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Umpire Daryl Harper has responded to India’s criticism of his umpiring in the first Test of the ongoing Test series in the West Indies, saying he got 94% of his decisions in the match right

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jul-2011Umpire Daryl Harper has responded to India’s criticism of his umpiring in the first Test of the ongoing Test series in the West Indies, saying he got 94% of his decisions in the match right. He did, however, concede he made two errors in the game.Harper’s comments came in a feisty written statement to Indian television channel , his first public statement since withdrawing from the third India-West Indies Test “in the wake of some unfair criticism”.”I didn’t have my best game of the year but [match] referee Jeff Crowe, who observed every ball, calculated that I had managed to get 94% of all my decisions correct,” Harper said. “That analysis was confirmed from [ICC] headquarters in Dubai.”He conceded two errors on his part. “There was one lbw against Harbhajan [Singh, in the second innings of the first Test] that would have been reversed had the Decision Review System been available. I also failed to detect a no-ball when [Devendra] Bishoo’s back foot touched the side or return crease [a delivery off which MS Dhoni was dismissed in the same innings].” Harper defended that error, saying instances of bowlers cutting the side crease were rare. “It’s about as common as Indians eating beef burgers.”Harper also said while he was certain Virat Kohli gloved the ball to the wicketkeeper in that innings, video footage of the ball was inconclusive. “He flashed wide of his body at a short ball that passed well away from him down the leg side. He clearly gloved the ball and was given out. Replays could not confirm that my decision was right and they could not confirm my decision was wrong.”The Indians’ on-field actions, Harper said, were not always in the spirit of the game. “West Indies expressed concern over Indian players’ habit of charging at umpires when appealing, which is against the spirit of the game.” His rapport with Dhoni during the debated Test, he admitted, was not the best: “We did not share many pleasantries in the match.”Harper has officiated in 95 Tests, 174 ODIs and 10 Twenty20 internationals, making his international ODI debut in 1994 at Perth and his Test debut in November 1998. He was dropped in May from the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, along with Asoka de Silva, after criticism of his performances.

If Sri Lanka dismiss Misbah-ul-Haq early on the fourth day, they could go on to win the Sharjah Test, their bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake has said

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2011If Sri Lanka dismiss Misbah-ul-Haq early on the fourth day, they could go on to win the Sharjah Test, their bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake has said. He also picked medium-pacer Chanaka Welegedara as the key bowler for Sri Lanka on the fourth day.”Misbah is a very good player and if we can get him early, we will have a chance,” Ramanayake said. “The last session of the day was better for us compared to the earlier two sessions. We bowled very accurately in the earlier sessions, though we did not get many wickets.”We built up the pressure and in the end it was nice to get some quick wickets. Tomorrow, we have to get Pakistan out as quickly as possible.”Pakistan finished day three on 282 for 6, still trailing Sri Lanka by 131 runs. At one stage Pakistan were 233 for 3, with centurion Younis Khan and Misbah at the crease, but Sri Lanka picked up three wickets for 44 runs to edge ahead. Misbah, after a typically dogged innings, went to stumps unbeaten on 50, and is Pakistan’s last recognised batsmen.Welegedara had accounted for Younis with his first delivery with the second new ball: he got the ball to bend in sharply, beat Younis and hit off. He also had Asad Shafiq feathering an edge behind on 16 late in the day.”He [Welegedara] bowled brilliantly, giving 60 odd runs in his 25 overs on a flat wicket,” Ramanayake said. “He has done a great job for us and probably he will pick five wickets tomorrow [he has taken three so far]. The way he bowled he deserves five wickets.”Sri Lanka were without their other new-ball bowler Dhammika Prasad – who had strained his thigh muscle on Friday after just four overs – and he isn’t expected to be fit enough to bowl on Sunday. “He [Prasad] will be out of action for a while due to a thigh injury,” Ramanayake said. “It’s a flat wicket and so it is a tough task [being a bowler short].”Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s interim coach, said Misbah had adopted the right approach in this innings, batting with caution. “It is a pity that we lost two wickets in the last 45 minutes,” he said. “Like Misbah, who is showing full responsibility, Test cricket is all about patience. He is taking the safety route first, and then we will go for a positive result.”Mohsin also praised Younis, saying he had demonstrated once again how important he is to the side. “Younis batted wonderfully well. He is proving himself to be a reliable senior player and today again he has done a great job for Pakistan.”I wish I had seen him not out at the end of the day, that would have been very good. Not to take anything away from him, though, as he has batted very well for the team.”

