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Talks are still ongoing between and Liverpool and Mohamed Salah regarding a new contract, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Salah priceless for Liverpool

The 29-year-old has been an incredible servant for the Reds, scoring 125 goals in 203 appearances since joining from Roma back in 2017 and arguably becoming one of the top players in world football.

Salah’s current Liverpool deal runs until the summer of 2023, but the hope is that he will extend his stay at Anfield beyond that date.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

The Latest: Romano gives fresh update

Speaking to Anfield Watch, Romano has provided an update on the current situation, admitting a new contract is still a little way from being agreed.

He outlined: “This [contract talks between the club and Salah] is not at the final stages yet. They [the club and Salah] have been talking but nothing is advanced yet.”

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The Verdict: No-brainer for the Reds

Extending Salah’s stay at Liverpool has to be one of the most pressing matters to sort this summer, given his enormous influence at the club over the past four seasons.

The Egyptian is already a legendary figure for the Reds, but there is always a risk that his head could be turned by another huge club in Europe.

Tying him down for a few more years would be a major positive for Liverpool as he looks to smash more records and win more trophies along the way.

In other news, Liverpool have reportedly had one bid rejected for a player. Find out who it is here.

Jermaine Lawson widely acknowledges a couple of things about his sensational 15-ball burst of six wickets for no run that finished off Bangladesh in the first Test here Tuesday

Tony Cozier13-Dec-2002Jermaine Lawson widely acknowledges a couple of things about his sensational 15-ball burst of six wickets for no run that finished off Bangladesh in the first Test here Tuesday.One is that it gave him a headstart in his ambitious, if not far-fetched, stated quest to overhaul the record 519 Test wickets of one of his heroes and mentors, fellow Jamaican Courtney Walsh.It was not until his 33rd Test, when he was 27, that Walsh had his first return of six wickets in an innings – although he never had the benefit of bowling to opposition as inexperienced and weak as Bangladesh.Lawson is 20 and it was in his third Test.His second realisation is that his goal is a very long way off and that early success against a team hardly even first-class level doesn’t mean he has arrived. Quite the opposite."Now that I’ve taken six, I’ve got to lift my game every time I play," he says. "I want to carry on from here so that means I can’t relax or anything. I’ve got to keep my composure, keep my focus."Lawson states that he has always concentrated on his fitness. It’s evident in his sculptured, 6-feet-2-inch physique."I’d work out in the gym at least three times a week when I’m back home, along with the practice," he reveals. "I’ve got to be fit so that I can do well whenever I take the field.""You can’t go out there and bowl for two days if you’re not fit and certainly not if you want to be at the top level at all times," he adds.Potential spottedHis potential, first spotted when he was at Waterford High School in the southern parish of St Catherine, carried him into the Jamaica Under-19 team from where he graduated to the West Indies Under-19 team to the Youth World Cup in Sri Lanka in 1999.There was the advantage that Walsh and Michael Holding, two of the finest fast bowlers the game has known, were close by to offer encouragement and advice.Others like Jamaican coach Robert Haynes and Under-19 manager Linden Wright have also been solid supporters.Lawson was the leading wicket-taker in the regional youth tournament in Barbados in 1999 and attracted immediate attention at the World Cup in Sri Lanka later that year with a hat-trick against Zimbabwe.His speed, from a long, bounding run and loose-limbed delivery, marked him out as a definite prospect for a West Indies team needing to replenish the supply of fast bowlers that had worryingly dried up.He got his first senior call to the triangular series of One-Day Internationals in Sri Lanka last year.He had just a couple of matches but took the only two Sri Lankan wickets to fall in the second in Kandy, among them Sanath Jayasuriya, who was too late on a bouncer and lobbed a catch to mid-on.It was his 140 kph (90 mph) speed that secured his selection for the tour of India, traditionally not the most encouraging environment for fast bowlers, and Bangladesh.Chosen for the last two Tests in India, he managed only four expensive wickets (average 51.5). But they included Sachin Tendulkar twice and Rahul Dravid once and he got approving nods from thesit in judgement of their successors in the commentary box and in the Press.Such assessments were confirmed with his opening burst that accounted for Virender Sewag, V.V.S. Laxman, Dinesh Mongia and Dravid and virtually guaranteed a series-clinching victory in the decisive last One-Day International after the batsmen had amassed 315 for six.The yorker that flattened the left-handed Mongia’s off-stump and almost knocked him off his feet was a television image that excited every watching West Indian."Getting those four wickets in the final helped my confidence, no doubt," he says. "It made me work even harder on my game and I came to Bangladesh focused on doing well.""Doing well" is an understatement for his performance at the Bangabandhu Stadium that has placed him in the pages of Wisden.Record featNo other bowler has taken six wickets in a Test innings as cheaply as his three runs. Arthur Gilligan’s six for seven against South Africa in Birmingham in 1924 had been the previous mark.It was comparable, if only in statistical terms, with some of the bursts of the great Curtly Ambrose – his seven for one against Australia at Perth in 1993, his match-winning five for eight (final figures eight for 45) against England in Bridgetown in 1990, his six wickets as England tumbled towards their 46 all out in Port-of-Spain in 1994.Ambrose’s various bags included David Boon, Damien Martyn, Mark Waugh, Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton, Alec Stewart, Graeme Thorpe and Robin Smith. Aminul Islam, Khaled Mashud, Alok Kapali and the other Bangladeshis don’t have quite the same ring about them.But Lawson already had big names in his book – Jayasuirya, Tendulkar, Dravid.The next challenges are imminent – the World Cup in South Africa in February and March, immediately followed by the series against the daunting Australians in the Caribbean in April and May."The World Cup is the biggest tournament in the game and the Australians the strongest team at present," he says. "That’s the kind of opportunity any cricketer looks forward to. I’m no different. I can’t wait."

