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Legspinner Eddie Leie ended up conceding the second-most runs in a single over in List A cricket history

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jan-2018JP Duminy broke the South African List A record for most runs scored in a single over when he hit Eddie Leie for 37 runs in a Momentum one-day cup match on Wednesday.It happened when the Cape Cobras were comfortably placed at 208 for 2 in the 36th over of a chase of 240 against the Knights. But Duminy, batting on 34 off 30 balls, sensed the opportunity to steal a bonus point. And it helped that the man he was facing was a legspinner, turning the ball into his hitting arc.The carnage began with a slog sweep. It continued with a biff straight down the ground. Then came a couple of heaves into the grass banks on the leg side. Four balls. Four sixes. Two more and he would match Herschelle Gibbs’ feat in the 2007 World Cup.Duminy took strike again as excitement built around Newlands. But Leie doused it all by making sure his fifth delivery cost only two runs. There was only one ball left in the over and it seemed like the record wouldn’t be broken.Except Leie coughed up a no-ball, and Duminy hit it for four through extra cover. That took the tally to 31 runs off the over and it was game on again.Duminy took his stance. Leie ran in. A split second later the ball was soaring away for six. Duminy had not only won the match but secured his place in history as the batsman to hit the second-most runs in an over of List A cricket. In October 2013, Zimbabwe’s Elton Chigumbura had played a big hand in ransacking 39 runs against Bangladesh’s Alauddin Babu in the Dhaka Premier League.”It is not every day you get the opportunity, so of course I was trying to go for the six sixes in an over,” Duminy said after finishing unbeaten on 70 off just 37 balls. “I initially thought it was all about the bonus point. I looked up at the scoreboard and we needed 35 with four overs still to go to get the bonus point, so I just decided to take Eddie on. I was striking the ball really cleanly, and when the first two went for six, I figured I might as well give it a full go now because regardless whether I get out we would still have secured the bonus point. It was enjoyable.”

BCB

Dhaka Dynamites went to the top of the points with a crushing 68-run win over Rajshahi Kings in Mirpur. Evin Lewis was adjudged Player of the Match for setting up their big score but there were also meaningful contributions from Kieron Pollard, Shahid Afridi and Abu Hider.Dhaka racked up 201 for 7 in 20 overs after being put in to bat, the first 200-plus score in the Dhaka-leg of the tournament this year. Rajshahi in reply were bowled out for 133 runs in 18.2 overs, sinking to fifth place following their fourth loss in six outings.Lewis quickly off the blocks
The first wicket partnership lasted just 4.1 overs but Afridi and Lewis added 53 runs in that short time. Afridi made 15 off eight balls and then Jahurul Islam, promoted to No. 3 after his heroics in the previous match, struck a four and a six in his six-ball 13. But it was Lewis who kept up the scoring rate soaring with his 38-ball 65 that had ten fours and a six. He fell in the tenth over and at 99 for 3, Dhaka were set for a big score.Pollard finishes in style
Rajshahi took some wickets in the middle but their fielding let them down. They dropped four catches in total, Nadif Chowdhury and Pollard being the beneficiary twice each. While Nadif didn’t capitalise, Pollard did, big time. Two of his sixes went high over long-on and the third over midwicket, which gave him his 500th six in T20s. He also struck five fours in his 25-ball 52 and shared a crucial 62-run sixth wicket stand with Kumar Sangakkara, who contributed 28 off 22 balls.Afridi and Hider trip up Rajshahi
There was no respite for Rajshahi even when they batted. Left-arm pacer Hider removed Rony Talukdar and Samit Patel early, and while Zakir Hasan and Mominul Haque looked to get the chase back on track, Afridi stepped in; he ended a 49-run third-wicket stand for his first scalp of the afternoon – Mominul. Zakir, who top scored with 36 off 23 balls, was Afridi’s second wicket before he also added Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz to his haul to complete his second four-for in the tournament in three games. Shakib Al Hasan took two wickets and Mohammad Saddam had one before Hider came back to finish off Rajshahi.

Arsenal seem to have shifted their transfer focus onto the future now, seeking to usher in the next generation of stars to help prolong their expected presence atop English football.

Who are Arsenal signing this summer?

With Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber bolstering the present and their future, already Mikel Arteta's is a squad much improved on last season's title disappointment.

The Gunners now have far more depth across the board and versatility that will allow them to maintain a charge for longer, pushing Manchester City even closer to the edge.

