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Leeds United made big changes over the summer as there was a change in ownership, a removal of the sporting director, and a new manager came through the door.

Victor Orta ran the footballing operations prior to May of this year, when former owner Andrea Radrizzani and the Spaniard agreed to a mutual termination of his contract.

The 44-year-old chief, who is now with Sevilla in his home country, played his part in the club's relegation to the Championship last season as his signings and managerial appointments did not come together to avoid the drop.

However, the Spanish sporting director was not without his highlights during his spell with the Whites as he did produce a number of impressive pieces of business.

One player Orta did play a masterclass with was central midfielder Kalvin Phillips as he raked in a huge transfer fee for the England international, who has struggled since moving on from Elland Road.

How many appearances did Kalvin Phillips make for Leeds?

The 27-year-old ace came up through the academy system at Leeds, having been born in the city, and ended up playing 234 times for the first-team in total before his move to Manchester City in 2022.

Phillips made his senior debut for the Whites during the 2014/15 campaign as he featured in two Championship matches and scored one goal. He then played ten league games and failed to contribute with a goal or an assist for the club throughout the following season.

His first year of regular first-team football came in the 2016/16 campaign as the defensive anchor played 40 times in all competitions and scored once from the middle of the park.

Phillips, who was once lauded as a "monster" by former Crystal Palace star Yannick Bolasie, became a fixture in the Leeds midfield over the subsequent years and eventually played a crucial role in their promotion back to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020.

The talented ace averaged a superb Sofascore rating of 7.28 across 37 Championship matches as the Whites went on to win the title and finished ten points clear of second-placed West Bromwich Albion in the 2019/20 season.

His performances in midfield were consistently impressive as only Pablo Hernandez (7.35) averaged a higher Sofascore rating for the Whites throughout the term, which shows that he was one of Bielsa's standout performers on the way to promotion.

Phillips provided a constant defensive presence for Leeds as he made an eye-catching four tackles and interceptions per game, alongside a duel success rate of 54%, which was more than any other midfielder at the club that season.

He was then able to carry over his form to the Premier League as the England international averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.21 across 29 top-flight outings for the Whites. No player averaged a higher Sofascore rating than the academy graduate as he stood out for Bielsa at the top level.

The outstanding titan, who made 4.2 tackles and interceptions per game in the league that term, earned himself a call-up for his country for the European Championships in the summer of 2021 after his debut Premier League campaign.

Phillips started seven matches for England as they made it all the way to the final against Italy at Wembley, only to lose on penalties to Roberto Mancini's side despite taking the lead through Luke Shaw in the first half.

His 2021/22 campaign, however, was then disrupted by a hamstring injury that kept him out of action for 16 competitive matches and the central midfielder only played 20 Premier League games for Leeds.

How much did Leeds sell Kalvin Phillips for?

Despite his lack of football that season, Orta was able to sell the homegrown talent for a reported fee of £45m to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the summer of 2022.

This was a significant amount of money for a player who came through the academy system at Elland Road and did not cost a penny for the club to sign. It represented an outstanding piece of business as they were able to develop a local player and turn him into a £45m asset whilst benefitting from his performances on the pitch for a number of years.

The move has also turned out to be a blinder from Orta as Phillips has gone on to struggle with the Cityzens over the last 12 months or so and has seen his value plummet.

At the time of writing (19/09/2023), FootballTransfers has his Expected Transfers value at €22.5m (£19m) and this is a staggering drop of £26m from the £45m deal that City agreed with Leeds to secure his services little more than a year ago.

Phillips only started two Premier League games for the Manchester-based outfit last season and played 12 matches in total in the division. He also only made three appearances, all of which came off the bench, in the Champions League as City went on to win the competition.

In December of last year, Guardiola claimed that the central midfielder came back from the break for the Qatar World Cup "overweight" and not in the right condition to train and play matches for his side.

The former Leeds star, who has been an unused substitute in six of City's seven games this season, has been unable to break into the team on an even semi-regular basis as the likes of Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Kevin de Bruyne, and now Mateo Kovacic, have dominated the midfield spots.

This has resulted in his value plummeting over the last 12 months and that has, in turn, made the £45m deal that Orta struck for him look like a masterstroke from the Spaniard.

He appears to have struck gold with that piece of business as Phillips has not been able to prove his worth at The Etihad as of yet. Although, there is still plenty of time for him to turn things around as his contract does not expire until the end of the 2027/28 campaign.

