Glasgow Rangers have endured one of their worst seasons in recent memory.

The Ibrox outfit will end the campaign trophyless while they have also sacked a manager and even managed to secure the record for the worst ever Champions League group stage performance, losing all six matches and scoring just twice.

Michael Beale will be aiming to put 2022/2023 firmly in the rearview mirror once their finally match has been played and turn his attention to the summer transfer window, with the squad badly needing to be overhauled.

It could be the Gers busiest transfer window in recent memory, especially with seven first team players out of contract and the Englishman will be eyeing up a fair few arrivals too.

Could the 42-year-old turn to the academy to save the club some money?

With plenty of young talent impressing for both the B team and U18s, next season could have a very different feel to it.

One player that Beale may consider giving more opportunities to is defender Lewis MacKinnon and the Ibrox side could certainly their repeat their Leon King masterclass.

Who is Lewis MacKinnon?

The 20-year-old centre-back plays in the same position as King, and he could follow in his footsteps by making the leap to the first team next term.

King is a stunning prospect, making his debut for the club under Steven Gerrard in 2020 aged just 16, he has since gone on to feature for the Light Blues on 28 occasions, gaining valuable Champions League experience along the way.

MacKinnon may not have made his senior bow yet, but there is no doubt the ability is there and with the club having nothing to play for across the final five matches of the season, there may be an opportunity to impress.

He offers a rare attacking threat from central defence having scored three times this term while the Northern Irishman has even stated that he aims to be “solid” in his own box, also admitting that he has improved while speaking to the media earlier this season, saying:

"The Lowland League has been more of a physical test, but when we play these top European teams you’re coming across a different challenge, it’s probably more technical playing against these teams. Ultimately, it will help us improve as a player, everyone’s enjoying it.

“If you look at the boys who got a start against Queen of the South, it just shows you that the pathway is there, and you just have to keep striving each day."

King has proven that there is indeed a clear pathway from academy to the senior side, and Beale could well unleash him either in the final few matches of this season, or bring him into the first team squad ahead of 2023/2024.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in making a move for Sporting CP sensation, Manuel Ugarte, albeit with the Lilywhites set to face stern competition for the midfielder's signature.

What's the latest on Ugarte to Tottenham?

According to journalist Rudy Galetti, the north London outfit are seemingly set to rival both Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in the battle for the 22-year-old, with the Uruguayan international believed to have a €60m (£53m) release clause in his existing deal in Lisbon.

Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider stated: "Manuel #Ugarte update. #Chelsea had the first contacts with #SportingCP and continue to push for him; #PSG – still interested – have to solve the topic of the coach before;

#Tottenham in the race, but – to date – their internal situation is quite complicated."

That 'complicated' situation may well be that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is yet to name a permanent successor to Antonio Conte, despite having sacked the Italian at the end of March.

Who is Manuel Ugarte?

The promising midfielder has been a real standout figure for Ruben Amorim's side in recent times, with the 6-foot ace having been hailed as a "warrior" by talent scout Jacek Kulig amid his eye-catching form.

Lauded by journalist Raj Chohan as an "in-house" replacement for ex-teammate Joao Palhinha – who starred for Fulham this season after finishing top of the pile for tackles made – the emerging gem is evidently a truly monstrous midfield presence, offering the ability to provide an effective screen in front of the back four.

If Levy was to secure Ugarte's services ahead of next season, the Montevideo native could potentially represent something of an upgrade on current Spurs man, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, due to the younger man's superior ball-winning prowess.

That difference in quality between the pair is showcased by the fact that the Sporting star averaged a mammoth 3.9 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game in the Primeira Liga in 2022/23, with Hojbjerg, by contrast, only averaging 1.6 and 1.4 for those same two metrics, respectively, in that time.

It was also Ugarte who ranked first in the Champions League for average tackles made per game (4.8), while the former Famalicao ace also appears a more composed presence on the ball as he recorded an average pass accuracy rate of 92% in the Portuguese top-flight, in contrast to just 89% for Tottenham's Danish asset.

