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TOP STORY: Man United make final £80m bid for Maguire?

It's been one of the transfer sagas of the summer, but Man United finally appear to be putting the right kind of money in front of Leicester for Harry Maguire.

TalkSPORT claims that an £80 million offer has been placed, but will be withdrawn on Monday if it's not accepted by then.

Leicester reportedly want £80m, with United's bids to date not reaching that amount, so now the ball is seemingly in their court. The fact that Maguire was left off the club's Twitter post about their shirt numbers for 2019-20 just adds fuel to the fire.

If the deal goes through, Maguire would become the most expensive defender of all-time -- beating the £75m that Liverpool paid Southampton for Virgil van Dijk.

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18.19 BST: Could Tottenham swoop in and steal Bruno Fernandes from Man United?

RTP reports that Spurs have an emissary in Lisbon working to sign the 24-year-old and that the London club are set to make a proposal. Sporting have told United they will not accept anything less than €65 million for the Portuguese attacking midfielder who amassed 32 goals and 18 assists over all competitions last season.

Sky Sports News has also just tweeted that Spurs are looking to hijack a deal for Fernandes.

BREAKING: Tottenham in talks with Sporting Lisbon over the signing of Bruno Fernandes, according to Sky Sources

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 1, 2019

Tottenham have also been linked with a big-money move for Real Betis and Argentina midfielder Giovani Lo Celso.

17.43 BST: Aston Villa have already made 12 signings this summer which makes for a full roster!

Recent reports indicate they could free up one space by loaning out 21-year-old winger Andre Green. Football Insider claims that Championship side Preston North End and manager Alex Neil see Green as a viable replacement for departed attacker and leading scorer Callum Robinson and that a deal could be imminent.

In 24 league games between Villa and League One's Portsmouth, Green managed just 2 goals and one assist last season.

17.15 BST: And there it is...

Arsenal have made one of the biggest transfer splashes of the summer signing winger Nicolas Pepe from Lille for a club-record fee, which is thought to be around £72 million.

Welcome to The Arsenal, Nicolas Pepe ?

?? #PepeIsHere ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/nXJIB9XdLW

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 1, 2019

Pepe, 24, exploded onto the scene last season in Ligue 1 with 22 goals and 11 assists, leading Lille to a surprise second-place finish. For more on Pepe check out Julien Laurens' scouting report.

Head coach Unai Emery had this to say say to Arsenal's website about the signing: "Nicolas is a highly-rated and talented winger who was wanted by many of the top teams in Europe.

"Signing a top-class winger has been one of our key objectives in this transfer window and I'm delighted he's joining.

"He will add pace, power and creativity, with the aim of bringing more goals to our team."

Pepe will wear the No.19 shirt with Arsenal and his transfer fee surpasses the £55 million the Gunners paid for his new attacking teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in Jan. 2018.

16.47 BST: Bayern Munich head coach Niko Kovac has said rumours linking Jamaica international Leon Bailey with the Bundesliga champions are "not true."

Amid Bayern's struggling efforts to sign Leroy Sane from Man City, transfermarkt.de claimed on Wednesday that the 21-year-old would swap Leverkusen or Bayern this summer.

However, a source close to the winger told ESPN FC that a report claiming personal terms between Bayern and Bailey had been agreed was false.

16.14 BST: Real Madrid forward James Rodriguez plans to hold talks with manager Zinedine Zidane before making a decision on his future at the club, sources have told ESPN FC.

Last Monday, Madrid informed James they want him to stay at the club despite interest from Atletico Madrid and Napoli.

However, sources have told ESPN FC that the final decision remains up in the air because James wants to feel like an "important player" in order to "succeed" at Madrid.

James believes he can still "be a success" at the Santiago Bernabeu but he's waiting to speak to Zidane in the next few days to determine whether the Frenchman is prepared to give him opportunities and if that is not the case, he will consider leaving the club.

15.33 BST: Spanish newspaper El Transistor claims Spurs have agreed a fee of €60m (£54.6m) with Real Betis for Giovani Lo Celso.

