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Manchester United could hijack a European giant's summer move for an "outstanding" international champion, according to a fresh transfer update.

Man Utd transfer news

It has been a season to forget at Old Trafford, with performances and results nowhere near good enough, even though they are still in the FA Cup. Erik ten Hag finds himself under pressure to keep his job beyond this season, but it remains to be seen what decision Sir Jim Ratcliffe will make.

United's new part-owner has come in and made his presence felt, making key backroom additions and appearing on the verge of bringing in Dan Ashworth from Newcastle United as the club's new sporting director.

One player whom both the Red Devils and rivals Manchester City are believed to be targeting is Michael Olise, with the Frenchman thought to be pondering a Crystal Palace exit in the summer, as a new challenge may be needed at this stage in his career.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney is another rumoured target for United, but the England international will reportedly demand more money per week than Bruno Fernandes, while young Barcelona defender Mikayil Faye is wanted by both them and Liverpool.

Attacking reinforcements could be needed moving forward, especially with Antony and Marcus Rashford struggling for form and Anthony Martial likely to move on, and it looks as though an exciting player could be on his way to Old Trafford.

Man Utd want "outstanding" ace

According to a new update from Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Manchester United have a "serious interest" in RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo this summer.

They are looking to potentially hijack Barcelona's move for him, with the La Liga giants eyeing him up as a primary target in the coming months, and United entering the race could make things awkward.

Olmo could be an excellent option for United if they do pip Barca to his signature, having been linked with a move for him in recent weeks. He is an international champion, having won the UEFA Nations League with Spain in 2023, and at 25, he is at a good age to come in.

The Spaniard has nine goal contributions (four and five assists) in 18 German Bundesliga appearances this season, outlining his end product in the final third, and Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has called him "outstanding" in the past, also adding: "He has exceptional abilities and is very safe with the ball. When he gets put under pressure, he knows how to provoke a foul."

While not necessarily a world-renowned star attacker, Olmo has proven himself at the top level, scoring eight goals in 33 caps for Spain, and he is a versatile attacking player who is capable of thriving centrally behind the striker or on either flank.

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The Man United target has been described as a “concrete option.”

ByTom Lever Apr 20, 2024

Barca clearly have a huge pull and appear to be leading the race, so it is easy to envisage Olmo choosing them over United, but a new era could be dawning under Ratcliffe, and the Leipzig man could see it as an ideal time to move to Old Trafford.

Vivianne Miedema is enjoying her start to life at Man City, though the Manchester weather is taking some getting used to.

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Miedema joined Man City in JulyStriker spent seven years at ArsenalCity face Gunners in WSL openerManchester CityWHAT HAPPENED?

Miedema is settling into life at Manchester City after joining the club on a free transfer in the summer. The former Arsenal striker is set for a new challenge in Manchester, though she's still adjusting to the weather after moving north.

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City bolstered their already stellar attacking options by signing Miedema in the summer. The 28-year-old will be keen to make up for lost time after an ACL tear in December 2022 sidelined her for 11 months, before she underwent knee surgery earlier this year.

WHAT MIEDEMA SAID

Miedema posted a series of photos of her in City training and enjoying her new surroundings on Instagram, writing: "First 10 days off pre season done. New city, new people, enjoying playing footy and some home comfort too."

She then joked: "Manchester weather been doing its reputation proud. Love the 10 minutes of sun a day."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Miedema is the all-time leading goalscorer in the Women's Super League with 125 goals. A Miedema-Bunny Shaw partnership is bound to wreak havoc this season.

Senior pacer not worried after big defeat to Australia, but says South Africa must learn from their mistakes

Firdose Moonda22-Feb-2020Dale Steyn wants South Africa to “adapt quicker” to keep pace with the T20 game and joked that they “can’t get any worse” after their defeat to Australia in Johannesburg on Friday night.South Africa 20% of match fee

South Africa have been fined 20% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate in the first T20I against Australia. South Africa were found to be one over short after time allowances were taken into account, which led to the fine. Captain Quinton de Kock pleaded guilty to the offence and and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need of a formal hearing with match referee Andrew Pycroft.

