All posts by h716a5.icu

Country’s leading run-scorer hits 121 as Worcestershire face heavy defeat

ECB Reporters' Network04-Jun-2021David Bedingham propelled Durham into a position of strength with his third century of the season on day two of the LV=Insurance County Championship encounter with Worcestershire at New Road.The competition’s leading run-scorer hit a chanceless 121 to take his tally for the summer to 787 at an average of 71.54.Bedingham and Michael Jones shared a fifth-wicket stand of 171 to help Durham to 381 all out and a first innings lead of 250.Worcestershire rallied after a disappointing first session, in claiming six wickets for 76 to secure maximum batting points with Josh Tongue returning 4 for 73 from 25 overs.But there is still sufficient encouragement in the pitch for the bowlers and Matty Potts picked up two wickets as Worcestershire limped to 99 for 3 by the close despite an unbeaten Jake Libby half-century.”We said the first hour would be key and we played and missed a bit but you need a bit of luck in a big partnership,” Bedingham said at the close. “We got through it, and the magic spray did the trick after I got hit in the ribs by Tongue, who bowled well the whole day.”It has been a feast-or-famine campaign for Bedingham who has scored three hundreds and two fifties but in eight other knocks in the Championship has a highest score of 33.He was in fine fettle today as Durham built effectively on their overnight 140 for 4, greeting the introduction of Dillon Pennington into the attack with three boundaries in his first over and hitting legspinner Brett D’Oliveira for two straight sixes – the second of which completed an 84-ball fifty.Jones went to a 116-ball half-century and Durham batted through the morning session without losing a wicket and adding 102 runs.Related

Callum Parkinson crushes Gloucestershire with second five-wicket haul

Topley could miss England's white-ball summer with side strain

Callum Parkinson bags five as high-flying Gloucestershire follow on

Abbott's Surrey spell ended with badly damaged hamstring

It was a different proposition for batting once the second new ball had been taken and Leach made the breakthrough when Jones edged through to keeper Ben Cox.Bedingham brought up his century – from 154 balls with two sixes and 11 fours – when he turned Dillon Pennington off his legs for two, but Jack Burnham on nine had no answer to a lifting delivery from Pennington and the nick was taken head-high by Cox.Ned Eckersley edged a Leach away swinger to Cox after making eight and Brydon Carse had only a single to his name when he cut Pennington to Ed Barnard at point.Tongue brought Bedingham’s fine knock to an end on 121 when he was lbw working the ball to leg. He batted for 183 balls and hit two sixes and 13 fours. Barnard wrapped the innings up when Ben Raine, after a quickfire 16, holed out to deep backward square.Potts quickly made a breakthrough with Daryl Mitchell falling to a superb one-handed reflex catch in the gully region by Carse.Libby looked in good form and greeted the introduction of Raine with three boundaries in an over. Tom Fell also looked composed at the crease and the second wicket pair added 67 in fluent fashion in just 15 overs.But Potts returned to the attack and had Fell leg before for 21 and Gareth Roderick completed a pair when shouldering arms and being bowled by Chris Rushworth.

One Chelsea star could be facing a battle for his immediate first-team future under Enzo Maresca, with the Italian already showing that he's prepared to be ruthless in axing members of his squad.

Chelsea end summer transfer window with 13 new signings

Todd Boehly and BlueCo spent a whopping £271 million on 13 new signings over the summer window, with Joao Felix, Mike Penders, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Guiu, Renato Veiga, Estevao Willian, Filip Jorgensen, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aaron Anselmino, Caleb Wiley, Omari Kellyman, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho joining the west Londoners.

Chelsea have struck gold on amazing star who's worth far more than Sancho

Enzo Maresca could hit the jackpot on a winger he has recently signed

ByRoss Kilvington Aug 31, 2024

Sancho, who signed on deadline day in a last-minute switch from Man United, joins on a season-long loan with the obligation to make it permanent for around £20-25 million next summer.

