Ruben Amorim has warned that Manchester United are in danger of relegation unless things improve after losing a third consecutive Premier League game

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Red Devils lose fourth game in a rowOnly seven points above relegation zoneCoach admits 'it's my fault'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The coach made the frank admission after seeing his side outplayed at home to Newcastle, becoming the first United boss since Louis van Gaal in 2015 to oversee three Premier League losses in a row. United have remained in the top flight since winning promotion back to the old First Division in 1975 but they are only seven points above the drop-zone at the halfway point of the season.

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"I think that it [relegation] is a possibility and we have to be clear with our fans. We have to change something but this season will be really hard on everybody. It can make us stronger and we have to fight," Amorim said. "It is really hard. It is one of the worst moments in the history of our club, and we have to accept that. Another loss in front of our own supporters."

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Amorim has lost six of his 11 games in all competitions since succeeding Erik ten Hag in November and his team have failed to score in their last three matches. The coach said the principle problem was a lack of time on the training ground due to the high number of games. He said: "In this moment it is really tough to turn around results because we don't have a lot of time to train the base of the way we want to play. In the bad situations you need that base to hold on to."

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United paid more than £21 million ($25m) to hire Amorim, spending around £10m to sack Ten Hag and around £11m to free the Portuguese from his contract with Sporting CP. He took full responsibility for the team's slide in results. He said: "Yeah, it is also my fault. I think the team is not improving. It is a little bit lost in this moment. It is a bit embarrassing to be the Man United coach and lose a lot of games. But we have to cope with difficult moments in the life of everybody."

India captain acknowledges NZ were the better side but says great Tests come in series

Nagraj Gollapudi23-Jun-20213:08

Manjrekar: ‘This team has more world-class players than any NZ team previously’

Virat Kohli, India’s captain, admitted that New Zealand are the deserving winners of the inaugural World Test Championship, but has called for future editions of the tournament – which is contested over a two-year cycle – to be decided in series comprising a minimum of three Tests between the two finalists.”I am not in absolute agreement of deciding the best Test side in the world over the course of one game,” Kohli said in the wake of his team’s eight-wicket loss in Southampton.”If it is a Test series, it has to be a test of character over three Tests – which team has the ability to come back in the series, or totally blow away the other team. It can’t just be pressure applied over two days of good cricket and then you suddenly you are not a good Test side anymore. I don’t believe in it.”Kohli was expanding on the point he had made on the eve of the final, when he had said victory or defeat in the one-off final would not carry too much significance for his team. The best-of-three final was suggested by Indian head coach Ravi Shastri in a recent interview, and Kohli today added more flesh to that argument.”It has to be a hard grind and something that definitely needs to be worked around in the future,” he said. “At the end of three matches, where there’s effort, there’s ups and downs, there’s situations changing during the course of the series, a chance to rectify the things you have done in the first game, and then really see who is the better side over the course of a three-match series or something, will be a good measure of how things really are.”So we are not too bothered by this result because we understand as a Test side what we have done over the last 3-4 years, not just over the last 18 months. So this is not a measure of who we are as a team [with] the ability and the potential we have had for so many years now.”Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson have a chat after the WTC final•ICC/Getty ImagesDespite days one and four of the WTC final being washed out, the match reached a riveting climax on the reserve day, with several stand-out performers including the Player of the Match Kyle Jamieson, his captain Kane Williamson, and Tim Southee, who claimed four second-innings wickets. For India, Mohammad Shami was outstanding in New Zealand’s first innings, while Rishabh Pant’s inventive counterattacking on the final afternoon helped post an eventual target of 139.Asked if he believed that the quality of the cricket on display could help make the case for a best-of-three final in the future, Kohli responded with a categorical yes.”Absolutely. If you saw the way the game went, with whatever time we got on the field, why wouldn’t you want to see two more Tests of the same teams battling it out and, eventually, being the worthy winners of the World Test Championship?”Historically all the great series that you’ve seen in Test cricket, you remember them over a period of three matches or five matches perhaps, with two teams going against each other and those series become memorable.”This definitely has to be brought in. I’m not saying this because we’re not on the winning side, but just for Test cricket and for this saga to be absolutely memorable, it has to happen over a period of three games minimum, so that you have a series to remember.”There are going to be ups and downs throughout, with two quality sides going at each other, knowing that there’s so much on the line.”Related

