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Pakistan have had a troublesome start to their New Zealand tour with as many as six members of the 54-member camp testing positive for Covid-19 since arriving in the country last month. As a result, the entire squad and support staff was in managed isolation in Christchurch and wasn’t given any exemption to train in groups. Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq believes the lack of training and the unusual lead-up to the series will have affected the players, both “mentally and physically”.”I want to compliment my players and the management team for their patience, sacrifices and the hardships they have endured to ensure they not only lead the safe resumption of international cricket during the Covid-19 pandemic since the series in England but also try to give their best every time they step on the field,” Misbah said in a PCB release.”Top professional athletes require a certain environment to prepare so that they can perform at the minimum expected levels every time they represent their countries. While we completely respect and understand the New Zealand Government Laws, which have been put in place for the health and safety of their public, there is no denying the fact that the implementation of certain regulations has affected our athletes, both mentally and physically prior to an international series.”Nonetheless, when we will leave the isolation facility in the next day or two, we will try to put all this behind us and focus on the challenge of facing New Zealand in both the formats.”The first leg of the tour will comprise three T20Is starting on December 18 in Auckland. Pakistan have brought allrounder Hussain Talat and wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed back for that series, They replace Zafar Gohar and Rohail Nazir who were part of the T20I squad against Zimbabwe.Ahmed had been left out of the Zimbabwe series to give youngsters a chance and so that he could instead play first-class cricket to “retain his fitness” and “rediscover” his form. He played three games in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy for Sindh and scored an unbeaten century against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Overall, he scored 177 runs from six innings with an average of just over 35.Talat last played international cricket in February 2019 on a tour of South Africa. He recently scored a career-best double-century and a century in five innings in the Quiad-e-Azam Trophy. Before that, he also racked up 319 runs for Southern Punjab in the National T20 Cup in October at a strike rate of nearly 152 with three half-centuries.Pakistan’s T20I squad against New Zealand•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

After the T20Is, Imad Wasim will depart for Australia on December 23 to play in the Big Bash League, while Mohammad Hafeez will leave for Pakistan on December 24.Pakistan also announced a 16-man Shaheens squad for the four-day game against New Zealand A starting December 17 in Whangarei. Both squads will depart for Queenstown on December 8 after completing the 14-day isolation in Christchurch. They will stay in separate hotels in Queenstown and will train at different times according to their match requirements, a PCB release said. The Shaheens squad will travel to Whangarei on December 14 whereas the T20I players will head to Auckland on 15 December.Both Gohar and Nazir, who didn’t get a game against Zimbabwe, were named in the Shaheens squad which will be captained by 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Nazir.ALSO READ: How did so many Pakistan players test Covid-positive?The Pakistan Test players will travel with the Shaheens squad to prepare for the two Tests starting December 26. The Shaheens players will also play intra-squad practice matches in Queenstown before their four-day game on December 17.Shaheens squad: Rohail Nazir (capt), Abid Ali, Amad Butt, Azhar Ali, Danish Aziz, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah, Zafar Gohar and Zeeshan Malik.

