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Heading into the transfer window, Manchester United made clear that supporters shouldn't expect many fireworks. Loan moves were said to be a possibility, with footbball director John Murtough telling a fans' forum that there could be additions "around the edges of the squad", most likely in the form of players "who are not playing as much football as they would like".

Part of the reason United have played down the chances of major permanent incomings is that they're constrained by Financial Fair Play rules as they work to ensure compliance. However, they have opened up some breathing room by offloading Jadon Sancho to Borussia Dortmund on loan, with the Bundesliga club covering some of his wages.

Erik ten Hag ideally wanted to add another forward, with £72m summer signing Rasmus Hojlund only able to find the net twice in the Premier League so far, and United may now have the capacity to do so.

One player who's thought to be open to the idea of moving to Old Trafford is Bayern Munich's Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. Fabrizio Romano recently told GiveMeSport that the Cameroonian would be a "candidate" if the Red Devils "decide to attack the situation strongly", and it seems they have now taken action.

Man Utd open Choupo-Moting talks

According to French football journalist Seb Ecrivain, Man Utd are now "in contact" with Bayern over Choupo-Moting. The club are "considering" a six-month loan deal that would be seen to "provide a solution to Ten Hag".

Significantly, it's thought that the deal would cost "a minimal amount", though it's not clear whether that refers to the loan fee, the salary contributions or both. Ecrivain adds "to be continued" at the end of his tweet, so we can expect more developments shortly.

Choupo-Moting can help transform Hojlund

Choupo-Moting may fit Murtough's aforementioned criteria as a player sure to be frustrated by a lack of game time. While he's appeared in all but one Bundesliga game for Bayern so far, he's only started three, condemned by the historic form of summer signing Harry Kane. Kane has scored more goals (22) than anybody else in Europe's big five leagues so far this season, and also equalled Robert Lewandowski's record for the most in the first half of a Bundesliga season.

United have seen flashes of promise from Hojlund in recent games with a match-winning effort against Aston Villa to open his Premier League account and then a goal and an assist in the 2-2 draw against Spurs last time out. There may be a temptation, then, to stick with the Dane as the starting number nine, and entrust Choupo-Moting to be a prolific bench presence.

Since he joined Bayern in 2020, he's scored seven goals as a substitute, and this could solve a clear issue for Ten Hag. As the table below shows, United had the most impactful bench in the league last season, but this year, they're down in lower mid-table for the same metrics.

This season

League rank

Last season

League rank

Subs made

85

8th

149

7th

Goals from subs

3

=12th

12

1st

Goal involvements from subs

4

14th

15

2nd

You might question why Choupo-Moting would accept playing second fiddle to Hojlund, but he'd certainly have a much bigger chance of dislodging him than he would Kane given the vast gulf in the output of those two players this season. This, then, may be a deal that makes sense for all parties.

How did Chad Ochocinco, J.J. Watt and Pat McAfee perform at TST? GOAL takes a look.

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McAfee surprises with his performanceOchocinco's pre-tournament hype fades fastWatt is the pure joy TST needed in 2024The Soccer TournamentPat McAfee | Concafa SC

The ESPN media personality was a genuine surprise to fans attending The Soccer Tournament in Cary, N.C. – and news dropped that the former Indianapolis Colt punter's background in the sport may be why.

McAfee revealed that when he was younger, he competed in ODP Soccer (Olympic Development Program) with teammate Mike Grella.

The duo combined on what is widely considered as the best goal across the group stage, with McAfee notching an outrageous assist.

Concafa SC is on to the knockout rounds, and McAfee played a role in getting them over the line.

AdvertisementThe Soccer TournamentChad Ochocinco | Nati SC

The ex-Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver hyped up his preparations for the tournament for months, but upon arrival he failed to make an impact for his club.

Still, the 46-year-old former NFL wide receiver did play an integral part during the Group Stage. He featured in all three matches, despite seeing his side crash out in the Group Stage.

Nati SC went 1-2 through their three matches, and ended their third and final match with a 5-1 loss to Reggae Rovers.

