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Bryan Cristante hailed AS Roma's owners for showing the door to Jose Mourinho at a "difficult moment" and bringing in club legend Daniele De Rossi.

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Mourinho was sacked by RomaClub named De Rossi as his replacementCristante believes that it was the right decisionGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Following a disappointing 3-1 defeat to AC Milan, Mourinho's tenure at the Italian club came to an abrupt end. The decision to remove the Portuguese manager from his position was swiftly followed by the appointment of De Rossi, who signed on as head coach until June 30, 2024.

De Rossi, a beloved figure among Roma supporters, spent 18 illustrious years as a player at the Stadio Olimpico, endearing himself to the fans with his passion and commitment to the club.

AdvertisementWHAT CRISTANTE SAID

Cristante, who had the opportunity to work with De Rossi during Euro 2020 when the latter served as one of Roberto Mancini’s assistants, expressed his admiration for the new coach's seamless transition into the role.

“The coach didn’t need to be introduced when he arrived. It could have been tough to join the team in a difficult moment and work with footballers he had played with, but he’s been managing the group well and it should not be taken for granted,” said Cristante.
“We are happy with what we are building and who we are becoming. It’s proving to be the right solution. It was a decision made by the club owners at a difficult moment. We have built self-awareness in European games."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mourinho inspired Roma to the Europa Conference League trophy in 2022 and guided them to the Europa League final in 2023, where they fell short to Sevilla. However, Cristante insisted that the club have set their sights on another European final and added: "Of course, it is our objective and we have a chance to make it. We are happy with the coach. We want to go back to the final and win it.”

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Roma drew against Feyenoord in the Netherlands last week and the Giallorossi will now host the Dutch outfit in the second leg of a Europa League playoff fixture to seal a round of 16 berth. The Stadio Olimpico has already been sold out and the Romans are ready to hand their favourite team a rousing welcome on Thursday evening with the hope of inspiring them to another memorable European night.

Rashid Khan led an inspired bowling performance to restrict Daredevils to 163 after a bright start, and Sunrisers’ batsmen just about managed to overhaul that total

