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Three days after shooting out West Indies for the sixth-lowest total in tournament history, South Africa’s much-vaunted bowling attack crumbled in the face of a brutal onslaught from Sarah Taylor and Tammy Beaumont on a batting beauty in Bristol

The Report by Akshay Gopalakrishnan05-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTammy Beaumont and Sarah Taylor added 275 off 209 balls for the second wicket•Getty Images/ICCThree days after shooting out West Indies for the sixth-lowest total in tournament history, South Africa’s much-vaunted bowling attack crumbled in the face of a brutal onslaught from Sarah Taylor and Tammy Beaumont on a batting beauty in Bristol.Never had a team, in 14 completed innings prior, notched up a score in excess of 300; on Wednesday, England went 73 clear of that mark, thanks to a second-wicket stand of 275 – the highest in Women’s World Cup history and the second-highest in all women’s ODIs – to knock the stuffing out of South Africa.Needing to pull off the highest successful chase ever, South Africa became the first team to score in excess of 300 batting second in a women’s ODI, thanks to half-centuries from Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee and Chloe Tryon. But the magnitude of the task proved just too much, and South Africa fell well short, by 68 runs.Taylor had spent a year out of the England team to deal with anxiety issues. She began the tournament opening the innings against India and Pakistan in the absence of Lauren Winfield. All it took was a move down to her favoured No. 3 position to find form again as she hit back with an unbeaten 74 against Sri Lanka. Against South Africa, she put up her finest display of batting since returning to the side.Perhaps the 40th over of the innings provided the perfect encapsulation of the class and poise of Taylor’s innings. It was the ideal mix of deft touch, supple wrists, brute force, sublime timing and laser-guided placement. And it was Shabnim Ismail, South Africa’s fastest bowler, who bore the brunt of Taylor’s pristine hitting.Ismail’s first ball strayed onto the pads, and Taylor nonchalantly flicked through midwicket. When Ismail tried to take the ball away from her, Taylor walked across early to clobber her straight down the ground. A half-volley was shoveled past mid-off using the bottom hand and a full toss was helped on its way to fine leg. Having tried just about everything, when Ismail tried dragging her length back, Taylor laid into a pull to dispatch her to the midwicket boundary.The class of batting apart, the over also highlighted the mediocrity of South Africa’s bowling. On a flat pitch where the ball came on nicely, it needed intelligent changes in pace to subdue batsmen. Instead, South Africa offered Taylor and Beaumont a generous mix of overpitched and short balls. It didn’t help that they offered width outside the off stump and strayed on the pads all too often.Taylor and Beaumont ruthlessly punished these errors. They were especially clever in their use of the scoop and reverse-sweep. The lack of pace on the surface allowed the batsmen to get into position early, and with both batsmen timing the ball impeccably, they routinely scored through the V behind the wicket, much to the frustration of South Africa. In all, both batsmen plundered 68 runs in that region, including 13 fours.While Taylor took little time to cut loose, Beaumont was a lot more sedate to start off. With the sun out, Heather Knight, the England captain, had little hesitation in batting first on a Bristol pitch that offered little for the bowlers despite possessing a tinge of green. After laying a solid platform upfront through a 59-run opening stand with Winfield, Beaumont steadily consolidated in the company of Taylor.She raised her century with a scoop through fine leg off Ayabonga Khaka’s medium pace. The landmark had taken her 118 balls to reach, but once she got there, she too launched into overdrive and pillaged 47 runs off her last 25 balls. By the time she fell, for 148, England had lost a little ground with four wickets falling for 13 runs. But Knight’s late 10-ball cameo, which included four fours, gave them a late surge and a total well beyond South Africa’s reach.South Africa’s openers, Wolvaardt and Lee, added a solid 128, but it took 25.1 overs, which, in the context of the match, made for no more than a sedate start. They showed little urgency up front – with Wolvaardt in particular struggling to find the gaps – and it meant Brunt conceded only nine runs in her first spell of five overs. A dipping yorker from Natalie Sciver cleaned up Lee as South Africa broke through.Wolvaardt stuck around and raised half-century of her own, but ate up 84 balls doing so. A slog over midwicket and a flat-batted thump over mid-off in the 30th over signaled a change in intent, but Anya Shrubsole ensured it was short-lived, getting her to hole out to deep midwicket three overs later.Mignon du Preez and Tryon briefly kept England anxious, slamming 75 runs off 40 balls. But once both batsmen fell in the space of four deliveries – Tryon for a 26-ball 54 with the help of five fours and four sixes – South Africa slid rapidly.England’s performance wasn’t without its share of downs. They dropped four catches that could have hurt them on another day. But the security provided by Taylor and Beaumont made sure no such thing would happen on this day.

