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Manchester United have been no strangers to poaching players from their bitter rivals over the years, with the Red Devils having notably snapped up the likes of Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand and Alan Smith from long-time foes, Leeds United in the Premier League era.

According to recent reports, it looks as if Erik ten Hag and co could be set to make another summer raid on the Yorkshire side, with TEAMtalk suggesting that the Old Trafford outfit are in the race for American midfielder, Tyler Adams.

The piece adds (citing a report from The Athletic) that the former RB Leipzig man – who only made the move to England last summer on a £20m deal – could be allowed to depart for a fee of around £40m ahead of next season, following the Whites' recent relegation.

The report also suggests that the 24-year-old has outlined his desire to play in the Premier League once again next season, with another of United's rivals – Liverpool – also said to be plotting a move.

The presence of Jurgen Klopp's side may prove an obstacle to Ten Hag's hopes of landing the New York native this summer, although the Carabao Cup winners should certainly do all they can to ensure that they are at the front of the queue.

Who could Adams replace at Man United?

There may be those who would turn their nose up at the prospect of signing a newly-relegated player, although Adams hardly disgraced himself having enjoyed a promising debut season in English football – prior to suffering what proved to be a season-ending hamstring injury in March.

With the midfield maestro ultimately missing the final 12 games of the season – only two of which ended in victory for Leeds – that absence was likely a key factor in the club's downfall, as he had been "instrumental" prior to that, according to pundit Kevin Campbell.

Lauded as a "tackling machine" by Campbell, the £55k-per-week ace notably finished joint-fourth in the division alongside Casemiro for tackles made despite that extended spell on the sidelines, further highlighting his destructive brilliance in the centre of the park.

The addition of such a 'machine' could then prove to be the final nail in the coffin for Scott McTominay's time at the club, with the 26-year-old – who also typically lines up in a deeper midfield role – having been linked with a summer exit amid interest from Newcastle United.

The Scotland international may be left running scared by Adams' arrival at the Theatre of Dreams, with the latter man seemingly offering more in a defensive sense to Ten Hag after averaging 5.2 tackles and interceptions combined per game from his 24 league appearances in 2022/23, while McTominay averaged just 1.9 in that regard from the same number of games.

The Leeds man may also offer more in possession having averaged one key pass per game as a sign of his creative intent, while the Red Devils academy graduate averaged just 0.3 key passes.

With McTominay seemingly having had his chance to impress over recent years, it could be time for United to find a new midfield solution with the signing of Adams.

Imrul Kayes is confident about his prospects of returning to Bangladesh’s ODI side after his century against the England tourists in their warm-up in Fatullah

Mohammad Isam04-Oct-2016Imrul Kayes said that the 121 against England in the Fatullah practice match will strengthen his case for a place in Bangladesh’s playing XI for the first ODI on Friday.He was dropped after making 37 in the first game against Afghanistan last week which, he said, made him understood what he has to do to keep his place.Imrul, a regular opener, was made to bat at No 3 against Afghanistan and though he was hitting the ball nicely, he did not last too long and subsequently lost his place. Soumya Sarkar, however, continued as Tamim Iqbal’s opening partner despite making 31 runs in that ODI series.England survive the heat

Chris Woakes, who recovered from being hit for 14 in the day’s first over to finish with 3 for 52 in England’s four-wicket win over BCB Select XI, said that it was a good win to achieve in the oppressive heat and humidity in Fatullah.
“It is something we are not used to,” Woakes said. “We have only been here for a few days. So it was a good run out, a good performance. To win out here in any conditions against any team is a good result, and to chase down over 300 on any pitch is also a good chase.”
England are likely to field the same line-up against Bangladesh in the first ODI on Friday. Liam Plunkett and Ben Stokes left the field during the BCB XI innings after cramping up, but they returned and bowled impressive late spells.”

