Everton are the latest team to throw their hat into the ring for Romain Faivre, according to a report from Foot Mercato, via Sport Witness.

How has Romain Faivre played this season?

The midfielder – who primarily plays on the wing but can also feature as a traditional number ten – has spent the 2022/23 season on loan with Lorient and has really caught the eye with his displays. He managed 16 top flight games for the club but produced a superb total of eight goal contributions along the way, with five goals in total and three assists.

hen you consider he only managed 13.8 lots of 90 minutes for the club, it's a superb goal contribution rate for the winger.

He's never managed the same totals for parent club Lyon, although he has also not been able to get onto the field as much with them. Before moving to Lorient, he was given only three starts by Les Gones and managed just the one assist across 2021/22. In fact, he has only managed 12 league starts during the entirety of his time with Lyon.

Now, he could be given the chance to leave France and try his luck in the Premier League. That's because according to a report from Foot Mercato, via Sport Witness, the 24-year-old is drawing interest from several English clubs.

One of the latest to express their eagerness to sign him is Everton, who will have to battle Fulham and Crystal Palace if they want any hope of bringing the player to Goodison Park this campaign.

How much would Faivre cost Everton?

They may already find that to be a struggle, with Lyon also slapping a 15 million Euro price tag on his head (£13m). Whilst that is not an extortionate fee for the midfielder, it is one that the Toffees may currently struggle to pay – and the report adds that whilst they may be able to compete financially more than other interested parties from abroad, they will struggle against other Premier League sides.

He's clearly a player that possesses some real ability too. Those who have watched him have been full of praise for Faivre, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig previously calling the player "pure quality" after a performance back in 2022.

It shows that the 24-year-old has been impressive in France – and if Everton were able to poach him, he would certainly upgrade their midfield and wide options.

Jonathan Tah is one name on a list of players on Tottenham Hotspur's "radar", according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The German international is one of a few options that new manager Ange Postecoglou wants to add to the heart of his defence going into the new Premier League season.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news – What's the latest on Jonathan Tah

With Clement Lenglet returning to Barcelona in the summer and the side shipping a disastrous 63 goals in the league last season, the defence is an area of the north London side that desperately needs improving for next season, something Tah could assist with.

Luckily for Spurs, German publication Sport BILD have reported that the 27-year-old could be sold for little as just €18m (£16m) due to an exit clause placed in his contract, something Daniel Levy and Co could exploit.

Another benefit of signing Tah is that he would be unlikely to command excessively high wages as the German international is only on a reported £58,000-a-week in Westphalia.

Levy will want to get a move on, however, as alongside Spurs, BILD (via Sportwitness) have reported that West Ham United hold a 'very concrete' interest in the player, and with the money they look set to receive for Declan Rice could rival Tottenham for the player's signature.

What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Jonathan Tah to Tottenham Hotspur?

Jones highlighted a list of centre-backs that Tottenham have an interest in, but clarified that some of their pre-Postecoglou targets may not fit his attacking philosophy.

Writing for GiveMeSport, he said: "Other names on Tottenham's radar up to now are Manchester United's Harry Maguire, Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni, 6ft 5 Jonathan Tah of Bayer Leverkusen – who has previously been compared to Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano – and Max Kilman of Wolves – but not all of their targets pre-Postecoglou stand up to the new requirements needed at the heart of the defence for next season."

Would Johnathan Tah be a good signing for Tottenham Hotspur?

For the rumoured price of just £16m, Tah could prove to be an excellent signing for the Lilywhites as they look to begin a new project under their Australian manager.

The 6 foot 5 "battleship", as once described by ex-teammate Christoph Kramer, has had a strong season for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga this year, with WhoScored giving him a respectable average match rating of 6.58.

He has done even better in the Europa League, averaging a great 6.95 across his eight games in the European competition.

The deal would also make perfect sense for manager Postecoglou, as the former Celtic man is well known for his desire to play exciting, attacking football that requires his centre-backs to be strong on the ball and possess a good range of passing.

