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There has been an update in Manchester United's pursuit of Napoli sensation, Kim Min-jae…

What's the latest on Kim Min-jae to Man United?

According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, the Red Devils are seemingly close to reaching an agreement with the 26-year-old regarding personal terms.

Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider stated: "Man Utd made important progress for Kim (Napoli). Talks with the [Korean] player are at the good stage, not far from reaching a long-term agreement.

"On the club's side, MUFC are thinking to pay the release clause to anticipate the competition that is becoming fierce".

As per 90min, that release clause is believed to be in the region of €45m (£39m) and is set to be active in the first two weeks of the summer transfer window, although a €60m (£53m) offer outside of that period could also be accepted by the Serie A champions.

Would Kim Min-jae be a good signing for Man United?

With club captain Harry Maguire seemingly on his way out and with Raphael Varane having been hampered by injury at times over the last two years, it is no doubt wise for manager Erik Ten Hag to be contemplating making a marquee, centre-back addition this summer.

In Kim, the Dutchman could well be acquiring a figure who "truly is the best centre back in the world" – according to manager Luciano Spalletti – with the South Korean star having played a vital role in Napoli's Scudetto success in 2022/23.

The former Fenerbahce man notably kept 14 clean sheets in 35 league games for Spalletti's side, while also showcasing his defensive prowess after averaging 1.6 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game in that time.

The "dominant" asset – as hailed by writer Neal Gardner – is a truly menacing asset in the air as he ranks in the top 14% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for aerial duels won, with the 47-cap ace no doubt aided by his towering, 6 foot 3 frame.

The addition of the £54k-per-week rock would certainly help to add further steel to Ten Hag's current spine, with the former Ajax boss having already reaped the rewards of bringing in the menacing presence of Casemiro last summer.

Like Kim, the £70m man is a true master at winning possession back for his side as he finished joint-fourth in the Premier League with regard to tackles made (89), while also ranking in the top 3% among his European peers for aerial duels won.

An additional element that has also been an added bonus for United is the Brazilian's quality in possession, with the 31-year-old having created seven big chances so far this term in the top flight, as well as averaging one key pass per game.

That quality on the ball is also shared by Kim, with the one-time Beijing Guoan man ranking in the top 12% for both progressive passes and progressive carries, illustrating his ability to play out from the back with ease.

As such, it would certainly be a mouthwatering prospect to have both the Napoli titan and Casemiro lining up in tandem at the Theatre of Dreams next season, such is the pair's destructive and ball-playing brilliance.

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.

Mark Davis has spoken about Sussex’s frustration in having to wait for Mustafizur Rahman, one of the club’s overseas signings, to arrive. Mustafizur has been working to regain fitness after the IPL and his stint in England remains uncertain.Davis, Sussex’s head coach, said the club was struggling to find another replacement for Mustafizur, after South Africa allrounder David Wiese departed for the CPL. Wiese was initially signed as cover for two games at the start of June but ended up making four NatWest T20 Blast appearances. Ahead of their game against Gloucestershire on Sunday, Sussex will also be without Chris Jordan who is away on England duty.”We have a couple of people but it is very late in the day so it is very hard to get replacements,” Davis told the Brighton-based . “The top players in the world have been signed, or are playing CPL, or their countries aren’t allowing them to play. That’s the frustration because we have chosen Mustafizur as probably the No. 1 bowler in the world in that format.”On June 9, the Bangladesh physio Bayjidul Islam had said that Mustafizur would take at least two weeks to be ready but last week, trainer Mario Villavarayan said he would require another month to recover from his injuries.Sussex had earlier said they would be happy to wait for Mustafizur, at least until June 10, but that time has now passed. Davis said he had only been able to get advice from Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha but he was confident that Mustafizur would show up for his side.”I spoke to the Bangladesh head coach and he said he would be assessed after two weeks, which is now,” Davis said. “It hasn’t been easy to nail Bangladesh down. Their coach has been the one I have got most direction from. But we are also dealing with physios and trainers who are putting things on the internet. I am sure we will get it nailed down.”

Chaminda Bandara has been called in as a replacement for the injured Dushmantha Chameera in Sri Lanka’s squad for the third Test against England at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2016

Uncapped left-arm seamer Chaminda Bandara has been called in as a replacement for the injured Dushmantha Chameera in Sri Lanka’s squad for the third Test against England at Lord’s. His selection follows Chameera’s lower-back injury, which ruled him out for the rest of the England tour.Bandara, 29, will leave for England with Kusal Perera, who replaced injured seamer Dhammika Prasad; both players will be available for selection for the Lord’s Test, which starts from June 9.”Bandara has been performing well domestically and he is the best choice available at the time for the English conditions,” chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya said.Sri Lanka will also wait for the results of tests on Shaminda Eranga’s bowling action, which will take place on June 6. Eranga’s action had been reported after the second Test, at Chester-Le-Street. If the tests conclude that Eranga’s action is illegal, he will barred from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect.Bandara was not in the preliminary squad for the tour, but leapfrogs Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha into the Test squad, thanks largely to his domestic experience. He was also the most successful seam bowler in this year’s first-class tournament, taking 33 wickets at an average of 26.30 for Ports Authority Cricket Club. He has played 51 first-class matches in all, taking 141 wickets at an average of 29.85.

