Atletico Madrid are set to complete the signings of Kieran Trippier and Mario Hermoso after making a breakthrough in the negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur and Espanyol respectively on Tuesday, sources have told ESPN FC.

Atletico are finalising the details of both deals which will be completed at around €25 million each and that will serve to complete Diego Simeone's defensive overhaul following the summer departures of key players Juanfran, Diego Godin, Lucas Hernandez and Filipe Luis.

- When does the 2019-20 La Liga season start?

Barcelona right-back Nelson Semedo had been Atletico's priority but they were forced to explore alternatives due to a reluctance from Camp Nou to negotiate the departure of the Portugal international.

Sources have told ESPN FC that Atletico have also made enquiries for Paris Saint-Germain defender Thomas Meunier and Arsenal's Hector Bellerin in recent weeks. However, two weeks ago Atletico sporting director Andrea Berta decided to step up negotiations for Trippier in a deal which could rise to around €30m with add-ons.

Trippier, 28, arrived in Madrid this morning and is expected to undergo his medical in Madrid on Wednesday before putting pen to paper on a four-year-deal at the Wanda Metropolitano. Simeone knows the England international well and sources close to the Argentine told ESPN FC they see him as a "very complete player who has power, speed and a very good shot on set pieces."

Meanwhile, other sources have told ESPN FC Atletico also expect to complete the signing of Hermoso from Espanyol after three months of negotiations. Atletico will pay around €25m for Spain international, who will also sign a four-year-deal.

There had been an agreement with the centre-back since May but negotiations with Espanyol have been complicated with the Catalan club looking for €35m since Real Madrid own 50 percent of Hermoso's rights and will get half of the transfer.

Espanyol recently rejected a €20m but Atletico sent an ultimatum this week which saw the Catalans lower their demands and accept a final offer as the player only had one year left on his contract and wanted to move to the Wanda Metropolitano.

Hermoso, 24, has established himself in the Spain national team in recent months, having only joined Espanyol from Real Madrid last summer.

Meanwhile, Atletico are still working on a deal to sign James Rodriguez.

Atletico are also considering Napoli playmaker Fabian Ruiz as an alternative, but president Enrique Cerezo said on Tuesday the Rojiblancos are interested in James.

"Atletico are always interested in great players and James is a great player, but from that to him coming, there is some distance," Cerezo told reporters on Tuesday.

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The Toe Poke Daily is here every day to bring you all the weirdest stories, quirkiest viral content and top trolling that the internet has to offer, all in one place.

FaceApp is all the rage on social media right now. Just add a picture of yourself and find out what you will look like when you are really old.

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So we thought we'd take some of the biggest names in football, and put them through the app. It's fair to say some came out better than others.

If you're Jose Mourinho or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, you might want to look away now!

Ozil goes blonde

With the start of the new season already just a matter of weeks away, Mesut Ozil has plumped for a fresh new look.

Indeed, the German forward has been seen sporting an eye-catching silvery blonde coif out in Los Angeles, where Arsenal are currently preparing to take part in the 2019 International Champions Cup.

Ayyy, @MesutOzil1088 with the fresh trim! ?

? @COPA90 pic.twitter.com/CdIjtnJlzQ

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) 17 July 2019

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was among many suggesting that Ozil may have dyed his hair in tribute to Megan Rapinoe, though a lot of other lookalikes being suggested weren't quite as complimentary.

A delightful Zorin/Strangelove hybrid pic.twitter.com/7VHisxWfyb

— Richie McCormåck (@RichieMcCormack) 17 July 2019

Ozil later explained that he has had to dye his hair as the result of a crossbar challenge wager he lost against Alexandre Lacazette, and that both Shkodran Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac have also followed suit.

Paul O'Grady. https://t.co/5dYI3pQmOG

— Who Ate All The Pies (@waatpies) 17 July 2019

We can hardly wait to see the result yet to come.

In what may yet be the first of several departures in the PCB's coaching and management set-up, Inzamam-ul-Haq is set to leave his post of chief selector once his contract ends at the end of this month. Addressing the media at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Inzamam said he would not be interested in seeking out an extension, drawing the curtains on a three-year stint in the role.

"After more than three years as Chair of the Pakistan Men's Selection Committee, I have decided not to seek a renewal of my contract," he said. "With the ICC World Test Championship due to get underway in September and the ICC T20 World Cup in 2020 and the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, I believe it is the right time for the Pakistan Cricket Board to appoint a new chief selector who can bring new ideas and fresh thinking.

