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Russell Domingo conceded he will hand over an unfinished article to the person that succeeds him as South Africa’s head coach, but hopes he has given them plenty to build on. Domingo, whose contract expired at the conclusion of the England tour, appears resigned that his reapplication has failed and considers his four-year tenure over. Though he leaves behind a team that will require some work, Domingo reflected proudly on what he achieved in this time at the helm.”There are definite holes in the Test side that need bit a of attention, some tinkering which must take place,” Domingo said. “But I’ve loved my time. For a team that has a lot of challenges we’ve done okay.”When Domingo took over from Gary Kirsten in mid-2013, he inherited a side that had already reached their peak. Under Graeme Smith, South Africa were No.1 on the Test rankings and though Kirsten exited with an ICC tournament defeat in the Champions Trophy, South Africa were thought to be building solidly to the 2015 World Cup.Domingo’s first assignment was a limited-overs tour to Sri Lanka which went badly, but his Test team drew in the UAE and won at home against India. Then came the retirements.Jacques Kallis was the grinch who stole Christmas when he announced he would hang up his Test whites on that very day in 2013. The Boxing Day Test was his last. Three months later, with South Africa locked at 1-1 against Australia, Graeme Smith followed Kallis in the decider. The series was lost. A succession hunt bypassed AB de Villiers and found Hashim Amla, who led the team to victory in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, and against West Indies at home. Following a wash-out against Bangladesh, India inflicted a massive defeat on their new-look team at the end of 2015. By then, the World Cup had been lost, amid political interference in selection for the semi-final. Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander were injured and a home series against England awaited.Things were tough and, when Amla gave up the Test captaincy, they got tougher. De Villiers accepted it amid anxiety over his workload and then got injured before he could bed into the role. Then came the transformation targets.After a ministerial ban on hosting major tournaments, CSA introduced a strict system for the national team that required them to field a minimum average of six players of colour including two black Africans over the course of a season. Because the national side had resisted radical change for so long, such measures had to be forced on them.The fuss that arose from this toxic mix of sport and politics – which is entirely necessary in a country like South Africa – made it seem as though all hope was lost. But when Faf du Plessis took over, South Africa enjoyed a summer of success in 2016-17 and redemption was in sight. Then came the Kolpaks.Eight recently capped Test players chose county over country, including Kyle Abbott, who walked out on the team midway through their series win over Sri Lanka, and South Africa toured England with a depleted squad, and duly lost in an ICC event and a Test series. That is how Domingo will bow out.”It’s been tricky,” is how he summed it up. “I took over a side that was established, then lost a lot of players, went through a dip, re-established some, lost a few players again, we sort of established something again, but then we lost Dale, Vernon and AB and that sets you back a little bit more.”In all of that, Domingo sees opportunity because, despite those three big challenges, South Africa continue to produce quality cricketers. He singled out two of them – Keshav Maharaj and Temba Bavuma – as future stars. Maharaj was South Africa’s second-highest wicket-taker in the England series and has operated as their sole specialist spinner since November, while Bavuma, despite only one hundred to his name, has shown the temperament and technique to score big runs.”I think Keshav is going to be the best spinner South Africa’s ever had. He’s fantastic, think of the roles he can fulfill. He’s a fantastic young bowler,” Domingo said. “And Temba Bavuma has shown so much promise. I honestly believe he’s got the technique to become one of South Africa’s best players, but you’ve got to persevere with him. You can’t just, after 20 Tests, because he’s averaging 30, get rid of him. You’ve got to invest in those types of players. You’ve got to give them time to develop.”And Domingo believes there will be many more even though that depth appears absent at the moment. “We will always produce good young cricketers because of our schooling system,” Domingo said. “The challenge is keeping the players within the system. Look at the number of players playing abroad – you could pick a pretty strong side from the players playing abroad, That’s the big challenge facing South African cricket – it’s about providing opportunities for all those players to feature in our system, somehow.”One of Domingo’s frustrations during his time in charge was the number of South Africans who played T20 leagues and then either picked up injuries or were fatigued by the time they were needed for national duty. De Villiers was a case in point. His elbow injury was at its worst after the CPL in 2016, which then ruled him out of most of the following season.CSA have tried to prevent that from happening again with the introduction of their own franchised T20 tournaments, which will kick off this year. Although that means South African players will have wall-to-wall action from the end of September, when they host Bangladesh, until the beginning of April, when they play Australia, Domingo hopes the league will serve as an incentive to keep players in the country.”We need to make sure that you have some sort of control of your players, so they are not playing in the Caribbean League week in and week out or trying to play in the Big Bash. They’ll play in the IPL and they’ll play in our domestic T20 league – that’s sort of what you’re hoping for,” he said. “It also provides an opportunity to develop some new players, just look what the IPL has done for India, the number of young players that have come through because they are playing with some great players. It’s a massive learning curve to play with the old experienced players – there are massive benefits for them.”As for Domingo, he could end up working with some of those players. While he has no firm plans on his future, he has been linked with the South Africa A side and the under-19 side and will try to continue to serve South African cricket. “I’d like to stay in South African cricket,” he said. “I’ve got a young family, my roots are in South Africa, my family’s in South Africa, I want to stay in South Africa. Whichever level I coach at, that’s my job, that’s what I love doing and as long as I can play some part in South African cricket I’ll be glad to stay.”

