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Former England spinner to work as Inner London Borough Lead in return to the sport

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2021Monty Panesar has been handed the chance to help identify a new generation of young players within London’s inner city, after being appointed as a Borough Lead for Middlesex.Panesar, who has been forging a career in the media since his final season of professional cricket for Northamptonshire in 2016, is one of three new scouting appointments by Middlesex, alongside Ayzaz Hussain (Ealing) and Jim Clarke (Enfield/Barnet).”We are delighted to announce the three new Borough Leads, all who will add a huge amount to our youth programme,” Mark Lane, Assistant Head of Youth Cricket for Middlesex, said.”To be able to attract someone of Monty Panesar’s calibre and experience to the role speaks for itself, and the fact that two of the appointments have previously been involved for a number of years and therefore have a real understanding of the standard of player Middlesex Cricket is looking for at this level of our Player Pathway is hugely important.”We are hugely excited with the three appointments we have made and are looking forward to them making a real impact in their new roles.”The appointments come amid a mass restructuring of Middlesex’s coaching set-ups, following the recent departure of head coach, Stuart Law, in the wake of a disappointing 2021 season.Last week, the club’s interim coach, Alan Coleman, was named as head of Men’s Performance Cricket, with a new First XI coach and a club coach to be appointed in due course.Panesar takes over his inner city role from James Fielding, who has stepped down after two years due to personal reasons.According to a Middlesex press release, the Borough Leads will focus on identifying talent at under-10, under-12 and under-14 levels across eight London Boroughs, and building a winter training programme to develop youngsters in advance of the borough fixture programme in 2022.

“I also want to share my experience with the guys from a batting and captaincy point of view”

Mohammad Isam21-Jan-2022

Faf du Plessis: “Playing the IPL, PSL and BPL is about becoming a more experienced and mature player all around the world”•Getty Images

Faf du Plessis, who reached Bangladesh three days before the start of the 2022 Bangladesh Premier League to start training with his Comilla Victorians team-mates, said it was the team’s stellar record in the competition – they are two-time winners – that made it an attractive prospect for him.”You want to go to franchises that are successful,” du Plessis said of Comilla, who face Sylhet Sunrisers in their opening game on Saturday after having missed the 2018-19 season. “Winning trophies is a big part of why we play the sport. But I also want to share my experience with the guys from a batting and captaincy point of view. I want to play a role in assisting there as much as I can.Related

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Smooth BPL 2022 will mean big gains for Bangladesh

“This team has done very well, winning trophies. That’s why it was a nice fit for me. It is a very relaxed group with a very relaxed coach [Mohammad Salahuddin]. Things look very good. Playing the IPL, PSL and BPL is about becoming a more experienced and mature player all around the world.”The former South Africa captain, one of the biggest names in this edition of the BPL, has set his priorities for the tournament, including trying to finish among the top-scorers in the competition. “The first goal will be to win the tournament. The second goal is to contribute in every game as a batter. Towards the end of the competition, be up there with the leading run-scorers.”The BPL is taking place in tough times, with the Covid-19 pandemic on a surge in Bangladesh. There has been a 29-fold increase in positive cases since January 1, as well as a positivity rate that shot to 26% on January 20.”I think the most important thing is that we are here, and the tournament is starting,” du Plessiss said. “It is obviously a challenge during the Covid pandemic to get a tournament up and running. Well done to everyone to make sure it is happening.”A tournament like this, it is important how you start because some guys are coming in without playing much cricket. Confidence in a short tournament is very important.”There was a note of caution for his team-mates, though. “Cricket is not played on paper. I have played enough teams to know that,” du Plessis said. “There’s a lot of strong players and teams in the tournament. We have to make sure we play well and to our potential. We do that, we will be there and thereabouts by the end of the tournament.”You try to find your balance at the beginning of the competition, what’s the right team to pick. As the tournament progresses, we will get to our best team.”Having retired from Tests in February 2021, du Plessis is now a T20 freelancer despite being available for selection in South Africa’s short-format teams.”It is nice to play T20s. You don’t have to wake up at seven o’clock in the morning to play a Test match,” he said. “The other day though, we had to leave the hotel at seven o’clock to practice. I said to the guys, ‘I retired not to do this anymore, and now you are taking me to practice early in the morning’.”T20 is great, you play a lot of games. Tournaments are short – four weeks, in and out. You get to do what you love.”

da bwin： There has been a suggestion this week that Arsenal would be prepared to pay up to £60 million for a very highly-rated striker, as manager Mikel Arteta scours the market for another attacking option.

