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A round-up of the Regional Four-Day Tournament matches that were played between April 7 to 9

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Apr-2017An unbeaten first-innings century from Devon Smith, coupled with Kyle Mayers and Shane Shillingford’s resounding returns, piloted Windward Islands to an eight-wicket victory inside three days over Jamaica at the Arnos Vale Ground.Jamaica’s decision to bat received little validation from their batsmen as they were bowled out for a paltry 56 in 19.4 overs. Only two of their batsmen got into double-figures, with wicketkeeper Devon Thomas registering a top score of 15. Their undoing was spearheaded by the fast-bowling duo of Mayers (6 for 29) and Delorn Johnson (4 for 26).Windward’s reply was led by Smith’s unbeaten 253-ball 100. His second ton in three matches, and 29th overall, all but nullified opposition captain Nikita Miller’s 5 for 58 and secured a lead of 167 for his side. That began to look match-winning as soon as Mayers picked up two wickets in successive overs to reduce Jamaica to 21 for 2. Offspinner Shane Shillingford then took over, picking up his 37th first-class five-wicket haul and finishing with 7 for 91. Raul Palmer, with 46 off 128 balls, and Fabian Allen, with 77 off 95 balls, were the strongest sources of the Jamaican resistance as they were bowled out for 262.Left with a target of 96, Windward were able to win despite Smith retiring hurt and Tyrone Theophile (36) and Jerlani Robinson (19) losing their wickets.Two half-centuries and a match haul of 9 for 42 from Roshon Primus helped Trinidad and Tobago hammer Barbados by 130 runs at Kensington OvalBatting at No. 7 Primus lifted T&T from 122 for 5 to 196 in the first innings with an 80-ball 60 – his third first-class fifty. It was the only notable contribution besides a 53-run second-wicket stand between Amir Jangoo (32) and Isaiah Rajah’s (38) and at that point it seemed like Barbados had the upper hand with Kevin Stoute and Justin Greaves taking seven wickets between them.But then they slumped to 34 for 6 in their first innings with Primus doing the star turn again as he removed three of the top five batsmen for single-digit scores. Stoute (81) and Kenroy Williams (46) tried to wrest the initiative back with a 90-run stand for the seventh wicket but Primus’ returns of 4 for 21 along with Bryan Charles’ 3 for 32 bowled Barbados out for 168 and gave T&T a 28-run lead.T&T wicketkeeper Jangoo then plundered seven fours and two sixes to amass a top score of 71 off 131 balls in the second innings, while Primus chipped in with a 62-ball 51, before Greaves’ 5 for 63 ended the T&T innings at 211.Set a target of 240, Barbados plummeted from 62 for 4 to 78 for 9 within the space of eight overs, with Primus taking 5 for 21. No batsman scored more than 20 as Barbados were bowled out for 109 in 40 overs.

Leeds United are yet to engage in any transfer activity this summer, likely stuttered due to the length of the 49ers' takeover. However, they could now be set to bring in the first of what promises to be a comprehensive transfer window…

What's the latest on Sam Field to Leeds United?

That's according to Football Insider, who suggest that the Whites are plotting a move for Queens Park Rangers midfielder Sam Field.

With the Yorkshire outfit set to battle with newly-promoted Burnley for his signature, with the hope being that their stature alone can prove more of an allure than Vincent Kompany's project at Turf Moor.

With just one year left on his £7k-per-week deal, the 25-year-old would represent a fine option for either of these clubs. To tempt him to Elland Road would reaffirm the status of these English giants, and hand them a huge boost in their pursuit of a Premier League return.

Does Sam Field improve Leeds United?

Field featured heavily last term for the Rs, having moved from his boyhood West Bromwich Albion in 2021. Despite their looming relegation threat, the tough-tackling ace managed to maintain a 6.98 average rating in the Championship, chipping in with two goals and three assists, via Sofascore.

However, it is defensively where he truly shines, with his figures suggesting that should Tyler Adams choose to depart Yorkshire, this star would represent a fine alternative to step into his role.

Last year the USA international blended one key pass per game with 3.7 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game (via Sofascore), with his exploits earning praise from journalist Tim Thornton: "There are similarities in the way he plays with Phillips in the way that he breaks play up and screens the defence. But he’s also very different in a lot of ways. So, he’s done brilliantly.”

