Steven Smith believes his opposite number Virat Kohli invented claims of systemic DRS abuse by the touring team as a form of gamesmanship during a this year’s Border-Gavaskar Test series, in which Australia’s captain also described the BCCI’s decision to release select stump microphone audio of verbal exchanges as “pretty ordinary”.In shedding light on the hot-tempered encounter between India and Australia earlier this year, where the unfancied visitors came exceptionally close to ending the hosts’ long unbeaten run on home territory, Smith revealed how he is to this day mystified by Kohli’s accusations, which were dropped and never again mentioned from the moment the series was decided. Speaking exclusively to ESPNcricinfo – the full interview will run next week – Smith called the claims “rubbish”.Kohli’s accusations followed a moment amid the cauldron of Australia’s fourth-innings chase of a small target on a difficult pitch in the second Test in Bangalore, when victory would have granted Smith’s team an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series following their surprise win in the opener in Pune. When given out lbw to a shooter, Smith ran the decision past his batting partner Peter Handscomb, who instinctively motioned towards the team viewing area for advice – a move outlawed under DRS protocols. Smith, too, turned around, before being sent on his way by the umpire Nigel Llong.”It wasn’t until afterwards that I realised what a talking point it had become, fuelled by Kohli’s post-match claims that we’d called on off-field assistance twice earlier in the match to help our on-field deliberations,” Smith wrote in his book, . “As far as I was concerned, we’d never tried to consult with the dressing room beforehand and although he said he’d brought those previous occasions to the notice of the umpires, I can say categorically that we were never spoken to by either those umpires or match referee Chris Broad about any such breaches in protocol.”Virat has always been a player who’s thrived in the most intense of environments, and like me he loves a battle and I can only think it was his way of raising the temperature in the series in an attempt to get the best out of himself. The idea of getting messages from the sidelines for that purpose was not a tactic we as a team ever spoke about and … I can’t work out what he was referring to in his remarks.”There was never anything further on the matter from the ICC and Virat never detailed the incidents he was referring to. And during the brief interactions we had – including at the captain’s briefing for the IPL as that tournament followed the series – he was friendly and it was as if any ill-feeling he may have had over the incident had disappeared. It was and still is all a big mystery to me.”Getty Images

Smith also remains annoyed by how the BCCI chose to highlight an exchange between Ravindra Jadeja and Matthew Wade during the decisive Dharamsala Test match, during a series in which there were many instances of heated discussion among opponents. Smith additionally pointed out that ICC regulations prohibit broadcasters from airing audio captured on stump microphones when the ball is dead.”It was an example of the banter that took place on the field, but it gave a very one-sided view of what was happening,” Smith wrote. “There would have been plenty of examples that could have been released of Indian players engaging with me and my team, such as when they were constantly in the ears of Matt Renshaw when he resumed his first innings in Pune having had to retire ill because of diarrhoea. Ian Gould asked Matthew and Ravindra to cut it out in Dharamsala and that was where it ended. So to rake it up in the way that it was benefited no-one.”What was overlooked in the minor controversy that followed was that, under ICC guidelines, the broadcaster shouldn’t have been broadcasting audio from the stump microphones, except for instances when the ball was in play, and it certainly wasn’t when Matthew and Ravindra were having their discussions. But whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation, it was a timely reminder to players of both sides that the old adage of what happens on the field, stays on the field, no longer applies.”Looking more broadly at the on-field behaviour of the Australian side, Smith said he had no qualms about his team seeking a verbal edge over opponents when matches get tight. He also took issue with the perception that his team was “nice as pie” on the field when dominating a match and only went into verbal aggressor mode when things were not going their way.”I know there is a view that has us as the ugly Aussies and that although, when we are on top, we are all nice as pie on the field, when the opposition gets success against us then we are quick to get into them verbally, but I don’t see it like that,” he wrote. “It’s simply that, as a group of players, we don’t like backing down in a contest and the greater the intensity of the action on the field the more we all back each other up.”If that’s through the odd word with our opponents so be it. The umpires are there to step in if anything is out of order and I don’t think there was much, if anything, that fitted the bill through the series.”

