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Lyon wonderkid Malick Fofana was spotted training in a Marcus Rashford's Manchester United shirt sparking transfer speculation. The 19-year-old has been linked with Liverpool and Chelsea over a summer transfer, however, the Red Devils may now be put onto an alert following the wonderkid's Instagram story. After Lyon's relegation, it may now be easier to strike a deal for Fofana.

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Lyon's Fofana linked with Chelsea and LiverpoolMalick Fofana spotted training in Man Utd shirtInstagram story puts Man Utd on transfer alertFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester United fans have been left intrigued after Lyon winger Fofana was spotted wearing a United kit during off-season training. The young star shared an Instagram story featuring himself in the 2022-23 green third strip. This comes just one week after Alejandro Garnacho drew criticism for wearing an Aston Villa shirt with Rashford’s name on it.

Instagram (@malick_fofana7)

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Fofana’s future is suddenly in the spotlight. With Lyon facing relegation to Ligue 2 due to financial irregularities, the club is expected to offload several players, and Fofana could be among them. Having impressed last season with 11 goals and five assists, the young winger is drawing interest from Premier League sides, including Liverpool and Chelsea, both of whom have already made a move for the Lyon star.

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

Manchester United fans may remember Fofana from their dramatic Europa League semi-final clash with Lyon. The winger tormented the Red Devils’ defence and won a penalty that helped the French side take the lead. Although United ran out 5-4 winners, Fofana made a lasting impression.

WHAT NEXT FOR FOFANA?

With Lyon needing to raise funds and Fofana’s stock on the rise, a summer exit looks likely with Liverpool and Chelsea pushing hard. Whether Manchester United make a formal move remains to be seen, but the Instagram post and Fofana’s previous impact at Old Trafford certainly won't go unnoticed by Ruben Amorim's side.

Barcelona are leading the transfer race ahead of Arsenal and Bayern Munich for Athletic Club winger Nico Williams.

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Barca close to signing Williams Could beat Bayern and Arsenal in transfer race Flick determined to sign Spanish sensation Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per Sky Sports' Florian Plettemberg, the Blaugrana have emerged as favourites to secure the transfer of Spanish Williams from Athletic Club this summer. European giants like Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Chelsea are keen on adding the star winger to their roster, but it is now believed that the Spanish champions are in pole position in the transfer race.

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Plettenberg added that Barca president Joan Laporta is now evaluating the feasibility of the move and if the club can actually register the player, while complying wth La Liga's financial regulations. As soon as the club chief gives his green signal, the Catalan giants are expected to go ahead and complete the transfer, as manager Hansi Flick has prioritised the youngster's signature.

DID YOU KNOW?

Barcelona, who are determined to add a new player to their attack ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, have also placed Liverpool star Luis Diaz in their shortlist.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

The reigning La Liga champions' pre-season tour has not been finalised yet, but Flick's men could embark on a tour to Asia, aiming to reconnect with their global fanbase and fine-tune their squad for the challenges ahead.

The Wellington batted admitted he was still coming to terms with his first international call-up

