Kylian Mbappe's former team-mate Sergio Ramos backs the Real Madrid star to clinch the Ballon d'Or this year ahead of more favourable candidates.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ramos lays down the verdict on Ballon d'OrWants Mbappe to take home the accolade this yearBelieves Frenchman will win it multiple times Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The legendary former Real Madrid centre-back chimed in on the Ballon d'Or discussion and backed his ex-Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Mbappe to win the award this year, despite acknowledging that the Frenchman didn't manage to win any major titles with his club in the 2024-25 season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ramos and Mbappe spent two seasons as team-mates at Parc des Princes between 2021 and 2023. The former Spanish international now plies his trade for Mexican side Monterrey, while Mbappe arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu last summer. The Frenchman had a difficult opening few months, despite winning the Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup in the first half of the season. However, the 26-year-old found his feet in the latter half of the campaign and ended his debut season with Los Blancos with a record-breaking 43 goals in 56 games, winning the European Golden Shoe in the process for scoring 31 La Liga goals. His goals, however, weren't enough to prevent Barcelona from winning the league as well as the Copa del Rey. Meanwhile, their Champions League defence ended in an embarrassing 5-1 quarter-final defeat to Arsenal.

Ramos, though, believes that the Ballon d'Or is an individual award for which the criteria is never definitive, thus backing the French forward to take home the award ahead of the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha.

WHAT SERGIO RAMOS SAID

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Ramos said: "I [will] always give it to Mbappe. Not just out of friendship, but also because he has put in some impressive performances. It's a decisive trophy, but you never know what the criteria are for the Ballon d'Or… He scores goals, won the Golden Boot, even though Madrid hasn't won other titles that other teams have won.

"These are individual awards, not collective ones, but there are some very interesting players who have won leagues and cups. It's the little details that will make the difference, and in the end, it depends on one's own opinion. If it were up to me, I think Kylian would have the peace of mind of taking home four or five Ballons d'Or in five or 10 years. He has the talent, even if Madrid didn't have a year full of titles, he had a great season and showed that he was a player of this level."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE AND RAMOS?

Mbappe will be hoping to continue his lethal form in front of goal when Madrid kick off their Club World Cup campaign against Asian giants Al-Hilal on Wednesday evening, while Ramos will be seen in action against Champions League runners-up Inter in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Seamer welcomes grim forecast over weekend after a third tough day for tourists

Andrew McGlashan21-Jul-2023Australia’s lead in the Ashes series has been left hanging by a thread after two horrendous days at Old Trafford. Now they are praying that rain helps them escape with a draw, even if it would be a hollow way to retain the urn.Mark Wood’s pace extracted three wickets in Australia’s second innings and such was the damage inflicted that the best part of the two remaining days may need to be washed out for them to avoid defeat, despite having opted for a longer batting line-up in this Test. The forecast, however, looks likely to oblige and the Australians weren’t trying to hide that they would gladly take a helping hand.”I’d be very pleased,” Josh Hazlewood admitted. “It’s obviously forecast but forecasts can change all the time. Obviously, rain and light plays a big part in cricket and has done forever. So, yeah, it’d be great to lose a few overs here and there, and make our job a little easier if I’m hanging in there.”Different forecasts are providing varying prediction as to how much rain will come over the next two days, but Saturday looks universally bleak with a bit more uncertainty over Sunday’s final day. Either way, it appears England may only get a narrow window to force the result that would keep them on track to be only the second team to come from 2-0 down to win an Ashes series.”The weather is the weather, and I’m not Michael Fish,” Jonny Bairstow said, referencing the famous BBC forecaster of the 1980s and 1990s. “Coming in tomorrow, if there is a bit of weather around, maybe some overheads, you’d like to hope we’re able to create some chances. The weathermen have been right, the weathermen have been wrong, who knows what’s going to happen? We’ll still turn up with the same mindset and that will be to try and take another six wickets.”Related

