Manchester United’s need for reinforcements is there for all to see after the club registered a 15th-place finish in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign.

Ruben Amorim was unable to work his magic with the current crop of players at his disposal after taking the reins from Erik ten Hag back in November.

However, this summer presents the 40-year-old with a major opportunity to make the changes he desires to try and push the club back up the standings next time around.

He’s already completed the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, whilst releasing Jonny Evans, Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof to help free up funds on the wage bill.

It’s likely that numerous players will also be sacrificed to help try and raise additional money to use in the market, with numerous players already linked with a move from Old Trafford.

The latest on players who could leave United this summer

Over the last couple of days, winger Alejandro Garnacho has been a man in demand after it was confirmed that the Argentine would be allowed to depart the Red Devils this summer.

The 20-year-old registered 11 goals and 10 assists across all competitions, but attitude issues have led to links with fellow Premier League outfits Chelsea and Arsenal, with Bayer Leverkusen also interested.

However, he may not be alone in leaving the club this summer, with Joshua Zirkzee another talent who could be sacrificed, according to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport.

They claim that they are willing to offer the Dutch international in a deal to land Napoli talisman Victor Osimhen this summer, less than 12 months after his £34m move from Serie A side Bologna.

It also confirms that the board have been disappointed by his lack of impact this season, netting just seven times in his 49 appearances across all competitions – an average of one goal every seven games.

Why United’s £105k-p/w star could be the next McTominay

Scottish international Scott McTominay left United last summer in a switch to join Napoli for just £25m, bringing his 22-year spell at Old Trafford to a disappointing end.

He registered over 250 appearances for the Red Devils, but was offloaded to raise funds for the rebuild under former boss Ten Hag – similar to the situation which Amorim faces this summer.

However, his switch across Europe has been a blessing in disguise, registering 13 goals and four assists, subsequently playing a pivotal role in Antonio Conte’s side’s ability to claim the league title in 2024/25.

Such form and achievements saw the 28-year-old named the Serie A’s Most Valuable Player for last campaign – further indicating how much of an error the club made in allowing him to depart Old Trafford.

However, the hierarchy must bear such a transfer in mind this summer with Zirkzee, potentially seeing another repeat of McTominay’s success unfold right in front of their very eyes.

The 24-year-old has certainly failed to live up to the hype, as seen by his measly goalscoring tally, but his underlying figures prove there is a player in there, needing to be given more time to thrive in England.

Zirkzee, who earns £105k-per-week in Manchester, has registered 39% of his efforts on target, with an xG of 4.83 – meaning he’s been unlucky not to score more than he has throughout his debut year in the Premier League.

Joshua Zirkzee’s stats for United in the PL (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	32
Goals scored	3
Shot on target accuracy	39%
Expected goals (xG)	4.83
Successful dribbles	1.9
Aerials won	1.5
Shots taken	1.8
Stats via FotMob

He’s also completed 1.9 successful dribbles per 90, whilst also winning 1.5 aerial battles per 90 – having the all-round skillset to hand Amorim with an impressive option in 2025/26.

The former Bayern Munich star has also operated in the number 10 role at times this season, having the versatility to thrive in numerous positions, something which could be crucial given the options already moving to Old Trafford in the near future.

It would be a harsh decision to allow the forward to depart the club this window, needing to hand him another 12 months at least to demonstrate the talent he possesses.

Given the success of former United players in Italy, it would be no surprise to see Zirkzee follow in McTominay’s footsteps should he depart, with their loss potentially being someone else’s gain next campaign.

Amorim's answer to Cherki: Man Utd to make huge bid for "phenomenal" star

Manchester United could be about to land a star who could be their Rayan Cherki.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jun 10, 2025

It would be fair to say that this season was something of a disappointment for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side ended up ten points off Liverpool in the Premier League, failed to make a dent in the FA Cup, and, with better finishing, could have realistically been in a Champions League final.

However, while it’s easy to focus on the negative, there have been at least a few positives, such as the development and performances of Jurrien Timber, who seriously stepped up in the absence of Ben White.

