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Manchester United could finally be about to change hands if updates released in the press this week are to be believed, but there is conflicting information emerging from all angles.

What's the latest on the takeover situation at Manchester United?

Last year, the Glazers put Manchester United up for sale and detailed that they were exploring "strategic alternatives for the club" in the hope of being able to "enhance the club’s future growth", as per The Independent.

At the time, the Red Devils' ownership confirmed that they would look into a multitude of options as part of the process, including “new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company”.

Two main candidates have emerged to take over Manchester United and bring the Glazers' controversial tenure at Old Trafford to an end, which has of course contributed to periods of regression on and off the pitch for the Premier League giants, particularly in the last decade.

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani has and his consortium Nine Two Foundation have been heavily involved with all stages of the process and would like to claim outright control at Old Trafford – alongside clearing debt at Manchester United and investing in both the playing staff and club infrastructure – as per The Mirror.

On the other hand, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his firm INEOS have also been in contention to acquire custody of Manchester United and are proposing a majority takeover that would allow two of the Glazers, Joel and Avram, to hold minority stakeholding positions in the club moving forward. Ratcliffe has also promised to wipe out the Red Devils' debt and either renovate or reconstruct Old Trafford.

Despite the uncertainty over the future of Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag has still been busy in the transfer market, bringing in Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana for considerable sums of money, as per Transfermarkt.

Who will win the takeover battle at Manchester United?

According to The Sun, Sheikh Jassim looks to have won the fight to take over at Manchester United for £6 billion and could enter office at Old Trafford as early as mid-October.

An official announcement may take place next week according to their report while Jassim and his associates are doing their 'due diligence' regarding Manchester United before being installed at the expense of the much-maligned Glazer family.

100% of the club will fall into the hands of Sheikh Jassim and company, while the Qatari businessman will not take any dividend payments from the Red Devils, which is a practice the Glazers have engaged in since taking control in 2005.

However, Sky Sports have since claimed virtually the total opposite, claiming on Twitter less than 24 hours later: "Sources close to the Qatari bid believe the process has stalled amid concerns that the Glazer family are not sure they want to sell the club."

Sheikh Jassim has made five separate bids to try and succeed the Glazers at Old Trafford and could look to prioritise renovating Carrington and Old Trafford alongside clearing debts at the club that have reached levels of nearly £1 billion, as per Sky Sports.

Of course, Manchester United have been affected by Financial Fair Play issues this year and are also struggling to complete the rest of their summer business unless player sales are solicited, which are two problems that could be completely wiped out once new ownership arrives in the North West, but it remains to be seen which source is closer to the truth.

A Michael Klinger special lifted the hosts to the top of the BBL points table, after completing a six-wicket win against Sydney Sixers

