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Newcastle United are preparing an offer to sign Wolfsburg star Felix Nmecha this summer, according to reports.

Who is Felix Nmecha?

Nmecha is a midfielder who currently plays his football for Niko Kovac’s side, having moved to the Bundesliga on a free transfer from the Premier League, namely Manchester City’s academy, back in 2021. During his two-year spell, he’s so far made 50 appearances for Die Wolfe.

The Germany international still has another two years to run on his contract, but having established himself as his club’s overall fourth best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.86, has caught the eye of the northeast outfit.

Eddie Howe has reportedly made it his priority to enter the market for new central reinforcements during the transfer window, with Matty Longstaff out of contract at the end of this month and leaving the club, and the 22-year-old appears to have been highlighted as a potential ideal replacement.

Are Newcastle signing Nmecha?

According to The Telegraph (via The Daily Mail), Newcastle are “set to make a bid” for Nmecha this summer. The Magpies are “readying an offer” for the midfielder having “tracked” him for months through the club’s scouts, and it’s stated that Howe is a “fan” of several of his qualities, including his “energetic” and “box-to-box” style of play. Wolfsburg are likely to demand £15m for their prized asset which the board deem to be “relatively cheap” and a price tag that they could easily afford.

Nmecha is naturally an attacking midfielder so is renowned for driving forward with his “quick” pace, as lauded by journalist Josh Bunting, and getting involved in the final third, and we feel PIF should definitely see if they could bring him to St. James’ Park.

Wolfsburg’s number 22, who was born in Hamburg, posted nine goal contributions (six assists and three goals) in 30 Bundesliga outings last season and recorded 37 shots over the course of the campaign, which was the third-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef.

Standing at 6 foot 2, Nmecha, who has the versatility to operate in seven various positions across the pitch, would also add a different dimension to the centre with his height having averaged 1.5 aerial wins per league game, so him being available for £15m is an absolute bargain of a deal for a young player with the ability to add physicality and end product to the Magpies midfield ranks.

Bangladesh have made six changes to their squad for the first Test against England at Chittagong, starting on October 20, with the batsman Sabbir Rahman a notable inclusion

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong16-Oct-2016Bangladesh have made six changes to their squad for the first Test against England at Chittagong, starting on October 20, with the batsman Sabbir Rahman a notable inclusion following his performances in the ODI series earlier this month.Rahman, who has played 29 ODIs and 26 T20Is but has yet to make his Test debut, made 49 from 46 in the third ODI at Chittagong, having been fined 20 percent of his match fee for his run-in with England’s stand-in captain, Jos Buttler, in the previous match in Dhaka.He is one of four uncapped players in the 14-man squad, alongside the former Under-19 captain, Mehedi Hasan, and Kamrul Islam Rabbi – a right-arm seamer – and Nurul Hasan, a wicketkeeper-batsman.The seamer, Shafiul Islam, and the offspinner, Shuvagata Hom, complete the revamped squad.Those who have been excluded from Bangladesh’s last Test squad, for the home series against South Africa in July 2015, are Nasir Hossain, Jubair Hossain, Rubel Hossain, while Liton Das, Mohammad Shahid and Mustafizur Rahman are all sidelined through injury.Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that they considered the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury pitch and England’s batting line-up when picking the specialist bowlers.”We have taken two pace bowlers taking into account that Chittagong offers a flat pitch,” Minhajul said. “We retained Shuvagata to tackle England’s left-handed batsmen. We also took [Mehedi Hasan] Miraz as a specialist offspinner as we believe he has much to offer since his performance at the U19 level. We have taken [Kamrul Islam] Rabbi because he has done well in first-class tournaments. He has ability to bowl fast with the old ball.”Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who is also part of the revamped selection committee, was excited by inclusions of Sabbir and Nurul.”We will try to fit in Sabbir in the XI. Having a lot of options is a good headache to have. [Nurul Hasan] Sohan is one of the best wicketkeepers in the country,” he said.Bangladesh’s Test squad Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Tamim Iqbal (vice-capt), Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan , Mahmudullah, Soumya Sarkar, Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Nurul Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Shuvagata Hom.

Liverpool's pursuit of Alexis Mac Allister has certainly been no secret, and manager Jurgen Klopp is now homing in on his first major signing of the summer.

What's the latest on Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool?