Arteta wants striking partner for Havertz at Arsenal

da fezbet： The Gunners have been linked with a new striker ever since the beginning of this summer window.

Related Club reply as Arsenal make opening bid to sign "creative" player this week

It’s been tabled in the last two days.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Aug 15, 2024

Arsenal did attempt to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig earlier this summer, as did Man United and Chelsea, but the Slovenia international starlet rejected all three proposals to remain at his current club and sign a contract extension.

Arteta apparently wants a striking partner for Havertz, despite the German finishing his debut campaign at the Emirates Stadium very strongly with 14 goals and seven assists in 51 appearances across all competitions.

A prolific new marksman has long been viewed as the final missing piece of Arteta's jigsaw, with former Arsenal star Bacary Sagna explaining that they need a target man in the mould of ex-star Olivier Giroud.

"Arsenal need to be stronger and be more attacking going forward," the former full-back told Paddy Power (via The Metro).

"This season, scoring goals was a problem for them. They could add a proper striker – a number nine. Arsenal are playing well but they can improve on crossing the ball – they hold the ball well generally, but occasionally they’ll need to cross it more.

Arsenal's opening fixtures of the new Premier League season

Team

Date

Wolves (home)

August 17

Aston Villa (away)

August 24

Brighton (home)

August 31

Tottenham (away)

September 15

Man City (away)

September 22

‌"I’m happy with Gabriel Jesus, as long as he stays fit, but they still have to have cover. I would go for someone like Olivier Giroud, someone physical who can hold the ball quite well and support the team if they’re struggling.

"They need someone who can wait in the box and help out offensively and defensively."

Arsenal reportedly maintain a loose interest in Ivan Toney of Brentford for the role, while Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres has also attracted their attention this summer.

Suggestion Arsenal would pay up to £60m for Gyokeres

Journalist Steve Kay, speaking on KS1TV (via The Boot Room), suggests Arsenal would pay up to £60 million to sign Gyokeres from Sporting – and he made the claim when discussing their interest in Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

"If he (Guimaraes) became available, similarly to Gyokeres, at about £50-60m, I’m sure he’d be someone we’d be looking at, but at the price they want, I think they more or less immediately said no," said Kay.

The Sweden international's contract includes an £86 million release clause, with the "unplayable" striker scoring 43 goals in just 50 appearances across all competitions last season.

Leeds United, likely to miss out on Jonathan Rowe amid interest from Marseille, have turned their attention towards another Championship winger who they're now reportedly in pole position to sign.

Leeds transfer news

It's no surprise that those in the Whites have been linked with attacking additions given how the summer transfer window, and more specifically the Premier League, has torn Daniel Farke's frontline apart. Of course, if Leeds fail to replace both Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter in the next 10 days, then their recent 0-0 draw against West Bromwich Albion could become an all too familiar sight.

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The Whites have been linked with an interest in signing the striker this month.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 19, 2024

It seems as though the 49ers are well aware of that too, with recent links to the likes of Jack Clarke and Rowe suggesting that the plan is to bolster their attacking options before the window slams shut. Reports have even claimed that Leeds submitted two unsuccessful bids to sign Rowe, with both failing to match Norwich City's £15m valuation and the winger setting his heart on a move to Marseille.

Set to lose out on their target, the Whites have reportedly turned their attention to another option. According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, Leeds are now in pole position to sign Manuel Benson, who wants to complete a move to Elland Road this month with talks open and the idea of selling the winger on a permanent basis one that reportedly appeals to Burnley.

The 27-year-old is yet to make a Championship appearance under Scott Parker, forced to watch on as the Clarets got their campaign underway in fine fashion with nine goals in two games against Luton Town and Cardiff City.

With that said, the option that would suit all parties is a late summer exit, even if it is to promotion rivals Leeds. Desperately hoping to replace Summerville, Leeds could swoop in.

