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But the Indian captain backs Vijay Shankar’s inclusion for the tournament in England

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Apr-2019India captain Virat Kohli agrees that Vijay Shankar offers balance to the Indian batting order, but has not committed to the Tamil Nadu allrounder batting at No. 4.On Monday, after announcing India’s World Cup squad, MSK Prasad, the chairman of selectors, said that Vijay was identified as the No. 4.However, Kohli agreed with Prasad only to the extent that Vijay was a “three-dimensional” player and a better choice compared to the other options and combinations that India had tried out in the past.The search for the No. 4 started after the Champions Trophy and stretched to the ODI series at home against Australia in March, during which period 11 batsmen were tried out. The longest incumbent was Ambati Rayudu, but Prasad said he lost the race to Vijay.Kohli echoed that, saying Vijay was a “proper” batsman, who provided another allrounder option to India. “We tried a lot of things. There were a few combinations that we tried,” Kohli told . “Eventually when Vijay came in, it was three dimensional: he can bowl, he can field, he can bat.”He is a proper batsman as well. That just gave us an option, saying why not have that kind of balance which other teams have had all these years. From that point of view we all agreed on it.”Prasad had pointed out that Vijay would get to bat at No. 4 to begin with, with Kedar Jadhav and Dinesh Karthik being other options for the spot along with KL Rahul. However Kohli refrained from being definitive. “We are pretty sorted with how we want to go about the World Cup. Obviously who bats where is the decision for later.”Other than who is best suitable for No. 4, the other big debate over the past two years has been over MS Dhoni’s role in the ODI side, keeping in mind the fact that his signature explosive finishing power has been on the wane.After an extended period stretching over a year where he had not scored a half-century, Dhoni picked up three successive 50s in the ODI series win in Australia in January. Kohli stated then that Dhoni was best suited at No. 5 even though his deputy Rohit Sharma had said personally he would have India’s senior most player at No. 4.In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Prasad had said Dhoni would be the most important guy for India at the World Cup. Prasad said that Dhoni had finally started finding his touch, which was evident in Australia and New Zealand where he played “fearlessly”.Kohli has always stood by Dhoni and he backed him once again. He said that when he was struggling to settle down in the initial years of his career, Dhoni, who was the Indian captain, had given him the space to grow. Today he was reciprocating and that was not as a favour but because Dhoni “deserved” that space.”For me loyalty matters the most. When I walked into the team, he had the chance of trying someone else after a few games. Although I grabbed my opportunities really early, he gave me an opportunity to understand my game and gave me time in the game.”For me those things are very important because I know the kind of phase I was coming into. And if he is going through a phase where he has to work things out, he deserves that respect, it’s not like I [gifted] it to him.”You look at what he’s done for the country, no one can [gift] him that space, he deserves it. So we were just doing our bit to tell people that you need to think in the same manner.”It’s not like we are giving him something, he deserves this and he is intelligent enough to know what’s going on in his life, in his cricket, everything. It was important to give him space, for which people did not have much patience at that time.”Now after 12 months people are saying he is the most important factor in the World Cup, which is true. We knew deep down all along.”

A rip-roaring day of fast bowling threw open a multitude of possibilities as the semi-final between Karnataka and Vidarbha opened with a 13-wicket day at Eden Gardens

The Report by Akshay Gopalakrishnan in Kolkata17-Dec-2017Abhimanyu Mithun’s five-wicket haul dismantled Vidarbha•PTI

