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Emmanuel Petit has raved over the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham United, calling him a "bargain" Arsenal addition this summer.

Who are Arsenal signing?

The north Londoners, after reaching an agreement to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea for £65 million, have now also put pen to paper on the signing of Rice after weeks of talks.

Arsenal and West Ham agreed a total £105 million fee for 24-year-old some time ago, according to reports, but negotiations over payment structure were ongoing for a while after that.

Agreeing to pay an initial £100 million, plus £5 million in add-ons, Mikel Arteta's side eventually compromised on terms of the deal and will give West Ham the £100m over a 24-month period.

Reported to be Arteta's top summer target, Rice's arrival at Arsenal marks a very significant coup, with the player having his medical yesterday.

Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, who also underwent his medical tests on Friday, will follow Rice through the door in what has been a very busy last few days for the club.

Speaking to SportsJoe, Petit has praised Arsenal for the signing of Rice, calling the move a "bargain" despite it being a record for any British player.

The £105 million paid for Rice means he will eclipse both Jack Grealish and Jude Bellingham as the most expensive English player in history, yet according to Petit, he's worth every penny.

"A bargain," said the France legend on Rice.

"The way Declan wants to play, and the way Arteta wants his team to play, I think they will fit perfectly together".

The England international performed incredibly for West Ham under David Moyes last season, making more interceptions per 90 than any player in their squad whilst standing out as their best-perfomer per 90 (WhoScored).

What's been said about Declan Rice?

Due to his imperious form at the London Stadium, former Irons and England defender Matthew Upson is a huge fan, calling Rice a "quality" midfielder.

Upson also suggests that he is playing beyond his years, and having worked with Rice personally, believes the sky is the limit for Arsenal's new midfielder.

"I really enjoyed working with him," Upson told BBC Sport.

"He was so receptive. He had the ability to take criticism or feedback. It didn't deter him. He took it all in such a positive way and had the intelligence to absorb the information and add it to his game, which is a real skill.

"Declan was already at a super high level when I worked with him in terms of what he was capable of. You could see the ability he had in his character to be at the top of the game. That is him. Nobody has added that or given it to him. That is just Declan. That is his star quality."

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal to sign 18-year-old Blackburn Rovers defender Ashley Phillips, according to reports. The North London club have reportedly seen their bid accepted by the Championship side.

What's the latest on Spurs and Ashley Phillips?

Spurs have seen their £3m bid for Phillips accepted, according to Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic, with the teenager set to make the step-up to the Premier League after he showed signings of breaking through at Blackburn last season, making eight appearances.

As per Eccleshare, the youngster is set to undergo a medical in the next 24 hours, before joining up with the rest of the Spurs squad for their pre-season tour.

His arrival will also reportedly not get in the way of the Lillywhites' plans to sign at least one more senior centre-back this summer, with the likes of former loanee Clement Lenglet linked with a permanent move.

Of course, at such a young age, the central defender may well find himself refined to the youth sides, rather than thrown straight into the deep end of Ange Postecoglou's first-team.

Phillips will become the fourth signing of the Postecoglou era, following in the footsteps of Manor Solomon, Guglielmo Vicario, and James Maddison, as the North London side undergo another rebuild under yet another manager.

Who is Ashley Phillips?

It's a fairly impressive move for Phillips at just 18-years-old, but it's one that he's earned after impressing for Blackburn last season.

The defender was the subject of plenty of praise throughout the last few years, with former manager Tony Mowbray saying, via the Lancashire Telegraph, back in 2021: “He’s an amazing footballer and he is going to be a mega footballer I’m pretty sure, but he’s a very young boy.

“He’s a 6’3, 6’4 magnificent cut of a guy, fast as lightning, composed with the ball, aggressive. I think this football club have a footballer on their hands, and we have to manage his introduction into our team as best we can. I just brought him to give him some experience.”

Statistically speaking, too, Phillips wasn't far off the numbers that Japhet Tanganga produced in his limited game-time last season – even making more blocks than the current Spurs man, according to FBref.

The 24-year-old Tanganga is a good example of how Spurs' academy process can benefit young players, too. Coming through the academy, though injuries have stalled his progress, Tanganga was a consistent fixture in the side at one stage.

