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Will any of the new signings make a mark as the tournament resumes?

Andrew McGlashan17-Sep-20211:44

Ricky Ponting ‘thrilled’ to reunite with Delhi Capitals

David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

IPL so far Innings 6; Runs 193; Average 32.16; S/R 110.28
He is one of the key players in Australia’s World Cup plans, but Warner lost the captaincy of Sunrisers and his place in the team shortly before the IPL was suspended. He questioned team selection before he was demoted while the tempo of his batting was proving problematic for a side that was top-order heavy with overseas batters. There may be a natural opening for him to return, however, with Jonny Bairstow withdrawing from the competition.

Steven Smith (Delhi Capitals)

IPL so far Innings 5; Runs 104; Average 26.00; S/R 111.82
Smith suffered a recurrence of his elbow problem during the first stint of the competition and has spent the last few months nursing himself back to fitness in pre-season training with New South Wales. He has steadily been increasing the volume of balls he hits at nets – which normally tallies into the hundreds for someone who loves batting – but the pressure of match scenarios could be the real test. He was not in the starting XI when the competition began before a couple of handy displays and it remains to be seen how he fits into the balance of Capitals’ batting order.

Glenn Maxwell (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

IPL so far Innings 6; Runs 223; Average 37.16; S/R 144.80
After his forgettable returns in 2020, Maxwell had enjoyed a promising first half to the tournament in India as RCB found themselves in the top half of the table. A lot of Australia’s hopes would appear to rest on Maxwell’s shoulders with the bat because of the point-of-difference he can bring to the line-up so his form over the next few weeks will be watched closely.Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith and David Warner will be among those searching for pre-World Cup form•BCCI

Marcus Stoinis (Delhi Capitals)

IPL so far Innings 6; Runs 71; Average 23.66; S/R 144.89 | Wickets 2; Average 54.50; Econ 10.90
It is an interesting dynamic that the key role Stoinis could play in Australia’s side – that of middle-order finishing – is being refined at the IPL rather than in the BBL where he bats in the top order for Melbourne Stars. Under Ricky Ponting’s guidance at Capitals he has shown promise given a regular position lower down the order. Don’t discount his bowling, either, especially if pace off the ball becomes important.

Josh Hazlewood (Chennai Super Kings)

IPL so far N/A
Hazlewood did not travel for the first part of the competition, opting to finish the season with New South Wales before spending time at home. He played eight of the T20Is on the recent tours of West Indies and Bangladesh, one of the most sustained periods in the format of his career, where he worked on developing cutters and changes which brought eight wickets in four games against Bangladesh.Related

• Fearless Tim David making a mark with IPL his next stop

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Moises Henriques (Punjab Kings)

IPL so far Innings 2; Runs 16; Average 8.00; S/R 80.00| Wickets 1
Had limited chance to make an impact earlier in the year and then struggled on Australia’s recent tours, especially in the tough conditions of Bangladesh and missed the World Cup squad. The delay to New South Wales’ season means he will likely miss less domestic cricket than would have been the case.

Dan Christian (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

IPL so far Innings 3; Runs 3; Average 1.00; S/R 37.50
Christian, who was recalled to the Australia side for the first time in four years for the recent tours, hasn’t made the 15 for the World Cup but will be among three travelling reserves. He couldn’t get past 1 in the first stage of the tournament.Nathan Ellis is one of the Australians to pick up a replacement deal•Getty Images

Chris Lynn (Mumbai Indians)

IPL so far Innings 1; Runs 49; S/R 140.00
Lynn made a decent start in Mumbai Indians’ opening game but dropped out of the side when Quinton de Kock became available and spent the rest of the time warming the bench.

Ben Cutting (Kolkata Knight Riders)

IPL so far N/A
Like Lynn, Cutting does not have a state contact in Australia and was not used by his team in the first part of the competition. With Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Shakib Al Hasan the all-round overseas options it’s tricky to see where he fits in unless injury strikes.

Nathan Coulter-Nile (Mumbai Indians)

IPL so far Wicketless in one match
Another who has effectively become a T20 freelancer, Coulter-Nile is likely to find it tough to get a starting position.

Nathan Ellis (Punjab Kings)

T20 record Matches 33; Wickets 38; Average 25.02; Econ 8.03
A hat-trick on international debut continued Ellis’ rapid rise and followed two successful BBL seasons where he had already shown his skills at the death. With Kings needing replacements for Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson there is a good chance he’ll get game time. He is a reserve in the World Cup squad

Tim David (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

T20 record Innings 55; Runs 1420; Average 35.50; S/R 153.18 | Wickets 5; Average 53.20; Econ 8.96
Not an Australian (he was born in Singapore) but he is eligible for the national side and is getting noticed with his performances around the world. The last few months have taken him from the BBL to the PSL to the Hundred and the CPL before landing a replacement role at RCB.

