Tottenham Hotspur's links to a new forward have taken another turn as news emerges on Rennes star and Belgium international Jeremy Doku.

Who will Spurs sign?

Ange Postecoglou's side are up and running after the Australian's first competitive game as Spurs head coach, having sealed a 2-2 draw away to Brentford last Sunday.

Goals from unlikely sources in Cristian Romero and Emerson Royal gifted the north Londoners their first point of the new Premier League campaign, but as we enter the latter part of this transfer window, time is running out for them to strengthen.

Spurs have already put pen to paper on deals for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, youngster Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, playmaker James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon and striker Alejo Veliz – but more could follow them.

The surprise sale of elite striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, which hands Tottenham a potential £103m windfall if certain add-ons are met, also seriously weakens Postecoglou's options in the forward areas.

Tottenham's manager, though, has insisted that the 30-year-old was always likely to depart N17 this summer.

"I had a conversation with Harry the first day he arrived and he was up front and honest, and I was the same," Postecoglou said last week.

“You get an indication there that he kind of made up his mind: that if the clubs agreed he would go, particularly if it was before the first game. That was my preference as well.

“There's nothing along the way that's sort of made me feel there's anything other than this outcome. None of these things happen in isolation, everyone is pretty clued into what's going on, so from my perspective I hadn't received anything from Harry, the club or anyone else to suggest to me anything had changed about his stance."

While they won't come as direct Kane replacements, Spurs have been linked with the likes of Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson this window, meaning they could be looking to add more firepower in the wide areas.

Doku, who is being chased by the likes of West Ham and Man City, is a new target for Tottenham as journalist Miguel Delaney shares what he's heard.

Writing a piece for The Independent, Delaney claims Postecoglou's side are in a race with the aforementioned sides for Rennes' star, and Spurs could make a persuasive claim for him to join them.

The Ligue 1 side are likely to demand around £50 million for his services, and while Spurs have a good chance of signing him, it is believed West Ham are the most advanced as things stand.

It's added that the battle for his signing could even go to the end of the window.

What's been said about Jeremy Doku?

Called an "exciting" forward by members of the media, Doku has also been praised by the likes of Kylian Mbappe, who lauded his "power" from a standing position in 2021.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

"Recently, I was speaking with my father about a player who impressed me because of his speed qualities, that is (Jérémy) Doku, at Rennes," said the World Cup winner.

"In 5 years as a professional, I have never seen someone from a standing start demonstrate so much power.

"In terms of an incredibly quick player, I would also put Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang."

يحل نادي ريال مدريد ضيفاً عى نظيره غرناطة، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ35 من الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

ستنطلق المباراة بين الفريقين في تمام الساعة التاسعة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة على ملعب “لوس كارمينيس” في إطار منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

ويحتل ريال مدريد المركز الأول في سلم ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 87 نقطة، فيما يأتي غرناطة بالمركز التاسع عشر برصيد 21 نقطة.

اقرأ أيضاً.. تقارير: غضب كبير في برشلونة بعد الوصول إلى مدريد لخوض الكلاسيكو

وأعلن كارلو أنشيلوتي المدير الفني لفريق ريال مدريد عن التشكيل الذي سيخوض به المواجهة، والذي شهد تواجد تيبو كورتوا أساسيًا. تشكيل ريال مدريد اليوم أمام غرناطة في الدوري الإسباني

حراسة المرمى: كورتوا.

الدفاع: روديجير – ميليتاو – فران جارسيا – فاسكيز.

الوسط: كامافينجا – مودريتش – سيبايوس.

الهجوم: خوسيلو – إبراهيم دياز – أردا جولر. بدلاء ريال مدريد اليوم أمام غرناطة في الدوري الإسباني

كيبا – لونين – كارفاخال – بيلينجهام – ناتشو – فينيسيوس جونيور – توني كروس – رودريجو – فالفيردي – ميندي.

📋✅ تشكيلة الفريق لمواجهة غرناطة!
🆚 @GranadaCF_Arab #GranadaRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/L5IEqXQ4iX — ريال مدريد (@realmadridarab) May 11, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be stepping up their search to find a suitable successor to Harry Kane, amid reports that the Lilywhites have held talks regarding a deal for Gent starlet, Gift Orban.

What's the latest on Orban to Tottenham?

