Over the last few seasons, much has been made of Arsenal’s inability to strengthen their forward line.

Indeed, it’s rather well documented that the only out-and-out striker Mikel Arteta has bought to the Emirates Stadium since becoming manager is Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilian now sits on the treatment table with a long-term ACL injury and is joined by Kai Havertz. With Eddie Nketiah sold last summer, it means that Arsenal don’t have a centre-forward available to them.

Mikel Merino has done a sterling job in that role, scoring six times in ten games as a striker, but signing a new attacker in the summer is of utmost importance for new sporting director, Andrea Berta.

However, he must not neglect other areas as he aims to help build a title-winning squad alongside Arteta.

Where Arsenal could strengthen this summer

While fans expect that a new striker will sign on the dotted line in a few months’ time, there is also optimism about improving their midfield ranks.

Indeed, with Jorginho and Thomas Partey both set to leave upon the expiry of their contracts at the Emirates Stadium, there is now reportedly an expectation that Martin Zubimendi will be arriving in a possible £51m deal from Real Sociedad.

Transfer Focus

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

However, the Gunners may look at bolstering their defensive line again. That’s despite the additions of Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori in the last two windows and the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly.

One addition could be Barcelona’s Jules Kounde with reports from Spain on Monday noting that ‘two European giants have offered €75m (£64m)’ to prise him away from LaLiga.

Indeed, it’s stated that both teams are willing to put a big amount on the table and with Barca’s financial situation still unstable, they would likely be willing to cash in on the Frenchman.

What Jules Kounde would bring to Arsenal

More defenders, Mikel? More? Are you sure? Well, it may not be the worst idea this summer if Arsenal have a big transfer kitty to splurge.

Of course, the priority must be giving Arteta more in attack but they could find themselves short in the defensive department too.

That’s because Takehiro Tomiyasu continues to be plagued by injury, Kieran Tierney is departing at the end of his contract and Oleksandr Zinchenko has been linked with a move away.

Jakub Kiwior is reportedly also attracting interest from Crystal Palace and Lewis-Skelly’s future is seen in midfield.

So, believe it or not, there would be an opening for another defender if all of Tierney, Zinchenko and Kiwior departed Colney in the summer.

Kounde, described as “one of the best defenders in the world” by his former coach Xavi, would certainly tick a lot of boxes.

Arteta loves his defenders to be versatile and in the French star, he’d be getting just that. Kounde broke through as a centre-back but at Camp Nou has become more of a right-back, featuring in that position in all 49 of his club appearances this season.

In that regard, he’s a lot like Jurrien Timber, capable of inverting but also bombing forward. Most importantly, he’s also a very good defender.

While positionally, he’s similar to the Dutchman, comparisons can also be made to the aforementioned Lewis-Skelly. So, why exactly is that?

Progressive carries

1.47

2.34

Progressive passes

5.66

4.86

Progressive actions

7.13

7.20

Pass success %

87%

90%

Key passes

1.11

0.47

Passes into final 3rd

5.23

4.77

Shot-creating actions

1.97

1.69

Tackles won

1.51

1.31

While Kounde is a more polished physical player, the key similarity between the two is how progressive they are from their full-back berths, albeit on opposite sides of the pitch.

They love to get involved in all phases of play, whether it be breaking up an opposition attack or getting forward themselves, notably registering a similar number of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes in 2024/25.

As seen in the clip below, the piece of play is very Lewis-Skelly-like, tickling the ball past a player and creating a goal-scoring opportunity inside the box.

While the Barcelona defender would be unlikely to play in midfield, as far as full-backs go, they share similar traits.

It’s safe to say Timber would not be dislodged from his right-back spot in a hurry, but having another progressive option in a similar mould to both him and Lewis-Skelly is something Arteta is unlikely to turn down if the opportunity presents itself.

Amazing Kiwior replacement: Arsenal sold Hale End's next best gem for £1.5m

With Jakub Kiwior currently deputising for the injured Gabriel, do Arsenal rue selling their “extremely talented” young centre-back for just £1.5m?

