David de Gea could be on his way to Saudi Arabia in January as Al-Ettifaq are said to be plotting a move for the goalkeeper.

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De Gea available as free agentSaudi teams interested in himAl-Ettifaq are front of the queueWHAT HAPPENED?

Steven Gerrard's team are the frontrunners to sign the former Manchester United star, reports, but other teams in the Saudi Pro League are interested in snapping him up when the January transfer window opens up.

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De Gea has been a free agent since leaving United in the summer after 12 years with the club. He has previously been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, with Al-Nassr reported to have offered him a contract, while MLS side Inter Miami are also said to be interested.

DID YOU KNOW?

It has been claimed that De Gea earned up to £375,000 per week at Old Trafford and expects to be paid even more than that in Saudi Arabia as the oil-rich nation has been spending big to bring famous faces to the Pro League in recent transfer windows.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DE GEA?

The 33-year-old goalkeeper will likely receive a few offers as the January transfer window arrives and could be back on the field in the near future.

It says much for the progress of Bangladesh in recent years that their senior players and coaches keep being asked a very similar question: is this the biggest moment in the history of the team?That a reasonable answer to that question – whether it was asked ahead of the World Cup quarter-final in 2015, when they defeated England in a Test in Dhaka or Sri Lanka in a Test in Colombo, when they won home ODI series against Pakistan, India and South Africa, or now, when they find themselves in the semi-final of a global tournament for the first time – is “yes” confirms the impression that, as their captain Mashrafe Mortaza put it, their “graph is pretty good. We’re coming up.”While most would accept that they have enjoyed a little fortune on the way to the semi-final – rain came to their rescue against Australia – the general impression remains: Bangladesh are a growing force in international cricket. Their future looks bright.There is no doubt that India are favourites in this semi-final, though. Strong favourites. It’s not just that they have a hugely experienced batting and bowling line-up, it’s that they have a huge amount of experience of playing in such high-profile games.But as if Pakistan’s victory over England had not already exposed the folly of presumption, Bangladesh have a record that demands respect. They have produced the two highest partnerships of the tournament to date (Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah added 224 for the fifth wicket against New Zealand, while Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim added 166 for the third wicket against England), they have recorded four of the nine highest individual scores (including three centuries) and they have won two of the last three ODIs between these sides.Most of all, they have a skillful, varied attack that, even on the fine batting surface anticipated at Edgbaston, provides Mashrafe with options.For all those reasons, Bangladesh should be a far more confident side than the one brushed aside by India in the World Cup quarter-final. Now they know they can win big games and fight back from tough positions. Now they know they belong at this level. India, Mashrafe said, are going to find a “changed” opponent.”Winning against England [in the 2015 World Cup] helped us a lot. We lost our next match, against New Zealand in New Zealand, but on a tough wicket we scored almost 300 and the team took a boost from that.”After that, we beat Pakistan, India and South Africa. Yes, it was at home, but we gained more self-respect by beating those sort of teams.”So this team has changed. Over the last two or three years, we’ve changed a lot, especially in the dressing rooms. Now we play with freedom. The coaches support the players and don’t drop them. These sort of things actually change teams.”Mashrafe took particular confidence from the victory over New Zealand. With 20 overs of the New Zealand innings remaining, they were 152 for 2 with Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson well set. A total well in excess of 300 looked likely.”That’s the thing,” he explained. “We never give up. They batted really well, but we came back strongly. And once you have played at your best, you know how well you can play and things can change. I know, on our day, we can do anything.”Might the pressure of the occasion prove a burden? Mashrafe accepted his side is in uncharted territory here, but, like his coach the previous day, attempted to alleviate the burden.”It is our first time in our life in a semi-final; that is a fact,” he said. “And if you look at it as a semi-final, the pressure will be very hard. But if you think of it as just another match, the pressure will come a lot easier. And India has more pressure than us as the population is huge there and people love cricket a lot. Both teams have a lot of expectations.”For a Bangladesh team of which very little was expected not so long ago, such hopes are another sign of progress. Few would bet against this being the first of many semi-final appearances over the coming years.

Jude Bellingham has been breaking records at Real Madrid, but he admits to still “disappointing” boss Carlo Ancelotti in one area.