The Dutchman is now unquestionably one of the manager’s best signings, and based on reports, it looks like he could soon have himself another younger version of the international.

Arsenal transfer news

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other young talents Arsenal have been linked with in recent weeks, such as Adam Wharton and Konstantinos Karetsas.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former is reportedly available for close to £80m this summer, and while that is a lot of money to spend on someone who is just 21 years old, he’s more than proven his ability at Crystal Palace and played a key role in their FA Cup triumph this year.

Karetsas, on the other hand, is a little harder to justify at a whopping £38m, as while he’s seriously impressed in Belgium this season, he is still just 17 years old, and that sort of money would probably be better off being spent on someone who could play for the team next year.

With that said, while these two youngsters are incredibly talented, neither one can be described as anything like Timber, unlike Jorrel Hato.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several teams incredibly interested in the Ajax star.

The report has revealed that Arsenal, alongside the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United, have already made contact to find out more information about a possible transfer.

However, on top of having to contend with some serious competition, Andrea Berta and Co would have to stump a fee of up to €50m to get their man, which is about £42m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but it is one Arsenal should be fighting for, especially as he’d be the club’s next Timber.

Why Hato would be Arsenal's next timber

Now, it might sound like a bold claim to suggest that a teenager from outside the top five leagues could develop into a full-back who was impeccable against Real Madrid home and away in the Champions League.

Yet, that is exactly what we are suggesting, and there are a number of reasons why.

Firstly, the Eridivise might not be one of the best leagues in Europe, but it’s only just outside the top five, sitting in sixth place, and crucially, Timber made his way to North London from the Netherlands.

In fact, not only did the Gunners’ ace join Arteta’s title challengers from the same country, but he did so from Ajax, which is where Hato is currently plying his trade.

Furthermore, the pair are both Dutch and on top of coming up through the Ajax academy, they also share the ability to play in more than one position, depending on what the manager wants and needs.

Left-Back

68

3

6

Centre-Back

41

1

3

Left Midfield

1

0

0

Centre-Back

170

9

6

Right-Back

82

4

5

Left-Back

22

1

1

Defensive Midfield

2

1

0

For example, we all know that Timber is at his best at right-back, but he’s already played at centre-back and left-back since moving to England, just as the in-demand youngster has primarily played at left-back in his career but is more than comfortable at centre-back as well.

Finally, it’s not just us who see the parallels, as respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described the 19-year-old gem as “Timber 2.0.”

Ultimately, he might not be cheap, but Hato looks destined to be a monster of a defender, and for that reason, Arsenal should do what they can to bring him to the club, as he could be their new Timber.

Arsenal targeting £80m "nightmare" who'd be more exciting than Zubimendi

Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Martin Zubimendi.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 10, 2025

Glasgow Rangers’ busy summer transfer window just continues to click into gear at Ibrox.

With the start of European qualifying now less than four weeks away, new Gers manager Russell Martin is reshaping his new squad.

Plenty of new signings have already arrived at Ibrox, with more still to follow, but could the Light Blues be about to lose a key figure, or perhaps even two?

Rangers striker on the move?

On Wednesday, Rangers unveiled new signing Max Aarons, with the right-back joining on a season-long loan from Bournemouth.

Lyall Cameron was also presented last week, having signed a pre-contract in January, while the Light Blues are also chasing the signatures of both Conor Coady and Owen Beck.

In less good news, however, French publication RMC Sport are reporting that Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille are “in talks” with Rangers over a possible move for Hamza Igamane, adding that the Moroccan striker has “agreed to personal terms”.

Having lost star striker Jonathan David on a free transfer, les Dogues are currently in the process of reshaping their attack, with Jeff Carlisle of ESPN reporting elsewhere that they’ve ‘made an approach’ to sign LAFC centre-forward Olivier Giroud.

In terms of Igamane, Gavin Berry of the Daily Record believes that Rangers “have set” a £20m price tag on the striker, which would make him one of the biggest sales in the club’s modern history.