1 ByBen Gray Apr 14, 2025

علق دينزل دومفريس، نجم نادي إنتر ميلان، على الشائعات التي ربطته بالتوقيع لصالح نادي برشلونة خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي الأخير والذي انتهى الأسبوع الماضي.

دومفريس قدم مستوى متميزًا للغاية مع نادي إنتر ميلان خلال الموسم الماضي، مما جعل الظهير الأيمن يرتبط بالرحيل إلى عدد من كبار الأندية الأوروبية.

وورد أن نادي برشلونة كان مهتمًا بضم دومفريس، حيث أكدت تقارير إعلامية أن المدرب هانز فليك يقدر إمكانيات الدولي الهولندي كثيرًا.

طالع.. ضربة قوية قبل صدام برشلونة.. باريس سان جيرمان يعلن مدة غياب ديمبلي ودوي

وفي تصريحات نقلها صحفي شبكة سكاي سبورتس، فابريزيو رومانو، اعترف دومفريس أن وجهته المفضلة إذا غادر إنتر ميلان في المستقبل ستكون الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال دومفريس: ”ألعب في الدوري الإيطالي وأشعر بالراحة في إنتر، لكنني أعتقد أنني قادر على التألق في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز أيضًا”.

واختتم لاعب بي إس في أيندهوفن السابق في حديثه: ”أنا مهتم بالتأكيد بتلك الخطوة، الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز معروف بقوته البدنية، بينما يعد الدوري الإيطالي من أقوى الدوريات تكتيكيًا”. وكان دومفريس قد وقع مع إنتر ميلان خلال عام 2021، وذلك قادمًا من صفوف نادي بي إس في أيندهوفن مقابل 14.25 مليون يورو.

Sunrisers made 277, the highest ever total in IPL history, and Mumbai, just as incredibly, fell only 31 short

S Sudarshanan27-Mar-20241:43

Moody: Head set the tone, and Sunrisers just didn’t look back

Sixes were being hit for fun. Runs were flowing at a breakneck pace. You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking you were watching a video game. The carnage in Hyderabad resulted in an 11-year-old IPL record falling, RCB’s seemingly insurmountable total of 263 from 2013 falling by the wayside thanks to a breathtaking, collective show from the Sunrisers Hyderabad batters. They notched up the highest total in the 16-year history of the IPL – 277 for 3 – but then, just as incredibly, Mumbai Indians almost paid them back with the same coin, their batters coming out with a nothing-to-lose attitude. Eventually, they ran out of steam and finished on 246 for 5, the highest IPL total in a losing cause.Travis Head set the pace on the night, striking an 18-ball half-century, the fastest for SRH in the IPL. His record lasted roughly four overs, Abhishek Sharma slamming a 16-ball fifty to relegate him to No. 2. An hour after that, Heinrich Klaasen cut loose to seemingly bat MI out of the contest. But the sixes kept rolling off the Mumbai bats too, helping them keep up with the asking rate for most of the chase, eventually falling only 31 short.Related

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Never were more runs scored in a men’s T20 match (523). Never were most sixes hit in a men’s T20 (38). At the end of the close to four-hour six-fest, only two bowlers returned with an economy rate of under ten an over.The perfect Head-startHead, in for Marco Jansen, continued from where he had left off on his previous tour of India. He was off the mark with a four off IPL debutant Kwena Maphaka, the 17-year-old who played for South Africa at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year. Head was given a life when Tim David dropped him at mid-off off Hardik Pandya’s first ball. But there was no looking back from there.Head smacked two fours and two sixes in a 22-run Maphaka over before hitting two fours and a six off Gerald Coetzee in an over that went for 23 to end the powerplay. Head had scored 59 of the 81 SRH made in the first six overs. In his next over, though, Coetzee bowled a short and wide one, which the batter could only carve to deep backward point.Abhishek shows his mettleHead’s inclusion in the XI meant Abhishek had to move down the order, and he walked in at No. 3 after Mayank Agarwal fell in the fifth over. Abhishek got going with a pull off Coetzee and then meted out a special treatment to the legspin Piyush Chawla, hitting him for three sixes in an over. That helped SRH notch up their 100 in just seven overs, their second-fastest in the IPL.Abhishek also tore into Maphaka’s third over, hitting him for a sequence of 4, 6, 6, 4 to complete his fifty and snatch the record from Head. The key was how early he picked the length of the bowlers. He hit seven sixes in his 23-ball stay for 63 runs, before heaving a half-tracker that Chawla fired in seam-up at 112.8kph straight to deep midwicket.Heinrich Klaasen hit another rampaging half-century•AP Photo / Mahesh Kumar