A rip-roaring day of fast bowling threw open a multitude of possibilities as the Ranji Trophy semi-final between Karnataka and Vidarbha opened with a 13-wicket day at Eden Gardens. Abhimanyu Mithun scythed through Vidarbha with his third five-for of the season that sent them hurtling to 185 all out. But Vidarbha hit back with their new-ball pair of Rajneesh Gurbani and Umesh Yadav to snuff out three Karnataka batsmen in a highly shortened and engrossing final session.As has often been the case with him this season, Mithun grew increasingly menacing as the day wore on, and his numbers proved that. In three spells over the day, Mithun recorded 5-3-18-0, 7-3-15-2, and 4-0-12-3. Having clinically wiped out the opposition in two sessions, Karnataka looked set to establish early dominance. But in what has been a rare occurrence this season, their top order came in for a stern scrutiny.Though surviving Umesh’s early burst would have been on top of Karnataka’s priority – and he was kept quiet for the most part – it was the 24-year old Gurbani who shook them. Accurate lines and lengths, prodigious movement – in the air and off the deck – and skiddy pace characterised a delightful spell of fast bowling. Running in with the confidence earned through five-wicket hauls in successive matches, Gurbani made up for the lapses of Umesh, who bowled at serious pace but was rendered ineffective through leg-sidish lines and inconsistent lengths.A brute of an outswinger in Gurbani’s third over had R Samarth nicking off to the keeper. In the next over, Umesh had Mayank Agarwal, the season’s best batsman, beaten by pace with a straighter one that pinged his pad. One over later, Gurbani pegged back Dega Nischal’s middle stump and Karnataka were 21 for 3. Karun Nair and CM Gautam saw off the remaining overs amid dropping light. The day’s final drinks break, at 4.20pm, also brought out the light meters. Five minutes later, play ended with Karnataka trailing by 149 runs.Factoring into the success of the pacers was a pitch that had considerably quickened after the early-morning dew had dissipated. It allowed Mithun to be at his most dangerous in the post-lunch session. In his first over after the break, Mithun had Ganesh Satish thrusting forward and finding an inside edge that was snaffled brilliantly by a diving, one-handed CM Gautam behind the stumps. Apoorv Wankhade was bowled five balls later, and when Wasim Jaffer fished outside the off stump against S Aravind to be caught at second slip, Vidarbha had lost three wickets for 14 runs after lunch.The effectiveness of Karnataka’s medium-pacers did not necessitate their spinners to come in until the 50th over. As they did in the quarter-final against Kerala, Vidarbha’s lower order rallied, with Akshay Wakhare and Aditya Sarwate deftly knocking the ball around during a 41-run seventh-wicket stand.Against a much stronger Karnataka side, though, it required a more sustained period of resistance. But Mithun returned and struck thrice in the space of four balls. First, there was Wakhare who poked at one that cut away off the deck. Then, Gurbani was bowled off a legcutter that pitched on middle and took out off. Mithun came tantlisingly close to finding Umesh’s outside edge as he pushed expansively on the hat-trick delivery. But when he repeated the same stroke next ball, it resulted in a thick outside edge to first slip.At nine down, Karnataka’s pacers were close to accounting for all 10 wickets in an innings for the first time in three seasons. But a loopy legbreak from Shreyas Gopal closed out that possibility as Sarwate’s fighting 47 ended with an uppish drive straight into the hands of cover.The day’s first session was the most productive passage for batsmen. Despite the abundant sprinkling of grass, Vidarbha chose to bat instead of unleashing their pacers at the Karnataka top order. Sanjay Ramaswamy crunched a text-book drive through the covers for the morning’s first boundary, but soon both he and the ever-compact Faiz Fazal displayed uncharacteristic tendencies. Though usually circumspect to begin with, Fazal fished at deliveries outside off.With spongy bounce and the ball occasionally stopping on the batsmen, Vidarbha’s batsmen struggled for fluency. Looking tentative, Fazal did not come entirely forward to an inswinger from Vinay Kumar and was trapped lbw for the first breakthrough of the morning.Aravind, who replaced Mithun 11 overs into the day, found substantial seam movement and beat the batsmen’s edges. That turned out to be a frequent occurrence through the morning, Aravind at one point doing it thrice in a row. Stuart Binny then dismissed Ramaswamy, who, playing for the line, failed to see that the ball had cut back off the seam and beat his inside edge to hit his pad.Karnataka then briefly eased the pressure, partly due to bad luck and partly to their own undoing. Satish sent an outside edge to first slip that fell short of Nair and then managed an edged four between third slip and gully. A rare sequence of half-volleys and short balls thereafter gave Vidarbha some pressure-easing boundaries.Vinay, who had swung the ball throughout, was then denied a wicket twice. First, Aravind put down Satish at first slip on 14. Later, Jaffer was held brilliantly by third slip diving to his right but the batsman seemed confident that it hadn’t been a catch despite Karnataka’s early celebrations. With Agarwal, too, not confident, the on-field umpires let Jaffer bat on.