Lo Celso, 23, only joined Betis last summer from PSG after a loan spell but is now on his way to White Hart Lane. Maybe that will ensure Mauricio Pochettino is happy...

14.57 BST: Today's daily Neymar: PSG want to resolve the Brazilian's future before Aug. 10, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The price is €300m, with Barcelona showing some interest, but PSG want the saga completed before the Ligue 1 season starts.

14.31 BST: AC Milan have completed the signing of Lille forward Rafael Leao.

The 20-year old is a Portugal U21 international and he joins the Rossoneri on a five-year deal.

14.10 BST: Sporting Lisbon are lining up Velez Sarsfield midfielder Lucas Robertone to replace Bruno Fernandes if he departs for Man United.

Record reports that the 22-year-old is waiting for Fernandes' move to be completed before he can seal a transfer. But he'll only have to wait seven days of course...

13.42 BST: RMC reports that Newcastle have sent a delegation to France to conclude the signing of Nice winger Allan Saint-Maximin.

Saint-Maximin would reportedly cost €18m and Watford are also reportedly interested.

13.28 BST: Barcelona starlet Miranda has offers from Juventus and Marseille, says SPORT.

The left-back impressed for Spain at the under-19 European Championships and could move on as Barcelona look to raise some funds.

13.07 BST: ICYMI - Manchester United are set to sign French prodigy Hannibal Mejbri, one of the country's biggest talents, sources have told ESPN FC.

The 16-year-old attacking midfielder is at Monaco but a disagreement between him and the club has seen Mejbri not play for their youth team for months.

The Principality club initially didn't want their prized youth to leave, but have decided to accept United's offer of €10m, according to sources. The Old Trafford outfit beat Manchester City, Arsenal and Juventus to the France U16 international, who left his grassroots club Boulogne Billancourt in the west suburbs of Paris for Monaco a year ago.

12.44 BST: Barcelona are struggling to get rid of Philippe Coutinho, here's what FC TV think.

12.05 BST: The latest on the future of Edinson Cavani from our man in Paris.

PSG's Edinson Cavani has reportedly said no to a potential move to Inter Milan this summer. https://t.co/uTT8IYycX6

— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) August 1, 2019

11.26 BST: Foot Mercato reports that Arsenal were interested in signing West Ham defender Issa Diop, until they found out the price.

Man United were also keen, but West Ham are looking for £65m for a player they signed for around £22m last summer.

11.08 BST: Marvellous news for Aston Villa as they have signed Marvelous Nakamba from Club Brugge.

The Zimbabwe international midfielder, 24, has Champions League pedigree and will join a host of new faces at the promoted club this season.

Head coach Dean Smith said: "Marvelous fits the criteria of the type of player we were looking for. He's very mobile, he's very good in possession and he will fit in with our style of play."

11.01 BST: Arsenal had high hopes for Japanese forward Takuma Asano when they signed him from Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2016, but he's left without playing a single game for the club.

Asano has moved to Partizan Belgrade for £1m, says the Sun, with the 24-year-old failing to impress on various loan spells with the Gunners.

10.54 BST: Freddie Woodman's move from Newcastle to Swansea on a season-long loan has been completed.

10.33 BST: Burnley have moved quickly to replace Tom Heaton and have agreed a £3.5m deal with Leeds to sign Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell, says the BBC.

10.19 BST: After being released by PSG this summer, former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves wants to remain in Europe as he plans to play in 2022 World Cup with Brazil.

It's amazing that a player of his quality hasn't yet found a club. He's got time on his side at least... although he will be 39 by the time the World Cup rolls around.

10.00 BST: Sampdoria has announced it has sold Erasmo Mule to Juventus. The 20-year-old centre-back has been on loan at Serie C side Trapani, helping them to promotion in 2018-19.

09.44 BST: After Lloyd Kelly, Jack Stacey and Philip Billing, Bournemouth have landed their fourth signing of the summer: Netherlands international winger Arnaut Danjuma.

Danjuma, 22, joins from Belgian outfit Club Brugge for an undisclosed fee, reported to be around £14m.

"Coming to AFC Bournemouth is a really good step up for me," Danjuma told afcbTV. "The Premier League is a great place to play your football, especially at a club like this. I think the way the team plays suits my style, I like to attack and I cannot wait to get started."

