Leeds United finally seem poised to appoint the man who will lead them into the future…

What's the latest on Daniel Farke to Leeds United?

That's according to the Daily Mail, who offer a slice of information regarding their manager search that bodes well for fans.

Despite the report focusing on their interest in Liverpool defender Nat Phillips, one line reads that they "are expected to finalise Daniel Farke as manager".

Having yet to spark up their transfer activity this summer, it seems that with this appointment the 49ers can now truly get to work in building a squad that can propel them towards instant promotion from the Championship.

Is Daniel Farke a good fit for Leeds United?

Given the German's history at this level, it could be argued that there are few active head coaches that could achieve what this new ownership will strive to attain with such precision.

The former Norwich City boss earned promotion on two separate occasions with the Norfolk outfit and boasts a stellar record in the second division. Across 138 games in the league, he has maintained a points-per-game average of 1.82, having lost only 29 times.

Although he may have struggled in the Premier League, the 49ers will likely look past that flaw given he is best placed to simply get them out of the Championship at the first time of asking.

However, it is not just his aforementioned fine record which will have earned him this post. The 46-year-old boasts a style of play that will likely resonate with the Elland Road crowd, as an all-action heavy metal philosophy that adds a little bit more structure to the similar outlook Marcelo Bielsa had.

If anything, Farke would draw more comparisons to Jurgen Klopp, given their shared nationality and alliance regarding the classic German Gegenpressing style.

The Liverpool boss has earned widespread success since his move to Anfield, curating a squad perfectly aligned with his disruptive game plan. As such, his tenure boasts a Premier League title, Champions League success and various domestic honours too without straying too far from these ideals.

In appointing their own German manager, the 49ers will hope that Farke can create a dynasty of his own in Yorkshire, spending many successful years there and slowly improving the club as a whole.

With a 4-2-3-1 brand that seeks to win the ball high up the pitch and forge chances from there, the tools would be in place to mimic the earlier years of the 56-year-old's impeccable Merseyside reign.

To emphasise these similarities further, it is clear that Klopp was a keen admirer of his compatriot's Canaries side back in 2021. He suggested that their manager was "world-class" for what he had done at Carrow Road before their clash.

Perhaps they could once again be set to lock horns in the near future, should Leeds earn that promotion they so desperately seek. If so, it will be interesting to see whether he can finally topple the legendary Reds coach, who has paved the way for many managers to follow in his ever-successful footsteps.

Another new era at Chelsea is now firmly up and running following the official unveiling of Mauricio Pochettino at the weekend and the arrival of another new player.

With Nicolas Jackson joining Christopher Nkunku in making a move to Stamford Bridge, the Blues could be about to land another talented attacking player in Flamengo teenager Matheus Franca.

Will Chelsea sign Matheus Franca?

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are looking to sign Franca this summer as part of a £25m deal with Brazilian heavyweights Flamengo.

The 19-year-old is no stranger to being linked with big-name clubs, having previously been touted as a target for La Liga's big two Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Newcastle United, West Ham United and Crystal Palace are also said to have shown an interest in Franca, but Chelsea could get there ahead of their Premier League rivals.

Who is Chelsea target Matheus Franca?

Franca is a versatile attacker who can play across the forward line and in central attacking midfield, which is where most of his appearances have come this season, as per WhoScored.

Chelsea are not exactly short of attacking midfielders, though that is likely to change as Mason Mount is on the verge of joining Manchester United, while Christian Pulisic is unlikely to stay at Stamford Bridge.

Mykhailo Mudryk looked set to capitalise on those exits, having struggled for any sort of rhythm since arriving in an £88.5m deal in January, but Franca's mooted arrival could spell further bad news for the Ukraine international.

Like Franca, Mudryk also operated in a number of positions last season, including central attacking midfield. Chelsea will want to get their money's worth from Mudryk, but Pochettino will not be afraid to bench the 22-year-old in favour of Franca should the Brazilian be better suited to his system.

There are similarities between the two players, as you would expect given they take up similar positions, but it could be argued that Franca is showing even more potential than Mudryk did prior to his Chelsea switch.

