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Duckett’s open-secret transfer from Welsh Fire epitomises behind-the-scenes dynamic

Matt Roller22-Mar-2023Ben Duckett has spoken to enough people about the Hundred that he is confident he knows which team will sign him in Thursday evening’s draft, and for how much money.But as he stands in the Long Room of the Trent Bridge pavilion at Nottinghamshire’s media day, he finds himself in an unusual position. “It feels really weird doing this interview,” he says, smiling. “Because I can’t say who it is – but that team is somewhere I’d love to go and play.””That team” is Birmingham Phoenix, not that Duckett is at liberty to confirm as much. Phoenix have the third pick in the draft and have already signed their full quota of three overseas players; it is an open secret that they will use it to add Duckett to a top order that already includes Will Smeed, Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone – unless Southern Brave or Welsh Fire spring a surprise.Fire, his team in the first two seasons of the Hundred, could theoretically bring him back if they want to, by using their Right-to-Match (RTM) card. But Duckett has made it clear to Michael Hussey, their new coach, that he would rather move on after Fire’s winless 2022 season: “He said he wanted me, but I said that I’d made my decision now and I want to go somewhere else, wished him all the best and said, ‘please don’t Right-to-Match me’.”Ideally, Duckett would have liked to sign for Trent Rockets, but after winning the title last year they are last in the draft pick order, and will likely bring back Tom Kohler-Cadmore instead. “I’ve spoken to teams going into the draft so I’m quietly confident,” Duckett says. “But I know that it is a draft and we’ll see what happens. Fingers crossed I end up where I’m hoping to be.”Duckett’s situation encapsulates the bizarre world of the Hundred draft: it is an event which has passed largely unnoticed by the majority of English cricket fans since the tournament’s glitzy launch at Sky Sports’ studios three-and-a-half years ago, but one which can significantly alter the trajectory of players’ seasons – and even their careers.ECB/The HundredIt is a world inhabited by agents, coaches and general managers, who are engaged in a “constant stream of communication” every spring, according to Craig Flindall, Birmingham Phoenix’s general manager. “Even at this late stage, I’ve had emails, WhatsApps, phone calls from people trying to get their players right in the mix.”The Professional Cricketers’ Association estimated that around 300 domestic players have agents, the majority of whom are in regular communication with those running Hundred teams. The extent of agents’ influence depends on who you ask, but teams are generally more interested in updates on injury and availability than lists of statistics or footage.There are 30 contracts available in the men’s draft on Thursday, of which 10 will go to overseas players. A handful of domestic players are certain to attract interest, and some have verbal guarantees from teams: Tom Abell, for example, has for several weeks been pencilled in as Hussey’s captain at Fire.But others will watch the draft with a sense of anxiety, particularly those who have missed out before. The potential fall-back of a deal nearer the time – either as one of two ‘wildcard’ selections after the Vitality Blast, or as a replacement – is no substitute for the security of a contract four months before the Hundred’s opening fixture.Some counties will be playing pre-season games on Thursday, and might be in the field when the men’s draft starts at 5pm. “I might be out in the field, so I might have to get someone to give me a wave if I’ve been picked up,” says Olly Stone. “I’m not 100% sure at the moment but hopefully, a selection somewhere will come.”Stone was released by Phoenix after missing the Hundred through injury. “They didn’t want to retain me, or they’d already used their retentions, so I’m back in the draft,” he says. He has had contracts with Phoenix and Northern Superchargers, but is yet to feature in the competition: “I’m guessing I’ll have a new team this year. It could be third time lucky, as they say.”With only one English head coach in the men’s competition – James Foster at Superchargers – most coaches rely heavily on their general managers, assistant coaches and analysts for advice ahead of the draft. Some Hundred teams draw heavily on players from their affiliated counties, often due to shared support staff; others ignore them altogether.Decisions at the draft often seem baffling – and sometimes, they are. But in general, they can be explained by the fact that teams are not starting from a blank canvas, but working back from what they expect their best XI to be, and using their draft picks to fill in gaps left after confirming their retentions in February.Moeen Ali signs autographs after Birmingham Phoenix’s victory over Trent Rockets•PA Images via Getty ImagesThat means that wicketkeeper-batters, for example, will be in high demand on Thursday, since there are several spots to fill: Tom Banton has scored 179 runs in 14 innings in the Hundred, but will probably be drafted for at least £75,000. By contrast, most teams have already identified their main spin options so some consistent T20 performers may not win deals at all.Trent Woodhill, the competition’s high-performance consultant, is tasked with ensuring that as many leading male overseas players as possible register their names for the draft. And despite a series of late pull-outs – led by Mitchell Starc and Anrich Nortje – there are more than 350 names competing for 10 spots on Thursday.But availability is a constant headache. “It’s very, very difficult to know what is going on with the international schedule,” Flindall says. “We’ve got the Future Tours Programme until 2027, but things tend to move about a bit. It’s not as much in the interests of overseas boards to make players available, compared to ECB where it’s in their interests that the competition is a success.”This year, straight after the Ashes, are all the Australian players going to be available? There’s a Pakistan series against Afghanistan at the end of August that may or may not impact things. You’ve got the CPL and the US league going on. There’s a few moving parts – you have to really factor in availability for your overseas players.”The result is that every year, high-profile overseas players have gone unsold; this year, several teams have opted to retain players who are only on the fringes of international teams in the hope that they are more likely to be released to appear in the competition. More and more teams are looking to prioritise availability, and signing domestic players with their early picks.”There will be overseas players taken at £60,000 who are better players than domestic players taken at £125,000 – just look at last year,” says Freddie Wilde, an analyst and strategic consultant for Oval Invincibles. “Availability is a massive challenge in a lot of leagues – even the IPL – and the Hundred is no different. There are fewer rival leagues – the CPL starts towards the back-end – but there are often bilateral series that crop up.The studio set-up for the inaugural Hundred draft in 2019•Getty Images”Sometimes you will draft an inferior player because he’s fully available; or you might go the other way, and say ‘we’d rather have a better player for five games than a worse player for eight games’. Different teams will go about it in different ways, and there’s no right or wrong answer.”Invincibles have consistently loaded up on domestic players early in the draft, holding back two overseas selections for later on. “We’ve always had Sunil Narine at £125,000,” Wilde adds, “but we’ve always liked to wait for our other overseas picks. We’ve got multiple plans or scenarios that we might adopt, and which one we go for is largely dependent on who is taken before our first turn.”Some overseas players also enter the draft with a high reserve price, knowing they are unlikely to be picked. Last year, Tabraiz Shamsi went unsold at the top reserve price of £125,000 but signed a pro rata deal with Rockets as a replacement when Rashid Khan was unavailable; Adam Zampa has registered for the draft with the top reserve price this year, in anticipation of a similar replacement deal elsewhere.Related

