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India have missed the April 25 deadline to submit their Champions Trophy squad to the ICC

Sidharth Monga and Nagraj Gollapudi26-Apr-2017India have missed the April 25 deadline to submit their Champions Trophy squad to the ICC. ESPNcricinfo understands the BCCI told the ICC that it could not submit the squad for “operational” reasons. The other seven countries have all announced their squads.According to a BCCI official, the delay was inevitable. With the BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhury and CEO Rahul Johri attending the ICC meetings this week, and captain Virat Kohli playing the IPL, all concerned parties couldn’t be in one place at the same time to pick the squad.”We have told the ICC the reason behind the delay,” the official told ESPNcricinfo. “We have told them we will announce it soon.”However, the delay is being seen as a message from the BCCI to the ICC that it can still withdraw from the Champions Trophy should its demand to retain its share of revenue not be met. The ICC had earlier initiated reforms to undo the big-three revenue model, which could have brought the BCCI’s share down from $570 million to $290 million.Earlier in the week, ESPNcricinfo revealed negotiations in the lead-up to the crucial ICC meetings, in which the ICC offered to raise the BCCI’s share to close to $400 million.Can India withdraw from Champions Trophy?

6.4 Member may terminate this Agreement as a whole (but not in part only)
(c) if there are any material changes that are materially adverse to Member to (i) the structure of the Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee of the IDI Board; (ii) the structure of the Executive Committee of the ICC Board; (iii) the membership of (i.e. the ICC Members represented on) the Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee of the IDI Board or the Executive Committee of the ICC Board; or (iv) the percentage of “Contribution Costs” of IDI receivable by Member as approved by the IDI Board; or
(d) if there is any other material change to any of the resolutions passed by the ICC Board in Singapore on 8th February 2014 (as amended by the ICC Board in Dubai on 9th April 2014) that (i) has not been approved in advance by Member; and (ii) has a materially adverse effect on Member.

The ICC board meets on Wednesday and Thursday to ratify the proposed reforms. These changes are part of the draft constitution, which comprises key resolutions like the latest finance model and the governance structure reforms devised by a five-man working group led by ICC chairman Shashank Manohar.Although the BCCI official denied there was any realistic chance of India pulling out of the Champions Trophy, there has been growing speculation that the BCCI might issue the threat. The ICC will not be perturbed at this juncture: the threat has to be presented in a written form, and neither of the BCCI office bearers attending the ICC board meeting has the power to renege on the Members Participation Agreement (MPA). The Supreme Court has given that power to the Committee of Administrators (COA).”To pull out you have to revoke the MPA, which is a legal document,” the board official said. “All the legal authority sits with the COA. The office bearers will need to consult the COA. You can make a threat, but you have to follow it up with a letter to become a reality. Then if the COA approves then it will direct Johri, who is the only one authorised to sign such a letter.”The ICC said it was “working with the BCCI to ensure that it meets its obligation under the MPA”. According to the MPA, which has been signed by all eight participating teams, the squads had to be submitted – but not necessarily publicly announced – a month before May 25, which is when the tournament’s support period begins. During the support period, teams will play warm-up matches leading up to the start of the tournament proper on June 1.Teams are free to make changes to their submitted squads until May 25. From then on, changes can only be made on medical grounds, and only after they have been approved by the event technical committee.The April 25 date was not necessarily a deadline for boards to announce their squads publicly. The BCCI could have submitted a provisional squad to the ICC by April 25 without making an announcement. The main reason for the early deadline was to ensure the smooth completion of flight and hotel bookings, promotion, publicity and merchandising. This practice is similar to those carried out before other major world events.In the past, teams have asked for extensions of a day or two, and have been granted that extension by the ICC, but the BCCI had not made such a request. There is no sanction or penalty if a member board fails to meet the deadline. The BCCI has not told the ICC when it will submit its team.

Allan Saint-Maximin "wants to leave Newcastle this window" amid reported interest from Saudi Arabia and Italy, according to Jacque Talbot.

What has happened to Saint-Maximin?

