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Nottingham Forest have had a phenomenal season and will now have the opportunity to claim a place back in the Premier League for the first time in 23 years if they can take victory from the Championship play-offs.

Steve Cooper’s side will take on Sheffield United in the semi-final to hopefully gain a spot in the final at Wembley on the 29th of May, and if they could secure that promotion back into top-flight football they may find themselves in with the opportunity to attract players they have previously shown interest in but failed to sign in the past.

One player who has been speculated to be on Nottingham Forest’s transfer wish-list since the January transfer window is League One and MK Dons star Scott Twine, with the young midfielder attracting attention from many clubs this summer.

The 22-year-old has recently suffered heartbreak as his team crashed out of the League One play-off semi-finals losing their chance for promotion to the Championship next season and now Cooper can offer a solution for the youngster to join his promising side when the transfer window opens in a few weeks time.

Twine who was hailed “magic” by BBC Sport journalist Sanny Rudravajhala has been tearing it up in the third tier of the football league scoring 20 goals and contributing 13 assists to his team in his 47 league appearances this season, but it’s not just his goal contributions from the centre of the pitch that have caused great interest in the livewire.

The MK Dons star makes 3.3 shots, 2.4 key passes and 1.1 tackles on average per game, has created an impressive 17 big chances, wins the majority of his ground and aerial duels combined (55%) and is successful in the majority of his dribbles (55%), proving that he is a huge presence on the pitch for his team both offensively and defensively.

These impressive attributes could be a major asset to Forest, especially if he can form an attacking partnership with winger Brennan Johnson in Cooper’s team next season.

The young pair could become a real force when you combine their talents to complement each other and could be a deadly duo against their opponents whether that be in the Championship or the Premier League.

Cooper will have to offer something the player can’t refuse as he will need to compete with Burnley, Norwich City, Middlesbrough and West Brom for the hot prospect’s signature this summer, but with the progress the Forest manager has already made at the club their potential and determination to compete could win the player over.

AND in other news: Offer made: Forest plotting deal for “outstanding” 6ft1 “revelation”, he’s McKenna 2.0

RB Leipzig's sporting director has hinted that Xavi Simons wants to join Chelsea but insists there is "no agreement" yet.

Simons wants Chelsea moveRB Leipzig man running out of timeClub chief says there's no deal yetFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Despite Simons reportedly being keen on Chelsea, and vice versa, the attacking midfielder played in Leipzig's 6-0 drubbing by Bayern Munich on Friday. For the time being, the Dutch international is set to stay at the Bundesliga outfit, but anything can happen – something Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schafer alluded to.

AdvertisementAFPWHAT RB LEIPZIG'S SPORTING DIRECTOR SAID

He told : "As of today (Friday), Xavi will stay with us. We’ve always said that we make all decisions based on sporting and financial considerations, and that’s why Xavi is our player and why he played today. The transfer market is still open. You never know what’ll happen. I can’t guarantee that 100%. Everyone knows about his ambitions. He’s also told us that. There have certainly been a few exchanges in recent weeks. As we saw today, Xavi was in the starting line-up. So, there has been no agreement yet. And that’s why it will remain that way for now."

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Simons' Chelsea switch is reportedly contingent on the Blues being able to sell forward Christopher Nkunku this summer, but an exit for the Frenchman is proving difficult. The former Paris Saint-Germain man would be a quality addition for Enzo Maresca's team, although fitting him in may be a challenge, but there is no guarantee a transfer will happen.

Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT?

Time is running out for Chelsea to sign Simons before the transfer window shuts on September 1. The 22-year-old will hope to be in place at the Blues before their next Premier League fixture at home to London neighbours Fulham next Saturday.

West Ham United are believed to be interested in bringing Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips to the club this summer, having previously tried to do a deal in January.

What’s the word?

As per The Sun, Hammers boss David Moyes is eyeing new midfield targets ahead of next season, with the Scotsman keen to welcome the Euro 2020 star to the London Stadium in the upcoming transfer window.

Such a move would not be viewed as a replacement for Declan Rice, though, with the east Londoners holding firm on their desire to keep the £150m-rated talisman at the club, despite his recent rejection of a new contract offer.

