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Real Madrid are not reportedly giving up on William Saliba as Los Blancos prepare a delegation to negotiate with Arsenal for the French defender. Xabi Alonso's focus has shifted as concerns grow over their current defensive depth, following a troubling display against Paris Saint-Germain in New Jersey during the Club World Cup.

• Alonso wants to strengthen his defence
• Konate & Saliba are among the options
• Real ready to send officials to London to negotiate

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to one name who is firmly on Real Madrid’s shortlist is Arsenal’s Saliba. The 23-year-old centre-back made a lasting impression during Arsenal’s win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in April, a performance that has reportedly catapulted him to the top of Madrid’s defensive wishlist. Although Saliba’s current deal with Arsenal runs until 2027, the Spanish side is undeterred. The club sees Saliba as a cornerstone figure who could lead their next generation of defenders, and they're preparing to open formal talks with both Arsenal and the player.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Fresh developments from multiple sources, including IndyKaila, indicate that Real Madrid are preparing to dispatch a delegation to London to initiate direct negotiations with Arsenal and Saliba’s camp. While the Gunners have consistently maintained a firm stance that the defender is not for sale, Madrid’s interest appears to be intensifying.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Should Real Madrid fail in their pursuit of Saliba, Liverpool’s Konate remains another viable alternative. The French international is entering the final year of his current contract at Anfield, and thus far has resisted Liverpool’s attempts to tie him down to a new deal. With the defender potentially available on a cut-price deal this summer, or for free next year, the club sees an opportunity to strike a smart piece of business. However, the Merseyside outfit is reportedly making a concerted effort to retain Konate, with a new contract offer on the table.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  Even if Real Madrid manage to secure one of their French targets this summer, neither Arsenal nor Liverpool can afford to breathe easy. According to reports from , the Spanish champions could pursue both Konate and Saliba, albeit across two successive summer windows, as they look to completely refresh their ageing defensive ranks.

Middle order failing to fire, absence of three members of Test squad, Maxwell’s relatively late withdrawal hurt winless London Spirit

Matt Roller04-Aug-2021Few pundits backed London Spirit for the title in the inaugural season of the men’s Hundred but nobody whose memory stretched as far back as 2008 was willing to write them off. Playing in blue from head to toe, with Shane Warne as head coach and an unfancied squad? There were enough parallels with the Rajasthan Royals side that won the first-ever IPL to suggest they might just pull something improbable out the bag.But five games into their first season, the Spirit have been the Hundred’s weakest side. They are the only side in the men’s competition yet to win a game, and were thrashed in their fourth and final home fixture (one was a washout) by Northern Superchargers on Tuesday night. The table is still tight enough that they are mathematically in the running, but any realistic chances of qualifying for knockout stages have dissipated.Their first three defeats were all tight, with each game going down to the final set of five balls. At Edgbaston, they were just short of par in setting Birmingham Phoenix 145 to win, and in the home losses against Trent Rockets and Southern Brave, they were two boundaries away from getting across the line.Related

