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Leeds United will need to swiftly appoint their new manager after being relegated to the Championship this year, but rumours of interest in Lee Bowyer should be diverted.

What's the latest on Lee Bowyer to Leeds?

Speaking to the Daily Mail [25 June, page 95] – report via MOT Leeds News – BBC pundit and former Whites defender Matt Kilgallon has revealed that Bowyer is on the club's list as they target a new manager.

He said: "The Leeds United fans need a lift and Farke would provide that. He’s got a proven track record of winning promotion from the Championship. I’ve also heard Scott Parker and Patrick Vieira mentioned, plus a cheeky little shout for Lee Bowyer.

"The fans would love someone like Bowyer, but it’s looking like it could be Farke. I’ve been speaking to Grant Hanley, my old Blackburn team-mate who played under Farke at Norwich. Grant said he’s an excellent manager and a top bloke too, so Farke would be a good shout."

The former Birmginham City boss was dismissed from his duties almost exactly one year ago and has been out of work ever since, and with Daniel Farke the frontrunner, the German is surely the man for the job.

Should Leeds appoint Lee Bowyer?

Although Bowyer has Championship experience with Birmingham and scored 51 goals across 256 matches for Leeds during his playing career as a centre-midfielder, it could be argued that Farke's success in leading Norwich City to the big time on two occasions minnows the argument in favour of Bowyer.

The 46-year-old boasted a points-per-match total of 1.14 across his 59 matches at the Blues' helm, and has had his tactics, which predominantly involve a 3-4-1-2 formation, called into question at times. That will certainly not be music to the ears of Leeds supporters after a discordant and detrimental campaign.

Farke, in comparison, has won 71 of his 138 games in England's second tier at a rate of 1.82 PPM, and with a pleasing set-up reliant on high-pressure and swift transitions, he could be the man for the job.

And considering the weight of the seasonal task at Elland Road, Bowyer's appointment be somewhat rash, or even over-sentimental.

Waiting in the wings is a tired and tested second-tier specialist in Farke, who has even been hailed as a "world-class" coach by compatriot and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

Former Canaries striker Chris Sutton was left waxing lyrical by the club in 2019 with Farke leading from the dugout, as he said: “I have been shocked in a pleasant way with Norwich City this season, I think their brand of football has been absolutely incredible, I really, really do.

“They have got up playing a brilliant, exciting, attacking brand of football with good players and what they’ve gone back to is the days when i was there and they were developing from within."

It's a no-brainer; the 49ers must act in the best interest of the prestigious outfit and make an appointment to ensure the return to the top flight is instantaneous.

Kevin Pietersen has rejoined Surrey for this year’s NatWest T20 Blast, after withdrawing from the Caribbean Premier League.

George Dobell07-Mar-20171:14

WATCH – Kevin Pietersen in action at the PSL

Kevin Pietersen has rejoined Surrey for this year’s NatWest T20 Blast, after withdrawing from the Caribbean Premier League.Pietersen was expected to appear for St Lucia Stars (formerly Zouks) in this year’s CPL, which runs from August 1 to September 9. But, as revealed by ESPNcricinfo, Pietersen has chosen instead to make a return to English cricket, with this year’s Blast set to be played in a block from July 7, with Finals Day on September 2.Kevin Pietersen’s excitement at returning to Surrey was rather dampened when ESPNcricinfo broke his news before him. Sorry KP!•TwitterWhile Pietersen is not a huge fan of England’s domestic T20 competition – he felt that playing just once a week rendered it difficult to find form or rhythm – the competition’s return to something approaching a window in 2017 may have eased his concerns.Pietersen opted out of any involvement in the 2016 season, following final confirmation that his England ambitions were over, but his relationship with Surrey has remained very good, and the club never made any secret of their desire to re-sign him as and when he became available.”I’m absolutely over the moon to be joining Surrey again. I’ve missed playing here at home and it’s going to be a special feeling walking out at the Kia Oval again,” Pietersen said.”We’ve got some seriously talented guys in our team and I’m very confident we can achieve something really special this season.”I’ve had some great times at this club and ground over the years; it’s a special place with top people, and I’m looking forward to once again being part of it.”Surrey director of cricket, Alec Stewart, said: “Re-signing KP is a massive boost to the club and the NatWest T20 Blast competition.”To have a player of his undoubted calibre available to us will add strength and experience to our squad and I’m sure all our fans will enjoy seeing him back playing in England again.”His work ethic and appetite for success are infectious and our squad have always enjoyed having him around the dressing room and performing out in the middle.”Pietersen appeared in the 2014 and 2015 editions of the CPL but pulled out of last year’s competition in order to take some time off. He has spent recent months playing in South Africa’s T20 Challenge, the BBL in Australia and the Pakistan Super League. The draft for the 2017 CPL is due to take place in Barbados on Friday.