On the pitch though, this would be a major blow, especially considering it’s set to be all change in terms of Rangers centre-forwards this summer.

Why Hamza Igamane will be a bigger loss than Cyriel Dessers

Igamane is not the only striker seemingly on his way out of Ibrox because, as has been widely reported, Cyriel Dessers is set to join AEK Athens.

The latest reporting from Ewan Paton of the National states that the Greek side are currently offering £4m, while Rangers are holding out for £5m, but that a deal is close, with new manager Martin already ‘looking at replacements’.

Between them, Igamane and Dessers scored 45 goals last season, while the only other player to bag more than six was Václav Černý, who also won’t be at the club next season, having returned to VfL Wolfsburg, following his loan spell.

Thus, there are currently serious question marks over who will be leading the line against Panathinaikos in Champions League qualifying on 22 July, but which of the pair will be the bigger loss?

Igamane vs Dessers 2024/25 comparison

Statistics

Igamane

Dessers

Appearances

46

55

Minutes

2,651

3,423

Goals

16

29

Assists

3

7

Goals – xG

+2.7

-2.5

Shots per 90

3.88

3.22

Big chances missed

7

31

Touches per 90

51

29

Touches in the area per 90

5.2

6.7

Average Sofascore Rating

7.08

6.81

Stats via Transfermarkt, FBref, Sofascore & Squawka

As the table outlines, despite the fact Dessers scored 13 more goals, doing so in around 800 more minutes, all of Igamane’s underlying statistics are more impressive.

The most interesting statistic is the goals – xG metric where, in last season’s Europa League, the Moroccan finished second with +2.7, behind only Malick Fofana, while Cyriel Dessers was fourth-bottom on -2.5, out of all 712 players who attempted at least one shot in the competition, this according to FBref.com.

The table notes that Dessers missed a whopping 31 Opta-defined big chances across the Scottish Premiership and Europa League, hence why fans are pleased to cash in on him.

Igamane on the other hand, supporters will be sad to see him depart, but it would be for a fee the club simply cannot turn down.

When they won the league under Steven Gerrard, and then reached the Europa League final under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Rangers should have cashed in on prized assets such as Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent and Borna Barišić, instead choosing to hold onto them as a sign of ambition, before they ultimately left for free.

Just a year after arriving from AS Far for a reported fee of £2.5m, Igamane’s stock is very high, with writer Kai Watson asserting that he is “destined for big things”, while Samuel Hutchinson of Total Football Analysis outlines his ‘meteoric rise’, believing he ‘performed exceptionally’ in an otherwise mediocre Rangers side.

Thus, Igamane could turn out to be a bargain for Lille at £20m while, for Rangers, this is the right time to sell, but their focus has to be working out how best to spend that money, because finding a replacement in a short period of time will be far from easy.

Related After Aarons: Rangers open talks to sign £1m star who could be Kent 2.0

After signing Max Aarons, Rangers are in talks to repeat their Ryan Kent trick at Ibrox.

Posts ByBen Gray Jun 25, 2025

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta’s most imperative task of the summer window is finally ending the club’s long wait for a prolific natural striker, and it’s been widely reported that two names are at the top of his shortlist.

Fabrizio Romano: "Magnificent" player wants "perfect" move to Arsenal

He thinks they’re the best club for his career.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 28, 2025

The men in question, of course, are Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Over the last few weeks, many reliable media sources have shared that Berta is simultaneously working on deals for both Sesko and Gyokeres – before deciding which move would be best suited to Arsenal’s needs.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

However, given the sheer size of these transfers, talks are proving complex and don’t appear likely to be done any time soon.

Gyokeres is very keen on joining Arsenal and prioritising a move to the Emirates, according to Fabrizio Romano, but his situation at Sporting has grown toxic recently amid a public fallout with their club president, Frederico Varandas.

