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The three who quit are Naimur Rahman, Khaled Mahmud and Enayet Hossain Siraj

Mohammad Isam31-Oct-2024The BCB has removed 11 directors from the board after they failed to attend three or more consecutive meetings, in accordance with the board constitution. The list includes former president Nazmul Hassan and BPL chairman Sheikh Sohel.The others are Manzur Kader, AJM Nasir Uddin, Anwarul Islam, Shafiul Alam Chowdhury, Ismail Haider Mallick, Tanvir Ahmed, Obeid Nizam, Gazi Golam Murtoza and Nazib Ahmed. In addition to the 11, the BCB accepted resignations from three other directors: Naimur Rahman, Khaled Mahmud and Enayet Hossain Siraj.All of the above names have been missing in action since the Awami League government was dethroned on August 5 following a violent student uprising. They have direct or indirect connections with the Awami League. Nazmul was the sports minister, Shafiul an Awami League MP while Nasir was a former Chattogram mayor during the Awami League’s 15-year reign. Sohel and Nazib are relatives of Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister, while Mallick was Nazmul’s close associate.The BCB had 25 directors in all before the fall of the government and 10 remain after the departure of those 14, as one had passed away before August.The BCB also formed a constitution amendment committee headed by director Nazmul Abedeen. According to the press release, “the committee will be responsible for assessing the current BCB constitution, identifying areas of improvement and proposing amendments that align with the strategic goals and evolving needs of the BCB”.Two weeks after an interim government was sworn in on August 8, the BCB directors elected Faruque Ahmed, the former Bangladesh captain, as the president while Abedeen, the renowned coach, also became a director. They took the places of Jalal Yunus who resigned as a director and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam was removed as director.

Whilst they have since secured several reinforcements, Leeds United reportedly made an approach to sign an attacking addition who has scored in the Europa League earlier this summer.

Farke: Leeds not "ready for Premier League level"

Like Sunderland, Leeds have returned to the Premier League with plenty of intent. The Whites instantly turned towards the transfer window this summer, welcoming the likes of Sean Longstaff, Jaka Bijol, Lucas Perri and four others in an attempt to build a side ready to avoid instant relegation.

That task will be easier said than done, however, and Daniel Farke has already admitted that his frontline is still short on Premier League quality following a friendly draw against Villarreal.

When it comes to attacking additions, it’s been a frustrating summer for those at Elland Road thus far. The likes of Beto and Rodrigo Muniz have threatened to steal the headlines, but deals for the two impressive forwards are unlikely at this stage. Meanwhile, Leeds and the 49ers also made an early approach to sign a former Premier League winger.

Leeds approached Moussa Djenepo

As reported by Africa Foot, Leeds approached Moussa Djenepo earlier this summer as they looked to swoop in and sign the Standard Liege winger, who earns around £18,000-a-week.

Ultimately, however, that approach proved unsuccessful and the former Southampton man remained a Standard Liege player. Whether that changes as the Whites become more desperate to bolster their attack will be interesting to see, but it’s then that they’ll potentially have to compete against clubs in Saudi Arabia and Iran for Djenepo’s signature.

Djenepo would certainly tick the box for Premier League experience, having previously enjoyed a four-year spell at Southampton and has even impressed on the Europa League stage with Standard Liege in the past – scoring three goals in five games.

Leeds now offered chance to sign "sensation" who has scored 38 PL goals

The Whites could finally add to their striking department.

BySean Markus Clifford Aug 5, 2025

As things stand, however, the 27-year-old is seemingly set to go down as a missed target at Elland Road, as Farke and the 49ers aim to transform Leeds’ attack into one of Premier League quality.

Shoaib Bashir takes CWC Young Player; Sophie Ecclestone and Ryana MacDonald-Gay also among winners

