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Liverpool are interested in OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram, with a concrete proposal potentially forthcoming after an initial round of discussion.

What's the latest on Khephren Thuram to Liverpool?

According to RMC Sport (translated courtesy of Caught Offside), Thuram's entourage have already met with Liverpool's recruitment officials to establish ground for a prospective summer transfer, with the Reds in dire need of midfield replenishment after a lacklustre campaign.

L'Equipe (via Sport Witness), reported a day previously that Liverpool have in fact already made moves more concretely than other clubs for his signature.

The necessity for fresh faces has been heightened by the departures of experienced midfield trio James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Thuram, who thrives across multiple central positionings, could provide an exemplary upgrade.

If Liverpool want the rising star they will need to cough up at least €40m (£34m), with Thuram highly regarded by his outfit and attracting attention from the opulent Paris Saint-Germain, though with just two years left on his current deal, Les Aiglons may be inclined to sell.

How good is Khephren Thuram?

Reds gaffer Jurgen Klopp will hope for a swift return to prominence next season after Liverpool failed to reach the top four and subsequently miss out on next year's Champions League edition, and to do so the intensity and verve of the midfield must be rekindled after the former fire waned this term.

The "tenacious" – as he was described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – Thuram is just 22-years-old but is already thriving as one of Ligue 1's most promising talents, having made his debut for France this season and played a pivotal role in Nice's season, forging 48 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals and supplying eight assists.

Hailed for his "tremendous" midfield skill set by one Anfield Wrap podcaster, the 6 foot 4 colossus is an imposing presence but possesses an elegant and fleet-footed gait that belies his stature, lauded by one tactical report for his efficacy as a ball-carrying vehicle and dominance at the centre of the park.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 6% of midfielders plying their trade across Europe's top five leagues for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90, which means that he is adept at taking on his man and progressing up the pitch, two elements that have arguably been missing at Anfield this season.

Gini Wijnaldum used to bring this kind of assiduous sheen to the Anfield centre when he plied his trade at the club, playing a composed role and keeping the system ticking, boasting a career average pass completion rate of 88.4% and one of the centrepieces of Klopp's momentous feats since arriving to take the helm of the Reds.

Thuram is hailed as the "perfect profile" – as stated by RMC Sport reporter Alex Jaquin – and indeed embodies the energy and enthusiasm that Klopp demands to whir the cogs of his high-octane philosophy at full throttle, with his manager Didier Digard also remarking him to be "very hard-working".

This is indeed the role Wijnaldum fulfilled on Merseyside during the zenith of Liverpool's illustrious success under Klopp's tutelage, with the industrious Dutch midfielder making 237 appearances for the Reds and leaving Klopp waxing lyrical, dubbing him "perfect" for his central work.

It is imperative that the £15k-per-week Thuram is signed; Liverpool must pull no punches in paving the foundation of their renaissance and the Frenchman would fit into the system like tailor-made boots.

Left-arm spinner Alex Hartley and batsman Natalie Sciver played key roles in England Women’s series-clinching five-wicket win over West Indies Women in Kingston on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2016
ScorecardFile photo – England Women’s left-arm spinner Alex Hartley finished as the leading wicket-taker in the five-match series, with 13 dismissals•WICB Media/Athelstan Bellamy