When play finished early on day three of the Railways v Saurashtra Ranji Trophy game, the devil it was established, was not residing in the Karnail Singh Stadium track, it was to be found in the home team

Sharda Ugra23-Dec-2011When play finished early on day three of the Railways v Saurashtra Ranji Trophy game, the devil it was established, was not residing in the Karnail Singh Stadium track that had consumed 40 wickets in just over two days and a bit. It was to be found in the home team, Railways, whose season “started and finished poorly, sandwiched with good cricket in between,” according to their captain Sanjay Bangar.When the race for the Ranji knockouts begins to get tighter, it is often alleged, the Karnail minefields begin to materialise and then, only the toss matters. Bangar, one of the more seasoned men in first-class cricket, rejected the stereotype constructed about his home ground. “The toss didn’t really matter in this match, did it? It didn’t make for a runaway game. We negated the advantage,” he said. “We know the history of the wicket and that it begins to slow down as every day passes. Even after that [first-innings collapse] a target of 245 was gettable.”Saurashtra batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who is working his way back into the national selectors’ line of vision, did not criticise the conditions either. “It’s a challenging wicket, a bowling paradise if you like. But it’s not dangerous, it’s not a minefield or anything like that. You have to be patient, apply yourself, wait for loose balls and punish them.” Pujara was one of only four batsmen to cross 30 in the entire match.On Wednesday, Saurashtra coach Debu Mitra had been reprimanded for letting rip in public about the surface where 18 wickets had fallen on the day. At the finish on day three, Mitra abstained from qualitative assessments about the pitch and said instead that his side had “played better [than the opposition], according to the [requirements] track.”The 97-run defeat to Saurashtra brought to a halt Railways’ Ranji season, which had involved five of seven matches at home, at the Karnail Singh Stadium. Previously this year, the venue has witnessed totals of 483, 347, 521, 525 and 379. If there is any indication to be got from the totals of Railways v Sautrashtra’s match – 175, 81, 152 and 149 – it is that matches here turn into quick on the draw shoot-outs of skill and temperament. “Speak to any of the players who have excelled here and they have all said it is difficult for stroke play,” Bangar said. “It has a history of being very difficult to get runs here.””On this track, you have to be there [at the crease] for some time to know what the wicket is all about which they [the batsmen] didn’t do,” said the somewhat placated Mitra. The time occupied by the Railways in their response to 175 was a mere 24.5 overs. With Ravindra Jadeja picking up 10 wickets wickets and the Man-of-the-Match award, Railways’ felt the absence of their most experienced spinner, Murali Kartik, who pulled out of the game due to an injury.The Karnail pitch, Railways loyalists say, often turns into a double-edged sword for the groundsman. Abhay Sharma, the Railways coach, said the tight three-day turnaround between Ranji matches and the Delhi winter had made it difficult for the surface to be watered correctly. “In this weather, a shirt won’t dry in a day, how can a wicket be watered properly? If it is watered enough, it won’t dry. If it’s not watered, then it will crumble. It’s not the groundsman’s fault really.”Surfaces of the kind found at the Karnail, Bangar said, are easily tarred. “If there’s grass and the ball swings five degrees then that’s a good wicket, but if it’s like this then it gets vicious turn. For some reason no one likes to think of a turning wicket with the same parameters as you do a wicket where the ball seams.”

Australia put themselves within touching distance of taking the one-day series with a four-wicket victory at the SCG. David Hussey guided them home in an uncertain run chase with an unbeaten 68 alongside Victoria team-mate John Hastings after Brad Haddin’