West Ham United look likely to win a big race to sign Alex Scott this summer, with Football Insider reporting that the Hammers are in the best position to snap up the midfielder this summer.

How good is Alex Scott?

The Bristol City midfielder has lit up the Championship for the Robins over the last two seasons, having initially broken onto the scene as a young 16-year-old. Having appeared three times for them during that initial second tier campaign, he has since gone on to appear in 83 league games for the side in total.

The 2022/23 season really saw the Englishman's star shine though, as he was handed the Young Player of the Year award for the division.

He played on 42 occasions for the Robins over the course of the year, the most he has managed over his career yet, and even bagged one goal and five assists along the way. He also reached the top ten in the division for through balls (10), had the most blocks of any player in the Championship with 67 and drew more fouls than any other second tier talent with 96. Despite his youth then, he is already standing out as one of the best in the league.

Are West Ham signing Alex Scott?

It's no surprise then to see him linked with a potential move away this summer. West Ham are one of the clubs to have been most heavily linked to Scott, with the Hammers having already spoken over a potential bid to bring in the 19-year-old this transfer window.

Wolves are another Premier League side that have been mulling over an offer for Scott, with the Molineux outfit also being admirers of the youngster.

Now though, according to a report from Football Insider, it's the Hammers who are in the best position to try and add the midfielder to their ranks this summer. It states that the top flight club are "well placed" to land the talent, but he would cost the Premier League side a hefty £25m as that is the Robins' asking price – and they will not budge.

However, if the player himself wants to move and Bristol City are "keen to progress" at that price, as are West Ham, then it will likely happen.

It could be worth it though. He's already caught the eye of those who have seen him in action, with the 19-year-old being hailed for both his current ability and his future potential. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig stated that he has a "big future ahead," with the midfielder already demonstrating his ability to perform to the highest level.

The youth football writer also highlighted a comment from Man City boss Pep Guardiola who, after coming up against the England man in the FA Cup, added that he is an "unbelievable player". It's high praise from one of the best managers in the business – and if West Ham can seal a deal for him, they could therefore have one of the most promising English talents around right now.

Lungi Ngidi has not recovered from the hip injury he sustained during the third T20 against Sri Lanka and will not travel with South Africa’s limited-overs squad to New Zealand

Firdose Moonda08-Feb-20171:17

Ngidi misses out on NZ ODIs

Twenty-year old quick Lungi Ngidi has not recovered from the hip injury he sustained during the third T20 against Sri Lanka in Cape Town two weeks ago and will not travel with South Africa’s limited-overs squad to New Zealand. David Miller, who is sitting out the rest of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka after he required stitches to his hand, has recovered and will travel with 14-man group to play one T20 and five ODIs, starting next Friday.The only addition to the outfit that leads Sri Lanka 4-0 with a game to play is that of Cobras’ bowler Dane Paterson, who will travel as cover for Dwaine Pretorius who is awaiting the birth of his first child. Paterson was capped for a T20 against Sri Lanka but has yet to make his ODI debut. He will travel with the squad from Saturday and is expected to remain with them for the lone T20 and the first ODI. He will return home once baby Pretorius arrives and Dwaine is available to travel.”We, as selectors are very happy with the way the squad has gelled over the past 6 months and consistency in selection is very important as we continue our build-up towards the ICC Champions Trophy tournament,” Linda Zondi, South Africa’s convener of selectors said.The lack of changes to the South African squad comes after they won two successive series at home – 5-0 against Australia and the victory over Sri Lanka which may yet become a whitewash – and suggests South Africa have largely settled on their Champions Trophy squad. After the New Zealand series, they will play three ODIs in England in May in preparation for the tournament and if they were going to trial any different combinations, they would have used their time in New Zealand to do so.With Paterson only included as a short-term replacement, though, there may yet be a spot for Ngidi, who will likely play in the domestic one-day cup when he regains fitness. South Africa have yet to decide who will take the new ball and have experimented between Kagiso Rabada, Wayne Parnell and Pretorius.South Africa will expect New Zealand to present a sterner challenge than Sri Lanka, especially since they recently beat Australia in an ODI series, but will also place an emphasis on conditions which could be similar to England’s early season. If South Africa beat Sri Lanka in the final ODI on Friday, they will travel there as the No.1 ranked ODI side. New Zealand are in third place.South Africa squad: AB de Villiers (capt), Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Dane Paterson, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi

Rangers have had an offer for Feyenoord striker Danilo swiftly turned down by the Dutch club, however Michael Beale remains keen, according to a report from The Daily Record.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

The Gers are in the latter stages of their negotiations for Brighton & Hove Albion's Abdallah Sima, with talks over a loan deal progressing well, although Alan Hutton believes Beale would much rather sign him on a permanent basis.

The former Rangers man does not expect the manager to bring too many players in on loan, and the manager has identified a number of other targets in attacking areas, who could be brought to Ibrox on a permanent basis.

Cremonese striker Cyriel Dessers is still being monitored by the Light Blues, having seen their previous approaches turned down earlier in the window, and Danilo also remains a potential option.

However, The Daily Record report the Gers have had a low-ball offer for the Feyenoord striker immediately turned down, with the bid falling way short of the Dutch side's asking price.

The Eredivisie champions expect to receive more than £5m for the striker, with the two clubs currently "miles apart", however there are indications that Rangers could return to the negotiating table.

Despite the knock back, the 24-year-old remains high on Beale's list of potential attacking targets, but Dessers remains the priority for the time being.

Which striker are Rangers signing?

Dessers is Rangers' top target at present, and it is clear to see why, given the Nigerian's goal-scoring record over the past few years, most notably scoring ten goals for Feyenoord en-route to the Europa Conference League final in 2022.

However, Danilo has also impressed for the Dutch side, having been hailed as their "best finisher" by former manager Erik ten Hag, and he netted ten league goals last season, the second-highest amount in the squad.

The Sao Paolo-born forward's qualities do not stop there, averaging 0.2 assists per 90 in the past year, placing him in the 87th percentile, when compared to his positional peers.

Having only recently turned 24, the £8k-per-week attacker is four years younger than Dessers, and he is already recording similar attacking numbers, with the latter netting nine goals during his last season in the Eredivisie.

At the moment, Rangers appear to be some way off Feyenoord's asking price, but if they are able to reach an agreement in the future, Danilo could be a solid addition to Beale's squad.

ScorecardFile photo – Ahmed Shehzad finished the tournament with three centuries and three half-centuries in nine matches•Getty Images

Ahmed Shehzad struck a 51-ball 68 in a 105-run partnership with opener Imam-ul-Haq – after Fakhar Zaman retired hurt – to help Habib Bank claim the title in the Departmental One-Day Cup. They recorded a five-wicket win against Sui Southern Gas Corporation in Karachi, their fifth victory in a row in the tournament.Chasing 233, Habib Bank’s first wicket fell only in the 24th over after Mohammad Irfan dismissed No. 3 Shehzad after his innings that included nine fours and one six. The team’s score was 143 for 1 then, and although a mini-collapse did have them slump to 174 for 5 in the 33rd over – Zaman tried to return to bat but had to leave again – an unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership of 61 between Zohaib Khan (29) and Fahim Ashraf (34) took them through with 14 balls to spare.Earlier in the match, Habib Bank’s bowlers kept Sui Southern’s runs in check with regular wickets at the top. By the 17th over, they were 31 for 3 and took about 30 overs to reach 100. Shoaib Malik held up one end with a 92-ball 93 – his innings included nine fours – but with wickets constantly falling at the other end, doubled with the sluggish start, Sui Southern could manage only 232 for 7 in their 50 overs.

Celtic are in the market for a new manager after Australian boss Ange Postecoglou departed Glasgow this week.

The 57-year-old completed the domestic treble with the Hoops last weekend with a 3-1 win over Inverness in the FA Cup but ended up putting pen to paper on a deal with Spurs on Tuesday.

This means that the club now need to source a replacement for him and Football Scotland recently reported that Manchester City are braced for an official approach from the Bhoys for first-team coach Enzo Maresca, with staff expecting the Scottish giants to make a move for the Italian.

The publication has revealed that majority shareholder Dermot Desmond was impressed after speaking with the tactician in 2021 but ultimately went for Postecoglou. However, the Celtic chief is now interested in another round of talks with the 43-year-old ahead of a possible deal to take over at Parkhead.