Toby Roland-Jones’ Ashes hopes are in severe doubt after being diagnosed with a stress fracture of the lower back

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-20174:34

Toby Roland-Jones on his Ashes hopes

Toby Roland-Jones’ Ashes hopes are in severe doubt after being diagnosed with a stress fracture of the lower back.Roland-Jones, who played no part in the latter stages of Middlesex’s victory over Lancashire at Lord’s, had been a near-certainty to be named in England’s squad for the tour of Australia that is due to be announced at The Oval next Wednesday.Instead, he has been left sweating on his role in this winter’s campaign, after Middlesex confirmed that he would be taking no part in next week’s final match of the County Championship, a potentially crucial relegation showdown against Somerset at Taunton.”Middlesex Cricket are extremely disappointed to announce that the result of the medical scan which Toby undertook yesterday has revealed that he has a stress fracture in his L5 vertebra [lower back], which will mean that he will take no further part in the domestic season for Middlesex.”It is a potentially bitter blow for Roland-Jones, who has impressed in his England career to date. He has claimed 17 wickets in four Tests, including a best of 5 for 57 on debut against South Africa at The Oval in August, and his combination of accuracy and bounce from a tall action would have made him a prime candidate for selection on Australia’s wickets.In Roland-Jones’ likely absence, therefore, and with Durham’s Mark Wood also struggling with injury, the biggest beneficiary could be the man who came to Middlesex’s rescue against Lancashire on Thursday. Steven Finn returned a season’s best 8 for 79 to secure a 36-run victory and, according to his Australian captain, Adam Voges, “bowled as well as I’ve ever seen him bowl”.”If he bowls like that, he should [be in the Ashes squad],” said Voges. “One-hundred percent. He had rhythm, his pace was up and his areas were good.”Finn, who has taken 125 Test wickets in a stop-start 36-match career, endured contrasting fortunes on England’s last Ashes tours. In 2010-11 he claimed 14 wickets in the first three Tests en route to England’s 3-1 series win, but in 2013-14 he was rendered “unselectable” after the collapse of his bowling action.”We’ll see what happens,” Finn said. “I’m pretty content with where my game’s at. I felt really good. I felt that my pace was there for most of the game. It’s up to the selectors and whoever picks the team to see who goes Down Under. It’s a really exciting opportunity and really exciting prospect to potentially – hopefully – be in the mix.”The out-and-out pace of Somerset’s Jamie Overton would have made him another prime contender for a seam-bowling berth in the Ashes squad, but for his own back problems. His twin brother, Craig, who was included in England’s T20 squad against South Africa but didn’t play a match, may also have moved up the pecking order.The typical recovery time for a stress fracture of the back is between six and 12 weeks. The first Test against Australia begins at Brisbane on November 23, in almost exactly two months.

A round-up of the fourth day’s play from the first round of Group B matches in Ranji Trophy 2016-17

