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When Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp felt the screeching din of the full-time whistle after falling to defeat against Real Madrid in last season's Champions League final, he would have gallantly turned straight to the forthcoming campaign.

Liverpool had completed a domestic cup double, but the German manager's nemeses in Manchester City and Los Blancos triumphed in the Premier League and Europe respectively by the finest of margins.

The 2022/23 season has been anything but fruitful and the Reds have inexplicably fallen by the wayside, now holding just an outside chance of qualifying for next year's Champions League with three matches to play.

Sapped of energy and devoid of inspiration, Liverpool need reinforcements, and while the midfield department has been illuminated as the primary cause for concern, adding quality to the defence would also be a stellar way to rekindle the former cohesive resilience, and Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo has been identified.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Anfield outfit's scouts were at Nice's match against Rennes, with observers of divisional rivals Manchester United and Newcastle United also in attendance.

A fee of €45m (£40m) has been touted for his services, and with ostensible intrigue mounting, Klopp and co would be wise to act swiftly to bolster their ranks.

Should Liverpool sign Jean-Clair Todibo?

The 23-year-old centre-back has impressed during his time in Ligue 1, arriving at Le Gym on a loan deal from Barcelona before making the move permanent and since cementing himself as an important defensive cog.

Having forged 99 appearances, scoring two goals, the Frenchman has been a "rock" – as hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – at the back, playing 30 times in the league this term and instrumental in the division's second-strongest defence, shipping 32 goals from 34 matches.

As per Sofascore, he has made 2.2 tackles and 3.2 clearances per match this season, completing 89% of his passes; his incisiveness on the ball is illustrated by his 81% dribble success rate and his tenacity in key battles underscored by his 70% ground duel win rate.

It is this level of robustness that could serve him so well under Klopp's wing, with the German manager seeking clarity over the strength of his backline after a lacklustre year.

The £20k-per-week titan's arrival could even displace Joel Matip, who has fallen out of favour this term, playing only five of the last 17 league matches, and being branded as "awful" by CBS reporter Nico Cantor for during a shoddy display against Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this year.

The Cameroonian's recent upturn in form suggests that he is clawing for his future on Merseyside, but at 31 years old and failing to claim a starting berth with regularity, his ship might now have sailed at Anfield.

Todibo also ranks among the top 13% of defenders over the past year across Europe's top five leagues for progressive passes, the top 6% for successful take-ons and the top 8% for tackles per 90, as per FBref, with a skill set that might just strike a chord with Klopp and how he maps out his tactical philosophy going forward.

Providing a fresh dimension to the Liverpool defensive third, Todibo is discernibly dynamic in his varied approach, with Kulig accentuating this claim by also describing him as "complete".

And with the prime of his career ahead of him, he might find illustrious success in a switch to Liverpool, where he can blossom into a formidable force.

MS Dhoni has said the incoming coach of the Indian team needs to understand the players’ cultures and backgrounds for him to establish a good working relationship

Arun Venugopal07-Jun-2016

MS Dhoni has said the incoming coach of the Indian team needs to understand the players’ cultures and backgrounds to establish a good working relationship. Dhoni felt language wasn’t a barrier when he was asked if an Indian coach was desirable to ease bottlenecks in communication. One of the stipulations stated by the BCCI in its recruitment process for India’s head coach states: “It is desirable to communicate in Hindi and other regional Indian languages.””If you see the kind of players coming in, English, I don’t think, is a big barrier,” Dhoni said. “The other players in the team take the initiative, too. If someone doesn’t understand something, they ask ‘What does this mean?’ I feel it [knowledge of Hindi] can be [one of the] criteria, but it can’t be the only criteria.”More than Hindi, English, one who understands our culture and our upbringing, the one who understands these sort of things, he will always be better with us. In the past, too, these things have been important, and the coaches who have understood us better, it has made a difference at the ground level.”Dhoni said appointing the right candidate also depended on the options available, considering India’s hectic calendar. Former cricketers like Stephen Fleming and Ricky Ponting, who have coached IPL franchises successfully, have shied away from international assignments because of the amount of time they are required to spend away from home.”What is important is from a team’s requirement, what it needs. According to that, we have to select whoever is the best available,” Dhoni said. “It’s not like everyone wants to be the coach [and] there’s a reason behind it – you have your own family. It’s not like we are playing for six months and not playing for two months. We keep playing.”[For a] lot of international coaches, the problem is that we play a lot of cricket. From an availability point of view, we will have to see what is the best option and best for the team. One of the most important things is that they understand our culture.”The BCCI began the search for a head coach after the contracts of India team director Ravi Shastri, batting coach Sanjay Bangar, bowling coach B Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar – who were with the team since the ODI series in England in 2014 – expired after the World T20 in March. Bangar, however, was appointed coach for India’s tour of Zimbabwe, and Abhay Sharma, who most recently worked with the India Under-19s and A teams, was named fielding coach for the tour.The board has set June 10 as the deadline for candidates to apply for the role of India’s head coach, with the aim of appointing new long-term coaches by the time Virat Kohli’s team reaches the Caribbean for a four-Test series against West Indies, scheduled in July-August.