Would Enzo Maresca be a success at Celtic?

Maresca could be a big success with the Hoops with Desmond potentially set to unearth his own version of Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners boss spent over three years working as Pep Guardiola's assistant at The Etihad and has been able to use what he learned from the legendary tactician to turn the north London giants into an exciting side to watch in the Premier League, whilst achieving success.

Arsenal play fluid progressive football, with pundit Danny Murphy hailing them as a "joy to watch".

Since the Spaniard took over in Islington, they have won the FA Cup and Community Shield, and finished second in the top flight, running winners Manchester City close for the title.

His style of play has been compared to Guardiola's in the way his players interchange positions across the pitch to create space and move the opposition around to create chances and dominate games, suggesting that he learned a lot from the City chief.

Maresca could follow in his footsteps and have a similar impact on Celtic if Desmond affords him the time to build a squad capable of playing the way he wants to play. Indeed, Arteta finished eighth in his first two seasons with Arsenal before it finally clicked.

Whilst the 43-year-old has limited experience and it is impossible to say with certainty that he would be a success, Guardiola believes that the Italian has a bright future ahead of him. He said:

"We are delighted with what Maresca has done. He’ll be an extraordinary manager in the future – like I felt it with Arteta. He's developed many young players that will help us. It will depend on how many stay and how many leave. Who we sign."

Guardiola was right about the now-Arsenal boss and this bodes well for Maresca, who deploys a 3-4-1-2 set-up, and his hopes of becoming a first-team boss.

If the Italian tactician is capable of following in Arteta's footsteps and turning a side into a Pep-esque team who are a 'joy to watch' then Celtic fans should be excited for each game knowing that the Hoops will likely play in the same manner as Postecoglou's teams of old.

West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan looks unlikely to be backed significantly by owner Guochuan Lai this summer as he looks to build a squad capable of returning to the Premier League.

The Chinese businessman controversially saw his £5m loan from the club written off a few months ago, with the vast majority of the Baggies' signings coming as free transfers in the 2022/23 campaign.

West Brom could find success down that route once again this summer, with reported target Jay Mingi seemingly set to depart Portsmouth on a free transfer.

Would Jay Mingi be a good signing for West Brom?

It was reported back in December by journalist Alan Nixon that the Baggies were scouting Mingi on a regular basis, with the view of bringing him in on a free transfer in the summer transfer window.

While Pompey have offered the 22-year-old a new contract, that has been on the table since January, and he is yet to sign on the dotted line, which suggests that he could be on his way out of Fratton Park when his current deal expires at the end of next month.

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho said: "There was a conversation with Jay in January which went along the lines of 'I think you’re a terrific player with a load of potential.'

"I think there’s still a lot of work to do to get him there and fulfil that potential. There’s a huge amount to work on and I think he knows that as well, but this is a really good football club for him to do that."

Incidentally, the former West Ham midfielder didn't feature at all under Mousinho due to injury, with his last appearance for the club coming on New Year's Day, so it is perhaps a testament to the talent he possesses that he has been offered a new deal despite his lack of game time.

The Englishman possesses very little senior experience, with just 40 appearances to his name across spells with Maidenhead United, Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth.

However, he is clearly highly rated and could be a great signing for the future by Lai, especially if he continues to back his manager with free-agent signings.

Okay Yokuslu, John Swift and Jed Wallace are ranked as the first, second and fifth-best performers in West Brom's squad this season according to WhoScored, having joined without a transfer fee, emphasising how much success can be had with free agents.

If Lai wants to get the summer off to a positive start as West Brom chairman, he must surely consider making an offer to Mingi ahead of his contract's expiry next month. Such an appealing deal doesn't come around very often.