According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, the north London outfit are said to have made "contact" with the Belgian side amid their interest in the Nigerian marksman, with Ange Postecoglou and co seemingly ready to fork out around €30m (£26m) for the 21-year-old sensation.

Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider revealed: "#Tottenham in contact with #KAAGent for Gift Orban! #Spurs could go as high as €30M (including bonuses) according to the latest oral discussions undertaken with their Belgian counterparts. The profile of the Nigerian striker has been validated by Ange Postecoglou.

"The green light to send the written offer is obviously linked to the Harry Kane affair. The English are anticipating the market by paying €30m in 2023 than have to offer the double once Orban has exploded in an intermediate league… Wait&See."

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

As Tavolieri noted, a deal for the former Stabaek ace is likely to be tied to the future of Kane, with talks continuing regarding the Englishman's potential move to Bayern Munich, despite the German giants having seen their latest £86m offer rebuffed.

How good is Gift Orban?

As the Independent's Miguel Delaney previously suggested, it is unlikely that Spurs will look for a direct replacement for Kane this summer, with the likelihood being that Postecoglou will instead seek to establish a more 'fluid' forward line instead.

Young Orban could represent the figurehead of that new-look attacking unit, with the 5 foot 10 speedster having proven his goalscoring credentials during his time in Norway and Belgium to date, after bagging 41 goals in just 48 club career games in total.

Undoubtedly something of a "poacher" – according to talent scout Jacek Kulig – a further benefit of the Gent ace is his devastating speed and threat in behind, having been hailed for his "electric pace & acceleration" by Kulig.

The Benue State-born marksman could well be joined in the frontline by another dynamic, pacy asset in the form of fellow Tottenham target, Brennan Johnson, with the latter man – who has been valued at around £50m by current club Nottingham Forest – having seemingly caught the eye of Postecoglou and co.

As his compatriot Joe Allen previously stated, Johnson's pace is simply "frightening", with that natural gift having made him a real weapon for Steve Cooper in the Premier League last season, as he scored eight goals and provided three assists to help Forest stave off the drop.

A real goal threat like Orban, the 22-year-old also boasts the benefit of his ability to drive forward with the ball at his feet as he ranks in the top 10% among forwards in Europe's top five leagues for progressive carries, ensuring he could easily stretch the pitch for Spurs in a rapid breakaway – with his Nigerian counterpart also a "counter-attacking threat", according to Kulig.

As Johnson also proved during the 2021/22 campaign in the Championship, he could be the man to deliver quality service to Orban in the final third, with the Wales international creating 15 'big chances' and racking up ten assists to fire the Tricky Trees to promotion.

That creative prowess could ensure that the Nottingham native is able to regularly tee up Orban over the coming years at N17, with the latter man likely to be able to continue his remarkable goalscoring exploits.

Only nine overs were possible in Mount Maunganui as West Indies continue to search for their first win of the tour

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu01-Jan-2018Match abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNew year, same old problems for West Indies. Their bowlers kept spraying the ball around, and Colin Munro shellacked 66 off 23 balls at a strike-rate of 286.95. Persistent rain, however, had the final say in the first international match of 2018. Play was called off after just nine overs at 10.05pm local time.Getty ImagesThe washout left West Indies still winless on the tour of New Zealand, after seven international matches and two practice games. The third T20I on Wednesday is their last chance to avoid going home empty handed.Munro had enjoyed a memorable start to 2017, smashing a 52-ball hundred against Bangladesh in Mount Maunganui. He then hit an equally brutal century in Rajkot in November to become the first batsman with two T20I hundreds in a year. On the first day of 2018, Munro threatened to rustle up his third T20I ton, after scoring New Zealand’s second-fastest T20I fifty off 18 balls, before ultimately holing out to long-on.Fourteen of the 23 balls that Munro faced travelled to the boundary, including three sixes roughly in the direction of cow corner. He scored 93.93% of his runs in boundaries – the highest for a T20I innings of 50 or more. The mayhem began when West Indies’ most efficient bowler Samuel Badree struggled to grip the wet ball in the Powerplay, and conceded four boundaries to Munro in two overs.Munro’s assault against Carlos Brathwaite and Kesrick Williams was like a volcano blowing its lid. He crunched the West Indies captain for four boundaries in four balls, before subjecting Williams to the same treatment. Then, the fast bowler tucked up Munro with the next ball and had him miscuing a loft to Rovman Powell at long-on.Glenn Phillips’ first-ball six suggested there would be no respite for West Indies. But Badree and Ashley Nurse gave away only 16 runs off the next three overs while dismissing the hero of the previous game – Glenn Phillips – and Tom Bruce. Phillips was pinned lbw by a front-of-the-hand slider from Badree, before Brathwaite pulled off a jaw-dropping one-handed catch at short midwicket to remove Bruce.Kane Williamson, who had taken a break from the limited-overs series after playing the opener in Whangarei on December 20, had contributed only a run-a-ball 8 to the 75-run stand for the second wicket with Munro. He then pulled what would turn out to be the last ball of the game for four. Andre Fletcher did not spot the ball in the deep and set off in the wrong direction, which summed up West Indies’ tour.In isolation, left-arm quick Sheldon Cottrell, who had the best economy rate among the seamers in the 2017 CPL, showed better direction in the first over, after rain had delayed the start of play by 20 minutes. He extracted movement under overcast skies and had Martin Guptill nicking behind with his fourth ball. He and the other bowlers then faced the wrath of Munro before the rain.

