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Manchester United have highlighted Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi as an alternative to Bayern Munich's Benjamin Pavard, as a reliable journalist has revealed that a deal for the latter is not yet at an advanced stage.

How much did Chelsea sell Marc Guehi for?

Back in 2021, Guehi made the move to Selhurst Park from Stamford Bridge for a reported £18m and during his two years at the club so far, he’s become a regular feature and integral member of Roy Hodgson’s squad having started 37 out of 38 matches last season in the Premier League.

The Eagles centre-back still has another three years remaining on his contract in SE25, but his impressive performances at the heart of the backline have already attracted summer interest from the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

Harry Maguire looks like he could be on his way out before the end of the ongoing transfer window having agreed a £30m deal to join West Ham United, so should he depart, Erik ten Hag will need to enter the market to find a suitable replacement.

Pavard appears to be the preferred candidate having already been the subject of a rejected approach from the Red Devils, and despite the player being keen to join, there’s no sign yet of an incoming second proposal which means the boss has to assess other options, which is where the 23-year-old comes into play.

Are Man United signing Marc Guehi?

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Man United have placed Guehi on a shortlist of centre-backs that they could look to swoop for should a deal for Pavard fail to materialise. He said:

“I’m told that Man United could get Benjamin Pavard from Bayern Munich for less than the reported €35m (£30m). This is the feeling at the Manchester club as everybody is waiting for the clubs to discuss a fee. At the moment, the deal is not at that stage yet. Pavard would be a replacement for Harry Maguire but we are still waiting for Maguire to agree personal terms with West Ham.

“As for other targets wanted by Man United, I can tell you that Jean-Clair Todibo remains on the list; and then other than the two just mentioned, Tapsoba and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.”

How tall is Marc Guehi?

Standing at 6 foot exactly, Guehi isn’t that tall for a centre-back but he’s still been dubbed an “absolute tank” by England U21s goalkeeper Josef Bursik, and there’s no doubt that he could be a real rock in Ten Hag’s defence should he end up completing a move to Man United.

The Three Lions international last season averaged 3.6 clearances and 1.5 aerial wins per top-flight game, via WhoScored, highlighting the physical presence he provides, and he is also a versatile operator with his ability to play out wide at both left-back and right-back alongside his usual position.

Guehi, whose price tag is £60m, additionally shares the same agent, Unique Sports Group, as Aaron Wan-Bissaka, so this existing connection that his representative already has to the club could give chiefs a small advantage should they decide to pursue a deal in the final weeks of the window.

Jonathan Carter’s century put Barbados in control despite only 32.3 overs being bowled on the first two days, but Jamaica avoided their second loss of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2017
ScorecardAFPPersistent rain in Kingston marred the day-night encounter between Jamaica and Barbados, forcing a draw despite bowling-friendly conditions. Only 32.3 overs were bowled on the first two days. Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican took 3 for 22 to give Barbados hope of an outright win, but Jamaica closed their second innings at 98 for 6 in 48 overs as time ran out.Jonathan Carter had earlier posted his fourth first-class century to bolster Barbados with a 128-run, first-innings lead. Steven Taylor, who was axed as USA captain following his desire to play first-class cricket for Jamaica to pursue a West Indies cap, made his debut, and scored a combined 13 runs in both innings.Having opted to bat first, Jamaica’s opening pair of John Campbell and Garth Garvey struck an 85-run partnership. Barbados’ offspinner Ashley Nurse and seamer Kevin Stoute then combined to reduce Jamaica to 143 for 7. Jamaica declared on 176 for 8 on the third day.Barbados replied strongly after losing opener Anthony Alleyne early. A 68-run stand between Sheyne Mosely and Shamarh Brooks for the second wicket steadied the innings, before Carter’s 186-ball 103 put Barbados in control, as they declared at 304 for 7 in the 94th over.Jamaica were 37 for 3 in their second innings, but resistance from captain Paul Palmer (32 off 115 balls) helped them avoid their second loss of the season. Both the teams are yet to register a win in the competition.

