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Manchester United have now opened talks to sign an “insane” £13m+ colossus, making contact with his representatives in recent days, according to a report.

Man Utd set sights on new goalkeeper

It would be fair to say that Andre Onana has flattered to deceive ever since arriving from Inter Milan, and Ruben Amorim even dropped the goalkeeper for Altay Bayindir at times during the 2024-25 season, with the Turk playing three of the final four Premier League games.

As such, it is no surprise that United are now looking to bring in a replacement for Onana, and they have set their sights on a number of ambitious targets, many of whom are vastly experienced at Champions League level.

Target

Current club

UCL appearances

Gianluigi Donnarumma

PSG

40

Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Barcelona

85

Emiliano Martinez

Aston Villa

14

Diogo Costa

FC Porto

23

That said, it could be difficult to attract some of Europe’s top goalkeepers after the Europa League final defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, and the Red Devils have now joined the race for a perhaps more attainable target.

According to a report from GiveMeSport, Man United have now opened talks with the entourage of OGC Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka, although given that the two clubs are owned by INEOS, a deal may not be possible until January 2026.

United cannot do business with the French club until September, so they may wait until January before making a move for the goalkeeper, who is valued at over £13m, or failing that they could look to bring him in on a free transfer next summer.

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AC Milan and Galatasaray could provide competition for Bulka’s signature, with United yet to engage in formal club-to-club negotiations, indicating the potential move is not yet at an advanced stage.

"Insane" Bulka impressing in Ligue 1

Football scout Ben Mattinson has expressed his shock that the 25-year-old has remained at Nice for so long, given his impressive performances in France, saying: “Marcin Bułka was insane vs PSG. I’m surprised he’s still at Nice after being the best GK in Ligue 1 last season.

“The combination of his shot stopping prowess and quality both-footed distribution whilst being 6’6” makes him a great option for big teams.”

Indeed, the Polish shot-stopper put in what could be a career-best performance against former club PSG back in April, achieving a 10 SofaScore rating after making nine saves from inside the box and preventing 2.53 goals.

Nice ran out 3-1 winners against the European champions, embarrassing them in their own backyard courtesy of their colossus between the sticks, who averaged the second-highest Ligue 1 rating in the squad last season.

As such, Bulka could be an excellent signing for Man United, and he may be a more attainable target than the likes of Donnarumma and Ter Stegen, although the fact they will have to wait until January is frustrating.

Celtic find themselves in the hunt for more forward options this summer and have received a shot in the arm regarding their pursuit of a 25-goal striker, according to a report.

Celtic looking to sign a striker this summer

Kyogo Furuhashi departed Celtic in January and there was plenty of contention surrounding the club’s decision not to replace the Japanese marksman despite a last-gasp bid to land Danny Ings from West Ham United.

In the end, Daizen Maeda moved into a central position and Adam Idah earned more seniority through the middle, leaving inexperienced forward Johnny Kenny to plug the gaps on the odd occasion.

Ending the campaign on a respectable tally of 20 goals, Celtic striker Idah is confident he can handle the scoring burden associated with being the leading number nine at Parkhead.

He stated on international duty: “The pressure is a lot and you are expected to deliver. I think with my experience now, you have to put that behind you. You know what you are good at.

“If you don’t score for a couple of games, it is not helpful to listen to an ex-player. I am not really concerned with what he thinks – I am there to do my bit.”

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ByDan Emery Jun 3, 2025

Without question, Celtic will sign a striker this summer. They face more fixture congestion than most clubs around Europe due to their regular juggling act between domestic and European football.

Now, they may have received a boost regarding their pursuit of a reported target to help fill the Furuhashi-shaped void under Brendan Rodgers if recent developments are to be taken into account.

Celtic target Youssef El-Kachati rejects Hannover 96 move

According to Kicker, Celtic target Youssef El Kachati has rejected a move to Hannover 96 as his contract at Telstar moves closer to expiring, with a decision on his next club expected very soon.

The Moroccan striker was previously thought to have found a verbal agreement over a move to Germany with their sporting director Marcus Mann, but he is now said to prefer a switch to a side that will feature in European competition next season.

Youssef El Kachati in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

45

Goals

25

Assists

9

Austria Wien have also been mentioned in the race for his signature. Celtic have been watching El Kachati over several months and will have been aware of his exploits that saw Telstar promoted to the Eredivisie for the first time in almost half a century.

It is anticipated that a decision on his future could come sooner rather than later. At this point, top-flight football with the prospect of testing himself on the continent is a better career option than the German second-tier.

Celtic need to bolster their frontline to handle the strain of another jam-packed campaign of action and El Kachati could be a financially advantageous signing that would provide competition centrally and out wide.

Amid the celebrations at Anfield toward the end of April, after Liverpool had thrashed Tottenham Hotspur to seal the Premier League title, Arne Slot could be seen in deep conversation with sporting director Richard Hughes.

Hughes, who reports to Michael Edwards but wields principal transfer control for the Reds, has only overseen the signing of Federico Chiesa since Jurgen Klopp left one year ago, but who can argue this careful approach hasn’t borne dividends?

