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There has been an update in Manchester United's reported interest in Chelsea playmaker, Mason Mount, with speculation growing that the Englishman could be on his way to Old Trafford…

What's the latest on Mount to Man United?

The Daily Mail reported late last week that the Red Devils were set to launch a £55m bid for the 24-year-old – who has just a year left on his existing deal at Stamford Bridge – while The Athletic's David Ornstein subsequently stated that the midfielder is "leaning towards" a move to United if he is to exit the Blues this summer.

Following on from those reports, journalist Sam Pilger has now revealed on Twitter that there is "increasing confidence" among those at the Theatre of Dreams that a deal for the one-time Derby County loanee can be done ahead of next season.

In his attached piece for Optus Sport, the transfer insider revealed that Mount – who has previously been valued at around £70m – could well be sold by the west London outfit if a new deal cannot be agreed, with Erik ten Hag said to view the 36-cap gem as a 'possible upgrade' on Christian Eriksen.

Should Man United sign Mason Mount?

United have previous for acquiring players from rivals Chelsea, having snapped up the likes of Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata from their top-flight rivals within the last decade.

In the case of Mount, the signing of the Three Lions star would evoke memories of the move for fellow midfielder, Mata, with the Spaniard having joined David Moyes and co in January 2014 on a £37.1m deal.

Much like Mount – who helped his current side to Champions League glory back in 2021 – the diminutive ace also helped the Blues to Europe's prized honour in 2012, having established himself as a leading figure in the capital after providing 90 goals and assists in just 135 games across all fronts.

After falling out of favour under Jose Mourinho amid what was a "difficult" spell – in his own words – the World Cup winner opted to make the leap to Manchester in search of improved game time and would go on to score 51 goals and provide 47 assists in 285 outings prior to his eventual exit last summer.

While a respected servant during his eight-and-a-half-year stint with United, the 35-year-old seemingly never hit the heights that he achieved at Stamford Bridge – as his return of goals and assists illustrates – having spent much of his time at the club utilised in a right-wing berth, rather than in his preferred number ten role.

The fear will be that Mount – who has been hailed as a "little genius" by talent scout Jacek Kulig – could also follow a similar path if he is to make the move this summer, with it also unclear as to which role the Portsmouth native would occupy under Ten Hag.

Despite having featured predominantly as an attacking midfielder during his time with the Blues, the presence of Bruno Fernandes in that role could well see Mount forced to be deployed elsewhere, ensuring that Ten Hag and co may not see the best of his talents.

As such, the Red Devils may well be looking at Mata 2.0 with the signing of the £80k-per-week asset…

Fast bowler Sean Abbott, captain of the National Performance Squad, has been ruled out of the ongoing Quadrangular A-team one day series after fracturing his left ankle, Cricket Australia said on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2016Fast bowler Sean Abbott, captain of the National Performance Squad, has been ruled out of the ongoing Quadrangular A-team one day series after fracturing his left ankle, Cricket Australia said on Thursday.Abbott suffered the injury during the rain-affected match against Australia A on Tuesday. A release from the board stated that the bowler was struck on the ankle off the final ball of the match, and will undergo scans in Sydney to assess the injury. Batsman Matthew Short will captain NPS in the remaining matches of the series.”Sean was struck during Tuesday’s match and suffered some damage to the ankle bone,” Stephen Timms, a Bupa Support Team Physiothrapist, said. “Sean will undergo further scans in Sydney to assess the full extent of the damage and treatment required.”Abbott took two wickets after NPS’ first two matches in the series. Victories in both matches put NPS on top of the table, ahead of Australia A, India A and South Africa A. Their next match is against India A on August 21.

Abahani Limited’s DPL clash against Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club was called off after an on-field incident forced the umpires to walk-off citing “illness.”