"I spoke to PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani and Managing Director Wasim Khan on Monday and conveyed my decision to them separately. I also thanked them for backing and supporting the selection committee since taking over the reins of Pakistan cricket.

"The Pakistan cricket team has come a long way since the departures of stalwarts like Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan in May 2017 and is now destined for improved results as the youngsters have grown in experience and stature. They are now ready to excel and perform consistently across the three formats."

The writing had been on the wall during the course of Pakistan's roller-coaster World Cup 2019 campaign, during which Inzamam was seen in England and often with the players in the dressing room, most notably following an alleged spat between players and coach that Inzamm had apparently mediated upon. Wholesale changes to the management set-up were expected following the tournament, in which Pakistan narrowly missed out on a semi-final berth by finishing fifth, and Inzamam is the first person out of the door.

He began his stint in August 2016, and at the time, Pakistan were so eager to appoint him they bought out the last year of his contract with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, where he had served as the head coach. His time saw several players enter the Pakistan international set-up, who are now mainstays, such as Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan, Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi. The biggest success of this period was lifting the Champions Trophy in 2017, when Pakistan beat India in the final to win their first ICC tournament in nearly a decade. Six months later, they would beat New Zealand in a three-match T20I series to ascend to No. 1 in the T20I rankings, a position they still hold.

"The most important aspect is when we got the team, there were many players at the end of their careers," said Inzamam. "We had to pick young players and I strongly believe that these 15 to 16 players can serve around 10 to 15 years. Our job was to pick potential new players and we took a chance on many players. We had picked over 15 young players in this tenure and now in every format we have young world-class players."

There were also accusations of nepotism, both whispered and more loud, surrounding the inclusion of Inzamam's nephew Imam for a tour against Sri Lanka in the UAE. Imam has since gone on to become an ODI mainstay, cementing the opening position in both ODIs and Tests. He scored a century on ODI debut, becoming only the second Pakistani to do so, and averages a shade under 55 in the format after playing 36 matches.

"It has been a pleasure to see these players grow and make names for themselves in international cricket," Inzamam said. "I will follow their progress with interest because I firmly believe these players have all the ingredients to take the Pakistan cricket team to greater heights.

"The team could have performed better during my time than the results reflect and I may have inadvertently overlooked some potentially deserving players, but I have always had the best interests of Pakistan cricket foremost in my heart. I hope the passionate Pakistan cricket fans will understand and can see this in my decisions.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow selectors, who worked tireless behind the scenes, as well as captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and coach Mickey Arthur. I think we worked very well as a group, stayed together in difficult times, and continued to collectively move in the same direction.

"I wish the new chief of the selection committee and the Pakistan cricket teams all the best in what will be exciting but competitive times in international cricket."

For all that Inzamam-ul-Haq may have achieved during his stint as chief selector, there is one decision most persistently brought up. In the autumn of 2017, with Pakistan wrapping up a routine clean sweep over Sri Lanka in the UAE, 21-year old Imam-ul-Haq was brought into the side. He opened the batting, scored a century on debut - only the second Pakistani to do - en route to a routine chase. It might have looked like a masterstroke. So what was the problem?

It turns out Imam is Inzamam's nephew, and in Pakistan, be it cricket or any other institution, nepotism is so corrosively widespread that any whiff of it is enough to taint the one associated with it. And for some people, the inclusion of Imam at the alleged behest of the chief selector, who happened to be his uncle, was much too difficult to accept.

Today, as Inzamam announced he would not be seeking an extension on his term as chief selector, disclosed he had never been the one to push for Imam's selection, claiming batting coach Grant Flower had first brought up the possibility of bringing him into the international set-up. He also reminded people he hadn't been part of the set-up when Imam was included in the Pakistan Under-19 squad in 2012, or when he went on to become the vice-captain of that side in 2014, deputising under Babar Azam.

"When he was first picked up for the international team not many know this, that it was Grant Flower who first came up to me to say he had been watching Imam score runs in domestic cricket. Then, [head coach] Mickey Arthur took up his case with the selection committee. Many people raised questions about his selection but when his name came up in selection I kept quiet and let others decide about him. So when you say that his selection is because of me, that's inappropriate, because the team is not made by me alone. It was by the head coach and captain so why not question them?