Ben Dwarshuis (Delhi Capitals)

T20 record Matches 82; Wickets 100; Average 23.73; Econ 8.19
In 2017-18, left-arm quick Dwarshuis was included in the Australia squad for the T20I tri-series involving England and New Zealand. Though he didn’t debut and hasn’t featured since, he has remained a consistent performer in the BBL and last season was the joint second-leading wicket-taker as Sydney Sixers secured back-to-back titles.

Birmingham City were an absolute joy to behold at the very top of League One last season.

Chris Davies’ rampant Blues would only lose three of their 46 league fixtures, leading to a colossal 111-point total being reached, with standout figures such as Jay Stansfield very much raising the excitement levels with a bumper 19 strikes tallied up in third-tier action.

Come the end of their very enjoyable League One marathon, Birmingham would go on to accumulate a mightily impressive 84 goals.

They won’t be receding into their shell when heading back up to the Championship, with plenty of fresh strikers now being linked to make the switch to St. Andrew’s to boost their already frightening firepower, which includes a promising Premier League-bound talent.

Birmingham monitoring situation of £10m striker

According to a report from GIVEMESPORT, the super-confident Blues are now monitoring the situation of Leeds United striker Mateo Joseph.

GIVEMESPORT states that Birmingham have been interested in the Spanish hotshot for some time now, with Davies’ men potentially seeing this opening in the summer transfer window as the perfect opportunity to strike up a deal.

RC Strasbourg are also noted as an interested party- on top of a January £10m bid from Real Betis being mentioned – but Birmingham have successfully flexed their muscles recently to win a similarly expensive striker from a Premier League side.

Of course, Stansfield cost £15m to pick up from Marco Silva’s Fulham last summer, with everyone at St. Andrew’s hopeful that Joseph can go down as an unbelievable success story much like the former Cottagers forward.

How Joseph can be Stansfield 2.0

It was somewhat of a gamble to fork out £15m for Stansfield’s services, considering the electric number 28 only had 21 strikes next to his name in senior action in the EFL before confirming a permanent Birmingham stay.

Now, that lavish fee doesn’t look too steep, with Stansfield an integral part of the Blues’ promotion story.

When moving up a division, Birmingham will be keeping their fingers crossed that Joseph can play an equal starring role, but this time around he could be the exact figure they desire in helping Davies’ men consolidate themselves as a Championship-worthy outfit.

After all, despite fading into the background at times last season under Daniel Farke’s wing, Joseph would still chip in with three goals and three assists in league action. This is a more than respectable return when you weigh up the fact that the 21-year-old only started 11 Championship contests.

With Leeds now in the big time, Joseph will be worrying that his first-team opportunities will become even more sparse. Therefore, a move to St. Andrew’s could be just what the Spain U21 international needs to kick on as he aims to follow in the footsteps of Stansfield, a fellow young striker who was also on the periphery of his then employers, Fulham, before finally becoming a main striker option in the West Midlands.

Joseph’s G/A numbers for Leeds/Spain
Club played for	Games	Goals	Assists
Leeds	73	6	3
Leeds U21s	33	19	3
Leeds U18s	4	1	1
Spain U21s	11	8	0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

That was the case even as Stansfield scored a blistering 38 goals for both the Fulham U18s and U21s combined, with Joseph not that far behind on a healthy total of 20 on the youth pitches at Thorp Arch, away from also hammering home six strikes in the senior ranks.

Staggeringly, Stansfield would only ever reach two senior goals at Craven Cottage, but all of that is firmly at the back of his mind now as Birmingham’s leading star.

The “dynamite” Leeds forward – as he was once glowingly labelled by U23 scout Antonio Mango – will want to be held in the same high esteem soon, rather than fighting it out for scraps at Elland Road.

Therefore, another statement striker deal could soon be on the cards at St. Andrew’s, as Joseph possibly joins and fires in the goals to make Birmingham’s transition to Championship life as smooth as possible.

Birmingham City want to beat EFL rivals to sign Klarer 2.0 this summer

Birmingham City could land their next Christoph Klarer by signing this gem from Germany.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jun 18, 2025

CA are advertising for a new national pace-bowling coach to work across the men’s team and the states to manage Australia’s next generation of fast bowlers

Alex Malcolm22-Oct-2024Cricket Australia is creating a new role for a national pace-bowling coach to oversee the management of fast bowlers across international and domestic programmes, in a bid to prevent the spate of injuries that have been occurring and ensure a more coordinated approach to the handling of Australia’s quicks.The new role, which would be based in Brisbane, comes after a limited-overs tour of the UK where six fast bowlers were injured and six others were unavailable, although the role was devised before that tour. A debate is also raging within Australian cricket about whether the current contracting model for the best male cricketers is fit for purpose in the age of franchise cricket, with the management of fast bowlers front and centre in that discussion.Daniel Vettori is Australia’s current bowling coach travelling with the team and will continue in that position. The new job will be largely Australia-based and focussed on the management of contracted fast bowlers as well as Under-19 and Australia A quicks, although the successful candidate will tour with the men’s international side at various stages.Related