Leeds United enjoyed a strong penultimate pre-season clash as Daniel Farke's side beat Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Thursday night.

Who scored for Leeds against Nottingham Forest?

Winger Ian Poveda and centre-forward Patrick Bamford got themselves on the scoresheet for the Whites at Burton Albion's Pirelli Stadium.

Along with the goals, the German head coach will surely have been pleased with a clean sheet for his team as they showed defensive resilience ahead of the start of the 2023/24 Championship season next month.

Leeds United News writer Danny Bloomer picked out trialist Sam Byram as one of the standout performers for the club at left-back on the night as he rewarded the ex-Norwich Ctiy man with a rating of 7/10.

It has been a busy summer of outward business for Farke as a host of first-team players have made their way out of the door; including right-back Rasmus Kristensen, who has signed for Serie A giants Roma on loan until the end of the season.

Who could replace Rasmus Kristensen at Leeds?

The Whites boss could land a dream replacement for the Denmark international by offering Byram a permanent contract following his trial period, as the English brute has the potential to be an upgrade on him.

Firstly, the ex-Canaries titan would offer far more versatility across the backline. Kristensen has never played more than eight matches outside of right-back or right-midfield in his career.

Whereas, the 29-year-old free-agent has featured in 26 or more matches as a right-back, left-back, and right-midfielder, whilst he also played six times as a centre-back over the last two seasons.

Byram caught the eye in his 15 Championship appearances for the Canaries last season as he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.85.

The experienced defender won 4.8 duels per match and boasted an impressive success rate of 59%, which shows that he was able to dominate opposition forwards.

Kristensen, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.70 across 26 Premier League outings for Leeds, which placed him 11th within the squad.

The 26-year-old won 54% of his battles and came out on top in 4.2 of them per game, which shows that the now-Roma battler was not as efficient as the English gem was in his defensive work.

This suggests that the potential is there for Byram to be an upgrade on the former RB Salzburg warrior as a pure defender, due to his strength in individual duels and average performance level – albeit in different leagues.

In possession, the former Yellows ace created 0.5 chances per clash last season in comparison to Kristensen's 0.3 for the Whites, which shows that neither of them are particularly creative as nine Leeds players produced more key passes per game last term.

Farke recently hailed Byram as a "top-class" character and their pre-existing relationship, as the 5 foot 11 dynamo played 20 matches for the German tactician at Carrow Road, could allow the free agent to slot straight into the team as he already knows what the manager wants from him as a left-back or right-back.

Therefore, the ex-Whites academy prospect could be the dream replacement for Kristensen due to the quality and versatility he could provide on the pitch.

Although there are question marks over his fitness, as the strong enforcer never played more than 17 league games in a single season for Norwich, bringing him in on a free is a worthwhile gamble for the club to make.

Chelsea bringing in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo alongside Ajax star Mohammed Kudus this summer to work alongside Enzo Fernandez could formulate a 'dynamic' midfield trio at Stamford Bridge, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest on Chelsea's pursuit of Caicedo and Kudus?

As per The Guardian, Chelsea and Brighton have stalled in talks over the possibility of Caicedo moving to west London after the Seagulls rejected an £80 million bid for his services.

The report states that Brighton value the Ecuador international at around £100 million and Roberto De Zerbi's men are said to be more open for wiggle room if Chelsea compromise on their stance regarding Levi Colwill, who is a target for Brighton this summer and spent last term on loan at the Amex Stadium.

In terms of Kudus, Football Insider have claimed that Chelsea are closing in on agreeing personal terms with the Ghanaian playmaker and will put 'finishing touches' to a deal to sign him for around £40 million.

Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic departing Chelsea have pushed the arrival of an attack-minded midfielder up the priority list for Mauricio Pochettino.

Kudus, who has been hailed as a "star boy", is also a keen goalscorer and notched 18 goals and seven assists in 42 appearances across all competitions for Ajax last term, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that Caicedo, Kudus and Fernandez could form a midfield three that would be feared by opposing sides in the Premier League.