Chelsea also attempted a late marquee deal to sign Victor Osimhen from Napoli, but the Blues could not get him over the line in time. Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli reached an agreement with Napoli, including on personal terms, to sign Osimhen, but they never got the final green light from the Nigerian – so they ended up sealing a deal for Ivan Toney instead.

"The Al-Ahli offer to Osimhen is a €30m salary on a four-year deal," wrote reliable journalist Ben Jacobs on X.

Appearances

25

Goals

15

Assists

3

Shots per 90

3.86

Key passes per 90

1.05

Successful take-ons per 90

0.73

WhoScored

"There are €40m in bonuses on top taking the total package to €160m. Al-Ahli also prepared to sanction a release clause. Osimhen has agreed to terms but is waiting to see whether Chelsea counter. Al-Ahli offer to Napoli has been accepted. It is €68m plus add-ons taking the total package close to €80m."

It was yet another frantic transfer window for the Blues, who also managed to offload a number of fringe players who Maresca had previously axed from his squad. Trevoh Chalobah, Raheem Sterling, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Romelu Lukaku and Armando Broja all sealed last-gasp exits from Stamford Bridge, but the likes of Ben Chilwell couldn't quite muster a late move yesterday.

Mykhailo Mudryk battling for Chelsea future under Maresca

Another player who was sporadically linked with a summer exit, Mykhailo Mudryk, will now be put to the test under Maresca as he attempts to justify his initial £62 million price tag.

The Ukraine international, who has played 45 Premier League minutes so far this season, and featured in both of Chelsea's Conference League qualifying ties against Servette, is facing a crunch few months as he looks to impress his new manager.

Journalist Dan Kilpatrick of The Evening Standard has suggested that Mudryk is battling for his Chelsea future under a ruthless Maresca, who showed throughout the transfer window that he is prepared to omit players who are not pulling their weight.

Kilpatrick suggests the 23-year-old is "increasingly in danger" of becoming a fringe player, with his place in the pecking order "precarious", despite starting two of Maresca's opening three games in charge.

Temba Bavuma top-scored in his first win as T20I captain

Firdose Moonda27-Jun-2021South Africa earned their first T20I victory under new white-ball captain Temba Bavuma and successfully defended a score under 170 for just the third time since the 2016 World T20 to level the five-match series against West Indies 1-1.While Kagiso Rabada took wickets at the start and end of the innings, South Africa had their spinners George Linde and Tabraiz Shamsi to thank for the win. Between them, Linde and Shamsi bowled eight overs, conceded 35 runs and took three wickets to take West Indies from 62 for 2 in the ninth over to 70 for 5 in the 11th, in pursuit of 167.Despite late cameos from Jason Holder and Fabian Allen, the required rate proved too high. Both teams will be concerned with the performances of their middle orders, who failed to build on promising starts. No South African batter outside the top three scored more than 11 while West Indies’ No. 3-6 batters were all dismissed in single figures.Positive in the powerplay With as many as five potential opening batters in their squad, South Africa have several combinations to choose from but stuck with Reeza Hendricks and Quinton de Kock for the second successive match. After putting on 33 in 3.4 overs on Saturday, the pair came good with 73 in 6.4 overs in this match. They scored 69 runs in the Powerplay including seven fours and three sixes and were aggressive against the opening spin pair and the seamers that followed.Watch cricket on ESPN+

The WTC final is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune into the match.

