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Everton have room for manoeuvre in the transfer market and could use their newfound stability to their advantage in pursuit of a Premier League star who has had a glittering career, according to a report.

Everton set to freshen up in attacking areas

With Beto emerging as the main force behind Everton’s climb up the table under David Moyes, there is plenty of work to be done in the window as the Toffees go about restructuring across their front four positions.

Jack Harrison and Armando Broja were among several loanees to depart following the conclusion of their loan spells. Meanwhile, Dominic Calvert-Lewin appears destined to follow by leaving the club once his contract expires.

After missing out on Liam Delap to Chelsea, plenty of other contenders to add another option through the middle have begun to crop up amid Everton’s move to the newly-named Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Villarreal star Thierno Barry is on Moyes’ radar this summer and has a release clause of £34 million inserted into his current agreement at the La Liga outfit.

In addition, Fenerbache forward Oguz Adyin is being tracked by Everton and is capable of playing on either flank or through the middle, indicating that finding versatility may be the order of the day for the Friedkin Group.

Everton enter race to sign England full-back who can play on both flanks

He could be a brilliant addition for David Moyes.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 7, 2025

Sourcing a reliable stream of goals is one thing, though many would argue that despite the Toffees being an extremely tough nut to crack, a lack of creativity was their undoing last term.

Seeking to negate a common theme of recent years, Everton have now received encouragement in pursuit of a solution to that problem.

Everton could sign Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City

According to Graeme Bailey in conversation with Everton News, Everton could have a plausible chance of signing Jack Grealish from Manchester City on a loan basis with an option to buy as long as they can find a way to foot part of his £300,000 per week wages.

He explained: “Grealish is the highest paid English player in the Premier League – over £300,000-a-week – what would and could Everton afford, maybe half at best – but who covers the rest.

Has Jack Grealish been a success at Manchester City?

Appearances

157

Goals

17

Assists

23

Transfer fee upon arrival

£100 million

Trophies won

3x Premier League, 1x FA Cup,

1x UEFA Champions League,

1x UEFA Super Cup

1x FIFA Club World Cup

“City know they will need to cover some wages, so it is not impossible – indeed, a loan with an option makes things plausible and the chance to stay in the North West, I wouldn’t rule Everton out. They are still in the market for a Richarlison, so imagine him and Grealish heading into the new stadium – would raise a few eyebrows for sure.”

Everton aren’t the only club circling to sign the Three Lions international, who has previously been labelled “excellent” by Paul Dickov.

Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa all keen on Grealish if the price is right, indicating that he still has more to give at the elite level.

Even in a disappointing campaign from a personal standpoint, the 29-year-old created 24 chances on Premier League duty as the Citizens claimed a place in next season’s Champions League.

Needing more minutes to stake a claim for England’s 2026 World Cup squad, Everton could be the ideal destination due to their dearth of options out wide.

Tottenham Hotspur salvaged their season in the most glorious fashion last month, beating Manchester United in the Europa League final to end 17 agonising years of searching for silverware.

However, it wasn’t enough to save Ange Postecoglou, who Daniel Levy dismissed at the start of the month following a wretched Premier League season that concluded with Spurs completing a miserable 17th-place finish.

But with Thomas Frank brought in to replace the Aussie, there’s hope yet that Tottenham can use the past year as a springboard for future success, having already targeted Bryan Mbeumo, who is expected to leave Brentford this summer and has expressed a preference to go to Old Trafford, although Spurs’ new manager could tempt him to change direction.

It’s the kind of signing that simply wouldn’t have been possible had Tottenham failed to clinch the Europa League. But now, the door is very much open for what would be a marquee move.

Why Spurs want Bryan Mbeumo

Mbeumo has truly established himself as one of the most threatening forwards in the Premier League, vital for Frank’s side’s success over the past several years.

His shooting marks the most salient part of his skill set, for sure, but Spurs would also be getting their hands on a dynamic and layered player who, as per Sofascore, created 17 big chances in the league, and averaged 1.3 tackles and 4.7 successful duels per game.

