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Liverpool's need for midfield reinforcements in no secret, even after they overcame the odds to defeat Newcastle United at St James' Park and extend their unbeaten run to start the season to three Premier League games.

The Reds were, of course, on their way to a fairly successful transfer window, with the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, but the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia threw a spanner in the works.

Since then, they have welcomed Wataru Endo, but it could be argued that a more high-profile name is still needed.

With that said, though, the club have reportedly ruled out signing one particular midfielder.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

As the summer transfer window edges closer and closer to slamming shut, Liverpool are scrambling for the extra reinforcements needed to ensure that Jurgen Klopp has a side capable of returning to the Premier League's top four, after missing out last season.

The name at the forefront of their current list of targets seems to be Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch, who the Bavarians could reportedly soften their stance on in the coming days.

As Gravenberch rises to the top of Liverpool's list, however, it is Sofyan Amrabat who has reportedly been ruled out altogether.

According to Manchester Evening News, who were reporting on Manchester United and Liverpool's interest in Amrabat, the Reds have clarified that they will not be making a move for the Fiorentina man this summer.

This news comes at a time when Amrabat has been frozen out at the Serie A club, with La Viola dropping the Morroco international from both first-team games, and training until his future is resolved, as per Fabrizio Romano.

Should Liverpool sign Sofyan Amrabat?

Liverpool's stance on Amrabat is a surprising one, given their need for midfielders, and Fiorentina's reported price-tag of just €30m (£25.6m) this summer.

Statistically speaking, too, the Moroccan would be an upgrade on the options that Klopp waved goodbye to this summer.

According to FBref, Amrabat outperformed Henderson in some key areas throughout the previous campaign.

Player

Progressive Carries Per 90

Blocks

Pass Completion Rate

Tackles Won

Sofyan Amrabat

1.62

23

88.8%

24

Jordan Henderson

1.61

21

83%

23

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old earned plenty of praise during the 2022 World Cup, as he helped Morroco to reach the semi-final stage, in the surprise of the tournament.

Alan Shearer praised the midfielder, saying on BBC's Match of The Day, via the Liverpool Echo: "He gets it and then he can feed the ball in, and you can see him go back there. He’ll be reluctant to get forward as he wants to protect, he’ll want to do that.

"He really enjoys that and he’s really good at that – ‘get off the ball, I’m having it’ – and he’s setting his team forward. He’s been key. He does that, he protects, he can get out there and help his full-backs, and that’s what he’s in that role to do – to stop, and be a spoiler – he’s excellent at it. Then he drives forward and they’re on their way. He’s been magnificent, he really has."

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Nonetheless, despite the praise and the stats, Liverpool reportedly remain unlikely to push ahead for Amrabat's signature this summer.

After missing out on the Scottish Premiership in a campaign to forget last season, Rangers now have the hard task of preventing Celtic from making it three consecutive title wins.

The man in charge of standing in the way of Brendan Rodgers' new side is Michael Beale, who will be hoping to use the remaining days of the transfer window to gain an edge over his Old Firm rivals.

As things stand, however, reports suggest that Celtic have already taken the lead off the pitch, potentially beating Rangers to their transfer target.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

So far this summer, Rangers have welcomed a total of eight reinforcements, with Feyenoord's Danilo and Atalanta's Sam Lammers the pick of the bunch, alongside Jack Butland and Kieran Dowell.

With seven days still remaining in the summer transfer window, however, Rangers may yet hope to welcome even more fresh faces. It's clear so far that Beale's side could do with all the help that they can get if they are to dethrone Celtic this season.

After two games in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers have lost one and sealed all three points in the other, with their opening day defeat against Kilmarnock a particular shock.

Of course, the Gers have since defeated Livingston with ease to get back on track on the pitch, but off the pitch, things aren't going quite so well.

According to The Daily Mail, Rangers' rivals Celtic have launched a £3.5m bid to sign Gers target Luis Palma. Rangers reportedly viewed the winger as a replacement for Ryan Kent, who left the club earlier in the window, but now look likely to miss out following Celtic's reported bid.

No matter which club takes pole position in Scotland, however, they will still have to reportedly battle it out for Palma's signature against Watford and Anderlecht this summer.

Is Luis Palma any good?

