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Everton midfielder Amadou Onana is being targeted by Premier League rivals Manchester United ahead of a potential move to Old Trafford, according to reports.

What's the latest on Onana's future?

The Belgian international only arrived at Goodison Park from Lille last summer, but having impressed during his 32 appearances in his debut season in the top-flight, has already been attracting interest from the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge.

Football Insider have reported that Arsenal and Chelsea both hold a seriously strong interest in the 21-year-old, with the Toffees having accepted the fact that he will leave if they get relegated at the end of the season, and the task to keep hold of him just got a whole lot harder as a third potential suitor has now entered the race to secure his services ahead of the 2023/24 term.

According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United are “plotting a move” for Onana on the basis that Everton drop down to the Championship. The Red Devils are on the hunt to recruit a new midfielder during the upcoming window and have been “impressed” by Sean Dyche’s talisman’s instant impact on Merseyside.

Erik Ten Hag’s outfit are “actively monitoring” his situation and have placed themselves firmly in the running to compete with their rivals for his signature. It’s believed that the player is “interested” in joining a club at the highest level in a bid to nail down a regular spot for Belgium.

Should Everton keep or sell Onana?

Everton have a real defensive midfield gem on their hands in Onana, who has already been dubbed a “one-man army” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so Dyche needs to do everything he can to maintain the side’s top-flight status and retain his services beyond the summer.

The 6 foot 4 colossus, who currently pockets £100k-per-week, has won 43 tackles from 68 players challenged this season which is the second-highest throughout the whole of the squad, alongside averaging 1.8 successful aerial duels per league game with his height.

The World Cup participant also has the ability to chip in at the opposite end of the pitch with two assists and one goal to his name since joining, via Transfermarkt, so is a hugely useful option for the boss to have available at his disposal.

Finally, Onana provides wonderful versatility having already operated in defensive, central and attacking midfield during his opening campaign so even the thought of losing him will be a huge blow to the boss, the board and no doubt the supporters too.

Persistent rain and a wet outfield resulted in an early call-off without a ball bowled on the final day of India A’s tour to Australia as the second unofficial Test in Brisbane ended in a draw

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Hilton Cartwright was awarded the Man of the Match for his 117 in the first innings•BCCIPersistent rain and a wet outfield resulted in an early call-off without a ball bowled on the final day of India A’s tour of Australia as the second unofficial Test in Brisbane ended in a draw.India A had ended the third day at 4 for 158, still 108 behind Australia A’s first-innings score of 435. India A had responded strongly with a 82-run opening stand before they lost four wickets for 16 runs.Hilton Cartwright, who struck his second first-class century in the game, was awarded the Man of the Match for his 117.Australia A won the two-match series 1-0 having won the first unofficial Test by three wickets.

A 139-run third-wicket partnership between opener Jaahid Ali and captain Babar Azam set up a four-wicket win for Pakistan A over Sri Lanka A in Northampton

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2016
File photo – Pakistan A captain Babar Azam propelled his side’s successful run chase with a 77-ball 73•Getty Images

A 139-run third-wicket stand between opener Jaahid Ali and captain Babar Azam set up a four-wicket win for Pakistan A over Sri Lanka A in Northampton. The partnership, coming off 154 balls, helped Pakistan A ride a mini-collapse to win with 11 balls to spare.Sri Lanka A made brisk progress after opting to bat, largely thanks to Niroshan Dickwella’s 31-ball 44 and Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s 63-ball 56. But wickets fell at regular intervals – by the 34th over, Sri Lanka A had slipped to 173 for 6.Thisara Perera, coming in at No. 8, chipped in with 45 off 40, hitting five fours and a six to give the innings a late boost, but Sri Lanka A were bowled out for 254, failing to utilise three overs from their full quota.Pakistan A started shakily as Sharjeel Khan and Fakhar Zaman were dismissed within the first nine overs. It was at this point that Jaahid (77) and Azam (73) took charge with a century stand that put their side firmly in control.However, their dismissals within two overs of each other, both falling to Lahiru Gamage, left Pakistan A in a hint of trouble 186 for 4 in 36 overs. Sri Lanka had a whiff of an opportunity, but it was snuffed out by handy lower-order contributions from Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Nawaz. Though neither of them stayed to see the job through, they had done enough to ensure that Pakistan A won with time to spare.The win was Pakistan A’s second in three matches, while Sri Lanka A are languishing at the bottom with three losses in as many matches.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal right-back Ben White is "underrated" by those who do not watch the Gunners closely.