South Africa were bowled out for their lowest T20 total and lost by their biggest margin in the format during the opening game of the three-match series, appearing to have undone much of the gains they made against England. Steyn, however, is not too worried about his team’s performances yet.”You are allowed to have a blow-out,” Steyn said. “We played some good cricket against England. It was one of the better series that I’ve played against England, even though we lost. We batted superbly and we bowled in patches really well. We don’t have to be too hard on ourselves.”This team is going to be learning. I hope our growth will be upwards. Even though we are losing, the process that Mark (Boucher) and Quinny [Quinton de Kock] have put in place is the right one.”South Africa are yet to win a series this summer under new coach Mark Boucher, and though Quinton de Kock’s white-ball captaincy started well with victories in the opening ODI and T20I against England, the team still lacks consistency. At the Wanderers, Steyn saw South Africa make many of the same mistakes they made against England, which he hopes they can rectify by the time they get to Port Elizabeth for Sunday’s second fixture.”We’ve got to start learning a little more from the mistakes we made against England. We carried it into Australia,” he said. “In the first six overs, we were a little bit too wide. We’ve got to adapt a little bit faster.”Steyn, along with Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada, was responsible in the start Australia got off to, with 70 runs coming in the Powerplay and a slew of short, wide balls despite Boucher emphasising the need to pitch the ball up. Rabada, in particular, came under scrutiny for his off-colour return from a period of extended rest.Rabada was suspended for the final Test against England in late January and was given time off the white-ball leg of the series, during which he travelled to Chicago for the NBA All Star game, but came back lacking rhythm and presence. Steyn, though, expects him to improve.”It’s lovely to have KG back with the ball. I know he went for a couple of runs but he hasn’t been around so he is probably feeling ring rust,” Steyn said. “And the younger bowlers like Lungi (Ngidi) and And (Phehlukwayo) look up to someone like him. Big time.”The same could be said of Steyn, who is the most experienced bowler in the side by some distance and has showed his own ability to innovate with clever use of slower balls. Steyn, who retired from Tests last year, admitted that being out of the international scene showed him how tough it is at the top level and, like his team-mates, he wants to get better.”Although I have played my entire career at the highest level, if you haven’t played for a while, you quickly come back and realise that it moves a lot faster than any other level. Playing in the MSL was great, I went to the Big Bash which was fantastic but this was two levels harder. I can hopefully rewind the clock a little bit and bring some of those golden years back.”

Team ask all supporters to ‘maintain good levels of hygiene’ to avoid infection and spread of illness

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2020England’s cricket team will refrain from taking selfies with fans and limit public engagements on their tour of Sri Lanka amid the global Coronavirus outbreak.The team also asked “all supporters joining the tour to maintain good levels of hygiene” as advised by the World Health Organisation Britain’s National Health Service to avoid possible infection and spreading of illness in a statement released by the ECB on Wednesday.”Following the world health agency’s advice, and in order to protect the players and, in turn, the integrity and continuation of the Sri Lanka Test tour, the team has put in place several precautions, leading to a number of normal activities being cancelled for the foreseeable future,” the statement said.”England players and staff have been asked to avoid any unnecessary public engagements, and temporarily avoid casual supporter interaction such as selfies or autographs.”Whilst we acknowledge that this will be disappointing for some supporters, we stress that this a measure to protect the ongoing wellbeing of the England Test squad and is a decision which has not been taken lightly.”England players and staff will continue to replace handshakes with fist bumps in an attempt to minimise contact.The ECB is expecting a large number of supporters to travel from the UK to Sri Lanka for the two-Test series starting in Galle on March 19 and urged them to follow public health guidelines to avoid the risk of infection and spreading the virus. These measures include washing hands with soap and water often and for at least 20 seconds, using hand sanitiser if soap and water are not available and coughing and sneezing into a tissue which should be thrown in the bin immediately before washing hands.Fans travelling to Sri Lanka from the UK have also been urged to heed the suspension of visas on arrival in Colombo, and should instead secure them on-line before departure.English county clubs Worcestershire and Surrey have cancelled their planned pre-season tours of Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively after conducting their own assessment of the risks associated with Coronavirus. However, the England team will continue to take guidance from the ECB, Sri Lankan authorities, UK Government agencies and the World Health Organisation.Meanwhile, England have named their team for their final warm-up, a four-day fixture against a Sri Lanka Cricket Board President’s XI in Colombo, from Thursday.Notably it includes Jack Leach, who was rested from England’s opening warm-up last week as he continues his recovery from the illnesses that plagued his tours of New Zealand and South Africa. With Stuart Broad and Matt Parkinson both sitting out, the XI could well prove to be the side that takes the field in next week’s first Test.England team v SLBP XI 1 Dom Sibley, 2 Zak Crawley, 3 Joe Denly, 4 Joe Root, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Ollie Pope, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Sam Curran, 9 Chris Woakes, 10 Dom Bess, 11 Jack Leach.

