Category Uncategorized

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola could be about to get his hands on a replacement for Riyad Mahrez by signing one of Europe's most promising young wingers, according to reports.

Who is the Mahrez replacement going to be?

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has given a crucial update in Manchester City's pursuit of Rennes winger Jeremy Doku, stating on X: "Man City, advancing on Jeremy Doku deal as new verbal proposal close to €55/60m package is being discussed with Rennes.

There’s competition but City hope to reach an agreement with Rennes this week — after green light on player side since beginning of August."

Sky Sports also confirm that Manchester City are in talks with Rennes over Doku as they look to bring in another offensive player at the Etihad Stadium following the departure of Riyad Mahrez to Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli for £30 million.

It is believed that the Belgium international has emerged as a 'leading contender' to succeed Mahrez at Manchester City. West Ham United have emerged as rival suitors for the £25k-a-week ace and had a bid rejected to try and bring him to the London Stadium earlier this month, though they are unlikely to win a race against the treble winners.

Football Insider claim that personal terms have already been agreed between Manchester City and Doku while a personal 'intervention' from Guardiola has brought the proposed deal 'very close' to full completion.

Doku found himself on the Rennes substitutes bench last week amid speculation surrounding his impending move to the Premier League champions, which looks like it is now edging closer to becoming a reality.

How good actually is Jeremy Doku?

Doku possesses plenty of flair and exciting attributes and is as highly recommended as they come, having previously been hailed as "incredibly quick" by none other than Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe in the past, cited by Get French Football News.

Bringing in an exciting young talent following a period of excellent service from Algeria international Mahrez will be one of Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain's biggest priorities in the remainder of the window and it now looks as if they are close to getting one of their main targets on board.

In his time at Ligue 1 side Rennes, Doku has made 92 appearances across all competitions, registering 12 goals and ten assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Of course, elite clubs pay a premium for potential in the modern day and it is easy to see what qualities the 21-year-old can bring to the table.

According to WhoScored, Doku evaded his opposition marker with regularity last term, completing 3.3 dribbles per fixture in the French top flight. He also gained an average match rating of 7.08/10 in Ligue 1, showing commendable consistency in his displays.

FBRef illustrate that the Borgerhout-born attacker has excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions concerning the art of progressive carries, managing 6.94 per 90 minutes in the last 365 days, putting him in the 99th percentile for this metric.

Under the tutelage of Guardiola and his coaching staff, Doku could go on to become a Premier League star with the correct guidance if he is to move to Manchester City.

Chelsea are set to face competition from Barcelona for the signature of Ivan Fresneda.

What’s the latest on Ivan Fresneda to Chelsea?

According to SPORT, the Blues' interest in the Real Valladolid prodigy may force Barcelona into an imminent decision.

Fresneda is looking to leave the Estadio Jose Zorrilla after relegation to the second tier and the club is working to find a quick resolution to the situation. The young right-back is looking to take the next step in his career and talks with Barcelona had been progressing well but have tailored off in recent weeks.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

The 18-year-old is valued at around €15m (£13m) but the LaLiga 2 side would be happy to accept an initial €10m (£9m) upfront with a further €5m (£4m) in additional payments.

Would Ivan Fresneda be a good signing for Chelsea?

Fresneda still emerged from the rubble of Valladolid’s relegation with a prestigious reputation and looks set to join a big European club this summer.

He has been described as a “complete” player by Matt Clark of the LaLiga Lowdown, who eulogised over the accomplished full-back:

“He is a remarkably complete right-back despite his young age, balancing his defensive duties with the odd attack too.

"He has that coveted combination of physicality and technical ability. Tall but agile, quick and athletic, he is also strong in the tackle and reads the game very well for someone so green when it comes to first-team football.”

The sentiment has been echoed by former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit, who added:

“He’s [Fresneda] powerful and has good technique. He gets forward well and has great energy.”

Fresneda’s defensive solidity has been especially apparent, as he ranks within the best 8% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for blocks and clearances per 90, as well as the top 20% for tackles per 90.

Last season, his supposed offensive talent wasn’t unlocked, as he failed to register any assists across 24 appearances.

However, this can largely be attributed to the ineptitude of his teammates, as his side managed just 33 goals in the league last term, the second-lowest figure in the division.

