Sergio Rico is reportedly nearing a remarkable return to PSG after somehow surviving a horrific horse and cart accident & subsequent brain aneurysm.
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Rico set to return to training
Spanish goalkeeper awaiting medical clearance
Set to offer competition to Keylor Navas and Gianluigi Donnarumma
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WHAT HAPPENED?
In a heartwarming turn of events, Rico is on the verge of making a remarkable comeback to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after a challenging nine-month absence from football, reported
Rico's journey back to the pitch follows a harrowing accident on May 28, 2023, when he suffered a fall from a horse, resulting in a cerebral aneurysm, a life-threatening condition that necessitated immediate surgery.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite enduring significant injuries and a lengthy rehabilitation process, Rico has exhibited remarkable resilience and determination. During his 82-day hospitalisation, he faced daunting physical challenges, including a staggering weight loss of 19 kilograms (approximately 42 pounds). However, his unwavering commitment to returning to peak physical condition has seen him regain 15 kilograms (about 33 pounds) of lost weight, a testament to his strength and resolve.
DID YOU KNOW?
The severity of Rico's condition led to a critical 26-day period in which he was placed in an induced coma to manage the cranioencephalic trauma caused by the fall. This phase was pivotal for Rico's recovery, allowing his body to heal under intensive medical supervision.
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WHAT NEXT?
If Rico receives medical clearance to resume training with PSG, it will mark a significant milestone in his recovery journey. Upon returning to training he will provide competition to PSG's top two choices – Keylor Navas and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
PSG want to make Chloe Kelly the highest paid women's player in Europe as the England star approaches the final year of her Manchester City contract.
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PSG keen on England star KellyReady to make her Europe's highest paid playerKelly out of contract at Man City next yearWHAT HAPPENED?
Kelly has established herself as one of the best wingers on the continent over the last few years thanks to her performances in the Women's Super League and on the international stage; she scored the winner as the Lionesses lifted their first ever major title at the Euros in 2022. Now, is reporting that PSG are ready to make the 26-year-old an incredibly lucrative offer.
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Kelly is out of contract at Man City next year and, according to the report, has put talks of a renewal on pause until the end of the current season as she focuses on trying to deliver the club's first WSL title in eight years. A departure would certainly be a huge blow for the club, who are also trying to keep hold of fellow England winger Lauren Hemp. Her contract expires this year and Barcelona have been linked.
DID YOU KNOW?
Unlike in the men's game, PSG have long been the bridesmaid in French women's football. Because of the dominance of eight-time European champions Lyon, the Parisians have won just one top-flight title in their history. Their triumph in 2020-21 marks the only season of the last 17 which has not ended with Lyon lifting the Division 1 Feminine trophy.
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While the rumours swirl, Kelly will be back in action for Man City this weekend in a huge FA Cup fifth round clash with Arsenal, the club whose system she came through before joining Everton as a 20-year-old.
Tasmania’s captain, George Bailey, was rewarded for his persistence as the men’s domestic player of the year
Daniel Brettig12-Feb-2018Australia’s leading allrounder Ellyse Perry has joined a select group in becoming a multiple winner of the Belinda Clark award as the nation’s women’s cricketer of the year.With 116 votes, Perry finished comfortably ahead of her nearest challenger Beth Mooney, at the end of a season in which she was a pivotal part of a successful Ashes campaign against England despite a shoulder surgery ruling out captain Meg Lanning. In doing so, Perry joined Lanning, Shelley Nitschke, Lisa Sthalekar and Karen Rolton as players to have secured the award on more than one occasion.The centrepiece of Perry’s year was a monumental, undefeated 213 in the Ashes Test match at North Sydney Oval , which secured a draw and all but ensured Australia would preserve the series lead they had established during the ODI component of the contest over the final Twenty20 matches. Perry’s all-round abilities were amply demonstrated by the fact she not only led all run-makers during the voting period but also finished third behind Megan Schutt and Jess Jonassen among the bowlers.The other major women’s winner of the night was Beth Mooney, who was named the domestic player of the year for an extremely consistent contribution with the bat over the voting period. Georgia Redmayne, the 24-year-old Hobart Hurricanes representative, was handed the Betty Wilson award as the young female player of the year.Tasmania’s captain, George Bailey, was rewarded for his persistence as the men’s domestic player of the year, racking up a combined 1468 runs at 52.43 across Sheffield Shield, domestic limited overs and Big Bash League games over the voting period, including a trio of centuries. This was a significant effort in response to his dumping from the Australian limited-overs team in December 2016, and an example to other mature-aged players (Bailey is 35) trying to improve their games.In reference to his now trademark closed stance, with his front leg and backside facing the bowler, Bailey joked that it had been a case of misunderstanding. Saying he had been devastated to lose his international place, and looking for advice, Bailey said he had been told by his father to “turn the other cheek” to the selectors. The unusual batting stance, Bailey deadpanned, had been the result.
