Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy finished another impressive Premier League season with a brilliant display in his side’s final day 5-4 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Sunday, and Everton must make him their No. 1 transfer target this summer.

The 31-year-old, rated at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, scored twice to reach the 20-goal mark in the top flight, ending the campaign with 20 goals in 37 league matches for the Foxes.

As per usual, the England international worked his socks off up top – pressurising defenders and chasing lost causes – and he got his reward with a brace.

Meanwhile, Toffees boss Sam Allardyce admitted last week that the Merseyside outfit need another striker this summer to challenge Cenk Tosun for a spot in the XI, and they should be considering launching an offer for Vardy when the transfer window opens this week.

The fact that the attacker scored two goals from four shots at Wembley is even more impressive considering he only touched the ball 20 times in the game, and he also made two key passes to show his unselfish side – as per WhoScored.com.

Everton’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham United on Sunday proved that there is plenty of work to be done in terms of improving the squad if they are to challenge for Europe next term – 63% of Toffees fans don’t want a 41-year-old manager to replace the unpopular Allardyce this summer – and Vardy looks as though he could be an ideal attacking signing for the club.

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While Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku appear nailed on to start Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Chelsea on Saturday, the final position in their front three is a little less clear.

Nobody has really made the right wing berth their own at Old Trafford this season, despite a number of options being available to Jose Mourinho.

With that in mind, we gave United fans four options earlier this week; Juan Mata, who started there last time out against Watford, England duo Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford, and French attacker Anthony Martial.

Our poll proved that United supporters are pretty divided over the issue, which only highlights how much of a problem position it’s been for Mourinho throughout the campaign. There was just an 8% difference between the most popular choice, Lingard, and Martial in third.

It was clear though, that Mata remains the least fancied option, despite the Spaniard laying on the most key passes of any United player in the Premier League this season, 51 from 28 appearances.

How would you set up Mourinho’s side on Saturday, United fans? Let us know by commenting below…

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Newcastle United fans are interested in giving Aleksandar Mitrovic a second chance at the club after his successful loan spell at Fulham culminated in promotion to the English Premier League.

Mitrovic was a powerful presence throughout the Cottagers’ 1-0 play-off final win against Aston Villa on Saturday. He’s also scored 12 goals in 20 appearances for the club since moving to London on loan in January.

Speculation will now be rife about which club he’ll be at next season, with Fulham supporters obviously desperate to keep him at Craven Cottage.

Fans of the Magpies aren’t entirely keen to see him leave either, although there are many eyeing a cash-in on the in-form striker.

Plenty are eager for him to get another chance under Rafa Benitez though, recognising he is still a young, developing player and knows his way to goal with a run of games.

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Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts after Satuday’s match at Wembley…

Liverpool could turn to Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy after being priced out of moves for Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak and Roma shot-stopper Alisson, according to The Mirror.

What’s the word?

Loris Karius’s woeful performance in the Champions League final reinforced the suggestion that the Reds should buy a new keeper this summer.

Jurgen Klopp wants his team to become title challengers and in order to do that, they require a world-class stopper.

Oblak and Alisson have been regularly mentioned as targets in the gossip columns, but The Mirror recently claimed that Liverpool will be unable to meet their price tags.

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The publication states that Atletico will demand £80m for Oblak due to a release clause in his contract, while Roma will also want a staggering figure.

As a result, The Mirror claims that Liverpool could switch focus to McCarthy, who has been a Southampton player since his 2016 move from Crystal Palace.

Is he a good option?

No disrespect to McCarthy, but the 6ft 4 shot-stopper does not fit the calibre that Liverpool require.

Going forward, the Reds are one of the best and most entertaining in the Premier League, but their weakness has always been at the back.

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The Merseyside outfit managed to reach the Champions League final and finish inside the top four, but they require a world-class stopper that can perform at the highest level week in week out.

McCarthy helped Southampton retain their top-flight status with his performances towards the end of the 2017-18 season, but in the last seven campaigns, the keeper has made just 55 appearances.

The 28-year-old would not be a significant improvement on the options Liverpool already have.

Manchester City fans were left confused when Leroy Sane was not selected as part of Joachim Low’s Germany squad for the World Cup in Russia.

