In return, Malaysia could only muster 93, with medium pacer Deepesh Devendran running through the line-up to finish with a five-for

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2025Abhigyan Kundu, the wicketkeeper-batter, walked out at No. 5 in the 11th over, batted till the end of India’s innings against Malaysia in their Under-19 Asia Cup contest in Dubai, and finished with a 125-ball 209 not out against his name, taking India to a formidable 408 for 7 in the process. In return, Malaysia could only muster 93, with medium pacer Deepesh Devendran running through the line-up to finish with a five-for.The India vs Malaysia match, however, doesn’t have “official youth ODI” status, meaning South Africa’s Jorich Van Schalkwyk, who had scored 215 off 153 balls against Zimbabwe earlier this year in Harare, remains the only batter in that list. Bangladesh international Soumya Sarkar had also hit a double-century in a fixture against Qatar in 2012, hitting 209 in 135 balls, but that was also in a game without official youth ODI status.Kundu led India’s batting effort against Malaysia after Vaibhav Suryavanshi had done the initial scoring, with a 26-ball 50. Kundu put together a 209-run stand with Vedant Trivedi (90 in 106 balls) for the fourth wicket, a partnership that ran from the 11th over to the 41st.When Trivedi was dismissed, Kundu was on 128 in 92 balls. He sped up in the last ten overs, adding 81 runs in 33 balls, taking India past the 400-run mark. Kundu had earlier scored 32 not out in 17 balls against UAE and 22 in 32 balls against Pakistan.For Malaysia, Muhammad Akram was the standout performer, returning 5 for 89 from his ten overs, the left-arm medium pacer victims including Suryavanshi, Vihaan Malhotra and Harvansh Pangalia.In the chase, Malaysia lost openers Azib Wajdi and Mohammad Hairil for ducks. Deepesh then took a wicket in each of his first five overs, leaving Malaysia tottering at 38 for 7. Hamza Panggi and Jaashwin Krishnamurthi resisted with a 36-run 10th-wicket stand, but it did not take too long for India to wrap things up.India are on top of the Group A table in the tournament, having earlier beaten UAE and Pakistan. Malaysia are bottom of the group, having lost to the same opponents earlier.

Leeds United’s interest in Jarrod Bowen has been heavily publicised this month, but we’ve not known the full extent of it until now.

It had been reported by Alan Nixon that Leeds had made an eight-figure offer for the winger, but the journalist has had a sketchy record when talking about Leeds as of late as his reports about Cauley Woodrow were quickly dispelled by the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Fortunately, Phil Hay has now cleared up what the situation between United and Bowen actually was.

What’s been said then?

The journalist was contributing to The Athletic’s transfer deadline day live blog, and as reports emerged about Jarrod Bowen heading to West Ham, questions were asked about how concrete Leeds’ interest in him was.

“There was contact and there were discussions about Bowen but he was further down the list than Adams (first choice) and Augustin and the costs involved were very high. As David’s report says, West Ham have agreed a deal worth £22m.

“For a club in the Championship there would have been an additional premium because the likes to Leeds wanted to take him on loan initially, meaning Hull would not have pulled in significant cash until the summer.

“I’m not sure how much they’ll be able to do with the Bowen cash today but it does give them a chance to replace him immediately.”

Simply impossible

While it’s good to hear that Leeds were in for a player of Bowen’s undoubted quality it would have been impossible for them to get him.

The above infographic shows just how good the 22-year-old would have been for Leeds, but with Hull wanting £22m up front it was simply impossible for the Whites to do that with their current FFP situation.

It’s bad timing because if Leeds had gone up and Bowen would have been available in the summer, a deal would may looked much more viable. But for now, the winger is going to ply his trade elsewhere.

After scoring 16 this term, it’ll come as a blow.