Lancashire have turned to one of their own to try and bring success to the county with the announcement of Glen Chapple as head coach

Andrew McGlashan17-Jan-2017Lancashire have turned to one of their own to try and bring success to the county. Glen Chapple, who has been involved with the club for more than 25 years, has been named as head coach to replace Ashley Giles.Chapple, who worked as a first-team coach under Giles, will be assisted by Mark Chilton, the former Lancashire opening batsman who had a 14-year career, after he was promoted to assistant head coach having worked with the second team over the previous three seasons.Both were named in an interim capacity in December when Giles returned to take the director of sport role at Edgbaston and it came as little surprise that they were confirmed in the positions.There are few who have worn the Red Rose with such distinction as Chapple – who took 985 first-class wickets and 320 in the one-day game during a career that began in 1992 – and though that does not automatically mean a successful coaching career is assured, Lancashire have appointed someone with a intimate knowledge of the club and the demands it brings.”I would have been ready to take this job whenever,” Chapple said. “I’m still reasonably young in coaching terms but I have I feel I have a lot of experience.”Between the pair of us we’ve worked with a lot of international coaches and also have a lot of experience of this club and how it operates, the members and supporters and what they want us to achieve. We are aware of all that.”Chapple called the current Lancashire squad “exciting” but acknowledged that top of his to-do list over the next few weeks, as well as preparing the players for the pre-season tour of Dubai, is recruiting some experience to help competitiveness in all formats. In 2016 they narrowly avoided relegation in the County Championship and failed to get out of the group stages in the T20 Blast and Royal London Cup.In recent times the runs from Ashwell Prince and Alviro Petersen have been lost, while the club are unlikely to see much of Jos Buttler in the first half of the season due to IPL and England commitments. Haseeb Hameed will be available while England are in white-ball mode, but from July will likely be away with the Test side.News of a signing is expected in the coming weeks and that could indicate heading down the Kolpak route, although both Chapple and Chilton stressed the importance of continuing to nurture local talent.”We do need to make additions to the squad, we need to make sure we can compete in all forms,” Chapple said. “This particular squad at the moment is exciting, it has a lot of young players. Some who were blooded last year and took their opportunity well. So it’s certainly exciting times. But we are a young squad and we have to understand that it will develop.”We want to build a team who are aggressive, ambitious – I think the squad needs some experience to go with it, we’ve lost a lot of players in recent years through retirement, injury and players not coming back. We have some areas we need to develop, but to work with the young players we have here is exciting.”Over the coming months we’ll be looking to balance the squad. When you get into the season there are challenges that come, but we want to go into the season with a chance in all three competitions. You are looking to help a team develop, but it’s results driven as well. To say you can win three is a bold statement, but we aren’t focusing on one over the other.”Chapple said he will draw on his experiences with Giles and Peter Moores – he made specific reference to his time as captain under Moores, during which Lancashire won their first County Championship title in 77 years – but said it was important the new coaching structure went about things their own way.”I had a particularly good time with Peter Moores because I was captain and it was six years long. But at the same time you go into a job and do it your way, we’ve been around the game for 25 years now so aren’t just looking at other coaches. We’ll work on things that we think are important, you have to do things your way otherwise it won’t look right.”As a final piece of housekeeping, it was worth noting that Chapple has never officially announced his retirement as a player. He last appeared in 2015 but remained registered. Is that, now, officially it? “Let’s just let that slip into the background and not mention it, possibly,” he said.

