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Aston Villa finally unveiled new signing Leon Bailey on Thursday after he penned a four-year deal at Villa Park earlier this month.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa supporters were quick to react to the club’s official post on the winger on social media.

The 24-year-old cost Villa £28.8m from Bayer Leverkusen and was pictured holding up a Villa top on Thursday.

Bailey had the number 31 on his training attire and also met Dean Smith, with Villa sharing his first day at Bodymoor Heath.

The Jamaica international is one of three big-money signings made by Villa this summer, alongside Emi Buendia and Danny Ings.

Bailey also posted pictures of himself in Villa colours on his personal Twitter account on Thursday evening with the caption ‘the wait is finally over’.

Villa fans react

The club shared a picture of Bailey on their official Twitter page with the caption ‘signed, sealed, delivered’.

This is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with none describing it as ‘beautiful’.

“oh my god finally”Credit: @avfcdom2″LETS GOOOOO”Credit: @maxavfclove”Fantastic, welcome to the pride Leon.”Credit: @1966wall”what a beautiful tweet”Credit: @catrinavfc”AHHHHHHHHHHHHH”Credit: @DG_Avfc”Love to see it”Credit: @GW_94

In other news: £10m offer made: Villa first club to make bid for versatile international at the top of his game.  

New South Wales crawled to within six runs of making Queensland bat again on rain-shortened third day at the SCG

Cricinfo staff23-Nov-2008
Scorecard
Runs started to arrive quicker when Daniel Smith came to the crease © Getty Images
New South Wales crawled to within six runs of making Queensland bat again on rain-shortened third day at the SCG. At stumps the Blues were on 3 for 138 with Moises Henriques on 36 and Daniel Smith on 24 but they were far from safe from defeat and will need to bat out several hours on the final day to reach a secure position.The Blues resumed at 0 for 27 but the wet weather meant play could not begin until 1.50pm, ten minutes after the end of the scheduled lunch break. When there was finally some action it was in name only – New South Wales added 50 runs from 37 in the post-lunch session for the loss of two wickets.Phillip Hughes reached 22 before he was the first man out, lbw to Chris Swan, and Usman Khawaja laboured for 91 balls in posting 28. When Khawaja edged to slip off Ryan Harris the Blues were 2 for 58 but a change in tactics was not yet forthcoming as Ed Cowan and Henriques continued the go-slow.Cowan gave the Queensland captain Chris Simpson his second wicket of the season when he was caught behind for a 98-ball 21. Finally a lift in tempo arrived with Smith, who clubbed a pair of sixes in his 12-delivery stay, but the Blues still have plenty of work to do to avoid the second loss of their campaign.

English counties who loose centrally contracted players to the IPL next year will seek compensation, which may have to come from the pockets of the players themselves

Cricinfo staff11-Dec-2008
Kevin Pietersen is set to earn big from the IPL, but may have to dip into his own pocket © Getty Images
English counties who lose centrally contracted players to the IPL next year will seek compensation, which may have to come from the pockets of the players themselves.The two teams likely to be affected are Hampshire and Lancashire with Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff both believed to be very close to signing IPL contracts. Pietersen plays his domestic cricket for Hampshire – although he has made just 10 appearances in the last three seasons – and Flintoff has been with Lancashire throughout his career. While neither county appears likely to stand in the way of the players taking IPL deals, they want some compensation for letting them go.”Some people think that because a player has a central contract the county doesn’t have anything to do with him any more,” Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove told the . “The England management might like to think that that is the case. But it’s not.”England are entitled to play Kevin and they are entitled to rest him. But they can’t permit him to play for another team in the course of the domestic cricket season. Any centrally contracted player must have permission from his county if he intends to play in the IPL. And in Kevin’s case that’s Hampshire.”I’m prepared to negotiate but if any team wants Kevin to play for them in the course of the county season the franchise concerned would have to reach an agreement with us.”The problem this creates is that IPL franchises don’t factor in any compensation requirements when they bid for a player. It is an issue unique to English counties because it is the only domestic season running parallel with the IPL.Pietersen has reportedly received a US$1.7 million (£1.1 million) offered to play, but may have to pay Hampshire from his contract. Even though Pietersen is a centrally contracted player that only allows the ECB jurisdiction over England and county duty, not whether he can play for another team.The participation of England’s centrally contracted players in the IPL has led to lengthy negotiations between the players, board and Professional Cricketers’ Association. Contracts have yet to be signed as the final details, especially relating to players being released, are ironed out.Jim Cumbes, the chief executive at Lancashire, hopes compensation will come from the franchise rather than Flintoff. “The last thing we want to do is stop Freddie making money in the IPL. Good luck to him. But we will be seeking compensation if he does play. The county season will be under way by then.”No figure has been mentioned. It might be 10% of his contract. And we would prefer it to come from the franchise, rather than the player’s pocket.”

Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield has claimed West Bromwich Albion could make a deadline day move for Andre Gray if they miss out on other targets.

Despite making a promising start to the season – which has including a thumping 4-0 win over Sheffield United – new Baggies head coach Valerien Ismael remains keen on bolstering his strikeforce.

Albion currently boast just three strikers in the form of Callum Robinson, Karlan Grant and Kenneth Zohore, resulting in the club being linked with a host of frontmen throughout the window.

Among those currently on West Brom’s radar is Watford striker Andre Gray, who is also gaining interest from Swansea City.

Gray’s opportunities at Vicarage Road appear to be limited following their promotion to the Premier League and he was not included in Xisco Munoz’s matchday squad for the opening weekend win over Aston Villa.

The 30-year-old has enjoyed success in the Championship, having scored 46 goals in 118 second-tier appearances.

Although Hatfield reveals Gray is not at the top of Ismael’s wishlist, he would not be surprised to see the Jamaica international head to the Hawthorns late in the window.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “West Brom is an option for Andre Gray. It doesn’t look like he’s going to be getting in at Watford any time soon and Albion have been linked with him before.

“It’s one where I don’t think he’s ever been Albion’s chief target and they’ve often managed to sign someone ahead of him.

“If it gets to deadline day and they still haven’t signed a striker then it wouldn’t shock me to see them go in for him.”

Newcastle are interested in Schalke 04’s Ozan Kabak, according to Fabrizio Romano.Â

The lowdown

Kabak will be familiar to Newcastle supporters off the back of his loan spell at Liverpool in the latter half of last season.

In fact, the Turkish international played the full 90 minutes when the two sides drew 1-1 at Anfield at the end of April.

That was one of 13 Reds appearances for the 21-year-old, who returned to Germany after Liverpool declined to trigger their £18million option to buy.

He’s valued at £22.5million by Transfermarkt, but it should be noted that Schake, who were relegated to the second tier at the end last season, currently face a mountain of debt.

The latest

Newcastle’s interest has yet to progress to an ‘official bid’, but the same can’t be said of Serie A outfit Torino.

They proposed a loan with an option to buy, and while they were rebuffed by Schalke, who prefer a permanent deal, talks between the two clubs are still ‘on’.

The verdict

Kabak performed well for Liverpool in very difficult circumstances, with the Reds hobbled by a succession of injuries. He would be an excellent buy for Newcastle, particularly if a cut-price deal is possible due to Schalke’s precarious financial situation.

This is a player who should still be regarded as one of the most exciting up-and-coming centre-halves in the European game given the praise he earned from Jurgen Klopp, who called him ‘an amazing talent’.

Indeed, the Magpies could really do with signing a centre-back in the remaining week of the transfer window. According to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh, that’s now top of their priority list.

In other news, Waugh offered this verdict on Bruce’s future.

Senior Indian board (BCCI) officials will reach Colombo on January 13 to discuss and possibly finalise a short Indian tour of Sri Lanka next month