Nevertheless, his defensive qualities can still be championed and at such a raw age he has the potential to develop into a formidable talent.

From a Chelsea perspective, when you think of reliability, consistency, and defensive soundness – these three invaluable traits are synonymous with the recently-departed Cesar Azpilicueta.

The 33-year-old spent 11 years at Stamford Bridge, accumulating 508 appearances and winning nine trophies, including a Champions League and two Premier League titles.

The defender was labelled as a “warrior” and “loyal Chelsea legend” by the ownership. In a singular domestic campaign, he never made less than 25 appearances for the West Londoners and had been captain since 2019.

In the twilight days, his pace unsurprisingly wavered, but when he first arrived as a spritely 23-year-old he was renowned for his tenacity and energy, feverishly bounding down the touchline.

This was recognised by Juan Mata, who said:

“He is a strong running right-back who has pace as well, so I think he is already a complete player.”

Therefore, in the early stages of their respective careers, both Fresneda and Azpilicueta have been dubbed as ‘complete’, and although the youngster is still in the infancy of his career, he is on a frightening trajectory.

Chelsea are currently well-stocked at right-back, sporting the likes of Reece James and Malo Gusto. However, the Blues could benefit from Fresneda through its relationship with Strasbourg.

A loan at this early stage could be an intelligent move, allowing the player to develop within the multi-club project.

Liverpool are firmly in contention to sign Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha with pivot Fabinho closing in on a £40m move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al Itihadd.

Is Joao Palhinha leaving Fulham?

According to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, the Reds are 'most keen' on the Portugal international as they seek fresh faces to reassemble their midfield.

Tavolieri claims that the Cottagers are seeking in excess of £52m for the ace, with certain sources claiming that a jaw-dropping £90m might even be the requirement to prise him away from Marco Silva's squad.

Reliable source ExWHUEmployee claims that the 28-year-old wants a move to the Hammers, though it's hard to imagine he would turn his head at a move to Anfield if Jurgen Klopp decides to advance negotiations.

Is Joao Palhinha a good player?

Having lost James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to contractual conclusions last month, Klopp might not have wanted to lose such a distinguished star as Fabinho despite the Brazilian's poor performances last season, especially when partnering with captain Jordan Henderson's forthcoming and highly-publicised move to Saudi side Al Ettifaq.

While The Athletic recently posted a report summarising Liverpool's top targets, Palhinha could prove to be the ace best-placed to unlock the full capacity of this talented Liverpool team, it just remains to be seen if a reasonable fee could be negotiated for a player with four years left on his current deal.

The metrics certainly don't do the £50k-per-week gem any harm, with FBref ranking the "machine" – as he has been called by teammate Harrison Reed – among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 12% for clearances and the top 8% for aerials won per 90.

Completing a £17m transfer to London last summer, Sky Sports reporter James Weir even went as far as to say that he had been "one of the signings of the season" after playing a starring role in Fulham's tenth-placed finish after achieving promotion that term.

It would be ludicrous for Liverpool to not attempt to sign the phenom, especially considering the Anfield side's past success in raiding teams of lesser stature in the Premier League under Klopp's wing.

Of recent years, the prime example is the £41m acquisition of dynamic attacker Diogo Jota from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020, with Palhinha's compatriot harvesting 58 direct contributions from 117 matches since his arrival, winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

The 26-year-old has been hailed as a "pressing monster" by Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders and was instrumental in the side's vital late-season purple patch last term, scoring seven goals across the last eight league encounters.

With the Portuguese star making the successful leap to a side capable of challenging for major honours with regularity, perhaps Palhinha can join his countryman and make a marked improvement on the Merseyside club's central midfield.

Liverpool must now act in order to get the Anfield masses cheering again, and with Palhinha's signing, the perfect foundation for Klopp's new-look midfield might just be installed.

