أوضح إيهاب الكومي، عضو مجلس إدارة الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، موقف الاتحاد من أزمة الشرط الجزائي لروي فيتوريا، المدير الفني السابق للمنتخب، بعد تهديد محاميه باللجوء إلى “فيفا”.

وكان الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم قد فسخ عقد فيتوريا بعد أمم إفريقيا 2023، وطالب المدرب البرتغالي بالحصول على الشرط الجزائي المنصوص عليه في عقده.

ويرى الاتحاد أن فيتوريا لا يستحق الشرط الجزائي لأنه تم فسخ العقد بعد أمم إفريقيا بناءً على ما ورد في التعاقد؛ وذلك بعد أن أرسل محامي المدرب إنذارًا بتسديد المبلغ المستحق لموكله أو اللجوء للاتحاد الدولي.

طالع أيضًا | وكيله: فيتوريا سيلجأ لـ فيفا بسبب أزمة الشرط الجزائي مع اتحاد الكرة

وقال الكومي في تصريحات عبر برنامج “وان تو”، على إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”: “الموضوع مُثار من الأمس، من أول يوم أعلنا إن وليد العطار المدير التنفيذي والمستشار القانوني للاتحاد يتولان الموقف مع محامي فيتوريا”.

وتابع: “هناك بند في عقد فيتوريا بأنه في حالة فسخ التعاقد بعد أمم إفريقيا فليس له حق في حصوله على شرط جزائي، ولذلك أرسلنا العقد لوزارة الرياضة لمراجعته، هذا البند كان موجودا في عقد مساعديه”.

وأوضح: “ننتظر رد الشؤون القانونية في وزارة الرياضة، والمفاوضات ما زالت جارية، لا يوجد في العقد ما يعني أنه له حق في الحصول على شرط جزائي بعد أمم إفريقيا، البند الذي كان موجودًا هو أن فيتوريا له الحق في الحصول على شرط جزائي حال فسخ العقد قبل أمم إفريقيا”.

واختتم: “ننتظر رد وزارة الشباب والرياضة، وإذا كان الرد بأن فيتوريا يحق له الحصول على شرط جزائي فسوف نُبادر ونتواصل معه لتسديد المبلغ، وإذا لم يكن هناك بند بذلك فسيكون الأمر في المحكمة الرياضية الدولية”.

Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto is accumulating interest in his services from clubs across Italy alongside Premier League outfit Aston Villa, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Which clubs are keen on signing Wilfried Gnonto this summer?

According to journalist Alessio Lento, Gnonto is being sought after by Unai Emery's Aston Villa alongside Everton, as he stated on Twitter: "Future in Premier League for the National of Mancini, Wilfried Gnonto : Everton insists, but Aston Villa of Emery has no intention of letting go. It's a hot hour."

Calciomercato claim that a move for Gnonto is being explored by Serie A sides including Inter Milan, AC Milan and Fiorentina, though his reported £17.1 million price tag is deemed as excessive by keen parties.

Leeds United will either need to lower the price for Gnonto or explore the possibility of letting him go out on a loan deal, which is a policy they have operated when sanctioning the exits of Brenden Aaronson and Robin Koch.

Sport Italia via The Sun previously indicated that Gnonto was 'very close' to joining Everton in a transfer worth in the region of £19 million and detailed that Manchester United and Arsenal had also expressed attraction towards his abilities, though no such finalisation of any agreement has taken place.

FootballTransfers have put forward information to suggest that Gnonto features on a three-man shortlist at Goodison Park beside free agent Moussa Dembele and Leicester City veteran Jamie Vardy as Sean Dyche looks to strengthen his options in the final third.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has signalled that Aston Villa and Serie A clubs are indeed open to adding Gnonto to their ranks.

Jones said: "I know that things fell apart in the end, but it would be a shame for the Premier League to lose him completely. There are teams in Italy that are keeping a little bit of a closer eye on the Gnonto situation right now, but Villa are having a strong push in this transfer window and a player like that would be really exciting."

