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CA chief executive Nick Hockley hopeful to give assurances to England players in the coming weeks about families being allowed to tour

Alex Malcolm08-Sep-2021The Ashes could become the first sporting event in Australia where fans will require a vaccine passport to attend as Cricket Australia hopes for full crowds for all five Test matches.CA is also hoping to give assurances to the ECB and the England players in the coming weeks that some family members will be able to accompany them to Australia for the lengthy tour.During a round of media interviews on Wednesday CA chief executive Nick Hockley was bullish the Ashes would go ahead as planned despite the current Covid-19 outbreaks in Sydney and Melbourne causing lockdowns and interstate border closures.Australia’s vaccination rates are fast improving and Hockley believes that will be the key to getting full crowds back for all five Test matches. Any vaccine passport scheme would be a decision taken at government level but a close eye is being kept on what other countries are doing.Related

• ECB says 'player and staff welfare the priority' as it seeks Ashes talks with Cricket Australia

• 'I would want to make sure the players' families can get to Australia' – Strauss

• Tom Harrison says ECB 'working closely with Cricket Australia' to ensure Ashes goes ahead

• Jos Buttler may miss Ashes tour: 'You have to be open to saying no'

“I think that’s where we will work closely with the health authorities, with the venues, and certainly we obviously want full crowds,” Hockley told . “We want crowds back and enjoying the cricket and that’s something we will work through over the coming months and as we have done throughout the last couple of months we’ll take our lead from the health authorities. We remain extremely optimistic.”Hockley was confident the schedule would remain in place without the need to shuffle Test matches to different venues due to some of the strict state border restrictions that are currently in place.He was also confident that England players would be able to bring family members to Australia, although the final decision does hinge on the Australian government as international borders remain closed with restrictions on those who can enter and strict quarantine rules upon entry. There have been reports that a number of players could withdraw from the tour. It is unlikely there will be any loosening of the 14-day quarantine period by November although ways of accommodating the England squad that allows some freedom is being explored.”Our hope is that over the course of the coming weeks we’ll be able to provide the assurance that the plans we’ll have in place will provide them with the comfort that they’ll have a great experience and for those that want to bring family members that they can,” Hockley said.”Ultimately it will be their decision as to who they’ll bring but as we said we’re working extremely constructively with the ECB. We’ve all got a huge amount of experience now in what this takes and the plans and the intricacy of the plans. We’re very much working in partnership with the ECB and giving them full knowledge of what they can expect when they arrive in Australia.”Australia’s men’s domestic season was scheduled to begin on Saturday with a set of one-day Marsh Cup games but those matches are expected to be postponed until later in the season as New South Wales and Victoria remain in lockdown, with players from both states unable to travel elsewhere at the moment.

When will the fanfare end? Probably never.

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Ayoze Perez joins Leicester City from Newcastle United in one of the most surprising deals of the summer to date.

The £30m fee spent by Leicester is questionable considering it’s fair to ask what they’ve actually bought for that price.

That’s not a question of Perez’s ability, as the diminutive playmaker has shown over many years at Newcastle that he possesses both the quality and grit to succeed at Premier League level.

No, the doubts arise more in search of the answer to an even more pertinent question: what are they signing him for?

While boasted qualities that eluded the majority of his less technically gifted teammates, the lingering question that has hung over the Spaniard has always concerned where he fits into the attack.

And with that, it’s difficult to understand why Brendan Rodgers has opted to spend such a huge sum of money to bring him to the King Power Stadium.

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The forward has played a variety of different positions, from right to left wing, number 10, second striker and even as a number 9. There’s no doubt he’s got the attributes to succeed in any of these roles, but Leicester are a side who boast tremendous and, crucially, young talent that you’d assume a progressive manager like Rodgers would want to exploit and develop.

Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, Demarai Gray, Mark Albrighton and potentially Youri Tielemans – should he return to Leicester in a reported £40m deal – could be in contention to occupy the starting three spots behind a striker, most likely Jamie Vardy, so it’s difficult to envisage where Perez fits into the squad.

Perhaps he will merely be a squad player but, given the size of his price-tag, it seems that he will be much more than a body to bolster squad depth.

With that said, it might be time for Jamie Vardy to look over his shoulder in fear of his place in the starting XI rather than to watch his teammate thread a through ball into his path. 

Vardy has typically thrived in a counter-attacking side.

This isn’t a criticism of his ability on the ball, nor his final product or creativity, it’s simply fitting of his finest attributes – his pace and goal scoring instinct.

He thrives when running in behind and exploiting space, running directly at goal, the sort of thing he did relentlessly under Claudio Ranieri. The way Rodgers likes to play, however, won’t necessarily allow for this to happen.