JJ Watt | Burnley FC

The 6-5 former defensive lineman and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year lined up for the Clarets at the striker position, featuring in all three matches – all of which were losses.

Watt and his squad leave TST with their heads held high, though, as the NFL legend drew an enormous crowd, was a fan favorite and came up with one of the highlights of the tournament.

In his debut match, the 35-year-old accidentally crashed into the opposition goalkeeper, mimicking an NFL-style tackle.

Despite a poor showing on the pitch, Watt proved a lot of doubters wrong, taking the pitch and showing that a player of his size could land an impact in the squad.

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The Soccer TournamentWhat next for Watt, Ochocinco & McAfee?

Ochocinco and Nati SC suffered elimination alongside Watt and Burnley FC, but the latter still has a reason to stick around. His wife – Kealia Watt – is set to make her TST debut on Friday morning, playing for the Clarets women's team.

McAfee, meanwhile, will take the pitch in a knockout match Friday night.

Wolverhampton Wanderers face a busy final few days of the January transfer window as Gary O’Neil looks to bring in at least one new signing.

The Old Gold secured passage into the fifth round of the FA Cup over the weekend with a victory over rivals West Bromwich Albion, but they have yet to make a new signing this month.

This could all change over the coming days, however, as they are showing interest in a talented midfielder shining in the Championship…

Wolves search for new signings

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Molineux side are keen on Jordan James, who is currently playing for Birmingham City in the second tier.

The youngster is showing vast promise and a £3m bid by Italian side Atalanta was deemed unsatisfactory as they currently value the 19-year-old at £10m amid the recent interest.

The Blues have endured a dismal few months, but James has been one of their only shining lights and his performances have clearly impressed O’Neil.

Jude Bellingham was the last young talent to make quite an impression in the Birmingham first team, and he has emerged as arguably one of the finest midfielders on the planet.

James has shown significant potential over the previous 12 months. While lauding him as Bellingham 2.0 may be a tad hyperbolic, he could certainly forge a wonderful career in the Premier League should he move to Molineux this month.

How Jordan James compares to Jude Bellingham

The current Real Madrid starlet only made 44 senior appearances for Birmingham, yet his impact was immeasurable.

He joined Borussia Dortmund ahead of the 2020/21 campaign and developed into a true world-class talent in Germany, leading to the move to Spain.

18 goals in just 26 matches this season is a stunning return and Bellingham has come a long way since his days in the Championship.

James has already double the number of appearances for the Blues as Bellingham since making his debut in the 2021/22 season and his meteoric rise has been exceptional.

This season has seen the young midfielder enjoy his most productive spell in front of goal, netting six times in 26 Championship matches, and this has him ranked third across the squad in the second tier.

Both James and Bellingham excel at finishing and defensive contributions according to WhoScored, suggesting that they offer wonderful qualities at both ends of the pitch and this is something which could give O’Neil a big boost in the heart of his midfield.

Latest Wolves transfer news: £60m Neto claim, exciting replacement eyed

What’s going on at Wolves now the window is finished? Catch the latest news and rumours here…

ByBrogan Clasper Feb 11, 2024

Only seven goals have been scored by midfielders this season in the Wolves squad, and it is clearly an area which could do with some more attacking qualities added to it ahead of a crucial few months.

James might not be the finished article, yet a move to the Premier League could allow him to blossom against the elite similar to Bellingham when he moved to the Bundesliga in 2020.

The schedule for the upcoming campaign was confirmed on Tuesday morning, with plenty of compelling narratives emerging

The Premier League fixture list has been revealed for the 2024-25 season, with clubs now able to plot their respective routes to success across another campaign. The outlook looks far tougher for some than it does for others, with a number of compelling narratives emerging up and down the table.

At the top, it will be all about catching Manchester City for the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, while Manchester United, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Newcastle will be doing their damnedest to keep pace or qualify for the Champions League. Chelsea, meanwhile, are something of an unknown quantity under new head coach Enzo Maresca, but they will want to stay on the upward trajectory that former boss Mauricio Pochettino set them on.

