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Manchester United's interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer is believed to have cooled, according to a fresh update.

Is Osimhen linked with United?

The 24-year-old enjoyed a memorable season for Napoli, proving to be arguably their star player en route to them winning their first Serie A title since 1990. He scored 26 goals in 32 league appearances, as well as five in as many starts in the Champions League, cementing his reputation as one of Europe's leading strikers.

Osimhen has been constantly linked with a summer move to the Premier League in recent months, with United seen as one of the front-runners, as they look to bring in an elite attacker to lead the line. They aren't alone in showing an interest, however, with Chelsea also eyeing a move for him.

Now, a key update regarding the Nigerian's future has emerged – one that suggests the Red Devils could be set to look at different options moving forward.

What is the current situation with Osimhen?

According to TEAMtalk, United and Chelsea's interest in Osimhen isn't as strong as has otherwise been reported, due to Napoli demanding £150m for his services:

"Manchester United and Chelsea have cooled their interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen after the Italian club placed a £150million price tag on his head, TEAMtalk understands.

"United and Chelsea are ready to end their interest in Osimhen due to Napoli’s inflated valuation of him. The Serie A champions have no intention of selling Osimhen as they want to keep him for next season’s title defence and Champions League campaign. This is why they have given him that huge £150m price tag, and the scare tactics seem to have worked exactly as they were intended."

While Osimhen could be an outstanding signing, considering his performances in 2022/23 and the fact that has been called "phenomenal" by Walter Mazzarri in the past, United could be wise to walk away from the deal because of the fee that is being mooted.

It is an enormous amount of money to pay for one player, especially one who has still only had one genuinely world class season in his career, and it would eat up a vast chunk of the Reds' summer transfer budget.

Should Napoli accept a lower offer, it should be all systems go for United, but if not, finding a cheaper alternative makes sense, with Harry Kane a potential option and someone who has been linked with making a switch to Old Trafford.

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

George Dobell23-Aug-2016
ScorecardMark Cosgrove rallied Leicestershire after losing two wickets in the first over of the match•Getty Images

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

حصل منتخب مالي على بطاقة التأهل إلى منافسات دور ربع نهائي بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا، بعد تغلبها مساء اليوم الثلاثاء على منتخب بوركينا فاسو.

وتلاقى المنتخبان في إطار منافسات دور الـ16 من البطولة الإفريقية، المُقامة حاليًا في كوت ديفوار، حيث فازت مالي بهدفين مقابل هدف. أهداف مباراة مالي وبوركينا فاسو

وتقدم منتخب مالي بهدف مبكر، بعد مرور 3 دقائق فقط من بداية الشوط الأول من المباراة عن طريق النيران الصديقة، حيث هز إدموند تابسوبا شباك منتخب بلاده بالخطأ.

وشهدت المباراة توازن بين المنتخبين في الدقائق التالية لهدف مالي، قبل أن يطالب لاعبو المنتخب بالحصول على ضربة جزاء في الدقيقة 25، ولكن تبين وجود حالة تسلل على اللاعب أداما تراوري قبل تعرضه للتدخل من قِبل حارس بوركينا فاسو.

وحصل لاعب بوركينا فاسو، تابسوبا، على بطاقة صفراء في الدقيقة 26 لتدخله على لاعب الخصم.

ومع بداية الشوط الثاني، وتحديدًا في الدقيقة 47، تمكن منتخب مالي من مضاعفة تقدمه بعدما سجل لاسين سينايوكو الهدف الثاني.

وحصلت بوركينا فاسو على ضربة جزاء، في الدقيقة 56، بعد وجود لمسة يد من لاعب مالي، حسبما أكدت تقنية الفيديو، ونفذها بيرتراند تراوري بنجاح لتصبح النتيجة 2-1.

وسجل لاعب بوركينا فاسو، إيوسوفو دايو، هدف التعادل في الدقيقة 90 ولكن تم إلغائه من قِبل الحكم بسبب حالة تسلل.

واحتسب الحكم 8 دقائق كوقت بدلَا من الضائع للشوط الثاني، ولم تتغير النتيجة، لينتهي اللقاء بنتيجة 2-1 لصالح مالي.

ويلتقي مالي مع نظيره منتخب كوت ديفوار في مباراة ربع نهائي البطولة.