Brennan Johnson holds down the fort on the Tottenham right wing, but for all the Welshman’s potency in the final third, he’s shown to drift in and out of games, his influence waning all too often.

As such, a player like Mbeumo would prove a marked improvement, someone refined and talismanic who could serve as a leader and an example to follow.

However, while Tottenham will be buoyed by Mbeumo’s supposed change of stance in considering their offer now that Frank is at the helm, it would be foolish to put all their eggs in one basket after he previously made it clear that he wants to move to Old Trafford.

1.

Mohamed Salah

38

29

2.

Alexander Isak

34

23

3.

Erling Haaland

31

22

4.

Chris Wood

36

20

5.

Bryan Mbeumo

38

20

The Cameroonian has proved himself to be one of the most prolific forwards on English shores, but if he does opt to become a Red Devil, the Lilywhites may have found the perfect alternative.

Spurs lining up another Premier League forward

As per Caught Offside, Tottenham have been scouting Bournemouth star Justin Kluivert, with the report stating that the Londoners are currently weighing up an official offer.

Curiously, Man United are also interested in signing the Netherlands international, clearly following a similar train of thought as Spurs. Arsenal and Liverpool are also in the mix.

Bournemouth don’t want to sell their dynamic attacker but would, of course, for the right price, with that tag seemingly set at around €55m (£47m), although it remains to be seen whether or not Spurs would be willing to meet their demands.

Why Spurs want Justin Kluivert

Kluivert has proven himself across two seasons as being worthy Premier League material, instrumental for Bournemouth across their impressive campaign under Andoni Iraola’s wing.

Tenacious and technically talented, Kluivert, 26, brings a dribble-centric game that has been refined to establish him as one of the most impressive goalscorers in English football, scoring 12 times in the division last season.

The exciting part is that he is clinical with his chances, thus proving he could be the perfect Mbeumo alternative, with Frank labelling his star Brentford forward as being “unplayable” at times.

Matches (starts)*

32 (26)

34 (29)

Goals

7

12

Assists

1

6

Shots (on target)*

1.8 (0.6)

1.9 (0.9)

Big chances missed

7

6

Pass completion

72%

81%

Key passes*

0.7

1.4

Ball recoveries*

2.8

2.3

Dribbles*

0.8

1.1

Duels won*

2.9

2.9

There’s no question that the Dutchman has gone up a gear over the past year, and who’s to say that he wouldn’t raise his game once again under Frank’s wing down N17?

Kluivert has truly become one of the most dangerous shooters in the Premier League, so economical and precise with his finishing, capable of drifting into space from close or indeed firing from range.

As per FBref, Kluivert actually finished the 2024/25 Premier League campaign ranked among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers for goals and assists per 90 (0.69), which even led to him being considered a player of statistical likeness to Mbeumo.

Though Mbeumo is a right-sided forward, and Kluivert tends to operate in a central attacking midfield berth, the Cherries man has been singled out for his pace and energy in the past and indeed has a wealth of experience on the flanks, scoring 55 goals and providing 47 assists across 221 career appearances out wide.

Moreover, he’s been hailed for his “incredible” finishing this season by writer Ifreke Inyang, scoring Premier League hat-tricks against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United.

If Frank can get the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison performing at the top of their respective playmaking games, Kluivert could find himself reaching even loftier tallies than he has so far achieved.

The versatile forward’s vibrant, physical style suggests he could be the perfect Mbeumo alternative, still providing Tottenham with exciting new qualities while playing in such a way that could see Frank turn him into his new version of Mbeumo.

Transfer Focus

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

It’s the kind of shrewd signing that might just see Tottenham go from strength to strength.

Their next Werner: Spurs in battle to sign "special" £25m man for Frank

Spurs would be making a massive mistake signing this player.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 13, 2025

Chelsea have managed to pull off some impressive business this summer and could now be about to repeat the trick as they look to bolster their forward line, according to a report.

Chelsea continue their pursuit of a striker after Delap deal

Liam Delap will be left to lead the line in Chelsea’s bid for the Club World Cup up until the semi-final, providing they manage to get there, after Nicolas Jackson’s straight red card against Flamengo on matchday two of the group stage.

