Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe surface in Dubai was cracked, but there seemed to be more cracks in the batting line-up of the World T20 champions. Imad Wasim exploited all those cracks and rolled West Indies over for 115. In the process, the left-arm spinning allrounder became only the second Pakistan bowler, after Umar Gul, to take a five-for in T20Is. Pakistan then merrily skipped to the target with 34 balls to spare to hint at a white-ball revival, having secured their second successive nine-wicket win in T20Is.The portents were clear from the first over, after Pakistan had opted to bowl. Taking the new ball, Wasim had Evin Lewis top-edging a catch to deep midwicket. In his next over, he accounted for Andre Fletcher and Marlon Samuels to leave West Indies at 16 for 3. A raft of balls fizzed through and thudded into the pad, drawing appeals from an ever-present slip and captain Sarfraz Ahmed. Looking at the scorecard, it may have appeared that Wasim was bowling magic balls. Truth be told, he didn’t turn them much. Instead, he relied on accuracy and drift to run through West Indies.Fletcher attempted a low-percentage slog across the line and was bowled. Samuels’ technique of camping back in the crease was exposed again when he was trapped plumb in front by a full slider. Wasim alternated between a good length and a full length, and kept attacking the stumps. West Indies kept losing wickets.Mohammad Nawaz, the other left-arm spinner, joined the fun when Johnson Charles stepped away outside leg and missed a fast, skiddy delivery. Debutant Nicholas Pooran guided Hasan Ali, the medium-fast bowler, behind in the next over, before Wasim returned and stabbed away at West Indies.When Wasim dismissed Carlos ‘remember the name’ Brathwaite, he ensured his name would be remembered too, as he became the first Pakistan spinner to pick up a five-wicket haul in T20Is. He finished with figures of 4-0-14-5. He had only bowled only one genuine loose ball: a half-tracker, which was square-cut for four by Samuels.At 48 for 8 in 12 overs, following the run-out of Sunil Narine, West Indies were in danger of being bowled out for their lowest T20I score. Dwayne Bravo and Jerome Taylor, however, strung together 66, the highest ninth-wicket partnership in T20Is.Taylor first upset Pakistan’s rhythm when he raced down the track and lofted Nawaz straight over his head for the first six of the match. Bravo, becalmed till then, drove Sohail Tanvir inside-out over extra-cover for six and followed it with a flicked four to rejuvenate the innings.They hit a higher gear when they took three fours in the 16th over, bowled by Ali. This meant West Indies passed their previous-lowest score of 79. Tanvir, however, ended the stand when he yorked Taylor for a run-a-ball 21. He ended the innings when he undid Bravo for 55 with a legcutter three balls later. With only Bravo and Taylor logging double-digit scores, the recovery would not be prove enough for West Indies.Sharjeel Khan set Pakistan’s modest chase in motion with three fours and a six before his old enemy resurfaced: tendency to pull balls that aren’t short enough. He was bowled by a length-ball dart from Samuel Badree for 22, but the wicket only served to alter the margin of victory rather than provide West Indies with any real hope.The advent of dew did not help West Indies’ cause either. Their misery was compounded by slipshod fielding. Taylor dropped Babar Azam on 12 at the edge of the long-leg boundary. Azam proceeded to seal the chase with back-to-back fours, the first of which snuck through Bravo’s legs to the third-man boundary and gave Azam his maiden T20I half-century.Opener Khalid Latif complemented him, contributing 30 in an unbroken 88-run stand for the second wicket. West Indies had managed all of 12 boundaries in their innings. Azam and Latif alone hit 13. While West Indies seemed to be missing their – Andre Russell, Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons – Pakistan found their own amid roars of from the sizeable crowd.

Leeds United's abhorrent campaign came to a crashing close yesterday, as they could not even fulfil their end of the impossible escape, losing 4-1 to Tottenham Hotspur.

Their defeat, and wins for Leicester City and Everton elsewhere, meant that even a comprehensive victory would have not been enough for Sam Allardyce to keep them in the division, ending the Whites' three-year stay in the Premier League.

For someone who was enlisted to desperately secure safety with four games to go, the experienced manager could not live up to his impressive relegation-avoiding reputation, with his pragmatism backfiring on numerous occasions.

At the start of yesterday's final day, the Whites knew that nothing less than a three-goal win would be enough to potentially avoid the drop. However, the 68-year-old still opted to start conservatively.

