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Manchester City have entered the race to sign Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga, according to Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the latest Man City transfer news?

Pep Guardiola and those at the Etihad have already made a start on their summer business by bringing in Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea. The midfielder looks likely to fill the void left by Ilkay Gundogan, who is set to join Barcelona when his City contract officially expires at the end of the month.

Kovacic may not be the only Croatia international to make the move to the treble winners, though, with RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol reportedly a top target in defence and personal terms already agreed.

Another midfielder to join Kovacic could also be in the works, and after City pulled out of the race to sign Declan Rice from West Ham, it appears as if Veiga is a target despite Liverpool leading the race for his services. Recent reports have claimed those at Anfield are 'well ahead of any club' in the race for Veiga, although 'many twists and turns could still take place', and it looks as if that could come from Manchester.

According to Romano in the last 48 hours, City are now in the race and informed when it comes to a possible deal for Veiga, who has a release clause set at €40m (£34.5m).

“Manchester City have entered the race for Spanish talent Gabri Veiga after pulling out of Declan Rice deal.

“He’s one of the options now being considered at the club. Liverpool and Chelsea remain interested but City also informed now. Release clause: €40m.”

Who is Gabri Veiga?

Veiga, who has been hailed as a "very electric player" by Romano, is 21 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in attacking and defensive midfield roles.

The Spaniard has progressed through Celta Vigo’s academy and has gone on to make 55 senior appearances for his current employers – 40 of which came during the 2022/23 season. Veiga has scored 11 times and has registered four assists with Celta Vigo and has seen his Transfermarkt valuation rocket to a career-high €30m.

As per FBref, Veiga already ranks in the 99th percentile for goals and assists for midfielders and the 98th percentile for successful take-ons that lead to a goal, showing his ability in the final third.

He looks to be a real star in the making, and by the looks of it, City could look to capitalise over the coming weeks, potentially making him the club’s second midfield addition of the summer to rival the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and co.

FICA, the international players association, has justified its actions in warning about the risks involved in playing the Pakistan Super League final in Lahore

George Dobell11-Jan-20172:36

Samiuddin: It will eventually be the players’ choice

The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) has insisted its warning to players thinking of playing in the Pakistan Super League final in Lahore is from “highly credible security experts” and “in line with advice from government agencies and diplomatic missions.”FICA was fiercely criticised by the PCB after circulating a memo to players, players’ associations and players’ agents that spoke of “an extremely elevated” risk level in Pakistan. And while they stopped just short of advising players not to travel – they do not have the power to prevent them from doing so – they did conclude that “an acceptable level of participant security and safety cannot be expected or guaranteed.”That warning infuriated the PCB who responded by calling FICA’s approach “careless and cavalier.” Stating that “not a single foreigner or hotel has been attacked in Lahore in the last five years” the PCB scolded FICA for making “a sweeping negative statement about the security situation” from “thousands of miles away.”Although FICA have now expressed “great sympathy for fans and players in Pakistan” and stated they “we would like to see the PSL succeed” they have reiterated that their responsibility and priority was “the safety and security of players” and have stood by their earlier comments warning of an “elevated security risk” when visiting Pakistan.Responding to the PCB’s claim that FICA “cannot name even one credible security expert” which might have informed their original statement, FICA clarified that they utilised the advice of Eastern Star International (ESI). That is the company headed by Reg Dickason, who has provided security advice to the ECB, CA, NZC and the ICC among others and who recently gave the go-ahead for England’s tour of Bangladesh.”FICA relies on advice given by expert security consultants, Eastern Star International (ESI),” their statement reads. “ESI has supplied security services over several years to a number of cricket boards and international teams around the world and to the International Cricket Council (ICC).”FICA sent a confidential memorandum highlighting the advice received from ESI relating to the elevated security risk for them of playing in Pakistan. The elevated risk is in line with advice from government agencies and diplomatic missions of several countries regarding travel by foreigners to Pakistan.”FICA also suggested the PCB was “not responsive” to attempts to discuss their security concerns relating to playing the PSL final in Lahore and reiterated the security situation which has led to the almost complete absence of top-level cricket from Pakistan since 2009.”Since the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore Pakistan has played bilateral home series matches against ICC full member countries in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for security reasons,” the FICA statement says. “The only full member men’s team to tour Pakistan in this time was Zimbabwe in 2015. The ICC declined to send its match officials to Pakistan to officiate in this series for security reasons. A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device outside the stadium in Lahore shortly before the 2nd ODI of the series, killing himself and a policeman.”The PCB is staging all PSL matches, except the planned final in Lahore, in the UAE for security reasons. Several months ago the PCB consulted FICA in relation to provisions of the standard player contract for the PSL. When FICA expressed possible security concerns relating to playing the final in Lahore the PCB was not responsive to FICA on this issue.”Tony Irish, FICA’s Executive Chairman, said: “Players around the world from affiliated countries have always looked to FICA to provide them with information relating to security risks of playing in various parts of the world. It is our responsibility to provide this information, which we obtain from highly credible security experts, so that players can make informed decisions.”The PCB has made clear that the PSL final will be played in Lahore on March 7 whether overseas players participate or not.

