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Bangladesh have never beaten New Zealand in an international in New Zealand

Mohammad Isam04-Feb-2019Mushfiqur Rahim has identified the ODI tour of New Zealand, starting February 13, as ideal preparation for the 2019 World Cup. Conditions vaguely similar to England, high-scoring games and a quality bowling attack are what, Mushfiqur believes, Bangladesh will be confronted with in Napier, Christchurch and Dunedin.”It will be a difficult challenge in New Zealand,” Mushfiqur said. “India won the ODI series but New Zealand fought really hard. They have a really good bowling attack but I believe that our team will do well.Watch NZ v Ban live

Followers in the United States can watch New Zealand v Bangladesh live on ESPN+

“We ran them close in two (out of three) ODIs on our last New Zealand tour, in Nelson and Christchurch. If Mosaddek and I had batted for longer, things would have been different. It will be the ideal preparation ahead of the World Cup. There may be high-scoring matches. If we can overcome those challenges, it will only help us for the future.”Bangladesh have never beaten New Zealand in an international in New Zealand, and their last ODI assignment was in mid-December, when they beat West Indies 2-1 at home. Since then only T20s have been on their roster, three internationals against West Indies, followed by the ongoing edition of the BPL.But Mushfiqur felt that the match practice would prove useful, especially with regard to fitness. “Ideally there should be a week’s break (after the BPL) but still, our first game is on February 13. So we have seven or eight days left. We are in match practice, so there can’t be anything better than that. It helps you fitness-wise too.”Mushfiqur’s BPL side, Chittagong Vikings, exited the tournament after a meek surrender against Dhaka Dynamites in the eliminator in Mirpur. Mushfiqur, his team’s highest scorer with 426 runs at a strike rate of 139.21, said that although he missed out on Monday, he was still satisfied with his showing earlier in the tournament.”I wanted to play a match-winning knock today but it didn’t happen. I feel that I am slightly happier than previous tournaments. I have got out of some tough situations, and believed in myself a little more.”Mushfiqur said that the lack of pressure on the team, particularly because of their underdog tag, helped the Vikings exceed expectations.”We had the belief to finish in the top four. There was little pressure on us. We didn’t have the team on paper but we wanted to show that despite being a low-budget side, we can set an example with a good result.”I think if we had better foreign inclusions after winning five games, things could have been different. If we leave out today, I think we had a good tournament.”

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers could see one of his summer signings walk through the exit door at Parkhead once the January window opens, according to a fresh report.

Celtic prepare for Motherwell test…

Celtic still have a number of players either on international duty with their respective nations or carrying out extra work on the training field as they prepare for the visit of Motherwell on Saturday in the Scottish Premiership. Honduras boss Reinaldo Rueda has indicated that Celtic star Luis Palma could miss their clash against Mexico on Wednesday evening due to an injury concern, as he stated: "Luis Vega has a discomfort in his shoulder, and there is a small discomfort for Luis Palma. We have those situations."

Callum McGregor picked up the man of the match award during Scotland's 3-3 draw with Norway in EURO 2024 qualifying last Sunday, in a fixture that saw a reunion between several past and present Celtic players, including McGregor, Greg Taylor, Stuart Armstrong, Jack Hendry, Anthony Ralston, Ryan Christie, Kristoffer Ajer and Mohamed Elyounoussi.

Nevertheless, Celtic boss Rodgers will be keen for his side to get back to action against Motherwell this weekend before a trip to face Lazio in matchday five of the Champions League, where the Hoops must record a victory to keep their slim hopes of progression intact. With the January transfer window around the corner, Celtic will likely target making a couple of signings to bolster their squad ahead of the second portion of the campaign.

Last week, reporter Marc Guidi tipped Celtic to assess the possibility of bringing in Heart of Midlothian forward Lawrence Shankland to counteract the potential issue of Kyogo Furuhashi and Oh Hyeon-gyu being unavailable due to the Asian Cup taking place in the New Year.

He stated on Go Radio: "He knows the league inside out (Shankland). He can score goals with his eyes shut. He’s a right good player. There’s no bedding in time as in any language barriers or moving to a new country. And if the fee is £3m or £3.5m, Celtic can afford to do that with their eyes shut. I’m not saying he is the absolute number one for them, but just somebody that’s under your nose, I don’t think there’s many better than Lawrence Shankland."