Taking Mudryk's figures from his final season with Shakhtar Donetsk, which ultimately paved the way for his move to Stamford Bridge, he scored 0.22 goals per 90 minutes, which compares to 0.64 for Franca at Flamengo in the 2022 season.

Franca also had a better pass-completion percentage across those respective seasons (75.1 v 70.5), as per FBref, and also played more passes that led to a shot attempt (2.56 v 2.50), which highlights his ability to link play high up the pitch.

Interestingly, the Brazil U20 international also ranked higher for tackles (2.05 v 1) and ball recoveries (3.59 v 3), showing he is also able to get stuck in if required.

More than that, though, it is his ability to find space at such a young age that has most caught the eye. "He has a very good understanding of the game, Flamengo U20s coach Fabio Matias told GloboEsporte, via Goal. "He also has the ability to be decisive in front of goal and is a great finisher."

That sounds like the player Chelsea were signing in Mudryk. While that could still be the case, it may well be that Pochettino turns to a different talented attacking midfielder in his first season at Stamford Bridge.

ESPNcricinfo is set to start the County Championship Cricket season with a bang as it sets off on a cross-country road trip which aims to take in action from every match on the opening day of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2017ESPNcricinfo is set to start the County Championship Cricket season with a bang as it sets off on a cross-country road trip which aims to take in action from every match on the opening day of the season.Dan Norcross and Ebony Rainford-Brent will be taking on the ESPN #CountyCricketLive Road Trip as they try to see a ball of cricket at each match on Friday, April 7. The pair will attempt to visit six grounds, witnessing cricket in three Division One matches and three Division Two contests on the day.To mark their arrival at each venue, the pair will reprise their familiar roles as radio broadcasters by attempting to commentate on at least one delivery of the BBC’s local radio coverage.The challenge starts at 11am in Leeds at Headingley with Yorkshire v Hampshire, then Norcross and Rainford-Brent will travel down the M1 to Grace Road for Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire, followed by Northampton where Northamptonshire host Glamorgan at the County Ground.After navigating the M25, Chelmsford will be their next stop, for Essex v Lancashire at the County Ground, before they head down the M2 to visit the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury as Kent face Gloucestershire. The final leg of the journey will see the duo race down to London and The Oval, where Surrey are playing Warwickshire, trying to catch some action before play ends at around 6pm.The journey will see the pair competing against traffic as well as the clock, and they will keep cricket fans up to date using ESPNcricinfo’s #CountyCricketLive, sharing live updates, pictures and video throughout the day. The hashtag is an extension of the site’s comprehensive county coverage and live county cricket blog, which in October 2016 won “Online Publication of the Year” for the fifth year running in the ECB’s County Journalism Awards.”The first day of the county cricket season is one of the great days in the British sporting calendar,” said Andrew Miller, ESPNcricinfo’s UK editor. “We’re very excited to start the campaign with this celebration of the game. Dan and Ebony are a great pairing and they are looking forward to the challenge. It’s the perfect complement to ESPNcricinfo’s in-depth coverage of the day, which includes writers covering the matches at all three of the Division One venues.”You can track our progress throughout the day on ESPNcricinfo’s social media channels across Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

Liverpool are 'in the background' as they prepare to step up their pursuit to land Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news involving Romeo Lavia?

According to talkSPORT, Liverpool are readying an initial offer to try and sign Lavia from Southampton this window and have surpassed Chelsea in the race to sign the £50 million-rated youngster.

Manchester City, Arsenal and the aforementioned Chelsea have also been linked with a swoop for the Belgium international, who impressed last term in the Premier League despite Southampton being relegated to the Sky Bet Championship.

Fabrizio Romano reported back in March that Manchester City have a buyback clause for Lavia that is believed to be set at around £40 million; nevertheless, this option isn't due to activate until the summer of 2024, enabling other suitors to steal a march on the Premier League title holders.

Football Insider revealed last month that even though Liverpool are keen to land Lavia, they do not want to be dragged into a protracted bidding war for his services as Jurgen Klopp steps up his midfield revolution.

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have joined the Reds from Brighton & Hove Albion and RB Leipzig, respectively. At the same time, more additions to the engine room may arise ahead of this season commencing.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones thinks that Liverpool's pursuit of Lavia could come to the forefront of the Reds' transfer dealings in the near future.

