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Manchester City are building towards a campaign where they will be vying for the Premier League title, and the Citizens could now be on the verge of securing a key reinforcement to address a priority position.

Manchester City pondering over Ederson's future

Despite the excitement over incomings such as Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri this window, much has been made over Ederson’s uncertain future at Manchester City.

The Brazil goalkeeper has been heavily linked with a move to Galatasaray, and there is an inkling from his side of the table that the opportunity to move elsewhere after a difficult campaign in England would be appealing.

Speaking about his situation, former Manchester City star Nicky Weaver believes Ederson could leave the Etihad Stadium due to the fact that he is in the last year of his contract at the Premier League giants.

He stated: “It’s gathered a bit of pace, especially in recent days. When it gets to this point, it almost looks like it’s going to happen.

“He’s into the last year of his contract now. Most summers he gets linked with a move away but you never think it’s actually going to happen. This summer, I think we could actually see it happening.”

Now, it is important to note that nothing definitive has come to light as of yet. Still, Manchester City’s wish to sign Porto stopper Diogo Costa does indicate Pep Guardiola is in the market for another goalkeeper.

Manchester City’s summer signings so far

Name

Club signed from

Tijjani Reijnders

AC Milan

Rayan Cherki

Lyon

Rayan Ait-Nouri

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Marcus Bettinelli

Chelsea

Sverre Nypan

Rosenborg

With the key question still to be solved between the sticks, the Citizens may have found one part of the answer amid recent developments involving their pursuit of an alternative target.

Romano: Manchester City set to sign Burnley's James Trafford

Taking to social media platform X, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Manchester City are set to sign James Trafford from Burnley after the Englishman agreed a deal to return to his former club to work under Guardiola.

Newcastle United have missed out on his signature and were informed of his decision, leaving the Citizens to wrap up an agreement for a fee well under his £40 million buyback clause.

Later on, Romano confirmed Manchester City will sign Trafford for £27 million and that he is booked in for a medical early next week, stating: “More on exclusive story on James Trafford joining Manchester City: understand medical tests will take place early next week, main part on Monday. Man City to pay £27m fee to Burnley for the goalkeeper, as revealed.”

Enjoying a fantastic campaign at Turf Moor, the 22-year-old kept 29 clean sheets in 45 appearances as Burnley won promotion to the Premier League, leading Scott Parker to label the young goalkeeper “world-class” due to his immense contribution.

Maintaining a save percentage rate of 84.6% in the Championship, Trafford is now back where it all began and will hope to unseat either Ederson or Stefan Ortega for the number one jersey.

