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In-form James Hildreth has given Somerset a good chance of victory on the final day as the Taunton wickets show signs of not being the featherbeds of old

Alex Winter at Taunton28-Apr-2015
ScorecardJames Hildreth has given Somerset the upper hand at Taunton•Getty ImagesThe Taunton wickets are much loathed for not being conducive enough to results – no-one drew more matches than Somerset’s 10 in 2014 – but the opening two matches of this season have seen a more even contest between bat and ball and, with 30 wickets falling in the opening three days of this match, a second consecutive positive result is possible.Somerset are the favourites after setting Middlesex 402 to win but Middlesex have a sporting chance following a third afternoon where they chipped away at the hosts’ second innings and took the final five wickets for 50. In the final analysis, James Hildreth’s 86 was a vital innings as the middle order fell away. It was no bad thing for the match.To win, Middlesex need to make their fourth-highest fourth-innings total but they can take some confidence from the 472 for 3 they made last season to beat Yorkshire at Lord’s – their second-highest fourth-innings total – albeit the architect of that chase, Chris Rogers who made 241 not out, is no longer at the club.They will hope Rogers’ replacement, fellow Australian Adam Voges, can create something similar. Or indeed, Nick Gubbins and Sam Robson who played carefully to reach the close unscathed.The danger for Middlesex is the fragile nature of their line-up. They lost 8 for 118 in the first innings and this wicket has offered assistance to the seamers throughout the match. Somerset will hope to probe that weakness and have in their attack two young Devonians showing the best form of their fledgling careers.Jamie Overton, who turned 21 at the start of the month, is a big and genuinely quick bowler who appears to have calibrated his radar over the winter. A quick spell on the second evening whittled out the Middlesex lower order. But it appears his injury worries, having blighted his career since breaking into the Somerset first XI, are not yet behind him. He limped off after seven balls of the chase. More will be revealed later.Lewis Gregory has his own injuries last season but, fit for the start of 2015, has been rewarded for his progress over the last 12 months with a call up to England’s squad for the ODI against Ireland next week. He celebrated by taking two wickets in five balls, both lbw, to see off the Middlesex first innings in the fourth over of day three.The swift end gave Somerset a 102-run first-innings lead, which was comfortably built on in a stand of 82 for the second wicket between Marcus Trescothick and Tom Cooper. The latter’s ill-advised reverse sweep, to be bowled for 42, did not appear crucial at the time but it ended what turned out to be the highest stand of the innings.Trescothick looked set for a second century in the match, having twice played the deftest of late cuts off Steven Finn to take boundaries fine of third man, and looked to have successfully covered a Rayner delivery on 76, only to lose his off stump. Again, the bounce Rayner generates created problems. The dismissal should encourage Somerset’s Abdur Rehman on day four.Thereafter only James Hildreth spent significant time at the crease. He passed fifty in 109 balls with five fours – a far more sedate effort than the first innings – but, as Finn returned from the River End, he pulled his first ball down the throat of deep midwicket to be ninth out. Overton then clubbed a six but Finn cleaned him up next ball.There were three more wickets for James Harris, who continued his impressive form, bringing a beauty into the off stump of Tom Abell. Two other middle order wickets followed as Middlesex kept themselves in the match.

Whether they are established names, future stars or summer transfer targets, there are a host of intriguing players in action at the Games in Japan

While mention of the Olympics might not spark up images of great football, the men's tournament at the Games still offers those who compete for the rare opportunity to take home a gold medal.

Ahead of Tokyo 2020, the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah and Sergio Ramos were all rumoured to be interested in taking part in a bid to claim one of the greatest sporting prizes of them all.

In the end, none of that fabled trio will be in action over the next fortnight, but that does not mean there are not plenty of players who are worth keeping an eye on, be they established stars, up-and-coming wonderkids or potential transfer targets for some of the world's biggest clubs…

Getty ImagesThiago Almada (Argentina)

Given the hype that has surrounded Almada in recent years, it is quite surprising that the attacking midfielder still finds himself at Velez Sarsfield rather than in one of Europe's top five leagues.

