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Jason Holder has said that while he has heard Chris Gayle’s talk of a Test return he does not believe many of the absent West Indies’ players are interested in the longest format

George Dobell09-Sep-2017Jason Holder has played down the prospect of “big name” West Indies players re-joining the Test team, stating “we have the best of the lot right now.”With Cricket West Indies having recently relaxed their selection criteria and offered an amnesty to those players who have chosen to play in T20 leagues, it had been presumed the likes of Sunil Narine, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard (who has never played Test cricket) might come into consideration ahead of series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand.But Holder, West Indies’ captain, suggested that, apart from Bravo and perhaps Gayle, he “didn’t think there’s anybody interested in playing Test cricket that we can call upon.””Darren Bravo is a guy who has done well for us in the recent past,” Holder said. “But apart from Darren I don’t think there’s anybody else who’s interested in playing Test cricket that we can really call upon or the so-called big names people are looking for.”Chris has probably hinted that he would like to play if he’s fit enough. He’s always said he would like to play. I spoke to him a while back. We would love to have a guy like Chris in our side. He brings a lot.”But apart from those two players I don’t think there’s anybody else we can really look to.”While Bravo’s return would appear close to automatic – Kyle Hope failed to take his chance in England, averaging just 6.83 batting at No. 3 in the series – Holder described himself as “extremely proud” of the performance of his young team and hinted that he would be reluctant to see too many of them replaced. Shane Dowrich, who averaged 4.80 and struggled with the gloves, might also come under pressure from the likes of Denesh Ramdin.”I think we’ve got the best of the lot [playing] right now,” he said. “I’m really, really happy with this squad to be honest. I enjoy playing cricket with this squad and I enjoy leading this squad. I wouldn’t trade this squad for the world.”Speaking after being beaten in the deciding Test against England at Lord’s, Holder was encouraged with the way his side had pushed for what would have been a shock series victory.”I’m extremely proud, can’t really fault the guys for effort,” he said. “We’ve still got a lot of room for improvement, still got a long way to go before we can get consistent performances. That said, not a bad tour of England, could have been better, obviously, but I’m still very proud.”The credit must go to the bowlers. After the Headingley Test match we asked for another big effort. The way we came out here first innings and bowled, I think at the start of the match if you said we’d have got England for 190, we’d have taken that.”While the bowling was consistently challenging after the aberration of Edgbaston, West Indies’ win at Headingley in the second Test – their first in England for 17 years – was built on the batting performances of Shai Hope, who scored hundreds in each innings, and Kraigg Brathwaite.Holder said he wanted the team to build on what they had started in their next two tours, in Zimbabwe next month and then New Zealand.”For a first tour here for many of us, I still think it’s a hell of an achievement and fight we put up,” Holder said. “Hopefully we can learn from this, we have New Zealand at the end of the year which could be similar conditions and similar type of bowlers, so it should be good chance to take what we’ve learned here into that series. But first we’ve got Zimbabwe, in a few weeks time, so hopefully we can really kick on from there.”Obviously Shai was outstanding in this entire series and we must not forget Kraigg’s contribution as well, he really did a hell of a job, especially at Headingley. Unfortunately we didn’t get more batsmen to carry on, lots of us got starts but didn’t carry on, and we let ourselves down with our fielding, probably this entire series. We dropped quite a few chances and gave good players two opportunities to bat, and in international cricket they’ll make you pay for it.”I think we’ve shown improvement. When we sit down and critique each series, we just try to look for improvement. We’ve definitely shown that, especially in our bowling, improving our consistency there … But hopefully guys can gain a lot of confidence form this series against a world-class side and top-class bowling unit. To be able to achieve something in this series speaks a lot.”

Everton reportedly remain interested in signing Salernitana forward Boulaye Dia in the summer transfer window, and could use Neal Maupay as part of any deal.

Are Everton signing a new striker?

The Blues have been on the lookout for attacking reinforcements since the end of last season, with more quality in the final third something that has to be addressed ahead of the new Premier League campaign after scoring just 34 top-flight goals last season.

El Bilal Toure is one player who has been linked with a move for Goodison Park, but he has instead opted to join Atalanta, acting as a blow for Everton.

