Manchester United have been a side who have massively underachieved over the last few years, struggling to match any of the feats enjoyed by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson during his time in charge.

The Scotsman took the club to new heights, making them one of the most successful teams in world football, often a force to be reckoned with – leading to their various levels of success.

However, since his retirement over a decade ago, the Red Devils have been unable to add to their Premier League success, with Ruben Amorim the next man tasked with ending their drought.

He’s yet to completely transform the fortunes on the pitch, but signs have started to shine through with his philosophy enabling the Red Devils to defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup last weekend.

If they are to reach the next level under his guidance, this transfer window could be crucial as they look to make the step forward and turn around the early season slump under the former management team.

Man Utd hold concrete interest in Championship star

According to TEAMtalk, United ‘have formally registered their interest’ in Sunderland starlet Jobe Bellingham as a potential option to bolster Amorim’s midfield options, with a move potentially in store this month.

However, they aren’t the only Premier League side credited with an interest in the 19-year-old, with Crystal Palace also holding ‘concrete interest’ in the youngster, as per the report.

Jobe, the younger brother of Real Madrid star Jude, has impressed for the Black Cats throughout 2024/25, scoring four goals and registering three assists as they look to secure a return to the top flight.

The report states that the hierarchy are targeting some of the best young talents in England to provide the new boss with the tools to be an immediate and long-term success at Old Trafford.

Bellingham – who has been valued at around £20m – certainly would provide just that, having the star quality to form a phenomenal partnership with another English wonderkid at the heart of the side.

Why Bellingham would star alongside Mainoo for United

Kobbie Mainoo is the latest Red Devils star to break through the club’s academy before making a name for himself in the first-team, thriving beyond all imagination over the last 12 months.

He made his first top-flight start against Everton back in November 2023, before muscling his way into being a regular starter – subsequently earning a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024.

However, the 19-year-old has recently endured his first blip as a professional, struggling to maintain his performance levels of late, with the clash against Southampton evidence of just that, as he was replaced at half time.

It’s understandable that he’s suffered a slight drop in recent months, especially considering how quickly he emerged onto the scene, with fans needing to be patient to see the best of the academy graduate once again.

There’s no denying he’s a superstar talent, with bags of potential to even improve further – something which could happen if the club were to make a move for Bellingham Jr. in the coming weeks.

The Sunderland star, who’s been dubbed a “freak of nature” by teammate Dan Neil, has excelled in possession, averaging 4.8 progressive passes and one successful take-on per 90 – with Mainoo able to sit deeper and allow Bellingham to dictate the play.

Jobe Bellingham’s stats for Sunderland in the Championship (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	23
Goals & assists	7
Pass accuracy	85%
Progressive passes	4.8
Successful take-ons	1
Tackles won	2.3
Aerials won	2.1
Clearances made	2.5
Stats via FBref

However, the former Birmingham City man has also been impressive defensively, winning an average of 2.3 tackles and 2.1 aerials won per 90, making him the perfect box-to-box option alongside the academy graduate – a partnership that could easily last the next decade.

It’s crucial that the hierarchy get the recruitment correct in the coming windows after such reckless moves in previous years which have seen millions of pounds wasted on talents not up to the level required of England’s top flight.

However, Bellingham would be the right calibre of talent, with a move to the Premier League the next step for him after his successful stint at the Stadium of Light, also having the opportunity to develop and follow in the footsteps of his brother in becoming a leading European star.