What's the latest on Ben White and Arsenal?

Mikel Arteta and his team took one step closer to securing the Premier League title at the end of the season with a vital win over Leeds United on Saturday.

Playing host to the Whites at the Emirates, Arsenal scored four goals and conceded just once as they thumped their opponents 4-1.

England defender White played a key role in the victory as he scored the second goal of the game and completed the full 90 minutes.

While speaking about the defender on his own YouTube channel, Watts couldn't help but sing the praises of the right-back.

Indeed, the journalist insisted that the £120k-p/w star is completely underrated, saying (11:02): “I love Ben White. I think he's so so good.

"He's such an underrated player outside of Arsenal. I think everyone at Arsenal knows how good Ben White is, how good a season he's had.

"But outside of Arsenal, I think a lot of people just don't really appreciate him. And they should because he's one hell of a player.”

Is Ben White underrated?

It seems international manager Gareth Southgate certainly doesn't rate him that highly. After all, he didn't pick him in the latest England squad – although that could be down to a non-footballing issue, as White left the Three Lions camp early during the World Cup for unspecified reasons.

So is White underrated? Well, when compared to other England right-backs, he seems to do pretty well. Indeed, as per FBREF, the Arsenal man has two goals and three assists in the Premier League this term.

This is one more goal and one more assist better than any of the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, and Kyle Walker have managed – not bad considering White played last season as a centre-back and isn't known for his attacking prowess like the others.

He has also made more blocks, attempted more tackles, and completed more take-ons than any of the other three – although he has played that most minutes. The 25-year-old is also yet to make an error leading to a shot at goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold, for instance, has made two.

Perhaps the stat the most stands out is the simplest one. White is the first-choice right-back at the best team in the country right now, having started 27 league games for the Gunners, losing just twice.

With all that in mind, he's clearly one of the best, if not the best right-back in the league right now. So it's fair to say he probably is a bit underrated.

Afghanistan are out of contention for the semi-finals, but will be keen to make a statement against West Indies and finish their campaign on a high

The Preview by Sirish Raghavan26-Mar-2016

Match facts

Sunday, March 27, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0930 GMT)2:57

Afghanistan seek final hurrah

Big Picture

More than two weeks into the tournament, and Afghanistan are still out there, playing in front of a global audience. That, in itself, is a victory, though their clash against West Indies is a dead rubber.Not merely content in having fun in the qualifiers, Afghanistan stormed into the Super 10s, and have made their presence felt. In each of their last three matches, Afghanistan have pushed their opponents, delivering a fright or two. And they have done so while showcasing a flamboyant brand of cricket that has caught the eye. As they enter their last high-profile match in the foreseeable future, they will look to go one step further and bag a major scalp. They will have to back up the flair with discipline, and sustain it over 40 overs if they are to bring West Indies down.West Indies, having secured their place in the semi-finals with a tight win over South Africa on Friday, will want to head to the knockouts unbeaten. With several players firing, West Indies are increasingly fancied as title contenders. They, however, made heavy weather of a 123 chase in their last match, and will have to be wary of Afghanistan who tested Sri Lanka, South Africa, and England.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)Afghanistan: LLLWW
West Indies: WWWWL

In the spotlight

If Afghanistan are to pull off an upset, captain Asghar Stanikzai may well have to play a key role, in more ways than one. Though Mohammad Shahzad has had the limelight in this tournament, Afghanistan’s middle order needs to chip in. And Stanikzai’s calm approach could provide some substance and stability. Stanikzai is also capable of playing the big shots, as he showed during his 62 against Sri Lanka. As a captain, he also faces the challenge of making the most of his spin resources.Denesh Ramdin’s struggles in this format have shown no signs of abating. He has the lowest T20I batting average – 16.12 – among wicketkeeper-batsmen who have played at least 20 innings. Against South Africa on Friday, he came in at no. 9. By the time he came on strike for his first ball, West Indies needed one run off three. He cut in the air straight to Hashim Amla – who dropped it – and West Indies prevailed. They will hope that Ramdin hits form to boost the team further.