There will be questions over how Orta used the money that the club received for the England international, as Leeds were ultimately relegated from the Premier League last term, but this transfer in isolation was a terrific deal for the Whites based on his career at City to date.

Nepal were out of contention for the Super Sixes, but they kept their hopes of securing ODI status alive

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2018
ScorecardNepal chased down 155 against Hong Kong, but were out of contention for the Super Sixes. The result, however, put pre-tournament favourites Afghanistan in the Super Sixes. Afghanistan, Nepal and Hong Kong have lost three of their four matches in this tournament, but Rashid Khan’s men progressed to the next round by virtue of a superior run-rate of 0.038.However, all was not lost for Nepal. The five-wicket win kept their hopes of securing ODI status alive. Nepal will need to beat Papua New Guinea in the first consolation bracket playoff and may have to win the seventh place match, too, depending on Group A results.After opting to bat, Hong Kong had slumped to 153 all out with the Nepal bowlers sharing the spoils. Seventeen-year-old legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane continued his excellent form to finish with 3 for 17. Fifty three of his 60 balls were dots. He was complemented by seamer Karan KC (2 for 35) and left-arm spinner Basant Regmi (2-20).Opener Nizakat Khan made 47 off 84 balls before he was the sixth Hong Kong batsman to be dismissed. Apart from Nizakat, No. 9 Ehsan Khan was the only other Hong Kong batsman to pass 20.Seamer Aizaz Khan dismissed both Nepal openers Gyanendra Malla and Anil Sah early in the chase, and captain Paras Khadka and Aarif Sheikh fell soon after to leave their side wobbling at 61 for 4 in 18 overs. When Dipendra Singh Airee was dismissed two overs later, Nepal were 66 for 5. Fifteen-year-old Rohit Kumar Paudel and Sompal Kami then stablilised and sealed the chase with an unbroken 89-run partnership – the only fifty-plus stand in the match.Ehsan Khan, the Hong Kong offspinner, who had his bowling action cleared by the ICC before this match, ended with 2 for 34.

Dieter Klein could have sacrificed his wicket when Ben Raine appeared at the same end, but he didn’t and Leicestershire paid the penalty

ECB Reporters Network30-Apr-2018
ScorecardA final day battle for bonus points ended with both Leicestershire and Derbyshire satisfied with their return from a match which saw the first seven sessions lost to the weather.An entertaining morning’s cricket saw Leicestershire add 114 to their overnight score but miss out on a fifth batting bonus point as Derbyshire picked up five wickets.Resuming on 267-5, Neil Dexter and Ned Eckersley scored quickly in extending their sixth wicket partnership to 82, with Dexter lofting leg-spinner Matt Critchley high over extra cover for six before leaving a delivery from fellow South African Duanne Olivier that knocked his off-stump out of the ground.Eckersley went on to his half-century, made from 121 deliveries, before pulling Ravi Rampaul hard to midwicket, where 12th man Callum Broderick held the catch at the second attempt.Ben Raine hit eight boundaries in going to 47 from just 50 balls, and looked set to guide the Foxes to their 400 target, but a mix-up with Dieter Klein saw both batsman at the same end.In the circumstances, Klein’s refusal to step out of his ground and sacrifice his wicket was hard to understand, the more so when Gavin Griffiths and Varun Aaron were duly dismissed quickly to leave the Foxes 19 short.Raine did his best to atone, striking twice when Derbyshire began their first innings. The right-arm seamer had left-handed opener Luis Reece leg-before without scoring with a delivery that swung back in from around the wicket, before Ben Slater edged a delivery pushed across him to wicketkeeper Eckersley.In between, newcomer Aaron picked up his first wicket for the Foxes, when Wayne Madsen was leg before to the former India international seamer.Griffiths won the third leg before decision of the session when Derbyshire skipper Billy Godleman was given out on the back foot, but Gary Wilson was dropped by Eckersley on just four, and Matt Critchley put down by Paul Horton at first slip, both times off the bowling off Griffiths.Dexter bowled Alex Hughes before Critchley pulled Griffiths to midwicket where Raine took a fine low catch. Hardus Viljoen increased the run rate, hitting 43 off just 33 balls, but Wilson steered his side past 250 before a declaration with an over remaining left Leicestershire a wicket short of a third bowling point.