Andrew McGlashan03-Apr-2024Tim Robinson, the newest member of New Zealand’s T20I squad, has a pretty simple outlook when it comes to the format. “I love hitting sixes,” he said, something that started in the backyard as a kid and has now carried him to the brink of an international debut against Pakistan.Robinson only has 20 domestic T20 matches under his belt but, until injury struck, was putting together an impressive Super Smash earlier this year. In the opening match of the season against Otago he plundered 139 off 64 balls with 10 sixes, the second-highest score in the tournament’s history, and later on struck 86 off 56 against Canterbury before his tournament was cut short.Still, it was enough to leave him on the radar of the selectors and, with nine players unavailable for the Pakistan trip due to the IPL, along with Will Young (county) and Tim Latham (paternity) not considered, Robinson was one of those to benefit. But the call from selector Sam Wells was still a lot to take in.”I was actually stuttering away trying to hold a conversation, but I was struggling a little bit,” he told reporters. “I couldn’t believe it and to be honest it hasn’t quite sunk in yet. It’s hard to put those kinds of things into words. Something I’ve dreamed off since I was a kid, trying to hit sixes in the back yard but for it to all come to fruition is pretty amazing and just really excited.”I love hitting sixes and trying to entertain people and to be honest it’s addictive when you get one out of the middle and it goes a mile. I took a lot of confidence out of that [century] but this is a completely different challenge and I’m excited to get over there and have a real crack.”Robinson added he would be going into the tour “with an open mind” and was thrilled that the trip would be led by his Wellington team-mate Michael Bracewell.”He’s been a fantastic role model for me,” he said. “We help each other on and see who can hit the ball furthest. He’s a fantastic guy and fills me with comfort that I’m going over with him.”Bracewell himself reflected on a lengthy journey back from injury after suffering a ruptured achilles playing in the T20 Blast for Worcestershire last year. He returned to action in January during the Super Smash and last month claimed a career-best 8 for 41 in the Plunket Shield, two days before being told he would captain New Zealand.”It’s been a slow grind, a lot of days here at the Basin working hard on all the little things,” he said. “It probably feels fast for people who haven’t lived that journey but for me it’s been a bit of a slow grind.”It’s huge to firstly be picked again the another huge honour to be selected as captain. I had a golden sort of three days: got that eight-for at the Basin, a hole-in-one the next day and third thing was the call from Steady about the captaincy. Three days I’ll never forget.”It’s a little bit sweeter when you’ve had a bit of time on the sidelines to reflect and grow that hunger even more to be back out there.”The five matches in Pakistan will play a key part in firming up the small number of uncertain spots in New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad and Bracewell, who offers middle-order power with the bat and his offspin, will be a strong contender but he wasn’t looking too far ahead.”There’s obviously some exciting things coming up throughout the rest of the year but the job at hand is taking on Pakistan in their own conditions,” he said. “That’s certainly what we’ll be focusing on. Obviously you have those thoughts of where you’d like to be but the only way you get to where you want to go is focusing on what’s in front of you.”

Manchester United face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium later on tonight, looking to build on the Europa League triumph over Real Sociedad on Thursday evening.

Ruben Amorim’s side are looking to make it four games unbeaten in the Premier League, after two draws and a win against Everton, Arsenal and Ipswich Town, respectively.

It will be the fourth time the two sides have met throughout 2024/25, with the Red Devils winning the other league clash this campaign with victories in the Carabao and FA Cup.

However, the manager may have some selection decisions to make if they are to extend their unbeaten run, helping end the season on a high after enduring a dismal campaign to date.

He will certainly be without one player for the trip to the East Midlands, with one first-team regular currently serving a suspension after picking up a red card a couple of weeks ago.

Patrick Dorgu’s suspension for Leicester City

Left-back Patrick Dorgu impressed massively during the win over Real Sociedad, looking like the player they decided to splash £30m on in the January transfer window.

However, the 20-year-old won’t be available for the clash with the Foxes this evening, serving the second of his three-game ban for his straight red card received in the win over Ipswich.

The Dane missed the clash with Arsenal last week, but his absence may be felt more tonight, given his impressive showing against the Spanish outfit a couple of days ago.

With Luke Shaw still out injured and Tyrell Malacia spending the remainder of the campaign out on loan, options are limited within the defensive department.

As a result, Amorim could look to start one player in an unfamiliar role, looking to follow in the footsteps of one player who previously impressed in his new position.

The player who could solve Amorim’s wing-back dilemma

Amad Diallo hasn’t featured since the last clash with the Foxes at the start of February, potentially missing the rest of the campaign with an ankle issue.

However, before his setback, Amorim often utilised the Ivorian in a slightly deeper wing-back role rather than his preferred attacking position, managing to get the best out of the youngster in the process.

The 22-year-old has managed to register 12 combined goals and assists since the former Sporting CP boss’s appointment, thriving with added minutes in the first team.

However, Amorim could look to replicate such success by unleashing Alejandro Garnacho in a similar position on the opposite flank, potentially allowing the Argentine to spark into life under the new manager.

The 20-year-old has only registered four combined goal contributions this calendar year, struggling to adapt to Amorim’s demands of operating in a more central role rather than his preferred wide position.

Whilst it may seem like a far-fetched idea, the young “game-changer” – as described by journalist Samuel Luckhurst – has all of the tools to operate in such a role, having the energy to get up and down the line, with his stats showing the impact he can have at both ends.

In the Premier League throughout 2024/25, Garnacho has averaged 1.1 successful dribbles and created 1.3 chances per 90 – showcasing the impact he can have when marauding into forward areas.