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From Karmin Benzema to Aleksandr Kokorin… Arsenal fans can be forgiven for their confused expressions right now. The Gunners have been chasing top strikers all summer, but with less than seven days of transfer activity remaining, it appears that Arsene Wenger is looking toward the Russian Premier League for a late remedy.Although Gooners are still scarred by the Kim Kallstrom episode, Kokorin is a far better player than the aforementioned Swede, who barely featured during his loan stint in London.Unless you spend your time watching grainy footage of Dynamo Moscow of a weekend, chances are you’ll know very little about the 24-year-old… so this list of FIVE interesting facts may help.

Not exactly prolific at club level…

In league action, Kokorin’s record stands at 39 goals in 166 appearances – roughly a goal every five games… Such a return his hardly prolific, but Kokorin has been competing with a host of more experienced players at Dynamo, chiefly now Hoffenheim man, Kevin Kuranyi and has often been deployed from a wider role.

To further defend Kokorin, the Moscow club haven’t really been true title contenders in Russia for some time, with their last league honour coming way back in 1976. In a country dominated by Zenit Saint Petersburg and CSKA Moscow in recent times, the 24-year-old has done relatively well with his return of 10 strikes in 2013/14 impressive as his club side finished fourth.

However, a haul of 10 is the most he’s ever managed in a league campaign…

Shoots on sight…

As the above stat shows, Kokorin is not afraid to have a pop at goal. Dangerous when cutting in from the left onto his right foot, the 24-year-old is known for his willingness to put his foot through the ball and has a tendency to popÂup around the 18-yard box..

He’s also able to operate in a deeper role, which gets the most from his ability to arrive late into the areaÂand is something Arsene Wenger could use against tight, compact defences.

Has impressed for Russia

Although he’s not deadly at club level, Kokorin has impressed for Russia, with eight goals in 32 outings – a one in four strike rate. Although not far superior to his Dynamo record, he hasn’t always been first choice for his home nation – albeit he did start all three of their World Cup group games last summer (scoring a goal in the process).

Getting in ahead of the likes of Aleksandr Kerzhakov was impressive and he’s also managed to fight off competition from the highly-rated Artyom Dzyuba, too.

Named Russian football’s best left-forward in 2013/14

2013/14 was without doubt Kokorin’s breakthrough season. The striker netted his record league return of goals (10) and helped Dynamo to keep pace at the upper end of the table, they eventually finished fourth.

The Russian Football Union named the 33 top players – three in each position – for the season, with Kokorin voted the best left-sided striker, effectively putting him in a finest XI alongside Seydou Doumbia ‘up top’.

He was an Anzhi player… although he never featured for them

Kokorin is currently in his second spell as a Dynamo player. In 2013 Anzhi Makhachkala activated the £13m release clause in his contract to lure him to Dagestan, but their oligarch-backed era of spending was cut short just a few months after. With Kokorin having arrived while injured, he failed to feature and was quickly sold off – alongside a host of other players – with Dynamo eager to take him back. A slightly bizarre summer.

Spain may have let their grip on the international scene slip last summer but home to both the Europa League and Champions League winners for the second season in a row, there’s no disputing the quality of La Liga.

Likewise, the Spanish top flight has churned out countless household Premier League names over the last five years – not least including Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla, Manchester City’s David Silva and Manchester United’s Juan Mata.

So although the summer transfer window may now be closed, it’s safe to assume there’s still plenty of talent from La Liga on the transfer radars of the Premier League’s top clubs.

With that in mind, this article takes a look at FIVE who have been linked with a move to Arsenal since the start of the season.

Will we see a few of these turn up at the Emirates in January? Who would make the grade in north London? Comment below!

NOLITO

Amongst the most recent La Liga stars to be linked with an Emirates switch in January is Celta Vigo forward Nolito.

The 28-year-old has always been highly regarded throughout his spells with Ecija, Barcelona B, Benfica and Granada but has really stepped up his game since joining Celta in summer 2013, going on to bag 32 goals in 78 La Liga appearances.