09.39 BST: Expect an outgoing from Barcelona shortly.

Malcom not training this morning. Barca confirm he's finalising his move away from the club.

— Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) August 1, 2019

09.25 BST: Newcastle goalkeeper Freddie Woodman has agreed to join Championship side Swansea on a season-long loan, says Sky Sports.

The 22-year-old has one year left on his contract and reportedly wants first-team football.

09.12 BST: French authorities have approved the sale of Nice to Britain's richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Wednesday for just over €100m, sources have told ESPN FC -- making the Riviera's club the most expensive ever in French football history.

Ratcliffe, the founder and CEO of chemical giant Ineos, was waiting for the green light from the DNCG, the organisation responsible for monitoring and overseeing the accounts of professional clubs in France, which has a say in every takeover in Ligue 1 or Ligue 2.

The English businessman, worth around €21 billion, was confident that his takeover offer would be ratified but he still had to wait for the official announcement. The sale should be officially announced in the next two weeks, according to a source.

09.10 BST: Aston Villa have signed goalkeeper Tom Heaton from Burnley.

08.49 BST: Romelu Lukaku looks set to move on from Manchester United, but is he being hard done by?

08.27 BST: Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane appeared irritated after repeated questions on reports that out-of-favour star Gareth Bale was golfing back in Spain during the team's 1-0 loss on Tuesday to Tottenham Hotspur in Munich.

Wales international Bale remained in Spain for Real's two-match swing to Germany following the collapse of his proposed move to China. Zidane had said Bale "wasn't fit" and that it "was a joint decision" to not make the trip for the Audi Cup.

Reports in Spain claimed Bale had been playing golf at a course near Madrid on Wednesday morning. Agent Jonathan Barnett refused to comment when asked by ESPN FC about the report's accuracy.

"I don't know," Zidane told a news conference after Madrid's 5-3 win over Fenerbahce. "I am here with my players. I cannot comment on that. I hope he has trained there [in Madrid]. We are here thinking of the team."

Asked again if he would take action if it was proven Bale was playing golf instead of training, Zidane said: "We will see when we get back.

"I'm not going to stop anybody doing anything, we all have our responsibilities. I don't get into his personal life. He stayed there to train, he did that."

08.00 BST: Jurgen Klopp has said Liverpool will assess all the options available to Harry Wilson in order to make the best decision for the player's career.

Wales international Wilson had a successful loan spell with Derby County last season, helping them reach the Championship playoff final with 15 goals and three assists in 40 league appearances.

The has been of interest to Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Bournemouth, but with time still left in the transfer window before the August 8 deadline, Liverpool will not rush into a decision on a player valued upwards of £20 million.

"We are in constant conversations, that's clear," Klopp said after Wednesday's 3-1 win over Lyon in which Wilson scored a stunning long-range strike. "We have to do the right thing for us and for the boy. There is nothing to talk about in public about it, so we will see what happens in the next eight or nine days until the window closes.

"He is obviously a really good player and I was really happy with him in the whole pre-season; he came back from Derby in a completely different [shape]. That's a good example of how a loan can really work out -- it was for Derby really good and for Harry as well. For us as well, which is good.

PAPER TALK (by Steve Wright)

Napoli, Arsenal battling for Zaha

With Nicolas Pepe seemingly snubbing Napoli for Arsenal, the two clubs are set to lock horns in the transfer window again, with the Italian club entering the race for Wilfried Zaha's signature, the Daily Mail understands.

Zaha had long been a target of the Gunners, who were only prepared to offer £40 million for him. Carlo Ancelotti's side look to make a bigger splash and are keen on submitting a £60m bid to Crystal Palace for the forward.

Napoli finished second in Serie A last season, meaning they can give Zaha his dream of playing Champions League football, something Arsenal cannot provide for at least one more season.

However, sources told ESPN FC last month that the 26-year-old would favour a summer move to Arsenal, his boyhood club, because he wants to remain in London for family reasons.

Zaha endured a difficult spell at Manchester United during the 2013-14 campaign before returning to Crystal Palace, where he signed a new five-year contract last year.