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan at the SCG23-Jan-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBrett Lee was Man of the Match for his 3 for 27•AFPAustralia put themselves within touching distance of taking the one-day series with a four-wicket victory at the SCG. David Hussey guided them home in an uncertain run chase with an unbeaten 68 alongside Victoria team-mate John Hastings after Brad Haddin’s aggressive 54 set the early pace. England were kept interested by early wickets and a double for Paul Collingwood but there were always too few runs on the board for a depleted bowling attack.It was an important innings for Hussey, who reached his fifty with a six, after he was named in the World Cup despite not playing ODI cricket for 18 months and he showed the finishing skills that have so often been evident for his domestic teams. He had important support from Steve Smith (26) after Australia wobbled on 5 for 114 then, after Smith departed to a horrid swipe, Hastings showed why he’s off to the World Cup with a composed 18.It was a match low on batting quality as England limped to 214 only thanks to Jonathan Trott’s determined 84. Continuing their pattern of the series they handed wickets to Australia, this time including the run-out of Andrew Strauss, but the home side weren’t blameless when it came to their dismissals. That at least kept the contest interesting until Hussey rattled down the target with consecutive boundaries off Ajmal Shahzad and Australia had four overs in hand.When Collingwood, recalled to the side to replace the injured Kevin Pietersen who has a groin strain, claimed two wickets in the first two overs England suddenly sniffed a victory to haul themselves back into the series. Collingwood failed again with the bat when he missed a straight ball from Xavier Doherty, but trapped Cameron White lbw with his second delivery and then had Haddin, who was earlier dropped on 37, caught at long-on for 54 from a needless shot.Haddin put Australia well ahead of the rate but kept losing partners. Shane Watson missed a drive at Chris Tremlett in the second over and Shaun Marsh, promoted to No.3, was brought back down to earth after his 110 at Hobart when he was lbw to Shahzad. Michael Clarke’s form showed no signs of improving as he chipped Chris Woakes’ sixth ball in one-day international cricket to midwicket, where Michael Yardy juggled the catch.It should have been 4 for 68 when Haddin drove to mid-off but Tremlett couldn’t take the chance low to his left and Haddin brought up his fifty with a fine cover-drive only to put pressure on his team-mates with poor shot selection. The difference at the moment, though, is Australia’s belief is on the rise and England’s is taking a hit, which is especially evident in the battingWith the exception of Trott, whose innings is also likely to spark debate, no one covered themselves in any glory against an Australia attack lacking two first-choice options in Nathan Hauritz and Shaun Tait. Injuries are a problem for both sides – Tim Bresnan has been ruled out of the series – but the hosts are covering their casualty list with much more aplomb. On this occasion, Doherty was impressive with 2 for 37 and Hastings showed his all-round value.Brett Lee was the overall pick, though, and began England’s problems in the first over when he removed Matt Prior lbw for his second consecutive duck since his recall. A wicket to the new ball is forgivable, but the mix-up between Strauss and Trott was shambolic as they were left standing at the same end. The only reason the third umpire was needed was to decide Strauss was the man to go.Ian Bell got a leading edge back to Watson who took it with a dive in his follow through before Trott and Eoin Morgan began a recovery with a stand of 50. Morgan, though, had struggled to settle with two near-misses in his innings before pulling a long hop from Hussey to midwicket. He’s just lost his knack of finding the gaps.There was help on offer for the spinners but England made it look even harder. Collingwood opened his account with an edge past leg stump then missed a delivery which took off stump. Yardy continued to struggle when he chipped a limp return catch to the bowler and it left Trott needing to bat out the innings.He and Luke Wright added 49 but it was slow progress as Trott dealt in singles for 40 consecutive scoring shots, then Wright gave it away with a loose drive at Hastings. Lee hustled through the lower order and Tremlett’s run-out when he failed to ground his bat summed up how England, so outstanding during the Ashes, are starting to make costly basic errors. It’s a long way back from here.

Liverpool must do all they can to persuade “top-class” midfielder Youri Tielemans to move to Anfield this summer, he could finally be the replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum.

What’s the latest?

According to reports from Belgium, Tielemans has told those close to him that he would prefer to move to Spain when he eventually leaves Leicester City. This is a blow to Liverpool who were targeting him last January. However, they will still hope to be able to convince him to move to Merseyside.

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The opportunity to play for a club that are competing on all fronts, and under one of the best managers in Jurgen Klopp has got to be tempting. But with Real Madrid also showing interest they might beat the Reds to his signature.

He could finally replace Wijnaldum

Liverpool were left in the lurch when Wijnaldum joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last summer after deciding not to renew his contract with the club.

It left the club with such a small amount of time to recruit a replacement that this season they have ended up relying on a number of midfielders to partner regulars Thiago and Fabinho in the middle.