Arsenal fans have been left slamming some comments made by Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag on their supposed lack of injuries this season.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag comments

Speaking the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of United’s UEFA Europa League last-16 clash with Real Betis, Ten Hag has claimed that Arsenal’s squad is always available, and that they have been lucky with injuries this season:

“Man City home [2-1 victory in January], it was the only time this season [that United had a fully fit squad], in other times, every time, every game is a player suspended, injured, illness. So we have to deal with it well, of course, you hope.

“I see Arsenal, they almost have all the time a squad that is totally available.”

This is despite six other teams in the Premier League having fewer combined games missed through injury then their 79, and the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Mohamed Elneny being out injured at the moment, with star striker Gabriel Jesus only just returning from a three-month absence with a knee problem.

The Latest: Arsenal fans fume

Taking to Twitter after the comments were shared, these Gunners supporters voiced their fume over them:

“This is kind of condescending. It comes off like he’s saying look at Arsenal, same team every week, that’s why they’re where they are. The reality is Arsenal have had plenty of injury issues and they’ve found ways to overcome them for the most part.” – @Arsenal_HP

“We literally had our 3 strikers Jesus, Eddie & Trossard all out at the same time. What an absolute clown” – @UPYOURARSENAL04

“Embarrassing.” – @gooner_247

“Wow, he needs to open his eyes” – @HunterMartyn

“Deluded. #TenHag” – @TheAFC_

“Grow up Erik.” – @TeamDorling

The Verdict: Everyone has them!

Some teams have had more injury problems than others this season, but that is not to say that Mikel Arteta’s side have not had their fair share.

As well as Jesus’ lengthy absence, the likes of Thomas Partey, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Emile Smith Rowe have all also missed a sizeable chunk of top-flight matches through injury, and so it has not always been as plain sailing as Ten Hag has made out.

Nonetheless, the North Londoners have used their squad well, with the likes of Jorginho and Kieran Tierney among others able to come in when injuries have hit the squad, and they should be given more credit for that sitting on top of the league.

The Reds were held at Anfield for the second game running as they missed their chance to go above the Gunners at the summit

Liverpool missed the chance to claim the Premier League's Christmas number one spot as for the second weekend in a row they were held to a draw at home, this time by title rivals Arsenal as the pair played out an entertaining 1-1 draw on Merseyside.

The Gunners, who do top the table following this result, took an early lead after Gabriel Magalhaes was able to power a free-header past Alisson Becker from an inviting free-kick. Liverpool, though, got back on level terms before the half-hour mark as Mohamed Salah cut inside to power a left-footed drive into the top corner.

The home side created the better chances to win the game after the break, with Trent Alexander-Arnold hitting the bar when he seemed destined to score the closest they came, but neither side did enough to warrant claiming all three points.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Alisson Becker (5/10):

Positioning for Gabriel's goal will be questioned as he was left in no-man's land. Not really tested thereafter.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (7/10):

Showcased his outstanding passing range throughout, but how much will he rue his effort that came back off the crossbar when Liverpool countered in the second half?

Ibrahima Konate (8/10):

A couple of scary moments under the high ball apart, the France defender was outstanding in covering the space left by Alexander-Arnold's forays into midfield. Needs to find some consistency now.

Virgil van Dijk (8/10):

A totem of calm amid a chaotic encounter. Saliba's not far behind, but the Liverpool captain remains the Premiuer League's No.1 centre-back.

Kostas Tsimikas (6/10):

Performed decently before being forced off with a collarbone injury after colliding with Klopp on the touchline.

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Wataru Endo (7/10):

Won possession back on a number of occasions, and sometimes in dangerous attacking areas. Showed a decent passing range, too.

Dominik Szoboszlai (4/10):

Good off the ball but again lacking when it came to his passing and shooting. Liverpool attacks routinely fizzled out due to the Hungarian's profligacy.

Curtis Jones (6/10):

Rewarded for his midweek heroics with a start and worked hard out of possession and released the ball quickly when he got it.

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Mohamed Salah (6/10):

Superb finish got Liverpool back on level terms, but he was also guilty of some errant touches when dribbling, and a couple of ill-advised passes in dangerous areas. Does seem to have dropped a level since the early weeks of the campaign.