The Report by Daniel Brettig01-Jan-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Klinger’s composure ensured Perth Scorchers broke fresh ground with the highest successful chase in their history, to consign the Sydney Sixers to a fourth consecutive defeat and vault over Adelaide Strikers to the top of the Big Bash League table. The hosts had appeared to be in considerable trouble when they staggered to 2 for 35 after the Powerplay following the Sixers’ total of 167, but Klinger refused to panic, and took the Scorchers home with help from Ashton Turner and a cameo from the debutant Tim David.The Sixers made a decent fist of their innings after being sent in, as the makeshift opener Peter Nevill, Jordan Silk and Sam Billings were particularly effective. But there was grim news for Steve O’Keefe when he suffered a suspected serious leg injury in the field, robbing the captain Johan Botha of one of his most economical options. The Sixers are now on the brink of an early elimination from the tournament.Michael Klinger flicks into the leg side•Getty ImagesAccidental openerDaniel Hughes has accompanied Jason Roy to the middle in both the Sixers’ matches so far, but a muscle strain in the warm-ups meant that the left-hander was ruled out and replaced at the top by Peter Nevill. Not a noted power hitter, Nevill instead likes to use the pace on the ball, and another swift WACA surface gave him his chance.Helpful, too, was Jhye Richardson, who offered up some generous width early in his spell, including one no ball that Nevill cut cleanly to the backward point boundary. The subsequent free hit was fuller and sliced through the same region to the boundary. Altogether, Nevill would get five fours in an innings that covered not only for Hughes but also for Roy’s exit to a contentious lbw decision – the ball appeared to have pitched outside leg stump before rapping his front leg.Even contributionsThe Scorchers pride themselves on possessing a mean bowling and fielding unit, one that is very capable of taking wickets through economy, but also through penetration. This night, however, the Sixers were able to gain a foothold in the match by establishing partnerships throughout their innings. Once Nic Maddinson followed Nevill back to the pavilion for another handy score, Silk and Billings were able to pull together a stand of 56 in 39 deliveries, before Silk and Ben Dwarshuis hustled 30 more off the final 13 balls of the innings.A curious subplot of the Scorchers’ approach was the captain Adam Voges’ choice to bowl himself alongside James Muirhead to split the duties of the hosts’ fifth bowler. Muirhead has been on a rocky journey since representing Australia in 2014, and started this season in the St Kilda second-grade team in Melbourne Premier cricket. Muirhead, however, bowled well in his two overs at the WACA Ground but a hamstring strain forced Voges to bowl the remaining two. The Sixers captain conceded 23 off those 12 balls, but Muirhead can expect a full four-over stint next time out.Injury upsets SixersTo say O’Keefe has an benighted record with injury would be to understate his misfortune over the years, never more so than the hamstring strain he suffered midway through the Kandy Test against Sri Lanka in 2016 when he had looked like Australia’s most dangerous bowler. He had bowled three tidy overs for 20 runs in Perth when he slipped at short fine leg, felt a “crack” and immediately sought treatment in the dressing rooms, never to return. A fracture is suspected.The injury gave the Sixers captain Botha a difficult choice in terms of finding the extra over, and his choice of a like-for-like option in the shape of Maddinson’s occasional left-arm spinners was to be punished for 14 runs by Turner and Klinger. Botha himself elected to only bowl one over for the night, as Klinger steadily carried the game away from the visitors.Klinger comes throughIt had been a matter of serious doubt whether Klinger would play any part at all for the Scorchers this season after finding out that his wife, Cindy, had been diagnosed with cancer. But he has so far been available for all fixtures and demonstrated a rare level of composure and skill to guide the Scorchers’ chase of a larger total than what they have commonly needed to.Starting steadily, Klinger rolled into gear with a pair of boundaries through the off side from the bowling of Dwarshuis in the fourth over of the chase, but did not panic as the Scorchers managed only a modest 2 for 35 from the Powerplay. Showcasing the skills built over nearly 20 years in first-class ranks, he scored freely around the ground, and with a hat-trick of boundaries from Sean Abbott in the 18th over, Klinger appeared to have settled the matter.Though Klinger was to be dismissed in the penultimate over – when trying to hoist Daniel Sams into the crowd beyond wide long-on – Klinger was able to watch as Voges and the debutant David eked out the winning runs – none more vital than David’s straight six from Sams’ final delivery when 15 runs were still required from seven. When Abbott started the final over with five wides, the Scorchers were all but home, and the Sixers all but out of contention. Voges then finished it off with a top-edged six over Nevill to move back to first.

West Ham United will have to stand firm in the coming weeks if they want to keep one of their star players as Manchester City "will bid again", claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

West Ham United news – what is the latest?

It hasn't been the window that West Ham fans would've hoped for following their historic win in the Europa Conference League final just two months ago.

Instead of welcoming in a swath of new faces to help them push on, climb the league table, and maybe have a good go at challenging for the Europa League, they sold the club captain and talisman Declan Rice to cross-city rivals Arsenal, floundered around looking for targets and struggled to sign those they identified.

That said, things have started looking up in recent days with the arrival of Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse and the exciting acquisition of Mexican international Edson Alvarez.

Read the latest West Ham United transfer news HERE…

These three players should help the East Londoners genuinely improve this year; however, the efforts of treble-winning City to sign their most dynamic midfielder Paqueta over recent weeks has somewhat dampened the excitement of new arrivals.

According to the Daily Mail, the Premier League champions have already seen an offer worth £60m rising to £70m rejected by the Irons, with the London side only willing to sell their star should they receive an offer close to the player's £85m release clause that'll come into effect next year.