Tap-ins

- A swap deal which would see Romelu Lukaku sign for Juventus and Paulo Dybala for Manchester United was thought to be completed imminently, but the latter's wage demands have created difficulties, The Sun understands. The deal was reportedly "as good as done," but Dybala is demanding a weekly salary of £350,000 -- £50,000 more than what Paul Pogba earns.

- Manchester United target Samuel Umtiti has not been the subject of any official bids yet, according to Sport. Barcelona, who are asking for no less than €60 million for the centre-back, said that they haven't received any offers from United.

Arsenal have pulled off one of the coups of the summer so far in signing Nicolas Pepe from Lille. The French-Ivorian winger, 24, was the best player not named Kylian Mbappe in Ligue 1 last season and was coveted by pretty much every top European club this summer. Lille reached agreements with PSG, Napoli, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid for his transfer but the player chose Unai Emery's project at Arsenal as his next destination.

At £72 million, the Gunners' record signing is worth the price, excitement and hype due to his vast potential. He carried Lille to a surprising second-place finish in France last season with 22 goals and 11 assists, and yet there is still so much room for him to improve, especially considering he's really only had three seasons of top-flight football.

-- Cartlidge: Ceballos can be missing link to Arsenal's midfield

-- Ogden: Premier League manager rankings

Where he comes from

From quite a long ways, actually. In May 2016, Nicolas Pepe was finishing an unspectacular season (seven goals in 29 matches) at Orleans in the French third division. Not many people, including at Angers, his parent club, believed that he could cut it at the highest level.

His first season in Ligue 1 followed and the learning curve continued for the young French-born winger. He contributed only three goals and one assist but it was quite obvious that his emergence was not far away, as he had improved despite not being clinical enough in the opposition's box.

Pepe's explosion happened after his move to Lille in the summer 2017 for €10 million. In 2017-18, Pepe notched 13 goals and five assists. Last year, with 22 goals (second in the league behind Mbappe) and 11 assists (second in the league behind Teji Savanier), he blossomed into a bona fide star.

Strengths and style

Nicolas Pepe is all about pace, skill and percussion. Playing on the right-hand side as an inverted winger enables him to come inside on his left foot to pick a pass or to take a shot. He is creative, intelligent and moves well.

Pepe was the seventh-best dribbler last season in Ligue 1 with 2.7 successful dribbles per game and was also the second-most fouled player in France, as defenders struggled to cope with his dribbling talent and his pace. He loves getting the ball at his feet and then taking on players, as his pace and balance are a very strong asset to his game.

On April 14, Pepe almost single-handedly destroyed PSG with a goal and two assists in a blinding performance. At Lille, he had players around him (Jonathan Ikone and Jonathan Bamba) who developed incredible understanding and chemistry with him. Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should also "get" Pepe's style very well and form a lethal trio at Arsenal.

Weaknesses

There is plenty of room for improvement for Pepe, who is not yet close to the finished article. At present, heading the ball is not his forte, nor is shooting with his right foot. His first touch could also be better, especially when he receives the ball with his back to goal.

While his decision-making was excellent at times last season, it also could still improve, especially in the Premier League where he will have to decide more quickly what to do on the ball. In terms of maturity, this is a big move for him. He has never played abroad before and has never played in the Champions League or Europa League, either.

The 2017 and 2019 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast, and a few more caps with his country, count as his only non-domestic footballing experience. England is a big unknown for him and he will have to adapt to a whole new environment.

Attitude

The Ivory Coast international is still a "young" player, and to continue his progression he needed a club where he could express himself and gain confidence and trust; he felt Arsenal was perfect for that. It is the next step up for him in his development.

Pepe's hunger for working hard and improving is impressive and he knows he still has a lot more to learn. He listens, he doesn't get carried away, and he has a great entourage, too. He is not flashy but rather quite shy.

For someone who has always been in France, this is a big move. But he welcomes the new challenge and feels ready for it, even if he knows how much pressure and expectations will come his way.

Where is he heading?

