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This week is expected to be "crucial" in Manchester United's pursuit of goalkeeper Andre Onana as the Red Devils try to get the deal over the line, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Is Onana joining United?

Now that David de Gea's departure from Old Trafford has been officially confirmed, the path has been laid for Onana to arrive in Manchester as the Spaniard's successor.

De Gea spent 12 years in the Premier League but has now left on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract, with both player and club unable to reach any sort of agreement during ongoing negotiations.

The Inter goalkeeper has made clear his desire to reunite with Erik ten Hag following the time they spent together at Ajax and a deal now looks closer than ever to completion, with the Italian side wanting £51m.

However, the Cameroonian is not yet officially a United player and deals have appeared similarly close in the past before eventually falling through, meaning Ten Hag can take nothing for granted.

According to transfer expert Romano, Onana's move is imminent though, with this week marked as the week in which a deal may be completed.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: "Mentioning about Manchester United, it is going to be a crucial, crucial week because from what I'm hearing between Wednesday and Thursday Man United hope to get the Andre Onana deal done.

"So, they will submit the final proposal next [now this] week, in the next few days, and they hope to close on everything with Inter. So the feeling, as I told you days ago, is that the deal is more than close, very, very close – considered imminent."

He added: "United are not negotiating for any other goalkeeper now. They spoke to other agents but now the full focus is on Andre Onana. They have an agreement with the player, Erik ten Hag is really pushing and the agreement with Inter is really close."

Onana enjoyed a brilliant season with Inter last year and has been described as "the best in class" in recent weeks. The 27-year-old was crucial to the Nerazzurri's journey to the Champions League final last season and is widely acknowledged as one of the best technical goalkeepers in Europe right now.

The 34-cap international will help Ten Hag implement his philosophy more effectively than De Gea did for the Dutch coach, one of the major reasons why the Red Devils are so keen on a move for the goalkeeper.

Who are United signing?

Having already captured Mason Mount's signature, and with Onana on the cusp of arriving at Old Trafford, Ten Hag will now have to focus his attentions on where else he can strengthen his team.

The big search is for a new number nine and it will likely be the most significant and difficult piece of business for United to get done.

The Red Devils have been linked with a host of Serie A stars including Rasmus Hojlund, Victor Osimhen and Dusan Vlahovic, while Randal Kolo Muani of Eintracht Frankfurt has also been touted with a move to Old Trafford.

The issue for United is the eye-watering fees that all these players would require to bring them to the club, with £60m plus likely needed to acquire any of their targets.

Ten Hag is also keen to bolster the centre of his defence and has reportedly set his sights on Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo and Monaco centre-back Axel Disasi, although it would be unlikely that both would join.

The Premier League fixtures have been released, and Sheffield United will kick off their return to the top flight with a visit from Crystal Palace at Bramall Lane.

The two will meet for the first time in over two years and the occasion will mark the Blades' return to the Premier League after their promotion from the Championship last season.

To get you ready for the start of the new Premier League season, here is Football FanCast's official preview for the game, answering several key questions below.

When is the match and is it on UK TV?

The match will take place on Saturday, 12 August at 15:00pm BST, but due to the national Saturday 3pm blackout, it won't be televised on UK TV.

Every Premier League Opening Day fixture in full

Who is Sheffield United's key player?

As Paul Heckingbottom's side aim to avoid relegation this season, Iliman Ndiaye will undoubtedly play a massive role in their campaign. The 23-year-old attacker was a revelation for United last season, with his 27 goal contributions dwarfing anyone else in the side as they finished second and sealed their return to the Premier League.

With an average WhoScored rating of 7.23, only Oliver Norwood's 7.24 was better, but with the midfielder turning 33 in April, it's likely his impact in the side will only lessen going forward, whereas Ndiaye's should only get stronger.

Who is Crystal Palace's key player?

After Roy Hodgson returned to Selhurst Park towards the tail end of last season, Eberechi Eze came alive and started to display the level of talent that encouraged the Eagles to sign him in the first place.

The former Queens Park Rangers gem was in blistering form to end the campaign, scoring six goals and creating one assist in the 10 games after Hodgson replaced Patrick Viera in the dugout.

Although the former England manager likely won't be in charge of the club come the start of the season, don't expect Eze to drop off.

