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Match facts

October 12, 2016
Start time 1330 local (1130 GMT)South Africa have an opportunity to inflict the first whitewash of Australia in a five-match series•AFP

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South Africa couldn’t have asked for a better start to their summer. After having achieved their initial objective – a series win – they are in a position to inflict a whitewash against the top-ranked ODI side.The margins of victory reflect how South Africa have been dominant in every aspect. Two of the wins have come with more than 10 overs to spare, another by more than 140 runs. In the only match Australia threatened to come close, in Kingsmead, a freak performance by an out-of-form David Miller sealed the series.Miller apart, South Africa have been helped with contributions from Rilee Rossouw, Andile Phehlukwayo and Kyle Abbott, all of whom were considered fringe players coming into the series. That has meant South Africa are spoilt for choice, something Australia will covet.That Australian haven’t bowled South Africa out even once in the series reiterates the inexperience in their attack. But that doesn’t mean there are no other headaches. Australia have crossed 300 just once and have been bowled out for under 220 twice. Their over-reliance on big names hasn’t helped their cause. But they have the added motivation of trying to avoid being blanked.That they will have to do that at one of South Africa’s favourite grounds, in front of a sell-out crowd, will be a challenge. Newlands had earlier raised concerns about the match being scheduled on the same day as a religious holiday, , but it seems the enthusiasm is hardly affected by that.

Form guide

South Africa: WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia: LLLLW

In the spotlight

With seven wickets in four matches, Andile Phehlukwayo has underlined the difference between both sides so far. Phehlukwayo is not part of the national squad in any other formats yet, but his ability to change pace and his maturity in accepting the responsibility of bowling at the death could change that. He has proved himself handy with the bat too, and can further boost his claim to be an allrounder.Steven Smith and David Warner are the only two Australians to have scored a hundred so far. Smith, the captain, doesn’t seem to bring as much out of his men as Warner did when he led them to an ODI series win in Sri Lanka. Before the series, Smith said he hoped to continue riding the wave Warner had created, but now may be left wondering if his one-day leadership credentials could be measured against Warner’s.

Team news

South Africa are looking at bringing back their big bowling guns in search of a clean sweep. That means Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada may force one of Kyle Abbott or Phehlukwayo out of the XI. They may continue with two spinners, with Imran Tahir likely to be brought back in place of Tabraiz Shamsi, the left-arm wrist spinner. With the Tests looming, there’s merit in giving Shamsi a breather and allowing him to fully recover from a quad niggle. Others walking wounded include Rossouw, who hurt his finger, and Farhaan Behardien, who tweaked a hamstring. Both passed fitness Tests, but Temba Bavuma has been at training as cover, while Miller has made sufficient progress from his groin strain.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 Rilee Rossouw, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien/David Miller, 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 and 9 Andile Phehlukwayo/Kyle Abbott/Dale Steyn/Kagiso Rabada, 10 Aaron Phangiso, 11 Imran TahirHaving tried all their bowling combinations in vain, Australia could make their young attack draw straws to decide which of Chris Tremain, Daniel Worrall, Joe Mennie or Scott Boland has to play the final ODI. Usman Khawaja has not been used at all and may be brought in to add depth to the batting.Australia (possible): 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch/Usman Khawaja, 3 Steve Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Travis Head, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 John Hastings, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 and 11 Chris Tremain/Scott Boland/Daniel Worrall/Joe Mennie

Pitch and conditions

A cold front early in the week brought rain to Cape Town on Tuesday, but Newlands has a new drainage system which should keep the outfield dry should the rain stay away. Groundsman Evan Flint does not predict a run-fest, instead aiming for a surface that will offer the bowlers something as well. The weather is expected to be mild with temperatures in the teens, with a light breeze.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have never lost all of the matches in a five-game ODI series. The last time they lost all the matches played in an ODI series was in 2006-07 when they were beaten 3-0 by New Zealand. The only other time they were blanked 3-0 was by England, in 1997
• South Africa have beaten Australia 4-1 before, in a series in Australia in 2009

Quotes

“If you play against Australia, every little mental thing you can get on your side does play a role. It’s important for everyone to be in good touch. The one-percenters play a big role.”

