Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps has spoken out against the speculation surrounding her future amid reports linking her to Europe's top teams.

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• Earps' Man Utd contract expires in June
• Goalkeeper linked to Arsenal, PSG & Barca
• Lionesses hero angered by speculation

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona are all said to be plotting bids for the England star in the January transfer window. Earps' contract at United will expire at the end of the season and she is yet to agree to a new deal, but she has been angered about reports speculating about a possible transfer.

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  WHAT EARPS SAID

  "I don't know what happens currently," she told when asked about her future. "I feel I've behaved really professionally and with a lot of integrity through this whole situation. I play with heart and passion in everything I do and I drive standards. A lot of stuff that's been put out, isn't true. I want to say more but I can't at this stage and it's really hard for me to sit [and be] quiet when I see a lot of things that are not right. I think it's an injustice but I know the appropriate thing to do is focus on my football and see what happens from there."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 30-year-old, who was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year this week, was the subject of a record bid from Arsenal in the summer transfer window and the Gunners are reportedly still interested in her, with coach Jonas Eidevall eyeing new signings next month, though European giants PSG and Barca are also in the picture.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR EARPS?

  Earps and United will now enjoy a winter break before returning to Women's Super League duty with a game against reigning champions Chelsea on January 21. Earps may head into that game with another individual award to her name as she is up for 2023's FIFA The Best Women's Goalkeeper prize, which will be given out on January 15.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen on Napoli striker Victor Osimhen as a potential replacement for talisman Harry Kane if the England international chooses to leave N17 this summer, according to journalist Christian Falk.

What's the latest transfer news involving Victor Osimhen?

Sky Sports journalist Massimo Marianella claimed last month on Sky Sport 24 quoted via Tuttonapoli that Osimhen was a target for Tottenham this summer as well as several other elite clubs, stating: "They say that even Chelsea are about to make a phone call to Napoli for Osimhen. It seems that one door is closed, which is that of Real Madrid, the two most open to catch a striker remain Manchester United and PSG. At that point, a place would also open up at Tottenham."

As per The Manchester Evening News, Napoli manager Rudi Garcia has recently spoken to media indicating that £89k-a-week earner Osimhen is keen to stay at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, saying: "Of course, I have spoken to him. I can assure you that he wants to stay, he is happy to be with us and still wants to do great things."

Osimhen, who has been hailed as a "monster", was in brilliant form for Napoli during the 2022/23 season and notched 31 goals alongside five assists in 39 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

In other news, Tottenham hitman Harry Kane faces an uncertain future at the club amid interest from Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in his services, as per Telegraph Sport.

Kane would likely turn down any approach from the latter, leaving Spurs and Bayern Munich in a straight fight for him. Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness has suggested that the England international is open to a move to the Bundesliga, saying: "Harry Kane has clearly signalled in all conversations that his decision stands – and if he keeps to his word, then we’ll get him, because then Tottenham will have to buckle."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Falk has signalled that Osimhen is someone Spurs would be keen on bringing to N17; however, he doubts whether the Nigeria international would be keen on a potential switch.

Falk stated: "Everybody's trying [to sign him] and he's also in the ideas of Tottenham as an alternative if Harry Kane is leaving. But I heard Osimhen is not so interested in going to Tottenham."

Who else does Ange Postecoglou want to sign at Tottenham Hotspur?

Postecoglou has already made several additions to his squad this summer, including James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario, Manor Solomon and tying Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro to permanent deals following initial loan spells, as per Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, the Australian boss will be keen to land more signings to help build his vision of success at Hotspur Way and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has emerged as a target for the Lilywhites, with Chelsea, Newcastle United and West Ham United also keen on securing his signature, as per The Sun.

Defence looks like a key area that Postecoglou will look to bolster and Wolfsburg central defender Micky van de Ven is said to have agreed terms with Tottenham over a prospective move to north London. However, no transfer fee has been shook on between both parties, according to Football Insider.

In the striking department, Brentford forward Ivan Toney has become a surprise candidate to replace Kane and Spurs potentially would be willing to wait until the January window to try and sign him, as per FootballTransfers.

Barcelona have a special trick up their sleeves as they look to sign Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid.