However, when compared to Field's campaign, it is clear that the two are more similar than one would initially think. After all, he also recorded 2.5 tackles per game, alongside a further 2.4 clearances and 1.8 interceptions, as per Sofascore. Given both were embroiled in their respective relegation battles, they proved themselves more than capable of starring in a dogfight.

When compared to Leeds' squad for that season, this relentless midfield general would have posted the joint-best rating of those who played more than five games, and the joint-fourth-best tackler too.

Such imperious form was always foreseen by those who viewed him in his infancy, with one of his former coaches, Gary Megson, noting: "If he can just grow into himself in terms of confidence and get that little bit of belief in himself it wouldn't surprise me if he goes on to have a real top-class career.

"He's big, he can run and he's got a great left foot. He's one of the best two-footed players I've seen and he's got a great amount going for him."

Perhaps a move to Elland Road could help realise that potential, stepping up to fill the hole that could be left by Jesse Marsch's star signing.

A round-up of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier games held in Colombo on February 11, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2017A clinical bowling display by South Africa bundled Bangladesh out for 100, a total they chased with six wickets in hand and 148 balls to spare in the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Colombo. Bangladesh were set back in the first over, losing Sharmin Sultana off the third ball of the match. Two more quick wickets reduced Bangladesh to 8 for 3 in the fifth over. They never recovered thereon.Captain Rumana Ahmed top-scored with 39 off 93 balls. Fast bowler Shabnim Ismail and legspinner Sune Luus claimed three wickets each, while Dane van Niekerk returned two wickets in an economical spell. Openers Lizelle Lee (34) and Laura Wolvaardt (30) shared a 50-run stand in 60 balls to ease South Africa towards the target. Even though Bangladesh picked up regular wickets, their total was not nearly enough.File photo – Chamari Atapattu put in an all-round performance as Sri Lanka inched closer to the Super Six•International Cricket CouncilSri Lanka completed an eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe in Colombo, a result that took them closer to the Super Six and to second place in Group A.Zimbabwe got off to a slow start after electing to bat, with the openers putting on 30 in 13.3 overs, before falling off consecutive overs. The breakthrough was made by left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera, who returned later to take wickets off the 32nd, 34th, and 36th over to leave Zimbabwe struggling at 96 for 6. Ranaweera, who finished with 4 for 18, was supported by medium-pacers Chamari Kumarihami (2-21) and Chamari Atapattu (2-21). For Zimbabwe, Mary-Anne Musonda top-scored with 32; only two other batsmen got into the twenties as they folded for 149. In response, Sri Lanka were powered by an opening stand of 77 and an unbroken 57 for the third wicket as they chased the target down with 69 balls to spare. Atapattu followed up her two wickets with a 58, while Kumarihami (27*) and Prasadani Weerakkody (33*) took them home.File photo – Kim Garth narrowly missed out on a century as Ireland defeated Thailand•ICC/CricketEuropeIreland strengthened their chances of a place in the Super Six stage with a 46-run win over Thailand in Colombo, riding on fifties from Kim Garth and their captain Laura Delany and a three-wicket haul from seamer Lucy O’Reilly.The foundation for Ireland’s score of 218 for 7 was set by Garth and Delany who shared a 106-run partnership for the third wicket after the early loss of the openers. While Delany made 50 off 80 balls, Garth fell two runs short of a century when she was dismissed off the penultimate ball of the innings. Her 122-ball knock had nine fours and a six.Ireland’s bowlers then kept the pressure on Thailand, who were limited to 172 for 9 in their allotted overs. Nattaya Boochatham (44), Nannapat Koncharoenkai (18) and Sornnarin Tippoch (42) showed some resolve in keeping Ireland at bay after early wickets, with Boochatham and Koncharoenkai adding 61 for the third wicket. However, O’Reilly quick wickets in the lower order confirmed Ireland’s win.File photo – Kari Anderson’s three-for helped Scotland defend 169 against Papua new Guinea•International Cricket CouncilScotland scraped through by seven runs against Papua New Guinea in a match where both teams were looking for their first win of the campaign.Scotland’s win was led by Kari Anderson, who took 3 for 35 and effected a run-out after PNG had won the toss and restricted them to 169. Anderson ran out PNG captain Pauke Siaka and took the wicket of top-scorer Brenda Tau (46) during the chase. She was supported by fellow medium-pacers Kirstie Gordon (2-27) and Priyanaz Chatterji (2-22), as the trio helped inflict a collapse that eventually saw PNG lose 10 for 90 – including two off the last over to Chatterji – after the openers had put on 72.Earlier, Siaka had 6 for 19 with her medium-pace, assisted by offspinner Sibona Jimmy who bowled five maidens and conceded only 15 in her ten overs. Scotland’s only notable partnership had been the 59 runs Anderson (26) had put on with top-scorer Rachel Scholes (35). Elizabeth Priddle (31) was the only other batsman to get into the thirties during Scotland’s fifty-over innings.

