Xavi could be sacked by Barcelona as president Joan Laporta is miffed with some of his recent statements made to the media.

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Xavi was set to continue as Barca coachThe manager allegedly talked himself into the messCould be asked to leave at the end of the seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

Just 23 days ago, Laporta and Xavi held a joint press conference where it was announced that the manager would honour his contract at Camp Nou and would not sever ties with the club at the end of the campaign, as he had wanted to do so back in January. However, Xavi's comments to the press before facing Almeria have seemingly not gone down well with the club's hierarchy, which has put his position at risk, according to

AdvertisementGOALWHAT XAVI SAID

When asked if Barcelona could compete for major silverware with their current squad, Xavi responded with noticeable scepticism.

“We are going to try to compete against Madrid. I think that the cule must understand that the situation is very difficult," he had said.

"Above all, on an economic level. We have an economic situation that has nothing to do with 25 years ago, we can no longer go out and pick and say ‘I want this one, this one, and that one.’ We are not in the same conditions as other clubs with very advantageous economic situations.

"The Barcelona fans have to understand it. That does not mean that we do not want to compete, but that is Barca’s situation at the moment. We need stability and time, but we will try to compete.”

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The response reportedly angered Laporta, who felt that Xavi had reneged on their prior agreements. Laporta and the board believed that Xavi’s comments contradicted the confident and triumphant narrative he had shared just three weeks earlier, which had played a significant role in their decision to keep him on as head coach. Secondly, the board feels that despite significant efforts to strengthen the squad, Xavi has failed to maximize the potential of the new signings.

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Despite the uproar, Xavi maintained his composure in front of reporters after beating Almeria 2-0. When asked about the recent developments, he claimed that no one within the club had confronted him with the matter. Instead, he emphasised his excitement about planning for the next season alongside sporting director Deco.

“I am very excited. We are planning the next season with Deco with all the ambition to win titles, which is the main goal of the club,” Xavi stated, signalling a shift in tone.

Manchester United have been asked to sign one new defender in particular in January by Erik ten Hag, according to a reliable journalist.

Erik ten Hag eyeing new centre-back signing

The Red Devils have had an extremely mixed start to the new campaign having won nine, drawn one and lost seven of their opening 17 games, meaning that they currently find themselves seventh in the Premier League table.

Wolves (1-0)

Tottenham (2-0)

Liverpool (0-0)

Nottingham Forest (3-2)

Arsenal (3-1)

Burnley (1-0)

Brighton (3-1)

Brentford (2-1)

Crystal Palace (1-0)

Sheffield United (2-1)

Manchester City (3-0)

Fulham (1-0)

Newcastle United (1-0)

Luton Town (1-0)

Bournemouth (3-0)

Everton (3-0)

Chelsea (2-1)

Having let 21 goals in since the start of the term, Ten Hag will know that his defensive record has to improve moving forward, and with the need for tightening up his backline clear, the manager has set his sights on securing a new centre-back during the upcoming transfer window.

The Daily Mail previously reported that Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo was on a shortlist of four targets alongside Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba and Atalanta’s Giorgio Scalvini, but considering his recent displays, the former has emerged as the leading contender.

The France international has established himself as Francesco Farioli’s overall best-performing player this season with a match rating of 7.03 (WhoScored – Nice statistics), and the 23-year-old’s impressive form has caught the eye, specifically of the boss, at Old Trafford.

Man United want top target Todibo

Taking to X, Rudy Galetti revealed that Man United are interested in Todibo, with Ten Hag personally requesting that he is signed in January.

“Ten Hag – as already reported – is currently not at risk and is planning, aligned with Man Utd, possible transfer moves to strengthen the squad already in January. In particular, the manager asked for a new CB: Jean-Clair Todibo is at the top of the list.”

Standing at 6 foot 2, Todibo provides a real physical presence with his height at the heart of the backline, which he’s proven so far this season, currently averaging 3.2 clearances and 1.9 tackles per game in Ligue 1 (WhoScored -Todibo statistics).

The Cayenne native is also extremely calm and composed in possession where he’s been averaging a 90.7% pass success rate since the start of the campaign, highlighting his ability to control and dictate the game when he has the ball at his feet.

Sponsored by Adidas, Ten Hag’s target has even posted five contributions, three goals and two assists, at the opposite end of the pitch following his arrival on the professional scene, so his desire to get involved in the final third will be another attractive quality (Transfermarkt – Todibo statistics).

