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West Ham United manager David Moyes has been "actively trying to replace" one player behind the scenes, according to a club insider.

West Ham form this season

Victories over Chelsea, Brighton, Sheffield United and Luton Town have resulted in the Hammers winning half of their Premier League games so far, with only Man City and Liverpool managing to beat Moyes' solid side. West Ham, most recently, snatched a 2-2 draw at home to high-flying Newcastle as well, putting them in good stead for the international break as they lie seventh in the table.

There have been a fair few standout performers from their opening run of fixtures, perhaps most notably the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio and Lucas Paqueta. Pundit Frank McAvennie, speaking to West Ham Zone recently, heaped praise on the aforementioned who've become key for Moyes over an impressive start.

“Bowen is good isn’t he? I like Bowen. If Antonio wasn’t back to his old self, we wouldn’t be the team that we are now," said McAvennie.

"Because the way we play, you need somebody up front working hard, and that’s what Antonio does. Danny Ings can’t do that, so if Antonio doesn’t do that we’re in trouble, because he’s doing that and it’s part of the team and it’s working because of the way he runs and fights up front. I’ve got to be honest I’m getting more and more attached to Paqueta. Some of his touches are just ‘Wow.’ He’s incredible. I’m impressed with him."

In Europe, West Ham are also unbeaten in 17 straight matches, having won the Europa Conference League last season. Speaking after a recent 2-1 win away to Bundesliga side SC Freiburg, Moyes hailed West Ham's run abroad which fills him with so much pride.

"17 matches unbeaten in Europe fills me with so much pride," Moyes said to the press (via ESPN).

"I got told about the record yesterday and I was quite thrilled to even be level with the two managers who were in question, Don Revie and Bill Nicholson, and I have to say I was delighted with getting the win."

West Ham transfer news – Nayef Aguerd

One of West Ham's other mainstays is Morocco international defender Nayef Aguerd, who's started seven league games while chipping in with a goal. The 27-year-old, who signed from Rennes on a five-year contract last summer, became a key player for them at the back end of last season.

However, according to club insider Claret & Hugh, it appears Irons boss Moyes doesn't quite find him suitable anymore. Indeed, in a small line, they state that the Scotsman has been "actively trying to replace" Aguerd amid their links to Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba.

Nayef Aguerd's style of play

Likes to play long-balls

Plays the ball off the ground often

Clears the ball out of defence

The fact Tapsoba is a left-sided centre-back may be of some interest to West Ham, according to C&H, and until recently they were trying to sign Man United defender Harry Maguire over the summer transfer window. This is all despite Moyes previously praising Aguerd's "stylish" play last season (The Evening Standard).

With the summer transfer window approaching, Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony believes that Norwich City will attempt a move to sign one of his defensive stars.

Norwich transfer news

With just four points standing between themselves and the Championship top six, there’s still every chance that Norwich enjoy an exciting end to the season in the remaining 13 games. It would certainly be an excellent achievement if Johannes Hoff Thorup took his side to the play-offs at the first time of asking in England’s second tier, but a winless run of three games suggests there’s work to be done in pursuit of that goal.

Meanwhile, as that battle continues, those at Carrow Road could already be setting their sights on summer reinforcements who could bridge that gap on the top six and take Thorup’s side up a level or two.

The rumours are already getting underway and have already been fuelled by another EFL chief. Peterborough chairman MacAnthony even believes that Norwich will attempt to sign Emmanuel Fernandez this summer after failing to secure his signature at the end of the January transfer window for £2.5m.

Sharing his surprise at Fernandez’s stay, MacAnthony told The Hard Truth podcast, as relayed by the Peterborough Telegraph: “It blew my mind and the mind of my gaffer when Manny and his brothers turned the deal down.”

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He then went on to say: “Norwich became irritated and I don’t blame them. Manny’s had a lot of grief in his life in the last 18 months, but I believe Norwich will try again in the summer. At 23 he’s a magnificent prospect.

“He has all the attributes needed to have a great career. He wins everything in the air, 80% of his headers in fact which is way above average, and he can play out with the ball. With the right coaching and improvement he can be like Ethan Pinnock and James Tarkowski who made their way up the leagues to the top.”

