جدد نادي برشلونة عقد مدافعه، رونالد أراوخو، قبل أيام رسميًا حتى عام 2031، بعد مفاوضات استمرت لفترة طويلة بسبب تردد اللاعب في اتخاذ قراره النهائي.

وكان يوفنتوس قد أبدى اهتمامه بضم اللاعب مقابل 35 مليون يورو، إلا أن إدارة برشلونة رفضت العرض، معتبرة أن قيمته السوقية تفوق ذلك بكثير.

وتسارعت خطوات التجديد بعد تحركات النادي الإيطالي، حيث اجتمع المدير الرياضي لبرشلونة، ديكو، بالمدافع لشرح تفاصيل العقد والتأكد من رغبته في البقاء، وأكد اللاعب أنه فكر في الرحيل إلى الدوري الإيطالي لكنه في النهاية اختار الاستمرار مع النادي الكتالوني.

اقرأ أيضًا | مواعيد مباريات برشلونة في شهر فبراير 2025.. تركيز محلي

كما عقد ديكو اجتماعًا مع وكلاء اللاعب لمناقشة مستقبله، إذ تم الاتفاق على عدم مغادرته في سوق الانتقالات الشتوية، مع إبقاء الباب مفتوحًا أمام رحيله مستقبلاً، وتم التوصل إلى صيغة تتيح لأراوخو خيار الرحيل خلال فترة انتقالات الصيف، بحسب صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية.

ويتضمن العقد الجديد مع برشلونة بند فسخ قيمته الأساسية مليار يورو، لكن المفاجأة تكمن في فترة مؤقتة خلال الصيف ينخفض فيها هذا الرقم إلى 70 مليون يورو فقط.

ويستطيع أراوخو تفعيل هذا البند خلال الأيام العشرة الأولى من شهر يوليو 2025، قبل أن يعود إلى مليار يورو مجددًا بعد ذلك.

وشهدت المفاوضات جدلًا حول قيمة فسخ العقد، حيث كانت إدارة برشلونة ترى أن اللاعب يستحق ما لا يقل عن 100 مليون يورو، وهو المبلغ الذي كان بايرن ميونيخ على استعداد لدفعه في وقت سابق، لكن بعد ضغوط من وكلاء أراوخو، تم الاتفاق على 70 مليون يورو، مع احتمالية تغييره وفقًا لأداء اللاعب.

Everton are ready to make late moves this summer and are exploring the chance to take a defender on loan before the transfer deadline on August 30th, it has emerged.

Everton hammered in opening game

Having narrowly avoided relegation last season despite two points deductions, the 2024/25 Premier League campaign started in the worst possible fashion for Sean Dyche's side.

Hosting Brighton at Goodison Park, they were thrashed 3-0 while Ashley Young made unwanted history as he became the oldest ever player to be sent off in a Premier League game.

Approach made: Everton make contact for versatile midfielder after Begovic

Everton could add another player to their squad after the Asmir Begovic deal.

ByBrett Worthington Aug 21, 2024

It means that after just one game, they have already conceded 6% of the number of goals that they shipped last season (51). With their problem last season being finding the back of the net (they scored just 40 goals in 38 games), if they begin shipping goals more regularly, they will be a prime candidate to be relegated come the end of the season.

"It was a horrible game as a manager," said Dyche after the loss. "When you are doing everything you ask and then concede a pretty soft goal from our point of view – a soft pass, they counter and we are 1-0 down against the run of play.

"We then concede from a poor decision from a pass and then get someone sent off and the whole feeling changes."

But with Young now suspended and all of James Garner, Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson on the treatment table at Goodison Park, they arguably need reinforcements.

Everton in talks over Trippier loan move

Now, they have been linked with a late move to sign Kieran Trippier this summer. The defender was an unused substitute on the opening weekend, with Tino Livramento named as Eddie Howe's first-choice right-back against Southampton.

Down to the final two years of his £120,000-a-week deal on Tyneside, he has been backed to move on for much of the summer. But now, it could only be on loan. That is according to reliable reporter David Ornstein, who reveals that the Toffees are in talks to reunite him with Dyche, who he played under at Burnley.

Trippier "wants to leave" Newcastle before the window slams shut and Everton "have held initial conversations with Newcastle to express interest in bringing him to Merseyside on loan".

Though he will turn 34 years old this season, Trippier's arrival could be something of a coup given he was linked with a move to Bayern Munich just six months ago, while he is still a full England international.