Left-arm spinner Alex Hartley’s career-best 4 for 24 subdued a powerful West Indies Women’s batting line-up to 155, paving the way for England Women’s series-clinching five-wicket victory in the fifth ODI in Kingston. Natalie Sciver’s unbeaten 58 eased the side home in the 39th over.The result took England’s points tally in the ICC Women’s Championship to 23, leaving them one win away from confirming their direct qualification in next year’s Women’s World Cup, a target they will look to achieve on the tour of Sri Lanka next month.Hartley accounted for West Indies’ senior batsmen in her haul, dismissing Deandra Dottin, Merissa Aguilleira, captain Stafanie Taylor and Shemaine Campbelle. Dottin fell in the 23rd over, bringing an end to a promising third-wicket partnership of 37 with Taylor after West Indies got off to a slow start. Aguillera fell four overs later.Hartley then went on to sap any momentum West Indies could have gained in the slog overs by dismissing Campbelle and Taylor in the 41st and 43rd overs. Taylor fell for 57 off 101 balls, with three fours and a six, having steered the side to 137 with little support from the other batsmen, and the innings lasted only five more overs after her wicket as the last five wickets fell for 24. Hartley took her second four-for in the series and finished as the highest overall wicket-taker with 13 wickets in five matches, a record for England in a bilateral one-day series.While West Indies’ batsmen had failed to put together a half-century stand, England built their chase around the 56-run partnership for the third wicket between captain Heather Knight and Sciver. England were 56 for 2 in the 17th over when the pair came together and by the time the stand was broken, at 112 in the 29th over, they were firmly in control of the chase. Sciver’s unbeaten 58, her sixth ODI fifty and second in the series, came off 74 balls and included six fours.Knight said: “To come to the Caribbean and beat the ICC Women’s World T20 champions on their home patch, in tough conditions, and with a couple of set-backs along the way, shows how much character, desire and talent there is within this squad.”Throughout the five matches, momentum has constantly shifted between the two sides, which shows how evenly matched the teams are.”

Shane Jurgensen, New Zealand’s bowling coach, has promised a fight from his side on the final day of the Kanpur Test. New Zealand need to bat out 98 overs with only six wickets in hand, after losing the first four in 37 overs. They need 341 runs to win, which is nigh impossible.”We made some adjustments today,” Jurgensen said. “I think like that last partnership towards the end today, we’ve just got to keep fighting. And that’s the way we play cricket. We have to fight to the end. There is still six wickets to go and if you get a good partnership going, and we saw that today when India batted, if you get a good partnership you can score at a decent rate, and more importantly you can bat for time. That’s our goal, to fight for as long as we can, have a good start in the morning and really try and fight as far as we can. From my experiences in this game tomorrow is a new day. We’ll see what happens then.”Jurgensen said it was obviously challenging to play in conditions they are not accustomed to, but said it was important to enjoy the experience in order to get better of the challenges. “Some turn, some don’t and some jump,” Jurgensen said. “It’s just a matter of not feeling the pressure and starting to accept the challenge and play with a smile on your face. What a great opportunity it is tomorrow to come out on the fifth day. If we attack it like that, it’s our best opportunity to get through.”One of the keys to the fight is the nuggety wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling, who went off the field with a mix of dehydration and back issues. Jurgensen said he was going to bat. “I think he’ll be assessed over the next 24 hours,” Jurgensen said. “But as far as I’m aware he’ll be good to go tomorrow. It was just pretty warm today.”One of the areas where New Zealand could have given themselves less time to survive was by bowling tighter in the second innings, but conceded 377 runs at 3.51 an over. “Obviously they got a few boundaries and batted really well,” Jurgensen said. “These are conditions the Indian players are very familiar with and we saw how well they can bat in their conditions. Today we made the necessary adjustments and showed a much-improved performance with the ball. All we can focus on is those positives. Credit to the Indian batsmen. There were times where we bowled well and created pressure but they are very experienced, wore us down and played well.”In Wellington in 2013-14, New Zealand batted out 210 overs in the second innings to salvage a draw against India, but those were totally different conditions. With the ball turning so much, against Indian spinners who are at the top of their game, New Zealand are left needing a miracle to not go to Kolkata trailing in the series.

Manchester United will spend significantly on one player regardless of the takeover result, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest Manchester United news on the ownership and transfer front?

As per talkSPORT, Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani has returned with a 'last-ditch offer' to buy Manchester United worth more than £5.5 billion, including £4.8 billion to enact a sale and another £700 million invested into the club and local community.

The Qatari businessman is said to have put the pledge forward as his final attempt to try and gain control of the Premier League giants. At the same time, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS remain in the running alongside their competitors.