England rue bad-light call as Ashes hopes slip away on dank day four

Bairstow bombs Australia before Wood leaves England in the pink

Jonny Bairstow: 'People say you're limping, yeah, well I am'

Free-flowing England post highest home Ashes total since 1985

Wood cracks open Australia's second innings after Bairstow blitz keeps England in control

It was Bairstow who compounded Australia’s woes on the third day as he plundered an unbeaten 99 to swell England’s lead to 275. Although the visitors had a modicum of success in stemming the scoring before lunch, overall it was a debilitating innings for the much-vaunted attack with Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc going for 392 runs between them at 5.22 per over. It was just the second time the trio had each conceded a hundred in the same innings.”I imagine a few games against India on some flat wickets we’ve gone the journey as well. So it’s nothing too new for us, I guess [it] was probably just the run rate,” Hazlewood, who claimed a five-wicket haul, said. “It was a pretty special knock from Zak [Crawley] and…obviously Jonny and Rooty as well. Definitely, we could have been better in patches throughout the innings and with a bit of luck we might have, but that’s not the case. So we’ll have a look at that and learn from it again.”Josh Hazlewood claimed a five-wicket haul as Australia’s bowlers went the journey•Getty Images

Hazlewood also defended Australia’s tactics against Bairstow in the final-wicket stand of 66 with James Anderson, during which the pair ran byes to Alex Carey on three occasion, so that Bairstow could get the strike back.”Do you just bowl wide and down leg and really stop him from scoring? Or do you try and roll the dice and bounce him and try and get a wicket that way, or keep bowling hard length and hopefully one goes up the chute?” he said. “But there times we potentially could just bowl away from him the whole time.”We saw probably a new tactic again today of running on bouncers or running through to the keeper. It’s just trying to limit his scoring and [trying] different things to try with two balls left, one ball left, keeping the tailender on strike for next over and things like that, so I thought we did reasonably well.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Perto da partida contra o Palmeiras pela semifinal da Libertadores, o técnico do Athletico-PR, Luiz Felipe Scolari, deu uma entrevista para a Conmebol Libertadores, que será divulgada na íntegra nesta segunda-feira (30). O técnico comentou sobre o seu futuro, destacou o momento do Furacão e elogiou o jovem atacante Vitor Roque.

Felipão comentou sobre uma aposentadoria e revelou que ele tem conversado com a sua família sobre o assunto:

– Eu sinto nesse momento que eles estão dizendo: “ah, pai, tanto tempo não ficaste em casa, que trabalhaste, dedicaste ao futebol”. Não que não me dedicasse aos filhos, mas deixei um pouco de lado para que a esposa cuidasse da educação destes meninos. Não está na hora de a gente viver um pouco mais, de viajar, de sair um pouco do trabalho e coisa e tal? Eles já vinham falando isso – revelou.

O técnico chegou ao Furacão para assumir a função de diretor técnico, mas deixou o futuro no clube em aberto. O treinador comentou que vem vivendo um momento especial na equipe paranaense:

– Uma emoção de estar trabalhando em uma equipe como hoje, o meu Furacão, o meu Athletico, que pode chegar a uma final de Libertadores, que era um sonho nosso. O sonho do Athletico que passou a ser meu e dos atletas. Estamos perto – disse.

Por fim, ele elogiou Vitor Roque, joia de 17 anos da equipe. O treinador destacou que dá muita atenção ao desenvolvimento do jovem e pediu paciência:

– Ele é uma joia, é espetacular, um menino puro, muito bom de trabalho. Mas ainda está em formação. Ele tem 17 anos. Aos 15 anos ele já era profissional. Não fez nenhuma formação, tem algumas valências que precisam ser trabalhadas. E o nosso torcedor já enxerga o Vitor como a solução de tudo. Ele vai ser solução à medida que for evoluindo ano para ano. Imagina com o trabalho técnico que se faz no dia a dia com ele, acrescentando algumas coisas que ele não teve, por ser um jogador diferente, vai melhorando, imagina daqui a dois ou três anos? Esse é o Vitor Roque que nós queremos ver – finalizou.