The Frenchman has enjoyed a positive spell on Tyneside since his move from French side OGC Nice back in 2019

The tricky winger has completed four seasons with the Magpies, making 124 appearances in all competitions and recording 34 goal contributions despite struggling with a number of mainly muscle injuries that have kept him sidelined for 46 games.

When Saint-Maximin has played, he has divided opinion to say the least. Micah Richards lauded him with praise for his performance against Manchester City at St James' Park earlier this season, calling him "class" and saying "Newcastle have a right player on their hands". On the other end of the spectrum, fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp labelling him as a "difficult player to play with". Redknapp was also left disappointed by the winger's performance against West Ham United in Feburary, saying at half-time: "Saint-Maximin has been hugely disappointing".

The Frenchman didn't play as much as he would've liked last season, making just 25 appearances in the Premier League, with only 12 of them being starts as inconsistent form and a recurring hamstring problem kept him out of the side at times.

Due to this, reports have stated that the Magpies are looking to move on from the winger in order to ease their FFP worries and to finance their pursuit of Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes as well as potential defensive reinforcements ahead of their Champions League campaign.

According to Football Insider, Saint-Maximin would be open to a departure this summer, with clubs in Italy and Saudi Arabia interested in the "phenomenal" winger.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Talbot revealed that the Frenchman has asked to leave the club this summer, and would prefer a move to Italy over Saudi Arabia.

"He's not convinced by Saudi Arabia at this moment, but I think his side are trying to push that forward a little bit. He would like to go to Serie A. I'm going to tell you straight that he wants to leave Newcastle this window I believe.

"Again you know the social media stuff and what he's been writing about like being back in training and stuff and I think Newcastle very receptive to offers as well so I think it's both of them really who are sort of pushing for a move away."

Who will replace Saint-Maximin for Newcastle?

Newcastle already have a great in house replacement for the Frenchman and are pursuing a strong replacement in the market.

As stated previously, the Tyneside club are believed to be closing in on a deal for Barnes, with manager Eddie Howe reportedly keen due to the fact that the England international is "tried and trusted" in the Premier League and could be more impactful than Saint-Maximin. The Leicester attacker scored 13 goals last season in the Premier League, the best total of his career so far, and would give the Newcastle attack another strong goal threat.

In house, January signing Anthony Gordon could be set for his breakout in a Magpies shirt. Signed from Everton for £45m, Gordon only produced one goal in his 16 appearances in the second half of the season as he struggled to nail down a regular starting spot ahead of competition from the likes of Jacob Murphy, Miguel Almiron, Saint-Maximin and Joelinton.

However, coming off the back of an incredibly successful U21 Euros campaign with England where they won the tournament and Gordon himself won Player of the Tournament, there should be confidence from all parties that this season is the one for the English winger to kick on in a black and white shirt.

Losing Saint-Maximin from the Premier League will be disappointing for the neutrals, as he was one of the biggest entertainers in the division, but should Newcastle replace him with Barnes, it might be the best case scenario for all parties.

The summer transfer window officially opened for business last month and it has been a busy few weeks for Celtic for several reasons.

Majority shareholder Dermot Desmond was forced to appoint a new manager, Brendan Rodgers, after Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou departed to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

The Scottish giants have also completed the signings of Hyun-jun Yang, Odin Thiago Holm, and Marco Tilio, whilst Jota has left to join Al Ittihad on a permanent deal and Aaron Mooy confirmed his retirement from football.

Rodgers could now make further additions before September's deadline and Manchester United central midfielder Donny van de Beek could be one of them, although there have been conflicting reports on the subject.

90min recently claimed that the Hoops are one of a number of clubs interested in signing the Red Devils outcast ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Football Scotland, however, have stated that no contact has been made between the two sides over a potential deal for the Netherlands international, with it yet to been seen if the Hoops will attemp to prise the playmaker from the Theatre of Dreams.

How good is Donny van de Beek?

The 26-year-old ace has only started 11 Premier League matches over the last three seasons for United and Everton combined, so it is difficult to judge him on his time in England so far.

However, his impressive form with Ajax, prior to his move to Old Trafford, suggests that the potential is there for him to be Rodgers' next version of Youri Tielemans.