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Vettori is highly regarded within the Australian set-up but is not working for CA around the year, as he has been allowed to take contracts as the head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and Birmingham Pheonix in the Hundred. It has meant that the likes of Clint McKay and Rob Cassell have been seconded into the Australian team as bowling coaches on an ad-hoc basis in recent times, but the new role would create some continuity. There would also be some consistency within the Australia A coaching staff, which has cycled through a multitude of different coaches in recent years on a series-to-series basis.Australia’s fast-bowling stocks have long been one of its great strengths, but the reliance on the big three in Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in all forms and recent injuries to the next crop, as well as the stress fracture to Cameron Green, have only served to highlight the importance of managing the next generation.Green, Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett, Riley Meredith, Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshuis all picked up injuries on the tour of the UK, while Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Michael Neser, Scott Boland and Will Sutherland were all unavailable as they recovered from differing ailments. Cummins also didn’t travel in order to do a block of training at home, focussing on getting his body right for the upcoming summer.While there were a variety of injuries, there have also been some common themes including side strains, and soft tissue and back stress injuries that continue to plague Australia’s fast bowlers. Green has become the fourth Australian fast bowler behind James Pattinson, Dwarshuis and Jason Behrendorff to undergo significant spine surgery to stabilise vertebrae in his back and prevent future stress fractures.Xavier Bartlett was one of the bowlers to pick up an injury on the UK tour•AFP/Getty ImagesThe injuries led to a situation where West Australian youngster Mahli Beardman was called up for the UK tour with just one List A game to his name, which raised some eyebrows among the state associations.There has been some friction between CA and the state associations over the management of some of Australia’s fringe fast bowlers in recent years, with the demanding international playing schedule meaning more players are required than ever before. Franchise opportunities have only added to the burden as individual players want to maximise their earnings during the winter months while the national and state teams would prefer them to manage their bodies in preparation for national and domestic duty.The new pace-bowling role has been designed to be a central point under Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald to coordinate an approach to managing Australia’s current and next generation of quicks to avoid some of the friction.One of the key job descriptions in the advertisement is “performing a lead role in the case management (including load planning and monitoring), off tour preparation and individual skill development of CA contracted pace bowlers and pace bowlers of national interest”.Spencer Johnson suffered a side strain in the Hundred and has yet to return to playing•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesThis has been a crunch point in recent years. CA’s high-performance team has been able to manage its contracted fast bowlers fairly successfully, but issues have arisen when the men’s team has needed to look beyond their contracted players. CA currently has nine contracted fast bowlers among a list of 23, not including the pace-bowling allrounders Green, Aaron Hardie and Mitchell Marsh.But ahead of the UK tour, where the selectors wanted to rest Cummins entirely in order to prepare for India, and have Hazlewood and Starc play the England portion only, they needed bowlers for the six T20Is. With contracted bowlers Morris and Richardson unavailable, Johnson was selected alongside Bartlett and Ellis.But CA were unable to tailor Johnson’s preparation as an uncontracted player. He played 39 T20s and a first-class game between December and August including the BBL, Sheffield Shield, internationals, the IPL, T20 Blast, MLC and the Hundred without a break to do a pre-tour build in the same mould as Hazlewood and Starc were. He suffered a side strain in the Hundred and has yet to return to playing. There was a similar occurrence in 2023 where Johnson played the MLC, Global T20 in Canada and the Hundred before making his international debut for Australia, only to tear his hamstring on his ODI debut bowling more than four overs for the first time in five months.Under the current memorandum of understanding, CA only offers up to 24 central contracts but there is a pool of money for players to qualify for a contract upgrade if they play enough games in the 12-month financial year. There is a thought within Australian cricket that that model is outdated, and the men’s team would be better served contracting 30-plus players initially each year and carefully tailoring the 12-month playing and preparation schedules for a large group of fast bowlers in particular to avoid injuries and situations like the one the arose in the UK.

Arsenal have a busy summer transfer window ahead of them as the Gunners and Mikel Arteta look to win the Premier League after three successive second-place finishes.

New sporting director Andrea Berta is the man tasked with leading Arsenal’s transfer business, with midfielder Martin Zubimendi set to be the first through the door at the Emirates.

Signing from Real Sociedad in a transfer worth over £50m, Zubimendi should be followed by some attacking additions ahead of Arsenal’s 2025/26 opener at Old Trafford against Man Utd.

Man Utd vs Arsenal

August 17

Arsenal vs Leeds

August 23

Liverpool vs Arsenal

August 30

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest

September 13

Arsenal vs Man City

September 20

AI have actually predicted Arsenal’s 25/26 line-up in a 4-3-3 formation, and if they are correct, the Gunners will have an exciting transfer window.

