Manchester United's takeover situation is still ongoing, and it will not be resolved before they appear in the FA Cup final, journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed.

What's the latest on Man United's ownership situation?

There is still a lack of clarity over what Man United's current owners, the Glazers, will do moving forward, following multiple bids for ownership from Sir Jim Ratcliffe's consortium and a Qatar-backed group led by Sheikh Jassim Hamad Bin Al Thani.

Ratcliffe's bid will likely see the Glazers keep some of their shares in the club, whilst Jassim's latest bid, which falls short of the asking price, is for a full takeover.

The situation has dragged on for months, and manager Erik ten Hag will have been hoping for a resolution before the end of the season. However, speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs revealed that there is to be no answer ahead of United's final match, the FA Cup final against Manchester City.

“It's still fluid. There are still less formal talks taking place behind the scenes," he stated.

"Unfortunately for all parties, nothing has moved, and it may not move until after the FA Cup Final.”

What could happen next for Man United?

Man United's current focus will be on the cup final, which could play a crucial role in stopping their local rivals from completing a treble, a feat only achieved by United in English football.

The lack of progress on a deal may cause frustration, but with no resolution in sight, the Glazers may be waiting until the season ends before any announcement, given the potential for protests at the cup final if an unfavourable decision is reached.

There have been protests from sections of the United fanbase calling for a full sale of the club, rather than a takeover which will see the Glazers remain in any capacity.

The American family have been heavily criticised since taking over United in 2005, having seen a large buildup of debt and a steady decline in on-field performance since. The Red Devils have not won a league title in ten years, and have had to watch their biggest rivals in City and Liverpool consistently compete for major honours since.

A resolution will be necessary soon to allow Ten Hag to operate in the transfer market, following a promising first season of progress under the Dutchman. United secured a third-placed finish and won the Carabao Cup, their first piece of silverware in five years, and will be hoping to challenge for the title next season.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has demonstrated his willingness to offer the youth a platform to impress this season, and could continue the trend by signing Blackburn Rovers' teenage starlet Adam Wharton.

What's the latest on Adam Wharton to Newcastle?

According to the Daily Mail, the 18-year-old Wharton has enjoyed an impressive breakout season with Rovers and has attracted the attention of several top Premier League outfits.

Indeed, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are joined by Eddie Howe's Magpies in sending sporting director Dan Ashworth and scout Mick Tait to observe the prodigious talent's progress, with Leicester City and West Ham United also interested.

The report continues to state that the dynamic midfielder has been described as a 'taller Jack Wilshere, who can play and tackle.'

Should Newcastle sign Wharton?

The Toon boast a wealth of firepower following the £300m PIF takeover in 2021, having followed the changing of the ownership guard with sustained exemplary performances on the pitch that navigated away from relegation danger and now, just one season later, have the club in third place with just three matches to play.

Securing world-class firepower is indeed necessary to bolster the club's hopes of maintaining this newfound stature and navigating towards a future speckled with success, but solidifying the foundation of the first team's exploits with a vibrant crop of youth talent is just as important.

And in Wharton, who has made 18 Championship appearances this season, scoring one goal and supplying two assists, an heir to the midfield could be found and nurtured into a phenom fit to lead the Toon engine.

As per Sofascore, the gem has recorded an average rating in the second tier of 6.95, completing 84% of his passes, making 0.7 key passes, 1.7 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per outing, with journalist Josh Bunting hailing him as "brilliant" for his work.

In Wharton's final match of the campaign, the enthralling 4-3 victory over Millwall as both outfits chased, painstakingly unsuccessfully, a place in the play-offs, he scored his maiden league goal and earned an impressive 7.1 match rating, complementing his strike with three interceptions, two tackles and success in three of his four ground duels.

The "ridiculous" teenager – as he was dubbed by Blackburn writer Callum Altimas – ranks among the top 8% of midfielders across Men's Next 8 divisions – preceding the European big five – the top 16% for tackles and the top 11% for blocks per 90, via FBref, illustrating the dynamism of his skill set.

