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Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo is 'available' for a transfer this summer following his return from a spell on loan at Bayern Munich, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Joao Cancelo?

Following concerns over his playing time last season, Cancelo was shipped out to Bayern Munich on loan and the German giants had the option to make the deal permanent for over £61 million, as per Sky Sports.

In his time at the Allianz Arena, Cancelo helped Bayern Munich to narrowly seal Bundesliga glory, registering one goal and six assists in 21 appearances, as shown on Transfermarkt.

German outlet Kicker report that Arsenal are keen on Cancelo amid uncertainty over his future at the Etihad, with RB Leipzig defender Benjamin Henrichs and Galatasaray's Sacha Boey also being monitored by the north Londoners this window.

Manchester City would demand a significant fee for Cancelo, who still has four years remaining on his contract at the club. Bayern Munich passed on the chance to sign the Portugal international, which may pave the way for the Gunners to firm up their interest in the coming weeks.

One outlet in Spain claim that Barcelona are also keeping an eye on Cancelo's situation and could initiate a loan bid to try and secure his signature.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has indicated that Manchester City would be open to letting Cancelo move on this off-season.

Jones stated: "Cancelo is available. There has been no obvious change in that and he can leave. We can see Kyle Walker has been talked about leaving too. They're kind of open to even that happening, so Cancelo definitely could leave."

Who could replace Joao Cancelo at Manchester City?

Manchester City have been linked with potential targets to replace Cancelo this summer in the event he completes a transfer elsewhere in the duration of the window.

As per Football Insider, the Citizens hold a 'strong interest' in Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi and he 'features highly' on a list of targets that Guardiola could target to bolster the ranks in defence.

In all likelihood, Manchester City will need to fork out a large sum of money to hold any hope of capturing Hakimi, though the outlet claim that they are 'ready to pay' for the Morocco international.

Veteran defender Kyle Walker could also make way for fresh blood amid interest from Bayern Munich; nevertheless, Manchester City are prepared to offer the 33-year-old a two-year contract extension to tie him down in the North West, according to Telegraph Sport.

The former Tottenham Hotspur full-back has a big decision to make surrounding his future, which previously looked to be doubtful earlier this year.

Of course, Manchester City could promote from within to replace Cancelo and there would be no better candidate on the books at the club already to step into his shoes than youngster Rico Lewis, who made 23 senior appearances for his boyhood club last season, scoring once, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite his supreme level of talent, Cancelo looks like he has run his race at Manchester City and is likely to depart for a new challenge should appropriate opportunities arise for him.

Meanwhile, Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan would be quietly confident that they can retire from Test cricket with the honour spearheading Pakistan to their first series win in the Caribbean

The Report by Danyal Rasool13-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:09