However, fresh reports are now suggesting that, despite their spending surpassing around £200m for the window, they still maintain the funds to continue battling for young gems. One such name is Josip Sutalo, who has starred in his homeland of late for Dinamo Zagreb.

It is noted by Italian outlet Firenze Viola that, whilst the north London outfit are waiting in the background, they do remain interested in his services. The Croatian side will seek to command a €25m (£21m) fee to sanction his exit.

Who is Josip Sutalo?

Despite being just 23 years old, the youngster already has 83 appearances for his current club and a further eight for his national team.

As a powerful, young, athletic defender, it is hard not to draw comparisons with his compatriot and possibly soon-to-be Cityzens star Josko Gvardiol.

The 21-year-old sensation has shot to stardom with his efforts for RB Leipzig, spurring Pep Guardiola to unload a world-record £86m fee for a defender. Last term in the Bundesliga he showcased his starring assets succinctly, as an outstanding left-footed ball-playing titan.

Maintaining a 6.96 average rating, his 89% pass accuracy fed into 1.1 interceptions and 2.3 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic even suggested he is the "best central defender in the world," explaining why: “He is so strong, confident and elegant at the same time, and does everything with incredible ease."

Funnily enough, these are traits that scout Jacek Kulig picked out when detailing Sutalo, as he described him as a: "complete & elegant CB".

Whilst in a far weaker league, the youngster still shone with key attributes that liken him to the man set to star for their Etihad rivals next campaign.

During a SuperSport HNL season where his side would claim the title, he recorded a 7.10 average rating, buoyed by his 93% pass accuracy, two interceptions and 1.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

That rating would have made him Arsenal's fifth-best player last term in the Premier League, with his ease in possession likely to excite the possession-focused Arteta.

Also, whilst he would only feature once in the recent World Cup, his exemplary defensive display against Japan suggested a pedigree that could help him translate his fine form in his homeland to the English game.

With five clearances and a 94% pass accuracy in that clash, it could be argued his levels even increased despite the tougher opposition faced.

Given he also stands at 6 foot 3, his physical assets support such a notion further.

With RB Leipzig reportedly also keen on signing Sutalo this summer, it seems that his similarities with Gvardiol are emphasised, as the German outfit view him as the direct replacement for their likely outgoing star.

Perhaps he could instead opt for an Emirates switch, to represent Arteta's alternative to Guardiola's new phenom, for a fraction of the price.

Jurgen Klopp says he went against the advice of Liverpool's medical staff when he sent Diogo Jota on to score in his team's 2-0 win against Burnley.

Article continues below

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• Jota made return after a month out
• Scored as Liverpool won 2-0 against Burnley
• Medical staff did not want him to play

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Jota had been out of action for Liverpool since he sustained an injury in their match against Manchester City on November 25. After over a month on the sidelines, he made his return when he came off the bench in the final six minutes and scored to secure a 2-0 win for the Reds.

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  WHAT KLOPP SAID

  "We sneaked him in somehow on the squad list because he trained only twice and the medical department wanted to give him extra training and I said he can have that in Burnley," Klopp said at a press conference. "He had that tonight and now he can train tomorrow properly and then he will be ready for Newcastle, which is really helpful. Two-nil, no injuries, all good."

  He added: "I love Diogo Jota but he missed chances in the past as well. He had some fortune like that. It’s the nature of the thing that we always ask for, always the players who are not involved and then all of a sudden they think they can change the world. Diogo is an incredibly important player for us. Having him changed the whole dynamic, that’s true, but before in his life he missed some chances."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Jota's return adds some much-needed fire power to the Reds, who have had a tough time getting their front three to score in recent weeks. They drew important matches against Manchester United and Arsenal before returning to winning ways thanks to Darwin Nunez and Jota on Saturday.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mohamed Salah was the only forward to score in Liverpool's previous five matches in the Premier League before Nunez struck in the Boxing Day match at Turf Moor, with their other goals in those games coming from midfielders and defenders.

Predicting the future of football is never easy, especially when looking at players who could really have legacy-defining eras. With the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, it seemed pretty guaranteed where football's crown was heading for as long as they were playing at the top of European football.

Back in 2019, however, French outlet L'Equipe attempted to predict the stars that would come next, tipping six young players to dominate European football.

Since the prediction four years ago, those players have had incredibly mixed spells, though, and it's fair to say that some have simply failed to live up to their potential.