Even the most optimistic Tottenham Hotspur fan would not have predicted Ange Postecoglou to enjoy such a fine start to life at the club, especially with the turmoil surrounding Harry Kane's future that dominated the summer.

Where many should have been focusing on what the Australian was set to bring to north London, they instead outlined what they were set to lose when the 30-year-old departed.

However, this seems to have worked in their favour, with many now rushing to watch the Lilywhites, as a side that have guaranteed hearty performances with a touch of class sprinkled throughout. The philosophy is all-action and free-flowing, and it is only just getting started.

Not only have they showcased their intelligence in the market with the acquisitions last window, but the academy is also experiencing a particular period of enjoyment, bursting at the seams with bountiful talent.

With a few standout names, there is one in particular who bears a striking similarity to former Spurs star Christian Eriksen, who shone for the club across seven impressive years.

However, before showcasing the academy star in question, it is worth outlining just how important the Denmark international was for Mauricio Pochettino, and therefore how excited fans should be that they could now unearth his heir.

How good was Christian Eriksen?

Brought in from Ajax as part of the Gareth Bale-funded revolution, it could be argued that the 31-year-old creator was the only one of the seven who actually enjoyed a successful career with the club.

After all, going on to feature 305 times, scoring 69 and assisting a further 90 certainly marks success, even if he failed to conjure up a trophy whilst with the club.

With a number of supremely impressive campaigns too, the three-year period between 2015 and 2018 marked the highlight of a sparkling career which has seen successful spells at Inter Milan and more recently Manchester United.

The first of those three seasons saw Eriksen register six goals and 13 assists. The year following he would reach new heights, amassing eight goals and 15 assists. Then, in the final term of this exceptional stint, he still managed ten goals and ten assists, via Sofascore.

2019/20 (Tottenham Hotspur)

35

8

12

2017/18 (Tottenham Hotspur)

37

10

11

2016/17 (Tottenham Hotspur)

36

8

16

2015/16 (Tottenham Hotspur)

35

6

15

2014/15 (Tottenham Hotspur)

38

10

2

2013/14 (Tottenham Hotspur)

25

7

9

A silky but hard-working customer, blessed with both feet and lethal from a set piece, there are few around nowadays who could have dominated as he did.

Pochettino was understandably enamoured with the midfielder, noting: "He is so special and we always call him Golazo, because he is capable of scoring unbelievable goals. The recognition from us is massive. It is true he is so quiet, so calm. He is a very relaxed person but he loves football."

His presence helped facilitate a system in which they essentially had two numbers tens, with tactical flexibility that helped him interchange with Dele Alli.

Funnily enough, the man who provokes all these comparisons in Alfie Devine could help underpin a similar system for Postecoglou, who too has showcased a penchant for deploying two number eights in the past. Alongside James Maddison, the future could be exceedingly bright should he strike up a fine partnership with the 19-year-old.

Who is Alfie Devine?

Having spent academy stints at Liverpool and Wigan Athletic, the teenage midfielder eventually settled in north London, where he has gone on to make two senior appearances despite his youth. In fact, his start and goal against AFC Marine in their 2021 run in the FA Cup broke records, as he became their youngest-ever player, and subsequently their youngest-ever scorer too.

Clearly destined for big things, Jose Mourinho would outline his devastating offensive qualities after that clash: "He's a kid with good potential. He's basically a midfield player but with an instinct to appear in finishing zones and to score goals. We like him and of course for him it was a special day."

Then, writer Orlando Valman would offer a glimpse into the similarities he boasts with Eriksen, writing for GOAL: "He is also an excellent set-piece taker, and a good finisher off both feet; the next step for him is to get into those goalscoring positions more frequently."

Having already amassed four goal contributions across eight games whilst on loan at Port Vale, it seems the physicality of the English leagues will prove little obstacle for the wizard either.

This comes a year after he posted eight goal contributions across games in the Premier League 2 and the UEFA Youth League too, with a first consistent spell at senior level set to potentially surpass that.

The potential partnership he could form with Maddison should mark an enthralling prospect for Postecoglou, who saw his academy jewel praised further by journalist Alasdair Gold for that versatility that could see him facilitate the former Leicester City man just as Eriksen did for Alli:

"Fascinating to watch Alfie Devine. He might only be 17 but he's an organiser. He pops up one minute in support of Scarlett and the next in a deep-lying anchorman role, all the while talking to everyone around him, telling them to push up or hold back."

How is James Maddison playing?