Mohammad Isam12-Jun-2016The Dhaka Premier League match between Abahani Limited and Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club was called off after the umpires walked off the BKSP-3 stadium. The match was not played on the reserve day as the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, the BCB standing committee that runs the league, had not announced its decision.* The umpires had reportedly walked out citing “illness”.The incident that triggered them leaving the field occurred in the 16th over of Prime Doleshwar’s chase when Raqibul Hasan was given not out by umpire Tanvir Ahmed off a stumping appeal from left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib. The Abahani players protested and their fans began to hurl abuse at the umpires, at which point they left the field after consulting with match referee Montu Datta.Eventually, Prime Doleshwar were asked to chase a revised target according to the D/L method, but they refused saying the weather wasn’t a factor and the interruption wasn’t their fault.”Why should we go by the Duckworth/Lewis method? Our club officials are not going to abide by it today. The match didn’t stop because of us. What happened was quite unfortunate,” Prime Doleshwar coach Mizanur Rahman Babul said.Khaled Mahmud, the Abahani coach, thought it was a case of the umpires overreacting. “There was no threat or any situation created that the umpires had to leave the field,” he said. “They could have handled the situation much better. It is quite natural that [Prime] Doleshwar didn’t want to play according to the D/L method when the situation didn’t demand of such a thing.”* 0515am, June 13, 2016. The news article was updated with the information that the match was not played on the reserve day

Match facts

March 28, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1400 GMT)1:52

Manjrekar: Back South Africa to win this one

Big Picture

There were no visible tears when Sri Lanka were knocked out of the World T20, but to see Angelo Mathews and his men speak, and to read their tweets the next day, there is clearly some hurt. More than one member of the team has expressed a feeling of letting “the whole country down”. As doomed as this Sri Lanka campaign had always seemed, pain still struck when failure became tangible. For someone like Mathews, this is the first time in his career the team is exiting a world tournament before the knockouts have begun.South Africa’s exit was not as dramatic as their penultimate-ball loss to New Zealand in the World Cup last year, but they will be no less affected. Players like Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers are into their 30s now, and have limited chances to taste big-tournament glory – particularly now that the World T20 has switched to a four-year cycle. This time, at least, they will be saved the “chokers” tag. Despite their hoard of monumental talents, South Africa just did not get going in this tournament.As each team attempts to pick itself up to play for pride, South Africa do appear the better team. Sri Lanka’s top order did not play seam well against England, which is a weakness the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris, and – if he gets a game – Dale Steyn could exploit. With so many South Africans in the IPL now, it is difficult to say which team will be more comfortable in these conditions.Sri Lanka also have a little more than their self-esteem on the line: they are looking to snap their seven-match losing streak against Full-Member opposition.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa: LWLLL
Sri Lanka: LLWLL

In the spotlight

In an up-and-down few months for South Africa, Imran Tahir has been among their most consistent performers. He has taken five wickets in his three games this tournament, and was excellent against West Indies, returning figures of 13 for 2. Sri Lanka’s right-handers have not fancied legspin in recent months, and what’s more, some of the players in this team will have bad memories of last year’s World Cup quarter-final in Sydney, which Tahir had excelled in. His bowling may define Sri Lanka’s middle overs.Picked, then dumped, then picked again, Jeffrey Vandersay has come into the side and been perhaps the find of Sri Lanka’s woeful tournament. He was outstanding against West Indies, delivering four gripping overs on a turning track. Though his control was slightly wonky in the next match, he still took 2 for 26, and showcased a venomous googly. A third good performance in a row will give the team and its fans hope that the future can be brighter than the present.