From Textiles to Test cricket

On the first three days in Roseau, a total of 15 wickets fell. On the fourth, batsmen succumbed as the deciding Test between West Indies and Pakistan burst into life. With the hosts needing 304 to win, all three results are just about possible, in the game, and by extension, the series.The start of the evening saw West Indies strike the perfect notes, Alzarri Joseph getting rid of the last two recognised batsmen, Sarfraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq. With Pakistan 90 for 7, the lead just over 200 but well below what would make Misbah-ul-Haq feel comfortable, Jason Holder’s men might have sniffed the possibility of a sensational win.But that was before Mohammad Amir and Yasir Shah put together a gutsy 61-run stand that steered Pakistan out of troubled waters and could well have batted West Indies out of the contest. Yasir continued haunting his opposition as he picked up a wicket off what became the last ball of the day.Misbah and Younis Khan would be quietly confident that they can retire from Test cricket with the honour spearheading Pakistan to their first series win in the Caribbean. Finishing their careers with scores of 2 and 35 respectively in exchange for that seems like a pretty good trade off. Both men were welcomed back to the pavilion one last time by a set of grateful team-mates lined up in a guard of honour.All that emotion had to be kept aside, however, during the last hour and a half of play. Pakistan did so and as a result enjoyed complete domination. Yasir, who was caught off a no-ball, and Amir, who was drawn into a few verbal arguments, swung merrily during the final five overs of the innings to ransack 47 runs. Then came the declaration.The West Indies openers were left with the unenviable task of batting out the day’s last 25 minutes against the new ball. They hung in bravely right till the final over, but Yasir had one final blow to land and Shan Masood helped out by staying low at silly point and diving to his right to pull off a remarkable catch to dismiss Kieron Powell.Younis Khan signs off in style•AFPThe day began with Pakistan skittling West Indies’ last five wickets out within the first hour. Mohammad Abbas was chiefly responsible for the damage, taking his first five-wicket haul to give Pakistan a seemingly impregnable lead of 129. There was still time for Pakistan to bat seven overs before lunch would be taken but they were rather tentative during that period, scoring just eight runs, while losing two wickets.Azhar Ali slashed a short, wide delivery to point and Babar Azam followed him off the last ball of the session, edging to short leg. The third umpire was called in to check if the ball had carried to the close-in fielder and though there were visuals that seemed to indicate the ball had kissed the ground before going into Shimron Hetmyer’s hands, Richard Kettleborough went with the on-field official’s soft signal of out.The second session brought Misbah and Younis – the most prolific batting partnership in Pakistan’s Test history – together at the crease for one final time. It wasn’t the fairytale ending – 8 runs off 28 balls – and the team was back in trouble again but nothing could divert attention away from Misbah as he walked off the field one last time with bat in hand.Younis appeared in good form, moving his feet adeptly, rotating the strike without any trouble even on a slow pitch. Aside from that, he ushered his protégé Shan Masood through some tough times early in the innings but after struggling to cope with his weakness outside the off stump, Masood was trapped lbw by Shannon Gabriel for 21 off 68 balls.That brought Misbah to the crease and there was hope that the pair could combine for one last hurrah, a flourish to remember them by, one for the road, whatever you wished to call it. However, while imaginations took off, the run-rate did not.Misbah probably felt it too, and tried to rectify it the way he knew best. Devendra Bishoo flighted one up to him, and he couldn’t resist one final slog sweep over long-on. It was poorly miscued, flying straight up in the air, and Shane Dowrich took a comfortable catch. Pakistan’s longest-serving captain’s innings was played. Younis fell off the last ball before tea, top-edging a full toss to Kieron Powell at short fine leg, who ran to his left and secured a tumbling, one-handed catch. And so ended a grand era.

Aston Villa are believed to be interested in signing Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie in the summer transfer window, according to a new update.

Was Weston McKennie a flop at Leeds?

The £49,000-a-week American is currently a Juventus player, with his deal there expiring in the summer of 2025, but it looks as though he is likely to move on in the current window.

Back in January, McKennie joined Leeds United on loan, coming in as what looked like an exciting signing for the Whites, and one that could help them pull clear from the Premier League relegation zone after a poor first half of the season. Instead, there is no question that he was a disappointment at Elland Road overall, ultimately failing to help his team remain in the top flight.

The 24-year-old made 19 appearances in the league for Leeds, not managing to score once and only registering one assist in that time, and his time there went "badly, very badly indeed". Unsurprisingly, there was little talk of McKennie joining permanently at the end of last season, given the Whites' relegation to the Championship, and the midfielder's future remains up in the air.

With Villa continuing to look at summer transfer business of their own, however, it looks as though the Juve man could be a target for them, according to a new update.

Are Aston Villa signing Weston McKennie this summer?

According to Italian publication Calciomercato [via The Boot Room], the Villans are keen on the idea of signing McKennie this summer, with the USA international wanting to prove himself again in the Premier League. They are far from alone in being the only club interested, however, with Borussia Dortmund and Galatasaray also mentioned in the report.

While Juve are believed to have wanted £34.2m for his services at one point, there are now willing to sell him for "drastically" less than that, accepting that his stock has fallen a little in recent months.

There is no doubt that some Villa fans would have reservations about the club bringing in McKennie, due to the level of his performances for Leeds, but they are in a better position than the Whites were, and he could thrive alongside superior players, also feeling more at home if the move is a permanent one.

It shouldn't be forgotten that the midfielder enjoyed a good 2022 World Cup campaign with the USA, making four starts in impressive fashion, and he has also been hailed as "excellent" by journalist Adam Pope during one performance for Leeds, so seemingly can turn it on in the right setting.

At 24, McKennie has lots of improving to do still, and could reap the rewards of playing under Unai Emery, so if the Villa boss sees him as a strong option, his superb performance as manager to date suggests that he and new transfer guru Monchi be trusted in their decision-making.

The Juve ace could come in and provide good competition for place in the middle of the park, while Villa's UEFA Europa Conference League commitments in 2023/24 also heighten the need for the squad to be rotated sensibly, and he could add the desired squad depth to aid that.

