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Manchester United are searching for a Ruben Amorim replacement and could now be set to announce his successor before the end of the week amid recent developments.

Manchester United look for caretaker boss until summer

Despite being firmly in the picture to secure European qualification, the Red Devils and Amorim parted ways after the Red Devils’ draw with Leeds United last weekend after a breakdown in communication between the former Sporting boss and Jason Wilcox.

While his formation wasn’t universally loved, there was also friction at the club due to the 40-year-old’s approach to academy products who have either come through from Carrington or were brought in before reaching first-team level.

Kobbie Mainoo’s lack of involvement in this campaign is an obvious point to raise now Amorim has departed, while the club are also reportedly angry at the treatment of Chido Obi and Harry Amass.

On the flipside, Ayden Heaven has been a success story since his move to the Red Devils from Arsenal. Utilising academy talents who can develop into stars of the future is part of the mantra at Old Trafford, even if there is a process of trial and error involved in that practice.

Darren Fletcher’s interim charge will provide stability for the time being, and his involvement with their Under-18 side may signal that a couple of prospects could make their senior debuts under his stewardship if circumstances align.

Either way, there is a need for clarity at Old Trafford, and supporters will hope that can come sooner rather than later as Manchester United continue their charge towards a successful season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could sign Man Utd contract on Friday

According to a report from Norwegian outlet VG on Wednesday morning, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be set to return to Manchester United as soon as Friday by signing a contract to become caretaker boss until the end of the season.

With the 52-year-old scheduled to attend Åge Hareide’s funeral on Thursday, he could put pen to paper soon after to provide a temporary figure of authority in the dugout after a turbulent period under Amorim.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first spell at Man Utd

Matches

168

Wins

92

Draws

35

Losses

41

Enjoying a successful spell in charge between 2018 and 2021, Solskjaer helped Manchester United to produce some of their best football of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era and also led the Red Devils to the Europa League final in 2021, losing on penalties to Villarreal.

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However, his reign ended abruptly a few months later, and it will come as a surprise to many that events over the last few days have put an emotional return on the cards.

Commanding buy-in from the players, he has previously been labelled a “fantastic man-manager” by Harry Maguire and earned praise from legendary figure Ferguson for his trust in youth players, something that is a staple in the role.

With the club now hopeful of moving in the right direction, it is looking more likely that Solskjaer will be the man to steady the ship after Amorim’s departure following the Red Devils’ stalemate at Elland Road.

Manchester United are now reportedly desperate to reinforce Ruben Amorim’s midfield and have sent officials to make checks on one of their key targets.

INEOS desperate for midfield breakthrough

It’s a new year and a new opportunity for Man United to turn a corner under Amorim, who could be in for a make-or-break 12 months at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils look destined to back their man once again in the transfer market this year, having splashed out to transform his frontline in the summer.

This time, INEOS are reportedly putting their full focus on welcoming midfield reinforcements after watching the likes of Manuel Ugarte struggle and Kobbie Mainoo fall out of favour.

Injuries haven’t exactly helped, with Lisandro Martinez forced to step out of position and into central midfield in recent weeks, but there’s no denying that United need upgrades even at full strength.

As such, a number of targets have already reportedly emerged. Names like Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson have all been mentioned in recent weeks ahead of what could be another chaotic transfer window in Manchester.

January is rarely the time to spend big, but reports have claimed that Man United are ‘determined to make a breakthrough’ in pursuit of a midfield star and that could force INEOS’ hand.

Given how tough it is to seal major deals in the winter window, it may yet be an alternative option to the likes of Baleba, Wharton and Anderson who arrive.

Man Utd send officials for Ederson

According to TeamTalk, Man United have now sent officials to make checks on Ederson at Atalanta. The Brazilian is among the Red Devils’ midfield targets and with his price dropping below €40m (£35m), they could make their move this month.

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Among all the Premier League names, Ederson is still one to watch. The 26-year-old is a talent in his own right and would instantly end Ugarte’s time at the heart of Amorim’s midfield.

League stats 25/26

Ederson

Ugarte

Minutes

950

554

Progressive Passes

70

32

Tackles Won

13

17

Ball Recoveries

64

32

For less than £35m, Man United could reportedly sign a player who would be an instant upgrade on Ugarte in a number of departments. The former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder struggles most in possession. Ederson, by some contrast, has thrived when asked to progress play this season.

