Tag Futebol

Leeds United are reportedly close to completing their third signing of the summer transfer window with the addition of central defender Sebastiaan Bornauw from Wolfsburg.

The Belgian colossus was due for his medical at Thorp Arch on Monday and is now set to add more depth to a defensive unit that already includes Pascal Struijk, Max Wober, Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, and recent signing Jaka Bijol.

Daniel Farke looks set to have plenty of options to choose from at the heart of his defence next season in the Premier League, and he is also looking to add more quality at the other end of the pitch.

Leeds pushing to sign new striker

Bornauw will be the second centre-back added to the squad, after Bijol, and the Whites are now in the market to make further attacking reinforcements.

Rodrigo Muniz appears to be one number nine target who is off the table for the club, though, as Fulham reportedly see him as not for sale amid interest from the West Yorkshire outfit.

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 print edition of Corriere Dello Sport (30/06/2025), as relayed by MOTLeedsNews, Leeds United are pushing to sign Lecce centre-forward Nikola Krstovic in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the club’s interest in the Montenegro international has forced the Serie A clubs to start pursuing striker targets of their own to replace the forward, which speaks to the level of interest shown by the Championship champions.

It now remains to be seen whether or not Leeds will be able to get a deal for the £21m-rated number nine over the line in the coming weeks.

Nikola Krstovic could be the next Chris Wood for Leeds

If the Whites can secure the 25-year-old striker’s signature, then they could find their next version of Chris Wood, who scored 44 goals in 88 matches during his time at Elland Road in the Championship.

After leaving Leeds to sign for Burnley, Wood proved himself to be a dependable Premier League goalscorer, with a return of 89 goals in 263 games for the Clarets, Nottingham Forest, and Newcastle United combined. That is a return of between 12 and 13 goals per 38 appearances.

In Krstovic, Leeds could find a physical and mobile centre-forward, like Wood, who can also consistently deliver that level of quality in front of goal in the top-flight.

The 25-year-old star ended the 2024/25 campaign with a haul of 11 goals in 37 Serie A outings for Lecce, which shows that he can score goals at a respectable rate in a major European league.

As well as being a striker who has the potential to add a goal threat to Farke’s squad in the Premier League next season, Krstovic is also similar to Wood in the sense that he provides a physical presence in the number nine role.

Appearances

37

36

Goals

11

20

Big chances created

5

3

Assists

5

3

Duels won

4.9

3.5

Ground duel success rate

40%

35%

Aerial duel success rate

41%

39%

As you can see in the table above, the Lecce star offered even more physicality to his team in the Serie A than the New Zealand international did for Forest in the Premier League, winning a higher percentage of his duels on the deck and in the air.

Krstovic, who was hailed as “integral” by former boss Roberto D’Aversa, stands at 6 foot 1 and, clearly, has the attributes to compete with physical centre-backs at the top level.

A Bijol repeat: Leeds make one of the "best in the world" a priority target

Leeds United could soon seal another fantastic defensive deal by landing this cut-price star.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 30, 2025

Therefore, Farke could land his own version of Wood by landing a deal for the Serie A marksman, who could provide goals, assists, and physicality in the Premier League next term.

Amid concerns that Ibrahima Konate could yet leave the club when his contract expires next summer, Liverpool have now reportedly made fresh contact in the race to sign his potential replacement.

Liverpool's Konate concern

After Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk put pen to paper at the same time as Trent Alexander-Arnold opted out of signing a new deal, some around Anfield may have been glad to just bring an end to an ongoing contract saga. As it happens, however, Liverpool aren’t far off from having the exact same concern with Konate.

As things stand, the Frenchman will leave the club as a free agent this time next year and rumours have already circled regarding Real Madrid’s interest. After already losing Alexander-Arnold on a free deal to the Spanish giants, the last thing that Michael Edwards and FSG will want is to see Konate go down the same route. And that could leave them with a decision to make sooner rather than later.

Slot's answer to Huijsen: Liverpool enquire about signing £74m "freak"

Liverpool would consider signing a centre-back this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 28, 2025

The defender, himself, has recently had his say on his future, telling reporters: “I know I have a lot of objectives with this club: to become a leader, to win everything. I am very happy here to be fair.