Thomas Partey is happy to stay at Arsenal this summer, amid reports linking him with a move away, journalist Charles Watts has claimed.

What's the latest on Thomas Partey?

The Ghanian midfielder was one of Arsenal's key performers this season, although his form dropped off towards the end of the campaign, and he has been linked with Juventus as well as clubs in Saudi Arabia.

The 30-year-old's fitness record has been inconsistent since arriving at Arsenal in 2020, and with just two years left on his deal, as well as links to Declan Rice and Romeo Lavia, there have been suggestions that Mikel Arteta could cash in on the £200k-per-week star.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts revealed that despite rumours linking him with a move away, Partey would be happy to stay at the club if no transfer materialises and Arsenal want to keep him.

"I've heard Partey is very happy at Arsenal, he wants to stay, is happy to stay and play in the Champions League," he stated.

"The whole reason he signed for Arsenal was to get the club back in the Champions League. Now they're there, he wants to play in that, but instead that if you've got a bunch of Saudi clubs offering you unbelievable wages and you're a 30-year-old, then that is a highly tempting offer, so you know that might well turn his head.

"From a footballing point of view, my understanding is that Partey is absolutely happy to stay at Arsenal, and wants to play in the Champions League with Arsenal.

"Money talks at the end of the day, if someone's offering unbelievable money which will set you up for life and your family up for life, that might change your thinking as a player. So we'll wait and see on that."

Should Arsenal cash in on Partey?

Although the midfielder was a crucial figure as Arsenal surged to the top of the table in the first half of the season, his form dipped in the second half of the campaign, which even resulted in him losing his starting spot to Jorginho.

Arsenal have struggled when Partey has been absent, with their first three losses this season coming when he failed to appear for 90 minutes.

His injury record and age means he may no longer be reliable enough to count on, but given that Granit Xhaka looks set to depart, Arsenal could struggle to replace two starting midfielders in one transfer window.

Ranjit Fernando has been appointed to replace Charith Senanayake as the manager of the Sri Lanka team for the tours of South Africa and Australia

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Dec-2016Former wicketkeeper-batsman Ranjit Fernando has been appointed manager of the Sri Lanka team for the tours of South Africa and Australia. Fernando will replace Charith Senanayake, who held the position for most of this year.Fernando’s appointment is one of three changes to Sri Lanka’s support staff. Neither long-time physiotherapist Steve Mount, nor fielding coach Nick Pothas, will be with the Test side in South Africa. Mount, SLC’s secretary has confirmed, will end his tenure with the team on December 15, while Pothas has been temporarily reassigned to the Under-19 squad as it prepares for the Youth Asia Cup at home.The board has appointed Ajantha Wattegama in place of Mount, and Manoj Abeywickrama as fielding coach, though these appointments are not understood to be permanent. Both these men had already been on the board’s payroll.Though the board has said Senanayake’s replacement is part of a “rotation policy”, and that he remains a board employee ostensibly until the end of his contractual term next September, its relationship with Senanayake appears to have deteriorated. Senanayake himself has expressed surprise, disappointment and concern over his sudden removal.”We in the organisation – the board and executive committee members – have brought in a policy where we appoint a manager on a rotational basis; on a tour-by-tour basis,” SLC CEO Ashley de Silva said. “Not only the manager, but the other support staff will also be appointed on a rotational basis.”The rotation policy, the board says, has been adopted in order to groom homegrown talent for long-term work with the national team. However, the board has also perceived the existing support staff’s supposed over-familiarity with the players also to be a concern.Fernando, the new manager, meanwhile, has served in that capacity before, and has a reputation for being one of the most knowledgeable and even-handed figures in Sri Lanka cricket.Sri Lanka depart on December 10 for their tour of South Africa, where they will play three Tests, three T20s and five ODIs there.

