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West Ham United have made an offer of €21m (£18m) for Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria, and he would be open to a move to the London Stadium, according to reports from Italy.

What's the latest West Ham transfer news?

With Declan Rice inching ever closer to finally completing his move to Arsenal, West Ham are tasked with replacing the midfielder, and they have their eye on several potential options, including Sao Paulo youngster Pablo Maia.

The Hammers hierarchy have scheduled a meeting with the representative of the 21-year-old to discuss a summer move, with his current club likely to sell him this summer, in order to raise some much-needed funds.

Meanwhile, transfer insider Dean Jones has recently confirmed the Irons' interest in Fulham's Joao Palhinha is "definitely real", but he also claims David Moyes may look at bringing in another midfielder, saying:

"West Ham is obviously one that is going to get interesting in the next few days. They're going for Denis Zakaria, looking at a loan with a view to an option to sign him further down the line but they are also looking at Palhinha as a signing that would happen alongside him."

Now, West Ham have made their first move to sign the Juventus midfielder, with Tuttosport reporting they have made a formal bid, which amounts to €21m (£18m) including bonuses. However, that amount is a little below the Italian club's asking price (via Sport Witness).

Juventus are said to be holding out for €25m (£21m) and they do not want to go below that figure, so it seems as though the Hammers' initial offer may be rejected.

There is still work to be done to conclude a deal, with the two clubs needing to discuss whether the move would be a full transfer now or a loan, with either an option or obligation to buy.

In what could be a real boost for the Irons, there may not be much work needing to be done on the player's side, as he has given a "favourable opinion" to the move, due to being "comforted by the idea of a five-year contract".

How good is Denis Zakaria?

The Swiss midfielder spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Chelsea, with writer Bobby Vincent hailing him as "fantastic" despite the Blues' 1-0 loss against Manchester City back in January.

There is some evidence the 26-year-old could be a quality addition for West Ham, given that he ranks in the 89th percentile for clearances per 90 over the past year compared to players in his position in Europe's top five leagues, showcasing his defensive talents, while he is also in the 95th percentile for his pass completion rate.

Those statistics indicate the Juventus ace could be a replacement for Rice, who also specialises in those areas. However, in truth, he is probably not going to hit the heights of the England international.

Zakaria found it very difficult to break into a poor Chelsea side last season, making just seven appearances in the Premier League, and it would probably be wise for West Ham to focus on signing midfielders who are more proven in England.

Shannon Gabriel’s second five-for helped West Indies skittle Pakistan for 81 and level the three-match series at 1-1

The Report by Danyal Rasool04-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:22