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Barca want to sign Felix permanentlyAtleti ready to sell at €70m-€80mBarcelona to reduce price with 'Griezmann tactic'Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona are hoping to sign Felix permanently despite the Portuguese player's patchy performances for the Blaugrana this season. Atletico Madrid reportedly want between €70 and €80 million (£60-68m/$75m-86m) for Felix, which is far more than Barcelona can afford. According to Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan side plan to make an offer of €30–40m (£25m-45m/$32m-43m). Should the Rojiblancos reject it, they will try to secure Felix on loan for a second season.

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Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are eager to finalise a deal in order to prevent another summer drama. Fearing that a flurry of goals between now and the conclusion of the season will offer Los Colchoneros a stronger negotiation position and raise interest in the Portuguese, the Blaugrana are prepared to negotiate Felix's move or loan as early as January.

DID YOU KNOW?

Barcelona's approach is similar to Atletico's when they re-signed Griezmann. Both parties understand how unlikely it is for Felix to return to the former team, especially in light of his celebrations against Atletico last weekend. Barca will aim to drive the price down, knowing Felix wants to stay and that he will not be particularly welcome back at Atletico.

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WHAT NEXT FOR FELIX?

Felix will be in action when Barcelona take on second-placed Girona on Sunday, December 10 as Xavi's side look to close the four-point gap on their local rivals.

The Supreme Court had mandated the Law Commission to undertake such a study after the Lodha Committee recommended in its report that betting on cricket be made legal in India

Arun Venugopal08-Aug-2017Tasked with examining the possibility of legalising betting, the Law Commission of India has sought the suggestions of the BCCI’s member units before submitting its recommendations. The Supreme Court had mandated the Law Commission to undertake such a study after the Lodha Committee had recommended in its exhaustive report that betting on cricket be made legal in India.In a letter to the board’s member associations, Sanjay Singh, member secretary of the Law Commission, said the Commission would examine both betting and gambling given their “intertwining nature.””While the Law Commission has been reaching out to the various stakeholders to seek their observations and suggestions, it considers that the views of your association will be valuable in formulating its recommendations on betting,” Singh wrote in the letter accessed by ESPNcricinfo.”I would, therefore, request you to forward the views of the association on the matter to the Commission at the earliest, as we would like to submit our report in line with the directions of the Supreme Court, at an early date.”The debate over legalising betting has been a topic in Indian cricket ever since the match-fixing scandal rocked the sport in 2000. In fact, the creation of the Lodha Committee, which recommended a structural overhaul of cricket administration in India, was a direct consequence of the 2013 spot-fixing episode in the Indian Premier League.As things stand, horse racing is the only sport on which betting is legal in India, as a result of which betting on cricket operates in an unregulated environment run by illegal bookmakers.The Committee stated in its report that many respondents appearing before it were of the view that legalising betting would benefit both the sport and the country’s economy.”It cannot be overlooked that the worldwide legal sports betting market is worth over 400 billion dollars,” the Lodha Committee’s report stated. “However, with the interest of cricket being foremost in our minds, it would always be necessary to protect and invoke transparency from those involved in the game.”The Committee, however, was clear that betting must be legalised only with the following safeguards in place: “a) Regulatory watchdogs would be necessary to ensure that the betting houses as well as those transacting there are strictly monitored, failing which their registrations would be susceptible to cancellation; b) The Players, Administrators and others closely associated with the sport would be required to furnish the details of their incomes and assets for the sake of transparency; c) Licenses would have to be issued to those placing the bets as well, with age and identification details recorded; d) Strict penal sanctions would have to be imposed on those transgressing the license and other requirements.”BS Chauhan, the chairman of the Law Commission, had reckoned that there was a case for regulating betting through an enactment of a law rather than a blanket ban. “Harm resulting from excess is not limited to gambling alone, as an excess of anything may negate its benefits,” he was quoted as saying at a seminar organised by FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and the All India Gaming Federation in March in a report.”The response of the state in such a situation should be to regulate the activity, not seek to stop it completely. Legalisation would give the government the opportunity to bring gambling out from the dark corners of society, impose controls and extract some revenue … if betting were legal then a huge chunk of money that, at the moment, circulates only round the black market, would quickly become available,” he said.A BCCI official said, however, that legalising betting and gambling was a complex argument that required adequate spadework. “If you want to do it and make it successful, there is a lot to be done because it can’t be half-baked,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “If you legalise betting, then who runs the betting houses? Will it be done by the government or will there be certain companies? Is there going to be a structure in place for those companies? Have you thought of a system where you need gambling de-addiction centres? There are not enough liquor de-addiction centres in India, forget betting.”