Afghanistan’s first full series against a Full Member other than Zimbabwe will include three T20Is and three ODIs against West Indies, beginning in early June

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2017Afghanistan’s first bilateral series against West Indies will include three T20Is and three ODIs, beginning in the first week of June. The series will be played concurrently with the Champions Trophy, which begins on June 1 in England. West Indies, who haven’t won a bilateral ODI series since 2014, beating Bangladesh at home, failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy.WI v Afghanistan schedule

June 2 – First T20I
June 3 – Second T20I
June 5 – Third T20I
June 9 – First ODI
June 11 – Second ODI
June 14 – Third ODI

All three T20s will be played at Warner Park in St Kitts, beginning from June 2. The ODIs, all of which will be played at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia, will begin a week later, on June 9.The tour’s original schedule included five ODIs and three T20Is. This series will also be Afghanistan’s first full series against a Full Member other than Zimbabwe.”It will also be an important series for our side,” Roland Holder, WICB Manager of Cricket Operations, said, “as they look to move up in the ICC World Rankings in the two formats, and continue their quest to qualify for the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and Wales.”West Indies are currently placed ninth in the ODI rankings, followed by Afghanistan. West Indies will be hoping to climb up the rankings as only the top eight teams as of September end this year will gain automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup. They lost their last ODI series 3-0 to England earlier this month and have three more coming up against Pakistan in April.West Indies and Afghanistan have never played an ODI against each other and the last time they squared up in a T20I, Afghanistan won by six runs, in a league match in the World T20 last year.The upcoming three T20Is will start at 7pm and the day-night ODIs will start at 2.30 pm.

Everton will scope out potential additions they can bring in from the Sky Bet Championship this window as Sean Dyche seeks to bolster his squad, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest transfer news involving Everton and Championship players?

According to Football Insider, Everton are keen on Blackburn Rovers defender Scott Wharton and would be willing to offer two players in exchange to initiate a deal for the 25-year-old.

Ellis Simms and Neal Maupay are the pair in question that the Toffees may look to use as a makeweight in any transfer, with Dyche keen to get them off the wage bill in an attempt to cut costs at Goodison Park.

As per The Daily Mail, Swansea City striker Joel Piroe is another name that has been mentioned in connection with Everton this window as they explore the Sky Bet Championship market and the Swans have reportedly discussed a swap deal that would involve Simms moving to the other way.

FootballTransfers claim that the Toffees admire Leeds United trio Rodrigo Moreno, Jack Harrison and Wilfried Gnonto; however, the former has attracted attention from the Middle East and may be offered more lucrative terms in the Gulf region than on Merseyside.

Journalist Alan Nixon has communicated via his Patreon that Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton, brother of Scott, has come into Dyche's thoughts and could be a potential replacement for West Ham United-linked Amadou Onana.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown expects Everton to shop in the Sky Bet Championship this summer as they look to add some depth to their thin squad.

Brown told FFC: "I do think Everton are looking in the Championship at the moment. It seems pretty clear from the kind of names that are gradually being leaked out that it is one area Everton are looking at. Normally, you have to pay a bit of a premium for players who've done really well in the Championship because they obviously have a lot of value to their own clubs."

How will Everton manage to navigate this transfer window?

Everton are in a tight spot with regard to their finances and find themselves in special measures with the Premier League, as they have recorded losses exceeding £370 million over the last three years, meaning they may not have a hefty amount of money to spend in the transfer window, as per The Daily Mail.

Players could be sold this summer to help their financial footing and Belgium international Onana's future is up in the air, with West Ham United placing him on a shortlist to replace outgoing captain Declan Rice, as per Football Insider.

The Daily Mail cite that Chelsea are close to signing Toffees youngster Ishe Samuels-Smith for a fee of around £4 million in a deal that will see one of Everton's brightest talents leave Goodison Park.

I News understand that attacker Demarai Gray has commanded interest from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal alongside two Premier League clubs, though they would demand more than £10 million despite their openness to let him leave this off-season.

In truth, Everton will be set for a major reshuffle in the coming weeks that could breed widescale change in Dyche's squad and they will need to try and be acute in the transfer market to pick up bargains when they emerge in light of their financial situation.