Team news

Afghanistan are likely to stick to the same combination, though they need to make a choice between left-arm spinner Amir Hamza and an extra seamer.Afghanistan: (probable) 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Noor Ali Zadran, 3 Asghar Stanikzai (capt), 4 Gulbadin Naib, 5 Samiullah Shenwari, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Najibullah Zadran, 9 Shafiqullah, 10 Amir Hamza/Hamid Hassan/Dawlat Zadran 11 Shapoor ZadranGiven that this is a dead rubber, West Indies may ponder giving Jason Holder a go.West Indies: (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Andre Fletcher, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Carlos Brathwaite/Jason Holder, 10 Samuel Badree, 11 Sulieman Benn

Pitch and conditions

The Nagpur surface has offered slow turn right through the World T20, and will probably continue to do so in its last match of the tournament. Mid-day temperatures have been touching the low 40s range, and the 3pm start will test the fitness of the players.

Stats and Trivia

• West Indies are one of three Full Members that Afghanistan have never met in T20Is. Against the seven they have met, they have won five and lost nine (with all five wins coming against Zimbabwe)
• West Indies have played only one other Associate team – Ireland – in T20Is. In their four matches against Ireland, they won two and lost one, with one no result

Quotes

“It has been a lucky ground for us because we have won our first round over here in Nagpur. So definitely after playing three matches and coming back it’s like a home ground and easy to adjust to the wicket. The boundaries here are very different compared to other grounds. They are longer boundaries and in addition to that we have good spinners. So, on this wicket our spinners will really help us to finish on a good note.”
“They’ve played well in all the games. They’ve batted really well, [especially when] they were chasing a big score against South Africa, who we played yesterday. So they’ve been playing well and I know them from before, so I know that they’re going to come to try and win. So we’ve got to just play properly.”

Chelsea are interested in swooping for Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi, who took the reins at the AMEX Stadium to replace Graham Potter, who previously left Albion to join the Blues and is now facing intense scrutiny over his position at the head of the table at Stamford Bridge.

It’s about as tumultuous a situation as it gets, like the roar of a disgruntled crowd in the face of a questionable VAR decision.

And with The Telegraph’s Matt Law stating that the next two matches might be “make or break” for Potter, with Chelsea tenth in the Premier League and 14 points adrift of the top-four, boasting just two victories from the past 15 outings across all competitions, a change might indeed be made.

According to Football Insider, Blues owner Todd Boehly has earmarked the current Seagulls boss as an option to replace the club’s under-fire manager, amid interest in the Italian from London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, with the future of their manager Antonio Conte itself shrouded in uncertainty.

Should Boehly appoint De Zerbi?

Boehly would replicate his first managerial appointment and have another big blunder on his hands with a move for De Zerbi, with the 43-year-old of the same mould as the current man in the dugout.

Frankly, for all Potter’s acumen on the south coast, it has not worked out at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea face a dreadful end of a woeful season, with the Sun’s Alex Matthews recently saying “he’s out of his depth.”

De Zerbi has been lauded as a “special” coach by journalist Carlo Garganese, and while he is clearly a tactically astute manager with a commendable approach to his systematic construction and footballing intellect, he fails to boast the experience and pedigree of managing a club looking to land silverware of the very highest order, drawing parallels with Potter in this regard.

Albion sit in seventh place in the top-flight, four points behind Liverpool, and his impact has been profound – even being described as “very influential” by Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

But given Potter’s tutelage at Brighton saw the club complete a steady rise up the ranks in the Premier League, there might be fear that lightning will strike twice should the past approach be emulated in this regard.

No discredit to the work that De Zerbi has forged on the south coast, but it’s a formula Chelsea are all too familiar with at present, and given the current woes, there might be a sense of incredulity pervading across west London if the club dipped back down the road to prise another manager away from Brighton.

And given reports from Spain have hinted that the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Luis Enrique are available, there is a discernible route that Chelsea must delve down to navigate toward brighter pastures under their new owners.

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is facing a spell on the sidelines, but a reliable journalist has confirmed that his injury is not as bad as first feared in a promising update for supporters.

What's the latest injury news on Trent Alexander-Arnold?

During the 3-0 Premier League victory over Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, the right-back was forced off the pitch after 71 minutes with a suspected hamstring injury and was replaced by Jarell Quansah.

