It seems like Manchester United will look to add to Ruben Amorim’s squad in the January transfer window. An attacker is on the shopping list, but the Red Devils boss also seems keen to add to his squad in midfield, too.

Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro have been the first-choice pivot this season, and the Portuguese manager has seemed reluctant to stray too far away from that.

Kobbie Mainoo has yet to start a Premier League game this season despite his obvious talent, and it appears Manuel Ugarte has fallen firmly down the pecking order, too.

The Red Devils could look to sign a midfielder in January, and a new option has seemingly emerged.

Man Utd offered chance to sign ex-Premier League star

It appears that there are a few options for the Manuncian side this winter, should they sign a midfielder.

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One of the names who continuously crops up is Nottingham Forest and England star Elliot Anderson. Outside of the Premier League, Stuttgart man Angelo Stiller is also a reported target.

Elsewhere, a new report has emerged from The Times which suggests United have been offered the chance to sign Al-Hilal star Ruben Neves.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season and wants to return to the Premier League.

That move could come as soon as this winter, with United one of the clubs that could have the chance to sign him. As for the fee, it would be a cut-price move due to his contract situation.

Neves – who earns a reported £290k-per-week, as per Capology – may cost the Red Devils just £18m if they were to sign him in the coming weeks.

Why Neves could be Man Utd's new Scholes

Over the last few years, Neves has been plying his trade in Saudi Arabia for Al-Hilal. He’s been successful, too, helping his side to win four trophies, having only just reached a century of appearances, 106 to be exact.

If United were to bring the Portuguese star to the club this winter, they’d be signing a player ready-made for the Premier League. He has, of course, played 253 times for Wolves, scoring 30 times and assisting a further 13.

A true controller in midfield, the 63-cap Portugal star is synonymous with dictating play. He was constantly among the Premier League’s best when it came to progressive passes.

Neves pass stats vs. PL midfielders per season (per 90 mins)

Season

Progressive passes

Passes into final third

2018/19

6.17 (top 22%)

5.75 (top 13%)

2019/20

6.36 (top 25%)

5.71 (top 14%)

2020/21

7.13 (top 11%)

7.2 (top 6%)

2021/22

6.83 (top 16%)

6.76 (top 9%)

2022/23

6.5 (top 20%)

6.02 (top 12%)

Stats from FBref

His best year for that metric was 2020/21, when he averaged 7.13 per 90 minutes. It is easy to see why Statman Dave called him a “midfield general.”

It is easy to imagine that sort of quality in a midfield at Old Trafford. The 28-year-old, who has won the Nations League twice with Portugal, would add an air of composure and class to the middle of the park, with passes like this a key feature of his game.

Neves was once compared to United legend Paul Scholes by another ex-Red Devils midfielder, Owen Hargreaves.

Subscribe for expert transfer insight on United links Curious how Ruben Neves or other midfield targets would reshape United’s engine? Subscribe to the newsletter for detailed transfer analysis, tactical context, and scouting insight focused on Manchester United signings. Subscribe Subscribe for expert transfer insight on United links Curious how Ruben Neves or other midfield targets would reshape United’s engine? Subscribe to the newsletter for detailed transfer analysis, tactical context, and scouting insight focused on Manchester United signings.

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​​​​​​​He said he “reminds” him of the Class of ‘92 star because of “the way he hits the ball so cleanly.”

Scholes is, of course, one of the best midfielders in Premier League history. He lifted the title 11 times and made 716 appearances in total for the Red Devils.

Like Neves, he was a controller in the middle of the park, especially as his career went on, really making things tick for United.

It is easy to see how the Al-Hilal man is similar to Scholes. He is someone who can dictate the tempo of the game in the centre of midfield, just as the former United number 18 did, bringing an air of technical brilliance to his side, too, alongside producing something spectacular from range.

£18m is a bargain in the current transfer market. This could be an ideal move for Amorim to help add to the depth in midfield.

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Delhi were quickly in command on the opening day of their North ZoneRanji Trophy league match against Jammu & Kashmir at the Maulana Azadstadium in Jammu on Friday. After dismissing the hosts for 198 runs,Delhi replied with 79 for no loss before play was stopped at 4.07 pmbecause of bad light.J&K, opting to bat, lost two wickets for 44 runs but Kanwaljeet Singh(53) and Ashwani Gupta (32) steadied the innings by adding 58 runs forthe third wicket off 15 overs to push the score to 102. Thereafterwickets fell at regular intervals thanks in the main to the formerIndian fast bowler Ashish Nehra who finished with four wickets for 39.Of the later batsmen, only Vijay Sharma with an unbeaten 30 put up asemblance of a fight.Delhi openers Akash Chopra (51) and Ashu Dani (21) batted at a briskrate scoring 79 runs off 13 overs to come through unbeaten at stumps.Chopra was easily the more aggressive of the two hitting his runs off53 balls with ten hits to the ropes.

