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With Manchester United having secured the signing of Mason Mount and agreed a fee for Inter Milan's Andre Onana, it looks as if Erik ten Hag could be nearing the completion of another high profile summer deal, following an update regarding the club's pursuit of Atalanta hitman, Rasmus Hojlund…

What's the latest on Hojlund to Man United?

According to the Independent's Miguel Delaney, the Red Devils are edging closer to the signing of the Danish sensation having been in 'advanced talks' regarding a deal for the 20-year-old.

The report suggests that while discussions continue over the nature of potential add-ons in the deal, there is said to be a growing 'confidence' that the move will be wrapped up sooner rather than later, with the youngster believed to be 'excited' about the prospect of making the move to Old Trafford.

As per the piece, where there had been previous fears that the Serie A outfit could be looking to demand a fee of nearly £80m, the belief is that an agreement can be reached for closer to £60m, as United look to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

How good is Rasmus Hojlund?

It is no real surprise that Ten Hag has seemingly been prioritising a move for a new centre-forward throughout the summer so far, with the Carabao Cup winners currently left with Anthony Martial – who missed 27 games through injury last term – as their sole, senior option through the middle.

The mercurial Frenchman scored just nine goals in all competitions last term as a result of his time on the treatment table, while January loan arrival Wout Weghorst was also unable to catch fire, after bagging just two goals in 31 outings in the second-half of last season.

With a more reliable attacking presence needed to lead the line, it remains to be seen if Hojlund is the man who can make an immediate impact next season, with the former Sturm Graz speedster having netted just nine league goals last term in Italy – hardly eye-catching numbers.

For all those possible concerns regarding the Dane's short-term influence, in the long-term the hope will be that the 6 foot 3 "machine" – as described by one-time opponent Raffael Behounek – can emerge as United's main man, with excitement over his talent brewing due to comparisons to a certain, Erling Haaland.

Over the next two or three years, Ten Hag could then have a truly exciting spine to his side that involves Hojlund and the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, with the midfield maestro looking set to be the next big breakout star from the academy ranks.

Part of the side that claimed FA Youth Cup glory back in 2022, the 18-year-old went on to make three senior, competitive appearances last season, having ultimately been named the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year as a result of his standout displays across the age groups.

Dubbed an "exceptional prospect" by Manchester Evening News journalist, Steven Railston, the promising starlet is set to remain part of the first-team squad for the 2023/24 campaign, with Ten Hag not looking to send him out on loan this summer.

With the likes of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro now into their thirties, it may not be too long before Mainoo is installed as the main man in the midfield, with the likelihood being that it will be Hojlund deployed as the leading number nine ahead of him.

That is a mouthwatering prospect, indeed, with the Atalanta ace seemingly a player with "above-average football intelligence" – according to Graz boss Christian Ilzer – while Mainoo has a "really good footballing brain", according to youth coach Travis Binnion, with Ten Hag likely to relish the chance to nuture two such clever, emerging gems who are yet to reach their full potential.

The first Champions Trophy semi-final pits unbeaten England against unpredictable Pakistan in Cardiff

The Preview by Andrew Miller13-Jun-2017Match FactsJune 14, 2017
Start time 10.30am local (0930 GMT)Big PictureTo say that the Champions Trophy has reached its knockout stage would do a gross disservice to the journey back from oblivion that one of Wednesday’s contenders has already had to make.If you’d surveyed the wreckage around Edgbaston after Pakistan’s lamentable defeat against India in their opening Group B game, you would have seen a side living down to their ranking of No. 8 in the world, and beating a hasty path towards the first available flight to Lahore. Wahab Riaz’s bowling figures, Imad Wasim’s duck. The sea of resigned faces in the stands. Nothing about Pakistan’s performance left any room for hope at all. But now, just look at them go!A rain-affected win against South Africa was a huge step on the road to recovery, but let’s be frank. Not even “Chacha Pakistan” would have bet his best “If you look at the game we started well but, after Fakhar Zaman got out, we lost the momentum and then most of our dismissals were soft, which definitely is an area of concern for us.”

Chelsea are still believed to be "following" Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

How much does Gabri Veiga earn?

The 21-year-old has emerged as a wanted man this summer, having enjoyed a superb season for his current side, arguably standing out as their best player. Last term, he excelled in his attacking midfield role, scoring 11 goals in 28 La Liga starts, as well as registering four assists along the way.

