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Newcastle United have achieved their Champions League dream this season and will be looking to add serious quality to their squad over the summer.

One man who has been linked with Eddie Howe's side is Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard and the Frenchman could be an incredible addition by the Toon ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Could Newcastle sign Benjamin Pavard?

According to 90min, Newcastle, Arsenal and Manchester United are all interested in signing the World Cup winner in the upcoming transfer window having scouted him during the recent 3-1 loss against RB Leipzig at the Allianz Arena.

Previous reports have claimed that the former Stuttgart man could be available for as little as €30m (£27m) as his contract with Thomas Tuchel's side is currently set to expire in the summer of 2024, so Bayern could look to cash in this summer.

The Frenchman possesses a huge amount of experience at the top level with Bayern and France, having won three league titles, the Champions League and the World Cup in his career thus far, which suggests that he would be a superb option for Howe to have ahead of the Toon's return to Europe's elite club competition.

Would Pavard be a good signing this summer?

The versatile defender has enjoyed a fine season despite Bayern potentially missing out on the Bundesliga title for the first time since 2012, with four goals and one assist to his name in 29 appearances, which has helped him earn a superb 7.20 average rating from WhoScored.

For context, only Kieran Trippier, Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes have earned better average ratings in Newcastle's squad this campaign, so he could certainly add some quality at St James' Park, although he may struggle to oust Trippier from the starting right-back spot.

Tuchel was full of praise for his right-back earlier in the campaign when a 4-2 win against Borussia Dortmund put Die Roten back in the driving seat for the Meisterschale.

He said: "He's an underrated player. He can adapt to the highest level and defends rigorously. He is a top team player, he immediately had my confidence and proved to me that I had been right."

His defensive abilities are certainly backed up by his stats from the Bundesliga this season, where he has averaged an impressive 2.3 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game, which would rank him second and joint-first in Newcastle's squad.

Squad depth will be vital for the Toon next season if they are to continue their upwards trajectory and while their defence might not be a priority given the performances of Trippier and Sven Botman for example, Pavard represents a player of huge quality and experience, someone who could be vital as they embark on a rare Champions League campaign.

Therefore, Howe should definitely be looking at bringing the France international to St James' Park this summer, as he could be a great player to call upon on major European nights.

This will be a new experience for much of Newcastle's current squad but Pavard not only has Champions League experience, but World Cup experience too, notably winning the tournament back in 2018.

Warwickshire hope to play a Championship game under floodlights before the end of the season as they continue to explore the possibilities of staging England’s first day-night Test in 2017

