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Tasmania edged into a lead but a number of their batters didn’t convert starts

AAP18-Oct-2021Allrounder Hilton Cartwright produced the goods with the ball after star Western Australia quick Jhye Richardson was cut down by injury during the Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania at the WACA Ground.Richardson scored a handy 34 on Sunday before snaring the wicket of Tim Ward for a duck in the dying minutes of the opening day.But the 25-year-old couldn’t take to the field on Monday after suffering a back spasm during the warm-up. WA remain hopeful Richardson will be able to play a role during the final two days of the match, but a lot will depend on how he pulls up on Tuesday morning.The setback is yet another unlucky blow to Richardson, who has been plagued by shoulder injuries over the past few years, and more recently was battling a side strain and an ankle complaint. He was also struck in the abdomen by a rising Peter Siddle delivery while batting on Sunday.In reply to WA’s first innings total of 238, Tasmania were bowled out for 252, with Cartwright snaring a career-best 4 for 23 from his seven overs.WA finished day two at 1 for 42 in their second innings, with Cameron Bancroft the only wicket to fall.”He’s had a heat pack on his back the whole day to try to get himself going,” Cartwright said of Richardson. “He must be in a fair bit of pain to not even be able to come out and field. I’ve had a few back spasms in my time and they’re not ideal to have, let alone trying to send it down at 140 clicks.”Cartwright took the key wickets of Ben McDermott (49) and Jordan Silk (47) among his haul, with Tasmania losing their last four wickets for five runs.”It’s a hard one to digest because my first few overs were a bit of junk,” Cartwright said with a laugh when asked about his four-wicket haul.  I was very fortunate to get the early wicket of McDermott, and then I just literally tried to do a job for the guys to get to the new ball, and the guys just nicked them for me.”I actually had a bit of a glute strain last game, so I hadn’t even bowled at all in the week leading into this, so I went in very fresh and very nervous.”Tasmania nightwatchman Lawrence Neil-Smith overcame a blow to the helmet to top score with 60 in his side’s first innings, while Beau Webster finished unbeaten on 53.Up to 35mm of rain is forecast for Perth on Tuesday, while wet weather is also forecast for Wednesday, meaning a result is unlikely.

Instantly attempting to make his mark, new Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim reportedly wants to show the door to as many as four players in a ruthless clearout in 2025.

Man Utd transfer news

Amorim will arrive on 11th November with plenty of work to do. The Red Devils currently sit in the bottom half of the Premier League following a disastrous end to Erik ten Hag’s tenure. Ruud van Nistelrooy has since taken Manchester United back to winning ways with a thumping 5-2 victory over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, but that doesn’t take away from the extent of the new manager’s task.

The first job on Amorim and INEOS’s list may well be to clear out any deadwood from Old Trafford. The likes of Casemiro and Antony – whose arrival almost sums up the failure of Ten Hag’s time at the club – look set to be heading for the exit door alongside Christian Eriksen in a ruthless but needed shake-up.

However, those three aren’t the only players reportedly heading for the exit door. According to reports in Spain, Amorim also wants to show the door to Victor Lindelof to clear out a total of four players within his new squad in January.

The Swede has been at the club since 2017 without ever really standing out in Manchester United’s backline and could finally lose his place eight years later when Amorim gets his chance to mould his squad.

Man Utd now keeping tabs on "crazy" £337,000-a-week Champions League winner

This would be the deal of the summer…

ByTom Cunningham Nov 2, 2024

With Leny Yoro working his way back to full fitness and Matthijs de Ligt also arriving in the summer, it would certainly make sense to sell Lindelof in the January transfer window and cash in before his current contract comes to an end next summer. Whether Casemiro, Eriksen and Antony suffer such an instant fate remains to be seen, however.

Right time for "great" Lindelof to move on

As the beginning of a new era arrives at Manchester United, it’s the right time for Lindelof to seek a fresh start of his own. The 30-year-old will leave an FA Cup and Carabao Cup winner in a period of his career not without its struggles, but with some impressive silverware along the way.

After almost eight years, he wouldn’t be leaving without having made some fans within the club either, with centre-back partner Harry Maguire among them. The former Manchester United captain told reporters after their win over Luton Town last season (via Football365): “Victor is technically brilliant. You’ve seen over the years that he’s a great footballer. I’m really pleased for him, he was brilliant today.”

