Tag Futebol

Chennai Super Kings extended their winning streak to four matches and lengthened their lead at the top of the table in IPL 2019 with another clinical chase in a five-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders with two balls to spare. Knight Riders have now lost three straight matches after a hot start to the season.Suresh Raina made the most significant contribution, scoring the 36th half-century in his IPL career after wisely using a review to overturn an lbw decision against him when on the second ball of his innings. The reprieve was the turning point in the chase as Raina flicked his very next ball through midwicket for a boundary, then cruised to 50 off 36 balls before ending unbeaten on 58 off 42.The match was still very much up for grabs with 24 needed off two overs, but Ravindra Jadeja hit three consecutive boundaries off death-bowling specialist Harry Gurney to drag the equation to 11 off 8. Jadeja and Raina cantered across the line in the following over.Knight Riders paid for a tame finish to their innings as Imran Tahir swung momentum towards the visitors in the field with a sensational four-for. Tahir was supported by a world-class clinic in catching as Faf du Plessis, Shardul Thakur and substitute Dhruv Shorey converted three difficult chances coming off the boundary to claim the key scalps of Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn and Andre Russell to ensure that the Knight Riders set a below par total.Shaking off the fluChris Lynn supplied the firepower for Knight Riders in his comeback to the lineup after sitting out the last match with a bug. After Joe Denly made a golden duck in the Australian’s place last match, Lynn highlighted his value by top-scoring with 82 off 51 balls, including six sixes.After four overs, Lynn had raced to 31 while his opening partner Sunil Narine was stuck on 1. He brought up his 50 off 36 balls in the ninth over before going after Jadeja’s left-arm spin in the 14th. On the first ball of the over, he backed away to slap a drive over the extra cover rope. Staying in his crease for the next ball, he flicked a delivery pitching in the same location over midwicket for six before driving a third consecutive maximum over long-on. However, his fun came to an end in the following over as Tahir stamped his impact on the match.Suresh Raina goes airborne•BCCI

Tahir is hereThe South African legspinner had already begun causing problems after entering in the 11th when Nitish Rana drove a simple catch to du Plessis at long-on for the second wicket, then struck two balls later when Uthappa played an ill-advised slog that spun sharply to create a skied edge over mid-off. Du Plessis charged in 25 yards from the boundary to take a spectacular diving catch on the edge of the ring.Two bigger blows came in the 15th in the form of Lynn and Russell. Lynn had just concluded his rampage against Jadeja in the previous over when he shuffled across Tahir’s first ball in the over and slammed a flat pull to deep square leg, where Thakur pouched a sharp take coming at high speed. Russell arrived at the crease and began by biffing Tahir for a four and six over the leg side.But trying to repeat a straight hit maximum from the previous ball, Russell rolled his wrists to produce a top-spinning chance rather than get the elevation for six. Sub fielder Shorey judged the opportunity to perfection charging in from long-on for a stunning grab diving forward. At 132 for 5, the Knight Riders monster mashers had been wiped out. They only added 29 runs off the last 31 balls as a result.Raina’s Purple ReignOf Raina’s 36 IPL half-centuries, eight of them have been scored against the Knight Riders. For a brief moment, it appeared that would not be the case when he was given out in the fourth over lbw to Gurney just a few balls after Watson had fallen in the same fashion.Watson was talked out of using a review by du Plessis, which was vital as the Australian’s decision turned up three red lights on replay and would have resulted in a lost review. Instead, Raina had it at his disposal and didn’t hesitate to signal for it off what was shown to be a clear inside edge into the pads on replay.Super Kings were fractionally behind the required rate needing 101 off 11 overs as Sunil Narine pinned back Raina’s partners with an excellent spell of 2 for 19, beginning with a wicket-maiden to claim du Plessis swiping across the line and then later claiming a frustrated Ambati Rayudu picking out short extra cover in the 10th.But MS Dhoni’s charged six off Kuldeep Yadav in the 13th sparked similar aggression from Raina against Piyush Chawla in the following over. The required run-rate briefly climbed above 10 with four overs left but Jadeja’s flurry of fours off Gurney in the penultimate over eased any nerves in the Super Kings camp and they have now won seven of eight.

