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Manchester United fans have needed to get used to cagey press conferences from Ruben Amorim over his unsuccessful tenure so far.

Although United are somewhat in a fight for European football, they have underwhelmed once again this term under the Portuguese manager.

Well, once more, he made some interesting statements in his most recent pre-match press conference, which has led to a lack of clarity surrounding future transfers. When asked about the size of the budget heading into the January transfer window and beyond, Amorim said “I don’t want to talk about that,” avoiding the issue altogether.

His comments after the 1-1 draw at Leeds were perhaps even more perplexing.

Whatever the case, the Red Devils are linked with new midfielders who could improve Amoirm’s squad and his chances of succeeding at the club.

Man United target Premier League midfielder

There has been no shortage of links for United looking to sign a new midfielder. Two of the names that continuously crop up are England duo Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton. They could each cost upwards of £100m to sign.

Instead, United may look at an alternative option from within the Premier League.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, the ‘dream target’ for the Red Devils is still Brighton and Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba, who is said to be ‘open to a switch’ to Old Trafford.

However, United are not alone in the hunt for Baleba’s signature. The Cameroon international has also drawn keen interest from Liverpool, with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City also ‘admirers.’ As for a fee, the 22-year-old could reportedly cost as much as £87m, slightly cheaper than United’s other options.

What Baleba could bring to United's midfield

It has certainly been a bit of an up-and-down campaign for Baleba. He has, at times, not looked at his best, but his recent form at AFCON with Cameroon and his performances last season highlight why United are willing to pay such a huge fee.

This term, the former Lille star has played 16 times in the Premier League, only notching up 903 minutes. That leaves him with an average of ten full 90-minute games. He has certainly not been at his best, perhaps reflected in fewer minutes than you may expect.

However, that should not be too much of a concern for the Red Devils. At his very best, of which he has shown glimmers this season, Baleba is a “monster” according to football scout Antonio Mango. He also offers a threat going forward and is prone to a spectacular goal, like this one against West Ham United.

United certainly need a profile like Baleba in midfield; that is to say, a defensively dominant midfielder who offers progression going forward. In that sense, this deal could be the Red Devils’ own version of when Chelsea signed Moises Caicedo back in 2023 from the Seagulls.

The Ecuadorian star has been brilliant for Chelsea, described as “one of the best in the world” in his position by teammate Robert Sanchez.

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There are obvious similarities between the pair, not least because of their Brighton connection. Caicedo is also known to score a spectacular goal from range, too.

However, the likeness goes further than that. According to FBref’s similar players tool, they were noted as two of the most similar players to each other in the Premier League last season, with their underlying numbers comparable. For example, Baleba averaged 4.2 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes compared to Caicedo’s 4.38.

Baleba & Caicedo key stats 24/25 PL

Stat (per 90)

Baleba

Caicedo

Key passes

0.71

0.81

Progressive passes

3.99

5.78

Progressive carries

1.45

1.16

Ball recoveries

6.66

6.16

Tackles and interceptions

4.2

4.38

Stats from FBref

This is a profile of midifelder that would quickly enhance United’s side. To have someone who is so efficient off the ball, as the numbers show, yet also offering a progressive outlet at the base of the midfield, would be key for Amorim.

Of course, £87m is a huge investment, but for United to bring their own Caicedo to the club would be a huge addition and go a long way to improving their fortunes.

Related Their own Declan Rice: Man Utd hold talks over signing CM "machine"

Manchester United could finally secure a midfield upgrade this month.

Posts ByJoe Nuttall

Arsenal have now made contact to sign an “exceptional” midfielder, and they are prepared to make a £35m offer to secure his signature in 2026.

Gunners looking to strengthen in midfield

Mikel Arteta has now hinted there could be some new arrivals in the January transfer window, given the scale of the injury crisis he has been forced to endure, with the return dates of Cristhian Mosquera, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori still unknown.

The manager said: “We’re going to be really aware of the situation and the timescale of certain players. We have to be actively looking, and then can we do it or not?