تصاعدت حدة الأزمة بين نادي الزمالك ونظيره بتروجيت بسبب تعثر مفاوضات ضم اللاعب حامد حمدان إلى القلعة البيضاء خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية، رغم تمسك اللاعب برغبته في ارتداء القميص الأبيض، وتأكيدات من جانب مسؤولي الأبيض بأنهم تقدموا بعرض رسمي تمت الموافقة عليه مبدئيًا.

وفي هذا السياق، وجَّه الدكتور مدحت العدل، عضو لجنة الاستثمار بنادي الزمالك، انتقادات لاذعة لإدارة نادي بتروجيت، معبرًا عن استيائه مما وصفه بـ”العبث” في ملف الصفقة.

طالع أيضًا | صدمة لجماهير الزمالك.. بيان قوي من بتروجيت بشأن حامد حمدان

وكتب العدل عبر صفحته الرسمية على موقع “فيس بوك”: “ألا يستحي مسؤولو بتروجيت.. اللاعب يريد الزمالك والزمالك تقدم بعرض تمت بالفعل الموافقة عليه”.

ثم تابع هجومه قائلاً: “هل هؤلاء المسؤولون عرائس ماريونيت في أيدٍ خارجية؟ بتروجيت شركة مملوكة للدولة.. أين الدولة من هذا العبث؟! عن حامد حمدان أتكلم”.

وكانت إدارة بتروجيت قد أصدرت بيانًا رسميًا أوضحت فيه موقفها من صفقة اللاعب، مؤكدة أن التواصل مع الزمالك لم يتجاوز الاتصالات الشفهية بشأن حامد حمدان وتوفيق محمد، وأن النادي متمسك بكافة عناصره الأساسية في ظل استعداده للمنافسة في الدوري الممتاز الموسم المقبل.

Igor Tudor has penned a two-year contract extension with Juventus and will lead the club in the Club World Cup.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Tudor pens two-year contract extension
• Has complete support of Chiellini and Comolli
• Club calls it an embodiment of 'passion, charisma and spirit'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Juventus general manager Damien Comolli confirmed Tudor's contract extension. The Croatian has signed a two-year contract extension which will keep him at the club until 30 June 2027 with an option to extend it by another year. Tudor will now head the Italian club in the Club World Cup.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reports suggested that Tudor wanted clarity on his situation if he were to manage the club at the Club World Cup. The Croatian didn't want to get caught off-guard after the Club World Cup. The board might not have been sure at first, but the feeling around the manager changed after Juventus clinched a Champions League spot by finishing fourth in the table with 70 points. The club has further called Tudor's extension a representation of his 'passion, charisma, and the spirit of Juventus' within him that will help take the club to higher stages.

• TELL ME MORE

  With Tudor on board, Comolli's next target will be to address the situation of Randal Kolo-Muani. The French forward is on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and is set to stay for the Club World Cup with Juventus, but the Italian side is uncertain about making his move permanent, and there have been talks about extending the loan deal. The general manager has assured the supporters that they have the option to extend the loan deal for another year and will discuss it internally.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

  Comolli has also hinted at making structural changes in the club. Chiellini has also been promoted to the role of director of football strategy, and reports suggest that two more positions are to be filled soon, namely a sporting director and a technical director. Tudor's side will kick off its Club World Cup campaign against UAE-based club Al-Ain on 19 June.

In a move that could impact the overall ODI World Cup schedule, the BCCI is considering moving the most high-profile match of the tournament – India vs Pakistan in Ahmedabad – from October 15 to October 14.The reason for the change, ESPNcricinfo has learned, is that October 15 is also the first day of the Hindu festival of Navaratri, and the local police has told the BCCI that it would find it difficult to take care of security on the day.It is understood that the BCCI has alerted the ICC about the issue, but no concrete decision has been taken yet. The BCCI is expected to have a meeting with all the state associations that are hosting World Cup matches on July 27 before a final call is taken.Related

• Pakistan agree to World Cup schedule change, to play India on October 14

• World Cup schedule will undergo changes, confirms Jay Shah

• Can Indian fans ever expect a good stadium experience?