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• England star making a stunning impact in Spain
• Has settled quickly at Santiago Bernabeu
• Still working on breaking down language barrier

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international midfielder has made a stunning impact in Spanish football on the back of his €103 million (£88m/$112m) transfer to Santiago Bernabeu from Borussia Dortmund. The talented 20-year-old, who has won the prestigious Golden Boy award for 2023, has netted 15 goals through 17 appearances this season – allowing him to better the exploits of Blancos legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

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  WHAT BELLINGHAM SAID

  Bellingham has told of how Ancelotti is bringing the best out of him, while demanding even more on and off the pitch: “I’ve had a ferocious commitment to improving myself with hard work, but the credit goes to coach Ancelotti who has found the right position for me, giving me more freedom, so I’m flying now. However, I know I am disappointing him in one aspect.”

  Asked to reveal what that aspect is, Bellingham added: “I still don’t speak Spanish. I am sorry but I am finding obstacles I didn’t expect with this language. I admit it’s difficult for me, but I promise maximum commitment.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bellingham, who also landed the Kopa Trophy at the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, added on following in the footsteps of boyhood idol Wayne Rooney as the recipient of an award that recognises the best young talent on the planet: “It’s fantastic, it’s an extraordinary result. I am glad of it and I thank all the jurors who voted for me. I am the third English player to win this award after Wayne Rooney, one of my idols, in 2005 when he was at Manchester United and Raheem Sterling in 2014 when he was playing for Liverpool.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?

  Bellingham has been nursing a shoulder injury of late, which Real are having to manage ahead of potential surgery, and he will be hoping to avoid any further setbacks heading towards what promises to be a big 2024 for him with club and country.

Callum Hudson-Odoi has still got breakout potential in the Premier League, journalist Dean Jones told FootballFanCast.

The forward, who spent last season on loan with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen has recently been linked with a summer switch to Nottingham Forest.

What is the latest transfer news regarding Callum Hudson-Odoi?

According to a report from the Athletic, the Chelsea wide-man has decided to leave the club this summer.

The 22-year-old has been with the club for 14 years, having joined the club at the age of eight. However, the player understands that at this point in his career, he has to be playing regular first-team football, and he most likely will not be doing that at Stamford Bridge next season.

There are a number of clubs interested in the former England youth international, with Forest and Fulham offering potential Premier League football. Another shock move could be the reunite with former Chelsea youth products Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Fikayo Tomori at AC Milan this summer.

Whilst the London club have not yet decided on the fee they want for Hudson-Odoi, the forward only has one year remaining on his deal, so this summer represents the final chance for the club to make some money off of the forward who has a €15.00m (£12.8m) market value according to Transfermarkt.

Another report states that the club may sensationally ask the player to halve his wages in order to terminate his contract and leave him free to join any club as a free agent. New manager Mauricio Pochettino doesn't see the winger being good enough to have an impact at Chelsea next season.

Journalist Jones has said that we are still yet to see the full version of Hudson-Odoi yet.

What does Dean Jones think about Callum Hudson-Odoi?

When asked about whether Hudson-Odoi to Nottingham Forest would be a good signing, Jones was full of praise for the winger, citing the potential that he has.

The transfer insider told FootballFanCast: "I still think Hudson-Odoi has got breakout potential in this league. I mean, we've obviously seen him before, but I don't think we've seen the full version of him over a long enough period to know exactly what he would be capable of.

He's still so young, this is a player that should really be playing Champions League football right now. If he had fulfilled his potential and not had injuries."

Should Hudson-Odoi head to Nottingham Forest?

A move to Nottingham Forest could be the perfect move for Hudson-Odoi to get his career back on track.

The Premier League side finished 16th last campaign, but received many plaudits for their front-footed style of play, with players like Morgan Gibbs-White, Brennan Johnson, and Taiwo Awoniyi thriving under manager Steve Cooper.

The winger has previously worked under Cooper on the international level with the England Under 17's, where Hudson-Odoi won the under-17 World Cup in the summer of 2017, featuring as part of a squad that included names such as Marc Guehi, Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Angel Gomes, Emile Smith-Rowe, and current Forest star Gibbs-White.