To the top. His last two seasons in Ligue 1 have proved his quality and potential, but he is still a bit of a raw diamond that needs more polishing. In that sense, Unai Emery is the perfect manager to help him get to the next level. The Spanish coach is very good with young players and Pepe will want to be one of Arsenal's key pieces as the club looks to get back into the top four.

He is ambitious and strong mentally, and never lost his belief even when he was playing in France's lower divisions. He could have played in the Champions League with Lille, Napoli or someone else but the Arsenal project, even with only Europa League football to offer, was attractive to him because he sees it as the right path to the top. He wants to repay the club for going big on him.

We've seen how the BCCI arrived at the decision to suspend Prithvi Shaw after being tested positive for a banned substance called terbutaline. We've also heard from the anti-doping manager about the processes involved in educating the players about anti-doping. But what exactly does terbutaline do to an athlete, and why is it banned?

What is terbutaline?

Terbutaline is classified as a bronchodilator, which is any medication that relaxes muscles in the airways and allows easy circulation of air in and out of the lungs. It is available in the form of tablets, syrups, shots, and as the liquid inside inhalers. It is a prescription drug.

What does it do?

Terbutaline's primary function is to make breathing easier, so it is used to treat symptoms of lung problems like asthma or bronchitis, although it is sometimes used to slow down or delay contractions during pre-term labour.

In general, it is used to control symptoms like cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, and tightness in the chest.

Why is it on the WADA list of prohibited substances?

Aerobic exercise - or cardio, as it's called popularly - is dependent on getting oxygenated blood as quickly as possible to working muscles. So any exercise that exerts pressure on the heart and lungs can be positively affected by easing up the breathing - which is exactly what something like terbutaline would do.

Terbutaline is on the list of substances that are prohibited at all times (even in therapeutic use) by the WADA because it has been shown to enhance time to exhaustion and, among other things, the muscle power output in cyclists.

Does it affect a cricketer's performance? Not really, as per the BCCI's anti-doping manager Dr Abhijit Salvi.

"Terbutaline helps to open the airways and thereby ventilate the lungs effectively. It may be beneficial to cyclists, runners, etc, but wouldn't really help a cricketer perform better," Salvi told ESPNcricinfo.

Where have I heard of it before?

A couple of years ago, Yusuf Pathan was also tested positive for terbutaline and was handed a back-dated five-month ban.

Terbutaline is a fairly prevalent topic in the world of cycling as well. In 2016, British cyclist Simon Yates failed a drug test that prevented him from participating in the Tour de France. Yates, like many other cyclists and elite athletes, took the substance to treat long-term asthma.

But is it even possible for elite athletes to have asthma? Yes - their intense training methods and exposure to lung irritants affect their airways and can cause something called exercise-induced asthma.

Jofra Archer will be given the chance to prove his Ashes fitness by playing in a T20 Blast game for Sussex this Friday, and a three-day Second XI game next week.

Archer was named in England's 14-man squad for the first Test at Edgbaston, but was omitted from the final XI as he continued his rehabilitation from a side strain he had suffered during the World Cup.

"Jofra is coming back from quite a serious injury," said England's captain, Joe Root, explaining his omission. "We looked at conditions and made a decision on what we thought would best take 20 wickets here.

"It also gives him time to get absolutely ready and fit to make sure he has his workloads up and ready to go for later in the series if he needs to make an impact. [His fitness] will be monitored throughout the week. It's important that he's ready to go to offer something different."

Archer was one of the stars of England's World Cup win, taking 20 wickets at 23.05 before bowling the decisive Super Over in the final against New Zealand, but admitted he had played through "excruciating" pain during the tournament.

After a brief trip back to his native Barbados, Archer took 2 for 21 in his four overs in Sussex's tied T20 Blast game against Surrey before joining up with the Test squad.

Archer has been released to play in Sussex's game against Kent on Friday night, and will then make his first appearance in the Second XI Championship since 2016 when he plays against Gloucestershire at Blackstone, a game which starts on Tuesday.

Sussex also have a T20 against Glamorgan that day, but Archer will instead have the chance to prove he is fit enough to bowl longer spells with the red ball.