Hampshire’s Liam Dawson bagged three evening wickets but could not stop Lancashire, led by a fifty from Haseeb Hameed, from batting out for a draw at the Ageas Bowl

ECB Reporters Network07-Aug-2016
ScorecardHaseeb Hameed batted Lancashire to safety•Getty Images

Hampshire’s Liam Dawson bagged three evening wickets but could not stop Lancashire, led by a fifty from Haseeb Hameed, from batting out for a draw at the Ageas Bowl.Left arm spinner Dawson gave Hampshire hope of the win but Hameed and Liam Livingstone saw the visitors to the end.Hampshire remain cemented to the bottom of Division One, while Lancashire are in danger of being dragged in to a relegation dogfight with Surrey threatening to overtake them.Hampshire were given some early hope of clutching a victory from the off, as leg spinner Mason Crane found exaggerated turn.He took three of the six final Lancastrian first innings wickets with another tireless day twirling – bowling 48 and a half overs in the match.Will Smith, Hampshire’s captain, said: “In terms of the effort and desire to win was all we could ask. We probably created enough chances but that said you can’t fault the effort, we have fielded for 210 overs in a row.”Daws and Mason bowled 100 overs of them and bowled particularly well. We couldn’t force the win but there are a lot of positives.”At times the pitch appeared docile but all of a sudden it would come to life. It was a wicket which suited us.”Every game is important now. We have to approach the next five with a winning mentality. If we can come out with two wins we can climb the table.”Crane had night-watchman Simon Kerrigan caught behind to the last ball of the days’ first over and later found a thick edge from Jordan Clark drop to Ryan McLaren at second slip.In the afternoon he wrapped up the first innings by tempting Croft out his crease, stumped by the increasingly impressive Lewis McManus.Ryan McLaren sent Liam Livingstone’s off stump cartwheeling before Crane’s spin twin Dawson grabbed tail scalps of Tom Moores and Kyle Jarvis.With Lancashire 12 short of the follow on, Will Smith forced them to bat again and were left frustrated by openers Steven Croft and Hameed.The pair retreated deeply within their shells – dot ball followed dot ball, as they used up 25 of the 58 remaining overs.Dawson managed to get one top pop up with the first ball after tea, and Croft watched sullenly as it dropped into Gareth Andrew’s paws at silly point – Dawson’s 100th Specsavers County Championship wicket.Dawson managed to grab his fifth and sixth wickets of the afternoon – after only managing nine previously this season – soon after, as Lancashire threatened briefly to offer Hampshire a glimpse of winning the game.Luke Procter pushed to Tom Alsop at silly mid-on, before Alviro Petersen fell in an identical fashion six overs later.The stat that summed up the match, on a flat track, was the number of maidens bowled – over a full days’ worth of 98.But Hameed, unbeaten on 53 after his 142-ball half century, his second of the match, and Livingstone dropped anchor to avoid defeat – the captains eventually shaking hands with six left, the visitors still trailing by 63.

There may be more impressive individual performances and more action-packed days in the next two or three months but, in the context of this Pakistan tour, this was an almost perfect start.

