The hosts took a 109-run lead as Bangladesh struggled for discipline

The Report by Shashank Kishore08-Feb-2020

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Stumps
Tests turn in one ball. For Bangladesh, that came in the third over after lunch. Just prior to the interval, they had dismissed Azhar Ali. Now, there was a gift for the taking from Babar Azam after he’d played the most un-Babar like shot.A miscue after being lulled by Taijul Islam’s loop and flight. Ebadot Hossain wasn’t alert enough at mid-off; a clumsy run backwards to try and catch magnified his error in judgment even more. The catch went down with Babar on 3. Pakistan would’ve been 104 for 3. It wasn’t to be.Babar went on to make 140 more and carried with him the promise of much more on Sunday, maybe even a maiden Test double. Pakistan ended the day 109 ahead; Asad Shafiq serenely batting on 60. His stand with Babar was worth 137, and with three full days still to go, you could sense where this was headed.It wasn’t just Babar and Shafiq who had fun. Shan Masood continued his Test match rejuvenation by bringing up his third Test century, his second on the trot, to further deflate the visitors. Having seen Abid Ali fall early, slashing to the slips, Masood sussed up the conditions and then made merry once the bowlers lost their sting in the first half hour.Masood sat back and punched off the backfoot through cover and point, the weight transfer allowing him to pierce gaps to perfection. For a batsman who appears to not take too many risks, his half-century off 54 balls, courtesy nine boundaries, was deceptively quick.But he didn’t need to carry on batting in that gear right through, because Babar set shop after that early reprieve, batting in the kind of zone where he put not only the bad balls away but even the good ones. Like the on-drives or the whirring flick shots to length deliveries from outside off to bisect midwicket and mid-on.For Bangladesh, Taijul kept toiling, looking to bowl into the rough created at the other end. But the surface was simply too good: little dust, no cracks, true bounce and little movement. Everything batsmen dream of while looking to set up Tests. Masood was perhaps caught in one such dream soon after getting to his century.Having concentrated long and hard, shelving the free-flowing drives that he superbly played early for the hard grind after passing fifty, he was out driving to a harmless delivery that ought to have been put away. He played down the wrong line, nearly yorked himself by getting into a tangle as the ball snuck through the inside edge to hit the stumps. At that stage, Pakistan were 205 for 3, behind by 28 runs.The wicket came literally out of nowhere, because until a few moments prior to his century, Bangladesh were so switched off that they didn’t even appeal for a ball that Masood nicked to Liton Das, the wicketkeeper, on 86 off Rubel Hossain. So the wicket was another opportunity for Bangladesh to try and crack open the middle order. Instead, they came out after tea and immediately allowed the game to drift by giving Shafiq easy singles that got Babar back on strike.By then, Babar gave the impression that he was toying with the bowling, especially Taijul, hitting wherever he pleased. Take for instance a flighted delivery from Taijul. A length ball outside off, to which he stepped out to negate any turn and then, as if he was simply commanding the ball, using his wrists to flick it between midwicket and mid-on. Or the back-to-back flicks to length balls outside off to the midwicket fence of Abu Jayed.This was a batsman every inch confident of what he was upto, far from the unusually ultra-aggressive self who threatened to hit out and get into trouble early in his innings. It took Babar a while to calm himself down after the reprieve, and for the Rawalpindi faithful who turned up on Saturday, it was worth the wait.In the morning session, Bangladesh struck twice, both gifts to loose shots. Fresh off back-to-back tons in his first two Tests, Abid slashed at one early on, while Azhar fell in similar fashion shortly before lunch. But the 91-run partnership established Pakistan’s early advantage where they proved the biggest threat they faced was their own complacency against a toothless attack. The good passages for Bangladesh were eventually too far and few between, leaving the Test cold and quickly veering towards the prospect of there being only one winner in the Test.

Liverpool have been no strangers to cashing in on players for big money as they have sold several first-team stars for significant fees over the years.

The likes of Christian Benteke and Mamadou Sakho were sold at the perfect time for big fees after being squad options for the Reds, rather than important players.

However, the Premier League giants have also sold key operators in the past, including Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling, who joined Barcelona and Manchester City, respectively, after lighting up the pitch at Anfield with their attacking quality.