• All-round Willey, bowlers combine to leave Spirit winless

• Warne self-isolating after returning positive Covid-19 test

“There was a sense of frustration in the fact that we didn’t get over the line having felt that we’d played well for the majority of the game,” Eoin Morgan, their captain, said on Tuesday about the defeat to the Brave . “To not capitalise on our opening partnership was really frustrating.”I think throughout tournaments, and group stages, you will be beaten by better sides. There are very few instances when sides go unbeaten throughout a tournament. Where the problem for us lies is that the previous two games we played, we played well for the majority but in clinical parts of the game, we didn’t finish the job and that’s hurt us.”Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of their struggles has been the fact that the squad they assembled does not look like it was built with the long term in mind. While some sides have openly admitted that their draft strategy was to assemble a group that could develop over a number of years rather than simply targeting success in the Hundred’s first season, the Spirit picked a number of veterans and looked – to borrow terminology from the NFL – like a ‘win-now’ team.Their middle order, which has failed to fire throughout their four defeats, has not pulled its weight despite the wealth of experience within it. At 34, Morgan was the junior man from No. 4-8 in Tuesday’s defeat, with Joe Denly (35), Ravi Bopara, Mohammad Nabi and Roelof van der Merwe (all 36) coming in behind him. All five have struggled badly for form: Zak Crawley made more runs in his only innings of the tournament than any of those five managed across four innings each.Of course, there are mitigating factors for the Spirit, most notably the absence of three members of England’s Test squad in Crawley, Dan Lawrence and Mark Wood – who did not even link up with the Spirit for the first two games, instead focusing on his preparation for the first Test against India.Zak Crawley made 64 in his only innings of the tournament•Getty ImagesAll three players were signed as part of the draft in October 2019, rather than through the separate Test player mechanism. None of them held a red-ball central contract at the time – Crawley and Lawrence were both uncapped – and while it was not out of the question that they might miss some games due to inclusion in a Test squad in future seasons, the Spirit were unfortunate to miss all three simultaneously for the majority of this year. To make matters worse, one of the two games for which Crawley and Lawrence were both available was washed out.”I think every team has gone through it, losing players, particularly their Test guys,” Morgan said. “It’s been challenging, but other sides have found a way. We’ve recruited well, we just haven’t managed to get over the line.”We haven’t done a lot of things wrong in the previous games that we’ve played. Every game we’d played had gone right down to the wire but to be up there with the pace, you’re doing a lot of positive things. Today [against the Superchargers], we were just beaten.”Their overseas players have been something of a letdown. Mohammad Amir was among the world’s leading T20 seamers at the time of the initial draft, and while they were under no obligation to retain him, the Spirit could not have expected his form to tail off as dramatically as it has; his 77 balls in the competition to date have cost 132 runs, and he has taken only three wickets.Nabi’s offbreaks have been economical but he is yet to contribute with the bat, while Josh Inglis has struggled to translate his T20 Blast form with Leicestershire into runs in the Hundred. Their biggest miss was Glenn Maxwell, a relatively late withdrawal and the best batter in their initial squad by a long way – his offbreaks would also have helped the balance of the side.But the upshot is that the Spirit are the first men’s team facing a post-mortem into a season that has represented something of a false start. Mason Crane and Blake Cullen have shown flickers of promise with the ball, but positives for future years have been relatively hard to come by. Warne, who missed their last two games after testing positive for Covid-19, tweeted from self-isolation that their defeats against the Rockets and the Brave had been “embarrassing” – his verdict on the season to date is unlikely to be any more favourable.

The close relative of a “great” Liverpool transfer target has claimed that his move to Anfield this summer is now “basically a done deal”, in an exciting new update.

Florian Wirtz week at Liverpool

The Reds have already brought in Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen since the end of last season, but this week has the potential to be a particularly memorable one at Anfield.

Liverpool appear to be edging closer to the stunning signing of Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz all the time, with fresh reports claiming that he will be in England on Thursday, with his medical and official unveiling taking place on Friday.

While much focus is on Wirtz currently, which is no surprise considering he is seen as one of Europe’s best players currently, a move for Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth is also close to happening.

The 21-year-old has emerged as the perfect left-back to come in and be Andy Robertson’s long-term successor at Liverpool, and now a new update suggests that the transfer is closer to happening than ever.

Liverpool signing Kerkez "basically a done deal"

Speaking to Super Indirektno [via The Mirror], Kerkez’s father, Sebastijan Kerkez, claimed that his son’s move to Liverpool is “basically a done deal”, also discussing the huge influence of sporting director Richard Hughes.

“It’s only Liverpool for us and we’re not going anywhere else and we won’t talk to other clubs. Everything is done between us (personal terms) we just need to sort out some details but it’s basically a done deal. Richard Hughes brought us to Bournemouth, if he said we go to India, then we go to India, everything is agreed, just some little things.”

This is fantastic news for anyone of a Liverpool persuasion, with Kerkez looking tailor-made to thrive in this Premier League-winning team under Arne Slot.