England boss Garth Southgate has responded to links with the Manchester United job as pressure mounts on current incumbent Erik ten Hag.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Man Utd could sack Ten Hag this summerSouthgate mentioned as potential targetEngland boss focused on Euro 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The Dutchman's second season as Man Utd boss has gone disastrously and as such reports have suggested that the the coach could be shown the door by the Red Devils top brass at the end of the season. Southgate's has been the most commonly mentioned name in the conversation over potential replacements, but he maintains that he is focused fully on England with the Euros due to start in just over a month – although he refused to deny the move was a possibility thereafter.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT SOUTHGATE SAID

Speaking to ITV News, Southgate said [via ]: "I’ve got one thing to focus on. That’s having as successful a tournament with England as possible. Everything else outside of that is a complete irrelevance to me."

On whether the links are a distraction for him, he told the : "Well, for me, it's not an issue and never has been. I have to deliver a successful tournament for England and there's enough work involved in that. I think everybody would expect that's where my focus should be.

"There will always be speculation about managers because if you lose a couple of games, you're in trouble – you win a couple of games and it is a different agenda.

"But for me, it [Euro 2024] is a brilliant opportunity. We're looking forward to the tournament. My focus is on how do we go a step further than we went in the last Euros [when they were beaten on penalties in the final by Italy]."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Southgate's current contract with the Three Lions expires in December, and predictably a coach of his stature has drawn the attention of clubs that may potentially look to switch coaches at the end of the season. One of those clubs is Man Utd, who look likely to miss out on European football next season as they currently sit eighth in the Premier League. It has been reported that Southgate will be considered for the role despite his lack of silverware, although soon-to-be ex-Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel is believed to be the frontrunner. The possibility of Erik ten Hag staying on has also not been ruled out.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GOALWHAT NEXT FOR SOUTHGATE?

The England manager will be looking to finalise his travelling squad for the European Championship in Germany with a lot of tough calls staring him in the face. For the Three Lions, the Euros will kick off on June 16 with a clash against Serbia.

Managerless Sunderland got the better of Carlos Corberan's West Brom yesterday in an enthralling Championship encounter, Dan Neil's decisive goal late on against the Baggies ensured a 2-1 win was secured with Brandon Thomas-Asante scoring a consolation strike for the visitors shortly after.

As the rumour mill continues to throw up new wild possibilities for the next Black Cats manager, interim boss Mike Dodds would have been pleased that the drama around Tony Mowbray's exit from the club didn't unsettle the players out on the Stadium of Light turf from the task at hand.

Daniel Ballard would break the deadlock with a late second-half header, whilst the aforementioned Neil would go on to score a decisive game-clinching goal by dinking an effort over the on-rushing Baggies goalkeeper with the clock ticking down.

Both of the goalscorers were crucial for the Black Cats, but it was an impactful substitute cameo from Alex Pritchard that completely turned the game in Sunderland's favour.

Despite only being on the pitch for 28 minutes in total, the former Huddersfield Town man stood out as a key performer for the hosts alongside other heroes stealing the headlines.

Alex Pritchard's game vs West Brom in numbers

If Pritchard hadn't been introduced into the contest by Dodds, Sunderland might well have continued to struggle going forward and trudged over the line to an unsatisfactory draw or a demoralising loss.

Instead, with the diminutive 30-year-old on the pitch, the game became more comfortable for Sunderland with the 5 foot 7 attacking midfielder managing to constantly find pockets of space to then cut open a determined Baggies back four at will.

As per Sofascore, Pritchard was 100% accurate with all of his passes in the short but sweet cameo with two of those passes ending up assisting Ballard and Neil. The assist for Neil's goal, in particular, was impressive, a swift and effective counter-attack with Pritchard's pass parting the West Brom defence before Sunderland's number 24 slotted the chance away calmly.

Pritchard managed to have such an important impact in the tight contest despite only registering 18 touches of the ball, with Anthony Patterson in goal for the hosts even amassing more touches with 38.

Not one for wasting passes, the 30-year-old was also important for his side when it came to launching into duels as the game got scrappy towards the end – the former Terriers midfielder successfully winning three of his four ground duels, bettering Niall Huggins who played the full 90 minutes at full-back who only won two.

This blistering appearance from off the bench could well be just the boost Pritchard needed, the exciting attacking midfielder finding first-team chances hard to come by this season under the now-departed Mowbray.

Alex Pritchard's season in numbers

Before the game against West Brom, Pritchard had only managed two assists from his previous 16 appearances this campaign.

