Newcastle United are on the lookout for a signing to fill a Sandro Tonali-shaped void, and Ruben Neves is now not the only Saudi League star being thrown into the mix.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies have been forced into the market once the January transfer window opens, with Tonali's ten-month ban acting as a huge blow for Eddie Howe.

The Italian will be suspended for the remainder of the season, and also miss Euro 2024 with Italy, and it suddenly leaves a gaping void in Newcastle's midfield at a time when they are looking to progress in the Champions League and secure another top-finish in the Premier League.

Unsurprisingly, the Magpies are working hard on finding an ideal replacement for Tonali, with a loan signing in January looking the most likely outcome. Manchester City and England midfielder Kalvin Phillips has emerged as one player who has been linked with a move to St James' Park, while former Wolves ace Ruben Neves is another contender to come in.

One more name has now been added to the list, too, as a report from talkSPORT name-checked a World Cup winner.

Newcastle linked with N'Golo Kante

According to a Newcastle transfer update from talkSPORT, Chelsea legend N'Golo Kante could be an alternative option to Neves in January:

"It is thought the Magpies, who are also tracking out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, cannot afford a permanent replacement for Tonali in January due to FFP restrictions.

"Ex-Chelsea ace N’Golo Kante is another player who could come into Newcastle’s thinking as he turns out for PIF-owned Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League."

Kante would be an intriguing signing by Newcastle, with the Frenchman a genuinely iconic player in his defensive midfield role down the years, proving to be one of the best players in his position in Premier League history.

The 32-year-old has enjoyed a stunning career, with Kante's trophy haul perfectly illustrating the success that he has had, with two Premier League titles and one Champions League crown coming his way, not to mention the small matter of winning the 2018 World Cup with France.

Kante earns approximately £21.5m a year at Al-Ittihad, and while he isn't quite the force he once was, with age and injuries catching up with him in recent years, he is someone who could still do a good job for Newcastle, providing energy and quality in the middle of the park.

The France international is a hugely experienced figure, too, which could stand the Magpies in good stead during the business end of the season, and he is someone who has been lauded by Joe Cole, who once said he was even better than Claude Makelele:

"Kante's staggering. I'm shattered just watching him. I played against him in one of my last games. I played with Makelele who I thought was the best until I saw this kid. He's got Makelele plus extras."

Tackling

Aerial duels

Interceptions

Past his best

Passing

Injury-prone

The positives certainly outweigh the negatives when it comes to Newcastle signing Kante, with a loan move until the end of the season making sense. Phillips and Neves are younger options, however, so could be better choices if a long-term deal is on the table.

MatériaMais Notícias

Aprovado há quase dois meses pelo Conselho Deliberativo, o acordo entre Santos e Huachipato pela “devolução” do atacante Soteldo e consequente perdão de uma dívida de 3,5 milhões de dólares (R$ 18,3 milhões) ainda não avançou. Contudo, o presidente santista, Orlando Rollo, acredita que o negócio está próximo de ser finalizado.

O Peixe nunca pagou a quantia acordada pela compra de Soteldo, em janeiro de 2019, e está bloqueado de realizar novos registros de atletas por conta desta pendência. Além disso, o clube chileno retiraria uma pendência de 7,2 milhões de dólares (R$ 37 milhões) e ainda pagaria 1 milhão de reais diretamente ao atacante, por pendências que o Alvinegro possui com o jogador.

Para Rollo, a demora na resolução do acordo se deu pelo fato dos advogados da equipe do Chile tentarem adicionar cláusulas que não haviam sido combinadas inicialmente.

-Situação complicada, contrato exige o ok do Huachipato do Chile, Santos no Brasil, agente na Venezuela. É burocrático. Huachipato tentou mudar algumas vezes o que foi acordado. Não é culpa deles, clubes tentam melhorar condição. E não está acostumado com a dinâmica do Conselho do Santos. Difícil eles acreditarem neste sistema, gera desgaste. Não é dolo do Huachipato, está praticamente resolvido e devemos resolver nos próximos dias – afirmou Orlando.