Losing control at a crucial time, his reckless lunge has prompted some to question whether he has the discipline to feature as Enzo Maresca’s starting striker long-term or whether further intervention in the transfer market is needed at Stamford Bridge.

Former referee Keith Hackett has gone to the extreme of claiming Jackson should be banned for five matches at a minimum amid recent events stateside.

He stated: “There is no place in football for this type of challenge the reaction and speed of the issuing of a red card was a terrific piece of officiating. The referee’s prompt showing of the red card ensured that it reduced any possibility of a mass confrontation. This unacceptable action by the offender should result in a minimum five-match ban.”

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike has been on Chelsea’s radar and is joined by Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani, who is enjoying an impressive spell on loan at Juventus.

How to Watch the FIFA Club World Cup for Free

Everything you need to know about the Club World Cup.

ByCharlie Smith Jun 13, 2025

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the West London-based giants have the financial capacity to power on with either pursuit without the need for any bargaining chips along the way.

Speaking of which, Chelsea could have an intriguing plan up their sleeve to land one of the Premier League’s most exciting marksmen.

Chelsea could use makeweight in pursuit of Joao Pedro

According to Si Phillips, Chelsea could offer Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in exchange for Brighton & Hove Albion striker Joao Pedro and there is a ‘strong chance’ BlueCo may use this mode of operation to try and acquire the Brazil international.

Despite only joining the club last summer, the £80,000 per week earner was predominantly used in the Europa Conference League, though he did manage 31 outings across all competitions, scoring four times and laying on three assists.

On the other hand, Pedro, who has previously been labelled “amazing” by Slaven Bilic, managed a respectable ten strikes and seven assists in 30 outings.

The opportunity to trade with the Seagulls may be edged along due to the likes of ex-Brighton employee Paul Winstanley. Former Watford man Pedro is also wanted by Newcastle, albeit they may opt to pivot towards Liverpool’s Diogo Jota in their own search for a number nine.

Chelsea would love a clear run at signing the forward, though it should be taken into account that their attempt to perform a part-exchange means Brighton aren’t willing to let him leave on the cheap and more work on this front may be required.

Klaasen, Miller, Maharaj and Rabada all had a hand in helping them win by four runs

Firdose Moonda10-Jun-20242:25

Should cricket revisit the leg-bye rule on a referral?

South Africa survived an almighty scare to to maintain a 100% win-record at the T20 World Cup 2024, and in New York, where they chose to bat first in their final fixture at Eisenhower Park. On a used wicket, Aiden Markram decided to put a total on the board, and it almost looked like a mistake. South Africa were 23 for 4, but a record 79-run fifth-wicket stand between Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller took them to 113, which they scrapped hard to defend.Bangladesh’s start was not ideal. They were 50 for 4 after ten overs, but Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah put on 44 for the fifth wicket and got them back on track. They almost also got them over the line and will look back on one incident which could have forced a Super Over. In the 17th over, Mahmudullah missed a flick off Ottneil Baartman, which hit his front pad and deflected to the boundary for what looked like four leg byes. But he was given out off that ball, which made it dead at the point of impact, and reviewed the decision. Ball-tracking showed Mahmudullah was not out, but because he had been given out, the four runs did not count, as outlined by the ICC’s protocols on DRS (3.7.1) in the playing conditions for T20Is.In the end. Bangladesh fell short by four runs. That, and their inability to capitalise on Keshav Maharaj bowling the final over for the first time in T20Is and sending down three full tosses, cost them the game.Maharaj was tasked with the final over after Markram bowled the seamers out earlier. It seemed a miscalculation, but he got two wickets as Bangladesh sought to clear the boundary though neither Jaker Ali nor Mahmudullah could. Mahmudullah was out on the penultimate ball – off a full toss – to a well-timed running catch by Markram from long-on, which all but ended Bangladesh’s hopes.0:59

