West Ham: Moyes Eyeing "Sensational" £17m Whiz To Rival Benrahma

West Ham United have invested the £105m recouped from the mammoth sale of Declan Rice in an intelligent manner.

James Ward-Prowse, who joined from Southampton for £30m, registered two assists on his debut in a 3-1 win against Chelsea at the London Stadium.

Whilst the £35.4m signing of Edson Alvarez looks to be another shrewd acquisition due to his strong defensive capabilities.

However, the Irons are yet to add any attackers to the squad, despite Gianluca Scamacca returning to Italy after an underwhelming season in England.

Rumours are now viciously circulating around potential forward options…

What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?

According to Sacha Tavolieri, West Ham are interested in Genk’s Mike Tresor.

But, before any deal advances, the Hammers must first settle and finalise Lucas Paqueta’s uncertain future.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Nevertheless, the east Londoners are keen to make progress from next week and be will in touch with Genk in due course.

Other reports have suggested that the Belgian whiz could be available for around €20m (£17m).

Would Mike Tresor be a good signing for West Ham?

Last season, the 24-year-old dynamo was thrown into European prominence thanks to a scintillating term with Genk – across 42 appearances, he scored eight times and crafted 24 assists.

This astonishing form meant that Tresor was named Belgian Pro League Player of the Season, whilst also breaking the assist record.

As a result, it was announced that the left-winger was in his nation’s squad for upcoming European qualifiers against Austria and Estiona back in June 2023.

Following his incredible numbers and achievements, talent scout Jacek Kulig described the joyous technician as “sensational” and he looks ready to make the next step in his career.

Belgium's Mike Tresor

The jump from Belgian football to the Premier League is insurmountable, but a player of Tresor’s productivity, technique, and flair could provide some healthy and much-needed competition for Said Benrahma.

In a short space of time, the Algerian winger can dazzle and infuriate, but he is undoubtedly one of the club’s most important players.

Last season, Benrahma made 52 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers, the second-highest in the squad, to underline his valuable nature under David Moyes.

However, the tricky winger continues to massively divide opinion.

On one hand, Joe Cole has described him as “unplayable” and someone he has “always been a fan of” due to his natural “ability” – this is mainly down to wonderful dribbling as he ranks within the best 22% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

But, he is equally frustrating, with the Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg labelling the former Brentford livewire as “underwhelming” who suffers from a “constant lack of discipline and focus.”

Although Benrahma ended last campaign as the club’s joint-top scorer with six goals, Steinberg felt this was misleading as the majority were penalties and his assists were just simple passes for stunning, long-range efforts from his teammates.

Therefore, the arrival of Tresor could be the perfect antidote to eradicate Benrahma’s inconsistencies, whilst also proving to be a pivotal piece of squad depth.

This will be vital for West Ham, who face a third-consecutive season of European football, whilst also trying to build upon a disappointing 14th-place finish in the Premier League last term.

Man United Could Sign Rooney 2.0 In £50m Machine

Erik ten Hag has set his sights on adding another one or two players to his Manchester United squad before the summer window slams shut in a couple of weeks.

Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Mason Mount have already joined the Old Trafford side and although there is the need for another defender, especially if Harry Maguire departs in the next few days, Ten Hag could also be tempted to sign a midfielder.

A Premier League star has been linked, and it appears as though the Red Devils are ready to make the next step to securing his signature.

Who do Man United want to sign this summer?

According to The Guardian, United look set to make an approach to Everton with regard to a potential deal for Amadou Onana.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

The Belgian only joined the Toffees from French side Lille last year, with the Merseyside club reluctant to sell this summer.

Sean Dyche would only entertain bids of over £50m as per the report and Everton are under no pressure to sell one of their prized assets so soon after arriving in the Premier League.

Who has played for both Man United and Everton?

United have endured mixed success by signing players from Everton throughout the previous 20 years.

The likes of Romelu Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini didn’t quite live up to expectations during their spell in Manchester, yet Wayne Rooney was arguably Sir Alex Ferguson’s finest signing.