That is an area Tah excels.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the Bayer man is in the top 10% of centrebacks for his pass completion per 90, an impressive 90.2%.

Former manager Peter Bosz was so impressed by the player, he compared him to one of the most celebrated defenders still playing, Virgil Van Dijk, saying:

"I certainly see parallels between Jonathan and Virgil van Dijk."

With the price, his statistics, and the reviews from former managers, Jonathan Tah would surely thrive under the tutelage of the progressive Postecoglou at Tottenham.

The fast-bowling allrounder has said he was “deeply embarrassed” about the incident

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2017

New Zealand fast-bowling allrounder Doug Bracewell has pleaded guilty in the Hastings District Council for a case of drink driving. Bracewell said he was “deeply embarrassed” about the incident.Bracewell was stopped while driving in Hastings on March 18 and recorded breath-alcohol reading of 783 micrograms per litre of breath while the legal limit is 250mcg.”I made a massive mistake by driving that evening and apologise unreservedly for my actions,” Bracewell said on Thursday. “This was no-one’s fault but my own; I take full responsibility, and I’m deeply embarrassed to have let down so many people – be they family, friends, or cricket lovers.”Bracewell will be sentenced under the provisions for offenders who have two or more previous drink-drive convictions. New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said the board had not yet decided on imposing a penalty on Bracewell since the judicial proceedings had not completed yet.”As such it would it be premature to comment on that particular matter,” White said.”As an organisation, we’re committed to promoting safe and responsible behaviours on our roads and take a very dim view of drink-driving.”Driving responsibly and considerately is a key part of creating safer communities, and, as Doug has said himself, he should have known better.”

Steven Smith, like his namesake Hannibal Smith, loves it when a plan comes together. And Australia’s plans for this tour of India – a campaign of which Smith is immensely proud regardless of what happens in the final Test in Dharamsala – have been coming together since they were humiliated with a 0-3 defeat in Sri Lanka last year.For Smith, that tour was a wake-up call. Prior to that series Australia had only ever lost a single Test to Sri Lanka; now they lost three in a month. Their run of consecutive Test defeats in Asia had stretched to nine. And so Smith and coach Darren Lehmann needed a new approach, a new resolve, when a four-Test tour of India was on the horizon.A two-week training camp was scheduled in Dubai prior to Australia’s arrival in India, so they could control the types of surface on which they trained, and formulate plans for difficult conditions. Still, it is hard to imagine that even the Australians themselves believed they would dominate the first Test in Pune in quite the way they did, and would remain alive in the series with one Test to play.”I learned a lot out of Sri Lanka when we lost there, just about playing in the subcontinent and leading in the subcontinent,” Smith said in Dharamsala ahead of the fourth Test against India. “I had a reasonable idea before I went to Sri Lanka of how I wanted to do things, how I wanted to do thing a lot differently and didn’t want to over-attack and things like that.”I think you can see it in the way that you have to play here. You can’t attack non-stop. You have to have defensive fields at times and people are going to be critical at that but they’re not the ones out in the middle that have to do the job. I know that if you get a bit defensive on occasions and build a bit of pressure.”Back home when you’re talking about building pressure you talk about maiden overs but here it’s more if you go for two an over it’s pretty good over. It’s very hard to contain the scoreboard. If you’re limiting the boundaries, keeping the runs down and building the pressure that you need it makes a big difference.”As unsexy as such talk of defence and containment can be, Smith’s plans have put him within touching distance of becoming the first Australian captain since Adam Gilchrist in 2004 to lead a series victory in India. That would not have been the case but for some impressive fight from Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh on the final day in Ranchi, where they toughed out a draw that felt like a win.”If you look at past sides that have come here recently that day five result we had the other day where we were able to play out the draw, that’s just ended pretty quickly for us on a few occasions where we’ve just rolled over,” Smith said. “Having the fight and willingness to work hard to get the results we’re after, it’s been great from the boys.”I thought the way we fought out that draw was magnificent. I’m sure they [India] would be disappointed that they couldn’t get the result they were after. In that regard I’d rather be in our boat than theirs.”Steven Smith on Matt Renshaw: “For a guy that’s only played a handful of Tests, to go out there and just play his game and back what he’s worked on over the last few weeks has been amazing.”•Associated Press

