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Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing the acquisition of a "magnificent" defender on a free transfer next year.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans are absolutely flying under Unai Emery this season, having recovered so well from the shock 5-1 defeat away to Newcastle United on the opening weekend of the campaign.

Emery's men now sit fifth in the Premier League table, and only four points behind current leaders Tottenham, and there is no reason why they can't mount a genuine push for Champions League football given their ability to score goals so freely.

Villa have been linked with a move for a number of players recently as the look to add even more attacking quality, including Besiktas forward Semih Kilicsoy, but they may also need to add to their defensive departments, with the likes of Alex Moreno and Tyrone Mings suffering long-term injuries.

It looks as though the Midlands side are now eyeing a player who is already plying his trade in British football – one with plenty of experience at both club and international level.

Aston Villa eyeing Borna Barisic as a free agent

According to a new report from Italian publication Calciomercato, Villa are interested in signing Rangers defender Borna Barisic in the near future. The Villa target is out of contract at the end of this season, at which point he will be available on a free transfer, and Emery could be ready to pounce.

Barisic's statistics for Rangers show what a consistent player he has been for them down the years, with 215 appearances coming his way and an overall tally of 52 assists. He has also won 35 caps for an impressive Croatia team, during a generation that has seen him play alongside the likes of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Ivan Perisic.

This all outlines why the left-back could be a really shrewd signing by Villa in one of the next couple of transfer windows, bringing plenty experience to the squad, as well as attacking quality, all without a transfer fee.

Appearances

215

Goals

9

Assists

52

At 30 years of age, Barisic wouldn't necessarily be seen as a long-term option for Emery, but he still has enough years left in him to be an important figure for a while, especially at a time when footballers can often tend to peak later.

Journalist Quentin Gesp has lauded the Rangers ace as "magnificent" in the past, and he could come in and provide good competition for Lucas Digne and Moreno at left-back, allowing Emery to shuffle his pack more often and have even more depth at his disposal.

It could be that next summer is the most likely time for Villa to sign Barisic, with a January switch likely to require a transfer fee, but either way, he would be an astute addition if he does complete a move to Villa Park.

How Bangladesh’s shaky top order fares against an in-form India attack, and how India fare should their in-form openers fail are questions that could define the final

