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A quiet break from cricket, after two high-quality Tests that were in the spotlight for several wrong reasons, has given the South Africa opener time to think about his faltering batting

Firdose Moonda19-Mar-2018The two things Dean Elgar has enjoyed most about the last seven days is the silence and the chance to reflect on two highly competitive games of cricket, away from the sideshows that have surrounded them.”There’s been so much noise that people have actually forgotten there is such a great Test series happening between two strong and competitive teams. The backroom noise is hindering what has been quite an exciting Test series,” Elgar said, as South Africa resumed training after a week’s break ahead of the third Test against Australia at Newlands.The match starts on Thursday, which has effectively meant a 10-day period for the teams to get away from each other, and on the evidence of the first two Tests, they needed that. Everything from the stairwell saga to the send-offs has been laced with aggression and intensity. Those close to the Australian camp have gone as far as to say the temperature of this series has been hotter than recent Ashes’ contests and the South Africans, usually a passionate but not overly petulant lot, have also turned on the heat.Elgar, one of the pricklier characters in the squad, admitted he has also got involved. “There’s been a lot of niggle. It comes from both sides. It’s what you expect when you are playing against quality opposition. The intensity should be there. That’s what makes the format exciting,” he said. “I’ve been on the receiving end of it and I have also been one to give it out a bit, in all the right measurements.”The “right measurements”, as Elgar put it, have been debated throughout this series and, so far, no one can provide a recipe as to what those might be. Steven Smith has, on several occasions, insisted there is a line his team does not cross while Faf du Plessis has endorsed chirping as good for the game but said he would not advocate swearing. And then there’s the physical side of things. From David Warner needing to be physically restrained in the episode with Quinton de Kock, to the shoulder brush between Kagiso Rabada and Steven Smith, Elgar is right when he said this series is less about cricket and more about contact.A tweet on Vernon Philander’s account went as far as to suggest simulation could even come into the picture, but the message was deleted a few ours after it was posted and Philander claimed his account was hacked. And so the silence Elgar was enjoying might have been broken in the middle of the break, when it suddenly emerged that there may be a new flashpoint.Though very little has been made of the post on Philander’s account and the subsequent backtracking from it, that could change. Cameron Bancroft has already suggested Australia will use the tweet to try and unnerve the seamer on his home ground; the same venue where he played a major part in bowling them out for 47 in his debut Test series in 2011.AFP

Elgar suspects it will take more than that to get under Philander’s skin. “He’ll take it in his stride like Vern does. He is quite a relaxed human being but on the field he is as competitive as anyone else,” Elgar said. “He is going to expect that they are going to come out and say something to him on the field, and I am sure he is going to be prepared for that.”Philander might have other things to think about than what the Australians have to say. Should South Africa be without Kagiso Rabada – whose appeal hearing against a Level 2 charge extended to over six hours today – Philander will lead an attack that will likely include the retiring Morne Morkel and the inexperience of Lungi Ngidi. South Africa will have to find a way to take wickets without their leading bowler.Though the players have tried not to become preoccupied with the Rabada proceedings, they understand losing him would be a big deal. “As players, we are just trying to isolate ourselves away from that situation. We know we don’t have any influence over what has happened or what can happen. It would be nice to put it behind us,” Elgar said. “Having KG [Rabada] in our side is massive for us. It’s massive for the game, massive for the format, because KG is an extremely special cricketer. But we do know there are rules. We respect that. If he is good to go for the third Test, it will be awesome for us and awesome of the game.”In the meanwhile, Elgar would like to concentrate on his own game and on finding the form that had him finish as the third-highest run-scorer in Test cricket last year. Elgar’s 2017 included 1128 runs from 12 Tests at 53.71 with five centuries, but he has only managed 285 runs from five Tests this year at 31.66.He accepted that “it was always going to be difficult to follow-up on what was a very good year”, but would like to start contributing more, especially because of his returns so far. He was dismissed in single-figures in both innings in the first Test and the second innings of the second Test; his only score in double-figures so far this series was a stubborn 57 in Port Elizabeth. “I feel that I am batting nicely. I am getting through all the tough parts and then I am letting myself down with silly, stupid, uncharacteristic kind of dismissals,” Elgar said. “I know it’s not what the team requires, our team requires me to try bat out a day.”His half-century, which took five hours and six minutes to score, used up most of a day and helped lay a platform for South Africa to take a match-winning first-innings lead in Port Elizabeth. But on either side of that knock, Elgar has twice been caught and bowled by Nathan Lyon and desperately wants to change his record against the spinner.”I have handled him quite [badly],” Elgar said. “Like I said, silly dismissals that are uncharacteristic of me. In the past I have handled him quite well. He has developed his game massively in the last two years, and I will just be mindful of that and still trust my defence against him.”And hope for some more peace and quiet before the series resumes.