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Moyes and co had reportedly seen a £50m offer for Phillips rebuffed in the winter, although the 26-year-old – who has also been linked with a move to Manchester United – could now be available for a reduced fee should Jesse Marsch’s side suffer relegation.

Imagine him and Rice

Despite the persistent rumours about Rice’s future, it would appear that West Ham are anticipating the 23-year-old to still be at the club next season, hence the move to try and bring in his England colleague to rekindle the formidable partnership which inspired the Three Lions to the Euro 2020 final last summer.

Although Phillips has endured a frustrating season due to injury – with his absence having been a notable factor in Leeds’ demise – his displays in his first major tournament and in his debut Premier League campaign last term showcased just how huge a talent he truly is.

Such were the quality of his performances on the international stage, managerial icon Fabio Capello dubbed the £45m-rated man the “best modern midfielder I have seen”, while also labelling him as an “aggressive player” for his all-action, robust style.

More excitingly for those of an Irons persuasion, the veteran coach also heaped praise on the Rice-Phillips midfield axis, dubbing them a “phenomenal” duo and saying of their partnership: “They are the secret of this great England. If the defense is iron, it is thanks to them because they protect their comrades.”

Furthermore, even amid a trying season at Elland Road, the £38k-per-week warrior has still produced a string of impressive statistics, averaging 1.1 interceptions, 2.7 tackles and 0.8 clearances per game in his 18 league outings.

A ferocious competitor with seemingly boundless energy, he also ranks in the top 1% for pressures made among midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues, as well as the top 4% for both tackles and blocks made.

A real workhorse, the Leeds academy graduate appears a perfect fit for Moyes’ approach and the perfect long-term partner for Rice at West Ham as well as for England.

IN other news, GSB must complete swoop for “unbelievable” £31.5m-rated star, Moyes will love him..

Only two players – Sana Mir and Nida Dar – feature in the top bracket, with Bismah Maroof and Javeria Khan demoted to the second grade

Umar Farooq25-Jun-2019The PCB has brought down the number of centrally contracted women cricketers from 17 to 10 in a bid to increase remuneration for those in the new retainers, and also, it says, in recognition of a small national pool of players. A condensed list has left Sana Mir and Nida Dar in the ‘A’ category, while Bismah Maroof and Javeria Khan have been demoted to category ‘B’ and the fourth level, ‘D’, has been removed altogether.The trade-off for the reduction, however, is that the compensations are now higher. All three categories – A, B and C – come with higher pay now: a hike of 20%, 18.5% and 18% respectively. In addition, the length of each contract – hitherto always six months – has been increased to a year, starting from July 1. For the first time in 12 years, daily allowances have also increased – in training camps they have been doubled, making it Rs 2000 (approx. $13), as well as on foreign tours, going from $50 to $100. Travel upgrades for tours have also been introduced so that the team will now be traveling business class. All women cricketers will now also earn a match fee for each game of domestic cricket.The contracted players

Category A: Nida Dar and Sana Mir
Category B: Aliya Riaz, Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Sidra Ameen and Sidra Nawaz
Category C: Diana Baig and Nahida Khan

“The announcement of the new central contracts is a great story for the women’s game in Pakistan and indicates the exciting times that lie ahead for cricketers in the country,” Urooj Mumtaz, chief selector for the women’s team, said. “The women cricketers have shown tremendous improvement recently and this is reflected in the central contracts being offered to them, which are reward-and incentive-based.”With more international cricket scheduled over the coming months, this will motivate the girls to continue to perform strongly. Apart from the enhanced central contracts, we have also introduced incentives for the players in domestic cricket, who will now earn Rs 10,000 [approx. $64] per match. This is a small step in making women’s cricket more professional and inspiring young women cricketers to take up the sport with a realistic opportunity to represent the country.”Meanwhile, PCB managing director Wasim Khan stressed that the changes reflected the respect and importance the board have for women cricketers. “The enhanced new central contracts form a key part of the vision to enhance the profile of women’s cricket and our aim to strive towards a fairer system,” he said in a statement. “As a responsible and professional organisation, we remain committed to investing in the growth and development of women’s cricket. We want to strengthen the women’s and girls’ game at all levels so that our national team can continue to go from strength to strength.”That said, it’s worth noting that Pakistan recently won an ODI series against West Indies for the first time under Bismah’s captaincy – in February 2019 in Dubai – and subsequently drew the series in South Africa. Bismah’s form with the bat hasn’t been great in this period, but Javeria has been one of the stars, scoring 212 runs in nine innings in the past year, second only to Sidra Ameen’s 241. Their demotion, therefore, does strike as odd.Pakistan are currently fifth on the ICC Women’s Championship table, and have a top-four finish, which will help them qualify directly for the 2021 Women’s World Cup 2021 in New Zealand, very much in their sights. Their next assignment is against India.

