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Blackburn Rovers have identified Brighton and Hove Albion prospect Andrew Moran as a target, with the Lancashire side engaged in talks to bring him to Ewood Park on loan this summer, according to TEAMtalk.

Blackburn Rovers transfer news – Andrew Moran identified

Unlike recent years, Rovers have been active early this summer, already bringing two new faces into the club as they look to build on Jon Dahl Tomasson's first season in charge.

Having missed out on the playoffs on the final day of the season through goal difference, the club have got to work early, signing Plymouth Argyle's forward Niall Ennis and Norwegian international Sondre Tronstad on free transfers.

The club has also signed former Tottenham Hotspur youngster Tom Bloxham following the midfielder's release from the North London club.

With Ben Brereton Diaz, Bradley Dack and Daniel Ayala just several names that have departed Ewood Park already, and with a couple of key first-team players like Lewis Travis linked to a move away, the side have plenty of holes to fill and Brighton's young gem is the next name they've identified as a target.

Moran was in blistering form for the Seagulls' U21 side last season and would be an upgrade on Sammie Szmodics, who has been a key player for Tomasson's team since his arrival last summer.

How does Andrew Moran compare to Sammie Szmodics?

While the 19-year-old prodigy didn't enjoy the brightest of starts to life at Rovers, Szmodics really came into his own towards the end of the season and became a vital member of Tomasson's side as they chased a playoff place.

With seven goals and three assists in all competitions, he played a key role in the club's campaign, but replacing him with Moran could actually improve the club's offensive output.

With 11 goals and six assists for Brighton's U21 side last year, including a goal against Blackburn's youth team when the two met in November, the teenager has already shown both a goal-scoring ability and a creative vision that will benefit the side massively.

One of Rovers' biggest issues last season was a lack of firepower up front, so adding Moran, who hit double figures in the Premier League 2, could go a long way to fixing that weakness.

While Szmodics worked best in the no.10 role, Moran has the versatility to play in a number of different positions, including either wing and as an attacking midfielder, so with a long Championship season ahead of them, having a player capable of performing in a variety of areas will benefit Rovers and is just another reason why the 19-year-old is an improvement on the former Peterborough man.

Having been labelled the "Irish Phil Foden" in the past by former Seagulls youth coach Mark Beard, big things are expected of the youngster – who his ex-manager Graham Potter once hailed as a "quality" talent with "huge potential" – going forward and bringing him in on loan would significantly strengthen Rovers' side and offer a big upgrade on the current personnel.

William Porterfield and the spinners helped Ireland thrash United Arab Emirates by 85 runs in the first ODI in Dubai

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2017
ScorecardWilliam Porterfield was bowled soon after completing his seventh ODI hundred•Chris WhiteoakWilliam Porterfield struck his seventh ODI ton to lift Ireland to 270, a total they defended by 85 runs with the help of George Dockrell and Andy McBrine’s spin.Ireland, after being asked to bat, lost two early wickets. Fast bowler Mohammad Naveed had Paul Stirling caught behind for 4, and in his next over, removed Andy Balbirnie. Porterfield then led Ireland’s rebuild with partnerships of 59,124 and 56 with Niall O’Brien, Kevin O’Brien and Gary Wilson respectively. Kevin O’Brien struck a 53-ball 69 that included seven fours and one six.Fast bowler Zahoor Khan took three wickets in three balls, with a wide in between his second and third victims, to stall Ireland’s momentum towards the end. Ireland lost their last six wickets for 17 runs in 24 balls, Zahoor took all of them to finish with 6 for 34, the best figures by a UAE bowler.Rohan Mustafa hammered a 29-ball 43 to lead UAE’s reply, but their chase withered away as they lost regular wickets. Off spinner McBrine and left-arm spinner Dockrell took wickets between them to reduce UAE to 112 for 7. Ahmed Raza struck a 69-ball 45 at No. 8. UAE were bowled out for 185 in the 42nd over.