Morkel: South Africa held their nerve defending a low total

South Africa leave the USA with three wins from three matches, and will move to St. Vincent to play Nepal in their last group match. They are in pole position to qualify for the Super 8s. Bangladesh also head to the West Indies, and will play Netherlands and Nepal, with the Super 8s still in sight.Top-three troublesFor all the talk about the power of their batting line-up, South Africa’s top three have underperformed thus far, albeit on tough batting surfaces. Collectively, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks and Markram have scored 61 runs in nine trips to the crease at an average of 6.77. Of teams that have played at least two matches at the tournament, only Uganda and PNG average lower.The biggest concern will be Hendricks, whose scores of 4, 3 and 0 are the lowest of the trio, and whose methods of dismissal appear to show a technical deficiency. Twice in two games, Hendricks has been stuck in his crease and then played down the wrong line. He’ll be looking over his shoulder knowing fellow opener Ryan Rickelton is waiting on the bench, and could get an opportunity in the next match.Things got even worse when Tristan Stubbs was dismissed for a duck in the fifth over. South Africa have only lost their first four wickets by end of the fifth over on five occasions in men’s T20Is, and two of them came in this competition. Happily for them, they had Klaasen and Miller on hand to shore up the mid-section of the innings. Three overs: 13 runsAfter Tanzim Hasan (3 for 18) set the tone with wickets upfront, Taskin Ahmed took charge of the latter stages, helped by Rishad Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman. Between them, the trio gave away just 13 runs in the last three overs of South Africa’s innings, and removed both danger batters Klaasen and Miller in a clutch display of death bowling. Klaasen was dismissed halfway through the 18th over, when he slogged across the line but was early on his shot, and the low bounce took the ball onto leg stump. Taskin only conceded three singles off the rest of that over to finish with 2 for 19 from his four overs.It may have been a gamble to use legspinner Rishad for the penultimate over, especially when his previous three cost 28 runs, but he knocked Miller out with a topspinner second ball, and Maharaj could not get him away. Rishad’s final over cost just four. Then came the Fizz, who took the ball away from Maharaj for four consecutive dots before a fifth went wide and was called as such. The batters scored three runs off the last two balls and were frustrated by their inability to score any boundaries in the last three overs.1:24

Morkel: Miller and Klaasen showed maturity against spinners

Happy Birthday David MillerOn his 35th birthday, Miller was given a gift when he edged the first ball Mahmudullah bowled. But Litton Das, who was standing up to the stumps, was unable to react quickly enough to take the catch. Miller was on 13 at the time and went on to more than double his score and finish on 29. But that wasn’t the end of the presents for him. He was stationed at extra cover when Maharaj was brought on to bowl the first over after the powerplay, and Litton, not content with what he had already given Miller, slapped the ball straight to him. Miller made no mistake, and Bangladesh were 29 for 2 in the seventh over.Three overs: 15 runsBangladesh had to get 20 runs off the last 18 balls, and after putting on the squeeze in that period would have expected it to be difficult but perhaps not difficult. Kagiso Rabada bowled the 18th over, despite not being his best at the tournament so far. He only half-appealed when Hridoy missed an attempted clip to the leg side but was rewarded with a wicket first up. Rabada went on to concede only one more run in an over of hard lengths.Then Baartman stepped up for the 19th, and stuck to a slightly fuller length which neither Mahmudullah nor Jaker could get away. He conceded seven runs. The test was when Maharaj, who has never done this job before, was left with the final six balls. He started with a wide. His second legal ball was a low full toss that Mahmudullah hit hard down the ground, but the slow outfield stopped it from getting to the rope. Jaker tried to send the next one over the rope but couldn’t clear long-on, and then Rishad managed a leg bye.But the last two balls were both full tosses that should have been dispatched over the rope. However, Mahmdullah’s effort found Markram, while Taskin could only hit the final ball to cover to give South Africa a nervy anti-choke win.

It is set to be a very busy summer for Arsenal.

After three consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta’s team are determined to finally take the next step.

With that objective in mind, could they be about to make yet another statement signing from Spain?

Arsenal's incoming transfer business

By early next week, with Tuesday being the start of July, expect a few of Arsenal’s transfer targets to be unveiled.