Nottingham Forest's pursuit of Sevilla defender Gonzalo Montiel has been well-documented and a big update has now emerged, courtesy of journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Who is Gonzalo Montiel?
The 26-year-old was something of an unknown amongst British football fans until relatively recently, even though he was a perfectly solid performer for Sevilla, having arrived at the La Liga side from River Plate back in 2021.
That all changed at the 2022 World Cup, however, as he tasted glory with Argentina, famously stroking home the winning penalty in the shootout victory over France in the final. It was a truly iconic moment for the country, as they won the competition for the first time since 1986, and it etched Montiel's name into Argentine folklore forever.
At club level, a move away from Sevilla – where he makes £20k-per-week – has looked increasingly likely this summer, however, and it is Forest who have emerged as the strong favourites to snap him up for some time now.
The Reds are still looking for defensive reinforcements and the right-back has stood out as a good option to battle the likes of Serge Aurier and Neco Williams for playing time this season, allowing Steve Cooper to rotate his squad and keep it fresh the longer the campaign goes on.
Now, a fresh update has emerged – one that suggests Montiel could be announced as a Forest player sooner rather than later, as the City Ground welcomes yet another new face to the club.
Gonzalo Montiel
Will Nottingham Forest sign Gonzalo Montiel?
Taking to Twitter, Romano provided a significant update regarding the Reds' move for Montiel this summer, with the transfer now very close to being completed and medical potentially on the cards imminently:
"Nottingham Forest are closing in on Gonzalo Montiel deal – agreement on personal terms being finalised then medical on Monday. Deal will cost €11m (£9.4m), as @CLMerlo has reported."
This is great news for Forest, at a time when they need to build on last season's Premier League survival and become a genuinely established top-flight club again, rather than finding themselves battling for their lives come the spring.
While Montiel may not be the most explosive of full-backs, he is an experienced head with lots of defensive nous, having made 72 appearances for Sevilla and won 23 caps for Argentina, scoring once for his country, aside from his aforementioned penalty heroics last winter.
That moment back in December may have given him an extra winning mentality – he also scored the winning spot-kick in last year's Europa League final – which should stand him in good stead and possibly impact on the squad's mentality when he arrives, with World Cup winners a rare commodity in football.
Montiel could come in as a less flamboyant but more solid alternative to Aurier at right-back, having averaged 1.5 clearances and 1.3 tackles per game in last season's Champions League, as well as registering three assists in La Liga in 2022/23.
These are exactly the kind of signings that will make Forest strong moving forward, and at 26, there is no reason why the defender can't be a key man for the next five or six years.
