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Queensland have named former television executive Max Walters as the state’s new chief executive, replacing the interim CEO, Michael Kasprowicz

Daniel Brettig29-Sep-2016Queensland have named former television executive Max Walters as the state’s new chief executive, replacing the interim CEO, Michael Kasprowicz.Walters, who has served as managing director of Channel Seven in Brisbane for the past 12 years, also played 13 Sheffield Shield matches for Queensland between 1975 and 1979, making one century.The Bulls had been left searching for a new CEO earlier this year following the sudden departure of Geoff Cockerill, well before his contract was due to expire. Kasprowicz stepped away temporarily from his Cricket Australia board directorship to do the job till a permanent replacement was found.”I thoroughly enjoyed my career with Seven and in the television industry, but I am very enthused about joining Queensland Cricket in this role,” Walters said. “Cricket is in an enviable position at the moment and there are many opportunities and ventures that lie ahead which will be exciting to be a part of. Queensland Cricket has transformed over the years into a dynamic business, but it still retains many of the qualities that I recall fondly.”The game has played an important role in my life, both professionally and personally, and so being able to focus on it again will be both challenging and rewarding.”Largely due to difficulties created by its diffuse population spread across many mid-sized communities spanning a wide geographical area, Queensland has been a focus of pointed funding and development work at Cricket Australia, particularly after the move to an independent board of directors and more sophisticated financial distribution model in 2012.Targeted CA funding has been aimed at better identifying and supporting cricket talent across the state, with the current chairman David Peever, a Queenslander, emphasising the importance of grass roots investment. Queensland Cricket was able to announce a modest operating profit at the association’s AGM in Brisbane on Tuesday evening.

Manchester United could well be closing in on their first signing of the summer transfer window, following an update in the club's pursuit of Chelsea contract rebel, Mason Mount.

What's the latest on Mount to Man United?

According to journalist Jacob Steinberg, writing on Twitter, the Red Devils are looking "increasingly likely to sign" the England international ahead of next season, with The Athletic's David Ornstein previously reporting that the 24-year-old was "leaning towards" a move to Old Trafford.

Writing in his attached piece for The Guardian, Steinberg revealed that the former Derby County loanee has already agreed personal terms with United regarding a summer switch, with it expected that Erik ten Hag's side will 'win the race' for his signature.

The report suggests that the Carabao Cup winners will have to splash out around £60m if they are to snap up the 36-cap ace in the coming weeks, despite the Portsmouth-born dynamo having just 12 months left to run on his existing deal.

Should Man United sign Mason Mount?

With Ten Hag seemingly eyeing a top-drawer midfield addition this summer, there may be some concern as to whether Mount totally fits the bill, with the Stamford Bridge sensation having typically operated in an attacking midfield role or on the flanks during his time in west London.

That being said, however, the "technical" talent – as recently praised by club legend Gary Neville – does have experience lining up in a number eight berth, having registered 14 goals and ten assists while predominantly featuring in that role during his spell on loan at Eredivisie side, Vitesse Arnhem in 2017/18 – at a time when Ten Hag was reportedly keeping watch at Ajax.

Mount's suitability for that dynamic role can also be shown by the comparisons that have made been between himself and an iconic figure of United's history, with former captain Roy Keane stating in the past that the Three Lions star is "almost like Paul Scholes" as he "plays like a kid on the street' and because "it all comes very easy for him".

That comparison bodes well for the impact that the exciting "game changer" – as hailed by writer Tom Overend – could make at the Theatre of Dreams, with Scholes having been a majestic presence at the heart of the midfield for almost two decades.

Much like Mount, the playmaker-turned-pundit began life in a more advanced role behind the centre-forward, although gradually went on to adopt a more deep-lying role later in his career, going on to be hailed the "the best midfielder of his generation" by Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola.

Also lauded as "untouchable" by French icon, Zinedine Zidane, Scholes would ultimately rack up 155 goals in 718 appearances for United in all competitions, helping Sir Alex Ferguson's side to 11 league titles, four FA Cups and two Champions League triumphs in that time, among other honours.

One notable facet of the Englishman's game was his ability to make that "killer pass" – as lauded by Sir Bobby Charlton – with Mount also sharing that probing, front-foot approach, as he ranks in the top 7% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for progressive passes.