According to Football Insider, Brighton & Hove Albion's imminent capture of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud indicates that Mac Allister's transfer to Liverpool is approaching completion.

These claims are bolstered by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who recently tweeted to say that the Reds have a full agreement on personal details with the Argentine, with a deal expected to be concluded in June.

Arsenal and Chelsea are also keen on a deal for the 24-year-old but with Liverpool moving swiftly and with conviction, the Seagulls ace's signature should be shortly secured, with fees as high as £70m being touted.

How would Mac Allister do at Liverpool?

Mac Allister has enjoyed something of a meteoric rise since arriving in England to sign a deal with Brighton, leaving his homeland and club Argentinos Juniors in 2019, where he made 83 appearances, scored 12 goals and provided nine assists.

Last season, he played an important role for Albion and found success in the Premier League, scoring five times and earning 22 starts as he grew into his skin on the English south coast.

And now, the £50k-per-week star is flourishing with unrelenting might, having scored ten goals from 33 matches in the top-flight and playing an important role in Argentina's monumental triumph in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he was heralded as "sumptuous" by Gary Lineker.

As per FBref, the dynamo ranks among the top 17% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 20% for progressive carries and the top 17% for successful take-ons per 90, indicating he possesses a robust core and is willing to seek out offensive openings through his driving presence on the ball.

This progressive element to his game is something that could bode well for Klopp's stratagems when considering how the midfielder would link up with Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose superlative ball-playing skills from deep could benefit Mac Allister when making surging runs into the final third.

Liverpool's £180k-per-week right-back ranks among the top 12% of positional peers for rate of assists, the top 4% for shot-creating actions, the top 2% for passes attempted and the top 2% for progressive passes per 90, recently hailed as a "genius" by Goal's Neil Jones.

The 24-year-old's newfound success following a tactical tweak, inverting from his usual marauding up and down the wings to occupy a role within the half-spaces and inflicting creative damage from deep could also be of interest to Mac Allister.

Indeed, he would find Alexander-Arnold in closer proximity and able to pick exquisite passes from behind as he makes his darting runs into danger areas, becoming the Reds' "golden boy" – as he was hailed by Albion-focussed content creator Ryan Adsett.

While Liverpool may not qualify for the Champions League this season, bolstering the middle of the park with Mac Allister will only enhance the intensity and verve of Klopp's outfit, and with Alexander-Arnold returning to his best after a lacklustre campaign, it could be a devastating concoction that truly takes the Liverpudlian to the next level.

Australia’s stand-in coach Justin Langer believes Matthew Wade could become the best wicketkeeper in the country if he was to follow the hard work ethic of predecessors Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist

Brydon Coverdale28-Jun-20161:33

Langer backs Wade to become the best

Australia’s stand-in coach Justin Langer believes Matthew Wade could become the best wicketkeeper in the country if he was to follow the hard work ethic of predecessors Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist. Wade was key to Australia’s win in the tri-series final against West Indies thanks to his unbeaten 57 from 52 balls, and Langer said his batting form at practice was outstanding throughout the tour.However, Wade’s glovework has rarely matched the sharpness of previous Australia wicketkeepers such as Healy and Gilchrist, and earlier in the tri-series Wade himself nominated Peter Nevill as the best gloveman in Australia. Earlier this year, the selectors chose Test wicketkeeper Nevill ahead of Wade in the squad for the World T20 in India, leaving ODIs as the only format in which Wade is the incumbent.Wade has played 12 Tests and was the first-choice Test wicketkeeper during 2012 and early 2013, until the selectors went back to Brad Haddin for the Ashes campaign in England. Now 28, Wade’s international future appears more likely to be in the shorter formats with Nevill well established in the Test side, but Langer said there was no reason Wade could not push his case for a recall.”What often happens is you only highlight the mistakes,” Langer said. “But you don’t notice him very often and that’s a really good sign. My advice to him, I was very lucky to play with Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist and they always had the best work ethic of anyone in the squad, so if he just continues to work hard there’s no reason [he can’t improve].”I heard him say a couple of weeks ago Peter Nevill is obviously the best wicketkeeper in Australia. Well, I’d like to think Matthew Wade is aspiring to be the best wicketkeeper in Australia. He’s in the one-day side, if he works hard, if he has a Healy and Gilchrist work ethic, then there’s no reason why he can’t be the best wicketkeeper in Australia. But that’s up to him if he really wants to work at that.”During the tri-series, Wade spilled a one-handed chance that allowed Marlon Samuels to go on and score a century, but, after Australia’s win in the final, captain Steven Smith acknowledged that the pitches in the West Indies made it a tough place to keep wicket.”It has been difficult,” Smith said. “He’s missed a couple of opportunities but it is a tough place to keep. There’s lots of balls that were bouncing before him and the ball was reversing and doing a bit. It is a difficult place to keep.”Wade’s batting has always been a plus at the selection table, with two centuries from his 12 Tests and an average of a touch under 40 in first-class cricket. His innings in the tri-series final earned high praise from Langer, who was coaching the side in this tournament due to the absence of Darren Lehmann.”He showed maturity, he’s the captain of Victoria at the moment,” Langer said. “He showed really good leadership and he batted very well. A big innings under pressure, that’s when you earn respect from your team-mates, that’s when you earn respect from the selectors, that’s when you earn respect from the public and the media.”