Cody Gakpo (5/10):

Handed a rare start ahead of Nunez but lacked the physicality to impact Arsenal's centre-backs. Improved agfter the break but replaced for the final quarter of the game.

Luis Diaz (4/10):

Was given chances to trouble White but rarely took them. Forced off with an apparent knee injury midway through the second period.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Joe Gomez (6/10):

Struggled to get up to the pace of the game initially after replacing Tsimikas in the first half as Saka put him in a blender regularly. Got better after the break and even went close to scoring his first professional goal on a couple of occasions.

Darwin Nunez (6/10):

Brought an element of unpredictability to Liverpool's attack but couldn't create much of note.

Ryan Gravenberch (5/10):

Unable to have much impact in his 25 minutes on the pitch.

Harvey Elliott (6/10):

Added some energy and saw a deflected effort skid off the outside of the post.

Jurgen Klopp (5/10):

Decision to start Gakpo over Nunez might have been warranted given recent displays, but did mean his forward line lacked dynamism at time. Still feels like he's struggling to replace Mac Allister in midfield.

Peter English25-Jan-2006

It’s not a surprise that Glenn McGrath fancies himself as a master of barbecues. He’s grilled 542 Test batsmen to become the world’s most successful fast bowler while impressively improving his stock at No. 11. Now he’s rating himself highly with a pair of tongs and a kiss-the-cook apron. “Little known to the general public,” he reveals, “I am a very competent barbecue cook and have entertained people with my barbecuing skills.”He enters this project with similar focus to a regular service of his bowling action, ladling advice with his personal cooking creed, a history of the barbecue method, notes on the right equipment and tips on which grill and fuel to use. Don’t nod off, the food is coming. However, the recipes, which are battered with commercial product placement, are more “eeewww” than “ooh aah”. While The Matthew Hayden Cookbook, a brave left-field publication, is full of carefully discovered taste mixes and techniques that produce satisfying results, McGrath relies on his business allies for those special – and significant – ingredients.Feel like a Bearnaise sauce with beef fillets? Add a 175-gram pouch of sponsor’s Bearnaise finishing sauce. Anyone for teriyaki chicken drummettes? Half a cup of sponsor’s marinade will do the trick. For mustard steak with garlic mash and onion jam the extras are taken care of with sponsor’s crushed garlic, sponsor’s mild English mustard, and sponsor’s caramelised onion and red wine touches. Mouths of university students can start watering now.Tandoori paste and smokey barbecue marinade are missing from the range – they must still be in testing – as a chicken dish and a ribs plate are the only compilations without a corporate herb, spice or condiment. If the company ever drips meat and vegetables into a jar future editions can be titled .

The former fielding coach said the board’s lack of professionalism was the reason he quit

Danyal Rasool27-Sep-2018Former Pakistan fielding coach Steve Rixon accused the PCB of “disrespect and stupidity”, and said he had “not once” been paid on time. Rixon said that was the reason he quit his post after two years, deciding he “didn’t need it that much”, and opted to walk out than have to deal with what he believed to be a lack of professionalism on his employer’s part.”I never got paid on time,” Rixon told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s disrespectful, and the disrespect came from the fact that nothing was paid on time to the subsidiary staff. Indecision was the other thing. Whenever something needed to be done, and my contract was one of those things, that took over five months to get clarified. They thought I’d just roll over and accept it right at the eleventh hour but I didn’t do that as I’d basically had enough of it at that stage. I’ve been involved with coaching for 30 years. I enjoy the game a huge amount and I never want to finish a job at cricket not enjoying it. And that’s what probably would have happened if I’d stayed on there.”Refusing to point the finger directly at anyone, Rixon said the PCB needed to learn to treat overseas staff well. He pointed to the fact that the PCB’s conduct had put off Darren Berry from replacing Rixon as Pakistan’s fielding coach – the PCB’s clear first choice – and forgoing the services of such professionals was “stupidity”.”Darren Berry eventually refused to do the job, and I was left out at that particular time when things were going so well. When I say “stupid”, it’s those decisions I’m talking about. If you want overseas staff to come and do a job they’ve started to do which was going extremely well, don’t treat people like that.”Rixon, who had last month mentioned he was “horribly worried” Pakistan would slip back into old ways if they didn’t have someone to drum fielding standards into them, said some of the things that had concerned him had already started to happen. Pakistan were knocked out of the Asia Cup by Bangladesh on Wednesday. The tournament was notable for Pakistan in that it was the first time since the team appeared to have turned a corner under Mickey Arthur that fielding standards sharply dropped. Before the Bangladesh game, the catching rate at the tournament stood at a mere 30%, with eight chances put down in two crunch games alone. For Rixon, it highlighted the importance of not letting up on the Pakistan players who, he felt, tended to relax as soon as things began to go well.”I highlighted that if you don’t work hard with these kids and stay on their backs, you’re going to have the sort of things that have started to happen. Far, far too many easy catches were dropped. The fielding record that had improved, the catching record that had improved, and the run-out record that took them to the top of the table in world cricket is not going to happen again if these kids don’t continue to be pushed.”The concentration level of a lot of our players is very minimal when it comes to the fielding aspect, and we tend to relax when things start to go okay. When we think we’re getting on top is when the danger time starts; that’s the most vulnerable time for our boys. When one thing goes wrong, it’s like a snowball effect. That’s when things start to happen in bulk and that’s obviously what’s happened of late. But it’s more our level of concentration. You have to stay on top of these boys at all times. Don’t relax at any stage and keep the work ethic as high as possible because if you don’t, they’ll fall off as quick as they started.”Grant Bradburn, Pakistan’s new fielding coach, was a New Zealand cricketer when Rixon coached the side. And although Rixon said he didn’t know much of Bradburn’s fielding credentials, he did remember that he was a good fielder.”I think he’ll do a very good job, he’s a guy that has been from an era where fielding became a massive part of the way we train. When I was with NZ, all the provinces talked about the same philosophy of fielding and started to place emphasis on it. But they need to keep pushing those boys, and if they get that part right, I’m sure it’ll turn out okay.”The PCB, responding shortly after, issued a statement rejecting Steve Rixon’s “baseless” allegations”, saying they came “as a surprise”.”The PCB is disappointed by the baseless allegations made by former fielding coach Steve Rixon in a recent interview,” the statement read. “The PCB spokesman wishes to clarify that the Board has enjoyed cordial relations with all current and former foreign staff attached with national teams.”Mr. Steve Rixon was a good coach who worked hard with the players and certainly helped improve team’s fielding in the last two years. It comes as a surprise to us that Mr. Rixon made unfounded allegations against PCB.The PCB strongly refutes the allegations made by Mr. Rixon in his interview, the foreign coaching staff has full backing and support of the board.”