Tottenham fans have been sent into something of a frenzy after two potential summer transfer targets were spotted in north London over the weekend.

Additions needed for Postecoglou

Though Tottenham have defied plenty of expectations this season in the wake of losing Harry Kane over the summer, they are clearly still in need of new faces.

The Lilywhites side suffered a tough period with injuries and they look set to miss out on Champions League football, with Ange Postecoglou's side fifth in the Premier League as it stands, only good enough for the Europa League.

They trail Aston Villa by seven points, and though they have two games in hand on their rivals for fourth place, they face Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea in their final five games in a tough end to the season.

Spurs scouts spotted watching 40-goal star but prefer his £33k-p/w teammate

The Lilywhites team were spotted amidst the crowds of spectators.

ByBen Browning Apr 29, 2024

It means that they will likely have to settle for Europa League football next season after a season out of Europe, and they will need a bigger squad to be able to compete on all fronts.

Certainly, cover at left-back is essential, while a midfielder also features high on the Tottenham wishlist with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg likely to leave and Oliver Skipp having started just four games so far this season.

There is also the need for another attacker, with a central striker on their radar amid links to Brentford striker Ivan Toney in recent days, a move that would allow Heung-Min Son to return to his favoured wide position.

Tottenham's strikers this season

Richarlison

Heung-Min Son

Starts

17

29

Goals

10

16

Assists

3

9

Minutes per goal

140

155

Shots on target per 90

1.48

1.16

Now, an alternative has been spotted enjoying the hospitality of the North London club.

Teammates spotted at North London derby

That comes as Feyenoord pair Santiago Gimenez and Lutsharel Geertruida were both spotted at the Tottenham Hotspur for the derby defeat on Sunday. Spurs have been strongly linked with the Mexican striker in particular, who has found the net 21 times in 29 Eredivisie outings this season.

Despite having three years still to run on his £29k per week contract in the Netherlands, Gimenez expected to be on the move this summer.

He has come in for praise from all corners, with Feyenoord icon Mario Been dubbing him a "fantastic" player after one particularly impressive performance against Ajax.

"Gimenez truly is fantastic," Been told ESPN. "He hadn't even touched the ball before his first goal, but that was a fantastic finish. Feyenoord have immense goalscoring prowess."

Reports broke last week that Tottenham had made an approach to the Mexican's agents, and this could be seen as the next step in their attempt to win his services ahead of a host of other clubs.

It remains to be seen whether or not it is a race that they win, but it appears clear that Gimenez features highly on their list of potential summer additions ahead of the new season.

Wrexham defender Jacob Mendy returned to action on Monday as he provided an assist in a reserve team win over Stoke City.

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Mendy back in action after four monthsProvided an assist in Wrexham reserves' matchMullin back in training after undergoing surgeryWHAT HAPPENED?