Great to have some success – Gabriel

Twenty years ago, a West Indies side led by Brian Lara set India 120 for victory at the Kensington Oval. They had never lost a Test in Bridgetown to a subcontinent side, but that record looked in serious threat against the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. West Indies, however, took just 35.5 overs to skittle India out for 81 to extend a glorious run at their stronghold.Fast forward to 2017 and a completely different West Indies side, both in personnel and prestige, took on another subcontinent powerhouse, Pakistan, at the same venue. West Indies were dominated for most parts of four days, but Shai Hope’s 90 that set a 188-run target helped script a remarkable turnaround.On the final day, Shannon Gabriel took five wickets in a hostile spell as Pakistan were skittled for 81 again. This Bajan fortress might have creaked, but it did not tumble as the hosts put in an inspired bowling performance to level the series.Pakistan found their legs turning to jelly in a chase of 188 on a pitch that had shown signs of deterioration very early in the Test. They played for the demons in the pitch, and paid the price. Azhar Ali and Ahmed Shehzad’s conservative approach – they scored six in the first six overs – set the tone.Azhar was the first to fall, attempting to pull a short delivery from Gabriel over midwicket, unwisely trusting the bounce. He mistimed the shot horribly, sending it straight to midwicket. Babar Azam nicked down leg two deliveries later to record his first pair in Tests. That one of Pakistan’s brightest prospects was undone by an innocuous delivery could arguably be seen as the decisive wicket.More misery awaited Pakistan as Younis Khan was dismissed shortly after. Jason Holder banged one in slightly short of a good length, well outside off stump. As Younis shaped up, it darted back in, kept low and made a beeline for his pads. It struck him dead in front of middle.Shannon Gabriel’s hostile spell in the first session set up West Indies’ series-leveling win•AFPMisbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq both came and went within minutes of each other, their wickets brought about by Gabriel’s brilliance. Misbah got a thick inside edge that lobbed to gully, but West Indies may not have had the wicket if they did not review, for the original appeal was for lbw. Two balls later, Shafiq’s poke was taken on the third attempt at first slip by Kieran Powell, who had reprieved Ahmed Shehzad earlier.The procession continued after lunch as Shehzad and debutant Shadab Khan fell within three overs of the resumption. Shehzad was unfortunate, falling to a delivery from Alzarri Joseph that was almost a replica of the ball that accounted for Younis, but Shadab – whose introduction to Test cricket has been less spectacular than his limited-overs debuts – was removed by a delivery that held its off-stump line. Shadab could only nick to the wicketkeeper.Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Amir counter-attacked to take Pakistan past their lowest Test score of 49, but they were riding their luck. When Amir sliced a drive into the hands of point, it was a wicket that had been coming all along.There was time for Gabriel to clinch a richly deserved five-wicket haul with the perfect fast bowler’s delivery. It pitched on off stump and clipped the top of off, and batsmen better than Yasir Shah would have done well to keep that out. The knockout blow came next over as Sarfraz lofted Holder to wide long-on, with Roston Chase stationed there for precisely that shot.The man who had got West Indies’ fightback started with a first-innings century made no mistake, but Pakistan, dazed and shell-shocked after a remarkable morning’s cricket from the hosts, had plenty to rue.

Former England captain Graham Gooch has committed £50,000 to funding PCA-run courses for all 18 English counties on gambling awareness education

George Dobell23-Mar-2017A contribution from Graham Gooch has helped the PCA fund gambling awareness courses at all 18 first-class counties.Gooch, the former England captain, has run a scholarship scheme designed to encourage the development of young players for many years. It has, in the past, led to the likes of Alastair Cook spending time abroad to work on his game.But this year, to mark their 50th anniversary, the PCA appealed to its members – both current and former professional cricketers – for extra contributions to help them increase their annual funding from £400,000 to £600,000. Gooch responded by offering £50,000 from his scholarship fund with the proviso that it would be used for a specific project rather than split across several. The PCA suggested the gambling awareness scheme and Gooch agreed.”There are a lot of dangers in the world for young people now and I am particularly interested in helping out with the education of young cricketers with all the worries and concerns of online gambling and getting into bad habits,” Gooch said. “If we can educate people, make them aware of the pitfalls and get insight from people who have been down that route and fallen foul then hopefully they can be warned about the potential dangers.”Gooch’s donation helped the PCA fund not just courses – to be run by Paul Buck, whose gambling addiction resulted in a 32-month jail sentence of which he served 11-and-a-half months – but a helpline for those who feel they might be struggling with gambling addiction.The statistics are alarming. Gambling is the fastest growing offence in the UK that leads to a prison sentence – 1,444 custodial years over the last five years – and the fastest-growing addiction both in the UK and across the world. A recent study from Lincoln University suggests there are 1.1 million gambling addicts in the UK. Bankruptcy, divorce, depression and suicide are all common consequences. Gambling addiction has also been reclassified to full addiction status, the same as heroin, by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.Professional cricketers, with time on their hands and a relatively large amount of expendable income at a young age, are considered a high-risk category. That means they – or the young male ones, at least – are considered three times more likely to be “problem gamblers” than people in the general population. With one in four males between the ages of 18 and 24 “likely to have some form of gambling problem” according to PCA chief executive, David Leatherdale, it is, as he says, “definitely an issue.”The world has changed a great deal in recent years. Not so long ago, sporting events were sponsored by tobacco companies – the John Player Special League was the NatWest T20 Blast of its day – and cigarettes were distributed free of charge in press boxes. In 1994, for a bit of fun, the Warwickshire committee made an accumulator bet on their team winning all four domestic trophies. They ended up with three.Since those days, there has been a crackdown on tobacco advertising and some tightening of regulation as regards alcohol sponsorship and advertising, though the ECB retain several sponsorship deals with companies that sell alcohol. Most of all, there is greater awareness of the dangers of match-fixing and an absolute ban on players or officials betting on the sport.But gambling advertising has filled the void left by the departure of tobacco sponsorship. It has grown by 1,300 percent over the last decade with the growth in the use of smart phones making it easier than ever before. According to statistical survey data, eighty-seven percent of first-class players in England have gambled on some other form of sport in the last 12-months and 67 percent in the last month.Gambling is fully legal in the UK and there are no rules prohibiting cricketers from gambling on other sports. Buck says it is “normalised” to the extent that perimeter advertising at many sporting events offers in-game betting and, at a recent awareness session at a PCA rookie camp, 20 of 22 players admitted to having an online gambling account. It was the two who did not admit to having one that worried the people taking the session.”Personally I have never been a gambler,” Gooch continued. “But I do like going to a horse racing track and having a bet there. I’ve also hosted Ladbrokes in hospitality boxes at Test Matches so I don’t have any issues with gambling.”But sportsmen, in particular, do find themselves with time on their hands. When I played, people would go to a betting shop if they wanted to have a flutter. Now the temptation to bet online is great. In the social media world it’s very easy to get into that. You have to be very careful that it doesn’t consume you and cause major problems for you and your family down the line.”Both Buck and Leatherdale believe that cricket is “ahead of the game” in trying to prevent the problem growing. “Cricket is a long way ahead of the other sports we work with, football and rugby, in this regard,” says Buck. They hope that by showing young players where uncontrolled gambling can lead, they can shock them out of potentially bad habits.There will be practical help too. While no debts will be paid off, players will be given psychological help where appropriate and given assistance in restructuring their finances where possible. The key, though, is intervening before that stage is reached. And, thanks in part to Gooch, the PCA have a decent chance of achieving that aim.