Sesko, meanwhile, is also eager to link-up with Mikel Arteta, as per recent reports, but there are discrepancies surrounding the cost of a potential deal – with Sky Germany even reporting he could be priced up to £85 million despite the presence of a release clause.

Given the deals for Sesko and Gyokeres are miles from straightforward, it is wise for Berta to have alternatives, with journalist Duncan Castles sharing a left-field striker who’s also on Arsenal’s radar.

Arsenal eyeing "surprise" Nicolas Jackson move

Speaking on The Transfers Podcast, Castles reports that the man is Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson.

The Senegal international enjoyed an excellent start to 2024/2025, scoring nine goals in his first 15 Premier League games, but has tailed off since the turn of the year, partly due to injury.

Jackson was also sent off in Chelsea’s 3-1 Club World Cup defeat to Flamengo recently, just minutes after replacing Liam Delap, and the consensus is that he could be sold this summer.

Chelsea will demand up to £51 million to sell him (Fabrizio Romano), though, so he won’t be a cheap option.

In any case, Arsenal have identified Jackson as a “surprise” striker target, with Castles explaining exactly why.

“There’s one more name that I’ve become aware of this week, which may come as a surprise, which is Nicolas Jackson, the striker who’s had an interesting time in his two years at Chelsea,” Castles revealed, when discussing Arsenal’s striker plans.

“Chelsea have always been looking for either adding someone else in that position or replacing him totally. Chelsea say they’re not actively looking to sell Jackson in this window, but he’s not one of the untouchable figures within their squad.

“The guidance I have on where Arsenal are on this is that this broad range of options is deliberate. They want to ensure that they get a centre-forward for Arteta in this window and don’t feel like they did last summer.

“They will do one of these deals. They’re telling the representatives of the players involved that what it will come down to is the deal that they believe makes the best sense to the club.”

Under DeSilva holdings, the franchise will be known as Dambulla Sixers

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jun-2024

Tamim Rahman, previous owner of the Dambulla franchise in the LPL in Sri Lanka, is escorted by a policeman•Ishara S Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images

The Lanka Premier League’s Dambulla franchise has new ownership – an engineering consulting firm called Sequoia Consultants based in Los Angeles.Sri Lanka Cricket announced this news about two weeks after the board was forced to terminate the previous ownership of the Dambulla franchise, because one of the co-owners – Tamim Rahman – was arrested by Sri Lanka police under the Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act.SLC said this new franchise will be run by a local company named DeSilva Holdings, “which was specifically set up for this purpose”. The owner of DeSilva Holdings, Priyanga de Silva, is in turn a majority shareholder of Sequoia, and had played domestic cricket in Sri Lanka, according to the release.Related

LPL terminates contract with Dambulla Thunders

Under DeSilva holdings, the franchise will be known as Dambulla Sixers, having previously been Dambulla Viiking, Dambulla Giants, and Dambulla Aura – the ownership having changed repeatedly since the tournament’s first season in 2020.”My desire to get engaged in cricket, especially cricket in Sri Lanka, prompted me to purchase the Dambulla Sixers team,” said De Silva. “I have seen LPL grow as a league during the last four years, which is commendable for a small country like ours. I am excited to be a part of this growth and be able to contribute to the development of cricket in our country,” he added.The new ownership takes charge with a little over three weeks to go, before the tournament’s scheduled start, on July 1. Matches will be played in Pallekele, Dambulla, and Colombo.

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on their second signing of the summer after their permanent deal for Mathys Tel, and the fee Spurs are about to pay for their newest arrival has set a record.

Tottenham preparing bid for £30m colossus wanted by Napoli, Milan and Inter

Spurs could scupper Antonio Conte in the race for his signature.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 21, 2025

Spurs missed out on FC Copenhagen starlet Roony Bardghji earlier this week, with Barcelona ultimately winning the race for his signature, but Thomas Frank is still expected to be backed with more forward additions.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

One of their key aims before deadline day on September 1 is signing another proven winger, and one who could replace Son Heung-min if he does in fact leave the club for Saudi Arabia after 10 years.

