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With Burnley gearing up for their return to Premier League football, manager Vincent Kompany has already acted swiftly to bolster his ranks ahead of the new season, having wrapped up eight summer signings thus far – with a ninth seemingly on the way in the form of Hoffenheim's Jacob Bruun Larsen.

The former Manchester City skipper has notably recruited the likes of Nathan Redmond, James Trafford and Zeki Amdouni over the past few weeks, while most recently snapping up Espanyol teenager, Luca Koleosho on an initial £2.6m deal.

The addition of the 18-year-old Italian does not look likely to be the end of the club's summer spending spree, however, with the Northern Echo reporting that the Lancashire side have had a £10m bid rejected for Sunderland's, Jack Clarke.

While the belief is that Kompany and co have not been put off by that setback in their pursuit of the 22-year-old, it may be wise for the newly-promoted side to consider potentially attacking alternatives to the Englishman…

What are the latest Burnley transfer rumours?

As revealed by the Daily Mail last week, the Turf Moor outfit are believed to be among the clubs who are interested in signing Manchester United starlet, Amad Diallo, with both Leicester City and Sheffield United also keen on the 21-year-old winger.

The former Atalanta man – who signed for United on an initial £19m deal back in January 2021 – notably spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with the Black Cats alongside Clarke, having been a key figure in the side that reached the play-off semi-finals.

While the £29k-per-week sensation is currently part of the Red Devils' pre-season tour squad, it is yet to be seen if the youngster will have a part to play in Erik ten Hag's first-team plans next season.

Should Burnley sign Amad Diallo?

It does appear at present that it is Clarke who has caught the attention of Kompany and his staff, with the former Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur wideman having sparkled for Tony Mowbray's side last term after finishing atop the assist charts in the Championship, racking up 12 in total.

Having also plundered nine league goals in the second tier in 2022/23, it is easy to see why the York-born dynamo is of interest to those at Turf Moor, with the Clarets potentially able to offer him the chance to prove his worth at a higher level.

That being said, however, Burnley could easily forget all about the former England youth international if they were to turn their attention to Amad instead, with the latter man having also dazzled in the Championship last season.

Lauded as a "joy to watch" by journalist Josh Bunting – who described him as "one of the best players" that Sunderland have had "in years" – the one-time Rangers loanee scored 14 goals and provided three assists in the league, proving himself "an absolute wizard", in the words of journalist James Copley.

The Man United man's quality on the ball is also showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 2% among his peers in the Men's next eight competitions for pass completion, while Clarke, by contrast, ranks in just the bottom 34% in that regard.

In a defensive sense the four-cap international also shone as he ranks in the top 6% for interceptions made, with that again a superior record to that of his ex-Sunderland teammate, who ranks in just the top 28% for that same metric.

Clearly something of an all-round talent, Amad would certainly be a worthwhile capture for Burnley next season – even if just on loan – allowing Kompany to find a perfect alternative to top target, Clarke.

Faf du Plessis will be joined by four South African team-mates in party that includes representatives from seven nations