The Preview by Mohammad Isam27-Sep-20182:49

Manjrekar: India-Bangladesh final reflective of change in Asian hierarchy

Big PictureThe organisers and broadcasters may have salivated at the possibility of three India-Pakistan matches in the Asia Cup but the third one, the final, is a non-starter. Instead, Bangladesh, ravaged by the injuries to their top players, have strode into their third Asia Cup final in the last four editions. Their dismantling of Pakistan in the do-or-die Super Four encounter on Wednesday confirmed that come the final, they will be as prepared as India.Mushfiqur Rahim, who steered Bangladesh’s batting in the absence of Tamim Iqbal in the earlier part of the tournament, once again proved to be their pillar against Pakistan, in which they were also without Shakib Al Hasan. Mahmudullah and Mohammad Mithun have also supported him, while Mashrafe Mortaza has led the bowling attack quite wisely, particularly with Mustafizur Rahman rising as a bowling leader. Mehidy Hasan has given them good starts too with the new ball. Bangladesh would need their bowling trio to be at their best against a tough as teak India top order.Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma will be key wickets for Bangladesh, as they are among the top three run-getters in the tournament. Dhawan, who has scored two centuries so far, has looked a completely different batsman than the one who struggled against the red ball in England. Top-order runs have been a given for India in the tournament so far, which is why Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni and Kedar Jhadav must remain vigilant if they are required for a bigger role in the final.India’s bowling has kept most batting line-ups quiet in the tournament. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have looked in control, while the spin from Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav and Jadhav has claimed 23 scalps at an average of 25.26 and an economy of 4.17. They will pose a big threat to Bangladesh’s batting line-up, particularly the top order that hasn’t contributed much in the tournament.Any three of Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain, Mominul Haque and Nazmul Hossain Shanto will be playing in the final, although all come with questions attached. Liton has scored the most runs among the five, but he dropped two catches against Pakistan after replacing Mushfiqur as wicketkeeper. Soumya and Mosaddek have been out of the runs for a long time, while Shanto has totalled only 20 in his three innings.So far, Bangladesh’s senior batsmen haven’t let an unsettled top-order deter them. But in the final, the pressure will be at a different level. How they manage to tackle India’s strong bowling attack will be the major battle within the battle. Also, it will make for interesting viewing should an in-form Bangladesh bowling attack trouble India’s top order.India might be the higher-ranked team, but, in the final, it seems like a battle of equals is in the offing.Form guideIndia TWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh WWLLWIn the spotlightMohammad Mithun’s calm under pressure against Pakistan saw him reaching his second half-century in the tournament. If presented with the opportunity, Mithun should look to extend his stay beyond the 60s.Dinesh Karthik lines up to play a shot•AFPMemories of Dinesh Karthik’s last-ball six in the Nidahas Trophy final in March will be fresh in Bangladesh’s mind. Karthik, who has made 109 runs in four innings so far, will also be keeping that blustery innings in mind while taking the field on Friday.Team newsA full-strength India means the return of Rohit, Dhawan, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar and Chahal to the XI. Therefore, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar and Siddarth Kaul will have to make way.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Jasprit BumrahBangladesh are unlikely to change their bowling attack, comprising three seamers, one front-line offspinner and three part-time bowling options. But what will they do about their underperforming top three? Will they give Liton, Soumya or Mominul another game?Bangladesh (probable): 1 Liton Das 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Imrul Kayes, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Mehidy Hasan, 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPitch and conditionsKeeping their players away from the oppressive heat during the daytime has been one of the reasons for captains to bat first in this tournament. But, in Dubai, the sides chasing have won more games. The weather will be no different in the final, with a maximum temperature of 41 degrees.Stats and triviaThree more wickets will take Mustafizur ahead of Rashid Khan, who has taken ten wickets, as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker. India’s openers have averaged 89.12 in ten combined innings in the tournament, while Bangladesh’s openers average 9.11 in the same number of innings. Quotes”Actions are stronger than words, they [Bangladesh] have got better and they are showing it through their performances. They have experienced players, they know their game, they know the strategies and how to play under pressure. They don’t have the dilemma and pressure of playing against a big team, which is very good for cricket.”
“Firstly, I don’t see myself as so cheap that I would judge myself on a trophy. Secondly, I have not played cricket for a trophy. A trophy is very important at one stage, and I believe one day Bangladesh will win one. It’s important because it will boost the young generation coming into cricket. So in that sense you can say that Bangladesh need a trophy, but it’s not that it has to be tomorrow. And from a personal standpoint, if you judge Mashrafe based on a trophy that is up to you, but I don’t see myself as that cheap.”

Manchester United have now made contact for an impressive defensive target as Erik ten Hag begins to step up his recruitment drive ahead of the January transfer window.

Manchester United updates

The Red Devils narrowly defeated Fulham in the Premier League at the weekend courtesy of a late strike from captain Bruno Fernandes to pick up their fourth victory in six matches across all competitions; however, it is fair to say that they have trod a tightrope within their recent run of fixtures. In between defeats against Manchester City and Newcastle United at Old Trafford, Ten Hag's four victories have all come by a single-goal margin.

Incredibly, their triumphs against Brentford and Fulham both came courtesy of injury-time strikes; meanwhile, Andre Onana was called upon in the dying embers of the Red Devils' 1-0 win against Copenhagen in the Champions League to make a dramatic penalty save from Jordan Larsson to save his side's blushes at Old Trafford.

On Saturday, some of the travelling Manchester United contingent unveiled a banner that read 'play like you mean it' amid a spate of underwhelming Red Devils' performances this term. Scotland international Scott McTominay revealed after the Fulham clash that the banner actually helped to spur his side on to claim three points at Craven Cottage.

He told TNT Sports: "We seen it, we seen the banner before the game and a few of us said, 'You know what? The fans pay good money to come and watch us every week and the support is relentless towards us every single week. We just want to repay them as best we can. Things aren't going the best at the moment but it's building blocks. Step by step and with the manager, the coaching staff, we trust them a lot, we trust the players and I feel we can go and kick on and do better."

Now, encouraging reports have emerged regarding Manchester United's pursuit of a January target who could help to alleviate the pressure on Ten Hag's shoulders.

Manchester United make enquires for Sacha Boey

Taking to social media platform X, RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins has confirmed that Galatasaray full-back Sacha Boey is a target for Manchester United, who have officially enquired about the availability of the Frenchman amid his contract stalemate at the Turkish giants. Boey's contractual situation could see him available as a free agent in the summer of 2025, having failed to agree a one-year extension to his current deal.

