Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has labeled Mendis the future of the national side after the batsman scored his fifth half-century in his ninth ODI during an 82-run win over Australia on Wednesday

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo 24-Aug-2016He has been an international cricketer for barely nine months, and has only played as many ODIs, but great expectations are already being thrust upon Kusal Mendis. Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has labeled Mendis “the future” of the national side.”He’s going to be a big player for us,” Mathews said of Mendis, who scored his second consecutive half-century in Wednesday’s 82-run win over Australia. “He’s going to be the future of our batting. If he keeps going like this he will do wonders for the Sri Lanka team and I wish him all the very best. It was a fantastic knock today.”Mendis’ half-century in the second ODI at Khettarama was the quickest of Sri Lanka’s three fifties, despite Sri Lanka having lost both openers cheaply. It was also his fifth fifty in his nine ODIs so far – one having come in Dublin, two in England, and now two at home against Australia.Mendis was particularly good at the end of the Powerplay, as Australia attempted to sneak in an over from one of their part-timers. Travis Head saw Mendis hit the first two balls of his spell for four, before the batsman struck two more boundaries and a three to complete 19 runs off the bat in that 10th over.Mendis’ early attack on Head created problems for Steven Smith, who resorted to bowling Aaron Finch, partly because Head was proving expensive in conceding 41 from four overs. Mathews said there had been no particular plan to score quickly off Head, and gave a glowing appraisal of Mendis’ approach.”He’s just very positive,” Mathews said. “Especially after losing a couple of wickets in quick succession, the way he went out there and the way he batted was brilliant. Not too many people do that – you take a bit of time and settle in and take a look at the wicket. But he’s just going out there and playing with a lot of freedom. He’s just a different kind of player.”Mendis is just one of several young players who have produced encouraging performances during the Australia tour. The latest to impress is 23-year-old left-arm spinner Amila Aponso, who took 1 for 27 in his first ODI on Sunday, and claimed the game’s best figures of 4 for 18 in Wednesday’s second ODI.”Not all the spinners bowled very well out there, apart from Amila Aponso – in the first game as well as this game,” Mathews said. “He’s bowled in these two matches like he’s played internationals for a long time. He’s just landing it on the spot and keeping it pretty simple – just bowling it there and letting the ball do the rest. He’s been turning a few and sliding a few. It’s been extremely difficult for the batters.”More experienced players also contributed to the 82-run victory as Mathews scored 57 and claimed two wickets while Thisara Perera took 3 for 33. Also in the runs again was Dinesh Chandimal, who narrowly missed out on the Sri Lankan record for most ODI fifties on the trot, when he was given out on review for 48 to end the streak at six half-centuries.”Chandimal’s been tremendous for us in the Test series and also in England,” Mathews said. “He’s matured. He’s also playing with a lot of responsibility – as a senior. He’s anchoring the innings and that’s what we want from him. Him batting at No. 4, we want him to bat until the 46th over, so that guys like Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka can go out there and play with a lot of freedom. In our batting line up myself and Chandimal have to take the responsibility to let the youngsters play with freedom.”With young players now winning matches for Sri Lanka, it is the oldest man in the ODI side that has now been placed under pressure. Tillakaratne Dilshan, 39, collected scores of 22 and 10 in the first two games, and the selectors now may consider dropping him in order to make way for players who could conceivably play in the 2019 World Cup. However, Mathews defended Dilshan’s recent performances.”No matter how experienced you are, it doesn’t mean you will play well all the time,” Mathews said. “You can get unlucky and get out. I got out cheaply in the last game as well. Though Dilshan failed in this match, others played well and won it. We trust that he will play well in the future.”

Potential new Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim is reportedly already eyeing an incredible move to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news involving Jassim and Neymar?

The deadline for third offers at Old Trafford has now passed, with Jassim making a final take-it-or-leave-it offer to take full control from the Glazers.

Jassim previously wanted a takeover 'done quickly' so he could help Erik ten Hag in the transfer market, and it looks as if the Qatari group are already identifying targets at Old Trafford, with Neymar potentially a huge statement signing.

Should Jassim’s offer prove to be successful, The Sun ‘understands that one of his first actions will be to make an incredible move to sign Neymar’.