While that is obviously a lot of money, with City's seemingly endless resources, it's not a hard valuation to reach, and according to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, they will "100%" come back in with another offer for the Brazilian.

He provided an update on the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"City keep working on the Lucas Paqueta deal, because City will bid again for Paqueta, 100% I can guarantee to you."

How good is Lucas Paqueta?

Despite the Rio de Janeiro-born dynamo only arriving in the league last summer from Ligue 1 side Lyon in a deal worth £51m, he has already left quite the impression on fans, managers, and players alike.

His former captain Rice was full of praise for his quality and skill earlier this summer, telling the Evening Standard: "He's incredible, honestly, he's absolutely incredible."

In his 27 league starts last year, the £150,000-a-week man scored four goals, provided three assists, took 1.9 shots per game, maintained a passing accuracy of 80.2%, won four Man-of-the-Match awards and averaged a match rating of 6.97, per WhoScored.

His underlying numbers are also fantastic and suggest that were he given a chance to play for a genuinely dominant side like City, he could quickly become one of the league's most deadly midfielders.

According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the "spectacular" star sits in the top 1% for tackles and blocks, the top 5% for clearances, the top 6% for aerial duals, the top 7% for progressive passes, and the top 16% for attempted passes, all per 90.

The Hammers faithful can only hope that David Moyes and Co are able to keep a hold of Paqueta for these final three weeks, but that might be easier said than done with the immense financial muscle at the disposal of Pep Guardiola's side.

Anmolpreet Singh’s career-best 267 helped set up a declaration on 653 for 9 for Punjab, while Himachal wipe out their 213-run deficit against Bengal

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2017Punjab were on course for their second win of the season after Anmolpreet Singh’s career-best 267 and Gurkeerat Singh’s 111 helped set up a declaration on 653 for 9 in Raipur. Having a deficit of 415 to wipe out to avoid an innings defeat, Chhattisgarh were tottering at 128 for 4 in the second innings at stumps on day three, with Sandeep Sharma and Barinder Sran, the new ball pair, picking two wickets. Punjab, currently placed third in Group D, are primed for full points.Anmolpreet, resuming on 171, added 96. Along the way, he found support from the last five batsmen, who put together 150 to help Punjab swell their lead. Of these, No. 9 batsmanVinay Choudhary contributed 49 while Sran, the last man, blasted three sixes and a four in his unbeaten 14-ball 27. Prateek Sinha, Sumit Ruikar and Shourabh Karwar picked up three wickets each for Chhattisgarh.Chhattisgarh, faced with the realistic option of batting for a draw to garner one point, slipped to 92 for 4, before an unbroken 79-run stand between half-centurion Ashutosh Singh and Siddharth Chandrakar frustrated Punjab towards close of play.Half-centuries from openers Priyanshu Khanduri and Prashant Chopra helped Himachal wipe out their 213-run deficit against Bengal after being made to follow-on and nudge ahead by two, with eight second-innings wickets still intact, after three days of play in Kolkata. A draw here could mean both sides would be tied on points in the top half of the standings.Himachal wobbled briefly when Chopra and Sumeet Verma, the captain, fell within the space of four overs. But they were driven forward by Nikhil Gangta, who is coming off two centuries in his previous two matches. Gangta was unbeaten on 43 alongside rookie Khanduri, who was 67 not out. Earlier in the day, Himachal, resuming on 163 for 5, were bowled out for 206 with Ashok Dinda finishing with 5 for 61.Offspinner Akshay Wakhare’s 5 for 87 dismissed Services for 317 and handed Vidarbha a 68-run first-innings lead in Nagpur . The hosts then extended it to 179 by stumps on the third day.Resuming on 141 for 4, Services lost Rahul Singh (63) early in the day. Vikas Yadav and wicketkeeper-batsman Nakul Verma then propped their side up with a 108-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Muzzaffaruddin Khalid contributed 21 to push the score beyond 300. Umesh Yadav and Karn Sharma assisted Wakhare by bagging two wickets each.Vidarbha then lost Wasim Jaffer for 25 in their second dig, but captain Faiz Fazal and Sanjay Ramaswamy put on 67 for the second wicket to steady the side. Fazal fell for 46 just before stumps, but Ramaswamy and nightwatchman Karn Sharma saw off the day without any further damage.