Sacha Boey defensive statistics 2023/24 – Turkish Super Lig (WhoScored)

Clearances per game

1.4

Successful tackles per game

2.5

Interceptions per game

1.8

Detailing the Red Devils' initiation of direct contact with Galatasaray, Hawkins wrote: "Things are stuck for the extension of Sacha Boey at Galatasaray. No agreement has been reached on the terms of this one-year extension. Manchester United have made inquiries about the Frenchman."

Boey, who shares the same agency as Manchester United full-back Luke Shaw, CAA Stellar, has already featured 20 times for Galatasaray this term, registering one assist in the process (Boey statistics – Transfermarkt).

As per Milliyet transcribed via One Football, former Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna has previously labelled Boey "great" amid previous links between the 23-year-old and Arsenal. Nevertheless, a move to Manchester United could now be on the cards for Boey as Ten Hag looks to bring in some extra quality come the January transfer window.

Sergio Aguero has revealed why he would have loved to play for Jurgen Klopp during his career.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Aguero a Manchester City legendRetired during his time at BarcelonaSays he would have loved to have played for Liverpool bossGetty WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester City are attempting to retain their Premier League title and are battling with both Liverpool and Arsenal for the trophy. City are currently third with 63 points, one point behind both the Gunners, in first, and the Reds in second, but the Anfield club have the motivation of knowing that Klopp will leave in the summer, and Aguero has praised the outgoing German.

AdvertisementWHAT AGUERO SAID

Speaking to Stake, he said: "Terrific manager, Klopp has certainly elevated Liverpool, allowing them to become a protagonist of the Premier League in recent years. He's made them more aggressive, more intense in their playing style. New players have arrived and Jurgen has managed to adapt them to this offensive mentality. He'll be sorely missed in the Premier League… but he's made his choice, and it's up to us to respect it. Any great manager will teach you many valuable things. It would have been a great experience for sure to play under Klopp."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Of course, the Argentina icon became a legend at City, winning the Premier League five times, but he says playing under Klopp would have been a pleasure for him, while he believes the Reds manager will be sorely missed by his peers. This season, Klopp has already won the Carabao Cup and has his sights set on a treble, as they can still win both the Champions League and the Premier League.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

City are next in action in a huge encounter against Arsenal on Sunday, with star defender Kyle Walker a doubt for that game due to injury. Liverpool, meanwhile, play Brighton.

New Zealand’s batting coach is hopeful of their chances ahead of a big series against the No. 1-ranked Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2018Although New Zealand are coming out of cricketing hibernation – they last played as a team in March – the batting coach Craig McMillan believes they will have a couple of things going for them when they play the top-ranked Pakistan in the first of three T20Is on Wednesday. First – a squad that has experience playing franchise T20s – and second – good memories of the last time they were in the UAE, when they earned a share of the Test and T20I trophies before going on to win the ODIs 3-2.”We’ve had a lot of players playing in different franchise competitions around the world from the CPL to the IPL to the NatWest over in England,” McMillan said. “So we’ve got a fair bit of experience. There’s nothing better than playing in those competitions. We know Pakistan are a very strong side; No. 1 in the world at the moment. Very hard to beat in home conditions. But we had a successful last tour here in 2014 and we’ve got a lot of the guys back from that trip and it’s something we’re looking forward to.”Out of the squad that New Zealand have picked for this tour, Kane Williamson captained Sunrisers Hyderabad into the IPL playoffs earlier this year. Colin Munro was the highest run-getter in the Caribbean Premier League 2018. Ross Taylor was also a part of that tournament, playing for Jamaica Tallawahs. Ish Sodhi had a run with Nottinghamshire in the T20 Blast. Tim Southee and Colin de Grandhomme had stints under Virat Kohli at the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp.Regardless of how New Zealand’s players have managed to stay match-fit, McMillan wanted them to be aware of their surroundings. Pitches in the UAE have seen a lot of cricket recently and are normally rather slow. Over the last three years, the average run rate in a T20I played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi – where all the matches will take place – has been 7.22.”Scores are a little bit lower over here in the conditions, which is something that we’ll have to talk about as a team,” McMillan said. “In New Zealand and in some other countries, you’re looking to score 170-180 but over here 150 has been a winning score, so we might have to tailor our gameplan around that.”The New Zealand A team, which has been in the country since the start of October, would have picked up on that as well. They were bowled out for 65 in the first unofficial T20I against Pakistan A, but then in the next two matches, with the benefit of batting second, they secured comfortable victories chasing 143 and 157.Glenn Phillips, who made back-to-back fifites, and Corey Anderson, having proved his fitness, have been picked from that squad in the senior side, which lost opener Martin Guptill to a calf injury a few days ago.To further prepare themselves for the series, New Zealand have been training at night to simulate the exact conditions they’ll face in the T20Is against Pakistan. “We’re mixing it up,” McMillan said. “A lot of them have come from four-day, red-ball cricket, so getting back into white-ball and T20 especially [is hard]. So throwing different scenarios at them, putting them under pressure, seeing how they react and how they find a way to win the game.”There’s different challenges for batsmen and bowlers in hot conditions and that’s one of the things the guys have to get right when they’re on the field, in terms of fluid intake, making sure they’ve got those energy levels up, because it does sap it out of you when it’s 35-40 C. That’s why it’s important just to get out, get them sweating, get them working in the field, so that come Wednesday night, we’re ready to rock and roll.”