Will Leeds United be able to keep hold of Wilfried Gnonto?

Stranger things have happened; however, it is hard to imagine that a fully fledged Italy international at Gnonto's age would be willing to drop down to the Sky Bet Championship to continue his career development.

Last term, Gnonto made a decent impact in his debut campaign at Elland Road, registering four goals and four assists in 28 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

The £20k-a-week ace has also excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues regarding progressive carries, completing 4.39 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the top 20% for this metric, as per FBRef.

Cited by The Daily Mail, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville gave Gnonto some high praise in the aftermath of his performance in Leeds United's 2-1 loss to Aston Villa back in January, stating: "Sometimes you see potential and talent but watching him so closely, his understanding of where to be, his choice of pass, when to run with it, his awareness of teammates, really good honestly."

Gnonto has a bright future ahead of him and it looks like Leeds United will have a thankless task on their hands to try and keep him at Elland Road.

South Africa have suffered a huge blow with Kagiso Rabada being suspended for the second Test against England following a Code of Conduct breach during the opening Test at Lord’s

Firdose Moonda at Lord's07-Jul-2017South Africa have suffered a huge blow with Kagiso Rabada being suspended for the second Test against England at Trent Bridge after he was sanctioned by the ICC for giving Ben Stokes a send-off on the opening day at Lord’s.Rabada was fined 15% of his match fee and handed one demerit point for this incident, in which he told Stokes to “f**k off” after dismissing him for 56 during England’s first innings. Rabada had previously been given three demerit points for an altercation with Niroshan Dickwella during the one-day international in Cape Town in February. The total of four points means he is now automatically suspended for one Test.An ICC statement said: “During the opening day’s play in the Lord’s Test against England on Thursday, Rabada was found guilty of breaching article 2.1.7 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Player and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.””Thursday’s incident related to Rabada using inappropriate language after dismissing England batsman Ben Stokes, which were audible over the stump microphones and also resulted in the batsman to turn before walking off the field.”Stokes was the first of Rabada’s three scalps in the England first innings, during which the 21-year old seemed to lack some of his usual venom. Though he has touched his usual 90mph pace, Rabada has struggled for rhythm throughout this tour but his absence will still rob South Africa of one of their most reputed quicks and will only add to the unsettled feeling around the touring side.South Africa went into the Lord’s Test without captain Faf du Plessis, after he remained at home following the birth of his first child. Du Plessis is expected to be back in time for Trent Bridge, where he will have to manage an attack sans Rabada.In reserve, South Africa have Duanne Olivier, their first-class competition’s leading-wicket-taker who also bowls quickly, has a good bouncer and made his Test debut against Sri Lanka at the Wanderers, as well as allrounders Andile Phehlukwayo and Chris Morris. Olivier is the likeliest replacement for Rabada unless South Africa feel the need to beef up the batting reserves and play Morris. Phehlukwayo, who is uncapped, only has an outside chance of playing.Rabada’s absence will also have a small impact on South Africa’s transformation numbers, which don’t apply from game to game but do add up over the course of a season. South Africa are required to field a minimum average of six players of colour, of which two must be black African.

Friday is the deadline for interested parties to apply to coach the South African national team

Firdose Moonda14-Jun-2017

Friday is the deadline for interested parties to apply to coach the South African national team. Despite incumbent Russell Domingo’s claim that there is “no clarity” in the situation, CSA have advertised the post on their website. A five-person panel including Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons will recommend a suitable candidate to take over until the 2019 World Cup.That means if Domingo is interested in continuing in the job, he has two days to make that known. On Sunday, after South Africa crashed out of the Champions Trophy, Domingo said he had “not yet” put his name in the hat and could not say if he would like to take the team to another major tournament.Domingo’s contract expires at the end of the current tour to England which could make the four-Test series his last in charge of South Africa. After a strong 2016-17 summer, in which the team won eight trophies, they lost the ODI series in England and had a poor Champions Trophy campaign. A T20 rubber and Tests follow.Domingo has been in charge since mid-2013 and has had his contract extended three times. While there is no indication of who might take over, Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana is thought to be the front runner.