The Tasmania bowlers wrapped up a comfortable 142-run win – their first of the season – by taking the last five South Australia wickets in 36.3 overs for 119 runs on the last day at the Adelaide Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2017Will Russell/Getty ImagesTasmania’s bowlers wrapped up a 142-run win – their first of the season – by taking the last five South Australia wickets in 36.3 overs for 119 runs on the last day at the Adelaide Oval. Callum Ferguson, who was unbeaten on 46 overnight, went on to score 94, and was the second-last wicket to fall as South Australia were all out for 243.South Australia resumed their tall chase of 386 on 5 for 124. Jackson Bird struck with his first ball of the day when he induced an outside edge from Tom Cooper’s bat. Ferguson was joined by wicketkeeper Alex Carey for a resisting stand of 62 for the seventh wicket, but Carey edged to the keeper while hooking Thomas Rogers with his team 10 short of 200. Left-arm pacer Sam Rainbird then chipped in with a double-strike – he bowled Cameron Valente with an inswinger from around the wicket and had Ferguson edge one to gully as he neared a hundred. Kane Richardson’s slog-sweep to deep midwicket off Beau Webster eventually sealed Tasmania’s win.Jackson Bird finished with 3 for 51 to add to his 5 for 30 in the first innings, and Rainbird ended with 3 for 56 in the second innings.

Burnley’s proposed deal to sign Arsenal central midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga is now “complicated”, and a reliable journalist has revealed the reason why.

How old is Albert Sambi Lokonga?

Lokonga is 23 years of age and has been plying his trade at the Emirates Stadium since 2021 having joined from Anderlecht, but after spending the second half of last season out on loan at Crystal Palace, he’s clearly out of favour under Mikel Arteta and has therefore attracted interest from Turf Moor.

The Clarets reportedly entered advanced talks over an initial loan swoop with an option to buy for the Belgium international last month, and whilst he had an opportunity to make the move overseas to Spain, Vincent Kompany having managed him in the past, alongside his desire to prove he’s capable of competing in the Premier League, they held the advantage.

Since then, Football Insider had claimed that the Gunners star reached a full agreement to put pen to paper following a breakthrough in negotiations, though it would appear that the move is now severely at risk of falling through after a face-to-face discussion didn’t go as well as both parties would have hoped.

Are Burnley signing Albert Sambi Lokonga?

Taking to X, Sacha Tavolieri revealed that Burnley and Lokonga didn’t see eye-to-eye over the finer details of his switch, and therefore, chiefs have temporarily stopped pursuing him and could miss out on his signature with the player also being monitored by AS Monaco. He wrote:

“While discussions on loan deal with mandatory option were fluid with #ArsenalFC… Been told Sambi Lokonga’s side meeting with #BurnleyFC about personal terms didn’t meet expectations and that it’s now more complicated than expected. Also the reason why it’s been so quiet since the 2nd of August.

"#ASMonaco (who was on the player even before his transfer to #AFC) still got an interest for the Belgian midfielder & took information recently but nothing concrete so far. To be continued towards the end of the window.”

How much does Albert Sambi Lokonga earn?

At Arsenal, Lokonga currently pockets £50k-per-week, which he isn’t really earning considering his lack of game time, but that could all change should he sign on the dotted line at Burnley.

He’s been dubbed a “tireless” runner and "aggressive tackler" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and last season ranked in the 97th percentile for pass completion and won ten out of his 13 tackles made at Crystal Palace, so is super calm and composed in possession and loves to get stuck in.

The youngster is also capable of getting involved in the final third having posted 12 goal contributions (eight assists and four goals) since the start of his career.

Furthermore, Lokonga is a versatile operator having previously been deployed in four different positions, including in defensive, attacking and on the right side of a midfield alongside usual role in the centre circle.

We think he’d be a great option for the boss to have in the building should any unexpected injuries ever occur and they shoud be nailing down those last few details to get this one done.

Australia’s captain said he “can’t condone” the behaviour of Ben Stokes as the allrounder looks increasingly likely to miss the Ashes

