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Pakistan batsman Khalid Latif has been banned by the PCB from all forms of cricket for five years for his role in the spot-fixing scandal that marred the 2017 Pakistan Super League

Umar Farooq20-Sep-20172:36

‘We feel Khalid Latif’s ban is on the low side’ – PCB lawyer Taffazul Rizvi

Pakistan batsman Khalid Latif has been banned by the PCB from all forms of cricket for five years for his role in the spot-fixing scandal that marred the 2017 Pakistan Super League (PSL). Latif, playing for Islamabad United, was charged with six major breaches of the PCB’s anti-corruption code and was found guilty of all six on Wednesday. He was also fined 1 million Pakistan Rupees (USD 9489 approximately).Latif’s lawyer Badar Alam, who has raised several objections throughout the proceedings of his client, did not show up to hear the verdict being announced. Alam had refused to turn up for several hearings during proceedings as well, and had registered a case against the formation of the tribunal set up to adjudicate on Latif’s case. Both parties have a right to appeal the judgment within 14 days of receiving the detailed decision, which has not been released yet. While PCB’s lawyer Taffazul Rizvi said the PCB would wait and see whether to lodge an appeal, the discontent of Alam suggests an appeal on his client’s part would be likely – where that appeal is lodged and whether it is outside the PCB’s remit is also not yet known.Unlike Sharjeel Khan, who was banned for 5 years on August 30 for spot-fixing charges emanating from the same match at the PSL, none of Latif’s sentence is suspended, meaning the 31-year old cannot return to cricket till at least 2022. It is the harshest punishment meted out so far to a player involved in the PSL spot-fixing saga. Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Nawaz were also banned, for the relatively lesser indiscretions of failure to report corrupt approaches. Both have since returned to domestic cricket.PCB’s lawyer Taffazul Rizvi said after the verdict, “There are cases you don’t feel happy winning, because it’s unfortunate to see a player being banned. But he is responsible for tarnishing his own career, and all fixing allegations against him have been proved.” Like Sharjeel, Latif has been handed the minimum sentence mandatory for the offences he was convicted of, and could have potentially faced a life ban.A veteran on the domestic circuit – he made his debut 17 years ago when he was still 14 – Latif has never quite been able to make the grade at international level. He was a rising star on the U-19 circuit, captaining the Pakistan side to a World Cup win in 2004. He was called up to the ODI side in 2008, but played just five games over two years. He hasn’t been able to find much more consistency in T20Is, playing 13 over an eight-year period, the last against the West Indies in a home series in 2016. This ban, should it not be reduced or overturned in the event of an appeal, would almost certainly spell the end of Latif’s international days, and given his age – Latif will be 36 when the ban ends – make even returning to the domestic circuit a daunting challenge.

The summer is looking up for Somerset’s young captain Tom Abell as his side hint at a September revival

Jon Culley at Edgbaston08-Sep-20171:35

Highlights from the final day of the Specsavers Championship

Somerset 282 (Abell 82; Singh 5-72) and 265 for 4 dec (Trescothick 119*, Hildreth 68, Abell 51) beat Warwickshire 146 (Barker 52; Leach 5-50, Overton 4-33) and 232 (Trott 74, Groenewald 5-58) by 169 runs. In the end, after a morning of frustration followed by a good many anxious skywards glances as a convoy of dark clouds loomed one after another over the roof of the pavilion, Somerset needed 85 uninterrupted minutes to finish the job and claim the win that had looked theirs for the taking ever since they won the toss, at once keeping their own survival prospects intact and killing off Warwickshire’s, in realistic terms if not mathematically.Dom Bess, whose penultimate over on Thursday evening had claimed the wickets of Jonathan Trott and Keith Barker to push Warwickshire to the brink, wrapped up what is only a second win of the season for last year’s runners-up by bowling the rookie spinner Sunny Singh just as the ground staff were preparing to power up the hover cover. In the celebrations that followed, the relief was palpable.”In the context of the season it is a huge win for us and we’re absolutely delighted,” their young captain, Tom Abell, said. “We asked for the effort and the character to come to the fore and we certainly saw that.”From the great start we were given by Tres (Marcus Trescothick) and Eddie Byrom on the first morning we performed well in all disciplines throughout the game. As a batting unit we established those partnerships we have been striving for all season and with the ball we were very patient. There was a bit in the wicket for all concerned and when we created chances we took them.”It still might not be enough, of course, to keep Somerset out of Division Two themselves next year. They remain second bottom, 30 points clear of their beaten opponents here but with still work to do if they are to catch Yorkshire or Middlesex and only three matches remaining. In their favour, though, two of them are at home, where Bess and Jack Leach, the most successful spin combination in Division One this year, can expect every bit of assistance possible from the wicket.”Yes, we still have a lot of work to do,” Abell added. “It is a boost to our confidence to get this win and play so well but we are still down there at the foot of the table and we have a massive three games ahead of us. We will be trying to win all three and if we could get two wins, that would be great. It is a very strong division with strong teams but we think we have enough in our dressing room to do it.”It has been the collective failure of the batsmen that has been Somerset’s downfall this year, putting them in a predicament few could have foreseen when they went so close to winning the Championship 12 months ago. No one has felt the weight of responsibility more than Abell himself, who had been so out of touch with the bat recently he had no sensible option other than to give up his own place in the side – winning it back, with some irony, only after the controversial move to Warwickshire of Adam Hose created a vacancy.Is the season turning for Somerset skipper Tom Abell?•Getty Images