With Bangladesh having decided that Sabbir Rahman will be their No. 3 against England, Imrul and Soumya are contesting a single opening slot. Both were sent to open in Fatullah in this practice game in what turned out to be a bat-off.”There is a lot of competition for places in the Bangladesh team,” Imrul said. “You have to do something extraordinary to stay in this team. You can’t stay if your performance is average. I played the first ODI but was left out for the next two and I felt that maybe I need to do something better, which is why this innings feels really good.”It was not an international match but the atmosphere was similar. I needed an innings like this after a long time. It is definitely a big confidence boost to score a century against a team like this.”In Fatullah, Imrul was unusually attacking during his 91-ball innings. He started off with a flurry of boundaries before seeing Soumya beaten by Chris Woakes’ pace in the fifth over. He continued the attack, and reached his hundred off just 81 balls.He has credited coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who told him to be in a frame of mind in which he is ready to play shots square of the wicket on both sides. According to Imrul, the changed mindset kept him alert to put away every bad delivery. With plenty on offer, he struck 11 fours and six sixes.”The mindset was very important. My mindset in the last few matches was to stay at the wicket. Today I was positive from the start and I connected well with the first ball. In the last two days the coach gave me some very good advice which helped.”He told me to be prepared to play the cut and pull, and then maybe take singles off good balls. Your body will always be positive and you will react quickly. I practised that in the last two days, so for that my balance, everything was positive,” he said.

Moeen Ali is prepared for a barrage of short-pitched bowling during the Ashes but believes that could be the opportunity for him to attack

Andrew McGlashan30-Sep-2017Moeen Ali is prepared for a barrage of short-pitched bowling during the Ashes but believes that could be the opportunity for him to attack and feels ready for whatever Australia will throw at him.Moeen completed an outstanding home summer with the Man-of-the-Series award in the ODIs against West Indies after excelling with the bat, making 102 off 57 balls at Bristol and an unbeaten 48 off 25 to take England above the DLS requirement before rain arrived at The Oval.That followed a prolific Test series against South Africa were he became the first player to score 250 runs and take 25 wickets in a four-match series. Overall in England’s seven-Test season he scored 361 runs at 32.81 and took 30 wickets at 21.30; in 11 ODIs he scored 283 runs at 70.75 and a strike-rate of 159.88. Although his five wickets came at over 70, his economy rate was respectable at under a run-a-ball.Moeen played a vital role in the 2015 Ashes – his lower-order partnerships Stuart Broad, especially at Edgbaston, giving England crucial late runs – but there is a thought that his technique against the short ball will be tested down under with him occasionally having had trouble when batting higher up the order.”It’s something I’ve been working on and I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I feel when you get in it’s a good place to bat. The ball doesn’t swing as much and hopefully whatever number I come in, I can express myself. I’m going to have to change a couple of things about the way I play but in terms of mindset I’ll just go and do what I normally do. The good thing is I’ve played against them before and I don’t want to speak too early or too confident but I’ll make sure I’m ready for it.”Hopefully they’ll get tired doing it [bowling the bouncer]. But you get chances to score all the time with the short stuff and I’m going to work hard on that. I am very excited about it.”Quite what role Moeen will play in the Ashes is now up in the air with Ben Stokes’ participation in the series uncertain. Should England be without Stokes, Moeen could be required to move up to No. 6 or 7 to fill the void. He has batted in every position from one to nine over his 44-match career, although 26 of them have been at seven or eight, and he has never made any secret of being keen to move up the list.”Yes, definitely. I’d love to bat wherever,” he said. “The higher up the better, I’d be very comfortable. Number eight, I’m kind of used to at the moment but if I get told to bat seven I feel capable of doing well there. Hopefully I can show that I can go out there and play against their bowlers and play well against them.”After a short post-season break, Moeen plans to work hard on his fitness ahead of leaving for Australia at the end of October aware of the physical demands the conditions could put on him.”I think I’ll give myself two weeks to prepare and come back and get a bit fitter. Batting and bowling is going to be hard out there so I just want to get ready for those conditions and keep up the confidence I have at the moment.”It’s something when you’re a young player you’re thinking you’d love to be on that tour. I never ever thought I would be on a tour like this and to be going, I’m very fortunate. Hopefully I can go out there and perform.”