Klaasen, Markram add finishing touchesWith nine overs to go and two right-hand batters in the middle, Hardik Pandya sensed an opportunity to get left-arm spinner Shams Mulani in the game. That played into the hands of Klaasen, though, who is a spin-basher. In T20s since January 2022, no batter who has faced at least 500 balls had a higher strike rate against spin than Klaasen’s 174.38 before the start of the game.True to form, he smacked Mulani over long-off to get his rhythm going. Klaasen then hit a six each off Hardik and Jasprit Bumrah as SRH crossed 200 in the 15th over. Aiden Markram, at the other end, hit a six and a four but was happy to give the strike to his South Africa team-mate. Klaasen brought up his fifty off 22 balls, which was only the third quickest on the night.Klaasen hit two successive sixes in the last over bowled by Mulani to take Sunrisers past RCB’s record score. SRH added 63 in the last four overs to post the fourth-highest total in all men’s T20s.Mumbai lose their fizzRohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan kicked off Mumbai’s reply in fine fashion. Rohit muscled Bhuvneshwar Kumar down the ground before hitting Jaydev Unadkat – brought in for T Natarajan, who had a niggle – for back-to-back sixes. Kishan meanwhile took 23 off Bhuvneshwar’s second over, hitting him for a four and three sixes. Kishan then slogged Shahbaz Ahmed to deep midwicket, but Rohit kept going.He whipped Pat Cummins’ second ball over midwicket before miscuing a pull to fall for 26 off just 12. Only twice in the IPL has Rohit scored more – 37 in April 2015 vs RCB, and 27 in May 2015 vs Chennai Super Kings – off the first 12 balls he faced.Naman Dhir and Tilak Varma also kept Mumbai abreast with the required rate. They found boundaries regularly, with Tilak leading the charge, and added 84 off 37 for the third wicket. But once they fell within 21 balls of each other, MI lost momentum. David managed to hit a few into the stands, but by then it was too late.

Seeking attacking reinforcements, Newcastle United could now sign a striker worth over £40m by taking full advantage of his recent fallout with teammates in what has been a nightmare period.

£40m+ star could replace Isak

With Alexander Isak set to be at the centre of a transfer scramble this summer, it’s no surprise that Newcastle are reportedly seeking attacking additions just in case. The Swede is one of the most impressive strikers in Europe, which could yet see his price tag rise to £150m. That may not stop the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal from making their moves, however, such is their desperation for such a clinical forward.

Of course, there would also be some benefits from cashing in on Isak. By selling the former Real Sociedad man for around £150m, PIF’s full spending power would be unleashed from the chains of PSR, which have forced Newcastle to spectate several hefty deals rather than act in the last two transfer windows.

Once unleashed, the Magpies could be a frightening prospect on the hunt for the reinforcements that Eddie Howe has so desperately needed at times throughout the current campaign.

With that said, those in Tyneside will already be smelling blood around one particular target. According to Sport BILD, as relayed by Sports Witness, Newcastle could now sign Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth €50m (£42m) this summer following a nightmare few weeks for the Nigerian.

1/8 duels won: Howe must be worried after Newcastle star's worst display yet

Newcastle won at the London Stadium ahead of this weekend’s Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.

