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Manchester United could pip Liverpool to the signing of Brighton star Alexis Mac Allister this summer, according to an update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

Is Mac Allister leaving this summer

The 24-year-old's future is a big talking point at the moment, with his performances for the Seagulls leading to plenty of interest in him. He is enjoying a brilliant season currently, scoring nine goals in the Premier League and also tasting World Cup glory with Argentina.

On Thursday night, United witnessed the wrath of Mac Allister close up, as his last-gasp penalty proved to be the difference between the two sides at the Amex Stadium. The Red Devils have been linked with a move for the midfielder, as they look at potential additions in the middle of the park this summer.

Liverpool are also right in the mix, however, and at this stage, it looks as though the Argentine could well be plying his trade at either Old Trafford or Anfield next season.

Could Mac Allister join Man United

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones suggested that United could be a stronger option for Mac Allister than their rivals this summer, with a move to one of the two clubs looking likely:

"If you look at United, they've already won a cup, they are in a cup final, they're going to be in the Champions League by the looks of it. At the moment, they are the team with a bit more to offer him. Also, they're in the middle of a rebuild which he can quickly become a part of."

Mac Allister could be such an effective signing by United at the end of the season, with the Brighton hero someone who looks like a complete midfielder currently. He provides box-to-box energy, scoring goals and defending well – he averages 2.1 tackles per game in the league this season – and he could give United's midfield an injection of life, with both Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in their 30s, not to mention Bruno Fernandes turning 29 later this year.

Sergio Aguero has lauded his compatriot for being a "very intelligent" player, while journalists hailed him as "absolutely outstanding" during the World Cup. The fact that United look set to promise Mac Allister Champions League football next season gives them a big advantage over Liverpool, so it just depends on whether he has his heart set on one particular club. If not, a switch to Old Trafford could make more sense for him.

Leicestershire Foxes have bolstered their batting ranks by snapping up big-hitting Cameron Delport for NatWest T20 Blast fixtures this summer

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2016Leicestershire Foxes have bolstered their batting ranks by snapping up big-hitting Cameron Delport for NatWest T20 Blast fixtures this summer.Delport, a South African-born left-hander, qualifies to play for Leicestershire as a non-overseas player. He has made 2,045 T20 runs in 88 innings at an average of 25.56 and strike rate of 135.70. Delport has also picked some useful wickets with his medium paced seamers, taking 23 at 27.56 with an economy rate of 7.65.He is well-known to Elite Performance Director Andrew McDonald following a spell at Sydney Thunder in 2015 and also played alongside Umar Akmal at Lahore Qalandars earlier this year.McDonald said: “Cameron has experience in most of the world’s top T20 competitions and his knowledge and skill will be valuable assets for us. He will give us another useful option in our batting roster and is also a good person who will contribute greatly to the changing room.”

Javed Akhtar, the former Pakistan spinner and international umpire, died in Rawalpindi on Friday. He was 75.

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2016Javed Akhtar, the former Pakistan spinner and international umpire, died in Rawalpindi on Friday. He was 75.Akhtar, an offspinner, made his international debut as a 21-year old against England at Leeds in 1962. He went wicketless in the match that Pakistan lost by an innings and 117 runs. It would be his only Test in a first-class career that spanned 17 seasons, from 1959-60 to 1975-1976.He returned to the international arena as an umpire in the same year he retired, when he first officiated in an ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand in Sialkot.Overall, Akhtar, who served on the ICC panel from 1997 to 1999, officiated in 18 Tests and 40 ODIs, the last of which was at the 1999 World Cup in a league fixture between England and India.

Tottenham Hotspur chiefs are now reportedly weighing up the signing of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze as a replacement for winger Dejan Kulusevski, who could go back to Italy.

What's the latest Spurs transfer news?

Spurs are currently spinning many plates and have a lot of unresolved issues to contend with ahead of this looming summer transfer window – namely their pursuit of a new manager and sporting director.

The latter two issues take real precedence, with chairman Daniel Levy allegedly narrowing down his managerial shortlist to just a few names as he also looks to appoint Fabio Paratici's replacement before the end of the Premier League season.

The contracts of both long-serving goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and star striker Harry Kane are also set to expire next year as things stand – and Levy quite simply must tie the latter man down with fresh terms.

Despite these issues coming to the forefront, Spurs have actively been looking at targets for the summer window, with the likes of James Maddison (Leicester City) firmly on their radar among others.

There has been some debate surrounding the future of winger Kulusevski, as it still isn't official that Spurs are activating the buy-option in his contract, leading to speculation he could return to parent club Juventus.