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Ethan Lamb

Jan 17, 2025

Anil Kumble’s stint as head coach at Punjab Kings has come to an end after the franchise decided not to renew his contract.The decision to let Kumble go was taken by a board comprising multiple owners, including Bollywood actor Preity Zinta, industrialists Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia and Karan Paul and Kings’ chief executive officer Satish Menon. It is learnt that they are on the lookout for a new coach, who will be announced soon.Kumble joined Kings in 2020. In all three of the seasons that he was in charge of the team, they finished in the lower half of the IPL points table: sixth in both 2020 and 2021 when the league comprised eight teams, and sixth in 2022 when it expanded to a ten-team tournament.At the time, Kumble was the fifth coach Kings had appointed in five seasons after Sanjay Bangar (2014-16), Virender Sehwag (2017), Brad Hodge (2018) and Mike Hesson (2019).ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In 2020, Kumble was the only Indian head coach in IPL. Kings were the third IPL team he had worked with after his playing days, having earlier served as mentor for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. This was before he took the job of India head coach for a year in 2016.However, being at the helm of the Kings franchise whether as a captain or a coach, has never been an easy experience. Kumble, for example, was in charge of 42 matches. Kings won 19 and lost 23 under him. That is the second worst win-loss ratio for any team in IPL since 2020, only behind Sunrirsers Hyderabad.One of the original eight teams in the IPL, Kings – erstwhile called Kings XI Punjab – have made the play-offs only twice, including an appearance in the final in 2014.Constant chopping and changing of captains and coaches has hurt the franchise despite assembling a well-rounded squad at the 2022 auction. The big buys included the England pair of Liam Livingstone and Jonny Bairstow, South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, senior India batter Shikar Dhawan, and West Indies bowling allrounder Odean Smith.Ahead of the auction, Kings had retained the Indian pair of Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh.While Arshdeep’s skills and consistency made headlines during the tournament, and earned him a place in the national side, Agarwal struggled badly. Appointed as Kings’ captain last season, he managed only 196 runs at an average of 16.33 and a strike rate of 122.5. This performance was in complete contrast to the way he played in three previous IPLs. In 2019, Agarwal scored 332 runs at a strike rate of 141.88; in 2020, he got 424 runs at 156.45 and in 2021, he made 441 runs at 140.44.ESPNcricinfo experts Ravi Shastri and Daniel Vettori believed the question of whether or not to retain Agarwal as captain would be on top of the review list for Kings ahead of the 2023 season. Shastri felt that the added responsibility had an adverse effect on Agarwal’s output as a batter, which in turn resulted in his missing out on being selected to the Indian team for a T20I series against South Africa in June immediately after the IPL.Kings have refuted media reports quoting unnamed franchise officials speculating about Agarwal’s future as captain. It has been learnt that a final call on the matter will be taken by the new head coach.

Newcastle United have lofty ambitions this season. Missing out on qualification for the Champions League this term will have hurt Eddie Howe and his men, especially as they tasted the highs of the competition following a fourth place finish during 2022/23.

As such, the Magpies will need to strengthen their squad this month to reach Europe’s premier club competition, especially with so many good teams in the Premier League battling it out for the top four.

Howe can take solace in the fact he has perhaps two of the finest attacking talents in the top flight, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon performing wonderfully this season.

The duo have arguably kept the Toon in with a fighting chance of securing a Champions League spot for next term, plus with a shout of ending their 70-year major trophy drought.

The 2-0 win over Arsenal in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final will have the supporters dreaming of another Wembley appearance.

If they manage to keep Isak fit for the next six months, Newcastle will have every chance of achieving everything Howe set out to do this season.

Alexander Isak’s amazing season in numbers

Last season, the Swedish sensation scored 25 goals in all competitions for the club. It might not have been enough to secure them European football, but if it wasn’t for his ability in front of goal, Newcastle may have finished outside the top half of the table.

After a slow start – registering just one goal until the end of October in the Premier League – Isak has been on fire recently. Indeed, he has netted a goal in every one of the club’s previous seven league games, with the highlight being a hat-trick against Ipswich Town.

Across his 18 league matches, the former Borussia Dortmund striker scores a goal every 113 minutes, averages 3.1 shots per game and currently has a goal conversion rate of 24%.

Furthermore, when compared to his fellow peers in the Premier League, Isak truly shows how good he is.

