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Manchester United are in the market for a new striker this summer following Cristiano Ronaldo's premature departure and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Dusan Vlahovic to Man United?

According to Italian news outlet Corriere Torino (via The Faithful MUFC), Man United have been told how much they will need to pay to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer.

As per the report, the Red Devils will need to cough up €90m (£77.5m) to secure the signature of the star and will also need to compete with Bayern Munich to get a deal done.

Would Vlahovic be a good alternative for Harry Kane?

The highest priority for the Manchester giants will be to sign a prolific centre-forward and the pressure to secure one will have only been heightened after the uninspiring attacking performance against Manchester City in the FA Cup final yesterday.

Man United have been linked to many world-class strikers over the last few months with Victor Osimhen and Harry Kane just two named as potential options for the Red Devils, with the latter bringing the massive advantage of having a wealth of experience in the Premier League.

However, with Tottenham Hotspur demanding an eye-watering £100m and some reports even suggesting that the League Cup winners would have to cough up a total bill in excess of £300m to complete the move, it would be an outrageous commitment to sign a striker who will be 30 years old when next season commences.

As a result, the signing of Vlahovic could be the perfect alternative for Kane this summer as he is much younger and would even be a cheaper option without compromising the quality and consistency needed in the forward line.

Over his career so far, the 23-year-old – who was notably dubbed "world-class" and a "beast" by journalist Siavoush Fallahi – has scored 95 goals and registered 16 assists in 220 appearances, with a goal contribution every 126 minutes so far, proving that he provides a reliable output in front of goal that could be a huge asset to Man United.

Whilst Vlahovic only managed to score 14 goals in all competitions this season, there is no doubt that the Serbian striker demonstrates clear potential and it has been suggested that he is not being given the tools to reach his full potential with Juventus.

Forbes Sport journalist Emmet Gates claimed last year: "Dusan Vlahovic has the ability to be a generational talent, but he's suffering in this iteration of Juventus.

"To paraphrase a famous Zlatan line: He's a Ferrari being driven like a Fiat."

With that being said, Erik ten Hag could not only offer Vlahovic the opportunity to play Champions League football next season but he could deliver a potentially career-defining move that would help the Serb unleash his full potential at Old Trafford.

Manchester United are keen to sign at least two new players early this summer, regardless of any potential club takeovers that may be on the horizon, according to Ben Jacobs.

The Red Devils enjoyed a strong first season under Erik ten Hag, but have clear plans to make several major moves this summer, and while there are reports of a possible takeover being in the club's near future, they aren't willing to wait and want to get straight to business, eyeing two potential early signings.

United are back in the Champions League next season, after finishing third in the league this campaign, and want to bolster the side ready for their foray into Europe's greatest tournament.

What is the latest Manchester United transfer news?

United have been linked to several major stars already this summer. Premier League midfielders Mason Mount and Declan Rice are just a couple of the impressive names that the Red Devils have declared an interest in.

Napoli defender Kim Min-jae is another name that is reportedly on United's summer wishlist with the South Korean holding a release clause in his Napoli contract.

With Harry Maguire and Anthony Martial just two of eight United players linked with moves away from the Red Devils, Ten Hag's side will have plenty of work to do in the summer, and it seems they're in quite a hurry to get the ball rolling.

What has Ben Jacobs said about Manchester United?

The biggest news surrounding United right now is the potential takeover of the club, with several different suitors fighting to buy them.

While it would be reasonable to expect the Red Devils to hold off until after any potential sale, before getting to work in the transfer window, Jacobs believes they actually intend to get a couple of players through the door early, regardless of any possible takeover.

Speaking on The Football Terrace's Done Deal Show, he said: "Manchester United, as I understand it, would like to bring two in early in the window, regardless of the ownership situation."

Not only that, but he believes United will have around £100m to spend on the two potential signings, before looking at big names like Harry Kane to fill the striker role they're targeting later in the summer.

"If they're to bring in two others away from that traditional number nine role, where a big outlay is required for one player, then they want to keep that spend around the £100m mark."

The news should be welcomed by United fans, with the club seemingly set to spend big as Ten Hag looks to build on his successful first season with the club.