Naturally, it’s pertinent to acknowledge that the Northern Irish manager enabled Vardy to rediscover his form shortly after he replaced Claude Puel. Spaces were suddenly prised open for the lightning-quick forward to exploit and he scored 10 goals in 11 Premier League games to finish the 2018/19 season.

But at 32 years old Vardy is moving towards the back end of his career and a contingency plan is needed to prepare for life after the Foxes legend, one which Perez may well be at the centre of.

Rodgers has been renowned throughout his managerial career in the top flight for playing short, incisive and attractive football.

He led Swansea to the Premier League with it and immediately caught the eye with his brave style, one which was later lauded by Luis Suarez, per Sports Mole, after he accepted the Liverpool job: “They always tried to play football with short-pass combinations and didn’t care what zone of the field they were at.”

He came agonisingly close to winning the Premier League with Liverpool and won a double treble with Celtic while adhering to his possession-based principles. He appears to believe in this approach and is refining it with every year that goes by.

Vardy doesn’t fit the remit as well as the former Newcastle star, which could see the fresh recruit adopting a centre-forward role in the side, where he can carry his team up the pitch, dribble past players, hold up the ball, create and score.

Perez can combine with midfield options effectively as well, and his stats suggest he enjoys this side of the game. Last season he proved to be far more involved with overall team play, registering 779 league passes compared to Vardy’s 416, and averaging 21.05 passes per game to the Englishman’s 12.24.

Perez also completed more key passes per game on average with 1.2, while the former non-league star completed just 0.9. This has been achieved despite playing in a team finishing lower in the table.

The stats points towards a fundamental stylistic difference between the two players, one which will at least offer Rodgers a fresh option in attack.

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Yes, Perez’s position in attacking midfield certainly contributed to the Newcastle man’s involvement in build-up play, but his side were also adopting a very pragmatic style under Benitez, so it can’t all be explained by positional differences.

Quite frankly, the Spaniard has a very different way of helping his team up the pitch.

Who knows, the two forwards may form a great partnership, and with Leicester in a rebuilding phase, there are certainly times when Vardy’s fantastic strike rate, pace and hunger will be required, but the club’s long-term future under Rodgers looks set to champion neat and complete players like Perez, Maddison and, if Leicester fans’ dreams are turned into reality, Tielemans as well.

It’s hard to see how the Spaniard will displace some of Leicester’s finest young talents, but with Vardy ageing – though showing little sign of it – perhaps this signing adds a weapon to Rodgers’ armoury that could see the veteran phased out.

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The biggest news at Newcastle at the moment is of the course that Rafa Benitez is to leave his role as manager. The focus now moves on to who could replace him. Today’s Toon transfer roundup looks at the potential early candidates to succeed the Spaniard, as well as the continued interest in a Bundesliga star.

Blanc and Moyes interest in manager’s job

According to the Northern Echo, Laurent Blanc has expressed his early interest in the vacant manager’s job at St. James Park. The Frenchman has not managed since 2016, however. David Moyes is reportedly also interested.

Ranieri and van Bronckhorst also looking at the role

Other reports, though, mention different names. According to Sky Sports, both Claudio Ranieri and Giovanni van Bronckhorst have registered an interested in the position left by Benitez. Ranieri left AS Roma at the end of the last campaign, whilst the Dutchman left Feyenoord at the same time.

Joelinton still on radar

The North East club will still be looking to bring in new players this summer according to the Mirror. Benitez was not keen on Joelinton, but the Newcastle chiefs are still interested in the Hoffenheim forward, who would reportedly cost over £30m.

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What does Dean Smith have in store for the rest of the summer transfer window? We are sure to find out over the coming weeks. But Thursday’s Villa transfer roundup includes a confirmed exit, an update in the pursuit of a Championship defender and news on the interest in a 23-year-old English midfielder.

Blackett-Taylor leaves

Corey Blackett-Taylor has joined Tranmere Rovers it was confirmed on Wednesday. The winger signed a two-year contract with the Merseyside outfit after rising through the ranks of Aston Villa’s academy.

Villa to make new bid for Webster

Thursday’s print edition of The Daily Mirror (June 27, page 65) reported that Aston Villa will make an improved bid for Bristol City’s Adam Webster. Sky Sports had reported on Wednesday that the Villans had made a £12m bid for the central defender, with other reports stating that Bristol are holding out for £30m.

Leeds reject Phillips approach

Leeds have knocked back an approach from Aston Villa for midfielder Kalvin Phillips according to Football Insider. The Whites have made it clear Phillips is not for sale as they look to hold onto him at all costs this summer.

