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Manchester City are reportedly eyeing a move to sign RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo, with Sky Sports reporter Gianluca Di Marzio sharing if the Bundesliga side would be willing to sell the attacker.

What’s the latest Man City transfer news?

The treble winners and Pep Guardiola have been fairly busy so far this summer with moves for Croatia internationals Mateo Kovacic and defender Josko Gvardiol from Chelsea and RB Leipzig.

Meanwhile, the club have lost Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan, and it looks as if attacking reinforcements are on the agenda before the September 1 deadline, especially with Kevin de Bruyne potentially out for four months with a hamstring issue.

City are thought to be preparing an offer to sign Rennes’ Jeremy Doku to fill the void left by Mahrez and have now agreed on personal terms with the Belgian.

In attacking midfield, West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta has been the player heavily linked with a move to Manchester, but it looks as if Olmo is another player of interest.

Di Marzio took to X in the last 48 hours to provide an update on Man City and Olmo, claiming that the new Super Cup winners are “monitoring” the Spaniard.

However, the Sky Sports reporter added that RB Leipzig are not willing to sell the player at this moment in time and are expected to ask for a very high fee.

“Man City are monitoring Dani Olmo closely. RB Leipzig not willing to sell him – it's expected the German side will ask for a very high fee. Guardiola appreciates Olmo.”

Who is Dani Olmo?

Olmo is primarily an attacking midfielder who can also turn out on either wing if required, so could fit into Guardiola’s versatile attacking system relatively easily.

The 25-year-old has been with RB Leipzig since 2020 after leaving Dinamo Zagreb, with Guardiola hailing the player back in 2019 following a Champions League encounter against City.

"He's a top player – he has a bright future, of course. His performance today shows it. About the transfer and the money he deserves, that is not the point.

"The point is he is an incredible player and I am pretty sure he is able to play in the strong leagues in Europe. Hopefully if Dinamo wants and he wants, it can happen."

In Germany, Olmo appears to be going from strength to strength and recently scored a hat-trick in the DFL Supercup against Bayern Munich. Olmo has contributed to 53 goals in 124 games for RB Leipzig and has been compared to Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Tottenham’s James Maddison and Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai, as per FBref.

Over the past 12 months, Olmo has ranked highly compared to attacking midfielders and wingers for shots, successful take-ons, while he ranks in the top 1% of his positional peers for through balls.

A move could be one to keep an eye on, but with RB Leipzig not willing to sell, City may have to make an eye-catching offer to tempt the German side into talking after landing Gvardiol following extensive negotiations from the same club.

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Dale Steyn endured a wicket-less return to first-class cricket, returning 0 for 16 from his 12 overs for the CSA Invitation XI against Zimbabwe in the first day Paarl. He did, however, come close twice: Solomon Mire nicked behind in the first over but was adjudged not out and Hamilton Masakadza, who went on to top-score for Zimbabwe with 79, was dropped at point in the fifth over on 1. Zimbabwe were eventually bowled out for 196 on a 13-wicket day.Apart from Masakadza, no other batsman managed to go past 26 against a relatively inexperienced bowling attack. The Zimbabwe bowlers, however, fared much better, with Kyle Jarvis (2 for 15) and Chris Mpofu (1 for 0) picking up three wickets to leave the Invitation XI at 55 for 3 by close of play.For the Invitation XI, medium-pacers Lizaad Williams and Michael Cohen combined for six wickets, while legspinner Shaun von Berg claimed 3 for 64.

Danielle Wyatt recorded the first-ever century by an England batsman in women’s T20Is to set up a record chase in the final T20I, a result that had no bearing on Australia’s hold on the Ashes

