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The injury has ruled him out of the third T20I against India on Sunday and could also put him in doubt for the start of the forthcoming Bangladesh tour

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-20172:55

The Angelo Mathews story

Angelo Mathews will be out of action for at least two weeks with the hamstring strain he sustained on Friday – another chapter in his long-standing woes with leg injuries.Mathews pulled up injured as he ran in to deliver the third ball of his third over in the T20 in Indore. He left the field without completing that over, and did not return to bat. Sri Lanka’s team management has since confirmed the presence of a grade one strain – an injury that will not only rule him out of the third T20 against India on Sunday, but will also put him in doubt for the start of the forthcoming Bangladesh tour. The official word is that Mathews may be fit again in two weeks, but his recoveries have often taken longer than expected.Though it is calf injuries that have given Mathews most grief over the past 18 months, hamstrings have also been problematic throughout his career. Since the middle of 2015, he has missed a full tour of Zimbabwe, come home early from a tour of South Africa, missed Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka, and missed a full tour of the UAE – all because of various leg injuries.The team management had already decided not to deploy Mathews’ bowling in Tests, in order to minimise risk of further complaints, but this latest injury also raises doubts over whether his body can sustain even a limited-overs workload.There is also the issue of his batting form. The stuttered nature of his international involvement over the past two years has coincided with a long lean stretch. He had just begun to produce runs again when this injury was sustained.*This article had originally said Mathews had sustained a tear in his hamstring. However, he has merely strained it – a less serious injury.

Aston Villa could revisit one of their long-term transfer targets this summer, as Unai Emery bids to resolve the injury woes already plaguing the squad.

Just one game into the season and the Villans are without both Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia for the foreseeable future, with both starting players suffering significant knee injuries.

While the Argentine’s fate was confirmed last week, Mings was stretchered off the pitch at St James’ Park just half an hour into the Premier League opener against Newcastle United, leaving Emery two players short so early into the campaign.

Despite hiring strongly already this summer, the Spaniard could opt to delve back into the market to gather further reinforcements following the double blow.

Who could Aston Villa sign this summer?

The name surrounding Villa’s current transfer narrative is Nicolo Zaniolo, who is close to being unveiled in claret and blue this week on an initial loan deal from Galatasaray.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

Considering Buendia’s injury, paired with the expected departure of Philippe Coutinho, Emery could consider revisiting a former target of the Villans in the form of his former player, Dani Ceballos.

The Spaniard was linked to Villa in the January window, with Sport reporting earlier this month that the Midlands club were readying an offer worth €15m (£12.8m) for the midfielder.

Emery was behind the 27-year-old’s first spell on loan at Arsenal, with the player already having Premier League experience under his belt.

What is Dani Ceballos’ style of play?

Having been praised by the Villa boss himself as a “very good player” due to his capabilities of playing as both a number 10 and eight in central midfield, the Spaniard is a real handful in the middle of the park.

With talents in both the offensive and defensive roles in and around the engine room, the Real Madrid ace could be the perfect acquisition for Emery to reconsider showing interest in, in the absence of Buendia.

Also lauded as “too good” and as an “amazing” talent by scout Jacek Kulig, the 27-year-old could be a valuable asset for the manager to once again have at his disposal, in a player that already has sufficient experience in the English game.

On two separate loan spells, Ceballos made 77 appearances for the Gunners, playing as both an attacking midfielder and adhering to the deeper role in midfield on occasions to showcase his versatility.

Like Buendia, the Utrera-born star is a creative-minded talent, as highlighted by his numbers last season for Los Blancos, in which he averaged a mighty 11.74 progressive passes and 1.73 key passes per 90 in LaLiga, via FBref.

Deployed with the role of a box-to-box player in mind, the Spaniard is a strong carrier of the ball, as conveyed by his 3.45 progressive carries per 90 last term, suggesting that he could be the perfect addition in Emery’s free-flowing system in the middle of the park.

Identified as a manager that sets his teams up to build through the middle channel, the four-time Europa League winner could integrate Ceballos into his plans to great success.