They say that the forward ‘would be a marquee signing for the club to signal the new owners' intentions moving forward’, with PSG potentially open to offers due to the player’s struggles with injuries.

Setting the bar high…

Neymar is on a whopping salary of around €1bn-a-week (£950,000) in Paris, so Jassim would need to show his financial power to bring the Brazilian to Manchester. He's also a "huge fan" of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, so appears to be hitting the bar high when it comes to possible additions to the squad.

The 31-year-old has scored 293 goals and has provided 188 assists during his 493-game club career for Santos, Barcelona and PSG, while he has also netted 77 times for his country, showing the quality he could bring to England.

Mark Goldbridge wasn't thrilled after hearing Neymar could be a target for the Red Devils, though, but he could be happier if it is Jassim taking over at United instead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with The United Stand presenter hitting out at the possibility of Ratcliffe keeping the Glazers involved at Old Trafford.

Scorecard and ball-by-ballSharjeel Khan pulls during his century•AFP

In the list of the fastest ODI centuries by Pakistan and you will see a familiar name: Shahid Afridi. Afridi is still the owner of the three fastest hundreds, but now there is a new man lurking behind him: Sharjeel Khan, who is now the proud owner of the fastest century by a Pakistani not named Afridi and the architect of the heaviest victory by runs in the country’s ODI history.The tempo of Sharjeel’s innings – and the utterly one-sided nature of this match – was established in the first over. Undeterred by muggy skies or the threat of seam, Sharjeel scythed his second ball, from Tim Murtagh, through the offside and then launched the over’s final delivery for a straight six.That same impudent spirit defined the rest of his innings. Sharjeel treated Ireland’s bowlers as if he was range-hitting against local net bowlers. The shot with which he brought up his century, a sweep to leg that was misfielded, actually had a subtlety out of sync with the rest of his stay; this was an innings of unrelenting brutality, defined above all by Sharjeel’s brazen, clean hitting to the leg side, pulling imperiously and launching the ball over long on with impunity.The violence was also out of sync with the bucolic setting at Malahide. This is the venue that Ireland hope to turn into their fortress, yet not only were their team humiliated on the pitch, their ignominious batting collapse made all the more unpalatable by coming in the best conditions of the day, yet here the home fans were outdone – if not in number, then certainly in noise – by Pakistan’s supporters. When Sharjeel raised his helmet and performed the in celebration at his maiden ODI century, coming off only 61 balls and four days after his 27th birthday, he did so against a backdrop of chants of “Pakistan! Zindabad”.He only became more merciless after reaching his century. Twenty-five balls later he had sailed past 150, greeting the slow emergence of the sun with a series of shots that not merely cleared the boundary at Malahide, but would have done so at any ground in the world. While Sharjeel was batting, there seemed not so much one game of cricket being played as two: the bedlam when he was at the crease, and the relative tranquillity when he was not, as Mohammad Hafeez took 59 balls over 37.Perhaps Sharjeel’s impact was overdue. He made his ODI debut three years ago but, after a sparkling 61 on debut, his form collapsed, and he was dropped after 11 ODIs brought an average of just 17.63, and, in the process ditched from T20 cricket too. The creation of the Pakistan Super League created a new platform for him to impress the selectors, and a 62-ball 117 against Shaun Tait and Wahab Riaz gave note of his talent. He was recalled to Pakistan’s T20 side and performed encouragingly in their dismal World T20 campaign.But many considered him a little on the rotund side for an international cricketer. When Pakistan went on their army boot camp, to Abbottabad, in preparation for their tour to England, Sharjeel struggled, and was given a tailor-made programme to make him fit for international cricket. During Pakistan A’s tour of England, he made plenty of runs, including 125 against the England Lions, but more important was the 5kg he lost.”That boot camp was really special, and the fitness work is really helping us on this tour,” he said after his memorable day. “I need to improve my fitness more day-by-day.”Not that Sharjeel did much running here, too busy exploiting the shoddy length of Ireland’s bowlers – too full or, more often, too short. Even in a match reduced to 47 overs a side, Sharjeel was on course to waltz past Saeed Anwar’s 194, and set a new record for Pakistan’s top individual score in an ODI before, attempting to hit his 10th six, he top edged Barry McCarthy to Niall O’Brien.By now, though, Ireland had cause to fear a chase as onerous as the 378 they were set by Sri Lanka at Malahide exactly two months ago. William Porterfield later reckoned that the game was actually lost in the first 20 overs, when Ireland’s bowlers failed to exploit the seaming conditions that had led him to insert Pakistan. For Peter Chase, heaved for 70 in seven overs, matches such as this are indeed “a tough school,” as Porterfield reflected; what he would have given to be able to summon Boyd Rankin instead.The skill of Tim Murtagh and the zest of McCarthy, whose four wickets lifted him to 18 in seven ODIs this summer, created a brief period of calm after Sharjeel’s dismissal, but it did not last long. Shoaib Malik, playing his 233rd ODI, and Mohammad Nawaz, playing his first, added 105 to leave Ireland needing to chase over seven an over.Few gave them a chance of doing so, but nor did they envisage Ireland being bundled out within 24 overs. Imad Wasim feasted on the frailties in Ireland’s batting, though he can surely never had to do so little to take a five-wicket haul in professional cricket. The match ended with three Wasim wickets in four deliveries: each came from little more than innocuous arm-balls, as Porterfield later admitted. It summed up a desolate Ireland performance.While Sharjeel had lifted Pakistan to their insurmountable total, another Pakistan returnee, Umar Gul, ran through Ireland’s top order, with a hostile spell of swing bowling in his first ODI for a year. The most mesmerising bowling, though, was reserved for Mohammad Amir, who swung the second ball of the innings to uproot Paul Stirling’s off stump, and then had Ed Joyce, defeated by a ball so quick that he could not get his bat out of the line in time, dropped at second slip.That Amir was only needed to bowl four overs was the final indignity for Ireland. The day ended not merely with their lowest ever total in a home ODI and second lowest anywhere, but the second largest defeat by runs in their history. It also ended with new urgency imbued into the fear that the opportunities that Ireland have craved for so long have come at a time when the team is in decline.

Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten 93 took Australia Women to a tense two-wicket win in the first ODI against South Africa in Canberra

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2016
ScorecardEllyse Perry struck a boundary to win the game for Australia with one ball remaining•Cricket Australia

Ellyse Perry anchored a tense chase of 227 with an unbeaten 93 to help Australia beat South Africa by two wickets in the first ODI in Canberra. Perry, who walked out to bat with Australia at 39 for 2 in the 10th over, held the key for the home team throughout the innings, and succeeded in taking them across the line off the penultimate ball.She struck six fours and two sixes in her 107-ball knock. That was after Australia’s bowlers had combined to keep South Africa down to 226 for 5 at the Manuka Oval.After Australia fell to 49 for 3, Perry began rebuilding with a 52-run, fourth-wicket stand with Alex Blackwell. South Africa hit back when legspinner Suné Luus had Blackwell caught for a 51-ball 25. Jess Jonassen got going in a hurry, slapping two fours and a six, before Luus struck again, ending her innings on 21 off 17 balls.Wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy and Perry then shifted momentum towards Australia with a 48-run partnership. South Africa, though, chipped away and left Perry to get 32 with the lower order. Perry added 28 with Megan Schutt in an eighth-wicket stand off 20 balls, reducing Australia’s target to just four off the last five balls. Schutt was stumped off the legspin of Dane van Niekerk, the South Africa captain, in the first ball of the final over, before Perry struck a boundary four balls later to seal the game. Luus finished with three wickets, but was expensive, leaking 52 runs in seven overs.South Africa’s innings was built on the back of a combined team effort. Openers Lizelle Lee and Luus got off to a start, putting on 52 at a run-a-ball. Lee was dismissed off legspinner Kristen Beams for a 29-ball 38. Luus added 67 more for the second wicket with Mignon du Preez, before she was caught behind off Perry, having top-scored with 52. Contributions from du Preez (37), Marizanne Kapp (29 not out) and Chloe Tryon (25 not out) helped South Africa add quick runs in the end overs.Perry shone with the ball too, finishing with 2 for 33 in eight overs. Beams and Grace Harris were both economical and took a wicket apiece.