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2016A five-for from left-arm spinner Manan Sharma made sure Delhi did not have to bat again as they dismissed Assam for 313, to seal a win by an innings and 83 runs in Vadodara.Delhi took seven points from the match despite resistance from Assam’s middle and lower order. Assam started the day on 100 for 3, trailing by 296, and scored another 213 from there. Amit Verma added only two to his overnight score of 33 and Arun Karthik went from 17 to 34 before both were dismissed within the space of 18 balls. In trouble at 121 for 5, they were rescued by Syed Mohammad’s 82. Syed forged stands of 78 with Tarjinder Singh (42) for the sixth wicket and 72 with Swarupam Purkayastha (47) for the eighth to take them past 250.The stands were broken by Manan and Pradeep Sangwan respectively. The duo got rid of the tail too as Manan finished with 5 for 108, his fifth first-class five-for, and Sangwan and Varun Sood took two each.Jharkhand strolled to a six-wicket win over Maharashtra to earn six points at the Karnail Singh Stadium in New Delhi. Jharkhand needed only 37 runs on the final day, and Virat Singh and Anand Singh scored them in 6.5 overs to chase down a modest 93. Their unbroken fifth-wicket stand was worth 48.They were 56 for 4 overnight, after openers Ishan Kishan and Shiv Gautam fell for ducks. But they did not lose any wicket on the fourth day. Virat was unbeaten on 33 and Anand on a 19-ball 25.As many as 13 wickets fell on the final day with Shaurya Sanandia, the right-arm medium pacer, taking a career-best 6 for 14 to give Saurashtra three crucial points, courtesy a first-innings lead over Rajasthan. This, after close to two full days were washed out because of rain in Vizianagaram. Rajasthan, who resumed on 62 for 1 in reply to Saurashtra’s 430, were bowled out for 105. Made to follow on, they stuttered to 30 for 4 in their second dig when the players shook hands.Vidarbha walked away with the first-innings honours in an attritional contest against Odisha in Visakhapatnam. Odisha, resuming on 74 without loss ended their second innings on 274 for 9 declared when play ended. As many as seven batsmen got off to starts, with the highest being 58 by captain Govinda Poddar. Akshay Wakhare, the offspinner, was Vidarbha’s best bowler with figures of 3 for 61. That Vidarbha took the lead after bowling out Odisha for 150 was largely due to captain Faiz Fazal (99) and Ganesh Satish (74).

The rumours of raging turners in the Tests against India have not got South Africa in a strategic spin just yet, as they plan to start things off by sticking to their traditional strengths.

Firdose Moonda in Mohali04-Nov-20152:42

‘This Mohali pitch looks different’ – Amla

The rumours of raging turners in the Tests against India have not got South Africa in a strategic spin just yet, as they plan to start things off by sticking to their traditional strengths. Three seamers and a lone specialist spinner is the way South Africa have always done things, and they seem set on starting that way in India as well, irrespective of the conditions.”There’s an old West Indian saying, ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,’ so if the seamers do the job for you, be it in the subcontinent or anywhere else in the world, so be it,” Hashim Amla said. The phrase actually originated out of farmers in Texas and popularised a director in Jimmy Carter’s administration but Amla’s point stands.Now the question is which three seamers and which spinner?The first answer is obvious. South Africa’s premier pack is made up of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, as has been the case since 2011. They have not featured in every Test over the last four years, but the ones they have missed have only been because of injury. It’s unlikely the case will be any different this time around.Morkel is the only one carrying an injury – he tweaked a quad muscle in the third ODI in Rajkot – and will have a last-minute fitness assessment on the morning of the match to determine his availability. If he pulls up unfit, South Africa will have to give uncapped Kagiso Rabada a debut.The issue of the spinner is more complex, though. South Africa have given themselves a choice between Simon Harmer, Dane Piedt and Imran Tahir, but are keeping their cards close to their chest as to which one will play. Essentially the choice is between an attacking spinner (Tahir) and a containing one (Harmer or Piedt), which is further complicated by the unavailability of JP Duminy.”When JP plays, he adds that added spin option for us. But with him not being in the team for the first Test, it adds dynamics to our team,” Amla said. That means South Africa’s holding overs have to either come from part-timers or from a specialist holding bowler.”In conditions where the pitch is turning, spinners have multiple roles. When it doesn’t turn they fall into a defensive role. When it does turn, naturally they fall into an attacking role. A lot depends on the surface,” Amla said. “We have been very strong with our seam bowlers wherever we have been in the world. We have a few options in the seam department and we have been blessed and done well. We are fortunate in that our seam bowlers have done well in the subcontinent. They can be an attacking option. Not many countries around the world can say that. Our spinners will probably do both roles depending on what the game needs.”Both Harmer and Piedt are also wicket-takers, albeit to a lesser degree than Tahir, and if South Africa are looking for a spinner who can switch gears, they are more likely to go with one of them. Being the incumbent, having played in Bangladesh, Harmer appears to be the frontrunner.Sticking with Harmer for now also seems to tally with Amla’s overall philosophy of trying, “to do what’s most efficient to try and win a game.” That may sound incongruous on first reading because Harmer is not the most attacking spinner South Africa have at their disposal. So he may not be the most efficient appointment but, as Amla explained, going for the kill does not always mean relentless aggression.”There will be times when you have to play the game in a way that will ensure a result. Sometimes you have to play a slightly defensive game to make sure the result comes a bit later, he said. “We all know the game of cricket is a bit like chess – you have got to make the right moves. Sometimes you will get it wrong and sometimes it works in your favour. That’s as simple as I keep it.”And that’s a phrase Amla can call his own.