Another target who has also been seen as a primary target is Dia, though, who caught the eye for Salernitana last season, scoring 16 goals and chipping in with six assists in Serie A. It was a highly impressive first season there, having initially joined on loan from Villarreal, but his temporary move has now become permanent.

Despite this, a move away this summer doesn't look out of the question, with a new update suggesting that there is one Everton player who could help a move to Merseyside come to fruition.

Do Everton still want to sign Boulaye Dia?

According to Tutto Salernitana [via Sport Witness], Everton aren't willing to pay the player’s €25m release clause but have "asked" to hold a meeting with Salernitana sporting director Morgan De Sanctis to discuss a potential deal.

Maupay is seen as someone who could become a key part of any move, with the Frenchman someone who the Italian outfit "like a lot", having been "one step away" from heading there last summer. The report also states that Salernitana want any potential transfer to be done and dusted in the next 10 days, rather than negotiations going on for too long.

This is certainly a positive update from an Everton perspective, not only giving them hope that they could sign Dia this summer, but also getting Maupay off their wage bill at the same time. He has been a big disappointment since arriving from Brighton last year, producing a poor return of just one goal and assist apiece in 29 appearances for the Blues.

For that reason, he may not be any real loss, and instead, they could be acquiring the signature of a more prolific player in Dia, having scored six goals in 25 appearances for Senegal at international level, netting once at the 2022 World Cup. Back in 2020, Senegal and former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane spoke highly of the forward, saying:

"I didn't know him before. But since the start of the season I started to follow him, and I'm really impressed by his qualities. I think he won't stay at Reims forever, believe me!"

Meanwhile, journalist Josh Bunting highlighted a key asset of Dia's, saying:

"Boulaye Dia the key man for Salernitana a goal and two assists so far since joining, a handful to deal with due to his hold up."

To be praised for such a big figure in his country's history speaks volumes about what Dia could be capable of in an Everton shirt, and his aforementioned assist tally last season shows that he is more than just a goalscorer. There still looks to be plenty to do, in order for the transfer to happen, but the Maupay factor is an added bonus, and it would be exciting to see Dia lining up for the Blues when they host Fulham in their Premier League opener next month.

Arsenal continue to be linked with plenty of new potential summer additions, despite having already enjoyed a fruitful window of extravagant purchases. It seems Mikel Arteta will stop at nothing to ensure his side topple Manchester City in the coming season.

Is Axel Disasi joining Arsenal?

Their latest transfer conquest is denoted through a report by The Sun, who suggested over the weekend that despite Manchester United's desperation to sign Axel Disasi, the Gunners are one of two clubs ready to hijack such a move with a late bid.

With it also suggested that AS Monaco may be open to selling, this has likely put plenty of Europe's elite on high alert given the pedigree of the star centre-back.

The French outfit will look to command a £34m fee for his services, despite the 25-year-old only being valued at €20.1m (£17m) by Football Transfers.

How good is Axel Disasi?

Whilst it is easy to assume that the acquisition of a defender will help make a side more solid, in the modern-day climate it often has much farther-reaching repercussions that span across the whole team.

After all, centre-backs nowadays often pride themselves on their ability to stride out from the back with confidence, showcasing their newfound technical finesse to pass into midfield or out wide.

Attacks are forged from the back four, and within Arteta's system, such a claim is only emphasised.

Inverting his full-backs helps them to control the midfield, and thus the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes become the first line of creativity, who must find a key operator in space who can then do the damage further up the field.

Fortunately, in Disasi, the Spanish head coach would obtain the perfect forward-thinking stalwart to underpin his philosophy.

Especially considering, when compared against other centre-backs across Europe, the France international sits in the top 4% for progressive carries and progressive passes per 90 and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, via FBref.

That's not to suggest he abandons his defensive duties though, as last term in Ligue 1 he maintained 1.5 interceptions and a mammoth 2.9 clearances per game too, via Sofascore. It is, therefore, no surprise to see him branded as a "complete & dominant CB" by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, given the latter figure would have ranked him third among Arsenal's squad last term.

With the 6 foot 3 ace striding into space, and boasting the requisite skillset to then find a man, someone of Declan Rice's quality, when dropping in to receive the ball, would surely benefit.