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy05-May-2018How do you beat Sunrisers Hyderabad? It may have felt like a distant memory before Saturday, but Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings showed the other teams a way early in the season: bat first, set a challenging target and expose a slightly suspect batting line-up.On Saturday, Delhi Daredevils did most of that, and put Sunrisers under plenty of pressure, but fell short at a few key moments. Having won the toss and pushed on to 95 for 1 in their first 10 overs, they only managed 68 in their last 10, as Sunrisers’ bowlers reeled them back on a slow, dry track.Still, 163 was the biggest total any team had managed against Sunrisers this season, and they didn’t always look convincing while chasing it. They profited from a couple of dropped chances, went without a boundary for 36 balls at one point, and eventually needed 14 off the last over. It could have gone either way, and Yusuf Pathan – who had been dropped on 0 by Vijay Shankar on the square-leg boundary – sealed the deal with two meaty hits off Daniel Christian: a straight six off a full-toss, and a four, swiped over short fine leg, off a short ball.Those hits may also have sealed Daredevils’ fate in the tournament. With only three wins from ten games, the playoffs are all but out of reach for them.The Shaw must go onThat’s what the big screen at the stadium said after Prithvi Shaw hit his first boundary of the match, a straight six off Sandeep Sharma. By the end of the 10th over, Shaw had made 65 off 35 balls, out of Daredevils’ 95 for 1. The other end, despite some sparkling shots from Shreyas Iyer, had only made 30 off 25.Part of the reason for Shaw’s rate of scoring was the hardness of the new ball, which made up somewhat for a slow pitch. But it also had something to do with Shaw’s range of strokes: case in point the last over of the Powerplay, delivered by Siddarth Kaul.Before this game, Kaul had conceded only 59 off 62 short and short-of-good-length balls this season. After a fullish knuckle ball that Shaw launched over the long-on boundary, Kaul pulled his length back, delivering three short or shortish balls. Two were angled into the body to try and cramp Shaw for room, and the other was only marginally outside off stump. None of them was a rank bad ball, and Shaw put all three away for four, to three different parts of the ground.The slowdownThe Shaw, however, didn’t go on past the first ball of the 11th over, an attempted sweep off Rashid Khan looping to short third man off the outside edge. Daredevils slowed down considerably after that.This was partly down to the older ball becoming difficult to hit, and mostly to Sunrisers’ bowling and tactics. Rashid bowled three of the seven overs from the 11th to the 17th, varying his pace and getting some balls to grip the surface while others hurried on; Bhuvneshwar Kumar sent down his third over in the 14th to try and keep the pressure on; and Kaul and Sandeep varied their pace excellently.The changes of pace were particularly effective against Rishabh Pant, who kept losing his shape while trying to launch himself into slower balls angling away from him. He only scored 18 off 18 before falling to Rashid in the 17th over. By that time, Daredevils were 135 for 5.They went without a boundary for 18 balls before Shankar clattered a six and a four off Bhuvneshwar in the 20th over to move Daredevils past 160.Hales v AveshThis was only Alex Hales’ second match of the season, but belatedly or not, his inclusion has given Sunrisers the top-order muscle they possibly lacked without David Warner. Today he muscled 45 off 31 balls, and 28 off 9 came off one bowler. Avesh Khan. The 21-year old kept bowling short, and kept getting hit by Hales and, occasionally, Shikhar Dhawan. There were two fours in the second over, and four sixes in the sixth.Perhaps it was a plan, for Hales miscued one pull, on 9, only for Glenn Maxwell to drop a sitter at deep square leg. That apart, it didn’t work, and the opening pair added 76 in nine overs.One piece of magic, and a pair of expensive bowlersIt took a beauty to end the opening stand, an Amit Mishra legbreak that pitched on leg, beat the outside edge, and hit the top of off, its flat trajectory rooting Hales to the crease. Dhawan played all around a full ball in Mishra’s next over and was bowled for 33 off 30, his strike rate reflecting the not necessarily straightforward batting conditions as well as a conservative, let’s-get-our-eye-in approach from all of Sunrisers’ top order barring Hales.The third-wicket stand between Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey – which featured lots of singles to deep fielders and not a lot of high-risk shots – brought only 21 runs in its first 22 balls, at which stage Sunrisers needed 57 off 32 balls. But Pandey struck a pair of fours off Christian, and Williamson followed up with an uppercut six off Avesh in the next over, suggesting these were the bowlers Sunrisers wanted to target. It was a fairly well-executed strategy. The two of them ended up conceding 84 in 6.5 overs, and the rest of Daredevils’ bowlers just 80 off 13.

Nottingham Forest have seen Benfica goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos as a key target in the summer transfer window and now a new update could excite supporters.

Do Nottingham Forest want to sign Odysseas Vlachodimos?

The Reds have enjoyed a solid start to their Premier League season, as they look to build on retaining their top-flight status last time around, in what was their first year back in the division.

Two defeats to Arsenal and Manchester United may have been disappointing, but they were both one-goal losses where they made a good account of themselves, while the late 2-1 victory at home to Sheffield United was a positive night at the office earlier this month.

While Forest look well-equipped to once again compete well in the Premier League in 2023/24, some more signings could arguably do with arriving before the transfer window closes on Friday night.

A new goalkeeper seems to be at the top of their list of priorities, even though Matt Turner has already arrived from Arsenal, and Vlachodimos has emerged as a primary target in that position. The 29-year-old is currently plying his trade at Benfica, who he started 34 Primeira Liga games for last season, also appearing 10 times in the Champions League.

Now, a new update has emerged regarding Forest's chase for the 33-cap Greece international – one that has now seen some significant progress made.

Will Nottingham Forest sign Odysseas Vlachodimos?

According to a key update from journalist Fabrizio Romano on X, Forest have officially submitted an offer to sign Vlachodimos this summer, as the Reds look to seal a deal sooner rather than later:

"EXCL: Nottingham Forest submit formal bid for Odisseas Vlachodimos, package close to €9m fee — it’s the first official bid from Forest. Benfica want more to make it happen but talks continue. Vlachodimos, Man Utd 2nd option as backup GK after priority Bayindir."

Vlachodimos could be the ideal summer addition for Forest between now and the end of the window, possessing a huge amount of experience at a high level in Europe, as highlighted by regular playing time in the Champions League over the years.