Arsenal continue to be linked with a host of potential new signings despite their proactivity, yet there is one freshly touted option that could form a frightening partnership with another of their summer additions…

Who is joining Arsenal this summer?

The latest transfer claim comes courtesy of French outlet RMC Sport, who suggest that the Gunners remain interested in signing Montpellier forward Elye Wahi.

Having enjoyed a truly outstanding season in his homeland, the 20-year-old finisher has unsurprisingly begun to garner widespread interest. Although Chelsea are noted as a potential destination, it is said that Mikel Arteta has enquired regarding his availability. Talks are expected to continue in the coming days.

Having had a €40m (£34m) price tag slapped on him back in May, the Frenchman will not come cheap despite his lack of experience. He would add to a transfer window of vast change for the north London outfit, having already welcomed Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz to the Emirates.

It is the latter of this trio that would likely benefit most from the proposed deal.

How good is Elye Wahi?

With Chelsea having endured one of their toughest campaigns in recent history, their German maestro unsurprisingly suffered too. Especially since he was often deployed as a centre-forward, despite his preferred position being deeper.

As such, he was often lambasted for his lack of cutting-edge and consistency, despite scoring nine goals in all competitions.

Should Wahi enter the fold at the Emirates, to compete with Gabriel Jesus, at last, the 24-year-old magician will be allowed to move into his starring role, where he can instead shine just behind the striker, dictating the play.

After all, when compared to other forwards across Europe, he does rank in the top 9% for progressive passes per 90, and did manage to average 1.1 key passes per game last term in the league too.

Combining this kind of creativity with the speed and directness of Wahi would offer a new dimension to the slow, mediated build-up that Arteta has been famed for. The young marksman did notch 19 goals in Ligue 1 last term alongside a further six assists, as if to outline his goalscoring credentials.

He also did so with a 30% conversion rate, suggesting that should Havertz create, he can be safe in the knowledge that the German will often score.

Were the Gunners to tempt the France U21 international to join, it could even bare striking similarities with their capture of Nicolas Anelka back in 1997.

Moving from Paris Saint-Germain, the teenager joined under the newly-appointed Arsene Wenger and immediately fought for his first-team spot.

When it came, he proved instrumental in finally securing Arsenal that coveted Premier League title, recording 12 goal contributions in the league and even scoring in their FA Cup final win as they claimed the double.

The year following he would record a further 17 league goals, truly establishing himself as a fine asset for his legendary French coach.

His confidence to move to a new country at such a young age paid off, and with an injury to Ian Wright handing him his chance, he never looked back.

Wahi could seek to emulate this path, as a compatriot sharing many of the physical similarities with the 44-year-old.

The two stand at 6 foot and 6 foot 1 respectively, and were blessed with lightning-quick speed and an ability to leave defenders for dead whilst playing on the shoulder.