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Dubbed “out of this world” by former England manager Fabio Capello, the Atalanta man ticks several boxes for Man United as they continue their search for a midfield addition this month. Compared to Wharton and Anderson, the Brazilian represents an undeniable bargain.

	Niranjan Shah said the Indian board didn’t complain after Matthew Hayden’s “obnoxious weed” comment about Harbhajan Singh © Getty Images

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah has questioned the need for the ICC to get involved in the controversy over Indian offspinner Harbhajan Singh’s alleged remarks about Australian players Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist. The Australian media have reported that the ICC is investigating Harbhajan’s comments.”I’m surprised that with the correspondence between two boards, how the ICC has interfered in this?” Shah told the . “How is the ICC involved without knowing anything? There is nothing to investigate and we maintain that we totally support ICC on zero tolerance of abusive language or any sledging on the ground.”Shah also told the paper that he considered the issue of Harbhajan’s alleged outburst closed. Cricket Australia had written a letter to the BCCI expressing its discontent after it was reported that Harbhajan had called the Australian team “arrogant”, labelled Hayden a “big liar” and said that Gilchrist was “no saint”.”The whole thing has been settled and I don’t want to get into it any more,” Shah said. “Harbhajan Singh has totally denied what he has (been alleged to have) said.” This comes a day after the Indian board gagged Harbhajan from talking to the media in a bid to avoid any more controversies after an ill-tempered series between India and Australia.Shah also denied that the BCCI had asked CA to take action against Hayden after he called Harbhajan an “obnoxious weed”. CA had reprimanded Hayden for breaching its Code of Conduct after that incident. “I never complained about what Hayden said. I just took what appeared in the newspapers and forwarded it to James [Sutherland, Cricket Australia’s CEO],” Shah said. “I had always maintained that it was up to CA to do anything with Hayden.”

Craig Wright tosses in his final match in charge © Getty Images

Ryan Watson is set to be named as Scotland’s new captain after Craig Wright resigned following the team’s disappointing performance in the World Cup.”I can’t see anyone other than Ryan Watson becoming captain,” Roddy Smith, the chief executive, old The Scotsman. “I think Ryan will be at the forefront of the selectors’ thoughts.”Watson stood in when Wright flew home after a family bereavement, leading the team against South Africa. Although Wright returned for the final match yesterday, he immediately stood down. “I felt it was the right time to give someone else an opportunity to make their mark,” he explained.

Jagmohan Dalmiya arrives at the Mumbai police headquarters © Getty Images

Jagmohan Dalmiya, former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and three other former office bearers of the BCCI appeared today before the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Crime Branch, which is probing alleged misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 21.74 lakh (approx US$49000) from the World Cup 1996 account.Dalmiya, SK Nair, former BCCI secretary, Kishore Rungta and Jyoti Bajpai, both former treasurers, were accompanied by their lawyers. According to PTI, all four of them were questioned by the police till 5 pm, local time, in the absence of their lawyers.Earlier, Dalmiya and the others had petitioned the Bombay High Court for anticipatory bail claiming they apprehended arrest following the case filed against them by the BCCI on March 16. Dalmiya contended that the case was filed by his rivals with a view to pressurise, harass and humiliate him. The other office bearers told the court that they were being implicated in the case only because they were Dalmiya’s supporters.Dalmiya denied discrepancy of any nature with respect to of the World Cup 1996 (imprest) account. He said it had been audited regularly and that this account stood merged with accounts of the BCCI every year.He also said that after ceasing to be the PILCOM [Pakistan-India-Sri Lanka Committee] secretary from January 23 this year, he closed the account and handed over all records to the BCCI.

Jacques Kallis has helped South Africa to a 3-0 lead in the best-of-five series © Getty Images

Despite staring at a clean sweep of losses, West Indies have retained faith in their 13-man squad for the final two one-day matches against South Africa in Trinidad over the weekend. South Africa sealed the series with their dramatic one-run victory in the third match in Barbados on Wednesday, and Joey Carew, West Indies’ convenor of selectors, blamed the loss on “some bad cricket towards the end”.Carew said there was also some “bad luck” when two runs were not credited to thescore during the innings. “Nevertheless,” he said, “we go in with same squad and we are confident that we will win both games in Trinidad this weekend.”West Indies Chris Gayle, Xavier Marshall, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian LaraDwayne Smith, Runako Morton, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (capt), Dwayne Bravo, Courtney Browne (wk), Corey Collymore, Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards, Ian Bradshaw.