Jones said: "Liverpool are in the background, too, so it's going to be an interesting one. It's one that hasn't really taken centre stage yet, but it's going to soon. I think once that Declan Rice one is out the way, the race for Lavia will really heat up."

Would Romeo Lavia be a good signing for Liverpool?

Lavia is a talented young player who could help refresh Klopp's engine room by adding further depth and potential alongside a protective element in front of the back four for Liverpool.

Last season, the 19-year-old made 35 appearances in all competitions for Southampton, registering one goal and one assist, as per Transfermarkt.

In the Premier League, Lavia also showed commendable maturity for his age and retained a pass success rate of 86.7% for a side that finished bottom of the pile, as per WhoScored.

As per FBRef, the Belgian also excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of blocks, making 1.90 per 90 minutes encompassing the last 365 days.

Learning from experienced figures such as Fabinho and Jordan Henderson may also be an enticing factor for Lavia to consider as he looks to fulfil his significant potential.

Liverpool may be the ideal destination for the 19-year-old to take the next step in his career following an encouraging campaign at Southampton.

A round-up of the Momentum Cup matches played on March 5, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2017

Lions won their second consecutive game to climb to third place with a 59-run win via Duckworth-Lewis method against Knights in Johannesburg. Lions’ victory was set up by opening batsman Reeza Hendricks, who scored an unbeaten 142 off 144 balls to help them post 294 after being put in. His knock was supported by fifties from Rassie van der Dussen (51 off 82), with whom he put on 145 for the opening stand, and Mangaliso Mosehle (59 off 47), who dominated a second-wicket stand of 90. Lions’ innings ended on 294 for 4, cut short by rain with one ball to go. Knights were handed a revised target of 294 in 49 overs, and lost openers to Beuran Hendricks (3 for 40) within the eighth over. Rudi Second (43) and Leus du Plooy put on 80 for the third wicket, but Aaron Phangiso (3 for 52) struck in consecutive overs and Beuran returned to remove Patrick Botha in the next to reduce Knights to 114 for 5. Du Plooy eventually fell for 74 after putting on 51 with Aubrey Swanepoel for the sixth wicket. There were no other significant partnerships as they were restricted to 234 for 9.Sixties from Heino Kuhn and Henry Davids, and cameos from Albie Morkel and David Wiese lifted Titans to 324 for 6 before they bowled Warriors out for 289 at Buffalo Park to move to the top of the table. Their innings was built on an opening stand off 100 between Aiden Markram (45) and Davids (66), before Tony de Zorzi (41) and Kuhn (61) carried them to 215 for 3 at the end of the 40th over. Morkel (34 off 16) and Wiese (44* off 26) then led the slog-overs charge as 109 came off the last ten overs. Warriors started their chase with a 150-run opening stand, but Markram removed the openers – JJ Smuts for 81 with his offspin, before running out Gihahn Cloete for 65 – to start a collapse of five wickets for only 22 runs in five overs. Lower-order cameos from Lesiba Ngoepe (41), Kelly Smuts (26) and Jerry Nqolo (26) kept Warriors in the hunt, but Malusi Siboto (2 for 33) took a brace to cut their resistance short.

أكد إبراهيم صلاح لاعب الزمالك السابق، أن الفارس الأبيض مرشح بقوة للتتويج ببطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية هذا الموسم، مشيراً إلى أنه لا يوجد أحد سيسامح اللاعبين أو الجهاز أو الإدارة في حال الفشل في تحقيقها.

الزمالك كان قد نجح في التأهل إلى دور ربع النهائي من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية، حيث تأهل متصدراً لمجموعته برصيد 16 نقطة من خلال الفوز في 5 مباريات والتعادل في مواجهة وحيدة وتعد هذه أفضل النتائج للقلعة البيضاء في دور المجموعات بالبطولات الإفريقية.

وقال صلاح خلال تصريحات لبرنامج “زملكاوي” عبر قناة “الزمالك”: “فترة التوقف أتت في وقتها، فريق الزمالك لم يسير بشكل جيد، خرجنا من بطولة كأس مصر أمام الأهلي والخسارة من الجونة في بطولة الدوري، المباراة المقبلة مع فيوتشر في كأس الكونفدرالية ستكون مصيرية”.

