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Manchester United have reportedly made an improved bid for Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho as they close in on their long-term target.

What’s the story?

According to Sky Sports, the Red Devils have tabled an offer in excess of £75m for the England international, with a change of structure also included in the proposed bid.

United’s initial approach for Sancho was believed to be £67m upfront plus around £8m in add-ons. The German giants are yet to respond, although it’s believed all parties are keen to get this deal over the line.

Fans will be buzzing

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have been pursuing Sancho for the last 12 months after his move to Old Trafford collapsed last summer.

It seemed as though the Dortmund ace would be arriving at Old Trafford prior to the 2020/21 campaign until Ed Woodward baulked at the £108m asking price.

However, a move to the 20-time English champions now appears to be inevitable. While on England duty at Euro 2020, he was asking if United’s current flock of national team stars have been quizzing him over his potential arrival while on international duty.

“Of course, all the boys have a lot of questions, you know,” Sancho told talkSport (as reported by Sky Sports).

“I feel like that’s with a lot of players because we’re all such great young talents and, you know, when you do well – again, like I said – speculation is always going to come around.

“Again, I just tell the boys, ‘look, I’m just focused on football at the moment’ and we just focus on the Euros, step by step.”

News that United are making progress with their attempts to sign Sancho will surely have the club’s supporters buzzing.

He’s been in sensational form since arriving at Signal Iduna Park back in 2017, bagging 50 goals and providing 64 assists in 137 appearances and winning the DFB Pokal along the way.

His arrival in the red half of Manchester could help propel the Red Devils back to their former glories and spark a title challenge for Solskjaer’s charges next season.

And, in other news…Woodward could deliver dream Lindelof upgrade for Man Utd in “sensational” £51.5m gem 

Sri Lanka were wary of a South African backlash after Shaun Pollock warned that his team knew what to do in Wednesday’s final of the Morocco Cup

Samiul Hasan21-Aug-2002Sri Lanka were wary of a South African backlash after Shaun Pollock warned that his team knew what to do in Wednesday’s final of the Morocco Cup.”South Africa are a dangerous side and capable of bouncing back. All we need to do is to keep the winning momentum going and give minimum opportunities to them,” skipper Sanath Jayasuriya said.Pollock didn’t elaborate measures required but said that he had identified ways how to peg them down. “The basics are not to lose too many wickets in the first 15 overs and keep Aravinda de Silva in check.”De Silva has scored 157 runs in four matches but most importantly struck match-winning 73 and 77 not out against South Africa that earned him the Man-of-the-Match awards.Sri Lanka, who began with a defeat against Pakistan, won all their remaining three games, including successive victories against South Africa. Nonetheless, Sri Lanka have recently made it a habit of throwing their hard work out of the window in the title match. In April in Sharjah, they twice defeated Pakistan but lost a lopsided final.”Hopefully, we will change things around this time. The conditions are different as compared to Sharjah where it is easier to bowl in the evenings when the floodlights are on,” Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore remarked.Sri Lanka will go into the match full of confidence after all their players are in form and on a roll. It has been a pleasing change after a disastrous tour to England where they failed to reach the final of the tri-nation series won by India.It would not be unfair to say that tomorrow’s final will be between two teams that touched rock bottom earlier this year. If Sri Lanka were hammered in England, South Africa found themselves under the whip in their backyard against Australia where they badly lost the one-day and Test series. This match will also provide the two powerhouses of international cricket a platform to judge their strength and weaknesses for September’s ICC Champions Trophy – the buildup for next year’s World Cup.Jayasuriya was happy with his form as he has been instrumental is providing the 1996 world champions a flying start. But he said he needed to get big scores.”The form is good but in big matches, you need to convert good starts into big scores. In that respect, I am not happy because I am getting out in 40s,” he said.The final will be played on the surface on which the two teams locked horns Monday with Sri Lanka becoming the first team to win the match while chasing the target.Teams (from):Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardena, Russel Arnold, Upul Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, Charita Bhuddika Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando, Chamila Gamage, Hasantha Fernando, Pulasathi Gunaratne.South Africa: Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis, Boeta Dippenaar, Jonty Rhodes, Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock (captain), Lance Klusener, Allan Donald, Justin Ontong, Roger Telemachus, Makhaya Ntini, Paul Adams.

