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Manchester United hold a strong interest in signing Declan Rice, and they are considering making a bid for the West Ham United midfielder, according to a report from 90min.

What's the latest Declan Rice transfer news?

Arsenal and Manchester City are doing battle for Rice, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently claiming the race for his signature remains "open", with West Ham keen to receive "big money paid now", rather than a number of installments.

The Gunners have made two bids for the West Ham midfielder, and they are expected to table a third, while Man City have recently submitted an offer worth a total of £90m, however, that was swiftly rejected, with the Hammers holding out for £100m.

According to a report from 90min on Tuesday, the Irons are hoping City's offer will spark a bidding war between the two parties, having been left frustrated by the bids made for their captain up to this point, and a third party could now become involved.

Man United are said to hold a significant interest in the 24-year-old, and they are currently considering whether to make a bid, after reaching an impasse in their pursuit of Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount.

With the Blues unwilling to accept an offer of £55m for the England international, the Red Devils may move on to other targets, and Rice fits the bill.

Is Declan Rice going to Man United?

According to reports, the Englishman is aiming to stay in London, which means he has been keen on a move to Arsenal since their interest became clear, but a move elsewhere is not completely out of the equation.

A move to Old Trafford would surely be an attractive proposition for the West Ham captain, as Champions League football is on offer next season, however, United will need to formalise their interest with a bid soon if they are to win the race.

An enquiry has already been made about the England international, which indicates there has been some progress made, and there is every indication he could be an excellent acquisition for Man United, given his range of abilities.

Having been hailed as a "very good finisher" by teammate Tomas Soucek, Rice would clearly pose a threat on the front foot if he made the move to Man United, while he is also impressive defensively, making the highest number of interceptions in the Premier League last season, and it looks as if the Red Devils could be ones to watch in the transfer saga.

Kusal Mendis said a desire to raise his average and be considered among the best players in the world was behind his unbeaten 166 on the first day in Galle

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Galle07-Mar-2017Kusal Mendis said the prospect of raising his average from the low 30s, and the goal of being among the world’s best batsmen, provided motivation to hit a big score on the first day in Galle.Like many in the Sri Lanka top order, Mendis endured an awful tour of South Africa in which he struck only one Test fifty and averaged 23.00 across six innings. That series was preceded by a lean run in Zimbabwe, where he averaged 19.75.His first Test knock at home in six months brought more luck. He edged his first ball to the wicketkeeper but was reprieved when the bowler was shown to have overstepped on review. From there, he played a largely chanceless innings and, thanks to being 166 not out at the close, his average has risen to 37.70. It will not drop below 35 even if he gets out first ball on day two.”When I played Australia at home, I had an average of about 42, but then it deteriorated little by little,” Mendis said. “People told me it’s hard to push it back above 30 if it goes below that. After I failed in South Africa, I wanted to get it back above 35, and you need a big innings to do that. People told me that when you get set, make sure you hit a big innings. I want to be among the best ten batsmen in the world, and to get my average to 40 or 45 eventually.”The return to form was not down to a specific technical change, Mendis said, though perhaps the early reprieve did help. In previous innings, Mendis has been out driving loosely, but following that first shot, he was largely watchful through the first session. Only later in the day did he adopt the positive approach that is more familiar to his game.”I practised hard after Zimbabwe and South Africa,” he said. “The coaches, senior players and captains all told me that I can handle this level – they didn’t put much pressure on me despite my failures. I corrected my backlift a bit after watching previous videos, but there weren’t any major changes. Those little things I tried to change.”I must have played a bad shot to get out first ball, but I was keen to stay there for the team after that.”Mendis’ 196-run partnership with Asela Gunaratne was instrumental to Sri Lanka’s strong position in the match. The two had come together with the score on 92 for 3, and batted with freedom over 43 overs to transform the game’s outlook.”Asela’s in really good form after doing well in the Australia series. I had a feeling he’d get a good score, given the way he was playing. When he was at the other end, it became easier for me as well. At one time, he batted well at the other end and took the pressure off me when I was feeling a bit tired. Unfortunately he got out towards the end of the day. It was easy to bat with him.”While Galle can often be a spin-bowling paradise, so far this surface has been as lifeless as any seen at the venue over the past three years. The previous Test here, against Australia, ended in two-and-a-half days, though Mendis was also impressive in that game, top-scoring with 86.”Last year when we played Australia here, the ball really turned,” Mendis said. “This time it’s easier for the batsmen, and it won’t be a big difference tomorrow – maybe late in the day the ball will spin a bit more. The wicket does seem hard though, so it’s hard to predict what will happen.”