Mendy, who had been sidelined for four months after surgery on his hamstring, returned to action on Tuesday in a Central League fixture as Wrexham reserves faced Stoke City's U-21 side. The Gambian defender contributed with an assist on his return as he spent more than an hour on the pitch. The Red Dragons clinched a 3-2 win courtesy of Jake Bickerstaff's hat-trick.

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Mendy suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out of action towards the end of March. He then underwent surgery over the summer and is now slowly regaining fitness to make a comeback to the Wrexham first team. Along with the Gambian, Paul Mullin is also back in training after he underwent a minor spinal surgery.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 27-year-old left-back was an integral part of Phil Parkinson's squad last season as they finished runners-up in League Two to secure back-to-back promotions. He appeared in 36 matches across all competitions scoring twice and providing five assists.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

The Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mcelhenney-owned side have made an unbeaten start to the new League One season and will be back in action on Saturday against Reading, but it remains to be seen if Mendy or Mullin will be included in Parkinson's squad.

It feels like a hefty weight has been lifted from West Ham United, with Julen Lopetegui agreeing a deal to become the club's manager from the start of next season.

Stamford Bridge sang in unison – 'cheerio, cheerio, cheerio' – as West Ham were thrashed 5-0 in the Premier League last weekend, condemning an already doomed David Moyes to an exit at the end of his contract this summer.

The deal for Lopetegui has not yet been finalised but his announcement is a formality at this stage, with West Ham confirming Moyes' departure after final fixtures against Luton Town and Manchester City this month.

Now, Tim Steidten, Mark Noble and co can begin the process of strengthening the team across the summer, with plans already being drawn up for an exciting target.

West Ham lead race for PL star

According to a recent report from Football Transfers, West Ham have received a major boost in their bid to sign Ivan Toney, with Manchester United exiting the race for the Brentford striker.

Now leading the race alongside London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, the Hammers are primed to launch a £50m bid for the Premier League star in what would be a stunning introduction to life under Lopetegui.

Spurs will turn to centre-forward to resolve last year's sale of Harry Kane, but West Ham can offer a first-choice place at the front, with Michail Antonio out of contract this summer and Danny Ings up for sale for £6.5m.

Ivan Toney's Premier League career

Toney has long been regarded as a high-level striker, clearly playing above his level with Peterborough Town and Brentford before their promotion to the Premier League, but he has solidified his status as one of the country's finest with his exploits over the past several campaigns.

Landing such a player would be the perfect way to kickstart a new era in east London, with the aforementioned Irons forwards both ageing and lacking in pure prolific ability, forcing winger slash striker Jarrod Bowen to be saddled with the weight of sourcing the bulk of West Ham's goals.

23/24

Brentford

15

4

1

22/23

Brentford

33

20

4

21/22

Brentford

33

12

5

15/16

Newcastle United

2

0

0

Toney's exemplary 2022/23 campaign was cut short following charges from the FA relating to betting breaches, suspending the England international for eight months.

He'd been hailed for his "monster" performances up front by his manager Thomas Frank and transcended mere goalscoring by producing some emphatic, all-encompassing displays.

Last season in the English top flight, Kane was the only centre-forward to create more chances (14) than Toney (12), with the 28-year-old winning a whopping 6.7 duels per game, as per Sofascore, to underscore his value as a tenacious and committed player.

Antonio, who is renowned for his physicality and tough approach in the final third, averages 4.2 successful duels per fixture in the Premier League this season, emphasising Toney's quality and how he would slot into the way of things at West Ham.

Returning from his lengthy suspension in January, the £20k-per-week star emphatically placed four goals from his first five matches, though his subsequent barren spell of ten matches without scoring, still ongoing, has typified his side's struggles and perhaps Toney's desire to ply his trade elsewhere next season.

How Ivan Toney would fit in at West Ham

Praised for having the "mindset of a lion" by Frank, Toney indeed boasts the predatory instinct to propel him to the forefront of the Premier League once again, and moving to West Ham might just offer him the best chance to do so.