Celtic did not waste much time in finding their replacement for Ange Postecoglou as they officially confirmed the appointment of Brendan Rodgers on a three-year deal earlier this week.

The Hoops had been on the lookout for a new head coach after the Australian chief opted to ditch Parkhead for a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Dermot Desmond has persuaded the ex-Leicester City boss to take the job and he is now in his second spell with the club, after winning seven domestic trophies at Paradise between 2016 and 2019,

The club are reportedly set to hand him a stunning £30m to work with in the transfer market but the Nothern Irish tactician already has a number of quality players at his disposal, chiefly Reo Hatate.

How has Reo Hatate performed at Celtic?

Rodgers worked with some terrific players during his time with the Foxes in England and could already have his next version of Youri Tielemans in Reo Hatate, who is one of the current stars of Celtic's midfield.

The Japan international is an excellent number eight who can make an impact in and out of possession and the 25-year-old could now thrive under the new boss, who was able to get the best out of Tielemans at the King Power.

Only Scott Sinclair (238) has played more matches for the manager than the now-Aston Villa ace (184) throughout his career, illustrating how much trust he placed in the 26-year-old.

The pinnacle of their time together, arguably, came when the Belgian rifled in a screamer from 25 yards to win the FA Cup against Chelsea in 2021.

Tielemans was a consistently excellent performer for Rodgers in the Premier League, as well as in cup competitions, and enjoyed a terrific campaign during their last full season together in 21/22.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 across 32 league outings and contributed with six goals and 1.2 key passes per game. The Foxes maestro also showcased his defensive ability with three tackles and interceptions per match and a 51% duel success rate for the side.

Hatate, who has been hailed as "all action" by ex-Scotland defender Alan Hutton, is also a midfielder who puts himself about on and off the ball.

The 25-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.23 across 32 Scottish Premiership matches and chipped in with six goals and 1.3 key passes per outing, whilst the Japanese hero also won 57% of his duels and made 1.5 tackles and interceptions per clash.

These statistics suggest that the pair are similar midfielders, with both able to hold their own in physical contests and have the quality in possession to score goals and create chances.

Indeed, Rodgers may not need to use any of his £30m budget to bring his next Tielemans to Celtic as he already has one in the form of the £12k-per-week menace.

Former Pakistan coach believes Salman Butt deserves a second go in the national side, now that he has served his five-year ban