As day turned to night a familiar figure made light of the creeping darkness to leave England in the pink

The Report by Andrew Miller17-Aug-20171:13

Root and Cook set solid platform

England 348 for 3 (Cook 153*, Root 136) v West Indies
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAs day turned to night, and while a historic fixture was being graced with a far more impressive sunset that a dank morning in Birmingham had threatened, a familiar figure made light of the creeping darkness to leave England in the pink and Edgbaston’s 21,000 punters in beery good spirits – not that West Indies’ toiling attack had quite so many reasons to be cheerful.Alastair Cook has been threatening a big score all summer long – his 88 against South Africa at The Oval was arguably the most important innings of England’s season to date – but at the scene of his career-best 294 against India in 2011, he racked up his 31st hundred, and his first since returning to the ranks, to grind England into a position of utter dominance in their maiden pink-ball Test.He did so, for the most part, in the company of the man to whom he had passed the reins. In the course of a stand that spanned 66.5 overs and the best part of five hours, Cook and Joe Root added 248 for the third wicket to atone for another flimsy display from their top-order rookies and cement England’s status as runaway favourites in this three-Test series.Root, in keeping with a remarkable run of form that has now carried him to half-centuries in each of his last 11 Tests – a new England record – was, as usual, the principle aggressor. Until he missed a loose drive in the 75th over – beaten by late inswing from Kemar Roach, the most energetic and impressive of an outclassed pace quartet – he had scarcely played a false stroke in racking up 136 from 189 balls, his 13th Test century and second of the summer.West Indies’ hangdog day in the field was epitomised in bizarre circumstances in the closing half-hour of play. For reasons known only to the captain himself, Jason Holder chose, in the 81st over, to pass over the chance to attack England with the shiny new pink ball and instead brought himself on to bowl three tepid deliveries before limping off the field with cramp.To compound the sense of a side that had lost their bearings, the spinner Roston Chase was called upon to complete an over in which England brought up their 300th run, and he might have carried on for the 83rd as well had it not been for late change of heart – presumably initiated by the coach Stuart Law on the player’s balcony.That passage of play was a dereliction of opportunity from West Indies, particularly given how tentatively Dawid Malan had been playing since replacing Root at the crease – he had been dropped on 2 as he cut Kraigg Brathwaite through the hands of slip, before completely losing sight of a Roach bouncer that didn’t get up nearly as dramatically as the jerk of his head had indicated. But Malan endured to the close, on 28 not out, still a long way from convincing as a Test batsman but armed with the sort of reconnaissance that could yet pay dividends when play resumes tomorrow afternoon.In a parallel universe, West Indies might have been drawn to the lights like a swarm of moths and given England’s middle-order the sort of test that the conditions merited. But they already had the look of a team that had seen enough. Cook, crucially, had not, and though the prospect of an evening new-ball attack from James Anderson and Stuart Broad surely will not be passed over should England be in a position to declare at tea tomorrow, he has a monster in his sights if he can get going again.Throughout the first two sessions, both of which had been played without the floodlights so much as blinking, only two deliveries had truly troubled any of the batsman – it just so happened that both claimed wickets in England’s wasteful first half-hour, as their unstated ambition of using this series to resolve their top-order issues in good time for the Ashes received an early reality check.Mark Stoneman, whose impending debut had been confirmed on the eve of the game, duly received his cap from Jonathan Trott in the team huddle before play and emerged from the pavilion shortly before 2pm to become Cook’s 12th opening partner since the retirement of Andrew Strauss in 2012.And briefly, he looked like one of the more accomplished candidates for the long-term role. After being granted a yawning sighter from Roach – a Harmison-esque wide that stung the fingers of second slip – Stoneman eased himself off the mark with a beautiful cover drive from his second legal delivery, before clipping a second four, off his pads and through square leg, in the same erratic over.But Roach, it transpired, was merely finding his range, and with the first ball of his second over, he nailed it to deadly effect. Stoneman propped half-forward to a good-length delivery on middle and leg, only to lose the top of his off stump as the ball zipped off the seam and past his outside edge.Enter Westley, who once again looked settled at the crease in an 18-ball stay, without translating that serenity into a telling performance. He too chipped in with a brace of boundaries – all told England amassed 22 in the morning session alone, more than 80% of their lunchtime total of 102. But, without addition to his 8, Westley was pinned on the front pad by Miguel Cummins’ third delivery and sent on his way via a review.Cook, as he has become accustomed, watched the events unfold at the other end with a faint air of bemusement, and simply got on with his job. His innings was a classic example of playing each ball on its merits – he got off the mark with a first-ball tap into the covers, and had picked off five fours from his next 13 balls before resorting to another single.Once Root had joined him, with the score on 39 for 2 in the eight over, he reverted to his familiar holding role – not that either man needed to be especially sluggish against a samey attack who served up too many freebies on both sides of the wicket. With his cut, flick and punch through the covers in full working order, he ground his way towards one of his trademark daddies.Cook’s 150 arrived via a familiar nudge off the hip for four, as Edgbaston burst into a tuneless chorus of “Ali-Ali-Cook Nah Nah Nah” that must nonetheless have sounded like a celestial hosannah to Edgbaston’s beancounters. By that score, at least, the first day of floodlit Test cricket in England had been a resounding success. The future of the format may, however, rely on stiffer competition in the long run.

