All posts by h716a5.icu

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.

Celtic have been able to dip into the market to bolster their playing squad during the summer transfer window to sign five new players so far.

Who have Celtic signed this summer?

Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers made Norwegian midfielder Odin Thiago Holm the first arrival of his second spell at Parkhead in June.

Australia international Marco Tilio became the second signing to improve the team's options out wide before South Korean duo Hyeok-kyu Kwon and Hyun-jun Yang arrived on the same day.

The most recent addition was Polish central defender Maik Nawrocki on a permanent deal from Legia Warsaw and he made his debut in last weekend's 4-2 win over Ross County on the opening day of the campaign.

There could be more signings on the horizon, though, as the club have been linked with interest in Manchester City central midfielder Tommy Doyle.

How good is Tommy Doyle?

The England U21 international is a creative maestro who could add another attacking threat to Rodgers' stable of options in that area of the pitch.

His potential to be an outstanding creator for the Bhoys in midfield could mean that the Northern Irish tactician is able to make centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi even better by providing the number nine with another player to supply him with a constant stream of chances.

The Japan international was the club's main source of goals last term with an incredible return of 27 Scottish Premiership goals – 16 more than any of his teammates.

However, the addition of Doyle could result in the 28-year-old marksman improving upon that tally due if Pep Guardiola's prospect is able to kick on and showcase the best of his creative abilities after some first-team experience in England.

The 21-year-old ace assisted seven goals in 38 matches on loan at Sheffield United last season but his form during his last campaign for Manchester City's U21 side suggests that he has the ability to set-up his teammates far more frequently.

Doyle racked up an outstanding ten assists, alongside four goals, in 18 Premier League 2 matches for the young Cityzens team throughout the 2020/21 season.

This means that the £7k-per-week wizard assisted a strike every 1.8 games on average and that would make him a standout for the Hoops if he is able to finally translate that form over to first-team football after a year of development at Bramall Lane.

Matt O'Riley (12) is the only current Celtic player who produced more than eight league assists in the Scottish Premiership last season and the Denmark international provided one every 3.16 outings on average.

Therefore, Doyle, who talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed "fantastic", has the potential to be the outstanding creative threat for Celtic from midfield and could be able to regularly set up his teammates for opportunities at the top end of the pitch.

This is why Rodgers could make Kyogo even better by signing the English technician as the Hoops boss could improve the quality of chance creation coming from that position, which would provide the Japanese finisher with even more openings in front of goal to improve upon his already-impressive tally for the Scottish giants.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Doyle will be able to produce performances in line with the ones he displayed for City's youth team but the scope is there for him to be a big success, and bringing him in on loan is a worthwhile gamble, on paper, for the club to make.

The four-day fixture in Vijayawada, however, will be played during the day, because there are no floodlights at the venue

Shashank Kishore27-Sep-2017The BCCI is set to extend its pink-ball trial from the ongoing Duleep Trophy to the second unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand A in Vijayawada starting September 30. However, the match will be played during the day, as opposed to the customary pink-ball practice of playing under lights, because of a lack of floodlights at the venue.The change was made in consultation with New Zealand Cricket.Ten out of 14 members of the current India A squad featured in the day-night Duleep Trophy opener, which was played with the pink ball in Lucknow. The BCCI is said to have received positive feedback from several members, though there are no plans of staging a day-night Test in India in the near future.New Zealand Cricket’s approval of the decision came after Auckland’s Eden Park got clearance to host the country’s maiden day-night Test against England in March 2018. The NZC felt that early exposure to the pink ball against a “quality opponent” would help the players adjust ahead of their home summer.Six centrally-contracted cricketers – Jeet Raval, Colin Munro, Matt Henry, Henry Nicholls, Ish Sodhi and George Worker – are among the 15-member New Zealand A squad that is currently in India for two four-day games and five one-day matches. Feedback from players at this stage, the board felt, could be crucial in the implementation of the pink ball in the Plunket Shield and in their build-up to the England Test.New Zealand played the first-ever day-night Test, against Australia in Adelaide in November 2015. Since then, NZC has been open to experimenting with the format at home but faced hurdles.A proposed round of Plunket Shield matches with the pink ball was scrapped in 2015-16 due to the quality of lights at Napier’s McLean Park, leading NZC to abandon plans of hosting a day-night Test against South Africa earlier this year.The trial at Eden Park earlier this year received positive feedback from the players, however, and the venue is set for day-night Test cricket next year.