Brown told FFC: "The Chelsea side of it is a lot more interesting because I think in an ideal world they would like him [Kudus] in addition to Caicedo, which would obviously be a lot of money to outlay. The thought of Enzo, Kudus and Caicedo all playing in the same midfield is really exciting for Chelsea fans. The three of them look quite dynamic, they're very young, they've got their best years ahead of them, I think Chelsea would be set for years if they were able to do that kind of business this window. It doesn't look at the moment like Kudus is close to leaving his club, so whoever might go for him needs to step up that chase over the next couple of weeks."

What next for Chelsea?

Player sales have been an important part of Chelsea's operation to recoup funds to spend in the transfer market and will continue to strongly impact their window between now and the close of play.

Conor Gallagher has been linked with a move to West Ham United in recent times and the Hammers have seen a bid worth £40 million booted out for his services, according to BBC Sport.

In terms of potential incomings, RMC Sport via talkSPORT claim that the Blues have submitted a £39 million bid for Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, who is said to have reached 'an agreement in principle' over a move to Stamford Bridge.

Montpellier striker Elye Wahi is another name that Chelsea are keen to bring to west London and it is said that they are closing in on signing the 20-year-old, who will then be loaned to their satellite club Strasbourg to continue his development, as per The Daily Mail.

An official announcement from SLC is likely on Monday, with the former Sri Lanka batsman taking on the role leading up to the 2019 World Cup

Madushka Balasuriya 04-Nov-20170:42

SL batsmen can learn plenty from Samaraweera – Arnold

Former Test batsman Thilan Samaraweera will be Sri Lanka’s batting coach leading up to the 2019 World Cup, SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala has confirmed.The move is expected to be rubber-stamped on Monday, when Samaraweera arrives on the island from Melbourne, where he lives. The following day he will travel with the team to India, where they are set to play three Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. Samaraweera will have his work cut out on the tour, in shoring up a batting unit low on confidence.While the role of batting coach is officially a first for the 41-year-old former middle-order batsman, he has previously had stints as a batting consultant with other national outfits – with Bangladesh since September last year, and a brief stint with Australia prior to that. He replaces Hashan Tillakaratne, who had taken up the role on a temporary basis in July ahead of India’s visit to Sri Lanka. Tillakaratne will now go back to his role as batting coach of Sri Lanka’s developmental squads.A veteran of 81 Tests, in which he scored 5462 runs at 48.76, Samaraweera retired from international cricket in 2013.

Assam coach Lalchand Rajput blames Delhi’s second-innings over-rate for missing opportunity to secure an outright win in fading light

Akshay Gopalakrishnan09-Oct-2017The drawn match between Delhi and Assam in the first Ranji Trophy round in New Delhi on Monday ended in controversy over a slow last hour. Delhi fell 30 runs short of securing an outright win, and their coach KP Bhaskar pointed to bad light and Assam’s alleged slow tactics as factors in the eventual result.Delhi needed 79 in 14 overs, but were stranded on 49 for 2 with Assam bowling only eight overs in the last hour. Bhaskar has ruled out lodging a formal complaint, but admitted the opposition were astute in tackling the situation while remaining within the laws.The official time for close of play on the fourth day was 4.15pm, with teams being given the half hour extension. The umpires allowed the game to continue till 5.30pm, until they felt the light had deteriorated. “Within the laws of the game, they were using delaying tactics. Where they should have bowled 14 overs, they ended up bowling seven (Assam bowled eight),” Bhaskar told ESPNcricinfo.”They packed the off-side field and started bowling wide of the off stump. Even then, we managed 49 runs. We needed 30 more, which could have been easily scored. Unfortunately, bad light messed things up. But as I keep saying, what Assam did was within the laws and fair enough.”Under the BCCI’s playing guidelines, fines can be levied on a team for an over-rate breach only if they bowl a minimum of 50 overs. Bhaskar said the decision to go off the field when they eventually did was correct, but felt Assam crossed a line by creating delays.”There were still six overs to go and 30 runs to score,” Bhaskar said of the moment when umpires decided to call off play. “Given the light, at the most the umpires would have allowed another two overs or so. But for bowling those six overs, the way they were doing it, they would have taken about half an hour. There were reasons like the bowler fell down, so he took about five-seven minutes there and then he limped outside the ground. Then after two overs, he came back again to bowl.”Lalchand Rajput, the Assam coach, deflected the blame on Delhi, suggesting they paid the price for failing to complete their overs on time in the second innings. “They were seven or eight overs short,” Rajput said. “That automatically got carried over to us. Had they been quicker, we would have bowled earlier.”In hindsight, Bhaskar rued one critical error committed by Delhi in Assam’s second innings. Wasiqur Rahman was reprieved on 0, courtesy a no-ball from Navdeep Saini. Wasiqur went on to face 168 balls to make 63, thereby spending close to three hours at the crease, which Bhaskar felt may have also cost them.”My grudge is that we could have got them out earlier. Keeping all these factors in mind, we should have got the 10 wickets much before the last hour,” he said. “Had we done that, we would probably have been in a better position and light wouldn’t have been a factor. The no-ball wasn’t very clear, so the benefit of the doubt went to the batsman. That was a blemish from our part.”But I’m very happy with the way our bowlers bowled. They were excellent on such a good wicket; they really bowled their hearts out. We could have taken six points here, or maybe even seven, but tough luck.”