Transfer Focus

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

Kepa Arrizabalaga will arrive from Chelsea for a reported fee of £5m, to be the back-up to David Raya, while, as reported by David Ornstein of the Athletic, Arsenal are ‘finalising’ a deal to sign Brentford captain Christian Nørgaard for £9.3m.

The Dane, however, is not the only central midfielder heading to North London, given that Martín Zubimendi is set to be unveiled next week, after the Gunners paid his £51m Real Sociedad release clause.

Nevertheless, with Thomas Partey and Jorginho both departing on free transfers, this is an area of the team they do require multiple reinforcements, so are seemingly not done yet.

That’s because, according to reports in Spain, the Gunners are ‘preparing an offer’ of around £35m to Barcelona, as they attempt to sign Marc Casadó.

They also claim that Arteta believes the 21-year-old ‘fits his style of play’ perfectly, hence why the la Másia graduate ‘has become a priority’ for Arsenal.

Given Barcelona’s ongoing financial crisis, they have not ruled out sanctioning a departure, especially one that facilitates Nico Williams’ arrival from Athletic Club which, as Pol Ballús of the Athletic outlines, still faces financial obstacles.

How Marc Casadó would improve Arsenal

As alluded to earlier, Casadó joined Barcelona’s academy as a 13-year-old, making his senior debut for the first team during a Champions League dead rubber against Viktoria Plzeň in November 2022.

Since then, he has accumulated 41 appearances for Barça, but only establishing himself as a key figure this season, a regular starter before suffering a ligament injury in March, as the table below outlines.

Appearances

36

16th

Starts

29

10th

Minutes

2,447

11th

Completed passes

1,682

7th

Progressive passes

154

8th

Passes into the final third

182

6th

Shot-creating actions

64

9th

Tackles

77

2nd

Interceptions

25

8th

Touches

2,122

8th

Ball recoveries

120

8th

Average SofaScore rating

7.03

10th

As the table outlines, Casadó ranked very highly for every metric included at Barcelona this season, including both passing, as well as defensive statistics, namely tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries, underlining that he is an all-rounder.

Following his international debut against Denmark in Copenhagen, in which he came off the bench to replace Zubimendi, teammate Bryan Zaragoza described the midfielder as “barbaric”, adding “I don’t even know what to say about how he played​​​​​​​…. he’s an animal”.

Meantime, Domagoj Kostanjšak of Total Football Analysis believes he is the heir to Sergio Busquets’ throne, stating that Casadó is ‘mostly a ball-recycler’, praising his ‘crisp close control and great decision-making in possession’.

Meantime, Price of Breaking the Lines outlines how the youngster ‘always wants to make progressive passes’, noting that he is almost never dispossessed​​​​​​​ and has the ability to ‘dominate’ any midfield battle he is involved in.

So, we all already know what Zubimendi is all about, with Ogunniyi Abayomi of Breaking the Lines stating that he too is ‘capable of making line-breaking passes​​​​​​​’ as well as dictating the tempo from the base of midfield.

Thus, together, the Spanish duo – both potentially arriving from LaLiga – could form an unstoppable partnership, finally ending Arsenal’s interminable 22-year wait for the Premier League title.

£70m star wants to join Arsenal after Norgaard and Mosquera, talks ongoing

The north Londoners mean business this summer.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 28, 2025

Under DeSilva holdings, the franchise will be known as Dambulla Sixers

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jun-2024The Lanka Premier League’s Dambulla franchise has new ownership – an engineering consulting firm called Sequoia Consultants based in Los Angeles.Sri Lanka Cricket announced this news about two weeks after the board was forced to terminate the previous ownership of the Dambulla franchise, because one of the co-owners – Tamim Rahman – was arrested by Sri Lanka police under the Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act.SLC said this new franchise will be run by a local company named DeSilva Holdings, “which was specifically set up for this purpose”. The owner of DeSilva Holdings, Priyanga de Silva, is in turn a majority shareholder of Sequoia, and had played domestic cricket in Sri Lanka, according to the release.Related

LPL terminates contract with Dambulla Thunders

Under DeSilva holdings, the franchise will be known as Dambulla Sixers, having previously been Dambulla Viiking, Dambulla Giants, and Dambulla Aura – the ownership having changed repeatedly since the tournament’s first season in 2020.”My desire to get engaged in cricket, especially cricket in Sri Lanka, prompted me to purchase the Dambulla Sixers team,” said De Silva. “I have seen LPL grow as a league during the last four years, which is commendable for a small country like ours. I am excited to be a part of this growth and be able to contribute to the development of cricket in our country,” he added.The new ownership takes charge with a little over three weeks to go, before the tournament’s scheduled start, on July 1. Matches will be played in Pallekele, Dambulla, and Colombo.