Negotiations are "ongoing" over a contract extension for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, according to an encouraging update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

How good is Bruno Guimaraes?

The Brazilian moved to St James' Park back in January 2022, and it's fair to say that he has made an enormous impact since arriving at the club. He has added a huge amount of quality in the middle of the park, but also brought fight and team spirit to the team, immediately becoming one of the most popular players among the fanbase.

Last season, Bruno scored four goals and registered five assists in the Premier League, with his influential box-to-box performances playing a huge role in Newcastle finishing fourth in the table and securing a return to the Champions League.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

The 25-year-old's importance is going to be just as great in 2023/24, and he goes into the campaign as arguably one of the standout midfielders in the country. That means that there is always going to be potential interest in him from big clubs around the world, and while his current Magpies deal doesn't expire until 2026, those high up at the club will want to retain his services for as long as possible into the future.

Will Bruno Guimaraes sign new Newcastle deal?

Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano claimed that talks over a new deal for Bruno are progressing well, with an extension looking likely currently:

"Negotiations are ongoing at Newcastle over the new contract of star midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. The club are confident of reaching an agreement with the player, as their first proposal in terms of salary was not at the level Bruno expected, but talks continue.

"For Newcastle, the Brazilian’s contract is a priority; therefore, they are not currently searching the market for replacements should Guimaraes decide not to sign a new deal."

This is great news for Newcastle, with Bruno's long-term future being tied down arguably as important as any new signing through the door this summer, whether it be Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes or a potential new arrival between now and the end of the transfer window.

The Brazil international has been such a fantastic addition to Eddie Howe's side – Alan Shearer has hailed him as "superb" – proving to be a footballer who shines in all facets of his games, and he has been a major reason for the Magpies' recent resurgence and top-four finish last season.

Bruno certainly appears to be happy at Newcastle, and there is no reason why any player would want to leave at the moment, given their upward trajectory as a club, but a new contract would just give the club that extra security when it comes to the bargaining position they are in, should a club like Real Madrid tempt him in the future.

At this point, though, it would be a major surprise if Bruno moved away from St James' Park any time soon, as he continues to be one of the poster boys for this exciting new era, preparing for what will hopefully be his best season yet in a Magpies shirt.

Remains eligible for a national call-up whenever available in the future; Lockie Ferguson set to take McClenaghan’s place in list of 21 contracted players

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2017With 82 ODI wickets in 48 matches, he stands a chance to be the fastest New Zealander to 100 ODI scalps, but it is possible Mitchell McClenaghan may not even take a shot. His request to be released from a central contract to pursue a future in overseas T20 leagues has been accepted by New Zealand Cricket. This was almost a formality after McClenaghan had been picked up by Durban Qalandars in the new Global T20 league in South Africa. McClenaghan expects to play in the Big Bash League, which begins three days after the South African league ends on December 16.While McClenaghan, 31, stays eligible for selection for New Zealand whenever available in the future, it is hard to envisage a time when he won’t be busy playing in the T20 leagues. He has been an integral part of Mumbai Indians in the IPL, St Lucia Stars in the CPL and Middlesex in county cricket. Add two more leagues to his commitments, and the only time he might have left to play for New Zealand is in world events. A precedent of such a return is Daniel Vettori’s participation in the 2015 World Cup.Lockie Ferguson picked up the contract vacated by McClenaghan. New Zealand, top-ranked in T20Is and on No. 5 in ODIs, have a big limited-overs home summer lined up with Test series being cut to two each to make space for more limited-overs cricket. New Zealand are supposed to play 13 bilateral ODIs, six bilateral T20 internationals and a triangular series of T20Is with Australia and England. They will play only four Tests.”Some new playing opportunities have arisen in the past few weeks, which mean my circumstances have changed,” McClenaghan said. “I’m very grateful for the respect, understanding and goodwill which has underpinned my request to be released from my NZC contract. I’ve worked closely with NZC throughout the process, while also making it clear I still harbour ambitions of playing for New Zealand in the future.”The general manager of NZC High Performance, Bryan Stronach, suggested more releases are not unimaginable. “We have to recognise that, as the T20 game matures, specialists will want to explore the different opportunities that become available – and I think Mitch’s case is symptomatic of that,” Stronach said. “This agreement has been reached amicably and mutually; all parties understand the change in Mitch’s circumstances, and he is released from his contract with our best wishes.”Unable to match the offers made by the global leagues, NZC remains flexible in its contracts when a player wants to choose leagues over international cricket. It means McClenaghan could have stuck with his national contract and obtained no-objection certificates whenever he wanted to play in other leagues, but that would mean being available for New Zealand in every small break between his leagues commitment.