The England international has been evolving with each passing year at West Ham United, with last campaign seeing him bolster his creative figures. Six goal contributions and one key pass per game in the Premier League emphasise this (via Sofascore), which are figures only certain to improve under Arteta's tutelage.

With his new manager likely teaching him ways to operate between the lines he had never thought of, he could take his ball progression to new heights, especially with the quality of service Disasi would provide.

As someone who rarely accepts progressive passes, rather preferring to provide them himself, adding this facet to his game could see Rice become a truly world-class talent capable of propelling his new team to the title.

When compared against other midfielders across Europe, he ranks in the top 15% for progressive carries per 90, and the top 20% for progressive passes per 90. On the turn, the athletic 6 foot 1 star would be unstoppable, with the potential defensive signing in question set to kickstart the change that makes him a truly dominant and unplayable asset from the middle of the park.

Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson explain Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batting strategy they employed against Kings XI Punjab, to score 207 for 3 and set up a 26-run win

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Apr-2017In the last few games, Sunrisers Hyderabad have not scored at the rate they have wanted to at the start of the innings. Consequently, the team’s strategy was tweaked slightly ahead of the match against Kings XI Punjab to ensure that the openers – David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan – went after the bowling in a combined assault.The ploy paid off handsomely after Sunrisers were asked to bat on a good batting surface in Mohali. Dhawan smashed a 48-ball 77, his second fifty in three games, and Warner cracked 51 runs off 27 balls. Dhawan described the approach to his partnership as “smart (and) aggressive”.”Usually when David attacks, I back off. In the last two games, David took his time so I attacked,” Dhawan told . “Today, we attacked from both sides. This was a good thing and it was a very good wicket. We both wanted to make it big and that’s what happened. I was feeling good about myself today and knew what plan I am going to go with.”We both were playing smart [yet] aggressive cricket, I would say. And, that was our plan because [in the] last few games we were playing well but our run rate was [a] bit low. So, we decided today that we were going to go out there and express ourselves more. I am used to playing with David Warner for two-three seasons now, so we know each other’s game and our running between the wickets is also very good.”On the relative merits and demerits of opening with two left-hand batsmen, Dhawan said it was not a factor so long as both the batsmen were good. “If they play well, they play well and it becomes hard for the bowlers,” Dhawan said. “For instance, they brought an offspinner (KC Cariappa) into the attack, but we were in such good nick that we were hitting the offspinner too. Of course, if it is a left-right combination, the bowler has to contend with altering his line and length. But, if batsmen are attacking from both ends, then there is no trouble.”Sunrisers also benefited from how Kane Williamson, at No. 3, furthered the momentum created by the openers. With an unbeaten of 54 at a strike rate of 200, Williamson was the key to Sunrisers smashing 52 runs in the last five overs. Williamson reflected on how they had to briefly play the waiting game before launching into another round of attack. Once Warner was dismissed in the 10th over, Dhawan and Williamson went 17 legal deliveries without a boundary.”There are times when you need to soak it up a little bit, but with the openers batting for about 10 overs with a run rate of over ten runs per over meant that we needed to see how many we could get and play the situation the best we could,” Williamson said. “After such a good start from the openers, it was important that we do that.”He (Dhawan) came out really aggressively as you need to do in this format; he was very dominant today and was batting so beautifully, which I suppose made my job easier when I was to come out and get myself in.”Dhawan revealed that Sunrisers had a 200-plus total in sights once they continued to score at a good clip going into the second half of the innings. “As a team goal, we always say that one of the top-four batsmen has to stay till the end. If one set batsman is playing at the end, it gives a huge advantage to the batting side, so that’s what we planned and we try to implement in each game,” Dhawan said.”Once we crossed 13 or 14 overs, we knew we had to reach 200 because we had a great start and continued to be in a good position. It paid off well because in the second innings there was a bit of dew on this ground, and their batsmen were playing good cricket, especially Shaun Marsh and [Martin] Guptill, at the start. Two hundred was a good score, that’s why we got the game.”