While the 5 foot 9 "star boy" – in the words of writer Matthew Stanger – has been likened to former Arsenal maestro Wilshere, it is coveted Englishman Jude Bellingham who he could emulate as he grows into his skin.

Bellingham was always a precocious footballing talent and is now one of the game's most eminent midfielders, with the Borussia Dortmund star reportedly closing on a move to Real Madrid after intense speculation surrounding his future.

Both Wharton and Bellingham have plied their breakout seasons in the Championship, with the Riversiders ace's aptitude in 'playing and tackling' similar to that of Bellingham, who ranks among the top 2% of midfielders across Europe's big five leagues for goals, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive passes and the top 1% for successful take-ons, as per FBref.

There is a long way to go until the Rovers starlet can truly emulate Bellingham, but at Newcastle, he could yet develop into a truly all-encompassing midfielder of the highest order.

Monterrey are believed to be close to signing Spain international Sergio Canales from Betis

Liga MX side determined to bring in high-profile name from EuropeCanales open to new adventure after five seasons at BetisAttacking midfielder available for fee in region of $10 millionGettyWhat happened?

Monterrey have set their sights on Betis midfielder Sergio Canales and are optimistic about their chances of landing the Spain international, reports.

The Liga MX giants are looking to strengthen their squad after going without league success since 2019 and they believe Canales could be the man to help them to the next level.

The 32-year-old has been a key figure at Betis since joining them from Sociedad in 2018, but is reportedly looking for a new challenge in the closing stages of his career.

AdvertisementGettyThe bigger picture

Canales has a contract with Betis until June 2026, but the Liga side are believed to be willing to let go of the gifted midfielder if an offer in the region of $10 million comes in.

Monterrey are ready to offer Canales a three-year deal worth $15m net, making him the club's highest-paid player by some distance.

Cortesía GettyAnd what's more

Canales would not be the first high-profile name from Europe to make his way to Monterrey if the transfer were to materialise.

They previously brought in Netherlands international Vincent Janssen from Tottenham.

The attacker wore the Monterrey jersey between 2019 and 2022, before leaving the club for current Belgian champions Antwerp.

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The creative midfielder started his career with Racing Santander, before joining Real Madrid in 2010. Injury problems prevented him from making an impact at the Santiago Bernabeu side.

Canales was part of the Spain squad that lifted the UEFA Nations League back in June, beating Croatia in the final after penalties.

New Zealand opener Tom Latham has said his team will “certainly” be looking to go after whatever target Bangladesh set, if they can bowl them out quickly enough on day five

Mohammad Isam at Basin Reserve15-Jan-2017

New Zealand opener Tom Latham has said his team will “certainly” be looking to go after whatever target Bangladesh set, if they can bowl them out quickly enough on day five. The key to bowling them out, he said, would be to sow “doubt” in their batsmen’s minds.That the hosts could even think of chasing a win was down to Bangladesh’s late collapse on day four at Basin Reserve. The visitors ended 122 ahead with seven wickets in hand, but, in addition to some carelessness in the final half hour, they also had injury issues: Imrul Kayes was stretchered off with a thigh injury, while Mushfiqur Rahim will have to bat with hurt fingers should he be needed. Among the wickets were Tamim Iqbal – bowled by left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner after misjudging the length on an attempted cut – Mahmudullah – caught down the leg side – and nightwatchman Mehedi Hasan run out looking for a second off what turned out to be the last ball of the day. Bangladesh slipped from 46 for no loss to 66 for 3.”I wouldn’t say you sense the panic [in the Bangladesh batsmen], but we’ve got three world-class seamers and a very good spinner. If we can put the ball in good areas for long enough then hopefully we can create that doubt,” Latham, who registered his highest Test score of 177 in getting New Zealand to 539, said. “If we can keep taking wickets in clumps and if they don’t build any partnerships, that’s the key for us.”Possibly it might start going up and down and might start turning a little bit more. I still think it’s a very good batting surface though, and if we are chasing a score partnerships will be a key to winning. We like to play a winning brand of cricket and whatever the score is, hopefully it’s a reasonable chase and we’ll certainly be having a go at it. It’s a massive day tomorrow and that first hour is going to set the tone.”Latham said that fast bowler Neil Wagner was fine despite being struck three times during his 31-ball innings. Wagner was first hit on the helmet by a Kamrul Islam Rabbi bouncer before the same pacer struck him twice more off consecutive balls, one of which left him with a cut on his chin.”It’s never nice to see a team-mate get hit,” Latham said. “The medical team were out there and they were assessing him, and we’ve got to leave it in their hands. He was fine, he’s a pretty tough character.”