Cricket Australia has announced a 13-player squad, including 7 NSW players, to take on New Zealand in the first leg of the six-match Rose Bowl series beginning in Auckland on 11 FebruaryThe NSW players selected in the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars are:

Player	Suburb	Club	State Caps	ODI caps
Alex Blackwell	Griffith	Gordon	26	5
Leonie Coleman	Moonbi	UTS Balmain	69	0
Shannon Cunneen	Lane Cove	Gordon	27	0
Julie Hayes	Gladesville	UTS Balmain	80	23
Lisa Keightley	Mudgee	UTS Balmain	99	54
Lisa Sthalekar	North Sydney	Gordon	60	17
Emma Twining	Glenwood	UTS Balmain	55	12

In a series of changes, New South Wales pair Leonie Coleman and Shannon Cunneen have been drafted into the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars team for the first time.Cunneen comes into the Australian team from outside the original 2003-04 Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars squad named in April 2003. The 26-year-old has scored 230 runs in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) at an average of 32.85, finishing in the competition’s top 10 run-scorers.Wicket-keeper Coleman, 24, has previously represented Australia at youth level and has enjoyed a consistent year for the New South Wales Breakers, with six dismissals behind the stumps.A further change to the Australian line-up sees New South Wales stalwart Lisa Keightley step out of retirement to make a return to the national team.Keightley, who announced her retirement from the international level in December 2002, played 54 one-day internationals for Australia. She did not play in Australia’s recent Ashes Tests or its limited-overs series against New Zealand, India and England last year, but has played for state team New South Wales this season.Chairperson of selectors Margaret Jennings said the changes to the squad were about keeping the team balanced and flexible."Shannon Cunneen has had an exceptional year in the WNCL, playing as an attacking batter and that’s something we encourage and are looking for in terms of developing the right squad for next year’s World Cup," said Jennings."We also want to give Leonie Coleman a chance and see how she performs in New Zealand. Leonie has had a consistent year and done everything asked of her, so she deserves this opportunity."The side will gain the experience of Lisa Keightley who makes her return. Lisa has had a great season and put herself back into contention for the national team and we feel she will fit in well and add some stability to the middle order."Cunneen said she was thrilled with the news of her selection. "This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I really want to make the most of it," said Cunneen."Even though I wasn’t named in the original Australian squad, I still set the goal for myself to work hard because you just never know what can happen, and it shows that selection is open for anyone who is playing well enough."Coleman said her experience at youth level would assist in making the step into the international arena. "I’m rapt that the selectors have shown faith in bringing me into the squad," said Coleman."The chance to represent Australia at the highest level has been my dream and after gaining a taste of international competition with the youth side, I’m looking forward to this next challenge of playing with the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars."The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars team was chosen by the three-person national selection panel consisting of former Australian players Margaret Jennings (Chairperson) and Wendy Weir, and former Australian coach Peter Bakker.Australia plays New Zealand in six one-day international matches in the annual clash for the Rose Bowl trophy.The six-match limited-over series includes three matches in New Zealand (11, 15 and 17 February) and three matches in Australia at Sydney’s Bankstown Oval (21 February), Victoria’s Albert Ground (25 February) and Hobart’s Bellerive Oval (27 February).The Australian squad will be reselected at the end of the New Zealand leg of the tour, and announced on 18 February.FOUR NSW PLAYERS SELECTED IN AUSTRALIAN YOUTH (UNDER 23’S) TEAMNSW strength was again confirmed with 4 players being named in the 13-player Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars squad to play New Zealand A in four limited-over matches at Lincoln, New Zealand, beginning on 8 February.The NSW players selected in the Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars are:

Player	Suburb	Club	State Caps
Leah Poulton (captain)	Wallsend	Wallsend	12
Kate Blackwell (vice-captain)	Griffith	Gordon	12
Sarah Aley	Mortdale	Bankstown	0
Sarah Andrews	Newcastle	Wallsend	20