With that said, we've taken a look at just how their respective careers have gone so far.

6 Karamoko Dembele

Tipped to become the next best thing, Karamoko Dembele was 16 at the time of his inclusion on L'Equipe's 2019 list. Now only 20, it's far too early to completely write off the former Celtic winger.

The pressure at 16 would have been incredibly difficult, and since leaving Scotland, Dembele has struggled to ever kickstart what is still an early career. At Brest last season, though, summing up recent years, the 20-year-old failed to score a single goal.

5 Ansu Fati

Also included on the list was Barcelona's Ansu Fati. And this came as no surprise, considering the winger's emergence as one of the most exciting players at the Nou Camp. Injury issues have halted his rise to the top since, however, with the Spaniard missing 35 games since the 21/22 season.

In the last campaign, he at least started getting things back on track as Barcelona won their first La Liga title under Xavi, and Fati scored seven goals.

4 Sebastiano Esposito

You'd be forgiven for not exactly knowing the name Sebastiano Esposito. Once tipped for great things at Inter Milan, the forward has so far failed to reach his potential.

Still only 21, he has plenty of time to become the player that L'Equipe once tipped him to become back in 2019, but after a failed loan spell at Anderlecht, it's far from looking promising for Esposito.

3 Joelson Fernandes

Once again a name that may not be too familiar with a number of fans, Joelson Fernandes has never really got going at Sporting, despite initially being tipped to become the next best thing.

Making just four appearances for the first team, the winger never looked like reaching his potential in Portugal, and has since spent a season on loan at FC Basel, where he scored four goals, before ending up at Turkish side Hatayspor.

2 Mohamed Amine Ihattaren

Mohamed Amine Ihattaren has had the most difficult journey of these players since being included in L'Equipe's list of young players. There was even a point that the midfielder was reportedly considering retirement due to mental health issues.

The Juventus midfielder didn't feature last season, and it remains to be seen where his future lies in football.

1 Karim Adeyemi

Onto a player that everyone should be familiar with, Karim Adeyemi is well on his way to reaching his potential at Borussia Dortmund. After making the move to the Bundesliga giants back in the summer of last year, and has since enjoyed a promising debut campaign.

Ending the season with nine goals, and six assists, the only way is up for the 21-year-old.

Brendon McCullum stirred and suddenly Middlesex’s NatWest Blast season was alive again as they saw off Kent at Richmond

ECB Reporters Network and ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jul-2017
ScorecardBrendon McCullum revived Middlesex’s fortunes•Getty Images

Middlesex revived their T20 hopes with a 16-run defeat of Kent Spitfires at Richmond as their captain Brendon McCullum provided runs to go with his inspirational qualities to once again fill their season with optimism.McCullum’s captain’s innings of 88 in 51 balls – his first major knock of the season – looked set to be the launchpad for a formidable total but Calum Haggett’s 3-27, and a Matt Coles’ hat-trick, restricted the hosts to 179 for 8. However, Kent started poorly and while half-centuries from Sam Northeast and James Neesham kept them in the hunt the rate climbed steadily. With wickets falling too they fell to their third defeat of the competition.Victory will be a boon, too, for their coach Dan Vettori, one of only two specialist T20 coaches in the competition, after a sluggish start to the season.Steve Finn, Middlesex’s England fast bowler, was bullish about their chances after McCullum had led them to victory. “It was an exceptional innings and great to watch,” he said. “He hit so cleanly. Everyone is happy in the dressing room right now. We have an exceptional top order.”This is the strongest team I have played in since since making the final in 2008. We’ve been found wanting in T20 since so it is important we have put this structure into place, We are still getting to know the coaches and captain anf haven’t fired consistently as a team yet, but we don’t want to peak too early.”Put into bat on a greenish pitch, Middlesex began with alacrity, but also with the benefit of fortune. Matt Coles surprised McCullum when the Kiwi was on six but though the ball popped up temptingly it fell between fielders. McCullum had scored another 11 when he drove the same bowler to Northeast at cover only for his Kent counterpart to drop him. On both occasions, to Coles’ chagrin, the next ball was smacked for four.With McCullum reaching his 50 in the ninth over, and the opening partnership into the 80s, 200-plus beckoned. Even after England call-up Dawid Malan, having pulled Coles for six into the food tents, gloved the next ball to depart for 33 it was 125 for 1 after 13. But James Tredwell (1-22) and Haggett staunched the flow of runs.Frustrated, McCallum played one bold shot too many, bowled trying to ramp, and a clatter of wickets ensued. Morgan followed successive sixes by holing out then Coles took a last-over hat-trick completed by bowling Tim Southee first ball.Southee fared better with ball in hand, having Daniel Bell-Drummond leg before to the opener’s first ball. The in-form Joe Denly, having survived a very sharp chance to McCullum, then edged Finn to leave Kent 2-2. Sam Billings soon followed but Northeast and Neesham, running excellently for a pair only recently acquainted, and finding hitherto unseen gaps in this small outground, added 75 in nine overs. However, boundaries were sporadic and by the time Northeast skied the rate had crept above 11-an-over.Darren Stevens quickly followed but Kent have a long battery of hitters. Blake joined Neesham and it came down to 38 off three overs, then 29 off two, but when that pair perished the game was done.