By
Angus Sinclair

Mar 11, 2025

Since Al-Nassr ditched the chance to sign the forward in January – instead sealing a move for Jhon Duran – Boniface has fallen out with recent arrival Emi Buendia and, to make matters worse, been involved in a car crash having earlier filmed himself driving at 140km/h.

A growing problem at Leverkusen, the Bundesliga champions could decide to show the 24-year-old the door – leaving Newcastle to take full advantage.

Newcastle should take Boniface gamble

Although his recent discipline struggles should spark plenty of concern, Boniface is one worth taking a gamble on if Isak departs this summer. For £42m, the Magpies could replace their star striker and have plenty of money left in the bank to improve the rest of Howe’s squad in pursuit of Champions League qualification next season.

Whilst his actions have been unsavoury in recent weeks, the numbers speak for themselves. Boniface has been as clinical as ever whenever he’s had the chance to start for Xabi Alonso’s side – scoring seven goals from 6.9 expected goals.

It wasn’t so long ago that the Nigerian found himself at the centre of the Spaniard’s praise either. The Bayer Leverkusen boss told reporters earlier this season: “He has many qualities that could make him as formidable as Drogba.

“His strength and the difficulties he creates for defenders are remarkable. He’s exceptional in tight spaces and thrives around the box. But he needs to be more assertive in attacking the box when opportunities arise.”

The India seamer is set to push, cajole and threaten his body, just so he can extract the last remnants of cricket life from it one more time

Gaurav Kalra06-Oct-20176:02

‘Can play for atleast two more years’ – Nehra

Ashish Nehra talks about his body as if it lives in a world of its own, outside of him. He doesn’t seem to like it very much and he is convinced his body doesn’t like him back. Now, as they find themselves in Ranchi to play for India, body and him together, Nehra ponders what might have been if only they had been better friends all these years. This body of his that has gone under the surgeon’s knife no less than 12 times, that is often unwilling to be dragged out of bed, that he pushes, cajoles and threatens, just so he can extract the last remnants of cricket life from it.”The only one thing that is not happy that I am still playing is my body,” Nehra chuckles, while speaking to ESPNcricinfo from Delhi before leaving for the series. “I can play for another couple of years but it isn’t easy for a fast bowler at 38-39, especially considering the state of my body. But I am just trying my level best.”At times when I wake up, especially in the winter in Delhi, my knees are so sore, it is half an hour before I can even leave my bed and am able to walk. I have had four surgeries in my ankle, plus my knee is always sore. But again, after half an hour so I say it to myself that I have to do it. I am the kind of person that if I decide [I’ll do] something, I have to do it. There’s no rocket science to this. You have to give 3-4 hours of the day to your body, definitely you will get the result. Some may get it later, but in the end, you will.”When you are young you don’t understand these things, you don’t understand the value of playing for India. In the last 7-8 years I missed so much cricket, maybe you can say I am trying to catch that up. You can never go back, but for the last 4-5 years I am pushing myself and I am getting the results. My body has let me down, that’s why I am so upset with my body at times. I am a firm believer that if my body is okay I can still play and deliver. That’s why I am always aware of my body.”Nehra can be a laugh riot. Asked about his unusual misfortune with repeated injuries one time, he is believed to have responded, ” (I don’t have injuries in my body, my body is somewhere in the middle of those injuries)”. This self-deprecating sense of humour has been an ally for Nehra well over a near two-decade long career that never quite scaled the heights it promised.This year has been no different for Nehra and his body. After playing in in the three match T20I series against England, where he tasted moderate success, Nehra could only feature in six games for the Sunrisers Hyderabad before being ruled out with a hamstring problem. However, once healed, Nehra took no time to get back to the grind, devoting himself to a patented routine that has served him well over the years.Ashish Nehra celebrates the wicket of Usman Khawaja•Getty Images”This is not new for me, I have become used to it,” he says. “I hear people say I got one surgery or two surgeries or I have a back spasm or a shoulder surgery and it will be difficult for me to come back. But I am always a firm believer in pushing yourself. Definitely you have to give more and more hours as you get older, you have to push yourself.”I am someone who always prepares. Even if no one is there at the ground, I practice. I just need a wicketkeeper who can take my balls. I bowl a lot at a single wicket, I put pressure on myself. After bowling I will do some fielding. My practice sessions are not too long, they are an hour and a half to two hours. But I keep that intensity going so when I play the game I don’t feel sore.”Nehra admits he isn’t sure “how long I can play for” and isn’t looking much further than the immediate challenge of these three games against Australia. He doesn’t rule out some sort of coaching role in the future as he likes to “share experience.” In the short term though, Nehra is eager to work alongside the other seam bowlers in the squad – Bhuvneswar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya – and simply make the most of the time he, and his rebellious body, have left in the game.”If they want to ask me something, whatever little bit knowledge or experience I have, I will definitely share with them,” he says. “All three of them have been doing well in the last few months. I have played with Bhuvi at Sunrisers for the last two years. He has a good head on his shoulders, and is one of the better thinkers of the game. Bumrah has been a fantastic one-day and T20 bowler and I believe that in the years to come he will be able to do well even in Test cricket. Pandya, everyone knew he was very talented and it’s good to see him convert talent into performances. He is an asset for the team.”For me it is another game, I have been playing for so many years so my experience will be handy for myself. I always back myself to do well. Even if you play every day, there will always be butterflies, there will always be pressure.”At this stage, I don’t make plans. [I take] every series as it comes, I can’t promise anything about whether I will be playing the next IPL. I don’t know how long I can play for. Like I said earlier, if it was in my hands I would never stop playing cricket but that is not going to happen. My debut was in 1999, so it will be 19 years soon. I don’t think too many people thought I would be playing for 19 years. Already, I have managed to stretch myself so far, you never know, let’s see.”