The Report by Daniel Brettig21-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsGetty ImagesDanielle Wyatt saw Beth Mooney’s blistering hundred and raised a barnstorming century of her own at Manuka Oval as England took the final Twenty20 match of a series that leaves the Ashes in Australian hands.In a last encounter thrilling for its high-scoring – the highest aggregate in all women’s T20 internationals – but also notable for signs of mental fatigue on both sides after seven matches in less than a month, the hosts seemed content with a tally of 2 for 178 built upon Mooney’s freewheeling 117 from 70 balls.However Wyatt’s response was bolder still, rattling England’s first ever T20I century from 56 deliveries in a victorious chase that was aided not only by captain Heather Knight’s typically mindful contribution, but also the dropping of no fewer than four catches by Australia.In the progression of the women’s game to full professionalism such lapses are likely, much as the advent of domestic T20 tournaments such as the IPL and BBL exposed domestic male players to hitherto unknown pressures from crowds and television cameras.ESPNcricinfo LtdRachael Haynes had been happy to win the toss for Australia as they fought to win the match and so claim the multi-format contest on points, having ensured the safety of the urn in the opening T20 at North Sydney Oval on Friday. Mooney was into stride quickly, taking a heavy toll on the usually exemplary Anya Shrubsole, who was so expensive as to only be called on for three overs costing 36.Alyssa Healy, Elyse Villani and Ellyse Perry all offered support, but it was very much Mooney’s show, backing up her equally arresting display in game one of the T20 matches. It left England with plenty to do, but a warm night under the Canberra lights and an effectively dead rubber as far as the Ashes were concerned gave Wyatt plenty of licence.She needed to show all her ability after three early wickets left England a decidedly wobbly 3 for 30, but a measure of Knight’s leadership was provided by how she did not panic, while also supporting Wyatt in her bolder approach. The dropped chances were telling in terms of mental fatigue, but they also served to let Wyatt carry on until the pursuit was all but completed.Like Shrubsole, the otherwise excellent contributions of Megan Schutt were somewhat sullied by a last game blowout. But the final win for England and the overall result for an Australian side shorn of Meg Lanning due to a shoulder surgery meant both sides could finish the night with happiness of different sorts.

Manchester United could pull off one of the deals of the century, should they tempt a sought-after star to Old Trafford.

Is Kylian Mbappe leaving Paris Saint-Germain?

With the future of Kylian Mbappe firmly up in the air, it remains to be seen what the future holds for Paris Saint-Germain's wantaway superstar.

As the Frenchman is now firmly up for sale, drawing the intrigue of Saudi Arabia among other suitors, there are few that can compete with the financial might that such an evolving league can offer. However, it remains to be seen whether the 24-year-old ace will choose legacy over a financial boost that could set up his family for countless generations.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

One of the few clubs who could offer the forward a mix of the two is the Red Devils, who were implicated in the saga earlier this month. He has just one year left on his current deal, with Football Transfers valuing the World Cup winner at €126.4m (£108m).

How good is Kylian Mbappe?

It feels disingenuous to outline what Mbappe offers with statistics alone, but they help to showcase how he is comfortably one of the best players in the world.

Just last season saw him notch 51 goal contributions across all competitions, unsurprisingly failing to match his incredible tally of 65 from the year prior.

There are but a handful of players capable of shining so brightly, and given he is still so young, the world truly is at his feet as he seeks a move to greener pastures. He would likely encourage a speedy end to his tumultuous but ultimately successful tenure at the Parc des Princes, where he has scored 212 times in just 260 games.

However, his creativity is an often-forgotten asset that sets him apart from the rest. It is that ability to forge chances out of nothing for his teammates that suggest he could be a star in Manchester, providing for their newest signing, Rasmus Hojlund.

With transfer insider Fabrizio Romano confirming that the deal has been agreed, the Danish marksman will offer pace, power, and a much-needed focal point with which Erik ten Hag can build his side around.

Not to mention that last season he found the net 16 times across all competitions whilst assisting a further seven, suggesting that the 20-year-old certainly knows where the back of the net is.

He would benefit greatly from the quality Mbappe would bring, who registered 1.6 key passes per game in Ligue 1 last year, and created 17 big chances despite registering just five assists, via Sofascore.

In fact, when compared against other forwards across Europe, he sits in the top 1% for progressive carries per 90, the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, and the top 4% for shot-creating actions per 90, via FBref. His offensive figures boast a sea of green, where he is one of if not the best in every offensive category across the continent.

Journalist Musa Okwonga had already earmarked the youngster for success back in 2017, noting:

"Mbappé is the best player I have seen at that age since Ronaldo. There is no other footballer of this era who has been so complete so young."

This is potential certainly fulfilled, and if partnered with the 6 foot 3 gem, could even reach new heights.

Ten Hag's new striker could bully defenders into submission, and in turn, even end up creating for Mbappe. The combination of a big man and a silky dribbler, both with a frightening turn of pace, marks a daunting prospect for the rest of the division.