Currently plying his trade for Greek Super League side Aris, Palma was involved in an impressive 21 goals last season, scoring 13 and assisting a further eight in all competitions.

Meanwhile, so far this season, the 23-year-old has already found the back of the net twice and made three assists in five appearances. From Beale and Rangers' perspective, they could be missing out on a player in form who looks likely to only get better. Worse is the fact that it is Celtic who could secure Palma's signature, too.

At his best, the Honduran has earned plenty of praise, including from Aris manager Apostolos Terzis, who said, via Daily Record, after Palma scored twice in his side's 4-2 victory in the Europa Conference League: "Luis has done that all season. He has been a huge player for us. We know there has been a lot of interest in him and it's not surprising. Hopefully, playing in Europe next season will persuade him to stay with us."

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

Palma, himself, also commented on his future at the end of last season, saying, via Daily Record: "First of all, there have been no concrete proposals or offers for me. It's just been speculation.

"I am completely focused on my team. Nothing can distract me during this important time. In my mind, I am only thinking to try and help Aris to get as many points as possible. If a good proposal comes after that, then we can talk. But for now, I only care about this season and Aris."

The visitors, buoyed by the return of Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne and Danushka Gunathilaka, seek to improve a woeful 2017 ODI record

The Preview by Sidharth Monga09-Dec-20175:12

Agarkar: Sri Lanka need leaders to show the way forward

Big pictureSri Lanka can breathe easy. And not just because they are out of Delhi. Virat Kohli will not be breaking any more records on the rest of their tour. That’s where the good news ends, though. The last time Sri Lanka played ODIs in India, India’s new captain Rohit Sharma scored 264. Also the most successful IPL captain, Rohit, now gets to lead India in limited-overs cricket as Kohli rests, but the onus is on Sri Lanka to make this series less tedious than the speculation around Kohli’s wedding.An indication of how unsure Sri Lanka are in ODI cricket is that until recently, their new captain Thisara Perera struggled to find a place in the side. Visiting India for ODIs is a daunting task at the best of times, and when you are on a 12-match losing streak and when India are on a seven-series winning streak, even miracles might not be enough. A more realistic target for Sri Lanka is to deny India a whitewash, which is what they need to become the No. 1 side in ODIs again.Normally, winning the toss and chasing in dewy grounds would be Sri Lanka’s best chance to deny India, but the two matches in India’s north, likely to be severely affected by dew, will begin two hours earlier than usual. That said, India will not want to take Sri Lanka lightly, especially with the return of Angelo Mathews, Danushka Gunathilaka and Asela Gunaratne.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India: WWLWL
Sri Lanka: LLLLLIn the spotlightAn opportunity to bat in the India top order – with Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit and Kohli – doesn’t come easy. The next three ODIs are an invitation for someone to stake a strong claim. Might it be another chance for Ajinkya Rahane, who has scored runs as an opener but hasn’t done enough to dispel the notion that he struggles to push on once the ball gets softer? Might this be an opportunity for Shreyas Iyer to get a decent run in India’s limited-overs sides? Or will Dinesh Karthik present a case to become India’s long-term No. 4?AFPNiroshan Dickwella can often get away with intemperate batting in Tests, but in ODIs he has to play a more important, more responsible role. He is Sri Lanka’s second-highest run-getter this year, and one of only three players from Sri Lanka to have played more than 20 matches this year. How well he goes at the top of the order will often determine how well Sri Lanka go.Team newsRahane is the frontrunner to take Kohli’s place in the XI with the other ODI specialists slotting right back in. Kedar Jadhav is injured, which probably means a toss up between Manish Pandey and Shreyas Iyer for a middle-order spot.*India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt.), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 Manish Pandey/Shreyas Iyer, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Axar Patel, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalSri Lanka’s Delhi Test saviour Dhananjaya de Silva, who scored the highest fourth-innings score by a visiting batsman in India despite illness and injury, will not be fit for the first ODI. Gunaratne, who injured his hand during the first Test on India’s tour of Sri Lanka, should regain his middle-order spot now that he is fit. Sri Lanka’s second-highest wicket-taker this year, Suranga Lakmal, is available too. They will also be boosted by the availability of Mathews to bowl a few overs.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Sadeera Samarawickrama/Kusal Perera/Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Thisara Perera (capt.), 7 Asela Gunaratne 8 Chaturanga de Silva/Sachith Pathirana/Dushmantha Chameera, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Nuwan Pradeep, 11 Akila DananjayaPitch and conditionsThe first-innings scores in the only three ODIs in Dharamsala have swung wildly between 190 and 330, making it hard to predict the typical nature of the surface. Usually, though, the only demon ODI tracks in India hold is slowness, which is not always the issue in Dharamsala. Thisara said it was a good batting pitch.Stats and trivia The last major team Sri Lanka beat in an ODI was India, in the Champions Trophy earlier this year. Sri Lanka have been whitewashed 5-0 three times this year. Angelo Mathews needs 88 runs to become the 10th Sri Lankan to 5000 ODI runs. He will be the slowest Sri Lankan to the mark. Sri Lanka last won an ODI in India in the World Cup of 2011. They last beat India in India in 2009. Since then, their record in India has been 1-8.Quotes”We have a couple of players who have come from injury. Balanced side at the moment. Hopefully we can do something special, I hope.”
*The preview was updated after the news of Kedar Jadhav’s injury came in.