West Bromwich Albion will travel to Norwich City up next in the Championship hopeful of another positive result to ensure their grip on a playoff spot becomes tighter.

The battle for sixth spot could well heat up across some crunch games to follow in the second tier, with Tony Mowbray’s Baggies currently occupying the coveted position, but the EFL’s elite league is known for its many thrilling twists and turns.

If the playoffs are clinched, West Brom will hope their luck is in, having slipped up on their last two appearances in the Championship’s unpredictable lottery.

Amazingly, their playoff misfire during the 2018/19 campaign occurred even with Harvey Barnes in the Baggies camp, who has since become a Premier League star away from the Hawthorns.

Harvey Barnes' impressive rise since leaving West Brom

West Brom has been home to many rising stars over the years on loan, with Romelu Lukaku once lining up for the West Midlands club during the infancy of his playing days.

Barnes has a similar story to the lethal Belgian, with the now Newcastle United winger entertaining Baggies supporters for one short, but sweet season, even if promotion ultimately evaded his loan side.

The 27-year-old attacker fired home an impressive nine strikes from 28 appearances for Albion, alongside also picking up eight assists as his new employers very nearly jumped up to the Premier League.

Whilst West Brom had to make do with staying put in the second tier, Barnes managed to leap up to the top-flight on his own and never looked back, with the Magpies winger now up to a stunning 75 goal contributions in the Premier League from 190 overall outings.

So, who will inspire the Baggies to a play-off place this time around?

West Brom's new version of Barnes

West Brom haven’t exactly been the most free-flowing team to watch this season, with a mammoth 18 draws next to their name reinforcing their ability to grind out a result if needed, on top of the fact they’ve only scored a meagre 48 strikes from 38 games.

But, regardless of this, Tom Fellows has still managed to stand out as a full-throttle option on the left wing, with the homegrown gem subsequently morphing into his side’s next Barnes.

A dazzling fleet-footed winger, there are plenty of similarities between the two with their ability to drive forward with the ball in a positive fashion catching the eye of the Hawthorns masses.

Games played

37

26

Goals scored

2

9

Assists

11

6

Big chances missed

6

6

Bg chances created

10

10

Looking at the table above, Fellows matches Barnes’ electric output in terms of big chances missed and big chances created, with a whopping 11 assists next to his name actually bettering the 27-year-old’s assist count by five.