Routinely substituted on by Mowbray – the ex-Black Cats boss often praying that his skilful midfielder could conjure up some late magic when opposition legs were tiring – Pritchard will now be hopeful that he can start Sunderland's next game against Leeds United on Tuesday night.

If he was selected from the start against the Whites, it would be only the fifth time the veteran EFL figure had been given a start this campaign.

A tricky player for opposition defenders to keep tabs on, whoever comes into the Sunderland hot seat to replace Mowbray must surely utilise Pritchard more effectively and give him more minutes based on his exploits against the Baggies.

Tottenham Hotspur are weighing a winter move for one "really fast" Premier League defender amid injury concerns surrounding Micky van de Ven.

Van de Ven's hamstring woes

Spurs' 4-1 defeat to Chelsea on Monday was the source of bitter disappointment, but not because of the result.

While manager Ange Postecoglou's early-season unbeaten streak came to an unceremonious end, star centre-back van de Ven handed the Australian his biggest worry by far after being forced off with a hamstring injury.

The Dutchman barely managed to limp off the field, needing assistance by Spurs medical staff in a real concern. Tottenham's summer signing has been imperious so far this season, forming a fantastic partnership with Cristian Romero at the heart of Postecoglou's defence.

Reports in the last two days have now suggested that van de Ven won't need surgery on the issue, which will come as a much-needed boost for Spurs, but it is still unclear exactly how long he'll be out for.

We'll know more tomorrow when Postecoglou addresses the media before Tottenham's Premier League encounter against Wolves this weekend, but in the mean time, new sporting director Johan Lange has reportedly been considering solutions in the transfer market.

Tottenham considering Godfrey move

The Lilywhites are now looking at alternative options for January, with Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly and Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah among the names linked recently.

According to 90min, sharing a transfer update this week, Spurs could now move for Everton ace Ben Godfrey, who has found game time difficult to come by at Goodison Park.

The Englishman was once becoming a regular under Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate, even being included in England's provisional squad for Euro 2021.

However, he has since fallen down the pecking order, and it is believed he wishes to reignite his faltering career. Everton, for their part, are open to doing business with interested sides as the January window looms.

Alongside Spurs, Newcastle and other Premier League sides are showing an interest in the 25-year-old, who has been revered for his speed by former teammates.

Godfrey's "rapid" speed can replace van de Ven

Jonjoe Kenny, who now plies his trade for Hertha Berlin in Germany, once called Godfrey a "really fast" and "rapid" player.

“Ben Godfrey catches pigeons, simple as," said the former Everton defender in 2021.

“But when Ben gets going he’s rapid so I don’t know if they have a race or would have a race but yeah, it’s close between them two. Dominic is really quick too but I’d say Ben.”

Alongside Kenny, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has previously heralded Godfrey as a player, having called him "really good" in 2020 during the defender's Norwich City days.

“I said in the past that we are looking for a centre-back because we are short there," said Ancelotti on Godfrey to talkSPORT.

"He is a really good centre-back, but he is at this moment playing for Norwich, so I can’t say more."

Given Godfrey's pace, which is crucial for a centre-back in Postecoglou's high line, he could actually be an excellent candidate to come as a van de Ven alternative.

Tottenham are said to be targeting a "massive" centre-back this January as Spurs chiefs scour the market for new options.

Postecoglou's absentee issues at Spurs

Ange Postecoglou was absolutely loving life at his new club before their 4-1 defeat to Chelsea just over a week ago. Before facing off against Mauricio Pochettino's side in north London, Spurs were on a very impressive 10-game unbeaten league run; winning the vast majority of them and even climbing to the top of the Premier League table at one point.

However, injuries to star players Micky van de Ven and James Maddison against Chelsea have seemingly brought Postecoglou right back down to Earth.

The Australian isn't helped by suspensions for Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie either. In the quartet's absence, Spurs have lost two games on the bounce with their latest 2-1 defeat to Wolves coming in very dramatic circumstances.

Spurs were clinging on to a 1-0 lead before last-gasp strikes from Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina thwarted what would've been an excellent result away from home, and with a severely depleted squad.

Spurs draw up transfer shortlist

The north Londoners are now reportedly prioritising the addition of a new left-footed central defender to ease the burden on van de Ven and Romero when they return. Both are pivotal to Postecoglou's high defensive line, so when they're unavailable, Spurs suffer as a result.