That includes an impressive return of five goals and three assists in seven league outings this season – leaving the Spain international second in La Liga’s scoring charts and joint top of the assist rankings.

Capable of providing firepower from wide or central positions, Nolito would certainly add depth and variety to the Gunners’ attack.

Furthermore, his contract reportedly includes a very reasonable £13.3million release clause. But Arsenal face competition from former employers Barcelona for the 5 foot 9 attacker’s signature.

SERGI SAMPER

Arsene Wenger is no stranger to cherry picking frustrated talents from Barcelona’s academy and the latest reportedly in his transfer crosshairs is Sergi Samper.

The 20-year-old is highly rated at the Nou Camp and made his senior debut at the start of last season in the group stages of the Champions League, but has failed to become a recurring fixture in Luis Enrique’s first team plans.

Likewise, Barcelona B were relegated to the Spanish third tier at the end of last term, meaning Samper would have to play at a much lower level to receive regular football this year.

That’s reportedly got the young midfielder, who has been described as Pirlo-esque, considering a move abroad for when the transfer window reopens, with the Emirates mooted as his preferred destination.

With a release clause of just £8.5million, he could prove to be a very shrewd bargain for the Gunners.

KARIM BENZEMA

It’s no secret Arsenal spent the summer pining after Karim Benzema only for the Real Madrid striker to rule out a Bernabeu departure via his Twitter account in late August.

But the France international, who boasts 140 goals in 289 appearances for Los Blancos including six La Liga strikes this season, is still very much on the Emirates radar, seemingly the perfect candidate to lead Arsenal’s attack through his strength, pace and flair.

Wenger is reportedly ‘refusing to give up’ in his pursuit of the 27-year-old so the Gunners gaffer will be delighted to hear of Benzema’s apparent frustrations in being repeatedly subbed off by Real Madrid counterpart Rafa Benitez.

With four years left on the 77-cap international ‘s contract, however, and him still starting the majority of Real’s fixtures this season, Arsenal could still be some way off signing their long-term strike target.

ISCO

Another Real Madrid star reportedly taking Arsene Wenger’s fancy is prodigious midfielder Isco, who picked up Europe’s Golden Boy award in 2012.

The Spain international has since made 115 appearances for Los Blancos, helping them claim the 2014 Champions League title in the process. But his status in the starting XI is often dependent on the absence of Real’s more coveted names – particularly James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He’s made six starts in La Liga this term and appears to have a more consistent role under Rafa Benitez – although the 23 year-old’s constant jostling around the midfield suggests he’s still not claimed superiority over one position.

Either way, The Metro claimed last month that Arsenal are still ‘committed’ to signing the playmaking midfielder, following reports from The Express alleging Benitez could be tempted to sell in January if a suitor meets his £37million valuation.

Manchester City are also believed to be interested; Isco and Manuel Pellegrini reached the Champions League quarterfinal together during their time at Malaga.

GRZEGORZ KRYCHOWIAK

Another Arsenal summer saga that looks set to continue, the Spanish press believe the Gunners were making enquiries into the availability of Sevilla’s Grzegorz Krychowiak until just days before the close of the summer transfer window.

The north London outfit still need another holding option in the middle of the park and the Poland international appears to be the ideal candidate; he averaged 3.3 tackles, 3 interceptions and 3.4 successful aerial duels per match to earn a place in La Liga’s Team of the Year last season, whilst also helping Sevilla claim a second consecutive Europa League title.

The 25-year-old was keen to stay on at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan during the summer and the club have since offered him a new contract.

The good news for Arsenal, however, is that his €30million release clause isn’t expected to be increased.

Wayne Rooney is currenly behind the likes of Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge and even Jamie Vardy on current form, leading people to question his place in the England starting eleven. However, could the versatile Man United striker play elsewhere to accommodate Hodgson’s sudden wealth of striking options?