Last season was all about hope for Arsenal. They came so close to winning the Premier League, only to be pipped to the post by Manchester City.

There may well have been a feeling of regret, but the overwhelming sense within the Emirates Stadium was still one of positivity.

Unfortunately, negativity is starting to seep in this season, although the Gunners have won seven points from nine.

Their toughest test awaits on Sunday, with a clash against old rivals Manchester United facing Mikel Arteta and his men.

Ahead of the match, the Londoners have been dealt with a painful injury blow to Thomas Partey.

Is Thomas Partey injured?

Rumours surrounding the Ghanaian have been rife over the last 24 hours.

Partey had been training ahead of the game but the Ghana FA have suggested that the midfielder could miss the next three months of action with a hamstring problem.

Arsenal have refused to comment on the situation, with the severity of the problem unconfirmed by the club.

The injury comes at a bad time for the Gunners, who have already lost new summer signing Jurrien Timber to a lengthy knee issue.

Who could replace Thomas Partey?

The former Atletico Madrid man has been playing as a makeshift right-back this season as Arteta plots something different with his team.

The role has seen the 30-year-old playing in an inverted position, as Oleksandr Zinchenko performed so well last season from the opposite side, but it hasn't worked too well.

Indeed, Arsenal haven't looked convincing at any moment this season, keeping just one clean sheet and failing to win by a margin of more than two goals.

This injury, however, could well be the blessing in disguise that welcomes Gabriel Magalhaes back into the team.

Ben White has been playing at centre-back this term but will likely slide across onto the right-hand side against United, leaving a vacant space in the middle.

This is where Gabriel comes back into the fray. Strangely, the Brazilian is yet to start in the league this season but that must surely change now.

The £32m-rated defender was one of the best players in the division throughout 2022/23, ranking in the top 15% of centre-backs for pass completion rate and the top 12% for carries into the final third.

A robust defender, it is the Brazil international's pedigree as a progressive outlet that makes him so valuable to Arsenal, not to mention the fact that his left-footedness helps considerably in terms of their build-up play from the back.

Heralded as a "beast" by ex-FOX reporter Robert Lusetich for his performances in the 2021/22 campaign, Gabriel has only been going from strength to strength since joining Arsenal.

His solidity and indeed reliability last term should have made him a shoo-in to start most games this season. The fact he hasn't yet in 2023/24 is worrying.

That, however, is likely to change against United, barring another mysterious tactical tweak by Arteta and his coaching staff that catches everyone completely off guard.

An update has emerged on Celtic's plans to bolster their squad as they reportedly have their eyes on another central defender…

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

According to 90min, the Hoops are one of a number of clubs eyeing up Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Eric Dier as we head into the final few weeks of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Spurs are open to cashing in on the England international as he has less than a year left to run on his current contract and is not close to putting pen to paper on an extension.

AS Monaco, Sporting CP, Crystal Palace, and Al-Nassr are also said to be interested in signing the Premier League defender, who was omitted from his side's opening matchday squad for tactical reasons.

How good is Eric Dier?

Despite falling out of favour early on in Ange Postecoglou's reign, Dier is a proven top-flight performer who was in the England squad as recently as March of this year.

Brendan Rodgers could, therefore, repeat the masterclass that the club played by snapping up Joe Hart from Spurs after the shot-stopper became an outcast under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Hart has gone on to feature in 74 Scottish Premiership matches since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, which means that the 36-year-old titan has only missed four league games since joining the Hoops.

The former Manchester City man has made 106 appearances in total and lifted five trophies with the Bhoys to date, which included a domestic treble last season.

This shows that Celtic were able to benefit from signing a player Spurs no longer wanted as he has gone on to become a key cog within the side, given his vast number of games played in little over two years.

Dier could follow in his footsteps to be a big player for Rodgers this season and over the years to come if they are able to secure his signature before the end of the window.

The 29-year-old enforcer has racked up 270 Premier League appearances and played 361 games for Spurs throughout his career to date, which shows that he is an experienced ace at the top level.

Dier, who has been capped 49 times by England, caught the eye with his top-flight performances during the 2021/22 campaign as he averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.01 and helped Tottenham to keep an impressive 16 clean sheets.

The towering 6 foot 2 colossus, who was described as "reliable" by former head coach Antonio Conte, also kept Cameron Carter-Vickers out of the side before the American international opted to move to Celtic in 2021, as he had only made five first-team appearances for the London-based club.