At the other end, Ipswich Town will be desperate to stay up after returning to the top flight after a 22-year absence, while fellow promoted clubs Leicester City and Southampton are back after just one season away.

With the fixture list confirmed, GOAL looks at the potentially defining periods in the upcoming Premier League campaign…

(C)GettyImagesIpswich's baptism of fire

Having sealed promotion to the Premier League for the first time since 2002, Ipswich's start to life back in the top flight could hardly be more difficult.

Kieran McKenna's men begin the campaign with a mouth-watering home clash against Liverpool that is sure to generate one hell of an atmosphere at Portman Road, in what will also be new Reds boss Arne Slot's first game in charge.

Then in game week two, it's the small matter of a trip to face reigning Premier League champions Man City at the Etihad Stadium. As much as the Tractor Boys will relish these kinds of games, they will be desperate not to start the season on the back foot, as they face tough stretches around Christmas, February and April, too. Welcome back to the Premier League, Ipswich!

AdvertisementGettyFestive fear for Man Utd & Everton

Ipswich aren't the only ones facing a daunting festive fixture schedule; between early December and early January, Manchester United will face Arsenal and Man City away, Newcastle at home and, finally, Liverpool away in their first game of 2025.

Erik ten Hag's side will hope to be in a far stronger position than they found themselves in last term, as they will also be battling fixture congestion, with three more league games and Europa League group-stage encounters to contend with in December.

They aren't alone in facing a difficult few weeks around Christmas, though. If you thought United had it tough, spare a thought for Everton, who will take on Merseyside rivals Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City in games in December. They'll hope to be well clear of the relegation zone before that pinch point.

Getty/GOALChelsea's devilish run-in

Chelsea will once again be something of an unknown quantity when the season kicks off as they begin life under yet another new manager in Maresca. After Pochettino guided the Blues to a top-six finish in 2023-24 courtesy of some strong late-season form, they will hope to be challenging at the top end of the table, rather than trying to escape the clutches of mid-table.

However, two potentially season-defining runs of matches will bookend the campaign for Maresca's men; between October and November, Chelsea will face Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United and Arsenal in consecutive games, while they also host Aston Villa before the latter month is out.

Then in May, when the west Londoners will hope to be pushing for some form of European qualification, that fixture pattern is repeated as they face the return games against Liverpool, Newcastle and United. Far from an easy finish for the Blues!

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GettyTough spell enough to stop City?

Champions Man City are an interesting case, and they may well fancy their chances of winning an unprecedented fifth Premier League title in a row after perusing the fixture list.

Although back-to-back games against Tottenham and Liverpool in November will be challenging, City largely avoid any sort of tough stretch until late January – which is rather ominous given their ability to gain momentum and go on extraordinarily long unbeaten runs.

They might already be in the driving seat by then, but their fixtures in the month from January 25 could be enough to derail their season; Guardiola's side will take on Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham consecutively in what will be a true test of their title credentials. If they pass it, you could hardly begrudge them that fifth in a row.

Manchester United have become known for being a club that has been relatively lacklustre in the recruitment department over the years.

Eric Bailly, Alex Telles, and Fred are also recent examples of players who left the club permanently for a low fee.

However, there are a handful of examples of when the Red Devils have been able to recoup a good chunk of their money, with a former midfielder being one of them.

Morgan Schneiderlin’s time at Man United

In the summer of 2015, Morgan Schneiderlin signed for Louis Van Gaal’s Man United alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger in what was supposedly a midfield rebuild at the club.

The French star moved to Old Trafford for around £24m after starring in a Southampton side that finished eighth in the table. The right-footed engine played 24 games over the campaign, scoring four goals while also being selected in Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher's early team of the season over Cesc Fabregas, which ultimately earned him the move to Manchester.

During his first, and only full campaign at the club, Schneiderlin featured quite heavily, starting 25 matches in the league. However, the following January, Everton came along with a £20m offer, which both the player and United snapped up immediately.

The France international became surplus to requirements under Jose Mourinho, and over his short United career, the former Saints star played 47 matches across all competitions, scoring and assisting once.

