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Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a trialling time since the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo, having seen three managers take charge of the squad since his farewell in 2021.

The Portuguese coach restored Premier League football at Molineux, as well as taking the Old Gold on a European journey, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2019/20 Europa League just two seasons after their promotion.

After four years in the Midlands, the 49-year-old left by mutual decision after Wolves hit poor form, replaced by Bruno Lage who was dismissed just 16 months later when the club were in the relegation zone last season.

Former Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui stepped in to save the day before being swiftly replaced by Gary O’Neil this summer, after struggling to accept the financial burdens the club were struck with.

Over the last few years, Wolves have seen a decline in performance and direction, however have remained in a far better position than what could have been, thanks to some of the talent in the ranks.

Despite ending their times at Molineux as a result of bad form, Lage and Nuno combined to hand the Old Gold one of their top performers in recent times, delivering Rayan Ait-Nouri to the Midlands.

How much did Rayan Ait-Nouri cost Wolves?

Signed on a loan deal from French outfit Angers in 2020 by Nuno, the Algerian was snatched up permanently by Lage after impressing during his season-long spell in the Premier League.

Wolves paid a £9.5m fee to secure the youngster on a five-year deal in 2021, with the option for an additional year, a small cost for a talent with so much potential.

Lauded as “phenomenal” aged just 19 by journalist Tim Spiers, the full-back settled in quickly in the English top-flight, recording 21 appearances in his debut campaign before making his move permanent.

Now, the 22-year-old has made 70 Premier League appearances for Wolves, scoring three goals and registering five assists as he continues to show his worth in the Midlands at left-back.

How much is Rayan Ait-Nouri worth now?

Having made five appearances for O’Neil’s side already in the 2023/24 league campaign, the £10k-per-week maestro is excelling on the flank, showing his ability to play in the ever-popular inverted role to exploit his attacking strengths.

Sporting an expected transfer value (xTV) of €6.6m (£5.7m), as per Football Transfers, in the summer of 2020, just prior to his loan move to Wolves, the one-cap Algeria international has seen his value soar since his arrival in England.

Currently, the 22-year-old is valued at around €20m (£17m) by CIES Football Observatory, showing a gradual rise in his market value, telling of his improvement and rise to prominence at Molineux.

At left-back, Ait-Nouri has performed as one of the standout full-backs in Europe as supported by FBref’s statistics.

The defender ranked in the top 3% of fullbacks in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for his rate of successful take-ons, averaging a mammoth 2.21 per 90, as well as ranking in the top 7% for his 2.95 tackles per 90, via FBref.

Lage certainly struck gold by welcoming the dynamic Algerian on a permanent deal, with the defender having the potential to make the Old Gold millions in the future.

Burnley are reportedly eyeing their next acquisition, as manager Vincent Kompany looks to make way for his 14th summer arrival in the bid to make the Clarets’ return to the Premier League a memorable campaign.

Despite being without a game last weekend due to Luton Town’s ground, Kenilworth Road, undergoing improvements to keep up with their meteoric rise to the top, it came to light that the new arrivals to the top-flight had beat Manchester United 3-0 in a fixture behind closed doors.

After comfortably winning the Championship last campaign, Burnley have seen multiple squad changes, with rumours speculating that further additions could be welcome to Turf Moor before the close of the window.

Who could Burnley sign this summer?

This week, the Clarets welcomed former Aston Villa midfielder Aaron Ramsey to the side marking Kompany’s 13th new addition, with rumours building that another arrival may be in the pipeline.

Earlier this week, journalist Dominik Schnieder took to social media to report that the Lancashire outfit are making a “push” to sign Sporting Lisbon B midfielder Renato Veiga, with FC Basel and Standard Liege also holding interest.

The reporter also relayed that a fee in the region of £5.5m to be paid in three instalments has been put on the table by the Premier League side, and a five-year contract for the 20-year-old starlet to consider.

Who is Renato Veiga?

Born in Lisbon, the versatile defensively-minded machine has risen through the ranks at Sporting where he is now a member of the side’s B team.

In January, the 20-year-old gem got his first taste of playing the top-flight, endeavouring on a half-season loan to FC Augsburg, where in which he made 13 appearances in the Bundesliga.

Deployable at both centre-back and left-back, the combative starlet is most prominently fielded in defensive midfield at his boyhood club, however, his versatility was exploited in Germany, where he was positioned in central defence.