Classy centuries take centre stage at Sedbergh alongside Ackermann and de Leede

ECB Reporters Network24-Jul-2024Durham 344 for 4 (Lees 111, de Leede 72, Ackermann 59) beat Lancashire 287 (Bohannon 147, de Leede 3-33, Ackermann 3-37) by 57 runsCaptain Alex Lees starred with a superb 111 added to impressive all-round contributions from Dutch internationals Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann as Durham claimed an opening day Metro Bank One-Day Cup win over Lancashire at Sedbergh School.Opener Lees cleanly struck eight fours and a six in a 126-ball innings which underpinned 344 for four – Durham’s sixth highest List A total. De Leede contributed 72 off 63 and Ackermann 59 off 33.In ideal batting conditions, and in front of approximately 2,000 spectators, Lancashire’s task of chasing was tall. Josh Bohannon top-scored with an excellent career best 147 off 119 balls, an even better innings than Lees’s. But Ackermann and de Leede equally shared six wickets in 287 all out – a Durham win by 57 runs.Lees made the most of his decision to bat first, hitting all of his boundaries on the leg-side and driving George Balderson’s seam over long-off for his only six.Every Durham batter contributed. Fellow Under 19s international Ben McKinney opened with a pleasing 43 – he shared 87 with Lees – before Scotland international Michael Jones added a late 41 off 21 against his birth county.Durham paced their innings beautifully against a Red Rose attack who failed to gain control. Only Balderson – one for 57 from 10 overs – went at less than six in over in a six-man attack.Lees and de Leede shared 129 inside 20 overs for the second wicket, advancing from 87 for one in the 20th. It was a Durham partnership record for the second wicket in List A matches against Lancashire.Lees reached a 117-ball century but didn’t last much longer.He followed de Leede’s departure, the skipper caught at long-off against Harry Singh’s off-spin – 250 for three in the 44th over.After that, 81 came from the last six overs as Ackermann and Jones set about a thrilling acceleration.New ball seamer Tom Bailey conceded 27 off the 47th – 308 for three. Jones hit a six and four and Ackermann two sixes and a four.Lancashire’s reply started well despite George Bell’s early departure. He cut Paul Coughlin to backward point.At 91 for one in the 16th over, their hopes would have been high as captain Keaton Jennings and Bohannon both approached fifties.But their second-wicket partnership was cut short at 72 when the former was run out for 44 at the non-striker’s end going for a third to deep midwicket, sparking a match-defining collapse of four wickets for 46 – Lancashire now 137 for five in the 23rd.Ackermann’s off-spin (three for 37 from six overs) accounted for three of them, bowling Balderson and Tom Bruce added to George Lavelle caught at backward point. The latter two fell in as many deliveries in the 23rd over.Bohannon shared a calming 61 for the sixth wicket with Singh, but the latter was one of two wickets to fall in the 34th to de Leede’s seam, leaving the hosts 202 for seven.Singh pulled to deep midwicket for 25 and Tom Aspinwall was bowled.De Leede (three for 33 from eight) bowled Bailey shortly afterwards before Bohannon reached a second List A century off 93 balls.But a win was the prize he craved. Unfortunately for him, that ship had long sailed as no team-mate could support him until it was too late.He also shared 62 for the ninth wicket with Will Williams, who fell to Jonathan Bushnell’s seam.The same man completed the visiting success when he bowled Bohannon in the 45th over after the England Lions captain had struck 13 fours and half a dozen sixes.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will be chasing Club World Cup glory, but he certainly isn’t taking his eye off the ball regarding potential signings.

Defender Tomas Araujo has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. Elsewhere, Jamie Gittens is a major attacking target, and the Blues are keen to wrap up a deal for him sooner rather than later.

Add in the fact that Maresca has already signed Liam Delap, it suggests that the manager is plotting an overhaul this summer.

Date

Opponent

Venue

Monday, June 16

Los Angeles

Mercedes-Benz stadium

Friday, June 20

Flamengo

Lincoln Financial Field

Tuesday, June 24

Esperance

Lincoln Financial Field

Hugo Ekitiké is another key target, and with Manchester United revving up interest in the young striker, now could be the time to act.

Latest on Chelsea's pursuit Hugo Ekitiké

Despite being one of the Blues’ top transfer targets, it now appears that the Red Devils are looking to secure his signature this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

With a reported price tag of €100m (£85m), it is a significant outlay for the Blues as they seek to bolster their attacking options.

Last season, the Frenchman scored 22 goals and grabbed 12 assists, emerging as one of the most sought-after talents on the continent.

The striker would compete with Delap and Nicolas Jackson for a role in the team should he move to London, but for the price, Maresca will be determined to use him as his main option.

That said, could he perhaps make a move for another youngster this summer instead? Especially as a player who was on the club’s radar previously looks set to leave their current club.

Why Chelsea should reignite a move for Jhon Duran

The Colombian striker was close to a move to Stamford Bridge last summer, but ultimately decided to stay with Villa.

Unai Emery couldn’t turn down an offer of around £65m for the talented hitman, however, and he made his move to the Middle East in January.

According to reports from Saudi Arabia (as per the Metro), Duran could be set to leave Al-Nassr in the summer, with the chance there for Chelsea – among other suitors – to reignite a move for the player. It is said that unnamed clubs have expressed interest in signing him on loan, should the chance of an exit emerge.

While Ekitiké shone in the Bundesliga for Frankfurt last term, is there a case to be made that Duran is the bigger talent?

When comparing the two strikers via FBref, Duran not only registered more shots per 90 (4.26 vs 4) than Ekitiké last term, but he also recorded more shots on target (1.92 vs 1.55) per 90 and won a higher percentage of aerial duels (50% vs 46.8%) domestically last season.

Given the fact he is younger and has a potentially higher ceiling for growth, Duran – who already scored 12 goals in 55 Premier League games – could perhaps turn out to be the better striker for the club.

Following his excellent first half of the 2024/25 season at Villa, football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as a “monster in the making” and with 12 goals in 18 games for his new club, he is living up to that statement.