DaryllCullinan Photo CricInfo

In one of the clearest indications yet that he is on the verge of a Test recall, Daryll Cullinan has been named captain of the South Africa `A’ team play Australia in a four-day match starting at St George’s Park on Friday.Cullinan, along with Jacques Rudolph, Graeme Smith, Gulam Bodi and wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile, has been retained from the `A’ team which drew with Australia before the first Test match last week.After the stunning innings and 360-run defeat in the first Test match at the Wanderers on Sunday, there are bound to be changes in the Test team. That South African cricket needs to re-examine its policies and strategies is also clear, but for the moment the priority is to find an eleven capable of competing with Australia.The lack of fight shown by the South Africans at the Wanderers indicates that the wounds suffered during the 3-0 series defeat run deeper than might have been thought. It is a surelyu no accident that one of the few South African players to come out of the Wanderers Test with credit was new cap Ashwell Prince.Cullinan missed selection for Australia partly because he had undergone surgery during the off-season but also because of his poor record against Australia. He averages 44.21 from 70 Test matches, but against Australia this record drops to 12.75 from seven.At the same time, he was South Africa’s premier batsman throughout the 1990s, had an excellent series in the West Indies last year and remains one of the most astute thinkers about the game in South Africa.Along with Cullinan, Rudolph and Smith have been given a second chance against Australia while Martin van Jaarsveld, who scored 340 in two innings without being dismissed in his last provincial game, and Hashim Amla, the South African under 19 captain, have also been included.The two Test players probably under most threat are Boeta Dippenaar and Nicky Boje and in the latter’s case he could be challenged by Bodi (left-arm wrist spin) and Eastern Province captain Robin Peterson (left-arm orthodox).In the wake of Allan Donald’s retirement from Test cricket, South Africa hope to have Shaun Pollock back for the second Test, but good showings from the `A’ team’s new ball pairing of Charl Willoughby and Dewald Pretorius could bring them into contention.South African `A’ team:Jacques Rudolph (Northerns), Graeme Smith (WP), Martin van Jaarsveld (Northerns), Daryll Cullinan (Capt, Gauteng), Hashim Amla (KZN), Justin Kemp (EP), Robin Peterson (EP), Gulam Bodi (KZN), Thami Tsolekile (WP), Dewald Pretorius (FS), Charl Willoughby (WP). Twelfth man: Garnett Kruger (EP).

The Lodha committee was tasked with fixing the sanctions on Gurunath Meiyappan, Raj Kundra, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. Here’s the case made to the committee for a lenient punishment by India Cements Limited (ICL) and Jaipur IPL Cricket Limited‘s (JIPL) lawyers, and the committee’s responses.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Arguments by lawyers of India Cements and Jaipur IPL for a lenient punishment

No.	Arguments	Counter arguments by the Lodha Panel
1	The company (CSK only) has a long history of contribution to cricket and cricketers	This argument cannot be accepted because the act of Team Officals has affected the purity of the game and the contribution, if any, by the franchises has also been wasted because millions of people who are true lovers of the game feel cheated
2	There are no previous antecedents in regards to the companies giving room to any suspicion against its team officials	No urgent action was taken by the franchises against the Team Officials. The order of suspension passed by the BCCI is not action by the franchise against its Team Official. Each franchise is under an obligation to ensure that each of its Team Officials comply with the regulations, in particular the Anti Corruption Code
3	If the companies are suspended, the entire IPL league as well as all the stakeholders, including players and fans, would stand to lose	Disrepute has been brought to the game of cricket, the BCCI and the IPL to such an extent that now doubts abound in the public consciousness about whether games are clean or not
4	Findings, if any, are against the Team Officials in their personal capacity and liability should not be imposed on the franchises	If those who indulge in corrupt practices are an integral part of the franchises in view of them being an owner/Team Official, the arguments that these acts were personal does not merit acceptance if the actions of these individiuals affect the image of the game, the BCCI and the IPL
5	The company (CSK only) has suffered immense loss of value already and the market capitalization has fallen and the share prices have fallen tremendously since the 2013 IPL	Suffice to say that such loss is too small in comparison  to the loss caused to the reputation of the game, the BCCI and the IPL
6	The company (RR only) has been highly celebrated as a nursery for players. The Rajasthan Royals have scouted and nurtured talent in the country and the world. They have provided players a platform to showcase their talents and strengthen the team with the objective of winning matches for Rajasthan Royals	The company claims that it is highly celebrated as a nursery for players. But the fact remains that three RR players were arrested and charged with spot-fixing in the 2013 IPL season. The committee can also take notice of the fact that there has been allegations of approach to one of its players for corrupt practices in 2015 IPL season as well. This shows that all is not well with the company in handling Anti-Corruption Code issues

