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Leeds United’s interest in signing Stade Brest left-back Romain Perraud has ‘gone cold’, according to Leeds Live journalist Beren Cross.

The Lowdown: Leeds show Perraud interest

The Whites are likely to need a new left-back before the start of next season, with Ezgjan Alioski expected to move on to pastures new.

Leeds have been linked with signing a host of names in that area and Perraud is one of them, having shone for Brest last season, scoring three goals and registering seven assists in Ligue 1.

The Latest: Move looks to be off

It looks as though the chances of the Frenchman heading to Elland Road are slim, however, with Cross taking to Leeds Live to claim that Leeds’ interest has waned.

It is stated that Alioski has a contract offer on the table, but it is unknown whether or not he will sign on the dotted line.

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The Verdict: Focus on other alternatives

Perraud looks a strong option to come in this summer based on the impressive end product he produced last term, so it is a blow to see Leeds’ interest cool, but it is now time to concentrate is bringing in someone else.

That is, of course, assuming Alioski leaves, which is not yet a formality.

Someone like Ajax left-back Nicolas Tagliafico looks a good alternative, possessing a wealth of experience that has seen him win 30 caps for Argentina. The Eredivisie star has been linked with a move to Elland Road and possesses more high level experience than both Perraud and Alioski, having played 22 times in the Champions League.

In other news, a European powerhouse have been linked with a move for a Leeds United hero – find out who it is here. 

Ajay Ratra demonstrated that he is fighting to get his Test place back with an innings of 101 not out for the Indians in their tour match at Derby

Ralph Dellor29-Aug-2002Ajay Ratra demonstrated that he is fighting to get his Test place back with an innings of 101 not out for the Indians in their tour match at Derby. Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh all got into the forties as the tourists reached an imposing total of 445 for seven declared – enjoying the batting practice afforded by a second string Derbyshire attack and some equally friendly conditions. Ratra took 206 balls and hit 14 fours in his hundred.The county side then made a steady start to their reply. Steve Stubbings and Rawait Khan put on 131 for the opening partnership before Stubbings was bowled by Harbhajan Singh for 66. Dominic Hewson fell to Kumble for 66 as well, and then Kumble picked up another wicket before the close leaving Derbyshire on 228 for three – still 217 behind. Khan is not out 77.

Slavisa Jokanovic believes this Sheffield United squad is the best he has ever taken over.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Sheffield Star, who claim that the 52-year-old has spent the last two weeks assessing the Blades squad, before coming to the conclusion that the side he is set to inherit on July 1 is the most talented he has taken over.

As a result, it is reported that the Serbian manager does not look likely to make sweeping changes at Bramall Lane this summer, and will bide his time before making any moves in the transfer market.

However, one exception to this rule could be in attacking midfield, with United having no real options in the position following the departure of John Lundstram.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering the fact that Jokanovic has previously managed the likes of Fulham and Watford, both of whom he guided to the Premier League, the 52-year-old’s opinion that this Sheffield United team is the best he has ever taken over would seem to bode incredibly well for the club’s upcoming Championship campaign, and is sure to have left fans buzzing.

Furthermore, with the Serb appearing unlikely to move a large number of the club’s current players on this summer, this would seem to be something of a lifeline for the likes of Rhian Brewster and Oli McBurnie, who may well get another chance to impress in the Blades’ first-team next term despite both having relatively disappointing seasons last time out.

However, while there may not be too many incomings and outgoings at Bramall Lane in the coming months, Jokanovic has nevertheless identified that the club will have to strengthen in attacking midfield, with the club being linked with one of the manager’s former stars at Fulham, Tom Cairney.

As such, it would very much seem as if the 52-year-old is already confident of achieving the club’s goal of securing an immediate return to the top flight next season, something that is very good news for everyone involved with the Blades.

