 outings over the course of the 52-year-old manager’s two-year spell in charge at the San Siro.

The £177k-per-week striker’s best campaign for Conte undoubtedly came last season, when, over his 38 Serie A fixtures, the 24-year-old scored 17 goals, registered ten assists and created nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.9 shots and making one key pass per game.

These returns saw the £63m-rated forward average a quite extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.17, ranking him as the Italian’s third-best player in the league – playing a starring role in Inter’s title-winning campaign.

As such, with Conte clearly knowing how to get the best out of Martinez, it is undeniable that the centre-forward would make an exceptional addition to the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski in the Tottenham Hotspur attack.

And, when considering that Inter were reported to have rejected Tottenham’s €95m (£80m) bid for the striker just eight months ago, should the 37-time capped international indeed be available for just £58m this summer, it is clear to see that Fabio Paratici could secure a steal by landing the 24-year-old.

AND in other news: “His people claim..”: Gold drops behind scenes update, Spurs supporters surely buzzing

Sachin Tendulkar has singled out early acclimatisation to the South African weather as key to India’s performance on the tour, ahead of the first Test in Centurion on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2010Sachin Tendulkar has singled out early acclimatisation to the South African weather as key to India’s performance on the tour, ahead of the first Test in Centurion on Thursday.”For me, one thing is very important and that is to get acclimatised to local weather conditions,” Tendulkar told . “Preparations have been spot on and the lengthy practice session has given us that opportunity (to get acclimatised). We have had good net sessions under the guidance of coach Gary (Kirsten).”The high-altitude conditions around Johannesburg – Centurion is about an hour’s drive away – posed a challenge, Tendulkar said. “While playing in Johannesburg you have to be extra-careful. It is a high-altitude area, so supply of oxygen is a bit of a problem.”When the tour starts and we step on the cricket field for the first time, we normally start running. While completing the first lap, one can easily feel that the body is not getting enough oxygen. Once you get used to those conditions there is no problem.”Adaptability to the quicker pitches was as much a test for the hosts as it was for India, Tendulkar said. “In South Africa, players and critics always talk about getting used to the pace and bounce of wickets here. For them, this is going to be the start of the season, so wickets are going to be a lot fresher.”

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their chances of signing Ismaila Sarr from fellow Premier League side Watford.

What’s the talk?

Journalist Jacque Talbot has claimed that PIF have been handed the opportunity to land the Senegalese phenomenon at the end of the season.

He Tweeted: “Exc: Newcastle have been offered Watford’s Ismaila Sarr. Representatives met with club in London. Told his side would want about £40m. Deal makes sense but striker and centre-back (right-sided) are nufc priority.”

Watford are 12 points adrift of safety with four games left to play and this means that they will be relegated from the top flight this weekend if they fail to win and/or Burnley pick up any points. They are set for a drop down to the Championship and it appears as if they are now planning for life beyond Sarr.

Fans will be buzzing

The Newcastle faithful will surely be buzzing with this claim as Sarr would be an exciting addition to the squad this summer.

It remains to be seen whether or not the price is a final valuation, as relegation could change how much Watford are able to demand for him, and this means that it is difficult to judge whether or not he would be worth the money Newcastle would have to pay.

In terms of what he offers on the pitch, Sarr is a direct, young, winger with potential. He has produced five goals and two assists in 20 starts for the struggling Hornets in the top flight, after managing five goals and four assists in the division two years ago.

He caught the eye in the Championship last season as Watford finished second in the table. The attacker found the back of the net 13 times and registered four assists as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.21. This, along with his statistics in the Premier League, suggests that he has the potential to be a big threat at the top end of the pitch for the Magpies if they can get the best out of him.

At the age of 24, he has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop. Eddie Howe can work with him to make the most of his talent and that is an exciting prospect for the supporters, given the promising signs Sarr has shown in the top-flight for Watford in recent years.