Nikita Miller took his 26th five-wicket haul and nine wickets in the match as Jamaica completed a win inside three days against Trinidad & Tobago in the WICB Regional Four-Day Tournament to move up to second

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2017Nikita Miller’s five-wicket haul in the second innings, and match haul of 9 for 84 , bowled Jamaica to an 87-run win over Trinidad & Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain and move to second place. In a low scoring match that had only four half-centuries, Jamaica made identical scores of 201 in both innings. T&T responded with 174 in their first innings, conceding a first-innings lead of 27, before being bowled out for 141, chasing 229.After being asked to bat, Jamaica were troubled by Sheldon Cottrell, who took three wickets upfront. They were lifted by contributions from Jermaine Blackwood (68), while Derval Green struck an important 53 at No. 10 that lifted them from 150 for 9. Legspinner Imran Khan, who scythed through the lower order, finished with 4 for 28.In response, Kyle Hope, the T&T captain, held firm with 67 opening the innings, but T&T lost wickets around him. Yannic Cariah partnered his captain for a fourth-wicket stand of 88, but T&T collapsed after the stand was broken, losing their last seven wickets for 37 runs. Miller took four wickets, while legspinner Damion Jacobs finished with three scalps.T&T were set 229 after Cottrell and Rayad Emrit snared six wickets between them in Jamaica’s second innings. They could have been chasing a lot lesser had it not been for contributions from the lower down. Fabian Allen led the way with 60, batting at No. 7, as Jamaica were lifted from 66 for 5.T&T lost Jeremy Solozano early in the chase, before a 51-run second-wicket partnership between Kyle Hope (35) and Isaiah Rajah (23) steadied them. However, T&T slid drastically thereafter, losing four wickets for eight runs as Jacobs and Miller strangled the middle order. Marlon Richards, who came in at 68 for 6, scored 47 off 42 balls. But Miller took out the lower order, taking his 26th five-wicket haul in the process. T&T eventually folded in the second session of the third day, bowled out for 141 in 43.5 overs.

Tottenham Hotspur's decision to sign Guglielmo Vicario over Brentford's David Raya has "Daniel Levy all over", claims journalist Paul Brown.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news – what's the latest on Guglielmo Vicario?

Before there were any developments regarding the 26-year-old Italian, Spurs were heavily linked to Brentford's Spanish shot-stopper David Raya, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reporting on June 17th that personal terms between the player and Spurs had been "agreed."

However, on June 22nd, Sky Sports reported that the North London club had verbally agreed a £17.2m fee with Serie A side Empoli for their highly-rated keeper, Vicario.

The Italian international's price is substantially lower than the Bee's asking price for Raya of £40m, which the Lilywhites were 'reluctant' to pay.

The 6 foot 4 titan has spent the last two seasons with Empoli, making 71 appearances for the club after initially joining on loan from Cagliari in 2021.

The West London club might've driven too hard of a bargain for their player, as with just a year left on his contract and no substantial interest from a side other than Tottenham, they risk losing him for free next year.

What has journalist Paul Brown said about Tottenham Hotspur signing Guglielmo Vicario over David Raya?

Brown was honest in his assessment that, for many Spurs fans, this is probably somewhat of a disappointment considering the heavy links to David Raya over the last few weeks.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "To go for someone a little bit more untested in terms of the Premier League and to go for someone who is not going to command such a high transfer fee is a little disappointing I guess, but it is Daniel levy all over."

Brown was quick to point, however, that it could be down to the club having plans to spend big elsewhere on the team, adding: "So I think wherever that ends up being a good thing will depend where else they spend their money this summer and if fans can see the club being ambitious, and if more importantly Harry Kane can see the club being ambitious in other areas. It might not matter so much so let's see."