> Confira aqui a classificação do Campeonato Brasileiro

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Caso o negócio se concretize nos próximo dias, Soteldo volataria a pertencer integralmente ao Huachipato, mas permaneceria no Peixe, mas por empréstimo, até que os chilenos encontrassem um clube para negociar o camisa 10. Mesmo assim, Rollo é otimista que o atacante venezuelano fique no Peixe por mais algum tempo.

– Isso não dá para prever ainda. Atleta tem vontade de permanecer. Enquanto não chegar proposta oficial, permanece jogando no Santos. Não chegou proposta e nem sondagem. Deve ficar no Santos – disse o mandatário santista.

Soteldo é um dos principais jogadores do Peixe. Com quase dois anos de clube, ele tem 85 jogos e 17 gols marcados, sendo cinco nesta temporada. O camisa 10 anotou pelo menos um tento em todas as competições que jogou pelo Alvinegro.

* Sob supervisão de Vinícius Perazzini

After finding no takers in the 2014 IPL auction, Hanuma Vihari signed up with Hutton CC in the Essex league in England. During his time off, he was in the stands for the Lord’s Test that year, soaking in Ajinkya Rahane’s counterattacking century. Four years later at The Oval, he would walk in to bat after Rahane was dismissed.After overcoming early jitters, he made a fifty on Test debut and claimed three wickets to boot. He could not break into the XI for the home series against West Indies that followed, but celebrated his 25th birthday with the side. Some turnaround, eh?”It was a wonderful Test where Ajinkya [Rahane] got that hundred. I think I went to watch the second day, but after four years actually me representing India was also wonderful. It was a great feeling,” Vihari gushed on the sidelines of the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final between Andhra and Hyderabad at the Just Cricket Academy Ground in Bengaluru.

Hanuma Vihari on:

From being a Rayudu fan to playing against him: “It is very special. Once I look at at those memories of watching Rayudu bat when I was a kid in Hyderabad… He’s a great batsman and in my opinion he’s one of the best in the county because the amount of time he has when he plays I still admire him a lot. Great fun playing against him.”
Captaining Andhra: “It made me think about the game more. Once you think about the game more, it will help your batting as well. You know what the bowler is exactly trying to do, it’s a great honour to be captaining Andhra. It’s a wonderful team and we’ve been playing wonderful cricket in the last two years.”

“Sharing the dressing room with them on my birthday was very special. Because it was my first birthday after coming into the national side and everyone greeted me well.”Vihari had started out being a nervous wreck in his early exchanges at The Oval. He fell over his front foot and was pinned plumb in front for a duck by Stuart Broad. But umpire Joel Wilson shot down the appeal, and England didn’t review either, handing Vihari a lifeline. Broad kept targetting his pads with booming inswingers, but a piece of advice from captain Virat Kohli helped him weather that burst.”I was just looking to get the runs to get the deficit down and obviously having Virat at the other end helped because he gave me clues of what Broad was doing,” Vihari said. “I was making adjustments with my front foot because he [Broad] was getting it in quite sharply. I [opened my stance], giving more space with my front foot and those were the adjustments I made to ensure I counter the inswing.Vihari picked out his straight drive off left-arm seamer Sam Curran as the shot that made him believe he “belonged here”.”That was the moment where I got confidence because if you move your feet in and drive the ball, you get your eye in,” he said. “Those are one of the moments you need in international cricket to be confident about yourself.”Vihari wasn’t as confident when he went unsold in the 2014 auction. He did get another gig with Sunrisers Hyderabad the next season, but he blew it by tallying just 39 runs in four innings. He hasn’t been part of the IPL since.”He was always talented but there was a time when he wasn’t getting the opportunity,” Vihari’s former coach at Andhra, and current India Under-19 bowling coach Sanath Kumar said. “He wasn’t getting recognition and he wasn’t even getting picked up for the IPL. All those things – and some bad experiences in Hyderabad – weighed on his mind and he started doubting himself. “Such setbacks have defined Vihari’s career. He lost his father in 2005 when he was 12 and was later dropped from Under-13s state side. He hadn’t been selected for the 2012 Under-19 World Cup either, but was eventually picked as a last-minute replacement for the injured Manan Vohra.”These setbacks have made me a better person,” he said. “Once you reflect on it, it will make you more humble and whatever you achieve, you have to keep going consistently and not relax or get complacent. But those are things, which make you stronger. If you are strong enough, it can make you a stronger person. Otherwise, you crumble. That is the choice I had. Every international player has a story. This is my story.”He has added another chapter to his story by unlocking his power game in limited-overs cricket. It was on display against Hyderabad on Monday: he cracked four sixes in his 99-ball 95, including three that went out of the ground. He also was central to Andhra qualifying for the semi-finals in the 2017-18 Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 378 runs in eight innings at an average of 54 and strike-rate of 103.84. Only his Andhra team-mate KS Bharat, Saurashtra’s Cheteshwar Pujara and Karnataka’s Mayank Agarwal had made more runs than him in that season.”My mindset has also changed in limited-overs cricket. I want to be more aggressive,” Vihari said. “I have a formula in the four-day format, which I don’t want to change much. But in the one-dayers and T20s, I want to be more expressive; I know I have the shots. I want to be the X-factor in the team. I just don’t want to contribute to the team score but I also want to win matches. With my game, I want to create some fear in the opposition when I’m there in the crease.”