“That’s a different story, but our job is to be always very prepared because something can happen.”

While Arteta has been left short on options in defence, meaning Declan Rice had to fill in at right-back last time out, the likes of Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi have been reliable options in recent weeks, and Martin Odegaard scored in the 2-1 victory against Brighton.

However, the north Londoners are also keen to bring in a new central midfielder in 2026, with reports from Italy (via Sport Witness) revealing they have now made initial contact over a deal for Club Brugge’s Aleksandar Stankovic.

Inter Milan are expected to exercise their buy-back clause to purchase Stankovic for €23m (£20m) next summer, before selling him to a new club, and Arsenal are waiting in the wings, alongside bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Both Premier League sides are prepared to make a €40m (£35m) offer next summer, but Inter may be in a position to demand even more, given just how impressive the 20-year-old has been for Club Brugge…

Related Arsenal now make phone call to sign £88m star they're constantly monitoring

The Gunners are racing Liverpool for the signature of a forward

Posts ByDominic Lund "Exceptional" Stankovic proving his worth in Belgium

The Club Brugge star, who specialises in defensive midfield, has emerged as a key player for the Belgian club this season, having already made 30 appearances in all competitions, contributing three goals and two assists.

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Despite often featuring in a deeper role, the Serbian youngster has displayed a keen eye for goal over the past year, while he has also been dominant in the air, when compared to other midfielders.

Aleksandar Stankovic’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Non-penalty goals

0.12 (81st percentile)

Touches (Att pen)

1.85 (84th percentile)

Clearances

3.63 (98th percentile)

Aerials won

2.16 (94th percentile)

Not only that, but the starlet also received high praise from scout Jacek Kulig earlier this season, who has been particularly impressed by his leadership skills.

Although Arsenal have plenty of top-quality options in midfield, such as Rice and Zubimendi, Stankovic could be an exciting long-term addition to the squad.

Tottenham will be ‘inundated’ with offers for Joe Rodon if they choose to sell him this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.

The Lowdown: No future under Conte?

The 24-year-old has barely had a look-in under Antonio Conte and was duly linked with a move away from the club in January.

The centre-back arrived at Spurs in 2020 following an £11m agreement with boyhood club Swansea, but his career in the Premier League has not started the way he would have wanted. The 6 foot 4 Welshman has made just 13 appearances in the Premier League and played a mere 78 minutes of top-flight football this season.

Rodon has featured on three occasions for Conte, with two of these appearances coming in the FA Cup, from which they were eliminated by Middlesbrough last week.

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The Latest: Bridge’s claim on Rodon…

Bridge has claimed that Tottenham would not be short of buyers if they decide to sell the Wales international in the summer.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist said of Rodon: “He could be one of those players who never catches a break at Tottenham and goes on somewhere and does really well. But if Tottenham decide to say, look, it’s not going to happen, they’ll be inundated with offers this summer.”

The Verdict: He needs the move

Whilst Tottenham are in no means blessed with a wide array of centre-back options, Conte has seemingly passed on selecting the 24-year-old at every given opportunity.

Therefore, he clearly has a case for possibly feeling aggrieved over a lack of playing time; especially since the Italian has opted to play a natural left-back in Ben Davies as a makeshift centre-half instead of trusting in the ex-Swansea defender.

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If Rodon wants to continue playing at the top level, he may need to move elsewhere in pursuit of first-team action, and it doesn’t appear that Conte would stand in his way if the 24-year-old were to push for an exit from N17.

With the Welshman having drawn glowing comparisons with three-time Premier League winner John Stones in the past, he could indeed be the subject of much interest if Spurs are willing to offload him, as Bridge has suggested.