• 'Not focused on only one team' – Babar plays down hype

• Pakistan PM sets up committee to decide on ODI WC trip

The original World Cup schedule has October 14 down as a double-header day: England play Afghanistan in a day match in Delhi and New Zealand play Bangladesh in day-night game in Chennai. Incidentally, there are no triple-headers scheduled, though there are two matches on six days.India, who open their World Cup campaign on October 8 with a game against Australia in Chennai, would have also played Afghanistan on October 11 in Delhi before the game against Pakistan, while their next fixture is against Bangladesh on October 19 in Pune.As for Pakistan, they play Netherlands in Hyderabad on October 6, the second day of the tournament, and Sri Lanka on October 12, also in Hyderabad, before playing India, followed by their fourth game, against Australia in Bengaluru on October 20.Therefore, in case the game moves to October 14, Pakistan will have just a day between their games in Hyderabad and in Ahmedabad, while India will have two days’ gap.The development comes roughly a month after the BCCI announced the World Cup schedule, which itself was severely delayed. While the BCCI has not yet announced any information on when matches tickets will go on sale, fans and other stakeholders have already booked flights and hotels in Ahmedabad for the match, which has historically been one of the most watched sporting events globally.

Pat Cummins five-for, superhuman Ben Stokes innings highlight skippers’ brilliance

Matt Roller07-Jul-20231:14

Ehantharajah: Moeen Ali’s vital wickets keep England alive

Australia retained their slender advantage in the third Test at Headingley on another day of Ashes cricket in fast-forward. They were not at their clinical best in Leeds against a flagging England side, yet could still clinch the urn this weekend.This was a day that highlighted the brilliance of the two captains. Pat Cummins, who took two wickets on the first evening, added four more to complete his first five-wicket haul on English soil, finishing with 6 for 91, while Ben Stokes produced his second superhuman innings in six days.Stokes had resumed after lunch unbeaten on 27 as England struggled to find a middle ground between attack and defence, losing four wickets in the morning – three of them to aggressive shots, despite their slowest-scoring session of the series.But Stokes and England shifted gears after the break, adding 95 runs in 62 balls for the loss of their final three wickets, in a frenzied hour in the Leeds sunshine. Stokes was the last man out, looking to hit Todd Murphy for his sixth six, but his 80 dragged England to a deficit of only 26.Related