Abell paid generous compliments to Trescothick, his second-innings centurion, James Hildreth, with whom the veteran opener shared the key partnership of the match to take the game out of Warwickshire’s reach, and to the 20-year-old opener Byrom, who played nicely in both innings. Yet his own contributions – a half-century in each innings on a difficult, turning track – were equally significant.”It has been difficult,” he said. “I went through a patch where I didn’t know where my next run was coming from and that spell in the Seconds trying to find some form did me the world of good.”Now I’m starting to find some enjoyment batting again and the confidence in my game that I had lost.”The key to winning here was that every passage of play saw one Somerset player or another produce a performance at a key moment, ensuring that Warwickshire were never on top, even briefly. After the combination of Leach’s left-arm spin and Craig Overton’s pace had bowled out Somerset for 146 in the first innings, it was the off-spinner Bess and the big-hearted Tim Groenewald who landed the blows second time around.Once the final exchanges began after a two-hour delay, Overton claimed his fifth victim of the match as Tim Ambrose was leg before and then Groenewald, with new ball in hand, bowled Chris Wright and saw Jeetan Patel brilliant caught by Bess at point to complete a deserved five-wicket haul, his first of the season.There seems no escape now for Warwickshire, whose relegation may well be confirmed next week, on live television, when the Sky cameras turn up in the hope of seeing Essex, the champions-elect, strut their stuff.It was a long time after the finish before anyone emerged from the home dressing room, where one can only assume that the atmosphere match the colour of the sky. The bowling coach, Alan Richardson, was ultimately designated to offer words of explanation for a performance that lacked conviction at the moment it was most needed.”It was highly disappointing,” Richardson said. “We had four massive games, starting with one against the team immediately above us, and to not really show up is hugely disappointing.”

David Warner has stuck firm to his assertion that the players are prepared to be absent from this summer’s Ashes if the pay dispute drags into the six months beyond June 30

Daniel Brettig04-Jun-20173:46

What is the Cricket Australia-ACA pay dispute?