George Dobell at Taunton03-Jul-2016
Scorecard2:10

‘Good to start the tour on a high’ – Younis

There may be more impressive individual performances and more action-packed days in the next two or three months but, in the context of this Pakistan tour, this was an almost perfect start.On a benign pitch, in front of a good natured crowd, Pakistan were able to ease their way into a tour that promises some tough moments on and perhaps off the pitch, with a low-key day – a wonderfully low key day from a Pakistan perspective – of gentle cricket.It wasn’t like this the last time they were here. The last time Pakistan were in Taunton, in September 2010, they were besieged. It was only days after the story had broken and, as helicopters hovered over their hotel and journalists waited in the car-park, the atmosphere inside the squad was anything but low key and gentle.The Pakistan camp remain nervous, probably unnecessarily so, about the reception that awaits them on this tour. So to have started this trip with three weeks training out of the spotlight and then enjoy a relatively uneventful day during which nearly all of their top six enjoyed a decent amount of time in the middle represented an ideal start.Not for the first time, Pakistan were grateful to the composure and class of Younis Khan. The 38-year-old, who missed the 2010 tour having fallen out of favour with the team management, finished the day unbeaten on 99 having added 179 for the fifth-wicket with Asad Shafiq.It was not a flawless innings. Younis was reprieved on 20 (a tough chance wide to Marcus Trescothick’s right at second slip) and again on 75 (when Alex Barrow was unable to cling on to an even tougher chance offered via the inside edge). But, in between times, he began to settle into the pace of pitch and the movement in the air and unveiled many of those familiar strokes – the devastating sweep, the flamboyant cut and the pleasing drives off front and back foot – that have already brought him more than 9,000 Test runs and 31 centuries.”It’s not easy for any team when they come to England,” Younis said afterwards. “But we have come to the country very early and we are very well prepared. I think this may be the first time that Pakistan have batted well at the start of a tour. We nearly all had 50 or 60 balls in the middle.”It would be fantastic for me if my performances helped the team do well. It would make me the happy man of the earth.”Shafiq was no less impressive. Joining Younis with the side on 132 for 4 and in just a little trouble, he survived an early run out chance but then was admirably compact and watchful in steering his side into a safer waters. While he may reflect he squandered an excellent opportunity to register a century – he sliced a somewhat wild drive off a wide one that turned a little – he will have taken confidence from this start.The one man to miss out was the captain. Misbah-up-Haq felt for his second ball, a delivery some way outside off stump, without any foot movement and edged to slip.Tougher challenges remain, of course. The days when county teams looked upon these matches as an opportunity to make a name for themselves are largely gone, especially for bowlers. So here Somerset, resting the Overton brothers and Lewis Gregory, fielded an attack that included three men with one Championship cap for the club between them including a first-class debut for 18-year-old off-spinner, Dominic Bess, who moved from Sidmouth to Exeter a couple of years ago to ensure him of more opportunity at club level.They bowled tidily enough. Paul van Meekeren, a Dutch international who has been playing club cricket for Benwell Hill near Newcastle, has just signed until the end of the season and did himself no harm with a whole-hearted effort. After Mohammad Hafeez missed a straight one, van Meekeren produced a beauty that draw a stroke from Azhar Ali but left him to take the edge.Tim Groenewald also finished with two wickets. Two balls before Misbah’s departure he had seen Shan Masood fall across a straight one as he tried to whip the ball through the leg side.But Josh Davey, the Scotland international, was less fortunate. After dropping a relatively simple caught and bowled chance offered by Masood on 17, he was also the unlucky bowler on both occasions that Younis was reprieved. On another day, he might also have won a leg before shout against Hafeez before the batsman had scored.Masood, especially efficient off his legs, and Hafeez, who pulled successive sixes when the medium-paced Davey dropped short, may both feel they missed out on the chance to cash-in against this inexperienced attack. But, in terms of gaining time at the crease ahead of the serious business part of this tour, this was a pleasing start for Pakistan.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly on the hunt for new recruits as the summer transfer window beckons and the 2022/23 Premier League campaign nears a close. The Midlands side have had a season of ups and downs, but look to be finding confidence under the guidance of Julen Lopetegui.

As relegation looked possible back in October resulting in the dismissal of Bruno Lage, Wolves have since pushed on and now sit comfortably in 14th but have a lot to improve on if they are to progress in the league next season. With only 10 wins in 34 games, changes are due to be made in the summer, with one target already emerging as a potential improvement.

What is the latest on Hirving Lozano and Wolves?

It’s been reported by Mexican news outlet TV Azteca that Napoli winger Hirving Lozano has been linked to Wolves, with his contract expiring in Naples next summer.

It’s believed that the pending Italian champions would rather cash in on the Mexican this transfer window, rather than see him leave as a free agent when his current deal expires.

It is also speculated that the winger is worth “at least €50m” (£44m). However a move to Wolverhampton could be likely due to his agency being the company that already represents seven current players at the club, including Craig Dawson

What could Lozano bring to Wolves?

Lozano, who was once dubbed a 'phenomenon' during his time at PSV, has three goals and three assists in 30 appearances in Serie A this season.

The 27-year-old is an intricate right-winger with an eye for goal and enjoys to run at defenders, his qualities would be perfect for Wolves, who are expected to lose Adama Traore in the summer as a free agent.

The Mexican international is tenacious on the flanks, highlighted not just through his direct nature of play, but his ability to fight for possession.

Lozano ranks in the top 10 in Serie A for highest percentage of tackles won, as well as ranking 11th in the league for dribbles (111).

The tricky winger, who is an international teammate of Raul Jimenez, was even likened to Lionel Messi during his time at PSV by former Everton sporting director Marcel Brands, commended for his “low centre of gravity” and being “explosive and agile”.

With the powerhouse's expected departure from Molineux on the horizon, the Spaniard leaves a huge gap to fill in terms of his ridiculous pace and direct play on the right wing.

Traore has been criticised at times for his progression down the flank to no avail, this is where Lozano could prove to be a worthy investment.

The £97k-per-week forward has outscored Traore for the previous five seasons, as well as ranking more efficient in terms of created chances and assists – as per Squawka's comparison matrix.

The Mexican would be a worthy investment for Wolves that could see Lopetegui’s side push on higher up the table next season.