Rooney joined the Red Devils aged just 18 having shone at the 2004 European Championships for England, yet it was his breakthrough at Everton which convinced Ferguson to make the move ahead of the 2004/05 season.

amadou-onana-premier-league-man-united-transfers

A debut hat trick set the tone for what would turn into a glory laden 13 years at Old Trafford, netting 253 goals in total. As it happens, Ten Hag could repeat United's Rooney masterclass by managing to convince Onana that a move along the M62 would be the best for his development.

The 21-year-old showcased his impressive defensive abilities from the heart of the Everton midfield as he was arguably one of their few bright sparks in an utterly woeful campaign that nearly culminated in their relegation.

He ranked third across the squad for tackles per game (2.2) and also finished in the top five for interceptions (1.1) and lost possession just 7.7 times per game, one of the lowest totals in the team.

Hailed as a “tenacious tackler” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Belgian certainly could add that extra bit of bite into the United midfield and make them more formidable.

Winning a total of 4.2 ground duels – at a success rate of 59% – undoubtedly backs up this praise from Kulig and although potentially costing in excess of £50m, it would be a wise investment for not only the upcoming season, but for the next five to ten years.

Rooney arrived at Old Trafford under undue pressure to succeed and he more than repaid the club’s investment.

Onana may offer totally different qualities to that of the former forward, but he can still have a similar sort of impact by arriving in Manchester.

Jake Ball 'a great chance' to play in Brisbane

It appeared Jake Ball’s chances of playing the first Test had disappeared when he rolled his ankle in Adelaide, but he could still pip Craig Overton to the final bowling slot

George Dobell in Townsville17-Nov-2017

Jake Ball injured himself while bowling•Getty Images

Jake Ball is giving himself “a great chance to play” in the first Ashes Test, according to England’s assistant coach, Paul Farbrace.Ball looked as if he had slipped out of contention after he sustained a sprained ankle while bowling in the first innings of England’s warm-up match in Adelaide last week. He subsequently left the ground on crutches and was seen wearing a ‘moon boot’ in the last couple of days.Now Farbrace has revealed that the “aggressive” manner in which England’s medical team treated Ball’s injury – which was diagnosed as strained ligaments in his right ankle – might have made it appear worse than it actually is and that he retains realistic hopes of playing in the first Test at the Gabba that starts next Thursday.To that end, he appeared as a substitute fielder in Townsville on Friday and, between further stints as a substitute, will bowl 15 overs in the nets on Saturday in an attempt to prove his fitness.”We wanted Ball to get some time in the field,” Farbrace said. “If he’s going to be available to play next week, he has to spend some time on the field. So we told the umpires Alastair Cook has an upset stomach – and he does have a slightly upset stomach – so Ball can get on the field.”He bowled in the nets today and he will bowl 15 overs in the nets tomorrow. He therefore gives himself a great chance to play next week. He is absolutely, definitely in the mix for the first Test.”England were clearly impressed by Ball in the opening days of the tour. He was, James Anderson apart, the most impressive of the bowlers in Perth where he generated decent pace – Jonny Bairstow, the keeper, said he was the quickest of the England bowlers – and hit a perfect length. It does appear that, if he can prove his fitness, he may be England’s first choice option for the fourth seamer spot.James Anderson also bowled in the nets on Friday and is expected to bowl 15 overs in the nets on Saturday. “We’ve no doubts about him,” Farbrace said.Ball’s re-emergence as an option would appear to spell bad news for Craig Overton. Overton has bowled increasingly well on the tour so far, mixing decent control with a sharp bouncer. England experimented with him bowling round the wicket with a leg gully, short leg and two men out for the hook towards the close on Friday evening and, although it proved an expensive spell, he generated sharp pace from a docile surface.He has had something of a nightmare with the bat, though, thereby losing one of his potential advantages over Ball. Overton was dismissed first ball on Friday, meaning he has been out for a duck in each of his three innings on this tour.”It was a pretty awful dismissal,” Farbrace said. “It was a short ball he should have hit over the trees. But he’s turned it into short leg’s box. Not ideal. You can’t say he’s out of form as he’s only faced 13 balls in three innings.”But he’s here for his bowling – which has been outstanding – and any runs he contributes is a bonus.”Farbrace was not especially impressed by England’s cricket on Friday. While Dawid Malan completed his first century in an England shirt and the side passed 500, Farbrace was disappointed by a series of “soft” dismissals that saw them lost five wickets for 38 runs at one stage.”It was a bit of a mixed day,” he said. “We’ve had two really good days but today we’ve slipped a fraction from the standards we would have expected. We got ourselves in a good position in the game but in terms of going into next week we have not quite been as good as we could have been.”There were one or two soft dismissals. The lads have worked hard – they’re not machines; they make mistakes – so perhaps it’s a good timely reminder that we have to be on our game all the time. It’s quite a good reminder with the Test starting next week that we’ve got to be fully focused every day and every session.”