Australia’s captain Steven Smith ranked a surprise hiding at the hands of Sri Lanka among the most deflating results of his career

Daniel Brettig30-Jul-2016Australia’s captain Steven Smith ranked a surprise hiding at the hands of Sri Lanka among the most deflating results of his career, after pledging his leadership would be focused upon improving the national team’s record in overseas territory.The 106-run defeat in little more than three days of actual playing time has put Australia’s No. 1 ranking at risk, being their seventh consecutive loss in Test matches in Asia and first to Sri Lanka in 17 years. Meanwhile a hamstring injury to the left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe means Smith will be relying on the ability of the Victorian spinner Jon Holland to hit the ground running when he links up with the squad in Galle for a match on what is expected to be an even sharper spinning pitch than that seen in Pallekele. A task considered well within the team’s capability ahead of the series now looks exceptionally steep.Familiar Australian weaknesses against spin bowling were laid bare by Rangana Herath and his wrist-spinning offsider Lakshan Sandakan, as they shared 16 wickets between them. At the same time batsmen like David Warner and Usman Khawaja were put to shame by an extraordinarily composed innings of 176 from the 21-year-old Man of the Match Kusal Mendis. Smith, too, had reason for self-recrimination, as his charge down the track at Herath’s first ball on day two had effectively swung the match.”It is disappointing,” Smith said. “I said before the game that we haven’t played well in subcontinent conditions for quite a while now. It’s something that under my captaincy I want to change. There were glimpses throughout this game that we’ve improved in some aspects but I think we just let ourselves down a lot as well.”I generally play spinners quite aggressively. I’ve hit that ball for four or six several times throughout my career. I got beaten on the inside of the bat. It’s just summing it up and making sure I play with a straighter bat if I’m trying to go over the top. I know it looked ugly and it probably didn’t look great. For me, it’s about making sure I still have that intent to score.”In expressing sorrow for O’Keefe’s exit, particularly after he had fought bravely alongside Peter Nevill to try to delay defeat on the final afternoon, Smith also spoke optimistically about the skills of Holland. The pair were fellow academy inductees nearly a decade ago, and will need to find quick rapport as captain and spinner to help bring Sri Lanka’s batsmen to heel.”Galle is the biggest spinning place here in Sri Lanka, or so we’ve been told so it’s going to play a big part again,” Smith said. “Jon Holland is a class bowler, he’s done pretty well in state cricket and having a left-arm orthodox bowler in these conditions is a must. He’s accurate, he hits a good area and hopefully we can see some of the same as what we saw from Steve and Rangana, with some balls spinning and some balls skidding. It’s incredibly hard to play against and I’m looking forward to him getting here and having a couple of days’ preparation with us.”He and I went to the academy together so we know each other reasonably well and I’m sure he’ll fit in well around this group. There’s always challenges when you’re playing international cricket, especially away from home. He’s going to have to get a game plan and the speeds that he needs to bowl together pretty quickly. We’ll be working with him to make sure he gets that in and I’m really excited for him to join us.”Holland for O’Keefe is likely to be the only change to the Australian side, with Smith looking for his team to atone for their missteps in Pallekele.

Tottenham Hotspur legend and fan favourite Graham Roberts has slammed Napoli loanee Tanguy Ndombele for his comments about Spurs and Antonio Conte.

What's the latest on Ndombele?

Signing for a club-record £55 million in 2019, the former Lyon sensation hasn't gone on to justify his price tag since joining under Mauricio Pochettino. Indeed, despite a few purple patches of form, with former boss Jose Mourinho once praising him, it's been too few and far between.

Ndombele has been criticised for his work ethic in a Lilywhites jersey, and former boss Conte didn't appear to favour the Frenchman almost immediately after joining Spurs.

The midfielder joined ex-club Lyon on a half-season loan last year but ultimately failed to do enough to earn a permanent move. Now, Ndombele is out on another temporary spell at Serie A league leaders Napoli – where he has started just six league games whilst making the vast majority of his appearances off the bench (WhoScored).

The 26-year-old now faces an uncertain future as most of the noises suggest Luciano Spalletti's side are hesitant over signing Ndombele permanently.

And speaking in an interview with SoFoot recently (via The Evening Standard), the player claimed:

"“There was no other solution with Tottenham and I’m happy I chose Napoli.

“With Conte there was no choice, I would have liked to demonstrate my value on the pitch but I was on the edge of the group. It was communicated to me from the first day of training with the team.

“I don’t know what my future will be, many fans ask me to return to Tottenham but the clubs will decide and Napoli have an option to buy."