"Important" Benson can rediscover best form at Leeds

After struggling to make an impact in his debut Premier League campaign last time out, which far from helped Burnley in their failed pursuit of survival, Benson needs the chance to rediscover the form that propelled the Clarets to promotion in the first place.

At his best, the 27-year-old scored 13 goals and assisted a further five to earn the praise of former manager Vincent Kompany, who said via The Burnley Express: "There is so much more to come. I know his game and it goes in two ways, one is him getting to know the team, and two is the team getting to know him.

“There were a couple of really good balls he put in that, if you have that 100% understanding, then you have people running onto it, and that wasn’t the case yet. That increases the amount of chances you create.

“And you can see the moments where he goes inside to outside and runs to the touchline, so he is an important profile of player to have, especially if you are able to pin a team back like we were in the second half."

Earning a reported £25k-a-week, the Belgian helped fire Burnley to promotion in the 2022/23 campaign and could now get the chance to help Leeds secure the same achievement at his best.

It was a Premier League campaign of two halves for Tottenham Hotspur last season.

Ange Postecoglou led them to a ten-game unbeaten streak at the start, but a cavalcade of injuries and a general loss of form towards the backend saw them slip out of the Champions League places, although Europa League qualification was secured.

Perhaps the star who encapsulated this Jekyll and Hyde year more than any other was James Maddison, who went from being one of the most creative players in the league to not even making the England squad come May.

However, the Englishman is still an incredibly talented player, and based on recent reports, Daniel Levy and Co could be about to sign someone who could help get the best out of him again.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham have maintained their interest in LOSC Lille star Jonathan David.

With just 12 months remaining on his deal with the French side, the report claims he is all but guaranteed to leave this summer, which has caught the attention of clubs across the continent, including Spurs.

A separate story from Football Insider earlier this month revealed that, due to his deal expiring next summer, the Canadian international would be available for as little as £25m.

The growing interest from other sides could make signing David a slight challenge, but considering his record, reasonable fee, and potential ability to revive Maddison's form, Levy and Co cannot afford to miss out on his signature.

Why David would be a great signing for Maddison

So, when it comes to the reasons why David would be an excellent signing for Spurs and Maddison in particular, it all boils down to one thing: his output.

Last season, only Son Heung-min and Richarlison reached double digits for goals scored across all competitions, and as the player who should be the team's primary striker, the Brazilian could only muster a measly 12.

A situation like this is never going to see the former Leicester City ace reach his full potential, as with an attack as profligate as this, he'll need to create far more chances for every goal they do put away.

This is where the "mind-blowing" Canadian poacher, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would come in.

In his last four seasons of club football, the 24-year-old has scored 84 goals and provided 18 assists in 183 club appearances, which equates to an average of a goal involvement every 1.79 games – a genuinely impressive level of consistency.

Appearances

48

48

40

47

Goals

13

19

26

26

Assists

5

0

4

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.37

0.39

0.75

0.74

It's not just at club level where the New York-born poacher has shone either, as in 54 senior caps for Canada, he has scored 28 goals and provided 16 assists, meaning he's currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.22 games at international level.

Just imagine a striker as effective as the Lille ace in front of the Lilywhites' ten, who, even though he struggled towards the backend of last season, still ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe's top five leagues for shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90, per FBref.

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The incredible talent has a massive future ahead of him.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 18, 2024

Ultimately, while David might not be a big-name striker outside of Ligue 1, his incredible and consistent record of scoring goals and providing assists make him an excellent candidate to come in and lead Spurs' frontline next season, and at the same time, he appears to be the perfect forward to rejuvenate and revive Maddison's form in North London.

On Roston Chase: “The type of cricket he plays fits right into our balance, right in the middle of our power-hitters”

Shashank Kishore16-Oct-2021Kieron Pollard feels that flexibility, game awareness, and the ability to tailor their game to situations while not giving up on their core strengths will define West Indies’ 2021 T20 World Cup campaign, as they look to take home their third trophy.The defending champions, led by Pollard, boast of a mix of players, all of whom have had varied T20 experience over the past three months. While some, like Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Fabian Allen, Andre Fletcher and Roston Chase have had prolific CPL seasons, others, like Pollard himself, Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer are coming off five intense weeks of the IPL in UAE.Related