Australia’s vice-captain David Warner has stuck firm to his assertion that the players are prepared to be absent from this summer’s Ashes if the current pay dispute drags into the six months beyond the June 30 expiry of the MOU between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association.”I stick firm behind it,” Warner said in London. “If we are unemployed we have no contracts, we can’t play. So, from my point of view and speaking to the guys, we would love to see something happen between now and July 1 and I am sure that it is in the capable hands of the ACA to get to the table with CA and come to some form of an agreement.”Warner was subjected to plenty of criticism in the wake of his earlier comments about the possibility that CA “might not have a team for the Ashes” if they continued to take a hardline stance on their efforts to break-up the fixed revenue percentage pay model that has existed for the past two decades.Subsequent reports focused on Warner’s handsome pay packet and its attendant extravagances of property and cars. He noted that a prickly past had prepared him for being able to brush those barbs aside while pushing to ensure that domestic and international players are not divided into separate camps as per CA’s current pay offer.”It comes with my background and my history with that kind of stuff. So you know, it is water off a duck’s back,” Warner said. “I have a verbal stance, to stick up for all our players, and we are always talking about a fair share and equality. And that’s what we are sticking to.”People have their own opinions and they can have those opinions, and for me, what has been written about me in the past or what gets written now, I don’t take any notice of that. My full support is with all the guys, and we’re all together.”We’ve always said from day one that all the support is behind the ACA 100%. They are doing a great job for us. Obviously, from a players’ point of view, we are pretty vocal and upbeat about it. We are pretty sure that they will come to an agreement. But as you know, we are going to be unemployed come July 1. So we have to wait and see and play it out from there.”In refusing to back down from his words about the Ashes, Warner said that the players were committed to letting the ACA act as their collective bargaining agent and were not entertaining the thought of any direct negotiations with CA. Instead, he said, members of the Champions Trophy squad were hearing of CA’s tactics via media reports.”Not really. It is only what we hear in the media and that’s how CA have been driving it the whole way,” Warner said. “They have been using the media as a voice and we get that message from there. As you said, we get a couple of emails.”A rusty display in the rain-curtailed opening match against New Zealand suggested Australia’s players may struggle to keep their minds focused in the midst of the dispute over their futures. However, Warner was adamant that events between the two negotiating teams over the next four weeks would not divert from efforts to win in England.”For us, we galvanise all the time – it doesn’t matter what is going on outside of the game,” he said. “It is a big thing that we could be unemployed but from us, our job is to play cricket and focus on winning the tournament and not letting our country down in that respect. So as I said, our full mental frame is toward the tournament.”

Liverpool are reportedly interested in completing a sensational move for Kylian Mbappe in the summer transfer window, according to new report from Spain.

What next for Kylian Mbappe?

The 24-year-old has arguably taken on the mantle from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the biggest footballing star of his generation, already achieving so much in his career, despite his age.

Mbappe won the 2018 World Cup with France, immediately gaining legendary status, and he has scored 212 goals in just 260 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain, cementing his status as possibly the world's best player currently, along with the likes of Erling Haaland and Vinicius Jr.

It looks as if the French superstar could leave PSG before the start of next season, however, with Real Madrid possibly the favourites to snap him up for an eye-watering sum of money.

Liverpool have been linked with Mbappe in the past, however, and it looks as though they are still eyeing an incredible swoop for him.

Are Liverpool keen on signing Mbappe?

According to Marca, Liverpool have "also thrown their hat in the ring" to sign Mbappe this summer, with Jurgen Klopp keen on the move coming to fruition. It is even stated that the Reds, and by extension owners FSG, are "willing to pay more than $300m (£235m)", which would obliterate the club's transfer record.

In truth, it is difficult to see the PSG icon heading to Anfield this summer, simply because of the amount of money being talked about, for starters. Liverpool reportedly have a £200m budget to spend on several players, namely midfielders, so it is impossible to see them being able to fund a move.

The Reds also don't have Champions League football next season, which Mbappe surely wants to be playing in, even scoring at Anfield in the competition back in 2018, so that is another reason why a transfer ambitious. That being said, if the move did miraculously happen, it could be one of the most exciting in Liverpool's history, considering what a special talent he is, being hailed as "world-class" by Argentina and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

He has every chance of going down as one of the greatest players in history, should he continue at his current level for another decade or so, and joining the Reds would make the rest of world football sit up and take notice. For now, though, it looks like little more than a pipe dream, unless Liverpool gets an enormous injection of cash from somewhere before the end of the summer transfer window.

Arsenal starlet Folarin Balogun was hacked down on his USMNT debut sparking a major brawl in a recent match against Mexico.

What happened to Balogun on his USMNT debut?

The young striker had a pretty exceptional past season while out on loan in France. Indeed, playing for Ligue 1 outfit Reims, he netted 21 goals and provided two assists in 37 games.

As a result, there was a real clamour at international level to see who the 21-year-old would be playing for, with Balogun having the option to represent either England or the United States of America.

Well, he finally made his decision earlier on in the year, with the Brooklyn-born attacker saying (Via Yahoo Sports): “For my decision to represent the United States, we came together with my family and we decided it would be the right thing for me, the country. I was born in. So I mean, in the end that became a no-brainer.”

Now some time on from making that decision he made his debut this week against Mexico in a fiery encounter which ended 3-0 to USMNT.

However, as shared in footage on the CBS Twitter feed, with the score a -0 and 68 minutes on the clock, Balogun was brutally hacked down by Cesar Montes who was immediately sent off.

The commentator picked up on the awful tackle, saying: “He was chopped down! that’s a red card straight out of the pocket.”

