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Aston Villa choosing to let go of veteran player Ashley Young has 'shocked' journalist Ryan Taylor due to his experience and impact behind the scenes.

What's the latest news involving Ashley Young?

As per the Aston Villa official website, Young will be leaving the club once his contract expires, bringing the curtain down on a long association with the club across two separate spells.

During his two stints at Villa Park, Young became a fan favourite and managed to notch 38 goals and 60 assists across 247 appearances for the West Midlands-based outfit, as per Transfermarkt.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery did speak to the 37-year-old over the prospect of extending his £50k-a-week contract at the Villans, as per The Express and Star; however, no such agreement came to light and the former Manchester United man will be on the lookout for a new club this summer.

Club captain John McGinn posted a fitting tribute to the former England international on Twitter following the announcement of his departure, stating: "Absolutely gutted to lose a top guy and top player. Pleasure to have played with you."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Taylor is 'shocked' that Young has been let go and revealed that the versatile star was keen to extend his stay at Villa Park.

Taylor said: "I was shocked, to be honest, purely because I've done a few matches this season covering Villa and spoken to Young in the mixed zone and the sort of standards he sets and drives…. He was key to that European push behind the scenes.

"He loves Villa and he made it clear he wanted to stay, and I don't think he would have been asking for huge wages either. So I am slightly shocked at that."

Have Aston Villa targeted anyone to replace Ashley Young this summer?

Aston Villa will have a hard job trying to replace Young in the transfer window due to his versatility and presence around the dressing room at Villa Park.

According to The Times, Aston Villa are keen on Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney; however, they will need to fend off competition from Newcastle United to land the Scotland international.

Young predominantly featured in either right-back or left-back functions during his second spell at Aston Villa and Manchester City defender Kyle Walker is another name of interest to the Villans to bolster their defensive depth, as per Football Insider.

Earlier this year, Tuttomercatoweb claimed that Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries was also being eyed in an ambitious swoop by Aston Villa boss Emery, showing that the Spaniard is being proactive in trying to source an alternative to Young ahead of 2023/24.

Taskin Ahmed, 21, is likely to make his Test debut and lead a Bangladesh attack that, for the past eight years, has been the least-experienced department in the team

Mohammad Isam in Wellington10-Jan-2017Another away Test series brings another fresh pace-bowling group in the Bangladesh line-up. Taskin Ahmed, 21, is likely to make his Test debut and lead an attack that, for the past eight years, has been the least-experienced department in the team.As at Wellington’s Basin Reserve where Taskin, Rubel Hossain, Subashis Roy and Kamrul Islam Rabbi gleefully bowled on a green surface next to the first Test pitch, they have regularly encountered friendly conditions in West Indies, Zimbabwe, England and on the previous tour of New Zealand. But apart from Robiul Islam in Zimbabwe in 2013, none could match their skills to the conditions on offer.Rubel has played the most during this period but never been penetrative enough, while Kamrul – who made his debut in the home series against England last year – and the uncapped Subashis have never played a Test abroad.The trend has been to pick rookies, who don’t get many opportunities in home Tests but offer promise in a season or two of first-class cricket. Once someone does well in challenging conditions at home, they are quickly brought up to the highest level and given the responsibility to use their skills in helpful conditions overseas.After spending much of Tuesday bowling on the centre pitches rather than the nets, Taskin could not help but smile when asked about his excitement at bowling on such a pitch on his Test debut.”The bowlers are very happy seeing the wicket,” Taskin said. “It is a rather green and hard surface. I am gearing up to bowl there. We have some good fast bowlers, and we have shown in the recent past that we can bowl well. If we can bowl to our potential, it will be a good game.”While Taskin’s excitement is reasonable, his inexperience in the longer format is a major concern, especially for someone who has broken down twice in the last three years. Only a few months ago, in October, Bangladesh’s coach, Chandika Hathurusingha , warned the selectors not to pick him in Tests.After chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that Taskin would be fast-tracked into the Test team in England, Hathurusingha responded: “Has he played any four-day cricket? So you think people can do magic straight away? No. They are humans. If you haven’t played four-day cricket in your entire life, standing four days on the field and bowling 15 overs is entirely new for him. I don’t want to destroy somebody’s career.”Khaled Mahmud, Bangladesh’s manager at the time and since inducted into the selection committee after it was revamped last year, had also backed Minhajul’s strategy. While Taskin’s pace has been more than useful for Bangladesh since his international debut in 2014, he played the last of his 10 first-class matches in 2013.But Taskin was not focusing on his lack of bowling volume, which he believes can be covered by the work he does in the nets, while preparing himself to play in the longer format.”I have had to work hard to come to the Test side,” he said. “The support staff and coaches at the BCB really helped me get to this stage. I trained in a specific programme, which included building my bowling workload in the last 18-24 months. I am in the Test squad because I have become fitter, and I don’t want to stop after just one game. I want to make a regular place in the team.”I am not too worried about bowling volume. I don’t think my lack of first-class matches will be a factor. I am only thinking of taking care of myself off the field, so that I can give my all on it. I have bowled 12-15 overs in the nets on many days, with the new and old ball. I am learning how to swing the red ball. I believe that I will become a better Test player with every game I play.”As a regular in shorter formats and given Rubel’s poor numbers despite being the most experienced pace bowler – he averages 75.90 and his last Test came in 2015 – Taskin would automatically be elevated as the leader of the bowling attack if he does play in Wellington. That too on his Test debut, and his first long-form game in nearly four years.