Maresca must be on high alert in the coming weeks if Duran is available, especially if he costs less than the £85m that has been demanded for Ekitike.

He may be a “maverick”, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, although unlike Ekitike, he has already proven himself in England’s top flight.

Free agent defender now "close to finalising" Chelsea move after talks

The west Londoners are pushing.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 13, 2025

After claiming the Premier League title in his first season in charge, Arne Slot arguably faces his toughest test yet as Liverpool manager during the upcoming transfer window.

The Dutchman won the league with multiple games to spare, losing just three matches in the top flight to date – offering a seamless transition after taking the reins from Jürgen Klopp last summer.

However, despite the Reds’ success, key additions are needed in multiple areas of the first-team squad to help bolster the ranks and increase their chances of retaining their title in 2025/26.

It remains to be seen how much money will be handed his way by the club’s hierarchy, with countless names already touted with a move to Anfield in the coming months.

The foundations have already been laid for multiple transfers, with it only a matter of time before the manager lands his first summer addition on Merseyside.

The latest on Liverpool’s hunt for new signings this summer

Defenders have been high up on the club’s shortlist as of late, with Milos Kerkez one of the many players on their list over the last couple of weeks – emerging at the very top if recent reports are to be believed.

It was confirmed earlier this week that the Hungarian was ‘likely’ to make the switch to the club, with Bournemouth demanding a £40m transfer fee to part ways with their left-back.

However, interest has also been shown in players on the opposite side of the pitch, with the club making a move for Monaco right-back Vanderson, according to GOAL.

The report states that the Reds have enquired to sign the Brazilian this summer, with the Ligue 1 outfit demanding a fee in the region of £25m to offload the 23-year-old star.

It also confirms that the staff behind the scenes hold the youngster in high regard, potentially being the perfect replacement for outgoing defender Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Why Liverpool’s £25m target is the perfect Frimpong alternative

Bayer Leverkusen full-back Jeremie Frimpong has emerged as Liverpool’s main target in such an area in recent times, undoubtedly being many supporters’ first choice this summer.

It has been reported in recent days that the Reds have already been plotting a move for the Dutch star, willing to pay his release clause, which is around the £35m mark.

The 24-year-old has been in stellar form in the Bundesliga over the last few months, registering four goals and five assists, helping the club once again secure a Champions League spot.

However, if they are unable to complete a deal for the Dutchman, they should pursue a move for Vanderson, with the Monaco star a superb option for the club going forward.

When comparing his stats to those of Frimpong, the Brazilian has outperformed him in numerous key areas, with his £25m asking price a potential bargain for Slot’s side.

The right-back, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one scout, has registered more progressive passes and completed more of the take-ons he’s attempted – highlighting the impressive nature he possesses with the ball at his feet.

He’s also won more tackles per 90 and made more interceptions per 90 – handing Slot with an added defensive option, but also a key star in attacking areas.

How Vanderson compares to Frimpong in 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)	Vanderson	Frimpong
Games played	27	32
Goals & assists	4	9
Progressive passes	4.5	2
Pass accuracy	78%	76%
Passes into final third	3.3	1.1
Shot-creating actions	2.6	2.5
Tackles won	2.1	0.9
Interceptions made	1.8	0.3
Take-on success	50%	29%
Aerials won	46%	33%
Stats via FBref

His talents don’t stop there, registering more shot-creating actions and winning more aerials than Frimpong – having the tools to be an excellent option should the club pursue a move for his signature.

£25m for such a player would be an absolute bargain in today’s market, offering a cheaper and possibly a better option than the Leverkusen star in their hunt to replace Alexander-Arnold.

It’s a huge task to replace such a player in the coming months, but Vanderson has showcased that he’s more than capable of filling the void – with Slot needing to make the Brazilian his main target.

Shades of Firmino: Liverpool lining up move for "sensational" PL talisman

Liverpool could be about to pursue a deal for a star who could become Arne Slot’s own Roberto Firmino.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 10, 2025

Arsenal have made one “top” player an offer to join them this summer, after new sporting director Andrea Berta helped to sway Mikel Arteta into a summer switch-up.

Mikel Arteta reacts as Arsenal lose Champions League semi-final to PSG

The north Londoners will end 2024/2025 without any silverware, which comes as a real disappointment for Arsenal after they were widely tipped to end their 21-year wait for a Premier League title at the beginning of the campaign.