"His selection for me and him has been very critical for each other," Inzamam said. "But I want to remind people who had been making this an issue that when I wasn't the part of PCB in any capacity in 2012, he was selected in Pakistan's Under-19 squad. In 2014, he was named vice-captain for the Under-19 World Cup and this formed a pathway to international cricket. He has scored runs and earned his place in the team. He did well and in the 36 ODIs he's played so far as opener, he averages over 50, which hasn't been achieved by anyone yet. So I think he should be regarded the same as everyone else."

Inzamam would not be drawn on future contenders for the captaincy, though he notably stopped short of a ringing endorsement of Sarfaraz Ahmed, the current Pakistan captain. The PCB is understood to be evaluating the captain and coaches' performances over the last three years before taking a decision, with split captaincy across formats an option they are open to. Head coach Mickey Arthur is understood be be presenting his case on July 29, when senior management at the PCB convene to discuss the way forward.

"Since being made captain, Sarfaraz has done well but had mixed performances," Inzamam said. "It's not my decision to keep him or remove him; that question needs to be asked of the relevant decision-makers. But captaincy is about a leader who must be expected to have enough confidence to be able to pass it on to his team.

"I personally believe this series-by-series captaincy isn't a feasible option and I am all for long-term captaincy. Whoever you name as captain, it's a hard choice. But then he should be supported 100 percent and given ample time and that's very important. All successful captains in the world have had long-term roles to make a difference."

Jason Roy is set to make his Test debut against Ireland at Lord's next week, mere days after playing his part in England's World Cup final victory over New Zealand. However, Jofra Archer's hotly anticipated Test debut will be deferred at least until the Ashes next month, after he was rested from a 13-man squad for the one-off contest that gets underway next Wednesday.

Roy, who will expect to open the batting alongside his Surrey colleague, Rory Burns, could also be joined in the team by two other Test debutants, with both Warwickshire's Olly Stone and Somerset's Lewis Gregory in line for selection in a contest from which several first-choice players will be absent.

Stone, who was an unused squad member on last year's Test series in Sri Lanka, was forced to sit out the subsequent tour of the Caribbean earlier this year, after picking up a stress fracture of the back. But he is back in contention now, and replacing the man who replaced him on that tour, Mark Wood, who may now miss the majority of the Ashes after picking up a side strain during Sunday's World Cup final.

According to the ECB, Wood is expected to be out of action for four to six weeks, which realistically means he will be out of contention until at least the fourth Test against Australia, which gets underway at Old Trafford on September 4.

His absence is a blow, given the firepower that he offers to England's attack - his spell in the St Lucia Test against West Indies earlier this year was one of the quickest ever recorded in Test history. However, Stone, 25, is also capable of cranking the speed gun up past 90mph, with 123 first-class wickets at 25 apiece in his career to date.

Gregory meanwhile has earned his first call-up to the Test squad after leading Somerset's attack in a County Championship campaign that they had been dominating until last week's untimely defeat to Yorkshire. With 44 wickets at 13.88 to date this season, he is in some of the best form of his career, and is currently captaining the England Lions against Australia XI in a tour match at Canterbury.

Archer, who held his nerve in the thrilling Super Over that sealed England's World Cup win, has been given a chance to take stock of his rapid ascent to stardom. He had not been eligible to play for England until his selection for the Pakistan series in May that preceded the World Cup, and has been granted time off for a return to visit his family in Barbados before the Ashes get underway.

In the wake of his key role in the World Cup, however, Archer has already been awarded an increment contract by the ECB for the next 12 months.

James Anderson, who was thought to be a doubt for the Ireland Test after sustaining a low grade calf muscle tear while playing for Lancashire at Sedburgh recently, has been named in the squad alongside his long-term opening partner, Stuart Broad.

Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, England's two batting stars from the World Cup final, have both been rested for the Ireland Test, with the first Test against Australia looming at Edgbaston on August 1.

Joe Denly, who made his maiden half-century in England's most recent Test in the Caribbean in February, is likely to retain his place at No.3, with Joe Root - resuming his role as Test captain - inked in at No.4.

A squad of 16 players - the 13 below plus Stokes, Buttler and Wood - are due to attend a pre-Ashes training camp this weekend at St George's Park, the Football Association's national football centre based at Burton-Upon-Trent.

England squad to face Ireland Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Jack Leach, Jason Roy, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes