Manchester United have held talks with Monaco defender Axel Disasi over a potential move to Old Trafford this summer and the 25-year-old would be 'really excited' by the prospect of pitching up at Old Trafford, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Is Axel Disasi joining Manchester United?

According to RMC Sport, Manchester United are frontrunners to sign Disasi this summer in a deal that could cost in the region of £35 million to complete.

Taking to Twitter, renowned journalist Romano took to Twitter to detail that Manchester United alongside Newcastle United are keen to bring in Disasi, stating: "Newcastle and Manchester United are both exploring Disasi deal, no bids yet. Newcastle approached player side this week, expected to make contact with Monaco. Ten Hag approved Disasi — talks for weeks on player side but still waiting for approach with Monaco."

In 2022/23, the France international enjoyed a solid campaign for Ligue 1 outfit Monaco and showed an unusually potent goal threat from central defence, registering six goals and four assists in 49 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Disasi showed plenty of calmness at the back last term and helped to stamp out dangerous attacking situations with regularity, completing 2.9 clearances per match in the French top-flight, according to WhoScored.

Last month, The Mirror claimed that both Disasi and Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund have indicated that their preference would be to move to Old Trafford this off-season, giving Red Devils boss Erik Ten Hag a major boost in his hunt for reinforcements.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano has given some further insight into Manchester United's quest to land Disasi from Monaco.

Romano stated: "I will keep the name of Axel Disasi in the list. They spoke to the player's side and the player would be really excited to join Manchester United. Disasi is a player they like."

Who is coming to Man United 2023?

Aside from their pursuit of Disasi, who has been called a "hidden gem" after his brilliant performances, Manchester United have been active in the market as Ten Hag eyes quality additions ahead of the new Premier League season commencing.

Mason Mount has already been officially signed off on as the Red Devils' first summer arrival from Chelsea and could make his debut on Wednesday when Manchester United take on Leeds United in Oslo.

Sky Sports News report that Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana is a name that may follow Mount to Old Trafford, though the Serie A giants are demanding a fee of £51 million to let him depart the San Siro.

Urawa Red Diamonds goalkeeper Zion Suzuki could also come in to strengthen the goalkeeping department in the aftermath of David De Gea's 12-year spell at the club coming to an end.

Telegraph Sport have signalled that a £50 million bid is set to be launched for Atalanta rising star Hojlund, who is viewed as a youngster with considerable potential by Old Trafford chiefs.

Rumours will continue to swirl around as the transfer window begins to reach fever pitch; however, it is clear that Manchester United are on the trail of numerous players and we will likely see movement in the next few weeks with regards to incomings and outgoings.

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.”

Predicting the future of football is never easy, especially when looking at players who could really have legacy-defining eras. With the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, it seemed pretty guaranteed where football's crown was heading for as long as they were playing at the top of European football.

Back in 2019, however, French outlet L'Equipe attempted to predict the stars that would come next, tipping six young players to dominate European football.

Since the prediction four years ago, those players have had incredibly mixed spells, though, and it's fair to say that some have simply failed to live up to their potential.

With that said, we've taken a look at just how their respective careers have gone so far.

6 Karamoko Dembele

Tipped to become the next best thing, Karamoko Dembele was 16 at the time of his inclusion on L'Equipe's 2019 list. Now only 20, it's far too early to completely write off the former Celtic winger.

The pressure at 16 would have been incredibly difficult, and since leaving Scotland, Dembele has struggled to ever kickstart what is still an early career. At Brest last season, though, summing up recent years, the 20-year-old failed to score a single goal.

5 Ansu Fati

Also included on the list was Barcelona's Ansu Fati. And this came as no surprise, considering the winger's emergence as one of the most exciting players at the Nou Camp. Injury issues have halted his rise to the top since, however, with the Spaniard missing 35 games since the 21/22 season.

In the last campaign, he at least started getting things back on track as Barcelona won their first La Liga title under Xavi, and Fati scored seven goals.

4 Sebastiano Esposito

You'd be forgiven for not exactly knowing the name Sebastiano Esposito. Once tipped for great things at Inter Milan, the forward has so far failed to reach his potential.

Still only 21, he has plenty of time to become the player that L'Equipe once tipped him to become back in 2019, but after a failed loan spell at Anderlecht, it's far from looking promising for Esposito.

3 Joelson Fernandes

Once again a name that may not be too familiar with a number of fans, Joelson Fernandes has never really got going at Sporting, despite initially being tipped to become the next best thing.