Glasgow Rangers supporters of a certain vintage will remember the marauding Croatian striker Dado Prso as he bulldozed his way through opposition defences with ease, while also showcasing a clinical nature in front of goal.

Indeed, across his three seasons with the Ibrox side, Prso managed to score 36 goals in 124 matches, which on the surface, doesn’t sound like the best of ratios, however, it was more the manner which he scored them, with vital strikes coming against Celtic and in the Champions League during his spell in Glasgow.

With the Gers on the lookout for a new striker ahead of next season due to Alfredo Morelos’ departure after six years with the Glasgow giants, they have been linked with a move for young forward Matija Frigan according to Football Insider and he could cost the club £5.2m.

Could the 20-year-old perhaps be the next Prso to grace the club and follow in the footsteps of fellow Croatian strikers such as Nikica Jelavic and Antonio Colak.

Could Matija Frigan join Rangers?

There is no doubt that Michael Beale wants to add another one or two strikers to his first-team squad following the capture of Sam Lammers recently, and Frigan would be a wise investment.

The youngster managed to score 15 goals across just 31 games last season for Croatian outfit HNK Rijeka, showing his ruthlessness in front of goal, while he was praised by Jacek Kulig as “another extremely interesting youngster from Croatia” and Beale could certainly do with a player of his talent chipping in with goals.

Like Prso, Frigan doesn’t just rely on goals to get by as a centre-forward, having created three big chances and averaging 0.6 key passes per game while also making 0.5 successful dribbles per game last term and it proves that his skills could be utilised as either an out and out number nine or a deep-lying forward, looking like he could adapt to both extremely well.

Frigan also has gained three caps for the Croatian U21 side as he is clearly impressing enough to be achieving international recognition and if he continues his current scoring rate, it might not be long until a bow for the senior side is made.

Prso – who was hailed as "awesome" and "like a beacon" by former boss Alex McLeish – was a cult figure at Ibrox due to his unorthodox nature and knack for scoring vital goals. Frigan might be a slightly more clinical player, however, Kulig also described him as a “complete forward” and this could suggest the starlet could be very much like Prso should he join the Gers.

There is much work to do at Liverpool.

The club will have to postpone its love affair with the Champions League, having missed out on qualification for the competition for the first time since 2016.

On top of this disappointment, the Reds have had to deal with multiple departures in the midfield – James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita have all left Anfield upon the expiry of their contracts.

Alexis Mac Allister has already been purchased to soften this blow and Nicola Barella is someone who has been linked to follow his footsteps to Merseyside.

What’s the latest on Nicolo Barella to Liverpool?

According to Sport Mediaset (via FC Inter News), Liverpool, both Manchester clubs and Newcastle are all keenly tracking the 26-year-old.

Last month, Football Insider revealed that Jurgen Klopp’s outfit were the frontrunners for the Inter midfielder, who is open to leaving Northern Italy and could be lured away for a fee of £61m.

Who could Nicolo Barella replace at Liverpool?

Since making his debut for the Neazzurri in 2019, the Italian has been an imperious asset that has made vital contributions to his side’s recent success.

In the title-winning 2020/21 season, Barella recorded 12 goal involvements and then crafted the joint-second highest number of assists (12) in Serie A in the following campaign, as his side also won the Italian Super Cup and the Coppa Italia.

His importance hasn't deterred, as he’s started 11 Champions League games during Inter’s unlikely journey to the final.

He has developed a reputation as a competent all-rounder, with a punishing ability to break up play and dance past opponents.

The box-to-box titan ranks within the top 11% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries, non-penalty goals, and shot-creating actions per 90.

Barella’s arrival could spell danger for Harvey Elliot, who fell down in his manager’s pecking during the latter stages of the campaign – the Reds went 11 league games unbeaten, winning eight in a row at one stage, but the former Fulham ace started just once in this period.

This term, the Euro 2020 winner has averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.6 key passes, and 1.1 dribbles per game, whereas Elliot only manages 0.8, 0.8, and 0.6 for the same metrics.

As Klopp seeks to pinpoint his main creative influence from midfield, it seems that Barella is the stronger, more well-rounded candidate.

