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Manchester United have made contact with Inter Milan over a move to sign Nicolo Barella, according to reports.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

The Red Devils appear to be preparing for a busy few months in the transfer market despite the ongoing takeover saga at Old Trafford. There could be plenty of additions to Erik ten Hag’s side all across the pitch, from a new goalkeeper to a marquee attacker.

However, midfield appears to be an area where Ten Hag and United want to strengthen, especially with Scott McTominay telling those at Old Trafford he wants to quit and Fred being linked with a move to Fulham.

One midfielder who Man United appear desperate to sign is Chelsea’s Mason Mount. Personal terms have already been agreed with the England international, however, striking a deal with their Premier League rivals has proven tricky so far.

The Red Devils had an opening £40m offer turned down by Chelsea, and an improved £50m bid also rejected. Meanwhile, West Ham's Declan Rice is another target, with Man United ready to rival Arsenal in the race for his services with a player-plus-cash offer.

Alongside Mount and Rice, a move for Barella appears as if it could be one to keep an eye on, with an update emerging over the last 48 hours.

Sport Witness relayed news from Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport regarding Man United and Barella. They claimed that Old Trafford officials have made the first move by making ‘interested phone calls’ to Inter Milan.

A move to Manchester over Newcastle is seen as a ‘far more attractive’ destination, with Inter Milan wanting at least €80m ahead of a potential deal.

Who is Nicolo Barella?

Barella, once hailed "top-class" by Jurgen Klopp, is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in holding or attacking midfield roles if needed. The 26-year-old appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €75m Transfermarkt valuation and currently earns £154,000-a-week.

The Italy international made a permanent move to Inter back in 2020 following a successful loan spell from Cagliari and has gone on to make 187 appearances for the Champions League finalists, scoring 20 goals and registering 44 assists.

Described as a "monster" in the media because of his energetic displays, United could see Barella as the perfect box-to-box midfielder to play alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, with the player ranking in the 92nd percentile for progressive passes and non-penalty goals and 89th percentile for carries into the final third, as per FBref, showing how he can create, score and dribble.

A round-up of the NCL games played from December 20

Mohammad Isam23-Dec-2016Rajshahi Division fought back from a first innings deficit to beat Sylhet Division by 151 runs in Bogra.Abu Jayed’s six-wicket haul helped Sylhet bowl out Rajshahi for 204 in the first innings, after which they took a 15-run lead through Abul Hasan’s 59 at No 9. Farhad Reza took five wickets while Mamun Hossain took four for Rajshahi, who in reply batted much better in the second innings.Farhad Hossain struck his 12th first-class century to help Rajshahi to 344. Farhad, who struck nine fours and four sixes in his five-hour effort, added 90 runs for the fourth wicket with Junaid Siddique, who struck 78.Tasked with 330 to win, Sylhet were bowled out for 178 on the fourth afternoon. Only veteran Rajin Saleh remained steadfast, unbeaten on 75 as the rest collapsed around him.Left-arm spinners Sunzamul Islam and Saqlain Sajib took three wickets each for Rajshahi. Farhad was adjudged the Man of the match.Rangpur Division dismantled Chittagong Division by 10 wickets after Suhrawadi Shuvo’s all-round show put them ahead in Sylhet.Rangpur posted 450 batting first, with Shuvo’s 121 helping them recover from 190 for 6 on the first day. He added 102 for the seventh wicket with Ariful Haque, who chipped in with 52, and another 130 for the eighth wicket with Alauddin Babu, who made 64. Shuvo made 121 off 204 balls with 14 fours, lasting more than four hours at the crease.Shuvo then took three wickets to help Rangpur bowl out Chittagong for 182 in the first innings. Seamer Mohammad Saddam also picked up three wickets while offspinner Mahmudul Hasan took two wickets.Rangpur enforced the follow-on, after which Chittagong made 297 in the second innings, leaving Rangpur with just 30 to win. Seamer Ariful took four wickets while Babu and Shuvo took two each. For Chittagong, Yasir Ali scored their only fifty of the match, an 86-ball 58.Rangpur took just 5.2 overs to knock off the target.