AND in other news, “NUFC want..”: Mark Douglas drops big Darsley Park transfer claim that’ll delight Howe…

Shane Watson, who struck 59 and took 4 for 15 in the first Twenty20, is from Ipswich, west of Brisbane, which is one of the worst affected areas by the devastation and he struggled to focus on his cricket as he watched TV coverage of the rising water

Andrew McGlashan in Melbourne13-Jan-2011For some of Australia’s cricketers the flood crisis in Queensland has hit especially close to home. Shane Watson, who struck 59 and took 4 for 15 in the first Twenty20, is from Ipswich, west of Brisbane, which is one of the worst affected areas by the devastation and he struggled to focus on his cricket as he watched TV coverage of the rising water.Watson’s mother and father are currently in Sydney so have escaped the danger while his sister is on high ground but is very close to the major flooding. Despite his mind being elsewhere, Watson produced a fine all-round performance in Adelaide which just failed to secure victory although the one-wicket loss wasn’t dominating his thoughts.”Over the past couple of days for me personally it has put things into perspective of exactly what cricket means and what life means with all the devastation in my home town Ipswich,” he said. “I love playing and I have a lot of fun doing it but in the end what we do is inconsequential compared to the heartache and the devastation that is going through my home town at the moment.”My mum and dad are actually in Sydney at the moment, but their house is okay. It’s more seeing the footage of the main street of Ipswich. The river is a fair way away from the main street where Coles [the supermarket] is underwater and that sort of thing.”It’s going to take a long, long time for people to pick up the pieces. I’ll be doing everything I can to get back there as soon as I can to help out because my heart is there, my family is there. Ipswich has been very, very good to me in my development as a person, and as a cricketer, so I owe a lot to them.”Both Australia and England are heavily involved in fundraising activities for the flood victims during the Twenty20 and one-day series. England have donated to a fund and players from both sides went around the ground collecting donations in Adelaide.Kevin Pietersen decided to take his own action by setting up an auction of one of his Ashes bats and shirts, plus tickets to the final ODI in Perth where Pietersen will pay the flights for whoever bids the highest. By Thursday afternoon the bid on Ebay had reached more than AUS$12,000 (£8,000) and Pietersen said it was when he saw the TV pictures that he knew he wanted to help.”I woke up a couple of mornings ago and saw how tragic everything is in Queensland,” he said. “I’ve just been downstairs now and seen on the TV a restaurant that I’ve eaten three or four times at during the Test match – that’s under water at the moment.”I’m hoping to get double figures [in thousands] of pounds to assist with this. Hopefully the bidding will go up. I think it is around £8,500 pounds, if I can get that a lot higher in the next 10 days that would be amazing. I’ve never done this before. All I can say is I’ve tried my best to help the situation which I thought was really, really tragic.”England are due to play a one-day international at the Gabba on January 30 – which has been designated a fundraiser – and Queensland officials are still confident the game will go ahead while the state Government has urged the match to remain. However, the Big Bash encounter that was due to be played in Brisbane on Saturday, between Queensland and New South Wales, has been delayed until January 24.

As Paul Collingwood announces his retirement from Test cricket, ESPNcricinfo picks out five of his best Test innings as he continually proved the doubters wrong