Virat Kohli is always up at “110%” when it comes to being motivated, so he will be “ready to go” in Australia before going on paternity leave following the white-ball games and the first Test, according to Marcus Stoinis.Asked at a press interaction if Kohli might be a bit more keyed up than usual to make an impact because he would be missing the last three Tests to be back at home with his wife for the birth of their first child, Stoinis said, “Don’t worry about Virat, he’s up for every single game that he’s playing. Yeah, maybe there will be extra motivation, but I don’t think there’s any extra motivation than 110%. So let’s see. I am sure he will be ready to go. He is getting home for the birth of his kid, which is the right decision in my opinion. So I am sure he will be extra motivated.”We’ve definitely got our strategies, we’ve had things that have worked in the past, and at other times the same plans haven’t worked and he’s made some runs. Obviously he is a great player, and to all these good players, you do what you want to do, you have your plans, and on the day, you get extra competitive and you hope it all falls in your side of the court.”Stoinis is coming into the white-ball games against India – starting with the three-ODI series on November 27, and then the three T20Is – on the back of good form in the IPL, where he was one of the major forces that drove the Delhi Capitals to their maiden final, before they lost to the Mumbai Indians. He averaged 25.14 in scoring 352 runs from 17 innings at a strike rate of 148.52, and also made an impact with the ball, picking up 13 wickets at an economy rate of 9.53 and an excellent strike rate of 13.6.”I will hopefully continue to bring that form into the summer, but there’s nothing really too different (that I have been doing). The break was great – as bad as it was with Covid – it was nice to come back quite fresh into all these competitions. I feel like I was going well in England before leading in as well, so hopefully the results keep coming my way,” he said. “But it also helped that we had a good team, we had a great team; I was very fortunate to be in the same team as Ricky Ponting, who was our coach.”‘Punter wants me to take more responsibility’
Calling himself a “massive fan” of Ponting and sharing credit with the former Australia captain for “whatever personal success I had in the IPL”, Stoinis elaborated on the equation between the two men while at the IPL.”He’s also not someone who will sit there and tell you what to do. He will either show you the way or only sort of speak to you when he thinks he has something that can help,” Stoinis said. “You have to ask him, but I don’t think he is in the business of changing careers; like all those good coaches, you never really know you’re being coached until the end, when you look back and think that was that, bloody important.”With concussion putting Steven Smith out of Australia’s last ODI series in England – shortly before the IPL – Stoinis was moved to No. 3 in the batting order, and he said Ponting had been one among “a big sort of pool of events” that led to the promotion.”I think there’s been a big pool of events that are leading towards me moving up the order a little bit. But I also really enjoy batting in the middle order for Delhi in the IPL,” he said. “Punter [Ponting] wants me to take more responsibility in teams that he has been in charge of. But, at the end of the day, I think I just have to be adaptable about batting in every position, pretty much from one to seven, (as I have) over the last three years. So I just have to keep that mindset, I guess.”I am just happy to be involved wherever they feel (I will have) the most impact on the game, whether that’s in the middle order, whether that’s where my biggest impact is for the team, whether they want to get me up earlier… I know I have had these conversations with Ricky, ‘just let me know when to put the pads on’, ‘let me know when I’m in and I’ll try to do the best job I can’.”

This summer, Todd Boehly wants to take his Chelsea side to the next level and return to the Champions League.

Last campaign, Mauricio Pochettino failed to inspire enough improvement, finishing sixth in the Premier League, and now it’s Enzo Maresca’s turn.

Tosin Adarabioyo has already become a blue, and next on the list is a new centre forward.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a Chelsea centre-forward target who has the potential to be unstoppable in the Premier League.

Chelsea’s search for a new number nine

According to a report from BBC Sport, Chelsea have included Serhou Guirassy on their striker target list.

It’s said that the Blues are ‘admirers’ of the Stuttgart forward, who tore apart the Bundesliga last season.

The Guinea attacker has a £15m release clause that can be activated this summer, which is without doubt a bargain.

However, he’s not the only attacker that Chelsea are interested in, with Jhon Duran and Samuel Omorodion also in the mix.

Why Guirassy is far better than Duran and Omorodion

It’s fair to say that Guirassy has proven to be much better than the aforementioned duo, and given that Chelsea want a reliable goalscorer, he’d be by far the best option.

The 28-year-old has only been at Stuttgart for two campaigns, with his first one ending with a tally of 11 goals in the Bundesliga, but nobody would’ve expected what occurred last time around.

Rennes’ former striker helped his club finish second in the division despite starting just 25 matches, but his influence on the field was irreplaceable.

Over these starts, Guirassy netted an outstanding 28 goals and provided two assists, which was only fewer than a certain Harry Kane in Germany.