The 22-year-old bowler will replace the injured Craig Overton and will make his debut in the Boxing Day Test in front of a first-day crowd that couldexceed 90,000
George Dobell at the MCG25-Dec-20171:04
Curran will give it absolutely everything – Root
Tom Curran’s competitive streak was a key factor behind the decision to award him a Test debut at the MCG, according to Joe Root.Curran, the 22-year-old son of former Zimbabwe international Kevin, will replace the injured Craig Overton (who has been diagnosed with a fractured rib) in the England side. That means Curran will make his debut in the Boxing Day Test in front of a first-day crowd that could exceed 90,000.But Root, the England captain, is confident that Curran will not be intimidated by the atmosphere of the hostility of the opposition. And, combined with his excellent fitness record and ability to withstand a demanding workload, it was enough to see him win selection ahead of more experienced seamers such as Jake Ball and Mark Wood.”Tom offers a lot,” Root said. “He’s a real competitor. He does get the ball to move around a bit – he’s skilful – and he’s always in the contest. He has a similar work ethic to Overton. He’s always wanting to get in the contest and you know that he will give you everything.”He’s a feisty character. One thing that really stands out to me is that at no point will he hide away from a challenge if it does become very hard he’ll give it absolutely everything.”While Wood is understood to have assured the team management over his fitness, Root felt his selection on what is expected to be another very good batting surface “might have been a risk.””The fact that Wood is not necessarily 100% fit and he hasn’t played a huge amount of cricket came into it,” Root said. “He might have been a risk going into this game. It was a tough call.”Getty Images
And while Root still expects the MCG surface to be “slow and dry towards the back end” of the game, he felt some watering of the pitch on Christmas Eve might have counted against the inclusion of the legspinner Mason Crane.”He’s been very impressive,” Root said of Crane. “He’s close to playing because of the way he’s gone about things in practice and in the warm-up games. But looking at that surface, we wanted something different, though it might be that if it does offer spin further down the line. It wasn’t an easy selection.”Curran was not an original member of the tour party – he was added to it when Steven Finn was forced home through injury – but has clearly risen above Jake Ball in the management’s view as the trip has progressed. While he has not taken a five-wicket haul in first-class cricket since September 2015 (and he has never taken one in Division One of the County Championship), he does play most of his home cricket on a relatively unresponsive Oval surface. He is likely to bat at No. 9 – he averages 17.70 and has a top first-class score of 60 in first-class cricket – and scored an unbeaten 77 in the warm-up match at Richardson Park .”This match is a big test of our character,” Root said. “But that’s one of our strengths. That hasn’t let us down in the first three games. We have been out-skilled and not good enough when it really mattered.”That’s our big challenge this week. We need those big scores that get you ahead of the game and into strong positions. And we need to create 20 chances and take them to win the Test match.”
Manchester United are believed to be nearing the signing of Rasmus Hojlund, and now a fresh update has emerged on another potential target who could join the striker at Old Trafford.
What's the latest on Man United's interest in Mohammed Kudus?
According to Dutch football journalist Marcel van der Kraan, Ajax star Mohammed Kudus is on Man United's list of targets this summer.
Speaking on Football Daily, van der Kraan revealed:
"He [Kudus] is very keen on a move to the Premier League whether that be a top club in London or Manchester."
"But I think as soon as Ten Hag would knock on his door, he will go."
"He is on their list, he might not be the number one yet but if the players mentioned fail to come or talks break down, Kudus could be an ideal option."
How good is Mohammed Kudus?
It is no secret that Erik ten Hag has continued to have a huge admiration for his former Ajax squad, with a number of the Eredivisie club's players being linked with a move to Old Trafford since the manager was appointed last summer.
Antony, Lisandro Martinez and Andre Onana are all players that have followed their former Ajax coach to the north west of England, whilst the likes of Jurrien Timber and Frenkie de Jong have been previously linked too.
Now Kudus – who reportedly has a £40m price tag – could be the next Ajax ace to join Ten Hag's rebuild project at the Theatre of Dreams this summer, and would provide strong competition for the players deployed in the attacking threat, especially Antony who hasn't had the explosive impact desired so far.
Over 25 Premier League appearances last season, the Brazilian delivered just four goals and two assists, as well as missing four big chances in front of goal and failing to complete 54% of his dribble attempts, as per SofaScore.
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When comparing Kudus' output to the Man United winger's last season, the Ghana international comfortably outperformed his positional competitor in a number of attributes including goal contributions (14 v 9), shots on target rate (39.1% v 32.1%), pass completion (85.5% v 79.1%), successful take-ons (62.3% v 42.7%) and shots on target per 90 (1.36 v 1.18), as per FBref.
Not only that, Dutch legend Marco van Basten spoke out on the former Ajax teammates upon Antony's big-money move to Man United, claiming that Kudus is a much better player:
"Kudus has much better technique, and he knows what he is doing. Antony may be faster, but Kudus is smarter and more technical.
"He is much more of a footballer, you can place him anywhere on the pitch, an all-rounder for the team.
"In fact, I like him much better than Antony. He's more fun to watch play."
Indeed, Kudus' great versatility in positioning means that the pair could play alongside each other for the Red Devils, with the 22-year-old experienced in playing central midfield, attacking midfield, in the centre-forward role, as well as on the right wing too.
However, providing competition for Antony on that right flank could ultimately unlock his true potential and push the winger to improve his performances, something that would put Ten Hag in a great position by having two young and hungry prospects vying to prove themselves next season, with Hojlund spearheading the attack through the middle.