Berta spends £250m: AI predicts who Arsenal will sign in summer transfer window

It could be an eventful few months at the Emirates.

1 ByCharlie Smith Jun 14, 2025 AI predicts Arsenal’s 2025/26 starting line-up 1 GK: David Raya

There may not be much change in defence at the Emirates, with Arsenal having the best defensive record in the Premier League over the past two seasons.

Games

96

Clean sheets

39

Goals conceded

81

David Raya has been a regular during that time and has been backed to keep his spot in the side despite Kepa Arrizabalaga’s likely arrival.

2 RB: Jurrien Timber

Getting the nod at right-back is Jurrien Timber after the Dutchman played all across the backline in 24/25, making 48 appearances in all competitions.

They say Timber’s ‘versatility and recovery from injury make him a strong candidate to start at right-back’ as his ‘attacking flair fits Arteta’s system’.

3 CB: William Saliba

William Saliba has been a rock at the back for the Gunners in recent years, which has resulted in rumours of a move to Real Madrid.

Described as ‘a cornerstone of Arsenal’s defence’, Saliba still has two years left on his Emirates deal and looks set to play a key role once more.

4 CB: Gabriel

No shocks at centre-back from AI, with Gabriel expected to partner Saliba at the back after signing a new four-year deal this summer.

The Brazilian’s new deal reflects his status under Arteta, and his ‘aggressive defending and leadership underline his importance’.

5 LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly

Still just 18 years of age, Myles Lewis-Skelly is already an Arsenal regular at left-back and is also on course to agree a new Gunners contract.

AI have the Englishman ahead of Riccardo Calafiori and think he’ll start ahead of the Italian in 25/26.

6 CM: Martin Zubimendi

After spending more than £50m on new signing Martin Zubimendi, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that AI believe he’ll be straight in Arteta’s starting XI.

Games

236

Goals

10

Assists

9

Yellow cards

47

They say the Spaniard ‘will anchor the midfield, allowing others to push forward’.

7 CM: Declan Rice

With Zubimendi in the No. 6 role, Declan Rice has been backed to ‘thrive as a No. 8’ at the Emirates, occupying a box-to-box role with the new signing in a deeper position.

AI states that Rice’s ‘leadership, stamina, and goal-scoring ability from midfield make him a guaranteed starter’ under Arteta, and it’s hard to argue against that.

8 CM: Martin Odegaard (c)

Completing the midfield is captain Martin Odegaard, who is actually approaching 200 appearances in a Gunners shirt.

Games

30

Goals

3

Assists

8

AI says that despite a dip in form which saw Odegaard score just three Premier League goals in 30 appearances last season, the Norway star’s ‘chance creation and work rate ensure his spot in the side’.

9 RW: Bukayo Saka

Arsenal missed Bukayo Saka’s goals and assists last season, with the winger out for large parts of the season through injury.

Now back fit, though, Saka’s ‘role on the right is undisputed’ and Ethan Nwaneri is named as a promising backup to Arsenal’s No. 7.

10 CF: Benjamin Sesko

A new striker is at the top of Arsenal’s to-do list before September 1, and one attacker who has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates is Benjamin Sesko.

AI says the towering centre-forward will be in the starting line up next season at a cost of £70m. Sesko will ‘offer the physicality and clinical edge Arteta seeks, edging out Viktor Gyokeres as the primary target’.

After overseeing a third-consecutive promotion to make unforgettable history, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have now reportedly put Wrexham in pole position to sign a clinical MLS talent.

Reynolds & McElhenney full of praise for Parkinson

Whilst it’s Reynolds and McElhenney who steal the headlines, Phil Parkinson is one of the main reasons why Wrexham find themselves in the Championship from National League frustration. The experienced manager will forever be a legend at the Welsh club and is now set to take charge of a side in England’s second tier for the first time since Bolton Wanderers in the 2018/2019 campaign.

Reynolds and McElhenney are well aware of their manager’s impact too. The former told reporters after promotion was sealed: “You can look at so many beating hearts at the club but it all goes back to Phil, I mean the leadership in that locker room and we thankfully don’t make football decisions but the faith that the club has in Phil and the community has in him speaks volumes.”

McElhenney then added onto that by saying: “In Phil we trust and Ryan and I always find it silly that at the end of the games it’s us standing here with microphones because we’re not the ones out here on the pitch doing the work.”

Alas, the Hollywood stars are far from finished even after securing a place in the Championship. They, alongside Parkinson, will have their sights set on causing their biggest upset yet in the Championship, and the summer transfer window is likely to play a large part in that.

Wrexham lead Sunusi Ibrahim race

According to GiveMeSport, Reynolds and McElhenney are now leading the race to sign Sunusi Ibrahim for Wrexham this summer. The Montreal talent is reportedly valued between $300,000 and $500,000 (£222,000-£370,000) this summer and could be on his way to English football after struggling for starts in the MLS.