Blue cards are set to be introduced to football as part of a trial from the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

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• Blue cards set to be trialed
• Will mean temporary expulsion
• Won't be used in the top-tier

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  IFAB has approved the introduction of the new cards which is the first change of its kind since yellow and red cards were brought in at the 1970 World Cup, reports. The announcement will be made on Friday.

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  THE EXPLANATION

  Blue cards will be used as part of a sin-bin trial to send players off the field for 10 minutes for committing cynical fouls – infractions that prevent a promising attack – or dissent, the report says. Top-tier competitions will not be part of the trials, which could start next season, but cup competitions could be volunteered.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Sin bins have already been in use at grassroots level but will be added to the professional game as of next season. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has already spoken out against the idea, saying: "It’s not football anymore."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  IFAB will announce the trial of blue cards on Friday, with the trial expected to begin next season. The temporary banishments will not be used in the European Championship this summer or the 2024-25 Champions League.

Manchester City have been told to swap Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic with Erling Haaland as the Serbian can also bag "50 goals a season".

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• City told to swap Vlahovic for Haaland
• Juventus star could score '50 goals'
• Serb has 'nothing less' than Norwegian

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Italian goalkeeper Giovanni Galli, who played for AC Milan, Fiorentina and Napoli among others, feels Vlahovic offers "nothing less" than City star Haaland and if he was in a more attack-minded team than the Serie A side, the 23-year-old's goalscoring feats would be as stratospheric.

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  WHAT GIOVANNI GALLI SAID

  He told Tuttisport: “I have a weakness for Dusan. I’ve known him since his time in Florence, he is extraordinary. He has everything. Determination, desire, physicality and a lethal left foot. He is also strong with headers. Right now, he is physically fit, and he is the player we saw at Fiorentina. Physical problems tormented him for a year, but now he is proving to be a champion.

  "It may sound like a provocation, but it’s not. If I were Guardiola and asked to swap Vlahovic and Haaland, I’d do it. Dusan has nothing less than the Norwegian. He must make the most of every chance at Juventus because they don’t produce as many goal-scoring opportunities as Manchester City. But Vlahovic has scored 12 goals anyway. I’d like to see him in a more attacking-minded team. If he were at Manchester City, he’d also score 50 goals per season like Haaland, I am sure about it.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Haaland has not been as prolific as he was last season, where he scored 52 goals in 53 matches for Pep Guardiola's men, his haul of 19 this term is still significantly better than Vlahovic's tally of 12 for Juventus. Moreover, Haaland has scored 226 goals in 276 games whereas the Serbian international has 87 in 220 career appearances.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Haaland, who has been out of action for nearly two months due to a bone stress reaction in his foot, could feature for City away to Brentford on Monday night. Vlahovic, on the other hand, is likely to start against Inter Milan in a top of the table clash with Juve on Sunday night.