Chelsea's extortionate spending has created an unbalanced and demoralised squad that has seen the club at its lowest point since the turn of the century.

The amount of players is unmanageable and some have been brought in for ridiculous figures and have dramatically failed to repay their fees.

The Blues need to adopt a more meticulous and calculated transfer policy, spending lower sums on more quality players.

In recent times, the West London outfit has been linked with Benjamin Pavard, and securing his signature would be a notable step in the right direction for incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino.

What’s the latest on Benjamin Pavard to Chelsea?

Last month, it was first reported by BILD’s Christian Falk that the 2021 Champions League winners were interested in the Bayern Munich man.

This was followed up by a tweet by Fabrizio Romano, which confirmed that the Frenchman will not sign a new deal at his current club and wants to start a new chapter in his career.

Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany has since gone on to reveal that a fee of €40m (£34m) may be required to convince the Bavarian Giants to sanction his departure.

Pavard’s contract expires in 2024, so Bayern may be forced into his sale this summer to avoid losing him on a free next year.

How would Benjamin Pavard fit in at Chelsea?

The former Stuttgart star has made 30 Bundesliga appearances and averaged 2.3 tackles, 2.5 clearances, and 1.5 interceptions as he secured his fourth-straight league title.

Described as “outstanding” by Uli Hoenes, the 27-year-old also excels outside of Germany, as he ranks in the top 7% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for tackles per 90, as well as the best 17% for interceptions per 90, according to FBref.

Coupled with his obvious defensive acumen, the 2018 World Cup winner is also a force going forward, sitting within the best 3% for progressive passes, total shots, shot-creating actions, and non-penalty goals per 90.

His solidity, offensive threat, and his ability to appear across the backline means he has drawn comparisons to Chelsea legend Branislav Ivanovic.

The aforementioned duo both regularly appeared at centre-back or full-back, and their functionality means they are two of the most underrated players in each of their generations.

This trait goes under the radar as functional players make the game look so easy and this versatility is invaluable for any manager.

Nine years, 337 appearances, 34 goals, and ten trophies later – Ivanovic is a Premier League legend, lauded for his consistency, productivity, mentality, and reliability.

Pavard mirrors this set of imperious qualities and being available for such a modest fee, it makes complete sense for Chelsea to make a move.

Aston Villa have held talks over a potential deal for Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte, according to a recent report from 90min.

Is Aymeric Laporte leaving Man City?

Laporte only received very limited game time in the Premier League last season, making a total of 12 appearances, and he is now being linked with a move elsewhere, with Tottenham Hotspur emerging as potential suitors.

The Spaniard has reportedly told his agents to find him a new club in the upcoming window, with Man City willing to listen to offers, however they would prefer to sell him abroad, rather than to a Premier League rival.

A more recent report details that the defender is unlikely to remain in England, with City unwilling to strengthen their rivals, however that has not stopped Villa from trying their luck.

According to a report from 90min, the Villans have held talks over a potential deal for the 29-year-old, as he wants to leave in the summer to get more minutes, having fallen behind the likes of John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake in the pecking order.

The centre-back could be allowed to leave for £40m, however Villa are not the only Premier League club interested, with Tottenham still eyeing a deal, having finally appointed Ange Postecoglou. Should he miss out on the Man City ace, Unai Emery may also look to reunite with Villarreal's Pau Torres.

Will Aston Villa sign Laporte?

Given that Man City seem unwilling to strengthen any fellow Premier League sides, it seems unlikely that Villa will be able to win the race for the £120k-per-week defender, however he could be an excellent addition to Emery's squad.

Although his game time has been limited this season, the former Athletic Bilbao man has previously demonstrated that he is a top defender at Premier League level, averaging a 7.12 Sofascore match rating in the top flight last term, higher than any Villa defender.

Whenever he has been given the opportunity this season, the Spain international has proven that he is still very much up to the task, averaging the joint-highest amount of aerials won, and the third-best pass-completion rate in the entire squad.