Tottenham are targeting Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly as a pacey option for the high line, while Everton's Ben Godfrey is another candidate to shore up Spurs' defensive depth.

Uruguay defender Sebastian Caceres has been linked with a move to Tottenham too, with some reports suggesting that an offer has even already gone in for the South American.

Now, as per journalist Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express, it is believed Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi may be "another name" on sporting director Johan Lange's list.

Guehi among "leading" Spurs centre-back targets

According to Taylor, speaking on the Spurs Chat podcast, Guehi is a "leading" Tottenham centre-back target. The Englishman, who's been called "massive" for his physically imposing figure by Club Brugge keeper Josef Bursik, finds himself among Spurs' top defensive targets heading into the January window. However, it is believed that Palace, unsurprisingly, will demand an "excessive" marquee figure for their star defender.

"Another name that you haven’t mentioned is Marc Guehi. From what I understand he is one of the leading centre-back targets," said Taylor.

“It’s pretty obvious that Palace are not going to give him up without demanding an excessive fee, however, he’s really appreciated by Spurs. Obviously, Johan Lange has just come in now, but I think Guehi’s a player that’s been tracked by Tottenham for some time now.

“He was really appreciated by Paratici, who is of course still involved with the club on a consultancy basis I believe. So, a lot of their targets are being carried over from previous windows, particularly in the summer when Ange wanted to bring in a second centre-back.”

The 23-year-old has started 11 league matches under Roy Hodgson; standing out as an imperious figurehead at the back yet again.

Glasgow Rangers went through a summer of change on the pitch as they sanctioned a number of arrivals and exits over the course of the transfer window.

Former Light Blues boss Michael Beale was allowed to bring in nine new signings to bolster his squad and endured a poor start to the season before being relieved of his duties at the start of this month.

Leon Balogun, Abdallah Sima, Danilo, Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell, Jose Cifuentes, and Jack Butland were all signed by the English tactician.

His signings were not enough to make the Gers a formidable force within the Scottish Premiership and the former Liverpool youth coach has since been replaced by Belgian head coach Philippe Clement.

The 49-year-old boss has arrived at Ibrox with a wealth of experience, having won four Pro League titles in Belgium, and has worked with some terrific talents during his career.

He has coached the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Benoit Badiashile, Noa Lang, Axel Disasi, and Leandro Trossard, among many other impressive gems.

The former Club Brugge tactician could now use the upcoming January transfer window to unearth his next version of one of those stars – Lang – by reigniting the club's interest in Sunderland forward Jack Clarke.

Were Rangers interested in Jack Clarke?

Football League World reported that the Scottish giants were one of a number of clubs interested in signing the English attacker from the Championship side.

The outlet named Everton, Burnley Crystal Palace, Brentford, and Wolves as some of the other teams who were eyeing up a possible swoop for the talented winger.

This shows that the Gers were facing serious competition to secure his signature as his performances had attracted plenty of interest from the Premier League in England.

Therefore, it could be difficult for Rangers to swoop for him during the upcoming January transfer window if those same clubs, and potentially others, are altered to his continually impressive displays at Championship level for Sunderland.

However, there is no harm in trying and that is why Clement must push for the board to reignite the interest that they had alongside Beale during the summer to strike an agreement for Clarke, if possible, as he could thrive under the new manager.

The Belgian coach has a track record of getting the best out of wingers and Lang is a prime example of that from his time with Club Brugge in his home country.

How many goals did Lang score for Clement?

He enjoyed a fantastic time in Belgium and caught the eye with 25 goals in 67 appearances across two seasons with Clement at Brugge earlier in their respective careers.

In total, the exciting winger produced 25 goals and 23 assists in those matches under the now-Rangers head coach and only managed 13 goals and 11 assists in 58 outings after the boss' move to AS Monaco at the start of 2022.

Lang showcased his ability to make a consistent impact at the top end of the pitch from a wide position, with goals and assists – rather than being limited to one or the other.

The 24-year-old wizard was able to be a difference-maker week-in-week-out for Clement and is now getting back to his best form after a summer move to PSV.

He has racked up four goals and one assist in seven Eredivisie appearances so far this season, and featured in both matches against Rangers in their 7-3 Champions League play-off victory.