Arsenal legend David Seaman has urged out of favour Gunners star Aaron Ramsdale to leave the club in order to further develop.

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• Seaman advised Ramsdale to leave Arsenal
• Can save England career by exiting the club
• English goalkeeper has played 11 matches this season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite enjoying a stellar run of form with the North London club in the 2022/23 season, the English goalkeeper saw himself go down the pecking order after Mikel Arteta brought in David Raya on loan from Brentford last summer. The 26-year-old has appeared in only 11 matches across all competitions in the current campaign.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Now ex-Arsenal goalkeeper and England international David Seaman has opened up on Ramdale's situation as he urged the out-of-favour star to leave Emirates Stadium in the summer. Seaman felt that the lack of game time under Arteta would ruin the custodian's chances of breaking into the England national team's starting lineup.

• WHAT DAVID SEAMAN SAID

  Speaking to , the 60-year-old said, "You aren’t going to develop being a No. 2. You're going to get left behind in the pecking order because other goalkeepers will start playing. As an Arsenal fan, I don't really want Aaron Ramsdale to go. But then as an ex-England goalkeeper, I want to see another keeper developing.

  "When I'm looking at it, I think he could go to somewhere like Chelsea to give himself a better shot of getting first team action. I think there are a few clubs who he would suit, maybe someone like West Ham too."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  Arteta's side head into the final matchday of the current Premier League season on Sunday, two points behind Manchester City. They will be in action at their home against Everton.

The controversial slogan associated with white supremacist groups was briefly unfurled on one of the stands

Tristan Lavalette25-Jan-2019Three men who unfurled an ‘It’s ok to be white’ banner during last night’s Big Bash match at Perth Stadium will receive a “first and final warning” from Cricket Australia.The banner was displayed for about five minutes over the railing on the top tier near the Justin Langer Stand during Perth Scorchers’ innings against Sydney Thunder. The men took down the banner shortly after reportedly being spotted by security and were issued move-on notices by police.Perth Stadium’s conditions of entry prohibits oversized banners and flags deemed to cause public nuisance.The slogan is affiliated with white supremacist groups and gained prominence in Australia last October when controversial senator Pauline Hanson put forward a motion declaring ‘it’s OK to be white’.

Idiots put this sign up at Perth Stadium #BBL08 pic.twitter.com/CD58PODN5T

— Tristan Lavalette (@trislavalette) January 24, 2019

Government senators originally supported the motion, before backing down and voted against it the second time around.A Western Australia police spokesperson said the incident was “currently under investigation by police”, with the trio involved aged 50, 38 and 24. Perth has a history of racial and religiously motivated banners appearing in public places. In 2016 a banner declaring “Go WCE, Stop the Mosques” was briefly unfurled at Subiaco Oval during an AFL fixture between West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers, following a similar banner displayed during another AFL match in Melbourne.Stadium management indicated at the time that the four spectators responsible for the banner would be banned from the stadium for life.Earlier this summer, numerous spectators were ejected from the MCG’s famous Bay 13 during the Boxing Day Test for repeatedly chanting “show us your visa” to Indian members of the crowd. Footage of the chant, obtained by ESPNcricinfo, was passed on to Cricket Australia, who in turn passed the video on to Victoria Police and stadium management.”Three people in question was immediately removed from the venue and they will be issued a first and final warning from Cricket Australia,” a CA spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo in relation to Friday’s incident. “Cricket Australia takes a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour at any of our matches, which includes racial vilification.”Our message to any fan attending a match is that if you display anti-social behaviour you will be removed and risk being banned from any cricket match across Australia, along with police action.”We encourage anybody who may witness this at one of our matches to report the matter to security or a member of staff immediately.”