Australia were caught out by Faf du Plessis’ early declaration of the South Africa innings, which meant Usman Khawaja had to open in place of David Warner

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide24-Nov-2016Australia have admitted they were sent into a lather by Faf du Plessis’ crafty declaration on the first evening of the Adelaide Test, a call that left Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja fuming as David Warner was unable to take his usual spot as an opener after spending time off the field.Warner complained of shoulder pain and went for treatment late in South Africa’s innings, but upon overhearing that the opener needed to spend a further six minutes on the field, du Plessis closed his innings. “I listened to the conversation he had with the umpires, one ear talking to the batter and one ear listening to him and then I heard he had six minutes left before he could bat again so I thought ‘let’s have a crack’,” du Plessis said.Warner and Smith both remonstrated with the umpires on their way off the field, with du Plessis’ closure the earliest in terms of overs in the first innings of a Test unaffected by bad weather. “He went off for some treatment towards the end and was off for too long,” Josh Hazlewood said of Warner. “So they messed their timings up and he couldn’t bat straight away. Uzzy had to bat and adapted pretty well and we got through.”The guys were a little bit annoyed, especially Smithy and probably Uzzy who had to go out and bat, but it’s just one of those things. It rarely happens, but it happened today and the way Uzzy adapted to the situation he did a great job for us today.”Hazlewood confirmed it was up to Warner to ensure he was not caught out in this way, and said the team would likely receive an apology from the vice-captain as a result. “It’s probably the player himself,” he said. “You know the rules and he was just off the field for too long. He’ll hold himself accountable, that’s how Davey goes, so he’ll know he did the wrong thing, apologise to the group and especially Usman, and he’ll learn from it and hopefully it won’t happen again.”As for du Plessis, Hazlewood could only doff his cap. “I think he might’ve had a rough idea, yeah,” he said. “He’s quite cagey like that, pulled the pin and declared and caught us out a little bit.”

Misbah-ul-Haq is expected to leave New Zealand on Sunday evening following the death of his father-in-law

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch20-Nov-2016Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq will miss the second Test in Hamilton, as he returns to Pakistan following the death of his father-in-law. Batsman Azhar Ali will lead the side in Misbah’ absence, the Pakistan Cricket Board has announced.Misbah and his family, who were also in Christchurch, had received news of his father-in-law being admitted to intensive care early on Sunday morning. They will make the trip back to Pakistan together. Misbah had only briefly taken the field during New Zealand’s chase, and is scheduled to leave the country on Sunday evening.His departure is a significant blow to Pakistan. Apart from having led the team in 50 Tests, Misbah has been a middle-order rock, never averaging less than 40 across the six most recent calendar years.”Misbah’s been exceptional throughout the years and we’ll miss him definitely,” Azhar said following the loss in the first Test at Hagley Oval. “We have to cope with that now and whoever comes into the side will take that opportunity and give us runs, as well as the stability he gives us in the middle.”No replacement has yet been named to the squad, but Misbah’s place in the XI is likely to be filled by either Mohammad Rizwan or Sharjeel Khan, who are the extra batsmen with the squad in New Zealand.Misbah had previously missed only one Test since he was appointed captain in 2010: he was unavailable for a 2012 Test in Galle, due to a suspension for slow over-rates. He had made scores of 31 and 13 in the Christchurch Test.

Celtic's latest addition to the squad could come in the form of Odin Thiago Holm, with a report from Nettavisen in Norway via The Daily Record reporting that the Hoops are in talks over a move for the player.

Who is Odin Thiago Holm?

The 20-year-old has already become a key player for his current side Valerenga in Norway, having started ten games already this year and managed his best ever total of 22 in the league last time around. He is already heavily relied upon in the centre of the field by his club and helped them to sixth place in 2022.

The Norweigan first burst onto the scene at just 16-years-old, with his talents meaning that he was given a debut despite still being well into his teens. A year later, at just 17, he was entrusted to play 16 times for the club and even managed a goal and an assist along the way, finding himself on The Guardian's list of promising young stars back in 2020.