It had been suggested that Archer might be loaned to Worcestershire to play in their tour game against Australia, as has happened with Andrew Strauss (Somerset), Nick Compton (Worcestershire), and James Taylor (Sussex) in previous years, but he will instead be kept away from the limelight in rural West Sussex.

Olly Stone and Sam Curran, the other unused members of England's Edgbaston squad, have also been released to play in the Blast on Friday night.

Stone will join up with the Birmingham Bears squad for their game at Trent Bridge, while Curran will play for Surrey at Taunton.

Eoin Morgan returns to Lord's for his first appearance since the final tonight in Middlesex's game against Kent, while Adil Rashid has been included in Yorkshire's Blast squad for the first time this season for Friday night's fixture against Worcestershire.

England are likely to be without James Anderson for the remainder of the first Test after he experienced a recurrence of tightness in his right calf.

Anderson, the leading wicket-taker in England's Test history, first tore his right calf muscle while playing for Lancashire against Durham at Sedburgh on July 2. While the England management were confident he had fully recovered from the injury, he experienced further discomfort during his fourth over of the match at Edgbaston and left the field for treatment.

ALSO READ: Jofra Archer given chance to prove Ashes fitness in Sussex games

While he returned to the pitch a short while later, he did not bowl again and the England management have now said he will undergo a scan on Thursday afternoon. If that scan shows any new tear, there is a strong chance that Anderson will be ruled out of the next two or three Tests. Even if it does not, it is hard to imagine England will risk worsening the injury by asking Anderson to bowl.

The news is bound to raise questions about the wisdom of playing Anderson, who celebrated his 37th birthday earlier this week, and the medical advice the management received. He has, however, bowled without discomfort in training - notably on Monday, when he was one of three players who appeared at an optional net session - though England's preparations were hit by poor weather and he may not have bowled the number of overs ahead of the game that might have been envisaged. England were forced to train indoors on Tuesday, where most of the seamers did not bowl due to concerns about the risk of impact issues, while the nets were damp on Wednesday, which meant most bowlers having gentle sessions on the outfield.

England were tempted to name Jofra Archer in their team for this first Test. The management reasoned, however, that it would be a risk to go into a game with two bowlers coming back from injury.

If - as is likely - Anderson is unable to bowl for the rest of the game, it will reduce England to a four-man attack of Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, Ben Stokes plus the offspin of Moeen Ali. And while England would, in normal circumstances, be thought to have enjoyed the best of the first session of the series - Australia were three down at lunch - concern over the extent of Anderson's injury will take much of the gloss off that bright start.

Shakib Al Hasan thinks it's time for Bangladesh to adopt a rotation policy to ensure their top cricketers remain fit and refreshed.

He wants the players, coaching staff and the BCB to be on the same page should such a policy come into effect. He believes this will also help unearth newer players good enough for the top level.

"When these breaks are in place, you can give more opportunity to players and you will have players in the pipeline as well," Shakib said. "So we have to plan by looking at the bigger picture. I am just talking about part of it, but we will definitely discuss this in more details.

"I will give you an example from India. Their players had the least injuries in their history last year. One of the main reason was their rotation policy. It helped them build many players who got exposure. At the same time, their players were fresh when they came to the side. Everyone, including Virat Kohli, got rested for one of the formats."

Shakib, who was granted a break by the BCB for the short ODI series in Sri Lanka, also wants the players to come forward and tell the team management that they are not fit enough. He also called for the coaching staff, including the physio and trainer, to gauge when a player is not fit to play a match or series.

Bangladesh got through their World Cup campaign with several injured players including captain Mashrafe Mortaza, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman and Mosaddek Hossain.

The BCB, however, had named all of them in the initial 14-man squad for the recently concluded Sri Lanka series which the visitors lost three-zip. Changes were made when Mashrafe aggravated his hamstring injury during a training camp while Saifuddin's back problem persisted, and both had to be replaced on the eve of their departure to Colombo.

Batting and bowling weren't up to the mark in the three-match series but Bangladesh's lackluster performance was as much down to poor body language and several fielding errors. It suggested that many of the players were tired after a long World Cup and since performance and fitness are so closely connected, Shakib said that breaks are imperative.