The CoA has put out a directive on the BCCI website, saying the office bearers cannot take any decisions independently without its permission

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Mar-2017The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) has reiterated to the BCCI office bearers that it remains in charge of the Indian board.On Sunday, the CoA put out a directive on the BCCI website, saying the office bearers cannot take any decisions independently without its permission. Also, any decision reached by any of the BCCI committees will not be binding unless the CoA had given it approval.This fresh communique, the CoA said, was necessitated by the court order on March 24, which clarified that an office bearer could hold nine-year terms at the BCCI and state association separately.That meant virtually all the existing BCCI office bearers could continue in their position. These included Amitabh Choudhry (joint-secretary), Anirudh Chaudhry (treasurer) and at least three of the five vice-presidents – CK Khanna (central zone), TC Mathew (west), Goutam Roy (east).According to the CoA, three office beaers – Choudhry, Chaudhry and Khanna – had filed petitions asking the court to offer clarity on their powers. On January 2 the court had removed the pair of Anurag Thakur (BCCI president) and Ajay Shirke (secretary) for failing to comply with the Lodha Committee recommendations.Till the BCCI elected a fresh administration based on the Lodha Committee recommendations, the court said the most senior BCCI vice-president would be in charge of the board while the joint-secretary would be the acting secretary. Consequently Khanna, who is the most senior vice-president in terms of his tenure, thought he was eligible to be the acting president while Choudhry would take over as acting secretary.As far as the CoA is concerned, though, it is clear about the court giving it the authority to supervise and control the BCCI. “Each of the existing office bearers shall be bound to act in accordance with the instructions of the Committee of Administrators and/or shall discharge their duties only with the prior written approval of the Committee of Administrators,” the COA said in its directive. “Any actions already taken by any of the existing office bearers after the order dated 24th March 2017 shall immediately be intimated in writing by the concerned office bearer(s) to the Committee of Administrators for their permission and shall be continued/proceeded with only after written permission for the same is granted by the Committee of Administrators.”The existing office bearers shall not make any statements, representations or commitments on behalf of the BCCI to any third party including to Government, Court, Tribunal, regulatory authority, media or any cricket body or organisation without the prior written approval of the Committee of Administrators.”Over the weekend there have been unconfirmed reports about some of the BCCI members – state associations – thinking of calling a special general meeting on April 9. Despite repeated diktats from the court, the state associations have remained resolute about not adopting the Lodha Committee recommendations and have filed fresh counter petitions. The CoA has submitted two status reports in the court on the “intransigence” of the state associations.To rein in the rebelling, the CoA issued a stern message. “In order for any action/decision (including without limitation any action/decision taken by any Committee or the General Body) to be valid and binding on the BCCI, the same must be taken with the prior approval of the Committee of Administrators.”According to the CoA, going forward all payments would need the “joint approval” of the BCCI CEO Rahul Johri and Choudhry. In case one of them did not approve or failed to sign off on any payment within three days of the other doing it, the CoA would make the final decision. Johri had been given the complete authority to sign all decisions concerning legal issues of the BCCI. It was also pointed out that both Johri and the Santosh Rangnekar, the BCCI’s chief financial officer, will report to the CoA and not the office bearers.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said that on a pitch that did not provide a lot of assistance the side needed a bowler who could create opportunities, something Neil Wagner had done consistently