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New Zealand’s captain, Kane Williamson – for whom the WTC crown was a maiden global title after World Cup final defeats in 2015 and 2019 – acknowledged Kohli’s argument, but believed a one-off final still had its attraction.”I suppose the exciting part to finals is that anything can happen,” Williamson said in response to Kohli’s comments. “We know how fickle cricket is and we’ve seen it in other competitions, in other World Cups and in all other bits and pieces.”The one-off factor does bring a unique dynamic, which does make it exciting and all these sorts of things, and on any given day anything can happen. We’ve been on all different sides of that statement.”On the eve of the final, ICC’s acting chief executive officer Geoff Allardice had told ESPNcricinfo that the one hurdle to hosting anything like a best-of-three WTC final would be the absence of any window in an already choking cricket calendar. Williamson agreed.”I suppose there’s arguments for both sides, and I guess the challenge would be scheduling that series among a lot of cricket that’s already on, but no doubt, the more cricket that you have within a series, the more you do find out and the more it does reveal itself.”But in the same way it was a really exciting match. It’s the first time that there’s been this competition on, and both teams were fully geared for the game, and it was a brilliant game of cricket.”

Newcastle United are believed to be keen on signing a Premier League attacking ace who is "really difficult for defenders" to play against, according to a new transfer update.

Newcastle transfer news

Eddie Howe may still be interested in adding more fresh faces to his squad, not least at centre-back, as they look to strengthen in a vital area of the pitch. Marc Guehi continues to be a target in the remaining days of the summer transfer window.

Chelsea defender Axel Disasi has also been mentioned as an option, should a move for Guehi fail to materialise, with injuries to Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles making it essential for at least one new defender to make the move to St James' Park.

Meanwhile, Adrien Rabiot is also a reported target for the Magpies, having left Juventus at the end of last season, meaning he is now available on a free transfer. Manchester United are also considered potential suitors, however, so Howe's men may have a battle on their heads to sign him.

Raheem Sterling could also be an option for Newcastle before the month ends, having been cast aside by new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who has made it clear that he has no future at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle eyeing move for £40m ace

According to a new update from The Boot Room, Newcastle are considering making a late move for Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin before the current transfer window closes.

The report states that Howe "is a huge fan" of the £40m-rated Englishman, with the Magpies' interest remaining after looking to sign him earlier in the summer in a swap deal involving Yankuba Minteh.

Calvert-Lewin is a top-quality player when he is fit and firing, with the only reservation surrounding him the injury problems that he has suffered down the years.

If Newcastle are willing to take that risk or believe that he has overcome his fitness woes, then he could be a fantastic signing this summer, having shone so often for Everton, scoring 54 goals in 215 appearances in the Premier League. He has also been lauded by Jamie Carragher in the past, with the Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool hero once saying of him:

"I’ve always been a massive fan of Calvert-Lewin, I have. I’ve always really liked him. The thing that’s always let him down is goals. I know people will say that’s the obvious thing for a centre forward, [but] he almost ticked every other box. His aerial ability; his pace; his strength; making runs also, making it really difficult for defenders."

Everton boost as rivals' talks over £40k-per-week attacker in jeopardy

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Whether or not Everton are happy to sell such an important player is up for debate, however, especially after such a poor start to the season for the Blues, but the fact that Calvert-Lewin has the same agent as Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento could possibly help with negotiations over a move to St James'.

