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Liverpool are now leading the race for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, who is expected to leave at the end of the season, according to a recent report from 90min.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

With Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner all out of contract at the end of the season, Jurgen Klopp has known that he will need to strengthen in central midfield for quite some time, and he has identified a number of targets.

Having dropped out of the race for Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, the Reds have turned their attentions to Chelsea's Mason Mount, and they have now gone as far as preparing a contract offer for the England international.

Given that up to three central midfielders are set to leave this summer, more new additions will be required, and the Merseyside club have also been linked with the likes of Matheus Nunes, as well as Mac Allister.

According to a report from 90min, Liverpool are now leading the race for the Argentina international, ahead of several other top Premier League clubs, who are also monitoring the situation.

The 24-year-old is expected to leave Brighton at the end of the season, with his representatives, including his father Carlos, working hard to find his next club.

The Reds are ready to bring in as many as three new midfielders in the summer transfer window, and Brighton are willing to let the Argentine leave under the right conditions, although they could be set to demand more than £70m.

Should Liverpool sign Alexis Mac Allister?

The Santa Rosa born maestro has excelled for the Seagulls this season, scoring ten goals in 30 games in all competitions, while he was also fantastic for his national side en-route to their World Cup triumph, ranked as the fourth-best performing player in the squad.

Lauded as a "golden boy" by members of the media, the Brighton star has gone from strength-to-strength this season, however there are question marks surrounding his huge price tag, as he is yet to prove himself over a substantial time period.

If Liverpool were able to negotiate a lower fee for Mac Allister, he would be an excellent addition to the squad, however FSG are not known for splashing the cash, so they'd have to be absolutely certain about a player to sanction a deal worth over £70m.

Considering the Reds are in need of a number of midfielders this summer, it would be unwise to spend so much on one player, who is yet to prove himself at a top club.

Wilfried Gnonto's ongoing omission from the Leeds United side was perhaps one reason why the fanbase quickly turned against Javi Gracia.

The Spaniard was sacked by the Yorkshire outfit following the 4-1 defeat against relegation rivals Bournemouth last weekend which leaves the club hovering just above the bottom three in the Premier League.

While Leeds' main problems were in the defence, Gracia was often criticised for his failure to start Gnonto in the games following the international break, with the Italian starting just three times in the Premier League under the former Watford boss.

Indeed, speaking on the situation after the youngster failed to feature against Leicester, former Leeds man Jermaine Beckford said: "He’s one of those players that as soon as he picks the ball up he’s so direct but his close control, such focus, such passion and the drive – the fans buzz off that sort of stuff. That’s what you need, especially when you’re at home.

"I don’t know [why he wasn’t brought on], if I’m being completely honest. I don’t know. I don’t know [why he wasn’t brought on], if I’m being completely honest."

Although the teenage winger did get the nod against the Cherries last Saturday and marked his return to the starting side with an impressive assist for Patrick Bamford, it wasn't enough for Gracia to keep his job.

What has Sam Allardyce said about Wilfried Gnonto?

Sam Allardyce's arrival at Elland Road suggests that the Peacocks will become a far more solid outfit at the back for the final four Premier League games given his history as a defensive-minded coach, but Gnonto is one attacking player who could prosper under the former Bolton boss.

After all, the experienced Englishman has already sung the winger's praises and suggested that he should be starting for Leeds when speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast last month.

He commented: "There are a couple of players who in my opinion should be playing. Wilfried Gnonto, the young Italian kid.

"Fantastic. He's so positive, so driven, so direct with the ball, he gets the play up the field, and he doesn't mind defending as well."

Only Jack Harrison has registered more assists in the Premier League than Gnonto this season, while the youngster also ranks sixth for shots, third for key passes and third for dribbles per game in Leeds' squad, which emphasises the impact he can have going forward.

Skilful wingers such as Jay-Jay Okocha and Gary Speed played a huge part for Allardyce during his time at Bolton, making 265 appearances between them, and if he utilises his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation again at Leeds, then Gnonto could prosper out wide.

The Italy international has been limited to just 20 appearances in the Premier League so far this term but only Harrison and Rodrigo have contributed to more goals, which suggests that he was under-used by Gracia and could still have a big say under Allardyce.