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2024Gus Atkinson has been awarded the Bob Willis Trophy for England’s Player of the Year after a debut Test summer in which he collected 34 wickets as well as scoring his maiden hundred.Atkinson collected the award, voted for by members of the Cricket Writers’ Club, at the Kia Oval on Tuesday. The annual awards ceremony also saw Shoaib Bashir named NV Play Young Player of the Year, the latest winner of the CWC award dating back to 1950.Sophie Ecclestone won the JM Finn Women’s Cricket Award, while Ryana MacDonald-Gay was voted Emerging Cricketer. Liam Dawson, last month named the Professional Cricketers’ Association men’s player of the year, claimed the County Championship prize.”I was just hoping to make my England Test debut, and to have the summer that I’ve had, it’s a huge honour and to get this award at the end of it tops it off,” Atkinson said.”My debut, obviously taking 12 wickets was very special, and playing in Jimmy Anderson’s last Test was a big honour. Probably my favourite moment was that century against Sri Lanka.”Bashir has gone from virtual unknown to England’s first-choice spinner in the last 12 months, claiming three Test five-fors – including a match-winning haul in the second Test against West Indies at Trent Bridge. He picked up the prestigious CWC award for players under the age of 21 at the start of the summer.”Two years ago, I didn’t have a county,” Bashir said. “It’s been really special. With a lot of hard work, I’m thankful to be playing for my country. Long may it continue.”It was very special, first time I’d played at Trent Bridge. For me to take that last wicket and seal the deal to make it 2-0 in the series, it was one of the highlights of my season.”Other winners of the CWC awards included England Physical Disability opening batter Brendon Parr, who was presented with the Lord’s Taverners charity’s Disability Cricketer of the Year award.James Anderson and the cast of Tailenders took the Peter Smith Award for outstanding presentation of cricket to the public, and the Derek Hodgson Cricket Book of the year was won by David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts for.Cricket Writers’ Club chair Dean Wilson said: “Huge congratulations to all our award winners, reflecting another terrific year of cricket for all members of the media to cover.”At a time of unprecedented change in the game on and off the field, there are precious few opportunities to pause and reflect and honour the efforts of those who bring so much joy.”Whether it is the skill and guile of Sophie Ecclestone and Shoaib Bashir, or the excellence of Gus Atkinson or Brendon Parr, there has been much to admire. Long may that continue.”

Holden questioned both tactical and lineup decisions by Pochettino, pointing to the Tim Ream and Tristan Blackmon pairing

Holden questioned several of Pochettino's decisionsDidn't understand the thought process on defenseSays U.S. must get a win against a top opponent Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Following a 2-0 loss to South Korea on Saturday night, the USMNT are now winless in their last seven matches against non-North American top-25 opponents, being outscored 17-3 in that span. It is a worrying sign for former U.S. star Stu Holden, who says manager Mauricio Pochettino needs to find a rhythm with the team ahead of the World Cup.

"This is the national team 10 months away from the World Cup," Holden said on the "State of the Union" podcast. "If you're going to experiment and you have different partnerships, some of that is expected. But tactically, the discipline, the way the U.S. looks in and out of shape, it's more concerning for me than it is encouraging from what I saw in this game."

Holden pointed to numerous tactical decisions by Pochettino, including the manager's call to start Tristan Blackmon in his first U.S. game, which led to issues against Son Heung-Min and the South Korea attack.

"Let's be honest, Tristan Blackmon was pretty underwhelming," Holden said. "I was interested in trying to figure out what Pochettino was really asking of him. Especially when the U.S. were in possession, he was squeezing very tight. And then even defensively, when the U.S. were in their own half defending, he was playing very aggressively. And that's actually what led to that first goal by South Korea."

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Blackmon wasn't the only player who had issues for the U.S. Holden called out other tactical flaws, saying, "We had no pressure on the ball, and the lines were disconnected."

Despite the loss, Pochettino stressed that the USMNT have improved, evidenced by bettering South Korea in both shots taken and possession. Yet the team was shut out.

"The fact is, again, we didn't score a goal. Again, we didn't beat a top-25 opponent, which we haven't done since the 2022 World Cup," Holden said. "And once again, we're left with more questions than answers." 

Holden suggested that Pochettino consider a five-man backline and start another centerback with Chris Richards and Tim Ream, which could create more freedom for the attack.

"It alleviates a little bit of defensive pressure on [Christian] Pulisic and [Tim] Weah, from [Diego] Luna, from whoever is on the forward part of the field," Holden said. "I just think Pochettino now has to start transitioning his head to start thinking 'We can't beat top opponents, we need to stop conceding goals against top opponents.'

"To go far in the World Cup, you need to start beating top opponents. We can't do it in the formation that we have. He's even said it himself, that this is the last window for experimentation… Formation may indeed be a part of the problem."

WHAT HOLDEN SAID

Josh Sargent made the start at striker against South Korea, but struggled before being subbed off for Folarin Balogun in the second half. Holden said the way the U.S. are being set up in attack doesn't allow the team to get the best out of Championship's leading striker.