Having been lauded as a “terrific footballer” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the midfielder could be the perfect capture for Kompany at Turf Moor, as he braces for potential change in the midfield areas before the end of the summer.

Josh Brownhill has been linked to a host of clubs in both the Championship and Premier League, including Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United, and after three-and-a-half years could leave the claret and blue this window.

The Englishman has been used in defensive midfield by Kompany, making a potential swoop for Veiga a smart one should the 27-year-old indeed move onto pastures new.

The Portuguese starlet is a defensively competent player, as highlighted by his averages in the Bundesliga last term, in which he averaged 1.27 tackles, 2.82 blocks and a mammoth 4.08 clearances, via FBref, suggesting the dominant presence he could bring to the Premier League.

While Brownhill is more of a progressive player, the Englishman’s departure along with the potential capture of the Sporting B sensation could give Kompany the freedom to juggle his midfield, with new arrival Sander Berge having a pass to roam with the assurance of an anchor.

In signing the 20-year-old, the Belgian manager can have a young and versatile star at his disposal, in a player that could prove to be a secret weapon for the Clarets due to his ability to take on a variety of tasks on the pitch.

Stunning footage of new Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku has resurfaced online, showing just how strong he was even as a 17-year-old.

What's the latest Man City transfer news?

Earlier this week, the young Belgian completed a reported £55.5m move from Rennes to City, signing a five-year deal with the Premier League champions.

Now 21 years old, the former Anderlecht player is seen as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez and arrives with high expectations having also been wanted by West Ham United this summer (via Sky Sports).

Speaking to the Man City media team immediately after his transfer, Doku seemed excited to get started in his new environment, saying: “This is a great day for me, both personally and professionally. Manchester City are the best team in world football, so to be joining them is something very special for me and my family.

He added: “Watching City last season was amazing. To win the Treble is the hardest thing in football and they did it. You cannot imagine how exciting it is to be joining this team.

“I cannot wait to get started. Hopefully I can make the fans happy.”

Well, for those fans who have seen footage that has re-emerged on Twitter this week, they'll also be extremely excited to watch their new man in action.

After all, as you can see in the clip below, despite only being 17 years old at the time, Doku goes toe-to-toe with City legend Vincent Kompany, showing incredible strength as he battles with the now-retired centre-back.

Initially, Doku falls down but quickly gets up to his feet and knocks Kompany to the ground as the Anderlecht teammates cry out in delight. After the exchange, former Man City player Samir Nasri can also be spotted flexing his muscles and pointing to the young winger, making a show of how strong the Belgian had proven himself to be.

How old is Jeremy Doku?

While he was just 17 at the time, born on 27 May 2002, Doku is now 21 years of age and will be, in theory, even stronger now than he was before.

Of course, though, his game isn't all about strength. In particular, his ability to beat opponents with the ball at his feet has been highlighted by many to have seen the winger up close.

As quoted on the Man City website, Thierry Henry, who coached the player when working as assistant manager for Belgium, said: “Rarely in my life have I seen a player come out of a dribble so quickly, extraordinary. Now, injured, not consistent, does he replace himself? We are harder on players like that. If he is good, he is really impregnable.”

Former City and France star Nasri, who played alongside Doku during his time at Anderlecht, added: "I think he has a great future. He has crazy quality in one-on-ones and is an explosive dribbler.

“He can be one of the best 20 players in the world one day."

Ligue 1 opponent and Paris Saint-Germain ace Kylian Mbappe even praised Doku himself, saying: "Recently, I was speaking with my father about a player who impressed me because of his speed qualities, that is (Jérémy) Doku, at Rennes.

"In five years as a professional, I have never seen someone from a standing start demonstrate so much power.”

Adding to this, after seeing this old footage resurface on Twitter, fans couldn't help but comment how impressed they were. Here are some of the best reactions…

Tottenham Hotspur have started talks for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku as La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Davide Chinellato shares a transfer update.

Who will Spurs replace Kane with?

Ange Postecoglou could be set for a busy final few weeks of the summer after star striker Harry Kane completed his potential £103 million move to Bayern Munich.

The north Londoners must now find a replacement for Kane heading into the last fortnight of this transfer window, and there have been many linked, including the likes of Montpellier striker Elye Wahi, Gent's Gift Orban, Chelsea forward Lukaku and Juventus ace Dusan Vlahovic.