Norwich should go again for Fernandez

A 6’6 central defender who is still just 23 years old, Norwich should return to secure Fernandez’s signature this summer, even despite their irritation over their January failure.

Compared to both Pinnock and Tarkowski – albeit by a chairman perhaps eyeing profit – Fernandez could unlock the next step for Thorup’s side at Carrow Road, which would see them step into the top six once again.

When the summer transfer window swings open, it will certainly be interesting to see whether MacAnthony is left in shock once again or if Norwich finally get the defender they’ve been chasing since the turn of the year.

Given how he’s been praised, the 23-year-old is undoubtedly one to watch – whether it’s at Peterborough or in the Championship with Norwich, as he looks to replicate Tarkowski and Pinnock’s Premier League success.

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag could ensure there is no way back at Old Trafford for one of his mega-money stars, according to sources at Old Trafford.

What's the latest news involving Manchester United?

Former Manchester United icon Andy Cole has criticised Red Devils' striker Anthony Martial for his goal record at the Premier League giants, stating: "Martial has been at Manchester United for 8 years now and he hasn't even scored 100 goals. It's incredible. He is a centre-forward at Manchester United and he has played in some fantastic teams. His best performance in the league was 17 goals. He’s had more than enough time and opportunity to show United just how good he is and he unfortunately hasn't been able to do so."

Meanwhile, according to Football Insider, both Galatasaray and Fenerbache are monitoring the situation of out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek, with the Turkish transfer window open for business until September 15th.

Lorient and Real Sociedad were also keen on bringing in the Netherlands international; however, neither move materialised in the end and the Super Lig could now represent a potential destination for Van de Beek to get his career back on track. Manchester United believe it would be best to get him off the wage bill to 'free up squad space and wages' at Old Trafford.

Dialogue has been opened between Manchester United and full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka over the 25-year-old potentially signing a new contract at Old Trafford, according to The Daily Mail.

The Croydon-born defender has less than a year left to run on his current deal in the North West, though Manchester United have the option to extend the agreement by a further 12 months.

Which player is Ten Hag unhappy with?

According to Telegraph Sport's James Ducker, Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho is set for showdown talks with Ten Hag over his future at Old Trafford, though he looks to be in a position of real uncertainty at the club following his public outburst at the Dutch coach, which was in rebuttal to his performances in training being criticised.

Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, who are managed by former Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard, tried to sign Sancho late on in the transfer window; however, Manchester United blocked any notion of letting the international leave on loan.

Ducker says sources at Old Trafford believe that any chance of the 23-year-old making a comeback at the Red Devils are 'doubtful' following recent events, so his time as a Ten Hag player may effectively be finished despite staying put in the window.

Sancho has failed to set the worth alight at Manchester United since joining from Borussia Dortmund for a fee in the region of £73 million back in 2021, recording 12 goals and six assists in 82 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

The Sun claim that Borussia Dortmund would be keen on a dramatic reunion with Sancho and are monitoring his situation – the Bundesliga giants also failed with a loan swoop for the ex-Manchester City youth player earlier this year.

The transfer window has drawn to a close, and with it the furore across the country as fans welcome exciting new additions and agonisingly watch star players slip away.

The Premier League has seen a great deal of change since the market pitched its stalls back in June, with the English top-flight setting a new world-record league transfer expenditure; £2.36bn.

When Newcastle United underwent the PIF club takeover in October 2021, the genesis of a new, exciting era, all knew that lucrative additions would soon be welcomed with regularity, but few foresaw the level of astuteness and diligence that has catapulted the Tyneside outfit into Champions League football not two years on.

Last season, the Magpies, led by the grounded and erudite Eddie Howe, bagged a spot in the top four ahead of the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, and while money has been spent, their business has been conducted with care and calculation; this summer, seven divisional rivals finished the window with a higher net spend.

The same could be said for the summer of 2022, and while the club did make a raft of signings the prior January, months after the transformative takeover, the moves were shrewd and purposeful.