Manawatu bowler David Rankin has won an unexpected call-up to the Central Districts side for the January 2 State Shield match against Otago at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth.Rankin gets his chance with Michael Mason having been called to Christchurch to join the TelstraClear Black Caps in their preparations for tomorrow’s National Bank Series match against India.Rankin had been selected in CD’s A team to play at Lincoln University. His place will be taken by Ewen Thompson.The CD team is: Craig Spearman (captain), Jesse Ryder, Peter Ingram, Glen Sulzberger, Ian Sandbrook, Bevan Griggs, Greg Loveridge, Campbell Furlong, Andrew Schwass, Lance Hamilton, Brent Hefford, David Rankin.

Trevor Ward smashed his first Championship century for four years and Vince Wells, Iain Sutcliffe and Ben Smith hit their best scores of the season to put Leicestershire in a strong position at Grace Road.When rain swept in to bring an early finish to the third day of the CricInfo Championship clash with Somerset, the home side had reached 348 for six in their second innings to lead by 361 runs.But on what is an excellent pitch for batting, skipper Wells may feel he still doesn’t have enough runs on the board to declare immediately on the last day. Somerset would be more than capable of chasing that target.The third day, however, belonged to Leicestershire. They began it by claiming Somerset’s last four wickets for 50 runs to dismiss them for 374 and gain a first innings lead of 13. James Ormond took three of the four wickets, while Neil Burns held two more catches to make it seven in the innings – a new wicket-keeping record for Leicestershire.Then the batsmen took over, with Ward completing his rehabilitation after three miserable years by following up his first innings score of 93 with a sparkling century.It took him just over two hours, came off 127 balls and contained 20 fours. He was eventually out driving to mid-off after scoring 119 out of an opening stand of 182 – Leicestershire’s biggest for two years.Ward’s opening partner Sutcliffe made his first-half century of the season before being dismissed for 58 and, after a mini-collapse, Smith and Wells hammered 132 in 24 overs for the fifth wicket.Wells was in explosive form, hitting 86 off 63 balls with 10 fours and three sixes while Smith made 66 off 128 balls with eight fours.On such a pitch Leicestershire are likely to find it difficult to bowl out Somerset in the day, although they will be encouraged by the fact that left-arm spinner Keith Dutch has claimed three of their six wickets.

Leeds United will look to sign a replacement for Tyler Roberts in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Danny Mills, with the former Leeds full-back stating his belief in a recent interview with Football Insider that, after the attacking midfielder sustained a hamstring injury that is set to keep him out of action for around three months, Jesse Marsch could look to sign a replacement for the 23-year-old at the end of the season.

Speaking about the Wales international’s future at Elland Road, Mills said: “It’s not like he’s got an unbelievable history of fantastic performances under his belt. He hasn’t got a back catalogue to fall back on and say: ‘Look, this is what I can offer, this is what I can deliver more often than not.’

“I look at that and think a new manager will clearly bring in new players in the summer. There were the two links with the Red Bull [Salzburg] players in the January transfer window. We can see why now, it was long-term recruitment planning. There’s every chance that if [he’s] out for a while, it’s very, very difficult to get back in.”

Marsch must axe Roberts

Considering how poor Roberts has generally been since Victor Orta spent £2.5m to bring the 23-year-old to Elland Road back in January 2018, it would appear a very wise move for Marsch to look to move the midfielder on this summer.

Indeed, over his three complete campaigns with Leeds, the £7.2m-rated Welshman has failed to stand out, earning seasonal SofaScore match ratings of 6.86 over his 28 Championship appearances in 2018/19, 6.86 over his 23 second-tier outings in 2019/20 and 6.76 over his 27 Premier League fixtures last term – ratings which ranked him as the club’s 14th-best, 13th-best and 16th-best player in each season respectively.

It has been a similar case for the £45k-per-week man over his 23 top-flight matches this time out, with Roberts having scored one goal, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, with these metrics seeing the 23-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.74 – ranking him as the Whites’ joint 11th-best player in the division.

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As such, it is clear to see that the player who Gabby Agbonlahor dubbed “shocking” and “not good enough” for the Premier League is exactly this, leading us to believe that Marsch should indeed do all he can to finally move the midfielder on this summer.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano drops huge Leeds United update that will leave supporters devastated