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India might have been disappointed with 324 after looking good for 350, but their bowlers quickly washed it off with a comfortable defence

The Report by Sidharth Monga26-Jan-2019

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan hit half-centuries, adding 154 for the first wicket•Getty Images

In a league game in Champions Trophy 2017, India couldn’t really capitalise on their score of 178 for 2 in 33 overs and failed to defend the underwhelming 321 they posted. A year and a half later, in an ODI in New Zealand, they reached 179 for 2 in the 31st over, but again failed to convert it into the 350 they looked good for. Just as a measure of how far their bowling has come from there, though, India defended the 324 in Mount Maunganui with consummate ease.Watch New Zealand v India LIVE on ESPN+

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India’s quicks and spinners both drew more out of the pitch than New Zealand’s did, which meant they didn’t need to resort to the funky fields and plans that New Zealand needed to restrict India after a 154-run opening stand at more than a run a ball between Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. By the time New Zealand reached that score in their response, they had lost six wickets. The first five of those fell one each to the new-ball skills of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami, one each to the wristspin of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, and one to the deadly combination of Kedar Jadhav’s unfathomable low-arm spin and MS Dhoni’s super-quick hands.The two first halves couldn’t have been more different. Any hope New Zealand had of taking a wicket fell prey to innovative field placing. Rohit edged the first ball of the match, but the lone slip was well wide of the orthodox position. By the time New Zealand went to the orthodox two slips, the ball had stopped swinging. Rohit and Dhawan kept India around six an over almost on auto-pilot mode. So good is their game and form that the bowlers needed to err only slightly for them to pick the gaps either side of the wicket. Nine of the first 10 overs, and 17 of the 25 that the two batted together, went for at least one boundary.As is often the case, Rohit faced more balls, ate more dots, but scored more runs and hit more boundaries than Dhawan in the partnership. Dhawan, who showed glimpses of regained form in his half-century in the first ODI, looked flawless. At the halfway mark, both had brought up their half-centuries, and looked ominous. You can never count out a Rohit double if he is still batting at this stage; not least if he is in his 80s. However, once Dhawan edged a short and wide ball from Trent Boult, New Zealand began to claw back in.Kuldeep Yadav picked up four wickets•Getty Images

With nothing happening for the bowlers and with India’s top three looking incapable of making a mistake, New Zealand refused to just turn up and accept their punishment. They tried different things. Lockie Ferguson went round the wicket to Rohit, who was approaching his hundred, and they attacked Virat Kohli and Ambati Rayudu with six and seven men inside the circle. They were okay with three dots and a four instead of four easy singles.This was a high-risk plan, but it worked. Ferguson’s angle and changes of pace brought two wickets, Kohli fell to a bouncer from Boult, and the pressure was on Dhoni and the rest of the middle order again. Ferguson kept finding success with his bowling round the wicket. Twenty-five balls went without a boundary. At the start of the 48th over, though, Colin de Grandhomme dropped Dhoni. Dhoni and Jadhav – 48 off 33 and 22 off 10 respectively – gave India a little finishing kick with 35 off the last two overs.If the memories of that Sri Lanka chase were still fresh, they were exorcised quickly by a good start to the defence by Shami and Bhuvneshwar. Martin Guptill survived thrice – a run out, a dropped catch, an edge falling short – before finally offering third man a catch. The pressure was obvious. The new ball was doing more for India’s bowlers than it did for New Zealand’s. India were bowling with a higher skill. Shami eventually got the wicket of Kane Williamson with a short ball outside off, but he had bowled enough good balls until then to deserve this.Colin Munro, seen as a bit of a dasher, is one of the batsmen not yet assured of a place in the World Cup squad. Here he tried to settle in for a longer innings, playing more efficient and percentage cricket, but he could keep that up for only so long. In the 15th over, with the run rate still at six an over, Munro tried to switch-hit Chahal and missed.The final nail was probably driven through when Ross Taylor played Jadhav for the turn, but as he does so often Jadhav only got the ball to drift past the outside edge.Taylor overbalanced, his back foot left the ground for a split second, and it was time enough for Dhoni to stump him. New Zealand were 100 for 4, and India hadn’t yet introduced their big weapon: the left-arm wristspin of Kuldeep.And then on came Kuldeep, running delightfully through the rest of the New Zealand innings who were trigger happy with their shots. Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls were beaten in the air, de Grandhomme paid the price for trying to hit every delivery for a six, and Ish Sodhi was beaten by the sharp turn. This, Kuldeep’s second in two matches in the country, was only the fifth four-for by a spinner visiting New Zealand this decade.Doug Bracewell then chanced his arm, secured his maiden half-century and also denied Kuldeep a five-for. In the larger scheme of the match, his 58-run stand for ninth wicket with Ferguson only served to bring India’s victory margin down to two digits.