Now, though, is the time for action. Strengthen while you’re on top, and all that. However, there is truth in the case for new signings, with Arsenal and Manchester City both looking to rebound from frustrating campaigns and sure to be busy across the summer months.

Slot’s title-winning side are also set to lose Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer, and in spite of the season’s success, the first team bears several yawning holes that need redressing.

Liverpool's summer transfer plans

FSG have moved quickly for Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong, who is Trent’s ostensible replacement but carries a dynamic approach which will see him fill multiple roles down the right flank.

A deal has yet to be finalised, but the Dutchman is in the closing stages of a transfer to Merseyside, with Liverpool ready to activate his release clause in the region of €35m (£30m).

It means Liverpool can turn toward the other defensive flank, with Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez at the top of the shopping list, and focus on replacing striker Darwin Nunez, who has only scored seven times this season.

Even the most ardent Nunez supporters would struggle to stake a case for a fourth term as Liverpool’s centre-forward. He needs to be sold to make way for something new.

However, the 25-year-old would be a tad frustrated if he leaves as one of the game’s highest-calibre playmakers makes their way into Slot’s squad.

Meeting slated as Liverpool chase superstar

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool have scheduled a meeting to discuss signing Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, with The Athletic previously confirming the Reds have joined Manchester City and Bayern Munich in the race.

Their sources anticipate a ‘big push’ from Liverpool in the coming days, with a deal slated for around €120m (£101m), which is more affordable than previously believed.

Though it’s felt that Bayern still have the lead in the race, it’s very much open and FSG are pushing to accelerate matters, emboldened by their understanding that Die Werkself would rather sell abroad than to the Bundesliga champions, who dethroned them last week.

This suggests that Liverpool have a big advantage in the race to sign the star, because they are a more attractive destination to Leverkusen than Bayern are.

What Florian Wirtz would bring to Liverpool

Curiously, data-driven site FBref list Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal as one of Wirtz’s most comparable players. Obviously, there are patent differences between the two, but Liverpool could emulate Hansi Flick’s success in building a new era with such a poster boy who can challenge at the pinnacle for many years to come.

The 22-year-old Wirtz might still be young, but he’s already regarded as a “world-class” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, something echoed by the masses, for sure.

He might even be further into his incredible development, had he not torn his anterior cruciate ligament in March 2022. Aged 18 and regarded as a prodigy, this could have been detrimental, but the German international bounced back in January 2023 and made headway before winning the Bundesliga in his first full season back, and claiming the Player of the Year award besides.

Still, it hardly matters now, for Wirtz has posted, incredibly, 68 goal contributions for Leverkusen across the past two seasons.

He’s got the talent to rival Yamal, to be sure, with the teenage sensation, still only 17, having bagged La Liga and Copa del Rey titles this year after winning the Euros with Spain last summer.

Yamal will only get better, but he has that special flair across underlying physical and athletic metrics that bespeaks his generational quality. It’s something Wirtz yields too.

Goals

0.46

0.29

Assists

0.37

0.38

Shots taken

2.88

4.24

Shot-creating actions

5.64

5.56

Pass completion

80%

75.1%

Passes attempted

64.65

47.52

Progressive passes

6.91

4.92

Progressive carries

4.55

5.88

Successful take-ons

2.88

4.82

Ball recoveries

4.26

3.81

Tackles + interceptions

1.52

1.84

Both players boast similar playmaking metrics, but it’s interesting to note that Wirtz is far more economical with his striking, far outstripping Yamal in front of goal despite taking fewer shots on average.

Moreover, he’s crisper in possession and more of a natural distributor, making a remarkable number of progressive passes per game.

There’s a very good chance these two players will be dominating European football for years to come, so why wouldn’t Liverpool want to get ahead of the curve by signing one of the generation’s superstars to Slot’s cause?. It would be a sure-fire way of consolidating this season’s triumph, no doubt.

Though Yamal would be the perfect heir to Mohamed Salah’s throne, it’s probably fair to say he’s untouchable. However, Wirtz is the most sought-after talent on the market right now, and Liverpool have a genuine chance to bring him over to Anfield in the coming months.

To say Wirtz has a high ceiling would be false; the German star has no ceiling. Like Yamal, the sky is not the limit but the expectation. At Liverpool, under Slot’s wing, he could become one of the greatest players of his generation, ensuring Anfield stays at the top of the domestic and European game for many years to come.

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Arsenal could now be handed the chance to sign yet another Bayern Munich player, following their recent talks with Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman.

Arsenal make contact with Leroy Sané and Kingsley Coman

Mikel Arteta and new sporting director Andrea Berta are reportedly keen to bring in a new winger this summer, prompting the Gunners to reach out to Bavaria in search of quality options.

Arsenal convinced they'll sign "world-class" player by June, talks ongoing

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At the beginning of April, it was reported that Arsenal held “fresh talks” with Sane over joining on a free transfer.

However, as per Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Vincent Kompany’s side have tabled a formal contract proposal to Sane, who was recently named Bayern’s Player of the Month for March amid his sensational end to the campaign, and it is highly likely the German will extend his stay – dealing a blow to Arsenal in their pursuit.