West Ham United host Olympiacos in the Europa League group stage this evening.

Last time out, the Hammers slipped to a 2-1 defeat against the Greek giants, in what was a gut-wrenching performance, and David Moyes will be looking for a quick response from his side.

Olympiacos ended West Ham's 17-match unbeaten run in European competition and the pressure is all on the hosts to put in a much improved performance.

West Ham team news vs Olympiacos

After three consecutive losses in the Premier League, including a 3-2 defeat against Brentford last time out, the Irons failed to capitalise on their sensational 3-1 victory over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup last week.

The boundless energy and quality prevalent in that performance provided a flavour of what West Ham can serve up but four defeats in their last five matches in all competitions suggests their displays have been littered with inconsistency.

Moyes was without defensive stalwart Kurt Zouma, who failed a late fitness test prior to their defeat against the Bees, and that leaves him with a decision to make ahead of this contest.

The veteran manager has fielded a notoriously strong team in this competition and given how imperative it is that they wrap up all three points, that pattern is likely to continue.

Mohammed Kudus has started all three Europa League games so far, netting on matchday one against TSC, and he is the man in form for the hosts, having scored in both of his last two games, including a stunning acrobatic strike at Brentford.

On the opposite flank, Said Benrahma did start on the weekend as Lucas Paqueta was suspended after accumulating five yellow cards, however, the Algerian has been very poor this term and Moyes must replace him with the returning Brazilian this evening.

The stats that show Paqueta must start over Benrahma

Benrahma has started in three of West Ham's last four matches in all competitions but his performance in the reverse fixture against Olympiacos was dubbed as "disappointing" by journalist Roshane Thomas and for good reason.

The 28-year-old was incredibly weak and wasteful on the evening, as evidenced by him only winning two of his ground duels, completing only two dribbles and losing possession on 12 occasions, as per Sofascore.

With the above statistics plaguing the Hammers' chances of overturning the two-goal deficit, there was no surprise to see Moyes drag him off in the 58th minute, replacing him with Jarrod Bowen.

Unlike Benrahma, who has failed to have a positive impact at the top end of the pitch, Paqueta's wand of a left foot – as demonstrated perfectly by his wonderful strike against the Greek giants – possesses the quality to hurt his opponents in the final third, utilising his incisive dribbling and hawk-eye vision to devastating effect.

Stat

Lucas Paqueta

Said Benrahma

Minutes per game

89

48

Successful dribbles

77%

36%

Key passes

1.3

1.1

Big chances created

3

2

Balls recovered

7.6

3.4

Duels won

51%

33%

All stats via Sofascore

The above statistics suggest that the "incredible" Paqueta – as lauded by former West Ham frontman Frankie McAvennie – is making more purposeful contributions in the attacking half, including more dribbles, chances created and key passes while also offering more from a defensive standpoint with more duels and balls recovered.

Moyes must therefore drop Benrahma and unleash his skilful Brazilian against Olympiacos.

The Gunners winger is clearly an outstanding young talent but he has yet to prove he can shine in the champions' backyard

Bukayo Saka was buzzing after Arsenal beat Porto to progress to the last eight of the Champions League for the first time since 2010. But what arguably mattered more than the historic nature of the victory was the manner in which it had been achieved.

Arsenal had proved their mettle in a penalty shootout – a satisfying and significant achievement for a squad so often accused of lacking bottle, most infamously after last season's Premier League title collapse. All of a sudden, the upcoming trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City didn't seem so scary to Saka.

