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An update has come to light on the future of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso with Real Betis making a late move for him.

Who will Spurs sell?

New manager Ange Postecoglou, speaking to the media recently, candidly admitted that Spurs may need to trim their bloated squad numbers before making any further signings this summer.

"The reality of it is we can't just keep acquiring players," said Tottenham's head coach.

"We've got too big a squad as it is. It affects the training, the players themselves because they all want to play and be involved.

"It's not so much one has to happen for the other but our focus at the moment is trimming the squad down and seeing where that takes us in terms of reinforcements. We're assessing that on a daily basis. There's still two weeks to go in the window and I'm sure you'll see some movement."

Exits will, therefore, be absolutely key at Spurs in the final days of the transfer window, but they're running out of time with just nine days remaining to conclude all of their business before January.

There have been many players linked with a move away from Spurs, including Tanguy Ndombele, Lo Celso, Djed Spence, Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who are all on the chopping block with moves away.

Young striker and Republic of Ireland international Troy Parrott is another to be mentioned, and could be set for a shock move to the Eredivisie after Postecoglou's cold shoulder (TEAMtalk).

The aforementioned could join Harry Kane, Harry Winks, Lucas Moura and Joe Rodon out of the exit door, but it's Lo Celso who is central to a new claim.

Indeed, it is now believed the Argentina international is "pushing" for a move away from Spurs this summer, as his former side Real Betis attempt a late transfer.

That is according to journalist Rudy Galetti, who took to X with what he's heard on Lo Celso and where he may go.

"Lo Celso, Real Betis are still trying to understand if there’re margins for a loan move with buy option," said Galetti.

"Talks with Tottenham are on: Giovani is pushing for his return at Betis. THFC are open to let him go but – to date – only including a buy obligation."

How good is Giovani Lo Celso?

The South American hasn't quite lived up to his price tag in a Spurs shirt, but has thrived on loan at Villarreal under Unai Emery on previous loan spells.

Goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, speaking to Super Deporte in 2022, even branded Lo Celso a "top player in the world".

"He gives us a plus as a team," said Rulli.

"He helps us improve and I don’t discover anything by saying that he is a top player in the world. I know him well as a player and a person, so I hope he does very well."

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

While he may not be a match made in heaven for Spurs, Lo Celso can turn it on when at his very best, and perhaps a move back to Spain would suit all parties.

Manchester City target Michael Olise could replace Riyad Mahrez on the right flank at the Etihad Stadium, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Which clubs are keen on Michael Olise?

According to 90min, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have all expressed interest in Crystal Palace winger Olise this summer, who has a £35 million 'mechanism' in his contract at Selhurst Park.

Nevertheless, the report claims that Chelsea are 'confident' that they have won the race to acquire Olise ahead of other competitors and cite the positive relationship between the Blues and Olise's family due to his younger brother, Richard, being on the books in west London.

Football Insider have revealed that Pep Guardiola is targeting Olise as a potential replacement for veteran winger Mahrez, who has recently left the Etihad Stadium to join Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal.

Despite this, Crystal Palace are believed to be prepared to offer Olise over £100,000 per week to commit his future in south London and continue his development in his current surroundings. The France Under-21 international is 'content' at Roy Hodgson's men and values the level of first-team involvement he receives at Crystal Palace greatly in spite of interest from elite-level sides.

Last term, Olise made 40 appearances in all competitions for Crystal Palace, notching two goals and 11 assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano thinks that Olise could be a serious candidate to replace Mahrez at Manchester City and has declared his situation as 'one to watch' in the coming weeks.

Romano stated: "City are looking for that kind of player. They have a list of three wingers this summer because they have to replace Mahrez, who's going to join Al Ahli in the next few days.

“So yes the conversations are ongoing at the moment, still not something that is advanced, but I think Olise could be one to watch in August.”

What now for Manchester City?

Citizens boss Guardiola will be keen for his side to come alive in the transfer market between now and the end of the window to add some quality reinforcements to join Mateo Kovacic in the North West.