Who was linked to Newcastle in January 2022?

Reforming the backline, Howe got to work and sealed deals for Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Matt Targett – the latter on loan and the others costing a combined £25m – while Bruno Guimaraes, the centrepiece of the midfield to this day, required a £40m outlay.

Chris Wood was also signed from Premier League relegation rivals Burnley for no small sum of £25m; the dovetailing of all these acquisitions resulted in a rise from the lower end of the league ladder and a comfortable 11th-place finish, with 49 points.

The rest is history, and the Toon will have no complaints after such an emphatic ascent, but given that the likes of Ousmane Dembele, James Tarkowski and Yves Bissouma were all on the radar, there is a sense that the club could have made several signings who would still play prominent roles to this day.

Regardless, things worked out to say the least, but one deal that fell by the wayside is the expensive deal to sign Wood, with the New Zealand international shipped on after making a minimal mark at St. James' Park.

Why did Newcastle sign Chris Wood?

Joining from Burnley, there's a feeling that as Howe and technical director Dan Ashworth made their move to sign a new focal frontman, the 31-year-old was targeted to weaken Sean Dyche's Clarets, who were direct relegation rivals at the time.

TalkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor remarked at the "strange, strange signing", also saying that "there was talk of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and all these superstars coming and they’ve gone and got a striker who’s scored three goals this season."

Admittedly, it worked out; the Magpies took flight and have been soaring ever since while the Turf Moor side were left moored in the bottom three and fell into the Championship after six successive years in the Premier League, albeit returning at the first time of asking last term.

However, the 70-cap All White only managed to post five goals from 39 outings for United across his 12 months at the club, scoring twice in the latter phase of the 21/22 league campaign and the same again before last season's winter transfer window, also netting against Tranmere Rovers in last term's Carabao Cup.

The £80k-per-week forward's most notable moment for Howe's high-rising side probably came against Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup last season, placed through on goal in the 81st minute with the Magpies trailing 2-1 before inexplicably cannoning his shot above the goal.

Perhaps such a blunder was enough to dissuade Howe from selecting him again; a few weeks later, he was moved on to Nottingham.

How much did Newcastle sell Chris Wood for?

The fact that he was shipped out on loan in January with a £15m obligation to buy in the summer – which has now been activated – emphasises how wide of the mark this transfer misdealing truly was.

However, given that Wood has only scored twice from 12 appearances for the Tricky Trees (albeit missing 11 matches at the end of last season due to injury), it looks like Newcastle cashed in for an exorbitant amount for a player whose best days are ostensibly behind him.

Once a consistent striker on England's biggest stage, the Auckland-born ace plundered 53 goals from 165 displays for Burnley and was the starring talisman as they trod water above the danger zone year upon year, hitting double digits in the Premier League from 2017/18 – 2020/21.

Once described as a "first-class" forward by Premier League icon Peter Crouch, Wood is arguably the biggest blunder of the Howe era at Newcastle, but given the money recuperated, it certainly could have been a lot worse.

What is Chris Wood worth now?

Indeed, according to Football Transfers' valuation model, Wood is now valued at just £4m, having seen his cutting edge in front of goal dry up like a puddle in the sun over the past few years.

He's even been said to have been "a bit lost" at St. James' Park prior to his sale by pundit and former Hibernian striker Tam McManus, who acknowledged that he was a "decent squad player' but unlikely to ever reclaim a role of significance.

His situation was compounded by the club-record £63m signing of exciting forward Alexander Isak in August 2022, who has been described as "a unicorn for his mixture of size & technical ability" by Kev Lawson.

The prolific success of Callum Wilson also pushed Wood further onto the periphery, who has not really proved Howe and Ashworth wrong in their decision to ship him on since his sale, despite scoring a last-gasp headed winner for Forest against Sheffield United in the Premier League last month.

Still a competent forward at top level, Wood's signing and subsequent sale was symbolic of the arresting development at Newcastle under Howe's stewardship.

Signed to aid the club in their travails against relegation, the Magpies transcended their struggles in quick time and now look set for sustained pursuit of silverware and success in the upper echelon of the Premier League, and Wood got left behind.