طالع | تحديد أعداد الجماهير في مباراتي الزمالك وفيوتشر بـ الكونفدرالية

وأضاف: “بطولة الكونفدرالية جمهور الزمالك لنا يسامح أحد فيها، الأبيض هو المرشح الأقوى للتتويج باللقب”.

وأتم: “مباراة الزمالك أمام فيوتشر ستكون مواجهة صعبة جدًا لأنها مع نادي مصري ولاعبين مصريين ويعرفون إمكانيات بعضهم، ولكن لدينا ثقة كبيرة في لاعبي القلعة البيضاء”.

ويلتقي الزمالك مع فيوتشر، يوم الأحد الموافق 31 مارس الجاري، في مباراة الذهاب لدور الـ 8 (دور ربع النهائي) من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

A contribution from Graham Gooch has helped the PCA fund gambling awareness courses at all 18 first-class counties.Gooch, the former England captain, has run a scholarship scheme designed to encourage the development of young players for many years. It has, in the past, led to the likes of Alastair Cook spending time abroad to work on his game.But this year, to mark their 50th anniversary, the PCA appealed to its members – both current and former professional cricketers – for extra contributions to help them increase their annual funding from £400,000 to £600,000. Gooch responded by offering £50,000 from his scholarship fund with the proviso that it would be used for a specific project rather than split across several. The PCA suggested the gambling awareness scheme and Gooch agreed.”There are a lot of dangers in the world for young people now and I am particularly interested in helping out with the education of young cricketers with all the worries and concerns of online gambling and getting into bad habits,” Gooch said. “If we can educate people, make them aware of the pitfalls and get insight from people who have been down that route and fallen foul then hopefully they can be warned about the potential dangers.”Gooch’s donation helped the PCA fund not just courses – to be run by Paul Buck, whose gambling addiction resulted in a 32-month jail sentence of which he served 11-and-a-half months – but a helpline for those who feel they might be struggling with gambling addiction.The statistics are alarming. Gambling is the fastest growing offence in the UK that leads to a prison sentence – 1,444 custodial years over the last five years – and the fastest-growing addiction both in the UK and across the world. A recent study from Lincoln University suggests there are 1.1 million gambling addicts in the UK. Bankruptcy, divorce, depression and suicide are all common consequences. Gambling addiction has also been reclassified to full addiction status, the same as heroin, by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.Professional cricketers, with time on their hands and a relatively large amount of expendable income at a young age, are considered a high-risk category. That means they – or the young male ones, at least – are considered three times more likely to be “problem gamblers” than people in the general population. With one in four males between the ages of 18 and 24 “likely to have some form of gambling problem” according to PCA chief executive, David Leatherdale, it is, as he says, “definitely an issue.”The world has changed a great deal in recent years. Not so long ago, sporting events were sponsored by tobacco companies – the John Player Special League was the NatWest T20 Blast of its day – and cigarettes were distributed free of charge in press boxes. In 1994, for a bit of fun, the Warwickshire committee made an accumulator bet on their team winning all four domestic trophies. They ended up with three.Since those days, there has been a crackdown on tobacco advertising and some tightening of regulation as regards alcohol sponsorship and advertising, though the ECB retain several sponsorship deals with companies that sell alcohol. Most of all, there is greater awareness of the dangers of match-fixing and an absolute ban on players or officials betting on the sport.But gambling advertising has filled the void left by the departure of tobacco sponsorship. It has grown by 1,300 percent over the last decade with the growth in the use of smart phones making it easier than ever before. According to statistical survey data, eighty-seven percent of first-class players in England have gambled on some other form of sport in the last 12-months and 67 percent in the last month.Gambling is fully legal in the UK and there are no rules prohibiting cricketers from gambling on other sports. Buck says it is “normalised” to the extent that perimeter advertising at many sporting events offers in-game betting and, at a recent awareness session at a PCA rookie camp, 20 of 22 players admitted to having an online gambling account. It was the two who did not admit to having one that worried the people taking the session.”Personally I have never been a gambler,” Gooch continued. “But I do like going to a horse racing track and having a bet there. I’ve also hosted Ladbrokes in hospitality boxes at Test Matches so I don’t have any issues with gambling.”But sportsmen, in particular, do find themselves with time on their hands. When I played, people would go to a betting shop if they wanted to have a flutter. Now the temptation to bet online is great. In the social media world it’s very easy to get into that. You have to be very careful that it doesn’t consume you and cause major problems for you and your family down the line.”Both Buck and Leatherdale believe that cricket is “ahead of the game” in trying to prevent the problem growing. “Cricket is a long way ahead of the other sports we work with, football and rugby, in this regard,” says Buck. They hope that by showing young players where uncontrolled gambling can lead, they can shock them out of potentially bad habits.There will be practical help too. While no debts will be paid off, players will be given psychological help where appropriate and given assistance in restructuring their finances where possible. The key, though, is intervening before that stage is reached. And, thanks in part to Gooch, the PCA have a decent chance of achieving that aim.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is now ready to give Spurs outcast Tanguy Ndombele a lifeline, according to reports out of France.