• The Hundred 2023 – Men's draft picks

• The Hundred 2023 – Women's draft picks

• Duckett, Stone, Topley, Willey on the move ahead of 2023 Hundred draft

• Ben Duckett committed to 'every single England chance I get' after rapid format switch

• Stevie Eskinazi: 'I couldn't be sitting in front of the TV having done much more'

Phoenix, meanwhile, managed to retain Shadab Khan for 2023 despite the fact that his replacement deal last summer was so short-lived, it was never even circulated to other teams. “We got retentions rights on him,” Flindall explains, “so it was an obvious pick for us.”It is a situation that epitomises the bizarre world of drafts in short-form cricket, particularly in a tournament that has predominantly been viewed through the lens of a sportstainment event rather than a cricket league with competitive integrity. Scrutiny and transparency surrounding player recruitment have both been negligible.Players are relieved that the draft is back on live TV this year, having been staged behind closed doors over the last two years with picks subsequently drip-fed out via press release. But for those making the picks, being back on the clock – albeit remotely, rather than in the Sky studio – might induce some nervous flashbacks.”In 2019, when we picked Kane Williamson, I couldn’t find him on the software system,” Flindall recalls. “It was probably only for 10 seconds, but it felt like about 40 – and you only had 100 to make each pick. I was in this mad panic, live on Sky: ‘S***, I can’t find Kane, what am I going to do?'” The ECB will hope that things run more smoothly on Thursday.