Such a notion is emphasised by words from his national team coach at youth level, Sylvain Rippol, noted:

"He's a racy player, a space-taking player who hurts the opponent in behind and who makes them retreat. There are not many like him. And when I see the form of Elye, over the last few months, of course, the squad needs his qualities."

Perhaps a switch to north London could kickstart his career in the same way it did Anelka's, who would go on to win two English leagues, three FA Cups, one Italian league, a Champions League and a European Championship.

Will Tavare completed a six-hour century as Gloucestershire built a strong position on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Leicestershire at Bristol

ECB Reporters Network15-Apr-2017
ScorecardWill Tavare bedded in for a six-hour century•PA PhotosWill Tavare completed a six-hour century as Gloucestershire built a strong position on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Leicestershire at Bristol.Resuming their first innings on 236 for 5, the hosts declared on 466 for 8, Tavare top-scoring with 101, well supported by Phil Mustard (72), Jack Taylor (60) and David Payne (54 not out). Gavin Griffiths finished with 4 for 101.In reply, Leicestershire slumped to 14 for 3 before a fighting stand of 102 between skipper Mark Cosgrove (48) and Mark Pettini (54). They fell in quick succession and by the close the visitors were back in trouble at 165 for 6, trailing by 301.Tavare, who missed much of last season with a knee problem, was unbeaten on 73 overnight and moved to a painstaking hundred off 271 balls. He had batted for six hours and 12 minutes when bowled by a full-length ball from Griffiths.It was Leicestershire’s only success in the morning session, despite beating the bat on numerous occasions. Mustard, unbeaten on 13 at the start, was 51 not out at lunch, having shared a stand of 89 with Tavare and helped Gloucestershire to three batting points.Mustard fell soon after the interval, bowled by Neil Dexter aiming a big hit over the leg side, having faced 159 balls and hit 7 fours.His application, allied to that of Tavare, gave Taylor and Payne licence to play positively after Craig Miles had been caught at short-leg off a lifter from Richard Jones for five to make it 378 for 7.Taylor breezed to his half-century off 65 balls, with 6 fours and a six, before being caught behind attempting to pull a ball from Griffiths.Payne needed only 48 deliveries to reach fifty, having struck eight fours and a six. He and Liam Norwell added 33 before Mustard declared, leaving the Leicestershire batsmen a tricky period before tea.Paul Horton was pinned lbw by Payne, playing across the line, for six and when Harry Dearden fell for eight to another leg-before decision upheld in Norwell’s favour off the last ball before the break the visitors were 14 for 2.That became 14 for 3 when Dexter looked to drive Payne at the start of the evening session and edged a catch to second slip where Chris Dent leapt to hold a sharp chance.Batting started the look more straightforward from the moment Cosgrove joined Pettini and they gradually led a recovery.Cosgrove was merciless on anything short from the seamers and had moved to within two of a half-century when carelessly giving a return catch to off-spinner Taylor to make the score 116 for 4.Pettini moved to his fifty off 77 balls, with 9 fours, but in the same Norwell over was caught behind attempting to leave the ball.Colin Ackermann was forced to retire hurt with a hand injury on eight with the total 146, having been hit by a delivery from Craig Miles and Ben Raine fell for a duck, caught behind off the same bowler. Ned Eckersley was 25 not out at stumps.

Manchester United are believed to be keeping tabs on Fiorentina midfielder, Sofyan Amrabat, following the recent capture of Mason Mount.

What's the latest on Amrabat to Man United?

According to Sky Sports journalist, Dharmesh Sheth, the 26-year-old – who has a year to run on his existing deal in Italy – is said to be a player that United are "looking at", albeit with any deal said to be "contingent" on possible player sales at Old Trafford.

This comes amid a report from the Daily Mail which has claimed that the Red Devils are ready to revive their interest in the Moroccan international after previously monitoring his situation in January, with the player's current side said to be ready to sell for a fee of around £30m.

As per Manchester Evening News, Erik ten Hag's side are reportedly considering whether to move for another midfielder, despite having only just wrapped up a deal for Mount.

Who is Sofyan Amrabat?