SYDNEY, Sept 8 AAP – Former Test cricket opener Michael Slater was run out cheaply today as NSW lost a trial game to Tasmania by 190 runs.

AAP08-Sep-2002SYDNEY, Sept 8 AAP – Former Test cricket opener Michael Slater was run out cheaply today as NSW lost a trial game to Tasmania by 190 runs.A severely under-strength NSW was dismissed for 186 in reply to Tasmania’s 376 in the two-day, 100-overs-per side match at Tunks Oval.Slater reached 11 before he was run out. Having gone from the Test side to being dropped from NSW in a horror stretch last season, he is desperate to get his career back on track.He made 42 in the Blues’ six-wicket loss to New Zealand in a trial at Wollongong last week.Left-arm chinaman bowler Shannon Tubb was the pick of the Tasmanian bowlers today with 4-47 from 15.3 overs. For NSW, Dominic Thornely top scored with 47.The Blues were out of the game when they slumped to 5-75.

Levante winger Jorge de Frutos is a very raw player, La Liga expert Euan McTear has warned amid Premier League interest.

The Spaniard has admirers in England, with the Sunday Mirror (via The Boot Room) reporting earlier this year that Southampton have been in touch with his agent over a transfer.

De Frutos had a bright 2020/21 campaign, scoring four goals and providing nine assists for Levante in La Liga.

It makes him an attractive proposition for Southampton or any team looking to bolster their wide options this summer. However, despite being 24, McTear has warned De Frutos is still quite raw due to his football upbringing.

“His story is interesting,” the Spanish football expert told FFC. “He didn’t play organised football until he was 16. He grew up on like a farm.

“He’s a very raw player because he’s not come up with that polished sort of way that so many players do, especially in Spain now. Almost every club has the same kind of youth coaching, philosophy, methodology, whatever you call it.

“He didn’t do that, so he’s very raw. That’s good, sometimes bad.”

Even so, bringing in someone like De Frutos looks like a good idea for Southampton. The Saints’ current crop of wingers, the likes of Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo, have not been the most productive players in attack.

In fact, the latter failed to register a single assist in the Premier League last season, so there is definitely room for improvement in that area of the pitch.

If you thought that Everton could move for another target in the managerial market, think again.

Lucien Favre’s expression that he doesn’t want to return to management just yet has come at the wrong time for the frustrated Goodison Park faithful.

What’s the word?

The 63-year-old rejected Crystal Palace yesterday but, despite that development, it looks as though Rafa Benitez will become the new manager of Everton.

Speaking before the Favre news came to light, The Athletic’s Greg O’Keeffe was certain that the Spaniard would be arriving in Merseyside again very shortly.

O’Keeffe was speaking on BBC Radio and said: “Nuno Espirito Santo came and went but I think Rafa Benitez has been the frontrunner for over a week now.”

He continued: “I believe that they are edging very very close to an announcement whereby they can confirm that he [Benitez] will become the next Everton manager.”

Not good news

This is an update which is likely to leave many supporters tearing their hair out over what’s going on at Everton.

When Carlo Ancelotti walked into the club, there was a sense of astonishment amongst fan groups that they’d been able to lure one of the game’s most decorated coaches to Goodison.

However, the way in which he left was almost just as mind-boggling. The Toffees were preparing for an exciting summer of transfer recruitment as Ancelotti got to sink his teeth into the finances available in Merseyside.

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However, the lure of Real Madrid is great and it was a proposal which was simply too hard to turn down for the Italian. If that left fans of the club upset, they could be downright devastated when Benitez finally enters the building.

Although his CV is impressive – he won the Champions League with neighbours Liverpool – it’s his association to the red side of Merseyside which has irked certain individuals around L4.

Benitez has enjoyed a respectable career but, during his successful spell across Stanley Park, he dubbed Everton a ‘small club’. Although he has since apologised for those remarks, things aren’t forgotten very quickly in Merseyside and it would appear that fans are reluctant to see him arrive.