Stuart Broad vs David Warner: 17 and counting

Pat Cummins vs Joe Root – a hallmark of greatness

Stuart Broad struck early for England, removing David Warner for the second time in the match, third time in the series and 17th in Test cricket, before Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne restored some calm, adding 55 for the second wicket.Then Labuschagne and Steven Smith fell in quick succession to Moeen Ali – Smith was his 200th Test wicket – and when Khawaja edged Chris Woakes behind, England sensed an opening. Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh took them through to the close, leading by 142 and with the game just about in their control.Cummins struck with the second ball of the day, dismissing Joe Root for the 10th time. He found some extra bounce from just short of a good length, with a tight enough line to draw Root into a shot, tentatively steering to Warner at slip.It was a good ball, yes, but a tame end – one which further vindicated the intent behind the reverse-scoop that he attempted at the start of the fourth morning of the first Test in Birmingham. Jonny Bairstow followed soon after, chasing a wide half-volley from Mitchell Starc and flashing to second slip.Stokes played within himself, clearly struggling with an apparent hip injury for which he received treatment, but dug deep in defence. Moeen kept him company during a partnership worth 44, but his dismissal – caught in the deep after a second successive top-edged hook – exposed a familiar failing against the short ball.Woakes fell to the same shot, top-edging a pull through to Alex Carey in the final over before lunch having earlier swiped Cummins over midwicket for six. England scored at 3.19 an over across the morning session, adding 74 runs for the loss of four wickets. Headingley was subdued.Mark Wood soon woke the crowd up. He swiped the first three balls after lunch for six, four and six off Starc, then swung Cummins for six more. His innings of 24 off 8 was nothing more than a cameo, yet somehow changed the course of the day as Australia persisted with a short-ball ploy.Pat Cummins celebrates a wicket•Getty ImagesStokes continued to battle through, hitting Starc for three consecutive boundaries as he sensed the moment to attack. When Broad heaved Cummins to long leg – where Smith took a brilliant catch, diving to his right – Stokes went even harder, thumping Murphy back over his head for back-to-back sixes.He repeated the trick an over later, with one straight hit and a slog-sweep over square leg, and eventually fell looking for a third pair of back-to-back sixes, slog-sweeping the first before dragging the second down Smith’s throat at long-on.Broad’s dismissal of Warner was trademark: around the wicket, wide on the crease, angling the ball in then nipping it away off the seam to find his outside edge. Zak Crawley held on at second slip, and Labuschagne looked skittish early in his innings at No. 3.His partnership with the unflustered Khawaja either side of tea presented Australia an opportunity to take control of the game, against an England attack still missing Ollie Robinson due to the back spasm he suffered on the first afternoon; when Labuschagne was dropped down the leg side by Bairstow off Wood, it felt like a significant moment.But inexplicably, he offered another chance to the very next ball he faced. Getting down to sweep Moeen, Labuschagne top-edged straight to Harry Brook on the square leg boundary; he resembled a child trying to convince a parent for a few more throw-downs as he sullenly dragged himself back to the dressing room.And Australia’s other middle-order banker fell soon after. Smith, playing his 100th Test, charged down the pitch to Moeen, looking to get his innings up and running by swiping him over midwicket but skewed a half-volley straight to Ben Duckett at short midwicket. “See ya, Smudge,” Bairstow said with a grin, earning a glare from Smith on his way off.Wood hit Khawaja with a bouncer shortly before drinks and he fell soon after, edging through to Bairstow as Woakes angled one across him. Head and Marsh reached stumps unscathed and with Australia back ahead of the game, but without any real semblance of dominance heading into the middle day of the series.

Brendan Rodgers returned to Celtic in the summer of 2023 to replace Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou, who decided to join Tottenham Hotspur.

The Northern Irish head coach, who enjoyed an almost-three-year spell at Parkhead between 2016 and 2019, came in off the back of Postecoglou winning a domestic treble in Glasgow.

Rodgers could not quite replicate that in his first season, winning the Scottish Premiership and the SFA Cup, but he is currently on course to land the domestic treble in his second campaign.

The Celtic board have backed the former Leicester City and Liverpool manager in the four transfer windows that he has had to date in his second spell, as they have not been afraid to splash the cash on new recruits to bolster the squad.

Not all of their recruits in the summer of 2023, in Rodgers’ first window, worked out, though, and Hyun-jun Yang was one player who seemed destined to become a flop at Parkhead.

How much Celtic paid for Hyun-jun Yang

Sky Sports reported that the Scottish giants splashed out a fee of £2m to sign the South Korea U22 international from Gangwon ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, in an attempt to bolster the manager’s options in the wide areas.

The young forward had scored nine goals and provided five assists in 71 first-team matches for Gangwon in his career, which immediately suggested that Celtic were not signing the finished article.

That proved to be the case in his debut season in Glasgow. Yang ended the 2023/24 campaign with a return of just one goal and three assists in 31 appearances in all competitions.

The young winger failed to provide any sort of consistent threat at the top end of the pitch, as either a scorer or a creator of goals, in the major competitions for the Hoops.

As you can see in the table above, Yang offered very little in the final third for Rodgers in either the Premiership or the Champions League last season.

His struggles in his debut campaign in Scottish football may have led some to wonder what the future would hold for him at Parkhead, particularly with the likes of Nicolas Kuhn, Daizen Maeda, James Forrest, and Luis Palma at the club last summer.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, Yang remained in Glasgow during last summer’s transfer window to stay and fight for his place in the squad, and has developed into a valuable squad player for Rodgers.

