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Arsenal have been linked with a move for a centre-back ahead of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Arsenal's interest in Josip Sutalo?

According to Croatian newspaper 24sata, the Gunners are in contact with Dinamo Zagreb over the potential transfer of Josip Sutalo but are yet to submit a formal offer for his signature.

It's thought that the Prva HNL champions are demanding a fee of around €20m (£18m) and that the Premier League leaders are prepared to pay such an amount.

Dinamo have been preparing for the 23-year-old's departure for quite some time, so are open to letting him leave should their valuation be met. It's claimed that both teams will ramp up negotiations in order to strike a deal, sooner rather than later.

Who is Josip Sutalo?

Just like RB Leipzig colossus Josko Gvardiol, Sutalo has come up through the Croatian outfit's youth academy to star for both club and country in recent years. Indeed, he played in their World Cup third-place play-off and was part of the Dinamo side that narrowly lost to Chelsea in the Champions League earlier in the season.

The 6 foot 3 gem has also been linked as a potential successor to the aforementioned Gvardiol, making him seem like an absolute bargain at £18m, considering his central defensive counterpart could command a fee in the region of £90m this summer.

Described as a "highly underrated" defender by scout Jacek Kulig, Sutalo's towering presence means he can dominate aerially and be a real battering ram on the ground, with interceptions and ground duels a key facet of his game, per fellow scout Ron Dor.

It's no secret that Arsenal have faltered in recent weeks due to their weak squad depth, particularly in defence, so interest in Sutalo makes for interesting reading especially given Gvardiol's impact post-Dinamo.

Just like his up-and-coming peer, Sutalo is also adept with the ball at his feet, having registered an impressive 93.9% and 86.8% passing accuracy across the World Cup and Champions League this season, via WhoScored. This would also make him a perfect fit for Mikel Arteta and his system in north London, primarily playing out from the back.

Also lauded as "a top talent" by renowned transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, it's clear that the 23-year-old is one of the most impressive young centre-backs in Europe right now, so it's on sporting director Edu Gaspar and his recruitment staff to ensure that it's the Gunners who win the race for his coveted signature.

And given there have been tentative talks between the two clubs already, you'd imagine there's a good chance that Arsenal can land their own version of Gvardiol by making the bargain move for Sutalo this summer.

Arsenal may well have suffered from three poor recent results that have thrown the title into Manchester City’s hands, but Mikel Arteta should remain immensely proud of what his team has accomplished thus far this campaign.

It seems that perhaps a loss of mentality, due to this being new ground for many within the team, and a lack of adequate squad depth to compete with the unlimited funds that Pep Guardiola boasts, have seen things turn dramatically in the space of just two weeks.

Now, with games in hand for the Cityzens, it has become theirs to lose.

In an effort to ensure that in the coming seasons, should they maintain their place around the apex of the table, further reinforcements will be needed if they are to take that final step and actually claim the ultimate silverware.

Perhaps by mimicking some of the talent that the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach has at his disposal it could bridge the quality gap that is so apparent.

In Gabri Veiga, who the Gunners have been linked with for some time now, there are shades of the mercurial Bernardo Silva that would make this a fine potential deal.

Would Gabri Veiga be a good signing?

As a classy yet combative midfield option to provide a foil for any of Granit Xhaka, Martin Odegaard or even Thomas Partey at a stretch, the young Spaniard has a bright future ahead.

Boasting a reported €40m (£35m) release clause too, the 20-year-old is far from unattainable if Edu is truly serious about bolstering Arteta’s squad.

Having enjoyed a breakout season for Celta Vigo, scoring nine and assisting four from central midfield, he pairs this technical proficiency with a tireless work rate that also sees him record 1.4 tackles per game.

With City’s Portuguese maestro also merging goal contributions with a relentless attitude, what truly ties these two creators together is their unparalleled ability on the ball. When driving forward Silva is often unstoppable, finding a way to nutmeg opponents who gave him no opening.

The data supports this, as he ranks in the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 10% for successful take-ons when compared to other midfielders across Europe.

A mesmeric run that saw him glide past three Bayern Munich players last week best exemplifies this. However, for comparison, Veiga also ranks in the top 10% and the top 3% for these metrics respectively.