Manchester City and Manchester United are among a host of clubs to have been linked with the 20-year-old, who twice appeared on Goal's NXGN list of the top teenage footballers in the world.

Expect him to use the Olympics as a potential shop window to show himself off to potential suitors ahead of the transfer window closing at the end of August.

AdvertisementGettyDani Alves (Brazil)

Despite having turned 38 in May, Dani Alves still harbours hopes of representing Brazil at the 2022 World Cup, and as such is using the Olympics, in part, to show Selecao boss Tite that he is worth a place in his squad for Qatar.

Now playing his club football for Sao Paulo FC, the veteran full-back continues to showcase his undoubted quality on a weekly basis domestically, and, though he might not be the same electric presence on the right-hand side as he was at Barcelona, he can still play a key role in Brazil defending the gold medal they won on home soil back in 2016.

Getty ImagesMarco Asensio (Spain)

If you had asked a Spanish football fan which tournament Marco Asensio would be playing in this summer a few years ago, they undoubtedly would have said Euro 2020, such was the winger's potential and performance level at Real Madrid.

Injuries and a subsequent drop in form, however, mean he now finds himself needing to prove himself in Tokyo if he is to fight his way back into Luis Enrique's exciting, young, attacking team.

At 25, time is starting to run out for Asensio to make a return on the promise he showed as a youngster, and there is no better place to start than at the biggest festival of sport in the world. 

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Getty ImagesDani Ceballos (Spain)

Another Real Madrid player looking to reignite their career somewhat is Ceballos, who, after two up-and-down seasons on loan at Arsenal, is now preparing himself for a new challenge.

Unlike Asensio, his future almost certainly lies away from Santiago Bernabeu, and as such the Olympics offers the 24-year-old midfielder an opportunity to show any interested clubs that he is still the same player who was named in back-to-back Teams of the Tournament at the 2017 and 2019 Under-21 European Championships.

The Barcelona defender had to watch many of her club-mates celebrate glory instead after a poor error in the first half allowed Olga Carmona to score

Olga Carmona's strike went down in history on Sunday as the goal that delivered Spain their first Women's World Cup title, the Real Madrid star breaking England hearts after profiting from a mistake from Barcelona's Lucy Bronze as La Roja beat the Lionesses 1-0 at Stadium Australia.

England had chances before that, with Lauren Hemp most notably hitting the bar, but Bronze lost the ball in the middle of the park before half-time and Ona Batlle's clever switch of play over to her vacated right side allowed Spain to capitalise on the space left, Carmona firing across Mary Earps to find the bottom corner.

Spain could've doubled their lead was it not for Earps saving Jennifer Hermoso's penalty, and though that raised the roof in Sydney with so many England fans in attendance, the closest the Lionesses came to levelling the scores was when Lauren James' effort was tipped over by Cata Coll.

The European champions might've defeated Spain on their way to Euros glory last year, but La Roja got their revenge in the sweetest way on Sunday as they became champions of the world.

GOAL rates England's players from Stadium Australia…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Mary Earps (8/10):

Penalty save was superb, as was her stop to deny Redondo from close range in the first half.

Jess Carter (7/10):

Defensively solid, again, and did well to adapt to a change of position at half-time when England moved to a back four. Huge block to deny Hermoso in the second half.

Millie Bright (6/10):

Positioned herself well to deal with Paralluelo's pace.

Alex Greenwood (6/10):

Stood up tall at the back and was excellent in possession.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Lucy Bronze (4/10):

Her mistake in the middle of the park led to the first goal and she never seemed to recover from that.

Keira Walsh (6/10):

Kept the ball well and scrapped well to thwart Spain.

Georgia Stanway (7/10):

Battled well in midfield and covered well for the centre-backs when they needed it, too.

Ella Toone (6/10):

Did her defensive work well and set up Hemp nicely for her shot off the bar.

