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Suadi Arabian club Al-Ahli are "pushing" to sing Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Algerian joined the Citizens in the summer of 2018, and has won every trophy possible during his five-season spell in Manchester.

Is Mahrez leaving Manchester City?

The 32-year-old looks set to depart this summer and head to the Saudi Pro League.

According to reports, the Algerian is flying out to Dubai to undergo a medical with the same club that recently announced the signing of former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino. The Jeddah based club have reportedly offered the winger a whopping contract worth £43m plus bonuses a year to make the switch.

The forward joined the Manchester club from Leicester City for what was then a club-record fee of £60m. In his five-season stint, the Algerian has made 236 appearances for the club, scoring 78 and assisting 59 en route to winning a mind-blowing 10 trophies with the club, including four league titles, one Champions League and the historic treble that was completed last season.

Whilst losing a player of Mahrez's quality would be a blow to any side in the world, The Athletic are reporting that the Citizens are stepping up their plans to sign a winger ahead of Mahrez's impending departure, with the side set to receive a potential fee in the region of £30m.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that despite Man City not receiving an official bid yet, Al-Ahli are really trying to get a deal over the line for the former PFA Player of the Year:

"Al-Ahli are pushing to sign Riyad Mahrez. The agreement with the player is almost done but not yet with Manchester City, Manchester City do not yet have any official bid, any official documents so Man City will get back to work on Monday, and will start conversations with Mahrez to understand the state of his conversation with Al-Ahli, and then negotiate with Al-Ahli in case the player gives the final green light"

How can Manchester City replace Riyad Mahrez?

There are a number of intriguing options that Pep Guardiola could explore to replace the Algerian.

One option could be to utilise Phil Foden on the right wing. In his career, the England international has only played on the right 18 times, but his returns from that position are incredible, with 10 goals and 4 assists.

Last campaign, Foden was deployed on the right-hand side a number of times at the beginning of the campaign, and his iconic hat-trick in the Manchester Derby came as a right-winger, showcasing that he can perform at the highest level against the toughest opposition in that right-wing role.

However, with the departure of Ilkay Gundogan and the continued uncertainty around the future of Bernardo Silva, the 23-year-old could find himself deployed in a more traditional central role next season, forcing Guardiola to find a different solution.

Should City delve into the transfer market like reports are suggesting, some players who share very similar statistical profiles to Mahrez include Jadon Sancho, Serge Gnabry and Ousmane Dembele. However, one of the best potential matches is Napoli star Khvica Kvaratskhelia who has reportedly caught the attention of City.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a breakout season for the Italian side last season, making 43 appearances and recording 31 goal contributions as the Naples side won their first league title in over 30 years.

Reports have recently come out about fellow Premier League side Newcastle United preparing a bid for the Georgian attacker, which could prompt the Premier League champions to swoop in. Kvaratskhelia has played 14 games on the right-wing in his career before, but a player of his quality when working under a legendary manager such as Guardiola could easily be able to adapt their game to the other side.

Whether either replacement option for Mahrez can replicate the impact the 32-year-old had at Manchester City, only time will tell, but it will be an incredibly hard ask.

Darren Stevens is 41 and his powers show no sign of declining. As much as the centurion, Joe Denly, he is responsible for Kent being in utter control of this game