The New Zealand quick on being a gun powerplay bowler in the IPL, adjusting to bubble life, and switching plans up in Tests

Interview by Vishal Dikshit24-Nov-20202:09

Shane Bond an ‘extremely good tactical coach’ – Boult

Man of the Match in the recent IPL final, Trent Boult played a pivotal role with the new ball to help the Mumbai Indians win their fifth title. After getting back to New Zealand from the UAE, he spoke about playing the final with a niggle, what makes the Mumbai franchise click, getting used to bubble life, and what he tries to do in Test matches when the ball isn’t swinging much.Let’s start with the first ball of the IPL final. You’re known for pitching it up and swinging it, but this one was short of a length and you surprised Marcus Stoinis with the bounce to dismiss him for a duck. Was that planned or something you came up with on the spot?
You probably dream about starting a spell like that or starting a grand final like that. It was just one of those things that seemed to happen. Yup, I like to pitch the ball up and use the swing as quickly as I can. That was a little bit shorter accidentally but it was nice to get that result.And you were coming into the game with a groin niggle. Did that affect your confidence or were you thinking of bowling those important overs in the powerplay and pushing the Delhi Capitals on to the back foot?
Yeah, I faced a bit of a niggle in the first semi-final [Qualifier 1] and it’s a tricky thing. Any aches and pains or any niggles, they’re at the back of your head, but I passed the fitness day the day before [the final], had some confidence going into that game, and of course, I wanted to be a part of such a big occasion. So it was a big trip over there, a long time, a lot of cricket was played, but it was brilliant to lift that trophy at the end of the tournament.You took 16 of your 25 wickets in the powerplay overs, a joint IPL record with Mitchell Johnson, who also did it for the Mumbai Indians in 2013. What was your plan when you landed in the UAE? You knew the pitches were probably not going to help your style of bowling, so what kind of preparation did you put in?
I’ve played a little bit of cricket in the UAE. To be honest, the conditions I’ve faced there have been different every time, from Test cricket to one-day cricket. It was very hot at the start of the tournament and the wickets played quite well, I thought, and there’s a bit of humidity at night. Then the wickets got a little bit slower and the ball seemed to swing around a little bit more.Just like touring anywhere in the world, the biggest challenge is the conditions and trying to work out a game plan that works best in those conditions. I really enjoyed my time with Mumbai. I felt like I was pretty clear about my role. Obviously, it was to start up, bowl the first couple of overs and try and get a couple of wickets. Some games were better than others, but that’s how it goes in that format.

“Having experienced three and a half months away from my young family, it’s a big sacrifice to just leave for a quarter of the year, and looking at tours next year, there’s potential to be away for nine to ten months”

