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Arsenal have made a "breakthrough" in talks to offload midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga after reaching a full agreement with Burnley, according to reports.

Who is leaving Arsenal this summer?

The Belgian is one of a few players who look very likely to depart Arsenal before deadline day as manager Mikel Arteta and transfer chief Edu Gaspar attempt to balance the books.

So far, just Pablo Mari, Aaron Trusty, Granit Xhaka and Ainsley Maitland-Niles have officially made way for Arsenal's trio of marquee signings in winger Kai Havertz, midfielder Declan Rice and defender Jurrien Timber.

However, it is believed that the likes of Nicolas Pepe and Folarin Balogun could soon be heading towards the exit door, with the former attracting serious interest from Turkey.

Meanwhile, Balogun is up for sale and Arsenal will do a deal for the right price, though it is believed they value last season's star Reims forward at around £50 million.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

The north Londoners have also been in talks to offload Lokonga on loan with Vincent Kompany's Burnley side attempting to sign the player. Reports out of Belgium have even suggested that Arsenal could include a mandatory buy option on the deal.

A report by Football Insider has shared an update on the saga, and after a "breakthrough", it appears there is now a "full agreement" between Burnley and Arsenal over a loan deal.

The outlet wrote:

"Arsenal star Albert Sambi Lokonga is set to sign for Burnley on loan after a breakthrough in talks.

"The Clarets’ manager Vincent Kompany is key to the deal as Sambi Lokonga regards the Man City legend as his idol."

Expanding further, and backing previous claims, FI also write that there is a very good chance that the agreement could include clauses for a permanent transfer next summer.

Kompany, for his part, is a huge admirer of his fellow Belgian and is keen to reunite with the 23-year-old after working together at Anderlecht.

How good is Albert Sambi Lokonga?

The former Crystal Palace loanee has struggled to fight his way into Arteta's plans since signing for the club in the summer of 2021.

Lokonga spent the second half of last campaign on a temporary spell at Selhurst Park, managing nine appearances and averaged 1.4 tackles per match in the top flight (WhoScored).

The international hasn't been able to replicate his final season at Anderlecht in 2020/2021, where he started 33 Belgian top flight matches and racked up five goal contributions.

However, those numbers suggest there is a player of real quality there, as explained by Arteta upon his capture.

“Albert is a very intelligent player who has shown great maturity in his performances during his development. He has been coached well by Vincent Kompany and his team at Anderlecht,” Arteta told Arsenal’s official website (via The Standard).

“I know Vincent very well and he talks so highly about Albert and the positive impact he had to Anderlecht in recent seasons.

“We’re confident Albert’s ready for the next stage in his development and we’re looking forward to welcoming a new member to our squad with his quality and presence.”

CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association are inching towards a compromise, with discussions of a new hybrid model

Daniel Brettig25-Jul-20173:46

What exactly is the Cricket Australia-ACA pay dispute?

Compromise between Australian cricket’s warring parties appears closer than ever as the previously divergent positions of Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association shift towards long overdue middle ground.For virtually the first time in a pay war now more than nine months old, CA has appeared to consent to a model of revenue sharing that has been adjusted to allow more of the game’s financial upside to flow into areas such as grassroots cricket, while still affording a significant proportion of money above projections to all players.CA’s chief executive James Sutherland, his ACA counterpart Alistair Nicholson and their negotiating teams were believed to be meeting in Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the board’s most recent submission of MoU articles that factor in the new, hybrid model. The players had previously consented to discussions based on “modernised” revenue sharing that would commit up to A$30 million of player payment pool money to the game’s lower levels.While negotiations appeared to hit a major snag last week when CA sent the ACA an updated Article 5 of a proposed MoU that deleted all references to revenue sharing, further discussions and correspondence between Sutherland and Nicholson have proven more fruitful.Talks between the parties now appear to be as much about the optics of the deal – CA being able to claim a break from the fixed revenue percentage model that has existed over the past two decades and the ACA being able to say it has been retained – as its detail. One industry figure noted that the emergence of issues over the wording of clauses suggested that agreement “must be close to happening”.After the ACA distributed details of its “peace plan” based on recent discussions to all contracted players over the weekend, the newspaper has published an outline of CA’s possible compromise. “Under the terms of CA’s ­revised offer,” the report said, “men and women players would draw their salaries and bonuses from an agreed total player payment pool equating to a percentage of forecast revenue. Above forecast revenue would be distributed according to a complex, sliding scale ­between the players, community cricket infrastructure and other spending priorities.”Both the Australian Cricketers’ Association and Cricket Australia have shifted from fixed positions•Getty Images