The most money Liverpool have ever received for one player in their history, though, was when they sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January 2018.

In fact, it was a British transfer record at the time of the deal, and was cited as one of the most expensive deals in football history, which speaks to how gigantic the move was.

However, if you adjust for the inflation of transfer fees in football over the subsequent years, Liverpool's sale of Fernando Torres to Chelsea seven years earlier was, relatively, worth more to the club.

How much Liverpool sold Philippe Coutinho for

The BBC reported that Barcelona paid an initial fee of £105m to sign the Brazil international, with 'realistic' add-ons that could take it up to a staggering £142m.

It was significantly more than the £75m deal that the Spanish giants had agreed with Liverpool to sign Uruguay international Suarez back in the summer of 2014.

The Reds played a masterclass with Coutinho as they signed him from Italian side Inter for a fee of £8.5m in January 2013 and went on to make a huge profit on him five years later.

During his time at Anfield, the Brazilian magician showcased his quality at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the Premier League.

Coutinho racked up 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 appearances for the club in all competitions, which included 41 goals and 37 assists in 152 top-flight outings.

He hit the ground running with three goals and seven assists in 13 Premier League appearances during the second half of the 2012/13 campaign, and never looked back.

2012/13

13

3

7

2013/14

33

5

7

2014/15

35

5

5

2015/16

26

8

5

2016/17

31

13

7

2017/18

14

7

6

As you can see in the table above, Coutinho consistently offered quality at the top end of the pitch from an attacking midfield position, particularly towards the end of his career at Anfield.

A return of 20 goals and 13 assists in his last 45 appearances across the 2016/17 and 2017/18 Premier League campaigns combined works out as as direct goal contribution every 1.36 games on average.

His phenomenal form across those seasons convinced Barcelona to splash out a mega fee to secure his services ahead of the second half of the 2017/18 term, and that remains the most expensive deal in Liverpool history.

However, Torres' move to Chelsea in January 2011 would be worth even more than Coutinho's huge transfer to the Camp Nou in the present day.

How much Chelsea's deal for Fernando Torres would be worth in 2024

Per Totally Money, the Blues splashed out a huge fee of £52.6m to sign the Spain international from Liverpool ahead of the second half of the 2010/11 campaign.

If you adjust for inflation in football transfer fees over the subsequent years, per Totally Money's index, that deal would be worth a mind-boggling £144.9m in the current day – £2.9m more than the total package Barcelona agreed for Coutinho.

Torres, who was signed from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2007, enjoyed a terrific time at Anfield as he showcased his goalscoring prowess in the Premier League over several years.

His first season in England was a roaring success. The Spanish marksman plundered a staggering 33 goals and five assists in 46 appearances, which included 24 goals in 33 Premier League games.

Torres ended his career on Merseyside with a return of 81 goals and 20 assists in 142 outings in all competitions, which is a return of one direct goal contribution every 1.41 clashes on average.

He was a terrific striker for the club and earned Liverpool a huge payday when Chelsea swooped in for a fee that would be worth £144.9m – and more than Coutinho's record sale – in the current day, which shows that they struck gold with that deal.

The 6 foot 1 number nine's form at Stamford Bridge after moving on from Anfield suggests that the Reds also hit the jackpot with the timing of the sale.

Fernando Torres' struggles at Chelsea

The World Cup and European Championship winner with Spain failed to translate his goalscoring exploits for Liverpool over to his time with the Blues.

Torres endured a rough start to life in London with a return of one goal and two assists in 18 appearances across the Premier League and the Champions League during the second half of the 2010/11 campaign.

2010/11

14

1

2

2011/12

32

6

7

2012/13

36

8

9

2013/14

28

5

5

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish forward never hit double figures for goals or assist in a single league season for Chelsea in four attempts, including three full campaigns.

His 24-goal Premier League season in his first year with Liverpool was nothing but a distant memory, as the big-money flop struggled in front of goal throughout his time with the Blues.

Torres ended his career at Stamford Bridge with a return of 45 goals and 35 assists in 172 appearances in all competitions, which is one goal or assist every 2.15 games on average.

These statistics show that the former Reds star, who did win the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012, flopped in London as his form dipped after Liverpool raked in a staggering fee for his services.

