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Leeds United have finally begun to bolster their senior squad this summer, but more reinforcements could be on the way to help fix a key area of weakness.

Who are Leeds United signing this summer?

Fans across the country have known the failures that the Whites have suffered in the defensive department of late, with that risk accepted under Marcelo Bielsa's all-action leadership, but then frustratingly retained by the three bosses that followed him.

After that fine first year back in the Premier League, they would concede 79 goals the season following, and shipped 78 more last term as they finally fell to relegation.

With the purge that is currently going on with their backline, as Illan Meslier is pushed towards the same exit door that Diego Llorente and Robin Koch have already passed through, Daniel Farke must be diligent in finding their replacements.

Having already welcomed Ethan Ampadu, as an experienced youngster capable of competing within English football once again, it seems another report suggests they will seek to mimic this move and form a centre-back partnership that could span the foreseeable future.

Indeed, it's claimed that Middlesbrough are expected to command just £5m for Paddy McNair, for whom the Whites have been linked with this month.

How good is Paddy McNair?

Having endured a rough start to his career under the immense scrutiny that playing for Manchester United brings, a switch to Sunderland arguably saw him struggle even further as he would rupture his ACL, meaning he could only watch as they fell into the Championship.

Missing half of that subsequent season, he would trade Wearside for Teesside as he departed following the Black Cats' second-straight relegation.

The Northern Ireland international now seems to be enjoying some of the best football of his career, having grown into a capable defensive leader under Chris Wilder and now Michael Carrick.

The 2020/21 campaign arguably outlined his finest thus far, with his 7.11 average Sofascore rating in the Championship making him the club's best-performing player by some distance. This was a figure boosted by his two goals and seven assists, as he often stepped into midfield to maintain 1.8 tackles and 1.9 clearances per game, as well as a 73% pass accuracy, via Sofascore.

He has risen the latter figure to 83% as of his most recent league season, showcasing the steady progression of the 28-year-old into a fine ball-playing star. Carrick even sought to praise his 6 foot 2 titan, speaking just last year on moving him to centre-back: "I think that's where he feels comfortable and wants to play.

"I had a good chat with Paddy and I thought he was terrific today, probably the best player throughout the game with his passing from the back and composure on the ball. He played right side, left side and looked confident and composed on the ball which was good."

Placing him beside Ampadu could provide the perfect foil for the equally-solid stopper, who too has a touch of class to lead them into a brighter future.

Last term, whilst on loan at Spezia, the Wales international would maintain an 82% pass accuracy of his own in Serie A, alongside 1.2 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and three clearances per game. It was no surprise to see his 6.91 average rating, per Sofascore, so impressive despite his side falling to relegation.

These two vastly experienced centre-backs could instantly strike up a formidable partnership, more than capable of taking the second division by storm given their various background within English football.

Jack Burnham and Ryan Pringle tamed Derbyshire;s spinners at Chesterfield as Durham pulled off a six-wicket win

ECB Reporters Network06-Jul-2017
ScorecardJack Burnham and Ryan Pringle showed character as well as skill to take Durham to a six wicket win in an absorbing Division Two match against Derbyshire at Chesterfield.The pair shared an unbroken stand of 124 as Durham chased down a fourth day target of 282 on a turning pitch against Imran Tahir and 16-year-old Hamidullah Qadri.After Michael Richardson scored 62, Burnham made the most of two dropped catches to make an unbeaten 93 while Pringle, who finished the game with a six, ended on 62.It was an impressive display of batting by the pair and Burnham admitted : “That’s cricket, you get your ups and downs and today luck went my way a couple of times but I made the most of it and it was an outstanding win for the boys.”It was a very good challenge against two very good spinners on a pitch which offered a lot but instead of sitting back and letting them bowl, we hit the bad balls and put them under pressure. It was a very good game of cricket and a tough four days which went back and forth but we stuck it out and got the win.”Derbyshire had been favourites when the opening pair of Richardson and Cameron Steel walked out with another 246 needed on a pitch that was expected to take increasing turn.Billy Godleman elected to start with his seamers, perhaps hoping for some swing in the steamy heat, but Tahir and Qadri were soon bowling in tandem although there were few alarms for Richardson or Steel.Richardson reached his second 50 of the game when he drove Qadri square for his eighth four but the teenager made the first breakthrough when Steel made room to cut and was caught behind.When Richardson followed three overs later, taken at slip pushing at Tahir, Derbyshire had two ends open but Burnham and Graham Clark, who swung Quadri over midwicket for six, went in at lunch with 137 needed.The pattern of the game had been for wickets to fall in clusters and Derbyshire’s hopes soared at the start of the afternoon thanks to two superb slip catches by Wayne Madsen.Clark edged a drive at Tahir and saw Madsen cling on diving to his right and then Paul Collingwood was taken one handed low down after he was undone by another good piece of bowling by Qadri.At 158 for 4, Derbyshire’s hopes soared but Burnham and Pringle moved through the gears with Burnham hitting three consecutive fours off Qadri before driving Matt Critchley for his second six.Pringle finished it in style by lifting Tahir for a straight six and then driving Critchley for another to leave Derby skipper Billy Godleman admitting: “To have 280 to bowl at on the last day in those conditions I would have taken at the start of the game.”I thought overall we bowled well without quite a lot of luck at times and to be fair to their two guys who got them over the line they played really positively and with good intent.”

