Manchester City have agreed a £77.6m deal with RB Leipzig to sign long-term target Josko Gvardiol, according to Sky Sports.

Are Man City signing Josko Gvardiol?

Pep Guardiola and those at the Etihad have been heavily linked with a move for the Croatia international after bringing in his fellow countryman Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea earlier this summer.

The Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League winners appeared to be closing in on the defender, with a fee and even a part of a medical completed, however, Leipzig sporting director Max Eberl quickly squashed those rumours.

That led to more speculation regarding Gvardiol’s future, with City’s Premier League rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United all allegedly submitting offers of their own.

City were always still in pole position to sign the 21-year-old, though, and it looks as if they have made a breakthrough over a transfer.

Chief Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol shared an update on Wednesday afternoon regarding City and Gvardiol, claiming a €90m fee has been agreed by the two clubs. He said it was significant as it is below Leipzig’s valuation and also won’t be a record deal for a defender.

“They (Man City) have managed to agree a transfer fee of €90m. That is significant because all along, what Leipzig have been saying is that we want €100m guaranteed – that is the minimum we want for him.

“He’s a 21-year-old centre-back who everyone will remember seeing him play at the World Cup wearing that mask. He had a very famous moment when Lionel Messi gave him the run around which may have affected his valuation but apart from that he’s one of the best young defenders in world football at the moment and Pep Guardiola decided he wanted him.”

Who is Josko Gvardiol?

Gvardiol came through the academy system at Dinamo Zagreb and made 52 senior appearances for the club before joining Leipzig in 2021.

The left-footed defender has gone on to become a regular in the Bundesliga, making 87 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig, scoring five goals, one of which came against City last season.

He should offer some versatility to Guardiola’s side as well, as Gvardiol is capable of turning out as a left-back as well as in a central role if needed.

In terms of his qualities, The Analyst has suggested he is extremely strong on the ball and an elite ball carrier who plays a number of progressive passes. That should work in Guardiola’s system, and off the ball, Gvardiol is “quick and aggressive, which makes him a very good one-vs-one defender”.

The Analyst said that the addition of the Leipzig man in Manchester “feels a bit like cheating” due to his abilities on and off the ball, so by the looks of things, City could be about to land a player perfectly made for Guardiola.

Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain aggravated a back injury during Sunday’s ODI against India in Pallekele

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Aug-2017Stand-in captain Chamara Kapugedera’s has been ruled out of the remainder of ODI series after a medical examination. Kapugedera aggravated a back injury during the third ODI on Sunday. He had been nursing a stiff back before the third ODI, but had batted and fielded in that game. In his absence, Lasith Malinga will assume the captaincy, chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya has said.The stiffness in Kapugedera’s back had been mild in the approach to the third game, and had not prompted much concern. “He did have the issue in Kandy, but I think when he went into bat, it got worse,” manager Asanka Gurusinha said.Kapugedara becomes the fifth Sri Lanka batsman to become unavailable. Danushka Gunathilaka was ruled out with a shoulder strain (though there remains a small possibility he could recover in time for the next match), and Upul Tharanga had been suspended due to a slow over rate. Dinesh Chandimal, who was brought into the squad ahead of the third ODI, was ruled out with a fractured finger. Wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera, and batting allrounder Asela Gunaratne had earlier also been ruled out of the series with injuries.Malinga has previously captained Sri Lanka’s T20 side, including in the final stages of the World T20 triumph in 2014.

Glasgow Rangers have enjoyed a busy transfer window this summer. Michael Beale has managed to sign nine new players as he looks to win the 2023/24 Premiership title after a season without any silverware.

Beale has improved his midfield and attacking options, with quality players such as Jose Cifuentes, Danilo and Cyriel Dessers arriving at Ibrox.

The onus for the manager now will be to move on some players who could generate a transfer fee which will allow him to both trim the wage bill while raising funds for another one or two signings.

Antonio Colak has already departed, while Glen Kamara could be another first-team player who leaves shortly and there will surely be a few more being moved out the Ibrox exit door.

Is Fashion Sakala leaving Rangers?

The Zambian forward is being linked with a move away according to The Herald and Beale has left him out of Rangers Champions League squad for the upcoming qualifying ties against Swiss side Servette.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

The Ibrox side could secure a fee of around £4m for the player, which is a solid profit considering Steven Gerrard signed him for free in 2021.

The Gers already have Sam Lammers, Danilo, Dessers, and Abdallah Sima as their new attacking options, yet could they go back in for a previous target in the remaining weeks of the window?