Everton are in advanced talks to sign Udinese striker Beto during the summer transfer window, and a new update has revealed where negotiations currently stand.

Who is Beto?

The 25-year-old joined the Serie A club from Portimonense in 2022, scoring 22 goals in 64 appearances to date, including ten goals in the league last season.

Beto once again goes into the current campaign as a key player for Udinese, assuming that they manage to keep hold of him beyond the end of the current window. His contract in Italy runs until the summer of 2026, but there has been interest in him of late, including from Everton.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

The Blues are looking at various options to improve their attack after some lean years in that area of the pitch, with Youssef Chermiti already coming in, and the likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Hugo Ekitike also potential targets.

Will Everton sign Beto?

According to Football Insider, Everton are in serious talks with Beto over a potential loan summer switch to Goodison Park, and a deal is already "close":

"Everton are in advanced talks to sign Udinese striker Beto, sources have told Football Insider. The Merseysiders have turned their attention to landing the Portugese striker, 25, before the window shuts and a deal is now close.

"Everton are working on a loan deal with an obligation to buy. It is believed that Udinese are willing to green-light the sale of Beto, who is contracted until 2026, following talks in the last 24 hours."

Beto looks like another great option for Everton to snap up as soon as possible, having proven himself in one of Europe's top leagues since arriving at Udinese, scoring at an impressive rate in a division known for being strong defensively down the years.

He has compared to former Blues striker Romelu Lukaku, in terms of style, and if he came in and enjoyed a similar impact to him at Goodison, he could become a genuine hero there. The Belgian scored 87 goals in just 166 appearances, and anything close to that would be an incredible return, having the potential to steer the Merseysiders clear of any possible relegation battle.

At 25, Beto is right in the middle of his career and should remain in and around his prime years for the foreseeable future, and he could both a great focal point and a reliable source of goals, getting the best out of those around him in the process.

Some could argue that Everton don't need him, assuming Chermiti has already joined and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a good option, but the latter is an injury-prone figure who can't necessarily be relied on to stay fit throughout a season.

Squad depth is absolutely vital for the Blues moving forward, allowing Sean Dyche to shuffle his pack and keep his players fresh, not to mention having strong options off the substitutes' bench, so the positives comfortably outweigh the negatives when it comes to them sealing a move for him sooner rather than later.

Whether Udinese are willing to sell remains to be seen, but Everton should definitely push hard and further test their resolve, with a permanent move potentially coming to fruition next summer.

Chris Woakes has highlighted the injury records of Australia’s three frontline quicks, as well as the lack of certainty over who will keep wicket ahead of the Ashes