As Sheth stated above, a pursuit of the former Club Brugge maestro is likely to depend on any possible outgoings at the Theatre of Dreams this summer, with there a potential for Amrabat's capture to allow United to cash in on Scotland international, Scott McTominay.

The latter man – who has been linked with a move to Newcastle United of late – is reportedly valued at around £40m by Ten Hag and co, with uncertainty mounting as to whether the 26-year-old will remain at the club beyond the end of the summer.

Previously described as "not good enough" by club legend Roy Keane, the academy graduate was restricted to just ten Premier League starts last term following the signing of Casemiro, having been unable to truly establish himself under the former Ajax boss.

As such, it would be no surprise if McTominay was to be sent packing by the acquisition of Amrabat, with the Fiorentina star having previously shone under Ten Hag's tutelage, after registering 11 goals and assists in 50 games for FC Utrecht while the Dutchman was at the helm.

Lauded as a "colossus" by talkSPORT pundit Stuart Pearce after shining for his country at the World Cup in Qatar, the Netherlands-born ace could potentially offer a more creative midfield presence to that of McTominay.

That is shown by the fact that while the current United man ranks in just the bottom 6% for progressive passes and the bottom 17% for attempted passes among those in his position in Europe, Amrabat, by contrast, ranks in the top 8% and the top 11% for those same two metrics, respectively, thus showcasing his front-foot approach.

Equally, Amrabat's superior composure in possession is illustrated by the fact that he ranks in the top 5% for pass completion, while McTominay ranks in just the bottom 46% in that regard.

Also described as "extraordinary" while on international duty by Spain boss Luis Enrique, the United target can also chip in defensively having averaged 1.3 tackles per game from his 29 Serie A outings last term – the same as what the Lancaster native achieved in 24 Premier League appearances.

With Amrabat clearly something of an all-round package – as well as being a player that Ten Hag is familiar with – sealing a deal must surely be something of a priority for the Red Devils before the season kicks off next month.

Virat Kohli has hailed Kedar Jadhav’s 65-ball hundred in the first ODI against England and said the 200-run stand was one of the best partnerships he has been involved in

Arun Venugopal in Pune16-Jan-20171:57

‘Jadhav’s hundred one of the best calculated innings’ – Kohli

Virat Kohli has hailed Kedar Jadhav’s 76-ball 120 as an “outstanding” effort and one of the “best calculative innings” he has seen, after India aced a tall chase in his first match as full-time ODI captain. Kohli himself made a 105-ball 122 to fire up India’s pursuit of 351, but was for once outscored and overshadowed in a partnership.”I think it was outstanding, just to have another guy that was willing to believe we can win from any situation was such a boost for me as well. If you want to give one man credit, it is Kedar Jadhav,” Kohli said after the match. “They had four quick bowlers and he really tackled all of them really well. He put a lot of pressure on the spinners so they couldn’t come back into the game. I couldn’t believe some of the shots he played. He told me it was instinctive, but such was his talent.”When Jadhav joined Kohli in the 12th over, India were four down for 63 and had lost Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni. But Jadhav’s shot-making instantly took the pressure off Kohli – he was unruffled by the short balls and executed the pull, one of his most productive shots, effortlessly, and countered the spinners with lofted drives. With Kohli at the other end, there were plenty of quick singles and doubles during their 200-run alliance in just 147 balls. Kohli called it one of the best partnerships he had been involved in.”Striking at 150 was outstanding and all clean shots; he didn’t slog the ball once,” Kohli said in praise. “He was brilliant and that’s why we back him to play at No. 6. I think it was one of the best partnerships I’ve been part of. I think the best thing that came out was to counter-attack. I don’t think any of the wickets we lost was because of good balls; we committed errors.”Kedar and I had a gut feel. We thought if we get the score past 150-160 together still with four down, we had a great chance. The pitch was even better to bat on in the second innings. The ball travels very fast here. We could hit sixes to put that pressure every now and then on the opposition. We chased 350 a couple of times before but not from 63 for 4. This is something really special and will stay with me for a long time.”Jadhav was battling with cramps as he neared his hundred. He was also fighting inner demons: that he did not convert a similar start against New Zealand in Delhi, where India fell seven runs short of the target of 243 after Jadhav fell for a 37-ball 41. Kohli said he had to push Jadhav to not let physical or mental exertion affect his focus.”I’m glad I was out there with him, to keep pushing him,” he said. “He was disappointed in the last series against New Zealand when he couldn’t get us across the line. Then he was again playing really well. I told him that the best place you can learn is out there in the middle. No point sitting outside and thinking what you could have done. So just push yourself a little more and you will understand how to do it again and again.”You understand when a guy is trying to slog the ball or is playing good cricket – you don’t necessarily need to say too much at that stage and confuse him. Only when he was getting cramps, he was thinking about that. I told him to get the focus back on the game and take his mind off it (cramps).”Kedar Jadhav scored 102 runs in the 200-run stand with Virat Kohli•AFP