The same newspaper had previously published CA’s complaints about this year’s adjustment ledger payment of more than A$58 million going to the male players covered under the previous MoU but not the female players who were paid directly by CA during that time. It then published a column and front-page pointer story by the CA chairman David Peever in which he denied being “anti-union” during his days at the mining company Rio Tinto. CA’s head of communications, government relations and infrastructure is Mark O’Neill, a former Rio Tinto executive who has also worked in federal politics.The ACA’s proposed terms, meanwhile, were close to those reportedly offered up by CA. According to an ACA statement on Sunday: “Players conceded to accept CA’s lower end revenue scenarios as the basis for the allocation to Australian Cricket Revenue (ACR) given market and contract uncertainty; Players accepting an agreed percentage of the ACR forecast. (Note this percentage is of ACR and not Total Cricket Revenue (TCR) and it is not an increase in share on the last MOU but does factor in the inclusion of all female players).”Revenue sharing is modified so that the players allocate up to $30 million via a new Players Grassroots Investment Fund (PGIF) from their share of over forecast revenue and performance bonuses. Thus reducing the share of revenue players would otherwise earn.”While numerous areas remain up for debate, namely what the percentage due to players – previously 24.5-27% of ACR – should be and what should be excluded and included in the ACR definition, the earlier state of impasse has at least been broken down. CA had initially proposed fixed wages for all players, augmented by a capped bonus system for international male and female players, with minimal increases for domestic male players in particular.By contrast the ACA proposed a fixed percentage of 22.5% of agreed cricket revenue for all players, a further 22.5% for grassroots investment and the remaining 55% to remain with CA for other areas of the game. A week before the previous MoU’s expiry on June 30, CA revised its offer to include all players in the capped bonus system and also to raise the wages on offer to domestic male players, without specifying by how much.One of the ACA’s longtime complaints was that it had not been provided with sufficient financial records by which to judge CA’s offers, which the players claimed to include payroll tax, prize money and the assumption that all players would draw match fees by playing in all possible fixtures. Another point of contention was the inclusion of overseas Big Bash League players – who typically draw the most lucrative contracts from each team’s salary cap – in the “average” wage to be offered to domestic males.About three weeks remain for an agreement to be struck between CA and the ACA to avoid numerous forms of dislocation to the game, from the cancellation of the looming Bangladesh Test tour to the floundering of various commercial deals for the summer with sponsors, broadcasters and advertisers on those broadcasts.The dispute has already resulted in the cancellation of an Australia A tour to South Africa earlier this month, while more than 230 players have been left out of contract, and therefore unemployed, since the expiry of the previous MoU on July 1. All players have continued to train without pay over that period. Members of Australia’s Test squad for Bangladesh met in Sydney on Monday and stated their support from compromise, while also reiterating their commitment to refuse going on the tour unless an agreement is reached beforehand.Both CA and the ACA declined to comment.

Everton are poised to move for Almeria forward El Bilal Toure this summer after narrowly missing out on relegation from the Premier League during the 22/23 campaign.

Could Everton sign El Bilal Toure?

While Sean Dyche's Toffees are believed to be in advanced negotiations for the Malian striker, Italian Serie A side Almeria are also considering a swoop following Manchester United's vested interest in prodigious talisman Rasmus Hojlund.

That's following some recent updates from Fabrizio Romano, underlining Atalanta's position on their "top target", but also hinting that Blues owner Farhad Moshiri could yet move; the Merseyside outfit have already blown the Nerazzurri out of the water with a €30m (£26m) bid.

The pre-eminent transfer specialist since confirmed that Almeria are honing in on Lorient's Ibrahima Kone to replace their prized asset, claiming that Everton are "pushing to make it happen".

