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Manchester United should sell Scott McTominay to West Ham United this summer according to Mark Goldbridge

The Scottish international has been at United his whole career but could depart this summer.

What position does Scott McTominay play?

The 26-year-old is a very versatile player with plenty of experience, having made over 200 career appearances across central defence, central midfield and even centre forward for both club and country.

Last season was a difficult one for the midfielder, as following the arrivals of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, McTominay made just 10 starts in the Premier League, with his remaining 14 appearances coming off the bench, When factoring in the recent signing of Mason Mount as well as the rumoured interest in the Morocco international Sofyan Amrabat, game time will be even harder to come by for the midfielder.

McTominay has impressed every manager he has worked under, with Jose Mourinho stating back in 2018:

"But at the same time I felt we needed quality on the ball, building from the back, and Scott McTominay has that quality. Everything that left his foot was correct. He’s a special character, a special personality that a team in a negative moment needs, do my other players have that mentality? Not all of them. Everybody is a different person. Scott McTominay is a kid with a special character, very humble, aggressive in a positive way, brave, he’s a special kid."

Reports have stated that Erik ten Hag is willing to let the player depart Old Trafford this summer should a club pay the £40m asking price set, with West Ham United reportedly eying up the player as a potential Declan Rice replacement following his £105m move to Arsenal. Hammers boss David Moyes is reportedly a big fan of the midfielder, however, the Irons aren't willing as of yet to reach the Red Devils asking price

Speaking on The United Stand YouTube channel, Goldbridge stated that he doesn't want United to play hardball over a McTominay transfer as the club wouldn't see that amount of money for McTominay again:

"If West Ham are interested and they want him for £30m, find a middle ground. I don’t mind us saying £40m but we’re going to come down to £32m but don’t say we’re going to reject £35m or £30m because you want £40m.

"As I said before, McTominay hasn’t had a good game in about a year, he’s not an established first team player, he’s worth about £30m and if we don’t take the money for him now you’ll never get that money again so that’s why United need to be negotiating a deal."

Who will replace McTominay at Manchester United?

There are two real options to replace the Scot next season.

One is already at the club in Kobbie Mainoo. The 18-year-old has risen through United's youth setup and really made his mark on the club's current pre-season tour, with an assist against Arsenal in the sides 2-0 win last week the culmination after two solid performances against Lyon and Leeds. Legendary Man United player Bryan Robson was quick to praise the midfielder after his display against the Gunners, saying:

"I was really impressed, against a team like Arsenal. He’s not a kid who comes into the team as a central midfield player who just goes chasing about trying to impress the manager and all that. He just played, used his football intelligence, and he can have a good career. That’s not me trying to put pressure on the kid.”

The strength in depth at the club could allow the youngster to be developed slowly and given the correct opportunities to develop whilst working day in day out with some of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

The club could also find a solution in the transfer market. Fiorentina midfielder Amrabat is reportedly keen on making the switch to Old Trafford with the club interested in the 26-year-old who had an impressive campaign for both club and country last season. The player was vital to Fiorentina as they made it to both a Coppa Italia final and the Conference League final, whilst he was named in the World Cup Team of the Tournament as Morocco became the first African side to make the semi-finals of the World Cup in history.

It is reported that Amrabat will cost around £21.4m and that the club have beaten out competition from clubs around Europe and in Saudi Arabia for the player's signature.

Sunrisers Hyderabad rode on a counter-attacking second-wicket partnership between Shikhar Dhawan and Moises Henriques to outplay Mumbai Indians and keep their playoff chances alive

The Report by Akshay Gopalakrishnan08-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:30

‘Mumbai should not experiment more for playoffs’

