Barcelona have begun negotiating a cash deal with a player exchange to sign Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain, sources have told ESPN FC.

According to ESPN FC sources, Barca are prepared to offer as much as €100 million with Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic -- who Barca will need to convince in order to make the switch -- included as part of the deal.

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Until now, Barca had hoped to negotiate using only players. As well as Coutinho and Rakitic, the Spanish champions had considered adding Ousmane Dembele and Nelson Semedo despite the fact the Portugal international is considered "unsellable."

However, sources have told ESPN FC that PSG are not too keen on Rakitic, but are interested in Coutinho and continue to push for Semedo to be included in the deal.

An initial offer of €60m plus Coutinho from Barcelona has already been rejected by PSG, according to ESPN FC sources.

A meeting between the two clubs has been arranged for Tuesday and sources have told ESPN FC that Camp Nou president Josep Maria Bartomeu has chosen director of football Eric Abidal and technical secretary Javier Bordas to represent them. Also in attendance will be Andre Cury, the club's director based in Brazil, who has a strong relationship with Neymar's family.

PSG sporting director Leonardo will be present alongside trusted No. 2 Aneglo Castellazzi and super-agent Pini Zahavi, who brokered Neymar's move from Barca to the Ligue 1 side, is also expected.

Barca still believe this deal is "very complicated," but Real Madrid's inability to meet PSG's demands could help the Blaugrana.

Madrid president Florentino Perez is interested in the Brazil international's signature but having failed to find the funds to sign Paul Pogba from Manchester United, who was manager Zinedine Zidane's No. 1 target, it is unlikely they can afford Neymar.

Madrid are still in the race, however, due to Perez's relationship with Neymar Snr., while they also have more financial power than Barca. However, sources have told ESPN FC that a return to Camp Nou is the Brazil international's preferred choice.

Barca's financial situation is not at its healthiest, but Bartomeu is ready to make one final push to secure Neymar's return.

Coutinho appears resigned to the fact his future lies outside of Barca and would see PSG as a good opportunity to continue his career. Bayern Munich remain interested, but Barca deem him crucial in any negotiations for Neymar. Coutinho is the Catalan club's record signing, having cost €160m in January 2018.

Another player who could be used as a makeweight is Rakitic. Having been vital in Ernesto Valverde's first two seasons, the Barca boss refused to confirm the Croatia international would remain at the club. When asked about Rakitic's future, he replied: "I don't know if he will stay."

The departures of Coutinho and Rakitic would free up wages for incoming players, with the duo among the highest-paid players at the club.

This week is deemed "vital" in understanding how much cash will be required to complete the transaction. Barcelona are confident, though they are awaiting a gesture from Neymar to reject the rumours of a move to Real Madrid.

Barca defender Gerard Pique said recently that the "squad are in contact with him," but added the chats are "private." Pique also invited Neymar to make a statement of intent.

ESPN FC first reported than a deal for Neymar was "doable," despite the impending arrival of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid in June.

Information from ESPN FC's France correspondent Julien Laurens was also used in this report

The Premier League transfer window is closed again for the rest of the year, but how did your team do? Did they leave any gaps?

Our correspondents assess how the top clubs failed to address their weaknesses this summer.

Jump to: Liverpool | Tottenham | Man United | Arsenal | Chelsea

MAN CITY: No replacement for Kompany

Pep Guardiola started the summer looking for a holding midfielder and a central defender. He got one, but not the other, while also upgrading his full-back options with Joao Cancelo and Angelino.

After missing out on Jorginho last summer -- the Italian moved to Chelsea instead -- City finally found their long-term replacement for Fernandinho in Atletico Madrid's Rodri. At around €70m, the 23-year-old is the club's record buy and, judging by early performances against Liverpool and West Ham, it already looks like money well spent.

However, the search for a centre-back wasn't so successful. Leicester's Harry Maguire was on the list of possible replacements for captain Vincent Kompany -- who left for a player-manager role at former club Anderlecht -- but ultimately City would not match Man United's £80m offer.

Kompany was a huge character in the dressing room and almost impossible to replace, but one positive for Guardiola is that he will not have to squeeze too many extra games out of his other options. Kompany hasn't made more than 20 Premier League appearances since 2014-15 -- also the last time he played more than 30 games in all competitions -- and Aymeric Laporte, John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi will take on most of the extra workload.