Liverpool are set to submit a bid for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia should they miss out on Nice’s Khephren Thuram and Borussia Monchengladbach's Manu Kone, according to reports.

Is Romeo Lavia leaving Southampton?

The Belgium international was Ruben Selles’ former side’s second best-performing defensive player last season so has been attracting interest following relegation, and one of the manager’s keen on securing his services is Jurgen Klopp.

Writing in his column for Football Insider, journalist David Lynch recently revealed that whilst the Reds have made contact with the 19-year-old’s representatives, they require assurances that he only wants to complete a move to Anfield over the likes of Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United.

After signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Hove Albion, the Merseyside outfit have been heavily linked with Thuram and Kone as their next two potential targets, though if the hierarchy fail to get the duo over the line, FSG have decided where they will turn their attention to.

Are Liverpool signing Lavia?

According to The Transfer Room, Liverpool have “watched” Lavia for a “long time” and new transfer chief Jorg Schmadtke is ready to “approach” Southampton with a “reasonable offer” should they miss out on Thuram and Kone. The St. Mary’s midfielder is “keen” to return to the top-flight and the south coast outfit “won’t stand in his way” of leaving should they receive a bid of approximately £40m. However, it’s worth noting that should the two preferred candidates join, the board “will not act on their interest” in Lavia.

Should FSG table a bid for Lavia?

Liverpool will know that Lavia is still very much in the early stages of his career being just 19 years of age, but he’s got so much potential and has already been dubbed a “diamond” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so FSG could test the waters to see if an agreement can be reached.

The Elite Project Group client, who’s sponsored by Adidas, is much stronger in the natural defensive midfield aspect of his game, ranking in the 96th percentile for blocks and winning 35 tackles last season, which was the second-highest success rate in his squad, via FBRef.

Lavia, who has the versatility to operate slightly higher up in centre of the park, can occasionally contribute to efforts in the final third having recorded one goal and assist apiece in a truly torrid Saints side, so for a player that’s as well-rounded as he is, Klopp would be gaining an exciting midfielder for the future.

Tottenham Hotspur have offered Barcelona £4.3 million to sign defender Clement Lenglet and are progressing in talks, according to reports out of Spain.

Who will join Spurs this summer?

Spurs and new manager Ange Postecoglou have their eyes on many targets to reinforce key positions of the squad ahead of what will be a crucial 2022/2023 Premier League season.

The north Londoners, lead by chairman Daniel Levy, reportedly want fresh faces for the goalkeeping area, in central defence, attacking midfield and further forward.

For the former, Tottenham are apparently closing in on a deal for Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, with the Italian potentially coming in as a replacement for long-serving number one Hugo Lloris.