“This is another conversation with the club and my agent, we will see what will happen in the next few weeks or I don’t know when but we will see, let me say that. Progressing? Not really – but my agent met the club last week but I don’t know what will happen. I cannot say what my agent said to me but yeah we will see what will happen.”

Whilst the hope will be that he puts pen to paper and follows Van Dijk and Salah by securing his future at the club, Liverpool have already reportedly been planning for his potential departure.

Liverpool make contact in race for £75m Lukeba

According to Rudy Galetti of TeamTalk, Liverpool have now made contact in the race to sign Castello Lukeba from RB Leipzig. The impressive defender could yet complete the same move that Konate made not so long ago by swapping the German club for Anfield, and given that he could be replacing his countryman the deal would certainly make sense.

That said, Castello wouldn’t come cheap. Reports have even suggested that the Frenchman has a release clause worth as much as €90m (£75m) at Leipzig. Arne Slot is reportedly a fan of the defender, however, and that could certainly go a long way to making a deal happen in the near future.

Praised for an “amazing” debut season at Leipzig by U23 scout Antonio Mango, it may not be too long before Lukeba is making another debut elsewhere. As Liverpool’s Konate doubt rumbles on, he’s certainly someone to watch.

A Spanish newspaper has shared the truth behind rumours of a Leeds United contract offer to defender Junior Firpo, having spoken directly to the player’s entourage.

Leeds plan busy summer as multiple approaches made

The Whites don’t have to worry about the Championship play-offs this time around; they can sit back and enjoy what unfolds this weekend, knowing they are back in the Premier League. And given Leeds finished their season a couple of weeks ago, the club have already been putting plans in place for where they want to strengthen their side.

Related Farke's next Tanaka: Leeds lining up move for "unbelievable" £10m star

Leeds United may be about to sign a star who could follow in Ao Tanaka’s footsteps at Elland Road.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb May 21, 2025

It’s been reported that Leeds are plotting a double transfer swoop on Newcastle United duo Callum Wilson and Sean Longstaff. Wilson’s contract at St James’ Park is set to expire at the end of the campaign, and Longstaff is said to be available for around £12 million, meaning both deals are doable for a team coming up from the second tier.

Meanwhile, BBC and Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards believes James McAtee would be a fantastic signing for the Whites, having been linked in the last few weeks.

But strengthening their defence may be seen as more of a priority, as West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal has emerged as a potential target, with the 49ers making an approach to West Ham already.

Spanish newspaper makes Firpo contract claim

Signing new full backs may be a top priority given the circumstances surrounding Firpo, whose contract expires at the end of June. His future remains a hot topic of conversation, and according to Spanish newspaper Estadio Deportivo, Leeds have made a ‘juicy’ contract offer to keep Firpo at the club.

The newspaper references rumours of an agreement on a four-year deal worth £155,000-a-week – a total cost of over £32m.

The Spanish outlet claim they have spoken directly to Firpo’s camp, and while there is an offer on the table, nothing has been agreed yet.

That is because Firpo has received offers from other clubs, with Serie A side Lazio in the mix. It also goes on to add that Real Betis, who have been linked with a move for Firpo for a while now, must accelerate their plans if they want him to return to Spain.

As well as Lazio and Real Betis being interested in signing Firpo, it was also claimed earlier this month that Barcelona are plotting a move, as his agents may have already spoken to the La Liga winners.

Junior Firpo’s Leeds United stats

Apps

119

Goals

6

Assists

22

The 28-year-old has been at Elland Road since 2021, but in his four seasons at Leeds, it could be argued that the 2024/25 campaign was his best one yet. The left-back scored four goals and registered an impressive 10 assists in 32 Championship games, making him one of the most attacking defenders in the division. Therefore, it is no surprise that Leeds are trying their best to keep hold of a player who could help them a lot in the Premier League.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are enjoying a strong finish to the season and could make an early summer move that would signal their intent under Vitor Pereira, according to reports.