Kieran Trippier under Sean Dyche

Appearances

120

Goals

2

Assists

25

Yellow Cards

9

Former England boss Gareth Southgate has always been a fan of the defender, and singled him out for praise during the most recent European Championship campaign, where he was asked to play on the left in Luke Shaw's absence.

"He’s been an absolute soldier for us. To fill in the way he has, on the wrong side of the pitch, with the injuries he’s had coming into the tournament, is exceptional."

Though another veteran, he could be just what Dyche needs to bolster his backline.

Celtic's wait to add a new outfield player to their squad goes on as they have just over a month left before the summer transfer window officially slams shut.

The Hoops have added two players to the group so far this summer but both of them have come in to compete for the number one shirt that was vacated by Joe Hart.

Danish titan Kasper Schmeichel has joined on a free transfer and young starlet Viljami Sinisalo has been snapped up from Aston Villa on a permanent deal to provide him with competition.

A new left-back appears to be on the agenda for Brendan Rodgers amid links to Wolves full-back Hugo Bueno, but the Spanish ace is not the only reported target in that position.

Celtic linked with Croatian gem

The Daily Record recently relayed reports that Celtic are interested in a potential swoop to sign Dinamo Zagreb left-back Mauro Perkovic this summer.

It also carried a claim from outlet 24Sata that that Croatian giants are looking for a fee within the region of £1.6m in order to cash in on the defender.

Meanwhile, teams from the Bundesliga and from Saudi Arabia are said to be eyeing up moves for the 21-year-old battler, which means that the Scottish giants could face plenty of competition for his signature.

If the Hoops do decide to act upon their interest in Perkovic and swoop to bring him to Parkhead then Rodgers could end up unearthing an upgrade on current first-choice Greg Taylor.

Why Celtic should sign Mauro Perkovic

The Croatian youngster is a fantastic talent who could come in and give the Scotland international a real run for his money, if he can translate his form from his home country over to the Scottish Premiership.

In the HNL last season, Perkovic showcased maturity and physicality beyond his years with dominant performances on the left side of the Zagreb defence.

Capable of playing at wing-back or on the left side of a back three, the Celtic target could either slot in as a centre-back or a left-back for the Hoops when needed.

23/24 season	Greg Taylor (Premiership)	Mauro Perkovic (HNL)
Appearances	35	21
Pass accuracy	82%	86%
Assists	4	0
Tackles + interceptions per game	2.2	3.5
Ground duel success rate	57%	65%
Aerial duel success rate	46%	67%

As you can see in the table above, Perkovic could come in and immediately be an upgrade on Taylor due to his reliability in and out of possession.

The Scottish ace is more creative, with four more assists in the league last term, but the Zagreb whiz could offer more control on the ball with a higher pass accuracy.

Their respective defensive statistics suggest that Perkovic would be a huge upgrade on Taylor off the ball, as he can win possession back far more frequently whilst also winning a far higher percentage of his duels on the deck and in the air.

Imagine him & Carter-Vickers: Celtic targetting swoop for £20k-p/w "leader"

The Hoops are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the central defender this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 27, 2024

Therefore, Rodgers must swoop to sign the 21-year-old starlet, who was dubbed "highly talented" by scout Jacek Kulig, to come in and provide his team with more defensive stability, which could be particularly key in Champions League matches against high quality opposition who will ask questions of the Celtic defence.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and the rest of the Al-Nassr squad have been gifted brand new personalised BMW XM cars that carry a €155,000 price tag.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Part of official club partnershipFleet of BMWs delivered to RiyadhCR7 has collection of supercarsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Saudi Pro League outfit boast a working relationship with Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors, the official importer of BMW products in the Middle East. That lucrative agreement will run until 2027 and makes the German manufacturers Al-Nassr’s official automotive partner.

AdvertisementDID YOU KNOW?

BMW have similar deals in place with European heavyweights Real Madrid and AC Milan. As part of the deal, players get access to luxury cars such as the BMW i5, i7 and XM models. Stars on the field are supplied with personalised vehicles that feature their own unique license plates.

THE GOSSIP

Ronaldo has been posing with his in Riyadh, after seeing Al-Nassr presented with their own fleet of cars – with electric charging points being installed at the team’s training centre. CR7 has been granted access to a Frozen Black BMW XM Label, which reports is valued at €155,000, with ex-Liverpool forward Mane taking on the same wheels.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT?