Wolves "will do their best" to keep hold of midfielder Matheus Nunes beyond the summer transfer window, according to an update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

How much does Matheus Nunes earn?

The Portuguese, who currently earns £85,000 per week at Molineux, joined Wanderers from Sporting CP last summer, coming in as an exciting signing, having once been hailed as "one of the best players in the world today" by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

In truth, Nunes' first season in a Wolves shirt wasn't always the most eye-catching, with the 24-year-old arguably not enjoying the influence many hoped he would. He scored just once in 35 Premier League matches, and while that isn't necessarily his job in the team, more end product would have been nice, given his technical ability.

The Portugal international clearly remains an important player moving forward, however, and it should be stressed that many foreign signings can find it hard to adjust to life in England straight away, given the speed and power of the game in this country.

Nunes is contracted to Wolves until the summer of 2027, so it would surely take a huge bid from someone to be able to prise him away so soon after joining.

Could Matheus Nunes stay at Wolves?

Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano said Wolves are doing their utmost to ensure that Nunes is still at the club next season, following the exits of both Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho:

"Matheus Nunes – A player linked with big moves in recent times, but Wolves already lost Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves in the midfield this summer, so there’s no news at all about Nunes right now. Wolves will do their best to keep him. For sure he was on Liverpool’s list in January, but now their focus is on Romeo Lavia."

Keeping hold of Nunes has to be seen as a primary objective at Wolves this summer, considering he has been lauded as "unbelievable" by former teammate Goncalo Santos in the past. While he didn't always shine last season, he still averaged 1.9 tackles per game in the league, highlighting his defensive skills, and he enjoyed an 82.3% pass completion in a team that struggled at times and didn't necessarily see a huge amount of the ball.

At 24, the midfielder is also still a fairly young player who may only go on to improve in the coming years, so there is no reason why he can't become the new star at Molineux in the middle of the park, now that both Neves and Moutinho have moved on.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see a bid come in for Nunes from another club, given his quality, but as mentioned, Wolves find themselves in an extremely strong bargaining position when it comes to his future, and they would surely only consider accepting an offer if it was a big offer.

Retaining Nunes could be seen as a major positive as the new Premier League campaign edges closer all the time, and he may go up a gear in 2023/24, especially after enjoying a full pre-season working alongside Julen Lopetegui.

Tom Harrison, the chief executive of the ECB, has given the clearest indication yet that Ben Stokes could be back in England’s Ashes squad sooner rather than later