Prominent Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has sung Lopetegui's praises. Indeed, the 57-year-old has the tools and European trophy-winning experience to ensure that West Ham's fruitful period is continued over the coming campaigns.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss seems to have been pigeonholed as a 'defensive manager', but this is far from the truth. Lopetegui likes possession, control and creativity, and while he demands a solid base, he also strives for slick, interchangeable attacking play.

As per Sky Sports' Adam Bate, Lopetegui's success at Sevilla – in which he notably won the Europa League – was achieved 'by making them a much more fluent passing side' with 'the emphasis on possession', thus indicating the approach he could take at the London Stadium.

Toney is equipped to thrive in such a role, with his dynamic qualities attracting interest from many of England's top outfits for good reason.

As per FBref, Toney ranks among the top 19% of centre-forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 21% for progressive passes and the top 1% for interceptions per 90, further highlighting his quality as a rounded player.

These certainly aren't the most eye-catching metrics in the world but there's no question that Toney is languishing in a struggling Brentford side, and a move to West Ham could see him return to the lofty heights of seasons past.

Lucas Paqueta is likely headed for the exit this summer with Manchester City pursuing an £85m deal, but such funds could be used to facilitate an ambitious move for the Bees man.

Lopetegui could bin Paqueta to unleash West Ham academy star

The Hammers are gearing up for a summer of change.

ByAngus Sinclair May 6, 2024

The club still have creativity in abundance in the form of Bowen, James Ward-Prowse, Mohammed Kudus and more, and will surely move to sign a fresh playmaker following Paqueta's expected sale.

Toney would be the cherry on the top, allowing Bowen to star in his usual position on the right. Moyes might be leaving but by sealing this deal, West Ham will continue to push and probe against those at the forefront of the Premier League.

Bangladesh allrounder hoping to pick from where he left off with the bat once he’s back in action

PTI12-May-2020Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who is serving a two-year ban (one year suspended) for not reporting a corrupt approach, says not taking things lightly due to “ignorance” is the biggest lesson he has learnt from this whole episode.Shakib was banned by the ICC in October last after he accepted three charges of breaching the global body’s anti-corruption code. He will be free to resume international cricket on October 29 this year.”I have realised that there are certain things that you just cannot take lightly due to ignorance, and probably that is the biggest lesson I learnt during this time,” Shakib, who is currently in the USA, told . “It is a very difficult time for me because at the back of the mind you always think that I am not playing or not being able to play. The good thing is that I was able to stay with my wife during the birth of our second child.”I could not do that when my first daughter was born and I am trying to be with them in the lockdown. For me making sure that I am not depressed is extremely important as I am locked down in my house.”Shakib was in sublime touch with the bat before the ban brought him down, having scored 606 runs at 86.57 at the 2019 World Cup. Once he’s back, Shakib hopes to pick up again from where he left off.”First of all, I want to return to the game. I will return to the game after four-five months. No other decision [will be taken] before that. The biggest challenge is to be able to start again from where I had stopped, that is what I’m expecting from myself.”Wish I can start from where I ended up. That is the challenge for me, nothing else.”Shakib was sensational at No. 3 at the World Cup, and he said South Africa’s AB de Villiers inspired him to bat in that position.”I was talking to de Villiers during the BPL before the World Cup. It was just a normal conversation. He told me that at times he has batted late [in an innings]. If he had batted at No. 3 then he could have contributed more to the team and scored more runs.”Thinking about the team, he always had to play at four, five, six. His theory was to play in the middle order and score 70-80, which sometimes gives the advantage to the team and sometimes it doesn’t work. But had he batted at three, then he could have scored 100-120 and might have won more.”

Martin Odegaard is set to miss Arsenal's clash with Tottenham due to the injury he suffered after a challenge from Austria star Christoph Baumgartner.