The winger had a stellar season in Pep Guardiola’s City team, scoring 14 goals and creating 17 assists.

The 22-year-old played a major role in the North-West outfit winning the Premier League title.

Many would have assumed that Sane was a shoe-in for the World Cup, but in a Germany team littered with talent, there was no room for the City star.

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On Sunday, the reigning champions got their campaign underway with a Group F match against Mexico.

Prior to the tournament, there were zero concerns about Germany not making it past the group phase, but there may be a hint of worry now due to the team’s 1-0 defeat to Mexico.

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Low’s side struggled to cope with the pace of Juan Carlos Osorio’s side as their counter-attacking approach led to a much-deserved win.

In fact, it was Hirving Lozano’s goal that ended up being the difference, and now City fans think that if Sane was on the pitch, the result would have transpired differently.

According to Sky Sports News, Middlesbrough have made a bid in excess of £5m for Sunderland midfielder Paddy McNair ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.

What’s the story?

McNair only made 16 Championship appearances for Sunderland last season, but he managed five goals for the relegated Black Cats.

Brighton & Hove Albion are believed to be interested in signing the 15-time Northern Ireland international, with the Seagulls said to have had at least one bid rejected.

According to Sky Sports News, Boro have offered more than £5m for the versatile midfielder as Tony Pulis’ side look to boost their squad ahead of the 2018-19 season.

Pulis led Boro, who have also been linked with Robert Huth, into the Championship playoffs last term, but they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in the semi-finals.

The former Premier League club will fancy their chances of launching another bid for promotion next term, however, and McNair would boost their challenge.

Would McNair be a good signing?

In short, yes. McNair broke into the Manchester United first team in 2014, and made 27 first-team appearances for the Red Devils before joining Sunderland in August 2016.

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McNair missed the start of last season with a serious knee problem, but showed his class upon returning to fitness, and ended the campaign with five Championship goals.

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It is going to prove almost impossible for Sunderland to keep him following their relegation to League One, and McNair would be a fine signing for Boro. Indeed, if they can sign him for just over £5m, it could go down as one of the best deals of the summer.

The 23-year-old is capable of playing in a number of positions in both midfield and defence, whilst he has already shown that he can hold his own at Premier League level, let alone in the second tier.

In order to take that next step, Tottenham Hotspur need to strengthen their squad to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men finished third in the Premier League table last season, and have secured Champions League football for the last three campaigns in a row.

However, it has been a decade since the North London outfit took home a trophy.

United, Liverpool and Arsenal have already signed up new faces this summer, but Tottenham are yet to get their chequebook out.

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It is no huge surprise given that in recent history Spurs have left it relatively late to get deals over the line.

Chairman Daniel Levy is not the easiest negotiator in the world as he is never prepared to pay over the odds for a transfer target.

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The club have been linked to numerous names over the past few weeks and months, but nothing has yet come to fruition.

Fans have been tweeting their thoughts on the laboured window.

Liverpool should no longer focus on trying to sign Roma goalkeeper Alisson, and instead focus on other targets.

What’s the word?

Since the transfer window opened, the Merseyside outfit have been linked with a handful of shot-stoppers around Europe.

Current number one Loris Karius did not cover himself in glory during the Champions League final last month.

The German made two huge blunders that led to goals in the Reds’ 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev.

Who do you think will win the World Cup? Let us know here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

Roma keeper Alisson has cropped up in the gossip pages plenty of times whenever Liverpool’s hunt for a new stopper has been mentioned.

However, the likelihood of a deal being struck seems far away, particularly now that Real Madrid and Chelsea have been touted as potential suitors.

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Why should Liverpool give up?

There is no doubt that manager Jurgen Klopp needs a new man in between the sticks.

However, there are various obstacles in the way with regards to getting a deal struck for Alisson.

One seems to be the price, with Mundo Deportivo reporting earlier this month that Roma are holding out for a fee in the region of £70m.

Another is the fact that the Italian outfit sold their best player in Mohamed Salah to Liverpool last summer, so it is unlikely that they will be easily persuaded to part with another key player.

It is also worth taking into consideration that, even though Alisson is on the verge of world-class quality, there is a danger that he has been overhyped.