“More or less for me now it’s just about having fun and enjoying however many days I have playing international cricket”

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2021″It was kind of a shock” for Jason Holder to be relieved from the West Indies Test captaincy, and while he admits to finding it difficult to transition from being the leader to an ordinary member of the team, he wants to focus more on his game, and be a sounding board for youngsters looking for guidance.”Yeah, it’s been difficult. I probably may not show it, but it has been difficult,” Holder told ESPNcricinfo in an interview a couple of days away from the start of West Indies’ first Test against South Africa in St Lucia. “For the last five-six years, I’ve been captaining West Indies, whether that be Test-match cricket or one-day cricket. So now being relieved of both captaincies, it has been a strange transition for me personally.”Related

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'Holder is an integral part of West Indies cricket' – Harper

Kraigg Brathwaite led West Indies in Bangladesh when Holder, as well as a number of other regulars, opted out of the tour because of the Covid-19 situation around the world. West Indies swept the two-Test series, and when it was time to select the squad for the home series against Sri Lanka in March, the team kept faith in Brathwaite. Roger Harper, the lead selector, said at the time that Brathwaite’s role in shepherding the team successfully in the absence of many first-choice players in Bangladesh had played a big role in his appointment on a permanent basis.That meant Holder’s stint as captain, which had begun in October 2015, ended after 37 matches, which included 11 wins and 21 losses. It was a period in which he climbed to great heights as a player, piling on big hauls with the ball and even hitting a double-century with the bat. After 47 Tests, Holder has 123 wickets at an average of 27.41, 2253 runs at an average of 33.13, and the No. 1 spot in the ICC rankings for Test allrounders.Holder played the home series against Sri Lanka, in Antigua, and did well. In the first Test, there was a five-wicket haul (his eighth in Tests) and in the second, there were scores of 30 and 71* – both matches were drawn.”It was kind of a shock. Yeah, still lost for words in regards to that, but I am not dwelling on it. I don’t think it’s something I should dwell on, to be fair,” Holder said. “I am just trying to find ways to move on and transition back to just being a regular player. For me now, it’s about showing a bit more of my character, and being a lot more… I would say outspoken. I am relatively outspoken, but just expressing myself a little bit more and having fun.”I feel as though I have been really, really committed to West Indies cricket – I am still committed to West Indies cricket, but more or less for me now it’s just about having fun and enjoying however many days I have playing international cricket.”Holder is still only 29, and has spent most of his career at the highest level in leadership roles. Without that responsibility, Holder felt he would have to redesign his role in the team.”There is a lot less pressure, a lot less responsibility. It’s just about me now personally… I’m a 100% team man. So I’ll play my part to help the team and if there are other players who are seeking out advice or guidance, no doubt I’ll be here to give them that,” he said. “But it’s no longer a time where you’ve got to look to select teams, look at combinations… all these things have just gone through the window. So for me now, it’s just a little bit more detailed as to as to my preparation into myself, particularly, and not having to deal with the team aspect of it.”I guess my contributions now will be more so in small groups and one-on-one basis with the players. And team meetings obviously I’ll share my expertise, and give as much guidance as I possibly can, but I still think the captain has to be given his leeway to lead the team the way he wants to lead the team, and we’ve got to give him confidence and support that we can as the group.”The first West Indies vs South Africa Test starts on June 10, with the second set for a June 18 start at the same venue.

أوضح عمرو أدهم عضو مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، حقيقة وجود خلافات مع اللجنة الفنية التي تم تشكيلها في الفترة الأخيرة من قبل مجلس إدارة القلعة البيضاء.

وأعلن حسين لبيب رئيس مجلس إدارة الزمالك، عن تشكيل لجنة فنية تضم العديد من اللاعبين السابقين على رأسهم أحمد حسام ميدو وهيثم فاروق وحازم إمام من أجل المساعدة في ضم صفقات جديدة للفريق.

وقال أدهم عبر حسابه على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “إكس”: للتوضيح بخصوص ما يثار علي الميديا، أنني غير سعيد (زعلان) من تواجد اللجنة التي ساعدت النادي في إبرام الصفقات، هذا كلام مرسل ليس له أي سند”.