Hailed as "fantastic" by members of the media, Laporte still has a lot left to offer at the top level, and he could be the perfect signing for Villa as they embark on a maiden Europa Conference League campaign next season.

Nick Kelly struck 118 runs and Scott Kuggeleijn and Jono Boult took three wickets each to lead Northern Districts to a 135-run win against Wellington in Whangarei.Choosing to bat, Northern Districts recovered from 62 for 3 in the 20th over to finish on 285 for 6 in their 50. Kelly was their innings’ primary driver; his 103-ball knock included partnerships of 89 with Daryl Mitchell (27), 52 with Kuggeleijn and an unbeaten 64-run with Brett Hampton, who hit 35 runs off 21 deliveries.Wellington’s chase started poorly. Opener Michael Papps fell in the third over followed by ducks from Stephen Murdoch and Hamish Marshall – all of them being dismissed by Kuggeleijn. Matthew Pollard scored 30 off 52 balls and by the time he was out, Wellington were struggling at 85 for 6. Matt Taylor hit six fours to score 45 runs, but there was too much for Wellington’s lower order to do. They folded for 150 in the 35th over courtesy three late strikes from Boult. The win took Northern Districts to the top of the Ford Trophy table.In Palmerston North, Otago completed a 23-run win over Central Districts after Jack Hunter’s four wickets dented the latter’s chase. This after Michael Bracewell struck 92 to take Otago to 287 in their 50 overs.The chase of 288 for Central Districts was hit by the constant fall of wickets. Hunter removed both openers in his first spell, Christi Viljoen removed the set Will Young (63) while Nathan Smith took two lower-order wickets. Their middle order chipped in with some useful contributions – notably Josh Clarkson’s 44 and Navin Patel’s 37 – but those knocks proved futile.Earlier in the match Liam Dudding took three wickets, but Otago went on to accumulate runs guided by Bracewell’s 92. He was ably helped by Josh Finnie (39), Anaru Kitchen (24) and Derek de Boorder (31).Canterbury chased down the target of 210 set by Auckland to complete a five-wicket win at Rangiora’s Mainpower Oval. The win was set up by a 105-run partnership for the second wicket between Tom Latham (59) and Henry Nicholls (76) after Canterbury’s bowlers troubled the Auckland batsmen.Auckland chose to bat and their openers Jeet Raval (30) and Glenn Phillips (33) gave them a 58-run partnership. But Tim Johnston struck three times between overs 14 and 21 to reduce Auckland from 58 for no loss to 71 for 3. Rob Nicol scored a patient 67 as Auckland managed 209 for 8 in their 50 overs.Canterbury’s chase was driven by the century-stand between Latham and Nicholls. Latham’s seven boundaries and Nicholls’ nine all but secured the win. Despite Auckland’s quick strikes that followed, they reached their target with 70 balls to spare. Todd Astle (24) and Johnston (21) took them home.

There are host of talented teens looking to follow in the footsteps of Alejandro Garnacho and Evan Ferguson from last season

One of the joys of any Premier League season is when young players breakout and become household names almost overnight. Fans are always energised when a teenager, whether they are homegrown or otherwise, makes an impact on the first team, and heading into the 2023-24 campaign, there are plenty of talents who look set to emerge.

When GOAL produced this list ahead of the 2022-23 season, we predicted the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Evan Ferguson, Romeo Lavia, Levi Colwill, Stefan Bajcetic and Julio Enciso would make their mark over the next nine months, so who do we believe will be able to do something similar this time around?

With the proviso that only players born in or after 2004 are eligible, and that players must have 15 or fewer Premier League appearances under their belt, here's the 2023-24 list of teenage talents who could breakthrough in the English top flight:

Getty ImagesFacundo Buonanotte (Brighton)

The most experienced player on this list in terms of Premier League appearances, Facundo Buonanotte played 13 times in the top-flight for Brighton last season, and even got himself on the scoresheet during a defeat at Nottingham Forest.

