All posts by h716a5.icu

West Ham United's flying start in the Premier League – taking ten points from their first 12 – can be attributed to their successful summer of spending, using the 105m from the sale of Declan Rice to bring in the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus.

Instead of splashing their war chest of funds on one big money signing, the Hammers went about their transfer dealings in admirable fashion, spreading their funds on quality additions to fill more than just the void left by the departing Englishman.

While several incomings were brought in to start their new chapter in east London and embark on a season of Europa League football, those youngsters in the Hammers' academy will all have dreams of achieving similar in the coming years, saving the club a lot of money in the process.

Who is in West Ham's academy?

West Ham are a club built on the opportunities provided to players emerging from the youth setup and while Rice is the most notable of those in recent times, this doesn't rule out other talented youngsters making inroads into the first-team.

The biggest of those talents making his voice heard is 18-year-old Divin Mubama, who has been scoring goals for fun in the Hammers's underage groups, leading to opportunities in the first team.

David Moyes handed him his debut in the Europa Conference League group stage last season as a trip to Bucharest saw him mark his debut with an assist, and he has since kicked on from there, appearing on three occasions in the Premier League.

Mubama's sharp rise towards first-team contention has paved the way for other youngsters to follow in his footsteps and one of those is Joshua Ajala.

Who is Joshua Ajala?

Much like Rice, who joined the Hammers from Chelsea at 14-years-old, Ajala has made the switch from west to east London this summer and if his journey in claret and blue is similar to the 24-year-olds, West Ham will have unearthed another gem from their London rivals.

Speaking after Ajala signed his scholarship with the club, former West Ham striker and current U16s coach Carlton Cole spoke highly about the youngster, saying: “Joshua is a young forward who has impressed and we’re all excited to see him play in Claret and Blue going forward.”

Since making the switch to East London, the 16-year-old – a 'pacy forward' as per West Ham's official channels – has certainly translated that excitement onto the field, showcasing his character in big moments to the benefit of his team.

Although Ajala would have been disappointed to have not made the starting XI against Arsenal, he responded in fine fashion by coming off the bench – while his team were down to ten men – to rifle in a venomous strike and salvage a point for his team.

He followed that up by dispatching a penalty in a 3-0 victory over Fulham and has since reflected on his tremendous start to life at the club, outlining his aspirations to follow in the footsteps of recent academy graduates, Rice, Mubama and Ben Johnson.

He said: There is a really good pathway to the first team at this football Club and that played a big part in my decision to move here.

“I’ve seen a lot of players progress through the youth ranks from the outside, such as Divin. I know that if I keep working and keep performing that I will have an opportunity to do the same.”

With Ajala desperate to carve his own pathway towards the senior setup, continuing his rate of goal-scoring won't do any harm to his chances of achieving that dream.

Sri Lanka’s head coach said the batsman’s mental state was the biggest contributor to his recent form

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Mar-2018Omitted from Sri Lanka’s squads towards the end of 2017, Kusal Mendis has not only recovered his Test form this year, he has also produced two outstanding innings in T20. His 53 off 27 and 70 off 42 were match-defining efforts, as Sri Lanka swept the Bangladesh series 2-0 last month. He was not originally meant to be playing those games; only an injury to Kusal Perera saw him enter the XI.It was a breakthrough series for Kusal, because T20 had been a format that had previously confounded him. In eight earlier innings, he had hit a high-score of 22 and made double figures only thrice. Yet in Bangladesh, confidence was writ across his innings, as he manufactured innovative leg-side boundaries, played the ramp shot towards third man with abandon, and swept with striking ferocity. Coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who oversaw Kusal’s re-entry into the national side, and has seemingly begun to coax the player back to his best, said a clear head was responsible for his return to the runs.”Kusal’s mentality is really good these days,” Hathurusingha said. “He knows his game and understands himself better. Our coaches have worked very closely with him, and explained those things to him. He has clarity about what he does now. I think it’s the mental state that’s the biggest factor in his regaining form.”Such his his recent record, Kusal is a forerunner to open the batting against India in the first match of the Nidahas Trophy on Tuesday. But with so many openers in the squad, there is a crush for top three positions. Danushka Gunathilaka, Upul Tharanga, Kusal Perera and Dananjaya de Silva may all be considered for positions in the top three.”Yes, we have a few openers,” Hathurusingha said. “We will open with whoever we feel will play the best. We’ll look at the other teams’ strengths and limitations before coming to that decision also.”Although Sri Lanka have recently showed improvement in Bangladesh, their record against India is woeful. India has won the seven most-recent T20s between these sides, and are ranked third in the world, while Sri Lanka are eighth.”If you go by the rankings, India is the top team in the tournament, so they always start ahead of the other teams,” Hathurusingha said. “Whoever plays for India, it is still a very strong team. We have to start well because we haven’t been doing well at home. With Bangladesh, because of the last series, we probably have a little edge over them mentally.”