As the more cultured and perhaps conservative of this potential partnership, it could allow Maddison to enjoy his best football with an extra creator beside him.

However, his start to life with the Lilywhites has suggested he needs little additional help, given how outstanding a signing he is already proving to be.

With six goal contributions across his opening six Premier League games, the 26-year-old's 8.03 average rating actually makes him the division's second-highest-rated player, via Sofascore.

It should therefore come as no surprise to see Joe Cole having already branded him the "signing of the summer", with his words only set to be proven right as this form persists.

Postecoglou will certainly have a long-term plan in mind with regard to how he truly wants to set his team up, and the calibre of playing staff he fits within those roles.

However, should Devine continue his brilliant upward trajectory, he could have the spearhead of his midfield sorted for the foreseeable future, set to make Eriksen's legacy an afterthought.

A total of 25 candidates were announced by USA Cricket on Thursday, to stand in the new governing body’s inaugural elections later this month

Peter Della Penna24-May-2018A number of former administrators from both the American Cricket Federation and the ICC-expelled USA Cricket Association (USACA) are among those in the running for seven constituent board positions of the game’s new governing body in the country, USA Cricket. Among those up for election for the first time are former USA captain Sushil Nadkarni and his longtime team-mate Usman Shuja, USA’s leading wicket-taker in one-day cricket. The duo played their final tour together for USA in 2014.Full list of candidates

League Director: Mark Demos, Shuja Khan, Lesly Lowe, Sushil Nadkarni, Atul Rai
Club Director: John Aaron, Ajith Bhaskar, Biju Nair, Jag Poosarla, Maq Qureshi, Aziz Savul, Masaood Yunus
Individual Director (3 positions): Avinash Gaje, Ramesh Immadi, Ajay Jhamb, Kiran Manchikanti, Ramu Parupalli, Jatin Patel, Venu Pisike, Shantha Suraweera, Suraj Viswanathan, Brian Walters
Female Player: Nadia Gruny, Erica Rendler
Male Player: Usman Shuja

Nadkarni, 41, played nine years for USA beginning in 2006 after migrating from Pune, India, having previously played for India Under-19s as an opening batsman as well as a brief first-class career with Maharashtra. Since retiring, he has been actively involved in youth coaching in the Houston area where he has opened his own programme, Master Strokes Cricket Academy, and has been on one of the ICC’s four USA advisory groups appointed in May 2016. In a professional capacity, Nadkarni is a partner at environmental resource consulting firm ERM.Nadkarni is running for the position of League Director representative in a competitive field holding four other candidates. Among them is ex-USACA president Atul Rai, who headed the now expelled governing body from 2001-2003 before he was ousted by Gladstone Dainty, who has served as USACA president ever since. Rai is a dentist based in Southern California, and is currently president of the Southern California Cricket Association, his second stint in the role.Lesly Lowe, the founder and only president of the Commonwealth Cricket League since 1982, is also running. The New York league currently has 81 clubs, making it the largest league in America, though only five actually registered with enough members to be eligible to vote in the upcoming election.Mark Demos, a Zimbabwe native who is credited as a co-founder of the Northwest Cricket League in Seattle in 1998 but now lives in Dallas, Texas, is also in the mix along with Shuja Khan. Khan, who is the founder and president of the Philadelphia Cricket League and a vice-president with Muhammad Qureshi’s Cricket Council USA, is also running for League Director.Florida-based Qureshi, who unsuccessfully attempted to dethrone Dainty on multiple occasions in failed USACA presidential bids, is one of seven candidates for the Club Director position. Another is American Cricket Federation (ACF) executive secretary John Aaron, the New York administrator who served in the same position with USACA starting in 2008 before being thrown out by the Dainty-led board in 2011. Aaron is a high-profile candidate along with former ACF board member Masaood Yunus, a former president of the Minnesota Cricket Association and current president of Strykers Cricket Club in the Minneapolis suburb of Eden Prairie.Erica Rendler walks off the field at the New York ICC Combine•Peter Della PennaThe largest pool of candidates lies in the battle for the Individual Director slots on the board, with ten people running for three available positions. The most prominent name is Texas resident Brian Walters, who spent two years on the USACA board after winning election in 2012. Walters served as the head of the USACA Governance Committee but resigned in March 2014 in frustration over the Dainty-led board’s refusal to adopt constitutional reforms recommended in a USACA commissioned report compiled by TSE Consulting.Three current or former ACF board members are also in the running for Individual Director positions: New Jersey’s Avinash Gaje, who runs the largest softball cricket league in the northeast with more than 100 competing clubs; Indianapolis youth coach Jatin Patel; and Orange County (California) Cricket Association president Shantha Suraweera. Also on the list is St Louis, Missouri, administrator Ajay Jhamb, who, like Nadkarni, Aaron, Yunus, Walters and Shuja was a member of one of the four ICC advisory groups.Shuja, 39, is the only candidate running unopposed within any of the categories for a board position, meaning he will be the first person to serve as Elite Male Athlete representative on the USA Cricket board. The Austin, Texas, resident holds an MBA from the prestigious Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and after previously working for Boston Consulting Group is now a general manager at tech start-up SparkCognition, which specialises in artificial intelligence systems.According to multiple sources, other USA players did show initial interest in putting their name forward as candidates for the Elite Male Athlete position. But others withdrew from formal consideration once it emerged that Shuja had put his name forward in order to give him their support. Such is the respect in which he is held both as a player and in a professional career capacity.The race for the Elite Female Athlete position is down to two candidates: current USA women’s team-mates Nadia Gruny and Erica Rendler. Gruny, 34, is originally from Trinidad & Tobago but came to the USA after being recruited to play NCAA Division One level soccer at South Carolina State University. Rendler, 37, is the only American-born candidate in any category, growing up as a two-sport high school athlete in San Jose, California. She is a former NCAA Division One athlete on the field hockey team at the University of California-Berkeley and made her USA women’s cricket debut in 2010.