Overall, the Merseyside-based outfit struck gold by selling Torres when they did, due to the gigantic amount of money they received and the striker's declining form after the move.

Home side lead by 314 with five wickets in hand heading into the final day

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2020Four wickets to Chadd Sayers and three to Wes Agar have helped South Australia establish a 314-run lead over Western Australia with a day to play in Adelaide.WA were bowled out for 254 partway through the third day before Jake Weatherald and Travis Head both made 49 as the home side pressed towards a final-day declaration.WA lost 6 for 81 to concede a 135-run first-innings deficit. Sayers picked up his third wicket early in the morning session with Josh Philippe failing to a stunning diving catch at cover from William Bosisto. Cameron Green’s patient 43 came to an end when he holed out at fine leg off Nick Winter. Agar nabbed his third with Josh Inglis slicing a catch to Weatherald at gully in the following over.Joel Paris and Liam Guthrie both faced in excess of 50 balls but contributed just 30 runs between them to delay the inevitable.South Australia scored at a healthy rate from the outset in the third innings with a declaration in mind. Henry Hunt and Weatherald combined for 85 in 22 overs but both fell in consecutive overs for 35 and 49 respectively. The platform allowed captain Travis Head to club 49 off 50 balls with six fours and two sixes before falling one short of a half-century.Matt Kelly was the pick of the WA bowlers nabbing 3 for 34 but their batsmen will be left with a mountain to climb on the final day.

Celtic advanced through to the final of the SFA Cup on Saturday as they beat Aberdeen on penalties at Hampden Park after a 3-3 draw to take it to spot-kicks.

Joe Hart missed a penalty himself, striking the post with a well-taken effort, and was then the hero with his stop to win the shootout for the Hoops.

Despite their progression through to the final, Celtic had a number of poor performances from players across the park that Brendan Rodgers must keep in mind ahead of their clash with Dundee in the Scottish Premiership next weekend.

Central defender Liam Scales endured a rough afternoon against his former club and must now be brutally ditched from the starting XI to make way for Maik Nawrocki.

Liam Scales' 3/10 display at Hampden

The Ireland international was handed a 3/10 rating by Football Insider's Sean Fisher, who described his performance as 'nervous' and 'sluggish'.

Bojan Miovski's opener was not the former Dons loanee's fault, although you could argue that he failed to step in to cut out the through ball that caught Cameron Carter-Vickers out.

The left-footed battler was, however, less than impressive with his work for Aberdeen's second as they equalised in the 90th minute to send the game to extra time.

Junior Hoilett floated a ball to the back post and Scales completely lost track of Ester Solker and got caught under the flight of the ball as he missed his header and allowed the forward to nod the ball into an empty net.

Scales found himself in a similar situation for Aberdeen's equaliser in the 119th minute in extra time as once again Hoilett sent a cross to the back post and the Irishman missed the header and allowed his marker, Angus MacDonald that time, to head in.

This suggests that the 3/10 rating was not overly harsh from Football Insider, as the 25-year-old dud had a howler at Hampden with his weak defending that cost the Hoops at least two of the three goals.

Time for Maik Nawrocki

Rodgers must now unleash Nawrocki, who was signed from Legia Warsaw for a fee of £4m last summer, from the start after Scales almost let his side down in Saturday's semi-final.

The 23-year-old star did start the club's last league match, which was a 3-0 win over St Mirren, and put in a solid performance at the back for the Bhoys.

23/24 Premiership

Maik Nawrocki

Minutes played

64

Duels won

5/7

Clearances

3

Tackles

1

Goals conceded

0

Pass accuracy

93%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Nawrocki was dominant in his physical battles, winning five of his seven duels, and almost perfect in possession with his impressive pass accuracy.

The Polish colossus, who has won 71% of his ground duels in the Premiership this season, heavily contributed to Celtic keeping a clean sheet in the game, whereas Scales was directly at fault for two goals against Aberdeen on Saturday.

This is why Rodgers must brutally ditch the Irish defender from the starting XI against Dundee next weekend and unleash Nawrocki, who was superb in his last start, alongside Carter-Vickers.

Liverpool got over the line against Brighton & Hove Albion to keep up their end of the bargain in the ongoing Premier League race, with Mohamed Salah coming to the rescue for the Reds to win 2-1 after a dominant second-half showing.