Sri Lanka’s selectors are confident that the fast bowler will be fit enough to bowl 10 overs and field for 50 overs by the time of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2017Lasith Malinga, who last played an ODI in November 2015, has been named in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy in June. Long-standing injuries had put his availability in doubt, but Sri Lanka’s selectors have been satisfied he can be fit enough to deliver 10 overs and field for 50 by the time the tournament starts on June 1.Also in the squad are batsman Chamara Kapugedera, who has not played ODIs since January 2016, and fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep, who has been only a sporadic presence in Sri Lanka’s ODI squads over the past year. Omitted, however, are batsman Danushka Gunathilaka, allrounders Dhananjaya de Silva and Milinda Siriwardana, and quicks Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera.The team will be led by Angelo Mathews, who returns after a hamstring injury kept him out of ODI series against South Africa and Bangladesh.Malinga made his return to T20 internationals in February, following a 12-month layoff from all competitive cricket due to a knee injury. Though his form has been somewhat indifferent in the IPL, he has been largely impressive in his international matches this year, even picking up a first T20I hat-trick in his most recent game, against Bangladesh.”Malinga has got his medical clearance to bowl 10 overs, since about two weeks ago,” SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said. “We need to build him up to bowl 10 overs now. He’s playing in the IPL, which is to our advantage, because he’s in a top-class cricketing environment and he’s practising. Right now we are getting reports that he’s going into eight overs in a spell. We have to make sure he’s fit to bowl 10 by about the 10th of May.”This is the third successive ICC tournament in which Sri Lanka are sweating over Malinga’s fitness, however. He had missed last year’s World T20, from which he withdrew in the week before Sri Lanka departed for the tournament. He had also been injured in the approach to the 2015 World Cup.”Match fitness is what he’s lacking now – his physical fitness is superb,” Sumathipala said of Malinga. “We are looking for Malinga to be fit to play the practice games before the tournament – it’s very important for him to play those games.”Elsewhere on the seam-bowling front, Mathews himself is expected to be fit to bowl at the Champions Trophy – he has begun bowling in the IPL. Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Thisara Perera and Pradeep are the other seam options in the squad. Peculiarly, Sri Lanka have not picked a specialist finger spinner – legbreak bowler Seekkuge Prasanna, and left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan have been chosen instead.Upul Tharanga – who led the team in Mathews’ absence – is one of three potential openers in the squad, with Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Perera there as well. Kapugedera’s inclusion is likely thanks to good performances in the ongoing provincial one-day tournament, in which he has scored two hundreds in four innings.Among the standby players for the tournament are Gunathilaka and offspinner Dilruwan Perera – both of whom will be traveling with the squad – and Siriwardana, Kumara and seam bowler Vikum Sanjaya, who SLC said would be undergoing “continuous training” in Colombo.The Sri Lanka squad – including Malinga – is expected to assemble in Sri Lanka on around the 10th of May, before they leave to Kandy for a six-day training camp. Sumathipala said the board chose the Pallekele Stadium for the camp, in order to better replicate conditions Sri Lanka may face in England. The team leaves the island on May 18, and has two ODIs against Scotland scheduled before they are due to play further practice matches – against Australia and New Zealand.On-tour standbys: Dilruwan Perera, Dhanushka Gunathilaka; Standbys on training in Colombo: Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Kumara, Sachith Pathirana, Milinda Siriwardana, Akila Dananjaya

Arsenal are among the sides willing to pay Fenerbache star Arda Guler's release clause and he wants a transfer away immediately, according to reports.

Who will join Arsenal this summer?

As widely reported, the Gunners have agreed a £105 million total fee for the transfer of West Ham United star Declan Rice, who is now expected to make the move to north London.

Arsenal, though, don't appear to be done there after also sealing a £65 million deal to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea. Indeed, Southampton's Romeo Lavia is firmly on manager Mikel Arteta's radar this summer, with Ajax defender Jurrien Timber coming as another who Arsenal are currently in talks for.

This could end up being one of Arsenal's busiest transfer windows in recent memory, with reports suggesting they may spend north of £200 million on fresh faces.

New targets are appearing on a consistent basis too, as Emirates transfer chief Edu is credited with an interest in signing Fenerbache's Guler.

The in-demand Turkish wonderkid, who is already capped at international level, has attracted a plethora of suitors both abroad and domestically.

Spanish outlet Diario AS expand on this, claiming Guler is wanted by "half of Europe", with Newcastle United, Manchester United, PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Milan, Sevilla, Barcelona and even Real Madrid chasing his signature.

It is believed that the 18-year-old wants to leave Fenerbache "right away", which is where Arsenal come in, as AS state that the north Londoners are "willing to pay" his €17.5million (£15m) alongside the aforementioned sides.

If Arsenal are to make a move for Guler, they will need to hurry, as both Barca and Real will soon make attempts to convince the player.

Who is Arda Guler?

Branded the "Turkish Messi", Guler is amassing quite the reputation, having stood out as one of Fenerbache's best-performing players per 90 as a teenager last campaign (WhoScored).