Sunrisers Hyderabad rode on a counter-attacking second-wicket partnership between Shikhar Dhawan and Moises Henriques to outplay Mumbai Indians and keep their playoff chances alive. Dhawan and Henriques walloped a stand of 91 that came off just 11 overs as Sunrisers razed a target of 139 with 10 balls to spare and maintained their stronghold at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium with their sixth win in seven matches at the ground.The win was set up as their bowlers exploited a sluggish pitch to stifle Mumbai. That the visiting team was able to recover to 138 was down to their captain Rohit Sharma, who played an innings of class and poise to give his team a chance.Sunrisers’ position on the table remained unchanged, but they stayed afloat as the race to the playoffs got tighter. The win also brought the curtains down on Delhi Daredevils who do not stand to qualify for the final four anymore.Switched on, switched offSunrisers oscillated between sharp and lax in the early exchanges. Their bowlers made good use of a slow surface where shot-making wasn’t at its easiest. Bhuvneshwar Kumar set the tone with a tight first over. And with Mohammad Nabi following suit, it took 10 deliveries for Mumbai to crack. Lendl Simmons lost his middle stump, swinging wildly and missing a quicker, non-turning offbreak from Nabi. Mumbai were 4 for 1 after two overs.Mohammed Siraj undid some of that good work next over, when Parthiv Patel and Nitish Rana capitalised on poor lines and lengths to punish him for 16. The surge, however, was short-lived. While Nabi got a few to stop and turn, the odd ball kept the pacers interested as well. Siddarth Kaul got a shorter one to hurry on to Rana, who lobbed a catch to mid-off trying to fetch a pull. Kaul’s next ball wasn’t too dissimilar. This time Parthiv played the line, but couldn’t keep the slap down, picking out point where Vijay Shankar let it burst through. Fortunately for Sunrisers, they weren’t left to rue the chance, as Kaul took pace off and Parthiv chipped a knuckle ball to long-on two overs later.Rohit bats on a different planeBefore Monday, Rohit had faced 37 balls of legspin and scored just 35 while perishing four times. On Monday, off the first ball he faced from Rashid Khan, he deftly used the width to guide him through third man for four. Then, with Mumbai having limped to 59 for 3 at the halfway stage, Rohit broke the shackles by going against the spin of Rashid, launching him over long-on for six. Overall, he collected 16 runs off the 11 balls he faced from the legspinner.Rohit then settled into a beautiful rhythm. That he rarely played across the line showed how well he had read the pace of the surface. His three fours off Moises Henriques in the 14th over further demonstrated his class. When Henriques took pace off, Rohit picked it early and pierced the cover region; when Henriques banged it in at pace, Rohit calmly opened the face to steer it into the gap.Unlike Rohit, the rest of Mumbai’s batsmen struggled against Rashid. Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard, especially, hardly picked him. Hardik, who had helped Rohit stitch together 60 for the fourth wicket, tried to slog his way out and skewed a top-edge to cover. But Rohit continued to pinch singles and find the boundary. By the time he fell, he had struck over 50% of his team’s runs. Following his dismissal, Mumbai added just 12 more off 11 balls and lost two wickets.Big loss, big hittingWith Sunrisers desperately in search of a win, Mitchell McClenaghan pinged the back pad of David Warner first ball of the second over. Pressure on. But Mumbai conceded the early advantage through poor bowling. They hardly made an effort to take the pace off the ball. To Mumbai’s misfortune, the pitch did ease up in the second innings for the batsmen. It compounded the shorter lengths they tried out as Dhawan and Henriques relished the pace and picked their areas.Dhawan’s sixes over long-on off Karn Sharma – a muscular heave to a fuller one from outside the crease and a flat-batted shovel to a shorter one – showed how well he had sussed out the pace of the surface. Henriques, on the other hand, impressed with his strokeplay off the back and front foot. Successive fours off Malinga in the 11th over – to a full-toss and a shorter one – exposed the predictability of Mumbai’s bowling.When Henriques fell to a slower offcutter from Bumrah, shortly after Harbhajan had put down a return catch, Sunrisers were left with 41 to get off 47. And though Yuvraj Singh struggled with an injured finger, Dhawan closed out the game without undue risks.