Schneiderlin’s career since leaving United

Unfortunately, Schneiderlin has never been able to recover the form and talent that he once showed at Southampton, but he has recently shared his huge regrets about leaving United:

“When I signed, I wanted to be a legend there. That is why I am mad with myself and it will be hard until the end of my life.”

Despite staying at the Toffees for four seasons, he only featured frequently in the 2017/18 season, where he played 30 matches. Over the other three campaigns, he racked up 34 starts.

The 34-year-old then switched England for his home country, France, in the hope that he could reignite his career with Nice. He started brightly in his first campaign in Ligue 1, starting 24 games, but two years later, he found himself in the Australian top flight for Western Sydney, where he played just 12 matches.

Everton

2016-2020

88

Nice

2020-2022

59

Western Sydney

2023-2023

12

A.E. Kifisia

2023-Present

4

Fast forward to today, and the 6 foot 1 dud finds himself playing for A.E. Kifisia in the Greek Super League, who are currently second from bottom. The defensive-minded midfielder has only featured in four matches however, where his side have failed to win a game.

Schneiderlin’s decline throughout his career is such a sad sight to see, but United pulled off a masterstroke to recover almost every penny back from what they originally spent on him.

Will his adventure in Greece be the last chapter in Schneiderlin’s footballing journey, or is there another twist to his “rollercoaster” of a career?

Matthew Wade, playing the Edgbaston Test without having to keep wicket, was more relaxed than he has ever been for Australia, and it paid off

Melinda Farrell and Daniel Brettig07-Aug-2019Behind all the talk and beneath the abrasive exterior, Matthew Wade hid a well of anxiety in each of his first 22 Test matches as a wicketkeeper-batsman.It’s only in the aftermath of his 23rd, and first as a specialist with the bat, that Wade has been able to reveal the fact that, in reality, Edgbaston 2019 was the first Test in which he was able to actually enjoy himself – a sensation writ large across a second-innings century that played its part in setting up Australia’s resounding victory.First chosen for Australia’s Test team a few months after his 24th birthday, Wade was in many ways seen as part of the new breed, selected by a set-up led by a captain and selector in Michael Clarke and a coach in Mickey Arthur, who were aggressively pursuing results in the wake of the Argus review the year before.When he was chosen to keep wicket for Australia a second time, in late 2016, Wade’s was the selection of a desperate national panel, trying to find fighters after the loss of five consecutive Tests. Both these circumstances, while not altering the competitiveness instilled in Wade from his earliest days as a backyard cricket opponent of Tim Paine in the Hobart suburb of Lauderdale, certainly enhanced his feeling of needing to be striding, competing, fighting all the time.”When I was batting out there [at Edgbaston], I was looking at the crowd and I was just enjoying being in the moment. I don’t think I’ve ever done that at Test level,” Wade told ESPNcricinfo. “I’ve probably been chasing the next game, chasing the next score, feeling anxious and feeling the pressure. But I really enjoyed the other day, it was cool to be back out in the middle of a Test match with a big crowd. It’s a little bit different to playing first-class cricket when there’s not too many people around.

When I was batting out there [at Edgbaston], I was just enjoying being in the moment. I don’t think I’ve ever done that at Test level

