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The Zimbabwe-born, Western Australia allrounder Hilton Cartwright is tantalisingly close to earning a baggy green, with chances of him being picked for the Sydney Test against Pakistan

Brydon Coverdale01-Jan-2017Sixth batsman in a Test order, third seamer in a Test attack? Such a dual role is a tall order for any man, and proved too tall for Mitchell Marsh, who spent two years trying to fit the job description before being let go early this summer. It is likely that Australia will use the first Test of 2017 to put a new intern into the position to see how he handles the pressure: the Zimbabwe-born Western Australia allrounder Hilton Cartwright.Although Australia’s XI for the Sydney Test is yet to be confirmed, Cartwright appears the most logical candidate in the squad to fill the No.6 batting role vacated by Nic Maddinson, who was dropped after the win in Melbourne. The only other option seems to be promoting the wicketkeeper Matthew Wade into the top six, which would be a bold move considering he is yet to reach double figures since returning to the side.And so Cartwright can reasonably expect to become the 450th man to play Test cricket for Australia. He arrives in the Test arena with only 16 first-class matches to his name and just 15 wickets at 41.93. Not surprisingly, he considers himself a batting allrounder, but that is precisely what Australia want: someone capable of batting at No.6 and providing a fifth bowling option. Marsh’s Test batting average of 23 could not sustain the role.Whether Cartwright can remains to be seen, but he at least arrives with a first-class batting average of 44.50, including two centuries, which came against South Australia at the WACA in March 2016 and then against India A in Brisbane later that year. The selectors did not have to look far beyond Marsh to find his replacement – both allrounders went to Wesley College in Perth, and Cartwright has been following Marsh for years.”I went to school with Mitch so I’ve pretty much played the bulk of my cricket with him,” Cartwright said in Sydney on Sunday. “He’s always been a role model in a way for me, he’s always been the year above me, he’s taken me under his wing quite a lot. Even when he found out I was in the squad he was one of the first guys to come up and congratulate me.”Whereas Marsh’s bowling developed to such a point that he could hit 140kph and provided an extremely useful backup option for the frontline fast men, Cartwright’s bowling has always been the second string to his bow. This Sheffield Shield summer he has bowled only 61 overs for total figures of 4 for 299; his bowling remains a work in progress to such an extent that it was only within the last year that he properly honed his run-up.”I’ve done a lot of work, especially in the last 12 months,” Cartwright said. “The off season up in Brisbane really helped me … I just ran off a mark that used to work for me back in school cricket and I just kept that mark. So I worked a lot with Troy Cooley and Ryan Harris and they got a lot of structure behind my run-up and did a bit of technical work as well. And that’s really helped me flow into the season.”Cartwright was born in Harare in 1992 and grew up idolising South Africa’s Jacques Kallis, who he would watch on SuperSport from Zimbabwe. However, when the Cartwright family’s tobacco farm became subject to Robert Mugabe’s land reforms they moved to Australia; Cartwright was 11 at the time, and did not take long to adapt to his new homeland.”My mum, the other day, she was telling me how when we moved over I said ‘oh, I can’t play for Zimbabwe any more’,” he said. “And then mum was like ‘but you can play for Australia now’ and I just flicked the switch then and there. I was like ‘okay, I’ll try and get a baggy green then’. So I pretty easily convinced when I was younger, it didn’t take much.”Now, as a 24-year-old, and with no hint of an accent that is anything but Australian, that dream is tantalisingly close.

Tottenham Hotspur target David Raya may hold out on the Lilywhites' interest to see if any offers from a club in the Champions League arise for him, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest transfer news involving David Raya?

According to Football Insider, Manchester United may rival Tottenham in their pursuit of Raya this summer as they look to find a replacement for veteran stopper David de Gea.

The report states that both clubs are courting the £25k-a-week ace and he is said to have impressed Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag due to his ability to play out with the ball at his feet.

90min have claimed that Spurs could walk away from the deal amid concerns over Brentford's asking price, which is believed to be around £40 million.

Raya is said to be keen on moving across London to join Tottenham; however, the north Londoners could be forced to turn their attention towards alternatives, with Giorgi Mamardashvili, Gregor Kobel, Robert Sanchez and Guglielmo Vicario all in their thoughts as Ange Postecoglou aims to get a long-term number one goalkeeper into the building.