Meanwhile, Postecoglou has also given the green-light for Spurs to sign a new centre-back this summer, with the likes of Max Kilman (Wolves) being linked.

Leicester City star James Maddison is being eyed up for the creative playmaker role and reports suggest Postecoglou is keen on a new forward to replace both Lucas Moura and Arnaut Danjuma.

Going back to centre-back, there has been an update on their efforts, with Tottenham keen to re-sign Lenglet on a permanent deal from Barca – after the club confirmed the end of his loan spell.

According to Spanish news outlet Sport, the Lilywhites have made an offer of around £4.3 million to sign the Frenchman, with the move in "progress" after "contacts" on Wednesday.

Barca and Spurs apparently "advance in the transfer" of Lenglet and Xavi's side would like the deal done before June 30. Tottenham had originally wanted to get him on loan for another year, though with the La Liga champions in favour of a permanent deal, they're now attempting just that.

The issue is Lenglet's high wages, which Spurs are currently trying to work around.

How did Lenglet perform at Spurs?

The 28-year-old made 26 league appearances for Tottenham last season, registering two assists, and even got on the scoresheet in the Champions League.

While Lenglet had his critics, Spurs pundits like John Wenham raved over some of his performances to Football Insider, calling him "very reliable".

"I just wanted to give credit because I think his performance went a little bit under the radar," said Wenham after Lenglet's north London derby performance last year.

"I have been impressed with him so far. The fact he has instantly come in for Ben Davies and we don’t look any weaker, that is a huge credit to him really.

“He’s a new signing to the Premier League, I know he has a lot of experience from Barcelona and with France but he already seems very reliable, like we could drop him in for any fixture.“

Kagiso Rabada eclipsed Dale Steyn as the highest-ranking South African in the latest ICC rankings for Test bowlers while Hashim Amla’s return to form meant the batsman jumped four positions to sixth

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2017Hashim Amla’s moved up four places to sixth in the latest ICC rankings for Test batsmen after he struck 134 in his hundredth Test in Johannesburg. Kagiso Rabada, meanwhile, moved up three spots to fifth in the Test bowling rankings after returning match figures of 5 for 94.Amla, who became only the eighth batsman to score a century in his 100th Test, had earlier dropped to tenth after a string of poor performances in 2016. He had moved to first in the Test rankings back in February 2013 and at one point had held top positions in both the ODI and Test rankings.Rabada’s strong performances in the series against Sri Lanka made him South Africa’s highest-ranked Test bowler, moving him one place above Dale Steyn, who is recuperating from the shoulder fracture he suffered during South Africa’s tour of Australia in November. Rabada’s ten-wicket haul in the second Test in Cape Town had earlier helped him break into the top ten.Australia captain Steven Smith continued to lead the Test rankings for batsmen while India’s R Ashwin topped the bowlers’ rankings.

PCA chairman Daryl Mitchell believes the proposed new T20 competition in England is likely to dilute the quality of domestic 50-over cricket and provide “another kick” to its future