Moeen Ali is prepared for a barrage of short-pitched bowling during the Ashes but believes that could be the opportunity for him to attack

Andrew McGlashan30-Sep-2017Moeen Ali is prepared for a barrage of short-pitched bowling during the Ashes but believes that could be the opportunity for him to attack and feels ready for whatever Australia will throw at him.Moeen completed an outstanding home summer with the Man-of-the-Series award in the ODIs against West Indies after excelling with the bat, making 102 off 57 balls at Bristol and an unbeaten 48 off 25 to take England above the DLS requirement before rain arrived at The Oval.That followed a prolific Test series against South Africa were he became the first player to score 250 runs and take 25 wickets in a four-match series. Overall in England’s seven-Test season he scored 361 runs at 32.81 and took 30 wickets at 21.30; in 11 ODIs he scored 283 runs at 70.75 and a strike-rate of 159.88. Although his five wickets came at over 70, his economy rate was respectable at under a run-a-ball.Moeen played a vital role in the 2015 Ashes – his lower-order partnerships Stuart Broad, especially at Edgbaston, giving England crucial late runs – but there is a thought that his technique against the short ball will be tested down under with him occasionally having had trouble when batting higher up the order.”It’s something I’ve been working on and I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I feel when you get in it’s a good place to bat. The ball doesn’t swing as much and hopefully whatever number I come in, I can express myself. I’m going to have to change a couple of things about the way I play but in terms of mindset I’ll just go and do what I normally do. The good thing is I’ve played against them before and I don’t want to speak too early or too confident but I’ll make sure I’m ready for it.”Hopefully they’ll get tired doing it [bowling the bouncer]. But you get chances to score all the time with the short stuff and I’m going to work hard on that. I am very excited about it.”Quite what role Moeen will play in the Ashes is now up in the air with Ben Stokes’ participation in the series uncertain. Should England be without Stokes, Moeen could be required to move up to No. 6 or 7 to fill the void. He has batted in every position from one to nine over his 44-match career, although 26 of them have been at seven or eight, and he has never made any secret of being keen to move up the list.”Yes, definitely. I’d love to bat wherever,” he said. “The higher up the better, I’d be very comfortable. Number eight, I’m kind of used to at the moment but if I get told to bat seven I feel capable of doing well there. Hopefully I can show that I can go out there and play against their bowlers and play well against them.”After a short post-season break, Moeen plans to work hard on his fitness ahead of leaving for Australia at the end of October aware of the physical demands the conditions could put on him.”I think I’ll give myself two weeks to prepare and come back and get a bit fitter. Batting and bowling is going to be hard out there so I just want to get ready for those conditions and keep up the confidence I have at the moment.”It’s something when you’re a young player you’re thinking you’d love to be on that tour. I never ever thought I would be on a tour like this and to be going, I’m very fortunate. Hopefully I can go out there and perform.”

Leeds United seem to be closing in on their second signing of the summer window, once again set to bolster a key area of weakness…

Is Karl Darlow joining Leeds?

That's according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, who suggests that Daniel Farke is seeking to aid Ethan Ampadu's pursuit to solve their defensive frailties by swooping for Newcastle United's Karl Darlow.

Taking to Twitter, the Italian journalist would suggest that AFC Bournemouth's alternative signing has had a domino effect in Yorkshire. He wrote: "Karl Darlow, now expected to join Leeds United from Newcastle as Bournemouth will go for Andrei Radu."

With just two years left on his £30k-per-week deal on Tyneside, and having seen chances limited since their signing of Nick Pope, now marks the perfect time for the 32-year-old to branch out and stake a claim elsewhere to be number one.

How good is Karl Darlow?

Such a fine injection of experience and athleticism will be a huge coup for the Whites, who have likely been desperate to replace Illan Meslier following his horror show last campaign.