With the club talisman Wilfried Zaha looking likely to leave Palace this summer, they'll need someone to step up in his absence and the 24-year-old is more than ready to do so and his average WhoScored rating of 7.02, a number higher than everyone else in the squad only solidifies that.

How will Sheffield United line up?

One thing Sheffield United showed last season, is their ability to switch things up tactically and deploy a number of different formations to adapt against any opponent.

The one they used most predominantly, though, was the 3-5-2, so expect them to return to that particular shape as they return to the Premier League.

With legendary striker Billy Sharp leaving the club, and Ndiaye linked with a potential move away, the Blades' lineup could look very different to last year.

The club is reportedly interested in Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, but with AC Milan now also looking at the 20-year-old, it remains to be seen whether he'll join the club.

So, going off what we know here's how United will likely line up in the opening game of the season.

Predicted lineup (3-5-2): Foderingham; Egan, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson; Bogel, McAtee, Norwood, Berge, Lowe; McBurnie, Ndiaye

How will Crystal Palace line up?

With a new manager coming in, and whoever will take the hot seat still up in the air, it's hard to gauge how Palace will line up in the first game of the season.

Any manager wants to implement their own unique style when they arrive, but for argument's sake, let's imagine they'll rely on the formation Hodgson used so effectively towards the end of the season.

Following the 75-year-old's appointment, the Eagles went unbeaten in eight of their final 10 league games, and it was largely using a 4-3-3 formation. Without a new manager in charge, it's also difficult to predict the transfer business the club will make, but with the club recently linked to Arsenal man Folarin Balogun, you can still expect them to be active in the window.

Taking into account Zaha's likely departure, here's our predicted lineup for Palace on the first game of the season.

Predicted lineup (4-3-3) : Johnstone; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Eze, Doucoure, Schlupp; Olise, Balogun, Edouard

How did the last five league meetings between the sides go?

The last five league meetings between the two sides have been fairly evenly split, with Palace coming out on top on three occasions, while United were victorious twice.

The two sides haven't drawn a game since 2009, so expect a fiery contest, with both teams giving it their all for maximum points.

May 2021: Sheffield United 0-2 Crystal Palace January 2021: Crystal Palace 2-0 Sheffield United February 2020: Crystal Palace 0-1 Sheffield United August 2019: Sheffield United 1-0 Crystal Palace February 2011: Crystal Palace 1-0 Sheffield United Who is going to win?

Sheffield United looked fantastic under Heckingbottom last season, and with Palace still unsure of who will be in charge of the club when the season kicks off, things may take an interesting turn.

Don't be too surprised with the Blades return to the Premier League with a bang and upset the apple cart a little, similar to their return in 2019.

On that note, United will mark their return to the top flight with a victory against a Palace side still trying to find their footing under whoever their new manager will be.

FFC predicts: Sheffield United win

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:41

Moonda: Ideal conditions for debutant Olivier

At least one Sri Lankan enjoyed himself at the Wanderers. The third Test followed a largely predictable path as South Africa went about trying to secure a 3-0 series whitewash by following up a first-innings score of 426 with four top-order wickets before the close of the second day but Nuwan Pradeep’s ferocious four-wicket burst at least gave Sri Lanka something for their tour diary as the Wanderers lived up to its billing as one of the premier arenas for fast bowling.South Africa maintained a grip on the match despite losing their last seven wickets for 88, with Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada picking up a brace apiece to take their combined tally in the series to 31 at 15.03. Bad light brought an early close to the evening session, with Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal having battled through several overs of insistent probing as the clouds closed in above the ground. Sri Lanka’s hopes of respectability will lie with their two senior batsmen.They needed their top order to show steady heads after Pradeep and his whirling limbs had brought Sri Lanka back into the contest by taking 4 for 1 in 18 balls before lunch but Philander reinforced South African conviction that they had established a match-defining position with his first over with the new ball. Dimuth Karunaratne survived a review for caught behind to his third delivery but made certain of his fate two balls later when some seam movement from Philander’s immaculate line drew a clearly discernible edge to Quinton de Kock.Kaushal Silva and Kusal Mendis survived the odd streaky moment to reach tea but both fell soon after to Rabada. Another thin edge behind did for Silva to end a 47-run stand before Mendis, who struck six fours and a six and also saw the debutant Duanne Olivier put down a straightforward caught-and-bowled chance during a lively knock, was chiselled out by Rabada’s bouncer, a simple catch lobbing off the gloves to gully. In the next over, Dhananjaya de Silva speared a drive point as Sri Lanka subsided to 70 for 4.