New signing Kovacic has indicated that he would be delighted to see his international teammate Josko Gvardiol arrive at the Etihad this summer as negotiations continue between Manchester City and RB Leipzig over a potential deal, as per The Daily Mail.

Kovacic said: "Josko has great potential. He can come here and learn and be the best version of himself. I’d obviously like it — I’m a good friend with him and he’s Croatian. It would be nice to have a Croatian by my side here. He is ready for this step.

Manchester City are also said to be 'following the case' of Lyon forward Bradley Barcola at close quarters amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in the Villeurbanne-born ace, as per RMC Sport.

Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard has been earmarked as a potential replacement for Kyle Walker at Manchester City should the veteran English defender head the other way to join the Bundesliga champions this summer.

There’s a general decorum around pre-season games, regarding the type of challenges that are put in, and the overall desire to avoid injury all around. Occasionally, some players don’t quite get the memo, however, leaving opposition managers rightly fuming.This was the case in Wrexham’s recent friendly against Manchester United, as young goalkeeper Nathan Bishop left Paul Mullin with a punctured lung.With an injury of that extent – you can see the concerning scenes below – the star striker will likely miss the first stages of Wrexham’s League Two season.

In a classy gesture from Ryan Reynolds, however, the club’s Hollywood co-owner has personally messaged Bishop to wish him well despite the incident, as per The Atheltic’s Laurie Whitwell.

As they seek back-to-back promotions, too, the last thing Phil Parkinson’s side needed was an injury to their best goalscorer.

The Welsh club officially get their season underway on Saturday, August 5 against MK Dons, giving Parkinson some time to find a solution to Mullin’s absence.

The Wrexham manager was not left best pleased with Bishop, though, and let his feelings known.

What did Phil Parkinson say?

Frustrated by the injury, Parkinson said after the game, via SportBible: “I mean, listen, Mulls has got a small puncture in his lung, he’s in hospital at the moment. But it’s a clumsy challenge from the goalkeeper and, for me, there’s no need to make it.

“It’s a straight red. The reason it’s a straight red, and even if the ref said to me that maybe there’s a covering defender, it’s a dangerous challenge.

“If you add those two situations up, he should’ve been off the pitch. Listen, it’s a massive blow for us to lose Paul. He’s an outstanding player.”

The referee wasn’t shy when it came to showing red cards, either, sending off United’s Daniel Gore for his reckless challenge.

The challenges set the tempo for a feisty affair, in what was supposed to be nothing more than a friendly between the two sides.

Mullin’s injury stole the headlines from an otherwise impressive performance by Wrexham, which saw the League Two club defeat a youthful Manchester United side 3-1, courtesy of goals from Elliot Lee, Aaron Hayden, and Sam Dalby.

How have Wrexham performed in pre-season?

Touring America, Wrexham have enjoyed an exciting pre-season so far, with the highlight being the victory over Manchester United, albeit coming in a game which saw Mullin injured.

As for the rest of their results, the Welsh club have done fairly well, losing just once in three games.

They began their USA tour with an impressive 4-0 victory over MLS side LA Galaxy, before suffering their one defeat so far against Chelsea, losing 5-0 against the Premier League giants.

Their time in America peaked when they defeated Man United 3-1, and with Philadelphia Union up next, they will hope to end pre-season in style.

Parkinson will be hoping that the preparation has been enough in the last month, as an important campaign in League Two beckons for his side.

Likely forced to start their season without Mullin, though, it may be a case of avoiding disaster in their opening games, rather than going all out for victory.

The last thing that Wrexham will want is a damaging start to their season to make promotion an uphill climb.