De Kock took 14 runs off Holder’s opening over, including the first six of the innings as he cleared midwicket. At the other end, Hendricks plundered 14 off Allen, and hit him back over his head for six before hitting two fours off the next three balls and then being gifted four leg-byes. South Africa have only scored more runs in a Powerplay three times – 88 for 0 and 83 for 0 against England in 2016, and 78 for 0 against Zimbabwe in 2010. In the end, it set them up for a match-winning total.Ultra-Edge fails…Hendricks was well-set to score the sixth fifty of his T20I career but two balls after the halfway mark was beaten as he attempted a reverse-sweep off Kevin Sinclair. He was given out on-field and reviewed after consultation with his captain, Bavuma. A cutaway of the players was shown but Ultra-Edge was not available and the television umpire, Joel Wilson, eventually had to make his call based on the split-screen. There was a clear gap between bat and ball and ball-tracking upheld the on-field call, with the ball clipping off stump, so had to go. South Africa were 96 for 2, with 200 still well within sight.Temba Bavuma plays one fine on the on side•AFP/Getty Images…and so does South Africa’s middle-orderSouth Africa’s top-heavy squad has left them with a soft middle-order and that showed after the Powerplay and particularly in the second half of their innings. They lost 7 for 97 between the 7th and 20th over, adding only 21 for the loss of three wickets in the last four overs.Left-arm seamer Obed McCoy was the standout performer at the death. After his first over cost 10 runs in the Powerplay, he conceded only 15 runs in his next three and claimed the wickets of David Miller, caught at deep midwicket, Linde, lbw on review, and Heinrich Klaasen, holing out in the last over. Dwayne Bravo bowled the penultimate over and gave away just six runs to build on the start Sinclair had given West Indies. He opened the bowling and finished with 2 for 23 in his four overs, the most economical West Indian return and his own career-best.South African spinRelated

Lewis smashes 35-ball 71 as West Indies trounce South Africa

Pollard: Narine will return to T20I side once he gains confidence

Linde and Shamsi bowled six overs in tandem after the Powerplay and gave away just 23 runs between them. Importantly, they picked up three wickets in that period to put South Africa in a winning position. After the seventh and eighth overs yielded just eight runs between them, Nicholas Pooran, batting at No. 4, felt he needed to do something; he tried to hit Linde over long-on but played for turn when there wasn’t any and skied the ball to Miller on the boundary. Pooran has been dismissed in single figures in eight out of his last 10 T20 innings.In the next over, Kieron Pollard attempted a slog-sweep off a Shamsi legbreak and found a diving Hendricks at midwicket. Four balls later, Andre Russell did not get hold of a leg-side heave off Linde, whom he tried to dispatch over deep midwicket. Klaasen negotiated between staring into the sun and losing the ball in the shadows and ended up taking the catch of the match to leave West Indies 70 for 4.How’s that?We all know the old trick when the fielding side appeal for caught behind when the ball has drifted down the leg side to avoid having the umpire call wide, don’t we? Well, South Africa did that at the start of the 17th over when Allen missed a pull off Anrich Nortje, which was called wide. For once, it worked: de Kock convinced Bavuma to review but a working Ultra-Edge showed no contact between bat, or glove, and ball – though the wide was reversed, with the ball flicking the thigh pad.In the event, the next ball brought a wicket: Allen drove Nortje to Bavuma at extra-cover, whose quick pick-up and release back to Nortje allowed him to catch Holder short of his crease coming back for two, all but ending West Indies’ chances of a successful chase. Allen hit the expensive Lungi Ngidi for three sixes in the final over, but by then the game was lost.

Real Betis are reportedly exploring avenues to try and bring Manchester United flop Antony to the club on loan in January.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Antony's Man Utd spell not gone to planLinked with January transfer exitReal Betis consider loan moveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

United have been looking to offload their £86 million ($108m) purchase permanently but they may have to consider January loan offers for the time being. According to Spanish outlet , Betis are sounding out the Red Devils to see if they will share his salary payments in what would be a 'very difficult' operation. The report adds that Betis may need to sell Assane Diao to make an Antony loan possible.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Antony may go down as one of United's worst-ever signings. A total of 12 goals and five assists in 93 games makes for sorry reading and it may be for the best to get him out of the club as soon as possible, be it on loan or for a cut-price fee.

DID YOU KNOW?

This season, Antony has made 11 appearances in all competitions for United. The 24-year-old is yet to make a starting XI in the Premier League this term and all three of his starts have been in the Carabao Cup or the Europa League.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Antony will hope to get some more game time in United's final 2024 fixture when they host in-form Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Monday in the Premier League.