Auckland wicketkeeper-batsman Glenn Phillips and Dean Brownlie have replaced Guptill in the T20I and ODI teams respectively

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2017Martin Guptill has been ruled out of the one-off T20 international and the first two ODIs against South Africa due to a hamstring niggle. Auckland wicketkeeper-batsman Glenn Phillips has been named Guptill’s replacement for the T20I, while Dean Brownlie will take his place in the ODI squad.Guptill, who was picked in both squads last week, had a scan on Tuesday, which revealed a right-hamstring strain. He picked up the injury while training for the upcoming series, New Zealand Cricket said, and the injury was different from the left hamstring strain that had kept him out of the last two ODIs of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy earlier this month.New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said Phillips had been rewarded for consistent performances in domestic cricket. The 20-year-old topped the run charts in the 2016-17 Super Smash, New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition, scoring 369 in 10 matches at a strike rate of 143.02 with a century and three fifties. He is expected to play as a specialist batsman in the T20I in Auckland on February 17, with Luke Ronchi taking up the wicketkeeping gloves.”Glenn was outstanding for Auckland at the top of the order in the McDonald’s Super Smash and proved an extremely exciting player,” Larsen said. “He bats with power, has shown he can clear the rope, and gets a deserved opportunity to showcase his skills on the international stage.”Glenn will play as a specialist batsman only, with Luke still taking the gloves,” Larsen added. “Playing in his home city, it will certainly be a big occasion for Glenn.”Brownlie had replaced Guptill in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy and played the third match of the series after the second game in Napier was washed out. In his first international appearance since 2014, Brownlie struck 63 while opening the innings in a match that New Zealand won by 24 runs to take the series 2-0.”Dean was the logical player to come into the squad following his recent performance against Australia,” Larsen said. “We’ve seen the quality he brings and we’re confident of the job he can do for us.”The five-match ODI series will begin from February 19, with the first two matches scheduled in Hamilton and Christchurch.

Afghanistan bulldozed rivals Ireland by 10 wickets in the final of the inaugural Desert T20

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Dubai20-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:03

Afghanistan champions of Desert T20 challenge

Afghanistan rubbished any claim that Ireland might pose a threat to the Asian side’s Associate hegemony in limited-overs cricket, bulldozing their rivals by 10 wickets in the final of the inaugural Desert T20. Ireland appeared to be in perfect symphony building to the crescendo of the final, and remained in tune through the first eight balls.But they hit their first duff note on the ninth, Stuart Poynter cutting Farid Ahmad to Rashid Khan at point, and the rest of their innings continued to be played in the wrong key. Afghanistan fed off the rhythmic chanting and clapping of the 15,000 strong crowd and played a fast and funky chart-busting ditty, which culminated in a record margin of victory and defeat respectively.Paul Stirling lasted until the sixth over to top score with 17, but Greg Thompson was the only other player to reach double-digits, ending on 10 not out when Craig Young was bowled by Mohammad Nabi to wrap up the innings for 71 in 13.2 overs. Nawroz Mangal and Mohammad Shahzad then knocked off the runs in 47 balls with the Afghanistan squad sprinting on to the field as Shahzad struck the final boundary to clinch victory, sparking one more raucous wave of roars from the crowd.Man of the HourNabi’s Twitter handle is @MohammadNabi007. He may be a cricketer in name but in practice he bowled as if he was a super spy experimenting with a fresh series of prototype gadgets designed by Q to subdue Ireland’s line-up.One might say, “he’s only bowling offspin”. But Ireland’s batsman were on the receiving end of deliveries that appeared normal out of the hand before morphing into exploding pens and dart-shooting cufflinks in true James Bond fashion. By the end of the Powerplay he had figures of 3 for 9 in two overs, claiming Stirling, William Porterfield and Kevin O’Brien. He came back at the end to bowl Young, sealing Man of the Match figures of 4 for 10 off just 14 deliveries. Nabi was also named Man of the Tournament.2:08

‘Lost too many wickets early’ – Porterfield

Man of the DayShahzad clobbered a disdainful 80 against Oman just after noon. A little more than nine hours later, he was putting the finishing touches on another half-century, hitting an unbeaten 52 off 40 balls to make it 132 runs in total on finals day. His first boundary was driven off Boyd Rankin’s fourth ball over mid-off to loud cheers and as the ball bounced over the rope another chorus of screams went up as the crowd realised the umpire had signaled no-ball. The free hit was then cracked past point for another boundary before he laced a flat six over the leg side on the fifth legal ball of the over.Perhaps the biggest roar went up for Shahzad on the first ball of the sixth, bowled by Young. He rocked back to cut but the ball careened towards Jacob Mulder at backward point. The legspinner lunged to his right and got two hands to it but it burst through with enough momentum to go to the rope for Shahzad’s seventh four. For a brief moment the crowd was almost hushed, something William Porterfield said in the press conference afterward his side gets motivated to accomplish in front of a big game crowd such as this. It didn’t happen and the party continued through the rest of the night.Team-mates carry Nawroz Mangal on a victory lap•Peter Della Penna