Will Guglielmo Vicario be a good signing?

The 26-year-old has come off a good season for Empoli, playing 31 times for the side and averaging a match rating in Serie A of 6.85, just slightly lower than Raya's rating of 6.97, per WhoScored.

His underlying numbers, however, don't make for great reading.

According to FBref, who compare players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the one area he stands out is touches, where he sits in the top 9% amongst keepers, which under Ange Postecoglou's attacking brand of football will be essential.

However, he is only in the top 31% of keepers for save percentage, top 41% for goals against and only the top 58% for crosses stopped, all per 90.

However, it can be hard to judge a goalkeeper using statistics alone, so what have people said about him in Italy?

Well, he has got perhaps the best endorsement a keeper could ask for in Italy, the approval of Gianluigi Buffon.

Italy's most famous and beloved shot-stopper of all time hailed Vicario as "extraordinary" in an interview with Radio Sport Anch'io (via Gianluca Dimarzio).

So if he has the backing of Buffon, maybe he'll prove to be an even better signing than Raya ever would've been.

Tim May, an architect of the first collective agreement between Cricket Australia and the players, has challenged the board to provide better justification for ending the fixed revenue percentage model

Daniel Brettig19-Apr-2017Tim May, one of the architects of the first collective bargaining agreement between Cricket Australia and Australia’s cricketers, has challenged the board to provide better justification for its desire to end the fixed revenue percentage model that has remained in place over the past 20 years.In an exclusive ESPNcricinfo column, May took issue with CA’s contention that the model had “done its job” of ensuring international male players were the best paid in the country while domestic players are paid competitively relative to other sports. While lauding movs to raise pay for women, he questioned why it had been determined that domestic players in particular must now be locked into a wage.He did so while noting that every major sport in the United States – where May has been based for more than a decade – makes use of revenue sharing models, invariably offering the players a far higher percentage of revenue than the figure of around 26% Australia’s cricketers have been entitled to since that first deal was struck with the Australian Cricketers Association in 1998. May wondered why CA wished to break it up at a time when domestic players were about to provide a greater share of the game’s revenue – via the Big Bash League- than ever before.”For the past two decades CA and ACA have built a culture of players and administrators working together to grow the game and share in its success – but now with this success moving to a new level, one party no longer wants to play ball,” May wrote. “The stakes here are high. CA’s position threatens to set back by decades the relationship between players and administrators.”To change the system so radically, it needs to provide a valid and compelling argument. The onus is on the board, not the players. CA needs to explain why, for 20 years, the revenue-sharing model has worked so successfully and yet now it suddenly can’t work. It’s a tough one for it because, as far as I can see, there really isn’t a valid argument.”In 1998, May worked alongside James Sutherland, then commercial manager at what was then the Australian Cricket Board, to sort out the finer details of the deal that has remained in place with minimal changes over the past two decades, most of which have seen Sutherland in place as CA’s chief executive.Having observed the way the game is changing, particularly via the emergence of Twenty20 leagues across the globe, May argued that the model is now more valuable than ever, providing the players with a genuine stake in the game down under that helps to dissuade some from simply pursuing T20 competitions year-round. At the same time it means the cost to CA rises or falls depending on the total amount of money being raked in, rather than putting pressure on the board in the event of a tour cancellation, or the boycotts like the one threatened by India in early 2008.”The uncertainty of projected revenues was one of the main reasons that the ACB agreed to the introduction of the revenue-sharing model in the first place,” May wrote. “It’s of massive benefit for them. Ask any business if they would like to make their largest expense variable and I suspect they would jump at the chance. For CA to imply that the shared risk-and-reward ideology is outdated is nonsense. Far from being obsolete, it is more relevant now than perhaps any time in the past 20 years.”Scheduling disputes, unforeseen circumstances and uncertainty around ICC distributions can play havoc with projected revenues, placing CA in danger of not being able to meet other obligations, such as development of the game. In 2008, when the Indian team threatened to go home after the Sydney Test, CA faced a revenue black hole amounting to tens of millions in TV rights.”Uncertainty to do with global issues is a genuine concern. These days we have heightened security challenges and the spectre of terrorism. There is the possibility the international cricket schedule could be affected, leaving Australia in a bind. These are valid and sensible current arguments to keep player expenses in line with the fluctuations of revenue.”

