All posts by h716a5.icu

Manchester United boardroom figures "really like" a "future icon" ahead of a potential move for him this month, according to a key update from journalist Dean Jones.

Man Utd January transfer rumours

The Red Devils' woes have been evident throughout this season, with an incredible nine defeats coming their way in their first 20 Premier League games, and 14 losses in all competitions. It has highlighted the importance of the club conducting some business in the January transfer window, with a lack of quality on show throughout the squad.

Thankfully for United supporters, there have been plenty of rumours linking them with new signings in various areas of the pitch, including Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio, who continues to be backed to complete a move to Old Trafford. In-form VfB Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy is seen as an interesting attacking target, given Erik ten Hag's goalscoring issues in the final third, and highly-rated Nice defensive ace Jean-Clair Todibo is someone who has been seen as a potential option, too.

Serhou Guirassy

19th December

Nico Williams

19th December

Donyell Malen

8th December

Max Moerstedt

7th December

Timo Werner

1st December

Man United keen on signing Benjamin Sesko

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Manchester United are interested in signing Benjamin Sesko, revealing there are people high up within the club who are big fans of the RB Leipzig striker.

"Sesko is a bit of a different candidate to sign compared to the other names that have suddenly come into the frame because he is somebody that has been profiled so heavily by the club. There are people within the structure that still really like Sesko, and his availability would definitely turn a few heads around Old Trafford, so I can see that one being a little bit more tempting.

"But it does throw up the question of what it means for Hojlund, so it will be interesting to see whether Manchester United will go there again. My hunch is that they probably won't but, seeing as they were so hot on him before and thought they might come in for him again in a year or two, it might be interesting."

Sesko could be a wonderful signing by United, and while Rasmus Hojlund is already an exciting young talent leading the line, strong competition for places is essential moving forward, and the Leipzig star could be a big upgrade on the soon-to-be-departing (and never available anyway) Anthony Martial.

The 20-year-old has already made a big impression in his career despite his tender years, with Sesko's stats reaching 29 goals in 79 appearances for former club RB Salzburg, as well as netting ten times in 25 caps for Slovenia at international level. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded him in the past, describing him as a "future icon" and "outstanding".

The £26m signing Man Utd could make to end Casemiro's stay at Old Trafford

Erik ten Hag will look to strengthen United’s midfield this January.

ByTom Lever Jan 1, 2024

It doesn't appear as though a move is necessarily close right now, but snapping him up could be great business if they can get it done, providing Ten Hag with two hugely exciting young strikers in his squad.

Manchester United haven't had the greatest recent history when it comes to transfers, with Antony's stats representing a player who is yet to get going at Old Trafford, whilst Andre Onana's mistakes have stolen the headlines at times this season. It is a recruitment issue that the Red Devils must solve if they are to take their place among the Premier League's best sides every season.

When the January transfer window swings open, Erik ten Hag could once again welcome changes when it comes to both departures and incomings. And that could see one particular player depart after his most recent admission regarding game time at Old Trafford.

Man Utd transfer news

Lying outside of the Premier League's top four and on the brink of a Champions League group stage exit, United haven't had the greatest start to the season, with off-field issues such as Jadon Sancho's falling-out with Ten Hag playing a part. Heading into the festive period, the Manchester club will be well aware of the need to pick up some consistency before the January transfer window arrives to potentially deal them a frustrating blow.

Man Utd could ease Eriksen blow by unleashing their "new Van de Beek"

This £250k-p/w midfielder has already been called the “new Donny van de Beek”.

ByAdam Scully Nov 12, 2023

Speaking to De Telegraaf recently, Donny van de Beek admitted his need for minutes on the pitch and hinted at a potential winter exit, saying: "I have to start playing matches very soon, if not at Manchester United, then at another club. I think this is a healthy ambition.

“Look, I’ve always been an enthusiast. I’m absolutely crazy about football. I earn a good living at Manchester United, but money has never been my motivation. I want to enjoy my work every day. Last season, I was sidelined for months due to my knee injury. You miss it terribly and appreciate even more that you have a wonderful profession. I am at a legendary club and I am still proud every day to wear the Manchester United shirt. But I’m bursting with energy now that I’m in great shape again and I’m training like crazy. Then the moment comes when you have to make a choice.