The £172k-per-week gem has all the tools to thrive at Villa Park and could be a strong acquisition to reconsider following Buendia’s injury blow.

Craig Overton has described a ban handed to him for using abusive language in 2015 as “the turning point” of his career

George Dobell in Perth03-Nov-2017Craig Overton has described a ban handed to him for using abusive language as “the turning point” of his career.Overton has emerged as a genuine contender for a place in England’s team for the first Ashes Test at Brisbane in three-weeks’ time. But he admits the wake-up call of the ban – the result of an incident in a game in September 2015 – forced him to reflect on his behaviour and led to his maturing both on and off the pitch.Overton was accused by one of the umpires, Alex Wharf, of having told the Sussex batsman Ashar Zaidi to “go back to your own f***ing country”. While Zaidi, Pakistan-born but a British citizen, did not hear the comments and Overton denied any memory of having made them, he did admit his behaviour had become unnecessarily cantankerous. He was subsequently banned for two games for using abusive rather than racist language and later admitted the verdict was “fair enough, really”.As a result of the incident, Somerset arranged for Overton to see a psychotherapist. And, as a result of those sessions with Abbie Kench, Overton has emerged as a far more mature cricketer who, aged 23, has developed into Somerset’s attack leader. Only two England-qualified bowlers (Jamie Porter and Ben Coad) claimed more Division One wickets in 2017 – he took 46 at a cost of 22.39 apiece – and where once a promising spell might be spoiled by a frustrated barrage of short-balls and abuse, he now has the discipline to retain his control and his composure.”That’s not how you behave on a cricket field,” Overton admitted, reflecting on the Zaidi incident. “You can’t act like that. It was not just that incident. The whole summer there were a few instances.”I’ve calmed down the last couple of years and I think what happened has made me realise you can’t go on acting like that. I don’t want to lose the edge. It’s just finding the right balance and not going too far. That incident matured me a little bit which I’m really happy with and I’ve moved on from that. It was massively a turning point.”Craig Overton waits to bowl in the nets•Getty ImagesSo much of a turning point, that Overton has a good chance of forcing his way into the Test team over the next few days. While he isn’t the quickest – his natural pace would probably be in the mid to low 80s mph – he has a good range of skills, gains sharp bounce from his height and has the ability to deliver a sharper spell when required. Crucially, despite failing to make a half-century in the 2017 season, he also offers more with the bat than Jake Ball – his rival for the fourth seamer’s spot – and he has developed into a decent slip catcher off the spin bowlers at Somerset. With Ben Stokes absent, that remains another hole for England to fill.”I try and work on my slip catching as much as possible,” Overton said. “Someone has got to field there. I’ll put my hand up if I have to.”My batting is one thing that maybe I see where I have an edge over the others. Growing up, I always wanted to be an allrounder. I’ve still got that skill with the bat so I’ll make sure I use the coaches here to get the most out of my batting and score a few runs if I play.”But for injury to his twin, Jamie, it is entirely possible both brothers could have made the tour. Jamie is, by some distance, the quicker of the two and, in the brief moments he was fully fit during the 2017 season, looked as good a prospect as any fast bowler in England. As it is, though, his role on this tour could well be limited to that of net bowler.”Jamie is here for Christmas,” Overton said. “He says he might bowl at us a little bit. He’s getting back to full fitness now which is really nice.”We were very competitive growing up. But I think that’s very normal for twin brothers. They want to get the best out of each other. He’s happy for me. We work pretty well together. He’s been through a pretty tough few years and he’s really happy with the way I’ve gone. Hopefully he’ll be following in my footsteps.”

West Ham United boss David Moyes is looking to bring one of Europe's most exciting young attackers to the London Stadium before the close of play in the market, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Is Mohammed Kudus going to West Ham United?

According to Football Insider, Ajax attacker Mohammed Kudus is said to be keen to move to the London Stadium this summer amid developments that have seen West Ham leap to the front of the queue to sign the Ghana international.

Kudus was close to joining Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton & Hove Albion side earlier in the window for a fee in the region of £35 million; however, the deal collapsed after he demanded a release clause to move to the Amex Stadium.