As described by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Todibo is as “solid as a rock”, but with top-flight rivals Tottenham Hotspur having recently opened talks to sign him, the hierarchy know they will have to act quickly if they want to beat their competitors to his signature in January.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been on a solid run of form recently, winning three out of their last five matches in the Premier League and are currently level on points with Chelsea in the table.

Furthermore, Wolves are merely five points behind Europa Conference League champions West Ham United in the race for the final European spot so qualification to the continent's third-ranked contest certainly isn't outside the realms of possibility.

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However, if the Midlands club are to make a push for Europe for the first time since Nuno Espirito's spell in charge a few seasons back, investment will need to be made in January to bolster the squad.

Wolves transfer news – Che Adams

It was initially reported by TEAMTalk during the summer that Wolves had agreed a deal with Championship outfit Southampton to take Scotland international Che Adams on a season-long loan with the option to buy him permanently at the end of the current campaign. The Athletic added on transfer deadline day that the option-to-buy deal was worth £15m, but the move was eventually blocked by the Saints.

However, on Boxing Day, The Athletic provided another update to this ongoing transfer saga, revealing that Wolves are set to reignite their interest in the Scottish striker once the January transfer window opens. It has been confirmed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano that Fabio Silva will be sent out on loan to Rangers for the remainder of the season, leaving Wolves' attacking department a little bare.

Furthermore, journalist Dean Jones has admitted that Adams "might leave" the St. Mary's Stadium over the coming weeks, with there being interest from other Premier League clubs, including Everton, but Wolves seem to be leading the race thus far.

Che Adams' stats this season

Having once been described as "dynamite" by sports reporter Jamie Borthwick, Adams is not enjoying his most prolific campaign as a player but has still chipped in with five goals in 21 appearances for Southampton. In fact, he is the joint-second-highest goalscorer at the club with only Adam Armstrong finding the net more for the Saints this season.

Nevertheless, the 27-year-old has been more potent in previous campaigns for Southampton but the striker has already matched his tally of five from last season, although the quality level of the Premier League compared to the Championship has played a helping hand with this. Regardless, in half a season, Adams has scored five times whereas, in his 72 appearances with Wolves, Silva has scored just five goals.

Since joining from Porto back in 2020 for a whopping £36m, the Portuguese centre-forward has really struggled to make any impact at all. This season alone, the frontman has one goal from 12 appearances in all competitions which came in a 5-0 win against League One outfit Blackpool in the EFL Cup.

Season

Appearances

Minutes Played

Goals

Assists

2020/21

36

1,675

4

3

2021/22

26

852

0

3

2022/23

0

0

0

0

2023/24

10

373

1

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

While Adams may not be as prolific as Armstrong this term on the south coast, the duo have built up a really nice partnership when leading the line and have combined to score 39.5% of Southampton's goals this season in the Championship as Russell Martin's side are currently the third-highest scorers in England's second tier. Wolves boss Gary O'Neil will be hoping Adams can build up this type of partnership with his side's star centre-forward Hwang Hee-chan.

Hwang has found the net 11 times in 20 appearances while registering two assists in the meantime. Together, the pairing could be a force to be reckoned with in O'Neil's 3-5-2.

Goals

0.43

0.7

Expected Goals

0.37

0.38

Assists

0.17

0.13

Expected Assists

0.19

0.13

Shots

2.17

2.02

Shots On Target

0.96

0.7

Goals Per Shot

0.2

0.31

Key Passes

1.02

0.86

Progressive Passes

2.69

1.66

Stats via FBref

Wolves are quite reliant on Hwang to find the net lately as Wolves' second-most prolific player has just five in total. The addition of Adams could help alleviate the pressure off of the South Korean forward to put the ball away and may make Wolves an all-around better attack.

Crystal Palace have been a mixed bag in the Premier League this term and look to have identified a potential long-term successor to Roy Hodgson, according to a report.

Roy Hodgson's future at Crystal Palace in doubt

Despite speculation that Crystal Palace could sack Hodgson if they were to fall to defeat against Brentford last weekend, the Eagles recorded a comfortable 3-1 victory at Selhurst Park, prompting the 76-year-old to hit back at recent rumours in his post-match press conference.