Journalist Beren Cross has slammed Leeds United midfielder Marc Roca for his "poor performance" in the club's disappointing recent defeat.

What's the latest on Marc Roca and Leeds?

The Whites have now lost three Premier League games in a row as they edge worryingly closer to the relegation zone with just six games left to save them.

Indeed, after losing 5-1 and then 6-1 at home to Crystal Palace and Liverpool, Javi Gracia and his team were away against Fulham this weekend.

In the end, despite a late consultation from Patrick Bamford (that may well be an own goal from Joao Palhinha), goals from Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira saw the home side win 2-1.

Understandably, few players truly impressed in a Leeds shirt but it seems as though Roca may well have been the worst on the pitch.

Cross certainly didn't hold back in his player ratings for LeedsLive as he handed the Spaniard a 4/10 – the joint-worst in the team – and called him "clumsy".

He wrote: "A poor performance neatly summed up by the four consecutive corners he failed to get beyond the first man in the second half. Looked overrun as the sole pivot. Tackles were clumsy or non-existent."

How poor was Marc Roca against Fulham?

Interestingly enough, Graham Smyth also gave Roca a 4/10 in the Yorkshire Evening Post player ratings and wrote: "Couldn't get to grips with the game, gave away free-kicks, gave the ball away ahead of the second."

While these two journalists concurred, the stats also go some way to outlining just how poor the £50k-per-week midfielder played on the day.

Indeed, as per Sofascore, Roca lost the ball 20 times and made four fouls (only Max Wober was poorer than him in both categories). He also was dribbled past once, while he failed with his only dribble attempt and made just one tackle – which shows why Cross calls his defensive work in the middle of the park "non-existent".

This certainly doesn't reflect well on Roca who was slammed by Cross in his LeedsLive player ratings just last week after the Liverpool defeat, handing him a 3/10 and writing: "Dire in possession when Leeds were in half-decent positions. Bypassed too easily at points."

Following that same game, One Leeds Fan Channel host Conor McGilligan said (via Football FanCast): "I've said multiple times, I'm a big fan of Roca. He is embarrassing at the minute, embarrassing."

All in all, it's been a terrible few weeks for both club and player and it could soon get worse if they can't fix things in the near future with the threat of relegation now looming large.

A slow surface that makes strokeplay difficult and large outfields in Nagpur can be turned into Afghanistan’s favour