The Seagulls paid around £6 million to bring the 18-year-old to the south coast from Argentine side Rosario Central in January, and it is hoped he will follow in the footsteps of Ferguson and Enciso in making an impact under Roberto De Zerbi.

An attacking midfielder who can play further forward, he has been compared to Alexis Mac Allister in the past, and could yet end up being his compatriot's long-term replacement in the Brighton line up.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesYoussef Chermiti (Everton)

Youssef Chermiti is a new arrival into the Premier League having moved to Everton in the days leading up to the new campaign. The Toffees have agreed to pay an initial £13m for the 19-year-old, who arrives from Sporting CP.

A physically imposing striker with a touch that belies his size, Chermiti scored three goals in the Primeira Liga last season, and arrives into Sean Dyche's squad to provide back-up for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Given the England striker's injury issues, though, there is a good chance that Chermiti will get plenty of opportunities to impress over the course of the season.

Getty ImagesBobby Clark (Liverpool)

The son of former Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark, Bobby Clark joined Liverpool from the Magpies in 2021 and has made excellent progress since arriving on Merseyside. He made his first-team debut in August 2022, but his cameo in the 9-0 win over Bournemouth remains the 18-year-old's only Premier League appearance to date.

An energetic central midfielder, Clark has been given opportunities to impress during pre-season by Jurgen Klopp, and as the Reds continue to redevelop their midfield, Clark will be hopeful of following Bajcetic into the team over the course of the season.

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Getty ImagesAmario Cozier-Duberry (Arsenal)

One of the stars of Arsenal's run to the FA Youth Cup final last season, Cozier-Duberry's displays certainly caught Mikel Arteta's eye, who included the teenager in his matchday squad on six occasions over the course of the campaign.

Cozier-Duberry is yet to make his first-team bow, but the 18-year-old's tricky wing play has earned comparisons to Bukayo Saka, and there is some hope that he can become the England star's primary back-up over the next couple of years.

South Africa regained the one-day series lead with the kind of showing that coach Russell Domingo believes typifies their new style of play