Everyone seemed to expect slow wickets in the UAE, and to think they would deteriorate towards the end of the league. So those pitches must have surprised you with the kind of help they provided fast bowlers throughout?
Yeah, I think the variation across the three grounds there… day games were definitely a lot different than the night games; a lot of dew came into play, and then the ball seemed to skid on in that second innings. Once again, being able to adjust to those conditions was definitely the most important part. And we were backed by a side with a very experienced bowling attack, and then obviously a very quality batting line-up as well.Everyone talks about your Test-match bowling more, but in this IPL you were one of the most impressive bowlers. Did you have to change your normal bowling plans by a lot for the tournament?
Test cricket is no doubt my favourite format; I definitely enjoy getting in the whites and getting the red ball in my hand. If you really want to [analyse] my performance in this IPL, it was probably similar to what I do in a Test match anyway – bowling the hard length and getting to swing it around with the new ball. It’s a challenging format: you can bring whatever game plan you want, you’ve got to be clear on what you’re trying to do and you’ve got to execute that pretty nicely. Because in a tournament like the IPL, you see the teams we’re coming up against, the players, the batters, you’ve got to be right on the mark. It was some good players, but that’s the best thing about it, really, to challenge yourself against the Warners, the Pollards, the Rohits, so it was good fun.ALSO READ: How the Mumbai Indians built their IPL empirePlaying for MI for the first time, you and James Pattinson had very well-defined roles in the powerplay, which allowed Jasprit Bumrah to bowl more at the death. Rohit Sharma said at one of the presentations that he and the management had a conversation with you and Pattinson about the MI culture and what they needed out of you. Could you tell us about that?
You go through your meetings and your planning for each opposition. To have that kind of diversity across that attack… You’ve got three very good spinners – Jayant Yadav, Rahul Chahar and KP [Krunal Pandya] – great craft bowlers through the middle overs, who can bowl with the new ball. To get the chance to bowl with James – [he’s a] quality new-ball bowler as well, hits the wicket hard, and then you actually sometimes forget that you’ve got Bumrah in your attack until he grabs that ball in the last ten overs. I’ve played a little bit with him over the years. He’s a phenomenal bowler, the way he goes out there, keeps it nice and simple and bowls straight on the spots.What is it about the MI culture that gets the best out of the players? Quinton de Kock has scored so much for two seasons in a row, and you have been their gun powerplay bowler this year.
Like I’ve been saying, they’re very well planned: they forecast what kind of players will have what sort of impact in what conditions. I’ve worked with Shane Bond a lot, so that relationship probably helps as well.Comparing it to other franchises, I suppose just having the opportunity to play a lot of the games back-to-back gave a bit of rhythm. That certainly helps. Having that tournament out of India, in conditions where you’re not going to the airport every day and on buses and all sorts of stuff like that, we just got into a nice rhythm and all the guys were playing well and they continued to play well across the ten weeks. It’s a hard thing to pinpoint, but definitely those couple of things have done big favours for that franchise.”T20 is a challenging format: you’ve got to be clear on what you’re trying to do and you’ve got to execute that pretty nicely”•BCCI You’ve obviously worked with Shane Bond in the New Zealand set-up, but did you see a different version of him here?
I’ve always said that Bond is an extremely good tactical coach. He comes up with good game plans and definitely puts in a lot of hours in terms of looking at where guys hit the ball and where their strong zones are and potential places to exploit weaknesses. Obviously to have a familiar face there, someone I’ve known for many years, definitely calmed me down a little bit and gave me a lot of confidence. He was brilliant and I’m here in quarantine at the moment in New Zealand, getting the chance to work with him in the nets as we prepare for the West Indies series. So it’s a good relationship.You also had Zaheer Khan in the coaching staff, a different bowler compared to Bond, which must have reflected in his coaching too. He’s also a fellow left-arm quick. What kind of advice did he offer?
I don’t know Zaheer too well, but he was brilliant – a left-armer a lot of guys looked up to over the years. I imitated his action a couple of times, which got a couple of giggles out of him. He’s very experienced, played a lot of cricket, T20 cricket as well, and it was nice to hear his way of doing things or how he used to do things back in the day.Great support staff there and Mahela [Jayawardene] led the team pretty nicely, he was pretty passionate. It was a good couple of months away and I built some pretty good friendships.ALSO READ: ‘Be aggressive and take wickets’ – Trent Boult on his T20 gameplanBefore the T20I series against England in November 2019, you said “being aggressive” was your T20 game plan. How do you define aggression in T20 cricket?
I think you’re trying to be aggressive in terms of trying to take wickets and pitching the ball up and taking a few risks every now and then. Everyone understands how big of an impact getting early wickets inside the powerplay makes, whether they’re chasing or trying to set a total. It’s a tough format, it’s a hard one to read too much into. You can bowl one way in a certain match and get 3 for 20 and bowl with the same game plan a couple of days later and you get none for 47. I try not to look into it too much, but I’m very clear on what a game’s wicket looks like to me. It was nice to grab a few in the UAE and make a bit of an impact.How much of that “being aggressive” mentality has got to do with Brendon McCullum’s captaincy in the 2015 World Cup, when you were bowling with a Test match kind of field. Has that mentality carried on for you and other New Zealand bowlers as well?
I think so. It was a big continuum point for white-ball cricket in New Zealand, I reckon. Back in 2015, to be running in in ODI cricket with four slips and no third man was probably not the norm. The facilities and the conditions you are in, the way the ball swings around, if it swings around a little or doesn’t at all, it kind of justifies that. Brendon was brilliant at instilling confidence in you and really backed you. I don’t know if that’s the new norm or anything like that but definitely good fun to see with the white ball swinging around and see the bat miss the edge and knock over a few stumps.