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Baumgartner injured Odegaard on Monday nightArsenal star left field in tearsAustria midfielder sends heartfelt apology(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Norway's 2-1 win over Austria in the Nations League on Monday night was overshadowed by Odegaard's ankle injury, which he sustained following a challenge from Baumgartner. The 25-year-old limped off in tears and got Arsenal fans and coaching staff worrying about his availability over the coming weeks. Now, he's received a "sincere" apology from the Austria player who fouled him.

AdvertisementWHAT BAUMGARTNER SAID

Baumgartner posted on Instagram: "Hi guys! I would like to sincerely apologise to Martin Odegaard. It was never my intention to injure this fantastic player. I wish him all the best and a speedy recovery! Come back stronger @odegaard.98"

GettyWHAT NORWAY DOCTOR SAID

Norway national team doctor Ola Sand has now given a timeframe for Odegaard's recovery, which suggests he won't be available to play against Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend.

"Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks," Sands said to . "Anything other than that is just a bonus. And then it can take longer."

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The precise details of Odegaard's injury are yet to be confirmed, but if Sand's assessment is correct he will miss a series of important games for Arsenal. Odegaard was also spotted on crutches as he boarded a plane to return to England after international duty, and Mikel Arteta could face a selection headache in midfield without the 25-year-old.

Sean Dyche’s Everton side fell to a first Premier League defeat in six matches, losing 2-1 to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at the Emirates on the final day of the campaign.

After securing safety multiple weeks ago, the game was a free hit for the Toffees as they aimed to derail the Gunners’ outside chances of winning a first league title in 20 years.

Idrissa Gueye’s deflected effort in the first half handed Everton a surprise lead before Takehiro Tomiyasu drew the Gunners level just before the end of the first 45.

Kai Havertz’s controversial goal late on secured the win for the hosts, in a game where the Toffees frustrated Arteta’s side for large spells.

Many players provided excellent performances in the final outing of the 2023/24 season, however, one player, in particular, looked off the pace, with the Toffees player needing to be axed from the first team next season.

Ashley Young’s stats against Arsenal

Following his contract extension just a couple of days ago, Ashley Young was rewarded with a start in North London, featuring in a natural left-back role.

However, he produced a performance to forget during the defeat, with Liverpool Echo journalist Chris Beesley subsequently handing him a 4/10 rating for his dismal showing.

Young, who will be 39 in a couple of weeks, featured for the entirety of the contest, but looked sluggish throughout, with his age certainly catching up with him in recent outings.

He made the error which led to the Gunners’ winner, with Young finishing the contest with just 18 passes completed at a completion rate of a measly 55%.

The full-back also gifted possession away 21 times within his 56 touches on the pitch, giving the ball to the opposition nearly every three times he touched the ball.

Minutes played

90

Passes completed

18/33 (55%)

Touches

56

Possession lost

21

Duels won

5/8

Dribbled past

1

Interceptions

0

He was just as poor out of possession, winning just five duels out of the eight he entered, whilst also being dribbled past once and failing to make any interceptions.

Despite his recent extension, Dyche must think twice about including him in the team next season, with the defender proving to be a liability in recent matches.

Why Young shouldn’t be in the first-team during 2024/25

Whilst he’s undoubtedly been a player to provide experience to the Toffees squad this season, his display at the Emirates is evidence he’s unable to compete at the top level anymore.

The defender is coming to the end of his professional career and the club simply can’t be relying on a near 39-year-old if they are to build on this season’s 15th-placed finish.

Dyche has a plethora of talented options in the full-back areas, with the likes of Ben Godfrey, Vitaliy Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson all deserving of opportunities ahead of Young next season.

Vitaliy Mykolenko

34

2,951'

Ashley Young

34

2,467'

Nathan Patterson

26

1,411'

Ben Godfrey

16

1,211'

Seamus Coleman

13

751'

Young is evidently lacking pace in his old age, with the club desperately needing to look towards the next generation rather than employing a player who is past the demands of the Premier League.

Everton struck gold selling £24m flop who's now worth less than Young

The club certainly made the right decision in selling him…

ByEthan Lamb May 16, 2024