Hyderabad T20I called off, India-Australia series tied

Over two weeks of heavy rain in the city meant that the deciding T20I between the two teams was abandoned without even a toss

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2017The deciding T20I between Australia and India in Hyderabad was abandoned as a result of a wet outfield. Over two weeks of heavy rain leading up to the match meant the ground had taken in a lot of water. And even though there was at least two hours of clear weather before the first ball was due, the groundstaff were unable to make good enough progress for the game to begin.In fact, when the umpires went out for their inspection they found that some patches of turf were so soggy that large divots were created when they dug their heels in. It was reported that the pitch, the square and even the bowler’s run-ups were relatively fine but certain areas beyond the 30-yard circle were unsafe. As a result, play was called off at approximately 8.30 pm and the series ended with a 1-1 scoreline.”We are all very upset,” a member of the groundstaff said. “It has been raining for 21 days in a row now. There is no way we can fight against nature or God.” According to sources, pedestal fans had been used on the eve of the match to dry the outfield.While the official did not want to comment on the drainage facilities in the ground, there are murmurs about the fact that there are only enough covers to protect the square and that the majority of the ground ends up unguarded in the event of rain.

‘No need for him to get involved’ – How ‘banter’ sparked Billy Sharp vs Phil Parkinson & Wrexham spat as Paul Mullin also joined the FA Cup party

Billy Sharp has explained why he ended up angering Wrexham fans and butting heads with Phil Parkinson at the end of a fiery FA Cup clash.

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Blades pushed all the way by Red DragonsReplay required at Bramall LaneTempers threatened to boil overWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Sheffield United striker lined up against the Red Dragons in the fourth round of the 2022-23 FA Cup. The Blades survived a serious scare at SToK Racecourse and snatched a dramatic last-gasp winner in an action-packed replay at Bramall Lane. Sharp was the man to net the decisive goal and made headlines for his antics afterwards – as he gestured towards the away support and became involved in a heated argument with Wrexham boss Parkinson.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT SHARP SAID ABOUT WREXHAM

Explaining how all of that happened, Sharp has told : “People know what I’m like with fans – I take a lot, I give a lot. It’s part of the game. Without fans, football is nothing. Wrexham fans were in full noise that day and they were brilliant. They were loud, got right behind their team and it was a proper FA Cup tie over the two legs. I’m the Sheffield United captain, the FA Cup means a lot to me personally. I wanted to win. I could see how much Wrexham players, fans, everything wanted to win. I didn’t want that happening on our patch when I was responsible for my team that day. A few things happened. First leg, one of our lads got sent off, got provoked. We scored in the last minute when they thought they’d won it. There were other things in the press. The documentary, everyone wanted Wrexham to go on this run. I wanted to get to the semi-final of the FA Cup, as we eventually did, to play at Wembley, which I had never done before."