George Dobell25-Aug-2016Warwickshire hope to play a Championship game under floodlights before the end of the season as they continue to explore the possibilities of staging England’s first day-night Test in 2017.The club hailed their first trial game, a second XI match against Worcestershire held this week, as a success, though there were some concerns about the deterioration of the pink balls utilised. Both sides scored 300 in their first innings, with the three-day game eventually ending in a draw.Warwickshire accept that time is running out if they are to have any hope of staging the Test between England and West Indies at the ground next August under lights. As a result, they would like to extend the trials as soon as possible and have identified the Championship match against Lancashire (scheduled to start on September 20) as a possibility. Both the ECB and Lancashire would have to agree to the move.”There was no problem with visibility,” Ian Blackwell, the former England allrounder who is now an umpire, told ESPNcricinfo. “On a basic level, it was safe and there were no obvious issues for the batsmen, the fielders or us as umpires. The only issue was the wear of the balls.”Two types of ball were used in the game. While both aged more in the way you might expect a white ball to deteriorate, the general view was the Dukes ball has fared slightly better than the Kookaburra. Players also reported that visibility of the Dukes ball, which has a more prominent, dark seam, was better than the Kookaburra’s relatively light, slight seam.Of particular concern was the scuffing of the ball. Most involved agreed that, due to the way the ball aged, there was no obvious way to shine the ball, making it impossible to gain either conventional or reverse swing. The pronounced seam on the Dukes ball did, at least, enable bowlers to gain some movement throughout and spinners might even find gripping it a little easier.One option that has been mooted, though not especially forcibly, it the possibility of changing the pink balls earlier than the 80-over mark used for red balls. Russell Warren, the other umpire in the game, pointed out that, in List A cricket, the white ball used to be changed at 35 overs and that now a new ball isused from each end.”We couldn’t find a way to buff the ball,” William Porterfield, the Ireland batsman who captained Warwickshire’s 2nd XI in the game, said. “It went soft pretty early. After about 30 overs it looked like a 70-over old red ball.”The visibility was fine. If people think staging a Test under lights will bring in another 10,000 people, I’d say ‘go for it’. It’s a spectator sport and we have to be mindful of that.”But you’d want to see what happened at a higher level, against quicker, more skilful bowlers, before making that decision. It was a slightly different game due to the lack of shine, but from a player’s perspective it was fine.”A delegation from the ECB including Kevin Shine, Andy Flower, David Parsons and Alan Fordham attended the game at various times, as did John Stephenson from the MCC, which has been at the forefront of tests into the viability of staging Test cricket under lights. They will now reflect on all the relevant feedback from the match and consider the best way to progress.Among the issues to consider might be the start times. This game finished at around 9.30pm each evening, meaning that there was only around 30 minutes of cricket played in true darkness. Dew was not a factor, though it had been an unusually warm week.It may also be that, on a more grassy pitch (this was the pitch used for the Test against Pakistan and the Royal London quarter-final match between Warwickshire and Essex) the balls may have fared a little better. The pitch for the first floodlit Test, the Adelaide game between Australia and New Zealand in November 2015, was a little more grassy than usual and was finished, in a three-wicket victory to Australia, within three days.If plans to stage the Test in 2017 do not come to fruition – and Warwickshire chief executive Neil Snowball rates them 50-50 at best – the opportunity may not come again until 2020. The TV audience in India, England’s visitors in high summer of 2018, will not be helped by later start times necessary for floodlit games, while it may well be considered that there is no need to stage an Ashes Test in 2019 under lights with full houses all but guaranteed. For a Test against West Indies, however, the novelty value of floodlights might add to ticket sales.

Scott Borthwick is to leave Durham after rejecting the offer of a new contract and taking up a three-year deal with Surrey

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2016Scott Borthwick is to leave Durham after rejecting the offer of a new contract and taking up a three-year deal with Surrey.Borthwick has been one of the country’s most prolific run-scorers over recent seasons and was tipped to win an England recall during the summer, before a run of poor form saw Gary Ballance picked instead. He was out of contract at Durham and will follow his team-mate Mark Stoneman in moving south to London.A Durham statement said: “Scott Borthwick has rejected Durham County Cricket Club’s three-year contract extension and will leave the club at the end of the 2016 season.”The club made a strong offer to keep his services but the 26-year-old has decided to accept an offer elsewhere and we respect his decision. Scott has been a good servant of the club and we would like to take this opportunity to wish him well for the future.”A few hours later, Surrey confirmed the move: “The club is pleased to announce that Scott Borthwick has agreed terms with Surrey CCC on a three-year contract.”Borthwick has won four caps across the three formats, primarily as a legspinner, and last played for England in the Sydney Test during the 2013-14 Ashes. He moved up to bat at No. 3 for Durham in 2013 and passed 1000 runs three seasons running; he is once again closing in on the mark this year.Durham, who are not yet certain of their Division One safety, have faced difficulty holding on to players due to the financial situation at the club. Stoneman agreed a deal to join Surrey for 2017 during mid-season but Keaton Jennings, Paul Collingwood and Ben Stokes – who has an ECB central contract – have signed extensions.

Tottenham Hotspur managerial target Ange Postecoglou "may be tempted" to accept the job in the Premier League, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

What's the latest news on Ange Postecoglou to Spurs?