Making just four appearances for the first team, the winger never looked like reaching his potential in Portugal, and has since spent a season on loan at FC Basel, where he scored four goals, before ending up at Turkish side Hatayspor.

2 Mohamed Amine Ihattaren

Mohamed Amine Ihattaren has had the most difficult journey of these players since being included in L'Equipe's list of young players. There was even a point that the midfielder was reportedly considering retirement due to mental health issues.

The Juventus midfielder didn't feature last season, and it remains to be seen where his future lies in football.

1 Karim Adeyemi

Onto a player that everyone should be familiar with, Karim Adeyemi is well on his way to reaching his potential at Borussia Dortmund. After making the move to the Bundesliga giants back in the summer of last year, and has since enjoyed a promising debut campaign.

Ending the season with nine goals, and six assists, the only way is up for the 21-year-old.

ScorecardHampshire are only in Division One because Durham were relegated in their place as punishment for needing a financial bail-out, but such was their composure in outlasting Yorkshire in a four-wicket win at Headingley, they are clearly not suffering from feelings of inadequacy.Even allowing for Yorkshire’s severely weakened attack, Hampshire chased down 320 under blue Headingley skies in unflappable fashion, beginning the day with a dogged 72 from Jimmy Adams and ended it in celebratory mood when Gareth Berg struck Ben Coad for a straight six to bring up a victory which arrived six balls into the extra half-hour.Hampshire were always a little ahead of the game in their pursuit of 320, making light of a surface that still nibbled now and then. They reached the second new ball with 95 needed and six wickets remaining, and although they lost both Rilee Rossouw and Liam Dawson in the counter-punching that followed, an unbroken stand of 58 in 12 overs between Berg and Lewis McManus, built in the mould of gritty wicketkeeper-batsman, saw them home.

Coaches reflect on thrilling chase

Andrew Gale, Yorkshire coach
“It’s disappointing to be on the wrong end of it because I felt we had opportunities to win the game. We could have put the game to bed on Saturday afternoon. I didn’t think it was a 180-odd all out pitch. If we’d have got 220-250 and they’d have been chasing 400, it’s a different game.
“Also, a couple of catches went down, and it’s a different game at 20-2. Fair play to Hampshire, it was a good chase. Not many teams come here and chase over 300 in the fourth innings.”
Craig White, Hampshire coach
“That was a great win. You don’t win many games being 58-5 in the first innings. To claw it back and come out of that situation with a victory is pretty special.
“The character the lads showed fighting back with the ball, and to bowl them out for 180 gave us a real chance of winning. Everyone was so determined. It wasn’t an easy pitch. There was a little bit in it.
“We’ve had a great start, but we know in two weeks when Yorkshire come down to Hampshire, they will be like wounded animals.”