Paul Edwards at Tunbridge Wells27-May-2017
ScorecardDarren Stevens rumbles to the wicket like a taxi-driver bilked of a good fare and in warm pursuit of the miscreant. The ball, when it emerges from one of his many skilful grips, is travelling at little more than 70 miles per hour; yet it swings and seams with the craft of the ages. Five Sussex batsmen were baffled and beaten by Stevens’ ruseful cunning on the second day of this match, bringing his total of championship wickets for the season to 29 at an average of 12.08 and suggesting the conclusion that he is the best medium-pacer in the land. Stevens is the Vicar of Dibbly-Dobbly.If such an accolade seems even faintly derogatory, that is not one’s intention. (Perhaps a bishopric would better reflect our subject’s stature and eminence.) Stevens takes the new ball for Kent and his bowling against the Sussex batsmen, most of whom could make nothing of him, was one the best things seen this glad season. He has now taken five wickets on 16 occasions in first-class cricket, all of them since celebrating his 35th birthday.Stevens is 41 and his powers show no sign of declining. As much as the centurion, Joe Denly, he is responsible for Kent being in utter control of this game, a position they strengthened by establishing a 205-run first-innings lead and extending it to 321 without the loss of a wicket by stumps. Only a cheek-cracking, steeple-drenching tempest on one of the last two days will make the decision not to enforce the follow-on look foolish.But for all the serenities of Kent’s batting on the second evening, this was Stevens’ day, albeit one on which he was helped a trifle by the conditions at the Nevill Ground. There was rain at breakfast time and the air remained heavy and very faintly tropical. Droplets of water fell from the trees as they threshed in the fresh breeze and this added to the mildly subcontinental atmosphere; it even recalled a more distant age when, so some of the stories go, this Regency spa was a favoured haunt of colonial governors with their fearsome curries and crested ties. The day remained a trifle steamy deep into the morning and this is often advantageous to bowlers of Stevens’ pace.But the session had been crammed with good things for Kent ever since the first ball of the day when Adam Rouse’s square cut off Vernon Philander offered the crowd a rifle-shot reveille to their day’s cricket. Rouse followed that blow with two more fours in very short order and was probably a trifle unfortunate to be given out leg before to the final ball of that same over. He trooped off with 44 good runs against his name and some say he was rubbing his thigh pad. James Tredwell and Matt Coles ensured that Kent collected a fourth batting point before Chris Jordan ended the innings.Sussex’s reply began poorly and was never off the danger list after James Harris’s second ball of the innings nipped back and plucked out Chris Nash’s off stump. The batsman looked a little bemused at his dismissal but that was nothing to the general confusion when Stevens moved into full throttle. That began in the seventh over when Luke Wells pushed defensively at a ball of good length but only edged a catch to Coles at second slip. Twenty-five minutes later, Finch, whom Stevens had tortured for most of his 30-ball innings, received two outswingers followed by an in-ducker. Peter Hartley’s lbw decision was almost merciful.As if to add variety to the home crowd’s entertainment, Coles took the fourth wicket when Luke Wright’s slash nicked a catch high to second slip’s left. Such chances frequently fly to the boundary unmolested but Tredwell dived and held the bullet two-handed. Such catches win games and shape seasons. It reminded one of the days when Ian Botham stood at second slip for England with the air of a man who could slay the Stymphalian birds before breakfast.Even lunch at Tunbridge Wells might have seemed like hard commons for Sussex’s cricketers but things got worse for them on the resumption. Stevens, whose figures had at one stage read 8-5-9-2, splattered Michael Burgess’s stumps when the batsman attempted a loose drive, probably out of desperation. Jordan lasted eight balls before he simply played across the line, which is almost always an error against a bowler whose line is so tight. “Jordan has disturbed the scorers because I’ve got to put his nought up as last man,” said one of the scoreboard men with impish glee.For his last trick Stevens persuaded the resolute left-hander Stiaan van Zyl to play inside one which drifted away. There was another tumble of ash and Sussex were 109 for 7. Stevens ended his 17-over spell, which admittedly had been bridged by luncheon, with figures of 5 for 40. There was great applause, of course, and the ovation was repeated at the end of the innings when the smiling bowler produced the ball from his pocket and waved it to the crowd. He had scarcely bowled a delivery which did not require a response and here he was again, knowing exactly what he should do with a cricket ball.The end of Stevens’ spell was followed by something of a siesta as Philander and David Wiese added 55 good runs in 17 overs. Any hopes of further resistance, though, were quickly ended as Sussex lost their last three wickets in 11 balls. Tredwell had Philander snapped up at slip by Coles before Harris removed Wiese and Archer with successive deliveries. Most of the crowd then watched the final session in blissful contentment. The many hundreds of trees, most of which have seen all 55 Kent v Sussex matches on this ground, buffeted each other in the gentle breeze, as if giggling at Kentish dominance. It will take batting beyond the merely resolute for Sussex to save this game; with Stevens in such delicious form, one cannot fancy their chances.

West Ham United finally confirmed on Saturday that captain Declan Rice has departed the club in a British-record transfer to Arsenal.

The Irons had grown increasingly frustrated with the amount of time it took to formally get a deal over the line, but they can now finally start to bring in some new players of their own with the £100m-plus windfall.