Postecoglou has admitted that Spurs must focus on outgoings for now, as the squad is currently too bloated, but the 57-year-old did express that he knew Kane would leave before deadline day.

“I had a conversation with Harry the first day he arrived and he was up front and honest, and I was the same,” the 57-year-old said ahead of their opener against Brentford on Sunday.

“You get an indication there that he kind of made up his mind: that if the clubs agreed he would go, particularly if it was before the first game. That was my preference as well.

“There's nothing along the way that's sort of made me feel there's anything other than this outcome. None of these things happen in isolation, everyone is pretty clued into to what's going on, so from my perspective I hadn't received anything from Harry, the club or anyone else to suggest to me anything had changed about his stance."

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Kane's haul of 30 league goals in 38 appearances last term will be very hard to replicate for any incoming striker, but one man who has reached similar figures in England before is Lukaku.

The 30-year-old's best Premier League campaign came during his time at Everton, where he managed 25 in 36 league starts over 16/17. Lukaku, most recently, also managed an impressive 24 goals and 11 assists during Inter Milan's 2020/2021 title-winning campaign.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reporter Chinellato, sharing an update for the Italian newspaper on Spurs' links to Lukaku (via Sport Witness), says club-to-club talks have started.

Indeed, it is believed Tottenham "contacts have started and an agreement is possible" for Lukaku, who is said to prefer them over a potential move to Saudi Arabia.

If chairman Daniel Levy wishes to sign the forward, a €45 million (£38.6m) fee is needed, while Juventus remain in contention for a swap deal involving Vlahovic.

How good is Romelu Lukaku?

The Belgian is an international star for his country, having bagged 75 goals for the Red Devils in total since his making his debut against Croatia in 2010.

Former Spurs boss Antonio Conte has also previously praised the player for his contribution during Inter's impressive Scudetto win in 2021.

“Right now, he is one of the best strikers in the world,” said Conte that year (L'Equipe via Sport Mob).

"He already had important physical and technical skills, but in these two years we have made him progress even more. His presence in the match, his teamwork and clarity in front of goal [has improved]."

MatériaMais Notícias

Mais de cinco meses depois, Fluminense e Figueirense, enfim, vão fazer o jogo de volta da Copa do Brasil. Com a vitória do time catarinense na ida, no Orlando Scarpelli, por 1 a 0, os cariocas vão precisar de um placar de 2 a 0 ou mais para avançar. Caso o resultado termine em igualdade, o jogo irá para os pênaltis.

O Flu chega com confiança após uma vitória por 1 a 0 contra o Athletico-PR na Arena da Baixada pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. Foi a primeira do Tricolor fora de casa na competição. Além disso, o técnico Odair Hellmann poderá contar novamente com Hudson e Fred, de volta após lesão.

O Figueirense chega após a primeira vitória na Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro, batendo o Botafogo-SP, por 1 a 0. Antes disso, a equipe vinha de quatro jogos sem vitória e uma eliminação no Campeonato Catarinense.

FLUMINENSE X FIGUEIRENSE
Data/Hora: 25/08/2020, às 21h30
Local: Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Árbitro: Felipe Fernandes de Lima (MG)
Auxiliares: Guilherme Dias Camilo (MG) e Felipe Alan Costa de Oliveira (MG)
Onde ver: Premiere, SporTV e tempo real do LANCE!.

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FLUMINENSE (Técnico: Odair Hellmann)
Muriel; Calegari, Luccas Claro, Nino, Egídio; Yuri, Dodi, Nenê; Marcos Paulo, Michel Araújo e Evanilson.

Lesionados: Frazan
Pendurados: Marcos Paulo
Suspensos: Ninguém

FIGUEIRENSE (Técnico: Márcio Coelho)
Sidão; Lucas, Alemão, Pereira, Victor Oliveira (Sanchez); Geovane, Elyeser, Marquinho; Keké, Diego Gonçalves e Everton Santos.

Pendurados:Diego e Matheus
Suspensos: Ninguém

Palpites: Na redação do LANCE!, 70% acreditam na classificação do Fluminense e 30% no Figueirense.

Norwich City look to be on the verge of yet another signing this summer, with Derbund, via Pink Un reporting that Christian Fassnacht is in talks with the club.

Who is Christian Fassnacht?

The 29-year-old has spent the entirety of his career in his native Switzerland, having come up through the divisions and landed with Young Boys in the Swiss Super League.