If Amorim does show the central defender the door, Yoro could be handed his place to finally make his mark at Old Trafford. The young Frenchman suffered an ill-timed injury on arrival in pre-season and didn’t even get the chance to make a Premier League appearance under Ten Hag.

Now, with Amorim to impress, he’ll be desperate to get back to full fitness and earn his place at the heart of United’s backline.

Kai Havertz's season could be over after the Arsenal star reportedly suffered a torn hamstring in the club's Dubai training camp.

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Havertz tears hamstring in trainingRemains to be seen if he needs to undergo surgeryAims to return ahead of the 2025-26 seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to the 25-year-old forward is facing a lengthy recovery period, with assessments ongoing to determine whether he will require surgery on the torn hamstring. It is believed that the German has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign and his main priority is to regain full fitness in time for the start of the 2025-26 season.

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Havertz has been a crucial part of Mikel Arteta’s squad this season, featuring in 34 matches across all competitions. His contribution of 15 goals and five assists has been vital to Arsenal’s attacking output as they look to challenge for the top honours in England and Europe.

DID YOU KNOW?

Havertz’s injury further worsens Arsenal’s growing problems in attack, as several key players remain sidelined. Bukayo Saka, who underwent hamstring surgery in December, is not expected back until March. Meanwhile, Gabriel Martinelli is facing a month-long recovery after sustaining a similar injury against Newcastle United on February 5. Adding to Arsenal’s concerns, Gabriel Jesus is already out of action due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his left knee, leaving Arteta with limited attacking options. Arteta now has only three senior attacking players at his disposal – Leandro Trossard, Ethan Nwaneri, and Raheem Sterling.

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Arsenal were actively searching for reinforcements during the January transfer window but failed to broker a deal. The club had explored a deal for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, but negotiations did not progress, leading them to focus on long-term transfer targets for the summer instead. Their lack of activity could come back to haunt them, given the club’s deepening injury crisis, especially in the attacking department. Their next challenge is an away trip to Leicester City on Saturday, followed by a crucial home fixture against West Ham United on February 22.

Hasan Ali’s spill in the deep off Matthew Wade turns tight contest on its head

Danyal Rasool11-Nov-2021Pakistan captain Babar Azam acknowledged that Hasan Ali’s key dropped catch in the 19th over might have cost his side a spot in the T20 World Cup final. Speaking immediately after Australia’s five-wicket win in Dubai that put an end to Pakistan’s hopes of emulating their victory in the 2009 tournament, a visibly gutted Babar said mistakes at this level were bound to be punished.With the game finely poised and Shaheen Shah Afridi bowling a make-or-break 19th over, Australia needed 20 off 10 balls for victory. Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade had dragged Australia back into the game with a 61-run stand for the sixth wicket, but the momentum looked set to swing again when Wade mistimed a drive to deep midwicket, only for Hasan to put down the chance.The moment capped a difficult day – and tournament – in general, for Hasan, who had just conceded 15 runs in the previous over. Wade went on to hit Shaheen for three sixes off the next three balls as Australia sealed a sensational heist.”When you give teams like Aus a chance they take the match away from you,” Babar said after the game. “If that catch that Hasan Ali dropped had been taken, maybe the result would have been different. As a player, you have to be on your toes and avail any opportunity you get. We made a mistake and it cost us the match.”Watch cricket live on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the USA. Match highlights of the second semi-final is available in English, and in Hindi (USA only).

It was Pakistan’s first defeat after cruising through the group stages with five wins out of five, including a famous ten-wicket win over India and a five-wicket victory over their fellow qualifiers New Zealand, who went on to complete a successful run-chase against England in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday to book their own place in Sunday’s final.”The way we played the tournament and gelled together as a team, I am very satisfied with my team’s efforts as captain,” Babar said. “We’ll try and learn from our mistakes and come back stronger. When you play a big tournament so well, it’s good but you have to perform on the day. You can’t relax in any department.”The semi-final defeat stung particularly hard for Pakistan given that they had been the most settled team of the tournament. They made no changes to their line-up throughout their group-stage dominance but, as was the case in a famous T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia in 2010, Pakistan found themselves undone by a fightback from the lower middle order to deprive them of a place in the final. Babar, however, said the tournament there were plenty of positives through the tournament to take forward.”We’ll try and continue our efforts; how we performed gave us confidence and we’ll try and build on from that,” he said. “The roles we had defined for everyone, they executed brilliantly, and you saw that from us on the field. The way the crowd supported us was very enjoyable. We always enjoy ourselves here and I’m thankful to the fans back home for supporting us.”