The latter man has also been criticised for his lack of impact at N17 of late, with talkSPORT pundit Perry Groves stating that the 27-year-old – and teammate Oliver Skipp – are "like a double appendix" as they "don't do anything in the centre of midfield".

Those struggles have contributed to Tottenham's overall woes this term – having missed out on European qualification – hence the need to land an upgrade such as Ugarte ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Durham have been relegated from the top flight of the County Championship, with Hampshire staying up in their place, after being hit with a penalty for receiving financial support from the ECB during the 2016 season

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2016Durham have been relegated from the top flight of the County Championship, with Hampshire staying up in their place, after being hit with a penalty for receiving financial support from the ECB during the 2016 season. They will begin 2017 in Division Two with a 48-point penalty in return for a £3.8m bailout.The club has accepted it will no longer be allowed to bid to host Test matches at Chester-le-Street, although they will be eligible for ODIs and T20 internationals. Durham will also start next season with -4 points in the NatWest T20 Blast and -2 points in the Royal London Cup; hand back non-player related ECB prize money for 2016; and be subject to a more closely controlled salary cap until 2020.The financial aid package, which has been agreed between the ECB and Durham’s board, is aimed at allowing the club to cover its operating costs, settle a proportion of outstanding debt and focus on restructuring.”We’ve been working with Durham County Cricket Club throughout the year on how best to address their financial issues; we welcome the club’s willingness to review its business model and management structures,” Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, said.”There is no doubt that a strong, financially robust Durham has a vital role to play in developing England talent, enriching our domestic competitions and underpinning the wider growth of the game in the north east.”The financial package and associated conditions approved by the ECB Board reflect the unprecedented seriousness of Durham’s financial situation. To help them through these difficulties and continue as a first-class county, this had to be addressed with immediate, practical financial assistance. We also have a wider responsibility to the whole game and need strong deterrents in place to preserve the game’s integrity and financial stability.”Durham have made a strong contribution to the game as a first-class county, through domestic competitions, local participation and producing fine England players. We now look forward to working productively with the new Board of Directors in the restructured company and supporting a healthy future for Durham and the game in the north-east.”After enduring a troubled campaign on and off the field, Durham appeared to have secured their Division One status with back-to-back victories in their final two games of the season, over Surrey and Hampshire, who finished 45 points behind them in eighth place and were initially relegated alongside Nottinghamshire.However, to retain their viability, Durham had to call upon assistance from the ECB – including an accelerated annual fee payment of £1.3m, as well as the rescheduling of their £923,000 staging fee for the second Test against Sri Lanka in May – to help service debts to the local council, believed to be in the region of £5-6 million.The ECB spent the past week considering whether a sanction should be imposed. A points deduction was eventually deemed to be the only realistic option available to the board, given that a financial penalty would merely have exacerbated the club’s issues.”We are clearly disappointed at the position we are in and the sanctions we have accepted, particularly for the players and staff who have worked so hard to keep us in the first division,” David Harker, the club’s chief executive, said.”However, we continue as a first-class county, will host international cricket and have a platform to stabilise and develop Durham County Cricket Club. It is important that the club addresses its serious financial challenges and puts the business on a sustainable footing and therefore we have had to accept the conditions offered by ECB.”Other counties have faced serious financial challenges but have been able to find other solutions including private investors without this reliance on ECB. We will continue to work with the ECB to promote cricket in the North East and are committed to securing a successful sustainable future for Durham.”There is no suggestion of financial impropriety at Durham, and other Test-match grounds have accrued greater debts in the course of modernising their venues. However, the club’s remote location has made it harder to diversify and generate the sort of revenues that keep their rivals solvent.The club, which won the County Championship three times in six seasons between 2008 and 2013, has proven itself to be one of the most successful counties in terms of producing England players, with Ben Stokes and Mark Wood among the most recent examples. However, in a sign of potential struggles to come, they have lost two of their most influential batsmen of recent seasons, with Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman choosing to move to Surrey.In a statement, Hampshire said that the club “deeply regrets the situation that Durham finds itself in and sends its sincere sympathies to the club, its players, staff and of course its loyal supporters”.The club chairman, Rod Bransgrove, added: “I also fully endorse the support of ECB in helping one of its 18 first-class stakeholders to survive in the long-term and am satisfied that the sanctions imposed as a result of Durham’s circumstances are fair and have been well considered. Of course, the fact that Hampshire benefit from all of this is fortuitous for the club and will give us all a great boost as we plan for next summer.”Given the unprecedented list of injuries that we faced this year, I believe that we will not discredit the first division next season and I am very much looking forward to seeing what the 2017 campaign will bring with a full-strength and enhanced Hampshire squad.”