In his post-match interview after the game, Jurgen Klopp delivered an immediate update on his vice-captain’s fitness. He said: “I don’t know exactly. I asked him, he said it’s [his] hamstring. ‘Not too serious’ is his opinion, but we obviously have to wait for the scans and then we will know more.”

The England international had initially been named as part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for his side's upcoming Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine and friendly vs Scotland, but with the 24-year-old having since withdrawn from duty with the Three Lions, fans will have been concerned that their academy graduate had sustained a serious problem.

How long is Alexander-Arnold out for?

Taking to X on Monday, however, The Athletic’s James Pearce revealed that Alexander-Arnold is only set to be out of action for a fortnight, and whilst he might not make next weekend’s game vs Wolves, the prognosis is a "big relief" from initial fears of serious damage:

“Trent Alexander-Arnold expected to be sidelined for around 2 weeks. Scan today showed damage to his hamstring is only minor. Big relief. A doubt for Wolves away after the break – but he’s a quick healer.”

How many goals has Alexander-Arnold scored for Liverpool?

During his 277 senior appearances for Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold has posted 89 goal contributions (73 assists and 16 goals), form which has previously seen him dubbed “mind-blowing” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and that’s certainly the impact he has under Klopp, hence why it’ll be a huge boost to have him back.

Sponsored by Under Armour, the defender has recorded a total of 18 shot-creating actions so far this season, which is tied with Dominik Szoboszlai for the most in the squad, as well as whipping 16 crosses into the box which is the second-highest behind Andy Robertson, via FBRef, highlighting his desire to provide for his peers in the final third.

The West Derby-born talent, who pockets £180k-per-week, has also helped the club to secure seven pieces of silverware since his promotion to the first team fold, including the Premier League and Champions League trophies, so he knows exactly what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level with his extraordinary winning mentality.

Finally, Alexander-Arnold has the ability to operate slightly higher up in both central and on the right side of the midfield alongside his usual role as a full-back so he provides the boss with excellent versatility, and there’s no doubt that having him in the starting line-up only increases the team’s chances of gaining a positive result.

South African seamer should be available for seven County Championship matches and entire Royal London campaign.

George Dobell21-Feb-2018Derbyshire have signed Duanne Olivier as an overseas player for the first half of the 2018 season.The 25-year-old South African seamer should, subject to final clearance from Cricket South Africa, be available for the county’s first seven County Championship matches and the entire Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.”We identified new-ball bowling as an area we wanted to strengthen, especially for the first half of the season in red- and white-ball cricket,” Cricket Advisor, Kim Barnett said. “He is a tall, quick bowler who is keen to prove himself and he will give us another quality option with the ball. He comes highly recommended and will offer further depth to our seam attack.”While Olivier has struggled to command a settled place in the South Africa side – a reflection, in part, of their depth of seam bowling talent – he has played five Tests and claimed his 17 wickets at an impressive average of just 23.11 apiece. His first-class record – he has taken 284 wickets at an average of 22.04 – is excellent and, while he is still learning his trade in white-ball cricket, he has claimed the two best List A figures of his career this year.”I’m looking forward to joining up with Derbyshire and getting straight into bowling overs and contributing to success for the club,” Olivier said. “The club is clear in its drive to keep improving and I’m excited to be a part of an ambitious dressing room. There is a strong bowling attack at the club and I hope to play my part, both on and off the field.”Derbyshire have previously announced the signing of Mitchell Santner as an overseas player for the T20 competition and the second half of the Championship campaign and the release of several young players.

Sabbir Rahman’s aggressive style of batting could tip the balance in his favour on what is expected to be a turning pitch in Mirpur