The Greek-Australian has reportedly “always” been one of the main candidates on Daniel Levy’s shortlist to replace interim coach Ryan Mason heading into the new season and his future north of the border is uncertain as a result of him being on a 12-month rolling contract, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the campaign due to him not yet signing an extension.

Football Insider claim that Celtic are preparing to table the 57-year-old a record-breaking offer that would make him the club’s best ever paid manager in their history to try and fend off interest from N17, but that doesn’t seem to have stopped the chairman from wanting to take a bite at the cherry.

The Daily Record state that the Lilywhites are readying an official approach for the Parkhead boss, with Levy holding a “concrete” interest in his target, and he’s now been backed to successfully secure his services in the weeks ahead.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Crook claimed that Postecoglou could listen to any offers that come his way from Tottenham as a result of already achieving pretty much everything possible at Celtic. He said:

“Yeah, I’ve been down their list, and I think Postecoglou may be tempted. He would be giving up Champions League football at Celtic, but he might just feel he’s done all he can.”

Is Postecoglou the right candidate for Spurs?

Since Celtic appointed Postecoglou back in 2021, he’s completely transformed the squad and has even been dubbed “mental” for his front-foot approach by compatriot Jackson Irvine, so should Tottenham be able to secure his services in the dugout, it would be a massive coup for Levy and the rest of the hierarchy.

The Hoops coach, whose preferred formation is a 4-3-3 attacking, has so far taken charge of 112 games with the green and whites, winning 82, drawing 12 and losing just 18 of those fixtures whilst averaging 2.30 points per match, via Transfermarkt.

The Champions League manager has seen this form turn into silverware having secured four titles in Glasgow which are part of the 17 trophies that he’s collected at both club and international level since the beginning of his career on the sidelines.

Finally, Postecoglou shares the same agent, CAA Base Ltd, as Son Heung-Min, Pedro Porro and Richarlison, so this existing connection his representative has to the club could potentially give them a small advantage when it comes to the two parties trying to reach an agreement.

Nic Maddinson produced a mature and patient innings to steer New South Wales into the Matador Cup final on an evening when history was made by the use of cricket’s first concussion substitute

Brydon Coverdale21-Oct-2016
ScorecardDaniel Hughes retired hurt after being struck on the helmet by a bouncer•Getty ImagesNic Maddinson produced a mature and patient innings to steer New South Wales into the Matador Cup final on an evening when history was made by the use of cricket’s first concussion substitute. Set 243 for victory against Victoria, the Blues were only five runs from their target when heavy rain forced play to be called off, their winning margin thus ending up as 31 runs via Duckworth-Lewis.The chase had started well for New South Wales, whose openers Daniel Hughes and Ed Cowan put on 38 before Hughes was struck on the helmet when he tried to pull a bouncer from Peter Siddle. Hughes was accompanied from the field by Dr John Orchard and after undergoing concussion tests, he was ruled out of the match and New South Wales activated their concussion substitute.Under Cricket Australia’s playing conditions this summer, a concussion substitute is available in men’s and women’s domestic one-day and T20 games, but not in Sheffield Shield games after the ICC rejected the idea for first-class cricket. Once a concussed player has been ruled out the team can make a “like-for-like” replacement, and the substitute can bat, bowl and field as if he started in the XI.New South Wales named Nick Larkin as the mid-match replacement for Hughes, and Larkin was just walking to the crease to begin what would have been a historic innings when the rain arrived at Drummoyne Oval and play was called off. The Blues had just lost 3 for 2 in ten deliveries to give Victoria the faintest sliver of hope, but the weather had the final say.Cowan made 64 from 87 deliveries before he was caught behind off the gloves trying to hook Scott Boland, but Moises Henriques then joined Maddinson for a 46-run stand. Henriques was bowled by Jon Holland for 27 and Kurtis Patterson added 28 before he chopped on off the bowling of Siddle to begin the late mini-collapse.But Maddinson and his batting colleagues had done enough to book a place in Sunday’s final with Queensland. Maddinson played a restrained innings by his standards, striking just four fours and two sixes on his way to 86 from 98 deliveries, turning the strike over and ensuring New South Wales did not falter in their chase.Maddinson eventually fell, bowled by Glenn Maxwell as the rain started, and four balls later Maxwell trapped Ryan Carters lbw for a duck, which would have brought Larkin to the crease. But New South Wales were saved from having to find the final five runs – and from any potential further wobbles – by the rain.Earlier, Henriques had won the toss and sent Victoria in to bat, and Pat Cummins began well by bowling Cameron White for 4. But Aaron Finch was in ominous form, striking seven fours and two sixes on his way to 51 from 36 deliveries when Doug Bollinger made the key breakthrough, bowling Finch and preventing a possible blowout.Victoria had contributions from Daniel Christian (38), Maxwell (38) and Matthew Wade (41), but did not quite manage to bat out their overs as they were dismissed for 242 in the 50th over. Cummins finished with 3 for 46, while Bollinger and Trent Copeland each claimed two wickets, but the Man of the Match was Josh Hazlewood for his miserly 10-over spell of 2 for 35.The Victorians were without fast bowler John Hastings, who has been sidelined for four to six weeks after breaking his left index finger during catching practice on Thursday.