Man of the DecadeNawroz was feted with a red-carpet ceremony 10 minutes prior to the first ball. His Afghanistan team-mates created a guard of honour, arcing their bats for him to walk through and on to the field at the start of play. Former team-mates not in the current squad such as Shapoor Zadran and Hamid Hassan flew in to be at the game not only to support the entire team but as a sign of respect for their beloved ex-captain.At the start of the seventh over, with eight runs left to win, the stadium shifted their chant from “Afghanistan Zindabad!” to “Mangal! Mangal!” After the final ball was bowled, the Afghanistan team sprinted on to the field to hug him and Shahzad. Dawlat Zadran then hoisted Nawroz up and walked an entire victory lap with him on his shoulders as Nawroz waved to the crowd, who continued cheering and chanting his name.When the lap was finished and Dawlat lowered him back to earth, Hamid and Shapoor were two of the first two give him hugs, along with ACB chairman Atif Mashal and chief executive Shafiqullah Stanikzai. They then backed away and gave him space to soak up the crowd one more time. As he walked off, Nawroz patted his heart. He gave so much of it, along with his soul, to the nation and in return they provided him a fitting send-off on a historic night in Dubai.

Tottenham Hotspur are a 'suitor in the race' to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher this summer as Ange Postecoglou gets down to work in N17, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Conor Gallagher?

As per Football London, Tottenham hold an interest in Gallagher this summer and have him on a list of potential targets as boss Postecoglou earmarks areas of his squad he would be keen to strengthen.

The 23-year-old is expected to leave Chelsea this off-season and Newcastle United were also previously linked with a swoop for the England international.

90min report that Brighton & Hove Albion are in discussions with Gallagher as they try to bring the £50k-a-week ace to the Amex Stadium and they have set their sights on him as a potential replacement for departed midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.

West Ham United have shortlisted Gallagher as David Moyes looks to build on their impressive Europa Conference League-winning campaign at the London Stadium, signifying that there is plenty of interest in the Epsom-born star from Premier League suitors.

According to The Daily Mail, it may cost in the region of £40 million for any interested parties to prize Gallagher away from Chelsea this window.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has indicated that several clubs will be looking to sign Gallagher this summer.

Jacobs told FFC: "The indication in the last window was that Chelsea would be looking for about £40 million for the player and at that point, clubs like Everton and Newcastle and Crystal Palace were all looking. Gallagher wasn't keen on Everton at the time, Newcastle never really escalated their interest and Crystal Palace have always been keen because, of course,

"West Ham will be looking to strengthen in the midfield area, both a defensive midfielder and an attacking midfielder or a box-to-box one. There'll be several clubs looking at Conor Gallagher."

How did Conor Gallagher fare for Chelsea in 2022/23?

Gallagher, who has been hailed as a "warrior", was a regular for Chelsea across the season, though he struggled to influence their disappointing 12th place in the Premier League as the Blues collectively flattered to deceive.

In 2022/23, the England international amassed 45 appearances in all competitions, registering three goals and one assist, as per Transfermarkt.

As per WhoScored, Gallagher remained strong in the tackle throughout the campaign and averaged around 1.3 successful challenges per match in the English top flight.

FBRef show that Gallagher was also able to drive his side forward from the middle of the park with regularity, successfully carrying out 59 shot-creating actions.

Tottenham may be interested in his services; however, they will likely have to battle with several other clubs to secure his signature this summer.