A Round up of the Super Smash matches held on December 23, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2016Ben Hilfenhaus finished with career-best T20 figures of 5 for 23, complementing the 109-run partnership between Peter Fulton and Henry Nicholls, to secure Canterbury’s seven-run win over Otago at Hagley Oval.After choosing to bat, Canterbury’s Fulton and Nicholls each struck half-centuries in their 71-ball third-wicket stand, which rescued Canterbury from 8 for 2 in the third over. Fulton, who scored 64 off 43 deliveries, reached his half-century off 36 balls, while Nicholls took one ball more to the landmark, eventually falling for 52 off 40 balls. Nicholls’ fifty was his third in five Super Smash matches. Their partnership came at close to 10 an over and had set Canterbury up for a strong total, before they lost 5 for 35 to close their innings. Fulton’s wicket, taken by Christi Viljoen, stemmed Canterbury’s scoring rate as they could add only 40 more in their last six overs and finished their innings on 157.Like Canterbury, Otago lost two early wickets – Anaru Kitchen and Neil Broom were caught behind off Matt Henry and Hilfenhaus respectively – before a third-wicket partnership of 60 between Michael Bracewell (38) and opener Hamish Rutherford (38) steered their chase. However, following Bracewell’s run-out, Otago fell swiftly from 70 for 2 in the 12th over to 94 for 5 by the 15th.Hilfenhaus took two of those wickets and followed it up with two more scalps in the 19th over to finish with a five-for. Needing 18 off the last over, Otago managed only 10 runs and finished seven runs short of Canterbury’s total. The win took Canterbury to fourth, tied on 12 points with Otago.Mitchell Santner followed up a 21-ball 45 with three economical overs to help Northern Districts defeat Central Districts by ten runs at Seddon Park.Having been put into bat, the Northern Districts scored 57 before the opening stand was broken off the last ball of the fielding restrictions when Dean Brownlie (36) was dismissed. Contributions from BJ Watling (35) and Corey Anderson (28) carried Northern Districts along at a fast lick before Santner and Scott Kuggelijn (23 off 10) provided a late surge to lift them to 197 for 5.Central Districts’ reply was led by Mahela Jayawardene, who had earlier bowled for the first time since March 2010 and gone for 15 runs in his solitary over. He followed up his century in the previous game with 64 off 36 deliveries in an opening partnership of 84 that took just 8.2 overs. He was dismissed by Santner, who then put the brakes on the Central Districts, conceding only 12 runs off his three overs. Central Districts managed only 58 runs in the 7.5 overs after their opening stand, and even an unbeaten 16-ball 37 from Josh Clarkson wasn’t enough as they fell short by ten runs. The win, Northern’s second in the series meant they remained on fifth while Central were on second place.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to bolster their squad heading into the upcoming summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Zan Vipotnik to Celtic?

According to Football Scotland, Ange Postecoglou is considering a swoop to sign Maribor centre-forward Zan Vipotnik ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that the club are weighing up a possible bid to snap up the 21-year-old prospect, who is also being courted by Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb.

It is stated that his current club are looking for a fee in the region of £3.5m and the player's agent has confirmed that the Hoops are in the race for his signature.

Sasa Zupan told Football Scotland: "Yes, there is interest from Celtic for a summer transfer but there are a lot of clubs who want to sign Zan when the window opens."

Who is Zan Vipotnik?

He is a 21-year-old Slovenian international who currently plays for Maribor in his home country and the talented youngster could come in as a dream heir to Kyogo Furuhashi at Parkhead.

The number 77 has caught the eye with his performances this season as the young marksman has plundered an impressive 23 goals and one assist in 38 appearances in all competitions, including 20 strikes in 30 league outings.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig previously described the hotshot as a "poacher" and listed "finishing" and "movement" as some of the strengths of his game.

His statistics for Maribor this season suggest that those comments from Kulig were accurate as the dynamo has been a consistent, prolific, goalscorer at senior level in spite of his young age.

He is seven years younger than Kyogo and could arrive in Scotland as his understudy to start with before eventually taking over from the Japan international, as the gem has many years left ahead of him to grow and develop.