SA collapse and Pradeep’s four-fers

• 88-7 South Africa’s score on the second day. They began at 338 for 3 and were all out for 426. They scored those runs at rate of 2.57, compared to 3.75 on the first day

• 6 Number of four-wicket hauls for Nuwan Pradeep, without a five-for. Only Australia’s Wayne Clarke, with seven, has taken more such hauls in Tests.

• 68.54 Percentage of South Africa’s runs that came from the single partnership of Hashim Amla and JP Duminy, 292 out of 426 – the third-highest contribution from a partnership in an all-out innings for South Africa. The highest for them is 70.77%, when Alviro Peterson and Amla made 209 out of a total of 296 at Eden Gardens in 2009-10.

• 33 Wickets taken by Sri Lanka fast bowlers in this series – the second-most for them in any away series. Their highest is 41 wickets in New Zealand in 1990-91.

Success for the home quicks was not unexpected after Pradeep had gambolled in to cause havoc during the morning. South Africa’s position was already bulwarked by the 292-run stand between JP Duminy and Hashim Amla but any hopes they had of batting on at their leisure disappeared amid a clatter of wickets in the second hour.De Kock was the only South Africa batsman to make a notable contribution to the scorecard after the two first-day centurions and he was last man out as the persevering Lahiru Kumara also finished with four wickets. Following a slide of 4 for 14, with Pradeep on the rampage, De Kock’s 34 helped swell the total to still-daunting proportions: only once in home Tests have South Africa lost after making 400 in the first innings.The sight of the ball seaming, swinging and flying through with a hungry cordon awaiting was double-edged for Sri Lanka, foreshadowing as it did another searching examination for their batsmen. The first session was nevertheless one to savour for the tourists, arguably their best during a difficult series, as Pradeep’s interventions caused South Africa to tumble from 364 for 4 to 378 for 8 in a rambunctious 30-minute period of play.South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis – who was hit several times during his stay at the crease – may have spent lunch reflecting with satisfaction on his decision to get runs on the board first. This surface looked like only getting more treacherous to bat on.Even if the odds were stacked against Sri Lanka, after a dispiriting first day in which South Africa made 338 for 3, Suranga Lakmal and Mathews began with just the sort of tight, probing spells needed if they were to wrest the match back their way. Amla and the debutant nightwatchman, Olivier, had added just eight to the total in as many overs, during which ball regularly beat bat, when Mathews finally made an incision, with the aid of DRS. Olivier pushed at a rising ball in the channel and tickled a fine edge to Chandimal.The first hour was a cagey affair, as Amla attempted to retrench himself after marking his 100th Test with a revivifying hundred. Only 26 runs came, Olivier went and it could have been even better for Sri Lanka but for Mendis making an awful hash of taking a thick edge from du Plessis that looped to second slip, only to squirm from his grasp inches above the ground.Lakmal was the unlucky bowler on that occasion and figures of 7-4-9-0 were scant reward for a spell of controlled away swing. Pradeep had no such complaints, however. In humid conditions and with the pitch having seemingly quickened up overnight, he proceeded to rip through South Africa’s middle order.Du Plessis, who had been worked over by several blows to the body, enjoyed a let-off on 1 but was taken at the second time of asking by Mendis when Pradeep had him fending at a back-of-a-length delivery. Two balls later, Temba Bavuma reached for an ill-advised drive only to see Silva snap up a sharp, overhead chance at third slip, extending a poor series for South Africa’s No. 6.There was more to come, too, as Pradeep feasted on the Bullring’s famed pace and bounce. Amla was squared up by a beauty and Chandimal threw himself bodily to his right to cling on one-handed in front of slip; then Philander, having successfully reviewed a caught-behind off Kumara when his glove came off the handle, was removed by an absolute snorter that leapt from a length to take his thumb before settling in Chandimal’s gauntlets once again.De Kock and Wayne Parnell chanced their arm to good effect in adding 46 for the ninth wicket to stave off a complete collapse and take South Africa past 400. Pradeep was denied a maiden Test five-for when Karunaratne, the lone slip, could not hold on to diving chance to his left with Parnell on 21 but he was dismissed in the following over when he carved a square drive off Kumara straight to deep point. De Kock then fell in similar fashion two overs later, slicing a cut with only Rabada for company.