Who is leaving Spurs?

The arrivals of goakeeper Guglielmo Vicario (£17.2m), playmaker James Maddison (£40m) and winger Manor Solomon on a free transfer have opened the door for certain players to leave Spurs.

Long-serving number one shot-stopper Hugo Lloris, after 11 years with the club, has openly admitted he could depart this summer and Vicario’s signing from Empoli will only push him further towards the exit door.

Speaking to Nice-Matin, the 36-year-old hinted that it is time for a fresh challenge and says that this could be the end an era for him at Tottenham.

“We have reached an important moment, whether it be for the club or me,” said Lloris

“It’s the end of an era. I have a desire for something else. I will carefully study what is possible. However, I haven’t forgotten that I have a year left on my contract at Tottenham, and in football, it’s always hard to predict what will happen.”

Meanwhile, with Tottenham chasing a few more signings, namely at centre-back, there are many other names who have been linked with departures to free up space in Postecoglou’s squad.

Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier, Ben Davies, Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ndombele are the players in question (The Telegraph), while Bayern Munich are also chasing a deal for star striker Harry Kane.

Ndombele in particular is a curious case. Once Tottenham’s club record signing, the Frenchman has previously been outcasted by former Spurs bosses Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.

The midfielder spent last season on loan at Napoli, and while the Serie A title-winners didn’t take up an option to sign him permanently, they were willing to pay around £17 million for him.

That is according to French newspaper L’Equipe, via Sport Witness, who say Rudi Garcia’s side wanted to fork out that amount for Ndombele, but it won’t be accepted by Spurs.

Postecoglou is a long-time admirer of the former Lyon star, and the Australian intends to hand him a lifeline to resurrect his career at Tottenham.

This is dependent on his performances in pre-season though, and if Ndombele doesn’t do enough to impress Tottenham’s new manager, there is interest from Saudi Arabia and potential opportunities abroad.

To be fair, the player has plenty of talent. Indeed, some old footage of the player in training has recently resurfaced on social media – via SpursReports – which shows just how much potential he has to be a special player if Postecoglou can get the best out of him.

What’s been said about Tanguy Ndombele?

The 26-year-old has been praised in parts for some flashes of form at Spurs, though they are few and far between, with former manager Jose Mourinho once calling him “magnificent” for a brief turnaround in 2020/2021.

“It’s a great example that with me the door is always open,” said Mourinho.

“The goal is amazing, but I don’t care about the goal, I care about the performance and the performance was magnificent and I’m really pleased that he’s come to this level. He’s playing very, very well.”

With West Ham United rejecting the latest big-money bid for Declan Rice, this time from Manchester City, it is clear the Hammers are being serious with their £100m valuation of the midfielder.

While that saga continues to drag on, with the ball now firmly in Arsenal's court, West Ham will no doubt be on the lookout for midfield recruits of their own.

What is the latest with Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana?

Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana is one of those to have been touted as a target for David Moyes' side earlier this month, but they have now been joined in the race by Premier League rivals Arsenal and Newcastle United.

According to L'Equipe, it is likely that Fofana will be sold to the highest bidder, with a fee of around €35m (£30m) possibly enough to prise him away from the Principality club.

That may seem like a high valuation for a player with a year left to run on his contract, but Monaco have the option to extend that by a further 12 months, so they are not in desperate need to sell.