The threat the latter poses will likely draw two or even three defenders to silence him, which is when the rest of his teammates could truly do the damage. Hojlund in particular will benefit, as his big-money move to Old Trafford could be eased by a higher-profile arrival that will feed him countless opportunities to mark his debut year with plenty of goals.

Toby Roland-Jones, the Middlesex seamer, will make his Test debut against South Africa at The Oval after Mark Wood was ruled out with the heel soreness he picked up at Trent Bridge

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2017Toby Roland-Jones, the Middlesex seamer, will make his Test debut against South Africa at The Oval after Mark Wood was ruled out with the heel soreness he picked up at Trent Bridge.Steven Finn has been called into the squad as cover but Joe Root confirmed that Wood’s spot would go to Roland-Jones who has been part of the squad throughout the series. Wood had managed just 1 for 197 in the opening two Tests of the series.Roland-Jones, 29, made his ODI debut earlier this season, also against South Africa, at Lord’s where he made an unbeaten 37 and took 1 for 34.In the County Championship this season he has taken 22 wickets at 35.63. Last season he took 54 wickets at 28.22 which included a hat-trick to seal the Championship title for Middlesex.Roland-Jones’ call-up means England will have at least debutants with Tom Westley having previously been confirmed as Gary Ballance’s replacement. There could be a third, too, with a decision to be made on Thursday morning between Dawid Malan, the Middlesex batsman, and allrounder Liam Dawson after the pitch remained covered during England’s training session due to rain.”I think it’s important to look at the surface and decide what’s going to be the best side to play South Africa in those conditions,” Root said. “So, we’ll turn up tomorrow, take a look at the wicket and make a decision.”

Australia and England will look to firm up their chances of a semi-final spot, even as Sri Lanka and West Indies pursue their first win in this edition

The Preview by Annesha Ghosh08-Jul-2017

The two teams with the most World Cup titles and tournament favourites in this edition – defending champions Australia and hosts England – will face off in Bristol as the race for a place in the semi-finals nears a tight finish.Australia have a chance to secure a semi-final berth with a win, while a victory could put England on top of the points table, with eight points from five games and healthier net run rate than the other teams.If numbers are anything to go by, Australia, six-time world champions, have a clear edge over the hosts. Out of the 71 matches between the two, Australia lead England 47-20, having won 11 out of 16 matches in the World Cup. The last time they met in a World Cup, Australia upstaged England by two runs in a low-scoring thriller in Mumbai after seamer Anya Shrubsole’s 3 for 24 had limited Australia to 147.The two teams, however, haven’t played in the format against each other since the 2015 Ashes. Back then Australia captain Meg Lanning scored 85 and strung an 85-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Ellyse Perry to hand the hosts an 89-run drubbing in Worcester.The numbers could turn a shade brighter for England on Sunday if Lanning opts to sit out her second successive match. She was rested in Australia’s previous game against Pakistan to avoid aggravating her chronic shoulder injury. Australia coach Matthew Mott was “very hopeful” of Lanning’s return for Sunday’s match, even as he praised middle-order batsmen Elyse Villani and Alyssa Healy for taking on the onus with fifties in the side’s 159-run win over Pakistan.The Bristol pitch, in the previous match, had produced a 678-run slugfest between England and South Africa. A new surface will, however, be used for Sunday’s game, which could most likely facilitate the contest ending up as a battle of two unwavering batting line-ups with six centuries between them in this edition. Despite the batting-friendly nature of the track, the spinners of both teams could pose a challenge, having been the preferred mode of attack, with 37 wickets between them.Stafanie Taylor’s unbeaten 171 had consigned Sri Lanka to a 209-run defeat during the previous World Cup encounter between the two sides•Getty Images/ICC