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2016Former Pakistan fast bowler and coach Waqar Younis believes Salman Butt should be recalled to the national team based on his recent form, now that he has served his ban for spot-fixing.Waqar was Pakistan’s coach during the infamous Lord’s Test in 2010, when Butt was found guilty of orchestrating the delivery of no-balls from fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. All three of them served bans, but only Amir returned to the national team since.Waqar said he was in favour of Butt returning based on his recent domestic form, which included two centuries in the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy that helped his team win their maiden title.”He was playing really well and also he has served his sentence and punishment and I feel personally that everyone deserves a go,” Waqar said to . “People are going to have different views. He is a good player, he is playing really well.”Speaking to ESPNcricinfo during the first-class final, Butt had reiterated his desire to play for Pakistan again.”I am knocking very hard on selectors’ doors,” Butt had said after the second day’s play. “I don’t want to break [down] but I want to keep myself fit and keep my form alive. With my wisdom, I am trying my best with the best of my intention. Being selected isn’t my choice, it’s they [the selectors] who have to decide. I have a wish and always want to be in every squad. I have the capacity but that is something the selectors have to tell and decide.”After the Asia Cup earlier this year, Waqar, Pakistan’s coach at the time, had intended to include Butt in the World T20 squad, an idea that was turned down by PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan. The PCB wanted Butt to play an entire first-class season to prove his fitness, form and utility.Butt was the second highest run-getter in the National T20 Cup this year, scoring 350 runs in eight innings. He followed that up with 749 runs at 49.40 in the first-class season. However, the PCB has been reluctant so far in the case of both Butt and Asif, and haven’t shown them the same leniency that was granted to Amir.

For all the attacking talents in their ranks last season, Chelsea managed just 38 goals in 38 Premier League games – only four teams in the entire division performed worse.

Bringing in a clinical forward this summer is therefore imperative if new head coach Mauricio Pochettino is to have any chance of turning things around at Stamford Bridge.

Who is Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson?

The Evening Standard reports that Chelsea are in talks over the signing of Nicolas Jackson, who is coming off the back of a campaign in which he scored 12 goals and assisted four more in 26 LaLiga appearances for Villarreal.

Nine of those goals came in his final eight outings as Villarreal climbed into a Europa League spot, though it may have come at a cost for the Yellow Submarine as their star attacker is now wanted by numerous clubs.

The report suggests Jackson is available to purchase for £30m this summer, making him a far cheaper option than Napoli's £125m-rated Victor Osimhen, who was widely considered to be the Blues' top target.

Where would Nicolas Jackson fit in at Chelsea?

According to FBref's player comparison model, Jackson's form in LaLiga over the past year puts him in a similar bracket to superstar strikers Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski.

That is quite some company, but the statistics very much back that up. For example, with 0.68 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes across the past 12 months, Jackson is in the top 2% of all his positional peers across LaLiga.

The Senegal international averaged 0.90 goals and assists per 90 minutes last season, compared to 0.97 for Benzema at Real Madrid, but he performed better in terms of non-penalty goals per 90 – 0.97 v 0.90.

Jackson was more precise than Benzema when it came to shooting last season, too, finding the target from 56.1% of his attempts, which is an improvement on the latter's 36.4% accuracy.

Benzema did come out on top in terms of aerial duels won between the pair (51.9% v 30.2%), but Jackson's strengths lie in other departments, such as take-ons (2.08 v 1.95) and tackles won (0.62 v 0.22), showing two different sides to his game.

Still aged just 21, Jackson was labelled "extraordinary" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig for his output in 2022-23, which includes a goal conversion rate of 29%.

To put Jackson's clinical nature into some perspective, his average of 0.67 goals per 90 minutes came from an expected goals (xG) value of 0.45. At Chelsea last season, Joao Felix led the way with 0.38 goals per 90 minutes, yet this came from an xG of 0.47.

Effectively, that means Jackson requires far fewer chances to put the ball in the net, which is exactly what Chelsea require.

While he may not have the reputation of Benzema and Lewandowski, or indeed Osimhen, Jackson's performances last season suggest his current £30m valuation will only continue to rise with time. Chelsea would be wise to pounce while they can.

Manchester United bidder Sheikh Jassim and The Nine Two Foundation may have set up a way to exit the ownership process on their own terms by submitting a new bid to try and seize control of the club, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest ownership news involving Manchester United?

According to Sky Sports, Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and The Nine Two Foundation has submitted a fifth and final bid to take over at Manchester United and has stated that the offer must be accepted by this Friday or he will bow out of proceedings.

The report claims that Sheikh Jassim wants to acquire 100% control of the club and wants to upgrade infrastructure around Old Trafford and the Carrington training complex alongside clearing £1 billion worth of debt at Manchester United.