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Nagpur26-Mar-2016They worried Sri Lanka with a rousing batting recovery, startled South Africa with a barnstorming start in a big chase, and left England gasping with their spin bowling. Three Super 10 matches against three Full Members, and Afghanistan created chances of winning each of them. They eventually fell short all three times, but the displays have only strengthened their belief that beating top opposition is not a distant prospect.On Sunday, Afghanistan will end their World T20 with a meeting against West Indies, who top their group with three wins in three matches. Afghanistan will be up against, perhaps, the most power-packed batting line-up they have faced in the tournament.But in Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shenwari and Hamza Hotak, Afghanistan have enough depth in the spin department to make life difficult for batsmen reliant on big shots on a slow pitch and one of the bigger outfields in Indian cricket. Afghanistan have played three matches at the VCA Stadium before, in the first round, and though they faced far weaker opposition at that stage of the tournament, they know the conditions.”Definitely, their batting is very [strong], but we have a very good spin department,” Asghar Stanikzai, Afghanistan’s captain, said on the eve of the match. “So where we can restrict them is, we will try to depend more on spinners, since the boundaries over here are longer and hitting the spinners will not be that easy. They are good strikers of the ball but we play good cricket, and are not just trying to give them a tough time but we are here to go back with at least one win [from the Super 10 stage].”Afghanistan have made massive strides since their first appearance at a world event in 2010, and Stanikzai said they were no longer content simply with pushing big teams hard. He was particularly disappointed that they had let strong positions slip against Sri Lanka and England, and said Afghanistan were close to being a “serious team” that would win matches regularly.”When we first appeared in that [2010 World T20] in West Indies, we were only thinking that we are playing with big names and most of us were very impressed with the players around,” Stanikzai said. “This time we are not only participating in this tournament but we were serious about it.”If you see our last three matches, especially against Sri Lanka and England, we have played very good cricket. To be honest, we could have won those games because we knew the strength of our team, but somehow we made mistakes and that’s why we couldn’t finish on a winning note. If you compare between 2010 and 2016, there is a lot of difference in the Afghanistan team, and in the next one or two years we will be a serious team and beat these Full Members very easily, as we have potential.”West Indies are already through to the semi-finals, but their coach Phil Simmons knows they cannot take Afghanistan lightly.”They’ve played well in all the games,” he said. “They’ve batted really well, [especially when] they were chasing a big score against South Africa, who we played yesterday. So they’ve been playing well and I know them from before [Simmons was Ireland’s coach from 2007 to 2015], so I know that they’re going to come to try and win. So we’ve got to just play properly.”While Afghanistan are clearly a team on an upward curve, there are fears that West Indies are heading in the opposite direction. They have failed to qualify for the ODI Champions Trophy in 2017, and have struggled in Test cricket for a number of years. They have been among the best T20 sides in the world, as their displays in this tournament have suggested, but some of their biggest stars in the format, including Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy, are in their 30s and could possibly be playing at their last ICC event.Simmons disagreed with the pessimistic view of the future, pointing to the fact that Bravo and Sammy are only in their early 30s, the fact that the current squad has performed so well while missing Kieron Pollard, Lendl Simmons and Sunil Narine, and the fact that West Indies have just won the Under-19 World Cup.”I’m not too sure how you write off guys at 30, 32 and 33,” Simmons said. “But to answer your question, yes, you can see it in the amount of players we have missing here. You see it in the young players coming up. You saw it in the Under-19 squad and you see it in the CPL at home, so it’s going to keep coming for a long time to come.”

Leeds United scout Alex Davies was in the stands for Preston North End vs Coventry City on Tuesday amid links of a move for Viktor Gyokeres.

The Lowdown: Gyokeres links

The Whites have been heavily linked with a move for Coventry forward Gyokeres in recent months. Reports following Javi Gracia’s arrival at Elland Road claimed that the club are plotting a move to sign the 24-year-old regardless of what division they find themselves in next season as they think he could be a key addition.

Gyokeres, hailed by his manager Mark Robins for his “unbelievable” power and technique, has scored 15 Championship goals this season and can play anywhere across the front three.

The Latest: Davies in attendance

Jordan Webber, who appears on Swans Cast Media, took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to say that Swansea’s chief scout, Lee Maybury, was at Deepdale for Preston vs Coventry.

Davies, who first mentioned Ben White’s name to Victor Orta, was also on that list to presumably cast a further eye on Gyokeres.

The Verdict: Disappointing display

Gyokeres struggled to back up a match-winning display on the weekend against Sunderland, with the game against Preston finishing goalless.

The Sweden international had an evening to forget, as per SofaScore, ending with a match rating of 6.4/10. He gave possession away 23 times, lost 13 of his 17 duels and failed to register a shot on target.