• Roston Chase is uniquely different from West Indies' other allrounders

• Dwayne Bravo is reinventing himself in T20, age be damned

• Akeal Hosein replaces injured Fabian Allen in West Indies squad

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• Narine won't be added to T20WC squad despite IPL form

“It [IPL experience] was good, not just for us but all players involved in the World Cup, who got a feel of what is on offer,” Pollard said at a media event on Saturday. “There will be some stats comparison and trends that may have come out of the IPL. We have to take all that into consideration, take the context of the surfaces, atmosphere, and put them into our game plan.”For us, most of our guys got a chance to play recently here, so for us it’s about trying to hit the ground running, start off on a positive note, get those first two points and see what happens after that.”Pollard touched upon why it was important to do the simple things well, and how it was possible to do so without deviating from their tried and tested success formula of hitting big from ball one.”You’ve seen it all around the world, that is how we go about our cricket,” he said of the power-hitting. “Lot of people, analysts at different times, harp on dot balls, singles, ones and twos. Everything is important, but we still have to play to our strengths. I’m not going to say what that is because then the heading will be ‘West Indies just want to hit sixes’.”We need to keep our strengths as strengths and work on our weakness. We have a lot of powerful guys in the line-up, but if the situation warrants, we also have guys who can manoeuvre strike, run between the wickets. We look forward to playing complete games of cricket.”One of those players who has impressed with the very qualities Pollard mentioned is Chase. Two years ago, his game wasn’t deemed good enough for the shortest format. From there to having worked his way up to being CPL 2021’s MVP, the batting allrounder has come a long way. In a line-up full of big hitters, Chase lends calm and solidity with the bat, while also offering handy offspin. His rise up the ranks after having played just five games across six years – 2012 to 2018 – is staggering.”For him it was a matter of evolving his game and trying to be the best he can,” Pollard said. “He got a chance with St Lucia Stars. It’s a matter of putting guys in the right positions, and he has delivered for them for the last two years. It goes to show how every time you get a chance, you want to do well. He’s done well for himself.Roston Chase was the MVP at the recent CPL•Getty Images

“The type of cricket he plays fits right into our balance, right in the middle of our power-hitters. We need a guy who can manoeuvre the ball, hit the occasional boundaries, and keep the run rate going. That’s an area we keep constantly working on, and we thought he was the right fit at this time. I look forward to see what he has to offer. He hasn’t played much white-ball cricket, and teams may not have that much data. Or maybe they do, there’s an archive full of runs and wickets. We look forward to reaping rewards of his form from the CPL.”On the sluggish pitches in the UAE, batting well, power-hitting or otherwise, would be important, but the other 20 overs are equally crucial – Pollard underlined the importance of using spin well and how the IPL experience would be beneficial in terms of knowing how to use them keeping in mind the different boundary dimensions of the three venues.West Indies have two frontline fingerspinners in Allen and Chase, while Hayden Walsh Jr brings in the wristspin variety. At the 2016 World Cup in India, they relied heavily on Samuel Badree’s legspin. He ended as their leading wicket-taker with nine scalps.Pollard’s response followed Virat Kohli’s, when he was asked why the focus has suddenly shifted once again from wristspinners to fingerspinners, while discussing R Ashwin’s return to the fold after a four-year gap. “At one point, wristspinners dominated, but in the recent past, for whatever reasons, don’t know if it is conditions or what, fingerspinners are back in favour,” Pollard observed. “If you want a guy to consistently bowl to a bigger side of the ground, fingerspinners may have more control. We have a couple of them in our armoury and we can hopefully maximise dimensions in whatever spin there is at any given time. Our spinners aren’t the most experienced but sometimes it can work in our favour.”And then there are Pollard’s two trump cards, two men who many thought had played their last World Cup when they stood on the winners’ podium on that emotionally-charged April night at Eden Gardens.At 42, Chris Gayle is among the oldest player in the competition, while Bravo, 38, is making up for lost time, having not played for West Indies between 2016 and 2020. He is now coming off a successful IPL campaign with Chennai Super Kings, where he was their designated death bowler, bringing to the mix his variations of slower deliveries and dipping yorkers to stifle opponents.”I think he has shown time and again what he brings to any team,” Pollard said of Bravo. “For Chennai to go on and win was a fabulous team effort, and for him personally to continue doing what he does at the back and to close out matches for teams was superb. There’s no pressure on him, we’re all looking to ‘sir’ to all that in this campaign.”Gayle, meanwhile, is 97 runs short of becoming the leading run-getter in T20Is. He missed the last stages of the IPL as he left the Punjab Kings set-up owing to bubble fatigue, but Pollard was looking forward to seeing his senior stalwart contribute to another World Cup win.”No words to describe what he has done for us in the T20 World Cups and in T20 cricket around the world,” Pollard said. “The guy with the most sixes, most runs, the fear he instils in bowlers. The main goal is for him to win the World Cup and he is looking forward to that.”He did what he did in terms of taking a break. He needed it. This is another big tournament for him. I hope everyone understood the nature of what transpired. Living in bubbles is difficult. If a guy who enjoys himself in any situation can’t take it, it shows how difficult it can be for some of us. We are backing him to do well.”