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

After seemingly missing out on the 29-year-old, Arsenal then turned their attention towards Coman, who has expressed a desire to leave Bayern and is far more likely to seal a departure.

Clubs in Saudi Arabia, not to mention arch rivals Tottenham, are also believed to be expressing an interest – so it won’t be plain sailing for Berta.

“Kingsley Coman has already internally expressed his desire to leave this summer, as revealed,” wrote Plettenberg on X.

“Saudi clubs are now taking the matter seriously and are planning a visit to Munich for talks with Bayern. In England, Arsenal are currently the most concrete option – especially since Leroy Sané is about to extend his contract with Bayern. Spurs would like to sign Coman but are currently in a waiting position due to his high salary.”

Since then, Arsenal have moved to open talks with Coman’s representatives, and this communication is said to be “ongoing” as the north Londoners seek to tempt him with a move to N5.

Amid these discussions, it is now believed another Bayern ace could be on the table for Arteta – £165,000-per-week midfielder Joao Palhinha.

Arsenal likely to be offered Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha

According to CaughtOffside, Palhinha is likely to be offered to Arsenal, as his representative seeks a new landing spot just one year after he joined Kompany’s side – following a lengthy Fulham transfer saga.

The Portugal international has made just 21 appearances in all competitions, partly due to a muscle injury, with Liverpool and Man United also set to be handed an opportunity to strike a deal for the former Premier League star.

The Bundesliga frontrunners could be open to selling Palhinha, as they’re currently prioritising a contract extension for Leon Goretzka, so the 29-year-old’s availability is on the cards.

“He’s been absolutely sensational this season,” said pundit Rio Ferdinand on the midfielder in 2023.

“You need someone like that in front of you as a defender.”

Spirit and togetherness shine through at Lord’s in a victory that unites the past, present and future of South African cricket, and South Africa itself

Firdose Moonda16-Jun-20257:27

Bavuma: We’ve wiped all doubts with the way that we’ve played

The Lord’s air sizzled with South African spirit.I want to explain that better, but as someone who has always struggled with identity – a third-generation South African of Indian heritage and a child of the late Apartheid/early democratic era – I don’t know if it’s mine to explain.It’s a deep belief (hope is too light a word, knowledge too strong) that anything is possible.This is the blessing and the curse of being a South African of my generation: our parents and grandparents did not think they would live to see the end of segregation and we are still bungling our way through to proper unity. But we believe it’s possible because there are some things that always told us it could be. Sport, especially in the last six years since the Springboks won their third Rugby World Cup, is one of them.On the fourth morning at Lord’s, as Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram walked out down the pavillon steps, 69 runs away from history, I was on the outfield as a commentator for the BBC’s and I lingered longer than my colleagues. That’s when I felt it. And breathed it in. As the fans in the Compton and Edrich Stands drew the pair onto the pitch with their cheers, it was like a magnetic field had enveloped us. Our time was here.The next two hours and 16 minutes were fraught. The crowd roared as Bavuma blocked the first ball and then the second. I yelped when the third hit him on the pad, involuntarily and to the giggles of those around me. Behaviour like that is usually frowned upon in the press box but they let me have it, because all the world’s cricket press knows how long South Africa have waited. Mistakenly, they also thought we all wanted them to win every time. Spoiler alert: some of us didn’t, at least at first.A lot of people involved in cricket will tell you that cricket has been part of their lives for a long time, including me. I never played but grew up in a cricket-loving family and community, who saw sport as intensely political. My father and uncles (our mothers and aunts didn’t play) recognised how sport was used as a tool by the Apartheid regime to sideline people of colour. It was an act of rebellion, as well as a chance to have some fun, to stay involved. That’s what “board” cricket was about.An emotional Keshav Maharaj celebrates the win with Lungi Ngidi•ICC/Getty ImagesThe South African Cricket Board organised cricket among people of colour, as opposed to the South African Cricket Union, which was the white administrative body. Board cricket was serious and competitive but often played in substandard facilities and some records have been lost. I was a child but I remember board matches feeling like “our place”, where we could just be and not be judged. I had the opposite feeling when I first started attending matches after unity, as someone from a previously disadvantaged race group. When unity came in 1992 and the Board got swallowed by the Union, there was very little space for people like us, and it left us bitter. Many of us grew up supporting India, Pakistan and West Indies, who looked like us, and actively disliked the South Africa team.Cassim Docrat, an administrator from the Board, who did find a place in the Union, often reminds me that the decision to come together was rushed, and for the benefit of white cricket to get back to the international stage. Considering how few players of colour made it to the national team in the first 25 years of readmission, it’s difficult to disagree with him.