The Northern Irish tactician played Tielemans in 184 competitive games over five seasons with him at Leicester, in which time the now-Aston Villa gem contributed with 53 direct goal involvements – one every 3.47 matches on average.

The Belgium international proved himself to be an excellent number eight who can make an impact at the top end of the pitch as a scorer and as a creator, with 28 goals alongside 25 assists.

Van De Beek, who ex-Scotland full-back Alan Hutton claimed would be an "outstanding" signing for Celtic, showcased similar qualities during his time at Ajax.

The £120k-per-week dynamo racked up 41 goals and 34 assists in 175 competitive outings for the Dutch giants, which included eight goals and five assists in 23 Eredivisie matches during the 2019/20 campaign. This means that the talented technician was directly involved in a goal every 2.33 clashes on average.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.11 or higher in each of his last three league seasons with Ajax – a score that would place him within Celtic's top ten performers last term – whilst Tielemans achieved a rating of 7.00 or higher in each of his five years with Leicester.

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Van De Beek to be an excellent option for Rodgers in midfield as an attacking threat, in the same way that the Belgian maestro was for him at the King Power Stadium for a number of years, if he can recapture his Eredivisie form.

Therefore, Celtic could secure a superb signing for their squad ahead of next season if they are able to strike a deal with Manchester United to sign the Dutchman on loan before the deadline.

Cricket Australia remains “comfortable” with the level of security provided to the Australian team, after terror attacks in London on Saturday night left at least six dead and 48 injured

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-2017Cricket Australia remains “comfortable” with the level of security provided to the Australian team, after terror attacks in London on Saturday night left at least seven dead and 48 injured.Australia are one of three teams in London, one of the venues for the Champions Trophy. They are due to play Bangladesh on June 5 at The Oval in south London.”As with the rest of the world, the Australian team is shocked and saddened at the events that have occurred in London overnight and our thoughts are with those directly involved and their loved ones,” CA said. “The team, support staff and travelling contingent have been accounted for.”Our security team is working closely with the ICC and LOC to ensure the safety and security of our players and support staff is paramount. At this stage we are comfortable with the level of security being provided to us and will continue to monitor the situation.”Steven Smith, Australia’s captain, spoke after the team trained at The Oval on Sunday morning. He read from the CA statement and added the players were “saddened and hurt” by events but were happy to continue playing in the tournament.Australia had travelled down from Birmingham, where they played their first game against New Zealand, and the squad and support staff were in their hotel in west London when the attack was taking place in London Bridge. Smith said he has seen reports on Twitter before turning on the news, but that the players were quickly reassured by team security.”You never want to see that happening around the world,” he said. “Particularly, when we are so close to the events of last night. We have been briefed by our security team this morning and they are comfortable with where security is at and for us it is just about being diligent with everything that we do and continuing the tournament as usual.””Guys were a little bit concerned at the time and didn’t really know what to do so Frank [Dimasi], our security guy, just made sure that we remained in the hotel and stayed nice and safe. I think everyone was on the phone just letting their loved ones back home know that everything was okay with everyone involved in our team.”Heightened security in London following Saturday night’s attacks•Getty ImagesSmith added that the group would continue to be “smart” in what they get up to in London over the next few days before returning to Birmingham for Friday’s match with England. “We’ve been advised to stay relatively close to the hotel and just be diligent with whatever we do,” he said. “Just make sure we’re on the lookout and being smart with whatever we do.”Following the attacks, the ICC ensured all team hotels went into lockdown, with every team, match official and related staff accounted for. The enhanced security measures put in place following the suicide attack at a pop concert in Manchester two weeks ago will continue.”Our thoughts are with everyone affected by what has happened in London overnight,” the ICC said in a statement. “We operate on advice from our Tournament Security Directorate – in conjunction with the ECB and relevant police and security authorities – to ensure that we can deliver a safe and secure event. We will continue to work with authorities over the coming hours and days and review our security in line with the threat levels.”The security situation has been very much front and centre of our preparations and we constantly review our procedures to guarantee they are as effective as possible to keep everyone safe.”Following the Manchester attack, Cricket South Africa had said there were concerns over safety but was comfortable with the reassurances and guarantees provided regarding the team’s security. South Africa are touring the UK not only for the Champions Trophy but also for a bilateral series against England.