Sri Lanka’s bowling coach has drawn attention to the tendency to produce spin-friendly pitches in first-class cricket that are stifling the development of quick bowlers

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Pallekele12-Aug-2017Sri Lanka’s bowling coach Chaminda Vaas has become the latest insider to criticise the country’s domestic system, drawing particular attention to its tendency to produce pitches unsuited to quick-bowling.Of the top 15 wicket-takers in the most recent first-class season, 14 were spin bowlers. In the previous Premier League Tournament season (2015-16), the most successful fast bowler had been placed at 15th overall – only two seamers entering the top 20. It is not unusual for spinners to take the new ball in first-class cricket, where dustbowls are routinely prepared, especially towards the end of the season.”We can’t be satisfied with the way first-class cricket is,” Vaas said. “We need to make first-class cricket work for fast bowlers. We talk a lot about what ails first-class cricket, but no matter how much we talk, the issue hasn’t moved forward.”It is widely believed that it is partly because of the poor nature of domestic surfaces that Sri Lanka do not possess a well-honed battery of quicks. Promising fast bowlers are generally picked in the academy, but must largely develop at the A-team and international levels.”If we want to improve our cricket and increase the number of fast bowlers we have – if we want to do justice to our cricket – we need to make pitches that are suited to fast bowlers,” Vaas said. “If we do that I trust that our bowlers would be better off than they are now.”Sri Lanka’s meagre fast-bowling depth was of particular relevance in the ongoing Pallekele Test, in which Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando were the frontline quicks, following injuries to Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal. Fernando is playing only his second Test match. Kumara, 20, is playing his seventh Test, but has played only three domestic first-class games in his career, having been in the Under-19 team only a year ago.”They need to play more, I think,” Vaas said. “If you take our first-class cricket, they don’t have enough first-class experience to play well. If you take quicks from any country, they start bowling well after they have played 20-25 Tests only. We can’t suddenly expect a lot from Vishwa and Lahiru Kumara. It’s with their mindset that they can improve. They need to practice a lot and play a lot of games. With that match experience only they will develop.”First-class surfaces have been unduly spin-friendly for at least five seasons now, and two seasons into their tenure, the SLC board headed by Thilanga Sumathipala has failed to bring about meaningful change to domestic pitches. Sumathipala has conceded the surfaces are a problem area, however. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo in May, he said the board would make improvements on that front.”Next year we’re going to have independent curators approving certain wickets,” he had said. “It’s all costing us money because we have to retain a lot of people.”According to Sumathipala, part of the problem is that some first class clubs – such as Badureliya CC or Ragama CC – do not have grounds of their own, and are forced to hire grounds for their home matches. Those venues, in turn, are not adequately maintained, said Sumathipala.”We’re putting the grounds on notice. By June or July, we’ll tell them they need to have good wickets ready by September. They have to put the top dressing and so on. It takes about three months. Hopefully next year we’ll have some better wickets. We’re importing rollers. We would like to have more of those three-ton rollers, because that is important to getting an even surface. We’ve asked our curators to go around and give the ground staff some training. We need to give some infrastructure assistance to the clubs. By the time we get to September, they’ll be sound.”His board, however, has done nothing to cut down the number of first-class sides, which may help ease pressure on the common grounds that are on rotation in domestic cricket.

Celtic's squad will continue to be in almost complete overhaul this summer, with Brendan Rodgers admitting via The Scottish Sun that he plans to get rid of several fringe players.

When did Brendan Rodgers take over at Celtic?

The Scottish Premiership outfit once more claimed the league title in 2022/23, courtesy of another impressive campaign led by Ange Postecoglou. Having led the Hoops to first place in both of his campaigns in charge, it meant that the Australian certainly had a successful tenure during his time at Parkhead. It also meant that he ended up on the radar of other teams – and he was eventually poached to manage Tottenham ahead of the next campaign.

It left Celtic needing to fill their managerial position once more, and the club settled on bringing Brendan Rodgers back to Scotland, re-signing their old coach in the middle of June 2023.

Having left Leicester, with the Foxes heading towards Premier League relegation, he was available to bring in free of charge – release fee wise at least – and the Hoops jumped at the opportunity to bring the former Liverpool man back to the club. During his last stint with the side, he managed to bag two Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and three Scottish League Cups.