Australia had announced that their A side and National Performance Squad would play a quadrangular one-day series against South Africa A and another international team at the start of May, which has now been confirmed as India A

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2016

File photo: India A have been scheduled to play a one-day quadrangular series in Australia in August•PTI

At the start of May, Australia had announced that their A side and National Performance Squad would play a quadrangular one-day series against South Africa A and another international team. Cricket Australia has now confirmed that the fourth team would be India A. Townsville will host the first six matches of the series; the remaining six and the two finals will be played in Mackay.One-day quadrangular schedule

August 13 South Africa A v NPS
August 14 Australia A v India A
August 16 Australia A v NPS
August 17 South Africa A v India A
August 20 Australia A v South Africa A
August 21 India A v NPS
August 24 NPS v Australia A
August 25 South Africa A v India A
August 27 NPS v India A
August 28 Australia A v South Africa A
August 30 Australia A v India A
August 31 South Africa A v NPS
September 3 Final 3 v 4
September 4 Final 1 v 2

India A are also set to play two four-day matches against the hosts in Brisbane in September. Australia A and South Africa A play a couple of four-day matches as well in July-August.”This is an important series for developing and growing the depth of talent in our pathways,” Australia’s team performance manager Pat Howard said. “Players in the Australia A and National Performance Squad have been identified as having the potential to play for their country and the national selectors will be watching this series with interest.”Pat Cummins is expected to make a comeback to competitive cricket after injury, during the limited-overs leg, while several emerging batsmen like Matt Renshaw, Sam Heazlett, Alex Ross, Travis Dean, Kurtis Patterson and Jake Lehmann, the son of national coach Darren Lehmann, have also been called up to the 24-man squad.The A sides from Australia and South Africa A had been in India to play two unofficial Tests each and a 50-over triangular series in July-August 2015. Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns produced standout performances on that tour and have since had success in international cricket as well.Australia A won one of the four-day matches while the other was drawn. They made the final of the one-day tri-series but lost to India A. The South African side was unable to win any of their six matches on the tour. Several of their squad members had been affected by food poisoning, which had contributed to the slump.Four-day matches schedule
July 30 to August 2: Australia A v South Africa A, Brisbane
August 6 to 9: Australia A v South Africa A, Townsville
September 8 to 11: Australia A v India A, Brisbane
September 15 to 18: Australia A v India A, Brisbane

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta continues to reap the rewards of the club's impressive production of young talent, with Hale End graduate Bukayo Saka having been a leading figure in the Gunners' title charge.

The England international – who netted for the Three Lions against Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday – already boasts a standout haul of 12 goals and ten assists in the Premier League this season, ensuring that the 21-year-old is the only player in the division to reach double figures for both metrics.

The youngster's rise from promising teen to first-team star has rubberstamped the benefits of promoting from within, with fellow forward Emile Smith Rowe another who looks set to have a big part to play at the Emirates moving forward, despite being hampered by injury this term.

For all the plaudits that are flooding the way of the "sensational" Saka, in particular – as hailed by pundit Alex McCleish – the focus for Arteta and co will be to ensure that the academy ranks continue to churn out exciting young talent over the coming years.

It would appear at present that there are a number of eye-catching gems who are just waiting to be unleashed in the senior set-up, with teenage centre-back Zach Awe one such asset who could be given a chance to shine sooner rather than later.