This term, the striker ranks in the top 5% of strikers for non-penalty goals (0.8), the top 8% for total shots (3.38) and shot-creating actions (3.69) and in the top 18% for touches in the opposition penalty area (6.34) per 90 minutes, which is yet more evidence of his talents, establishing himself as one of the best strikers in the top flight.

With Gordon so often acting as a provider, imagine the club having another player who could supply Isak the way the former Everton starlet does.

Goals

10

21

13

Shots per game

2.3

2.8

3.1

Scoring frequency (minutes)

152

108

113

Goal conversion percentage

20%

27%

24%

Big chances created

2

5

7

There are still a few weeks left in the transfer window. Could the Magpies secure the signature of a player who was arguably among one of Europe’s finest just two seasons ago?

Newcastle eye move for Serie A sensation

According to French publication L’Equipe, Newcastle have emerged as a surprise name in the race for Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratkskhelia during the winter window, yet PSG are the firm favourite to sign him.

While the French giants lead the race, they currently have some reservations with regard to the finances of the deal, which may just open the door slightly for the Magpies to pounce.

If Howe wanted to add some star quality to his first-team squad, it would cost the club around €80m (£68m) to make it happen. For this sort of money, however, they would be bringing in a player who is at the very peak of his powers and could sparkle in the Premier League.

Still only 23, the Georgian has plenty of scope to improve further. Is Newcastle the ideal club for him?

Why Kvaratkskhelia could be a dream signing for Isak

Kvaratkskhelia became a household name during his maiden season in Serie A for Napoli. Having joined the club from Dinamo Batuni in the summer of 2022, the winger was outstanding as the Naples side captured their first league title since the days of Diego Maradona.

In 34 league games, the 23-year-old netted 12 goals while recording ten assists. Additionally, he averaged 1.6 key passes and succeeded with 2.2 dribbles per game along with creating 14 big chances in what was a stunning way to announce his arrival in a top-five league.

During that campaign, football talent scout Jacek Kulig lauded the player as “unstoppable” and it is hard to argue against that.

Another 20 goal contributions followed last season, although Napoli couldn’t make it back-to-back Scudetto triumphs, falling down to tenth place in what was a disappointing campaign.

He might not have been as productive during the current season, scoring just five goals in Serie A, but his side are occupying the top spot in the league at the time of writing.

When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Kvaratkskhelia currently ranks in the top 1% for total shots (3.95), the top 18% for successful take-ons (2.67) and in the top 9% for progressive carries (5.78) per 90 over the previous 365 days.

These statistics could allow the winger to shine in the Premier League, while Isak can hit new heights if he plays ahead of the Georgian, that’s for sure.

His ability to move the ball into the final third will give Isak more chances in front of goal and this will only improve Newcastle’s league standing.

At this moment in time, bringing in the Napoli star may seem like a pipe dream, but if they can provide a decent pitch to the player and his agent of the direction that Howe wants to take the club, they may just have a chance of signing him.

If they do secure his signature, it would signal a massive statement of intent by sporting director Paul Mitchell and could be the catalyst which helps the Magpies make a return to the Champions League next season.

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Manchester United legend David Beckham has landed his first TV chat show, with a host of A-listers lined up to feature.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man Utd legend gets his own TV show
• Beckham & Friends Live to air on Paramount+
• A-Listers set to appear on his show

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former England captain will host Beckham & Friends Live on Paramount+ and hopes to feature guests such as chef Gordon Ramsay and actors Tom Cruise and Ryan Reynolds, among others.

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• Getty Images Entertainment
  

  WHAT BECKHAM SAID

  He told America’s CBS Golazo sports network: “I’m really looking forward to turning up with a few mates, a few glasses of wine, watching the game and great conversation.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This comes off the back of his hugely successful Netflix documentary series, 'Beckham', which offered unprecedented access into the former Real Madrid star's life. claims this could pave the way for the 49-year-old getting into hosting football shows and being the heir apparent to Gary Lineker.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The first two episodes of the Inter Miami co-owner's show will be live from London and will cover the Champions League semi-final second legs between Inter Milan and Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal on May 6 and 7, respectively.