Glasgow Rangers remain in the hunt for another striker as Michael Beale looks to offset the departures of Antonio Colak and Alfredo Morelos.

Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers and Abdallah Sima have all arrived at the Ibrox side, yet it appears as though there is a concrete move being made to lure Feyenoord striker Danilo to the club this summer.

Have Rangers made a bid for Danilo?

At the end of June, the Gers made a bid for the Brazilian, yet this was rejected and rather than move onto other targets, Beale has since gone back in with another bid for the player.

According to Dutch outlet The Algemeen Dagblad, Rangers have now submitted a second bid for the 24-year-old which is set to be worth around €6m (£5.2m) and should he join, it would represent their biggest transfer outlay this summer following the £3m spent on Lammers and £4.5m on Dessers.

With Colak departing for Parma in a £2.5m deal and Glen Kamara attracting interest from Leeds amid a reported £4m move, Beale has the funds to complete his summer overhaul by luring Danilo to Scotland, and it will be a tense few days as they await a response.

Is Danilo better than Fashion Sakala?

The attacking department has undergone a total revamp since the end of last season. Kemar Roofe and Fashion Sakala remain the only forward options still at the club, although the Zambian could well be leaving the Gers sooner rather than later.

According to The 4th Official, an unnamed team in Saudi Arabia are prepared to spend £4m on Sakala this summer and considering Rangers brought him to Glasgow for nothing, it would be an excellent piece of business moving him on, especially if Danilo is set to arrive at Ibrox.

The 26-year-old frontman did enjoy playing under Beale.

Across 28 matches under the Englishman, he registered 11 goals and seven assists, ending up as their joint-second highest scorer throughout the campaign.

For all of his enthusiasm, however, there comes a lack of ruthlessness, which Danilo has in abundance. The former Ajax starlet scored 14 goals last season for the Eredivisie outfit, two more than Sakala.

He also had a better conversion rate than the Rangers forward in the league last term (16% to 13%) and also missed fewer big chances (seven to 11), clearly suggesting that he would be a more clinical option for Beale.

The "amazing instinctive finisher" – as once lauded by Eredivisie expert Melvin Dupper – did score more often last season too, netting every 134 minutes compared to the 151 minutes it took Sakala and despite his lack of positional versatility, he could certainly be a big upgrade in terms of being more effective in the final third than the current Gers player.

Danilo was hailed by current Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag when he was in charge of Ajax, saying: “Danilo is the best finisher we have in the squad” and if he can bring the form he has shown in the Dutch top-flight over the previous 12 months to Rangers, then he could be an ideal person to complete Beale’s attacking options ahead of what is set to be a crucial Premiership campaign in 2023/24.

تحدث خالد رضا لاعب فيوتشر، عن مباراة فريقه القادمة أمام الزمالك، المقرر لها مساء غد الأحد ببطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية، مؤكداً على قدرة اللاعبين على الصعود.

ويستعد فيوتشر لمواجهة الزمالك في إياب دور ربع النهائي من بطولة الكونفدرالية، على ملعب استاد القاهرة.

وقال خالد رضا في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي قبل المباراة: “لا توجد مواجهة صعبة وأخرى سهلة، لعبنا شوط أول أمام الزمالك ومستعدين للشوط الثاني غدًا”.

