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After becoming only the second women’s player to smash two T20I tons, Danielle Wyatt picked her 124 against India in another world-record chase as the most memorable

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai25-Mar-2018Two Wyatts wore the biggest smiles at the Brabourne Stadium as England hunted down 199 against India to seal the record women’s T20I chase.As the daughter punched in the air – twice – after bringing up her second T20I hundred in three matches, father Steve soaked the sight in, alternating between folding his hands and reaching for the cell phone in his pocket. Later, as Danielle Wyatt went about delivering her Player-of-the-Match address, he stood in the hospitality box, taking photographs.”This hundred was quite special because my dad has flown all the way to see my knock. So this one’s for him. He loves India,” she said when asked to choose the more memorable of her two tons in the format, making her only the second player to accomplish the feat.A business commitment in the UK had kept Steve from flying to Canberra when Wyatt smashed the first T20I hundred by an Englishwoman last November. The innings came only a match after Wyatt notched her maiden international half-century in 124 matches. That it played a big part during England’s points-equalling Ashes campaign, made it an even bigger deal to her father.”First England female to do that, and during the Ashes…” Steve Wyatt said. “Well, thankfully, we had the game on live. I did watch it live, but didn’t record it.”On Sunday, even as his phone kept buzzing with congratulatory messages, the disappointment at not having the matches broadcast in England was hard to miss in his voice. “I’m the sole representative of the Wyatt family here. But we were discussing this at dinner last night. Not sure what the issue is but what a big opportunity missed in the last game, and this one too, with so many people back home wanting to watch these matches.”Regret aside, that he rates his daughter’s 64-ball 124 against India as being “more special” than the 57-ball 100 against Australia, was down to two reasons. One, because she “just didn’t give India a chance.” Two, Wyatt’s walloping in Mumbai helped England rewrite their own record of the highest successful chase in women’s T20Is, bettering their 181 for 6 at Manuka Oval.He said Danielle’s better understanding of herself had contributed to her re-invention as a cricketer – from being a promising county player to excelling at the international level.”She’s matured over the past 16-18 months, and become a lot more sensible with her batting,” he said. “And she is very fit, so that helps mentally a great deal. Another thing is the work, she’s put in a lot [of hard work] on those straight shots.”Ahead of the tour, Wyatt herself had explained how she had been “working on playing straight and hitting the sightscreens”.On Sunday, four of the five sixes she smashed were in the V, with two of those landing in front of that target. Among the 15 fours she hammered, the one that took her to the second-quickest century – from 52 balls – in women’s T20Is, also came off a lusty blow over the bowler’s head.”I’ve been working really hard with Ali Maiden, our batting coach,” Wyatt said about the factors that helped her become a more productive cricketer in the recent months. “Basically, just hit straighter and a few things up here,” she added, while pointing at her head. “Seems to have been working. So, yeah, should have been positive, I guess.”With England notching their second successive win in the tri-series, routing both Australia and India by huge margins, captain Heather Knight heaped as much praise on Wyatt as she did on the team’s batting unit collectively.”With context of the game, we saw what a spectacle it was,” Knight said. “We saw great batting by both teams. To go out and chase like that is another world record for the highest chase again.”That’s what we keep wanting to do as a team, keep wanting to push the game forward, keep wanting to take records, the fastest ever 100 for England. If we keep on pushing for those records, the results will come themselves.”We’ve focussed a lot on T20 cricket in our training. And I think we’ve massively upscaled over the last few months, particularly in the batting. That’s why there are so many players who can go out and score like that. That’s the way the women’s game is going and we want to obviously be at the forefront of doing that. And it’s pleasing to see the hard work coming off.”

Chelsea have triggered a permanent transfer option in Jadon Sancho’s loan, but they can still get out of the deal with Manchester United.

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Joined Blues on season-loan agreementObligation to buy for £25m triggeredCould still send winger back to Old TraffordFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues signed the England international winger on a season-long agreement during the summer window of 2024. Sancho has registered just three goals in all competitions, while half of his 10 assists have come in the Conference League.

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The 25-year-old forward has struggled to convince those at Stamford Bridge that he is worth keeping around. A 2-1 derby victory over Fulham does, however, mean that a £25 million ($33m) purchase clause has kicked in.

WHAT TRANSFER EXPERT SAID

That is because the Blues are now guaranteed to finish higher than 15th in the Premier League table. Transfer expert reports that: "Chelsea's win over Fulham means an obligation to buy Jadon Sancho of up to £25m [€29m] has now kicked in. It is triggered providing Chelsea finish above 15th, which is now mathematically guaranteed to be the case."