Every England team, from every generation, has always produced a cluster of great players in one position. The so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of a few years ago had an overabundance of central midfielders. It was a similar story in the 90s with an over-supply of striking talent. Andy Cole, Robbie Fowler, Teddy Sheringham and Matt le Tissier all failed to make Hoddle’s 1998 World Cup squad, such was the excess of striking options he had at the time.

On the other hand, England have suffered in other areas of the pitch. It is a great luxury to have competition for places, although it is one, which at times, England have not been able to afford.

The pool of talent is thought to be smaller than it has ever been for English players in the Premier League. There seems to be a lack of depth in every position. Therefore the thought of having Sturridge, Kane or Rooney on the bench is unthinkable.

As a result it should be proposed that Rooney moves to an attacking midfield position, an area of the pitch where England are particularly lacking at the moment. Since Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard’s retirement, England have required a goal-scoring midfielder.

Simply put, Wayne Rooney is England’s best midfielder at the moment; he has the range of passing and the tenacity to get up and down the pitch.

England manager Roy Hodgson recently suggested to the press that Ross Barkley should learn from the likes of Francesco Totti and Roberto Baggio if he wants to play his way into his Euro 2016 squad. Barkley’s form has been promising, although surely Rooney is a far better qualified number 10 at the moment, and much more in the mould of Totti or Baggio.

It is a mouthwatering prospect to have Rooney supplying the likes of Sturridge and Kane from midfield. The England captain has played in a midfield role many times for Man United, to a high level, and any criticism he did receive for his performances stemmed from the fact that United lacked the strikers to use Rooney elsewhere on the pitch. Thankfully for England they are producing a wealth of strikers to match the class of 1998.

So it’s time for Hodgson to think a little outside of the box and take a risk for once, before his time as England manager limps to its unremarkable conclusion.

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Over the last few years, the idea of ‘philosophy’ has become an obsession in the Premier League.

Terms like ‘style of play’ and ‘identity’ previously sufficed, but ‘philosophy’ is now the unequivocal phraseology and comes with its own set of connotations, most commonly the idea of technical, intellectual and possession-based football – sharing the same principles that made Barcelona one of the greatest and successful club sides of all time under Pep Guardiola.

No Premier League manager has championed the term more than Manchester United’s Louis van Gaal, a graduate of the Total Football school of thought who helped inspire Barca’s definitive style. ‘Philosophy’ was his loudest soundbite upon ascending to the Old Trafford throne in summer 2014, his essential mandate to rule, and has been discussed relentlessly by the Dutchman, his supporters and his critics ever since.

We’re now at a point where every debate regarding the Red Devils, big or small, has the LVG ‘philosophy’ at its epicentre, with every victory evidence of its virtues and every defeat proof of its flaws.

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Yet the idea that there is a ‘right way’ to play the game, not to mention the financial sacrifices United have made to help van Gaal implement it at Old Trafford, is being undermined weekly by the Premier League’s surprise package of the season – shock table-toppers Leicester City.

There are countless differences between the two sides. One has dominated the Premier League for almost its entirety, the other has participated in under half of its 24 seasons and re-emerged from the Championship just 18 months ago. One manager prides himself on the ideal of dominating possession and has spent £250million overhauling his squad accordingly, the other has made minor, almost indistinguishable changes to a team he inherited barring a handful of low-cost additions last summer.

Yet there are just three points and three positions separating them in the Premier League table and counter-intuitively, it’s the latter club – the other – who are sitting pretty at the division’s summit. Rather than searching for some higher, intellectual appreciation of their way of playing, Leicester City are taking the English top flight by storm with honest, simple and effective football.

That couldn’t be more evident than in the statistics. Fourth-placed Manchester United have averaged the most possession, 60%, the second-highest pass success rate, 84%, and recorded the second-most passes, 8443, of any Premier League side this season.