How good is El Bilal Toure?

Just 21-years-old, Bilal Toure scored seven goals and supplied a further two assists from just 15 LaLiga starts last term after completing a transfer from Reims for €10m (£9m).

The 15-cap Mali international – with five goals to his name – would link up with compatriot Abdoulaye Doucoure at Goodison Park, and could prove to emulate the box-crashing midfielder – whose goal against Bournemouth on the final day of the season preserved Everton's top-flight status.

Praised for one "towering" performance several months ago by The Athletic's Patrick Boyland, Doucoure has been instrumental under Dyche and scored all five of his strikes last term under the 52-year-old's wing, with the former Clarets boss taking the reins in January.

Signing from Watford for £20m in 2020, the 30-year-old has demonstrated the path needed to succeed on the Blue side of Liverpool, headstrong, positive and resilient – ranking among the top 2% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 11% for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 20% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.

Bilal Toure can indeed mirror his £120k-per-week countryman's endeavours by maintaining his similarly fruitful mentality, himself ranking among the top 4% of forwards for clearances per 90.

This illustrates tenacity and willingness to get stuck in, complementing his teammates with a bustling approach – all the while channelling his innate goalscoring instinct.

The "major talent" – as he has previously been dubbed by Graeme Bailey – boasted an average Sofascore rating of 6.81 in the league last term, taking an average of 1.4 shots per game and demonstrating his versatility by dividing his seven strikes up – four scored with his right foot, one with his left; Bilal Toure netted twice with his head.

He also bettered Everton forwards Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ellis Simms and Neal Maupay's respective Sofascore ratings (6.74, 6.62 and 6.56) which bodes well for his future fortunes.

In securing such a promising starlet, Dyche would wield a forward with genuine capabilities of spearheading an ascent to prominence once again, and it could be a big season for the Toffees if they manage to beat Atalanta and secure Bilal Toure's signature.

Arsenal will "look to speed up negotiations" over signing Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia after Thomas Partey's request to leave, according to reports.

Who else will join Arsenal this summer?

The Gunners and manager Mikel Arteta are believed to closing in on the signing of West Ham United star Declan Rice this summer.

Both Arsenal and West Ham have finally agreed a fee for the 24-year-old, reported to be around £105 million (£100m + £5m in add-ons), with treble-winners Man City pulling out of the race to sign him.

If a deal is announced, it would make Rice the most expensive British transfer in history, above the likes of Jack Grealish and Jude Bellingham. The England international would also come in after Arsenal previously sealed a deal for Kai Havertz from Chelsea.

Ajax defender Jurrien Timber is another who could follow, as reports suggest that the north Londoners are in advanced talks to sign the Netherlands international who has pushed to join them.

Arsenal, if all goes to plan, could spend north of £200 million with the addition of Lavia, who starred for Southampton during their relegation campaign, being targeted as well.

Arteta's side have been heavily linked with a swoop for the 19-year-old, but they aren't the only ones, as both Liverpool and Chelsea are also hot on Lavia's trail.

According to Football Transfers journalist Steve Kay, Arsenal will "look to speed up negotiations" for Lavia after a behind-the-scenes transfer request from star midfielder Partey.

The Ghanaian has apparently asked Arteta if he can leave this window, with the Spaniard reluctantly allowing him to depart before 2023/24.

There have been initial talks with Saudi sides and Juventus, but that is yet to formalize into bids. Whatever the result of Partey's departure, Arsenal are set to make a push for Lavia, and it is believed they have brilliant rapport with the teenager's representatives.

What's been said about Romeo Lavia?

The Saints couldn't avoid a drop to England's second tier last season, but according to members of the press, the "sensational" Lavia was a shining light.

Journalist Sam Tighe, after watching the Belgium international all through last season, claimed he is a very exciting prospect for Arsenal supporters.

"I watched every game Roméo Lavia played last season and he was absolutely incredible," said Tighe.

"A shining star despite playing in terrible circumstances most of the time. Arsenal reportedly advancing on a deal…one to be very excited about."