Hiral Patel heroics with the bat and ball couldn’t save Canada from a four-wicket defeat against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHiral Patel’s heroics with the bat and ball couldn’t save Canada from a four-wicket defeat against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup. Patel struck a doughty 93 on the fourth day, scoring more than half of his side’s second innings total, as the other batsmen fell to Nehemiah Odhiambo’s pace. Canada folded for 175, leaving Kenya a target of 128 for victory.Kenya’s chase was hardly confident; they lost Irfan Karim in the first over and then Patel made inroads with his left-arm spin. It was left to Tanmay Mishra, who followed his first-innings half-century with a calm, unbeaten 38, to steady the Kenya innings and then guide the side to a win.

Sergino Dest boasts “extraordinary qualities”, according to PSV boss Peter Bosz, with the USMNT star delivering a no-look assist in his latest outing.

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• Defender loaned out again in 2023-24
• Impressing back in the Netherlands
• Sale expected to be sanctioned at some stage

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  That impressive piece of skill allowed the 23-year-old full-back to tee up United States international team-mate Malik Tillman. Dest has endured a tough time of late, with La Liga giants Barcelona sending him out on loan again for the 2023-24 campaign.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Dest disappointed at Serie A giants AC Milan last season, but has rediscovered a spark since returning to the Netherlands – the land of his birth and a country he has previously thrived in with Ajax. The versatile defender has been catching the eye for PSV, with his head coach very much part of a growing fan club.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Bosz told reporters after seeing Dest produce a Man of the Match display in a crushing 4-0 win over PEC Zwolle: “He is a versatile player who can occupy both the right and the left-back spot. We help him improve as a defender. He has extraordinary qualities when he has the ball. Just look at the no-look assist he had for our fourth goal, scored by Malik Tillman.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Dest lined up on the left for PSV against Zwolle, but has forged his reputation in a right-back berth. Barca acquired him to fill that role in 2020, but have restricted him to 72 appearances and appear eager to put a permanent transfer in place during one of the windows in 2024.

It was a disappointing night for the USMNT, as several players faltered to seal a premature Gold Cup exit at the semifinal stage.

Shootouts are often described as a lottery, even if there is a bit more to it than that. Still, even if you are of the belief that spot-kicks are little more than a coin flip, it's hard to argue that the Soccer Gods got it wrong in Wednesday night's Gold Cup semifinal.

Panama are through and the U.S. men's national team will head home. Through 120 minutes, Los Canaleros were the better team and the shootout only confirmed it. As the USMNT tried their darndest to unsettle their opponents in the shootout, Thomas Christiansen's side held their nerve. Deserved finalists, for sure.

The U.S., meanwhile, crash out, failing to make the Gold Cup final for only the second time in the last 20 years. It's a disappointing end, for sure. Say what you want about the quality of the team fielded at this summer's tournament, but that should've still been enough for the U.S. to look better than this in a game of this magnitude.

They didn't and now they're done. This was a game where few stepped up or stood out as Panama, largely, controlled the match. Not many USMNT players rose to the occasion, although there is a built-in excuse of the 120 minutes played against Canada. That excuse will only carry them so far, though. This was a team that could have – and should have – done more.