George Dobell17-Feb-2017The proposed new T20 competition in England is likely to dilute the quality of domestic 50-over cricket and provide “another kick” to its future, according to new PCA chairman, Daryl Mitchell.While Mitchell, the Worcestershire top-order batsman who was recently elected to the PCA role, regards the launch of the eight-team T20 competition, scheduled for 2020, as “inevitable” he has reservations about several aspects of it and promised to work hard to ensure the interests of all 400 PCA members are protected.”The new T20 competition looks like a great opportunity for the 90 to 100 lads selected to play in it,” Mitchell told ESPNcricinfo. “But the role of the PCA is to look out for the other 300 players, too.”The plan at the moment is to play the 50-over competition during the window when the new T20 competition will be on. But if you take the best 100 white-ball players out of the tournament it is pretty inevitable there will be a dilution in quality.”We’re told players not in action in the new T20 competition may be made available to their counties, but 50-over cricket is probably already the format given the least priority by the players – something that is reflected in the prize money – and this will be another kick for it.”Our role will be to ensure the money we’re told will come into the sport trickles down for the benefit of everyone.”Mitchell’s personal views would appear to conflict quite sharply with the ECB’s approach in several areas. He believes a partial return to free-to-air broadcasting is essential if the game is to reach a new audience, he preferred the idea of a two-division solution (with promotion and relegation) in the T20 debate, and he argues for a need to increase the wages of young players.He accepts, however, that the ECB has “an incredibly difficult job” in trying to “look after so many stakeholders” and that his role is to communicate not his own views but those of his membership. “It’s about feeding back the views of the collective,” he said.”One of the challenging parts of the job is the need to balance the long-term health of the game with the short-term benefits to our current member. We have to remember that, if we don’t look after the game, we might not have any future members.”We appreciate that the ECB are trying to ensure the health of the game in the long-term and we appreciate we’re one of many stakeholders. We know we have to balance our aspirations with the aspirations of everyone else and I’m looking forward to working with the ECB to that end.”But he believes the players may have been “a bit naïve” in their enthusiasm for the new T20 competition and that reality has “hit home in recent times”.”As a Worcestershire player, we really look forward to the T20 competition as it provides us with a chance to play in front of packed houses and on big grounds,” he said. “As things stand, we go into that competition each year with a chance of winning it. To have that taken away from us is a bit of a blow.”When the new competition was first talked about, I think everyone thought they were about to become millionaires. Now people are realising that only about a quarter of us will play. We’re going to need quite a lot of info from the ECB.”From a personal point of view, I liked the two-division idea and, from a personal point of view, I think we need to get some cricket back on free to air. I think the ECB recognise that, too, and they are very clear about trying to raise the profile of the game.”Responding to the ECB’s reported attempt to change the mechanism by which the domestic salary cap is calculated, Mitchell suggested his attention was more on players at the lower end of the salary spectrum.”The salary cap isn’t relevant to many clubs,” Mitchell said. “I’m more worried up upping the minimum salaries. There are players in county cricket earning around £15,000 a year, which I don’t think reflects the skill and dedication required to be a professional athlete.”I’m told that nothing is decided about the salary cap yet, but I think our main priority will be making sure some of the money coming into the game filters down to the lower ends.”

The summer transfer window officially opened for business earlier this month and Aston Villa have made one signing ahead of the 2023/24 campaign so far.

Youri Tielemans is set to join on a free transfer from Leicester City and Unai Emery could be looking to make further additions to his side to make the most of the lure of European football.

A seventh-placed Premier League finish last season ensured that the club will be playing Europa Conference League football next term and they must use that to their advantage to tempt top-quality players into making the switch to Villa Park.

Juventus attacker Federico Chiesa is a reported €60m (£51m) transfer target for the Villans this summer and Emery could land a big upgrade on Emi Buendia by securing the Italy international's services in the coming weeks.

What is Federico Chiesa's style of play?

Since arriving at the club from Norwich for £38m in 2021, Buendia has struggled to provide consistent quality in the final third. The Argentine scored four goals and provided six assists in 35 Premier League matches in his first campaign with Villa before his return of five goals and two assists in 38 outings in 22/23.

He has produced 0.07 assists per 90 over the last 365 days in the Men's Big Five Leagues which places him among the bottom 13% of his positional peers in those competitions.

Chiesa, on the other hand, has recorded 0.42 assists per 90 for Juventus in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days, ranking the Italian dynamo in the top 4% of players in his position.

This suggests that the 25-year-old could offer more creativity from an attacking midfield or wide position than Buendia, as he has provided his teammates with assists far more frequently than the Villa magician.

The Old Lady wizard's form in the Serie A prior to his ACL injury also indicates that the potential is there for him to be a greater goal threat than the former Canaries star.

Chiesa, who former teammate Gianluigi Buffon once lauded as "impossible to stop", averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.19 and chipped in with nine goals and nine assists in 33 league outings in 20/21, showing that the £153k-per-week hotshot has the quality to make telling contributions in the final third with regularity.

No Villans midfielder managed more than six goals or seven league assists last term while Buendia has not averaged a Sofascore rating higher than 6.95 in the Premier League since joining the club.

Douglas Luiz (7.10) was also the only player in the squad with a Sofascore rating higher than 6.99, meaning that Chiesa could come in as one of the top performers on the roster if he can recapture his previous form.