Chelsea are 'in the race' to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte as Mauricio Pochettino aims to bolster his midfield ranks, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Manuel Ugarte?

According to Football Insider, Chelsea manager Pochettino is said to have had a phone conversation with Ugarte in a bid to try and convince the midfielder to pitch up at Stamford Bridge this summer.

The Blues are trying to construct a structured deal that will match his release clause of £52 million and the 22-year-old is reportedly keen to test himself in the Premier League.

As per Record via The Daily Mail, Paris Saint-Germain also want to sign Ugarte and have offered a significantly larger financial package to the Uruguay international as they endeavour to entice the midfielder to Le Parc des Princes.

PSG are believed to be offering Ugarte £2.5 million (€3 million) to join the Ligue 1 giants. The outlet also claims that in Chelsea's bid, youngster David Datro Fofana moving to Sporting Lisbon on loan has also been floated by Blues' chiefs.

It has now been claimed that Chelsea are closing in on signing him, but it remains to be seen as to whether this is correct.

Chelsea are set for something of a midfield revamp in the off-season and Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic all look to be in negotiations regarding potential moves away from SW6.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that it will be left up to Ugarte over whether he wants to join Chelsea or PSG in the summer.

Jacobs told FFC: "It's quite a fluid situation because it just depends on what the player ultimately wants, assuming both clubs are able to agree a package and a structure with Sporting. There are still some legs on this story, but it is fair to say that both PSG and Chelsea at the time of recording are in the race for Ugarte."

Would Manuel Ugarte be a good addition to Chelsea's midfield?

Ugarte would add some youthful energy and bite to Chelsea's engine room and would be a major asset under Pochettino if the Argentinian is able to convince him to join the Blues.

Across 2022/23, Ugarte has made 47 appearances in all competitions for Sporting Lisbon, registering one assist, as per Transfermarkt.

The 22-year-old is also extremely reliable in possession and has managed to record a pass success rate of 91.8% in the Primeira Liga this season, according to WhoScored.

FBRef also detail that Ugarte ranks well in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of tackling, managing to make an average of 4.63 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the first percentile for this metric.

Chelsea are undergoing something of a transition period at Stamford Bridge and Ugarte may be the ideal candidate to add some stability in midfield as Pochettino looks to build ahead for 2023/24.

Liverpool could yet move for West Ham United phenom Declan Rice this summer, according to transfer specialist Rudy Galetti.

What's the latest on Declan Rice to Liverpool?

Rice is widely expected to leave the Hammers this summer after clinching the Europa Conference League, but his club are demanding £120m for his services despite just one year left on his current contract – though there is an option to extend the deal for a further term

Arsenal are frontrunners for his signature, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that the Gunners are entering the "crucial stage" of their pursuit and will lodge a formal offer soon.

