Tired, drawn and stung by defeat, Joe Root is adamant he would love another crack at the England captaincy in Australia in four years’ time

George Dobell in Sydney02-Jan-2018Joe Root believes he is the man to captain England on their next Ashes tour in four-year’s time.While Root has been stung by the pain of defeat, he believes the lessons he has learned will stand him in good stead when the side returns to Australia. And, just as he now views being dropped from the Sydney Test at the end of the 2013-14 Ashes as “one of the best things that ever happened to me,” he now feels he has “gained a lot” from the experience of this series that will prove beneficial in the future.”Of course I want to captain England here in four years,” Root said. “Yes, it’s been a long trip with stuff that you don’t want to have to deal with on occasions but I think I’ve gained a lot from that.”I’m looking forward to the different challenges that will present themselves after this trip. I want us to be the best side in the world and that’s not going to happen overnight.”Among the lessons Root says he has learned is the requirement for more pace and spin in England’s attack and the need for England’s batsmen to make far greater contributions. And while he remains hugely respectful of the skills James Anderson offers England, he knows they cannot continue to rely upon a bowler who is now 35 years-old and almost certainly playing his final Test in Australia in the coming days.Root on…

Moeen Ali: “I’m not worried about Mo. He’s a fine player and I’m sure he’ll play a lot more cricket for England. Over the summer he was one of the most instrumental parts of our team with bat and ball. He has struggled a bit on this trip but, technically I don’t think there’s a huge amount he needs to work on. When someone is going through a tough period it’s important as a squad that you remember how valuable he has been and what he’s capable of doing.”
Playing in the IPL: “I’ll think about that after this series. I know there are deadlines to meet, but it’s most important that I spend all my time and energy on this last game.”
The ball-tampering allegations: “That was ridiculous. You know when you come to Australia, you’re playing against everyone, not just the 11 guys on the field. It’s important that next time we get here we know exactly what to expect in terms of the media barrage or, as Trevor Bayliss said the other day, the ‘Pommie bashing’ from the Australian press. You have to make sure that you’re very switched on to the way they operate.”

“Let’s be honest, there are going to be certain changes in the seam-bowling department in four years’ time unless we’re rolling Jimmy Anderson out at 40 or whatever he’s going to be,” Root said. “An extra bit of pace could be very important next time round. Having someone like Mark Wood fit for a long period of time could be very useful.”We’ve also seen how crucial the spin department can be over here, so we have to make sure it is as strong as it can be. And, as a batting group, we’ve got to be prepared to bat for long, long periods of time.”No captain in modern times has led England in successive away Ashes series (Mike Brearley led England in two away Test series against Australia, but only one was granted Ashes status) but Root, who celebrated his 27th birthday on the last day of the Melbourne Test, has the time and, it seems, the energy to try again in four years. So while some critics – notably Graeme Swann – have suggested England are compromising Root’s effectiveness as a batsman by burdening him with leadership, Root himself is adamant that the example of Steve Smith has inspired him to lead from the front in similar fashion.”You see that and you want to be the one doing it,” Root said. “Smith has probably been the difference between the teams. Take his runs out of it and we’ve been there or thereabouts to win.”So credit to him. He’s played exceptionally well. But it’s a little lesson to me on leading from the front.”Root’s previous experiences in Sydney – he was dropped at the end of the 2013-14 series as England gave debuts to three players – not only inspired him to work harder than ever to regain his place, but taught him that “chucking guys in for the last game of a series” was no way to improve the side. Scott Borthwick, Boyd Rankin and Gary Ballance all made their Test debuts in Sydney in 2014, with only Ballance going on to play another Test for England.”Being dropped made a big impact on my career,” Root said. “Being left out was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”Coming back into the team you have a slightly different view on things. You go away and give yourself the opportunity to work extremely hard on areas you want to look at. You have a different drive and determination moving forward.”Once you have played for England, you never want to do anything else. You don’t want to just play county cricket. You want to be in and around international cricket for as long as you can. It’s very easy to get that determination and drive to see where you need to get back to.”But we’re not going to improve by chucking guys in for the last game of a series. It’s really important that next time we come here, we don’t look at it in a daunted way, or feel like there’s a massive gap between the two sides, because if we do things in the right way we’ve got a really good chance next time round.”It’s really important that we start look at what we have to do now and not too far down the line. The planning for it has to start now.”