Andrew Miller07-Nov-2017Tom Harrison, the chief executive of the ECB, has given the clearest indication yet that Ben Stokes could be back in England’s plans sooner rather than later, after admitting that the board was keen to “rehabilitate reputations on the field” in the wake of Stokes’ arrest in Bristol in September.With just over a fortnight to go until the first Test at Brisbane on November 23, Harrison conceded that the ECB had been forced into a “holding pattern” as it awaits news as to whether Stokes will be charged by Avon and Somerset Police for his alleged actions outside Mbargo nightclub on September 25.And though a board spokesman sought to downplay rumours, emanating from the Australian media, that a police update could come as soon as Wednesday, it seems increasingly clear that England are refusing to discount a recall for their star allrounder, who was made unavailable for selection after appearing to be caught on camera throwing punches at two men in a street brawl.”What happened was wrong, there’s no question about that,” said Harrison, speaking at the Deltatre Sport Industry Breakfast Club in London. “You don’t want to see your sport in that position and there are consequences of that. We’re in a holding pattern at the minute.”There’s a process with the police and then a disciplinary process. As you’ll appreciate, these things take time and that’s the pattern we’re in at the moment.”The question of Stokes’ availability has been made ever more pressing for England’s tour party following confirmation that his designated replacement, Steven Finn, has been ruled out of the rest of the tour after sustaining a knee injury.Finn suffered a tear to his left knee cartilage while batting on the first day of middle practice, and was unable to recover despite an injection. England have called up Tom Curran as a replacement but, along with the impending arrival of the England Lions squad to shadow the senior squad, there is still a need for clarity as they formulate their Ashes plans.With an internal ECB disciplinary process underway, but taking its lead from the police investigation, further reports suggest that – should Stokes escape police charges – he could be facing a two-Test suspension, which would make him available for the third Test at Perth, starting on December 14. However, Harrison refused to be drawn on any timeframes.”It’s complicated,” Harrison said. “We can’t go into any kind of detail about police matters, but there are serious issues that the game has to face and we have to get it right.”We have to get that balance between censure and support absolutely right. I think cricket’s response to this will show the value of the game in the best light.”Having been through a difficult moment, I think we’ll see the very best of cricket come out. We are blessed with a group of outstanding characters in the men and women’s game. They are great ambassadors for the game and this is very much an isolated incident and an aberration.”I think we will quickly recover to a place where the game is seen as doing its best to rehabilitate reputations on the field, and try to get Ben and Alex [Hales] back to a place where fans are really behind them, trying to do what they do best.”

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is now on the verge of sealing his Reds exit this summer, according to a key update regarding his future.

Is Jordan Henderson leaving Liverpool?

The 33-year-old has enjoyed 12 unforgettable years at Anfield, overcoming a tough early spell at the club to become one of the best skippers in the club's history, having taken over from Steven Gerrard upon his departure back in 2015.

Henderson has won countless trophies during his time as a Liverpool player, most memorable lifting the Champions League in 2010 and the Premier League the following year – Micah Richards has hailed him as "world-class" – and his reputation as a Reds legend is now undeniable, having been such a strong servant for so many years.

Sadly, though, it looks as though the Englishman's time as a Liverpool player is coming to an end, with strong recent reports suggesting he is on the verge of joining Saudi Arabian side At Ettifaq, who are currently managed by Reds icon Gerrard.

While Henderson is currently in Germany with the rest of the squad on pre-season duty, a new claim suggests that he will be waving goodbye to his teammates very soon.

What's the latest on Jordan Henderson's Liverpool future?

According to Football Insider early on Monday morning, Henderson has been in further negotiations with Al Ettifaq over a move to the club in recent hours, with a medical now edging closer:

"Liverpool expect to follow the sale of Fabinho this week with that of skipper Jordan Henderson after negotiations progressed in the last 24 hours, sources have told Football Insider. The Anfield skipper, 33, has agreed a two-year contract with Al Ettifaq worth a staggering £700,000-a-week, while Fabinho has been given the green light by the club to finalise the terms of a £40million move to Al-Ittihad.

"The Saudi club are confident a medical and the formalities of the move will now be completed soon, putting an end to the England international’s glittering 12-year Anfield career."

This is such a say way for Henderson's Liverpool career to end, with the captain still seemingly considered a key squad player heading into the 2023/24 season. He still has plenty to offer, even if his best days are behind him, and his leadership on and off the pitch will be greatly missed, especially as former vice-captain James Milner also departed for Brighton earlier in the summer.

With Fabinho also expected to move on, too, this really is a summer of enormous change in Liverpool's midfield, with Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain exiting earlier in the window, and both Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszali coming in from Brighton and RB Leipzig respectively.