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The 25-year-old has been in goal for Brazil during the World Cup and he has had a few shaky moments.

The 26-cap stopper is certainly an upgrade on Karius, but the hassle of getting a deal done should cause Liverpool to reconsider.

Former Pakistan captains have questioned the manner in which Umar Akmal was omitted from the second ODI against New Zealand

Cricinfo staff07-Nov-2009Former Pakistan players have questioned the manner in which Umar Akmal was omitted from the second ODI against New Zealand,
which Pakistan lost to leave the series tied at 1-1. Akmal’s name was a surprising omission from the team sheet at the toss – Shoaib Malik took his place – and Younis Khan’s explanation for the change was not entirely clear.Akmal, 19, has had an excellent start to his international career, scoring his maiden ODI century in just his third game and averages 49.83 in the format.”It can be very discouraging for a young man like Umar since he has been very impressive in recent games for Pakistan and is raring to go against the Kiwis,” said Waqar Younis, commentating on the series in the UAE. “It is bound to shake his confidence in the coming games.”Rameez Raja questioned whether the decision was down to Pakistan’s rotation policy or something else entirely. “I would like to know the logic behind this and whose decision was it to omit Umar from this game,” he said. “This will only hurt Pakistan.”Abqul Qadir, the former Pakistan legspinner and selector, also expressed his surprise. “How can you drop a batsman when he has impressed all around the world with his brilliant temperament? It will only shatter his confidence and we might lose such a talented player if he continuously gets such treatment in the team.”Qadir, who was chief selector for eight months till June this year, said that he had advised the Pakistan board to focus on younger players during his stint, advice which the board ignored. “I had told the PCB that senior players should only play Test matches and we should find fresh legs from our own domestic ODI and Twenty20 tournament, but the cricket board did not listen to my advice.”Salahuddin Ahmed, another former national selector, was also critical of the decision to drop an in-form player like Akmal. “I think the ouster will hurt the confidence of Umar to a large extent. This should have not been done with him at this moment,” he told the Karachi-based . “I will also not support the decision of dropping Shoaib Malik from the first ODI, since he is one of the best allrounders for this version of the game. Pakistan should have gone with Kamran Akmal with any of the regular openers to make room for both Shoaib and Umar for all these matches.”

Chris Jordan and Ajmal Shahzad claimed three wickets apiece as the England Performance Programme continued their impressive run of results with a 75-run victory over the Northern Titans at Pretoria

Cricinfo staff11-Dec-2009England Performance Programme 425 for 9 (Denly 217, Tredwell 70) and 155 for 4 dec beat Titans 235 (du Plessis 124*) and 270 by 75 runs


ScorecardChris Jordan and Ajmal Shahzad claimed three wickets apiece as the England Performance Programme continued their impressive run of results with a 75-run victory over the Northern Titans at Pretoria. Following a declaration set up by Michael Carberry’s quickfire 76, the Titans were left chasing a nominal 346 for victory, but were bundled out for 270 inside 60 overs.Having secured a first-innings lead of 190, EPP resumed on 44 for 1 in their second innings, and though the Yorkshire pair of Joe Sayers and Andrew Gale fell quickly in the morning session, Carberry received solid support in an 83-run stand for the fourth wicket with Rory Hamilton-Brown, who made 38 not out. The innings came to an end on the stroke of Carberry’s dismissal.In reply, Titans fared considerably better than they had done first-time around, when each of their top three was extracted without scoring, with Hendrik van der Dussen and Tumelo Bodibe adding 44 for the first wicket inside ten overs. But Shahzad struck the first blow when Bodibe fell for 18, and five balls later Steven Finn bagged K Pienaar for 1.Faf du Plessis, who knows his opponents well from his time with Lancashire, counterattacked in spectacular style with a 30-ball 42, but Jordan trapped him lbw before Sajid Mahmood removed van der Dussen for the same score.Thereafter, the Titans innings slipped away. Jaco Booysen made 26 before falling lbw to Shahzad; while Christiaan Schoeman and Graham van Buuren both succumbed in sight of their fifties. The spinner, James Tredwell, pitched in with two late wickets to hasten the defeat, before Shahzad bowled the No. 11, D van Onslem for 10 to seal the victory.