"He is a guy who thrives off crosses in the box – we don't cross the ball," Holden said. "Josh Sargent, his average position was deeper than Diego Luna… It's just this hodgepodge in the middle, and there's no width. There's nothing dynamic in the way they were creating."

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WHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT?

The U.S. will now look to regroup when they face Japan on Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio.

The India batter has looked good in his two innings this series but will want a few more runs to show for it

Alagappan Muthu13-Dec-20245:07

Gill: We should consider this as a three-match series from now

It didn’t take long for the memories to come flooding back for Shubman Gill. People forget he played a big part at the Gabba in 2021.Only 21 years old, playing his third Test match, he walked out into perhaps the most intimidating stage Australia had to offer – their captain Tim Paine had made a point to remind them of that when they were able to salvage a draw in Sydney earlier – and looked like he belonged.Gill at his best is comes with a volume warning, because when he hits the ball, it just reverberates around the ground. Sometimes you feel like you could pick out his shots with your eyes closed because the connection is so crisp.Early in India’s chase of 329, he hit Mitchell Starc off the back foot all along the ground through cover and on commentary former England cricketer Isa Guha exclaimed, “Crunched! Sound off the bat. Shubman Gill. Wow!” It is unmissable. The 91 he made at the top of the order set India up for the miracle that followed.”Definitely very nostalgic when I came here,” Gill said on the eve of this year’s Gabba Test against Australia. “The whole team was coming and just walking to the stadium again after 2021 win, felt very nostalgic.”Related

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Apart from that natural gift, he seems very well attuned to the vagaries of batting. He understands how things can go wrong and spends ages in the nets trying to fix them. He also understands how things can go right. Former India coach Ravi Shastri recently spoke about how Gill had gone up to Rishabh Pant at tea on the final day of the 2021 Gabba Test and pointed out that Australia might resort to Marnus Labuschagne’s legspin to tide them through to the second new ball and that was a time to cash in. (Labuschagne bowled only one over though)Gill was shaping to be an important weapon for India on this tour, but he injured himself while training and had to miss the first Test at Perth and his return in Adelaide came with a pink-ball handicap. Gill looked good in the first innings making 31 runs, 20 of them through boundaries, and then he missed a straight ball and got lbw.”When you are out there one of the challenges is can you play the game how you want to play the game irrespective of what’s happening on the other end or what’s happening on the scorecard and I think I faltered in the first innings around because of that,” Gill said, “Because what happened on the other end I kind of took that on me.”There was a period where I didn’t get to face, maybe I faced one ball in like four overs and then the next ball that I faced I kind of missed a straight ball, a fuller ball [and was lbw]. But these are the challenges that you face while playing a Test match, you might not get the strike for three or four overs, you might get the strike less or you might face like 18 balls on the trot.”1:52

How can India bounce back in Brisbane?

Looking good but not going on is part of why Gill’s Test average is at 36.45 after 30 Tests. He has crossed 20 in 33 of his 57 innings. So he’s good at getting starts but converting them is a problem. More than half of those 33 innings have ended before he could bring up fifty.In Adelaide, he pointed to the mitigating factor. “Just the dynamics of a pink-ball Test,” Gill said, “We don’t play [it] as much, and just playing at night, it is a little bit harder to gauge the seam position and the hand position at which the ball is released, so it is a bit more difficult to look as a batsman.”Sometimes when you feel like you’ve got the flow going, you start to push things. Playing on the up. On 29 off 27 against England in Chennai 2021, Gill thrust his hands out at Jofra Archer the next ball and was caught at mid-on. He’d hit five boundaries in that short stay, he thought there was one more for the taking. Reaching outside the line of his body. On 36 off 54 in Cape Town in 2024, he got sucked in by Nandre Burger’s left-arm angle and handed a catch to gully. Gill’s stillness at the crease – which is usually a strength because it keeps his head level and really helps him out when he plays his back foot shots – worked against him here.Australia will test him like that too. And in a million other ways. “I think the intensity at which the games are played here, especially Test matches is one of the most difficult things,” Gill said, “To be able to maintain that intensity throughout the course of five days is what makes touring Australia so difficult, and I think more than anything it is the mental intensity and the mental fitness that is required here in Australia, especially here [at the Gabba].”It will be fascinating to see how he comes through an examination like that.

Leeds United have now identified a “scintillating” attacker as a key target, as there is a belief he would be the perfect addition to their forward line, according to a report.