Andrew McGlashan06-Jan-2011Paul Collingwood’s match-saving effort against Australia at Cardiff was one of his finest•PA Photos134 not out v India, Nagpur, 2005-06
This was Collingwood’s first Test century and the innings that proved he’d be able to hack it at the top level. Earlier that winter he’d made 96 and 80 against Pakistan, in Lahore, but this century marshalled England to a strong total and from there they bossed the Test match. Collingwood’s bottom-handed technique was suited to the subcontinent where he wasn’t troubled by extra bounce and he combated India’s twice spin threat of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh with aplomb. The innings also showed another of Collingwood’s skills, the ability to bat with the tail. When Matthew Hoggard fell England were 267 for 8, but with Steve Harmison (39) and Monty Panesar (9) for company the final two wickets added 127 runs. Collingwood also struck four sixes, showing the swift footwork against spinners that would serve him well throughout his career.206 v Australia, Adelaide, 2006-07Rarely has an Ashes double century come with so many mixed emotions. As history records, England managed to lose an unloseable Test as they succumbed to Shane Warne on the final day, but early in the match it was all about a record-breaking stand between Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen. The Australians respected what Pietersen could achieve, but had been less admiring of Collingwood yet he put their bowling attack to the sword with a 392-ball innings. Again, like in India, a slow pitch suited his game and he reached his double in emphatic style when he came down the pitch to loft Michael Clarke back over his head. This would remain Collingwood’s highest Test score but it proved hard for him to savour it too much after the final outcome.135 v South Africa, Edgbaston, 2008Even during the 2010-11 Ashes slump that brought the end of his career it wouldn’t have been a surprise if Collingwood had pulled out a hundred, because he’d already played the ultimate career-saving innings. He had been dropped for the previous Test against South Africa at Headingley, but following a heavy defeat was recalled. A failure in the first innings left the likelihood of one knock to save his place and he responded with a spine-tingling 135 as he threw caution to wind. The early stage of the innings was horribly scratchy as he, literally, lived on the edge but slowly the form began to return with his trademark leg-side nudges and powerful cuts. He reached three figures in grand style as he launched Paul Harris for six and Collingwood’s future was secure.74 v Australia, Cardiff, 2009Collingwood at his resolute best. England were gone in this match, five down and still a long way behind at lunch on the final day leaving Australia set to take a 1-0 Ashes lead. Collingwood, though, was having none of it as he resisted for nearly six hours with bloody-minded defiance. As the match went deep into the final session Collingwood withstood everything the Australians threw at him. It wasn’t the great attack of the 2006-07 vintage, but Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus had been a handful while Nathan Hauritz out-bowled Graeme Swann. However, there was a final twist when Collingwood fended to gully with England still behind by six and he could barely watch as England’s last pair, James Anderson and Monty Panesar, were left with 11 overs to survive. Would it be another Adelaide for Collingwood? Not this time, as the tailenders pulled off a great escape and it would prove that Collingwood had laid the base for a series victory.40 v South Africa, Cape Town, 2009-10After Cardiff there was Cape Town. And this was an even better rearguard because of the quality in the South Africa attack. England were 153 for 4 when Collingwood entered on the final day, not a chance of chasing down 466, and soon lost their fifth wicket as the hosts scented a kill. Then followed a 57-over stand between Collingwood and Ian Bell which gave England the chance of survival. Collingwood had to survive one of the finest spells of pace bowling in recent times from Dale Steyn, as regular 90mph leg cutters jagged past the outside edge, but each time Collingwood just refocused and faced the next ball. Ultimately, Bell – and Graham Onions, the final-over hero – took the major plaudits for the rescue act but without Collingwood it wouldn’t have been possible.

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur right-back Emerson Royal.

What’s the talk?

Speaking in a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, the football.london journalist suggested that, despite a promising performance in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Saturday evening, the 23-year-old could still be moved on by Fabio Paratici this summer, as the Brazil international does not fit Antonio Conte’s tactical setup at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Regarding the full-back’s future in north London, Gold said: “Emerson was really good [against Liverpool]. He was really good. But he’s not a natural fit as a wing-back, he’s not.

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“And I still wonder whether that may have consequences for his future at the club, especially if Conte stays and we’re going to play with wing-backs – and whether Conte feels he can turn him into a wing-back.

“But nights like this [on Saturday] show his value, they do. And, if he does move, I think he’ll have no issue finding another club. I think they’ll be queuing up, especially back in Spain, for him. I think Spurs will probably make more than they bought him for.”

Supporters will be buzzing

While it is true that Emerson did turn in a very respectable display against Liverpool on Saturday, it cannot be avoided that the €30m (£25.7m) 2021 signing is simply not suited to playing at right wing-back in Conte’s system.

Indeed, over his 28 Premier League appearances this season, the £26m-rated defender has been largely disappointing in a creative capacity, scoring one goal, registering one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of just 0.4 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.6 dribbles per game.

The £62k-per-week full-back has returned slightly better metrics in a defensive capacity, helping his side keep four clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 0.7 interceptions, 2.3 tackles, 2.6 clearances and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 55% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the 23-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.89 – a significantly lower than that of Matt Doherty, who boasts a 7.06 match rating over his 15 league outings this term – ranking him as Conte’s 11th-worst performer in the English top-flight.

Furthermore, in a recent poll ran on Football FanCast, Spurs supporters made their feelings abundantly clear that they do not believe the Brazilian is good enough for their club.

As such, Gold’s claim that Emerson will more than likely be moved on by Tottenham this summer is sure to have left supporters buzzing, especially if Paratici can sell the defender for a profit – as the journalist suggests.