“I’m excited to play matches again. The manager now makes different choices. We have a great selection and I’m not the only one knocking on the door. We’ll see what happens in January.”

"Fantastic" Van de Beek needs move

It just hasn't happened for the Dutchman at Manchester United, as Van de Beek's stats at the club show. The former Ajax man has made just 62 appearances since joining the club in 2020, scoring and assisting just twice each. Van de Beek's price tag of £35m put instant pressure on his shoulders, but whether it's been through not receiving the opportunities or failing to perform, he has not reached the standards that Ten Hag demands.

A move away could revive the midfielder, who earned praise from Frank Lampard while on loan at Everton. Speaking after a clash against Leeds United in 2022, the former manager said (via Manchester Evening News): Him [Van de Beek] and Allan were fantastic, also Donny on the ball giving us a sense of calm and intelligence, and a nice rhythm in the team, and he’s going to get better and better."

Glasgow Rangers face a different sort of challenge this evening as Philippe Clement takes charge of the Ibrox side for the first time in European competition.

A trip to the Czech Republic to face Sparta Prague will prove to be a slightly more difficult task than what Hibernian offered at Ibrox on the weekend, as the Easter Road outfit slumped to a 4-0 defeat.

The early signs certainly look positive from the Belgian and another win this evening will buy him more credit with the supporters as a new era in Glasgow has well and truly begun.

The 49-year-old could perhaps likely make some changes from the starting XI that took on Hibs just a few days ago and rotation will be key to keep the players fresh.

What is the Rangers team news vs Sparta Prague?

One problem the former Club Brugge boss has is who will start at left-back. Borna Barisic was substituted off during the early stages of the Hibs clash with what appeared to be a thigh problem, and he was replaced by Ridvan Yilmaz.

Due to Michael Beale’s incompetence, Yilmaz is not included in the Europa League squad, leaving the Gers extremely light in this area and this could prompt Clement into a reshuffle at the back.

He could perhaps slot Ben Davies into the left side of defence, and this will probably be the logical thing to do ahead of the vital tie.

There could also be changes to the attacking setup and despite Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers enjoying solid performances against Hibs, will Clement start the duo or give opportunities to others who are keen to shine?

How has Sam Lammers performed for Rangers this season?

Although positive on the weekend, Lammers has failed to really convince the Ibrox faithful that his £3m transfer fee is fully justified.

Since joining from Atalanta in the summer under Beale, the Dutchman has found the back of the net only once across 17 matches, yet this was to be expected considering the forward scored just six goals since the beginning of the 2020/21 season.

This isn’t due to a lack of trying as the forward currently ranks first for shots per game (3.2) across the whole squad in the Premiership, yet he ranks seventh for goals and assists (two) and third for big chances missed (three) during the opening nine games of the season.

This form suggests he has yet to make the desired impact at the Glasgow side and Sparta Prague will prove to be a much more difficult opponent to break down compared to Hibs, giving Clement the licence to ditch Lammers.

The question is, who could replace him in the starting XI? With Todd Cantwell returning from injury on the weekend, he could be ready for his first start since the Old Firm clash against Celtic at the start of September.

Could Todd Cantwell start against Sparta Prague?

After missing five matches due to a knee injury suffered against Celtic, Cantwell made his return on Saturday and his 32-minute cameo was an effective one.

The midfielder replaced Scott Wright with just over half an hour left and he not only grabbed an assist, but also made two key passes, took one shot on target, and completed 88% of his attempted passes.

2-1 win vs Servette

2-0 win vs Sparta Prague

2-0 win vs FC Shkupi

1-0 win vs Progres Niederkorn

1-0 defeat to Malmö

It was a profitable return for the former Norwich City gem, and it may have opened a door for him to be unleashed from the first whistle against the Czech side.

How much did Todd Cantwell cost Rangers?