Of course, going on to emulate a figure such as Scholes will prove some task, although the likeness between the pair should well spark much excitement among United supporters as a deal for the Blues ace looks to be ramping up.

Burnley romped their way to the Championship title in style in the 2022/23 campaign as they secured promotion to the Premier League with 101 points.

Vincent Kompany is now tasked with building a squad that will be capable of avoiding an instant relegation back down to the second tier next season.

He must, firstly, find a way of replacing some of his loan stars after they returned to their parent clubs. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, for example, spent the campaign on loan from Manchester City and it remains to be seen if they can snap him up on another deal, let alone permanently.

Newcastle and West Ham United are also in the running for his signature on a permanent basis and that could force the Lancashire promotion winners to look elsewhere.

Who could replace Taylor Harwood-Bellis at Burnley?

The Clarets are reportedly one of the clubs showing an interest in signing Galatasaray central defender Victor Nelsson, with fellow top-flight side Brighton also keen, and the ace could be the dream heir to the English battler.

He has a release clause of €25m (£22m) and the Turkish giants are looking to land a fee of more than €20m (£17m) before cashing in on the talented enforcer.

The Denmark international has enjoyed a strong campaign in the Super Lig. Nelsson has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.95 across 31 appearances and completed 86% of his attempted passes.

Harwood-Bellis, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.21 and completed 85% of his passes in 32 outings in the Championship for Burnley; playing second-division football in comparison to the top-flight in Turkey.

These statistics show that both players are composed in possession, as they find a teammate far more often than not, and that there is not a major difference in their average performance level, particularly when you consider that the Danish ace has been playing at a higher level.

Nelsson, 24, also has experience of playing in European competitions.

The Galatasaray "monster" – as he was once dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig – averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.04 in eight Europa League matches in the 2021/22 campaign and won an impressive 66% of his individual duels.

Harwood-Bellis, 21, was a strong presence at the back for Burnley as he won 63% of his battles and Nelsson could provide a similar level of physical intimidation for the Clarets in the Premier League. He has won 66% of his aerial contests in the Super Lig this term and came out on top in 63% of his duels in the 2021/22 campaign.

This shows that both players are dominant defenders who do not allow the opposition forwards to beat them more often than not, in the ground or in the air.

Taking all of this into consideration, Kompany could land the dream heir to Harwood-Bellis' position in the team by swooping to sign Nelsson as the Galatasaray star could offer a similar level of quality in possession and in his physical duels in the heart of the defence.

Sri Lanka’s openers gone cheaply. A recovery led by Kusal Mendis. A Sri Lankan attack heavy on spin options. Australia’s batsmen struggling. A Sri Lankan victory

The Report by Brydon Coverdale24-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:58