Everton have bounced back well since their 10-point deduction in the Premier League, with their recent 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest taking them two points adrift of safety with a game in hand on Luton Town. If it wasn't for the deduction, Sean Dyche's side would be enjoying an impressive campaign, given that they'd be on 17 points and comfortably sitting 13th. Nonetheless, they have pushed on and are back on course to survive once again in England's top flight.

Now, Everton's focus could turn towards potential reinforcements, with reports suggesting that those at Goodison Park are eyeing a move to sign a teenage gem in a battle against other Premier League sides. It could be an impressive coup for Dyche and co.

Everton transfer news

The Toffees spent well in the summer, despite not having the biggest budget at their disposal. They welcomed the likes of Jack Harrison, Beto, Ashley Young and Arnaut Danjuma in an attempt to secure their Premier League status once again. And, barring the blip of their point deduction, Dyche looks likely to guide his side towards safety and perhaps more come the end of the campaign. The former Burnley boss has the task of turning the club into an attractive prospect once more, as they reportedly eye a move for one particular young star.

According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Everton are interested in signing 17-year-old Aodhan Doherty, who currently plays for Linfield in his home country of Northern Ireland. The Toffees aren't the only club reportedly interested, however, with West Ham United reportedly leading the way for the teenager and Brighton & Hove Albion also eyeing a move.

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The left-winger has reportedly earned rave reviews whilst playing for Linfield and Northern Ireland U17s and already had a trial at West Ham earlier this year. As things stand, Doherty's Linfield contract is set to expire in 2026, but that's not to say he won't follow in the footsteps of the likes of Trai Hume by making the move from the Northern Ireland Premiership to English football.

"Sensation" Doherty is one for the future

As Everton look to avoid any relegation trouble in the coming years, investing in young talent may not be a bad idea. Doherty could be part of that too. The 17-year-old is already attracting plenty of interest from around England and could only get better and better with more minutes. Of course, if he does choose Everton, then it is unlikely that Dyche will throw the winger straight into his first team, but he could at least get the chance to impress for the youth sides.

Wherever Doherty ends up, it looks increasingly likely that he'll have his biggest career decision to make yet in the near future with the world seemingly at his feet. The youngster has already earned plenty of praise throughout what is still a young career, with Pete O'Rouke labelling Doherty a "sensation" in a post on X.

Liverpool are one of the clubs who are interested in a move to bring an exciting new teenager to the Premier League in January, according to a fresh report.

Liverpool's season so far

The Reds have made a positive start to the new campaign having won eight, drawn three and lost just one of their opening 12 games, meaning that they currently find themselves second in the table in the top-flight.

Bournemouth (3-1)

Chelsea (1-1)

Tottenham (2-1)

Newcastle United (2-1)

Brighton (2-2)

Aston Villa (3-0)

Luton Town (1-1)

Wolves (3-1)

West Ham United (3-1)

Everton (2-0)

Nottingham Forest (3-0)

Brentford (3-0)

Whilst Jurgen Klopp’s side will be confident that they are capable of going on to achieve big things this season, that may not stop FSG from entering the market and assessing their options as to who they could sign with a view to building a squad for the long-term future of the club.

The Merseyside outfit have set their sights on St Patrick’s Athletic right-back Sam Curtis who has made a total of 60 senior appearances since first joining his club from Shamrock Rovers back in 2021 (Transfermarkt – Curtis stats).