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) hopes that the state associations will distill their objections to the Lodha Committee recommendations to one or two points when they meet on Sunday (June 25) in Mumbai, a day before the BCCI’s SGM. This, the CoA believes, will be a significant step towards firming up the BCCI’s model constitution.The Vidarbha Cricket Association is the only one so far to draft a new constitution as per the Lodha recommendations, and it has subsequently been ratified by the BCCI. A number of state associations, however, have filed petitions in the Supreme Court objecting to different recommendations of the Lodha Committee. The CoA feels this is counter-productive to all parties concerned. “We are focused on making sure that the Lodha Committee report gets implemented, which requires the model constitution to be adopted,” a CoA official told ESPNcricinfo.”For this, the states need to be aligned. We told them even in the last meeting that going to the court with multiple petitions won’t work. We have asked them to narrow it down to two points that are absolutely critical from their standpoint. If they are going to withdraw all their petitions and ask the court to consider two points, it’s much easier for the court to deal with the matter rather than dealing with 15 different petitions with different permutations and combinations.”My hope is in that meeting we will be able to narrow it down and then consider and work with the court to see if it is possible to amend one or two these things and then move forward to get the constitution finalised. Then you can conduct elections and hold AGM in September.”The CoA is given to understand that a majority of state associations are opposed to four recommendations – one-state, one-vote; the age cap of 70 for office bearers; the cooling-off period of three years for office bearers between terms in office; and restriction on the number of selectors to three as opposed to the earlier five. A Cricket Association of Bengal official, for instance, told ESPNcricinfo that the age-restriction was a major stumbling block since “more than 60%” of the state body’s officials were over 70.While the Kerala Cricket Association objected to the cooling-off period, it also sought clarity on the role of the Apex Council. “We have 11 office-bearers as opposed to the nine-member Apex Council that has been prescribed by the Lodha Committee for the BCCI,” a KCA official said. “We want clarification on whether the formation of an Apex Council applies to us as well; that is should a state association like ours need to have an Apex Council like the BCCI.”The CoA official indicated that the Supreme Court might be inclined to reconsider one or two recommendations so long as they didn’t tinker with governance issues. “We have indicated to the state associations that if they try and dilute anything surrounding governance, it is unlikely to fly,” the official said. “So, within that context, let them decide what they want to take to the court but it is unlikely the court will dilute any governance-related clauses. One-state, one vote, and three selectors, I think, the court may be willing to consider.”The state associations might still want to take [governance-related clauses] to the court and the court might strike it down. They might want the court to specifically say that they are unwilling to make amendments. But, if they adopt all the recommendations except one or two points that they object to, the court will at least feel they have a genuine inclination towards reform. That’s what we have been telling them to do, so that it is in their interest as well that if the court wants to consider something, if the court feels that they are moving forward.”The CoA is also likely to discuss other issues such as the Deloitte report that has dealt with financial irregularities in certain member associations. “Even in our previous meetings, we tried to talk to them on various matters, including governance,” the official said. “In this case, there might be something to discuss on ICC-related matters, obviously on what is coming up for voting in the SGM on June 26. There are other things that we sent to them to respond to – the Deloitte report and appointment of Ombudsman and redressal officer.”