Manchester City have just received a big transfer boost in their pursuit of finding a successor to Kevin de Bruyne, according to a new report. The Blues are back in Premier League action this weekend as they welcome Brentford to the Etihad, and Pep Guardiola will be hoping his side can make it four wins from four.

Man City have already sold Alvarez 2.0, he's now outperforming Grealish

They sold him for double their money

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 8, 2024 Man City transfer news

Man City had a very quiet and uneventful summer transfer window, as they brought just two players to the club, with İlkay Gündoğan already a known entity as well, returning after a season at FC Barcelona.

The transfer window is now closed, but that isn’t stopping the transfer speculation from continuing. Midfielder Rodri has been linked with a move to Real Madrid in recent days, despite the fact that he still has three years left to run on his contract, and City are looking to tie him down to a new deal to fight off that interest.

Striker Erling Haaland is also being linked with a move to Madrid, with the European Champions keen on signing him at the end of this season. According to the report, Real Madrid are willing to pay the striker’s £19.5 million salary he earns at City now, as President Florentino Perez is a huge fan of the Norwegian and has made him one of their top targets for next summer.

It is claimed a clause in the striker's contract would allow him to leave the Premier League side for a reasonable price, but after a few worrying rumours in recent weeks, City have just been given a boost in their pursuit of a top signing.

£100m+ De Bruyne successor now open to joining Man City

According to Manchester City insider Tolmie’s Hairdoo on X, relayed by City Extra, Bayern Munich and Germany international Jamal Musiala is open to joining Man City in 2025. The report states that the 21-year-old has delayed contract talks with the German giants, which means he will have just one year remaining on his contract at the Allianz from next summer.

Despite that, Munich will still demand a hefty fee, looking to get at least £100 million for the youngster if a new deal cannot be agreed. This comes as Kevin de Bruyne is in the final year of his contract at the Etihad, and even though he has said talks will be held over a new deal, he won’t have long left at the top level.

City have been linked with a move for Musiala before now, with reports stating that Guardiola has been “dreaming” of signing the Germany international.

Apps

24

Apps

18

Goals

10

Goals

4

Goals per game

0.4

Goals per game

0.2

Shots per game

2.4

Shots per game

2.4

Assists

6

Assists

10

Big chances created

12

Big chances created

21

Key passes per game

1.8

Key passes per game

3.3

Filling the shoes of de Bruyne would be very difficult for Musiala, but both players have very similar backgrounds, with them both starring in the Bundesliga after struggling to break through in England as a youngster. The 21-year-old is still in the early stages of his career, but he isn’t that far behind the quality that de Bruyne shows week in and week out, as the pair are both excellent at creating chances for their teammates.

In what would undoubtedly be a frustrating blow for Danny Rohl, Sheffield Wednesday are now reportedly bracing themselves for an out-of-window bid for one of their defenders.

Sheffield Wednesday transfer news

Since smashing Plymouth Argyle on the opening day of the season, Sheffield Wednesday struggled to get back to winning ways until they squared off against Blackpool in the Carabao Cup. The Owls secured a narrow 1-0 victory courtesy of Di’Shon Bernard’s goal just after the half hour mark in what could be a key turning point following a difficult start for Rohl’s side.

That aforementioned start is arguably not down to their transfer business in the summer, however, with the likes of Ike Ugbo, Max Lowe, Yan Valery and Nathaniel Chalobah representing solid business on paper that Rohl will hope to see pay dividends on the pitch. That said, their summer business will look incredibly different if they lose one particular player in an out-of-window deal.

According to Spanish journalist Angel Garcia via The Star, Maccabi Tel Aviv are now ready to pay to sign Pol Valentin from Sheffield Wednesday before the transfer window in Israel slams shut on Wednesday evening.

The deal would be a major blow for the Owls given that they wouldn’t be able to replace their right-back, having seen the English window close at the end of August.

Rohl a fan: Clubs keen to sign Sheffield Wednesday 21 y/o on loan right now

The Owls could sanction the move.