He's yet to venture outside of his home country yet but that could all change this summer. That's because a report from Nettavisen in Norway, via The Daily Record, suggests a deal could be on the cards to send him to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

It mentions that a bid has been made to sign the youngster and that the two parties are now in talks as the negotiations advance. A deal could seemingly be agreed for a fee of around £2.5m according to the same report – as the Hoops are willing to offer a larger sell-on clause to Valerenga than other suitors.

Should Celtic sign Holm?

Those outside of Norway might not be too familiar with the midfielder but those who have seen the 20-year-old play have been impressed by his ability so far.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig for example has called the player a "huge talent" and highlighted the fact that he already performed with maturity for his club despite being only relatively early on in his career.

His talent has even led to him being capped for his country's Under-20 side on two occasions as well. He's yet to crack the Under-21 or first-team for Norway but having been entrusted so heavily by Valerenga and having already been given a chance in the other youth sides, he could soon make the grade. Celtic, then, could have a talent on their hands if they complete a deal for Holm.

Centuries from B Indrajith and captain Abhinav Mukund led Tamil Nadu’s frenetic push for runs on day four, before they declared 255 ahead

The Report by Arun Venugopal in Rajkot04-Jan-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Abhinav Mukund scored his 26th first-class ton•PTI Centuries from B Indrajith and captain Abhinav Mukund led Tamil Nadu’s frenetic push for runs, before they declared their innings late on the fourth evening 255 ahead; they were pushing for an outright win, having conceded the first-innings lead on the third day. Facing five tricky overs before stumps, Mumbai’s openers, Praful Waghela and 17-year-old debutant Prithvi Shaw, defended stoutly to end an absorbing day on 5 for 0.Mumbai’s first-innings total was revised to 411 when they were awarded five penalty runs due to Tamil Nadu’s batsmen running on the pitch in the 74th over. That meant their target became 251 from the 256 Tamil Nadu had set.Having entered the fourth day with a 101-run deficit, Tamil Nadu had to make the play and they didn’t falter. Their top order ensured there was no let up in momentum at any stage, and by the time the innings was declared close, their run-rate was 4.56. Mumbai’s fielding, on the other hand, was patchy after it was put under pressure once too often.Tamil Nadu bristled with intent right from the outset, with openers Abhinav and debutant Ganga Sridhar Raju alternating between running tight singles and scoring fluent boundaries. Raju played a few cuts and a cute-looking tuck off his pad, while Abhinav unfurled the upper cut, one of his favourite strokes, for a four.They showed restraint wherever necessary, though. When Abhishek Nayar tried to tempt Raju outside off, the batsman left well and played out a maiden. However, in the 13th over, when Raju was tempted the second time, he slashed at Nayar but the ball went over a wide second slip. Meanwhile, Abhinav, unlike in the first innings, stood well outside the crease to neutralise the swing, and drove powerfully whenever the ball was in his range.While the run rate hovered around three in the first half of the morning session – Tamil Nadu were on 60 for no loss in 20 overs – Indrajith’s arrival, after Raju was trapped in front by Balwinder Sandhu, amped up the innings. Indrajith, promoted ahead of Kaushik Gandhi, threw Mumbai’s spin duo – offspinner Akshay Girap and left-armer Vijay Gohil – off gear. While he didn’t predetermine the charge, he often stepped out to drive the ball, and in the process played with the bowlers’ lengths and minds. When they adjusted by landing the ball short, he went back and whipped it powerfully off his hips.Strangely, Mumbai didn’t persist with their seamers enough in the first session – although Sandhu bowled 10 overs, Nayar and Shardul Thakur, their most successful bowlers in the first innings, bowled only four and five overs respectively. Mumbai coach Chandrakant Pandit later reasoned that they had to be discontinued as they weren’t able to check the flow of runs. Abhinav and Indrajith, meanwhile, wiped out the deficit and took Tamil Nadu to 124 for 1, with Indrajith scoring 41 at nearly a run-a-ball by lunch.Mumbai spread out the field in the second session – at one stage, they only had four fielders not in deep positions – and introduced part-time spinners like Siddhesh Lad. They also bowled wide of off stump and the left-arm spinner Gohil tried to land his deliveries on the rough outside leg stump in an attempt to choke the scoring. While they strung together a few quiet overs, Tamil Nadu invariably managed to find release through a few boundaries. Mumbai were also hurt by their fielding lapses, as Abhinav was let off twice in successive deliveries in the 42nd over. First, Tare missed a stumping off Gohil, who then fluffed a return chance off the next delivery.Abhinav completed his fourth hundred of the season, and, by the time he slashed a catch to slip in the pursuit of quick runs, he and Indrajith had put on 185 runs. Dinesh Karthik walked in at No. 4, and his fidgety, street-smart presence accelerated the pace of scoring. An over after he was warned for running on the pitch, Karthik carted Sandhu for three slog-swept boundaries. Karthik also forced the fielding side to make mistakes by attempting a few impossible runs; on one occasion, he had backed up too far and had given up, but the throw from backward point missed the stumps at the non-striker’s end.Indrajith, meanwhile, completed his fourth first-class hundred, and an over after Karthik’s dismissal – his uppish cut off Sandhu was caught at point – had a reprieve as his miscued hoick was dropped by Lad. Vijay Shankar came in next and tonked the bowling, too, but, during a tense passage of play that was marked by frequent conversations involving players from both sides and the umpires, he was penalised for having run on the danger area. That, however, didn’t seem to affect Shankar and Indrajith, who scored the bulk of the 39 runs that Tamil Nadu made in the last four overs they faced before the declaration.