His rival bidder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS, are proposing taking majority control of the Red Devils in a deal that could keep Joel and Avram Glazer on as minority stakeholders.

BBC Sport claim that there has not been any indication yet from the Glazer family over who they would prefer to sell Manchester United to as of yet.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that The Nine Two Foundation may have set up a scenario to leave the bidding war on their own accord rather than by being rejected.

Jacobs told FFC: "If they're not successful, then they've put something out there that effectively says this has to resolve itself one way or the other, or quickly, which means that instead of being rejected, or instead of being made to wait, they are trying to either win or walk away on their own terms. I think that that is very typical of a bid from Qatar, whereby they don't like to lose, so they're doing everything that they think it takes to win. At the same time, they're paving the foundations to walk away if they need to, because they think that the Glazers might not want to sell as the six and do so on their own terms."

What next for Manchester United?

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag and his recruitment team can't control the destination of where the ownership of the club may lie and will instead focus on trying to bring in quality additions ahead of next season as they aim to build on a solid showing in 2022/23.

ESPN report that the Dutch manager isn't sure where he stands with regards to his plans for the upcoming window, stating: "I think it's clear what I want, but it's not up to me. It's about others in this club. The family are the owners, they make the decisions. It's not up to me, so I do everything I can and I influence the processes I'm in charge of."

In terms of potential additions to his squad, Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has been a prominently mentioned name in the media and is said to have agreed personal terms over a transfer to Old Trafford, as per talkSPORT.

Tottenham Hotspur star man Harry Kane is also on the radar at Manchester United, as per Sky Sports, though it will remain to be seen how much financial muscle the Red Devils will be able to flex in the market while in the process of a potential transition of ownership.

The WICB has defended its release fee concept by pointing to the drain that overseas T20 leagues exert on West Indies cricket’s talent pool

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Nov-2016The West Indies’ shallow talent pool is being drained by the loss of players to lucrative overseas T20 leagues, the WICB has said in its second media statement on the release-fee concept. The board has asked other ICC Full Members to understand its predicament and the implications for cricket in the region.The WICB decided to levy a release fee of 20% of a player’s contract fee before issuing a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for the player’s participation in any overseas T20 league. The release fee would need to be paid by the host board of the relevant league.”WICB is seeking to encourage other ICC Full Members to recognise the impact that players leaving the West Indies to play in domestic T20 leagues has on West Indies cricket, and to work with WICB in finding a solution to the challenge of securing the best cricketing talent with the limited resources available,” the WICB media release said.The WICB added that it had made “numerous appeals” to various member boards and would pursue the matter till it was resolved. “We will continue to have these discussions with the Full Member boards to resolve [the matter] as soon as possible. We would like them to follow the precedent already set.”Many Full Member boards expressed surprise at the WICB’s decision and some, like CSA and CA, made their objections public.The issue surfaced after Kieron Pollard was stranded in Trinidad, unable to secure the NOC to participate in the South African domestic T20 tournament. Having initially refused clearance, saying it wanted a 20% levy on Pollard’s contracted fee, the WICB granted the NOC on Tuesday.The WICB has said its decision should not be seen as directed against the players. Instead, it said, the global cricket industry was a changed environment and both domestic and international cricket in the Caribbean was directly competing with T20 tournaments overseas.”We are aware that, over the last three years, the number of domestic Twenty20 leagues has increased and there are now eight, including our own Caribbean Premier League,” the WICB said. “This means that there are now year-round lucrative opportunities around the world for West Indian cricketers, competing with West Indies regional competitions and sometimes even with West Indies international cricket. At present, there are 18 players in seven leagues.”The WICB said it did not have the financial strength to pay large sums to its players in order to keep them from playing overseas. In its initial letter to Pollard, sent on November 3, the WICB had said that the funds generated from the release fees would be utilised for creating contracts for West Indies players featuring only in T20s.However, Wednesday’s release stated the money would be utilised for the development of regional cricket. “The release fees form part of an overall contribution to the continued development of: the six franchises and clubs represented, High Performance programme, training and development of technical officials, women’s cricket, A-team tours, a comprehensive under-19 programme, and are split between WICB, the Territorial Board and the club within the territory with which the player is registered.”