Will Rangers make another move for Luis Palma?

The Honduran winger was first linked with the Light Blues way back in April as Beale was already looking at improving his squad.

Greek side Aris Thessaloniki valued their prized asset at around £4.5m and this looked to have put the club off any potential move.

It now appears as though Stoke City are keen on the winger, who is now being valued at £3.5m and could this perhaps tempt Beale to go back in for another bite of the cherry? Especially with Sakala on his way out.

The latter man registered 20 goal contributions last season – 12 goals and eight assists – while creating seven big chances and averaging 1.5 key passes, showcasing not only his threat in front of goal but also that he could generate opportunities for others.

Palma, like Sakala, can also play on the wing or through the middle, and he also enjoyed a solid season for the Greek side in terms of goal contributions.

Across 36 matches, the 23-year-old scored 13 goals and grabbed eight assists, which was one more contribution than Sakala, while he created four big chances and averaged 1.4 key passes per game, similar statistics to the Rangers forward.

Aris manager Apostolos Terzis lauded Palma following his performances last term, saying: "Luis has done that all season. He has been a huge player for us. We know there has been a lot of interest in him and it's not surprising.”

He certainly offers a similar threat to that of Sakala, being able to score and generate chances for his teammates in equal measure and should Stoke fail to sign him, Beale must reignite a move for the Honduran.

Bangladesh’s captain Mushfiqur Rahim has insisted that his side will continue to play aggressive cricket in a bid to secure their first series win over Australia.”There is no way we will play safe cricket,” Mushfiqur said. “We always play to win against every side. We could have played for a draw against England, by using a flat surface, but we didn’t do it. We wanted to look for a result by using our strength. Safe cricket is not an option for us because you can’t win against a side like this (Australia) by doing so. We have to be more aggressive than them.”Mushfiqur said his team expects a backlash from Australia, who suffered their first defeat against Bangladesh in Mirpur, but backed his team to deliver at home.”Winning doesn’t mean we can’t improve or work on our game anymore,” he said. “This is a crucial match for us as we are 1-0 ahead. The Australians have played many matches under such pressure, so they know how to bounce back. But we are confident because we do well in home conditions.”Mushfiqur called for a collective performance from the team, instead of relying on one or two players. Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal did the heavy lifting in Mirpur, adding 155 runs for the fourth wicket after the hosts were reduced to 10 for 3 in four overs. That stand contributed 59% of Bangladesh’s first-innings total, and helped them earn a lead of 43 runs.Tamim followed his 71 in the first innings with 78 in the second and Mushfiqur made 41, but the rest of the batsmen struggled. Shakib claimed a match haul of 10 wickets in the first Test, and was supported by offspinner Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam, the left-arm spinner. Mehidy and Taijul picked up nine wickets between them in Mirpur, but Mushfiqur wanted a stronger performance from them.”Apart from Shakib and Tamim, the rest of the line-up couldn’t give even 90% input,” he said. “I think everyone has to contribute, even the bowlers. Miraz and Taijul are capable of bowling better. The message is clear that all of us need to perform, not just one or two. They are all fresh, ready to go.”Mushfiqur said his side was mentally stronger after wins over Sri Lanka and England in the past year. “Some become rapt in happiness but we have talked about this,” he said. “But we don’t get these chances every day. We are 1-0 ahead but Australia will respond strongly. We bounced back well in our last two series. It proves the progress in our mental capacity.”

Tottenham Hotspur will want a "fair whack" for Denmark international Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer if Atletico Madrid try to sign him due to his record in the Premier League, claims journalist Alasdair Gold.

Is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg leaving Tottenham this summer?

The transfer window has gone quite well for Spurs this summer. So far, they have improved their first XI with the signings of James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario, while also bolstering their squad depth with the acquisition of Manor Solomon.

That said, there is the ever-present threat that they could lose all-time leading goalscorer and club talisman Harry Kane, as Bayern Munich persist in their attempts to secure his signature.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

However, with Daniel Levy's stance that they want over £100m, a sale might not be as cataclysmic as some have suggested.

Meanwhile, another player that could be leaving N17 this summer is midfield stalwart Hojbjerg, who was brought to the club by Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese manager signed the Dane in the summer of 2020, but his three-year spell in Spurs colours could soon be coming to an end.

Spanish publication Marca (via BBC Sport) has reported that he is a potential target of Atletico Madrid should they be unable to sign Marco Verratti, who has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League.

And with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the Italian has now agreed terms to move to Saudi side Al-Hilal, the La Liga giants might well turn their attention to the Spurs man, who journalist Alasdair Gold expects will cost them a significant amount of money.