Liverpool were expected to sign "three midfielders" in the summer transfer window, but the position Trent Alexander-Arnold ultimately ends up playing in preseason could change that plan to be "two midfielders and a fullback", believes transfer insider Dean Jones.

Liverpool transfer news – who is linked to Liverpool?

The big transfer news for Liverpool this week has been the developments around Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.

The Athletic have reported that the club have met with the 22-year-old's representatives to discuss personal terms with a view to the player making a permeant move to Merseyside this summer, with things being stepped up.

A bit closer to home now, and the Reds have also been heavily linked with a move for Southampton's exciting young midfielder, Romeo Lavia, with the transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reporting that Liverpool have 'opened talks' with the South coast club.

The 19-time league winners have already completed one midfield signing this summer, Argentinian international Alexis Mac Allister, who the club signed from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month for an estimated initial fee of £35m.

What has Dean Jones said about Liverpool's transfer window?

Jones made a point of assessing Liverpool's current players before making too many guesses as to who they might pursue in the summer and what positions they might focus on.

Speaking to Football Fancast, he said: "I think we should also consider what Liverpool have already to work with, and the use of Trent next season. I mean, I'm intrigued to know what actually we see from Trent. Once we get into preseason and where he's lining up.

Interestingly, he believes that the position Jurgen Klopp decides to play Trent in will have a huge impact on the club's overall transfer vision, adding: "Like we've been expecting three midfielders to be signed, really, over the course of this summer, but it could be two midfielders and a fullback that that turns into."

How good was Trent Alexander Arnold last year?

It was a mixed year for Trent, to say the least. While he still excelled in certain metrics and was often a joy to watch, he was also frequently caught out in the defensive side of the game.

Andy Jones of the Athletic pinpointed his display against Crystal Palace earlier this year as the perfect 'microcosm' in which fans could see his brilliant best and ever-increasing frailties, all in one game.

Klopp has recognised the growing criticism of his superstar right-back in recent seasons but defended him, arguing that some of the mistakes are due to a lack of rest, saying after the Palace game, "Trent plays all the games."

That said, at his best, very few, if any, can do what the Liverpool born-gem can do.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, Trent sits in the top 1% for expected assists, the top 2% of attempted passes and progressive passes, the top 4% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for assists.

Those are the kind of underlying numbers that Klopp was referencing when he called the dynamic fullback a "world class talent" just a couple of years ago.

Whether Liverpool decides to persist with Trent in the backline or slowly move him into a midfield role, he will still be considered one of the game's best players if he can maintain the level of performance we have seen from him so many times before.

Chelsea may already be well stocked at the back even after Kalidou Koulibaly's exit, but new head coach Mauricio Pochettino is no doubt eyeing a replacement before the summer transfer window closes.

Juventus centre-back Gleison Bremer has been strongly linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge, though Chelsea and Manchester United appear to now face fresh competition from fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

That's according to the Daily Mail, who suggests Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is hoping to bring in the Brazilian, meaning Chelsea must speed things up if they are indeed interested in the player.

Is Gleison Bremer a good choice for Chelsea?

Bremer only joined Juventus from Torino last year, having caught the eye across three seasons as a regular with their city rivals, especially in 2021-22 when being named Best Defender in Serie A.

As a full Brazil international and with four years still to run on his Juve contract, it is reported that it will take a bid of around £50m to tempt the Turin giants to cash in.

For those unaware of Bremer's style, FBref's player comparison tool provides a good indication. Based on their statistical profiles, Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk is rated as the eighth-most similar defender to the Juve star across Europe's top five leagues.

Bremer would be a long-term partner for Benoit Badiashile at Chelsea, but it is likely to be the more experienced Thiago Silva he links up with in the heart of defence next season should he join.

The international colleagues have similarities and differences, with the most notable being Bremer's ability to score goals, as reflected in the four he scored last season. That ranks him in the top 4% of all defenders across Europe's top five leagues, whereas Silva is in the bottom 16% (no goals).

That is further highlighted in the shots and touches in the box metrics (top 5% and top 8% for Bremer respectively; top 36% and top 34% for Silva), though the former AC Milan defender does come out on top for tackles won per 90 (0.99 v 0.71), as per FBref, and percentage of aerial duels won (71.2% v 62.4%).