The 22-year-old was set for stardom after breaking onto the scene under Maurizio Sarri in the 2018/19 campaign. The forward was so impressive early on in his career that German giants Bayern Munich submitted a loan offer that included the option to buy the Englishman for £70m which Chelsea rejected. However, since rupturing his Achilles Tendon, the forward has struggled to reach those heights again.

A loan move to Leverkusen was tried last season, however, one goal and one assist across 21 appearances was a very disappointing return. The forward still gave some statistical glimpses into his quality though, with his 4.71 progressive carries and 2.02 successful take-ons per 90 still impressive numbers when compared to wingers across Europe's top five leagues. There clearly is still an incredible player there, he's just waiting for the right manager and situation to showcase it.

Forest could lose Johnson to Brentford this summer according to reports, and Hudson-Odoi could be a risk worth taking to fill that void, as if he can begin to realise his potential at the City Ground, then the club may have a potential world-class player on their hands.

Rob Keogh was influential in Northants’ win [file picture]•Getty Images

Northamptonshire ended Leicestershire’s 100 per cent record in this year’s NatWest T20 Blast with a two-run Duckworth/Lewis win at Grace Road.The Foxes, batting second, had only themselves to blame, having been ahead of the D/L calculation for much of their reply after the Steelbacks had scored 165 for 8 on a hard and true pitch.Northants were indebted to a partnership of 75 between captain Alex Wakely and Rob Keogh, who came together after Richard Levi was well caught low down at deep square-leg by Dieter Klein off Gavin Griffiths for 41, leaving the score at 68 for 4 in the 10th over.But Wakely and Keogh kept the scoreboard moving, the former hitting consecutive boundaries off Klein before 21 came from the 17th over, bowled by Mat Pillans.Both bowlers came back strongly, Pillans knocking back Wakely’s leg stump as he stepped to the offside and tried to lift the ball over short fine-leg, and then Klein picking up the wickets of Steven Crook and Rory Kleinveldt with consecutive deliveries to restrict the Foxes’ target to under 170.They were given a good start by Luke Ronchi and Cameron Delport, who added 45 for the first wicket before the New Zealander steered Ben Sanderson to backward point, where Ben Duckett took a smart two-handed catch.Off-spinner Keogh bowled Delport for 30, but Mark Cosgrove, who was particularly severe on left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, hit 41 off just 26 balls to leave the Foxes in control.Leicestershire were still ahead on D/L when the Australian was bowled swinging across the line at Kleinveldt.But neither Colin Ackermann and Mark Pettini were able to get the ball to the boundary before umpires Steve O’Shaughnessy and Ian Blackwell took the players from the field, with the home team having fallen fractionally behind the required rate.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has slammed refereeing decisions that have gone against his team in recent weeks, making a comparison to Real Madrid.

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Barca denied late penalty against Rayo Laporta insisted they receive poor treatmentAlso backed Xavi to recover after poor runWHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona have been denied a series of penalty shouts in recent weeks, most recently seeing a late appeal for an apparent foul on Raphinha waved off in their game against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.After that game, Xavi criticised refereeing decisions and Laporta, his outspoken club president, has also made his feelings known.

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Speaking at an event in Barcelona, Laporta claimed that Barca have been on the wrong end of decisions in recent weeks: "Throughout this week there has only been talk of nonsense when we should have been talking about the Rayo game and the penalty against Raphinha or the one they also gave to [Robert] Lewandowski."

Laporta also appeared to suggest that the decisions that have gone against Barca are part of a wider competitive advantage given to their rivals: "If this had happened to Madrid, I’m sure there would be talk all week… It is not about playing the victim, it’s a reality. To win we must be much better than our rivals and they make things difficult for us."

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Barca find themselves four points behind Madrid and Girona after 14 matches, and in the middle of a poor run. They have dropped points three times since early October, and a negative result or two before the Christmas break could see the Blaugrana fall out of title contention early on.

Laporta has backed coach Xavi to turn the situation around, however, saying: "We live in constant suffering. It’s a fun suffering. I was happy for Xavi, he deserves it. He had to overcome very difficult situations, with injured players."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA

The Blaugrana face Atletico Madrid on Sunday at home in La Liga. A win will thrust them back into the title race. A loss could see them slip seven points off the top, if results elsewhere don't go their way.

Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney jokingly asked Shoehi Ohtani to learn Welsh as the baseball star's free agency continues to dominate American sports.