Danyal Rasool24-Aug-20170:47

Quick Facts: World XI set to play in Pakistan

Faf du Plessis has been named captain of the World XI squad to travel to Pakistan to play three T20Is in Lahore next month. He will be joined by four South African team-mates in party that includes representatives from seven nations.Hashim Amla, Morne Morkel, David Miller and Imran Tahir are the other South Africa players in the 14-member squad. Australia provide three players – George Bailey, Ben Cutting and wicketkeeper Tim Paine – and West Indies’ two include Darren Sammy, who went for the PSL final earlier this year. There’s one player each from England, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.The three-T20 series, which has international status, begins on September 12, with the next two T20s to be played on September 13 and 15. Former Zimbabwe captain and England coach Andy Flower was announced as the coach of the World XI side.Faf du Plessis said in a statement: “I am honoured to have been appointed as captain of such a diverse, attractive and well-balanced side. Like most of the players I look forward to my maiden tour of Lahore and play my part in the safe and gradual resumption of international cricket in Pakistan. All the members of the squad have complete faith and trust in the assessment and judgement of the security experts who have assured us that there will be no compromise on the safety and security of all those involved in the series but the bottom line is if we don’t feel safe, no amount of money would get us there. In this background, we will land in Lahore with nothing but cricket on our minds.”Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed welcomed the news of the World XI’s arrival, saying: “I am really excited to see the World XI team coming to Pakistan and keenly look forward to playing in front of our committed crowds and supporters. I can assure all Pakistan cricket fans that we have missed playing in front of them, like they have missed watching us live in action.”I am confident that through this tour of the World XI, the global cricket community, including players, media and visitors will get a better understanding and perception of Pakistan, which is a peace-loving and extremely hospitable nation that loves its cricket.”Morne Morkel is the only specialist fast bowler in the World XI squad•BCCIThe series potentially begins, for the first time in eight years, something resembling a home season in Pakistan, which has had monumental difficulty hosting international cricket since the terror attack in 2009 on a Sri Lanka team bus that injured several cricketers.A one-off T20 against Sri Lanka in Lahore is in the works, followed by a three-T20 series against West Indies in November. Though PCB chairman Najam Sethi expressed a desire to see matches played in Karachi, it is likely all of those engagements, should they go ahead, will take place in Lahore.Sethi, who announced the World XI squad in a press concference at the Gaddafi Stadium, made special mention of Giles Clarke, the chairman of the Pakistan task force, saying Pakistan was “indebted” to him for his efforts in bringing international cricket to Pakistan. “I thank him from the bottom of my heart,” Sethi said, “and I know the people of Pakistan thank him for his relentless efforts in this direction.”Giles Clarke, for his part, announced his “delight” at the news, calling the tour “not only important for cricket in Pakistan but also for international cricket since it opens the possibility of other teams, media and sponsors visiting Pakistan for bilateral series.”The ICC also welcomed the news of the World XI’s arrival, with chief executive David Richardson saying: “The ICC wants to see regular international cricket being played safely in all its Member countries and the World XI playing Pakistan in Lahore next month is a step towards that for the PCB. We are optimistic that this will be the next step in a steady and safe return of international cricket to Pakistan.”The squad, while boasting a bevy of impressive names, is notable for the fact it has just one specialist fast bowler – Morne Morkel – even if a host of allrounders and T20 specialists may offset that weakness. In any case, in these early stages of efforts to bring regular cricket back to Pakistan, the result of these matches is likely to be of far less consequence than the fact of their occurrence.World XI squad Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Samuel Badree, George Bailey, Paul Collingwood, Ben Cutting, Grant Elliott, Tamim Iqbal, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Tim Paine, Thisara Perera, Imran Tahir, Darren Sammy

Vernon Philander has been passed fit for South Africa’s opening Test against England at Lord’s

Firdose Moonda02-Jul-2017Vernon Philander has been passed fit for South Africa’s opening Test against England at Lord’s. Philander sat out the warm-up match in Worcester last week as he recovered from an ankle injury, sustained while on a county stint with Sussex, but has made a full recovery.That means South Africa will have a full-strength attack including Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel, while back-up allrounders Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo will likely have to wait their turns.South Africa are still waiting to confirm Faf du Plessis’ availability for the match after he returned home of the birth of his first child. A difficult birth may keep the captain from joining the camp immediately. A decision is expected to be taken on Monday.Should du Plessis miss the match, Dean Elgar will stand in as captain with one of Theunis de Bruyn or Aiden Markram coming in in du Plessis’ place.

Everton have agreed a deal with Almeria to sign forward El Bilal Toure, according to Sky Sports reporter Alan Myers.

Are Everton signing El Bilal Toure?

The Toffees have brought in two new players ahead of Sean Dyche’s first full season in charge at Goodison Park, looking to avoid another Premier League relegation battle. Ashley Young has made the move to Merseyside on a free transfer after leaving Aston Villa, whereas Villarreal’s Arnaut Danjuma has followed him through the door, joining on a season-long loan.

A new centre-forward appears to be next on the agenda ahead of the 2023/24 season for Dyche and Everton, with Toure heavily linked with a move.

The Toffees have been battling it out with Serie A side Atalanta for the forward’s services, and it looked as if they could miss out to the Italian club, with Fabrizio Romano saying a club-record deal worth €28m plus €3m in add-ons was on the cards.

However, a transfer is yet to be officially completed, and Myers took to Twitter on Tuesday to share what he knows about a possible move for Toure.

The Sky Sports reporter claimed all hope isn’t lost on Merseyside and that Everton are still in the race and have even agreed a deal of their own.