Both sides make just one change with a flatter pitch expected at the SCG and some wet weather forecast

Alex Malcolm04-Jan-2022Big PictureIt feels like an eternity since the end of the Boxing Day Test with the early finish on the morning of day three plus a later start to the New Year’s Test in Sydney only adding to the wait.But there is not much to wait for as the SCG prepares to host yet another Ashes dead rubber. Sydney cricket fans have not seen an Ashes Test where the urn is still to be decided since 1994-95, although the 1998-99 and 2010-11 series could still have been drawn there.Australia are in a luxurious position having secured the Ashes inside 12 days. They have lost Travis Head due to Covid-19 but there is a ready replacement in Usman Khawaja with 44 Tests experience and eight Test match centuries including one in the last Ashes Test played at the SCG four years ago. They have a bevy of fast bowlers to choose from and can now afford to look forward to their Asian tours mid-year although they have resisted the urge to give legspinner Mitchell Swepson a debut with the future in mind.England’s tour has gone from bad to worse with nine members of the support staff contracting Covid-19, including coach Chris Silverwood. As a result, their preparation in Sydney has been disjointed and challenging. Pressure remains on both Silverwood and captain Joe Root in terms of their leadership futures beyond this series while the ECB has taken fire from all quarters over the state of England’s red-ball cricket.Unlike some of the random Sydney selections England have made on the previous two tours, they are set to make one change with Stuart Broad returning to the side in place of Ollie Robinson while the batters get another chance to atone for a horror showing in Melbourne.Form guide (most recent first)
Australia WWWLD
England LLLLWPat Cummins relaxes ahead of a team photo at the SCG•Getty ImagesIn the spotlightUsman Khawaja has not played Test cricket since he was dropped during the 2019 Ashes series. On that occasion he was squeezed out due to Marnus Labuschagne’s form and again in this series he was on the wrong end of a tight selection call at the Gabba. Now with a first-team player out with Covid-19, Khawaja has an opportunity, not unlike Labuschange’s in 2019. He can create a real headache for Australia’s selectors with a big score in Sydney and make a case to return to the side permanently.Jonny Bairstow has played one Test fewer than Steven Smith and is on his third Ashes tour of Australia. Although he was rushed in without any red-ball match preparation for the MCG Test, on the most challenging surface of the tour to-date, he showed he has the class and skill to counter Australia’s pacemen with 35 in the first innings. He then fell the wrong side of a 50-50 lbw call in the second. At 32, he still has a lot of time to add to his six Test hundreds and improve his overall Test record. England need him desperately to do so and a good batting pitch in Sydney is the perfect place to start.Related

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Root hopes for SCG turnaround despite 'disjointed and challenging' situation in England camp