He was Coventry’s second-worst starter on the night, so Davies may have come away with some reservations about the forward, so it’ll be interesting to see if Leeds make their move in the summer.

Steel bands, soca music, and a game that was decided off the last ball. Fun? You bet

Lloyda Garrett09-May-2010The game
I chose this match mainly because it was part of the fun-filled cricketing weekend I had planned with family and friends. It did not disappoint as it swung to either side and was either team’s to win.Team supported
I was backing Pakistan since I tend to go for the underdogs, and would have loved to see them win despite all the upheaval in their cricket recently. I also love the passion that their players and fans bring to the game. As a West Indian fan, it is easy to enjoy a fantastic cricket match when I don’t have to worry about the agony of watching my home team lose again.Key performer
If Pakistan had won, I would have definitely said Abdul Razzaq was the Player of the Match. He stabilised the Pakistani innings and almost took the game away from New Zealand. Mohammad Sami also bowled very well for Pakistan. But since New Zealand won, I am going with Ian Butler, because he bowled that last delivery off which Pakistan needed two to win. He was not afraid to tempt Abdur Rehman to go for a big hit, getting him to send a simple catch to square leg.One thing I’d have changed
I’d have had Pakistan win.Wow moment
The last ball. I screamed as I watched the catch being taken. It must have been agony for Pakistan to be so close yet so far, but brilliant for New Zealand. Neither team was ever completely out of the game, and it kept the crowd involved all the way through.Shot of the day
The murderous hit for six by Razzaq in the 15th over.Player watch
Sami fielded at the boundary near us and we tried in vain to get him to turn around for a photograph. I don’t remember who fielded there during the New Zealand innings, I just remember wishing Daniel Vettori would come this way. For the most part, the crowd where I was sitting left the players alone since we were entertained by a local band from Barbados.Crowd meter
There was a big crowd, though the stadium was not sold out. There was a fair mix of West Indians, Indians, English, Pakistanis and some New Zealanders. I really enjoyed the Pakistani crowd. They danced and waved for the entire match and I was happy to see the Indians supporting them. The English were firmly behind the New Zealanders, as were most of the West Indians. I was sitting in Hewitt and Innis, right behind the boundary line, and we partied for the entire game, even joining in with the band near us. Fancy-dress index
There were quite a few people with body paint, face paint and body art. The dancing girls in carnival costumes seem to be a feature that all the men love. There were stilt walkers in the party stand and all around the ground there were people waving flags of all descriptions.Entertainment
There were drums, rattles, horns and makeshift percussion instruments all over the ground. There were several bands, and the DJ played Caribbean soca, which kept us jumping during the breaks. Allison Hinds, a popular soca singer, and a steel pan orchestra provided entertainment for the crowd at the end of the match.ODIs or Twenty20s?
I still prefer ODIs even though Twenty20 is clearly the game of the future.Marks out of 10
8.5. It was a great atmosphere with very good cricket. There is nothing like cricket in the Caribbean. As one banner said: “Sun, Sand and Cricket… that’s the life”.

Hollywood superstar Timothee Chalamet has used Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal to help promote his new film ‘Marty Supreme’, with the teenage forward living proof that you should always 'dream big'. Chalamet has shared an iconic image of teen sensation Yamal alongside Argentine GOAT Lionel Messi to help hammer home his point that anything is possible.

Heir to Messi: Yamal following in illustrious footsteps

Yamal famously starred in an advertising campaign with Barcelona legend Messi when just a baby. That picture has resurfaced on countless occasions since, with it remarkable to think that that new arrival to the world is now following in the most illustrious of footsteps.

Having made his own way through the fabled La Masia academy system, making his senior debut at just 15 years of age, Yamal is now considered to be a suitable heir to Messi’s crown as the king of world football.

AdvertisementSuperstar status: Yamal is now a global icon

Yamal’s exploits have, just like Messi, attracted interest from across the globe. His level of celebrity already transcends his chosen profession, with the youngster much more than a football player. He boasts support in every corner of the planet.