"A player can't play all the time, they need to take breaks. The responsibility falls on both sides. It is also the responsibility to understand. A player is saying that I need or a break, or the coaching staff is telling a player, you need a break. So both sides must understand."

Before the Sri Lanka-bound squad was named, there was a strong case for the BCB to give few players a break to allow them to regain fitness and form. Shakib said that giving established players breaks would also mean that there would be opportunities to test fringe players.

But he also stressed that to avoid controversy, the communication should be clear between the players, coaches and the cricket board. "If we are to do this, we must have very good coordination between coaching staff, board and players," he said. "Otherwise there will be criticism if the right message is not sent."

Shakib, however, remained hopeful things can turn around in Bangladesh cricket if a long-term plan is put in place.

"I am sure the BCB are planning for the next three or four years. We have already appointed two coaches, and once all of them get together, the BCB can put forth their strategy. If we can work together, I think our cricket can go forward like it did in the last four years."

Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, has said that the absence of cricket from state schools is "nowhere near good enough" as the governing body looks to capitalise on the "inspirational moment that can spark that interest in the game" provided by the World Cup final.

Speaking to Sky during the first Ashes Test, Harrison pledged to double the number of state schools playing cricket in the next five years, and said the sport needed to shed its "tag of privilege" in the UK.

"We've got an outstanding partnership with Chance to Shine, which enables us to reach around 22% of state schools in this country at the moment," Harrison said, "[but] that is nowhere near good enough for us. We need to double that over the next five years at least, and make sure that we're reaching out to girls and boys.

"There are sports that do it very well… that we're talking to now to enable us to get that scale and that reach across schools, and make sure we give kids the opportunity."

Harrison also claimed that cricket was competing "with everything" - including console games such as Fortnite - for young people's attention.

"It's all a big challenge trying to capture kids' imaginations and young people's imaginations," he said. "We are competing with everything. We've had a lot of news about Fortnite recently in the news - that's the kind of competitive landscape that we're in.

"We've got a plan - it's called 'Inspiring Generations'. We launched it at the start of the year, [and] it's literally kicking off right now using the Ashes and the World Cup as a platform for growing the game.

"It's all about transforming the women's and girls' game in this country, and looking again at our schools strategy, because we're not comfortable about where we're at with schools in this country."

Harrison praised the make-up of the crowds at the World Cup, and said that cricket needs to eschew its reputation as an elitist sport.

"Cricket is a wonderful game that somehow carries around this tag of privilege in this country," he said. "It's something we need to shed and get away from as quickly as possible, and that's what we're doing.

"Our country is changing, and so the game needs to change, as we've proved over decades that it can do. One of the great things about this World Cup is that we were filling grounds with vibrant, colourful, diverse crowds - noisy, amazing crowds that we want coming back to our grounds as often as possible."

Harrison claimed that cricket had already enjoyed a post-World Cup bounce, highlighting strong sales in Vitality Blast tickets, and claimed that the ECB had seen "people writing in and saying 'my family have never really looked at cricket as being an option', and suddenly it's something that their kids are talking about, they want to play, they want to be part of".

Despite their apparent marginalisation to open up a window for The Hundred from next year, he said that the ECB have "got to put our counties at the heart of the challenge to grow the game in this country", and to ensure "that our county clubs are filling grounds across the country more regularly and for more formats of the game".

He also highlighted the role of the ECB's South Asian community programme, and said England "have got an incredibly diverse team that won the World Cup and that's playing in this Ashes Test right now" - despite the fact that ten of the side for the Edgbaston Test are white British and six were privately educated.

The defending national champion Clemson Tigers start the season the way they finished in January -- atop the Amway Coaches Poll.

The Tigers received 59 of 65 first-place votes in the poll, released Thursday, giving them the top spot in the preseason coaches ranking for the first time in school history. No. 2 Alabama received the other first-place votes.

The 1-2 ranking for Clemson and Alabama comes as little surprise heading into the season, as both teams are favorites to make it back to the College Football Playoff, with the potential to meet for the fifth straight time in the playoffs. The programs have split the past four national championships.