Xavier Marshall, who played seven Tests for the West Indies from 2005 to 2009, is in line to make his USA debut after being named in a 14-man squad for the West Indies Regional Super50

Peter Della Penna12-Jan-2018Xavier Marshall, the 31-year-old Jamaican who played seven Tests for the West Indies from 2005 to 2009, is in line to make his USA debut after being named in a 14-man touring squad to Antigua for the West Indies Regional Super50 beginning January 31. Two other noteworthy names who may join him in donning the red, white and blue for the first time are former India U-19 representatives Saurabh Netravalkar and Sunny Sohal, who have also been given squad call-ups.Marshall also played 24 ODIs, averaging just 17.85, and six T20Is for the West Indies after making his international debut against Australia in January 2005. At one time, he held the record for most sixes in an ODI, striking 12 during his career-best 157 not out against Canada in 2008 to break a mark of 11 that had been jointly held by Sanath Jayasuriya and Shahid Afridi. His last international came during the 2009 World Twenty20 in a semi-final against Sri Lanka at The Oval. He continued playing first-class cricket for Jamaica until the spring of 2013 before migrating to New York.USA’s 14-man squad

Ibrahim Khaleel (capt/wk), Adil Bhatti, Elmore Hutchinson, Nosthush Kenjige, Jaskaran Malhotra (wk), Xavier Marshall, Prashanth Nair, Saurabh Netravalkar, Mrunal Patel, Nisarg Patel, Timil Patel, Usman Rafiq, Roy Silva, Sunny Sohal