With Sean Dyche taking the helm at Everton in January and preserving the endangered Premier League outfit's top-flight status, there is renewed optimism that greener pastures could be found over the coming seasons.

Everton escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth, Abdoulaye Doucoure scoring a thumping strike to secure an invaluable, season-saving victory over Bournemouth on the final day of the campaign, and the requisite moves to veer away from danger must now be made.

Addressing the frontal problems is surely the first port of call for the former Burnley manager, with Neal Maupay scoring once all year since signing last summer and talisman Dominic Calvert-Lewin spending yet another campaign riddled with injury issues.

And the answer could come in the form of Moussa Dembele, with Fabrizio Romano stating that the French talisman is attracting Dyche's attention this summer upon the expiry of his contract with Lyon.

The Merseyside outfit are certainly not alone in their pursuit, however, with Galatasaray and several affluent Saudi clubs all gunning for his signature – but the allure of the Premier League and the role of offensive focal point could well sway the odds in the Blues' favour.

Should Everton sign Moussa Dembele?

Despite not enjoying the most auspicious of terms with his French Ligue 1 outfit, Dembele boasts an impressive goal record throughout his career and there is no reason why he cannot rekindle his prolific edge on Merseyside.

Still only 26-years-old, the Frenchman has posted 70 goals and 19 assists from 172 appearances with Les Gones, previously hailed as "unplayable" by former Celtic teammate Leigh Griffiths.

The £53k-per-week ace only scored three goals this year, starting in the league only eight times, but plundered 21, 15, and 16-goal returns over three of his past four Ligue 1 seasons – certainly unplayable numbers – and remains a fierce forward yearning for a fresh start.

Once dubbed an "exceptional" talent by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, the former France U21 international could look to replicate the success of his compatriot Amadou Onana in joining the club from Ligue 1 and glittering with his performances.

Signing for £33m from Lille one year ago, the 21-year-old midfielder has been "superb" – as stated by Richard Buxton – on English shores despite his club's woes.

Indeed, he averaged 2.4 tackles and 1.1 interceptions in the Premier League, as per Sofascore, impressing so much that he is now earning £55m interest from the likes of Chelsea. Such a successful transfer from France could well provide Dembele with the iron-clad assurance he needs to be a free-firing success with the Toffees.

With a license to forge a prominent attacking role in Dyche's team, Dembele could become a "scoring machine" once again, as he was once called by L'Equipe's Bertrand Latour, and emulate the success of his countryman Onana in entering the fold at Goodison Park and flourishing.

West Bromwich Albion midfielder Jason Molumby is a wanted man, according to reports.

Leeds United are reportedly interested in the 23-year-old star, as per The Sun journalist Alan Nixon.