Hodgson stated: "I'm 76 years of age. I've been working 47 years, I've got a CBE for my services and I've got a CV which is incredible. So, my final answer to you is that it makes no difference [talk of potential Crystal Palace departure]."

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The Eagles could receive a January boost…

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The Sun claimed last week that former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper is said to be on Crystal Palace's wishlist as they look to replace Hodgson and he is supposedly "open-minded" to the possibility of stepping into the Selhurst Park dugout.

One source told the publication when explaining the permutations of the Welshman taking over in South London: "Palace are very interested in Steve Cooper, but there are no immediate plans to part ways with Roy Hodgson. Roy’s a legend at the club and will be treated with the respect he’s earned and which he merits. One option being looked at is whether a deal can be agreed for Cooper to join in the summer and for Hodgson to stay on until then."

Nevertheless, new reports suggest that an up-and-coming star in the coaching world could be next in line to succeed Hodgson at Selhurst Park once the veteran departs the club.

Crystal Palace eye Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna

According to The Sun, Crystal Palace could battle it out with rivals Brighton & Hove Albion to try and appoint Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, who has directed his side into an automatic promotion battle in the Championship this campaign.

Kieran McKenna's managerial record in 2023/24 – Championship (Transfermarkt)

Matches

26

Wins

16

Draws

7

Losses

3

Points per game

2.12

The report states that a summer move would be most likely in the event the 37-year-old ended up at the Eagles, given that they are still behind Hodgson and also factoring in the difficulties that would arise trying to finalise a deal with McKenna while he is in the middle of a battle for promotion.

McKenna left Manchester United to take on his first venture into senior management with Ipswich Town in 2021 and achieved promotion at Portman Road in 2022/23 after his side finished runners-up in League One.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, pundit Gary Lineker labelled the former Red Devils' coach as the best manager in English football outside of the Premier League, stating: "I’m going to go with Kieran McKenna from Ipswich Town. I think he’s done a brilliant job with them. He’s young, he was a youth coach at Manchester United, and was at Tottenham a bit before that."

Crystal Palace will be keen to ensure the future after Hodgson is clear and McKenna would be a fantastic appointment who would fit the bill as an exciting hire at Selhurst Park.

Derby County, despite only being four points off the top of League One at the time of writing, had their egos significantly bruised on New Year's Day.

Going 1-0 up after 20 seconds through James Collins powering a header home should have seen Paul Warne's Rams cruise to victory against promotion rivals Peterborough United, but a wild game then ensued which saw Posh come away as last gasp 3-2 winners at Pride Park.

Ironically, the hosts had their pride dented after that defeat but this was only a momentary wake-up call as the Rams managed to comfortably beat Fleetwood Town 3-1 last weekend to calm any worries after that loss.

Warne will want to add new faces to his promotion-chasing group in a bid to disrupt the top two in the division, going down a similar route as he did last transfer window potentially with free transfer after free transfer arriving to Derbyshire with the approach paying off.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Martyn Waghorn was just one of many who joined without risk attached this summer, scoring six times from 13 games when fit.

Here are three more free transfers that Warne could target this transfer window, in a bid to go all out for glory and somehow clinch the League One title…

1 Josh Onomah

Derby are bracing for Max Bird to leave the club this transfer window, meaning that the Rams will need reinforcements in the centre of the park to fill the void left behind by their star 23-year-old asset leaving.

Onomah could be the perfect free transfer signing therefore, the former Fulham midfielder still has plenty to give a side who would gamble on picking him up.

At Championship level, the 26-year-old boasts 13 assists next to his name on top of eight goals over a career that has suddenly been stopped in its tracks.

Able to play in a more advanced spot or just capable of playing in a traditional role in the centre of the park, Onomah could be a worthwhile signing to make this January if the Rams don't want to immediately splurge out on a Bird replacement or just to simply act as cover if Bird sticks it out in Derbyshire.

2 Liam Moore

Likewise, Derby might not be willing to splash the cash on a replacement for Eiran Cashin if the standout defender ups and leaves the Rams this month.

If that was the case, signing Liam Moore could be an avenue Derby explore who remains without a club still after being let go of by Reading.

Only playing seven times in League One in his lengthy career to date, the 30-year-old's know-how is more reserved to the level above with Moore amassing 284 appearances in the Championship and would be a valued member of the Rams squad if they managed to get back to the second tier.