The Hungarian caught the eye so often with his performances for Bournemouth in 2024/25, standing out as one of the best left-backs in the country and being hailed by manager Andoni Iraola.

“Milos has improved a lot from past season. He has done a great job defensively. I think he’s a player that because of his physical condition arrives so many times to the last third with the ball under control to put good crosses that the number of assists, of good balls he was having, was quite low past season, but this season I think he’s deciding much better. He’s adding quality to his deliveries.”

Big Ekitike upgrade: Liverpool dreaming of signing "the world's best CF"

Liverpool need to sign a centre-forward this summer.

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There is always a risk that any move won’t work out, but assuming he avoids serious injury, the £40m-rated Kerkez looks primed to be a massive player for Liverpool for many years to come.

“We should appreciate the players for throwing themselves in the den without being exposed to these conditions,” Pakistan’s Test captain said

Danyal Rasool27-Jan-2025Pakistan captain Shan Masood said he expected the team to continue their recent experiment of heavily turning tracks at home, and that they would be replicated across domestic cricket as well. After falling to a 120-run defeat at home against West Indies that levelled the series 1-1 and confirmed Pakistan’s position at the bottom of the current World Test Championship cycle, Masood maintained there were “encouraging signs” that Pakistan would seek to build on.”Domestic cricket will be played like this,” he said. “We’ve already talked about this. The more we’ll play the better we’ll get at it. We’ve shown encouraging signs. After the four matches, we’ve won three in these conditions. We dominated the first hour of the first day which could have swung the match in our favour. It’s just about winning those key moments and ensuring we’re consistent with these conditions domestically and internationally.”Since Pakistan lost the first Test against England on a flat wicket in Multan, they have reverted to producing tracks that break up and spin from the first day, rendering fast bowling almost redundant. The last four home Tests have seen Pakistan take 80 wickets, with just one falling to a seam bowler. Fingerspinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali have dominated the bowling attack, taking 70 of the 80 wickets, and frequently opening the bowling attack in each innings. It has turned around Pakistan’s straggling home form, allowing them to beat England 2-1 at home and easing to a victory in the first Test against West Indies. This Test, however, the visiting spinners turned the script around on them, with left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican of West Indies walking away with both the Player-of-the-Match and Series awards.Related

• Shan Masood to continue as Pakistan Test captain for 2025-27 WTC cycle

• Warrican bags five as West Indies win in Pakistan after 34 years

• Warrican dominates a series made for spinners in Multan

• Brathwaite: West Indies had to be 'brave' on pitch where 'you are going to get out'

“It’s a game of all stakeholders. We should appreciate the players for throwing themselves in the den without being exposed to these conditions. We know we haven’t played domestic cricket in these conditions. In some ways, it’s a kind of bravery to expose ourselves to these conditions. We practiced, but this is new for us. But we need to replicate this in domestic cricket, give our batters exposure so we play in these conditions and get runs in them. In the fourth innings, anything over 150 is a competitive score, where spinners will always have the edge.”An unavoidable outcome of such surfaces is the outsized role the toss plays. All four times, the side winning the toss has batted first, walking away with victory three times. While Pakistan were able to flip that script against England in the series-decider, West Indies’ win once more demonstrated the way these pitches can slant a game in favour of the side bowling last.Mohammad Rizwan was bowled by Jomel Warrican, who took the match and series honours•AFP/Getty Images