How many goals has Clarke scored this season?

The Sunderland star has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign with an eye-catching return of eight goals in 12 Championship matches.

Like Noa Lang, Clarke is capable of playing on either flank and has proven himself to be a difference-maker in the final third with his ability to score goals and create chances.

He is yet to register a league assist this season but has his teammates to blame for that as they have not made the most of his two key passes per game.

The Gers target has accumulated 2.14 xA (Expected Assists) and created three 'big chances' for his fellow attackers, as per Sofsacore, which indicates that he does not deserve to be sat on zero assists.

How many goals did Clarke score last season?

His impressive form this term comes off the back of his return of nine goals and 12 assists in 46 Championship starts for the Black Cats last season.

Clarke, who completed two dribbles per match throughout the 2022/23 campaign, has racked up 17 goals and 12 assists at league level for Sunderland since the start of last season.

This shows that the English whiz is able to make a consistent impact in the final third from a wide position, with his ability to find the back of the net whilst also being able to create for others.

These statistics also suggest that the 5 foot 10 gem, who was once dubbed an "exciting" player by ex-Leeds forward Noel Whelan, could be Lang 2.0 due to his goal contributions from the wing as a young right-footed magician.

Should Rangers sign Clarke?

Clement should, therefore, swoop for the Championship star to take Scott Wright's position in the team after the Scottish dud started the manager's first game against Hibernian.

The former Aberdeen man has been in dismal form since the start of last season and Clarke could arrive as a huge upgrade on him for the Gers.

Wright has produced zero goals and zero assists in three Scottish Premiership outings so far this term, despite starting two of those matches, and has been sent off once.

This has come off the back of the 26-year-old lightweight's zero goals and one assist in 23 league games for the Ibrox giants throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

The ex-Dons winger has not been able to provide quality on a regular basis for Rangers, as evidenced by his woeful statistics, and Clarke's form for Sunderland indicates that he has the potential to offer significantly more than him at the top end of the pitch.

We all love a good transfer saga. We might pretend that we don't, but there is something about the drama of it all that is too entertaining to ignore. And when it comes to transfer sagas, few players have been involved in more than Kylian Mbappé.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward was at the centre of a transfer storm in 2022 when he opted to sign a new mega deal at the club instead of joining Real Madrid, and then he found himself in another this summer when he told the club he would be leaving next year for free.

The ensuing weeks of back and forth between the two sides led to a mountain of clubs being linked to the star.

Still, he ultimately remained at the club, with reports suggesting that he has signed, or will sign, a one-year extension, meaning that if he is to leave next summer, clubs will likely have to pay close to the £259m offered by Al-Hilal in the summer.

With that in mind, Football FanCast has created a list of nine teams linked to the Frenchman in the last year or so and ranked them out of ten for plausibility and fit.

9

Tottenham Hotspur

Right, so kicking off our list is Tottenham Hotspur, and we'll admit that this does feel like a bit of a pipe dream – and that's being generous – but the idea of Mbappé donning the white of Spurs already seems less farcical now than it did just a few months ago.

That said, we haven't just plucked this one out of thin air, as during the summer, in the midst of the Harry Kane debacle, there were, in fact, reports suggesting that Daniel Levy and co had an interest in signing the French supremo.

We have to admit that the idea of Mbappé playing under the ever-entertaining Ange Postecoglou and thriving in his uber-attacking style of football is pleasing.

Ultimately, are the Lilywhites going to offer PSG the money required to sign their superstar? No. And is Mbappé likely to accept a team that can't guarantee Champions League football? Also, no, but it's an entertaining thought nonetheless.

Chances: 1/10

8

Manchester United

Moving onto our second Premier League team on this list, and unlike Spurs, a transfer to Manchester United now seems infinitely less likely than it did in the summer.

The Red Devils were coming off of a relatively successful campaign that saw them lift the League Cup and finish in third place, all in Erik ten Hag's first season in charge, so why wouldn't Mbappé want to join?

They are Manchester United, after all.

The same Spanish reports that revealed Spurs' interest in the Frenchman also mentioned United as an interested party in the summer, and with the way the three-time European champions spend money, why couldn't they sign him?

Well, a disastrous start to their campaign this season and an increasingly hostile atmosphere around the club has made a deal such as this seem practically impossible. That said, a front three of Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, and Kylian Mbappé would be a goals-fest.