Guardiola has also hinted that midfielder Fernandinho could also find himself at centre-back at times this season. City managed without an extra holding midfielder last season and it's unlikely their title defence will be dented too much after missing out on a centre-back. Still, expect the search for a new one to re-start in 12 months' time. -- Rob Dawson.

LIVERPOOL: A gamble on the future, especially at full-back

If anyone was surprised by Liverpool's minimal business in the market, they clearly haven't being paying attention to Jurgen Klopp's words or methodology. Stretching back to his days as manager of Borussia Dortmund, the German has craved squad continuity and while the Bundesliga side weren't equipped to fend off interest from the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester United, a policy of player retention has been core at Anfield.

He believes in the power of collective development and generating improvement from within, so sporting director Michael Edwards' main responsibilities this summer have been to trim the squad and recruit gifted young players with lots of potential. Dutch defender Sepp van den Berg, 17, and Harvey Elliott, who become the youngest player to feature in the Premier League at 16 years and 30 days while at Fulham, have been drafted in as Liverpool consider the club's future.

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The only first-team addition came in the form of goalkeeper Adrian on a free, who replaces Simon Mignolet as Alisson's deputy. The club were never going to go back in for Lyon's Nabil Fekir as they are well stocked in central midfield but they did have designs on getting cover for Andy Robertson at left-back, before their first-choice target Lloyd Kelly joined Bournemouth instead.

The performances of youngster Yasser Larouci in preseason convinced Klopp not to spend on a position where James Milner and Joe Gomez can also deputise in -- though it is not ideal for either to start on that flank. On the other side, Ki-Jana Hoever -- one of the Academy's brightest prospects -- will develop into cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Milner and Joel Matip could also be used as a temporary fix at right-back.

All in all, the Merseysiders are confident their transfer policy will allow them to bring in gamechangers in future and while it is a risk not to add greater quality in depth, it is a gamble Klopp is quite comfortable in taking. -- Melissa Reddy

TOTTENHAM: An Eriksen mess, defensive questions and a backup to Kane

Mauricio Pochettino has spoken of the "big mistake" made by the Premier League in enforcing the Aug. 8 transfer deadline which, the Spurs manager claims, places England's top clubs at a disadvantage against most of their European counterparts, who can continue to sign players until Sept. 2.

Pochettino's comments hinted at a realisation that his own rebuilding programme was incomplete, despite chairman Daniel Levy signing off the club's first purchases since January 2018.

The failure to push through a deal for Juventus forward Paulo Dybala saw Spurs fail to secure a replacement for Christian Eriksen, whose ongoing refusal to sign a new contract could see him leave on a free transfer next summer. And with Juan Foyth ruled out for at least a month with an ankle injury, amid doubts over Pochettino's faith in both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, Spurs have gone into the season with question marks over the centre of their defence.

Youngsters Jack Clarke (loaned back to Leeds) and Ryan Sessegnon have been signed for the long-term, while Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso have added ready-made quality in midfield.

But having offloaded Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente since the end of last season, Spurs could once again find themselves short on attacking options if Harry Kane is sidelined through injury.

Allowing two centre-forwards to leave without replacing either of them is a risky strategy, even though the likes of Lucas Moura, Son Heung-Min and Dele Alli have all shown their ability to find the back of the net whenever Kane is absent. -- Mark Ogden.

MAN UNITED: Midfield depth and a Lukaku replacement

United made significant improvements to their defence over the summer with the arrivals for Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire for a combined fee of £130m. But when the transfer window closed last week, there were still gaps in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad and one in particular was emphasised during the 4-0 win over Chelsea on the opening weekend of the season.

Marouane Fellaini left Old Trafford in January, while Ander Herrera followed him at the end of last season, and it has left United short in midfield. Solskjaer will expect Andreas Pereira and Scott McTominay to play more games but it is still an area of the squad that looks short both on numbers and quality.

It will not have escaped United fans that even during a positive afternoon against Chelsea, there were significant chunks of the first half that were dominated by Frank Lampard's side and the scoreline at half-time would have been different had the visitors been more clinical.

After the departure of Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan for €80m, there are also still question marks up front. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have made a good start in trying to fill the void in terms of goals, with young Mason Greenwood ready to step up from the academy, but failing to replace the Belgian striker is still a risk for Solskjaer.