Just over two months on from the sacking of Antonio Conte, Tottenham Hotspur are still yet to name a permanent, long-term successor to the experienced Italian.

The Lilywhites had looked to have settled on Feyenoord head coach, Arne Slot as their leading option only to see the Dutchman opt to stay put in Rotterdam, with chairman Daniel Levy now left scrambling around once again in this frustrating and protracted manager search.

Having once been among the mix for the Premier League title and having powered their way to the Champions League final during Mauricio Pochettino's time at the helm, the north London outfit now appear a long way off competing for major honours, after finishing eighth and missing out on European qualification in 2022/23.

Spurs are seemingly crying out for a figure in the dugout who can lead them back into contention near the summit, with the aim likely to be to close the gap on the likes of Manchester City at the summit.

The Etihad outfit have undoubtedly been the dominant force in English football in recent years, with serial-winning coach Pep Guardiola having now claimed five league titles during his seven-year stay at the club, firmly establishing himself as arguably the "greatest manager of all time", according to Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.

To try and compete with the Spaniard's winning machine may appear rather impossible, although Tottenham could potentially finally their own version of Guardiola in the form of one reported target – Ange Postecoglou.

Should Tottenham appoint Ange Postecoglou?

Much like Guardiola has "infiltrated" and "dominated" the Premier League – according to Neville – Postecoglou has also enjoyed a similar impact at current club Celtic, with Hoops legend Chris Sutton noting earlier this season:

'He’s doing to Scottish football what Pep Guardiola did for the English game. It’s a completely new approach that’s almost unheard of up here.'

That likeness between the former Barcelona boss and the Greek-Aussie has also been made by former Australia defender Craig Moore, with the one-time Rangers man stating:

"Ange Postecoglou is a very proactive coach in terms of the style and brand of football he likes to play. The likes of Klopp, Bielsa, Tuchel, even Guardiola.

"He really likes his teams to play football in the right way. His teams need to have a lot of energy, to work extremely hard for that style to be effective. He always looks to play out from the back."

That free-flowing approach – which has already seen Postecoglou lead the Old Firm outfit to two league titles and two League Cups since his arrival in the summer of 2021 – has been the 57-year-old's method throughout his managerial career thus far, having even earned praise from Guardiola himself after taking on City while in charge of Yokohama F.Marinos back in 2019:

"Yokohama played some incredible football and they were an incredible test for us. I knew how good they were and it was tough for us".

The parallels between the two coach's work has also led to suggestions that the one-time Melbourne Victory boss is even highly regarded by those at the Etihad, with journalist Rory Smith having revealed that "there are a lot of people at City who really rate him".

An "infectious" presence on the touchline – as hailed by compatriot, Tim Cahill – Postecoglou could well be the Guardiola-esque figure that Spurs are desperately craving in order to compete once again at the top end of the table.

As pundit Mark Schwarzer stated, the appointment of the Celtc tactician could make Tottenham "genuine contenders" once again…

Liverpool lead the race to secure a surprise swoop for Fulham full-back Kenny Tete this summer, who could be viewed as an interesting replacement for James Milner, who has departed Anfield upon the expiry of his contract.