A big update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their pursuit of further defensive reinforcements during the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

According to The Scottish Sun, the Light Blues are in talks with free agent centre-back Leon Balogun over a return to Ibrox ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that Michael Beale is interested in reuniting with the Nigerian international stopper after their previous spell together in Glasgow, when the 42-year-old coach was Steven Gerrard's assistant, and in England.

This comes off the back of a terrible injury blow to Leon King earlier this week.

The club have confirmed that the Scotland youth international will be out for a 'significant' period of time after a contact blow during pre-season training.

What team did Leon Balogun play for?

He is available on a free transfer as his contract with English Championship side QPR, who he joined from the Gers last summer, expired at the end of last season.

The 35-year-old ace played 16 league matches during his time in west London, after being signed by Beale, and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.88, which placed him as their fourth-best performer.

It is his previous spell in Scotland, however, that makes him the dream replacement for King as the 6 foot 3 colossus is an experienced player at this level and knows what it takes to perform for Rangers.

The 46-cap international made 65 appearances over the course of two campaigns at Ibrox between 2020 and 2022, in which time he helped the club to win the Scottish Premiership title and a Scottish Cup.

Balogun averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13 across 19 league outings throughout the 2020/21 title-winning season, which placed him joint-seventh in the squad and above the likes of Glen Kamara, Alfredo Morelos, and Filip Helander.

He also caught the eye with his performances in the Europa League during the 2021/22 campaign. The Nigerian tank averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.96 over ten matches on the route to the final – the eighth-best score on the team – which showcased his ability to deliver on the European stage.

Former Gers midfielder Alex Rae described the central defender as a "tremendous" player for the Light Blues, which is backed up by the aforementioned statistics. Balogun was among the club's top performers domestically and in Europe, whilst playing a part in two trophy successes in his time in Scotland.

At the age of 35, coming in as the replacement for King could be the dream situation for the former Wigan titan as the 19-year-old Scotsman only started nine league matches last term.

This means that the veteran enforcer will not join with the expectation of having to play all 38 Premiership games as a frontline option for Beale. Instead, he can be there as an excellent back-up option to step in when the likes of Connor Goldson, John Souttar, and Ben Davies are unavailable for selection.

Balogun has the experience, quality, and pre-existing relationship with Beale to suit that rotation role perfectly, whilst his availability as a free agent also saves the club from needing to spend millions on a short-term replacement for King, which is why this prospective move suits all parties.

Russell Domingo has said that he has not yet reapplied for his post as South Africa’s head coach and can’t say whether he has plans to take the team to the 2019 World Cup