The talent racked up seven goal contributions in 20 league appearances over 22/23, all while averaging making more key passes per 90 than any Fenerbache player (WhoScored).

Italian football legend Andrea Pirlo, commenting on Guler recently, even said he has the potential to play anywhere in the world.

"Arda Guler is a very talented player,” Pirlo said.

“He has the potential to play anywhere in the world. He has quality, he can read the game well, and he has great technique. If he keeps developing his game, there is no limit to his potential.”

The Gunners spent more than £200 million last summer, but still don't have a squad strong enough to win the Premier League

Mikel Arteta and Declan Rice both said the exact same thing after Sunday's 2-1 loss at Fulham: "Not good enough." And they were right. Arsenal didn't deserve to take any points home from their trip to Craven Cottage, so dire was their display.

The real concern for the Gunners, though, is that same phrase could be applied to their squad. As it stands, Arteta's men don't look remotely good enough to challenge for this season's Premier League title.

Rice added on , "There are a lot of media who talk and say Arsenal are going to win the league this year and we are better this year, but we don’t get involved in that." Which is the right approach, really, because it wouldn't do anyone connected with the club any good to dwell on the fact that the squad is actually weaker now than it was last season – and that's a deeply depressing thought for the fans, given the club spent more than £200 million ($250m) during the summer transfer window.

Rice, to his credit, has proven an excellent acquisition. His goals alone have been worth five points to Arsenal, and that's without getting into what he adds to the midfield. Jurrien Timber was also desperately unfortunate to suffer a serious injury on his debut after impressing in pre-season, but the decision to spend £62m ($78m) on Kai Havertz remains as baffling now as it was last July. The Germany international has enjoyed something resembling a mini-revival in recent weeks, but there's still no shaking the feeling that Arsenal's ambitions would have been far better served by signing a proven goalscorer.

However, it's been made abundantly clear during the first half of the season that Arsenal aren't just short up front. Indeed, a squad that was meant to challenge for the title is alarmingly short in several key areas…

GettyGoalkeeper

Arteta can't be criticised for wanting an upgrade on Aaron Ramsdale, who is error-prone and poor with the ball at his feet, and David Raya looked like the right addition, given how impressively he'd performed at Brentford last season.

However, despite the constant support of his manager, Raya has looked very, very shaky at times this season, and been beaten by shots that never should have got past him. The Spaniard just doesn't inspire confidence and that's a major problem for a back four.

There's no suggestion that Arsenal will look to sign another goalkeeper this month, with Arteta clearly set to stick with Raya, but rather than solving a problem, the manager has unintentionally created one.

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Arsenal looked quite well-stocked in this position before the season began, given the impressive versatility of Timber, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

However, Timber might not return until March, White's form has fluctuated wildly, Kiwior is a liability at left-back, as the Fulham defeat hammered home, Tomiyasu has had his injury issues and is now off to the Asian Cup, while Zinchenko's defensive deficiencies have been repeatedly exposed.

Consequently, many supporters have questioned the wisdom of the decision to allow Kieran Tierney to leave on loan to Real Sociedad, as some still consider him the best left-back on Arsenal's books.

Whether the Scot would have made a major difference to the title tilt, we'll never know, but what's clear is that unless Arsenal dip into the transfer market – or recall Tierney – they're going to have issues on either side of the defence until Timber returns to full fitness.

Getty ImagesCentre-back

White, Tomiyasu and Kiwior can all play at centre-back, but it's honestly come as no surprise to hear rumours of Arsenal trying to signing Matthijs de Ligt, given the Dutchman has struggled to lock down a starting spot under Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel.

William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes obviously make for a solid pairing. Indeed, if the former had not missed the end of last season, Arsenal may well have held onto their lead at the top of the Premier League. As it was, the back four capitulated without Saliba, which only underlined Arsenal's fragility without the Frenchman. Another spell on the sidelines really would put paid to their title aspirations.

So, while Timber's return will ultimately give Arteta another excellent option to play alongside Saliba, they look worryingly short on quality at centre-back right now. In that sense, selling Gabriel would appear out of the question, but the Brazilian, who was heavily criticised by Ian Wright for his performance at Fulham, is prone to dropping clangers and if the incessant Saudi Arabian interest in his services materialised into a solid bid, the money made could be put towards a more reliable partner for Saliba.