The Republic of Ireland youth international has already been attracting significant interest from Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Manchester United, Everton, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Sheffield United in the highest division in England, and now, the 17-year-old has also emerged as a target for the hierarchy at Anfield.

Liverpool eyeing swoop for Sam Curtis

According to 90min, Liverpool are keen to sign Curtis in January, but they are set to face stiff competition from several other of his potential suitors should they want to secure his services.

“Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing young Irish talent Sam Curtis, sources have confirmed to 90min.

"Along with those Premier League clubs, Championship outfits Hull City, Middlesbrough and Leeds United all retain an interest in the full-back's services too, while Scottish champions Celtic have also scouted the player recently.

"Sources have confirmed to 90min that St Patrick's Athletic fully expect Curtis to leave the club during the League of Ireland off-season – which runs until mid-February.”

FSG could land "special" player in Curtis

At St Patrick’s Athletic, Curtis has racked up six contributions (three goals and the same number of assists) in 34 appearances in the Premier Division this season, which shows he’s the type of right-back who likes to burst down the flank and create chances for himself and his fellow teammates in the final third.

The Navan-born talent has the versatility to operate at centre-back if needs be, but the fact that he's also been utilised higher up the pitch as a midfielder alongside his usual role in the backline highlights that he’s comfortable easily adapting to the demands of his manager no matter where he's wanted.

Having already had a taste of success when he was crowned Irish Cup Winner during the 2022/23 term, Curtis has been described as a “special” teenager by journalist Josh Bunting, so it could be a real coup in the long run if FSG could fend off their fellow competitors to land his signature in the coming months.

Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after three years at the top table of English football.

The Whites were promoted under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020 and stayed up under the Argentine boss and then Jesse Marsch. However, a combination of Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce failed to keep them up last term.

An instant return to the top-flight is now on the agenda for the Yorkshire-based outfit and German boss Daniel Farke has been brought in to secure it.

The impressive tactician won two Championship titles during his time with Norwich City earlier in his career and is now looking for a third promotion to the Premier League.

Points

94

97

Goals for

93

75

Goals against

57

36

Games won

27

29

Farke's Championship title-winning seasons with Norwich (via Sky Sports):

However, his squad was dealt a number of blows as the likes of Tyler Adams, Rodrigo, Max Wober, Robin Koch, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, and Marc Roca moved on either permanently or out on loan.

One decision that the German head coach made that may come back to haunt him, though, is the one to loan out talented young midfielder Sam Greenwood, who has outscored Wilfried Gnonto, Dan James, and Jaidon Anthony this season.

Why Leeds could lose Greenwood permanently

The Whites could lose the ex-Arsenal prospect on a permanent deal at the end of the 2023/24 campaign as they included a purchase option within his loan deal with Middlesbrough.

It was recently reported by The Athletic that Boro negotiated an option to sign Greenwood for £1.5m during next summer's transfer window if they decide the fit is right by that point.

This means that, essentially, Farke and Leeds have little say in what happens with the midfield technician next year as his current club have the chance to snap him up permanently if they want to.

If Middlesbrough do decide that they want to activate that £1.5m buyout clause and the Whites do not want to lose him then they would need to convince the player to turn down the opportunity to return to Teesside.

This could be a difficult task when you consider that Leeds were willing to sanction a possible permanent exit for him last summer and decided that he was not ready for their first-team.

Greenwood has been shown faith by Boro and may, therefore, prefer a switch to Michael Carrick's side over coming back to Elland Road if it comes down to it next summer.

Sam Greenwood's statistics this season

The 21-year-old whiz, who former Leeds ace Noel Whelan hailed for his "immense" ability, endured a slow start to life at Middlesbrough as his first four appearances for the club came as a substitute in the Championship.

However, he has since broken into the starting XI and has started each of their last four league matches, which has allowed him to showcase his quality out wide.

Greenwood has been deployed on the left of an attacking midfield trio behind the main centre-forward and has caught the eye with his recent attacking contributions.

The right-footed wizard has scored two goals in four starts, both of which came within the last three games, and the latest of those came in their 2-1 win over Norwich City on Tuesday night.