Al-Nassr have posted on social media: “Luxury meets football stars. Al Nassr players behind the wheel of their BMWs.” It remains to be seen how much time Ronaldo spends driving his new BMW, as the five-time Ballon d’Or winner boasts a stunning collection of expensive supercars.

The hosts will be boosted by the returns of Brendan Taylor and Craig Ervine

Firdose Moonda20-Apr-2021

Craig Ervine returns after missing the UAE tour to play Afghanistan•AFP via Getty Images

Big picturePakistan’s southern Africa adventure has moved to Zimbabwe, where they will play three T20Is and two Tests, seemingly under less pressure than they were across the border. Zimbabwe have not qualified for the T20 World Cup, neither are they part of the World Test Championship. They are, as Pakistan’s head coach Misbah-ul-Haq put it, a side that has “nothing to lose”, which transfers the pressure onto the so-called stronger opposition, who are expected to win.Certainly, in T20Is, that has been the case. Pakistan have a 100% record against Zimbabwe with victories in all 14 matches they’ve played against each other. The most recent was in a series in November last year where Pakistan were dominant in chasing targets in all three matches.They’ve become even better at that, achieving their highest and second-highest successful targets in the recently concluded series in South Africa. So Zimbabwe will need to have a plan to stop a prolific top order and their captain Sean Williams is confident they can, with a crop of youngsters that he called “generation next” of Zimbabwe cricket.Zimbabwe have three uncapped players in their squad – batter Tadiwanashe Marumani , fast bowler Tanaka Chivanga and spinner Tapiwa Mufudza . The Zimbabwe players have also recently played in a domestic T20 competition, ensuring format-specific game time going into this series. In fact, Marumani and Mufudza were among the top performers in the tournament.Related

Waqar Younis granted leave, to miss Zimbabwe series for his wife's surgery in Sydney

Younis Khan backs 'future star' Haider Ali to come good after disappointing South Africa tour

Babar Azam hails 'complete team effort' after Pakistan seal ODI and T20I double

But there is a much bigger cause for Zimbabwe than that of a smaller nation making a statement against a bigger one or any attempt to rebuild. Their cricket community is still reeling from news of their former captain and coach Heath Streak being handed an eight-year ban for breaching the ICC’s anti-corruption code and will want to change the narrative around the game in their country. That means they have everything to play for and Pakistan will be wary of an outfit that could see its very reputation as being at stake.Form guideZimbabwe LLLLL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Pakistan WWLWWIn the spotlightCraig Ervine and Brendan Taylor missed out on Zimbabwe’s trip to the UAE to play Afghanistan for health-related reasons but are back and in form for this series. The pair enjoyed successful runs in the recently completed domestic T20 competition finishing as the highest and third-highest run-scorer respectively, both with strike rates above 165. Where Zimbabwe lacked in big-hitting in the UAE, they’ll hope that can be made up here, not to mention the experience both players bring. Williams called their inclusion “massive for the team”.Pakistan have got a prolific top order•AFP/Getty Images