Michael Skubala certainly thinks that Gnonto is a "special" talent and the £20k-per-week winger could prove to be exactly that in the remaining four games if Allardyce sticks to his word and starts him.

Ravi Sawani, the former general manager of the ACSU), has questioned the remarks made by the former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who termed the approach of the anti-corruption watchdog “casual”.

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Jun-20162:58

Bal: ICC’s biggest challenge is creating an environment of trust

‘Origin of leak not from ICC’

: The ICC commended Brendon McCullum two years ago – and continues to do so today – for his brave, courageous and principled stand against corruption in cricket. The ICC also understood and shared his dismay at the leak of his confidential statement, which prompted a thorough and detailed investigation by the ICC. While the probe proved that the origin of the leak was not from within the ICC, it failed to establish beyond doubt the actual source. Nevertheless, the ICC has already put strong measures in place to ensure this type of incident is never repeated.
In 2014 (and unrelated to the leak of confidential information), a comprehensive review of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit was carried out to review its processes, functions and resources. The review was conducted by the ICC’s Integrity Working Party (IWP), which included independent corruption experts. All the recommendations of the IWP were reviewed and adopted by the ICC Board during the 2015 ICC Annual Conference in Barbados.
Every event or incident provides an organisation with opportunities to review its structures and measure its operations against best practice. This is exactly what the ICC has done in this particular case – it believes the outcome has been processes, procedures and resources which have been further bolstered and strengthened.
The ICC reconfirms that it is doing absolutely everything in its power to fight the threat of corruption in the sport and will continue to do so. It also reaffirms its commitment to gain and retain the complete trust of cricketers, and to work in close cooperation with all stakeholders in cricket.

Ravi Sawani, the former general manager of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), has questioned the remarks made by the former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who termed the approach of the anti-corruption watchdog “casual”.Delivering the MCC Spirit of Cricket lecture at Lord’s on Monday, McCullum, who gave match-fixing evidence against his former team-mate Chris Cairns at Southwark Crown Court in London last year, said he felt the ACSU’s evidence-gathering had to be “much more thorough, more professional”.In his testimony during Cairns’ perjury trial, McCullum had said that, on the eve of New Zealand’s first match of the 2011 World Cup, he and Daniel Vettori, then captain, had gone to the hotel room of the ACSU representative John Rhodes to report the approaches that Cairns had allegedly made in 2008, when McCullum was playing the inaugural season of the IPL in India. McCullum recollected Rhodes taking notes but not recording their conversation.According to McCullum, Rhodes said his notes would “probably end up” at the bottom of the file. “When I made my first statement to the ICC, my impression was that it would be put in the bottom draw and never see the light of day again. No attempt was made to elicit a full and comprehensive statement from me on that occasion,” McCullum told the audience at the lecture.Cairns, who retired from international cricket in 2006, had been part of the un-sanctioned Indian Cricket League in 2008, the tournament which gave rise to the allegations of which he was subsequently acquitted. However, Sawani said the ACSU could not have used McCullum’s statement against Cairns since the ICL did not fall under the ICC umbrella.”We could not have used any part of what McCullum had told us against Chris Cairns in any manner because Chris Cairns was not under the ICC jurisdiction at that moment,” Sawani told ESPNcricinfo.”He [Cairns] was accused of doing something when he was part of the ICL operations. As per the ACSU code Cairns had not done anything in any ICC-controlled match so there was no necessity for us to prosecute Chris Cairns. Also, because we had taken a decision not to prosecute McCullum for the delay in reporting an approach, there was no requirement for recording McCullum’s statement in a detailed manner.”After speaking to Rhodes, McCullum made detailed statements to the ACSU and the Metropolitan Police in London in 2014. The Metropolitan Police, McCullum said, was “streets ahead in terms of professionalism” compared to the ACSU. Sawani, however, disagreed with McCullum.”The Met Police recorded his statement to criminally prosecute Chris Cairns and his lawyer [who was also acquitted] for certain offences as per the English law and obviously they went into great details as to what happened and exactly what was the cause of the statement that he had made and what happened thereafter,” Sawani said. “It had to be evidence recorded as per the procedure prescribed in English criminal law and then used during criminal proceedings.”According to Sawani, the ACSU took a well-deliberated decision not to punish McCullum for his failure to report the approach three years after Cairns allegedly made it.”I took that decision that no action need be taken against Brendon McCullum,” Sawani said. “McCullum was stating something three years late about an incident. No action was taken even though technically it was an offence. The player himself had come forward to report an approach about which we were not aware and it would have been stupid on our part to punish him for that.”Later in 2014, McCullum’s second statement to the ICC was leaked in the . McCullum said he still did not know how his statement had found its way into the paper, and if anyone had been held accountable.”To report an approach and to give evidence requires considerable courage – players deserve much better,” McCullum said. “How can the game’s governing body expect players to co-operate with it when it is then responsible for leaking confidential statements to the media?”However, Sawani denied that anyone within the ACSU would have divulged any details to an outsider, adding that there were others present in the room each time McCullum recorded a statement.”McCullum himself admitted this,” Sawani said, “when he said ‘I had told other people about Cairns’ approaches – one of them was my captain and friend, Dan Vettori’. There were many possibilities. The truth is out there somewhere and only Ed Hawkins [Daily Mail reporter] can say from where he sourced extracts of that statement.”

