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Their progress after a poor World Cup showing will have to withstand the test offered by a true Chattogram pitch

Mohammad Isam17-Mar-2024Bangladesh’s fast-bowling unit has the opportunity to stamp their authority in an important match on Monday. The ODI series against Sri Lanka is level at one-all in Chattogram, where the conditions have been stacked heavily against bowlers under lights. The dew has been omnipresent in both games, leading to the chasing side winning convincingly despite losing three wickets in the first powerplay.That will not be the case in the final ODI – a day game at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium – scheduled for a 10am start. While the pitch there is generally regarded as one of the better batting wickets in the country, the fast bowlers will still be relieved that dew won’t be a factor.The game is particularly crucial for the Bangladesh fast bowlers after an ordinary ODI World Cup campaign in India last year. The fact that it came after an impressive run-up to the major tournament made it all the more disappointing. They bounced back a bit in New Zealand in December, and now they have the chance to carry their progress at home against Sri Lanka.Related

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• Tanzim Hasan Sakib ruled out of third ODI due to hamstring injury

However, both pace units have been dealt one blow each ahead of the game. A couple of hours after Sri Lanka lost Dilshan Madushanka to a hamstring injury on Sunday morning, Bangladesh’s Tanzim Hasan Sakib, too, was ruled out by the same issue, and Hasan Mahmud flew in to Chattogram as a replacement for the third ODI, on Sunday afternoon.It is likely that Bangladesh will bring back Mustafizur Rahman in the three-man attack that already has Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam. Sri Lanka may have to bring in allrounder Chamika Karunaratne to aid Lahiru Kumara and Pramod Madushan in the pace attack.Both pace attacks stack up interestingly on paper. While Sri Lanka’s attack has variety and depth – more so than all other departments – Madushanka’s absence leaves them without a unique mix of skills – left-arm pace with swing.Kumara is a hit-the-deck bowler while Madushan lacks consistent control despite getting good swing. Karunaratne will have to come in, and he is useful with the ball. But the loss of Madushanka, who struck in his first over in both the games, makes Sri Lanka’s attack less penetrative.Injuries are the main factor hampering their depth. Matheesha Pathirana, whose hamstring injury came at Sylhet, is probably not yet ready for ODIs in the short term. Dushmantha Chameera is another big miss. Nuwan Thushara, who got a hat-trick in the third T20I against Bangladesh in Sylhet, is very good with the new ball but probably needs to work on his death bowling.Shoriful Islam has been a key cog in Bangladesh’s attack•AFP/Getty ImagesBangladesh’s fast bowling is also coming up on similar depth but still have a long way to go, particularly in tough conditions. Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium is one such place where influencing a deciding match would go a long way in establishing the fast bowlers’ overall confidence.Allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz said that the fast-bowling group was impressive in both ODIs in different ways. Although they couldn’t close the deal in the second game, they were still effective in the dew-y outfield.”Our fast bowlers are bowling very well. The way Sakib made a comeback in the first game, it was very important for us. We hadn’t made a good start. He got us three wickets, which was wonderful. The fast bowlers gave us three wickets in the powerplay in the second game. But we didn’t get breakthroughs because of dew. I think overall our bowling unit is doing well.”We are aware of the conditions. The day game will give us extra help. Night matches depend a lot on the toss here. Winning the toss becomes an advantage. It is not good for spinners obviously. Maybe one more wicket in the second match would have helped us, so we are working on these things,” said Mehidy.Bangladesh are increasingly playing a lot of white-ball cricket in Sylhet and Chattogram where conditions are visibly better for batters. They now have a firm belief that to do well in major tournaments where they often encounter true, batting pitches, they have to keep playing in these two venues at home to get used to such conditions.”I think playing on these wickets is a huge advantage. We usually look for results. We don’t win here always. But when we go to big tournaments, we have to play on true wickets, so it is a good habit to play on these wickets. We have to practice how to chase 300-plus runs or defend a 300-plus score. It will give us an advantage in big tournaments like the Asia Cup and World Cup. I think this is an ideal wicket,” said Mehidy.It is on these true wickets that the fast bowlers are slowly finding their feet in white-ball cricket. The Bangladesh team management will still look for a spin-dominating pitch in Tests but fast bowling is becoming their go-to mode of attack in ODIs and T20Is. Taskin and Shoriful will have their work cut out to stop a rampant Sri Lankan top-order. Their growth as a unit has brought along expectations too, can they withstand it in Chattogram?