The team begins it’s World Cup campaign on January 13, with a game against Afghanistan

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2017

Pakistan have selected a 15-member squad for the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand which begins in January 2018. The squad, which also includes five reserve players, will be captained by Hasan Khan. A left-arm spin bowler, Hasan was one of Pakistan’s brightest young prospects in last year’s Pakistan Super League, playing for Quetta Gladiators.Before the World Cup, the team will play a three-match ODI series against Australia, with the games to be played on December 27, 29, and 31. After that, they will also play two ODIs against New Zealand in January – on the 3rd and 5th. The squad was selected by the PCB’s junior selection committee, headed by Basit Ali, and will depart for Australia on December 21. Their World Cup campaign begins on January 13 with a game against Afghanistan.Squad: Mohsin Khan, Imran Shah, Zaid Alam, Rohail Nazir (wk), Muhammad Taha, Emmad Alam, Ali Zaryab, Saad Khan, Hassan Khan (capt), Musa Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Munir Riaz, Arshad Iqbal, Muhammad Ali, Suleiman Shafqat
Reserve players: Muhammad Junaid, Haider Ali, Muhammad Ilyas, Azam Khan, Mukhtar Ahmed

Newcastle United might have already signed Harvey Barnes this summer, but manager Eddie Howe is not done bolstering his attacking ranks yet, with Galatasaray's Nicolo Zaniolo linked with a move to St. James' Park.

The English left-winger joined from Leicester City for £39m in July to continue the summer business, with playmaker Sandro Tonali previously arriving from AC Milan for £55m – a deal to sign young full-back Tino Livramento from Southampton for £40m has also been agreed.

Having secured Champions League football with a fourth-placed Premier League finish last season, Newcastle are consolidating their position with impactful signings, and Zaniolo could indeed be next.

What's the latest on Nicolo Zaniolo to Newcastle?

According to a report from Turkish outlet Hurriyet last week, Zaniolo's agent is in contact with the Magpies concerning a summer transfer, despite the 24-year-old only joining Galatasaray from Roma in February.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

Newcastle would have to acquiesce to the Lions' demands of €30m (£26m) for the Italy international, and whether technical director Dan Ashworth would part with such a sum after the extravagant summer spending remains to be seen.

What position does Nicolo Zaniolo play?

To add a clinical attacking force to an oiled and cohesive outfit would only work in Newcastle's favour, enhancing the side's cutting edge while also not likely to negate the fluidity by disrupting the overarching style of play.

Zaniolo embodies this, having scored five times in the Turkish Super Lig since his arrival, despite only starting on two occasions, and has been labelled as a "lethal playmaker" by journalist Zach Lowy to illustrate this and his first-rate creativity.

Indeed, across the 2021/22 campaign, while playing for Jose Mourinho's Roma, Zaniolo would score eight goals and supply nine assists from 42 outings across all competitions, crucially netting the winning goal in the Europa Conference League final against Feyenoord.

A dynamic forward, the 13-cap Italy star plays both in the central attacking role and as a No. 10, while also more than capable out on the right flank, and due to this, he could enhance the game of striker Callum Wilson at on Tyneside, and vice versa.

Wilson was in emphatic form last season and plundered 18 goals and five assists from 30 Premier League matches, starting only 18 times.

As per FBref, the 31-year-old ranks among the top 5% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and the top 7% for assists per 90, highlighting just how impressive his Midas touch has been under Howe's wing for the Toon, having been hailed for his "incredible mindset" by his gaffer.

Zaniolo, who ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers for total shots and the top 19% for touches in the attacking box per 90, clearly finds dangerous openings with such regularity that with a thriving crop of teammates surrounding him, he could finally harness his potential and rise to true prominence.

Dubbed a “special player” by reporter Carlo Garganese, he has been hindered by a horrendous bout of misfortune that handed him two ACL injuries in less than a year back in 2020, but as he is finding his feet again, Howe might be inclined to make his move and bolster the Newcastle attack with a dynamic new component.