Zimbabwe have announced an extended domestic season, running from December until the end of August, incorporating both club and provincial cricket. The schedule consisted of the Logan Cup (first-class matches) for the four provinces, a forty-over Zimbabwe Premier League, fifty-over List A games for the provinces, two T20 tournament windows and opportunities for the under-19 side to face the provinces.The second edition of the ZPL was set to kick off the season from December 10. The tournament is run in league format, with no final, and is contested between eight clubs across four cities.More interest would likely be on the provincial matches, especially after Zimbabwe scrapped the franchise system at the end of last season. The national players would be part of this competition, depending on it for form and fitness ahead of the series against Sri Lanka next June.Zimbabwe Cricket is anxious to find other opponents to avoid spending more than six months off the international stage. But that is dependent on cash-flow as much as it is on other teams’ availability. And it may be that the board has to rely on domestic structures alone to keep the game alive.To that end, the Logan Cup would feature 12 rounds – each team plays the other four times – from December to May. The 50-over List A tournament in the winter would have the same number of matches. Harare, Bulawayo, Kwekwe and Mutare have been chosen as the venues, however, there has been no confirmation over whether the provincial sides have issued contracts to players yet.Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s head coach Heath Streak, who oversaw their progression into the final of the recently-completed triangular series which featured Sri Lanka and West Indies, is in the UAE completing a Level Three coaching coach at the ICC. According to the , Streak footed the bill for the course himself.

Arsenal have now been given an exciting update on their pursuit of West Ham United captain Declan Rice by Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

What's the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?

Football Insider have recently reported Rice has told his friends he has played his final Premier League game for West Ham, opening up the door for a move elsewhere in the summer, with Arsenal said to be in pole position.

Although the Gunners are currently leading the race, there will also be competition from Chelsea, as well as both Manchester clubs, but the report claims the Englishman wants to remain in London, which could give Mikel Arteta a real boost in the race for his signature.

The Mirror report that Arteta wants to bring in the central midfielder to replace the outgoing Granit Xhaka, while also adding that West Ham are ready to let him leave this summer, should their asking price be met.

That said, there will be fierce competition for the £60k-per-week star, as Plettenberg has recently told Sky Sports he is "at the top" of Bayern Munich's list of transfer targets for the summer, having already held a telephone conversation with Thomas Tuchel.

However, the Sky Sports reportes provides some exciting news for Arsenal fans, as he claims that Bayern are "running out of time", while also adding: "Arsenal are further along and he could switch to the Gunners immediately."

Will Rice leave West Ham this summer?

It appears as though the 24-year-old is edging towards exiting the London Stadium this summer, with manager David Moyes admitting he could leave, while he has previously outlined that he wants to play in the Champions League.

That could potentially open the door for a move to the Emirates Stadium, and he would be an excellent addition to Arteta's squad, having been the Hammers' best performer in the Premier League this season, averaging a 7.01 WhoScored rating.

As previously mentioned, Arsenal are looking at signing the England international to replace Xhaka, and he would be a real improvement defensively speaking, having averaged more tackles, interceptions and blocks per 90 than the 30-year-old over the past year.

Hailed as "dominant" by journalist Charles Watts earlier this year, Rice should now be coming into his prime years at the age of 24, and the Gunners should move swiftly to secure his signature, given that Bayern also appear to be seriously interested.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will likely target Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou, should Julen Lopetegui leave Molineux this summer, according to Football Insider.

What’s the latest on Lopetegui’s Wolves future?

Lopetegui is preparing his side for a final day trip to Arsenal this weekend, with Wolves guaranteed to remain in the Premier League. The Spaniard has turned things around in the Midlands to take the side from bottom of the table to 13th on 41 points, however, his future appears to be in doubt.