Brentford have already added to their goalkeeping ranks by bringing in former Freiburg goalkeeper Mark Flekken on a long-term contract at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown wouldn't be surprised if Raya was to hold off on joining Spurs to see if offers come in from clubs that will feature in the Champions League in 2023/24.

Brown told FFC: "I don't think personal terms will be an issue between Spurs and Raya, but I also don't think he's in a massive hurry to get this done. I think it suits him really to wait and see if a Champions League team comes in for him; there is a possibility that might happen."

How did David Raya fare for Brentford during the 2022/23 season?

Raya fared well for Brentford during the campaign just gone and it is unsurprising that he has attracted interest from high-level sides such as Tottenham and Manchester United due to his performances.

In 2022/23, the Spain international made 39 appearances in all competitions for the Bees and managed to keep 12 clean sheets in total, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Raya also achieved a save percentage rate of 77.7% in the Premier League, demonstrating his presence as a reliable figure between the sticks.

WhoScored show that Raya was Brentford's fifth-most consistent performer over the course of the term behind Ben Mee, Bryan Mbuemo, Ethan Pinnock and Ivan Toney, gaining an average match rating of 6.92/10.

Spurs could do with someone of Raya's ilk as their last line of defence; however, it remains to be seen whether they can close a deal to sign the Brentford goalkeeper this window.

Everton are interested in the services of Fenerbahce defender Attila Szalai, as per reports.

Everton transfer news – What’s the latest on Attila Szalai?

According to the Turkish publication Star, the Toffees are among several ‘European giants’ that have taken notice of the Hungarian defender for his performances with the Istanbul club, as well as his national side this term.

The other teams reportedly circling the player include Anderlecht, Wolfsburg, Valencia, and Zenit St Petersburg.

The Yellow Canaries have set an asking price of €20m (£17m) for the 25-year-old colossus, which could represent something of a bargain in today’s transfer market.

With the decision not to keep Conor Coady at the club for another season and the departure of Yerry Mina, Sean Dyche could certainly use some defensive reinforcements.

Could Attila Szalai be Everton’s own Virgil Van Dijk?

Could Everton replicate their neighbours across Stanley Park with the signing of Szalai and get their own talismanic centre-half to build a winning team around?

Well, Hungarian journalist Bence Bocsak certainly seems to think so, having dubbed him the “Hungarian Van Dijk” after a masterful international performance against England last summer.

The first thing instantly recognisable between the two players is their height – the Budapest-born titan is 6 foot 4, and Virgil Van Dijk is only just slightly taller at 6 foot 5.

However, the major difference in their physical attributes is their weight, as Liverpool’s Dutch destroyer comes in at a heavy 92kg, whereas Everton’s potential signing is just 82kg, as per Eurosport.

That’s not to say the difference couldn’t be cut down with the proper training and dietary programme, but it does mean that at this moment in time, the Dutchman is a more imposing figure for attackers to deal with, but that is also expected in the English top-flight.

One of his strengths, akin to the superstar he is compared to, is his work rate.

Petros Konnafis, the sporting director of his old side Apollon Limassol heaped praise on the player for his work ethic, saying:

“He’s a 100% professional. He is one of the most intensive and focused football players I have ever met in my life.

“Attila was always doing extra training, he was always trying to learn and trying to work on his body. He worked a lot, and he worked very hard, he’s not just a football player, he’s the full package.”

It was another good season for the Hungarian last year, as he was heavily involved yet again, playing for his club side 52 times, scoring three goals and creating three assists along the way.

According to WhoScored, he averaged a respectable rating of 6.75 across his 32 league games, whereas the Breda-born colossus just edged him out on 6.97.

Interestingly he averaged 1.1 tackles per game to the Dutchman’s 0.8 and 1.1 interceptions to one, per WhoScored, granted in an easier league, but that suggests he has a strong foundation to build upon.

Whether he can quite be the next Van Dijk for Dyche or not, he would certainly be a great addition to the Toffees’ back line next season, given the evidence and clamour above, and for £17m, it’s undoubtedly worth the risk.