A round-up of the Momentum One Day Cup matches played on February 26, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2017Cape Cobras climbed from the bottom of the table to the top half with a slim three-wicket against Dolphins in Pietermaritzburg. Their second win of the tournament was led by an all-round performance from Rory Kleinveldt who took 4 for 48 and struck a four and six when they needed 10 from the last over.Chasing 257, Cobras’ opening stand of 63 between Richard Levi (52 off 35) and Omphile Ramela (62 off 90) set the tone before Robbie Frylinck removed Levi and Stiaan van Zyl fell for 8 off 26 balls. Their troubles increased when left-arm spinner Kyle Nipper struck twice and Ramela retired hurt on 60 between those two wickets. Dane Vilas steered them past 200 but lost more partners as Frylink accounted for Ramela once he returned. At 221 for 7 and needing 36 off 32 balls, Kleinveldt joined Vilas and struck a six in the 48th over before his last-over strikes. Kleinveldt finished on 26 off 15 and Vilas on 47 off 58.Dolphins’ decision to bat looked useful when their openers Vaughn van Jaarsveld (54 off 52) and Morne van Wyk put on 90 in under 15 overs. Once Dane Piedt struck, van Wyk went on to score a century but didn’t get substantial support at the other end. The other batsmen struggled to score briskly and van Wyk’s 111 off 127 helped them to 256 for 8 but it was not enough.File photo – Henry Davids followed his 163 in the previous match with a brisk 63•LatinContent/Getty ImagesTitans moved one place up to the top of the table with a resounding 109-run win in Centurion where they bowled Lions out for 159 while defending 268.Put in to bat, Titans didn’t see huge partnerships but useful contributions from several batsmen. They stuttered in parts – once when opener Henry Davids fell for 63 off 70 in the 21st over and the second time when they slipped from 156 for 4 to 156 for 6 in the 30th over. However, an unbeaten and run-a-ball 61 from Albie Morkel, at No. 7, helped them survive the 50 overs and cross the 250 mark. Beuran Hendricks finished with 3 for 41 and Bjorn Fortuin with 2 for 46.Titans quicks Eldred Hawken and Junior Dala joined forces to trouble Lions’ top and middle order. They sent the top five batsmen back by the time Lions could score 52 in 13 overs. From there on, the lower order only stretched the score past 100 and then 150, Fortuin the top-scorer with 34, but figures of 8-1-40-3 from Hawken and 6-0-21-3 from Dala meant Lions could not put up much of a fight.

With West Ham United rejecting the latest big-money bid for Declan Rice, this time from Manchester City, it is clear the Hammers are being serious with their £100m valuation of the midfielder.

While that saga continues to drag on, with the ball now firmly in Arsenal's court, West Ham will no doubt be on the lookout for midfield recruits of their own.

What is the latest with Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana?

Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana is one of those to have been touted as a target for David Moyes' side earlier this month, but they have now been joined in the race by Premier League rivals Arsenal and Newcastle United.

According to L'Equipe, it is likely that Fofana will be sold to the highest bidder, with a fee of around €35m (£30m) possibly enough to prise him away from the Principality club.

That may seem like a high valuation for a player with a year left to run on his contract, but Monaco have the option to extend that by a further 12 months, so they are not in desperate need to sell.

Is Youssouf Fofana a good option for West Ham?

First things first: No matter which midfield target West Ham sign this summer, they will not tick as many boxes as outgoing Rice. Then again, none of their targets will cost a nine-figure sum.

Fofana is the same age as Rice, the pair play in the same central-midfield position and they were each regulars for teams in Europe's top five leagues, so comparing the two only makes sense.

Rice added an attacking edge to his game last season, and that reflects in the statistics as he averaged 0.16 goals and assists per 90 minutes, as per FBref, compared to 0.09 for Fofana.