Leeds still vying to sign new winger

Leeds were dealt a major blow when Igor Paixao chose to sign for Marseille, and they have now been forced to move on to alternative options, with a number of potential targets being identified.

Target

Current club

G/A in 24/25

Riccardo Sottil

Fiorentina

9

Moussa Djenepo

Standard Liege

3

Jota Silva

Nottingham Forest

7

However, the Whites were ultimately unsuccessful in their pursuit of Djenepo, with the 27-year-old remaining at Standard Liege, while they could also miss out on Jota Silva, with widespread reports suggesting the Forest ace is closing in on a move to Sporting CP.

That said, given that the two forwards hardly set the world alight last season, it may be a blessing in disguise that Daniel Farke’s side were unable to get deals over the line, and a different winger has now moved up the manager’s shortlist.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Marseille’s Jonathan Rowe has now been identified as a key target for Leeds, with the French club looking to receive a fee of just £17m for the England U21 international.

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Leeds United have the chance to snap up their own Benjamin Sesko with this transfer.

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The Whites are pushing to bring in new attacking options, and their pursuit of Rowe has now been reignited, as there is a belief he would be the perfect addition to their forward line.

Since moving to Marseille last summer, the winger has found it difficult to force his way into the starting XI, and a move could now be on the cards, with the French club open to a sale after signing Paixao and Timothy Weah.

"Scintillating" Rowe could be ideal signing for Leeds

Once praised for his “scintillating” form by pundit Carlton Palmer, the Marseille forward put himself in the shop window again with some impressive performances for England U21s at the recent European Championships.

The 22-year-old scored the winning goal against Germany in the final, while also scoring against Czechia in the group stage and picking up an assist against Spain in the quarter-final.

Former academy coach Greg Crane has also singled out the Marseille ace for praise, saying he “always had a bit of wow factor”.

Not only that, but the London-born winger caught the eye in the Championship with Norwich City during the 2023-24 campaign, scoring 12 goals, including an extremely well-taken effort against Hull City.

At just 22-years-old, Rowe is at the right age to be a long-term success at Elland Road, and the only concern about signing the Marseille winger is likely to be the fact he is yet to prove himself at Premier League level.

Brentford have opened talks to sign highly-rated Borussia Dortmund left-back Almugera Kabar in a deal worth a reported €20 million. The U17 World Cup winner is struggling for game time in Germany, and the Bees are pushing for a permanent January transfer for a player they believe is physically ideal for the Premier League.

Bees make €20m move for German youth international

Brentford have opened negotiations with Borussia Dortmund over a January move for highly-rated teenage left-back Kabar. According to German publication , the Premier League club have expressed "concrete interest" in the 19-year-old and are already in contact with the player's representatives. The Bees are reportedly prepared to pay a substantial fee of around €20m (£17m/$21m) to secure the defender in January.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWho is Almugera Kabar? Dortmund's U17 World Cup winner

Kabar is a product of Dortmund's esteemed youth academy, having joined the club at the age of 13. A physically imposing full-back standing at 1.86m, he is seen by Brentford as possessing the ideal attributes for the Premier League. His stock rose significantly in 2023 when he was a key part of the Germany side that won both the U17 European Championship and the U17 World Cup. He is now a regular for the national U19 team, for whom he has already made 19 appearances.

Kabar's first-team struggles under Kovac

Despite his success at youth level and a contract that runs until 2028, Kabar has struggled to break into the first team at Signal Iduna Park. The defender made five Bundesliga appearances last season but has found opportunities limited under current head coach Niko Kovac, featuring just once. This season, he has been unable to dislodge Daniel Svensson from the starting left-back position, a situation that could make him open to a move in search of regular senior football.

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Dortmund reluctant to sell but could be tempted

Dortmund's official stance is that they wish to keep their homegrown talent for the long term, having only been open to a loan move for Kabar during the summer transfer window. However, the report from Bild suggests that a permanent winter transfer "could certainly become a reality," with a €20m offer potentially being enough to tempt the Bundesliga giants into a sale, given the player's current squad status.