The allrounder’s quick runs from No. 3 in the first T20I was no surprise – he’s done it before, after all

Deivarayan Muthu11-Jun-20220:45

van der Dussen: Dwaine is probably one of the hardest hitters

At the IPL, which he described as part of his “bucket list”, Dwaine Pretorius got the opportunity to work with Chennai Super Kings batting coach Mike Hussey, who has had a strong influence on his approach.When Pretorius asked Hussey what made him tick, the former Australia batter said that he used to make notes of the things that worked for him over a period of time and repeat those at the crease. Pretorius took a leaf out of Hussey’s playbook at the IPL and made his own list of five points, on his personal website, that were “very important” for him while batting.I believe whenever my body language is good and my energy is up and my mind is alert. Then that is when I play my best cricket so the first one as I’m walking out onto the field is to charge out for like five or six meters, have good intensity, run, lift my legs up, or whatever it is that makes me tick on the day but just get my energy up and I’m saying go let’s go.The second one is the method, what am I going to do now in the next 3 balls? Take my time or am I going to play? What is my method? What am I thinking? Yeah, and then after that I have decided my method.I get clarity on what type of shots I’m looking to play. Am I looking to go aerial? Am I looking to just defend it? Am I looking to get through the next three balls or am I looking to explode in the next three balls? This creates a lot of clarity for me.Next, my fourth thing that I really make sure that I remember is a very important thing for myself and that is when I’m triggering I need to trigger quite early. So for me, the word that I think of is Get ready.The last one is to watch the ball onto the bat or make good contact with the ball. That is the last thing that I would tell myself as the bowler is running in to make good contact.Bumped up to bat at No. 3 in a steep chase of 212 against India in Delhi on Thursday, Pretorius ticked most of those points while clattering a 13-ball 29, which set the scene for South Africa’s highest successful T20I chase. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, which adds context to every performance, Pretorius’ knock was worth 38 runs.Related

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In the Covid-19-enforced absence of Aiden Markram, South Africa had promoted Pretorius as a pinch-hitter after they lost Temba Bavuma in the third over. What stood out from the get-go was the third point: clarity. Pretorius scythed his second ball, from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, for four and then he unsettled India’s premier spinner Yuzvendra Chahal by slog-sweeping his second ball over midwicket for six.India turned to Hardik Pandya, fresh off a sensational spell for Gujarat Titans in the IPL final. Hardik’s first ball burst from a short of a length and whizzed past the shoulder of Pretorius’ swinging bat. Some balls were zipping through like that while others didn’t come on to the bat on a tricky track, but that didn’t cloud Pretorius’ clarity of thought.Despite the presence of deep square-leg and long leg, Pretorius launched three leg-side sixes in four balls, taking South Africa up to 60 for 1 in five overs. When Pretorius tried to maximise the last over of the powerplay, Harshal Patel castled him with a signature slower dipper. Pretorius had done his job, though, as David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen launched from the platform he had laid.Pretorius’ promotion shouldn’t have come as a surprise to the South African audience. After all, his highest T20 score of 77 not out came from No. 3, against Sri Lanka at the Wanderers in 2019. In the Mzansi Super League final the same year, he marked his return from a hand injury with a 21-ball 43 in a similar pinch-hitting No. 3 role, helping Paarl Rocks secure the title.ESPNcricinfo Ltdvan der Dussen, Pretorius’ former team-mate at Lions and Jozi Stars, certainly wasn’t surprised with what he saw. “I think Dwaine is probably one of the guys in world cricket that hits the hardest, if you look at his domestic and international stats,” he said at the post-match press conference. “No. 3 is a position that he has been successful at before and the thing tonight [was] he had clear instruction to go in and put the bowlers under pressure.”A total of that nature you sort of know you have to go hard for 20 overs. And we know when Dwaine gets it right it’s really, really tough to bowl to him because he’s just so powerful. He played brilliantly and got out to a really good ball from Harshal, but I think he will take a lot of confidence from that and going into the series, I think he’s definitely going to put the bowlers under pressure.”With Markram still recovering from illness and young Tristan Stubbs just working his way into international cricket, Pretorius will have greater responsibility with the bat in a thin line-up during this series in India.At the T20 World Cup last year in the UAE, Pretorius had called bowling at the death as an “ugly job”. Similarly, you don’t have to look pretty while batting in the powerplay. If Pretorius can keep doing that job – with bat and ball – and keep ticking things off that list, it will give South Africa a leg-up, in the lead-up to another World Cup.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington stated this week that the team is not trading ace Paul Skenes this offseason, but a report emerged Wednesday with a teammate claiming Skenes has said he wants to play for the Yankees.