In particular, Smith has been thrilled with the work of the young opening batsman Matt Renshaw in this series, in what is his first exposure to cricket in the subcontinent. Renshaw will turn 21 during the Dharamsala Test but has outperformed most other batsmen in the series – only Smith and Cheteshwar Pujara from either side have faced more deliveries this series than Renshaw.”I’ve been really impressed with Renshaw,” Smith said. “For a guy who’s never been here before it’s almost a different game when you get out to the middle and you see guys around the bat and crusty wicket, things like that, and that can get to players, players who have played for a long period of time.”For a guy that’s only played a handful of Tests, to go out there and just play his game and back what he’s worked on over the last few weeks has been amazing. I think a lot of the guys, the more senior players, have taken a bit out of the way he’s done things having only been a youngster and not been here before. That’s been really good.”The teams enter the final Test with the series locked at 1-1, meaning the winner in Dharamsala’s inaugural Test will claim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy – and in the unlikely event of a draw, Australia will retain it as the current holders. Smith said that although much hard work remained over the next few days, he was proud of his men regardless of the final outcome of the series.”We all know that this is one of the toughest places to come to play as an Australian team,” he said. “Regardless of what happens in this last Test match I think the way we’ve played has been a credit to each and every individual here. We’ve played some very good cricket. We probably did a couple of things wrong in Bangalore where we could have wrapped up there series or had a two-nil lead. The cricket we’ve played has been really good.”Right now we’re in a good position. We’ve got to play well this week and hopefully win the series here but we’ll do that by doing the things that we’ve done well in this series so far and just doing it for just a little bit longer. I’m not worried about the result as such … It’s obviously a relatively young side and this team could be together for a very long time.”

Sri Lanka’s inconsistent selection has had a “big effect” on the present state of the ODI team, according to cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha

Andrew Fidel Fernando31-Mar-2017Sri Lanka’s inconsistent selection has had a “big effect” on the present state of the ODI team, cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha has said, ahead of the third ODI against Bangladesh.Sri Lanka have rifled through 41 players – five higher than any other international side – since the 2015 World Cup. The team has been especially changeable since Sanath Jayasuriya’s selection committee took over following last year’s World T20: 33 players having played since last April – again comfortably the highest among international teams.Sangakkara also critical of instability in selection

Kumar Sangakkara has also voiced criticism of present instability in Sri Lanka’s ODI selection, speaking at a Dialog Change Forum event.
“One of the things that the current Sri Lankan team needs is to have some sort of continuity. If you’re not emotionally mature or mentally skilled enough, most people won’t thrive in an environment where there is insecurity, where either you’re looking over your shoulder, or above your head, waiting for that sword to fall.”
He also reiterated the widely-held view that Sri Lanka’s domestic structure is poorly equipped to identify and develop talent.
“We also have a structural issue with our first-class cricket that does not allow us to funnel the best of the best through. Let’s face it, not everyone can play cricket – only 11 can play, and it has to be the best 11. It’s about giving an opportunity to the best, and continuously to the best.
“Unfortunately through our first-class system we don’t get that. We have a huge churn rate of players. The more established international sides that have had those structural changes made – which includes India now – selection is consistent. They consistently have an underpinning structure that funnels the best of the best through.”