Nevertheless, one of Celtic's summer signings could now be on his way out of Parkhead after spending just a few months at the club, according to a fresh report.

Marco Tilio could Celtic leave on loan basis…

According to The Daily Record, forgotten Celtic man Marco Tilio will consider leaving the club on loan in January if he doesn't see any game time over the Christmas period.

The report states that Tilio has been involved with Australia's Under-23 side on international duty and is hoping he can return from camp and find his way into Rodgers' plans at Parkhead. The 22-year-old is still yet to make his senior debut for the Hoops since joining from Melbourne City for a fee in the region of £1.5 million.

Tilio was a key player for Melbourne City during his time at AAMI Park, registering 20 goals and 19 assists in 83 appearances for the A-League Premiers champions across all competitions (Tilio statistics – Transfermarkt).

Despite this, he has still to make an impact at Parkhead and could instead opt to seek a temporary exit in January to ensure he receives regular minutes rather than continuing to slide down the pecking order in Glasgow's east end.

Chelsea are believed to be interested in signing a striker once compared to Blues legend Didier Drogba, as they look to add some much needed firepower in the January transfer window.

Chelsea linked with Victor Osimhen

The Blues have made a bitterly disappointing start to the Premier League season, only picking up three wins in their opening ten matches and sitting 11th in the table at the moment.

There have been issues throughout Chelsea's team since Mauricio Pochettino came in as manager, but the main issue has clearly been the lack of a proven number nine. Nicolas Jackson has invariably been tasked with leading the line, but he has only netted twice in the league, with Raheem Sterling leading the way with three strikes.

In truth, there shouldn't be such issues, considering how much money has been spent at Stamford Bridge in recent windows, but there have to be serious question marks about some of the recruitment, given how much Chelsea are still lacking an out-and-out centre forward.

The January transfer window will afford the Blues the opportunity to correct that mistake though, and they have been strongly linked with Napoli's Victor Osimhen. The Blues reportedly see the Nigeria international as their top target to come in and fix their goalscoring woes, but his current employers are expected to demand a huge price tag.

Abraham could be perfect Osimhen alternative

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are eyeing a reunion with former striker Tammy Abraham, looking to bring him back to the club in the coming months as a possible alternative to Napoli star Osimhen.

The 26-year-old is currently plying his trade at Serie A giants Roma, but Abraham's statistics there this season make for grim reading, with not a single minute of league action coming his way as he recovers from an ACL injury.

It could be that Abraham wants to leave Roma in January given his recent struggles, and Chelsea are now keen on re-signing him, seeing him as someone who can solve their attacking woes, being lauded as "outstanding" by The Times' Henry Winter in the past.

This would certainly be a signing that raises eyebrows, considering the Blues let him go because they didn't see him as a key player for the future, but he is now a more mature and polished footballer than the one who left, with Abraham's overall goal tally at Roma standing at 36 in 107 matches.

Back in 2019, Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand waxed lyrical over Abraham, comparing him to Drogba and saying: "I saw elements in Tammy's game today that I hadn't seen as much that I'd have liked to. His hold-up play, coming to the ball and bringing others into play.

"First half, one ball went up to him, Didier Drogba-esque, chests it down for someone, runs on for the next phase – I think he's developing nicely. He's scoring goals, he's scoring different types of goals and I think he's a threat."

As mentioned, Abraham has continued to grow since those comments emerged four years ago, scoring three goals in 11 caps for England, but there would still be a risk element in Chelsea bringing him back to Stamford Bridge, not least because of the severity of the knee injury he suffered earlier in the year.

He isn't the world-class striker that the Blues arguably need, and may never be, so if the money is there for the west Londoners to spend big, they should be looking at a higher calibre of footballer. Abraham could still come in and do a good job, but there is no guarantee that he would be a roaring success.

An exciting Germany sent out a statement as they cruised to victory in Lyon over France, staking their claim as one of the best sides in the world.

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Germany impress in France to win friendlyWirtz scores after seven seconds to put Germany in frontHavertz adds second after impressive Musiala assistGettyTELL ME MORE

Germany started the game with a bang. Florian Wirtz, perhaps inspired by Christoph Baumgartner’s record-breaking goal earlier in the day, unleashed a vicious effort that cannoned down off the crossbar and in after just seven seconds. The Bayer Leverkusen star was fired the ball direct from kick-off from the returning Toni Kroos before hitting the speculative effort capable by only a player of his extreme confidence.