Alongside equally experienced centre-backs Sonny Bradley and Curtis Nelson at the back – who both also joined for nothing this summer – Moore's addition to the ranks could solidify the Rams even more and set them on their way to becoming League One champions.

3 Charlie Kirk

With Tom Barkhuizen the only recognised left wing option available to Warne, the ex-Rotherham United boss could look to the free agent market and pick up Charlie Kick to give Barkhuizen some much-needed competition and variety of choice.

The former Charlton man was only released late last month by the Addicks, who cited the need to free up more space in the squad and Kirk's growing frustrations over lack of game time reasons for the abrupt decision.

Charlton's loss could well be Derby's gain, the winger showing in his career to date his ability to get fans off their seats with skilful displays running down the channels.

Notably, Kirk made a name for himself at Crewe Alexandra before joining Charlton – scoring 32 times and picking up 41 assists over a celebrated stay with the Railwaymen.

With the Addicks, despite being released recently, he proved he can be effective still in bursts with four goals and six assists registered from 48 games.

Kirk could also be a utility member of the team Warne chooses when numbers are short, with the 26-year-old playing as a centre-forward and attacking midfielder infrequently in his career when called upon to do so – three of his Charlton strikes coming when played out of his comfort zone up top.

Could Warne add Kirk to his Derby squad to give him a shot at immediate redemption?

MatériaMais Notícias

O meia atacante Madson, que atuou em 2020 pelo São Caetano, e participou da campanha do título Paulista da Série A2 pelo clube do ABC, segue treinando enquanto aguarda para definir seu futuro nesta temporada.

Flamengo no topo! Veja o ranking dos clubes que mais ganharam o Brasileirão desde 1971

O jogador está em Santos, onde tem residência, se preparando com personal trainer, além de realizar trabalho com bola durante a semana. Ele comentou sobre as expectativas para o futuro.

VEJA COMO FICOU A CLASSIFICAÇÃO FINAL DO BRASILEIRÃO

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– Estou treinando firme e motivado para as oportunidades que irão se abrir nesta temporada. Tive sondagens e algumas conversas com alguns clubes que jogam a Série B e outros que disputam o Paulista. Como os principais campeonatos estaduais começam até a próxima semana imagino que devo definir meu futuro nos próximos dez dias – explicou o meia canhoto, campeão paulista em 2010 com a camisa do Santos juntamente com Neymar.

Madson retornou ao Brasil após sete anos de sucesso atuando pelo Al Khor, do Catar. Antes de retornar ao futebol paulista o jogador teve passagens pelo futebol do nordeste, vestindo a camisa do Fortaleza e CSA.

Arsenal's decision to part ways with Vivianne Miedema at the end of this season has come as a surprise to former Gunners boss Joe Montemurro.

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• Miedema to leave Arsenal this summer
• Gunners' announcement shocked many
• Including former boss Montemurro

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal announced on Monday that Miedema would leave the club at the expiry of her contract this summer, bringing the Dutchwoman's seven-year spell to an end. In that time, she has become the Women's Super League's all-time top scorer and won four trophies – the league title, plus three Continental Cups.

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  This season has been tough for Miedema. She returned from an ACL injury in October but then had to have a second surgery on her knee in March and has struggled to be at her best as a result. Still, that Arsenal have decided to let the 27-year-old go has come as a shock to many, including former Gunners boss Montemurro.

• WHAT MONTEMURRO SAID

  Montemurro, who won two trophies in a four-year spell at Arsenal from 2017 to 2021, told that he was surprised at the news. "She’s a unique player, not only for Arsenal but on the world stage," he said. "It is a really interesting discussion on why they wouldn’t renew a contract. Sometimes clubs go in different directions and sometimes players might just need a change. It will be very, very difficult to not put Viv and Arsenal in the same sentence.

  “She was the symbol in my tenure of how Arsenal wanted to play. I absolutely loved working with her because we used to challenge each other. I’d say, ‘No, that’s not right’. She’d go, ‘Yes, it is, it’s right’. Tactically, the way we wanted to approach things, we would have great discussions about how we could improve. I really loved those discussions. She’s really an intelligent thinker in terms of the way she sees the game.”