Teams news

South Africa may give Farhaan Behardien a match, with Aaron Phangiso also likely to retain his place. David Wiese could be rested.South Africa (probable) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis (capt.), 4 Rilee Russouw, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 David Miller, 7 Farhaan Behardien, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Aaron Phangiso, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran Tahir.With Angelo Mathews likely to be ruled out with a hamstring injury and Dushmantha Chameera also having sustained a blow to a finger, both are likely to be left out for the dead rubber. Dinesh Chandimal is the likely replacement captain. Suranga Lakmal and Shehan Jayasuriya are likely to come into the XI.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dinesh Chandimal (wk)(capt.), 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Milinda Siriwardana, 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Chamara Kapugedara, 6 Shehan Jayasuriya, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Dasun Shanaka, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Jeffrey Vandersay, 11 Suranga Lakmal

Pitch and conditions

There was a little slowness to the Kotla surface on Saturday evening, but batsmen who had their eye in were also able to play their shots. The weather is not expected to impede play.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have won three T20Is and lost two against Sri Lanka. Their World T20 head-to-head is even, at 1:1.
• Of batsmen who only played in the Super 10s stage of the tournament, Quinton de Kock has the third-highest run-tally, of 144 from three innings.
• This is only the second time in six World T20 tournaments that Sri Lanka missed out on a knockouts spot. The other occasion had been in the inaugural tournament in 2007.

Quotes

“We’ve got a lot to play for. You never want to leave the World Cup on a bad note. We are hoping we put things back together and come up with a good victory.””This year it was helpful for spinners. A lot of spinners have done well – especially the leg-spinners. Though we are out of the competition, we fight hard – that’s the Sri Lankan spirit.”

Liverpool haven't had too much to celebrate this season, with a number of inconsistent performances and a failure to maintain their high standards so far, which has led to the club being unable to compete for another trophy.

The Reds were knocked out of both domestic cup competitions prematurely and a two-leg thrashing from Real Madrid saw them crash out of the Champions League in the round of 16, whilst they also fell to eighth in the Premier League table this weekend after losing to Manchester City at the Etihad stadium.

It's safe to say that beyond the monumental 7-0 victory over Manchester United at Anfield and the 9-0 smash against Bournemouth, most Liverpool supporters would happily forget that this season ever happened once the final whistle is blown on the final day.

Not only that, the pressure to reinvest has never been so high on FSG this summer as success has dwindled and the squad is now stale, in dire need of a refresh. Indeed, there are a number of players coming to the end of their contract or are well into the latter stages of their respective careers.

Having said that, there has been one shining light that has broken through the dark cloud hanging over Anfield at the moment with academy graduate Stefan Bajcetic displaying just how influential a fresh perspective and injection of youth can be in this otherwise uninspiring squad.

The talented Spanish midfielder was a breath of fresh air in the centre of the pitch this season until suffering a serious leg injury that has left him unavailable for selection for the rest of the campaign.

How much is Stefan Bajcetic worth?

Bajcetic joined the Merseyside giants back in December 2020 when he was just 16 years old for a fee of just £224k from Celta Vigo and has been developing at an incredible rate ever since.

Surprisingly, the teenage sensation started out on his journey in the Liverpool academy as a centre-back in the U18s but ultimately found his perfect role in a defensive midfield position, which helped him catch the eye of Jurgen Klopp.

The first few opening games of the season saw Liverpool's midfield completely fall apart through injury – with Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita all sustaining issues early on, ultimately paving the way for Bajcetic to prove his worth in the centre of the pitch. The rest, as they said, is history.

Over 11 Premier League appearances, the "cheeky" 18-year-old – as dubbed by Klopp – has made an impact at both ends of the pitch, having score scored one goal, averaged 2.22 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes and successfully completed 43.8% of his take-ons.

The youngster has also made 40 ball recoveries and won 64.3% of his aerial duels, proving that he is a huge presence capable of being potent in attack and efficient in winning back possession of the ball.

Considering Liverpool paid less than a quarter of a million to acquire the services of Bajcetic just over two years ago, it is phenomenal that the player is now worth 7,712% more, with CIES Football Observatory valuing the youngster at €20m (£17.5m) already.

As a result, it is without doubt that the Reds have hit the jackpot with the talented teenager and his market value will surely only increase further when he returns to action next season in Klopp's team.

Arsenal’s famous Hale End academy has churned out a number of top talents throughout the years.