Chelsea target Moises Caicedo will not be sold for £100m+ this summer but is expected to cost in the region of £70m-£80m from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Will Moises Caicedo be allowed to leave?

The Ecuadorian midfielder has enjoyed an impressive campaign on the south coast which has seen the Seagulls manage to secure a spot in the Europa League for next season.

Caicedo featured in 37 of Brighton's Premier League games this season and started in a whopping 34 of them (via Transfermarkt).

However, it does seem he could be set to leave this summer despite the prospect of European nights to come at the Amex Stadium next season.

Brighton have already seen Alexis Mac Allister depart this summer after the Argentine completed a £35m move to Liverpool on Thursday.

And it is believed that they will not stand in the way of the 21-year-old, Caicedo, who is expected to bring in considerably more money than his former teammate, Mac Allister.

Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has provided some insight towards a potential move from the south coast to west London with Chelsea believed to be seriously interested:

"Chelsea are absolutely into the race. Chelsea are convinced that Caicedo is kind of perfect player for the idea.

What's the point? I heard something about £100m value for Caicedo. No, the idea from sources I spoke to is that Caicedo is gonna be worth maybe £70m/£80m no more than this."

Who is interested in Caicedo?

Of course, Chelsea have been credited with interest in the Ecuadorian midfielder ahead of the summer window but there are also other reported suitors.

According to Romano, there is interest also coming from other Premier League sides with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United keen on the 21-year-old.

This comes just months after the Gunners made a serious move Caicedo in the January transfer window which saw two bids – worth up to £70m – rejected by the Seagulls.

It is also believed Arsenal are set to launch their first bid for Declan Rice over the coming days but it has previously been suggested this would not deter their interest in Caicedo.

The Blues will not have any form of European football ahead of the new campaign, however, they will likely provide a financial battle to match any other side.

Todd Bohely's willingness to invest the cash into Chelsea since his arrival cannot be ignored with the Blues having spent around £600m over the last two transfer windows.

With N'Golo Kante expected to leave the club over the coming days and the likes of Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher also linked with potential moves away, the door could certainly open up for the Ecuadorian at Stamford Bridge.

Edu Gaspar will be hoping to bolster Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal squad during the summer transfer window, especially with the club qualifying for the Champions League due to their second place finish in the Premier League.

There will be a big jump in quality and signing players who could not only add depth to the Arsenal side, but who could also improve the starting XI, will be deemed a priority ahead of 2023/2024.

With this in mind, Arteta must surely reignite his interest in Bayern Munich forward Serge Gnabry, especially with the recent developments to emerge from Germany.

According to German outlet Sport BILD (via football.london), the Bavarian giants have placed Gnabry, as well as Sadio Mane and Leroy Sané, up for sale as they look to rejig their attack ahead of next season.

The Gunners were linked with the player last summer, however, he signed an extension to his contract at the Bundesliga side and all hopes of a potential move were quashed. The recent news however could certainly give Arteta the green light to have a second bite of the cherry.

At the time, Bayern Munich were reportedly asking for a fee in the region of €40m (£35m) and it remains to be seen if that number has budged over the past year.

Would Serge Gnabry be a good signing for Arsenal?

Since joining Bayern in 2018, the former Hale End talent has offered a reliable goal threat, netting 81 goals and registering 51 assists in just over 200 matches, an excellent return, while he has also won five league titles along with a Champions League title, meaning he could bring an elite winning mentality to the Gunners, who are certainly on the cusp of glory.