Karnataka started the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season with an emphatic bonus-point victory over Assam in Mysore. Vinay Kumar, the captain, picked up three of the four wickets they needed on the final day as Assam, following-on, hurtled to an innings-and-121-run defeat.Resuming on 169 for 6, Assam lasted little less than an hour, with only Gokul Sharma, the captain, offering any sort of resistance in making 66. Vinay finished with figures of 4 for 31, while his new-ball partner Abhimanyu Mithun and offspinner K Gowtham picked three wickets apiece. Gowtham finished the game with seven wickets and a maiden first-class century. Assam now have two outright defeats in as many matches.A bonus-point win over Railways helped Delhi temporarily top the group standings. Denied an outright win by bad light in their season opener, Delhi now have 10 points after two rounds. On Tuesday, they needed less than a session to wrap up the innings-and-105-run victory at Karnail Singh Stadium.Manan Sharma, the allrounder, capped off a memorable game by picking up three second-innings wickets. He ended with seven in the match along with a maiden first-class century that helped Delhi build an imposing lead. Nitin Bhille, unbeaten on 54 overnight, top-scored with 73 for Railways, who now have one win and a loss in two matches.Hyderabad endured a second successive abandonment, courtesy rain and a slushy outfield at the Gymkhana grounds. That means they’re yet to take the field this season and have just two points in as many matches. The result didn’t help Uttar Pradesh either. Desperately needing game time to get back on track after a shock loss to Railways, they had to settle for a solitary point.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale has been in a hurry to revitalise the Ibrox side, especially with his activity in both the January and summer transfer markets.

In total, the Englishman has signed ten players and this freshness about the squad, given the likes of Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and Scott Arfield have left, along with Antonio Colak, suggests they could be in a perfect position to challenge Celtic for domestic honours.

There may well be one or two more signings to arrive over the next few weeks, and could Montenegro international Nikola Krstovic be a potential wildcard option?

Could Rangers sign Nikola Krstovic?

Despite recently signing main target Danilo from Feyenoord, Beale will want to pad out his attacking options as much as possible, especially with a hectic schedule awaiting them over the coming months.

Krstovic was linked earlier this year with a move to the Gers, although his club had placed a £5m valuation on his head.

With Rangers selling Colak for £2.5m and potentially moving on Glen Kamara for £5m, there could be a few others who could raise funds by moving on and Beale may have some more money to spend.

How good is Nikola Krstovic?

Having signed Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell in January, Beale rejuvenated a stagnant midfield which lacked any sort of dynamism.

Cantwell was particularly impressive since joining from Norwich City, eventually registering 11 goal contributions – six goals and five assists – in just 20 matches.

The English maestro also showed off his attacking abilities by creating five big chances and averaging 1.3 key passes per game, ranking him sixth and eighth across the whole squad, made even more impressive by the fact he only joined midway through the season.

These talents in the final third could stand Krstovic in good stead, especially with his ruthlessness in front of goal.

Indeed, the 23-year-old has been dubbed “clinical” by journalist Josh Bunting, and he could certainly add more goals to this Rangers side.

For Dunajska Streda last season, the hitman scored 26 goals and grabbed four assists, a total which would have outscored every single Rangers player last term by some distance.

James Tavernier and Colak were the joint-highest scoring players during 2022/23, netting 18 times each, and it suggests Krstovic could be a solid addition.

Not only that, but the striker also scored once every 117 minutes in the league for his club side, while he has also made nine appearances for his country and enjoyed some solid performances in the qualifiers for the 2024 European Championships.

Against Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary, he averaged 2.7 shots per game along with making 1.3 key passes per game and these attacking attributes could certainly be displayed in Scotland.

With Cantwell sitting behind him, creating plenty of chances, the duo could certainly form a wonderful partnership that would benefit both parties.

The Englishman would get to notch more assists, while Krstovic could become a focal point of the Gers attack.

Although Danilo signing on the dotted line might mean Beale is finished with bolstering his attack, he should keep an eye on the 23-year-old ahead of the coming season.