In the Scottish Premiership this season, the 28-year-old scored 27 goals and provided two assists in 36 appearances and was a reliable, prolific, scorer for Postecoglou throughout the campaign.

The PFA Scotland Men's Player of the Year is the go-to man for goals at Parkhead but has been linked with Crystal Palace and would reportedly be interested in playing in the Premier League, which puts his long-term future at the club in doubt.

This means that bringing in Vipotnik could be a shrewd piece of business by the head coach, as the up-and-coming marksman's form this season indicates that the ace has the potential to replicate Kyogo's success at Celtic if he is able to translate his performances over to Scotland.

Therefore, Postecoglou could land the dream heir to the phenomenal Japanese centre-forward by winning the race to land the £3.5m Slovenian talent.

Aston Villa are on the path towards an exciting time ahead with Unai Emery at the helm on his Premier League return.

When the club hired the Spaniard in November, not many would have dreamed how the season could end, with Villa still in contention for a top-six finish and European football next campaign.

The four-time Europa League-winning coach has installed a new sense of belief in the squad, taking players to the next level and placing the club in a positive direction.

While things are ticking at Villa Park this season, the Spaniard has been linked with a number of players that could improve his squad in terms of depth and in signing future stars.

Earlier this week, the Villans were linked with a potential double swoop for a Serie A pair, in a move that could have a positive influence on Villa’s hopes to compete at this level again next season.

What’s the latest on Denzel Dumfries to Aston Villa?

As reported by InterLive – via SportWitness – Villa are planning a €55m (£48m) offer to sign Inter Milan duo Marcelo Brozovic and Denzel Dumfries.

Both players have been linked with a move away from Inter this summer, with InterLive’s report claiming that Mateu Alemany – who had been set to join Villa until a change of heart – could be the key influence in any move.

However, since revelations regarding Alemany's own future, there has been no update on whether Dumfries remains a target.

What could Denzel Dumfries bring to Aston Villa?

Lauded as a “monster” by journalist Alan Rzepa on Twitter, the right-back is one of the top performing in his position in Europe over the past year as per FBref.

The 27-year-old ranks in the top 4% in Europe’s top five leagues in his position for his rate of aerials won, with 1.97 per 90.

The most dominating attribute the Dutchman offers is his ability to get forward, which is a key strength for a full-back when entering the Premier League.

Having caught the eye for his pace and directness, the £55k-per-week defender is a threat in attack on the flanks.

Such a claim is supported by the £35m-rated full-back's numbers which rank him in the top 1% of those in his position in Europe for most touches in the attacking penalty area, averaging a huge 4.01 per 90.

While Ashley Young is a seasoned professional in the Premier League, having made 421 appearances in the league over the years, the 37-year-old is nearing the end of his playing career.

The Stevenage-born right-back has been a key member of Emery’s squad, however, finding depth in his position is vital.

Dumfries could opt as a worthy heir to the Englishman, as a player that is experienced himself having played among Europe’s elite in his career at Inter.

Only time will tell if the Dutchman will reside at Villa Park come the end of summer, however, his talent and suitability to Emery’s squad is an exciting prospect.