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-20171:20

Stokes promises to give his story

Australia captain Steven Smith spoke carefully when addressing the issue of Ben Stokes’ potential absence from the Ashes series for the first time.Stokes won’t travel with the England squad to Australia at the end of October following the late-night brawl in Bristol last month which left a man in hospital and Stokes with a broken hand.Stokes, who was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm before being released under investigation, is still waiting to hear what route the police will take, but the ECB withdrew him from the Ashes squad and Steven Finn was named as the replacement.Speaking to ABC Radio, Smith confirmed he had watched the video which emerged shortly after the incident and is alleged to show the fight outside the Mbargo nightclub in Bristol but largely kept his counsel on the issue.”Whether he comes or not, that’s out of our control. You always want to come up against the best and test your skills against the best. That’s what Test cricket is all about.”There’s no doubt Ben Stokes is one of the best players around the world at the moment.”When asked how such an issue would be dealt with in Australia, he said: “I certainly don’t condone that kind of behaviour. Hopefully it never happens to one of our boys.”Darren Lehmann, Australia’s coach, has previously spoken about the issue being a “touchy” one for him in light of his memories of the incident in Melbourne 13 years ago when his friend and mentor David Hookes died after being punched to the ground by a hotel bouncer. He briefly made the link again before shifting the debate back to the impact Stokes’ absence would have on England.”It’s a hard one to comment on because you don’t know the full scenario. Having been in a similar situation with David Hookes, the one punch, it isn’t a nice scenario to be in either way and it’s a sad scenario for multiple people,” Lehmann said, also speaking to . “If I’m talking in pure cricket terms, with someone like Ben Stokes he’s obviously got some issues and whether he comes or not I’m not privy to that conversation.”They need him playing, he’s one of their best players and really shakes the make-up of their side because he’s their fourth quick and can bat top six which allows them. They’ll miss him, we’d miss Steven Smith for example. You miss your really good players.”When pressed on how Australia would deal with such a situation, Lehmann added: “It’s a tough one, I’d know what we’d do. I can’t really talk about it here, I’d love to. We’ve had situations like that in the past. We’ll let them deal with it.”Even before the police have decided their course of action, the fallout has been substantial for Stokes with the Ashes now looking a slim prospect and kit supplier New Balance having ended a £200,000 sponsorship deal with him.Last week, Stokes made his first public comments since the incident although they were to apologise to Katie Price for the video which emerged appearing to show Stokes mock her disabled son Harvey. Stokes’ agent, Neil Fairbrother, issued a statement saying the allrounder would give his side of the story into the events in Bristol when the investigation allows.

Liverpool are still in with a chance of completing the signing of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo in the summer transfer window, as a reliable journalist has offered new insight into the deal.

How much did Liverpool offer for Moises Caicedo?

The future of the Ecuadorian has been a major talking point throughout the current window, but the story has taken centre stage in recent days, with the Reds and Chelsea battling to acquire his signature in dramatic fashion.

Liverpool are believed to have had a record-breaking £110m bid for Caicedo accepted, only for the player himself to be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge, per Sky Sports.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Chelsea are yet to actually table a bid for the 21-year-old, however, so the situation is at something of an impasse until that actually happens, but Fabrizio Romano reported in the early hours of the morning the Blues would now take the lead and Liverpool would drop out.

Now, another update has emerged regarding the fight to snap up Caicedo this summer – one that could give Reds supporters fresh hope that they could still sign him.

What is happening with Moises Caicedo to Liverpool?

Taking to Twitter, The Independent's Miguel Delaney gave a new update on Liverpool's hopes of signing Caicedo, contradicting Romano and saying they aren't yet out of the race:

"Chelsea negotiate into early hours on Caicedo, although the longer the delay the better for Liverpool."

Meanwhile, in his article for The Independent, he further explained the situation in a little more depth, saying:

"Liverpool went higher than Chelsea in Thursday’s effective auction for Caicedo, bidding £110m, which then saw the Stamford Bridge club go to £55m for Lavia. Chelsea are trying to do both deals, but there is some skepticism whether they can make the two work under Financial Fair Play without significant sales."

Whether the player himself is acting up or his agent is telling him to deal with the situation in a specific way, he doesn't appear to handling it well. The hope is that rumours of a Chelsea bid ultimately amount to nothing, with owner Todd Boehly deciding against the transfer, paving the way for the Reds to make him their third signing of the summer.

Caicedo is a special young midfielder, highlighting why there is such an intense battle to bring him in, with his performances for Brighton last season showing exactly what he is capable of. Not only is he a dominant midfield force on and off the ball, but he can also play at right-back, which is an aspect of his game that will surely appeal to Jurgen Klopp.

At 21, this is just the start for him in his career, too, so to snap him up now would feel like a huge moment in Liverpool's summer, completing what has been a transformation of their midfield, following the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, and the exit of five players in the middle of the park, including Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and James Milner.

The final round of the County Championship is upon us. The title is already safety in Essex’s hands, but there are still crucial issues to be resolved around promotion and relegation