Firdose Moonda25-Feb-20171:21

‘We expect New Zealand to bounce back’ – Parnell

In their most dominant performance on the tour of New Zealand so far, South Africa regained the one-day series lead with the kind of showing that coach Russell Domingo believes typifies their new style of play.It is a brand of cricket built on shared responsibility with new members of the squad as able to contribute as some of the stalwarts. Dwaine Pretorius’ career-best 3 for 5 from 5.2 overs on the back of a maiden half-century in Christchurch is the best example of it.”It’s been a feature of our side’s performances over the last year that the younger players have all come in and put in performances straight away which speaks a lot about where the team is at the moment and the culture of the group,” Domingo said. “It’s always pleasing when some new players are stepping up nor relying on one or two players.”And Pretorius is not the only one. Twenty-year-old Andile Phehlukwayo has emerged as a long-term all-round prospect and in the batting department, Quinton de Kock is one of the leading players in the world.Although AB de Villiers, who became the fastest to 9000 ODI runs, was the man of the moment in Wellington, South Africa’s recent ODI successes have been built on the foundations de Kock has laid. As he did in Test cricket last year, de Kock has reeled off five consecutive fifty-plus scores in ODIs. He has yet to convert one of his three in New Zealand into a century, but Domingo brushed that off as part of the game.”He has got a phenomenal rate of transferring those fifties to hundreds so I’m sure he’d be disappointed he hasn’t got a hundred because he is playing as well as he has ever played. I suppose he would feel a little disappointed in the manner of some of his dismissals. That’s the nature of how he plays.”He is such an aggressive player and I by no means want to curb his natural instinct. He is an x-factor player and some days he is going to get it wrong and that’s okay but on the days he gets it right, he is going to win the game for you. He is still a baby, its hard to believe he is only 24. We’ve had some great players play international cricket for South Africa, who’ve got 10 or 11 hundreds in 200 games. He has got 12 in 77. That’s a phenomenal return for a young player like that.”At this early stage of de Kock’s career, he already lies sixth on South Africa’s ODI century-makers’ list above a big name like Graeme Smith. The former captain played 196 ODIs and scored 10 centuries, de Kock could go on to double or even treble that. Also below de Kock is JP Duminy, who has played 170 ODIs and only has four hundreds to his name, three against Zimbabwe and one against Netherlands.Duminy has not registered three figures in two years, since the 2015 World Cup. In that time, he has managed just four fifties. Although he can cite limited opportunity – Duminy usually bats at No.5, behind players who don’t often leave him with many overs to face – by his own admission, there have been chances wasted.After the Christchurch ODI, where he was given a chance at No 4, Duminy explained he understood he needed to step up. “A lot of us got in but we didn’t take it home for the team. That’s something we need to look at – especially myself, getting in and not taking it home for the team,” he said.He was unable to in Wellington, where he was run-out and his string of low scores – only one over 30 in seven innings – could raise concerns, especially with Farhaan Behardien waiting on the bench.Some pressure for his place may be just what Duminy needs to kickstart a change in fortunes, as it did in Tests. After being dropped last summer during the series against England, Duminy returned with a much improved mindset and scored two important hundreds, in Perth and in Johannesburg, to prove he still has plenty to offer. The upcoming Tests will be another chance for Duminy to build on that progress.Eight members of the Test squad, who are not part of the limited-overs outfit, will arrive in Auckland on Sunday, where they will begin a week-long camp. Batting coach Neil McKenzie and fitness trainer Greg King will break away from the ODI group to oversee the Test players’ preparations. South Africa do not have a warm-up match before the series starts in Dunedin on March 8 but all their players have been in action in the domestic one-day cup.Among them are the two senior seamers, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, who are the favourites to make up a pace pack with Kagiso Rabada, although South Africa have three other quicks in reserve. Rabada will be the most worked of all of them, with South Africa well aware of his importance to every XI. Rabada was left out of the Christchurch game with a knee niggle and returned in Wellington and Domingo has explained that its unlikely Rabada will be given time off with the series still on the line.”It’s a fine line between resting players and trying to win series. You’ve got to try and and manage that process quite carefully, particularly for a guy like KG. I read the other day that he bowled 200 overs more than anybody else in the last year. He is only 21,” Domingo said. “But its hard to leave KG out of the next game in Hamilton. He is a seriously good bowler and it’s no coincidence that when he is back in the mix, we look a seriously good side.”

The Real Madrid star dominated the midfield against Scotland as well as setting up two goals and scoring the other himself

England were already a pretty good team before Jude Bellingham forced his way into the starting XI. Now, with the Real Madrid man looking like one of the best players in the world, they are not only candidates to win Euro 2024 – they should be the favourites.

After scoring five goals in his first four matches for Los Blancos, Bellingham turned on the style for his country in a convincing 3-1 win over Scotland. Bellingham carved Steve Clarke's side open to help set up Phil Foden's deadlock-breaking strike and then started and finished the move for the second goal.

A nightmare own goal by Harry Maguire gave Scotland belief and shook England for a bit but Bellingham steadied the ship, saving his best moment 'till last. A sumptuous piece of skill and pass set up Harry Kane, who finished superbly to put the result beyond doubt.

GOAL rates England's players from Hampden Park…

• Getty
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Aaron Ramsdale (6/10):

  Comfortable on the ball despite huge pressure from Scotland. Understandably flummoxed by Maguire diverting Robertson's cross past him as he had it covered.

  Kyle Walker (8/10):

  Magnificent going forward. Led wave after wave of attack and set up Foden's goal with a cross-shot. Nearly got another assist with a fine pass for Eberechi Eze.

  Lewis Dunk (6/10):

  A solid second appearance for his country.

  Marc Guehi (6/10):

  Composed on the ball and anticipated well. Scotland appealed for a penalty when the ball touched his hand but VAR sided with him.