According to a report from NJ Advance Media, the teammate stated that Skenes said he has “no confidence the Pirates ever are going to win” while he’s in Pittsburgh. “Trust me, he wants to play for the Yankees,” the Skenes teammate said. “I’ve heard him say it multiple times.”

The report also came hours before Skenes won the Cy Young award for the first time—doing so unanimously. Skenes ended up addressing the claims after winning the prestigious pitching award.

“I got shown the Tweet and really didn’t think anything of it,” Skenes said Wednesday on a Zoom, via 93.7 The Fan. “I got some texts about it. I’m on the Pirates, my goal is to win with the Pirates. I love the city of Pittsburgh.”

Skenes also said of the report, “I don’t know where that came from, the goal is to win. I don’t know the reporter that reported it. I don’t know the player who supposedly said that, but the goal is to win and the goal is to win in Pittsburgh.”

Skenes is not just focused on the Pirates, but leading the team to winning. While Skenes got to celebrate his Cy Young win, he remained focused on his goal to help the Pirates win going forward as he spoke to the media.

“Pittsburgh, the way that fans see us outside of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh is not supposed to win,” Skenes said. “There are 29 fan bases that expect us to lose. I want to be a part of the group, a part of the 26 guys that change that.”

“The fans are hungry to have a winner in Pittsburgh and I want to be a part of the group that did that. I think about it the same way as when I was at the Air Force Academy,” he said. “We had never been to a conference championship and my sophomore year we ended up winning the conference. We had never finished in the top four in the conference before that.”

The Pirates have not made the playoffs in a decade and have gone just 147-177 over Skenes' two seasons in Pittsburgh. Overall, they’ve advanced to the postseason just three times in the last 33 years and have not made or won the World Series since 1979, well before Skenes was even born. He's determined to change that.

"Forty-six years since we won a World Series championship,” Skenes said. “This is why I’m going to show up to the ballpark and I’m going to work to get everybody pushing in the same direction and I know there are other guys that are going to do the same. That’s all the truth.”

From Dhoni and Jadeja’s CSK highs to Bumrah’s Mumbai record, all the numbers to keep an eye on

Namooh Shah21-Mar-20259:55

Runorder: What is your wishlist for the IPL 2025 season?

19 – Runs MS Dhoni needs to become Chennai Super Kings’ highest run-scorer in the IPL. Suresh Raina with 4687 runs, currently holds the record.6 – Bumrah needs six more wickets to become Mumbai Indians’ highest wicket-taker in the IPL. If he gets there, he will dethrone Lasith Malinga (170 wickets), who has been leading the list for over a decade.Related