Gurusinha has only recently taken over the role of cricket manager, in which he acts as the primary contact between the selection committee and the team. He suggested it has very quickly become apparent that greater stability is required, as Sri Lanka build towards this year’s Champions Trophy and the 2019 World Cup.Sri Lanka have lost each of their last six completed ODIs, as well as five of their last six completed home matches.”I’ve been here only 20-odd days, but I’ve talked to the selectors and the coach, and my biggest goal is to keep about 20 players for Tests and ODIs together,” Gurusinha said. “Then the players also know they can stay in the team for a bit. If not, it’s hard to build a team. If you look at the best teams in the world, there aren’t many changes. The players also have a responsibility, but my biggest hope is that we can keep that group together.”Sri Lanka cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha has singled out Dhananjaya de Silva and Danushka Gunathilaka as players the side may do well to invest in•AFPGurusinha said that not only does stable selection breed greater security among players, who are likely to feel more confident about their position, but also allows coaches to work intensively with specific groups of players. He singled out opener Danushka Gunathilaka and batsman Dhananjaya de Silva as players Sri Lanka may do well to invest in. Gunathilaka averages only 22.70 from 17 ODI innings, but has nevertheless shown glimpses of potential in his outings so far.”Someone like Danushka is someone that I’ve been impressed with when he’s batting. I know he hasn’t scored runs, but my philosophy is to try and support people and have a stable squad. That’s what I’m focusing on. Have a stable cricket team and squad in the national team. That’ll give confidence to the players and confidence to everyone. That’ll help us to do better in our fielding as well.De Silva, meanwhile, has had a string of modest international scores across formats, despite having top-scored in the Test series victory against Australia last year. Though initially brought into the side as a lower middle-order batsman, de Silva had been moved to No. 4 during the recent Test series in South Africa, and has been deployed in various positions in the limited-overs formats as well.”Yes, Dhananjaya has to score some runs, but he’s got the talent,” Gurusinha said. “It’s up to us now to work with him and make him a better player from where he was. You all know how he batted against Australia last year.”Sri Lanka’s attack has also been in flux, with several players having been saddled with the death bowling role over the past two years, in which Lasith Malinga has been largely absent through injury. This was exemplified in the ongoing tour, where Nuwan Kulasekara and Nuwan Pradeep were added to the squad mid-series, and were immediately brought into the playing XI for the second ODI.Asanka Gurusinha (left): “If you look at the best teams in the world, there aren’t many changes. The players also have a responsibility, but my biggest hope is that we can keep that group together.”•AFP”We’re building up a bowling attack,” Gurusinha said. “Suranga Lakmal – what he’s done from the time I came, that’s when I saw him – he ‘s pretty good. We’ve got Lahiru Kumara who’s pretty quick for his age. He’s 20 years and still raw. We know you’ve got to work with people like that. In this one day squad we’ve got Nuwan Kulasekara in there and Nuwan Pradeep, and there are a few other young bowlers who are coming up.”It comes down again to having a stable squad, and giving them the confidence that they can play for a while. What I can say is that if that doesn’t happen? It’s very difficult for a coach.”Gurusinha used the example of Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup winning side – of which he was a part – to illustrate the benefits of consistent selection. That side featured perhaps the most experienced top order in the tournament, as well as a younger, but well-established attack.”Even with our team, when I was playing, it took us a while to get to that winning habit. It came with experience, and when you have experience you know how to win from difficult situations.”Bangladesh have some experienced players who know what to do. That’s what I’d like to build in this team. We’ve got to do it very soon. We’ve got to be able to win it from difficult situations. When we do that the players will be having a lot of fun in the middle, and we will go back again to those glory days of Sri Lankan cricket, which we had even when Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene were playing.”

It is all change at Chelsea, particularly in the centre of the park.

N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are close to departing Stamford Bridge as the club is set for a completely new era under Mauricio Pochettino.

The Blues are very interested in Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, however, Tony Bloom’s £120m asking price is a stumbling block and the deal is likely to drag out across the summer.

A cheaper and more attainable alternative to the Ecuadorian is Everton’s Amadou Onana.

What’s the latest on Amadou Onana to Chelsea?

Last week, Sacha Tovolieri reported that Chelsea could be in the market for Onana who may cost around £55m.

Now, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, reputable journalist Dean Jones has delivered his own thoughts on whether a move could go through, saying: “Onana's an interesting one. Ideally, Everton won't let him go. He's had a great season, but he's very young. He does fit the profile that we're seeing Chelsea go for at the moment.

"He's 21 and he's new to the Premier League. He's making his impact and, as part of that, he'll have huge resale value if he does come through the door. And this is part of Chelsea's new model."