Because of the success of their top three, Pakistan’s middle order was largely untested in South Africa and Misbah identified it as the area he would like to see improvement on this trip. The focus will be on Pakistan’s most experienced batter Mohammad Hafeez and least experienced Haider Ali. Neither had a particularly profitable tour of South Africa – Hafeez scored 55 runs in three innings and Haidar 29. Hafeez has the recent form to call on, though. He had a solid run against New Zealand last December but Haidar has to go further back. His last notable T20I knock was an undefeated 66 against Zimbabwe, so perhaps the familiar opposition will spur him on.Team newsTaylor will return to the top of the order with Ervine slotting in the top four. After being dropped from the final match against Afghanistan, Wesley Madhevere could have the opportunity to play his first T20I at home. It would be amiss not to include a specialist spinner. The choices are Wellington Masakadza and offspinner Mufudza, who could earn his first international cap.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, 2 Brendan Taylor 3 Sean Williams (capt), 4 Craig Ervine, 5 Wesley Madhevere, 6 Regis Chakabva (wk), 7 Ryan Burl, 8 Donald Tiripano, 9 Wellington Masakadza/Tapiwa Mufudza 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Richard NgaravaThere’s no good reason for Pakistan to deviate from the XI that beat South Africa in Centurion apart from trying to create a spot for Usman Qadir, especially given Zimbabwe’s struggle against Rashid Khan. To do that, Pakistan may have to go in with a seamer or a batter short which could see Haris Rauf or Asif Ali miss out.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Fakhar Zaman 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Haider Ali, 6 Asif Ali, 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Haris Rauf/Usman QadirThere has been no international cricket in Harare since January 2020 and no T20Is since July 2018. Pakistan played in that match and successfully chased down 184 against Australia. If conditions are similar, we can expect runs to flow, though perhaps not at the same rate as on the Highveld. Misbah expects the bounce to be lower and there may even be some assistance for spinners. The weather in Harare is set to be balmy, with the temperature around 26 degree Celsius.Stats and trivia Zimbabwe and Pakistan have played 14 T20Is against each other, with Pakistan winning all 14. Babar Azam needs 60 runs to reach 2000 T20I runs. If he gets there in any of his next six innings, he will become the fastest player to the milestone, ahead of Virat Kohli’s 56 innings. Williams is 73 away from becoming the second Zimbabwean to 1000 T20I runs.Quotes”Pressure is something you can’t touch and you can’t see. It’s just a feeling. Once we can get them [our players] to control that, we will be on the right track. It is going to be a test but we are going to back our youngsters and give them a good run.”
“Every series is an opportunity to learn. The team is not that experienced, except for three or four guys. We’d like to give chances to some of the younger guys and see how it goes. But at the same time, Zimbabwe are a gutsy side. They’ve got nothing to lose. They play without pressure. Hopefully, we play our best cricket and play to our standards.”

Ahead of the start of the new Premier League campaign in two weeks, Manchester United have reportedly scheduled a medical to complete their third signing of the summer.

Man Utd transfer news

Of course, the Red Devils have already welcomed both Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee, with the former suffering an untimely injury to deal Erik ten Hag a frustrating blow. They're now reportedly looking to steal the headlines once again in pursuit of stars such as Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.

Ugarte would particularly seek to solve problems at the heart of Ten Hag's side in place of the struggling and ageing Casemiro. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, alongside Yoro, Zirkzee and perhaps even others, would make it quite the summer of incomings at Old Trafford which could even include another right-back.

According to journalist Santi Aouna, Manchester United have scheduled a medical for Noussair Mazraoui, who is expected to complete a move from Bayern Munich and could even be available to make his debut in the Community Shield against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium next Saturday – with the Red Devils pencilling in a medical for this coming Tuesday.

United's potential third summer arrival, the Morocco international will likely replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has been linked with a move to West Ham United of late and is out of contract this time next year.

"Terrific" Mazraoui is better than Wan-Bissaka

In Mazraoui, Manchester United would be getting an instant upgrade on Wan-Bissaka and a player who's far more similar to the type of modern-day full-back that has thrived in the Premier League. At 26 years old, the Bayern Munich man should be at the peak of his powers and may well prove to be the ultimate coup this summer.

Progressive carries

34

30

Key passes

15

12

Interceptions

63

94

Tackles won

21

25

The right-back has earned plenty of praise during his time in the Bundesliga, including from former Bayern manager and current Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann, who said (via Bavarian Football Network): "Terrific! He had good attacking moments but also defended well. He has done exceptionally well and has more confidence in himself."

Now it's Ten Hag who looks set to benefit – and even as soon as next week. Whilst the Community Shield won't reveal all, it could give fans a glimpse of what they can expect from Manchester United – and perhaps Mazraoui – in the forthcoming campaign.

The 12 best Community Shield matches of all time

Glorified friendly or not, the Community Shield has delivered some entertaining clashes over the years – here are our favourites.

ByStephan Georgiou Jul 18, 2024

Another big name could also leave Chelsea with Raheem Sterling, as uncertainty surrounds the Englishman's future under Enzo Maresca.

Sterling releases Chelsea statement after Man City squad omission

The 29-year-old's omission from Chelsea's opening Premier League matchday squad to face Man City last weekend resulted in mountains of speculation, as reports claim a potential exit for Sterling is on the cards before deadline day.

Related Chelsea offer Barcelona £115k-per-week ace who Maresca says is "very good"

The Catalans have been sounded out.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Aug 20, 2024

Maresca claimed Sterling's absence from the Chelsea squad to face City was a "technical decision", but reliable media sources like The Guardian rebuff this and write that the ex-Liverpool winger is facing a very real prospect of being sold.