Now, imagine the impact Dier could have at Parkhead when you consider that the USMNT star was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year for last season after helping the side to keep 13 clean sheets.

The current Spurs outcast was deemed to be so far ahead of Carter-Vickers that they were willing to sell the former AFC Bournemouth loanee to the Hoops last summer, which suggests that he could come in and offer even more quality to the club.

Therefore, Rodgers could land an excellent and experienced option at the back by securing a deal for the £85k-per-week titan, which could turn out to be a repeat of the club's blinder with Hart by offering him a chance to revive his career away from north London.

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.

Ravi Rampaul, the former West Indies quick, has signed for Derbyshire on a three-year contract

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2017

Ravi Rampaul, the former West Indies quick, has signed for Derbyshire on a three-year contract. Rampaul has been playing in county cricket with Surrey for the past two years and does not count as an overseas player due to his Kolpak status.Rampaul will be available in all three formats, as Derbyshire look to continue their rebuilding under Kim Barnett, who came in as Director of Cricket last year before taking on an advisory role at the end of the season.”We identified new-ball bowling as an area we wanted to strengthen for 2018, and we’re delighted to secure someone of the calibre of Ravi,” Barnett said. “He is highly skilled and vastly experienced, with over 100 internationals under his belt, and he will give us the additional firepower we needed alongside the likes of Hardus Viljoen and Will Davis.”Ravi will be available for all forms and has committed to Derbyshire full time, ruling out any clashes with the CPL during the English domestic season. It’s a massive coup for the club and shows our intent that we want to build on the progress we made in 2017 and kick on in 2018 and beyond.”Although Derbyshire finished eighth in Division Two of the Championship, they did enjoy a successful NatWest Blast – under specialist T20 coach John Wright – reaching their first quarter-final in 12 years. Rampaul, a World T20 winner in 2012 who also has experience of the IPL, can be expected to bolster their white-ball attack.Despite not being a regular during his time at The Oval, he claimed 59 wickets overall, including 18 in this year’s Royal London Cup as Surrey reached the final. Rampaul last played for West Indies in 2015, having been capped in 18 Tests, 92 ODIs and 23 T20Is.”I’m grateful to Derbyshire for giving me this opportunity to extend my career in England and play across all forms,” Rampaul said. “The club has ambitious plans for the years ahead and I’m excited by what we can achieve. Hopefully I can play my part, not only on the field helping to win games of cricket, but also help the younger guys in the dressing room.”

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.

كشفت تقارير صحفية أن نادي برشلونة رفض عرضًا من أحد الأندية الإنجليزية للظفر بخدمات أحد لاعبيه، مقابل مبلغ يقترب من 50 مليون يورو.

وارتبط عدة لاعبين من صفوف برشلونة بإمكانية مغادرة النادي الكتالوني، في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي المقبل.

اقرأ أيضًا.. حكم مباراة برشلونة وباريس سان جيرمان في دوري أبطال أوروبا

ويسعى حامل لقب الدوري الإسباني إلى تعزيز صفوف الفريق نهاية الموسم الحالي، خاصة مع الرحيل الوشيك للمدرب تشافي هيرنانديز.

وحسبما ذكرت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، فإن برشلونة تلقى عرضًا من نادِ إنجليزي، للظفر بخدمات رافينها.

وانضم اللاعب البرازيلي إلى برشلونة قادمًا من ليدز يونايتد، في صيف 2022 مقابل 57 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

وأوضحت أن أحد الأندية الإنجليزية تقدم بعرض لـ برشلونة، من أجل ضم رافينها، مقابل 48.7 مليون يورو، أي 51.2 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

وأفادت بأن برشلونة رفض عرض النادي الإنجليزي، دون الكشف عن ماهيته.

وأشارت إلى أن برشلونة سعيد بأداء رافينها في الموسم الحالي، وهو ما جعل الإدارة ترفض العرض.

وأكدت أن برشلونة حدد القيمة المالية بـ رافينها بـ68.3 مليون جنيه إسترليني، حال الموافقة على رحيله.

Ever since Sandro Tonali joined Newcastle United, the running joke has been his constant lack of smile, with many quick to joke that the Italian would much rather still be at AC Milan, rather than the Magpies.His debut display showed anything but an uncommitted player, however, with the Italian putting in an impressive first shift as a Newcastle player. We may not have got that big smile yet, but Eddie Howe certainly has reason to remain positive about his new arrival.With Champions League football to think about in the coming campaign, every player in Howe’s squad will have a job to do. And, given Tonali’s price tag of £55m, he, more so than others, will have the pressure on him to perform.Just 23, the midfielder has the chance to become a constant feature in a potential era to remember at St James’ Park.