ByHenry Jackson Sep 17, 2024

Valentin has gradually become an important part of Rohl’s squad, adding depth within the backline and often appearing from the bench in an attempt to sway the game in Sheffield Wednesday’s favour. Of course, it would be easy to forget the importance of such a player from the bench, but depth could quickly prove to be the difference in the Owls’ pursuit of Championship survival.

Sheffield Wednesday must keep "popular" Valentin

Losing any player outside of the transfer window is enough to spark frustration, but losing a player who is an active part of the current squad would represent the ultimate blow for those at Wednesday. In the case of Valentin, this is a player who Rohl has fallen back on from the bench in every Championship game except for one so far this season, which saw the full-back start against Leeds United.

A player who can play on the left and right-hand side, the Spaniard’s versatility would also make him a hard man to replace even when the January transfer window does swing open. Among those at the club, meanwhile, he seems to be a well-liked figure given the praise of The Star’s Joe Crann in the summer.

Crann told the Owls Heaven podcast via Sheffield Wednesday News: “We saw what happened last season with Pol Valentin – came in and the first few games and people were not sure, but by the time we got to the end of the season, he’s one of the most popular players in the team.”

So, should that Tel Aviv bid arrive for the £2,000 a week defender, it is one that Sheffield Wednesday should instantly turn down.

Tom Brady and Ryan Reynolds have been told why it’s fine for them to “bring mates over” for now, with Birmingham and Wrexham hosting celebrity guests.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

NFL legend is an investor at St Andrew'sHollywood co-owners in place at the RacecourseInvite famous friends over to matchesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A-list investment has been embraced at St Andrew’s and StoK Racecourse, with famous faces occupying prominent roles on boards in the West Midlands and North Wales. NFL legend Brady fills an advisory role at Birmingham, while Hollywood superstar Reynolds is co-owner of Wrexham alongside Rob McElhenney.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The likes of Channing Tatum, Hugh Jackman and Paul Rudd have taken in the live Red Dragons experience, while David Beckham joined Brady in the stands for Birmingham’s first meeting with Wrexham in the 2024-25 campaign – as they both battle for promotion out of League One.

WHAT WINTERBURN SAID

Ex-England international Nigel Winterburn, who started out on the books at Birmingham, has – speaking in association with – told GOAL when asked if celebrity visitors to EFL fixtures should be considered no bad thing: “I don’t think so. You can reverse that round and if they bring them in and they are struggling, then you have got all of these famous faces milling around, then maybe it looks a little bit ‘you have brought your mates over but we’re struggling’. That’s not happening at the moment with Birmingham because if they keep the form they are on, they are going to be getting promoted. Wrexham have had an unbelievable run as well.

“It gives you that exposure and maybe it encourages the local community, more people to turn up and enjoy watching your team. I think it does do that. I don’t think at the moment we can be critical of the two clubs because one is on a slightly longer journey, in Wrexham, because those guys have been in place a bit longer, but you look at both clubs and they are flying high in the division and we wait to come to the pressure point into the last 10 games of the season, when everybody starts to talk about ‘with the spending power they have got, they should be promoted’. It doesn’t always work like that, so let’s wait and see. I don’t see anything wrong with it at the moment.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty/GOALDID YOU KNOW?

Reynolds and McElhenney have overseen back-to-back promotions at Wrexham, delivering an award-winning documentary series along the way, and Winterburn added when asked what NFL legend Brady brings to the party at Birmingham: “You have brought in somebody that is star-studded, in terms of ownership of your club, and you want someone that is reliable, is going to try and move your club forward and is going to be there to support the club, the manager, along that journey – which is hopefully for a long period of time and a successful period of time. The bits I’ve seen and switching a little bit to Wrexham, who are in a similar situation, Phil Parkinson has been saying that the backing he gets from those two guys is sensational. The one thing they don’t do is interfere with the team. When you put a manager in charge, you trust that manager. You can have your opinions but you’ve got to let the manager and the assistants that he has around him do their job.

