RESULTS & FIXTURES
Toffees coach Ancelotti on the brink of sealing deals for Real Madrid star Rodriguez & Napoli ace Allan
T20 BLAST - NORTH GROUP Derbyshire v Lancashire (Emerald Headingley): Lancashire 1785.
Leicestershire v Durham (Emerald Headingley): Leicestershire 177-6. Durham 147-8. Leics (2pts) beat Durham by 30 runs. Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire (Trent Bridge): Yorkshire 190. Nottinghamshire 194-4. Notts (2pts) beat Yorkshire by 6 wickets. CENTRAL GROUP Gloucestershire v Worcestershire (New Road): Gloucestershire 197-3. Worcestershire 175-8. Gloucs (2pts) beat Worcs by 22 runs.
TOUR DE FRANCE Standings after Stage 3: 1J Alaphilippe (Fra) DeceuninckQuickstep 13hrs 59mins 17secs, 2 A Yates (Gbr) MitcheltonScott at 4s, 3 M Hirschi (Swi) Team Sunweb at 7secs. Selected: 6 E A Bernal (Col) Ineos Grenadiers at 17secs.
GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP BATH 23 WASPS 27 Bath—T: McConnochie, Walker. C: Priestland (2). P: Priestland (3). Wasps—T: Umaga, West. C: Umaga (2). P: Sopoaga, Umaga.
LONDON IRISH 12 SARACENS 40 London Irish—T: Creevy, Williams. C: J. Atkins. Saracens—T: George (2), Barritt, B. Vunipola, Barrington (2). C: M. Vunipola (5).
US OPEN, Flushing Meadows Selected results: Men’s 1st rnd: (27) B Coric (Cro) bt P Andujar (Spa) 7-5 6-3 6-1, E Gerasimov (Blr) bt (18) D Lajovic (Ser) 6-1 4-6 6-4 6-4, C Norrie (Gbr) bt (9) D S Schwartzman (Arg) 3-6 4-6 6-2 6-1 7-5. Women’s 1st rnd: (1) K Pliskova (Cze) bt A Kalinina (Ukr) 6-4 6-0, (17) A Kerber (Ger) bt A Tomljanovic (Aus) 6-4 6-4, (12) M Vondrousova (Cze) bt G Minnen (Bel) 6-1 6-4, (30) K Mladenovic (Fra) bt H Baptiste (USA) 7-5 6-2, (6) P Kvitova (Cze) bt I Begu (Rom) 6-3 6-2.
(7.45 unless stated) Leasing.com Trophy Northern Group A
Carlisle v Fleetwood Town (7) Southern Group G
AFC Wimbledon v Charlton (5.30) Friendly Match
Birmingham v Walsall (3) Blackburn v Everton (6) Rotherham v Burton Albion Swansea v Forest Green (1) Middlesbrough v Newcastle (3) Millwall v Crystal Palace (2) Reading v West Ham (4) Derby v Sheff Utd (5) Preston v Burnley (12) Brentford v Oxford Utd (3)
Third Twenty20 International: England v Pakistan (Emirates Old Trafford, 6pm). t20 Blast - Central Group: Northants v Warwickshire (Northampton, 6.30), Somerset v Glamorgan (Taunton, 6.30). South Group: Essex v Hampshire (Chelmsford, 2pm), Kent v Surrey (Canterbury, 2pm), Middlesex v Sussex (Lord’s, 6.15).
Tour de France
EVERTON have received a double boost in their audacious moves for Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez and Napoli’s Allan.
Rodriguez was absent from Real’s return to training yesterday, as he moves closer to completing his switch to the Premier League.
And Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis claims Brazil star Allan’s £25million switch to Goodison Park should be announced soon.
Attacking midfielder Rodriguez, 29, was missing when Zinedine Zidane’s squad assembled at their Valdebebas training HQ yesterday, to be tested for Covid-19 and begin their preparations for the new season.
The Toffees are finalising the terms of his move from Real and the Spanish giants want around £22m for Rodriguez. The Colombian has entered the final year of his deal at the Bernabeu and Everton hope to sign him for less than that.
They are increasingly confident of securing Rodriguez because all three parties want the transfer to happen and he could have his medical on Merseyside this week.
Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti managed him at Real, when he joined for £71m from Monaco in 2014, and during his first loan spell at Bayern Munich. He persuaded him to move to Merseyside in a phone call last week.
Rodriguez, who starred in the 2014 World Cup, believes he can rekindle his career in the Premier League after a difficult time at the Bernabeu. He scored just once in 14 appearances last season.
In the past, Rodriguez has spoken of his desire to come to England after playing in Portugal, France, Spain and Germany. “Going to England would be a good thing, it’s a top league,” he said previously.
Ancelotti will also be reunited with Allan at Goodison – he spent 18 months working with the Brazil midfielder at Napoli before his sacking last December.
De Laurentiis, who had previously said Everton would not breach Napoli’s “impenetrable armour” to sign Allan, also 29, claims the club have said goodbye to the South American.
“We are at the final greetings,” De Laurentiis said. “Allan will go to Everton. It will be announced soon.”