England Lions captain Keaton Jennings began to put a lean run behind him with 87 in Bristol

ECB Reporters Network22-Apr-2017
ScorecardKeaton Jennings got his season together in Bristol•Getty Images

Keaton Jennings gave the England selectors a timely nudge as Durham enjoyed the upper hand against Gloucestershire on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at Bristol.Although he missed out on a second successive hundred, the left-handed opener top-scored with 87 as Durham, replying to the home side’s first-innings 303, reached the close on 270-4.Gloucestershire’s bowlers staged a mini-revival in the final session, but the visitors trail by 33 runs and, with ? wickets in hand, are still handily-placed to forge a meaningful lead lead and apply pressure on the third day.In need of reassurance in the wake of heavy defeat at the hands of Nottinghamshire, Durham’s top-order batting restored lost pride against a Gloucestershire attack that lacked penetration on an essentially true pitch.Eager to further press his international credentials after registering a hundred on debut for England against India in the fourth Test in Mumbai in December, Jennings took centre stage, sharing in a progressive opening stand of 114 in 32.3 overs with Stephen Cook.South Africa opener Cook appeared supremely secure in raising 50 from 80 balls and a hundred appeared to be his for the taking when he inexplicably lost concentration and, pursuing a delivery outside off stump from Chris Liddle, edged to Cameron Bancroft at first slip.Demonstrating sound temperament and technique, Jennings carried on regardless, ruthlessly exploiting Greame van Buuren’s slow left arm spin and punishing anything short or wide from seam bowlers who lacked consistency.Intent upon earning a place in the England squad for this summer’s Test series against South Africa, the 24-year-old has improved his defensive game, and it came as a surprise when he succumbed 13 runs short of what would have been his second hundred of the season.Last year’s top run-scorer in Championship cricket and the Cricket Writers Club’s player of 2016 was undone by a Liddle delivery that left him and was held by wicketkeeper and former Durham team-mate Phil Mustard via the finest of thin edges. He may have missed out on three figures, but his early-season form will surely not go unnoticed at Lord’s.Losing their momentum thereafter, Durham slipped from the giddy heights of 183-1 to 214-4, Graham Clark and Cameron Steel falling to Craig Miles in quick succession as the home side fought back after tea.Charged with the task of repairing the damage, experienced campaigners Paul Collingwood (28 not out) and Michael Richardson (25 not out) displayed a clear understanding of what was required in staging a restorative unbroken partnership of 57 for the fifth wicket as Gloucestershire’s bowlers sought atonement for their earlier shortcomings by applying belated pressure. Watchful in the extreme, these two safely negotiated 24 overs, eight of them against the new ball, to reach stumps without further mishap.Finally afforded an opportunity after a blank first season on the county staff, former Sussex paceman Liddle adhered to the tenets of line and length without luck, proving the most consistent of Gloucestershire’s front-line bowlers.Durham’s seamers made good use of the new ball to mop up the last three wickets for 38 runs in 15.2 overs after Gloucestershire had resumed their first innings on 265-7.Jack Taylor and David Payne added 36 for the eighth wicket, but once the former edged Rushworth to second slip three runs short of a half century, the innings unraveled rapidly.No sooner had Gloucestershire banked a third batting bonus point, than fellow England bowlers Mark Wood and Graham Onions took care of business, removing Payne and last man Liddle in quick succession