Arguably one of the best managers in Tottenham Hotspur history, Mauricio Pochettino had to give the best interview of his career in order to make those at Chelsea forget about his former club, upon taking charge at Stamford Bridge. His approach? Well, it appears to be one where he talks down about his former club with some less-than-subtle digs about how the Blues have been better than Spurs for years… The Argentine has got some mess to clean up in London, too, and he hasn’t got long to do it. So far this summer, Chelsea have endured quite the clear-out, mainly shipping players off to Saudi Arabia in a bid to finally make some space in a dressing room previously filled to the brim.As for incomings, the Blues have so far welcomed Nicolas Jackson and the long-awaited arrival of Christopher Nkunku, with plenty more time to potentially welcome more fresh faces this summer.

What did Mauricio Pochettino say in his first Chelsea interview?

Speaking to the club for the first time, Pochettino said all the right things from a Chelsea perspective, but potentially all the wrong things if you support Spurs. After all, he suggested that the Blues have been better than Tottenham for more than a decade, even when he was in charge.

Indeed, in part one of his interview, he said: “‘I think it’s important and it’s a culture of winning. In the last 10, 12, 15 years, Chelsea is the greatest team in England. I know very well the Premier League and what the culture of Chelsea means. I think our fans are excited to again be on the road of trying to win.

“Of course, we are excited. We are excited to work with a very young team, with a different approach than in the past. But I think we all need to understand that we have to work really hard and create a very good atmosphere at the training ground to build success for the team in the next few years.

The new manager then went on to say in part two: “I know very well that we need to build this relationship. Our past is our past, we respect and are proud of our past, but now is time to build at a new club, with different fans that behave and are different to other clubs.

“That is our responsibility to build a very good relationship with our new fans. We hope we can create as soon as possible this good feeling, but I know very well we need to create this good feeling around the signals the team sends to them.

“We need to be team that shows togetherness, cares about the club, cares about the fans, and that fights until the end for the badge. That’s the most important thing. The fans need to feel that all the players involved in the game are going to die for the club. That is the most important thing to create this good feeling and for sure feel proud of each other.”