An undercooked England side will go into their first day-night Test almost as pink as the ball in these conditions

George Dobell at Edgbaston15-Aug-20171:40

‘Grit your teeth and crack on’ – England prepare for the pink ball

An undercooked England side will go into their first day-night Test almost as pink as the ball in these conditions.While West Indies have already played a day-night Test – and had a warm-up match under lights on this tour – several of this England squad will be learning on their feet when this match starts. And with three day-night Tests in England’s schedule over the next few months (subject to confirmation from Auckland), they will need to learn fast.None of that is to suggest the initiative is a mistake. It has, in some ways, already proved itself a success with around 70,000 tickets sold over the first three days of the match. Had the novelty factor not been there, this match, against a side shorn of many of its best-known names, could have proved a desperately tough sell. In attracting a new audience to Test cricket – Warwickshire reckon more than a third of these ticket sales are to those who have not bought Test tickets previously – and allowing more people to watch the TV coverage after work, the authorities are to be congratulated on their attempt to keep the game relevant.But there are doubts. There are doubts over how comfortable it will be for people to sit outside in England in the final session, there are doubts over the durability of the pink ball and there are doubts over England’s readiness to use it.In a perfect world, England would have had more time to prepare for their first pink ball Test. While all players were made available for the round of County Championship lights played under these conditions at the end of June, many of those games were ruined by rain. So Jonny Bairstow, Tom Westley, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad and Mason Crane either didn’t bat or didn’t play at all, while Joe Root (who faced 13 balls) and Ben Stokes (who was dismissed for a duck) had limited opportunity to benefit from the experience.James Anderson, meanwhile, delivered 32 overs in Lancashire’s first innings against Warwickshire at Edgbaston. But even the man who might be England’s greatest swing bowler couldn’t persuade the old pink ball to move once it was 20 overs old. Perhaps, when twilight fell, there was a hint more assistance for the bowlers – or more trouble for the batsmen, anyway – but the evidence so far suggests the pink ball goes softer quicker than a red ball, is hard to buff and shine and, after those first few overs, won’t swing, conventionally, at least.Ben Stokes keeps his eye on the pink ball•Getty Images

The result? Fairly attritional cricket where neither batsmen nor bowler gain full value for their work. At Edgbaston, Andrew Umeed compiled the second slowest century (in terms of minutes) in the history of the County Championship. If those new to Test cricket are treated to any innings like that this week, they may be put off for life.It is not all bad, though. The black seam helps with the ball’s visibility, while the way in which that seam remains hard will encourage the bowlers even after the shine has gone. In trails towards the end of the 2016 season, the Dukes ball out-performed the Kookaburra comprehensively. The Kookaburra looked as if it had been a dog’s toy by the time is was 40 overs old.The Edgbaston groundsman, Gary Barwell, is reckoning upon a good, Test wicket offering true bounce and decent pace and carry. While it is not the same surface used for the Ashes Test of 2015 when Australia were bowled out for 136 on the opening day (that one was used for the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final here) it is only one pitch away on the square and he expects it to behave similarly.Chris Woakes, back with the England squad but far from sure to play, admitted the preparation – both in team and personal terms – had not been ideal. Ideally, Woakes would have liked at least one more Championship match before returning to Test cricket but the schedule – weighted, as it is, to T20 cricket at this time of year – does not allow and he has instead had to make-do with one Championship match and a few overs for the Warwickshire second team.”Monday night was the first time I’ve actually bowled with the pink ball,” Woakes said. “I suppose the more that we play with it the more we’ll learn about it but at the minute it’s a little bit of an unknown.”It would be nice to have a few more games under our belts. But I guess the nature of the beast is that we haven’t and we have to go out there and try to perform and react quickly to what the ball’s doing whether with ball in hand or bat.”While Woakes has not yet been informed whether he will play at his home ground, it seems probable he will have to wait a little longer for a return. He might add some pace to the attack, though, and his batting – he has made nine first-class centuries and made his Test debut as a No. 6 – might be considered good enough to allow him to play ahead of Dawid Malan and shuffle the middle-order up a space. England’s embarrassment of allrounders – suggestions as to what a collective of all-rounders should be is very welcome; a Sobers, maybe, or even a circumference? – gives them many options.The England coaching staff was, as usual, augmented by the presence of some familiar faces form the county game at training. Pierre de Bruyn, the Leicestershire coach, Tony Frost, the Warwickshire batting coach, and James Foster, the veteran Essex wicketkeeper, were among those involved in the fielding drills, while Somerset spinners, Jack Leach and Dominic Bess took a full part in training, though they did face the indignity of being picked last for the football match (teams were picked in a manner that would be familiar in school yards across the land) that precedes nets. Bess, an offspinner of rich potential, later spent some time working with Saqlain Mushtaq.