As good as The Reds have been this campaign, their other midfield options don’t seem to be on the same level as the two just mentioned. Therefore, signing Tielemans would be the final piece to a perfect trio.

He is rated at £49.5m by Transfermarkt but with his contract expiring next summer he could go for less.

Similarly to the Belgian, Wijnaldum made a name for himself in the Premier League at Newcastle United before earning a big-money move to Merseyside.

Tielemans could follow in his footsteps by doing the same and at only 24-years old would still have many years left to move to Spain later on in his career.

This season he has been a key player for Leicester appearing 28 times in the league and being directly involved in nine goals. He will also be forever remembered by the Foxes faithful for scoring the only goal in the FA Cup final when his side lifted the famous trophy last season.

It proves his capability of being a big-game player and turning up when it matters which will really appeal to Klopp. Liverpool are likely to make a midfield signing this summer, and Tielemans needs to be on the shortlist.

IN other news: Liverpool must now plot exciting record-breaking bid to sign 19y/o “incredible talent”…

Liverpool reportedly have a first agreement to sign Benfica’s Uruguayan striker, Darwin Nunez.

What’s the word?

According to the latest report from Journalist Brahian Kuchman: “There would be a first agreement for Darwin Nunez to be a new English Liverpool player.”

Taking to his Twitter page, Kuchman also stated: “Jurgen Klopp has grown tired of praising the Uruguayan to such an extent that he will end up hiring him.”

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Klopp’s final straw

If the latest reports are anything to go by, Klopp will most certainly have the 22-year-old goal machine at his disposal next season.

Described as a “proper talent” by freelance football writer Amos Murphy on Twitter and as a “diamond” by Steve McManaman, Nunez is having the season of his life in Liga Portugal this year.

His both legs of their Champions League showdown earlier this month.

Of course, Klopp will have subtle confidence about picking up players from Liga Portugal, with his recent coup of former Porto star Luis Diaz demonstrating the amount of value that is scattered all over Portugal.

25-year-old Diaz has transitioned seamlessly into English football, with his five goal returns from nine appearances serving as great evidence of that.

The 54-year-old Liverpool boss Klopp will also be aware of the potential partnership that could blossom between Diaz and Nunez. With the trio of Mane, Salah and Firmino all in the final year of their contracts, Liverpool may be thinking about the future.

Those at Anfield will be urging the club to sign the out-and-out striker who possesses limitless potential at just 22-years-old, though it will not be cheap.

Whilst the Anfield side may reportedly have a “first agreement” to sign the 6 foot 2 goal-machine, he is valued at a mighty £83m by some sources.

In other news: “I get the sense”: Exciting behind-scenes Liverpool claim will leave fans buzzing…

Jim Troughton ended his two-year century drought and Rikki Clarke flayed a toiling Nottinghamshire attack as Warwickshire dominated the second day of their County Championship match at Edgbaston

08-Sep-2011
ScorecardRikki Clarke blazed 126 from 101 deliveries as Warwickshire declared on 574 for 7•Getty ImagesJim Troughton ended his two-year century drought and Rikki Clarke flayed a toiling Nottinghamshire attack as Warwickshire dominated the second day of their County Championship match at Edgbaston.Troughton made a superb 151, Clarke 126 from only 101 balls and Ian Westwood took his overnight 144 to 171 to help Warwickshire to 574 for seven declared, their highest ever total against Nottinghamshire. It was also the highest total conceded by Nottinghamshire this season but Warwickshire collected only three batting points as they pottered to 338 for five, 12 runs short of the fourth point, in 110 overs.But Troughton and Clarke cut loose in a destructive sixth-wicket stand of 203 in 30 overs which demoralised Nottinghamshire’s weary attack. Troughton, who had managed only three fifties in his previous 54 championship innings, played with composure to reach his first century since August 2009 with 13 fours from 199 balls. His second 50 came from just 69 balls.Clarke, who recently rejected a move to Sussex, was given licence to play his shots to set up the declaration and he turned a 44-ball 50 into a 90-ball century which included two straight sixes off Graeme White. The slow left-armer absorbed more heavy punishment when Clarke off drove then pulled him for further sixes but gained a measure of revenge when the former England all-rounder picked out deep midwicket.White also eventually snared Troughton, who was bowled trying to force him through the off side, but not before the former England one-day international left-hander had stroked 19 fours in his 259-ball innings. Westwood had earlier perished in the pursuit of quick runs when he hooked Luke Fletcher into the hands of Paul Franks at long leg. Westwood batted six and a quarter hours for his 171 and he shared a fourth-wicket stand of 177 in 49 overs with Troughton.Tim Ambrose was taken at first slip driving at Franks but Nottinghamshire’s hopes of restricting Warwickshire to under 400 disappeared during the onslaught from Troughton and Clarke. Nottinghamshire might have expected Warwickshire to declare when Clarke and Troughton were dismissed in successive overs from White but Troughton increased their frustration by allowing Chris Woakes and Chris Metters to bat on for a further three overs before he called them in.Nottinghamshire had to make 425 just to avoid the follow on but they started well with Alex Hales and Karl Turner putting on 54 before Turner was taken by Varun Chopra at first slip driving at Woakes. The pitch still appeared to be full of runs and Hales completed a fluent half century from 71 balls to steer Nottinghamshire to 86 for 1.