After the initial setback, France grew into the first half, dominating much of the ball. However, the front three of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Marcus Thuram failed to click and, aside from the former drawing one smart save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen, threatened little.

Going into the break behind, the French needed a strong start to the second period but they appeared noy to have not their lesson from the first. In the 49th minute, Wirtz played the impressive Jamal Musiala over the top who rounded Brice Samba before squaring back to an onrushing Kai Havertz to sweep home.

The Arsenal forward has hit fine form since the turn of the year, scoring in four successive Premier League games, and added yet another goal here. The front three of Havertz, Wirtz and Musiala combined exceptionally well and will take the headlines, but the balanced midfield of Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan and Robert Andrich played France off the park.

Aside from a penalty shout in the 76th minute, France's attack continued to fall flat. The French failings were epitomised by their closest chance coming through a failed Maximilian Mittelstadt clearance that had to be smashed off the line by Antonio Rudiger in the 86th minute. Germany closed the game out by playing through the French press with their opposition unable to string more than five together.

Germany were excellent and France were disappointing, as Julian Nagelsmann sends out a message before a European Championships on home soil.

AdvertisementTHE MVP

Musiala dictated play throughout and was at the heart of every Germany attack. The French defence looked lost every time the 21-year-old went on one of his trademark slalom dribbles and were made to pay at the start of the second half. Musiala announced himself as the face of the new Germany team at the 2022 World Cup and he has only grown in confidence since.

Getty ImagesTHE BIG LOSER

Both French fullbacks, Jules Kounde and Lucas Hernandez, suffered massively against Musiala and Wirtz and were withdrawn on the hour mark. However, Kounde was perhaps the slightly weaker of the pair, losing the ball 10 times. He arguably could have done more to prevent the second goal, too

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GettyWHAT COMES NEXT?

Germany host Holland on Wednesday hoping to further demonstrate themselves as one of the favourites for their home European Championships this summer. As for France, several issues will need to be addressed before facing Chile on Tuesday, with Les Blues looking rather disjointed in Saturday's showing.

During the summer transfer window, things looked to be going well for Newcastle United once again as they attempted to build a squad capable of competing on all fronts, including in the Champions League. Fast-forward a few months, however, and their biggest deal has quickly become somewhat void, given that Sandro Tonali is now at the beginning of a 10-month ban following his breach of betting regulations.

That leaves the Magpies with a difficult dilemma and a gaping hole in the middle of the park. They could yet turn to the transfer market to once again solve their problems though, with reports suggesting that they could move for a particular Ligue 1 target.

Newcastle United transfer news

In Tonali's absence, Newcastle have lost just once, which came in their most recent outing in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund. Meanwhile, prior to that defeat, Eddie Howe's side picked up impressive victories in the Carabao Cup against Manchester United, sweeping the Red Devils aside 3-0, and Arsenal in the Premier League as they shot the Gunners' title chances down with a controversial 1-0 win.

The likes of Joe Willock have stepped up well in the Italian's absence, but any more injuries and the Magpies could struggle. That's when January should ease their issues, however. According to 90min, Newcastle are eyeing a move for Youssouf Fofana alongside both Manchester United and Liverpool. The AS Monaco central midfielder, who can also play on the right of midfield, is reportedly on the Magpies' radar but is not at the top of the club's list of priorities.

As things stand, Fofana's current Monaco deal is set to expire at the end of the season, which could have handed Newcastle and others a potential boost before reports suggested that the Ligue 1 side will trigger their automatic option to extend his contract by a further year. Nonetheless, with three Premier League clubs reportedly interested, Fofana could be one to keep an eye on in the coming months.

"Magnificent" Fofana could replace Tonali

Like Tonali, Fofana is a midfielder capable of operating in both boxes and is at the top of his game, with a career high transfer value. Fofana's Adidas sponsorship would certainly feel fitting for Newcastle too, given the recent deal that they signed with the sports brand.

Whether the Magpies make their move or not remains to be seen, but what is clear is that the Frenchman could step in and fill the shoes of the banned Tonali. Fofana's stats prove as much.

Player

Progressive Passes Per 90

Interceptions Per 90

Blocks Per 90

Goals + Assists

Youssouf Fofana

8.04

1.31

1.31

3

Sandro Tonali

3.88

0.41

0.61

1

The stats even suggest that Fofana wouldn't just step in and briefly replace Tonali at St James' Park, but he'd be more than capable of keeping the former AC Milan man out of Howe's side upon his return in just under a year.