Was their homophobic chanting in USA vs Mexico?

Within seconds, a number of USMNT players charge over to defend Balogun and suddenly chaos descends upon the field of play. Weston McKennie ends up having his shirt ripped off him, but he too gets sent off for his own levels of aggression.

That wasn’t the end of it either as Ricardo Pepi netted a third before Sergino Dest and Gerardo Arteaga both then pick up red card a little later on in the game when another on-field spat broke out.

After the match, Balogun spoke to CBS Sports about the incident that led to McKennie’s sending off, saying (via Goal): “I was on the floor because I was in pain, but when I looked up I saw so many people around and I knew that my team-mates were trying to defend me.

“I would do the same for them. It’s a nice feeling. I’m disappointed about the red cards on our end and hopefully we can control that in the next game.”

What’s more, the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final match was actually halted early by the referee after homophobic chanting from the crowd. A Sky Sports report noted that play was paused in the 90th minute and when action resumed, 12 minutes of stoppage time were signalled but more discriminatory chanting caused Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton to end the match in the eighth minute.

Back in England, there is plenty of doubt about the player’s future at Arsenal, with Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth recently reporting that Inter Milan are interested in signing the striker and are expected to formally approach this summer. He also noted that Balogun wants a permanent move away to get regular first-team football next term.

Azhar Ali is likely to be removed as Pakistan’s ODI captain after his side lost the series in Australia 4-1. Pakistan were beaten in the final ODI in Adelaide, slumping to the same score line they had suffered in England last year, and the PCB is keen to use it as an opportunity to replace Azhar with the T20 captain, Sarfraz Ahmed.The move, ESPNcricinfo understands, could be the precursor to eventually appointing a single captain for all formats, though any such decision will have to wait until the Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq takes a call on his future.Leadership issues were discussed in a meeting in Lahore during the fourth ODI of this series by PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Mushtaq Ahmed, the head coach at the National Cricket Academy. They are thought to be united in their belief that Sarfraz should take over the ODI captaincy but will wait until Misbah retires to name a new Test captain.They differ as to whether Pakistan should move ahead with a single captain, but if they do go down that route it could mean that Azhar is overlooked as the Test successor to Misbah; Azhar is the Test vice-captain and, in Misbah’s absence, led Pakistan recently in a Test against New Zealand in Hamilton. It could also mean the end of an experiment begun after the 2015 World Cup, when, for the first time, Pakistan had three different captains – Shahid Afridi was then the T20 captain.If Azhar is axed, it will end a difficult tenure that began right after the 2015 World Cup. He was not in the squad for that tournament and had, in fact, not featured in an ODI since January 2013. What he did have going for him was a secure position in the Test side, and good form in List A cricket: in the domestic Pentangular Cup that season he was the leading scorer with 302 runs at an average of 60.40 and strike rate of 86.28. In the President’s Gold Cup, he scored 234 runs at a strike rate of 86.98.Under Azhar’s leadership, Pakistan’s slipped to a record-low ninth in the ODI rankings. They have since risen one place to at least be in the running for direct qualification to the 2019 World Cup, but they only scraped into this year’s Champions Trophy. Much of their decline in the limited-overs formats has been building for some time, but it has become much starker under Azhar.Pakistan have won only five out of ten bilateral series under Azhar, two of them against Zimbabwe, and one each against Ireland, Sri Lanka and West Indies. In all, Pakistan won 12 and lost 18 games.The PCB has been thinking of removing Azhar for some time. In September last year, following a 4-1 thumping in England, Shaharyar had asked Azhar to consider stepping down. Azhar decided to stay on, however, and led Pakistan to a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies in the UAE. That win left the PCB no choice but to retain him for the Australia tour. A day before the first Test in Brisbane, however, Shaharyar again raised concerns, telling ESPNcricinfo that Azhar’s place in the ODI side was on shaky ground and that they were considering replacing him.Azhar’s individual performances have not been poor in that time – he has scored 1152 runs at 37.19. He has expanded his limited-overs game, evident in the improvement of his strike rate. In his first 14 ODIs between 2011 and 2013, his strike rate was 64.84 – during his captaincy that jumped to 79.90. However, that improvement might not be enough to save his place as captain, or even in the side. Last year, Pakistan Super League franchise Lahore Qalanders also removed Azhar from the captaincy.What the PCB will be weighing up is the potential impact such a move could have on his position in the Test side. He was Pakistan’s most prolific batsman last year, scoring a hundred in England, a triple hundred in Dubai and then crowning it off with a double at the MCG in the Boxing Day Test; he scored more runs in a three-Test series in Australia than any Pakistan batsman before him.