The Guardian report that talks are 'advancing' between West Ham and Kudus over a deal that could now be worth £40 million. Arsenal, Chelsea and Brighton have all shown interest in acquiring the 22-year-old this window.

Montpellier striker Elye Wahi is also being targeted by West Ham to strengthen their forward line while free agent Jesse Lingard is training with the club after leaving Nottingham Forest and could be offered a short-term deal in east London.

Despite speculation over his future in Amsterdam, Kudus scored in Ajax's opening day victory over Heracles Almelo in the Eredivisie, helping his side to run out 4-1 victors, as per ESPN.

Last term, Kudus hit great heights across all competitions, pitching in with 18 goals and seven assists for Ajax across 42 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano has revealed that Kudus is indeed a 'priority' target for West Ham in the latter stages of the window.

Romano stated: "With Brighton, the deal is more than on standby. At the moment, it is off because Brighton had an agreement with Ajax but not with the player.

"Let's see if they will decide to go for Kudus even if they don't sell Lucas Paqueta, but he is one of the priority targets, for sure."

Who else could join West Ham United?

According to The Evening Standard, West Ham are moving forward in their bid to sign Stuttgart defender Konstantinos Mavropanos after their proposed deal to bring in Manchester United defender Harry Maguire collapsed.

In a surprise turn of events, the Hammers are also keen on signing Rennes winger Jeremy Doku and are embroiled in a race with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur to bring in the Belgium international, as per The Independent.

The report states that West Ham are 'consequently more advanced' in their approach to try and land Doku for a fee believed to be under the £50 million mark.

West Ham have held initial discussions with Burnley regarding midfielder Josh Brownhill, though several other 'unnamed clubs' remain in the race for the Warrington-born ace, as per The Daily Express.

A Ranji Trophy match will be telecast for the first time this season, a ground will make its Ranji debut, and a team will play the first knockout match in its Ranji history

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2017A Ranji Trophy match will be telecast for the first time this season, a ground will make its Ranji debut, and a team will play its first quarter-final match in history as India’s premier domestic tournament reaches its quarter-final stage on December 7.Quarter-finals from December 7

Gujarat (B1) v Bengal (D2) – Jaipur

Delhi (A2) v Madhya Pradesh (C1) – Vijayawada

Kerala (B2) v Vidarbha (D1) – Surat

Karnataka (A1) v Mumbai (C2) – Nagpur

The match between 41-time champions Mumbai and the form team Karnataka, to be played in Nagpur where India beat Sri Lanka earlier this week, will be live on BCCI’s broadcast partners. Although select matches were webcast in the league stages, this will be the first match on TV. Karnataka blitzed through their group with four wins and two draws, and have among their ranks Mayank Agarwal, who has already reached 1064 runs and has sights on VVS Laxman’s record of 1415 runs in a single Ranji season. Mumbai, meanwhile, had to wait until Monday to ensure progress to the next round after having to launch rearguards in the league stages.Vijayawada’s Dr Gokaraju Liala Gangaaraju ACA Cricket Ground will make its Ranji debut as it hosts the match between Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Delhi will likely be without their full-time captain Ishant Sharma, as the third Test starts on December 2, but could well be available should they make it to the semi-final. The ground has already hosted international cricket when the women’s teams from India and West Indies played each other in 2016, and made its first-class debut during a series between India-New Zealand A in September-OctoberThis will be the first time Kerala will play a quarter-final match since the introduction of the tier system in the Ranji Trophy format in 2011. With 31 points, they finished second to the defending champions and the dominant Gujarat side in Group B. With two centuries and an average of 57.70, a rejuvenated Sanju Samson has led their charge. Kerala will face Vidarbha in Surat. Vidarbha led Group D with 31 points.Gujarat, who won five of their six matches outright, will go up against Bengal in Jaipur.Unlike the league matches, which are four-day matches, quarter-finals will be played over five days. The BCCI did not explain how the match-ups was arrived at nor is there any information on how the semi-final match-ups will be decided.