Tasmania’s ninth-wicket partnership took the game into the final 75 minutes, but Jack Wildermuth produced the goods for Queensland

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2017
ScorecardFile photo: Jack Wildermuth ran out Cameron Stevenson and bowled Simon Milenko to seal the tense win for Queensland•Getty Images

When Tasmania fell to 8 for 114 after lunch on the final day at the Gabba chasing 352, a win appeared nowhere near possible and even coming away with a draw seemed extremely unlikely. But Simon Milenko and Cameron Stevenson tested the limits of the Queensland bowling attack, putting on a partnership of 83 in 23.4 overs. It was eventually broken in the last 75 minutes of play with a run-out from Jack Wildermuth, who then capped things off by taking the final wicket and sealing the Bulls’ win by 133 runs.As is often the case when Nos. 8 and 10 make the headlines, the top order did not have a good day. Resuming on 0 for 10 on the final morning, Tasmania lost their first wicket in the seventh over of the day and didn’t stop there. The offspin of Jason Floros (3-72) along with accurate seam bowling from Michael Neser (2-41), Mark Steketee (14-5-23-1) pushed the score to 3 for 52 then 6 for 98 and finally 8 for 114. With things seemingly dire, Milenko added a career-best 68 with 10 fours and a six and found excellent support from Stevenson, whose average prior to this match was 5.50. He pushed that to 13.20 with an innings of 42 off 81 balls with five fours and a six.Despite the rearguard, the good work Queensland had done early in the game, which included a total of 405 in the first innings, gave them just enough cushion to secure their third win in six matches, the same as second-placed South Australia. They had to wait until the 71st over to breathe easier again, as Wildermuth ran out Cameron and then bowled the last-man standing, Milenko, in the 74th.

Manchester United aren't in a position to change hands at ownership level and the situation is 'still the same' despite reports from Qatar, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest takeover news involving Manchester United?

As per Qatari-based media organisation Al Watan via The Manchester Evening News on Monday, reports started to circulate that Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Nine Two Foundation had won in their bid to take 100% control of Manchester United, with their editorial director Fahed al Emadi stating: "The announcement of the deal will be very soon."

Nevertheless, al Emadi retracted his statement soon after, tweeting: "Contrary to certain media and social media reports overnight, Al Watan is not owned by Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, and Al Watan's media report yesterday speculating about possible movement in the Manchester United takeover process was based on international media reports, as stated in the article itself, and with such news widely circulating periodically in international media for many months."

The Daily Mail cite that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS are rival bidders to Sheikh Jassim and are proposing to buy a majority stake in the club that would allow the Glazer family to stay on for a period of time after the takeover before performing a 'sourced buyout' of the Premier League giants.

ESPN claim that several minority investment firms are waiting to hear whether they have been successful in their quest to gain some footing at Manchester United and are still in the process as the Glazer family weighs up all potential options.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Romano has stated that despite media reports, Sheikh Jassim and the Nine Two Foundation are no closer to buying Manchester United than they were before.

Romano said: “It’s still the same. I'm really sorry Man United fans, but we can't control that. The reality is that, at the moment, nothing has changed. It's still up to the Glazers.”

What next for Manchester United?

Manchester United face a crucial few days at ownership level; however, that will not deter Erik Ten Hag in his bid to secure several new signings this summer ahead of next term.

Multiple players have been linked with the possibility of a move to Old Trafford and Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has cropped up as a key target for the Red Devils, who are said to be in the process of formalising their interest in the England international with a bid for his services in the near future, as per Sky Sports.

Atalanta rising star Rasmus Hojlund is also on Manchester United's radar and talkSPORT claim that they are set to press ahead with their pursuit of the 20-year-old striker as Ten Hag looks to bolster his forward line.