The German whiz is valued at €47.4m (£41m) by Football Transfers and Arteta could form a scary attacking duo with him and Bukayo Saka next term if he managed to lure him back to the Emirates, where he spent six years during the early stages of his career.

The England international notched 11 assists from 38 league matches last season, and he ranks in the top 10% across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries per 90 (5.04) and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (6.75), suggesting he gets into key attacking positions often and this could present Gnabry with plenty of goal scoring chances throughout the season.

The Arsenal winger also ranked fourth for assists and eighth for key passes per game (two) in the Premier League, further demonstrating his attacking qualities in a wide position and there is no doubt Gnabry could thrive by having a player of Saka’s quality bursting down the right wing and into the box on a regular occurrence.

The 27-year-old was described as someone who “has everything” by former Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic and if Arteta can sign him this summer, they would certainly bolster their attacking options that’s for sure.

Lionel Messi has called teammate Neymar a "beautiful person" in his goodbye message after the Argentine played his last game for Paris Saint-Germain.

What did Messi say to Neymar?

Having already sealed the Ligue 1 title, the 35-year-old took the pitch for the final time as a PSG player on the weekend – in a 3-2 loss at home to Clermont Foot.

His now former side confirmed the news on their official Twitter page, writing: "Paris Saint-Germain would like to warmly thank the seven-time Ballon d'Or, winner of a Trophée des Champions and two French championship titles wearing the Red & Blue colours."

Oddly enough, despite being universally loved for all his footballing achievements, the PSG fans actually booed Messi at his final game – apparently still unhappy with his performances in the Champions League and his recent unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia (via Daily Mail).

However, it seems teammate Neymar still has the utmost respect for the World Cup winner as the Brazilian sent an emotional message on Instagram.

He wrote: "Brother… it didn't turn out as we thought but we tried everything. It was a pleasure to share two more years with you.

Good luck in your new stage and be happy. I love you."

To which Messi replied: "Thanks Ney! Beyond all that remains, that we enjoyed playing together and sharing the day-to-day. I wish you all the best. Besides being a crackhead, you're a beautiful person and that's all that matters at the end. I love you so much."

Where will Messi end up next?

Obviously, it catches the eye that Messi appears to call Neymar something which is interpreted as something derogatory in English but this is just a mistranslation as he writes "Aparte de ser crack". Crack is a phrase often used in Spanish as a compliment, so if you were saying someone is good at football, you might say: “Sos un crack en futbol”.

Of course, the Brazilian doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to his off-field behaviour. According to French paper Le Parisien (via The Sun), he has been throwing house parties this season that have "infuriated" his neighbours of late. And that same article claimed he threw a party that didn't finish until 5am after PSG sealed the Ligue 1 title last season.

But Messi isn't referencing any of this as he calls Neymar "a beautiful person" and points out that this actually matters more than anything he's done on the pitch.

All in all, it's quite a sweet interaction between the players, which is nice as they haven't quite achieved what they set out to in Paris – with the club still unable to win the Champions League.

The big question now is, though, where will Messi end up next? Barcelona, Inter Miami and teams in Saudi Arabia have all been touted.

Ashwin picked up his 24th five-for to wrap up the Mumbai Test by an innings and 36 runs and the series 3-0 for India

The Report by Alagappan Muthu12-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details23:20

Sourav Ganguly and Jonathan Trott discuss India’s emphatic victory over England in the Mumbai Test

With a victory over England by an innings and 36 runs, India have secured their fifth consecutive series and regained the Anthony De Mello trophy. R Ashwin picked up his second five-for of the match, and the 24th of his career, to make sure the formalities were complete by the first half hour on the fifth day. He took his first wicket when the visitors were 180 for 4. They were all out for 195. It was only the third time in Test history that a team had made 400 in the first innings and then lost by an innings.The end was very quick and very messy. Jonny Bairstow was sent packing in the second over and Chris Woakes in the fourth. Their dismissals provided a simple little summary of the difference in skill between the sides in subcontinent conditions.Ashwin flicked a carrom ball on middle and leg with the intention of making Bairstow play across the line and the batsman obliged. Bairstow failed to pick the variation, was squared up when the ball turned the wrong way, and sharply, and was plumb lbw. Woakes, in the next Ashwin over, went for a loose cover drive, but the ball dipped on him and stormed through the gate to hit the stumps. Reading the ball out of the hand is key to playing on turning tracks, as is avoiding strokes that have a high degree of risk, like hitting against the break.Adil Rashid gave an example of the other thing batsmen weren’t supposed to do: throw their wicket away. He lobbed a catch to deep midwicket off Ashwin’s third over. James Anderson came out and was promptly pulled into some polite conversation by the close-in fielders after his criticism of their captain. He popped a catch to midwicket to give Ashwin his sixth wicket and the best match figures by a spinner at Wankhede stadium – 12 for 167.With the win in Mumbai, India were unbeaten for 17 matches in a row – equalling their longest such streak in Test cricket.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:13

Chappell: There was no inspiration from Misbah

For Australia, a quadruple triple. For Pakistan, a wretched dozen. Steven Smith’s men completed another crushing victory over the crestfallen visitors on a balmy day at the SCG, making it 12 consecutive wins for the Australians in home Tests against Pakistani touring teams – four clean sweeps in a row dating back to 1999.There never seemed much doubt over the result when the final day began, and even less when Josh Hazlewood struck twice in the first half hour to maintain his outstanding record this summer. From there Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe worked their way through the Pakistan line-up, with Hazlewood returning to claim the final wicket on the stroke of the tea break.Ahead of the Test team’s next job in India, the use of spin on a wearing wicket gave Smith and the coach Darren Lehmann some idea of where Lyon and O’Keefe sat. Lyon bowled some beguiling spells, notably to Younis Khan, but O’Keefe finished the day with the superior figures – 3 for 53 as opposed to 2 for 100.The match played out in an agreeable atmosphere, as a decent crowd of 17,583 filed in for the price of a gold coin donation to the Jane McGrath Foundation. They saved some of their biggest cheers for the substitute fielder Mickey Edwards, a seam bowler from the Manly grade club who sported a surfer’s mane of hair in weather that could scarcely have been more beach-friendly.Hazlewood set the tone in the first over of the day, accepting a return catch from Azhar Ali, and followed up by claiming Babar Azam lbw for the second time in the match. Lyon’s teasing spell to Younis was rewarded when the batsman lost patience and skied an attempt to hit over midwicket. A leading edge was accepted comfortably by Hazlewood at mid-on. Younis finished the Test on 9977 runs.The nightwatchman Yasir Shah had offered considerable resistance to Australia, but was defeated by an O’Keefe delivery that turned and bounced enough to catch the edge and was taken low down at second slip by the substitute fielder Jackson Bird. Misbah did not look at ease at any stage of his innings, but found a way to survive to lunch in the company of the more proactive Asad Shafiq.On resumption Shafiq got as far as 30 before Starc found a hint of reverse swing into the right-hander from around the wicket to bowl him off an inside edge. Sarfraz continued in a similarly positive vein opposite Misbah, the pair adding 52 in only 13.3 overs. However, Australia broke through when Misbah aimed an extravagant heave at O’Keefe and was caught attempting to slog a spin bowler for the second time in the match.Wahab Riaz fell next, apparently mystified as to how the umpire Richard Illingworth’s not-out verdict could have been overturned. Matthew Wade heard the faintest of sounds as O’Keefe spun the ball past the bat, and his appeal was backed up by the merest possible spike on Snicko for the third umpire Ian Gould to rule in the bowler’s favour.Mohammad Amir’s stay was ended by a wretched run-out, and Smith took the second new ball minutes before the scheduled tea break to allow the excellent Hazlewood to claim the last wicket with extra bounce and another catch to Bird – his four snaffles equalling the world record for a substitute.In recent years, beating Pakistan down under has been one of the least challenging tasks Australia can contemplate; their next assignment, facing up to India in India, is by far the most difficult.

USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake says a poor bowling performance was the main reason his side fell to Denmark by four wickets on Wednesday at WCL Division Four in Los Angeles

Peter Della Penna in Los Angeles 04-Nov-20162:06

‘It’s all about how we come back’ – Dassanayake

USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake gave credit to Denmark’s death bowling unit, saying their ability to bowl yorkers at the death saved them 30 runs in the final four overs that was a turning point in USA’s four-wicket loss on Wednesday at WCL Division Four. Dassanayake believes it is something USA must learn from when preparing to take on good teams in tournament play.”The major difference is that our bowlers didn’t bowl well and especially the main bowlers, our spinners,” Dassanayake said. “It was a decent batting track but defending 260 I would never doubt it but we bowled pretty badly. Having said that, Denmark bowled really well at the end. Almost every ball was a yorker and they defended about 30 runs in that period because of the way that they bowled. A lot of credit to them but it’s and eye-opener for our bowling department and at the death overs how we’re going to handle it if that situation comes again.”One area to come under scrutiny is not just USA’s poor bowling performance but the bowling strategy itself. USA captain Steven Taylor pulled specialist left-arm spinner Danial Ahmed from the attack after just one over for nine runs and didn’t use him for the rest of the game, the second time Taylor has done so in the tournament and instead opted to use himself and Alex Amsterdam to fill out those overs with part-time offspin. Taylor finished with 3 for 46 in ten overs while Amsterdam took 0 for 32 in seven.Ahmed bowled a superb spell of 0 for 29 in ten overs a day earlier against Oman and though he is wicketless so far in the tournament, he has had numerous chances put down off his bowling. Ahmed’s overall economy rate for the tournament is 4.27 and Dassayanake says he has confidence in Ahmed heading into the Jersey match.”I haven’t thought about any changes yet for Friday,” Dassanayake said. “We know Danial’s capability. Against Oman the way he bowled ten overs really contributed a lot to win that game. We have to keep building confidence in him. We’ll meet and see our best combination for Friday and come back with it. The things I have with the reserves, Jessy and Prashanth as bowlers, there are lots of options for me to select. I’m not blaming Danial, especially I don’t think anyone can blame him today because he only bowled one over. It’s just about giving that confidence to him and come back hard on Friday.”However, Dassanayake didn’t rule out other potential changes. Ali Khan has been bowling the last two games with a hamstring strain while Ravi Timbawala has been troubled since the first match of the tournament with a right thumb injury. Jessy Singh bowled well in the first two games of the tournament for USA before making way for Khan while hard-hitting Abdullah Syed is waiting to make his debut as a batting reserve.”We have to look into our injuries,” Dassanayake said. “Ravi is struggling with his thumb. Ali from the beginning had the hamstring injury but slowly he is getting better. There are a few other niggles. Still again we will assess all the injuries and see who is the best XI available for Friday.”Dassanayake remains bullish on USA’s chances of promotion despite the loss to Denmark. USA sits at 3-1 in a three-way tie for first place with Oman and Denmark, though USA has by far the best net run rate, which is the tournament tiebreaker. USA comes up against Jersey on Friday at Wong Cricket Field, a team currently 1-3 in the tournament whose only victory so far has come against winless Italy. A win for USA will clinch promotion to Division Three and set up a potential rematch in the final against Denmark, who take on Oman in a virtual semi-final at Severn Cricket Field.”When you lose it’s tough to take but still I am comfortable to say that USA is the best team in this league,” Dassanayake said. “It’s just one bad session we had in the evening. With my experience in World Cricket League, it always happens in these tournaments at this level. It’s all about how we come back hard on the next day. Everybody has to stay cool and come back and do their best on Friday and I’m pretty confident what we’re going to do. No one is panicking in our group. We have lots of confidence to get through this tournament. It was just a bad half day.”