How would Amadou Onana fit in at Chelsea?

After making a £33m move to Goodison Park last summer, the Belgian made 33 Premier League appearances in his debut year in England, averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, and 1.1 clearances per game in a solid defensive season.

Described as “outstanding” by journalist Connor O'Neill, the six-cap international ranks within the top 26% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for the aforementioned metrics, as well as the highest 7% for aerials won per 90, according to FBref, to underline his dominant presence.

As such, the 6 foot 4 colossus has the potential to form a formidable partnership with Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea.

Since the Argentine’s record-breaking £106.8m move to west London, he has flashes of his wondrous brilliance, particularly with his pinpoint long-range passing and close control. This is demonstrated by his rank within the best 3% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90.

But, we are yet to see the best of the World Cup winner on a consistent basis as he has often been deployed as a lone pivot, where he has been exposed due to his lack of pace and dynamism.

In Onana, this ball-winning, athletic titan would therefore be able to take the burden off Enzo and their differing styles of play make for a perfectly curated combination in the middle of the park.

In a deal worth potentially just half of what may be paid for Caicedo, the signing of Onana would be a rarely astute piece of business under the new ownership.

Napoli have released a statement clarifying president Aurelio De Laurentiis' comments regarding Victor Osimhen's future at the club.

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De Laurentiis hinted at stall in talksStriker's contract expires in 2025Napoli say negotiations could resumeWHAT HAPPENED?

De Laurentiis suggested in a press conference that talks with Osimhen over a new contract had come to a standstill and that the player's "mood has changed" over his future at the club.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Relations between Osimhen and Napoli seemed to sour this season after the club's TikTok account posted videos appearing to mock the Nigeria international. Tensions rose to the point the striker's agent threatened legal action and any sight of Napoli was removed from his Instagram account.

WHAT THEY SAID

Napoli, however, maintain that talks are expected to continue and that the 24-year-old is merely taking time to consider his future.

"SSC Napoli would like to clarify recent comments made by president Aurelio De Laurentiis regarding Victor Osimhen, given that his words have been distorted by certain media publications," a statement read. "President De Laurentiis did not say anything negative about Victor. He simply stated that after a series of lengthy contract negotiations which ended with the parties shaking hands and agreeing to continue together, Victor had second thoughts. President De Laurentiis hopes this is merely a pause for reflection. Over the coming weeks, when Victor will not be able to play as he recovers from injury, the president, Osimhen and his agent Roberto Calenda will sit down calmly to discuss the future. Describing relations between Osimhen and Napoli as frosty is entirely out of place."

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Osimhen, whose current contract runs until 2025, is currently out with a hamstring injury and will miss the team's Serie A match against Hellas Verona on Saturday.

Nobody got too excited when Lancashire signed Ryan McLaren but he made a major contribution to their first Championship win for almost a year