For Phillips, it will be a case of taking his chances as and when they come, starting with pre-season. The next few weeks will give him a great chance to learn from some of his teammates ahead of the campaign, and perhaps he can nudge his way in on some of Tanganga's minutes, or even throw doubt over the need for a signing like Lenglet.

When it comes to competitions such as the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, we may see Phillips thrown into the side by Postecoglou, as we get a glimpse of the player that the teenager has the potential to become.

ESPNcricinfo previews the first ODI between England and South Africa at Headingley

The Preview by Alan Gardner23-May-2017Match facts
May 24, 2017
Start time 2pm local (1300 GMT)Big pictureEngland’s international season got underway almost three weeks ago, with two low-key victories over Ireland (though the fixtures were significant in themselves); but it is the arrival of South Africa for a three-match series to serve as an for the Champions Trophy that will raise the intensity. English eyes are beginning to focus on their desired white-ball prize.In the absence of any May Test matches, and with a cohort of English players making their IPL debuts, attention has been somewhat dissipated. The return of Ben Stokes – freshly garlanded as the IPL’s MVP – Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler ought to rev things up ahead of England’s attempt to finally win a global 50-over trophy. South Africa, too, bring a truckload of stardust as the ICC’s current No. 1 ODI team.Eoin Morgan’s side are down at No. 5 but that hasn’t prevented them being grouped among the tournament favourites – home advantage and their new-found batting élan providing reasonable justification for such optimism. They have won six ODIs in a row, mostly without fielding what might be considered their best XI, and the addition of three players flushed with IPL success won’t do morale any harm at all. Bench strength has been a feature of England’s success over the last couple of years but Morgan will now want to bring everything together for the Champions Trophy tilt.There is a reason that South Africa are rated the best side in the world, of course. They recently equalled their national record by winning 12 consecutive ODIs and AB de Villiers will have good memories of his team coming from 2-0 down to beat England 3-2 at the start of 2016. They have won six bilateral series in a row, including 5-0 whitewashes of Australia and Sri Lanka, and are keen on exorcising their own demons in global white-ball competition. To say they will prove a stiffer challenge than Ireland and West Indies – England’s last two opponents – is an understatement.De Villiers sat out South Africa’s two warm-up victories but is fit to play. Despite a disappointing and injury-disrupted IPL, he remains the No. 1 ODI batsman, while in Imran Tahir, South Africa have the top-ranked bowler, too. The additional presence of Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and Kagiso Rabada gives a formidable heft to their likely starting XI.So there is plenty of scope for this Champions Trophy starter to become a mini-banquet. Runs, certainly, should flow. Of the teams to post 350-plus scores since the last World Cup, none have done it more times than England (eight) and South Africa (six). England’s fearless cricket in that time has brought them much acclaim – but they could still do with a really big scalp, having lost close series against India, South Africa and Australia.Whatever happens in Leeds, Southampton and north London over the next few days, the silverware both teams are most interested in will be contested at The Oval on June 18. England have finally started giving white-ball cricket its dues and the summer is about to get serious.Trevor Bayliss and Eoin Morgan oversee England practice at Headingley•Getty ImagesForm guideEngland WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa WLWLWIn the spotlightIn most circumstances, it is best not to take your eye off Ben Stokes, but his triumphant return from a maiden IPL replete with runs, wickets and catches, means he is unarguably the main draw in an England side brimming with brio and eager to please their public. Breaking India is cricket’s holy grail and, having been broken by Carlos Brathwaite in Kolkata a year ago, Stokes has spent the last six weeks proving that a $2.16m price tag was not too heavy for him. In his absence, Rising Pune Supergiant were beaten in the IPL final, so he could not show the same, ahem, naked enthusiasm as Buttler, whose Mumbai Indians team-mates lifted the trophy, but you can bank on Stokes putting the adulation to one side and focusing on attuning himself to 50-over cricket again as a key cog in England’s Champions Trophy machine.De Villiers’ form will certainly be of interest, while de Kock is returning from a finger injury that kept him out of the IPL, but both will benefit from a blockbusting batting order to help share the load. The key concern for South Africa is likely to be the balance of their seam attack. Morne Morkel has not played an ODI since June 2016 but got through the two warm-up matches unscathed and his experience could prove vital alongside Rabada and Chris Morris, who has stepped up as a new-ball option after Kyle Abbott’s decision to take the Kolpak route to England rather than continue his international career. South Africa have a glut of seam-bowling allrounders in their squad but ideally need each to have a clear idea of their role going into the Champions Trophy.Team newsThe return of Stokes, Buttler and Woakes will mean changes to the team that beat Ireland comprehensively at Bristol and Lord’s earlier this month. Jonny Bairstow will feel most hard done by if he is edged out again, as expected, with Stokes coming back into the top six and Buttler taking the wicketkeeping gloves off Sam Billings. The extra bowling option could mean England revert to fielding both Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, although David Willey and Liam Plunkett – the likeliest candidates to make way – have strong claims to play on their home ground.England: (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Moeen Ali/Adil Rashid, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 David Willey, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Mark WoodDe Villiers’ availability is likely to mean Farhaan Behardien drops out, having featured unobtrusively against Sussex and Northamptonshire. South Africa’s one-day side is fairly settled but they will probably need to pick one from Andile Phehlukwayo, Wayne Parnell and Dwaine Pretorius to complete the bowling.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 Andile Phehlukwayo/Wayne Parnell, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran TahirPitch and conditionsThe recently completed Royal London Cup group stage saw runs aplenty in Headingley’s surfaces, with Yorkshire comfortably chasing down 336 against Durham, fuelled by 174 from Bairstow, and then amassing 349 for 7 in another batsmen’s beano against Derbyshire. The ground traditionally offers something for seamers, however, particularly if a few clouds interrupt the forecast sunshine; last year’s ODI with Pakistan was a nip-and-tuck affair in which England recovered from 72 for 4 chasing 248 to win by four wickets.Stats and triviaThis will be the first international match at Headingley since the ground’s future was secured by an agreement with Leeds City Council to fund a new Football Stand.South Africa have lost all three of their one-day internationals in Leeds, including a Super Six defeat to Australia that contributed to knocking them out of the 1999 World Cup.Morgan needs 18 runs to overtake Alec Stewart and become England’s third-highest run-scorer in ODIs.Amla is 120 runs shy of 7000 in ODIs. He has 13 innings in which to get there ahead of Virat Kohli and continue his record of being fastest to 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000. Quotes”I remember watching the 2015 World Cup thinking they were really low and hit rock bottom. The way they came back from that earned a lot of respect around the world. They must be one of the favourites for the Champions Trophy.”
“It’s a huge benefit having three match-winners come back into the team, having watched them contribute so much to the IPL.”
Eoin Morgan on England’s returning trio