A fresh update has now been forthcoming on Leeds United’s hunt for a new striker in the final hours of the transfer window as Daniel Farke looks to bolster his ranks for the second half of the Championship season.

Leeds lay down Championship marker

Leeds put seven past a sorry Cardiff City side to maintain their spot at the top of the Championship in their most recent outing, with the thrashing of the Bluebirds helping them continue their record as the highest scorers in the division.

Farke’s side are favourites to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League after play-off heartbreak last season, and also boast the best goal difference and the second-fewest goals conceded as things stand, despite a series of injuries in midfield threatening to derail their campaign.

Leeds United in the Championship

Statistic

League Rank

Wins

18

2nd

Goals scored

60

1st

Goals conceded

19

2nd

Goal Difference

41

1st

After the game, Farke admitted that his side were open to recruiting further in the January window despite their impressive form to date.

“We spoke quite openly about [how] I totally trust this group and if we go with this group, I’m confident that we can finish in a top position”, the Leeds boss explained.

“But I think also it’s our responsibility as key people in the club to explore if there is something that could improve the group a bit and make the probability higher that we are successful in the end. To find something where we think, okay, it’s a good addition that’s affordable, we will go for it, and if not, then not.”

Now, one journalist has offered an update on their hunt for a striker.

Leeds striker latest

Heading into the final hours of the transfer window, Cameron Archer remains Leeds’ priority signing, but there is little sign that Southampton will let him leave the club despite the Englishman struggling for game time at St Mary’s.

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The 23-year-old has started just 10 times so far this season, but is deemed an important squad player and that decision has forced Leeds to seemingly look elsewhere.

One player that hit the headlines was Chelsea youngster Marc Guiu, who arrived at Stamford Bridge for £5m in the summer but has failed to make an impression on their Premier League squad despite hitting six goals in six Conference League outings.

Leeds were linked with a potential move for the Spaniard on a temporary basis until the end of the season, with Chelsea thought to be considering letting him leave in search of additional game time away from west London.

However, a move to Elland Road seems unlikely, at least according to Ben Jacobs. The reporter explained that ‘Leeds are not considering a loan move’ for the former Barcelona youngster.

For Farke’s side, it seems very much like it will be Archer or no-one on deadline day.

The Gunners were briefly level in the tie after Mariona Caldentey's penalty, but goals from Kadidiatou Diani and Melchie Dumornay gave OL the win

Arsenal will need to beat Lyon in France next week if they are to reach a first Women's Champions League final since they triumphed in the 2007 edition of the competition, after falling to a 2-1 defeat at home. The Gunners were by no means poor in the first leg of this semi-final and they had plenty of chances to get a positive result – they just didn't take them. Instead, clinical finishes from Kadidiatou Diani and Melchie Dumornay fired the eight-time European champions to victory in London, despite Mariona Caldentey briefly equalising from the spot.

It took Lyon just 17 minutes to break the deadlock, though they should've done so earlier when former Arsenal star Danielle van de Donk somehow missed from inside the six-yard box. It wouldn't come back to bite her, though, as Diani arrowed a shot beyond Manuela Zinsberger to put the visitors in a good position in the early stages. The Gunners had a whole host of opportunities to change the result, however, with Frida Maanum also guilty of a big miss and Alessia Russo watching a header crash off the bar, after Dumornay had hit the woodwork from range at the other end.

Despite more chances for Caitlin Foord, Beth Mead and Russo, it wasn't until 12 minutes from time that there was another goal and it was a controversial one. There were confusion, and no real appeals, when the referee was instructed by the VAR team to take another look at Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler making contact with Leah Williamson in the box, resulting in an Arsenal penalty that Caldentey coolly converted.