Liverpool have failed to sign Jude Bellingham with a "dizzying offer" as the teenager inches closer and closer to a move to Real Madrid.

Despite the hope that Reds supporters have held over the last year, Bellingham will seemingly not be moving to Anfield this summer. It's a huge blow to Jurgen Klopp's plans to reinvent his ageing and lacklustre midfield. The German seems to have found a solution with Trent Alexander-Arnold's new hybrid role but it's a disappointment nonetheless.

Real Madrid close to finalising Jude Bellingham deal?

According to Marca, via Sport Witness, Real Madrid are very close to completing a huge deal to sign Jude Bellingham. They have beaten Liverpool and Man City to the teenager's signature even when it seemed like it was the Reds' deal to lose. FSG apparently made a "dizzying offer", but will now need to move onto other targets.

The Champions League holders apparently managed to beat the competition despite Liverpool and City actually bidding more than their La Liga rivals. Los Blancos expect to tie him down for six years until 2029, further strengthening perhaps the best midfield in the world.

Sky Sports reporter, Rob Dorsett, claimed during the Qatar World Cup that Bellingham may be Gareth Southgate's most important player, saying he is "world class" and "possibly England's most important player at the age of 19", and this news is certainly not what the Anfield faithful wanted to hear given the England sensation's obvious talent.

The truth is Liverpool have not just missed on a world class player but perhaps the future best midfielder in the world, given his age. Time will tell but it must be considered one of the biggest transfer failures since FSG bought the club in 2010.

What are Liverpool's options after missing out on Bellingham?

It's clear that Trent Alexander-Arnold will occupy some form of a role in central midfield next season even if it's only a continuation of the hybrid role Klopp has assigned him recently.

FSG will likely need to fund multiple signings to strengthen the midfield after a season that has seen Liverpool overrun and outmatched by most midfields in the Premier League.

Sporting CP's Manuel Ugarte has been identified by the Reds as someone who can bring more tenacity and fight to Anfield. The Uruguayan has somehow managed to complete the most tackles in the Champions League this season despite Sporting being eliminated in the group stages.

Liverpool are also the frontrunners to sign Alexis MacAlisster, according to the Daily Mail, while Ryan Gravenberch is also a serious target for the Reds.

The BCCI has suspended Goa Cricket Association president Chetan Desai from his role as chairman of the board’s marketing committee, while GCA secretary Vinod Phadke has been suspended from the information and technology committee