Sandro Tonali impresses on Newcastle debut

And while not every new signing is having a great pre-season – check out Kai Havertz at Arsenal for instance – it appears the new NUFC man is settling in smoothly on the pitch.

As you can see from the video, Tonali’s performance, whilst not exactly flashy, was incredibly neat and tidy. Meanwhile, something to note was how physical the Italian was, which should see him settle into the intensity of Premier League football rather quickly.

He also played a part in the build-up to the first goal of the game, playing a fine first-touch pass to grab himself a pre-assist.

Newcastle ran out 2-1 winners at Ibrox against Rangers in what was Alan McGregor’s testimonial match. The Magpies initially took the lead through Miguel Almiron, before Sam Lammers equalised for the hosts after the break.

Securing the victory late on, Harrison Ashby found the back of the net in the 87th minute to hand Newcastle a solid second game of pre-season against the Scottish Premiership side.

Howe’s side started their pre-season against Gateshead, of course, winning 3-2 in a back-and-forth affair as they came back from two goals down.

The Newcastle manager commented on his side’s most recent display, saying: “Bits of the first half was outstanding, some really good football.

“Second half wasn’t as pretty and clean but there were a lot of changes, we managed to find a way to win again and that’s a great thing.”

What kind of player is Sandro Tonali?

Tonali is not a player that will necessarily leave you in awe. But he is a player that you’ll look back on as an important cog in a well-oiled machine, sitting at the base of a midfield three.

To get a better understanding of his talents, Football FanCast have done an in-depth profile on the player which you can read here.

The Italian’s arrival is particularly positive for Bruno Guimaraes, who will have a greater license to advance into a more offensive role next season, such is the discipline of Tonali.

Last season, the Brazilian was involved in 10 goals in all competitions, scoring five and assisting a further five. Suddenly, however, those numbers could increase even more if he is allowed to advance more often.

Tonali certainly has plenty of time to improve, too, given the fact that he’s just 23. And, with that, giving him time to settle wouldn’t exactly be a bad thing. After all, he’s not coming into a Newcastle side in desperate need of reinforcements.

After his debut performance, though, it’s clear that the Magpies have got themselves a player who is more than capable of stepping into England’s top flight, perhaps helping his new side to even greater heights than last season.

Here are some Twitter reactions after his eye-catching display.

Match Facts

March 28, 2017
Start time 1430 local (0900 GMT)Bangladesh won only their second ODI in Sri Lanka to take a lead in the series•AFP

Big Picture

A win in a landmark Test, post-match calls from the prime minister, outstanding performances from debutants, seniors producing their best work – this hastily arranged tour was only supposed to be the postscript to Bangladesh’s high-profile visits to New Zealand and India, but now has the makings of a dream tour.Consider how dominant Sri Lanka have been against Bangladesh in the past. Muttiah Muralitharan’s record is sometimes attacked for containing too many Bangladesh wickets. Kumar Sangakkara looked bored while hitting half of his hundreds against them. Now, tables are turned, boots have switched feet, and the vanquishers are on the verge of becoming vanquished. Before Saturday, Bangladesh had won only one ODI in 15 attempts in Sri Lanka – and that, too, a rain-affected match that became a little chancy towards the end. Now they have crushed Sri Lanka by 90 runs, have players in form, and have possibly become favourites on an away tour.Not that Sri Lanka balk at the underdog tag. Often it’s when little is expected of them that they are at their most stirring. But in reality, this is a team that have now lost six ODIs in a row, have been defeated in five of their last six home one-dayers, and are operating without their best player – Angelo Mathews.Failed strategies have been curiously persisted with too. Sri Lanka have stacked their XI with allrounders, which seems to routinely leave them a bowler short in the death overs. They seem to constantly try to make limited-overs stars out of promising Test players, who might be better left to develop in one format (20-year-old Lahiru Kumara being a prime example). There is also the fielding, which we won’t go into again, because if you are a Sri Lanka fan, it will only want to make you cry.