Kohli used Jadhav’s example to suggest that limited international experience wasn’t necessarily a deterrent to handling high-pressure chases. “I think one thing we keep talking in the change room is the number of games doesn’t matter, it’s how you use your brain in a tough situation in the middle,” he said. “We all are good enough to hit the ball, it’s still fours and sixes. If you think too much on the lines of ‘I don’t know how to do this so I’m not sure If I can do this’ compared to just watch the ball and play it with the technique you know best and try to win the game from any situation, you become a better play than anyone else.”There is no hard-and-fast rule of understanding the game over a number of games. You can get a great understanding of the game after 10 one-dayers; it doesn’t have to be 60, 70, 80. The sooner you learn the team benefits from it. This was another case of the same thing: all the 11 guys believing that we can win from any situation.”When we went back in we got to know that five-six guys didn’t move from their position for the whole time me and Kedar were batting. That’s the kind of belief we have in the change room that yes we might be able to achieve something special today. That’s the only way you can win in team sport.”Kohli also played his share of stunning shots on Sunday night. One that stood out was an extraordinary high-elbowed, back-foot loft, in the 34th over off Chris Woakes, that went over the ropes on the leg side. Kohli admitted he had surprised himself with shots like that from time to time. “I can recall many moments when I felt like ‘I didn’t do this, I don’t know how it got executed’ but I’ve always spoken to all the guys on the same thing – If you are focused on the goal, the target you want to achieve, you don’t necessarily need to think too much about the game – in terms of your personal runs or where you stand at the game,” he said.”If you’re thinking team, team, team all the time, you end up playing shots or doing things you don’t quite believe before achieving them. When you are in momentum, you’re able to play the kind of shots that, if you’re in pressure, you won’t be able to play. It’s as simple as that.”Kohli was not oblivious to his team’s profligate bowling in the back-end that saw 115 runs conceded in the last 10 overs. “There was a bit of consistency issue in the last 15 overs as bowlers,” he said. “We had done well up to the first 35 overs, but were a little wayward in the last 15. We will address it and try to improve in the next game.”

England have twice come from 1-0 down to win in India but it will be a herculean task for the side to replicate that feat

Andrew McGlashan25-Nov-2016Match FactsNovember 26-30, 2016
Start time 9.30 local (0400GMT)2:53