Although there may be some concerns that Ibrahim, 22, has yet to earn his place in Montreal’s starting side, it must be said that it’s not for the want of trying. The Nigerian has scored seven goals in around 1,000 minutes this season – the same as just over 11 games – but has still been forced to settle for a bench role.

Reynolds and McElhenney plotting Wrexham move to sign "great" 7-goal star

He could be their first Championship signing…

By
Tom Cunningham

Apr 29, 2025

Whether that starting place would come his way at Wrexham is the big question. Those in Wales can’t risk getting things wrong on the transfer front ahead of their return to England’s second tier and whether they take a risk on an MLS talent remains to be seen.

As ever, of course, Wrexham will be ones to watch when the transfer window swings open amid links to Ibrahim and Cardiff City’s Isaak Davies in recent weeks.

da dobrowin： Nottingham Forest have now tabled an offer to sign a “brilliant” £13 million winger from Championship side Norwich City, according to a new report.

Harry Toffolo reacts to City Ground exit as Nottingham Forest identify his replacement

da mrbet： As every club does at this time of the year, Forest announced their retained list this week, and they revealed that left-back Harry Toffolo will be leaving the club once his contract expires at the end of this month.

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Toffolo joined the club back in 2022 and made 57 appearances for the Reds, but he only played four times in the Premier League last season, so his departure may not come as too much of a surprise. After confirming his exit, Toffolo took to social media to thank the club and stated Forest and the supporters have “given me moments I’ll never forget” and the current crop of players are a “special group”.

Toffolo’s exit from the City Ground means Forest are likely to be in the market for a new left-back, and according to Ben Jacobs, they have made an approach to sign Reinildo on a free transfer. The defender is set to stay with Atlético Madrid for the Club World Cup, but once that is finished, he is expected to depart. As well as Forest, Sunderland, Leeds and teams from Saudi Arabia and Turkey have also made offers to sign him.

Nottingham Forest submit bid to sign "brilliant" Sainz

It is not just a new left-back that is on the Reds’ agenda, as according to Spanish outlet Marca, relayed by Nottingham Forest News, Forest have submitted a £13 million bid to sign Borja Sainz from Norwich.

Portuguese side FC Porto had already submitted a bid for Sainz, and now Forest’s bid has matched that of Porto. The report claims that the Canaries are weighing up the offers, but they may not get an answer back straight away, and that is because Athletic Bilbao have identified the Championship winger as someone who could replace Nico Williams, should he leave this summer.

The former Spain under-19 international scored 18 goals and registered four assists in 41 Championship games this season. He ended the campaign as the league’s second-highest goalscorer alongside Burnley’s Josh Brownhill, averaging 0.45 goals per game and a goal conversion rate of 15%.

Borja Sainz’s Norwich City stats

Apps

82

Goals

27

Assists

6

Forest do already have the likes of Callum Hudson-Odi, Anthony Elanga, and Jota Silva as wide options, but Nuno may want to add more goals and creativity to his side as they have Europe to deal with next season. Sainz really impressed during 2024/25, with former Norwich boss Johannes Hoff Thorup labelling the Spaniard as “brilliant”.

“Also, he raises a good atmosphere with the crowd. He’s one of these players who can create that atmosphere in the stadium.

“He can do something on his own once in a while, and he can do brilliant shots and dribbles and stuff like this. I’ve been pleased with his pressing game because he’s covered a lot of ground. I think he’s definitely moving in the right direction.”

FSG aren’t resting on their laurels this summer, brushing away the cobwebs like a house servant possessed ahead of Arne Slot’s second season in charge at Liverpool.

Cobwebs, admittedly, are few and far between. Liverpool won the Premier League last season, in case you missed it, having achieved the feat with a squad almost identical to the one Jurgen Klopp left behind when he departed 12 months ago.

But Slot hasn’t replicated his predecessor in facsimile, instead taking the same pieces and crafting something new. However, for all of the Anfield side’s success on the league front, they did fall across the various cup competitions, and it’s clear that increased depth will be needed to take this brilliant team to the next level.

Just imagine what he might achieve when backed to the hilt in the transfer market. Luckily, such dreams will become the reality of Reds supporters all over. Liverpool are mercilessly attacking the transfer market.

Liverpool's summer transfer plans

Liverpool have already offset the disappointment of losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid by signing the rapid Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen.

Advanced discussions also seem to be coming to a head in regard to Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, who has been targeted as Andy Robertson’s long-term successor at left-back.

However, with Mohamed Salah extending his contract by two years, it’s the left side of Liverpool’s squad that requires more attention, especially with Luis Diaz mooted for a transfer to the Saudi Pro League.

Florian Wirtz is at the heart of lengthy and complicated negotiations between Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, with FSG prepared to offer what would be a British-record bid of £118m to secure the world-class playmaker.