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2016Goa Cricket Association (GCA) president Chetan Desai has been suspended from his role as chairman of the BCCI’s marketing committee, while GCA secretary Vinod Phadke has been suspended from the board’s information and technology committee. The BCCI’s action came after Desai, Phadke and GCA treasurer Akbar Mulla were arrested by police earlier this week for alleged fraud.The BCCI also issued show-cause notices to Phadke and Desai asking why action should not be taken against them. They were given 15 days to respond.The Goa Police had registered a case against the three accused under sections 408, 409 (criminal breach of trust), 419 (cheating by impersonation), 463, 464, 468 (forged documents), 471 (fraud), 420 (cheating) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. A first information report (FIR) had been filed against the trio by the economic offences wing of the police on June 4.Desai, Phadke and Mulla had allegedly encashed a TV subsidy from the BCCI worth INR 2.87 crore, from a cheque sent by the Indian board on October 23, 2006; the cheque was valid for six months. At the time, Desai was the GCA secretary, Phadke the treasurer and Dayanand Narvekar the president.According to Shekhar Salkar, the acting president of the Goa Cricket Association between November 2014 and June 2015, a fake account in the name of GCA had been opened in the Panjim branch of Development Credit Bank on April 10, 2007.”Phadke pretended to be the president, Desai was the secretary and Mulla as treasurer. The cheque was realised on April 13, 2007. The three accused then started to withdraw amounts and emptied the account by March 29, 2008. So it did not reflect in the balance sheet.”The FIR also mentioned that Desai, Phadke and Mulla withdrew INR 26 lakh from Federal Bank account of the GCA on the pretext of giving it to a company called HAKO enterprise which, it was later found, had not received any funds.Phadke had been India’s team manager for the ODI series against South Africa in 2015, and at the Under-19 World Cup in 2012 as well.

Manchester United are one of three Premier League teams considering a bid to sign Emiliano Martinez this summer, according to Argentinian journalist Gaston Edul.

What is the latest on Emiliano Martinez to Man United?

The Red Devils are set for a busy summer transfer window, with manager Erik Ten Hag having already identified the need for at least two additions in the close season. The former Ajax boss has made it clear that he most definitely wants to bring in a goalscorer, as well as a midfielder.

However, the performances of David De Gea this campaign have also brought the goalkeeping spot to the attention of the boss. A series of errors from the Spaniard has called his ability into question and it is no longer clear as to whether Ten Hag trusts De Gea as his number one option inbetween the sticks with the Premier League outfit.

Whilst a new contract has been offered to the former Atletico Madrid man, the club are now believed to be considering a summer swoop for a new shot-stopper. The latest name to be linked with a switch to Old Trafford is Martinez. According to Argentinian journalist Gaston Edul, the Red Devils have a move in the "pipeline" for the player, with it appearing as "likely" he will be out of the exit door at Villa Park.

They aren't alone in their interest though, with Chelsea and Tottenham also keeping tabs on the situation according to the report. United then will need to fend off competition from their divisional rivals if they want to snap up the goalkeeper.

Should Man United sign Emiliano Martinez?

If the Red Devils do decide that they want to add another goalkeeper to their ranks this summer, then they could do a lot worse than the Aston Villa shot-stopper, dubbed "amazing" by BBC pundit Ian Wright.

The 30-year-old has generated a 6.89 WhoScored rating so far this season in the Premier League, with the player also being awarded three Man of the Match trophies because of his stellar showings. With eleven clean sheets too, he ranks fifth in the division in that particular stat. Throw in a clean sheet percentage rate of 33.3 (the sixth best) and it's clear that he is one of the better goalkeeping options in the division.

With United trying to ensure they have the best man inbetween the sticks then, Martinez could certainly be an upgrade on De Gea for them.

With the Premier League season coming to a close, the wait continues to see just who will be named as the new permanent manager at Tottenham Hotspur, with chairman Daniel Levy likely keen to make the right call following a turbulent last few months – and years – at N17.

The Lilywhites have been forced to hand the reins to Ryan Mason on a short-term basis following the failed appointment of Cristian Stellini, with the latter man having himself only taken on the job amid the sacking of his compatriot and colleague, Antonio Conte.

In pursuit of a long-term successor to the latter man, the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Julian Nagelsmann did appear to be potential targets for the north London outfit, albeit with the former now on his way to rivals Chelsea, while the latter man is seemingly not in the running for the vacancy.

With new alternatives needing to be found with the summer transfer window fast approaching, a recent report from FC Inter News has suggested that Spurs have approached the agent of Inter Milan boss, Simone Inzaghi, regarding the possibility of taking charge at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Should Spurs appoint Simone Inzaghi?

The decision to move for the Inter head coach will certainly spark nerves among the Spurs support, with the Premier League side no doubt hoping to avoid a repeat of Conte's time at the club, with the ex-Chelsea man having also made the move to England from San Siro.