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8 – Jadeja is eight short of becoming the leading wicket-taker for CSK in the IPL and will surpass Dwayne Bravo who heads the list with 140 wickets for the franchise.4 – Four more fifty-plus scores this season will take Kohli to the top of the list for most fifty-plus scores in the IPL. The record is currently with David Warner who has 66 fifty-plus scores in the league.6 – Currently on 194, six more dismissals for Dhoni this season, will take his tally to 200. He is already at the top of the list, with Dinesh Karthik at 182 placed second.2 – Rohit will become IPL’s second-most capped player when he takes the field in Mumbai Indians’ first match against CSK. Rohit is also just a boundary away from completing 600 fours and be the fourth player to do so.Rohit Sharma will become IPL’s second-most capped player in Mumbai’s opening match against CSK•Associated Press142 – The runs Rohit requires in IPL 2025 to go past Shikhar Dhawan (6769) and become the second-highest run-scorer in the league. Kohli with 8004 runs heads the list.1 – Jadeja after scoring 41 runs this season will become the first player in IPL to complete the double of 3000 runs and 100 wickets.5 – Jadeja, if he plays at least five games this season, will become the second-most capped player for CSK in the IPL. He is currently third on the list, with Dhoni (234) and Raina (176) ahead of him. He is also ten matches away from becoming the fifth player in IPL to play 250 matches.3 – Kohli will become IPL’s third-most capped player if he plays six matches in the season. He will go past former RCB team-mate Dinesh Karthik who played 257 IPL games.3 – Wickets needed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar to become the third-highest wicket-taker in IPL. Yuzvendra Chahal (205) heads the list, while Piyush Chawla (192) and Bravo (183) are second and third. Sunil Narine (180) and R Ashwin (180) are also not far behind.

Despite the Boston Red Sox sitting at a perfectly average 19-19 as we approach the quarter-mark of the MLB season, third baseman Alex Bregman has been on an absolute tear. Through his first 37 games in a Red Sox uniform, the 31-year-old is hitting .327 with nine home runs, 30 RBI, and a 1.093 OPS.

That's why, with Wednesday night's game tied 3-3 in the seventh and with runners on second and third, WEEI radio announcers Will Fleming and Lenny DiNardo couldn't believe that Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was actually going to pitch to Bregman.

"I will tell you, it would be to me if they pitch to Bregman here," said Flemming on the call, with first base wide open and two outs on the board. "Wild."

And wild it was. Instead of walking the two-time World Series champion, the Rangers had lefty Robert Garcia throw to him, and Bregman made them pay. He lined a two-run single into left field and gave the Red Sox a 5-3 lead.

"Are other teams not paying attention to what's happening this season with Alex Bregman?!" asked DiNardo.

"Bruce Bochy is a first-ballot Hall of Famer," quipped Flemming. "He's won four championships. That is inexplicable."

Boston ultimately held on for a 6-4 win. They'll wrap up their series against the Rangers from Fenway Park on Thursday with a 1:35 p.m. EST first pitch.

South-coast club handed reprieve by Durham after Rahul Chahar takes ten in the match