طالع أيضاً.. الزمالك يواجه فيوتشر لتأمين التأهل في موقعة مصرية خالصة بـ إياب ربع نهائي الكونفدرالية

وتابع: “غاب عنا التوفيق في المواجهة الأولى وأتمنى أن يحالفنا غدًا ونحقق الفوز”.

وأتم: “نعلم حجم الزمالك ونعلم أننا سنواجه فريقًا كبيرًا ولكن مودرن فيوتشر أيضًا فريق كبير”.

Match facts

February 7, 2016
Start time 1330 local (1130 GMT)Dinesh Chandimal will hope for some runs to redeem what has been a disastrous tour so far•Getty Images/Sportsfile

Big Picture

It has got to that point in the series where the dominant side is starting to wonder if its opposition will ever turn up. “Have Sri Lanka even sent a team?” was one of the questions asked when debating a likely XI to represent the visitors in Cape Town as they seek to avoid a whitewash.Though Sri Lanka’s victory in the T20 series took place less than two weeks ago, it has been forgotten after three under-par ODI performances, where the batting has taken a beating. They have yet to total over 200 and have only two half-centuries in the series. South Africa have put on three fifties and two hundreds and have topped 300 on the only occasion they batted first. The gulf between the sides is obvious and Sri Lanka appear some way from closing it.Still, they have remained fairly positive with coach Graham Ford heartened by the talent in his squad, although he admitted a lot of work needs to be done. Niroshan Dickwella stressed the importance of the team taking lessons from this trip as they build for the future. For South Africa, that future is as bright as they could hope for.They have few complaints despite losing two members of their original squad, Lungi Ngidi and David Miller, to injury. Despite a heavy schedule – South Africa leave for New Zealand on Saturday, the day after the fifth ODI – they have chosen not to make any additions to the outfit, even for experimentation’s sake, and are putting the players through their paces in preparation for the Champions Trophy.

Form guide

South Africa: WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: LLLWW

In the spotlight

After coming into the XI for the injured Miller, Farhaan Behardien did not get the opportunity to bat at the Wanderers and will be keen to show what he can do ahead of sterner challenges in New Zealand and England. Despite long being underrated, Behardien has become an important part of South Africa’s bench strength, so much so that he stood in as captain in the T20s. He enjoyed prolific form for his franchise, Titans, in the domestic T20 competition and finished as the third-highest run-scorer, with 352 runs at an average of 117.33 and a strike rate of 188.23, and quality performances under pressure.At the other end of the spectrum is Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka’s senior-most batsman, who has not scored a fifty in any format on this South African tour. Chandimal averages 16.36 from 12 innings and has been particularly careless with his wicket. He has squandered several starts and not set an example for the younger crop. He has two matches to show the worth of his seniority and put right what has become a dismal tour.South Africa could give Tabraiz Shamsi an opportunity•Getty Images

Team news

After Dwaine Pretorius’ Man-of-the-Match performance in Johannesburg, South Africa will need to choose their allrounders carefully. Chris Morris and Wayne Parnell could find themselves competing for one spot. South Africa may also want to use this match to have a look at what Tabraiz Shamsi can offer but are unlikely to have space for two spinners in the XI which could mean Imran Tahir is rested.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Chris Morris/Wayne Parnell, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Andile Phehlukwayo, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran Tahir/Tabraiz ShamsiSri Lanka don’t have too many options when it comes to trying to find a winning combination and will have to rely on familiar faces to change their fortunes. Dhananjaya de Silva, who has a top score of 28 in the limited-overs’ matches, may lose his place to Chathuranga de Silva in an attempt to shake things up.Sri Lanka: 1 Niroshan Dickwella 2 Upul Tharanga (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Asela Gunaratne, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva/Chathuranga de Silva, 7 Sachith Pathirana, 8 Lahiru Madushanka, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Lahiru Kumara, 11 Lakshan Sandakan

Pitch and conditions

Batting first at Newlands is key to success, especially in day-night matches in which 22 of the 28 ODIs have been won by the side that sets a target. That makes the toss more crucial than the conditions, although a decent batting strip is expected. The weather is forecast to be warm and windy.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa need to win both remaining matches in the series to overtake Australia at the top of the ODI rankings.
• Sri Lanka have lost their last six bilateral ODI series against Test-playing oppositions: to New Zealand (twice), Australia, England, South Africa and Pakistan.
• South Africa have won 12 of their last 14 ODIs at Newlands, dating back to 2004. The only two times they have lost in that time have been to subcontinental sides, India and Pakistan in 2011 and 2013 respectively.