He's been a success there too, with his side claiming the league title in 2022/23. The midfielder played 29 times during that campaign, 26 of which were starts, and produced eight goals with six assists. It meant that his goal contribution tally hit double-digits for the third consecutive season – only in one league campaign has he ever hit less than ten goals + assists.

He's been with his current side since the 2017/18 season and has gone on to rack up nearly 200 league outings for the club during his time there (182 to be exact). That has led to a return of 68 goals and 33 assists – impressive when you consider he plays almost exclusively out wide.

It means that he has a total rate of 0.58 goals or assists per 90 over the entirety of his time with Young Boys – meaning he guarantees one or the other in every second game he features in, extremely good numbers over such an extended period of time.

He was equally as impressive for Thun before that, with ten goals during his lone season with them.

The wide man's showings in his native country have also led to appearances for his national side. He has 19 caps to his name as things stand, with four goals, and remains involved in and around the squad on a consistent basis under Murat Yakin.

Are Norwich signing Christian Fassnacht?

Now, according to a report from Derbund, via Pink Un, the midfielder may finally be about to leave Switzerland and head to England. Championship side Norwich City are in discussions over a potential move for the Young Boys star and the report states that he has already got a medical lined up with the Canaries.

It means that once negotiations are sorted out and a medical is passed, he will almost definitely become a Norwich player – although it is unclear yet just how much he is going to set the second tier side back in terms of a transfer fee.

If Norwich do manage to get a transfer sorted though, his record makes him look like a promising signing for the club. His goal and assist record is exciting, with the midfielder regularly standing out and hitting double-digit tallies in Switzerland. There will likely be some adapting to a different country and league but the 29-year-old has also played for his country, which will be valuable experience that not every member of the Canaries squad will have.

Fassnacht then could be a deal that goes under the radar but ends up being a very good addition if Norwich complete a deal.

West Ham United have now expressed their interest in signing FC Midtjylland midfielder Emiliano Martinez, but they may have to battle Wolverhampton Wanderers for his signature, according to a report from Football Insider.

What's the latest West Ham transfer news?

West Ham have recently stepped up their interest in signing James Ward-Prowse, and they planned to use Flynn Downes in negotiations for the Southampton midfielder, though the Saints have made it clear they are not interested in a deal of that nature.

Southampton have indicated they will only sell their captain in a straight cash deal, and they value him at £40m, but the Hammers believe he is only worth £25m, so it appears as though a lot of negotiating will be needed to get a deal over the line.

Ward-Prowse is not the Irons' only central midfield target, with Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka also on the radar, However, the German has no desire to leave the Allianz Arena this summer, despite Thomas Tuchel being willing to sell him.

David Moyes is working on as many as five signings in order to strengthen his squad ahead of the return to the Europa League next season, with Ajax's Edson Alvarez and Juventus' Denis Zakaria also under consideration.

According to a report from Football Insider, Martinez is also emerging as a target for West Ham, and they are now plotting a move for the FC Midtjylland midfielder, who has earned rave reviews since moving to the Danish club in January.

There may be competition for the 23-year-old's signature, however, as Wolves have also expressed their interest, following his breakthrough in international football.

The Uruguayan recently earned his first call-up to the national side, having impressed Marcelo Bielsa, and the new Uruguay boss sees him becoming a mainstay in the team going forward.

How good is Emiliano Martinez?

The Midtjylland star's international call-up has been branded a success by the Uruguayan media, despite it being considered "madness" for Bielsa to initially include him in the squad.

In the same report, Nacional midfielder Joaquin Trasante describes the Uruguay international as "huge", as he has recently undergone a noticeable physical change by increasing his muscle mass.

Upon arrival in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola expressed his shock at the physicality on show, so it is important that Martinez has recently worked on his physical attributes, as it means he may not take as much time to adapt to English football.

With West Ham returning to the Europa League next season, it could be important to sign players with experience at that level of football, and the former Red Bull Bragantino man put in some quality performances in the competition last season.

The £6.3k-per-week maestro averaged a match rating of 6.96 in the Europa League, the fourth-highest figure in the squad, weighing in with one goal and an average of three tackles per game, the second-highest amount.

It would be a risk to sign Martinez, as he is unproven in a major league, but he is showing very promising signs, and he could be a shrewd acquisition for West Ham.