كشفت صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية عن وجود خيار وحيد أمام إدارة برشلونة، من أجل ضمان استمرار جناح أتلتيكو مدريد المعار، جواو فيليكس، في الموسم المقبل على الأقل.

وحصل برشلونة على خدمات فيليكس في الميركاتو الصيفي الماضي، ونجح البرتغالي في فرض نفسه على تشكيل المدرب، تشافي هيرنانديز.

ولكن المشكلة تكمن في المبلغ المطلوب من أتلتيكو مدريد، للموافقة على بيع فيليكس إلى برشلونة نهائيًا، حيث يطلب 70 أو 80 مليون يورو.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موندو ديبورتيفو: برشلونة يفكر في التعاقد مع دي خيا

هذا المبلغ لن يستطيع برشلونة دفعه في نهاية الموسم مع راتب اللاعب، خاصة وأن النادي يعاني من أزمة مالية كبيرة منذ فترة طويلة، ويرغب في عدم الدخول في مشاكل مع قانون اللعب المالي النظيف التابع لبطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وبالتالي، الخيار الوحيد أمام برشلونة هو طلب مد فترة الإعارة لموسم آخر من أتلتيكو مدريد، لمحاولة تمويل صفقات أخرى سيحتاجها الجهاز الفني الجديد بعد رحيل، تشافي.

إذا وافق أتلتيكو مدريد لن يكون هناك مشكلة، ولكن إذا لم يوافق فنادي برشلونة قد تعاقد مع فيتور روكي المهاجم الذي يجيد اللعب في مركز الجناح الأيسر.

مع إمكانية عودة أنسو فاتي إلى صفوف برشلونة في نهاية الموسم الحالي بعد انتهاء فترة إعارته مع برايتون في الدوري الإنجليزي، وبالتالي، لن يضغط النادي الكتالوني على أتلتيكو مدريد للموافقة إذا رفض مد الإعارة.

أثار جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي باريس سان جيرمان، كيليان مبابي، الجدل حول مستقبله خلال الساعات القليلة الماضية مع أنباء اقترابه إلى ريال مدريد.

والتقطت الكاميرات في مطار “برشلونة” اللاعب الفرنسي يغادر للعودة إلى باريس سان جيرمان وكان ذلك من خلال برنامج “El Golazo de Gol” الإسباني.

وتهتم الصحافة العالمية والأوروبية بأنباء رحيل مبابي المتوقع من باريس سان جيرمان وارتداءه المحتمل لقميص ريال مدريد بداية الموسم المقبل.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بي بي سي تكشف تطورات جديدة في مفاوضات مبابي وريال مدريد

🚨 Imagen #Golazo 🚨

🇫🇷 Mbappé viaja a París después de pasar unos días en Barcelona

⏰ A las 14h en @Gol, te mostramos la secuencia completa

📹 @ricardorosety pic.twitter.com/7dRAX1w3yX — El Golazo de Gol (@ElGolazoDeGol) February 21, 2024

ولكن البرنامج الإسباني يشير نحو أن مبابي كان يتواجد في برشلونة منذ أيام واليوم غادر إلى باريس من أجل العودة إلى تدريبات فريقه قبل مباراة رين في الدوري الفرنسي.

حاول المراسلون أن يسألوا مبابي عن وجهته المقبلة وهل هي بالفعل إلى ريال مدريد، ولكن تجاهل الفرنسي جميع الأسئلة حيث كان مشغول بالتقاط بعض الصور التذكارية قبل الرحيل عن المدينة الكتالونية.

وبحسب التقارير الصحفية في الأيام المقبلة أن مبابي قد وقع بالفعل على عقوده مع ريال مدريد لمدة 5 سنوات مقبلة ولكن ليس هناك تأكيدات لهذا الأمر إلا من صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية.