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe has been told to show "maturity" by announcing a transfer to Real Madrid "as soon as possible."

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• Mbappe linked intensely linked with Real again
• French forward denied rumours with a statement
• Dugarry believes Mbappe should embark on a fresh challenge

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Conflicting reports have emerged in the past week from England and France about Mbappe's future. While claimed that the 2018 World Cup winner is weighing up a potential move to the Premier League, withLiverpool touted as having a concrete interest, French media outlet suggested that he has already agreed a deal with Real to shift base to Santiago Bernabeu in the summer, after his contract expires at PSG. However, both reports were quashed by Mbappe's entourage, who insisted that the player is yet to reach an agreement with any club and denied any negotiations.

  Ex-France international Christophe Dugarry still believes that the forward has already made up his mind to leave PSG, though, and has urged him to make an official announcement as quickly as possible.

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  WHAT DUGARRY SAID

  Speaking to RMC Sport, Dugarry said: "I think he has served his time at PSG. Whether we like Mbappe or not, I have the impression that, on the pitch, he has not cheated, he gave what he had to give. In my opinion, he could have given even more because he is incredible. He is a remarkable player so we always expect more. He did not succeed for the moment in achieving the goal he set for himself when he arrived at PSG, but he did a lot, he brought a lot of pleasure, a lot of happiness.

  "To say as soon as possible that he will not stay at PSG, I would find that elegant. I find that it would be a form of elegance and a form of maturity. Honestly, I think he knows that he will not stay at PSG."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Dugarry also took aim at Real Madrid, accusing the club of trying to be "too clever" with their approach to signing Mbappe. It has been reported that Madrid are offering an inferior financial package compared to the one they offered in 2022, and have also set a mid-January deadline for Mbappe to accept.

  "Their attitude deeply bothers me. I think they are a little too clever," the World Cup winner said. "If they want Mbappe, sooner or later they will have to reach for their wallet. I turn to the right and feel that they are there to get him, I turn to the left and feel that they are not ready to shell out money and that they will not wait for Mbappe. I find that Real Madrid managers talk about it a bit too much."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Mbappe will continue to dominate the transfer headlines until there is an official resolution on his future. However, the transfer talks seem to have had little impact on his performance for PSG, as he scored a hat-trick against Revel in the French Cup in a 9-0 rout last time out, and will hope to repeat his heroics against Lens on Sunday in a Ligue 1 encounter.

Himachal Pradesh pulled ahead on a 14-wicket day in Delhi, while Punjab marched towards an innings victory in Porvorim