Who have West Ham signed this summer?

Rather worryingly for West Ham fans, they have yet to make any senior signings a month out from the new Premier League campaign getting underway.

However, there appears to be a number of players lined up in various positions, with Denis Zakaria and Luiz Felipe reportedly close to arriving at the London Stadium from Juventus and Real Betis respectively.

According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, West Ham have also now contacted Ajax regarding a move for midfielder Edson Alvarez, who is said to be valued at around £35-40m by the Eredivisie heavyweights.

Alvarez has been strongly linked with a switch to Borussia Dortmund this window but, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, they pulled out of the race due to the Amsterdam outfit's asking price.

Is Ajax's Edson Alvarez a good player?

Alvarez certainly boasts plenty of experience, having made close to 150 appearances for Ajax in all competitions – including in the Champions League and Europa League – while also featuring at two World Cups with Mexico.

The 25-year-old – who has been hailed as a "superb tackler" by talent scout Jacek Kulig – was used 44 times by the Dutch giants last season, mainly as a central midfielder, though he did also fill in at centre-back on occasions in a show of his versatility.

Alvarez shares many similarities with Rice, the pair having scored at a near identical scoring rate last season (0.11 goals per 90 v 0.10 respectively), completed a similar number of passes (88.7% v 86.5%), and registered 3.73 and 3.90 tackles and interceptions combined per 90, as per FBref.

There is a Premier League player Alvarez is more alike than Rice, though, in Manchester City's Champions League final hero Rodri. In fact, the Spaniard is the closest match to Alvarez among all players from across Europe's top five leagues, according to The Analyst's player comparison tool.

Alvarez wins possession an average of 9.2 times per 90, compared to 9.3 for Rodri, while they touch the ball pretty much the same number of times (100 times per 90 v 104 times per 90) and create chances at an identical rate (one each per 90).

That likeness to the former Atletico Madrid man is some praise indeed considering the impact that the 27-year-old has made in English football of late, having been described as the 'world's best holding midfielder' by Match of the Day pundit, Danny Murphy.

Where Alvarez does slightly differ to both Rodri and Rice is his tough-tackling ability, highlighted by his 10 yellow cards in Eredivisie last season – only FC Twente's Robin Propper could match that tally.

Indeed, as per Opta, Alvarez last season became the first Ajax player to reach double figures for cautions in a single league campaign in their proud history. Little wonder he has been described as a 'disruptor' by Borussia Dortmund writer Brian Szlenk Straub, via FanSided.

To say West Ham would be getting themselves an upgrade on their departing skipper would perhaps risk hyperbole, but the versatile midfielder would certainly be close to the ideal first signing to make in the post-Rice era.

Only 47.3 overs were possible on the second day at the Fischer County Ground, after the first day was entirely washed out

ECB Reporters Network20-May-2017
ScorecardPaul Horton had an early boundary blitz before rain fell again•Getty ImagesRain continued to blight the Specsavers county championship match between Leicestershire and Kent.Only 47.3 overs were possible on the second day at the Fischer County Ground, after the first day was entirely washed out.Paul Horton and Harry Dearden compiled an opening partnership of 58 for the Foxes before the experienced Horton, who had hit nine boundaries in going to 48, was given leg before on the front foot to a Darren Stevens which seamed back in to the right-hander.Dearden, who took 26 overs to reach double figures, was beginning to bat with much more fluency when the 20-year-old left-hander drove loosely at Matt Coles coming in around the wicket, and was bowled through the gate.He and Colin Ackermann had added 55 for the second wicket, however, and having been dropped by wicket-keeper Adam Rouse diving to his right on 9 off Coles, Ackermann had moved on to 31 when the rain returned.After sterling work by the groundstaff, the players did return to the field at 5.45pm, and in the 4.3 overs that were possible before the weather closed in for the final time, Ackermann was again dropped by Rouse, this time off Matt Hunn, a waist-high chance diving in front of Matt Coles at first slip.