So far, it has been a slow window for Crystal Palace that has been consumed by rumoured outgoings rather than any exciting incomings.

The club is still in limbo regarding Wilfried Zaha’s future. The Ivorian is officially a free agent upon the expiration of his contract last month, but he is yet to sign for a new club. He has been offered a new £200k-per-week deal and there is growing hope within the club that the attacker will accept.

However, Zaha has attracted interest from Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain, Lazio, Fenerbahce, and Al-Nassr.

The Saudi Arabian raid of Liverpool’s midfield, which sees Jordan Henderson and Fabinho on the verge of departure, has also had direct implications on Palace, as the Merseyside outfit have expressed a keenness to sign Cheick Doucoure. Meanwhile, Chelsea are reportedly eyeing up a sensational comeback for Marc Guehi after the confirmation of Wesley Fofana’s long-term injury.

Nevertheless, the south Londoners must juggle their priorities and avoid the same, unwanted fate as Leicester City by adding insufficient quality to the squad.

Last year, the Foxes lost club servant and captain Kasper Schmeichel, and their failure to replace him was arguably one of the catalysts for their surprise relegation.

Therefore, the Eagles have targeted David Soria as a possible new arrival, who could replace Vicente Guaita in goal.

What’s the latest on David Soria to Crystal Palace?

According to Marca (via Sport Witness), Palace have registered an interest in the Getafe goalkeeper as a possible replacement for Guaita, who is being eyed up by the La Liga outfit themselves should Soria move on.

Although it appears that a simple swap deal could be organised, the Eagles are being rivalled by Nottingham Forest for Soria’s signature as Steve Cooper’s side seeks a new No 1 after losing Keylor Navas and Dean Henderson.

Meanwhile, Guaita is in the final year of his deal at Selhurst Park after signing a new contract in January, so could be available on the cheap.

Would David Soria be a good signing for Crystal Palace?

The 30-year-old has a weird and wonderful career path that could eventually culminate in a Premier League switch. The Spaniard finished his youth career with Real Madrid, and following his release, he had unsuccessful stints at Leicester, Birmingham City, and Stoke City before returning to his homeland.

Soria was then second-choice at Sevilla before sealing a move to Getafe in 2018, where he has become one of the club’s most reliable and important performers. He has made 185 appearances in all competitions, keeping 68 clean sheets.

Last season in La Liga, he really excelled as he started every game and racked up 13 clean sheets, which was the third-highest figure in the division.

The £25k-per-week ace is arguably a far more reliable option than Guaita, as he outranks him in various metrics including goals against (1.18 vs 1.26), save percentage (75.3% vs 72.4%) and clean sheet percentage per 90 (50.0% vs 22.2%), as well as percentage of passes launched (75.1% vs 34.5%).

It therefore seems a logical option for Steve Parish to replace the 36-year-old with a more solid and technically astute option in Soria.

Manchester United are extremely active in the transfer market after having a slow start to their recruitment drive this summer, with only Andre Onana and Mason Mount joining so far.

The Red Devils have moves for Rasmus Hojlund and Sofyan Amrabat reportedly in the works, with Erik ten Hag eager to strengthen his team ahead of their return to Champions League football and challenge for trophies once again next season.

Whilst incomings are desperately needed at Old Trafford, there is still a strong desire to offload the players who aren't in the future plans of the Dutch coach with many fringe players put up for sale this summer.