ScorecardChris Jordan’s five wickets completed Sussex’s win•Getty Images

Chris Jordan starred with 5 for 28 and teenager Phil Salt hit 81 from 76 balls as Sussex bowled out Middlesex for 191 to win by 31 runs in a rain-shortened Royal London One-Day Cup South Group game at Hove.Jordan, bowling with impressive pace and firing in his toe-crushing yorkers seemingly at will, topped and tailed the Middlesex innings after Sussex had totalled 222 for 7.It was Sussex’s first win in the competition this season, at the third attempt, and Salt was joined in a third-wicket stand of 125 in 18 overs with New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor, who hit a 44-ball 54 despite finishing his innings with a runner because of a pulled hamstring.Ben Brown’s entertaining cameo of 31 not out from 13 balls pushed Sussex on to a challenging total in a match reduced to 32 overs per side, and it proved too much for Middlesex despite both Brendon McCullum and Eoin Morgan getting starts with 44 and 31 respectively.England one-day fast bowler Jordan struck twice with the new ball to bowl Dawid Malan for a duck and have Paul Stirling caught – after a juggle – by Brown behind the stumps for 4, and he later returned to pick up three tailend wickets as Sussex wrapped up the match with little fuss with eight balls remaining unbowled.Left-arm seamer George Garton and legspinner Will Beer also made important breakthroughs for Sussex after McCullum, who hit a six and six fours in his 37-ball effort, and Morgan, with five fours, threatened to mount a challenge with a third-wicket partnership of 40.Garton, 19 and in only his third List A appearance, had McCullum well held on the deep square leg boundary while Beer bowled Morgan behind his legs and then flummoxed John Simpson with a googly to have the left-hander caught by Jordan at slip.Beer’s seven overs brought him 2 for 34 and Garton later had Nick Gubbins caught behind for 37 after he and James Franklin had offered some defiant blows. Franklin’s 28 was ended when he swung Danny Briggs’s left-arm spin to deep midwicket where substitute fielder Luke Wells dived forward to take a fine catch.Play did not get under way until 2pm due to overnight and morning rain but, when it did, there was some rich entertainment for a sparse crowd well down in numbers on the 2,500 or so who would have been expected to attend on a sunny day.Chris Nash survived a difficult high chance to slip, one ball before Toby Roland-Jones nipped one back from down the Hove slope to bowl him for 11. And Sussex looked to be vulnerable when Luke Wright, after one hoicked six off Roland-Jones, was held at mid-on off the same bowler for 15 in the seventh over – the last of the initial powerplay in this reduced-overs contest.Salt and Taylor, however, grew in authority the longer they were together and also capitalised on some moments of good fortune. Salt, on 15, was beaten by a beauty from James Fuller which jagged away from his defensive bat and on 32 edged Fuller just short of first slip. Taylor, on 24, was badly missed by Fuller at deep mid wicket when he skied a pull at Franklin’s left-arm seamers.Fuller, in fact, did not lay a hand on the ball. Running in too fast from the boundary edge to position himself for the catch, he momentarily lost his footing and the slip disorientated him so much that, in the end, the ball sailed over his head and plopped to the turf as the batsmen ran two.Salt and Taylor added 125 in 18 overs, and there were some memorable strokes in the partnership which provided the meat in Sussex’s total. A reverse-sweep four by Salt off Stirling’s off spin was followed later by an extraordinary reverse flip which went high for four to the unguarded third-man ropes. The teenager also produced a superb straight-driven four off Fuller to reach his 52-ball 50, while Taylor merely upped his own tempo after calling for Nash to act as his runner when, on 26, he strained a hamstring muscle.In the 22nd over Taylor mowed Nathan Sowter’s leg spin over midwicket for six and, next ball, swept him hard for four before reaching his own 50 three overs later with a six swung off Stirling. From the next ball, however, attempting something similar, he was well held by Sowter on the deep square leg boundary.Salt soon followed, bowled by Franklin, and neither Harry Finch, Jordan nor Beer lasted long as Sussex slumped from 164 for 3 to 185 for 7. Finch, after one lovely straight four, was bowled swinging at Franklin for 8, Jordan was comically run out for 7 by the bowler after trying to swing Roland-Jones to leg, slipping over when looking for a sharp single and failing to crawl back into his crease, while Beer was leg-before to the next ball.Brown, however, hoisted Fuller for successive sixes in the final over after previously ramping Roland-Jones brilliantly for four and also earning seven runs in total for two pulls to deep square leg. In all, 30 runs came from the last two overs as Sussex, thanks to Brown, finally managed to build significantly on the Salt-Taylor stand.

Newcastle United have not been short of memorable performances this Premier League season and Eddie Howe will surely be thrilled with the quick progression his team has made over the last 12 months.

The Magpies are currently third in the top-flight table with the chances of Champions League football next season becoming a real possibility should they keep up their phenomenal form after going unbeaten in their last five outings following the victory over Brenford this weekend.

It was by no means an easy battle won at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon and for the first 45 minutes it looked like Newcastle could be in trouble, as many players looked exhausted and their successful system looked to be disjointed – giving two penalties away before half-time.