The Swede enjoyed a phenomenal debut campaign last season, instantly making an impact under Antonio Conte after signing in January 2022.

However, with Spurs yet to confirm him on a permanent deal, reports now claim they could source a replacement.

Indeed, one Spanish report says that Tottenham "management" have been eyeing Palace star Eze as a "high impact acquisition" – not to mention a potential "star signing to replace Kulusevski".

It's added that Kulusevski is set to return to Turin this summer, with Spurs needing to sign a successor as they target a possible summer move for Eze.

He also has an estimated value of around £26 million, according to this source out of Spain.

What could Eze bring to Spurs?

The 24-year-old, who has been in fine form for Palace under both Roy Hodgson and Patrick Vieira – standing out as their top scorer in the English top flight (WhoScored).

Eze also boasts their highest number of goal contributions (including assists) overall, with Tony Cascarino heaping praise on the Eagles attacker for his form over 2022/2023.

He is "scoring goals for fun" according to Cascarino (via talkSPORT), leaving little surprise Spurs have taken an interest, though it remains to be seen if Tottenham do in fact let Kulusevski leave.

Ben Duckett and Daniel Bell-Drummond smashed their way into the record books with the second-highest List A partnership in the world as England Lions cruised to a 140 run win over Sri Lanka A at Canterbury

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-2016
ScorecardBen Duckett and Daniel Bell-Drummond smashed their way into the record books with the second-highest List A partnership in the world as England Lions cruised to a 140-run win over Sri Lanka A at Canterbury.Duckett had made 163 not out in the first match of the tri-series last week and his unbeaten 220 here set a new record for an England Lions player – topping captain Dawid Malan’s 185 against the same opposition on Thursday. Duckett shared in an unbeaten 367-run partnership with Bell-Drummond, from only 232 balls, as the Kent opener recorded his maiden List A ton.The partnership was the highest ever at Canterbury – a record held by England’s Eoin Morgan and Nick Compton since 2009 – and just to make sure of their place in history, the Lions also recorded the highest List A score at the Spitfire Ground.”It’s been the best day of my career so far – the last 10 days have been a great experience for me,” Duckett said. “There were a couple of times early on when I hit it, it dropped short of fielders and I got a bit of luck.”When I got to 100 I said I’m going to push on. It was my day I guess – every time I hit the ball it went into the gap. There as a lot of spin bowling which I do prefer facing. I’ll try and continue this run of form and score some runs when I go back to Northampton.”England won the toss and chose to bat, with Malan’s the only England wicket falling. He was stumped for 23 off 31 balls by Niroshan Dickwella, providing Ramith Rambukwella with Sri Lanka A’s solitary bowling success of the day.Before the match Malan had spoken to the team of adaptability, both with the bat and ball – something which had already won the tri-series for the Lions following Sunday’s victory over Pakistan A. Toby Roland-Jones and George Garton were the only changes from the that match, replacing Mark Wood, who had returned to Durham, and Sam Curran.But it took England’s bowling attack 14 overs before they took their first wicket, when Dickwella was caught by Sam Billings from a George Garton delivery with the score on 105. That was quickly followed by the dismissal of Sri Lanka A’s other opener, Mahela Udawatte for 40, in the same over.Angelo Perera led Sri Lanka A’s fightback with a score of 69 before being caught by Duckett from a Saqib Mahmood delivery. Rambukwella was also dismissed by Mahmood, caught by Tom Curran.Garton added to his wicket haul for the day by bowling Thisara Perera and Sachith Pathirana for 45 and 18 respectively. The four wickets from Garton, with two from Liam Dawson and one each for Malan and Brett D’Oliveira ensured Sri Lanka were all out for 285, giving England a huge win.Andy Flower, the Lions coach, said: “We’ve played four matches and we’ve won four. We’ve had some great performances and we have taken opportunities to put young players out there.”That’s a healthy thing for England cricket if they are pushing for places. There have been some great performances, some exciting performances – we have seen four centurions and some very big individual scores this series.”

Tottenham Hotspur are gathering information on FC Porto's Diogo Costa, having recently conducted a scouting mission to assess the goalkeeper, according to reports from Portugal.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Tottenham are keen to replace Lloris at the end of the season, having identified Gavin Bazunu as a potential replacement for the Frenchman, and they believe £15m could now be enough to land the Southampton shot-stopper.

Another option for Spurs between the sticks is Valencia's Giorgi Mamardashvili, although they are not the only Premier League club in the race for his signature, with Aston Villa also being named as potential suitors.

Villa may be in the market for a new goalkeeper as Emiliano Martinez could be on the move this summer, having recently been linked with a move to north London, with Chelsea and Manchester United also in the race for the Argentine.