On the transfer front, Manchester United continue to be linked with a sensational summer swoop to land Tottenham Hotspur marksman Harry Kane while Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has also been linked, as per ESPN.

In the off-season, the outlet understands that the Red Devils will be working with a transfer budget between £100 million and £150 million, with an assumption that players also be sold to raise funds and to satisfy UEFA's financial fair play demands.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Manchester United will look to make some intelligent signings in the summer and not all of them will come in for large sums of money.

Jones told FFC: "Whatever the result is of the takeover, I think we'll see a balance. Yes, United will go out and spend significantly on someone. But, in the other positions that they make up the pieces in, I think they'll be looking to do some smart deals."

What next for Manchester United?

While the chat over transfer targets and their ownership status will dominate the headlines, Manchester United still face the challenge of finishing the season in a strong position in order to guarantee themselves Champions League qualification.

At present, the Red Devils sit fourth in the Premier League table, one point in front of bitter rivals Liverpool in fifth, having played a game less than Jurgen Klopp's men.

In their remaining three fixtures, Manchester United travel to Bournemouth on Saturday before back-to-back home clashes against Chelsea and Fulham, who they will meet on the final day to round off their league campaign.

Erik Ten Hag also has the opportunity to seal a second piece of silverware this term at Wembley in early June up for grabs, as his side take on Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Despite things off the pitch hotting up, there is still potential for the Red Devils to grab the attention of the world by the end of season by sealing a top-four slot and cup glory.

علق أحمد حسام ميدو لاعب الزمالك الأسبق على قرار محمد صلاح بالرحيل إلى إنجلترا للعلاج والتعافي من الإصابة التي تعرض لها مع منتخب مصر في كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وقال أحمد حسام ميدو في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة المحور: “يجب أن نترك الحديث حاليًا عن أزمة محمد صلاح، وكل طاقتنا تكون لدعم منتخب مصر”.

وتابع: “محمد صلاح طريقة تفكيره ليست مثلنا، مع احترامي الكبير لو كانت طريقة تفكيره مثلنا لما كان يلعب في ليفربول ويظل ينافس على أفضل 5 أو 6 لاعبين في العالم لمدة 7 أو 8 سنوات، ليس معنى ذلك أنه افضل مننا، لا هو أفضل مننا ولا نحن أفضل منه ولكن هو رجل مختلف”.

وواصل: “محمد صلاح تعرض للإصابة، الطبيعي أن أحد يصاب يظل يعالج في المعسكر ويقوم بدوره كباتن الفريق، لا أقول ما فعله صلاح صحيح، ولكن هو تفكيره مختلف عننا، نحن في فترة الأجندة الدولية واللاعب من حق منتخب مصر”.

وأردف: “اتحاد الكرة أدار الأزمة بشكل خاطئ، والجبلاية تفاجئت أن محمد صلاح ليس لديه مانع أن يعود إلى ليفربول للعلاج”.

طالع | بونفرير يكشف سبب تراجع أداء مصر في أمم إفريقيا 2023.. ويختار المنتخب المرشح للفوز بالبطولة

واستطرد: “صلاح كده كافر وليس لديه وطنية؟ ولا يحب منتخب مصر؟ هل هو مغرور ومتعالي؟ كل ذلك غير صحيح هو رجل مختلف وتفكيره مختلف عننا”.

وأضاف: “لو كنت في نفس موقف محمد صلاح سأستمر مع منتخب مصر ولن أرحل، ولكن ربما تكون طريقة تفكيره هذه هي ما عطلني في أوروبا”.

وأشار: “الأوروبيون يريدون اللاعبين الذين تعمل معهم ويظلوا متواجدين معهم وينصاعوا لأوامرهم، ومن أسباب تفوق صلاح أنه يستمع للكلام”.

وأوضح: “أنا كنت أتشاجر باستمرار مع الأندية أثناء احترافي في أوروبا، وهذا كان خطأ مني وكان غير صحيح، الأندية في ذلك التوقيت دخلت في تصادم معي وأصبح لديه مشاكل مع أكثر من نادي لعبت فيه”.