أعلن الجهاز الفني لفريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك بقيادة جوزيه جوميز عن تشكيل لاعبيه لمباراة مودرن فيوتشر المقرر انطلاقها بعد قليل.

ومن المقرر أن تقام مباراة الزمالك وفيوتشر على أرضية استاد المقاولون العرب، في خضم مواجهات الجولة 24 من عمر بطولة الدوري.

ويطمح الزمالك في استغلال الروح المعنوية الكبيرة لدى لاعبيه عقب التتويج ببطولة الكونفدرالية على حساب نهضة بركان المغربي، من أجل المضي قدمًا نحو تحسين وضعه في جدول ترتيب الدوري.

وشهد التشكيل الأساسي للزمالك عودة الثنائي ناصر ماهر وعبد الله السعيد، بعد غيابهما عن مباراة نهائي الكونفدرالية، لعدم قيدهما إفريقيًا.

اتحاد الكرة يُعلن حكم مباراة الزمالك وفيوتشر في الدوري المصري

ويدخل الزمالك المباراة محتلاً المركز الثالث عشر، برصيد 24 نقطة، جمعها من 15 مباراة، حقق الفوز في 7، وتعادل في 3، وخسر 5 مواجهات.

على الجانب الآخر، يتواجد فريق فيوتشر بالمركز التاسع في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، وفي رصيده 30 نقطة، حصدها بعد خوض 21 مباراة، فاز في 7 وتعادل في 9 لقاءات، وخسر 5 مواجهات.

الجدير بالذكر، أن آخر مواجهة جمعت بين الزمالك وفيوتشر كانت في النسخة المنقضية من بطولة الكونفدرالية والتي انتهت بحصد الفارس الأبيض للقب.

واصطدم الزمالك بنظيره مودرن فيوتشر في الدور ربع النهائي، وفاز الأبيض في مباراة الذهاب بهدفين مقابل هدف، فيما انتهت المباراة الثانية بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1. تشكيل الزمالك أمام فيوتشر في الدوري المصري

حراسة المرمى: محمد عواد.

خط الدفاع: إبراهيما نداي – حسام عبد المجيد – حمزة المثلوثي – عمر جابر.

خط الوسط: نبيل عماد دونجا – محمد شحاتة – عبد الله السعيد – ناصر ماهر – أحمد مصطفى “زيزو”.

خط الهجوم: سيف الجزيري.

The third round of Premier League fixtures this season will see newly promoted Sheffield United welcome Manchester City to Bramall Lane on Sunday 27th August at 2pm GMT. So, we at Football FanCast have taken a look at everything that has ever gone on between the two clubs.

With two games on the board, a clear gap is already opening up between this duo as City are on 6 points and the Blades are yet to get off of the mark.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City got their title defence underway with a 3-0 victory over Burnley, a game that saw Erling Haaland pick up where he left off in front of goal, scoring a brace.

This was then followed up with a narrow win over Newcastle United, the only goal of the game coming from Julian Alvarez.

Sheffield United on the other hand have been on the receiving end of a pair of one-goal deficit defeats.