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Chelsea do have a way out of the big-money transfer that is being lined up. Jacobs adds that: "Chelsea can override the obligation by paying Man Utd a fee of £5m [€6m]. Decision whether to keep Sancho will be taken at the end of the season."

He will test again in two days’ time; Paras Mhambrey to step in till then

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2022Rahul Dravid, India’s head coach, has tested positive for Covid-19 and is not travelling with the rest of the team that will assemble in Dubai today for the Asia Cup. It is believed Dravid had mild symptoms, which have receded. He will test again in two days’ time. Paras Mhambrey, the bowling coach, will step in till then.A call on whether VVS Laxman – who coached India in Zimbabwe as Dravid took a short break – will join the team in Dubai too will likely be taken only after Dravid takes the test in two days. India’s first match in the Asia Cup will be on August 28 against Pakistan.”Team India Head Coach Rahul Dravid has tested positive for COVID-19 in a routine test conducted ahead of the team’s departure to the UAE for Asia Cup 2022,” a BCCI release said. “Mr. Dravid is under the supervision of the BCCI Medical team and has mild symptoms. He will join the team once he returns with a negative COVID-19 report. The rest of the team will assemble in UAE on 23rd August, 2022.”The Asia Cup is likely to be India’s last tournament before they announce the team for the T20 World Cup in Australia in October-November. In that light, the Asia Cup is an important tournament for the decision-makers to be around. It is believed that 11 or 12 slots in the squad are more or less booked, but the Asia Cup could have a bearing on the last three-four places. India will also be waiting on the fitness of Harshal Patel and Jasprit Bumrah who are at NCA in Bangalore for rehab.

After weeks of miserable football and worse results, Tottenham Hotspur picked up a much-needed victory on Thursday night.

Ange Postecoglou’s side travelled to Hoffenheim knowing that a win was imperative to keep their hopes of automatically qualifying for the next round of the Europa League alive, and while it wasn’t straightforward, that’s just what they did.

While there were several good performances on the night, club co-vice captain James Maddison really stood out, scoring and assisting a goal.

The Englishman hasn’t been at his mercurial best in recent months, but Thursday night reminded everyone just how good he can be, and fortunately for him, the manager and the fans for that matter, recent reports have linked Spurs with a player who’d be the perfect teammate for him.

Tottenham chase midfield maestro

According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham have maintained their strong interest in LOSC Lille star Angel Gomes.

In positive developments for the North Londoners, the report has revealed that the England international now favours a move to them over other suitors, including West Ham United and Manchester United.

However, while the team could do with some reinforcements this month, it would appear as if the Lilywhites are working on a pre-contract agreement for the 24-year-old, as with his £11k-per-week contract expiring in the summer, he’ll be available for free.

It might not be what the team needs at this moment, but signing a player of Gomes’ ability for nothing is an excellent bit of business, especially as he could help Maddison play at his best more often.

Why Gomes would be a dream teammate for Maddison

So, it would probably be fair to say that the Maddison we saw against Hoffenheim on Thursday night was the one that fans want to see more of.

The tenacious midfielder who can kickstart attacks from nothing, play a killer ball in behind for his teammates, or break the lines himself to put the ball in the back of the net.

However, for fans to see more of that, the former Leicester City star needs an extremely dependable midfielder to play alongside him, someone who can help out offensively but is also talented and disciplined enough to help out in build-up and defensive situations, which is where Gomes comes in to play.

The former Manchester United prospect has spent much of his career playing in either attacking or central midfield, and as such, has the skill set to influence all phases of play and could, therefore, platform his compatriot to focus on happenings at the sharp end of the pitch.

For example, FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, places him in the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers for shots blocked.

Pass Completion

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57.9%

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4.86

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0.23

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6.69

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Moreover, an article from the Coaches Voice last September praised him for his pressing and counter-pressing ability, which in a Postecoglou system could be game-changing.

However, while he can help break up play and help defend central spaces, the “special” 24-year-old, as dubbed by former manager Jocelyn Gourvennec, can also help the Lilywhites and Maddison in attacking situations, as exemplified by FBref placing him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for pass completion and successful take-on percentage, the top 3% for carries, the top 4% for passes into the final third, the top 6% for progressive passes, switches and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, signing Gomes in the summer would be an excellent idea for Spurs and Maddison, as the Lille star would platform the Coventry-born star through his defensive efforts and assist him with his brilliant passing range.

Amazing Kulusevski repeat: Spurs in contact to sign lethal £55m "monster"

The incredible goalscorer is just what Spurs need this season.