Arsenal "closer to finalising" deal for £85m star with contract semi-agreed

The Gunners have made significant progress ahead of this summer.

2 ByEmilio Galantini May 7, 2025

A combination of debilitating injuries and their failure to put teams away, with Arsenal chalking up more draws than any other side in the top ten apart from Brighton, has resulted in Arteta’s side ending the domestic campaign empty-handed.

Arsenal sparked brief hope that they could make history by winning their first ever Champions League crown, especially after their statement 5-1 aggregate win over 15-time European champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

However, they were eventually outdone by Ligue 1 champions PSG in the semis, with their lack of ruthless finishing, alongside Gianluigi Donnarumma’s heroics, ultimately crushing Arsenal’s European dream.

“It’s probably difficult with words,” said Arteta on Arsenal’s emotions after being knocked out of the Champions League.

“The work that we put [in], the enthusiasm, the belief and whatever happens, you come here, and you do what we’ve done, it’s the first time for 95% of these guys because they’ve never played a semi-final. To do what they did in Paris today against this team is remarkable, but the fact is that we are out, and we want to improve, and we want to win it. We can never look back on it yet, but if we did or whatever, it’s just, why is it still on us to reach that and unlock that door to get to the final and then actually win it? And that’s the way it might be.”

Arsenal make offer to Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap

Now that Arsenal will be ending 24/25 without any silverware, attention is continuing to turn towards the summer transfer window and how they’ll prepare for next campaign, in a bid to go again.

It is no secret that Arsenal are targeting a goalscoring striker, and it is believed by some media sources that Berta is making serious progress on a move for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

However, as per Football Transfers, Ipswich Town star Liam Delap could now join the Sweden international.

They report that Arsenal could bring in two centre-forwards, one to lead the line as a starter and one to work as an understudy. Gyokeres would arrive as the star front man, with Delap coming in as a back-up option to the 26-year-old.

The Englishman, who has a £30m release clause, has been made fully aware of this by Arsenal, who’ve also outlined exactly how they’d utilise him next term. Berta is also prepared to pay the 22-year-old’s clause, just one year after Ipswich signed him from Man City.

Football Transfers also state that Arsenal have made an offer to Delap and his representatives, coming after Berta “successfully convinced” Arteta to change their transfer strategy this summer.

Delap has been a rare bright spark for Kieran McKenna’s relegated side, bagging 12 goals in all competitions, with pundit Paul Robinson calling him a “top player” and an absolute “nuisance” to deal with.

After a season with Kerala, the allrounder is back at Karnataka and is geared up to make an impact

Shashank Kishore05-Nov-2024At 31, Shreyas Gopal believes he’s at his bowling peak. Glimpses of this were evident last week when he single-handedly delivered Karnataka’s first win of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, against Bihar.Sure, the opponents weren’t the most-fancied, but with two set batters – Babul Kumar and Sakibul Gani – having put together a century stand on the final day, Karnataka were running out of time. But when Mayank Agarwal, the captain, threw the ball to Shreyas in a last-ditch effort to salvage something, the tide turned.Shreyas picked up four wickets in a hurry as Bihar lost 8 for 76 to set up a 69-run target, which Karnataka achieved easily under fading light. Shreyas finished with a match haul of 8 for 98.Related

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For Shreyas, who is seven short of 250 first-class wickets, creating an impact and delivering under pressure has been a prime focus. This performance must have underlined those attributes.With K Gowtham not in the reckoning, Vidwath Kaverappa injured, and Prasidh Krishna with India A in Australia, the timing of Shreyas’ performance couldn’t have been better.”I’m delighted to be back where I belong,” he says. “Last year I went to Kerala only because I was guaranteed to start across all formats. Towards the end of my first Karnataka stint, I wasn’t getting chances consistently across formats. I had lost my IPL contract as well [in 2023].”Shreyas didn’t perform all that badly for Kerala. During the 2023-24 Ranji season, he picked up 16 wickets in six games, and hit one century and one half-century in his 272 runs, largely in the lower middle order.His white-ball numbers were a lot better. At the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he picked up 12 wickets in eight games at an economy of 4.96, while at the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, he picked up 12 wickets in seven games at an economy of 7.66.