There are plenty of similarities in other areas, however, such as their number of shots on target (23.9% for Rice and 24.6% for Fofana), their shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (2.54 v 2.41), with that metric factoring in passes and take-ons leading up to a shot, and tackles won (1.26 per 90 v 1.30).

The pair also won a very similar number of aerial duels (58.3% for Rice, compared to 56% for Fofana), which all suggests the Monaco man would be a good like-for-like replacement alongside Tomas Soucek, or indeed another new midfielder Moyes brings in.

Fofana is not exactly an under-the-radar gem, having already been capped ten times by France at senior level. Indeed, the Paris-born midfielder showed he can more than hold his own alongside some of the game's biggest names, with Statman Dave hailing his "exceptional" debut against Austria last September.

That game showcased many of Fofana's qualities, as he completed 100% of his dribbles, won 12 out of 14 ground duels and played one key pass. It is in terms of take-ons Fofana arguably brings something a little different to Rice that West Ham could do with, completing 1.36 per 90 last season to the Englishman's 1.02.

Potentially available for less than a third of the sum they will get for Rice, West Ham must ensure they are ahead of their Premier League rivals in the race to sign the talented Fofana.

West Ham United should reinvest some of the money they make off of a potential Declan Rice sale this summer on Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse, Dean Jones believes.

Following their relegation to the Championship, the Saints are expected to lose their skipper this summer, and there have been a number of sides taking an interest in the free-kick specialist.

The Europa Conference League champions have recently emerged as a team interested in acquiring his services, The Evening Standard has reported, but the Saints will only consider selling Ward-Prowse for the right price.

What's the latest West Ham transfer news?

Following their Europa Conference League win earlier this month, David Moyes' side have been busy looking at ways to strengthen their side as they prepare for a Europa League return next season.

With Rice's departure looming, they've identified a number of different potential successors for the Englishman, with L'Equipe recently reporting that Ligue 1 side Marseille are expecting the club to make a bid for former Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi.

The Telegraph have also revealed that both Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire may potentially be on their way to West Ham, with Manchester United wanting to include the pair in a potential deal to land Rice.

With numerous potential moves in their eyesight, Ward-Prowse was recently added to the list of potential midfielders that could join the Hammers as they lose their prized asset, and while Southampton's asking price for their skipper may have initially been a problem, the money made on selling Rice could be used in a deal, according to Jones.

What has Dean Jones said about West Ham and James Ward-Prowse?

While West Ham may not initially have the funds to match Southampton's asking price for Ward-Prowse, Jones believes the money generated from selling Rice this summer should be reinvested into a deal for the Saints captain.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: "There was earlier talk that clubs might try and get him for £25 million. I mean, that just can't happen. So West Ham, if they get the chance to reinvest the Rice money that they'll eventually get, then James Ward-Prowse would be a really good spot for them to push some of that cash.”

How does James Ward-Prowse compare to West Ham United's current midfielders?

The Southampton man would immediately become West Ham's best creative midfielder, if Rice is to leave, with Ward-Prowse's average pass success rate of 85.3, higher than every other midfielder in the side.

In terms of key passes made a game, the 28-year-old's average of 1.9 a game, dwarves everyone in the Hammers side, with Aaron Cresswell's 1.4 the closest.

With the Hammers scoring from 11 set pieces last season, adding a specialist like Ward-Prowse to the squad will only boost that number even higher and the club would reap the benefits almost immediately.

No one at West Ham scored more than the nine Premier League goals that the Saints captain bagged last season, and with goals being a huge problem for the club, he'd help fix that issue.

Labeled "exceptional" by former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, Ward-Prowse would be a strong addition to the Hammers team and go a long way into replacing a club icon like Rice.