While there is still room for improvement here and there, Chelsea have built themselves a sensational squad in recent years.

However, while the likes of Moises Caicedo, Reece James and maybe even Marc Cucurella are all world-class, it’s still easy to point out the team’s most important player: Cole Palmer.

Since joining the West Londoners in 2023, the Englishman has racked up an outrageous tally of 46 goals and 29 assists in 104 games.

So, fans should be excited about reports linking them to another youngster who could be another Palmer-type signing.

Chelsea target another Palmer

With the transfer window now just a matter of weeks away from opening, reports have begun linking Chelsea with a plethora of seriously exciting talents.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

RB Leipzig’s £52M Castello Lukeba, for example, has been touted for a move to Stamford Bridge, as has Nottingham Forest’s £79m Murillo.

However, while both players would improve the Blues’ defensive units, neither could really be described as a potentially Palmer-esque signing, unlike Kobbie Mainoo.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of several teams interested in signing the Manchester United youngster next year.

In fact, the report has revealed that, alongside Bayern Munich, the West Londoners are now “leading the chase” for the Englishman’s signature.

However, there are two hurdles to making this move happen: United’s reluctance to lose the player and the player’s preference to join Napoli, having seen what regular game time there has done for Scott McTominay.

With all that said, while it could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, it’s one Chelsea should fight for, as Mainoo could be a game-changer for them and a Palmer-like signing.

Why Mainoo would be like another Palmer

Okay, so the first thing to say, and it feels pretty obvious, is that the comparison to Palmer is not about their positions, nor is it really about their playstyle either.

Instead, the comparison stems from the fact that, like the Chelsea star, if Mainoo were to join the Blues, he would be doing so from one of the Manchester sides.

Moreover, he’d be leaving the Red Devils for more regular game time and, as Palmer has done over the last few years, is someone with the potential to be a massive game-changer for the West Londoners.

After all, while Reuben Amorim doesn’t seem to trust the Carrington product, for whatever reason, fans were able to get a real look at his incredible talent under Erik ten Hag.

For example, despite still being a teenager, the midfield monster made 32 first-team appearances in the 23/24 season, scoring five goals and providing one assist.

Moreover, he wasn’t just chipping in with a goal involvement in easy wins. He scored in a 2-2 draw with Liverpool, in a 3-2 victory over Newcastle United, and, most importantly, in the club’s 2-1 win over City in the FA Cup final.

Appearances

32

Starts

29

Minutes

2405′

Goals

5

Assists

1

Points per Game

1.72

This outrageous run of form led to the youngster’s inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros that summer, and he didn’t just go for the experience.

Instead, the Stockport superstar in the making played in six games, starting four of them, including the final.

With all this in mind, it’s not hard to see why United writer Alex Turk referred back to the talk of him being a future “£100m-plus footballer” in the summer, regardless of what his current boss thinks of him.