ECB Reporters Network19-May-2017
ScorecardJoe Leach made an early breakthrough for Worcestershire•Getty ImagesAustralian Test star Nathan Lyon was overshadowed on his County Championship debut by the Worcestershire seamers on a rain-shortened opening day of the Division Two match against Derbyshire at Derby.The offspinner bowled overs seven without reward as Joe Leach, Jack Shantry and Josh Tongue each took a wicket with Luis Reece scoring an unbeaten 53 for Derbyshire who closed on 111 for 3.Rain prevented any play until 4pm with Derbyshire going into the game without South African fast bowler Hardus Viljoen who will be out until the end of June with a hip injury.Derbyshire’s director of cricket Kim Barnett said: “It’s typical of cricket that things come to test you and this is a test of our guys and the resilience of the squad.”We had a meeting yesterday when it was decided he wasn’t fully fit and I think he knew that. We just want him to do himself justice, it’s no use him going out at 70% fit and not bowling to his standards so we must get him fully fit and healthy to do what he can do when he comes back.”It was no surprise given the damp, cloudy conditions that Worcestershire chose to bowl and Leach struck with the sixth ball of the game by bringing one back to knock out Ben Slater’s off stump.Leach found enough movement to beat the bat numerous times and was unlucky not to pick up two or three wickets during his seven over opening spell from the City End.Reece and Shiv Thakor needed some luck to survive but they also showed good judgement to add 55 in 21 overs before Shantry made the breakthrough.Thakor could do nothing with a ball that lifted sharply to take the shoulder of the bat and Shantry was close to having Reece lbw with one that swung back in his next over.Tongue produced another fine delivery to remove Wayne Madsen who edged a ball that moved away late and was caught behind in the 30th over but Reece and Billy Godleman batted through 10 overs to stumps.

A selection camp featuring 50 players has been scheduled for March 16 to 19 to pick a 14-man squad for the WCL Division Three in Uganda