Quotes

“We are a squad of players and whoever gets an opportunity, that’s an honour in itself and a great opportunity to showcase their talents. You look at Dwaine Pretorius in the last game, getting a Man-of-the-Match performance. That’s what we are about. The guys that get opportunities must be able to put in performances and they have done that.”

Scorecard2:08

‘Scotland yet to hit peak’ – Coetzer

Scotland remained undefeated at the Desert T20 Challenge after another composed chase of 134 with an over to spare and seven wickets in hand, over Oman on Thursday night. That meant Oman will have to come back to Dubai Sports City for Friday’s first semi-final, less than 12 hours after the game against Scotland finished.Scotland, meanwhile, can hit the snooze button before they take on a well-rested Ireland – the only one of the four semi-finalists to not play on Thursday – at 2:30 pm in the second semi-final. Finishing atop the group also meant Scotland were able to avoid Afghanistan in the semi-finals, a team they have failed to beat in six previous attempts in T20Is. The winners advance to the tournament final at 7:30 pm.Oman stuttered through their innings in fits and starts with six players reaching double-figures, but none doing better than Khurram Nawaz with 23. Overall, they were not under too much pressure to fall short of the semi-finals regardless of a loss due to their net run rate advantage of +1.611 over Hong Kong heading into the match. Winning the toss and electing to field virtually assured them a place in the semi-final as long as Scotland did not chase any target inside of 11.4 overs.Oman missed a few chances early but once Scotland’s opening stand was broken in the seventh over, the chase slowed and Oman stretched Scotland until the 19th over. Matthew Cross top-scored with 47 off 40 balls before being caught on the circle an over before victory was secured. Watt’s Application
Less than a year ago at the World T20 in India, then 19-year-old Mark Watt was touted to be Scotland’s lead spinner ahead of Con de Lange, and was also given the new ball as well when the tournament got underway against Afghanistan. Since then de Lange has usurped the lead spinner’s role but Watt has worked on developing more consistency and has demonstrated his ability.Taking the new ball in every outing, he has been economical without being incisive. On Thursday, he was finally rewarded against Oman with the scalps of both openers. A quicker ball pinned Arun Poulose on the pads while he played down the wrong line for a duck in the third over. After being hit hard bowling around the wicket by Maqsood, he switched to bowl over the wicket and produced a skied leading edge that was taken by Calum MacLeod at long-on in the fifth over. He finished with 2 for 23.Berrington runout show continues
In Scotland’s dramatic seven-run win over Netherlands in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday night, Richie Berrington clinched victory by charging in from long-on with a pair of picture perfect relays to Safyaan Sharif over the bowler’s stumps off back-to-back deliverie for the last two wickets.Oman were decently positioned at 51 for 2 in 10 over, but Con de Lange struck with a ball sliding in to beat Khawar Ali’s cut on the first ball of the following over. Aqib Ilyas, who made a half-century against Hong Kong in Oman’s previous match, was looking solid at the other end on 19 but new batsman Khurram Nawaz was eager to get off strike straight away. He tried to run his first delivery behind point for a sharp single but Berrington swooped in and flicked from eight yards to wicketkeeper Cross as Ilyas’ dive wasn’t in time.It was another momentum game-changing moment in the field for Berrington, but it could be the last one he provides at the tournament though as he stayed down on the ground clutching his right hamstring afterward. After getting treatment, he was forced to limp off the field. His status for finals day is in doubt.Saint Andrew’s Matthew Cross
The Scotland wicket-keeper batsman has impressed with his glove work since debuting in 2013, but his batting has lacked consistency, partly because he hasn’t had a stable batting position – he has shuffled between No. 3 and No. 7.He didn’t bat in the opening win over Hong Kong when Scotland made 189 for 3. He then made 4 against the Netherlands before Paul van Meekeren had him edging behind. Coetzer and coach Grant Bradburn kept the faith with Cross at first drop against Oman and he rewarded them with a handy knock.He played the spinners with confidence, depositing Lalcheta over midwicket on a slog sweep for six, and was even more fluent when Oman brought back their medium pacers, hitting Mohammad Nadeed for six and four in the 12th over.Cross hit two more fours off Bilal Khan in the 17th over before he was deceived by a slower ball from left-arm quick in the same over three short of a half-century. If Berrington can’t go on finals day, Cross must step up again with the bat for Scotland to have their best chance of slaying both Ireland and Afghanistan.