Marshall would not be the first member of his family to play for USA. His cousin, Rashard Marshall, migrated from Jamaica in the early 2000s to New York and rose to prominence in 2006 by striking 90 off 56 balls for a USA Select XI against an unofficial West Indies XI captained by Brian Lara in Brooklyn. He made his official USA debut in 2008 and went on to play 42 one-dayers and seven T20s. Rashard sits sixth overall on USA’s career runs list in one-day cricket but the 35-year-old has not been picked since 2013 WCL Division Three in Bermuda.The younger Marshall is the latest in the pipeline of former West Indies internationals who have had second careers playing for the USA. They include Sew Shivnarine, Faoud Bacchus, Clayton Lambert, Hamish Anthony, Adam Sanford, Neil McGarrell and Jermaine Lawson. His selection comes courtesy of another former West Indies international, Ricardo Powell, who is USA’s chairman of selectors.Netravalkar, a 26-year-old left-arm seam bowler, toured New Zealand with the India Under-19s for the 2010 Under-19 World Cup and gained notoriety in 2014 for developing a cricket player analysis app called CricDecode. He initially came to the USA in 2015 to attend graduate school at Cornell University in upstate New York. He has since moved to northern California where he works for Oracle and has been a regular on the playing circuit for Marin CC in the San Francisco Bay Area, a club which is home to several former USA players.Netravalkar also commutes to Los Angeles to play for Vijayta CC in the Southern California Cricket Association where he is club team-mates with Timil Patel, Mrunal Patel, Nisarg Patel, who have all been retained from the USA squad that toured the UAE and Oman in December. Netravalkar came onto the national selection radar last May when he took 2 for 30 in nine overs playing for an SCCA XI that defeated a USA XI in a warm-up match for the national side in Los Angeles ahead of their tour to Uganda for WCL Division Three.Sohal, 30, came through Punjab’s age group teams before being drafted into the India Under-19s in 2007 for a quadrangular series in Malaysia against Sri Lanka, England and Malaysia. He played 21-first-class matches for Punjab, scoring 1202 runs at an average of 36.42 including three centuries. He was picked up by Kings XI Punjab for the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008 and played 22 matches in four seasons with Kings XI and Deccan Chargers.Sohal’s most productive season was 2011 with Deccan when he scored 249 runs in 11 matches at an average of 24.90 with two fifties including a career-best 62 off 41 balls opening the batting in a win over Delhi Daredevils. But that wound up being his final IPL season. He played just two more matches in state cricket, a pair of one-day matches for Punjab in 2014, before migrating to Maryland where he has been a consistent scorer in the Washington Cricket League for the past several years.Sunny Sohal was a regular in the Deccan Chargers batting lineup in 2011•AFPA fourth debutant in the squad is wicketkeeper-batsman Jaskaran Malhotra. The 28-year-old played age group cricket in India representing Himachal Pradesh from Under-15 level through Under-22s. He played his last representative match for their Under-22 side in October 2011 in the CK Nayudu Trophy. Malhotra made his unofficial debut for USA last August in a pair of 12-a-side exhibitions against Caribbean Premier League sides Jamaica Tallawahs and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Florida.USA’s ability to select so many debutants who are not citizens and have only been residents in the country for a relatively brief period of time was made possible due to a change in the ICC’s player eligibility regulations that was approved by the ICC board late last year. The previous guidelines stated that eligible players must be passport holders or seven-year residents of a country in order to represent a given national team, with an exemption for a maximum of two players in any starting XI who have been resident for a minimum of four years but not yet seven – classified as “deemed national” players – prior to the start of a competition.However, the ICC revised those eligibility guidelines to lower the residency threshold. The new guidelines state that a player becomes eligible to represent a new country after three years of residency. Also, the “deemed national” stipulation – that a maximum of two such players can be selected in any starting XI who have been resident for a minimum of three or four years but not yet seven years – has been eliminated.In order to make room for the new arrivals, batsmen Sagar Patel, Ravi Timbawala, Abdullah Syed and Camilus Alexander plus seam bowling allrounder Japen Patel have all been left out from the 15-man squad that toured the Middle East last month. The batting revamp is a consequence of USA being bowled out for under 110 in three of their five matches on tour. Only two players scored half-centuries on tour – Roy Silva and Timil Patel – with both coming in the final match against Oman.Medium pacer Jessy Singh was not considered despite training with the USA squad through the winter because he has still not been declared fully fit while rehabbing his right knee following reconstructive surgery in August. Fellow fast bowler Ali Khan, who has been contracted with Guyana Amazon Warriors for the past two seasons of CPL, was unavailable due to work commitments at home in Ohio.The squad will depart for Antigua on January 27 ahead of their first match on January 31 against Leeward Islands. USA’s other group stage opponents in the double round-robin tournament are Guyana, Jamaica and English County side Kent.

Since suffering relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season, Leeds United have faced a consistent battle to keep hold of their star players, resulting in a number of exits and a Wilfried Gnonto transfer saga.

As things stand, the Yorkshire club have at least won their battle to keep hold of Gnonto, but the off-pitch drama hasn't exactly helped their start to the Championship season, which has seen them win just one of their first four league games.

With the transfer window coming to a close in a matter of days, however, Daniel Farke and co look set to turn their attention towards potential incomings, with reports suggesting that they're interested in one particular midfield star.

What's the latest Leeds United transfer news?