Travis Head tests positive for Covid-19 as Australia scramble for replacements

Team newsAustralia have made just the one forced change from the side that won by an innings in Melbourne with Khawaja replacing Head at No.5. Josh Hazlewood is not ready to return from his side strain and Jhye Richardson has also been held back due to his shin. Scott Boland retains his place after it was remarkably under threat despite his 6 for 7 in Melbourne.Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Marcus Harris, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Usman Khawaja, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Scott BolandOlly Robinson is out and Stuart Broad is in•Getty ImagesRobinson has been left out after labouring a touch in Melbourne and Broad is his replacement having played just one Test in the series so far. England’s batting remains the major issue but no changes have been made despite only two players reaching 30 across two innings in Melbourne.England: 1 Haseeb Hameed, 2 Zak Crawley, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Joe Root, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Mark Wood, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonPitch and conditionsThe SCG now has the mantle of the flattest pitch in Australia after the MCG’s rejuvenation in recent years. The pitch had plenty of grass on it a day out from the match but it is expected that curator Adam Lewis will shave some of it off prior to the first ball. The lone Sheffield Shield game played there this season produced a decent contest between bat and ball. The weather could well play a factor with showers forecast throughout the game.Stats and trivia England’s record at the SCG is better than any other venue in Australia. They have won 22 times in 56 Tests and it is the site of their last Test victory in Australia in 2011. Khawaja has been in and out of Australia’s Test team several times since his debut in the fifth Ashes Test in 2010-11. But this is his longest stretch between Test appearances having last played in August 2019. His previous longest was two years and three months between August 2013 and November 2015. Nathan Lyon averages 40.94 with the ball at the SCG, his least effective ground in Australia where he has played multiple Tests. Mitchell Starc averages 42.30 at the SCG, his worst ground in Australia by some margin. England’s average of 18.75 runs per dismissal is their worst average in any Ashes series of three or more matches played in Australia. England averaged 20.20 in 1882 but won that series 2-1. Quotes”We are very privileged to get the opportunity to represent our country and we’ve got two games here to show how much we care about that, and to make sure that we put in better performances than we have done so far in this tour. Those guys in that dressing room really care about it and we’ve got to sort of find a way of showing that now in the field.”
“Traditionally here over the last 10 years, it’s been pretty hard work for the bowlers. I don’t see a lot that’s going to be different this week. There’s a bit of grass, there’s going to be a bit of weather. I don’t think we’re going to see it break up and turn or have that traditional kind of dusty spinning wicket from maybe 10-plus years ago. We’ll wait and see but it looks really even at the moment.”

Manchester United have been urged to sign Paul Pogba on a free transfer as Louis Saha believes the Frenchman is among the "best players in the world".

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Pogba without a club as return nearsMan Utd told to re-sign the midfielderSaha says he's one of world's bestFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Pogba has been on the lookout for a new club as he nears his return from a doping ban that was cut from four years to 18 months. The midfielder is eligible to play again as of March, but remains a free agent after Marseille turned down the opportunity to add him to Roberto De Zerbi's squad. Fiorentina reportedly knocked the France international back, too.

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The 31-year-old has been backed for a third spell at Old Trafford, with former star Rio Ferdinand urging Ruben Amorim to give him a trial. That prospect has been backed up by ex-United striker Saha being convinced that Pogba would add a lot to the Premier League side.

WHAT SAHA SAID

"I would take Paul Pogba back at Manchester United in a heartbeat. It's not only because of the squad that we have now with injuries and all that, but for all the elements that he brings as a player," he told . "We need guarantees, we need quality, we need confidence, we need leadership, and this guy now has an opportunity to show how much he wants it. Pogba can show he has the ability to be one of the best in the league in this position, especially with the motivation and the focus that he has to understand where he can improve and what parts of his game he needs to adapt.

"It's an opportunity to sign someone who is highly motivated. He's going to obviously still have huge confidence about his ability. I'm sure that when he looks at this midfield at United, he has a different type of vibe in his game. So definitely it's an easy fit… I’m sure Pogba wants the visibility. He wants to go back to a French team as soon as possible, so he just needs to pick the right project. For him to get back into the national team, he needs to show that he can still do it at the top level. United would be signing a player that is completely dedicated and focussed on achieving his goals, because he’s been out of the game for so long. I'm sure that the most important thing for Pogba would be to show Amorim and the Manchester United fans that he is still one of the best players in the world."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR POGBA?

The former Juventus star is cleared to return to training before he can step back on the field next month but he still needs to find a new team. Ruben Amorim's United team, meanwhile, are due back in Premier League action against Everton this weekend.

Still searching to fill their managerial vacancy, Coventry City owner Doug King has confirmed the reports that he has a former Premier League manager who won countless trophies as a player on his shortlist of candidates.

Coventry's managerial candidates

The Sky Blues shocked the rest of the Championship when they sacked Mark Robins, who was one VAR decision away from taking his side to the FA Cup final and defeating Manchester United last season. After seven years in charge, the manager was dismissed with Coventry in an unexpected relegation scrap in the early stages of the campaign.

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To their credit, even without a permanent manager and left with interim boss Rhys Carr to take charge, Coventry managed to get the post-Robins era underway in impressive fashion, having rescued an unlikely point against Championship leaders Sunderland last time out.

With the international break now underway, however, Carr may not be in charge for much longer as Coventry look to officially get a new era underway. The likes of Lincoln City’s Michael Skubala have already been linked with a move to take the vacant, but Coventry owner Doug King confirmed that one particular name is on his shortlist.