In other news: Carlton Palmer makes worrying claim about these two big personalities at Spurs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKevin Pietersen hit five fours and two sixes during his 36-ball 62•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

On Thursday, one of the BBL’s hoodoos rolled on, as Adelaide Strikers became the fourth consecutive table-toppers to fail to make the final. A day later, one was lifted, as Melbourne Stars, after the pain of losing four semi-finals, finally made the final. On Sunday, the Big Bash League will have a new winner, as Stars take on Sydney Thunder at the MCG. Whoever wins, however, will have a captain from the same family, as Thunder’s Mike Hussey, in his last game in Australia, takes on Stars’ David.Stars had put up an excellent performance to limit Scorchers to 139; Daniel Worrall had produced the goods in the powerplay and at the death, with clever swing and a nagging line, while the spinners were superb, with Adam Zampa’s leggies tough to get away and Michael Beer’s swerving anglers, which often resembled medium pace, proved to be equally parsimonious.The chase was not going to be easy. But as soon as Kevin Pietersen, who put together a measured mini-masterpiece, was at the crease, Stars looked in control. The sight of Pietersen shadow-batting in the middle two hours before the game, inspecting the pitch, and loosening his limbs, was an interesting, arresting one. Say what you will about Pietersen, but nobody in the game prepares better.At the crease, Pietersen instantly looked just that: better prepared. Stars took eight runs from the first three overs before Luke Wright slapped to cover. Pietersen was immediately away, flicking David Willey for two. He then combined with Marcus Stonis and ensured that the next two overs cost three fours each. Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye, usually stingy, were carted, with Stoinis particularly severe on Tye through the legside.After that, remarkably, Stars went six overs without a boundary. But such was the pair’s calm that this was not an issue. The MCG is big, and they exploited the spaces with ones and twos. Brad Hogg then jagged one back and had Stoinis lbw for 44. Pietersen, though, rolled along in the company of Peter Handscomb. He faced just six dot balls, and unfurled out some trademark fanciness, including the one-legged ramp and a dance down to bump David Willey – who had given him some lip – over long-off for six. Eventually, after a late assault on Joel Paris, he was bowled trying a reverse ramp. David Hussey, however, joined Handscomb to finish the job with 11 balls to spare.Right from the first over, the hosts had looked out to right wrongs. Rob Quiney at mid-off dove full stretch to cut off a Marcus Harris drive, and two balls later Worrall got one to nip away and Quiney took the catch from a skied short-arm jab. Michael Carberry looked in good touch but, after he drove Ben Hilfenhaus beautifully through cover, Worrall had him too, cramped up when trying to cut. These key scalps were Worrall’s reward for discipline.During Michael Klinger’s partnership with Adam Voges, however, everything reverted to a rather familiar feel, with Scorchers steadily accumulating in readiness for late acceleration. Voges looked particularly business-like, firing Evan Gulbis’s only over for three fours. Zampa was drilled back over his head and Stoinis pumped over mid-off. Klinger, who had looked less fluent, got in on the act too, tracking Hilfenhaus and sending him for a handsome straight six.But that late acceleration never came. With his final ball, the last of the 16th over, Zampa tossed one up and ripped with his wrist; Klinger had premeditated a sweep and long-on barely had to move. Next ball, Willey tried to slog Stoinis, who had taken the previous catch, and was caught on the edge of the circle. Ashton Agar almost succumbed to the same fate, but Hilfenhaus shelled a terribly tough, sliding catch at third man. When Voges found long-on in the next over off Beer, Scorchers were in disarray at 5 for 116 having uncharacteristically wasted a platform.Stars, right on cue, found two fine death overs to seal the squeeze. Hilfenhaus claimed Agar and gave away only six in the penultimate over of the innings, before Worral returned to york Tye. If any team could defend 139, it was Scorchers, but this felt terribly underpar, much like the crowd, which looked thin due to the threat of rain and the fun of tennis.With each ball faced by Pietersen, the hope of a third title for Scorchers became ever slimmer. Remarkably, like Stars, Pietersen has never won a domestic T20 title. Both have more hoodoos to end on Sunday.