“When you’re a younger player you’re chasing every game, you’re chasing every tour, selection’s always on your mind and you think that’s the be-all and end-all, to be honest. You never want to be on the other side of being dropped – it’s a fear factor. I’ve been on that side and it’s not as bad as what you put in your mind. You get dropped, you go home, you go and play cricket, you make yourself better. I’m not scared of that anymore, and I’m really relaxed off field. So it’s been a cool two years to reinvent myself as a person and as a player.”The reinvention had its roots in the circumstances around Wade being discarded from the national team in 2017, ironically for Paine’s return as part of that year’s home Ashes squad. He had spent much of his playing life trying to fit a model of player – the Adam Gilchrist-inspired batsman-keeper – that Australian cricket fervently desired, only to find diminishing returns the older he got.Those who saw and were critical of some of Wade’s performances behind the stumps, notably his struggles at times to hold chances presented off Nathan Lyon, did not see the mental strain Wade experienced each time he tried to fulfil the role. At Edgbaston, able simply to run around the field and even bowl, Wade could not help but notice the difference.”To go out and sing the anthem, to go out and play the first session, the first ball, they’re things I probably haven’t enjoyed in the past,” he said. “The anxiety of playing and the pressure and selection and doing your job is probably something you’re thinking about in those moments… and keeping, always thinking you’ve got to go out and keep.”Getty ImagesIn winning his 2016 recall and then being dropped again the following year, a few months before the Newlands ball-tampering scandal engulfed Cricket Australia, Wade came to realise, too, that his reputation for abrasiveness and a football-inspired mentality were hindering him as much as it helped. Not least to be chosen in place of Peter Nevill at a time when his performances in first-class cricket were less of a point of difference than his vocal presence in the field.”I probably wasn’t in my best form. At that stage they were after people who would compete and it’s just in my nature,” he said. “It doesn’t really matter what I’m doing – if I’m at home with my cousins playing basketball in the backyard, we’re a competitive family and we like to do things well and we like to win as much as we can. It’s just been bred into me.”Perception is huge in cricket and I thought maybe my opportunity was going away slowly and that I’d been pigeonholed and I wasn’t going to get back in the Australian cricket team. But once you get to know me off ground, I’m a completely different person than what I am on ground. I think it takes people a little bit of time to know that, so I probably thought I wouldn’t be back here.”But in that conclusion came a valuable move towards self-awareness. Irrespective of whether he would play for Australia again, Wade wanted to make the most of his life in the game and also the years beyond it. To that end, he committed to making the most of his batting talent, in particular, while also taking on a carpentry apprenticeship while building a new family home in Hobart – where he had moved back to in 2017 after a decade in Victoria.”I’ve got an interest in property development when I finish,” he said. “It just so happens that we moved back and we were starting to build my house, so I jumped into it. It was the first winter I’d had off for probably eight years I think, so I wanted to do something different.”I’ve always been driving to play for Australia but I think I made up my mind that I just wanted to be the best cricketer I could possibly be. I think every player, if you can do that at the end of your career, then hopefully you’ve played a long time for Australia. If you haven’t, as long as you’re getting the best out of yourself, then it doesn’t really matter what level it is.”

I feel like I’m a different player, I almost feel like I’m starting my Test career again

Much of the playing method Wade found was underpinned by close work with Tasmania’s batting coach Jeff Vaughan, who was a source of reassurance even after Wade’s brief first innings at Edgbaston, providing reminders that all their groundwork together, and the avalanche of runs for Tasmania, Hobart Hurricanes and Australia A that it reaped, would hold up in the Ashes. Come the second innings, Wade was far calmer than he might have been in earlier years.”I didn’t get any runs in the first innings and I spoke to him [Vaughan] briefly a few times, backwards and forwards texts, just making sure that I was still trusting what I’ve done for two years and not running around in circles trying to change things,” Wade said. “It’s my defence and being able to leave the ball and make the bowlers come to me a little bit will help me score. I probably chased the game a little bit hard when I was a younger player and playing as a specialist batsman after you follow Gilchrist, the perception is that you’re going to be an attacking batsman.”That evolution includes an acknowledgement that, while ostensibly the back-up gloveman on this Ashes tour in the event of an injury to Paine, Wade knows his final few years in the game will be primarily as a batsman. He is, at long last, completely comfortable to be playing that one, single role.”I don’t think that I’ll keep very often in the longer format,” he said. “I’m comfortable if something happened [to Paine] I could jump in and keep in a game, that’s no problem at all. Probably, mentally, the pressure of not having to keep day to day to day in longer formats, you’re more relaxed in the mind, so you probably keep better anyway.”I feel like I’m a different player, I almost feel like I’m starting my Test career again, but an Ashes hundred, it probably hasn’t sunk in, it’s definitely the best moment I’ve ever had as a cricketer. It’s nice to put all that work in and then get a little bit of reward. It was fun.”