A round-up of the third round of matches from the Plunket Shield 2016-17

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2016Tim Southee and Ish Sodhi took fourteen wickets between them to lead Northen Districts to a 21-run win in a low-scoring match against Canterbury in Hamilton. The win took Northern Districts to the top of table.Northern Districts batted only 29.5 overs in the first innings after being put in, and were bowled out for 138. Medium-pacer Kyle Jamieson did the bulk of the damage, taking 4 for 32. But Tim Southee’s five-wicket haul and Ish Sodhi’s four added to a first-day tally of 21 wickets as Canterbury folded for 112 in response.Daryl Mitchell (44) top-scored for Northern Districts in the second innings, and five others got into double figures, as they were bowled for 181. Canterbury began their chase of 208 with a 62-run opening stand between Michael Davidson (45) and Peter Fulton (28), before losing 5 wickets for 41, to slump to 103 for 5. The last-wicket pair of Henry Shipley (26) and Ed Nuttall (11) put on 33 – the second-highest partnership of the innings – but could only take them to 186 before the match ended early on day four.Luke Woodcock scored his second consecutive century of the season – an unbeaten 203 – as the match between Wellington and Auckland ended in a draw. Martin Guptill, who scored 159 runs in the three Tests on the tour of India, struck form in the game, with a fifty in the first innings and an unbeaten 128 in Auckland’s second innings, after they were set a target of 342.Woodcock’s innings was instrumental in helping Wellington declare their first innings at 475 for 8 after having been at 79 for 4 early in the match, following strikes from Cody Andrews (3-101) and Dan Grobbelaar (2-95). Woodcock put on century stands with Tom Blundell (85) and Matt McEwan (63) – the latter for the eighth wicket – as Wellington last four wickets added 396 runsJeet Raval’s 84 and his 110-run opening stand with Martin Guptill (56) set Auckland up in their reply. Michael Guptill-Bunce then made 109 at No.3, but there were no other significant contributions, as they were bowled out for 374 and conceded a 101-run lead. McEwan followed up his half-century with 4 for 80.Both teams scored at well over four runs per over in their second innings. Legspinner Tarun Nethula took 5 for 71 as Wellington played attackingly while trying to set a target.Anaru Kitchen (133) and Josh Finnie (98) both made career-best scores as Otago overturned a shaky first-innings start to take control of the rest of their drawn game against Central Districts in Dunedin.19-year-old Finnie joined Kitchen when Otago were reduced to 101 for 5 after electing to bat. He narrowly missed out on a maiden century when the pair’s 182-run stand was broken by Doug Bracewell (3-58). Kitchen then reached his seventh first-class hundred and put on 61 with Derek de Boorder (45*) who batted with the tail to stretch Otago’s score to 402.Fast bowler Neil Wagner then took three early wickets to reduce Central Districts to 22 for 4 from 19 for zero. A 112-run partnership between Tom Bruce (83) and Dan Cleaver (50) briefly stabilized Central Districts, but they conceded a 186-run lead – in being bowled out for 216 – that allowed Otago to press for a result and set a target of 400.Hamish Rutherford led that effort – 213 for 7 at 5.39 per over – with a 107-ball 110 studded with nine fours and five sixes. But Central Districts were led by Ajaz Patel (45), Mitch Renwick (48) and Tom Bruce (55) as they batted out a little over three sessions to earn a draw.

Chelsea are gearing up for yet another busy transfer window under the stewardship of Todd Boehly, with the American businessman set to spend another pretty fortune.

It looks as though the midfield is one of the key priorities, with Moises Caicedo and Manuel Ugarte linked in recent weeks.

What's the latest of Manuel Ugarte to Chelsea?

The Uruguayan has been the subject of keen interest from the Blues, particularly in the last week.

Possessing a release clause of €60m (£52m), Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim has already admitted it will be difficult to keep the midfielder in Portugal.

Lo and behold, his worst fears appear to be on the verge of being realised.

That's because the latest reports from Record, via Sport Witness, state that the 22-year-old has in fact now chosen to join Chelsea.