Jurgen Klopp's men would muster up an impressive 30 shots on the Seagulls net, with their persistence thankfully paying off courtesy of their magic Egyptian in the second 45.

Salah continues to come up trumps for his title-chasing outfit even as he begins to near 32 years of age this coming June, with the Liverpool number 11 constantly in the thick of it when the hosts ventured forward at will.

Mohamed Salah's performance vs Brighton in numbers

Salah might well have felt annoyed that he only managed to fire in one goal for his efforts at Anfield, having accumulated 12 shots all on his own from Liverpool's hefty 30.

Away from peppering Bart Verbruggen's goal, the forward was also lively with the ball at his feet, with attempted strike after strike, as well as completing three dribbles in the contest to keep Brighton on their toes.

Winning four duels when necessary too, it was no surprise to see Liverpool's clutch figure bag yet another crucial goal whilst remaining calm and switched on even at 1-1 to give Klopp's men a big win to keep the pressure on Manchester City and Arsenal, who now both trail the Reds in the table.

Yet, it was the man who assisted Salah's all-important winner who was showered with praise at the full-time whistle, with Alexis MacAllister once again proving his worth to the Reds' cause in the 2-1 victory.

Alexis MacAllister's performance vs Brighton in numbers

The Argentina international was even described as a "genius" by Sky Sports journalist Melissa Reddy after the match, with MacAllister receiving widespread acclaim after his impactful showing against Roberto De Zerbi's tricky Seagulls.

Amassing 90 touches from the centre of the park, MacAllister would also manage to notch up five key passes, including the one that cut the Brighton defence open for Salah to swiftly fire home.

On top of that, MacAllister would end up misplacing just five of his 63 passes on a fantastic afternoon for the 5 foot 9 creator against his former employers.

He would also help himself to his fair share of tries on the Seagulls net alongside Salah, firing five shots on the Brighton goal to try to make Liverpool's lead grander.

MacAllister's numbers vs Liverpool
Minutes played	90
Assists	1
Accurate passes	58/63 (92%)
Key passes	5
Shots on goal	5
Duels won	5/13
Tackles	3
Stats by Sofascore

Handed out a 9/10 rating by Liverpool Echo journalist Ian Doyle, who stated that MacAllister 'probed' throughout by either unlocking Brighton with a pass or winning the ball back with a crunching tackle timed just right, the Argentine midfielder remains one of the first names on Klopp's teamsheet after such a fine display.

With much of the talk in last summer's transfer window focussing on Liverpool missing out on Moises Caicedo, it looks as if the Reds were right not to splash such extortionate cash on the Chelsea man and will instead keep reaping the rewards for purchasing their £35m star in the now.