During Beale’s first transfer window in charge of the Light Blues, he managed to secure the signing of Cantwell from Norwich City for a fee believed to be around £1.5m and despite suffering a poor start to the season with the East Anglian side, it has proved to be a bargain so far for the Gers.

Gary Cockaday, his former youth coach, hailed him previously when discussing his talents as he made his way through to the first team at Norwich, saying: “At one point, two of them had Todd up against the line and you could see them thinking, ‘Gotcha!’

“Todd looked at one of them in the eye, put his toe under the ball, flicked it back over his head, turned and he was gone. All without looking at the ball.

“He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it. I always believed if you had someone like that, don’t change them or make them conform.”

His first few months at Ibrox were a major success as he finished the 2022/23 season having scored six times while registering five assists and his displays were one of the few bright sparks in a relatively poor season for the club.

The 25-year-old has yet to score so far this term, but this could be down to Beale’s lack of a proper tactical system rather than Cantwell’s ability suddenly diminishing.

Indeed, across the squad for his league displays, he currently ranks fifth for shots per game (1.8) along with ranking in the top five for interceptions per game (1.2) and while he has yet to hit the heights of last term, he could thrive under Clement.

A tie against Sparta will provide a perfect challenge for Cantwell, and he could certainly stake a claim to be a regular starter by putting on a solid performance.

Lammers has looked out of sorts since arriving in Scotland and although the Hibs tie indicated he could still have some sort of role under the Belgian, a European tie represents an ideal chance for him to rest a few players.

Cantwell may not be fit enough to last the full 90 minutes, yet his inclusion from the start could only benefit the Gers as they go chasing their second group stage win of the current season.

Glasgow Rangers will need to add more players to their current squad if Philippe Clement aims to add to the League Cup trophy that the Gers won prior to Christmas.

With European knockout football to come from March, plus Scottish Cup and Premiership titles to chase, the Ibrox side could face fixture congestion during the second half of the season.

Judging by the injury crisis which engulfed the squad in the weeks prior to Christmas, Clement will be keen on making sure he has enough reinforcements across all areas of his first team squad to handle the games ahead.

With this in mind, a new name has been linked with a move to Glasgow, as Michy Batshuayi has emerged as a shock contender to join the club this month.

Rangers transfer news – Michy Batshuayi

Danilo is currently out injured and will miss the next few months, while Cyriel Dessers hasn’t exactly been in clinical form since joining in the summer and this could prompt Clement to add to his forward options.

Fabio Silva has already made the move north of the border, signing a short-term loan deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and he will hope to hit the ground running at Ibrox.

One new striker won't be enough and according to the Scottish Sun, the Light Blues have been linked with a surprising move for Batshuayi, as the former Chelsea gem is in line to arrive on a short-term deal.

The 30-year-old has failed to agree a new deal with Turkish side Fenerbahçe, thus meaning he is on his way out of the club and this can play right into the hands of Rangers, who are ready to swoop.

Indeed, it appears as though the Gers are leading the chase for the Belgian gem and crucial talks are expected in the coming hours, as per the report.

Everton are also keen on securing the services of the player but the allure of European nights at Ibrox and the chance to win trophies looks like the trump card for the 49-year-old manager to entice Batshuayi to Scotland.

Although he may not have lived up to his prestigious talents, the striker could certainly be a big upgrade on Dessers during the second half of the season, no doubt about that.

Cyriel Dessers’ season in numbers

The Nigerian striker didn’t come cheap, costing former boss Michael Beale £4.5m from Serie A side Cremonese last summer, yet he has failed to live up to that lavish fee.

Dessers had played 30 games for the club prior to the winter break, but he scored just nine goals during that time period, hardly prolific by any stretch of the imagination.

The 29-year-old may rank second in the squad for shots on target per game (1.4) and third for goals (six) in the league, but the forward also ranks first for big chances missed (11) and it is clear this is where big improvements are required.

With the club chasing glory on three fronts in the second half of the season, they simply cannot afford to be wasting chances in the final third and more often than not, Dessers misses key opportunities.