واختتم: “لا يصح قول أن محمد صلاح ليس وطني، كان من الممكن أن يرفض تمثيل منتخب مصر منذ البداية، هو حريص جدًا أن يكون متواجد مع المنتخب ولكنه تعرض للإصابة ويتعامل في إصابته بعقلية الأوروبين، ويعمل بأسلوبه الذي نجح به لسنوات طويلة وجعله مختلف”.

Crystal Palace have Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Wilfried Zaha decorate proceedings on a weekly basis for their impudent artistry and mercurial talent.

Prior to 2018, the Ivorian was alone in this respect as the other two were still kicking about in youth football, but the playmaking burden was placed on the shoulders of Max Meyer.

The German arrived in the capital having amassed a hugely impressive reputation in his homeland and was expected to continue his frightening trajectory in the Premier League.

However, he left England in 2021 as a forgotten man and his career has spiralled into further irrelevancy.

How did Max Meyer rise to fame?

The midfielder was catapulted into his nation’s spotlight back in 2013 as a then 17-year-old when he provided an assist on his debut against Mainz 05.

That summer, the diminutive attacker enjoyed another blissful moment of fame when he set up Julian Draxler to give the Royal Blues a 2-1 win in their UEFA Champions League play-off against POAK.

The German pass sealed qualification for Europe’s most elite competition, and it was dubbed the €20-million pass – a calculation of the amount earned for their progression into the Champions League.

The following campaign he was awarded the number seven shirt and was expected to be the new mantlepiece of Die Knappen.

The four-cap international registered 45 goal contributions in 192 appearances for the club he’d been with since 2009, but an argument with sporting director Christian Heidel led him to run down the rest of his contract and he departed.

Sky Germany reporter Max Bielefeld described the player as “really talented” and with the allure of a new league, it seemed that Meyer was to embark on a dominant European conquest.

However, in 56 appearances across three seasons with the Eagles, he failed the time and money invested in him by the club, managing a paltry five goals and assists. The prodigy was dropped to the U23s and left the club via mutual consent in January 2021.

What is Max Meyer up to now?

Since then, the former wonderkid has also plied his trade back in Germany, Turkey, Denmark, and now Switzerland with FC Luzern, where he has finally found his feet, scoring ten times and amassing five assists in 26 outings this term.

Still only 27, by this age he had been tipped for the top of European football with his close control, pinpoint passing, and tricky dribbling.

But sadly it just didn’t materialise and Meyer has to go down as one of the biggest disappointments in German sport in recent years, due to his enormous potential.

The free-scoring Palace, back under the stewardship of Roy Hodgson, have retained their top-flight status since Meyer’s exit and have not missed him in the slightest.

Leeds United travel to Craven Cottage this weekend to take on Fulham, with Javi Gracia's side looking to put their recent thrashings in the Premier League behind them.

The West Yorkshire outfit had looked to put themselves in a strong position with regard to the Premier League's relegation battle following impressive wins over rivals Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers, but look to be in real trouble after successive home defeats.

Here is the latest injury and suspension news from Elland Road, ahead of a tricky game against a high-flying Fulham side on Saturday.

Who is suspended for Leeds this weekend?

None of Leeds' players will miss the game against Fulham through suspension, and none are at risk of picking up a ban due to too many yellow cards.

However, Fulham's star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic will miss the game as he continues his eight-match suspension after pushing the referee in the Cottagers' FA Cup defeat against Manchester United.

What is the latest Leeds injury news?

Speaking in his press conference ahead of Leeds' trip to west London, Gracia has provided an update on the likes of Patrick Bamford, Max Wober and Wilfried Gnonto, who have all struggled with injury concerns in recent weeks.

He said: "Patrick is training but I don’t know if he will be ready. Max was available [against Liverpool] but only trained one, two days and I think now he is in a better condition to help the team.”

Gnonto could be ready after he picked up an injury on international duty with Italy, with the Spanish manager suggesting that he had tried to protect the teenager by leaving him out of the starting side for recent fixtures.

