Crystal Palace could complete a move that proves potentially game-changing for one of their star attackers.

Who do Crystal Palace want to sign?

According to the Evening Standard, Roy Hodgson is keen on signing a forward, but Palace will wait as they assess their alternative options.

It is understood that Che Adams is the man in question and indeed, he would favour a move back to the Premier League following the Saints’ relegation to the Championship in May.

Palace are ‘considering’ a £10m offer for the 27-year-old but remain ‘undecided on their preferred striking target.’

The outlet revealed Hodgson is on the hunt for an experienced attacker to fill the gaping hole left by the talismanic Wilfried Zaha, who departed for Galatasaray earlier in the window.

The South Londoner’s frontline could be dealt another monumental blow, with Michael Olise attracting serious interest from Chelsea.

This heightens the need for depth and Adams could emerge as one of the most attainable and intelligent targets.

What does Che Adams offer?

Although we are just two games into the new Championship season, Adams has swiftly demonstrated that he is one of the division’s most productive and dangerous assets.

In the opening game away at Sheffield Wednesday, the 23-cap international came on as a substitute and netted a late winner to secure the Saints a 2-1 victory.

After this, manager Russell Martin confirmed that Adams has been the subject of transfer speculation, but praised his attitude and influence, saying: “The way Che reacted to not playing was amazing – brilliant energy and so respectful.

“There was a lot of noise around him, we turned down a bid for him a couple of weeks ago and nothing has happened since. The way he dealt with that is amazing.”

Last weekend Adams continued his impressive form when he netted in an enthralling 4-4 draw against Norwich.

In total, the Scot has recorded 39 goal contributions in 124 Premier League appearances – this includes five goals and three assists from last term, as he ranked second for each metric in the squad, only behind the indefatigable James Ward-Prowse.

Adams’ energy, endless running, and effervescence would give Eberechi Eze a dangerous partner for Palace in attacks.

The playmaker was in a typically irrepressible mood on the weekend as the South London outfit secured a 1-0 victory over newly-promoted Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Eze managed seven key passes, registered five accurate crosses, won seven ground duels, and completed 100% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.

The Englishman continued his impeccable form last season in which he notched ten goals and four assists in 30 top-flight starts, and also ranks within the top 4% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers over the past 365 days for successful take-ons per 90 and shot-creating actions per 90.

His teammate Joel Ward has previously lauded Eze’s talent, saying: “Ebs’ quality is incredible, with what he does on the ball, the way he manipulates it and the way he just seems to glide over the pitch – it’s mesmerising at times.”

Therefore, Adams’ numbers could hit new heights due to Eze’s dazzling creativity and skill, giving Palace a strong platform to mount another top-flight campaign unthreatened by relegation.

As Harry Kane’s future in North London remains uncertain, Tottenham Hotspur may turn their attentions to Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson. Ryan Taylor of the Daily Express has spoken to GIVEMESPORT about just how likely this transfer is.

What does the future hold for Brennan Johnson?

Replacing Harry Kane is a nigh-on impossible task, hence why the rumoured fee for Tottenham’s attacking star is so high, despite the fact his contract is soon to expire. It would be ridiculous to think that Brennan Johnson would be directly filling the Kane-sized void but he could prove to be a worthy option in the frontline alongside the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-Min.

The Daily Mail have previously reported that the new Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is interested in Johnson and could pull the trigger on a deal. Forest are rumoured to have priced Johnson at, at least £50 million, something which doesn’t seem to have deterred the Tottenham hierarchy.

Following on from a very cash heavy 2022 summer, the Reds may need to move on one or two key assets. At the heart of that could be their prized asset, Brennan Johnson, who has been hailed as a "top player".

Brentford were another club keeping tabs on the winger but they saw a £35 million bid rejected in the last couple of weeks. The Bees have already broken their transfer record once when they brought Nathan Collins in from Wolves and so any renewed interest in the Welshman would see them break it again.

What is Ryan Taylor's transfer update on Spurs?

“If Kane goes, I know Johnson isn’t the same kind of player as him, but I think Tottenham are going to have to sign more diverse attacking options.

“I think that will be the way to deal with losing Kane. I don't think you're going to replace someone like Kane, so you're better off having different options in changing the style.

“From what I understand their interest is actually very, very credible in Johnson.

“That said, there are other clubs in for Johnson, not least Brentford who have had a club record £35 million bid rejected.

“But there are other teams in the mix from the Premier League for Johnson as well. So I think that could be one to watch.”

Where would the Nottingham Forest ace fit in at Tottenham?