So far this summer, Leeds have welcomed a total of six reinforcements, with the latest addition being Djed Spence on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

The pick of the bunch from their arrivals appears to be striker Joel Piroe from Swansea City, though, given that the forward scored 19 goals in the Championship last season, before scoring on his debut in Leeds' first win of the season against Ipswich Town.

Another arrival could yet make a similar impression, however, if Leeds push on and secure a deal for Celtic's Matt O'Riley.

According to Sky Sports' Lyall Thomas, via Sky Sports colleague Anthony Joseph, Leeds, alongside Southampton, are interested in signing the midfielder before the end of the transfer window.

O'Riley has so far made four appearances in all competitions for Celtic this season, scoring twice in three Scottish Premiership games and claiming one assist. It remains to be seen just how much the Scottish giants would demand for the 22-year-old, but given his form, he may not come cheap this summer.

Should Leeds United sign Matt O'Riley?

Signing a player with experience of playing in the Champions League and winning league titles could represent an incredibly smart piece of business for those at Elland Road this summer.

The Dane has earned plenty of praise throughout what is still a relatively young career, too, including from former manager at MK Dons Russell Martin, who once said, via The Scottish Sun:

“Physically, he’s fantastic, He was a pressing machine, scored a few goals, got some assists and could play deeper or higher.

“He’s one of the most intelligent footballers I’ve ever worked with."

Certainly earning high praise, O'Riley's experience in England is only another positive for Leeds, who don't have long to push on with their reported interest, with the transfer window coming to a close on Friday evening.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

If they can secure the Celtic star's signature, they may have themselves a player capable of setting the Championship alight in the middle of the park, given how impressive he has been in Scotland, scoring four goals, and assisting an incredible 14 goals in all competitions last season.

Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha and a key development in the saga has now emerged.

What's the links with Joao Palhinha?

The Reds have spent all summer making huge changes to their midfield, having experienced so many issues there last season, from ageing players to individuals who couldn't stay fit.

Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have left for Saudi Arabia while Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo have come in. James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departed when their respective contracts expired back in June.

Liverpool will still hopefully sign another defensive midfielder before the end of the month, as well as a left-sided centre-back, and a host of names have emerged, from new Chelsea signings Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Crystal Palace's Cheick Doucoure.

Palhinha is another player who has been considered as a potential addition, having excelled for Fulham last season, being hailed for his "presence" and as "fantastic" by former Reds midfielder Jamie Redknapp.

FSG reportedly like the Portugal international but are wary of his £60m price tag, and a new update has been revealed this weekend.

What's happening with Joao Palhinha?

According to Football Insider, Palhinha's possible move to Liverpool this summer is now unlikely to develop due to two major issues – his price tag and a recent injury:

"Liverpool's interest in Fulham star Joao Palhinha has stalled after his recent injury, sources have told Football Insider. Palhinha suffered a shoulder injury in a pre-season game last month and is yet to return to action for the Cottagers – missing their opening-day win over Everton last week.

"It is believed Fulham’s price tag for the midfielder is also a problem, with Liverpool feeling the Londoners are trying to price them out of a move."

Palhinha is an excellent player whose energy and quality in the middle of the park stood out so much last season – he made more tackles than any other Premier League player – but he doesn't feel like the best possible option for Liverpool this summer.

Having already signed 30-year-old Endo, a younger option is required in defensive midfield such as Doucoure, whereas the Fulham ace is now 28. He wouldn't represent a long-term signing, so the Reds could find themselves again looking for a new No.6 in a few years, which is far from ideal.

Not only that, but Palhinha's current fitness is clearly an issue, and Liverpool have had such bad luck with injury-prone midfielders in recent times, whether it be Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Thiago or Curtis Jones, that they cannot afford to take a risk with someone who is out of the team currently.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

While the Portugal international could easily come in and be a really good signing for three and four years, adding legs in the middle of the park, it is a move where the negatives slightly outweigh the positives, so it is good to see the Reds moving on.