Wolves in new dawn under Vitor Pereira

Not so long ago, Wolves looked destined to appear in a relegation dogfight and found their Premier League status under threat. Vitor Pereira wasn’t a universally popular appointment when he arrived at Molineux, but ten top-flight victories and two draws out of 19 matches have more than secured his side’s survival for another season.

Last weekend, a narrow loss to Manchester City brought a run of six straight Premier League wins to an end, though they really should’ve taken something from a tight encounter at the Etihad Stadium.

Looking forward, the landscape is a positive one for Wolves as they look to make improvements on the market. Sunderland’s Dennis Cirkin could be one of their first additions at Molineux should the Black Cats fail to win promotion.

Nicolas Pepe has emerged as a surprise target for Wolves following his career revival at Ligue 1 outfit Nice, though he also has interest in his services from Saudi Arabia.

Wolves want "incredible" 25 y/o Atletico Madrid star who may replace Cunha

The Brazilian forward could depart this summer.

ByTom Cunningham May 4, 2025

Despite rescuing their season after a poor start, the Old Gold will be conscious that they cannot afford to be slow off the mark next term once divisional rivals have a chance to bolster their squads in the market. Strength in depth is needed to solidify their Premier League credentials, but Pereira has already shown that he can maximise the output of key assets, which is likely to breed confidence.

Now, Wolves have began to accelerate in a move to sign a talented midfielder that is also wanted by one of Europe’s giants, per reports.

Wolves want to sign Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup

According to Football Transfers, Wolves have positioned themselves to sign Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup, who is also attracting interest from the likes of Fiorentina and AC Milan.

West Ham United are also in pursuit of the Denmark international after a season that has seen him win more tackles and make more ball recoveries than anyone else in Serie A this season, setting a trend.

Morten Frendrup’s impressive season for Genoa – Serie A

Tackles won

60

Duels won

170

Recoveries

175

Pass accuracy

85.6%

Successful dribbles

10

Possession won in final third

20

Labelled “very impressive” by scout/writer Jacek Kulig, Frendrup has scored twice in 35 appearances across all competitions this campaign.

The outlet state that he could be available for a bargain price of £16.9 million, representing value for money in a modern-day market that rarely throws up inexpensive opportunities to pounce.

With rival suitors beginning to circle for his signature, Wolves need to put forward a convincing proposal in the hope that he will opt to move to Molineux once the window finally opens.

It was a year in which Sri Lanka carved a glorious arc through world cricket, and at the heart of it was a man who did everything, everywhere, all at once

Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Jun-2025There was no indication early on that 2014 would turn out to be such a roaring tornado of a year for Sri Lanka’s men, though it did start strangely.Sri Lanka and Pakistan began a Test on the last day of 2013, and played it into the fourth day of 2014, a game that turned out to be a staid draw in the end. But upon this first match of the calendar year (there is some debate on which year this game belongs to) Angelo Mathews made sure to write his name. Without his 91 in the first innings, Sri Lanka would have been skittled for far less than their eventual 204. Without his 157 not out in the second innings, his team would have struggled to keep the opposition at bay.There was a lot going on at the time. The previous year, Mathews had been made captain of the Test and ODI teams at age 25, which at the time was unusually young for a Sri Lanka leader. The board, additionally, was in its brashest era. Sri Lanka Cricket was backed by a government that at the time controlled practically everything on the island, which in turn empowered SLC to fight battles on two important fronts – against the Big Three, who made their first brazen attempt to control the global game in the first quarter of 2014, as well as against the top men’s players, whom the board felt were too highly-paid while the SLC was trying to claw its way back from enormous debt.Related

Mathews defies drama, one last time

'It's quite sad'- Mathews calls for more Tests for Sri Lanka

Dhananjaya de Silva: SL missed 'big chance' to make WTC final

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh: New beginnings for both teams as WTC restarts in Galle