How did the fans react?

It seems as though the interview managed to win Chelsea fans over, with many left excited after Pochettino’s first words as the new boss.

Some took to Twitter to share their thoughts as they were evidently left delighted by the dig aimed at their London rivals:

Tottenham Hotspur fans, meanwhile, were not happy with Pochettino, to say the least. No doubt, they would have been particularly upset with his claim that in the last “10, 12, 15 years” Chelsea have been the “greatest team in England”.

After all, he was coach of Spurs during this period, so he’s essentially admitted that the Blues were better than his former team even when he was calling the shots in north London.

Peter Fulton surged to the fastest century in New Zealand List A cricket as Canterbury ended an 11-year wait for one-day silverware with a 28-run victory in the Ford Trophy final at Rangiora

Andrew McGlashan18-Feb-2017
Scorecard
File photo – Peter Fulton and Andrew Ellis played key roles in Canterbury’s triumph•Getty ImagesPeter Fulton surged to the fastest century in New Zealand List A cricket as Canterbury ended an 11-year wait for one-day silverware with a 28-run victory in the Ford Trophy final at Rangiora.After steady drizzle throughout the morning, the match was reduced to a minimum 20 overs per side. If a game had not been possible – and when rain returned midway through the chase, it appeared a chance – Wellington would have won the trophy by virtue of finishing top in the group stages.Initially they were well in the chase as Hamish Marshall sped to a 20-ball half-century, but legspinner Todd Astle took two wickets in an over and despite continued strong hitting down the order, it was too tough an ask.Andrew Ellis on claiming the title

“It’s been a long time between drinks and it’s been tough. Hopefully some of these new guys will start imprinting new memories. I didn’t think we’d play at all, so all credit to the groundstaff. The physio asked me yesterday who would get runs and I said it would be Fults. It was meant to be. Wellington put us under pressure, they are a fantastic team, but credit to our young players.”

Instead it could be remembered as Fulton’s day. The former New Zealand batsman turned what was an innings struggling to gather speed – both personally and team-wise – into a surge to 199 for 3.Fulton’s 50-ball century beat the precious domestic List A record of 52 balls held by Brendon McCullum from the 2007-08 one-day final. He initially nudged to 13 off 20 deliveries, then reached fifty off 34 balls before hurtling to his century from just another 16 deliveries. That included taking 24 off five balls of an Anurag Verma over which involved three sixes in a row.Fulton added 117 for the third wicket with Henry Nicholls – the batsman who has recently lost his place in the New Zealand ODI side, who played a sensible supporting role with 31 off 25 balls.Michael Papps found mid-on early in the chase, but Marshall and Tom Blundell, showing all the skills that earned him a New Zealand call-up, scorched through the early overs as Wellington cantered along at more than 12 an over. However, spin has played a key role in Canterbury’s campaign and it did so again.Offspinner Tim Johnston had Blundell caught behind from a cut and after the captain Andrew Ellis had removed Scott Borthwick to an under-edged pull, the leg-spin of Astle snared Marshall and Matt Taylor in four balls.Wellington did not go down without a fight, as Luke Woodcock and Jeetan Patel swung hard, but Ellis showed all his experience and Kyle Jamieson produced an impressive array of slower balls. Eleven years ago, when Canterbury last won a one-day trophy, Ellis was 12th man. In 2017 he finished with four wickets and was able to hold the trophy aloft as captain.

Newcastle United could look to the summer transfer window to bolster the depth in their squad ahead of their return to Champions League football next season and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Goncalo Inacio?

According to Spanish news outlet AS, Newcastle are one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio.

As per the report, the Magpies are in the race with Liverpool and Arsenal to sign the player who has a €45m (£39m) release clause, and whilst his Portuguese club is keen to hold on to him, there is potential for Inacio to make a move to the English top-flight this summer.

Will Newcastle sign Goncalo Inacio this summer?

Whilst Eddie Howe will be thrilled with the huge progress his current squad has made over the last 18 months, there is certainly an opportunity to strengthen a number of key roles on the pitch ahead of next season.