Manchester United seemingly have another midfielder on their radar, with a report from Sport (via Sport Witness) stating that the club have already been in contact over a deal for Arthur Vermeeren.

Who are Manchester United signing this summer?

The player is just 18 years of age but has already made quite a splash in the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium. Currently plying his trade for Royal Antwerp, he has already become a first-team regular in that side with 24 league appearances under his belt over the course of the current campaign.

Those showings have amounted in one goal and two assists but, more impressively, have led to a WhoScored average rating of 7.05 and one Player of the Match award. It's his first season of top-level professional football, but the midfielder has not been fazed by it in the slightest. In fact, his rating puts him as the second-best player in the entire team this campaign, with only Vincent Janssen above him in that respect.

Now, it appears that the Red Devils have added him to their wanted list. According to a report from Sport (via Sport Witness), Erik ten Hag is a big admirer of the youngster and is "in love" with the way he plays his football. That, in turn, has led to the side already approaching the player's party and making contact over a potential deal this summer.

It won't be straightforward though, with United not the only side keen to snap him up. The report adds that Barcelona are also in the running for his signature and view him as the replacement for Sergio Busquets.

Who is Arthur Vermeeren?

It's already been made clear that Ten Hag wants to add to his midfield depth this summer, so a move for the Royal Antwerp man seems to make sense. He is young and already doing well at a good level and appears to have the potential to stay in their midfield for a long time considering his age.

Vermeeren may be a bit of an unknown quantity outside of Belgium but he's already caught the eye of many. For example, football talent scout Jacek Kulig labelled the midfielder as "impressive" after the season he has had and admitted that he is one of the most "exciting prospects" in Belgium at the moment.

His stats agree with this. He has the joint-best tackles per game rate in his current team with 2.7 on average and has the second-best dribble rate at the club as well with 1.2 per game. It shows that not only is he one of the best at breaking up opposition attacks and isn't afraid to put a foot in but likes to get the ball himself and then drive his team forward. He ticks plenty of boxes for United then and if they did sign him, it could be a worthwhile investment.

USA’s chances of reclaiming the Auty Cup from Canada this week have been dealt a serious blow after fast bowler Ali Khan had to withdraw from the squad due to injury

Peter Della Penna12-Oct-2016USA’s chances of reclaiming the Auty Cup from Canada this week have been dealt a serious blow after fast bowler Ali Khan had to withdraw from the squad due to an injury picked up during the team’s five-day training camp in Indianapolis last month.Khan, 25, played for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League this summer, and was in line to make his USA debut. But he suffered a left hamstring strain during a fitness and agility test on September 20. Khan had injured himself while doing a drill that required the players to complete a simulated three-run sprint between the wickets for which they were timed.Although the initial prognosis was that Khan would be fit in time for this week’s matches against Canada, he has not been cleared to play. USA’s team management decided to give him two more weeks to recover, ahead of the WCL Division Four, which is scheduled to start on October 29.Hammad Shahid has been drafted in as a replacement for Khan, and is also on standby for WCL Division Four if Khan is unable to recover in time. Shahid, 24, is based in Los Angeles, where the Auty Cup and WCL Division Four will be held. He was USA’s leading pace bowler at the World T20 Qualifier in Ireland last summer, with seven wickets in six games. He was also in the ICC Americas combined squad that played in the WICB Nagico Super50 in January this year.

We independently choose all products featured on our site. We may earn a commission when you purchase something through the links provided.

Everything you need to know about the Inter Miami kits for 2023

Inter Miamilook set to be thrust even closer to the summit of sporting recognition in the football world, with the news that World Cup champion Lionel Messi will continue his career in Major League Soccer with the Floridian outfit starting in July. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s arrival at DRV PNK Stadium will not come a moment too soon for a team currently in free-fall following a dismal campaign to date.

With the capture of one of soccer’s all-time greats, however, anticipation and demand is expected to be through the roof for Miami’s 2023 season kit, developed by Messi’s long-term commercial partner adidas, with the German sportswear giant anticipating record-breaking numbers when the Argentina star makes his official debut.

So, what kits are Inter Miami wearing in 2023? GOAL takes a look at the jerseys that are already sported by the team, including star players Corentin Jean and DeAndre Yedlin, while we also give you the lowdown on how to buy them online.