طالع | “قصة حزينة”.. خالد الغندور يكشف كواليس أزمة كونراد ميشالاك مع الزمالك

وأضاف: “أنا أرسلت مخاطبات للأندية من بريدي الرسمي حسب الاتفاق مع اللجنة لمحاولة التعاقد مع لاعب من جنوب إفريقيا واللاعب الإيفواري الذي يلعب في صربيا”.

وتابع: “أعتقد هذا أبلغ دليل علي تقديري ودعمي لعمل اللجنة، غيابي عن النادي في الفترة الأخيرة، كنت خارج مصر لمدة شهر وبعد رجوعي أصبت بنزلة برد منعتني عن الذهاب إلى عملي والذهاب إلى النادي ولكني كنت على تواصل دائم بزملائي الحمد لله، أنا شخص سوي وبعيد عن الأمراض النفسية”.

وكان نادي الزمالك نجح في إبرام 3 صفقات جديدة في الميركاتو الشتوي الأخير، وهما أحمد حسام لاعب الجونة ومحمود جهاد من فاركو والمغربي صلاح مصدق مدافع نهضة الزمامرة.

Wrexham conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 with Bristol Rovers in a disappointing end to a scrappy League One match on Saturday.

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• Wrexham took lead in scrappy game
• Conceded late equaliser vs Rovers
• Have drawn two in a row in League One

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  Wrexham had the lead for the majority of the clash at the Memorial Stadium as their opponents failed to break them down. Just as the game looked to be fading out, though, Rovers managed to level matters with their first shot on target to deal a blow to the Red Dragons' title hopes.

  Elliott Lee broke the deadlock after 18 minutes with a simple first-time finish as he latched on to a wonderful pass from Matty James that found its way behind the Rovers defence. Unfortunately for the Red Dragons, their star midfielder had to go off later in the half with Paul Mullin taking his place.

  With both teams battling the wind and rain, the football on show was hardly silky or smooth. The home side could barely get forward and didn't test Wrexham goalkeeper Mark Howard. At the other end, Ollie Palmer found himself in tough physical battles as he chased down balls but couldn't extend the lead.

  Mullin had an audacious attempt to beat Howard from just outside the box with a dangerous curling effort, but he just missed the target.

  Rovers had their best attack in the 65th minute when Jamie Lindsay got through but Max Cleworth's challenge put an end to the move. Then, some excellent work from Andy Cannon saw the ball find its way to Mullin, but his woeful shot flew way off target.

  The visitors were made to pay for their wastefulness, though, as Ryan Barnett failed to clear from inside his own box, allowing substitute Luke Thomas to cross to Promise Omochere to head home.

  That seemed to spark the Gas into life as they got forward again but a fantastic tackle from Oliver Rathbone prevented the panicking Wrexham from conceding a winner.

  Having drawn with Cambridge United last week, Phil Parkinson will be frustrated by his side's collapse against another team fighting for survival in League One.

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  THE MVP

  While Lee deserves the credit for providing a goal in his 36-minute long appearance, Rathbone emerged as the real hero for the Red Dragons. He had been lively the whole game but that tackle right at the end ensured his side at least escaped with a point despite crumbling in the late stages of the game.

• THE BIG LOSER

  It was some abysmal defending from Barnett that allowed Rovers to net the equaliser with their only shot on target in the entire 90 minutes, and he will feel he let his team down.

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  WHAT COMES NEXT?

  The Welsh side's next game is on December 26 against a Blackpool side sitting 10th in the table and on a three-game winning run in the league, before their clash with Stevenage later on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur are frontrunners to sign a "mind-blowing" new forward for manager Ange Postecoglou, who could join in a very shrewd move.

Spurs prepare to host Arsenal in North London Derby this weekend

It's been a mixed start to the new Premier League season for Postecoglou and co, who have watched Spurs win one, draw one and lose one from their opening three top flight matches.

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A 1-1 opening weekend draw away to Leicester City was swiftly followed by a dominant 4-0 victory over Everton, but Postecoglou's side were soon dealt their first defeat of the new campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United at St. James' Park.