However, it didn’t appear that way when Pakistan bowled in the first hour, having reduced West Indies to 54 for 8, and letting that situation slip through their fingers frustrated Masood most of all. “We didn’t get the result we wanted. The positive thing was when you field first and you know the fourth innings will be difficult. So you try to restrict the opposition in the first innings. We bowled brilliantly for the first eight wickets. But we’ve talked about the first innings batting and bowling combining to do well, so you have the advantage in the third and fourth innings. If you look at our batting and bowling, and the mistakes we made collectively, that was a crucial time because their last two wickets cost us dear.”Then, with the bat, we went from 119 for 4 to 154 all out. When these collapses happen and the other side puts on partnerships, they can set you back. If we’d got them out early and got a 100-run lead, the Test match would be completely different. With Test matches on these pitches, you can’t wait to make a move, because things are decided on day one, and that is where you can win or lose matches.”This is the end of a cycle, an unhappy one for Pakistan, and for its leader. Pakistan have lost nine of their last 12 matches, all five away from home and four of seven at home. Despite starting off with a crushing away win in Sri Lanka, they have finished bottom of the WTC table, and do not play another Test for nearly nine months.Masood acknowledged Pakistan had fallen short of expectations, but did not believe the side required a complete overhaul, pointing out fine margins made the difference in this Test, and could be worked on.”The tail not getting wickets is an area of concern, and we need to finish off sides quicker,” Masood said, echoing his frustrations in South Africa, where the last two wickets adding too many runs cost them dear in the first Test at Centurion. “Against Australia, who have the best tail in the world, we got them out cheaply, but not here, or against Bangladesh or South Africa.”Batters have been proactive, but we need more contributions. You may not get hundreds here but 30s and 40s contribute to the winning conditions. Kraigg Brathwaite was an ideal example. He took the game on. One batter will need to step up in these conditions especially when the ball is new.”It’s not about holding someone responsible. This isn’t an accountability bureau. This is a team effort. Our mistake as a team was the first two innings. That was what set us back, and gave the opposition a degree of freedom. If we had a 100-run lead, I do not think they’d have been able to play in the way they did. We need to understand the direction of matches will be decided very quickly, as early as day one.”

There are plenty of new faces in Mikel Arteta's squad, but attentions must now turn to cutting away the deadwood ahead of a Premier League title tilt

Arsenal are going big this summer in what feels like a crucial juncture in their ongoing pursuit of ending their 21-year Premier League title drought. The Gunners have been spending freely, strengthening across the board, but attentions must now turn to outgoings.

After a protracted transfer saga, long-term target Viktor Gyokeres is set to become their latest big-money new arrival, following the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke through the door at the Emirates Stadium and taking the north Londoners' summer outlay to around £200 million ($269m).

Meanwhile, Jorginho, Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Thomas Partey – who has been charged with rape and sexual assault – have all left the club without generating any income. Head coach Mikel Arteta will know there is plenty more blubber to be trimmed and money to be made as he attempts to mould a potentially title-winning squad…

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  Kai Havertz

  Do Arsenal need to ask themselves a serious question about Havertz?! Gyokeres' long-awaited, imminent arrival throws the German attacker's involvement into doubt, after he emerged as Arteta's main No.9 last season.

  Nine goals in 23 appearances before a hamstring injury effectively curtailed his season was not a bad return, but the decision has clearly been made that he is not the prolific striker Arsenal need to carry them forward, while the No.10 role and the wings are occupied. It might be time to cash in…

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  Gabriel Jesus

  It's a great shame, but it's probably time to face up to the fact that Jesus' much-heralded move to Arsenal in 2022 has been completely derailed by fitness issues, with the forward currently sidelined by a second serious knee injury since his arrival and those bookending a number of other niggles.

  He still faces several months on the treatment table as he continues to recover from a dreaded cruciate ligament tear, but it would be little surprise if the Gunners were weighing up cutting their losses behind the scenes. Finding a buyer is another question, although a loan return to Brazil could be on the cards.

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  Jakub Kiwior

  Strangely, Kiwior's place in Arteta's plans has rarely seemed secure since he signed for the north Londoners in January 2023, although he really stepped up in the run-in in 2024-25 amid a raft of defensive injuries. However, that spell only seems to have put him in the shop window.

  With Riccardo Calafiori now back in action and Gabriel Magalhaes nearing a return, Arsenal have also completed the signing of highly-rated Spanish centre-back Cristhian Mosquera – all of which pushes Kiwior right down the pecking order. Unsurprisingly, it's been reported that he wants out.

