Chelsea could turn to Napoli's Victor Osimhen to solve their ongoing striker problem, despite the fact he comes with a £100 million ($126m) price tag.
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An impressive debut from Dawid Malan helped England seal the T20 series over South Africa with a 19-run victory at Cardiff
The Report by George Dobell in Cardiff25-Jun-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMason Crane was overjoyed at claiming AB de Villiers as a maiden international wicket•Getty Images
An impressive debut from Dawid Malan helped England seal the T20 series over South Africa with a 19-run victory at Cardiff.Malan, the fourth England debutant in the series, contributed a classy 78 to help his new team cope with the absence of their captain, Eoin Morgan, and take the three-match series 2-1.Morgan had decided to leave himself out in order to provide another opportunity for England to take a look at some of their fringe players. Specifically, he said they were keen to provide another game for Liam Livingstone, who endured a nervous debut at Taunton.And while some ticket-holders were upset at the lack of star players in the England side – Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali were among those to be rested for this series, while Jonny Bairstow had returned to Yorkshire to prepare for the day-night Championship fixtures starting on Monday – Morgan’s decision might have helped England build some depth ahead of a typically relentless winter schedule during which resources will be stretched.Malan, in particular, took advantage in a strikingly assured performance. Having left his first ball outside off stump, he pulled his second – from the distinctly sharp Morne Morkel – for six to kick-start an innings that displayed timing, power and an ability to improvise. It was, by some distance, the highest score by an England player on T20I debut.He was not the only new-ish player to impress. Mason Crane, back in the side after making his debut in Southampton, survived an early assault at the hands of AB de Villiers in a display that hinted at a wonderfully calm temperament. At one stage, de Villiers, who was playing his final match of the tour, swept Crane for 16 in three balls – two sixes and a four – but the young legspinner retained his nerve and his flight and, by the end of the over, had de Villiers well held by Alex Hales on the square-leg fence as he attempted a repeat. Crane, whose celebrations of his maiden international wicket were something to behold, finished his spell by conceding just two from his final over.”He handled it really well,” de Villiers said of Crane afterwards. “He was always the one to get after, but he stuck to his guns. Well played to him.”Livingstone, however, was unable to take advantage of his second outing. He would have been the man to miss out had Morgan played, and might have wished he had after falling first ball as he went across his stumps and attempted to scoop over the leg side.There was also no debut for Craig Overton. Despite England having intimated that all their new faces would win an opportunity at some point during the series, Overton – who was declared fully sit – was not utilised. It left Somerset’s director of cricket, Matt Maynard, unimpressed. He tweeted that he was “gutted” for Overton and then added “#brokenword”.”We couldn’t get him in today,” Morgan said. “We wanted to retain our seamers from the second game who bowled well. Craig is aware and all is fine.”Perhaps, had England failed to win, they would have been criticised for their decision to rotate to the extent they did. But with impressive performances over the series from the likes of Malan, Crane, Bairstow and Tom Curran, who again looked to have the skills and temperament to thrive at this level, England will feel it was a worthwhile experiment. It is probably also fair to suggest that, while both sides would have wanted to win this game, it was hardly the most meaningful confrontation either has played even this month. The calls for greater context for such matches are certain to increase.”We recognise the series as a big opportunity to have a look at a younger group of players,” Eoin Morgan told Sky Sports. “It’s an important part of our development and our success in 50-over cricket and T20 has been down to the strength in depth we’ve had in the side. We’ve always had a lot of competition in the playing XI.”Ideally, I would play, yes. Given the rotation system that we have had in the past, it’s unfortunate. If it was a case where I could go on and captain, I would. But this is an important part of our development for this series. You have to look to the long-term.”Besides, Malan looked every inch an international-quality player. British-born but raised in South Africa, his debut has come relatively late – he is aged 29 – but he has put himself at the head of the queue of those pressing for places.Here he added 105 in 63 balls with Hales, who survived a simple chance to Andile Phehlukwayo on 10, bringing up his fifty with a beautifully-played scoop to the boundary off Imran Tahir, while a driven straight six off Morkel also caught the eye.South Africa’s fielding was oddly fallible, though. De Villiers reckoned they “gave away around 20 runs” which, considering the margin of defeat, was crucial. “We let ourselves down in the field,” he said.Once the pair were parted, England fell away against some excellent death bowling from South Africa. England managed only 54 from the final 39 balls of their innings, culminating in a spell where they lost five wickets for 14 runs from 13 balls against Dane Paterson, who was twice on a hat-trick, and Phehlukwayo.But only for a moment, when de Villiers was partnered by JJ Smuts, did it appear South Africa might get close. With Liam Plunkett again bowling at sharp pace and gaining some assistance for his back-of-a-length bowling from the River Taff End, South Africa subsided to 91 for 6 in the 14th over.Phehlukwayo and Mangaliso Mosehle narrowed the margin with some impressive strokeplay – Willey was plundered for 34 from his final couple of overs – but once de Villiers had gone, there was only ever likely to be one result.