From Shishir Dwivedi, India Although one might be led to believe Matthew Hayden’s comments on India being a “third world” country have become more of a norm these days between enemy camps; more so if the camps concerned are those of India and

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013Shishir Dwivedi, India
Although one might be led to believe Matthew Hayden’s comments on India being a “third world” country have become more of a norm these days between enemy camps; more so if the camps concerned are those of India and Australia. With the Aussies, it has always been sort of a tradition to take a dig at the opposition before the start of an important series. Be it a Glenn McGrath singling out his bunny-to-be, or predicting a 3-0 or 5-0 scoreline,or a Steve Waugh playing mental disintegration tactics, or a Ricky Ponting boasting about their “New Age Cricket”. But more recently (and quite surprisingly). India have taken a leaf out of the Aussie book and have started giving them back as good as they get.It all started back in 2001 when Sourav Ganguly got to Steve Waugh’s nerves. His simple but effective ways of irritating Waugh (by turning up for the toss late, or wearing the track suit instead of the team blazer for the same) really frustrated Waugh to no end. And by the end of that series Waugh admitted that Ganguly was a tough nut to crack. The foundations for a great rivalry, on and off the field, were laid. Since then each BG series has produced not just fascinating cricket to watch but also quotable quotes to quote and listen to. But while these verbal (or mental) battles were healthy for a brief period of time, the acrimonious Sydney test at the start of this year changed it all.Since then the remarks from both sides have been either sarcastic, or satiric or clearly insinuating. Kumble quoting a famous quote first uttered by an Australian captain – Bill Woodfull- “There were two teams out there today and one of them was trying to play cricket”, after the Sydney test definitely irked the Aussies so much that they were itching to get back at the Indians. Hayden first called Bhajji an “Obnoxious Little Weed” and later apologised. When the Aussies touched Indian shores for the latest series, Ponting was quick to point out that Indians played an outdated version of Test cricket. But the Indians were not going to stay quite either. Sehwag first accused the Aussies of “cheating” in Sydney. Zaheer and even the usually diplomatic Laxman took a dig each at the Aussies’ negative approach.Meanwhile, Gilchrist lambasted Sachin in his autobiography. Symonds did the same to Bhajji in his book. And the most arrogant of them all, Mr Ricky T. Ponting, whose book is the latest to have hit the stands, pulled even Sunny Gavaskar into the murky waters. His arrogance is so profound that he even failed to acknowledge India’s gradual ascent in world cricket and labeled Dhoni’s men “fit only for T20”. Well, maybe, as rightly pointed out by Harbhajan, while Ponting and his men were busy writing their books, Dhoni’s men were busy preparing for the upcoming series. The result is there for everyone to see.I understand its difficult to acknowledge that you are not the best anymore. Especially after being at the summit for such a long period of time as the Aussies have. But comments like “There is so much luck involved in this shortened form of the game; it’s not always going to be the best team that wins” or “Teams that are outclassed in five-day matches and even 50-over games are much more competitive in Twenty20. India offer a good example of this”, only highlight his arrogance and refusal to admit the truth.Clearly (and fairly by all means), it was Ponting’s team that was thoroughly outclassed in the recent series. And they were also defeated in the 50 over format VB series earlier this year. But Ponting is not the only proud man. Matthew Hayden, as soon as returning to the safe haven Down Under, blamed his team’s defeat and failure to meet the over rates on the poor facilities and various distractions caused during games because of India being a third world country. It was no surprise that the remarks generated strongest of reactions from the Indian captain, BCCI personnel and others but none so more than those by Wasim Akram who retorted by terming Australia as being “no more than a village” and India being “hundreds of years ahead of Australia”.Hayden, although, has since clarified that he didn’t mean to disrespect the nation and everything. But it made me ponder. Isn’t what he said is actually true?We are a prestigious nation. And we are proud of it. But that doesn’t change the fact that we ARE a third world country. A majority of us still live below the poverty line. We are a non-aligned country. And our economy is still developing. But, this is in the literal sense. What about the cricketing sense? Well, we are a third world country even from that perspective. Ironic, isn’t it? Considering that the BCCI perhaps has more money than all the other major cricket boards put together. And that is because India is still underdeveloped in terms of cricketing infrastructure.Hayden had a point when he said that there were invariably, delays and stoppages because people kept moving in front of the sight screens. In this age when even Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have moved to electronically controlled sight screens and score boards, India still persists with manual labor. And that’s not it. Even the rollers and pitch covers are pulled on to the ground with six men at tow when mechanical machines are used for the same in the rest of the world. Forget super-soppers, in case of rains, we have numerous children running on to the ground with buckets and sponges in hand to dry the field. The media boxes at most of the venues are pathetic.I’ve lost the count of the number of times the television broadcasters have complained to the BCCI about heir expensive equipment getting damaged due to poor facilities at the venues. The venues themselves paint a very sorry picture. The Green Park at Kanpur is a classic example. It looks more like a playground for children rather than a Test centre. The entrance walls are plastered with posters of local political leaders or cheap bhojpuri films. And the street that leads to the stadium smells like cattle feed. And the major venues are no better.The Chinnaswamy at Bangalore is a sore to the eye with plastic chairs strewn all around at the end of a game. It needs a serious renovation. The Wankhede was a similar case till not too long ago and thankfully its being taken care of now. Most of the venues get ready for a game just hours before the start with some quick stop gap arrangements. Contrast this with the stadia in Australia or England or South Africa and you would have to think that Hayden is right.Fortunately, there’s a silver lining in the form of stadia like the PCA Mohali, or the Eden Gardens, or the brand new stadia at Nagpur and Hyderabad that are truly world class. Even the Motera in Ahmedabad has improved significantly in recent years and is now rated amongst the best in India. The FerozeShah Kotla has been renovated and the Wankhede is undergoing renovation. This shows that the BCCI is at least addressing the issue. But the ODI venues strewn all across the country are still substandard.Unless the above mentioned problems are addressed at the earliest and sorted out, India will, unfortunately, remain a third world country.