Glasgow Rangers recorded a solid 3-0 away win over St Johnstone last weekend as they ascended to the top of the Premiership table for the first time since 2022.

Under previous managers, the Ibrox side would have wilted under the pressure last week, but in Philippe Clement, they have a boss who has totally transformed the mentality of the side in just five months.

They now find themselves leading Celtic by two points in the league table, and a win over Hearts tomorrow afternoon could see the gap being stretched to five points, showing how quickly things can change.

The Europa League last 16 draw has seen the Light Blues handed a tricky clash against Benfica, with the first leg on March 7 and this means Clement will be preparing his squad for the hectic schedule which is set to follow.

This could mean there are a couple of changes to face the Jambos at Ibrox tomorrow and with this in mind, here's a look at who could make the starting XI for the key league clash…

1 GK – Jack Butland

Arguably the most important signing the club made last summer. Butland has been in wonderful form since swapping the Premier League for Scotland and if he maintains this until the end of the season, an England call-up to the Euro 2024 squad would not be a surprise.

The former Crystal Palace shot-stopper has kept an impressive 13 clean sheets in 26 league ties and this has been imperative in the Gers' chase for glory.

Another shutout tomorrow could be crucial, that’s for sure.

2 RB – James Tavernier

The number one spot and right-back area pretty much pick themselves and Tavernier will be hoping to continue his wonderful run of form against Hearts this season.

In three previous meetings since the start of the campaign, the defender has scored against the Gorgie outfit three times while grabbing two assists too, and another goal involvement or two tomorrow could give the Gers another win.

3 CB – Connor Goldson

While Butland has been excellent in between the posts, Connor Goldson has been a rock at the heart of the defence.

The Englishman has missed only three matches this term, signifying his importance to the team, and while he is prone to the odd error – notably against Aberdeen when he was caught out with a long ball over the top – his performances have been excellent.

4 CB – John Souttar

Retaining his place alongside Goldson is the Scottish centre-back, who has formed a wonderful partnership next to his older colleague.

Indeed, he has started six of the previous seven Premiership matches next to Goldson, in which the Gers have conceded just three times.

5 LB – Ridvan Yilmaz

With squad rotation being key of late, Borna Barisic was brought into the starting XI for the clash against St Johnstone, but tomorrow, it will be Yilmaz who is unleashed.

His resurgence under Clement has been a joy to watch as he has been able to produce some of his finest performances since arriving in Glasgow in 2022.

The £5m signing was hailed as a “high quality” player by former sporting director Ross Wilson and this term, he has scored twice and grabbed an assist, while looking like he could be the heir to Barisic’s throne.

6 CM – John Lundstram

The Englishman is out of contract in a couple of months, but his recent performances under the 49-year-old coach indicate that he should be offered a new deal.

He has missed only one game thus far under the new regime and this was due to injury, proving that he is the first name on the team sheet, and he will start against Hearts.

7 CM – Mohamed Diomande

The January arrival opened the scoring last week with an excellent long-range effort which nestled in the St Johnstone net, and it was the goal which certainly eased the nerves.

He deserves another start tomorrow and, along with Lundstram, the duo could pull the strings in the heart of the midfield against the Tynecastle outfit.

8 RW – Ross McCausland

Former Aberdeen winger Scott Wright was given a rare start against the Saints last Sunday – only his seventh of the season – but he failed to take his opportunity.

The Scot took just 21 touches, completed only eight passes and lost possession nine times in what was a performance lacking any sort of willingness to make something happen.

Ross McCausland will therefore come into the starting XI to replace him, and he has been a much bigger threat in front of goal this term.

The 20-year-old has scored twice and provided three assists for the senior side since October, and he will only get better with age.

9 AM – Todd Cantwell

Another player who has seen his performances improve under Clement, especially domestically.

The English midfielder has scored five goals in his previous nine league matches and he is flourishing in the number ten role of late, showcasing his attacking qualities.