Sharath sees himself as a player-cum-mentor in Assam’s young side © Cricinfo Ltd

Sridharan Sharath, the former Tamil Nadu batsman, is all set to come out of retirement and represent Assam in the coming Ranji season. He expects to be named the captain of the side. He had retired at the end of the last season after having represented Tamil Nadu for 15 years.Sharath, along with two other Tamil Nadu players – former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh and Somasetty Suresh – and Karnataka left-arm spinner Anand Katti, will join the Assam trials, set to get underway at the NF Railway Stadium tomorrow.Speaking to Cricinfo, Sharath confirmed the move. The Assam team is likely to be announced in two days’ time. “I am likely to captain the team this season,” Sharath said. “There was a vacancy open with regular captain J Arunkumar playing for Goa this season.”While moving to Assam may not be a big surprise, what with player transfers becoming common in domestic circles these days, his coming out of retirement that lasted only a few months is. His retirement was accompanied by a sense of disappointment, after being overlooked for countless Board President’s XI teams and A sides in over a decade. What made him change his mind now? And what made him choose to play in the Plate League?Sharath is excited at the opportunity to represent and help a weak side like Assam. Their coach, Sanat Kumar, for the last three years, has been keen to have him on board. “Over the last three-four years the coach has been inviting me,” Sharath said. “Around April this year, after my retirement, I gave it a serious thought. I spoke to a few guys and made my decision within months.”More significantly, Assam losing players to the Indian Cricket League (ICL) made the decision easier. “We’ve had teams like Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad losing several players to the ICL and Assam too has suffered.If a team like Tamil Nadu loses six-seven players, they can always rebound fast. But it’s not the case with Assam, which has only a few prominent players and loses them due to different reasons. Now is when youngsters badly need senior players by their side. Financially also it would be good for me if I kept playing domestic cricket.”The role he plays with Assam will be different from what he did with Tamil Nadu. “I see myself as a player-cum-coach, and that concept seems to have caught on across the world. I have coaching experience in Chennai and in fact, I have plans of taking it up full time after I finally quit the game.”Sharath hopes other veterans would follow his lead. “Senior players should consider giving something back to the game. Players like Yere Goud, Amol Muzumdar and Pankaj Dharmani will have a tremendous impact on them.”Coming back to cricket after over eight months of a lay-off will be a big test of his fitness, especially when he is a week shy of his 35th birthday. “I haven’t been doing any hard training over the last few months. Of course, one cannot expect me to run around the field like a 25-year old. My aim is to ensure I contribute usefully, both as a player and a coach, and I hope to derive as much motivation from them [youngsters] as they can from me.”The new role of mentoring a team through tough times sits well with Sharath. He spoke of the number of times he had to rescue his side from crisis situations, staging middle-order recoveries, giving credence to his reputation of a stalwart. In less than a year since his retirement, he takes on another crisis – of a different magnitude, in a different role, miles away from home.

Michael Kasprowicz has not played first-class cricket since he and Brett Lee batted Australia to victory in the third Test against South Africa © Getty Images

Michael Kasprowicz will today make his comeback from a back injury that has kept him out of the game for eight months. Kasprowicz will line up for University in Brisbane club cricket as he works his way towards full fitness.He has not played a first-class match since early April, when he and Brett Lee carried Australia to victory in the third Test against South Africa at Johannesburg. But a disc problem that he picked up in that game, combined with a groin strain he sustained during Australia’s boot camp in August, has hampered his chances of playing a role in the Ashes series.Kasprowicz said he would strictly limit himself to ten overs in his comeback match. “Even if I’m on a hat-trick on the first ball of my 11th over I’ll say ‘no’. I want to get it right,” he told . “It’s the biggest setback of my career, for 18 years of first-class cricket.”But he will increase his workload next weekend with two days of grade cricket and he hopes to be available for Queensland’s Pura Cup game against South Australia in two weeks. Kasprowicz said he had not given up hope of again playing for Australia. “Nothing will change,” he said. “I’ve always concentrated on doing well for Queensland and when I enjoy doing that other things happen.”