Weighing in on Ndomble's comments about Spurs and Conte, club favourite Roberts rebuffed his admission and says the £200,000-per-week man must stop blaming everyone but himself.

Writing on Twitter, Roberts explained:

"Tanguy Ndombele talking a great game again – why are you not playing at Napoli, then? Blame Jose, then you blame Conte, then you blame Spurs, maybe look at yourself, pal. You have lots of talent but you need to stop blaming everyone but yourself."

Could Ndombele reinvigorate his Spurs career?

Ndombele has showcased his real talent and been noted for his close control at times, but the issue is consistency. Whoever comes in to replace Conte at Spurs could see an opportunity to get the very best out of Ndombele.

However, given Pochettino, Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Tottenham's most recent boss all failed to do so, it could well also be a case of chairman Daniel Levy cutting his losses.

When Wolverhampton Wanderers broke their transfer record to sign precocious 18-year-old Fabio Silva for £35.6m in 2020, optimism was rife that the club had clinched the services of a possible prodigy.

Speaking of the deal, chairman Jeff Shi said: "Fabio is a young player who shows not only incredible technical ability, but also his game intelligence for a player of his age is top class."

The Old Gold did not meld with the Portuguese teenager as anticipated, and Silva only managed to clinch four goals from 62 appearances before being shipped out on loan last summer to Belgian outfit Anderlecht, where he was recalled and pushed out to PSV Eindhoven in January.

The Premier League outfit will remain positive that Silva can hit the rich vein of form desired in the midlands, especially after the forward has enjoyed some fruitful fortunes this season.

How has Fabio Silva played this season?

Silva's quality has never been in question, rather, his physical presence and authority in the thick of the robustness of the Premier League, but at such a young age there is still plenty of time to make the increments to his physicality to partner the innate goal-scoring threat.

He is improving quickly, though, and has scored 15 goals and served five assists from 33 starts across his two temporary outfits this term.

What's been said about Fabio Silva?

Prior to his sojourns in Belgium and the Netherlands, The Mail's Ollie Lewis even hailed his "enormous potential" in August and said he "led the line superbly with his energy and physicality."

Former Old Gold captain Conor Coady also waxed lyrical over the rising star last year, praising the now 20-year-old for his impact on the squad, belying his youthful years and inexperience.

He said: "He’s been fantastic since he came in. He works so, so hard to improve and get better, and you see that now. We know when he comes into the team, he’ll do a job, and that’s what he’s doing at the minute."

Who could Silva replace at Wolves?

With Silva's development perhaps leaving him in good stead to forge a second surge for a place as the undisputed talisman at Molineux, Lopetegui must consider axing Diego Costa, with the 34-year-old striker failing to find the back of the net since his summer arrival as a free transfer.

Indeed, Costa has played 16 matches this season and failed to record even one direct contribution, and it is hard to envisage that his one-year deal will be extended.

As per Sofascore, the Spaniard has recorded an average league rating of only 6.56, taking 1.5 shots per match but unable to strike the back of the net; Costa's 0.4 key passes per match are below par too, his verve and efficiency waning after his past feats on English soil, starring for Chelsea and scoring 52 goals from 89 outings en-route to winning two Premier League titles.

With Silva in the maiden phase of his career and already boasting, as per WhoScored, 1.4 shots and 0.4 key passes per match – almost identical numbers to his senior peer – the ace could unleash the "monster" inside – as hailed by Jack Collins – and devastate Premier League defences with a shot at prominence at Molineux once again next term.

City considered signing a number of players who ended up moving to Old Trafford instead – and the blue half of Manchester must be glad they did

In a parallel universe, Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish are getting fired up ahead of the upcoming derby Manchester City. Haaland followed his former coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from Molde to Manchester United, while Grealish moved from Aston Villa to the Red Devils in 2020.

Meanwhile, City defensive duo Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, wearing light blue tracksuits, are discussing how they will stop Haaland and Grealish and are preparing themselves for the volley of abuse they will receive from the Stretford End.

Maguire joined City in 2019 along with Brazilian winger Antony, while Lindelof moved to the Etihad Stadium two years earlier. Raphael Varane is on the substitutes' bench for City after recovering from a niggling injury along with veteran Alexis Sanchez.