بطولات قدم تغطية حية ومباشرة لمباراة بوركينا فاسو ومالي بالفيديو ويمكنك المتابعة لحظة بلحظة من خلال الرابط. بداية مباراة مالي بوركينا فاسو

هدف مالي الأول أمام بوركينا فاسو

تصدي حارس بوركينا فاسو يمنع مالي من التسجيل

هدف مالي الثاني أمام بوركينا فاسو

هدف بوركينا فاسو الأول أمام مالي

Liverpool host Marco Silva's Fulham at Anfield this evening as they aim to continue their four-match winning run in the Premier League.

The Reds have beaten Leeds United, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, and West Ham in succession in recent weeks and can now move to within four points of the Champions League places with a fifth victory tonight.

Jurgen Klopp's men are heading into the game off the back of a stunning 4-3 win over Spurs on Sunday but could be without match-winner Diogo Jota after the manager revealed that the Portugal international is a minor doubt due to injury. Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita also remain sidelined with their respective injuries.

How will Liverpool line up against Fulham?

Despite potentially being without Jota, Firmino, and Keita, Klopp has plenty of options to rotate his side amid the busy Premier League schedule, with another match coming up on Saturday against Brentford.

Firstly, there could be two changes to the back four in front of number one goalkeeper Alisson with Kostas Tsimikas and Joel Matip potentially set to replace Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate.

Klopp could make a change at left-back after the Scotland international endured a "horrific" spell against Spurs – as per Anfield Index's Dave Hendrick. FFC previously published an article explaining why the Greek defender should come in for him.

Konate, meanwhile, could be ditched after being exposed on several occasions against Tottenham. It was his poor positioning and lack of awareness that played a part in Harry Kane being left open for the first Spurs goal and then Son for the third, which could see him lose his place in the side.

The midfield could remain as it was on Sunday, particularly with Curtis Jones' goalscoring contribution, but Klopp may opt to alter his front three by bringing forward Darwin Nunez in from the start.

Luis Diaz only returned from his long-term knee injury last month and, with another game coming up on Saturday, the head coach could protect him by resting the winger to offer the "chaotic" – as described by journalist Dominic King – £140k-per-week ace an opportunity to impress.

Nunez has scored nine goals and provided three assists in 17 Premier League starts and could cause Fulham no-end of problems with his electric movement and energetic style of play.

Predicted Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk, Kostas Tsimikas; Harvey Elliott, Fabinho, Curtis Jones; Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez.

A number of fans online have been left furious with Thomas Partey after he wasted a late chance for Arsenal by shooting from a ridiculous distance in the club’s recent draw.

What’s the latest on Thomas Partey and Arsenal?

Mikel Arteta and his side were unable to pick up three points yet again in the Premier League as they were held to a 3-3 draw at the Emirates last night.

Things could have hardly got off to a worse start for the Gunners as Southampton capitalised on an Aaron Ramsdale mistake to score after just 30 seconds. The Saints then doubled their lead after 14 minutes through former Arsenal player Theo Walcott.

Gabriel Martinelli pulled one back but the game looked to be over when Duje Caleta-Car headed in from a corner to restore Southampton’s two-goal advantage in the 66th minute.

However, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka then scored two goals in two minutes in the dying embers of the game to give Arsenal a sudden shot at all three points.

With a head full of steam and all the momentum, the Gunners pushed for a fourth goal, and deep into stoppage time Partey picked the ball up with options left and right.

However – as shown in the footage below – the £200k-per-week midfielder took it upon himself to try and steal all the glory with the most ambitious attempt at goal that predictably flew well over the crossbar.

His wayward effort went out for a goal kick and wasted some precious seconds as Southampton managed to hold on for a draw.

Consequently, the Gunners now play Manchester City next Wednesday with only a five-point lead at the top of the table when many would have predicted that being seven points ahead of Friday night’s match.

Pep Guardiola and co have played two fewer games, so a win for them would put a huge dent in Arsenal’s Premier League title ambitions.

Of course, Partey isn’t the only person to blame for the most recent draw, but his poor decision late on understandably infuriated a number of supporters.

Here are some of the reactions…

Some even slammed him for trying to do his best Vincent Kompany impression.

Even rival fans were shocked…

West Ham United are expected to part ways with manager David Moyes this summer, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

What's the latest on Moyes' future?

The Irons boss’ contract at the London Stadium isn’t set to expire until 2024 but there has already been plenty of uncertainty and speculation surrounding his position given the team’s poor run of form this season and the dangerous position they find themselves in the Premier League.