Firdose Moonda13-Jun-2017Russell Domingo still has no clarity on whether he will continue in his role as South Africa’s head coach after the current tour to England. After South Africa crashed out of the Champions Trophy in the first round, Domingo told the media he had “not yet” reapplied for his post and “can’t say” whether he has plans to take the team to the 2019 World Cup.CSA has also given no indication of whether the process to appoint a new coach has moved forward since it appointed a five-person panel in May to recommend the next coach, who will be in charge for the next two years.While Domingo confirmed he had not yet given any thought to what he might do if he did not continue as national coach, he was willing to reflect on the four major tournaments – the 2014 and 2016 World T20, 2015 World Cup and 2017 Champions Trophy – he has overseen.”We’ve come so close on so many occasions, and it’s just disappointing that we didn’t give ourselves the best chance here,” Domingo said. “The players are bitterly disappointed. I can tell you it’s not through lack of trying or lack of effort or commitment. Someone told me that India didn’t field at all for the last couple of days (before our match), we try and field as much as we can. So it’s not through lack of effort. I’m just bitterly disappointed for the players. They’ve played some great cricket this year and sometimes life can be unfair. But you’ve got to make your own luck as well.”Like his captain, AB de Villiers, Domingo admitted not being able to pinpoint exactly what had gone wrong for South Africa or what needs to be done to change their fortunes. “You just need to play well on the day, that’s the bottom line. There’s no magic wand or injection that you’re going to give guys,” he said. “Guys just need to make the best decision on the day and do what they’ve done prior to those particular games. We haven’t done that. We’ve played great cricket over the last year and Sunday was probably our worst game. We didn’t do the basics well enough and that’s what you need to do in these games.”While Domingo did not directly accept responsibility for the team’s inability to do those things, he indicated that management had done all they can and then some, to no avail. “We’ve had two bad games here, it doesn’t make the side a bad side,” he said. “There are always going to be questions asked until the side wins an event, wins these knock-out games, wins these big games, and rightly so. But there’s no magic wand. A lot of things have been tried, a lot of things have been discussed. A lot of people have been involved and unfortunately the results at the moment are still the same.”South Africa did not employ any specific special methods for this event – no extreme sports adventures a la 2012 when they went mountaineering with Mike Horn, no foreign consultants like Mike Hussey, who was with them at the 2015 World Cup – but entered this tournament on the back of form and on an upward curve. Still, they remain at a loss to explain how things went so wrong and the only consolation they can offer fans is that they will keep at it.”You keep trying, that’s the bottom line. You can’t give up,” Domingo said. “The side’s got to go away and reassess, think about it, and start moving forward again.”In the post-mortem, Domingo cautioned against any impulsive reactions and urged the administrators to wait for the dust to settle before deciding if heads, perhaps even his own, will roll. “Players need to go away and think about it for a couple of days. Never good to make decisions when emotions are high, so once things have calmed down I suppose people need to sit down and think of a way forward once again. Take it from there. Now is not the time,” Domingo said.

West Ham United's search for Declan Rice's replacement continues after selling their captain to Arsenal in a British-record transfer last week.

Who will West Ham sign to replace Rice?

Rice's move to north London, reported to be worth £105m when add-ons are included, officially went through last Saturday. It is a deal that was in the offing for the best part of a month, meaning the Hammers have had plenty of time to search for a replacement – like-for-like or otherwise.

Fulham's Joao Palhinha, Denis Zakaria of Juventus and Everton's Amadou Onana have each been linked, among others, but The Guardian suggests West Ham could now move for another player.

It is claimed that Monaco ace Youssouf Fofana is on David Moyes' radar as an alternative, though the Scotsman is concerned about the 24-year-old's lack of Premier League experience.

However, the numbers suggest that the Europa Conference League winners would be signing a very talented player in ten-cap France international Fofana, whom L'Equipe reports is available for €35m (£30m) this summer – roughly three-and-a-half times cheaper than departed skipper Rice.

Who is Youssouf Fofana?

Fofana may not have Premier League experience, but he has been a regular in Ligue 1 for five seasons, the past three and a half of those with Monaco, having joined from Strasbourg in January 2020.

The Paris native played 36 times for Monaco in the French top flight last season, starting all but one of those and with each coming in central midfield, as per WhoScored.

Fofana's strengths lie in breaking up play and carrying the ball forward, ranked as he is – as per FBref – in the top 15% of all midfielders across Europe's top five leagues last season for interceptions (1.49 per 90 minutes) and top 16% for successful take-ons (1.35 per 90).

For some perspective, Rice was in the top 5% for interceptions (1.73 per 90) – going a long way to explaining his hefty price tag – but only the top 34% for successful take-ons (0.96 per 90).

Rice and Fofana are not strictly the same type of player, then, but there are plenty of similarities between the pair, who are just four days apart in terms of age. For example, Rice was involved in 0.14 goals or assists per 90 last season, compared to 0.12 for Fofana.

A similar number of their shots found the target when they did get forward (22.9% for Rice v 23.8% for Fofana); they were in the same range for pass-completion percentage (86.5 v 81.6 respectively); and were near identical in terms of tackles and interceptions per 90 combined (3.90 v 3.99).

While there are areas Fofana cannot compete with Rice, such as aerial duels won per 90 (1.02 v 0.67), the Frenchman – described as a "magnificent" player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – is clearly a well-identified target to fill in alongside Tomas Soucek or indeed another new midfielder.

Ultimately, no player Moyes brings in this summer can adequately replace Rice. But in Fofana, West Ham would be signing a now-established France international who has plenty of top-flight experience, and all for a fraction of the cost.