A special performance from D’Arcy Short, with the ball rather than the bat, helped the Hobart Hurricanes climb back into finals calculations on the back of a stunning 57-run win over the Sydney Thunder in Hobart.Short was out for a duck in but took 5 for 21 as the Thunder lost 8 for 28 in the chase of 186. Alex Hales and Alex Ross were well placed at 2 for 100 after 12.2 overs but the side imploded and their finals hopes took a massive blow as their net run-rate dropped below the Hurricanes’ after starting the game well clear of them.Matthew Wade and Mac Wright once again make half-centuries to underpin a big Hurricanes total but it was a hard-hitting cameo from George Bailey that tipped the score above 180. He made 29 off 10 balls with three fours and two sixes in what might be his final game at Bellerive Oval. Daniel Sams took 4 for 34 with the ball to equal Kane Richardson’s BBL record of 24 wickets in a season with a game to go.The Thunder now face the Perth Scorchers in their final home and away fixture on Sunday in Sydney while the Hurricanes head to Adelaide to tackle the Strikers, with both games set to shape the finalists.Wright-ing the shipShort fell to Arjun Nair in the opening over as the Thunder’s pre-planning paid off. They bowled spin from both ends first up to Short and Wade and it paid massive dividends with the Hurricanes 1 for 5 after two overs. But captain Callum Ferguson opted to bowl just two more overs of spin in the next eight and neither were bowled by Nair. Wade and Wright settled as the pace slid on better on a good batting track and they found the boundary in every over bar the ninth and struck four massive sixes between them. They scored 94 off 50 balls and Wade looked set for a huge score until Sams deceived him with a slower ball for 56 which triggered a mini-collapse. David Miller fell to a brilliant catch from Hales at long-on, who tiptoed along the rope, flicked the ball up, stepped out and dived back in to complete a remarkable piece of fielding. When Wright and Ben McDermott also fell to Sams in the 17th over, one with some extra pace, the other from clever slower ball, the Hurricanes were 5 for 144 and in danger of squandering a big total.Bailey BashThe crowd was aware that this could be Bailey’s final innings on his home ground as he is set to retire from all cricket at the end of the BBL to become an Australian selector. He went out with a bang. He was fortunate with his first boundary, dropped on the rope by Hales but it was a brutally tough one-handed chance that few would have even got to. Bailey then pummelled Gurinder Sandhu with a six over square leg, a falling scoop fine for four, and an uppercut that was caught by Sams at deep point but he was touching the rope. His 29 off 10 ended in a skilful final over from Sams that cost just eight but it gave the Hurricanes and the crowd a huge boost heading into their bowling innings.Hales-stormNot for the first time, Hales threatened to single-handedly steal a game in this BBL as he marched past 400 runs for the tournament with a dazzling half-century. He lost an out of sorts Usman Khawaja early and didn’t get much assistance from Ferguson but he took down Clive Rose in the last over of the powerplay with a hat-trick of sixes. Two slog sweeps, one over backward square, the other over long-on into the stands, bracketed a phenomenal lofted strike over cover. He came within metres of a fourth in a row but had to settle for 23 from the over. Hales was in cruise control and he had a great ally in Ross as the pair ticked the total to 2 for 100 in the 13th over, leaving the Thunder needing 86 from 47 balls with eight wickets in hand.The big ShortShort has never been player of the match after scoring 0. Nor had he ever taken more than two wickets in 80 T20 matches. He ran through the Thunder taking 5 for 21 in a magical spell and he started the rot removing Hales with a wrong ‘un. Hales hit the first ball of the over for four and knew Short was the match-up to target with the left-arm wristspinner’s stock ball spinning into his arc but he didn’t read the wrong ‘un and top-edged it to short third man. Those that followed were utterly clueless. Chris Morris couldn’t pick it either and was pinned lbw. Jay Lenton, Ross, and Nair all fell miscuing trying to clear the rope. The collapse of 8 for 28 took just 31 balls to complete and was sealed with an obligatory run out with Wright producing a classy direct hit to end the match.

Chelsea and star player Cole Palmer have reacted to Letsile Tebogo copying the forward's celebration before winning the men's 200 metre Olympic gold.

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Chelsea fan Tebogo wins 200m gold at OlympicsAthlete copies Palmer's celebration before finalBlues and Palmer pay tribute to Botswana starWHAT HAPPENED?

During Palmer's hugely successful season in 2023/24, he became famous for his 'ice cold' goal celebration. Before Botswana sprinter Tebogo lined up for the men's 200m final on Thursday, he copied the celebration and then claimed gold shortly after in Paris. That led the Blues and the England international to take to social media to praise the 21-year-old.

AdvertisementWHAT CHELSEA AND PALMER SAID

Chelsea posted a photo of Tebogo wearing a Blues jersey and wrote, "Cold recognises cold," after his golden triumph and Palmer included the sprinter in his Instagram story, too.

InstagramTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While the Olympics is heading towards its conclusion, Palmer is back training with Chelsea after several weeks out following England's Euro 2024 final heartbreak. The 22-year-old will hope he can recapture the form that brough him 25 goals and 15 assists in all competitions last season.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Palmer's Chelsea side round off what has been a difficult pre-season campaign on Sunday when they host Inter Milan, before kickstarting the Premier League season against defending champions Manchester City on August 18.

West Ham United have some serious problems and the board will need to redress the glaring deficiencies in the London Stadium side's squad this summer, with Sunday's 5-2 loss against Crystal Palace sinking David Moyes' side to a new depth.

There was poignancy but pride when United exited the Europa League against Bayer Leverkusen in midweek, having fought valiantly and with trademark iron but ultimately falling short against the newly-crowned German Bundesliga champions, who are yet to lose in any competition this season and are Europe's star performers of the season.