Barcelona boss Xavi has given short shrift to rumours that Ilkay Gundogan could move to Saudi Arabia in January.
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Xavi shuts down talk of moveGundogan only joined club in the summerDoes not seem a likely exit routeWHAT HAPPENED?
Reports in Saudi Arabia claimed that the Germany international could potentially make the move to the country in January. Indeed, the report even claimed that Gundogan had made the request to move himself.
AdvertisementWHAT XAVI SAID
Asked about the rumours, the Barcelona boss replied: "Really, they said that? Wow. Gundogan is looking for a house here in Barcelona… Shukran."
Shukran means thank you in Arabic.
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Gundogan moved to Camp Nou as a free agent after his exit from Manchester City in the summer. He has gone on to play 17 times for the Catalan giants, scoring in El Clasico, although Barca lost 2-1.
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GettyWHAT NEXT?
Speculation may continue to swirl but it seems unlikely that Gundogan will leave given Xavi's quotes. Gundogan is more than likely to stay for the remainder of the season at least.
Harry Maguire "may look to go elsewhere" this summer in search of first team-football but only after a conversation with manager Erik ten Hag, according to Ben Jacobs.
Is Maguire leaving Man United?
Having continually failed to convince at Manchester United since he became the world's most expensive defender in 2019, the tragic saga that has been Maguire's Red Devils career may be coming to a timely end.
Having made 175 appearances for United, the 30-year-old has been offered plenty of opportunities to shine, very few of which he has taken.
He has become, sometimes fairly and sometimes not, a scapegoat for anything and everything that is going wrong at Old Trafford, as patience among fans wears increasingly thin.
Maguire's minutes have diminished significantly in the last year with the Englishman only making 16 appearances in the Premier League across the entire campaign. Compare that with the 30 he made in the previous season and it is obvious that Ten Hag isn't confident in Maguire's abilities.
With his days numbered at Old Trafford, Maguire could well jump before he is pushed and journalist Jacobs believes a move could crop up this summer as he attempts to maintain his place in the England squad ahead of Euro 2024. However, he will need to have some honest discussions with Ten Hag first.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs said: "There will be a conversation between Erik ten Hag and the player. They'll both set out their position. Obviously, ten Hag's perspective is that Maguire is going to get diminished game-time, but he is valued as a leader at the football club.
"Maguire may look to go elsewhere because he has to start thinking about the Euros and, ultimately, the long-term England game-time. I think John Stones is quite locked in his position, but there's definitely a question mark over Maguire for England. The less he plays for Manchester United, the more chance there is that someone takes his spot."
Jacobs added: "Obviously, there is a realistic possibility that Maguire goes during the summer. But, first and foremost, he has to have that conversation with ten Hag, and then we'll start to understand what the possibilities are."
Despite his lack of regular minutes in Manchester, Gareth Southgate has continued to put faith in Maguire and has normally been rewarded by the centre-back.
However, it will become increasingly difficult for the England boss to justify Maguire's selection the longer he goes without playing regularly. For all parties – Manchester United, England and Maguire – a move away from Old Trafford may be the sensible solution.
Where could Maguire go?
The centre-back is now valued at around £30m but will turn 31 next March. Considering pace and agility have never been Maguire's strongest attributes, one can assume that these deficiencies in his game will only worsen as he gets older.
At present, staying in England looks the most likely option for Maguire. Tottenham have shown some interest in the former Leicester City man as they look to rebuild their leaky defence under new coach Ange Postecoglou, but the defender is arguably a little too similar in profile to Eric Dier.
Aston Villa have also been touted with a move for Maguire in recent weeks. Whether Unai Emery's pursuit of Pau Torres brings such rumours to an end remains to be seen but the Spaniard is probably one of the few managers in the league who you can guarantee would improve the defender.