However, Stuart Dallas remains sidelined due to a thigh injury, with the 31-year-old unlikely to feature for the remainder of the season, while Tyler Adams is also ruled out because of the problem he picked up in the warm-up against Wolves last month.

What is the latest Patrick Bamford injury update?

Bamford was forced off after scoring in Leeds' 5-1 defeat against Crystal Palace recently and didn't make the squad for the game against Liverpool, so it seems as if he faces a race against time to be fit for the Fulham game.

At the time of writing, Premier Injuries suggests that he has a 75% chance of featuring against the Cottagers, but must pass a late fitness test to do so.

Given that the 29-year-old has been Gracia's preferred option up front this season, it would be a blow for the Whites to not have him available for what could be considered a must-win game against an out-of-sorts Fulham side on Saturday.

Although his goalscoring record this season has not been the best with just three goals in 22 Premier League outings, he offers a lot in the attack with his link-up play and non-stop running, which was praised by Glenn Murray and Jermaine Beckford after he returned from injury in Leeds' 3-1 win over Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup earlier this term.

Murray said: "Leeds have missed Patrick Bamford so much and everyone knows it, when you lose your goalscorer, that is the main man you don't want to lose, and he was really on the cusp of a wave."

Beckford added: "One of the main things Leeds have missed since Patrick has been out is his selfless running. The high energy, high intensity and just causing every defender all sorts of issues and problems. So to have him back with support is a major boost."

Fortunately, Gracia has plenty of options to choose from as his replacement in west London and may be forced to look to those players if Bamford isn't fit enough to start.

Who could play instead of Bamford v Fulham?

Rodrigo, who is Leeds' top scorer in the Premier League season with 11 to his name, seems the natural replacement for Bamford in the attack, especially after he was given the nod against Liverpool last time out.

Gracia did experiment with a striker-less system in the 4-1 defeat against Arsenal, with Brenden Aaronson the furthest forward in that game, but it would be a surprise to see him try that again at Fulham.

Finally, club-record signing Georginio Rutter could be an option for the Spaniard, but his lack of game time since his January switch from Hoffenheim suggests that he simply isn't fancied as the man to help keep Leeds up this season.

Therefore, it could be argued that Bamford returning to the side will be key to getting a result on the road this weekend, and with the visitors desperate for points, we wouldn't be surprised if Gracia is sweating over his availability.

It does seem that the time for experimentation is over and Leeds must simply get points on the board in any way they can if they are to maintain their Premier League status.

The summer signing of Lucas Paqueta has seen Manuel Lanzini lose his regular starting spot at West Ham United and David Moyes should ensure the Argentine leaves the London Stadium this summer.

The attacking midfielder has mustered just one start in the Premier League so far this campaign and while he will be fondly remembered by fans for some of his performances across the past few years, it is clear that his time with the Hammers should come to an end.

Should West Ham get rid of Manuel Lanzini?

West Ham would sign the midfield maestro from Al-Jazira in 2016 after he had impressed in a loan spell at the London Stadium under Slaven Bilic in the 2015/16 campaign.

A fee of £9m was enough to bring him in on a permanent deal, and he has been a regular for the Hammers ever since, featuring 222 times in all competitions, in which he has contributed 31 goals and 28 assists.

Despite being a big part of the success under Moyes last season, registering five goals and three assists in 30 Premier League appearances, the Scottish manager hasn't trusted him to appear regularly in the top flight so far this campaign, despite their struggles towards the bottom of the division.

Lanzini has appeared in just 144 minutes of Premier League action so far this campaign, which includes only one start. That's something of a surprise given that he has two goals and one assist in seven Europa Conference League outings.

It was only in January 2022 when the Argentine was lauded by teammate Declan Rice as "special, special player" following a brace away at Crystal Palace, which suggests how quickly he has fallen out of favour under Moyes.

Unfortunately, Lanzini now looks well past his best and seems certain to leave in the summer when his contract expires, having been rather stealing a wage from David Sullivan this term.