بدأ نادي ريال سوسيداد المنافس في بطولة الدوري الإسباني البحث عن بدائل لتدعيم خط الدفاع بعد تأكد رحيل، روبن لو نورماند، إلى أتلتيكو مدريد.

وأعلن أتلتيكو مدريد أمس، السبت، عن تعاقده مع لو نورماند من ريال سوسيداد وسيكمل الصفقة بعد عودة اللاعب من إجازته الصيفية عقب فوزه ببطولة كأس أمم أوروبا، يورو 2024.

وبالتالي، أصبح ريال سوسيداد في حاجة كبيرة لضم مدافع جديد وبحسب صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الكتالونية، أن هناك اهتمامًا بالتعاقد مع كيلموه لينجليه.

اقرأ أيضًا.. برشلونة يحدد سعر بيع فيتور روكي لـ الهلال السعودي

ويعد لينجليه أحد المدافعين المطلوب رحيلهم في برشلونة للاستفادة المادية قبل انتهاء عقده في 30 يونيو 2026، ولكن المشكلة هي راتب اللاعب.

اهتمام ريال سوسيداد بضم الفرنسي لم يتخط تلك المرحلة، وبالتالي اللاعب لا يعرف أي شيء عن ذلك ولكن إذا وصل عرض رسمي سيتم دراسته على المستويين الرياضي والاقتصادي.

وكان لينجليه قد لعب في الموسم الماضي معارًا مع أستون فيلا ولكنه عاد من جديد إلى برشلونة وقبله كان بنفس النظام مع توتنهام.

وهناك اهتمام من جانب بعض الأندية السعودية لضم الفرنسي ولكن لينجليه لا يفكر في تلك الخطوة بالوقت الحالي رغم المغريات المادية.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is now seriously considering adding another high-profile player to his ranks in January to bolster his side's chances of continental qualification, according to a report.

Aston Villa latest news…

Villa extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to six matches on the bounce on Sunday by convincingly disposing of Luton Town 3-1 at Villa Park, courtesy of strikes from John McGinn, Moussa Diaby and an own goal from Tom Lockyer. The Villans occupy fifth position in the Premier League standings, having taken 22 points from their first ten encounters in the English top-flight, sitting four points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur.

In the aftermath of the fixture, Emery was asked about whether the Villans can mount a challenge for the top four, to which he responded: "We are going to play Newcastle and Liverpool at home and maybe we can change the matches we play. When we lost against Newcastle and Liverpool, I told the players, ‘I want to reduce the distance they showed to us when we play them at home."

"Those matches will show if it is possible or not (to finish in the top four). We have to face each match playing three points against each team."