The French shot-stopper posted a 6.65 average rating in the league, as a mainstay for a side that shipped the most goals in the entire division (78). He also made three separate errors that led to goals, as if to exacerbate his failures, via Sofascore.

News suggesting he would depart this summer worried few, and given his replacement already seems tied up, he is likely already long-forgotten.

Whilst play time has been limited for Darlow, a six-month loan spell at Hull City clearly helped put him in the shop window for this summer. Despite only featuring 12 times in the Championship for the Tigers, the ageing ace excelled.

Maintaining a 7.05 average rating, this was largely buoyed by his 2.9 saves per game, at a 71% success rate, via Sofascore. He managed to keep five clean sheets during that period too, conceding just 1.2 goals per game. For comparison, his potential predecessor shipped two goals per game last term in the top flight.

When linked with a switch to Middlesbrough, pundit Carlton Palmer had suggested: "This would be a shrewd bit of business. He spent the second half of the season on loan at Hull where he was outstanding." It now seems it will instead be the Elland Road outfit who are set to enjoy his exploits.

Having also made 52 Premier League appearances, placing this kind of experience behind fellow new signing Ampadu will surely help him take to his new surroundings well.

However, it is young Charlie Cresswell that will likely benefit more than anyone from his presence, finishing off what promises to be a formidable back three.

Standing at 6 foot 3, the 20-year-old titan enjoyed a fine loan spell of his own in the second tier, shining for the promotion-chasing Millwall last season.

Despite failing to attain a playoff spot, his 7.13 average rating in the league outlined a year of maturing for the young defender with the world at his feet. With 1.5 tackles, 3.1 clearances and 1.3 interceptions per game too (via Sofascore), he really did excel at this level and is set to do so again in the coming year.

Blending an experienced head with a youngster set to star for his parent club, such a deal could not only shore up their backline but provide the perfect foundation for Cresswell to build a successful career.

Despite Manchester United's appalling results this season, Erik ten Hag is adamant that he has the support of the organisation's decision-makers.

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Ten Hag's job reportedly under threat Dutchman says he has the club's support Graham Potter linked with the club Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

After losing to Bayern Munich and Bournemouth at Old Trafford back-to-back, United were eliminated from the European competition and lost ground in the fight for the top four. This set off a disastrous week for the team. Ten Hag will take his wounded team to Liverpool on Sunday, and there are rumours that a crushing defeat might have an impact on his career. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos' impending investment at Old Trafford will bring a new power structure, and former Chelsea head coach Graham Potter is the favourite to replace Ten Hag.

AdvertisementWHAT TEN HAG SAID

Ten Hag said when asked if he had support from the club: "I feel that. They tell me. That's fine and that is OK. I am focusing on the process, I am focusing on making this team play better and making the individuals play better."

"That is my concern and what I am focusing on. No [I can't get distracted about talk of me losing my job]. That is of no concern. Now we are inconsistent and I have to work on making a squad that is going to play for longer periods at a higher level."

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United are in poor form going into their matchup with Liverpool, having lost 12 of their previous 16 games, eliminated from the Champions League with just four points. Captain Bruno Fernandes is suspended for United, and Ten Hag has decided not to name his team's captain for the clash which the Red Devils lost 7-0 last season.

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WHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG?

The Red Devils will take on Jurgen Klopp's league leaders at Anfield on Sunday, December 17 as they will look to diminish the gap between themselves and the top four with all teams struggling to build a gap to their competitors this season.

Renato Sanches has appeared to remove all links to Roma from his Instagram bio after being left out of the squad to face Napoli on Saturday.

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• Sanches left out of Roma squad
• Mourinho's side beat Napoli 2-0
• Roma references removed from Instagram bio

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following Sanches' snub by manager Jose Mourinho for the Napoli game, the Paris Saint-Germain loanee no longer has Roma references in his Instagram bio. His profile picture is relatively blank, the text beneath that merely states 'gamer', but he still has photos from his stint with the Italian side.