There has been speculation that Wolves are unable to get the signings and investment they promised Lopetegui and instead need to sell to keep up with FFP this summer.

The Old Gold boss has since offered a cryptic update on his future, although Wolves officials are hopeful they can keep hold of the manager beyond the summer. However, there have been rumours about potential replacements. Football Insider shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Postecoglou, claiming Celtic are fearing Wolves could move for the manager this summer.

The report states that the 57-year-old was on the Molineux shortlist to replace Bruno Lage last year and ‘will likely be in the running for the job once again if Lopetegui decides to leave Wolves after just half a season in charge’.

Who else wants Ange Postecoglou?

Postecoglou has worked wonders at Celtic Park, winning back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles with a 76% win rate this season. He is on course to secure a domestic treble for the Hoops, so there is no surprise he has been hailed as "incredible" by members of the media and linked with a move to the Premier League.

However, it doesn’t look as if Wolves will be on their own when it comes to a potential move for the attacking 4-3-3 style manager, with Tottenham now also linked with the Australian on Thursday morning after a move for Arne Slot fell through.

Wolves will be hoping that Lopetegui remains put, but it is good to see that they appear to have managers in mind should things come to a swift end with their current head coach.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing defensive reinforcements ahead of the summer transfer window, as Unai Emery looks to strengthen the depth of his squad.

The Spaniard has taken Villa on a journey not many would have even dreamed of when he took over back in October.

In his short time in the Midlands, the 51-year-old has had an overwhelming influence on the club’s ambitions, leading them towards a potential top-six European finish and committing himself to improving the squad this summer.

With just two games remaining this campaign, Emery will soon turn his full attention to the transfer window, where he has admitted he will aim to add depth to each position, as told by The Athletic.

A host of players have been linked with a move to Villa Park already, with one name emerging from the Premier League this week.

What’s the latest on Kyle Walker-Peters to Aston Villa?

As reported by TEAMtalk, the newly relegated full-back could remain in the top division next season with a move to Aston Villa a possibility.

Sources close to the site have revealed Villa’s interest saying the club are ready to 'make a move' for the 26-year-old.

Any move could be a costly one with the former Spurs ace being valued at £40m last year.

What could Kyle Walker-Peters bring to Aston Villa?

If there is one area that Emery is lacking in his talented squad, it’s at right back.

Despite having the expertise of Ashley Young performing in the position to a consistently high level, the Englishman is closer to the end of his career than his prime and cannot be solely relied on for the future.

The interest in the Southampton man could be an exciting prospect for Villa, who strengthened on the opposite side in January through Alex Moreno, who has been impressive since arriving from Real Betis.

Indeed, the Spaniard has supplied three assists and also registered a team-high 1.2 key passes per game since arriving.

As such, both full-backs enjoy roaming forward on the flanks while maintaining impressive numbers defensively.

As per FBref, Walker-Peters averages 1.65 blocks per 90, ranking him within the top 8% of those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues, while Moreno follows with marginally fewer scoring 1.24 per 90 in the area.

In a tough season that has resulted in the Saints' relegation, the 26-year-old has remained consistent in his personal performance defensively, shown through winning 55% of his ground duels, averaging 4.8 per game as per Sofascore.

Described as an "outstanding talent" by Danny Higginbotham, the Englishman could provide Emery with strength on both defensive flanks and add to the talent that he already has to boost squad depth.

Having increased squad depth is mandatory in any club that wishes to compete in multiple competitions, and will be particularly crucial for Emery should his side secure European football next term.

يرى حارس مرمى منتخب السنغال السابق، بونا كوندول، أن كرة القدم في القارة السمراء تسير على الطريق الصحيح وفقًا لأداء الفريق في كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

ويعد كوندول أحد الحراس الأساسيين الذين مروا على منتخب أسود التيرانجا بعد استبعاد توني سيلفا من السنغال في عام 2007.

وشارك كوندول أساسيًا مع السنغال في أكثر من كأس أمم إفريقيا حيث ظهر في نسخة 2008، 2012 و2015.