Now, pundit Carlton Palmer – who played for both the Baggies and the Whites – has commented on the situation and believes that their star player would only be sold due to the club's perilous financial situation off the pitch.

What is the news regarding Jason Molumby?

Nixon claimed that the recently relegated Premier League side were interested in moving for the former Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder as they prepare to retool their squad ahead of their first season back in the Championship.

Another report from the local media states that whilst West Brom would prefer to keep Molumby at the club, the club is in such a poor financial position to where they have to consider any reasonable offers they receive as they look to balance the books.

This news coincides with reports that the Baggies manager Carlos Corberan has made the shortlist for the job at Leeds, which could help push the move through with Corberan previously having been full of praise for the midfielder, stating after their win against Stoke City in April: “I think the personality and the goals that he has are very huge.”

Will Jayson Molumby stay at West Brom?

It is difficult to see how Molumby stays at West Brom, given the club's financial position.

The Baggies narrowly missed out on promotion last campaign, and as such their last parachute payment of around £30m was swallowed up.

The club have since received a four-year, £20m loan from American private investment company MSD should keep the club ticking over however if the club wants to attack the transfer market, they will have to sell players to fund moves.

Speaking to Football League World, Palmer expressed his bewilderment behind the news, stating:

“This is a strange one, for me, Why would West Brom want to sell one of their best players? Maybe the uncertainty of the ownership of the football club and the financial positions that they’re now finding themselves in, maybe that’s forced their hands.”

Molumby made 43 appearances for the club in the Championship last season, notching up eight goal contributions and recording an average rating of 6.56, according to WhoScored.

The Irishman has been capped 20 times by the Republic of Ireland and has received plenty of praise for his play style, with current Baggies boss Corberan describing the 23-year-old as an “animal” earlier on in the season.

The former Brighton player has a market value of around €3.2m (£2.8m) and should Leeds be willing to negotiate to a price that exceeds that value, the Midlands club may have no other choice but to part ways with the midfielder.

USA batsman Fahad Babar has left the ICC Americas squad midway through their WICB Regional Super50 campaign in Barbados on the recommendation of his immigration lawyer

Peter Della Penna04-Feb-2017USA batsman Fahad Babar has left the ICC Americas squad midway through their WICB Regional Super50 campaign in Barbados on the recommendation of his immigration lawyer. Babar, a Pakistan national who qualified to play for USA under the ICC’s seven-year residency rule, said he returned to the USA as a precautionary measure in the wake of the executive order from US President Donald Trump blocking entry for 90 days to people from seven predominantly Muslim countries.Babar left Barbados on Wednesday night after ICC Americas’ 66-run loss to Jamaica and landed in Chicago on Thursday morning.”I had no issues coming in and out,” Babar told ESPNcricinfo on Friday. “But there’s always that fear which bothers you. So that’s the issue. Other than that I’ve had no other problems.”He is one of six Muslim players in the ICC Americas squad. Ali Khan and Akeem Dodson, both American citizens, are the two other USA players while the rest reside in Canada.Babar said the uncertainty over his own immigration status weighed on his mind during his time in Barbados, where he scored 29 runs in two innings. Leaving the team to come back to Chicago was a difficult decision, particularly because one of the incentives for the ICC Americas squad members is an opportunity to be drafted by a Caribbean Premier League franchise through their performances at the Regional Super50, but he said he felt this was the best course of action after speaking with USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake, other members of the ICC Americas staff and his lawyer, William McClean.”Cricket is a mental game and you have to be mentally fit enough to play the game and I think it affected me a little bit in my performance,” Babar said. “I worked really hard to get into the ICC Americas team. I had to perform and prove myself before coming here. I was in Sri Lanka to gain experience to work hard towards this. Unfortunately, it’s not my time right now. That’s what I can say and I will work hard in the future to get another opportunity. It’s disappointing but it’s life and you have to be strong sometimes to get through this.”Currently, the US travel-ban specifically applies to nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. McClean said he was wary of the list being expanded beyond the initial seven countries and wanted his clients to be protected in case that happens.”He’s [Fahad] from Pakistan which is close to those other countries and might be next on the chopping block,” McClean told ESPNcricinfo. “If he’s out of the US when they say, ‘okay we’re extending the ban to Pakistani people’, Fahad will be barred. He will not be allowed to come back into the United States even if he’s travelling for cricket and that’s what we’re scared of.”Babar, 24, came to the USA as a 14-year old and went on to represent the USA Under-19 team in 2011 before making his senior team debut in 2013. He has developed into one of USA’s most consistent batsmen and was named tournament MVP at the 2015 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 championship in Indianapolis.Babar recently spent two months in Sri Lanka playing first-class cricket for Kalutara Physical Culture Club through an opportunity organised by Dassanayake. He came back through Miami on January 24 on his way to Barbados for the Regional Super50, just days before President Trump’s executive action was signed halting immigration from certain countries.USA’s next international competition is the ICC WCL Division Three in Uganda in May. However, McClean said he will continue to advise caution because Babar was flagged for “secondary inspection” on his arrival back to the USA this week.”The only thing that happened to him, in my opinion, that shouldn’t have happened when he came back to the United States is that they put him in secondary inspection,” McClean said. “A lot of people have to go through that but there was no reason for him to have to go through secondary inspection and they made him go do that anyway. Secondary inspection is a room with no windows and a locked door.”That 120-day rule, that should not apply to Fahad because he’s not a refugee and he’s not from any of those countries that are affected by the ban. But he’s not a citizen. Green card holders are being excluded from the United States but for Fahad himself, the actual bar should not have an effect on him.”No replacement player has been named for Babar, who was replaced by Dodson in the starting XI for Friday’s match against Barbados, and an ICC Americas source indicated that none would be added for the team’s final three matches at the Regional Super50.Babar’s departure leaves the squad with essentially 13 available players from their original 15. Ali Khan has not played since aggravating a hamstring injury in the team’s first warm-up match prior to the start of the Regional Super50 and his fitness is being evaluated on a day-to-day basis.