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025

Rahul Chahar claimed a 10-wicket match haul•Philip Brown/Getty Images

Surrey 147 (Washington 3-5, Abbott 3-27, Fuller 3-46) and 281 (Albert 63, Abbott 5-72) beat Hampshire 248 (Washington 56) and 160 (Orr 48, Chahar 8-51) by 20 runsHampshire were given an unlikely reprieve from relegation to Rothesay County Championship Division Two after Durham fell apart at Yorkshire.The south-coast county were resigned to the drop after losing to Surrey by 20 runs, which left Durham only requiring a draw at Headingley. But they sensationally slumped to 85 all out to allow Hampshire to stay in Division One for the 2026 season.Ironically, Hampshire’s last brush with the drop, in 2016, saw them finish in the relegation places but be reinstated after Durham were sent down over financial issues.Surrey only needed one wicket on the final day, which Rahul Chahar managed with the 42nd delivery of the day when he had James Fuller caught behind. In doing so, the India spinner claimed a career-best 8 for 51 – Surrey’s third best bowling figures of the 21st century – and ten wickets in the match.The defeat, with relegation seemingly nailed on, looked like it would compound Hampshire’s horror September. The county had been deducted eight points in the Championship for breaching the ECB’s pitch regulations, before losing in two men’s finals and a women’s final.They also saw popular head coach Adi Birrell announce he would leave the club after seven years at the helm. The South African was gifted a bull for his farm back in his homeland by the players on the final morning of the Surrey match.Instead of Hampshire, Durham will now join Worcestershire in playing in Division Two next season.Ben Brown, who took over the four-day captaincy at short notice after James Vince stepped away from red-ball cricket before the start of the season, said it had been “a really challenging year”, topped off by the Cricket Discipline Panel’s decision to dock points for a poor Utilita Bowl pitch in May – described by Brown as “unjust”.”It has been a really challenging year, off the field as well as on it,” Brown said. “There has been a lot to manage.”Then there is the points deduction on the wicket, which I stand by that it was unjust. That I feel difficult to cope with as a player. People work hard in professional sport and to have essentially clipboard stuff take eight points off us… You want sport to be decided as sport not someone deciding whether grass is right or wrong.”We have been playing under pressure for the last month with no time to think or train, and it has ended up with us losing two finals and looks like we will be going down. Everyone will need time to get their head around it before making a plan to make things better.”Requiring 33 runs to beat Surrey, 32 runs – ie. a tie – would likely have been enough to see Hampshire them remain in Division One on their own steam.Fuller and Brad Wheal were the only Hampshire batters left – the former had shaken off the collapse and dealt with Chahar carefully for 29, while Wheal had stoically blocked 22 balls before bad light brought an unsatisfactory end to the third day, and left plenty with a sleepless night.Chahar bowled the first over of the day and Fuller almost edged the first ball. A swept four eased the nerves, before Wheal nicked his first delivery to first slip – but it narrowly fell short.Fuller and Wheal looked at ease, albeit turning down a bounty of singles, until Fuller attempted to cut Chahar and edged behind to Ben Foakes.Only Kemar Roach’s 8 for 40, and Martin Bicknell’s 9 for 45 were better since the turn of the Millennium. Chahar, on Championship debut, also took ten wickets in the match.”A lot of the disappointment was last night and then today there was just a small chance in a tough situation for Fuller. It was more runs than it looked and was a tall order today,” Brown said. “We should have made a better fist of it. The new hard ball spun quite a lot and we didn’t deal with it. We were a lot of pressure in the run chase and we couldn’t stem the tide of wickets in the middle of the innings.”

Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni was left stunned by AC Milan's derby victory despite them failing to create sufficient chances throughout the game. While the 26-year-old believes his team registered a good display against Massimiliano Allegri's side, he sounded critical of the opposition securing just one clear chance through Christian Pulisic, which decided the fate of the fixture.

Inter dominate but go down

From ball possession to the number of shots recorded by the two parties, Inter led in every aspect in the famous Milan derby last Sunday. While Cristian Chivu's side earned nine corners and successfully implemented five shots on target, compared to one corner and three shots from Milan's end, they left the pitch empty-handed as Pulisic bagged the solitary goal of the game in the 54th minute. Bastoni, who has been the defensive leader alongside Francesco Acerbi, was left gutted with the outcome. 

AdvertisementAFPBastoni slams Milan but praises his team

Despite the result, Bastoni was critical of their arch-rivals and claimed he couldn't remember them registering any goal-scoring opportunities apart from the goal. He said on "It's difficult to make a lucid analysis of this match, I don't remember any clear chances for them apart from the goal. Sorry, we will have to make a lucid analysis even if sometimes finding answers to defeats like this hurts. Sometimes you prefer to lose badly to have room for improvement, this time for me beyond the episodes we played a good game. I don't know, in Naples there were important carelessness, with Juve and Milan there is little to say. I should also see it again because on the pitch the sensations are sometimes different. But it seems to me that at least we were equal. Other times we had the feeling of being vulnerable, this time we were there. We had courage, holding one-on-one with [Rafael] Leao and Pulisic. There was no feeling of being able to concede goals."

Notably, this was Inter's fourth defeat of the Serie A campaign, which has now compelled them to sit on the fourth place on the table. A win, on the contrary, could have seen them take the pole position for the meantime. Bastoni commented: "It's a wake-up call because four defeats is a lot, but I also think that defeats need to be analysed. I would be much more worried seeing Inter out of the game with their heads or without character. I don't see that. As long as there is this mentality and this spirit, I'm sure things will go well."