He produced a fantastic display against the Canaries earlier this week with a Sofascore rating of 7.7, which was the highest score of any player for either side.

The English dynamo scored the opening goal for Boro as he arrived in the right place at the right time to finish from close range after Norwich gave possession away on the opposite side of the pitch.

Greenwood also won seven of his 12 duels and completed all three of his attempted dribbles. These statistics show that the talented gem offered strength out of possession and helped to carry his team up the pitch with his dribbling quality.

To the latter point, the former Sunderland academy ace has completed 15 progressive carries in his last four matches for Boro and this shows that, alongside a goal threat, the Leeds loanee can provide value in transition.

Farke may now be looking at the gem's recent performances and wondering whether or not it was a mistake to part ways with the 21-year-old ace, particularly when he looks at how his current wing options have performed in front of goal.

Wilfried Gnonto's statistics this season

Gnonto has scored one goal in six Championship starts, with one further appearance off the bench, throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far.

The Italy international was brought back into the starting XI against Stoke on Wednesday night and failed to make the most of his opportunity to shine. He failed to provide a single shot on target, completed dribble, or chance created for his teammates in 70 minutes on the pitch.

Chances have not been particularly hard to come by for the 19-year-old whiz as he has already missed two 'big chances' and taken 1.6 shots per game, which suggests that his current return of one goal has been an underperformance.

Whereas, Greenwood has taken 1.3 shots per match and has not missed a single 'big chance' in front of goal to go along with his two league strikes.

Gnonto is not the only Leeds forward who has been outperformed in front of goal by the Boro star, though, as Anthony and James have also only scored one goal each in the league so far this season. The latter has, at least, provided four assists but the Bournemouth loanee is yet to register a single assist.

Meanwhile, Ian Poveda, Patrick Bamford, and Joe Gelhardt were all kept around to be part of the squad and have combined for zero goals and zero assists in 15 league appearances between them.

These statistics suggest that Leeds could have benefitted from keeping the 5 foot 11 dynamo as part of their squad to bolster their attacking options out wide.

The Whites have not had a steady stream of goals from those positions, outside of Crysencio Summerville's four strikes, and this was illustrated on Wednesday as Anthony and Gnonto started out wide and failed to make an impact in the final third as Farke's men lost 1-0 to Leeds.

Yesterday hardly marked the most vintage display from Manchester United, but Erik ten Hag will not care as he recorded a vital 2-1 victory to stem the tide and earn his men some respite.

Unsurprisingly, as has been the case whenever the club needs someone to stand up and shine, Bruno Fernandes was the first to appear…

How did Bruno Fernandes play vs Sheffield United?

As their talisman now for over three years, the Portugal international emerged as a relentless creative force once again, trying everything in his power to avoid recording an underwhelming result against a side expected to be battling for safety this season.

However, despite taking the lead, with the 29-year-old assisting, they were instantly pegged back, and the pressure ramped up. Despite this, history has proven that these are the conditions where Fernandes thrives.

Managing five key passes, it could be argued that the midfield maestro was value for far more than the sole assist he attained. Such was his desperation to get on the ball and create, he would enjoy 90 touches of the ball, and yet losing possession 27 times is indicative of someone attempting something new, with varying success.

Although many will rush to point him out as the outstanding figure for the visitors, as they moved up to eighth in the Premier League with their win, others will rightly look to Antony as another who starred amidst plenty of adversity.

How did Antony play vs Sheffield United?

Having been dismissed from the squad after serious allegations were made of the former Ajax man, Ten Hag saw fit to reintegrate his £85m man late last month, with his integration having been measured ever since.

Although starting opportunities have been sparse since, he certainly took his chance yesterday, starring from the flank as another creator worthy of merit. However, it was his work rate that truly drew praise.

Whilst many might rush to lambast the £200k-per-week Brazilian for his extravagant skills that go nowhere, or his inability to beat a man and use his right foot, one thing people have never been able to challenge him on is his work ethic.

Yesterday was no different, and in a clash where they needed to dig deep to avoid embarrassment, he was there.