Arsenal are reportedly mulling over a sensational swoop on Al-Ittihad that would see them take Karim Benzema on a short-term loan agreement.

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Premier League giants open to added firepowerWould like to acquire another prove goalscorerVeteran Frenchman would tick box for ArtetaWHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners are eager to add more firepower to their ranks during the January transfer window, with Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and Kai Havertz yet to convince when given opportunities to lead the line in a 2023-24 campaign that still promises plenty.

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According to , Mikel Arteta could line up a stunning move for former France international Benzema. The 36-year-old won the Ballon d’Or in 2022, before leaving European football as he followed ex-Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo to the Middle East.

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Manchester United have also been linked with Benzema, although an approach there is considered to be unlikely, while Chelsea are another side that remain in the hunt for a proven No.9. It could be that they present the greatest threat to London rivals Arsenal if a deal is to be done for Golden Ball winner Benzema.

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Ivan Toney would also be of interest to Arsenal, as a forward with Premier League pedigree, but any deal for the Brentford frontman would not come cheap. That is said to be leading the Gunners to consider stopgap solutions, with Benzema now figuring prominently in their thoughts.

RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who has been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, has a low release clause that becomes active this summer.

Sesko moved to RB Leipzig in summerHas release clause in current contractStriker of interest to Premier League clubsWHAT HAPPENED?

Sesko snubbed a move to Manchester United in the summer when he left Red Bull Salzburg to join RB Leipzig on a five-year deal. According to , his contract at RB Leipzig contains a release clause of €50 million (£42m/$54m) that can be activated in the summer.

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The news of Sesko's relatively low release clause is likely to be of interest to his admirers. United are in the midst of a disappointing season and could look to overhaul their squad in the summer, particularly as they have a striker shortage. Chelsea have also been linked with a move for Sesko as they look to boost their attacking options.

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Sesko became the youngest player to score for RB Leipzig in the Champions League when he netted against Young Boys in September at the age of 20 years and 111 days.

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Sesko may well be tempted to move on if there is interest in the summer. The youngster is not a regular starter at RB Leipzig currently but has scored seven goals in all competitions for the Bundesliga side so far this season.

The India Under-19 head coach pointed out that while India’s rookies beat Australia in the final four years ago, more of the Australians from that title-bout have gone on to play senior international cricket

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai05-Feb-2018

India’s Under-19 bunch might have got themselves the perfect result at the World Cup, but for head coach Rahul Dravid, their pursuit of excellence begins now. The onus to groom the youngsters for the rigours of higher-level cricket, according to Dravid, will rest as much on the players themselves as on the management going forward.”The challenges and the hard work start from here,” Dravid said in Mumbai after the team arrived in India, trophy in tow. “The hard work begins for them and for us as well, as to how we manage these boys over the next few years. Even if not a lot of them go on to play for India, it can happen… it’s not easy to get into the Indian side. It depends on the number of players who are performing – that makes it difficult to break in at times. If they go on to have successful first-class careers, then from thereon it becomes a stepping stone for international cricket.”Drawing an example from the title-winning batch of 2012, when India defeated Australia in Australia under the leadership of Unmukt Chand, Dravid pointed out that winning the World Cup alone will not be sufficient for the juniors to catapult themselves overnight into the national reckoning. He cited the instance of how only one player – medium-pacer Sandeep Sharma – went on to don national colours for the senior side, albeit only in two T20Is, whereas six of the members from the runners-up squad – Travis Head, Cameron Bancroft, Ashton Turner, Joel Paris, Ashton Agar and Gurinder Sandhu – represented Australia’s senior team subsequently.”It was quite interesting for me… during the World Cup they showed re-runs of some of the earlier finals, including that of the 2012 final, ” Dravid said. “In fact, I was watching that re-run, and I went back and started checking a few things.”It was interesting because the 2012 final featured India and Australia; the result of the final will tell you that India beat Australia. Six years down the line, while only one of those boys played a couple of one-day [T20I] games for India, four-five Australians have gone on to play for Australia. So, more of their guys have gone on to play first-class cricket. The debatable point is actually who won that final, if you look back six years later. So I think those are interesting chats and conversations to be had.”While acknowledging the limelight the World Cup triumph has brought on these cricketers needs to be savoured and not shunned in an attempt to being overly protective of budding careers, Dravid said it’s imperative that the players internalise the lessons that come with the experience.”The fact that they came to the [Mumbai] airport and saw the excitement, the noise and the people around them, I think that’s another experience [to remember]. Coming up and fronting up to you guys [the media] is another experience for them. So I’m glad they’ve had these opportunities to have these extra experiences because they won. So from my point of view that’s the plus point.”Being known players, it’s not going to be that easy for them, at least for a short period of time [while] playing domestic cricket… you know somebody talking about this performance, highlighting this performance, the expectation that comes with this. I think it’s a good learning [experience] and a challenge.”