It appears that other Zimbabwe cricketers might be about to follow Tatenda Taibu’s lead and quit the national team and are due to meet on Monday to discuss following his lead.A fortnight ago 74 players signed a petition demanding the resignation of Peter Chingoka, the ZC chairman, and Ozias Bvute, the MD. The board has done little since then, and when Taibu met with Chingoka earlier this week, it became clear to him that the board was not planning to address those demands in the near future.Some of the national side met with Clive Field, the players’ representative, yesterday. “We discussed at some length the Taibu development and where it left them all personally,” he said. “We decided they should go away for the weekend, consider their own feelings and talk to their families. We won’t be making a collective decision on Monday. That wouldn’t be relevant. Each man must make his own stay-or-go decision. There is a lot of concern about their own careers and also the team situation.”Taibu was a quality batsman and wicketkeeper and undoubtedly inspirational as captain. His departure is a big setback for the others. He will leave a considerable void. In addition, many of the other national players have no other job and they are worried.”Zimbabwe has lost a stream of their best players since the 2003 World Cup. Andy Flower and Henry Olonga both quit after the tournament, Sean Ervine, Grant Flower and Ray Price are all now playing in England, and in the last three months Craig Wishart, Stuart Carlisle and Heath Streak have turned their backs on the side.It is thought that some of those, particularly Streak and Taibu, would be prepared to return to the national colours, other commitments permitting, were the domestic mess to be sorted.A dossier compiled by the provincial chairmen detailing a large number of allegations against the board is understood to have been delivered to the ICC, although Cricinfo is still waiting for a response to a query as to whether this will alter the ICC’s approach to the growing crisis.Some board officials have been questioned by representatives of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe over allegations that the country’s foreign exchange rules have been broken. Those investigations are said to be ongoing.

Scorecard

Herschelle Gibbs managed just 4 in his comeback game© Getty Images

Western Province-Boland claimed victory in the final match in the preminary stages of Standard Bank Cup after winning the toss and batting against the Titans at Newlands. But it wasn’t enough for them to progess any further in the competition.Herschelle Gibbs, who had been recalled into the national team and hadn’t played any competitive cricket since early November due to a finger injury, lasted just five balls before he was trapped leg-before for 4. Andrew Puttick’s woeful season continued when he was caught in the slips for 16. Derrin Bassage and JP Duminy then put on an 82-run partnership with Bassage falling two short of back-to-back fifties. Duminy and Ashwell Prince continued the recovery with a 101-run partnership for Western Province Boland to end on 219 for 3 with Duminy scoring 85 and Prince 55.The Titans’ chase never got the impetus that it needed, with both openers out inside the first 10 overs. Martin van Jaarsveld struggled to 20 before Daryll Cullinan and Gerald Dros put on 86 for the fourth wicket. Cullinan was run out for 47, three balls after Alviro Petersen came out as a runner for him, and Dros fell for 41 off the very next ball flashing at a one outside the off. Albie Morkel smashed a six before top-edging to third man for 8.With the game well out of reach, Kruger van Wyk (34 not out) and Alfonso Thomas (27 not out) decided to block out the final overs, taking the Titans to 205 for 6 and a second spot in the table. Despite the win, Western Province finished at the bottom of the pile at the end of the preliminary stages of the Standard Bank Cup.The semi-finals, which will take place in February, are both day-night games. Eagles and Lions play each at Bloemfontein on the 17 Febrauary, and two days later Titans take Dolphins at Centurion. The final will be played at the homeground of whichever finalist finished with the most points in the preliminary stages.Franchises now have a Christmas break before the recess before SuperSport Series, the four-day competition, resumes on January 6.