Bringing in new midfielders, a young defender and even another goalkeeper is great, but what Arsenal fans really want to see this summer is for some attackers to make their way to the Emirates.

While the team remains one of the best in the country, it’s become increasingly evident over the years that the frontline is the area of Mikel Arteta’s side in most need of reinforcing.

For example, despite coming second in the Premier League last season, the Gunners produced the best defence, but only the third-best attack, scoring 17 goals fewer than champions Liverpool.

Fortunately, Andrea Berta and Co seem well aware of this need to improve the club’s firepower as they appear closer to landing goalscorer extraordinaire Viktor Gyokeres and have now been linked with another forward who’d be a perfect teammate for the Swedish international.

Arsenal target dream Gyokeres teammate

There has been talk of Arsenal needing a new number nine for well over a year now, and reports linking them with Gyokeres as far back as last summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Those links then persisted into the winter window, and while it looked like Benjamin Sesko was going to be the forward the Gunners went for earlier this summer, the odds seem to have moved back towards the Sporting CP star.

In fact, according to reports from earlier this week, the Gunners have already agreed personal terms with the 27-year-old on a five-year deal and are now in advanced talks with the Lisbon-based outfit over his potential transfer.

If that wasn’t exciting enough, it now appears that the North Londoners are preparing to pursue another talented attacker who could be the perfect teammate for Gyokeres.

According to a recent report from Italy, as relayed by Sport Witness, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in Atalanta star Ademola Lookman, and are now preparing to make an offer for him.

The report claims that the Gunners want to sign him for €50m, which is approximately £43m plus bonuses, although the Bergamo outfit value their star at €60m, equivalent to around £52m.

It could be a costly and difficult deal to get over the line, but given Lookman’s immense ability, it’s one Arsenal should fight for, especially as he’d be an incredible teammate for Gyokeres.

Why Gyokeres would love playing with Lookman

The first reason Gyokeres would love playing with Lookman at Arsenal, and undoubtedly the one that carries the most weight, is that the Nigerian is an output machine.

For example, in 45 appearances, totalling 2809 minutes in the 23/24 season, he scored 17 goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.66 games, or one every 104.03 minutes.

Then, last season, the 27-year-old showcased exactly why Gian Piero Gasperini thinks he’s “among the best in Europe and the world”, scoring 20 goals and providing seven assists in 40 appearances, totalling 2871 minutes, which came out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.48 games, or every 106.33 minutes.

Appearances

118

Starts

88

Minutes

7538′

Goals

52

Assists

25

Goal Involvements per Match

0.65

Minutes per Goal Involvement

97.89′

Now, just imagine the sort of carnage the Sporting striker, who amassed 54 goals and 13 assists in 52 games last season, could get up to with a teammate as productive as Lookman playing alongside him.

Moreover, the former Toffees ace can and has played all across the frontline, in attacking midfield and even as a second-striker, so there should be plenty of opportunities for him to start alongside and develop a partnership with the former Coventry City star.

Additionally, as he’s more than adept at playing up top, he could also act as cover for the Stockholm-born titan, ensuring he isn’t overplayed and that he has good enough competition to push him forward.

Ultimately, Arsenal need more goals in their team next season, and Gyokeres and Lookman would provide that in spades, so even if he’s somewhat expensive, Berta and Co should do what they can to secure the Nigerian international alongside the Swede.