His team for the clash consisted of two right-backs and four central defenders, opting to leave more offensive talents like Wilfried Gnonto and Georginio Rutter on the bench. Whilst fans will forever question this move, few would argue that Brenden Aaronson, another such option, had merited a place in the squad, let alone the starting XI.

His cameo against Spurs only served to support this and emphasise the need for him to be ditched in the summer.

How did Brenden Aaronson play vs Tottenham Hotspur?

Signed by Jesse Marsch, handing his old club a mouth-watering £24.7m fee to pry him from Austria, the American was expected to be a key cog in their new-look attacking force.

However, after a first full season at Elland Road, the 22-year-old has scored just once, having also been branded a "lightweight" by pundit Jon Newsome when speaking to BBC Radio Leeds back in February.

Although only handed the final 31 minutes to make an impact yesterday, just 18 touches once again outlined the anonymity that fans had become accustomed to with the diminutive midfielder.

Such a lack of influence was bred through an equal lack of quality, as he would muster just nine completed passes at a 69% success rate. Furthermore, he would not manage a single shot, and his sole cross missed the mark, via Sofascore.

Having been a true pupil of Marsch's, who favoured an all-action high-pressing brand of football, it was unsurprisingly expected that Aaronson might at least boast some hardworking steel that would endear him to fans. However, having also been dribbled past twice and lost 100% of the five duels he competed in, these suspicions were denied in depressing fashion.

He has truly been a woeful signing, and arguably a microcosm of the manager who initially propelled them into the mess that neither Javi Gracia nor Allardyce could pull them out of.

Whether it be through shocking transfers or questionable tactics, Marsch should forever be tainted with the mantle of having relegated this historic club. Aaronson's performances certainly did not aid in avoiding such an eventuality, with yesterday surely marking his final game in a Leeds shirt.

Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta has ended his 11-year stay at Stamford Bridge, leaving new Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino with a big decision to make

There was another significant juncture in Chelsea's extraordinary period of upheaval last week, as Cesar Azpilicueta bid farewell to the club after 11 trophy-laden years of loyal service. His departure immediately adds to Mauricio Pochettino's in-tray, with the new head coach now facing a big decision over who should take the armband.

Indeed, the Argentine needs to form a new on-field leadership team altogether, as Jorginho's move to Arsenal in January means the club has lost both its captain and vice-captain in the space of six months. Mateo Kovacic, another player to have worn the armband recently, has also moved on.

Chelsea's unprecedented overhaul of the first-team squad this summer means the options to replace Azpilicueta as skipper are limited, but a few names in particular stand out as candidates…

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  6Enzo Fernandez

  In his brief time at Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez has demonstrated his leadership credentials in his attempts to dictate play from the middle of the park amid relative chaos around him. Indeed, he aspires to be a leader on the pitch, saying in April: "I always dream to be a leader because when I started, I always wanted to be an example."

  His authority was noted by interim manager Frank Lampard, but his thoughts are perhaps an accurate reflection of where the midfielder will sit in Pochettino's thinking: "Enzo is becoming a leader," he said. "But he's 22, I think it's quite difficult for us to talk about that, he'll have to find his way."

  The language barrier is also an issue, with Lampard revealing in May that Enzo "doesn't speak English much at all". Consequently, this feels like an opportunity that will come too soon for the club's record signing.

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  5Ben Chilwell

  A name that will likely be mentioned in despatches in discussions over the club's next club captain and leadership team is Ben Chilwell. Despite only signing in 2020, the 26-year-old suddenly finds himself among the club's longest-serving players.

  A Premier League and Champions League-winner as well as an England international, he has a wealth of experience at the highest level and knows what it means to represent Chelsea through thick and thin, while his disarming, warm character means he is popular among the squad and the fanbase.

  His injury record should be a concern, however, as Pochettino will want his captain to be ever-present. Some will also argue that he is perhaps nice for the job.

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  4Kepa Arrizabalaga

  The notion of Kepa Arrizabalaga even being in contention for the captaincy would have been laughable less than a year ago, but the goalkeeper has battled back to prominence at Stamford Bridge.

  Kepa enjoyed a quietly solid campaign after reclaiming his place between the sticks from now ex-Chelsea stopper Edouard Mendy, and Lampard even handed him the armband for the home game against Brighton at the backend of last season – although that ended in another disappointing defeat.