I’ve allowed myself to wonder if it was always supposed to take 27 years, and scolded myself for daring to compare the length of Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment with South Africa’s trophy drought

I was one of those who found a place on the periphery, in what was then a white-dominated and male-dominated space. By the mid-2000s, I was a teenager and I started working in cricket, as a scorer. Shukri Conrad was the Lions coach when I made it to the Wanderers score box, where I spent a handful of happy years doing ball-by-ball commentary for Cricinfo before moving into the editorial space. So it’s not just that cricket has occupied the major part of my life, Cricinfo has too. It’s through them that I have had a front-row seat to South Africa’s performances since 2009, a close-up to some celebrations and much heartache.The 2012 tour to England is my highlight, especially as Graeme Smith won the hearts of the nation with his century in his 100th match as captain, and by bringing his new-born daughter Cadence to Lord’s, where South Africa won the mace for the first time.Smith was also part of the broadcast team for this final and we’ve been exchanging little comments throughout the Test, increasingly with more stress in our voices. For a few minutes on the fourth morning, while Tristan Stubbs battled, we tried to distract ourselves by discussing where Cadence will go to high school. That’s how much time has passed.Graeme Smith and Vernon Philander were key parts of the 2012 South Africa team that attained the No. 1 Test ranking•Getty ImagesThe 2015 World Cup semi-final is an obvious lowlight, both because of the result, and the race-based selection interference which caused a major loss of trust in the administrators, but there have been others. Waking up to see that South Africa had lost to Netherlands at the 2022 T20 World Cup, the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final and 2024 T20 World Cup final the most recent.Of those, the 2023 defeat stands out because of the controversies around Temba Bavuma. He played the match with a strained hamstring and though that didn’t have much impact on the eventual result, was made to shoulder most of the blame. Cricket clearly has a sense of humour because Bavuma also batted in this match with the same injury and is now being hailed a hero.Hearing his name, chanted to the tune of “Seven Nation Army”, around Lord’s showed how much South African cricket has changed. It helps that the expat community, especially, has fallen in love with Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and embrace his black excellence. It also helps that Kolisi has won two World Cups. I’ve always felt sorry for Bavuma for being in Kolisi’s shadow and when I heard the Lord’s crowd, I could see him stepping out of it. He was ready, and I knew that from the interviews he had done pre-match, in which he spoke openly about being labelled a product of transformation (I contributed to it with the 2016 piece I did on his century) had been a handbrake on his career. I was sorry for the crudeness, but I also had a job to do, and I know we can’t escape race. Bavuma also now knows that. He understands his role in the bigger picture, as does that squad as a whole, and there are some very sombre reasons why.On the final morning of the victory over Pakistan that secured South Africa’s qualification for this final, batting coach Ashwell Prince lost his wife Melissa to cancer. She was 40 years old and beloved in South African cricket circles. Her death provided a completely different perspective to what was happening in front of us: just a game, with consequences, but clearly nothing as serious as what was happening in Prince’s life. It’s not that we stopped caring about the result, but we understood that there were important things going on. Three months later, Conrad lost his father, a former cricketer.A delighted Shukri Conrad and Kagiso Rabada after the win•ICC/Getty ImagesWhen Prince gave his batting talk to the team ahead of the final, he referenced those losses. Real, raw, heart-shattering losses. A game of cricket? He can get over that. But raising his three young sons alone, wishing for Melissa’s presence at every milestone and even every ordinary moment? There’s no getting over that. So, though the match matters and everyone is expected to do everything they can to win it, other things matter far more. It’s with that in mind that South Africa approached the final.Still, it can be difficult in the moment not to think winning is all that matters, both as a professional sportsperson and, by the looks of it, as a diehard fan. I’m not quite that (and I can’t be as a journalist) but I also wanted the win badly, partly so I’d have something different to write but mostly because I had that feeling all Test; that belief that this was it.When Bavuma was dismissed my heart sank. Not another mess-up for him to explain. I couldn’t watch Stubbs bat. He seemed so out of his depth. He’s a kid. He’ll get there. With 20 runs to get, I started to get serious about what was about to happen, what I’d need to say, what I’d need to write. I didn’t even realise when Markram was dismissed because of the non-reaction from the Australians. Kyle Verreynne’s awkward ramp made me grimace, and he told us afterwards he didn’t know what he’d been thinking, but by then they were on the verge. On screen, I saw Smith, barely able to contain himself as the winning runs loomed.They came with a drive and a wave of emotion like nothing I’ve experienced at a sporting venue. South Africa, rejoice!Related