What's the latest on Liverpool's pursuit of Kenny Tete?

That's according to recent reports, with the Dutch defender's future at Craven Cottage up in the air after failing to agree a contract extension with Marco Silva's side.

Tete has just one year left on his current deal and could be available for as little as £10.5m, with Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke now in the driving seat despite further intrigue from two anonymous Premier League outfits and one LaLiga side.

The Cottagers made an emphatic return to the top flight this term and cast aside the 'yo-yo' tag as they recorded a tenth-placed finish, with Tete playing a starring role.

Should Liverpool sign Kenny Tete?

With Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson mere weeks away from his 33rd birthday, it is likely that he will be utilised more sparingly next season, maintaining his leadership skills and galvanising the troops, but no longer taking centre stage on the Anfield grass, having started just 23 times in the league.

It could be that the England veteran slowly transitions into the role that Milner played during his twilight phase on Merseyside, a dependable and dynamic utility option.

While primarily a midfielder, the loss of the 37-year-old Milner has left the right-back position depleted, with 12 of the 61-cap former England international's 41 outings for the Reds this term coming in the defensive position.

And while Trent Alexander-Arnold is the undisputed powerhouse in the right-back position at Anfield, Tete's prospective acquisition could pay dividends by bolstering the fold with a perfect alternative.

Hailed as a "great asset" for Fulham by chairman Tony Khan upon signing for the club in 2020, the 27-year-old made 31 appearances in the top-flight this season and scored one goal and supplied five assists, recording a laudable average Sofascore rating of 7.09 and completing 1.7 interceptions, 2.7 tackles and 2.4 clearances per game.

As per FBref, the £50k-per-week ace ranks among the top 15% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of assists, the top 9% for rate of tackles, the top 3% for interceptions and the top 6% for blocks per 90.

The "sensational" defender – as dubbed by presenter Jack Collins – would clearly be a marked improvement on the ageing Milner, who recorded an average rating of 6.68 this term and boasted just 0.8 tackles, 0.4 interceptions and 0.4 clearances per game in the Premier League, branded as "no longer the answer" by talkSPORT's Ade Oladipo in the early phases of the campaign.

For such a paltry fee, Tete would be a wonderful addition to the Reds' team, and could etch his name into the considerable list of shrewd acquisitions to have served as pillars for Klopp's dynasty on Merseyside.

Details about the Denmark squad for the Women's World Cup 2023, including the players who may be included and those who may miss out.

After missing out on a hattrick of World Cups, Denmark's Women's Team has entered back into the biggest women's football event in the world.

The Danish side has injected some new faces into their roster and mixed with the experience lying in their ranks, the Red and Whites could be a challenging opponent in their race to clinch silverware. During the qualifying stage, Denmark boasted of a staggering record winning eight games in a row and conceding just 2 goals.

The Danes were on a 4-game winning streak before being halted by Spain in their build-up to the tournament. With Lars Søndergaard announcing her squad to travel to Australia and New Zealand, the fans at home will be banking on the country's historic goalscorer, Pernille Harder who was their leading striker in the Euro 2022 as well.

Denmark will kick off their campaign against China on the 22nd of July before locking horns with England and Haiti on the 28th of July and 1st of August respectively, asGOALtakes a look at who made it to the Denmark Women's World Cup squad.

GOALKEEPERS

23-year-old goalkeeper Lene Christensen would easily be the first choice between the sticks for the Red and Whites.

While Kathrine Larsen and Maja Bay Ostergaard will be pushing for a spot in the eleven. Considering the fact that a goalkeeper becomes crucial in a team that relies on playing it out from the back, the Danish side will bank heavily on Christensen to string passes and help in transition from the back.

Name ClubKatherine LarsenBrondbyMaja Bay OstergaardFC Thy-ThistedLene ChristensenRosenborgAdvertisementDEFENDERS

Lars Søndergaard's defensive battery is injected with massive experience and youth which could prove important in crunch situations for the team. The centre-back partnership of Stine Ballisager Pedersen and Simone Boye Sørensen are gonna be very important.