Rachel Daly (5/10):

Had a tough time defensively, always outnumbered, but did create when she got forward. Came off at half-time.

Getty ImagesAttack

Alessia Russo (5/10):

Did what she could to create for others but lacked the pace to exploit Spain in transition. Replaced at half-time.

Lauren Hemp (7/10):

Was a real nuisance with her pace and directness. Looked the most likely to score for England, even hitting the bar.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Lauren James (6/10):

Replaced Russo at the break. Forced Coll into a great save but didn't showcase her magic as much as usual.

Chloe Kelly (7/10):

Came on for Daly at half-time and was immediately England's best outlet down the right. Made a real impact.

Beth England (N/A):

Introduced late on, without much time to make an impact.

Sarina Wiegman (7/10):

Hard to disagree with Wiegman's decisions despite the result. Game plan was strong early on but Spain grew into the game and targeted England's wing-backs well. Wiegman changed the system at half-time to counter this and was positive with her substitutions, but England just couldn't create much in the second half, having not taken their chances in the first.

Chelsea co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali has ignored previous criticism of Todd Boehly to continue visiting the club's dressing room.

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Eghbali visiting dressing room regularlyChelsea enduring woeful startPochettino under pressureWHAT HAPPENED?

The Daily Telegraph reports that Eghbali has continued visiting Chelsea's dressing room despite his co-controlling owner Todd Boehly being heavily criticised for doing the same thing last season. The report claims that Eghbali was seen leaving the dressing room after the Blues lost 1-0 to Aston Villa on Sunday.

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Eghbali did not express any thoughts during his visit, per the report, but instead shook hands with the club's players and coaching staff, before wishing them well. As it stands, the Blues sit 14th in the Premier League table, having won just one game this season.

DID YOU KNOW?

Pochettino appears to be under significant pressure as he bids to climb the league table; the Blues have endured their worst start to a season in 45 years under the management of the Argentine. They've failed to find the back of the net in their last three matches and Sunday saw two players earn suspensions, with Malo gusto being sent off for a red card and striker Nicolas Jackson earning a one-match ban for five yellow cards in six appearances.

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Chelsea face Brighton in the third round of the EFL Cup this week, before returning to Premier League action against Fulham next Monday.

Goal rounds up some of the most exciting World Cup 2018 group stage fixtures – including Spain vs Portugal and England vs Belgium

With the World Cup set to kick off on June 14, Goal rounds up some of the biggest and best clashes to take place in Russia – including Spain vs Portugal which sees the new and old guard of La Furia Roja battle it out against the European champions, and Luis Suarez facing off against Mohamed Salah when Uruguay and Egypt play each other.Getty ImagesEgypt vs Uruguay

Mohamed Salah propelled Egypt to the finals after scoring a 95th-minute penalty against DR Congo to ensure that the Pharoahs would appear in their first World Cup since 1990.

The 25-year-old endeared himself to the world after an emphatic debut season at Liverpool where he smashed records and netted 44 goals in all competitions, and though he was unable to lift the European Cup with the Reds, he will be looking to redeem himself with a successful World Cup campaign.

He is set to face off against none other than Luis Suarez for Uruguay in their sides' opening fixture. Suarez was the Salah of yesteryear for Reds supporters before he moved to Barcelona in 2014 – and his was one of the scoring records that Salah broke this season.

It'll be an exciting game with Salah and Mohamed Elneny facing off against Suarez and Paris Saint-Germain star Edinson Cavani – and a chance to assert each forward's abilities.

Match Information: Egypt vs Uruguay | Friday June 15 | 1pm UK time (8am US ET)

AdvertisementGettyPortugal vs Spain

Portugal vs Spain is easily one of the most exciting fixtures of the tournament. Portugal are a threat in this competition as they are helmed by a confident Cristiano Ronaldo fresh from winning the Champions League as well as leading his side to a European Championship victory two years ago.