The 30-year-old earns £70k-per-week at the London Stadium, which means that in the 33 weeks since the Premier League season started, he has set the club back £2.3m for every top-flight start he has made.

You could definitely argue that Lanzini could have been given more minutes to aid West Ham's woes in front of goal so far this term, which leaves them 18th in the division, but it seems clear that he has to leave this summer.

Chelsea are keen on the idea of signing Joao Felix permanently in the summer from Atletico Madrid following the conclusion of his loan deal.

When is Joao Felix's loan up with Chelsea?

The Londoners signed the Portuguese forward in the January transfer window on a short-term loan deal from the Spanish side which only last until the end of the campaign.

The fee involved to bring Felix to Stamford Bridge was huge for what is only a loan deal which spans a matter of months.

However, it seems as if he has impressed the powers that be at Chelsea who are keen to keep him at the club ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Indeed, speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, journalist Toby Cudworth has suggested the Blues will be looking into a potential deal at the very least:

"Chelsea are keen to explore it at the very least.

"There's no deal currently in place with Atletico; there's no agreement in the loan deal. But there is a hope that talk can be kicked off and that can get underway.

"Atletico do want to get Joao Felix off the wage bill. The only stumbling block could be that they're still going to demand a fee likely in the region of €100m, which for Chelsea isn't a problem, as we've seen with Todd's deep pockets.

"And the player himself, we understand, is keen to at least speak to Chelsea and explore doing this as well. So it's something that could happen, even without Chelsea qualifying for the Champions League."

How much could Joao Felix cost Chelsea?

The Portuguese forward signed for the La Liga side back in 2019 for a huge fee believed to be worth in the region of £113m after moving from Benfica.

And, according to Cudworth, it seems Atletico would be keen to recoup the large majority of that money four years on from signing him in the first place, so deal of around €100m (£87m) could be in the offing.

But what is interesting is to hear the Spanish side are also keen to offload him from their wage bill over the course of the summer.

It is believed Felix signed a seven-year deal with Atletico back in 2019 and in January the club opted to extend his stay by a further year up until 2027.

This would suggest one of the parties would have to compromise in the summer if a deal is to be done.

Although Chelsea are said to be impressed with Felix since he arrived, he has returned just the one goal in his eight appearances for the Blues (via Transfermarkt).

And that is not to say he still isn't adapting to the Premier League, but it is to say if Chelsea are to spend the type of money which Atletico are believed to want, then they will have to be sure he could get up to speed in the Premier League for next season.

On the other hand, if Atletico are keen to get Felix off their wage bill, then perhaps they will have to compromise on the asking price which could see Chelsea land him for a reduced fee.

Newcastle United goalkeeper Loris Karius is reportedly a transfer target for Inter Milan this summer.

The Lowdown: Cup final debut

Karius made his Newcastle debut in their 2-0 loss to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday evening, and impressed Eddie Howe despite the defeat, with the manager hailing his saves, distribution and all-round demeanour.

Indeed, the German made eight saves in total, with three of those coming from inside the penalty box, as he kept his team in it right up until the last minute.

The Latest: Inter Milan interest

As per FC Inter News, Karius has been named as a replacement for Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic in a development just in the last couple of weeks, with his contract up in the summer.

Karius’ deal at St. James’ Park also expires this summer, leaving his long-term future in doubt.

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The Verdict: Keep him!

The Magpies will not find many better third-choice goalkeepers behind Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka than Karius, and so they should be looking to extend his  contract and keep him at the club beyond this season.

Lauded as a ‘mentality monster‘ by his agent Corey Anton for his mental recovery after making two howlers which cost Liverpool the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid back in 2018, it would have been difficult for the 29-year-old to have all eyes on him in another major final on Sunday.

However, he stepped up to the plate with some crucial saves to keep the score at 2-0, and has gained a vast amount of experience at his age, including in the Premier League with Liverpool.

It may be tempting for Karius to jump to a club currently competing in the Champions League in Inter, but the Tynesiders are striving to get there, and so he should be looking to stay put.