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GettyCentral midfield

Rice was touted as the missing link for Arsenal, the kind of player that could propel the club to a first Premier League title since 2004. However, while the England international has made a big impact, he's not proven a game-changer because the make-up of Arteta's midfield is still not right.

Thomas Partey's injury issues obviously haven't helped, even if Arteta was using the Ghanaian as a right-back during the early stages of the season. One imagines that if Partey had stayed fit, he would have eventually been used in his preferred deep-lying, play-making role that would have offered greater protection to the back four, while at the same time allowing Rice serve as the link-man between the midfield and the attack. With that option unavailable, the latter has often been asked to do far too much from a defensive perspective, given he's often got two No.10s (Martin Odegaard and Havertz) for company in the engine room.

Of course, Partey is now poised to return to action, but doubts remain over his future as a mooted move to Saudi Arabia would allow Arsenal to at least partially fund a move for another defensive midfielder. Still, while talk of a move for Fulham's Joao Palhinha makes an awful lot of sense – the Portuguese showed Arteta exactly what he's missing in the middle of the park with a tremendous display at Craven Cottage on New Year's Eve – one wonders whether Arsenal would have sufficient money to make it happen, given it's believed that they'll have to sell before they can buy this winter.

The Kylian Mbappe transfer saga would rival the Kardashians for reality TV in another life, such are the number of twists and turns that occur every time the transfer window swings open.

As things stand, the Paris Saint-Germain star is set to leave the club on a free next summer upon the expiration of his contract. The Ligue 1 champions are keen to avoid that scenario, however, standing firm on their decision that either Mbappe signs a new deal or he leaves this summer, club President Nasser Al-Khelaifi recently reiterated.

The issue seems to be that the Frenchman wants to stay at the club for another season, and with the knowledge that he will be a free agent this time next year, the likes of Real Madrid are reportedly willing to wait 12 months to get a deal done.

Al-Khelaifi recently spoke on the situation, saying: "I was really shocked to learn that Mbappé intended to leave for free.

"Kylian is a fantastic boy, a gentleman… and leaving for free, when we're the biggest French club, it's not at his level. I was shocked and disappointed."

And six of his teammates are also pretty angry about Mbappe's antics, if reports are to be believed too.

The news of the winger's stance has not gone down well with former PSG director Leonardo Araujo, either, who did not hold back when asked about the transfer saga.

What did Leonardo say about Mbappe?

Speaking to L'equipe, Leonardo said: “PSG existed before Kylian Mbappe and it will exist after him. He has been in Paris for six years and in those six seasons, five different clubs have won the Champions League.

"This means that it is entirely possible to win this competition without him. With his behaviour over the past two years, Mbappe shows that he is not yet a player capable of really guiding a team.

"He is a great player, not a leader. He is a great scorer, not a creative. It's hard to build a team around him. For the good of PSG, I think the time has come for Mbappe to leave, no matter how.”

What is Kylian Mbappe's transfer value?

Mbappe's price tag will reportedly become clear once a decision is made on his future, according to Romano. As per Transfermarkt, though, the star striker is currently worth €180m (£153.43m), which is about how much PSG initially paid AS Monaco to secure his signature back in 2018.

Given the fact that he will be a free agent in 12 months, however, the Ligue 1 giants could be forced to settle for a cut-price sale of their star man if they want to secure a transfer fee this summer.

Clubs will be well aware of Mbappe's situation, and perhaps PSG's desperation to make some money back on the initial deal they made with Monaco. Their worst-case scenario will be seeing the 24-year-old walk away for free next summer.

As the transfer saga continues, it will certainly be interesting to keep an eye on the relationship between the club and the player. Things already look like they're heading for a downward spiral, and as both parties remain stubborn with their stance, even more drama could unfold over the coming weeks and months.

An update has emerged on the potential availability of one of Liverpool's transfer targets ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign…

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

According to German outlet Kicker, Bayern Munich could be open to offers for central midfielder Joshua Kimmich as they attempt to build up enough funds to push for Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane.

They claim that the Bundesliga giants may be willing to listen to proposals for the 28-year-old star, who has two years left to run on his deal in Bavaria.

This comes amid speculation over captain Jordan Henderson's future. The England international is reportedly closing in on a £10m move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ettifaq, who are managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.

How good is Joshua Kimmich?

Jurgen Klopp could now land a massive upgrade on the English veteran by signing Kimmich as the German international has proven himself at the top level over the course of a number of seasons.