One key example was against Celtic in the Old Firm derby at the end of 2023. The striker effectively pressed the Celtic defence and had the perfect opportunity to score as he was one-on-one with Joe Hart.

Dessers eventually took too many touches, and he couldn’t even get a shot away at goal, thus ruining the big chance he created.

Adding Batshuayi to his squad could give Clement the licence to drop Dessers to the bench and therefore improve the quality of his attacking options in the process.

Clement must now ditch Rangers star who won just 3 duels vs Celtic

Rangers face Kilmarnock this afternoon in their final clash before the winter break

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 2, 2024 Michy Batshuayi’s career statistics

The 6 foot 1 machine started his career at Standard Liege in his homeland, scoring 44 goals in 120 matches before sealing a move to French giants Marseille in 2014, and it looked as though he could follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Romelu Lukaku.

Another goal-laden spell followed in Ligue 1 and 17 goals in the French top flight during the 2015/16 campaign meant he was on the move yet again, this time to Chelsea.

In what should have been a move that elevated him to being a better player, the striker couldn’t quite secure consistent football in the starting XI for the Blues.

120

44

78

33

77

25

53

28

42

14

33

8

23

3

14

9

He did score the goal which secured them the Premier League title in his maiden season, yet Batshuayi managed just 23 goals before joining Borussia Dortmund on loan for the second half of the 2017/18 season.

Journalist Josh Bunting praised him following his debut for the German side, describing him as "absolutely deadly in front of goal.”

Since 2018, his career has been of the nomadic variety, playing for no less than six clubs, and his current spell at Fenerbahçe has been his longest since leaving Chelsea.

Batshuayi's season by numbers

The former Dortmund gem may have only featured for 867 minutes this season, but he has scored eight goals during that time. Dessers, on the other hand, has taken 1,834 minutes to score just nine goals, clearly demonstrating who has made the better use of their time on the pitch.

Batshuayi has also missed fewer big chances (four vs 11) than Dessers, along with losing possession less often (3.2 vs 8.2) and having a better goal conversion rate (21% vs 12%) and these stats suggest that the Belgian could be an upgrade on the current Rangers forward.

The 30-year-old would arrive in Glasgow fresh for a new challenge and considering his lack of action this season so far, he could peak during the second half of 2023/24, just when Clement would need him most.

Making a move for the Fenerbahçe machine is a no-brainer for the Ibrox side, especially with his stature within the game and if he hits the ground running, he could add plenty of goals to what is, at times, a lacklustre attack.

The next couple of days will be crucial, and the onus is now on the former AS Monaco coach to entice Batshuayi to Scotland.

Celtic picked up their first point of the Champions League season as they were held by Spanish giants Atletico Madrid to a 2-2 draw at Parkhead on Wednesday night.

The Hoops were twice in front during the first half, thanks to goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma, but Diego Simeone's star-studded frontline produced the goods as goals from Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Mortata secured a point for their side.

Whilst it was disappointing for Brendan Rodgers' team not to walk away with all three points after going 1-0 and 2-1 up, there were plenty of positives to take from the game; including performances from Matt O'Riley and Liam Scales.

Matt O'Riley's statistics against Atletico Madrid

The Denmark U21 international was an influential figure in the middle of the park for Celtic as he showcased his ability at both ends of the pitch.

He provided a sublime assist for the opening goal from Kyogo with a perfectly-weighted first-time pass through to the Japan international, which split open the Atletico defence.

The former Fulham man went on to create one more chance and enjoyed 70 touches of the ball in total as he displayed his creativity in midfield.

O'Riley also made an impact out of possession. The left-footed whiz won six of his 11 duels and made three tackles and two interceptions in total, which shows that the central midfielder also worked hard to win the ball back for his team with a number of defensive interventions.

Liam Scales' statistics against Atletico Madrid

One player who stood out alongside O'Riley and caught the eye with his immense display at the back for Rodgers was central defender Scales.

The Ireland international, who started the game alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers at the heart of the defence, produced an impressive performance to keep Atletico quiet for large spells during the match.