However, there was still time for Lyon to retake the lead, with an incisive team move finished off by Dumornay late on to give the French champions the advantage heading into their home leg next week.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Emirates Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Manuela Zinsberger (6/10):

Was very lucky to get away with palming the ball right into the path of Van de Donk early on. Was otherwise composed, though, including on the ball.

Emily Fox (5/10):

Had good moments, regularly popping up with important interventions, but was guilty of playing Diani onside for the opening goal and didn't get close enough to Dumornay for the second.

Leah Williamson (6/10):

Stood up well to Lyon's dangerous attack, thwarting a few promising moves, but was caught out when she stepped up late on and Dumornay burst into that space to put Lyon ahead again.

Steph Catley (6/10):

Had a couple of iffy moments, though was generally solid without being spectacular.

Katie McCabe (6/10):

Created plenty of chances with her balls into the box. Hard to ignore the disappointing role she played in Diani's goal when she jumped to intercept Carpenter's pass and got nowhere near it, however.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Kim Little (6/10):

Was sloppy in possession at times but battled hard to win it back and did so more than any other player.

Mariona Caldentey (7/10):

Was great on the ball but struggled to sprinkle her usual magic onto the game from a deeper position. Was cool as ever from the spot, though.

Frida Maanum (6/10):

A good performance, with her always looking to get a shot off and able to create a fantastic chance for Mead. Should've equalised with a header inside the six-yard box, however.

Getty ImagesAttack

Beth Mead (6/10):

Combined well with Fox and set Maanum up with a huge chance, though missed a great opening that the Norwegian provided for her in return. A lively but unpolished display.

Alessia Russo (6/10):

Didn't have much service at all. Was unlucky not to score late in the first half when a header from one of her only opportunities hit the bar.

Caitlin Foord (5/10):

Worked hard off the ball and created some promising moments, though did walk a fine line on a yellow card. Lucky not to be sent off, in truth.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Chloe Kelly (6/10):

Made a positive impact, both in open play and with her set-piece deliveries.

Stina Blackstenius (5/10):

Could've scored within seconds of coming on but opted to pass rather than shoot. Struggled to get involved otherwise.

Lia Walti (N/A):

Came on for the final few minutes, after Lyon retook the lead.

Victoria Pelova (X/10):

Introduced at the same time as Walti but didn't have much time to make an impact.

Renee Slegers (5/10):

Kept Caldentey in the deeper, central role she's thrived in as of late but it didn't quite pay off and it wasn't until the final five minutes that she pushed her further forward.

The 15-member squad also includes uncapped allrounder Sadaf Shamas

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2022Opener Sidra Ameen and wicketkeeper-batter Sidra Nawaz have been recalled into the Pakistan side for the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, which will be staged in Sylhet next month. The 15-member squad also includes uncapped allrounder Sadaf Shamas.Pakistan have made three changes to the side that turned out for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last month with Anam Amin, Gull Feroza and Iram Javed missing out. Bismah Maroof continues to captain the side which also has Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Umme Hani and Waheeda Akhtar as standby players.Ameen last played a T20I in 2019 but has shown impressive 50-over form this year. She was named Player of the Series in Pakistan’s 2-1 win over Sri Lanka in June with scores of 76, 123 and 19 in the three ODIs. She had also scored a century against Bangladesh at the Women’s World Cup in Hamilton earlier this year. Ameen was rewarded with a central contract for her stellar showing this year.”Sidra Ameen has been in good form of late. She did well in the practice matches and became only the second Pakistan women batter to score two ODI centuries recently. Her presence at the top of the order will instil stability,” Asmavia Iqbal, the national women’s selector, said.Nawaz, on the other hand, comes in as backup for frontline wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali. The 28-year-old has not played a single T20I this year but has been in the ODI scheme of things for Pakistan.”We have also selected an additional keeper in Sidra Nawaz because of the long duration of the tournament. On these tracks, we need a specialist wicketkeeper as a backup for Muneeba Ali, in case she becomes unavailable,” Iqbal said.”Sadaf Shamas did extraordinary well in the recent practice matches and we feel this was the right time to elevate her to the national side.”The release also stated that PCB will start the search for a new head coach after David Hemp decided to not extend his two-year contract in October.The rest of the side remains on a consistent line. The 15-player side and the reserves will take part in a ten-day camp in Lahore from September 18 to 27 before the squad departs for the tournament on September 28.The Women’s T20 Asia Cup will run from October 1 to 16, with seven teams competing in the T20 tournament. The first phase of the tournament will be played in a round robin style with four teams qualifying for the semi-finals. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and UAE are slated to take part in the tournament alongside hosts Bangladesh.The Asia Cup was last held in 2018 with Bangladesh clinching the title in a last-ball thriller. India are the most successful team at the tournament having won the trophy six times.Pakistan squad: Bismah Maroof (c), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Tuba Hasan Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Umme Hani, Waheeda Akhtar

