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Manchester United are reportedly one of several sides eyeing up a move for Rennes midfielder Lovro Majer as the January transfer window fast approaches.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet Homme du Match (as relayed by the Daily Mirror), United are keen to secure the 23-year-old’s services over the coming months, although fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur are currently at the front of the queue.

The report states that: “According to our information, the most interested club is Tottenham who have already placed the player at the top of their list of priorities for next season.

“Other clubs are also interested in the image of Manchester United or Bayern Munich, making it difficult to retain the player for many seasons at Rennes.”

Rangnick’s next Sabitzer

If the United hierarchy are able to secure Majer’s signature over the winter, then they could land Rangnick his next Marcel Sabitzer after the pair worked together during their time at Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig.

The Croatia international is in the mould of Sabitzer, now at Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, with the pair both able to unlock opposition defences with dangerous dribbles and perfectly-weighted through balls. The Bayern midfielder is mesmeric, bagging 13 times and supplying 11 in 77 outings under the new United boss.

Despite only arriving at the Roazhon Park last summer, Majer has already established himself as one of the most promising prospects in Ligue 1.

In his 23 appearances for his former and new employers this term, the £11.7m-rated magician has bagged six goals and provided a further six assists for his teammates, playing a pivotal part in their rise to second place in the top-flight table.

Majer’s outstanding exploits for Rennes have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including talent scout Jacek Kulig, who dubbed him “phenomenal” after enjoying a stellar run of form throughout November.

With Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba all out of contract next summer, Rangnick could be forced into the transfer market for a new attacking midfielder, and Majer, who has 38 career goals, appears to be an ideal replacement.

Only time will tell if Red Devils are able to secure the youngster’s signature, but it’s a deal that could get the 20-time English champions back on track.

And, in other news…Rangnick can become instant hit at Man Utd by signing “complete” £45m-rated “machine”

The Sri Lankan cricket team arrived in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon with Kumar Sangakkara promising their best in an attempt to conquer “the last frontier”

Nagraj Gollapudi in Mumbai08-Nov-2009Sri Lanka have made six tours to India over the last 27 years, played 14 Tests, and are yet to win one. It’s a record Kumar Sangakkara is keen to rectify as his team arrived in Mumbai for a three-Test series beginning on November 16, followed by two Twenty20 internationals and five one-dayers.Sangakkara, however, said his side, No. 2 in the Test rankings, was “under no pressure” to scratch India off the list of countries (South Africa and Australia are the others) where Sri Lanka have never won a Test. “We know we haven’t won here and for us we need to try and change that,” a sleepy-eyed Sangakkara said, in his first interaction with the media in India on Sunday afternoon. “We are here to relax, enjoy and not worry about history, and try and put as much pressure on the Indians as possible.”The pressure, Sangakkara felt, would be on India after the defeat against Australia in the ongoing home one-day series. He said it would be interesting to see how India reacted from the defeat against an under-strength side, saying that “some react positively while some don’t”.Sangakkara, who took over the captaincy from Mahela Jayawardene at the ICC World Twenty20 in June, is building a cohesive unit capable of performing in all conditions. Sri Lanka are formidable at home but their overseas record is mediocre. Their lack of success in India is strange, especially since the conditions here are similar to those in Sri Lanka.Posting large totals is critical to winning Tests in India, and Sri Lanka’s batsmen have been unable to do so in the past, with 420 in Kanpur in 1986 being their best effort. Their present batting line-up could be challenged to surpass that score as only four players – Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera and Sangakkara – have Test experience in India.Things are not bright on the bowling front either. Even Muttiah Muralitharan has taken only 31 wickets in eight Tests and his average of nearly 40 in India is his worst in any country after Australia. And in Lasith Malinga’s absence, their fast-bowling attack comprising Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Dammika Prasad and Chanaka Welegedara lacks menace and experience. Sangakkara, though, was of the opinion that his relatively inexperienced attack could be at an advantage.”Inexperience is sometimes a good thing as the Indian batsmen have not played our fast bowlers regularly in the longer form of the game which can work to our advantage.” He said sometimes a “fresh perspective, attitude and enthusiasm could be an added bonus”.Sangakkara is banking on 22-year old allrounder Angelo Mathews to give the team flexibility and balance. “We have a great option in Angelo Mathews who gives us the flexibility of playing three spinners on a spin-friendly wicket because of him being a frontline fast bowler and a batsman,” Sangakkara said. “We could even go into the game with three out-and-out fast bowlers, with Mathews in support, and one spinner or even two fast bowlers and two spinners.”It will be interesting, however, to see which two spinners Sri Lanka field in the first Test against India in Ahmedabad beginning on November 16, especially with Sangakkara stressing the importance of “performance and current form”. Murali is likely to be a certainty for one spot, and Ajantha Mendis had spectacular success against the Indian batsmen in Sri Lanka. It is the left-arm spinner, Rangana Herath, though, who has been Sri Lanka’s most successful slow bowler in recent matches.In his last four Tests at home, Herath took 23 wickets against Pakistan and New Zealand. Murali did not play against Pakistan while Mendis proved expensive – his five wickets cost 43 each. Against New Zealand, Murali’s returns were 13 wickets at 24 apiece while Mendis’ three victims came at an average of 45. Sangakkara said that Herath having to play “third fiddle to the other spinners made him hungrier to do well”. Sri Lanka could do with more healthy competition in India during the coming weeks.This series, from November 8 to December 27, begins with a three-day warm-up game against the Board President’s XI at Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex before the first Test. The second Test will be in Kanpur before the teams head back to Mumbai for the third game.