• Inter Miami 2023 kits

  Inter Miami 2023 home kit, release date & price

  Inter Miami CF$89.99 at the MLS store

  With the 2023 MLS season already well underway, Inter Miami’s home kit for the season has long been available for supporters to purchase, with adidas sticking close to the traditional club colours favoured by the David Beckham-owned team.

  Having once played in white, the Herons’ home strip – dubbed The Heartbeat Kit by the club’s official channels – is now a full-bodied pink number with smart dark accents.

  The candyfloss-hued shades have been a regular fixture for the past few campaigns, but it has seen a slight update for the 2023 campaign, with a marginally sharper contrast between the two colours.

  Black accents over the shoulders and a hollow-back club crest complete a smart, snappy look topped off with a traditional polo-shirt collar finish from adidas.

  The kit is on sale now and can be purchased from the MLS store, where it retails at $90.00, with an authentic jersey option available at $130.00.

Advertisement

• Inter Miami 2023 away kit, release date & price

  Inter Miami CF$89.99 at the MLS store

  Much as with the home kit, Inter Miami’s 2023 away strip keeps matters relatively simple, with adidas effectively delivering one of the most simple jersey reverses seen in recent memory.

  Whereas their home effort offers pink with black accents, their change option simply flips the board and delivers a jet-dark number tinged with pastel-coloured decal effects.

  Like their first choice strip too, it also has an official club name, dubbed as La Noche, which translates from Spanish as The Night – an effectively cool moniker for such a slick number.

  There are some minor changes; the shoulder piping is more elongated on the away option, and the Herons have also added a narrow pink band above the sleeve cap to offer further contrast. In addition, the neckline is a flat, rounded collar rather than a polo-style cut.

  As with the home option, the kit is on sale now and can be purchased from the MLS store, where it retails at $89.99, while the authentic jersey option is available at $159.99.

• Inter Miami 2023 third kit, release date & price

  Inter Miami CF$89.99 at the MLS store

  Unlike the majority of major European teams, multiple MLS sides utilise only two specific strips across the course of a campaign, often simply stopping at home and away when it comes to their kits.

  However, Inter Miami have indeed debuted a third-choice strip this season, known as the One Planet kit, an oceanographic-inspired effort that is intended to highlight the club’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

  An acid-mint wash main body is decorated with a jazzy blue pattern and black accents, while a narrow V-neck cut allows for added breathability while offering a close fit around the back and shoulders.

  The kit is currently available to order through the MLS store, with adult sizes retailing from $89.99.

  In addition, there may be the possibility for a further kit launch to commemorate Messi’s arrival at the club. If such a celebration strip is released, GOAL will have all the details right here.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Inter Miami 2023 training kit, release date & price

  adidas$69.99 at the MLS store

  In addition to their regular matchday strips, Inter Miami have also gone all out on their pre-game training range this term, with their effort also showing support for a worthy cause.

  The club have a Pride-themed pre-match number they use for warm-ups and training, marrying a full-bodied white effort with the kaleidoscopic colour swirls of the Pride flag across the sleeves and sponsorship logos, finished with black trim and a V-neck cut.

  The kit is currently available to order through the MLS store, with adult sizes retailing from $69.99.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Auston Trusty will probably never play for Arsenal amid recent transfer exit rumours.

What are the latest AFC rumours?

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Scottish Premiership outfit Rangers are hoping to land the American centre-back this summer with a £2m transfer fee being touted.

The defender appears to have caught the eye while impressing out on loan in the Championship with Birmingham – where has picked up the club's Player of the Year.

After such a good season, Trusty may well be hoping to now return to Arsenal and get a shot at some first-team minutes next term.

However, while speaking about the £14k-p/w centre-back on his YouTube channel, Watts seemed pessimistic about the likelihood of this happening.

He explained (13:05): “Trusty has been linked with Rangers. I think, you know, Auston Trusty has had a fantastic loans spell with Birmingham this season. He's never played for Arsenal. I don't think he will. I'll be surprised if he does.

"Whether he is part of the US [preseason] tour in the summer we'll wait and see. It might make sense to have Trusty with them for that.