“Everton remain in negotiations with Almeria for El Bilal Toure' despite reports suggesting the player had already decided to join Atalanta.

“The 21-year-old Mali striker is set to decide his future in the coming days with Everton having agreed a deal with Almeria, EFC still in it.”

When asked why negotiations are still ongoing despite a fee being agreed, Myers added:

“Negotiations are just that, you could say’s talks etc, things don’t stop just because a fee is agreed, so much more to a transfer.”

Who is El Bilal Toure?

It looks as if Toure will have the final say in regards to his next destination, and should he move to England, he could be a shrewd signing both in the short and long run.

Goals are needed at Goodison Park next season after the club netted just 34 times in 38 Premier League games in 2022/23 – the second-fewest of any side in the division. Dominic Calvert-Lewin once again struggled through injury, scoring twice in just 18 games, and the club’s top scorer was Dwight McNeil with seven goals to his name in 39 appearances.

Toure, who doesn't have a weak foot, as per Transfermarkt, also scored seven times in 21 La Liga games last season, the best tally of his career to date, and you’d like to think the 21-year-old will only improve with age.

Hailed as a "major talent" last summer by 90min's Graeme Bailey, the Mali international has even been compared to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, in terms of his extremely physical style up front.

He could well be an exciting addition, should he decide to join Everton over Atalanta, and by the looks of things, a move will be one to keep an eye on over the coming days.

Hashim Amla, who scored fifties in each innings in Trent Bridge, returned to the top ten rankings for Test batsmen

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-20170:57

Quick Facts – The rise and rise of Herath

Rangana Herath has leapfrogged R Ashwin to be ranked as the No. 2 bowler in Tests, following his match haul of 11 wickets against Zimbabwe in the one-off Test at Khettarama.Herath claimed his eighth ten-wicket haul and also passed the tallies of Waqar Younis (373), Malcolm Marshall (376) and Ian Botham (383) in Colombo. All of that contributed to Sri Lanka achieving the highest successful chase in Asia, beating Zimbabwe by four wickets.Ashwin, as a result, moved down to third place while James Anderson, who took seven wickets in the Trent Bridge Test, climbed one place to be tied with Josh Hazlewood on fourth.Hashim Amla, who made fifties in each innings in Trent Bridge, returned to the top ten rankings for Test batsmen. He moved six spots up to seventh. Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza, who struck centuries in the Khettarama Test, were also major gainers, achieving career-best rankings. Ervine moved up 20 places to 40th while Raza vaulted 28 places to 48th.Vernon Philander continued his steady rise towards the top in the allrounders’ rankings. Philander’s Man-of-the-Match performance at Trent Bridge – he scored 96 runs and took five wickets – saw him rise two places to break into the top five. He also moved to ninth in the bowlers’ rankings.Other significant movers were Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer, whose nine wickets against Sri Lanka helped him gain 20 places to a career-best 53rd while South Africa left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj rose 12 spots to 26th after claiming six wickets against England at Trent Bridge.

Juventus winger Federico Chiesa would prefer to join Liverpool instead of Newcastle United this summer, according to a new transfer update.

How much does Federico Chiesa earn?

The 25-year-old, who currently earns £149,000 per week, has already enjoyed a successful career, most famously winning Euro 2020 with Italy and proving to be an influential performer for them at the tournament.

At club level, Chiesa has also impressed, initially coming to mainstream attention with some impressive performances for Fiorentina, which earned him a move to Juventus. He has registered 42 goal contributions (22 goals and 20 assists) in 94 appearances for the Turin giants, proving to be a potent threat in attack.

That being said, the Italian hasn't always managed to nail down a regular starting berth for his current club, with injuries and form sometimes getting in the way. His current deal expires in the summer of 2025, but it could be that he is allowed to join a new team in the current transfer window.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Chiesa in the recent past and it is a rumour that is refusing to go away.

Could Liverpool sign Federico Chiesa?

According to journalist Marco Guidi, who was speaking to TV Play [via Sport Witness], the Italy international could be a potential target for both the Reds and Newcastle. Bayern Munich are also in the conversation, with his preference being to seal a move to a 'top club':

“The player would be more inclined to sign for a classic top club, such as Liverpool or Bayern Munich. If Newcastle have the economic strength they will try to take Chiesa. The Newcastle option could only be taken into consideration at the end of the transfer market, in the case of few offers on the plate."