Both Pedersen and Sorensen are dominant in the air and will not shy away from tackles in their own box. While Rikke Sevecke and Sofie Svava are two of the trustworthy players who'll be seen on either side of the centre-backs. Both of them can gallop down the field and turn defence into attack quite easily and quickly enabling the Danish team to create havoc on the counter.

Name ClubKatrine VejeEvertonRikke SeveckEvertonSofie SvavaReal Madrid Stine PedersonValerangaLuna GevitzMontpellierSimone SorensenHammarbyFrederikke ThogersenInterGettyMIDFIELDERS

The Danish women's team prefer the opponent's pressing them rather than going all guns blazing and the midfielders would become crucial if they go with the same tactics.

All eyes would be on Everton's Karem Holmgaard as she would aim to be the leader in the centre of the park and control the different transitions in her team. The 24-year-old would be key in leading her troops and donning the possession in midfield.

Josefine Hasbo would also be an influential cog in the heart of Denmark's midfield. The smart midfielder would be crucial in dynamising attacks for her team and can prove to be a headache for her opponents owing to her creativity and resilience.

The Red and Whites have a balanced midfielder with tons of experience mixed with the explosivity of some young names in their roster. Arsenal's Kathrine Kühl and West Ham United's Emma Snerle could be the two names to lead the Danish team to glory in Australia.

Name Club Sanne TroelsgaardReadingSofie JungeJuventusNicole SorensenEvertonEmma SnerleWest Ham UnitedKathrine KuhlArsenalKaren HolmgaardEvertonJosefine HasboHarvard CrimsonJanni ThomsonValerengaENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesFORWARDS

Without a doubt, Bayern Munich's Pernille Harder would be the most important figure in Denmark's forward battery. The highest goalscorer of her country(69), Harder will have to constantly find the back of the net to ensure the Danish side keeps adding pressure on their opponents.

With Stine Larsen missing out on the showpiece event, Pernille would be integral to her team's hopes of scoring goals in Australia. The strongest part of Denmark's attacking set-up is the different profiles they have to suit every situation.

Mille Geji can dart past defenders with ease and create goalscoring opportunities from the centre. Signe Brunn excels in creating attacking threats with ease and with Amalie Vangsgaard partnering her up, the duo could prove to be a nightmare for the opposing defenders.

Name ClubPernille HarderBayern MunichSigne BruunLyonMille GejiNorth Carolina CourageRikke MaddisonNorth Carolina CourageAmalie VangsgaardPSG

Ashley Nurse, one of the three West Indian debutants against Sri Lanka, was relieved to earn a debut and said he didn’t have anything to lose