Zimbabwe captain feels situational awareness which they lack at the moment will only come if they play more Tests

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo25-Oct-2017Graeme Cremer, the Zimbabwe captain, rued his team’s batting failures after West Indies completed a 117-run win in the first Test in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe collapsed from 91 for 1 to 159 all out on the second day at Queens Sports Club, and crumbled again in similar fashion on the fourth day. Cremer suggested “we couldn’t quite work out how to score against their bowlers on this wicket”.”I thought on day one we were excellent with the ball and in the field,” Cremer said. “We had a really good opportunity there to go and put some runs on the board and put them under pressure, but we had too many soft dismissals on day two. For me it comes down to that first innings. Even if we had got 250, in their second innings they would have been under a bit more pressure.”Zimbabwe’s lapses on the second day allowed West Indies a 60-run first innings lead, and the visitors built on that thanks to patient innings from their top five. Their batsmen were, perhaps, helped by the fact that they have seven Tests to Zimbabwe’s two this year.”It makes it easier when you are playing a lot more Test cricket, because you learn how to play different situations and you realise how much time there is in the game,” Cremer said. “I thought West Indies did it really well in the second innings – they slowed the whole game down and never looked rushed. It’s something we need to learn to do a bit more, in those periods that are tough just soak up the pressure. Then the opposition search for wickets and you get to score. The more we play I’m sure we’ll get better at that.”Zimbabwe were eventually set the monumental task of scoring 434 or surviving six sessions to avoid defeat. “We thought we would just play normal, positive cricket, and if we batted out today we could assess where we were at and whether we needed to try and survive the day or go for it,” Cremer explained. “It wasn’t to be. To chase down 434 is always going to be tough, especially on a wicket that was starting to deteriorate. The West Indies were just a bit better.”One clear positive for Cremer was the return of batsman Brendan Taylor and new-ball bowler Kyle Jarvis. Though neither could affect the outcome of the game, both players put in telling performances. “They came in and it was like they never left,” he said. “Guys accepted them straight back in. It was great to see Jarvy with the new ball again – I thought he was good on a tough wicket. BT obviously didn’t score in the first innings but we saw in the second innings how good he is and how good he can be. It was just a pity he got out when he did.”Cremer also paid tribute to fellow legspinner Devendra Bishoo, who spearheaded West Indies’ attack with nine wickets in the match, without denying that there was a bit of friendly rivalry between the two. “Bish bowled really well,” Cremer said. “I thought I went okay, I lost rhythm now and again but that can happen. But there’s definitely that competition between legspinners, but Bish is a good guy and we’re mates. We will probably exchange tips after the series, but not now.”

An update has emerged on Leeds United and their attempts to strengthen the playing squad before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Leeds transfer news?

According to The Telegraph's Mike McGrath, the Whites are set to land Tottenham Hotspur central defender Joe Rodon on a season-long loan.

The reporter has stated that the west Yorkshire outfit have agreed on a deal with the Premier League side to secure the Wales international's services on a temporary basis.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

"Tottenham have agreed a deal for Wales centre-back Joe Rodon to join Leeds on a season-long loan. Formalities of deal to follow in coming days," he tweeted.

If the deal gets complete this week, it could see him available for the trip to face Birmingham City on Saturday afternoon.

How good is Joe Rodon?

The 25-year-old titan is a proven Championship performer who also has top-level experience and would come in as a far better option than Robin Koch, who has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan for the season, for Daniel Farke.

Rodon spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Rennes in France and averaged a solid Sofascore rating of 6.88 across 16 Ligue 1 outings as he won 61% of his duels and completed 90% of his attempted passes.

Koch, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.63 over 36 Premier League matches for Leeds, which placed him 17th within the squad. The Germany international came out on top in 57% of his duels and finished the season with a pass completion rate of just 77%.

Both players were plying their trade in major European leagues and Rodon stood out above the former Freiburg man with his average performance level, quality in possession, and his strength in physical contests.