Another excellent display against Hearts could maybe even see him score yet again in the top flight.

10 LW – Oscar Cortes

Abdallah Sima is not yet ready to return to the first team yet, while Rabbi Matondo missed the clash against the Saints and this could mean Cortes starts for the second week in a row.

He has yet to score for the Ibrox side but is not without trying. Indeed, across his four league appearances, the 20-year-old has created a big chance and averaged 1.5 key passes per game, decent statistics considering he has averaged only 44 minutes per game.

The two-year deal, starting with the upcoming series against South Africa, also includes coverage of men’s and women’s domestic tournaments

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Sep-2019Cricket will be back on All India Radio (AIR), the national radio broadcaster, after a gap of nearly five years. On Tuesday, the BCCI announced it had signed a radio rights deal for two years with AIR, and according to the contract, AIR will start live audio commentary from South Africa’s tour of India, which begins this weekend, until August 2021. The coverage will also include select men’s and women’s domestic matches, such as the Ranji Trophy final, and games in the Women’s Challenger Series, Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, the Irani Cup and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Making the announcement through a media release on Tuesday, BCCI said the move aimed to “enhance the coverage” of Indian cricket and to take it to the “nook and corners” of the country.The deal brings to an end a deadlock over the radio rights issue, which involved several negotiations between the BCCI and Prasar Bharati, the chief broadcasting arm of the Indian government, which runs AIR. According to Rahul Johri, the BCCI chief executive officer, both parties have agreed on a 50:50 revenue share. He said Prasar Bharati will be in charge of the commercial aspect as well as paying the commentators.”Radio is a very strong medium and it was one of the pieces that was missing in our engaging our audience,” Johri told ESPNcricinfo. “Cricket being the life blood of India, we believe radio will play a big role in taking cricket to the masses.”Until the early 1990s, AIR was the chief mode of delivering cricket to fans in the country. Generations of cricket fans followed India’s greatest moments in the game, from the first Test win to the 1983 World Cup win, on radio. Commentators became household names, and some great players – including Lala Amarnath and Vijay Merchant – added a dimension to their legend with their work at the microphone. The spread of television from the mid-1980s and the satellite TV revolution a decade later pushed radio to the background.In 1994, the BCCI decided to sell the broadcast rights for Indian cricket for the first time. At the time the rights included both television as well as audio (radio). But the BCCI could not sell the radio rights within India as the feed is owned by the Indian government.Also, by default AIR got to broadcast cricket within India between 1994 and 2014 mainly because the private broadcaster, who had bought the television rights, still needed permission from the Indian government’s Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to uplink the feed to the satellite. With Prasar Bharati coming under the MIB purview, the private broadcaster was forced to allow AIR to air the telecast over the radio within India.Impatient and anxious about not getting the permission to uplink the feed, on several occasions the broadcaster sought the BCCI’s help to mediate with the MIB. In 2014, the BCCI decided to remove the radio rights from the broadcast rights bouquet. This meant the broadcaster just needed to make the payment to the MIB for the uplinking.The radio rights were now with the BCCI, which negotiated directly with the MIB. There was an ad-hoc arrangement struck for a while, where AIR was allowed to broadcast Indian cricket but that lasted only till 2014. Since then both parties held several discussions without any apparent solution in sight. The BCCI finally took a stand saying that it was happy to share the radio rights within India with AIR as long as there was a commercial contract where it would be paid 50% of the net income.The second condition that the BCCI asked of the MIB was that AIR should ensure quality commentary. The BCCI even extended its willingness in producing the commentary, which would allow it to pick the panel of commentators, and a willingness to incur these expenses. Even the Committee of Administrators (CoA) is understood to have supported the BCCI stance.

Denmark ensured they progress to the knockout round of Euro 2024 after a nervy 0-0 draw against Serbia on Tuesday.

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Denmark and Serbia play out goalless drawDanes go through to knockout roundsMitrovic had chances to advance SerbiaGettyTELL ME MORE

The Danes were the most imposing team for most of the game and they thought they had taken the lead just after 20 minutes when Jonas Wind knocked a corner into the net. However, it was flagged by VAR as the ball had gone out of play before even finding Wind, while the Denmark star was also in a grapple with the Serbia goalkeeper.