Chances: 3/10

7

Al-Hilal

So this is the first of the really dull options on the list, and the team we – along with most fans – really hope he doesn't end up joining, Al Hilal.

In the midst of his stand-off with PSG in the summer, when it looked as if he would be spending this season sat in the stands, Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal decided that they would blow the lid off of the transfer market and offer an eye-watering transfer fee of £259m to sign the Frenchman.

If the fee wasn't obscene enough, the club also offered the forward about €700m (£604m) to play in Saudi Arabia for just one year, a deal that would have truly signalled the departure of sense and reason from the sport.

Luckily, Mbappé refused the offer and opted to stay in Europe, but who's to say the Saudis won't come back with an even more earth-shattering offer next summer, one that Mbappé finds too good to turn down.

Chances: 4/10

6

Barcelona

Yes, for all of the links to fellow La Liga side Real Madrid over the last however many years, staunch rivals Barcelona made a play to sign the World Cup winner this summer when it looked like his future would be anywhere other than Paris.

According to FootMercato, the Blaugrana made an offer to the Parisian side that included three players alongside a cash offer. TalkSport has claimed that the players included were Gavi, Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha.

We aren't surprised that this deal failed, and with Barca's well-documented financial fragilities, a deal for the number one player in Europe seems like an impossibility, especially as they were unable to re-sign their greatest ever player in Lionel Messi when he left PSG this summer.

That said, we would have loved to have seen the crowd reaction at the Santiago Bernabéu were he to turn up donning the blue and garnet of Barcelona.

Chances: 4/10

5

Arsenal

Back to these shores now, and alongside their north London rivals and Manchester United, Arsenal found themselves linked to Mbappé in the summer, somewhat surprisingly, it must be said.

The Gunners spent over £200m on their summer revamp, and so spending another £250m plus on the Frenchman was never really on the cards. Still, once it had been reported that the forward had said he would join the Premier League runners-up should he come and play in England, the rumour mill went into overdrive.

Now, that is it in terms of links to the club, but we can't help but imagine how utterly brilliant a front three of Gabriel Martinelli, Mbappé and Bukayo Saka would be.

That said, for as great a fit as this would be from an entertainment perspective, we really don't think this is a genuine possibility.

Chances: 4/10

4

Chelsea

We're staying in London for this one but moving from the north over to the west, as alongside the other English teams in this list, Chelsea were also rumoured to be interested in the 24-year-old this summer.

Now, we know we just said that the player himself has reportedly said he would join the Gunners were to come to England, but unfortunately, in this game, money talks, and while Arsenal aren't afraid to spend, the Blues take it to a whole other level.

Since Todd Boehly's takeover alone, Chelsea have spent close to £915m, so what's an extra £259m for the best player in the world?

Now, just as with every other Premier League team, this deal is unlikely – especially following Chelsea's start to the season – but if there is any club in European football that is happier to part with their cash, we don't know them.

Chances: 5/10

3

Liverpool

From west London to the northwest of England, and Liverpool are the next on our list of clubs linked with Mbappé.

Where the other English sides have only been rumoured to be after the player in the last year or so, the Red's potential interest goes back several years at this point.

In 2020, rumours suggesting that the Frenchman was on his way to Anfield were everywhere, but in the years since, those links have seemingly all but vanished.

However, amid the standoff between club and player this summer, the Mirror reported that the Reds could step in and offer the superstar the option of a one-year loan spell to help resolve things.

We know now that this report ultimately led to nothing, but that didn't stop the fans from dreaming and us from imagining just how good a three of Mohamed Salah, Mbappé, and Luis Diaz would've been.

While this deal seems a bit farfetched at the moment, the fact that Liverpool seem to have rediscovered their mojo this season can only help fuel the rumour mill.

They couldn't, could they?

Chances: 5/10

2

Paris Saint-Germain

Here we are at the second-worst option on the list, and one we really hope he doesn't choose next summer: staying at Paris Saint-Germain for another year.

Now, this might seem like an unlikely option for Mbappé given his actions over the summer, but if the reports suggesting that a new deal is in the works are accurate, then we can't rule out him opting to run down that contract as well.

If he decided to stay until summer 2025, he wouldn't leave Ligue 1 until he was 26 years old. While the French top-flight is entertaining, it isn't as competitive as the Premier League or La Liga.