وتواصل “btolat.com” مع بونا كوندول للحديث عن أداء منتخب السنغال ونتائج البطولة المفاجئة خلال الأسبوع الأول.

اقرأ أيضًا | مساعد كيروش لـ بطولات: منتخب مصر كان شجاعًا أمام غانا.. وانخفاض أداء محمد صلاح له أسبابه

وقال كوندول: “اعتقد أن الجولة الأولى في كأس أمم إفريقيا قد أظهرت أن الكرة في القارة تسير على الطريق الصحيح، لم يعد هناك أي منتخب صغير”.

وأضاف: “كان من الممكن في الماضي أن نتحدث عن الفوارق بين منتخب وآخر، لكن لم يعد الأمر كذلك، وهو ما أثبتته منتخبات مثل الرأس الأخضر وغينيا الاستوائية”.

وعن السنغال: “منتخب يرغب الجميع في التغلب عليه، لكننا نمتلك واحدًا من أكثر الفرق اكتمالًا في البطولة، هناك لاعبون على مستوى عالٍ جدًا، لدينا فرصة للاحتفاظ بالكأس”.

واستمر: “لكن الأمر لن يكون سهلًا، هناك المغرب من بين المرشحين ويلعبون بثقة كبيرة، حتى الرأس الأخضر يمكن اعتباره من المرشحين”.

وعن انخفاض مستوى الفرق الكبيرة في البطولة: “كرة القدم تغيرت كثيرًا مؤخرًا، على فرق مثل مصر، غانا، نيجيريا والكاميرون إعادة بناء فرقها بشكل أفضل”.

وتابع: “لا أشعر بتماسك هذه الفرق، فهي تمتلك لاعبين على مستوى عالٍ لكنهم ليسوا بالقوة الجماعية الكافية، هذا ما كانت تتسم به هذه المنتخبات في الماضي”.

وعما إذا كان يتوقع المزيد من المفاجآت في المباريات المقبلة: “نعم، هذا ممكن قد نرى فريقًا كبيرًا يخرج مبكرًا من دور المجموعات”.

وعن المرشحين: “أعتقد أن السنغال والمغرب الأقرب للفوز باللقب، لكن هناك منتخبات أخرى يجب الحذر منها مثل الجزار، مالي، نيجيريا، بوركينا فاسو وبالتأكيد البلد المضيف كوت ديفوار”.

أُعلن رسميًا عن حكم مباراة الكلاسيكو بين ريال مدريد وبرشلونة في نهائي كأس السوبر الإسباني 2024.

ويلتقي برشلونة وريال مدريد يوم الأحد المقبل، في نهائي السوبر الإسباني، الذي تستضيفه المملكة العربية السعودية.

ويدير مباراة ريال مدريد وبرشلونة، الحكم خوان مارتينيز مونويرا، ويساعده دييجو باربيرو، وميجيل مارتينيز مونويرا، وماريو لوبيز كحم رابع.

ويتولى مسؤولية الفار الحكم سيزار سوتو جرادو، ويساعده إيكر دي فرانسيسكو، وفرانسيسكو فرنانديز.

مونويرا سبق وأدار ثلاث مباريات كلاسيكو بين الفريقين، وحقق ريال مدريد الفوز مرتين وفاز برشلونة مرة.

اقرأ أيضًا | تشافي: لم نقدم مباراة جيدة أمام أوساسونا.. ونسعى للفوز على ريال مدريد في نهائي السوبر

وحسم ريال مدريد التأهل لنهائي كأس السوبر الإسباني بعد فوزه في الديربي أمام أتلتيكو مدريد بمباراة مثيرة امتدت لأشواط إضافية وانتهت بنتيجة 5-3.

أما برشلونة تمكن من التأهل بالفوز على نظيره أوساسونا، بهدفين دون مقابل في الوقت الأصلي للمباراة.

Out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek could leave the club at the end of the season, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

Is Van de Beek having a good season?