His numbers and performances have resulted in deserved praise, including from Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who posted on X: "All eyes are on Aurélien Tchouaméni but Youssouf Fofana is also a magnificent player. Top clubs EPL clubs should definitely have him on their radar."

واصل فريق بيراميدز، انتصاراته في بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز هذا الموسم، بالفوز اليوم الإثنين على نظيره الاتحاد السكندري برباعية نظيفة.

والتقي فريقا بيراميدز مع الاتحاد السكندري، على ملعب استاد الإسكندرية، ضمن مواجهات الأسبوع الـ 30 من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري.

وتقدم لـ بيراميدز، المهاجم الجنوب إفريقي فخري لاكاي في الدقيقة 28 من عمر الشوط الأول، بتسديدة متقنة من داخل منطقة الجزاء سكنت أعلي يسار المهدي سليمان حارس الاتحاد السكندري.

وأضاف الهدف الثاني، لـ بيراميدز، الظهير الأيسر محمد حمدي في بداية الشوط الثاني، الذي سدد كرة قوية على مرمي المهدي سليمان وسكنت الشباك.

وعزز الكونغولي فيستون ماييلي من تقدم بيراميدز وسجل الهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 58 من انفراد تام بمرمي الاتحاد السكندري.

طالع | فيديو | فيستون مايلي يٌسجل هدف بيراميدز الثالث أمام الاتحاد السكندري

واختتم رباعية بيراميدز، محمود زلاكة في الدقيقة 70 بعدما وصلته الكرة أمام المرمي بعد عرضية من فخري لاكاي الذي انفرد وراغ المهدي سليمان حارس الاتحاد السكندري.

وبتلك النتيجة، يحقق فريق بيراميدز الفوز الرابع عشر على التوالي في مسابقة الدروي، ويحافظ على صدارته لـ جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويتصدر فريق بيراميدز، ترتيب جدول الدوري المصري، برصيد 68 نقطة، من 27 مباراة.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، يبقى فريق الاتحاد السكندري في المركز العاشر، برصيد 38 نقطة من 30 لقاء. أهداف مباراة بيراميدز والاتحاد السكندري في الدوري المصري 4-0

ملخص مباراة بيراميدز والاتحاد السكندري 4 – 0 في الدوري المصري

تستمر الإثارة في بطولة يورو 2024، بعدما حضرت في ملعب هامبورج بين المنتخب الكرواتي ونظيره الألباني، بانقلاب كبير في النتيجة لصالح الكرواتيين.

شوط المباراة الأول انتهى بتقدم المنتخب الألباني، وفي ظرف دقيقتين قبل ربع ساعة من نهاية المباراة، سجلت كرواتيا هدفين.

الهدف الأول جاء عن طريق كراماريتش بعد تسديدة رائعة في الزاوية القريبة للحارس ستراكوشا في الدقيقة 74.

طالع أيضًا.. فيديو | كاظم لاتشي يفاجئ كرواتيا بهدف أول لـ ألبانيا في يورو 2024

بعدها أهدر المنتخب الكرواتي هدفًا محققًا عن طريق بودمير، قبل أن ينطلق اللاعب ذاته ويرسل عرضية لـ كراماريتش، لترتطم الكرة بـ ديميستي وكلاوس، وتتحول للهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 76.

الهدف الذي سجله كلاوس هو الهدف الذاتي الرابع في بطولة يورو 2024، وقد يقود المنتخب الكرواتي للنقاط الثلاث الأولى في اليورو.

إذا انتهت المباراة بتلك النتيجة سيصبح رصيد المنتخب الكرواتي 3 نقاط، ويبقى المنتخب الألباني في المركز الأخير بدون نقاط. هدف كرواتيا الأول أمام ألبانيا في يورو 2024