Mohammad Isam07-Feb-2018

Sabbir Rahman’s return to the Test squad leaves Bangladesh with a dilemma: will they pick him for the No. 7 position or continue with Mosaddek Hossain? Both are free-flowing batsmen but Sabbir is more aggressive of the two and quick runs could prove valuable on what is expected to be a turning pitch in Mirpur.The previous two Tests in Mirpur had also assisted spin with both matches not going into a fifth day. Sabbir’s style of batting could be more suited to the team, despite his iffy form in the last five months.On his return to international cricket after suffering an eye infection, Mosaddek managed only 16 runs in two innings in Chittagong. He had got out to a poor shot in the first innings, but soaked up 53 balls in the second after a wobble to put the match beyond Sri Lanka’s reach. Mahmudullah, the stand-in captain, said that he was particularly impressed with Mosaddek’s measured innings on the final day in Chittagong.”He started well in the first innings but he had a rush of blood to get out,” Mahmudullah said. “He worked hard in the second innings but since we needed to survive, he curbed his shots. Mid-on and mid-off were up so he had to contain himself. A wicket would have put us under pressure so he did that well during our partnership. I am sure he can perform better.”Shakib Al Hasan’s absence has shaken up the balance of the team, and Bangladesh, perhaps, are now willing to gamble on an aggressive batsman. Sabbir might be out of form, but his ability to take the game away from the opposition is recognised by the team management.At the same time, Mosaddek is also one of the most talented young batsmen in the country, but his relative lack of Test experience – coupled with Sabbir’s shock value – could put him out of the XI in Mirpur.When asked how the team management evaluated a quick-fire fifty to a match-saving innings, Mahmudullah looked back at the home Tests against Australia and called for intent with the bat.”A lot of it depends on the conditions,” Mahmudullah said. “Even when there was a lot of help for spinners in the Dhaka wicket last year, the Australian batsmen played with a lot of intent. They didn’t allow the bowlers to settle down by sweeping at them and going down the wicket. You have to know your strong zones and which bowlers to take on.”While it doesn’t say much, Mahmudullah reveals just about enough on who will be Bangladesh’s No. 7 in Mirpur. Picking Sabbir might be a quick fix for Bangladesh, but it will be hard on Mosaddek, who has long been considered as an exciting talent.

Sabbir Rahman’s 70 and Nasir Hossain’s fighting half century were not enough as Sylhet lost their fourth completed game in a row

Mohammad Isam20-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBrendon McCullum looks to paddle•Raton Gomes

Rangpur Riders came back to winning ways after their seven-run win over Sylhet Sixers at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum lived up to their billing as the star opening act but the Bangladeshi duo, Sabbir Rahman and Nasir Hossain , gave Rangpur a real scare before Sylhet’s chase faded away.Rangpur now have two wins in five outings while Sylhet continue to struggle, losing for the fourth time. They haven’t won a game since leaving their home territory almost two weeks ago.The storm finally makes land-fallGayle played out a maiden over bowled by Hossain, a sure sign of settling down for the Jamaican giant. As he took things slowly, McCullum swatted Shuvagata Hom for two sixes in the second over before Danushka Gunathilaka dropped McCullum’s offering of a return catch in the fourth over.In the following over, Gayle officially got underway in the BPL. He slammed Nasir over his head for his first six before Gunathilaka was tonked for two sixes in a row, on either side of long on. He hit his fourth and fifth sixes off Liam Plunkett and Nasir, both over the square leg-side field.Rangpur’s slowdownWhen Nasir got McCullum in the ninth over, Rangpur started to slow down. McCullum had made 33 off 21 balls with three fours and as many sixes; in the 11th over it was Gayle who left, bowled by Abul Hasan for 50 off 39 balls, with his five sixes and two fours.With the destructive pair gone, Mohammad Mithun and Shahriar Nafees played out 14 balls without going anywhere before Andre Fletcher took a superb catch at backward point to get rid of Nafees in the 13th over. Only Ravi Bopara hit a six among the middle-order batsmen, as Rangpur reached 169-7 in 20 overs.Hasan finished with 2 for 24 from his four overs while there was a wicket each for Nasir, Bresnan and Plunkett.Sylhet lose three quicklySohag Gazi got the initial breakthrough, removing Gunathilaka in the second over. Babar Azam, playing his first match for Sylhet, holed out to deep midwicket off Mashrafe Mortaza before Andre Fletcher’s dismissal in the fourth over, caught behind off Rubel Hossain, made it 25 for three.Sabbir takes overSabbir and Nasir played well thereafter, for the first time in the tournament. The pair added 117 runs for the fourth wicket, taking only 13.4 overs. Sabbir made 70 off 49 balls with seven fours and two sixes but when he fell in the 18th over, Sylhet slipped out of the chase.Nasir ended up unbeaten on 50 off 43 balls with a four and a six while Tim Bresnan struck a six off the last ball but to no avail.Mashrafe, Sohag, Rubel and Thisara Perera took one wicket each as they combined to bring the big-spending Rangpur side a much-needed win.