Manchester City are now reportedly ready to continue their hefty spending this January by adding another star to their ranks after one report claimed that the Blues are ready to meet his price tag in the final days of the transfer window.

Manchester City spend big

Pep Guardiola’s side rarely spend big in January, but having suffered a historically bad run of form in the first half of the season that left their Premier League defence in tatters and Champions League hopes on a knife edge, they have been the biggest spenders in Europe so far this month.

They recruited defensive duo Abdukodir Khusanov (20) and Vitor Reis (19) for a combined £65m, and then spent almost that again on securing Bundesliga star Omar Marmoush from Frankfurt, eventually sealing a deal worth £63m to bring the free-scoring Egyptian to the Etihad Stadium.

Man City's most expensive signings of all time

The Citizens have spent a lot of money over the years.

ByBarney Lane Jan 28, 2025

Both Khusanov and Marmoush made their debuts for the club against Chelsea, to different degrees of success. While Marmoush looked lively and had a goal ruled out for offside, Khusanov handed Chelsea their first goal three minutes into his debut before being booked and subsequently removed before the hour mark.

The trio are expected to make an impact in the short term but have been signed with at least one eye on the future, with several of Manchester City’s stars now reaching the end of their storied careers and likely to depart in the coming months.

One has already done so, with Kyle Walker completing a move to AC Milan on an initial loan move after requesting to leave, leaving Man City short at the back. Now, they are looking to fix that with another massive signing.

Manchester City ready to match asking price for defender

That comes as a report from Italy claims that Manchester City are now ready to meet Juventus’ asking price to sign defender Andrea Cambiaso in the final days of the winter window.

The Blues are known to be keen admirers of the defender, who excels at inverting into central areas of the pitch and has been dubbed “an excellent playmaker from deep” as well as praised for his defensive qualities by Football Analyst Ben Mattinson.

Though he only signed a new 5-year-deal back in May, worth a reported £72,000 per week, the door has been opened to his potential departure from Turin this month.

It had previously been claimed that City were making progress to land the young Italian, and now reports from Italy believe a deal is edging ever closer. As per TuttoSport [via Sport Witness] ‘Pep Guardiola wants the versatile player at all costs’, while another Italian outlet claims that they are ready to pull the trigger on a deal.

Appearances

21

Starts

17

Goals

2

Assists

1

Yellow Cards

4

Indeed, it is claimed that Juve want €70m (£60m) and City will bid around €60m plus the extra €10m in potential bonuses. Though no offer has yet been made, “there is confidence” that one will arrive as soon as Thursday, while for their part Juventus “will consider selling the player” for that fee as they battle persistent financial problems.