Scott Styris was the player to miss out when the New Zealand selectors named their one-day side for the first two matches of the National Bank Series with India starting on Boxing Day in Auckland

Lynn McConnell22-Dec-2002Scott Styris was the player to miss out when the New Zealand selectors named their one-day side for the first two matches of the National Bank Series with India starting on Boxing Day in Auckland.Only six months ago the Northern Districts all-rounder claimed the best bowling figures by a New Zealander in a One-Day International, against the West Indies when he took six for 25 at Port-of-Spain in Trinidad.Selection chairman Sir Richard Hadlee said Styris was unlucky because he was competing with a number of other all-rounders but his form in the West Indies had been six months ago.”The door is by no means shut and the onus is on him and others to score runs and take some wickets at domestic level,” he said.”It also suggests a message not only to him but other players that we need more runs and wickets as an all-rounder,” he added.The team is: Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Shane Bond, Paul Hitchcock, Brendon McCullum, Craig McMillan, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Mathew Sinclair, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori, Lou Vincent.Unavailable due to injury were Chris Cairns, Chris Harris and Andre Adams.Hadlee said the panel had been squeezed in their selection options because they thought they had seven ODIs and a number of State Shield matches to work on to finalise their World Cup 15 but they now had two of each to work on after an International Cricket Council ruling.”That suggests that the team we have picked and with players unavailable, including Chris Cairns that a number of players are on trial and have just two opportunities to stake a claim for the final 15,” he said.Harris and Adams would be considered for game three after being assessed in State Shield matches.Hadlee said Harris had bowled only eight first-class overs this year for Canterbury in three matches.While he bowled in club cricket in Canterbury on Saturday, he could throw from the inner circle but had difficulty throwing from the boundary and on that basis the medical panel had advised the selectors that it was better he played at another level than be considered for international cricket.McCullum’s choice was to allow the selectors to have a really good look at him as far as his wicket-keeping was concerned to see whether he was up to the international standard that is required and it would be likely he would bat down the order.It was a different job for him than when he was used as an opener last season.It wasn’t the end for Chris Nevin because he would be watched along with others in the State Shield before the select their final 15.Hadlee said while it hadn’t been discussed with captain Fleming it was likely that Hitchcock would be used as a change bowler in the side.

The Daily Mail’s Stephen McGowan has revealed the three positions where Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou wants to strengthen before their Champions League qualifier later this month.

The Lowdown: Davies interest

McGowan shared a story on Friday morning suggesting that Celtic have reignited their pursuit of defender Ben Davies. The Hoops were close to signing the 25-year-old back in January before he joined Liverpool, and Celtic are now rivalling a number of English clubs ahead of a potential season-long loan deal.

Postecoglou has just 10 days before his first competitive game as Celtic boss against FC Midtjylland in a Champions League qualifier and seemingly wants three additions to his squad before then.

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The Latest: McGowan’s claim

According to McGowan, Postecoglou is desperate to get players in before their Champions League qualifier, with a centre-back, right-back and a winger priority positions.

It remains to be seen whether or not that will materialise, although a number of players have been linked with a Parkhead move.

Sheffield United right-back George Baldock, free agent Kyle Edwards and centre-backs Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers are just four targets who fit the bill when it comes to the areas that Postecoglou wants to enhance.