Next up for Aston Villa is an away clash against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, in a fixture which could provide a platform for Aston Villa to move into Champions League contention at the City Ground. With added pressure comes extra expectation to perform. However, Aston Villa's rapid rise to prominence under Emery will also be considered an attractive proposition for potential arrivals to immerse themselves in. That said, Aston Villa owners NSWE are now reportedly in the hunt to bring in a talented midfielder to bolster their squad in January, according to a fresh report.

Aston Villa's next five fixtures – all competitions
Competition	Opponent	Venue
Premier League	Nottingham Forest (A)	City Ground
Europa Conference League	AZ Alkmaar (H)	Villa Park
Premier League	Fulham (H)	Villa Park
Premier League	Tottenham Hotspur (A)	Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Europa Conference League	Legia Warsaw (H)	Villa Park

Aston Villa keen on Exequiel Palacios

According to a transfer update from TNT Sports, Aston Villa are keen to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Exequiel Palacios, who are yet to lose a single game he has featured in this campaign in all competitions for the Bundesliga outfit and sit top of the table.

Exequiel Palacios stats 2023/24 – all competitions
Appearances	12
Goals	2
Assists	1
Wins featured in	11
Draws featured in	1
Losses	0
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

The report states that the Villans could face stiff competition to sign the Argentina international, who is also being tracked by Manchester City and Newcastle United.

Palacios, who has been dubbed "exceptional" by Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes, has also averaged around 2.2 successful tackles and two interceptions per match this term in the German top-flight (Palacios statistics – WhoScored). Aston Villa already have an abundance of exciting midfield talent; nevertheless, one more quality addition in the engine room won't hurt as Emery seeks to compete on both domestic and European fronts.

Mikel Arteta says his Arsenal players have been "missing" each other over the international break and is relishing a "beautiful" end to the season.

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Arsenal players return from international dutyArteta says squad's bond is very strongManager relishing final stretch of the seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

Gunners boss Arteta says his players are chomping at the bit for the Premier League run-in and the bond between the squad is very strong as they "missed" spending time with the group while they were away with their respective countries.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MIKEL ARTETA SAID

He told Sky Sports: "I saw the players walking into the building yesterday after the international break and they were excited, the energy was so positive and that is exactly what I want to see. It means they've been missing spending time with each other and I know that for a fact. They were happy to be back and that is a huge compliment to everybody who works at Arsenal, the staff as well. Now they know what is coming and they are ready for it. The most beautiful part of the season is still to play for."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Arsenal's clash with defending Premier League champions City on Sunday afternoon is potentially a season-defining encounter. Pep Guardiola's men, who are currently third in the table, hauled in the Gunners last season but the table-topping north London outfit will be determined to prove they have more steeliness to lift the trophy this time out. A win for the Cityzens could take them top if Liverpool fail to beat Brighton on Sunday but victory for the visitors will see them open up a four point gap on City.

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WHAT NEXT?

Following this heavyweight clash in Manchester at 4.30pm, Guardiola's men host Champions League-chasing Aston Villa at the Etihad on Wednesday night, whereas Arsenal entertain relegation-threatened Luton Town on the same date.

Glasgow Rangers are enjoying life under new manager Philippe Clement, winning four and drawing one of his first five matches in charge.

The victory against Hearts at Hampden in the League Cup semi-final on the weekend takes the Gers through to their third final in the competition across the previous five years, but they have yet to taste victory.

This could change under the Belgian, especially with the way the Gers are currently playing. In just five matches, the club have scored 14 goals and conceded only two, indicating that the new manager has given the players plenty of freedom to explore their attacking talents and long may this continue.

One of the most pleasing aspects of this new-found confidence in the team is how Clement has managed to get a tune out of players who were clearly struggling under Michael Beale.

Sam Lammers scored just once under Beale, yet he put in arguably his finest display for the club against Dundee last week, scoring a screamer from the edge of the box while also registering an assist and with a few more performances like that, he could turn his Gers career around.

Scott Wright has also looked lively since Clement has taken over the Ibrox hot seat, even scoring against Hearts at Hampden in the League Cup semi-final, his first goal since the Scottish Cup final 18 months ago.