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On air, I tried to remember all the names I wanted to mention, to pay homage to the generations of cricketers that wanted this victory deeply: Barlow and Procter; Pollock and Kallis; Amla and Philander. Bacher’s came out easily. A divisive figure among people of my parents’ generation, for his role in supporting rebel tours, he has become a dear friend and his recent, severe illness has been on my mind for months. Not everyone approves of my relationship with Bacher. To me, it’s proof that we are not our parents, and that there is a space to see someone as a human first. I look forward to explaining how the WTC works to him. He’d asked me a few months ago and we didn’t have the time, but now I’ll just say South Africa won and I don’t think he’ll have too many more questions.Most of the rest of the names were more recent, men whose careers I had covered and some of whose struggles I’d seen. Makhaya Ntini stands out. He retired a few years after my career began and was always reluctant to talk about the experience of being the only black African in the squad until just before the Social Justice and Nation Building hearings of 2021, when he found his voice and told his story.The hearings had their flaws but they cracked South African cricket open and let the light in. We gave ourselves the space to talk about our experiences. Personally, covering the SJN gave me an agency I was too scared to take hold of before. It reassured me that my community’s story, however small in cricket, also mattered, that the things I had endured, as a woman of colour in the press box, also mattered and that all the attempts I’d made to amplify the voices of players of colour were worth it.One of my earlier pieces was about the two men of colour, Hussein Manack and Faiek Davids, who travelled with South Africa’s first post-readmission side to India. Manack’s father, Aboo, has collected and kept a meticulous history of cricket among our people, the Johannesburg-based South Africans of Indian heritage. I will stop putting off plans to go and see it, and maybe even digitise it. When I thought of who the Lord’s victory was for, I also thought of Aboo Manack, a contemporary of my late father.Aiden Markram gets the party started with a friend in the stands•PA Images via Getty ImagesThen I looked around and I saw little Milan Maharaj running in the opposite direction from where her father, Keshav, was calling her and I smiled through the tears I was also trying to hide. I saw what you saw as Bavuma held his son Lihle in one arm and the mace in the other. As Ian Smith put it, “The two most important things in his life.” And it felt right. It felt like South African spirit.I’ve allowed myself to wonder if it was always supposed to take 27 years, and scolded myself for daring to compare the length of Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment with South Africa’s trophy drought. I remember, very vaguely, February 11, 1990 when Mandela was released and addressed the world from the Cape Town city hall and I know, from many readings of his speech, that what stuck with me was that he said we had reached a point on the march to freedom that was “irreversible”. He was right. Here we are. Six democratic elections later, and we have also ended the rule of Mandela’s former party in what is hailed as a triumph for peaceful power transition.South African cricket feels like it reached that same point on June 14, 2025. It’s not that they overturned three decades of near-misses or proved themselves under pressure. It’s that they did it together. Or as we would say, “together-together”.Those who know South Africans know we like to repeat words when we’re trying to emphasise them. “Now-now”, which is more now than now; “sure-sure”, when we want to be, well, sure of something. “Together-together” is not just the together of the squad and the support staff and the spectators, but the together that includes the past, the present and the future. The together that my generation believes is possible, even though there are still so many things that divide us.Breathe Mzansi. We’re all right.

Cold swims and close family, complemented by a happy dressing room on the same page, have seen 36-year old Sean Williams hit a purple patch

Firdose Moonda23-Jun-2023With midday temperatures in the upper 20s, Zimbabwe in June is no-one’s idea of winter. But when Sean Williams gets into the swimming pool at 6am each morning, that’s the season he experiences, all year round.”A lot of people don’t like the cold but once you get in it and you’ve done it for a while, it’s almost something you can’t do without,” Williams told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s basically about learning not to fight the situation. If you fight the cold water, you are going to feel the cold. But if you keep still, concentrate on your breathing and just relax and take it easy, you can be there for a while.”This has been Williams’ approach to life over the last 18 months, a period of time in which he lost his father Ray to cancer and welcomed his second daughter, Rylee-Rae (named in honour of her grandfather) into the world. The juxtaposition of these two life-altering events made Williams realise the importance of persistence in moments when things get tough. “Quite often I will get agitated and frustrated and a situation will get the better of me. Learning how to breathe and control and just be calm is something I have been practicing quite a bit of,” he said.Related

