Tag Futebol

Same agent as Fullkrug: West Ham now looking to sign "sensational" £35m maestro

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

West Ham United are now looking to sign a “sensational” £35m midfielder who’s won the Premier League title two times, amid growing uncertainty surrounding his future…

West Ham eyeing new midfielder amid Paqueta uncertainty

West Ham star Lucas Paqueta recently admitted that he wanted to return to Brazil during the summer transfer window, saying: “Maybe I shouldn’t even be saying this, but I had some conversations with Filipe (Luís), who is a friend, in addition to the work he’s doing at Flamengo,”

“I really expressed my desire to return and also showed it to my agents.”

Ultimately, the attacking midfielder ended up staying put, however, and he has since gone on to put in some impressive performances in the Premier League, scoring three goals, most recently finding the back of the net in the 3-1 victory against Newcastle United.

That said, the Hammers won’t be particularly reassured by the fact one of their key players was angling for a move, and they have now set their sights on a new attacking midfielder, who could be brought in next summer.

That is according to the print edition of the Sunday Mirror (via West Ham Zone), with a report stating West Ham want to be kept informed about Harvey Elliott’s situation, having failed to make an impact since arriving at Aston Villa on loan from Liverpool.

Villa have an obligation to pay £35m for Elliott if he plays ten matches this season, but he hasn’t been getting a look-in as of late, which means Liverpool may recall the Englishman during the January transfer window.

The 22-year-old, who is represented by the same agency as Niclas Fullkrug, is viewed as a target for the summer, rather than this winter, but the Hammers may have to fend off rival interest, with RB Leipzig also named as potential suitors.

"Sensational" Elliott could reignite career at the London Stadium

The attacking midfielder’s move to Villa simply hasn’t worked out, but he is still very young, and there are plenty of signs he could be an exciting acquisition for West Ham, having impressed at times during his spell with Liverpool.

West Ham and Tottenham get Ivan Toney response after holding discussions

The Al-Ahli striker is fielding enquiries ahead of January.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 29, 2025

The London-born midfielder made 149 appearances for the Reds, amassing 15 goals and 20 assists and playing a role in his side winning two Premier League titles, while the 28-cap England U21 star has also caught the eye at international level.

As such, West Ham should continue to monitor Elliott’s situation as the season goes on, ahead of potentially launching a move next summer, with the former Fulham man in need of a move to a club where game is guaranteed, if he is going to fulfill his potential.

4/10 Man City duo who "offer nothing" must now never start together again

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Manchester City’s winless run after the international break extended to two games, following a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

It was a night where Pep Guardiola made ten changes, with Nico Gonzalez the only player to keep his place in the side. However, it was not a decision that paid off.

It was a fairly equal first half, with City failing to exert any sort of dominance on the German side, which you might expect from them at the Etihad Stadium. They only managed five shots in that first 45 minutes.

Alejandro Grimaldo opened the scoring for the visitors in the 23rd minute, striding into the box unmarked and sweetly striking a left-footed volley into the bottom right corner.

It was a superb finish, but poor defending from Guardiola’s side to allow him that much space.

In the second half, the City manager turned to the bench, calling upon the likes of Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki to get his side back into the game. Yet, a header from Patrick Schick in the 54th minute doubled Leverkusen’s lead and was enough to seal the win.

It was a poor performance from City, with some players failing to take their chances.

City's worst performers vs. Leverkusen

On a night where Guardiola rotated his side, it could have been the moment for some players to stake a claim for a more regular starting spot. Well, one of the players who struggled was defender Nathan Ake.

The Dutchman has become a squad player under the former Barcelona manager in recent times, and did not exactly cover himself in glory on Tuesday night.

There is a case to be made that he was at fault for Schick’s goal, allowing the Czech Republic striker to get in front of him in the penalty box and head home. It was poor defending from the experienced Ake.

Another player who underwhelmed was Omar Marmoush. The Egyptian attacker is Haaland’s understudy at the Etihad Stadium, so it will always be hard for him to get regular minutes as a number nine.

Against Leverkusen, he was completely isolated and struggled to get involved in the game, being replaced by the Norwegian in the 65th minute.

Marmoush managed just 18 touches of the ball, didn’t manage a shot and could only win two out of five duels.

As poor as Ake and Marmoush were, two City players were arguably worse.

Man City's 4/10 duo must never start together again

Marmoush and Ake were disappointing, but two players who really played poorly were Savinho and Oscar Bobb. They were City’s two wingers against Leverkusen, but City Chief, a page over on X, said they “offer nothing” when playing out on the flanks.

Indeed, it was a night to forget for both of the wide men.

They didn’t cause Leverkusen many major problems, having a combined 12 touches in their box, creating two chances between them and losing the ball 34 times altogether.

Touches in opposition box

10

2

Chances created

0

2

Passes into final third

1

0

Ground duels won

5/12

3/4

Number of times ball lost

25

9

One person who noticed how lacklustre the wingers performed was Manchester Evening News reporter Simon Bajkowski. He gave them both a 4/10 rating, explaining that Bobb ‘went missing’ after the opening minutes and Savinho had no ‘meaningful contributions’.