However, according to Galetti – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – anything could still happen and Liverpool may yet look to instigate a move to sign the midfielder, having been linked with him over the past several months.

Galetti said: “A mini revolution is expected in the Liverpool midfield after the arrival of Mac Allister from Brighton. There will certainly be other signings, Declan Rice is for sure Klopp’s forbidden dream.

"The West Ham player will not renew his contract expiring in June 2024, and he’s ready to leave this summer after winning the Conference League. Arsenal are leading the race for him and he’s their top target, but anything could happen.”

How would Declan Rice perform at Liverpool?

It's no surprise that one of the most fruitful periods in West Ham's modern history has coincided with Rice's rise to the fore, the England international having now made 245 appearances for his solitary professional outfit, scoring 15 goals, providing 13 assists and gleaning the club's first piece of major silverware since 1980 with what's set to be his final performance.

And despite the Irons' failure to reach the same heights in the Premier League this term, finishing 14th after qualifying for Europe through the division on successive occasions under David Moyes' tutelage, Rice has remained omnipresent in the centre as the "midfield general" – as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

This is illustrated by his average league rating of 7.19 this term, via Sofascore, with his six direct goal contributions from 36 starts complemented by an 88% pass completion rate, and an average of 2.1 tackles. 1.7 interceptions and 1.5 clearances per game.

Liverpool desperately need an enforcing midfielder of this mould to catalyse the club's fortunes and return Jurgen Klopp's outfit to the illustrious success that has become a staple of his time on Merseyside, disintegrated like smouldering ashes this term after a dismal year that exposed the frailties in both defence and the verve of the centre.

And while Alexis Mac Allister has been signed from Brighton & Hove Albion for £35m in the early phases of the summer, he alone cannot rekindle the Anfield fire and few could prove to be more effective than Rice, who has been dubbed a "monster" by ESPN's David Cartlidge.

The partnership that Rice may forge with the Argentine could result in a deadly concoction to lay waste to rival defences, with Mac Allister scoring 12 goals and supplying three assists from 40 appearances for the Seagulls this term.

With West Ham's destroyer providing the perfect shield to protect the defence – ranking among the top 5% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of interceptions per 90 (FBref) – Mac Allister could be the "magician", as Danny Welbeck heralded him, that Liverpool need to conjure up some creativity and robustness from the midfield.

Whether Liverpool succeed in their pursuit, bypassing Arsenal's interest and paying a lucrative fee, remains to be seen, but undoubtedly, he would be the nucleus to form one of the most intense and energetic midfields in European football.

Sri Lanka’s depth will make them hard to beat, but Graeme Cremer’s men have seen all possible results thus far in the tri-series, and an outright win in the final would be the perfect way to cap it off