Inter boss highlights mistakes

While Bastoni spoke of having a thorough analysis, coach Christian Chivu admitted his disappointment in the result, saying: "The frustration is not just what we created, it’s the performance, the focus, as we hardly allowed any counter-attacks, despite knowing the two strikers could cause us problems. The one time we lost the second ball in midfield, they scored. This is football. I take home the good performance, as the lads kept going to the end, despite the disappointment of conceding the goal, and the frustration after hitting the woodwork twice. They tried to score in every possible way, and that is the spirit I want to see.

"When you suffer the fourth defeat in 12 rounds, that is too many. However, the table is still pretty tight, so we are up there and need to deal with this frustration, because losing a game like this can leave a mark." He further stated, "We are all in this and all responsible, for good and bad. We all could’ve done better, we could’ve scored earlier, or dealt with the moments of the match better. Our duty now is to get back on our feet, as on Tuesday we have an equally important match."

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Getty Images SportInter have a tough week ahead

Inter just have two days to prepare for the Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid, whom they face this Tuesday. Following a cooling period, they'll face Pisa in the Serie A on Sunday. However, the game against the Spanish giants is going to be the more crucial one of the two. They are seated third in the Champions League table, with four wins and share the same points as Bayern Munich and Arsenal. 

India lost four wickets for six runs before the England openers tore into the bowling

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2025

Akash Deep put his arms around Ben Duckett’s shoulder after dismissing him•Getty Images

Lunch England have grabbed the fifth Test with both hands. In the space of 21.4 overs on day two, Gus Atkinson’s fourth five-wicket haul snuffed out India’s first innings for 224, before a bombastic opening stand between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett propelled England to 109 for 1 at lunch, trailing by just 115.England’s openers were boundary happy, smoking 92 off just 77 deliveries, punishing India for every slight error in line or length. Duckett was the main driver, reverse-pulling Akash Deep over the cordon, then “conventionally” ramping Mohammed Siraj into the sponge for the first two sixes of the match.Duckett fell to Akash Deep attempting a third, departing for 43 with the bowler putting his arm around the left-hander, as much in jest as respect.Crawley was no slouch either, motoring on to a third half-century of the series in 42 deliveries, and second in a row after a tidy 84 in the fourth Test. His 24th score of fifty or more featured just four singles, with 12 fours, some along the ground, and three lifted serenely over cover.Zak Crawley raced to a fifty•PA Photos/Getty Images

Teeing up England’s speed run through to the break was Atkinson’s 5 for 33 upon his return to the side after two months out. He made light work of what remained of India’s first innings when they arrived on Friday morning on 204 for 6.It was all the more important after news this morning that Chris Woakes would play no further part in the match after a suspected dislocated shoulder sustained in the field last night. And the Surrey quick, on his home ground, took three of the remaining four wickets that India had up their sleeve.It was Josh Tongue who made the first key incision, albeit with a choatic approach that would get any surgeon struck off. His first over, opening from the Vauxhall End, went for nine, but he was able to remove Karun Nair for 57 in his second. A sharp delivery that nipped into the stumps – Nair no doubt expected something short and wide either side of them – pinned the right-hander on the back leg. Plumb in front, Nair took one of India’s three reviews with him.Washington Sundar should have assumed the responsibility at that point as an elongated tail became exposed, but he fell five deliveries later, waltzing into a short ball trap, heaving Atkinson to deep square leg, where Jamie Overton sprinted in to take a smart catch.Atkinson would then skittle Siraj before Prasidh Krishna felt for a delivery outside off, completing a collapse of four for six in 18 balls. It also leaves Atkinson with an average of 21, the fourth best for an England seamer with fifty or more dismissals, and the second best strike rate, ever, at 34.9, for those who have taken 60 wickets.

Let’s scale back two years. Liverpool had completed their midfield rebuild under Jurgen Klopp and were primed for a new chapter, putting that bleak 2022/23 campaign to bed.

Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and co had gone past their sell-by dates, and FSG went full ham as they countered the midfield exodus with four interesting signings: Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.

Those additions led Klopp’s side back into the Champions League and saw the German cap off his Anfield dynasty with one final slice of silverware, beating Chelsea against injury-hit odds in the Carabao Cup final.