It's thought the deal is now 'closed' with the Premier League club set to beat PSG to his signature.

Who have Chelsea signed from Liga Portugal?

The Blues have often dipped their toes into the Portuguese market, most recently to bring Enzo Fernandez to Stamford Bridge in a record transfer for a British club of £106.8m.

That said, he isn't the only elite individual to swap Iberia for the United Kingdom.

Throughout the years, Chelsea have welcomed many a pretty talent from Portugal, with the enigmatic David Luiz initially swapping Benfica for London.

Ramires was another to arrive from Portugal, while the likes of Jose Bosingwa and Paulo Ferreira both traded Porto for a stint in the Premier League.

Perhaps the most successful transfer was that of Ricardo Carvalho, a player who Ugarte will no doubt be aiming to follow in the footsteps of.

Carvalho took to English football like a duck to water with the central defender a key component of the sides that won the Premier League in 2004/05 and 2005/06.

The centre-back eventually left Chelsea in 2010 after six excellent years where he won eight trophies, made 210 appearances and scored 11 goals.

Now 45, he is known as one of the finest to grace Stamford Bridge in the last 20 years and fortunately for Ugarte, he possesses the same steely nature that could make him an equally big success.

READ MORE: Chelsea could sign Man United defender this summer

The midfield "machine", as he has been dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig, was a titan in the centre of the pitch for Sporting this term, notably making the most tackles per game (3.9) of any player in the Portuguese top flight.

That has ensured he's made 121 tackles in the league alone this season, the most of any player.

Not just content with dominating Portugal, the Uruguay international has dominated the continental stage too, making a whopping 4.8 tackles per game in the Champions League, more than any individual.

That means that despite playing far fewer games (6) than those to reach the latter stages of the competition, he is set to end the tournament with more successful tackles than anybody (29).

To be successful in the Premier League, one requisite is to be physical, a player who is willing to put their body on the line to batter opponents. Clearly, Ugarte has that in abundance. He is all ready to be just as successful as Carvalho should this move get confirmed.

Sunderland winger Jack Clarke continues to be linked with a Premier League move – and it appears Vincent Kompany's Burnley have no intention of giving up in their pursuit of the in-demand star.

With Sunderland having already reportedly knocked back at least one bid for Clarke, The Sun's Alan Nixon has claimed Burnley have made a fresh offer in the region of £7m, with various add-ons to be included.

Who is Sunderland's Jack Clarke?

Let go by Tottenham just a year ago after failing to be given a chance in the first team, Clarke has done enough in successive seasons with Sunderland – the first of those on loan – to show he deserves a shot at the big time.

Clarke's 12 assists in the Championship last season was a joint-high along with Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres – arguably the player next on the list of most-coveted second-tier stars.

The 22-year-old also scored nine goals in helping Sunderland to the play-off semi-finals, where they tasted defeat to promoted Luton Town.

Ultimately, that failure to get over the line may cost the Black Cats their chance of keeping hold of Clarke, who has been described as an "unreal" talent by football reporter Josh Bunting.

With Clarke's agent recently telling The i that any player is available if the price is right, it is claimed that a bid of £10m could be enough to prise him away from the Stadium of Light – surely a price worth paying.

Where would Clarke fit in at Burnley?

Burnley eased their way to promotion last season, scoring a league-high 87 goals in the process. Nathan Tella, who is due to return to parent club Southampton, topped the scoring charts with 17 goals, but they were otherwise spread around the side.

That is never a bad thing, of course, and in Clarke they will have a player capable of not only finding the net but also creating chances.

The former Tottenham player, who made just four appearances for the club, was level with Burnley regular Josh Brownhill last season among Championship players for shot-creating actions (147 – joint-ninth).

When it comes to dribbles, Clarke's average of two per game last season is easily more than any Burnley player managed – Anass Zaroury being their best player in that category with 1.6.

Burnley have been completely transformed under Kompany and are not in need of a whole array of signings this window.

That said, if they want to strengthen their attack by adding something a little different, then look no further than Clarke as the potential difference maker in their bid to survive the drop.