An ECB delegation has spent time in Australia this month assessing the Big Bash League as they step up preparations for a high-powered tournament of their own

Will Macpherson in Melbourne12-Jan-2017An ECB delegation has spent time in Australia this month assessing the Big Bash League as they step up preparations for a high-powered tournament of their own.Anthony Everard, the league manager of the Big Bash, said the delegation, led by the ECB’s head of commercial partnerships, Mike Fordham, “asked all the right questions” when they met. Fordham was joined by Gordon Hollins, the ECB’s chief operating officer, as well as two county cricket chief executives, Somerset’s Guy Lavender and Nottinghamshire’s Lisa Pursehouse.The travelling contingent are representing the “T20 working group”, which was established in December and also contains Rob Calder, the ECB’s head of marketing, and Tom Johnson, the head of business support as well as the chief executive of the PCA, David Leatherdale.It is understood that they are not looking to file a formal report from the BBL, but are observing and researching the way Cricket Australia and the clubs have pulled off the highly successful competition.Anthony Everard, league manager of the Big Bash League•Getty ImagesECB delegations have become a regular feature of the Big Bash as the future of T20 in England remains undecided. “There is a mutual curiosity,” Everard told ESPNcricinfo. “We welcome the ECB, we spent the morning with them, and they asked all the right questions. There is common ground, but also apples and oranges.”The BBL model has effectively tapped its target market: anybody who had not been to a cricket match before. The ECB appreciates that due to a differing population spread and starting point (18 counties, rather than six states) they cannot simply replicate but they do seem increasingly determined to hold a comparable eight-team competition from 2020.Last year, ECB’s market research suggested that only 13% of fans at NatWest T20 Blast games were under 16, and that the average was between 48 and 49, prompting fears about where the next generation of fans would come from and strengthening determination that a shake-up was required.Progress on the project – which has received significant opposition from county members – is expected when the county chairmen and CEOs meet at the end of March.This is not the first time the ECB have visited the BBL – which is averaging 29,875 fans per match this season, as well as free-to-air TV ratings of more than 1m people per night – for inspiration for their own competition. Last year Sanjay Patel, the chief sales and marketing officer, travelled to Australia to assess the competition. Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, travelled to the USA in November to meet with Twitter, Facebook and other social networks to research how the competition’s media rights package could work.The ECB are not the only overseas board in town to pick the BBL’s brains. Damien O’Donohoe, the Caribbean Premier League’s chief executive, has also met with his Australian counterparts this week.

Manchester United "may be looking at Adrien Rabiot" this summer, who would be available on a free transfer, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has told GIVEMESPORT.

Manchester United transfer news – what's the latest on Adrien Rabiot?

After a summer move for Mason Mount looked almost set in stone over the last few weeks, the Red Devils have reportedly cooled their interest after becoming increasingly frustrated with the demands of Chelsea following the rebuttal of their third bid, per the Manchester Evening News.

The alternative option, however, looks to be a player the club where already in for last season, Rabiot, with negotiations between the Juventus and United getting as far as agreeing to a £15m fee.

Everything looked good to go, and the former Paris Saint-Germain man looked on the brink of joining United until talks collapsed due to an inability to agree upon wages, with the Manchester Evening News reporting that the Frenchman wanted an 'obscene salary.'

Well, with his £149,000-a-week contract set to expire at the end of the month, he could finally be set to make his move to the theatre of dreams after all, as the Athletic have reported that United have once again made contact with the player's representatives over a potential deal.

What has Dharmesh Sheth said about Rabiot?

Sheth pinpoints that the midfield area is a part of the team that United are looking to strengthen over the summer window, with Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo a potential target.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "We know the midfield area is somewhere that they want to strengthen. Albeit not in the same position as Mason Mount, Moises Caicedo is a player that they're looking at, among other players.

However, he also highlighted that the opportunity to sign Rabiot on a free might have intrigued the United board, adding: "There are noises now that they may be looking at Adrien Rabiot, who is a free transfer as it stands, as well. Juventus are trying to tie him down to another deal."

Would Adrien Rabiot be a good signing for Manchester United?

The short answer to that question is yes. Rabiot is an extremely talented player, and signing him for a fee would still be a great opportunity, so to sign him for free is something that United shouldn't be turning their noses up at.