Peter Della Penna14-Mar-2017Former Hyderabad wicketkeeper Ibrahim Khaleel is one of three former first-class players to be invited to a USA selection camp from March 16 to 19 in Houston, Texas. The purpose of the camp is to pick a 14-man squad to tour Uganda in May for WCL Division Three matches.Khaleel, 34, last represented Hyderabad in January 2015, having played 57 first-class matches in the Ranji Trophy since his debut in 2002. He has been playing league cricket in Chicago for the past several summers and was identified by selectors at an ICC Regional Combine held in Chicago last May.It was understood that Khaleel has not yet met the eligibility threshold – a non-citizen can represent his resident country provided he has spent a minimum of 183 days per year over four consecutive years prior to a tournament – but would be immediately eligible if he were to secure a US passport. According to a source, Khaleel currently has US permanent residency status and was in the latter stages of obtaining US citizenship.Roy Silva, the Sri Lankan batsman who played 87 first-class matches, and Camilus Alexander, the former Windward Islands legspinner, were also called up to the selection camp.Silva, 36, played his last first-class match for Colombo CC in March 2013 and has been a heavy scorer in the Georgia and Florida leagues since moving to the USA. Alexander, 35, was the leading wicket-taker at the USACA T20 National Championship in 2014 while playing for the South East Region. Both would be eligible to play for USA under the ICC’s four-year deemed national rule.The 19 players from the camp are expected to link up with a training squad of 31, which had been assembled prior to USA’s title-winning run at WCL Division Four.The other talking point was the potential returns of offspinner Abhimanyu Rajp, batsman Charan Singh and left-arm spinning allrounder Mrunal Patel. Rajp and Charan last played for USA during the Auty Cup tours to Canada in 2013 and 2011 respectively while Mrunal had been part of the team that went to Ireland in 2015 for the World T20 qualifier.Four recent USA Under-19 representatives will be part of the camp as well. New York batsman Randall Wilson is a strong contender for a batting spot after solid performances at the ICC’s Regional Combine in New York last June and a half-century against a touring MCC side in September. Batsmen Gauranshu Sharma, Sagar Patel and Tohidul Islam were the other former U-19 players up for selection.Danial Ahmed (left) was unavailable while Timroy Allen (right) has issues over taking time off work•Peter Della Penna”When considering players to add to the trial, the [selection] panel wanted to predominantly focus on youth players, young guys who stood out at Combines last year or in previous USA U-19 teams,” selection chairman Ricardo Powell said in a press release. “It will be good to give them some additional exposure in this environment. Those young players are accompanied by a couple more experienced players who have been consistent performers in the US and abroad.”The large number of invitees was partly because seven of the most recent USA squad members were unavailable, including four who were a part of either the Division Four squad or the one for their previous assignment, the Auty Cup. Fast bowlers Hammad Shahid and David Pieters, and allrounder Srini Santhanam have been ruled out due to injury while seamer Aman Lobana and left-arm spinner Danial Ahmed were unavailable.Shahid’s absence was the biggest blow. He had taken three wickets in two matches, with an exemplary economy rate of 3.55 in the Auty Cup last October. He had a strong chance of being among the final 14 to play in Uganda but sustained a torn posterior cruciate knee ligament (PCL) during a recent training session and was expected to be out for up to three months.Santhanam had surgery on his right shoulder in December and cannot play cricket at least until the second half of 2017. Pieters, who has yet to debut for USA, tore a meniscus at a trial match in Florida last August ahead of Division Four. Subsequent tests revealed cartilage damage in his right knee. After going under the knife for a second time last week, he has been ruled out of action indefinitely.There were doubts over batsman Alex Amsterdam and allrounder Timroy Allen attending the camp as well. Both spent a month in Barbados with the ICC Americas squad at the WICB Regional Super50 in January and February, making it difficult for them to take more time off work again, especially considering the team would be away from home for up to three weeks for the Division Three tour. Allen, one of USA’s most valuable assets, was recently retained by Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL draft.A six-day pre-tour to South Africa has been organised for USA before they land in Uganda for the start of the matches on May 23. In addition to the hosts, USA will be competing against Canada, Malaysia, Oman and Singapore in the next phase of the qualification process for the 2019 World Cup. The top two finishers at Division Three advance to Division Two, expected to be held in late 2017 or early 2018. It is the last step prior to the 2018 World Cup Qualifier, currently slated for Bangladesh in April 2018.

AB de Villiers, South Africa’s one-day captain, believes there has never been as much belief in the squad as they currently have in the midst of an 11-match ODI winning streak

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton18-Feb-2017AB de Villiers, South Africa’s one-day captain, believes there has never been as much belief in the squad as they currently have in the midst of an 11-match ODI winning streak.A win in Hamilton on Sunday will equal South Africa’s best run in ODI cricket – matching the 12 wins in a row they achieved in 2005 – and eyes are already firmly fixed on the Champions Trophy in June. Global tournaments come with a huge weight of history for South Africa, most of it bad, but de Villiers’ faith in his squad is absolute.”The belief in the squad is as high as I’ve ever experienced it,” he said. “There’s a great respect among the players and a sense of direction. It’s as simple as that. We know it can change in a matter of minutes, so there’s a deep respect for the game and the fact you can go into a dip at any time, but I really believe what we have in this team will carry us through good and bad times.”It’s definitely a build-up towards the Champions Trophy, it’s a big goal of ours to go there and win that tournament, we know there’s a long way to go but this is a great stepping stone,” he added. “The conditions are pretty similar – the ball moves around a bit when it’s new and you have to extend your partnerships when you get in, so it’s quite similar to the UK.”Pretorius available for SA

Dwaine Pretorius, the allrounder, will be available for the second ODI in Christchurch after delaying his departure for the tour to attend the birth of his child.
Pretorius, 27, made his ODI debut against Ireland last year and recently claimed five wickets in two matches against Sri Lanka.
Dane Paterson was included for the start of the tour as cover in Pretorius’ absence and played the T20 in Auckland when Kagiso Rabada was rested.