With Jeremy Doku and Cherki tending to be Guardiola’s first-choice wingers this term, it is hard to see how the pairing that started against the German side will get into the team together again.

Individually, the quality is there, but as a duo, they lack the potency and perhaps confidence to pose a real threat to a full-back. It was certainly a passive showing against Leverkusen, especially with City losing for most of the game.

It is hard to see how Guardiola doesn’t switch back to his first-choice wide pairing, after such a disappointing performance from Bobb and Savinho.

They would fit well with more direct wingers on the other flank, but as a duo, are perhaps too similar and not urgent enough in one-vs-ones to cause frequent problems.

Worse than Savinho: Man City star is in danger of becoming another Grealish

This Manchester City star is in danger of becoming the next Jack Grealish after another off-performance versus Bayer Leverkusen.

2 ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2025

Thelwell can upgrade on Souttar by signing £8m defender for Rangers

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Rangers were certainly busy in the transfer market last summer, but supporters will be demanding more new recruits come January.

13 new additions were made in July and August, but this team has got significantly worse, leading to sporting director Kevin Thelwell feeling the need to do an interview with the club’s in-house TV channel during the international break.

Having sacked Russell Martin after only 15 games in charge and appointed Danny Röhl, the German will surely demand new recruits when the winter window opens in just 41 days time, so could Rangers bring in some much-needed defensive reinforcements?

Rangers' need for defensive depth

After taking a couple of matches to figure things out, new coach Röhl has settled on a back three, notably deploying this shape against Hibs, Roma and Celtic.

As a result, centre-back will surely be a key position he’ll seek to strengthen in January, given the Light Blues’ lack of depth and quality in this position.

Summer signing Nasser Djiga has regularly proved himself to be an unreliable figure, making a high-profile error against Club Brugge, having been sent off on his home Premiership debut against Dundee, thereby losing his place in the side (video below).

Meantime, John Souttar has been Rangers’ most impressive centre-back so far, starting 23 of 24 fixtures to date, albeit he can unfortunately never be relied upon to remain fit for a long period of time.

He withdrew from Scotland’s starting lineup mere minutes before Tuesday’s historic World Cup qualifying win over Denmark after suffering an injury in the warm-up and was at fault in the game against Greece, with James McFadden stating that he had a “nightmare” in that clash.

So, right now, even when everyone is fit, Röhl has just four senior centre-backs for three starting positions, one of which is Emmanuel Fernandez, who has not started a match since August.

Perhaps an addition in January would do the trick.

Rangers targeting a new centre-back

According to reports in Belgium earlier this month, Rangers have “made enquiries” as they aim to sign defender Mujaid Sadick from Genk.

Well, Football Transfers believes the 25-year-old is worth around £8m, which would make him one of Rangers’ most-expensive signings of all-time, so would he be worth the investment?

Mujaid began his senior career at Deportivo La Coruña in Spain, making 55 appearances for the fallen Spanish giants, before moving to Belgium in 2021, appearing 136 times for current employers Genk, who finished third in last season’s Jupiler Pro League.

This season, he has been a near ever-present for the Smurfs, including starting all four of their Europa League matches, the first of which was a 1-0 victory at Ibrox, with former Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu the match-winner.

The Spaniard’s statistics certainly make for impressive reading, as outlined below.

Minutes

1,203

33rd

Completed passes

848

5th

Pass completion %

94.4%

1st

Tackles

28

20th

Clearances

75

15th

Aerials duels won

25

34th

Total duels won

61

40th

As the table highlights, Mujaid’s statistics in Belgium’s top-flight this season are generally pretty imperious.

No players boast a higher pass completion %, while he is also in the top 20 when it comes to tackles and clearances.

The Rangers Journal described the Spaniard as “physical, athletic, good on the ball and aggressive”, while his “versatility” has also been praised, which would certainly enhance his reputation with Röhl, who regularly tinkers with his shape and formation both from one game to the next but also within a match.

Thus, what is clear is that Rangers really need to sign another centre-back in January to avoid having to play stop-gaps as part of Röhl’s back three.

Mujaid’s statistics and potential, still only 25 years and playing in the sixth-strongest league on the planet, according to Global Football Rankings, all suggest he would represent an upgrade on Djiga and Souttar, the latter has been in good form, but is injury prone and whether or not his performances as sustainable remains a question mark.

The Spaniard would be an expensive investment, but one Rangers may have to make to correct the errors made in the summer.

Rangers star looks set to become Ibrox's new Hamza Igamane under Rohl

As Rangers seek to replace Hamza Igamane, who has been on fire for Lille, which “exciting” forward, not Youssef Chermiti, could replicate his success?

