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England will play their first three-Test series in Sri Lanka in 11 years, but the tour – which also features five ODIs and a T20I – may also clash with the island’s northeast monsoon

Andrew Fidel Fernando15-Mar-2018England will play their first three-Test series in Sri Lanka in 11 years, but the tour – which also features five ODIs and a T20I – may also clash with the island’s northeast monsoon.England’s tour of Sri Lanka 2018

Oct 10 – First ODI, Dambulla
Oct 13 – Second ODI, Dambulla
Oct 17 – Third ODI, Pallekele
Oct 20 – Fourth ODI, Pallekele
Oct 23 – Fifth ODI, Khettarama (Colombo)
Oct 27 – Only T20I, Khettarama
Nov 6-10 – First Test, Galle
Nov 14-18 – Second Test, Pallekele
Nov 23-27 – Third Test, SSC

The matches will be played in Dambulla, Galle, Kandy and Colombo, with the SSC set to host the only Colombo Test. As it is the Tests – set for November – are more likely to be affected by rain than the limited-overs games, which end by October.SLC generally only hosts sides in November if there is no alternative, and given both teams’ busy 2018 schedule, that does appear to be the case. November Tests were last played in Sri Lanka in 2012, when both matches against New Zealand yielded results. However the previous series that began in November – the 2010 Tests against West Indies – were infamously rain-affected, and all three games ended in draws.The ODI series kicks off the tour on October 10, before the one-off T20I is played on the 27th of that month. There are then nine days before the first Test – time perhaps for England to play at least one warm-up encounter. The Test series begins in Galle on November 6, then moves to Pallekele, before the tour finishes up in Colombo.England last played Tests in Sri Lanka in early 2012, that two-match series finishing 1-1. Their most-recent three-Test tour of the island was in 2007.

Former Real Madrid midfielder Julio Baptista believes his old side will return to winning ways against their city rivals Atletico this weekend.

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Baptista picks former club to snag 2-1 winAtleti have won two of last three Madrid derbiesReal looking to hold off Girona in title raceWHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid and Atletico will meet in El Derbi for the fourth time this season on Sunday, in what could be a crucial match in the scope of La Liga season. But it could be a dangerous one for Carlo Ancelotti's side, who have lost two of three to Diego Simeone's men. Atletico inflicted Real's only league defeat of the campaign back in September and followed it up by knocking Jude Bellingham and Co out of the Copa del Rey last month. Los Blancos did, however, win their Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Atleti before beating bitter rivals Barcelona to lift the trophy.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT JULIO BAPTISTA SAID

In an interview with GOAL ahead of La Liga's ElPartidazo watch party in Chicago, Baptista weighed in on the atmosphere around the crucial fixture: "In this case, I think that Real Madrid has a slight advantage, because they've managed to have a little bit more rest… I think that before the Copa del Rey match, Real Madrid were a little more tired than usual. So in my opinion, I think that Real Madrid has a slight advantage for Sunday. But we all know that Atletico has got a great team, a great coach, and they're a very strong team."

Asked what he expects the score to be this weekend, the former Brazil star predicted a 2-1 victory for Ancelotti's league leaders.

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Baptista is set to host one of La Liga's fan-focused watch parties on Sunday. The US-based branch of Spain's top flight has previously held events in Miami, Los Angeles and New York, where a handful of former La Liga greats have appeared.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID

Los Blancos will face their city rivals on Sunday as they look to maintain – or even extend – their lead at the top of the table. After that, Ancelotti's men host second-placed Girona, who take on Real Sociedad this weekend, at the Santiago Bernabeu in what is likely to be a pivotal game in the race for the title.