By the time Berg’s straight hit soared into the Trueman Stand, Coad and his new-ball partner Tim Bresnan were as good as spent. They evenly shared 50 overs – 46 of them on the third day. Coad finished with match figures of 8 for 133 and an enhanced reputation as a lithe fast bowler of promise, as well as an insight into the hard work that lies ahead. Bresnan got through a heavy workload like an old trouper but Yorkshire lacked threat elsewhere.For Yorkshire’s new in-charges of captain Gary Ballance and coach Andrew Gale, the season has begun with defeat against a side expected to be at the wrong end of the table. Add the two defeats suffered at the end of last season and they have lost three in a row. With five frontline seamers out injured, their vulnerability was apparent – and Hampshire exposed it methodically – but it is their lack of top-order runs that will most concern them.Hampshire were able to make light of a first-innings deficit of 132 because Kyle Abbott took seven wickets in Yorkshire’s second innings with a grown-up bowling performance that immediately identified him as a key component of their season. Presented with such charity, they needed no second invitation.With such a weakened attack, Yorkshire’s need for new-ball wickets was even more pressing than normal. They had two chances but, crucially, both went astray. Adam Lyth spilled Adams at second slip off Bresnan on 11 and Michael Carberry escaped when Peter Handscomb failed to retrieve a tougher chance in the gully.Instead of two-down for not many, Hampshire assembled an opening stand of 91. It was a stand to soothe nerves and raise expectations, an assertion that Yorkshire’s patched-up attack could be tamed on a gloriously sunny day that made batting a pleasure.The short ball did for Carberry. He was fortunate that one attempted hook against Josh Shaw fell safely and, although he did pull Patterson for six, he top-edged an attempted flip off Coad to Steve Patterson at long leg. He would have hoped to prosper for longer, but 41 was not a bad start after his lengthy illness and it was a pleasure to see him back.Bresnan tried to bore Adams into submission after lunch without success and, as James Vince unveiled attractive drives on both sides of the wicket, as if carefully arranging a vase of flowers at appropriate angles, Hampshire got halfway to their target with only one wicket down.Ballance turned somewhat reluctantly to Azeem Rafiq’s offspin and it brought immediate dividends when he had Adams lbw. Vince’s vase cracked on 44 thanks to an athletic return catch, low in his follow-through, by Coad, who is tall but spritely. Ervine never suggested permanence and he fell by tea, cutting at Bresnan.Hampshire progressed cautiously to the second new ball, taken by two bowlers, Bresnan and Coad, who were already 17 overs into their day. That in itself was an indication that Ballance had been trying to win the match primarily with three bowlers: Rafiq was introduced only in mid-afternoon and Shaw conservatively used.That new ball brought a rush of boundaries before Rossouw fell in identical fashion to Ervine, the only difference being that Rossouw, who looked a bit of a chancer, made 47.The wicket Yorkshire most wanted was Dawson’s and Bresnan snaffled it with a thrilling left-handed catch off his own bowling. Most counties would happily settle for conceding 37 runs to such a doughty cricketer, when defending 320 in a nip-and-tuck finish.To observe Coad, at 23, plunge flexibly in his follow-through had been a reminder of the advantage of youth, but here was Bresnan, thick-set and determined, plunging through the air like Thunderbird 2 to bring up the prize. But any assumptions that Thunderbirds Were Go proved wide of the mark as Hampshire completed a victory that will do wonders for their self-esteem.Hampshire know what it is like fielding a depleted attack – they did it throughout the whole of last season. As for Yorkshire, they will be aching for revenge at the Ageas Bowl before the month is out.

Celtic former player Kieran Tierney 'would love' a return to Parkhead this summer; however, there are 'major hurdles' in the way of that becoming a reality, according to journalist Anthony Joseph.

What clubs has Kieran Tierney been linked with this summer?

As per Football Insider, Newcastle United have made Tierney their top left-back target following the news that Fulham defender Antonee Robinson has signed a new five-year deal at Craven Cottage.

Tierney faces an uncertain future at Arsenal and this has enabled Newcastle United to get themselves in 'pole position' to bring in the £110k-a-week ace. Manchester City have also explored a potential swoop for the Scotland international as Pep Guardiola looks to bolster his backline.

Last month, The Scottish Sun reported that Tierney wouldn't rule out making a sensational return to boyhood club Celtic this window. However, a compromise would need to be made over his hefty pay packet and the Hoops would also need to pay a sizeable loan fee to secure his services, with a permanent deal believed to be out of the question.

Aston Villa plan to rival Newcastle United and Celtic to try and sign the 26-year-old as Unai Emery sets his sights on a reunion with Tierney, who he brought to Arsenal in a £25 million deal back in 2019.

In his previous spell at Celtic where he won eleven domestic honours, Tierney made 170 appearances in total and registered eight goals and 37 assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Joseph thinks that although Tierney 'would love' a return to Celtic, any notion of that happening is unlikely.

Joseph stated: "I'm sure he would love to come back to Celtic. I'm sure Celtic would love to have him back as well.

"But I think there will be some major hurdles to overcome for that to actually happen now."

What has happened to Kieran Tierney?

It's not outwith the realms of possibility, though Celtic would need to shell out significant money to sign Tierney on a loan agreement, which will likely mean the Hoops pass on trying to acquire their former fan favourite.

Tierney played second fiddle to Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko for lengthy spells last term; nevertheless, he still amassed 36 appearances in all competitions, scoring once and laying on two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Sofascore show that Tierney was still a reliable deputy when called upon by Mikel Arteta and managed to win 72% of his ground duels across the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

Progressive carries is an area where the Isle Of Man-born defender excelled in last season in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions, completing around 2.89 per 90 minutes in the last 365 days, putting him in the top 20% for this metric.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will be keen to make a few statement signings this summer in order to keep his side at the top of the Scottish game and has a £30 million transfer budget to spend on new arrivals, as per The Scottish Sun.

In the next few weeks, we will find out more about where Celtic's recruitment priorities lie as the Hoops' boss shapes his squad ahead of 2023/24 getting underway.