Indeed, it is believed Maresca has privately told Sterling to consider leaving Chelsea, and the £325,000-per-week star is personally concerned that he won't feature in the club's plans moving forward.

The player's camp released a statement, attempting to quash rumours of a possible goodbye before August 31, whilst stating that Sterling is committed to the club.

Raheem Sterling's all-time stats for Chelsea in all competitions

Appearances

81

Goals

19

Assists

12

Yellow cards

13

Red cards

0

Minutes played

5,321

Transfermarkt

"Raheem Sterling is contracted to Chelsea Football Club for the next three years," said a spokesperson for Sterling on his Chelsea future.

"He returned to England two weeks early to conduct individual training, and has had a positive pre-season under the new coach, who he has developed a good working relationship with.

"He is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard, and given his inclusion in official club pre-match material this week, our expectation was that Raheem would be involved in this weekend’s fixture in some capacity.

"As a camp, we have always had positive dialogue with, and assurance from, Chelsea FC in relation to Raheem’s future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation."

Since that message was released to the public, it has been met with criticism, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp calling it "really poor".

"That's absolute rubbish, he should do better than that," said Redknapp on Sky.

"His representatives should do better than that. That's a really poor statement. There's other players that could be putting statements out that aren't in the squad.

"He hasn't done well enough. It's your opinion, if you think you've been doing well enough in pre-season, just keep doing better. The manager's opinion is the only one that counts and if he's not going to pick you that's unlucky. You have to get back in training tomorrow morning and be the best trainer and show that you want to play. That's the only way you're going to get back in the team."

As plenty of noise surrounds Sterling, the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Ben Chilwell could also part company with Maresca in the coming 11 days.

Chilwell could leave Man City with Sterling as Man United ponder deal

Like Sterling, the latter £200,000-per-week star was left out of Maresca's squad to face City on Sunday.

Maresca holds doubts over Chilwell's suitability for the left-back role, with Marc Cucurella also fresh off the back of an impressive Euro 2024 campaign.

According to CaughtOffside, Chilwell could leave Chelsea with Sterling, and Manchester United are even considering a swoop for the Englishman as they eye up a new left-back. He is apparently another big name to watch out for in terms of exits, with Maresca seemingly unafraid to swing the axe on high-profile stars.

They had a much-maligned opener come back to form spectacularly. They had their other opener power to 95 not out. They had a total of 220 for 3, and then they had the opposition 31 for 5 inside the powerplay. Then the Chennai Super Kings ran into not just Andre Russell at his ball-smashing best, but Pat Cummins morphing into Dre 2.0, as the Kolkata Knight Riders kept hammering away at the target despite the seeming hopelessness of their cause. The Super Kings had to contend with a match they thought they had sewn up bursting open once again. But, in the end, they got past the finish line, winning by 18 runs in the final over.Russell hit a 21-ball fifty, coming in at five down in 5.2 overs. Cummins walked in when Russell was out, saw Dinesh Karthik fall too, and then reeled off a 23-ball fifty. But in the end, the Super Kings had put up too many runs and taken too many wickets up front, as a valiant chase ended with the Knight Riders 202 all out in 19.1 overs. Cummins was unconquered on 66 and the last two wickets were run-outs with Cummins trying to retain strike.The Wankhede Stadium’s status as a batting haven was restored in some style, as a succession of batters teed off against the bowling, in a match in which 26 sixes were hit. Deepak Chahar’s powerplay heroics, which left the Knight Riders in tatters, almost became a footnote, as did his excellent figures of 4 for 29 – until he effected those two run-outs at the end.The Super Kings were driven to their total by fifties from Ruturaj Gaikwad (64 off 42) and Faf du Plessis (95* off 60) and, at the innings break, they must have thought they had enough even if the dew arrived. By the last over of the Knight Riders’ powerplay, they would have thought it was just a matter of time, and the nerdier ones among them would have been calculating the expected net run-rate boost. Few could have foreseen the sort of blistering comeback that the Knight Riders mounted, but, eventually, the Super Kings had collectively done just enough.Gaikwad repays the faith
He had come into the game with scores of 5, 5 and 10, with calls outside the team growing ever more insistent that the Super Kings ought to bench him. But the team kept the faith in Gaikwad, and he repaid that spectacularly. He began in the second over, taking Pat Cummins for four and six to get Super Kings flying early. They continued to soar, with both du Plessis and Gaikwad depositing the ball where they pleased for much of their partnership. Gaikwad was particularly severe on the pace bowlers, taking all of Cummins, Russell, Prasidh Krishna and the returning Kamlesh Nagarkoti for plenty. At the other end, du Plessis balanced that nicely by punishing Varun Chakravarthy. Sunil Narine, back for this game after recovering from a niggle, emerged relatively unscathed, taking 1 for 34 in four overs.Both openers were rattling along at pace, but it was Gaikwad who reached his half-century first, off 33 balls. He was out in the 13th over, after a 115-run stand, and his innings had enough flowing drives and pulls to signal a thumping return to form.Meanwhile, du Plessis carried on, his own half-century raised off 35 balls, and continuing to go at the same pace till the end of the innings. The Super Kings gambled by sending MS Dhoni ahead of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, and though the captain found the edge of the bat as often as the middle, he did get some good hits in and the Super Kings ended up with a massive total.That winning/losing moment: Prasidh Krishna is run out and the Super Kings are home•BCCI/IPL