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"Still intrigued to see how high Atletico Madrid will go for Hojbjerg in terms of the price, because I think Spurs will want a fair whack for him.

"I saw some reports suggesting that £20m had been rejected or something, but I would imagine you'd want more for Hojbjerg. He's an established Premier League midfielder, scores goals, gets assists, couple of years left on his contract – I think you could easily look for more than £20m.

"They may be looking at £30m, maybe £40m for him. And I know there's people that don't rate him, but I think if you're looking from the outside, he's an established Premier League player."

How good is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg?

In an otherwise dismal season for the Lilywhites, aside from Kane, Hojbjerg was one of the few bright spots for fans to latch onto.

The Denmark international played in 35 of the side's league games, scoring four goals, providing five assists, maintaining a passing accuracy of 88.6% and averaging a brilliant rating of 7.02, per WhoScored.

His underlying numbers are just as impressive, suggesting that he could reach another level in a more structured system at Atletico.

According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the 27-year-old "monster" sits in the top 8% for pass completion, the top 12% for attempted passes and the top 13% for clearances per 90.

The man who brought him to the club in the first place, Mourinho, was clearly a massive fan of his combative side, waxing lyrical about him back in 2020:

"Physically, he's very, very strong and technically, he's much better than people think. Because sometimes people think the guy that is good technically is the guy that does the backheel.

"The guy is so simple in everything he does with the ball. And I think he's a phenomenal player."

While Tottenham might be better off keeping him, if Gold is correct and they can make up to £40m from his sale, it could be too good of an opportunity to turn down.

UAE’s spinners combined for figures of 8 for 62 to send Namibia packing for 89, before winning the bottom-of-the-table clash by six wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2017UAE’s spinners combined for figures of 8 for 62 to send Namibia packing for 89, after asking them to bat in their WCL Championship game in Windhoek. Defending a meagre total, Namibia managed to snuff out four UAE batsmen with 53 on the board, but that was about it as they slipped to a six-wicket loss and the bottom of the table.Louis van der Westhuizen (41) and Craig Williams (22) put on 46 for the third wicket to take Namibia to 68 for 2, after Mohammad Naveed (2 for 13) had struck twice with the new ball. But offspinner Rohan Mustafa (2 for 17) dismissed Westhuizen in the 17th over, and legspinner Imran Haider (3 for 27) dismissed Williams in the 18th, to trigger the beginning of the end for Namibia. Left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza complemented his fellow spinners with 3 for 18 as Namibia lost eight wickets for 21 in under 12 overs.UAE took their time in running down the target, losing four wickets inside 20 overs. Of the top four, only Chirag Suri (26) went past 20. Left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz picked up two wickets in an economical spell, including that of Suri in the 20th over. But the fifth-wicket pair of Adnan Mufti (21*) and Rameez Shahzad (20*) saw them home, putting on an unbroken 39 off 34 balls.

Following months of speculation, it looks as if Manchester United finally have their man after having agreed a deal for Danish sensation, Rasmus Hojlund, with the 20-year-old set to sign from Atalanta for a fee of around £72m after spending just a solitary season in Italy.

The former Sturm Graz ace has been identified by Erik ten Hag as the man to ease United's centre-forward woes, with long-serving asset Anthony Martial having proven himself wholly unreliable due to his repeated injury setbacks in recent years.

With the Red Devils having already moved on Anthony Elanga to Nottingham Forest – and with fellow youngster Facundo Pellistri in line for a loan exit – the addition of Hojlund may not be the end of the attacking additions at Old Trafford this summer, with Manchester Evening News recently reporting that the former Ajax boss is keen on bringing in another asset who can feature all across the frontline.

Who will Man United sign after Hojlund?

One perhaps left-field name that has been mentioned as a potential attacking recruit in recent months is AZ Alkmaar winger, Jesper Karlsson, with The Sun reporting back in January that the 25-year-old was among a raft of Eredivisie-based talents that Ten Hag was keen to keep an eye on.

Read the latest Manchester United transfer news HERE…

More recently, reports in Italy back in June suggested that the Premier League giants were providing 'stiff competition' in the battle to land the Sweden international, with the former IF Elfsborg man – who has also been linked with a move to Lazio – currently valued at a bargain price of just €20m (£17m).

While typically deployed in a wide left-berth, the 5 foot 10 ace's versatility to feature on the right flank or through the middle could ensure that he is the type of figure that Ten Hag is chasing, with those at the Theatre of Dreams needing to considering stepping up their interest in the near future.