“Son will get a big-money contract if he moves to Saudi Arabia,” said ex-Lilywhites scout Bryan King to Tottenham News recently.

“Everyone else who has gone there has received a big-money offer, so why would a player of Son’s stature not receive that same kind of offer.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Tottenham receive a similar fee for Son as they did for Harry Kane. Son has been at Tottenham for 10 years, and he’s been a marvellous servant to the club. He has one year left on his contract, and Tottenham could cash in, as could the player.”

West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, Man City outcast Jack Grealish, Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, Southampton sensation Tyler Dibling and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo have all been linked recently, as has Lazio’s Gustan Isaksen, with Frank reportedly very keen to sign the Dane (Lalaziosiamonoi.it).

However, they could also bolster their ranks with fresh young defensive talent, and that is expected to be the case with Kawasaki Frontale gem Kota Takai.

The 20-year-old, standing at a towering 6 foot 4, is apparently on the verge of joining Spurs from the J-League.

Tottenham agree £5 million fee to sign Kota Takai

Tottenham will pay around £5 million to sign Takai, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, and this is apparently a J-League “record” for a Japanese player from that division.

Sharing further background on their surprise move for the talent, which practically came out of nowhere, reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed that Takai was personally identified by technical director Johan Lange as a promising young player for the first-team, and one who could make a similar impact to the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr after a brief settling in period.

Takai has already won four senior caps for Japan at international level, and captained Kawasaki against Yokohoma F. Marinos back in April – a game where he also got on the scoresheet in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

He also played a key role at the back for Kawasaki in their run to the Asian Champions League final, beating Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the semi-finals before they eventually lost out to Al-Hilal.

Adam Lyth celebrated becoming the first Yorkshire batter to reach 4,000 T20 runs in style by hitting a superb 51-ball 84 in a nine-wicket win as they routinely chased 180 to beat Derbyshire in the Vitality Blast at Headingley.Yorkshire should have been pursuing many more, but the Falcons stuttered from 114 without loss at the start of the 11th over to 179 for 6. Opener Aneurin Donald blasted a brilliant 84 off 41 and England’s Joe Root claimed 2 for 20 from three overs of off-spin.Veteran opener Lyth, in his 164th county appearance, brought up the county milestone early in the chase as Yorkshire continued their bright start to the North Group with a third win in four games.Lyth was expertly supported by Dawid Malan in a 14.4-over opening stand of 137. The latter finished unbeaten on 79 off 48, sealing victory with 11 balls left.Derbyshire, who have now lost three from five, raced away having been inserted, with Donald taking the lion’s share of 22 off Matthew Revis in the fifth over. He ended it with two fours and two leg-side sixes.The Falcons finished the six-over powerplay at 70 without loss and put a much-changed Vikings attack under serious pressure.The hosts are suffering from a number of seam bowling injuries and earlier this weekend announced the loan signing of Surrey quick Conor McKerr on a five-game deal. It was, therefore, a surprise when he was left out of this fixture.Donald continued his assault at a notoriously batter-friendly venue. And, ultimately, Derbyshire were under par as a result of the true conditions.Fellow opener David Lloyd wasn’t quite the silent opening partner but not far off. When Derbyshire reached 100 in the ninth over, he had 30 to Donald’s 69. But the Falcons had their wings clipped.Jordan Thompson had Lloyd caught at deep midwicket for 41 to make the initial breakthrough, Dom Bess bowled Wayne Madsen and Samit Patel was caught at short third off Matthew Revis – 131 for 3 in the 13th over.Donald was starved of the strike and followed, caught at deep cover off debutant seamer Ben Cliff – his maiden wicket. Ross Whiteley then hoisted Root to deep backward square-leg. The same bowler had Brooke Guest caught at deep midwicket in the last.Derbyshire found or cleared the boundary 16 times in the first half of the innings but only four times in the second. It proved costly and best highlighted their struggles.Rain delayed this fixture by 15 minutes, and it was preceded by a minute’s silence in honour of local Rugby League legend Rob Burrow, who died a week ago. Burrow first made his name with Leeds Rhinos on the other side of Headingley.On the cricket field, Lyth also has legendary status. And the 36-year-old proved why when he set about the chase. Like Donald, he was similarly dominant against the new ball.By the time he reached his fifty off 33 balls with three sixes, his 28th for Yorkshire, the Vikings were well on course at 82 without loss in the ninth over. One of those sixes was handsomely hoisted over cover off Daryn Dupavillon’s seam.The rest of Lyth’s four sixes were slog-swept or pulled leg-side, just as Malan did with two en-route to a fine fifty off 37 balls. By the time Lyth was caught at long-off off Dupavillon, Yorkshire needed 43 and Derbyshire’s horse had bolted.