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.”

Jhye Richardson is a step closer to making his ODI debut with Josh Hazlewood laid low by a virus

Daniel Brettig18-Jan-2018Australia’s fast bowling plans for the ODI series against England have been thrown out by a virus afflicting Josh Hazlewood, meaning he is unavailable for the Brisbane game on Friday. Hazlewood’s unavailability places Jhye Richardson in line to debut.Having been rested from the first ODI on Sunday, Hazlewood was meant to have rejoined the squad at the Gabba with Pat Cummins to spend some time at home in Sydney after playing at the MCG.While Cummins is still resting, Hazlewood’s illness leaves the Australians with only 12 players to choose from. Richardson, who played two Twenty20 matches for Australia against Sri Lanka last summer, is likely to come into the side as a result.Hazlewood’s virus maintains a pattern of illness that has affected numerous members of both the Australia and England squads since the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Cummins was the first player to be affected, with Tim Paine, David Warner and Steven Smith all subsequently ill among the hosts. In the opposition camp, England captain Joe Root and top-order batsman James Vince have also been stricken while on tour.”We’ve seen it all through the summer from both sides, there’s been quite a lot of illness, which is strange,” opener Aaron Finch said. “While Josh has gone down – Patty and Steve during the Test match – does cause a bit of angst among the group. It causes a bit of separation. Guys don’t want to hang around with each other in case they’re spreading it on, but the guys that are there to come in and potentially take their spot if they need are in great form as well.”Paine is still feeling the effects of his illness, forcing the selectors to call up the South Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey as cover.”Alex Carey, who will be on standby, just got a beautiful hundred last night,” Finch said. “He’s taken his game to another level. He showed a lot of promise in Shield cricket over the last couple of years, and then to come out this year, when there was a lot of talk about the Ashes ‘keeping spot, and who was going to play… The way that he put his hand up and has continued to do so for such a young guy is really impressive.”Richardson, clocked at speeds of up to 149 kph over the past year, has said he will be ready to fulfil whatever role Smith requires.”That’s something we have to sum up when we play,” he said before the Melbourne game. “I could come in and need to play a different role than being the impact bowler. I could have to come in and try to tie up an end during a period where they’re going really well. I’m ready for whatever challenge pops up. If I do get to play and I need to come in and do a particular job, then I’m ready for it.”You have to be quite disciplined, you’ve got 60 balls, not 24. In the Big Bash, you can go for a few boundaries but one dot ball out of 24 is [more important] than one out of 60. But having said that, if you go to the boundary more often in a one-day game, you’ve got 60 balls to do that, so you’ve got to be quite a lot more disciplined in the sense that you’ve got a lot more balls to bowl, a lot more good balls.”It’s not all about pace, we get told that quite early. Especially at this level, you can bowl as fast as you want but if you’re not bowling well it goes to the boundary just as quick.”

Liverpool's search for a new midfielder in the summer transfer window has made significant progress since the failure to land Moises Caicedo, following an update from journalist Jacob Steinberg.

How old is Romeo Lavia?

The Reds' midfield has undergone a huge amount of surgery since the end of last season, now looking unrecognisable compared to several months ago.

Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have both left for Saudi Arabia in a couple of surprise exits, while James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also departed after their contracts expired. Meanwhile, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have come in from Brighton and RB Leipzig respectively, but it is clear that more signings are needed before the summer window reaches its conclusion.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Lavia has arguably been linked with a move to Liverpool more than any other players this summer, and having missed out on Caicedo to Chelsea, he looks like the next-best option to bring in as the new No.6. It looks as though that could happen now, following an encouraging new update.