Games played

27

Goals & assists

4

Pass accuracy

83%

Successful dribbles

1.1

Chances created

1.3

Duels won

4.1

Tackle success rate

65%

He’s also won 4.1 duels per 90, along with a 65% tackle success rate, having the defensive capabilities to regain possession should he need to when the side are without the ball.

Given the form of Amad in a similar position, it could be a great opportunity for the manager to start the academy graduate in a new role – offering added versatility to the side in the process.

Leicester’s lowly league standing could allow for one or two risks to be taken, with Amorim having the perfect chance to work his magic by utilising an attacker in a wing-back role, which could get the best out of his game after a stuttering few months.

Man Utd have hit gold on "phenomenal" ace who cost even less than Heaven

Manchester United have hit the jackpot on one player who signed for less than Ayden Heaven.

ByEthan Lamb Mar 14, 2025

Elsewhere, Surrey confirm Kemar Roach’s return for opening months of Championship season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2024

Australia batter Cameron Bancroft will return to Gloucestershire this year after signing a deal to represent the club across formats in the 2024 season.Bancroft was recently overlooked by Australia’s selectors for the Test opening spot vacated by David Warner, but has been prolific for Western Australia in the last two Sheffield Shield seasons. He was named men’s domestic player of the year at the Australian Cricket Awards earlier this week.He previously played for Gloucestershire in 2016 and 2017, and also played county cricket for Durham (2021) and Somerset (2023). “I’m absolutely delighted to sign with Gloucestershire and to have the chance to return to the club where I started my county career,” Bancroft said.He will link up with the club in April and be available for the majority of the summer. “I love playing county cricket and the opportunity to play all formats with the club is something I’m really excited about,” he said. “With a new coach and a really talented playing group, I’m looking forward to the season ahead.”Gloucestershire are in a transitional period after losing senior players Ryan Higgins (Middlesex) and Benny Howell (Hampshire) last season. They were winless in the County Championship last year, finishing bottom of Division Two, and failed to qualify for the T20 Blast knockout stages and were losing semi-finalists in the Metro Bank Cup.On Thursday, they unveiled Mark Alleyne as their new coach after Dale Benkenstein left for Lancashire. “I’m really excited to have someone of Cameron’s ability and experience on board for the season to come,” Alleyne said. “We already have an exciting group of players here so to add to that with a player of international calibre in Cameron, it’s fantastic for me as a coach to have such depth in the squad.”Meanwhile, Surrey have confirmed that Kemar Roach will re-join the club for the first seven matches of the Championship season. “Everyone knows that Surrey is a second home for me, and I love coming to London to play at one of the best grounds in the world,” he said.”The Club’s ambitions in the red-ball game are a big draw for me and I want to play my role in winning another County Championship trophy. I cannot wait to start my fourth season with Surrey.”

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da pinup bet： Se o momento do Corinthians dentro dos gramados é positivo, o mesmo pode ser dito nas redes sociais. Pela terceira semana consecutiva, o clube alvinegro foi a equipe brasileira com maior engajamento no Instagram e Facebook.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCom retorno de laterais, Corinthians faz trabalhos específicos visando o Santo AndréCorinthians01/03/2023Campeonato PaulistaSantos x Corinthians: FPF libera áudio do VAR no gol anulado de Yuri Alberto; veja o diálogoCampeonato Paulista01/03/2023Núm3ros da bol4Perto do Corinthians, Barletta é um dos maiores dribladores do PaulistãoNúm3ros da bol428/02/2023

da betobet： + Renato Augusto é novamente o destaque do Corinthians; Giovane destoa contra o Santos

Entre os dias 22 e 28 de fevereiro, o Timão teve 10,71 milhões de interações no Instagram, e 497 mil no Facebook, segundo levantamento realizado pela Samba Digital, agência de marketing esportivo internacional, e publicado pela empresa MKT Esportivo.

+ Veja as movimentações do mercado da bola no LANCE!

A goleada de 14 a 0 sobre o Ceará, na estreia do Campeonato Brasileiro feminino, ajudou o Corinthians a manter a liderança de engajamento nas redes sociais citadas. O post sobre o resultado final rendeu 647 mil interações no Instagram, o segundo maior número da semana entre clubes brasileiros.

O placar, construído na Arena Nogueirão, em Mogi das Cruzes, foi o segundo maior da história do Brasileirão feminino. Em 10 anos de competição, somente o 16 a 1 aplicado pela Ferroviária sobre o Pinheirense, do Pará, em 2014, foi maior do que a vitória corintiana no último final de semana.