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Both experts on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out also felt that Pakistan’s bowlers erred in judgement in the last two overs

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Oct-20222:25

Kumble: ‘Nawaz bowling two wides in the final over inexcusable’

According to Anil Kumble and Stephen Fleming, the unbeaten 82 from Virat Kohli that sunk Pakistan in Melbourne had two standout characteristics. One, the ability to find boundaries at will in the second half and, two, the display of high fitness levels that are crucial to maximising run-scoring at a ground of MCG’s size.At one stage, Kohli was 15 off 23 balls. He would smack 67 runs off his next 30 deliveries, 36 runs off his last 11. He finished on an unbeaten 82 of 53, which included six fours and four sixes, to help India put behind them the ghosts of 2021 when Pakistan defeated them at the T20 World Cup by ten wickets.”What Virat has changed in the last two years, to what we are seeing him do now, is that change in his mind in terms of when to get those boundaries towards the second half of his game and that’s exactly what he did,” Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out post-match analysis show. “He did that to Shadab [Khan], he did that to [Mohammad] Nawaz, he hit a six after Hardik [Pandya] had hit a six.”He realised that that over [12th over from Nawaz that went for 20 runs] had to be a big over and that’s where the momentum shifted [for him].”While Kohli called his own innings his “best in T20Is” after the match, Kumble called it a “perfect innings”. He also said that the presence of Hardik Pandya at the other end in their 113-run partnership, complemented Kohli’s playing style. Hardik finished with 40 off 37 balls, falling at the start of the 20th over.”I thought it [the innings] was to perfection because Hardik was at the other end and Hardik took all the pressure in those middle overs, hitting key boundaries, especially to the spinners,” Kumble said. “That had been sort of his bane a couple of years ago. Especially in the middle overs, hitting boundaries, hitting sixes to spinners.”Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya stitched together a match-winning 113-run partnership•ICC via Getty ImagesFrom the time Kohli and Hardik got together in the seventh over with the score reading 31 for 4, to the time R Ashwin hit the winning runs off the game’s final delivery, Kohli participated in running 39 singles, eight twos (including two runs run off a wide delivery) and one three (the free-hit that hit his stumps in the 20th over). Since the start of the 11th over, Kohli would play only four dots.”The fitness in their running between the wickets was superb,” Fleming, the former New Zealand captain and current head coach at Chennai Super Kings, said. “He’s getting a little bit older, but to be able to maintain that intensity, he’s always had an intensity around him, but the running between the wickets was vital.”Those are the little things you don’t see and they upped the ante with that and they snuck quite a few runs putting the Pakistan players under pressure. That intensity is what I like about Virat Kohli. It’s not just the the magical shots like the six that he had [against Rauf], it’s the stuff in between, and that’s gamesmanship, it’s experience and it’s greatness.”Both experts also felt that Pakistan made errors with the ball at the back end when they were looking to close out the game. Kumble felt that Nawaz moved away from bowling his classical left-arm orthodox spin in the 20th over while Fleming felt that Haris Rauf – who conceded 12 off his last two deliveries in the penultimate over – missed a trick by not going for the time-tested death-overs plan of bowling the wide yorker.”When you bowl those kind of overs, you sort of take the spin away from [the batter],” Kumble said. “Nawaz never looked to bowl the classical left-arm spin. He sort of bowled an arm ball – and then you know Hardik looked to hit through midwicket – but never ever looked to hit the deck with spin, which he did really well in the first three overs that he bowled. I guess that’s the beauty of the game. That’s the nerves telling on you and also some baggage of what had happened in the previous game against India when he bowled that last over in the Asia Cup.””I talk about the wide yorker because when you’re needing a boundary or sixes it’s very hard to hit the wide yorker if you can deliver it [right]. And I’ve seen him do it on big wide boundaries which can be protected,” Fleming said of Rauf. “It was a tactic that wasn’t used by either side which surprised me. Especially when you get in front of the game and Pakistan were in front of the game. They were bossing that game.”India needed to hit sixes to get back into the game and win it. So you bowl the best ball and the method of being right [in these conditions] was back of a length, but still use the wide yorker… at no stage did they go wide. Haris Rauf, I thought he could have been a little bit more proactive with that and we might have seen a better result [for him]. But look, this is all in hindsight, he had brought a wonderful spell.”