Hansie Cronje: new revelations

The death of Hansie Cronje, South Africa’s disgraced former captain who was killed in a plane crash in the Western Cape in June 2002, may have been no accident, according to a report in the latest edition of Observer Sport Monthly. The report alleges that Cronje, who had been banned for life from cricket for his part in the match-fixing scandal, may have been murdered to ensure that the full extent of the corruption never reached the light of day.Cronje, who had been forging a new career as a businessman, was killed along with two pilots when his chartered plane crashed in mountains near his estate in George, a small town on South Africa’s Garden Route. It later transpired that Cronje had missed an earlier flight and had arranged a lift in a cargo plane, but at the time no suspicious circumstances were reported. Given that Cronje was a devout Christian, it struck many as being the ultimate act of divine retribution.But Gavin Branson, the chief executive of AirQuarius, the owners of the crashed plane, is one of many people who remains troubled by the circumstances. “There are a lot of unknowns about what happened,” Branson is reported as saying. “I think it will be a long time before the [Civil Aviation Authority] report comes out. I have a million questions that I haven’t even started asking yet. We’d been flying that route daily and in far worse weather without experiencing even a hint of trouble.”The investigation is destined to take a long time, especially as there are unconfirmed rumours that the ground landing system at George Airport had been tampered with. “I understand that police have found evidence of sabotage,” one investigator is reported as saying. “But they’re reluctant to go public on this. The full cost of a follow-up investigation would be too great in a country that is already riven by crime. It suits the police to have a closed case.””A lot of people wanted Cronje dead,” adds the source. “They feared that he would one day tell the full truth, and then many more would be implicated. I know people who have looked closely into what happened but who were warned off by threatening phone calls. They’re scared of getting a bullet in the head.”Cronje, who first stood in as South Africa’s captain at the age of 24, finished his career with a record of 27 victories in 53 Tests, making him South Africa’s most successful captain in Test history. He scored 3,714 runs at an average of 36.4, including six centuries, and to this day remains revered by many of his former team-mates, despite his spectacular fall from grace.At the King Commission in 2000-01, which investigated the extent to which match-fixing had permeated the game, Cronje confessed to what he called “an unfortunate love of money”. He claimed to have accepted at least $130,000 from illegal bookmakers, although recent revelations suggest that he possessed as many as 72 bank accounts in the Cayman Islands. His death, one way or another, has ensured that the full story may never be told.Click here to read the full Observer Sport Monthly article

Auckland has not been shy in boosting its promising youth players straight into the hurly-burly of the State championship which starts next Monday.Four young players, Nick Horsley, Sam Whiteman and Reece Young who attended the New Zealand Cricket Academy this year, and New Zealand Cricket’s young player to Lord’s this year Rob Nicol, have been named in the side which will field seven players with international experience.Not considered for selection were CLEAR Black Caps in Australia Adam Parore, Mark Richardson and Lou Vincent, and the injured Dion Nash.State Auckland’s opening game in the State championship is against the State Central Districts side on Eden Park’s Outer Oval starting on Monday.The squad is: Andre Adams (Grafton United), Aaron Barnes (Cornwall), Tama Canning (Suburbs New Lynn), Chris Drum (Birkenhead), Mark Haslam (East Coast Bays), Matt Horne (Grafton United), Nick Horsley (Parnell), Llorne Howell (East Coast Bays), Tim McIntosh (Parnell), Kyle Mills (Howick Pakuranga), Richard Morgan (Cornwall), Rob Nicol (Cornwall), Richard Pudney (Grafton United), Brooke Walker (captain – Howick Pakuranga), Sam Whiteman (Howick Pakuranga), Reece Young (Suburbs New Lynn).The Auckland A squad to contest the Provincial ‘A’ Team Competition from December 2001 to January 2002 is: Gene Andrews (North Shore), Scott Barnes (Howick Pakuranga), Hamish Barton (Parnell), Terry Crabb (Birkenhead), Guy Coleman (Grafton United), Michael Hendry (East Coast Bays), Nick Jury (Grafton United), Brad Nielsen (Howick Pakuranga), Stephen Pearson (Waitakere), Akshay Reddy (Parnell), Gareth Shaw (Papatoetoe), Tane Topia (Grafton United).