As previously mentioned, there are much more differences than similarities between Harry Kane and Brennan Johnson. For starters, the former is far more experienced and is also a recognized centre forward.

Tottenham have been heavily reliant on Kane’s goals for a number of years, meaning that Johnson would arrive and have to hit the ground running. That being said, James Maddison, Richarlison and Kulusevski are a few attacking players who have a number of years left in them. Between them all, they could tally together to go some way to replacing Kane’s output.

Spurs may have underperformed in 2022/23 but that didn’t stop the English icon from scoring 30 Premier League goals. Meanwhile, in his first season in the top flight, Johnson scored eight and assisted three in just under 3,000 minutes. This may not be on the level of the man who he would be replacing but it is a sign of things to come.

Tottenham Hotspur continued their preparations for the upcoming Premier League campaign with a convincing 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at the weekend, with talisman Harry Kane bagging four goals on what could well have been his farewell appearance at N17.

With speculation still rife that the 30-year-old is set to be on his way to German giants, Bayern Munich – despite an agreement having yet to be reached between the two clubs – the England skipper enjoyed a potential perfect send-off with a typically ruthless display in front of goal.

The long-serving centre-forward may not have been the only figure saying his goodbyes during Sunday's clash, however, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also starting in midfield despite reports that the Danish maestro is set to join La Liga side, Atletico Madrid.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

As per Football Insider, the Lilywhites are likely to try and acquire a replacement for the 27-year-old before sanctioning a sale, with manager Ange Postecoglou potentially set to be able to find a perfect option in the form of Hojbjerg's former Southampton teammate, James Ward-Prowse.

How much would Ward-Prowse cost?

According to a recent report from the Daily Star, the north Londoners are potentially ready to hijack West Ham United's move for the England international, with the 28-year-old having been watched by Spurs scouts on numerous occasions at the tail-end of last season.

As per the piece, the Saints are not likely to sell their influential captain 'on the cheap' having already knocked back bids from the Hammers, with the south coast side said to be demanding a fee in the region of £40m.

The Portsmouth-born ace has spent his whole career with his current side and thus is not set to 'push for a transfer', although with Russell Martin's men now plying their trade in the Championship, a move away could be on the cards.

Should Tottenham sign Ward-Prowse?

It would not be the first time that Tottenham have snapped up a stellar talent from Southampton, with chairman Daniel Levy having previously overseen the £10m signing of Gareth Bale from the St Mary's side back in 2007.

While unlike Ward-Prowse, the Welshman was a raw, teenage talent at the time of the move, the explosive forward went on to sparkle over the next few years having made a stellar impact in a Spurs shirt, despite enduring a difficult opening period in which he failed to taste victory in his first 25 Premier League outings.

Having been snapped up following the Saints' failed promotion charge during the 2006/07 campaign, the now-retired superstar would go on to score 72 goals and provide 58 assists in 237 games in all competitions across his two spells at the club, including netting 21 league goals during the 2012/13 season prior to his move to Real Madrid.

One notable trait that the wing wizard mastered during his time at White Hart Lane was his dead-ball brilliance, having memorably scored two free-kicks in the same game in a Europa League clash with Lyon back in February 2013.

That is a gift that is certainly shared by "set-piece master", Ward Prowse – as described by broadcaster Maximiliano Bretos – with the Englishman having scored 17 Premier League free-kicks to date, ranking him just behind David Beckham as the most prolific in that regard in the competition's history.

For Spurs to then be able to have another Bale-esque figure who can conjure up moments of magic in the form of Ward-Prowse would be a truly exciting prospect, with the latter man seemingly a "great fit" for the club, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

With Levy having reaped the rewards of plucking Bale from the south coast in the past, he could look to repeat that masterclass by signing the experienced Ward-Prowse this summer.

Nottinghamshire’s T20 batting line-up will look different this year but the overseas pairing of Dan Christian and Ish Sodhi offers stability

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-2018Birmingham Bears have announced the return of explosive New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme as the dedicated T20 overseas player for 2018.De Grandhomme, who scored the second fastest Test century by a New Zealander in December off just 71 balls, will be available for all games in next year’s T20 Blast campaign after helping the Bears to the final at Edgbaston in 2017.Ashley Giles, Warwickshire’s sport director, said: “I spoke about Colin being a moneyball player when we announced his signing last year. He was still establishing himself in the international game, but had made plenty of game-changing performances for Auckland. We also recognised that he is an outstanding character who would be a good addition to the dressing room.”He went on to play a huge role on our path to the final last year and we saw him change the outlook of several games very quickly, particularly his innings against Derbyshire Falcons at home, and Northants Steelbacks and Surrey away.”He’s incredibly popular with everyone at Edgbaston and we’re looking forward to welcoming him back to the club in July ahead of our first game away to Notts Outlaws.”De Grandhomme played in Birmingham Bears’ 16 NatWest T20 Blast games in 2017, scoring 322 runs at a prodigious strike rate of 170.32 and taking five wickets.”We came very close to winning the T20 Blast on Finals Day,” Grandhomme said. “We’ve got a young squad with plenty of firepower, and I believe that we have every chance of going one step further in 2018.”