A round-up of the second day of Group A matches in the sixth round of the 2016-17 Ranji

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2016Mumbai bowled out Uttar Pradesh for 225 to pick up a slender first-innings lead and end the second day 59 runs ahead in Mysore.A double-strike by Tushar Deshpande (3 for 66) in the 16th over reduced UP to 45 for 4, after Shardul Thakur had removed overnight batsman Saurabh Kumar in the first over of the day. Rinku Singh, playing only his second Ranji game, scored his second fifty, but found little support from the other end till Kuldeep Yadav (50) put on 53 with him for the eighth wicket. He was dismissed for 70 by debutant Aditya Dhumal, with the score on 170 and UP still 63 behind.Kuldeep put on 46 for the ninth wicket with Imtiaz Ahmed (19) to bring UP close, but fell to Abhishek Nayar (2 for 19) after reaching his fifty, with UP nine short of the first-innings lead.Mumbai were 51 for 2 at stumps, having lost Kaustubh Pawar for 29, and Dhumal, who came in as nightwatchman for Shreyas Iyer.Saurabh Wakaskar’s 104 helped Railways take a 127-run first-innings lead against Baroda in Nagpur.Railways began the day on 39 for 0, after Avinash Yadav’s five-wicket haul had reduced Baroda to 183 on the first day. Wakaskar and Shivakant Shukla (51) added a further 54 to that score, before Yusuf Pathan dismissed Shukla. Only three other batsmen got to double figures, and there were no other significant partnership in the innings, even as Wakaskar brought up his seventh first-class hundred and took Railways past Baroda’s score.Medium-pacer Atit Sheth’s struck regularly to finish with 4 for 54. But Mahesh Rawat’s 79-ball 72 stretched Railways’ lead to 127 before he was the last man out with the score on 310.Baroda were 27 for no loss at stumps.Axar Patel and Rush Kalaria took two wickets each as Gujarat reduced Madhya Pradesh to 162 for 5 after putting on 302 in the first innings at the Reliance Cricket Stadium in Nagothane.Gujarat had begun the day on 224 for 4, but were reduced to 225 for 6 within the third over. Medium-pacer Gaurav Yadav (3-57) took both those wickets, before removing Karan Patel shortly after to leave Gujarat reeling at 243 for 7. But overnight batsman Manpreet Juneja (79) put on 47 with Kalaria (28) to stretch the score past 300. Chandrakant Sakure took the last three wickets to finish with 4 for 65.In MP’s response, Rajat Patidar put on a 47-run second-wicket stand with Rameez Khan (13), and 74 for the third wicket with Naman Ojha (28) after losing his opening partner Aditya Shrivastava in the third over. Patidar scored 71 before Jasprit Bumrah removed him late in the day. Kalaria then removed Harpreet Singh Bhatia as MP ended the day five-down. Devendra Bundela (16*) and Shubham Sharma (4*) were at the crease.Sudip Chatterjee’s 100 took Bengal to 337 against Tamil Nadu in Rajkot.Bengal scored at the same rate as on the opening day – just above two an over. They added 147 in 64 overs to their overnight score of 190 for 3.Overnight batsman Agniv Pan fell in the fifth over of the day for 59. Sudip Chatterjee, who had retired hurt on 34 on the first day, returned to join Shreevats Goswami (35) and the pair put on 44 for the sixth wicket, before Goswami was removed by medium-pacer K Vignesh. Chatterjee then batted with the lower order to stretch the score to 337 and bring up his first century of the season, after scoring fifties in the first innings of each of the previous three matches he played. He was dismissed by K Vignesh, who finished with 4 for 70.Tamil Nadu lost Washington Sundar in the first over of their response, but Abhinav Mukund (19*) and Kaushik Gandhi (25*) took them to stumps without further damage, as Tamil Nadu ended on 60 for 1.

Rangers face a battle to secure the signature of Jonathan Panzo this summer, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano revealing that several clubs are keen to add him to their ranks.

Is Jonathan Panzo going to Rangers?