West Ham United are "destined" to sign Chelsea striker Armando Broja "soon" as manager David Moyes attempts to shore up his attacking options.

Who will West Ham sign?

The east Londoners have received a huge financial windfall after the sale of star midfielder Declan Rice, a British record transfer for an English player amounting to around £105 million, including add-ons.

Rice's exit is set to bolster West Ham's kitty this summer but he'll be a hard, hard player to replace – especially considering he has been one of their main stars for the last few seasons.

Moyes, following the 24-year-old's departure, has been linked with a plethora of midfielders to potentially succeed him – including the likes of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, Switzerland international Denis Zakaria, Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka and Man United's Scott McTominay.

The Hammers could strengthen in other key areas all over the pitch, too, leading to links with AC Milan forward Charles De Ketelaere and Arsenal's Folarin Balogun.

Broja, who may be likely to leave Chelsea following a lack of game time, is another attacker who could make the move to east London this summer.

The Albania international has been linked with West Ham before, but in Moyes' search for extra forward options, their interest has been reignited recently.

According to a report out of Italy, courtesy of newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, things actually seem fairly advanced when it comes to Broja and the Irons.

Indeed, as per their information, the 21-year-old "soon seems destined" to make a permanent move to West Ham, a deal which could amount to around £30 million.

The move would also free up Roma in their attempts to sign West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca, as it would leave Moyes with four strikers.

"The key to convincing the Hammers to deprive themselves of Scamacca – temporarily – is called Armando Broja," the outlet wrote.

"A twenty-one-year-old Chelsea-owned striker who soon seems destined to move permanently to the other side of the Thames.

"An operation worth around 35 million [euros], aimed at strengthening Moyes' offensive department which will soon be able to count Antonio, Ings, Broja and – precisely – Scamacca."