West Ham United have held an “initial discussion” regarding a summer move to bring Ajax star Edson Alvarez to the Premier League, according to reliable journalist Ryan Taylor.

Who is Edson Alvarez?

Alvarez is primarily a defensive midfielder who has plied his trade at the Johan Cruyff Arena since 2019 having moved there from CF America, and he’s been a regular feature ever since having made a total of 147 appearances to date.

The Mexico international does still have another two years to run on his contract, but having established himself as the Eredivisie outfit’s overall best-performing player last season with a WhoScored match rating of 7.34 following the departures of Antony and Dusan Tadic, he’s caught the eye of David Moyes in E20.

Read The Latest West Ham Transfer News HERE…

The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed earlier this month that the Irons had made contact to express their interest in signing the 25-year-old, and whilst an offer is yet to be made, it was reported by the same outlet that one would be on the horizon.

Most recently, Ajax’s sporting director Sven Mislintat publicly admitted during an interview with Aglemeen Dagblad that there was attention surrounding his prized asset, but stated that a replacement would need to be found before sanctioning his sale.

Are West Ham signing Edson Alvarez?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Taylor claimed that West Ham have talked about the possibility of submitting an official offer for Alvarez who they would likely be able to afford given his acceptable price tag. He said:

“Edson Alvarez, from what I understand, is a target. There has already been initial discussion and, you know, Ajax are a club that have shown a willingness to sell this summer, but it would take a bid of about £35m to get that done from what I understand, which is a fee which is definitely affordable given the Palhinha bid that just went in, but it seems West Ham are a little bit hesitant on that one at the moment.”

Who could Edson Alvarez replace?

West Ham are still yet to replace their former captain Declan Rice following his £105m move to Arsenal so the boss will be in the market to find a suitable successor, and having been dubbed a “monster” by journalist Felipe Cardenas, Alvarez could be the perfect candidate.

The Adidas-sponsored ace last season ranked in the 99th percentile for clearances and aerial wins whilst winning 40 out of his 71 tackles which was the highest success rate throughout the whole of his squad, via FBRef, showing that he’s not afraid to put his body on the line, make a challenge and get stuck in to clear the danger from his area.

Ajax’s talisman, who has the versatility to operate at centre-back and right-back alongside his usual role, also got involved with efforts in the final third having posted six goal contributions (three goals and the same number of assists) in the Eredivisie, so for such a well-rounded player, it would be a massive coup for the Scottish boss to secure his target’s services in the weeks ahead.

India’s ODI opener reflects on a decade in international cricket and how he spent the days sitting out of the Test series against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-20172:08