According to reports from Portugal (via Sport Witness), Costa is also attracting the interest of a number of top clubs from across Europe, with Man United, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham linked with a move for the FC Porto goalkeeper.

Spurs are said to be gathering information on the 23-year-old, having sent a scout to watch him in the match between Porto and Casa Pia at the weekend.

The report claims that the Portuguese goalkeeper, who has a €75m (£65m) release clause, put in an impressive performance, making several good saves while being watched by scouts from several big European teams.

Should Tottenham sign Diogo Costa?

With Lloris now 36-years-old, the Lilywhites need to think about bringing in a new long-term replacement, and the Portugal international could be a fantastic purchase, given just how impressive he has been over the course of the past year.

The Switzerland-born shot-stopper has recorded a vastly superior save percentage, when compared to Lloris, saving 77% of the shot he has faced per 90, while he is also far more comfortable in possession, averaging 40.52 touches per 90.

Journalist Karan Tejwani has lauded the 6 foot 3 colossus as "absolutely sensational", also praising his "incredible" record of saving penalties, having stopped nine, and one in each of his last three Champions League games at the time of writing.

Given that he is just 23-years-old, Costa could prove to be an excellent long-term replacement for Lloris, and Tottenham should undoubtedly look to sign him this summer, as his performances merit paying the £65m price tag.

West Ham are thought to be interested in signing Strasbourg striker Habib Diallo during the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update.

Who is Habib Diallo?

The £19,000-a-week Senegalese has enjoyed a fantastic season for the French side, proving to be one of the standout attacking players in Ligue 1. He has scored 20 goals in 29 league starts, outlining his influence, and he has also won an average of 3.7 aerial duels per game.

Diallo could be a wanted man at the end of the season, and with his current deal expiring in the summer of 2025, Strasbourg may feel that now is the right time to receive a hefty amount of money for him. It could be that plenty of interest emerges from Premier League clubs and West Ham have been linked with a move for him in the recent past.

The Hammers could do with adding attacking firepower to their squad ahead of next season, in order to avoid a repeat of what has been a disappointing campaign, despite their impressive performances in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Could Diallo move to West Ham this summer?

According to Football Insider, West Ham are "scouting" Diallo "ahead of a potential swoop" in the summer. The Irons had representatives to watch him in action against Nice last Saturday. The east Londoners are not alone in expressing an interest, however, with fellow Premier League clubs Brighton, Crystal Palace, Brentford and Fulham all thought to be interested in snapping him up, too.

The report states that the Hammers scouts in attendance were left "impressed" by the 27-year-old over the weekend, in a game that saw him score twice in a 2-0 victory for Strasbourg.

Diallo could be just what West Ham are after this summer, in terms of bringing in a striker who can provide consistent end product week in, week out. While they have good options at their disposal, from Gianluca Scamacca to Danny Ings, their top goalscorer in the league this season is Said Benrahma with just six goals and both the aforementioned pair have struggled with injuries.

The Strasbourg man could help take David Moyes' side up another level, offering them a more consistent upgrade from the current options, with three goals in 16 caps for Senegal outlining his impact at international level. Whether West Ham are able to beat others to his signature remains to be seen, but Conference League glory could certainly help.

In the absence of Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach, West Indies’ fast bowlers are still “learning the art”, their bowling coach Roddy Estwick said

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Antigua 23-Jul-20161:30

‘Baffling to see Holder and Braithwaite bowl more than Gabriel’ – Sanjay Manjrekar