Firdose Moonda in Dunedin08-Mar-2017New Zealand’s brains trust may have spent Tuesday night sleepless as they mulled over which bowler to bench, in order to accommodate two spinners in their XI at the University Oval. In the end, they left out vice-captain Tim Southee, who has not been dropped in five years since India 2012, in a move that blind-sided everyone including the opposition.”I was surprised because he is their trump card. He and Boult have been phenomenal for New Zealand, in Test and one-day cricket so I was surprised to see him not playing,” Dean Elgar, South Africa’s centurion, said. “I know to play two spinners you have to sacrifice someone. But I was surprised because he bowls with a lot of control and brings the right-arm aspect to the bowling department.”Mike Hesson explained that once New Zealand had decided on their spin duo, they had to choose two of their “three very good seamers” to make up the rest of the attack. With Trent Boult the mainstay, the choice was between Southee and homeboy Neil Wagner, and Wagner won out.”We didn’t think there was a lot in the wicket and we needed one of the two seamers to be able to create things when there’s not a lot on offer, and Neil has done that consistently over the last few years. So that was relatively straightforward,” Hesson said. “It’s certainly something Kane, myself and senior players spent some time tossing over and I think no matter which way we went it would have been a difficult decision. Whoever missed out would have felt a bit miffed.”A sullen Southee was spotted throughout the first day but he wasn’t the only one who would have felt hard done by. Colin de Grandhomme, who has impressed in this home summer, made way for Jimmy Neesham, who is regarded as a better batsman, for tactical reasons. “If we thought the wicket was going to seam then we would have played Colin de Grandhomme. It hasn’t seamed this year and it didn’t seam today,” Hesson said.Hesson conceded that the real test of whether there is any movement on offer will come when South Africa take the field and Vernon Philander has the ball in hand.Elgar is confident that even if there isn’t much for Philander to exploit, South Africa’s attack is good enough to make inroads despite having picked only one specialist spinner in Keshav Maharaj.”I’m going to say our bowlers will perform brilliantly,” Elgar said. “We are fortunate to have similar wickets, like at St George’s Park, where we play good cricket and the wicket is very similar with regards to the pace. Our bowlers seem to have a lot of success there.”Even though Elgar found his most free-scoring period when the New Zealand quicks were using the older ball post-lunch, he believes the South Africa’s speedsters could pose real problems for New Zealand, especially with the new ball. “Having a little bit of extra pace on the ball seems to be key, which is why I find it a bit odd that Neesham didn’t bowl a bit more because he does bowl a quicker, heavier ball. We’ve got Morne and KG who can crank it up to 145-plus, which could work in our favour in this kind of wicket,” Elgar said.Before South Africa get to that, they will want to ensure they give their bowlers enough to work with. After losing four wickets on a slow first day and with two batsmen well set, they could already be rethinking their estimation of what they would like to end up with. “We were looking at about 250-280 at about tea time but now being in a good position after not losing a wicket in the last session we can readjust,” Elgar said. “I think 350 is maybe a 450 on that wicket just because of the slowness of the wicket.”The pace of the match is a concern for other reasons too. The scoring rate on day one eked over 2.5 to the over, and with rain around on the weekend, there is already suggestion there may not be enough time for anything other than a draw. Hesson, however, thinks it’s too early to look further than the next day or two. “Any time you play against South Africa, it’s always a result pitch,” Hesson said. “Dunedin has put on a cracking day today and I wouldn’t expect it to be much different the next couple of days. As for the weekend, when you live on the coast, predicting the weather two days out can be a bit of a guessing game.”

Sheffield United don't want to lose "one of their most important players" in Sander Berge, but "issues around finances" at the club could force their hand, believes transfer insider Dean Jones.

Sheffield United transfer news – what's the latest on Sander Berge?

Berge made his way to English football in January 2020 when he signed for the South Yorkshire outfit for just £22m from Belgian Pro League side K.R.C.Genk.

Since then, he has gone on to make 109 appearances for the Blades, scoring 15 goals and providing the assist for another 12.

He was an instrumental part of the team that won promotion back to the Premier League last season, having almost been sold in January due to the club's financial situation.

Despite keeping hold of him, it looks like the club might once again be on the verge of selling the player as Football Insider reported that the club would accept an offer of just £10m for one of their star men.

What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Sander Berge?

Jones was quick to stress that should the player leave Sheffield in the summer, it wouldn't be down to footballing reasons, with any decision to let him go being purely financial.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "He got plenty of starts last season for Sheffield United he is one of their most important players. I don't think they particularly want to lose him. I think they have just got issues around finances at the moment at Sheffield United that's holding them back a little bit."

How good is Sander Berge?

The Norwegian "Rolls-Royce", as hailed by teammate Chris Basham had a great season last year in Sheffield's famous red and white.

According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old averaged a brilliant rating of 6.95 across his 37 appearances in the Championship, scoring six goals and assisting a further five.

In fact, since his arrival in England, he has yet to average a rating lower than 6.43 across his four league campaigns.

His underlying numbers look great as well.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across football's next eight best competitions after the top five leagues, Berge is in the top 3% for progressive carries, the top 5% for touches in the oppositions penalty area and the top 9% for non-penalty goals, all per 90.

If Sheffield United can find a way to keep hold of their talismanic Norwegian for their first season back in the Premier League in two years, they will be so much better for it.