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2017A century from captain Faiz Fazal and a fifty from Wasim Jaffer led Vidarbha’s reply to Chhattisgarh’s 489 in Nagpur.Fazal added 105 to his overnight score of 20, before being dismissed by legspinner Jatin Saxena. Fazal’s 12th first-class hundred contained 19 fours and a six. He added 114 with Jaffer, who struck seven fours during his 104-ball 50. Shrikant Wagh (38) and Ganesh Satish (39) also pitched in with useful contributions to help trim the deficit to 158 by stumps. Seamer Prateek Sinha and left-arm spinner Sumit Ruikar took two wickets each for Chhattisgarh.Legspinner Raghu Sharma – playing only his second first-class match – and left-arm spinner Vinay Choudhary bagged seven wickets between them to put Punjab on course for an innings victory against Goa in Porvorim. In response to Punjab’s 635, Goa were dismissed for 246, and ended the day on 67 for 2 after being asked to follow on.Goa, resuming on 94 for 1, lost Swapnil Asnodkar in the second over of the day to Choudhary, who then combined with Raghu and seamer Siddarth Kaul (2-41) to cut through the rest of the batting line-up. At 176 for 9, a counterattacking 70-run partnership for the last wicket between Rituraj Singh (22) and Amit Yadav (52*) dragged the side to 246.The slide seeped into Goa’s second innings as well, with Choudhary and Kaul dismissing the openers. Captain Sagun Kamat and Amogh Desai then saw off the day without any further damage.Akash Vasisht and Pankaj Jaiswal starred with both bat and ball to help Himachal Pradesh pull ahead on a 14-wicket day against Services at the Palam A ground in Delhi. They first took six wickets between them to dismiss Services for 215 and earn a 149-run first-innings lead for Himachal Pradesh. Vasisht and Jaiswal then hit 44 and 33 respectively to extend the lead and set Services a target of 326.Resuming on 153 for 6, Services lost their last four wickets for 62 runs to be bowled out in 76.3 overs, in their first dig. Debutant Nitin Tanwar top scored for them with 55 for 67 balls.Himachal Pradesh began shakily in their second innings, and were pinned down to 58 for 6 by the 31st over. Rishi Dhawan, Vasisht and Jaiswal then cracked 17 boundaries between them to lift the score to 176 for 9 before they declared. In pursuit of 326, Services lost opener Navneet Singh early, and closed the day at 28 for 1.

West Ham United will "step up their interest in a range of players now" as they start to "make moves" in the transfer market following the sale of Declan Rice, claims journalist Paul Brown.

West Ham transfer news, what's the latest?

It was a hectic start to the transfer window this year for West Ham, not because they were signing players, but because they were negotiating the sale of club captain Rice to Arsenal for a new British record fee of £105m.

It would appear that this deal was taking up most of the East Londoners' resources as they haven't signed a single player yet, something that surely has to change going forward.

With the club now without their midfield lynchpin and flush with cash, it's hardly surprising to see that most of the players they're linked to occupy the space vacated by Rice.

A name that has followed them all the way through the Rice saga has been Fulham's Joao Palhinha.

The Portuguese international has had an unbelievable debut season in the league for the Cottagers and, because of that, has become a player that the Irons would very much like to buy as a replacement for their departed star.

Unfortunately, potentially knowing the kind of money the Hammers have, the West London side reportedly valued their star player at an eye-watering £60m, which might prove too much for West Ham, even with the Rice money burning a hole in their pocket.

Although, the Hammers have bid for Conor Gallagher, though it was rejected by Chelsea.

Earlier this month, the Guardian reported that the Conference League champions were keeping tabs on several midfielders, notably Scott McTominay, Denis Zakaria, Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, and Amadou Onana.

That said, the club wants to target other areas of the squad over the coming weeks.

What did Paul Brown say about West Ham's transfer business?

Brown outlined the areas he believed would be targeted by the Irons before saying he expects them to up their activity in the market as we advance.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "I think West Ham want two midfielders, a defender and a forward if at all possible. Wherever the money stretches to buying four players, this window we'll see.

"But I think that's the ideal outcome really for West Ham and I think you'll see them start to make moves in the transfer market and step up interest in a range of players now."

Who have West Ham been linked to this summer?

On the striker front, Football Insider have reported that the Hammers have placed Armando Broja and Youssef En-Nesyri on a shortlist of forwards that they could try to sign.

It wouldn't be the first time the club have tried to bring Chelsea's Broja to the London Stadium, having had a £30m bid rejected in July 2022, per the Guardian.

The Albanian international had a quiet year compared to 2021/22 as he stayed in West London, playing just 12 Premier League games, 1 EFL Cup game and five Champions League games for the Blues.