Alan Gardner28-Oct-2017Chris Woakes is an unlikely candidate to lead the way in England’s attempts at mental disintegration in the build-up to the Ashes but, in his own well-mannered Brummie fashion, he has pointed up one or two Australian weaknesses less than a month out from the first Test.England were beaten 5-0 on their last Ashes tour – a trip Woakes missed despite making his Test debut against Australia at the end of the 2013 summer – and from the moment they set down in Perth on Sunday, they will have to start dealing with the heat (in every sense). For some, the fact England are preparing to be without Ben Stokes, recent revelations notwithstanding, means their hopes are doomed from the start.Stokes’ absence would certainly weaken England’s batting, with Australia likely to field an intimidating and varied pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins – though it could have been even more fearsome, had James Pattinson not succumbed to another back injury. England will rely more on skill than speed, with James Anderson and Stuart Broad bringing experience and nous in place of clicks. In the absence of Stokes and Mark Wood, Woakes’ ability to hit the high 80s mph may make him the quickest tourist.While England were blown away in 2013-14, Woakes suggested this series would be more competitive, noting that Cummins has yet to play a home Test, as well as the chequered injury records of Australia’s frontline trio. He also highlighted the ongoing debate over who will keep wicket, with Alex Carey and Peter Nevill vying to displace Matthew Wade.”The Australian bowlers have got some pace, [but] Pat Cummins hasn’t played much Test cricket in Australia, so it will be as much of a test for him as for me,” Woakes said. “They’ve probably got more pace than us but in Broad, Anderson we’ve got two of England’s best ever bowlers, and along with myself and some of the other bowlers I think we have got enough to cause them problems.”I don’t think they’ve got a huge amount of back-up bowlers apart from those three, guys who have got records of injury – if they break down during the series, what have they got coming through after that? They’re also missing a keeper-batsman at the minute, they’re short in that area, which is obviously quite a crucial position in every team.”With Australia’s season now well underway and England set to begin their tour with a two-day match against Western Australia next weekend, the verbal skirmishes are only likely to increase. David Warner has come in for some criticism after likening the Ashes to a “war” in which he would try to summon up his “hatred” for England, but Woakes was understanding of the emotions at play.”The words he used might have been a bit extreme but look, it’s Ashes cricket, you know it’s going to be intense, it’s two teams coming up against each other who are desperate to win. When you go to Australia you are taking on the nation, not just the team. They’ll feel the pressure of that as well, so you can understand maybe why he’s saying that. But at the same time it’s two teams battling hard against each other to win the Ashes so you’d expect nothing else. I’m sure it will be intense on the field and a few things said.”It’s exciting, looking forward to it. I never find trouble getting into the battle, everyone does it in their own way. Warner might want to chirp, others do it their own way. You have to find out what’s best for you, it might distract you from the day job. Each to their own, David can do what he wants and we will react and try to play our best cricket.”Woakes may have missed selection for the last Ashes tour – Boyd Rankin and Chris Tremlett were preferred as England opted for height over trousers – but he has plenty of experience in Australia, having made his white-ball debuts there in 2010-11, as well as playing in the Big Bash League and the 2015 World Cup.He missed the majority of England’s Test summer, after suffering a side injury during the Champions Trophy, and admitted he “probably didn’t have enough overs under my belt” ahead of a rusty comeback against West Indies in August. England have been attempting to aid their acclimatisation by training in a heated tent at Loughborough, and using the Kookaburra ball, but it may be that Woakes’ ability with the bat is as important in Australia.If England do line up without Stokes, as currently seems likely, Woakes is a candidate to rise a place in the order to bat at No. 8, behind Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali. One of England’s strengths going back to the 2015 Ashes success has been the depth of their batting and Woakes, with nine first-class hundreds, said he would relish the chance to show his ability.”Losing Ben as an allrounder means myself, Moeen and Jonny have more of a chance to prove our worth,” he said. “If I am to bat higher up the order, I will try to embrace that challenge and look forward to the opportunity to score some runs for the team – to get in and score some big runs. I take my batting as seriously as possible. I know I have been batting at nine in recent Test matches but whenever I have played for Warwickshire I have batted a lot higher than that. I have always tried to maintain a mindset of a batsman.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, as Julen Lopetegui seeks reinforcements this summer.

The Spaniard has endured the hardships of leading a club bruised by Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions, admitting he is “worried” about the current squad he is taking into the 2023/24 campaign.

The Old Gold must act fast and find a solution to their business woes, with the club facing an uphill battle when the season commences should improvements not be made.

Could Wolves sign Hannibal Mejbri?

As reported by Tunisian journalist Mahmoud Missaoui, Hannibal has gathered significant interest this summer.

The 20-year-old looks set to leave Manchester United on loan, with the Old Gold – as well as Luton Town and Leicester City – eyeing the midfielder.

With just one year remaining on his contract at Old Trafford, the youngster is expected to gain Premier League experience to aid United into making a decision over his future, with his market value currently sitting around £4m.

How good is Hannibal Mejbri?

Picked up by the Red Devils in 2019 from AS Monaco, the Tunisian has occupied the centre of midfield in the club’s academy for the majority of his stay, before moving to the Championship last term to endeavour on a loan spell.

Hannibal made 38 appearances in the second tier for Birmingham City last season, scoring one goal and assisting five in a year that cemented him as having the potential to be a top central midfielder in England.

Hailed as “phenomenal” by Blues manager John Eustace, the 20-year-old made a fast impression at St Andrew’s, proving that he can perform at senior level to give his club an insight into what he could one day offer.