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford24-Apr-2017
ScorecardRyan McLaren might be unsung but he made a matchwinning contribution•Getty ImagesThe signing of Ryan McLaren as Lancashire’s overseas player last October did not prompt wild rejoicing in Chorley or street-parties in Bacup. “Who’s this McLaren, then?” was the gruff reaction among members more used to watching cricketers like Ashwell Prince or VVS Laxman display their skills at Emirates Old Trafford.Lancashire, though, knew what they were about. McLaren’s full-hearted performances for Hampshire had earned their respect and he was precisely the type of cricketer they needed for the scraps ahead in an eight-team First Division.So when their new signing shattered Tim Groenewald’s stumps at precisely 4.35 on Monday afternoon, Lancashire’s hierarchy, which had included Ashley Giles last autumn, could feel that their judgement had been vindicated. McLaren’s accurate, canny medium-fast bowling on a pitch offering variable bounce had earned him match figures of 8 for 113 and it had also played a major role in securing one of the most remarkable victories in the county’s history. A first Championship win, indeed, for almost a year.Just for a moment, let us rewind a little. On Friday Lancashire were bowled out for 109 on a helpful pitch. However, as head coach, Glen Chapple, said later it was not the sort of surface to justify that miserable total. By Saturday afternoon Somerset had carved out a first-innings lead of 169 only for Lancashire to amass 463 in their second dig and then bowl them out for 130. Tom Abell, Somerset’s young skipper, is discovering that it is a tough world.Much of the credit for the win will go to the centurions, Alex Davies and Liam Livingstone, and rightly so. Indeed, Livingstone’s efforts last season and this were acknowledged on Monday evening when he was awarded his county cap. But Lancashire’s batsmen had only made defeat less likely; victory was achieved by the bowlers on the final afternoon and it left the Lancashire coach struggling to remember a comeback of similar proportions.”After the first innings the remainder of the game has been a sustained effort of determination, quality cricket and a team unit sticking together,” said Chapple. “The lads are delighted and it’s a fabulous way to win. It needed a remarkable effort from the batting unit and the partnership between Alex and Liam was of high quality. It was what was needed if we were going to have any chance.”Everyone can see that Liam is a big occasion player as well as a quality player but the responsibility of captaincy will help. He seems really driven and determined to do well for Lancashire and obliviously he is now a talking point for further honours. How quickly they come I’m not sure. It came a lot faster than we expected and we thought it would go down to the last few overs but it is great to get over the line early.”It is probably understandable if Chapple’s comments revealed a degree of shock. When Lancashire lost their last three wickets for seven runs halfway through the first session, Somerset needed 295 at a rate of 3.83 runs per over to win the game. It looked like a decent contest, the type that batsmen of the pedigree of Marcus Trescothick and James Hildreth might relish. Yet from the moment Dean Elgar played across the line to Kyle Jarvis just after lunch, Somerset’s batsmen were placed under pressure that never slackened.Abell was probably unlucky, as are most batsmen who are strangled down the leg side. But McLaren’s removal of the Somerset skipper was the prelude to a wonderful seven-over spell from the Pavilion End by James Anderson who accounted for Trescothick, caught at slip by Livingstone for 36, and Steven Davies, who failed to jab down on one that kept low.”You look back at phases of the game which change the course and Jimmy Anderson’s spell was certainly one of them,” said Abell. “But it was always going to be tough today and there were balls which had people’s names on them unfortunately.”Abell’s judgement is fair but it also does a little less than credit to the efforts of McLaren and Jordan Clark, the latter’s inclusion perhaps made possible by the fact that more bowlers can be accommodated if your wicketkeeper, Alex Davies in this case, is a quality batsman who can open the innings.Clark, indeed, made the next breakthrough when Peter Trego’s tentative push only edged the ball to Livingstone, for whom batting, captaincy, cricket and life in general must be something of a doddle these days. McLaren then removed both Hildreth and Josh Davey leg before wicket and at tea Somerset could reflect on a session in which they had lost seven wickets for 78 runs. Friday morning must have seemed the most distant of memories.The cricket after tea was notable for the exotic dismissal of Jack Leach, caught at third man by Haseeb Hameed off Clark for nought, but otherwise it was taken up with the game’s last knockings. Before long Lancashire’s players were in a joyous huddle on the Old Trafford outfield and no player seemed more delighted than Anderson, whose explosion of joy when he removed Trescothick was both a demonstration of his gut loyalties and a recognition of how important his wicket remains, at 41, to Somerset’s cricket and morale.It was Lancashire’s first win in 14 County Championship games, a run stretching back to May 24th last year. Three players, Dane Vilas, Rob Jones and McLaren were able to sing the club’s victory song for the first time. This made no great demands on their memory, for it consists of the single word “Lancashire”. Apparently Stephen Sondheim helped with the lyrics. For McLaren the joy must have been especially sweet; Lancashire supporters know who he is now alright.

Paul Mullin could have been playing in La Liga, rather than League Two, with money troubles at Racing Santander dashing his Spanish dream.