First it was against Crystal Palace on home soil and then a late Chris Wood header secured all three points for Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

It has to be said though, United’s goal in that game was a thing of beauty from debutant Gustavo Hamer, following his move over from Coventry City.

Sheffield United vs Manchester City: Who has the better head-to-head record?

As will be regularly mentioned, Manchester City are the dominant force in English football currently, but that hasn’t always been the case.

Sheffield United won the First Division title at the tail end of the 1800s, pointing towards the historic aurora that has always surrounded the club. Whilst City have won more of these fixtures than the Blades, it is closer than one would originally think.

Sheffield United wins

Draws

Manchester City wins

37

34

51

Sheffield United vs Manchester City: Who has more wins at Bramall Lane?

United just about take it when it comes to games taking place on their own patch, which has always been Bramall Lane. It is a stadium steeped in history and is the oldest major sports ground anywhere in the world.

Sheffield United wins Draws Manchester City wins 23 19 19 Sheffield United vs Manchester City: Who has more wins at Maine Road/the Etihad?

Manchester City’s story of their home ground is very different having played their games at Maine Road up until the early 2000s. City were there for 80 years and prior to that it was Hyde Road Football Stadium which they left partly due to a fire in the main stand.

More recently of course, the Etihad is the home of the European champions and it has seen so many iconic moments, most notably that Sergio Aguero goal against Queens’ Park Rangers.

Sheffield United wins Draws Manchester City wins 13 15 31 Sheffield United vs Manchester City: Who has the better cup record?

Despite these being two teams have been around for years and years, their fates in the English cup competitions have only crossed paths eight times. Sheffield United have won half of them although the last time they met, a game which will be spoken about further down the line, went the way of the Manchester club.

Sheffield United wins Draws Manchester City wins 4 2 2 Sheffield United vs Manchester City: How have the last 5 meetings played out?

It isn’t all that surprising to see that Manchester City’s recent dominance stretches into their clashes with Sheffield United. 4 of these 5 games came in the Premier League and all went the way of the Citizens, as did their huge FA Cup battle.

22nd April 2023- Manchester City 3-0 Sheffield United:

The most recent meeting between these two was a major one as they crossed paths in the FA Cup semi-final, even though the Blades were a Championship side at the time. This will be delved into further in the famous fixtures section but given Manchester City’s treble-winning exploits last season, it is no surprise how this game went.

30th January 2021- Manchester City 1-0 Sheffield United:

A pattern is appearing in these last five games of Sheffield United failing to score but one has to give them their credit that three of the defeats were by a single goal. Gabriel Jesus, now of Arsenal, scored the only goal of the game at the Etihad en route to another top-flight title.

31st October 2020- Sheffield United 0-1 Manchester City:

The reverse fixture in that season ended with the same scoreline. Spoiler alert but this time around it was a former Blade Kyle Walker who fired home the decisive strike up in Sheffield.

21st January 2020- Sheffield United 0-1 Manchester City:

For large parts of the game, Sheffield United looked as if they could hold Pep Guardiola’s side to a goalless draw but an inevitable duo popped up and changed that. Kevin De Bruyne played in Sergio Aguero who made no mistake in finishing beyond the reaches of Dean Henderson after Jesus had missed a first-half penalty, breaking blades hearts.

29th December 2019- Manchester City 2-0 Sheffield United:

This is the only Premier League meeting in the last 5 games that saw more than one goal scored and it was only two, both of which going the way of the hosts at the Etihad. The aforementioned duo came to the fore again with second-half strikes from Aguero and De Bruyne securing three points for City against Chris Wilder.

Who has played for both Sheffield United and Manchester City?

Tommy Doyle (Manchester City 2019-current; Sheffield United 2022-2023)

A few players have played for both Manchester City and Sheffield United recently with a pair of them returning to the former after loan spells in the Steel City last year. The first of those two is midfielder Tommy Doyle, who was also a part of the England U21s side that tasted European glory earlier this summer.

After nearly a decade in the youth academy, Doyle graduated into the City first-team where he made one appearance for going out on his first loan. He went to Hamburger SV and Cardiff City before then landing at Bramall Lane where he of course gained promotion back to the top-flight.