With that being said, the signing of Kudus would be a great piece of business for Man United; adding depth to a number of key areas on the pitch and delivering Ten Hag another huge talent that can impact the attacking threat.
Jobe has lofty expectations on his shoulders but he's made a scintillating start to life at the Stadium of Light
Soon after completing his surprise £1.5 million ($1.9m) switch to Sunderland this summer, Jobe Bellingham informed the club that he wanted his first name printed on the back of his new No.7 shirt. It was a decision motivated by a desire to forge his own legacy in the game – and when you've got a family like Bellingham has, it's little surprise that he was keen to create his own distinct identity.
Of course, his brother is Jude Bellingham, who has swiftly emerged as a frontrunner for the 2024 Ballon d'Or following a string of inspirational performances for Real Madrid. As Jobe was negotiating his move to the Stadium of Light, his sibling was making the necessary arrangements to move to the Spanish capital, having completed a blockbuster £108m ($133m) transfer earlier that summer.
Living in the shadow of this gargantuan talent must be stifling. But Bellingham has not allowed his potential to be smothered. While Jude has been taking the world by storm, his baby brother has been generating quite the buzz back home.
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Where it all began
It's not just Jobe's older brother who has raised expectations for the Sunderland star. Growing up the pair's father, Mark, was a well-known footballer in his own right. A police officer by day, Bellingham Sr. carved out a reputation as one of non-league's most prolific ever scorers, netting over 700 goals across a 20+ year career.
His seventh century of goals was brought up in 2016 for Paget Rangers, with the striker netting a superb free kick against Fairfield Villa. He humbly told the Non-League Paper after that game: "Most of the 700 were from not very far out so I think I owe my team-mates over the years a lot more than they owe me!"
As Bellingham Sr. was reaching the tail end of this illustrious scoring career, both of his sons were progressing through the Birmingham City academy. While Jude flew through the ranks, featuring regularly for the first team at the age of just 16 and eventually having his shirt number retired when he left for Borussia Dortmund in 2021, his brother was a slower developer.
He was included on the bench for a pair of Carabao Cup games at the beginning of the 2021-22 season, though did not make it on. If he had, he would've usurped Jude as the Blues youngest-ever player. His debut eventually came in January 2022, with Bellingham coming off the bench during an FA Cup tie against Plymouth Argyle. After that game, then-manager Lee Bowyer was full of praise for the youngster, saying: "I said to him: 'You've done really well, you're a 16-year-old lad that dominated the ball, didn't really give it away, tried to do the right things and when you did give it away you ran back, defended in your own box.'"
Bellingham used his maiden taste of first-team action as a platform at St Andrew's, continuing to train with the senior squad and earning more consistent minutes during the 2022-23 campaign. By the time Sunderland came calling in the summer, he'd made 26 senior appearances for his boyhood club, failing to register a goal or an assist during that period.
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The big break
Having not even turned 18 yet and only boasting a handful of second-tier starts to his name, few would have expected Bellingham to feature from the outset following his move to the Stadium of Light. However, when Tony Mowbray named his first Championship starting XI of the season against Ipswich, there he was, sitting pretty in an attacking-midfield berth.
Sunderland may have lost that encounter, as well as their second game of the campaign away at Preston North End, but there was plenty for fans to get excited about during Bellingham's early career. All this promise clicked into place to devastating effect against Rotherham the following weekend.
Just two minutes after Hakeem Odoffin had given the Millers the lead, Bellingham levelled things up with his first-ever career goal, heading home from close range following good work from Dan Neil. Swiftly after the restart, he netted what would turned out to be the decisive goal, stroking Bradley Dack's lay-off into the bottom corner like a seasoned poacher. For the first time in his career, he was the match winner – Jobe had arrived.
Mowbray lavished his starlet with praise at full time, telling : "I think his greatest asset is he wants to learn football. He's 17 but he asks questions every day of the coaches – why am I doing this? Where do I go? What do you want me to do? He's a joy to work with really and I'm just so pleased he's scored some goals and helped the team win."
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How it's going
Since his debut, Bellingham has remained a fixture in the Sunderland first team, failing to feature in just one of his side's opening 21 Championship games. And due to a spate of injuries, he has been used in a string of different positions.
A significant chunk of Bellingham's minutes have come as a false nine, though he's also been used behind a more traditional striker and in a deeper midfield position. It's in this latter role that he has probably endured his least productive displays.