The E20 outfit have lost 14 of their 26 matches this term, drawing six and winning the same number meaning they are currently in the relegation zone and at risk of dropping down to the second-tier, not to mention that they still have the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool to play during the run-in.

The Daily Mail have recently reported that the Scotsman and his coaching staff are concerned that they will be relieved of their duties should they suffer defeat this weekend to Southampton, but regardless of the outcome of that game, it sounds like the hierarchy may have already come to a decision on his future.

Now, according to 90min, West Ham are “likely” to part ways with Moyes at the end of the season no matter whether they still have their top-flight status or not. The Irons’ current backing is “highly unlikely” to exist ahead of the new term and it’s stated that the 59-year-old will therefore be “replaced”. Failure to climb the table and improve on their sixth and seventh-place finishes over the past two seasons has “caused extreme concern” among the hierarchy, especially considering the number of new big-money signings that have been made.

Should West Ham sack Moyes?

Moyes has undoubtedly been a fantastic servant to West Ham having taken charge of 191 games, not forgetting that he has just helped to book their place in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals, but letting him go would be 100% the right decision. The Glasgow-born coach has won just one of his last six league games and is averaging 1.48 points per match which isn’t high enough for a team that’s trying to avoid the drop.

Football Insider have reported that Lucas Paqueta is ready to quit should the Irons go down with Gianluca Scamacca also likely to depart despite the duo only arriving in the capital last summer which highlights even further that the boss doesn’t even have the backing or confidence of some of his most trusted players.

Manchester United have reportedly met with the agent of Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, according to reporter Patrick Berger.

The Lowdown: Kobel profiled

Kobel is 25 years of age and made the move to Dortmund from Stuttgart in 2021. Since then, the Switzerland international has made 65 appearances for Dortmund, keeping 23 clean sheets.

He is valued at a career-high €25m Transfermarkt valuation and is under contract with the Bundesliga side until 2026. Kobel has also come in for praise from Dortmund goalkeeping coach Matthias Kleinsteiber, who said:

“I think the fans realised very quickly that he’s a really good goalkeeper. But he still has a lot of room for improvement, he can improve in all areas.”

“Gregor can handle the pressure, I’ve seen that with him. In Augsburg, he had real pressure on the kettle, as it was about staying in the Bundesliga, and also with Stuttgart as the next step, he didn’t have it easy.”

The Latest: United interest

Berger, chief reporter for German outlet Sport1, took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to provide an update on Kobel. He said that both the Red Devils and Premier League rivals Chelsea ‘have met with an agent of the Swiss goalkeeper’.

However, Berger added that Kobel ‘wants to stay at least one more year with BVB’ and that ‘the Bundesliga side has no intention to sell.’

The Verdict: Good to see

It is good to see that United are making moves ahead of the summer window, looking to build on the overall success during Erik ten Hag’s first season at Old Trafford.

A new striker and midfielder appear to be the main priority over the coming months, but a new goalkeeper could also be beneficial to rival David de Gea.

Dean Henderson is ‘unlikely to be welcomed back to Old Trafford when his loan at Nottingham Forest expires after criticising Ten Hag’, with Brentford’s David Raya another keeper linked with a move to Manchester.

Kobel could be a name to keep a close eye on following this update of a meeting held between United and the player’s agent, however, the club may find it tricky given his current stance.

As a result, the Red Devils may need to look elsewhere for another high-quality ‘keeper to challenge De Gea next season, potentially Raya who is waiting for a ‘big move’ in the summer.

Chelsea are considering a move to sign Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Previous uncertainty

The Athletic held a recent interview with the 28-year-old who admitted that he came close to leaving Craven Cottage at the end of his side’s last season in the Premier League.

The Serbian, however, decided to stay put and isn’t out of contract until 2026 having since penned a new deal, but being Marco Silva’s top-performing player, appears to have caught the eye.

The Latest: Chelsea monitoring Mitrovic

According to Spanish reports (via CaughtOffside), Chelsea are ‘considering a move’ for Mitrovic ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Todd Boehly and Graham Potter are ‘targeting’ the forward, who they view as a ‘back-up option’ should they fail to land Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.

Fulham succeeding or failing in their hunt for European qualification is set to be a ‘big factor’ when it comes to his decision to stay or leave at the end of the term.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Mitrovic has been dubbed a ‘relentless’ striker by his former manager Scott Parker and Chelsea should act fast to get this deal over the line this summer.

The Nike-sponsored star has posted 13 goal contributions (11 goals and two assists) in 19 league appearances this season, ranking in the 95th percentile for most shots per 90 minutes.