In truth, it needed to happen to some degree, considering how ageing and disjointed the Reds looked in the middle of the park last season, but Jurgen Klopp has a massive job on his hands ensuring that new faces fit in quickly, and that further signings come in to fill the imminent void left by Henderson and Fabinho, avoiding a season of transition in the process.

Mithali Raj and Veda Krishnamurthy powered India to 265 and their bowlers put in a clinical performance to take India into the semi-final

The Report by Varun Shetty15-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Mithali Raj and Veda Krishnamurthy’s 108-run stand made the difference for India•Getty/ICCSuzie Bates’ decision to bowl first in a virtual quarter-final seemed to work out perfectly for the first hour. But Mithali Raj’s sixth ODI hundred – a decidedly positive innings, formed on the foundation of two century partnerships, with Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy – lifted India to 265. It was a total that became increasingly daunting with every passing over of New Zealand’s chase.They found themselves three-down in the 11th over and after a brief, ineffective resistance from Amy Satterthwaite and Sophie Devine, they unraveled quickly to lose by 186 runs. Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, brought in to replace Ekta Bisht after warming the bench for six games, finished with a career-best 5 for 15.Raj admitted that she too would’ve bowled if the toss had gone her way. But when she came out to bat, though, it didn’t appear like the conditions played on her mind despite India losing Punam Raut and Smriti Mandhana early. The wickets were more to do with New Zealand’s discipline than prodigious movement either in the air or off the pitch. In fact, the first signs of swing came when Suzie Bates came on in the 11th over. And even those gentle awayswingers didn’t cause Raj any trouble.She creamed drives all day long, to the covers ring for a while, but eventually through them. Raj’s conscious effort to keep her strike rate in the vicinity of 80 shone through. Her fifty against Australia on Wednesday – 69 off 114 – was called out for lack of intent, and it was clear she wanted to put it to rest. So, she did. This didn’t necessarily mean India were any quicker. In fact, the run-rate hadn’t even crept past four-per-over at the end of the 30th.Raj was the aggressor, but at the other end was the promoted Harmanpreet whose longest innings of the tournament up until Saturday was a 23-ball knock against Pakistan. When she middled them, they sounded sweet, but she struggled to find the gaps. And so, once again, it looked like India were falling to the old trap of relying too much on boundaries. And the feeling was amplified when they lost two wickets in the first two overs of the batting Powerplay. Harmanpreet, who battled through injured left hand to make a half-century, chipped one back to Kasperek, Deepti Sharma fell to a stunning Rachel Priest catch, and 153 for 2 turned to 154 for 4 in the space of nine balls.India set themselves up for 250, but losing quick wickets left them with the possibility of finishing around 230 again. Raj dropped anchor and Veda Krishnamurthy looked awkward, poking and prodded to 11 off 16, before two dominant hits off Amelia Kerr in the 43rd over injected momentum. Satterthwaite dropped her on 32 at the start of the 46th, Lea Tahuhu’s chest-high full toss offered her a free-hit soon after, and by the end of the over, she had motored to 46. The first ball of the next over was drilled flat over long-on and New Zealand were now visibly anxious. Fielders ran in from the boundary and let balls bounce over them and different varieties of length balls were served in the buffet.Raj hit one boundary after the 39th over, and it came in the last over. By then, she had trotted through to her sixth ODI century. Both her and Krishnamurthy fell in that last over, but India had put up 265. Both their innings were the deflating kind – Krishnamurthy’s an ungrateful butchering, Raj’s a controlled suffocation.And Krishnamurthy was there again, during New Zealand’s chase. Bates, looking to flick Shikha Pandey’s first delivery, found the leading edge to first slip. New Zealand couldn’t find a way back – Priest hit one back to Jhulan Goswami in the next over, but the old cricketing cliche of “chasing pressure” was upon New Zealand before they could get their eye in. The ball was swinging now. And drifting, and dipping, and turning. Satterthwaite hung in, like her role demands, but No. 4 Katey Martin looked out of place all along; she’d seen one too many dot balls, and was promptly down the pitch to hit one to Kaur at midwicket.New Zealand’s hopes rested on Satterthwaite and Devine; they seemed to know this as they decided caution would be the best way forward. Raj, sensing this, unleashed her spinners on the pair. India rattled through 17 overs in an hour. The score was 51, the required rate 6.51. Gayakwad swooped in on Satterthwaite’s vulnerability and got one to spin away from her after she had stepped down. That was the start of New Zealand’s crash.The nail found the coffin in the 20th over. Gayakwad switched to over the wicket, tied Devine down to three dot balls, then pushed one wide. It was meant to turn away from the big slash through the off side, and that’s exactly what Devine did. It was too far away. She sliced it, teasingly behind Deepti at extra cover. It was India’s day, and this wasn’t getting away from the 19-year-old. She got under it, reached for it with a dive and held on. New Zealand had nothing further to offer against Gayakwad.