‘Everyday is a learning day’ – Rohit

Rohit Sharma has never officially been a part of the Indian team’s leadership group, not even in limited-overs cricket, where he has established himself with consistent performances. Now, after ten years in international cricket, Rohit has been named the vice-captain of the Indian team for their five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka that starts on August 20.”It’s an honour to be appointed vice-captain. Ten years ago, I was only thinking about playing for India. Being vice-captain now feels really good,” Rohit said at a press conference in Pallekele, two days after India crushed Sri Lanka by an innings and 171 runs in the third Test to win the series 3-0. “Whenever the opportunity comes, in the first one-day international on August 20, there will be some sort of role I have to play. I’m looking forward to it. Rather than thinking too much about it, I just want to enjoy the moment.”Rohit isn’t new to captaincy. He brings along not just the experience of having led teams, but having done so with outstanding success. Since taking over from Ricky Ponting halfway through the 2013 season, Rohit has led Mumbai Indians to three IPL titles in five seasons.”IPL is a completely different ball game and international cricket is completely different,” he said. “But, yes, the excitement and energy remain the same, so nothing changes too much. In the IPL, I was captain, so I was more in front; here, I have to play a little behind-the-scenes role, but yes, I’ll be very excited to step on to the field as vice-captain of the Indian team.”Rohit took no part in the Tests, where India swept a series of three or more matches for the first time outside home. Rohit had just started to be picked consistently in the Test side at the start of India’s home season last year. He struck three half-centuries in three Tests against New Zealand, but a thigh injury sustained in the ODIs put him out of the rest of the season. Though he was recalled to the Test side for the Sri Lanka tour, he had to be overlooked to accommodate an allrounder in Hardik Pandya.”Nobody likes to sit out, but it all depends on the team dynamics, and what the captain and coach want, and you got to accept the fact and move forward,” Rohit said. “I kept working on my skills and tried to see where I can improve as a cricketer. You can’t sit here and waste time. All I was trying to do these past three-four weeks was to just improve my skills, see where things are going wrong, and try and strengthen the strengths I have talking to all the coaches there. They’ve been looking after us for a long time and they know what exactly has been going on with each individual. You always try to improve as a cricketer. It was great to watch everyone displaying their skills and winning 3-0 outside India. Great achievement.”Rohit placed particular emphasis on the sweep – both conventional and reverse – during the team’s training session on Wednesday. Sri Lanka’s squad has five spinners. While Malinda Pushpakumara is uncapped in ODIs, he comes with a shedload of first-class wickets, and Wanindu Hasaranga and Lakshan Sandakan did well in the ODIs against Zimbabwe.”It’s something that the game demands these days, you’ve got to be innovative and play different kinds of shots to get maximum results,”Rohit said. “Like I said, you keep learning every day, so I have been trying to see what I can bring into my armoury. Every addition to your armoury is a good thing, and what better place than coming here and doing it. That’s what training sessions are for – to improve your skills and try and get better as a player.”Rohit reflected on a decade-long international journey that has been filled with ups and downs. “It’s gone very fast, those 10 years. Of course, there have been ups and downs, but that’s how it is for any sportsman. That’s how it should be, you get to learn a lot more from ups and downs, it teaches you lot many things.”Every day is a learning day. Today, I got to learn something playing those sweeps and reverse sweeps. That’s the opportunity I always wait for, to get on to the field and learn something. Initially, in limited-overs, I used to play too many shots at once. Now, I have realised it cannot be just about going out there and slogging every time, you’ve got to understand the situation and conditions. That is something I have learned these few years with the help of so many coaches around. I will continue to learn, you never stop learning. That’s the greatest part about this sport. There’s lot more to do and I look forward to it.”

Everton have been tracking Oumar Solet, and they could be set to make a move for the RB Salzburg defender this summer, according to a recent report from The Daily Mail.

What's the latest Everton transfer news?

Everton boss Sean Dyche has recently admitted he has found it difficult to bring in some of his key targets this summer:

"It's a tough market," he said. "There is only so much that we can do, so we are working very hard – I can assure everyone of that – to construct deals that can work.

"There is no exact moment until it's over the line. There have been situations where we have been into where we thought we were going to get it over the line and we don't – that's the way it goes.

A new defender remains of interest to Dyche, with it recently being reported that Mason Holgate is expected to move on this summer, however the manager is set to miss out on Facundo Gonzalez, who he became keen on during the U20 World Cup.

As such, the Toffees could now turn their attention to another young defender, with The Daily Mail reporting they have been tracking Solet, who they could make a move for at some point.

Newcastle United are also interested in signing the Frenchman, and the Premier League duo may hold an advantage over the likes of Torino and Inter Milan in the race for his signature, as he has admitted he is keen on a move to England, saying:

‘I have a lot of ambitions, to be honest. I’m just on my way – for sure the Premier League excites me a lot,’

‘I feel it’s a league that I can perform in really well and it can bring me to the top. It’s probably the best league in the would. I feel if I have the chance it’s going to help make me become the top player I want to be."

What position does Oumar Solet play?

The Red Bull Salzburg star has most commonly been utilised at centre-back throughout his career so far, however he has also slotted in at defensive midfield on occasion, indicating he could be a versatile option for Dyche.

Speaking about his key strengths, the 23-year-old has said: "I’m a quick player and feel like I’m strong. I think I’m a player who is ready for the 1v1 situations – I like to compete with strikers. This is my mindset.

"For any team I feel I can bring something with my quality and intelligence."

The £5.8k-per-week defender has also been hailed as "superb" by journalist Zach Lowy, for the way in which he tracks opposing forwards' movements, and drives forward with the ball.

Solet already has experience playing in the Champions League with RB Salzburg, and with Newcastle also in the race for his signature, it may be difficult for the Toffees to tempt him into a move.

However, if Dyche is able to bring the 6 foot 3 titan to Goodison Park, there is every indication he would be a solid addition to the squad.