Colin Ingram achieved Glamorgan’s fastest hundred in T20 cricket, Luke Wright responded with a ton of his own and tranquil Arundel soaked it all in

ECB Reporters Network09-Jul-2017
ScorecardColin Ingram achieved Glamorgan’s fastest T20 hundred•Getty ImagesA record-breaking century by Colin Ingram at Arundel on Sunday propelled Glamorgan to their first victory in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast.Glamorgan, who were beaten by Hampshire in their opening fixture on Friday, beat Sussex by 18 runs, despite the almost equally violent Luke Wright equalling Ingram’s score of 101.Ingram’s century was the fastest in the county’s history in this competition. He reached his hundred from just 46 balls, and there were eight fours and seven sixes. He and Jacques Rudolph put on 130 from only 71 balls, a third wicket record for Glamorgan and their third highest for any wicket.”I’m not too fazed by records,” he said. “But it was nice to get a win under our belts in this competition. It was a beautiful day, a good crowd, a good wicket and I just went out there and enjoyed the conditions. “Glamorgan had made a slow start to their innings, with just eight runs coming from the first four overs, by which time they had already lost two wickets..Danny Briggs had Aneurin Donald lbw, sweeping, in the third over and in the next David Lloyd played on to Jofra Archer as he swung to leg.The first four did not arrive until the fifth over, when Ingram got Chris Jordan away to the fine leg boundary. And it was only in the seventh over, bowled by Nash, which went for 14, that the innings really got going.Sussex had varied their attack cleverly, with six different bowlers involved in the first nine overs. But once Ingram and Rudolph got into their galloping stride there was little any of them could do. The 11th over, from Briggs, went for 18 as Ingram raced to his fifty from 25 balls.Sussex almost dismissed Rudolph in spectacular fashion when David Wiese, on the leg-side boundary parried the ball but it fell just short of he supporting fielder Wright.Rudolph fell to a skier off Chris Jordan for 49 but Sussex could find no way to stop Ingram, now joined by Chris Cooke, as the pair put on an unbroken stand of 61 in 4.3 overs. When the 18th over, bowled by Archer, went for 19, Glamorgan looked likely to top 200. They fell just two runs short.The Sussex innings, just like Glamorgan’s got off to a stuttering start. Nash had his off-stump knocked back by Michael Hogan for a run-a-ball 12 and then Stiaan van Zyl was lbw to the same bowler, first ball.Sussex suffered an even heavier blow when captain Ross Taylor, who looked in good touch with a six and a four in his brief came, top-edged Marchant der Lange to fine leg for 17, heaping even more pressure on Wright. When Ben Brown skied Colin Ingram to deep mid-wicket for 14 Sussex 97 for 4 in the 12th over.Sussex needed a daunting 70 from the final five. When Hogan went for 16, with Wright thumping successive deliveries for six and four, it looked on. But Sussex’s chances disappeared when Wright fell for a 53-ball 101, with five fours and seven sixes.

Jose Cifuentes remains a target of Scottish side Rangers, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Ecuadorian has spent the last four seasons in the MLS but now looks set to depart the United States in search of European football.

Who is Jose Cifuentes?

Cifuentes is one of the MLS' most highly sought-after players.

The defensive midfielder joined the LA club in January 2020 for €2.73m(£2.3m) from CD Universidad Católica, and in his three years in America has made 121 appearances, scoring 15 and assisting 20 whilst helping the club win their first-ever MLS Cup as well as the Supporters Shield in the same season.

The Ecuadorian really caught the eye during the U20 World Cup in 2019, with South American football expert Tim Vickery full of praise for the player at the time, stating: "He was the beating heart of that side and I think he’s a terrific midfielder. He’s strong, he’s got quality, he’s got a good engine – he’s one of the best all-round midfielders, potentially, that I’ve seen come out of South America in a while."

The midfielder has reportedly been a target of both Celtic and Rangers for a number of years now, with the Bhoys interest dating back to 2019 following the U20 World Cup, however, it seems like Rangers may be the side to secure the 24-year-old's signature following a breakthrough in talks according to a report from FootballInsider.

Reports state that Cifuentes could be one of two new additions in the coming days for the Gers, with Feyenoord striker Danilo potentially becoming the third striking addition this window after the club submitted an improved £5.2m bid for the Brazilian forward

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Italian journalist Romano revealed that talks were progressing, with just a few issues to sort out before the transfer can be considered complete: "For Cifuentes they're negotiating for a long time. So there are still talks ongoing. Also, some crucial parts of the deal for the player side need to be wrapped, but this remains a very concrete possibility.”