Now that the Tunisian has gained valuable experience in the Championship, Premier League minutes are the next step to his development and future at United, posing a potentially exciting opportunity for Wolves.

Identified as a “roaming playmaker” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Red Devills academy gem was dubbed the “Tunisian Modric” by the scout for his “highly technical” approach to play and commanding nature in the middle of the park.

A potential swoop for a player with such attributes could come at a perfect time for Lopetegui, who must find an heir to departed captain and key presence Ruben Neves, whilst adhering to financial constraints.

While the youngster is far from the finished article, his numbers in the Championship last term suggest that he could be a fundamental asset to the Spaniard’s squad in its present state, with him showcasing similar strengths to Neves.

Averaging 2.13 progressive carries per 90 for Birmingham City, the 20-year-old highlighted his ability to venture upfield, as well as suggesting his eye for creativity in more advanced areas with an average of 1.62 key passes per 90, via FBref.

The Portuguese gem averaged 0.83 progressive carries and 0.95 key passes per 90 at Molineux last season, suggesting the potential that Hannibal’s services could offer Lopetegui in his absence.

Defensively, the United starlet dominated too, averaging 2.31 tackles and 1.20 interceptions per 90 in the Championship, relaying his raw but rounded skill set in the engine room.

With the 2023/24 campaign just around the corner, the Spaniard could ease a host of woes by recruiting the hungry young talent, which could give Wolves a glimmer of hope after the dull summer they’ve endured so far.

Kent skipper Sam Northeast scored more than half his side’s runs before he was last out for 110 in the Specsavers County Championship match against Durham

ECB Reporters Network06-Sep-2017Sam Northeast made a battling hundred but Durham claimed a slender lead•Getty ImagesKent skipper Sam Northeast scored more than half his side’s runs before he was last out for 110 in the Specsavers County Championship match against Durham at Chester-le-Street. All out for 206, with Graham Onions taking 6 for 62, Kent trailed by 11 and in 22 overs Durham reached 57 for 2 in their second innings.They were also indebted to the all-round efforts of Mark Wood on his comeback from the heel injury which had sidelined him since the second Test against South Africa in mid-July. His career-best 72 not out rescued Durham from 77 for 7 in the morning and he followed up with 3 for 48.Wood shared an eighth-wicket stand of 106 with James Weighell, who made 55 before Mitch Claydon took the last three wickets to finish with 5 for 54 on his old stamping ground.In recording his best figures for two years, Onions was on the mark from the outset, pinning Sean Dickson lbw then beating Joe Denly’s forward defensive push to take out the off stump.The fact that 18 wickets fell in the day made Northeast’s effort all the more remarkable. He went in at 14 for 2 and got off the mark with an edged four when trying to withdraw his bat. But at tea he had propelled his team to 134 for 3 from 26 overs. He sped to fifty off 45 balls with ten fours, despite losing Daniel Bell-Drummond, who grafted hard for his 26, only to surrender when he tried to pull Wood and lobbed a catch to mid-on.Starting with the second ball after tea, Kent then lost five wickets for 13 runs. Zak Crawley was lbw to one from Wood which looked a little high and three balls later Darren Stevens hung out his bat and edged behind.Left-hander Calum Haggett pushed limply down the wrong line to have off and middle rattled by Onions and the surrender continued as Adam Milne edged a lavish drive. Sam Billings, suffering from a migraine, went in at 147 for 7 and departed first ball, having his leg bail trimmed when aiming for midwicket.Claydon clubbed three fours in contributing 16 to a stand of 28 before driving to deep mid-off to give Onions his sixth wicket.On 81 when last man Imran Qayyum joined him, Northeast farmed the strike and cut Wood over backward point for six on the way to his 102-ball century, which included 17 fours. He finally fell when he edged a forcing back-foot shot off Weighell to give wicketkeeper Michael Richardson his third catch.With Billings resting, Kent emerged with Bell-Drummond behind the stumps and he held the catch off Haggett which removed the struggling Keaton Jennings for 13. Haggett also brought one back a long way to bowl Cameron Steel, shouldering arms, for nought.