Yet their dominance of the ball, as van Gaal adores, hasn’t proved particularly fruitful at the other end of the pitch or in terms of recent results. United rank 15th in terms of created chances throughout the division, just 121 in 15 games, and have scored the fewest goals, 20, of any side in the top six, whilst enduring five scoreless draws, three defeats and just four wins in their last eleven games.

Leicester City, in dramatic contrast, have recorded the second-least passes, 5100, averaged the third-lowest possession, 44.2%, and the worst pass success rate, 71.2%, of any side in the division, but they’ve created the seventh-most chances, 163, racked up the third-most assists, 22, scored the most goals, 32, and resultantly claimed the most points, 32. They’ve lost just one league fixture this season and claimed six wins from their last eight outings.

Of course, every side has a philosophy whether they use that phrase or not. Leicester City’s is centred around counter-attacking and the relentless energy of their front-line. But their meteoric rise proves that there is no indisputable answer in football – no set of ideas that are intrinsically stronger, more effective or virtuous than the other – and the notion that United must play in a specific way, ‘the right way’, verges upon irreverent vanity.

Likewise, despite Leicester’s incredible successes this season, manager Claudio Ranieri is yet to utter a word about his footballing ideals, because he did not arrive at the King Power Stadium last summer with a specific philosophy in mind. There is an old adage that the players must decide the system rather than their manager and that process has allowed the Foxes’ game to naturally develop over the last four months.

It would be inaccurate and superficial to ignore other factors. Leicester’s great escape at the end of last season has clearly bound the players closer together and given them a new sense of confidence, which has snowballed with every emphatic performance under Ranieri. Likewise, Jamie Vardy’s record-breaking purple patch is one of the most incredible the Premier League has ever witnessed, whilst Riyad Mahrez is rapidly emerging as amongst the division’s leading attacking talents – a real find at £400k.

But the secret to Leicester City’s recent success is the discovery of their own way of playing; Manchester United, on the other hand, are trying to adopt somebody else’s and moving only away from their historic DNA. Philosophy for the sake of philosophy is a fool’s game and right now, Leicester are making Louis van Gaal look quite the fool for sticking with his so religiously.

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Mesut Ozil seems to have fans of his own these days. There are football fans who celebrate an Ozil assist more than they celebrate anything that their team will achieve, its a bit weird, really.

The Ozil love affair is partly understandable, as the guy is a class act, and he can’t help the fact that people seem to have fallen in love with him.

Unfortunately for anyone with a Twitter account, you can’t avoid the direct admiration from all corners of the net.

Here are some of the tweets to prove Ozil loving has gone a bit far..

Paddy Power really don’t like to mock anyone, so its a bad sign if they go for you.

Admittedly this guy is a City fan, but the numbers make a good point..

This guy manages to exclude Ozil from criticism, despite his ‘flat’ performance.

This is a bit of a nicer tone, at least he mocks the Arsenal fans about Ozil..

Can’t say that its easy to understand why Arsenal fans defend Ozil so strongly, do all clubs do this like you’ve offended their mother?

And here’s another saying that Ozil can dismantle the world’s best team..

However good KdB is, this fan seems to believe that no one can be compared to Ozil.

When Liverpool fans, who have claimed Lucas Leiva as world class, are mocking you it can’t be a good sign.

Manchester United are by no stretch of the imagination back, though the Red Devils have at least shown suggestions that they aren’t completely useless. Though, to be fair, when £250m is spent, a bigger return on such an outlay is to be expected.

Still, the situation is what it is. Louis van Gaal is winning any friends at Old Trafford, though he has finally started winning games. Kind of.

One of the major criticisms levelled at the Dutch coach has been his rather strange recruitment drive. A top class centre-back has still not been acquired and while Anthony Martial is showing glimpses of a £58m player, the likes of Memphis Depay have largely failed to convince so far.

Their quest for a Galactico continues and neither Bastian Schweinsteiger nor Morgan Schneiderlin have shown their best form since their summer moves.