Australia’s captain Steven Smith has called for an end to the practice of on-field umpires offering a “soft signal” to the third umpire on disputed catches, arguing that technology should be arbiter in such cases as the immediate reactions of players in the middle have often proven to be flawed.Smith was given out caught behind at a critical juncture of the third ODI in Sydney on Sunday, edging low to Jos Buttler who immediately celebrated the catch. The on-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Simon Fry then referred the catch to the TV umpire Kumar Dharmasena with the soft signal of “out”, and while replays shrouded the catch in far greater doubt, Dharmasena did not deem it to be enough to overrule the initial impression of his colleagues.In assessing the process, Smith said he felt that the umpires’ signal was often dictated by the reactions – either celebratory or ambivalent – of players in the middle, and carried too much weight relative to the evidence provided by television cameras. He said he would prefer a system where the third umpire made a ruling based purely on the pictures in front of him.”I’m not sure I’m a big fan of the ruling with the soft signal. That’s obviously the ruling at the moment and it’s hard to overturn anything,” Smith said. “We’ve seen a few this summer that have been pretty similar and if the fielder goes up and actually celebrates they usually get given out and if you’re a bit apprehensive of what’s happened they normally get given not out.”It’s hard for them to overturn the decision. I’d actually like for the third umpire to have to make the decision whether it’s out or not. Just them having to do it, if that makes sense.”The soft signal was introduced for disputed catches in part because it was felt that two dimensional camera images and foreshortening often added doubt to catches that all on the field had considered clean, meaning too many were ruled not out as a matter of course. Simon Taufel, the former ICC umpires training manager, has explained the reason for its existence by stating that umpires needed to retain the primary responsibility for decision-making.”It’s part of the decision-making process,” he told the in 2016. “If the third umpire cannot find conclusive evidence to prove that the original on-field decision is incorrect, then it stands. On-field umpires are there to make decisions and answer appeals, not simply to send them upstairs to the third umpire to take the call.”Decision making is an important skill and one that should be applied at the highest level of the game. So, the soft signal maintains the premise that the decision-making happens on field and not just left to technology to provide an outcome.”David Warner fell early in Australia’s chase•Associated Press

Buttler, for his part, remained adamant he had caught the ball cleanly when queried about it afterwards. “I was pretty sure it was out,” he said. “I think any wicketkeeper would tell you, you know if you get your fingers underneath it. It always looks a bit either way on TV but for me it was out.”Smith made it clear he was not questioning Buttler’s honesty: “He obviously thought it was out, he’s a pretty honest guy, so he thought it was out and it got given out so I had to walk off.”Other questions had been raised about Smith via footage that showed him rubbing the side of his lips before shining the ball during England’s innings – the use of saliva is permitted under the game’s laws but lip balm is not. “It was all spit,” Smith said. “People said something about lip balm. If you look at my lips, they’re pretty dry, I certainly didn’t have any of that on. It’s just the way I get some spit into the side of my mouth and get some spit onto the ball. So there was nothing in it.”As for Australia’s loss, surrendering the series to England in the minimum three matches, Smith said he needed to improve personally alongside a better collective effort from his men. “Five wins out of last 18 games and that’s just not good enough,” he said. “We’ve got to start finding ways to get over the line. Looking at this game I think the first 44 overs was really good and then Jos played particularly well at the end and Woakesy played well as well.”But I don’t think we executed well. We probably just needed to bowl some good balls at the top of the stumps and try to get them swinging across the line; we bowled too full or too short and got hurt. We probably should have been chasing somewhere around 270 or 280 and then if we do that things might have been a lot different.”I’ve got to play some better cricket. It was about me trying to control the middle with the spinners and keep getting off strike. Tonight I wasn’t good enough at that. I should have been up around a run a ball, it would have made things a bit easier at the back end. Not many balls were hitting the middle of my bat, which was disappointing. I don’t know what it is. Maybe I need to watch the ball a bit closer or something like that. It’s something to look at for Adelaide, hopefully I can do it a lot better and start helping this team win some games of cricket.”Fined 40% of his match fee for being deemed two overs behind the required over rate and now facing a ban for a repeat offence over the next 12 months, Smith said that he and the bowlers needed to be more disciplined in the field – no fewer than 13 wides and a no-ball effectively granted England more than two extra overs.”Yeah it’s not ideal, it’s two extra overs and 14 runs or thereabouts,” Smith said. “They’ve got to be a bit better with that as well. I think we were about 27 minutes over time as well so it’s going to cost me a bit, but I don’t mind that. It’s not ideal to have to bowl two extra overs and give away runs against a quality opposition.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United's new co-owner, was spotted watching the Red Devils' clash with Tottenham alongside Sir Alex Ferguson.