Liam Brickhill in Harare16-Nov-2016The road to recognition has been a long one for Ashley Nurse. The offspinning Barbadian made his List A debut nine years ago, played his maiden Twenty20 international more than five years ago, but has since played only three more T20Is – without taking a wicket. He had been included in three one-day international squads before finally making his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Harare. Now that the chance has come again, he has taken it, literally and figuratively, with both hands, picking up three wickets – the first of which was caught and bowled – to decisively turn this match in West Indies’ favour.”This is my third tour, but until now I’ve not got a game,” Nurse said. “I’ve been on the sidelines watching the guys win sometimes, watching the guys lose sometimes, and it can be a bit frustrating. I thank God for the opportunity and I’m glad I’ve taken the opportunity now.”The delivery and the dismissal that brought Nurse his maiden ODI wicket may have been soft, Upul Tharanga misreading the pace of a long-hop and swiping far too early into a pull, but Nurse’s celebration was anything but. “I guess you could say it all came down to me,” Nurse said. “All I was telling myself is ‘you have to hold on to this one’. It was nice to induce the chance and then take it myself. I did everything to get that wicket!”He had taken a much sharper chance off Jason Holder’s bowling earlier in the innings, holding a flashing edge off Kusal Mendis’ bat with two hands reverse cupped in front of his face at second slip. That was Holder’s second wicket, and with it Sri Lanka were reduced to a decidedly rickety 16 for 3 in a chase that, 15 minutes earlier, had seemed almost a formality after West Indies were bowled out for 227 in the 50th over.”It was not an ideal score, but once we got a few wickets with the new ball, we knew we could get the job done,” Nurse said. “We thought we were 20 runs short, but having said that, as a bowling unit you’ve got to go out and just try to defend anything that the batsmen give us to work with.”Nurse was one of three debutants in West Indies’ side for their first match of the tri-series, and the other two did not do too badly either. Shai Hope kept his side ticking along through the middle overs with a sedate 47, while Rovman Powell pressed the accelerator later on with a 29-ball 44 that included three crisp sixes.”For me, being a debutant you have nothing to lose. You just have to go out and give it your all. And I think all the guys had that attitude today. We’re a young team. We have nothing to lose, so we just go out and play fearless cricket. And congrats to the other guys; Shai batted really well, Rovman batted superbly as well. It was a really commendable performance from the guys.”The performance was certainly appreciated by a modest but boisterous Harare crowd that made no secret of their support for West Indies. The Bob Marley songs that played repeatedly over the P.A. system during the breaks must also have helped the visitors feel a little more at home. And at the end of the game, Nurse, Hope, Powell and Carlos Brathwaite jogged across the sun-drenched ground from the West Indies dressing room to Castle Corner, where fans were still gathered, to personally thank them for the support.”For sure, it was not a big crowd but we could hear them,” Nurse said. “After the game, the guys went over and basically just said ‘thank you’ to the spectators for the support. Can you guys [in the media] extend the thanks from all of us? I hope we get the same sort of support in Bulawayo.”West Indies will be buoyed by this win, having lost the ODIs against Pakistan 3-0 last month before their remarkable Test comeback. Wins like these will help this new-look side creep up the ICC rankings from their current ninth position.”Against Pakistan, we had a bit of a rough time in the one-day series, so it’s nice to bounce back here with a win,” Nurse said. “To get wins for West Indies is the main thing, whether we’re eighth or ninth in the rankings, if we win we can only go up from there. We don’t play cricket based on who’s in front of us or who’s ahead in the rankings. We just go out and play cricket, day after day, taking it one step at a time gaining those points that will push us up the rankings.”

Christian Pulisic believes leaving Chelsea for AC Milan was the “perfect step for my career” after enjoying a dream debut for the Serie A giants.

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• American forward bid farewell to Chelsea
• Embracing a new challenge in Italy
• Already up and running for the Rossoneri

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United States international spent four years in England at Stamford Bridge, but is now taking on a new challenge in Italy after completing a €22 million (£19m/$24m) transfer to San Siro. He has made the perfect start to life in Italy, with a flurry of pre-season assists followed by a stunning goal on his league bow for the Rossoneri against Bologna.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pulisic has told of opening his account in style for new employers: “It was a fantastic start, for sure. I’m really excited to be a part of this team. The two early goals really helped us, because it was a difficult game after that. For me just a great start personally, nice to get a goal, while a clean sheet and a win are always nice.” He added on linking up with ex-Chelsea team-mates Olivier Giroud, Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in Milan: “It was just speaking with those guys like Olivier, we had some good experiences together. I played with Fikayo, I played with Ruben and the connection is there, as you saw tonight. It was great to get the assist from Oli again. It just felt like the perfect step for my career, I feel really welcome and excited to be part of this club.”

• AND WHAT'S MORE

  Pulisic often struggled to nail down a regular starting role at Chelsea, amid fierce competition for places and regular fitness struggles, but he is setting lofty targets in Italy. He said of his goals for 2023-24: “We want to fight to win this championship of course, to compete for all the titles we can. Personally it is to continue creating and scoring goals the way I did tonight and to help this team win titles.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  After getting off the mark on the road for Milan, Pulisic will be hoping to make his home debut on Saturday when the Rossoneri play host to Torino.