That includes Hollywood, with famous faces in the United States fully aware of who Yamal is and what he is capable of. His story is an intriguing one and helps to showcase what can be achieved through a mixture of ability and hard work.

Yamal helps Chalamet to promote new movie

Chalamet – the star of blockbuster movies such as ‘Wonka’ and ‘Dune’, who is dating Kim Kardashian’s sister Kylie Jenner – is among those to have been taken in by Yamal’s remarkable rise to prominence.

He is, as an A-list actor, somebody that appreciates an inspirational true story. He is proving as much after returning to the big screen in ‘Marty Supreme’ – a tale loosely inspired by American table tennis player Marty Reisman and his pursuit of fame in 1950s New York.

Chalamet is driving interest in that production, which hits cinemas on December 25, with a global promotional tour. He has drafted in assistance from Barcelona talisman Yamal, with the 18-year-old seen sporting the viral ‘Marty Supreme’ jacket.

Chalamet has shared an image of Yamal in that merchandise alongside a “DREAM BIG” message. He has also made a point of including the aforementioned photo of Yamal with eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi in an Instagram carousel.

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social gfx/ Getty ImagesThe story of Yamal baby picture with Messi

The picture in question was taken back in 2007 as part of a photoshoot for UNICEF. Joan Monfort, a Barcelona-based freelance photographer for the Associated Press, took the snap – which took on a life of its own after being shared on social media by Yamal’s father Mounir Nasraoui alongside the tagline: “The beginning of two legends.”

Monfort has since said of capturing an iconic moment: “UNICEF did a raffle in the neighbourhood of Roca Fonda in Mataro where Lamine's family lived. They signed up for the raffle to have their picture taken at the Camp Nou with a Barca player. And they won the raffle.

“He [Messi] didn't even know how to hold him at first. Messi is a pretty introverted guy, he's shy. He was coming out of the locker room and suddenly he finds himself in another locker room with a plastic tub full of water and a baby in it. It was complicated.

“It’s very exciting to be associated with something that has caused such a sensation. It’s been really surprising, all this. We take so many photos, so many images. Some of them will remain.

“For Lamine to grow up to be a footballer, and to have this photo, I’m just really happy it happened. It’s especially nice in today’s football, when so much is to do with money and power.”

Yamal has sought to distance himself from the Messi comparisons that he continues to generate, with there a desire on his part to forge a unique legacy of his own. He is already a La Liga and European Championship title winner with Barcelona and Spain, with the expectation being that he will continue to “dream big” in the not too distant future when landing a first Ballon d’Or.

A lip reader has claimed Kyle Walker threatened to "knock out" Neal Maupay after taunts about his children during Manchester City's win at Brentford.

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Lip reader claimed Walker threatened MaupayMaupay allegedly taunted WalkerWalker recently separated from his wifeGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The two players got involved in a heated confrontation towards the end of the Premier League clash on Monday. According to the , a professional lip reader has now revealed that the Cityzens defender threatened to "knock out" Maupay, after claiming that the Brentford striker had been taunting him about his children.

AdvertisementWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Speaking to , the expert lip reader said: "Walker approached the 4th official and shouted: 'I'm gonna knock him [Maupay] out'. To which Stuart Attwell replied: 'Shush'."

However, Walker refused to back down and said "Wait there" – pointing to the tunnel – before walking back over to Gillet. The England international is said to have continued: "Ref he spoke about my kids, he spoke about my kids, not once, but twice." Maupay then interrupted by saying: "I didn't, it's OK."

Gillet attempted to calm things down by saying "Let's deal with it at the end" before facing Maupay and adding: "Now, now, just calm down, listen to me… think about it, think about it." Maupay then responded: "'That's a lie, that's not fair, I promise you now.'"

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

As reports, Walker split with his wife Annie Kilner in January and is currently living alone in a rented property away from all five of his children – with Annie expecting another in March. Walker admits that he has brought those problems on himself, with divorce now a distinct possibility.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KYLE WALKER?