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As it happens, the ability to show staying power is what Zimbabwe’s coach Dave Houghton identified as the main thing for Williams to focus on ahead of the Qualifiers. Houghton called Williams “the most talented” batter in his squad because of the ease at which he gets starts but also the one who could then play a rash stroke and be dismissed. So far, not so.Williams scored what was then the fastest hundred for Zimbabwe, off 70 balls, in their chase of 291 against Nepal in their tournament opener last Sunday and followed it up with 91 in their third-highest successful chase of all time, against Netherlands. He still doesn’t waste time when he gets to the crease: he was 15 off 13 balls against Nepal and 17 off 10 against Netherlands, but he picks his shots with more precision.”We are trying to be a lot more positive and a lot less reckless. There’s quite a big difference between the two,” Williams said.The proof is in the game plans. Against Nepal, he watched offspinner Rohit Paudel’s flight before he judged that he could take it on; against Netherlands, he worked left-arm spinner Clayton Floyd around before going for the big shot. In both instances, he could rely on a middle and lower order that are in form, equally unafraid and have been empowered to handle tricky match situations.”Sometimes, previously, we were told what to do. Now, we’ve been taught how to think for ourselves and make decisions. We don’t have to send a message out onto the field anymore because the guys are seeing for themselves what to do,” Williams said.That’s all part of a culture of change that has come under Houghton, who has championed a more mature style of player management. “There’s a lot of thought that goes in and measured decisions made for the players around family time or taking a break,” Williams said. “For example, Sikandar Raza had come back from the IPL and management said you’re important to us so you should go home for a few days before the qualifiers. We’d rather see you not tired because you are valuable. That makes a huge difference.”Sean Williams walks out with his daughter, Charlotte, ahead of his 150th ODI game•ICC/Getty ImagesAnd it paid off. Against Netherlands, Raza broke the record Williams set in the previous game and smashed a century off 54 balls. Was Williams, who was dismissed for 91 off 58 balls, a little annoyed that Raza had broken his record? “No, not at all.””I had an opportunity to do it myself and if I had, Raza might not have had the opportunity to do so. The biggest thing for me at the end of the day is all as we are winning.”For now, Zimbabwe are doing exactly that. With two big wins from their opening two games, they are all but into the Super Sixes. Three teams from each group advances and carries the points and the net run-rate from the teams who progress with them from the first round.That makes Zimbabwe’s match against West Indies on Saturday vitally important. The winner of that game will likely take the most points into the next stage, where they are highly likely to face a clinical Sri Lankan side, a plucky Scotland team – who Zimbabwe tied with in the 2018 edition – and one of Oman, Ireland or the UAE and Williams is wary of them all.”Every team in the tournament has got a very good squad but those you have to watch out for are the ones who have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I find those teams dangerous,” he said.Williams has first hand experience of what teams like that can do. He was part of the XI that lost to UAE five years ago and that slip up cost them their World Cup place. After that heartbreak, reaching the World Cup this time would be both a balm and a boon for this Zimbabwean side.It would show they have properly moved on from the team they were five years ago and the World Cup participation fee is substantial, especially for players living through some of the worst hyperinflation in the world. But Williams will not allow himself to look that far ahead right now.”We can’t do that,” he said. “We’re focusing on our environment right now. It’s relaxed, which gives us freedom to play but that freedom also gives you responsibility – that responsibility of being professional, doing the right things and staying in the moment. If we can continue doing the things we are doing now well, and improve in certain areas, we can do well in this tournament.”For Williams, the memories he has made so far at this competition could well be career-defining. His century came in his 150th ODI with his mom Patricia, his wife Chantelle and his daughters Charlotte and Rylee-Rae in attendance. “It was just wow. One hell of a day. The perfect day,” he said.It was also Father’s Day and he dedicated the hundred to Ray, and celebrated it with his children. “It went from being an emotional day to a happy day and if there was one day of cricket I will remember, it will be that one,” he said. “Having my kids here has been helpful for me because I am not on my phone as much. I am trying to spend more time with them and they take me away from things I don’t need to worry about. They help me to stay in the moment.”Them, and the cold water, has got Williams, who is now 36, thinking about the cricketing legacy he’d want to leave behind. “I’d like to leave the Zimbabwe Cricket shirt in a better place than what I found it. And that’s something you can’t do alone. We are all contributing, and learning and growing along the way.”

Much like they were in their respective T20 World Cup semi-finals, school-mates Mitchell and Stoinis were the heroes for Scarborough back in 2009

Alex Malcolm12-Nov-20211:42

Daryl Mitchell – ‘It never felt like it was out of our grasp’

In March 2009, Daryl Mitchell, Marcus Stoinis and Justin Langer sat together as team-mates in the changerooms at the WACA celebrating a first-grade premiership for Scarborough.On Sunday night in Dubai, Stoinis and Mitchell, school-mates and long-time friends will face off in a World Cup final in Dubai, with Langer watching as Australia coach.Just as they did in their respective T20 World Cup semi-finals over the last 48 hours, back in 2009 both Stoinis and Mitchell were heroes for Scarborough. Stoinis made 189 in the semi-final. Then in the final, Mitchell, just two months shy of his 18th birthday, produced a match-winning spell taking 4 for 26 to help Scarborough beat Bayswater-Morley to win the premiership.

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Mitchell’s captain that day, former Western Australia opener Clint Heron, remembers the gamble he took. Bayswater-Morley were 169 for 2 chasing 265 when Heron turned to Mitchell.”He turned the game for us big time,” Heron told ESPNcricinfo. “We obviously had some big guns in the team at the time and they had had a crack and not quite got through. I spoke a bit with Alfie [Langer] about it.”We threw the ball to Daryl thinking he just might be one of those guys that will make something happen. And he got a wicket almost straight away, I think it might have been the first ball of his spell. He’s just such a competitor, which is why we sort of thought it was a good sort of roll of the dice at that stage because we were right up against it at that point.”Mitchell had moved to Perth from New Zealand three years earlier when his father John Mitchell was appointed the inaugural coach of the Western Force in the Super 14 Rugby competition.He was enrolled at Hale School where he met Stoinis, two years his senior, and played in the school side alongside Stoinis and Australian Rugby Union representative Dane Haylett-Petty.Stoinis and Mitchell are kindred spirits in many ways. They trained together non-stop over a period of nearly five years. Whether it was at Scarborough under Heron and Langer, privately with Langer’s long-time batting mentor Neil ‘Noddy’ Holder, or on their own together in the nets and gym at Revolution Sports indoor centre in Perth, the pair were relentless in their pursuit of becoming the best cricketers they possibly could. Mitchell told ESPNcricinfo prior to the World Cup that both Holder and Langer were major influences on his career.”To be able to first of all work with Neil ‘Noddy’ Holder not just with batting but as a mentor as well… to be able to spend time with him has helped me grow my game not only as a cricketer but as a person,” Mitchell said. “Obviously, [I was] very lucky to play club cricket in Scarborough with Justin Langer in my first year out of school was really cool. I remember growing up watching him as a kid and to share a dressing room with him was awesome.”Ironically, both had to leave Perth to get an extended run at first-class level. Stoinis moved to Melbourne without a contract to try his luck with Victoria following limited opportunities with WA. Mitchell headed back to New Zealand in 2011 to play for Northern Districts.Stoinis had dominated grade cricket in Perth and Melbourne and his ascension to domestic and international ranks was less of a surprise than Mitchell’s, whose returns at Scarborough in his early days were relatively modest. But Heron believed there was something special there.”Knowing his character, he was always one of those guys that will just work out a way to get the very best out of himself,” he said. “And even since he’s been gone, he’ll be in touch to just ask questions about how you try and face an offspinner in certain conditions. And then you’d catch up for coffee whenever he’s back in town to literally just talk about batting and how he could possibly improve.”That’s where those two guys, Stoinis and Mitchell, were so similar that every stone that was left, they turned it to see what was underneath and how they could get better.”The amount that Stoin has done in the background and the different people that he’s got to help him in his game, to get to where he is, the fitness, etc, is incredible.”The club won four first-grade premierships in a row with Langer playing in three of them, captaining and starring in the first two after his international career had finished. AJ Tye and Marcus Harris are other international players to come through the club. Heron believes Langer’s impact on their careers can’t be understated.Related