Who is Arsenal's Zach Awe?

The "promising" defender – as lauded by Layth Yousif – has been a standout presence at youth level in recent times, having notably featured 22 times in all competitions so far this term, scoring twice from his centre-back berth.

The highly-regarded 19-year-old – who signed a professional contract with the club back in February 2021 – has been on the cusp of the first team of late, having been training with Arteta's squad ahead of the Europa League clash with Bodo/Glimt back in October.

The London-born starlet may well be hoping to push for a regular role under the Spaniard in the near future, with the Gunners currently lacking quality, centre-back depth outside the first-choice pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel.

January arrival Jakub Kiwior was notably dubbed "embarrassing" by talkSPORT pundit Dean Ashton after making an error on debut against Sporting CP earlier this month, while long-serving dud Rob Holding has also looked unconvincing when he has been involved, with the Englishman having "made mistakes" over the years, as per pundit Darren Bent.

It remains to be seen what long-term future Holding will have at the Emirates, with the £40k-per-week earner having just over a year left on his contract and with The Sun only recently reporting that the former Bolton Wanderers man could be part of a mass, summer exodus.

If the peripheral figure is to depart any time soon, then promoting young Awe should seemingly be on the minds of Arteta and co, with the latter man having been hailed as a 'commanding centre-back' who has an 'impressive passing range and leadership qualities', as per the club's official website.

Such quality was evident during the former England youth international's four outings in the EFL Trophy earlier this season as he scored once and averaged 0.8 key passes per game to illustrate his prowess on the ball, while also proving a rock-solid asset at the back after averaging 4.8 clearances, 2.8 interceptions and 1.5 tackles per game.

Holding, by contrast, has looked far less impressive during his eight Premier League appearances this term, having failed to score or average a single key pass, while also averaging just 0.6 clearances, 0.4 interceptions and zero tackles per 90.

While Awe's displays were from just a small sample size, that impressive statistical record should indicate that has the tools needed to go on to flourish at senior level, with that move into the first-team ranks likely to help aid Holding's departure from the club.

Leeds United fell to their first Premier League defeat under Javi Gracia over the weekend, as they handed Graham Potter’s struggling Chelsea side just their second win of 2023.

It was admittedly a disappointing effort from the travelling Whites, who surely would have seen this as one of the best opportunities in recent memory to turn over the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

But where the Yorkshire outfit normally enjoy plenty of the ball, they were restricted to just 43% of it which was converted into just two shots on target. If they struggle to score when they boast the majority of possession, that task was made even more troublesome by their lack thereof.

It was difficult to retain the ball when the central striker, Georginio Rutter, was enduring such a tough first start in the league.

As such, the Frenchman was raw, lightweight, and ultimately dragged off after 68 minutes. Perhaps his Spanish boss will think twice about reinstating him to the lineup after his performance.

How did Georginio Rutter play vs Chelsea?

Although one of the tougher full Premier League debuts to be handed, it was still expected that the tricky 20-year-old could threaten a threadbare back four. However, the former Brighton and Hove Albion coach instead opted to revert to a back three, which crowded out the diminutive striker amongst a trio of hulking defenders.

As such, Rutter was limited to just 34 touches, of which he only managed to complete four passes all game.

His anonymity throughout the game came as a huge detriment to his side, as he lost possession 21 times in a desperate attempt to create anything. Whilst there were flashes of his quality, and he nearly found the back of the net if not for a fine block.Just one successful dribble all game truly highlights just how little space he was afforded.

Even journalist Beren Cross took to Twitter to claim that he was “virtually a non-entity against three defenders”, suggesting he is far from up to speed when it comes to the physicality of English football.

Although he is now their club-record signing, Gracia must try to alleviate the pressure currently suffocating Rutter if he is to help him shine. There is clearly an abundance of talent waiting to be unleashed, but perhaps dropping him for their next match could be the best move as he slowly integrates him through short cameos rather than tough starts.