The defender will be next seen in action on Saturday as Pep Guardiola's side take on Everton in another important Premier League fixture. City are now up to second in the table, two points behind Liverpool with a game in hand.

Neymar took time out of his rehabilitation to pay a visit to his former team Santos, where he watched the Brazilian side beat rivals Corinthians.

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• Neymar paid visit to Santos
• Watched former team in action
• Star out with serious injury

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Neymar turned up at the Estadio Urbano Caldeira on Wednesday night wearing a T-shirt with the Santos logo on it. The Al-Hilal attacker looked on as Joao Schmidt fired the Alvinegro to a 1-0 win, lifting them to the top of the Paulista after six matches – though Sao Paulo could overtake them with a win on Thursday.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT SANTOS SAID

  Neymar's appearance at Santos sparked suggestions that he could return to his boyhood club in the near future. Asked about the prospect of signing him, coach Fabio Carille said: "It would be great [to have Neymar]. We know it's difficult, a different player who can solve it… It's a distant dream, but let's dream."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Santos will likely have to wait until next year if they want to bring the 32-year-old back to the Brazilian league. He has a contract with the club until 2025, having joined from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer transfer window. The ex-Barcelona star managed just five games for Al-Hilal before he suffered a cruciate ligament injury and was ruled out for months.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR NEYMAR?

  The attacker will continue his recovery and was initially expected back before the end of the season. However, Brazil's team doctor has ruled him out until the start of next season, meaning the star will likely miss the Copa America this summer.

Glasgow Rangers have already brought in new players to bolster Michael Beale's first-team squad during the summer transfer window but they may not be done there.

Who have Rangers signed this summer?

The Light Blues have been able to strengthen their options in a number of positions across the park as they have signed Leon Balogun, Kieran Dowell, Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Dujon Sterling, Jose Cifuentes, Jack Butland, and Danilo on permanent deals.

They have also snapped up winger Abdallah Sima on a season-long loan from Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

There could be more to come from the Scottish giants, though, and one player who is reportedly on their radar is Sunderland centre-forward Ross Stewart, who is set to become a free-agent at the end of this season.

How good is Ross Stewart?

The 6 foot 3 marksman is an excellent striker whose form in the Championship for the Black Cats last season suggests that he would be a fantastic player for Beale.

Stewart racked up an outstanding ten goals and three assists across 13 league outings, which included 11 starts, and that came after his tally of 26 goals in 49 League One matches in the 2021/22 campaign.

He also averaged an exceptional Sofascore rating of 7.40 across the second division season, which is a score that would have placed him third with the Gers squad last term.

Whilst the Scotland international, who was once described as "unbelievable" by teammate Alex Pritchard, has the potential to be a prolific scorer for Rangers, his physicality is particularly impressive and that could be key to getting the best out of Danilo at Ibrox.

The current Gers forward, who joined from Feyenoord this summer, struggled on his own up front against Servette on Tuesday night as the physicality of the match was too much for him. As per Sofascore, he lost three of his four duels and failed to register a single shot on target.

This is not a one-off issue for the Brazilian ace as he lost 65% of his Eredivisie duels last season and only won 0.6 aerial battles per match for the Dutch outfit.

Stewart, on the other hand, won 49% of his physical contests for Sunderland in the Championship and won an eye-catching 3.5 aerial duels per game, as per Sofascore, which was 2.1 more per outing than any Gers forward managed.

This suggests that the Scottish hotshot has the strength, and height at 6 foot 3, to do the dirty work at the top end of the pitch. He can win flick-ons and hold the ball up against strong defenders to free up Danilo, who would then be able to play off the towering brute.

The 5 foot 9 talent scored ten goals in 14 Eredivisie starts last season and found the back of the net on his full Scottish Premiership debut against Livingston over the weekend.

He has the potential to score goals and having a centre-forward like Stewart to handle the physical side of the game and occupy defenders, which could allow the 24-year-old finisher to focus on getting himself into the best positions to score goals, rather than being outmuscled out of games as the lone frontman.

Therefore, Beale could land a dream partner for Danilo by signing the Sunderland striker and that is why the Gers should consider a swoop for him before the deadline next month.