The defender spent the 2022/23 season out on loan at Coventry, with the player unable to break into the fold at parent club Nottingham Forest. However, the short-term spell in the Championship worked a treat for Panzo, as he became a first-team regular and helped his side reach the play-off final. He played in a total of 29 league games for the side and even produced one goal and one assist along the way despite being a part of the Sky Blues' backline.

These displays have led to interest in signing the player from Rangers this summer, with the Scottish Premiership side looking to strengthen their ranks. Reports have suggested that negotiations are already happening over a potential transfer for the defender and that a deal could be worth £2.5m, with Michael Beale's outfit in pole position to land the player during the transfer window.

However, a new report from reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Rangers might not find it so easy to get a deal done for Panzo. That's because while he states that talks are indeed "ongoing," there is plenty of interest and plenty of competition for his signature this summer.

Not only are English clubs queuing up to try and sign him but there is also interest from Germany in the centre-back as well. The journalist said: "Understand Rangers have also asked for Jonathan Panzo again as new centre back, talks are ongoing — but there are also German and English clubs keen on signing him."

How does Panzo compare to other defenders?

When you look at Panzo's stats across the last year and amongst those in the same position as him in the Men's 'Next 8' competitions (that's the eight leagues after the typical big five) he ranks very highly.

Offensively, the defender is one of the best in his position when it comes to scoring and having opportunities to score, with his non-penalty xG rate per 90 of 0.08 putting him in the top 19% in his position in that area. Not only is he a potential set piece threat but his ability in playing the ball out from the back and having the ball at his feet also stands out. He has a progressive passes rate of 3.98 per 90 for example – putting him in the 83rd percentile – and he also has one progressive carry per 90 too, which puts him in the top 15% in that figure.

It means that Panzo likes to get the ball himself, even as a defender, and is well capable of driving his team forward either with an exceptional bit of vision to pick out a teammate or even by dribbling and driving it himself. With Rangers wanting to be a side who play on the front foot, he would therefore fit in nicely if he did sign for the Scottish club.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have enjoyed a steady renaissance under Julen Lopetegui and have guaranteed their Premier League safety heading into next term.

A combination of defensive solidity, maximizing their potential at home and the poor form of sides around them have managed to see the Old Gold rise to 13th in the table and they could still finish as high as 12th come the close of play.

Heading into the summer, Lopetegui will have plenty of work to get his teeth into regarding incomings and outgoings. Several Wolves stars face uncertain futures at the club due to their contracts expiring, including Adama Traore and Joao Moutinho.

Another player that may depart Molineux in the off-season is experienced striker Diego Costa, who's £50k-a-week terms are also set to run out shortly.

What's the latest news involving Diego Costa and what has he brought to the table?

As per The Daily Mail, Wolves are contemplating offering Costa a one-year extension to his deal, with his boss Lopetegui said to have been 'impressed' by his presence on and off the pitch.

The report states that the former Spain international has become a 'hugely important figure' at Molineux and Lopetegui believes he has been a key reason behind their improved performances in the second half of this term.

Wolves have undergone something of a transition this campaign and have already lost plenty of behind the scenes leadership in the form of defender Conor Coady, who joined Everton on a loan-to-buy basis last summer and the Toffees have an option to make his deal permanent for £4.5 million, as per Football Insider.

Costa embodies similar leadership qualities and always brings the fight to the battle and has previously been labelled as a "warrior" by his former coach Antonio Conte.

In 2022/23, the Lagarto-born veteran has made 25 appearances for Wolves in all competitions this term, registering one goal in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored notes that Costa has also won 1.3 aerial duels per match in the Premier League, helping his side to get up the pitch and providing a handy presence for defenders to deal with.

As per The Guardian, Lopetegui praised Costa's work rate since joining the club on a free transfer last year following their 2-0 victory over Brentford in April, stating: “He has a big heart. He is a very competitive player, in the bad moments he continued working because he has his spirit. You can’t buy this spirit. That’s why he’s made the career he’s had. We are happy for him, he has to continue working. He has made a very good match and when he came here, he came with the intention to help the team, the club and the coach."

Costa may be a throwback of a striker in comparison to modern-day forwards. However, his determination has never been called into question. As per FBRef, Costa ranks in the top 12% of forwards across Europe's top five divisions for clearances completed over the last 365 days, having managed 1.23 per 90 minutes.