For Panesar, everything beyond the day-to-day business of preparing for cricket, playing cricket and recovering from playing cricket is pretty much irrelevant – including, presumably, his book

Andrew Miller21-Oct-2007Monty’s Turn: Taking My Chances by Monty Panesar
(Hodder and Stoughton; £18.99; 320pp)

Apparently Monty Panesar racked in a cool £300,000 from his publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, to regale an eager nation with the whats, whys and wherefores of a remarkable first two years of international recognition. Quite what they hoped to get in return for their investment is anyone’s guess, for as anyone who’s ever listened in on a Panesar press conference will know, verbal dexterity is not poor Monty’s forte.Monty’s forte is simple. He’s a monstrously enthusiastic cricketer with an uncanny skill for spinning a cricket ball. And that, as far as he’s concerned, is that. Everything beyond the day-to-day business of preparing for cricket, playing cricket and recovering from playing cricket is pretty much irrelevant – including, presumably, this book.There’s no doubt he’s a fascinating character. The first practising Sikh to play for England, the best English spinner since, arguably, Derek Underwood, and among other accolades, he’s the reigning Beard of the Year. But if you’re after a fascinating read, look away now. There are all sorts of insights that could have been offered in this book, but at every opportunity the bat is raised and the delivery fizzes harmlessly by.On Marcus Trescothick’s sudden departure from India, on the eve of Monty’s debut in Nagpur: “He went very suddenly and I don’t think that any of us really knew the full extent of the situation.” On the Fredalo scandal in St Lucia: “There is no doubt that the business affected the general mood.” On Duncan Fletcher’s resignation: “Results were disappointing over the winter, and he may have felt he’d just had enough.” Really Monty? You astound me.Clearly this was never going to be a warts-and-all expose of England’s post-2005 decline, but at £18.99 the fans who lifted Panesar into the running for BBC Sports Personality of the Year deserved a little bit of insight into the character who has captured their imaginations.Even Monty’s intriguing heritage is given the brush-off. “To be honest, cricket did not occupy much of my early life,” he declares in the first chapter, teeing up the prospect of a digression into the family life of a first-generation immigrant family – genuinely, Monty, we would be interested. Instead, ten pages and a few rushed anecdotes later, he is taking 7 for 35 for Bedfordshire Under-15s against Worcestershire, and the die of his career is cast.

From personal experience, I know that Monty loves to talk when the mood takes him, but the facts need to be wrung from him, much as his long-suffering ghostwriter, Richard Hobson, must have wished to wring his neck

A few facts about his personality do seep through. He is more than a touch obsessed by Sachin Tendulkar, he’s in gentle awe of Andrew Flintoff (and most of his England team-mates for that matter), he’s forever indebted to his original coach at Luton Indians, Hitu Naik; and his adoration for the game of cricket is such that, in perhaps the most candid confession of the entire book, he reveals his despair after being omitted for the Ashes Test at Brisbane. Fletcher took him to one side after the team meeting to give him a pep-talk, but Monty’s mind was a maelstrom. “Sorry,” he eventually said, “can you repeat that please?”In between whiles, the book is a plod from one scorecard rewrite to the next, interspersed with some truly extraordinary snippets of irrelevant detail. From personal experience, I know that Monty loves to talk when the mood takes him, but the facts need to be wrung from him, much as his long-suffering ghostwriter, Richard Hobson, must have wished to wring his neck.And so, when the enthusiasm comes, there’s no alternative but to note it down in all its glorious triviality. Take a childhood trip to India for instance – the most interesting thing that happened to Monty was, bizarrely, the sight of a Chinese boy crying in the street. The most “embarrassing” tale that he is able to bring back from the recent World Cup – surely a haven of embarrassment – was the night he turned off his air conditioning and awoke to find the floor and his kit were damp.It turns out that meeting Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe during the Lord’s Test in May was a big moment, as was Monty’s first appearance on Question of Sport. “The strange thing was that I didn’t feel nervous at all,” he says without a trace of irony. And so, after 243 pages of very occasional insight, the question arises as to what Monty might do when his playing days are over.”You know, that is something I really haven’t thought about,” he deadpans. “Some players go into the media when they retire. I am not sure that is for me.”