Arsene Wenger had the opportunity to develop Ashley Cole, Gael Clichy and Jack Wilshere to name a few, whereas now under Mikel Arteta, the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe are starting to blossom.

The conveyor belt of talent is seemingly never-ending, with youngsters such as Charlie Patino, Folarin Balogun, and Amario Cozier-Duberry all looking like they could become key figures in Arsenal’s first team over the next few years.

There is one teen who is currently starring for the U21 side having made the jump from the U18 last summer, and he certainly has the potential to become the next Granit Xhaka for Arteta – Mauro Bandeira.

Who is Mauro Bandeira?

Xhaka has been in inspired form under Arteta this term, adding a more attacking output to his game compared to previous seasons, and Bandeira is also adept at going forward whenever necessary.

Xhaka has scored four goals and registered five assists so far in 2022/2023 while the young Portuguese sensation has grabbed two goals and two assists in just 16 games so it looks like their styles are very much aligned.

The 30-year-old is a combative midfielder and Bandeira echoes these traits. Across three matches in the Football League Trophy, the 19-year-old who is an ‘all-action’ central player – in the words of academy expert Jeorge Bird – made 1.3 tackles and 0.7 clearances per game, while winning an impressive 56% of his total duels.

Considering Xhaka has made 0.8 tackles and won 54% of his duels in the Premier League, it suggests Bandeira is doing fairly well and could potentially be an ideal heir for him in the next couple of years.

Gooner Fanzine editor and journalist Layth Yousif claimed the youngster “looked lively” during a match last summer and the fact he has four goals and ten assists overall for the U21 and U18 age groups demonstrate that he can add that extra dynamic from the middle of the pitch and Arteta will surely be keeping a close watch on him.

A loan spell could do him the world of good, gaining experience at a League One or Championship side on a regular basis and the summer. Whatever happens, he has a big future in the game and instead of spending millions on an eventual replacement for Xhaka, Arteta may already have someone ready to slot straight in once the time is right.

Like the Swiss, he has ‘worked hard’ – per the aforementioned Bird – to improve his attacking qualities and is already training with the first team. Exciting times.

Sanjay Manjrekar and Dileep Premachandran dissect India’s ODI slump

31-Oct-2006Dileep Premachandran – India must get their ingredients right
Audio – ‘Its time to hold individuals accountable’ – Sanjay Manjrekar
A report card – Catching the shortbus
A statistical analysis – A batting debacle

After recent stutters against Luton Town and Toulouse, Liverpool got back to their ruthless best against Brentford in the Premier League to cap off an impressive start just before the third international break of the season. Sitting second and just one point away from league leaders Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp's side have the opportunity to go above last season's treble winners when they square off at The Etihad in the first game back after the international break.

If the Reds are to mount a serious title challenge, however, then they may need to look towards the January transfer window to complete Klopp's midfield rebuild. And reports suggest that FSG could be about to do exactly that.

Liverpool transfer news

Liverpool's summer overhaul, despite how many changes were made, has been fairly seamless. Those who arrived have slotted straight in and have impressed where the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho began to fail. Dominik Szoboszlai has been particularly impressive, offering the Reds mobility in the middle of the park once again. Ryan Gravenberch, meanwhile, has shown signs of becoming yet another bargain under Klopp, as he bounces back from Bayern Munich failure.

One struggle that has remained is the defensive midfield role, however. So far, Alexis Mac Allister has been shoehorned into the role and has, therefore, been exposed at times. Reports suggest that FSG could solve that problem in January though. According to Sport, Liverpool have taken the lead in the race for Andre Trindade. The Fluminense man is reportedly worth €35m (£30m) and has attracted the interest of the Premier League giants, alongside Barcelona.