However, the Newcastle boss displayed exactly why he has comfortably led his squad to bigger things this season, with his impeccable in-game management paying off massively in the second half.

Howe decided to take drastic action during the break, replacing Sean Longstaff and Jacob Murphy with Anthony Gordon and Callum Wilson, slightly tweaking the formation by moving Isak into a shadow striker role behind the England international, as the Swede has often displayed his ability to drop deeper.

To say it paid off is an understatement as it was a game-changing move that ultimately helped the Geordies become much more offensive and energetic, which led to a well-fought 2-1 victory.

Should Howe play Wilson and Isak together more often?

There is no doubt that Howe has a headache worth having when it comes to selecting his starting striker, as both Wilson and Isak have been massively influential in the position over the season so far.

The £46k-per-week goal machine has scored ten goals and delivered four assists in 27 appearances, with his form in front of goal earning him a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year.

Wilson's £120k-per-week competitor for the striker role, Isak, was a monumental signing for the Magpies last summer, making the move to Tyneside for a club-record fee of £63m and has been a joy to watch ever since – scoring nine goals and registering one assist in 13 appearances.

The two goal-scorers boast different qualities, with Wilson an incredible finisher who thrives as a fox in the box, whilst Isak plays his best football when he is given the freedom to drop deeper and drifts into wider positions to receive the ball from midfield, often utilising his impeccable dribbling skills to trouble his opponents in the final third.

The St James' Park faithful welcomed the partnership when Howe made the change yesterday, with The Chronicle's Ciaran Kelly heaping praise on the pair for the build-up to Isak's winning goal:

"Callum Wilson lays it off on the edge of the area and Alexander Isak arrows it into the top corner first time. Unreal. They can play together, all right."

With that being said, Howe could have the perfect attacking formula for the rest of the season to unlock Champions League football for the North East club, as it is clear that Isak and Wilson can not only deliver apart but shine together too.

A report by Fantacalcio has suggested that former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is Antonio Conte’s ‘designated’ replacement.

The Lowdown: Conte set to leave?

Spurs’ current head coach, going by developments in the last 24 hours, seems set to depart north London with reports suggesting that Conte is on the way out.

The Italian, after being appointed by chairman Daniel Levy in 2021, guided Spurs to a top four Premier League finish last season but has arguably failed to build upon that success since.

Conte took his frustrations out on both the board and Spurs’ squad in a furious post-Southampton rant last weekend, questioning Tottenham’s very culture.

He stated:

“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart (in).

“Why? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.

“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stays here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.”

The Latest: Report suggests ‘designated’ Conte replacement…

Following Conte’s speech which has sent shockwaves throughout football, noise surrounding a possible replacement for the 51-year-old has only gathered pace.

Pochettino is one man to be heavily linked with the job, and a report by Fantacalcio has suggested that the former PSG boss seems to be Conte’s ‘designated heir’.

In terms of where Conte could go next, this report adds that Inter Milan are currently ‘in the front row’ to give him a chance to return to Serie A.

The Verdict: Perfect candidate…

The ex-Southampton manager is a sure-fire candidate to succeed Conte and we believe he is perfect, especially considering his top flight experience and status as a free agent.

Pochettino has earned real praise for his job at Spurs with journalist Alex Crook calling him ‘ruthless’ and a ‘good man-manager’ when talking about the Argentine’s previous links with Man United.

He would also come back to Spurs with more pedigree and experience having managed superstars at PSG, a club he also guided to a Ligue 1 title last year.

Indeed, it would seem Pochettino really should be the favourite to take over.

Tottenham Hotspur are doing everything they can to keep Harry Kane in north London beyond his current deal and have not received any interest from Manchester United.

How long is left on Harry Kane’s contract?

The England captain is now playing into the final 18 months of his deal with the north London club meaning this summer may be the last opportunity for Spurs to bring in serious money for him.

However, there is the belief that the 29-year-old could be open to extending his stay with the Lilywhites if the club are able to match his ambition.