Who is Jesper Karlsson?

It remains to be seen just how United's forward line will shape up next season, with the future of Ivorian wizard, Amad Diallo, still up in the air following the 21-year-old's return from his stellar stint on loan at Sunderland – in which he scored 13 goals and provided three assists in the Championship.

Despite being included in the club's recent pre-season tour, the former Atalanta starlet has seen his involvement hampered by injury, with the wait for the youngster to truly make his mark at the club still ongoing, after scoring once in just nine first-team appearances to date.

With Amad still yet to truly prove himself at the top level, the addition of Karlsson could well represent something of an upgrade on the flanks, with the 11-cap international having been hailed as "unpredictable" and "inventive" by transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Falkenberg-born star is coming off the back of a fine 2022/23 campaign in which he scored 13 goals and registered eight assists in 33 games in all competitions, with that taking his tally for AZ to 79 goal involvements in 123 appearances in total.

Also lauded as a "very tricky winger" by journalist Josh Bunting, Karlsson's superior creative threat is shown by the fact that he ranks in the top 17% among his European peers for progressive passes, while Amad ranks in just the top 27% in that regard.

That ability to provide quality service from his wide berth is also shown by the fact that the Swede created ten big chances and averaged 1.8 key passes per game in the Eredivisie last term, while Amad created just four big chances and averaged just 1.1 key passes, while competing in England's second tier.

That would suggest that if Ten Hag is looking to find a suitable fit to rival the likes of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony next season, then Karlsson could represent a more impressive, proven option than that of Amad.

Chelsea have approached the summer transfer window with a completely different strategy compared to the one they utilised during the January window.

Mauricio Pochettino has so far moved on 13 players permanently, with David Datro Fofana departing on loan, yet the Argentinian has signed just four players.

The main reason for this is to balance their spending so they don’t fall foul of the financial fair play rules, yet Pochettino knows that keeping a squad littered with unhappy players is a recipe for disaster.

Who will Chelsea sign next?

The Blues have recently made an offer for Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, while Mohammed Kudus has also been linked with a move to the Premier League side.

With Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang departing, the club are short on strikers and Pochettino could alleviate that by making a move for Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins.

According to Journalist Simon Phillips, via his Substack, the Englishman has become a player who is wanted by Pochettino this summer in an effort to bolster his attacking options.

The £75k-per-week hitman still has two years left on his contract and this means Chelsea will need to stump up a big fee in order to lure him to London.

Will Armando Broja leave Chelsea?

Phillips also states via his Substack that Armando Broja could leave the Blues on loan this summer amid interest from West Ham United.

Following a successful spell at Southampton in 2021/22, where he scored nine goals, Broja returned to his parent club that summer, aiming to become a first team regular under Thomas Tuchel.

The youngster ended up playing just 17 matches due to suffering a serious knee injury in December, scoring only one goal and it’s clear that Watkins could be a major upgrade on the Albanian international.

Despite struggling under Steven Gerrard during the embryonic stages of last season, netting only once in the league, Watkins hit his stride under Unai Emery.

A stunning spell between January and April saw him score 11 goals in just 12 matches, and he finished with 16 goals and six assists across all competitions.

Not only did the former Brentford striker register more shots per 90 (2.34 to 1.75) than Broja, but also more shot-creating actions (2.27 to 1.22) and a higher percentage of aerial duels (41.2% to 30%), indicating that he posed more of a threat in front of goal than the Chelsea gem, whilst also offering a better physical presence in the air.

The Stamford Bridge side scored just 38 league goals last season and this will need to be vastly improved if they are to challenge for honours. Replacing Broja with Watkins – who was dubbed “lethal” by Trevor Sinclair – would give Chelsea a significant boost in their hunt for more Premier League goals.

The seven-cap machine has scored 40 goals in the top flight from 109 appearances and playing in a side containing players such as Christopher Nkunku, Raheem Sterling and Enzo Fernandez suggests there will be plenty of chances that he could get on the end of.

It may cost Pochettino a big transfer fee, yet Watkins would be more than worth it, especially after his exploits last term.

انتهت قبل قليل مباراة الأهلي والإسماعيلي التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، بفوز القلعة الحمراء بنتيجة 2-1.

والتقى الأهلي والإسماعيلي على أرضية استاد برج العرب، في إطار لقاءات الجولة 20 من البطولة المحلية.

طالع | موعد مباراة الأهلي القادمة بعد الفوز على الإسماعيلي في الدوري

واستطاع بيراميدز تحقيق فوز صعب أمام إنبي بهدف نظيف، سجله محمد حامد بالخطأ في مرماه.