He’d nestle into the number ten spot, though, which is why Liverpool have centred on Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon, should Diaz leave. The former Everton star could fetch an £80m fee to bring back to Merseyside.

Though Diaz would need replacing, Gordon might not automatically walk into Slot’s starting XI, no matter the fee required to bring him over from Tyneside.

Indeed, Cody Gakpo has produced a stunning season for Liverpool.

Liverpool have hit gold on Cody Gakpo

When Liverpool signed Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven for £35m in January 2023, he arrived off the back of an eye-catching World Cup showing with the Netherlands, scoring in each of Oranje’s group stage fixtures.

However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. The initial half-season Gakpo spent on Merseyside was one of great turbulence for Liverpool, but he still managed to impress in bursts.

And after a 2023/24 campaign that promised further improvements, albeit with Gakpo’s best position proving a nebulous thing, Klopp shuffling him across every inch of the park, he’s hit his stride in Slot’s system, recording his most productive haul yet.

24/25

49

18

7

23/24

53

16

7

22/23

26

7

3

Hailed for his “monster” season by journalist Declan Carr, the 26-year-old’s quality has been such that suitors are beginning to take note of his skills.

Indeed, with Liverpool looking set to have beaten Bayern Munich to the signing of Wirtz, the Bundesliga champions have focused their sights on Gakpo, report Sky Germany.

However, given that FSG have set their asking price at €100m (£84m), it’s unlikely that Die Roten will continue to chase their quarry.

The player’s price tag does illustrate his calibre, indeed proving even more than one of English football’s finest wingers in Gordon.

Just for reference, take a look at how the Dutchman compares with Gordon for Premier League performance last season. Is it fair to say Gordon arriving for an £80m fee might not even be able to oust Gakpo for his leading role on the left flank?

Matches (starts)

35 (23)

34 (28)

Goals

10

6

Assists

4

5

Shots (on target)*

1.6 (0.70

1.7 (0.6)

Big chances missed

6

10

Pass completion

84%

81%

Big chances created

11

6

Key passes*

1.1

1.5

Dribbles*

0.9

1.1

Tackles + interceptions*

1.1

1.1

Duels won*

3.1

4.4

Of course, Gordon showcased a deeper level of quality the previous term, when he was crowned Newcastle’s Player of the Year after posting 11 goals and 15 assists in the top flight, but Gakpo’s progress at Liverpool has been incremental, which bodes well for the upcoming campaign.

Gakpo’s prolific ability could also see him combine well with Kerkez, who is expected to sign as Liverpool’s new left-back. As per FBref, Gakpo ranked among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last season for goals scored per 90 (0.47).

Kerkez’s energy and enthusiasm may prove perfect for the continuation and progress of Liverpool’s £120k-per-week star. The Hungarian, who Bournemouth want £45m for, has been a “revelation” for the south coast side over the past two years, claims pundit Jamie Carragher, and will drive forward and supplement Gakpo’s attacking intentions just so.

Defensive players rarely cost as much as their forward-placed counterparts, but Gakpo’s vastly higher value makes a firm comment on the high regard Liverpool hold him in.

If Liverpool do sell Diaz to Al-Nassr or the like this summer, bringing in a player such as Gordon wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.

However, Gakpo has gone from strength to strength since Slot took to the dugout, and might just find himself reprising his first-choice role on Liverpool’s left wing next term.

Move over Wirtz: Liverpool can sign Salah's next Firmino in £84m "magician"

Mohamed Salah is going to have some exciting new attacking talent alongside him next season.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 8, 2025

Mohammad Abbas has carved a superb record in unhelpful conditions – but how will go against the master, Vernon Philander, on his home ground?

Danyal Rasool in Cape Town02-Jan-20196:53

Decoding Mohammad Abbas, the Sialkot not-so-express

Cape Town is Vernon Philander’s home ground, and in more ways than one. It is the place he made his debut, in that surreal game where South Africa bowled Australia out for 47, with Philander registering figures of 5 for 15. That match may have been freakish, a one-off, but Philander’s performances in subsequent years – everywhere in the world but particularly here – have not: 49 wickets in nine Newlands Tests at 16.55 leaves little room for arguments to the contrary.But in the Pakistan dressing room just across, Philander may spot a kindred soul – even if he has previously seen little of him. Newlands will be Mohammad Abbas’ 13th Test, and the first time he has taken to the field in South Africa. Like Philander, he could at best be described as medium-fast, forced instead to draw upon a range of skills most fast bowlers in his country have not needed to perfect because of the pace they were gifted with. Like Philander, he made his debut late (27 to Philander’s 26). Like Philander, he has made an explosive start to Test cricket, and like Philander, he missed the first of this three-Test series nursing an injury.The match-up between these two bowlers is as intriguing as it is unlikely. Who would imagine in the build-up to a Test in South Africa, the most absorbing conversations were to be had comparing two self-effacing medium-pacers in sides brimming with personality, aggression, verve and raw pace?