Is Youssouf Fofana a good option for West Ham?

First things first: No matter which midfield target West Ham sign this summer, they will not tick as many boxes as outgoing Rice. Then again, none of their targets will cost a nine-figure sum.

Fofana is the same age as Rice, the pair play in the same central-midfield position and they were each regulars for teams in Europe's top five leagues, so comparing the two only makes sense.

Rice added an attacking edge to his game last season, and that reflects in the statistics as he averaged 0.16 goals and assists per 90 minutes, as per FBref, compared to 0.09 for Fofana.

There are plenty of similarities in other areas, however, such as their number of shots on target (23.9% for Rice and 24.6% for Fofana), their shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (2.54 v 2.41), with that metric factoring in passes and take-ons leading up to a shot, and tackles won (1.26 per 90 v 1.30).

The pair also won a very similar number of aerial duels (58.3% for Rice, compared to 56% for Fofana), which all suggests the Monaco man would be a good like-for-like replacement alongside Tomas Soucek, or indeed another new midfielder Moyes brings in.

Fofana is not exactly an under-the-radar gem, having already been capped ten times by France at senior level. Indeed, the Paris-born midfielder showed he can more than hold his own alongside some of the game's biggest names, with Statman Dave hailing his "exceptional" debut against Austria last September.

That game showcased many of Fofana's qualities, as he completed 100% of his dribbles, won 12 out of 14 ground duels and played one key pass. It is in terms of take-ons Fofana arguably brings something a little different to Rice that West Ham could do with, completing 1.36 per 90 last season to the Englishman's 1.02.

Potentially available for less than a third of the sum they will get for Rice, West Ham must ensure they are ahead of their Premier League rivals in the race to sign the talented Fofana.

Manchester United appear to be interested in a summer swoop for Atlanta United attacker Thiago Almada.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news involving Thiago Almada?

The Red Devils are making a start on their transfer business ahead of Erik ten Hag’s second season in charge at Old Trafford despite the ongoing takeover saga.

Sky Sports have claimed that summer recruitment won’t be affected by the results of a takeover, with enough cash available to enable United to invest in the team.

England international Mason Mount is on course to complete a £60m transfer to Man United, with the player undergoing a medical at Carrington earlier in the week.

After Mount, a new goalkeeper and forward could be on the agenda in Manchester, with Inter Milan’s Andre Onana a target. Reports have claimed that personal terms have been agreed with Inter Milan shot-stopper Andre Onana.

Meanwhile, Atalanta forward Rasmus Hojlund appears to be keen on making the move to Old Trafford, although a bid hasn’t been made despite reports.

Another player of interest to the Red Devils now appears to be Almada, although they may face competition from their Manchester neighbours.

According to Argentine reporter Bruno Gonzalez Garcia, Old Trafford officials and rivals Manchester City have seemingly made contact with Atlanta for Almada. Taking to Twitter on Monday he said:

“Manchester United and Manchester City consulted Atlanta United for Thiago Almada.”

Who is Thiago Almada?

Almada is 22 years of age and is primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play on the wing if required and was named as one of five rising stars to watch in the MLS in 2023.

The Argentina international was a part of the World Cup winning squad in Qatar last year and only made the move to the MLS last year. Since then, he has gone on to make 49 senior appearances for Atlanta, scoring 15 times and registering 16 assists.

Now valued at a career-high €20m by Transfermarkt, the attacker has come in for praise from legendary international teammate Lionel Messi, who labelled Almada as a “very fast” player just last year.

“Thiago is very fresh. He’s a very fast player who can play 1v1. He's clever and isn’t afraid of anything.”

Almada looks like an extremely promising and versatile player who could be a shrewd addition to Ten Hag’s side. As per FBref, Almada ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for touches, carries, shot-creating actions, passes attempted and progressive passes.

He also ranks extremely high for total amount of shots per 90, key passes and through balls, which shows how he could have a real impact in the final third at Old Trafford, potentially serving as an alternative to Bruno Fernandes in attacking midfield or cover for the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony out wide.

It could well be one to keep an eye on over the coming months, but by the looks of things, there could be some real competition from those at the Etihad.