India will play England in the second semi-final in Guyana after winning all three of their Super Eight games

Alagappan Muthu24-Jun-20241:14

Manjrekar: ‘Rohit’s selflessness the most appealing thing about him’

Rohit Sharma is the reason India are in the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals. He was sublime. But then again he has been for a long time, simply with his commitment to an attacking game at personal cost. It deserves credit but until now it’s come in intangible form. Perhaps in five days’ time, it will take the shape of an ICC trophy.On a sunny morning in St Lucia, India’s captain scored 76 of his 92 runs in boundaries and left Australia with nowhere to hide. He even prompted them into mistakes. A total of 205 built on a series of broken records proved too much. It even offered insulation against Travis Head and that, in recent times, has been so rare it’s almost unheard of. Australia may yet make the final four, but they need Bangladesh to do them a favour and beat Afghanistan (by non-colossal margins) in St Vincent later on Monday.Rohit’s rampageOn November 19, he was supposed to lead his team to glory but instead walked away with tears in his eyes. On June 24, he had reason to believe all that hurt might rise up again when his opening partner and world-beating bestie Virat Kohli fell for a duck. Some might have taken a backward step. Rohit took Mitchell Starc for 29 runs in an over instead. He was 50 off 19 in the fifth over. The other end had contributed 2 off 13. India’s 52 was the lowest score at which an individual player had brought up a half-century in T20Is where ball-by-ball data is available. Rohit was not playing.Related

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Ball-by-ball: Rohit takes Starc down in 29-run over