The current Spanish team features a mixed assortment of promising young talent including Marco Asensio, David de Gea and Isco as well as talismen in Andres Iniesta, David Silva and Gerard Pique.

Match Information: Portugal vs Spain | Friday June 15 | 7pm UK time (2pm US ET)

EITAN ABRAMOVICHArgentina vs Iceland

What will happen when Argentina – one of the most storied national sides of all-time – comes up against Iceland, one of the smallest of the qualified nations and who are set to make their first ever appearance in the World Cup?

Lionel Messi has yet to lift a major honour on the international stage and has finished as runner-up in four of his last Copa America finals. Despite his great successes with Barcelona – he has long since been the Spanish side's all-time top-scorer and has won every major club trophy imaginable, as well as lifting the Ballon d'Or on five separate occasions – some critics still feel that to truly cement his place as one of football's greats he must win the World Cup with his nation.

Match Information: Argentina vs Iceland | Saturday June 16 | 2pm UK time (9am US ET)

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GettyGermany vs Mexico

The defending champions will be looking to make their World Cup success a back-to-back feat, starting with their opening fixture against Mexico, as the current Germany squad is still as strong as the one four years ago – even without hero Mario Gotze in the squad.

The Germany squad is rife with experienced players in the shape of Thomas Muller, Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos as well as young talent such as Leroy Sane, who had a magnificent season with Manchester City, winning the title in the process, where he scored 23 goals.

Add the likes of Timo Werner, Marco Reus and Manuel Neuer and Germany are once again favourites to defend their title.

Match information: Germany vs Mexico | Sunday June 18 | 4pm UK time (11am US ET)

Marcos Alonso is reportedly set to choose between a Premier League return or a move to Saudi Arabia when leaving Barcelona in 2024.

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Experienced defender seeing deal run downJanuary move being speculated onSeveral options to considerWHAT HAPPENED?

The experienced full-back will see his contract at Camp Nou expire next summer. No extension has been discussed, with the expectation being that Barca will look to get another wage off their books. There are murmurs of a switch being sanctioned in January.

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Former Bolton and Chelsea star Alonso was linked with Manchester United over the summer, and the Red Devils may choose to rekindle their interest. According to , the 32-year-old defender is also attracting admiring glances from the Middle East.

DID YOU KNOW?

Alonso could be presented with an opportunity to join the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in Saudi Arabia, with several sides in that region prepared to do a deal. It is, however, reported that the Spain international wants to see out the 2023-24 campaign in Catalunya first.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ALONSO?

He intends to compete for minutes with Alejandro Balde and Joao Cancelo. Another big decision on his future will be made at the end of the season, with interest from England and Saudi Arabia not going away.

New Hong Kong captain Tanwir Afzal scored an unbeaten 55 off 27 balls but Namibia managed to defend 14 off the final over to hold on for a two-run win at Windhoek

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo – Tanwir Afzal struck 55 not out in a losing effort for Hong Kong•Graham Crouch/IDI/GettyNew Hong Kong captain Tanwir Afzal scored an unbeaten 55 off 27 balls but Namibia managed to defend 14 off the final over to hold on for a two-run win in the last T20 at Windhoek on Tuesday. Afzal entered in the 13th over with the score 63 for 5 in pursuit of Namibia’s 144 and struck his third six of the day four balls into the final over to bring up a half-century off 25 balls and trim the target to seven runs in two deliveries. After a two on the fifth ball, Hong Kong needed six to win and four to tie but Afzal only managed two off JJ Smit’s final ball.Hong Kong had won the toss at the start of the day and chose to field first in the 12-a-side contest. Haseeb Amjad captured three wickets in the first four overs to leave Namibia struggling at 11 for 3 before Sarel Burger’s second half-century in as many days brought Namibia back into the game. The visitors still had a reasonable hold on the first innings after Irfan Ahmed bowled Michau du Preez for 27 on the first ball of the 11th over, ending a 52-run stand to make it 63 for 4.However, Burger wrested momentum back for the hosts in the 13th by hitting back-to-back boundaries off Ahmed to commence a 16-run over which took the score to 84 for 4. Burger and Zhivago Groenewald forged a 66-run stand before Groenewald was Amjad’s fourth victim of the day in the 18th. Burger brought up his fifty off 43 balls in the next over and stayed to the end to give Namibia a defendable total.Hong Kong’s chase got off to a reasonable start, progressing to 57 for 1 at the halfway stage, but Namibia took four wickets in the space of 12 deliveries. The middle-overs collapse was initially sparked by Christopher Coombe’s dismissal of Nizakat Khan for 30 before Smit struck twice in the 12th to remove Waqas Barkat and Babar Hayat. Craig Williams kept the pressure on in the 13th by bowling Jamie Atkinson for 1, one of the allrounder’s three wickets on the day.Afzal counterattacked gamely by striking three boundaries off Groenewald in the 14th. In the end though, Afzal didn’t get support from his partners down the stretch and the middle order stumble was too much to overcome.