“I think when you get famous, celebrity, owners into a football club, the first thing you want to know is that they are in it for the long haul, it’s not just a bit of a gimmick, and they are there to support the fans, the players and the manager. What we all want, especially in the lower leagues, is to try and come up and get as far as you can. If you are in the Premier League, it’s about pushing from bottom half to top half and trying to challenge for trophies. If I was part of those clubs, I would be thinking: stability, good leadership but put my trust in the manager and the assistants that I have there working for the club.”

Existential angst is nothing new for county cricket, but this feels like the beginning of the end

David Hopps14-Jul-2021Durham 165 (Evison 5-21, Broad 3-36) and 188 for 4 drew with Nottinghamshire 328 (Patterson-White 73, Slater 60, Clarke 48, Rushworth 4-75, Raine 3-63) and 217 (Hameed 58, Borthwick 4-32)County cricket felt like a game going through the motions at Chester-le-Street. Not just because the contest was dead, but also because of the creeping, low-level sense of foreboding that, behind the scenes, the season itself was in danger of crumbling.Is this what the beginning of the end of county cricket will look like?Confidential soundings will be taken from chief executives this week over whether the Royal London Cup can logistically be staged as the competition is drained by international cricket, the inaugural season of the Hundred – a tournament upon which several ECB high-fliers have pinned their reputation – and the continuing curse of Covid, as the country approaches “Freedom Day” amid rising cases and the ping of mobile phones instructing hundreds of thousands (or at least those who haven’t already deleted the App) to go into isolation.The first phase of the Championship has ended tonight with the final stages due to begin again on August 30. The group stage of the T20 Blast also comes to an end on Saturday (although Derbyshire’s campaign has already run out of players), with the quarter-finals scheduled for August 23 onwards.The doubts surround the Royal London Cup. The 50-over tournament, already shorn by design of the top 30% of professional cricketers, is meant to fill the gap for the rest. Not providing a purportedly valid county competition for a month in the middle of summer for core cricket supporters, and leaving the majority of players inactive in the process, would be unconscionable.The ECB’s masterplan asserted that county cricket could have it all ways – take the promised windfall from the Hundred and still stage a legitimate competition to satisfy traditional county supporters. But counties are struggling with ravaged squads and mounting debts, and in some quarters faith is understandably wavering that they can stage worthwhile matches of sufficient quality, or even stage matches at all.Related

Nottinghamshire make short work of Durham's cunning plan thanks to Joey Evison five-for

Roses match overshadowed by horror leg injury to Dominic Leech

Concerns over England-Pakistan match after Headingley Roses abandonment

Doubts grow over viability of county competitions as clubs face difficulty putting out sides

And somewhere in these discussions will be the question of what will happen if one of the squads in the Hundred has to isolate? There is only one place where a Hundred side could draw fresh resources – and that would be desperately to scour the fast-emptying shelves of the county cricket supermarket, a supermarket with a deeply flawed production line but the only production line nevertheless.All this bobbled around the surface, like pollution on a calm sea, as Durham’s Championship encounter with Nottinghamshire hit stalemate, Durham sidling to 188 for 4, having been set 381 to win in 71 overs. Durham could have joined Notts in Division One of the next stage of the LV= Championship with victory, if Warwickshire had lost at Worcestershire, but there never looked to be the slightest possibility of that. They did little more than keep up appearances before gladly shaking hands on a draw at five o’clock. Durham, as a result, are heading into Division Two.Notts blocked out the first hour, largely in the shape of Joey Evison, whose five wickets had won them promotion the previous day and who now had a more humdrum job to do – 13 from 45 balls. With the game safe, they indulged in some late-order hitting, with Scott Borthwick’s legspin the chief recipient as he turned in season’s best figures of 4 for 32.Ankle-high dismissals for Cameron Bancroft and David Bedingham were reminders that a sedate final-day surface would have one or two treacherous moments. The game was played out in the semi-conscious, virtually unwatchable, way that county cricket resorts to when a game goes awry. “Cricket is a situation game – when the situation is dead, the game is dead,” said the England allrounder, Trevor Bailey, more than half-a-century ago and it remains as true as ever.With Durham 193 behind at the start of the final hour, nobody much minded when a draw was accepted. Losing an hour was of no consequence. It was the outcome of the next month that mattered.