There is no doubting Chiesa's pedigree as a footballer, with the Juve man a hugely dangerous attacking player on his day – Cristiano Ronaldo even reportedly wanted him to join him at Manchester United when he returned to Old Trafford for a second stint at the club.

Former Italy defender Alessandro Pierini has described his compatriot as "world-class" in the past, adding that he "has all the ability and desire of a great player", and there is no doubt he could be a new attacking hero at Liverpool.

The Reds are already extremely well-stocked in that area, however, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo all representing strong options, so it would be a surprise to see the club fork out big money on Chiesa, especially when midfield and defence are more important areas to strengthen.

In the future, Chiesa could potentially be a great signing, especially with Salah's contract slowly running down, but it is hard to see how he would start matches on a regular basis and remain happy with so much competition for places already.

It would, therefore, be a big surprise to see him in a Liverpool shirt ahead of the new Premier League season, unless one of the attackers suddenly leaves, which isn't expected to happen.

Arsenal seem set to once again spend big, as another tempting option has emerged that has clearly piqued Mikel Arteta's interest.

Who are Arsenal signing this summer?

The latest comes via Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness), who suggest that the Gunners are expected to soon bid for Sporting CP colossus Ousmane Diomande.

Whilst they had noted that his €80m (£69m) release clause remained the barrier for entry with regard to such a deal, this notion has since shifted to suggest that a 'tempting offer' will instead be made despite the various European clubs following the centre-back. Alongside the north London outfit are Juventus, who have also pushed for his signature.

The proposed offer, which could come soon, might see the Portuguese club tempted to allow their teenage defensive stalwart to depart for below their initial demands. Arteta's side are the only club mentioned in the most recent report.

Who is Ousmane Diomande?

Having moved from his native Ivory Coast to join FC Midtjylland in 2020, Diomande emerged through their youth academy to quickly garner attention. A brief loan to Mafra, who featured in Liga Portugal 2, was enough to spur the Lions to swoop.

They tempted the 19-year-old titan, and he has only gone from strength to strength since then.

The 6 foot 3 teenager has since announced himself as one of the quintessential ball-playing defenders in Europe, starring with the ball at his feet despite his raw physicality.

Although having only featured 13 times in Primeira Liga last term, the qualities that have handed him such a bright future are there for all to see. After all, given it was his first period within the Portuguese top flight, his 6.88 average rating gave way to 1.7 tackles and 1.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

Whilst solid, this is far from what has seen his price tag reach such mouth-watering levels.

When compared to other centre-backs across Europe, the imperious ace sits in the top 1% for passes attempted per 90, the top 3% for pass completion, the top 2% for progressive passes per 90 and the top 4% for progressive carries per 90 too, via FBref.

It was no surprise to see scout Jacek Kulig so effusive in his praise for the star too, noting:

"You rarely see a player with such high ball-playing and pure defender skills. There are some tactical improvements but I'm quite sure this kid will play for the best teams in the world. The signs of elite talent."

Defensive excellence and anticipation can often be taught, and with his hulking frame, the physical assets are in place for him to dominate for the foreseeable future.

However, the talent and swagger to stroll out of defence with possession, forging chances from deep, is a quality that is so precious in the modern-day footballing climate.

Especially given the philosophy that Arteta has forged at the Emirates, with Jurrien Timber standing as the obvious candidate to personify that style.

In fact, when the Dutch international was compared against the same group as Diomande, he instead ranked in the top 1% for all of the aforementioned categories that make the Sporting youngster so revered.

To place this free-flowing pair beside one another, whether it be at centre-back or with one at full-back, the two would easily underpin a system that seems to evolve with each new season.

With such an experienced 22-year-old punching balls out from the back, alongside a teenage titan that has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top, it could be a partnership that spans the next decade and helps facilitate a possession-dominant system that could one day topple Manchester City.

Sunderland have rightly been praised for the way they have gone about their transfer business so far this summer, but they potentially risk making their first howler in their ongoing pursuit of Croatian forward Matija Frigan.

What players have Sunderland signed?

The Black Cats have so far signed Nectarios Triantis, Luis 'Hemir' Semedo, Jenson Seelt and Jobe Bellingham, with each of those aged 20 or under as the Wearside outfit look towards the future.