  He is an outsider for the role, but it has been reported that Pochettino is willing to stick with the Spaniard as his No.1 next season rather than spend on a replacement. That makes him a contender for the captaincy as a vocal presence at the back and one of the longest-serving first-team regulars, despite his shortcomings.

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  3Raheem Sterling

  Raheem Sterling still hasn't even been at Chelsea for a year, but his experience and winning mentality mean he will feature prominently in Pochettino's thoughts as he ponders his decision.

  Sterling has emerged as a natural-born leader, captaining both Manchester City and England in the past and earning the respect of his peers with his exploits both on and off the pitch. His trophy-laden time at the Etihad Stadium means he is comfortably the most decorated player in the Chelsea squad.

  It's a role the player relishes at international level, saying after captaining the Three Lions last year: "It's a great privilege and never in my wildest imagination as a young player coming through did I ever think I would captain England one day, it comes with maturity the manager sees in you, the passion and love I have for the country.

  "I always have this thing where I remember me coming through as a young player and it's nice when senior players put their arms around you, it's a new environment and all we can do is make sure the new ones feel as comfortable as possible."

  The main thing that will count against Sterling is his brief time at Stamford Bridge to date, but don't be surprised to see him in his manager's new leadership team.

A round-up of the third day of second-round matches from Group B of Ranji Trophy 2016-17

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2016Rajasthan claimed their first win of the season after thrashing Assam by an innings and eight runs on a 17-wicket third day in Visakhapatnam. Fast bowlers Pankaj Singh and Aniket Choudhary shared nine wickets between them to help Rajasthan bowl Assam out for 69 in a little over 20 overs. This was Choudhary’s fifth five-wicket haul in 34 first-class matches.That Assam faced a deficit of just 77 was due to seamers Arup Das and Krishna Das, who combined to spark a middle-order collapse that resulted in Rajasthan stumbling from their overnight 204 for 3 to 272 all out. Mahipal Lomror added five to his overnight score of 84 before Abu Nechim trapped him in front. Arup finished with figures of 4 for 53, while Krishna claimed the last three wickets to fall.Rishabh Pant’s boundary-laden 165-ball 155 gave Delhi hope of earning a first-innings lead in the face of Maharashtra’s massive total of 635 for 2 dec, which included the second highest partnership in first-class cricket. Delhi were reduced to 135 for 3, before Pant and Dhruv Shorey added 124 in 171 balls.After Shorey was caught behind for 71, Pant found an able ally in Milind Kumar. The pair carried Delhi to 376 before Milind was dismissed off the final ball of the day for 45. Pant’s unbeaten 155 included 21 fours and six sixes. Delhi are still 259 runs behind Maharashtra’s first-innings score. They’ve got five wickets in hand.After a 13-wicket, topsy-turvy third day, Saurashtra were left needing 116 runs with five wickets in hand against Odisha in Hyderabad. With Odisha resuming on 62 for 2, ahead by 104, Saurashtra clawed their way back with Deepak Punia’s 5 for 39. Odisha were bowled out for 169, with Subhranshu Senapati top-scoring with 57.Saurashtra, needing 212 for their first win of the season, lost two wickets in three balls in the fifth over. However, an 84-run, third-wicket stand between Sagar Jogiyani and Sheldon Jackson pulled the momentum back in Saurashtra’s favour. In the closing stages of the day, Odisha took three wickets in 31 balls for one run to leave the contest evenly poised.Ishan Kishan, India’s captain at the U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh earlier this year, struck his second first-class century to stall Karnataka’s surge in Greater Noida. Jharkhand lost opener Shiv Gautam in the first over of the day, before Virat Singh fell for 10 with the score at 34 for 2. Saurabh Tiwary and Anand Singh then resurrected Jharkhand’s innings with a 66-run stand.Karnataka’s bowlers chipped away, leaving Jharkhand precariously placed at 136 for 4. Kishan and Tiwary then shared a 72-run partnership, before the latter was run-out for 91. Kishan counter-attacked with an unbeaten 118 off 148 balls, an innings that featured 13 fours and five sixes, to help Jharkhand finish the day at 309 for 6, a further 268 runs adrift of Karnataka’s first-innings score.

The club’s most exhaustive and extensive rebuild is on the horizon this summer, as Chelsea begins their quest to regain their status as one of Europe’s most elite sides.

The incoming Mauricio Pochettino has got a mammoth task to trim, refine and assess a horrendously bloated squad.

However, despite owning an absurd number of players, the Blues are still painfully lacking quality in some areas of the pitch and are targeting a new midfielder.

One player, who has been linked and would be a phenomenal addition to Stamford Bridge is Moises Caicedo.

What’s the latest on Moises Caicedo to Chelsea?

According to The Guardian, the 2021 Champions League winners are seeking to secure the Brighton titan to save their hugely underperforming midfield.

It is understood that the Seagulls could demand at least £80m to consider the departure of one of their prize assets.

Meanwhile, the west Londoners have already sold Jorginho, whilst Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are looking set to depart.

This has created space and solid funding to sign one of Europe’s most accomplished and promising youngsters.

Who can Moises Caicedo emulate at Chelsea?

Since the turn of the century, the centre of the park at Chelsea has been blessed with endless quality and dominance.

Michael Essien was a man who embodied this and during a nine-year spell in the capital, he forged an unbelievable reputation as a formidable midfield enforcer, renowned for his strength, athleticism, and indefatigable energy.

The Ghanian arrived in West London in 2004 for £24.4m to make the pivot Chelsea’s most expensive signing at the time. He would go on to make 256 appearances and was named the club’s Player of the Year in 2007.

A box-to-box adonis, aptly nicknamed “The Bison”, he ruthlessly combined a no-nonsense physicality with effortless technique, vision, and leadership.

Essien’s international teammate Derek Boateng has sung his praises, describing the former African footballer of the year as someone who “never lost form in his career.”

From a modern perspective, Caicedo mirrors many of the traits associated with the former professional, particularly his tough tackling and ability to protect the defence.

The 21-year-old ranks in the top 12% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for tackles and interceptions per 90, to emphasize his pivotal contribution to the backline.

For his age, the 30-cap international is a standout performer and has won possession in the midfield third the most times (142) of any U21 player this season.

South American football expert Tim Vickey has labelled the Ecuadorian sensation as a "terrific athlete who makes football look easy” and also hailed him as the “genuine article.”

If Caicedo continues on this frightening trajectory and his pathway to greatness, Essien’s achievements are not out of his grasp and his tenacity could make him a fan-favourite at Stamford Bridge.

Essex have added Neil Wagner to their ranks for 2017 as they look to compete on their return to Division One

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2016

Essex have added Neil Wagner to their ranks for 2017 as they look to compete on their return to Division One. Wagner will fill the main overseas role for the first half of the season, playing Championship and 50-over cricket, before the arrival of Mohammad Amir.Wagner, the New Zealand left-armer, had a successful spell at Lancashire last season, helping them to briefly top the table as he picked up 32 wickets at 29.28. He will add experience to Essex’s attack after the retirements of Graham Napier and David Masters earlier this year.”I really enjoyed my time in England with Lancashire last season, but I am excited about linking up with Essex and building on the team’s success in 2016,” Wagner said. “I want to bring my experience to the team and help us win games. I hope to help the squad get off to a good start in both competitions.”Wagner, who only plays Tests for New Zealand, is expected to be available for all of the Royal London Cup group stage and up to eight Championship matches, depending on when Amir joins up with Essex after the Champions Trophy.Chris Silverwood, the head coach, had been looking to bolster his pace-bowling stocks after losing Napier and Masters, who took 103 wickets between them as Essex claimed the Division Two title. Jamie Porter, 23, has an impressive record but 2017 will be his first taste of Division One cricket, while Essex will hope Matthew Quinn and Matt Dixon continue to develop.”Neil will bring vast experience at the highest level to the club, as well as a skill set that will be valuable in the opening months of the season,” Silverwood said. “He performed excellently for Lancashire last year and is also useful with the bat lower down the order. Hopefully he can help us hit the ground running in 2017.”

The Gunners winger has made 78 consecutive Premier League appearances for Mikel Arteta's team, and he has looked tired in recent weeks

Arsenal spent a lot of time last summer looking to bring in some cover for Bukayo Saka on the right side of their attack. Raphinha was the player they wanted, and they did make a bid for the Leeds United winger. But when that bid was rejected and Raphinha’s determination to seal a dream move to Barcelona became abundantly clear, Arsenal took a step back.

At that point you thought the Gunners would move on to other targets. Moussa Diaby, the Bayer Leverkusen winger, is a player they are known to have admired for some time, and there was a feeling the north London club could make a move for the 23-year-old. But they never did.

And when the transfer window closed at the end of the summer the only right winger who had arrived at Arsenal was Marquinhos, the 19-year-old Brazilian who had come in from Sao Paulo.