Hyun-jun Yang's Celtic improvement

The 22-year-old winger is only three appearances, with more than a month of the season left to play, away from equalling his matches played from last season, with 28 in the current campaign.

Yang has already beaten his tally of goal contributions from the 2023/24 campaign (four) with a return of five goals and six assists in those 28 outings in all competitions.

This shows that the South Korea international has developed and improved during his time in Glasgow, by adding more goals and assists to his game – despite playing fewer games so far.

Journalist Anthony Joseph described him as a “raw” player with “real potential” recently, suggesting that he could be the latest player to be improved by Rodgers.

At the age of 22, Yang still has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop further and emerge as a key first-team regular for the Hoops in the future. His current improvement suggests that the winger is on the right track and that Celtic may have hit the jackpot by landing him for £2m in 2023.

However, his impressive form for the Scottish giants this season, and the improvement in training that has led to it, may have just ended another forward’s career at Parkhead.

Luis Palma's Celtic career may be over

Luis Palma was also signed to bolster the club’s options out wide in the summer of 2023, when he arrived from Greek side Aris for a reported fee of £3.5m – £1.5m more than Yang was bought for in the same window.

The Honduras international, actually, enjoyed a fairly impressive debut season in Scottish football. He ended the 2023/24 campaign with a return of ten goals and ten assists in 36 outings in all competitions.

However, six of those goals and nine of those assists came in the first half of the season, before his form tailed off towards the end of the campaign.

Palma, then, struggled to get game time in the first half of this season, with 267 minutes across 12 outings in all competitions, as he fell out of favour whilst Yang stepped up as a brilliant squad option.

As you can see in the table above, the Honduras international’s form dropped off a cliff heading into the 2024/25 campaign, whereas, Yang’s output in the final third improved.

That left Rodgers with a decision to make on Palma, who was described as being too “wasteful” by John Hartson, and the Hoops boss opted to part ways with the winger.

Olympiacos signed him on loan in the January transfer window, with an option to make it permanent in the summer, and it was recently reported that they are interested in activating the €4m (£3.4m) option, which would spell the end of his career at Parkhead.

Therefore, Yang’s improved performances have, essentially, ended Palma’s time in Glasgow because he has stepped up to provide excellent competition for the likes of Maeda, Jota, and Kuhn, whilst the Honduran flop failed to provide a reliable option on the flank.

Outshone by Nawrocki: Rodgers must now drop Celtic's awful 3/10 flop

Brendan Rodgers must drop the Celtic forward after his struggles against Rangers.

By
Dan Emery

Mar 16, 2025

Now, Yang has the chance to kick on and become a star for the Hoops, and Palma has the opportunity to start anew with a permanent return to Greece this summer.

Weather beats Glamorgan and Leicestershire after only 190.3 overs were possible across four days