Sharp went on to say of how he came into confrontation with Parkinson, and how Wrexham’s star striker was happy to shrug off the entire incident: “I went over to my mum, my dad, wife, kids, my friends, as I normally do. I blow my kids a kiss, getting coins, having a bit of banter. I do a little crying gesture to the Wrexham fans – which I could have done a lot worse. Parky comes running over – ‘What are you saying!’ He is giving it loads because I’m having a bit of banter and his team has just got knocked out, I’m happy we’ve gone through and spoiled the underdog story. I’ve had a bit of beef with Parky before. No grudge. There was no need for him to get involved after the game. He was trying to look out for his fans. Then Paul Mullin came across, that was fine and had a bit of banter with him. [Ben] Tozer was giving it all game. Not just me, most of the players.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Sharp’s antics ended up earning him a cameo in the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney offering their take on proceedings, while the 37-year-old frontman has been linked with a shock move to North Wales after leaving MLS side the LA Galaxy as a free agent.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SHARP?

It remains to be seen where Sharp will next be playing his football, but a sensational switch to Wrexham is a possibility after his departure from MLS. It would be interesting to see what kind of reception he would receive in North Wales after his FA Cup antics.

Is it finally Christopher Nkunku time? Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino issues injury update on £52m forward and Romeo Lavia ahead of Man Utd test

Mauricio Pochettino expects Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia to be available for Chelsea in the near future.

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  • Blues still waiting on pair to make debuts
  • Forward and midfielder struggling with injuries
  • Will not be available for match against Man Utd
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Despite positive updates prior to the most recent international break, Nkunku and Lavia are yet to make their debuts for the Blues since joining from RB Leipzig and Southampton, respectively, in the summer. Nkunku sustained an injury during a pre-season friendly, while Lavia has been struggling with an ankle injury since his move to Stamford Bridge.

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    WHAT POCHETTINO SAID

    Pochettino said Nkunku would not be available for Wednesday's match against Manchester United, adding: "Hope soon. He is not involved tomorrow… I think it is like we always tell you, it's about assessing day by day. Sometimes we become excited when we see on the pitch and we want to have the player as soon as possible but I think we need to be careful and of course when he is ready he is going to be really strong."

    Asked about Lavia's prospects of being named in the matchday squad, Pochettino said: "Romeo is doing well also but like Christopher is not going to be involved."

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Chelsea are eagerly awaiting both players' first competitive appearances in west London after their big-money moves. Lavia was snapped up for an initial £53 million ($68m) from Southampton after he snubbed interest from Liverpool, while forward Nkunku was bought for the same price from German side Leipzig.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR NKUNKU AND LAVIA?

    The pair will miss out on Chelsea's midweek trip to face United at Old Trafford and it is not yet known if they will be available when the Blues make the trip to Merseyside to take on Everton in the Premier League on Sunday.

Tottenham Could Secure ‘Monster’ £130m Kane Replacement

Tottenham Hotspur were likely shocked to the core when Bayern Munich submitted their offer for Harry Kane, with Daniel Levy probably assuming most would be put off by the ludicrous £200m price tag that was placed upon his head.

The chairman has remained staunch on his stance regarding the England captain, and having rejected that first advance from the Germans, he stuck to his word.

However, with news continuing that a second bid will come, it seems that now a decision must be made on whether to cash in on the 29-year-old now or lose him for free next summer when his contract comes to a conclusion.

Should he opt for the former, perhaps he could seek to reinvest those funds in the future of his number nine position, handing Ange Postecoglou the tools necessary to truly kickstart his revolution in north London.

He will need more than the initial €70m (£60m) that the Bavarian giants offered though if he is to secure the £130m that Napoli will demand for Victor Osimhen. Despite that, the Lilywhites remain one of the listed interested parties in the striker.

Is Victor Osimhen better than Harry Kane?

Across Europe, there were few front-men who could compete with the imperious form of Kane as he found the net on 30 occasions in the league despite his club being in turmoil.