Compton: Buttler may not be a long-term option

Big pictureIt was route-one to victory for India in Vizag: win the toss, bat big, get the spinners to work, allow the pitch to wear, then back to the spinners. But they have been challenged enough by England – more than by recent visitors – over the first two Tests to suggest they can’t afford a slip.In the past, a trip north to Mohali may have brought the encouragement of some extra assistance for the quicks, but that was not the pattern last year against South Africa and, judging by the look of the pitch this time, the pacemen will not be leaping out of bed in the morning.There are five members of the England squad, including captain Alastair Cook, who will have fond memories of fighting back from 1-0 down on the 2012-13 tour but as Nick Compton, another member of that side recalled, that was a team chock full of experience. For this England to emulate that comeback would be astonishing, but it is not impossible.As has been the theme throughout the Bangladesh tour, and now India, England will tinker with their XI but, fundamentally, they will need runs from Cook and Joe Root if they are to compete. The middle order is strong – the development of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow continues to impress – but it is mighty difficult if you fall behind.With that in mind, England have to be able to stay in the contest should India put a big first-innings score on the board. They played some impressive cricket on days three and four in Vizag, but the game was lost during the final session of the second day when they slipped to 80 for 5.There was an understandable air of confidence from Virat Kohli as he spoke after the second Test: it was a solid performance and he contributed 248 runs with batting on a different level to anything else seen in the contest. His opening-day century was the first time in 13 innings against England that he had passed fifty and with R Ashwin claiming his first five-wicket haul against them, they were two significant boxes ticked by India’s match-winners. For England to fight back, they will have to keep both quiet in Mohali, which is easier said than done.Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
India WDWWW
England LDLWL
In the spotlightHe has played only one first-class match in more than 12 months, but now Jos Buttler is set to be given the task of providing an x-factor to England’s middle order. Trevor Bayliss has lauded Buttler’s qualities over the last six months and the feeling is if he had his own way the recall may have come sooner, but now Ben Duckett’s struggles and Gary Ballance’s travails in Bangladesh have left England nowhere else to look to refresh the batting. Buttler has been told to play his natural game, which means, one way or the other, his time at the crease is unlikely to be dull.It was only three Tests ago that Ajinkya Rahane scored 188 against New Zealand, so he has plenty of credit in the bank – and the small matter of a Test average of 48.34 – but he has had a difficult start to this series. Two ugly dismissals against spin in Rajkot and a couple of tentative prods in Vizag cost him his wicket. With just five specialist batsmen, India can’t afford an over-reliance on Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara.Team newsThere is one confirmed change for India with Parthiv Patel – whose last Test came eight years ago – replacing the injured Wriddhiman Saha as wicketkeeper.India (likely) 1 KL Rahul, 2 M Vijay, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 R Ashwin, 7 Parthiv Patel (wk), 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Jayant Yadav, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Mohammad ShamiEngland will make three changes through a mixture of form and fitness issues. Buttler’s recall in place of Ben Duckett, and Chris Woakes’ return for the injured Stuart Broad are confirmed. Gareth Batty is expected to replace Surrey team-mate Zafar Ansari, who is unavailable. There is an argument that England should go with their strength and play four quicks, but that does not appear to be their thinking.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Haseeb Hameed, 3 Joe Root, 4 Moeen Ali, 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Gareth Batty, 11 James AndersonPitch and conditionsThe pitch was dry and shaved. It did not look an extreme surface but there was nothing there to encourage seamers. It is also expected to be slow. Winter is arriving in the north of India and the weather is pleasantly cool, which means the pitch won’t bake much.Stats and triviaMoeen Ali needs five wickets to reach 100 in TestsIndia have not lost in Mohali since 1994, against West Indies, in the ground’s first Test. Since then they have six wins and five drawsVirat Kohli needs 109 runs for 4000 in Tests; Alastair Cook needs 105 for 11,000England’s collapse from 75 without loss to 158 all out was their second worst for all ten wickets against IndiaQuotes”To me, back in 2014, every bowler looked difficult because I wasn’t in a good mindset. But when you are playing well, when you are in a good zone, you feel that you have an upper hand against any bowler that you play and that’s something that you need to carry onto the field as well.”
“He’s right up there with the best short-form players in the world and he’s earned an opportunity to come and play here.”

Liverpool are in for a much-needed rebuild this summer after failing to maintain their high standards this season and now a new update has emerged on one the club's top targets.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Khephren Thuram?

According to Football Transfers, Liverpool are in advanced talks to sign OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram this summer.

As per the report, Anfield is the preferred destination for the French star with his World Cup-winning father Lilian leading the negotiations to secure a deal for his son, but Liverpool are claimed to have competitors with Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain also named as potential suitors for Thuram.

Who would Thuram replace at Liverpool?

There is no doubt that a midfield rebuild is desperately overdue on the red side of Merseyside, especially after the confirmed departures of James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita next month.

This leaves Jurgen Klopp with an incredibly thin and ageing set of midfielders left behind with both Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara well into their 30s, whilst Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Stefan Bajcetic and Fabinho make up for the remaining players left at the manager's disposal with the majority lacking experience.