Manchester United need to improve in a few areas this summer if Erik ten Hag wants to challenge for the Premier League title and to go on a deep run in the Champions League.

Signing a top-class centre-forward is a must, with Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst netting just 11 goals between them in all competitions, with the burden falling onto Marcus Rashford to give United that edge in front of goal.

The midfield could also be rejigged, as with Marcel Sabitzer finishing his loan spell and Scott McTominay linked with a move away from the club, Ten Hag will be aiming to sign a couple of reinforcements before bigger challenges await next term.

But could he bolster his full-back area too? The Red Devils are interested in signing Monaco right-back Vanderson during the summer transfer window, according to Brazilian outlet Zero Hora.

The report explains that the Old Trafford side have made a potential offer to Monaco for the defender, although it falls short of the €50m (£43m) valuation that the Ligue 1 side have stated.

Would Vanderson be a good signing for Manchester United?

United have recently given Diogo Dalot a contract extension until 2028, with the Portuguese full-back looking like he could be a key part of Ten Hag’s revolution at the club.

However, signing Vanderson may well mean Aaron Wan-Bissaka could be on the move this summer as there wouldn’t be much room for three senior right-backs in the squad, and with the Dutchman looking for a more ‘attacking’ option on the right side of defence, according to The Athletic, the Brazilian could even be an upgrade on Dalot.

Indeed, this season, the 21-year-old has registered more goals and assists (five to three), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.52 to 2.17), goal-creating actions (eight to two) and touches in the attacking penalty area (583 to 390), clearly suggesting that the Monaco starlet is a more potent threat in front of goal than Dalot, while also getting into the opposition penalty area more over the course of a season, utilising his attacking abilities.

It isn’t just going forward that Vanderson could offer an upgrade either, with the right-back ranking in the top 3% across Europe’s big five leagues for tackles and interceptions per 90, whereas Dalot ranks in the top 29% and 13% for the same metrics respectively compared to the Monaco sensation.

He was lauded for a display against Lyon in 2022, with Statman Dave saying it was an “exceptional performance” as he won 70% of his duels, won all of his tackles and completed 89% of his passes – and Ten Hag must act swiftly in order to bring him to Manchester this summer.

Sarfraz Ahmed had dropped Steven Smith on 53. Then when he did catch the Australian captain on 97, no one appealed

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane15-Dec-2016Pakistan were left to rue two missed opportunities on the first day against Australia at the Gabba. They let Steven Smith off on 53 and 97 and he went to stumps unbeaten on 110It was very much Australia’s day after Smith won the toss – his first win in seven Tests – chose to bat and finished on 3 for 288. But Smith was fortunate to survive on 53 when he played back to the part-timer Azhar Ali and edged behind, only to be put down by Sarfraz Ahmed. Pakistan’s catching has let them down in recent series and missing a key chance so early in this campaign was hardly the start they wanted.”It would have been a wonderful wicket for us, Steve Smith we all know is a very good batsman and he was quite well set,” Azhar Ali said at the press conference. “It could have changed, a little bit, the course of the game but these things happen and you just have to go on and look forward. He batted brilliantly today.”Sarfraz did pouch an edge off Smith later in the day, but Pakistan failed to hear any noise and did not appeal. Smith was on 97 at the time, when he followed an excellent delivery from Mohammad Amir that swung away. Television replays revealed a small HotSpot mark on Smith’s outside edge, and a noise on Snicko.”Obviously we got information from outside that that had happened,” Azhar said. “No one really noticed anything, not even a sniff. None of our guys went up slightly, even. It was just one of those situations where no one realised what had happened.”Sometimes it does happen. It has happened in the past also, that we don’t get any noise or anything, any idea of having an edge. I think it’s just a bit of luck for the batsman.”