With the summer window set to open in just three months, Goal looks at the players presently attracting the most attention in Italy's top flight

Elsa1Alisson (Roma)

After being forced to play second fiddle to Wojciech Szczesny at Roma last season, Alisson has spent the current campaign showing just why was never usurped as Brazil's No.1 by Ederson despite the lack of game time in 2016-17.

The 25-year-old has been labelled "the Messi of goalkeepers" by former Giallorossi coach Roberto Negrisolo and there are plenty of top teams across Europe who believe Alisson to be something truly special.

Liverpool recently pulled out of a £62 million deal for the Selecao shot-stopper but, given Roma's annual need to cash in on its best players in order to meet FFP regulations, it is highly likely that Alisson will be on the move this summer regardless.

AdvertisementGetty Images2Felipe Anderson (Lazio)

A former target for Manchester United, Felipe Anderson was regarded as one of the best players in Serie A after an excellent second season at the Stadio Olimpico. Three years on, though, the Brazilian is struggling for consistency.

However, he has not been helped by playing in a variety of roles, including wing-back, while he missed the start of the current campaign with a torn abductor muscle.

There have been encouraging signs of late, though, and Lazio would certainly be open to offers for a player who is not a guaranteed starter and has also recently clashed with coach Simone Inzaghi.

Getty Images3Andrea Belotti (Torino)

After a sensational 2016-17 season, Andrea Belotti looked certain to leave Torino last summer. However, Granata president Urbano Cairo insisted that the striker would only depart if a foreign club met the €100 million buy-out clause in his contract.

Milan did their best to land Belotti but they were, unsurprisingly, unable to reach an agreement with Cairo, who was dead against selling his most prized possession to a Serie A rival. Torino's stance has softened, and the asking price fallen, given Belotti has netted just five times in Serie A this season.

Indeed, the 24-year-old remains an attractive proposition for any top side looking for an all-round attacker, as his struggles this season have more to do with a minor but nagging knee injury and Torino's poor form, rather than a lack of talent on his part.

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Getty4Stefan de Vrij (Lazio)

The biggest bargain of the summer, Stefan de Vrij is available on a free transfer as his contract with Lazio expires at the end of June. The Dutch defender has been brilliant for the Biancocelesti since arriving from Feyenoord in the 2014 for approximately €7m.

In the current climate, he is now worth at least six times that amount, having established himself as one of the best centre-halves in Serie A. Lazio fought desperately to persuade him to stay at the Stadio Olimpico – or at the very least agree to a new contract with a low buy-out clause – but the two parties were unable to broker a deal.

As a result, De Vrij is now set to depart, with Inter his most likely destination, though several other clubs, including Juventus, are interested.

Giovanni Reyna's wait for a first Borussia Dortmund appearance of the season goes on after he was left on the bench for Friday's match at Hoffenheim.

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Reyna left on Dortmund benchHas not featured this seasonVisitors beat Hoffenheim 3-1

The United States international watched on from the sidelines as his side picked up a 3-1 win in the Bundesliga.