Daniel Vettori believes Andrew Strauss made the right decision to recall Angelo Mathews following last year’s clash between Ryan Sidebottom and Grant Elliott

Cricinfo staff28-Sep-2009When Andrew Strauss recalled Angelo Mathews during England’s opening ICC Champions Trophy match against Sri Lanka, he admitted the incident involving Ryan Sidebottom and Grant Elliott last year was on his mind. On that occasion, captain Paul Collingwood refused to recall Elliott, much to New Zealand’s anger and their captain, Daniel Vettori, believes Strauss made the right call this time.When Sidebottom and Elliott collided at The Oval, Collingwood had time to ask Elliott to come back and he suffered heavy criticism which ultimately played a role in him resigning the captaincy later in the season. Strauss has had an interesting few days at this tournament, following his Mathews decision by opting not to allow Graeme Smith a runner during his 141 at Supersport Park.”I only saw it briefly but with what’s gone on in the past it seemed like the right thing to do,” Vettori said of the Mathews recall. “It was the easier option to make and quelled the situation quickly. If it worked the other way we would still be talking about it.””It probably was in their minds,” he added in reference to Elliott’s run out. “I think it’s probably in my mind as well. If I come across it what would I do there? Just like the runner issue they are all so individual and it is hard to make a blanket rule across the board. I still think the Sidebottom-Elliott incident was very different to the Mathews one. It’s hard to make a general comment about all.”Vettori said that it was important for captains to maintain the spirit of the game when making on-field decisions in the heat of the battle. “I think people become worried about what will be said afterwards rather than what is right at the time,” he said. “That’s not the place you want to go, you want to make a truthful honest judgment at the time and you hope it’s right. The unfortunate thing from the Elliott issue was that people were making decisions on what they think will be said afterwards as opposed to what actually happened.”England and New Zealand meet at the Wanderers on Tuesday in the final Group B qualifying match. New Zealand have to win to stay in the tournament, while England are assured of progressing but can cement top spot in the table with victory.

An update has emerged on Celtic defender Greg Taylor, regarding his future at Parkhead under Ange Postecoglou.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, Celtic are in talks with the left-back over a contract extension for the defender, with his current deal due to expire in 2023.

The report claims he could put pen to paper on a two or three-year extension that comes with a wage increase to reward him for his performances on the pitch.

Delight

This fresh development on Taylor will surely leave Celtic fans feeling delighted as a new contract would secure the player’s long-term future at the club.