هدف كرواتيا الثاني أمام ألبانيا في يورو 2024

The Law Commission of India has recommended bringing the BCCI under the Right to Information (RTI) Act since it performs the functions of a public body. And should the government approve and follow through on this view, the board could be grappling with far-reaching consequences. Several members of the ruling dispensation in Delhi currently hold offices in BCCI and its state associations.The 124-page report prepared by a panel of lawmakers led by Justice BS Chauhan concluded that the BCCI is “virtually” a national sports federation (NSF), and that the Indian government should formally recognise it as such. NSFs automatically come under the purview of RTI, a path-breaking federal law established in 2005, which makes the working of high-profile organisations open to public scrutiny.The Law commission, which has submitted its recommendations for the approval to the Indian Law Ministry, also said that the BCCI should be classified as a “State” and fall under Article 12 of the Indian Constitution.The Law Commission found that the “magnanimity and enormity of the functions” helped the BCCI enjoy a “monopolistic status” as it was allowed by the State to be the final authority on all cricket matters including picking national teams, organising and regulating the sport in the country, and representing India at international platforms – all actions carried out by NSFs.According to the Commission such freedom has only made the BCCI immune to accountability and transparency. “Non-consideration of the role played by BCCI as monopolistic in regulation of the game of cricket has resulted in the Board flying under the radar of public scrutiny, encouraged an environment of opacity and non-accountability,” the report said. “In the past, this has probably given an impression in the minds of the general public that corruption and other forms of malpractices are adversely affecting one of the most popular sports played in India.”BCCI exercises ‘State-like’ powers affecting the fundamental rights of the stakeholders, guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution. It is hereby recommended that BCCI be viewed as an agency or instrumentality of State, under Article 12 of the Constitution, thereby making it amenable to the writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Article 32.”These findings only reinforced the order of the Supreme Court in 2016 when it approved the Lodha Committee recommendations for radical reforms in the way the BCCI does business. Simultaneously, it had asked the Law Commission to see if the board could fall under the RTI act, as suggested by the Lodha committee. The Court had said if the answer was “affirmative” then the Law Commission should send its recommendations to the Indian Government to help bring in a new legislation that will make the BCCI open to public scrutiny.So far the BCCI has argued that it is merely a private body, formed as society under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975. It argued that it does not get and depend on any funding or financial assistance of any type from the government and hence cannot be classified as an NSF. However, the Law Commission’s counter was the BCCI was being given “substantial” financial assistance in “other forms” like getting massive tax exemptions, customs duty waivers, and land and infrastructure across the country at “excessively subsidised” rates form the central and state governments.”Even if BCCI is continued to be regarded as a private body, but owing to its monopolistic character coupled with the public nature of its functions and the ‘substantial financing’ it has received from appropriate Governments over the years (in the form of tax exemptions, land grants et al) it can, within the existing legal framework, still be termed as a ‘public authority’ and be brought within the purview of the RTI Act.”The Law Commission also noted that the BCCI was already being treated as a NSF by various Indian governments for several years. “As per the statement made in the Lok Sabha, the Central Government has already been regarding BCCI as a National Sports Federation and hence, it is recommended that, for the removal of any doubt, the same be explicitly mentioned in the list of NSFs available on the ministry’s website. This express mention would automatically bring BCCI within the purview of RTI Act.”

West Ham United’s reinvestment of the mammoth fee recouped from the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal has been phenomenal.

Mohammed Kudus, Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, and Konstantinos Mavropanos have all been added to the ranks at the London Stadium to help the fans quickly forget about the departure of their club captain.

Nevertheless, the Irons are reportedly still eyeing more signings…

What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?

According to Football Insider, the Hammers are weighing up a late-window offer for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher.

There has been ongoing speculation surrounding the midfielder’s future at Stamford Bridge, who are willing to let him leave for the right price.

It is understood that Gallagher’s “priority” is to cement himself as a valuable member of the Chelsea squad, but his role will be unclear once Romeo Lavia returns to full fitness.

Mauricio Pochettino is an admirer of the 23-year-old but accepts that his deal expires in 2025 and an exit cannot be ruled out.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Speaking after Chelsea’s 1-1 draw against Liverpool on the season's opening day, the Argentine said: “In football, things can happen we cannot manage. At the moment, I am happy with him and his performance, he has two years on his contract.”

West Ham had a £40m offer rejected for the player at the end of July, with Tottenham Hotspur also interested in Gallagher. But, the Blues are only willing to listen to approaches of at least £50m according to Fabrizio Romano.

What are Conor Gallagher's strengths?

The Gallagher conundrum at Chelsea is a subject that dramatically divides the west London faithful.