By the Numbers: Aponso’s four-four sinks Australia

Sri Lanka’s openers gone cheaply. A recovery led by Kusal Mendis. A Sri Lankan attack heavy on spin options. Australia’s batsmen struggling to have any impact. A Sri Lankan victory. Steven Smith could be forgiven for feeling like this was a flashback to the Test series just ended. But the big difference was that Australia already have a win in this one-day series. At the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka merely levelled it 1-1 with three to play.It was a victory built on two big partnerships: a 125-run stand between Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal, and a 103-run effort from Angelo Mathews and Kusal Perera. Chandimal was the only one of the quartet who did not reach fifty, falling instead on 48 and thus missing the chance to become the first Sri Lankan to score six consecutive ODI half-centuries. Besides those two stands, Sri Lanka’s wickets fell rapidly in three clumps.The last of those clumps featured a momentous event – James Faulkner became the sixth Australian to take a hat-trick in an ODI. But by that late stage in the innings the damage had been done. Sri Lanka had done enough to set Australia a target of 289. No team had ever won an ODI at this ground chasing such a hefty total and on a pitch offering plenty of turn Australia could not rewrite history, despite Matthew Wade’s career-best innings.One key difference from the Test series was that Sri Lanka opened with seamers from both ends – curious given that Nathan Lyon had taken the new ball for Australia earlier in the day – and the move brought immediate success. Thisara Perera’s first ball drew David Warner into a drive that was edged behind, and in his next over Perera had Aaron Finch dragging one on. Australia were 16 for 2, hardly the kind of start required for this chase.Sri Lanka had recovered from a similar position, but forcing the scoring rate against Sri Lanka’s spin attack was never going to be easy for Australia. Left-arm spinner Amila Aponso in particular proved difficult to get away, and the pressure that he applied brought him the wickets of Smith and George Bailey. On 30, Smith advanced and drove a catch to mid-on. Bailey was much less fluent, his 27 taking 46 balls, and he did not manage a single boundary before being bowled, deceived by Aponso’s dip.Bailey was not the only Australian to labour at the crease. Moises Henriques took 16 balls to make 4 and was out when he lunged forward and was beaten by legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna’s turn and Chandimal’s quick stumping – a similar dismissal to the first innings in the Colombo Test, when Henriques dragged his back foot out of his ground. Supposedly a good player of spin, Henriques must find another method, for drag is proving as costly to him as it does an Olympic swimmer.Wade and Travis Head did their best to claw Australia back into the match, but clawing rarely achieves much but to delay the inevitable. Sri Lanka’s spinners were too hard to dominate, and the required rate ballooned. Wade reached 76, his highest ODI score, but did so with only three boundaries, and by the timed he holed out to Thisara Perera, Australia needed more than 10 an over.Head top-edged a catch off Mathews for 31 from 48, Mitchell Starc popped a return catch back to Mathews, and then Aponso finished off the game with the wickets of Adam Zampa and Faulkner, to end up with the outstanding figures of 4 for 18 off 9.2 overs. Sri Lanka had won by 82 runs.Kusal Mendis revived Sri Lanka with a plucky half-century after they lost two early wickets•AFPFor the first few overs of the day it looked like Australia’s hopes of taking a 2-0 series lead were strong. After Mathews chose to bat, Sri Lanka stumbled to 12 for 2. Danushka Gunathilaka, brought in for this match at the expense of Milinda Siriwardana, was bowled by Starc for 2, and next ball Tillakarante Dilshan was bowled behind his legs by Lyon, operating around the wicket.But Mendis and Chandimal were up to the task of rebuilding, rotating the strike and putting away boundaries off bad balls. And they got a few of those. Smith’s decision to use the part-time offspin of Head inside the first 10 overs backfired spectacularly when Mendis plundered 20 runs off his first over. Head’s four overs cost 41 and combined with Henriques’ 0 for 40 off five, offset much of the good work of Zampa, Starc and Faulkner, who each took three wickets.Chandimal was the victim of a remarkable review off the bowling of Zampa. Chandimal advanced and tried to work Zampa to leg, missed, and the ball cannoned into the wicketkeeper Wade’s midriff. When Wade recovered, he appealed for lbw and convinced Smith to ask for a review. Replays confirmed the ball had struck Chandimal’s pad on the way through, in line, and would have hit the stumps.Zampa added the key wicket of Mendis to his tally in his next over. Mendis, who had scored all around the ground for his run-a-ball 69, was done by Zampa’s googly, trapped lbw, so plumb he did not seriously consider asking for a review. Zampa’s third came when Dhananjaya de Silva drove a catch to short cover, and he finished with 3 for 42 from his 10 overs.But then came the second of Sri Lanka’s crucial – or is that Kusal? – partnerships. Kusal Perera and Mathews came together with the score at 158 for 5 and both men combined attacking strokeplay with the ability to find the gaps for ones and twos. Mathews launched a pair of sixes off Lyon in the 40th over and his fifty came up off 55 balls; Perera struck five fours and one six, and brought up his half-century from 47 deliveries.However, they became the first two victims of Faulkner’s hat-trick: on 54 Perera was lbw trying a reverse sweep from the last ball of the 46th over, and first ball of the next over Mathews, on 57, drilled a catch down the ground. Completing the feat, Faulkner had Thisara Perera bowled. But by then, the damage had been done. Starc finished off the tail in the 49th over.Sri Lanka’s wickets had fallen in clusters – 2 for 12 at the top, 3 for 21 in the middle, 5 for 27 at the end. But those collapses were offset by two century stands, and those two partnerships were the difference in the match.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans to bolster their defensive options in the upcoming summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Min-jae Kim to Newcastle?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, via his CaughtOffside daily briefing, the Magpies have been sending scouts to track Napoli central defender Min-jae Kim.