Will Liverpool sign Romeo Lavia?

Taking to Twitter, Steinberg claimed that Liverpool have agreed a £60m fee for the signing of Lavia, as the Reds are now on the verge of their third summer signing:

"Liverpool have agreed a £60m deal to sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton. They must still convince the midfielder to choose them over Chelsea. More on @guardian_sport soon.

"Liverpool now the only club with an agreement with Southampton to sign Lavia. Chelsea will have to raise their bid."

This is great to hear from a Liverpool perspective, but it is also clear that Lavia hasn't yet decided who to join out of the Reds and Chelsea. The Caicedo saga is proof that supporters shouldn't get too excited until a move is officially announced, but it would be a surprise if the Southampton star opted for a move to Stamford Bridge, as reports have suggested he has already agreed personal terms at Anfield.

Playing time is surely going to be harder to come by there after the addition of Caicedo, while the west Londoners also don't have European football to offer this season, unlike the Merseysiders.

At 19, it is clear that Liverpool wouldn't be signing the finished article with Lavia, but he is a footballer already playing with a maturity well beyond his years, with his ability to avoid the press labelled "ridiculous" by Saints media members.

It is frustrating that Liverpool didn't simply act quicker and bid a cheaper £50m last week, however, signing him in time for Sunday's Premier League clash with Chelsea, which could have made all the difference. They appear to have been a little slow in their efforts and will end up spending £10m more than they needed to, if he does choose them over the Blues.

The most important thing is that the Reds acquire new signings as soon as possible, though, and if Lavia can come in very quickly and be available for Saturday's visit of Bournemouth in the league, it will stand Liverpool in good stead moving forward. Another midfielder and a left-sided centre-back also have to come in, in order to complete the ideal summer of spending at Anfield.

Italian journalist Rudy Galetti has provided an update on the future of Jadon Sancho at Manchester United.

The Englishman has failed to hit the heights expected since his big-money switch from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021.

What is the latest Jadon Sancho news?

Sancho could be the subject of late interest this window.

That is according to Caught Offside and Andrew Walker, who revealed that Aston Villa are one of the clubs considering a move for the England international just two years removed from his £73m move to Old Trafford. Following the long-term injury to Argentine forward Emiliano Buendia, the Villains may need to delve back into the market to replace him, and Sancho might be seen by Unai Emery as the solution. The Midlands club aren't the only side interested in the former Dortmund star, with a number of sides in the Premier League and across Europe also interested in securing his signature.

Manager Erik ten Hag is open to letting the 23-year-old depart this summer should a reasonable offer be received, however, the Dutch manager would want reassurances that the funds would be reinvested in the squad, suggesting that any interested clubs should move quickly to avoid a change of heart from the former Ajax manager.

Sancho has featured prevalently this pre-season for the Red Devils as a false 9, and could be handed an opportunity in the role in United's opening game against Wolves, with Ten Hag stating about his striking options ahead of the game "Anthony Martial is available as well. Jadon Sancho can play there as well, he did it in pre-season very well. The squad can deal with it, as I already said this. There is a strategy behind it."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Galletti revealed that United are expecting to be busy in the coming days regarding the departure of both Sancho and Anthony Martial, with the club confident of receiving offers for the players before the window closes.

He said: "Manchester United are expecting to be busy when it comes to the exits of Martial and Sancho in the next days. In fact, in the event of a suitable offer for these two players, it will be seriously considered and evaluated. A farewell for Martial and Sancho is possible. Man Utd are confident of receiving some offers for both of them, especially in the second part of August and close to deadline day."

Should Manchester United sell Jadon Sancho?

It doesn't seem like a smart move for United to let go of Sancho now. Especially as he was one of the shining stars vs Wolves after his introduction, with him receiving one of the highest ratings in the team.

The player now seems to have found a role in the United squad in the false nine position, receiving the ball deep and creating in a midfield position. It was a timely discovery for the player, with reports stating that his manager had "ran out of patience" with the player operating in wide areas. Sancho's best performances last campaign often came when deployed more centrally, with Ten Hag stating after his performance against Leicester City, stating in the post-match interview "Today when you see he is coming on in the midfield position now, great runs, great passes, good in possession and also, especially the one that gives me a lot of joy, defensive transition."