+ Veja tabela e simule os jogos do Campeonato Paulista

No masculino, o time de Fernando Lázaro está classificado ao mata-mata do Paulistão e busca a terceira campanha geral do Paulistão no sábado (4), contra o Santo André, na Neo Química Arena.

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Manchester United, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and manager Ruben Amorim are ready to axe 10 players this summer on a combined salary of £1.8m-a-week.

Ratcliffe calls some Man Utd players ‘overpaid’ and ‘not good enough’

The Red Devils and Ratcliffe have been in the headlines this week, and before plans for a new 100,000 capacity stadium were unveiled, the main talking points were on the co-owners’ comments to the media.

Talking on various topics, including Erik ten Hag, Amorim, the squad and Old Trafford finances to the likes of Gary Neville and the BBC, Ratcliffe took aim at some of the current Man Utd squad.

“If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn’t buy, we’re buying Antony, we’re buying Casemiro, we’re buying Onana, we’re buying Hojlund, we’re buying Sancho. These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we’ve inherited those things and have to sort that out.

“For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea [on loan] and we pay half his wages, we’re paying £17m to buy him in the summer. It takes time for us to move away from the past into a new place in the future.

“Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time.”

"Devastated" – Mark Goldbridge gutted at Man Utd update confirmed by INEOS

He hasn’t held back.

ByCharlie Smith Mar 12, 2025

Amorim has since responded to Ratcliffe’s comments on some of the squad being ‘overpaid’ and ‘not good enough’, saying: “If you’re a top player playing in this club, even me – a lot of people say I am not good enough for the club – my feeling is that you can change that with results. In training, I feel that they want this really bad.”

It promises to be a busy summer ahead of Amorim’s first full season in charge of Man Utd, and by the looks of things, a mass overhaul of the playing squad is on the cards.

Ratcliffe and Amorim ready to move on 10 Man Utd players this summer

According to a recent report from Spain, Man Utd are preparing to get rid of 10 players who are on a combined £1.8m-a-week at Old Trafford.

Casemiro (£350,000-a-week), Marcus Rashford (£300,000-a-week), Mason Mount, (£250,000-a-week), Jadon Sancho, (£250,000-a-week), Antony (£200,000-a-week), Christian Eriksen (£150,000-a-week), Victor Lindelof (£120,000-a-week), Rasmus Hojlund (£85,000-a-week), Jonny Evans (£85,000-a-week) and Tom Heaton (£45,000-a-week) are all in line to leave Old Trafford over the coming months.

Patrick Dorgu

Lecce

Ayden Heaven

Arsenal

As we know, Rashford, Sancho and Antony are on loan at Aston Villa, Chelsea and Real Betis respectively, whereas Eriksen, Evans, Lindelof and Heaton are out of contract at the end of the season.

INEOS will look to move all 10 on ‘in an attempt to generate income and free up space for new signings’ and Amorim has given the green light regarding the exits.

Should the three loanees complete permanent moves to their new employers, United will only need to find homes for Casmeiro, Mount and Hojlund.

da blaze casino： It’s been a brutal season for Tottenham Hotspur that only seems to get more so by the week.

da cassino： Ange Postecoglou’s side have been utterly ravaged by a seemingly endless string of injuries to key players all over the pitch, and it has understandably affected their campaign.

In the Premier League, the North Londoners have lost more games than they’ve won, and over the last seven days, they have been knocked out of the FA Cup and League Cup.

With all that said, there are at least a few players who can come out of this horror season with their heads held high, including one who is worth millions more than he was when Spurs signed him.

The Spurs stars who can hold their heads high

Now, while the aforementioned injuries haven’t helped in the slightest, the team has been underwhelming at best this season, although a few players have stood out for the right reasons, such as Dominic Solanke.

The £65m man is the club’s record signing, and while he did get off to a somewhat slow start, he eventually found his feet and showed the fans that his fee was entirely justified.

For example, prior to his injury, the former Bournemouth star scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 29 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.70 games.

From the frontline to the back, someone who has been a surprise hit this year has been Djed Spence.

We say surprise as it looked like he was on his way out of the club in the summer and wasn’t even included in the first Europa League squad.

However, as the defence started falling like flies, Postecoglou was forced to call upon the Englishman, and it was a good thing he did, as the 22-year-old is now arguably their best full-back.