One of those players was former club captain and centre-back Harry Maguire, who has found himself falling out of favour since the arrival of Ten Hag last summer, and now it is looking like he may end his nightmare tenure with Man United once and for all.

Will Harry Maguire be sold this summer?

According to BBC Sport, Man United have rejected a £20m bid from West Ham United for the England centre-back.

Hammers boss David Moyes is eager to snap up the services of Maguire this summer and with over £100m to spend following Declan Rice's departure is clearly keen to strengthen his squad in key areas.

The Manchester giants are willing to listen to offers that meet their valuation, but only if Maguire is keen to leave the club this summer.

The approach from West Ham comes just a few days after it was revealed by Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg that Benjamin Pavard is a target for Man United:

"Benjamin #Pavard, he still wants to leave FC Bayern this summer as he has no intention to extend his contract beyond 2024.

"It’s still a race between Man City, Man Utd and Juventus at this stage. Swap deal with Kyle Walker has been no hot topic in the last days. #MCFC"

"Bayern bosses are waiting for a concrete offer. @SkySportDE".

How good is Benjamin Pavard?

Bringing in a replacement for Maguire wouldn't be essential, but would be massively advantageous to add quality depth into the defensive set-up at Old Trafford.

In contrast to Maguire, the 27-year-old titan ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, shots in total, shot-creating actions, progressive passes, progressive carries, touches and tackles, demonstrating that he is an attacking-minded defender who would suit the style of play Ten Hag is keen to encourage.

Not only that, Pavard boasts many similarities to Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, a player who has been a huge success in English football with a Premier League title, FA Cup and League Cup to his name in domestic competition, as well as a Champions League, suggesting that Pavard could also be perfectly suited in the top-flight.

According to Opta's Player Radar, the Netherlands captain is one of the most comparable players to the World Cup winner, demonstrating a likeness in their strong abilities in possession and in dominating opponents.

Those traits are shown by the fact that Pavard ranks among the very best for touches made among his European peers – showcasing his willingness to get on the ball at every opportunity – as well as in the top 26% for possession won, while Van Dijk ranks in the top 2% and the top 36% in those same two metrics.

Unsurprisingly, Pavard – who has a reported €30m (£26m) price tag – has been the recipient of high praise over his impressive career so far, with Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel waxing lyrical about the Frenchman:

"He is an underrated player. He can adapt to the highest level and he defends rigorously. He is a top team player, he immediately had my confidence and proved to me that I had been right."

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Man United to sign Pavard this summer, especially if they can offload Maguire in the process, as he would not only be a worthy successor, but an instant upgrade due to his ability to play efficiently in Ten Hag's system.

Chelsea are ready to make an offer of €40m (£35m) for Lyon midfielder Rayan Cherki, having recently held talks with his representatives in London, according to a report from Football Transfers.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

Following Wesley Fofana's recent ACL injury, Mauricio Pochettino may be interested in signing a new defender, and Real Betis' Luiz Felipe has now emerged as a target, amid West Ham United's stalling talks with the Spanish club.

However, bringing in a new central midfielder is also of importance to the Blues, and Fabrizio Romano has confirmed they are still pursuing the Brighton & Hove Albion star, saying:

"There are conversations over around £70million as a guaranteed fee, plus add-ons. This is not enough to convince Brighton, so I think Chelsea will go there with a new verbal proposal and they will try to get this deal done this week."

While Caicedo could be brought in to play a defensive role, having predominantly featured in a deeper position throughout his career so far, Chelsea still remain keen on an attacking midfielder, and Flamengo's Matheus Franca is a potential option.

The Blues reportedly submitted an opening bid for the 19-year-old earlier this week, with Todd Boehly willing to pay the Brazilian club's €25m (£21m) asking price, though it is unclear whether any progress has been made towards securing his signature.