ByBen Gray Nov 16, 2025

Saransh Jain, pegging away in his quest for the India blue

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The Madhya Pradesh offspinning allrounder has impressed in domestic cricket over the last couple of years. Another good season could catapult him onto the biggest stage of them all

Rajan Raj10-Oct-2024After a superb Ranji Trophy debut in 2014, Saransh Jain, an offspinning allrounder, had flown to Australia with a club team from Madhya Pradesh to play a five-match series. Despite it being his first overseas tour, calls back home were short, with his family claiming to be “a little occupied”. This bothered Jain but not too much, because of his focus was on the series at hand, one his team would go on to win 3-0.After he returned home from that tour, though, Jain was shocked with what he saw. His father was lying on his bed, having undergone a surgery on his face. There was despair on everyone else’s face. Jain sought answers but did not get a satisfactory one, till his father asked for a paper and a pen. “I am fine now, son,” he wrote. “If you just play better, I will get well sooner.” He had been diagnosed with cancer.

****

Jain still has that note from his father, the former Madhya Pradesh Ranji player Subodh Jain. And it is essentially the secret of Jain’s success. That piece of paper pushed him in his journey to become a Ranji Trophy champion with Madhya Pradesh in 2021-22, and win the Lala Amarnath Award for the best allrounder in the Ranji Trophy in 2022-23. That season he scored 360 runs and picked up 35 wickets for MP. This earned him a call-up to the India A side to play England Lions, where he scored half-centuries in both innings of the only match he played.Related

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  • All you need to know about the two-phased season

Making the most of any given opportunity is Jain’s USP. In MP’s title-winning Ranji Trophy campaign in 2021-22, he played only three matches: the quarter-final, semi-final and the final. He returned 13 wickets and also scored a half-century.Last season, he scored 432 runs and picked up 27 wickets and he wants to maintain this momentum in the upcoming season. He has started well in that quest by picking up six wickets in the Irani Cup match against Mumbai. He was also part of the Duleep Trophy and he returned 14 wickets combined from the two red-ball competitions.Knowing fully the demands of a sport that is evolving rapidly, Saransh Jain has worked a lot on his batting too•MPCA”I performed well last season, but it is important that I perform well again and try to do something good whenever I get a chance,” Jain says. “The only lesson I have learned in my career is to try to learn something new every day. Only then can something good happen in the future. I feel good with the way I have performed recently but I am not completely satisfied. I will get that satisfaction only after wearing the [India] blue jersey, for which I have to consistently work hard.”With the game always evolving, Jain, the offspinner, is aware of the importance of contributing with the bat. His recent scores show that.”According to me, a good player should try to adapt to the circumstances,” Jain says. “I am an offspinner, and my primary task to take wickets. But in our first meeting itself, [MP head coach] Chandrakant [Pandit] sir told me that I should think like a bowler when I bowl and think like a batter and try to score as many runs as possible when I bat. This is the simple strategy that I follow.”I know how much I have to work on my batting being [primarily] an offspinner. That is important, but my first task is to take wickets. I often watch R Ashwin ; I get inspired by him. I want to pursue my cricket with the same dedication as him.”Pandit – who also won the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders last season – taking over as MP coach ahead of the 2019-20 season worked wonders for Jain. “Chandrakant sir coming to our team as the coach has been one of the best events in my life,” Jain says. “Perhaps he taught me to believe in myself. His presence in the team inspires me a lot and I want to do something good with him this season. His presence in the team gives me a different kind of confidence.”Consistent performances over the past couple of years have put Jain on the national selectors’ radar. He is one of the best offspinning allrounders in the country and form is currently on his side. This season, can he show the consistency needed to complete his journey to that blue jersey?

Blundell, Smith, Henry sustain injuries in Christchurch; Jamieson returns to Plunket Shield

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Blundell has been ruled out of the second Test against West Indies, with Mitch Hay in line for a Test debut in Wellington