The capture of Marquinhos was seen as one for the future. He was talented, but he wasn’t a player who was expected to immediately challenge for the first-team. In fact, the expectation was that he would head out on loan almost immediately. So that left Mikel Arteta once again relying almost purely on Saka on the right hand side of his front-line. 

GettyA player in need of protection

Saka’s durability is one of his biggest strengths. No matter how many games he plays and how many kicks he takes, he always seems to be available. And for Arsenal, that has been hugely important during the past two seasons, because they haven’t really had anyone around who could fill in for him, should he be absent for a sustained period of time.

Reiss Nelson is one possibility, but Arteta has always seemed to prefer using him on the left on the odd occasion he has been handed any game time during the past couple of campaigns.

The fact Saka hasn’t picked up any sort of serious injury seems more down to good fortune rather than anything else, given the treatment he receives on a weekly basis from defenders. His team-mates and Arteta have long called for the winger to be given more protection from referees, but so far those appeals have fallen on deaf ears.

AdvertisementGetty Images78 consecutive league appearances

Saka has featured in every single Premier League game for Arsenal this season. The only game he didn’t start, against Leeds, he was introduced as a second-half substitute despite the fact he had been ill and hadn’t been able to train the day before.

In fact, Saka has made an appearance in Arsenal’s last 78 Premier League fixtures. The last game he missed was against Newcastle in May 2021, when he was an unused substitute. That’s currently the longest run of consecutive league appearances in the league (David de Gea is second with 75).

Since the start of the 2021-22 campaign, Saka has featured 74 times – again, more than any other player in the league. Of those 74 appearances, 71 have been starts. For a 21-year-old, those are remarkable numbers, especially when you factor in the games he has played for England during the same period of time. 

They are also numbers, however, which show how important it is that Arsenal finally bring in some much-needed cover for Saka this summer.

Getty ImagesOne goal in eight games

Saka may have the capability to consistently be available, but his performances in recent weeks suggest the incredible workload he has had to take on has started to catch up with him. Since scoring twice against Crystal Palace on March 19, the winger has started eight times for Arsenal and has struggled to find the same level of performance that he had produced during the earlier part of the campaign.

In those eight games, Saka has managed just one goal and one assist. Previously, he had been averaging 0.82 direct goal involvements per 90 minutes, but since the win against Palace that has dropped sharply, falling to just 0.29.

Saka is now taking fewer shots per 90 minutes (2.3 compared to 2.6), creating fewer chances (1.6 compared to 2.3) and having fewer touches (53.3 compared to 59.6). He also missed a crucial penalty during that run, firing wide in the 2-2 draw at West Ham.

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GettyArteta's need to rotate

When you consider the amount of football Saka has been asked to play, both for his club and his country over the past two years, it is no surprise that physically he may be beginning to struggle a bit as the season comes to a close.

And that doesn’t just go for him when you are looking at the Arsenal team. Up to this point of the campaign, Saka, Ben White, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes have all featured in every league game this season for the Gunners. Saka has clocked up 3,041 Premier League minutes this season. For comparison, Bernardo Silva at Manchester City has 2,119, Jack Grealish has 2,063, Riyad Mahrez has 1,669 and Phil Foden has 1,612.

Pep Guardiola’s embarrassment of riches in the attacking areas means he can pick and choose who he wants for games, safe in the knowledge that the drop off in performance will not be vast. His players now look as sharp as they have all season as a result.

Arteta doesn’t really have that luxury. The core group of his team have started almost every game when available, and that has to change if Arsenal are going to take another step forward next season and compete not just for the Premier League, but also in the Champions League.