At the start of a big home season, with conditions to their liking, with the required ammunition in their bag, and with batsmen world over struggling to play quality spin, Virat Kohli sounded like a captain who felt his team’s time has come

Sidharth Monga in Kanpur21-Sep-20161:41

Need to be smart about our combination – Kohli

Virat Kohli’s performances in the last two years have been seen as a case of his recognising his time had come. He worked hard on his game for the conditions he was likely to get, eliminating every small weakness as he went along. He became obsessed with his fitness so his body became strong enough to match his ambition. At the start of a big home season, with conditions to their liking, with the required ammunition in their bag, and with batsmen world over struggling to play quality spin, Kohli sounded like a captain who felt his team’s time has come as well.”We believe we certainly have what it takes to be the best team in the world,” he said. “We definitely believe that. One area we have tapped into is belief. It’s something that a lot of young players can lack coming into international cricket. There can be a lot of insecurities: ‘Whether I’ll play in the next game or whether my position is secure or not.’ It’s all about getting them rid of that feeling. When you step on to the pitch, you need to tell yourself, ‘I own this position for the next eight-ten years in Test cricket for India.'”That’s the only way you can go out there, be confident and express yourself. Express how good you are, and that’s what this team has done. That’s why we’ve been able to win seven-odd Test matches in the last 13 or 14 that we played. [It’s] because we wanted to go out there and play bold cricket and take some risks. More often than not if you’re fearless, the results will fall your way because you’re willing to take that extra risk in the course of the game. I certainly feel that this team has what it takes to be the best.”Just like he has done with his batting, Kohli said he wanted his team to become obsessed with preparation so that at crunch time their strength and skill don’t desert them.”What it requires is sustained concentration, attention to detail, practising the same way every day… You know, doing boring things,” he said. “At this level you need to be boring if you want to be successful. As simple as that. Your training, your practice, the way you prepare for games should not change. Whoever can do that for a sustained period of time will obviously be a very good side, and this team has the potential to do that.”In the last season, when India beat South Africa 3-0, the frontline batsmen didn’t finish the job; India struggled against spin themselves and had to be bailed out by the lower order on more than the odd occasion. On Wednesday, Kohli said work has been done to overcome that.”I think what’s really important is to find the balance between being positive and being solid at the same time,” he said. “If someone is bowling a good spell you want to pay respect to the bowler, but not so much that you get under pressure. You don’t want to defend too much and eventually feel like, ‘I could have attacked more,’ when you get out. So it’s a right balance of putting the bowler under pressure and at the same time respecting the good balls that he bowls.”And that requires a lot of concentration. We have to be more watchful and more focussed throughout the day. There is no room for complacency; you cannot relax at any stage. In Test cricket, half an hour of bad decision-making can cost you the whole Test. So that’s one thing that we have worked on.”That’s why we work on our fitness levels so that the body can support what we want to do. To bat through the whole day, or two days, you need a fit physique and that’s what the boys have been working on and it’s been going really good. That has certainly improved our focus levels and we have been able to play out difficult situations in the best way possible. So it’s a combination of a lot of things, but I think the key is to maintain that balance between being positive and at the same time, being solid and playing through a difficult situation for the team.”

What it requires is sustained concentration, attention to detail, practising the same way every day… You know, doing boring thingsVirat Kohli on the recipe for success

To prepare for the 2013-14 season, when the bulk of India’s Tests were to be played overseas, the players had concentrated on how to play fast bowling as best as they could and in doing so they “sort of didn’t pay that much attention to spin.” Kohli admitted as much, but went on to say the same mistake would not be made now.”We have lost a Test match in Sri Lanka because we could not play spin as well as we wanted to,” he said. “But we rectified that. The team wants to improve in that aspect of the game. It is something that we surely need to get stronger at. What has happened is that there was so much being built up about us not being able to play well away from home that we kept focusing on playing fast bowling, and we got really good at it. We countered conditions really well in England, in bursts, in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.”We sort of didn’t pay that much attention to spin. That was one area we could have worked more on. Now we are putting in more effort, to face the spinners longer in nets and practising small little things by ourselves – someone might sweep, someone might play off the back foot, someone might step out – whatever it is. We are trying to improve that part of our game slowly. If you want to be a champion side, you don’t want to give the opposition any window to get into the game. The good thing is we are playing a lot of Test cricket so on the sidelines we can keep working on that every day and surely that improvement will happen.”As Kohli spoke at his press conference before the first Test of the Indian season, the ICC presented Pakistan the mace for being the No. 1 ranked side in Lahore. Kohli knows if his side can replicate what he did when he realised his time had come, that mace is likely to be in India before the season is done.