Deivarayan Muthu05-Dec-2025Injuries have severely depleted New Zealand in the first Test against West Indies in Christchurch, with their bowling spearhead Matt Henry and seam-bowling allrounder Nathan Smith joining wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell on the sidelines.Blundell, who suffered a hamstring injury while batting on the opening day in Christchurch, has been ruled out of the second Test, which will begin at the Basin Reserve, his domestic home ground, on December 10. Smith was not available to bowl or field on day four because of a side complaint while Henry left the field after the 35th over and didn’t bowl or field in the final session on day four. He subsequently headed to the hospital next door for scans on his calf. He bowled 11 overs on Friday for the wicket of Roston Chase.In the absence of both Smith and Henry, New Zealand turned to the part-time fingerspin of Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra. They were already without one of their middle-order mainstays, Daryl Mitchell, who couldn’t recover in time from a groin injury for the Test-series opener against West Indies. New Zealand bowling coach Jacob Oram said that they are awaiting the scan results of Henry and Smith.”They’ve had scans and it’s really disappointing for them,” Oram said. “I feel for them and I have a lot of empathy for them. We’re basically waiting for the report to come back to decide what we’re going to be doing not only this Test match but the series going forward. So it’s a wait and see and you always have your fingers crossed but with just one day left and a quick turnaround, we’ll wait and see.”Matt Henry and Nathan Smith’s injuries reduced New Zealand’s attack to two frontline seamers•ICC via Getty ImagesWicketkeeper-batter Mitch Hay is in line for a Test debut in the second game against West Indies. Hay, 25, has played 19 white-ball internationals for New Zealand so far, but is uncapped in Test cricket. He has a strong record in first-class cricket, with 1888 runs in 47 innings at an average of 49.68.Hay is currently in action for Canterbury against Central Districts in the third round of the Plunket Shield. He will turn out for Canterbury during the first two days of this round in Napier before linking up with the New Zealand side in Wellington, in the lead-up to the second Test against West Indies.In his second T20I against Sri Lanka last November, Hay effected six dismissals in Dambulla, a New Zealand record. Hay also has some exposure outside of New Zealand, having been on A tours to Bangladesh and South Africa, and to India to train at the Chennai Super Kings Academy.Rookie Jesse Frew, who had turned out for New Zealand XI against the West Indians in a tour game in Lincoln, last week, will slot in as Hay’s replacement for Canterbury during the third and fourth days of the Plunket Shield in the ongoing round.In the injury absence of Blundell, Tom Latham juggled captaincy with keeping across both innings at Hagley Oval. He took four catches in West Indies’ first innings, helping New Zealand claim a 64-run first-innings lead. Latham then stretched New Zealand’s lead, scoring 145 off 250 balls for his first Test hundred in three years. Along the way, he also became the fifth New Zealand player to reach 6000 Test runs.”[The body is] not too bad,” Latham told the host broadcaster after stumps on day three. “I’ll try to get the recovery but a really good day and pleased to be in the position we are.”I guess that [Smith’s injury] is another thing but that hampers the decision [declaration] but it was nice to see a little bit of spin out there when we were batting and that’s an encouraging sign. We’ll chip in when a man goes down and the guys are looking to put a big shift in.”New Zealand eventually declared on 466 for 8 on the fourth day, setting West Indies an improbable target of 531. West Indies, led by an unbeaten 116 from Shai Hope, finished day four on 212 for 4.Allrounder Glenn Phillips, meanwhile, could be in contention for the second Test in Wellington, having proven his match fitness in the first two rounds of the Plunket Shield. Phillips joined New Zealand’s side in Christchurch and pitched in as a substitute fielder after his team was weakened by injuries.

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Jamieson returns to red-ball cricketFast bowler Kyle Jamieson returned to red-ball action in the Plunket Shield on Friday, playing his first first-class game since February 2024. Jamieson took the new ball for Canterbury in Napier and immediately found swing, curving it away from Curtis Heaphy. He got the old ball to nip around as well, having allrounder Josh Clarkson caught behind by Hay for a duck. Jamieson also had Raymond Toole caught behind to come away with figures of 12.3-4-27-2.Related

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Michael Rae called up to bolster injury-hit New Zealand attack

Hope holds firm as WI drag NZ into fifth-day battle

Jamieson: 'Screws and wire doesn't make you bulletproof'

While Jamieson has been a white-ball regular for New Zealand since recovering from back injury, he isn’t being rushed back into Test cricket, with coach Rob Walter having suggested that his load and rhythm will be monitored in the Plunket Shield. Oram concurred with Walter.”Kyle as we know is damn skillful,” Oram said on Friday. “We also know he’s a guy who has had a few niggles himself over the last 12-18 months and one major one with his back. So, we’re just going to make sure we’re careful with him. And like we always say to guys, the bigger picture is really important as well. I know we want to win every game and that’s a given but at the same time it’s not to the detriment of the longer-term picture. But if he’s deemed ready to go, 100%…it will be great to have Kyle Jamieson with us. Let’s see how things pan out – he’s playing the Plunket Shield.”Jamieson himself has been meticulous in the way he was managing his body after the stress fracture last year. His bowling program has been managed by high performance coaches Chelsea Lane and Matt Dallow who are not formally part of New Zealand Cricket.”They’ve done a huge amount of work in rebuilding athletes and biomechanics and just how to stack up your body properly,” Jamieson had earlier told ESPNcricinfo. “They advise on everything, right from how my body’s moving, what my gym program looks like, what the [bowling] load numbers look like.”I have reflection and review processes with them after pretty much every day that I bowl, my sort of weekly, monthly calendar is mapped out with them, my total load tracking is done through them. So I’m pretty much fully through them at the moment, and then apply it into the different cricket environments that I end up in.”

Mason must now bin West Brom star who earns more than Heggebo & Johnston

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Ryan Mason is certainly feeling the pressure of being an EFL manager on his shoulders right now at West Bromwich Albion.

Three wins from his opening four games in the Championship as the Baggies’ new head coach helped to lift some early tension, but with seven defeats now next to West Brom’s name in the competitive league, he isn’t looking at ease in the Hawthorns hot seat.