A tough next test awaits Spurs, as they prepare to host Arsenal in a mouth-watering North London Derby clash on Sunday. Postecoglou could have both Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke back for Arsenal, with the star duo both forced to sit out their loss on Tyneside.

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Richarlison is expected to be unavailable for Tottenham's next game, though, with the Brazilian picking up an injury in training just before the trip to Newcastle. Postecoglou claimed that Richarlison is likely to miss the next few weeks as a result, but another worry comes in the form of midfielder Yves Bissouma.

The former Brighton star limped off injured in the second half of Mali's 1-0 win over African minnows Eswatini on international duty, coming after he scored the only goal of the game. Bissouma is now a doubt for Tottenham's game against Arsenal as a result, with both supporters and Postecoglou anxiously waiting for an official diagnosis of his injury.

It is unclear who would replace the 28-year-old, if he is indeed absent on Sunday, but either one of Rodrigo Bentancur or summer signing Archie Gray are surely contenders to partner Pape Matar Sarr and James Maddison in midfield.

As Postecoglou ponders how best to set up his team for one of the most important games of their season, technical director Johan Lange, chairman Daniel Levy and the wider recruitment team will be continuing Tottenham's transfer planning for 2025 behind-the-scenes.

Tottenham could sign Jonathan David with offer of just around £100,000-per-week

Lille star Jonathan David, who is set to be a free agent next summer, is attracting interest from N17 – and for obvious reasons.

Only Kylian Mbappe scored more Ligue 1 goals than the Canadian last season, and David has been one of France's most prolific goalscorers these last few years. It is perhaps surprising that the 24-year-old hasn't sealed a Premier League move yet, but that time could be drawing near.

According to Tutto Juve, Tottenham are among the frontrunners to sign David from Lille, who can agree to join Spurs for nothing next summer on a pre-contract in January.

It's added that Spurs and other interested sides only need to offer the striker – who's been called "mind-blowing" Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig – around £100,000-per-week to convince him to join.

Ahead of the first-ever World Test Championship final, the ICC has inducted a special list of 10 players into its Hall of Fame. From the Australian allrounder Monty Noble, who made his debut in January 1898, to Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka batting great who retired in August 2015, these ten players’ careers span well over a century of men’s Test cricket.The inductees have been classified into five broad eras: Noble and Aubrey Faulkner from the pre-World War 1 period (early era), Learie Constantine and Stan McCabe from the period between the two World Wars (inter-war era), Vinoo Mankad and Ted Dexter from 1946 to 1970 (post-war era), Bob Willis and Desmond Haynes from 1971 to 1995 (ODI era), and Andy Flower and Sangakkara from 1996 to 2015 (modern era).ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The new list of inductees shows a notable skew towards allrounders, with Noble, Faulkner, Constantine and Mankad counted among the great multi-disciplinary players of all time, and Flower and Sangakkara also fitting that bill as wicketkeeper-batters.

Monty Noble

Noble, who captained Australia in 15 of his 42 Tests, scored 1997 runs at an average of 30.25, and picked up 121 wickets at 25.00 while bowling what he referred to as medium-paced “spin-swerve”.

Aubrey Faulkner

Faulkner was one of the legendary quartet of googly bowlers – the others were Reggie Schwartz, Bert Vogler and Gordon White – who starred during South Africa’s pathbreaking 4-1 win over England in 1906. Faulkner played 25 Test matches in all, scoring 1754 runs at 40.79 and taking 82 wickets at 26.58. Of all allrounders with at least 1000 Test runs and 50 wickets, Faulker possesses the fifth-best average difference of all time.