The allrounder has been ruled out of the limited-overs leg of the New Zealand tour and faces up to four weeks on the sidelines, according to the physio

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch30-Dec-2018Angelo Mathews has been ruled out of the limited-overs leg of the New Zealand tour, and will almost certainly miss Sri Lanka’s two Tests in Australia as well early next year, after scans revealed a grade two strain in his left hamstring.Mathews picked up the injury while completing a run late in the afternoon session of day four of the Christchurch Test, immediately pulling up lame, and having to hop between the wickets on his right leg for the remainder of the session. He then retired hurt at tea and did not take the field again.”Angelo had a scan last night, and it’s a grade two hamstring strain,” captain Dinesh Chandimal said after the match. “The physio said he’s out for four weeks.”The injury not only substantially weakened Sri Lanka’s chances of drawing the Christchurch Test – which they have since gone on to lose – it is also a major blow to their hopes in Australia in particular. Mathews was Sri Lanka’s best batsman in New Zealand, hitting 258 runs with only one dismissal against him in the series. His 120 not out in Wellington was especially outstanding, as he batted alongside Kusal Mendis through the entirety of day four to save that Test.And as Mathews having sustained multiple calf and hamstring injuries over the last two years, four weeks might even be a slightly optimistic timeframe for recovery. It has often been the case since 2017, that Mathews has required a few extra weeks to regain full fitness than the team had originally announced.The first Test in Australia begins on January 24, with the second Test due to start on February 1. A more realistic goal may be for Mathews to return in time for Sri Lanka’s first Test of the South Africa series, which starts on February 13.Looking further down the track, Mathews’ latest injury may also affect Sri Lanka’s World Cup plans. In limited-overs cricket, Mathews has generally been a reliable and effective bowler. But although he had just begun to return to the bowling in international cricket following the previous round of injuries, the Sri Lanka think-tank may now decide that Mathews should play purely as a batsman, in order to minimise the risk of a further injury.

Lancashire legspinner Parkinson has suffered a stress fracture of his back

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2018England fast bowler Liam Plunkett has been signed by Melbourne Stars as a replacement for legspinner Matt Parkinson who has been ruled out of the BBL with a back injury.Parkinson, who plays for Lancashire, had been withdrawn from the England Lions tour of the UAE after scans showed up a stress fracture and he has not recovered enough to take up his Stars deal.Plunkett is a key member of England’s white-ball sides and will share overseas duties with Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane. The Stars have also signed Dwayne Bravo for the duration of the tournament.Plunkett’s next international commitment is likely to be England’s one-day series against West Indies which starts on February 20. There is a warm-up match scheduled for February 18, the day after the BBL final, so depending on how far the Stars progress in the tournament his availability could be restricted in the closing stages.Melbourne Stars squad Michael Beer, Jackson Bird, Scott Boland, Liam Bowe, Dwayne Bravo, Jackson Coleman, Travis Dean, Ben Dunk, Seb Gotch, Evan Gulbis, Peter Handscomb, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jonathan Merlo, Liam Plunkett, Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has commented on Cole Palmer's electric recent form, calling it "difficult to explain".

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• Palmer hat-trick blew away United in 4-3 thriller
• He has 16 goals and eight assists this season
• Pochettino full of praise for England international

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following boyhood Manchester United fan Palmer's hat-trick against the Red Devils on Thursday, Pochettino has spoken out about the 21-year-old's excellent performances since joining Chelsea from Manchester City last summer, saying "no one expected him to perform like this".