The news that Favre is now also off the table will be a further dagger to the heart after Christophe Galtier rejected the Toffees earlier in the week too.

With Nuno edging closer to Spurs and Galtier potentially heading to Nice, Everton are running out of alternatives to Benitez. Unfortunately for their supporters, he looks set to arrive imminently, with anger beginning to grow larger.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Dumfries: Brands must seal Everton swoop for £34.5m “absolute beast”…

Mark Waugh has announced his retirement from international cricket todayafter being dropped from the Australian squad for the first Test againstEngland.

www.baggygreen.com.au28-Oct-2002Mark Waugh has announced his retirement from international cricket todayafter being dropped from the Australian squad for the first Test againstEngland.Waugh, 37, told a media conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground he felthe still had the ability to play at international level. However, the128-Test veteran said he might not have made the most of opportunitieslast season against New Zealand and South Africa to consolidate hisposition in the Australian side.Waugh said he had played in a great era for Australian cricket, whichincluded a 16-Test winning streak and the 1999 World Cup victory. He didnot see age as an issue in selection, and said his replacement DarrenLehmann, 32, might have five years or 50 Tests ahead of him.In Tests, Waugh made 8029 runs at 41.81 and claimed 59 wickets at 41.16,while his extraordinary fielding yielded 181 catches. He also scored8500 runs and took 85 wickets and 108 catches in one-day internationals.Waugh plans to play for New South Wales this summer, and has alsoreceived offers from counties in England to play at the end of theAustralian domestic season.

Hundreds for Andrew Hall and Andre Seymore for Easterns and a ninety-eight for Western Province’s Neil Johnson highlighted the start of round three of the Standard Bank Cup competition with KwaZulu-Natal, Western Province and Easterns recording wins