David Miller’s third ODI hundred helped South Africa pull off the second-highest chase of all time and seal the series against Australia with two matches to spare

The Report by Firdose Moonda05-Oct-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:59

By the Numbers: South Africa’s second-highest successful chase

David Miller’s third ODI hundred helped South Africa pull off the second-highest chase of all time and seal the series against Australia with two matches to spare. Miller has chosen not to play his domestic cricket at the Durban-based Dolphins this summer but thrilled his former home crowd during the highest successful chase at Kingsmead with a heroic knock that will become the stuff of legend.In the 31st over, with Miller on 26 and South Africa needing to score at more than eight runs an over, he tweaked a groin muscle running between the wickets. At the start of the next over, South Africa lost their fifth wicket and their last specialist batsmen when JP Duminy holed out. They were 217 for 5 and victory was 155 runs away. But Miller dug deep and along with another local lad, Andile Phehlukwayo, with whom he put on 107 off 70 balls for the seventh-wicket, took South Africa home.Miller’s innings completely overshadowed Australia’s efforts. David Warner and Steven Smith notched up a century each to build on an opening stand of 110 in 13 overs. Australia plundered 71 runs off the last five overs to post what they would have thought was a match-winning score. The truth is that they should have put on more. Australia went quiet in the middle period and managed just 67 runs between the 14th and 28th over, at a rate of under five.Imran Tahir controlled the squeeze but was assisted by Dwaine Pretorius, Phehlukwayo and Duminy, who all understood that pace off the ball would be the most effective. Australia’s inexperienced attack, which has been their Achilles heel throughout the tour, could not copy that. Mitchell Marsh was their most economical bowler while the spinners, Adam Zampa and Travis Head, conceded 83 runs in 10 overs between them. That was less than Dale Steyn, who leaked 96 runs to hold the unenviable record of the most expensive effort by a South African bowler in ODIs. But Steyn won’t mind after the batsmen bludgeoned the bowlers’ blues away.South Africa’s chase was set up by Hashim Amla, who underlined his return to the side with a quickfire 45 that included nine fours in a rare display of power-hitting from the master of finesse, and Quinton de Kock, who topped up on his Centurion hundred with 70 off 49 balls. But they lost 3 for 39 when Faf du Plessis, de Kock and Rilee Rossouw were dismissed in the space of 39 balls and although they had kept up with the required run rate, it seemed Australia had taken control.Duminy and Miller saw off three boundary-less overs and the match seemed to be drifting to the inevitable but then Miller changed his tone. He took 15 runs off Zampa, including a six and two fours – a flat sweep over midwicket for six and fours on either side down the ground – to hint that South Africa were still in the hunt.Three more boundary-less overs followed and then Duminy was dismissed and responsibility fell on Miller. He survived a review in the 34th over, on 40, when Matthew Wade was convinced Miller had edged John Hastings behind but Snicko did not agree. That gave Miller the rare opportunity to spend a lengthy period of time in the middle and made full use of it, despite his injury.Miller pulled with power and timed the ball well. Even when he lost Pretorius to a leading edge, after a stand of 48 in 6.3 overs, he found the perfect partner in Phehlukwayo, who should have been dismissed from his first ball. Chris Tremain appealed for a caught behind but umpire Adrian Holdstock did not hear the edge. Australia had used their review so could not refer it upstairs but if they had been able to, replays showed Phehlukwayo would have been out. If he felt guilty, it did not show. His response was to flick Mitchell Marsh off his pads to allow South Africa to enter the last 10 overs needing 88 runs to win.On 71 off 54 balls, Miller was the man in charge and ushered Phehlukwayo through strike rotation while scoring boundaries seemingly at will. When Australia decided to pitch it up, Miller got underneath full deliveries and swung hard. He reached his hundred off 69 balls when he whacked a short-of-a-length delivery behind square on the leg side but the best was yet to come. As the 47th over came to an end, Miller sent Daniel Worrall on to the grandstand roof and out of the ground with the biggest of his six sixes.South Africa needed 24 runs of the last three overs, 17 off the last two and thanks to Phehlulwayo’s ten in the penultimate over, just three off the final over. Phehlukwayo hit the winning runs, with four balls remaining, to leave Australia stunned.After Warner’s eighth hundred – and fourth in 2016 alone, which makes this year his most successful in the format – and Smith’s shifting gears to go from 16 off 31 balls to a hundred off 104 balls, they would have thought they had done enough. But, on batsmen-friendly surfaces throughout the country, South Africa have showed that enough is a relative concept. In so doing, they won their first bilateral series against Australia since 2009 and their first ODI in five meetings against Australia at Kingsmead, dating back 2000.

كشفت تقارير صحفية أن كيليان مبابي، نجم فريق باريس سان جيرمان، لم يتخذ قرارًا حتى الآن بشأن مستقبله، مع اقتراب عقده الحالي من النهاية.