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“Justin’s part to play was instrumental as well,” Heron said. “I know he’s caught some flak for being critical and harsh at times. But you know, it’s coming from such a good place and he set the standard like no one else does.”The fact that these guys could see how hard he worked when he’s coming back to Scarborough, even when he’s finished his career and was just playing state cricket, was I think probably instrumental to all three of those guys’ success, obviously the two in the World Cup now, but Harry [Harris] as well.”Mitchell said it is odd to see his former teammates playing for Australia.”Growing up playing club cricket with Marcus Stoinis and Marcus Harris and it’s quite bizarre now they’re playing for Australia (laughs),” Mitchell said. “But yeah to be able to grow up with those guys and practice with them definitely played a major role in my formative years as a cricketer.”Ahead of that 2009 grand final, Heron invited John Mitchell to a Scarborough team dinner to talk about his experiences of coaching in a World Cup with the All Blacks and how to handle finals pressure.”It was really good,” Heron recalls. “Everyone really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it. It was just about backing yourself. Looking around the group, do you have trust in each other? But it was mainly coming down to just full trust, full commitment, and just go out and give it a red-hot dip. There was nothing to lose. If you back yourself, everything will work out well.”Stoinis and Mitchell are still following that advice.

أعلن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا”، عن الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة ليفربول وإنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

والتقى ليفربول وإنتر ميلان على ملعب “جوزيبي مياتزا” ضمن مباريات الجولة السادسة لمرحلة الدوري في دوري الأبطال.

وتمكن ليفربول من تحقيق الفوز على حساب إنتر ميلان بهدف دون مقابل، من ضربة جزاء سجلها دومينيك سوبوسلاي في الدقيقة 88.

وحصل على جائزة رجل مباراة ليفربول وإنتر ميلان، ريان جرافينبرخ لاعب الريدز، بعد أدائه خلال المواجهة.

اقرأ أيضًا | مباريات ليفربول المتبقية في دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد الفوز على إنتر ميلان

وقالت مجموعة المراقبين الفنيين في الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم: “كان تمركزه الدفاعي منضبطًا وذكيًا للغاية، غطى وحمى المساحات حول وأمام قلبي الدفاع، أثناء الاستحواذ على الكرة، بدأ الهجمات باللعب في وضعية نصف الدوران والتمرير للأمام عبر الخطوط في المناطق الضيقة”.

ورفع ليفربول رصيده إلى النقطة 12 في المركز الثامن بترتيب دوري أبطال أوروبا، وتجمد رصيد إنتر ميلان عند 12 نقطة أيضًا ويتواجد في المركز الخامس.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has not been one to shy away from his media duties this season, notably embracing his war of words with Wayne Rooney after that famous win over Real Madrid a few weeks ago.

That, however, has been the only thing they’ve really had to cheer about in the last few months. The pressure is intensifying on Arne Slot’s shoulders and just how long he remains in the Anfield dugout remains to be seen.

The Dutchman, who steered Liverpool to a remarkable Premier League title win during his debut campaign in England has made some bold calls of late, notably the decision to omit Mohamed Salah from the last two starting lineups.

The Egypt international was an unused substitute for Sunday’s win at West Ham and was on the bench again for the 1-1 draw at home to Sunderland, the first time in his Anfield career he had not started in back-to-back league matches.

It’s a shocking turn of events for the league’s player of the season back in 2024/25. Skipper van Dijk was asked for his thoughts after the draw with Sunderland.

Van Dijk speaks out on the Salah situation

“It’s not like you have unlimited credit, everyone has to perform,” said Van Dijk when asked whether Salah’s omission had sent a message to the dressing room.

“Mo has been doing that but the manager made that decision in the last two games. We all want the best for the club. I am pretty sure Mo will still be a big part of what we are trying to achieve because he is an amazing player and he has shown it consistently.

“But we are all trying to find consistency and he needs us to be in our best shape and we need him and that’s what we are all trying to find. He is still a fantastic player and we still have to remember there is a reason why he has been so successful at the club and we have to respect that.”