Stats – Rohit rewrites record books with whirlwind 41-ball 92

Pitch it up and get punishedAustralia, though, played right into Rohit’s hands. Starc, for example, kept going full. It’s his one job. Try to find swing. Try to break stumps. But at the Daren Sammy Stadium, that was the wrong length. Josh Hazlewood showed the way there. He pitched up only two times in his entire spell and those were yorkers. Every other ball was on a length or just short of it and he came away with figures of 1 for 14. Rohit was invited to play his front-foot shots 24 times and he scored 71 runs, including seven of his eight sixes and five of his seven fours.Rohit’s shotsSix of the 11 overs that Rohit was out there for went for double-digits. He was batting like he does in ODI cricket, when he’s 200 not out. Going down on one knee and slog sweeping Pat Cummins, who came into this game with back-to-back hat-tricks, for a six that thudded onto the roof of the stadium. Coming down the track like water flowing down a cliff – so devastatingly smooth – to smack Marcus Stoinis on the up over extra cover. Trying a version of the scoop but ending up with a version of the pull – new addition to the playlist. Bottom line was everything he was doing was working for him. Even a defensive push to cover had such an aura behind it that Australia ended up misfielding and giving up a second run.Travis Head gave India a lot of pain once again•ICC/Getty ImagesStarc’s recoveryIndia scored 10 fours and 10 sixes while Rohit was at the crease. After he fell, they could manage only nine combined. Starc deserves credit for that. He came back in the 12th over, shifted his angle around the wicket to deny Rohit the freedom of his arms, and although he still went full, this time he took pace off and that made enough of a difference. The bat couldn’t touch ball and the stumps lay broken. Starc’s slower delivery took out Suryakumar Yadav too, right in the middle of a masterclass of his own, scoring his runs in a way that don’t always make sense. Cummins, once again, was the unlucky recipient as a ball that was close to the wide line ended up with a home on the square-leg boundary.India went 21 deliveries without a boundary between the 15th and 18th overs but they still managed a finishing kick as Hardik Pandya nailed three sixes in the final two overs to push the total past 200.Axar Patel’s sensational catch on the boundary was a turning point in Australia’s chase•AFP/Getty ImagesHead startDavid Warner fell in the first over of the chase and now there is risk that his 6 off 6 might be his last international outing. Australia still had batters capable of dictating terms out there though. Mitchell Marsh took the wicket-taker Arshdeep Singh for two fours and a six in an over and Head did even better by hitting Jasprit Bumrah off the length he likes to bowl with the new ball. That made the India quick turn to plan B – yorkers – and under pressure even he missed one and bowled a full toss. Australia finished the powerplay at 65 for 1, five runs better than India. Marsh’s power game and Head’s incredible skill at clearing his front leg and somehow opening vast swathes of the outfield on both sides had flipped the script.Axar’s sensational catchIndia needed something special and it arrived in the form of Axar Patel. He was a few yards off the fence at deep square leg, which seemed like an error considering it was Marsh on strike. The slog sweep flew off his bat. Flat. Hard. Destined to go for six. A support staff member was even ducking for cover fearing it would beat the fielder. But Axar didn’t let it. He leapt up, went for it with both hands, and got it with just his right. It was one of those that had to stick and it did. Every last one of his team-mates ran up to him to celebrate that wicket. Against the run of play, a partnership of 81 off 48 was broken.Kuldeep’s interventionGlenn Maxwell was busy negating the advantage India had thanks to the quality of their spinners. He saw that Ravindra Jadeja had no one on the boundary at third man and for that reason alone he went reverse sweep, which meant he was hitting with the turn, but against the wind, which when it was strong enough to basically carry Hardik away as he was running in to bowl, posed a significant problem. Maxwell’s wrists somehow overcame that. He was looking dangerous. Maybe enough to take on Kuldeep Yadav. So he charged at India’s wristspinner, and got bowled. That googly should be framed up on a wall somewhere. It messed with Maxwell on so many levels. It was slower than he wanted it to be. It was shorter than he needed it to be. It turned the exact opposite way. And it left his stumps a mess. The dip on that ball was everything.India struck twice in the three overs that followed, one of which was Bumrah foxing Head with his offcutter. Needing 53 from the last 18, the best Australia could do was reduce the margin of defeat.

رغم أن سوق انتقالات ليفربول الصيفية المزدحمة قد أغلقت في الأول من سبتمبر إلا أن الشائعات حول مستقبل بعض اللاعبين لم تنتهي بعد.

ويبقى سوق الانتقالات التركية مفتوحاً حتى 12 سبتمبر الحالي، ويعد بشكتاش آخر الأندية التي أبدت اهتماماً بضم الجناح الإيطالي فيدريكو كييزا.

وأكد صحفي سكاي سبورت “فابريزيو رومانو” عبر قناته على “يوتيوب” أن النادي التركي تواصل مع مسؤولي ليفربول هذا الأسبوع بشأن الحصول على خدمات اللاعب.

وذكر رومانو: “أستطيع أن أكشف لكم أن بشكتاش قد طلب أيضاً التعاقد مع كييزا، وقد حاول النادي خلال ما بين 24 و48 ساعة الماضيين الاتصال باللاعب لفهم وضعه في ليفربول”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. بعد اهتمام 4 أندية.. ليفربول يتخذ قرارًا بشأن ضم جويهي في يناير

وأضاف: “ما يمكنني قوله إن ليفربول لن يسمح لكييزا بالرحيل على سبيل الإعارة، المفاوضات لم تصل لمرحلة متقدمة حالياً، الأمر ليس ملموساً لكنهم اتصلوا بكييزا”.