Plays of the Day from the match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the MCG

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the MCG26-Feb-2015The spill-and-chaseThere were several dropped catches, but the spill in Sri Lanka’s 42nd over and its aftermath verged on farce. Kumar Sangakkara cut a ball straight to Mominul Haque at point, but though the ball came at chest height, Mominul couldn’t hold on. He then became aware of a run-out chance at the bowler’s end however, and he shied at the stumps unsuccessfully, only to find there was no one backing up. Taskin Ahmed at long on had his attention elsewhere and didn’t see the ball heading towards him. On most other grounds, that overthrow might have crossed the fence, but thanks to the MCG’s dimensions, Taskin was able to eventually wake up and keep the batsmen to three.The best laid planYou can spend hours watching videos, dissecting, and planning against opposition players, but none of this matters if opportunities are not taken. Most teams will know Lahiru Thirimanne is vulnerable outside off stump early in his innings, and though Mashrafe Mortaza bowled two perfect deliveries to exploit this weakness in the first over, Bangladesh were still left empty handed. He beat Thirimanne by angling his third ball across the batsman, but when he pitched closer to take a thick edge next ball, Anamul Haque at slip grassed the simple chance. Thirimanne continued to give chances throughout his innings, but when he was eventually out for 52, Sri Lanka had a fine foundation.Rangana Herath might have surprised even himself by holding on to a reverse-cup grab•Getty ImagesThe grouchesPerhaps no player complains as much to umpires as Mahela Jayawardene in recent years, but this time he had some friends come with him. Mominul seemed to play and miss at a Suranga Lakmal delivery in the seventh over, but despite a lack of an initial appeal from Sri Lanka, they later asked for a review. The replay was not conclusive, but when the not-out decision was upheld without snicko’s input, Jayawardene led a group of Sri Lanka players who crowded the umpire for an explanation. Snicko, it appeared, was unavailable due to technical reasons. As a result, Sri Lanka’s review was eventually reinstated.The reverse-cup surpriseSri Lanka players never practice the reverse cup catch – with the fingers pointed upwards. From school to club to national team, Rangana Herath would have been taught the conventional method of taking catches, with palms and fingers forming an upturned cup. But at the same ground he took perhaps his most sensational catch, in the Boxing Day Test of 2012, Herath shocked even himself when he pulled off a reverse-cup grab – by necessity, rather than choice. Mahmudullah top-edged a pull shot off Thisara Perera in the 21st over, and Rangana Herath scurried in from fine leg, tracking the high ball. He had his hands forming the conventional cup, but at the last second realised he had slightly overrun it. He stopped dead, instantly formed the reverse cup, and snaffled the ball, falling forward, relief writ on his face.

Arsenal and Manchester United have both joined the race for an exciting French young talent, it has been reported, as both sides look to the future.

Gunners looking to the future

Arsenal are enjoying a fantastic season and currently sit atop the Premier League table as they look to go one better than last season's second-place finish.

Even more impressively, Mikel Arteta and co. have built their side largely on young talent, ensuring that their presence at the top of English football is only set to continue for years to come.

The likes of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli are all likely to have their best years still ahead of them should they manage to avoid serious injuries, while Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira are among those who could still make the step up.

It is not just their first team that is making waves though, and the Gunners have begun to place an increased importance on their academy talents, both in recruiting from other sides and developing their own prospects.

Charlie Patino, Mika Biereth and Brooke Norton-Cuffy are all enjoying loan spells away from the club to varying degrees of success. Meanwhile, the Gunners have made tying down young talent their priority, and announced a professional contract for Ethan Nwaneri on Thursday after making him the youngest-ever Premier League player last season.

In securing his signature, they fought off competition from Chelsea and Manchester City, and their focus on youth is only set to continue into the summer.

Arsenal and Manchester United chase youngster

With that in mind, it comes as no surprise to hear that Arsenal are one of several clubs chasing talented youngster Joachim Kayi Sanda.

Sanda currently captains the France U18 side and was part of the U17 side that lost the World Cup final on penalties to Germany last December.

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His performances have attracted the attention of several massive clubs, with Manchester United, Newcastle, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain all alongside Arsenal in showing interest in the talented teen, according to transfer journalist Graeme Bailey.

Sanda was among four players at French side Valenciennes dubbed a "fantastic talent" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and is expected to have a big future ahead of him.

However, those European giants may all be foiled by Championship outfit Southampton, whose owners also own Valenciennes. There is hope from the Saints that the promise of regular first-team football could see the youngster opt for the south coast outfit over big-name sides, though the latest report claims that 'their hopes could rest on whether promotion back to the Premier League can be achieved.'

Under contract with his current side until 2026, Sanda is expected to leave this summer nonetheless, with the club's youngest-ever player looking to take the next step in his career.

Arsenal have intensified their pursuit of Real Sociedad's Mikel Merino, with sporting director Edu Gaspar flying to Spain for negotiations.

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• Merino is a priority target for Arsenal
• Player keen on a Premier League switch
• Has turned down an extension offer from Sociedad

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 28-year-old midfielder has been on Arsenal's radar for several transfer windows, and it seems the club is now ready to make a concerted effort to sign him. According to sporting director Edu's visit to Spain this week reflects Arsenal’s determination to finalise the deal, with Merino reportedly eager to work under Arteta. Personal terms between the player and Arsenal are not expected to be a stumbling block.