In other news: Transfer update emerges on “outstanding” £38k-p/w gem, Sheff Utd fans will be buzzing

With Australia having confirmed their place in the semi-finals from Pool 1, the winners of ICC KnockOut 2000, New Zealand, already find themselves out of this edition of the Champions Trophy

Santhosh S22-Sep-2002With Australia having confirmed their place in the semi-finals from Pool 1, the winners of ICC KnockOut 2000, New Zealand, already find themselves out of this edition of the Champions Trophy. But with a match against Bangladesh at the SSC Ground in Colombo on Monday ahead of them, Stephen Fleming’s men are hoping to at least bow out on a winning note.The New Zealand team had a practice session at the SSC Ground on Sunday afternoon in extremely hot and humid conditions. At the end of it, Fleming told CricInfo that his side are taking tomorrow’s game very seriously.”We respect Bangladesh’s ability. So we have trained real hard over the past few days. We would like to stamp some authority on the game and leave the tournament with a good result,” Fleming observed.The New Zealand skipper admitted that he was disappointed with his team’s performance in their opening game against Australia, observing that in his opinion the bowlers gave away far too many runs while the batsmen did not show enough fighting spirit. He, however, added that “all facets of the game has been thoroughly looked after, during our week of rest”, and that New Zealand were now prepared to get down to business against the Bangladeshi team.Talking about the squad for tomorrow’s game, Fleming said, “Paul Hitchcock seems to be on the mend, so he’ll probably play tomorrow. He comes into contention.”He also confirmed that young Andre Adams is still recovering from a stress fracture to his back and could only be expected to return by Christmas time.After the game, the New Zealanders will enjoy a few months’ rest, before they take on India in a series at home in December. This makes the New Zealand side all the more determined to “finish this tournament on a better note than we started”, Fleming observed.Bangladesh, meanwhile, are not nourishing any high hopes; they are looking at the tournament as a part of their learning process. Mohsin Kamal, the Bangladesh coach, was not unduly worried about his side’s comprehensive defeat by Australia last Thursday.”Losing is a part of the game,” said Kamal, rather philosophically, before adding quickly, “If you are not going to play against big teams, you are not going to improve.””You have to deal with the pressure, be mentally strong, and believe in your ability, when playing against the big teams,” he observed.Talking about the upcoming encounter against New Zealand, Kamal said, “To prove and improve is the part of the game plan. The boys are keenly looking forward to the game. We have a tough tour of South Africa coming up, and it will be a good practice for us.”He said that he also will be expecting more commitment from his top players in his side’s final game of the tournament. “They have the ability; sometime they don’t show it on the field. They have to learn to play positive consistently,” Kamal observed.New Zealand (from): Stephen Fleming (Captain), Nathan Astle, Shane Bond, Chris Harris, Paul Hitchcock, Kyle Mills, Chris Nevin, Jacob Oram, Matthew Sinclair, Scott Styris, Glenn Sulzberger, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori, Lou Vincent.Bangladesh (from): Khaled Mashud (Captain), Al-Sahariar, Alok Kapali, Fahim Muntasir, Habibul Bashar, Javed Omar, Khaled Mahmud, Manjural Islam, Mazharul Haque, Mohammad Ashraful, Mohammad Rafique, Talha Jubair, Tapash Baisya. Tushar Imran.

Shane Warne, fresh from a stunning 27 wicket haul in Sharjah, has been named in the Bushrangers squad of 13 to contest next week’s Pura Cup clash against the Tasmanain Tigers.

Cricket Victoria23-Oct-2002Shane Warne, fresh from a stunning 27 wicket haul in Sharjah, has been named in the Bushrangers squad of 13 to contest next week’s Pura Cup clash against the Tasmanain Tigers.Joining Warne as an addition to the squad is Prahran all-rounder Jon Moss. Young leg-spinner Cameron White was left out of the side that was defeated by the Southern Redbacks, in last week’s Pura Cup match in Adelaide.BUSHRANGERS v Tasmania (Wednesday, October 30 – Nov 2 at the MCG)Shane Warne (c), Darren Berry (vc), Jason Arnberger, Will Carr, Matthew Elliott, Ian Harvey, Shane Harwood, Brad Hodge, Mathew Inness, Nick Jewell, Michael Lewis, Jon Moss, Graeme RummansBUSHRANGERS ACB CUP TEAM v NSW (Monday, October 28 – 31 at Manly Oval, Sydney)Ian Hewett (c), Rob Cassell, Simon Dart, Brett Harrop, Brendan Joseland, Michael Klinger, Andrew McDonald, Bryce McGain, Matthew Mott, David Plumpton, Peter Roach, Cameron White

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa is eyeing a move for Blackburn Rovers star Ben Brereton.

What’s the story?

With the Whites still having yet to clinch a new signing ahead of the start of the Premier League season, Victor Orta will be hoping to get things underway at Elland Road as soon as possible.