  Kieran Trippier (5/10):

  Not as comfortable on his weaker left side and struggled defensively.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Midfield

  Kalvin Phillips (6/10):

  Hit and miss. Played a couple of sloppy passes that led to England surrendering possession but also looked to split Scotland's defence open.

  Declan Rice (6/10):

  Kept England's play ticking over without pulling up any trees.

  Jude Bellingham (10/10):

  Simply outstanding. Dictated the play and drove England forward, setting up almost every dangerous move. His assist for Kane was sublime while he played his part in Foden's strike and took his own goal with aplomb.

• Getty Images
  

  Attack

  Phil Foden (7/10):

  Stretched Scotland in the first half. Made amends for a bad miss by giving England the lead.

  Harry Kane (6/10):

  Had a relatively quiet game and left most of the creating to Bellingham. But when he needed to finish he did so expertly to make sure of the victory.

  Marcus Rashford (6/10):

  Ran Scotland ragged in the first half but couldn't finish off many moves. Did play his part in the opening goal.

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• Getty Images
  

  Subs & Manager

  Harry Maguire (2/10):

  His shocking own goal gave Scotland hope and put England on edge.

  Bukayo Saka (6/10):

  Didn't do loads in his 19 minutes on the pitch.

  Eberechi Eze (6/10):

  Lovely control to set up a chance but should have done better against Gunn.

  Callum Wilson (N/A):

  Only came on in the 84th minute.

  Conor Gallagher (N/A):

  Handed a very short cameo.

  Gareth Southgate (6/10):

  Made six changes from the Ukraine game and slipped the shackles off slightly. His biggest mistake was bringing on Maguire.

Sky Sports have confirmed that a Manchester United takeover is no closer to completion, despite recent rumours of a deal involving Sheikh Jassim.

What’s the latest Man United takeover news?

It has been an eventful few days when it comes to Old Trafford takeover rumours, with speculation from Qatar suggesting that Jassim was successful in his bid to take full control from the Glazers.

As to be expected, that claim gathered plenty of attention in the media as claims emerged on both sides of the story, with journalist Ben Jacobs for example one of those arguing against the rumours on an agreement being reached, saying on Tuesday morning:

"Lots of speculation on the MUFC sale process, and an out-of-hours stock price surge reacting to that. But as of last night no group had been informed they are successful. Not expecting anything public or groundbreaking in the next few days. If that changes will update you."

Sky Sports have now confirmed that it was in fact Jacobs in the right and not the reports sending United fans wild, with chief reporter Kaveh Solekhol sharing news from “sources”. He said on Tuesday evening that the rumours regarding Jassim are false, adding:

"Man United fans will want an update on what is happening with a takeover. Is anything happening? Are we closer to any resolution?

"We’ve checked with all sides, with all our sources, and they’re telling us no update at the moment."

Jassim already planning Man United transfers?

Although Jassim is unaware if his fifth and final bid has been successful to take charge in Manchester, he already appears to be eyeing up a marquee signing for Erik ten Hag’s side.

Recent reports have claimed that the Qatar group are planning a stunning move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe. Jassim feels that the French superstar “belongs at Man United”, with PSG valuing the player at £170m.

However, with the transfer window now officially open, every passing day without a takeover resolution could impact United’s plans in the market. For example, back in March, some inside Old Trafford were worried that the ongoing saga would affect the club's planning in the window.

Hopefully, there will be a development soon for either Jassim or Sir Jim Ratcliffe, but no off-field news continuing could spell trouble for the Red Devils and cause unrest among the club's supporters.