On one side, his supposed lack of technical elegance and footballing intelligence are two factors that make some question his influence. However, the counterargument is that whoever his manager has been in the Premier League, he has been regularly picked. Patrick Viera, Frank Lampard, Graham Potter, and Thomas Tuchel have all been in favour of the Englishman’s involvement.

Interestingly, the latter lauded Gallagher as “exceptional” and a “pleasure” to work with, whose “energy” and “work-rate” are two incredibly attractive traits.

This has continued under Pochettino, who has started the seven-cap international in all three Premier League games so far this term.

In the latest top-flight outing during Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over recently-promoted Luton, whilst operating from a deep-lying berth, Gallagher was very impressive.

He managed 95% pass accuracy, created a big chance, won five ground duels, and registered three interceptions and three tackles, as per Sofascore.

Moreover, the £50k-per-week man also ranks within the best 21% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries per 90 and successful take-ons per 90, to show he is still a valuable asset on the ball.

If a late move materialises, Gallagher could make a formidable midfield partner for Ward-Prowse, who has enjoyed a scintillating start to life at West Ham.

On his debut against Chelsea, the former Southampton skipper recorded two assists and carried on his sensational influence at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.

In the 3-1 win over Brighton, Ward-Prowse scored his first goal for the club, whilst also managing three accurate long balls and four interceptions. He has swiftly demonstrated that he is already a devastating component of David Moyes' highly effective counter-attacking system.

While the former Saint could be the glue that binds the midfield together, Gallagher would be able to use that controlling figure to his advantage in order to bound forward into the attacking positions he loves to operate in.

Indeed, the post-Rice era is looking bright and could be further elevated by this possible arrival.

Liverpool could perform a 'hijack' swoop to usurp one of their biggest rivals to sign an international midfielder this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news at Liverpool?

In a whirlwind couple of weeks for Liverpool, key transfer targets Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, formerly of Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton, both snubbed moves to Anfield and instead have elected to join Chelsea.

Reacting swiftly to their disappointment in missing out on Caicedo and Lavia, Liverpool have now wrapped up the arrival of Japan international Waturo Endo from Stuttgart for a fee in the region of £16 million, as per BBC Sport.

In an interview after completing his move to Liverpool, Endo has spoken of his excitement at the prospect of turning out at Anfield, stating: "It feels amazing. It's always been a dream to play in the Premier League and with one of the biggest clubs in the world. It's a dream come true for me. I think I can help this club defensively and I will have good organisation in the middle."

Now, Liverpool could be about to steal another midfield signing from under the nose of one of their biggest rivals, Manchester United. Dutch publication AD via The Daily Mail claim that Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat is a target for Liverpool and the Red Devils, respectively.

The report states that Liverpool are set to beat Manchester United to the signing of £30 million-rated Morocco international Amrabat, who has been won over after having talks with Jurgen Klopp and is now keen to move to Merseyside.

Last term, Amrabat made 49 appearances for Fiorentina across all competitions, registering a solitary assist in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones has indicated that Liverpool hijacking Manchester United's advances towards Amrabat would be a 'fascinating plot twist' in the latter stages of the window.

Jones stated: “Liverpool have pulled one out of the bag with the Endo signing. Again, they were working in the dark to produce a transfer that no one saw coming. Now he's not going to appease all fears of how Liverpool will do from here, but the reports on him from Germany in terms of his tenacity and hard work are positive, and he sounds like he could be good. But this is a player used to life at the bottom end of the Bundesliga, not the top end of the Premier League, and I do not believe their work is done in terms of recruitment. Another midfielder will come in.

“I was very sceptical at first of the Amrabat links, but there could be something in this. There have been moves to understand what he is looking for in his next club, whether there is still a possibility he considers new options, and, of course, right now, he seems a bit in limbo because Man Utd are not in the position they expected to be to sign him. If they make moves here, it would be another fascinating plot twist as they try to hijack another rival.”

What now for Liverpool?

According to The Independent, Liverpool are hot on the tail of Crystal Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure as Klopp eyes further reinforcements in the engine room.

Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch is another target now on the table for the Reds and the Netherlands international is believed to be open to seeking a new challenge, as per The Daily Mail.

Foot Mercato claim that Aston Villa enforcer Boubacar Kamara is being courted by Liverpool, who are considering making an offer 'more than ever' for the France international.

The same outlet have revealed that Wolverhampton Wanderers ace Mario Lemina is attracting attention from both Liverpool and clubs in Saudi Arabia.