Not much else is said when it comes to details of just how far along West Ham are in their move for Broja, but going by this message from La Gazzetta, it appears they pretty far forward.

How good is Armando Broja?

The 6 foot 3 centre-forward impressed most on a temporary spell at Southampton over 2021/2022, where he scored six goals and was praised for his contribution.

Former Rangers star Sergio Porrini, who formed part of the Albania national team coaching staff, heaped praise on Broja in an interview last year.

Porrini called the attacker "devastating" in space and revered his brilliant campaign at St. Mary's.

"He's grown a lot since last year and at Southampton he's exploded," explained Porrini.

"His greatest qualities are in his progression, especially ball and chain. With due comparisons, he's a bit like Leao in how he becomes unstoppable if he stretches the ball into space.

"Less good instead with his back to goal, in building the action, but he's devastating in space."

AB de Villiers will meet with CSA in August to chart his future in international cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-20171:34

Moonda: De Villiers’ future a talking point again

AB de Villiers will meet with Cricket South Africa in August to chart his future in international cricket. De Villiers said they were going to “make a final decision about what happens for the next few years.””We will see what works for both parties,” de Villiers said. “We are not going to pick and choose games, but we are going to make a final decision about what happens for the next few years.”De Villiers was speaking in Cardiff after the third T20 international against England, which South Africa lost to lose the series 2-1, after having crashed out of the Champions Trophy in the group stage, and lost the ODI series against England 2-1 as well. De Villiers was captain for all those assignments – he stood in for Faf du Plessis in the T20Is – but left the squad ahead of the Test series against England.He had taken a break from Test cricket after being ruled out of the tour of Australia last year with an injury, citing the need to manage his workload to keep himself going until the 2019 World Cup. De Villiers planned to return to the format in September, when Bangladesh tour South Africa.”I am going to spend a bit of time off at home with the family, I’m going to welcome my new youngster into the world, and obviously look to stay fit,” de Villiers said. “I want to make sure I am ready for September, when Bangladesh come.”De Villiers restated his ambition to win the 2019 World Cup in England, but said that the dream was dependent on how the discussion with CSA went.”It’s my main dream to win a World Cup for South Africa, or to be part of it in one way or another… I don’t even think it’s in my hands, what is going to happen. I will wait until the final decision on the coach and things like that are made. Then I can also have a chat to CSA, to see where I am going to fit in.”

Nottingham Forest could be set to truly kickstart their summer of spending, with a new addition certain to bolster Steve Cooper's backline…

Who are Nottingham Forest signing this summer?

According to journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos, the Tricky Trees are willing to take a punt on former Arsenal man, Konstantinos Mavropanos, after an impressive time in Germany.

However, the 25-year-old has reservations due to his prior stint in the top flight, as noted in the report: "Nottingham Forest are still keen on signing Konstantinos Mavropanos from Vfb Stuttgart. But except no deal on transfer fee yet, Mavropanos has second thoughts on playing a Premier League club at the moment."

The centre-back is valued at just €9.9m (£9m) by Football Transfers and would add to their other acquisitions from the window, including Chris Wood and Ola Aina.

How good is Konstantinos Mavropanos?

Last season saw the Greece international enjoy his finest year of top-flight football yet, having finally settled in Germany and starring too.

His 7.26 average rating for the 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign should serve to emphasise this, which is heavily influenced by his 83% pass accuracy, 2.2 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and 3.5 clearances per game, via Sofascore. Such an overall rating would have made him by far the Nottingham club's best performer from last term, to put that into context.

He has grown into a defensive leader at his current club, for whom he has now enjoyed just under three steadily improving years despite only leaving the Emirates permanently last summer.

Initially moving to north London as a 20-year-old, the bright lights of the Premier League likely overawed the young defender, who had previously only featured in his homeland. Given he would make just eight senior appearances, one of which saw him sent off, before being permanently moved on speaks volumes for his period in the English capital.

Despite that, Unai Emery still spoke highly of the youngster, suggesting that the future remained bright even if his chances were limited: "Mavropanos, I think he has a big mentality, his mindset was every day to work to improve his fitness and every training session he showed us what we wanted.

"We want to give him the opportunity to train and sometimes play because I think he has a good future."

Given how his tenure with Stuttgart has since gone, the Spanish coach has been proven right, as his former boss Pellegrino Matarazzo noted whilst he was on loan: "He's our gladiator! He's a monster in terms of physique. And when he makes a mistake, he hums around some Greek swear words. I like that. He's just a tough dog."