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• Ratcliffe present to watch United
• Sat with Ferguson in the crowd
• Watched clash with Spurs on Sunday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ratcliffe's company INEOS completed their partial takeover of United on Christmas Eve, but the knight of the realm had yet to be seen watching the Red Devils in person. That changed on Sunday, as he was pictured in the crowd, sat next to legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, as United hosted Tottenham. The Red Devils' all-time record goalscorer Wayne Rooney was also in the crowd, for the first time since his sacking as Birmingham City boss.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ratcliffe has already expressed his excitement at being involved with United, having beaten off competition from Qatari investor Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. The deal has yet to be officially ratified, but Ratcliffe has confirmed he hopes to receive official confirmation by mid-February.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ratcliffe has attended United games in the past as a fan. Famously, he was in the stands in Barcelona in 1999 when Ferguson's side beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the Champions League final.

The Argentine dragged the dishevelled Red Devils back from two goals down to earn Erik ten Hag's side a rousing comeback win

Alejandro Garnacho was already a much-loved figure among Manchester United fans, but now he is an idol. When everyone around him looked shot on confidence, the Argentine believed. And he dragged his team back from the dead against Aston Villa and towards an epic victory.

INEOS sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford was watching from the stands in the first game since Sir Jim Ratcliffe's firm confirmed their 25 percent stake in the club, and in the first half he must have thought they had made a massive mistake investing so much in this fallen giant.

John McGinn had given Villa the lead from a free-kick which he had intended as a cross, and moments later Leander Dendoncker twisted the knife into United after more terrible defending from a set-piece.

But United came out fired-up after the break and Garnacho led their fightback. He had a goal narrowly ruled out for offside but kept believing and pulled United level in no time with two goals.

It then fell to Rasmus Hojlund to find the winner and score his first Premier League goal in the process. This truly was a night to remember for United, who have been in the doldrums all season yet still have this remarkable spirit to turn dust into gold.

GOAL rates United's players from Old Trafford…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Andre Onana (4/10):

Failed to command his box for both goals. Still falling short in the most basic duties of a normal goalkeeper.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (5/10):

Didn't offer enough in either half of the pitch.

Jonny Evans (7/10):

His experience is invaluable. Made two crucial interventions, first bailing out Dalot, then clearing McGinn's goal-bound shot off the line.

Raphael Varane (5/10):

Should have commanded the defence better for both goals.

Diogo Dalot (5/10):

Deployed at left-back due to Shaw's injury and much less useful than on the right.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Christian Eriksen (6/10):

United have missed his top-draw passes, which gave them an edge in attack.

Bruno Fernandes (6/10):

Had a poor first half but upped the ante in the second and was crucial to the comeback.

Kobbie Mainoo (5/10):

His passes were a bit sloppy and this was a reminder that he still has a long way to go despite his excellent start to life in the first team.

Getty ImagesAttack

Marcus Rashford (6/10):

Showed glimpses of his old self. His shooting is still off but he had a good understanding with Garnacho and set up his first goal.

Rasmus Hojlund (6/10):

Was anonymous for most of the game but made amends with a clinical, instinctive finish to win the match and score his first Premier League goal. Hopefully the first of many.

Alejandro Garnacho (9/10):

The only one who always believed. Always looked the most likely source of a goal, and after having one narrowly ruled offside by VAR, he kept going, dragging United back from the dead and towards victory.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Antony (N/A):

Came on in the 80th minute.

Scott McTominay (N/A):

A late substitute.

Willy Kambwala (N/A):

Came on in the 89th minute for his second senior appearance.

Dan Gore (N/A):

Brought on for his Premier League debut in added-time.

Hannibal Mejbri (N/A):

Came on in added-time.

Erik ten Hag (8/10):

His team talk must have galvanised the team as they were a totally different side after the break. His substitutions helped see out the win.

A referee reportedly stabbed a footballer during an Argentina youth game in a brawl which left the player in hospital with a punctured lung.

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Referee arrested for stabbing a playerFootballer rushed to hospitalSuffered punctured lungWHAT HAPPENED?

Grassroots referee Remigio Armoa has reportedly been arrested after stabbing a player during a match in a province of Misiones. The horrifying incident occurred after a brawl occured and players surrounded the referee. Armoa then pulled out a knife and struck one of the players in the chest. The victim collapsed and was then picked up by team-mates and taken off the pitch.

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The victim, identified as Kevin A by local media, suffered a punctured lung in the attack. However, due to timely medical intervention, he is now out of danger. Images later depicted him recovering in a hospital bed with a bandage on the left side of his chest, scrolling through his cell phone.

WHAT KEVIN'S UNCLE SAID

Speaking to the local media, his uncle informed: "Kevin is miraculously alive. For the family, it is a very delicate moment because he is the Messi of the family. He is a boy well gifted for football, thank God he had the opportunity to be in a club like Chacarita."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Armoa attempted to flee but was later apprehended by local police, who also recovered the knife used in the assault. Later he was photographed in handcuffs, facing charges for the shocking act.

The Argentina youth international bagged the winning goal for Los Blancos against Napoli, and now looks set for a bright future at the Bernabeu

Real Madrid's hero against Napoli was an unlikely one. With Los Blancos tied, 2-2, with the Italian side, and five minutes remaining, you wouldn't have guessed who would be the one to bag the winner. With Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde on the pitch, Nico Paz didn't seem like the match-winning presence.

But Paz provided the big moment all the same, expertly pivoting away from a defender before unleashing a 25-yard strike that found the bottom corner — via a ricochet from the gloves of Alex Meret.

After the game, Carlo Ancelotti didn't seem surprised: "He is a player for the future of Real Madrid. He has all the quality that a Real Madrid player needs to have."

Still, this is a player with rare talent, and excellent footballing pedigree. Paz's father played for an elite national team, while his Madrid academy education has ensured that he has been put in all of the right places to be a star for years to come. Add that he is a midfielder, hoping to break into a side that has some of the best in the world, and Paz has a real chance to get his minutes — while also being allowed to grow at his own pace.

But who is Nico Paz, why do Madrid rate him so highly, and can he really be the future of this storied club?

Real MadridWhere it all began

Paz had something of an advantage from day one. His father, Pablo, was an excellent footballer in his own right, a centre-back who enjoyed a 21-year career starting in Argentina, before moving to La Liga, and ultimately finishing in the Canary Islands. He made 14 appearances for Argentina's national team, and was in the squad for the 1998 World Cup.

Nico, then, was earmarked as a talent from early on. Born on the island of Tenerife, Paz was originally, like his father, a centre-back. But as he grew and developed, it became clear that he was better used further up the field. It was something that Madrid realised when they signed him to La Fabrica — their elite youth setup — in 2016. Paz quickly became a promising attacking player, before settling into a central midfield role.

AdvertisementGetty The big break

Paz's development in the Madrid ranks has been steady. Such is the quality of La Fabrica, that the player was offered time to grow and figure out his best position. He was training with Raul's Castilla side in 2021, and made his official debut for the team — Madrid's U-23s — in January 2022, then aged 17.

His first goal for the team came less than a week later, Paz bagging the opener against Getafe less than three minutes into the game. He settled in after that, and continued to impress. Ancelotti, who has historically has been reluctant to use the academy, called the youngster up to first team training last summer.

Getty How it's going

A Madrid injury crisis has proved to be a blessing for Paz. With Vinicius Jr out, Luka Modric struggling for fitness, and Brahim Diaz not quite ready for a full game, there was room for the youngster to earn a few minutes in white.

He made his debut against Braga in the Champions League, and worked his way into the side from there. Paz has now played for Madrid's senior side four times, and held his own in each instance.

Most recently, Toni Kroos — a player who knows a thing or two about being a successful midfielder — highlighted Paz's quality, saying: "This boy should train with us every day because he is very good."

And although he is a regular fixture on the Madrid bench, Paz's occasional showings for Castilla have been equally impressive; he has six goals to his name in 10 appearances.

According to , Paz had hoped to work his way into the Spain squad. But with Luis de la Fuente showing little interest in the teenager, Argentina swooped in. Paz trained with the senior side ahead of the 2022 World Cup, and seems to be in line for a debut before too long.

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Getty ImagesBiggest strengths

Paz is an interesting player in that he doesn't quite have a defined position. Nominally a "playmaker", Paz has switched from centre-midfield, to box-to-box, to No.10 when needed.