Arne Slot approached the recent summer market with a similar need for change.

Well, similar insofar as much money needed to be spent, but Liverpool had just won the Premier League and were supported by the many years of Klopp’s labours. This is supposed to be a successful season for the Reds.

And it still could be, but so much has gone wrong for Slot’s tactically imbalanced team, who have lost four matches in a row and lack any sense of confidence or coherence.

We could pick at any area of the field, but the midfielders have certainly left something to be desired in recent months.

Liverpool need a new midfielder

Two years on, FSG may need to shop once again for a high-level midfielder. While the Merseysiders have talented options in the engine room, the woes of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai’s new role at right-back suggest more physicality and press resistance could be added to ease Gravenberch’s burden.

The 26-year-old Mac Allister, in particular, has been dreadful this term, lacking his typical coolness and energy on the ball, that rare ability to marry technical elegance with combative physicality.

That simply hasn’t been there, with one Premier League noting that the Argentina international is “not up to scratch” at the moment, winning only one tackle per game and losing 57% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

It hasn’t been good enough, and while, candidly, part of Mac Allister’s struggle is down to mismanagement, there’s a sense that an upgrade is needed to add a much-needed dimension to the midfield.

Well, that man could arrive in the form of Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, with Spanish sources confirming this week that the France international could be on the move in 2026, an update which has certainly put Anfield’s sporting director, Richard Hughes, on alert.

Valued by Los Blancos at around €80m (equating to £69m), Camavinga is no longer considered untouchable by Xabi Alonso, and those in Spain believe an audacious January bid could be staged by the Premier League champions.

The 22-year-old has been in Madrid for over four years, but injuries and Alonso’s vision have opened the door for potential suitors. Manchester City and Manchester United both expressed interest this summer.

Why Camavinga could be an upgrade on Mac Allister

Camavinga was regarded as a wonder-kid when he first took steps onto the professional stage. Joining from Rennes for around £35m in 2021, he has since featured 186 times for the Spanish giants, winning two La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues.

Though the past year has been an effort to maintain regular fitness levels for Camavinga, he remains a world-class talent, a “duel-monster” in the words of analyst Raj Chohan, who could benefit from a change of scenery, joining a Liverpool team where he could foster his skills for many years to come.

His arrival would not knock Mac Allister from his prominent position, but it would give him competition, to be sure, and Camavinga might even come to be an upgrade down the line, with the statistics drawn from the past year certainly suggesting he has what it takes to outstrip him.

Camavinga vs Mac Allister (past 12 months)

Stats (per 90)

Camavinga

Mac Allister

Goals

0.12

0.18

Assists

0.06

0.18

Touches

76.36

63.29

Pass completion (%)

90.1

82.7

Shot-creating actions

2.51

4.01

Progressive passes

5.07

5.64

Progressive carries

2.04

1.37

Successful take-ons

1.11

0.53

Recoveries

6.30

4.69

Tackles won

2.91

1.63

Interceptions

1.40

0.89

Aerials won

1.52

0.50

Data via FBref

As you can see, Camavinga has played with a touch more completeness and energy than his Argentine counterpart over the past year, and that having suffered with injury problems all the while. He might actually boast a higher standard of quality than Mac Allister, and that is not to the Liverpool man’s discredit.

There is also the matter of age. Camavinga is only 22 years old, and with a wealth of elite experience at that.

He might be struggling for minutes and fluency at Real Madrid, but he’s so young and clearly such a talented midfielder, an expert on the ball and relentless in the challenge.

These are attributes shared with Liverpool’s No. 10, though there’s a case to be made that the Frenchman is even more complete in his midfield game, hailed for his “extraordinary qualities” by former Real boss Carlo Ancelotti, who went on to claim his young star could “play anywhere on the pitch”.

Similar praise have been laid at Mac Allister’s feet in the Premier League. Shortly after the South American’s £35m transfer from Brighton to Liverpool, TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole described him as a “superstar” signing for the Reds, drawing attention to his own ability to “play anywhere” his manager wants him to.