GOAL takes a look at the winners and losers from the USMNT's loss to Panama:

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  LOSER: Matt Miazga

  If you're going to talk your talk, the result better go your way. And, even then, there is a fine line between a little bit of gamesmanship and painting yourself as the villain.

  Miazga fell into the latter category on Wednesday. After burying his own spot-kick, a fine one it's worth noting, Miazga stayed behind to pester Panama's Cecelio Waterman. It wasn't the typical chirping, either, as the ex-Chelsea defender got right in Waterman's face in an attempt to unbalance him.

  If it had worked, maybe we'd be calling Miazga something of a hero, someone that, through gamesmanship, helped his team win. He'd still be vilified by many, no doubt, but some would be totally willing to overlook the act as long as it seals a result.

  It didn't. Waterman buried his penalty, Cristian Roldan missed and Panama went on to win from there. Miazga was left with egg on his face.

  That came after he was at least partially at fault for Panama's goal, having stepped up just before the pass was made. Overall, a tough night for the FC Cincinnati player, who will retain villain status after this one.

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  WINNER: James Sands

  Few USMNT players will have boosted their stock in this one, but Sands sure did.

  The NYCFC midfielder started as the No.6 once again and put in another strong shift. While Djordje Mihailovic and Gianluca Busio, who started next to him, struggled, Sands cleaned up plenty of mess while helping the U.S. save face in a midfield battle they were losing for large stretches.

  He had 11 recoveries, won six of his seven duels, had four interceptions and was fouled four times while conceding just one. It was a calm and collected performance in a game that was anything but for the USMNT.

  Sands boosted his stock this tournament with a series of good performances and Wednesday night was no exception. The U.S. has a good, young No.6 on the rise.

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  LOSER: Brandon Vazquez

  He was handed the start as B.J. Callaghan changed up the tactics. It didn't take long, though, to see that Vazquez just didn't have it on Wednesday night.

  After scoring three goals in just over 100 minutes in the first four games of the tournament, Vazquez was finally, perhaps belatedly, named to the XI. Jesus Ferreira was as well, as Callaghan shifted things a bit to get his two star strikers on the field.

  It didn't work. Vazquez looked nothing like the player that was so dominant off the bench as his touch let him down several times. The striker was so dangerous every time he stepped on the field through the first four matches but, on Wednesday in front of a hometown crowd, he just looked flat.

  He was taken off early in the second half as Callaghan seemingly admitted his lineup was wrong. The problem is that, by starting Vazquez, the U.S. didn't really have a go-to goalscorer to bring off the bench as the game moved into extra time.

  Not a good night for Vazquez, who should still get more chances in the future despite this blip.

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  WINNER: Jesus Ferreira

  We'll get it out of the way here early. Yes, Ferreira missing his penalty was less than ideal. To be fair, he probably shouldn't have even taken it, considering he was suffering from cramp in the moments leading up to it – the gruelling 120 minutes he'd already played in the quarterfinal win over Canada had clearly taken its toll.

  Now that that's out of the way, we can focus on the rest of it, mainly the goal.

  His 'Pirate of the Caribbean' nickname will stick with him after this tournament, but Ferreira's best goal came on Wednesday against Panama. Seemingly out of nowhere, Ferreira rocketed home an equalizer in extra time, helping send the U.S. to that ultimately-unsuccessful shootout.

  It was a tough game for Ferreira, for sure. Played alongside Vazquez after spending the last few weeks ahead of him in the pecking order, his pressing and energy was relentless. It's no wonder he cramped up late, as he went 120 minutes twice in a matter of days.

  His spot in the depth chart will be discussed plenty going forward but, on Wednesday night, Ferreira helped his case yet again.

Erik ten Hag needs to fill the gap in his squad, but faces a difficult task in finding a defender who is unlikely to be a regular starter

Harry Maguire's days at Manchester United are numbered. After joining for a world-record transfer fee for a defender in 2019, Maguire had two up-and-down campaigns, one nightmare season and one year spent mostly sitting on the bench. He is now about to move to West Ham where he will hope to resurrect his club career and ensure he remains in Gareth Southgate's plans for England.