The Tottenham outcast's score for Rennes was also higher than any Whites defender managed last term as Max Wober led the way with a rating of 6.84, which means that the possible new signing could be the best central defensive option for the head coach this season.

This suggests that the 6 foot 4 colossus would be better for Leeds than Koch was for the club last term due to his ability on and off the ball at the heart of the defence.

Rodon would also come in with Championship experience from his time with Swansea earlier in his career.

During the 2019/20 campaign, the £24k-per-week gem averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 21 appearances.

No Leeds player with at least five appearances averaged a Sofascore rating higher than 6.98 for the club last term and this suggests that the Spurs talent has the potential to be an outstanding performer for Farke.

Rodon, who was once hailed as "perfect" by ex-manager Jose Mourinho, would come in as a defender who can hit the ground running as he already knows the country and league, rather than coming in from a foreign club with no experience of English football.

This could allow him to make an immediate impact on the pitch as a way better option than Koch, and potentially the rest of Farke's centre-backs, which is why this signing could improve the squad and, therefore, the club's chances of earning promotion straight back to the Premier League over the next nine months.

Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis set the agenda as West Indies withstood a chilly autumnal evening, and a spirited England fightback, to seal victory by 21 runs at Chester-le-Street

The Report by Andrew Miller16-Sep-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChris Gayle set the agenda with a traditionally six-laden cameo, while his heir apparent, Evin Lewis, lived up to his lofty billing with 51 from 28 balls, as West Indies withstood a chilly autumnal evening, and a spirited England fightback with the ball, to seal victory by 21 runs in the one-off T20 at Chester-le-Street.On a night that could not have been further removed from the balmy, barmy circumstances of their previous T20 encounter, in the World T20 final in Kolkata 18 months ago, West Indies choked England’s ambitions, first through the spin twins of Sunil Narine and Ashley Nurse, and then through a canny spell of pace-off-the-ball from Kieron Pollard, Kesrick Williams and Carlos Brathwaite, at precisely the moment when it seemed their own resolve was about to crack in the inhospitable conditions.After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, West Indies served up the definitive innings of two halves. At the halfway mark they had rampaged to 106 for 1, with Gayle and Lewis crunching seven sixes between them in a freewheeling partnership, but they were restricted to 70 for 8 thereafter, as Liam Plunkett’s deck-hitting aggression, allied to another wily spell of legspin from Adil Rashid, looked to have kept their target well within manageable proportions.With the weather beginning to deteriorate as quickly as the temperature, the contest seemed to have swung decisively in England’s favour – the first-ball dismissal of Jason Roy notwithstanding – when Alex Hales smashed 43 from 17 balls to launch their pursuit in a fusillade of boundaries. But when, in the sixth over, Hales missed a loose drive to be bowled by a gleeful Brathwaite, England’s usually power-packed middle order could produce no adequate substitute for his sublime ball-striking.Joe Root, often so adept at working the gaps to allow his team-mates to clear the ropes, this time turned in a stodgy innings of 17 from 19 balls that came to an end with a low catch at short cover as Nurse struck with his third delivery. And spin continued to apply a tourniquet to England’s run-rate, as Eoin Morgan ducked and dived against Narine to no avail. After three consecutive dot-balls, Morgan reversed his hands for flick through backward point, but picked out the fielder to depart for 2 – his seventh consecutive single-figure score in all T20 innings.Eoin Morgan picked up another low score•Getty ImagesThe conditions were never easy for West Indies’ fielders – the cold and damp combined to create a funereal over-rate as well as regular protests about the slippery out-field. But with the umpires adamant that the show must go on – and the hardy Durham crowd certainly never lost the faith in that regard – West Indies found a second wind as England’s innings dribbled through the middle overs.If anyone was going to reignite the run-chase, it was Jos Buttler, whose mere presence was a reminder that nothing could be taken for granted. But with little pace to work with, he was unable to risk his habitual dinks over the keeper’s head for fear of holing out behind square, and he had been limited to two boundaries in a 27-ball stay when a Williams short ball induced a spliced pull to