ويحتل فريق بيراميدز صدارة جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، بـ36 نقطة من الفوز في 10 مباريات والتعادل بـ6 مواجهات وتلقى هزيمة وحيدة.

بينما يتواجد الأهلي بعد فوزه في مباراة اليوم في المركز الحادي عشر بجدول ترتيب الدوري، ولديه في رصيده 24 نقطة من الفوز بـ7 لقاءات وتعادل في 3 مواجهات وتلقى هزيمتين. ترتيب الدوري المصري بعد فوز الأهلي وبيراميدز على الإسماعيلي وإنبي

1- بيراميدز 38 نقطة.

2- المصري 34 نقطة.

3- زد 33 نقطة.

4- إنبي 30 نقطة.

5- الاتحاد السكندري 29 نقطة.

6- سموحة 28 نقطة

7- الجونة 28 نقطة.

8- طلائع الجيش 27 نقطة.

9- سيراميكا كليوباترا 25 نقطة.

10- فيوتشر 25 نقطة.

11- الأهلي 24 نقطة.

12- الزمالك 21 نقطة.

13- الإسماعيلي 19 نقطة.

14- بلدية المحلة 19 نقطة.

15- البنك الأهلي 18 نقطة.

16- فاركو 13 نقطة.

17- المقاولون العرب 12 نقطة.

18- الداخلية 11 نقطة.

Manchester United appear to have identified a leading candidate to replace Harry Maguire this summer, with the former Red Devils skipper seemingly on his way to joining another Premier League club…

Will Maguire leave Man United this summer?

As per various sources, the 30-year-old looks set to seal a move to West Ham United on a £30m deal to bring an end to his turbulent time at Old Trafford, with United seemingly compromising on their prior £50m valuation of the England international.

With that departure to the London Stadium in the works, respected journalist Samuel Luckhurst revealed on Twitter that Bayer Leverkusen ace, Edmond Tapsoba is "of interest" to Erik ten Hag and co, with the 24-year-old having also caught the eye of Tottenham Hotspur amid their own centre-back search this summer.

Read the latest Manchester United transfer news HERE…

In his attached piece for Manchester Evening News, Luckhurst added that the Carabao Cup winners are 'attempting' to acquire another central defender amid Maguire's impending exit, with the Burkina Faso international said to be 'admired' by the United hierarchy.

How good is Edmond Tapsoba?

The end is nigh for Maguire it would seem, with the former Leicester City man in need of a fresh start after becoming a source of mockery and criticism in recent times at the Theatre of Dreams, with The Athletic's Carl Anka noting that the 6 foot 3 dud had "found himself derided, dropped and turned into a meme".

While Ten Hag remains rather flush when it comes to alternative centre-back options – in the form of Victor Lindelof, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane – further competition and cover is likely to be needed as the club gets ready to compete on four fronts yet again.

Having been lauded as a "complete & elegant" defender by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Tapsoba could represent a dream option as far as the Red Devils are concerned, even if the 6 foot 4 rock may not exactly come cheap having been valued at around €50m (£43m) of late.

It does appear that Ten Hag is looking to the Bundesliga to find a new centre-back recruit with speculation also rife that Bayern Munich's Benjamin Pavard could be on his way to Manchester, although despite the Frenchman's World Cup-winning experience, his Leverkusen counterpart could perhaps offer a more orthodox fit in the heart of the defence – with Pavard also regularly utilised at right-back.

One particular strength of Tapsoba's is his ability to carry the ball out from the back with relative ease, with the former Vitoria de Guimaraes man notably ranking in the top 7% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for progressive carries per 90, as well as in the top 8% successful take-ons per 90.

Pavard, meanwhile, does impressively rank in the top 8% for progressive carries, although the former Stuttgart man only ranks in the bottom 6% with regard to successful take-ons, thus indicating that he is perhaps less effective at taking on his man when in possession.

With the arrival of an "exceptional" ball-playing goalkeeper in the form of Andre Onana – as described by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola – the importance of being able to play out from the back is likely to have only increased as far as Ten Hag is concerned.

Equally, with Pavard also not exactly a long-term option at the age of 27, analyst Aaron Moniz has suggested that the versatile asset is "a bit older than ideal and sub-elite at both RB and CB", while Tapsoba and fellow target Jean-Clair Todibo are said to be the "right profiles".

That would suggest that if the Leverkusen ace is given the nod by United this summer, he could represent a mainstay in the backline for years to come.