Like Inzaghi – who guided the Nerazzurri to the Coppa Italia last season – Conte also claimed silverware after winning the Scudetto during the 2020/21 campaign, before ultimately ending up in north London in November 2021, having left his post in Italy a few months earlier.

Not only are the two men alike in that sense, but Inzaghi – who replaced his compatriot in the dugout at Inter – also mirrors the former Tottenham boss due to his preferred 3-5-2 formation, with Conte having also favoured a back three throughout his time in Italy, as well as in N17.

That perhaps pragmatic style appears to be at odds with the "free-flowing" approach that Levy is seemingly chasing, with Inzaghi's Inter having thus far scored 66 goals in 35 league games this season, a record almost mirrored by Spurs this term (65 goals in 36 top-flight games).

While previously hailed as "one of the most talented young managers in the world" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the former Lazio boss may simply not be the dream fit that Tottenham are in need of, with a clean break away from Conte's style seemingly needed.

Sean Williams’ maiden Test century could not prevent Zimbabwe from crashing to defeat in the first match against New Zealand but it helped cushion the heavy innings loss

The Report by Firdose Moonda31-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSean Williams’ maiden Test century could not prevent Zimbabwe from crashing to defeat in the first match against New Zealand but it helped cushion the heavy innings loss. Williams, who took over after Craig Ervine reached his first fifty in the format, put on 118 for the seventh wicket with captain Graeme Cremer and the pair spent 33.2 overs together to frustrate New Zealand. Williams went on to hold the visitors at bay until 25 minutes before the tea break but once he was dismissed, Zimbabwe could not prevent the inevitable.New Zealand’s attack were kept on the field for longer than they may have expected, after they had Zimbabwe reeling at 17 for 4 and plucked a fifth scalp on the third evening. But the middle and lower order applied themselves well against swing from Tim Southee and Trent Boult, a short-ball barrage from Neil Wagner and spin from Ish Sodhi and Michael Santner, and took their innings deep to show improvement after their first-innings implosion.Zimbabwe began the final day with some momentum after Ervine resumed from an overnight score of 49. He reached his fifty off the second ball of the day but then played inside the line of a delivery from Boult and was given out caught behind by debutant umpire Michael Gough. Replays showed Ervine had not hit the ball and the noise was likely bat-pad.He was replaced by Williams, who got a rough decision in the first innings when he was caught off the helmet. Now battling flu, Williams, who wasn’t on the field for New Zealand’s innings, put his illness aside to play an authoritative knock, the most assured of his three-Test career.He began with a quartet of crisp drives off Southee and one off Boult, whose pace stayed in the upper 120s throughout the match. Kane Williamson tried to clog up his scoring area with two slips, two gullies, two short covers and a backward point but Williams was wise to the trick and responded with shots in the vacant leg side.With Southee and Boult unable to dislodge Williams, Williamson turned to first-innings hero Neil Wagner and gave him a license to attack. Wagner hit Cremer on the thigh pad, the left shoulder and eventually the left fore-arm, which Cremer broke earlier this year. The Zimbabwe captain, as he did with ball in hand, fought through it all.While Cremer content to hold his end, Williams profited off the short ball and brought out an audacious range of strokes, including a cheeky ramp off Wagner and sweetly timed sweeps. He used his feet, scored quickly, with his fifty coming off 63 balls, and found the boundary often – 11 times in the fifty and 21 in his entire innings.Williams took his partnership with Cremer to 100 runs with a straight dive and put himself into the nineties with a cut. His captain was not around to usher him to the century. Cremer was given out lbw by umpire Paul Reiffel to a Sodhi legbreak that hit him above the pad. The height made the decision questionable but Cremer had to go.Instead, Williams’ fellow sick-bed mate Regis Chakabva, whose tonsillitis meant he could not field, was at the other end when he outside edged a wrong ‘un to third man to bring up the fastest hundred by a Zimbabwean in Tests. Williams faced just 106 balls, one less than Neil Johnson.Although clearly affected by exertion after his illness, Williams did not let the landmark distract him from keeping Zimbabwe fighting for as long as possible. He watched as Chakabva was bowled around the legs by Tim Southee with the old ball, but then holed out to deep mid-wicket off Santner to end a courageous knock. Donald Tiripano was left to deal with the last rites, which came when he nicked off, with Zimbabwe five runs short of 300