New Zealand opener Tom Latham has said his team will “certainly” be looking to go after whatever target Bangladesh set, if they can bowl them out quickly enough on day five

Mohammad Isam at Basin Reserve15-Jan-2017New Zealand opener Tom Latham has said his team will “certainly” be looking to go after whatever target Bangladesh set, if they can bowl them out quickly enough on day five. The key to bowling them out, he said, would be to sow “doubt” in their batsmen’s minds.That the hosts could even think of chasing a win was down to Bangladesh’s late collapse on day four at Basin Reserve. The visitors ended 122 ahead with seven wickets in hand, but, in addition to some carelessness in the final half hour, they also had injury issues: Imrul Kayes was stretchered off with a thigh injury, while Mushfiqur Rahim will have to bat with hurt fingers should he be needed. Among the wickets were Tamim Iqbal – bowled by left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner after misjudging the length on an attempted cut – Mahmudullah – caught down the leg side – and nightwatchman Mehedi Hasan run out looking for a second off what turned out to be the last ball of the day. Bangladesh slipped from 46 for no loss to 66 for 3.”I wouldn’t say you sense the panic [in the Bangladesh batsmen], but we’ve got three world-class seamers and a very good spinner. If we can put the ball in good areas for long enough then hopefully we can create that doubt,” Latham, who registered his highest Test score of 177 in getting New Zealand to 539, said. “If we can keep taking wickets in clumps and if they don’t build any partnerships, that’s the key for us.”Possibly it might start going up and down and might start turning a little bit more. I still think it’s a very good batting surface though, and if we are chasing a score partnerships will be a key to winning. We like to play a winning brand of cricket and whatever the score is, hopefully it’s a reasonable chase and we’ll certainly be having a go at it. It’s a massive day tomorrow and that first hour is going to set the tone.”Latham said that fast bowler Neil Wagner was fine despite being struck three times during his 31-ball innings. Wagner was first hit on the helmet by a Kamrul Islam Rabbi bouncer before the same pacer struck him twice more off consecutive balls, one of which left him with a cut on his chin.”It’s never nice to see a team-mate get hit,” Latham said. “The medical team were out there and they were assessing him, and we’ve got to leave it in their hands. He was fine, he’s a pretty tough character.”

Liverpool target Khephren Thuram has been urged to join the Reds as Premier League clubs battle for his signature this summer.

What’s the latest on Khephren Thuram to Liverpool?

RedmenTV presenter Paul Machin believes the Nice man should think carefully about his next destination, despite some of his potential suitors being able to offer Champions League football.

Indeed, Newcastle United are also believed to be admirers of the Frenchman and will return to the Champions League next term.

Machin told GIVEMESPORT: "I think Champions League football is an obvious draw, but the Newcastle project is still so young that there are so many uncertainties around it.

"I think they need a year or two of consistently qualifying for the Champions League before they become a proper Champions League club."

Whilst it’s difficult to argue against the project and the excitement brewing at St James' Park, Jurgen Klopp’s side is still expected to continue their pursuit of Thuram.

As per Nice-Matin, via Get French Football News, Liverpool will lodge a bid for the 22-year-old once the U21 European Championship has finished.

It is understood that Anfield is Thuram’s preferred destination, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently revealing that the 2019 Champions League winners are in constant contact with the Frenchman.

Thuram is valued at around £35m, with Newcastle still in the race.

How could Liverpool line up next season?

Since making his first team debut for Nice in 2019, Thuram has evolved into one of the continent's most promising and exciting talents.

In total, he has accumulated 138 appearances for his current club, with 35 of those coming in Ligue 1 this season.

Didier Digard, Thuram’s coach at Nice last season, has eulogised over his limitless potential and said: “Khephren’s fantastic. He is very hardworking, very attentive. On rest days he's at the training centre. He recovers quickly for back-to-back matches and completes high-intensity training.

“He listens and applies himself. He has room for improvement and he's in demand. He simply eats up video analysis, additional sessions. He also advises others, because he takes on a leadership role.”

As well as his commendable mentality, the £14k-per-week gem has also displayed his sensational dribbling ability as he ranks within the top 9% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries per 90 and successful take-ons per 90.

A player of this calibre could form a scintillating new partnership with Liverpool’s newest recruit, Alexis Mac Allister.

The Argentinian recently signed for just £35m and his incredible numbers make him a huge asset. The World Cup winner sits within the best 20% for successful take-ons per 90, shot-creating actions per 90, and total shots per 90, as his impudent trickery combined with Thuram’s energy makes for a frightening prospect.

Last campaign, across 35 top-flight games, the former Brighton man averaged 2.0 tackles and 1.3 key passes per game, as well as forging an 87% pass accuracy.

With a new-look midfield on the horizon at Liverpool, Klopp’s side could be back to their devastating best in the near future.