Such dynamism. Though Liverpool would want to retain Mac Allister’s services for as long as they can, it’s clear he plays a role unlike any other in the Liverpool squad. To put that another way, he provides a dimension his teammates cannot mimic.

And, with that in mind, adding Camavinga to the fold might prove a stroke of genius on Hughes’ part. Real Madrid might want something in the ballpark of £69m, but Liverpool could take advantage of his injury struggles and seat on the Santiago Bernabeu fringe over the past 12 months.

Looking at how it could all transpire in the long run, Liverpool might strike a player who could yet grow into one of the best in the world, eclipsing a star in Mac Allister, who has already provided the club with a higher brand of technical midfield play than they had been treated to in the years before his signing.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Oct 18, 2025

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has made an interesting comparison between Cityzens midfielder Bernardo Silva and Lionel Messi, claiming after the Portuguese's goal against Villarreal on Tuesday night that both him and the great Argentine have a "hammer in their necks", capable of scoring great headed goals despite their comparatively short stature.

Silva receives strange Guardiola praise after Villarreal goal

Silva scored his side’s second goal as City won 2-0 away to the Spanish side, the inevitable Erling Haaland scoring the opener as Guardiola’s men climbed into the Champions League top eight, three matches into the league phase, despite the continued absence of Rodri.

Bernardo powered home a header from the centre of the penalty area to double the scoreline for his side, leading to Guardiola’s comparison between his neck muscles and a “hammer”, a trait the Catalan believes is shared by Inter Miami superstar Messi, whom he famously managed during both men’s illustrious spell with Barcelona.

Considering the substantial power behind the header, Guardiola’s comparison makes some sense, though it was a unique one to make, nevertheless.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGuardiola describes Silva's powerful goal

“I’m pleased that Erling scored again; and pleased that Bernardo made an incredible header again. It’s a little bit like [Lionel] Messi, it’s a hammer. They have a hammer in their neck, they are so good. They are small but they are so good with their head contact.”

Social media reacts to Guardiola's comments

The commenters on Sky Sports News’ video of the clip in question from Guardiola’s post-match press conference had a field day, as football fans enjoyed the creative comparison made by the City manager.

“Pep just be inventing anatomy at this point,” said @MaxRakeBitCom, alongside a laughing face emoji.

“Only Pep could make heading sound like an art form,” laughed @Only1Justus.

Another user, @0xa1_, added: “Bro’s built like a USB stick but headers like prime Ronaldo.”

“Pep just compared a neck header to Messi? Try that with Ronaldo and the ball enters orbit,” added @olisaemekalum2.

Another, @BavuFunzo, joked: “Always finding a point to involve Messi.”

Another user questioned Guardiola’s use of vocabulary, @xwordz: “Ain’t the hammer, it’s the flexibility and the elastic strength.”

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Guardiola and Rico Lewis speak after Villarreal win

"Tough place to come. We played really good. At the end they had one or two chances but we played a fantastic game. A good step for us in this tournament," said Guardiola.

"It's good that not just Erling [Haaland] scored and we had more chances for others. Impact from Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders good too. Little disappointed with result in Monaco, we created chances and didn't win and played the same as today but today got the goals. Teams in La Liga are really tough and a top-class manager.

“Spanish people know it, maybe English people don’t know it, Villarreal is a top, top team. So I know how difficult it is to come here. Indeed, in the way we played, I have the feeling that, in many ways, we are coming back to what we were in the past.

"Our numbers in the Champions League in the last year are not bad. Personally my numbers are not bad. But last season was tough for us, the vibe and how the team are playing now make me feel fine."

City’s Rico Lewis, who assisted the game’s opening goal for Haaland, told TNT Sports: "We felt in control for most of the game. There's always better things we can do and there were a few spells they had that we could've prevented but we have to be harsh on ourselves if we want to win the competition.

"We've got some confidence back. When you're playing with confidence there's nothing to stop you but yourself. Everyone trusts each other as well and there's nothing better than us having each other's backs."

Speaking about Haaland, he added "Impossible, amazing. To play with him in the team, he helps us more than people realise. He draws defenders to free other people and then that frees him up to score. He's impossible to defend. He's such a hard worker and never stops wanting to score."