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2017The final round of the County Championship is upon us. The title is already safety in Essex’s hands, but there are still crucial issues to be resolved around promotion and relegation. Here’s what’s what as the summer draws to a close.Who is going down?Yorkshire’s nervy two-wicket chase against Warwickshire has given them some breathing room although they still need to be alert against champions Essex. Six points would make safety certain for them regardless of what happens elsewhere.The main attention will be on the Somerset-Middlesex match at Taunton. A proper relegation scrap. If Middlesex win, Somerset are down. If Somerset win and equal Middlesex’s number of bonus points, Somerset would be ahead of Middlesex by virtue of more wins (4 to 3).Then it’s about what Hampshire do against already relegated Warwickshire. They currently have a 13-point cushion over Somerset. The points they require to be safe will depend on what happens at Taunton, but the worst case for Hampshire is that they will need 12 – 13 points are available for a draw with maximum bonuses (three bowling, five batting).Surrey’s victory over Somerset made them safe (and leapfrogged them into second place with just their second win of the campaign), but there is jostling for position which is of interest (and value) for second place between them and Lancashire at Old Trafford. The runner-up earns £240,000 while third place gets £115,000.Who is going up?The simplest scenario is to say it’s in Worcestershire’s and Nottinghamshire’s hands. Worcestershire need to take just six points from their match against Durham to secure promotion, while Nottinghamshire – who have stumbled when the title seemed there for the taking – need to take 12 against Sussex to remove any doubt.Northamptonshire, though, have come up on the rails after completing a 124-run victory against Nottinghamshire. They have to win against Leicestershire – who have not had a victory this season – and hope Durham and Sussex help them out in the other two fixtures. The Division Two title comes with £120,000.

An update has emerged on reported Aston Villa transfer target Marcos Leonardo ahead of the start of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Roma have been unable to agree a fee with Santos for the Brazilian forward and their deal for him is on 'standby' for now.

The report claims that the Serie A side will continue to negotiate with them in order to find a solution to sign the talented number nine before the end of the summer transfer window.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

Leonardo, who has reportedly been valued at €15m (£13m) by his club, has also attracted interest from Premier League sides Nottingham Forest and Villa, although he is said to prefer a move to Italy at this moment in time.

It now remains to be seen whether or not the Villans will go in with an official offer in an attempt to beat off competition from the other two teams.

How good is Marcos Leonardo?

The 20-year-old striker is an outstanding young talent who could be the dream heir to Ollie Watkins at Villa Park if Unai Emery and Monchi are able to usurp Roma in the race for his signature.

Leonardo, who only turned 20 in May, has already scored 47 first-team goals for Santos, and his statistics since the start of last year suggest that he has the potential to eventually replace the England international as the Spanish head coach's first-choice striker.

The Brazil U20 international has scored 35 goals in 87 appearances in 2022 and 2023 combined for his club, which works out as a strike every 2.49 matches on average. He has also scored once every other outing for Santos in the Serie A this year with six in 12 clashes.

Watkins, meanwhile, is coming off the back of 15 goals in 37 Premier League games for the Villans last season, which is one every 2.47 appearances on average. That came after the former Brentford man racked up 11 strikes in 35 for Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard during the 2021/22 campaign.

This suggests that the Brazilian dynamo, who scored five goals in five U20 World Cup appearances this year, could offer a similar level of production in front of goal if he is able to translate his form over the last 18 months for Santos over to English football this season, or in the future.

U23 scout Antonio Manga claimed Leonardo has "frightening" pace and "plays without fear", which could also make him an ideal heir to Watkins due to the current Villa man's knack for using his pace to make runs in behind to stretch defences and to creates for himself.

There is no guarantee that he will be able to replicate his success in his home country in the Premier League but his superb statistics for Santos are eye-catching and the £13m-rated gem appears to be a worthwhile gamble for the club to make.

If Leonardo can adapt to football in England and chip in with goals on a regular basis then he could be the dream long-term heir to Watkins, who is seven years older than him.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Brazilian gem Andre, as Julen Lopetegui eyes midfield upgrades this summer.

The Spaniard bid farewell to Portuguese duo Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves early in the window, with the task to replace them being an ongoing search.

Could Wolves sign Andre?

One man that could fill the void left by the duo is Fluminense midfielder Andre, who has been linked to Wolves by news outlets in Brazil.

As reported by Bolavip, relayed by Sport Witness, the Old Gold are ‘in the fight’ to sign the 22-year-old, who is valued at £35m by his club.

The Midlands club aren’t the only Premier League representatives in the race to capture the talent, with Fulham and Liverpool also listed as interested parties.

How good is Andre?

Previously lauded as a “serious talent” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Andre could be the perfect addition to the side at Molineux in the absence of departed captain Neves.

The Portuguese midfielder departed for a lucrative move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, in a deal worth £47m, after spending six memorable years in Wolverhampton.

Lopetegui could finally fill the gap left by the 26-year-old in capturing the Brazilian, who has similar attributes to the former Wolves sensation.

Once described as a “deep-lying orchestrator” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Neves was recognised for his strengths in distribution in central midfield at Molineux, an area that is equally praised in Andre’s approach to play.