Mauricio Pochettino has already set his sights on Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez, and Chelsea have also been told what it will take to sign him.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

Pochettino, ahead of this looming summer window, has already identified key Stamford Bridge targets – with goalkeeper Andre Onana also of serious interest to the Argentine.

It's been an underwhelming first full season for Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, who has overseen a calamitous drop to the bottom half, just two seasons after the west Londoners were crowned champions of Europe.

A succession of managers have come and gone, too, with Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter being relieved of their duties over 2022/2023 as Frank Lampard takes interim charge till the end of this torrid Premier League season.

One major hope for supporters is what the future could hold under Pochettino, who has joined Chelsea 10 months after leaving Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain.

Chelsea's task is to back their incoming manager as Pochettino looks to shape the team in his own image, with Football Insider sharing an update on his plans.

According to the outlet, Inter striker Martinez is a personal target for the 51-year-old, with Pochettino being a "massive fan" of his.

Chelsea have also been told exactly what it will take for the Nerazzurri to sanction a sale as both the Blues and Man United eye up summer moves.

The Champions League finalists will apparently demand a fee of around £69.5 million to let their forward depart Italy, with Chelsea searching for a proven goalscorer.

Who is Lautaro Martinez?

The Argentine, who was a member of their 2022 World Cup-winning squad, has been in exceptional form this season.

Martinez stands out as Inter's best-performing player overall by average Serie A match rating, scoring over 20 league goals for Simone Inzaghi's side (WhoScored).

Averaging around 3.5 attempts at goal per 90, the highest number of any Inter player, the £184,000-per-week star is a constant threat in the final third.

Called "spectacular" by footballing icon Lionel Messi, Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku also holds no doubt over Martinez's ability as a forward.

“Amazing, the guy is really a beast,” said Lukaku on Instagram Live in 2020 (via GOAL).“He is doing so well, he keeps improving, I love him".

Still just 25-years-old and a proven goalscorer, Martinez could be a great option for Chelsea at £69.5m – especially considering other options like Victor Osimhen will cost far more.

England will play two ODIs in Antigua and one in Barbados when they tour the Caribbean early next year

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2016

England will play two ODIs in Antigua and one in Barbados when they tour the Caribbean early next year. The short 50-over series will form part of England’s build-up to the Champions Trophy, a tournament for which West Indies failed to qualify.The England team is scheduled to arrive in St Kitts on February 22 for two warm-up matches against a WICB President’s XI, before going on to Antigua for two ODIs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium – where the West Indies-England Test was abandoned in 2009. The two-week tour will conclude with a third ODI at Kensington Oval on March 9.England’s tour schedule

February 25 Warm-up v WICB Pres XI

February 27 Warm-up v WICB Pres XI

March 3 1st ODI, Antigua

March 5 2nd ODI, Antigua

March 9 3rd ODI, Barbados

“We are pleased to have agreed the itinerary for this tour, which will form an important part of our one-day squad’s preparations for the Champions Trophy in England and Wales later in the summer,” Andrew Strauss, the ECB’s director of England cricket, said.”West Indies is always a popular tour destination for England fans and we trust as many supporters as possible will travel to the Caribbean to show support for the team.”The schedule is similar to that of England’s limited-overs tour of the West Indies in 2014, when they played three ODIs in Antigua before going on to Barbados for three T20s.WICB chief executive, Michael Muirhead said: “We see this an additional opportunity to strengthen our performances in this format as we aim to move up in the rankings. We are pleased once again to have England in the region and as always we know the contest will be keen and we know the fans will come out in their numbers.”West Indies are currently ranked No. 8 in ODI cricket but missed out on the Champions Trophy because they had slipped below Bangladesh and Pakistan to ninth at last year’s cut-off.

TalkSport pundit Carlton Palmer has claimed that transfer target Declan Rice may join Manchester United if the Red Devils sign Harry Kane.

What's the latest Manchester United transfer news?

The Red Devils have been heavily linked with a move for the Tottenham Hotspur and England striker in recent times.

After all, when Man Utd played Spurs in the week, their travelling United supporters were even heard singing: “Harry Kane, we’ll see you in June.”