England eased to a 117-run victory in their first warm-up match in West Indies, but the batting was more impressive than the bowling

George Dobell in St Kitts25-Feb-2017
ScorecardBen Stokes was in the runs, but the bowling wasn’t quite so successful•Getty Images

What a great leveller this game can be.A few days after becoming the most expensive overseas player in the IPL’s history, Ben Stokes saw his only complete over of England’s first warm-up match in St Kitts thrashed for 23 by a 20-year-old playing only his eighth List A game.To be fair to Stokes, who had earlier made a half-century, the 20-year-old is some talent. Shimron Hetmyer, the former captain of the West Indies side that won the Under-19 World Cup, timed the ball beautifully and, having clipped Stokes’ first ball for six over square leg, laced a couple of boundaries through the off side before finishing the over with a pull over mid-wicket for another six. Two wides and a no-ball completed the picture and meant that, at that stage, Stokes’ last 10 deliveries in an England shirt against Caribbean opposition – going back to Carlos Braithwaite’s four sixes – had cost an eye-watering 47 runs.Under normal circumstances, none of this would warrant much attention. Even the best endure bad days, after all, and warm-up days like this exist to help brush off the rust. All recent evidence suggests that, come the big occasion, Stokes will be the man England rely upon.But coming, as it did, a few days after Stokes’ auction success, it demonstrated the pressure that he will be under every time he steps on to a pitch these days. He can no longer be considered a promising allrounder in the developmental stage of his career; he is a world star whose every move will be studied and followed. There will always be great expectation; there will always be scrutiny. His life has changed and it may not all be for the better.Still, with four of their top five making half-centuries and a final victory margin of 117 runs, Stokes’ tough over was a minor blip in a generally satisfactory day for England.It showed how far they had come since they last visited St Kitts. At that time, less than two years ago, they were still reeling in the aftermath of their wretched 2015 World Cup performance. During their match against a St Kitts Invitational XI, it was announced that Paul Downton, the managing director of the England teams, had been sacked and the coaching staff were informed, ominously as it transpired, there would be no further changes “while they were on tour.” Peter Moores was subsequently sacked the moment England returned.They are a much-changed white ball side now. It’s not just the personnel that is different, though the absence of the top run-scorer and wicket-taker in their ODI history (Ian Bell and James Anderson respectively) is notable, but that the mentality has changed. Remarkably, given how poorly they performed in the most recent global ODI event, several bookies make them favourites for the Champions Trophy to be played in June. It seemed unthinkable in April 2015.Chadwick Walton made 121 in the run chase•Getty Images

It’s not hard to see what their resurgence has been built upon. Their uncompromisingly aggressive batting helped them race to 239 for 2 at the 30-over mark here and, with Joe Root and Eoin Morgan well set, it appeared a world record List A score might be achievable. Only one side in history (Surrey against Gloucestershire at The Oval in 2007) have ever reached 450 in a List A game and there seemed every chance England could become the second.As it was, they scored a relatively modest 140 from the final 20 overs of the innings despite nearly 100 in the final 10. With the balls softer and the pitch slowing, timing the ball became more difficult and it took some muscular late hitting from Stokes, who was dropped three times in an innings that become more fluent as it progressed, and Liam Dawson to take them above 350.Still, with Jason Roy looking in sublime form – he did not field due to a hand bruised by a succession of tough fielding drills but is not a serious injury concern – and runs for Root and Morgan, England could be well satisfied with this work out for their batsmen.Only Sam Billings, who was brilliantly caught at point, and Jos Buttler, who played-on attempting to force the pace, missed out but both are likely to have another chance on Monday. Billings, in particular, probably needs to take every chance with Alex Hales potentially returning imminently.The bowling was less impressive. While Steven Finn, who had not taken a wicket in any form of cricket since September despite having racked up some air miles, all but ended the match as a contest with wickets from the second and fourth balls of the second over of University of West Indies Vice-Chancellor’s XI reply, there were times when Morgan seemed to lack the options required to stem the flow of runs.Not for the first time, the edge offered to the side by the extra pace of Mark Wood was sorely missed. Chris Woakes (rested) and David Willey (injured) were also missed, but it may be upon Wood’s seemingly fragile ankle that England’s Champions Trophy hopes rest.That the UWI side made over 250 was largely due to the excellence of Chadwick Walton. A good enough player to have represented West Indies in two Tests – albeit during the Floyd Reifer period of captaincy when the best players were unavailable due to a disagreement with the board – he was also part of a record Caribbean List A score only a couple of weeks ago when he made a century as Jamaica amassed 434 against Trinidad and Tobago in the Super 50 competition. He has played a few ODIs, too, and made it into a full strength Test squad as a reserve keeper.At one stage, he thrashed Dawson (who was otherwise admirably frugal) for three successive sixes, while Liam Plunkett was hit for the shot of the day: a straight driven six that thundered back over the bowler’s head.Such things will happen in limited-overs cricket. As Jermaine Levy, the latest man to concede 100 in a List A match, will tell you: modern white-ball cricket is very much a batsman’s game.