The Verdict: Time is ticking

Celtic are currently in Wales on their pre-season tour and time is running out for the Hoops to get new faces in before their qualifier against FC Midtjylland.

It appears to be a crucial period for Celtic, for if they are knocked out of the Champions League at the first hurdle, that could impact any possible incomings further down the line.

Bringing players in now seems to be the smart move, but that’s easier said than done, with Celtic’s last three additions all being young players on pre-contract deals or free transfers.

In other news: Well-placed source claims ‘outstanding’ ace is now keen on Celtic move; contact has been made, find out more here. 

The methodical approach of Salman Khan and Younis Khan gave India no footholds from which they could climb back into the game

George Binoy in Mirpur14-Jun-2008
Salman Butt and Younis Khan paced their 205-run stand perfectly to bat India out of the game © AFP
There are different ways of setting a match-winning total and the approaches adopted by India and Pakistan during the Kitply Cup were outstanding examples of contrasting methods which produced the same result – a total in excess of 300. India were 143 for 0 at the end of the 20th over in the first match against Pakistan; at the same stage in the final, Pakistan were 75 for 1 and yet they scored only 15 runs fewer than what India did in the end.In the league match, India’s openers – Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir – carted Pakistan’s wayward attack all over the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Their rapid partnership set up a solid platform for the rest to build on without worrying about the run-rate.Pakistan, on the other hand, chose caution over aggression during the Powerplay overs in the final. It was their capitulation to 26 for 3 that had shut them out while chasing 331, and today, Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal were watchful against Praveen Kumar, the bowler who took the first four wickets in their previous meeting.After Akmal fell, Younis Khan and Butt continued to build a steady foundation. More significantly for Pakistan, they carried on and seized the initiative. “They were 100 for 1 after 25 overs,” Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s captain, said. “After that they took on the bowlers and played some good shots. It really put the bowlers under pressure. And under the circumstances, we couldn’t recover from that.”With Praveen having wrecked Pakistan and restricted Bangladesh in India’s earlier games, the rest of the bowlers had the advantage of bowling to under-pressure batsmen trying to rebuild. But today, India’s support bowlers were faced with the task of making inroads. Although he dismissed Akmal, Irfan Pathan failed to create any pressure, conceding six boundaries in his first spell of six overs. Piyush Chawla, who had taken 4 for 40 to clean up Pakistan’s lower order in the earlier encounter, haemorrhaged runs once Younis and Butt consciously began to attack. The four part-timers Dhoni used were also ineffective: Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina conceded 71 for no wicket between them.Faced with an attack lacking incisiveness, Younis and Butt shifted seamlessly from first to fourth gear. Their approach was that of a calculated assault – aggression with minimal risk. They batted with authority, picking out the gaps. Younis and Butt scored 84 runs between deep midwicket and long-on, but surprisingly the gap was never plugged.”He [Younis] was scoring through square leg as well, he was sweeping,” Dhoni said. “You hardly have fielders in that zone, you know the country [the area between deep midwicket and long-on] area. Having a long-on and a country is difficult. He was picking it from outside off and most of the times he cleared the boundary. He took on the bowlers and he was successful.”Between overs 20 and 40, a period heavily criticised for its lack of intensity after the arrival of Twenty20, Younis and Butt plundered 150 runs, even more than what Sehwag and Gambhir had managed during the Powerplays on Tuesday. When Younis finally got out, Pakistan had eight wickets in hand for the last eight overs, a luxury that allowed them to bat with a carefree approach.Dhoni admitted there was not much that could have been in the wake of a superlative batting performance. “It [scoring] was really hard to control, you try many fields, you try many lines. There were errors from the bowlers but you can’t really blame them. They were batting well and scoring off good balls.”Call it cautious or old-fashioned, Pakistan’s methodical approach gave India no footholds from which they could climb back into the game. They came out with a plan, which according to Shoaib Malik, their captain, was to “survive initially and then accelerate”, and executed it with precision.

David Moyes is on the verge of completing a game-changing West Ham move that’ll give them a huge boost for years to come…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Hammers have landed a new recruitment chief in the form of former Norwich City defender Rob Newman, who has quit Premier League champions Manchester City to join the club.

The 57-year-old has been in charge of the Citizen’s overseas recruitment and scouting for well over a decade, so this has to be considered quite the coup for the Irons.

It’s claimed that Newman has finalised an agreement with the club after resigning from his post at the Etihad Stadium.

West Ham have not had someone in such a role since Mario Husillos departed the club alongside Manuel Pellegrini in December 2019.

Huge boost

This will come as a massive boost to Moyes as he has been clamouring for vast improvements to his recruitment staff ever since he returned for a second stint at the London Stadium.