The North East club finished impressively in fourth last season which has enabled them to qualify for Champions League football for the first time in over two decades, so it will be an exciting new challenge for the Magpies but will require adding depth to ensure they can compete to the best of their ability across multiple competition.

As a result, the signing of Goncalo Inacio is a great opportunity to add a quality option for Howe in his defensive set-up, and he could even become the perfect heir for Fabian Schar.

The 21-year-old Portuguese talent – dubbed "underrated" by Zach Lowy – ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers in the Men's Next Eight Leagues over the last 12 months for assists, shot-creating actions, progressive passes, progressive carries and successful take-ons, demonstrating that he is an incredibly attacking-minded ball-playing defender.

When comparing his output last season with that of Newcastle titan Schar, the youngster already has outperformed his fellow defender in a number of key attributes including pass completion rate (89.6% v 69%), percentage of dribblers tackled (56.1% v 50%), successful take-ons (85% v 60%) and aerial duels won (60.2% v 51.7%).

Indeed, it is highly unlikely that Howe will be keen to break up the centre-back partnership that Schar and Sven Botman have quickly developed as the duo had the joint-best defensive record in the entire Premier League last season alongside Manchester City, conceding just 33 goals in total.

Having said that, there will be many occasions when Newcastle require rotation and a fresh perspective in the back line next season, as well as a prospect for the future, so if Newcastle can beat their competitors to the signing of Inacio it would be a great piece of business for the future of the squad.

A new era is in full swing for Chelsea.

The last week has seen the departures of numerous first-team players edge extremely close as the incoming Mauricio Pochettino attempts to trim a hideously bloated squad.

The most unexpected and well-documented exit is that of Kai Havertz to Arsenal as Fabrizio Romano revealed that a £65m deal has been agreed upon, and his medical is to be scheduled.

However, the Blues were already prepared for this eventuality – RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku has had an agreement with Chelsea since October. It was recently confirmed he has joined for a reported fee of €60m (£52m).

In his first interview as a new Premier League player, the Frenchman has outlined how he can bring excitement to Stamford Bridge.

He said: "We can say that I am a hard worker. I will give everything for the club, for the fans and to help the team bring some trophies. To give the best of my football. I hope I will make them as happy as I am to be here at this club.

“I think the project was good for me. It is a good project for me to develop myself as a player and a man also.

“I want to improve, to progress every day, so wherever they tell me to play, I play, and I wanted to improve in every position. So that’s the way I go about everything and why I was able to score goals after changing.

An upgrade on Kai Havertz?

Nkunku arrives in the English capital off the back of a scintillating final season in Germany. In 25 Bundesliga appearances, the ten-cap international scored 16 goals, as he was the division’s joint-top scorer, despite missing nine games through injury.

The forward isn’t just a one-season wonder, as he was crowned the Bundesliga’s Best Player and Footballer of the Year in Germany for 2022.

As well as his potency, the attacker has demonstrated himself to be a wonderful all-rounder. He ranks within the top 9% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90, shot-creating actions per 90, progressive passes per 90, and successful take-ons per 90.

The £124k-per-week star has splendid pedigree and can fill the void left by Havertz, who flattered to deceive in a Chelsea shirt.

The German’s time in west London has seen flashes of impudent brilliance, but he has desperately lacked consistent ruthlessness, cutting an anonymous figure for prolonged periods.

Whilst Havertz is obviously extremely talented, he was yet to be fully unlocked in any Chelsea system and failed to hit double digits for goals or assists in any season for the Blues.

It’s the best outcome for both parties to go their separate ways. Nkunku, who has been hailed as “world-class” by former Leipzig assistant coach Achim Beierlorzer, now has the opportunity to become the new talisman.