Philippe Clement looks set to lose one of his young attackers this month, as Rangers have agreed to sell a “blistering” forward for £2 million, according to a new report.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers are back in Scottish Premiership action on Wednesday, as they welcome Aberdeen to Ibrox, knowing a win will close the gap to leaders Celtic, albeit to 13 points. 2025 has been very up-and-down for Rangers so far, and that has piled the pressure on Clement, who will know a defeat or draw to Aberdeen could spell the end of his time at the club.

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As the Scottish side look to potentially add to their squad this month, there could be a few exits on the cards in what remains of this transfer window. Football Insider have reported that Rangers could look to sell striker Cyriel Dessers this month. The forward, who is a big earner at the club, has been in and out of the side in recent weeks, and given there is interest from Italian side Cagliari, the Gers could “sacrifice” Dessers.

Vaclav Cerny is another Rangers player who is attracting interest, as West Ham United lead the race to secure his signature once his loan ends in Scotland and he returns to Wolfsburg. The Hammers are not the only team interested in signing the Czech international, as Villarreal are also keen on the player, which means Rangers’ chances of securing an agreement after this loan become harder.

Rangers accept £2m transfer offer for "blistering" forward

Dessers is not the only player who could leave this month, as Football Insider reports Rangers have agreed to loan Rabbi Matondo to an unnamed European club, including a £2 million buy option.

Matondo, who Kris Boyd said has “blistering” pace, has been at Ibrox since July 2022, when he joined from German side FC Schalke 04. The 24-year-old came through the academy at Cardiff City but was snapped up by Man City at an early age, but it was a move that didn’t quite work out, and from there he joined the German outfit.

Matondo has struggled to make an impact at Rangers, dipping in and out of the side during his three seasons at the club, and now the Gers are ready to move him on. Football Insider reports that Rangers have agreed to a loan exit with an unnamed European club, but he is also subject to advances from Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday.

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Rangers have made the winger available for a transfer, and he is now expected to leave on loan, with the club having a £2 million option to make the deal permanent. Matondo has played just eight games in all competitions this season, as he’s fallen down the pecking order under Clement, as shown with him starting just three, and his last appearance in the league was in the 1-1 draw against Dundee.

Shifting their focus back towards potential arrivals after officially appointing Graham Potter as manager, West Ham United are reportedly attempting to hijack Napoli’s move to sign a towering midfielder this month.

West Ham transfer news

With Potter secured, one of the many questions remaining is who will be the first arrival of a new era at the London Stadium. Even names such as Marcus Rashford have already been mentioned, but it remains to be seen whether the Hammers are in a position to convince the Manchester United outcast into a January switch over the likes of Milan.

The new manager will be keen to get off to a good start both on and off the pitch and commence the revival of his reputation as a result following his failures at Chelsea. Potter addressed the West Ham fans for the first time after putting pen to paper, telling the club’s official website: “West Ham United is a huge Club, at the heart of London, with a tremendous fanbase and great support all around the world.

“I saw the scenes that followed their Europa Conference League victory in 2023 and it was clear that this is a Club with everything in place to become consistently successful, both on and off the pitch.

“The Club have made a lot of good progress in recent years and ensured there are some very strong foundations in place to build on. You don’t win a European trophy by fluke – there has to be a good bedrock at a football club for that to happen, and the challenge now is to take that on and build the next steps, to develop a team and a Club that the supporters can be proud of.”

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Meanwhile, after turning towards a familiar face in the technical area, those at the London Stadium could look to do the same at the heart of their midfield.

According to Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet, West Ham are now attempting to hijack Napoli’s deal to sign Philip Billing from Bournemouth before the end of the January transfer window in a deal that would significantly bolster the mobility of Potter’s midfield.

That said, the Hammers are facing a race against time if they want to secure the Dane’s signature given that Napoli are reportedly closing in on a loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the campaign.

"Valuable" Billing would partner Soucek

Standing at a staggering 6 foot 6, Billing would finally replace Declan Rice’s mobility at the heart of West Ham’s midfield next to Edson Alvarez in what could be a crucial addition at the start of Potter’s tenure.

Meanwhile, if there were any concerns that the Dane isn’t as talented in possession as he is out of it, Andoni Iraola’s previous praise should ease those worries.

The Bournemouth boss described the midfielder as “valuable” at the end of last season and claimed that he scored some “important goals” in a solid campaign for the Cherries.

Now, however, Bournemouth’s loss could be West Ham’s gain as they look to hijack Napoli’s move and finally replace Rice in doing so.

Newcastle and Chelsea are both reportedly interested in signing Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis, who has a €100m release clause.

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Pavlidis eyed by both Premier League clubsBarcelona and Atletico Madrid also hoveringHas scored 14 league goals for Benfica this seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per Record, Chelsea and Newcastle are leading the queue to potentially sign Pavlidis this summer. The former believe he could provide competition to Nicolas Jackson, while the Magpies are reported to be interested in case Alexander Isak leaves.