He could come straight in and rival Turner between the sticks with Jurgen Klopp once praising him as the "best player" on the pitch when Benfica came up against his Liverpool side.

At 29, Vlachodimos appears to be at the peak of his powers, especially for a goalkeeper, with players in that position capable of being in their prime well into their 30s in the modern game.

Realistically, Forest will have matches this season when they are under big spells of pressure, and for them to get through those periods as best as possible, they need a proven figure between the sticks who can make key saves, make the defence feel safe and generally enjoy a big influence week in, week out, just like Keylor Navas did during his loan spell.

Vlachodimos looks like he could be the man to do exactly that, given his pedigree, so the Reds appear to be doing all they can to ensure that they get a deal over the line in the new few days.

England are going to have to improve significantly if they are to win the Women’s World T20, Mark Robinson believes. Despite winning the Women’s World Cup only a few months ago, the England coach admitted his side’s T20 cricket is not at the same level.Part of the issue, he believes, is simply that they do not play enough. England went into their Ashes T20 matches having not played international T20 for nearly 18 months (from July 2016 to November 2017) and, as a consequence, are unsure of their best side or tactics. Clearly, however, they are looking for more pace from their bowlers and more power from their hitters ahead of the tournament in the Caribbean in November.”We have to address some areas we haven’t done very well in T20,” Robinson said as he looked ahead to England’s T20 tri-series against India and Australia in India. “We’ve looked at the Big Bash and the Super League to see how our players do. And our batters don’t come out of it with big numbers.”I watch the Super League and the Big Bash and the overseas players are dominating a bit. I don’t want that. I want our players to dominate. I’m challenging my players to dominate. We know we need to win big moments and Powerplays.”We’ve got to look to improve that. What we’re doing at the moment isn’t going to win you a World Cup. And we have to change that.”In the long-term, Robinson believes the standard of England’s fast bowling must improve. The game around the world, he feels, is disproportionately dominated by what he refers to as “dobbers” but, as the standard of pitches improves, he feels greater skills will be required.”At the moment our game is being dominated by dobbers,” he said. “Not spinners but slow bowlers. The women’s game is a trial by spin. The standard of fast bowling is not good enough in world cricket. If the wickets improve like they have been then they – the bowlers – are going to have to get better.”The ability to bowl the wide yorkers and the ability to bowl the bouncer is really important. You are going to want to have impact bowlers. New Zealand have Lea Tahuhu and South Africa have Shabnim Ismail and they are really important on good wickets as they can grab you a wicket.”That’s one thing that is starting to change now. The bowlers have to fight back – not dumb down – and get better and not be bossed all over the place like we were in the last two Ashes games.”One advantage enjoyed by England’s men but not extended to the women was the erection of a tent at Loughborough enabling players to practise on grass ahead of the tour. “The tent is put up for the men,” Robinson said. “We don’t get that luxury unfortunately. Maybe in a few years’ time we will.”

As Harry Kane’s future in North London remains uncertain, Tottenham Hotspur may turn their attentions to Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson. Ryan Taylor of the Daily Express has spoken to GIVEMESPORT about just how likely this transfer is.

What does the future hold for Brennan Johnson?

Replacing Harry Kane is a nigh-on impossible task, hence why the rumoured fee for Tottenham’s attacking star is so high, despite the fact his contract is soon to expire. It would be ridiculous to think that Brennan Johnson would be directly filling the Kane-sized void but he could prove to be a worthy option in the frontline alongside the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-Min.

The Daily Mail have previously reported that the new Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is interested in Johnson and could pull the trigger on a deal. Forest are rumoured to have priced Johnson at, at least £50 million, something which doesn’t seem to have deterred the Tottenham hierarchy.

Following on from a very cash heavy 2022 summer, the Reds may need to move on one or two key assets. At the heart of that could be their prized asset, Brennan Johnson, who has been hailed as a "top player".

Brentford were another club keeping tabs on the winger but they saw a £35 million bid rejected in the last couple of weeks. The Bees have already broken their transfer record once when they brought Nathan Collins in from Wolves and so any renewed interest in the Welshman would see them break it again.

What is Ryan Taylor's transfer update on Spurs?