Gary Ballance is to have an X-ray on his left index finger after sustaining a blow on it when batting on the fourth day of the Trent Bridge Test

George Dobell17-Jul-2017Gary Ballance is to have an X-ray on his left index finger after sustaining a blow on it when batting on the fourth day of the Trent Bridge Test.Ballance was hit by a delivery from Morne Morkel as England slid to a 340-run defeat at the hands of South Africa. It is, in terms of runs, the second-largest defeat South Africa have inflicted upon England.Any break would render Ballance a severe doubt for the third Investec Test which starts at The Oval on July 27.With only 85 runs in the series at an average of 21.15, Ballance has not made a compelling case for his continued selection. While recent policy would suggest the selectors would allow him until the end of the series to prove himself, it is not impossible they could be swayed by any injury doubt.Mark Wood’s bruised left heel will also be monitored over the coming days, with an England spokesman suggesting “he might have a scan” if it was deemed necessary. Wood returned to Test cricket at Lord’s for the first time since October 2015 and has undergone three bouts of surgery on his left ankle.The England selectors are expected to meet over the next couple of days to name their squad for the third Test.Speaking after the game, England’s new captain Joe Root kept his options open in terms of selection, but hinted that he favoured no dramatic changes.”We will sit down over the next couple of days,” he said. “The top six are talented players and they will be desperate to make their chances count when they come along.””It’s important at The Oval we try to get off to a really strong start especially in the first innings and those guys are more than capable of doing it. The way they’ve gone about things in practice and the runs they’ve scored in county cricket have been outstanding and now it’s just about doing it in international cricket.”

Newcastle United are not yet close to signing Monaco centre-back Axel Disasi in the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Dean Jones.

Do Newcastle want to sign Axel Disasi?

The Frenchman has emerged as what looks like a primary target for the Magpies this summer, having become such an influential performer for Monaco over an extended period of time.

Eddie Howe will want to boost his defensive options ahead of what could be a busy 2023/24 season, especially with Champions League football returning to St James' Park in 2023/24, ramping up the intensity of matches in the process.

Disasi started 37 out of a possible 38 Ligue 1 matches for Monaco last season, outlining both his consistency and availability for his side, and it saw his reputation as a top-level central defender further increase, having joined his current club from Reims back in 2020.

The 25-year-old has also forced his way into the France setup at international level, winning four caps to date and appearing three times at the 2022 World Cup, starting one match for his country in the tournament.

What's the latest on Axel Disasi to Newcastle?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Disasi's potential move to Newcastle isn't as far along as some may think currently, though, with work still to do to get a deal over the line:

"I feel like this deal has got a little bit ahead of itself at the moment. Newcastle deny that anything formal is happening here with Disasi.

"At the moment, I'm told that Newcastle haven’t progressed this deal as far as it’s been reported. But there is an interest, so that part is true."

It feels like there are fresh updates regarding Disasi's future all the time, but this does suggest that there is still plenty of work to do, in order to get a deal over the line this summer.

It would still be something of a surprise if the Monaco man didn't come in at St James' before the Premier League season kicks off next month, given the level of interest in him, but it is also obvious that it may not be plain sailing in the next few weeks.

Should Disasi suddenly not join Newcastle, it is essential that a strong alternative is lined up, with failure to improve the defence something that could be fatal to their top-four hopes and chances of doing well in the Champions League.

While the Magpies excelled at the back last season, only conceding 33 goals in 38 league matches, Fabian Schar is now in his 30s and should arguably become more of a squad player, while more depth is so important, allowing Howe to rotate effectively across four competitions throughout the campaign.

Disasi should remain the No.1 centre-back target for Newcastle, though, being hailed as a "complete & dominant" player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig recently, and holding his own in a France squad that reached the World Cup final in December – a game in which he featured briefly in during extra-time against Argentina, prior to their penalty shootout defeat.