What the numbers say about Old Trafford

S Rajesh10-Aug-2005

Shane Warne: ready to add to his tally of 17 wickets from two Tests at Old Trafford © Getty Images
At Edgbaston, Ricky Ponting’s decision to insert England after winning the toss might have been influenced by the recent trend at that venue – teams fielding first had won nine of the 14 previous Tests – but he is unlikely to make that mistake at Old Trafford should the coin roll his way on the morning of the third Test. In 69 Tests at Manchester since 1884, only eight times has the captain won the toss and opted to field first. Seven of those matches were drawn; the only decisive result in those games was in 1993, when Graham Gooch bravely put Australia in to bat and suffered the consequences, as England went down by 179 runs. Considering that no team has won a Test here after putting the opposition in to bat, and given all the pre-match talk about another turner at Manchester, the decision at the toss should be a no-brainer. Old Trafford also has a high propensity for drawn games – 33 out of 69 (48%) have ended in a stalemate. Of the remaining 36 Tests which did produce a result, 25 went in favour of the team batting first, another reason for the captain to do just that after winning the toss. England have a 21-14 win-loss record here, and while Australia’s is only a modest 7-7 against England, they have won the last three matches, and haven’t lost a Test here since 1981. (Click here for all England-Australia Tests at Old Trafford.) You’d expect the pitch to get far more difficult for batting as the game goes on, but that isn’t necessarily so, as the table below indicates. Since 1995, the average runs per wicket is highest in the third innings, while the fourth-innings figure is a respectable 32.7. (Click here for the Test records – highest and lowest totals, best batting and bowling performances etc – at this ground.)

1st innings2nd innings3rd innings4th innings

36.032.337.732.7 The track for Thursday’s match is expected to assist the spinners, but over the last ten years, fast bowlers have done pretty well here, as the table below suggests. The last time a spinner turned a match around here was in 2001, when Saqlain Mushtaq, aided by umpire David Shepherd’s generosity in ignoring no-balls, took four wickets as England slumped to 261 all out in their second innings.

Pace – wicketsAverageSpin – wicketsAverage

18632.695140.22 The most famous bowling performance at this ground is of course Jim Laker’s 19 for 90 against Australia in 1956, but in their current squad the Australians have one spinner who has been tormenting England for a while now. He answers to the name Shane Warne, and he has especially enjoyed the conditions at Old Trafford, taking 17 wickets in two Tests at less than 15 apiece. Only one short of reaching the 600-wicket milestone, chances are he’ll go well beyond that figure by the time this Test is done. Add a batting average of 35.50, and Australia have an outstanding allrounder in their midst, at least at this ground.

Warne at each venue
in EnglandTestsBowling averageBatting average

Old Trafford214.5935.50Trent Bridge

318.1418.33Lord’s419.588.75Edgbaston

421.7624.50The Oval323.3021.50Headingley

389.330.00 Among England’s current lot of players, only Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick, Matthew Hoggard and Ashley Giles have played more than one Test at Old Trafford. The first three have done pretty well (click on the player names for Vaughan, Trescothick and Hoggard stats at this ground), but Giles’s nine wickets have cost him more than 38 apiece.

Manchester United have finally seen Sir Jim Ratcliffe's move to acquire a 25 percent stake at Old Trafford approved by the Premier League and the FA.

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Ratcliffe agrees deal in DecemberPremier League approve it on TuesdayFA follow suit on WednesdayGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority takeover at the club was approved on Tuesday following an independent review, as the Manchester-born billionaire now looks set to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the team moving forward. The Football Association also approved the deal on Wednesday.

AdvertisementWHAT THE PREMIER LEAGUE SAID

A statement released by the Premier League read: "'Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of 25 per cent of Manchester United FC, and further investment of $300 million in the club, has been approved by the Premier League Board following the completion of the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (OADT).

"The Board agreed to the change of the club's ownership structure last week, and this has now been officially ratified by an Independent Oversight Panel.

"The Premier League’s Owners’ Charter has also been signed. This is the first acquisition of Control to be reviewed and approved by a new Independent Oversight Panel following changes to the process which were agreed by Premier League clubs in March 2023.

"The Premier League now awaits confirmation of the transaction’s completion."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Ratcliffe completed the initial deal to acquire the share of the club back in December and has now passed the Premier League's Directors' and Owners' test. The 71-year-old is set to gain complete control over footballing operations, despite only owning a minority share at Old Trafford. Completion of the deal is expected by the end of the week when Ratcliffe finalises his purchase of Class A shares.

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

For now, United themselves will look to continue to impress on the pitch following their late winner against Aston Villa last weekend. Erik ten Hag's men are currently on a five-game unbeaten run across all competitions and face Luton Town in their next fixture.