As a result, the opportunity to sign Thuram could not have come at a better time for the Merseysiders and the France international could be the perfect upgrade for the departing Keita.

It is no secret that the Guinean's time at Anfield was negatively impacted by a terrible injury record that has left him unable to consistently showcase his talent on the pitch, something that Thuram could improve massively should he make a move to Anfield.

Over 35 Ligue 1 appearances, the 22-year-old – dubbed "perfect" by journalist Alex Jaquin – has scored two goals, registered four assists and created nine big chances, as well as averaging 1.1 key passes and 1.3 successful dribbles as a marker of the impact he can make in the final third.

Thuram well and truly looks like the complete package, proving to be a well-oiled defensive machine too, making 1.1 interceptions, 1.5 tackles, and winning 3.8 duels per game.

Thuram's outstanding campaign hasn't gone unnoticed with teammate and former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey hailing him for his impact in the centre of the pitch:

"Khéphren is another talented player here. I think he's definitely got a big future ahead of him if he carries on the way he's going at the minute.

"He's very dangerous, very powerful, a very strong dribbler of the ball. Hopefully, he can keep progressing. He's another player that can go all the way to the top I feel. I enjoy playing alongside him in the middle of the park; I think we have a good balance in there."

The young talent – who will cost a reported €60m (£52m) to sign – has shown glimpses of his strong capabilities to be a reliable and consistent box-to-box midfielder with no major injury concerns of note over his short career so far, making him the ideal candidate to replace Keita and should be able to comfortably improve upon the Liverpool midfielder's minimal impact.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Liverpool to snap up the services of Thuram this summer as he could continue to develop and mould his skills under Klopp's guidance and become a key component in reinstating success at the club for years to come.

Southampton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz “looks like he’ll stay” beyond the summer at the St. Mary’s Stadium, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

Is Carlos Alcaraz leaving Southampton?

The Argentine only arrived in the Premier League from Racing Club back in January and made a total of 21 appearances during his debut season. The Saints star was, the majority of the time, a regular feature under Ruben Selles having made 13 starts and five substitute outings on the south coast, via WhoScored, and he made quite the impression despite not being able to prevent relegation.

The La Plata native ranked as the third best-performing offensive player in SO14 last term even though he only joined halfway through the campaign which shows how much of an instant impression he made.

Despite the 20-year-old having now dropped down to the Championship, not to mention that he still has another four years remaining on his contract, the good news for supporters is that it doesn’t sound like he’ll be going anywhere during the upcoming window.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Crook insisted that Southampton will be able to retain the services of Alcaraz ahead of the 2023/24 term. He said:

"Joe Aribo I think will probably be alright in the Championship, he's not been good enough in the Premier League. The one who looks like he'll stay actually, I think maybe it's just because he enjoys the lifestyle and loves the club, is Alcaraz. He will be a good one to keep hold of in the Championship."

Should Southampton keep or sell Alcaraz?

Despite Southampton’s relegation, Alcaraz was one of the main bright sparks in Selles’ squad having been dubbed a “baller” by journalist Alfie House, so Sport Republic keeping him beyond the summer should be a no-brainer of a decision to make.

The Rol Sports Management client, who earns £25k-per-week, posted six goal contributions (four goals and two assists) in 18 top-flight appearances last term, with the impressive standard of his performances having seen him rewarded with two man-of-the-match trophies.

Southampton’s central midfielder also brings wonderful versatility to the side having operated in defensive, central and attacking midfield alongside at centre-forward throughout the previous season alone, so is a great option for any manager to have at his disposal.

Finallly, Alcaraz will be aware that Swansea City’s Russell Martin is expected to complete an imminent move to the south coast, so should that get finalised, he will no doubt be hoping that he gets a chance to prove himself under the new boss in the Championship.

أعلن نادي برشلونة في بيان رسمي، تعرض مهاجم الفريق، جواو فيليكس، للإصابة خلال الفترة الحالية من الموسم.