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  Albert Lokonga

  One player who is pretty much guaranteed to be on his way this summer, forgotten man Lokonga is back at Arsenal having done his reputation no harm with a decent loan spell at Sevilla, albeit disrupted by injuries.

  Now 25, the midfielder has surprisingly been included on the pre-season tour to Asia, but with just one year to run on his contract the club will be determined to find him a new, permanent home this summer. The Belgian says he needs "stability".

Sunderland will be playing in the Premier League next season and they know that their recruitment work this summer will need to be spot on to give them a chance of avoiding an instant relegation.

The Black Cats recently confirmed the signing of Enzo Le Fee on a permanent basis from Roma for a club-record fee of £20m as their first addition ahead of their return to the top-flight, after he spent the second half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Regis Le Bris’ team.

Le Fee showed quality on the ball, with 1.3 dribbles completed per game, but combined that with 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game in his 11 league starts, which suggests that he could thrive in a relegation battle where plenty of defending will be needed.

The French maestro also heads into the Premier League with plenty of experience in Europe’s major leagues, with 132 games in Ligue 1 and six matches in the Serie A, which means that he is used to playing at the top level and that is why he could be an excellent signing for the Black Cats.

Sunderland eyeing deal for Premier League defender

Sunderland could repeat the blinder that they have seemingly played with Le Fee, who is an experienced top-flight performer who is already settled in and used to playing for the club, by signing another one of their loan stars.

Transfer Focus

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

According to the Northern Echo, the Premier League newcomers are considering a deal to bring Chris Mepham back to the Stadium of Light in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Wales international is one of a number of defensive options being weighed up by the board at Sunderland, as they eye up a possible reunion with the Bournemouth centre-back.

It states that there was no obligation for the loan move to be turned into a permanent one this summer, which means that they would have to negotiate a fee with the Cherries.

Why Sunderland should sign Chris Mepham

The Black Cats should swoop to sign Mepham on a permanent basis in the coming weeks because it could be a repeat of their Le Fee blinder.

Like the French star, the 27-year-old colossus would not need any time to settle in because he just played 40 matches on loan at the club in the 2024/25 season.

The Welsh titan also has top-flight experience, like Le Fee, having played 61 times in the Premier League for Bournemouth, which means that he knows the division and could provide vital experience to a young team lacking games at that level.

Mepham, who was hailed as “outstanding” by pundit Carlton Palmer, also delivered solid performances for Sunderland when called upon in the Championship this season.

As you can see in the table above, the Bournemouth loanee was dominant in his duels and helped the team to keep 11 clean sheets in 38 outings in the second tier.

He also averaged the most clearances per match in the entire squad, ahead of the likes of Luke O’Nien and Dan Ballard, which may be down to his experience and know-how, as he excels at being in the right place at the right time at the heart of the defence.

Mepham was, therefore, an important player for Sunderland in the Championship and that is why they should press ahead with a deal to sign him on a permanent basis, as a star who knows the club and has Premier League experience under his belt.

Like Le Fee, the 27-year-old brute would hit the ground running on Wearside in the top-flight because of his loan spell at the Stadium of Light and because of the top-flight games that he has played.

Worse than selling Jobe: "Outstanding" Sunderland star wanted by PL clubs

This Sunderland star is being eyed up by Premier League teams, and his exit would be a bigger blow than Jobe Bellingham’s.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 4, 2025

It is now down to the club to ensure that they can strike a deal with Bournemouth to bring him back to Sunderland, to join Le Fee as their second signing.

Worryingly for South Africa, Miller has a hamstring niggle and Shamsi is nursing a groin strain, and there isn’t much turnaround time

Firdose Moonda30-Oct-20211:56

Tabraiz Shamsi: ‘There’s a World Cup to be won, how can you not be passionate?’

It wasn’t perfect – almost nothing about South African cricket is these days – but they kept their knockout hopes alive with a scratchy but ultimately successful chase against their favourite opponents. This was South Africa’s sixth successive win over Sri Lanka and their best, because it came against the backdrop of serious pressure.Although defeat would not have guaranteed they would be knocked out, it would have made progressing to the semi-finals complicated. It may still not be straightforward but this team has now proved to itself that it can overcome adversity. They have done it twice this week, which could otherwise have descended into (even more) chaos following what most in the squad have described as their toughest time in international cricket.Related

• Bavuma wants South Africa to add '5% more' for crucial England fixture

• South Africa look to keep momentum going against hapless Bangladesh

• SACA CEO: Cricket South Africa has caused a 'crisis'

• Holding: Quota 'an unnecessary burden for players of colour'

• 'I am not a racist' – de Kock apologises, will take the knee

The drama, in case you missed it, started on Monday night when the CSA board resolved to issue a directive to the men’s national team instructing them all to take a knee before every game. The players found out on Tuesday morning, five hours before their match against West Indies, and by the time they reached the ground, that Quinton de Kock had decided he would not comply and withdrew from the XI. Two days later, de Kock apologised and U-turned, and yesterday Keshav Maharaj said the squad was more united than ever.As they took the field against Sri Lanka, they were determined to show it. They stood with their arms around each other as they sung the national anthem, the first time they have done that at this tournament and, in the time of Covid-19, the first time they have done that in a while. They all took a knee. And then they worked together to end Sri Lanka’s most profitable partnership, the 40-run second-wicket stand between Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka. Crucially, they kept Sri Lanka under 150, thanks mostly to Tabraiz Shamsi, who has now taken more T20I wickets in a calendar year than anyone else, and a strangling effort at the end of the opposition innings.

“We have won these kinds of moments more often than we have lost them. That’s a huge positive. We are here to win the World Cup”Tabraiz Shamsi

Dwaine Pretorius is not the perfect death bowler. In fact, South Africa entered this tournament without an obvious candidate for the final overs but chose Pretorius despite his domestic record, which does not immediately suggest he would be a good candidate. Prior to this tournament, Pretorius had bowled 36 overs at the death, taken 18 wickets and had an economy of 10.38. In the three matches he has had so far, he has bowled 5.4 overs at the death, taken six wickets, and has an economy of 8.64. His use of the slower ball, in particular, has been impressive. Today, two of them brought him wickets and he finished with his second three-wicket haul at this tournament.”If we had to give out an award for Scholar of the Team, it would be Dwaine Pretorius,” Shamsi said at the post-match press conference. “He wants to make sure he is well prepared and he is always working with our analyst. We can’t speak enough about the job he did for us at the end. The game was so close. It’s turned out that he has become our death bowling specialist and he has done a great job.”Temba Bavuma is not the perfect T20 player – and most of the criticism around him is about scoring too slowly – but he is, as de Kock put it, “a flipping amazing leader” and this was the week he showed it in word and deed. His run-a-ball 46 anchored a wobbly chase but there will still be pressure on him to get going. Bavuma faced 29 balls before he found the boundary and was on 37 off 42 when he hit the six over midwicket that took his strike rate to 100. He took that as his cue to finish the innings and tried to hit Wanindu Hasaranga over cow corner but picked out a fielder to become the filling in the hat-trick sandwich. Bavuma berated himself and told the television broadcast he wanted to see the chase through. “I took on that responsibility. I felt someone had to take it to the end.”South Africa have their problems, but they are learning to live with them•ICC via GettyDavid Miller is not the perfect finisher. Although his ability to clear the rope is reputed, he has not won a game for South Africa recently and he was fast going to run out of partners. Luckily Kagiso Rabada “always has the shot of the day”, as Shamsi put it, and the classy six he smashed over long-off cut through some of the stress of the situation but not all of it. “I was a bit tense,” Bavuma admitted. “But I had a lot of confidence in the fact that David was there. He hasn’t done that for us in a while but he has got the most beautiful swing.”