But the weekend's bleak display in the Premier League left Moyes and his contingency blanching – this was a new low; this was detrimental. Perhaps, maybe, this is now the end.

The Scotsman is out of contract this summer and there has been more than a little uncertainty around his future this season, but now surely the horn has been sounded and change is afoot. Reports even suggest that the Hammers are honing in on a new leader…

West Ham eyeing new manager

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, West Ham are closing in on the managerial signing of Julen Lopetegui, formerly of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Real Madrid and Sevilla, among others.

The Italian outlet suggests that an 'agreement' is close and that Lopetegui has even rejected Serie A giants AC Milan as he seeks to continue his Premier League journey after last guiding Wolves.

The 57-year-old has previously revealed that he has rejected offers since leaving Molineux last summer, holding out for another shot on English shores, and he may now have the perfect chance at West Ham.

The other manager in the frame is said to be Ruben Amorim at Portuguese side Sporting, and he remains their top target according to David Ornstein of the Athletic.

Julen Lopetegui's brand of football

Lopetegui's proclivity toward a four-man defence, two holding midfielders and a more attacking No 10. (4-2-3-1) suggests that his philosophy and the United squad could dovetail as he takes his place as Moyes' successor.

The Spaniard has even received lofty praise from his countryman Pep Guardiola in the past, who heralded the "exceptional" tactician, and he would be a welcome burst of fresh air in east London, implementing a more progressive system than the one Hammers fans have become accustomed to.

Do not be mistaken, Lopetegui does not throw hail mary in his approach and while he likes to see attacking football from his players, there is an intrinsic state of balance that forms the core of his brand, focusing on possession and overlapping wide play to suffocate and enclose the opposition backline.

That wide-surging style would actually be perfect for Jarrod Bowen, which could be a major selling point for David Sullivan and Tim Steidten.

Why Julen Lopetegui is perfect for West Ham

He may not have the Klopp-esque tactical set-up that many West Ham supporters yearn for after a number of years that have brought shiny success but he has a pragmatic style of play that has been perceived, by some, as negative.

Appointing Lopetegui could not only be a great way to revive the fans' optimism but also lift the high-quality attacking players at the club's disposal, with Bowen indeed at the forefront in this regard.

Centre-forward

22

9

4

Right winger

16

10

5

Right midfield

2

0

0

Bowen might alternate between wide and central attacking positions but he is always the focal point and invariably effective, with his inward movements to free up his favoured left foot allowing Lopetegui's system to flourish, with the full-back overlapping on the England international's right side.

He also ranks among the top 13% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 4% for interceptions and the top 11% for blocks per 90, as per FBref, suggesting that he could be the multi-dimensional star to charge Lopetegui's hard-working and balanced system.

This would be the appointment to make. Moyes has done a stellar job at West Ham but now is the time for change, and Lopetegui fits the bill.

Manchester United have reportedly reached out to sign a 29-year-old for free this summer.

Man Utd transfer plans under Ratcliffe

The Red Devils and new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe appear to be planning behind the scenes ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

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However, Ratcliffe hinted last month that the club may not splash the cash straight away. When asked about the possibility of signing Jude Bellingham or Kylian Mbappe, he said: “He’s a great footballer [Bellingham] but it’s not where our focus is. The solution isn’t spending a lot of money on a couple of great players.

"They’ve done that, if you look at the last 10 years. The first thing we need to do is get the right people in the right boxes, managing and organising the club. We must make sure we get recruitment right, such a vital part of running a football club is getting recruitment right, finding new players.

“I’d rather find the next Mbappe, rather than spend a fortune to buy success. It’s not that clever to buy Mbappe, anybody could figure that one out.”

A plethora of lesser-known names have been linked with moves to Old Trafford, such as Barcelona teenager Mikayil Faye and Girona left-back Miguel Gutierrez.

Contact has been made for Palmeiras gem Thalys, and a fresh approach has also been made for a long-term Red Devils target who could join for nothing.

Man Utd in contact to sign Adrien Rabiot

Another player who has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford is Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot. In fact, back in the summer of 2022, a £15m agreement was reached between the two clubs before a transfer eventually fell through.

Now, Rabiot moving to Manchester has once again been mentioned in recent weeks, and there has seemingly been a new development.