Gambhir makes it clear that he wants Test hopefuls to take domestic cricket seriously, and play the Ranji Trophy if they are not committed elsewhere

Alagappan Muthu05-Jan-2025Following India’s defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, questions loom over the futures of India’s captain Rohit Sharma, who stood himself down in the Sydney Test, and senior batter Virat Kohli, who fell for his seventh score of 20 or less in the series.Head coach Gautam Gambhir offered them support but left the big decision to the players.”I can’t talk about the future of any player,” Gambhir said at the press conference after the series. “It’s up to them as well. But yes, what I can say is that they still have the hunger. They still have the passion. They’re tough people. And hopefully they can continue to take Indian cricket forward. But ultimately, as we all know, that whatever they plan, they will plan for the best interest of Indian cricket.”Related

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Rohit has averaged 10.93 over his last eight Test matches with only one fifty-plus score. He spoke to at lunch on the second day and said that he had taken the decision to sit out the fifth Test because he thought it would have been hard for the team to win carrying so many out-of-form batters.He also clarified that he wasn’t retiring from Test cricket yet.Kohli, meanwhile, has been left frustrated by his vulnerability outside the off stump. He made an unbeaten hundred in Perth but all eight of his other trips to the crease have ended with his outside edge being snaffled up by the wicketkeeper or in the slips. In Melbourne, when that happened, he slumped over his bat. He had been playing an innings that looked, in Steven Smith’s words, like a masterclass until then. In Sydney, when it happened again, he yelled at himself and punched his leg.”First of all, every individual knows where their game and hunger is,” Gambhir, who had himself gone through a phase late in his career where he was out of form but battling to make the team. “That’s the most important thing for any sport and any profession. It’s not just about the sport.”It’s about how hungry you are, how passionate you are, and whether the team is moving forward with your contribution or not. Because ultimately, it’s neither my team, nor your team, it’s the country’s team. I believe, as I said, there are very honest players in our dressing room who know how hungry they are.”But yes, as far as my question is concerned, my biggest responsibility is that I have to be fair to everyone in that room. Not only one or two individuals. If I’m fair to only two or three individuals, and not to everyone else, then I’m being dishonest to my job. So whether it’s a player who hasn’t debuted yet, or a player who has played 100 Test matches, my simple goal in my job is that I have to be absolutely fair and equal to everyone.”India do not have another Test match to play until June 2025, when they tour England for five games. Rohit will be 38 by then and Kohli will be pushing 37.When asked about his thoughts on a long-term roadmap for the team in red-ball cricket, and whether it was time to invest in youngsters, Gambhir said, “Look, it’s too early to talk about it. The series has just got over. I think we still have five more months to plan where we want to head towards. But it’s not the right moment right now for me to talk about that. Where are we going to be after five months?”A lot of things change in sport. Forms change. People change. Attitude change. Everything changes in sport. And we all know that five months is a long time. So, let’s see before the [England] series what’s going to happen. But whatever will happen, will happen for the best interest of Indian cricket.””If you don’t give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the desired players what you want in Test cricket”•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesGambhir: ‘I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket’India next play England in a T20I and ODI series at home in January-February before moving to the UAE for their share of fixtures in the Champions Trophy, which is being hosted by Pakistan. For the players who do not make those squads, there is the option of playing the Ranji Trophy, which resumes after a break on January 23.”I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket,” Gambhir said. “That is how much importance domestic cricket needs to be given. Not only one game. If they’re available and they have the commitment to play red-ball cricket, everyone should play domestic cricket. As simple as it can get.”If you don’t give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the desired players what you want in Test cricket.”

Bernardo Silva has claimed that Arsenal had an "unfair advantage" over Manchester City during their Premier League clash at the Emirates on Sunday. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after Gabriel Martinelli's dramatic 93rd-minute equaliser cancelled out Erling Haaland's early goal in the first half, with the Gunners extending their unbeaten run against City to six matches.

Martinelli spoiled Man City's party with late equaliser

City were just minutes away from securing a crucial win against Arsenal on Sunday but Martinelli spoiled Pep Guardiola's party as the Brazilian winger came off the bench to score a dramatic 93rd-minute equaliser. The result ensured the Gunners stay second in the Premier League table while City are down in ninth.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSilva bemoans lack of recovery time

Arsenal went into the key Premier League fixture after playing Athletic Club last Tuesday in the Champions League, while City took on Napoli two days later.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News after the match, Silva bemoaned the lack of recovery time for City, saying: "I am saying this because we didn’t lose. If we lost, I wouldn’t say this. But the reality is, we cannot come to one of the most important games in the season with such a disadvantage, in terms of rest. It is not fair to play one of these games like this. It is just not right. They had five days, and we had two-and-a-half days. In one of the most important games, this cannot happen.