"Due to injuries and suspensions, Jobe found himself operating in a deeper role as a No.8 in a double pivot accompanying Dan Neil or Pierre Ekwah. I do think he did look less comfortable in this role as he's not a naturally defensive-minded player, which probably saw his least impactful minutes," Dan Harrison, a writer and analyst for Sunderland fansite Roker Report, told GOAL recently.
When he's been played further up the pitch, however, Bellingham has had plenty of fun. Predictably, he netted against former club Birmingham in November and also laid on an assist for Abdoullah Ba in a home victory over Watford.
The shock dismissal of manager Mowbray in December might have threatened to derail this progress, with Bellingham telling that the manager played a key role in his development.
"He made me a more mature player in a short space of time. He took away pressure on matchdays for us, and it was such a good feeling. You just feel like you're going out there and expressing yourself. I'm really grateful I got to work with him," he said.
But Bellingham has in fact continued his fine form under interim boss Mike Dodd – who played a pivotal role in bringing the midfielder to the club in the first place, having worked with him and his brother at Birmingham.
Under Dodd, Bellingham enjoyed the defining moment of his career so far against high-flying Leeds, nipping in front of goalkeeper Illan Meslier to head home and earn the Black Cats a vital three points.
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Biggest strengths
Where do you want to start? Bellingham has a unique profile for a player his age, an exciting blend of technical prowess, physicality and composure.
"His natural flair was something that stood out from very early on," Harrison added when GOAL asked about Bellingham's standout qualities.
"Whether that be in his smart ball retention through drag backs or his ability to receive the ball on the half-turn almost anywhere on the pitch and not look pressured in doing so. His biggest assets for me personally are the intangible ones that aren't coachable, his overall awareness and reading of the game are far superior to the average teenager and he has a real knack of popping up in the right place for Sunderland at times this season."
It's easy to see these strengths for yourself if you watch Bellingham in the flesh. It's scary how composed he is in possession considering his limited top-level experience. His physical presence is something to behold too.
Standing five centimetres taller than his brother Jube and filling out significantly since his professional debut, Bellingham can hold off a challenge and win the ball in the air. Team-mate Neil gave a pretty neat summation after his maiden brace against Rotherham, describing him as "an absolute freak of nature, physically."
He added: "Technically, he is a top, top, player as well. He has come here to play in front of 40,000 every week and that is something he is going to have to take on mentally, because we can all see how good a player he is technically, physically, and tactically. It is a different kettle of fish playing up here in front of these fans, but from what I've seen of his personality, he'll take it on just fine."
Bellingham's comfort with playing in front of 40,000+ supporters every week speaks to his incredible maturity. After netting that winner against Leeds, he was put up for media duties and spoke like someone with a decade's experience in the game, calmly analysing the game from a tactical perspective and transmitting leadership skills that also defy his tender years.
Middlesex survived the loss of six wickets for 20 runs to sneak an enthralling London derby by one wicket in front of more than 27,000 at Lord’s
ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2017 ScorecardKumar Sangakkara sustained Surrey until he misjudged a ramp shot•Getty Images
Steven Finn hit a dramatic winning boundary off Ravi Rampaul to earn Middlesex a nerve-shredding one-wicket victory in the NatWest T20 Blast against Surrey before a near sell-out 27,205 London derby crowd at a floodlit Lord’s.A sudden Middlesex collapse left Middlesex needing nine runs from the last three overs but with three wickets still intact. Then Jade Dernbach had Nathan Sowter caught at cover and John Simpson, trying to turn Ravi Rampaul to leg, was caught for 7 off a leading edge. From 133 for 3, chasing 159, Middlesex had staggered to 153 for 9.That left last man Finn coming in to join Tom Helm with six still required. He survived a close lbw appeal from Rampaul before the next ball, also angled into his pads, flew away for four leg byes. Rampaul’s next ball, the fourth of the 19th over, was an attempted slower ball and Finn clipped the resulting full toss to the midwicket ropes amid wild scenes.Surrey captain Gareth Batty had earlier taken 4 for 14 with his off spin, including a double-wicket maiden in the 16th over when he dismissed both Eoin Morgan and Tim Southee, to set in motion the collapse which produced such a thrilling finish on a two-paced pitch.