وسينتهي العقد الحالي للنجم الفرنسي مع باريس سان جيرمان في صيف 2024، أي نهاية الموسم الحالي.

وظهرت تقارير صحفية في الفترة الأخيرة تفيد بأن مبابي ينوي الانتقال إلى صفوف ريال مدريد في صفقة مجانية، في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي المقبل.

وأفادت تقارير فرنسية، في الساعات الأولى من صباح اليوم، بأن مغامرة مبابي مع باريس سان جيرمان قد انتهت بالفعل (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

ولكن شبكة “ذا أثلتيك” العالمية ذكرت منذ قليل أن كيليان مبابي لم يتخذ قرارًا بعد بشأن ما إذا كان سيظل مع باريس سان جيرمان أو ينضم إلى ريال مدريد في الصيف القادم.

وأوضحت أنه وفقًا لمصادر مطلعة على الوضع، فإن مبابي يميل نحو الانضمام إلى ريال مدريد، ولكن الأعضاء المؤثرين في حاشيته لم يقتنعوا بعرض النادي الملكي، وهو ما يؤخر تلك الخطوة.

ونشرت الشبكة تفاصيل ما يحدث، على جميع الأصعدة، حيث أكدت أن مبابي كان علم بتفاصيل عرض ريال مدريد في يناير الماضي، حيث كانت لديه حرية الدخول في مفاوضات مع أي نادِ آخر طالما أن عقده سينتهي بعد 6 أشهر.

وكان عرض ريال مدريد أقل مما تم توفيره له خلال مفاوضات سابقة في مايو 2022، لكنه سيظل يجعل مبابي اللاعب الأعلى أجرًا في الفريق الإسباني.

وعُرض على مبابي من قِبل ريال مدريد، قبل عامين، مكافأة توقيع بقيمة 130 مليون يورو، وراتب قدره 26 مليون يورو سنويًا في عام 2022، ولكن العرض الحالي أقل من ذلك.

في حين قدم باريس سان جيرمان، قبل عدة أشهر، للاعب البالغ من العمر 25 عامًا مجموعة من الخيارات للبقاء، بعقود تتراوح مدتها من قصيرة الأجل إلى طويلة الأجل، والتي تظل نشطة وستشهد بقاء مبابي بالقرب من راتبه الحالي في النادي الفرنسي، الذي يبلغ 75 مليون يورو بعد الضرائب، قبل أي مكافآت.

وكان رئيس نادي ريال مدريد، فلورنتينو بيريز، على اتصال مباشر مع مبابي وكان القوة الدافعة الرئيسية وراء العرض الذي رُفض قبل عامين، على الرغم من شعورهم في وقت ما بأن اللاعب وافق على الانتقال.

ووفقًا للشبكة نفسها، فإن ريال مدريد غير قادر على مطابقة عرض باريس سان جيرمان، لكن مصادر مطلعة على القضية تقول إن بيريز يشعر أنه بذل كل ما في وسعه مرة أخرى للتعاقد مع مبابي وما زال يأمل ويعتقد أنه سيقبل.

وحاول رئيس ريال مدريد إقناع مبابي بأن التوقيع مع النادي سينقل ملفه الشخصي إلى مستوى رياضي وتسويقي آخر.

وقال أحد المصادر إن بيريز شارك بشكل غير عادي في المفاوضات، ولكن في هذه الحالة لا يمكن أن تكون هناك ضمانات، حيث سبق وقد أثبتت مثل هذه الجهود عدم جدواها في الماضي.

وأبلغ ريال مدريد ممثلي مبابي، في أوائل يناير الماضي، أنهم يريدون حل هذا الفصل الأخير من ملحمة الانتقالات الطويلة الأمد بحلول منتصف الشهر نفسه، لتجنب ما حدث في مايو 2022.

لكن هذا الموعد النهائي لم يكن موضع ترحيب من قبل حاشية مبابي، حيث شعروا أنهم بحاجة إلى مزيد من الوقت، في حين لا يزال ريال مدريد ينتظر الإجابة النهائية المتوقع معرفتها قريبًا.