The reporter has claimed that sporting director Dan Ashworth could challenge Manchester United to the South Korean international's signature ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

It is stated that the enforcer has a release clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for €47m (£41m) but the Serie A giants could attempt to pin him to fresh terms in order to increase that fee.

How has Min-jae Kim performed this season?

The 26-year-old has produced phenomenal form in the Italian top-flight and has been a crucial part of Napoli's title-winning side with his impressive displays at the back.

In the 2022/23 Serie A, Kim has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.24 across 33 matches in the division and only two players (Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Mario Rui) have recorded higher ratings for the club, which shows that the centre-back has been one of their top performers.

His performances in Italy have not gone unnoticed by Newcastle and Ashworth could now land an upgrade on current central defender Fabian Schar, who turns 32 later this year, by swooping for the tank this summer.

In the Premier League this season, Schar has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.12 across 33 appearances and made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per match with a duel success rate of 64%.

Kim, who was described as a "monster" by journalist Jason Lee, has had similar success in his defensive actions as the South Korean international has made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per outing and won 62% of his battles in the Serie A.

Whilst there is not much between them in the way of their ability to keep the opposition at bay, the Napoli star's quality in possession could improve the way that Eddie Howe's side plays out from the back.

The £55k-per-week colossus, who was also dubbed an "iron barrel" by Kvaratskhelia, has averaged 6.01 progressive passes and carries combined per 90 over the last 365 days of action and this is better than Schar's 4.76 per 90 for Newcastle, which indicates that he is able to pass the ball on to his teammates in more dangerous positions by getting closer to the opposition's goal.

Kim has also completed 90.1% of his attempted passes in that time in comparison to the Switzerland international's 76.9% and this means that the gem is more efficient on the ball whilst also being able to provide greater penetration in his passing.

Therefore, Newcastle could land a dream upgrade on Schar by signing a younger defender with similar defensive qualities and more progression in their play with the ball at their feet.

Derbyshire kept alive their NatWest Blast quarter-finals hopes with a 29-run victory with 13 balls to spare at Derby that ended Worcestershire’s chances of reaching the last eight

ECB Reporters Network22-Jul-2016
ScorecardHamish Rutherford’s early assault paved the way for Derbyshire•Getty ImagesDerbyshire kept alive their NatWest Blast quarter-finals hopes with a 29-run victory with 13 balls to spare at Derby that ended Worcestershire’s chances of reaching the last eight.Hamish Rutherford hammered 64 from 38 balls and Wayne Madsen made an unbeaten 50 from 30 balls as Derbyshire posted an imposing 192 for 5. Worcestershire were always struggling after losing early wickets and although Brett D’Oliveira scored 44 from 33 balls, they were all out for 163 with leg-spinner Matt Critchley claiming 3 for 36.Derbyshire had not won a T20 game this season batting first but Rutherford’s up-front fireworks provided the platform to set a challenging total. The New Zealander had already taken a century off the Worcestershire bowlers in the 50-over competition this season and he looked on course for another after pulling Joe Leach and Charlie Morris for sixes in the Powerplay.Although Wes Durston mistimed a pull to deep mid-on and Neil Broom was well caught on the run at deep midwicket, Rutherford drove D’Oliveira for a third six in an over that cost 17 as the Falcons reached 91 for 2 at the halfway stage.D’Oliveira responded to that mauling by taking two superb catches at long-on, first knocking the ball up and holding the rebound inside the rope to remove Chesney Hughes and then diving full length to end Rutherford’s explosive innings after he had launched Daryl Mitchell for his fourth six.But his exit did not slow the Falcons’ flight as Madsen improvised impressively, uppercutting Ed Barnard for the first of two sixes before Shiv Thakor dispatched the seamer high over the sightscreen in the final over as Derbyshire equalled their sixth highest T20 total.The Rapids needed a Rutherford-style start to their chase but after Leach took 12 from the first over, Tom Kohler-Cadmore was caught behind trying to pull Ben Cotton and Alexei Kervezee went the same way to Thakor.When Leach was athletically pouched by Chesney Hughes leaping at mid-on, Worcestershire were 32 for 3 but D’Oliveira hit back by driving Thakor for four and six in the final over of the Powerplay.Worcestershire moved to 77 but after Mitchell launched Durston high to long-off, they went into the last 10 overs needing 114 with much resting on D’Oliveira and Ross Whiteley. Former Derbyshire allrounder Whiteley was threatening to change the game when he pulled and drove Durston for consecutive sixes as 19 came from the 13th over but in the next, he was caught at long-on for 27 from 15 balls.Ben Cox hit Critchley for two sixes but when he skied the legspinner to long-on and D’Oliveira was caught behind cutting at the next ball, the Rapids were heading for the rocks.