It should now be a case of trying to nail down Doucoure's signature and completing what has been an enormous midfield rebuild this summer.

A masterful hundred from Kane Williamson and world-class new ball bowling by Tim Southee and Trent Boult saw New Zealand get off to a winning start against Pakistan

The Report by Danyal Rasool05-Jan-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA masterful hundred from Kane Williamson and world-class new ball bowling by Tim Southee and Trent Boult saw New Zealand get off to a winning start against Pakistan. They secured a 61-run win on the basis of the DLS method, though in truth, had the match not been cut short by rain, the margin of victory would have been even more decisive.Any hopes Pakistan might have had of making a fist of a daunting chase were dashed in the first over. Tim Southee trapped Azhar Ali and Babar Azam off successive deliveries to reduce the visitors to 7 for 2. Replays showed that Babar’s dismissal would have been overturned onreview, but Azhar had unwisely used up the referral when he was dismissed. That one was plumb, which meant, five balls into the chase, Pakistan had lost arguably their two best batsmen and their only review.Boult was looking sharp from the other end, the only bowler from either side who got the ball to move. He got rid of Mohammad Hafeez with awell-targeted bouncer that the batsman unconvincingly fended away to fine leg. He couldn’t have picked out Southee any better if he had walked over and placed the ball in his grateful hands.New Zealand were surging, and Southee removed Shoaib Malik soon after, before Astle trapped Sarfraz Ahmed lbw as he clumsily tried to sweep. Pakistan were 54 for five, the Champions Trophy winners looking no better than the West Indies side the hosts had hammered over the past few weeks.Kane Williamson chops one down to third man•Getty ImagesSent in to bat, New Zealand had gotten off to an excellent start, the opening partnership producing 83 as Colin Munro continued his fine form with a 35-ball 58. The scoring rate slowed slightly after his dismissal, but none of Pakistan’s bowlers looked particularly incisive as Williamson and Martin Guptill took control of the middle overs. They were masterful at judging Pakistan’s levels, quick to capitalise when they dropped even slightly.On 26, Sarfraz dropped Williamson, a diving chance to his right when he edged Faheem Ashraf behind. The reprieve came at a time when New Zealand were slowly setting themselves up for a total over 300. It left Sarfraz rather red-faced; the Pakistan captain had just given one of his fielders an earful for sloppiness.But as Guptill began to loosen his arms, Pakistan found a breakthrough in the unlikely form of Fakhar Zaman snaring his first international wicket. Hasan Ali returned to nip a budding partnership between Williamson and Ross Taylor, knocking over the latter’s off stump before it got out of hand. Latham lobbed Faheem – who was impressive on a quick pitch – next over, as Pakistan finally began to dominate a passage of play.However, any thoughts of derailing New Zealand were firmly put to rest by a superb counter-attacking partnership between Williamson and Henry Nicholls. As Williamson approached his hundred, it was Nicholls who took control, manipulating the fielders with clever shotmaking, using both the reverse sweep and scoop to good measure. The running between the wickets, too, was sharp, as Pakistan’s tardiness in the field began to show.Pakistan may be able to get satisfaction from their death bowling, which never really allowed New Zealand to tee off in the final overs. Rumman Raees, expensive in his first spell, returned and bowled far better, confounding the batsmen with changes of pace and other variations, while Mohammad Amir – though not at his best – is not the sort of bowler who goes for big runs often. The last five overs went for 38 runs as Pakistan managed to keep the total from getting too far out of hand.The only Pakistan player who could emerge from the game with any credit was Fakhar, who had spent the first hour of the chase watching his partners come and go. He tried to take the attack to the bowlers, using his feet to the spin, striking sixes off consecutive Mitchell Santnerdeliveries and bringing up his 50 in 63 balls. Shadab Khan gave the opener capable support in the face of hostile fast bowling from Lockie Ferguson, who sent the speed gun north of 150 on several occasions. With the intensity from the hosts having dropped slightly, Fakhar and Shadab continued to battle on, putting on 78 before Boult returned to remove Shadab.Fakhar continued to go for his shots, hurtling towards what could have been a gutsy hundred. Faheem Ashraf was good for a few lusty blows too, but the rain began to get heavier. New Zealand were streets ahead on DLS, the early wickets ensuring they kicked off the tour with aconvincing win.