 

1. Gurunath Meiyappan

Having rejected all the arguments presented by India Cements Ltd and Jaipur IPL’s lawyers, the Lodha Panel announced the following sanction on the two companies.””The period of suspension shall commence from the date of this order.

ScorecardSteven Finn enjoyed a Middlesex outing ahead of joining up with the England squad next week•PA Photos

Surrey’s late charge for the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast stalled at Lord’s as they lost to Middlesex by 43 runs.Surrey had gone into the game with four wins out of their last five at a venue where they had won on their previous six visits.But chasing 186 in front of a crowd of 26,000, they never recovered from losing four wickets for 33 during the six-over Powerplay.Kumar Sangakkara top-scored with 32 but Surrey now need to beat Sussex at The Oval on Friday to have any chance of qualifying as they will be relying on results elsewhere.Steven Finn picked up the key wicket of Jason Roy in the first over when the England one-day player mistimed a pull to short fine leg. Finn also had Ben Foakes held at mid-off for six and was well backed up at the other end by Mitchell McClenaghan.The New Zealander removed Steven Davies and then bowled well outside off stump and tempted Rory Burns to drive to wide mid-off.Sangakkara was Surrey’s only remaining hope and the Sri Lankan seemed to be getting into his stride when he struck off-spinner Ollie Rayner for six.But when he holed out to long-on off Neil Dexter for 32 in the 11th over and Rayner took a tumbling catch in his follow through to remove the dangerous Azhar Mahmood there was no way back for Surrey.Finn finished with 3 for 17 while Dexter’s mix of cutters and slower balls proved highly effective on a slow pitch as he took 3 for 12.Middlesex’s total of 185 for 5 was built around a third half-century in this season’s Blast for John Simpson, who top-scored with 53, and a punishing fourth wicket stand of 77 from 39 balls between Eoin Morgan and James Franklin, who plundered 40 off the 18th and 19th overs.Nick Gubbins dragged a ball onto his stumps from Jade Dernbach in the fifth over but Simpson and Dawid Malan regrouped by adding 73 from 53 balls for the second wicket.Simpson swatted the first of six sixes in the innings over mid-wicket in Dernbach’s first over and then belted three fours in a row off Sam Curran as Middlesex took 57 during the Powerplay.Zafar Ansari broke the stand when Malan failed to clear the longest boundary at long-off and Middlesex were 97 for 3 when Simpson was held at deep midwicket off Sam Curran for 53 from 43 balls with seven fours and a six.However, Middlesex maintained the momentum in the second half of their innings as Morgan and Franklin played with increasing freedom.Franklin hit four successive boundaries off Sam Curran in the 18th over before Morgan cut loose in the next, striking two sixes off Dernbach through midwicket before Franklin belted two more boundaries.The veteran Mahmood picked up both in the final over as Morgan drove to long off and Franklin was caught at deep midwicket.