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• Wrexham recruiting Ohtani?
• Japanese star remains top story in American sports
• Welsh side pushing for promotion

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ohtani, the most dominant hitter/pitcher in baseball since the great Babe Ruth, is a free agent this winter, having spent the entirety of his Major League Baseball career with the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani's free agency has captivated American and Canadian sports, with fans tracking planes all over North America hoping for a hint of where Ohtani may land.

  Toronto and Los Angeles are seen among the favorites, but McElhenney has joked that Ohtani should consider a team slightly off the beaten path: the mighty Wrexham!

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• WHAT MCELHENNEY SAID

  "Note to Shohei Ohtani: January transfer window is just 22 days away and Welsh is a very easy language to learn," joked McElhenney on X, formerly known as Twitter, as he campaigned for the Japanese star to consider Wrexham.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  McElhenney and his Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds have mastered the art of keeping the club in the news cycle through both the club's documentary and their own social media hysterics. McElhenney's joking plea to Ohtani is just the latest crossover between the club and American culture as Wrexham continues to grow in popularity among American fans.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  As things stand, Wrexham sit second in League Two as they look to continue their rise up the English system after being promoted from the fifth division last season. They'll play host to Colchester in the next match, which is set for December 16.

Shahid Afridi’s four wickets gave Hampshire promise of victory but they dried up with the bat as Kent kept their last-eight hopes alive

ECB Reporters Network01-Aug-2017Shahid Afridi’s four wickets were to no avail•Getty Images

Mitchell Claydon defended 16 in the final over to back up Daniel Bell-Drummond’s ninth career T20 fifty as Kent edged a last over thriller to beat Hampshire by five runs in the Natwest T20 Blast.England Lions star Bell-Drummond carefully hit 62 to help the visitors reach 159 for six on a slow track.Hampshire faltered in the second half of the innings to fall short. They needed 37 from 28 balls when Australian George Bailey was the third wicket to fall. Liam Dawson managed 5 from 9 balls and No. 3 Tom Alsop was left high and dry with 43 from 41 balls with only two boundaries.Hampshire’s captain James Vince expressed his disappointment at a victory that eluded his side: “For three quarters of the game we did better than them but we struggled to find the boundary in the second half of our innings,” he said. “We needed 72 from 10 overs with eight wickets in hand – it was a bit of a mess up but we have to move on for Friday.”He defended the decision not to push Shahid Afridi up the order to No 6, saying: “Afridi hasn’t really hit it miles yet this season and McManus has been in really good touch. We didn’t lose a wicket for a while so no one went in and we left too much to do in the back end. In hindsight we would have liked to win that with an over to spare.”Vince and Rilee Rossouw had got Hampshire off to a quick start in their quest to reach 160. Skipper Vince in particular took a fancy to Mitchell Clayton, who he dispatched for the match’s first six over cover in the fourth over.But the fast bowler hit back three balls later as Rossouw picked out Alex Blake at mid-on to break the 43-run opening partnership. Vince departed to the final ball of the powerplay as he was yorked by former teammate Matt Coles – as Hampshire sped to 60 in the opening six overs.Spin pair Imran Qayyum and James Tredwell put the brakes on Hampshire’s charge with tight middle overs. And from then on the hosts struggled, Bailey and Alsop neatly added 40 to take their side to 28 runs from victory before the Australian chipped a paddle sweep to short fine leg for a season best 41.Liam Dawson then picked out Blake on the long on boundary to leave his side needing 16 from the final over. But Claydon brilliantly defended the last six balls, as he only went for 10, to lift Kent’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.Earlier, Kent captain Sam Northeast won the toss and decided to bat on a grubby track under thin grey clouds.Joe Denly and Bell-Drummond set off at an understated rate, which set the tone for the innings. Denly cracked back-to-back fours off Chris Wood in the second over, two of just 12 boundaries in the Kent total, as they reached 47 by the end of the Powerplay. Mason Crane broke the 65-run opening stand when he bowled Denly with a googly.Skipper Northeast was bowled for a quick 10 and Sam Billings picked out Crane on the long on boundary as Afridi showed his class by going on to take four wickets.England Lions star Bell-Drummond continued to tick the score along effortlessly and reached a 33-ball fifty. Afridi was keeping things tight at the other end but waited until his final over to blow the visitors away by snatching two wickets in two balls.James Neesham top edged a sweep to short third man and Bell-Drummond was brilliant caught by a sliding Dawson on the cover boundary – leaving Afridi with his third best Hampshire T20 figures of 4 for 26.Alex Blake and Darren Stevens struck a quick 39 to lift Kent to 159 although the latter was caught at mid-off at the final ball as Kyle Abbott deceived him with a slower ball – but the score was enough.