The number 13 is unlucky for some. For South Africa it will mark a new record winning streak in one-day internationals if they overcome New Zealand in Christchurch

Andrew McGlashan21-Feb-2017Will number 13 prove lucky for South Africa? That may depend if they keep on winning. The figure will mark their new record winning streak in one-day internationals if they overcome New Zealand in Christchurch.There have been some impressive displays among those 12 victories. Six times batting first they have posted over 300, and four times over 350; in another they chased down 372; and in eight of the matches they have bowled out the opposition.However, regardless of their current form, they still see improvements to be made. The victory in Hamilton became a nail-biter, as AB de Villiers and Andile Phehlukwayo guided them home with a ball to spare, and was one of their hardest earned of the unbeaten run.”We haven’t played the perfect game yet,” said batting coach Neil McKenzie.”Twelve in row has shown what we have been doing over last year has really worked. The big thing is we’ve got try get to play that perfect game and hopefully that comes in a semi or final. But the blueprint has got to be honed in every game you play.”A semi-final or a final. South Africa crave that global piece of silverware. The perfect game in a semi-final, never mind a final, is something they have been unable to do in 10 of the 11 multi-team tournament semis they have reached. The one success came against Sri Lanka in the 1998 Wills International Cup, the precursor to what is now the Champions Trophy.All the culture camps, all the team spirit, all the victories – no one will really know if it will make a difference until that chance comes up again.De Villiers rated the Hamilton victory was “10 out of 10” for the experience of winning a tight game, but “zero” when it came to conditions, given the pitches in the Champions Trophy are unlikely to turn anywhere near as much.With the Napier match having been shifted to Seddon Park because of the former’s poor drainage, there could yet be another spinning pitch in the offing so the remaining three matches – beginning with Christchurch on Wednesday – perhaps offer the best chance of something closer to English conditions.”All one-day sides gauge themselves on periods where you lead up to a Champions Trophy or pinnacle series,” McKenzie said. “It bodes well for us going to England where we’re going find the same sort of conditions generally.”Although South Africa will not entertain the notion, it would be a useful exercise for them if this series conjured up a deciding match in Auckland early next month. It would still only be for a bilateral victory, but it would at least give them the taste of a winner-takes-all match.