One of the biggest reasons so many expect them to make a run at another title hinges on their respective quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence returns to Clemson, while Tua Tagovailoa is ready to put his performance in the national championship game behind him to lead Alabama again.

If Nick Saban needs any extra motivation to give his team, beyond its 44-16 loss to the Tigers in January, this one might work: This is the first time since 2015 that Alabama is not No. 1 in the preseason coaches poll.

As for the rest of the top five, Georgia will start the season at No. 3, while Oklahoma is No. 4 and Ohio State is No. 5. The same five teams also opened the 2018 season in the preseason Top 5. Three of them -- Clemson, Alabama and Oklahoma -- made the playoff.

Could Oklahoma join them again? Anticipation is high with former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts taking over for Kyler Murray with the Sooners.

There are not many surprises rounding out the top 10, with No. 6 LSU followed by Michigan, Florida, Notre Dame and Texas.

As for conference breakdown, the Big Ten leads the way with seven ranked teams, followed by the SEC with six. Washington is the highest-ranked Pac-12 team, at No. 12. Among the Power 5 conferences, the ACC has the fewest ranked teams, with two.

The only ranked Group of 5 team is UCF, checking in at No. 17. The Knights, expected to start Notre Dame transfer Brandon Wimbush at quarterback, are attempting to go undefeated in the regular season for the third straight year.

Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Wagner says she was sexually assaulted by John Coughlin, becoming the latest figure skater to make an accusation against the former U.S. skater.

Wagner, 28, detailed the June 2008 assault to USA Today Sports this week, saying she was 17 when the then-22-year-old Coughlin climbed into bed with her, kissed her and groped her without her permission. She said the incident occurred after a party at the U.S. team's figure skating camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

"I was absolutely paralyzed in fear," Wagner told the newspaper.

After several minutes, Wagner said she grabbed Coughlin's hand and told him to stop. At that point, he left the room.

Wagner, a three-time national champion who is now retired from competitive skating, also wrote about the assault in a first-person piece for USA Today.

"I now know that regardless of the events of that night, I got into that bed thinking I was safe to just fall asleep. He was the one who took away that safety," Wagner wrote. "I went into that house just wanting to have fun with my friends. He was the one who shattered all of that."

Coughlin died by suicide in January, a day after he received an interim suspension from the U.S. Center for SafeSport and U.S. Figure Skating for unspecified conduct. He was 33.

He was accused by three people of sexual misconduct at the time of his suspension. Two of those accusations came from minors, according to USA Today, including one from his former pairs teammate Bridget Namiotka.

Wagner detailed her accusation to U.S. Figure Skating in February.

"What happened to Ashley should not happen to anyone, period," USFS spokeswoman Barbara Reichert told USA Today in a statement. "Ashley is incredibly strong; not just to have the courage to come forward with her story, but to share her experience publicly to help others."

Wagner said she and Coughlin never discussed the incident again.

She said she feared speaking out earlier because she competes in a sport where judges determine success. She told the newspaper two factors helped change her mind: the emergence of the #MeToo movement and Coughlin's coaching suspension.

"I didn't really genuinely process what this was until the start of the #MeToo movement," Wagner told USA Today. "Hearing other women come forward with their stories, it kind of made me reflect on this experience in a completely different manner. I had always felt violated but something within that movement really showed me that I was violated and I did have my safety and comfort taken away from me that night."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Melvin Gordon's agent told ESPN's Josina Anderson that he requested last week that the Los Angeles Chargers trade the running back after the team remained at its initial offer of approximately $10 million per season.

Agent Damarius Bilbo told Anderson that Chargers general manager Tom Telesco told him the Pro Bowl running back is still viewed as family and that Bilbo was not given permission to seek trade partners.

Last year, Bilbo was able to persuade the Miami Dolphins to move his client Jarvis Landry in a trade. Landry received the franchise tag and was then traded to the Cleveland Browns.

Gordon is holding out from training camp as he seeks a new contract. Last week, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Gordon's holdout is expected to be prolonged and threatens to last into the season.

The 26-year-old Gordon is scheduled to be in the final year of his contract, a fifth-year option worth $5.6 million.