That Middlesex wobble
133-4 Morgan 15.2 133-5 Southee 15.3 143-6 Higgins 16.3 150-7 Franklin 16.6 153-8 Sowter 17.6 153-9 Simpson 18.1
Only Kumar Sangakkara, with 70 from 42 balls, took the attack to Middlesex’s bowlers for anything other than a brief cameo and Surrey’s eventual 158 for 9 never looked enough.Dawid Malan and Paul Stirling began the chase well, the left-handed Malan hitting two fours in the first over from Dernbach and the stocky Stirling plundering two fours and a remarkable swatted six over wide third man from Sam Curran’s opening over.At 37, and after Malan had driven Rampaul’s first ball high for four, Stirling fell for 23 in that same fourth over as he mishit to mid off. Malan, however, twice swung Rampaul for huge legside sixes in a sixth over which ended with Middlesex well ahead of the required rate at 64 for one.Middlesex T20 captain Brendon McCullum made only 9 before slugging Batty’s second ball high to long on, where 39-year-old Sangakkara took a good tumbling catch to his right, and Surrey’s hopes rose when Malan chipped a low catch to Ollie Pope at extra cover from a ball which seemed to grip the surface.Malan made 41 from 26 balls, and his early aggression allowed Morgan and Franklin time to steady Middlesex’s reply, which they did with a judicious mixture of easy singles and the odd more adventurous stroke in a fourth wicket stand of 53 in six overs.
Captains’ views
Brendon McCullum (Middlesex): “It was a brilliant game of cricket, and both sides contributed to the spectacle. We want to play an aggressive brand of cricket, and you have to be true to that whatever happens. We sent in Tim Southee to take on Gareth Batty’s off spin and it didn’t come off. So be it. “But if we get to the final stages of this competition then we want to be comfortable with the way we are playing T20 and, when the pressure is on, we need to be able to cope with that. Thankfully, Finny got us over the line in the end and 27,000 people have been hugely entertained. Gareth Batty (Surrey): “I thought we might have pulled it out of the bag after not being at our best for most of the game. But it was not to be and Finny got them home. “That lbw decision at the end against Finn? It was a close one, but the decision was made and we got on with it. Finny was good enough to get the runs needed after that, so fair play to him.”
That looked to be guiding Middlesex to a comfortable victory, but then Batty returned to have Morgan caught at point for 31, with Southee slogging the next ball into the hands of long off.Ryan Higgins drove his first ball for four, off Tom Curran, and then pulled his next for six. The next, however, was edged behind as Higgins went for 10 and the slide continued when Franklin was bowled later in Curran’s over for 23. Then came the fall of both Sowter and Simpson, and Finn’s late heroics.It was Surrey’s first defeat in the south group, after winning their first two games, while Middlesex added another two points to the one they gained for a thrilling tie against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham last Friday.The match began with Finn’s opening over, the second of the innings, being taken for 17 runs as Aaron Finch followed two legside fours with a pulled six into the Mound Stand. With Finch already having collected a five in the opening over, a direct hit run out attempt by Higgins deflecting off the bowlers’ stumps and racing away for four overthrows, Surrey were off to a flyer.The Lord’s crowd was just 800 below England’s domestic T20 record•Getty Images
Southee tried to stem the early flow of runs, producing a beauty to have Dom Sibley caught behind for 5 in his second over with the new ball, and when Helm replaced him at the Nursery End he bowled Finch for 22 through an attempted heave at his first delivery.Helm’s opening over only cost a single but Sangakkara increased the tempo again by lofting the unhappy Finn high over the covers for six and then taking a couple of steps down the pitch to swing Helm magnificently over long on for another maximum.Sowter’s introduction for the eighth over saw the Australian-born leg-spinner knock back Ben Foakes’ off stump with his first ball, the England Lions wicketkeeper-batsman only briefly firing with 13, but teenager Pope – who also made 13 – then added 23 with Sangakkara before he was bamboozled and bowled by a slower ball from the returning Southee.The Curran brothers did not last long, Stirling’s off spin accounting for them both. Sam was bowled for 5, back when he should have been forward, and Tom was also bowled, for 4, when he tried to force square a ball which seemed to creep through a little low to hit his off stump halfway up.Sangakkara, though, hit Franklin’s left-arm seam high over extra cover for six and also drove and swung fours off the same bowler in a 16th over costing 18. When Finn returned for the 19th over, however, nursing figures of 0 for 40 from his first three overs, the great Sri Lankan left-hander diverted a low full toss into his own stumps as he tried an unconventional flick to leg from outside his off stump.That success also allowed Finn to concede just two singles from his final over and, with Helm also bowling tightly in a 20th over in which Batty hit him straight to extra cover and Rampaul picked out deep square leg to go for ducks, the Surrey innings ended with something of a whimper.Surrey were missing opener Jason Roy, because of a shoulder injury, while Kevin Pietersen is not scheduled to make his T20 Blast comeback until next Wednesday, in the home match against Essex.