He might not quite be able to whip a ball as well as Pedro Porro, but he’s no slouch going forward, and unlike some of his teammates, he’s imposing when it comes to the defensive side of the game.

With that said, neither he nor Solanke has been Spurs’ best player this season; that title goes to someone else, someone whose valuation has exploded since joining the North Londoners.

The Spurs star whose valuation has exploded

Despite their position in the table, there are several incredibly valuable players in the Spurs squad, like Solanke, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

In this instance, though, the player in question is none other than Dejan Kulusevski, who made his move to N17 permanent in 2023 for a fee said to be in the region of £25m.

However, he’s worth a lot more than that today, with the CIES Football Observatory valuing him at around €70m, which converts to about £58m, representing a 132% increase on the fee paid by the Lilywhites.

Now, that is undoubtedly a lot of money, and it’s probably fair to say the last few weeks have not seen him at his very best, but when we take a look at the season as a whole, it’s clear that he’s been the club’s best player and more than deserves such a valuation.

For example, in just 39 appearances, which have seen him play in midfield and out wide, the “world-class” international, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored nine goals and provided ten assists.

Kulusevski’s 24/25

Appearances

39

Minutes

2850′

Goals

9

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.48

Minutes per Goal Involvement

150′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

That means the 24-year-old game-changer is averaging a goal involvement every 2.05 for a team struggling in the bottom half of the Premier League table – talk about impressive.

Ultimately, this season has been nothing short of a disaster for Tottenham, but even in such a campaign, players like Spence, Solanke and even Kulusevski have shown that they have what it takes to be a part of the next great Spurs side.

Related Tel will love him: Levy looking at "incredible" Ange upgrade for Spurs

The talented manager would be perfect for Spurs’ youngsters.

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They were given the chance to experiment with their team and they took it. Now the question is, will they give their new players time to find their way?

Danyal Rasool28-Mar-2023Almost seven years ago, Pakistan turned up in Manchester on a cool September night to cap off a miserable white-ball tour with a one-off T20I. The prospects for a relatively inexperienced Pakistani side looked bleak; they had just come off a wretched 2016 T20 World Cup campaign, while England’s incipient rise to the top of the white-ball game was picking up steam. The ODI series just prior hadn’t gone to plan for the visitors, brushed aside 4-1, including a humbling defeat that saw England post a then-world record 444 at Trent Bridge.Pakistan made a number of changes from that ill-fated T20 World Cup five months prior. Shahid Afridi was finally done away with, and Sarfaraz Ahmed was handed the captaincy. Mohammad Sami was phased out, and 22-year-old Hasan Ali made his debut. Mohammad Rizwan earned a recall after six months. Another slight, unassuming 21-year-old also made his T20I debut; Babar Azam would go on to hit the winning runs in a nine-wicket romp.Related