His statistics may not be overwhelmingly good, though he must be leading by example on the field and in the dressing room if he is spoken about so highly by Lopetegui.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones doesn't think that Costa will sign a contract extension if he isn't guaranteed to play regularly.

Jones told FFC: "I think Wolves have to prioritise exactly what they want over the summer, because Lopetegui is only going to have a certain amount of money to spend and it seems he's already slightly concerned about the limits that might be put on him for that. So I can't see Costa getting the contract that he would normally want if he's only going to have limited play time."

Given Wolves' financial problems that has put Lopetegui's position 'in doubt' according to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, as per BBC Sport, the Old Gold may not be able to enjoy a flurry of transfer activity this summer as they rebuild for next term.

In that case, it may be wise to keep hold of Costa, who is also fluent in Portuguese and has found himself at home in the dressing room for another season to avoid losing his experience for free.

If the cricket’s Test Championship mace is presented to the world’s No. 1 team at a private function, is there any point presenting it at all?In a stark indication of the game’s convoluted and context-less international schedule, Australia’s captain Steven Smith was handed the mace by the ICC’s chief executive David Richardson in a “closed event” at the Earl’s Regency Hotel in Kandy, with no access to the public or the media. Next to the presentation of the football and rugby World Cups, or even cricket’s own global events in ODIs and Twenty20s, this was a ceremony that bordered on the farcical.ESPNcricinfo understands the privacy was the result of a last-minute request by Sri Lanka Cricket to keep the event low key, so as not to deflate their players before the looming Test series between the two nations, due to begin at Pallekele on Tuesday. So late was the decision reached that the ICC had already hired an MC for a public event, but he was instead left as a bystander to the hushed handover.”David Richardson is in Kandy for the presentation of the mace to Australia, which finished as the No.1 ranked Test side at the 1 April cut-off date,” an ICC spokesman said. “As this is a sponsor-related activity and unrelated to the forthcoming series, the ICC, in conjunction with the Members/teams, decided to keep this presentation as a closed event.”Australia had effectively claimed top spot as far back as February with a 2-0 series win in New Zealand, something formalised when the ICC rankings had their “annual adjustment” on April 1. But the mace stayed with the previous holders India throughout the year, rather than being presented at a more opportune moment in New Zealand.This is not the first time the mace’s presentation to Australia has not coincided with a notable victory. In 2014 it was handed over at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane in April after Michael Clarke’s team had usurped South Africa as No. 1 with a dramatic final- day victory at Newlands in Cape Town. The lack of a distinct moment at which to hand over ownership of a trophy meant to be the game’s most sought-after prize is symbolic of the problems of context and meaning that the ICC are presently trying to solve with a new bilateral schedule.A proposal for a new two-tier structure, with seven teams in division one and five in division two, was discussed at the ICC’s annual conference in Edinburgh in June. Under the plan, a Test Champion would be decided every two years, with all top division teams playing each other in a series over that time to work out the winner. Further talks to add detail to the proposal, which includes the provision for bundled television rights to provide guaranteed revenue flows for competing countries, are scheduled for September ahead of the next formal ICC meetings in October in Dubai. SLC has indicated their opposition to the proposal.Smith said he was delighted to have taken possession of the mace, and shrugged at the circumstances in which it had been delivered. “It doesn’t bother me too much really, I guess it’s just the way the rankings work,” he said. “They decided this was the right time to do it, and it was a great honour to accept the Test Mace as the No. 1 team in the world at this stage.”A lot of hard work in front of us to make sure we stay at No. 1. We do have a couple of tough Test series coming up, so for us we know there’s a lot of hard work in front of us if we want to stay at No. 1, we’re going to be the hunted now we’re at the top of the tree, so we have to work hard to make sure we stay there.”In a statement, Richardson spoke of exciting times for Test matches. “The mace is a symbol of excellence and recognition of a side’s outstanding achievement in the toughest format of the sport,” he said. “Australia’s winning performances have been exceptional and they thoroughly deserve to be awarded the mace.”These are exciting times for Test cricket as the top four ranked countries are involved in high profile series across three different continents showcasing the very best this format of the sport has to offer. I am sure the incentive of achieving the number-one ranking will further motivate them, bringing out the best in the players.”Broadcasters had recently indicated to the ICC that bilateral series lacking context were losing their commercial value, forcing the game’s custodians to drastically rethink the structure of the international game. The events in Kandy on Monday served only to underline the need for change.