While Bremer is 12 years younger than his compatriot, he can certainly hold his own. As former Torino team-mate Mergim Vojvoda explained last year: "[Bremer] is very strong, an animal. He is also fast, he is tall and has made a great leap in quality on a technical level, with the ball at his feet."

That is reflected in the stats, with Bremer completing 89.7% of his passes across all competitions last season – a very similar figure to Silva's 90.7% at Chelsea.

Ultimately, it appears the Brazilian duo can complement each other well in the short term, providing a springboard at the back for what Pochettino will hope is a successful first campaign in West London.

Arsenal's move for Galatasaray right-back Sacha Boey could now fall through due to an injury the player suffered on international duty this week, according to reports in Turkey.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners look set for a hectic summer transfer window as they prepare for a return to the Champions League next season. Mikel Arteta’s side’s top four finish comes with added pressure and added expectations, and the way in they slowed down towards the end of the season exemplified the need for more quality depth.

The boss looks to be eyeing up a move for West Ham star Declan Rice in order to strengthen his midfield, while Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby has been identified to reinforce the attack, but they have also been strongly linked with upgrades at right-back.

Ben White had a fabulous campaign but cannot be expected to play every fixture across four competitions, leading to Edu Gaspar to make a £12m bid for Boey earlier this month. The 22 year-old provided four assists in 31 league starts for Gala this season, earning himself a call up to the France U21s squad.

Unfortunately for the youngster, he has picked up an injury at Clairefontaine, with Turkish outlet Sabah, via Sport Witness, now reporting it is bad enough to have thrown his Arsenal move into serious doubt.

His club had apparently been planning to sell for around €20m (£17m), so not far above Arsenal’s bid, but the deal “may fall in the water” due to an ankle injury. There are apparently few details on the extent of the damage, but it is clearly a concern as he has been pulled from the squad.

Is Sacha Boey any good?

This will certainly be a blow to Arteta’s transfer plans if the injury is serious. At 22, Boey is young enough that he would likely be happy to come to a huge club like Arsenal and compete with White for minutes, and the latter could then also provide cover at centre-back if needed.

This season, Boey ranked as Gala’s second best player behind only goal machine Mauro Icardi, as the flying full-back led his team in tackles per game (2.8). Dubbed a player who would “fit perfectly into Arsenal” by Bacary Sagna, he also managed over one key pass and one successful dribble per outing, showing he is effective on both sides of the ball.

For both Arsenal and the player’s sake, one will have to hope the injury is not as bad as initial fears suggest.

Centuries from Callum Ferguson and Tom Cooper put South Australia in a dominant position as they ended the second day of their day-night Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia with a lead of 203

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2016
ScorecardTom Cooper headlined South Australia’s day of dominance with a rapid century•Getty Images

Callum Ferguson marked his 100th first-class match with a century to help South Australia establish a first-innings lead of 203 on the second day of their day-night Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the WACA.Ferguson was left with the unenviable task of pulling South Australia out of a spot, after they had been reduced to 2 for 16 at stumps on the opening day. South Australia ended the day on 8 for 474, after Western Australia had declared on 9 for 271, courtesy a half-century from Shaun Marsh, who returned from a hamstring injury. While Ferguson took the team close to the 200-mark, it was Tom Cooper who helped them surge ahead, scoring a century of his own and putting on 198 for the seventh wicket with wicketkeeper Alex Carey to frustrate Western Australia.Ferguson collected his runs at 79.52 per 100 balls, while Cooper was even more severe, striking at 89.61 as South Australia slammed 458 runs in 93 overs on the day. Ferguson added 60 more for the third wicket with overnight partner and nightwatchman Joe Mennie, who struck 32. Ferguson was then joined by South Australia captain Travis Head, and the duo added 122 for the fourth wicket at nearly a run a ball. Ferguson was dismissed by left-arm paceman Jason Behrendorff, who had rocked the visiting team late on the opening day. He had faced 127 balls for his 101 and struck 18 fours. Head fell three overs later for a 61-ball 66, 52 of which came through fours.Cooper started off by adding 55 for the sixth wicket with Jake Lehmann. After Lehmann’s dismissal for 29 – his strike rate of 59.18 was the lowest among all South Australia batsmen to record double figures – Cooper and Carey took charge and punished the home team’s bowlers for 38.5 overs, going at nearly five an over during their stand. The carnage ended with Cooper’s dismissal, bowled by Agar, for 138 off 154 balls, a knock that featured 10 fours and a six. Carey was dismissed by the same bowler, caught behind in his next over, for a more sedate 121-ball 79. A rare slow passage followed thereafter, with Kane Richardson and Chadd Sayers adding 12 unbeaten runs off 26 balls for the ninth wicket, before stumps were drawn.Benrendorff was the most successful bowler, with 3 for 70, and also the most economical of the main Western Australia bowlers. Marsh and Agar took two wickets each, but were both expensive, as was David Moody, the right-arm pacer, who accounted for Head.