Ultimately, it’s not hard to imagine a world in which he moves to Stamford Bridge as an underappreciated player at one of the Manchester clubs and becomes as big a star as Palmer.

Therefore, Chelsea should do what they can to sign Mainoo next year.

Worse than Garnacho: Maresca must now bin 5/10 Chelsea dud after Everton

This Chelsea star struggled in their 2-0 win over Everton

ByJoe Nuttall 2 days ago

Ollie Rayner was loaned out by Middlesex after a poor season, but two wickets suggested he might yet lighten Hampshire’s spin crisis

ECB Reporters Network22-Jun-2018
ScorecardOllie Rayner grabbed his first two Hampshire wickets but Yorkshire kept the game in the balance by taking a slender two-run deficit into the final day.Offspinner Rayner only joined Hampshire on loan at the beginning of the week, having been dropped from Middlesex’s squad to face Leicestershire, to cover injuries for Mason Crane and Brad Taylor, along with England Lions’ Liam Dawson.And while Dawson performed an impressive four wicket haul on international duty, Rayner deputised with skill during a six over spell of 2 for 4.Yorkshire had been given the entire 35 overs of the night session to eat away at Hampshire’s 93-run first innings lead, after Gareth Berg’s fifty with the tail, and start to rebuild an advantage of their own.Alex Lees, having only scored 10 runs in his previous five Specsavers County Championship innings this season, started off with vigour, taking Fidel Edwards for four boundaries in his first over.Opening partner Adam Lyth was more circumspect with his 17 but became Rayner’s first Hampshire wicket as he tentatively left his bat outside off stump to edge to keeper Tom Alsop.Exactly two overs later, Rayner was celebrating again when he had Lees lbw to a straight delivery, for a confidence building 39.Yorkshire ended the day with key batsmen Gary Ballance, who scored a century in the first innings, and Indian’s Test star Cheteshwar Pujara unbeaten on 18 and 14.Earlier, Jimmy Adams and Tom Alsop started the day looking to build on their 132 and 62 not outs – but the latter could only add a single before departing in the second over of the day.The left hander was plumb lbw to Brooks – ending a slow paced 179-run stand, from a mammoth 67.2 overs.The run scoring remained hard going throughout the morning session, with accurate bowling with a difficult to get away soft pink ball offering nothing to either side.Adams in particular struggled to get going again on the third day, only managing 15 runs in 85 minutes before he was undone by extra bounce from Tim Bresnan and was caught behind for a season high 147.Hampshire tiptoed to 300 as they managed to reach a third batting point with seven balls of the spare before Brooks had Ian Holland, after a patient 31 caught, and Steven Patterson dismissed Ollie Rayner for a duck both caught behind.Just as Yorkshire sniffed a first innings lead, Kyle Abbott and Berg added 74 in a frustrating eighth wicket stand – with the all-rounders accelerating the run-rate.Berg was left stranded unbeaten on 84, with Hampshire bowled out for 443 and boasting a strong lead of 93.

Harry Kane may have been handed another welcome boost at Bayern Munich, with Joshua Kimmich delivering an update on his future.

Article continues below

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Midfielder under contract until 2025Linked with a move elsewhereBundesliga giants eager for him to stayWHAT HAPPENED?

The Germany international midfielder has seen a move away from the Allianz Arena speculated on. If the 29-year-old were to depart, then his versatility and experience would be a big miss for Bayern. Change is expected in the summer, with Thomas Tuchel definitely moving on, and Bayern will look to freshen up their squad if they endure a first campaign without major honours since 2012.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Bayern will be hoping that Kimmich stays put in a bid to get the club back on the trophy trail – with Kane very much of that mindset as he seeks to bring a barren run on the silverware front to a close – and the proven performer is offering no indication that he is considering a change of scenery.

WHAT KIMMICH SAID

Kimmich has said when asked about his future: “Generally, my situation is clear, I still have a contract. For me it’s about showing my performances, that’s the most important thing. And then we’ll see what happens. I still have over a year left on my contract and no one has spoken to me yet. I'm relaxed. It’s not so bad here!”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

Kimmich has been with Bayern since 2015, taking in 377 appearances for the Bavarian giants. He has eight Bundesliga titles and a Champions League crown to his name, and will be eager to help Kane land a first trophy of his career in 2024.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for Fluminense midfielder Andre in recent times, and a significant update has now emerged regarding a potential January bid for him.