Firstly, the former Aberdeen loanee displayed superb composure in possession of the ball with 103 attempted passes from 114 touches, which was 44 more than O'Riley had, and completed 86% of those passes.

He also dominated the opposition in his individual duels against the Atletico forwards. As per Sofascore, the 25-year-old machine won 70% (7/10) of his battles, which included six of his eight aerial contests, and this shows that the Spanish side found it difficult to get the better of him.

Scales also made two blocks, three clearances, and one tackle to help out Joe Hart to keep him as quiet as possible outside of the two Atletico goals.

His performance resulted in a Sofascore rating of 7.1 and this was 0.3 higher than any other starting member of the back four, and 0.6 higher than both of the full-backs – Alistair Johnston and Greg Taylor.

This shows that the Irish colossus was Rodgers' standout performer in defence for Celtic with his fantastic play in and out of possession over the course of the 90 minutes.

Therefore, Scales was immense for the Hoops and the Scottish giants may need him to maintain that level over the remaining three group stage games in order to stand a chance of securing qualification for the knockout stages.

Shoaib Malik’s unbeaten 49, coupled with Usman Khan’s two wickets propelled Pakistan towards a series win against Scotland, thumping the hosts by 84 runs in the second T20I

The Report by Danyal Rasool13-Jun-2018Leask 3-31) beat Scotland 82 (MacLeod 25, Faheem 3-5) by 84 runsAnother T20I masterclass from Pakistan veteran Shoaib Malik propelled Pakistan towards a series win against Scotland, thumping the hosts by 84 runs in the second T20I at the Grange. Under overcast conditions with a light drizzle threatening to interrupt the game for most of the match, Shoaib exploded – much like the first game – in the last few overs, smashing five sixes as he blitzed 49 off 22 to help Pakistan surge to 166.Unlike Tuesday, Scotland were never quite in the hunt for this one, losing George Munsey off the third ball, and never quite managing any momentum that might suggest a real contest could be on the cards. They were untidy with their running, rushed with their strokeplay and generally uncomfortable in the face of a sensational Pakistan in the field. It was a much improved bowling performance from the visitors, spearheaded by Usman Khan, who came in for Mohammad Amir, and registered figures of 2-0-4-2. Scotland began to fall away rather dramatically towards the end, with no less than three players run out as Kyle Coetzer’s men were bundled out for 82.There was some drama before the start, with Cricket Scotland officials and the television production team locked in an argument over using a fresh pitch for this game. The TV crew were concerned their cameras couldn’t be in line with the bowler at one end of the pitch, the result being a slightly askew broadcast angle from the Pavilion End. It’s the sort of drama people associate, sometimes patronisingly, with cricket on the Associate landscape.But Scotland wouldn’t have wanted the haphazardness to extend to their on-field performance. Pakistan got off to a flying start again, though Scotland were unfortunate not to have Fakhar Zaman out in the first over. Chris Sole extracted both an outside and an inside edge in the first six deliveries, the former put down in the slips, the latter narrowly missing the stumps. Both went for four. Sole had bowled an excellent first over, and conceded 12 runs.Shehzad and Zaman put on 60 for the first wicket, but Scotland, just as they had done in the first game, struck back in the middle overs. The runs were restricted right up until the last two overs, with batsmen unable to kick on from starts in the face of tight, disciplined bowling from Scotland’s bowlers, particularly Mark Watt and Michael Leask.Peter Della PennaBut Shoaib Malik came to Pakistan’s rescue once more, with a whirlwind last two overs, scoring 32 of Pakistan’s 34 runs as they turned a slightly below-par score into an imposing one of 166. He was put down at the end of the 19th over on the long-off boundary, a simple catch that Leask failed to hold on to. Just as Tuesday, the drops cost Scotland dear in the field as Shoaib went on to score 14 in the final over, leaving Scotland to ponder how to improve their fielding against a quality opposition like the one they faced today.The pitch looked no worse than the one used on Tuesday, where 200 seemed about par. But the change of pitch today meant the long-on/ midwicket boundary from one side of the ground was 10 meters larger, and shots that would have comfortably carried over the ropes on Tuesday were being caught inside the boundary on the field, including a spectacular tag-team catch and relay effort from Dylan Budge and Watt to claim Sarfraz at deep square leg. That restricted Pakistan to the relatively modest 166, and made it arguably a more searching chase than the previous one might have been.However, at no stage of the Scottish innings did their batsmen begin to establish any sort of relationship with the boundary rope. Pakistan circled around them in the infield, and the pitch looked a fair bit faster when the Pakistan bowlers were operating on it. Usman isn’t a regular starter for Pakistan, but when in form, almost always seems to make a match-winning difference. He hurried on to the batsmen, and as the rain began to get slightly heavier, the Scottish mood began to match the Edinburgh weather. They could do little more than shuffle around for ones and twos and get the odd boundary, but it was never nearly enough to challenge the ever-rising asking rate.It was unfortunate to see the home side losing their heads towards the end, with a couple of unnecessary run-outs easing Pakistan’s way to an inevitable win they didn’t need any help with. Calum MacLeod was the man at the other end for all three of Scotland’s run-outs, but you’d be hard-pressed to blame him for any of them, what with the Pakistan fielders prowling, looking to save every run as the asking rate bounded out of sight. Faheem Ashraf came back to polish off the last two wickets, giving his figures a shiny new look by the end, having taken three wickets for five runs.By the end, Pakistan’s dominance was so absolute, it was easy to forget the strides Scotland have made over the past few years. It would be harsh to focus on the manner of the defeat, and more prudent to reflect on the professionalism with which Pakistan have moved on from a Test series against England to a T20I series in Edinburgh, never letting their focus waver, and fielding a full-strength team when several others might have chosen to rest players. It was apt respect to pay to a side that has very much earned it over the last week.