Abbas has showcased his skill on the dustbowls of Dubai, leaving him little option but to go gun-barrel straight and strip away the batsman’s choice of letting the ball go

It is their world-class talent that drives the interest. Philander’s record is well established but, in his first dozen matches, Abbas isn’t too far removed from the South African’s career trajectory. In his first 12 Tests, Philander had 67 wickets at 17.98 with a strike rate of 37.2. Abbas is hot on his heels, with 61 wickets at 16.62, his strike rate only slightly behind at 42.4.It may well be a premature comparison, and there are a couple of caveats – though perhaps not in the direction you would expect. Philander’s first 12 Tests comprised of four in South Africa, three in New Zealand, three in England, and a pair in Australia. If you were crafting out a wishlist of where you wanted to be while bowling fast, it would be indistinguishable from that schedule. Abbas, on the other hand, has played half of his 12 in the UAE, with a further three in the West Indies, two in England and one in Ireland.Add to that Abbas’ obvious discomfort in the last two matches he played – the Tests against New Zealand before he was sidelined by the shoulder injury that also kept him out at Centurion. If those two Tests were removed from his record, his average improves to 59 wickets at 15.64, with a strike rate of 38. This is not to ignore poor Test performances in order to exaggerate his quality, but simply to provide a clearer picture of how lethal Abbas has been, on mostly unhelpful wickets, so far in his career.The comparison isn’t just about the numbers, engagingly similar as they are; the methods the pair seem to apply as they go searching have an unmistakeable resemblance. Both are, as Faf du Plessis put it, “very similar bowlers who come at you relentlessly all day”. The unerring line and length ball after ball wears batsmen down more often than not, subtle seam movement drawing false shots and taking outside edges. Their tactic of targeting the stumps invariably brings lbw into play in a much more significant way than is the case for most bowlers, a skill that Abbas, in particular, has almost perfected.Mohammad Abbas exults after dismissing Aaron Finch•Getty ImagesThat is because no matter how much they resemble each other, each has had to find a way to evolve and thrive in their respective environments. In South Africa, where seam movement is more plentiful and swing more abundant, Philander is permitted a wider corridor in which to bowl and still leave the batsman uncertain about playing at him. Abbas has been forced to showcase his skill on the dustbowls of Dubai, for the most part, which leaves him little option but to go gun-barrel straight and strip away the batsman’s choice of letting the ball go. You can see it play out in the way the pair have found their wickets; Philander’s 205 scalps have included just 66 lbw and bowled dismissals, while Abbas has taken 32 of his 61 wickets in that fashion.There is another way to look at how Abbas has not let playing on uncooperative wickets become his excuse. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, in the time since Philander made his debut, 22.9% of the balls he has bowled at Newlands have drawn false shots from the batsman. It is the second highest percentage at the ground, with only Kagiso Rabada bettering it at nearly 26% (Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn rank third and fourth, with 22.4% and 20.4% respectively). Abbas, meanwhile, shuffling his way through over after over on spin paradises, still induces batsmen into false shots 18.23% of the time – not a world away from what Philander has done at his ground of choice. That he does so without the luxury of any significant seam movement or real swing is particularly eye-catching. As Sarfraz Ahmed said in the Newlands build-up: “I know this is Vernon’s home town, so he will enjoy bowling here, but there is no reason Abbas will not enjoy it too.”Sarfraz was also cautious not to get carried away by Abbas’ dreamlike start to international cricket, saying he had a long way still to go. “I think you can’t compare Philander and Abbas yet, because Philander has been playing for almost 10 years, and Abbas has only played for Pakistan for 18 months. Abbas is just starting his career, but his bowling looks a lot like Vernon Philander’s. If Abbas plays cricket for Pakistan for a long time, he has the ability to be the same bowler Philander is for South Africa.”It is a fair point, and if Abbas is to be spoken of in those terms all the time, he has many years’ worth of work ahead of him. But if he is indeed fully fit, he could find himself bowling on a surface more receptive to his wiles than he has ever been allowed the opportunity to play on. This may be Philander’s home town, but in Abbas Pakistan have a player set to make the undisputed King of Cape Town hustle to defend his territory.