“[Chahal] is one of my favourite bowlers currently and there’s no shame in saying that. The way he uses his variations and when he uses them is really phenomenal”

Those performances went a long way in Mumbai Indians picking him for the IPL. But with Piyush Chawla preferred as their No. 1 Indian spinner, Shreyas played just three games. Yet, the confidence from his domestic season was reassuring.”Those innings and wickets gave me that confidence,” Shreyas says. “I want to try and set that bar as high as possible and give it to the next generation to take over. My whole thing is to do as well as I can [once again for Karnataka].”Over the years, Shreyas has enjoyed learning his craft. In this journey of self-discovery, he has had a number of fruitful conversations with Yuzvendra Chahal. “He is one of my favourite bowlers currently and there’s no shame in saying that,” Shreyas says. “The way he uses his variations and when he uses them is really phenomenal.”The one thing they share in common is the love for bowling at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the key to success is “overcoming fear of being hit” as much as it is about consistency and variations.”It’s always difficult to bowl here,” Shreyas explains. “But again, if you keep saying ‘difficult, difficult’ when you get the ball, you’re not helping matters. You have no choice but to bowl here. You have to try and look at the conditions. There has to be something in it that you can try and extract.”Whether it is angles, whether it is the wind, whether it is the longer boundary, whether it is speed or trajectory – anything. You have to try and evolve. I’ve focused on that over the years.”Shreyas believes he is a lot more mature and calmer to take setbacks in his stride now, like missing an IPL season or not being an all-format regular for Karnataka previously. He wants to channel this maturity now.”A 20-year-old version of myself wouldn’t have this experience,” he says. “The first few games of my IPL, even in the odd game, when I got taken for a few runs, it used to really affect me a lot more.”But it takes a lot of bowling and a lot of matches, whether it is IPL, SMAT, Ranji, India A – it takes a lot of games to be able to come to a stage where you’re like, this has happened, these are my learnings, and I take this from here and I ensure I don’t keep making the same mistakes.”Shreyas Gopal has six hundreds in first-class cricket•PTI While continuing to evolve as a bowler, Shreyas has also fine-tuned his batting. Six first-class hundreds and nearly 3500 runs are the proof. Much of these have been in the company of the lower order, because he has primarily batted at No. 6-7, unlike in age-group cricket where he was a top-order batter.”Very honestly, when I was in my early 20s, there were a couple of years where I didn’t do very well with the bat,” he says. “So, it kind of took away a little bit of confidence. But then, you do realise that you have scored so many runs for a reason and there has to be a way to come out of it. And it’s probably just bad form.”It’s something that you’ve not dealt with, or you’ve not thought about it. So I did start putting a lot of thought in it in the last five-six years about my batting. I wanted to take it to the next level. I wanted to win matches with the bat as well. I was winning matches with the ball.”I’m glad that in the last few years, I’ve been able to do that. And, you know, I’m very happy sometimes when people ask me, are you a bowler who can bat or a batsman who can bowl that? I still want to be someone that when I walk into bat, they’re like, this guy can score a lot of runs.”Looking ahead, Shreyas realises India could be amid a spin transition at some point in the immediate future. And he wants to put his hand up to join what seems like a long queue already, with Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Saurabh Kumar and Manav Suthar in it.Shreyas is focused on impact performances – like the one he came up with in Patna – rather than setting any numbers.”It’s about creating an impact, adding value, whether it’s a four-wicket haul instead of five, or a 60 on a tough track instead of 120 on a flat track. If I can do these consistently and we win, I’ll automatically put my hand up to be noticed.”That’s what I want to do. Help the team win titles, like we did when I first came into the team.”