Even more impressive is that he also went unbeaten domestically during his first year at the helm – so fans will be delighted to see him back in the hotseat.

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

He now has some work to do in order to get the squad back to his liking ahead of the 2022/23 season. He's already seen several deals take place under his leadership, with four incomings and three outgoings for the club already. They parted with a seven-figure fee to bring in Odin Thiago Holm from Valerenga for starters, and have also spent a similar amount to snap up Hyun-jun Yang from Gangwon FC.

Rounding out their business, they've added a winger in Marco Tilio and have signed 26-year-old Tomoki Iwata. They should still have plenty of funds available though, with the Hoops having sold Jota to Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League for a fee which hit nearly £30m. Conor Hazard has left for Championship Plymouth and Adam Montgomery has departed on loan.

And that certainly doesn't look like it will be the end of their transfer business. According to boss Rodgers, via The Scottish Sun, Celtic will offload even more of their squad players this summer, with the manager feeling that the squad needs to be cut down ahead of the new season. It's unclear which players will be shown the door, but he said: "We will be looking to trim the squad. That will be the natural process. I've already spoken to a couple of players and I'm sure I will do over the course of pre-season.

"You have to be honest with players. Even if it's a tough conversation, it's the most humane way and the most direct way to tell them the plan. If that's to move on and get playing football, then that's what they have to do."

Rodgers then clearly already has a vision in place about the type of squad he wants at his disposal. Having already won pretty much all there is to win with Celtic previously, you would trust him to mould the squad to his liking in order to repeat the feat in 2023/24.

The 30-year old batsman was one of four uncapped players picked in a 16-man squad to face Pakistan from March 26

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2017Jason Mohammed, one of the only bright spots to emerge from a series whitewash by England, has been called up to the West Indies T20I squad for the first time. The 30-year old batsman struck back-to-back fifties earlier this month and could be vital to a team missing some of its biggest players.West Indies T20I squad

Samuel Badree, Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Jonathan Carter, Andre Fletcher, Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Veerasammy Permaul, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams
In: Jonathan Carter, Jason Mohammed, Veerasammy Permaul, Lendl Simmons
Out: Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran

Chris Gayle has not played international cricket since the 2016 World T20. On top of that, Dwayne Bravo’s hamstring injury and Andre Russell’s ban took away two of the world’s best allrounders from Carlos Brathwaite’s side.But there was good news on Friday, when it was learnt that Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree and Lendl Simmons were picked for two of the four T20Is against Pakistan from March 26. A WICB release listing the 16-man squad on Saturday confirmed all four men were available to play the entire series.Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul also has the chance to be capped for the first time in T20Is. He picked up 12 wickets from eight List A matches in January and February and will likely be the understudy to legspinner Badree and offspinner Narine, both in the top 10 of the ICC bowlers rankings in the shortest format.Batsmen Jonathan Carter, who has recently become a regular in ODIs, and Rovman Powell, whose power-hitting has invoked comparisons with Russell, pushed the number of uncapped players in the squad to four. The experience of Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor and Jason Holder could offset that, although Holder has not played a T20I for West Indies since 2015.

Liverpool are ahead of the rest of the pack in the race to bring in Federico Valverde this summer, according to reports from the Spanish media, via Football 365.

How many goals has Federico Valverde scored?

The midfielder has been a Real Madrid regular for the last five seasons, but in the 2022/23 campaign he really began to thrive and come into his own. Having never managed to hit a double-digit tally for goal contributions prior to this season, he went on to bag seven goals and four assists from the centre of the field in La Liga this time around.

It wasn't enough to give Madrid the title – they finished in second – but it meant that Valverde emerged as not just a reliable member of the first-team squad but a superstar in his own right.

His ability is even more apparent when you compare him statistically to others in his position across the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues in Europe. With his 0.23 non-penalty goals per 90 rate for example, he sits nicely in the top seven percent in that area, and his 2.93 progressive carries per 90 means that he is also in the top nine percent for driving the ball forward.