Sa'adi Thawfeeq12-Jan-2009Senior Indian board (BCCI) officials will reach Colombo on January 13 to discuss and possibly finalise a short Indian tour of Sri Lanka next month.The Indian delegation will be headed by BCCI secretary N srinivasan, who will also meet Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse and the sports minister Gamini Lokuge. The tour, to be held between January 27-February 14, will comprise of five or seven ODIs and a Twenty20, sources inside the sports ministry told Cricinfo.India are still awaiting a reply from New Zealand Cricket on a request for adding an extra Test to the original two-Test tour schedule. The BCCI had asked NZC to accommodate an extra Test for the series starting on March 6 – two Tests, five ODIs, one Twenty20 – after the Indian government refused to clear the Indian team’s tour to Pakistan.The matches in Sri Lanka are to be held after the national team returns from a series of three ODIs in Pakistan as part of the first leg of a two-part tour. The second leg of two Tests will commence after the Indian series.The Pakistan Cricket Board invited Sri Lanka to fill the gap vacated by India, who pulled out of a scheduled tour in January-February in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist strikes. The tour was accepted by Arjuna Ranatunga, who has since been sacked from his position as interim SCLchairman.Ties between the Sri Lankan and Indian cricket boards became strained following Ranatunga’s aggressive stance against the IPL. Senior BCCI officials subsequently made it known to their Sri Lankan counterparts that bilateral ties would improve only of Ranatunga was removed.Lokuge has assured BCCI officials that Ranatunga would not be reappointed as SLC chairman again. “I have removed Arjuna Ranatunga as a chairman of the interim committee and he is not likely to be at the helm again”,” he said. “We are not discussing that issue now. We are yet to decide about Ranatunga’s successor.”

Andy Pick, the England Under-19 head coach, has been appointed as Nottinghamshire’s bowling coach, replacing former England medium-pacer Phil Defreitas

Cricinfo staff16-Feb-2009
Andy Pick takes over from Phil DeFreitas as Nottinghamshire’s bowling coach © Getty Images
Andy Pick, the England Under-19 head coach, has been appointed Nottinghamshire’s bowling coach, replacing former England medium-pacer Phil DeFreitas.Pick’s 15-year first-class career as a fast bowler with Nottinghamshire ended in 1997, and he has worked with England Under-19s since 2003 besides coaching Canada during the build-up to the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.”The brief is to work with Nottinghamshire’s younger bowlers and to try and develop their understanding of cricket and the technicalities of their actions,” Pick said. “The more experienced bowlers will be self-sufficient but I’ll be on hand for them when they need me.”I’ve worked with Mark Footitt and Luke Fletcher when they were part of the England Under-19s set-up and I’m aware of Andy Carter and some of the academy bowlers in the Notts set-up who I will work closely with.”

Leeds United must offload Helder Costa on transfer deadline amid Phil Hay’s claim.

What’s the story?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are close to landing Dan James from Manchester United in a big-money deal, and in response to a question from a fan about any potential outgoings from Elland Road today, Hay had this to say: “One to watch. I mentioned a while back that Valencia like him.”

Leeds must sell Costa

Reports in recent weeks and months have suggested that the Whites were open to letting him go this summer on a permanent basis, as they see him as someone who could be sold for a decent money to then be reinvested into the squad.

After a particularly disappointing performance in the Premier League against Liverpool last season, former Leeds striker Noel Whelan criticised the Portuguese winger, telling Football Insider: “The one player that disappointed me was Helder Costa. Once again he was poor. There is something there that is not right because Poveda came on and did more in that short time than Costa did in the 60 minutes he was on the field.

“He is fourth in the pecking order in terms of wingers for me. Poveda has to come before him now. He plays it safe and he’s negative. For a player that cost £16m, I need to see a hell of a lot more from him. At least Poveda runs at people. He is positive and that is what a winger should do. Costa has been a massive flop. A real disappointment again.”

Indeed, former Premier League ace Carlton Palmer had previously said exclusively to Football FanCast: “You look at things and say, if you’re looking to spend the type of money that Leeds are looking to spend, if you’ve got someone there on decent money and they aren’t playing regular football, then those are the type to move on enable you to use his salary to bring in the players that you want, who are going to make your squad a better squad.”

Costa had a woeful campaign in the Premier League last season for the Whites, scoring just three times and providing only three assists in 22 games – in fact, he’s found the back of the net only eight times in 71 matches altogether for Leeds.

He has had a less than stellar start to this season as well, fluffing his big chance against Crewe in the Carabao Cup second round.

Earning around £70k-a-week, Costa is one of the Whites’ highest earners at Elland Road, but he has done nothing to suggest that he is worthy of being in that category of players, and he is simply burning a hole in Andrea Radrizzani’s pocket.

Deadline day is the perfect chance for Leeds United to get rid of him.