ECB Reporters Network13-Jul-2023Glamorgan 403 for 9 dec (Neser 176*, Swepson 69) drew with Leicestershire 451 for 6 (Patel 179, Hill 78) Rishi Patel struck a career-best 179 to continue an increasingly lucrative summer on the runs front for Leicestershire on the final day of the LV= County Championship second division clash against Glamorgan.There were 16 fours and five sixes in the 24-year-old opener’s impeccable knock as he led the Foxes to five priceless batting points as their heavily curtailed game at Sophia Gardens ended in a draw. Durham’s big home win over Gloucestershire saw them move further ahead at the top of the Second Division table, but Leicestershire’s 11 points from a game reduced to only two innings because of the rain saw them hold on to the second promotion place.Leicestershire saw their hosts score 403-9 in their first innings and entered the fourth and final day at 28-0. Patel began on 24* and picked up where he had left off against the Welsh county in the second innings of their previous meeting at Grace Road at the end of April, when he hit an unbeaten 134 to help his side pick up the draw. His highest first-class score before this season was 99, and his one-chance 179 on a placid wicket in the Welsh capital was his fourth century of the campaign in nine matches.Leicestershire saw opener Sol Budinger depart in the second over of the morning. The Glamorgan hero from their first innings, Aussie all-round Michael Nesser, got the immediate breakthrough with a ball that rose and flicked a glove to give Chris Cooke a catch at the wicket.Budinger left for five runs, having only added one to his overnight total, bringing visiting skipper Lewis Hill to the wicket to join Patel. They played steadily throughout the remainder of the opening hour, which saw 45 runs added, before accelerating to build a decent partnership.Patel, who had started on 24* brought up his 50 in the 24th over and in the next over Hill hit a six and a four in successive balls from spin bowler Mitchell Swepson to bring up the 100.There was a 14-minute break for rain just before lunch when everyone, including the ground staff, were caught out by a two-minute deluge that forced players and umpires to race for the pavilion. Lunch saw the Foxes 124-1 and Hill’s 97 ball 50 was brought up with a square cut for four off Zain-ul-Hassan in the 40th over.Patel reached three figures with a cut to the third man boundary off Swepson to notch his fourth century of the summer in the 48th over. Patel and Hill put on 168 for the second wicket before Hill fell on the square leg boundary as he tried to loft a bouncer from James Harris out of the ground. Instead, he found the safe hands of Kiran Carlson and departed for 78.Patel then enjoyed stands of 56 with Colin Ackerman for the third wicket and 65 with Peter Handcomb for the fourth before Zain-ul Hassan bowled him in the 78th over of the innings. He had batted for just over six hours and faced 237 balls.Louis Kimber enjoyed himself at the end of the day, striking two sixes and a four off Carlson in the 87th over to not only bring up the 400, and the fourth batting point, but also steering his side past the Glamorgan total. He was then bowled in the next over by Swepson for an enterprising 61.Once they had gained the fifth and final batting point, Leicestershire declared and the game ended with six overs remaining at just past 6.00pm.

Viktor Gyokeres has reportedly rejected Manchester United as the Sporting striker snubbed a reunion with Ruben Amorim in a major boost to Arsenal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Man Utd & Arsenal were vying for GyokeresStriker has turned down the Red DevilsSwede seems destined for a move to the EmiratesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The United hierarchy had placed Gyokeres near the top of their wishlist as they attempt to back Amorim with familiar and proven talent. The 26-year-old striker, who has exploded onto the European stage with remarkable back-to-back scoring campaigns in Lisbon, netting 43 goals in his first season followed by an even more prolific 57 in the second, was viewed as the ideal centrepiece for United's attacking rebuild.

However, Portuguese outlet revealed that despite holding several conversations with the player's representatives over the past week, United have been unable to convince Gyokeres or his camp. Concerns over United’s failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League, combined with uncertainty surrounding the club's new sporting project under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s guidance, appear to have been key factors in the decision to turn away from Old Trafford.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The report further claimed that Gyokeres' representatives never considered United to be a serious option and have instead been focused on securing a move to north London. According to those close to the player, the Emirates has always been the player's preferred destination, and Arsenal's renewed interest in the striker has made a significant impact.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sporting reportedly rejected Arsenal's initial approach, which included a €55 million (£47m/$63.5m) base fee with an additional €10m (£8.5m/$11.5m) in performance-related add-ons. However, the Gunners are expected to return with an improved bid that could come closer to the Portuguese club's asking price, believed to exceed €80m (£68m/$92m).

There is also a growing sense among observers that Gyokeres' camp may be employing a tactical approach to negotiations. By clearly distancing their client from United, they could be attempting to pressure Sporting into accepting a previously-discussed fee of €60m (£51m/$70m) plus €10m in bonuses.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GYOKERES?

Despite Arsenal's increasing focus on Gyokeres, the club remains engaged in parallel discussions with RB Leipzig over Benjamin Sesko. Sources suggest that Mikel Arteta continues to view Sesko as his top-choice striker for the upcoming season. Should those negotiations advance, it could potentially alter Arsenal's plans regarding Gyokeres. This might put the Swedish striker in a spot of bother.