Mohammad Amir and Azhar Ali are back in the 15-member squad while Ahmed Shehzad has been left out

Umar Farooq23-Dec-2017Pakistan ODI squad

Sarfraz Ahmed (capt&wk), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Rumman Raees
In: Azhar Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir
Out: Ahmed Shehzad, Imad Wasim, Junaid Khan, Usman Khan

Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad has been dropped for the five-ODI series in New Zealand next month, with Azhar Ali returning to replace him. Left-arm quicks Usman Khan (stress fracture of the back) and Junaid Khan (stress fracture of the foot) are also out of the 15-man squad.A knee injury has ruled allrounder Imad Wasim out of the tour too. Mohammad Amir, meanwhile, returned to the squad, after recovering from an injury that kept him out of the ODIs against Sri Lanka in October.The left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Mohammad Nawaz, who last played an ODI in January, came into the squad as a like-for-like replacement for Imad, while the seam-bowling all-rounder Aamer Yamin, who hasn’t played an international game since November 2015, is also back in the squad.The PCB had initially called up 18 probables for a fitness test before finalising the squad. Apart from the ODI squad members that played against Sri Lanka, batsmen Umar Amin and Sohaib Maqsood and Yamin were also called up for the fitness test, though only Yamin made the final cut. Both Azhar and Mohammad Hafeez are currently playing the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, and had underwent fitness tests earlier this month, while legspinner Shadab Khan is playing for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League in Australia. All three were picked in the squad.”The team has been selected keeping in mind the conditions and the recent performances of some players in the domestic tournament,” Inzamam-ul-Haq, the chief selector, said. “Azhar Ali makes a comeback to the ODI squad after being rested in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. He is making a comeback, having regained full fitness.”Junaid Khan has been ruled out of the ODI squad due to a fracture in his right foot and doctors have advised him to rest for six weeks. Aamir Yamin comes in to replace the left-arm pacer in the squad. Imad Wasim is again feeling discomfort in his knee, and has been told to work on his fitness in the NCA.”Yamin, 27, emerged into national contention when he scored 700 runs at 58.33 and took 32 wickets at 24.18 in the 2013-14 season. Yamin then impressed in the national T20 tournament when he struck 45 off 20 balls for Multan Region against Karachi Blues in the semi-final in 2015 and was subsequently picked in Pakistan’s ODI side for the Zimbabwe tour. He wasn’t as impressive in international cricket, but continued to make steady progress in the domestic circuit.Maqsood was a potential candidate to break into the squad, having scored 287 runs at an average of 41 for Faisalabad in the National T20 Cup, but was eventually left out because of fitness concerns. However, Inzamam did say that he could be in contention for the T20 series.The first of five ODIs will be played in Wellington on January 6.

As Benjamin Pavard’s move to Inter Milan trickles closer to completion, Manchester United have been forced to assess other defensive options in the market.

Whilst Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez appear to be the cemented first-choice centre-back pairing for Erik ten Hag, their competition isn’t exactly inspiring.

Harry Maguire’s reputation has been decimated since the arrival of the Dutch coach last summer, having lost his place in the side to Martinez and being stripped of the captaincy in favour of the indomitable Bruno Fernandes.

Meanwhile, Victor Lindelof, who has been at Old Trafford since 2017, has failed to fill any fan or manager with confidence due to his lack of influence and inconsistency.

Ten Hag must find reinforcements, and it appears the club is working to achieve this…

What’s the latest Manchester United transfer news?

Writing exclusively for CaughtOffside on the Daily Briefing Substack, reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano explained that the Red Devils must sell Harry Maguire before they can make another defensive signing, with Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo on the shortlist.