Eddie Howe has also shown interest at Newcastle United but a move may be scuppered by the fact that the Magpies seemingly were interested in a loan deal, something the Red Devils are unwilling to sanction.
Clearly Maguire still has the respect of many coaches in the Premier League and will likely have no trouble finding a new club depending on Man United's leniency in negotiations. However, forking out £30m for Maguire may put some potential suitors off a deal.
Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale was dealt a blow at the end of last season as centre-forward Alfredo Morelos left the club upon the expiry of his contract at Ibrox.
The Colombian was a prolific scorer for the side over the years and enjoyed an incredible spell in Scotland as he plundered 124 goals in 269 appearances in all competitions.
His exit left the Light Blues with a hole to fill at the top end of the pitch and they have done exactly that by signing Sam Lammers on a permanent deal from Atalanta, while 28-year-old striker Cyriel Dessers is on the verge of joining from Cremonese for £4.5m.
However, the Nigerian's pending arrival would mean that Beale would have five senior number nine options who are all aged between 26 and 30.
This suggests that the Gers could benefit from signing a younger striker with the potential to develop over time.
They could sign a forward in his early 20s in the hope that he is able to learn from the likes of Dessers and Lammers before working his way into becoming a first-team regular further down the line.
HNK Rijeka starlet Matija Frigan, who is valued at £5.2m, fits that particular bill having been linked with a move to the Scottish giants this summer and he could come in as the dream heir to Antonio Colak.
How did Matija Frigan perform last season?
The 20-year-old marksman made his senior breakthrough with Rijeka and caught the eye with his impressive performances through the middle of the pitch.
During the 2022/23 campaign, the Croatia U21 international plundered 15 goals in 31 appearances in all competitions for his club, including 14 in 27 league outings. This means that he averaged a goal more than once every two matches in the SuperSport HNL, while maintaining an average of a strike just over once every two games in total.
To put those numbers into context, his compatriot in Colak found the back of the net 18 times in 38 clashes for Rangers after his move from Greek giants PAOK last summer, with 13 of those coming in 24 Scottish Premiership matches.
The Croatian international scored once every 2.1 outings for the Light Blues as he proved himself to be a reliable scorer during his debut campaign in the country.
These statistics suggest that the 20-year-old target has the goalscoring instincts and consistency to replicate Colak's success in front of goal.
The former Malmo finisher turns 30 in September and Beale could bring Frigan to Ibrox with the intention of replacing him either this summer or in the years to come.
The Rijeka star does not turn 21 until next year and would arrive as a player with potential, rather than an experience option who would be expected to hit the ground running. Although, his goalscoring record last season indicates that the quality is there for him to be a good option for the manager in the short-term as well.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously hailed the striker as "complete" while he also rated his potential at 8/10, suggesting that the exciting youngster has shown enough in his home country to be a highly-rated young talent.
Frigan could, therefore, be an excellent long-term signing for Rangers and one that would provide Beale with a dream heir to Colak.
Liverpool completed their second signing of the summer transfer window on Sunday as they officially announced the arrival of Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig on a permanent deal.
This comes after the club had already agreed a deal to bring Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister from fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.
They are also in the market to add a central defender to their squad. Spanish outlet AS recently reported that Sporting enforcer Goncalo Inacio is a target for the Reds as they eye another option to compete with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
The report stated that the Portuguese side are demanding a fee in the region of €45m (£39m) for the 21-year-old battler, although it remains to be seen if Liverpool are prepared to match that figure.
Where would Goncalo Inacio fit in at Liverpool?
Inacio would come in to provide competition for Jurgen Klopp at the back alongside van Dijk, Konate, Joel Matip, Nat Phillips and Joe Gomez.
Journalist Ryan Taylor told GIVEMESPORT in May that the club could be "open" to cashing in on Gomez this summer and the signing of another player in his position may allow the manager to ruthlessly ditch the English dud.
The £95k-per-week defender averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.90 across 21 Premier League appearances last season as he won 56% of his duels and made two errors leading to either a goal or a penalty being awarded.
It was hardly a surprise, therefore, to see Reds influencer Graeme Kelly describe him as "finished", as he only started 15 times in the league.
Such an average level of performance surely means that Inacio could come in as an upgrade on him.
The Sporting star averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.01 over 33 league outings last term – a higher score than Gomez, Matip, and Konate managed in England. He came out on top in 59% of his individual battles and did not make a single mistake leading to a penalty or goal against his side.