In search of their replacement for Raphael Varane, Manchester United are now reportedly in pole position to sign a European star for Erik ten Hag in this summer's transfer window, having been given the green light by the player this week.

Man Utd transfer news

Whilst they're yet to officially get their summer business underway, Manchester United have been linked with plenty of names, including Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte. Both players would instantly help Ten Hag solve two major problems in his current side, with Casemiro struggling in defensive midfield and United's attacking options far from thriving last season.

Replacing Casemiro is particularly important this summer, given that he sits at the heart of Ten Hag's side. The Brazilian, now 32 years old, began to show signs that he's past his best last season and has since been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. Even without that move, however, United should prioritise welcoming a replacement in the form of Ugarte in the coming months.

Imagine him & De Ligt: Man Utd scouting "electric" Shaw replacement

The impressive full-back could be a game-changer for United.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 3, 2024

Casemiro isn't the only player who will need replacing, either, following the departure of Varane at the end of last season. The Frenchman left as a free agent to create a gaping hole in United's defence that one European star could now fill.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United are now in pole position to sign Matthijs de Ligt this summer and have opened negotiations with Bayern Munich over a potential deal. The Dutchman, meanwhile, has reportedly given the green light regarding a move to Old Trafford in the coming months.

With De Ligt seemingly keen on the move, Manchester United have the chance to sign a defender who is more than capable of replacing Varane and more next season.