What should United do next, then? They had not initially prioritised bringing in a defender, but Maguire's imminent departure will leave them with only three natural centre-backs in the senior squad. The club have already spent more than £165 million ($209m) on three new arrivals this summer and could yet add another midfielder to their squad if they finalise a deal to sign Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina.

They are already stretched financially and are unlikely to dedicate large funds to signing a player who is set to be behind Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and potentially Victor Lindelof in the pecking order.

On the other hand, their squad will be stretched over the course of the season as they aim to go deep in four competitions and return to the Champions League – remember Martinez and Varane picked up injuries in the same game last season – and centre-back is too important a position to be left to an inexperienced youngster.

GOAL, then, assesses United's options as they consider how to replace their former captain:

Getty ImagesBenjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)

France international Benjamin Pavard would not be a direct replacement for Maguire as he plays predominantly at right-back, although he has also featured on the right of a back three for Bayern Munich in recent seasons.

A World Cup and Champions League winner, Pavard has the experience and mentality to play for United. He would be a versatile option and would boost the squad overall, and as he has only one year left on his contract with Bayern, he will not command a huge fee, with reports suggesting he is worth around €30m (£26m/$33m).

However, he might be wary about giving up a regular place in Bayern's starting XI to leap into unknown territory at United. The Red Devils already have two solid right-backs in Diogo Dalot, who recently signed a long-term contract, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who last season produced some of the best performances of his United career to re-establish himself as the club's first-choice right-back.

AdvertisementGettyJean-Clair Todibo (Nice)

Jean-Clair Todibo left a trail of hype in his wake when he made his Ligue 1 debut for Toulouse, and after just 10 appearances he had been snapped up by Barcelona in January 2019. In hindsight, that move came far too early in his career as he rarely featured for the Catalans.

One year later, Todibo was loaned out to Schalke and then Benfica, although he never played a league game for the Lisbon giants, and he only started to settle again back in France with Nice, playing practically every Ligue 1 game since moving there in 2021.

Todibo, 23, would cost United around €30m (£26m/$33m) and the Red Devils have reportedly made enquiries about his availability.

GettyMarc Guehi (Crystal Palace)

Marc Guehi only missed one match all season for Crystal Palace and became the youngest captain in the Premier League after he was handed the armband at the age of 22. He has shown leadership qualities and maturity as well as bags of quality on the ball. In other words, he would be an excellent signing for United, who expressed their interest in him at the start of the summer.

The main obstacle to a potential move to Old Trafford is that Palace would likely ask for a minimum transfer fee of £50m, which would be too high for United for a squad player, especially after another expensive summer transfer window.

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GettyEdmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen)

Burkina Faso international Edmond Tapsoba has been one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga in the last three seasons, and is renowned for his ball-playing abilities, which would see him fit right into Ten Hag's side.

The 24-year-old could be signed with the money United are set to receive for Maguire as he should be available for less than £30m (£38m), and he could develop into an eventual successor for Varane, who will turn 31 later this season and has a tendency to pick up small injuries.

The 19-year-old is set to join Lyon this summer once she has shown the world just why she is regarded as one of the game's biggest talents

When GOAL first spoke to Melchie Dumornay, Haiti’s gifted teenager, she was still at home, soon to make the move to France to join talent factory Reims. As the interview came to a close, Dumornay, still only 17 years old at this point, outlined her ambitions for the future. Her first? To play for Lyon, the eight-time European champions, one day. Fast forward, two years and she’s set to tick that off her career bucket list, having joined the French giants this summer.

Her second aim was to win individual awards at the "next level", in order to "prove" herself. When the French league announced the winners of its annual awards in mid-May, as Dumornay's final season with Reims came to a close, the 19-year-old was named Best Young Player and also included in the Team of the Season, which featured just three names not representing Lyon or Paris Saint-Germain.