The 79-cap star has played 347 competitive matches for Bayern Munich and accumulated an impressive 20 trophies to date, including one Champions League, which is 12 more than Henderson has managed in 492 games for the Reds.

This shows that the Bavarian-based machine is a proven winner who could drive Liverpool forward to win more major silverware over the coming years, as he knows what it takes to consistently lift trophies.

His form for Bayern over the last 12 months also suggests that the quality is there for him to improve Klopp's midfield as a replacement for Henderson.

Kimmich averaged a phenomenal Sofascore rating of 7.73 across 33 Bundesliga matches, which would have played him top of the Reds squad as Trent Alexander-Arnold led the way with a score of 7.32.

The German all-rounder showcased his creativity with an outstanding 2.7 key passes per game – 0.8 more than any of Liverpool's players – and a total of 11 'big chances' created for his teammates.

This did not result in him shying away from his defensive responsibilities, though, as the £323k-per-week sensation made 3.6 tackles and interceptions combined per outing, which would have placed him joint-top for the Reds with Thiago Alcantara and shows that he is able to cut out opposition attacks on a regular basis to protect his goal.

Henderson, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.88 – the 12th-highest in the team – across 35 Premier League games last season.

The 33-year-old leader did not offer as much as Kimmich in or out of possession as he managed 0.9 key passes to go along with 1.5 tackles and interceptions combined per clash.

Therefore, the Bayern powerhouse, who was once described as a "phenomenal" player by legendary manager Jose Mourinho, would be a massive upgrade on Henderson in midfield.

Their respective statistics last season indicate that the 28-year-old dynamo would provide Klopp with more quality as a defensive anchor in front of the defence whilst also being able to open up the opposition with his impressive passing to create chances for his teammate with greater regularity.

If the German giants are open to offers for their midfield machine, Liverpool must test the waters to see if they can be at the front of the queue.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has declined to intervene in the pay dispute between the board and the Australian Cricketers’ Association on his return to the head office last week

Daniel Brettig03-Jul-2017Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has declined to intervene in the pay dispute between the board and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) on his return to the head office last week.The players have maintained their calls for Sutherland to negotiate CEO-to-CEO with his opposite number Alistair Nicholson as the best way to resolve a standoff that has left around 230 of the nation’s elite players out of contract and all players refusing to take part in tours until a new MoU is agreed. However, ESPNcricinfo has learned that Sutherland indicated his unwillingness to get involved after returning to Melbourne from a visit to England on ICC duty.FICA reaffirms its support to ACA

The Federation of International Cricketers’ Association was “concerned” that the dispute between Cricket Australia and its players has been dragging on. In a press release on Monday, executive chairman Tony Irish said, “FICA and its member associations stand shoulder to shoulder in support of the ACA and the Australian cricketers in their current dispute with their board. As an important stakeholder in the game, players and their associations deserve to be treated with professionalism and respect. It is in the interests of everyone in the world game that the situation in Australia is resolved quickly and in a manner that is acceptable to the players collectively.”
With the passing of the June 30 deadline for putting a new MoU in place, nearly 230 of Australia’s best players are out of contract. Some of them might now be looking to the many T20 leagues for work, but CA had said that it might deny them the necessary no-objection certificates. This has led FICA to “reiterate its strong opposition to any artificial restrictions that unfairly attempt to prevent players from earning a living and that have not been agreed with players or their representatives. FICA believes that such restrictions would be open to legal challenge in most jurisdictions as a restraint of trade.”