Guirassy vs Duran vs Omorodion 23/24 League Stats

Stats (per 90)

Guirassy

Duran

Omorodion

Goals

1.14

0.95

0.41

xG

0.85

0.38

0.52

Shots

3.59

3.79

3.02

Key passes

2.16

0.76

0.81

Shot-creating actions

3.67

2.27

1.49

Progressive passes received

7.46

4.74

4.64

Touches

43.37

35.81

28.11

Via FBref

Firstly, his goal-scoring record absolutely speaks for itself, and that alone makes him a better signing than Duran and Omorodion already.

The number nine is the definition of a finisher, often taking his chances in front of goal, as shown by his xG to goal ratio.

Guirassy is a complete striker, and his style of play is often unpredictable in regards to the fact that he can hurt the opposition in many different ways, with journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor stating that within his approach “there’s flair, there’s movement, there’s skill and there’s power.”

That said, the right-footed ace is much more than just goals, with his overall play much more developed than the young duo, which is what makes him so “outrageous,” as dubbed by Stafford-Bloor.

Guirassy can receive the ball with his back to goal, link up play brilliantly, and even create chances for others, as shown by his progressive passes received, shot-creating actions, and his key passes.

On top of that, the 28-goal man would bring more experience to the young Chelsea attack, which may prove to be vital next season both domestically and in Europe.

In truth, there’s not really anything that Guirassy cannot do, and therefore, given he’d cost just £15m, Chelsea must opt for him over Duran and Omorodion any day of the week.

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Journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Manchester United's pursuit of Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

Manchester United transfer rumours

Manchester United had a mixed 2023/24 season. They finished 8th in the Premier League, missing out on any form of European football through their position, but ended the campaign with an FA Cup triumph over bitter rivals Manchester City to qualify for the Europa League. This victory was enough to keep Erik ten Hag in his role heading into next season despite United's struggles in the league.

With Ten Hag's future sorted for the time being, the Red Devils have turned their attention toward the summer transfer window as they look to improve their squad and push back into the top four next term. Man Utd are said to be interested in signing talented youngster Desire Doue, while they are also keen on Lille centre-back Leny Yoro.

Meanwhile, a recent report linked Manchester United with a move for Bayern Munich stalwart Leon Goretzka. The Red Devils are also interested in signing Maximilian Beier.

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ByBen Browning May 15, 2024 Romano shares Branthwaite "issue" for Manchester United

At present, however, the United's main transfer target appears to be Everton stopper Jarrad Branthwaite. It was reported recently that United have agreed terms with the Englishman over a contract worth between £150-160k a week.

This will no doubt be music to the ears of many a Man Utd fan, with the club crying out for some consistency at the back following a rough few seasons for Harry Maguire and persistent injuries to the likes of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez. However, the Premier League powerhouse are still facing a stumbling block when it comes to completing a move for the Toffees defender.

This comes with journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting that the issue United now face is Everton's stance, with the Toffees said to have no intention of negotiating a "normal fee" for the centre-back. Instead, the Blues want between £65-70m to part ways with Branthwaite.

"What I can confirm on the player side is that the player would be happy to join Manchester United, even without Champions League football, the player is keen," Romano said. “Personal terms are not a problem. The Times yesterday night reported this story and on the player side there is no issue, Branthwaite would be keen on joining Manchester United.

“The real issue is Everton, they have no intention to negotiate a normal fee or an acceptable fee. At the moment, they are asking for big money, something around £65-70m, not less than this.”

Romano's claims that Everton are not looking to part ways with Branthwaite on the cheap have since been backed up, with it reported on Friday that the club rejected a £45m bid for the defender.

Everton finished 15th in the Premier League last season despite a points deduction, with the club no doubt eager to build on that in the forthcoming campaign under the guidance of Sean Dyche. And with Branthwaite tied down at Goodison Park until 2027, the Merseyside outfit are unlikely to be in any rush to sell one of their biggest rising stars.

Manchester United have been dealt a boost in their pursuit of a new defender this summer after it emerged that a long-term target "dreams" of playing for the club.

United in need of defensive reinforcements

As this season has made abundantly clear, Manchester United are in need of additions to their backline if they have any hope of improving another disappointing Premier League campaign under Erik ten Hag.