For the first 70 minutes, Denmark had had 10 shots to Serbia's zero, but it was the latter who thought they had taken the lead when they found the net in the second-half through a Joachim Andersen own goal, but it too was disallowed.

Denmark were close next, though, when Jannik Vestergaard got a lot of power behind a header as he met a corner but it was straight at the goalkeeper. Serbia then had the chance to steal the points in the 81st minute when Mitrovic pounced on the ball and lashed it towards goal but missed the target.

Serbia really took control of the game towards the end and had a few close calls but were unable to break the deadlock and lift themselves above the group's bottom spot.

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Serbia might have crashed out of the competition, but they have Predrag Rajkovic to thank for not finishing with a defeat. The goalkeeper pulled off three saves to keep his team in the game and, up until the final minute, in with a chance of going through to the next round.

THE BIG LOSER

His team may have been chasing the game for much of the 90 minutes, but Aleksandar Mitrovic had more attempts on goal than anyone else and failed to hit the target with any of them. Had he managed to sneak one over the line, his team would have been through.

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GettyWHAT COMES NEXT?

Denmark go through to the next round where they will take on tournament hosts Germany, while Serbia head home with two points from their three matches in the tournament. Incredibly, they only clinched second spot over Slovenia due to their superior performance in qualification, with the two teams registering identical records in the tournament.

Pundit Carlton Palmer has assessed the chances of a manager who has "done very, very well" in previous jobs becoming Sunderland's next boss.

Sunderland manager news

The Black Cats won't have a new permanent manager in place until the end of the season, with Mike Dodds set to continue in his caretaker role for the remainder of the Championship campaign.

Current options are being looked at as Michael Beale's long-term replacement, however, and one journalist has even claimed that Dodds getting the permanent job hasn't been completely ruled out, perhaps depending on how he fares in the coming months.

A return to the Stadium of Light for Alex Neil has also been mooted, too, with the former boss thought to be keen on taking the job, while up-and-coming Reims boss Will Still is also seen as an option.

Former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has also been mentioned as a potential candidate, in what could be a statement appointment by Sunderland, considering he has recently been in the Premier League.

Pundit reacts to Alex Neil returning to Sunderland rumours

Speaking to Football League World after hearing the rumours about Neil possibly returning to Sunderland, Palmer played down the idea of that happening, having doubts about him being the right fit. He did praise the 42-year-old, though, saying:

"Reports are suggesting that Alex Neil, former Sunderland boss, would be interested in exploring the option of returning to Sunderland. Neil led Sunderland out of League One through the play-offs and was doing very, very well at Sunderland before walking out to take the Stoke job and in doing so he criticised the way that the club was run and the transfer situation with the hierarchy. So, that's not going to change, and I think the way that he left the football club was not in a good way and then his comments.

"So, I think it's highly unlikely that Sunderland will revisit the Alex Neil situation, and again, I thought at the time, you know, I do rate Alex Neil as a manager, and he's done very, very well at previous clubs, but it's surprising how many times, when you, do walk out, and I understand his reasoning for doing so because obviously Tony Mowbray had the same problems with Sunderland, also he took over and got them in the Championship play-offs. He also questioned the hierarchy of the situation as regards transfers etc. and the way the club was run."

Palmer makes some good points regarding Neil, and it is a tricky decision to make with him, considering he guided Sunderland back into the Championship in 2021/22, beating Wycombe Wanderers in the League One playoff final.

That being said, things did end sourly with him at the Stadium of Light, due to taking charge at Stoke City after a short spell with the Black Cats, and supporters may feel that going back a second time could be a big risk.

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Could he be a solid successor to Michael Beale?

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Going with a younger option like Still may well be the way forward, with the 31-year-old only growing as a manager and possibly leaving Reims this summer, but Cooper could also be a great choice if he is happy to drop down a division, assuming Sunderland don't get promoted.