Are Liverpool signing Valverde?

Now, according to reports from the Spanish media, via Football 365, Liverpool have liked what they have seen of Valverde and are now "leading the race" to snap him up on a transfer deal this summer. There are a few interested parties but it is the Reds who appear to be in pole position for the Uruguay international and, not only that, they are also prepared to splash a whopping €90m (£77m) to get a deal done for the player too.

No official bid has been made yet but it appears that the Premier League side are prepared to spend big money to bring Valverde, who could be sold to balance the books after the signing of Jude Bellingham in the Spanish capital.

He'd certainly boost the Liverpool midfield with his play, with those in the game praising him for his abilities. Football journalist Josh Bunting for example has previously called an effort from Valverde "magnificent," which emphasizes how good the player can be. The Reds need some added creativity and drive in their midfield and the Real Madrid man could offer it for them if they can get a deal over the line.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is set to hold talks with winger Jadon Sancho over his future at the club amid interest in his services, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Jadon Sancho?

According to The Daily Star, Tottenham Hotspur are keen on offering Sancho an escape route from Old Trafford this summer as Spurs' coach Ange Postecoglou gets to work in N17.

Tottenham are said to be lining up a £50 million swoop for the £350k-a-week ace, who flickered in and out of consistency in patches during the 2022/23 campaign.

FootballTransfers claim that Manchester United would be willing to sell Sancho and the outlet state that Aston Villa are also in the mix to try and acquire Sancho ahead of next term.

Aston Villa are believed to be 'very interested' in signing Sancho, who has also attracted attention from former club Borussia Dortmund, as per TEAMtalk.

His patchy form in a Manchester United jersey has been taken into account as the club continue to weigh up his future over the coming months.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has said that Manchester United boss Ten Hag will hold talks with Sancho over his future at Old Trafford.

Jacobs told FFC: "Erik ten Hag will first speak to Sancho and have a frank conversation about if he stays, what the expectations are and how much game time he'll get and how he can elevate his game. If it's determined in that meeting that for the right offer, Sancho's available on the market, then let's see whether Spurs move."

Should Manchester United keep or sell Sancho this summer?

Manchester United will have a big decision to make on Sancho, who is a player with undoubted talent; however, has struggled to maintain regular consistency in his time at the Red Devils.

In 2022/23, Sancho made 41 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions, claiming seven goals and three assists, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Sancho also provided plenty of chances for his teammates over the course of the season, successfully carrying out 113 shot-creating actions in total.

The 23-year-old also averaged around 1.7 key passes per match in the Premier League, showing that Sancho has the tools at his disposal to be an effective asset to any side when utilised in the correct manner, as per WhoScored.

Looking ahead, it will be an intriguing few months for Sancho as his future becomes clearer at Manchester United following crunch discussions with Ten Hag.

Newcastle United are in an unlikely position of power. The Magpies can finally offer Champions League football. This makes the pool of players within their grasp wider, brimming with more quality.

The club must now work to forge a deeper, younger, whilst avoiding any engagement with FFP and maintaining the tremendous harmony within the dressing room.

Last summer, Eddie Howe splashed around £118m, and it’s estimated that a similar budget of between £100m-£150m will be available this window.

Newcastle’s transfer strategy is geared around a “collective approach”, guided by Howe’s “specific requirements.”

One player who fits within this approach is Dominik Szoboszlai.

What’s the latest on Dominik Szoboszlai to Newcastle?

According to The Athletic, the Magpies have a 'longstanding interest' and he remains on the shortlist.

However, it's also been confirmed that nothing is 'particularly imminent' at this stage.

How would Dominik Szoboszlai fit in at Newcastle?

The 22-year-old has enjoyed a ridiculously productive season and has been of one RB Leipzig’s brightest sparks.