Fast bowler seeks sustained run of match fitness ahead of England’s five-match ODI series in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2018Mark Wood hopes that a new lengthened run-up could be the secret to a sustained run of match fitness, as he prepares for the start of England’s five-match ODI series in Sri Lanka on Wednesday.Wood’s ability to generate sharp pace from a short and explosive run-up has been a key reason why he has been considered a point-of-difference bowler in recent seasons, but it has also contributed to a spate of injuries, not least in his troublesome left heel, on which he has undergone numerous bouts of surgery.And now, with the World Cup looming next year, and his fitness restored after another interrupted summer, Wood hopes that a longer, smoother run-up could lead to a longer and smoother run in the England team.”It’s something I’ve worked on in the second half of the season in England and brought it here,” Wood told . “It’s a trial, something I can go back to if I want to do the step-back run-up.”I spoke to Kevin Shine, the head bowling coach, and Chris Silverwood, who’s out here, and said that off my short run-up I felt I was having to force it all the time. That meant I was putting more stress on than I needed to, having to ramp it up to get my top speed.”So pushed my run-up back, so that it felt like I could cruise into it a little more and look for more rhythm, rather than trying to be at the top end all the time, and putting more stress on my body.”Wood hasn’t had much of a chance to put any stress on his body just yet, however. England have faced monsoonal conditions since their arrival in Sri Lanka, and their planned two days of practice in Colombo was reduced to a single contest against a Board XI. It did at least give the bowlers an inkling of how the pitches might behave come the start of the series.”We’ve had a lot of rain so far. Some days are red hot, sweaty humid conditions, and quite nice to bowl in and there are some days when it’s rained a lot and it’s coming from the ground up. It’s different conditions to deal with.”The pitch didn’t feel as subcontinental like as you might think,” he added. “It’s subtropical here in Sri Lanka, not like India or the UAE. It’s more humid and a lot greener than you might expect. The one-day wickets have had a bit of tennis-ball bounce and have swung a bit for England for three or four overs, so we have to use that to our advantage.”Thanks to their plethora of allrounders, England’s one-day squad is packed with seam-bowling options, which means that Wood envisages being used in short, sharp bursts to conserve energy and mix up the modes of attack.”It is ridiculously hot, so coming from a seam bowling point of view, it’ll be two or three overs, smash it as hard as you can, then get off. The spinners are the ones who are going to attack here, but that new ball is key for us. If we can get wickets up front when it’s doing a bit, that’ll be brilliant, but if not, we’ll sit in, try to dot up and make it hard, then let the spinners attack from the other end.”Reverse swing is a traditional factor in Asian conditions, but Wood said that England may need to adapt their methods to obtain the contrast between the rough and smooth sides of the ball to unlock that particular weapon.”Being quick through air will be key with reverse swing, but this ground at Dambulla looks lush and green, so I’m not sure how much reverse there’ll be. But the Sri Lankans tend to wet one side of the ball, and keep it smooth. They know better than anyone in their own conditions, so maybe we can take a leaf out of their book.”