“In the IPL you’ve got to be right on the mark. That’s the best thing about it, really – to challenge yourself against the Warners, the Pollards, the Rohits”

You once said you get “quite nervous” when New Zealand are bowling first in a Test match. Does it happen even when you’re bowling at home or, say, in England where you know the ball is going to swing?
At any point, I really get nervous the first morning of a Test match – [there are] a few butterflies when you’re not sure what’s going to happen, whether you bat or bowl, when you have a red ball in your hand on a nice, green wicket. Obviously you want to be straight on the mark. Test cricket is one of those things – there’s a lot of pressure on you, but as a bowler you want to set that tone and get the team off to a good start. A lot of work goes into preparing for a Test match, and it’s kind of a week-long event so that’s probably when I get the butterflies in the stomach, but I love it, it’s a great feeling.What are usually your plans B and C when you’re bowling in conditions that aren’t helping you? It could be in Asia or even at the Basin Reserve (Wellington) where the pitch becomes so much better for batting if you’re bowling second on the second or third day.
It’s one of the big challenges, having other plans up your sleeve when the ball doesn’t swing. Wickets can be pretty good in New Zealand – they kind of get better to bat on as the Test goes on rather than deteriorate or anything like that or like a subcontinental pitch where it turns and gets a little bit low. Reverse swing isn’t really a big thing in New Zealand, but it’s a string I want to really add to my bow and be able to do it in overseas conditions. I suppose the luxury of being a left-armer is, I can get funky with angles, coming around the wicket and using shorter balls and look at the bowling attack you’re bowling with. Myself, Timmy [Tim Southee] and Wags [Neil Wagner] have been doing that for a wee while now and a lot of credit goes to the way we pass the ball around between each other.ALSO READ: Shane Bond: Resting Trent Boult important ‘for his own sanity’Do you ever get tempted to use more variations in Tests in such situations because you’ve played so many ODIs and T20s now, or do you like to stick to the Test match kind of line and length and focus on accuracy?
I think you’re just trying to be as accurate as you can and not give too many loose balls and boundary balls to players. I don’t see too much room for knuckleballs and offcutters and stuff like that in Test matches. I think the biggest thing is bowling as a pack and sticking to keeping that pressure on and not letting them get too far ahead of the game.You and Southee support each other very well. What kind of conversations do you have – in any format – when the opposition openers are scoring freely and your plans aren’t quite working?
I think naturally you’re backing each other to be accurate, to be able to think on your feet. I suppose that comes with playing a lot of cricket – you offer a lot of experience, and Timmy is an incredibly experienced bowler. He’s been doing this for a long time. You’ve just got to keep it simple, in my opinion, and force the batters to play a good shot off a good ball. If you’re putting the ball where you want to put it, and if they’re playing good shots taking high risks, then sometimes at the end of the day that’s all you can really do. I don’t like to overcomplicate it too much and I’ve only got three or four balls that I can bowl – it might be a hard length, a bouncer, a yorker and a slower ball. It’s just about choosing which is the right one at what stage of the match, and keeping it nice and simple.”I get butterflies first morning of a Test match, when you’re not sure what’s going to happen, when you have a red ball in your hand on a nice, green wicket”•AFP / Getty ImagesHow do you plan for a batsman like Steven Smith in Tests, especially in Australia, where the ball is not swinging? He hits the ball to square leg even from outside the off stump.
I’d probably give the ball to Waggy [Wagner] pretty quickly and watch him bowl (). He’s obviously quite an unorthodox kind of player, hits the ball into funky areas, and he’s another guy that you give him a couple of boundaries and let him get off to a good start and he finds a good rhythm and he’s very hard to get out. Once again, it’s about adjusting to what’s in front of you – whether it’s a slow wicket or the ball is swinging or not, it’s kind of going to dictate your plans in a way. They’ve got some big players, the Australians, we had a tough lesson over there just recently with a Test series. It’s a big learning curve, so look forward to that next occasion when it’s coming up.Do you try to swing the ball into him as much as you do against other right-handers?
Yeah, I probably just figure out the best way to contain him, whether that’s bowling straight to him with straight fields… but the guy is very, very quality. He’s very strong off his pads and as soon as you overpitch, he can hit you straight down the ground, and if you bowl too short he can hit you through square leg. You’ve got to be nice and clear [with your plans] but it’s definitely a good challenge.ALSO READ: Hot Seat: Who gets to bowl first at Steven Smith?Players are also getting used to the bubble life now. Many players have already spoken about the kind of mental toll it could take in the long run. Do you also think it’s going to force players to pick and choose certain series to spend more time with their families?
I think it’s going to be a tough one to forecast. Having experienced three and a half months away from my young family – I have two young boys and a wife back home whom I haven’t seen – you can imagine it’s a big sacrifice to just pack up and leave for a quarter of the year, and looking at tours next year, there’s potential to be away for nine to ten months. I can’t speak for everyone, but it’s definitely going to play a big role in the game. Having to come back to New Zealand, you have to spend two weeks in a hotel before you can even be let out. It’s crazy what the world is facing at the moment, it’s almost surreal, and it’s going to be a hard one to say what guys are feeling and what they’re able to do. Speaking from playing in the IPL, it’s brilliant to be back out on the field and offer something for everyone to watch and it was closely followed all around the world. That’s the beauty of cricket, it brings everyone together, so I’m hoping it’s back to normal pretty soon.You have the Test series coming up against West Indies who also have a formidable bowling attack, with Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach. Put together, they have everything – pace, swing, seam movement, bounce. Do you think it’s going to be one of the tougher challenges for New Zealand?
[It’s] always exciting playing the West Indies, they show a lot of character. They bring a lot of history with them, a lot of pride, and they’ll be here to put in a good performance. We’ll look forward to that, and then we move forward to the Pakistan series. Same thing again, some quality bowlers there. I’m sure it’s going to be exciting. [I’m] already getting nervous about batting – probably shouldn’t say that! – but it’s going to be good fun. It’ll be nice for the New Zealand public to watch some good cricket and to see some good, international cricket on our screens.Will New Zealand’s batting be the key because the bowling attacks of all three teams – New Zealand, West Indies and Pakistan – are really strong?
I think we’re going to have to bat extremely well. Probably the biggest confidence booster is that we played some pretty good cricket in New Zealand in the past wee while. We’re very clear with how the conditions react. I know the batsmen here are looking forward to a big challenge and a big home summer and hopefully we can continue that form that we’ve had over here, and play some good cricket and keep moving towards that World Test Championship pinnacle.