Celta may find it hard to keep hold of Veiga come the end of the current window, given the level of interest in his signature, and Chelsea are one of the clubs who have emerged as the front-runners to snap him up in the near future. The Blues may be looking to bring in more attacking reinforcements after signing Nicolas Jackson, whether that be in midfield or in front-line, and a creative figure who can hopefully provide for a new striker could be ideal.

Now, a new update has emerged over Veiga's future, with the west Londoners again mentioned as being strong suitors for the Spaniard, who currently earns £83,000 per week at Celta.

What's the latest on Veiga to Chelsea?

Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano gave an update regarding Veiga's future, admitting he remains a summer transfer target for Chelsea, among other top clubs, with sides confident of striking a deal below the player's €40m (£34m) release clause.

"The Gabri Veiga saga could also get interesting, with Chelsea and many other clubs following his situation, though still no official bids have been sent to Celta.

"Chelsea are one of them, and there’s also been interest from Man City (who are now focused on Josko Gvardiol), and also Liverpool showed an interest a few weeks ago but are now focused on different players."

This is an intriguing update that once again suggests that Chelsea's interest in Veiga won't be going away, with Mauricio Pochettino potentially seeing him as an ideal man to fill the void left by Mason Mount, who has completed a move to Manchester United.

At 21, the nine-cap Spain Under-21 international would be a long-term addition to a Blues squad that may need fresh legs and youth added to it, having seen older players such as Cesar Azpilicueta, N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic move on this summer.

A creative force with an eye for goal, Veiga has even been compared to former Chelsea hero Juan Mata, in terms of the wand-like left foot he possesses and his level of end product, while Spanish publication Sport have hailed him as "amazing" in the past and Romano has dubbed him an "electric player".

He has scored 11 goals in La Liga, showing that he can shine in one of the top leagues in the world at a young age, and he should only get better as a player as he becomes more matured and polishes his all-round game, making it a no-brainer of a signing for Pochettino to bring in.

نجح منتخب فلسطين في تحقيق فوز قاتل على نظيره بنجلادش، اليوم الثلاثاء على ملعب “ملوك باشوندهارا ارينا” في دكا، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من المجموعة التاسعة لتصفيات آسيا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026 وكأس آسيا 2027.

وسيطر منتخب فلسطين على مجريات المباراة، وهدد مرمى بنجلادش في أكثر من مناسبة، لكنه افتقر إلى اللمسة الأخيرة أمام المرمى.

ولم تُفك شفرة المباراة إلا في الدقيقة الرابعة من الوقت بدلًا من الضائع من عمر اللقاء، بعد رأسية من إسلام البطران لزميله ميشيل داخل منطقة الجزاء، والذي لم يتردد في تسجيلها بالشباك

طالع أيضًا | فيديو | أستراليا تسحق لبنان بخماسية في تصفيات آسيا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026

وشهدت المباراة طرد لاعب المنتخب الفلسطيني عميد محانجة في الدقيقة 93، بعد حصوله على البطاقة الصفراء الثانية، بعد أن أخرج لاعب بنجلادش المصاب من أرضية الملعب بسلوك غير رياضي.

ويتواجد منتخبا فلسطين وبنجلادش في المجموعة التاسعة رفقة كل من أستراليا ولبنان.

بهذه النتيجة، يرفع منتخب فلسطين رصيده إلى 7 نقاط من 4 مباريات، محتلاً المركز الثاني في المجموعة التاسعة، بينما يتذيل منتخب بنجلادش الترتيب بنقطتين.

ويتصدر المنتخب الأسترالي المجموعة بـ 12 نقطة، ويحل لبنان في المركز الثالث بنقطتين متساويًا مع بنجلادش.

ومن المقرر أن يُواجه منتخب فلسطين نظيره الأسترالي في الجولة الخامسة من التصفيات، بينما يُواجه منتخب بنجلادش نظيره اللبناني. هدف فوز منتخب فلسطين على بنجلادش في تصفيات آسيا لكأس العالم