"I wasn’t feeling in a perfect condition to play like this, and people who have not played at the highest level don’t know how it feels to play a game like this. You need to be at your best condition. We saw [Abdukodir] Khusanov getting injured because these games demand a lot. I feel it is just frustrating that we couldn’t be at our best level simply because of the decision of someone that thinks it is fair to come away after two-and-a-half less days than Arsenal. But in the end we did well in terms of fighting, resilience and sticking together and sticking to the plan. It is just frustrating we conceded very late in the game."

He added: "I felt the difference in the first half. If you play at the highest level you know that two days playing against one of the best teams in the league, away, with the travel, you need at least one more day to recover. It doesn’t matter if Arsenal had four, five or six days [to recover], just give us one more day, and that gives us three-and-a-half days. Then you make it an even game. Two-and-a-half days is not enough to recover our bodies and to perform at the highest level. It is just not enough."

Calls for 'common sense' to prevail

The Portugal international once again hit out at the congested fixture schedule, which is taking a toll on the fitness levels of players across Europe. "We have tried, they don’t listen to us. It is what it is. We would like to change something, but it never changes," Silva said. "It does not really matter, but for the fans, for the respect of the clubs, and for the fairness of the competition, I don’t think what happened today [on Sunday] was good. Look, the schedule is the schedule and I understand you have different competitions and UEFA, the Premier League, and the broadcasters want to make their money and I understand all those sorts of things.

"What we ask is that we don’t mind playing every three or four days, and we don’t mind playing 60 games because we are used to that. But what we ask for is common sense because this is one of the biggest games of the season. And it is not because of us. I don’t think that they are trying to make us lose a game. It could happen to Arsenal or Liverpool in a few months. But when you are playing an Arsenal vs City or a City vs Liverpool or Liverpool vs Arsenal, you need to have a bit of common sense, and understanding of these situations and in such an important game, the players need to be in the same physical conditions otherwise, I don’t think it is fair. I know it might have happened to other teams in the past. It did not feel like we were in the same physical condition as them."

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Getty ImagesUp next for City: Huddersfield then Burnley

Guardiola will be expected to rotate his starting lineup heavily for City's Carabao Cup third-round fixture against Huddersfield Town on Wednesday. City are due to host Burnley in their next Premier League fixture three days later.

Whilst last weekend’s performance against Arsenal showed plenty of promise despite defeat, Manchester United and INEOS are still reportedly discussing the chance to welcome a midfield reinforcement.

Man Utd line up new targets after Baleba price proves prohibitive

Having been told that Carlos Baleba is not for sale unless they reach a premium price this month, Manchester United have been left with no choice but to pivot towards other targets. With less than two weeks remaining until deadline day, however, it remains to be seen whether Ruben Amorim welcomes the last reinforcements that he needs to take his side back into European contention.

The two main weaknesses that the Red Devils must address lie in midfield and in goal. Of course. Baleba was earmarked to solve that midfield problem, but the Brighton & Hove Albion star is off the table for the time being. As such, targets such as Lucien Agoume have threatened to steal the headlines, with reports going as far as to say that the Sevilla star is now United’s priority target.

Meanwhile, Amorim’s goalkeeper problem was exposed for all to see against Arsenal. Choosing to go with Altay Bayindir over Andre Onana, who missed much of pre-season through injury, the Manchester United boss watched on as his second-choice flapped at Arsenal’s first corner of the game to hand them what proved to be the winning goal through Riccardo Calafiori.

It’s a problem that INEOS must solve before the end of the month with the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma still on the market and available if they manage to leap ahead of rivals Manchester City in the race for his signature.

What’s more, alongside Donnarumma to solve their goalkeeper problem, reports are also now suggesting that Agoume isn’t the only Baleba alternative being discussed at Old Trafford this summer to hand Amorim a much-needed midfielder.

INEOS hold internal discussions about Angelo Stiller

According to Ben Jacobs and Sam Cohen, INEOS have now held “internal discussions” about signing Angelo Stiller from VfB Stuttgart this month. The German impressed in the Bundesliga last season and has since found himself on United’s radar as a result. And whilst talks are yet to be held between the two clubs, the Stuttgart star is potentially one to watch as deadline day approaches.

Described as a “complete and capable” midfielder by analyst Ben Mattinson, Manchester United could certainly do a lot worse than signing Stiller this summer.

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The German midfielder is unlikely to cost the same premium fee as Baleba, but would offer Amorim a similar upgrade on current options like Manuel Ugarte this season.