The equation is simple ahead of the New Zealand-Bangladesh game: the winner will remain in contention for a semi-final spot, if England beat Australia or their match is washed out

The Preview by Mohammad Isam08-Jun-2017Match facts
June 9, 2017
Start time 1030 local (0930 GMT)Big picture3:01

Agarkar: Bangladesh need to step up with the bat

The equation is quite simple ahead of the New Zealand-Bangladesh game: the winner will remain in contention for a semi-final spot if, on June 10, England beat Australia or their match is washed out. However, if Australia beat England, then both New Zealand and Bangladesh are out of the Champions Trophy.Disappointment of an early exit won’t be setting in for either camp at this point. Staying abreast of the situation is what both New Zealand and Bangladesh will be striving for. They have been meeting quite regularly in the last six months, with New Zealand getting the better of most exchanges.Back in December, New Zealand won their home ODI series 3-0. But in the second of two encounters in Ireland last month, Bangladesh claimed their first overseas win, albeit that New Zealand were missing five of their first-choice XI. New Zealand now have the likes of Kane Williamson, Trent Boult and Tim Southee back in their line-up, and hope to upend Bangladesh’s progress in their first Champions Trophy campaign since 2006.So far, however, New Zealand haven’t had a great tournament themselves. They were unlucky against Australia, with rain forcing them to share the points. Williamson struck 100 but their much-vaunted allrounders couldn’t quite turn a strong start into a flying finish as they were bowled out for 291 with an over of their allocation to spare.Against England too, Williamson’s 87 had put them on course to chase down a stiff target of 311 in Cardiff, but James Neesham, Corey Anderson and Mitchell Santner mustered 31 runs between them. New Zealand banks on the push from these allrounders in the last 10 to 15 overs of their innings, in addition to their bowling skills.Bangladesh will have to stop this trio, and Colin de Grandhomme too if he is picked, to have any footing in the game. But that’s after they’ve accounted for Martin Guptill, Luke Ronchi and Williamson at the top of the order. Williamson, of course, has two big scores to his name, though the dangerous Guptill has twice made strong starts without yet going big.Bangladesh will also have to bat well as a collective to beat New Zealand, and not leave it all for Tamim Iqbal to do. The left-handed opener has been Bangladesh’s version of Williamson so far in the tournament – making 128 and 95 – while the rest (apart from Mushfiqur Rahim against England) have been sub-par. It is therefore time for the likes of Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Shakib Al Hasan and Sabbir Rahman to make significant contributions.Both teams may also have to put up with the threat of rain in this game, although New Zealand have more to fear on this front. A wash-out would confirm their elimination, whereas Bangladesh could still qualify on net run-rate if England beat Australia by a greater margin than they managed against Bangladesh in the tournament opener at The Oval.Strangely, it sounds like New Zealand have nothing to lose – a role in which Bangladesh have excelled in recent years.Form guideNew Zealand LLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh LWWLLKane Williamson’s form has been one of the highlights of New Zealand’s campaign•Getty ImagesIn the spotlight
Corey Anderson hasn’t been hitting his stride since the 2015 World Cup. He has made just 191 runs at 14.69 during this period, with a top score of 35. But this is the sort of occasion that Anderson should excel in, given how highly he is rated as a ball-striking allrounder.Mustafizur Rahman has had a quiet tournament so far, with the pitches not really conducive to his cutters. Essentially, the ball isn’t gripping as he would like it to, a problem that spinners often face on smooth surfaces.Team newsNew Zealand could look at Colin de Grandhomme as an option in the lower middle-order. Tom Latham also awaits a chance, especially having done well against Bangladesh recently, but even though Neil Broom has struggled it seems unlikely they will make a change to the batting.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Luke Ronchi (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Neil Broom, 6 James Neesham, 7 Corey Anderson, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Adam Milne, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Trent BoultBangladesh could look at streamlining their batting line-up by asking Imrul Kayes to open with Tamim Iqbal and bringing in Mosaddek Hossain in the lower middle-order. But they might just stick to the same XI that played against Australia to give that line-up another chance to redeem itself.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Imrul Kayes, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Mehedi Hasan, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPitch and conditionsRain is forecast in Cardiff early on Friday, but it is likely to drift away after 11am. Both teams may look to bat first despite the rain threats; the last four ODIs here have featured teams topping 300 runs, but only once have those targets been chased successfully, by Pakistan last year. This match will be played on a fresh pitch with a decent covering of grass so all eyes will be on whether it misbehaves at all later in the game.Stats and triviaIn Bangladesh’s only previous ODI in Cardiff, they famously beat Australia in 2005. New Zealand meanwhile have won three out of five games at this ground.Neil Broom has been a thorn in Bangladesh’s side in their last five ODIs against New Zealand, scoring 339 runs at an average of 84.75.Tamim Iqbal needs to score 16 runs to topple Mohammad Ashraful as Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer in England. Ashraful’s 300 runs came in 10 ODIs – including a century here in 2005 – while Tamim has made 285 in just five games.Quotes
“I think there was some big positives to take out of the performance against England. We took wickets through the whole innings and kept them to definitely a score that was chase-able.”
Trent Boult“The way we are playing the last two, three years, there’s a lot of matches we have won and also a few matches we should have won but couldn’t. We know if we can create chances we have to grab them and play hard.”