And India and Pakistan make everyone else uncomfortable with their Asia Cup saga

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Jun-2023If there are still those who consider England the home of cricket, then India is cricket’s Vegas mega-mansion. The glitz has been impossible to miss for years now. They are highrolling like no one’s ever highrolled before, carving out vast tracts of real estate on the calendar for the IPL, raising obscene sums from broadcast contracts, and drawing more nations, more players, more companies, and more spineless political shills into orbit.If the Briefing sounds grumpy about all of this, it has nothing to do with our not being on the Indian cricket gravy train. It’s because we have morals*.We thought we were friends
Dearest BCCI,We hope you are well. Your president looks dashing on his magazine covers.We are writing after receiving the new proposal at the ICC, which suggests the BCCI will receive 38.5% of the ICC’s net revenue over the next four years. As India is the nation that contributes the most to the media rights’ value, it is, of course, only right that the BCCI gain the most from the ICC’s profits.However, we were dismayed to see that we receive a mere 6.89% and 6.25%, which is less than $40 million per year. This is almost as little as Pakistan and not much more than New Zealand.Forgive us BCCI, but perhaps there is some mistake? Did we not come together as brothers in 2014 to carve out the greatest shares of the ICC’s net revenue between the three of us? Did we not together invent the reasoning for this lionising? How could this have possibly turned upon us?We will of course not go so low as to seriously suggest that the global game is best served by an egalitarian spirit at the ICC, or that it may ultimately be counterproductive for one side to dominate all others at global events. The plan was to dominate them together.Concerned,The England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket AustraliaDon’t cry because it ended; smile because it happened
“Bro, how great was it when it was just the two of us?Imperial Cricket Council 4eva *handheart emoji*”Franchises eye year-round player contracts
It’s now become commonplace for cricketers to retire early from internationals to spend time with their franchise families. But indications are that IPL franchises are about to step it up several gears, by signing players on for the majority of the year to play in various leagues owned by the same bosses around the world.Just to flex, Chennai Super Kings even used England Test captain Ben Stokes as the world’s most expensive benchwarmer for most of his two months at the IPL.Asia Cup drama
As Oscar Wilde once famously said, “Everything in the world is about sex. Except the Asia Cup. The Asia Cup is about scheduling difficulties.”This year’s tournament, which almost everyone will agree would be excellent practice for the World Cup, is supposed to be hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board. And the PCB don’t just want to host, they want to HOST it. None of this “take the profits but play the games in the UAE” stuff. They want the Asia Cup to come home, baby. They’ll show it the biryani joints of Karachi, the architecture of Lahore, the broad avenues of Islamabad, and hold it safe and tight when the Pindi boys get too close.But like the aunties who lead rival factions of the family, India and Pakistan are intent on making this get-together uncomfortable for everyone yet again. India, unwilling to travel to Pakistan, have suggested that their matches be played at a neutral venue. The BCCI even went as far as to invite heads of the Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and ACC boards to the IPL final, while floating Sri Lanka as a potential alternative venue (much to SLC’s joy, because obviously the BCCI would never dump its allies the moment it no longer needs them).Is this any way for the big South Asian boards to behave, though? Should there not be bonhomie based upon mutual joys? Joys such as the dance (Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka), crowd violence (Afghanistan vs Pakistan), the threat of nuclear war (the big boys), and wild gesticulating (Virat Kohli vs Naveen-ul-Haq).While the scheduling remains uncertain, the likes of Nepal – who deserve a big tournament, having won 13 of their last 14 ODIs – are in limbo.In 2035 on the Briefing:
– Sri Lanka player selfishly abandons franchise who made him what he is to pursue glory with his national team.- Star 15-year-old batter in Shropshire believes he can get into his favourite Kanpur Autocrats IPL side if he works hard enough, though any of the other 35 teams would do.*Our morals are currently available for sale if the BCCI would just return our communications via telephone, email, Instagram, or Onlyfans DM

All the important stats as India came back after being one Test down to win the series 2-1