Only two goal contributions off matching his counterpart’s overall loan numbers at the Hawthorns, the “unbelievable” talent – as he’s been lauded by Baggies teammate Karlan Grant previously – will hope he also can follow Barnes’ upward trajectory by making it in the top-flight soon, potentially with Mowbray’s men.

Heartbreakingly, much like Barnes, Fellows could also just leave West Brom behind in pursuit of bigger and better things, with Everton reportedly keen admirers of the England U21 international.

The blistering winger’s long-term future in the West Midlands could all rest on whether promotion is sealed or not, therefore, with the 21-year-old perhaps the spark that’s needed to break his club’s playoff hoodoo.

West Brom must rue losing amazing loan star who's now outperforming Fellows

This former West Bromwich Albion loanee has come on leaps and bounds since his days at the Hawthorns.

ByKelan Sarson Mar 19, 2025

Barcelona are set to finalise the signing of Espanyol keeper Joan Garcia this week, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen nears a surprise move to Galatasaray.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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Joan Garcia to be unveiled this weekGarcia to receive incredible pay riseTer Stegen agrees terms with GalatasarayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona are set to announce the signing of Joan Garcia from city rivals Espanyol, with reporting that La Liga have confirmed his €25 million (£21m/$28m) release clause has been paid. The 24-year-old goalkeeper will be presented this week, with personal terms already agreed. Meanwhile, Ter Stegen has reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Galatasaray amid his fury at the club's conduct surrounding the transfer, though now reports he remains defiant and vows to stay.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Catalan giants' goalkeeping shake-up reflects their broader financial struggles. Garcia, much cheaper in salary terms, represents a long-term solution as the club look to rejuvenate the squad and comply with La Liga’s financial fair play rules. Ter Stegen’s possible departure could save the club millions in wages and unlock space for other reinforcements.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 24-year-old will jump from a €400k salary at Espanyol to €3m (£2.5m/$3.4m) at Barcelona, but couldn’t comment publicly until La Liga validated the clause payment. Meanwhile, Ter Stegen, one of Barca’s top earners with three years left on his contract, edges closer to a shock move to Galatasaray who recently signed Leroy Sane and are now targeting another high-profile addition.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Once La Liga approves the transfer, Barcelona will officially present Garcia. The goalkeeper is expected to release a farewell statement to Espanyol fans. On the other side, Ter Stegen’s uncertainty continues.

IPL 2024 will allow bowlers to deliver two bouncers an over in a bid to facilitate a more even contest between bat and ball. This change in playing conditions was trialled during the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s domestic T20 tournament.Saurashtra veteran Jaydev Unadkat, who has played for various IPL sides and has listed his base price at INR 50 lakh (USD 60,000 approx.) for the IPL 2024 auction, has welcomed the change.”I do feel two bouncers an over is very much useful, and I feel it’s one of those things which gives the bowler an added advantage over batsmen,” Unadkat told ESPNcricinfo. “Because, for example, if I bowl a slower bouncer… the batsman in the previous case is sure that there’s no more bouncer coming. In this case, even if you bowl one slower bouncer in the first half of the over, you can still use one more [in the over]. Someone who is weak against bouncers will have to be better at it and then it will give the bowler one more weapon in their armoury. So, I feel it’s a very small change with a huge impact and as a bowler I feel it’s very important to have that rule.”Unadkat added that fast bowlers will now have more options to try and rein batters in at the death. “Also in the death overs, you have one more option,” he said. “So, it was becoming more of yorker-oriented [bowling] in death overs for fast bowlers. Not it can be yorker, slower ball and bouncers because of two bouncers an over. Even if you don’t bowl the second bouncer, the batsman still has that expectation that the bowler might bowl the second bouncer.”Related