According to reports in Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Man Utd have initiated contact via ‘polls’ over a free transfer for Rabiot this summer. Premier League rivals Newcastle United have done the same, with the Frenchman open to the idea of moving to England.

Rabiot, one labelled as a “monster” by football writer Robin Bairner, has gained plenty of experience at the highest level for club and country, scoring 50 goals in his career.

Paris Saint-Germain

227

24

14

Juventus

204

21

15

Toulouse

13

1

3

France

43

4

3

He’s won numerous trophies in France and Italy as well as the Nations League with his country, so may feel this is the right time in his career to take on the Premier League.

Capable of playing as a defensive, central or left midfielder, Rabiot would offer plenty of versatility in Manchester, and by the looks of things, he may have a decision to make soon – Old Trafford or St James’ Park.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians apenas empatou em 0 a 0 com o Bahia, no último domingo, pela quinta rodada do Brasileirão-2021, no entanto ficou próximo de abrir o placar em Salvador graças ao desempenho ofensivo de Fagner, que criou pelo menos três oportunidades de gol no segundo tempo. Acontece que essa participação no ataque não é a prioridade do técnico Sylvinho na montagem da equipe.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians mostra mais organização e precisa de Fagner no ataqueCorinthians20/06/2021VídeoVÍDEO: Sylvinho ameniza pontuação baixa do Corinthians no Brasileiro: ‘Preocupação é construir o trabalho’Vídeo20/06/2021CorinthiansSylvinho elogia Vitinho e a evolução defensiva de Vital no Corinthians: ‘Ele sabe que é preciso fazer’Corinthians20/06/2021

TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2021 clicando aqui

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

GALERIA
>Relembre o desempenho do Corinthians no Brasileirão por pontos corridos

Em entrevista coletiva após a partida, o comandante corintiano rasgou elogios para a lateral-direito, com o qual trabalhou tanto na Seleção Brasileira, quanto no próprio Timão, quando ainda era auxiliar da comissão técnica fixa. Por conhecer muito bem o atleta, ele entende que sua melhor característica é atuando no setor defensivo, o que é dito pelo próprio camisa 23.

-Fagner é um atleta excepcional, eu tive a felicidade de participar da convocação dele para a Copa do Mundo e outros jogos amistosos importantes, de Eliminatórias, conheço muito bem o atleta. Cheguei ao Corinthians como auxiliar, em 2013, trabalhamos juntos, ele veio de linha de três no Vasco e se aperfeiçoou muito. A maior habilidade que ele conseguiu desenvolver e se tornar esse Fagner que vocês estão vendo, foi a parte defensiva, isso não sou eu que declaro, é o atleta, inclusive em gratidão a dois, três profissionais com quem ele trabalhou e ele disse “virei um lateral” – analisou Sylvinho.

O treinador alvinegro sabe que Fagner também contribui demais no setor ofensivo, como fez no segundo tempo, aproveitando os espaços deixados pelo adversário, que invariavelmente se preparam para neutralizar essa “ameaça” pela direita do ataque do Corinthians. Apesar disso, ele indicou que deve seguir priorizando as habilidades defensivas do lateral e usar o “possível” no ataque.

-Fagner tem amplas condições de ir para o ataque, óbvio que o outro time sabe, nós sabemos e todos vocês sabem. O Atlético-GO, só para retroceder um pouco, colocou dois laterais pela esquerda, porque sabem que o Fagner é uma ameaça, passa com qualidade, tem boa construção e cruzamento. No segundo tempo, as conexões foram boas, e ele conseguiu encontrar mais espaço, é uma questão de resistência, você vai subindo e vai quebrando a resistência do adversário, o jogo vai diminuindo de intensidade, o cansaço vai vindo e você vai encontrando mais espaço, foi isso que ocorreu no segundo tempo. Fagner é um atleta que nós vamos continuar usando na parte defensiva como sempre, e na ofensiva o máximo que nós pudermos, porque ele tem para dar.

Na tarde desta segunda-feira, o elenco do Corinthians se reapresenta no CT Joaquim Grava para iniciar o trabalho de preparação para a partida diante do Sport, na próxima quinta, na Neo Química Arena, às 19h, pela sexta rodada do Brasileirão-2021. Atualmente, o Timão ocupa a 11ª posição na tabela.

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