In Sydney on Sunday, the ACA’s executive passed a resolution stating that: “The players affirm their view that third party mediation at CEO level remains the right process to resolve the current impasse.”Reticence from Sutherland to get involved in the dispute – apart from sending a terse letter on May 12 stating that out of contract players would be unemployed should no agreement be reached after the expiry of the June 30 deadline – maintains his customary position of delegating industrial relations to other senior executives. However, he has historically entered talks late in the process to ensure their smooth progression.Negotiations over the next MoU have instead been led by Kevin Roberts, a former board director now employed as CA’s head of strategy and people, with strong involvement from the CA chairman and former Rio Tinto managing director David Peever. In addition to expressing his own strong views about needing to break up the revenue sharing model reducing the influence of a “third party” in the workplace, Peever added his own industrial relations advisor, Ken Bacon, to the negotiating team.Another former Rio Tinto executive, Mark O’Neill, is also now working at CA as the head of a new public affairs department, communications, government relations and infrastructure. O’Neill’s appointment was revealed in February as part of a wider executive restructure that also saw the head of the Big Bash League, Anthony Everard, appointed as executive general manager for events and leagues.Roberts’ position mirrors that of Sutherland himself when he was first hired by the former chief executive Malcolm Speed to oversee financial and MoU matters at what was then the Australian Cricket Board. After three years in that role, Sutherland was elevated to the role of CEO, and it is widely expected that Roberts will be in line to succeed Sutherland whenever either the incumbent or the board decide it is time for change.”Kevin Roberts is an incredibly good operator, an incredibly smart and capable man but it’s got to the point where this needs to get resolved,” former Test opener Ed Cowan told . “We want it to be resolved, everyone in the game wants it to get resolved. Whatever it takes for it to be resolved, if that means the CEO [needs] to get to the table, that’s what we’re calling for.”A key to any succession, or Sutherland’s retention, will be the outcome of the current dispute, which on Monday saw state players and also the Australia A squad taking part in pre-season training without being under contract. The Australia A squad has effectively given CA and the ACA until Friday to make progress in MoU talks while going about their pre-tour training camp in Brisbane as usual, while reserving the right to withdraw from that tour or any subsequent ones if there is no sign of a resolution.Much of the players’ discontent relates to the desire to remain partners in the game by sharing in its revenue. The current CA offer to the ACA has been used as an example of why reverting to employee status would leave the board without accountability and the players with inferior terms of pay and conditions to those they enjoyed before June 30.Cowan made this point on Monday by pointing out the difference between average domestic player wages quoted in CA’s offer – A$235,000 per player by 2021-21, including combined state and BBL contracts, Superannuation and prize money – and the real median wage level of state contracted players – less than A$100,000.”The median [state contract] income for a domestic player is less than $100,000,” Cowan said. “We’re trying to compete with other sports, attract talent, and yet domestic players, particularly those who don’t play in the Big Bash, do not get paid very well.”Averages and medians are very different numbers. What CA likes to do is average the top contract with the bottom contract and say ‘that’s your average player’. But we’ve got 20 people in our [New South Wales] squad, and 70% of them will be within A$20,000 of the base contract. The top contract is within A$40,000 of the bottom contract, and there’s a A$70,000 gap between that and the [CA offer] average. No-one’s even close to that.”Across the states, I’ve talked to players from every single state, I’ve played for two states, and been a senior player in both those states.”CA revised its offer to the players a week ahead of the June 30 MoU expiry by offering to include all players – male and female, international and domestic – in its capped bonus model and also offered to increase wage levels being offered to domestic male players. However, this was rejected by the ACA due to a lack of detail and the continued absence of revenue sharing.

Arsenal have been linked with a surprising move for struggling Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk in the summer.

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Mudryk originally wanted by ArsenalSigned for Chelsea but has struggledGunners interested alongside JuventusWHAT HAPPENED?

The Ukraine international was signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2022 for a staggering fee worth up to £89 million ($113m) including add-ons. Thus far Mudryk has come nowhere near living up to that price tag, with his most impressive showings arguably coming on his debut against Liverpool and during pre-season this term. Despite an underwhelming start to his Chelsea career, Arsenal are reportedly interested in bringing him to north London, according to Spanish outlet .

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The report notes that Chelsea will listen to offers for the 22-year-old winger, with a primary objective being a loan transfer to build up his development. However, the Blues could be interested in a permanent sale, where Arsenal and Serie A giants Juventus are listed as potential suitors. That said, Chelsea would look to recoup a significant portion of that £89m investment which, as the report acknowledges, would be difficult given Mudryk's recent performances.

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Arsenal, of course, were once seen as the primary location for Mudryk before his eventual switch to Chelsea. Mikel Arteta is thought to be a big fan from his Shakhtar playing days and only neglected to sign him after being usurped by the Blues' mammoth offer at the 11th hour. Videos had even been circling of Mudryk praising Arteta and wearing an Arsenal shirt.

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Chelsea may hope their north London counterparts do them a favour as they did when signing Kai Havertz for a staggering £65m ($82m) last summer, and pay over-the-odds for another struggling forward. However, that eventuality would require Mudryk to build on his sorry tally of four goals in 26 appearances this term.