Rovman Powell at deep midwicket.Williams – who had borne the brunt of Hales’ earlier onslaught, when pace on the ball had equalled pace off the bat – then made it two in the over as a skittish Rashid gloved an attempted ramp to the keeper. Narine returned for his final over, that included the stumping off David Willey for 1, before Jonny Bairstow – England’s final, final hope – capped a collapse of 4 for 11 in 14 balls when he shovelled a Brathwaite slower ball to backward square leg.Fittingly, it was the captain Brathwaite – remember that name? – who put the seal on the victory as Plunkett missed a slog across the line with three balls of the innings remaining. England were all out for 155, done in by some canny bowling and a classy outfit who proved, as if it needed reiterating, that their World T20 triumph was no fluke.In the final analysis, however, it was West Indies’ flying start with the bat that proved the decisive difference between the sides. And fittingly, given that what little hype in the build-up to this contest had centred around the master and the apprentice at the top of West Indies’ order, it was Gayle and Lewis who shared top billing.Gayle, who got off the mark first-ball with an edged four through third man, soaked up a handful of sighters with that exaggerated caution that has so often been a feature of his game, before crunching from first gear to overdrive in the waft of a bat. His seventh ball, from Willey, was spanked over midwicket to bring up the 100th six of his T20 international career, and he celebrated that landmark in emphatic style one ball later, an arcing flog down the ground and over the sightscreen as Willey was once again punished for feeding Gayle’s strengths on a full length outside off.At the other end, Lewis – whose last act in West Indies’ colours had been a matchwinning 125 not out from 62 balls against India – slipstreamed his senior partner with poise and maturity. He avoided falling for the ego-trap that had done for Gayle (and his predecessor as opener, Johnson Charles) in the World T20 final, when Root was tossed the ball for the second over of the Powerplay for tidy over of darting offbreaks, and instead saved his change-up for the introduction of Tom Curran, whom he cracked for four, six, four, six from the first four balls he faced.West Indies finished the Powerplay on a daunting 72 for 0, but England – to their credit – found a means to claw back into the contest. The catalyst came with the introduction of Plunkett in the seventh over, as Gayle was pushed onto the back foot by a lifter outside off, and was slow to set off as Roy’s shy from backward point was sharply gathered by the bowler to pull off a tight run-out.Lewis’s half-century then came to an end as he smashed a Plunkett slower ball into the midriff of Root at mid-off, and when Plunkett followed up with two more major scalps – Marlon Samuels, caught at midwicket off a cramped pull for 10, and Pollard – expertly plucked at fine leg by a stretching Curran – England had found a means to restore their foothold in the game.Rashid, who’d been teasing out a tidy line and length in his mid-innings holding role, then dragged one down for Chadwick Walton to flog a top-edged pull out to Willey at deep midwicket, then did for Brathwaite and Narine in quick succession as an untimely rain interruption – with seven balls remaining – further disrupted West Indies’ flow. But, just as had been the case on that famous night in Kolkata, West Indies would not be denied. The prize on this occasion was rather more low-key, but with their big names back on parade after a low-key Test leg of their tour, it was a notable return to the colours nonetheless.

Sheffield Wednesday have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Anthony Musaba from AS Monaco.

What’s the latest Sheffield Wednesday transfer news?

It has been a dramatic few months for The Owls both on and off the pitch which began in the League One playoffs. Darren Moore was the man in charge and helped turn around a 4-0 semi-final first-leg deficit against Peterborough United, with the club then sealing their place in the Championship with a last-minute final winner at Wembley against Barnsley.

However, since then, Moore has left Hillsborough after chairman Dejphon Chansiri claimed he wanted a new contract four times bigger than his existing one, with the club eventually bringing in Xisco Munoz as the new manager.

Five new players have been brought in ahead of the 2023/24 campaign which gets underway this weekend. Reece James, Di'Shon Bernard, Juan Delgado, Ashley Fletcher and Pol Valentin have all made the move to Wednesday, and it looks as if the club are closing in on another piece of business ahead of the opening weekend clash with Southampton on Friday.

The Star shared a transfer update from Sheffield Wednesday earlier this morning, claiming that the club are closing in on another signing.