However, manager Tony Mowbray has made no secret of his desire to bring in another attacking player after seeing Amad Diallo return to parent club Manchester United, whilst Ross Stewart will miss the start of the new season through injury.

Having missed out on a deal for Coventry-bound Ellis Simms, who impressed on loan at the Stadium of Light in the first half of last season, Sunderland have since switched their focus elsewhere.

According to Croatian outlet Sportske Novosti, the Championship outfit have already had a first bid of £3.4m turned down for Frigan, but they may now return with a follow-up offer.

However, given the possible size of the fee involved, plus the fact that 6 foot 1 forward is untested outside of his homeland, it would surely make sense for Mowbray's men to look elsewhere.

Who is Croatian forward Matija Frigan?

Frigan has made 42 appearances in the Croatian top flight – 27 of those with current club Rijeka and the rest during a spell on loan at Hrvatski Dragovoljac in the 2021/22 campaign.

The 20-year-old frontman scored 13 goals in those 27 outings last season, with that a more-than-adequate return for a player of his age and highlighting that he is undoubtedly a big talent.

However, Football Insider previously reported that it will take an offer of £5.2m to persuade Rijeka – who is also supposedly wanted by Rangers – to cash in, which is a huge sum as far as Sunderland are concerned.

Indeed, it was previously suggested that Sunderland were out of the running to sign Simms from Everton after Ipswich Town tabled a £4m bid earlier in the window.

The Englishman later joined Coventry City in a deal that could climb to £8m.

Frigan would have to be ready to hit the ground for that sort of fee and, while he has scored fairly regularly in the Croatian top flight, that country is ranked behind the likes of Sweden, Israel, Norway and Ukraine in terms of coefficient, giving a clear indication as to the quality of the league.

That is not to say there are no gems out there waiting to be signed at the right price, particularly given the likes of Josko Gvardiol and Luka Sucic have prospered in Europe, but Frigan still only scored at a rate of 0.59 goals per 90 minutes last season, as per FBref.

To give that some perspective, Stewart scored at a rate of 0.86 goals per 90 for Sunderland in the Championship.

Whilst the Croatia U21 international is clearly a talent – a "very interesting" one in the view of football talent scout Jacek Kulig – Sunderland would be better suited to spending their money on a more tried and tested option this window as they look to improve on last season's sixth-place finish.

Andrew Tye’s barrage of variations that fetched him 3 for 12 and a bruising half-century from Aaron Finch left Royal Challengers Bangalore facing early elimination

The Report by Shashank Kishore27-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:35