In fact, he even ranked second in the race for the European Golden Shoe, of which Erling Haaland unsurprisingly stands way out in front. However, just three places behind the £200k-per-week finisher is the Nigeria international, showcasing how the 24-year-old is not far behind the levels that the Spurs favourite has reached.

The former LOSC Lille marksman hit 26 Serie A goals last term alongside notching five assists, with his raw physicality offering a completely different style to Kane's. Journalist Colin Udoh had even branded the former a "monster of a player" as if to further emphasise this point.

It could be argued that given the relentless press Postecoglou will attempt to implement in north London, Osimhen even offers an upgrade on his technically-exceptional but somewhat sluggish current option.

The presence of this 6 foot 1 star in a title-winning side will likely also interest Levy too, as he desperately seeks to add some silverware to end the stigma surrounding his club.

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Kane has spent 11 long years as a senior player in the capital, with little to show for it except for his chance to break the all-time Premier League scoring record.

However, should he turn that down in favour of guaranteed trophies in Germany, Postecoglou can be safe in the knowledge that, should they choose Osimhen as his replacement, he will see little downturn in terms of goalscoring.

'This is how big players are made' – Nawaz

Mohammad Nawaz was oozing confidence after defending six runs in the final over against Peshawar

Osman Samiuddin in Sharjah01-Mar-20170:50

WATCH – Mohammad Nawaz concedes no runs off the last three balls to take Quetta Gladiators to the final

Mohammad Nawaz was having a rough night with the ball in Sharjah. The three overs he had bowled until the 20th had already gone for 46. Excessive dew meant he could barely grip the ball and it hadn’t helped that he was bowling one-over spells. There had been moments of smartness – the key dismissal of Mohammad Hafeez was one, and without the ball the catch to dismiss Shahid Afridi was, in hindsight, the moment the game turned.But he had already conceded four sixes and three fours, thus defending six off this final over, with a two-time World T20I winner on strike, could only produce an unhappy ending.Leaving him, or the rookie left-arm spinner Hasan Khan (3-0-36-0) with the last over, in fact, had seemed like a mistake. And when Tymal Mills’ valiant but unsuccessful effort at short third man off the second ball actually helped the ball along to the boundary, the game was done. Except it wasn’t.Nawaz conceded a single off the next four balls. He dismissed Chris Jordan first, a flatter, quicker delivery that found the edge and which Sarfraz Ahmed did well to hold on to. And then two inch-perfect yorkers in succession forced two run-outs, allowing Quetta to pull off a sensational one-run win – a margin replicating last year’s playoff win over the same opponents.”There was a lot of pressure, the way the ball had been coming on to the bat and how wet it was,” Nawaz told Geo TV. “But our plan was to bowl the first three balls outside off and break it away.”Once the equation came down to two off three, the plan changed. Among others, Kevin Pietersen, playing his last game of the tournament, suggested going for yorkers.”KP said on the fifth ball ‘just bowl a yorker’. It came out perfect. On the last ball a few said bowl length, some said go for the yorker. But we agreed to bowl a yorker and they just came out perfect.”I had a lot going through my mind at the time. But I was also calm, thinking I could do this.”Nawaz was one of the poster boys of the PSL’s first season, the very reason such a league was created in the first place – to bring to the fore young players like him and turn them into big-game players.He was the third-highest wicket-taker last year and his 13 wickets included arguably the ball of the tournament: a delicious, orthodox spinner that undid Brad Hodge, incidentally also in the playoff win over Peshawar.Finding his feet with Pakistan has not been as simple, in any of the formats, even with their desperate search for any kind of allrounder. But bowling an over like this – all of it to international cricketers – can be an important developmental landmark.”Absolutely, this is one of the best overs I have bowled. In such a big match, on this pitch, with so much dew. Especially after that kind of over I can’t help but feel pretty confident.”This is how big players are made, when they perform in big matches like this. This is only the start of my career, but in future I hope to learn more from it and keep performing.”