Who could Jose Cifuentes be replacing?

There are two main candidates who could leave the club should Cifuentes join this summer.

Finnish midfielder Glen Kamara has fallen out of favour at Ibrox following the arrival of Michael Beale last season, leading to the manager declaring that the player "could be sold" this summer, with a report stating that recently relegated Leeds United could make a move for the 27-year-old for around £5m. Kamara has been pushing for a move this summer, with reports from Turkey suggesting that the Finland international had handed in a transfer request in order to push through a move away from the club just one year on from the defeat in the Europa League final.

Another player who could leave the club is Scott Wright. The winger reportedly was the subject of a concrete offer from former manager Steven Gerrard at his new club Al Ettifaq, however, he is now closing in on a move to Super Lig side Pendikspor, following in the footsteps of teammate Ryan Kent in heading to the Turkish league. Beale also seemed to confirm this move in the same interview when he confirmed that the club were closing in on signing Cifuentes, saying that Wright would be "limited for game time".

Cifuentes would be a fantastic purchase for the Gers, and would help the club close the gap on Celtic for next season.

Glamorgan bowler Don Shepherd, who took 2218 wickets in a first-class career spanning 22 years, has died at the age of 90

David Hopps19-Aug-2017Don Shepherd, a giant of Glamorgan cricket and widely regarded as one of the best county cricketers never to play for England, has died, aged 90.Shepherd was one of the great servants of county cricket, a source of huge pride for all cricket-lovers in Wales, as he totted up 668 first-class matches between 1950 and 1972. Born in Port Eynon on the Gower Peninsula, he began life as a fast-medium bowler but in his vintage years was highly respected for his slow-medium offcutters.He died only a week after celebrating his 90th birthday after complications set in following a heart operation.John Arlott, the great broadcaster and cricket writer, termed it “inexplicable” that Shepherd never played for England, and, especially on responsive pitches, he would doubtless have made the grade. But he was never seriously considered and was up against some fine practitioners – the Surrey pair of Jim Laker and Tony Lock in the fifties, and by the likes of Raymond Illingworth and Fred Titmus later in his career.At the end of it all, he had 2218 first-class wickets, all of them genially claimed, and the most ever taken by a player who failed to represent England. It left him 22nd on the all-time list. He was a shrewd analyst of a batsman, with deceptive changes of pace and flight and his contentment in his work made him a captain’s dream.The lack of England recognition did not overly bother him. In a BBC interview to mark his 90th birthday, Shepherd recalled: “It never worried me. There were so many terrific offspinners around towards the end – Fred Titmus, David Allen, John Mortimore, Ray Illingworth – and they could bat, while I was a bit of a slogger. I was happy enough doing what I did and what happened to me through my life.”Glamorgan endured many lean years during his career, but there was achievement, too, in the winning of the 1969 county championship, which they finished unbeaten. Shepherd took the final wicket, and, to add to the happy coincidence, had taken his 2,000th first-class wicket earlier in the game. He took five or more wickets in an innings on 123 occasions.Victory against the 1964 Australians at Swansea, when he took 9 for 93 in the match, was quite a turn-up for the tourists who had only lost to one county side, Surrey, since 1912. To swell the outpouring of Welsh pride, the national Eisteddfod – a traditional Welsh festival of music, literature and performance arts – was being held a mile down the road and both teams accepted an invitation to attend one evening. Shepherd and Jim Pressdee, who between them had bowled out the Australians in the first innings on a rain-freshened pitch, were given a huge ovation.Shepherd later recalled: “After going up on the stage, we were so full of that there was no way we were going to lose that match.”Glamorgan followed up with another defeat of the tourists in 1968, this time with Shepherd standing in as skipper for Tony Lewis. Some put the victory down to Shep’s “guile and cunning”, a tribute he would treat with characteristic modesty. No wonder Australia always regarded him highly.He had few pretensions as a batsman, and called himself “a walking wicket”, although his rustic hitting brought much pleasure, and said he was able to empty “bar and beer tent in five seconds flat”. There was nothing better than his 51 in 11 scoring shots against Australia at Swansea in 1961.Glamorgan had collapsed to 94 for 8, undone by the legspin of Richie Benaud and left-arm wristspinner Lindsay Kline, who both benefited from a dry and dusty surface, tailor-made for Shepherd. His 50 came in 15 minutes and off 21 balls, equalling the world record. Famously, Benaud termed it “the greatest bit of sustained hitting that I have ever seen in my life”.Shepherd would often reflect: “Most things used to happen at Swansea”, and, as his home town, that made things all the more pleasurable.As a fast-medium bowler, he took 155 wickets in 1952, winning his county cap, but he lost his form in the mid-1950s, and, after advice from senior players including wicketkeeper Haydn Davies, converted to bowling offcutters as a result. In the first season of this change – 1956 – he took 168 wickets, and he exceeded 100 wickets 12 times in all. Lean and crinkly-haired, canny and persevering, he became one of the county game’s most reliable figures.The nearest he got to an England call-up was a match for MCC against the West Indians at Lord’s in 1957 and a tour of Ceylon and Far East with MCC in 1969-70. He was named one of ‘s Cricketers of the Year in 1970, a tribute he marked by taking 106 first-class wickets that summer, more than any other player in first-class cricket.He was a hugely popular figure on Glamorgan grounds after his retirement, a shrewd and respected bowling coach who acted as a mentor for many years for Robert Croft, a Glamorgan offspinner who go on to play for England.He was also a genial commentator on BBC Radio Wales, where his melodious and affable judgments were much prized, and where his double act with fellow commentator Eddie Bevan was the very essence of cricket in Wales. After the broadcast was over, he would generally lean against the bar and chat about the game some more, in generous and forgiving tones which made him a wonderful representative of the game he cherished.