The Red Devils are on track to concede the most goals they have ever managed in a Premier League campaign, while injuries have also forced them into 14 different centre-back combinations, culminating in Casemiro playing alongside Jonny Evans in the defeat to Arsenal.

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Lisandro Martinez, set to return to the bench against Newcastle, has been restricted to just nine Premier League appearances, while Tyrell Malacia has missed the entire campaign and injury to Luke Shaw has seen Diogo Dalot often deployed as an auxiliary left-back.

A left-back is definitely on the club's wishlist this summer, while the impending departures of Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane this summer when their contracts expire makes a centre-back a necessity too.

Now, reports also claim Aaron Wan-Bissaka is on his way out this summer, with the club open to a sale at a massive loss on the £50m they shelled out to bring him to the north-west from Crystal Palace.

As a result, another option at right back will be needed, and United have just been handed the perfect chance to secure one of their top targets.

Defender "dreams" of Manchester United

That comes in the shape of Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries, who Manchester United have long been linked with. The Inter Milan defender has enjoyed another fine season with the Nerazzurri, helping them scoop the Serie A title.

He has been showered in praise back in the Netherlands, with ex-Real Madrid man Rafael Van de Vaart labelling him the "ideal full back" after one performance for his country.

“[Denzel] Dumfries is our big star. He is really our very best player at the moment, he’s involved in everything,” he told Dutch broadcaster NOS. “He has provided seven assists in the last seven games, but it could have been even more. He is always on the move. A really great player. His touches are also good, which was different in the past. He is the ideal full back.”

Denzel Dumfries 23/24
Appearances	29
Goals	3
Assists	5
Key passes per 90	1.5

But trouble lies ahead between Dumfries and Inter, with a new contract not close and his current £52,000 a week deal expiring in 12 months as things stand.

As per reports in Italy, the two parties "remain distant" over a new deal, despite the Dutchman having "softened his requests". While a transfer isn't being considered right now, Inter "wouldn't be opposed" to cashing in on the 28-year-old for between 30m and 35m euros (£25.7m-£30m).

For his part, Dumfries "dreams of Manchester United" should he leave San Siro, and given their long-term interest in the defender, a move could well come to fruition quickly should they firm up that interest.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo segue sem dar sinais de confiança na Série B do Brasileirão. O Alvinegro foi derrotado por 2 a 0 pelo Goiás na noite desta terça-feira, em duelo válido pela 13ª rodada, no Estádio Nilton Santos.

+ Presidente do Botafogo garante que vai novo técnico nesta quarta-feira

Após o duelo, Diego Loureiro elogiou o empenho de Ricardo Resende, técnico da equipe sub-20 que comandou o time profissional de forma interina nas últimas duas partidas, e mostrou confiança que a equipe ainda pode evoluir com a chegada de um novo comandante.

RelacionadasBotafogoATUAÇÕES: Gilvan recebe a pior nota do Botafogo na derrota para o GoiásBotafogo20/07/2021BotafogoPedro Castro recebe o terceiro cartão amarelo e desfalca o Botafogo contra o ConfiançaBotafogo20/07/2021BotafogoBotafogo joga mal e é superado pelo Goiás em casa na Série BBotafogo20/07/2021

– A equipe vem se dedicando, um resultado triste, ainda estamos longe do que a gente espera na competição. Creio que a gente possa evoluir com a chegada de um novo treinador. Mas agradecer e dar parabéns ao professor Ricardo pela dedicação, está sempre se entregando Botafogo e à disposição quando a gente precisa e quando chegar o novo treinador que o time comece a trilhar bons caminhos – afirmou, ao “Premiere”.

Com a derrota para o Goiás, o Botafogo estacionou nos 13 pontos na tabela da Série B e é o 14º colocado na classificação.

A key Leeds United player could make his return from injury for his side's Championship playoff clash with Norwich City this weekend, Daniel Farke has confirmed.