This, therefore, suggests that Emery would be improving his attacking options in the middle of the park by convincing the Italian marksman to sign for his team.

Tom Harrison has signalled his support for a move towards four-day Tests, as part of a wider plan to keep the format viable amid the inexorable rise of T20 cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2017Tom Harrison, the chief executive of the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has signalled his support for a move towards four-day Tests, as part of a wider plan to keep the format viable amid the inexorable rise of T20 cricket.Speaking to , Harrison warned there was a “risk of loving [Test cricket] to death” unless the sport’s governing bodies were willing to compromise on its status within a packed global calendar. That, he explained, could mean playing fewer matches, over fewer days, but providing more meaning and context to each contest as a trade-off.”It’s about understanding the benefits from a consumer perspective,” Harrison said. “Can we create a better product by introducing a four-day format in certain conditions? My personal view is that I don’t think it works everywhere; like day-night Test cricket, it has to be the right time, right place, right conditions.”We have to take a look at the pressure on boards to keep Test cricket at the heart of their proposition. Four-day Test cricket is a really interesting debate and will evolve and I’m sure we will get there in the end.”Harrison’s comments bring him more into line with the views of the ECB chairman Colin Graves, who has been an advocate of the merits of four-day Tests for some time now.”I had to be convinced because when I started out I was massively against it [four-day Tests], but I am for it because with Test cricket there is a risk of us loving it to death. We have to adapt.”Harrison insisted his change of heart was not simply a ploy to create more space for more T20 cricket in the English summer, not least the new city-based competition that is set to get underway in 2020.However, Harrison did concede that the rise of privately-owned tournaments – in particular the IPL and the Caribbean Premier League, both of which overlap with the English season – was all the more reason to clarify the status of Test cricket in a crowded market. Failure to do so, he added, would be tantamount to “managing [Test cricket’s] decline”.”I am absolutely convinced the game can flourish over three forms,” Harrison said. “The balance between international and domestic cricket will change. We have to be careful about that and that is my fear about private ownership. Controlling private ownership will be difficult and controlling the ambition of very successful tournaments will be difficult.”Test cricket will become special and unique. It’s there and healthy and there will be less volume, which should be seen through the context of it being more positive. In this country Test cricket will be special, an occasion rather than a diet to serve the appetite of the grounds.”Test cricket remains absolutely central to the diet that we put out to our fans every year. We are still filling grounds for Tests and we are still the team that everyone wants to come and play against. A Test series in England is still regarded as the pinnacle for many players from overseas.”

Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale is reportedly set to seal his sixth signing of the summer transfer window in the coming days.

The Light Blues boss has already snapped up Sam Lammers, Dujon Sterling, Jack Butland, Abdallah Sima, and Kieran Dowell, with Cyriel Dessers now on the verge of arriving at Ibrox too.

Sky Sports have claimed that the Gers have agreed a deal with Italian side Cremonese to sign the 28-year-old centre-forward, and he may not be the last striker through the door ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Football Scotland recently revealed that Nigeria international Josh Maja is one of the names on the club's wanted list as they plot further additions to their squad.

Where would Josh Maja fit in at Rangers?

The English-born ace has played the majority of his senior career as a striker and would join Lammers, Dessers, Antonio Colak and Kemar Roofe as Beale's options in that area of the pitch.

Signing the former Bordeaux attacker, who is available on a free transfer, would allow the manager to part ways with one of his other number nines, as having five players to compete for one spot seems excessive.

It was reported by The Scottish Sun in May that the club would listen to offers for Croatia international Colak and the arrival of Maja would present Beale with the chance to ruthlessly ditch the former PAOK man.

The 29-year-old finisher scored four goals in 15 appearances for the English boss last season, after 14 strikes in 24 outings during the first half of the campaign, with that suggesting he struggled to adapt to the new way of playing.

Maja, on the other hand, is coming off the back of an impressive year in Ligue 2 with Bordeaux. The former Fulham man plundered 16 goals in 34 starts, highlighting his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

He also produced 1.2 key passes per game and six assists to prove himself as a creator for his teammates, to go along with his own threat in the box.