As confirmed by King, Frank Lampard is among the candidates to replace Robins with the owner now assessing his options. He told Sky Sports, as relayed by BBC Sport: “We’ve received a huge amount of CVs from high quality people, of which Frank is one. We’ve done nothing on that process.

“Clearly we’re in the international break. We’ll be assessing everything. We’ll work out who’s going to make the shortlist and we’ll go from there.”

Out of a job since leaving Chelsea at the 2022/23 campaign, Lampard may finally get the chance to restore some credit to his managerial career.

"Tremendous" Lampard isn't without risks

To go from the experience of Robins – a man who was the heart and soul of Coventry at times – to a manager who has always fallen just shy of truly impressing as a coach would be the ultimate risk for the Sky Blues.

Birmingham City should be the first example that they look at in this current moment in time. They decided to controversially part ways with John Eustace in favour of appointing Wayne Rooney, only to drop from the top half to relegation into League One as a result.

Currently sat 17th and just one point adrift of the bottom three, Coventry cannot afford to make a similar mistake so close to the busy festive period, which can make or break a season. In a vital two-week period, King must get his next appointment right even if that means denying Lampard a chance to step back into management.

Former Premier League manager and current Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho is among those to have praised Lampard in the past – dubbing his ex-midfielder a “tremendous professional” – but he may be forced to wait for his return to the technical area despite Coventry’s opening.

The series will be played under tight protocols to try and protect the squads before heading to New Zealand

Andrew McGlashan07-Jan-2022Australia and England players involved in the upcoming Women’s Ashes risk missing the ODI World Cup in New Zealand if they contract Covid-19 towards the backend of the multi-format series.The Ashes schedule was amended on Thursday to finish earlier and condense the matches to give teams more time to complete quarantine and preparation in New Zealand.However, the squads are due to depart across the Tasman almost straight after completing the Ashes in Melbourne on February 9, which means if a player (or support staff) was to contract Covid or have to isolate as a close contact in the days before that it would likely rule them out of the tournament.Under current guidelines squads will need to arrive in New Zealand as one group and there won’t be the capacity for any players to join later.”At the moment the information we are receiving is that it’s just the one squad,” Australia’s national selector Shawn Flegler said. “It’s going to be tough but things have changed so much over the last few weeks. If we can get players over later then we’ll look to do that.Related

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“That’s why we are trying to put protocols in place but as we’ve seen in the last few weeks it can be very difficult. We have to expect something may happen.”It means that the Ashes will be played under stricter protocols than have been seen in the men’s series over the last few weeks, which has had to contend with various Covid issues although CA wants to continue to try to strike a balance and allow some freedoms. However, restrictions could be tightened further as the departure to New Zealand gets closer.”We need to keep in mind England as well,” Flegler said. “Their focus is on the Ashes but also defending their World Cup title. They are very keen to make sure all their players are available so if we do have to tighten things towards the back end of the series we will do that.”Again we are trying to balance that with our players and staff can live with some sort of normality. It’s not normal, let’s be honest, but [we] want to make it as comfortable as possible. We’ll try and do the best we can.”Currently the interstate travel involved in the series is a mixture of charter and commercial flights but the risk level of the latter is currently being assessed.Australia are due to name their Ashes and World Cup squads next week (the latter expected to be 17 names) and will also announce an Australia A group that will face England A. There remains a plan for an intra-squad Australia warm-up on January 18 in Adelaide – part of just three days preparation for the home side – but while the original idea was for movement between the main squad and the A-team players, they will now be keep separate as much as possible.”Things have changed pretty rapidly over the last couple of weeks and we have to be really careful with our protocols that if someone does have Covid it doesn’t take down the whole touring squad,” Flegler said. “We’ll try and provide some opportunity between the squads where we can but we need to be careful that if some does get Covid it doesn’t take out the whole series.””The way we are looking at it is we have to be prepared that there will be players who will miss games. Hopefully it doesn’t happen but we are planning for it in case. We’ll just have to adjust pretty much every day.”Australia’s preparations have also been hit by the cancelling of a number of Women’s National Cricket League matches due to the impact of Covid, which means some players won’t have seen action since the WBBL finished in late November.”It’s been a big challenge,” Flegler said. “We had the WNCL games before the Ashes thinking we’d have selection opportunities. That’s been thrown out of the window to a degree. What we have learnt in the last 18 months to two years is to be adaptable and flexible. So still confident that we’ve seen enough of our players over the last couple of years so we can put a couple of squads together.”