Taylor may not have been a fan favourite in the early parts of his Celtic career, drawing criticism from some supporters at the start of the 2020/21 campaign, but he has improved over the course of the past 12 months or so and has established himself as a key player.

He averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.97 in the Scottish Premiership last season, losing 47% of his ground duels on the pitch. However, he has shown visible signs of progress this term, averaging an exceptional rating of 7.15 and winning 77% of his ground duels in the Premiership.

The £8.2k-per-week beast was lauded by some fans for his performance against Jablonec earlier this season and he’s also earned praise from James McFadden, with the former Scotland international hailing him earlier in 2021. He said:

“Greg Taylor, for me, has been brilliant since coming back into the side. He offers so much more down that left-hand side than Diego Laxalt because he’s got that a final pass.

“That was a brilliant pass into Edouard. He picks him out really well and there’s good pace on it. It allows Edouard to do his stuff.”This shows that he has gone from being a player some fans were less than pleased with to one who they could get excited about staying at the club. His statistical improvement in the league suggests that he is on an upwards trend and, at the age of 23, there could be more to come from Taylor under Postecoglou.Consequently, keeping him at the club for the long-term should come as a huge boost to the manager. That’s especially when you consider their problems at left-back where Taylor remains the only consistent option ahead of the lesser-spotted Boli Bolingoli and teenager Adam Montgomery.Therefore, supporters could be delighted with this news that he is in talks over a new deal. If the club can get it over the line then it could be a boost to the long-term future of the club, as Taylor could be the first-choice number three for many years to come.

AND in other news,  Postecoglou may be about to repeat Celtic’s van Dijk nightmare, fans would fume…

The CEO of the WICB has said it won’t be possible to conduct a regional Twenty20 tournament before the ICC World Twenty20

Cricinfo staff03-Nov-2009Ernest Hilaire, the newly elected chief executive of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), has said it won’t be possible to conduct a regional Twenty20 tournament to give the West Indies players sufficient practice before the ICC World Twenty20 in April-May, in the Caribbean.Hilaire said West Indies’ international schedule, starting with the tour of Australia this month, was too packed to accommodate a tournament.”I think it will be difficult between now and the tournament in April next year to have a Twenty20 tournament,” Hilaire said at the launch of the World Twenty20’s ticket sales in Barbados. “We will not have a Twenty20 tournament before the World Cup because there is already a schedule of matches up to that time.”We travel to Australia in the next couple of weeks and return at the end of the year. We start from January our regional four-day tournament that would last until the end of March. In between that, we will be traveling to Australia for the one-day (bilateral) series and then we host Zimbabwe and there is virtually no space for us to have a Twenty20 tournament.”Hilaire however was confident that the West Indies team will be sufficiently prepared for the world tournament. West Indies end their tour of Australia with the two Twenty20 internationals before taking on Zimbabwe at home for a limited-overs series in March.”We will be playing Twenty20 matches in Australia, as well as against Zimbabwe, so you do not need to have a regional Twenty20 tournament for the team to prepare. We are trying to ensure the team plays enough matches leading up to the World Twenty20.”The Stanford 20/20 was the only recognised tournament in the Caribbean, which ran for two seasons before it was cancelled after Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire who bankrolled the tournament, was arrested on charges of fraud. Deryck Murray, the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board president, recently proposed a West Indies Twenty20 Championship at the end of the year, to help choose the best side in the region, who will then go onto represent West Indies in future editions of the Champions League Twenty20. T&T, the winners of the Stanford 20/20, qualified for the Champions League in India and reached the finals.Hilaire assured that the board will discuss the possibilities of hosting a regional tournament in future.”One of the things we are doing at the WICB now is a schedule of cricket until 2012 where we will actually create slots in the annual calendar to allow for our three regional tournaments – the four-day, the one-day and a Twenty20 tournament – as well as ensuring we meet all our international commitments, creating space for each territorial board to have their own tournaments. The challenge we are facing now is that there is so much cricket, and cricket is becoming so attractive for cricketers themselves, that we absolutely need to establish that schedule.”

According to Football Insider, Tottenham are interested in signing Harry Souttar from Stoke City.