Match facts

March 4-8, 2017
Start time 0930 local (0400 GMT)4:26

Chappell: Matter of how long Australia can maintain confidence

Big Picture

It was no surprise that a spinner took 12 wickets and was Man of the Match in the first Test in Pune. Nor was it a surprise that the winning captain scored the only hundred of the match. It was not even particularly surprising that the Test was over in two and a half days. What was surprising – flabbergasting, even – was that the spinner was not R Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja but Steve O’Keefe, the captain was not Virat Kohli but Steven Smith, and the team with a 1-0 lead after less than three days of play in this series was not India but Australia.”The pressure was off us, wasn’t it? Everyone wrote us off and expected India to win 4-0. That can’t happen anymore.” Never a truer word was spoken than those from Smith after the Pune Test. But if it was true that the pressure was off Australia in that match, it is no longer the case in Bengaluru, where the expectations on Australia will be high. Not only did they beat India in Pune, they dominated in all aspects of the game. They more than doubled India’s total in each innings, the spinners were more effective, their catching was sharper, even their use of the DRS was more assured.Pressure was on Kohli’s mind after the match, too. “How badly we batted in the first innings is the main reason why we couldn’t get back into the game,” he said. “We put ourselves under a lot of pressure.” The intensity will only increase in Bengaluru, where Australia are in the unexpected position of being able to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by the halfway point of the series. Kohli’s men must find a way to turn around their fortunes quickly, or else an ignominious fate awaits them.So, was Pune an aberration? What surprises will Bengaluru have in store? It is the only venue in this series that has hosted Test cricket before, and it is a ground at which past Australia teams have enjoyed success. Much speculation has surrounded the nature of the pitch at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the lead-up to the match, especially given Australia’s triumph on the dry, spinning surface in the first Test. What will be in it? Sharp spin? Reverse swing? Piles of runs? It should be fun finding out.

Form guide

India: LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia: WWWWW
1:16

Will India bounce back?

In the spotlight

Last time India hosted Australia in a Bengaluru Test, back in 2010, Cheteshwar Pujara made his debut. On Australia’s next Test tour of India, Pujara destroyed the visitors in Hyderabad with 204 and a monstrous triple-century partnership with M Vijay. And he began this home season well, with three straight half-centuries against New Zealand and then hundreds in the next three Tests against New Zealand and England. But since then, Pujara’s season has quietened down a little, and India would desperately love for their No. 3 to return to his best in this match, at the venue where his Test career began against this same opposition.Steve O’Keefe was Man of the Match in Pune for his twin 6 for 35s, but on a very difficult batting pitch Steven Smith stood head and shoulders above any other batsman with his 109. Only two Australians had previously made second-innings hundreds in Tests in India: Mark Taylor and Damien Martyn. Not only that but Smith’s effort lifted him into truly elite company on the ICC’s all-time batting rankings; only five batsmen have ever achieved ratings points higher than Smith’s current level: Don Bradman, Len Hutton, Jack Hobbs, Ricky Ponting and Peter May. He will enter the Bengaluru Test with a batting average of 60.34 – not bad for a bloke who started as a legspinner batting at No.8.

Team news

Hardik Pandya has a shoulder niggle and is not in contention, but the remainder of India’s squad is available for this Test. It remains to be seen whether the selectors give the same XI another chance after their disappointing performance in Pune.India (possible) 1 KL Rahul, 2 M Vijay, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Wriddiman Saha (wk), 7 R Ashwin, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Jayant Yadav, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Umesh Yadav.Australia announced an unchanged XI on the eve of the second Test, retaining Mitchell Marsh, whose bowling services were not exploited in Pune.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Matt Renshaw, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Shaun Marsh, 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Steve O’Keefe, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood.

Pitch and conditions

There has been so much discussion and speculation about the pitch that India’s coach, Anil Kumble, got fed up during his press conference in the lead-up to the Test. “Can we move on? It’s only 22 yards, it won’t be different here,” he said. Both teams expect a better batting surface than in Pune, but it will still be dry and should take plenty of turn.

Stats and trivia

• Smith needs 112 more runs to reach 5000 in Tests. Should he do it in his first innings in Bengaluru, he will be the equal third-fastest to the milestone alongside Garry Sobers, Sunil Gavaskar, Viv Richards and Matthew Hayden, and behind only Don Bradman and Jack Hobbs.
• India have beaten Australia only once at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, while Australia have won there twice and the teams have played out two draws. India’s win, though, did come in the most recent of those five Tests, in 2010.