While Kane refused to be drawn on making any major comments when quizzed about the rumours after the game – saying "I heard what they were saying but I'm just focused on this team and trying to finish strongly" – there appears to be the feeling that he may well be on his way to Old Trafford in the summer.

At the same time, West Ham United captain Rice may also be on the move at the end of the campaign – as he holds the ambition of playing in the Champions League.

United may well be able to offer the £60k-per-week England international that level of European football and so could be an enticing prospect to consider.

What's more, Palmer seems to think Rice could follow Kane through the door this summer.

Indeed, while discussing transfers on TalkSport, the pundit said: “If Harry Kane does end up at Manchester United, I think there's a chance that Declan [Rice] might go to Manchester United, and that would be fantastic.”

Would Declan Rice and Harry Kane join Man Utd?

Although the Red Devils do already have Casemiro in the middle of the park, there's potentially plenty of room for Rice too.

After all, Scott McTominay has been heavily linked with an exit; Marcel Sabitzer is only on loan; and 31-year-old Christian Eriksen may not be viewed as a long-term option due to his age.

With that being the case, United may be keen on landing Rice but it remains to be seen if he would opt to join Erik ten Hag and co.

No doubt, what could help persuade him to be more on board with the project would be a move for Kane. After all, Rice is a key member of the England set-up – having starred regularly at the last two major tournaments – and will no doubt appreciate the quality of the Three Lions' all-time record goalscorer.

There's a long way to go before either of these deals are sorted, but it could be an exciting summer for United if the duo are indeed wanted in the upcoming transfer window.

Scottish champions Celtic are currently on course to wrap up a second successive league title having moved 12 points clear at the top of the table, with the Parkhead outfit's primary focus at present set to be the upcoming Scottish Cup semi-final clash with rivals Rangers.

A major concern heading into that meeting is the fitness of first-choice centre-back, Cameron Carter-Vickers, with the Daily Record reporting that the United States international is currently carrying a knee injury.

As per the report, the 25-year-old – who was absent from the weekend win over Kilmarnock amid concerns about the artificial pitch at Rugby Park – could well still feature against the Light Blues later this month, albeit with there a possibility that the former Tottenham Hotspur man may have to undergo surgery following that Hampden showdown.

Even with the title looking all but secure, it would still be of concern for Ange Postecoglou and co to be without the Southend-born menace for the remainder of the campaign, having been an "outstanding" asset over the last 18 months or so, as per club captain Callum McGregor.

If the 6 foot 1 ace is set for a spell on the sidelines, the Old Firm giants will be able to call upon the likes of Carl Starfelt, Yuki Kobayashi and Stephen Welsh in the centre of defence, although Postecoglou may well be in need of further depth in that position over the coming weeks.

As such, with Moritz Jenz having moved on in January, the Bhoys could find that added reinforcement in the form of academy star, Bosun Lawal, with the 19-year-old having already been on the cusp of the first-team in recent times.

Who is Bosun Lawal?

For all of the other central defenders at Postecoglou's disposal, young Lawal could well represent an ideal replacement for Carter-Vickers in the side, with the towering Irishman seemingly possessing the same, dominant characteristics as that of the 12-cap machine.

The teenage titan has notably been described as "powerful" and someone who can "defend so well aerially" – as per his ex-Watford colleague Troy Deeney – with those traits undoubtedly similar to that of Carter-Vickers, who has won an impressive 73% of his aerial duels in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Equally, as per Deeney, the exciting prospect is also adept both "in and out of possession" as a marker of his quality on the ball, with that also a trait that is shared by his fellow defender, who boasts a standout pass accuracy rate of 92% in the league this season.

While Lawal has only been restricted to just one senior appearance for the club to date – after featuring off the bench in the cup triumph over Morton – a more prominent role could well be on the cards in the months and weeks to come, having been "working hard" in first-team training late, as per Postecoglou.

The £640-per-week youngster – who has scored six goals and laid on two assists in 19 appearances for the club's 'B' team this season – has been a "real find" for the Glasgow outfit, as per coach Tommy McIntyre, with the club having fended off Premier League interest to sign the defender from the Hornets back in 2021.

With clubs south of the border again sniffing around in the hope of landing the teen sensation in the near future, the potential absence of Carter-Vickers could offer Lawal the chance of vital minutes in the senior set-up, potentially helping to ensure that he is persuaded to stay at Celtic Park for the long haul.