Branded a “dangerous” asset by journalist Euan McTear, capable of excelling on the top stage, perhaps Arsenal could seek to invest in the young midfielder now before he inevitably grows into an unattainable world-class asset. His acquisition could prove the catalyst towards bridging that gap with the reigning champions.

Liverpool continue their pursuit of European football today and can take a huge step towards achieving that goal by capitalising on the poor form of Tottenham Hotspur.

Welcoming Ryan Mason's outfit to Anfield, there is hope around Merseyside that a routine win is in the offing given the recent misfortune that the Lilywhites have suffered.

Their 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Newcastle United is still fresh in the mind, but having battled back from two goals down against Manchester United, that most recent 2-2 draw will somewhat buoy a tired-looking side.

Amongst all their struggles, Harry Kane has remained the one consistent performer up top. The English marksman simply knows how to score goals, and will likely prove to be Spurs' main threat today.

Therefore, Jurgen Klopp will seek to neutralise him with a few personnel changes.

Although Joel Matip may well have scored the winner last time out, his defensive exploits can hardly match up to the dominant presence Ibrahima Konate provides. Having been confirmed as not injured for their recent win over West Ham United, and therefore fully fit to play a role today, surely the £36m Frenchman is due a return to the starting lineup.

Will Ibrahima Konate start vs Spurs?

Despite having only made 13 league appearances this season due to various ailments, the 23-year-old remains a top defender when available, capable of battling with the very best forwards in the game.

His 6.84 rating for this stuttered campaign perhaps underplays his importance, as he maintains an 88% pass accuracy alongside 1.5 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and 3.5 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

For comparison, his partner Virgil van Dijk only achieves a higher pass accuracy and slightly more clearances of those four metrics, outlining the lack of a huge gulf in quality.

Journalist Leanne Prescott even outlined the importance of the £70k-per-week star, writing earlier this season after his international call-up: "Delighted for Konate. Remarkable what a difference he’s made when available this season."

With Kane silently boasting a fine goalscoring season, with 24 to his name in the league, many have perhaps forgotten just how impressive this finisher can be due to the notoriety of Erling Haaland's achievements elsewhere.

But scoring six in his last seven in the Premier League, despite having only won one of those games, is a testament to his relentless qualities.

Expected to dominate possession and enforce their will on the game, the Reds will look to kickstart most of their attacks from the back. With Konate alongside the aforementioned Dutch goliath, both of whom are fine ball-playing assets, this will allow them to play around Kane, frustrating the 29-year-old.

Then, due to the strength and speed of the former, he can stick tight to the £200k-per-week star out of possession and use his physicality to ensure he earns no joy in front of what is sure to be a hostile Anfield atmosphere. It is time for Konate to once again prove why journalist Charlotte Coates dubbed the defender a "monster".

Manchester United lost 1-0 to West Ham United on Sunday as the race for the Champions League qualification spots heats up once more.

Defeat at the London Stadium is the second successive league defeat for Erik Ten Hag and his men. Much like the display at the Amex Stadium last week, there was a lack of energy, desire and ideas.

What did Mark Goldbridge say about Wout Weghorst?

While United were collectively poor, Weghorst seemed lost and completely devoid of ideas. He did stich play together well on one occasion in the first half but overall, there was no fluidity or creativity from the big Dutchman.

Taking to Twitter to vent during the game, Mark Goldbridge said: "Can't believe he's kept Weghorst on…..We're playing with ten men."

Goldbridge added some extra flavour on TikTok, comparing Weghorst's role in the United side to musical chairs.

He said: "Watching Weghorst play for Man United is like watching somebody play musical chairs and no-one's put the chairs out. It doesn't make sense.

"Lots of effort, lots of running around but the game's never going to go anywhere, is it?"

While Goldbridge may have analysed the situation from a comical point of view, he's not wrong. The Dutchman essentially offered nothing to Manchester United on Sunday.

How bad was Wout Weghorst against West Ham?

It's not really a case of Weghorst playing poorly as much as it's a case of the former Burnley man just not being the right fit for the tactical system being employed by Ten Hag.

Since arriving at United, he has been most commonly deployed as a false nine, where he is asked to float between the lines, stitch play together and follow the ball into the box.