Dreary drew ensues after youngster stars for Warwickshire with career-best 93

ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2024Nottinghamshire 400 (Duckett 218, Haynes 74, Slater 65, Hannon-Dalby 5-78) and 75 for 1 drew with Warwickshire 361 (Bethell 93, Barnard 69, James 3-65, Pennington 3-74)Another stalemate landed in the ocean of early-season Vitality Championship draws as the match between Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire petered out at Edgbaston.In reply to 400 all out, Warwickshire extended their first innings to 361, Jake Bethell posting a career-best 93 (163 balls), before Nottinghamshire went in again and acquired 75 for one.As soon as Warwickshire reached 251, which they did with some comfort with five wickets down, the match was consigned to a draw, the home side’s fourth in four championship matches and Nottinghamshire’s third in four.It was a dreary conclusion to a match which delivered some excellence – Ben Duckett’s double-century and the seam bowling of Olly Hannon-Dalby and Dillon Pennington – but was ultimately smothered by a docile pitch and the loss of more than a day to rain.After Warwickshire resumed on the final morning on 175 for five, 76 short of the follow-on figure, Nottinghamshire needed to strike quickly but Bethell and Danny Briggs (37, 79) were soon collecting boundaries. Stubborn batting, allied to a pitch which stubbornly refused to deteriorate, drew the sting of a seam attack which bowled with a quality during this match to suggest they will cause batters a lot of problems in more helpful conditions.Bethell and Briggs added 85 in 23 overs to take their side to the requisite 251. Almost immediately, Briggs swatted Calvin Harrison to mid on where Freddie McCann entered the history books as the first former Papplewick & Linby CC player to take a catch as a substitute in first class cricket with the floodlights on at Edgbaston on a Monday.Bethell’s classy and composed innings ended seven short of a deserved maiden century when he edged Olly Stone to give the former Warwickshire player his first wicket back on his old patch. Bowling remained a joyless assignment though and Michael Burgess (43, 63 balls) and Aamer Jamal (40, 46) added 71 in 15 overs before the latter hammered a return catch to Lyndon James.After Hasan Ali chipped James into the covers, Hannon-Dalby settled in with his customary aplomb before running out of partners when Burgess mowed to mid off. James’ analysis had been upgraded from 0 for 57 to three for 63 in 18 balls.Nottinghamshire went into bat again at 2.54pm and filled the rest of a grey afternoon with batting practice. Duckett followed his 264-ball 218 with a six-ball seven when Hannon-Dalby trapped him lbw but Haseeb Hameed (41 not out, 69 balls) and Ben Slater enjoyed an outdoor net for the remaining two hours as the match fizzled out in a manner redolent of Nottinghamshire’s visit to Coventry in 1928 when they amassed 656 for three, four of the top five scoring centuries (only Arthur Carr missed out with a paltry 58) but their victory hopes were thwarted by a benign pitch, weather damage and obdurate batting by Warwickshire legends Tiger Smith and Bob Wyatt.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou’s future appears more and more likely to be away from north London, and his potential exit could have a knock-on effect when it comes to Spurs keeping a “top-class” player this summer.

Ange Postecoglou faces Tottenham sack regardless of Europa League

Last week, Postecoglou conceded that the general sentiment around his position was that he could be sacked regardless of how the Lilywhites perform in Europe.

52-year-old spotted at Spurs after Levy talks as pundit tips appointment

The Lilywhites chairman has sat down with him recently.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 12, 2025

This remains the case, especially after Spurs’ seventeenth Premier League defeat of the campaign against Wolves, with journalist John Cross of The Mirror reporting of a “growing belief” that Postecoglou may well be fired even if they win the Europa League.

Supporters will be very keen to put this season behind them following a 2024/2025 of historic lows, and there is a serious lack of confidence in Postecoglou being the right man to take them forward, regardless of the Australian’s misfortune with injuries.

In terms of Tottenham’s managerial targets to replace Postecoglou, it is believed Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Brentford’s Thomas Frank, Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner and Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi are all admired.

Spurs’ managerial situation also appears set to play a key role in keeping their best players at the club this summer, as well as attracting key transfer targets.

Defender Cristian Romero is rumoured to be pushing for an exit from Tottenham, amid interest from La Liga heavyweights Atlético and Real Madrid, while striker Richarlison is another who’s repeatedly been linked with a departure.

The Brazil international has been unable to showcase his best this campaign due to consistent injury problems, but did score against Wolves over the weekend and has impressed in flashes under Postecoglou when given the chance.

As well as Romero, it has been claimed that Richarlison is also keen on leaving Tottenham (Football Insider), and South American journalist Jorge Nicola reported earlier this month that the £60 million forward is a target for the likes of Palmeiras, Fluminense and Flamengo – even if the cost of an operation makes their moves for him unlikely.

Now, journalist Graeme Bailey has shared an interesting update on his future.

Richarlison could decide to stay at Tottenham if Postecoglou is sacked

Writing for The Boot Room, Bailey reports that Richarlison could decide to stay at Tottenham if Postecoglou is sacked, due to the prospect of a new manager potentially being keen to work with him.

However, while the 27-year-old threatens to perform a full U-turn over leaving N17, Spurs’ stance is that they’d like to find a permanent buyer amid interest from the Saudi Pro League.

While Richarlison’s suffered from a lack of availability when he has played, the former Everton star’s notched an impressive 16 goals and five assists over the last two seasons under Postecoglou – so there can be no complaints about his return in the final third.

Perhaps a fresh face in the dugout can revitalise Richarlison, who’s been called a “top-class” player for Spurs in the past (Paul Robinson).