Inacio also averaged an impressive rating of 7.15 across 28 Liga Portugal matches in the 2021/22 campaign, which would place him joint-second with Mo Salah – behind Trent Alexander-Arnold – for Liverpool last season.
Alongside his superior average performance level, the Portugal international could offer more than Gomez in possession. Over the last 365 days, the left-footed stopper has averaged 10.94 progressive passes and progressive carries per 90, in comparison to the Reds defender's 7.45.
These statistics suggest that Inacio, who was dubbed “underrated” by journalist Zach Lowy, would provide more quality in bringing the ball out from the back to start attacks, whilst also being able to perform to a higher level week-in-week-out.
Therefore, Klopp would be able to brutally jettison Gomez from the squad by signing the £39m-rated colossus before the deadline passes at the end of the summer.
The BCCI has successfully narrowed down to three its list of Lodha Committee recommendations that it wants reviewed by the Supreme Court
Vishal Dikshit08-Jul-2017The BCCI has successfully narrowed down the list of Lodha Committee recommendations that it wants reviewed by the Supreme Court to three. The points that the special panel which discussed the recommendations in Mumbai on Saturday wants the court to reconsider are: the three-year cooling off period for office bearers and members of the apex council, the one-state one-vote policy, and the demarcation in roles of office bearers and professionals.The seven-member panel was appointed by the BCCI on June 27 with a view to identify the “few critical points” in the implementation of the Supreme Court order. India’s finance minister Arun Jaitley, also a former vice-president of the BCCI, had met the panel earlier this week and asked them to narrow down the points of difficulties from seven to three or four, before presenting them to the Supreme Court. As a result, the new list did not feature an objection to the age cap of 70 years for office bearers, and the number of selectors being brought down from five to three.Given the panel has decided not to challenge the age cap of 70, it might seem that veteran officials such as N Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah – who himself, incidentally, was an “invitee” to the special panel – will be on their way out. However, the age-cap recommendation only extends to office bearers, and not nominees or invitees to any committee of the BCCI or state associations – like in the case of Shah in this panel – and that could be a loophole unless the Supreme Court specifically says otherwise.BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary, who convened the panel on Saturday, said these three points would now be sent to the board, which will hold a Special General Meeting (SGM) before the Supreme Court’s next hearing on July 14.The BCCI, according to Choudhary, wants the one-state one-vote policy to be reconsidered “with the view that the present members of the BCCI continue to remain members; at the same time, enroll new members, including those from the north-east, after following the due process”.For the cooling off period, Choudhary stated since a cap of nine years had been placed on the cumulative duration any office bearer held office for, the panel thought the cooling off period may be “put in abeyance”. He also said if the rule of cooling off period for office bearers could be done away with, it should apply to the membership of the apex council too. “All we are saying is, once you’ve placed a cap of nine years, this cooling off can be removed. And that should also apply to the apex council,” he said.The third point, which Choudhary did not elaborate on, deals with the demarcation of functions as set out between the elected office bearers, for example a secretary, and the professional appointees, like a board CEO. The Lodha Committee had suggested there be a segregation between the powers of the two, which the BCCI has objected to since its office bearers, such as the president and secretary, have wielded power historically and the appointment of a CEO is a more recent concept. When asked if the BCCI wanted this recommendation to be removed entirely, Choudhary only said, “it needs a review”.The panel to shortlist the recommendations for review comprised IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry, vice-president TC Mathew, Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly, Naba Bhattacharjee of the Meghalaya Cricket Association and Jay Shah, the joint-secretary of the Gujarat Cricket Association. The panel had been asked to submit a report with the list of difficulties by July 10. Ganguly and Mathews, though, did not attend the meeting on Saturday as they were traveling.