Should he sign for City, it would take their spending to almost £200m, by far and away the most in Europe this month, and could set them up for the next decade.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy to be played between October 11 and December 2

06-Sep-2022

Madhya Pradesh are the defending champions of the Ranji Trophy•PTI

The BCCI has awarded both Saurashtra and Madhya Pradesh an opportunity to compete in the Irani Cup during the 2022-23 season.Saurashtra will play the season-opener against Rest of India from October 1-5 at Rajkot, their home ground, while Madhya Pradesh, winners of the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy, will play their corresponding fixture from March 1-5 in Indore.The board issued a circular to all state associations, with the calendar along with venues for the 2022-23 season. There had been some miscommunication earlier when it was assumed MP would play the season-opening Irani Cup.The squad had also begun their pre-season training, with special emphasis on red-ball cricket, on the assumption that they would be playing this fixture.Saurashtra were belatedly awarded the game they were denied in 2020, when they beat Bengal to clinch their maiden Ranji Trophy crown. They were slated to host the Irani Cup the following week, but the game was postponed indefinitely owing to the onset of the covid-19 pandemic that led to a nationwide lockdown in India.Meanwhile, Kolkata and Ahmedabad will host the knockout stages of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), respectively. SMAT, the domestic T20 event, will take place from October 11 to November 5, while the VHT one-day competition will run from November 12 to December 2.Lucknow, Indore, Rajkot, Punjab and Jaipur will host the league-stage matches of the SMAT, while Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata and Ranchi will stage the VHT league fixtures.The BCCI is conducting a full-fledged domestic season in 2022-23 after truncated versions in 2020-21 and 2021-22 because of the pandemic.The season will begin with the Duleep Trophy, from September 8 to 25 across three venues – Coimbatore, Pondicherry and Chennai, while the Ranji Trophy – back in the home-and-away format, will be played from December 12 and February 20.

Still desperately searching for reinforcements, Manchester United are now reportedly set to accelerate a move to sign a young forward in an alternative to Mathys Tel ahead of Monday’s deadline.

Man Utd transfer news

After a month full of frustration on the transfer front, the Red Devils are at least set to get their business underway and welcome Patrick Dorgu from Lecce. The left wing-back will finally provide Ruben Amorim with a natural option for his 3-4-2-1 system and solve a Luke Shaw problem that has persisted under a number of different managers over the years.

However, those at Old Trafford may not be done there. Bayern Munich’s Tel still has quite the decision to make after seemingly rejecting Tottenham Hotspur and becoming the subject of Manchester United’s interest, making him one to watch.

He’s not the only young forward on their radar, though, and the Premier League giants could yet turn towards an alternative if they suffer the same fate as Tottenham in the coming days.

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According to FootMercato, Manchester United are now accelerating their operation to sign El Bilal Toure before Monday’s deadline. However, to say that any deal would be a complicated one would be an understatement.

First and foremost, Stuttgart are reportedly looking to make Toure’s loan move from Atalanta permanent by triggering their €18m (£15m) option.

The German club will then reportedly aim to sell the 23-year-old to Manchester United for €25m (£21m) plus bonuses before loaning him back from Old Trafford for the rest of the season.

It’s worth noting that to complete all of those stages, Manchester United, Atalanta and Stuttgart have just two days until the window slams shut.

"Strong" Toure could be Hojlund repeat

23 years old and a player who’s yet to truly set the world alight on the goalscoring front, Toure is showing far too many similarities to Rasmus Hojlund, who has struggled in a Manchester United shirt. And the last thing that the Red Devils need is another struggling striker having already welcomed Joshua Zirkzee last summer.

Minutes

314

1,089

Goals

2

2

Assists

1

0

Expected goals

1.6

2.4

Struggling for minutes on loan at Stuttgart, Toure is unlikely to find the game time he needs at Manchester United, even as Hojlund and Zirkzee continue to struggle under Amorim.

That has not stopped the praise from coming his way since arriving in Germany, with Stuttgart board member Fabian Wohlgemuth saying via the Bundesliga’s official website: “El Bilal Touré is another strong addition to our attack.

“He has demonstrated his qualities in France, Spain and most recently in Italy with Atalanta. He’s the type of player we haven’t had before, and his exceptional speed will add another important facet to our attack.”