Indeed, when asked in his post-match interview on if Arsenal could win at the home of the champions, he replied, "Yeah, we can. We can." "Right now, we're top of the league, we're into the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and we're going into the international break," he pointed out. "So that gives us a lot of momentum, a lot of belief that we can go to the Etihad and get a good result."

The thing is, though, recent history does not bode well for Arsenal – or indeed Saka making a major statement of intent on Sunday. Mikel Arteta's men have known nothing but misery at Man City.

GettyOne 'win' in 10 games against City

Saka has faced City 10 times. Only on one occasion has he come out on the winning side, and that was on penalties in the meaningless Community Shield at the start of the current campaign – and even then only after Arsenal had levelled in the 11th minute of stoppage-time with a weak shot from Leandro Trossard that took a fortuitous deflection off Manuel Akanji.

Saka could claim an assist for that goal but, in truth, he had only played a simple pass to the Belgian wide on the left-hand side of the area. The reality is that he has never created a goal in his nine competitive outings against City – which includes a 5-0 drubbing at the Etihad in August 2021 and only goes to underline just how much one of the most effective wingers in the Premier League has struggled against Pep Guardiola's side.

AdvertisementGetty Title challenge ended at the Etihad

He does have a couple of goals, at least. The first was a smart finish at the Emirates on New Year's Day 2022 that ended Arsenal's run of six games without a goal against City, who still went on to win the game. The second was a penalty in the 3-1 home defeat last February that signalled an irreversible shift in power in last season's title race. Indeed, by the time Arsenal travelled to Manchester for the return clash just over two months later, the writing was on the wall.

City didn't just beat Arsenal, though, they bullied them, inflicting serious psychological damage on the young Gunners in a 4-1 win that effectively sealed a third consecutive title. Saka, the PFA's Young Player of the Year, barely got a look-in.

The fear obviously is that it will be a similar story this weekend.

Getty ImagesDifferent story this season?

Arsenal will obviously arrive at the Etihad in a very different state of mind to last April. By that stage, the wheels were well and truly coming off, with the Gunners having dropped six points in their previous three games by drawing with Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton, even throwing away two-goal leads in the first two fixtures. Therefore, defeat felt depressingly inevitable against a City side that had once again hit top form at the business end of the season.

This time around, Arsenal are flying, having gone top of the table thanks to eight consecutive league wins since the turn of the year. Saka has been unsurprisingly key. After just one goal in four months, he struck seven times in five games between January 30 and February 24. And yet doubts remain.

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Getty ImagesPoor performances against Porto

For all of Saka's understandable excitement after the Porto game, there's no getting away from the fact that both he and Arsenal performed poorly against the Portuguese side – and in both legs too.

Arsenal legend and pundit Martin Keown said that the England international "wasn't really himself" in the 1-0 loss at the Dragao, "giving the ball away" constantly, while even Saka admitted himself that he had not played well in the second leg at the Emirates.

In hindsight, he may well have been hampered by the minor muscular problem that prevented him from reporting for England duty during the international break, and the word is that he will be fit to play this weekend. The thing is, though, Arsenal will need him at 100 percent if they are to win a league game at the Etihad for the first time in nine years.

Leeds United have crafted a legacy for developing the next biggest stars through their academy and it's one that has brought success for decades.

During their period in the top flight between the 1980's and 2000's, in particular, the Whites have always watched a prodigy rise through the youth ranks.

From David Seaman to James Milner and Jonathan Woodgate to Gary Speed, a whole host of Premier League icons started their careers in West Yorkshire.

In the present day, 17-year-old Archie Gray is flying the flag for the next generation of academy talent and Leeds have already planted a £50m price tag on his head amid interest from several European powerhouses.

The Englishman has heavily impressed across 16 appearances in the Championship, predominantly as a right-back, although there are a handful of other youngsters waiting in the wings for their chance to shine at Elland Road.

1 Sean McGurk

Upon his arrival from Wigan Athletic in 2021, Sean McGurk described himself as an "exciting" player to watch and the 20-year-old has certainly delivered on that promise.

An attacking midfielder, who likes to run in behind and score goals, McGurk has risen to prominence as one of the most influential players in the underage groups.

With an impressive four goals and three assists in eight appearances in Premier League 2, the Englishman is outscoring first-team star Georginio Rutter and is the under-21's top scorer.