Winning 85% of all the duels he competed in only helps to emphasise this point, and although only one of his four crosses would hit the mark, journalist Tom Gott would still praise the glimpses of quality Antony boasting in his post-match player ratings after a solid 6/10 display, writing for 90min: "Had some really lively moments but drifted in and out of the game too often".

Having faced true personal adversity this campaign, with the results of which still unconfirmed, the 23-year-old's performance in their win over the Blades has offered a fine foundation for a return to form, at a time when Ten Hag is crying out for his players to stand up and be counted.

The creativity and goal threat of Antony has every chance of returning, but as long as his work rate remains, the Dutch manager have little reason for huge unrest just yet.

Erik ten Hag will be hoping that Manchester United's last two matches hint at an extended turnaround in form to come.

The Red Devils beat both Brentford and Sheffield United 2-1 recently in the Premier League to stop a run of losses, but they still find themselves in a disappointing 8th position.

One of those losses came in the second Champions League group stage match for ten Hag's men, Galatasaray mounting a terrific comeback on the night at Old Trafford to win 3-2 courtesy of a late Mauro Icardi strike.

It makes their task to get out of the group stages ever more difficult, also falling victim to a defeat in their first match of the Champions League campaign to Bayern Munich – Man United on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline, an action-packed match in Munich with the Red Devils heading back to England with nothing to show for their troubles.

Therefore, it is paramount that the Red Devils put the confidence gained from recent wins in the league into their performances on Europe's biggest stage versus Kobenhavn.

Winning this one could give ten Hag's team the upper hand over their Danish opponents, who only have a singular point next to their name currently.

Tough decisions in terms of selection will have to be made therefore, but one decision should be straightforward for the Dutch manager with Antony.

He lost possession 14 times and failed to create a single chance at Bramall Lane last time out, which could have cost his side if his teammates had not produced the goods.

How has Antony played for Man United this season?

Antony has not set the world alight in a Man United strip this season or at all since joining the club from Ajax last year, the showboating Brazilian has yet to contribute to a goal this campaign with zero goals and assists to his name.

In total, he has an underwhelming eight goals for the Red Devils from 51 appearances with a subpar three assists also tallied up.

It has led to many calling out and questioning Antony's performances, the £82m winger labelled as "dreadful" by chief sports writer for the Manchester Evening News Samuel Luckhurst at the height of the many falling outs experienced in the Red Devils camp.

His overall Sofascore rating for the Red Devils from the last 12 months suggests that Antony has not blossomed into the skillful, high-octane winger Man United wanted after purchasing him from the Eredivisie, coming in at an average 6.89 rating and failing to excite the expectant masses.

Who could replace Antony?

Ten Hag could well look to Alejandro Garnarcho to replace Antony for this Champions League tie, the Argentine winger substituted on for the 23-year-old versus Sheffield United and went on to make an instant impact despite only playing for 26 minutes.

He would come away with an admirable 7.1 Sofascore rating, helping his side off the bench.

The 19-year-old winger was on the pitch when Diego Dalot's screamer hit the back of the net, the right-back sparing Ten Hag's blushes to give the Red Devils a narrow win versus the Blades, who remain rooted to the bottom of the league.

The young winger – who scored three times last season in the Premier League – could be unleashed versus Kobenhavn as an ace up Ten Hag's sleeve.

Garnacho has only played 31 minutes of Champions League football in those two Man United defeats, but with Antony failing to impress, the youthfulness of Man United's highly thought of prospect could work against Copenhagen to start the game on the front foot and hopefully result in their first victory of Group A.

Manchester United are experiencing plenty of injury problems at the moment, and a new update has emerged regarding Lisandro Martinez.

Is Lisandro Martinez injured?

The Red Devils finished third in the Premier League last season, making it into the Champions League, as Erik ten Hag did an impressive job as manager. Much was expected going into the current campaign, especially with the likes of Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund all added to the squad, but things haven't gone to plan to date.

On Saturday afternoon, United suffered a damaging 1-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace, meaning they have lost four of their opening seven matches in the league in 2023/24 to date – their worst start in the league for 34 years. With each passing week, more question marks are being raised against Ten Hag and the job he is doing, with improvements needed as soon as possible.