Russell Domingo will have the opportunity to end speculation over his future on Monday, when he can confirm whether or not he has reapplied for his job as South Africa’s head coach. Domingo will be presented at a press conference as he prepares South Africa for a four-Test series against England, at the end of which his current contract runs out. CSA has advertised for and interviewed candidates to fill the post but could not be drawn into revealing whether Domingo is among them. The man himself, though, can comment on the process and bring to an end months of uncertainty.Since January, when CSA announced it would advertise the national post, Domingo has been non-committal over whether he wanted to continue in the role. In February, after South Africa beat Sri Lanka, Domingo said he needed “to think about” carrying on and by the end of March, in New Zealand, he told journalists he was was waiting to find out the process CSA was following in appointing a new coach.Subsequently, CSA announced a five-man panel including two former national coaches, Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons, to recommend a candidate for the coaching job. However, as recently as three weeks ago, when South Africa crashed out of the Champions Trophy, Domingo said he had “not yet” reapplied for his job, even though the deadline was less than a week away. CSA closed applications on June 16 and held interviews last week.ESPNcricinfo can confirm that Lions’ coach Geoffrey Toyana was among those interviewed. Toyana is considered a front-runner for the post after winning four trophies in five seasons for the Lions – and his status as favourite is thought to have discouraged other applicants, Domingo included.Several sources said Domingo had initially not been interested in putting his name forward and one insider even revealed that Domingo had enquired about taking over the South African A side. However, reports in the local media suggested that Domingo had either a late change of heart or was convinced to make himself available for the main job. CSA could not comment on the matter as it remains confidential.Many familiar faces have cropped up in reports on the other candidates. Among them is former Titans coach Richard Pybus, who is currently director of cricket in the West Indies, and Phil Simmons. Paddy Upton, who was also linked to an application, has not put himself into contention.CSA’s board will meet on July 21 and will receive the committee’s recommendation on the new coach, but their decision will only be made public after the Test series ends on August 8.

Nottingham Forest are closing in on the signing of Manchester United youngster Anthony Elanga, according to a key update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

How much does Anthony Elanga earn?

The 21-year-old has been at United since 2014, arriving as a child in the youth team and working his way into the senior setup, making 55 appearances to date, not to mention scoring and assisting four times apiece along the way.

Elanga has found it difficult to see earn regular football under Erik ten Hag, however, with other attacking players generally preferred to him, from Marcus Rashford to Antony.

Last season, only five starts came his way in the Premier League, as well as just one in the Europa League, and it looks increasingly as though he isn't seen as part of the manager's future plans at Old Trafford.

It has become clear that a move away this summer looks highly likely and Forest have now emerged as the frontrunners to snap him up before the new season gets underway. Now, a new update has emerged regarding his future that further suggests the £5,000-a-week attacker could be heading to the City Ground in the very near future.

Will Nottingham Forest sign Anthony Elanga?

Taking to Twitter, Romano provided a big update on Forest's pursuit of Elanga this summer, saying that the move is now nearing completion:

"Negotiations advancing for Anthony Elanga to Nottingham Forest – it’d be permanent deal."

Elanga could be a really shrewd signing by Forest this summer, coming in as someone who has proven himself at a high level. Granted, things ultimately haven't panned out the way he would have hoped at United in terms of being a regular, but he has still picked up some invaluable experience and played his part in some of the club's success.

The 12-cap Sweden international is someone who could flourish as one of the main men at a club rather than simply being a cog in the machine, and there is every chance that he becomes one of the first names on the teamsheet at Forest.

At just 21, Elanga still has a vast chunk of his career ahead of him, and while he would arrive as an important figure from the off, he could mature into an even more formidable prospect over time. The fact that he has impressed Roy Keane recently speaks volumes, with the legendary former midfielder saying:

"I like the fact he likes to run in behind. I love that desire. You stretch teams, it’s very simple and very effective, you have to do it at the right times. When they are sprinting behind, you cause all sorts of problems, especially if you mix your game up, which he does well."

To receive praise from someone like Keane says a lot about Elanga's potential – the ex-Forest man isn't exactly one to dish out compliments left, right and centre – and further highlights why he could be such a good signing for the Reds, coming in and immediately bolstering their wide attacking options in the process.