One of the names most linked with a move to the Theatre of Dreams, Arjen Robben has so far eluded the club. The Dutch winger may be into his 30s, but would represent a wonderful signing in the absence of a Gareth Bale or a Neymar.

Here are FIVE reasons why Manchester United should still do all they can to land Arjen Robben.

LIKE A FINE WINE

The Bayern Munich star is now 31-years of age and despite a series of injuries, shows little sign of losing his electric pace. Whereas teammate Franck Ribery appears to have lost his very best form, the former Chelsea star is still one of the finest wide-forwards in European football.

The problem with Depay is that he was excelling in a relatively poor league and carried a huge weight of expectation. When the going gets tough, fans and pundits alike will rightly clamour for the £25m man to step up, though it has clearly proved quite difficult for the 21-year old thus far.

Robben has almost become better with age. He has the experience required to translate the expectation of a big move into instant success. Few share the same pedigree as the flying Dutchman.

Perhaps even Depay could learn a thing or two from his countryman.

HELP FOR ROONEY

Due to the fact Ed Woodward has so far been unable to land any truly huge name signings, skipper Wayne Rooney is the man most expected to carry the burden of most of the attacks. Especially when paired with young talent, who despite their potential, surely cannot be expected to be the instant remedy at Old Trafford.

Rooney himself has not been at his best, but the 30-year old is not helped by the fact he has lost seasoned top levels performers in Robin van Persie and arguably Javier Hernandez.

Robben’s arrival would give the England captain another talisman to share the burden. Though it may not be directly comparable to the age where he lined up with Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, at least the Dutchman would go some way into helping the man.

Having good players around Rooney makes him a better player. That much is obvious. However, having another seasoned pro, with a wealth of top level experience, can stop the border line over-reliance on him when the young players are still getting to grips with life at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

THE MAN UNITED WAY

Much has been made of the ‘Manchester United’ way in recent months, due to the fact the current incarnation of their side is falling well short of it. Ironically cheering the side after their first shot on target after an hour against a League One side is surely unheard of at most Premier League grounds, let alone Old Trafford.

Arjen Robben can be the perfect placeholder in getting the Red Devils back to such a level, until a move for Gareth Bale can become more realistic. His surging runs down the wing will bring levels of excitement back to the club not seen since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. Or the early Anthony Martial days. Oh, good times.

I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

Louis van Gaal sometimes cuts a pretty isolated figure at the Theatre of Dreams, with his assistant in the role earmarked as the man to step in should he face the sack. Perhaps signing a player with which he enjoys a close relationship with can help him create a better atmosphere.

The 64-year old signed the player while with Bayern Munich, where the winger has established himself as one of the best players in the world with each passing year. Robben was also the stalwart of his Oranje side that finished third during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

There’s no clear identity on the way the Red Devils play, other than methodical possession sideways and backwards. That’s not really a style you’d associate with van Gaal while at Bayern and Barca, though it’s been a theme this season.

Robben would at least provide the chance for his coach to truly impose himself during the closing stages of his tenure. Perhaps that should already be the case after around 18 months in charge, though United must play the cards with which they are dealt.

GOAL GOALS GOALS

Quite simply, Arjen Robben scores goals. Something that has at times been hard to come by for Manchester United this season. Taking his age, injuries and the intense competition for places in Bavaria into account, the relatively low transfer fee for a player of his ilk may be a feasible option in the quest for more goals.

He notched 35 times across all competitions last season, 45 the season before and already has three in seven Bundesliga games this time round. Why splash £50m on Karim Benzema or Gonzalo Higuain when you could pick Robben up for surely much cheaper than some of those names to score goals while younger talents develop?

It makes financial sense as long as he can keep away from injuries. The man is a serial winner, a trait often found wanting in some of the lacklustre performances churned out by the club this year.