Napoli defender Kim Min-jae is in the sights of Manchester United and has rejected a new contract at his current employers amid indications that he is attracting attention from the Red Devils, as per 90min, signifying that a lot of intriguing scenarios could appear in the next few weeks at Old Trafford both regarding potential ownership and player recruitment.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRajshahi Kings removed the Khulna Titans openers with run-outs•BCB

Rajshahi Kings made light work of Khulna Titans in the second qualifier on their way to the BPL final, against Dhaka Dynamites, completing a seven-wicket win in Mirpur. In front of a small crowd at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, they restricted Khulna to a below-par 125 for 9 before knocking off the total with four balls to spare.Their efficient bowling performance ensured a maiden appearance in the tournament’s final after their previous franchise (Duronto Rajshahi) failed to do so in the 2012 and 2013 editions.But it was not an altogether smooth chase for Rajshahi. They lost their openers Mominul Haque and Nurul Hasan within 4.2 overs after which youngster Afif Hossain led the recovery with a 33-run third-wicket stand with Sabbir Rahman. He fell lbw to Mahmudullah in the 12th over after hitting three fours in his 27-ball 26.Sabbir batted in an unusual subdued manner before unleashing his first six off the 35th delivery. His unbeaten 43 off 52 balls broke a three-week low which started one innings after his 122 against Barisal Bulls.His unbroken 62-run fourth wicket stand with James Franklin calmly completed the chase, with Franklin contributing an unbeaten 30 off 24 balls. His first six, a big one down the ground, completed the win.Khulna were always behind the eight-ball after starting poorly. Openers Mohammad Hasanuzzaman and Abdul Mazid were run-out in the third over. First they were involved in a mix-up after Hasanuzzaman pushed the ball into the covers, with both ending up at the striker’s end. In the process of running him out at the other end, wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan rammed into Farhad Reza, hurting him.Two balls later, Mehedi Hasan’s direct hit from short midwicket found Mazid short by inches after he turned back from taking a single. After Farhad removed Shuvagata Hom in the fourth over, Nicholas Pooran fell following two sixes and as many fours, giving an easy catch to long-off off Afif.Samit Patel then removed Benny Howell, Mahmudullah and Kevon Cooper before Kesrick Williams and Darren Sammy took the eighth and ninth wickets respectively.There was still time for Khulna to post a better total, with Ariful Haque hitting two fours and a straight six in his unbeaten 32 off 29 balls, but it did not prove to be enough.

كشفت تقارير صحفية ألمانية، عن الوجهة المقبلة للمدير الفني لفريق باير ليفركوزن الألماني، تشابي ألونسو، خلال الموسم القادم.

ويحظى تشابي ألونسو باهتمام كبير من كل من، ليفربول وبايرن ميونخ، بهدف تولي القيادة الفنية في الموسم المقبل.

وأعلن المدرب الألماني والمدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، يورجن كلوب، عن رحيله عن صفوف الريدز بنهاية الموسم الحالي.

اقرأ ايضاً.. ليفربول يرفض انتقال مهاجمه إلى تشيلسي

وأفادت شبكة سكاي ألمانيا، أن نادي ليفربول الإنجليزي هو الخيار الأول والمفضل لدى، تشابي ألونسو، في الموسم القادم 2024/2025.

وتابعت الشبكة الألمانية، أن تشابي ألونسو يرغب أن يكون خليفة يورجن كلوب في ليفربول، ولا يريد تولي تدريب بايرن ميونخ بالموسم الجديد.

يذكر أن إدارة بايرن ميونخ الألماني، قد توصلت إلى إتفاق نهائي برحيل توماس توخيل مدرب الفريق البافاري بنهاية هذا الموسم بسبب سوء نتائج الفريق.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to approach Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou and offer him the north London vacancy, with the job “his if he wants it”.

What’s the latest Tottenham manager news?

Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy still have it all to do in terms of appointing Antonio Conte's long-term successor, with the process dragging on following the Italia’s departure back in March.

A number of managers have knocked Tottenham back in recent weeks and months, with the latest being Feyenoord manager Arne Slot. That has led to Postecoglou emerging as a strong candidate to come in, with Sky Sports suggesting in the week that the Celtic boss was the front-runner.

A further update has now come to light, and it looks as if Postecoglou, who shares the same agent as Heung-min Son and Pedro Porro, will be offered the position.

Football Insider shared an update on Postecoglou and Tottenham on Thursday, claiming he is indeed the front-runner to take charge. The report states that Spurs, and by extension Levy, will approach Postecoglou and the job is “his if he wants it”.