يستعد الفريق الأول للكرة بنادي الزمالك لخوض مواجهة قوية ومرتقبة أمام مودرن فيوتشر، بالمباراة المقرر لها اليوم الأحد، ضمن منافسات بطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

ويواجه الزمالك نظيره مودرن فيوتشر في إياب دور ربع النهائي من بطولة الكونفدرالية، على ملعب استاد القاهرة.

الزمالك كان قد تأهل إلى دور ربع النهائي من الكونفدرالية، بعدما تصدر مجموعته وحقق الفوز في 5 مباريات وتعادل في مواجهة وحيدة خلال مشواره في دور المجموعات.

طالع أيضاً.. تامر مصطفى: أعلم قيمة الزمالك جيدًا.. ولا أبكي على شيء

وعلى الجانب الآخر، فيوتشر يرغب في قلب الطاولة على الزمالك وتحقيق الفوز من أجل التأهل لأول مرة في تاريخه إلى دور نصف النهائي من الكونفدرالية.

جدير بالذكر أن لقاء الذهاب الذي أقيم بين الفريقين مساء الأحد الماضي، انتهى بفوز الزمالك بهدفين مقابل هدف. موعد مباراة الزمالك وفيوتشر اليوم في الكونفدرالية

من المقرر أن تنطلق المباراة اليوم الأحد، الموافق 7 أبريل، في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، العاشرة بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الزمالك وفيوتشر في الكونفدرالية

تنقل مباراة الزمالك ومودرن فيوتشر عبر قناة “bein sports 6”. معلق مباراة الزمالك وفيوتشر اليوم

يتولى مهمة التعليق على المباراة محمد فوزي.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

أشاد مصطفى شوبير، حارس مرمى فريق الكرة الأول بالأهلي، بأداء حارس زد علي لطفي، خلال مشاركته في مباراة اليوم، التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

والتقي الأهلي مع زد، على أرضية استاد السلام، ضمن مؤجلات الجولة الثامنة من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وقال مصطفى شوبير في تصريحات عبر قناة “الأهلي”: “ليس أنا من سيتحدث عن علي لطفي هو صنع تاريخا كبيرا في النادي، ومن قبل انضمامه للأهلي كان ينضم لمنتخب مصر من نادي إنبي، وكلنا شاهدنا مستواه”.

طالع أيضاً.. علي لطفي: لاعب الأهلي بمثابة شقيقي.. وأشكر جمهور الأحمر

وتابع: “هو باستمرار على تواصل معي، قبل المباراة يتحدث معي ويتمنى لي التوفيق ويطلب مني التركيز ويعطي لي النصائح، وأول واحد قدم لي التهنئة على انضمامي لمنتخب مصر”.

وأكمل: “تشرفت أنني كنت زميلا له في يوم في الأيام، وأنني لعبت أمامه اليوم، لم أتوقع أن هذا يحدث، كانت لحظة جديدة بالنسبة لي”.

وأوضح: “آخر مباراتين كنا غير موفقين، لكننا حققنا مكسبا صعبا أمام نادي محترم، ومنظومة محترمة جدًا”.

وأتم: “باستمرار نلعب لآخر لحظة، أوقات نكون غير موفقين مثل المباراة الماضية وأوقات نوفق مثل مواجهة اليوم أمام زد، ولكن هذه كرة القدم، نجتهد ونعمل كل ما علينا”.

Wolves are believed to be closing in on the signing of Borussia Monchengladbach centre-back Nico Elvedi in the very near futrue, according to a fresh transfer update.

Who is Nico Elvedi?

The 26-year-old has been at his current club since way back in 2015, when he joined from Zurich as a teenage defender with a bright future ahead of him in the game.

Elvedi has enjoyed an excellent spell at Monchengladbach as the years have passed, becoming a key figure at the heart of their defence and making 270 appearances in total. Last season, he started 32 Bundesliga matches, chipping in with three goals for good measure, highlighting an ability to have an impact in the attacking third.

The 47-cap Switzerland international only has one year remaining on his current deal, however, so Monchengladbach could find themselves in a tricky situation when it comes to whether they choose to sell him this summer or not. That would allow them to get good money for the defender, rather than risk losing him for free this time next year and making no profit whatsoever on him.

Wolves are eyeing up centre-back reinforcements ahead of the new Premier League season, and it looks as though Elvedi could be the man to come in and bolster their options.