Bangladesh only have positive thoughts going into their match against New Zealand even though they know they are lucky to still have a chance to qualify for the semi-finals and could still go home even with victory in Cardiff.The captain Mashrafe Mortaza admitted they had reacted negatively to their warm-up collapse against India, when they were skittled for 84 at The Oval, by picking an extra batsman for the opening England fixture. He promised, however, there would be no repeat, despite struggling against Australia except for Tamim Iqbal’s defiant 95.”We have to think positive for sure,” Mashrafe said. “For that we need to pick five bowlers – we normally play with five bowlers all the time. In the first match we were maybe thinking of the India practice match, but we can’t just go the negative way. We have to score as well as we have to get them all out.”We knew before the tournament that we had to produce something special, otherwise it wouldn’t be easy to beat teams like England and Australia. But we are a team that wouldn’t let go of a chance, so if one comes up tomorrow we will have to make sure we don’t let it slip.”Bangladesh are certainly familiar with New Zealand’s style of cricket, even if the side they faced in Ireland – and beat in their most recent meeting – did not contain some of the senior players. Among those they did not meet last month was Kane Williamson – who has been in magnificent form in the opening two matches – but, like Tamim, he too has very little to show for his efforts so far.’We can win from a really bad situation if Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur and Shakib are around’ – Mashrafe Mortaza•AFP

“He is in great form but we cannot focus only in on Williamson,” Mashrafe said. “They have some players like [Martin] Guptill who can change the game. So we have to think about all of their batsmen as a bowling group. And also if you look on our side, I think Tamim is in great form. It doesn’t mean that Tamim will come in to score tomorrow, as well. So you never know what’s going to happen.”Bangladesh are yet to see in this tournament how their batting fares if Tamim fails to post a significant score, although even with his contributions, the middle and lower order has not offered much beyond Mushfiqur Rahim’s 79 against England. In that match, they struggled to accelerate during the closing overs while in the Australia game they collapsed from 122 for 3 to 182 all out after the dismissal of Shakib Al Hasan. But Mashrafe said that Bangladesh’s batting depth should not be disregarded on the basis of their recent performances.”Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur and Shakib are players who can change the course of a game. We can win from a really bad situation if they are around. I am hoping that they will rise on the big situation, which is coming up tomorrow.”Everyone is excited. We knew that these three matches would be difficult for us. We know our limitations and strengths, so we are basing our game on those lines. We were lucky against Australia to get a point; we didn’t play too badly against England. We are still in the tournament, with a game in hand. I can feel it in the dressing room. We want to have a positive end to this tournament.”

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah is piquing the interest of Saudi Arabian clubs, Rudy Galetti has told GIVEMESPORT.

What is the latest transfer news regarding Mohamed Salah?

Bizarrely, Saudi Arabian football official Hafez Al-Medlej wants the 31-year-old join the new-look Saudi Pro League along with the other footballing superstars that have headed to the Far East, as he stated:

"We must also start working on the signing of Mohamed Salah since he is overwhelmingly popular in the Arab world and in Europe, I think Salah still has records to break with Liverpool, so I hope that if he doesn’t come now he will in the future" Al-Medlej told Koura (via AS).

Since Salah joined the Reds in the summer of 2017, he has gone on to become one of the greatest Premier League attackers in history, scoring 137 goals and assisting 62 in 218 games.

The forward signed a new contract with Liverpool in the summer of 2022 which extended the forward's stay on Merseyside until 2025.

So, what is Rudy Galetti's update on Mohamed Salah?

When asked about the future of the Liverpool star, Galetti told GIVEMESPORT: "For sure, he's attracted the attention of Saudi Arabian clubs. Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, at the moment, are the clubs that have shown the greatest interest in Mohamed Salah. Contacts are in progress and both clubs are trying to understand if there is room for negotiation."

What are the chances of Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool for Saudi Arabia?

Liverpool will be desperate to keep Salah ahead of next season as they look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign.

Manager Jurgen Klopp was not concerned about the Egyptian leaving the club when asked in May, saying: "No worries, no. I only heard what he said but I couldn't read anything that could lead in that direction. Obviously Mo loves being here and Mo was part of it. He said apologies for what 'we' did – not apologies for 'what the other guys did, but I had to go with them'. It is all fine. If ever a player would come to me and said, 'oh, we didn't qualify for the Champions League, I have to leave', I would drive him to the other club myself."