AND in other news: “Are interested…”: Romano drops £17m transfer update, he’s perfect for Conte’s Spurs

Dissent and criticism of the ICC’s decision to cull Associate nations fromthe 2015 World Cup intensified further on the opening day of the currenttournament

Osman Samiuddin in Hambantota19-Feb-2011Dissent and criticism of the ICC’s decision to cull Associate nations fromthe 2015 World Cup intensified further on the opening day of the currenttournament. Grant Flower, Zimbabwe’s batting coach, and Canada’s captainAshish Bagai added their voices to a growing chorus of dissatisfactionthat has, if not overshadowed the opening days, then dampened a little thecelebratory nature of the occasion.Already a number of Associate countries, foremost among them Kenya’s chiefexecutive Tom Sears, have hit out at the ICC’s reaffirmation on Friday ofa decision taken in October last year. Afghanistan and Netherlands havealso weighed in: “Our players are always motivated but those comments weredisappointing,” Netherlands team manager Ed van Nierop told .”I can’t see what it does for the global element of the competition bygoing back down to 10 teams. I guess the proposals for the Twenty20 are abit of a bonus but the World Cup is still the premier ICC tournament.”Notably, Graeme Swann also chipped in, saying the decision had taken the’world’ out of the World Cup.But on Saturday came the most articulate and extensive questioning fromBagai, ahead of his side’s game against Sri Lanka in Hambantota. “TheWorld Cup should involve as much of the world as you possibly can,” hesaid. “It’s a shame and very disappointing for players like us who werelooking for opportunities to play against the best in the world. That’sthe only way to improve as cricketers, as nations. It’s really going tohold back the growth of the game. If they want to keep it to 10 teams,which they want to do, that’s fine, but it’s never going to be a globalsport that way.”The trade-off, according to the ICC, is that more Associates will beinvolved in the World Twenty20: the next edition will have 16 teams now,but they have yet to decide how the final ten teams will be selected forthe next 50-over world tournament. The recommendation to cut downAssociates’ participation, incidentally, was reached at the ICC’s boardmeeting in October by a working party made up of David Collier (England),James Sutherland (Australia) and N Srinivasan (India) with no Associaterepresentation, and only Dave Richardson of the ICC.But the increased T20 participation doesn’t tally with the efforts ofAssociate nations to ultimately push for Test status, the format, Bagaiarguing, not ideal for that purpose. “You can see where the ICC is headedand the direction they think cricket is going. It might be a commercialmove because T20 sells the best globally. I don’t think it’s going to helpmany countries produce top level Test cricketers.”Flower said the decision was a step “backwards”, arguing that smallercountries need more exposure, not less, an argument echoed by Bagai. “It’sa big challenge to get these games every four years,” he said. “By thetime we’re used to playing these teams the World Cup is over. The only wayto play well against them is to keep playing them repeatedly. The boardsof the top Associates have asked for more games throughout the four yearsso we can get some practice against some good quality opposition duringthe years outside the World Cup.”This is the fourth time Canada – one of four associate teams in thistournament – is participating in the game’s showpiece event and the thirdin succession since 2003. Though they only have a win over Bangladesh toshow for that time Bagai believes the country’s cricket has built anidentity and homegrown base of players that deserves to be showcased moreoften.”[The Sahara Cup games between India and Pakistan] did inspire a lot ofpeople in the country,” he said. “Back in 2000 we had a lot of new joinersand infrastructure development at that time tremendously helped us.Tournaments like that are always helpful for smaller countries to generateinterest and get media involved and generate revenues, which is veryimportant for us. More of those are needed.”On Friday, their Sri Lankan coach Pubudu Dassanayake said the move was a”severe setback”. Rizwan Cheema, one of their key players, said the50-over game was a must for development. “If you want to look at it fromanother perspective, you have to have competition and give small teams anidea to play against big teams and increase confidence. Otherwise cricketwill stay in nine countries. We all aim for Test status because cricketreally changes when you get to that level,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “It’snot a good feeling, because at Associate level we haven’t really gotanything else to play against big teams.”The most memorable recent Associate performances in the tournament includeKenya’s semi-final run in 2003 and Ireland’s performances in the 2007edition.

Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey is a doubt for the Villans’ Premier League home match against Liverpool on Tuesday evening.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to the press, manager Steven Gerrard, as quoted by Birmingham Live, said: “A big doubt for Tuesday. Got a small groin problem. He [Ramsey] won’t be long. We’re hoping to get him involved in the squad at Liverpool but that’s looking ambitious right now.”

The 20-year-old missed Saturday’s 3-1 win at Burnley through the same injury and looks set to continue his spell on the sidelines.

Gerrard will be gutted

Although the former Liverpool captain will be delighted if his former club can win the Premier League title, he will undoubtedly be focused on securing a result with Aston Villa against the Reds.

Therefore, being without Ramsey once again will be a major blow for the Villa boss.

The midfielder has been seriously impressive this term, making 31 Premier League appearances during which he’s scored six goals and registered one assist.