Could Wolves sign Nico Elvedi?

According to Football Insider, Wolves are now in "advanced talks" to acquire Elvedi's signature, also reporting that Gladbach director Roland Virkus has admitted they have no choice but to sell if no new deal is signed:

"Wolves are in advanced talks to sign Borussia Mochengladbach star Nico Elvedi, sources have told Football Insider. The Premier League club are closing in on a deal for the Swiss centre-back, 26, and are confident of securing an agreement.

"Wolves have made their move for Elvedi, who is out of contract at the Bundesliga club in the summer of 2024. They are expected to pay £7.7million for the defender."

Elvedi looks like a fantastic incoming signing for Wolves, with the Swiss ace someone who has picked up a huge amount of experience in his career, but is also a long way from being past his best, considering he is still only 26 years of age.

The Monchengladbach hero completed a hugely impressive 91.7% of his passes in the league last season, which was higher than anyone who started a top flight game at Molineux, showing how much quality and consistency he possesses on the ball. But he can also muck-in in a defensive sense, averaging 4.5 clearances and 2.3 aerial duel wins.

Elvedi has been compared to England and Manchester City star John Stones in the past, which says a lot about his classy style of play, considering how good the treble-winner was last season, and former coach Dieter Hecking has hailed his "great positional play", too, painting the picture of a calm head who is good on the ball and smart off it.

Signings such as these will help Wolves go up a level next season, with the Switzerland star someone who would surely come in as a regular starter alongside Max Kilman, assuming the latter remains at Molineux beyond this summer, and be an instant hit with his all-round quality, potentially going up another level through working under Julen Lopetegui and alongside superior players to those at his current club.

Arsenal have “held talks” to sign Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia, reports 90min journalist Graeme Bailey.

Which players are Arsenal signing in 2023?

The Gunners have been on fire in the transfer market so far this summer, splashing the cash to ensure their incredible 2022/23 season under Mikel Arteta is no flash in the pan.

The north Londoners have already announced the signing of Kai Havertz from Chelsea – a sure sign of the power shift in the capital – and deals for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber are thought to be all but done.

Arteta and Edu’s work won’t finish there however, due to the fact that they are also set to lose some key players from the team that performed so well last term. Granit Xhaka has left the club to join Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen while Thomas Partey is also thought to be likely to leave, so the addition of Rice may need to be accompanied by another new arrival in the centre of the park.

And that’s where Lavia could come in, with the Southampton youngster expected to depart after the Saints’ relegation from the Premier League. The 19 year-old is one of several midfield targets to be linked – the likes of Moises Caicedo and even Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni have been mentioned – but the Belgium international appears to be the most advanced.

Are Arsenal signing Romeo Lavia?

Indeed, the Gunners have actually “held talks” to sign the former Manchester City starlet, reports Bailey, but they aren’t alone as Chelsea and Liverpool have also made the same steps.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle are also keeping an eye on the situation, with the teenager “emerging as one of this summer's most in-demand players”. Saints apparently expect to recoup £50m to sell their prized asset.

It’s hard to imagine Lavia coming in and starting week in week out for the Gunners – he is outperformed by Rice in all but three of FBRef’s key metrics for defensive midfielders – but he would be an excellent option to have in the building depending on the opposition, especially with tricky European ties on the way.

The three areas he actually betters Rice in are tackles, blocks and successful take-ons, painting the picture of a player who is excellent at shielding the back four, breaking up play and then weaving out of tight situations to retain possession once he has taken it.

With Rice sure to be striding forward and aiding the more attack-minded players in the XI, having a pure number six behind the England international in certain games would allow him to focus more on those attacking phases of play, and Lavia looks the perfect candidate.

You don’t need to look far to find plaudits for the tough-tackling ace either, with Pep Guardiola saying this earlier this year: “We had, and we have, an incredible opinion about him. We thought to keep him, but maybe he would not (get) enough minutes like he has in Southampton.”

Many pundits and fans alike have pointed out the similarities between the way Arteta’s team operates and Pep’s City, so it is no surprise to see the boss looking to recruit a player valued so highly by his former mentor, and the interest from various big six rivals shows exactly how Lavia is seen by those around the game.