India captain Virat Kohli described Yuvraj Singh’s 32-ball 53 as a game-changing innings in what eventually became a comfortable 124-run win over Pakistan at the 2017 Champions Trophy

Nagraj Gollapudi at Edgbaston 04-Jun-2017

Yuvraj Singh’s “game-changing” innings is the reason India were able to numb Pakistan with a “clinical” performance. That was the conclusion arrived at by India captain Virat Kohli, who said Yuvraj transformed the match and his team-mates’ mindsets completely with his presence and his skills in a 124-run win over Pakistan in their 2017 Champions Trophy showdown on Sunday.Yuvraj’s 53 off 32 balls was full of eye-catching strokeplay and helped India break free from a sluggish phase towards the back end of their innings. After a stable but steady start provided by the opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, India failed to press the accelerator, partly because of intermittent disruptions caused by the frequent rain at Edgbaston.Yuvraj, however, launched himself as soon as he arrived at the crease – an approach that lifted Kohli’s confidence.”The way Yuvi batted, it was the game-changing innings, to be honest,” Kohli said after the victory. “That gave all of us the confidence to start striking the ball well.”Despite playing an ODI in England for the first time since 2007, Yuvraj showed no signs of struggle. He had missed both the warm-up matches as he was recovering from a bout of viral fever which had laid him low as soon as he arrived from India. Kohli has been a firm backer of Yuvraj, who, he believes has the game suited for big occasions like Sunday.”The way he batted was the way only he can strike the ball,” Kohli said. “Hitting low full-tosses for fours and sixes, and even digging out yorkers for fours, was outstanding.”When Yuvraj joined Kohli in the 37th over, the Indian captain was on 29 off 37 balls having just been involved in the run-out of Rohit Sharma and struggling to find a rhythm. He had started off neatly, but then got stuck – partly as a consequence of a rain delay that stopped play in the 34th over – something not often seen with Kohli, even during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s rough campaign in IPL 2017. Kohli admitted that he was never fluent until he reached the half-century mark and that the rain breaks muddled his thought process.”I think till 40, I was easing into the game, taking my ones and twos like I always do,” Kohli said. “I could not go for the big ones because it was tricky. We went off about four times. And we came back in, and so as a player who likes to play the long innings till the end and usually plays like that for the team, it becomes very difficult to find momentum every time you come back and all you got to do is play yourself in again.”However, Yuvraj, who struck 150 against England on January 19 in the last ODI series India played, imposed himself on Pakistan quickly.”When Yuvi came in, we didn’t go back out again,” Kohli said. “So, he started striking from ball one and, as I said, that took pressure off me, and maybe I should have given him strike.”That really deflated the opposition and that gave me a bit of time to settle in from the other end. When he got out, I took over. But I think his innings was a difference in the game.”Kohli said that Yuvraj’s success always rubs off positively on the rest of the team.”If he plays like that you know the team is always in a good space because you can really rely on him to come in and just play a match-changing innings, more often than not,” Kohli said. “And he will end up doing it three out of five times. That’s why we back him at that spot.”Yuvraj departed 10 deliveries before India’s innings closed. Kohli and Hardik Pandya then stroked 34 runs off the remaining 10 balls to take India to a formidable total. Kohli said that by then he had found his mojo – he scored 36 runs off the last 11 balls of his innings – and Pandya’s big hitting came in handy towards the end.”I decided to stay still and just back the strokes that I have, and a few connected, and that’s what happens in this sport,” Kohli said. “Momentum comes your way, it goes away, but you’ve got to stay patient. And when it comes back, you’ve got to capitalise on it. So I believe in myself, I can get 30 of 10 balls as well in the end. And it was just showing a bit more composure.”