Described as a “top-class” player by Klopp, the signing of Barella would be a massive statement of intent and a sizeable indication of the direction Liverpool are intending to head.

There are plenty of difficult decisions for Australia’s selectors in naming their squad for the Adelaide Test

Daniel Brettig19-Nov-2016Underperforming batsmen and an untimely calf flare-up to Steve O’Keefe have complicated matters further for Australia’s interim selection panel on the eve of an especially tense squad announcement for the Adelaide Test.The acting chairman of selectors, Trevor Hohns, is expected to name a 13-man squad for the day/night match on Sunday afternoon, underlining the uncertainty surrounding Australian cricket on the back of five consecutive defeats, and two in a row at home for the first time since the fateful Ashes summer of 2010-11.While the youthful trio of Peter Handscomb, Matt Renshaw and Travis Dean all put their names in lights with centuries, Joe Burns and Callum Ferguson completed double failures in the Sheffield Shield match between Queensland and South Australia at the Gabba to slip further towards the precipice.Of equal concern for the panel is the fact that O’Keefe is believed to have suffered a flaring of an ongoing calf problem on day three of the New South Wales v Victoria encounter at the SCG. He had been favoured to return to the Test XI in place of the incumbent Nathan Lyon, who has struck a horrid wicket drought at the worst possible time.O’Keefe’s injury prognosis may also have a knock-on effect for the wicketkeepers Peter Nevill and Matthew Wade. While the Australians are eager for the lower-order heft that Wade could provide, his inferior glovework, particularly to Lyon, may yet play in Nevill’s favour. A third spin option, Jon Holland, has bowled well for Victoria at the SCG.Another name, not seen in lights for some time, is that of Sam Whiteman, the Western Australia wicketkeeper. A half-century and century against Tasmania at the WACA Ground met yet cause his name, too, to be discussed in the stumpers’ stakes.The elegant New South Wales left-hander Kurtis Patterson did his chances no harm with a well-constructed 55 for his state on Saturday. Patterson and Handscomb would likely slot into the places vacated by Ferguson and the concussed Adam Voges.Renshaw and Dean, two players not considered particularly fashionable in terms of physique or method, both place a high premium on batting time, a quality badly missing in Australia’s recent defeats. Another possible choice, though less likely, is Victoria’s Marcus Harris, who moved from Western Australia at the start of the season to good effect – only Handscomb is ahead of him on the national aggregates.Among the pace bowlers to support Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, the South Australia pair of Chadd Sayers and Daniel Worrall are in the selectors’ thoughts, as is Jackson Bird. Like his fellow Redback Ferguson, Joe Mennie may yet find himself on the outer after only one Test – a further measure of how much things have changed in the course of a single fractious week.Possible squad Steven Smith (capt), Matt Renshaw, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Kurtis Patterson, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade (wk), Steve O’Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Daniel Worrall/Chadd Sayers.

Playing his debut Test, Jayant Yadav came up with key contributions in batting, fielding and bowling on the second day in Visakhapatnam