Legspinner Ish Sodhi and batsman Colin Munro have returned to New Zealand’s roster of centrally-contracted players for 2016-17

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2016Legspinner Ish Sodhi and batsman Colin Munro have returned to New Zealand’s roster of centrally-contracted players for 2016-17, the first season after the retirement of Brendon McCullum.Alongside his brother Nathan McCullum, Brendon retired from all forms of international cricket last season, while Grant Elliott dropped off the contract list, having retired from ODIs in April. He now plays only Twenty20 internationals.Sodhi and Munro were joined by first-timers Henry Nicholls, the left-hand batsman, and George Worker, the allrounder, as inclusions in a list that has been expanded from 20 to 21 this year. Having made their international debuts over the past 12 months, Nicholls and Worker are now formally part of the international squad.”We’ve built a strong group of core players over the past couple of years and that’s been a key factor to the consistency of the team’s performance,” Gavin Larsen, the selector, said.”When we’ve brought new players into the group, we’ve been really happy with how they’ve adapted and performed on the international stage. Henry and George have made bright starts to their careers and we look forward to watching their ongoing development.”After missing out last year, Ish and Colin have both worked extremely hard on their game, as we saw with their performances for us in the shorter formats this summer. They thoroughly deserve their contracts. It’s also exciting to see Ish make his way back into the Test squad for the upcoming series in Africa.”New Zealand’s cricketers are ranked across each format. Test matches gain twice the weighting of ODIs and T20s.Contracted players for 2016-17: Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Mark Craig, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, George Worker

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has enjoyed a fantastic first season with the club and remains in contention to secure a place in Europe by the end of the month.

The Villans are currently eighth in the table and only behind Tottenham Hotspur in seventh on goal difference with two matches left to play.

Emery has won 14 of his 23 Premier League games in charge of the club since arriving from Villarreal to take over from Steven Gerrard with the Spaniard having engineered a seriously impressive revival.

One of his biggest achievements so far has been the wonders he has worked with centre-forward Ollie Watkins, who has been in phenomenal form.

Prior to Emery coming in, the England international had scored two goals and provided two assists in 14 matches in all competitions for Villa. Since then, the 27-year-old has racked up 13 goals and four assists in 24 appearances – more than one goal contribution every other game.

Watkins' terrific turn in form shows that the Villans head coach knows how to get the best out of a mobile striker who enjoys getting in behind by using his pace on the shoulder of the last defender.

Who could be Emery's next Villa striker?

Emery could now unearth his next version of the former Brentford man by securing a deal to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer.

Football Insider recently reported that the club are interested in a deal to sign the Serbian at the end of the season as they attempt to bolster their forward department.

The £220k-per-week centre-forward has scored ten goals and provided two assists in 21 Serie A starts for the Old Lady in the 2022/23 campaign.

This comes after the 23-year-old plundered 24 goals and three assists in 33 starts in the Italian top-flight for Fiorentina and Juventus combined last term.

FBref coincidentally lists Watkins as the most similar player in world football to Vlahovic based on their respective statistics over the last 365 days. Both strikers accumulate between 0.40 and 0.42 non-penalty expected goals and between 0.11 and 0.12 expected assisted goals per 90.

These statistics show that both attackers offer a similar level of threat in their positioning to create chances for themselves and their creativity for their teammates in the final third. Like the Villa star, the Serbian marksman has proven himself in front of goal and could be a prolific frontman for the club in the years to come, using Emery's expertise in offensive play to better his and Villa's attack.

Vlahovic, who journalist Carlo Garganese described as "scary" and a "monster", has showcased his potential to be a lethal goalscorer at the top level, with his 24 strikes in 2021/22, and Emery's coaching – given his work with Watkins – could get him back to that standard next season.