Against West Ham, he played for 57 minutes with no impact on the game. According to Sofascore, he took 28 touches, played 21 passes with an accuracy of 76% and lost the ball seven times – he even took less touches and completed less passes than match-decider David De Gea.

The frustration is that Marcel Sabitzer could deliver far more encouraging performances in the same rolem, so perhaps Ten Hag should consider giving the Austrian more game time in the final four games.

With Liverpool now chasing down United, the pressure is on to deliver. Jurgen Klopp's side appeared to be without a chance of reaching the top four at the start of April but now have a real chance to sneak in through the back door. United are on 63 points with a game in hand while Liverpool are on 62 points – it won't take a whole lot to lose top four from here.

Fortunately, United's next game is at Old Trafford against Wolves on Saturday. Perhaps the home crowd can lift the squad as the end of the season approaches.

ICC head of global development Tim Anderson has said the USA Cricket Association, which was suspended at last June’s ICC Annual Conference, has until December 15 to ratify a new constitution

Peter Della Penna09-Jun-2016ICC head of global development Tim Anderson has said the USA Cricket Association, which was suspended at last June’s ICC annual conference, has until December 15 to ratify a constitution that gives representation to the entire US cricket community and is compliant with US Olympic Committee statutory requirements.The December deadline is an indication that USACA has been given every opportunity to have its suspension lifted before the end of the year rather than facing expulsion at the ICC annual conference later this month in Edinburgh.A new constitution is one of 39 terms and conditions laid out by the ICC for USACA to satisfy in order to be reinstated. Establishing a revised governance structure was former USACA chief executive Darren Beazley’s primary task when he took over the role in February 2013, but he could not gain enough support at the USACA AGM that November and resigned in March 2014. USACA has failed to ratify a constitution at three subsequent AGMs, including the most recent one on April 9 in Florida.In an email sent to USA cricket’s stakeholders on Thursday, Anderson said there was progress in framing the new constitution during meetings with the a 10-person advisory group in Colorado Springs on June 4 and 5. ICC chief executive David Richardson and ICC chief counsel Iain Higgins were also in attendance along with Anderson and ICC Americas regional development manager Ben Kavenagh.”Many different governance structures were considered during the two-day workshop, and significant progress was made towards reaching agreement for a number of fundamental principles which will best serve the primary objective of unifying the USA cricket community,” Anderson wrote in the email. “Further work will be required in order to complete this exercise over the coming weeks/months, and further updates will be provided as the proposed model and supporting documents are prepared.”The ICC delegation was also given a welcome reception by local dignitaries in Colorado Springs to celebrate the relocation of the ICC Americas office from Toronto. Among those in attendance were current USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun and former USOC president Bill Hybl. The reception was held by the El Pomar Foundation at Penrose House.Interviews were also held for several staff positions at the new Colorado Springs office, which is set to open next month. According to Anderson, ten candidates were shortlisted for in-person interviews from over 100 applications received for the positions of USA project manager and USA project officer.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has claimed that scouts at Celtic will be hoping to identify "up-and-coming" young goalkeepers in the summer.

What's the latest transfer news for Celtic?

Manager Ange Postecoglou will no doubt be delighted with the season his side have had, as they've already secured a second consecutive Scottish Premiership title.

But as all good coaches do, the Australian will be planning on how to improve his team in the summer to maintain the positive trajectory the Bhoys have been on since he arrived in Scotland.

One area of the squad that could be viewed as a potential problem position at some point in the not-too-distant future is the goalkeeper.

After all, while Joe Hart has been good this season – with a respectable 6.79 average SofaScore rating per league game – the Englishman is now 36 years old and won't be around forever.

While talking about this issue on The Insider Track, O'Rourke suggested that the Celtic scouts will be looking for an understudy in goal, even if Hart likely remains as the number one for now.

He explained (2:51): "So I still think he will remain a key man in Ange Postecoglou's side next season, but maybe Celtic will be looking at a younger goalkeeper."

He continued: "I'm sure the Celtic scouts are out there looking to see if there's any up-and-coming young goalkeepers who can come in there and become a big future number one for the club, because I think it's a position that they're going to have to address sooner rather than later."

Would Ange Postecoglou join Leeds?

For now, Hart earns a reported £15k-p/w and his contract won't be up until the summer of 2024, meaning there is no huge rush for Celtic to spend big on a replacement.