The 49-year-old could certainly do some business in the January transfer window and one striker has been touted for a potential swoop.

Rangers transfer news

It's no secret that the Gers have struggled with their attacking options during the early part of the season as Cyriel Dessers was off form and Danilo suffered a fractured cheekbone in September.

With this in mind, could the Light Blues make a move for another centre-forward during the winter transfer window? Kris Boyd certainly believes so.

The former Rangers striker was discussing Aberdeen’s Bojan Miovski, suggesting that the Ibrox side should take a closer look at him.

“When it comes to Aberdeen, they probably have the best striker out of the lot.” Boyd said in the Scottish Sun (via Football Scotland).

“Miovski has impressed me a lot since he joined the club. And the more I see of the North Macedonia international, the more I have to think the Dons are lucky to still have him at the club.

"Put it this way, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was to be sold in the January window. That’s not something Dons fans will want to hear, especially where they are sitting right now. But Miovski’s displays at home and in Europe are certain to have attracted attention.

“If Rangers are looking for a new hitman in January then they could do an awful lot worse than making an attempt to sign him. I know, the chances of Aberdeen selling their best player to Gers are highly unlikely.”

Although perhaps a tad unrealistic in January, there is no reason why the Light Blues can't make a move for the striker in the near future, and he is certainly performing better than Dessers at the moment.

Cyriel Dessers' numbers this season

The Nigeria international cost £4.5m during the summer transfer window yet has failed to live up to this price tag so far.

Across 20 matches for Rangers, he has scored just four goals along with registering three assists and unless he can boost this tally in the coming weeks, his future at Ibrox may be rather bleak.

Dessers currently ranks first across the squad for big chances missed in the Premiership (ten), while he also ranks seventh for big chances created (two) and tenth for successful dribbles per game (0.5), suggesting that he hasn’t quite made the desired impact over the first few months of the season.

Games Played

10

Goals Scored

3

Shots per game

2.6

Goal Conversion

12%

Big chances created

2

Key passes per game

1.2

Successful Dribbles

38%

Ground Duels Won

21%

Aerial Duels Won

50%

Stats via Sofascore.

Clement could change things of course and given the 28-year-old a new lease of life, yet in five games under the Belgian, Dessers has managed to find the back of the net just once, against Dundee last week.

Danilo looks like the real deal however, yet Clement can't aim for success having just one striker in form and this may lead to some action in the January transfer window and Miovski could be an ideal candidate.

Bojan Miovski’s season in numbers

The North Macedonian forward arrived in Scotland during the summer of 2022 as Aberdeen looked to bolster their attacking options, and he certainly hit the ground running during his first season in the north-east.

Goals

16

4

Assists

2

1

Shots on target per game

1

0.9

Big chances created

6

1

Scoring frequency

181 minutes

208 minutes

Stats via Sofascore

Not only did he rank first across the Dons squad for goals and assists in the top flight (18), but the striker also ranked first for shots on target per game (one), second for big chances created (six) and for goal frequency (a goal every 181 minutes) as he enjoyed a stellar campaign.

The 6 foot 2 gem has continued this form into the current season, and he has already netted ten goals in just 18 matches, chipping in with three assists too, while he scored the winner against Hibs to send Aberdeen to the League Cup final against the Gers next month.

The £1.2m-rated finisher – as per Football Transfers – was praised by journalist Filip Mishov for his match-winning striker on the weekend, who said: “Clutch striker! The first touch, the run and the composed finish, class… Bojan Miovski is going to the very top, what a moment for the #Macedonian and #AberdeenFC, unreal!”

He certainly knows where the back of the net is and his experience of Scottish football would stand him in good stead should the Light Blues actually make a concrete move for him.

There is no doubt he could be a success, especially with a much higher quality of player surrounding him at Ibrox compared to Aberdeen.

He would be presented with a plethora of chances and judging by his scoring statistics over the previous 18 months, he would excel at putting them away with ease.

Clement will need to try and bring the best out in Dessers, otherwise, the former Feyenoord hitman could be braced for a short spell in Glasgow.