Alagappan Muthu in Visakhapatnam18-Nov-2016On the eve of the second Test in Visakhapatnam, Virat Kohli had hinted there might be a surprise in the India XI, but not even he would have thought the rabbit he pulled out of the hat could become such a hit. Jayant Yadav, on Test debut, provided his team with vital lower-order runs and then conjured a wicket out of nowhere in the field, and even made excellent use of the DRS..India finished the second day with a lead of 352 runs. That is massive enough on its own, but add to it England ending the day five down on a pitch that has been encouraging variable bounce and turn and there is little question over who has the upper hand. Jayant, a 26-year old offspin-bowling allrounder from Haryana, played no small part in tipping the balance. His first contribution was with the bat, showing stout defence against England’s spinners and the stomach for a fight against their fast bowlers, who targeted him with the short ball.”Since the time I remember, since I have started playing serious cricket, not in the streets but in an academy, I have dreamt of this day,” he told after stumps. “This dressing room is full of people who make you comfortable. KL Rahul, a recent debutant, told me what to expect on debut. It’s good I didn’t do anything yesterday, gave me time to process the emotions and formulate my plans.”Also contributing to Jayant’s composure on the field was an old friend.”Me and Jayant go a long way back actually,” R Ashwin said at the post-match press conference. “Two-three years ago he came down to Chennai, he was staying near my house for about two weeks. He practised with me and I know the boy really well. He is someone who can really understand what I say and we have a very, very good rapport. I felt really happy for him, the way he came out and batted positively. His body language was great. Every bit of communication between us was auguring into the partnership getting deeper, so I kind of enjoyed it. Very happy for him to have got his first wicket as well.”The two of them put on a 64-run partnership for the eighth wicket that took India to 455. Jayant made that total look a lot bigger in the 21st over of the England innings, when he instigated a fantastic run-out. Joe Root placed a flick to the right of midwicket, from where Jayant made good ground to catch up with the ball. Only, instead of stopping, steadying himself and then throwing, he took another step forward, leapt up, and hurled a throw at the wicketkeeper’s end, having rotated his body to face the striker’s end.Root, having watched all this, changed his mind about a second run and his partner Haseeb Hameed, who had come halfway down, couldn’t scramble back in time. Wriddhiman Saha also had a hand in the dismissal, running forward to collect the ball and flicking it back onto the stumps, much like his predecessor MS Dhoni.”Sometimes these kind of games are broken through run-outs,” Ashwin said. “And more than anything else, somebody like Jayant who is making his debut and getting such momentum through a run-out and then later on going to get a wicket, really happy for him.”To cap it off, Jayant took his first Test wicket – Moeen Ali, lbw. The batsman had been down the pitch when he was struck on the pad, which factored into umpire Dharmasena’s on-field call of not out, but Jayant felt he was struck in line. Saha must have known Moeen hadn’t charged out too far and together they convinced Kohli to go for a review. It came back as three reds.”With the review, Wriddhiman Saha did the job of convincing the captain for me,” Jayant told . “We both thought it was out. Can’t wait to start doing this again tomorrow.”

Manchester City have stepped up their pursuit of Josko Gvardiol, with Football Insider reporting that discussions have already begun over a potential deal to send the player to the Etihad Stadium.

What is the latest Man City transfer news?

The 21-year-old has once again been a key player for RB Leipzig this season, featuring 30 times in the Bundesliga over the course of the campaign. He couldn't quite help the side to the top of the division but he did help them to improve on their finish last time around, with the club finishing in third this term compared to fourth.

He's not only impressed for Leipzig but has stood out as one of the best in his position over the course of the year too when compared to others in the 'Top Five' big leagues in Europe. Not only has he been one of the most prolific central defenders – his rate of 0.10 non-penalty goals per 90 puts him in the top nine percent amongst those big leagues as a centre-back – but he is also one of the most adept on the ball, with his 0.63 successful take-ons per 90 putting him in the top four percent and his one progressive carry per 90 ranking him in the 83rd percentile.

Now, he could have bagged himself a potential switch to the Premier League. According to a report from Football Insider, City chiefs are confident that the player will make a move to the Etihad Stadium, and he's already been earmarked as one of their main priorities during the summer window.

It's not clear how much a deal would be as of yet and it's not clear as to whether the player has agreed any terms but talks over a potential deal now appear to be in motion. If City hold out until next summer, he could cost the side £100m due to a release clause that is set in motion – but no fee has been named for this summer as yet.

Is Gvardiol a good signing for Man City?

The Croatia international's prowess going forward has already been highlighted but he's also shown incredible abilities defensively too. With 1.1 interceptions per 90, he had the third best rate at his club this campaign and his 2.3 clearances also ranked him in that position amongst Leipzig players this year too.

He's already been praised by football talent scout Jacek Kulig too, who admitted that the defender is a "top talent" based on his showings in the Champions League over the course of the season.

If City add Gvardiol to their squad then, Pep Guardiola would be getting a player that can do it all – and with his age in mind too, he would be a shrewd addition by the club.