However, it certainly would be wise if Postecoglou and co could potentially identify a young alternative to come in during the summer on the cheap and learn under Hart for a season or so.

And then, if this understudy shows enough promise when Hart does finally leave the club, Celtic could already have an internal solution between the sticks to promote from within.

With all that in mind, it does sound as though fans can potentially expect to hear a few young goalkeepers linked with the club over the coming months and it will be interesting to see which players are identified as potential targets.

Former India captain Anil Kumble has been appointed coach of the national side for one year, the BCCI announced on Thursday. His first assignment will be India’s four-Test tour of the West Indies

Nagraj Gollapudi in Dharamsala23-Jun-20162:17

‘My approach will always be players-first’ – Kumble

Former India captain Anil Kumble has been appointed coach of the national side for one year, the BCCI announced on Thursday. His first assignment will be India’s four-Test tour of the West Indies.The question of who would take over as India coach has been a talking point since Ravi Shastri’s tenure as team director ended after the World T20. Some of the uncertainty was addressed when Anurag Thakur, after his appointment as BCCI president, said the vacancy would be filled before the Tests in the Caribbean.The BCCI put out an advertisement for a new coach in the first week of June and received 57 applications, including Kumble’s. However, it appears he was not among the 21 names shortlisted by the BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke’s office. The Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, assigned to pick India’s next coach asked for Kumble’s name to be included, at which point he became an instant favourite.The committee interviewed Kumble and a handful of other candidates in Kolkata on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, they made their recommendations to the BCCI. Thakur, along with Shirke, made the final call.”The CAC recommended a few names to the BCCI. After discussions with various stakeholders, we have taken the final call that for next one year Anil Kumble will be the head coach.” Thakur said at a media briefing in Dharamsala. He added the support staff would be appointed after consulting with Kumble.Kumble applying for the job was a surprise to many in the BCCI, considering he has not coached a cricket team before. The BCCI had preferred their candidates to have had that experience, but his pedigree as a player and two stints as mentor in the IPL worked in Kumble’s favour.The BCCI offered Kumble a one-year term to help him acclimatise to the job better and to give themselves the cushion to reassess if needed.”As for the one-year period, Kumble is now transforming himself from being a great on the cricketing field to probably becoming a great coach that we expect him to be. That transition has to be smooth. This is professional appointment. All professional appointments try to cover all bases. Therefore that is the reason we want to be able to be in a position to review our options should there be any need. I am confident that we will not have that need to address that need. That is the exact reason behind the one-year appointment.”A senior official privy to the selection process said a long-term contract was not a viable option considering the lengthy interval between now and the next World Cup in 2019. But he felt Kumble was in “the driver’s seat” to prove his credentials.”We have 13 Tests at home and then there is the Champions Trophy next year,” the insider said. “He is now in the driver’s seat. We have given him the keys and he has to now prove himself.”Kumble’s lack of experience is made up for by his standing as a player and captain in an 18-year-long international career. He finished as India’s highest wicket-taker in Tests, and the third-highest overall, with 619 wickets, including a best of 10 for 74 against Pakistan in Delhi in 1999.After being appointed Test captain in November 2007, he led India in 14 matches, winning three, losing five and drawing six, until his retirement a year later. Among his notable victories as captain was the Perth Test in January 2008, which was played after the controversial Sydney Test where, among other issues, India faced allegations of racism from the Australia side.Kumble is the first Indian to be appointed full-time India coach since Kapil Dev resigned in September 2000.According to Shirke, there were four overseas candidates who had made the shortlist of 21, including Tom Moody and Andy Moles, who, it is understood, were among those interviewed by the in Kolkata.”It’s not about Indian or foreign coach,” Thakur said. “There was no such limitation that we have to look for only Indian coach. We wanted the best for Indian team. We deserve the best. We have Anil Kumble with us. He has been a match-winner for India.”There has been speculation that the delay in choosing India’s head coach – the appointment was expected on Wednesday, but a subsequent BCCI press release said some “finer points” needed to be discussed – was the result of the Cricket Advisory Committee being unable to contact India’s Test captain Virat Kohli for his inputs.Without confirming as much, Thakur said that various “stakeholders” had been consulted.”The CAC looked into all applications. They have shortlisted few names which were suggested to the BCCI. When the names came to us we discussed with other stakeholders in the board, in the team and then you finally take a call on the various experiences [of the candidates]. All of the shortlisted names worked with various teams, in IPL, in various cricket boards, as well as the state units. So you take feedback not only from one sector, you take feedback from all stakeholders. We have taken little more time, but we wanted to be more transparent and wanted to pick the best.”Kumble has also served in administrative roles since his retirement. He was elected president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association in November 2010, served as chairman of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore and also headed the BCCI’s technical committee from 2012 to 2015.