Agarkar: Lions cracked their overseas combination

Royal Challengers Bangalore paid the price for another batting meltdown to face an early elimination from IPL 2017. On a Chinnaswamy surface that played much better than other three games previously this season, RCB underachieved by being bowled out for 134, and then let the despondency slip into their bowling.Aaron Finch feasted on an attack without the injured Tymal Mills, to race to a bruising 22-ball half-century to raze down the target with 37 balls to spare and lift Gujarat Lions off the bottom of the points table. But the star was once again Andrew Tye, who unleashed a barrage of variations – including his patented knuckle ball – to finish with three wickets that set up Lions’ third win in eight matches.Tye ties RCB’s top-order in knots
Lions unleashed two young fast bowlers – Nathu Singh and Basil Thampi – on a surface where they got the ball to climb onto the batsmen. Four nights after slumping to 49 all out, the lowest score in IPL history, RCB started cautiously. The first four overs had fetched just two boundaries, one of which was Virat Kohli’s strong bottom-hand whip for six. But the frustration to score freely resulted in him picking out short fine leg in the fourth over.With an early wicket in the bag, Tye, who had taken two or more wickets in three of the four matches this season (no other Lions bowlers had taken more than one before this game) was brought in and he struck first ball with a cross-seam delivery that nibbled away to take Chris Gayle’s outside edge. Off his next delivery, he got a length ball to climb on Travis Head, who nicked to Suresh Raina at slip. Kedar Jadhav extinguished the possibility of a second hat-trick for Tye, but Lions had done the early damage, with RCB tottering at 23 for 3 after five.Jadhav’s lift, Mandeep’s brain-freeze
Jadhav offset the damage by hitting Basil Thampi for three successive boundaries in the sixth over. He started off with a pull in front of square and followed that up with a flick and an upper cut. Then in the next over, Ravindra Jadeja fired them in and got shoveled inside-out over cover. Having raced to 21 off 12 deliveries, Jadhav was in the mood. He welcomed debutant legspinner Ankit Soni by biffing him across the line over deep midwicket. His enterprise overshadowed AB de Villiers’ presence. A fight back was on the cards, but trying to be a little overambitious – exposing all three stumps to cutely dab Jadeja behind square – cost him.Losing wickets in clumps was the order for RCB. Five balls after Jadhav fell, a total breakdown in communication resulted in de Villiers’ run-out. Mandeep Singh ran past his senior partner after initially stopping midway on his partner’s call to leave him stranded. De Villiers’ 11 deliveries fetched him five. At 60 for 5 at the halfway mark, RCB needed a miracle from their lower order. Negi provided that with some lusty blows but fell for a 19-ball 32 in his quest to muscle Soni for a third-successive six. A 23-run ninth-wicket stand between S Aravind and Aniket Choudhary managed to lift them to 134.Badree’s early strikes raise RCB hopes
Ishan Kishan’s promotion to open with Brendon McCullum could’ve meant only one thing: of taking the attack to RCB. Kishan did just that, hitting Badree for three boundaries before being pinned in front by a skidder. Then, Kohli’s decision to give Badree a third-straight over paid off when McCullum holed out to long-on, trying to take the fielder on. With Lions at 23 for 2, RCB were in with a shout.Finch sucker-punches RCB
The game was on the edge, but Finch decided attack was the best way to drive the game forward. He muscled Badree for two sixes in his first three deliveries and punished Aravind for two fours in the over that followed to offset any pressure there was on Lions.Yuzvendra Chahal and Aniket Choudhary came in for similar treatment as Finch used his free swing to pepper the short side boundaries and race to a 22-ball half-century, the fastest for a Lions batsman. At the halfway mark, Lions were 95 for 2. Suresh Raina, far from his fluent self, should’ve been caught at deep midwicket but Chahal reprieved him by overstepping. But by then the game was all but lost by RCB.

Manchester United are in the middle of a 'very complicated' situation regarding a potential takeover of the club but 'things are happening' at Old Trafford with regard to the process, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest takeover news at Manchester United?

According to The Guardian, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani is 'increasingly uncertain' that the Glazers plan to sell Manchester United despite the club being up for auction since last November.

The report states that the Qatari businessman, who is heading up the Nine Two Foundation's bid to take control of the Premier League giants, has yet to hear back from the Glazer family concerning his fifth bid for control of the Red Devils, which is said to stand at around £6 billion.

Sheikh Jassim's main bidding rival, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS, are also still in the running to take over Manchester United and Ratcliffe has given an update on their bid to stump the Qatari businessman in a recent interview cited by The Manchester Evening News.

Ratcliffe spoke about the process in a book launch at Knightsbridge, stating: "We obviously can't say too much because we've signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and we respect that but there's still a process and we're in the process. "We have a good offer – we've met the Glazers a couple of times and we had a good conversation but at the end of the day it's their decision … we would still very much like to do it. I also believe we would do a good job and do it for the right reasons. We keep very focused on it."

As per The Daily Mail, Ratcliffe either wants to buy 69% of the club or a stakeholding of just over 50%, which could enable Joel and Avram Glazer to stay on in minority roles. On the flip side, Sheikh Jassim wants to assume 100% control without any involvement from other parties.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Romano has revealed that the battle for control at Old Trafford is still a 'very complicated' situation.

Romano said: "Things are happening, for sure, behind the scenes. This is 100% confirmed."

What next for Manchester United?

When the takeover process at Manchester United will conclude is anyone's guess and will not be something that Erik Ten Hag wastes too much time thinking about as he aims to refine his squad for 2023/24.

On a positive note, Manchester United have officially announced Mason Mount as their first summer signing for an initial fee in the region of £55 million, with add-ons potentially raising the sum paid to £60 million, as per Sky Sports.

In other news, the Red Devils have submitted a bid for Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana worth £38.5 million as a new signing in the goalkeeping department remains a key priority at Old Trafford, as reported by Sky Sports.

The Daily Mail claim that discussions are continuing with both Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund and Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani over potential moves to Manchester United, signifying that the remainder of the transfer window may be an exciting time for the Red Devils.