It could have been so different for the West Midlands outfit last time out on the road to top-of-the-table Coventry City, though, as a Aune Heggebo brace saw the visitors race into an unlikely 2-0 lead.

Yet, a red card to Jayson Molumby would ultimately aid the free-flowing Sky Blues, as a 3-2 victory was eventually secured.

Mason will hope he can guide his underperforming team out of this sticky patch and that no knee-jerk decisions happen from the powers that be, with lots of contracts set to expire down the line, which he could have a say over.

Contract issues at West Brom

A number of contracts are set to expire at the Hawthorns next summer, with Mason hopeful he will still be manager for the foreseeable future, regardless of his side underperforming as of late in 17th spot in the second tier.

Josh Maja is one notable name that catches the eye when running through those whose contracts are in play until June 2026, with the injury-prone attacker only starting four games this season, having had to now settle for fewer minutes up against the aforementioned Heggebo.

Only one goal has come the £17k-per-week striker’s way from those limited starts, too, next to the Norwegian’s heftier tally of four, with his injury issues another factor to consider as to whether West Brom will hand him an extended deal or not.

Karlan Grant will also be worrying about his future up until the mid-point of next year, with zero goals or assists next to his name this season, while Daryl Dike will surely be sensing that the end of his injury-plagued Baggies career is in sight next year when his deal ceases to be, as the American remains unsurprisingly sidelined still.

He also takes home a whopping £25k-per-week salary, despite his long-standing injury troubles.

However, he isn’t the only high earner that could soon be taken off the Baggies wage bill, as this Hawthorns veteran – who earns more than first team personnel Heggebo and Mikey Johnston – potentially waves goodbye to the Championship club shortly.

The West Brom high earner who could soon be axed

During West Brom’s slump in form, former Celtic winger Johnston has still been a regular scorer of some sweet strikes, such as the one that was hammered home back in October.

Amazingly, though, when looking at West Brom’s wage costs, Jed Wallace comes in as earning more than the standout duo, having also banked £25k-per-week this season, like Dike, as per Capology, even when consistently finding himself out of Mason’s starting XI.

Games played

9

Games started

4

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Wage costs

£25k-per-week

Contract expiry date

June 2026

Once upon a time, though, in the West Midlands, Wallace was seen as a constant source of creativity down the flanks, with six goals and eight assists picked up during his debut season at the club seeing his former boss Steve Bruce hail him as a “massive asset” to have around the place.

Unfortunately for the ex-Millwall forward, he isn’t producing those same electric numbers now, though, with only two goals coming his way across his last 40 outings in the demanding Championship.

Heggebo managed to put away that same amount just from the tie at the CBS Arena, yet, the former Brann striker only takes home a £15k-per-week pay packet.

Moreover, Johnston, who terrorised Coventry during the first half with two assists, also falls behind with a £12.5-per-week salary.

Therefore, although Isaac Price has been complimentary of his fellow Baggies midfielder this season by stating that he “leads the dressing room”, and he has had past moments of magic, Wallace could soon be shoved to the exit door when his contract expires this coming June – alongside the likes of Dike and Grant – off the back of his performances continuing to dip.

Forget Price: £3m “lion” is West Brom’s best signing since Corberan left

West Bromwich Albion could now have stumbled upon their best signing since Carlos Corberan left in this £3m battler.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 30, 2025

Frustrated Short looks to make most of India opportunity

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

The allrounder is likely to be part of a top-order selection squeeze as Australia build towards the 2027 ODI World Cup

Andrew McGlashan21-Oct-2025

Matt Short fell cheaply in Australia’s chase in Perth•Getty Images

Australia’s players will take different things from this ODI series against India. While significant in its own right, for some it’s part of their build towards the Ashes, others a first chance at ODI level or an opportunity to reestablish their credentials. For Matt Short, it’s an important window to stake a claim for a top-order spot amid what shapes as a tough selection race heading towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.The rain-truncated opening encounter in Perth was Short’s 16th ODI since making his debut just over two years ago in South Africa. On that day against India in Mohali he came in at No. 8. Earlier the following year he was at No. 6 against West Indies in Sydney. Then came a stretch in a more familiar spot, opening the batting, which including his career-best 63 against England at the Champions Trophy earlier this year.Related

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India's ODI gameplan tested in pacy Perth