As he surveys Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium on the eve of Australia’s warm-up match against India A, there is a chance Darren Lehmann is casting his mind back to the first time he played at the ground. In the equivalent fixture on Australia’s 1998 visit – their first full tour of India in 12 years – Lehmann was one of 10 Australian fielders held spellbound by a ferocious Sachin Tendulkar double-century.Tendulkar led the local XI, and chose the occasion to strike the first blow in a battle he would ultimately win comfortably against the Australians in general and Shane Warne in particular. There was nothing subtle about the way Tendulkar took to Warne, hammering the visitors’ most accomplished bowler to such an extent that he finished the innings with the ugly figures of 0 for 111 from 16 overs.The awestruck Australians proceeded to stumble to an unexpected defeat, leaving their captain Mark Taylor to realise that the calculated assault on Warne had set the scene for a difficult and unsuccessful tour.”Warney’s a bit like all of us,” Taylor said at the time, “we need to improve. I think they’d be his worst figures in his first-class career. You don’t need me to tell you he’s been a great bowler for a number of years, but it shows that if you don’t bowl well and a side attacks you, you can go for runs.”Certainly Tendulkar did not look back, using the Mumbai platform to launch into one of his greatest Test hundreds in Chennai, before the entire Indian batting line-up laid waste to Warne at Eden Gardens. The episode is the most celebrated but far from the only example of Australian spin bowlers being targeted early in an India tour, building doubts in the minds of bowlers, team-mates and even selectors.Trevor Hohns and Darren Lehmann will have to be wary of second-guessing their selections, even as Australia’s spinners will have to respond effectively when they come under attack from India•Getty Images

A decade later, Bryce McGain pulled out of Australia’s India tour party due to a shoulder injury on the eve of a warm-up fixture in Hyderabad. McGain’s misfortune left Jason Krejza as the only full-time spin bowler on tour, a likely debutant in the first Test, and with a big target on his back for an invitational batting line-up featuring a young Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh.What followed was another calculated mauling of the spin bowler by batsmen fleet of foot and aggressive of intent. Krejza, feeling the pressure, dropped repeatedly short, and was brutalised to such an extent that he returned the figures of 0-199 from 31 overs, spread across two innings.It was a return that troubled the selectors to such an extent that they summarily ruled Krejza out of the first Test. Then chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch was on duty in Hyderabad and offered a simple verdict down the phone to the rest of the panel back home: “We can’t pick him; they have absolutely slaughtered him in the tour game.”Instead, the tourists opted to include the Victorian captain Cameron White, flown in to replace McGain despite barely bowling his skiddy leg breaks in the Sheffield Shield the previous season. White was ineffective, Krejza unwanted. when the selectors finally decided to give Krejza a belated chance in the final Test, he harvested 12 (albeit expensive) wickets, posing a far greater threat than others had done before him.These lessons have hopefully not been forgotten by Lehmann, nor by the spin bowlers likely to feature in Mumbai over the next three days. Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Ashton Agar and Mitch Swepson can expect to be attacked, and will need to be ready to respond effectively rather than thinking in purely practice mode.Likewise, the captain Steven Smith and the selectors on duty in Lehmann and Trevor Hohns should be wary of second-guessing themselves on the basis of a warm-up fixture. Perceived threats will be attacked by the hosts, in the hope of spinning the visitors off their axis. Resilience will be required, both with the ball and at the selection table.

Financial expert Kieran Maguire has been reacting to a Leeds United update involving the 49ers Enterprises and Elland Road.

What’s the latest Leeds news on the 49ers?

It was confirmed earlier this month that the 49ers Enterprises have completed a full takeover of Leeds from Andrea Radrizzani. The investment vehicle, which have links to NFL side the San Francisco 49ers, are now full owners of the Whites after previously having a 44% stake in the club.

A takeover was valued at £170m and includes the ownership of Elland Road, something which Maguire has been giving his thoughts on.

Talking to Football Insider regarding the news, Maguire, who contributes for Sky Sports, believes that “Leeds fans will love” the fact that the stadium and club are in the hands of the same party.

“I think there is an inevitability in regards to the 49ers’ investment in Leeds United that has been mooted for some time.

“I think it is a very good idea to have continuity of ownership of both football club and stadium and I’m sure Leeds fans will love this.”

What did Andrea Radrizzani try and do with Elland Road?

Radrizzani has moved on from Leeds, heading back to his native Italy with a takeover of Sampdoria. However, the former Leeds owner and chairman recently explored the prospect of offering to use the club's Elland Road stadium as security against a £26m bank loan, doing so without informing the 49ers.

That was before a Leeds agreement was reached with the 49ers, so it is good to see that Elland Road has been included in the takeover and is not still on the books of a company run by Radrizzani.

The new owners are now looking to take the club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking and are on the search for a new manager, and who knows, should they succeed, they may look into plans to redevelop Elland Road over the coming years.