The Preview by Liam Brickhill26-Nov-2016Match factsSunday, 27 November
Start time 0930 local (0730 GMT)Upul Tharanga was a part of the team that won the tri-series final against Zimbabwe in 2010, and he will hope history can repeat itself•AFPBig pictureAnd so to the tri-series final, where a Sri Lanka squad brimming with promise, but light on experience, will meet a Zimbabwe side who have managed to rise to their feet after a rickety start to the series. Zimbabwe are still the underdogs, but the gulf is not so big that they cannot leap across it if they play to potential. They have the advantage in international experience, and this is their home turf.Sri Lanka crumbled against West Indies’ pace and bounce in Harare, but they will remember their domination of the hosts in the series opener. Their batting clicked in dramatic fashion against West Indies on Wednesday, before their bowlers weathered Evin Lewis’ bold 148 to secure a one-run win. Despite their relative lack of experience, Sri Lanka appear to have depth in all areas, and they will be very difficult to beat.Six years ago, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe met in a tri-series final at the Harare Sports Club. A handful of veterans from that series are part of the current squads: Hamilton Masakadza, Elton Chigumbura and Graeme Cremer for Zimbabwe, and Upul Tharanga and Nuwan Kulasekara for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka had entered that tournament without four of their senior-most players (and titans all of them: Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya) but that didn’t stop them from lifting the title with a nine-wicket thumping of Zimbabwe in the final. As he leads a side similarly shorn of its seniors, Upul Tharanga will be hoping that history repeats itself.Zimbabwe have seen almost all possible results in this tri-series – losing their first match, fighting to a tie in their second, having their third rained off, and then securing a narrow five-run Duckworth-Lewis win. An outright win in the final would complete the flush, and give all of Zimbabwe something to smile about.Form guideZimbabwe WTLLL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WLWLLIn the spotlightZimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer has not had the best series with either bat or ball – he has only taken one wicket, and scored 40 runs from three innings. Yet, tactically, Cremer has excelled of late, marshalling Zimbabwe’s last-gasp tie against West Indies, and then deciding, along with his coach, to open the bowling with Tendai Chisoro and Sikandar Raza on Friday. That move paid off, and with Cremer then bringing himself and Sean Williams on, Zimbabwe were able to tie West Indies down and sprint through their overs, ultimately helping secure their win. The final provides another opportunity to expand his experience and aptitude as a captain.Upul Tharanga, Sri Lanka’s captain, is facing different sorts of pressures to his opposite number. For starters, his job is only temporary and he is only keeping the seat warm until Angelo Mathews returns. With one of Sri Lanka’s matches rained off, and another won by eight wickets, he has only batted twice. With a big tour to South Africa coming up, he will want to leave Zimbabwe with more than just one pretty cameo to show for his time here. The tri-series trophy is the first prize, and a solid innings would be his personal cherry on top of that.Team newsBarring a last-minute injury, there is no pressing reason for Zimbabwe to change an XI that has variety and plenty of experience.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Chamu Chibhabha, 2 Brian Chari, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Craig Ervine, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Sean Williams, 7 PJ Moor (wk), 8 Graeme Cremer (c), 9 Donald Tiripano, 10 Tendai Chisoro, 11 Chris Mpofu.Sri Lanka have tinkered with their line-up from match to match, though the top six has been quite settled. That’s likely to stay the same, while their allrounders provide them with medium pace and spin options to accompany the new-ball bowlers. Yet, given the conditions, Sri Lanka might want to bring in a specialist spinner on Sunday to take full advantage.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dhanjaya de Silva, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Upul Tharanga (c), 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Shehan Jayasuriya, 8 Sachith Pathirana, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Jeffrey Vandersay/Nuwan Pradeep, 11 Suranga Lakmal.Pitch and conditionsThe drizzle that was around almost all day on Friday turned into heavy rain overnight, and with several passing showers over the last week, Queens Sports Club has been soaked. That, along with the three completed matches played here over the last week, means that the track being used is likely to grip, play a little on the slow side and possibly bring spinners to the fore. The threat of bad weather will also make the toss important, with rain more likely in the afternoon.Stats and trivia Hamilton Masakadza is the only batsman to have scored more than 1,000 ODI runs at Queens Sports Club. He passed that landmark during his innings on Friday, and now has 1,029 from 31 innings. This is the fifth tri-series to be hosted in Zimbabwe, the second time they have reached a tri-series final, and the first time a final has been hosted in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe have never won a tri-series at home. Kusal Mendis has hit the most sixes in this tri-series – six. He has scored his runs at a strike rate of 126.43. Zimbabwe’s left-arm spinners have been hard to put away this series. Tendai Chisoro has bowled 16 overs at an economy rate of 4.06, while Sean Williams has bowled 17 at 4.11.Quotes”The last few weeks have been really good for us, and if we can continue that form, we can win the final. But, still, it is not going to be easy. We will have to do all the basic things quite correctly.”
“We are very confident, the guys are up for it, and we want to take the momentum from the West Indies game into the final.”

An update has emerged on Celtic and their chances of appointing a current Premier League coach to replace Ange Postecoglou…

What's the latest on Enzo Maresca to Celtic?

According to Glasgow World, Manchester City will not stand in the way if the Hoops want to approach Italian tactician Enzo Maresca in the coming weeks.