Chahar’s powerplay
He has made it a habit to have the new ball doing things, and Chahar tore through the Knight Riders’ top order in the powerplay. Their scores looked like a pincode, with five successive single-digit efforts. Chahar struck in each of his first three overs, and his last wicket was that of Narine. The move to send Narine in at No. 5 ahead of Karthik and Russell not coming off. Chahar stuck to his method and reaped the rewards: bowl tight without offering too much room, get the ball to swerve, and cash in on the batter’s mistakes.Related

• MS Dhoni on facing up to the Russell-Cummins rampage: 'Not much you can really do'

• Stats: The records Cummins and KKR raked up in stunning rearguard

Russell’s thunder, Cummins’ blitz
Russell’s hit three of his first four balls for four, four and six off Lungi Ngidi, and seemed in a thunderous mood right from the start. He had walked into a hopeless situation, but also one tailor-made for him in a way, where all he needed to do was focus on bat hitting ball. Hard. He did that in vintage Russell style, clattering bowlers disdainfully. Karthik, who was going at near ten runs an over, seemed sluggish in comparison to Russell. The equation had appeared beyond anyone, but the way Russell took off, and with Karthik also finding his timing, it was a lot closer than it looked.Russell’s fall was as anti-climactic as his innings was thrilling. Having got to fifty off with his sixth six – each one hit hard enough to launch the ball into orbit – he faced up to Sam Curran in the 12th over and left a length ball on leg stump that he thought was going down. He had moved too far across though and misjudged it, as the delivery took out leg stump, leaving him in disbelief, even as the Super Kings rejoiced.However, there was still one final blow to land from the Knight Riders, and it came via Cummins. Hitting sixes as effortlessly as Russell, Cummins kept the impossible chase alive. Curran, who had struck the most decisive blow of the match, watched an over disappear for 30 runs as Cummins swung hard. He kept running out of partners though, until it came to 20 needed off the final over with Cummins on strike. Three good blows would have done it, but for that, Cummins needed to keep strike, and when Prasidh Krishna stumbled in crossing for a first run and was a bit slow to turn around for the second, it was all over for the Knight Riders.

It's been a busy but exciting summer for Manchester United this year.

Erik ten Hag's side weren't overly impressive during the preseason, but the work off of the pitch has been tremendous, with players like Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, and soon Manuel Ugarte joining up to help bring Sir Jim Ratcliffe's vision of a rejuvenated United to life.

However, while most teams would now sit back and take pride in the business they have conducted, the Red Devils look intent on adding at least one more star to their squad.

The latest player touted for a move to Old Trafford could bring a mountain of goals with him and even has shades of a certain Dimitar Berbatov to boot.

Manchester United transfer news

According to a recent report from The Standard, United are once again interested in signing Brentford ace Ivan Toney.

In fact, the report claims that the Red Devils have already held initial discussions with the Bees over a potential move, and while the West Londoners want a fee of around £50m, the looming deadline could see the Englishman sold for just £40m.

However, the most significant barrier to this deal going through is that, as things stand, the player would prefer a move to Chelsea, who are also keen to secure his services before the clock strikes 11pm tomorrow.

That said, given Toney's incredible goal record and potential bargain price, this is a transfer well worth fighting for, especially as there are some apparent similarities to former United star Berbatov.