Academy coaches highlighted his control in tight spaces, and corresponding strength to ensure that he doesn't get barged off the ball. He has an excellent right foot, and is also good in the air — his 6'1 frame allowing him to take on most central defenders. In a sense, then, all of the traits of a modern attacking player — versatility and all — are here.

Newcastle United's efforts to bring in more top level talent this summer have led them to Sevilla and Morocco star Youssef En-Nesyri, according to a report from Marca – and they may be able to lure him to the club with Champions League football.

How many goals has Youssef En-Nesyri scored for Sevilla?

The striker was once more relied upon by Sevilla for his goals in La Liga during the 2022/23 season, with the forward bagging eight goals in 31 Spanish top flight games.

However, he wasn't as frequent of a first-team starter as he has been in the past, as he managed only 17 starts for the club. It was the lowest amount that the Morocco international had been given since he originally joined back in 2019/20. His ability to still plunder the goals led to him having a respectable rate of 0.49 goal contributions per 90 – which is actually the second-best rate he has managed since his move there.

He still has yet to match the heights of his 2020/21 campaign though, when he bagged himself 18 goals in just 23 starts for Sevilla in La Liga. It wasn't only the best tally he has managed for the La Liga outfit but the best of his career. He has since failed to hit double-digit amounts in the league though.

The 6 foot 2 target man still continues to produce the goods for his national side though and has now managed nearly 60 caps for the country since making his debut for them back in 2016. His goal tally for them stands at 17, and he remains a regular starter for them too.

Are Newcastle United signing Youssef En-Nesyri?

En-Nesyri has yet to challenge himself outside of Spain at club level. That could all be set to change though this transfer window though, because according to a report from Marca, the attacker is wanted by Newcastle, who are eager to try and tie up a deal for the player.

Roma are also keeping tabs on him too, meaning the 26-year-old could have the opportunity to branch out to either the Premier League or Serie A, should he opt to move.

owever, the report states that the striker actually isn't too keen on leaving his current team – unless there is an opportunity for him to join a club with "greater sporting aspirations", or in other words a team with Champions League football. With the Toon now set to test themselves against the very best in Europe, that could allow them to potentially land Morocco's number nine.

He's already achieved plenty in the game at just 26-years-old too, with both his club and his country. Journalist Josh Bunting highlighted his achievement in breaking a record for Morocco, as he was became the first player from the African nation to score at consecutive World Cups after a "lovely finish" in Qatar.

En-Nesyri not only is able to bag goals in Spain but on the biggest stage then – David Moyes called him "incredible" during the World Cup – and that could give Newcastle a real extra asset in attack if they were able to sign him this summer.

Chris Liddle’s five wickets turned Gloucestershire’s Royal London Cup tie against Kent on its head as they claimed an unlikely win over Kent by 12 runs in glorious Bristol sunshine

ECB Reporters Network10-May-2017
ScorecardChris Liddle’s five wickets stymied Kent’s run chase•Getty Images