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  Sanches' spell with Roma has not been a particularly happy one. The 26-year-old has played just nine times this season, although a hamstring issue has restricted his game time, too. The Portuguese international has been repeatedly criticised by manager Mourinho, who apologised just a week ago for taking the substitute off after just 18 minutes during the 2-0 loss to Bologna. His future at the club after this latest move may be more uncertain now.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In Sanches' breakthrough season in 2015-16 at Benfica, he helped them them win the league and cup double, and was awarded the division's breakthrough player and the Golden Boy award in the process. He then joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2016 for £30 million.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Sanches will return to Serie A action on December 30 away to title chasers Juventus. The January transfer window opens in just over a week and it remains to be seen if Sanches will stay with Roma for the second half of the season.

Following his impressive form in T20s this year, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan has signed with the Adelaide Strikers for the 2017-18 Big Bash League.The 18-year old legspinner ended his first IPL earlier this year as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s second-highest wicket-taker, with 17 from 14 matches. In the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League, he claimed the tournament’s first-ever hat-trick and finished with the best economy-rate of 5.82 for Guyana Amazon Warriors.”I am very happy to have signed with the Strikers for the BBL,” Rashid said. “It is a huge honour to be a part of such a great tournament and even more of an honour to be the first Afghanistan player to participate on the BBL stage. I look forward to linking up with my Strikers team-mates and backroom staff.”Strikers coach Jason Gillespie said: “Rashid has set the world alight in T20 cricket with his energy, enthusiasm, and great control for a young guy. He has some great variations, can bowl stump-to-stump and can be very hard to pick. We’re delighted to be able to offer him the opportunity to play for the Adelaide Strikers.”Rashid joins former South Africa batsman Colin Ingram as the franchise’s two overseas signings.Strikers, who had finished sixth out of eight in the last season, will open their campaign this year against Sydney Thunder on December 22.Adelaide Strikers squad: Wes Agar, Alex Carey, Jono Dean, Ben Laughlin, Jake Lehmann, Michael Neser, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Jake Weatherald, Colin Ingram, Rashid Khan

Fulham are "pushing" to reach an agreement with Chelsea for Callum Hudson-Odoi and they're in pole position, according to reports this week.

Who will Fulham sign?

As we enter the latter stages of this summer transfer window, Marco Silva's side appear to finally be getting busy after being linked with a plethora of targets.

The west Londoners are chasing the signing of a star centre-back, leading to their talks for both Calvin Bassey from Ajax and Southampton's Mohammed Salisu.

The former is apparently Fulham's first choice and talks are at an advanced stage to sign the ex-Rangers star, according to reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Meanwhile, the Whites have also signed Mexico international striker Raul Jimenez from Wolves, coming as Fulham's star forward from last season, Aleksandar Mitrovic, pushes for a move away.

"It's not the ideal situation, I have to tell you," said Silva on Mitrovic's possible move to Saudi Arabia.

"Not because he received an offer, it's the situation about himself. As you know, he's not going to play tomorrow, he didn't play last Wednesday.

"He's not working properly with his team mates and when I say this is not the ideal scenario, this is the situation."

Amid talks for new forwards and new defenders, it appears Fulham's preparations for the 2023/2024 season are formally underway. Silva's side have also been seriously linked with a move to sign Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea, who spent last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen.

The winger is surplus-to-requirement at Chelsea, and it is their London rivals Fulham who are in "pole position" to sign him.

That is according to The Guardian and reliable journalist Jacob Steinberg, who writes that Fulham are "pushing" to seal a move for the forward this summer.

"Fulham are pushing to complete a deal for Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi," Steinberg wrote.

"Lazio are interested in the winger, who has a year left on a deal worth about £120,000 a week, but Fulham remain in pole position.

"Fulham had their opening offer for Hudson-Odoi turned down last week and are looking for a compromise on a fee. Chelsea want to sell and are asking for about £8m, whereas Fulham have looked at paying £4m. Hudson-Odoi would compete with Willian for a place on the left wing at Fulham."

How good is Callum Hudson-Odoi?

Hudson-Odoi was tipped for the big time by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard back in 2019, who called him an "incredible" player at the time whilst predicting he could be "huge".

Now, Mauricio Pochettino's side want to sell the attacker – so much so they're very open to doing business with a west London rival.

While this doesn't give a great indication of his quality, members of the media did heap praise on Hudson-Odoi just last year.

FourFourTwo writer Mark White, taking to Twitter, called him a "special" player – all while highlighting the 22-year-old's "unbelievable vision" and "sheer mentality" in the final third.