And, according to the Chilean publication, Red Gol, Bielsa is interested in signing Brereton this summer.

The report adds that the versatile 22-year-old has been on the Leeds boss’ radar since a couple of seasons ago when they met in the Championship, while there is said to be positive relations between the Whites and Blackburn Rovers.

Shrewd signing for Bielsa

Able to play as a number nine, but also out wide on both flanks, Brereton enjoyed his most prolific campaign to date in the Championship with Blackburn last season, bagging seven goals and providing five assists in 40 league games.

Dubbed a “wonderful talent”, his Rovers manager, Tony Mowbray, said: “Brereton’s like a beast now, and he can score goals. I see it every day in training. He’s a brilliant lad and all our lads absolutely love him. He’s filled out now and he will work so hard for this team. He’s very gifted and can score goals.”

Meanwhile, Brereton’s Chilean compatriot, Carlos Villanueva, said: “He’s going to make a good contribution to the national team, especially in a position where we had been looking for variants years ago.  There has always been talk of that spare 9 and he gives you different characteristics… He comes from a football much more physical than the South American. He also has Chilean and South American blood, which puts in and fights.”

The £4.5m-rated ace sounds like the kind of give-it-his-all player that Bielsa wants in his squad at Elland Road, and at just 22, is still nowhere near the prime years of his career.

Given that the Leeds boss apparently wanted him years ago too, a move for a more well-rounded Brereton now – and especially off the back of his most exciting campaign – seems like it could well be a shrewd deal for Leeds.

Meanwhile, Leeds must land this EURO 2020 star…

Everton don’t have a first-team manager in place but it would be foolish of Marcel Brands and co not to devise a list of potential transfer targets.

Their summer plans would have been drafted up a number of months ago but they are now in disarray after Carlo Ancelotti’s departure.

What’s the word?

One player Everton had asked for information about regarding a potential transfer was Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The Japanese centre-back currently plays for Bologna in Italy and has been a target for the Toffees over a number of months.

However, they are now facing staunch competition from another managerless club for his signature.

According to Sky Sports, Tottenham have entered talks with the Italian side in a bid to lure him to the Premier League.

Tomiyasu represents a bargain for a player of his qualities with £17m the asking price this summer.

Ball playing colossus

If Everton can bring in a new manager as quickly as possible, they must try and beat Spurs to the signing of the Japan international.

Tomiyasu is a modern-day centre-back combining a progressive and attractive ball-playing style with some classic ruthless defending.

For a Toffees side who lacked basic defensive nous in the final stages of last season, this could be incredibly beneficial.

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Mason Holgate was poor in the final months of the campaign, with his individual error leading to Ollie Watkins scoring when Aston Villa travelled to Goodison Park before the Englishman made a succession of mistakes in the 5-0 defeat to Manchester City.

A quick look at the stats tells you how Tomiyasu would be an upgrade on what the Toffees already have.

According to FB Ref, the 6 ft 2 defender is extremely competent in one on one duels. Per 90 minutes, Tomiyasu tackled 56.7% of players who attempted to dribble past him. By comparison, Holgate only tackled 40% of dribblers while Michael Keane was even worse at 35.3% per 90.

The Everton target applied more successful pressures of the ball per 90 (35.3%) than any other Toffees centre-back while he made more interceptions over the same metric (1.69).

Speaking about the defender’s potential, former Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said: “He is a complete player and Bologna got a real bargain with Tomiyasu. He’s a good player and was compared to Maya Yoshida, who has been playing in Europe for a decade. He’s got the quality to be a real star.”

At the age of just 22, the centre-back has a bright future in the game. Brands just needs to ensure that’s in Merseyside, rather than north London.

AND in other news, Brands could seal huge Gomes upgrade at Everton by signing “world-class” £30m star…

Namibia is finding the going very hard in the Standard Bank Cup domestic one-day competition