Sri Lanka and West Indies, on the other hand, will be pursuing their first wins in this edition, in Derby.Having lost all five warm-up fixtures, followed by four consecutive defeats in the league stage, West Indies are languishing at the bottom of the table. They batted first in all four matches so far and their narrowest margin of defeat was by seven wickets against India.After folding for 48 against South Africa, they crawled to 150 against New Zealand, and were smashed by Rachel Priest, who scored the fastest Women’s World Cup fifty. New Zealand went on to beat West Indies with 190 balls to spare.Sri Lanka will look to build on their performance against India, where they nearly pulled off a win. Medium-pacer Sripali Weerakkody, who kept India’s batsmen in check with 3 for 28, said the remaining matches were a good platform for the seniors to pass on knowledge. “We have so many juniors in the team, so we can give a chance to them and do something good for the future,” she said.Both teams are matched evenly in head-to-head numbers, each having won 14 out of 28 ODIs.Former West Indies captain Merissa Augilleira admitted the side has been far from showcasing the might that took them to the final of the 2013 World Cup. “We know our potential, we know what this team has and what we can do but apparently it is not clicking for us,” she said.While little may have gone West Indies’ way so far, a look back on their previous World Cup encounter against Sri Lanka in 2013 could serve them a much-needed encouraging stimulus ahead of what is poised to be a knockout game. Led by Stafanie Taylor’s unbeaten 171 and a 22-ball 50 from Deandra Dottin, West Indies had piled up 368 before consigning Sri Lanka to a 209-run defeat.

Manchester United are working on a number of deals to bolster their squad ahead of next season and now a reliable source has revealed a fresh update on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Man United's interest in Axel Disasi?

According to Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United are "exploring" a move for Monaco centre-back Axel Disasi.

Romano revealed on Twitter:

"Newcastle and Manchester United are both exploring Disasi deal, no bids yet. Newcastle approached player side this week, expected to make contact with Monaco.

"Ten Hag approved Disasi — talks for weeks on player side but still waiting for approach with Monaco. More to follow."

Is Disasi a good player?

Erik ten Hag is pushing to improve a number of key areas on the pitch at Old Trafford with a new goalkeeper imminent due to David de Gea's departure and an extensive search to identify the next centre-forward who can lead the front line next season.

The Red Devils have already completed the signing of Mason Mount this summer, however, with recent reports claiming that the club are ready to offload a number of players before they return to action next month, there is still plenty of work to be done.

One of the players the club is keen to sell to boost transfer funds is club captain Harry Maguire, with the England star falling out of favour since the arrival of the former Ajax boss – tallying up just eight Premier League starts last season.

As a result, the signing of Disasi – who has a €50m (£43m) price tag – could further push Maguire out of the team and potentially out of the club altogether before the transfer window closes, as the Monaco ace could provide Ten Hag with a fresh, energetic and youthful prospect who can become part of the future of the team.

The 25-year-old Frenchman ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, assists, progressive passes, progressive carries, successful take-ons and touches, demonstrating strong ball-playing qualities from his centre-back position, as per FBref.

Not only that, Disasi has been attracting huge praise for his Ligue 1 performances, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig claiming he was made to play Premier League football:

"Disasi is one of the most underrated youngsters in Ligue 1 at the moment. A true hidden gem. We don’t talk about him enough."

"He would be an amazing signing for any top Premier League club. He was born to play in England."

The Man United head coach is keen to implement his preferred style of play by developing the players who are capable of his intuitive ball-playing style and replacing those that can't adapt, which is the likely reason why Maguire hasn't been featuring as much.

When comparing Disasi's output over the last 12 months to Maguire's, the Monaco titan delivered more progressive passes per 90 (5.80 v 3.09), interceptions completed per 90 (1.81 v 1.35), more progressive carries per 90 (1.70 v 0.95) and successful take-ons per 90 (0.57 v 0.24), showing the younger man's superior ease with regard to playing out from the back.

With that being said, if Man United can beat off their competition to sign Disasi it would be a great piece of business for a player who fit Ten Hag's philosophy perfectly and will give the squad the depth needed to finally offload Maguire too.

Crystal Palace are willing to submit an offer to bring Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto back to the Premier League, according to reports.

When does Wilfried Gnonto's contract expire?

Gnonto is a left-sided winger who currently plies his trade at Elland Road having moved there from FC Zurich last summer, and he's quickly become a regular feature of the first-team, registering 28 appearances in his debut season.

The Italy international’s contract isn’t set to expire for another four years, but having suffered relegation, he and a number of other prized assets will likely want to leave so that they can continue competing at the highest level.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay, who is a reporter for the Whites, revealed earlier this month that the 19-year-old is a player that the hierarchy will “battle to keep” should he start attracting interest during the ongoing window, which is exactly what has happened if the following update is to be believed.