A round-up of the final round of Ranji Trophy matches from Group B on December 7, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2016A total of 18 wickets fell in Vadodara as four wickets each from medium-pacers Sumit Narwal and Pradeep Sangwan saw Saurashtra fold for 92 before Delhi went to stumps on 194 for 8 with a 102-run lead.Delhi, who need an outright win to be assured of a playoff spot, chose to field. Wicketkeeper Snell Patel (26) and Kishan Parmar (12) scored 24 runs for the first wicket, but the latter’s dismissal saw Saurashtra quickly fall to 35 for 4. Narwal and Sangwan removed the top seven batsmen, before part-time offspinner Nitish Rana took two wickets with the score on 81 in the 30th over. Saurashtra folded for 92 inside 34 overs. Prerak Mankad top-scored for the third Saurashtra innings in a row with his 33.Shikhar Dhawan and Gautam Gambhir opened Delhi’s innings and were out in consecutive overs after scoring 16 runs each. Their wickets were part of a collapse that saw Delhi go from 38 for no loss to 57 for 4. Rishabh Pant then hit a 28-ball 40 to take Delhi past Saurashtra’s score before Kushang Patel had him caught. Kushang finished the day with four wickets as he troubled Delhi’s middle order who were 128 for 7 at one stage, before a 62-run stand for the eighth wicket between Manan Sharma (33) and Sangwan (39*) took them to stumps with a sizable lead.Vinay Kumar took his third five-wicket haul this season as Karnataka dismissed Maharashtra for 163 before finishing the day on 67 for 1 in Mohali. The spell also saw him move past Madan Lal’s tally of 351 wickets to become the leading wicket-taker among seamers in Ranji Trophy history.Maharashtra, who also need an outright win to qualify, were put into bat. Openers Swapnil Gugale (25) and Rohit Motwani (32) added 42 runs for the first wicket before the former was caught behind off Stuart Binny. The next six overs saw only 3 runs, before Vinay picked up three middle-order wickets as Maharashtra lost six batsmen before they reached 100. Motwani, the innings’ top scorer, was removed by Binny as the team’s seventh dismissal on 113, which was followed by a brief resistance from the lower order before they were wrapped up for 163.Although Karnataka lost debutant opener Arjun Hoysala in the first over to Anupam Sanklecha, his partner Ravikumar Samarth (33*) put on 67 with Kaunain Abbas (30*) to cut Karnataka’s deficit to 96 runs.Noida saw only 46 overs of play due to inclement conditions. Play only began after the scheduled lunch time, and Rajasthan were bowled out for 140 by Vidarbha.Each of Vidarbha’s five bowlers had wickets to their name, as Rajasthan’s wickets fell within 98 runs after openers Amitkumar Gautam (18) and Manendar Singh (27) had put up 42 runs for the first wicket. This included collapses of 4 for 5 and 6 for 50 on either side of a 43-run fifth wicket stand between Rajat Bhatia (26) and Siddharth Dobal (19). Left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate finished with 3 for 22 while Shrikant Wagh, Rajneesh Gurbani and Lalit Yadav took two wickets each.In response, Vidarbha openers Sanjay Ramaswamy and Faiz Fazal played out the day’s last four overs and took them to stumps on 14 for no loss.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane will sit down with the expected new Spurs boss, Ange Postecoglou, to hold talks over where his future lies in north London.

Who is Ange Postecoglou?

The managerial search in N17 is seemingly coming to a close with Daniel Levy believed to have found his man in the Celtic manager Postecoglou.

Indeed, reports have suggested the Australian has now agreed personal terms with the Premier League club just hours after completing the treble with the Bhoys.

It is now believed that it is only the final details which will need to be ironed out with Celtic to overcome in order to see the 57-year-old become the new manager at Spurs.

However, Postecoglou has a huge task on his hands as the Lilywhites appear to be in need of a major rebuild following a dreadful 2022/23 campaign.

And one of the major issues hanging over the club at the moment is the future of their star player, Harry Kane, who has just one year remaining on his current deal.

With the Australian now looking set to become the new Spurs boss, Fabrizio Romano has told his YouTube channel that Postecoglou will hold behind-the-scenes talks with Kane in an attempt to keep him:

"But what is very clear also is that Daniel Levy is still prepared to fight for Harry Kane. He will try once he will have a new manager, conversations will take place with Postecoglou to convince Harry Kane, to keep Harry Kane at the club. So Tottenham will try again in the next days."

Could Kane leave Spurs?

The England captain's future appears to be at a real crossroads this summer with a number of clubs believed to be interested amid his dwindling contract.

Indeed, it is believed the likes of Manchester United have identified him as a priority signing for the summer window as Erik ten Hag searches for a new striker.

However, interest from abroad has also increased over recent days with reports suggesting Real Madrid will look to Kane as their potential replacement for the departing Karim Benzema.

Two of the world's biggest clubs could, therefore, be on the hunt for Kane's services this summer but it seems Spurs are not willing to potentially lose him without a fight.

But is Postecoglou a big enough name to convince Kane to stay?

The Australian has enjoyed a brilliant spell at Parkhead having won a bag full of trophies over his two years in the job.