A round-up of the Inter-State T20 tournament Central Zone matches played on January 30, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2017Madhya Pradesh’s bowlers defended a total of 159 by 17 runs against Rajasthan for the side’s second win in the tournament. Starts from the Rajasthan top order had left them at 101 for 3 after 14 overs in a chase of 160, with 17-year-old Mahipal Lomror set at the crease. Lomror, however, fell in the 15th over, and Rajasthan were eventually limited to 142 for 5. MP offspinner Saransh Jain picked up 2 for 14, while Puneet Datey and Ashwin Das took a wicket each. Earlier, debutant offspinner Tajinder Singh took four wickets to gnaw at MP’s promising start. From 80 for 2, MP were wobbling at 114 for 6 before Venkatesh Iyer slammed an unbeaten 25-ball 45 to take their total past 150.File photo – Mohammad Kaif anchored his team to their first victory in a T20 match•Sivaraman KittaChhattisgarh registered their first victory in a T20 match after bowling Vidarbha out for 94 and chasing it down with nine wickets in hand at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Vidarbha elected to bat, but saw their top four batsmen dismissed within the tenth over. This included Ambati Rayudu – playing his first T20 game since June 2016 – who fell for 13. They lost their last seven wickets for 34 runs and were bowled out for 94. Kant Singh (3-17) and Sumit Ruikar (2-14) did the bulk of the damage. In response, Chhattisgarh were anchored by captain Mohammad Kaif, who scored an unbeaten 44 off 53 balls and put on 52 for the opening wicket with Abhimanyu Chauhan (21 off 24) and an unbroken 44 for the second with Amandeep Khare (22* off 14).

Liverpool are battling a top flight rival to sign Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, with the Reds now ready to stump up the money to sign the World Cup breakout star, according to a report from Firenzeviola.it via Sport Witness.

Is Sofyan Amrabat really that good?

The midfielder has been with Fiorentina for three seasons now, having initially caught the eye with Hellas Verona in the same division. He has gone on to appear in 83 Serie A games for the La Viola since that transfer deal.

In 2022/23, he managed 29 league outings as well as starring in their Europa Conference League campaign, showcasing how good he can be on the big stage. That's because, when compared to others in his position amongst the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues, he ranks very impressively. For example, his progressive passes rate of 7.93 per 90 puts him in the top eight percent in that category and his 88.8% pass completion rate has him in the 95th percentile in that figure too.

It shows that he rarely makes mistakes with the ball despite seeking to make dangerous and incisive passes – the numbers even put him on a par with Liverpool's own pass-master, Thiago Alcantara, who ranks slightly better for progression but slightly worse for accuracy.

Now, according to a report from Firenzeviola.it via Sport Witness, the player has suitors from other leagues. Both Liverpool and Newcastle have an interest in the midfielder it seems and both clubs are "ready to pay" the asking price that Fiorentina want to ensure Amrabat ends up in the Premier League.

They appear to be the only two clubs currently willing to pay the required amount to convince the Serie A side to flog the 26-year-old.

What is Amrabat's transfer value?

With Fiorentina having paid around 19.5 million Euros to bring him to Italy, they'll want to fetch even more than that in the next deal for Amrabat. No potential fee is mentioned here in regards to a transfer deal – so it is actually unclear how much Liverpool are prepared to pay for the midfielder – but Transfermarkt suggests that his value is around the 30 million Euro mark (or £26m). Whilst more than the Serie A side paid, it is still a relatively cheap deal for the player.

When you consider what has been said about him in the game too, it makes that amount as a potential fee seem low. Football journalist Josh Bunting for example called the player "outstanding" during Fiorentina's Europa Conference League game against West Ham, also adding that he "ran the game" for the Italian side, while his displays on the biggest stage of all, the World Cup, drew mass media acclaim.

At the Gabba five years ago, Mickey Arthur was debuting as Australia coach. Now he is back at the ground, but as Pakistan coach