Paul Pogba, who controversially switched from the red half of Manchester to the blue half in 2022 as a free agent, will be lining up in midfield alongside Bruno Fernandes, who chose City over United in 2019…

Ok, let's head back to reality, even if it is fun to ponder what might have been been. Because, but for a few differences of opinion between sporting directors, chairmen and agents, a number of players involved in Sunday's Manchester Derby at Old Trafford could have been lining up on the opposite side of the divide.

With City still in the hunt to repeat last year's incredible treble success while United are looking increasingly likely to miss out on the top four, many of those players may have wished they chose a different destination. And City fans will be thanking their lucky stars they avoided some of the players who ended up flopping at Old Trafford.

Ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby, GOAL runs through all the players who were on the verge of moving to City but ended up joining United instead and had a far less happy time as a consequence…

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  Alexis Sanchez

  In January 2018, with just months left on his contract at Arsenal, Sanchez faced a choice between joining two of the best coaches in the world. One option was reuniting with Pep Guardiola, who had signed him for Barcelona and who he has said "was like my dad".

  Then there was Jose Mourinho, who looked to be taking United back to the top. The Portuguese, who was already seeing his arch-rival run away with the title, could not bear the thought of another top player further strengthening City and made an appeal to Sanchez.

  "I was about to go to City," the Chilean told earlier this year. "We talked every day, he sent me messages. Suddenly the phone rings. Mourinho tells me: 'Alexis, here is the number seven shirt available for you'. I wanted to leave at that moment, but I had Guardiola's word.

  "That's when I said to myself, a Chilean footballer playing for Manchester United, something that has never happened. With the seven of Cantona, Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and now a Chilean had it, it was a dream."

  That dream, though, quickly turned into a nightmare for everyone concerned. Sanchez later confessed that after his first training session with United, he asked his agent if he could rip up his contract and go back to Arsenal.

  The Chilean, who earned a reported £400,000 ($485,000)-per-week, never came close to replicating his form for the Gunners at United, and when the Red Devils made a miserable start to the following season, he bore the brunt of criticism.

  Sanchez left United for Inter after a miserable 18 months, scoring just five goals in 45 appearances and looking utterly devoid of confidence and verve, a shadow of the player he once was.

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  Harry Maguire

  Maguire was regarded as one of the best centre-backs in Europe after a stunning 2018 World Cup, and both City and United vied for his signature the following summer. Guardiola was an admirer and the club were ready to match the Red Devils' £70m ($85m) bid for him, but turned away when Leicester, seeing the competition breweing between the two rival clubs, raised their asking price to £80m ($97m).

  "We were interested but we could not afford him. United could," Guardiola later admitted. While Maguire had a perfect debut at Old Trafford, a 4-0 win over Chelsea, things quickly unravelled for him. He recovered his form to steer United to consecutive top-four finishes, but when the team began to fall apart under Solskjaer, he was blamed for their spiral of horrendous results, among them the 5-0 home humiliation by Liverpool.

  Erik ten Hag gave Maguire just eight league starts last season and wanted to sell him in the summer to West Ham for just £30m ($36m), but the defender refused to leave.

  Maguire has staged an impressive recovery after facing merciless ribbing from all quarters and silenced his critics. However, he has continued to be rocked by injury problems and is set to miss the derby. And City, who signed Ruben Dias in 2020 for £64m ($77m), will have few regrets about not getting the deal for Maguire over the line.

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  Paul Pogba

  Pogba's second spell at Manchester United was a long-running and painful saga that finally came to an end when his lucrative, six-year contract ran out in June 2022.

  Despite his many injury issues and the fact he had not managed to truly shine under Mourinho, Solskjaer or Ralf Rangnick, City were interested in signing him as a free agent. It was not the first time that Pogba had been linked with City, as Guardiola revealed that he had been offered the chance to sign the Frenchman in 2018 after he fell out with Mourinho, despite agent Mino Raiola calling the City boss "a coward, a dog".

  Pogba, wary of the potential backlash from United fans, opted to move back to Juventus instead. But his second coming in Turin has been a nightmare in every sense, suffering two serious injuries, being subject to blackmail, and then failing a drugs test for elevated levels of testosterone. Another bullet dodged from City's point of view.

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  Cristiano Ronaldo

  With his time at Juventus coming to a bitter end in the summer of 2021, Ronaldo was considering his next move, and City were one of the few clubs who could afford him. When word spread that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was speaking to City, key figures from United, especially Sir Alex Ferguson, began to panic.