As Sunderland set their sights on the play-off places once again in the Championship, the January transfer could quickly become the key to their success. Tony Mowbray's side used the summer window well to welcome the likes of Jobe Bellingham, and will be well aware of just how beneficial winter arrivals can be. So far this season, they've remained on course to battle it out for a spot in the all-important top six, sitting just one point adrift of Cardiff City, who currently hold the final place.

Amid the talk of promotion, however, the Black Cats are reportedly set to suffer a transfer blow when it comes to their pursuit of one particular target in a deal that would have undoubtedly been an incredible boost.

Sunderland transfer news

Sunderland aren't ones to spend an outrageous amount, but that's not to say they didn't splash out to welcome reinforcements during the summer. In the end, those at The Stadium of Light spent over £7m on arrivals such as Bellingham, Jenson Seelt and Nazariy Rusyn. The latter was their most expensive deal of the summer but has arguably been the most disappointing, failing to find the back of the net once in six Championship games.

Mowbray may have been looking to solve the forward's output problem with the arrival of a creative player. According to The Real EFL, though, Sunderland are set to miss out on Amad Diallo in January. Sunderland were reportedly keen on signing Diallo on loan for a second time after he impressed so much in his first spell at the club last season. United, however, reportedly want the winger to play at a higher level if he goes out on loan, making a Sunderland return unlikely.

"Dynamic" Amad Diallo would transform Sunderland

Sunderland will be understandably frustrated if they miss out on Diallo, which looks likely to be the case in January. Their former loanee took the Championship by storm last season and played a large part in the Black Cats' push for promotion. Diallo's stats by the end of his Sunderland spell reflected just how much of an impact he made, scoring 14 goals and assisting a further four.

Earning plenty of praise in the process, Mowbray said via the Metro when asked about the winger: "I think he got wrapped up in the game on Saturday (against Luton) emotionally and that was good to see. With his physical data, he was top in every aspect from distance covered to number of high-speed sprints, he was amazingly athletic as well as showing his talent.

"That bodes well for us and also accelerates him in my mind in terms of him being a starting player for us, beyond a young lad who I can bring off the bench. I’m hoping that over time that’s what happens with the other young lads, as well. At the moment they’re still feeling their way in, but with Amad – and maybe it’s because he’s had more game time – he’s in front and he looks to me like a first-team starter. They bring different qualities. Amad is dynamic and explosive."

Chelsea ace Cole Palmer has explained his decision to leave Manchester City last summer after leading the Blues to a 3-2 win over Newcastle on Monday.

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Palmer scores and assists against NewcastleUp to 26 goal contributions already for ChelseaExplains decision to leave City in the summerGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Palmer scored one and assisted another as he ended up being the standout Chelsea performer yet again on Monday night. The English forward saw his goalward effort flicked home for the first before he struck an absolute piledriver to make it 2-1 in the second half. Substitute Mykhailo Mudryk got in on the action late on with a fine solo effort that ended up being the decider, but it was Palmer who earned himself Player of the Match for his efforts. Speaking after the game he explained his decision to join the Blues, as he remains optimistic over the club's project.