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• Striker headed to Europe when leaving Liverpool
• Was all set to agree a deal in Santander
• Returned to England to impress in lower leagues

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The prolific frontman is currently starring for ambitious Welsh outfit Wrexham, having helped to fire them back into the Football League last season. He is working with Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at SToK Racecourse, but his career could have taken a different path had a teenage adventure in Spain not come crashing down around him.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT MULLIN SAID

  Mullin has said in his autobiography of heading to Europe after being let go by the club that he supported as a boy: “So while I was devastated to be released by Liverpool, I still had hope. As it happened, a friend of my uncle’s, Isaac Gutierrez, was a physio at Spanish La Liga club Racing Santander. I went over for a trial and loved it – and they loved me. I ended up staying out there for three months, to the end of the 2010-11 season. I was only sixteen and my grandad Bobby came with me. That was great for me. In Santander, on Spain’s north coast, we were meant to be staying in an apartment belonging to someone we knew but when we got there it was in a bit of a state, full of dust. ‘We’re not staying here,’ Bobby said, and promptly booked us into the best hotel on the seafront. With the team training in the evenings, we’d spend our days messing about on the beach. When he went home, I moved into digs – a good lesson in independence and growing up. Santander wanted me to sign and, after returning home at the end of the season, I went back in the summer to do just that. At which point the club went into administration. I couldn’t believe it. I thought I’d got a great new start in Spain only for the club to end up in crisis, and its owner wanted by Interpol. Instead I was left hunting for a club back in the UK.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mullin could have found himself lining up against the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid had things worked out differently, with the 29-year-old saying of his early interest in Spanish football and which side he considers to be his favourite: “Joanne (Mullin's sister) has always been amazing with me. She really did spoil me badly, even buying me games for my PlayStation Portable. When we went to Madrid to visit Jonathan (Mullin's brother), who was living out there at the time, she took me to a big shopping centre and bought me a new Atlético Madrid kit – she knew I preferred them to Real.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MULLIN?

  Mullin ended up at Wrexham in the summer of 2021, shortly after Reynolds and McElhenney’s takeover of the club, and has hit 85 goals for them through 110 appearances. He is now a firm fan favourite in North Wales and is hoping to see his current employers become a top-tier outfit at some stage in the future.

  Buy your copy of Paul Mullin's brilliant new autobiography My Wrexham Story on Amazon.

Aston Villa have reached an "agreement" to bring Villarreal defender Pau Torres to the Premier League, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.

Is Pau Torres joining Aston Villa?

Quique Setien’s academy graduate will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the ongoing transfer window is his club’s final opportunity to cash in should they not want to lose him for free, and 90min have claimed that he’s told them that he’s ready to leave.

The Yellow Submarines centre-back has reportedly been made a top target by the Midlands outfit with Unai Emery a “big fan” of the 26-year-old having managed him for 105 appearances during his time in his homeland.

The La Liga star’s deal has a £55m release clause included but Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that NSWE and Monchi will pay "way less" than that, and if the following update is anything to go by, the conditions of the deal have already been addressed.

Taking to Twitter, Ornstein revealed that Aston Villa have finalised a deal for Torres with the defender having given the green-light to complete a summer move to the Midlands. He wrote:

"Aston Villa have now reached an agreement with Villarreal to sign centre-back Pau Torres. Personal terms are also in place for 26yo Spain international defender to join in what’s another big coup for #AVFC + manager Unai Emery."

Is Torres a good signing for Villa?

Aston Villa will already be aware of what Torres is capable of due to Emery’s existing connection to the centre-back, and having also been dubbed an “extraordinary talent” by his former coach Javier Calleja, he would be a fantastic acquisition for the boss.

The Spain international averaged 4.1 clearances, 1.7 aerial wins and 1.3 tackles per league game last season, via WhoScored, so is a real rock at the heart of the backline, but he also likes to push his team as high up the pitch as possible having ranked in the 99th percentile for most progressive carries by centre-backs.

Torres, who stands at a staggering 6 foot 2, also knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the level that the Villans are looking to achieve having previously won the Europa League back in 2020/21, so he could inspire the rest of the squad to give it their all on the bigger stage next season in their first campaign in the Conference League.