It is the third time in a row he has been named among the Dortmund substitutes but overlooked by coach Edin Terzic when it came to making changes.

Despite the 20-year-old's absence, Dortmund picked up another three points to ensure they remain unbeaten after six matches in the German top-flight.

GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

After missing the first two Bundesliga matches of the season through injury, Reyna has only been called up to take a place on the bench for Dortmund since his return to the squad.

For the games against Wolfsburg in the league, Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, and now the trip to Hoffenheim, coach Terzic has turned to other options when deciding to bring on fresh legs to help his team see out results.

Reyna could only watch on as the likes of Emre Can, Karim Adeyemi, Marius Wolf, Niklas Sule and Sebastien Haller were brought on as substitutes to help the 10-man Dortmund sealed the win.

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Dortmund were the dominant force throughout the game and took a well-deserved lead just 18 minutes in when Julian Brandt pounced on a defender's error and fed it through to Niklas Fullkrug to fire home.

The visitors gave Hoffenheim a way back in less than 10 minutes later, however, as Mats Hummels conceded a penalty and Andre Kramaric blasted it into the net.

Marco Reus came to Dortmund's rescue just before half-time when Donyell Malen's low cross was knocked into his path by goalkeeper Oliver Baumann and the Germany international seized the opportunity.

The win was put at risk for the final 20 minutes when Ramy Bensebaini was sent off with a second yellow card but that hardly slowed last season's runners-up down.

Indeed, Julian Ryerson went on to score the pick of the bunch when he won the ball in his own half and charged forward, eventually smashing it into the net in stoppage time to wrap things up nicely for Dortmund.

Getty ImagesUSMNT IMPACT

Reyna has little chance of persuading Gregg Berhalter that he is worthy of a spot in the next United States squad, let alone that place in the starting XI that his family feels he deserves.

Dortmund play just two more games before the next international, in which USMNT take on Germany and Ghana.

Given he has not featured at all this season, it is unlikely that Terzic will trust him to line up against AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday, but he could be brought on as a substitute, and he will hope to be given a chance in the subsequent Bundesliga clash against Union Berlin.

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Giovanni Reyna (N/A):

The 20-year-old had to watch on from the bench yet again as his side maintained their unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season.

With Dortmund top of the table – at least until Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen play over the weekend – Terzic may be more hesitant to alter his starting XI over the coming weeks, so it could be some time before the USMNT star gets his first start of the season.

Former Liverpool sporting director Micahel Edwards is being targeted by Manchester United as Sir Jim Ratcliffe nears a partial takeover of the club.

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Man Utd looking for Sporting DirectorLooking at former Liverpool man Michael EdwardsAlso have an eye on Mitchell and FreedmanGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Having reached an agreement on the general terms of the transaction, the Glazer family and Ratcliffe are still debating the specific legal details of how Manchester United's ownership structure would be structured following INEOS' acquisition of a 25 per cent interest. The takeover would mean that Ratcliffe would take control of the sporting department of the club and with Richard Arnold having left as the club's chief executive, the space for a chief is now open at United – and Ratcliffe is eyeing Edwards as the new man.

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With their search for a sporting director, the club has also looked at Paul Mitchell and Dougie Freedman. Mitchell is the current Sporting Director of Monaco while Freedman holds the reigns at Crystal Palace. Both reports though have suggested that a deal is far from being struck as, despite the interest, there hasn't been a conversation between the clubs and their potential targets.

DID YOU KNOW?

Edwards had been at Liverpool ever since he left Tottenham Hotspur in 2011 before he retired and left the club in 2022. With the club, Edwards has fulfilled the roles of Chief Analyst, Head of Methodology, Technical Director and Sporting Director.

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

According to , INEOS realised immediately that the Glazers had no true intention of selling altogether, and talks on a minority interest have reportedly been ongoing since May. There have been some hesitant private discussions about the ultimate football system, but Ratcliffe and his team like to thoroughly examine how the club operates once they are in place before making any definite conclusions.