In the absence of Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach, West Indies’ long-time new-ball pair, their fast bowlers are still “learning the art”, their bowling coach Roddy Estwick said after the second day’s play of the Antigua Test. With their captain Virat Kohli moving to his maiden double-hundred, India swelled their overnight score by 264 runs before declaring on 566 for 8. Having experienced another punishing day on the field, West Indies were 31 for 1 at stumps.”Yes, obviously it is a good wicket for batting but also we must bear in mind that as a bowling attack we have lost Jerome Taylor to retirement and we have lost Kemar Roach, who has not been selected, and when you look at our bowling attack, between them it is about 40-45 Tests,” Estwick said. “So the current bowlers are still learning the art of fast bowling and trying to get the combinations right. So it is going to be a long struggle.”And remember that India are a very good batting side as well. So it will be a tough series for us and we will continue to work hard and continue to stay disciplined and try and stay focussed as possible.”India went into the Test match with only five specialist batsmen, but that did not hurt them even after they had lost their first four wickets with only 236 on the board. R Ashwin, batting as high as No. 6 for the first time in his career, scored his third Test hundred, and Wriddhiman Saha, Amit Mishra and Mohammed Shami all made important contributions as well. Estwick said the success of the lower order came from the lack of scoreboard pressure rather than any failings on his bowling unit’s part.”It is a very good batting pitch and when you get to 400 for 4, the batsmen can come out and play freely, the tailenders can come and play freely, it is a big difference from if you are 50 for4, then the ball game changes. But when you get to that total and you have the license to go and play shots, obviously declaration is going to come. So there is no pressure on their batsmen at all. Hopefully we will see down the series what happens when they are under pressure.”West Indies chose a seemingly conservative bowling combination for the Test, picking only one frontline fast bowler in Shannon Gabriel, one specialist spinner, and two medium-paced allrounders in Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite in support. Apart from Gabriel, West Indies’ bowlers largely bowled defensive lines to defensive fields.Estwick refused to comment on the composition of the attack, saying he “had no say in selection”, and said West Indies had no option but to try and contain given how Kohli was batting.”Once Kohli was at the wicket, it was very difficult to attack,” Estwick said. “If you look at how he was playing, he was scoring at a run a ball and scoring freely. With containing you have a job to do and [offspinning allrounder Roston] Chase is in his first Test match, Carlos Brathwaite who has only played three Tests, Holder in his 15thTest.”We are still learning as young players. I heard a couple of weeks ago England lamenting the loss of Jimmy Anderson [to injury, against Pakistan], yet they have Stuart Broad with 99 Tests. So with a bowling unit it takes time and you have to be patient with a very young attack. And we are playing against a very good Indian batting line up on a pitch that is very good as well.”With West Indies facing a difficult task to save the follow-on before they can set their sights any higher, Estwick said someone in the top order had to emulate Kohli and play a big innings.”It is a simple thing,” he said. “We have to bat very well and bat deep into the fourth day and if we can do that, until just after tea on the fourth day, that will give us a chance of saving the game. But the first thing to do is avoid the follow-on and somebody in the top four will have to get a very big hundred like Kohli who got 200.”So it is important that one of the batsmen says, ‘Look, this is a good pitch, and I am going to capitalise here, and if they can come to our backyard and do it, we can do it as well.'”

Leeds United youngster Wilfried Gnonto could potentially make a return to Serie A in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh rumour regarding his future.

Has Gnonto shone in a Leeds shirt?

The £20,000-a-week attacker has become an exciting figure at Elland Road during his short time at the club, having joined from FC Zurich last year – with the Italian chipping in with two goals and four assists in the Premier League this season.

The Whites are struggling badly to remain in the top flight, however, and they need results to go hugely in their favour this weekend if they are to avoid playing Championship football for the first time since the 2019/20 campaign.

Should Leeds go down, it could lead to an exodus involving a number of key players, and Gnonto could be one of them, even though his current deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2027.

Could Gnonto return to Serie A?

According to Calcio Web [via Sport Witness], "there is an agreement" for Gnonto to return to Serie A at the end of the season, with Leeds currently facing the prospect of demotion. Sassuolo are name-checked in the report and are planning to take the "decisive shot" to sign the 19-year-old, and a deal in the region of €10-15m (£8.6-13m) "could be concluded".

In truth, it would be hard to begrudge Gnonto wanting to leave the Whites if they get relegated this weekend, with the youngster unlikely to be keen on playing Championship football next term. This is a player who already has 10 caps to his name for Italy despite his tender years, as well as being hailed as "very direct" by Gary Neville – and someone he is a "huge admirer" of.

To lose such a talented young footballer so soon would be a massive blow for Leeds and highlight how disappointing this season has been for them, and if the Italian does demand to return to his homeland in the summer, it is essential that the club get as much money as possible for him.

Should the Whites pull off the impossible on Sunday afternoon and remain in the Premier League, the situation could certainly change, but for now, supporters may have to accept that this weekend could be the final time they get to see Gnonto in a Leeds shirt.

As another season enters its closing weeks it needs to be asked how much progress Leicestershire have made