MatériaMais Notícias

O volante Rodrigo Andrade provocou o Bahia junto do companheiro Lucas Esteves. Os jogadores do Vitória afirmaram que conquistaram o título na “Fonte Nossa”. Confira o diálogo abaixo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasVitóriaÉ CAMPEÃO! Torcedores do Vitória comemoram título do Leão nas redes sociaisVitória07/04/2024VitóriaVitória volta a conquistar o Campeonato Baiano após sete anosVitória07/04/2024Futebol NacionalPresidente do Vitória provoca Bahia após o título: ‘Time de tostão que ganha do de milhão’Futebol Nacional07/04/2024

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– Essa rede aqui, como eu sou paraense e lá tem muito rio. Geralmente, a gente pesca muito. Mas se eles se ofenderam, a culpa não é minha. (Rodrigo Andrade)

– Está aonde hoje? (Lucas Esteves)

– Na “Fonte Nossa”. Não tem dono. (Rodrigo Andrade)

– É de quem esse estádio? (Lucas Esteves)

– É nosso. (Rodrigo Andrade)

Por fim, Rodrigo Andrade emendou dizendo que o o trunfo do Vitória foi em aproveitar o resultado agregado a seu favor. O Rubro-Negro venceu o Bahia por 4 a 3 no somatório das duas partidas da final.

continua após a publicidade

– A gente sabia que não seria um jogo fácil, mas soubemos aproveitar o resultado que estava a favor da gente. Final é isso.