Across 46 appearances in all competitions, the Hungarian has scored 10 goals and crafted 13 assists, which equates to a contribution every two games.

He has been his side’s chief creator and an indispensable component of their offensive phases of play as he averaged 2.3 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game, the highest for both metrics in the squad, as per WhoScored.

Jesse Marsch has eulogised over his unbelievable quality and limitless potential, saying: “Certainly his greatest gift is his right foot, he can put the ball where he wants to.

“He’s very fit; so whatever the physical demands you put on him, he can meet those demands because he’s fit, he’s strong, he’s fast, he’s athletic.

“The more he can tilt himself to being active and intensive and sprinting, he has the potential to be one of the top No 10s in the world, there’s no question. The combination of his vision, his technical ability, his athletic ability, and his personality means there aren’t many players that can dominate games from that position the way that he can.”

Indeed, his obvious talent has earned comparisons to the imperious Bruno Fernandes, according to FBref.

Both are the innovative nucleus’ of their respective team and their statistics rank formidably across the continent.

The playmakers sit within the top 13% in Europe’s top five leagues among their positional peers for progressive passes per 90, as well as the best 9% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Similarly to Marsch’s reference to Szoboszlai’s striking ability, Fernandes possesses a vicious right foot, but also a formidable ability to find his teammates as the Portuguese created the most big chances (32) of any player in the Premier League.

Hailed as a “magician” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, the £69k-per-week man would be a phenomenal addition to English football and could emulate the untameable form that Fernandes has exhibited since his move to Old Trafford.

Leeds United are experiencing a lot of uncertainty at the moment with no sporting director, no manager and a takeover in the works, whilst also preparing to lose a number of their players due to relegation to the Championship next season.

The Whites were relegated on the final day of their dreadful Premier League campaign and after three years away will have to compete again in the second tier with hope they can bounce back up to the top flight again as soon as possible.

Whilst the appointment of a manager and sporting director will be a top priority for Angus Kinnear, the club hierarchy are faced with big decisions on how to manage the departures of many players this summer and trimming down their high-quality squad will be essential.

One player who has been linked with a move away from the club this week is Junior Firpo, as Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed on Wednesday that the left-back could be set for an exit:

"Understand Junior Firpo will leave Leeds United this summer as several European clubs are already keen on signing him."

"The plan is to try a new experience after relegation."

Indeed, it will be difficult for Leeds to see so many players leave this summer, but in Firpo's case it paves the way for a talented young player to step into the role and earn his chance to play regular first-team football at Elland Road next season.

Who is Leo Hjelde?

The 19-year-old joined from Celtic in the summer of 2021, earning his Premier League debut under Marcelo Bielsa less than six months later and has more recently been on a half-season loan with Rotherham in the Championship.

Over 13 league appearances, the 6 foot 2 Norwegian has created one big chance and successfully completed 67% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 1.4 interceptions, 1.3 tackles, 2.2 clearances and three duels won per game, giving a glimpse of his solid defensive attributes during his short spell in the second tier.

Hjelde – who is an incredibly versatile player with experience at both left-back and in the left-sided centre-back role – has been the recipient of some huge praise and high expectations for his development, with his former Ross County manager John Hughes comparing him to a Premier League and Champions League winner:

“One hundred percent, Leo is going to be the next [Virgil] Van Dijk. He’s a really good kid with a very bright future."

Hughes then went on to give an insight into the player's best attributes, stating:

"He’s an athlete, quick, nobody would run him. He’s got that ‘I’m a player’ about him. It’s not in an arrogant way, it’s a belief."

Indeed, keeping hold of some of the key contributors would be massively advantageous to the West Yorkshire club in their pursuit to smash their Championship campaign, but it will also be a huge boost to have a young and hungry player to inject into the team who also has sound experience of the football being played in the league.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer to include Hjelde in the first-team squad next season as the £1k-per-week starlet could be an incredibly valuable asset to the next Leeds manager and confidently replace Firpo if the club does cash in this summer.