Form guide

Sri Lanka LLLLL (completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh WLLLL

In the spotlight

It is time to talk about Thisara Perera – perhaps Sri Lanka’s best batsman of the first ODI, where he hit 55 off 35 balls. Is he a batsman who can bowl a bit? Well, in 18 innings since the start of 2015, he has averaged 14.23 with the bat. Is he then a bowler who bats a bit? This seems even less likely, as since the start of 2015, he averages 54.33 with the ball, and concedes runs at 6.63 an over. His role in the team seems unclear.He has often found ways to be overshadowed in Sri Lanka, but Mehedi Hasan has been consistently effective, and has been a key contributor to Bangladesh’s success through this tour. On ODI debut on Saturday, Mehedi took the new ball – a task only experienced spinners are usually saddled with – and delivered a five-over spell that yielded one wicket and cost only 17, helping sink Sri Lanka’s chase early. Mehedi has also been an enthusiastic contributor with the bat and in the field. Here is a player worth keeping tabs on.

Team news

Niroshan Dickwella was set to be available after suspension, only he has got himself injured and is now out of series. In his place Sri Lanka have drafted in offspinner Dilruwan Perera, while also strengthening their fast-bowling options with the addition of Nuwan Pradeep and Nuwan Kulasekara to the squad. There is a chance one of these new additions will play – Kulasekara the most likely. There is also some concern about a niggle to Suranga Lakmal.Sri Lanka: (possible) 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Upul Tharanga (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Asela Gunaratne, 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Dhananjaya de Silva/Sachith Pathirana, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Suranga Lakmal/Nuwan Pradeep, 10 Nuwan Kulasekara, 11 Lakshan SandakanBangladesh may retain their winning XI, although Mashrafe Mortaza said he was not afraid to make changes if conditions demanded.Bangladesh: (possible) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mehedi Hasan, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Taskin Ahmed

Pitch and conditions

A little extra grass has been left on the Dambulla surface, so it may not be as given to turn as the previous one. The weather is expected to be mostly fine.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have now lost their last three matches at Dambulla. They had lost two ODIs to Australia there last year.
• If Bangladesh whitewash Sri Lanka in the series, they will move to sixth on the ODI rankings list, and displace Sri Lanka to seventh.

Quotes

“We have [previously] broken our winning combination against India and South Africa in 2015. The wicket tomorrow may be different, so we have to keep that in mind.”

Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke is hoping to bolster their midfield with Bayern Munich ace Ryan Gravenberch this summer after failing in their seasonal goals and missing out on Champions League qualification.

What's the latest on Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool?

That's according to prominent German outlet BILD, who claim that reports of the Reds' interest indeed ring true and manager Jurgen Klopp has maintained his interest with the summer transfer window now officially open.

There are reports that the ace is available for just £25m after failing to cement a regular starting berth with the German champions this season, signing from Ajax for €24m (£20m) one year ago.

A prospective transfer is complicated by Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel's unwillingness to allow his budding midfield machine to leave despite his lack of minutes, but if the Reds can put forth a compelling offer he could yet leave the Allianz Arena to play a central role in Liverpool's revival.

Should Liverpool sign Ryan Gravenberch?

As the adage goes: if it rains at eleven it will last til seven. Liverpool's spluttering season resulted in a failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons, and was exacerbated by the unwanted news of Jude Bellingham's magnetising to Real Madrid after heavy speculation surrounding his future at Borussia Dortmund – speculation that pointed largely towards Merseyside.

It wasn't to be and the Kop have made a shrewd early move to rectify the woes by signing Alexis Mac Allister for a bargain £35m earlier this month, and considering the fact that Gravenberch has been described to be "better than Jude Bellingham" by ex-Tottenham Hotspur gem Rafael van der Vaart, Liverpool could be plying the astute work necessary to return to the top.

Having also been praised as "dominant" by his former coach, Gravenberch only started three times in the German top flight and will expect an upturn in playing time next term if he does remain with Bayern.

The 11-cap star, despite his inactivity, still ranks among the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 23% for progressive passes, the top 26% for progressive carries and the top 19% for successful take-ons per 90 as per FBref.

And provided the platform to cement a position of salience at Anfield, Gravenberch would surely only see such metrics skyrocket, becoming the club's saviour after a lacklustre year for Klopp's side.

He could be the dream alternative to Khephren Thuram, who has been of heavy attention to the Anfield side this summer, with the likes of Fabrizio Romano confirming that the Nice ace is on the shortlist as a physical presence to strengthen the robustness of the club.

Comparatively, the Frenchman ranks among the top 6% of positional peers for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, which is unequivocally impressive.

Thuram is indeed a "monster" of a midfielder – as stated by Sam McGuire – but he is allegedly available for around €60m (£51m), and considering this, Gravenberch is surely the more auspicious option.

Evidently just as talented and available at a far cheaper rate, Schmadtke and co must consider such a player to bolster their ranks.