George Dobell23-Aug-2016
ScorecardMark Cosgrove rallied Leicestershire after losing two wickets in the first over of the match•Getty ImagesThese are puzzling days at Leicestershire.On the face of things, this season has offered impressive improvement. After years among the ‘also runs’ of the County Championship, here they are in late-August with a realistic chance of promotion. Going into this game, they were second in the table. If that sounds modest, it has to be remembered that they have not played in the top division since 2003 and did not win a single game in this division in 2013 and 2014. The improvement is welcome.The ground has improved, too. There are floodlights, new broadcasting facilities and improved stands. All of it is welcome.But scratch beneath the surface and you are left wondering how deep the roots of this recovery stretch. The only man in this side (Lewis Hill) who could indisputably claim to be ‘home grown’ was making his first Championship appearance of the season and none of the top four were born in the UK.That is fine, up to a point. The addition of seasoned professionals may well have been required to alter the culture of a club that had become accustomed to losing. Their attitude and experience alongside some local talent could shape the future of the club.But there’s the rub. Because the local talent isn’t getting a game. Instead Atif Sheikh, a left-arm bowler of rare pace, has been released, Jigar Naik is seemingly sentenced to a future in the seconds, Aadil Ali, about whom there was such hope ahead of the season, hasn’t played a first-class game since June and Zak Chappell, a promising fast bowler, here missed out to 27-year-old Dieter Klein, a journeyman South African making his first-class debut for the club who nabbed Alastair Cook as a notable maiden Championship wicket.Of course there is a balance to be struck. Of course young payers cannot be flung into the side without support. Of course in these mobile, multi-cultural times you would expect a team based in a city like Leicester to host players with wildly varied backgrounds. Of course the likes of Angus Robson, who here compiled a patient half-century, could go on to provide years of service for the club and be seen as Leicester through and through.But for five of this team to be born in Australia or South Africa and only one to have progressed through the club’s system suggests that balance has not been found. And for all the talk of embracing the local Asian community, there is no Asian face in the side here and very few in the stands. The two are probably connected.Leicestershire could claim, with some justification, that several players who developed through the club and might be playing for them even now (Stuart Broad, James Taylor, Greg Smith, Harry Gurney and Luke Wright, among others) had larger clubs not enticed them elsewhere. But Essex could say much the same. They have lost Adam Wheater, Reece Topley, Ben Foakes, Tymal Mills, Varun Chopra and Mark Pettini among many others. Yet they still fielded a side containing eight home grown players here.Most of all, Leicestershire could claim that it was always going to take time to turn things around here. So deep was the descent into mediocrity and irrelevance that it was always going to take years to produce a locally resourced, competitive side that reflected its local community. They are not so far into the rebuilding process that a judgement can yet be made as to its effectiveness.It would have been nice to put these points to the club’s head coach, but Andrew McDonald declined the interview request until the end of the match. Perhaps Leicestershire are happy with an attendance of 800 (their highest Championship gate of the season) and the absence of independent coverage? Or perhaps the club are reluctant to put McDonald into a tricky position while his future remains uncertain. Despite having a contract with the club until the end of 2018, rumours linking him with a full-time return to Australia continue. He has already taken the Melbourne Renegades position; the Victoria role remains open. Some well-placed sources expect an announcement within days.And it needs to be asked how much have Leicestershire really improved under him? Or have they just plugged the holes with imports? Are they really any different now to the side that was ridiculed for filling itself with Kolpak registrations? If they are going to fulfil a role for English cricket – and they have a fine history of doing just that – they have to grow their own or improve those who were unloved elsewhere. In two or three of this side – Ned Eckersley, Robson and Ben Raine – they have such players. But there is a huge amount of room for improvement.They didn’t have a bad day here. Put in on a green track that had been used for a previous Championship match, they found themselves on a hat-trick in the first over from Jamie Porter. Paul Horton played around one that may have nipped in and Neil Dexter was caught on the crease by an inswinger.But Mark Cosgrove and Robson added 129, with Robson showing admirable patience – he scored three from his first 38 deliveries – and Cosgrove feasting on anything on his legs to provide the foundations of a decent score on what Leicestershire say they hope is “a result wicket.”Both were troubled by the pace of Graham Napier. Still able to coax life out of a slow pitch even a few weeks from retirement, Napier produced a bouncer that took Cosgrove’s glove and ballooned just over Cook’s head in the slips – Cook appeared to get a hand to the chance but could not cling on – and eventually defeated Robson with a fuller ball that seemed to surprise him with pace. It was the eighth time this season Robson had made a half-century but he has been unable to convert any of them into a century.Pettini was bowled leaving one that nipped back before Eckersley saw the ball dribbled off his bat and onto his stumps as he dropped his hand on an off-break from Tom Westley. By the time Cosgrove was bowled by a lovely, swinging yorker – his attempt to whip it through midwicket resulted in a lost middle stump – he was only four short of 1,000 Championship runs for the season.Leicestershire also enjoyed a couple of early wickets in reply. Cook, playing his sixth Championship match of the season with a view to helping top-of-the-table Essex secure promotion, was bowled by a full, swinging ball that clipped his off stump, before the nightwatchman, Porter, was adjudged – somewhat unfortunately, it appeared – to have been given out caught behind off the glove.So their promotion hopes remain alive. But, long term, you wonder what progress has really been made with this team.