The 6 foot 2 colossus is also as much a threat off the ground as he is on it, currently averaging 4.4 aerial wins per top-flight outing.

Mitrovic is a proven goalscorer and target man at Fulham and he would be the perfect attacking reinforcement to put pen to paper at Stamford Bridge.

BBC Pundit Chris Sutton has slammed Liel Abada for diving in the most recent Celtic match and urged him to cut it out of his game.

What’s the latest on Liel Abada and Celtic?

The Bhoys claimed their first piece of silverware for the season on the weekend as they beat bitter rivals Rangers to win the Scottish League Cup.

Indeed, a brace for Kyogo Furuhashi put Ange Postecoglou’s side 2-0 up before the hour mark with Alfredo Morelos’ effort unable to spark a comeback for Michael Beale and co.

Despite the win, it seems as though not every Celtic player got through the game without coming under some scrutiny. Indeed, substitute Abada came on for Jota shortly after Rangers’ goal and caught the eye for all the wrong reasons.

While speaking about it on the BBC phone-in radio show 606, Sutton named the player as the winner of their weekly Simulation Game segment.

He said (01:08:55): “Liel Abada, I was there. Did you hear the anger within the commentary team that Liel Abada threw himself to the floor?

“So the second trophy that Celtic have won today, Liel Abada, you’ve won the trophy that you don’t want to win.

“You’re a talented young player. Your numbers are excellent. But just cut that out of your game, Liel. You’re better than that.”

What has been made of Abada’s Celtic cup final dive?

It seems as though Sutton wasn’t the only one to notice the poor dive from the Celtic man. For instance, in the player ratings for the Irish News, journalist Gavin McCafferty noted: “Liel Abada’s main contribution was an outrageous dive that saw him booked.”

Evidently, it wasn’t exactly the most exciting cameo from the bench from the attacker but at least he helped the Bhoys pick up a trophy. This is the third piece of silverware Abada has won in a Celtic shirt, having lifted the same trophy last year as well as the league title.

Despite not being a regular starter, the 21-year-old has still netted 11 goals and provided six assists across all competitions this season.

Clearly, the talent is there. However, he doesn’t want to pick up the reputation as a diver so early on in his career, so he’d be wise to take Sutton’s advice and cut it out of his game soon.

Manchester United head into the first match of this week’s Leeds United double-header looking to secure a 14th consecutive win on home soil, with the club continuing their impressive resurgence under Erik ten Hag.

That lengthy winning run at Old Trafford was maintained as a result of the hard-fought triumph over Crystal Palace at the weekend, with the Red Devils fending off a late fightback from Patrick Vieira’s side – following Casemiro’s rather needless dismissal – to clinch a vital 2-1 victory.

The subsequent loss of the influential Brazilian to a three-game suspension has left the former Ajax boss with something of a selection headache, with the Dutchman also facing a mounting injury list with Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay and Antony all set to be absent this evening – alongside Christian Eriksen.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast predicts that United will line up against their managerless rivals this evening…

As mentioned above, the growing list of absentees could ensure that Ten Hag is forced into a handful of changes from the side that won at the weekend, hence our prediction that the 53-year-old will make three alterations for tonight’s intriguing clash.

Despite the recent return of Diogo Dalot from injury, the expectation would be that the defensive unit will remain the same for the visit of the Yorkshire side, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez set to be the leading figures in the backline once again.

The most notable tweaks could lie in midfield, with the absence of McTominay, Eriksen and Casemiro set to see January arrival, Marcel Sabitzer make his full Premier League debut, with the 28-year-old Austrian having featured off the bench last time out.

Completing that midfield trio could be another figure awaiting his top-flight bow in the form of Kobbie Mainoo, with the teenage sensation having already featured twice in domestic cup competitions this season.

As for the forward line, the absence of Antony could see Bruno Fernandes deployed on the right flank, with the Portuguese genius having regularly been used in that role so far this season under Ten Hag.

A further alteration could see “pressing monster” Wout Weghorst – as described by 90min’s Scott Saunders – drop to the bench having been hooked on the hour mark against Palace, with man of the moment Marcus Rashford in line to be deployed through the middle.

The final attacking berth in attack alongside the Englishman should well be taken up by 18-year-old starlet, Alejandro Garnacho, with the Argentine gem having been heavily involved in Rashford’s winner at the weekend after producing a surging, driving run across the box.