David Ginola has revealed that West Ham’s Dimitri Payet “could have been a Spurs player” had chairman Daniel Levy taken his advice a few years ago.

The France international joined the Hammers from Marseille over the summer in a £10.75m deal and has been a massive hit in the east of London.

Payet’s seven goals and five assists in Premier League action have seen him emerge as the focal point of Slaven Bilic’s new-look Irons unit, and even led to suggestions that an unknown team in China was willing to pay £38m for him earlier this month.

The 28-year-old has since penned a new contract with West Ham and appears to be settled at club, but speaking to talkSPORT, Ginola revealed that he recommended the attacking midfielder to his old club, Spurs, a few years ago:

“I had a discussion one night with Spurs players, former players and chairman Daniel Levy about French players coming through and who would be good [for Tottenham].

“And I said, ‘well there’s one out there right now, Dimitri Payet.’ This was a few years ago when he was still playing at Lille, and I told him Payet would suit English football.

“I’m not surprised to see him being successful at West Ham. He had a good spell at Marseille when he left Lille, but it wasn’t the best of Dimitri we saw. He’s improved since he signed for West Ham but his very best is yet to come.

“But he could have been a Spurs player.

“I saw in him the flair you associate with Tottenham players, the flair game of Spurs’ history. Dimitri Payet was fitting pretty well in that image of what a Spurs player should be.

“It’s amazing to see him playing so well and I’m just pleased to see I wasn’t wrong. I was absolutely right to see him as a great asset for English football.”

Payet was Ligue 1’s most creative player last season with a stunning 16 assists for l’OM.

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As Southampton emerged from the tunnel after half-time at St Mary’s on Saturday, few gave them any hope of securing anything against a Liverpool team that had brushed them aside in the first half of proceedings.

Southampton were woeful and Liverpool good, but few would have predicted the turnaround that was to come. One goal from Graziano Pelle and two from Sadio Mané secured the win, and it was the performance of the Senegalese forward that set tongues wagging.

Manchester United reportedly enquired about Mané last summer, and his performance against Liverpool this weekend proves that on his day, he can be a danger against any league side.

It’s wholly understandable that United and co. would be interested in a player who would bring pace, skill and an eye for goal to a team that have heavily relied on 18-year-old Marcus Rashford since Christmas. But United and others who could be interested in a move should think carefully about buying from the Saints- some of their marquee players haven’t gone onto great things as expected.

Nathaniel Clyne has been superb for Liverpool this season but the £20million spent on Dejan Lovren doesn’t look like a great investment when you look at how well Jose Fonte has played on numerous occasions this campaign. Despite having bags of skill, Adam Lallana has struggled for game time at Liverpool since his arrival and Rickie Lambert’s spell was a complete write-off. He now bench-warms at West Brom.

So what about Southampton’s other expensive stars that made the move away from St Mary’s?

Morgan Schneiderlin has been unconvincing for United whilst Luke Shaw has been out with a broken ankle since September. But in all fairness, Shaw looked fantastic before his heart-breaking injury and a sure bet for the Euros. Calum Chambers still has a lot to learn at the Emirates and seems pretty far away from holding down a permanent first-team berth.

The demise of some of Southampton’s former stars does bode the question: Is life better away from St Mary’s? The Saints are pushing for Europe and are still in with a shot of the Europa League. A move to Manchester United doesn’t guarentee European football anymore, and this should definitely be a thinking point for the Senegalese international.

If Southampton can win the majority of their final few games, they have every chance to qualify for Europe. But with tricky games against Leicester City, Manchester City and Tottenham to come, it may be tougher than it seems.

But when Mané is on form, he can easily inspire the Saints to victory. He needs to prove to manager Ronald Koeman that he is worthy of a starting place and that he is in the right mindset, despite the blatant transfer rumours that are set to follow.

He can be a big part of Southampton’s run-in, and if that turns out to be his final contribution at the club, so be it.

But he should consider his choices carefully at the end of the season.

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