If the proposed 9-3 Test system comes to fruition, Zimbabwe, unlike Afghanistan, stand to lose heavily, which makes their upcoming series at home vital to figure out their best XI and improve their ranking

Firdose Moonda15-Feb-2017Australia are gearing up for Tests against a team that has not lost at home in over four years – India; England are undergoing generational change as Joe Root takes over from Alastair Cook; South Africa’s preparations for the Champions Trophy have seen them reach No.1 on the ODI rankings and they are now fine-tuning against the No. 3 side – New Zealand; Pakistan are in the midst of their T20 showpiece, and Zimbabwe? Zimbabwe are about to play Afghanistan for the fourth time in three years. Welcome to the future of cricket.This is what things could look like post the current FTP, when, if the 9-3 Test split is agreed upon, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will become even more familiar with each other than they already are. Ireland will join their club, and although all three of them should be able to look forward to regular fixtures against their other nine Full Members, they will have to get used to forming a second tier of sorts. Afghanistan and Ireland won’t mind too much – it is their chance to play with the big boys – but Zimbabwe are understood to be more than just a little put out by the prospect.They already feel like outsiders looking in, and their fixture list will keep them that way. Zimbabwe are not due to play anyone until July, when they should visit Sri Lanka. They host West Indies before heading into the World Cup qualifiers next March, and unless their fixture list fills up fast, they will be woefully short of match time. That is why they are reaching out to Afghanistan – and are also reportedly in talks with Scotland – and why they are trying to play against as many A teams as possible.Zimbabwe need matches, and they need them desperately if only to figure out who their best are. To say they have very little idea of that is putting it mildly. To that end, Zimbabwe have named a squad that includes six changes from the one that played in a triangular series against Sri Lanka and West Indies in November. That’s almost half the squad that is different, and it suggests they are still very much in a look-and-see phase.The most notable exclusions are Hamilton Masakadza, Tinashe Panyangara and Sean Williams, who all failed fitness tests. Williams has a back injury and should be recalled upon recovery, provided he passes a second test while Panyangara, who has not played any cricket since the tri-series, will retake his test on Friday. Chamu Chibhabha and Brian Chari have struggled for form, although Chari scored an unbeaten 84 in the most recent round of List A matches.In their places, Zimbabwe have picked from some of their most in-form players from the series against Afghanistan A. Although they lost 1-4, Ryan Burl was the highest run-scorer with 266 runs at 53.20 and could not be ignored. Burl notched up over 100 runs more than his nearest challenger, Innocent Kaia, also from Zimbabwe, who was not selected. Instead, Zimbabwe looked to add bowlers who performed against Afghanistan A despite an obvious lack of penetration. Tendai Chatara and Nathan Waller were their joint highest wicket-takers with six each, and fourth overall. They were picked alongside Wellington Masakadza, 19-year old left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava, and Solomon Mire, whose return is the most interesting.Afghanistan have proven that they can challenge established international outfits, and this series will give them the chance to make another case for more matches•Peter Della PennaMire was talked up as the next big thing – a Lance Klusener of sorts – ahead of the 2015 World Cup. He played five matches and did not make anything like the impact he was expected to before choosing to stay in Australia and play grade cricket. He has only recently returned to Zimbabwe and made himself available for international cricket.The indication is that Zimbabwe need someone (else) in the Elton Chigumbura mould so that if Chigumbura, who has most recently played as a batsman only, needs to be dropped, they don’t lack a seam-bowling allrounder. Mire’s worth is chief among all the things Zimbabwe want this series to reveal.So is appeasing the country’s sports minister, who has voiced his disapproval with the state of Zimbabwean cricket to the point where he has asked for “something drastic” to take place to improve things. “We are extremely worried by the performance of our cricket teams, especially when they are playing Associate nations,” Makhosini Hlongwane, the sports minister, was quoted as saying in . “Zimbabwe should work hard to improve its rankings among Test-playing nations and should move away from being the whipping boys of cricket.”That’s not an exaggeration, and Afghanistan are the best evidence of it. Zimbabwe have played Afghanistan in three ODI series since July 2014 and not won any of them. They drew the first, 2-2 at home, lost the second 3-2, also at home, and were then defeated 3-2 in Sharjah in the third. Zimbabwe may take heart from the level of competitiveness they showed in all those rubbers – they came back from 2-nil down to draw level in the UAE – but the fact that even their A side has struggled against Afghanistan’s next-best does not bode well for World Cup qualification, especially as Afghanistan will be one of the teams they will be up against.Afghanistan have already shown they have enough in the tank to challenge some of the more established international outfits and recently narrowly lost a series to Bangladesh 1-2. They don’t even need the A sides and their international outfit to overlap as much as Zimbabwe do and could leave out the top three wicket-takers from the A team’s recent win in Zimbabwe – Nawaz Khan, Abdullah Adil and Fazal Niazai – for the series proper. They have called on Aftab Alam and Samiullah Shenwari to join the ranks.With recent history on their side, Afghanistan can only look to this series as another opportunity to make a case to be considered for more matches. They already have recent developments at the ICC on their side. If the ODI league and new Test structure materialise, Afghanistan and Ireland will be the greatest beneficiaries, and unless Zimbabwe step up soon, they may find that even those two countries don’t want to have too much to do with them.