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  WHAT POCHETTINO SAID

  "It is difficult to explain," said Pochettino when asked about Palmer's form. "Sometimes expectation plays a role in a player when they are young. I think when we signed him, no one expected him to perform like this. For sure, we have talented players and they need time. We have a young team that needs to grow. This process is painful when you are not in a position the club is used to. The club want to build this new project. We know what we are doing but the process is not so fast."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Palmer made all the difference against the Red Devils, tucking away a confident penalty in the first half before dispatching a second spot kick and a dramatic winner in the dying moments of the game, after over 10 minutes of stoppage time. His hat-trick brings his goal tally for the season to 16, and he's also notched eight assists in the Premier League in 2023-24.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  The games are coming thick and fast for Chelsea right now; their next fixture is a trip north to Sheffield United on Sunday 7 April, where they'll be expected to follow up Thursday's dramatic victory with another three points.

Bangladesh are waiting on the fitness of Mahmudullah, who batted in the nets in Rawalpindi

Mohammad Isam23-Feb-2025Bangladesh’s top order has to stand up and be counted for the side to have any chance against New Zealand, head coach Phil Simmons feels.Bangladesh were soundly beaten by India in their first game, and this is perform or perish for them.Simmons said Bangladesh had given the game away to India with their poor starts with both bat and ball. “We lost in batting in overs one to ten, and the same in bowling. We have to make sure we win in those areas,” Simmons said ahead of the New Zealand game. “We need to assess and put together our batting better in the first ten overs. The middle and lower order have done really well so it is up to our top-order batsmen to put things together in the first ten or 15 overs, especially.”Related

• BCB to talk to Simmons to continue as Bangladesh head coach

• New Zealand aim for semi-finals; Bangladesh aim to stay alive

• Jamieson climbs back from 'bottom of the cliff'

Bangladesh had slipped to 35 for 5 in the ninth over in that game in Dubai. Soumya Sarkar fell in Mohammad Shami’s first over before captain Najmul Hossain Shanto gave Virat Kohli a catch at cover in the second. Tanzid Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz didn’t last too long either, while Mushfiqur Rahim fell for a golden duck.Simmons said that the openers must assess conditions quicker and that Bangladesh should take inspiration from all the big scores in the tournament, especially Australia’s chase of 352 against England. That game was in Lahore, Bangladesh take on New Zealand in Rawalpindi, the first of this tournament’s matches at the venue.”This is a big-scoring ground. We saw the score in Lahore yesterday. We are looking at 300-plus here,” Simmons said. “In the last five matches, we made 300 a couple of times. So we have the ability to do it. We didn’t start well in the last game, but still we got to 200 [231]. If we start well, we will get there [300].”Bangladesh are facing a familiar opposition in New Zealand – they have faced them most frequently in bilateral cricket than anyone else since 2015. “All the games in this tournament are pressure games. These are the top-eight teams in the world, and you expect every game to be hard,” Simmons said. “They [New Zealand] are definitely playing well but tomorrow is a new day. We will try to make sure that they don’t play as well as they have been playing.”New Zealand won their first game in convincing fashion against Pakistan and if they win here, they will be through to the semi-finals alongside India.”The way the guys have been planning and netting and stuff has all been good stuff”•ICC via Getty Images

Their captain Mitchell Santner said his batters’ form in the last couple of weeks has given the dressing room a lot of confidence. “I think obviously the lead-in we had with that tri-series [against Pakistan and South Africa], it was a good time for guys to get time in the middle. I think at different stages of every game we have played, different guys have stepped up, which is probably the most pleasing thing.”I think the guys took a lot of confidence in that going into that first game against Pakistan, but then also here into Bangladesh. Again, it’s probably a reset, it’s a different surface, a different team. But I think the way the guys have been planning and netting and stuff has all been good stuff.”Bangladesh are waiting on the fitness of Mahmudullah who missed the first game owing to hamstring issues, having injured himself during training. He batted in the nets in Rawalpindi ahead of the New Zealand game.Simmons hoped Bangladesh would be motivated about being in Rawalpindi, the scene of their 2-0 Test series win against Pakistan last year. “I hope it does [inspire the team]. To come into Pakistan and beat Pakistan is not an easy thing. I hope it has a significant bearing on how they think about this ground.”