Keith Lane22-Nov-2002Hundreds for Andrew Hall and Andre Seymore for Easterns and a ninety-eight for Western Province’s Neil Johnson highlighted the start of round three of the Standard Bank Cup competition with KwaZulu-Natal, Western Province and Easterns recording wins.Willowmoore Park in Benoni saw Easterns winning the toss and batting first against Griqualand West.Andre Seymore and Andrew Hall matched each other ball for ball with a 231 run opening partnership with Seymore going to his hundred first and then getting bowled by Johann Louw on the magical three figure mark. The hundred came up in 126 balls and included 12 sparkling boundaries once more piercing the point area with some powerful cuts.Hall showed what good form he is in at the moment, going to his 100 in 124 balls with 11 boundaries. Once the hundred came up he unleashed some classic shots scoring a further 22 runs from his last 10 balls to end undefeated on 122. He was awarded man-of-the-match.Albie Morkel sent in at number three lost his wicket to Louw on the last ball of the innings after smashing 22 from 15 balls, which included one four and a six, leaving Easterns in a strong position at 266/2.Apart from the two wickets from Louw (2/44 in six overs) the only other bowlers who managed to put some brakes on the scoring rate were Zahir Abrahim (0/42) and Martin Gidley (0/39).Griqualand West did make use of a good pitch losing Loots Bosman (2) to Andre Nel and Pieter Koortzen (7) to Hall within the first six overs.A further wicket for Hall, that of Gidley (10), left Griquas on 34 and a required run rate of 6.5 in the final 35 overs.Brett Tucker and Louw restored some hope to the Griqualand West innings putting on a 99 run partnership with Louw the aggressor twice hitting big sixes into the main and players pavilions. His aggression and a growing run rate was his demise playing over a quick yorker from Crookes for 51 coming off 58 balls and including four fours and the two sixes.With the departure of Louw wickets fell all around Tucker. A brief flutter from Abrahim scoring 26 and an undefeated 80 from Tucker saw Griqualand West nose past the bonus point score of 212 to end on 221 all out in the 41st over. A loss by 45 runs.Some light rain and lightning chased the players off the field at the Wanderers where Western Province had won the toss and elected to bat against Gauteng.Having strengthen their side the visitors started off with Neil Johnson, back from his suspension, and Graeme Smith taking 43 runs off the first seven overs before Smith forcing from the front foot, when on 13, scooping a leading edge for Ashfak Abowath to take his first limited overs wicket.This brought HD Ackerman to the crease and aided by some woeful bowling moved the score along to 125/1 in the 24th over when the umpires decided to take the players off the field with some light rain and lightning striking very close to the Wanderers.After a break of 55 minutes the players returned with Johnson continuing to dominate. After 14 boundaries and 120 balls in which he improvised and worked the ball into most of the gaps in the field he a returned a catch to Adam Bacher for the third umpire to give him out caught and bowled on 98 ending a 150 run partnership in 31 overs.Ashwell Prince wasted no time at the crease and had raced to 35 runs off 21 balls while Ackerman kept his end going. With the score on 231 and only ten balls remaining Ackerman played past an Eksteen delivery to be bowled for 66 having been instrumental in getting Province into a strong position.At the end of the innings Western Province had moved to 243/4 with Prince being clean bowled by David Terbrugge for 42 on the second last ball of the innings.David Terbrugge had been his usual miserly self throughout the innings ending with 1/30 in his nine overs, but it was Adam Bacher who impressed with figures of 1/22 in his nine overs. Without these two bowlers Western Province might have cruised past 275.Bacher and Solly Ndima made a brisk start to the Strikers innings putting on 47 before Ndima trying to go over square leg was well taken by Smith for 29.Bacher was next to lose his wicket. Finding it difficult to keep the scoreboard moving he was well held at mid on for 25 off 46 balls and when Warren Dugmore left without scoring, all seemed lost for the hosts.Marthinus Otto was still and the crease, playing some lusty shots he flat batted Renier Munnik over the mid-wicket rope before being bowled by Claude Henderson for 37.Seventeen-year-old debutante Vaughn van Jaarsveld showed a lot of maturity by scoring a classy fluent 57 from 59 balls, including six fours and a six. A bright future is predicted for this standard nine pupil.With the last five wickets going down for 39 runs Western Province ran out winner by 44 runs, but could not gain the bonus point.In Durban, the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins at last hit form bowling North West out for 111 in 42 overs and then reaching the target in 30 overs.A disappointing evening for Pool A log leaders North West. Winning the toss and batting first they never recovered from a poor start after finding themselves 39/4 from 17 overs. Man-of-the-match, Nixon McLean, taking two of the early wickets.Top scores of 19 from ex Natalian Grant Rowley and Alfonso Thomas was never going to be enough to stretch the Dolphins.Shaun Pollock (7-2-10-0), McLean (9-4-15-4), Jon Kent (8-2-27-3) and debutante Yadeen Singh (9-0-32-2) made sure that the Dragons batsmen were always under pressure finding it difficult to get out of the hole dug early in the innings.The Dolphins after losing Ahmed Amla for 21 and Ashraf Mall for two, both to Garth Roe, easily reached the target of 112 in 30 overs with Kent not out 43 and Dale Benkenstein not out 30. The win by eight wickets, and a bonus point, gives KwaZulu-Natal its first points on the log.

Sunderland should be doing all they can to sign Dion Sanderson this summer after a legend from his current club suggested that the player is not highly rated by the Premier League side.

What’s the talk?

Wolves legend Steve Bull has suggested that the Premier League side do not believe Sanderson will ever be good enough for the top level. The retired striker believes that the Midlands outfit would have loaned him out by now if they saw him as a player with the potential to return in the future, hinting at a permanent exit from Molineux.

He told FFC:

“I think that Wolves would have sent him out on loan to see if he managed to get any better, but obviously, they don’t think he has.

“In other people’s eyes, he’s probably a top-class player but, in Wolves’ eyes, he’s not and they must have somebody else on their radar that is better.”

Sanderson spent last season on loan to Sunderland in League One and the northern side are reportedly interested in signing him for a second spell.

Johnson will be on cloud nine

Lee Johnson will be left on cloud nine if Sunderland are able to complete a deal for the defender.

Whilst the Premier League side may not have faith in him, The Black Cats are keen on a deal to bring him back and Kristjaan Speakman could be encouraged by Bull’s comments.

The 21-year-old defender is already used to playing in Sunderland’s system and would need no period of adaptation upon joining the club. Whereas, other signings may come with a degree of risk as it is tough to tell exactly how they would fit within the set-up and how they would cope with League One football.