Warwickshire have confirmed that Varun Chopra is to leave the club at the end of the season

George Dobell05-Jul-2016Warwickshire have confirmed that Varun Chopra is to leave the club at the end of the season.Chopra was captain of the club until January and has a good long-term record as a batsman. He has been Warwickshire’s top run-scorer (if all competitions are combined) in four of the five previous seasons and, after a modest 2015, has rediscovered his consistency this year. Only Samit Patel has reached 50 more often of Division One batsmen and, in his only T20 appearance of the season, he hit a match-winning 97 not out.But, as ESPNcricinfo revealed last week, somewhere along the way, the relationship between Chopra and the club management has soured. His desire to have more time off at the end of the season – the club want all players to report back for training in early November – and his reluctance to commit himself to a long-term future at the club have been perceived as not buying into the team culture and setting a less than perfect example to younger players.The club, mindful of the number of senior players on the staff, are also keen to provide opportunities to younger men and make room in the budget for acquisitions.But Chopra is just 29 – significantly younger than the likes of Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Rikki Clarke, Tim Ambrose and Jeetan Patel – and could have his best years ahead of him. He retains England aspirations and is known to be of interest to several clubs. He comes across as a most unlikely rebel – he was widely praised for his calm leadership as he led the club to the NatWest Blast title in 2014 – and Warwickshire may come to rue the failure to manage him more effectively.”Both parties believe that now is a good time for Varun to accept a fresh challenge and he is now able to talk to other counties in order to realise his own career ambitions,” a statement released by Warwickshire says. “In the meantime, he remains fully committed to the club and will continue to perform at his best through to the end of the season.”Whilst everyone at the club is fully aware of his capabilities as a top order batsman, there is also a need to look at the development of the squad in order to be able to maintain a challenge on all fronts in the coming years.”Everyone at Edgbaston would like to thank Varun for his contribution to Warwickshire over the last seven seasons.”

Manchester United have enjoyed a fine first season under Erik ten Hag, but it does seem like they are running out of steam as the campaign reaches its conclusion.

Back-to-back losses against West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion had thrown their top-four finish into doubt, which given how comfortable they once looked to bring Champions League football back to Old Trafford, would have been a travesty.

However, having since halted that mini-collapse against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Red Devils are once again back in the driving seat ahead of their rivals Liverpool.

Given the success of this debut year, the Dutch tactician will likely already be looking ahead as to how he can bolster this team that has served him well. Admittedly, the main cause for concern would be to add to the depth surrounding the starting XI, as they have been hamstrung by numerous injuries in various positions.

Marcel Sabitzer may have deputised well, having joined in January amidst Christian Eriksen's injury, but the Austrian is no match for some of the experienced alternatives this huge club could attract.

Despite that, the on-loan Bayern Munich maestro has made his intentions clear: "I found my place here. Now I know the Premier League and can say there's nothing better."

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

The recent news – as per Football Insider – could spell bad news for Sabitzer with it said that an offer is now being readied to sign Mateo Kovacic in a potential £30m deal.

It was previously suggested that the Red Devils were merely keeping tabs on the Croat, although it now appears as though they are set to step up their interest.

United's hierarchy seem to think they can definitely sign the midfielder, but only if they can convince the selling club to slash their price tag.

How has Mateo Kovacic played for Chelsea?

To claim the 29-year-old entering his prime years could prove a fine coup for Ten Hag, adding a true winner into his squad alongside the likes of Casemiro and Raphael Varane.

The Blues' midfielder is the proud victor of four Champions Leagues amongst numerous other trophies, yet this season has struggled in what has been a horrid transitional period for the west London club.

However, just last year saw the former Real Madrid star maintain a 7.20 average rating in the league, scoring twice, assisting five times and recording 1.1 key passes and two tackles per game, via Sofascore. He truly was imperious, and this is form he has largely maintained throughout his whole career at Stamford Bridge.

It even led Jurgen Klopp to praise the World Cup finalist back in 2018, questioning how to defend the midfielder, when he is "running like a Formula One car".

Although Sabitzer has deputised well, with three goals and one assist in all competitions, the experience of Kovacic, as it has proven with Eriksen, would be vital.

The latter has quietly been one of the Premier League's most consistently high-performing stars in recent years, and should he prove to be a viable option, the decision of who to sign becomes a no-brainer. Indeed, Ten Hag must surely send Sabitzer packing if this move comes to fruition.