Latham hundred leads NZ fightback


Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:02

Isam: Bangladesh pacers didn’t look too penetrative

Winds of change blew over Wellington on the third day as Tom Latham became only the second New Zealand opener to make a century at Basin Reserve since 1931. His 119 slashed the deficit down to 303 and though he spent all but one hour of play today at the batting crease, no one learnt anything new about him. That, in itself, was remarkable.Latham has always been strong on the cut and the flick – 83 of his runs came behind the wicket. He succeeds by playing the ball late, and close to the body. Most of all, his ability to bat on and on, without feeling flustered by scoreboard pressure, without allowing his concentration to be upset, was on show again. While wondering how to describe the innings, it was hard not to imagine Latham as a jukebox and one of his fans taking full control of it for the entire day.Bangladesh, meanwhile, were like that person who becomes the life of the party for the first time. They began the day on 542 for 7, batting through the first hour when they could easily have cracked on and bowled. They had had a taste of the limelight and didn’t want to give it up. Then again, considering one of their bowlers picked up a wicket off his first ball of the match and another on Test debut – and playing his first first-class match in four years – dismissed one of the best batsman in the world when he was well set, they earned the right to live it up a bit.

Latham’s rare ton

  • 2 New Zealand openers to score a century in the last 58 Tests at Basin Reserve.  Both New Zealand openers – Stewie Demptser and Jackie Mills – had got hundreds in the first ever Test at this venue in 1930. Since then John Wright was the only centurion, before Latham.

  • 6 Hundreds by Latham in 27 Tests – already the third most for any New Zealand opener.  Wright made 12 hundreds in 80 Tests and Glenn Turner made seven in 38 Tests.

  • 1 Only instance before this Test when each of New Zealand’s first-four wickets added 50 or more runs in an innings – in the Dunedin Test against Sri Lanka in 1996-97.

  • 1 Higher totals by Bangladesh in Tests than their first-innings score of 595 for 8. They had made 638 against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2012-13.

  • 1 Only previous instance when five Bangladesh batsmen got fifty-plus scores in a Test innings – against against West Indies in Mirpur in 2012-13. Sabbir Rahman – who was not out on 10 overnight – was the fifth Bangladesh batsman to score fifty or more in their first innings in Wellington

Taskin Ahmed and long-form cricket have been on break since 2013. It was just too demanding and his body just couldn’t keep up. The 21-year-old fast bowler could have picked up a wicket in his first over back but he had a catch dropped in the slips. He suffered further, conceding 10 fours in his 15 overs but, eventually, he found the edge again and Kane Williamson, having just got to fifty, was walking back. Taskin had hit the jackpot as far as maiden Test wickets were concerned and a smile as poignant as the tears he shed upon receiving his Bangladesh cap from bowling coach Courtney Walsh indicated he knew it too.New Zealand, for their part, made sure the bowlers had to produce moments of brilliance to earn their wickets. The pitch was flat, it had perhaps got a bit quicker as well after two days in the sun, meaning there was little danger in hitting the ball through the line. That fact was best represented by the middle session’s numbers: 131 runs in 25 overs at 5.24 per over. Ross Taylor, back in the New Zealand team after eye surgery, was whacking the ball so beautifully that there was no question of his form being affected by the break. One of the few times he mistimed a shot – perhaps it was the first time – he was caught at square leg for 40 off 51.New Zealand’s rush for runs was instigated by their captain. It was unclear whether Williamson was venting against the fact that he had captained the team into giving away their second-biggest total – 595 for 8 – after inserting the opposition but he did begin his innings with a flurry of boundaries. There were three in four balls – a punch through mid-off, a flick through square leg and a glide past gully, all of the back foot.Confirmation that Williamson was indeed going on a cathartic rant came in the 22nd over. For one, it was set off by a perfectly innocuous thing – a back of a length delivery on fourth stump. For another, he went to a great deal of effort to make his point, leaping up off his toes to get on top of the bounce while still somehow keeping the bat face straight. That poor red Kookaburra was so scared that it went and hid at the point boundary. Most of his runs came off the back foot, but when he was asked to come forward to a good length delivery just outside off stump in the 34th over, he feathered an edge through to stand-in wicketkeeper Imrul Kayes. The regular man behind the stumps, the Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim, had injured his fingers taking blows to the hand while batting yesterday and did not take the field. Vice-captain Tamim Iqbal led the side in his absence.Latham’s innings was the library to Williamson’s theme park. There were neat little glides behind point and deft little flicks through square led and midwicket. He frustrated the opposition with leaves and looked the perfect man for the rest of the line-up to bat around. Jeet Raval, though, couldn’t quite pull off that mandate. He was given a life in the 10th over when Sabbir Rahman shelled a catch at third slip, but the next time he nicked a ball behind the wicket, courtesy Kamrul Islam Rabbi’s extra bounce, he was gone. But not before he had given New Zealand the chance to record fifty-plus stands for all of their first four wickets, for only the second time in Test cricket. Latham was involved in all of four stands.He was excellent against Mehedi Hasan’s offspin, a result of his picking the length early, moving forward or back decisively. The 19-year-old had taken the new ball – making it the first instance of a specialist spinner opening the bowling in his team’s first innings of a Test in New Zealand – but struggled to keep his rhythm in conditions – read: the wind – that he had never faced before. The other man playing his first Test abroad fared better. Sabbir completed a half-century before Bangladesh took the opportunity to declare their innings – something they had only done twice on past tours.