It looks as if the end is in sight with regard to Manchester United's protracted search to find a new number nine, with various reports indicating that a deal has been struck with Atalanta for the signing of Rasmus Hojlund for an initial fee of £64m.

Having previously selected Harry Kane as their top centre-forward target heading into the window, the Red Devils look to have instead settled on a far more youthful – and potentially risky – option in the form of the 20-year-old Dane, with the former Sturm Graz man having bagged ten goals in all competitions during his debut season in Italy last time out.

With Anthony Martial continually plagued by injury – and with January loan arrival Wout Weghorst no longer at the club – it is seemingly not out of the question that Hojlund could be followed by another forward to Old Trafford, with 90min reporting back in May that two new strikers could be on the agenda.

Read the latest Manchester United transfer news HERE…

One potential option that has been mooted in recent times is Gent sensation, Gift Orban, with the 21-year-old potentially set to help ease the burden on Hojlund if he is to sign for Erik ten Hag's side this summer.

How much is Gift Orban worth?

Reports at the tail-end of last season suggested that United are among the Premier League clubs who have been keeping tabs on the prolific Nigerian, with the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur having also sent scouts to watch the forward in action.

The 5 foot 10 ace only made the move to Belgium from Norwegian side Stabaek in January, although that raft of suitors would suggest that a swift departure could be on the cards if a suitable offer is to be lodged.

As transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported earlier this year, the youngster could command a fee of more than €20m (£17m), albeit with that price tag only likely to increase even further amid his continued goalscoring exploits.

How good is Gift Orban?

With Martial – who missed 27 games last season through injury – seemingly an unreliable option, it may be too great a task to rely on Hojlund alone to lead the line next season, with the one-time FC Copenhagen man likely to be in need of suitable competition through the middle.

As such, Orban could then prove to be a perfect option as someone who can rival and push Hojlund when needed, with having a pool of top-class strikers seemingly engrained in United's history, following the days of Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham all fighting it out for a starting berth.

Described as "the gift from Gods" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the in-demand marksman boasts a stellar tally of 41 goals and nine assists in just 48 first-team games to date in his career so far, with that including a haul of 22 goals in just 24 games for his current employers.

Also lauded as a "superb finisher" by Kulig, Orban has begun the new season in fine fashion with two goals in just two appearances for the Pro League side, having continued to showcase just why he could be an attractive option for any Premier League club.

To then have two exciting young talents at his disposal in the form of the Gent ace and Hojlund could well be a dream scenario for Ten Hag next season, with strength in depth likely to be crucial amid the Dutchman's bid to get the club back to the top.