For the first time since fleeing Dubai on the eve of an ODI, Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider is back playing first-class cricket

Umar Farooq07-Oct-2011For the first time since fleeing Dubai on the eve of an ODI, Zulqarnain Haider is back playing first-class cricket. He kept wicket for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division One on October 6 – taking three catches on the first day of the match against Faisalabad – and said it felt like he was “starting from scratch”.Haider infamously went missing during Pakistan’s series against South Africa in the UAE in November 2010. He later said he had flown to London because he had received death threats from bookies in Dubai and simultaneously announced his retirement from international cricket. However, he returned to Pakistan in April this year and in May said he wanted to abandon his retirement.Haider is now intent on reviving his career but says he has no regrets about the accusations he made of match-fixing being rampant in cricket. “I know I almost put my career at stake for which I have no regret,” he told ESPNCricinfo. “In fact, I have inspired upcoming players to speak up against happenings around them instead of just going with the flow.”After his return to Pakistan, Haider struggled to find a team, with no one wanting to sign him for the Faysal Bank Twenty20 tournament. ZTBL agreed to include him in their squad for the first-class season, and Haider, who is 25 years old, says he is looking for a fresh start and would like to make it back to the international stage. “I have started my career again and it feels like I’m starting from scratch. I don’t know what prospects I have at the moment but cricket is my bread and butter and I had to get back to playing for my livelihood. I am young and have already lost plenty of cricket for various reasons. I don’t know whether I will be selected for the top level or not but right now I am focusing on my game and the rest is up to the selectors.”My passion for cricket is still alive and I am optimistic that I can put in performances that will catch the selectors’ eye. Playing for the country is always an honour and that desire never dies.”After he fled to the UK last year, Haider had claimed he received threats in Pakistan domestic cricket as well, and suggested the ICC tap players’ phones since “a lot of people are involved” in match-fixing. The PCB set up a fact-finding committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding Haider’s flight to England, and suspended his stipend contract. The ICC’s investigative arm, the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), had said they wanted to wait for the PCB to finish their probe before getting involved, but the report from the committee said there were no clear motives behind Haider’s flight.The bookies behind the threats to Haider were arrested by police in Sialkot in April, after Haider had returned to Pakistan, but Haider was fined 500,000 rupees ($5,800) by the PCB for violating their code of conduct when he left the series in the UAE midway without informing team management. The board also put Haider on probation from the national team for a year, and said he had had no proof of any wrongdoing against any player or official of the board. Haider said he realised he should have informed the board and seniors in the team of his predicament rather than leaving the tour without notice.However, he stands by the claims he made and says he knowingly took a risk by speaking out about corruption while his career was still at a nascent stage. Referring to Shoaib Akhtar’s recent comments about ball tampering and Shahid Afridi’s criticism of the Pakistan board and team management, Haider questioned why these players had waited so long to come forward with their statements.”I know to the world I am a fool but to me I did the right thing,” he said. “I was well aware I was risking my career but I opted to follow the righteous path. I am not like Afridi and Shoaib who when done with their career are now coming out busting the system. On the contrary I was at the beginning of my career and I raised my voice against the odds, putting my career at risk without any fear.”Both Afridi and Shoaib have earned a lot of respect and money through the system, and now when they see things are out of their hands they have started lashing out the at entire structure and culture of Pakistan cricket. Why at the end of their career?”Haider had played just one Test and four ODIs for Pakistan before his departure from Dubai. He got his opportunity in the wicketkeeper’s slot after Kamran Akmal’s horror tour of England and had helped Pakistan level the series against South Africa in the UAE with a cameo in the fourth ODI.