Andre linked with Liverpool move

Much was made of the Reds' terrible midfield performances last season, with that area of the pitch proving to be a major issue for Jurgen Klopp, as his side eventually finished fifth in the Premier League.

The likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson looked like shadows of the players they used to be, in terms of the energy they they were able to provide, while Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones were all unavailable far too often through injury.

For that reason, significant changes in personnel were needed in the middle of the park, with all the above players and James Milner moved on, barring Jones, and Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch all arriving at Anfield.

Liverpool transfer target Andre has been linked with a move to the club and is arguably one of the most highly-rated young midfielders in his homeland of Brazil, having already become an important figure for Fluminense at the age of just 22. A January move for him is possible, and a fresh update has now emerged.

Andre to Liverpool: January bid update

According to a new transfer update from Football Insider, Liverpool plan to make a January bid for Andre in the next transfer window, and are fully expected to make a proper attempt for his signature this winter.

Klopp's men have impressed for much of this season so far, but they do look light in defensive midfield at the moment, with Mac Allister being used there, which isn't the Argentine's strongest position. Meanwhile, Endo has taken some time to settle, and is arguably only seen as a squad player, considering he is 30 years of age.

Signing Andre in January would make complete sense for Liverpool, with the youngster far more of an out-and-out No.6 than someone like Mac Allister, possessing the dynamism and natural defensive brain to excel in that role.

Strong passing

Aerial duels

Excellent reader of the game

Can lack discipline

Good at dribbling

Still fairly raw

The Brazilian Liverpool target has been hailed as a "leader" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and he has already made 156 appearances for Fluminense (Andre – staistics), scoring four goals and registering three assists in that time. He also has one cap to his name for Brazil, and he could be viewed as a future starter for them at the heart of the midfield.

Liverpool's midfield looks littered with top-quality options at the moment, but there is a clear lack of balance there when they face good teams, as proved to be the case away to Brighton on Sunday afternoon, with Mac Allister out of sorts at the Amex Stadium.

What Andre could do is let the Argentina star off the leash, allowing him to switch to his preferred No.8 role alongside Szoboszlai, also giving the defence more protection and making the Reds look like a strong all-round midfield unit, and less open as a team.

For the first time, Women’s World T20 will be a standalone event and DRS will be used in a World T20 tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2018Defending Champions West Indies will take on the winner of the World T20 Qualifier under lights on a triple-header opening day on November 9 in the Women’s World T20 in the West Indies.

Group A: West Indies, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Qualifier 1
Group B: Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Qualifier 2

India women and New Zealand women kick off the tournament at Providence Stadium in Guyana before three-time champions Australia women face Pakistan women at the same venue later in the evening. The West Indies-Qualifier 1 clash, which will also be hosted by Providence Stadium, will round out the first day.Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, meanwhile, will host the two semi-finals on November 22 as well as the final on November 24.Notably, the Decision Review System (DRS) will be used for the first time in a World T20 tournament and for the first time, the Women’s World T20 will be a standalone event, after the previous six editions were organised alongside the men’s World T20.Hosts West Indies are placed in Group A along with 50-over World Cup Champions England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Qualifier 1. Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Qualifier 2 make up Group B.With two spots up for grabs, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Thailand, Uganda and United Arab Emirates will fight it out in the Women’s World T20 qualifiers in the Netherlands from July 7 to 14.All 23 matches are set to be broadcast live and will be played across three venues – Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia and Providence Stadium in Guyana.In addition to hosting the triple-header on the opening day, Providence Stadium will also host two marquee clashes: India v Pakistan on November 11 and Australia v New Zealand two days later.Schedule:November 9, Providence
New Zealand v India
Australia v Pakistan
West Indies v TBCNovember 10, Gros Islet
England v Sri LankaNovember 11, Providence
India v Pakistan
Australia v TBCNovember 12, Gros Islet
England v TBC
Sri Lanka v South AfricaNovember 13, Providence
Pakistan v TBC
Australia v New ZealandNovember 14, Gros Islet
Sri Lanka v TBC
West Indies v South AfricaNovember 15, Providence
India v TBC
New Zealand v PakistanNovember 16, Gros Islet
England v South Africa
West Indies v Sri LankaNovember 17, Providence
India v Australia
New Zealand v TBCNovember 18 , Gros Islet
West Indies v England
South Africa v TBCNovember 22, North Sound
Semifinal 1
Semifinal 2November 24, North Sound
Final