Tudo sobre

BahiaFutebol NacionalVitória

Manchester United are now seriously considering a move for a “lightning quick” Paris Saint-Germain star, with a surprise Marcus Rashford swap deal on the cards.

Rashford tearing it up on loan at Barcelona

Rashford has really managed to kick on since joining Barcelona on loan in the summer, amassing six goals and ten assists in all competitions, but it has recently emerged that the forward isn’t expected to make his stay at the Camp Nou permanent.

The Englishman is likely to have plenty of options to choose from next summer, however, with it being revealed Chelsea have held talks over a potential deal, while Tottenham Hotspur are determined to win the race for the 28-year-old’s signature and give him a leading role.

It is difficult to envisage a way back for the United academy graduate at Old Trafford, given his sour relationship with Ruben Amorim, and it has now been revealed the manager could get him off the books in a different way at the end of the season.

According to a report from Spain, Man United are now seriously considering signing PSG forward Bradley Barcola, and a surprise swap deal is possible, with Rashford potentially set to be sent in the opposite direction.

Barcola’s negotiations with the French club over a new contract have now stalled, which could open the door for a move to Old Trafford, although his current employers are very reluctant to sanction a departure.

With a market value of around €70m (£61m), a deal for the Frenchman would be on the expensive side, but there are indications he could be worth every penny…

"Lightning quick" Barcola impressing in Ligue 1 and Europe

Hailed as “lightning quick” by journalist Raj Chohan, the PSG star has put in some top performances in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League this season, regularly contributing with goals and assists.

Competition

Appearances

Goal contributions

Ligue 1

12

6

Champions League

5

2

The 23-year-old also played a major role in the French side winning the Champions League for the first time last season, chipping in with three goals and four assists in 17 appearances.

Man United appear to have recruited well in the summer, with new forward Matheus Cunha grabbing an assist in the 4-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, while Bryan Mbeumo already has six Premier League goals to his name.

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However, with the Red Devils looking to return to Europe next season, they may need more depth in attacking areas, and Barcola could be a brilliant addition to Amorim’s squad, so they should definitely try to negotiate a swap deal involving Rashford.

Noni Madueke scored his first Arsenal goal on Wednesday and challenged the Gunners to “keep pushing boundaries” ahead of their weekend showdown against Chelsea.

Arsenal cruise past Bayern as Madueke returns with a bang

Madueke returned from two months out with a knee injury to score the winning goal in what eventually turned into a comfortable 3-1 win over Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

The 23-year-old, who joined from Chelsea in the summer amid some opposition – and a petition against his signing – from Arsenal fans, replaced the injured Leandro Trossard, as the Gunners continue to struggle to keep all of their forwards fit at once.

Bayern teenager Lennart Karl had cancelled out Jurrien Timber’s opener for the hosts before Madueke tucked in a cross from Mikel Merino after half-time.

Gabriel Martinelli, also back from a spell out, capitalised on goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s error to hit the third as the Premier League leaders maintained their 100 per cent record in Europe and hit the top of the Champions League table.

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Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 27, 2025

“It was a top night, a great night,” Madueke told Arsenal’s official media channels. “A Champions League night, so it was perfect to get my first goal for the club and for the win on top. It’s a perfect night.

“I had a long injury, it was difficult, but now I’ve made up for it. It’s amazing. I can’t really say much more, just amazing.

“It’s massive, it’s massive what we’re producing at the moment, not just in the Champions League but our domestic form, and we need to continue at this level and just keep it going.

“The level we’re playing at right now is incredible and we need to try and keep adapting, keep pushing it, keep pushing boundaries and that’s the only way we can stay there.”

Madueke "can't wait" to play against Chelsea

The big games keep coming for Arsenal, who face a Premier League trip to second-placed Chelsea on Sunday. Defeat at Stamford Bridge would trim their lead at the top of the table to just three points, with Enzo Maresca’s side looking win their fourth consecutive top flight match.