  "Honestly, it [moving to City] was close. They spoke a lot and Guardiola said two weeks ago that they tried hard to have me," Ronaldo told Piers Morgan during his infamous interview in December 2022. "Sir Alex Ferguson was the key. I spoke with him… He said to me that, 'It's impossible for you to come to Manchester City'. And I said 'OK, Boss'."

  Ronaldo made an immense start to his second coming, scoring twice on his debut against Newcastle and rescuing victories over Villarreal and Atalanta. But it was clear that United were a worse team as a result, as he slowed down their play and forced them to adapt their style of the past three years to suit him. Ronaldo ended the season as the team's top scorer but United registered their worst points total in 30 years in the Premier League, and his capacity to pull off escape acts slowly diminished.

  His me-first attitude had also had a negative effect on the team, and in his second campaign he stunk out the place, leaving a friendly against Rayo Vallecano at half-time and refusing to come on as a substitute before full-time against Tottenham, incurring a brief suspension. His unauthorised sit-down with Morgan embarrassed United further and there was only going to be one ending – ripping up his contract.

  City, meanwhile, won another title without a striker and then welcomed in Erling Haaland, who fired them to the treble. Yet another bullet dodged.

Manchester United pondered a move for four-time Champions League winner Sergio Ramos in the summer, but passed on the opportunity to make an offer, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester United?

The Red Devils were on the wrong side of a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal last weekend after Marcus Rashford's opening strike was cancelled out by goals from Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus.

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag made his frustrations known following a controversial affair that saw Alejandro Garnacho denied an 89th-minute strike to put the Red Devils 2-1 ahead on 89 minutes. Speaking to Sky Sports, Ten Hag stated: "The performance was alright from us. I thought we played a very good game but everything went against us – then you don't win the game. We needed a little bit more luck to win the game. It was not offside [for Alejandro Garnacho goal]. It was the wrong angle."

Now, Manchester United will be left to stew over an unfortunate defeat at the Emirates Stadium before returning to competitive action after the international break against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on September 16th.

Jadon Sancho has risked disciplinary action after taking to social media platform X to hit back at criticism from Ten Hag regarding his level of performance in training, as per The Guardian. An internal meeting is set to be held between Manchester United management staff and Sancho to determine the best way to move forward from the incident, as per 90min.

Turkish clubs have enquired about the availability of Sancho as their transfer window remains open until September 15th; nevertheless, it is believed that Manchester United would not entertain any departure for the England international that would involve paying a portion of his wages.

Did Manchester United come close to signing Sergio Ramos?

According to 90min, veteran free agent Sergio Ramos was offered to Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich before eventually deciding to sign for boyhood club Sevilla.

It is believed that all three clubs kept Ramos in their thoughts; however, his large salary demands curtailed any possibility of a deal being done to bring the four-time Champions League winner to Old Trafford and the Glazers never stumped up an offer.

Before returning to Sevilla, Ramos was most recently of Paris Saint-Germain and went on to register six goals and one assist at the club across 58 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Labelled "different level" by former Spain coach Luis Enrique, Ramos also turned down a remarkable £17.1 million per year proposal from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, according to The Sun.

The outlet even sensationally claim that Ramos knocked back a one-year contract at Manchester United reported to be worth around £73,000 per week, which was offered in the aftermath of Raphael Varane being ruled out due to injury.

Northern Ireland international Jonny Evans has since rejoined Manchester United on a one-year contract and made his second debut for the Red Devils against Arsenal last weekend.

India overcome 110-run deficit to chase down 321 in the fourth innings courtesy half-centuries from Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair and Hanuma Vihari