Saim Ayub, Ihsanullah sparkle for young Pakistan to avert Afghanistan whitewash

Win over Pakistan carries a lot of 'emotions and significance' for Afghanistan

That night sent Pakistan on a journey that allowed this game to assume great importance in hindsight. New captain Sarfaraz led the side to 11-straight T20I series wins. Rizwan went on to become one of the most consistent T20 openers in the world. Hasan took home the player-of-the-series award when Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy nine months later. And Babar, well, you get the point.England on the other hand didn’t really care about the loss. Not as much as they did about the chance to test new players transitioning into a new system. One that resulted in the ODI World Cup win in 2019 and, further down the line, the T20 World Cup win in 2022. That old nine-wicket thumping in Manchester wasn’t a harbinger of anything inauspicious; nine of those who started that game would also start at least one of those World Cup finals.Pakistan lost the three-match series against Afghanistan by a 2-1 margin•Afghanistan cricketWhich brings us to Pakistan’s historic defeat at Afghanistan’s hands over the past week and why it might not be such a bad thing.Pakistan were right in giving their newfound PSL stars a go in international cricket. They have the time now, with the next T20 World Cup almost two years away, to supplement the talent they have with the experience they will need.Saim Ayub lit up the PSL. Mohammad Haris was the catalyst for a Pakistan revival at last year’s T20 World Cup. As opening batters, they are very different to Babar and Rizwan, but given the way T20 cricket is being played right now, it almost feels like they are the conventional choice rather than their more decorated, more conservative counterparts. Only, Ayub and Haris found themselves thrown in on surfaces that were much better suited to the accumulating instincts, as well as superior techniques, of Babar and Rizwan.The value of this series to Pakistan was never about bringing home that T20 trophy, ornate as it was. Shadab Khan, Babar’s deputy for some time now, had the opportunity to juggle his all-round role with the captaincy. He was allowed to make his mistakes while the stakes aren’t suffocatingly high. Things didn’t go perfectly to plan but it was important that Pakistan found out what life beyond Babar will look like. Shadab might never end up being a permanent captain for Pakistan, but there were few better occasions to see what he can do, something that he himself touched upon at the end of the series.”Unfortunately, we didn’t win the series,” Shadab said. “But the way our youngsters showed their talent was very exciting, and I’m confident they’ll end up becoming stars. The conditions were evidently totally different to the PSL, and young players can get nervous when they put on the green shirt for the first time. But what I liked was how quickly they adapted. After two difficult matches, they showed in the third their calibre and quality.”These conditions were new for them, and they should learn from it. Those who succeeded in this series and those who failed we might need to work on game awareness a little bit, about when to play what shot. But they’re young, and when you’re nervous, you make mistakes. But with their talent and attitude, they’ll pick up these things quickly.”Shadab Khan remained positive despite Pakistan’s loss•Afghanistan Cricket BoardImad Wasim and Abdullah Shafique found themselves back on the international stage, and only time will tell if they, or indeed Tayyab Tahir, end up being a part of Pakistan’s long-term plan. But the general discomfort at the idea of Pakistan selecting players who might not necessarily be part of their best squads speaks to a culture where rest, rotation and experimentation have never been allowed to take root.Since the start of 2021, until this series began, Pakistan had fielded 32 players in the T20I format. Only Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland, whose talent pools are infinitely shallower, fielded fewer. For starts per T20I played, only Ireland experiment less than Pakistan. The leaders, India, handed out nearly 50% more starts, with 45 different cricketers donning T20I caps in this period.But rotation can be as illuminating as it is rejuvenating, as Pakistan would have discovered after watching Ihsanullah and Zaman Khan this series. Knowing Pakistan’s penchant for knee-jerk volte-faces, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a full-strength T20I side gear up for the home series against New Zealand next month, even though the visitors will send in a significantly weakened squad. Should that happen, it is entirely likely that New Zealand will be the team that walks away having learned more about themselves, regardless of the series outcome.The roles from that night in Manchester have been completely reversed. It is Afghanistan who should view this series as their springboard to something special. Pakistan – just like England that night – need only move on.

Leicester defender Caleb Okoli has emerged as a potential AC Milan signing, with Massimiliano Allegri keen to bolster his defence.

Milan looking to reinforce defence after Thiaw’s saleAllegri switches to a three-man defenceOkoli joined Leicester from Atalanta last summerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Milan are considering a move for Leicester centre-back Okoli as part of their defensive rebuild. The Serie A giants recently sold Thiaw to Newcastle for €35 million (£30m/$38m) and replaced him with Belgian defender Koni De Winter from Genoa. However, Allegri has decided to switch to a three-man defence, but with just four central defenders – Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, Strahinja Pavlovic and De Winter – the club are exploring another signing.

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While Milan’s main transfer focus remains on landing Rasmus Hojlund, the need for defensive depth has grown urgent. Allegri’s tactical shift has increased the demand for rotation options, particularly with a long season ahead. The 23-year-old Italian has impressed in his first year at Leicester following his €14m (£12m/$15m) move from Atalanta, offering experience and physical presence without the hefty price tag of other targets such as Parma’s Giovanni Leoni or Fiorentina’s Pietro Comuzzo, both valued at around €40m (£34m/$43m).

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Okoli made 24 appearances for Leicester in the 2024-25 season, finding the net with a header in a 2-2 Premier League draw against Brighton in April. His current contract runs until June 2029, and his interests are represented by the same agency that manages Milan midfielder Samuele Ricci, who joined from Torino this summer. Seen as a realistic and affordable signing, Okoli is being monitored closely as the Rossoneri prepare for their opening fixture.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AC MILAN?

The Rossoneri will kick off their 2025-26 campaign this weekend against Bari in the Coppa Italia first round, and the club are expected to intensify their defensive search before the transfer window closes. If talks progress, Okoli could arrive in time to provide crucial depth for Allegri’s new-look backline.