Learie Constantine

Constantine was one of West Indies’ two greatest players – the other was George Headley, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 – between their inaugural Test match in 1928 and the cessation of international cricket due to World War 2. Known for his innovative batting, skillful fast bowling and electric fielding either at cover point or close to the bat, Constantine scored 635 Test runs at 19.24, including four fifties, and took 58 wickets at 30.10. He made even more of an impact off the field, perhaps, qualifying as a barrister, entering politics, and serving as Trinidad & Tobago’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1961 to 1964. He was knighted in 1962, and in 1969 became the first black man to sit in the House of Lord’s.Don Bradman and Stan McCabe walk out to bat during Australia’s 1938 tour of England•Fox Photos/ Getty Images

Stan McCabe

McCabe was perhaps Australia’s second-best batter in the Don Bradman years, scoring 2748 Test runs at 48.21 including six hundreds. Three of them have gone into legend: the daring 187 not out full of hooks and pulls against England’s Bodyline bowling at the SCG in December 1932, an unbeaten 189 in Johannesburg in 1935, to bring Australia within touching distance of a target of 399 before bad light brought the match to a premature close, and 232 at Trent Bridge during the 1938 Ashes, an innings that made Bradman shake his hand and tell him, “I would give a great deal to be able to play an innings like that.”

Vinoo Mankad

Mankad was India’s greatest allrounder before Kapil Dev, a tireless left-arm spinner and a right-hand bat who often opened the batting. His 44 Tests brought him 2109 runs at 31.47 and 162 wickets at 32.32, and his most heroic performance, at Lord’s in 1952, has gone down as “Mankad’s Test”: 72 and 184 at the top of the order, and 5 for 196 across 73 first-innings overs. Earlier in the same year in Madras (now Chennai), he picked up 12 wickets against England to bowl India to their very first Test win. Madras was also the venue of Mankad’s 413-run opening partnership with Pankaj Roy against New Zealand in 1956 – it took until 2008 for a first-wicket pair to break that record.Related

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• 'When it came to sheer beauty, Stan McCabe was on his own'

Ted Dexter

Dexter was one of England’s most attractive post-war batters, a powerful driver who scored 4502 runs in 62 Tests between 1958 and 1968, at an average of 47.89. He was the Conservative Party’s (losing) candidate for parliament from Cardiff South East in 1964, when he was still playing for (and captaining) England. His post-playing career took him into journalism and broadcasting, before he returned to cricket in 1989 to serve terms as England’s chairman of selectors and president of the MCC among other roles. He continues to keep a close eye on the game, most recently bemoaning the techniques of England’s young batters in a letter published in this month’s edition of .

Bob Willis

Willis, tall and fast and generating awkward bounce that troubled all the best batters of his era, is currently England’s fourth-highest wicket-taker, with 325 at an average of 25.20. Having undergone operations on both knees at just 26, he willed himself through pain to play 90 Test matches and bowl numerous match-turning spells, none more memorable than his fourth-innings 8 for 43 to complete England’s Headingley miracle during the 1981 Ashes. After his playing career wound down, Willis enjoyed a long career as a trenchant voice in the Sky commentary box. Following a short illness, he died in 2019 at the age of 70.Desmond Haynes was a superb back-foot player•PA Photos

Desmond Haynes

Haynes was one half of Test cricket’s most prolific opening partnership, combining to add 6482 runs and 16 century stands for the first wicket with Gordon Greenidge, a 2009 Hall of Fame inductee, laying the platform for West Indies’ most dominant era as a Test team from the late 1970s to the early 90s. A powerful back-foot player with great powers of concentration, Haynes scored 7487 Test runs at 42.29, and also enjoyed a superb ODI career, his 17 centuries a record in the format until Sachin Tendulkar went past it in 1998.

Andy Flower

Flower remains arguably the greatest player in Zimbabwe’s history, scoring 4794 Test runs at 51.54 including some of the grittiest knocks ever played in the modern era, including a match-saving unbeaten 232 against India in Nagpur in 2000, and twin hundreds in a losing cause against South Africa, in Harare a year later. Flower’s international career came to an end during the 2003 World Cup, when he and the fast bowler Henry Olonga wore black armbands during all of Zimbabwe’s games to protest what they termed “the death of democracy” in their country. He continued playing county cricket in England thereafter, before turning to coaching and masterminding England’s climb to the No. 1 ranking in Test cricket in 2011.