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The Impact Player rule, which was brought in for the first time in IPL 2023, will remain in place. Under this rule, in addition to the playing XI, a team will have to list four substitutes at the toss. They can use any one of the four subs as their Impact Player.If a team names four overseas players in their starting XI, then they can only bring in an Indian as the Impact Player. This is to limit the number of overseas players per game to four per team – something the IPL has adhered to since its inception. However, if a team starts with three or fewer overseas players in their XI, then they can bring in an overseas player as the Impact Player. But the incoming overseas player should be among the four substitutes named at the toss.The Impact Player rule has somewhat diminished the value of allrounders, with the likes of Venkatesh Iyer, Vijay Shankar and Shivam Dube largely slotting in as batters for their sides last season.The trading window is closed for now but it will open again on December 20, a day after the mini-auction, and will remain open for up to a month before the 2024 season begins.IPL 2024 is likely to be played between March 22 and the end of May, with the final schedule to be announced once the polling dates for India’s general elections have been finalised by the Election Commission.

Hampshire allrounder in line for late call-up as England find themselves short of reliable spin back-up

George Dobell in Bristol14-May-2019Every side wants an unplayable legspinner. But not unplayable in this sense. Eoin Morgan’s decision to pull Joe Denly out of the attack after just one over of the Bristol ODI surely ended the player’s hopes of featuring in the World Cup. It suggested the captain had little faith in Denly’s abilities. It suggested he had seen enough.You couldn’t really blame Morgan, either. There were three full tosses in that Denly over and, while it cost an unremarkable nine runs, it’s hard to set a field to that sort of bowling.Nor was this a unique experience. Morgan had also felt it necessary to remove Denly from the attack in Cardiff after just one over. On that occasion, Denly had started with two long-hops that were pulled for six.Shortly after his spell in Bristol ended – if you can term one over a spell – CricViz produced a statistic stating that Adil Rashid and Denly had both bowled four full tosses in ODI cricket this year. The difference is that Rashid has delivered 270 balls and Denly just 36.If Denly were in the squad primarily for his batting, England might be able to ignore such statistics. But he has been selected primarily to ensure England have cover should either of their two main spinners suffer injury: he had been slated at No. 7 in this rejigged line-up. On the evidence we have available to us – and, to be fair to Denly, he hasn’t had as much opportunity to bowl as he might have expected – he is not up to the job. There is no way England could go into a World Cup game expecting Denly to get through 10 overs. Even four or five would seem to constitute a huge risk.There were repercussions for Denly’s struggle here. It meant that England bowled relatively little spin – only seven overs in total – which contributed to their over rate being horribly slow. The Pakistan innings finished 29 minutes later than scheduled which seems certain to lead to heavy fines and perhaps even a suspension for Morgan, who was also penalised for a slow over-rate after the second ODI in Barbados.The ICC’s regulations ensure that Morgan’s involvement in the World Cup will not be compromised – suspension and demerit points from bilateral series are not carried over into global tournaments – but it would not be ideal to be without the captain in the final stages of the planning process.It also underlined how important Rashid is to England’s World Cup hopes. It’s not just the variation and wicket-taking threat he offers, it’s also the fact that he helps England get through their overs in an acceptable timeframe. He remains integral to their hopes.Still, Morgan could have made more of the spin resources he had available. Moeen delivered only six overs, despite being England’s most economical bowler, while Joe Root was once again not asked to bowl at all. The short straight boundaries may well have influenced Morgan’s decision but the absence of spin rendered England’s attack – full of seamers operating at around 81 mph – a little samey. Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Rashid might all have added some variety.The other repercussion may well be a call-up for Liam Dawson. He is, in many ways, an unlikely saviour. But he is a far more experienced and proficient spin bowler than Denly and an almost equally proficient batsman and fielder. It would be brutal to make such a change in mid-series but, with only two more ODIs – and two more warm-up matches – ahead of the World Cup, there is no time to be wasted in familiarising Dawson to England’s game plans and allowing him some acclimatisation time.Denly is a fine cricketer in many ways and may yet return to the England side for the Ashes. But there was always an element of wishful thinking involved in casting him in the role of legspinning all-rounder and for the selectors to continue to ignore the evidence would be obtuse and damaging.There could be another way. Rather than playing a utility player like Denly, England have the all-round strength – they utilised seven bowlers in this game – to play a specialist keeper in Ben Foakes who might be more willing and able to stand up to the stumps to the seamers. Had a keeper been able to do that here, it may have forced the batsmen to think a little harder before they skipped down the wicket to hit the seamers off their lengths.It was a tactic employed successfully by Jack Russell when Gloucestershire won a limited-overs treble, by Keith Piper when Warwickshire won six trophies in 25 months and in the 2012 CB40 final when Michael Bates memorably stood up to Kabir Ali. There seems no chance whatsoever of it happening now, but it might be worth thinking about ahead of the T20 World Cup next year.In the short-term England have more pressing matters to think about. Denly’s inclusion currently looks like a weak link in an otherwise well-constructed squad. There’s still just about time to call up Dawson, but they have to act decisively and immediately.