Quotes

“The way we played last week was such a positive sign. It was a difficult wicket and we showed them we can compete in those conditions. And more importantly, we probably showed ourselves as well.”

Newcastle United have made contact regarding a deal to sign Barcelona forward Raphinha this summer, according to reports.

Is Raphinha leaving Barcelona?

The Brazilian international only swapped the Premier League for La Liga last summer when he arrived at Camp Nou in a big-money move from Leeds United. He’s made 50 appearances in Catalonia to date, but there's a chance he could already be hitting the road once again.

Xavi’s right-sided winger still has another four years remaining on his contract, but after establishing himself as the manager’s joint second top-performing offensive player during his debut season, is attracting interest ahead of the upcoming window, in particular from St. James’ Park.

Speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano revealed last month that the Magpies, alongside top-flight rivals Chelsea, both hold an “interest” in the 26-year-old, but it sounds like it’s Eddie Howe who is the first to make an official move.

Are Newcastle signing Raphinha?

According to Spanish outlet Sport (via Sport Witness), Newcastle have “already made a first approach” to enquire about a deal for the man called a "phenomenon" by his international teammates. Barcelona’s attacker is “keen to continue” where he is, but it’s stated that the northeast outfit will “insist” on signing the player regardless of his stance.

The Magpies have “positioned themselves” and “would be willing to pay a fee” to bring him to St. James’ Park. The Blaugrana have made it clear he could “only leave” if they received an offer in excess of €80m (£68m), and the opportunity to play in the Champions League could end up “convincing” him to join.

Should PIF splash the cash on Raphinha?

Newcastle will already know what Raphinha is capable of having played against him several times during his spell at Leeds, where he was dubbed “frightening” by members of the media, and with that impressive form having continued since joining Barcelona, PIF should definitely test the waters by making an offer.

Barca’s left-footed gem, who is represented by D20 Sports, clocked up 14 goal contributions (seven goals and the same number of assists) in 36 La Liga appearances last season, with this high standard of displays seeing him collect six man-of-the-match awards.

The World Cup participant was also a major threat when providing for his fellow teammates having recorded 172 crosses and 117 shot-creating actions, which were both higher than any other member of his squad, as per FBRef, so should he put pen to paper in the near future, he would only improve Howe’s attacking ranks even further.

Manchester United bidders INEOS, who are fronted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are 'cautiously optimistic' over their chances of sealing a deal to take over at Old Trafford, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest takeover news involving Manchester United?

As per Sky Sports, Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS are said to be the 'leading candidate' to assume control of Manchester United from the Glazer family.

The report states that Ratcliffe wants to buy a majority controlling stake in the Premier League giants that would leave Joel and Avram Glazer in minority stakeholding positions and INEOS remain the preferred option despite a new offer from rival bidder Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani.

Former Manchester United icon Gary Neville has spoken about his frustration surrounding the ownership debacle on Twitter, stating: "Plainly obvious the Glazer family aren’t going to announce anything on the ownership until the season is closed! They’ve been spinning it out unprofessionally for weeks and months now. They know fan protests would have been more significant than they already have if matches were still being played and the end result of the sale process is unpopular."

INEOS want to purchase 69% of the club, whereas Sheikh Jassim and the Nine Two Foundation want to claim 100% of Manchester United and clear debt owed by the club, as per GOAL.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that Ratcliffe and his INEOS team will be quietly confident over their chances of becoming the new owners of the Red Devils.

Jacobs told FFC: "INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have a flexible offer on the table, they're prepared to get in control of the club and allow Joel and Avram Glazer to stay, but they're also prepared to buy 69% of the football club. As a consequence of that and because their valuation is higher than the Nine Two Foundation, at around £6.5 billion, there's less of a negotiation there and more questioning around technical points of that bid and INEOS remain cautiously optimistic."

What next for Manchester United?

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag will be keen to focus on matters on the field and will be readying his side for another tilt at trophy glory this weekend as they prepare to face Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

The Red Devils have already recorded Carabao Cup success this term and Ten Hag will want to add another trophy to his cabinet to complement what has been a commendable season in charge as his side will also have Champions League football to look forward to in 2023/24.

Transfer targets will also be on the agenda for Manchester United and they are reportedly going to make a 'formal approach' to try and acquire Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, as per Sky Sports.

Mount may be the first of several arrivals at Old Trafford as things get set to hot up on and off the pitch at Manchester United in the next few weeks.