The forward has broken plenty of records in his time at Liverpool, becoming the club's record Premier League goalscorer last season, and is closing in on some records held by some of the all-time Premier League greats which may be a reason for the Egyptian to turn down offers this summer.

Liverpool have made two signings this window in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, and with heavy links to Romeo Lavia and Khephren Thuram, its clear the Reds are making a big push to return to their previous heights, which may well convince Salah to stick around and challenge for the top honours again.

The Reds have been linked with a move for Samuel Chukwueze but nothing has really materialised and it would come as a surprise if those links have anything to do with what would be a shock Mohamed Salah departure.

AB de Villiers led the run charts and Martin Guptill recovered from a hamstring injury to play perhaps his best innings. But neither of them will feature in the upcoming three-Test series

Firdose Moonda05-Mar-2017In a one-day series dominated by bowlers, two batsmen in particular stood out. AB de Villiers led the run scoring and Martin Guptill recovered from a hamstring injury to play perhaps his best innings. But neither of them will feature in the upcoming three-Test series between their two countries, albeit for different reasons.De Villiers has opted out of the series – and most of Test cricket for 2017 – as part of a workload management program while Guptill has not been selected despite his finding form, after he lost his Test place late last year, and the contest may be poorer without them.”Anybody, any coach, would want AB de Villiers in their side but he has made a decision and we respect that decision,” Russell Domingo, the South Africa coach, said. “He plays such a lot of cricket around the world, at such a high level all the time and he has got a young family so you can understand those decisions. We all definitely wanted him to stay but it’s a decision he has made for family life.”De Villiers, who has had lengthy breaks over the last eight months with an elbow problem, appeared close to his best in the last three weeks. His 262 runs came at 87.33 and included two half-centuries but that was not enough to change his mind about his Test hiatus. “I can’t wait to get home. I am really looking forward to get to my family. A three-week tour works really well. A couple of weeks at home before more cricket starts again is coming at a great time for me,” de Villiers said. “I will really miss the boys and I will watch the cricket but it’s a great time for me to get back and rest the mind.”He will have the next few weeks off before joining up with the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the IPL and then reuniting with his national team-mates as they prepare for the Champions Trophy – a tournament de Villiers “believes in my heart” they can win. Even if they don’t, he will see the competition as a valuable marker for his ultimate goal of lifting the 2019 World Cup, which will take priority over all other cricket for now. “He needs to freshen up and he needs to try and win the World Cup in 2019 – that’s a big ambition for him. It’s his decision and we respect it,” Domingo said.Without de Villiers, South Africa have already won three Test series, against New Zealand, Australia and Sri Lanka, and although they will miss their star batsman, Domingo is confident they can cope without him “We know when he is here, he gives absolutely everything, there’s no doubt about it. He will be missed but we’ve gone through a series against Sri Lanka and a series in Australia without him so the game goes on. As good as anyone is, the game goes on,” Domingo said. “Somebody will in time get to de Villiers’ level. When that is we don’t know, but someone will get there at some stage.”South Africa’s Test middle-order is made up of JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock with Theunis de Bruyn included as a reserve batsmen. Of those, only Bavuma has struggled of late but he found some form domestically during February with two fifties in his last four matches.Those numbers pale in comparison to Guptill’s but he was never going to be considered for a Test recall after being dropped at the start of the season, so while the unbeaten 180 reignited the debate the decision had been made. New Zealand coach Mike Hesson explained Guptill could be tried in the middle-order, where Henry Nicholls is currently establishing himself, but will first have to stake his claim in domestic cricket with Auckland.Guptill had a reputation for being loose outside the off stump and, as a result, is a favourite for the South Africa attack. In Tests, no bowler has dismissed him more than the absent Dale Steyn (six times in seven matches) and Vernon Philander is encroaching on that, having accounted for Guptill four times in six matches. Guptill has only scored one fifty against South Africa in 13 Tests innings but his two ODI hundreds – coming in the space of three innings – and one T20 century have served as enough warning of what he can do. Domingo was not complaining that they will not face him again over the next three weeks.”You always feel maybe you can bowl to the rest of the guys [in one-day cricket] whereas Martin is a guy who can dominate you straight away. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor will try and get themselves in but Martin is a guy who, from ball one, can take you apart,” Domingo said. “He is a hell of a player and that was one of the best one-day hundreds I’ve seen. His ball striking is phenomenal. I know his Test record hasn’t been as good as he would have hoped for but we always think a team without Martin Guptill is probably not the same.”