In his second coaching stint in Bangladesh, Champaka Ramanayake hopes to hand pick talent from different corners of the country
Mohammad Isam17-Aug-2017
Champaka Ramanayake is looking forward to working with Courtney Walsh•AFP
Champaka Ramanayake, former Sri Lanka fast bowler and the new head coach of BCB’s High Performance Unit, hopes to widen the search for fast bowlers across Bangladesh in his second coaching stint in the country. He previously worked as the bowling coach of the national team from 2008 to 2010.”The coaching will be the same but maybe I will look into the youngsters who have never been seen before,” Ramanayake said. “I am thinking of going around the country to find raw talent. Definitely there is talent, because cricket is big in the country. There should be lot of players with natural talent, so I am looking forward to finding them.”Ramanayake, the second high-profile appointment after Courtney Walsh, the bowling coach of the national team, underlined the importance of having a comfort factor in working with young bowlers to be successful at the job.”I have worked for SLC for 14 years as a bowling coach. Early on I was working on the development side; working day to day with the youngsters helped me build a relationship and their confidence level,” he said. “The biggest thing you can give them is confidence, that they can do the job. The biggest satisfaction you can get as a coach is when you develop someone.”In his first stint in Bangladesh, Ramanayake focused on working with natural actions, Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam being the most-notable names to come up around the time. “You shouldn’t make too many changes to natural ability. That’s my philosophy,” he said. “In Sri Lanka, we produced lot of freaks from nowhere because of their natural talent.”Sometimes, people try to change too many things and then you lose the natural ability. Everyone is different in this world, so you have to treat them differently. Actions are different so as long as they produce results and are effective, that’s the main thing.”
Getafe president Angel Torres has revealed the club's stance on a permanent transfer for Manchester United loanee Mason Greenwood.
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There has been an update regarding Manchester United's pursuit of Fiorentina midfielder, Sofyan Amrabat…
What's are the latest Man United transfer rumours?
Having got the transfer window underway with the signing of Mason Mount on an initial £55m deal, the Red Devils now look to be turning their attention to both Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund from Inter Milan and Atalanta, respectively, in their bid to bolster Erik ten Hag's ranks ahead of next season.
Now, according to Sky Sports Germany reporter, Florian Plettenberg, the Old Trafford outfit are also stepping up their interest in another Serie A star in the form of Amrabat, with the transfer insider revealing on Twitter:
"ManUtd is monitoring Sofyan #Amrabat very closely. At this stage, it’s not advanced but first talks took place. #MUFC. Understand, that it could become a hot topic later in this window. He’s also on the list of FC Bayern. But nothing concrete at this stage."
This follows claims made by the 26-year-old's brother, Nordin, who suggested that Ten Hag – who coached the Morocco international at FC Utrecht – is "charmed" by the player, with a potential €30m (£26m) deal on the cards.
How good is Sofyan Amrabat?
The Netherlands-born maestro notably came to wider attention after helping to guide his country to the last four of the World Cup in Qatar, having arguably been the "best midfielder" at the tournament, according to journalist Amine El Amri.
Also lauded as a "great footballer" as well as being a "raging bull", in the words El Amri, the £32k-per-week ace could well tread a similar path to another quality midfield asset to have arrived in Manchester from Italy, in the form of Juan Sebastian Veron.
Although the latter man's time at the Theatre of Dreams was ultimately rather brief as he departed for Chelsea in 2003 after joining from Lazio on a £28.1m deal two years earlier, he had still made a telling impact under Sir Alex Ferguson, having been lauded as a "world-class player" at the time by teammate Ryan Giggs.
Like Amrabat – who was a "colossus" on the international stage last year, according to pundit Stuart Pearce – Veron had come to wider attention after helping the Rome outfit to Scudetto glory in the 1999/2000 campaign, with Ferguson hailing the Argentine as a "marvellous player" upon the confirmation of his move to England.
Despite being unable to truly flourish in a United shirt, the now-retired ace still contributed 26 goals and assists in 82 games for the club in all competitions, according to Transfermarkt, offering a classy, ball-playing presence in the centre of the park.
As club legend Gary Neville stated, although Veron was unable to break-up the famed midfield partnership of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, he did offer something fresh in the centre of the park in his deep-lying berth, with the Sky Sports pundit stating:
"The way Veron played, coming out of Italy, he moved into different positions and was fluid, trying to get the ball from the left back, et cetera."
That composure and quality on the ball appears to be shared by Amrabat, with the one-time Club Brugge ace ranking in the top 5% in Europe's top five leagues among those in his position for pass completion, as well as in the top 8% for progressive passes, with the hope being that he could pull off the type of delightful threaded assist that Veron memorably laid on for Ruud van Nistelrooy against Deportivo La Coruna in the Champions League in 2003.
Of course, the aim will be for the Fiorentina menace to prove an even greater success than the former United man was in English football, helping to follow Mount in strengthening Ten Hag's midfield department.
With the exit of Phil Jones leaving Veron's number four shirt available – the number which Amrabat wears for his country – perhaps the Moroccan can follow in the Argentine playmaker's footsteps this summer…