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A Greece international, the Benfica striker has scored 24 goals in 46 games in all competitions and has also provided 10 assists. He has a contract until 2029, having only arrived from AZ Alkmaar in a €20m (£17m) deal in the summer, and Record states the Portuguese giants are set to hold out for his release clause.

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The report adds that the interested clubs are unlikely to trigger the clause and would prefer to negotiate. It is unclear if Benfica would be willing to countenance that discussion, however.

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Pavlidis will next be in action when Benfica play Tirsense in their Taca de Portugal semi-final first leg tie on Wednesday.

Joshua Zirkzee came to the defence of Andre Onana after the goalkeeper's costly errors in the 2-2 draw with Lyon on Thursday.

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Onana blamed for draw vs LyonGoalkeeper errors cost Man UtdZirkzee backing them to winFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A last-minute equaliser from the French side ensured the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final tie finished all square, with Onana blamed for both of the goals his team conceded.

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The Cameroon international has come under immense scrutiny for his regular blunders since his arrival at Old Trafford, though coach Ruben Amorim came to his defence after the latest upset. Team-mate Zirkzee has also dismissed criticism aimed at the 29-year-old as he backed his team to get the job done in the second leg.

WHAT ZIRKZEE SAID

"One hundred per cent. We're one team, so we're not going to take someone out for making mistakes. That's ridiculous," he said. "To draw in this way is always a little bit, I don't want to say frustrating, but it hurts for it to go this way. But we just have to focus on the next game and that's Newcastle away. And then we all know what we have to do when we face Lyon again at home next week. We have to win it, we all know that. There's no way around that. It's the only thing we have to do… It's not going to be easy but we all want to win, we have to win, so we'll see."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

United take on Carabao Cup winners Newcastle at St James' Park on Sunday before hosting Lyon to conclude the tie.

Tottenham Hotspur chiefs are talking about swooping in to hijack Aston Villa transfer talks for a forward in January, and he could be a sound alternative to widely-reported target Randal Kolo Muani if they can’t get a PSG deal done.

Spurs exploring Kolo Muani deal as Postecoglou chases forward

Ange Postecoglou has already got his first winter signing over the line with a deal for goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky from Slavia Prague, and the Czech ace performed excellently on his debut against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

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1 ByEmilio Galantini Jan 8, 2025

Kinsky became only the second shot-stopper to keep a clean sheet against Liverpool across all competitions this season, after Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels, with the 21-year-old making six saves on the night and shutting out Arne Slot’s side in a 1-0 win.

Spurs now have the advantage heading into their Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg at Anfield, with technical director Johan Lange’s work to sign Kinsky seriously paying off already.

However, the Dane is by no means done there, as Tottenham are in the market for a new winger and have set their sights on PSG’s Kolo Muani as an ideal January signing – considering his quality, versatility and availability.

This is confirmed by reliable transfer journalist David Ornstein of The Athletic, who wrote on X that the Lilywhites are viewed as top contenders for his signature before deadline day.

The France international is a mainstay of Didier Deschamps Les Bleus squad, and has been since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Kolo Muani also boasts three goals from his last five matches for France, but his fortunes are seriously contrasting at club level for PSG.

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The 26-year-old is out of Luis Enrique’s plans at the Parc des Princes, and has been completely left out of their last two Ligue 1 matchday squads. His exit appears to be inevitable, but Spurs must also compete with Man United and Juventus for Kolo Muani’s services.

If Postecoglou’s side potentially lose out on the ex-Eintracht Frankfurt star, then it appears they’re considering Borussia Dortmund’s Donyell Malen.

Tottenham internally discuss hijacking Aston Villa move for Donyell Malen

The Dutchman, who has 41 caps for the Netherlands, finished last season as Dortmund’s top goalscorer with 15 goals in all competitions – and he’s out of contract in 2026.

Aston Villa have this week increased their bid to £21m, making him a seemingly affordable option for Spurs, though it is believed Villa have been locked in talks for a while and have got the green light from the player.

That being said, there is apparently still a gap in valuations between the clubs, and a report by CaughtOffside states that Tottenham are internally discussing the possibility of hijacking Villa’s talks for Malen.

Postecoglou’s side are believed to be real fans of the 25-year-old, who can play on both flanks and further forward as an outright striker. Malen also bagged a goal and assist against Real Madrid in the Champions League earlier this season, indicating he can perform at the highest possible level.