The Dutchman joined United from Ajax back in 2020, with potentially big things expected of him after he shone for the Eredivisie giants, helping them reach the Champions League semi-finals in 2018/19. It has been a hugely disappointing spell for him at Old Trafford, however, with so little impact made over the past three years.

Incredibly, Van de Beek has only made 60 appearances in total for the Red Devils, so often being consigned to the substitutes' bench, at best. This season, the 25-year-old has continued to feature sporadically, starting only two Premier League matches and not registering a goal or an assist in any competition.

It looks increasingly as though the midfielder's future lies away from United, and with his current deal expiring in the summer of 2025, they could even look to cash in on him at the end of the current campaign. That certainly increasingly looks set to be the case, following a new claim.

Is midfielder off this summer?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O'Rourke talked up the idea of Van de Beek moving on to pastures new this summer:

"Van de Beek, it's been two real difficult seasons for him. It's not what he's used to following his success for Ajax as well; it could be a big summer ahead of him, especially if United do add to that midfield, could push him even further down the pecking order, then he will really seriously have to consider his future at Old Trafford."

In truth, it makes complete sense for United to sell Van de Beek when this season reaches its conclusion, with the 19-cap Netherlands international someone who clearly isn't a key part of the club's plans moving forward. He is a talented player, hence earning to move to Old Trafford in the first place, but he simply hasn't got to grips with the Premier League and fitness problems haven't helped along the way.

Granted, Frank Lampard described him as a "top level player" during his time on loan at Everton, but United simply have better options than him now, from Christian Eriksen to Bruno Fernandes, and they should only strengthen further when the summer transfer window arrives.

It is a move that just hasn't worked out, as can be the case sometimes, so United should try and get as big a fee as possible in the approaching months.

Manchester City fans are buzzing over a ‘serious’ transfer option for manager Pep Guardiola in the form of Brighton star Alexis Mac Allister.

The Lowdown: City linked…

The Premier League champions have been linked sporadically with a move for Mac Allister after his sensational performances at last year’s World Cup.

Brighton’s attacker seriously turned heads in Qatar and stood out as a key player under Lionel Scaloni, which even prompted club legend Sergio Aguero to rave over the South American.

The 24-year-old is thought to be attracting real attention from across England with the likes of Newcastle, Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea also credited with interest.

It’s reported that he is seriously considering a summer exit from Brighton and City are thought to be major contenders for his signature.

The Latest: Fans buzz over Mac Allister update…

According to journalist Ariel Helueni of TNT Sports, as also shared by City Xtra, Guardiola has personally held talks with the attacker over a possible move to Man City.

It’s added that Mac Allister is a ‘serious option’ for the Blues, with Helueni stating: “Pep Guardiola had talks with Alexis Mac Allister and he is a serious option for Manchester City in the next summer window.” 

In reaction to the update, supporters have shared their joy on social media, with a few even believing Mac Allister could be the perfect player to succeed captain Ilkay Gundogan (whose contract expires at the end of the season):

Fans exclaimed:

“Bring him to the etihad” – @hulisuncle

“My dream Manchester City signing” – @R1631230011R16

“Yessssss.. good signing.” – @MAVIPHA

“If it’s a decent price go all in for him quality player” – @AaronBu86845579

“Lets trust pep with this signing” – @Sundayokeme1

“Perfect gundo replacement if he leaves” – @Vignesh63732505

The Verdict: Phenomenal player…

Mac Allister’s stats this season tell you all you need to know about his quality and just how crucial he is for Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.

As per WhoScored, the midfield maestro has scored more league goals than any current Brighton squad member and has averaged more attempts at goal per 90 than anyone bar the departed Leandro Trossard.

Indeed, Mac Allister also ranks in Brighton’s top three for best-performances by average match rating also, clearly showcasing his ability as a proven Premier League player.

If Gundogan does in fact depart Eastlands after many years of faithful service, Mac Allister could well be a decent shout to replace the German.