After defeating Barnsley in the play-off final to seal a return to the Championship, Sheffield Wednesday look set to raid another of their South Yorkshire rivals this summer.

The Yorkshire Post suggests Wednesday are one of at least three Championship clubs; Millwall and Swansea City being two of the others – to have eyed up a move for Rotherham United forward Chiedozie Ogbene.

Who is Sheffield Wednesday target Chiedozie Ogbene?

Since arriving from Irish football in 2017, Ogbene has spent six seasons bouncing between League Two, League One and the Championship.

The Nigeria-born forward spent the 2022/23 campaign in the Championship with Rotherham, scoring eight goals in 39 appearances as the Millers suffered relegation back to the third tier.

Despite playing for a team struggling at the bottom end of the division, Ogbene continued to be picked by the Republic of Ireland last season, having pledged his allegiance to the nation in July 2020.

With four goals from 15 senior international caps, plus his team-high eight goals for Rotherham last season (Conor Washington was next highest with five), Ogbene will clearly feel he is better than a League One player.

Indeed, Ogbene was lauded as "spectacular" by Ireland boss Stephen Kenny last year after scoring one and assisting another in a 2-2 draw with the world's top-ranked national side Belgium.

Where would Ogbene fit in at Wednesday?

Wednesday are no strangers to poaching players from Rotherham, having signed Michael Ihiekwe and Michael Smith from their neighbours last summer. As regulars in the Owls' promotion-winning side, it is fair to say those two transfers paid off handsomely.

As pointed out by manager Darren Moore earlier this week in an interview with talkSPORT, it is imperative Wednesday get their transfer business spot on again as Championship football returns to Hillsborough.

"We have to consistently move forward and with the recruitment process it's essential that we bring the right ones in to keep the continuity of the club moving forward," he said.

As a free agent who was earning £1.5k-per-week this past year, according to Capology, the 26-year-old appears to be a smart gamble worth taking by second-tier clubs such as Wednesday.

There is room for Ogbene in the Wednesday side, too, with the former Cork City and Limerick player particularly impressing in terms of progressive carries (2.97 per game) and dribbles (1.5 per game).

To put that into some context, only one Wednesday player – Alex Mighten (1.1) – managed more than one successful dribble per game on average last season in League One.

Indeed, Ogbene ranks in the top 3% for progressive carries and top 7% for successful take-ons among his positional peers, so he is clearly a player who knows how to beat his man and get the ball forward.

After crossing paths with Rotherham by returning to the Championship last month, Wednesday are now well positioned to strike another blow and land one of their rivals' key assets.

Manchester United could add a free agent to their squad this summer, with a report from Sport (via Sport Witness) stating that the Red Devils are one of the potential landing spots for Jordi Alba.

Is Jordi Alba leaving Barcelona?

The defender has been with Barcelona for 11 seasons now and has played in 312 league fixtures for the Catalan giants during his time there. That run has seen him amass 17 goals and 61 assists – a superb record for someone who has predominantly played as a left-back for the Spanish side. Not only that, but the player has also won the La Liga title six times – as well as claiming Champions League glory with them back in 2014/15.

However, Barcelona have now decided not to renew Alba's deal, and it means he will be leaving as a free agent when the current season comes to a close. The 34-year-old will have to try and find himself a new team this summer and it appears that a move to the Premier League for the first time is not out of the question.

That's because a report from Sport (via Sport Witness) suggests that Premier League side Man United are one of the potential destinations that the defender could end up at. It adds that there is interest from a number of teams – including Champions League finalists Inter – but that the prospect of a switch to England does "attract" the left-back. If that is the case and the Red Devils are keen to do business, a switch could be on for the player.

Are Man United signing Jordi Alba?

It is not known if there is interest from Erik ten Hag's side, though the Red Devils would get themselves an experienced, capable player if they did opt to bring in Alba.

Despite his age, he has still produced a WhoScored rating of 6.79, which actually puts him above the likes of Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto and Ferran Torres in terms of performance this campaign. He is still within the top 15 performing players at the club and his rate of 0.7 dribbles per game ranks within the top five at the club. This suggests he is still the bombarding full-back that he always has been, can drive the ball forward and can often do it better than a lot of his younger Barcelona colleagues.

The CIES Football Observatory also suggests that he still holds a value of €10m (£8.6m). This suggests that whilst he's no longer one of the most highly rated players in the game, to pick him up on a free would be good business nevertheless.