Batsman Matt Machan, and allrounders Josh Davey and Rob Taylor have been included in the 13-member Scotland squad for the Intercontinental Cup game against Netherlands, starting September 8 in Voorburg.Andrew Umeed, Freddie Coleman and Calum MacLeod, who were part of the rain-hit drawn game against Afghanistan in June, have been left out.Machan has been in impressive form this season, striking 892 runs in 12 county games for Sussex; Davey and Taylor also carry with them good county form.Cricket Scotland’s Chairman of selectors Iain Kennedy believed that the trio, who have made 78 international appearances together for Scotland, would bolster an ‘already strong squad’: “We are looking forward to the challenge that the Netherlands provide us and we have selected a strong squad with the intention of adding to the positive results the team has achieved this year. We are delighted to welcome County players Matt, Rob and Josh to add experience and firepower to an already strong squad.”Scotland are placed fourth with 13 points, only one behind Papua New Guinea. Ireland and Namabia lead the table with 20 points each from their first Intercontinental Cup games.Squad: Preston Mommsen (c), Hamish Gardiner, Kyle Coetzer, Matt Machan, Richie Berrington, Josh Davey, Matthew Cross(wk), Rob Taylor, Con de Lange, Ali Evans, Gavin Main, Michael Leask, Safyaan Sharif.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSri Lanka Under-19 captain Charith Asalanka and their pacers starred in a drawn Youth Test they dominated against Pakistan Under-19 in Hambantota. Asalanka’s double-hundred in the first innings helped his side take a first-innings lead of 138 runs to later set Pakistan a target of 350, and the visitors put up 142 for 3 in reply on the last day.Sri Lanka opted to bat and their score of 347 for 9 was built around Asalanka’s 200 as no other batsman scored more than 40. From the Pakistan side that fielded 11 debutants, Shadab Khan took 6 for 89 to put a check on Sri Lanka’s score. Pakistan’s reply was similar, led by a hundred from Umair Masood (102) as the next-best score was 29 in their total of 209. Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara and Thilan Nimesh took three wickets each.Sri Lanka then declared on 211 for 3 after 54 overs, with fifties from Avishka Fernando (63) and Shammu Ashan (54*), with hopes of bowling out Pakistan in less than two sessions but the visitors’ top order resisted with strong partnerships as opener Zeeshan Malik scored a brisk 55 off 63 and they batted for over 40 overs.

Mahela Jayawardene, the former Sri Lanka batsman, will play for Central Districts in the upcoming Georgie Pie Super Smash, New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 competition.Jayawardene, who retired from international cricket after the World Cup in March, has recently played domestic T20s for Sussex in England and Jamaica Tallawahs in the West Indies.While the tournament starts from November 5, Jayawardene will play his first match for Central Districts on November 19, against Wellington in Nelson.”Mahela’s incredible talent and vast experience will add enormous value to our already talented but still youthful team of players in the back half of the Super Smash,” Heinrich Malan, the Central Districts coach, said.The league stage of the tournament runs till December 6 with the final on December 13.

Confronted by the pluperfect pitch they were promised and stymied by the traditional lack of variety in their all-pace attack, the West Indies once more let Pakistan wriggle out of a tight bind on the first day of the second Cable & Wireless Test at Kensington Oval yesterday.Almost exactly mirroring the first morning of the previous rain-ruined Test in Georgetown, when they were 39 for five, Pakistan found themselves 37 for five after an hour-and-a-quarter’s play.Sharp West Indian close fielders snared everything that came their way off bowlers who used their height to exploit the early bounce from a rock-hard surface and exploit the vulnerability of the Pakistani top order in such conditions.As the searing heat squeezed the early life out of both the surface and the bowling, Pakistan were revived by an innings of the highest class by Yousuf Youhana and the support he received from three successive partners.Entering in the fire straits of seven for three, the 25-year-old right-hander compiled his second Test hundred, a chanceless 115 before he was last out nearing the end of a protracted day. It was a tired shot, a deflection for the seventh slip catch of the innings, and gave the perennial Courtney Walsh his fifth wicket that raised his Test record count to 442.Although none matched the 206 between Inzamam-ul-Haq and Abdur Razzaq that transformed the innings in the first Test, Youhana’s counter-attacking stands of 73 with captain Moin Khan, 69 with Wasim Akram and 41 with Saqlain Mushtaq guaranteed a total of 253 that their varied bowling can work with.Sherwin Campbell and Adrian Griffith saw out the two overs the West Indies were left to bat before close and, on a second day when Kensington is traditionally at its most amiable to batsmen, the West Indies still have an excellent chance of building a useful lead.Previously out for four ducks on tour, the last first ball in the first Test, Youhana accumulated his runs over six hours with stylish, straight-batted orthodoxy that brought him 14 boundaries, mostly drives straight and through the off-side.No more than half-dozen of the 235 balls he received troubled him. Only leg cramps that twice required lengthy on-field attention and an unscheduled visit to the dressing room late in the proceedings slowed his progress – and that of the play that was extended by an annoying assortment of other interruptions.An inviting pitch, beige in colour, bare of grass and reminiscent of those on which the Three Ws, Sobers and the plethora of the great Barbadian batsmen of the past were raised, left Moin no option but to bat on winning the toss.In no time, he would have been wishing he hadn’t, as ill-advised strokes kept flying off edges into the slips and Razzaq’s clear aversion to the short ball was clinically exploited by Nixon McLean.Jimmy Adams, as he has done throughout the season, immediately set the standards for his team with a sensational catch at third slip, diving far and low to his right to grasp Mohammed Wasim’s deflection off Walsh.Imran Nazir, in his first Test of the series, followed in the next over, steering Ambrose into Campbell’s lap at first slip, the stroke of the raw 18-year-old that Imran is.Walsh struck again after half-hour when Younis Khan’s tentative defensive stroke flew from the outside edge to Shivnarine Chanderpaul at third slip.Once again, the responsibilty weighed heavily on the broad shoulders of Inzamam, Pakistan’s sole batsman of proven quality, but neither he nor Razzaq could repeat their heroics of Georgetown.Imzaman could not negotiate King’s bouncing leg-cutter and was comfortably taken by Adams at third slip and Razzaq fended off McLean’s bodyline delivery to be caught so low to the ground by Wavell Hinds at short-leg it needed several television replays before he was correctly ruled out by third umpire Halley Moore.Moin has developed a familiarity with crisis during his lengthy career and he responded to this one with typical gusto.He and Youhana plundered 38 off four overs from King and McLean, both of whom were expensive and disappointing in their support roles, and counted 16 boundaries between them.It took the return of Walsh, back with Ambrose after lunch, to make the crucial breakthrough as Moin was neatly snapped up by Chanderpaul at second slip for 38.The left-handed Akram, Pakistan’s longest-serving player in his 94th Test, picked up where Moin left off. He delighted in the West Indian tactic that fed him outside his off-stump where he could advertise his boisterous off-side strokes that brought him all of his seven fours in an arc between mid-off and third man.Whenever McLean shortened into his body, he was distinctly uncomfortable and when Ambrose went round the wicket to angle into him, he got himself into a tangle and diverted the ball into his stumps off the inside edge. Surely, after all this time, the West Indies would know how to best bowl to him.Youhana found another willing partner in Saqlain Mushtaq who remained with him for over an hour until, cutting at Adams’ left-arm spin, he provided Campbell with his third catch at slip.By then, there was little spark in the West Indies bowling. It took another three-quarters of an hour to wrap things up and a 37-year-old with a sore right ankle to do it.Sticking his right foot out to make an interception at mid-off shortly before tea, Walsh trod on the ball, tumbled over and lay motionless on the ground for a few worrying moments. When he got up, he limped to the pavilion for examination, was assured it was nothing serious and, typically, returned to the fray. In the circumstances, a host of others of his vintage would have taken the rest of the afternoon off.Not Courtney. Back he came and his reward were the wickets of Waqar Younis and, fittingly, Youhana.