Leeds United have confirmed this week that Sam Allardyce will not remain at the club beyond his short spell and now reports are suggesting that the club already have a list of replacements lined up.

What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Steven Gerrard?

According to The Telegraph, Steven Gerrard is one of the managers that Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani is eyeing up ahead of their return to the Championship.

As per the report, the former Aston Villa and Rangers boss is one of three potential suitors named and it is understood that Gerrard is interested in leading the Leeds squad next season.

Would Steven Gerrard be the right fit for Leeds?

It will come as no surprise that Gerrard is not only linked with the vacant job but is also keen on taking up the position, whilst he continues to carve out a career in management; the Leeds role could be too big of an opportunity to ignore in a bid to rebuild his reputation in English football.

The Liverpool legend seemed like he was destined for rapid recognition as a top up-and-coming manager following his impressive stint at Rangers where he won the club's first Scottish Premiership title in a decade whilst going invincible and made an instant positive impact on Aston Villa when he replaced Dean Smith at Villa Park mid-season.

However, after securing a 14th-place finish in the 2021/22 season and being significantly financially backed by the club's hierarchy, the 43-year-old failed to retain the high expectations set and his outstanding reputation was damaged faster than it took to build, resulting in his dismissal just 11 months into the Villa job.

Now there is a real opportunity for Radrizzani to snap up the services of a manager who has undeniable star quality in order to attract top talent to Elland Road this summer, whilst Gerrard will be looking for the right move in his pursuit to clean the stain marked against his managerial career.

It will also be incredibly important for the Leeds squad to bring in someone who can provide good man-management and build a positive culture in the dressing room after a difficult period for the Whites, and Gerrard's approachability has been one attribute that has often been hailed.

Former Rangers and England striker Jermaine Defoe heaped huge compliments on his ex-manager's approach to managing players during an interview with talkSPORT (via The Mirror):

"It’s a funny one because when I signed for Rangers, obviously you have a bit of banter in the changing room and the lads saying about how I’m pals with the gaffer and stuff like that, but he’s a natural.

"He’s approachable, which is really important as a manager.

"But with Steven, you can talk to him about anything. He reminds me a little bit of Harry Redknapp and Sam Allardyce where you can just approach them and speak about anything."

With that being said, Gerrard could play a key role in not only attracting the right players but also retaining a number of players who have their futures on the fence at present, so securing the Premier League Hall of Fame inductee as soon as possible would put Leeds in a great position to have a positive pre-season and transfer window.

The arrival of the former England star could be what Radrizzani needs to get Elland Road rocking again as the Yorkshire giants embark on a disappointing return to the second-tier.

The Saudi side were top of the table when the Portuguese superstar arrived in January on a colossal contract, but were usurped by Al-Ittihad

Cristiano Ronaldo has definitely still got it. He posted a picture of himself in his underwear last Saturday and racked up four million likes on Instagram inside the first two hours. Furthermore, his historically big-money move to Saudi Arabia has seen him knock one-time rival Lionel Messi off the top of the Forbes list of the highest-earning athletes in sport.

It's been a slightly different story on the field, though. When he arrived in Riyadh in January to impressive fanfare, Al-Nassr were top of the Saudi Pro League. However, Ronaldo's new club sensationally ended up finishing second to Al-Ittihad, who claimed their first title in 14 yearsafter Ronaldo and Co. slipped to a 1-1 draw against Al-Ettifaq on Saturday. That result left Al-Nassr five points behind the champions elect with just one game left to play.

So, what went wrong for the heavy favourites? Did Al-Nassr throw away the title? And was Ronaldo's signing a factor in an underwhelming second half of the season?

• 'A better man now'?

  Ronaldo recently conceded that he had a "bad career run" during his second stint at Manchester United, which ended with him leaving in the most acrimonious of circumstances, prompting criticism from some of his staunchest supporters.

  However, he argued that it was "part of my growth", that it helped him mature. "I'm a better man now," he insisted in an interview with in March.