Whilst United wouldn't get many more years out of Alba and his best days may be behind him, he is a good depth option to have and his experience and knowledge of the game could be perfect to pass on to some of the younger members of the Red Devils' squad if they signed him.

Rangers' move for Los Angeles FC midfielder Jose Cifuentes is "starting to progress", according to an update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

Is Cifuentes thriving in the MLS?

The 24-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to Ibrox this summer, as the Gers look to make significant inroads in the transfer market. He has enjoyed a good spell in the MLS with Los Angeles, making 111 appearances in total since arriving from Universidad Catolica in 2020, and chipping in with 14 goals and 19 assists.

Cifuentes has also won 15 caps for Ecuador, making two substitute appearances at the 2022 World Cup, and he is clearly someone who Rangers believe could be a shrewd addition to their midfield. It could be that a move to Europe appeals to the player himself, given the step up in quality, and his current deal expires in December of this year, means Los Angeles could be willing part ways and receive a fee in the summer.

Could Rangers be set to sign Cifuentes?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that talks over a move for Cifuentes are progressing well, suggesting that other deals are also being worked on:

"We're starting to hear quite a few rumours about transfer deals that are starting to progress. They're linked with José Cifuentes from MLS, and deals like that one starting to progress just make me feel like there are a few of the old faces that aren't going to be around for much longer."

Cifuentes could be an ideal summer signing for Rangers, at a time when Michael Beale will be aware that the gap on Celtic needs to close as soon as possible. Granted, they have still had a decent season overall, but silverware has evaded them, which has to be the benchmark every year.

The Ecuadorian could add a mixture of quality and bite to the Gers' midfield, having registered two assists and averaged 1.7 tackles per game in the MLS this season, and at 24, he is at a brilliant age to come in and develop as a player, enjoying his peak years into his mid to late 20s.

It certainly feels as though a move is likely at this point, and as Jones alludes to, this could hopefully be the start of an influx of signings in the summer transfer window, with fellow midifelder Kieran Dowell already acquired from Norwich City earlier this week.

A four-wicket haul for Michael Hogan and Dale Steyn’s first three wickets for Glamorgan allowed their team to set up a simple victory against visitors Hampshire.

ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2016
ScorecardDale Steyn collected 3 for 22•Getty Images

A four-wicket haul for Michael Hogan and Dale Steyn’s first three wickets for Glamorgan allowed their team to set up a simple victory against visitors Hampshire.Dismissed for just 141 off 18.3 overs the Hampshire total was chased down by Glamorgan with relative ease. A second successive T20 fifty from Aneurin Donald allowed Glamorgan to reach the victory target with 23 balls remaining as a lively Cardiff crowd cheered their side home.Having bowled just one over in Wednesday’s defeat to Essex, Hogan was the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers as the Hampshire batsmen struggled to get him away. Steyn returned at the end of the Hampshire innings to claim the wickets of Gareth Berg, Gareth Andrew and Tino Best but it was Hogan that ripped the heart of the visitor’s batting. Coming on first change he dismissed both openers, including the dangerous James Vince who looked well set when he was bowled by Hogan for 27.The Hampshire total could have been a lot less if not for the late order hitting of Shahid Afridi. Coming to the crease with his 93 for 5 in the 13th over, Afridi made 32 from 20 balls before he too fell Hogan, well caught at long-off by Colin Ingram.The top-scorer in the Hampshire innings was Adam Wheater who offered some stability after the big names at the top of the order failed. His innings of 39 off 26 balls looked like it was going to be the base around which a competitive total could be built but when he was stumped off the bowling of Dean Cosker it left too much for the lower order to do.Hampshire would have been hopeful of mounting a defence of this total when they reduced Glamorgan to 9 for 2 in 2.1 overs. Despite the loss of both David Lloyd and Jacques Rudolph they did not slow up. Having made his first T20 half-century against Essex on Wednesday, Donald made it two in two with 55 runs from 27 balls. But he was lucky to make it that far; he top-edged a ball from Best that landed between three fielders and then he hit the same bowler straight to Darren Sammy at midwicket when on 34 and the West Indies T20 captain dropped an easy chance.Donald shared an excellent stand with Colin Ingram worth 94 from just 54 balls which finished the game as a content. Ingram departed soon after Donald to leave two new batsmen at the crease, but by then the required rate was down to just over four an over. Even the loss of Graham Wagg for just two runs was not enough for Hampshire to claw their way back into the contest, with Chris Cooke seeing the home side the victory.