Manchester United are confident that they can agree personal terms with Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount as Erik Ten Hag endeavours to bring the England international to Old Trafford.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

According to Sky Sports, Chelsea have rejected an offer of £40 million from Manchester United for Mount as a gap in valuation still continues to linger between the two clubs.

The report states that Manchester United know the limit of what they would be willing to pay internally; however, they are also prepared to abandon negotiations if they are quoted a price above their valuation of the £80k-a-week ace.

As per The Evening Standard, the Red Devils are set to return with an improved offer for Mount at some point, though Chelsea are holding out for a fee in the region of £70 million.

Due to his contract expiring in 2024, Chelsea would be willing to let Mount go to avoid losing him on a free transfer following months of deadlock in negotiations over fresh terms between player and club.

talkSPORT claimed earlier this month that Mount had agreed personal terms with Manchester United; nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the proposed move will be affected by a difference of opinion in value between the two clubs.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Romano has detailed that Mount is very keen to move to Manchester United this summer.

Romano said: "Man United want the player. Man United are convinced that the agreement with the player is something that'll be easy to reach because Mount wants this Manchester United move, so it's on the clubs now."

Will Manchester United be able to land Mason Mount?

Chelsea seem pretty insistent on recouping a significant fee for their academy product. However, they will also be aware of the reticence prospective suitors may have with regard to bidding over the odds for a player like Mount that only has one year left on his deal.

In 2022/23, Mount made 35 appearances for the Blues across all competitions, registering three goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt.

As per The Athletic, Liverpool did hold an interest in trying to sign Mount this summer earlier this year, though his excessive price tag put them off and they will now instead focus on alternative targets.

The Sun claim that Leicester City star James Maddison has been earmarked as a 'second option' if Mount proves to be unattainable this off-season, making it anyone's guess as to whether Manchester United will be able to land Mount this summer.