Glasgow Rangers’ move for goalkeeper Jack Butland is thought to be at an advanced stage, according to The Daily Record’s Scott Burns.

What’s the latest Rangers transfer news?

Michael Beale isn’t wasting any time in looking to strengthen his Light Blues squad ahead of his first full season in charge at Ibrox. A number of free transfers are being lined up by those in charge at Rangers, including Chelsea right-back Dujon Sterling and Norwich City midfielder Kieran Dowell.

Butland is another name who has been linked with a cut-price move to Scotland when he becomes a free agent in the summer. However, reports stated that a move was too expensive, with Gers chiefs sending scouts to watch ‘keeper Ivor Pandur in action for Fortuna Sittard over the weekend, with the 23-year-old seemingly an alternative target.

It looks as if a swoop for Butland is back on track, though, with Burns sharing an update in the last 24 hours. Writing for The Daily Record, the reliable reporter said that deals for Sterling and Dowell have been agreed and talks with Butland are at an advanced stage.

The club are also in talks with another two or three targets and they hope to make further progress on those summer deals in the coming days.

Where is Butland now?

Butland made the move to Manchester United back in January from Crystal Palace on a loan deal until the end of the season. The 30-year-old, hailed as "brilliant" by members of the media, hasn’t made a competitive appearance for the Red Devils.

He didn’t turn out of parent side Crystal Palace in the first half of the season either, but should he head north as expected, Butland will provide Beale with plenty of experience.

The former England international has made 87 Premier League appearances, while he has turned out on 161 occasions in the Championship. Known for his time at Stoke City, Butland, once valued at €22m by Transfermarkt, could find a new long-term home at Ibrox, especially with Beale set to lose Allan McGregor in the summer.

Butland could therefore rival Robby McCrorie for a starting spot next season, and Rangers may be hoping he can have a similar impact to Joe Hart’s stint at rivals Celtic, with the Englishman playing a key role under Ange Postecoglou in recent seasons.

Australia coach Darren Lehmann’s contract has been extended until October 2019, with succession planning to be a key part of his role over the next three years