Rashford and Martial have both averaged close to a goal every four games during their United's careers and Solskjaer is asking both reach levels they have never managed before. Solskjaer has put his faith in young players in both midfield and up front and in the absence of new arrivals, United's success this season depends on it being repaid. -- Rob Dawson.

ARSENAL: Defensive depth and consistency

While the £72m acquisition of Nicolas Pepe was the headline business for Arsenal this summer, their most vital trading occurred on deadline day with the signings of Kieran Tierney and David Luiz for less than half the Frenchmen's fee combined.

Over the past two league seasons, only Manchester City and Liverpool have outscored the Gunners, with their failings coming at the opposite end of the pitch. Arsenal shipped 51 goals in consecutive campaigns rendering the addition of the experienced Luiz from rivals Chelsea for £8m at centre-back and Celtic's Tierney at £25m to solidify the left flank as imperative.

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The loan move for Real Madrid's Dani Ceballos was inspired, as was the recruitment of highly-rated young defender William Saliba, who will remain at Saint-Etienne on loan for 2019-20. The common thread with all these players is their stylistic suitability under manager Unai Emery and while there are lingering doubts as to whether Arsenal will have enough consistency and resolve without the ball to secure a Champions League spot, the team will not be short of goals or a fear factor for plenty of opposition managers.

The exit of Aaron Ramsey to Juventus on a free transfer early in the summer was a mess, while the drama surrounding former captain Laurent Koscielny's forced £4.6m move to Bordeaux was a shock they could have done without.

There is still a feeling that the defence's depth will struggle against the elite teams, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles still deputising for the injured Hector Bellerin at right-back and Calum Chambers thrown in at the deep end to prove himself as a centre-back. Any injury to No. 1 goalkeeper Bernd Leno would leave them with the inexperienced Emiliano Martinez, too. But on paper, and especially with their financial restrictions, Arsenal navigated the window as best they could. -- Melissa Reddy.

CHELSEA: Transfer ban woes, but centre-back depth Chelsea's own doing

Having been hit with a two-window transfer ban by FIFA following an investigation into the signing of foreign players under the age of 18, Chelsea went into the summer knowing that they would not be able to add to their squad.

And with the realisation that Eden Hazard would be leaving for Real Madrid, the biggest challenge for the club was always going to be ensuring that Maurizio Sarri's successor as manager, Frank Lampard, would still have a competitive squad to take into the new campaign.

By striking a £57.6m deal for U.S. international Christian Pulisic in January -- with the Borussia Dortmund forward immediately loaned back to the German club for the remainder of the season -- Chelsea ensured they had a replacement for Hazard secured.

Mateo Kovacic's loan from Real Madrid also became a permanent deal in the summer and youngsters such as Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori returned from loan duty to bolster Lampard's options.

However, the departures of David Luiz to Arsenal (for £8m) and Gary Cahill to Crystal Palace (after being released) have left Chelsea without two experienced centre-backs, and that could become a problem during the campaign if the back four is hit by injuries. Kurt Zouma already highlighted the lack of depth with his poor performance in the 4-0 defeat to Man United this weekend.

Still, considering the restrictions placed upon the club by their transfer ban, Chelsea have emerged from the summer window in a healthier shape than their supporters may have feared.

Hazard is irreplaceable, despite Pulisic's potential, but the youngsters who have now been promoted to the first-team squad have the opportunity to stake their claim and save Chelsea more money in the market next summer. -- Mark Ogden.

Cricket is set to make a reappearance at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) for the upcoming edition - Birmingham 2022 - with the top eight international women's teams from among countries that come under the Commonwealth ambit competing in the T20 format over eight days, with all matches taking place at Edgbaston.

The game, then in the 50-over format, last featured in the CWG back in 1998, in Kuala Lumpur, with South Africa winning the gold medal after beating Australia in the final by four wickets.

"Today is an historic day and we are delighted to welcome the sport of cricket back to the Commonwealth Games," Dame Louise Martin, president of the CWG Federation, said in a statement.

The ICC will lend support to the federation by overseeing the staging of the competition, apart from providing match officials.

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Amy Satterthwaite, the New Zealand women captain, was among the first to react after the news came out, calling it an "important milestone for the game".