The final goal was quite different. “If God allows me to have a lot of success in the future, which translates into financial success, I want to be able to open a sort of academy back home in Haiti to provide opportunities to players in Haiti that I didn't have myself,” she explained, exuding maturity beyond her years.

“In Haiti, there are so many talents, not only in soccer, that just don't get a chance. I got that chance to be in an academy, but there are top players and top talents everywhere. It's important to try and put an eye on Haiti, to not miss out on so many talents. I hope that one day more people get the chance to get out of there.”

With her yet to celebrate her 20th birthday, it might take a little time for Dumornay to be able to box that one off. But she did something else to help Haiti this year – she scored the goal that sent her country to its first ever Women’s World Cup. It’s not an academy, but it’s a huge stage for many of her team-mates to make a name for themselves and prove, just as their talismanic teenager says, that there is a lot of talent in the Caribbean nation.

As Haiti prepare to make history at the tournament, pooled in Group D with England, Denmark and China, GOAL explains why Dumornay is so, so special…

GettyWhere it began

Dumornay started playing football from a young age in Haiti and would quickly make a name for herself in the national league, with AS Tigresses, and in the youth national teams.

For Haiti, she was often several years younger than the rest of her team-mates, playing at the CONCACAF Girls' Under-15 Championship aged 12 and the CONCACAF Women's U20 Championship aged 14.

At the latter, she played a key role in helping her country to finish third and qualify for the U20 Women's World Cup, becoming the first Caribbean nation to do so. She starred so much, even, that she was named to the tournament’s best XI.

AdvertisementGettyThe big break

It was at that U20 World Cup that Dumornay announced herself to a wider audience and, significantly, Reims manager Amandine Miquel. Still only 14 years old at the time, the youngster had to get special authorisation to play at the tournament, but she still managed to stand-out despite being so much younger than the majority of players on show.

It was against Germany, in Haiti’s final group game, that Dumornay caught the eye of Miquel and her staff. “She was way above the other players,” the coach told GOAL last year. “We knew we needed that player.”

It would be “hard” to get her to Reims because the club had to wait until she was 18 years old. Before she celebrated that milestone birthday, she’d had a trial at Lyon, too, who she impressed massively.

But Miquel stayed in regular contact with the teenager and she believes that is what “made the difference” in the end, as well as the development proposition the club could offer. “She knew she would be in a good championship but she would still be an important player and not just a substitute.”

It was the move that brought one of the world’s biggest and brightest young talents to a top European league.

GettyHow it’s going

Dumornay has now joined eight-time European champions Lyon after taking her game to the next level with Reims, scoring 18 goals and providing 11 assists in just 33 league matches with the club. That form won her the Best Young Player award at the end of the 2022-23 season and a place in the Team of the Season, giving her a great send off.

Her move to Lyon was announced back in January, to come in the summer when her contract at Reims expired. A month later, Dumornay fired her country to its first ever Women’s World Cup, scoring twice in the 2-1 win over Chile.

She’s now set to star in Australia and New Zealand this summer and has a chance to showcase herself on the biggest stage in the sport. It’s going quite well, then.

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GettyBiggest strengths

Where to start? Dumornay is a very intelligent footballer, which helps inform her decision-making, she’s technically outstanding, which makes her execution superb, and she has all the physical attributes to have been able to make a splash in the senior game at such a young age.

“She has all the required skills despite her age,” Reims team-mate Sonia Ouchene told GOAL last year. “I'm never surprised by players. There are really very, very few things that amaze me, and she is one of them, especially because of her age.

“Athletically, she is powerful and fast. In the game, she's very clever. Technically, she has everything you need, although of course she's going to improve in every aspect. She is a very complete player and she showed it very quickly on the field.”

Dumornay is also extremely versatile. She arrived at Reims as a midfielder capable of playing any role in the middle of the park, such is the wide variety of skills she has. But Miquel would also deploy her as a centre-forward at times, with her having the ability to out-muscle, out-run and out-think defenders. That she is great at bringing others into the game also proved a big asset in this position.

On top of it all, she’s a player her team-mates love to have around, one who makes jokes, has fun and brings positivity to any dressing room.