There has been an update regarding Manchester United's pursuit of Atalanta striker, Rasmus Hojlund, as manager Erik ten Hag steps up his search for a new centre-forward…

What's the latest on Hojlund to Man United?

According to one source, the Red Devils are said to have reached a "total agreement" for the signing of the Denmark international – as well as Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat – having already secured moves for Mason Mount and Andre Onana this summer.

It is not made clear as to whether that 'agreement' relates to personal terms as well as a transfer fee, with recent reports having claimed that United are unwilling to go above £60m in their quest to land the 20-year-old marksman.

The former Sturm Graz ace – who has been valued at around €50m (£43m) by CIES Football Observatory – has emerged as the leading centre-forward target for the Old Trafford outfit, despite recent whispers that the club are still "circling" in the hope of landing Harry Kane, according to journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

Would Hojlund be a good signing for Man United?

Unlike Kane – who netted 30 Premier League goals last season to take his total tally in the competition to 213 – Hojlund is a far less proven option to lead the line for Ten Hag next season, having scored just nine Serie A goals last season.

Although still seemingly a "remarkable" talent who has "very similar characteristics to [Erling] Haaland", according to manager Gian Piero Gasperini, the emerging gem does only boast 27 club career goals to date, making him a potentially expensive gamble as far as United are concerned.

There may also be worries over the Dane's apparent likeness to former Chelsea flop, Timo Werner, with the pair noted as similar players due to their recent statistical record, according to FBref.

The two men are notably alike due to their reliance on their speed to hurt the opposition, with Werner "someone who can devastate with his pace" – according to talkSPORT's Tony Cascarino – while Hojlund has been branded as "scary quick" by journalist, Sacha Pisani.

That desire to utilise their explosive speed is shown by the fact that the latter man ranks in the top 1% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for progressive passes received, as he regularly looks to get in behind, while his striking counterpart ranks in the top 5% in that regard.

As Werner found out during his time at Stamford Bridge, however, a striker will need more to his game if he is to make the grade in the Premier League, with the German dud having notably been rather "erratic" for the Blues, according to pundit Gabby Agbonlahor.

The RB Leipzig man – who is in his second spell at the club – was snapped up by then-boss Frank Lampard on a £45m deal in the summer of 2020 after netting 28 Bundesliga goals the year prior for his former employers, although the 27-year-old went on to score just ten league goals during his two-year stint in west London.

As United legend Rio Ferdinand said at the time, the Stuttgart native was often "too loose in possession" when leading the line, with it then somewhat concerning that Hojlund's average pass completion rate of 73.1% is actually lower than that of Werner (74.6%), across the last 365 days,

Having seen the dour nature of the latter man's time at Chelsea, United supporters will certainly not want the Old Trafford hierarchy to endure a repeat scenario with the signing of Hojlund.

The second Test was delicately poised after a oscillating day with West Indies taking a lead of 169 before Mark Stoneman and Joe Root led England’s reply

The Report by Andrew McGlashan27-Aug-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsWest Indies remained in a position to push for their first Test victory in England since 2000, in no small measure due to the all-round efforts of their captain Jason Holder, but Joe Root carried his team’s hopes of being able to set a testing chase having been reprieved by West Indies’ fielding for the second time in the match. England closed on 171 for 3, a lead of two, on a surface offering some assistance for the spinners and the occasional sight of uneven bounce.Mark Stoneman’s maiden Test fifty, completed after he suffered a dislocated little finger on 35, was an encouraging innings but, when he was dismissed, England were 94 for 3 and still 75 behind. It could have been better for West Indies had they spotted a thin edge from Dawid Malan when he had 4 and, more importantly, not dropped Root on 10 – this time by Kyle Hope at gully – with the fourth-wicket pair having added 77 by the close.It had taken Root 21 balls to get off the mark against some excellent pace bowling, and it was a rare jittery innings from the captain, but he started to find more fluency after the life. Holder thought he had cut him off on 35 when he was given lbw, but the DRS saved Root – as it did Kraigg Brathwaite twice yesterday – with the ball shown to be missing leg stump. While Holder was excellent with bat and ball, it was odd captaincy that he only gave legspinner Devendra Bishoo two overs on a dry surface, the second of them five minutes before the close.West Indies’ unbeatable lead

133 – Highest first innings lead for West Indies after which they lost a Test, coming against England at Lord’s in 2000. They earned a lead of 169 in this Test. They have gained a first innings lead of 150 or more 117 times and never lost.