According to WhoScored, the ex-PSG man averaged a seriously impressive rating of 7.11 across his 32 Serie A games last season and did even better in his eight games at the World Cup, averaging a brilliant 7.25.

It's perhaps no surprise then that during their World Cup campaign, coach of the French National team, Didier Deschamps hailed his player as the "complete midfielder." Going on to say: "He's a balanced player, but he's capable of doing well both in defense and in attack. He's intelligent, and he always knows where he has to be."

His underlying numbers only further his case.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, he sits in the top 4% for non-penalty goals, the top 9% for non-penalty expected goals, the top 12% for touches in the opposition's penalty area and the top16% for progressive carries, all per 90.

If United do bring Rabiot in on a free, it could prove to be one of the very best deals of the entire summer.

Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone continued his impressive form for England Lions in Sri Lanka with a century in demanding conditions on the opening day of the second four-day match

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Liam Livingstone was the cornerstone for the Lions innings•Getty ImagesLancashire’s Liam Livingstone continued his impressive form for England Lions in Sri Lanka with a century in demanding conditions on the opening day of the second four-day match.Livingstone’s 105, alongside a half-century from Tom Westley, led England Lions to 339 for 9 while left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara took 7 for 114 from 37 overs.Such was the heat in Dambulla that Livingstone was covered in ice towels during the tea interval but managed to reach his century from 133 balls before becoming one of Pushpakumara’s seven wickets.”That’s by far the hottest I’ve ever batted in,” Livingstone said. “I suppose that’s what we do our winter training for, to get prepared for those conditions. It’s a tough place to bat for a long time but it’s our job to be in the right condition to do it.”I was pretty hot when I came off for tea – the guys had some towels in buckets of ice. I think we had to run three twos in three balls and I nearly keeled over. But that’s the reason you do your training. That’s where your hards in the gym…finally you see that they’re worthwhile. It’s all part of the challenge of playing out here. You’ve just got to embrace it and get on with it, and try your best to get through and be as fit as you can.”It was another up and down batting performance from the Lions. Keaton Jennings made 44, but when he fell to Pushpakumara the Lions were 77 for 3.Westley and Livingstone combined to add 110 for the fourth wicket, Westley making 68 off 105 balls before Pushpakumara turned one from outside leg stump to clip off.Livingstone and Ben Foakes then joined forces to add 83 as the Lions moved onto the healthy position of 270 for 4. However, Foakes was caught behind and the lower order proved less productive than it had in the previous match as Pushpakumara continued to cause problems.At 313 for 9 it appeared the Lions may not bat out the day, but the last-wicket pair of spin duo Ollie Rayner and Jack Leach added an unbroken 26. Leach, the left-arm spinner, had been brought into the side after missing the first four-day game after not being completely comfortable with his remodelled action.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be "looking for good value" in the summer transfer window as the club deal with their precarious financial situation, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Wolverhampton Wanderers transfer news – what's going on with Wolves financial situation?

It could be a lean summer in terms of incomings for Wolves this year as the club get to grips with financial problems caused, in part, by last season's massive spending that saw them fork out over £100m in player signings.

According to the Athletic, the Old Gold are not expected to breach the league's profit and sustainability rules at this moment in time, but another summer of spending big with little coming into the club would put them at serious risk.

The club have at least made some sales this year, with the biggest being club captain Ruben Neves who was the talk of the footballing world recently following his decision to join Saudi Pro-League side Al Hilal – a deal which netted wolves £47m.

The unfavourable financial situation in the Midlands also caused concern last month that manager Julen Lopetegui would leave after he told the press:

"It is one thing that I didn't know before we came here. It is not my issue, of course I hope the thing will improve and be better for us to be able to compete well next season."

What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Wolverhampton Wanderer's summer transfer window?

Jones was blunt about the prospect of Wolves signing any high-value players in the summer, noting that instead, the team will likely have to be clever and find the best value in the market that they can.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "Wolves are just looking for good value, I can't see them spending more than 20 million pounds on a single player in this summer window. So this is going to be about unearthing a gem, or taking advantage of the free agencies or the loan deals that are available out there, but it's going to be a tricky one for wolves."

Who are Wolverhampton Wanderers' three most expensive signings ever?

With the club unlikely to spend big anytime soon, who are some players they have stumped the cash up for?