Madueke is looking forward to the trip to his old stomping ground, having left west London in the summer for a fee of up to £52m.

“You go eight weeks without the thing you love the most in the world,” said the winger, who is now one of Arsenal’s highest earners on £150,000-a-week.

“So you are chomping at the bit to just be on the pitch as much as possible. I can’t wait.”

Chelsea have not beaten Arsenal in any competition since a 2-0 victory at the Emirates in August 2021, while each of the last two meetings at Stamford Bridge have ended in score draws.

Ahead of Rob Edwards’ arrival, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has already shared one problem that the new Wolverhampton Wanderers boss will face in the January transfer window.

It has been a disastrous start for those in the Midlands, who recently sacked manager Vitor Pereira after less than a year in charge. Since returning to the Premier League in 2018, their top-flight status hasn’t looked as at risk as it is now. They currently sit eight points adrift of safety after 11 games and remain the only side in the league yet to pick up a win.

Turning things around from here will be far from easy, but it’s Rob Edwards who looks set to be handed that very task. The Middlesbrough boss wasn’t in the dugout for Boro’s victory over Birmingham City on Saturday and the club confirmed that he’s set to join Wolves, much to their reluctance.

The Championship side said in a statement: “Middlesbrough Football Club have, subject to the completion of an agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, given head coach Rob Edwards permission to speak to Wolves.

“We initially rejected an approach from Wolves on the basis that Rob signed a three-year contract with MFC less than six months ago. Following discussions with Rob we were disappointed to learn that he wanted to speak with Wolves regarding their head coach vacancy. We have now agreed terms with Wolves, subject to completion of the relevant paperwork.”

Gary O'Neil favourite is on borrowed time at Wolves after Edwards arrival

Rob Edwards could look to immediately ditch this Wolverhampton Wanderers flop when he enters the Molineux dug-out.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 9, 2025

Edwards now also has the chance for some Premier League redemption, having been relegated with Luton Town the last time that he was in England’s top tier. Guiding Wolves to safety from this point would more than put those demons to bed.

With a new manager on the way, Wolves should be ones to watch in the January transfer window, but the reality is that they’re already facing one frustrating problem.

Ornstein reveals first transfer problem for Edwards at Wolves

Speaking on NBC Sports ahead of the manager’s arrival, Ornstein revealed that Edwards may only be able to sign homegrown players at Wolves in the January transfer window.

It’s a move that will immediately limit the new manager, but one that – according to Ornstein – will be made to prepare Wolves for any potential Championship campaign next season.

Just who arrives as a result is the big question. Edwards could yet return to Middlesbrough in an attempt to lure some of his former stars to the Premier League, but whether they’d join a side who look destined for relegation remains to be seen.

Every Premier League and EFL manager sacked in the 2025/26 season

Corbin Burnes is the best available pitcher on the free agent market and his next home may come with the added bonus of being extremely friendly to those who climb the mound.

USA Today baseball insider Bob Nightengale writes today that the sought-after starter is expected to soon sign a deal exceeding $250 million—the richest on record for a pitcher—with the San Francisco Giants being the heavy favorites to land his services.

Burnes's agent Scott Boras has been in serious conversations with the Boston Red Sox about Burnes, but it's appearing more and more that Buster Posey will jump into his front office gig with a major splash.

Boras also offered up another one of his trademark quips.

"I think Corbin Burnes is kind of like Elvis," he said. “He’s got that burning love for a No. 1 starter. You’re really feeling it today and every morning, I might add."

Nightengale points out that this would come on the heels of a wild Winter Meetings, where teams ponied up a collective $1.3 billion for free agents, a stunning figure when compared to last year's dealings that accounted for only $138 million. To this point three players have individually earned contracts north of $180 million.

Burnes, 30, is coming off a sensational season for the Baltimore Orioles in which he posted a 2.92 ERA and 1.096 WHIP. He finished in the top-10 of Cy Young voting for a fifth consecutive year and made his fourth straight All-Star Game. The Giants are looking to solidify the top of their rotation after an 80-82 campaign in 2024.