Moeen is the only man from the Test team defeated in Adelaide to play in the two-day warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI at Richardson Park this weekend

George Dobell07-Dec-2017Moeen Ali has been named captain of the England XI that will play a two-day warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI at Richardson Park in Perth this weekend.Moeen is the only man from the Test team defeated in Adelaide to play in the game. While the England camp insist he has recovered from a cut finger that compromised his effectiveness in Brisbane, they feel he failed to gain sufficient bowling ahead of the Test series due to a side strain that limited his involvement in the warm-up matches. Partially as a result, he has been comprehensively out-bowled by Nathan Lyon in the series to date. Moeen has taken two wickets at a cost of 98 apiece from 63 overs; Lyon has taken 11 at a cost of 22.72 from 109.1 overs.The variation in performance between Moeen and Lyon has been one of the key differences in the series to date. While Australia have been able to rest and rotate their seamers to maintain an attacking edge to their game (Lyon has conceded just 2.29 runs per over and taken a wicket every 59.50 balls), Moeen has failed to pose much threat (he has taken a wicket every 189 deliveries) or control the run-rate as much as England would have liked (he is conceding 3.11 runs per over). England hope he will gain some rhythm and confidence form the two-day match with both the coach, Trevor Bayliss, and the captain, Joe Root, suggesting he will retain his place for the Perth Test.Moeen will be joined in the side by the five members of the England squad who did not feature in Adelaide (Gary Ballance, Ben Foakes, Mason Crane, Jake Ball and Tom Curran) while six members of the England Lions squad (Ben Duckett, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood), who are now based in Perth at a training camp, have also been included to make-up the rest of the team. Foakes will keep wicket.Perhaps the most intriguing of those inclusions from the Lions is Wood. If he is able to prove his fitness and bowl at his full pace, he could be added to the squad and could yet play a part in the Ashes. Leach, the left-arm spinner, is also included alongside other spinners Crane and Moeen.England 12-man squad: Moeen Ali (capt), Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes (wk), Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Mark Wood.

Alex Morgan's San Diego Wave were in fine form as they returned to pre-season training in the California sunshine.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Wave return to training with a bang
• Alex Morgan chest bumps team-mate
• USMNT legend wins gaffer Stoney's tennis ball game

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The squad burst out of the changing rooms under clear blues skies, announcing their return with a series of hilarious re-introductions including a mid-air chest bump from Morgan. Manager Casey Stoney kept the vibes going with a novelty tennis ball game in which Morgan showed all of her experience, as she held her nerve for a win.

Advertisement

• WATCH THE WAVE ANNOUNCE THEIR RETURN

• WATCH ALEX MORGAN WIN THE TENNIS BALL CHALLENGE

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Morgan and her colleagues appear buoyant ahead of their third NWSL campaign. They've certainly had a blast so far with impressive showings in their first two seasons and making the finals of the playoffs twice.

Ben Cotton has joined the exodus of young players from Derbyshire as the county continues to slash the numbers in its first-team squad in an effort to lift expectations