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has made it 'very clear' to Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount that he is a 'priority target' at Old Trafford this summer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

According to reports, United have already had two initial bids for the England international turned down by the Londoners.

However, another bid is expected to land shortly with the Red Devils are still considered as being the side that are in pole position to sign the £80k-a-week ace.

Nevertheless, Simon Jones, who is a journalist for the Daily Mail, has delivered another update in his Transfer Confidential that may worry Manchester United fans, revealing that their pursuit of Mount has now put them in a position where Ten Hag might need to choose between signing a high-profile striker or goalkeeper this summer, as their budget won't allow them to strengthen both positions.

Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane was also a target for the Red Devils previously; however, any move to bring in the 29-year-old now looks to be off the table.

Manchester United star Luke Shaw spoke about Mount when asked if they had been in contact in an interview cited by METRO while on international duty, stating:

"Yeah, obviously he’s not here [Mount was injured]. I think it’s all just a bit of banter really, obviously we have a joke and a laugh about it. I am not too sure what goes on behind the scenes; it’s to do with the club really.

"But of course when we’re here and together we have a joke about it but like I said I don’t know too much what’s going on."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, renowned journalist Romano has signalled that Manchester United have communicated their vision to Mount at Old Trafford.

Romano stated: "They believe that this is kind of a strategy game, so let's see if Chelsea will change their position on the price in the next few weeks.

"Manchester United have sent very clear messages to the player in recent days, telling him they want him and that he is considered a priority target."

How did Mason Mount fare at Chelsea in 2022/23?

Mount endured an inconsistent campaign for Chelsea, in all honesty, though he still showed flashes of quality in a collectively underwhelming time of things at Stamford Bridge.

As per Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old made 35 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea, registering three goals and six assists in the process.

WhoScored detail that Mount had no problem trying to force the issue for Chelsea and showed bravery when on the ball, completing 1.3 key passes on average per match in the Premier League.

According to FBRef, Mount was a handy presence in the engine room with regard to chance provision and successfully mastered 83 shot-creating actions over the course of the term.

Being handed a fresh opportunity somewhere else to show his capabilities may be the best option for the Portsmouth-born ace's career moving forward and Ten Hag could potentially take him to the next level at Old Trafford.

Manchester United remain interested in signing AS Monaco defender Axel Disasi this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag appear to be after a new defender this summer, with Harry Maguire’s future up in the air. The England international is attracting interest from Aston Villa, Newcastle and Tottenham, and should he depart, United would be left with just three senior centre-back options.

Napoli’s Kim min-jae appeared to be the top target at Old Trafford, and a deal looked like it was gathering real pace, however, it now seems as if the South Korea will make the move to Bayern Munich.

Should that be the case, a swoop for Disasi could be on the cards, according to Romano. The transfer expert took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to share a Red Devils transfer update. He stated that Man United remain interested in the Monaco defender, while Nice’s Jean Clair Todibo is another option.

“Axel Disasi remains concrete name in the list at Manchester United in case Kim Min-jae will end up joining Bayern as expected [next week will be crucial for Kim deal].

“Man Utd also sent their scouts to follow Jean Clair Todibo multiple times — no decision made yet.”

Who is Axel Disasi?

Disasi is primarily a centre-back but can also turn out as a right-back so would bring plenty of versatility to Ten Hag’s side, should a transfer materialise.

The 25-year-old appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €25m Transfermarkt valuation and has been on the books with Monaco since 2020.

During that time, the 6ft 2 France international has made 129 appearances for the Ligue 1 side – 49 of which came during the 2022/23 campaign.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig described Disasi back in 2020 as a “complete” and “dominant” centre-back, comparing him to Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk. Kulig labelled his pace, tackling, heading, athleticism, tenacity, timing as his main strengths, saying he “would be an amazing signing for any top Premier League club”.

As per WhoScored, Disasi averaged a match rating of 6.83/10 last season, a better score than Man United’s Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Maguire, and on the ball, he looks comfortable, ranking in the 96th percentile for progressive carries and passes into the final third, as per FBref.

Therefore, he could be a shrewd alternative target to someone like Kim, and by the looks of it, an Old Trafford transfer could be one to watch over the coming months.