In the modern game, it is imperative that an attacking midfielder chips in with their fair share of contributions and the youngster has showcased his sharp eye for goal this term, especially in the entertaining 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

Leeds raced into a 2-0 lead against one of the league's strongest academies and McGurk played a pivotal role, opening the scoring within the first few minutes himself before assisting striker Mateo Joseph.

Such all-action performances, driven by his quality in the final third, offer hope of him reaching a similar potential to academy graduates Kalvin Phillips and Lewis Cook, who have gone on to establish themselves at top-flight level.

2 Mateo Joseph

Leeds reportedly spent £900k to lure the teenage dynamo from Spanish side Espanyol in last year's January transfer window.

European giants Barcelona and Manchester City were said to be keen on the youngster but as claimed by TEAMtalk, Orta's 'persistence' paid off with the ex-Leeds chief securing a deal for him ahead of the competition.

Having netted 14 goals in 21 appearances for Espanyol's under-19 side, including a hat-trick against Barcelona B, Leeds knew they were getting a special talent who possessed freakish scoring exploits, and he instantly carried those across to West Yorkshire.

In 19 Premier League 2 appearances last term, Joseph notched an eye-watering 15 goals, plundering hat-tricks against Derby County, Stoke City and Middlesbrough.

Such form saw the England U20 international make three appearances in the top flight last term, coming off the bench for minutes against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Chelsea.

After picking up a knock at the start of this campaign, the 20-year-old has only appeared in two matches in the Premier League 2, scoring and assisting in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool.

3 players Leeds could sell to fund January spree including £25m star

The Whites have had a number of players linked with a winter exit from Elland Road.

ByDan Emery Nov 21, 2023

He has also sent Farke a timely reminder of his talents by starring on the international with a goal in England U20s 3-2 victory over Germany.

With Farke alluding to him playing an "important" role in the club's future, it's only a matter of time before Joseph gets a chance to unleash his precocious talents on a regular basis in the first-team.

3 Darko Gyabi

Leeds were the latest club to benefit from Manchester City offloading their talented youngsters for a cut-price fee when they got rid of midfielder Darko Gyabi in 2022.

The excellent 19-year-old, who was once praised by journalist Joe Donnohue for his "complete" performance for the under-21s, has featured in five first-team fixtures in the senior side.

He came off the bench against Ipswich Town in August and has been an unused substitute in four other league matches this term, which underscores the mantra that Farke already sees him as a squad option at first-team level.

A combative midfielder, who can drive forward with the ball, Gyabi is excellent at winning back possession and can fulfil the role of becoming a screen in front of the defence.

In his three outings in the EFL Trophy this term, the England U20 star has showcased the above by winning 63% of his ground duels, making 2.3 tackles per game and 1.7 clearances, as per Sofascore.

The above statistics indicate that Gyabi is already accustomed to the demands of men's football, albeit against lower-league opposition, and can offer Farke cover for tackling machine Ethan Ampadu.

Three wickets on England debut helps restrict Bangladesh to 77, as batsmen overcome wobble to launch campaign