Are Crystal Palace signing Gnonto?

According to The Mirror, Crystal Palace “will make a move” for Gnonto should they lose the services of Wilfried Zaha. Brighton, West Ham and Everton are also keen to strike a deal for the Leeds attacker, and despite his value rising to £30m, several clubs are “willing to bid” for him.

Premier League scouts from all of the potential suitors named above are also claimed to have been in attendance to watch their target during Italy’s U21s game vs Switzerland on Sunday.

£30m would represent a record signing for Palace, ahead of current most expensive arrival Christian Benteke.

As the source states, Gnonto will only be able to nail down a regular place in Roy Hodgson’s starting XI should Zaha depart which at this stage is unknown, but should he leave, Leeds’ talented prospect could be a promising long-term successor for the future.

The Verbania native posted six goal contributions (four assists and two goals) in 24 Premier League outings last season and recorded 50 shot-creating actions, which was the fourth-highest total throughout his squad despite not always playing 90 minutes, as per FBRef.

The Puma-sponsored ace, who has “scary” pace according to talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, is also a versatile operator having been deployed in seven different positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even in the midfield, so he could be a great option for the manager to have at his disposal.

Gnonto is already making a name for himself on the international stage having made ten senior appearances for Roberto Mancini’s Italy, which is hugely impressive at just 19 years of age, so there’s no doubt that he’ll have a massive future ahead of him.

Queensland’s stand-in captain guided his side to 9 for 405 declared, before equalling the record for most dismissals in the Sheffield Shield

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2017
ScorecardChris Hartley moved to 546 Sheffield Shield dismissals, equalling Darren Berry’s record•Cricket Australia

It was quite a day for Queensland’s stand-in captain Chris Hartley at the Gabba, where he scored his 10th first-class century and then equalled the all-time record for most wicketkeeping dismissals in Sheffield Shield history. When he pouched a catch late in the day to remove Tasmania opener Jordan Silk for 15, Hartley moved to 546 Sheffield Shield dismissals, equalling the record set by Darren Berry.Queensland had resumed on 6 for 251, with Hartley on 31, and he went on to lift them to 9 for 405 declared, with the help of the tail, finishing his own innings on 102 not out. Tasmania’s first-class debutant fast bowler Andrew Perrin finished with 3 for 84, while Cameron Stevenson picked up 3 for 77.In reply, the Tigers wobbled to 4 for 113 at stumps, trailing by 292 runs, with George Bailey on 36 and Dom Michael on 27. Michael Neser claimed two top-order wickets for the Bulls.

Police presence will be increased around the MCG for the Boxing Day Test after a series of terror-related arrests in Melbourne on Thursday night.Seven people were arrested over what Victoria’s Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton said was a potential multi-mode attack at Federation Square, Flinders Street Station and St Paul’s Cathedral, believed to be planned for Christmas Day.Although there has been no suggestion of the Boxing Day Test being targeted, Mr Ashton said police presence would be heightened around the cricket, as it would at other major events in Victoria during the holiday period.”We’ll see a lot of additional police presence in the CBD particularly, through the Christmas period, right through the new year period,” he said. “We’ve added additional layers of security to the cricket Boxing Day Test. These are precautionary measures but it’s important the community is reassured that we are putting these additional resources in place.”I took the opportunity to talk to Cricket Australia this morning and had a discussion with them, informing them that we will have an increased police presence for the cricket. But we are doing the planning across the state. So all of those significant events that will be occurring across the state will be complemented by additional police during this period.”I do stress that there’s no intel, there’s no information suggesting a threat at this time to any of those events. However, we’re just making sure that we’re taking those extra precautions given what we’ve been dealing with over the last couple of weeks in relation to this.”Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said: “Our security team is in contact with the relevant authorities to ensure we have the appropriate level of security at the Boxing Day Test and other cricket matches being held around the country.”The safety and security of our fans, players and officials attending any cricket match is our number one priority. We applaud Victoria Police for their efforts this morning in neutralising the threat and we will continue to work with the relevant authorities to ensure the highest security standards and protocols are maintained.”A “ring of steel” was erected around the MCG last summer as a security measure, with full bag and body searches conducted at the fence before fans were allowed inside the perimeter. Although it was decided not to put the fence in place again this year, the same searches will again take place as patrons enter the MCG proper.