In fairness to the manager, however, the Reds have been unfortunate with injuries so far this season, with the likes of Martinez, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka all out for chunks of action, among others. The former could be out for a significant period after suffering a foot injury, with a potential two or three-month absence mooted in recent reports. Now, a fresh update has emerged regarding the Argentine's fitness.

What's the latest on Lisandro Martinez's injury?

According to Sky Sports, Martinez could now need additional surgery after aggravating the issue, having already undergone it once this year, following an absence during the latter stages of last season:

"Lisandro Martinez may need further surgery to finally get over his debilitating foot injury The Manchester United and Argentina centre-back has aggravated a metatarsal problem, after needing surgery on the bone in April.

"The club said he played with the injury in the defeats against Brighton and Bayern Munich after the setback occurred in the loss at Arsenal on September 3. United medical staff are still assessing how best for him to recover and discussing whether a second operation might be the best course of action. It means Martinez could be out until December, in the latest injury setback for the club."

Martinez has been such an impressive signing by United since joining from Ajax last summer, becoming a real leader at the heart of the defence, and playing a key role in last season's aforementioned third-place finish, being called "outstanding" by Wes Brown.

That being said, the 25-year-old was still restricted to only 24 Premier League starts due to fitness issues, and his second year in a Reds shirt feels as though it could be even more hampered. Ten Hag will be ruing the loss of arguably his most reliable centre-back, especially considering Raphael Varane is an injury-prone player, and surgery could mean that Martinez doesn't feature again this year.

The likes of Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire are really going to have to stand tall, as will the re-signed Jonny Evans, or United could easily find themselves languishing even further behind some of their rivals in the top-four battle.

Aston Villa are firmly in the running to sign a new attacking player in January, but they aren't the only club who are looking to bring him to the Premier League.

What's the latest transfer news at Aston Villa?

Over the summer, NSWE, Monchi and Unai Emery brought five fresh faces to the club having completed the signings of Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, Nicolo Zaniolo, Youri Tielemans and Clement Lenglet, but where there were incomings, there were also outgoings.

The Midlands side sanctioned the permanent sales of Cameron Archer, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, Marvelous Nakamba, Keinan Davis, Wesley and Ashley Young, whilst sending the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Morgan Sanson on loan, via Transfermarkt.

Even though the boss will be happy with his business, Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams is a player that he failed to get over the line after reigniting his interest despite the right-winger turning down the chance to join at the start of the year, as per the same outlet, though he’s not giving up his chase just yet.

The Spain international is someone who is highly-rated by members of the hierarchy, and with his contract expiring in less than a year, the next window will present his club with the perfect opportunity to cash in should they not want to risk losing him for free.

Are Aston Villa signing Nico Williams?

According to Spanish outlet Sport (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa are "in the picture" to secure the services of Williams in 2024, but they aren't alone in their pursuit with Liverpool, Newcastle United and Barcelona also named as interested parties.

Athletic Bilbao's attacker has a €50m (£43m) release clause included in his contract, and the fact that he's not yet put pen to paper on fresh terms has "encouraged" his potential suitors, who are all paying "close attention" to their target's situation.

Whilst Xavi's side have held talks with the player's agent, it's the top-flight trio that are showing "particular interest", so this could be one to watch in January.

How many goals has Nico Williams scored?

Since the start of his career, Williams has racked up 44 contributions (23 assists and 21 goals) in 116 appearances, and the “incredible” forward, as labelled by his brother Inaki Williams, has made a fantastic opening to the new season in La Liga, recording four assists in the same number of games, prior to today's game vs Cadiz.

The Pamplona native also ranks in the 93rd percentile for successful take-ons, highlighting his desire to use his pace, dribble past his marker and create chances for his fellow teammates in the final third where he’s whipped 14 crosses into the box which is the second-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef, showing what a standout star he is.

Athletic’s 21-year-old is additionally a versatile operator with his ability to play out on the opposite right flank and even deeper in the midfield alongside his usual role, so should he be convinced to put pen to paper, it would be a massive coup for Emery and Aston Villa.