INEOS are could look into offering a £200,000-a-week international in exchange for a young Brazilian star as Manchester United plot a January transfer, according to a new report.

The Ruben Amorim era at Old Trafford is now underway, as the Portuguese arrived in England on Monday afternoon to begin his role as the club’s new head coach. He has to wait until 24th November to take charge of his first game, but between now and then, there will be plenty of discussions about how the club goes forward.

INEOS make enquiry to sign £195k-p/w "monster" star for Amorim at Man Utd

INEOS have made their first move to land an unhappy player in the January transfer window.

ByBrett Worthington Nov 11, 2024 Man Utd transfer news

Amorim and the United board may hold discussions about plans for the upcoming January transfer window, as it may be an opportunity to make changes to the playing squad if there is money available.

Central defence is a hot topic of debate at United, as Amorim will likely operate with a back three. Therefore, despite having Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martínez and Leny Yoro as viable options, Amorim may want the club to add another decent option in that area of the team. It emerged over the weekend that United are interested in signing Danilo from Juventus, who is 33, but has proved to have great versatility in the back four.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils are also planning a shock move when the new year arrives, as they have made an enquiry over the signing of Christopher Nkunku from Chelsea.

The attacker is thought to be unhappy with his game time at Stamford Bridge and is weighing up his future, and United are showing they are interested in bringing him to Old Trafford. But he is not the only forward-thinking player they are looking at, as they also have their eyes on a Brazilian.

Man Utd may offer Antony in exchange for Lorran

According to TBR Football, Manchester United may look to offload Antony in exchange for Flamengo’s Lorran. The 18-year-old came through the academy for the Brazilian side, but didn’t break through into the first team until 2024.

Meanwhile, Antony, who cost United around £80 million, has struggled since arriving at Old Trafford, and this season has been no different, as the £200,000-per-week international has played just five games in all competitions, scoring one goal – which came against League One Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.

The report states United have a “long-standing” interest in Lorran, as he’s now emerged as one of the hottest prospects in Brazilian football. However, the Red Devils are not alone in their pursuit, as several Premier League teams are also contemplating a move in January. However, United have an advantage over the other European sides at least, as Lorran’s preference is to play in the Premier League.

Appearances

36

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Flamengo are a side that have shown interest in Antony in the past, so United’s board could be preparing to offer the Brazilian flop in exchange for Lorran.

However, it remains to be seen if Flamengo see this as an offer they are willing to take, as they would lose a young star in Lorran for a player in Antony who has really struggled in recent years. The 18-year-old has a release clause of £43 million, but Flamengo could be willing to accept a lower offer in January.

Tottenham have asked Premier League broadcasters to refer to them as 'Tottenham Hotspur' or 'Spurs' in a bizarre request.

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Tottenham make name change requestAsk broadcasters not to call them 'Tottenham'Club prefer 'Tottenham Hotspur' or 'Spurs'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A report by The Athletic revealed the club sent an email to TV rights-holders around the world asking to be known as either their full name or nickname, in an email titled: "Tottenham Hotspur: Naming Update". It resulted in Sky Sports graphics subtly changing ahead of last Sunday's clash with Manchester United, with Ange Postecoglou referred to as 'Tottenham Hotspur head coach' rather than 'Tottenham head coach'.

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It has been club policy not to call themselves just 'Tottenham' since 2011, a reference to Tottenham being the name of the area in London rather than the club. However the club's request to broadcasters comes as a result of a "remastered brand identity", which was rolled out in November.

WHAT TOTTENHAM SAID

In the email, Tottenham said: "Tottenham Hotspur have provided clarification regarding the club’s name. They have requested that the club are primarily known as Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs being the preferred short version. The club have requested that they are not referred to as Tottenham."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM?

Spurs are struggling on the field this season, the club sitting 12th in the Premier League table ahead of Saturday's trip to Ipswich. Postecoglou's side lost their Carabao Cup semi-final to Liverpool and are out of the FA Cup, though success in the Europa League remains a possibility. They will play AZ Alkmaar in the last 16 of that competition.