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2018Getty Images

Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 67 off 71 balls helped India A complete a stirring come-from-behind win in the second four-day Test against West Indies A in Taunton. They chased down 321 with five wickets in hand to clinch the series 1-0.While Pant saw the chase through, the foundation was laid by half-centuries from Hanuma Vihari (68) and captain Karun Nair (55) on Thursday. This allowed India A, who resumed the fourth day needing 107 to win, to rally despite losing two wickets inside the first five overs of play. Jayant Yadav, the offspinner, made 23 not out in an unbroken 100-run stand with Pant for the sixth wicket to seal the win.Two days into the contest though, India A were well behind. They were bowled out for 192 in the first innings, with left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer taking five wickets as West Indies A claimed a 110-run lead. But a sensational fightback led by India’s seamers resulted in West Indies A being bowled out for 210 in their second innings.Half-centuries from John Campbell and Jermaine Blackwood apart, there was little of note in the West Indies second innings; they lost their last nine wickets for 85. Mohammad Siraj picked up four wickets while Rajneesh Gurbani, on India A debut, finished with three. Siraj finished with match figures of 8 for 132.Chasing a huge score, India A openers R Samarth and Abhimanyu Easwaran put on 51. Then Nair, pressing for a middle order berth in India’s Test squad for England, struck eight fours in his 63-ball 55. His 136-run stand with the in-form Vihari put West Indies A on the back foot. Their wickets early on the fourth day threatened to take the game away, but Pant chose to make his mark on the tour with a responsible knock to guide the side home.India A’s final tour game is a one-off Test against England Lions from July 16, one where a number of Test specialists like M Vijay, Mohammed Shami and Wriddhiman Saha are likely to feature ahead of the first Test against England on August 1 at Edgbaston.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Newcastle United's centre-back pursuit.

The club are looking to strengthen their back-line, however, a recent development could stop the pursuit.

What is the latest Newcastle transfer news?

Newcastle have made a number of moves so far this window.

The biggest signing the Magpies have made is undoubtedly the £55m arrival of Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali from AC Milan, but the Tyneside club have also added Harvey Barnes from recently relegated Leicester City and Tino Livramento from Southampton, whilst the side have also agreed a deal with Chelsea to sign youngster Lewis Hall on a loan deal with an obligation to buy.

However, the side do look a little bit short in the central defensive area. Beyond the starting partnership of Sven Botman and Fabian Schar, the Tyneside club only have Jamaal Lascelles as an out and out centre-back option, with Dan Burn able to play the position if required.

Throughout the summer, the Magpies have been linked with a number of central defenders, with Crystal Palace's Joachim Andersen and Benfica’s Antonio Silva being names considered according to the Daily Mail's Craig Hope. However, he believes that those players will sit outside the club's price range at this point in the window.

A more realistic target would be Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba, who according to Football Insider is a name high on manager Eddie Howe's shortlist, with the club considering a hijack on Tottenham Hotspur, who have been interested in the player all summer long.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Romano revealed that Tapsoba, who has been called a "dangerous" player, and Silva are the names that Howe admires, however Financial Fair Play concerns could curtial any potential bid: "I think it’s almost impossible to make it happen because of the Financial Fair Play situation. Edmond Tapsoba and Antonio Silva are two centre-backs that they love. But at the moment they are way too expensive for Newcastle because with the Financial Fair Play situation, it’s complicated. So they would need to sell a player of the same value, and it means someone around €55-€60m, so it’s more than complicated.”

How will Newcastle end this window?

It seems that due to FFP constraints, the Magpies will have to complete loan deals if they want to bring in any more players.

One player being considered is Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney. According to Football Insider the player is open to making the switch to the North East, having fell out of favour at the Emirates following the arrival of Oleksander Zinchenko. According to the report, the Scotland international is eager to make the move as he searches for more regular first-team football. However, there are two real obstacles for Newcastle to overcome to complete the deal. The first is the stiff competition from La Liga outfit Real Sociedad, and the second and more pressing issue is the fact that Arsenal want to sell the defender, whilst Newcastle can only really make a loan deal work, so the Gunners would have to compromise to complete the deal.

Another player being considered is Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips. The 27-year-old has had a torrid time since his £45m switch from Leeds United, with injury problems limiting the midfielder to just 593 minutes last season across all competitions. According to reports, Newcastle are interested in the midfielder this summer as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of their first Champions League campaign in over two decades.

West Ham United fans would’ve thought that losing the talismanic Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m would be the most damaging outgoing for the club this summer.

However, a new – almost equally devastating – storyline has since emerged, with Manchester City keenly pursuing a deal for attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta.

Fabrizio Romano revealed that the Brazilian is keen to join the reigning Premier League and European Champions, who had an initial verbal approach of £70m rejected. A fresh offer is expected, with the Italian journalist indicating that players could be included in the deal.

This has led to suggestions that Cole Palmer could be on his way to the London Stadium.

What’s the latest on Cole Palmer to West Ham?

According to the ever-reliable ExWHUEmployee, the 21-year-old is attracting serious interest from the Hammers.