"To expose the women's game to such a different global audience, and to be part of such a prestigious event such as the Commonwealth Games - it's a huge boost at a time of real momentum," she said. "Having the opportunity to play against countries we currently don't usually compete with will be unique and only a good thing for the growth of the game."

The growth of the game and it's increasing popularity were major factor in the first-ever standalone ICC Women's World T20 being staged in the Caribbean last November, with another edition set to be held in Australia in March 2020.

"This is a truly historic moment for women's cricket and for the global cricket community, who were united in their support of this bid," ICC's chief executive Manu Sawhney said. "Women's cricket continues to go from strength to strength, and we are delighted and honoured the Commonwealth Games Associations voted to include Women's T20 cricket at Birmingham 2022.

"Fast and exciting, the T20 format is the perfect fit for the Commonwealth Games and offers another chance to showcase women's cricket on the global stage as part of our ambitious plans to accelerate the growth of the game, whilst inspiring the next generation of cricketers. All the players who are lucky enough to compete at Birmingham 2022 will be part of a truly memorable experience."

Mohammad Hafeez has signed for Middlesex as AB de Villiers' replacement for three Vitality Blast games.

De Villiers' initial stint finished with a victory against Surrey last week, but he will return to the club for the final two games of the group stage, and the knockouts if Middlesex qualify.

Hafeez has been playing in the Global T20 Canada - he hit 85 runs in five innings for Edmonton Royals - and is expected to be available for Wednesday's game at Essex.

This will be Hafeez's first stint in county cricket, though he did play club cricket in the Liverpool League in 2004 and 2005.

Hafeez retired from Test cricket in December, but remains available for white-ball internationals.

He was part of Pakistan's World Cup squad, making 253 runs including a vital 84 against England at Trent Bridge, but was left off their central contracts list last week.

After reaching the knockouts once in the last ten seasons, Middlesex have had an impressive campaign, and sit second in the South Group with five games to play.

De Villiers' shoes will be difficult to fill: in five innings for the club, he made 253 runs, striking at 191.66, including two scores of 88 not out and a 40-ball 64 to sign off against Surrey.

Big Picture

Sri Lanka won their last Test assignment - it was a historic one too - in South Africa, but so much has happened since. New Zealand have had a different kind of high, and a heartbreak to boot, at the World Cup, but are determined to move on and make a fresh start in Sri Lanka, with the Tests part of the World Test Championship.

What's certain is they won't underestimate the hosts, even though they are yet to emerge from their forever-rebuilding state, under another interim coach. In Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, and Henry Nicholls they have a middle order more than capable of batting Sri Lanka out of the game. To bolster their batting unit, they have also recruited former Sri Lanka batting coach Thilan Samaraweera for the duration of the series.

Sri Lanka are coming into the series on the back of a comprehensive ODI series whitewash over Bangladesh. Prior to that, they finished a World Cup campaign that was nowhere near as bad as it could have been. All of it has taken place in the midst of constant backroom turmoil, culminating in head coach Chandika Hathurusingha being replaced in the interim by fast-bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake.

Yet, this Sri Lanka side under Dimuth Karunaratne has shown considerable mental resolve in recent months, especially with their batting, and while most teams would be unsettled by the loss of a coach days before a series, not many sides are as practiced at compartmentalising such chaos as Sri Lanka.

All things considered, though, New Zealand certainly have the edge. Yes, Sri Lanka have beaten South Africa and Australia at home in recent years, but that was with the assistance of the now retired Rangana Herath, and the injured Dilruwan Perera. Sri Lanka's spin-bowling future in Tests still has heavy question marks around it. New Zealand meanwhile are coming on the back of five consecutive series wins, and it would take brave man to bet against them making it six.

Form guide

Sri Lanka WWLDL (last five completed matches, most recent first)

New Zealand WWWDW

In the spotlight

This will be Sri Lanka's first Test at home since Rangana Herath's retirement. There had been a succession plan in place in the shape of Dilruwan Perera, but with him also out injured, Sri Lanka have suddenly lost some 378 wickets worth of spin-bowling experience on home soil. This puts the pressure squarely on Akila Dananjaya to carry Sri Lanka's spin attack on what should be a fairly accommodating Galle surface. While Dananjaya only has 27 Test wickets to his name, 17 of which have come at home, they have come in just five Tests. This will be his first outing in the longer format of the game since he remodelled his action earlier this year.

Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel was instrumental in New Zealand's away series win against Pakistan last year, and despite having just the five Tests under his belt, he impressed in the warm-up game, where he walked away with a five-for on the only day play was possible. Visiting spinners have also had a fair bit of success in Sri Lanka recently, and Patel and co. will have studied closely.

Team news

Sri Lanka are set to welcome back Dinesh Chandimal, dropped for the series in South Africa because of poor form, and Angelo Mathews, who missed the South Africa tour because of an injury. New Zealand, meanwhile, could field three frontline spinners, with Todd Astle missing out.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Lahiru Thirimanne, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Kusal Perera, 7 Dhananjaya De Silva, 8 Lasith Embuldeniya, 9 Akila Dananjaya 10 Lakshan Sandakan 11 Suranga Lakmal

New Zealand (probable): 1 Jeet Raval, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 BJ Watling, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ajaz Patel, 9 Will Somerville, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Tim Southee

Pitch and conditions

Galle pitches usually favour spin, so expect the same this time too. Given rain is forecast right through the Test, there's every chance of a five-day affair, unlike recent Tests that have finished early. If it does go there, both sides will want to be bowling on a deteriorating deck, so winning the toss and batting first would be the obvious choice.

Stats and trivia

• If New Zealand win this series 2-0 they will become No.1 ranked Test side in the world for the first time in their history

• Teams winning the toss have batted first in 27 of the 32 Tests played here

• Kane Williamson's 968 runs against Sri Lanka at 80.66 is the most he has scored against a single opponent

• Galle is one of only four venues where a single bowler has more than 100 wickets (Lord's the only non-Sri Lankan venue in the list).

• Tim Southee is six wickets from becoming the second-highest wicket taker in bilateral Tests between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Muttiah Muralitharan is the highest.

Quotes

"We were too attacking perhaps in our last game here. We couldn't for example stop the flow of runs. Now we have plans to move forward and all the spinners are in good shape."
Dimuth Karunaratne on lessons from Galle 2018

"The guys that are here were part of a fantastic series in the UAE where spin bowling was the dominant art. They are really looking forward to the opportunity in another country where the conditions will be slightly different again."
Kane Williamson is bullish about his spinners' chances

James Pattinson has been rested for the Lord's Ashes Test, leaving Josh Hazlewood in line to make his entry into the series at the venue where he delivered his best spells of the 2015 series.

Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc were both in Australia's 12-man squad unveiled on Tuesday morning, but Pattinson will be rested after his often hostile displays at Edgbaston in the tourists' opening win. This will mean Australia have a fresh Pattinson at their disposal for the third Test, to be played at Leeds next week.

Australia squad (for second Test): Tim Paine (capt & wk), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

More to follow

Steven Smith is an avowed tennis fanatic, and for England captain Joe Root, the Australian's treasure trove of quirks, pops and ticks are akin to some of the more audible grunts heard on the ATP and WTA tours.

Having had more than a week to ponder where his team went wrong against Smith at Edgbaston, Root has reasoned that the hosts were too quick to try different things in reflexive response to the Australian maestro's many batting foibles. In doing so, they lost sight of the fact that, under the sustained pressure of a tight line, Smith is only a little less susceptible to edging into the cordon than the average batsman.

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"It's something you've got to look past," Root said at Lord's. "A lot of what he does is try to put you off in a way, trying to make it look extremely different so you have to think way outside the box. You look at his dismissals over a period of time, it's not far away from everyone else's, the movements before and after it might look slightly different.

"You're always looking at different ways how you can try and get someone out. I think maybe one thing that could have done slightly better, me personally as captain, was stick to a plan for a little bit longer, give it a chance to work a little bit more. But he did play well. I think it was 18 times early on in that first innings he played and missed.

"It could have been very different. In some ways, that's a sign that plans are working. We've just got to be a little bit more patient with it. And he's got to start again this week ... new challenge, new wicket, different atmosphere. It's just being really clear on how we want to go about it. When we got to a plan we've got to be really ruthless with it, stick to it, make sure if we're not getting him out we're containing him, and building pressure on him at the other end."