  Montemurro also seemed to question whether Arsenal have got the best out of her in recent times when he noted: “I understood she needed to be free. She needed to be in the right areas where she would have massive impacts and allow her to be creative. She just sees things a lot earlier. If you give her that room, she can be very effective. She has the weapons to play all those areas, whether it’s back to goal, coming from outside in, starting from a lower position. When you’ve got a player of that calibre, let her make the decision in the moment.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Miedema has since been linked with a summer switch to Manchester City, one of Arsenal's biggest rivals in the WSL. Multiple outlets have reported the Cityzens' interest in the forward, who scored 125 goals in 172 appearances for the Gunners.

Australia fast bowler Jhye Richardson may still be fit for the World Cup after scans on his dislocated bowling shoulder cleared him of serious damage. Richardson dislocated his right shoulder diving in the field in Australia’s second ODI against Pakistan in Sharjah on March 24.Richardson was immediately flown home to Perth to have scans on Tuesday. Australia team doctor Richard Saw, who is in the UAE with the ODI side, liaised with the Western Australia’s medical staff in Perth and confirmed the outcome from the scans was the best Richardson could hope for.”The scans demonstrated the usual soft tissue damage we expect following a dislocation but fortunately has excluded any bone damage or fracture,” Saw said. “We are hopeful that Jhye will not require surgery but he will see a shoulder specialist early next week for a further opinion.”We will be able to provide an update in respect to next steps once we have all the information on the table.”Australia’s opening World Cup match is on June 1 against Afghanistan in Bristol.Richardson will need to be selected in the 15-man squad while still undergoing his shoulder rehabilitation, stabilising and strengthening if he is to play any part in the World Cup.Australia also have Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood recovering from injuries in the build-up. Starc is recovering from a pec injury while Hazlewood is recovering from stress fractures in his back.Richardson’s WA and Australia team-mate Nathan Coulter-Nile suffered a similar right shoulder dislocation in a BBL game on December 21 in 2015. He was able to return to bowl in less than two months, bowling 12 overs in a club fixture on February 20, 2016, before bowling 23 overs in a Sheffield Shield fixture on February 25. He was then selected for a short T20 International series in South Africa and the T20 World Cup in March of 2016, playing six Internationals without an issue.The Australian players not involved in the IPL will have a complete break in April following the series against Pakistan but will convene for a pre-World Cup camp in May in Brisbane which includes practice matches against New Zealand.

Big picture

Only a few weeks ago, there was a big gap between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals on the points table. While Knight Riders were riding on one big knock after another from Andre Russell, Royals were losing one match after the other. All that has changed. They are now placed alongside each other on the table, with Knight Riders placed sixth and Royals seventh, with eight and six points respectively.

Form guide (last three matches, most recent first)

Knight Riders: Lost to Sunrisers by nine wickets, lost to Royal Challengers by 10 runs, lost to Super Kings by five wickets.
Royals: Lost to Capitals by six wickets, beat Mumbai by five wickets, lost to Kings XI by 12 runs

Knight Riders’ journey has been very disappointing, chiefly because of their initial tempo. They have lost five consecutive matches now – they have failed to take early wickets, they are dropping catches, and they have leaked runs at the worst rate for any team this season (9.10). As for the reliance on Russell, his knocks of 65 off 25 balls, 45 off 21, and 50 not out off 44 have also resulted in losses, and there is a lot of back and forth about his batting position, especially after the loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Knight Riders know they have to get their act together before the qualification train leaves them behind.Time is running out for Royals too, as it’s a must-win for them. To add to that, they have learnt that individual centuries don’t necessarily win you T20s, and their foreign contingent is shrinking rapidly, not to mention Ashton Turner’s three ducks in a row in the IPL (and five in all T20s). Royals were already without Jos Buttler, who left early because of the birth of his child, and will lose Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer too after Thursday. How they will balance the XI for their last three games is another headache, but for now they need to ensure they at least beat Knight Riders with a near full-strength squad.Royals also need to up their batting game in the death overs; they have the third-lowest scoring rate in the period this IPL and need their big hitters to step up.BCCI

In the news

Stokes has been far from impressive this season, but Buttler is Royals’ second-highest scorer so far and Archer is their second-highest wicket-taker as well as their most economical bowler among those who have bowled more than five overs. Royals’ best hope will be if Stokes and Archer fire together before they are forced to change the combination.For Knight Riders, Joe Denly, a part of England’s World Cup squad, has flown back home early. He even played a one-day match after reaching England, scoring a half-century for Kent on Tuesday.