Andrew Miller12-Nov-2018England 64 for 3 (Jones 28*, Sciver 23) beat Bangladesh 76 for 9 (Ayasha 39, Gordon 3-16) by seven wickets (DLS method)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland’s women overcame a top-order wobble, and another dramatic flurry of St Lucian rain late in their run-chase, to get their World T20 campaign up and running with a seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh at Gros Islet.They were set a sub-par 77 after a hit-and-miss performance from Bangladesh, but England took their time to calibrate the appropriate response in tricky, tacky conditions, as Danni Wyatt was pinned lbw for a first-ball duck before Tammy Beaumont toe-ended a cut to point for 2.England’s situation could have been even more dicey at 16 for 3 in the fourth over had Amy Jones been caught by the wicketkeeper, Shamina Sultana, who instead suffered a nasty faceplant after diving at full tilt to intercept a top-edge to point.But, as Sultana was taken from the field nursing a bloody nose, England found a more measured gear to break the back of their run-chase. Jones settled in to anchor the innings in a 38-run stand for the third wicket with Nat Sciver, who made 23, and finished on 28 not out from 24 balls. England were 55 for 3 when the rain caused a lengthy late delay, and ended up reaching a revised target of 64 in just three balls after the resumption, thanks to a brace of boundaries and a winning single from the captain, Heather Knight.It was a slightly scrappy performance from England, the reigning 50-over World Champions, but having been deprived of any meaningful practice in the build-up to this game, and even resorting to improvised net sessions under the grandstand, they were ready to accept any victory going.Only 24 hours earlier, the ICC had seriously been considering relocating this group to Antigua to avoid further washouts, but in the event the start of play was delayed by just 15 minutes after a heroic mopping-up effort from the groundstaff.Knight won the toss and chose to bowl first, with the boundary ropes brought in to the minimum legal requirement of 55 metres as part of the authorities’ bid to get this leg of their tournament up and running.Natalie Sciver sweeps through the leg side•Getty ImagesAnd Knight’s decision was quickly vindicated as Bangladesh were reduced to 5 for 2 in their first five overs. Anya Shrubsole found some wicked late inswing to bowl Sultana for an eight-ball duck, before Sciver – slipping into the new-ball role vacated by the injured Katherine Brunt – found Fargana Hoque’s outside edge to give Jones an early catch, diving to her right.But, having stacked their side with three left-arm spinners – including two of the three debutants in Linsey Smith and Kirstie Gordon – England quickly chose to take pace off the ball, and Bangladesh responded with a block-or-slog response through the endeavours of Ayasha Rahman who, quite remarkably, would be the only Bangladesh batsman to make a single run in the first nine overs of the innings.A mow for six over backward square leg off Shrubsole was followed by a violent slog through the line as Gordon’s fourth ball as an England cricketer was deposited back over her head. However, Ayasha’s blood appeared to be pumping a touch too much when she sold her partner a massive dummy – leaving Nigar Sultana run out for the third duck of the innings – and she even appeared to strain her hamstring in the process of aborting a quick single into the covers.Undeterred, Ayasha continued to plant her front foot in a batting-by-numbers fashion, swiping Ecclestone for a third six over midwicket before hauling Gordon for four through square leg to move to 39 out of Bangladesh’s 12-over total of 42. But four balls later, she chanced her arm once too often to pick out Wyatt at cow corner and Gordon, the former Scotland international, was off the mark for her new country.Gordon added two more scalps in her final over, including a maiden catch at long-off for England’s third new girl, Sophia Dunkley, to finish with an impressive 3 for 16 in four overs. Bangladesh kept battling to the bitter end, with Jahanara Alam smashing Sophie Eccleston for the fourth six of the innings, but their total of 76 for 9 never seemed like being enough, even allowing for the conditions, and for England’s rusty response.

Former Newcastle and Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear has died at the age of 77 after a battle with dementia.

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Kinnear has died aged 77Diagnosed with dementia in 2015Played for Tottenham and managed multiple clubsJOE KINNEAR HAS DIED

Kinnear's family has announced the death of the former manager, at the age of 77, after a lengthy health battle. Per BBC Sport, he was diagnosed with dementia in 2015.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT DID KINNEAR'S FAMILY SAY?

In a short statement, they confirmed: "We are sad to announce that Joe passed away peacefully this afternoon surrounded by his family."

WHO DID KINNEAR PLAY FOR AND MANAGE?

During a lengthy playing career as a defender, Kinnear played for Spurs and Brighton and Hove Albion, and also won 26 caps for the Republic of Ireland. As a player, he won the FA Cup, the League Cup, twice, and the UEFA Cup while playing for Tottenham. He retired in 1977 after a knee injury.

He enjoyed a varied managerial career, stepping into the dugout to take charge of India, Nepal, Doncaster Rovers, Wimbledon, Luton Town and Nottingham Forest, as well as Newcastle, where he both managed and served as a director of football.

He left the game in 2014, and was diagnosed with dementia the following year.

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GettyTRIBUTES HAVE POURED IN FOR JOE KINNEAR

A number of Kinnear's former clubs and contemporaries have expressed their condolences.

Newcastle wrote on X: "Newcastle United is saddened to learn of the passing of Joe Kinnear at the age of 77. Joe worked at the club as both Manager and Director of Football. The thoughts of everyone at NUFC are with Joe’s family and friends at this difficult time."

Luton posted a similar message, while AFC Wimbledon, who he guided to an unlikely sixth-place Premier League finish in 1993-94, wrote: "Everyone connected with Wimbledon was deeply saddened to hear the news that our former manager, Joe Kinnear, has passed away. A true legend of the Club, Joe gave us some amazing memories that we treasure. Our deepest condolences go to his family at this difficult time"