Watch cricket live on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the USA. Match highlights of South Africa vs Sri Lanka is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

This is not a perfect South African team, and their batting has big holes. Today was an example of where their top-heavy approach could backfire. Like it or not, there simply isn’t room to play what are essentially five openers – de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Bavuma, Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen – in the top six, but because South Africa lack middle-order options, it’s a combination they are stuck with for now.Shamsi is comfortable with it, because “there’s different batters that put their hands up and take the team to victory”, but against stronger opposition, like Australia (as we saw in the Super 12s opener) and England, who are yet to come, it may not work. More worryingly, the only middle-order batter they seem to want to use, Miller, has a hamstring niggle. Shamsi, too, is nursing a groin strain. South Africa’s next match is against Bangladesh on Tuesday so there isn’t much time to recover.But these are all problems that tournament-winning teams, who are often imperfect, overcome and Shamsi believes South Africa will do the same. “We have won these kinds of moments more often than we have lost them. That’s a huge positive,” Shamsi said. “We are here to win the World Cup.”

Stand-in captain, who is just one away from 10,000 Test runs, will rather look to “focus on job at hand”

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Jan-2025Sometimes it spins. At other times it goes straight. Be ready for both. This is stand-in captain Steven Smith’s advice to Australia’s less-experienced batters, as he prepares to lead them in a two-Test series against Sri Lanka in Galle. Of Australia’s batters on tour, Smith understands the challenge ahead more than most – he has two hundreds in Sri Lanka, and averages 49.75 on the island.”We have spoken about the differences in the surfaces,” Smith said on Tuesday, the eve of the first Test on Australia’s ongoing tour of Sri Lanka. “Last time we came, we played on one that spun from ball one and the other one was pretty flat in the first innings, and then spun a lot in the second innings.”So it’s important to have plans for both kind of surfaces. Then if it is extreme from the outset, then you need to be proactive and follow different methods to score runs. You just have to adapt as quickly as possible to what you get.”Related

• Australia, Sri Lanka and a touch of the dramatic

• Head to replace Konstas as opener against Sri Lanka

• 'Be brave': Australia consider mid-match flexibility to batting order

In 2016, Smith had overseen a tour in which Australia’s batters largely failed to pick the slider from the one that turned off the surface, thus going down 3-0 in the series. In 2022, however, their batters fared much better, even winning a Test on the more spin-friendly surface in that series.Among the more recent trends in countering the kind of spin often seen in Galle has been to focus on run-scoring, rather than on defence. Smith’s own 145* the last time he was at this venue was memorable for how quick he was to move around the crease to create scoring opportunities. Reverse sweeps, slogs, paddles around the corner, and more frequent trips down the pitch – these have all become much more commonly employed.”I think the game has changed a lot since I first came to the sub-continent,” Smith said. “Guys play different shots to put pressure on the bowlers. The game has evolved a lot in the last ten years, and it’s good to see some of the shots these guys play to take the game forward.”For Smith, this is a series that will almost certainly feature a major career milestone. He is one run away from becoming the fourth Australia batter to 10,000 Test runs. Smith only needed 38 more runs from the last Test of the home summer – in Sydney – to get to the landmark, but fell for 33 and 4 against India.”I’ll just try to put it out of my mind, to be honest,” Smith said of the milestone. “I probably thought too much about it in Sydney. This time I’ll just try to forget it and focus on job at hand.”

Borussia Dortmund reportedly have 'reservations' over signing Manchester United flop Jadon Sancho for a third time.

• Sancho linked with third Dortmund spell
• Man Utd looking to sell winger
• Juventus also credited with interest

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After Chelsea passed up the chance to turn Sancho's loan move into a permanent deal earlier this year, the 25-year-old is facing an uncertain future. The England international has once again been linked with Dortmund, a club he spent four years at between 2017-21 before returning for a loan stint in 2024. But reports in Germany suggest a move to the Bundesliga outfit may not happen, and here's why.

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  THE EXPLANATION

  Sky Germany journalist Patrick Berger states that while Sancho is prepared to accept a big pay cut to join Dortmund, the German giants have 'reservations' about recruiting the ex-Manchester City academy player. They include being concerned about signing him for a third time, the potential criticism of lacking creativity when it comes to transfers, and the fact that neither Chelsea nor United wanted him. 