Michael Carberry, the Hampshire and former England batsman, has been diagnosed with a cancerous tumour after having felt unwell in recent days

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2016Michael Carberry, the Hampshire and former England batsman, has been diagnosed with a cancerous tumour after having felt unwell in recent days.Carberry was left out of Hampshire’s County Championship match against Warwickshire this week and Dale Benkenstein, the Hampshire coach, said it was so that he could undergo tests.A Hampshire statement on Thursday evening said: “Following recent reports about his health and now that he has spoken fully to his family, friends and team-mates, Hampshire can confirm that after a brief period of feeling unwell, a specialist has determined that Michael Carberry has a tumour that is cancerous. Further tests will be undertaken before the relevant treatment commences.”He is grateful for the messages of support that he has received and hopes that he can focus on his treatment whilst the privacy of those close to him is respected.”After Hampshire’s T20 Blast against Glamorgan, Giles White, the director of cricket, said: “It is terrible news, we are in shock. Our thoughts are with Carbs and his family at the moment. He found out a couple of days ago. It has been a tough couple of days for him the past few days and hopefully he gets through this. We will stand by him all the way through to help him and support him in any way we can.”Six years ago, Carberry suffered potentially life-threatening blood clots in one of his lungs. He has to take medication to control the condition, which emerged after he had suffered attacks of breathlessness while fielding and batting. He was diagnosed in November 2010 and did not play again until July of the following year.Rod Bransgrove, the Hampshire chairman, said: “Michael has been part of the Hampshire Cricket family for 10 years and on behalf of everyone at and associated with the club, I would like to send him and his family our very best wishes at this very difficult time. ‘Carbs’ has taken on and beaten serious illness before and we will be doing all we can to make sure he does the same again this time.”

Newcastle United are monitoring Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson ahead of a potential move to St. James’ Park, according to journalist Steve Kay.

What's the latest on Johnson's future?

The Welshman is an academy graduate at the City Ground having worked his way up through the youth ranks to become an integral member of Steve Cooper’s first-team, making 103 senior appearances to date.

The Reds attacker’s contract isn’t set to expire for another three years, but being his side’s top-performing offensive player in the Premier League, has caught the eye of PIF and Eddie Howe, though not for the first time.

Back in April 2022, The Independent credited the Magpies with an interest in the 21-year-old, and despite a deal failing to come to fruition at the time, it sounds like the hierarchy could be about to use the upcoming window to take a second bite of the cherry.

Speaking to NUFC Blog, Football Transfers reporter Kay revealed that Newcastle are once again tracking Johnson as they consider their options for the summer. He said:

“Eddie Howe is looking for a young versatile attacking player who is Premier League proven and able to play on both wings. Brennan Johnson fits into that profile perfectly and has been watched by Newcastle. There are other clubs looking at him; Manchester City and Aston Villa to name two. City want a long term replacement for Mahrez and Emery is desperate to sign a winger in the window, having recently played John McGinn on the right.

“If a substantial bid arrives from a big club this summer, I’m told Forest will find it hard not to accept because of the spending power of clubs like Manchester City and Newcastle. The prospect of European football, possibly even playing in the Champions League, could also turn his head.”

Should Newcastle submit an offer for Johnson?

Nottingham Forest being promoted in 2021/22 means that Johnson only has experience of one top-flight season under his belt, but having been hailed the “shining light” of his squad by journalist Josh Bunting, Newcastle should test the waters following his impressive debut campaign in the Premier League.

The World Cup participant has posted 73 goal contributions (47 goals and 26 assists) in 156 appearances throughout his career, with 13 of those coming across all competitions so far this term.

Even if he’s not always on the scoresheet, the £30k-per-week gem is constantly looking to produce moments of quality in the final third having recorded a total of 55 shot-creating actions and 51 shots since the beginning of the season, which are both the second-highest out of all of his teammates in the Midlands, as per FBRef.

Finally, Johnson is a versatile operator having played in seven various positions since first bursting onto the scene, including everywhere across the frontline and even in three roles in the midfield, so this will be another attractive attribute to Howe and one that could tempt him into making an approach in the weeks ahead.