To now return him to England, with the knowledge he already has plus the additional experience that starring in another of Europe's top five leagues offers, it could be time for him to realise that huge potential at last.

Especially given that he would likely join as one of Forest's finer players, making him a supplementary asset to help the rest of the team thrive. The defensive platform built from his quality would allow his teammates to thrive.

Aina, in particular, would benefit from being partnered with such a steely stalwart, as the presence of the 6 foot 4 titan would allow him to bomb forward, showcasing his true starring assets.

After all, when compared against other full-backs across Europe, the 26-year-old ranks in the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, the top 8% for progressive carries per 90 and the top 14% for non-penalty goals per 90, via FBref.

He is a dynamic defender who loves to push on, and with Mavropanos behind him, the Nigerian can be safe in the knowledge that an unflinching ace is protecting his flank with ease.

This could help propel his disappointing two goal contributions from an injury-hit 2022/23 season to new lofty heights.

The mother of South Africa coach Russell Domingo passed away overnight on Sunday following a car accident last month

Firdose Moonda09-Jul-2017The mother of South Africa coach Russell Domingo passed away overnight on Sunday following a car accident last month, shortly after Domingo had left the tour of England for a second time to return home.Domingo went home at the time of the incident – during the T20 series against England late last month – then traveled back to the UK during the tour-match in Worcester when his mother was discharged but he left again before the end of the first Test at Lord’s when her condition worsened again.Cricket South Africa confirmed her passing on Twitter. “Our deepest condolences go out to Russell Domingo and his family following the untimely passing of his mother late last night. #RIP.”CSA has not put a timeline on Domingo’s return and will allow the coach as much time as he needs with his family. It is likely he will not return for the start of the second Test at Trent Bridge on Friday.Earlier this week, Domingo confirmed he had reapplied for his post as South Africa’s head coach following weeks of uncertainty over whether he wanted to continue in the role. Domingo was interviewed by the five-man panel appointed to recommend a candidate for the coaching position to CSA’s board, which includes former national coaches Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons. The committee will meet with CSA’s board on July 21 and a decision on the new coach will be made shortly thereafter.South Africa’s backroom staff includes assistant coach Adrian Birrell, batting consultant Neil McKenzie, bowling coach Charl Langeveldt and spin bowling consultant Claude Henderson. The team will travel to Nottingham to prepare for the second Test on Tuesday.

The chairman of selectors admitted MS Dhoni was not an automatic selection anymore, and made it clear that the next few months will see a lot of rotation in the ODI squad