• WHAT DORTMUND SAID

  Berger relayed that Dortmund manager Niko Kovac refused to be "led onto thin ice" when asked about a Sancho move. 

  And Sebastian Kehl, the club's sporting director, said: "[Jadon] is constantly being linked with us. I understand the desire. We’re thinking about it within our possibilities. The conditions have to be right. We will definitely do something, but we’re limited."

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  United are reportedly willing to let Sancho, who has also been linked with a Juventus switch but Berger adds they have since 'cooled' their interest, leave for as little as €20 million (£17.5m). That is a far cry from the £73m ($97m) the Red Devils forked out for him in 2021.

Goals, goals and more goals; if there was a thing Arsenal missed this season, it was goals.

Mikel Arteta’s side managed to secure a third successive second-placed finish in the Premier League this season, but unlike the last two campaigns, it was a truly distant second place.

Liverpool ended up finishing ten points ahead of the Gunners, and arguably worse than that, they scored a whopping 17 more goals than the North Londoners.

So, with this in mind, it’s hardly been a surprise to see Arsenal linked with a host of incredible strikers in recent weeks, including one who’s supposedly better than Erling Haaland and would be an upgrade on Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal's striker search

Given their struggles in attack this season, Arsenal have been linked with a plethora of outstanding strikers in recent weeks and months, from Sporting CPs free-scoring Viktor Gyokeres to Aston Villa’s brilliant Ollie Watkins and even Newcastle United’s likely unattainable Alexander Isak.

However, over the last week or so, a frontrunner to come in and lead the line for the Gunners next season has emerged in Sesko.

The Slovenian forward has been a target for the club since last summer, but according to reports last week, talks between his representatives and the two teams seem to be progressing well.

Transfer Focus

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

Yet, another goalscorer has now entered the picture, someone who’d be an upgrade on the RB Leipzig star and who’d hold his own against Haaland: Victor Osimhen.

Yes, according to a recent report from Italian publication Tuttosport, Arsenal are one of several teams now interested in the on-loan Napoli ace.

The report claims that the Nigerian international turned down the opportunity to move to the Saudi Pro League because teams like the Gunners and Manchester United are now keen to sign him.

However, on top of dealing with the competition, the North Londoners will also have to cough up around £63m to activate the release clause in his current contract open to teams outside of Serie A.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Osimhen’s immense ability, it is one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a big upgrade on Sesko.

How Osimhen compares to Sesko and Haaland

So, if Osimhen is currently one of the options for Arsenal this summer, it’s worth seeing how he stacks up with Sesko, who might be his biggest competition at the moment.

Yet, with the Nigerian international being described as “even better than Haaland” by Italian agent Andrea D’Amico, it’s also worth including the Manchester City star in the comparisons, as should the Napoli star move to North London, the Norwegian will be leading the line for one of his biggest title rivals.

With that said, when it comes to their pure output this season, it looks like D’Amico is correct, as it’s the Lagos-born “superhuman,” as dubbed by journalist Paolo Esposito, who comes out on top.

In 41 appearances, totalling 3236 minutes, he was able to score 37 goals and provide eight assists for Galatasaray, which comes out to an average of 1.09 goal involvements every game, or one every 71.91 minutes.

For his efforts, the City star scored 31 goals and provided four assists in 44 appearances, totalling 3786 minutes, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.25 games, or one every 108.17 minutes.

Finally, the Leipzig star was the worst of the three, scoring 21 goals and providing six assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3258 minutes, which translates to a goal involvement every 1.66 games or every 120.66 minutes.

Moreover, while the former Salzburg gem is the youngest and, therefore, might make the most sense in the long term, Arteta and Co are at a point in the project at which winning here and now has to take precedence over what might be best for a few years down the line.

Therefore, it makes sense to sign someone who massively outperformed both Sesko and Haaland this summer, which is why Arsenal should be going all in on Osimhen.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 9, 2025