The former Hampshire batsman said the opportunity to work alongside Mark Boucher and Heath Streak was a big draw

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2017Sean Morris, the former Hampshire batsman and chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, has been appointed CEO of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stars franchise in South Africa’s T20 Global League.This will be Morris’ second stint as a CEO of a T20 league franchise after a two-year tenure with Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.Morris, who played first-class cricket for Hampshire between 1992 and 1996, said the big draw for him at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stars was a chance to work alongside Mark Boucher, the former South Africa wicketkeeper, and Heath Streak, the current Zimbabwe coach. While Boucher is the head coach of the Port Elizabeth franchise, Streak will serve as the bowling coach.”The thing that particularly attracted me was the appointment as coach of Mark Boucher, whom I know through a number of very close friends,” said Morris. “Working with Mark will be very interesting for me, while Heath Streak is a former team-mate of mine and we worked together only 18 months ago. So when you look at the cricket management team, I immediately knew that’s grade A – sorted.”Morris aims to establish a fan base for the franchise in the inaugural edition of the league and hopes the tournament can help cricket develop further in the Nelson Mandela Bay region.”The model is built on the media and sponsorship, but you are only as valuable as your fan base,” he said. “So, as an investor, your top priority is to grow your fan-base.”It’s more than just rocking up for seven games of cricket. If we get this right, we can get into a position where we can help youngsters, help cricket and get the community behind the team.”

Crystal Palace's 2023/24 Premier League campaign kicks off away at Sheffield United on the opening day next weekend and speculation remains hanging over the head of one of the club's star players – Cheick Doucoure.

What's the latest Cheick Doucoure transfer news?

The Daily Mail reported last month that top-flight giants Liverpool are considering a swoop to sign the central midfielder before the end of the summer transfer window.

Jurgen Klopp is looking to bolster his midfield options and has identified the Mali international as a possible signing to replace the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, who have moved to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

However, the report claims that the Eagles value their outstanding battler at around £70m, although it remains to be seen whether the Reds would be willing to pay that much for his services.

Journalist Dean Jones has backed the club's decision to value the 23-year-old talent at such a price. He told Football FanCast:

“Doucoure’s price tag is obviously eye-popping, especially when you consider how much Mac Allister was signed for, but I can totally understand why that value has been set and we always have to remember that the Mac Allister fee was a bit of a one-off.

"In different circumstances, he too could have been priced at £70m, there’s not really any doubt about that. Palace are in a moment when the vultures are circling for Guehi, Olise and Doucoure and they have to fight to survive.

"That’s why they are hiking up prices and Liverpool have to expect and accept that.”

This shows that co-owner Steve Parish struck gold when he signed the ace for Patrick Vieira last summer in a £21m deal from Ligue 1 side RC Lens.

How good is Cheick Doucoure?

The terrific midfield warrior enjoyed an excellent debut campaign in the Premier League and has proven himself to be one of the club's top-performing players.

Doucoure produced consistently impressive displays in the middle of the park as he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across 34 appearances, which was the third-highest score of all outfielders on the team – only behind Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.

The Palace star caught the eye with his outstanding defensive contributions in midfield. He led the club for both tackles (2.3) and interceptions (1.6) per game in the top-flight last season, which shows that the Mali international is able to constantly break up attacks from the opposition to regain possession for his side.

His form comes off the back of an equally impressive campaign with Lens in France. Doucoure averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07 and made 4.2 tackles and interceptions combined per match across 34 league games, which shows that his performances for the Eagles are not a flash in the pan.

At the age of 23, the talented machine, who was once lauded as "combative" and "consistent" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also has plenty of time left to develop and improve.

This means that any buying club would be signing a player who can make an immediate impact on the pitch at the top level whilst also having room to get even better in the future with the right coaching.

Therefore, Palace are well within their right to demand such a huge fee for his services. Selling him for £70m would represent a profit of roughly 233% on the initial £21m they spent to bring him in from Lens, which would represent terrific business by Parish and Vieira.

The Eagles struck gold by signing the superb maestro as they have been able to bring in a player who has made himself one of the team's best performers whilst also now having an asset that could land the club a significant payday either this summer or in a future window.