Kumar Sangakkara

Sangakkara is Sri Lanka’s leading run-getter, with 12,400 runs at 57.40 – the highest average among all batters to have scored more than 9000 Test runs. A left-hander who batted with a methodical elegance, Sangakkara’s numbers as a specialist batter are even more astonishing: 9283 runs at 66.78, with 31 hundreds in just 86 Tests. A prolific white-ball player too, Sangakkara was a leading light in the Sri Lanka teams that finished as losing finalists at the 2009 and 2012 World T20s as well as the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, and the Player of the Match when Sri Lanka beat India in the final of the 2014 World T20 in Dhaka. As eloquent off the field as he was chirpy behind the stumps, Sangakkara in 2019 became the first non-British person to be appointed president of the MCC.

Arsenal are eyeing an ambitious potential swoop for another Bayern Munich superstar amid their repeated links to ex-Man City winger Leroy Sane, with the Bundesliga appearing to emerge as a talent pool for transfer chief Edu Gaspar.

Arsenal target Leroy Sane with Bayern Munich contract expiring

Sane’s contract with Bayern is set to expire next summer as things stand, allowing interested clubs to potentially approach the German over agreeing a pre-contract as early as January.

Ornstein suggests £240,000-per-week Arsenal star has a "significant" injury

The Gunners are gearing up for their opening Champions League game of the season.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 18, 2024

The former City winger, who’s made 176 appearances in all competitions for Bayern since joining from the Sky Blues, could therefore be about to move on to the next chapter of his career – five years after signing in a £42 million deal.

During his time with Bayern, the 28-year-old has bagged an impressive 49 goals and 50 assists, indicating he could be a coup for any elite side – especially on a Bosman deal next summer.

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Arsenal are believed to be targeting Sane, according to multiple reports, and they were seriously linked over the summer window too. There have even been suggestions that Sane would be keen on a move to London, and manager Mikel Arteta is described as a “big fan” following their time together at Eastlands.

“He’s a player that has long been on their radar – Arteta is a big fan,” journalist Graeme Bailey said in July.

“Believe the player would be keen on a move to London. I know Sane is unsure about his long-term future at Bayern.”

Sane’s admiration for Arteta could also be an advantage in any potential race for the 65-cap Germany international, who has won a plethora of honours and played in some big games over a decorated career.

Arsenal have been linked with Alphonso Davies from Bayern as well, with the Canadian international left-back also out of contract in 2025 and potentially available for free like Sane.

Arsenal eyeing ambitious move for Bayern star Jamal Musiala

A far more marquee transfer would be that of another Bayern Munich star in Jamal Musiala, who is arguably one of world football’s most exciting young stars.

The 21-year-old has been consistently shining on the biggest stage for a number of years, and has started this season in fantastic fashion with two goals and three assists from his opening five games in all competitions.

His contract expires in 2026, which is a big worry for Bayern as elite clubs look to take advantage. The Bavarians still value Musiala at a sky-high £152 million, according to some reports, but Vincent Kompany’s side won’t be able to command such a figure this time next year if his contract situation remains the same.

As per The Boot Room, this has put Edu and co on red alert, as it is believed Arsenal have joined the race to sign Musiala. The winger, who has reached double figures for goals scored in each of his last two full campaigns at Bayern, is a very hot commodity and a potentially great transfer opportunity.

Fans might be crying out for signings down Anfield Road but Liverpool are actually in a very good position, having won Arne Slot's first game at the helm against Ipswich Town in the Premier League.

Three points to start the campaign is not the extent of the positivity, with Jurgen Klopp leaving the Merseyside squad in a highly promising position, with a strong framework and an abundance of varied potential.

But that's not to say that it's been flawless. A dogged pursuit to sign Martin Zubimendi ended with no gain, while key triumvirate Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all into the final year of their contracts and without any sign of a resolution.

Such worrying possible outgoings on that front will surely influence transfer thinking, and with Joel Matip now gone and Joe Gomez being linked with a move away, Reds supporters might be treated to a defensive signing before the end of the month.