“I need him around as one of the leaders. I’m not worried. He’s disappointed but that’s absolutely normal as if you’re not disappointed when you’re not playing two games in a row then there is an issue as well.”

Van Dijk praises Florian Wirtz

Signed for a colossal £116m fee from Bayer Leverkusen over the summer, this has been an abject campaign to say the least for the German.

In the words of Gary Neville a few weeks ago, he’s been “really bad” and that hasn’t looked like improving. That said, he did make a big impact this week.

It looked like Wirtz had scored his first Premier League goal only to see it go down as an own goal after his effort took a huge deflection off Black Cats defender Nordi Mukiele.

Despite that, Van Dijk was full of praise for the attacking midfielder.

“There’s a very good reason why a club like us bought him – he’s an outstanding, world-class player in my eyes who can only become even better but it will take a bit of time,” said Van Dijk.

“For him he has to stay level-headed. Don’t get dragged into the outside world of when it’s very good or very bad and don’t get dragged into the numbers game. Nowadays there are a lot of eyes on if you score goals or have an assist or keep clean sheets but it is also about what you see and the contribution you have for the team, that’s not just shown in the numbers but in what you see and that should sometimes be the focus.”

Fewer touches than Alisson & only 2 passes: Liverpool flop must be dropped

Arne Slot has a huge call to make about one player after his showing for Liverpool last night.

2 ByEthan Lamb Dec 4, 2025

Opener produces vital half-century to help revive England from another wobbly start

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2025After their combined tally of eight runs in four innings at Perth, it proved to be a day of revived fortunes at the Gabba for two of the most scrutinised batters in England’s ranks. While Joe Root secured the plaudits for his magnificent maiden century on Australian soil, Zak Crawley’s bounce-back from a first-Test pair proved a similarly cathartic display.Though he fell when well set, gloving a pull off Michael Neser shortly after the first interval, his 76 from 93 balls was nonetheless a crucial contribution, coming as it did after his first-Test nemesis Mitchell Starc had again struck hard with the new ball, dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for ducks in his first two overs.Crawley, by then, had already driven Starc through the covers for four, to bring up his first runs of the series, and he carried on in a similar vein, picking off a total of 11 boundaries, the majority coming when Australia’s bowlers strayed into his arc.”I did feel good, to be honest,” Crawley told TNT Sports at the close of the first day’s play. “I felt much better than Perth. I was just trying to keep it simple, just trying to score straight on the leg side, and then if it was really full, maybe on the off side. Yeah, I was happy with my knock.”Crawley’s relative watchfulness outside off was the key feature of his innings, and a tribute to the hours in the nets that England have put in (in between some notable moments of downtime) since their two-day defeat in the series opener.”I think it’d have felt a long break if I’d have got two hundreds, to be honest,” he said. “It was big old gap after a two-day game. But yeah, it’s a good chance to get some practice in. And I felt comfortable. I felt calm today, and managed to settle the nerves. So I was pleased with how I played.”I had a clear plan and I stuck to it. There were still a couple of loose shots in there, as I tend to do, but got away with them, and I played nicely down the ground as well. By trying to score on the leg side, that made me leave a bit better outside off with the extra bounce today, and then when I got in, the ball started doing a bit less.”England’s close-of-play score of 325 for 9 looked significantly more healthy thanks to an unbeaten tenth-wicket stand of 61 between Root, who finished unbeaten on 135, and Jofra Archer, whose 32 not out was his highest Test score, in just his second innings at No.11.Until Australia have batted, it will be hard to tell how good that score actually is, but after the groundstaff had given the pitch a final trim to 3mm of grass before the match, Crawley knew it had been a good toss for England to win, notwithstanding their early collapse to 5 for 2.Related

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“The last few days, it’s been really green here. So we all thought it’s going to be a green nipper again. And they obviously shaved it this morning, so it looked like a great wicket to bat on, with the overheads as well.”I was gutted to get out when I did, the pitch was just getting a bit flatter there,” he added. “But obviously we finished the day well with Rooty and Jof at the end there. So it’s good day.”At 264 for 9 with approximately half an hour of the day remaining, there had been some speculation that England might declare to insert Australia under the lights, much as they had done in their previous pink-ball Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui two years ago. But with Root going strong, and with memories of England’s infamous declaration at Edgbaston in 2023, Crawley said a repeat scenario had not been on the cards.”No talk of declaring,” he said. “We were talking about boys going really hard, and if they got out, then it was kind of a win-win situation. So they went hard, and they came off, and there’s a valuable 50 runs there for us.”Root will be on strike when day two gets underway, and will have the chance to extend England’s innings into the morning session, with six overs to come until the new ball is due. For now, though, he will have a chance to savour a significant landmark in his career, and one that may just confirm his credentials as England’s greatest Test batter.”I’m chuffed for him,” Crawley said, after Root’s 40th Test hundred and his first in Australia. “He hasn’t been speaking about it at all to us, that’s just the outside noise. He’s just very focused on just getting whatever score is needed on the day, and proved to be a hundred today.”But he’s the best player I’ve ever played with, or probably against as well. And he’s a champion bloke. I’m chuffed to bits for him.”