As such, the west Londoners could move on to other targets, and Football Transfers reports they are now ready to offer €40m (£35m) for Lyon midfielder Cherki, who can play in an advanced midfield role, and on both wings.

The Blues have recently held talks with the 19-year-old's representatives in London, but they may face competition for his signature from Tottenham, who have also been in discussions over a potential summer move.

Lyon are facing financial difficulties, and receiving a big transfer fee would ease their problems, so they may be open to a transfer this summer.

How good is Rayan Cherki?

The starlet was hailed as a "magnificent talent" by football scout Jacek Kulig last month, after an impressive performance for France U21s against Switzerland, scoring a goal and completing five of the six dribbles he attempted.

At club level, the youngster has been just as impressive, solidifying his place in the Lyon starting XI last season by making 34 league appearances, during which time he registered a total of ten goal contributions.

It is very impressive that the Frenchman has already made 102 first-team appearances for Lyon, and his performances last season indicate he may be ready to take the next step in his career.

With Christian Pulisic recently joining AC Milan, the Blues may be in need of a new option in attacking midfield, and the Lyon star could be a fantastic acquisition, considering his dribbling ability, ranking in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 in the past year.

Cherki has been quality for Lyon, particularly last season, and his first-team experience means he would immediately be able to challenge for a place in the Chelsea starting XI.

A major update has emerged on Sunderland's pursuit of another centre-forward option to add to Tony Mowbray's arsenal ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest Sunderland transfer news?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Black Cats have agreed a deal with Sochaux to sign Spanish striker Eliezer Mayenda.

The reporter has claimed that the 18-year-old prodigy will sign with the Championship outfit on Friday, with sporting director Kristjaan Speakman now on the verge of completing the side's sixth piece of incoming business during the summer transfer window.

It has been reported, by The Telegraph's Mike McGrath, that the club are set to pay a fee within the region of €1.2m (£1m) for his services.

He will join Jenson Seelt, Jobe Bellingham, Bradley Dack, Luis Semedo, and Nectarios Triantis as one of the fresh faces at the Stadium of Light next season.

How many goals did Eliezer Mayenda score last season?

The talented teenager scored one goal in 15 Ligue 2 appearances for his team, which is not an impressive return from the Spanish dynamo at face value.

However, the left-footed prospect only started one match for Sochaux and played 285 minutes in total. This means that he did not get much time on the pitch to make an impact but was still able to net his first professional goal.

Mayenda would arrive as Sunderland's only striker with senior experience under his belt ahead of the opening day clash with Ipswich Town, as Semedo is yet to play a competitive first-team game in his career and Ross Stewart will not be fit in time to feature.

This could result in him being tasked with leading the line against the Tractor Boys and Mowbray could help him out by starting new signing Dack, who arrived on a free transfer on Thursday, alongside him.

The former Blackburn Rovers magician is an experienced Championship campaigner who could help the teenage ace through the match, whilst also having the quality to strike up an excellent partnership with him.

Dack, who scored seven goals in 34 games last season, racked up 57 goals and 28 assists across 173 outings for his last club and has played 116 second-tier clashes throughout his career.

The 29-year-old has scored nine or more league goals in five seasons at Championship and League One level combined, which suggests that he has the potential to be a huge goal threat for Sunderland, as only Amad Diallo (14) and Stewart (ten) hit double figures last term.

These statistics indicate that Dack could be a dream attacking midfielder to deploy behind Mayenda on the opening day as his experience and quality could ease the pressure off the 18-year-old talent's shoulders.

The Sochaux marksman, who was hailed as "strong" by journalist Josh Bunting, scored three goals in five outings for his current side's B team last season but there is no guarantee that he will be able to translate that form over to senior football in England.

Therefore, playing him in front of a proven Championship performer who knows how to find the back of the net could be the dream scenario for Mayenda. Dack could provide the Spain U17 international with someone to lean and rely on throughout the game, in order to help him settle into life at that level.