“If Kane goes, I know Johnson isn’t the same kind of player as him, but I think Tottenham are going to have to sign more diverse attacking options.

“I think that will be the way to deal with losing Kane. I don't think you're going to replace someone like Kane, so you're better off having different options in changing the style.

“From what I understand their interest is actually very, very credible in Johnson.

“That said, there are other clubs in for Johnson, not least Brentford who have had a club record £35 million bid rejected.

“But there are other teams in the mix from the Premier League for Johnson as well. So I think that could be one to watch.”

Where would the Nottingham Forest ace fit in at Tottenham?

As previously mentioned, there are much more differences than similarities between Harry Kane and Brennan Johnson. For starters, the former is far more experienced and is also a recognized centre forward.

Tottenham have been heavily reliant on Kane’s goals for a number of years, meaning that Johnson would arrive and have to hit the ground running. That being said, James Maddison, Richarlison and Kulusevski are a few attacking players who have a number of years left in them. Between them all, they could tally together to go some way to replacing Kane’s output.

Spurs may have underperformed in 2022/23 but that didn’t stop the English icon from scoring 30 Premier League goals. Meanwhile, in his first season in the top flight, Johnson scored eight and assisted three in just under 3,000 minutes. This may not be on the level of the man who he would be replacing but it is a sign of things to come.

Proactive step comes in the wake of rains that have lashed the city over the last two weeks

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2017TN’s games moved out of ChennaiTamil Nadu’s last two games against Madhya Pradesh and Baroda have been moved out of Chennai following persistent rains over the last few weeks. ESPNcricinfo understands that Tamil Nadu will now take on Madhya Pradesh in Indore from November 17, before flying to Vadodara to face Baroda from November 25. The secretaries of both the Baroda Cricket Association and the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association – Snehal Parikh and Milind Kanmadikar respectively – confirmed that the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association had approached the BCCI to move the matches out of Chennai following which the venues were changed.Tamil Nadu have already had one rain-affected game, against Tripura, and possibly didn’t want to risk their prospects of qualifying for the knockouts. With three games left, Tamil Nadu are fourth on the Group C standings, behind Andhra, Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai, and are still in search of their first outright win. Tamil Nadu’s immediate challenge will be their game against Odisha in Cuttack from November 9.Test players to skip but Iyer, Pandey, Rahul join squadsThe forthcoming round of the Ranji Trophy beginning on November 9 is expected to be low on star quotient with most of the India internationals away on national duty. With India’s first Test against Sri Lanka beginning in Kolkata on November 16, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav are set to join the national side. Delhi, too, will miss the services of captain Ishant Sharma. Rishabh Pant will lead the side in his stead. However, Shreyas Iyer, India’s newest T20I debutant, has been added to Mumbai’s squad for their game against Baroda.Wriddhiman Saha has also been named in the Bengal squad that will take on Vidarbha in Kalyani. Meanwhile, Karnataka will also be boosted by the presence of Manish Pandey and KL Rahul, who were both part of India’s T20I squad against New Zealand, as they take on Delhi in Alur.

Chelsea have had a verbal offer for Montpellier centre-forward Elye Wahi turned down, according to reliable journalist Ryan Taylor.

Is Elye Wahi leaving Montpellier?

The France U21s international, who graduated from the academy at the Stade de la Mosson, has become a regular feature of Michel Der Zakarian’s senior fold since getting promoted to the first team back in 2021 where he was handed 29 Ligue 1 starts last season, but with more exposure comes more attention.

Despite still having two years left to run on his contract, the 20-year-old firmly established himself as his club’s top-performing offensive player during the previous campaign and these impressive displays have majorly caught the eye of Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino in the Premier League.

The Blues have reportedly already agreed personal terms with the talented prospect and Fabrizio Romano delivered an exciting update on the owner's pursuit just last week, stating via his social media:

“Understand Chelsea are now advancing in talks to sign Elye Wahi — agreement getting closer, new negotiations round scheduled with Montpellier. Chelsea plan includes loan move for Wahi this season then CFC future. Chelsea want to accelerate next week as there’s competition."

Are Chelsea signing Elye Wahi?