"Wonderful" De Ligt can lead Man Utd's backline

Earning a reported £261k-a-week, De Ligt already has plenty of experience at levels that some Manchester United players are yet to even see for themselves, having played in Champions League semi-finals and won league titles at both Ajax and Bayern Munich.

The Dutchman, currently at the Euros with his country, now has the chance to become the defensive leader that the Red Devils are so desperately crying out for next to Harry Maguire, or when fit Lisandro Martinez.

Progressive Carries

16

20

Progressive Passes

98

73

Tackles Won

12

17

Ball Recoveries

73

78

It's a surprise that Bayern Munich have so willingly entered talks with Manchester United, given the praise that former sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic had for De Ligt when the central defender arrived in 2022, saying via the Bundesliga website: “We wanted to bring Matthijs to Munich three years ago. We were convinced of his qualities as a defender then, and we are even more so today.

"With his professionalism, his desire and his wonderful character, Matthijs fits our team as well as our ambitions. He will play an important role at Bayern on and off the pitch. He was already a leading player at Ajax as a youngster, and he is still capable of development at the high level he is at, at the age of 22.”

Durham’s T20 Blast game against Lancashire on Thursday evening will go ahead despite “a number” of their squad entering self-isolation after a member of the club’s support staff tested positive for Covid-19.”Durham Cricket can confirm that a member of our support staff has tested positive for Covid-19,” a club statement said on Thursday afternoon.”As a precaution and following government guidelines, a number of our playing squad and support staff are undertaking a period of self-isolation. The club will continue to strictly follow all government and ECB guidance to ensure the safety of our staff and spectators.”Related

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• Pope to miss four Blast fixtures after being required to self-isolate

The club later tweeted to confirm that Thursday’s game – which is being televised on Sky Sports – would go ahead as planned from 7pm.Durham did not name the players and staff affected but made a single change to their side ahead of the Lancashire fixture, with Sean Dickson replacing Jack Burnham.Durham are not the first club to be affected by playing withdrawing due to self-isolation. Yorkshire’s Blast campaign was derailed last year after David Willey, their captain, tested positive and forced three other first-choice players to self-isolate, while Northamptonshire and Hampshire were both in similar positions last summer.This week, Surrey announced that Ollie Pope would miss four fixtures after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid, while Tom Helm, the Middlesex seamer, is currently self-isolating after testing positive himself. Ben Duckett, the Nottinghamshire batter, missed the win at Northamptonshire on Sunday as a Covid precaution.

Leicester City star Mads Hermansen has claimed his tooth fell out following a collision with Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund in Denmark training.

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Claims Hojlund knocked keeper's tooth outHermansen doesn't blame fellow DaneFoster says that is "poor" from Man Utd manFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Hermansen said the incident between him and fellow Danish international Hojlund took place during a set-piece drill before Euro 2024. The 24-year-old added that the striker clattered into him but did not hold any ill will towards the former Atalanta ace. However, ex-Wrexham and Red Devils keeper Foster said that it was "poor" from Hojlund.

AdvertisementAFPWHAT BEN FOSTER AND MADS HERMANSEN SAID

On Foster's , Hermansen said: "You know as a goalkeeper sometimes when you have set-piece practice. It's like 'Are we going 100 per cent? Are we just a bit easy?' So we were with the national team just before the Euros, it was optional training, you could come in and train if you want. So let's do some corners. I go: 'Keepers!' And he just comes in with everything, elbow straight to my tooth. I took a corner off when I was younger as well so it was just the same bit of plastic."

Foster responded: "Cheers Rasmus, appreciate that. That's rubbish that. I'm not having that, it's poor. When you're doing it in a bit of practice set-piece thing, you've got to take it easy. You can't go full-blooded like that."

To which the Foxes ace replied: "He is that kind of guy and I love that about him. He's giving everything, always. He's just got an exceptional way of being a professional."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Other than his tooth coming out, no harm was done and it appears there is no beef between Hermansen and Hojlund. The Danes went onto lose in the last 16 of the Euros this summer and now their goal is to help their country qualify for the 2026 World Cup. For the keeper, he will also focus on keeping Leicester in the Premier League, while Hojlund wants to fire United to trophy success.

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Hojlund could feature for United in their home clash against Brentford on Saturday afternoon, whereas Hermansen travels to lowly Southampton at the same time as the Premier League returns following the international break.