Marcelo Bielsa got the best out of several players during his successful spell at Leeds United, where he became somewhat of a hero in Yorkshire after securing the club's promotion back into the Premier League. But it's Kalvin Phillips who really stood out at times under the Argentine.

The midfielder impressed so much, in fact, he earned a move to Manchester City, with Leeds receiving a reported £45m fee last summer.

The England international hasn't quite replicated his Leeds form at The Etihad, however, struggling for game-time and form throughout his debut season under Pep Guardiola. Of course, injuries didn't help as he missed 16 games with a shoulder injury at the start of the campaign. From there, it was always going to be difficult to break into the City side.

Despite his struggles, though, Phillips came away from his first season in Manchester with a treble after City won the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup.

Amid his difficulties, Phillips turned to the man who have him such a high platform to succeed in the first place, as Bielsa showed his class once more.

What did Marcelo Bielsa say to Kalvin Phillips?

Speaking to BBC 5 Live, Phillips said: "Marcelo Bielsa is a very special person to me. He’s a great manager and he’s a manager who found the best in me as a football player, with where he wanted me to play and how he wanted me to play. I’ll always be grateful for that.

"I actually spoke to him. I came on against Leicester, and I didn’t do too well, and I was feeling a little bit down."

The midfielder went on to say: "He was just asking me how I was, and how I was feeling and what I was thinking, and we had a really good conversation, so the relationship is obviously still there with Bielsa."

In that game – a 3-1 victory – Phillips failed to impress as he "got in a tangle with Ederson" for the only Leicester goal.

With a boost from his former manager, however, perhaps next season will be the one in which the midfielder makes his mark.

What is the market value of Kalvin Phillips?

Since Manchester City paid that reported £45m for him last summer, Phillips' market value has gone down significantly, which is perhaps an indication as to how disappointingly things have gone for the midfielder.

As per Transfermarkt, the former Leeds man is currently worth €32m (£27.29m), meaning that if City did want to get rid of Phillips, they'd potentially be making a loss of almost £20m.

Currently, 27, Phillips should be playing at the peak of his powers. Instead, though, he is resigned to sitting on the bench under Guardiola at City. Alarm bells may have been ringing earlier this summer, too, when the Premier League champions were reportedly making a move for the now Arsenal-bound Declan Rice.

Rice plays in Phillips' position, who already finds himself behind Rodri in the pecking order, so a move for Rice could have been pretty disastrous for his ambitions at the club.

As of right now, however, last summer's signing looks set to get another crack at impressing Guardiola in the coming campaign. And with so many trophies coming his way last term, Phillips may just settle for a place on the bench in exchange for a number of medals.

Only time will tell, but, either way, Bielsa has his back.

Shiv Thakor, the Derbyshire allrounder, has been suspended by the county after it became apparent that he faced allegations of “indecent exposure”

George Dobell06-Jul-2017Shiv Thakor, the Derbyshire all-rounder, has been suspended by the club after allegations he indecently exposed himself to two women.Thakor, a former England U19 player, has not been arrested but voluntarily attended a police station in Derby where he wasquestioned. Derbyshire subsequently suspended the 23-year-old on full pay pending a further investigation.He has not been charged.ESPNcricinfo understands the incident occurred when Thakor was being shown round a new house by a pair of female estate agents. It isalleged he catastrophically misread the signals and was found in a bedroom in a state of undress. It is understood that CCTV footage ofsome of the event exists.”Shiv has been suspended on full pay pending an investigation,” a statement released by Derbyshire confirmed. “He has not beencharged by police and there is no further comment to make at this stage.””A 23-year-old man voluntarily attended St Mary’s Wharf police station and was interviewed in connection with the alleged offences,” aDerbyshire Police spokeswoman told .