Taking to Twitter, Taylor revealed that Chelsea have actually had their first bid rejected by Montpellier who are clearly holding out for a much higher fee for their prized asset. He wrote:

“Chelsea have seen [an] opening verbal offer for Elye Wahi worth in the region of £21.5m rejected by Montpellier. Talks continue between clubs. France U21 international also believed to be sceptical about joining Strasbourg on loan if agreement struck.”

Chelsea clearly view Wahi as more of a signing for the long-term future of the club to be wanting to send him out on loan as a result of being just 20 years of age, but looking at his outstanding numbers from 2022/23, there’s no reason why the striker couldn’t be introduced straight away, so this news is a blow for Pochettino.

The youngster posted a remarkable 25 goal contributions (19 goals and six assists) in 33 Ligue 1 appearances last season whilst recording a total of 62 shots over the course of the campaign which was higher than any other member of his squad, via FBRef, highlighting just how much he stands out from his fellow peers.

Sponsored by Adidas, Montpellier’s “jewel”, as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also has the flexibility to operate in five various positions across the pitch, including everywhere across the frontline and even two roles in the midfield, so he would add wonderful versatility to the boss’ ranks and be a great option to have available.

The Blues may feel that having already signed Villarreal's Nicolas Jackson and RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku that they don't need any more immediate attacking reinforcements, but considering what he's capable of, Wahi deserves to be given a fair chance at staking his claim in the senior fold should he end up putting pen to paper, rather than being sent straight out on loan.

Aston Villa have reportedly held talks over a move to sign Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson this summer.

What’s the latest Aston Villa transfer news?

Unai Emery is set to be backed by NSWE ahead of his first full season in charge with a “huge” transfer budget, and the club have already spent €33m on Villarreal defender Pau Torres.

Midfielder Youri Tielemans has also put pen to paper on Villa Park terms this summer after his Leicester City contract expired, and it looks as if attention is now on a new attacker.

Villa have reportedly had an opening €45m offer for Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby turned down, with Joao Felix another player of interest. Contact has been made for the Atletico Madrid forward, however, Villa have competition from Manchester United and Newcastle United, so it looks as if they could turn their interest to Johnson.

The Daily Mail provided an Aston Villa transfer update on Thursday regarding Johnson, claiming talks have taken place over a move for the Wales international.

Forest have already rejected a £30m offer from Brentford for the forward but are thought to be willing to sell, should a bid in the region of £40m be submitted.

Johnson has serious admirers within Villa Park and is believed to be keen on a move to the Midlands after encouraging noises emerged from the player’s camp.

How good is Brennan Johnson?

Johnson shares the same agency as Jacob Ramsey and is just 22 years of age who can play as an attacking midfielder, winger or striker. He has progressed through the youth ranks at The City Ground and appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €38m Transfermarkt valuation.

In total, Johnson has made 105 senior appearances for Forest, scoring 29 times and registering 12 assists. He enjoyed a productive first season in the Premier League last year as well, helping the Reds to safety in the top flight with 11 goal contributions in 38 games. Steve Cooper lauded Johnson as a “fantastic player” and a “great finisher” back in February after netting the winner against Leeds.

“He’s a fantastic player, we know he’s got qualities and is a great finisher. The guys didn’t get loads of service at the top end of the pitch but, sometimes you just need one moment.”

As per FBref, Johnson has been compared to the likes of Michail Antonio, Odsonne Edouard and Danny Ings over the past 12 months and ranks in the top 12% of forwards for progressive carries, top 9% for crosses and top 1% for tackles in the defensive third, showing how he could bring more than just goals to Villa Park.

Should a £40m move go through, Emery could be getting a player who may only get better in time, while also providing the Spaniard with an alternative option or potential partner to Ollie Watkins. Johnson could turn out in a wide area, behind Watkins or as another centre-forward, and by the looks of things, a move will be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.

Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for Khephren Thuram over the summer so far and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Khephren Thuram?

According to French news outlet L'Equipe, the Reds and Bayern Munich are keen to secure the services of the OGC Nice midfielder this summer.

As per the report, it's thought that the Ligue 1 club believe they can hold onto their prized asset for another year with the player content where he is at the moment, however, with his contract running down and due to expire in 2025, Nice are aware they may be unlikely to command a lucrative fee in 12 months time.