Sidharth Monga in Pallekele14-Aug-20172:26

Rotation policy, fitness parameters in place for 2019 World Cup – MSK Prasad

MS Dhoni is not an automatic selection in ODIs anymore. A day after India announced the squad for Sri Lanka, leaving out Yuvraj Singh, chairman of selectors MSK Prasad was asked if Dhoni was a natural pick, if the name rolled off naturally as it used to: “Virat, MSD…””Whenever a player keeps ageing,” Prasad’s reply began. “I was just reading [Andre] Agassi’s book, Open, his life actually started after 30 years. Till then he won two or three. His actual life started after that. He lived with media pressure, ‘When are you going to retire?’ But he played till 36 and he won so many Grand Slams. So you never know. We don’t say it is an automatic this thing… but we will see. We are all stakeholders. We all want the Indian team to do well. If he is delivering, why not? If he is not, we will have to look at alternatives.”Asked if there had been a discussion around Dhoni, Prasad said: “Discussions happen about everybody. It is not just MS. When we pick, when we talk about combinations, we talk about everybody. You will also see in time to come.” Asked how confident Prasad was of seeing Dhoni in the 2019 World Cup and whether he was going to be rotated like other players too, he said: “We will see, we will see. The legend that he is, we don’t want to make it… but yes we have a plan.”This makes you wonder what the look of the team would have been if Rishabh Pant had enjoyed a good A tour of South Africa. “As far as Rishabh is concerned, he is one talent to watch out for the future,” Prasad said. “We have been grooming him for A tours. He went to South Africa on the A tour but he had a pretty ordinary tour but that doesn’t mean he is not on our radar. There is one more A tour coming up. We all know Rishabh Pant more as a Twenty20 player, so we will look at him in that format also.”Draw what you will from Prasad’s quotes about Dhoni and Pant, but he did make it clear that the next few months will see a lot of rotation in the ODI squad so that they can trim down from a base of about 26 cricketers they have shortlisted with the 2019 World Cup in mind. Some of the players rotated out – R Ashwin, for example – are going to play county cricket.The loss in the Champions Trophy final has prompted a rethink among India’s team management and selectors•Getty ImagesPrasad clarified that their exclusion was part of the selectors’ plans. “It was hearsay [that counties had been in touch with players] Neither the players nor anybody else had intimated officially that they are going for county. Otherwise it is a clear case of resting them. Irrespective of whether they are playing county or not, we are resting them.” Prasad later corrected himself, saying rotating them was the more accurate term.When asked what necessitated the need for rotation, Prasad said: “If I put my hand on my heart and say after the Champions Trophy, we felt that we need to be a fitter and a stronger side. We felt that we need to raise our fitness levels and we needed to raise our fielding standards. We are trying to fix some fitness parameters and everyone has to strictly adhere to those parameters. We have two to three phases in those parameters leading up to the 2019 World Cup, and if someone fails to match those parameters, he will not be considered irrespective of whoever it is.”After the Champions Trophy, personally, the committee and I felt that we need to be much stronger. Skill-level, there are no two ways. Skill-level, we are number one in the world; when it comes to fitness, we need to raise our standards. The Indian team management along with the players and selectors sat and fixed certain parameters. This is the fitness parameters, this is the body texture. They have to match them. Today the entire world has got those standards. Including Pakistan [each team] has got certain parameters. Though we are slow, I am sure we will definitely catch up.”Prasad gave wholesome credit to the A team coach Rahul Dravid for giving the senior selectors ready-made choices. “We pick the best possible team but it is being nurtured very well by Rahul,” he said. “I think India is very blessed to have Rahul Dravid at A level. He is giving finished products to the senior team. Any player who is coming here is straightaway getting into the mould and is able to adjust. Whole credit goes to BCCI for having appointed Rahul Dravid, and him for having accepted it. It is always lucrative and glamorous to be a senior India coach, but accepting the A team we have to…”Such a legendary cricketer working with junior cricketers, our players are blessed to have such a wonderful… I was fortunate to be with Rahul last year. The amount of time he spends on each player is not like any other net session. Matches will be going on here, he will give a scenario, this is what it has to be, writes on a table, and takes each boy to the nets. Round the day he will be throwing down. I am surprised. And he carried everything by himself. He is a wonderful person to have at A level.”

Sunderland kick off their 2023/24 Championship campaign with a match against newly-promoted Ipswich Town at the Stadium of Light next month.

When will Ross Stewart return from injury?

The Black Cats' only senior centre-forward, Ross Stewart, has been out with an Achilles injury since January and it has been reported that he will not be fit for the start of the season.

Tony Mowbray confirmed that the Scotland international has been back out on the grass but is yet to make a return to full team training and is not set to feature against the Tractor Boys on the opening day.

This means that 19-year-old summer signing Luis Semedo could be in line to start up front after his move from Benfica B, despite having yet to make a single senior competitive appearance in his career to date.

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman and Mowbray could land a dream addition to partner the Portuguese youngster in the attack by bringing Amad Diallo back for a second spell on loan from Manchester United.

The Chronicle recently reported that the Black Cats are monitoring his situation as the Red Devils remain undecided on what they are going to do with him this season, whilst Leicester City and Leeds United are also said to be interested in the young talent.

How many goals did Amad Diallo score last season?

Amad, who was utilised on the right and through the middle as a number ten at times, plundered 14 goals in 29 Championship starts for the club.

The Ivory Coast international, whose talent was dubbed "exceptional" by journalist Josh Bunting, ended the season as Sunderland's top scorer as he managed four more than any other player, with Ross Stewart (ten) the only other attacker who hit double figures.

Only Jack Clarke (21) was directly involved in more goals than the United loanee (17) for the club in the second tier, which illustrates the huge impact he made during his temporary spell at the Stadium of Light.

The 21-year-old whiz has proven himself to be capable of being a reliable scorer for the Black Cats at Championship level. He would, therefore, alleviate some pressure off Semedo's shoulders by providing a significant goal threat in the number ten position behind the teenage marksman.