He's a lot like Saka: Arsenal "working on" signing £50m star – Ornstein

The international attacker could add some more flair to Arsenal’s squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 3, 2025

Wan Julia’s maiden half-century for Malaysia went in vain

S Sudarshanan20-Jul-2024It was not the perfect game but Thailand got their Women’s Asia Cup 2024 campaign off to a winning start, keeping their perfect record over Malaysia in T20Is intact.Thailand missed a couple of key batters due to injuries, and were being led by a new, young captain Thipatcha Putthawong. But thanks to wicketkeeper-batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai’s 35-ball 40, they managed to post a challenging 133 for 6 after opting to bat. And then, despite a 68-run opening partnership by Malaysia, they beat them by 22 runs.Despite the win, it was a day to forget for Thailand in the field as they spilled two catches and were a tad sloppy overall.Thailand’s attacking ways pay offUnder the previous coach Harshal Pathak, Thailand developed an attacking game, packing their side with strokemakers. In their first Asia Cup game under new head coach Nitish Salekar, they continued in a similar vein even if the personnel were slightly different. In the absence of Natthakan Chantham, out with an ACL injury, the other regular opener Nattaya Boochatham set the tone early. She got going with three fours in the opening over. No. 4 Putthawong also struck one off the second ball she faced. This was when Malaysia’s seamers were getting plenty of swing.Koncharoenkai also found the gaps regularly, hitting two fours in three balls off Suabika Manivannan to keep the momentum going. Even though Thailand lost two wickets in the powerplay, they managed to hit eight fours and score 44 in that phase. In comparison, Malaysia scored 36 for 0 and hit only five fours in their batting powerplay.Koncharoenkai never let her intent dip, even when offspinner Mahirah Izzati Ismail was bowling in excellent rhythm. That confidence rubbed off on Phannita Maya, who also kept the scorecard moving. Koncharoenkai’s 48-run fourth-wicket partnership with Maya set the platform for Thailand’s score that proved enough.Ismail impacts the middle oversIsmail was introduced right after the powerplay and she struck immediately by deceiving Putthawong in flight. Putthawong went for the sweep but the ball was too full to do so, and was trapped lbw.Wan Julia’s maiden half-century went in vain•ACCIn her third over, Ismail struck twice in three balls. She got the set Koncharoenkai to mistime a cut to backward point, and then flighted the ball to Chanida Sutthiruang, who chipped it straight to cover. Despite Thailand’s attacking ways, Ismail managed to hold her own. She conceded just one boundary in her four overs and finished with 3 for 16.Julia, Duraisingam and Malaysia flatter to deceiveMalaysia had never beaten Thailand in four T20Is before Saturday. And without Mas Elysa, one of only two Malaysia batters with 1000-plus runs in the format, in the side, their hopes rested on their experienced openers Wan Julia and captain Winifred Duraisingam. They did their bit, stitching together a steady partnership.Duraisingam used the crease well to pierce the gaps in the powerplay. Julia used her power more, using the cuts and slashes. But with the Thailand bowlers not offering a lot of boundary opportunities, the pair had to rely on the running between the wickets. They took Malaysia to 59 for no loss after ten overs.But Duraisingam fell in the 12th over in a bid to attack offspinner Onnicha Kamchomphu. In the following over, Elsa Hunter also fell trying to attack legspinner Suleeporn Laomi. Even though Julia brought up her maiden T20I fifty – becoming Malaysia’s first half-centurion at the Asia Cup – Malaysia were waging a lost battle. Apart from their openers, no one else entered the double digits and Thailand flexed their bowling muscles aplenty to walk away with a win.

He last played four-day domestic cricket in 2021 and is looking to ensure he balances his build-up with staying fresh

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-20241:38

Cummins explains why he will miss the September tour to England

Australia Test captain Pat Cummins is eyeing a brief return to the Sheffield Shield to tune up for the series against India which starts in late November.Cummins, who recently completed an MLC stint in the USA, has been rested from Australia’s white-ball tour of Scotland and England next month. He will spend the time focusing on strength and conditioning ahead of the home summer with the five Tests against India taking a little over seven weeks which will be followed shortly after by two more games in Sri Lanka.Related