  That may well be true, but he's certainly not a calmer character. If anything, the Ronaldo we've seen in Saudi Arabia is even more aggressive and petulant than any previous incarnation of 'CR7'. In the space of a month, we saw him angrily boot the ball away (while Al-Nassr were 2-0 up!), kick a water bottle, lash out at his own bench, throw a tantrum over a contentious call, shove a member of a rival backroom team who wanted a selfie, reject a shirt-swap, and even floor an opponent with a wrestling-style takedown.

  Most controversially of all, he appeared to make an obscene gesture towards Al-Hilal fans – who had been taunting him with Messi chants from before the game – after a 2-0 loss at the King Fahd International Stadium on April 18.

  There were even calls for him to be kicked out of the league for grabbing his crotch in a seemingly provocative manner. However, Ronaldo escaped sanction, thanks in no small part to the fact that The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Football Association only reviewed official match footage of the game, and not fan videos that subsequently appeared on social media.

  Although the club's rather ingenious explanation of Ronaldo's actions, which was relayed to journalist Muhammed Al-Enezi, may also have helped: "Ronaldo suffers from an injury. His challenge with Gustavo Cuellar, the Al-Hilal player, started with a blow in a very sensitive area. This is confirmed information. As for the fans' explanations, they are free to think whatever they want."

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  'The envious invent the rumour…'

  It's worth noting that Ronaldo has, depressingly, had to put up with increased media focus on his private life since arriving in Saudi Arabia. There were even reports that his relationship with Georgina Rodriguez was on the rocks after an argument while boarding a plane in April. However, Ronaldo's partner replied on Instagram: "The envious invent the rumour, the gossip spreads it and the idiot believes it."

  Such tabloid tattle is, unfortunately, nothing new for the family. The only difference during this latest adventure is that they have had to deal with scrutiny of their marital status, given it's illegal for an unmarried couple to cohabit in Saudi Arabia.

  An exception seems to have been made for Ronaldo and Rodriguez, but that still hasn't ceased speculation surrounding the latter's online activity because of the country's laws on clothing and social media posts. Almost inevitably, that has led to talk of the Argentina-born Spanish model being unsettled in Saudi Arabia and wanting to return to Europe.

• 'The not-so-happy life he's living'

  Brazil legend Rivaldo recently questioned Ronaldo's decision to join Al-Nassr, claiming that "sometimes players are fooled by the big contracts they sign in Saudi Arabia".

  "But then life there is more closed and soccer is not always as easy as they expect," the World Cup winner told . "Maybe he’s going through a period of disappointment and even reflection. Is the money he’s being paid to make up for the not-so-happy life he’s living right now?"

  Reports in Spain suggest that Real Madrid's all-time record goalscorer is not happy with the standard of infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, with claiming that he feels it is "very far from modern society". However, it would be unfair to portray Ronaldo's time in Saudi Arabia to date as a completely miserable experience.

  We've seen his family in the stands joyously celebrating a dramatic win over Al-Batin at the start of March, while Ronaldo himself was all smiles after twice receiving special cakes from his club, first for his birthday, and then for becoming the most-capped player in international football history. We also saw the Portuguese's playful side when he played the role of photographer during a team training session.

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• Flashes of his former self

  There have also undoubtedly been times when he's looked like he's enjoying his football again. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner may have been held scoreless in his first two competitive outings for Al-Nassr, but he was named the Saudi Pro League's Player of the Month for February after scoring eight times in just four fixtures.

  With on rounds remaining, he's managed 14 goals in 19 matches, which is not too shabby, even if five of those strikes came from the penalty spot.

  There have also been flashes of the old turn of pace that used to leave defenders trailing in his wake, and even a goal from a free-kick.

  Of course, at other times, he's looked like exactly what he is: an ageing superstar struggling to connect with colleagues of inferior quality. "I swear to God," former Al-Nassr star Fahd Al-Huraifi wrote on Twitter, "I did not want Cristiano to come to the Al-Nassr while we still had Talisca, because if both players say 'Give me the ball to score', it's a disaster.

  "I love Ronaldo very much, I love his professionalism and respect, all of which are indisputable but… he is no longer able to dribble or rely on himself. He always wants an assist."

  Of course, that is precisely the kind of striker Ronaldo has had to become in order to prolong his incredible career. But it's also why agent Jorge Mendes was unable to find any elite European club for his former client last summer, leading to their bitter "divorce".