Fans want to see the supposed best player in the world actually challenge himself every week.

Hopefully, this doesn't happen, and the new deal is just to help the club earn a significant fee, but based on his past behaviour, we have a sneaking suspicion he could stay in Paris for another two years.

Chances: 6/10

1

Real Madrid

Here we are, the club we think Kylian Mbappé is most likely to end up at next year and come on, who else was it going to be?

Real Madrid are the clear favourite when it comes to landing Mbappé's signature next year, and it is pretty clear that Los Blancos are the only team that the Frenchman has any desire to join once he leaves Paris; he even said as much.

There is no denying that his behaviour over the last few years has seriously annoyed the Real Madrid hierarchy, especially Florentino Perez, who did not hide how he felt following the player's decision to stay in Paris in summer 2022.

That said, football is a fickle business. Whatever Real officials and fans might say, they will still be working on a way to sign Mbappé next summer and with their need for a striker more acute now than it has been in years, we don't see a world in which the Frenchman isn't wearing the white of Real at some point in the next couple of years.

Chances: 8/10

Rajput was hired by three months ago as interim head coach, and has now secured the job on a long-term basis

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2018Zimbabwe have confirmed Lalchand Rajput’s appointment as permanent head coach of the men’s national side, three months after hiring him in interim capacity. Rajput replaces Heath Streak, who was sacked alongside his entire support staff following the failed 2019 World Cup qualifying campaign, and remains in legal dispute with Zimbabwe Cricket.ZC did not provide details on Rajput’s contract term, with a spokesperson only describing it as “long-term” but indicated Rajput would remain in charge for the 2020 World T20 and beyond. “We are targeting qualification for the next T20 and 50-over World Cup tournaments and we believe Lalchand has the pedigree and experience to build a young side and help us achieve our goals,” Tavengwa Mukuhlani, ZC chairman said.Rajput has already overseen Zimbabwe’s participation in a T20 triangular series involving Australia and Pakistan and a five-match ODI series against Pakistan. Zimbabwe lost all nine matches they played across those series but had the challenge of a depleted squad. Five big-name players – Brendan Taylor, Graeme Cremer, Sikandar Raza, Craig Ervine and Sean Williams – opted to sit out because of non-payment of salaries.Since then, ZC have been put on an ICC scheme which allows a drip-feed of funds into their system to help them manage their money and pay off substantial debt. The ICC allowed a special disbursement to cover outstanding salaries last month and four of the five players have returned to work – Raza remains uncertain of his future in Zimbabwe – and ZC have embarked on major cost-cutting.This includes the non-renewal of most staff contracts at the end of August. A small number of employees will be brought on board to ensure the domestic restart in November but there has been no confirmation of how many people ZC will hire, with Rajput being the first appointment since the new funding model was announced.So far, Rajput has no complaints with the Zimbabwean set-up and expressed his desire to get the team back on track in his time at the helm. “It is an honour and privilege to work with Zimbabwe Cricket and I am really pleased to be given this opportunity to take this team to the next level, to work hard and ensure we make a difference in the coming years,” he said.In a separate interview with ZC, Rajput said he was enthused by the return of the senior players.”The biggest challenge is that I want to get the team where it was earlier because the team has fantastic players who have done really well, to have a full squad will be excellent,” he said. “They will bring additional strength and confidence to the team. The likes of Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams and Craig Ervine – their coming back means a great deal.”Rajput’s first assignment as permanent head coach will be a limited-overs tour to South Africa at the end of the September before a two-Test, three ODI series in Bangladesh in October-November. Zimbabwe are not scheduled to play any home matches until at least July 2019.

West Ham United boss David Moyes has been impressed by one player in particular at the London Stadium and could now be set to offer him fresh terms in east London, according to reports.

West Ham updates: Maguire deal, Soucek linked away

Cited by The Manchester Evening News, Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has revealed on international duty that the proposed move to West Ham which collapsed in the summer wasn't as far along as reported in several media circles.

Maguire stated: "The actual opportunity to go to West Ham wasn’t agreed really between both clubs and myself. So it wasn’t just my chance to say ‘Yes and I’m going’. It wasn’t agreed between both clubs so the actual opportunity wasn’t there because we didn’t get far enough down the line with it.

"But West Ham is a massive club. But like I said my full focus is still on Manchester United, I want to fight for my place, but of course regular game time is really important to me."