Speaking to the Evening Standard back in December, the Scotsman revealed his intentions to get the East London outfit on par with several of their top-flight rivals. He said:

“Yes, it’s my long-term job. I want to get us a state-of-the-art recruitment department for the future which we can look to and use.”We are undoubtedly behind, I would argue probably every other club in that area. But it’s something I will fix, it’s something I want to get in place better.”A move for Newman is certainly one foot in the right direction, especially when you consider the array of talent that City have been able to secure from abroad in the 13 years he’s been in charge.It is also a telling sign of Moyes’ new influence on GSB and the club’s decision-makers and he’s clearly satisfied with their imminent plans as he put pen to paper to a three-year contract extension during the off-season.The arrival of the City chief could be a game-changer for the Irons, arguably it may even be their greatest signing in recent times as it means the club finally have someone to identify talent and get deals across the line before it’s too late.With over a month still remaining in the transfer window, he’ll have plenty of time to stamp his mark down in East London. It’s certainly another step in the right direction for a club on the rise.This latest development from Rush Green should have many associated with the Hammers absolutely thrilled.

AND in other news, Moyes dealt major blow in talks with £10m goal machine, fans will be gutted…

Arjuna Ranatunga, the former Sri Lankan captain and interim chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket, has said that money brought in by Twenty20s should be used for the benefit of Test cricket

Cricinfo staff18-Jul-2008Arjuna Ranatunga, the former Sri Lankan captain and interim chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket, has said that money brought in by Twenty20s should be used for the benefit of Test cricket, while criticising players for complaining about heavy schedules only when it had nothing to do with the Indian Premier League (IPL).”Twenty20 brings in money and is business. That money should be used for Test cricket’s survival,” Ranatunga told the , before switching to the issue of player fatigue. “Players speak about the heavy schedule. But the moment they talk about the IPL all their fatigue disappears.”But he was concerned over a reduced career span for international cricketers. “It is hard to see a cricketer who begins his international career now playing for more than ten years,” he said. “We need to strike a proper balance between Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 cricket. Cutting down on the ODIs alone is not the answer.”Ranatunga, who played 93 Tests and 269 ODIs during his 18-year career, felt that playing for the country should be given precedence. “I cherished playing for the country. It was the greatest honour for me,” he said. “I am happy I retired during the period I did. I agree that the cricketers need the money, but country should always come first.”Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan board is in discussions with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to reschedule a tour next after its players who had signed with the IPL expressed reservations about making the trip since it clashed with the event.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith could sign his club’s new Tony Daley in Bayer Leverkusen flier Leon Bailey.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that the Jamaica international is now very much a target for the Midlands club as they look to strengthen their attacking options ahead of the new Premier League season.

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece claimed that with Villa having moved on from their pursuit of Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe, Bailey is firmly on the club’s radar now.

Villa’s new Daley

The Jamaican winger enjoyed a superb campaign in the Bundesliga last season – he scored 15 times and provided another 11 assists, which when compared to Villa’s current squad favours very well (only Ollie Watkins scored more with 16, and only Jack Grealish set up more with 12).

The £43m-rated Bailey can play on either flank, and what really makes him a true successor to Daley is his speed and incredible dribbling.

Ajax’s former youth coach, Ronald de Boer, once said of Bailey: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare. Exceptional. He has no weak points.”

And, after helping to bring him to the club, Leverkusen’s sporting director, Rudi Voller, added: “He’s got extraordinary pace, he’s very skilful with the ball, and he will give further impetus to our attacking department.”

That pace and trickery is what made Daley an absolute nightmare for opposition defences back in the mid 80s and 90s for Villa.

A profile done by The Birmingham Mail on some of the most exciting wingers in Villa’s history, said of him: “It was not just the tarantula-esque haircuts that frightened defenders. The eight legs of many a back four struggled to contend with Tony Daley.

“Injuries and inconsistency probably prevented the softly-spoken Brummie from becoming a true turbo-boosted claret and blue legend. But the wing wonder certainly provided entertainment for the Villa Park faithful, down both flanks, between his debut in 1985 and his departure in 1994.

“The pick of Daley’s 38 goals in 298 appearances for his boyhood club was arguably his scorching solo effort in a 2-0 home win over Luton in March 1990, when he span sharply near the half-way line and darted past the Hatters defence, before scoring from an impossible angle.”

That “turbo-boost” and ability to beat players for fun and then deliver a vicious strike at goal is everything that Bailey brings to the table, and exactly why Smith could deliver a throwback to Villa’s past by landing the Jamaican this summer.