The Australian is thought to be in a very strong position to take over in north London, and negotiations could begin following Celtic’s Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park on Saturday evening. Fabrizio Romano has since added that a new round of talks have been scheduled with Postecoglou for next week.

Who is Ange Postecoglou?

Postecoglou is 57 years of age and has plenty of managerial experience under his belt, both at domestic and international level. Hailed as "mental" by compatriot Jackson Irvine, the Hoops boss is on course to lead Celtic to a domestic treble and has previous experience of managing clubs in Australia and Japan, as well as leading the Australia national team.

He likes to play an attacking 4-3-3 formation and has been revered for his "beautiful football" north of the border after coming in to replace Neil Lennon in 2021, with Celtic averaging over 2.5 goals per game under his leadership. Postecoglou took over a side that had struggled the season before, with Rangers winning the Scottish Premiership title, however, he immediately got Celtic back on track and has won back-to-back league titles.

Therefore, you could argue he could be a shrewd target by those at Tottenham, looking to be the man to turn things around in north London following a disappointing 2022/23 season, and by the looks of it, he will be offered the position.

Chelsea's infamous no.9 curse is one which arguably heralds back 19 years, across 11 different forwards and 15 permanent managers. No matter who the club buys, they cannot seem to shake the inevitable failure that awaits them in west London.

Many can argue about the definition of success but few have hit the levels set by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and even then he only had two truly top seasons. Hitting 23 league goals in both the 2000/01 and 2001/02 campaigns were suggestive of a true star set to be born, yet he would depart in 2004, kickstarting nearly two decades of failure.

High-profile and consistent goalscorers like Hernan Crespo (25 goals), Gonzalo Higuain (five goals) and Radamel Falcao (one goal) all failed to hit the mark, whilst others like Fernando Torres suffered key injuries that meant they would never be the same.

Bringing Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge even proved to be a failure, having unloaded £97.5m to tempt him there only to send him back out on loan the season following.

It could be argued that the only one who has threatened to shatter this hoodoo is Tammy Abraham, who was forced out the door to accommodate higher-profile names.

Perhaps, in an effort to finally end this miserable cycle, their only choice is to bring back the 25-year-old to prove himself worthy, under the guidance of the incoming Mauricio Pochettino.

How has Tammy Abraham played this season?

A potential return to the Blues has recently been touted after he revealed conversations with his former teammate Reece James whilst speaking to the Italian media this week. He noted: "I still talk to a lot of Chelsea players, James always tells me to come back… We grew up together as a group and have known each other for years."

This came months after transfer guru Fabrizio Romano had revealed more quotes, sparking further uncertainty regarding a future that may well end up back in his first club. After all, the €80m (£69m) buy-back clause that lingers is suggestive that his return is almost expected at some stage.

Given how his game has developed in Italy under former Blues boss Jose Mourunho, and the maturing that the young forward has endured in the capital, it could see him take English football by storm after what was an admirable first season in the top flight.

As part of Frank Lampard's youthful outfit, the 25-year-old hit 15 league goals and assisted a further six. That is a tally that has only been surpassed once across their last seven seasons, with Eden Hazard the only man to score more in a league campaign across that period.

At the time, former professional footballer and coach Stephen Elliot even saw fit to brand him a "goal machine". What Chelsea wouldn't do for one of them now, given their tally of 36 goals is the joint-fourth-lowest in the division.

That alone should speak volumes for his pedigree, without even mentioning his form of last season.

In a debut year in a new country, the 6 foot 3 finisher scored 27 goals in all competitions for a side that claimed a European title and finished sixth. Abraham would admit that Mourinho's tutelage had turned him into a "monster".

With his development complete and a warm welcome home to Stamford Bridge awaiting, perhaps Pochettino, who has a history of helping strikers explode, could end this 19-year curse with another English forward.

Before the Argentine arrived at Tottenham Hotspur, Harry Kane had scored just three league goals the season prior. 31 goals came in his first year across all competitions, and the England captain has not looked back since.

Chelsea are craving a forward with this kind of killer consistency, and there is no reason why Abraham cannot be that man.