James McAtee (Manchester City 2021-current; Sheffield United 2022-2023)

One year his junior at 20 years of age is James McAtee who was even more influential under the stewardship of Paul Heckingbottom. He made 37 league appearances and contributed 9 goals and three assists at a rate of one every 158 minutes which is hugely impressive.

This was McAtee’s first loan spell away from the Etihad and since returning, he made a brief cameo in the win over Burnley on the opening night of the season. He certainly has a very bright future ahead of him in the sky-blue shirt.

Kyle Walker (Sheffield United 2008-2009 and 2009-2010; Manchester City 2017-current)

Finally to a Manchester City stalwart who was formerly a Blade, Kyle Walker. He was born in Sheffield and came through their academy with immense pride. After just one year as a pro there he was sold to Tottenham Hotspur, although his first year as a Spurs player saw him loaned back to his hometown team.

Walker rose to prominence in a Tottenham shirt and since arriving in Manchester in 2017, has won all there is to win in the game for your club, the icing on top of course being last year’s Champions League success. Walker’s time with Sheffield United was one year away from crossing paths with that of the now former Manchester United captain Harry Maguire.

What is Sheffield United’s biggest victory over Manchester City?

26th October 1925: Sheffield United 8-3 Manchester City

The centenary of Sheffield United’s biggest win over Manchester City is nearly upon us and it is very unlikely that they will break this record in the next two years.

In 1925 with Halloween just around the corner in post-war England, the Blades romped to an 8-3 victory. Harry Johnson found the back of the net four times whilst his namesake Tommy was also on the score sheet for Man City. Meanwhile, Fred Tunstall chipped in with a Blades’ brace, one of which came from the penalty spot.

What is Manchester City’s biggest victory over Sheffield United?

21st August 1999: Manchester City 6-0 Sheffield United

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Manchester City’s largest win over Sheffield United came a lot more recently with the turn of the century just months away.

This clash actually took place in the Championship and a pair of legendary City names were amongst the goals. Paul Dickov and Shaun Goater are the two in question with Kevin Horlock also adding two first-half penalties in a 6-0 thumping at Maine Road, made all the more easy by United’s goalkeeper Simon Tracey’s sending off.

Sheffield United vs Manchester City: Key stats This will be the 11th league meeting between the two clubs in the Premier League era Manchester City haven’t lost to Sheffield United in their last five meetings Sheffield United haven’t scored in three straight home fixtures Sheffield United vs Manchester City: Famous fixtures

22nd April 2023 – Manchester City 3-0 Sheffield United:

As has been alluded too previously, Manchester City disposed of Sheffield United on the way to their FA Cup glory last season. Remarkably, it was the now departed Riyad Mahrez who scored all three goals under the Wembley arch, booking City’s spot in the final to face their Manchester rivals.

19th March 1994 – Manchester City 0-0 Sheffield United:

The other famous fixture deserves notability for very different reasons. With both teams on the verge of being relegated from the newly formed Premier League table, City and United met at Maine Road in a true six-pointer. It ended goalless which favoured blue more than red and this shone through at the end of the season as Man City stayed up whilst Sheffield United went down.

West Ham United have gotten off to a great start in the Premier League this term.

A solid draw away to AFC Bournemouth was followed by a stunning win against Chelsea last weekend, ensuring that Mauricio Pochettino still has to wait for his first win.

Recent signing James Ward-Prowse was excellent in the 2-1 win, grabbing two assists and it clearly justified manager David Moyes’ decision to spend £30m in order to lure him from relegated outfit, Southampton.

Although he endured a slow start to his transfer activity during the summer window, it appears as though the Scotsman is making up for lost time, and he has already signed Edson Alvarez and defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, along with the aforementioned Englishman.

Could Moyes be about to complete his most ambitious deal yet, however?

Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has been linked with the Hammers…

Could West Ham United sign Romelu Lukaku?

According to Caught Offside, the Irons have ‘asked for information’ regarding a potential swoop for the Belgian striker before the transfer window closes.

Having already sold Italian frontman Gianluca Scamacca, Moyes is looking rather short in terms of out-and-out strikers and a move for the Chelsea titan, while ambitious, certainly makes a lot of sense.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

He is currently valued by FootballTransfers at €38.3m (£33m), although no fee has been mentioned as yet with regard to any potential transfer.

Could Romelu Lukaku improve West Ham United?