Johnson made his feelings clear on the “Rolls-Royce” of a defender last season. The former Bristol City coach hailed him as a shining light at the back in League One.

He told The Chronicle:

“He was the one that was kind of a shining light in terms of the defensive performance.

“That can be clouded sometimes by the team [performance] because individually he has done alright. I think that’s where it starts for all of us – make sure you are a leader for at least two people.

“If you’re playing at centre-back, then look after a central midfielder, the other centre-half, and maybe the right-back. If you look after those, it switches you on and helps you to focus and concentrate.”

“He’s a centre-half and at his age level, he is an absolute Rolls-Royce.”

The starlet averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.88 in 17 starts as a centre-back in the third tier for Sunderland last season. This shows that he is capable of being consistent despite his young age and that he is able to put in quality performances, which is why Johnson will be buzzing with the prospect of working with him again next term.

Speakman must do all he can to get Sanderson back to Sunderland this summer.

AND in other news, Speakman could strike gold for Sunderland as 6ft 1 beast agrees to join The Black Cats…

This is an exciting time to be an Everton supporter even if you aren’t a keen admirer of the new manager, Rafa Benitez.

Once again, the Toffees are set to flex their financial muscles with big bids lined up for various players.

What’s the word?

Everton are battling a few Premier League teams for the signature of Ben White this summer while La Liga stars Philippe Coutinho and Isco are also on their radar.

It’s evident that the Merseyside outfit want to strengthen in a host of positions but one area they don’t necessarily need someone is up front.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin netted 21 goals last term but that hasn’t deterred Everton from eyeing a move for Haris Seferovic.

Their interest in the Swiss striker was revealed last week and according to a new report from O Jogo (via Sport Witness), they have now been in contact to sign him.

Everton are battling West Ham for his services and have collected references over Seferovic.

Benfica valued him at just €15m (£13m) before the European Championships but following some impressive performances, the Portuguese are now set to demand €25m (£21.4m) instead.

Perfect for Everton

As Calvert-Lewin demonstrated last term, playing with a target man in this Everton side works like a treat.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-everton-news-benitez-kamara-romero-dumfries” title= “Read the latest Everton transfer news!”]

He scored the highest number of goals by an Everton player since Romelu Lukaku in 2016/17, reigning supreme in the air by winning 4.7 aerial duels per game.

Seven of his 21 strikes came with his head as the England international proved he was capable of beating the vast majority of centre-backs in the air.

Seferovic could bring a similar sort of threat to Goodison Park if he arrives. He won 2.1 aerial duels per game for Benfica last term on his way to scoring a breathtaking 26 times.

That took his overall tally for Benfica to 69 strikes and he has since impressed immensely for Switzerland at Euro 2020.

A huge threat in aerial situations, the forward scored twice with his head during their remarkable victory over World Champions, France, in the last 16.

Describing one of the strikes, commentator Ally McCoist said he was “superb” for the way he rose above some of the game’s elite defenders.

The Toffees have become accustomed to playing with a target man so Seferovic and the squad shouldn’t need too much adjustment time.

Providing Benitez can iron out his inconsistencies, he’d be a wise signing for the Toffees.

AND in other news, Everton could discover their new John Stones by signing “exceptional” £55m ace…

PERTH – Australian selectors have recalled fast bowler Brett Lee anddropped Andrew Bichel for tomorrow’s third Test against England inPerth.

AAP28-Nov-2002PERTH – Australian selectors have recalled fast bowler Brett Lee anddropped Andrew Bichel for tomorrow’s third Test against England inPerth.Australian captain Steve Waugh said Lee’s pace convinced selectors toplay him on the bouncy WACA ground wicket, ending his two Tests as 12thman.Waugh said Bichel was disappointed to lose his spot after taking wicketsin Australia’s crushing wins in the opening two Test matches.Australian batsman Matthew Hayden has been passed fit to play asAustralia tries to wrap its eighth consecutive Ashes series victory.Lee was dropped at the start of the series because of disappointing formbut has since shone in two Pura Cup matches for NSW.