Virat Kohli’s fluent half-century and Mohammed Shami’s three-wicket haul were the highlights in India’s 45-run win via D/L method at the Oval

The Report by Nagraj Gollapudi at the Oval28-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammed Shami snuffed out three of New Zealand’s top four in an opening spell of five overs•Getty Images

A handsome, unbeaten half century from Virat Kohli, and a lethal spell of fast bowling from Mohammed Shami helped India to a 45-run victory via the Duckworth-Lewis method over New Zealand in the teams’ first warm-up match. Late afternoon rain, after 26 overs in the chase, forced the players off the field, and they never returned. By then, India had made 129 for 3, well ahead of the D/L par score of 84.Regardless of the rain, India remained the favourites throughout, especially with Kohli dominating the New Zealand bowlers. His weak IPL form might have created certain doubts, but the Indian captain did not take a step back and batted with his usual positive tempo. He walked in to bat after Ajinkya Rahane had fallen into the short-ball trap set by New Zealand’s new ball pair of Tim Southee and Trent Boult.The Oval pitch was hard with a lot of pace and bounce, which both Boult and Southee utilised to dare the Indian openers. Southee constantly tested Rahane with the short ball, and the strategy proved successful in the last over before lunch. Rahane walked out of his crease, attempting to hook a Southee bouncer, which climbed too fast on him. The weak response went straight to Boult at fine leg. It might have been a recurring dream for Rahane, considering Southee had got him out in similar fashion during the ODI series late last year in India.But the break came at the opportune time. And then there was Kohli. Standing about a yard outside the crease, a strategy that he had used on his previous trip to England in 2014, Kohli punched, pulled and cut with aplomb. Having punched Adam Milne to the straight boundary, Kohli repeated the stroke against Southee and then cut him for another four to swiftly move into the 20s.Shikhar Dhawan, however, had a nervous start. Neil Broom, standing at point, dropped a straightforward catch when Dhawan had made just one run. Boult, the bowler, could not believe his ill luck when, off the final delivery in the same over, an outside edge off Dhawan’s bat fell a yard short of Martin Guptill at second slip.Dhawan batted resolutely and stitched a 68-run partnership with Kohli, before becoming the second Indian batsman to rush into a short ball and pay the price. His march to a half-century was cut short after his pull on the run went to Corey Anderson at short midwicket.Dinesh Karthik arrived nervously to the crease and remained anxious throughout. He fell after mis-hitting a short ball from outside the off stump straight to Mitchell Santner at short midwicket. Having bagged a nine-ball duck, Karthik tapped the back of his head, perhaps, realising how terribly he had batted.Shikhar Dhawan made 40 before holing out to short midwicket•Getty Images

A distracted Kohli was then lucky to get away on 45 when he drove Boult uppishly, away from his body. Santner, this time at short cover, leapt, but the force of the shot beat his outstretched hands. Eventually Kohli reached his fifty when he lunged forward and unfurled a beautiful cover drive off Colin de Grandhomme in the 24th over.Overall it was a good day at work for Kohli and India. Kane Williamson had opted to bat on a warm morning, but Shami stuck an immediate blow when Guptill failed to clear Bhuvneshwar Kumar at mid off. Luke Ronchi, the other opener, was aggressive against Hardik Pandya, who shared the new ball. The allrounder leaked 29 runs off his first three overs.Ronchi survived a scare on 26 after his push-drive against Jaspirt Bumrah went to mid-on, where R Ashwin dived to his wrong side, but in vain. He cashed in, hitting three boundaries in Shami’s fifth over, which included a powerful six – picked from outside off stump and pulled over deep midwicket.But Shami finished the over with wickets off consecutive deliveries. First Williamson erred by playing too close to body and steered the ball straight to Rahane at first slip. Shami then punched the air for the second time after one that seamed away had caught Broom’s outside edge on its way to MS Dhoni.This was the Shami’s first competitive match for India after the World Cup semi-finals in 2015. Recurrent injuries to his knee had kept him out of the reckoning, but after he had regained fitness in March, the selectors picked him in the squad. Shami, with his skiddy pace, is always an asset for Kohli with both the new ball and the old one.Also with Umesh Yadav showing a range of skills in his four-over spell during the latter half of the New Zealand innings, the team management has a welcome headache of choosing between two fast men.The bigger concern would be the form of the top order. Rahane remains the third-choice opener behind Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, who had joined the squad on Saturday. Rohit is set to feature in the second warm-up match against Bangladesh on Tuesday. All three openers will be under the scanner again as India hope to zero in on the ideal combination before they head to Birmingham, where they start their tournament proper, against Pakistan next Sunday.