2009 – The last time England overturned a lead in excess of 150 to win a Test – 179 versus New Zealand at Old Trafford.

3 – Five-wicket hauls for James Anderson in the last two Tests at Headingley. He had taken 5-fors in both innings against Sri Lanka last year and took another 5 for 76 in the first innings of this match. In his first seven Tests at Headingley he had picked up only 19 wickets at 41.36 with not even a single four-for. He’s now three short of 500 Test wickets.

2014 – Last instance of West Indies scoring a 400-plus total, which came against Bangladesh in Kingstown. Their last away from home was in Dunedin in 2013-14 when following-on.

West Indies’ lead was swelled by a crucial stand of 75 between Holder and Jermaine Blackwood after James Anderson had struck with the first two deliveries of the day to give England hope of swiftly beginning their second innings. However, the stand could have been broken with just four added but Moeen Ali spilled a simple chance at mid-on when Blackwood had 21. They could yet be vital runs.Stoneman and Alastair Cook began solidly after the lunch break, bringing up just England’s second fifty opening stand of the season, before two wickets for Holder in an impressive 12-over spell either side of tea shored up West Indies’ position. Holder found increasing movement during his burst and beat Cook twice in three balls from round the wicket before finding the edge when the former England captain was threatening one of his long-term stays in the middle.Tom Westley’s immediate Test future was then plunged into further doubt when he played a horrid, wild drive at a wide delivery and sent a thin edge to Shane Dowrich. It came the over after there had been a horrendous mix-up between him and Stoneman, which should have left Westley run out. However, there was a poor return from the deep and Bishoo couldn’t complete the opportunity. The shot that followed was of a slightly frazzled mind.The debates around Westley will continue to swirl ahead of the final Test at Lord’s, but Stoneman will be causing the selectors fewer headaches – for a short while, at least – after an accomplished 124-ball stay. He got his innings underway with three boundaries in four balls off Kemar Roach and kept his composure after taking the blow on his left little finger in the first over after tea which required the physio to pop his digit back into place. Given the problems trying to find an opening batsman, the selectors could have felt the position was cursed had they lost their latest candidate to an injury.Stoneman’s half-century came from 107 deliveries but, for the second time in three innings, he was on the receiving end of a gem of a delivery. After Roach took his off stump at Edgbaston, Gabriel did the same here with a wonderful ball which straightened from round the wicket – although Gabriel was mighty close to overstepping on a day where he delivered five no-balls (with others not called). Millimetres, at most, saved him.From there, England held firm to end the day positively – as they had started it. Shai Hope had resumed on 147 but didn’t make it past the first delivery of the morning when he nibbled at one outside off from Anderson and feathered an edge to the keeper. One ball later, England thought they had hauled themselves back into the match when Dowrich edged to second slip, giving Anderson his third five-wicket haul in as many innings at Headingley, where he had previously taken none in seven outings.However, Moeen’s drop knocked the stuffing out of England. Blackwood was always going to play positively, but having reached 10 off 20 deliveries Holder also cut loose with three consecutive boundaries off an agitated Broad with increasing style: a swivel-pull behind square, a back-foot drive through the covers and then the best of the lot – a glorious cover drive which any batsman in the world would be happy to claim.Blackwood didn’t find scoring as easy and found a variety of ways to add to his boundary count. There was a leading edge over Ben Stokes at gully (after his demerit point last night, Stokes needed to keep his thoughts to himself) and then another four to third man when he ducked a bouncer, but left his bat in the air, the ball flying off the toe end.The lead was quickly approaching 150 – the mark that Anderson said last night would make the game very difficult to turn around for England – when both batsmen fell in the 40s. Holder tried to take the aerial route down the ground, a shot he had played well previously, but was well held by Moeen running back from mid-off to give Chris Woakes his first wicket. Blackwood was then run out one short of fifty by a strong throw from Stokes and a good gather at the stumps by Bairstow.