Moreover, the Englishman had previously been subject to interest from Liverpool but recently signed a fresh deal that extends his stay at Villa Park until 2027.

Luckily for Gerrard, Marvelous Nakamba is now fully fit and could make his first start for the West Midlands outfit since suffering a knee injury in the reverse fixture against Liverpool in December.

Having picked up seven points from their last three matches, Villa will be looking to finish the season as strongly as possible with a first top half finish in over a decade still very much achievable.

Moreover, they can put a further dent in Liverpool’s title bid after Jurgen Klopp’s side dropped points on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against Tottenham at Anfield.

Villa supporters will also be keen to remind people that the last time the Merseyside outfit came to Villa Park in the league, they were hit for seven.

However, Tuesday evening will be a completely different contest and not having Ramsey available will certainly leave Gerrard gutted.

AND in other news: AVFC nearing 1st summer signing in £22.5m-rated “phenomenon”, supporters will love it

While Associate nations ponder a future that may not include being part of the World Cup some of the game’s least well-known nations take their first steps towards the World Twenty20

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2011While Associate nations ponder a future that may not include being part of the World Cup, some of the game’s least well-known nations take their first steps towards what they hope can ultimately be a place at the expanded 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.Although the 2015 World Cup is set to be trimmed to 10 teams this has been balanced to some degree by the expansion of the Twenty20 event which will increase from the 12 sides that took part in 2010 to 16 for the next tournament.However, it is highly unlikely that the seven countries who begin the qualifying campaign on February 24 will reach the showpiece event next year. Cameroon, Gambia, Lesotho, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda and the Seychelles will play in an initial qualifier in Ghana at the end of this month.Sixteen teams will take part in the final global qualifier in UAE in early 2012 to decide the final places at the World Twenty20. The six Associate and Affiliate members with one-day international status – Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands and Scotland – have automatically qualified for the UAE event.Three teams from the Asia region, two teams from Africa, Americas and Europe, and one team from East Asia-Pacific will play in the global qualifying event.In 2010 in the Caribbean the two Associate and Affiliate nations involved were Ireland and Afghanistan. Although neither progressed to the Super Eights, Ireland caused England problems in Guyana and Afghanistan performed with great credit during their first global tournament.

Cadena SER journalist Xavi Jorquera Márquez has now shared an interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer update involving Villarreal defender Pau Torres.

The Lowdown: Spurs confident?

The Premier League top-four chasers have allegedly ramped up their serious interest in Unai Emery’s mainstay centre-half recently as he allegedly sets his sights on leaving the Estadio de la Cerámica.

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As reported by The Daily Mail recently, transfer chief Fabio Paratici is firmly in the mix for Torres and there is belief that the north Londoners have been ‘given encouragement’ they can ‘strike a deal’ this summer.

The Spain international has apparently been on their wanted list for two years with manager Antonio Conte also eager to sign a central defender when the transfer window opens for business.

The Latest: Marquez makes swap deal claim…

Now, according to what Marquez has learned, a swap deal to sign Torres could be on the cards amid Villarreal’s interest in making midfielder Giovani Lo Celso’s loan a permanent one.

Speaking to South American outlet ‘All about Argentina’, the reporter claims Paratici and Spurs could offer the Argentine plus cash to seal a deal for their defensive target.

The Verdict: Go ahead?

Lo Celso has been in sublime form since joining the La Liga side, even hailed as a ‘giant’ by Spanish media, and his performances in the Champions League have really highlighted his quality.

As per WhoScored, over his six European starts before the end of Villarreal’s run, Spurs’ loanee ace averaged the second-most key passes and completed take-ons per 90 whilst also attracting the highest number of fouls – proving a real nightmare to play against.

Goalkeeper and compatriot Geronimo Rulli called Lo Celso a ‘top player in the world’ just after he signed for them in January and it appears the shot-stopper’s verdict has been vindicated judging by recent displays.

However, with Conte allegedly desperate for a world class defender, we believe letting Lo Celso leave permanently in a swap for Torres could be the way forward given he just hasn’t turned it on consistently enough back in England.

A mainstay and crucial player under Emery, Torres’ number of successful aerial duels and clearances per 90 domestically eclipse most in the Villarreal squad and back why Spurs are so keen to sign him.

Lauded as a ‘sensational’ defender, any way to whittle down the player’s asking price should definitely be considered as the club aim to back Conte.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano: Conte could now lose ‘monster’ Spurs player who’s ‘expected to leave’! Find out more here.