واستطردت الشبكة بأن مبابي أعطى في البداية مؤشرات إيجابية للنادي الملكي، وكانت الحالة المزاجية بشأن الاتفاق الذي تم التوصل إليه أخيرًا إيجابية في الأسابيع الأخيرة.

وكان التفاؤل كبيرًا لدرجة أنه تم نقل ذلك إلى المدير الفني كارلو أنشيلوتي بأن كل شيء يشير إلى أن الفرنسي سيكون تحت تصرفه اعتبارًا من الصيف المقبل.

وعلى الرغم من ذلك، تقول المصادر نفسها إن حاشية اللاعب منقسمة حول الأمر، مع العلم أن الأصوات المهمة في معسكر مبابي تشير إلى أن عرض ريال مدريد أقل مما يتقاضاه مبابي في باريس سان جيرمان، أو يمكن أن يكسبه من نادِ محتمل آخر.

من جهة أخرى، شعرت الشخصيات الرئيسية في باريس سان جيرمان في الأسابيع الأخيرة بمزيد من التشاؤم بشأن تأمين تجديد مبابي، حيث ذكرت مصادر في النادي أن اللاعب قرر الصيف الماضي عدم قبول خيار البقاء لمدة عام إضافي، وهم يدركون أنه أعرب مرارًا وتكرارًا عن إعجابه بريال مدريد.

كما تقول مصادر في باريس سان جيرمان إن النادي يشعر بالارتياح بشأن الوضع، لأنهم يشعرون بالحماية الاقتصادية من خلال حقيقة أن مبابي أضاع فرصة الحصول على المكافأة التي كان سيحظى بها الصيف الماضي، بقيمة لا تقل عن 80 مليون يورو، حال التمديد.

وعلى الصعيد الرياضي، يصر النادي الفرنسي على التزامه ببناء مشروع متوازن لا يعتمد على الأفراد بل يضع الجماعة في الاعتبار قبل كل شيء.

Chelsea youngster Tudor Mendel-Idowu is "expected to leave" Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, according to reliable journalist Nizaar Kinsella.

How is Mendel-Idowu faring at Chelsea?

The 18-year-old is a talented young attacker who has been with the Blues for over a decade now, working his way through the youth teams as the years have passed. He has made 35 appearances for the Under-18s, scoring 13 goals and registering six assists, as well as playing once for the Under-21s, despite still being so young.

A maiden first-team outing has continued to evade Mendel-Idowu, however, and with his current Chelsea deal running out this summer, the club have a big decision to make regarding his long-term future. There is the option of extending his stay, should he be viewed as a key man into the future, or he will be allowed to move on for a new challenge in the next month or so.

Could Mendel-Idowu leave Chelsea in the summer?

Taking to Twitter, Kinsella said that Mendel-Idowu would be one of numerous younger departures once this season comes to an end:

"Tudor Mendel-Idowu wasn't mentioned in this piece a few days ago but is also expected to leave Chelsea when his contract expires."

This is no doubt a tough one for Mendel-Idowu to take, and a situation that highlights how difficult it is for youngsters to make the grade at top clubs. It is so hard to make that step up to the first team, especially when big-money signings are arriving at the same time, which goes to show what special players the likes of Reece James and Mason Mount are.

Is seems clear that Mendel-Idowu simply isn't seen as someone who can ultimately become an important member of the senior squad, even though his skill levels have been hailed as "illegal" by Sky Sports contributor Zac Djellab in the past, such is his level of talent.

He will now seemingly be free to find a new club, though, and it is crucial that he picks the right one, going somewhere where he will be allowed to progress at his own pace, earn regular football and ultimately reach his potential as a player.

Just because Chelsea don't see a future for him doesn't mean he can't still forget an excellent career elsewhere, with his talent undeniable, and three goals in four caps for England's Under-17s a testament to his ability.

Chelsea have undergone a painful 2022/23 campaign so far, winning just 11 games this season with only four remaining to play.

Frank Lampard has had a tough run since filling in for the dismissed Graham Potter, who survived just six months in a job that saw a lot of change in such a short period of time.

The club signed eight new players in January in the bid to improve their form, spending a record-breaking amount in the process in a winter window that arguably broke the market.

With chances of European football gone, next season will be one of a rebuild for the Blues, and a chance to properly integrate the winter additions who signed at a time of chaos.