Chris Liddle turned Gloucestershire’s Royal London Cup tie against Kent on its head as they claimed an unlikely win over Kent by 12 runs in glorious Bristol sunshine.Michael Klinger’s 134 looked to have paved the way for a challenging Gloucestershire total after they have been asked to bat first. But a flurry of late wickets saw Matt Coles finish with 4 for 57 and hosts restricted to 275 for 8, no more than a par score in the conditions.It didn’t look like enough as Daniel Bell-Drummond followed up his tons against Somerset and Sussex with 90 off 108 balls. With Sean Dickson and Sam Northeast lending good support, Kent looked to be cruising.But Liddle had other ideas and, from 200 for 2 in the 39th over, he bowled a telling spell from the Ashley Down Road End as the visitors collapsed spectacularly, closing on 264 for 9.The win was Gloucestershire’s second in the competition and kept alive their slim hopes of a top three finish in the South Group, while Kent must accept elimination before the knockout stage, having won only one of their first five games.Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson said: “It wasn’t until late in the day that I felt we had a chance of winning. I’ll take the victory even though I’m not quite sure how it happened.”It was a battle and Chris changed the game with one spell. He varied his pace really well was smart in how he bowled his cutters.”We kept going and once we got a sniff we were good enough to capitalise on it. It keeps us in the competition and makes Friday’s home game with Somerset even more appetising.”Klinger could hardly have done more, reaching his 16th List A hundred off 123 balls to help take the home side’s score to 260 for 3 before he was out.The 36-year-old Australian hit three of his sixes into the flats at the Ashley Down Road End of the Brightside Ground, his favourite one-day shot at the venue, and progressed with increasing assurance on an excellent batting pitch.Chris Dent and Ian Cockbain shared useful partnerships, but when Klinger was caught at deep mid-wicket off Joe Denly it signalled a rapid transformation in fortunes.Far from building on their captain’s efforts with some big hitting at the end, Gloucestershire lost five wickets in less than two overs as Coles and James Harris put themselves on hat-tricks.With the sun still shining in a cloudless sky, a target of 276 did not appear looked likely to test Kent’s strong batting line-up.They lost Joe Denly to a careless shot off Liddle with the total on 64, but Bell-Drummond, who survived a couple of early scares, and Dickson then put together a stand of 89 in 17.3 overs.Dickson perished the ball after reaching a 62-ball half-century, picking out George Haskins at deep mid-wicket to give left-arm spinner Tom Smith a wicket. By the time Bell-Drummond was brilliantly caught low down by Klinger at extra-cover off Liddle, Kent had posted 200 and needed a further 76 from 11.4 overs.Northeast was established and playing well. His fourth six, over long-on off Jack Taylor was one of the biggest of the match.Darren Stevens was visibly angry with himself when caught behind off Liddle trying to run the ball down to third-man and at 217 for 4, Kent were suddenly far from comfortable.Soon it was Northeast trudging back to the pavilion having smashed Liddle straight to long-on where Jack Taylor took the catch. From looking in total command, the visitors were suddenly under pressure at 220 for 5.More poor shots accounted for Matt Coles and Alex Blake and Gloucestershire sensed their chance. The Kent tail-enders flailed wildly without success and the game headed for an unlikely outcome.

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has made good use of his links to Manchester City over the past year, having brought in Arijanet Muric, CJ Egan-Riley and Taylor Harwood-Bellis to help with last season's successful promotion-winning campaign.

With Harwood-Bellis returning to the Etihad Stadium, the Clarets may well opt to use their City connection to bolster another position in the back line.

Transfer expert Sacha Tavolieri claims Burnley have reached out to City regarding a loan move for Sergio Gomez, but the Spanish left-back is stalling over a decision as he wants to try to win over boss Pep Guardiola first.

It is a loan move that makes sense for all three parties, though, with the 22-year-old likely to play regular Premier League football, while Burnley get a talented defender to help boost their survival hopes.

Is Sergio Gomez a good option for Burnley?

City signed Gomez for £11m from Anderlecht, where he spent time playing under Kompany, but he was restricted to only ten starts in all competitions in 2022-23 – just two of those in the Premier League.

Gomez showed he is capable of playing in a number of positions, as most players can under Guardiola, which is something the Spain U21 international prides himself on.

"I consider myself versatile. I'm available for whatever the coach asks," he told Spanish radio station Partidazo de COPE. "At City, they ask me to play full-back and with [Spain U21 boss] Luis de la Fuente, I'd always played right wing, and he likes me to play there."

It is at left-back Gomez is most comfortable – he started six games there last season, as per WhoScored – and from his limited time on the field, there are strong comparisons to be made with one of the finest around in that position.

Indeed, FBref's comparison model lists Liverpool's Andy Robertson as the player most like Gomez in terms of their statistical profiles. For example, Gomez averaged 0.25 assists per 90 minutes last season, compared to 0.28 for Robertson, with neither player scoring themselves.

The pair attempted 81.3 and 78.9 passes per 90 minutes respectively, averaged 91.8 and 86.5 touches, while they won the same amount of aerial duels per 90 (0.77).

Gomez has a long way to go to show he can be a match for Robertson, and a move to Burnley under Kompany is his first real step towards doing that.

With a relatively low salary of £50k-a-week, according to Capology, Gomez could also prove to be an upgrade on current left-back Ian Maatsen.

But as someone described as "a full-back, playmaker, king of assists and winger" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kompany would not just be strengthening one position, but two or three with one deal.