Brydon Coverdale11-Dec-20163:07

Watched Pakistan batsmen struggle in Cairns warm-up – Starc

At the Gabba five years ago, Mitchell Starc and Mickey Arthur made their Australia Test debuts together: Starc as a player, Arthur as coach. A new era was beginning. The Argus review was complete, the fiasco of the 2010-11 Ashes was in the past. That year’s Gabba Test also marked David Warner’s debut, Nathan Lyon’s first home Test, and Michael Clarke’s first home Test as full-time captain.Now, Arthur is back at the Gabba as coach – but not of Australia; his tenure famously ended on the eve of the 2013 Ashes in England with a surprise sacking and the installation of Darren Lehmann as his replacement. And so, just as Starc, Warner, Lyon and Usman Khawaja entered the Brisbane Test of 2011 with Arthur their mentor, now they approach the Gabba with Arthur in charge of their opposition: Pakistan.It is not a unique situation in international cricket and not even for Arthur, who had coached South Africa and then in 2012-13 coached Australia against them. Starc remembered Arthur as “a nice guy”, but said the Australians had moved on from his tenure, and described the group as “a lot closer” under Lehmann.”He has been a coach of an Australian cricket team, he spent some time in domestic cricket in Australia, he’ll have a bit of knowledge around the Gabba and some of our players,” Starc said of Arthur. “But our team has changed immensely since he has been put out of the job… we’re a lot closer.”Boof’s [Lehmann] obviously brought his own coaching theories and concepts into the group, so the group has obviously changed personnel-wise as well. We’ve developed massively as a squad since the time of Mickey Arthur, and I think all for the better.”Starc’s own Test career has taken off since Lehmann joined the squad. Under Arthur, Starc was in and out of the side and collected 30 wickets at 34.03. Under Lehmann, he has picked up 99 wickets at 25.73 and become one of the most effective bowlers in world cricket. This is not to suggest a correlation, for Starc was young and still developing his game during Arthur’s reign, but Starc said there were clear differences between the two coaches.”One probably rode the game a little bit more and I think at times found it hard to watch,” Starc said. “Whereas Boof instils a lot of confidence in you, he has got that laid back old-school attitude but doesn’t sugar coat anything. I think that’s what this young group needs as well, with some hard truths sometimes.”Obviously over the last couple of months we haven’t played our best cricket but having a nice win in Adelaide and a good amount of cricket in the last 10 days to win that series against New Zealand pretty solidly. So I think we’ve got a bit of momentum behind us and Boof has been great to contribute to that.”Pakistan enter this series ranked fourth in Test cricket while Australia are third, but notably both sides have spent time at No. 1 this year. Australia are searching for their first series win since the tour of New Zealand in February, having lost away to Sri Lanka and at home to South Africa, while Pakistan are coming off a series defeat in New Zealand.”They’ve played some really good cricket over the last year-and-a-half to fight to the top of the world rankings in the last couple of months,” Starc said of Pakistan. “They’ve struggled in New Zealand and probably struggle a little more away from home – they’re really comfortable in the UAE.”So it’s a good opportunity for us in this Test match in Brisbane to assert our dominance first up, make an impression in the first Test of the series, which we all know goes a long way to working out the final result.”

Newcastle United's potential move for James Maddison has been hailed by presenter Terry Flewers who has suggested this deal would be a real steal for the Toon.

How much is James Maddison worth?

The 2022/23 season will be one Maddison will be looking to forget having been relegated with Leicester City down into the Championship.

However, the England international had a mightily impressive campaign on a personal level as he was able to provide a struggling Leicester with a return of 10 goals and nine assists in the Premier League alone (via Transfermarkt).

As a result of his impressive displays at the King Power Stadium, the 26-year-old now looks set to depart over the summer as he looks to play top-flight football.

Although he has been one of the star players at Leicester, his expected exit will provide the Foxes wth an opportunity to bring in some significant funds ahead of their first campaign back in the Championship.

It has even been reported that Leicester could demand a fee in the region of £60m for the midfielder despite them being relegated to the second tier.

Speaking on The Football Terrace, Flewers has claimed even if Newcastle end up paying around £50m for the midfielder, this would be a steal which could dramatically improve their side:

"James Madison, excellent, excellent Premier League player with the way Newcastle are playing and developing, he could be an absolute steal, even at £50 million which is the quoted price.

"I believe that is a steal. He's going to take them up to another level as Newcastle look to not only do well in the Champions League but maintain their position in the top four."

Who could sign James Maddison?

Evidently, Newcastle are seriously interested in the possibility of landing Maddison this summer with reports claiming they currently lead the race.

Newcastle have been linked with the England star previously with last summer seeing their two bids rejected by the Foxes as they fell considerably short of their valuation.

However, they are not the only side to have shown their interest in Maddison already this summer with suggestions Spurs had opened over a potential move.

The Lilywhites are also said to hold a long-standing interest in Maddison but are unable to offer him any form of European football for the upcoming season.

There have even been reports over the last few months claiming the newly-crowned Champions League champions, Manchester City, hold an interest in the 26-year-old.

It will be intriguing to see whether Maddison would be willing to take on the change of living up in the north given reports in the recent past have claimed he would be keen to make a move to London.

But with only Arsenal and West Ham United able to provide European football in the capital, perhaps a move to Tyneside has become a lot more appealing.

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