David Hopps02-Feb-2018Ben Cotton has joined the exodus of young players from Derbyshire as the county continues to slash the numbers in its first-team squad in an effort to lift expectations.Kim Barnett, Derbyshire’s cricket advisor, has overseen the departure of seven players in the close-season, including four young seam bowlers who were once presented as being central to Derbyshire’s future but failed to make a major impact.Greg Cork, son of the former England bowler Dominic, Tom Milnes and Tom Taylor, who has been snapped up by Leicestershire, have all moved on.Only the loss of Shiv Thakor, one of the most talented players on their books, was beyond Derbyshire’s control as they released him with immediate effect in November, less than a week after he was found guilty of two accounts of sexual exposure.Derbyshire are down to 14 first-team players, with back-up from a small academy intake, and are actively pursuing an overseas pace bowler to supplement their numbers. They failed to win a Championship match in 2016 but after Barnett returned to the club won three last season and almost qualified for the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast.Barnett is unapologetic about raising the expectations for young players, believing that a large staff with limited opportunities, and equally limited expectations, is a problem.”I think the size of the staff has been an issue,” he said. “If you have 23 players and can’t give a number of them opportunities, that’s a problem. If you have others who have had opportunities and not made it, then that is also an issue.”We’re now down to more manageable numbers, not only to give people opportunities, but also for the finances moving forward.”Cotton, who was in the final year of his contract, signed his first professional deal with Derbyshire in 2014, featuring in 20 first-class fixtures for the club and taking 37 wickets. He also appeared in 29 one-day matches and 18 T20 games, taking 32 and 20 wickets respectively.Derbyshire’s academy has yet to prove itself a reliable provider of county cricketers of repute. Last season Alex Hughes became only the second graduate to win a county cap since the academy was formed in 2003.Barnett added: “The ECB have long been looking at the success of English academies, but in many respects we were ahead of that by bringing 14, 15 and 16-year-olds into our Academy with a view to developing them into first-team players.”By 20 or 21, you need to then be genuinely pushing for a first-team place and then going on to become a capped player. Alex Hughes is the current example of the type of success you want, trained up, in the first-team and then he earned his cap. We need to do more of that.”

The India seamer, who became available when he went unsold in the IPL auction, should be available for five County Championship fixtures and eight Royal London One-Day Cup matches

George Dobell15-Feb-2018

Ishant Sharma is to join Sussex for the first two months of the 2018 county season as an overseas player.The India seamer, who became available when he went unsold in the IPL auction, is expected to join the club on April 4. That means he should be available for five County Championship fixtures and eight Royal London One-Day Cup matches. He will provide a significant boost for a squad that will be without Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan for much of that period due to their IPL commitments.”Securing Ishant’s services has been very important for us,” Sussex’s director of cricket Keith Greenfield said. “Once Jofra and Chris were picked up in the IPL draft, it became crucial to sign an experienced international-quality seam bowler who could provide valuable support and know-how to the rest of the seamers.”Ishant has the attributes to be very successful in early season English conditions and a great role model. He fits the bill perfectly and we look forward to welcoming him to Sussex Cricket.”The signing may not please everyone, however. England coach Trevor Bayliss has previously expressed frustration at the way in which the counties allow overseas players to prepare ahead of Test series in England and, with India playing a five-Test series in England in the second half of the year, Ishant will have an ideal opportunity to adapt to the conditions and the Dukes ball.He is far from inexperienced in such conditions anyway. As well as having toured with India’s Test squad in 2011 and 2014 – when he was named Man of the Match for his Test-best 7 for 74 in the second innings as India won at Lord’s – he played in the 2009 World T20 and 2013 Champions Trophy teams, with his spell in the 2013 final (he dismissed the well-set Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara from successive deliveries) proving crucial.The signing continues the recent relaxation of rules as regards India players featuring in foreign domestic competitions. Appreciating that increased experience of such conditions could help India improve their overseas record, the BCCI also allowed R Ashwin to play for Worcestershire towards the end of the 2017 season – where he played a significant part in their County Championship promotion – while Virat Kohli has already expressed a desire to follow suit should a suitable gap in his schedule be found. Cheteshwar Pujara, who has become a regular face on the county scene after spells with Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, has already confirmed he will return to Yorkshire for the early part of the 2018 campaign.Whether there is scope for further members of the India Test squad to feature in county cricket this year remains uncertain. Their schedule – which includes a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Bengaluru in mid-June – is hectic and, while the Test series in England does not start until August 1, the limited-overs section of the tour beings in early July.While Chadd Sayers, the Australian swing bowler, had claimed last week he was hoping to sign for Sussex for the same period, it appears the club had accepted that gaining a work permit for him (he has not played any international cricket) could have become a significant challenge.”We’re delighted to secure the services of an experienced and very skilful international seamer,” Sussex head coach Jason Gillespie said. “We believe Ishant will fit right into the Sussex dressing room and we are all really looking forward to welcoming him to Hove.””It’s a great honour to represent Sussex CCC, the oldest first-class county, and I am looking forward with excitement to my maiden stint in county cricket,” Ishant was quoted as saying in a club press release.”I would like to extend a special thanks to Sussex for taking note of my ongoing performances and deeming me suitable for this opportunity. I hope to add value during my time as part of the Sussex family this season.”