With a contract set to last until June 2028, it would likely take much more than the £30m offered last year to convince the Pensioners to sell their young striker.

On the defensive side of things, Football Insider also reported that the Hammers are currently in the 'lead' in the race to sign former Manchester United captain Harry Maguire as he's deemed excess to requirements at the Red Devils.

However, the main stumbling block for all interested parties is the player's mammoth £190,000-a-week wages, which would be more than the Irons would be willing to pay.

Whatever happens, it'll be interesting to see just how much of the Rice money West Ham reinvests into their squad this summer, but they better get a move on as they have just over a month left.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr team-mates are reportedly set to be given 15 days off by manager Luis Castro after a gruelling run of games.

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Al-Nassr second in Saudi Pro LeagueRonaldo and Co had busy fixture listSet to be given 15 days off by managerGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

According to a member of the Saudi Sports Media Federation, Al-Nassr's players, including Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, and more, are going to be given just over a fortnight off in January. The Saudi Pro League outfit have played six games this month and still have to face Al-Taawoun on December 30. Now, manager Castro has reportedly given his players some time off after their efforts on the pitch.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have plenty to play for this season. They are second in the league and are still in the King Cup of Champions and the AFC Champions League. So, a gesture such as this Castro could go down very well with the team, and potentially spur them onto success this term.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo has scored more goals than any other player in 2023 with 53. That is one better than Bayern Munich's Harry Kane and Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe, while Manchester City's Erling Haaland is back on 50 for the calendar year.

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WHAT NEXT?

Al-Nassr round off their year away to fourth-placed Al-Taawoun, looking to cut the gap to league leaders Al-Hilal to four points. After that, they will not play again until February due to a break in play from Saudi top-flight football.

Manchester United are reportedly close to signing defender Jonny Evans on a one-year deal following a successful pre-season spell.

Are Man United signing Jonny Evans?

The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag have already brought in two players so far this summer in Mason Mount and Andre Onana from Chelsea and Inter Milan.

A third big-money signing in Atalanta centre-forward Rasmus Hojlund is all but complete, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that the player has completed a medical and the first part of his media duties, with documents to be completed today.

Another player who was brought in over the summer was Evans, with Ten Hag saying he allowed the 35-year-old to initially come in and train while searching for a new club.

"I know him for a long time, so I know his place was here, in Manchester.

"He came to train with us, to work on his fitness, and when I said: yeah, not all the players are in – internationals are out, still having their break, so I thought it was a good idea to help each other out. Jonny can work on his fitness and he can help us out."

However, Evans then penned a short-term deal which allowed him to feature in friendlies against Lyon and Wrexham, and by the looks of things, a new deal appears to be close which would see him become a United player for the 2023/24 season.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

The Belfast Telegraph shared an update regarding Man United and Evans on Tuesday evening. The report states that the Red Devils and Ten Hag have been impressed with the player who has exceeded expectations, and that he is set to sign a 12-month contract at Old Trafford.

They also shared comments from Steven Davis, who played alongside Evans for Northern Ireland, admitting he wouldn’t be surprised if the defender, who doesn't have a weak foot, earned himself a longer stay.

"Having played with him for so many years I know the quality he possesses and what he brings with his experience to a dressing room.

"I'm sure that was noticed quite early on having been away from the club for a few years. I wouldn't put it past him extending his stay there beyond pre-season. I think we were all surprised when Man United let him go because whenever you play with him and see the quality he has first hand, it is a player every one rates very highly."

Who else could Man United sign?

Evans, hailed as "intelligent" by Brendan Rodgers, could well provide more cover at centre-back for Ten Hag as the season goes on, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez seemingly the first-choice pairing ahead of the new season.

Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly could leave before the window closes, which could leave Evans and Victor Lindelof as potential experienced back-up options. However, Man United may not stop there when it comes to new signings, with another new midfielder thought to be on the cards.

Reports have claimed that Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat is close to a £26m move to Old Trafford to reunite with Ten Hag, so that could be the next focus after deals for Hojlund and Evans, meaning it could be a busy month both on and off the pitch.