Since then, in his own words, it has been a “frustrating” time for Short amid a run of injuries with firstly a quad strain curtailing his Champions Trophy campaign then a side injury which ruled him out of a T20I series against West Indies and both white-ball formats against South Africa.He played the three T20Is against New Zealand earlier in October, but runs haven’t flowed in 50-over cricket for Victoria this season with scores of 0, 20 and 12. In Perth, he made 8 off 17 balls before slicing a catch to short third off Axar Patel when he had a chance to lead the chase alongside Mitchell Marsh.”It’s been frustrating…I still feel like I’m moving well. I’m feeling good out in the middle,” Short told reporters in Adelaide. “Just haven’t got the runs on the board. But hopefully they come soon. It’s been a frustrating year in terms of getting that continuous cricket.”Against India, Australia are without Cameron Green (side) and Josh Inglis (calf) from what would be a first-choice ODI XI as they build towards 2027. With Marsh and Travis Head likely locked in at the top, there will be a jostle for positions from there downwards in the post Steven Smith/Glenn Maxwell 50-over era.Short, who plays for Adelaide Strikers in the BBL, has made his name in white-ball cricket at the top of the order, but wants to grasp any opportunity he gets.”It’s always going to be tough to get a spot in the XI and I’ll sort of take whatever that is, whether it’s opening, batting a three or wherever. It’s just [about] staying flexible and trying to bat wherever you’re put and be able to take that.”Especially the last few years, I’m so used to opening the batting and batting in that top order, but batting a three is not too dissimilar. But if it was to come through the middle, you’d probably need to prep a bit for that but it’s something I’ve done before in the past. If that came to happen, I’d definitely take it.”Australia were forced to train indoors on Tuesday and more rain is forecast on Wednesday but game day is set to be fine.Left-armer seamer Ben Dwarshuis has been ruled out of the ODI series due to a calf injury. He is hoping to be available for the T20Is which begin in Canberra on October 29.

How much Man Utd are ready to spend on Carlos Baleba with new talks now open

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Manchester United are now back in talks to sign highly-rated Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba in 2026.

The Red Devils’ midfield needs to be a key area of focus next summer, due to Casemiro being out of contract at Old Trafford when the season ends.

The Brazilian has enjoyed a resurgence of late, scoring in United’s 2-2 draw away to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last weekend, however, he still isn’t the player he was and will soon need to be replaced by a younger model.

Baleba emerged as one of the front-runners to join the Red Devils in the summer transfer window, but in the end, he stayed put for the time being, with no defensive midfielders added to Ruben Amorim’s squad.

The 21-year-old Seagulls ace is sure to have plenty of suitors moving forward, though, with a switch to United still very much on the cards, following a new update.

Man Utd willing to pay £90m for Baleba

According to reports relayed by Caught Offside, Manchester United are once again negotiating over the signing of Baleba from Brighton, and INEOS would be willing to pay as much as £90m for his signature.

An official bid is expected to be incoming for the Cameroonian, as the Red Devils look to complete a significant piece of business next year.

Baleba may not have hit top form yet this season, with his focus arguably affected by the level of interest in him from various clubs, but he has all the tools to enjoy a fantastic career.

He is a force both in and out of possession, averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the Premier League last term, as well as scoring three goals, and Alan Shearer has hailed him as “absolutely wonderful” on Match of the Day.

As mentioned, Casemiro is not the player he once was, no longer being to cover so much ground at pace, but Baleba could bring that to United’s team, suddenly making them far harder to run through.

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He has so much time to improve further as a player, and while his age means that some inconsistency may be a part of his game to begin with, he feels like a leading option for Amorim, as the Red Devils look to bring in the perfect addition to a vital area of the pitch.

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Better than Isak: Liverpool favourites to sign “one of the best in the PL”

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Those of a Liverpool persuasion will feel battered and bruised after Arne Slot’s side’s staggering drop-off this season.

The slew of defeats have forced a retreat from their position at the top of the Premier League ladder, and as Alexis Mac Allister said after arresting the losing run at West Ham United on Sunday, the title is not on anyone’s mind; rather, finding a measure of consistency and fluency on the pitch is the incentive right now.

Liverpool might have spent a bucketload this summer, but they also parted with key players, with writer Eddie Gibbs saying, “Liverpool right now look like a side caught between three different ideas of themselves, with none taking root.”

A few tweaks are needed, to be sure. And Liverpool are considering a new wide forward to restore balance across the frontline.

Why Liverpool want a forward

When Liverpool capped off their summer spending spree with the British-record addition of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, the Premier League was in concert: Liverpool had signed a host of elite players.

And while Isak scored his first Premier League goal for the club on Saturday, it’s been a testing start to the season, with injuries and a lack of fluency a by-product of Liverpool’s wider struggles.

Florian Wirtz, too, looks like he is starting to click into gear, but the Reds have been imbalanced in the final third, and adding width would open up a new dimension from which Slot could rebuild his side’s form.

Well, according to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are frontrunners in the race for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, who has been among the standout forwards in the Premier League this season.

The Ghana international, 25, has a £65m release clause which becomes active in January, and so Liverpool are not alone in their interest, with Manchester City and Tottenham also ready to lodge bids if the right opportunity presents itself.

In fact, Pep Guardiola’s side have initiated contact, so it’s time for Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes to roll up his sleeves.

Why Semenyo would be a better signing than Isak

Semenyo has only gone from strength to strength since joining Bournemouth from Bristol City in the Championship in January 2023. Andoni Iraola has taken that promising skillset and sculpted it into something special.