Meanwhile, this Aston Villa target now has his heart set on Villa Park…

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, feels the rise of Twenty20 cricket needs one big tournament with the revenue shared by all

Cricinfo staff06-Aug-2008
Mahela Jayawardene: “Everyone needs to get together and find one solution. That is, to have one big tournament where you get all the revenue and all cricket-playing countries to share that” © Getty Images
Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, feels the spread of Twenty20 cricket needs to be controlled to prevent it from “taking international cricket apart” and says the “big solution” is to have one consolidated tournament where all cricket-playing countries get to share the revenue.Speaking to Cricinfo editor Sambit Bal in Colombo, Jayawardene observed that, with players and administrators across the world driven by money, the time had come to strike a balance and get the priorities right on developing the game’s shortest format.”At the end of the day everything is driven by money,” Jayawardene said. “You have to be honest with yourself. That means the players, the administrators, everybody. As long as everyone is happy and gets to share that, I think that’s the way forward. That’s where everyone has to draw a compromise.””You need to strike a balance because they cannot compete with each other on these issues,” he said. “It is important that you sit down and everyone gets together and finds one big solution. That is, to have one big tournament where you get all the revenue and cricket-playing countries to share that.”Jayawardene did not agree with the suggestion that Twenty20 might become ‘The Game’ if money is the overriding factor, and reiterated the answer lies in consolidation and not in having “five individual tournaments”.”If you have one big tournament and the revenue is being shared, then everyone’s happy,” he said. “You won’t need to play five individual tournaments. Then there’s room for Test cricket and you can pump in money and develop the game and take it globally. That’s where the compromise needs to be drawn and everyone gets together to find a solution.”Asked whether the BCCI, which runs the IPL and is a founding partner of the Champions Twenty20 League, should take the lead and let everyone share the pot, Jayawardene said, “That’s difficult for me to say after one year of the IPL. I don’t know how big the English Premier League (EPL) or the Stanford games are going to be, but somewhere you have to draw the line. You have people competing against each other and taking international cricket apart. It’s important to understand where you need to draw that line.”Jayawardene, who has signed a three-year contract for US$475,000 per season with Kings XI Punjab, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, said the best way forward is for all those involved in promoting Twenty20 cricket to draw the line and arrive at a compromise.”The times and ways of thinking are changing and you need to evolve around that. Twenty20 is good for the game as long as people keep control of things,” Jayawardene said. “You can’t have three or four Twenty20 international tournaments a year. You just can’t have that. It has to be controlled. Tests are very important; one-day cricket is important. You can’t think that everybody wants Twenty20 cricket. Everyone wants cricket, but they want different varieties and there is a demand for everything.”The Sri Lankan players are currently in negotiations with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) over rescheduling the country’s 2009 England tour, which clashes with the second IPL season. Apart from Jayawardene, 12 Lankan cricketers have signed for various IPL franchises, including Kumar Sangakkara, the vice-captain, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.

Celtic target Kyle Edwards has confirmed that he will not be signing for Reading this summer after spending a trial period with the club in pre-season, as per Football League World.

The Lowdown: Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic gear up for 2021/22

As he aims to strengthen his squad for 2021/22, new Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will be keen to assemble a team capable of challenging on domestic and European fronts.

Making swift inroads in terms of recruitment, the Hoops have acquired five signings in the form of Osaze Urhoghide, Liam Shaw, Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada and Carl Starfelt [Transfermarkt].

The Celts may now have been handed an additional boost surrounding Edwards.

The Latest: Edwards leaves trial period at Reading

Communicating to his followers on Twitter, the 23-year-old confirmed that he would not be signing  permanently at Reading in this transfer window after being on trial.

The Royals have been thrust into having a transfer embargo, therefore putting an end to their pursuit of the former West Brom man [Football League World].

Celtic are known to have an interest in Edwards [Football Insider], whilst Bournemouth are also believed to be monitoring his situation [Football Insider].

The Verdict: Edwards would be a savvy piece of business by Celtic

Available for free and with plenty of scope to develop, Edwards would be an astute addition at Parkhead should the Celts continue to pursue him.

He registered four goal contributions in 13 appearances last season between West Brom’s first team and their under-23 side, with one goal and three assists to his name [Transfermarkt].

He was also the best distributor of the ball in the Baggies squad last term by a distance, recording a passing success rate of 91.2% [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘fantastic’ by West Brom midfielder Jake Livermore [Express and Star], Celtic could do a lot worse than to offer Edwards a chance to re-ignite his career at Parkhead.

In other news, Celtic are eying a swoop for this England under-21 international.