The Lowdown: Spurs need defensive reinforcements

Tottenham’s erratic form this season can certainly be attributed to trouble in the heart of defence, with no one really putting themselves forward as the clear candidate to become Cristian Romero’s long-term partner.

They kept three clean sheets in each of their first three matches, including in a 1-0 victory over Manchester City, but they then shipped three goals in each of their next three matches, and have now already conceded 13 times in their opening nine Premier League game (Sky Sports).

The Latest: Spurs eye Souttar

As per this latest report, Spurs are interested in signing Souttar, while Aston Villa and Everton are also in the race.

An N17 source told the outlet Nuno Espirito Santo is a big fan of the player and wanted to sign him for his former club Wolves.

The manager signed five players in the summer and it appears the club are planning to have him in charge during the next transfer window if he is already picking out more targets.

The Verdict: Really the right option?

Souttar has certainly shown promise with the Potters. He has played in 12 of the club’s 14 Championship’s matches so far this campaign (Transfermarkt), with Stoke conceding less than all but six other sides in the division (BBC). Current Stoke boss Michael O’Neill even called him a “top level” player earlier this year (via socceroos.com).

However, it is worth questioning whether this is the kind of target Tottenham should be pursuing. They are trying to compete at the highest level, and the last Championship defender they signed, Joe Rodon, has made just one appearance in the league this term. If they are serious about challenging the best of the best, they must look so sign more proven performers than the 6 foot 6 Souttar.

In other news, this man has been blamed for Harry Kane’s struggles.

Bangladesh may not be providing South Africa the most stern examination before Australia next month, but for the first time in this series they challenged the hosts with a combative performance to reach 250

The Bulletin by Will Luke26-Nov-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out
Morne Morkel showed an improvement in form to pick up four wickets © Getty Images
Bangladesh may not be providing South Africa the most stern examination before Australia next month, but for the first time in this series they challenged the hosts with a combative performance to reach 250. Fifteen minutes before stumps on the first day at Centurion, Mashrafe Mortaza capped an encouraging day for Bangladesh with the wicket of Neil McKenzie for a duck.Their performance today was in stark contrast to their dismal effort in Bloemfontein last week when they only managed to survive 88.3 overs in two innings. But this was a different story, with Junaid Siddique cracking 67 while Mushfiqur Rahim’s elegantly crafted 65 lifted his side to their highest first-innings score since April 2006. There were signs of encouragement for Morne Morkel, the fast bowler who has struggled with his consistency, but again he mixed the sublime with the scattergun.In fact, Bangladesh improved with each session. Choosing to bat on what is traditionally an encouraging surface for the seamers, and with South Africa calling up Monde Zondeki to replace Paul Harris, it seemed perfectly logical that they would succumb to their long-standing vulnerability to pace. Yet they showed early promise, particularly Junaid who took a liking to Dale Steyn, who had a poor day. Holding the pose, Junaid drove him casually down the ground while Tamim Iqbal nudged and nurdled singles, dispatching the occasional handsome cover-driven four.Having struggled with his line and length, Morkel finally settled into a good rhythm to hit Junaid with a viper-spitting bouncer which hammered into his unprotected left arm. A fuller delivery accounted for Tamim on 31, who edged him behind, causing celebrations of relief from an embattled fast bowler. He followed it up with a slightly slower and fuller delivery to Mohammad Ashraful who, with concreted feet, offered a simple return catch.A lunchtime score of 64 for 3 summed up the situation. Bangladesh had begun promisingly, only to throw it away before the interval, but Junaid continued to flourish after the break as South Africa were made to wait. Jacques Kallis produced several unplayables, gaining prodigious swing to Mehrab Hossain jnr, but as ever it was Makhaya Ntini who made the breakthrough when Mehrab was drawn into a loose swish outside his off stump.Junaid grew in confidence, upper-cutting Kallis over point for a confident and tone-setting boundary, but he showed his true class when on the front foot. A sweetly timed off-drive sped for four off Ntini, bowling a touch too full, while Steyn – curiously ineffective throughout the day – was punched off the back foot for four more. A streaky, uppish cut flew past gully to bring up his third Test fifty, an elegant example of the talent in Bangladesh batsmanship.At the other end, however, came evidence of Bangladesh’s difficulties. Raqibul Hasan, making his debut, showed potential with a supremely elegant flick off his pads, but couldn’t cope with Morkel’s bounce, fending him to Smith for his second catch. Shakib-al-Hasan entertained with a cameo of 30 off 27 balls but Bangladesh needed rather more substance than a brief flurry.And they received it from Mushfiqur, batting a little too low, frankly, at No. 8. With strong wrists and firm cuts, he batted with great aggression – driving Kallis beautifully for four; slapping another wide from Morkel through the same cover region before swinging Steyn for two sublime sixes over midwicket. He was dropped on 23 by Mark Boucher – one of two spills by the wicketkeeper – but two more fours off Steyn took him through to a superb fifty. His tenth-wicket partnership with Mahbubul Alam (who contributed just 1) of 56 spanned just 12 overs. South Africa were increasingly incensed, but were guilty of bowling too wide.Granted, 250 is not a total to challenge one of the world’s best line-ups, but Bangladesh ensured it was their day in the sun when Mortaza found a brute of a delivery to square up McKenzie. He could have had Hashim Amla, too, but the ball appeared to brush the batsman’s pads rather than his glove down the leg side. Nevertheless, with South Africa trailing by 230, for the first time in this series Bangladesh have put up a fight.