"He's had a slightly different journey to a lot of the other guys and has gained a lot of experience, whether it be under pressure in Twenty20 cricket and obviously the World Cup now as well, and I think that can stand guys in just as good a stead as three or four seasons in county cricket" Joe Root on Jofra Archer

Root is eager to unleash Jofra Archer on the Australians in what appears likely to be an impact role based on short spells at the debutant's very fastest. This is the sort of pace England have not been able to call on against Smith since Mark Wood in the 2015 Ashes.

"It'd be nice if he was staying up at 88-92mph, round that bracket, for the chances he gets to bowl," Root said. "He's very skilful as well. Everyone talks about his pace and his easy action but he's got some very good skills. He gets the ball moving around both ways. Factor that in with the pace he bowls, he will cause a lot of problems, I'm sure.

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"He's a very skilful young man. He's got a very good record in red-ball cricket. There will be question marks about his workloads coming into the game, but I think, importantly, if we manage that well, he's proven over the last couple of years when he has played county cricket that he can manage that well. He's a very exciting prospect."

Archer has had a novel path to the England side, although Root noted that it was unlikely to affect him: the fast man's relaxed approach is such that he was able to sneak a nap at the very moment his World Cup campaign was about to begin.

"He's very confident, which is great. Someone coming in with that attitude is just what you want. He's very relaxed," Root said. "I remember his first World Cup game, we'd just done the anthems, it was obviously a huge occasion, playing South Africa ... I reckon before the first ball was bowled he was asleep in the dressing room, making sure he was ready to go when he has to bowl.

"He is very relaxed, he knows what he needs to do to prepare well. For a young man, he's quite mature in terms of cricket, which is again a great quality to have. I think you need a balance of different characters in the dressing room to even things out. It keeps it interesting. As long as collectively when you're on the field you're in the same frame of mind and you're very clear on how you want to go about things, it works really nicely. You don't want 11 players exactly the same.

"You see it a lot in the modern game with the schedule the way it is, with the amount of white-ball opportunities there are around. Guys want to go and play in that. He's had a slightly different journey to a lot of the other guys and has gained a lot of experience, whether it be under pressure in Twenty20 cricket and obviously the World Cup now as well, and I think that can stand guys in just as good a stead as three or four seasons in county cricket."

Looking back on how England came to lose at Edgbaston, having been placed under growing pressure by Australia up to the moment at which the home side cracked on the final day, Root argued that the loss of James Anderson with injury had placed the entire team - batsmen and bowlers alike - in unfamiliar territory.

"I think it did harm us having only three bowlers," Root said. "I think it caught up with us in the second innings. You set a team up in a certain way and then obviously the workloads got a lot more than we probably expected to, whereas Australia went into the game with that and are used to playing with a three-man seam attack. Whereas we, over a long period of time now, have gone with three seamers and Ben [Stokes] as an allrounder that offers a huge amount with the ball.

"These freak things happen sometimes and when you do get those extra workloads on a good wicket against someone playing as well as Steve did, makes it very difficult for you. It'll be completely different this week, I'm sure. Every team has different ways of operating as well. Of course, you always want to control the scoreboard, taking wickets, going at two an over and bowling sides out for 100. It doesn't always work like that.

"It's how quickly you can adapt, knowing when to be a little bit more aggressive and when to suck it up, and are you skilful enough to manage that as a bowling group and me as the captain. That's always the challenge and we'll be exactly the same this week."

Root is also conscious of Nathan Lyon, whose hold over England at Edgbaston grew in parallel to that of Australia's as a whole. "I thought in the first innings we played him very well, and then as the conditions came more into his favour with the scoreboard pressure [Australia] had made it a lot easier for him to operate," Root said of Lyon. "It's a different pressure bowling it like that and he dealt with it very well. It's fair to say, bar Jason [Roy], he bowled us out. So credit to him.

"We'll have to make sure that if we find ourselves in a similar scenario throughout the four games we try and combat that a little bit differently, being a little bit smarter, trying to take those men around the bat out of the equation a little bit more. But it's how you do that with minimal risk, which is always the art of batting especially in the fourth innings of the game - against a high-quality spinner like Nathan."

Barcelona have begun negotiating a cash deal with a player exchange to sign Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain, sources have told ESPN FC.