The report claims that the 43-year-old has emerged as a leading candidate to take on the job at Parkhead and this latest update suggests that the pathway is cleared for them to swoop for him with minimal pushback from the Champions League finalists.

Majority shareholder Dermot Desmond is attempting to find a replacement for Postecoglou, who left to sign for Tottenham Hotspur earlier this week, and Glasgow World states that he will not be rushed into making a decision.

Would Enzo Maresca be a good appointment for Celtic?

The 3-4-1-2 coach could be a dream appointment for the Hoops as he has been in a hugely successful environment and learned exactly what it takes to win at the highest level.

Maresca has been Pep Guardiola's assistant at The Etihad since last summer and has played a part in them winning the Premier League and the FA Cup this season, which could be joined by a Champions League medal on Saturday.

This shows that the tactician has been soaking up information and helping a legendary manager, who has won a staggering 34 trophies in his career. Whilst there is no guarantee that he will be able to utilise all of that knowledge at Celtic, it does suggest that the potential is there for him to carry some of that success over.

The Italian has also shown promise as a head coach as he won 17 of his 24 league games in charge of City's U23 team, which shows that the chief has the potential to build a team that wins regularly.

Although Maresca is yet to prove his quality as the head coach of a senior side, Guardiola has backed the 43-year-old to have a successful future in the role, saying:

"We are delighted with what Maresca has done. He’ll be an extraordinary manager in the future – like I felt it with Arteta. He's developed many young players that will help us. It will depend on how many stay and how many leave, who we sign."

Therefore, the 43-year-old could be a dream appointment for Desmond as the tinkerer is a young up-and-coming boss who has experience of winning trophies at the top level and working with youth, which could allow the academy players to thrive at Parkhead in the years to come.

His ability with younger gems could save Desmond millions in the future as the former City U23 boss could utilise his coaching skills to develop talents from the B team to come into the senior squad, which would prevent Celtic from needing to splash big fees on players to arrive in certain positions.

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2016
ScorecardPeter Handscomb scored his ninth first-class hundred•Getty ImagesPeter Handscomb looms as a possible inclusion in Australia’s squad for the third Test in Adelaide after scoring a timely century for Victoria on the first day of their Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales at the SCG. Handscomb finished the day unbeaten on 110, while opener Travis Dean batted through the whole day and went to stumps on 134, as the Bushrangers ended on 2 for 292.Dean’s patient innings – he occupied the crease for 274 deliveries – will also have caught the attention of selectors looking to overhaul Australia’s batting order following their crushing losses to South Africa in Perth and Hobart. However, Handscomb appears a more probable candidate for immediate inclusion, with Adam Voges unlikely to retain his place for the Adelaide Test.Australia captain Steven Smith and vice-captain David Warner were both in the field as Handscomb compiled his unbeaten 193-ball innings, the ninth century of his first-class career. At 25, Handscomb now has 60 first-class matches to his name, and was Man of the Match in last year’s Sheffield Shield final.His past 11 first-class innings read: 112, 61*, 4, 14, 137, 87, 24, 78, 10, 60, 110*. In that time, which stretches back to March, Handscomb has averaged 77.44. One of the other contenders for a middle-order Test position is New South Wales batsman Kurtis Patterson, who will have his opportunity later in this game.Handscomb used his feet to the spin of Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon, and struck 12 fours and one six during his unbeaten 225-run partnership with Dean. They had come together at 2 for 67 after Trent Copeland had opener Marcus Harris caught behind by Peter Nevill for 28 and Marcus Stoinis edged O’Keefe to slip for 11. Lyon, who is considered under some pressure to hold his Test place, took 0 for 88 from 27 overs.Dean’s hundred was his fourth in first-class cricket – two of those came on debut last summer, and the other was in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield final win in March. Although there are other candidates should the selectors decide to axe Joe Burns from the Test opening position – Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw particularly – Dean’s effort at the SCG was a timely reminder of his talents.