Liverpool's Premier League meeting with Manchester United will go ahead as planned despite talk of postponement due to adverse weather conditions.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Liverpool vs Man Utd to go aheadMatch was in doubt due to weatherSnow and ice disrupted travelFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

Snow fell heavily across England over the weekend, particularly in the north and close to Merseyside. It was first revealed on Saturday night that Sunday's fixture could be in jeopardy, with a decision over the game held hours before kick-off.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Safety boards and authorities have decided the match will indeed go ahead as first planned, with kick-off at Anfield set for 4:30pm GMT.

WHAT LIVERPOOL SAID

A statement from Liverpool read: "Today’s fixture against Manchester United will go ahead as planned. Two safety meetings were held earlier to assess the weather and travel conditions. We thank everyone involved in helping us to get this game on today.

"If you’re travelling to Anfield then please take extra care. We look forward to seeing you there."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

DID YOU KNOW?

Trains and flights into Liverpool were cancelled on Sunday morning, while icy conditions on the roads made it difficult to enter the city too. Nevertheless, it has been determined the fixture can go ahead.

Setting their sights on solving a future problem, Manchester United are now reportedly keeping tabs on one star who could succeed Bruno Fernandes in the years to come.

Man Utd transfer news

Whilst the Red Devils can consider their summer transfer window a success story, it’s yet to really come together on the pitch for Erik ten Hag’s side. Whilst they brushed Barnsley aside 7-0 in the Carabao Cup in a game that saw their attacking options finally begin to show signs of goalscoring form, a routine but unconvincing win at Southampton which followed a humiliation at the hands of rivals Liverpool shows that there’s still work to be done.

Jose wanted Man Utd to sign £152m star in the making but got Lukaku instead

He is now considered one of the world’s best

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 20, 2024

Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be well aware of the need for patience, however, after only beginning to implement his vision for the club in the summer, ridding of any previous transfer strategy in the process which usually saw stars past their peak arrive for big money and on high wages.

Now, with the focus very much shifted towards players on course to become Europe’s top stars rather than those who have already had their time in the spotlight, the Red Devils have reportedly set their sights on an eventual Fernandes replacement.

According to Fussball News, Manchester United are keeping tabs on Oscar Gloukh, who has enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign with Red Bull Salzburg, even scoring a hat-trick in their 5-1 mauling of Blau-Weiss Linz in the Austrian Bundesliga.

Still just 20 years old, United reportedly see Gloukh as an option to eventually replace current captain Fernandes, who is 30 years old and, therefore, not someone who has a long-term future among Europe’s elite. And whilst the Portugal international’s post-football career is some way away yet, United would be wise to consider future options for a player of his calibre.

"Impressive" Gloukh should be heir to Fernandes' Man Utd role

Such is Fernandes’ talent, not many players around European football would be capable of taking his role at Manchester United, but Gloukh is certainly one of a select few. The Red Bull Salzburg star has got off to a fine start in the current campaign following a season to remember last time out in which he recorded numbers that match Fernandes’ at Old Trafford.

Appearances

29

35

Goals

7

10

Assists

11

8

Both enjoying an involvement in 18 league goals last season, Gloukh looks like the perfect heir to Fernandes’ Manchester United throne as a player who still has plenty of room for improvement at just 20 years old.

Earning significant praise thanks to his excellent rise to stardom at Salzburg, Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig described Gloukh as “impressive” and a “jewel in Salzburg’s collection” last April. Now, he is a jewel that Manchester United could add to their side in 2025 in what would be yet another impressive signing by INEOS and new sporting director Dan Ashworth.