Australia’s first Test preparations have been thrown into chaos with the fast man complaining of pain down his left side

Alex Brown06-Jul-2009Brett Lee has been ruled out of the first two Tests of the Ashes series with a low-grade abdominal tear and is no guarantee to play thereafter. As revealed by Cricinfo, the Australian fast bowler experienced pain down his left side following last week’s tour game against England Lions in Worcester, and will be sidelined for the Cardiff and Lord’s Tests at the very least.Lee was absent from Australia’s training session at Sophia Gardens on Monday after being sent to London for scans, which revealed a small tear in an abdominal muscle. His absence has thrown Australia’s planning into disarray ahead of the first Test, which begins on Wednesday, and will deny the tourists the services of their most decorated bowler.”There probably is a bit more disappointment that it is an Ashes Test,” Lee said. “I’m extremely disappointed. I’m gutted that I won’t be there for that first Test match. But I’ll find a way to bounce back. I’ve gotten back from five ankle surgeries so I’m sure one little muscle strain won’t keep me out for too long.”I still see myself hopefully playing a major role for Australia through the end part of the series, whether that’s the second, third, fourth or fifth Test match, depending on how things go. I’m very disappointed but it’s not the end of the world. I’ve got a couple of weeks now to get it right. I’ll be hopefully running in a couple of days if [the physio Alex Kountouris] lets me. I’ll be working on my fitness … and hopefully I’ll be back shortly.”Lee was comfortably Australia’s best bowler in the tour match in Worcester, claiming 6 for 76 in the first innings and displaying a mastery of reverse-swing, but his 35 overs have come at an immense cost.Prior to the injury, Lee seemed certain to partner Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle in Australia’s pace attack in Cardiff, with Stuart Clark and Nathan Hauritz duelling for the final bowling position. Precisely how the Australians will compensate for his absence remains uncertain, but Lee insisted the lessons from South Africa – in which Australia swept to a 2-1 series victory with a relatively untried pace line-up – would serve them well in the Ashes.”I was going pretty much as hard as I possibly could [in Worcester],” Lee said. “I suppose I had to prove to myself that I can do it again. I never doubted in my own mind but it was more me going out there and showing that I can get close to the 100 mile an hour mark again and take wickets, which I’ve done. I’m proud about that and obviously I have sustained a small muscle tear which has ruled me out of the first Test match. Yes, I’m disappointed, but it’s not the end of the world.”It gives somebody else in our team an opportunity. We’ve got a very strong bowling attack here. The guys did the job in South Africa while I wasn’t there. We’ve got a great bunch of guys, guys who are willing to go out there and do the hard work. I’ve got the utmost confidence in the guys that they can do the job out there.”Lee, Australia’s most senior bowler with 310 wickets from 76 Tests, only recently returned to action after undergoing foot and ankle surgery following the Boxing Day Test against South Africa. The tour matches against Sussex and England Lions were his first outings outside of Twenty20 competition this year, and his display in Worcester last week had prompted many to feel that he was nearing peak form.Kountouris said Lee could have faced 10 weeks on the sidelines had the injury not been detected so early. “We’re pretty thankful it’s not the more severe side of things,” Kountouris said. “It is a relatively good outcome. We got it pretty early. Brett’s pretty sensitive with his body and knows when things aren’t quite right. We got it nice and early I think.”Kevin Pietersen resisted the temptation of indulging in a spot of pre-Ashes schadenfreude by expressing sadness for Lee. “It’s a huge, huge loss for Australia,” Pietersen said. “Who knows with the Australian team? It could be cat and mouse… [but] it’s sad for [Lee] if it’s true. We keep in touch and are pretty good mates.”He’s a fantastic competitor and an amazing bowler. We’ve all seen how he’s bowled in the last couple of games. He’s a huge, huge, huge player for Australia. There’s his experience in the dressing room and also the intimidation he has on batsmen around the world, because he’s the fastest bowler in the world.”Michael Clarke, Lee’s Australian team-mate, expressed sympathy for his colleague. “He’s worked really hard over the last 12 months to get back,” he said. “I only found out this morning that he was having the scans, so it came as a bit of a surprise to me. The most important thing is to get Brett as fit as possible.”