Now, Semenyo is considered to be “one of the best players in the league” by BBC writer Umir Irfan and it’s a sentiment many would agree with after a prolific start to the campaign, six goals and three assists posted in the Premier League already.

Two-footed and effortlessly dynamic, Semenyo has proved too tricky to handle for many Premier League defenders in recent memory, something of a monster in the duel and a fearsome, rip-roaring asset down the wing. He is a big-game player besides.

The thing is, Semenyo is conservative in his athletic application; he does not prance about with the force of an uncoiled spring. In this he echoes Luis Diaz, who brought a different flavour to Slot’s title-winning team and has not been directly replaced.

Perhaps Semenyo could be the signing that Liverpool need, one which would prove even more impactful than Isak, who has yet to prove he is worth the record sum, even when banked by such illustrious heights in black and white over the past several years.

League Stats 25/26 – Cody Gakpo vs Antoine Semenyo

Match Stats (* per game)

Gakpo

Semenyo

Matches (starts)

13 (11)

12 (12)

Goals

4

6

Assists

3

3

Touches*

43.5

49.6

Shots (on target)*

2.5 (0.5)

2.2 (1.2)

Accurate passes*

19.1 (79%)

19.9 (77%)

Chances created*

1.9

1.3

Dribbles*

1.2

1.8

Recoveries*

2.7

5.2

Tackles + interceptions*

0.9

1.8

Duels won*

5.2

6.3

Data via Sofascore

Gakpo has enjoyed a quietly effective season on the left so far for Liverpool, even against the current of their crisis. However, he is far less mobile than Semenyo, and he lacks the clarity and sparkle on the ball that Semenyo imbues the Cherries flanks with.

It really cannot be understated how unique Semenyo is. This is a winger who is making incremental gains, a winger who could now bloom into a true superstar not only in the Premier League but in Europe’s elite club competition too.

Liverpool have been imbalanced this season, and this is the profile that Liverpool need. It has the potential to be the best signing of the season for the Reds, albeit one which should have been completed back at the start of the campaign.

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Mumbai Indians' turnaround decoded: death overs tamed, middle overs mastered

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Bumrah’s return, Suryakumar’s reliability, and the fresh spark from new recruits changed their fortunes

Vishal Dikshit29-May-20254:25

Can MI cope without Bosch, Rickelton in the playoffs?

After only one win in their first five games, Mumbai Indians (MI) were close to the bottom of the points table in IPL 2025. Around the halfway mark of the league stage, MI turned a corner and made it to the playoffs with a six-match winning streak along the way. They will now face Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Eliminator on May 30. Before that, here’s a look at the performers who helped MI, last season’s wooden-spoon holders, bounce back.The boom with BumrahJasprit Bumrah’s absence for the first four games this season hit MI hard. They were forced to throw new-ball specialist Deepak Chahar and the inexperienced Satyanarayana Raju in the death overs, and they stumbled to one loss after another with an economy rate of 11.04 between overs 17-20 in their first four fixtures.Related