In that case, Les Bleus would be willing to part ways with Thuram this summer for a fee of around €40m (£34m) should Liverpool or Bayern make a concrete move before the transfer window closes.

What kind of player is Khephren Thuram?

The Liverpool squad have now returned to pre-season training with two new additions in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai joining the Merseyside giants in their preparations for next season.

A much-needed midfield rebuild has started to take shape following the departures of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer, however, the outgoings could continue as The Athletic's David Ornstein dropped a huge bombshell on the Anfield faithful this week.

He revealed on Twitter that club captain Jordan Henderson could become the latest player tempted by a move to the Saudi Pro League this summer, and he isn't the only Liverpool mainstay attracting interest with new reports claiming Barcelona are interested in signing Thiago Alcantara.

As a result, whilst Jurgen Klopp will have much to consider whether it is viable to sell more of his most experienced leaders in the squad, it would present an opportunity to further reinvest for the future of his midfield and comfortably fund a move for Khephren Thuram.

Alongside Henderson, Thiago is one of the highest-earning players at the club, earning a whopping £200k-per-week salary, and although the talented midfielder is a great asset when on the pitch, his decline in fitness and injury record over the last two seasons has made it difficult for him to be relied upon when it matters most.

If selling Thiago could open up the door to secure the services of Thuram it would be a worthwhile endeavour for Liverpool, as another injection of youth and energy into the centre of the pitch would be massively advantageous ahead of next season.

The 25-year-old Frenchman – once hailed as "elite" by journalist Zach Lowy – ranks in the top 30% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for progressive carries (top 6%), successful take-ons (top 9%), touches in the opposition box, shot-creating actions and pass completion per 90, demonstrating a wide range of strengths that make him both potent in attack and a capable defensive presence.

The 6 foot 2 box-to-box midfielder's work-rate would be an incredible asset to Klopp next season and whilst he is a much more progressive player than Thiago, the remaining presence of Fabinho and Stefan Bajcetic allows for the German coach to secure a young talent who offers a fresh perspective instead of a like-for-like replacement.

With that being said, aside from the ongoing speculation about potential outgoings, the signing of Thuram is definitely one to watch as it is clear that the Nice star would bring something new to the current Liverpool midfield and continue to bolster the youth revolution that Klopp is aiming to complete at Anfield.

Manchester United will be desperate to build on their solid debut campaign under Erik ten Hag and as Champions League football is set to grace the Old Trafford pitch once again following a hiatus last term, the Dutchman will be keen to strengthen.

Not only that, but he will also be looking at moving some of the deadwood out of United that has dragged them down, with Harry Maguire being a player who must be banished from the Red Devils.

Tottenham Hotspur were linked with a move for the player last month and despite claims that he wants to remain at the club and fight for his place, the Dutchman looks certain to improve his defensive options.

Maguire started just 16 games last season, with only half of those coming in the Premier League and his current earnings of £190k-per-week were not rewarded with regular game time – hence why he should be moved on.

United have shown interest in Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard according to Football Transfers and he could be the perfect replacement for the club's struggling skipper.

Could Benjamin Pavard sign for Manchester United?

The Bundesliga giants are reportedly allowing the Frenchman to leave should they receive offers of around €30m (£26m) this summer and Ten Hag could see this as a deal which represents excellent value.

The World Cup winner has tended to play more as a right-back during his career, but last season for Bayern, he featured heavily at centre-back and this adaptability could be a big plus in terms of Ten Hag launching a potential move.

Pavard could give United an unlikely goal threat, as he ranks in the top 1% across Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.18) and top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90 (1.58) however, it is his ability to bring the ball out of defence that could entice the United boss into signing him.

The 27-year-old ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes per 90 (7.59) and the top 9% for progressive carries per 90 (1.31) across the big five leagues in Europe among those in his position, suggesting that he’d be a perfect fit for Ten Hag’s tactical system which relies heavily on defenders playing out from the back.

In contrast, Maguire makes only 3.09 progressive passes per 90 and 0.95 progressive carries per 90 across Europe's big five leagues, and these are much lower totals than the Bayern star, thus rendering his role as obsolete should he arrive.

The former Stuttgart defender was lauded as being a “real talent” by former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger and for a paltry £26m, Ten Hag might not make a better signing in terms of value for money all summer.