Amad could arrive and be the go-to man for goals in Stewart's continued absence, starting with the match against Ipswich, if Sunderland are able to secure another deal for the talented youngster.

Having a player of the £28k-per-week dynamo's quality, along with Clarke, who scored nine league goals last season, could help Semedo to settle into the season instead of feeling the pressure to need to hit the ground running as the starting number nine.

The 19-year-old ace scored an impressive 21 goals in 44 games for Benfica's U23 side and managed ten goals in 14 Youth League outings prior to his switch to England.

This suggests that the potential is there for him to be a regular scorer but he is yet to prove himself in a senior environment, which is why having the likes of Clarke and Amad to carry the immediate goalscoring burden this season would be a dream situation for him.

MCC members have voted to proceed with redevelopment plans recommended by the committee by an overwhelming margin

George Dobell28-Sep-2017One of the more acrimonious chapters in MCC history would appear to have been resolved after the club’s members voted to proceed with redevelopment plans recommended by the committee by an overwhelming margin.The result – a 90.5% majority with 7,163 votes in favour and 748 votes against – was confirmed by the Electoral Reform Society at the conclusion of a Special General Meeting, held on Wednesday evening at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster.It means, MCC will now adopt its Updated Masterplan, a £194m programme of works that will be completed in 2032. The entire development will be funded from the club’s own resources and the decision closes the door on the long-running debate of possible residential development at Lord’s.An alternative development option, the Rifkind Associates’ Morley Plan, had offered to bring in substantial capital for the club but would have necessitated the building of two blocks of flats in the area currently occupied by the Nursey Pavilion.The MCC Committee recommended members back their own plans in late July following a lengthy review and consultation process, during which time the opposition to the idea of any residential development within the ground became apparent. Former Prime Minister John Major resigned from the MCC committee at the end of 2011 at protest in the way with which the redevelopment options had been treated.Detailed design work will begin immediately on a replacement for the Compton and Edrich Stands, with the project set to become the largest single development ever seen at the 203-year-old ground. It is intended that, at the May 2019 AGM, MCC members will be asked to approve the building of the new stands. The work, subject to planning permission being granted by Westminster City Council by the end of 2018, will be carried out from 2019-2021.The new structures, which will sit underneath and to either side of the media centre, will improve facilities for spectators and increase the capacity of Lord’s by 2000. The first part of the MCC Masterplan was completed earlier this year with the opening of the new £25m Warner Stand.”This is a landmark day for MCC and for the future of Lord’s,” Gerald Corbett, the MCC chairman, said. “MCC Members have made their feelings abundantly clear – they do not want blocks of flats to be built at their ground – and they have backed the committee’s recommendation to pursue the Updated Masterplan.”Tonight’s result is emphatic and comes after much detailed work has been completed by the executive, the club’s committees and numerous independent advisors. The alternative to the Masterplan would have been a bad deal for the club commercially and a bad deal for the architectural atmosphere and ambience of Lord’s.”The vote also neatly rounds off Derek Brewer’s spell as the MCC’s chief executive. Brewer retires at the end of this month – the fact that he is only 59 bears testament to having spent most of his career in banking – after 13 years in the game, seven at Nottinghamshire (“one too many,” he says now) and the last five at Lord’s. Guy Lavender, previously the CEO at Somerset, is his replacement.While Brewer admits the redevelopment debate became “acrimonious” at times, he provided the calm head and steady hand to steer the MCC through some choppy waters. By instigating the largest consultation in the club’s history, he found a way – albeit a lengthy, expensive way – to bring the matter to a conclusion. In less certain hands, the situation could have festered and become much uglier.For a man who first came to Lord’s as a seven-year-old and marvelled at the mastery of Graeme Pollock – 52 years later he stood next to Pollock as he rang the five-minute bell ahead of play in the first Test between England and South Africa – it is a decent way to sign off.”Derek Brewer deserves much credit and has done an excellent job as our chief executive and secretary over the last five years,” Corbett said. “He retires at the end of this month and has ensured that he hands over the reins to Guy Lavender with a clear direction on the future development of Lord’s. This is an unequivocal outcome that closes the door on the residential debate. The club will now move on and implement the MCC Updated Masterplan.”