According to ESPN FC sources, Barca are prepared to offer as much as €100 million with Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic -- who Barca will need to convince in order to make the switch -- included as part of the deal.

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Until now, Barca had hoped to negotiate using only players. As well as Coutinho and Rakitic, the Spanish champions had considered adding Ousmane Dembele and Nelson Semedo despite the fact the Portugal international is considered "unsellable."

However, sources have told ESPN FC that PSG are not too keen on Rakitic, but are interested in Coutinho and continue to push for Semedo to be included in the deal.

An initial offer of €60m plus Coutinho from Barcelona has already been rejected by PSG, according to ESPN FC sources.

A meeting between the two clubs has been arranged for Tuesday and sources have told ESPN FC that Camp Nou president Josep Maria Bartomeu has chosen director of football Eric Abidal and technical secretary Javier Bordas to represent them. Also in attendance will be Andre Cury, the club's director based in Brazil, who has a strong relationship with Neymar's family.

PSG sporting director Leonardo will be present alongside trusted No. 2 Aneglo Castellazzi and super-agent Pini Zahavi, who brokered Neymar's move from Barca to the Ligue 1 side, is also expected.

Barca still believe this deal is "very complicated," but Real Madrid's inability to meet PSG's demands could help the Blaugrana.

Madrid president Florentino Perez is interested in the Brazil international's signature but having failed to find the funds to sign Paul Pogba from Manchester United, who was manager Zinedine Zidane's No. 1 target, it is unlikely they can afford Neymar.

Madrid are still in the race, however, due to Perez's relationship with Neymar Snr., while they also have more financial power than Barca. However, sources have told ESPN FC that a return to Camp Nou is the Brazil international's preferred choice.

Barca's financial situation is not at its healthiest, but Bartomeu is ready to make one final push to secure Neymar's return.

Coutinho appears resigned to the fact his future lies outside of Barca and would see PSG as a good opportunity to continue his career. Bayern Munich remain interested, but Barca deem him crucial in any negotiations for Neymar. Coutinho is the Catalan club's record signing, having cost €160m in January 2018.

Another player who could be used as a makeweight is Rakitic. Having been vital in Ernesto Valverde's first two seasons, the Barca boss refused to confirm the Croatia international would remain at the club. When asked about Rakitic's future, he replied: "I don't know if he will stay."

The departures of Coutinho and Rakitic would free up wages for incoming players, with the duo among the highest-paid players at the club.

This week is deemed "vital" in understanding how much cash will be required to complete the transaction. Barcelona are confident, though they are awaiting a gesture from Neymar to reject the rumours of a move to Real Madrid.

Barca defender Gerard Pique said recently that the "squad are in contact with him," but added the chats are "private." Pique also invited Neymar to make a statement of intent.

ESPN FC first reported than a deal for Neymar was "doable," despite the impending arrival of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid in June.

Information from ESPN FC's France correspondent Julien Laurens was also used in this report

CHIBA, Japan -- First-round NBA draft pick Rui Hachimura scored 35 points to lead Japan to a 99-89 win over New Zealand in a World Cup warm-up game at Port Chiba Arena.

Hachimura became the first player from Japan to be chosen in the first round of the NBA draft, taken with the No. 9 overall pick by the rebuilding Washington Wizards in June. The former Gonzaga University star played in the NBA's Summer League for the Wizards and next will take up national duties for Japan at the World Cup and for other warm-up games, including against New Zealand again on Wednesday.

"We got off to a good start and went from there ... I want to lead this team,'' Hachimura said after Monday's game. "I'm just happy to be back in Japan after a while for these friendly games.''

The 21-year-old from Toyama Prefecture scored 22 points in the first half and impressed Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey.

"I think he's going to be a heckuva player, the NBA is a physical game, a tough game. He's got a great body for the NBA,'' Casey, who is in Japan for a coaching clinic and was at the game as a spectator, told Kyodo News. "I see Rui ... developing his game to move out to the 3-point line. Because that's where the NBA is. Great kid, great work ethic.''

Tai Webster led New Zealand with 18 points. Japan played without Memphis Grizzlies forward Yuta Watanabe, who has an ankle injury. Japan opens its World Cup competition against Turkey on Sept. 1 in Shanghai and then takes on Czech Republic and the United States. The top two teams in the group will advance to the second round.