Indeed speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the north London club are doing what they can to tie their 29-year-old down to an extended stay:

(2:50) “What I can say is that Man United never had any kind of direct contact with people close to Harry Kane, with his family, his brother they’re taking care of the player’s future.”

“The feeling of people into Tottenham is that they will do their best to keep Harry Kane at the club, to negotiate a new contract very soon to discuss with Kane and keep Kane at the club.”

Who is interested in signing Harry Kane?

There have been reports suggesting the likes of Bayern Munich have shown an interest recently in potentially signing Kane having lost Robert Lewandowski last summer.

However, the Bundesliga side may find it a difficult task to prise the England captain away from the Premier League with Alan Shearer’s all-time goalscoring record in sight.

This has naturally led to links to the Red Devils who will likely be on the lookout for a striker in the summer having lost Cristiano Ronaldo in recent months.

But there is still a lot riding on the final months of the campaign for Tottenham who could still get their hands on some silverware.

This will be a tough ask given the club are currently in the middle of a serious injury storm which has seen some of their important players struck by long-term issues.

And Kane’s sensational form in the Premier League this season may not help Tottenham’s chances of tying him down to a new deal with the likes of United in need of a prolific striker.

What will be interesting to see is whether the future of Antonio Conte has a big influence on Kane’s decision making given the Italian’s spell in north London could well be heading to an end.

Kane has played some of his best football under the proven winner, so if Conte is to move on in the summer, it will be interesting to see whether Kane feels the club is heading in a positive direction.

It is believed Mauricio Pochettino could be the man to come in and replace Conte, however, that may not be enough to keep Kane in north London.

Newcastle United are preparing a big-money offer for an "excellent" attacking player currently on the books of a European giant, according to a new transfer rumour.

Newcastle transfer news

The start of the January transfer window isn't far away now, and Eddie Howe could be desperate to make some new signings to add to his injury-hit squad.

Newcastle have been so unfortunate in the fitness department this season, having to make do without many important players at different times, while Sandro Tonali's 10-month suspension has also been a big blow that has only added to the woes.

The Magpies have certainly been linked with plenty of players in recent times, with individuals in various areas of the pitch potentially being targeted next month.

In defence, the likes of Goncalo Inacio and Piero Hincapie have been backed to join Newcastle, with the pair currently shining for Sporting CP and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.

Kalvin Phillips continues to look like the Magpies' primary midfield target in January, as he aims to bring an end to a disappointing spell at Manchester City, while VfB Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy is seen as someone who could boost Howe's attacking options moving forward.

Newcastle readying Matias Soule offer

According to Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are also readying a big offer for Juventus youngster Matias Soule, who is currently on loan at Frosinone.

The update states that the Magpies are "ready to put €25m (£21.6m) on the table" and make a move for the 20-year-old, with a recent report suggesting Newcastle are the frontrunners to snap him up.

Juventus are willing to wait until the end of the season to part ways with Soule, however, due to him currently enjoying his loan spell.

He could be a strong signing by Newcastle if they strike a deal in one of the upcoming transfer windows, though, with Frosinone manager Eusebio Di Francesco hailing him last month, saying:

"In certain aspects, he resembles Berardi, but he must learn to shoot on goal more often. He doesn’t lack qualities and has excellent dribbling, but in the game, he needs to be more lucid when making his choices. My thought is that his talent should not be limited; with time and experience, he will improve in many aspects."

This season, Soule has scored goals six in 14 Serie A appearances, which is a good return for a side who are currently sitting 13th in the table, and he is a player who should only get better the more he matures in the coming years.

Whether Newcastle can strike a deal in January looks debatable given the player's loan situation, but even if they decide to wait until the summer, it is a move they should certainly consider.

Newcastle must sign £50m Longstaff upgrade who would be Howe's dream

This £50m “leader” would be Eddie Howe’s dream signing at Newcastle United.

ByAdam Scully Dec 22, 2023

Soule also has a combined tally of 10 caps for Argentina at youth level – seven for the Under-20s and three for the Under-16s – further showing what an exciting young prospect he is.