Erik ten Hag has admitted that Manchester United's injury list will play a major role in the team's chances of qualifying for the Champions League.

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• Man Utd will struggle, admits Ten Hag
• Small chance of qualifying for Champions League
• Blames injury crisis for their poor results

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After giving up a late goal to drop two points away at Brentford on Saturday, United are now nine points behind fifth-placed Tottenham and 11 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa. The Dutchman has admitted that qualifying for the Champions League could prove to be very difficult owing to the growing injury list.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT TEN HAG SAID

  Speaking to the media, Ten Hag said: "I have high standards and I will be disappointed if we don’t qualify. I know it will be very difficult because we are not in a good position. But we want to win every game and that is the standard we have among each other and we will keep going and keep being in belief and having that standard. That will be the approach in every game.

  "We will keep fighting until the end, but I know we are not in a good position. We have to catch up and I know we have had a lot of problems and I am a realistic man in a competition that is so competitive and the teams are so close in levels to each other."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez became United's two most recent defenders to have muscular issues. The team declared on Tuesday that they will be absent for a minimum of one month. The campaign has been marred by injuries for Ten Hag's team. The Dutchman will be happy to see Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans back in training with Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw also out for at least the next week.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG?

  The Dutchman will lead his side against Chelsea later tonight when they travel to Stamford Bridge with the club looking to regain their lost form.

On the pitch, West Bromwich Albion have caught the eye this season and look likely to find themselves in the race for the Championship play-off places. Carlos Corberan's side sit as high as fifth and ten points behind Ipswich Town in the automatic promotion spot, meaning that they'll likely have to battle for a place at Wembley if they are to return to the Premier League this season.

If those at The Hawthorns saw their side's form on the pitch replicated away from it, then automatic promotion may well be a serious conversation. But that is far from the case, with current owner Lai Guochuan quickly becoming unpopular amid debt and lack of investment. There is at least some good news to come, however, with one reliable reporter providing a major update on West Brom's potential takeover.

West Brom takeover news

Enduring financial troubles under Lai, who has reportedly failed to pay back £10m in loans, West Brom are in desperate need of a fresh start to match their recent run on the pitch. If Corberan can receive some form of backing to welcome reinforcements into his side, then he may well take the Baggies to a new level, given that he's already taken them into the top five under the current ownership.

He could yet get that backing too. According to Tom Collomosse, West Brom are in discussions with at least two potential buyers, including one believed to be based in the USA. Reportedly priced at £60m, the Midlands club are seemingly edging closer to a takeover.

As per Collomose, takeover specialist David Hinchcliffe, who has advised on deals for both Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, was recently in attendance in the directors' box, as West Brom defeated Hull City. Those at The Hawthorns will hope that this is the start of some good news and the beginning of the end of Lai's ownership of the club.

West Brom edge closer to takeover

As the fixtures come thick and fast for Corberan's side, the ideal scenario would be for any potential takeover to reach a conclusion as soon as possible. And reports certainly suggest that things are at least heading in the right direction, albeit without an idea as to just who the new West Brom owners will eventually be.

Corberan recently addressed the potential takeover and whether it will play a part in his side's form, telling the Birmingham Mail: "I don't like to think to change the circumstances that I am working, I know I have these circumstances and what we need to do is get the best from these circumstances.

"We are here for a reason and I always say to the players this is our moment to be part of the history of West Bromwich Albion, depending on which type of history we're going to write in the club. I think when life challenges us with difficulty and football challenges us with difficulty, the only way that you have to beat the difficulty is to face it give your best, and be the most creative you can be to find solutions that you need to and have the responsibility to find.

"Because that is the only thing you can do – to take responsibility is to change the situation. You need to understand that in football and life we all like to live the best moment but sometimes in the challenging one is where you really grow and you need to be the coach you need to be."