Leeds United could be set to make one of the strangest yet most impressive coups in Championship history, should reports regarding their newest transfer pursuit be true…

Who has Divock Origi moved to?

The latest comes courtesy of Italian outlet Sportmediaset, (via Milan Press), who actually seek to detail AC Milan's interest in Yunus Musah.

However, it is an innocuous line at the end of the report that will excite fans of the Yorkshire outfit, as they are referenced as one of the interested parties seeking to prise Divock Origi from the San Siro. In fact, an offer has reportedly even been tabled for his services.

What makes this swoop even more likely is the recent claims made by Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter earlier today to write:

"Divock Origi and Ante Rebic, not part of AC Milan squad travelling for pre-season tour as they're both currently available on the market."

Having only left Liverpool for Milan on a free transfer last summer, it seems that he could once again be set to move, with Daniel Farke certain to be a willing recipient of his talents.

How many goals did Divock Origi score for Liverpool?

The Belgian marksman enjoyed a fine career at Anfield, despite never really being a starter under Jurgen Klopp.

He was comfortable playing second fiddle to the illustrious front three that sat ahead of him, yet when called upon could seldom be faulted. As such, across his eight years in Merseyside, he managed 175 appearances, scoring 41 goals.

However, the peak of those finishes undoubtedly came in May and early June 2019, as first his brace inspired their impossible comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals, before his instinctive finish doubled their lead in the subsequent final, and secured his side the trophy.

It was no surprise that TNT Sports pundit Laura Woods saw fit to brand the 28-year-old a "cult hero" for the Reds, outlining the aforementioned claims as well as citing his finishes in the Merseyside derbies. He would enjoy seven goals across just ten games in that fixture when playing for their rivals.

Now, adding this kind of match-winning quality to the Whites could prove exceptional at the second-tier level. Perhaps as a starter within the Championship, he could finally find some consistency and help fire such a famous club back to the top flight.

This would be aided due to the fact he has no outstanding candidate to oust should he choose to make the move, given Rodrigo's exit and Patrick Bamford's stuttering recent form.

Whilst the Spaniard was comfortably their top scorer last term, his departure now only leaves them with the floundering Englishman as a senior striker. He managed only four league goals as they fell to relegation most recently, with some high-profile misses only exacerbating his woes.

It will therefore please fans to hear of their interest in such a "clinical and composed" forward, even if that suggestion was made back in 2016 by coach Keith Costigan.

Although their long-serving forward has enjoyed previous success whilst at the club, having scored 17 times upon their return to the top-flight it could be argued that his recent failures in front of goal cost them more than most within a poor squad. Were that to spell the end of his time at Elland Road, it is unlikely that few would be surprised.

Especially if Farke is to bring in someone of Origi's quality and pedigree, who has experience at a level way beyond their current predicament.

The hope will be the presence of the £85k-per-week trickster would ensure they do not linger there for as long as last time.