Daniel Brettig01-Aug-2016Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann will mentor the national team until the 2019 Ashes series in England before making his exit, with succession planning to be a key part of his role over the next three years.Lehmann’s contract has been extended until October 2019 by Cricket Australia, having previously been elongated until next year. Since his appointment on the eve of the 2013 Ashes series, Lehmann has guided Australia to home Test victories over England, India, New Zealand and West Indies, away defeats of South Africa and New Zealand, plus lifting the 2015 World Cup, also at home.However, a heavy away loss in the UAE to Pakistan, the surrender of the Ashes in England last year and a surprising defeat to an unfancied Sri Lanka in Pallekele last week make it patently clear that Lehmann still has plenty of work ahead of him to advance Australia’s claim to the title of the world’s undisputed best team. In addition to the multiple retirements that followed last year’s Ashes, Lehmann’s support staff have changed considerably in the past six months, offering him fresh faces with which to work towards those goals.”The board have actually seen that we are doing okay as such, barring the result in the Test [at Pallekele], but looking forward to the next few years in charge and hopefully getting some wins in the sub-continent, first and foremost on the agenda, but developing the side as we are,” Lehmann said. “We have a different coaching group now coming in and the players are refreshed and I am looking forward to the challenge.””I suppose the big one on everyone’s lips is the sub-continent – we certainly have to improve there. Ashes is a big home and away and, obviously, the World Cup. They are the big ones for us, as everyone knows, but you have got to try and win every games you play. For us, we just have to get better playing in all conditions.”Probably the spinning ball on the sub-continent [is our biggest challenge] you would think. Swinging ball – a lot has been made of the England swinging ball and we won a couple of Test matches this time, albeit we lost the Ashes and the wickets they produced were very seam friendly. End of the day, that is the way cricket goes. For us, it is probably more the sub-continent conditions at the moment, getting prepared for that obviously with the next two Test matches here and then India at the back end.”With typical frankness, Lehmann replied “I would think it would be, yeah” when asked whether the extended tenure would mark the completion of his time as coach. Between now and then, Australia face a tour of India, a Champions Trophy, another home and away Ashes contest and a World Cup in England. The newly-appointed assistant coach David Saker, recent interim coach Justin Langer and Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie will be among the candidates to eventually replace Lehmann.”We’ll give those guys opportunities along the way. As I’ve always said, it’s the best job in the world. I love the job. But it’s a job you can’t do forever either,” Lehmann said. “So whatever opportunities we can give to the guys along the way we certainly will do. And then it’s up to the board what they do from there and the high performance department.”I think you’re judged on results most of the time all around the world not just on the subcontinent. I think you’ve got to play well and win a lot of games of cricket basically as a coach. That’s what players have to do, that’s what coaches have to do in any sport. You’ve got to hopefully keep getting the results that makes it a lot easier.”The rapid improvement of the national team’s results under Lehmann when first appointed three years ago arguably saved the jobs of more senior CA figures including the team performance manager Pat Howard and the chief executive James Sutherland. They have not yet forgotten this fact, allowing Lehmann the rare privilege of extending his role and also planning well in advance for life afterwards.This is a world away from the attitude the board once held, that Lehmann was too much of a maverick to be entrusted with a coaching job. Howard emphasised Lehmann’s standing as a popular figure in Australian cricket and an influencer of the global game, in explaining the decision.”We wanted certainty and stability for the playing group with both the coach and assistant coach contracted as we build towards the Ashes series and the 2019 World Cup,” Howard said. “Darren has had great success in the role and he and the National Selection Panel deserve a huge amount of credit for taking a relatively young side to number one in the world in two of the three formats.”What often goes unseen is how big of a supporter Darren has been of the wider cricket system in Australia and that is crucial to the long term sustainability of Australian cricket. The commitment he shows to the role goes far broader that of the Australian men’s team and extends into the global support of the game through his work on the ICC Cricket Committee.”

Manchester United have a contingency plan in place if they don't land Adrien Rabiot this summer according to RMC Sport, as they state that the Red Devils will move for Manu Kone instead.

What midfielder will Man United sign this summer?

The Red Devils are eager to add some midfield depth to their side during the transfer window, with Erik ten Hag reportedly chasing both another central option and then another striker on top of that.

Plenty of names have already been thrown around already in terms of potential additions in that area for the Premier League outfit. Amadou Onana is one name for example, with his current side Everton potentially on the brink of relegation. Some reports suggest that if the Toffees were to go down, the player could be available and that Ten Hag might make a bid for him.

However, the most recent report from RMC Sport claim that Rabiot is one name that United are keen to add – but if they can't bring him to Old Trafford, then they will instead consider a deal for Kone at Borussia Monchengladbach.

The Juventus man is set to be out of contract this summer, with his current deal in Italy due to expire at the end of June. However, with interest in the former PSG man high, the Red Devils are considering their options in the eventuality that they are unable to land the Frenchman.

That has led them to Kone, who has impressed with his showings in the Bundesliga this season, producing a WhoScored rating of 6.82 in the Bundesliga. They won't be alone in trying to sign him though it seems, with PSG also keeping tabs on the situation – meaning there is every chance that United could potentially miss out on both players.

Who is Manu Kone?

The Borussia Monchengladbach man looks like a real talent, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig calling him "fantastic" and adding that he is like a "one-man army" when it comes to marshalling the midfield for his club, with the player able to turn out as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder.

The 22-year-old, sponsored by Adidas, has impressed for his side this campaign. Defensively, he isn't afraid to put a foot in and has averaged 2.5 tackles per game, showing an ability to stop attacks and put in a shift in front of the backline. However, the player is capable of winning the ball back and driving forward too, with an average of 1.9 dribbles per game to boot.

Kone, who appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €30m Transfermarkt valuation, appears to be an all-round midfielder and considering his age too, he could arguably be a better investment for United than Rabiot.