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  Real Sociedad, meanwhile, are reluctantly coming to terms with the possibility of losing Merino. The midfielder has just 12 months left on his current contract, and despite the club’s efforts to extend his stay in San Sebastian, it appears Merino's mind is set on a move to England. His representatives have reportedly informed La Real of his intention to join Arsenal, making it increasingly difficult for the Spanish club to retain him. With his contract ticking down, they may be forced to sell the player this summer rather than risk losing him for free next year.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Arsenal's transfer strategy this summer has been marked by calculated moves, ensuring that new signings are often contingent on player sales. A similar approach is expected in the Merino negotiations, where the club will likely want to secure a significant departure before proceeding with the final stages of the deal. In Merino's case, the player most likely to make way is Eddie Nketiah. Although a proposed transfer to Marseille fell through, there remains strong interest in the 25-year-old striker from Bournemouth.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Merino’s journey in professional football has been marked by a series of impressive stints across Europe. After coming through the youth ranks at Osasuna, he made a move to Borussia Dortmund before joining Newcastle United in 2017. His time in the Premier League was brief but valuable, as it gave him exposure to English football, which could prove beneficial should he return with Arsenal.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is expected to receive an injury boost as news emerges on their "unbelievable" attacking star.

Spurs battle Aston Villa for top four finish

Spurs are currently locked in a fierce battle with Unai Emery's Aston Villa for the last coveted Champions League qualification place.

Strong chance In-form player will now leave Tottenham for good this summer

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Postecoglou's men also hold all the cards after a sensational 4-0 win in Villa's backyard last weekend, with goals from James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Son Heung-min and Timo Werner rounding off one of Tottenham's most impressive displays of the season.

Spurs are now just two points behind Villa, who still occupy fourth, but the north Londoners could soon usurp them as they hold a game in hand over Emery.

Sealing a place in next season's Champions League group stage pot will go a long way in determining the success of Postecoglou's debut campaign in the Spurs dugout, though the Australian has still proved very popular with his exciting, high-press brand of football.

"It was a big game with plenty of significance," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's win over Villa. "For us to perform like that was a big credit to everyone.

"Get excited? Why not. The supporters, if they don't get excited by a performance and result like that, in what was a significant game…you've got to enjoy that. It means we're one game closer, with just 11 games to go. Everyone was billing this as a do-or-die for us. I assume we're not dead yet."

What Spurs will desperately want to avoid, though, is injuries and absences for key players. Indeed, since the beginning of 2023/2024, Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic, Cristian Romero, Richarlison, Brennan Johnson, Giovani Lo Celso, Ashley Phillips, Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Bentancur have all spent a month or more on the sidelines (Dan Kilpatrick).

Long-term injuries to van de Ven and Maddison mid-way through the season were particularly detrimental, with Postecoglou also forced to play a makeshift centre-back pairing of Emerson Royal and Ben Davies around the winter time when Romero was out as well.

The signing of Radu Dragusin has reinforced Spurs' backline, but supporters are anxiously awaiting the results of van de Ven's hamstring assessment after he was forced off against Villa. Luckily, though, there's been a positive update on star striker Richarlison.

Richarlison expected back for Tottenham after international break

Indeed, according to reliable journalist Matt Law of The Telegraph, Richarlison is expected to return for Spurs after the international break.

The Brazilian has bagged nine goals in his last 10 league appearances for Spurs, with Dejan Kulusevski calling Richarlison "unbelievable". His comeback from a knee injury will be an undoubted boost for the club in their race for a top four finish, especially with some tough games ahead.

Serie A side Fiorentina are determined to sign former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea this summer.

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• Fiorentina confident about signing De Gea
• Hoping to reach an agreement over his wages
• Spaniard was earlier linked with a move to Genoa

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Spanish goalkeeper has not appeared in a competitive game for over 12 months and continues to remain a free agent despite multiple offers from the Saudi Pro League and Major League Soccer. He was recently linked with a move to Genoa, however, the transfer collapsed due to his 'unrealistic wage demands'.

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  However, La Nazione now reports that another Italian club Fiorentina are reportedly determined to rope in the custodian with manager Raffaele Palladino keen on working with the experienced star. La Viola are expected to approach the Spaniard soon and hope to reach an agreement over his wages.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 33-year-old was once regarded as one of the world's best keepers. However, despite winning the Golden Glove in his last season at Old Trafford, he had to leave the club as the Red Devils signed Andre Onana.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR FIORENTINA?

  The Italian club will play their final pre-season friendly on Monday against Grosseto before kicking off the new season on August 17 as they take on Parma in their season opener.