Vinod Rai says he’s just ensuring “due process of law” is followed with relation to the sexual-harassment allegations against the BCCI CEO

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Nov-2018Vinod Rai, the chairman of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) that is overseeing the BCCI, has categorically denied that he acted unilaterally in dealing with the controversy surrounding the sexual-harassment allegations raised by an anonymous person against BCCI chief executive officer Rahul Johri.Rai’s role came into focus after it emerged that Diana Edulji, the other half of the Supreme Court appointed CoA, had differed sharply on the issue and had wanted Johri’s contract to be terminated without an inquiry, which was eventually instituted on Rai’s insistence.However, the three-member independent inquiry committee itself was required to be reconstituted even before it had begun its work, after it emerged that one of the original panelists, former CBI director PC Sharma, whose son is on a retainer with the BCCI, had a conflict of interest. Human rights activist Veena Gowda, who is also a member of BCCI’s Internal Complaints Committee, eventually replaced Sharma. The panel, which now comprises two women, has been given a fortnight to draw a conclusion during which Johri will remain on leave.Curiously, it has now emerged that Johri, even though he has not reported to work since the allegation surfaced on Twitter as part of the #MeToo movement, continues to be part of official email communications. He wrote an email to CoA among others on Wednesday, and has been marked on several other official mails. It was explained to ESPNcricnfo that while Johri had been asked to go on leave, he has not been suspended, and, since has been signatory to various decisions taken on behalf of the BCCI so he has been copied on official emails.*Before the independent inquiry committee was set up, Rai had consulted two legal luminaries associated with the BCCI’s structural reforms and sought suggestions on the likely panelists. It is understood that Rai wanted a female judge to head the independent committee and had reached out to three former female judges, who were busy and hence declined.Rai reiterated that his insistence on having an independent panel was only because terminating Johri’s contract and sacking him would have lead to the BCCI getting entangled in further legal controversy. “Even if there was an overwhelming majority, based on an anonymous tweet there is no way in which an employee can be dismissed. The next day that employee will get a stay from the court. Even if it was 3 against 1 (on the CoA), I would have prevailed. There is just no way that I would have accepted. And even if it was anybody else including office bearers, I would have carried out the due process of law and try to ensure that the person is either cleared or thrown out.”Although Rai “prevailed” and Edulji approved the appointment of the independent committee, the difference of opinion between the two prompted criticism that the CoA was a “divided” house.Among those who came out strongly against Rai’s decision-making were Amitabh Choudury (BCCI acting secretary) and former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, who is also the president of Cricket Association of Bengal, one of the long-term and prominent board members. Choudhury said Rai “has no power or authority to prevail over the views” of Edulji “and take decisions unilaterally on behalf of the CoA or on behalf of the BCCI”. Ganguly was equally blunt at the manner in which the CoA, which he termed as “divided”, had handled the Johri issue, which he said reflected “poorly” on the BCCI.Rai pointed out that he never took any decision on the Johri issue or in the past unilaterally. He said both he and Edulji might have had differences on various other issues but agreed eventually to be on the same page.”This (Johri) is the only issue on which we had an ongoing disagreement,” Rai said. “We have always discussed and settled the issues, but this is the only issue which we had disagreement. And Diana is on record to say that this is my viewpoint however chairman (Rai) may decide.”Asked if Edulji’s consent on forming the independent committee was in writing, Rai said it was. Rai said that only after Edulji had given her consent to the content of the press release, he decided to make it public through a BCCI media release. “I was conscious about what I was writing. I wrote it out, I showed it her, she changed (bits) of it and only then it was sent out. This press release had been approved by her. The terms of reference has been approved by her.”Rai also wondered why several people faulted him on his approach to the Johri controversy but no one has “ever suggested” a better way forward.Meanwhile, the independent committee comprising Rakesh Sharma (former judge of Allhabad High Court), Barkha Singh (former chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women) and Gowda met for the first time at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai. The committee heard both Rai and Edulji, and will study the material made available by the BCCI for the next two days.An email address – [email protected] – has been set up by the committee, for “any person, whether from BCCI or otherwise, who may have any complaint/information/evidence to address the Committee concerning allegations of sexual harassment” to write to. The email address will be active till November 9. The committee will then convene on November 10-11 to study any information received on the email address, as well “hear any person willing to depose” before the panel.*0800GMT The additional information was added on Friday morning