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Enter Bumrah to turn MI’s fortunes around. Chahar and Boult could now focus on the powerplay, Hardik on the middle overs (7 to 16), and Bumrah led the attack with his pin-point accuracy, frugal economy and death-overs speciality.Bumrah’s presence also took bowling workload off Hardik, who sent down 10 overs in his three games before Bumrah joined, and then only another 20 in the 10 matches since. Trent Boult, the second-most experienced bowler in the line-up, and he and Bumrah pulled down the death-overs economy rate from over 11 to just 9.48, the second-best in that phase among all teams since Bumrah joined.The Jasprit Bumrah effect for MI•ESPNcricinfo LtdBoult’s plan was clear in the death: nail the yorker, the weapon he has used most often in that phase, to pick up wickets and stem the flow of runs. His 19 yorkers in the death during the league stage were not only the second-most (behind Avesh Khan’s 21), they fetched him the most number of wickets, with the second-best economy rate of a mere 2.75 (behind Josh Hazlewood’s 3.00).Bumrah, meanwhile, bowled like he was never injured, waltzing his way to the top of the charts for both overall economy rate (6.33) and bowling average (14.64) with the 17 wickets in just 39.2 overs.Trent Boult’s yorkers at the death in IPL 2025•ESPNcricinfo LtdWith Chahar and Boult taking care of the new ball – MI were the only team that didn’t change their opening pair this IPL – and the death overs in the hands of seasoned pros, MI’s bowling attack worked like a well-oiled machine, bringing their overall economy rate also down from 8.87 in the first four matches to 8.40 in the next 10 – the best in those matches. Credit to MI’s plans, their average in the middle overs without Bumrah was always the best, and it continued that way even after he arrived.The three new recruitsThat MI were looking to bank on their experience and core was clear from their retentions. After the mega auction, their head coach Mahela Jayawardene said the reason for bringing in Boult (who played for them in 2020 and 2021), Chahar, Mitchell Santner</a and Karn Sharma, was because they wanted players who had the taste of winning an IPL before.However, there are three players who have played nearly all league games and are, at best, in their second IPL season. MI invested in opener and wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton, England allrounder Will Jacks, and used the RTM option for Naman Dhir.Naman Dhir and Suryakumar Yadav company played crucial innings through the league stage•MB Media/Getty ImagesRickelton, who was bought at the auction for his base price of INR 1 crore, has been MI's second-highest scorer so far after Suryakumar Yadav. MI needed a wicketkeeper after letting go of Ishan Kishan and they showed their preference for a left-hand opening partner for Rohit Sharma. They did that by picking Rickelton, whom they had seen closely with MI Cape Town in SA20 for two seasons already – he was the top-scorer in the 2024 edition and then fourth on the runs charts in their title-winning run in 2025.When Rohit was struggling for runs early on, Rickelton, meanwhile, scored quickly. By the time Rohit got his first big score, in MI's eighth game, Rickelton had 180 runs at a strike rate of 150, and he has since more than doubled that count to 388, sharing the team's lowest balls-per-boundary ratio (4) with a few others. His form gave Rohit the comfort of time to regain his rhythm and often set the platform for the remaining batters.One of those batters was Dhir. His stock had risen from INR 20 lakh to INR 5.25 crore this year because of his big shots, especially the towering sixes he hits down the ground. It's no surprise that his strike rate of over 180 is the best for an MI batter this season, despite batting at No. 3, No. 6 and No. 7, excelling in each of those positions.He took down the international trio of Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar and Mohit Sharma in the death overs in Delhi; his 25* off 11 lifted MI to a match-winning 215 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and his last two knocks saw him strike two fours and four sixes in a combined 20 balls to emerge as a reliable finisher. For a batter at No. 7 or below, Dhir has the second-most runs for an MI batter in a season. Another 19 runs and he will top that list. Apart from his batting, Dhir has also been a handy fielder in the deep, pouching the second-most catches.Will Jacks's bowling has been equally useful as his batting•AFP/Getty ImagesThe third cog in the trio is Jacks, who has played 13 of their 14 matches, but has headed home like Rickelton. With centuries to his name across the SA20, BPL and IPL in the span of just three months in early 2024, it would have been fair to assume MI selected him for his top-order bashing.But the surprise element – testimony to his six-for on Test debut – came in the form of his offbreaks, used astutely by MI against left-hand batters. Jacks often bowled soon after the powerplay, and has bowled two-thirds of his deliveries to them so far. The match-up peaked against LSG when he took out Nicholas Pooran and Rishabh Pant, both caught in his first three balls. Earlier in April, he had bagged a similar feat opposite SRH, when he had Kishan stumped for two and Travis Head caught for 28. On both occasions the oppositions were kept to 160-odd and MI won comfortably, with Jacks the Player of the Match.All his six wickets came against left-handers with a far better economy rate (7.50 compared to 10.71 against right-hand batters), but such has been his efficacy that he has the second-best economy rate and the best average for a spinner against them this season.SKY-rocketing his way through the middle oversIf there were any doubts about his T20 form coming into the IPL because of the low scores against England at the start of the year – which included two ducks – Suryakumar put them all to bed by marrying two factors, of which one often comes at the cost of another for top-order batters: consistency and a high strike-rate.Even before MI began to pick up the pieces after the initial defeats, Suryakumar had started churning out the runs in the middle overs. The crescendo of MI registering one win after another along with Suryakumar's form went hand in hand. He first put on steady scores of 25-plus every time and then hit the high notes in the second half of the league stage with match-winning performances during the crunch games, both home and away. If he swept his way to 54 against LSG and peppered the boundaries on flat tracks, Suryakumar also chaperoned the batting on challenging pitches in the last two outings, first at home with an unbeaten 73 against Delhi Capitals (DC), and then with a 57 opposite Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Jaipur.Suryakumar Yadav in middle overs in IPL 2025•ESPNcricinfo LtdHis T20 mastery is not a surprise anymore but the fact that he averages 71.11 this season proves that no bowling attack has found answers for his 360-degree play. His 14 straight 25-plus scores are a world record now, his tally of 640 is the highest for an MI batter in an IPL season. He is also the first non-opening batter in IPL history to have scored over 600 in a season two times (2023 and 2025). If he scores another 48 runs, he will hold the record for the most runs by a non-opener in a season, going past AB de Villiers' record of 687 from 2016.If MI play on more tricky surfaces in the playoffs or face a crisis situation, Suryakumar will hold the key for them, especially in the middle overs where he has scored 75% of his runs and he is, not surprisingly, the leading scorer in that phase by a big margin. He has scored 41.17% of MI's runs in overs 7 to 16, which is also the biggest contribution by a single batter in the middle overs towards his team.A lot has come together for MI in the last couple of months to put the string of losses behind them, boss different phases of the game, and rely on different match-winners to make it to the last four. The next challenge will be to continue this streak even in the absence of those who have left for national duty.

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