ESPNcricinfo stats team19-Jan-20212 – Bigger targets chased by India in Tests. This is also the fifth-highest successful chase in Australia. In the last 20 years, only South Africa have chased down a higher total in Australia, when they scored 414 at Perth in 2008.32 – Years since Australia lost at the Gabba. Last time they lost was against West Indies in 1988. In between these two defeats, Australia went unbeaten for 31 Tests. The only other venue to witness a longer streak is Karachi, where Pakistan remained unbeaten for 34 successive Tests between 1955 and 2000.3 – Previous instances in which a team has come back from losing the first Test of a series to beat Australia in Australia. On all the three occasions, it was England – in 1882-83, 1911-12 and 1954-55 – who managed that.1 – Instance of a higher score by a wicketkeeper in a successful fourth-innings chase than Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 89. Adam Gilchrist scored 149 not out against Pakistan at Hobart. Pant finished the series with 274 runs – the most for India in the series. Pant now averages 87 in the fourth innings of a Test. Only Bruce Mitchell from South Africa averages more with a cut off of 300 runs.India’s highest fourth-innings totals in Test wins•ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 – Batsmen scoring 50-plus in the fourth innings of a Test for India. This has happened 13 times for India so far but this is the first occasion they managed it in successive Tests. Last time three Indian batsmen scored at least a half-century in the fourth innings in SENA was in England in 2002.928 – Balls faced by Cheteshwar Pujara in this Test series, the fifth-most by a visiting batsmen in Australia in four or fewer Tests. Three of the top five batsmen are Indians, with Pujara’s 1258 deliveries during the 2018-19 series at the top.27 – Innings taken by Pant to reach 1000 Test runs, the fastest for an Indian wicketkeeper. He went past MS Dhoni’s mark of 32 innings.2 – Series won by India in Australia. Among the subcontinent teams, only India have won a series in Australia. Australia’s record: series played 34, won 26, drawn 6, and lost 2.2015 – The last instance when two consecutive Tests had the same result in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy when the third and fourth Tests were draws. The last three series between these two teams have ended 2-1 in India’s favour with the series alive going into the final Test.76.08 – Batting average of left-handers at the No. 5 slot in the fourth innings of Tests since the beginning of 2019. There have been several top-notch performers in this period, including Kusal Perera (153* against South Africa), Ben Stokes (135* versus Australia), Matthew Wade (117 against England), Fawad Alam (102 against New Zealand) and Pant (97 in Sydney and 89* in Brisbane). On the other hand, right-handers at that slot average only 24.76 in this period.5 – Unbeaten Tests for Rahane as India’s captain. It’s early days yet but only nine players have led in five or more Tests and not lost a single one. Rahane is the only Indian on this list.

Newcastle United’s 2-0 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest just before the international break isn’t the only cause for optimism at St James’ Park currently.

Indeed, in a development that happened across the break, Eddie Howe’s side has now appointed a new sporting director in Ross Wilson, with the Scotsman leaving the recently defeated Tricky Trees behind to take up this post, having also previously been in the position at Rangers.

Seen as a notable part of the City Ground jigsaw that clinched European football last season, Wilson will be aiming to emulate that success on Tyneside.

He will have a big role to play in how Newcastle assert their dominance in transfer windows moving forward as well, having previously been the man to bring Anthony Elanga – who is now donning Magpies black and white – to Forest for just £15m.

One of his first notable bits of business at the Toon could see him try to poach a Premier League striker.

Newcastle considering move for new striker

Over the summer, the striker market dominated the transfer window with Alexander Isak’s late move to Liverpool having an almighty domino effect.

That saw Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa head to St James’ Park, but with the latter still yet to take to the field owing to an injury, another striker could be sought in the January window.

Indeed, according to Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder, Howe could be handed some funds this winter if he needs it, with Brentford attacker Igor Thiago reportedly catching the eye as Wilson attempts to lay down a marker.

Said to be catching the eye of scouts already this season, after a nightmare debut campaign in England, it is stated that Thiago remains on the Newcastle radar, even with Woltemade and Wissa through the door.

Thiago might well fancy his chances of rivalling Woltemade from the get-go if he were to up and leave the Bees for a new adventure on Tyneside, with the Brazilian displaying a similarly clinical edge to that of the 6-foot-6 powerhouse.

How Thiago could rival Woltemade at Newcastle

Woltemade’s signature being confirmed this summer would have instantly excited those of a Toon persuasion, as the big bucks had been splashed out on an attacker who had been entrusted to fill Isak’s sizeable void.

The Bremen-born striker would cost an eye-watering £69m to pick up, with the German moving to St James’ Park just fresh off a blistering 13-goal season in the Bundesliga for ex-employers Stuttgart.

He hasn’t disappointed since relocating to English shores, either, with pundit Danny Murphy going as far as to say he makes “all the right decisions” under pressure.

Despite amassing just 11.5 accurate passes per Premier League match to date, the gigantic German is already demonstrating that the Midas touch he discovered at Stuttgart in front of goal has followed him to the Toon, with three top-flight goals tallied up from just four outings in the unforgiving league.

Further bagging a goal in the Champions League, it’s safe to say it has been a dream start to life in black and white for the 23-year-old, who has had to lead the line as Newcastle’s main marksman with Wissa sidelined through injury.

However, despite all his glowing praise, he may feel intimidated by Thiago potentially rocking up to Tyneside, based on the ex-Club Brugge attacker’s own red-hot form for Keith Andrews’ side.