South Africa had warned themselves to be on their guard against a slow start to their tour and de Villiers was delighted with the intensity they showed in the T20 at Eden Park. He admitted a one-off match was tough to get motivated for, but that made the convincing nature of the 78-run victory even more pleasing ahead of the main portions of the tour.”It’s difficult to get yourself up for a one-game series. We chatted about that and saw it as a red flag – even though it’s not that significant, you are still representing your country,” he said. “You are away from home and you want to start a tour off on the right note. We are hoping that momentum will take us into the ODI series. I thought we played an outstanding game of cricket. It was vital for us to start well, it doesn’t guarantee us any success in the ODIs but it was a good start.”A couple of hours after completing their victory, at close to midnight, with only the cleaners, security and night owls of the media left at the ground, the full South African squad strode out to the middle of the Eden Park pitch and produced a loud rendition of their team song. De Villiers admitted it felt “a bit weird” after a one-off match but said it was important to maintain traditions.”We were hoping no one would be there,” he said with a hint of a smile. “We normally go out quite late, but it’s just a tradition after every series win. You have to appreciate the good times.”He insisted, though, that there was no extra feeling because of what had happened the last time South Africa played at Eden Park in the World Cup semi-final.”It will never disappear that we lost the semi-final, but all you can focus on is the now. That game has been played about a 1000 times on TV over the last few days, so I’ve been reliving those emotions quite a bit, but it’s all good memories really. We’ve got through all the pain and heartache. When I’ve watched the game over the last few days I just saw good things.”And with that, the next global tournament draws ever nearer.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is looking to exploit Fulham's contractual situation with Tosin Adarabioyo and secure the defender's signature this summer.

What's the latest on Tosin Adarabioyo to Tottenham?

That's according to the Evening Standard, who claim that the Lilywhites are actively pursuing a move for the 25-year-old after concerns over the £50m price tag of Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi.

The wantaway Adarabioyo only has one year left on his current deal with the Cottagers after signing for around £2m in 2020, and Tottenham could now pounce and land the tenacious tackler for a cut-price fee of around €15m (£13m).

The one-time Manchester City youngster has been imperative to Fulham's successful return to the top flight this year and would be an astute piece of business for a Spurs side looking to salvage their position among the frontal pack of the Premier League.

How good is Tosin Adarabioyo?

It will hardly come as a surprise to Tottenham supporters that Postecoglou is seeking to start his tenure at the club by bolstering the defence with several top-quality signings.

But the London side do not boast a bottomless pit of cash and with links to £61m Bayer Leverkusen centre-half Edmond Tapsoba presently at the forefront of transfer conversation, signing Guehi for around £50m is simply unfeasible.

This is why Adarabioyo, who made 29 appearances across all competitions last term as Fulham secured a tenth-placed finish, could be a shrewd alternative, having also been hailed as "exceptional" by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

As per Sofascore, the former England U19 international recorded a rating of 6.89 in the top flight, completing 82% of his passes and demonstrating his exemplary sweeping prowess by making an astonishing 5.5 clearances per match on average, also succeeding with 69% of his aerial duels.

Ranking among the top 2% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for clearances and the top 23% for progressive passes, as per FBref, the £40k-per-week colossus wields the tools to flourish at the highest level and would be a credit to Spurs' backline, praised as "sensational" by journalist Rahman Osman.

He could even emulate former midfield menace Mousa Dembele, following in the former Cottager's footsteps and taking his career to the next level with the Lilywhites.

Having made 249 appearances for Spurs after completing his own move from Craven Cottage in 2012, the 82-cap former Belgium international made increments to his game and became one of Europe's most formidable box-to-box vehicles, having been described by former boss Mauricio Pochettino as a "genius".

Ex-teammate Kieran Trippier also said: "I feel like selling Mousa Dembele, for me, and you can ask anybody who’s played with him, he’s the best player I’ve ever played with, you just can’t replace him."

Dembele was 25-years-old when he joined White Hart Lane – the same age as Adarabioyo is now – and crafted a successful career for himself with the club after initially impressing at Craven Cottage.