England are scheduled to take on Australia and Italy over the course of the international break and West Ham coach Kevin Nolan has signified that Irons midfielder James Ward-Prowse was devastated not to get a call from Gareth Southgate for the Three Lions' double-header.

Speaking on talkSPORT drive, Nolan said: "I just really can’t believe that he’s not in that squad, I find it astounding really. He was gutted. He didn’t hide from it, he was gutted that he wasn’t in because he genuinely believed that he should have been in it and we believed that he should have been in it."

Tuttosport newspaper meanwhile, via Inter News, have delivered a West Ham transfer update involving midfielder Tomas Soucek, who is said to be a target for Inter Milan next summer, when he would be able to swap the Hammers for the Nerazzuri on a free transfer.

West Ham contract news – Kurt Zouma

According to a West Ham contract news update from TEAMtalk, Hammers boss Moyes is ready to offer defender Kurt Zouma an extended stay at the club following on from his impressive performances in east London that have led the Scot to appoint the France international as club captain.

Zouma has 18 months left on his deal at West Ham and is believed to be one of several players that Moyes is keen to nail down to longer-term agreements at the club, with Jarrod Bowen already committing to a new deal last week.

In his time at West Ham, Zouma has gone on to rack up 72 appearances across all competitions for the east Londoners, registering four goals and one assist in the process (Zouma's statistics – Transfermarkt).

Starting the new campaign in excellent fettle, Zouma, who has previously been labelled "incredible" by Moyes, has completed an average of 6.5 clearances per match in the Premier League this term, according to WhoScored.

Establishing himself as a key part of West Ham's plans, it would make sense for the Hammers to ensure Zouma sticks around at the London Stadium for a while to come.

ScorecardLuis Reece overcame a damaged ankle to put Derbyshire on course for a victory over Durham in the Royal London One Day Cup match at Derby.Reece made his highest List A score of 92 from 107 balls despite batting with a runner – Ben Slater taking up the job – and although former Derbyshire seamer Nathan Rimmington took three quick wickets, it was not enough to save Durham from a third consecutive North Group defeat.The all-rounder also took two wickets and although Tom Latham top scored with 66, Durham’s 272 for 8 was not enough as Gary Wilson with 40 and an unbeaten 42 from Alex Hughes saw Derbyshire home in the final over.Reece said: “The foot’s a bit painful and a bit swollen but touch wood I can get it sorted in time for Friday and be ready to go again. It’s not much fun to bat with a runner, I think I nearly ran Ben out about four times but I wanted to get out there and have a bat.”Derbyshire’s bowlers settled after Ravi Rampaul went for 13 in the second over and Matt Critchley sent down three wides in his first to prevent Durham getting away on a flat pitch.A direct hit by Wayne Madsen from point ran out Cameron Steel in the 11th over and although Graham Clark and Michael Richardson passed 40, they both fell trying to force the pace.Clark was bowled by Critchley and Richardson under-edged a pull at Olivier before Reece’s consistent line forced Will Smith to edge a drive and Stuart Poynter to play across a full length ball.Derbyshire’s disciplined display restricted Latham to only three fours in a 67 ball 50 and although he pulled Olivier for six, Durham’s chance of a challenging total ended when he failed to clear deep midwicket.Chris Rushworth hit Critchley for consecutive sixes and Rimmington pulled Rampaul over the ropes but Durham’s total looked under par on a true pitch in sunny conditions.That was reinforced by the way Ben Slater and Godleman started before Matt Dixon bowled Slater for 24 although he stayed out as a runner for Reece who had been hit on the ankle bowling.Both should have been back in the pavilion before the end of the first powerplay but Poynter spilled an edge off Rushworth when Reece was on six which proved a big moment.Godleman scored a century in the first game at Edgbaston and he reached 50 from 79 balls before Reece completed his half century by sweeping George Harding for his sixth four.Durham sensed an opening when Godleman played around a good length ball from Rimmington who struck again in his next over when Madsen was caught behind and Critchley chopped on three balls later.Reece moved into the 90’s by straight-driving Rushworth for four but in the 40th over, he played on to Harding to leave the game in the balance with Derbyshire needing 81 from the last 10 overs.But Wilson and Hughes played positively to add 80 as Derbyshire sealed a second victory with two balls to spare.