ويلاقي برشلونة غدًا أوساسونا، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ20 من الدوري الإسباني على ملعب “مونتجويك”، في تمام الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

ويحتل برشلونة المركز الرابع في سلم الترتيب العام للدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم برصيد 44 نقطة، فيما يأتي أوساسونا بالمركز الثاني عشر برصيد 26 نقطة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تشافي يُعلن أسباب رحيله عن برشلونة: إذا قلت فريقنا تحت الإنشاء تقتلوني.. ولا نحظى بالتقدير المناسب

وأكد نادي برشلونة في بيان رسمي أن لاعبه البرتغالي جواو فيليكس، قد تعرض لإلتواء في الرباط الجانبي للكاحل الأيمن خلال تدريبات الفريق اليوم.

وجاء في بيان نادي برشلونة الرسمي: “خلال تدريبات اليوم، أصيب جواو فيليكس بالتواء في الرباط الجانبي للكاحل الأيمن. مدة الغياب تتوقف على وتيرة تعافيه من الإصابة”.

خلال تدريبات اليوم، أصيب جواو فيليكس بالتواء في الرباط الجانبي للكاحل الأيمن. مدة الغياب تتوقف على وتيرة تعافيه من الإصابة. pic.twitter.com/3T9ZqRWynx — نادي برشلونة (@fcbarcelona_ara) January 30, 2024

Arsenal return to Premier League action tonight, as they host Southampton in what is a must-win clash; although, with just seven games left as they battle for the title, every game has taken on such importance.

That is what makes their recent slips against West Ham United and Liverpool all the more frustrating, especially given they squandered leads in both.

Tonight, however, they face a wholly different challenge, as they welcome the 20th-placed team in the division with the hopes they can use it as a return to form. With a trip to face Manchester City on the horizon, tonight marks a fine opportunity to bolster confidence in preparation for such a monumental game.

However, they are to once again be without William Saliba, as Mikel Arteta admitted:

"He’s not progressing as quickly as we hoped and it is a bit delicate so we want to be certain that when we push him, he’s ready to absorb the load and the risk that we’ll take, and that’s not possible at the moment."

Whilst Oleksandr Zinchenko is at a more advanced stage in his recovery, a start tonight also seems unlikely given the risk it would pose in a fixture they should be able to win without. However, his absence could pose an interesting opportunity for a tactical shift.

How could Arsenal line up against Southampton

Arteta could make as many as three changes to the side that drew 2-2 at the London Stadium, with alterations made both due to necessity and with one eye on Wednesday's crunch match.

Aaron Ramsdale will be seeking to put aside his disappointment from last week with a fine showing tonight, but will have to remain sharp when his moment comes. The 24-year-old made just one save last game, yet shipped two goals.

The back four is expected to remain largely unchanged, but after his struggles to perform in the inverted full-back role, Kieran Tierney could drop out. Given Granit Xhaka deputised in his position after his substitution last time out, perhaps Arsenal could seek to add such a fine creative presence to the defence given their expected dominance of the ball.

Ben White will occupy the opposite flank, whilst Rob Holding and Gabriel Magalhaes retain their spots through the middle.

Seeing the Swiss general move into the back four opens up an opportunity for Fabio Vieira to take his chance beside Thomas Partey. They will offer a defensive foil to supplement the creativity of captain Martin Odegaard.

As mentioned, their dominance in tonight's clash should see them through without needing a full-strength side, especially when the likes of Leandro Trossard and Emile Smith-Rowe are the alternatives to replace Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Seeking to keep the star men fresh, so they can truly wreak havoc next week, perhaps handing the 22-year-old his first league start of the season following a return from injury could be the injection of enthusiasm needed to put this game to bed early.

The Belgian's inclusion needs no explanation, with the £40k-per-week maestro having already garnered praise despite only joining in January. Journalist Richie Mills, who reports on Brighton and Hove Albion, will know more than most just what a "magic man" the 28-year-old can be.

These two will flank Gabriel Jesus, who has made a seamless return to first-team action after his own lengthy lay-off, scoring four in his last three.

Predicted Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Gabriel, Holding, Xhaka; Vieira, Odegaard, Partey; Smith-Rowe, Jesus, Trossard.