Toney's similarities to Berbatov

Now, the first thing to say is that while there are certainly some similarities between Toney and Berbatov, especially if this deal goes through, it would be unfair to expect the Brentford ace to match up with the Bulgarian at Old Trafford, as while he was an unorthodox player, the Bulgarian international left the Theatre of Dreams with two league titles, two League Cups, a Club World Cup and two Community Shields under his arm.

Berbatov's United record

Appearances

149

Goals

56

Assists

26

Goal Involvements per Match

0.55

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, he also racked up 56 goals and 26 assists in 149 appearances for the club, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.82 games, and while the Englishman might be able to reach those levels, it's still a lot of pressure.

That said, what are these similarities, then? Well, the first is that if this transfer is completed, then both poachers would have joined the Red Devils slightly later in their careers, as the Blagoevgrad-born ace was 27 in 2008, and the former Newcastle United ace is now 28.

Second, the pair of them would have made their big move to the three-time European Champions from a team in the capital, Tottenham Hotspur, in the case of the 79-capped international, and obviously Brentford for the man of the moment.

The final similarity based on the deal itself is that, like Berbatov, the Northampton-born "monster", as dubbed by manager Thomas Frank, would likely complete his transfer on deadline day.

Now, there are also a couple of stylistic similarities between the two stars as well, with the first being the fact that neither one was or is blessed with pace and that their biggest strength on the pitch is their ability to finish, placing the ball exactly where they want it to go.

The final point of comparison between the pair is that they share a level of self-belief that some may see as arrogance or even cockiness. Berbatov's former teammate at Spurs, Jamie O'Hara, described the striker as a "fantastic player" but "so arrogant."

Likewise, Toney has made no secret of how highly he rates himself in recent seasons, making disparaging comments about Brentford on holiday and openly telling interviewers which teams he'd like to play for more recently.

Ultimately, while the Englishman – who has scored 72 goals in 141 games for the Bees – isn't going to be the next coming of the Bulgarian legend at United, he'd undoubtedly bring plenty of goals with him, and therefore, at the reported price, signing him before the window slams shut feels like a no-brainer.

Related Man Utd close in on late move to sign their next Roy Keane

The incredible ace could be a game-changer for Ten Hag.

Posts 3 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 26, 2024

The then Australia bowling coach has likened the team’s ‘monumental mistake’ to the underarm incident of 1981

ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-2021

‘We all know that we made a monumental mistake’ – David Saker•Getty Images

David Saker, Australia’s bowling coach at the time of the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, has said the controversy will continue to taint Australian cricket much like the underarm incident of 1981 has done.Related

The return of the Newlands beast – the review Cricket Australia forgot

Cricket needs a global ball-tampering inquiry to clear the air

Newlands ball-tampering scandal: CA integrity unit reaches out to Bancroft for more information

Cameron Bancroft: 'Self-explanatory' that bowlers were aware of ball-tampering tactics in Newlands Test

The ball-tampering incident: full coverage

Saker’s comments came in the wake of the publication of an interview in , where Cameron Bancroft – the player caught using sandpaper on the ball at Newlands – hinted that there was wider knowledge of the ball-tampering plan within the Australian dressing room beyond the trio of players sanctioned by Cricket Australia: himself, captain Steven Smith and vice-captain David Warner.Without going into details of what went on in the dressing room, Saker said there was no foreseeable end to the blame game surrounding the events at Newlands.”Obviously a lot of things went wrong at that time. The finger-pointing is going to go on and on and on,” Saker told and .”There was a lot of people to blame. It could have been me to blame, it could have been someone else. It could have been stopped and it wasn’t, which is unfortunate.”Cameron’s a very nice guy. He’s just doing it to get something off his chest … He’s not going to be the last.”You could point your finger at me, you could point your finger at Boof [then head coach Darren Lehmann], could you point it at other people, of course you could.”The disappointing thing is it’s never going to go away. Regardless of what’s said. We all know that we made a monumental mistake. The gravity wasn’t as plain until it all came out.”Following the publication of the Bancroft interview, Cricket Australia had issued a statement clarifying it was still open to hearing and investigating any new information brought to light about the Newlands incident, whether from Bancroft or anyone else.Saker wasn’t sure what a reopened investigation would achieve.”I don’t think it’d be unfair. I just don’t know what they’re going to find out,” Saker said. “It’s like the underarm, it’s never going to go away.”