AdvertisementWHAT PALMER SAID

The 21-year-old told after the full-time whistle: "I thought I was ready to play football week in, week out and that's the reason [I joined Chelsea]. I just wanted to showcase my ability and thankfully it has paid off. It was a very difficult decision to leave City, I was there since six years old. I was ready to play football, had a chat with my family, had a chat with the club and moved to Chelsea."

On the long-term project at Stamfort Bridge, Palmer issued a warning to any doubters: "I think there’s so much talent at Chelsea, the fans don’t see it, you guys [media] don’t see it. It’s only gonna get better I’m sure, if not next season the season after it’s a project, everyone’s young. You will see it sooner or later.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Palmer's goal and assist on Monday takes him to 19 goal contributions in the Premier League and 26 across all competitions this term. His signing, alongside perhaps that of Malo Gusto, remains the standout piece of business from the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital era, as time and again he has proven himself to be the difference maker for Chelsea. His displays have also given him an outside shot of an England call-up for Euro 2024. Those chances were dealt a significant boost on Monday as Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate was at Stamford Bridge to watch his masterclass against Newcastle.

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WHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?

The England youngster will no doubt form a crucial part of Mauricio Pochettino's attacking line when they face Leicester in their next match, which comes in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday. Chelsea, alongside Wolves, were the only Premier League side to avoid a top-flight opponent in the last-eight, meaning they have a real chance of returning to Wembley for the second time in two months if they reach the semi-finals.

Glamorgan’s batting has troubled them all season and Josh Poysden’s career-best ensured there would be no let up

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2018
ScorecardA career-best five for 29 from Warwickshire leg-spinner Josh Poysden continued Glamorgan’s batting struggles on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Edgbaston.The Welsh county chose to bat, aiming to at least double their haul of just three batting points collected from the first four games.But they added just one more as, on a slow pitch, they were bowled out for 220 after Poysden, playing his first championship game of the season, dismantled the lower order.Poysden said: “It has been a really frustrating time for me, not being in the team at the start of this year and for most of last year. I didn’t play as much as I wanted to, especially in the championship last year, and with us getting relegated it hurt not to be able to contribute.”But I went away in the winter and worked hard with Stuart MacGill again and then, after I came back, have worked hard with the coaches here at Edgbaston.”Australia Test star Usman Khawaja made just four on his debut and, though David Lloyd, Owen Morgan and Chris Cooke all got decent starts, no-one built the big innings required.The total looks well under par, although Glamorgan fought back well in the last session, removing both Warwickshire openers to leave the home side on 24 for 2 at the close.After Chris Cooke, captaining Glamorgan for the first time, won the toss, young openers Nick Selman and Jack Murphy added 44 in 14 overs. They were parted by Henry Brookes when Murphy was adjudged lbw by Indian umpire Yeshwant Barde, officiating in the first match of his exchange trip.Connor Brown then edged Chris Wright behind and Selman (30, 74 balls, four fours) bat-padded Jeetan Patel to short leg.Khawaja’s uncomfortable, 47-minute stay was ended by a Keith Barker inswinger and Barker should have immediately also dismissed Cooke, who was dropped on nought by Dominic Sibley at second slip. The captain survived to add 57 in 15 overs with Morgan before misreading Poysden’s first ball and falling lbw.Poysden struck again in each of his first two overs after tea when Morgan was lbw and Andrew Salter clipped to short mid-wicket.Lloyd, having batted forcefully to pass 2,000 first-class runs in his 50th match, then departed deeply unimpressed with the decision that he had edged a ball from Patel on to pad before Tim Ambrose reached forward to catch it.Ruaidhri Smith became the fifth lbw casualty when he missed a sweep at Poysden who bowled Lukas Carey first ball to complete his five-for.Glamorgan hit back hard when the home side replied as Carey rattled Will Rhodes’ stumps with the first ball of the innings and Timm Van der Gugten castled Sibley with the 56th.Both sides are depleted in the seam-bowling department with Warwickshire’s Olly Stone and Ryan Sidebottom ruled out by side strains and Glamorgan missing captain Michael Hogan and Marchant de Lange due to hamstring injuries.