Inter Miami have reportedly backed out of a January preseason friendly with Flamengo in favor of a match in the 'Middle East.'
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Report says Miami cancels Flamengo friendly
Herons accept Middle East proposal instead
'Last Dance' between Messi & Ronaldo could be back on
WHAT HAPPENED?
Globo claim that the Herons are moving fast with their preseason plans. Despite previous uncertainty over whether or not Inter Miami would entertain friendly offers with Saudi Pro League clubs, it appears that the David Beckham-led club will now be flying across the world ahead of the 2024 MLS campaign. Flamengo, meanwhile, are scheduling a January contest with fellow Florida MLS side Orlando City following the apparent cancellation of their previously-arranged game.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Inter Miami have denied the agreement of any friendly against Al-Nassr after it was claimed that Miami would participate in a three-team tournament alongside Ronaldo's side and Al-Hilal. It now appears that the match could be back on.
DID YOU KNOW?
Messi and Ronaldo have clashed a total of 36 times over their storied careers, with their first meeting coming in 2008. The Argentine leads the way between the two with 16 wins to Ronaldo's 11.
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WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?
The club is currently in offseason mode, with the players enjoying their time away from the pitch while looking ahead to preseason in 2024. Although the schedule is not confirmed, it seems as though the Herons are looking to be ambitious ahead of their next campaign, with high-profile friendlies like these populating the rumor mill. Regardless of what happens, it's an important few months for Tata Martino and Co as they look to build on their Leagues Cup success.
The summer transfer window has now commenced, although uncertainty remains at Manchester United as to just who will be joining the club ahead of next season, amid Erik ten Hag's apparent desire to strengthen his current options.
A new 'world-class' centre-forward appears to be high on the agenda for the former Ajax boss – as per Manchester Evening News – with the Red Devils having unsurprisingly been heavily linked with a move for Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, as the Englishman enters into the final year of his contract in north London.
More recent reports have indicated, however, that despite Ten Hag's apparent admiration for the England skipper, United are unlikely to push for a move amid Spurs' unwillingness to sell, with the Old Trafford outfit seemingly wary of engaging in negotiations with rival chairman, Daniel Levy.
As such, the search is set to continue in the club's bid to find a new, quality number nine, with reports in recent weeks having suggested that Borussia Monchengladbach ace, Marcus Thuram, could be among those being considered.
The £53k-per-week marksman is an attainable target with just a matter of weeks left to run on his existing deal in Germany, ensuring that he could represent a bargain, free-agent alternative to Kane for those at the Theatre of Dreams this summer.
Would Marcus Thuram be a good signing for Man United?
While Spurs' long-serving talisman did enjoy a stellar 2022/23 campaign after bagging 30 Premier League goals, Thuram also caught the eye in his own right, after chipping in with 16 goals and seven assists in just 32 games across all competitions.
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With the 6 foot 4 sensation also offering the ability to play on the flanks, it is no surprise why he has been hailed as a player that "every Premier League club should be trying to sign", in the words of The Athletic's, Carl Anka.
Also described as "phenomenal" by former Gladbach teammate Denis Zakaria, the Italy-born ace is also a real asset due to his dribbling prowess, showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 13% for successful take-ons and the top 12% for progressive carries among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues.
Equally, unlike Kane – who has begun to 'drop deeper' in recent years, as per MEN's Tyrone Marshall – Thuram seemingly offers more a threat inside the area, as he ranks in the top 13% for touches in the opposition box, in contrast to the Englishman, who ranks in just the bottom 34% in that regard.
Having a deep-lying player like Kane in attack is arguably 'not what United need', according to Marshall, hence looking at a more dynamic and mobile figure like Thuram instead.
Of course, the former Guingamp ace does not boast the same Premier League pedigree as his Tottenham counterpart, although the chance to land the ten-cap striker on a free should surely be too good an opportunity to turn down for Ten Hag and co.