In third place is Raul Jimenez, a Mexican international and a cult hero for some at the club. Jimenez cost Wolves a tasty £34.2m when they signed him from Benfica on a permanent deal in the summer of 2019.

Since making his debut for the side, he has scored 57 goals and assisted 24 – which could have been much higher had he not had that horror injury against Arsenal in 2020.

In second place is Fabio Silva, who cost the club a reported £36m when he signed from Porto in 2020.

It's fair to say that it has yet to entirely go to plan for the youngster in the Midlands, making 64 appearances for the side and producing just ten goal involvements – he has since gone on loan to PSV Eindhoven and RSC Anderlecht.

The most expensive signing in Wolves' history is former Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes who cost the club £42.2m last summer.

It is still too early to cast judgment on his time with the Old Gold, but with just a single goal and assist from his 34 league games last year, he needs to up his output just a little bit to avoid some questions next year.

Needing to win the match to stay alive in the series, West Indies demolished Pakistan with the help of Evin Lewis’ 91 off 51 balls

The Report by Alagappan Muthu01-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEvin Lewis belted nine sixes in an innings of 91 off 51 balls•AFPIn a nutshellThis was the batting performance everyone was waiting for from the world champions. West Indies had only 138 to chase down, but it was still five runs more than the target they couldn’t get to two days ago. But, making sure those bad memories didn’t well up, and more importantly that the series stayed alive, was opener Evin Lewis. The 25-year-old smashed his first T20I fifty – he already has a hundred – countering everything that was thrown at him. Perhaps the only thing he wasn’t tested against was scoreboard pressure, because Pakistan didn’t have any to apply. Their batting underwhelmed so much that they lost two wickets in the first over and suffered five single-digit scores.Where the game was wonIn the chase, because West Indies’ batting seems like a chocolate eclair right now: solid on the outside, but gets all gooey in the middle. And when Chadwick Walton fell in the second over, Pakistan were starting to lick their fingers. Then came two successive fifty partnerships. Lewis led both of them, putting on 56 runs in 40 balls with Marlon Samuels and 76 off 40 with debutant Jason Mohammed.The men who won itMan, actually. Lewis, standing tall and smashing sixes like the legends of old. There were nine in all – one of them brought up his half-century – and each of them was an event. The flourish of the bat, the arch of the back, the sheer power and the disdainful look. He finished with 91 off 51, the highest score by any batsman against Pakistan in T20Is and his lasting 14.4 overs in the chase completely nullified Shadab Khan’s impact. Until this match, the 18-year old legspinner had taken seven wickets at an average of 3 and strike-rate of 6.8. On Saturday, he went for 38 runs in 3.5 overs, 25 of which came off Lewis’ bat.Moment of the MatchIt was the start of the 13th over of the Pakistan innings. Facing it was Kamran Akmal. He had helped steady the team after a dramatic wobble and was on 48 off 36 balls. The full toss that Marlon Samuels bowled should have been reward for all the good work he had done until then. But it ended up dismissing him, as he pulled straight to Lendl Simmons at deep midwicket. West Indies took control from that point on, picking up six wickets and conceding only 45 runs in the last eight overs. Kesrick Williams’ slower offcutters – rather similar to Mustafizur Rahman’s – were vital towards the end, having been set up by Samuel Badree’s 2 for 22 earlier.Where they standWest Indies’ seven-wicket victory, with 5.1 overs to spare, meant the fourth and final T20I on Sunday becomes a decider. If the hosts win it, they level the series. Otherwise, Pakistan get to take home the trophy.

New Zealand seamer Tim Southee has been ruled out of the third Test against South Africa in Hamilton due to a hamstring injury he sustained in the hosts’ eight wicket-loss in Wellington