Meanwhile, no Rangers forward managed more than 14 Scottish Premiership goals and Fashion Sakala (seven) was the only striker with over five assists.

This suggests that the Nigerian marksman, whose talent was dubbed "rare" by ex-Gers forward Jermain Defoe, has the potential to be an excellent option for Beale, while also being a possible upgrade on Colak, who assisted one goal and made a measly 0.5 key passes per league match last term.

Therefore, the Light Blues boss would be able to ruthlessly ditch the Rangers number nine from the club this summer with Maja able to take his place in the squad.

Led by Umesh Yadav’s 4 for 33, Kolkata Knight Riders restricted Kings XI Punjab to 170, a total they chased down with eight wickets in hand

The Report by Nikhil Kalro13-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:27

Agarkar: Kings XI bowlers did not show enough intent

Kolkata Knight Riders improved on this season’s chasing trend, coasting to an eight-wicket win against Kings XI Punjab with 21 balls to spare in their first home game. It was the eighth win by a chasing side in 11 games this season. Chasing 171, Gautam Gambhir and Sunil Narine, promoted to open the batting, struck 76 in the Powerplay to effectively kill the game. Gambhir made an unbeaten 72, his 33rd IPL fifty, equalling David Warner’s tally in the tournament. Knight Riders have not lost an IPL game at the Eden Gardens while chasing since 2012.Kings XI had initially made a bright start with a 53-run opening stand between Hashim Amla and Manan Vohra, their second successive fifty-plus stand. However, Kings XI lost a middle-overs tussle between their own attacking approach and Knight Riders’ slow bowlers, losing wickets and momentum. Knight Riders curbed the scoring rate, and Umesh Yadav took three wickets in the 18th over – finishing with 4 for 33 on his return – to limit Kings XI to 170, a sub-par score on a quick outfield and a true pitch.Do what your opposition doesn’t wantAmla and Vohra, rely on their timing more than power even in T20s. On a surface with plenty of pace and bounce, Knight Riders used seam, playing into the hands of the Kings XI openers. They struck nine boundaries between them and Kings XI raced away to 45 for 0 in the first four overs, forcing Gambhir to look at his slow-bowling options.He turned to the spin of Sunil Narine and Piyush Chawla. The difference in tact was evident when the openers were made to hit through the line, instead of using an angled bat. Both spinners struck in their first spells and stalled Kings XI’s momentum.Umesh Yadav’s triple-strike set the tone for Kolkata Knight Riders’ victory•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe art of setting a targetThe challenge of batting first on small grounds is deciding how much to set the chasing team. How hard does their top order go? How many resources would they want in the end overs? In either case, utilising the last five overs efficiently is imperative.Kings XI lost three wickets in 27 balls in the middle overs, falling from 66 for 1 to 98 for 4. While that may not appear to be a slump, it ensured that wickets in the end overs would leave Kings XI well short. Gambhir finished Narine relatively early, by the 16th over. Before 2015, he had bowled 42% of his overs in the last five overs; but since then, he has bowled 23% in that period.In the 2016 IPL, the average score in the last five overs was 45.55. Kings XI, with the pressure of avoiding a collapse, scored just 36 runs in that phase. Mohit Sharma and Varun Aaron faced the last two overs. No batsman scored 30 or more.Using the PowerplayIt was a surprise when Melbourne Renegades chose to open with Narine in the last Big Bash League. A left-handed Marcus Harris was their designated opener. So it wasn’t because they wanted a left hand-right hand combination. Instead of a batsman building an innings, they perhaps felt maximising run-making in the Powerplay was what the format needed. In the Pakistan Super League, Narine hit 11 sixes, the joint fifth-most in the tournament.It was a surprise even when Knight Riders opened with Narine in their chase, but it wasn’t flawed thinking. At worst, he would get out having not consumed too many balls.But his promotion came off. He faced 18 deliveries and his intent was to block none of them. He ended up hitting four fours and three sixes to finish with 37. He added 76 runs with Gambhir in 34 balls, helping Knight Riders make their highest Powerplay score.