تحدث بوكايو ساكا مهاجم فريق آرسنال عن الفوز أمام وست هام بمنافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

وتغلب آرسنال على وست هام بستة أهداف دون رد، في مباراة جمعت الفريقين بالجولة الرابعة والعشرين للبريميرليج.

وأحرز ساكا هدفين في المباراة أحدهما من ركلة جزاء، وأفاد في تصريحات لـ “سكاي سبورتس”: “كنا متقدمين 4-0 في الشوط الأول وكان بإمكاننا تسجيل المزيد من الأهداف، بما في ذلك أنا”.

اقرأ أيضًا | أوديجارد عن سداسية آرسنال أمام وست هام: أداء رائع بعد فوزنا الكبير ضد ليفربول

وأضاف: “لقد شممنا رائحة الدم اليوم وذهبنا للقتل، لقد قمنا بعمل جيد حقًا لتسجيل المزيد ونحن سعداء”.

وعن تسجيله 50 هدفًا مع آرسنال، أردف ساكا: “لأكون صادقًا، أنا سعيد حقًا بتحقيق ذلك، لكنني لست متأكدًا من أنني أستطيع أن أكون سعيدًا اليوم”.

وأوضح: “لقد أهدرت بعض الفرص التي اعتقدت أنه كان بإمكاني تسجيلها، كما تعلمون، لكن من الواضح أنه إنجاز عظيم، لذا أنا فخور بذلك”.

Liverpool have tabled an offer to bring Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Gravenberch to Anfield?

The Netherlands international still has four years remaining on his contract at the Allianz Arena, but having made just two starts this season in the Bundesliga, is significantly out of favour under Thomas Tuchel and could therefore be looking for a new home this summer.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg revealed in April that the Reds have the 20-year-old on their “shortlist” of central options, and 90min soon after further backed this up by reporting that FSG and Jurgen Klopp had asked to be given updates on his transfer situation.

Dutch outlet De Telegraaf have also since claimed that the Merseyside outfit’s chiefs held talks with the player’s representatives, including his father, with the star keen to join after a positive round of discussions.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), Liverpool, alongside top-flight rivals Newcastle United, have “already made proposals" for Gravenberch, with the pair both ready to “shell out” €50m (£43m) to bring him to England during the upcoming window. Manchester United are also in the picture and interested in completing a deal, though they are yet to make any kind of official contact or offer, unlike the two suitors named above.

Would Gravenberch be a good signing for Liverpool?

Gravenberch is naturally a central midfielder but is much stronger in the attacking aspect of his game, and having been lauded a “saviour” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Liverpool would be recruiting a hugely exciting player.

The 6 foot 2 titan, who has experience in both the Champions and Europa League, has clocked up 69 goal involvements (36 goals and 33 assists) in 218 appearances since the start of his career, not to mention that he ranks in the 96th percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 by midfielders in the top five leagues.

The Adidas-sponsored athlete also has an 89.5% pass success rate in the Bundesliga which would rank him the third-highest among the rest of the regular squad at Anfield, so the fact that he’s cool, calm and collected on the ball in possession will be yet another attractive attribute to Klopp.

Finally, Gravenberch would add wonderful versatility to Liverpool’s ranks having operated in five different positions since first emerging onto the scene, including three in the midfield, out wide on the left flank and even at centre-forward, so the hierarchy shouldn’t even have to think twice about getting this star in the making in the building.