The issue for the player would be game time. Clearly no longer favoured in the wide areas, his opportunities for playing time could be limited in the middle due to the presence of club captain Bruno Fernandes and new summer signing Rasmus Hojlund. However, he brings something to this United side that no one else offers and that could be the key that keeps him at Old Trafford this summer.

Ross Barkley is being backed for an England recall after his 'Andres Iniesta-like' display in Luton Town's 4-4 draw at Newcastle United.

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• Newcastle draw 4-4 with Luton
• Barkley stars in St James' Park thriller
• Fans want England recall for midfielder

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Chelsea and Everton man Barkley scored a goal and bagged an assist in a superb individual performance at St James' Park on Saturday. The 30-year-old won eight duels and four tackles, made six ball recoveries, completed five clearances, and contributed three interceptions in the eight-goal thriller where Luton spurned a 4-2 lead against Eddie Howe's men. Now, football fans think it's high time Barkley plays for the Three Lions again, something he hasn't done since 2019.

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• WHAT FANS HAVE SAID

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  Barkley has breathed fresh life into his career after looking like his best footballing days were behind him. After leaving Nice last season, the midfielder joined the Hatters on a free transfer in August and according to former Arsenal defender Martin Keown, the former Aston Villa loanee is in the form of his life.

  He said on the : "Ross Barkley has gone to a different level. I think he is playing the best football of his career. He looked to be finished, dried up, but just look at him now. Incredible."

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  Barkley's Luton, who now sit 16th in the Premier League after the draw with the Magpies, next host fellow newly-promoted side Sheffield United next weekend, whereas Newcastle travel to Nottingham Forest.

Manchester United have already brought in a few big names, but their transfer business may not be done just yet.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has given his opinion on the Red Devils' pursuit of a Bundesliga pair and how it could pan out.

Will Manchester United make any other signings this summer?

Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund are the three high-profile additions to this United squad ahead of the new season. Now, with the end of the transfer window looming, Erik ten Hag is looking to make another addition or two.

The defensive third is where the Dutchman is targeting acquisitions for the Red Devils, with two names having been linked prominently.

Benjamin Pavard is one name put forward, with the versatile Bayern Munich man seemingly pushing for an exit from the Allianz Arena and reportedly close to joining Inter.

After Frenchman Raphael Varane scored the only goal of the game against Wolves on the opening day, international teammate Pavard was quick to leave a comment on a celebratory Instagram post, prompting many to speculate about his desire to move to pastures new.

Pavard has the ability to play both centrally and as a right-back, and it is the latter position that the other rumoured player occupies. Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, formerly of Celtic, is someone who Ten Hag admires, as reported by Football Insider.

It may well be a case of signing one or the other – if Jones’ update is anything to go by.

What has Dean Jones said about Pavard and Frimpong?

Transfer insider Jones has given an update on Manchester United’s transfer targets – particularly Jeremie Frimpong – when speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

He said: "With Manchester United going for Benjamin Pavard, he can play on the right-hand side of defence and centrally too, so I would be surprised if they were to go for Frimpong at the same time.

“I don't think Frimpong is imminent or anything like that, and I'd actually be pretty surprised if United were going to pursue that right now.

“Further down the road, perhaps, because I know he is a player that they've definitely had interest in.

“But with this Pavard deal on the back burner and Aaron Wan-Bissaka set to stay longer now, it [Frimpong] doesn't feel like one that needs to happen."

What is the latest Man United transfer news?

A third target for the Red Devils could arrive in the middle of the park. The man in question is Sofyan Amrabat, the Morocco international who starred at the World Cup and has since had a number of Europe’s elite lining up to sign him.

This makes up the majority of the news when it comes to incomings at Old Trafford, but there are also United players who could be leaving the club before the transfer window slams shut on 1st September.

One of those men is none other than former captain Harry Maguire. West Ham United seemed nailed on to land the centre-back only for his move to the capital to fall through – with Ten Hag claiming that he wanted to retain the services of the former Leicester City man.