The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg has echoed this view, stating that West Ham are eyeing a loan deal for the youngster.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Pep Guardiola has communicated his impression of the situation, saying:

“We have lot of confidence in Cole. I know he wanted to play last season, and didn't much. The agent, himself, we have to talk.

“If he wants to stay, we're more than pleased. If he wants to leave, we'll find a solution because he's a top player.”

Would Cole Palmer be a good signing for West Ham?

The 6-foot academy gem has been at Manchester City since 2010, rising through various academy sides.

In 61 appearances for the U18 and U21 teams, he has recorded 61 goal involvements – a frightening level of productivity to emphatically demonstrate that he is more than ready for regular senior football.

As a result, he has become partially integrated into the first team, making 39 appearances in the last 3 years, including five goals.

Internationally, the playmaker has also performed admirably – at England’s U21 European Championship winning campaign, Palmer played five matches, scored once, registered three assists, and completed 88% of his passes and 56% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.

Nevertheless, last season he only notched seven starts in all competitions and a loan at a fellow top-flight side could be the perfect platform to further ignite his limitless potential.

Moreover, his hypnotic dribbling and magical technique could make him the new jewel of West Ham’s crown as he ranks within the best 1% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries, successful take-ons and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.

The joyous technician, who netted in the Community Shield final against Arsenal, possesses the profile and skill to soften the blow of Paqueta’s possible exit.

The former Lyon maestro has only been at West Ham for one year but has quickly established himself as one of the club’s most talented and influential assets.

Described as “simply sensational” by CBS Sports' James Benge, the South American ranks within the top 6% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive passes per 90, and his repertoire of flair and exuberance means he looks destined to compete at the highest level.

Nevertheless, Palmer is also a ridiculous talent, and with a year of consistent game-time, could further flourish into one of the division’s most sought-after forces.

Also hailed as “outstanding” by Paul Dickov, the 21-year-old starlet to West Ham would be an extremely smart piece of business for all parties, given the evidence above.

A reduction in the number of board members and limits on director terms could see ECB president Giles Clarke step down next year

George Dobell04-Nov-2017Giles Clarke’s long spell at the ECB looks set to end in 2018 due to changes in the governance of the sport.Clarke, currently the ECB’s first president, has been on the board of the organisation since 2005 and, between 2007 and 2015, was its chairman. But with the ECB set to reduce the size of its board from 13 to a maximum of 12 (and quite possibly 10) and introduce maximum term limits, it seems certain Clarke, now aged 64, will stand aside in the next few months.To comply with the governance requirements of UK Sport and Sport England, the ECB will shortly introduce a term limit of nine years (three terms of three years) for directors, while it will also be obliged to have a minimum of 30% of each gender on the board. At present, only two of the ECB’s 13 directors are women. While there is some scope for a director staying in position for 12 years if they are “appointed as chair… or to a senior position on an international federation” – Clarke qualifies on both counts – it will shortly become necessary for a director to have a break of four years before serving on the board again.The ECB has previously opposed any reduction in the size of the board suggesting that to do so would pose a threat to its “operational effectiveness”. They have also claimed that the “highly complex nature of the business” necessitated longer periods in office.The changes will be enshrined in the ECB’s amended Articles of Association – sent to counties this week and scheduled to be agreed in December and ratified at the AGM in April 2018 – alongside a raft of other adaptations. Among them will be an end to the system where the first-class counties (and the MCC) elect a chairman. It will instead be left to the board to elect one.Clarke might charitably be said to have polarised opinions during his spell at the ECB. While he oversaw an influx of money into the game – money that helped improve facilities for spectators and players and contributed to a period of much-improved results on the pitch – he also presided over a period when cricket’s relevance diminished in the public consciousness and gained an ever-more-elitist reputation. Clarke also deserves credit for his support of women’s cricket, disability cricket and, more latterly, Pakistan cricket though his attempts to backtrack on his role on the ‘Big Three’ takeover at the ICC convinced few.The ECB also intends to introduce a Regulatory Committee in the coming weeks. Increasingly anxious about government scrutiny of governance in sport – ECB chairman Colin Graves recently described it as “the most important issue for our sport” in a letter to the counties – the committee is intended, in Graves’ words, to “ensure that we are properly protecting ourselves in relation to integrity matters”.The committee will be chaired by Nick Coward, who has previously been CEO of the British Horseracing Authority and General Secretary of the Premier League, and also include three independent members, two senior ECB executives and an independent member from the ECB board.