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Those seven Tests will decide whether Australia will have the chance to defend their World Test Championship title at Lord’s next June. They are currently second in the table behind India.Cummins last played Sheffield Shield for New South Wales in February 2021 and has only made nine appearances in his career. There is also an ODI series against Pakistan in early November which could be used as part of the build-up to the Test matches.”Ronnie [coach Andrew McDonald] called me the other day and said we need to talk about this,” Cummins told News Corp. “I prefer to go a little bit fresher but definitely play some cricket going in.”So I’d say it’s either two or three ODIs, plus a Shield [game] or maybe just some Shield, maybe some NSW one-day stuff. I imagine kind of late October/early November will be when I start playing building up for the Tests.”Pat Cummins faces another intense period of Test cricket from late November•AFP/Getty ImagesNew South Wales have a Shield game against Victoria from October 20 then face Queensland from November 1, although the latter overlaps with the start of the ODI series against Pakistan.Cummins previously told ESPNcricinfo that missing the England tour had been long-planned and that the next few months were about ensuring his body was right for the upcoming workload which will also include the Champions Trophy next February in Pakistan.”I’ll have a good six or eight weeks off bowling where I’ll get in the gym every day, do some running, and get some strength back into my body,” he said.Mitchell Starc, who will play the ODI series against England after resting from the T20Is, and Josh Hazlewood, who will feature in the whole tour, could also be available for New South Wales ahead of the international season. Nathan Lyon is expected to play at least two matches before facing India.Most of the batters are expected to be available for the Sheffield Shield in October which features two rounds while those who aren’t part of the ODI side against Pakistan could get another outing. There are also two Australia A four-day matches against India A in Mackay and Melbourne.

Nottingham Forest have now joined the race to sign a “special” £25 million international winger, according to a new report.

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The Reds have made two signings so far this summer, both of whom arrived from Brazilian side Botafogo. But given the club are looking to go deep into the UEFA Conference League as well as achieve further success in the Premier League, then Nuno Espirito Santo will be wanting more arrivals before the Premier League season gets underway.

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Igor Jesus, who is a striker, is one of the two players to arrive at the City Ground this summer, and he will join Chris Wood, Taiwo Awoniyi, and Emmanuel Dennis as the contracted forwards at Forest, but the latter could be free to leave the club given he has fallen down the pecking order. Meanwhile, Awoniyi’s return to action is unknown, and therefore, Forest are in the market for another centre-forward.

According to recent reports abroad, Forest have made contact with Inter Milan over the signing of Mehdi Taremi. Fulham and Turkish outfit Besiktas were already in the race to sign Taremi, but the Reds have now added his name to the list, with all three teams making contact with Inter but are now waiting for the striker to decide his next move. He could cost any side as much as £6.8 million.

Nottingham Forest join Everton in race to sign "special" £25m winger

As well as looking at new forward options, the Reds are also looking at who could replace Anthony Elanga, and according to The Express, Forest have registered their interest in signing Ben Doak from Liverpool.

Unfortunately for Forest, they are not the only team from the Premier League interested in the winger, as Doak is a “leading target” for Everton, as they have made an enquiry, but the likes of Bournemouth and Crystal Palace have also submitted enquiries about signing Doak.

It goes on to add that Doak, who has earned six caps for Scotland to date, would be open to leaving Anfield this summer, after returning from his loan spell at Middlesbrough. The 19-year-old is out of contract next summer, and therefore, Liverpool could be open to letting Doak leave, should they receive an offer worth £25 million.

This is despite the fact he has played just 10 times for the Premier League champions, but Liverpool will see his loan spell at Boro as a productive campaign, as he scored three goals in 24 league games.

Apps

24

Starts

21

Goals

3

xG

4.40

Shots per game

1.1

Goal conversion

11%

Assists

7

xAG

4.52

Big chances created

7

Key passes

1.9

Successful dribbles

1.5 (40%)

Doak is a player who is admired by a lot of clubs, and it may not come as much of a surprise, given former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp labelled Doak “special”. Klopp said: “Special boy. Really confident, has something nobody else delivers, really, this kind of dribbling, this kind of straight-forward bravery, all these kinds of things.”