Liverpool Could Sign £34m Bundesliga ‘Warrior’

Liverpool are looking for new additions this summer who can improve upon their performances seen this season and now a new update has emerged on one of the club's top targets.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Kouadio Kone?

According to Football Transfers, Liverpool are in talks to sign Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Kouadio "Manu" Kone this summer.

As per the report, discussions have been held with Kone and his representatives in the club's pursuit to identify players who can be part of Jurgen Klopp's midfield rebuild at Anfield.

It is claimed that the Bundesliga club are commanding a transfer fee of up to €40m (£34m) to part ways with their talented player and will need to compete with Newcastle United for his signature.

Would Kone be a good signing for Liverpool?

The German coach has made no secret of his desire and intentions to improve the squad this summer after an incredibly disappointing campaign both in the Premier League and Champions League this season, which has ultimately led to the club falling into the Europa League next season.

One of the key areas of concern is the midfield with not only a number of players either out of contract or reaching the latter stages of their careers at this point but the output in the centre of the pitch has lacked energy and dominance over the last 12 months.

As a result, the signing of Kone is a great place to start for the Merseysiders with the Bundesliga sensation potentially the perfect alternative to former transfer target Moises Caicedo for a fraction of the Brighton star's £90m asking price.

The 22-year-old Frenchman – hailed as "monstrous" and a "warrior" by Jacek Kulig – is an extremely talented midfielder with Caicedo coincidentally named as one of his most comparable positional peers – as per FBref – and it's not hard to see why.

kouadio-kone-premier-league-newcastle-transfers

When comparing the midfield pair's outputs this season they share many similarities in key attributes including pass completion rate (86.2% v 88.5%), tackles and interceptions completed (106 v 106), take-on success (48.3% v 51.9%), ball recoveries (221 v 248) and goal-creating actions per 90 (0.17 v 0.14).

Not only that, the former Toulouse talent ranks ninth for tackles and tenth for progressive passes, passes into the final third and shots on target in the entire Bundesliga this season, which is a testament to his strong box-to-box abilities allowing him to be a huge presence in both attacking play and defensive transition.

These comparable traits will be of huge interest to the Liverpool hierarchy after interest in the Seagulls midfielder, as the potential to bring in a young midfielder who possesses a very similar profile without the need to spend heavily will certainly capture the attention of the well-renowned tight-spending club owners this summer.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer to snap up the services of Kone if Liverpool remain keen to bring in a player who can offer the qualities needed to improve ball retention and the performances in midfield next season.

Indeed, at such a young age he can be moulded to become a superstar under Klopp's guidance like many before him.