However, this potential move to north London would be the 57-year-old's first job in one of Europe's top five leagues which could leave a lot of uncertainty for the England captain.

Kane will turn 30 years old over the coming weeks and whether he is willing to invest his time in this expected rebuild at Spurs under a manager who is not proven at this level is yet to be seen.

Erik ten Hag wants to add a No.9, but has limited funds after signing Mason Mount, with the only solution to cash in on a number of his squad players

Manchester United's need for a striker could not have been more obvious as they stumbled through the final few weeks of last season. As it became increasingly clear Wout Weghorst was incapable of scoring, Erik ten Hag's side had to rely on a worn-out Marcus Rashford and a half-fit Anthony Martial to get them over the line in their bid for Champions League qualification.

Ten Hag made his feelings clear about the need for a striker but, one month after the season came to an end, the only new player to have arrived at Old Trafford is midfielder Mason Mount, burning a £60 million ($76m) hole in an already tight budget. The Red Devils have a maximum of £120m ($153m) to spend this summer due to the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability rules, and they also need to sign a goalkeeper after doing a U-turn on a new contract for David de Gea.

It could take around £50 million ($63m) to get No.1 'keeper target Andre Onana from Inter, which would mean maxing out the budget with no new striker to show for it. But there is a way out of United's spending dilemma, and that is to sell players.

The club have been notoriously imprudent when it comes to selling players, pocketing a mere £133m ($170m) since 2013, the lowest of their fellow Premier League 'Big Six' teams and in stark contrast to Chelsea, who have earned £706m ($901m) from sales in the same period.

But United have plenty of players they can make money from, and selling them wisely is key to regenerating Ten Hag's squad. GOAL takes a look at who they can sell and for how much…

Getty ImagesJadon Sancho (£50m)

Sancho has fallen way short of what was expected from him after his £73m move from Borussia Dortmund. In two seasons and 79 appearances, he has contributed just 12 goals and six assists. It is a remarkable drop off from his time in Germany, when he scored 50 goals and provided 64 assists in 137 matches.

His second season at Old Trafford was no easier than his first, and despite making a good start by scoring against Liverpool, his confidence faded and Ten Hag removed him from the squad for over two months to work on his fitness and confidence.

There were some flashes of the Sancho who Dortmund fans knew and loved, but tangible, important contributions were few and far between. United know they will make a loss on Sancho if they do sell him, and if an offer in the region of £50m arrives they will surely bite.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHarry Maguire (£40m)

Maguire played in fewer than half of United's league games last season, making only eight starts. And when he did play, he oftenstruggled badly.His stock has fallen so much that he has fallen to fifth-choice centre-back,even dropping behind left-back Luke Shawin the pecking order.

He is ill-equipped for the type of football Ten Hag wants United to play, but his career at the top level is by no means over. He remains first-choice for England despite everything that has happened this season, and he would have plenty of takers from mid-level clubs in the Premier League.

United will have to swallow their pride and admit they made a mistake making Maguire the most expensive defender in the world in 2019. But if they can make back even half of that fee then they should take it, especially as he has two years left on his contract.

Getty ImagesScott McTominay (£35m)

McTominay saw his playing time severely squeezed by the arrivals of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, starting only 10 league games in 2022-23. And just when he was starting to get back in contention for a starting berth in April, he got injured. The arrival of Mount, even if not a like-for-like replacement, has seen him drop yet further down the pecking order.

But the Scotland midfielder has been in sensational form for his country, scoring five goals in his last four international appearances. He is still a player in demand and, at 26, has a fine career ahead of him.

Even though it would hurt to let one of their own go, a fee of between £30m and £40m would likely be enough to persuade United to part with McTominay.

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Getty ImagesAnthony Martial (£15m)

Since returning from a disappointing loan spell at Sevilla, Martial has proved two things most United fans already knew. Firstly, that he remains a quality player on his day, scoring six Premier League goals from only 11 starts. But secondly, that he is incapable of staying fit for long periods.

The Frenchman, who United paid £50m for in 2015, suffered five injuries last season, missing a total of 27 matches and never once completing 90 minutes. His frail fitness means that he is not much use as a back-up striker, and he missed the FA Cup final after suffering a hamstring injury in the final league game of the season.

Although it has been reported the club are looking for £25m for Martial, his long-running injury problems and the fact he only has one year left on his contract means his sell-on value is fading fast. An offer of £15m should be enough to convince the club to sell.