United are also interested in Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

Romano said:

“Jean-Clair Todibo has always been the other name on United’s list alongside Edmond Tapsoba and Marc Guehi, but honestly at the moment, the Harry Maguire situation is completely quiet. Nothing is happening with Maguire after his move to West Ham collapsed, and so Man United are not close to signing any new centre-back.”

Would Jean-Clair Todibo be a good signing for Manchester United?

Since joining Nice in 2021, the 23-year-old has established himself as a highly efficient and dominant centre-back.

Last season, in 33 Ligue 1 starts, the £21k-per-week titan averaged 2.2 tackles per game, 1.2 interceptions per game, 3.1 clearances per game, and 0.6 blocks per game – his numbers for the final couple of metrics rank second-highest in the squad.

His talent has been recognised by German legend Lothar Matthaus, who described the former Barcelona prodigy as the “best centre-back” he’s seen in a “long time.”

This level of praise was echoed by former Arsenal and current Cardiff City star Aaron Ramsey, who added:

“He’s very confident and he’s a great guy around the dressing room and he’s a very, very talented player, who can go all the way to the top.”

Maguire is somewhat of an easy target and to point out his deficiencies against a pacier, more dynamic, and younger defender is relatively straight-forward.

However, alongside the Englishman, Lindelof has also struggled and has often looked uncomfortable and underwhelming for United.

Unsurprisingly, Todibo – who is valued at around £20m by FootballTransfers – vastly trumps the Swede in numerous categories, related to ball-carrying and defensive actions.

This includes progressive passes per 90 (4.2 vs 3.35), successful take-ons per 90 (0.63 vs 0.09), tackles per 90 (2.33 vs 1.49), interceptions per 90 (1.37 vs 1.07), and blocks per 90 (1.27 vs 0.98).

In a season where United are looking to cement their position in the top four, whilst also mounting a serious Champions League campaign and potentially adding more silverware, then Todibo could be a crucial addition and a more reliable piece of depth than Lindelof.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their plans to strengthen their academy squad before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Sunderland transfer news?

According to Belfast Live, the Black Cats are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Glentoran youngster Rhys Walsh before next month's deadline.

The report claims that the talented teenager is spending the week on Wearside but that there are other Championship sides who are keen on securing his services.

Kristjaan Speakman is looking to bolster the development squad and is now eyeing a deal for the 17-year-old gem, who has been described as a 'leading' young talent in Northern Ireland, but will need to beat off competition from rival clubs.

If he arrives at the Stadium of Light on a permanent basis this summer, the club could be securing a prospect with the potential to be Chris Rigg 2.0.

How good is Chris Rigg?

The Black Cats already have one impressive teenager who is threatening to break into Tony Mowbray's set of frontline midfield option this season.

Rigg, who turned 16 in June, has already played four matches for the senior side and recently caught the eye with an outstanding performance against Crewe in the League Cup earlier this month.

The 16-year-old maestro, who has been an unused substitute in the Championship this season, recorded a Sofascore rating of 8.2 as he scored his first goal the club and completed both of his attempted dribbles, whilst the promising talent also won six of his ten duels and completed 91% of his attempted passes.

This performance suggests that Rigg has the quality and physicality to compete at senior level in spite of his inexperience and age, which is why he is such an exciting player for the Black Cats moving forward.

Walsh, meanwhile, has made three first-team appearances for Glentoran to date and has been capped nine times by Northern Ireland at U17 level, which suggests that he is seen as a promising player by his country's youth set-up.

The excellent youngster, who only turned 17 in July, was described as a "fantastic" prospect by manager Warren Feeney. This shows that he has impressed the Glentoran head coach, which is backed up by his, albeit limited, experience with the senior squad at such a young age.

Walsh could, therefore, be a player who has the potential to break into the first-team at Sunderland in the not-too-distant future as he is already on the fringes of the side, just as Rigg is currently for the Black Cats.