Firdose Moonda in Hamilton23-Mar-20171:15

Moonda: Depleted New Zealand left with plenty of problems

New Zealand have suffered a third major injury blow in three Tests with news that vice-captain Tim Southee has been ruled out of the Hamilton match with a hamstring tear. Although only a grade one tear, Southee will not be risked in an attack that is still waiting on confirmation of whether Trent Boult, who sat out the Wellington Test with an upper leg injury, will be able to lead it. At the other end of the line-up, New Zealand are without their most experienced batsman Ross Taylor, who suffered a calf tear in the first Test and has not been able to participate in the remaining two.Southee’s absence leaves New Zealand with four other seam options: Neil Wagner, Matt Henry, who is yet to play in the series, and allrounders Colin de Grandhomme and Jimmy Neesham. It is likely New Zealand will choose between three of the quartet to feature in an attack that is set to include both specialist spinners.Jeetan Patel and Mitchell Santner are the two slower bowlers in the New Zealand squad and both played in the first Test in Dunedin, at the expense of Southee, on a slow, low surface. The Hamilton one is set to be similar, although it is also expected to take some turn. With New Zealand deciding not to add legspinner Ish Sodhi to their squad, the two tweakers will likely be in the starting XI.This is Southee’s second injury of the summer. In September, he was ruled out of the three-Test series in India after an ankle ligament strain. He went on to play the four home Tests against Pakistan and Bangladesh, against whom he picked up his 200th Test wicket, before sitting out the first Test against South Africa in Dunedin and being brought back for the second. There is no word on whether the injury will affect Southee’s participation in the IPL, which starts on April 5.Since Boult’s Test debut in December 2011, New Zealand have played only three matches without both Boult and Southee, none of which the side could win.South Africa have an injury concern of their own. Quinton de Kock suffered damage to a tendon on his right index finger and could need up to six weeks on the sidelines. A late call will be taken on de Kock’s availability on Friday afternoon.

Manchester United are considering signing Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, who shares a similar profile to that of current club target Andre Onana, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Zion Suzuki?

Suzuki is a 20-year-old shot-stopper who currently plays for Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds in the J-League.

The United States-born player has been with the club for the duration of his senior career to date and has made 28 appearances for the first-team squad since his debut in March 2021. However, he has struggled for game time in the current term compared to previous seasons, managing just five appearances in the J-League Cup and zero appearances in the league so far this campaign.

When Suzuki broke into the first team, he had a bright start between the sticks, keeping three clean sheets in his first three league games for the club.

The keeper is also a capped international for Japan, making his national team bow in a 6-0 win against Hong Kong in 2022.

Despite not making as many appearances this season compared to the previous one, Suzuki is thought of very highly at his current club, with current coach Maciej Skorza telling reporters: "The Reds have four very interesting goalkeepers. Among them, Shusaku [Nishikawa] and Zion [Suzuki] are of a very high level, I think Zion is taller than Shusaku, and I think he’s a young player with a lot of future potential."

Reports state that he first caught the Red Devils' eye during the U17 World Cup back in 2017, with the club now prepared to make an offer to bring in the Japanese shot-stopper after "witnessing his growth against the Dutch national team" where he had a strong performance.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that United do have an interest in bringing the 20-year-old to Old Trafford this summer, with him having a profile that the club desire.

“They are also considering Suzuki. This goalkeeper, who plays for Urawa Red Diamonds in Japan, born in 2002, a Japanese goalkeeper. Suzuki is a concrete possibility for Manchester United. They have him on the radar; he could become the new second [choice] goalkeeper. He has a really similar profile to Andre Onana, this kind of goalkeeper, and this is why Suzuki is a possibility.”

Why are Manchester United interested in Zion Suzuki?

The Red Devils are set to undergo their biggest overhaul in the goalkeeping department since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson this summer.

David de Gea recently announced that his 12-year stay at the club is over following a breakdown in contract talks, whilst youth product Dean Henderson is also rumoured to depart this summer, with a return to Nottingham Forest – where he spent last season on loan – the most likely outcome at this point.

In response, United are closing in on an agreement with Inter for the transfer of Cameroonian Onana. The 27-year-old previously worked with current Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag at Ajax and had a stellar season last year as Inter won two trophies and made the Champions League final for the first time in over a decade.

The club would need an able backup for the former Ajax man, with the current option being Tom Heaton, and that's where Suzuki steps in. The Japanese player has drawn comparisons to Onana due to their similar playstyles and how both of them are incredibly comfortable playing out with their feet.

Bringing in Suzuki could be a fantastic call by the club and would set the precedent for what attributes are required by a United shot-stopper for years to come. It would also be beneficial for the players in the squad as they would not have to change how they play if Suzuki had to step in for a couple of games, allowing Ten Hag's side to take the next step forward in their evolution.