Even before looking at their side-by-side numbers, the South American – despite coming in at 6-foot-2 next to his huge counterpart – has staggeringly won more duels on average this season, with 5.3 per clash, next to Woltemade’s four.

Thiago vs Woltemade in 25/26
Stat (* = per game)	Thiago	Woltemade
Games played	7	4
Goals scored	4	3
Assists	0	0
Touches*	26.6	26.5
Total duels won*	5.3	4
Stats by Sofascore

The table above only reinforces the notion that Thiago would be able to rival Woltemade for a starting spot if he were to join in a blockbuster January switch, with the 24-year-old managing to bag one more Premier League goal so far this season than his ex-Stuttgart rival, albeit from three more contests.

Thiago would also be unafraid to ruffle feathers and snatch the German’s starting spot from him, having had to take on the pressurised position of being Brentford’s standout attacker this summer, in the wake of Bryan Mbeumo and Wissa both departing the Bees.

It does feel somewhat unrealistic that Newcastle would go all in for Thiago, having already spent significant cash on the likes of Woltemade.

But, clinching a deal for the Brazilian as Wilson’s first signing would certainly start his sporting director tenure off on a spectacular note.

Howe favourite could be given the boot after Wilson's arrival at Newcastle

Newcastle are expected to shift their transfer strategy after appointing a new sporting director.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 12, 2025

West Ham are now very eager to sell one surplus player at the earliest opportunity, alongside the likes of Niclas Füllkrug and James Ward-Prowse, who are both nailed on for the exit door.

Fullkrug and Ward-Prowse set to leave West Ham next month

The Hammers are bracing themselves for significant January departures, with both Fullkrug and Ward-Prowse appearing certain to leave the London Stadium when the transfer window reopens.

Fullkrug’s disastrous spell looks destined to conclude after barely 18 months, with the German international having managed just three goals across 29 appearances since his £27m arrival from Borussia Dortmund in August 2024 (GiveMeSport).

The 31-year-old striker has been given official permission to leave by West Ham, with his agency ROOF formally notified that he can seek a January move (Sky Sports Germany via Claret and Hugh).

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The Hammers are willing to sell for a cut-price fee.

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Fullkrug himself is keen to leave the club for pastures new with a decision already made, and Fabrizio Romano has backed up reports that the ex-Bundesliga star is poised for his final few weeks at the club.

Ward-Prowse has suffered an equally dramatic fall from grace under Nuno Espírito Santo, having been completely frozen out since the Portuguese manager’s September appointment.

The 30-year-old England international enjoyed an excellent debut season following his £30m transfer from Southampton in 2023, registering seven goals and eleven assists under David Moyes, but his form collapsed under subsequent managers Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter.

Nuno and West Ham have already instructed the midfielder and his agents to seek new clubs in January, with both Everton and Southampton reportedly expressing interest.

Former manager Moyes wants to reunite with Ward-Prowse at Everton, according to ExWHUemployee, as both the midfielder and Fullkrug prepare to pack their bags and leave Rush Green next month.

There are other candidates for the exit door too, including Guido Rodriguez.

West Ham 'determined' to sell Rodriguez 'as soon as possible'

According to reports from Spain this week, West Ham are preparing to cut their losses on Rodriguez, with three La Liga clubs expressing interest in the struggling Argentine midfielder.

Rodriguez has endured a lacklustre spell since arriving at the London Stadium following his impressive performances at Real Betis.

The 31-year-old has managed just four appearances across all competitions this season, failing to establish himself under Nuno, and his lack of playing time has made a January departure increasingly inevitable.

The Hammers are actively facilitating his exit, with West Ham ‘determined’ to offload Rodriguez ‘as soon as possible’.

The World Cup winner needs to improve his chances of featuring in Argentina’s 2026 squad for the USA tournament, making a return to familiar territory in Spain particularly attractive.

Real Sociedad have emerged as serious contenders for his signature, with Girona also monitoring the situation closely after making an inquiry.

Villarreal are the third option, with Rodriguez viewed as an ideal addition to complement existing midfielders Dani Parejo and Santi Comesana.

West Ham face announcing record £100m losses in their December accounts, so Rodriguez’s departure would be very financially beneficial considering he’d count as pure profit in the eyes of PSR.