This summer is pivotal for Ruben Amorim if he is to be a success at Manchester United, with the manager needing to make his own impression on the first-team squad.

The Red Devils’ current Premier League standing of 13th highlights the need for change over the next few months to stop a similar feat from happening in the future.

Outgoings are most certainly needed at Old Trafford to raise funds for any potential new additions, especially considering the cost-cutting operations in place under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Numerous players on the club’s books are earning extortionate wages given their importance to the squad, with any departures likely to raise a huge amount for the wage budget.

Such money could be used to attract new talent, including one player who’s recently emerged on their radar, offering an end to their dismal record within one area of the pitch.

Man Utd make attacking target their top priority

According to Sun Sport, United are plotting a summer move for Udinese striker Lorenzo Lucca after his superb breakthrough season in Serie A throughout 2024/25.

The 24-year-old is in his second year with the Italian outfit but is enjoying his best campaign to date, notching 12 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions.

They aren’t the only side interested in a move for his signature, with fellow English side Nottingham Forest also in the race to land the 6”7 talisman this summer.

However, the report claims that Amorim’s side have made the Italian their top target for this summer – looking to bolster the attacking department ahead of 2025/26.

It would be yet another big-money addition to the club’s frontline, but he would certainly provide an upgrade on the options currently available at the manager’s disposal.

Why Lucca would be an upgrade on Hojlund & Zirkzee

Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have failed to deliver at United this season, leading to rumours of a new striker moving to Old Trafford this summer.

The pair cost the club a combined £108m and have only managed to score a total of 14 goals between them in the 85 matches they’ve featured in throughout the current season.

Neither of the aforementioned forwards have managed to cement their place as the number one striker in the manager’s system, highlighting the need for added investment this window.

A move for Lucca would certainly improve the situation in the final third, offering an upgrade on the pair based on their respective figures throughout 2024/25.

The Italian, who’s been labelled “clinical” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has managed to outscore the pair in their respective divisions, whilst also registering more shots on target per 90 – showcasing the threat he poses in attacking areas.

He’s also completed more take-ons per 90, whilst also winning more aerial duels, highlighting the all-round centre-forward play that United have desperately craved in recent months.

Games played

29

25

30

Goals & assists

11

3

4

Shots on target

0.9

0.5

0.6

Take-on success

52%

28%

27%

Aerials won

2.1

1.2

1.3

Aerial success rate

45%

22%

28%

Fouls won

2

1.4

0.8

Whilst the club may face competition for his signature in the coming months, it’s evident that Lucca would be a superb option for Amorim – allowing the manager to have a reliable goalscorer at Old Trafford.

£25m in today’s market could be a potential bargain, having the potential to improve further down the line given his tender age, with his play style perfect for the Premier League.

A potential sale for Hojlund and Zirkzee could follow to make room for Lucca’s arrival, with the Red Devils having to take a huge loss on the fee paid for their respective signatures.

It's not Garnacho: Man Utd may have just found their new Jesse Lingard

Man Utd appear to have one high profile star now emulating Jesse Lingard

1 ByRobbie Walls Apr 4, 2025