Ish Sodhi, who played three games, found dip, drift and turn to pick up nine wickets, including the second-best figures in the competition’s history, and the best since 2012

Will Macpherson in Sydney18-Jan-2017Ish Sodhi, the New Zealand legspinner, said his career-best 6 for 11 in T20s that knocked defending BBL champions Sydney Thunder out of contention has rejuvenated his love for the game.Sodhi who played three games for Adelaide Strikers found dip, drift and turn to pick up nine wickets, including the second-best figures in the competition’s history, and the best since 2012. He admitted, however, just a few weeks ago, he had “faced a few setbacks at home” and “wasn’t in the form I wanted to be in”.”The boys have rejuvenated my love for the game,” he said. “On the field and off it, just the conversations I had with guys like Brad Hodge. Today I got to meet one of my heroes growing up, Stuart McGill, and you can’t put a price on that. I will take some great experiences back home with me and hopefully I can impact some of my team-mates.”I had faced a few setbacks at home, and I wasn’t in the form I wanted to be in. I got it back in the T20s for New Zealand and I’m glad that I have transferred it to performances in the BBL. I don’t know if I’ll be back next year – it’s quite unfortunate that our seasons clash so heavily. I love it here though – if I get the chance again, if it is next year or five years time, I’ll be happy.”After a mixed showing for Northern Districts in New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition, he was recalled for the final two T20Is against Bangladesh this month. He picked up five wickets before joining Strikers as an overseas replacement for England’s injured Chris Jordan.He eventually filled the role vacated by Adil Rashid, who has been on international duty. Rashid’s absence has been a major factor in Strikers being the first side to fall out of finals contention this season. Despite his best performance in the shortest format till date, Sodhi was critical of his first over because he went wicketless.”If I’m really harsh on myself, I probably took a little time to adjust to the conditions. In the first over, I bowled like I was at the MCG or Adelaide Oval – a little flatter and into the deck so I could spin it on,” he said. “But there was more in the surface for me – I should have used it from ball one. I got going in the second over and it worked out really well for me.”Of his meeting with MacGill, he said: “He spoke a lot about repetition. Growing up, if you liked legspin, you loved watching MacGill bowl, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, those guys. Just to sit down with him was inspiring. He didn’t have to say much – he did tell me a lot, which was great – but just being in his presence was amazing.”He’s a guy who gave me something to look up to when I was younger and something to look forward to. He taught me a lot and hopefully I can continue to make him proud.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the opening one-day international between South Africa and Sri Lanka