Liverpool transfer plans

Liverpool have not signed a centre-back since Ibrahima Konate's £36m release clause at RB Leipzig was met in 2021, and now is surely the time to refresh the ranks.

As such, there might be something in whispers that Liverpool are gearing up to sign Marc Guehi this month. As per The Athletic, Liverpool appreciate the England star and could look to accelerate their interest following Crystal Palace's decision to reject four Newcastle United bids, holding out for £75m.

That would mean that FSG would need to sanction an outlay to the same tune as the one-time signing of Van Dijk from Southampton for the same fee – this feels unlikely; Guehi is a talented player but such a figure doesn't really align with Liverpool's circumspect transfer approach.

£75m would also be the required price were Liverpool to sign Everton sensation Jarrad Branthwaite, who has seen his odds slashed on a cross-Merseyside switch this month – make of that what you will.

It's a big figure and something that Liverpool will be unlikely to sanction, with FSG preferring to complete shrewder deals and turn budding talents into top-class superstars.

Cody Gakpo is one example, with his present market value surpassing both of the English transfer targets…

Cody Gakpo's transfer value in 2024/25

It's January 2023, and Gakpo has just announced himself to the major stage following a sensational campaign in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup.

The Netherlands international had attracted attention from Manchester United and a deal looked to be close, but Liverpool swept by and hijacked the deal, signing Gakpo on an initial £35m deal.

He arrived at a turbulent time, and while he's ebbed and flowed, Gakpo looks ready to tackle the 2024/25 season after a strong finish to the Klopp era and further international success at Euro 2024 in Germany.

He has bagged a decent return of 23 goals and nine assists from 46 starting appearances at Liverpool, made all the more impressive when noting that Klopp played him across a wide range of roles, leaving him unable to nail down the fluency that comes with a determined place in the starting 11.

And anyway, his underlying numbers are a thing to behold. Hailed for his "special skill set" by Klopp's former assistant manager Pep Lijnders, the 25-year-old will be itching to showcase his quality under Slot's management.

Cody Gakpo: Notable Statistics
Statistic (past year)	Per 90	Percentile
Assists	0.25	Top 17%
Shot-creating actions	4.19	Top 7%
Passes attempted	31.88	Top 11%
Progressive passes	4.19	Top 7%
Progressive carries	2.36	Top 20%
Successful take-ons	1.62	Top 12%
Tackles	1.16	Top 11%
Stats via FBref (vs forwards)

Because of all this, it's no surprise that Gakpo's market value has shot right up, with CIES Football Observatory's number-crunching model working out that the Dutchman currently bears a market value of £88m, placing him in a higher bracket than both of the aforementioned defensive targets.

It's a testament to FSG's model that Gakpo was found and acquired for a comparatively small figure before being sharpened on Merseyside to a point that sees him regarded among the highest-valued forwards in the Premier League.

The £120k-per-week ace was introduced off the bench in Liverpool's season opener but will feel that he has plenty to give this year and could prove his lofty worth as the campaign goes on, especially if Slot allows him to maintain a more sustained attacking position at the front of the ship.

He notched three goals and an assist over five matches for Oranje in the summer and looked a real menace in a left-sided attacking role – a deployment that he was given sporadically last year.

There's been a real clamour for signings at Liverpool and understandably so. Left wing has been one of the more talked-about positions, and Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon was even reported to have agreed to a £75m deal with the Reds before the Magpies, sweating over a Premier League profit and sustainability (PSR) breach, found an alternative, less damaging route to delve down.

But with Slot adamant that the fleet-footed Luis Diaz is going nowhere, that hardly looks to be detrimental to the prospect of success this season, especially when considering Gakpo's quality in the role.

He's one of the most underrated players in Liverpool's first team and could be in line for a big campaign that will finally announce him as one of the Premier League's very finest forwards. With so much yet to give, Liverpool have definitely hit the jackpot with this one.

Liverpool can land "immense" £38m titan who'd be better than Branthwaite

This would be a statement signing from FSG…

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 20, 2024