Sri Lanka knew Bangladesh would find it hard to chase down 222 runs on the Mirpur pitch, according to their captain Dinesh Chandimal. He described the pitch as a “tough” one, saying his batsmen understood the importance of sticking around till the 50th over quite early and batted accordingly. That confidence helped them blow Bangladesh away in a 79-run win in the tri-series final, a superb comeback after losing so poorly in the first two matches of the tournament.Chandimal said the competitive total went hand-in-hand with Sri Lanka’s growing confidence. “It was a tough wicket,” Chandimal said. “I prayed before the toss, I need to win the toss. It was a dry wicket. Credit goes to Upul [Tharanga] and [Niroshan] Dickwella, they put on a 70-run [71] partnership. That was a turning point. We knew after 20 overs that if we can get 220-230, that’s a winning total for us.”We all knew, as I said, they are really good, especially playing here. But we had a feeling that we have a good total, and that’s a winning total. As I said we have game plans and we always try to play competitive cricket. And the guys played some outstanding cricket all around – with bat, ball and in the fielding also.”It was a sweet turnaround in Mirpur for Chandimal too, who was standing in in place of the injured Angelo Mathews. Around four years ago, he sat out the World T20 final despite being the captain, eventually seeing Lasith Malinga lift the trophy.It was a happy occasion certainly, and walking around the Shere Bangla National Stadium, trophy in hand, must have pleased Chandimal. He however took little credit.”We are over the moon,” he said. “This is all about working hard, especially after you lose the first two games. It is difficult to get back in this kind of tournament. The guys put their heart and soul in the practices and then when they go to the middle they put their heart and soul. They had the plans and they executed well, and credit goes to everyone who played the series.”Sri Lanka’s tactics to bowl short to the Bangladesh batsmen paid dividends as Tamim Iqbal and Sabbir Rahman fell prey to that length once again. Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said his team knew their opposition would use this length but couldn’t quite stave it off.”We have known in the last 8-10 days that they were bowling short,” Mashrafe said. “We have also spoken about it. But we cannot develop skills over seven days. One has to be mentally prepared. We talked about handling that length. We had the homework but we couldn’t deliver it.”Mashrafe also lamented the lack of support for Mahmudullah, whose 76 took Bangladesh to 142. “He needed support at the other end,” Mashrafe said. “He was the last man out. He had to play shots. If he got support from the middle order, he could have taken the chase deeper. In the Champions Trophy [win against New Zealand from a similar situation], he rotated the strike with Shakib [Al Hasan]. But playing shots and picking singles, all of it can’t be one batsman’s work.”

Inter Milan teenager Kevin Zefi has been seen as a potential summer signing by Newcastle United in the summer transfer window and a big update has now emerged.

How old is Kevin Zefi?

The Irishman is just 18 years old currently and moved to Inter from Shamrock Rovers two years ago, such was his ability as a young and emerging footballer.

While Zefi is yet to make a senior first-team appearances for the Serie A giants, he has shone in the youth teams, scoring six goals and registering seven assists for the Under-17 side, as well as an incredible 16 strikes in just 13 games for the Under-18 outfit.

The young winger signed his first professional deal last years and is contracted at Inter until the summer of 2024, but it could be that he moves on before the current transfer window closes at the end of this month.

Newcastle have emerged as strong potential suitors for Zefi and a fresh update further suggests that he could be plying his trade at St James' Park in the very near future.

Will Newcastle sign Kevin Zefi?

Eddie Howe revealed Lewis Hall would be the last first-team signing, but according to NUFC Blog, Newcastle are now expected to sign Zefi for the academy:

"Newcastle United look set to follow the signings of AC Milan youngster Cathal Heffernan and Chelsea’s Lewis Hall with the arrival of fellow 18-year-old Kevin Zefi.

"Zefi is being advised by former Toon defender Stephen Carr and is set to join our U21s after a breakthrough in talks. He also plays at international level alongside Toon duo Alex Murphy and Reece Byrne; two players Dan Ashworth has brought to the club’s academy over the past 12 months."

This is a very exciting update for Newcastle, as they continue to show that they are not only planning for the present, instead making sure they sign young players with big futures in the game.

In Zefi, they have someone who is considered something of a wonderkid, with former coach Shane Robinson explaining what makes him so special:

“Kevin is that type of player that catches the eye easily – he backs himself 100% in possession of the ball. He has lovely balance and uses his body very well to protect the ball.

"He has worked very hard on his overall game over the last number of years and deserves credit for that, he has gone up through the levels impressively from U15 to U19 with First Division appearances last season also."

While Zefi clearly wouldn't be arriving as an important member of the senior setup to begin with, given his lack of experience, he is someone who could continue to start at youth team level, gradually blossoming into a top-level footballer who can cut it on the biggest stage.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

It is always hard to gauge how a youngster will develop, with injuries and work ethic always potentially getting in the way, but the former Shamrock ace has all the tools to make it and could be a future hero on Tyneside.