New Zealand players called up to replace David Miller and Lasith Malinga for CPL 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2017St Lucia Stars have named New Zealand’s Jesse Ryder and Mitchell McClenaghan as replacements for David Miller and Lasith Malinga respectively, for the upcoming edition of the Caribbean Premier League, which begins on August 4. While Miller is likely to join South Africa A for their two four-day matches against India A, Malinga, who has been having injury troubles lately, might feature in the limited-overs series against India.Ryder played his last competitive game in March, scoring an unbeaten 109 in the second innings to take Central Districts to a win against Canterbury. The all-rounder, whose international career has been regularly interrupted by a spate of alcohol-related issues, last appeared for New Zealand in 2014. He has, however, been named in New Zealand’s 12-man squad for the Indoor Cricket World Cup in Dubai, which begins in September this year. He averages 26.13 in 133 T20s and strikes at 147.02.McClenaghan, the left-arm fast bowler, played a key role in Mumbai Indians’ successful IPL campaign this year, taking 19 wickets to finish as the team’s second-highest wicket-taker. McClenaghan has made 28 T20I appearances, taking 30 wickets at an average of 25.26.Speaking about the new signings, Manan Pandya of the St Lucia Stars franchise said: “Both Jesse and Mitchell are world-class players who will bring firepower to the squad in terms of both batting and bowling. We are sure that these new Stars will shine as we work on bringing home our first Hero CPL title.”

Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has made it clear he is after more players this summer, despite the Premier League heavyweights already spending close to £650m on new recruits in the past year.

Who are Chelsea looking to sign?

Speaking earlier this month, Pochettino stated that he intended to bring in more players who suited both his and Chelsea's philosophy. That came after the Blues had confirmed the arrivals of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson for a combined £83.5m.

However, for all the money spent over the past three transfer windows under Todd Boehly, it must also be factored in that Chelsea have raised substantial cash through player sales – though not as much as they would have liked.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang became the latest big name to depart Stamford Bridge this week when joining Ligue 1 side Marseille, while the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, N'Golo Kante, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and long-serving Cesar Azpilicueta have also left.

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo remains Chelsea's priority target with a little under six weeks of the window to go, but another attacking player also appears to be on Pochettino's radar.

According to a report from Spain, Real Madrid star Federico Valverde is one of those being eyed up by the Blues, who are supposedly weighing up an offer of up to €130m (£112.5m) to make the versatile player to most expensive signing in their history.

How many positions can Federico Valverde play?

It is almost easier to list the positions Valverde cannot do a job in, having been used pretty much all over the field by Carlo Ancelotti in recent seasons.

The Uruguay international's favoured position is in central midfield, with the majority of his appearances coming there last season, as per WhoScored, but he can also play anywhere down the right-hand side.

Valverde's numbers may be skewed somewhat due to the fact he has operated in numerous positions, but he shares plenty of similarities with teammate Luka Modric when it comes to their playing styles.

Indeed, FBref's player comparison model ranks Modric as the player fourth-most like Valverde among those from across Europe's top five leagues. That gives a good indication of what the Uruguayan is all about – and it could be particularly good news for new signing Nkunku.

Valverde assisted four La Liga goals on top of the seven he scored last season. While that may not seem like a big amount of assists on the face of it, he is among the top 3% of midfielders when it comes to expected assisted goals.

That effectively means the quality of passes Asensio played should have resulted in more goals, which is something Nkunku could hugely benefit from next season and beyond.

Nkunku scored 16 Bundesliga goals for RB Leipzig last season from an expected goals return of 14.4, showing that the France international scored more goals than anticipated based on the quality of his chances.

Valverde is also in the top 20% of midfielders across Europe's elite leagues for shot-creating actions – which takes passes and take-ons leading up to a shot into consideration – meaning he likes to get involved high up the field.

As an all-rounder – or a "total player", as Uruguay boss Diego Alonso put it – Valverde would undoubtedly be a huge addition to Chelsea's squad, and would possibly be the ideal player to get the most out of Nkunku up top.