The Fulham defender must continue this trend and make the move himself, continuing the ascent in his development and playing a central role for Tottenham as they commence their anticipated resurgence next season.

Paris Saint-Germain are "working on" a deal to sign Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha this summer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Zaha leaving Palace this summer?

The future of the Eagles hero has been a major talking point of late, with his second spell at Selhurst Park potentially coming to an end in the very near future.

Zaha's current Palace contract expires at the end of this month, meaning he will be able to talk to other clubs about a free transfer from July 1st onwards. As of yet, there are few signs that the 30-year-old will sign a new deal in south London, which has therefore made it increasingly clear that a move away will come to fruition.

There is likely to be plenty of interest in the Ivorian, considering the talent he possesses – he has scored 90 goals and registered 76 assists for the Eagles – and one of Europe's biggest clubs appear to be circling for his signature.

Are PSG set to make a move for Zaha?

Taking to Twitter, Romano claimed that PSG are interested in signing Zaha this summer, also hoping to sign France international Marcus Thuram at the same time:

"Wilfred Zaha, on Paris Saint-Germain list as free agent alongside Marcus Thuram. PSG are working on both deals but will make decision next week.

"Zaha has also bids from Saudi but he’s giving priority to European clubs, as Le Parisien called today about PSG."

Losing Zaha would clearly be a huge setback for Palace, considering what a talismanic figure he is, so often proving to be their attacking inspiration.

While it could be argued that his very best days could now possibly be behind him, given his age, there is still a feeling that he has so much to offer – he scored seven times in the Premier League last season – acting as a guiding light to younger attacking teammates such as Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.

The hope is that Zaha has a change of heart and ultimately decides to sign an extension at Selhurst Park, seeing out the rest of his career there, but it would be hard to begrudge him a move to a club like PSG, considering they can offer him Champions League football.

If he does leave, he should be remembered as possibly Palace's greatest player of the Premier League era – if he stays put, it will only enhance his legend, and the fact that he hasn't yet made a decision does at least give supporters some hope.

Manchester United are in the midst of an ownership battle at Old Trafford and Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani's fifth bid to try and acquire the Premier League giants will also offer an 'exit route' if he isn't successful, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest ownership news involving Manchester United?

As per Sky Sports, Sheikh Jassim is understood to have submitted a new and improved fifth bid to try and secure control of Manchester United and has indicated that this will be the final offer on the table for the Glazer family to consider.

The Qatari businessman and his Nine Two Foundation want to buy 100% control of the Premier League giants and has set a deadline of this Friday, in a proposal that would see £1 billion of club debt wiped alongside a separate ring-fenced fund to improve infrastructure around Old Trafford and the Carrington training complex.

As per ESPN, his rival bidder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS want to buy a 69% stake in Manchester United instead of immediately seeking full authority at Old Trafford.

Ratcliffe is said to be the leading candidate to buy Manchester United and has put forward a deal that could see Joel and Avram Glazer stay on in minority stakeholder positions, as per Sky Sports.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has said that by submitting a fifth bid, Sheikh Jassim and the Nine Two Foundation has given them a platform to 'control the narrative' of the situation.

Jacobs told FFC: "I think the last thing to say is that with Nine Two Foundation, they were always going to have to improve, as I previously reported, and they have done now. They were always going to try and control the narrative. What the fifth bid does is not only gives them obviously a better chance of winning because their bid is higher, compared to the fourth one, but also an exit route too and that's another important point. If they are successful in beating Ratcliffe, even though the Ratcliffe group remain cautiously optimistic, then they are trying to force the issue."

Will Manchester United be able to conduct transfer business in the process of a sale?

Despite being in the process of potentially changing hands at ownership level, Manchester United and their boss Erik Ten Hag look to have taken a proactive approach in the transfer market and are already making inroads on potential summer additions.

Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has agreed personal terms with the Red Devils ahead of a move to Old Trafford; however, both clubs are still yet to come to a compromise over a fee for the England international, as per Football Insider.

Il Mattino via The Sun also claim that Napoli defender Kim Min-jae is also a target for Manchester United and is preparing for a move to the Premier League.

Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund has also cropped up on Manchester United's radar, according to talkSPORT. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Red Devils conclude many deals despite being in the process of a takeover.