Leeds face massive playoff clash

The Whites are preparing for their biggest game of the season so far on Sunday lunchtime, as they make the trip to Carrow Road to take on the Canaries.

Leeds narrowly missed out on automatic promotion to the Premier League, meaning they now have to go through the drama and unpredictability of the playoffs, and it promises to be a nerve-shredding couple of matches. The return leg takes place at Elland Road next Thursday, as Farke's men look to book a place in the final at Wembley.

There are injury concerns for the Whites heading into a massive day at the office, with Daniel James and Patrick Bamford among those who are big doubts for Sunday's game.

Pascal Struijk is long-term injury absentee, having not featured for Leeds since the 2-1 defeat away to Preston in the Championship on Boxing Day, and a key update has now emerged regarding the current fitness situation.

Farke drops big Leeds injury news

Speaking in his pre-match press conference [via Leeds Live], Farke confirmed that James "has a chance" of featuring for Leeds against Norwich, but Bamford is definitely unavailable for both legs:

"Daniel James is making good progress. He’s coming closer and closer. Joined in with parts of team training. Tight race, but has a chance. Depends on the next 48 hours. Could be that he is an option. Not ready for 90, but an option to travel. Patrick will definitely miss both legs. Seen a different knee consultant. New diagnosis: mini trauma in his patellar tendon."

This is a much-needed boost for Leeds ahead of the trip to Norwich, even if James is far from definite to feature prominently at Carrow Road. Just having him available in some way feels significant, considering what an impressive season he has had.

The £50,000-a-week Welshman has scored 13 goals and registered seven assists in the Championship in 2023/24, and Farke thinks highly of him, saying after his goal against Hull City last month: "It was also a crucial and important goal and that is even more important. His identification with this club is second to none."He always works hard. He had to support our full-backs and he was great in his work against the ball, could have an assist and had one or two good chances."

Crysencio Summerville

20

Daniel James

13

Joel Piroe

13

Patrick Bamford

9

Wilfried Gnonto

9

Georginio Rutter

7

To not have Bamford available is clearly a big setback, even though the striker has come in for criticism at times for missing big chances, with the Englishman so experienced and capable of individual brilliance, as highlighted by an outrageous FA Cup strike at Peterborough United.

If Leeds can get James on the pitch, though, it would help make up for the loss of Bamford, with his pace and improved end product having the potential to change a game in an instant.

Erling Haaland has accused Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez of stamping on him during Manchester City’s win at Stamford Bridge.

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• Reigning champions off to a winning start
• Norwegian striker on target at Stamford Bridge
• Golden Boot winner used to rough treatment

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The reigning Premier League champions got their title defence off to the best possible start when collecting a 2-0 victory in west London. Two-time Golden Boot winner Haaland was on target in that contest, as he opened his account for 2024-25 with a clinical first-half finish.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Norwegian striker has found the target on 91 occasions through 100 appearances for City in all competitions. That stunning strike rate makes him an obvious target for opponents that want to try to knock him out of his stride with some rough treatment.

• WHAT HAALAND SAID

  Haaland has grown accustomed to that, telling of his running battle with World Cup winner Fernandez in a game that saw City take their first step towards a record-enhancing fifth successive Premier League title: “All the time he stamps on me, he pushes me and everything, not only him. I don't know what he wants but that's what they do I guess.

  “We just won the Premier League so let's take it game by game. It's 37 games left, let's not forget we won the Premier League and now we have won the first game of this season. It's amazing to have everyone back. We go from there. It's ridiculous how quick it actually goes, it's my third season now. I'm happy, especially now after the win. It's the first game back and we're not in perfect shape, but we did a really solid performance. We just stayed calm and played, it's amazing to see.”

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Former Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic netted City’s second to wrap up the points at Stamford Bridge. Pep Guardiola's side have already picked up the Community Shield this season and intend to compete for every trophy available to them in what could be their manager's final campaign at the helm – as the final year of his contract runs down.