  Ronaldo believes he can still score goals at the very highest level – and why wouldn't he, given everything he's achieved in his career? But fellow United legend Eric Cantona is among those who feel that Ronaldo is struggling to accept that he no longer deserves to be a starter wherever he plays – which is what Erik ten Hag quickly concluded at Old Trafford earlier this season.

  "There are two types of veterans: those who want to play every game because they still think they’re 25 and those who realise they’re not 25 and are here to help young players, they know they won’t play every game, but they’re aware that they’ll have their moment," the Frenchman told .

  "There are players who help new players: [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic still does it with Milan, or [technical director] Paolo Maldini when he was a player at Milan. Ronaldo doesn’t realise he’s not 25 years old. He’s already older and doesn’t know that, instead of being unhappy about not having played all the time, he should accept the situation."

  Ronaldo appears unsuited to such a role, though. As he admitted himself, he struggled to get through the younger players during his second stint at United, thought that arguably says more about them than Ronaldo.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani is expecting his next Manchester United offer to be accepted, according to The Guardian.

What’s the latest Man United takeover news involving Jassim?

Jassim has made two bids for the Premier League giants so far, with the latest coming last month after initially missing the deadline. The Qatari banker’s revised offer was thought to be a world-record figure at more than £5bn, but as we know, he is yet to receive the green light to proceed with a takeover.

The Glazers have now scheduled a third and final round of bids, with a deadline set for next Friday. Sky Sports have reported that Jassim remains committed to taking full control at Old Trafford, and it looks as if he is confident of doing just that despite recent reports suggesting the Glazers could stay as majority owners by securing outside investment.

The Guardian’s Jamie Jackson shared an Old Trafford update regarding Jassim on Tuesday, stating that he ‘remains confident he will succeed with his bid to buy Manchester United’.

He believes his offer, which would be debt free, will be accepted, whereas Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid would include borrowing.

Down to the Glazers…

As mentioned, the Glazers feel they could stay in Manchester and look to double the value of the club over the next ten years by bringing in investment. The likes of Ares Management Corporation, The Carlyle Group, Elliot Investment Management and Sixth Street Partners all want a stake in the Red Devils, but Jassim is seemingly upbeat about the chances of a full takeover.

His next offer will more than likely need to reach the Glazers’ £6bn asking price to stand a chance of a takeover going through over the coming months. We should find out more over the coming weeks, but with time ticking, Jassim may be looking to get things done quickly in order to help Erik ten Hag in the transfer market.

Burnley have opened discussions regarding a permanent deal to sign Southampton starlet Nathan Tella, according to reports.

What's the latest on Tella's future?

The Clarets winger swapped the Premier League for the Championship when he arrived at Turf Moor on a season-long loan last summer and he’s taken the second-tier by storm during his 44 appearances, becoming Vincent Kompany’s best-performing offensive player.

Whilst the Lancashire side don’t have the option or obligation to buy the 23-year-old included in the terms of their previously agreed deal, they have already confirmed promotion back to the top-flight and the Saints are likely to be coming the other way, so staying put will be the most attractive prospect for the player at this moment in time.

Now, according to Football Insider, Burnley and Southampton are already “in talks” to discuss the possibility of a permanent deal for Tella. The Clarets would reportedly “love” to retain the attacker’s services beyond the summer given the positive impact he’s made on the team, though negotiations are only in the “very early stages” with his parent club’s league status for next season currently up in the air.

Kompany’s outfit would need to table a “substantial offer” to get the south coast side to consider sanctioning a sale, but with the boss likely to receive a big summer budget following promotion, this may not prove too difficult and it’s stated that striking a deal for the talented prospect has been made a “top priority”.

Should Burnley buy Tella?

Burnley’s success this season has been significantly helped by Tella, who has been a regular feature under Kompany making 31 Championship starts, and having been lauded a “quality” player by journalist Josh Bunting, completing this deal should be an absolute no-brainer of a decision for the hierarchy to make.

The Stevenage-born talent has clocked up 24 goal contributions (19 goals and five assists) since joining with his excellent form having seen him receive four man-of-the-match awards during that time. The £19k-per-week ace has also recorded 71 shots, which is higher than any other member of the squad at Turf Moor, as per FBRef.

Finally, Tella has operated in seven various positions this term alone, including three in the midfield and everywhere across the frontline, so would add wonderful versatility to the boss’ squad as one of the fantastic attributes that he’s already shown in his temporary spell with the Clarets.