In other news: “It doesn’t really work” – Joe Wainman raises big question mark over £57k-p/w Leeds star

Dale Steyn has commenced the psychological skirmishes with Australia ahead of the three-Test series in South Africa by suggesting Phillip Hughes, the rookie opener, could struggle under the heavy weight of expectation replacing Matthew Hayden

Alex Brown13-Feb-2009
Dale Steyn is keen to maintain the pressure on Australia’s top order, including the new opener Phillip Hughes © Getty Images
Dale Steyn has commenced the psychological skirmishes with Australia ahead of the three-Test series in South Africa by suggesting Phillip Hughes, the rookie opener, could struggle under the heavy weight of expectation replacing Matthew Hayden. The South African fast bowler, who led all Test wicket-takers in 2008, suggested Hughes would be subject to similar pressures to Dave Warner, who averaged just 17.66 in Hayden’s former one-day opening slot this summer.”We don’t need to put pressure on him,” Steyn said of Hughes. “I think trying to replace Matthew Hayden and fill those massive shoes will place enough weight on his shoulders. I wish him the best for his career, and obviously if Australia believe he is good enough to play international cricket, then he has our respect.”But I guess we’ll find out what he is made of in the next month or so. I will not be going out there trying to break him down verbally. We’ll just stick to our gameplans, like we did with Dave Warner, and try and apply pressure that way.”Steyn insisted the South Africans felt no sense of schadenfreude in forcing Hayden into retirement. The veteran opener was restricted to just 117 runs at 19.50 in three Tests against the Proteas this summer, and walked away from cricket after the Sydney Test.”It’s not nice to force anyone into retirement,” Steyn said. “I’m sure Hayden would have loved to go onto the Ashes, and I think the Australians will really miss him at the top of their order.”But what was fantastic for us was the ability to get players of his calibre out with good gameplans. We save Hayden and Hussey as key players for them, and they were never able to get on to of us in that series.”The full interview with Dale Steyn will appear as a Cricinfo

Crystal Palace’s summer transfer window was an unprecedented success as new manager Patrick Vieira successfully overhauled his first-team squad, but one position is still arguably understocked.

What’s the story?

The additions of Odsonne Edouard, Conor Gallagher and Marc Guehi, amongst others, have left the Eagles in a much healthier position than at the end of 2020/21, giving them genuine hope of a successful season.

However, the failure to replace Andros Townsend has left Palace without a recognised right-winger in Vieira setup.

Several star names such as Jeremie Boga and Noni Madueke were heavily linked with moves to Selhurst Park throughout the summer to no avail, although the latter has provided renewed hope that a future deal can be concluded.

Patrick Vieira will be buzzing

Despite being linked to several Premier League clubs, the PSV Eindhoven winger signed a new contract with the Eredivisie giants, committing his future to the club until 2025.

Nevertheless, the 19-year-old has admitted in a recent interview that he plans to return to his homeland in the future after being released by boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur aged 16.

“Yeah, definitely,” Madueke said when asked if he has ambitions to play in the Premier League (as relayed by the Leicester Mercury).

“The Premier League is the best league in the world and every young English player wants to be there. But also, I am not someone who is afraid to venture elsewhere, so whatever is best for my development, whichever country, I am a person who won’t be scared to take the leap.

“When I was 16, I didn’t want to go into that under-21 system,” Madueke added. “I wanted to go out and play and be involved in a first-team as quickly as possible.

“I didn’t want to play under-23 football as a talented 16-year-old when I felt I was ready for the first team. I backed myself 100 per cent. I am very impatient.”

After bagging nine goals and providing eight assists in 32 appearances for Roger Schmidt’s charges last season, former PSV ace Tommie van de Leegte labeled Madueke “explosive” following his electric displays.

The £14.4m-rated wing wizard has started the new campaign in an even more impressive fashion, though, achieving seven goal contributions in just 10 outings, highlighting the England Under-21 internationals top-class potential.

Therefore, Vieira will surely be buzzing at Madueke’s eagerness to return to test himself in the Premier League. His arrival in south London would solve Palace’s right-wing conundrum and add another exciting, young and highly-promising talent to the Frenchman’s new-look side.

And, in other news…Vieira has deadline day shocker which could cause CPFC problems, fans may be concerned