Previous Liverpool transfer news suggested that the Reds had pulled out of the race to sign Andre, but now it seems as though they are leading the way in the chase for his signature in a major twist ahead of January. When the winter window opens, the Brazilian is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Liverpool leading the way for "monster" Andre

When looking at Klopp's newest version of his Liverpool side, there's a sense that the only player missing is an out-and-out defensive midfielder capable of replicating Fabinho's role when at his best. It has become clear fairly quickly that Mac Allister is not the man to do that and would be better used in a more advanced role similar to his Brighton & Hove Albion days. Andre, however, could be that player for the Reds. Andre's stats, compared to Mac Allister's, certainly suggest as much.

Player

Progressive Passes Per 90

Interceptions Per 90

Tackles Won Per 90

Andre Trindade

6.43

1.09

1.40

Alexis Mac Allister

5.42

0.69

1.21

It comes as little surprise that the Fluminense man has been at the centre of praise over the last year or so, including from ESPN's Fernando Campos, who posted on X: "Pressing and playing with the confidence of someone who knows he's different. Get out of the hush and make the team work. André Trindade is the best defensive midfielder in the country and is a monster of a player."

San Diego Wave teenage sensation, Melanie Barcenas, scored a stunning goal for the USYNT against Canada in the Under-17 Concacaf Championship.

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USYNT defeat Canada 5-0Barcenas scores outrageous effortSD Wave star had big 2024 aheadWHAT HAPPENED?

The 16-year-old prodigy rocketed an effort into the left corner of the net seven minutes into the match, scoring the first of five goals for the USYNT in a shutout victory over Canada, Tuesday. The Wave's up-and-coming superstar played a brilliant one-two on top of the box before firing home. With the result, the US recorded their third victory of the group stage and finished as the leaders of Group B.

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Barcenas is one of the hottest up-and-coming prospects in all of American soccer, with the teenager breaking onto the scene with the Wave in 2023. Her idol Alex Morgan has helped her adapt to the professional game, and now 2024 could promise a lot.

As for the the USYNT, it's a brilliant showing against a top opponent. Barcenas' opening goal helped pave way for a dominant second half, where they overcame a tough Canadian defense and slid four goals by them.

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WHAT NEXT FOR BARCENAS, THE USYNT AND THE WAVE?

The 2024 NWSL season does not kick off until March this spring, with the Wave beginning their campaign in the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup against Gotham FC. For the USYNT, with their victory Tuesday, they now advance to the semifinals where they'll take on Haiti on February 9.

The batsman sustained an injury on his right arm while diving during a fielding drill on the Bangladesh tour

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2018Sri Lanka batsman Asela Gunaratne’s injury woes continue, having now been ruled out of next month’s T20 tri-series – the Nidahas Trophy – with an injury to his right arm. An SLC release said he sustained a “grade II rotator cuff strain with contusion” while taking part in a fielding drill on their recent tour of Bangladesh. Although Sri Lanka won each of the three trophies that had been up for grabs, the 32-year old did not have the best time personally: he made only 35 ODI runs in four innings.While Gunaratne is the only player to have been ruled out so far, several others are also battling to regain fitness. Most notable among these is captain Angelo Mathews who missed the majority of the Bangladesh tour with another in a long line of hamstring injuries, and is yet to make a full recovery. Also ailing from a hamstring complaint is fast bowler Shehan Madushanka, who sustained the injury during the final match of the Bangladesh tour. Batsman Kusal Perera, meanwhile, had been out with a side strain since mid-January.More clarity on who will be available for selection should emerge after this weekend, when the first round of a domestic T20 tournament is set to be played. “All players are asked to play club T20 games this weekend,” cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha told ESPNcricinfo. “After that we will look at how the injured guys come up.”Injuries – particularly muscle strains – have been rife among Sri Lanka’s national players over the past year. In fact, before he got injured again, Kusal Perera had only recently made a return to international cricket after five months due to a hamstring tear. Gunaratne had also missed several months of cricket, though that was due to a fracture. Mathews meanwhile, has been fit for fewer matches than he has been unavailable for, over the past 18 months.The Nidahas Trophy will be contested by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and will begin on March 6.