Previous meeting

These two teams met just over two weeks ago in Jaipur, and Knight Riders thrashed Royals – without Russell having to bat. Hosts this time, Knight Riders will draw confidence from that match as they look to notch up the wins again.

Likely XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Chris Lynn, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Shubman Gill, 6 Dinesh Karthik (capt & wk), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Harry Gurney, 11 Prasidh KrishnaRajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Ashton Turner, 6 Stuart Binny, 7 Riyan Parag, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Shreyas Gopal, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Dhawal KulkarniBCCI

Strategy Punt

• Royals could think of getting Ish Sodhi back in the XI. In all T20s, he has conceded only 30 runs off 29 balls against Lynn, and 17 off 23 against Karthik (including a dismissal).
• Make Sunil Narine open the bowling, not just the batting. He has dismissed Rahane thrice in 52 balls in T20s, while conceding only 69 runs.
• Despite being an occasional wristspinner himself, Steven Smith doesn’t have a great record against the breed in the IPL since 2015. He has managed only 214 runs against them off 191 balls, and been dismissed four times.
• Royals should look to bowl Archer to Shubman Gill as soon as the batsman comes out to bat. Four of Gill’s five dismissals this season have come against fast bowlers and he has scored only 74 runs off 73 balls against them, with a dot-ball percentage of 37.

Stats that matter

• The last time Royals beat Knight Riders was way back in 2015. Of course, Royals didn’t play in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, but they have lost their last four clashes against Knight Riders. Worse, they have won only one of their eight matches in Kolkata in all these years of the IPL.
• Karthik’s average of 16.70 is his second-worst in any IPL season and his worst since IPL 2016. It’s a steep fall after averaging nearly 50 in 2018.
• Rahane is 87 runs away from the 5000 mark in T20s and Stokes needs two sixes to reach 100 in the format.
• Gurney needs one more wicket and Sodhi needs three more to reach 150 in T20s.
• Steven Smith needs two more runs to get to 2000 in the IPL.
• Knight Riders’ next win will be their 100th in T20s.
• Knight Riders and Royals have leaked runs at the same rate during the middle phase (overs seven to 15) this IPL: 8.8.

During his time in Amsterdam, Erik ten Hag led Ajax all the way to the semifinals of the Champions League, claiming the scalps of Real Madrid and Juventus along the way. Only a dramatic last-minute goal from Tottenham's Lucas Moura in the second leg could deny them a place in the showpiece.

When Ten Hag arrived at Manchester United last year, he reunited with one of the components of that side in Donny van de Beek, signed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2020, but things haven't worked out for the midfielder at Old Trafford, and he's now joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan. Andre Onana, the goalkeeper from that Ajax team, will hope to have better luck in the Premier League after Ten Hag brought him to Manchester last summer.

Now it seems that the United boss is eyeing another of his former stars, this time at the back, with a lack of playing time presenting an opportunity.

De Ligt frustration could present United chance

According to Sky Sport Germany, Ten Hag is "very interested" in signing Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich. Any move will depend on the former staying in the job – United are currently struggling in seventh place – but De Ligt could become "one of the top transfer targets" in the summer if he can survive.

Bayern have recently signed Eric Dier from Tottenham and they want another centre-back too, with PSG's Nordi Mukiele and Barcelona's Ronald Araujo both mentioned. De Ligt is concerned that he could become the fourth-choice in his position if one of those player arrives, and that means a transfer "is not out of the question".

De Ligt used to idolise Ronaldo

De Ligt left Ajax at the end of the aforementioned season to join Juventus in a €86m deal, and then spent three years in Turin before Bayern acquired him for €67m. Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard talked it up as a "monster" signing, having seen De Ligt make the World XI and UEFA Team of the Year on the back of his success in the Netherlands.

He justified that initial hype by earning a spot in the Bundesliga Team of the Season in his first year, but this year he's undeniably fell down the pecking order. While he's missed six league matches through injury, he's only started four of the 10 for which he has been available.

A move to United is likely to appeal, firstly on the basis that he's had success with Ten Hag before. Speaking in 2022, De Ligt described his former boss as "a really good trainer" who "has a lot of qualities".

But beyond that, there may be a sentimental draw too for a player who idolised Cristiano Ronaldo as a child, "especially in his time when he played at Manchester United". De Ligt says his first football shirt was a Red Devils top with the Portuguese's name on the back, and he may have the chance to wear the strip himself before long, albeit at the other end of the pitch.