Dorset were in dreamland at Bournemouth Sports after lifting their firstMinor Counties championship title – after 99 years of trying.They finally found the winning formula after losing out in both the previoustwo championship play-offs to gain some sweet revenge on Cumberland, theirconquerors at Netherfield last season, with a famous five wicket win.A sparkling 63 off 55 balls from Man-of-the-Match Darren Cowley was the keyto Dorset successfully chasing 193 to win. His third-wicket partnership of 80in 16.4 overs with Neil Thurgood (62) turned the challenge into a cakewalk,with Dorset clinching victory before tea on the final day in front of anotherhealthy Church Gate crowd.Cowley, the 23-year-old son of ex-Hampshire star Nigel and a South AfricanUnder 19 one-day international, hit seven fours and three sixes, and raced tohis half-century as anchor man Thurgood scored just nine at the other end.Dorset polished off the final Cumberland wicket in 21 balls at the start ofthe day, and though they lost Matt Swarbrick for just four, Glyn Treagus andThurgood added a watchful 67 in 40 overs to lay a solid platform.The departure of Treagus for 27 brought Cowley to the wicket, and the beefyleft-hander quickly launched a powerful assault on the Cumberland bowlers.His 57-minute stay at the crease dramatically raised the tempo. When he losthis leg stump to David Pennett, having made 63 off only 55 balls, Dorset were151 for three and victory was in sight.The Cumberland attack gained little assistance from the pitch and Tim Lambprovided a fitting conclusion to a memorable Dorset season by wrapping up thewin by hoisting leg spinner Simon Kippax for a straight six.Dorset skipper Stuart Rintoul said: “We have played some great cricket thisseason and it’s a wonderful feeling to lift the title.”It seems it’s been a long time coming after getting to the final threeyears on the trot but I think we deserved to win it the way we haveperformed.”We lost last year’s final at Netherfield in one bad session and we probablywon this year’s by having a good afternoon on the second day. We took wicketsand pegged Cumberland back. Darren Cowley then turned things in our favourwith a great innings.”A lot of this team has come through our colts side and they are still veryyoung. The future for Dorset cricket looks very rosy.”