Speakman could save himself millions in the future by securing a deal for the 5 foot 8 dynamo now as the left winger could develop into an asset for Mowbray's team and take up a squad spot that would otherwise need to be filled by a proven signing from elsewhere further down the line.

Of course, the risk in buying young players is that they may not fulfil their potential but this way of working has taken Sunderland from League One to the semi-finals of the Championship over the last two seasons, which makes it difficult to question.

The four-wicket win, sealed in the last over, helped Comilla surge to the top of the points table

Mohammad Isam20-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBCBComilla Victorians surged to the top of the points table with their fifth successive win, beating a strong Dhaka Dynamites side by four wickets. Hasan Ali’s five-for helped bowl out Dhaka for only 128 before Shoaib Malik’s unbeaten half-century coolly finished the chase in the last over.With nine required off the last over, Malik carved the first ball from Mohammad Saddam for a four over point and an inside-edge off the third ball leveled the scores. Malik completed the victory off the next delivery, scampering for a single to end a match that had a couple of heated moments.But it was Hasan’s 5 for 20, his maiden five-for in the format, that had given Comilla the upper hand. He bowled out all five of the batsmen, pitching up fast deliveries on a length just ahead of half-volley, but not quite a yorker. He struck twice in the second over, before Sunil Narine and Kumar Sangakkara added 92 runs for the third wicket, and then got the side back into the game again as Dhaka slipped to 128 all out in 18.3 overs from a position of 104 for 2 in the 13th over.Narine lifts Dhaka
Hasan dismissed Evin Lewis and Mehedi Maruf off his first balls, making amends for having dropped Lewis in the previous over. Lewis was bowled trying to swing across a fast, full delivery. Maruf tried a similar thing, but was bowled by an inswinger that was directed at middle and leg stump, hit his pads and smashed into the off stump.At the other end, Narine had other ideas. Sent to open for the first time this season, he cracked a six off Hasan straight down the ground. Against spinners Rashid Khan and Mahedi Hasan, Narine hit sixes over square-leg and long-on. Al-Amin Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin were also hit for a straight six each before the latter removed Narine in the 14th over, an over after Sangakkara was dismissed.Narine had done his job though. A 92-run partnership with Sangakkara for the third wicket had given Dhaka a strong base that their big-hitters could exploit in the remaining 6.2 overs. Hasan, however, had different ideas.Hasan sinks Dhaka
One over after Narine was dismissed, Rashid fielded brilliantly off his own bowling to catch Pollard short of the crease. Rashid, off his own bowling, did brilliantly to cut out the ball and catch Pollard short of the crease. Then, Tamim brought back Hasan into the attack. Mosaddek’s middle-stump was disturbed first up, but the batsman didn’t take kindly to Hasan’s send-off and had to calmed down by Tamim as he left the field. Hasan then removed Saddam and Abu Hider, as Dhaka lost their last eight wickets for 24 runs.Comilla’s top order falls cheaplyAbu Hider and Sunil Narine got rid of the Comilla openers, Liton Das and Tamim in consecutive overs. Liton was bowled attempting an ugly slog, while Tamim was stumped charging at Narine after having hit him for a six off the previous ball.Imrul Kayes and Darren Bravo, who had replaced Marlon Samuels, added 35 runs for the third wicket before Imrul was undone by Saddam’s slower ball for 20. Narine got rid of Bravo with a beautiful delivery that spun from leg-stump and took the left-hander’s outside edge.Mohammad Amir then dismissed Jos Buttler in the 17th over, with Comilla still needing 30 runs to win.Malik finishes a tough chase
Two balls after dismissing Buttler, Amir removed Mohammad Saifuddin to leave Comilla in some trouble at 103 for 6. Malik took charge with a huge six off Saddam in the next over before milking singles off Narine in the penultimate over. Saddam couldn’t stop Malik in the end, as Comilla won with two balls to spare. He was unbeaten on 54 off 53 balls with a six and four boundaries.