“But I did an interview with him a couple of months ago and you know he was telling me that his dream is still to come back and make a name for himself Arsenal.

"But I don't know, you look at the defenders Arsenal have already got. I think they'll probably sign a centre-back in the summer. Will Trusty be a part of that long-term future? I doubt it."

Is Trusty going to join Rangers?

After initially joining the Gunners in January 2022, Trusty spent the rest of the campaign on loan with Colorado Rapids – who happen to be run by Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke.

Then at the end of the season, when he came over to England, he was immediately loaned out to Birmingham and so is yet to actually play for Mikel Arteta's side.

But if Rangers can make an acceptable offer which would see Arsenal turn a profit on the player, then they may well happily allow him to move on.

As Watts says, the Gunners may well be in the market for a new centre-back in the summer and with Champions League football to play, they will likely prefer to bring in someone who has more proven quality in the European game,

ScorecardFile photo – Asela Gunaratne put in an all-round performance for Sri Lanka A•AFP

Asela Gunaratne followed up an impressive 38 with two top-order wickets to help Sri Lanka A close in on victory against West Indies A, who ended day three nine wickets down in their second innings and only 55 in front.Gunaratne first helped Sri Lanka stretch their overnight lead of 72 to 110, adding 49 for the ninth wicket with Lahiru Kumara. Then he took the wickets of Rajendra Chandrika, who failed to go past 5 for the fourth innings in a row, and Shamarh Brooks to hasten West Indies’ second-innings slide. Four West Indies batsmen got past 20, but none of them managed a half-century, with Vishaul Singh top-scoring once again with 46.Gunaratne and offspinner Charith Asalanka took two wickets each, and Asith Fernando removed Singh for 46 as the visitors were reduced to 132 for 8. Sri Lanka were then frustrated by Gudakesh Moti-Kanhai and Keon Joseph, the ninth-wicket pair batting for 19 overs before Lakshan Sandakan trapped Moti-Kanhai in front, off the last ball of the day, to pick up his third wicket.In the morning session, offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall picked up the last two Sri Lanka wickets to end with career-best figures of 8 for 108.

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic this summer and his arrival could help Jurgen Klopp to once again rival Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.

Could Liverpool sign Milinkovic-Savic this summer?

It seems clear that the Reds need to recruit in the middle of the park after James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita were all confirmed to be leaving Anfield when their contracts expire at the end of June.

Journalist Rudy Galetti confirmed in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that Milinkovic-Savic is one of the names that Klopp will consider this summer.

He said: “Yes it's true, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is among the names in the list. His contract will expire in 2024 and Lazio, to avoid losing him as a free agent next year, will have to sell him in the summer.”

As the 28-year-old is now entering the final year of his contract at the Stadio Olimpico, reports have suggested that he could be available for as little as €40m (£35m), which could represent a bargain for the Reds as they look to reestablish themselves alongside the Premier League's elite next season.

Would Milinkovic-Savic be a good signing for Liverpool?

This season alone would be enough to justify the Reds spending more than £30m on the Serbia international, as he boasts nine goals and eight assists in Serie A, with a superb 7.24 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Given this is a better average rating than anyone in Liverpool's squad would muster, while only Mohamed Salah managed more goal contributions, it is clear the quality that Milinkovic-Savic could add at Anfield.

A lack of quality in the middle of the park has certainly cost the Reds this season, with none of the central options in Klopp's squad contributing more than four goal contributions, with Fabinho agreed to be 'out of gas' and on 'the decline' – as per Sachin Nakrani – and Thiago struggling with injury throughout the campaign.

Such was Milinkovic-Savic's level of performance earlier in the campaign that teammate Ciro Immobile dubbed him magic and suggested that he was even "on the same level as Kevin De Bruyne."

If the 28-year-old proved to be even half as good as Manchester City's talismanic Belgian, who has contributed 96 goals and 149 assists during his time at the Etihad, and won five Premier League titles, it would quite the signing.

While perhaps not the most elegant of footballers, they boast ruthless efficiency from central areas in the final third.

Klopp will be desperate to try and rival the Citizens once again in 2023/24 after pushing them so close last season, and the signing of Milinkovic-Savic could definitely take his midfield to a new level and get them back to their best.