Musaba was named as a target earlier in the week and it is believed ‘that a deal has been agreed between the involved parties as the move draws closer’. The player is reportedly expected to touch down in the UK imminently, and it is claimed that a loan deal is likely with Musaba still having time left on his Monaco contract.

Who is Anthony Musaba?

Musaba is 22 years of age and spent time in the academies of NEC Nijmegen and Vitesse Arnhem before moving to Monaco back in 2020 in a deal which was worth €2.5m.

Since then, he has been sent out on loan to Belgium with Cercle Brugge, the Netherlands with Heerenveen and France with FC Metz. The Dutch U21 international also returned to NEC Nijmegen on loan back in January for the second half of the previous campaign.

Primarily a right-winger, Musaba can turn out on the left or as a centre-forward and has made over 100 senior appearances during his career so far, although only one has come for his parent club Monaco.

The Adidas-sponsored attacker has scored 19 goals at senior level and provided 10 assists, so should be able to bring an exciting and versatile attacking option to Hillsborough.

Munoz has been looking to add a bit of pace and flair to his side ahead of the new season, so Musaba may well be just the player he has been after. Wednesday currently have just one right-winger on the books in Malik Wilks, as per Transfermarkt, with a number of central options available to Munoz, meaning Musaba could be utilised on the flank, aiming to make a name for himself in the second tier.

It appears as if a deal is extremely close to being completed, and it’ll be interesting to see where the Owls decide to strengthen next with Musaba on course to become the sixth player through the door this summer.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping that he can get his team firing straight from the word go as the Premier League season looms ever closer.

The Dutchman lost his opening two league games last season, and it could have threatened his tenure before it even began, yet the club bounced back and secured Champions League football via a third-place finish while even winning the League Cup.

Andre Onana and Mason Mount have joined the Old Trafford side and now the onus is on Ten Hag to improve his squad for the challenges ahead.

Could Manchester United sign Joshua Kimmich?

According to reports in Spain, the Red Devils are keen on signing the German international from Bayern Munich ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

With two years left on his current contract, Thomas Tuchel may feel that this is the last big chance to secure a major transfer fee for the 28-year-old, thus allowing United to potentially swoop in for him.

He currently earns £322k-per-week at the Bundesliga giants and this type of wage would certainly put him among the top bracket of earners should he join United.

How good is Joshua Kimmich?

Having joined the club in 2015, Kimmich has since gone on to make close to 350 appearances for the Bavarian side, winning eight Bundesliga crowns while lifting the Champions League trophy in 2020 and there is a reason why he is being courted by United.

Kimmich has become an integral part of the Bayern juggernaut over the years, and he is also statistically similar to Toni Kroos, suggesting he could be a wonderful addition at Old Trafford.

According to FBref, the Real Madrid star is the first-most similar player to Kimmich across Europe’s top five leagues in terms of statistical profile, and considering how revered Kroos is due to his longevity and success at the highest level, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.

The previous 365 days have seen the two midfielders register similar statistics when it comes to pass completion percentage (90.9% to 84.3%), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.3 to 4.55) and progressive passes (319 to 315), demonstrating just how effective they are at constantly circulating the ball, and they try and create plenty of chances for others to score.

Kimmich ranks in the top 1% compared to positional peers for progressive passes per 90 (9.87), while Kroos also ranks in the top 1% for the same metric, achieving 12.22 progressive passes per minute and the similarities don’t end there.

WhoScored states that Kimmich and Kroos both list passing and key passes as major strengths, while they both exude similar styles of play in that they enjoy shooting from a distance, also playing long balls often during matches.

Legendary manager Jose Mourinho once lauded him for his positional versatility, saying:

"I think he looks to me, very intelligent related to football, very intelligent, understands the moments of the games and understands the difference between positions and understands what he has to do here and what he has to do there.”

If Ten Hag manages to get this move done before the end of the transfer window, it could turn into a resounding success, especially with the similarities to Kroos, who has been one of the finest midfielders in Europe over the previous decade.