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan27-Jan-2017Match FactsJanuary 28, 2017
Start time 10.00am local (0800GMT)Big PictureThere has been a shift in mood for Sri Lanka’s tour over the last few days. Despite losing Angelo Mathews they impressively secured the T20 series – their first piece of silverware in South Africa – with a heart-stopping chase at Newlands. A trip that was threatening to be forgettable has been given a new lease of life.However, this one-day series could be a significantly greater challenge. After AB de Villiers’ return for the final T20 – where it looked like he’d never been away, despite Russell Domingo saying he was as nervous as on debut – a host of other big guns are back following their post-Test-series break.A side that includes Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis and Kagiso Rabada – alongside de Villiers – has a daunting look about it. The last time they played ODIs, they steamrollered Australia 5-0 who earlier in the year had managed to upend Sri Lanka at home. Such is the batting strength now available that stand-in T20 captain Farhaan Behardien is unlikely to make the starting XI.Sri Lanka will hope that their mixture of spin and medium-pace can have a similar impact as it did in the T20s where they managed to keep a leash on South Africa’s batting. Left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan remains a trump card, while Nuwan Kulasekara brought his experience to show.For both these sides, this series marks the start of serious preparations for the Champions Trophy and they meet in their opening match of the tournament at The Oval on June 3. Time to lay down a marker.Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa WWWWW
Sri LankaWWLWLIn the spotlightOnce Kagiso Rabada found his range in the Test series he was too much for the Sri Lanka batsmen to handle. The South Africa management is wary of his workload, without wanting to wrap him in cotton wool, and he has had a couple of weeks to recharge his batteries. He went for over 80 in his last two ODIs against Australia so he’ll be keen for a more thrifty display. It is a shame we won’t get to see him operate alongside Lungi Ngidi after he was ruled out of the series.Sri Lanka will have their third captain of the tour after Upul Tharanga was handed the armband ahead of Dinesh Chandimal following Mathews’ injury. It is a role Tharanga performed in Zimbabwe last year when Sri Lanka won the tri-series. It feels as though Tharanga has been around forever – his debut came in 2005 – and while he has frustrated Sri Lanka supporters as much as thrilled them he has an impressive 13 ODI hundreds. He was used in the middle order in Zimbabwe, but opened in the deciding T20.Quinton de Kock is one of a host of big names to return after a short break•AFPTeam newsNgidi will not be replaced in the South Africa squad so that leaves 14 to pick from. Chris Morris’ recall adds another all-round option and de Villiers said that the rain that was around Port Elizabeth on Friday ruled out the chance of a second frontline spinner.South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Andile Phehlukwayo, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran TahirSri Lanka made some late changes to the squad that was originally announced. Despite his heroics in the T20, Seekkuge Prasanna has been replaced by legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay while Isuru Udana, the left-armer, also makes way. They will need to decide whether to use Tharanga in the opening position where he has had most of his one-day success. If they want some extra pace, Lahiru Kumara is an option – he has yet to play any List A one-day games.*Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Niroshan Dickwella, 2 Dhananjaya de Silva, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Upul Tharanga (capt), 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Chaturanga de Silva, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Jeffrey Vandersay/Lahiru KumaraPitch and conditionsSri Lanka had high hopes in the Test series that Port Elizabeth would be the surface to suit them best, but it was left well-grassed on orders from the home side. The pitches do, however, tend to be on the slower side for one-dayers. There are some showers forecast for the first part of the day.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have not played an ODI at Port Elizabeth since their 2003 World Cup semi-final against Australia In the last ODI South Africa played, against Australia in Cape Town, Rilee Rossouw scored 122. He has since joined Hampshire on a Kolpak deal. Such is the inexperience in Sri Lanka’s squad that Kulasekara is the third-highest run-scorer behind Tharanga and ChandimalQuotes”Even though we feel that we are a more talented and a more skillful and a better group of players than Sri Lanka, we know they are very dangerous at the moment, being very motivated with lots of young talent that can come good at certain times. We are very aware of that.”
*January 27, 1300GMT: This story was updated to reflect Sri Lanka’s squad changes

Manchester United are considering a player-plus-cash swoop for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, in a deal worth over £100million, according to reports.

Where would Rice play at United?

Rice would be an amazing signing for United, acquiring a player who is attracting interest from multiple top sides. The Irons captain is an incredibly versatile midfielder capable of playing multiple roles, from centre-back to defensive midfield to being a box-to-box player.

Former West Ham defender James Collins has referred to Rice as "outstanding" and "incredible", a sentiment many United fans would echo.

And the England star could be implemented in a variety of ways at Old Trafford with much depending on who else United bring in. Rice could play deep next to Casemiro, this would be an incredible pivot which would boss games, with the 24-year-old having the ball skills to drive United forward.

Alternatively, with a move for Mason Mount increasingly likely, Erik ten Hag could shake up his midfield, potentially opting for a style similar to Man City in possession, a 3-2-4-1.

One final option, probably least likely, would be Rice as a defender, who has the ball playing ability to step into midfield while in possession, with the defensive acumen to be solid at the back.

What could Manchester United offer for Rice?

With Rice having a transfer value set at around £100m, United are unlikely to want to stump this up in a simple cash deal. Therefore, it appears that a cash-plus player deal is a better fit for the Glazers, who have often been criticised by fans for their lack of funding.

United's hopes will have been boosted since reports suggested West Ham United are 'targeting' Scott McTominay according to The Guardian. Therefore, this could be a logical move for both clubs involved. There have also been reports that Harry Maguire would also be considered by West Ham.

This makes suggestions of a player-cash deal seem more likely than previously thought when initially reported. The Telegraph now report that United chiefs are set to challenge Arsenal for the Conference League winner, in a move which would greatly impact both teams.

With McTominay currently valued all the way up to £50m according to reports from TalkSport and Maguire being valued around £30m, it would likely cost United at least £30-40m plus those two.

This could be a brilliant deal for all parties involved, as West Ham would receive two players they want along with some cash, while United would be allowing two players to leave who have no place in the squad at Old Trafford.