Batsman Lahiru Thirimanne has been recalled to the squad for the second Test against India, 13 months after he last played for Sri Lanka

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Aug-2017Batsman Lahiru Thirimanne has been recalled to the squad for the second Test against India, 13 months after he last played for Sri Lanka. Left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan has also been added, while seamer Suranga Lakmal has been ruled out by a back complaint.While Thirimanne is effectively a replacement for the injured Asela Gunaratne, Sandakan’s inclusion is a sign Sri Lanka are considering a stronger spin-bowling attack for the SSC Test. He is the fourth frontline spinner in contention for a spot in the XI, in addition to Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera and Malinda Pushpakumara. Sri Lanka’s attack was found wanting in Galle, where India mounted 840 at a run rate of 4.5, for the loss of only 13 wickets.The match will also see the return of captain Dinesh Chandimal, who had missed the first game due to pneumonia.Thirimanne had been a fixture in Sri Lanka’s middle order between 2013 and 2016, but had been dropped due to an extended run of poor form. His domestic form has been largely good since, though he was not among the top scorers in this year’s Premier League Tournament. He did, however, score 59 in India’s warm-up match in Colombo, last month.Sandakan’s form has also been mixed. He had taken four wickets in Sri Lanka’s ODI victory over Zimbabwe in Galle, but had two modest outings after that, and was dropped for the deciding ODI of the series. In five Tests so far, Sandakan has 15 wickets at an average of 31.93, though several chances have gone down off his bowling.Lakmal had not played in the first Test, but was said to have had back trouble even during the Zimbabwe tour that preceded India’s arrival. With his exit, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando and Lahiru Kumara are the remaining frontline quicks in the squad.Sri Lanka squad for the SSC Test: Dinesh Chandimal (capt.), Angelo Mathews, Upul Tharanga, Dimuth Karunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Danushka Gunathilaka, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Nuwan Pradeep, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Malinda Pushpakumara, Lakshan Sandakan, Lahiru Thirimanne

Leicester City endured a bitterly disappointing 2022/23 campaign as they were relegated from the Premier League and they are now preparing for at least one season in the Championship.

Who have Leicester City signed this summer?

The Foxes have moved swiftly to make four new additions to their squad in order to bring the feel-good factor back to the King Power following the arrival of Enzo Maresca in the dugout.

Harry Winks, Conor Coady, and Mads Hermansen have all been brought in on permanent deals, whilst a defender in Callum Doyle has joined on a season-long loan from top-flight champions Manchester City.

A centre-forward also appears to be on the agenda for the club before the summer transfer window slams shut as they have been linked with Swansea star Joel Piroe.

How much would Joel Piroe cost this summer?

Football Insider recently reported that it would take a fee of at least £15m, and possibly up to £20m, to snap the lethal Dutchman up from the Welsh outfit, amid interest from Leeds United and Southampton.

If Leicester believe that they need a consistent scorer in order to fire them back to the Premier League then that could end up being a bargain price as the 23-year-old ace has proven himself to be a phenomenal striker at Championship level.

He could arrive at the King Power as a big upgrade on current striker Patson Daka for Maresca, based on their respective form over the last two seasons.

The current Foxes forward scored four goals in 30 top-flight appearances last term and that came after he managed five strikes in 23 league outings during his debut campaign in England.

This means that the Zambia international has found the back of the net nine times in 53 league matches for Leicester to date, which is one goal every 5.89 outings on average, and the club may not be able to afford to wait for him to find his feet this season as any points dropped could be vital in the race for promotion.

How many goals has Joel Piroe scored for Swansea?

Piroe, on the other hand, is coming off the back of two exceptional seasons with Swansea in the second tier.

During the 2022/23 campaign, the left-footed finisher scored 19 goals in 43 games and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99, which would have placed him third within the Foxes squad – albeit at a higher level.

That came after the "prolific" – as he was dubbed by EFL YouTuber Benjamin Bloom – striker plundered an eye-catching 22 goals in 45 league battles throughout the previous season, which was his first year in England.

The Swans marksman, who is a year younger than Daka, has proven himself to be a consistent and reliable scorer at Championship level, so his arrival could provide Maresca's side with a significant boost in their efforts to return to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

Daka is yet to prove himself to be someone who the head coach can lean on to produce goals on a regular basis, whereas Piroe would come in as a striker who could hit the ground running and be the focal point for the Italian head coach's team through the middle.

Therefore, the ex-Manchester City assistant could improve his strike force by winning the race to sign the hotshot before the deadline passes.