Newcastle United's injury troubles have been well documented in recent months, with Eddie Howe's side suffering from multiple long-term absentees throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

Jamaal Lascelles is the latest player to join the Magpies' extended injury list after suffering an ACL rupture during the sensational 4-3 comeback win over West Ham United just a couple of weeks ago.

He joins the likes of Sven Botman, Nick Pope and Joelinton, who are currently on the sidelines after suffering their own injuries, with the latter two potentially returning towards the end of the campaign.

However, another Magpies first-team player remains sidelined with the club potentially needing to cash in on him given his recent record with injuries.

Callum Wilson's stats in 2023/24

Striker Callum Wilson has often had to settle as Newcastle's second-choice option behind Alexander Isak, understandable given the Swede's record of 19 goals in all competitions so far this campaign.

The former Bournemouth forward has only featured 22 times this season and just twice in 2024, managing to score on eight occasions, in a term that has been plagued with injuries.

Wilson has suffered four separate injuries since 2023/24 commenced back in August, which has seen him miss large parts of the campaign.

He's been sidelined by two different hamstring issues, whilst a calf injury saw him miss a further two months before suffering a chest injury upon his return in the 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest in February.

Chest injury

57

9

Calf injury

37

6

Hamstring injury

31

6

Hamstring injury

13

4

Wilson has a past of suffering with injuries, having twice torn his ACL during his time at Bournemouth, with the now 32-year-old starting to struggle to put a run of games together before picking up another problem.

That, coupled with his huge drop in market value, should see the club look at potentially moving him on when the summer window opens in a couple of months time.

Callum Wilson's transfer value in 2024

Nearly four years on from his £20m move to St James' Park, Wilson has seen his market value plummet by more than half with injuries playing a huge part in the decline.

The striker is now only valued at £8.5m as per Football Observatory, with the Magpies forward now valued at a staggering £77.5m less than man of the hour Bruno Guimaraes, whose market value is £86m.

The 32-year-old attacker only has one year left on his current deal at the club, with Wilson turning 33 before the end of next season. That being said, the club should look to move him on this summer, just a couple of months after being linked with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal.

Howe and the Saudi PIF should look to recruit a new young striker, who can develop and learn from current forward Isak whilst providing tough competition for the former Real Sociedad attacker.

Wilson has been a brilliant addition to the Magpies over the last couple of seasons but unfortunately, his injuries have been getting the better of him in recent times. Newcastle need to cash in to prevent him leaving the club for nothing in 2025.

Vitor Roque moved to Barcelona in Janaury and has failed to break into the team, with the Catalans now in talks with Al-Hilal over a potential move.

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• Al-Hilal open talks with Barcelona over Roque
• Want to sign the striker on loan with buy option
• Barcelona want to make full sale this summer

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Vitor Roque made the sensational move to Barcelona earlier this year after the Catalan side agreed to a €30 million (£26m/$32m) initial deal with Atletico Paranense for the then 18-year-old. While the Brazilian came into the side with a lot of expectations placed on him, he failed to break into Xavi Hernandez's team and was restricted to only 14 appearances with two starts last season.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With the departure of Xavi, it seemed that Vitor Roque may stay at the club and try to impress Hansi Flick. However, according to Sport, Al-Hilal and Barcelona have opened talks over a move for the 19-year-old with the Saudi Pro League side wanting the striker on a loan deal with a mandatory buy option for next summer. However, the Catalan side prefers a full transfer for the Brazilian and will demand a fee of around €40 million (£33.8m/$43.3m).

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Al-Hilal only shifted their focus towards Vitor Roque after they failed to entice Raphinha to leave Barcelona this summer despite having made a reported bid of €65 million (£54.9m/$70.6m). Barcelona have also reportedly received interest for the Brazilian from Al-Nassr, who are set to offer a Saudi Pro League record fee of €100 million (£84.5m/$108.7m).

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• WHAT NEXT FOR VITOR ROQUE?

  Vitor Roque is set to turn down Al-Hilal's approach, according to Romano. However, a summer exit still looks to be on the cards for the young Brazilian, particularly if Barcelona manage to land top target Nico Williams from Athletic Club.