ويبدو أن بشكتاش على استعداد لاستثمار الأموال للتعاقد مع كييزا، وقد يكون من الأندية التي تستحق مراقبة عملها ونشاطها قبل إغلاق سوق الانتقالات.

ولعب صاحب الـ27 عاماً دقائق أكثر هذا الموسم مما لعبه في فترات طويلة من العام الماضي، لكن آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول لم يقم باستدعائه لقائمة مرحلة الدوري بدوري أبطال أوروبا.

Maia Bouchier put her hand to her mouth but she couldn’t conceal the broad, relieved grin for long.Bouchier had reached 92 when she was adjudged not out lbw after attempting to pull a Jess Kerr delivery which struck her low on the back pad, and New Zealand’s bid to overturn the decision was denied on umpire’s call. A maiden century was still on the menu.The moment was a precursor – an amuse-bouche, if you will – to a tense passage of play in which Bouchier, who had been in the 90s twice before at international level and never scored a century in professional ranks, set about reaching the milestone with the help of a cool-headed Nat Sciver-Brunt.”You’ve just got to take those as they come and I was just super happy it was umpire’s call,” Bouchier said after her Player-of-the-Match performance in an eight-wicket win for England in the second ODI at Worcester, which put the hosts 2-0 up in the three-match series.”They call them the nervous nineties for a reason. I try not to think too far ahead and it was nice to have Nat come in and be that calm voice. At the start of the game she did our little speech in our huddle and she just said. ‘one ball at a time’. That’s exactly what she said to me when I was on 96 and she just said, ‘keep thinking one ball at a time, watch and react’. My heart rate was going through the roof, but she really calmed me down, so that was pretty good.”England needed eight more to overhaul the target when Bouchier had her stroke of luck, having bowled New Zealand out for a mere 141 thanks to Sophie Ecclestone’s 5 for 25.Bouchier sent the next ball skywards and it dropped short of long-off as she and Sciver-Brunt scampered two, then two singles took her past her previous best, 95 scored in the third ODI against Sri Lanka last September.Danni Wyatt, padded up outside the dressing-room ready to come in next, could barely watch, holding her breath behind cupped hands as the tension rose. Would Bouchier run out of runs to get? It was possible after Ecclestone’s outstanding performance with the ball.Sciver-Brunt lightened the mood somewhat as she blocked the remaining four balls of Molly Penfold’s over to great cheers from the crowd, including a full toss which she prodded to mid-on where Sophie Devine even tried to lure an attempted run by taking a step back. But the England batters were having none of it and Sciver-Brunt succeeded in handing Bouchier the strike, facing Jess Kerr with four more runs needed to win.Related

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Bouchier tucked Kerr’s first delivery to backward square leg and ran two more. Then, after a dot ball pushed towards point, Bouchier struck the next into space through midwicket and took off for the two runs she needed to reach her ton and seal the win for England inside 25 overs.”I didn’t really know what Nat was thinking in terms of just getting the runs for the team, but when she started blocking a full-toss, I kind of knew and it was great that she was there at the end with me,” Bouchier said. “It was an unspoken communication that we both agreed on.”It was on England’s successful tour of New Zealand earlier this year that Bouchier established herself at the top of the order, particularly in their five T20Is, where she had scores of 43 not out, 12, 71, 91 and 6 as England claimed the series 4-1.In last Wednesday’s first ODI, which England won by nine wickets in Durham, Bouchier scored 67 in a 137-run stand with Tammy Beaumont, who was not out 76.In Worcester, Bouchier took charge, particularly after Beaumont was run out for 28, having shared a 73-run opening stand with Bouchier.Bouchier was on 42 at that point and peeled off five fours in the space of eight balls following Beaumont’s dismissal, four of them off one Devine over. She struck 17 boundaries in all and faced 88 balls for her 100 not out.”I’ve just started to trust myself more and I’ve got a lot more confidence in the way I play and not forcing it really,” she said. “That’s a big thing for me. I time the ball quite well and that’s one of my big strengths, so using those as much as I can.”