Last season, only three players at the club scored more than ten goals and only one of them was a striker – Michail Antonio.

The Jamaican international netted 14 goals across all competitions, and although this tally was actually one more than the previous term, at 33 years of age, Moyes surely won’t have long left to utilise him.

Lukaku could not only offer Moyes more in terms of attacking quality, but it may also give him the licence to ditch Antonio in the process.

Indeed, when compared to positional peers, the 30-year-old ranked in the top 2% for assists per 90 (0.32) while also ranking in the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.21) and the top 7% for progressive passes received per 90 (8.69), clearly suggesting that he can set up teammates often while also getting into the best positions to score plenty of goals.

In contrast, Antonio fails to even rank in the top 30% when compared to peers for all three metrics, indicating that the Belgian would be an instant upgrade.

The former Inter Milan hitman has scored a total of 270 club career goals, adding another 75 for his national side, whereas Antonio has netted 124 goals and it’s evident who would be the bigger danger in front of goal.

Defender Leanardo Bonucci has previously lauded the player, saying:

“Romelu Lukaku has proven himself to be a complete striker. He can win games on his own. When you come up against him you have to be switched on for 100 minutes a game.

"Unfortunately for us defenders, we can’t disengage our brains even for 10 seconds because those 10 seconds might be lethal. You must never engage Lukaku in a physical battle or play touch-tight. Instead, be ready to drop off because when his team has the ball, he will try to run in behind.

"In the box, he’s great at playing man-to-man so you need to be on the front foot, try to read the game and play hard. If you let him take up a position and he gets ahead of you, you won’t be able to step out and anticipate what’s coming.”

There is no doubt he could improve West Ham and after a difficult year or two, a fresh start under Moyes at the London Stadium could be the ideal remedy for him to recapture his best form.

It has been a damaging summer for Liverpool. The unexpected losses of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to highly lucrative contracts in Saudi Arabia have forced a rush in the midfield overhaul.

This league also tried to convince the indomitable Mohammed Salah to ditch Anfield.

However, on his YouTube channel, reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed that the Merseysiders consider the Egyptian ‘untouchable.’

This has been reiterated by Salah’s agent, who said the player is fully 'committed' to Liverpool and will not leave this summer.

Nevertheless, the winger is now 31-years-old, and it remains to be seen what will happen beyond this season.

Eventually, Jurgen Klopp will need to find a replacement, and he is reportedly already eyeing his options…

What’s the latest Liverpool transfer news?

According to Football Transfers, Liverpool are lining up a move for Leroy Sané as a contingency plan for Salah’s future departure.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

How good is Leroy Sané?

The German enjoyed a magical four-year spell in England with Manchester City between 2016 and 2020. Sane arrived in the same summer as Pep Guardiola, and under the Spaniard’s tutelage, he flourished into one of the world’s most scintillating and effervescent talents.

Across 135 appearances in all competitions, the 27-year-old registered 85 goal contributions, notably winning two Premier League titles and an FA Cup.

Sane’s most dangerous and productive campaign in the north-west occurred in 2017/18 when he scored ten times and crafted 15 assists, before being named the PFA Young Player of the Year.

Guardiola previously hailed the £329k-per-week livewire as a “great player with incredible quality.”

The 53-time international joined Bayern Munich in 2020 and chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge described him as “outstanding.”

Although he has failed to hit the dazzling heights he achieved in his trophy-laden Man City stint, the mesmerising forward still ranks in the best 7% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals and successful take-ons per 90.

His time in Bavaria could take a more promising turn thanks to a fruitful partnership with Harry Kane.

Within ten minutes of the Englishman’s debut against Werder Bremen, he assisted Sane for the opening goal.

Crucially for Klopp, Sane possesses a substantial degree of Premier League experience in a title-winning side and whilst it is almost impossible to replicate Salah’s ridiculous numbers, Sane is a viable option for the Merseysiders.

Across 307 matches, Salah has netted on 187 occasions and created 80 assists – his phenomenal consistency, numbers, and skill means he is one of the most inevitable and elite forces to grace the English top flight.

Meanwhile, his goal in the recent victory over AFC Bournemouth meant he became the third-highest scorer in the club’s history.

Klopp has heaped praise upon the joyous technician and said:

“He is an outstanding signing, but for sure the way he developed, the way he treats himself, the game preparation, the training preparation, training attitude and all these kind of things, that’s exceptional.”

But when Klopp and Liverpool hierarchy sit down and assess how they will replace the indefatigable Salah, then Sane is undoubtedly a sensible, worthy, and wonderfully capable avenue at Anfield.

There is also a bit of history in this occasion since it will be Afghanistan and Ireland’s first ODI series after gaining Full Membership

The Preview by Peter Della Penna in Sharjah04-Dec-2017Big pictureSince being ordained as the 11th and 12th Test nations in June, much of the celebration around Afghanistan and Ireland’s elevated status has been centered on the opportunity to play five-day cricket. Cricket Ireland hasn’t held back at promoting their date with Pakistan at Malahide next May for their inaugural Test while the Afghanistan Cricket Board has been working to arrange their own Test debut, possibly against Zimbabwe early next year.But for all the fanfare those occasions are expected to bring for their historical significance, there is a more pressing matter at hand for both countries: the 50-over World Cup Qualifier is scheduled for next March in Zimbabwe. It was previously an Associate-only affair, but now there will be four Full Members – Afghanistan, Ireland, West Indies and Zimbabwe – tussling with six Associates for two coveted berths in the showpiece event in England and Wales in 2019, thus highlighting how intensified the fight will be to secure a spot.Afghanistan will have another limited-overs series against Zimbabwe in Sharjah next February ahead of the qualifier. But for Ireland, these may be the last three ODIs they get to play ahead of an extended winter break before heading to Zimbabwe in March. Having failed to beat a Full Member in ten attempts since besting Zimbabwe at Harare in October 2015, there’s no better time for Ireland to turn around their struggles in the lead-up to the World Cup Qualifier.And it should not be ignored that though its not their respective first Tests, there is a bit of history in this occasion since it’ll be Afghanistan and Ireland’s first ODI series as Test nations. Ireland’s first match as a Full Member against a Full Member was slated to be in September against West Indies, but a soggy outfield in Belfast prevented that from happening. Instead, they’ll be celebrating the occasion with their old sparring partner in a rivalry that has blossomed since they met in the final of the 2010 World T20 Qualifier.Form guideAfghanistan LWWLL (completed matches, most recent first)Ireland LLLLLin the spotlightRashid Khan treated Ireland’s batsmen like his personal voodoo-doll collection when the teams faced off in Greater Noida this past March, taking a series best of 16 wickets in the five ODIs, not to mention another nine in the three-match T20I series, and eight more in their Intercontinental Cup clash. He hasn’t taken a wrong step in national colours for the rest of the year, bagging 7 for 18 in June against West Indies and then had back-to-back Man-of-the-Match performances in the I-Cup – against Hong Kong in October and last week against UAE.Boyd Rankin spent the entire tour of Greater Noida on the sidelines due to injury and missed the entire home summer as well. But in two I-Cup matches against Netherlands and Scotland, he showcased his menace, taking 5 for 49 at Malahide in the first innings against Netherlands and a match haul of 6 for 84 last week against Scotland.William Porterfield drives through the leg side•Associated Press

Team newsSpin sensation Mujeeb Zadran, only 16, arrives fresh from Bangladesh having made his BPL debut on Saturday for Comilla Victorians. Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai was coy when asked about Mujeeb’s chances of making a debut with a squad already full of established spinners in Rashid, Mohammad Nabi and Amir Hamza. For squad balance, it would make sense to have Shapoor and Dawlat Zadran as pace options but Mujeeb’s sharp rise since the Under-19 Asia Cup may make him hard to leave out. Gulbadin Naib may fill any support pace duties.Afghanistan XI (possible): 1 Javed Ahmadi, 2 Noor Ali Zadran, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Asghar Stanikzai (capt), 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Gulbadin Naib, 7 Shafiqullah Shafaq (wk), 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Dawlat Zadran, 10 Amir Hamza, 11 Mujeeb Zadran/Shapoor ZadranNiall O’Brien flew home from the UAE a few days ahead of their win against Scotland due to personal reasons but has joined the squad again, and he could feature in the line-up on Tuesday. Stuart Poynter was called up to fill O’Brien’s spot in the squad while allrounder Simi Singh looks certain to build on his two ODI caps against New Zealand. After missing out during the home summer, legspinner Jacob Mulder may also see his first ODI action since March in a duel of the slow bowlers.Ireland XI (possible): 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Andy Balbirnie, 4 Stuart Poynter/Niall O’Brien, 5 Gary Wilson (wk), 6 Kevin O’Brien, 7 Simi Singh, 8 George Dockrell, 9 Boyd Rankin, 10 Jacob Mulder, 11 Tim MurtaghPitch and conditionsIn the I-Cup match between Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea played here last week, Hong Kong captain Babar Hayat scored an unbeaten 214 while his left-right spin combo of Nadeem Ahmed and Ehsan Khan combined to take 17 PNG wickets. With small boundaries, there could be some fireworks but expect the spinners to profit. The forecast is for a moderate 25 degree celcius in the afternoon but may dip to 17 degrees celcius at night.Stats and trivia Kevin O’Brien needs one wicket to become the first Irish bowler to take 100 wickets in ODIs, while Nabi needs 58 runs to become the first Afghanistan player to score 2000 runs in ODIs. Currently tied for second, Rashid Khan (36) needs ten wickets in the series to overtake Pakistan’s Hasan Ali (45) for most ODI wickets in 2017.Quotes”After Test status and Full Membership, this is our first time playing against each other in a full ODI series so there will definitely be more crowds and the matches will be fantastic. It means a lot for both sides.”
“The series in March, he was probably the deciding factor between the two sides. In the games Afghanistan won, he performed really well. In the games we won, we managed to negate him to a large extent… How we play him is gonna be key to this series.”

Anthony Taylor and his team have come under fire after failing to award a penalty to Liverpool in their clash with Chelsea following what appeared to be a handball by Blues striker Nicolas Jackson.

What’s the latest on Liverpool and VAR?

The opening weekend supplied plenty of drama in the Premier League, including at Stamford Bridge on Sunday 13 August where Chelsea hosted Liverpool.

The game finished 1-1 after Luis Diaz’s 18th-minute strike was cancelled out by new Chelsea signing Axel Disasi before half-time. Both sides had also seen first-half goals chalked off for tight offsides, Mohamed Salah for the Reds and Ben Chilwell for the Blues.

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The Blues were the better side over the course of the 90 minutes, although neither team created a wealth of opportunities in the second half. However, Mauricio Pochettino has to settle for a point in his first competitive game in charge of his new side.

However, things could have been very different had Liverpool been awarded a penalty in the second half as a result of a handball from another new Chelsea signing Jackson.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner from the left-hand side was flicked towards goal by Diaz at the near post, only to hit Jackson’s hand in a raised position. While the distance between Diaz and Jackson was short, the forward’s arm was not in a natural position, despite being close to his body.

Diaz’s header looked as if it could have been heading into the far corner, with Robert Sanchez sprawling towards his left-hand side in preparation.

It proved a controversial decision, and one that Liverpool players and fans will feel hard done by.

Should Liverpool have been awarded a penalty against Chelsea?

According to VAR (via Sky Sports), a penalty was not awarded due to “the proximity [of Jackson] from the flick-on” and because “his arms and elbows are tucked into his body”.

Speaking at the end of the game, Roy Keane admitted Jackson was “a lucky boy”, despite believing it would have been harsh to give a penalty against the forward.

However, Daniel Sturridge added: “I’d have been fuming, not gonna lie. If I’m flicking that in, that’s going bottom bin that is. I’m wheeling away in jubilation maybe. He’s gonna hit the target, so as a player, when you make that connection in the box…it’s an unnatural, natural position. It is close to him, but in a way it’s a 50/50 decision, and it’s gone Chelsea’s way.”

Lewis Dunk conceded a penalty in Brighton & Hove Albion’s 4-1 win over newly-promoted Luton Town the day before for what appeared an incredibly harsh handball, with the centre-back not even facing the ball as he dives to block a cross.

Considering that decision was given and the Jackson decision wasn’t, it’s clear to see why supporters are already annoyed at a lack of consistency in decision-making by Premier League referees.

Chelsea’s clash with Liverpool also showcased some of the Premier League’s new guidlines when it comes to dissent, with both Jackson and Alexis Mac Allister being booked for waving an imaginary yellow card after being fouled, while the game also saw a greater amount of added time in both halves to make up for time-wasting.