Liverpool are among a host of top clubs still interested in signing Fiorentina sensation Dusan Vlahovic, according to a report which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Vlahovic shining for Fiorentina

The 21-year-old is arguably one of Europe’s most exciting young attacking players currently, having caught the eye hugely in Italy.

Vlahovic has scored has scored 10 goals in just 13 Serie A appearances for Fiorentina this season – only one league goal fewer than Mohamed Salah in 2021/22 – taking his overall tally for the club to 41 in 98 matches.

It looks as though one of Europe’s top clubs will snap up the Serbian eventually, and Liverpool look set to be in the race to sign him.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

The Latest: Reds in the hunt

According to 90min, the Reds are ‘keeping close tabs’ on Vlahovic’s current situation, with his Fiorentina deal expiring in the summer of 2023.

Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Everton and Newcastle United are all mentioned as potential suitors as well, though, highlighting how difficult it could be for the Reds to acquire his signature.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-13/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Massive potential

Vlahovic seems to not only be an incredible long-term prospect but also someone who could immediately become a key performer for Liverpool, having been hailed as ‘incredible’ by Italian football expert Conor Clancy.

With Roberto Firmino now 30 years of age, and Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane both 29, the Reds’ attack will need freshening up at some point in the foreseeable future.

Vlahovic could be the man to lead the line for years to come, with the youngster averaging one key pass, 2.2 headers won and 1.1 dribbles per game in Serie A this season, showing his all-round effectiveness as a striker in addition to his Salah-esque scoring return.

In other news, a journalist has tipped a Premier League player to join Liverpool. Find out who it is here.

Mike O’Shea, the Glamorgan batsman, has been suspended for three weeks after he was caught drink-driving

Cricinfo staff02-Jun-2009Mike O’Shea, the Glamorgan batsman, has been suspended for three weeks after he was caught drink-driving.”Mike O’Shea is a talented cricketer at Glamorgan but he has severely broken the code of employment,” the club’s director of cricket, Matthew Maynard, said. “This will not be tolerated… and we can only hope that he uses this time as a period of reflection.”O’Shea, who represented England in Under-19s, made his debut for Glamorgan against Bangladesh A in 2005, aged 17. He has played twice in this year’s Friends Provident Trophy and one Championship match.”I am deeply embarrassed about my behaviour and I apologise unreservedly to Glamorgan and the supporters for the effects my actions have had on the club,” said O’Shea. “I accept without question all the sanctions the club have decided to impose on me. Drink driving is utterly unacceptable and totally out of character for me.”