Chelsea have been linked with a number of moves ahead of the summer transfer window, including Neymar which has indicated that the west Londoners are far from finished when it comes to spending big.

A more reasonable transfer target has also been highlighted, with a Premier League midfielder capturing the eye of the Blues.

What’s the latest on Romeo Lavia to Chelsea?

Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia has been a standout player in the Championship-bound squad this season.

At just 19 years of age, the Belgian has dictated play in the engine room, making 25 league appearances for the Saints since signing from Manchester City’s academy last summer.

Football Insider reported late last month that Chelsea had Lavia at the “top” of their summer wishlist, with the player being valued at £45m by his current club.

Liverpool and Arsenal have also reportedly expressed an interest in the midfielder, making him one to watch in terms of his next destination this summer.

What could Romeo Lavia bring to Chelsea?

Pep Guardiola admitted the midfielder has "really impressed" him since making the move, which is just the start of the praise that the youngster has received in his first senior season in a tough scenario.

The teenager has an average Sofascore match rating of 6.85 this term, ranking him in the top ten performers in his team.

Hailed by Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport, the former Manchester United man described Lavia as a player that can do "both sides of the game."

Ferdinand explained that he is “equally good defensively but also once he is on the ball he has tremendous feet and can pass.”

The six-time Premier League winner is not wrong in his praise for the youngster, who maintains a successful pass rate of 86.1% for the struggling Saints.

His presence in midfield is shown defensively too, with him being among the top 9% of players in his position in Europe’s top 5 leagues for making blocks this season, highlighting his innate reading of the game and ability to react quickly to what's going on around him.

The signing of Lavia could open doors for Enzo Fernandez, who has struggled to implement his full potential since his record-breaking arrival in west London in January, registering just two assists in 14 league outings.

The £106.8m midfielder has all the keys to unlock his potential at Stamford Bridge, but would benefit from a long-term ball-playing defensive partner in midfield, as he did at Benfica with Florentino Luiz, who was described as a midfield "anchor." That's precisely the role Lavia could take up next to the Argentine maestro should he sign.

At just 22 years old himself, Chelsea could find themselves with a midfield partnership for many years to come should they get the Lavia deal over the line. It’s a deal that could benefit far more than just the Belgian teen, but the world's most expensive player also.

Barcelona may have the upper hand in the hunt for Lionel Messi as the forward prefers to continue playing at a high level in Europe, according to Kaveh Solhekol.

What's going on with Lionel Messi?

The Argentina superstar has been suspended by Paris Saint-Germain after flying to Saudi Arabia without permission, and is set to depart the club when his contract expires this summer.

It seems that the 35-year-old has three options: a move to Saudi Arabia, a move to MLS, or a return to Barcelona.

Given that Barcelona are still suffering financial problems, they would have to work hard to manouvre their wage bill in order to make space for Messi, but given that his ideal move seems to be a return to the Nou Camp, they may consider themselves in the driving seat.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Solhekol claimed that Messi still sees himself as able to compete in the Champions League, and an emotional return to Barcelona could be on the cards.

"Everything we're hearing is that he still feels that he can carry on playing at the very, very top level," he stated.

"He wants to carry on playing in Europe. Ideally he wants to carry on playing in the Champions League, so I've just got a funny feeling that if something can be sorted out with Barcelona, we would have this fairytale return of him going back to the club where his heart is."

Should Barcelona sign Messi?

Despite the hatred he is currently receiving from PSG fans, Messi has contributed 39 goals and assists in 37 games for the Parisians this season, and his performances at the World Cup showed that he can still deliver extraordinary moments at the top level.

Barcelona could have a clearout this summer, and wide players Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati and Raphinha have all been linked with moves away.

If they are able to generate funds from these attackers, they will have space for Messi to rejoin. The main question is, whether it would be worth selling three younger players for a 35-year-old.

All three players have garnered criticism at times this season, and depending on the level of bids received for them, they could all be smart sales if Messi can continue his high level of output in the short term.

If Barcelona are confident that they will not regret any of these sales, Fati in particular, given that he is a La Masia product who was handed Messi's number 10 shirt, then re-signing their greatest ever player to boost their Champions League hopes next season may be a gamble worth taking.