Keith Lane17-Nov-2002Namibia is finding the going very hard in the Standard Bank Cup domestic one-day competition. Having been beaten by Western Province on Wednesday evening, they followed it up on Sunday, with another loss against Free State in Bloemfontein.Winning the toss Namibia asked Free State to bat first and did well to restrict and bowl out a strong team for 216 after Free State squandered the chance of setting a big target.After a solid start and reaching 145/2 in 29 overs, thanks to 48 from Morne van Wyk, 50 from Johnathan Beukes and 30 from Boeta Dippenaar the hosts collapsed to 216 all out in the 45th over.Bjorn Kotze in taking 3/41 in his nine overs was instrumental in causing the collapse, getting rid of Van Wyk, Beukus and Jimmy Adams. Nineteen wides however put a damper on the Nambian bowling, and not having the best batting team it is runs given away that they can ill afford.After scoring 44 in Cape Town, Daniel Keulder, with an undefeated 51, was again the mainstay of the Namibian batting scoring the majority of the 116 run total.Free State will be happy with the form of Nicky Boje, returning from a finger injury, who ripped the heart out of the Namibian batting taking 4/29 in his nine overs. Gaining the bonus point Free State now move to the top of the Pool B log.In Potchefstroom North West continued on their winning ways, this time beating neighbours Northerns by 25 runs and going to the top of Pool A.Winning the toss and batting North West never got on top of the bowling. Arno and Davey Jacobs did put on a 56 run third wicket partnership, but it was left to a quick 24* from Alfonso Thomas to get the boys from Potchefstroom to 215/5 at the end of the 45 overs.Northerns could only reply with 190/5 with Jacques Rudolph undefeated on 98. The second loss in two games leaves them at the bottom of the table, sharing the spot with KwaZulu-Natal.

There was good news for Somerset young cricketer Neil Edwards whose visit to Australia after Christmas with the England Under 19’s was put in jeopardy when he was diagnosed with glandular fever last month

SOMERSET30-Nov-2002There was good news for Somerset young cricketer Neil Edwards whose visit to Australia after Christmas with the England Under 19’s was put in jeopardy when he was diagnosed with glandular fever last month.The tall left handed opening bat who hails from Penzance made a good impression in his first team debut against West Indies A at Taunton, and has been taken onto the staff for next season.Thankfully Neil has made a good recovery and this morning he was back working in the office at the County Ground in Taunton.He told me: “I have been back to the doctor and he has given me the all clear to start training again. I have also been in touch with Paul Farbrace the England Under 19’s coach and the trip to Australia is now very much back on. Of course I am absolutely delighted and looking forward to it immensely.”Commenting on the situation Mr Anderson told me: “Neil Edwards has been declared fit to go on the Under 19 tour to Australia.This is great news and will give a lift to everyone especially the girls in the office where he is a popular member of the staff.”

The Express and Star journalist Matt Maher has dropped some exciting news involving Aston Villa.

What’s the story?

While new signings will, of course, dominate the news cycle during the summer transfer window, Dean Smith’s side have moved quickly to ensure that the future of their academy players also remains bright, confirming that several youngsters have put pen to paper on new deals.

And after relaying the news, Maher has also now dropped an update on one of those players, in particular; Kaine Kesler.

Writing via his official Twitter account, he said: “#avfc have handed 18-year-old Kaine Kesler, who captained their youngsters to glory in last season’s FA Youth Cup final, a five-year professional contract. New deals too for Mungo Bridge, Akos Onodi, Viljami Sinisalo, Myles Sohna, DJ Sturridge and Tyreik Wright.

“Will need to look back in the books for confirmation but pretty sure Kesler’s five-year pro deal is the longest #avfc have ever given an 18-year-old. Jack Grealish, for context, signed a four-year contract after just turning 19 in 2014.”

Villa fans will be buzzing

The fact that Kesler has signed the longest pro deal of any teenager in the club’s history – even surpassing that of Villa talisman Jack Grealish – is a real indication of the kind of high regard that the 18-year-old is held in.

The right-back, who can also play further forward too, was instrumental as Maher says in captaining Villa’s youth side to FA Youth Cup success, wearing the armband in a 2-1 triumph over Liverpool in the final.

He was also, of course, involved in the ‘senior’ side’s FA Cup third-round clash against Jurgen Klopp’s men, when Villa’s youngsters had to step in to replace the usual first-team stars .

Here on FFC, there have been numerous calls for Smith to unleash Kesler in the Premier League already, and the success he enjoyed with the youth sides last season should surely see him into the manager’s plans ahead of the new campaign, especially with Ahmed Elmohamady having departed this summer.

Plenty of Villa fans have already made it clear just how much they rate him when they urged Smith to start him against Manchester City towards the end of last season.

News that Kesler has signed a five-year contract, and thus ensuring his long-term future is at Villa will surely have fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have been handed an encouraging transfer update…