Manoj Badale, co-owner of Rajasthan Royals, has said he doesn’t understand why the board did not give the IPL franchise a chance to defend itself

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2010Manoj Badale, co-owner of Rajasthan Royals, has said the team has provided the BCCI and the government with all the information they had asked for but was not given a chance to defend itself before being expelled from the league.”That seems to us at least unfair,” he told the news channel . “It seems surprising to us that these issues, all of which were communicated, all of which were documented for the past three years, are suddenly brought up when there is regime change as opposed to being brought up in time.”Badale said he met with BCCI president Shashank Manohar last week and was told the team would be treated fairly. He did not reveal any other details of the meeting, however, saying it was a private conversation and not something he wanted to discuss with the media.While the franchise issued a statement in the wake of the announcement saying it would be considering legal action, Badale told another news channel, , that in his experience these things get resolved around a table, and it is only if negotiations fail that legal action will be considered. He also defended his franchise’s record of transparency.The ripple effects

The ramifications of the case go far beyond these two franchises. Rajasthan had close ties with the English county side Hampshire, who on Monday issued a statement clarifying that no final deal had been signed as yet. The ties with Hampshire were part of a four-nation “global sporting franchise” planned by Rajasthan, but the plans are now presumably on hold.

“We voluntarily chose to submit an enormous document with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board back in July 2009, which went into extraordinary detail about our ownership structure.”The IPL governing council ejected Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab from the league this past Sunday on charges of transgression of shareholding and ownership norms that threatened to “shake the very foundation of the tender process”.The two franchises are now considering their options. A statement from Rajasthan Royals hinted at legal redress without explicitly mentioning it. The Punjab franchise said its legal team was studying the BCCI’s decision, which it also called unfair and not in the IPL’s collaborative spirit, and hoped for negotiations to settle the issue.

Tottenham Hotspur officials have travelled to Portugal this week as the club, and by extension manager Antonio Conte, allegedly eye one of the division’s top players.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites eye Nunes move?

Sporting Lisbon midfielder and star man Matheus Nunes, as per a plethora of reports, is a transfer target for Tottenham as Conte plots a major summer rebuild.

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The Telegraph claim that Spurs’ head coach wants as many as six major signings, including two new midfielders, with many Portuguese sources claiming Nunes is a man firmly on their radar.

O Jogo (via Sport Witness), back in March, stated that the Lilywhites have already made contact with Sporting over the 23-year-old pre-summer.

Meanwhile, Jornal de Notícias (via Sport Witness), more recently relayed that Nunes is still attracting real interest from Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici and Conte.

The Latest: Tottenham officials dispatched…

Now, another Portuguese newspaper in A Bola (via Sport Witness) spotted that Tottenham officials were at the Estadio do Dragão on Thursday for Sporting’s big cup clash with FC Porto.

While this report doesn’t state who Spurs employees were there to run the rule over, this midweek mission comes amid heavy links to Nunes with Conte allegedly eyeing the midfield ace.

The Verdict: Make a move?

With the rising star likely to still be on Tottenham’s radar, we believe he would seriously upgrade Conte’s options in the middle and Paratici should spare no expense in bringing him to the Premier League.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola, after his Sky Blues side thrashed Sporting in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie earlier this season, branded Nunes ‘one of the best players in the world’ – serious praise from such an elite coach.

His numbers back up this theory, as WhoScored reveal, with the starlet ranking as one of manager Ruben Amorim’s top five performers in the league going by average match rating (7.07).

He also completes more successful take-ons per 90 (2.4) than any Sporting star, attracting the joint-most fouls and proving to be a real nightmare to play against (WhoScored).

Valued at around €40 million (£33m) by the Portuguese giants and called ‘unbelievable’ by former teammate Goncalo Santos, he certainly stands at as a realistic and quality target from a Spurs perspective.

In other news: Paratici advancing: Tottenham line up fresh bid money bid after personal Conte request! Find out more here.