As per FBref, the midfielder maintained an average pass completion rate of 93.2% in the Brazilian Serie A, securing almost perfect numbers compared to the Portuguese gem’s 82.1% in the Premier League last season.

Averaging 6.31 passes into the final third, the Fluminense whizz could replicate the level of performance on show at Molineux by Neves, who averaged 6.02 final third passes per 90 last term.

While the 22-year-old is a competent passer, the most prominent area to his game is his defensive approach, standing as a combative figure in the engine room.

Once tipped to become Brazil’s “next best defensive midfielder” by South American football expert Nathan Joyes, the enforcing presence of Andre could make him an assured asset for Lopetegui to add to his team.

The praise is supported through his numbers, where he averaged 3.66 tackles and interceptions per 90 in Serie A and made an average of 7.09 ball recoveries in midfield per 90, via FBref.

Based on these figures, the young midfielder drew more fouls than he committed for Fluminense this year, highlighting the controlled nature of his game paired with the energy he exerts in the middle of the park.

A player eager to be involved in play, Andre averaged a huge 84.55 touches per 90 in the league last season, conveying the influence he could bring to Molineux at a time that calls for a midfield rebuild ahead of the new campaign.

In signing the Brazilian, Wolves could identify the perfect player to take the place of Neves, in a talent that displays strengths in abundance similar to that of the departed skipper.

Somerset arrived just in time for the 6.30pm start at a sold-out Bristol but as Gloucestershire took West Country bragging rights they rather wished they hadn’t

ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2017David Payne took three wickets•Getty ImagesGloucestershire gained derby bragging rights over their local rivals with an seven-wicket NatWest T20 Blast victory over Somerset in front of an 8,000 sell-out crowd at BristolSomerset could muster only 146 all out after arriving at the ground late due to traffic congestion. Johann Myburgh and Craig Overton were the main contributors, while David Payne and Benny Howell were the pick of the Gloucestershire attack.In reply, the home side never looked in trouble as Ian Cockbain, Michael Klinger, and man-of-the-match Kieran Noema-Barnett (33 off 12 balls) took them to their target with ten balls to spare.The match began 45 minutes late after Somerset’s team coach had only just arrived at the scheduled start time of 6.30pm.Somerset director of cricket Matthew Maynard said: “Some of our batsmen didn’t give themselves a chance to assess the pitch and there was some dull thinking at times. Johann Myburgh showed what was possible when taking a few balls to play yourself in.”We are not always going to play on perfect wickets and sometimes it is necessary to take stock of the situation. It was probably the poorest we have batted in the competition and we need to bounce back quickly against Surrey on Sunday.”As if their late arrival was not bad enough, Somerset lost the toss and their innings was something of a roller-coaster, openers Steve Davies and Lewis Gregory departing with only 13 balls bowled and 12 runs on the board. Payne was the successful bowler in both cases.Myburgh then looked to transform the match with a brilliant 18-ball cameo that featured 5 fours and 2 sixes. The South African took 24 off an over from left-arm spinner Tom SmithSkipper Jim Allenby offered solid support and at the end of the six-over power-play his team were well placed on 66 for two.From there some kamikaze cricket saw Somerset plunge to 90 for seven, James Hildreth perishing to a reverse sweep off only his second ball and Tom Abell running himself out attempting a suicidal single.Gloucestershire skipper Michael Klinger kept faith with Smith and was rewarded when the bowler conceded only 12 off his final three overs.Howell produced his customary changes of pace to flummox the batsman and did not concede a single boundary in his four overs.Overton gave Somerset some hope with some big hits at the end, but the total still looked well below par on a decent batting strip.So it proved as Klinger and Phil Mustard gave Gloucestershire a fast start, Klinger hitting Lewis Gregory over mid-wicket for six and Mustard clearing the ropes off Tim Groenewald.Klinger was struck a painful blow in the ribs by a quick delivery from Paul van Meekeren, in the sixth over, but continued after treatment. The opening stand was worth 48 when Mustard (29) drove a catch to long-on off Roelof van der Merwe.Ian Cockbain lofted Max Waller over long-on for six as Gloucestershire eased towards the required run rate and repeated the treatment off Overton. He and Klinger brought the 100 up in the 14th over and by then the outcome was all but settled. Klinger fell for 35, but with only 45 needed off six overs, the hosts were well in control.Noema-Barnett eased any suggestion of late nerves with successive straight sixes of the previously impressive van Meekeren and followed up with two more maximums off van der Merwe to the delight of home fans before holing out with the job virtually done.Jack Taylor finished the match with a six to complete a miserable night for Somerset, who were well beaten.