Ambidextrous spinner Rathnayake among new faces in SL squad

The men’s schedule was packed as well. There was an Asia Cup coming up, a full away tour to Bangladesh, Test tours away to England and Pakistan (UAE), and late in the year, an away series in New Zealand. At home, there were Tests against South Africa and Pakistan, plus Mahela Jayawardene’s Test retirement. If you add to this the intolerable weight of having made it to four ICC tournament finals since 2007 and always having been runners up, there was clearly a lot of pressure on the main event of 2014 – the T20 World Cup.The team’s response to all of this was to be electric and unmissable right through those 12 months. And within that team, there was no one as electric, or as unmissable, as Mathews, across almost all fronts. He was, that year, as adept at taking new-ball wickets in T20Is and ODIs, as stonewalling when the team faced a major Test deficit, as crashing boundaries in big knockouts, as prowling the covers and ranging the boundaries, as marshalling the tail, as rebuilding after a collapse, as sneaking red-ball wickets in crucial passages. Because he was the main captain, Mathews would also find himself at the centre of various controversies, including a ‘Mankading’ dismissal in England.Angelo Mathews lifts the Asia Cup in 2014•AFPIn the Test at Lord’s Kumar Sangakkara deservedly got the headlines for his determined entry into the honours board in what would be his final Test there. But Mathews’ 102 in the first innings, and 90-ball 18 in the second, were vital to pushing that match so deep that Sri Lanka were able to save it by the skin of their teeth. In the T20 World Cup, Rangana Herath and the frontline quicks dominated the middle and death overs. But Mathews had often set the stage for them with his miserly early spells. In the semi-final against West Indies, his 40 off 23 was Sri Lanka’s best. In the final, he claimed figures of 1 for 25 off four overs.In a home Test series against South Africa, Mathews didn’t get out for any fewer than 63, showcasing remarkable consistency. Then in the following match, against Pakistan, he pushed himself up the order and began hooking manically into the stands as Sri Lanka chased a Test victory in the dying moments of the fifth day, a raucous crowd thronging Galle’s fort ramparts as well as the grass banks in the stadium. Mathews hit the winning run just as the heavens unleashed a torrent.Mathews and Sri Lanka’s finest hour: the 2014 T20 World Cup win over India•ICC”He was just one of the best cricketers that fit any situation,” Sangakkara says about Angelo Mathews. Sangakkara, by the way, was having no-less epic a year. But as exceptional as Sangakkara was with the bat and the gloves, no one was firing on as many cylinders as Mathews.”He never went in and read the situation wrong,” Sangakkara says. “For someone to instinctively do that at such a young age was phenomenal. Everyone talks about Michael Bevan and these other late order batters who were so good, but Angie was also exceptional in that – the way he batted with the tail, the way he attacked and cleared the boundary with such clarity. He seemed to have an answer to every match situation.”His greatest moment in Tests came in Headingley that year, when his 4 for 16 with the ball restricted England to a lead of only 108 when they’d been headed for much more, before his bruising 160 in the second innings – which featured a 149-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Herath, turned the match on its head. So often in this stretch of Mathews’ career, tailenders would observably bat with more responsibility if he was the batter at the other end, like office workers who would quit chit-chatting, straighten their ties, and get back to the desk when the boss walked in. In that second innings at Headingley, Mathews had thrown his bat in anger when Dhammika Prasad (who could bat a bit) squandered his wicket first ball. So desperate was Prasad to redeem himself, that he came out and produced the bowling performance of his career, to help Sri Lanka win that game, or so the story goes.There will always be the disappointment that Mathews didn’t keep this up. Why wasn’t he roughly this good for so many more years? Why does he now average less than 45 with the bat? Why has he not strode his way to 10,000 Test runs? There is the obvious structural difference post-2015, which is that Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Tillakaratne Dilshan, whose excellence had created space for the young Mathews, retired and left a young team to its own devices. Where the senior batters had once cleared the dancefloor on which Mathews busted his moves, after 2015 so many situations into which Mathews arrived felt like a crisis.Sri Lanka’s 2014 tour of England: Mathews was never far from moments of magic, or controversy•PA PhotosThere is also the sense that he flew a little too close to the sun. Between 2010 and 2015, no one played more international cricket. He wishes he’d clocked this workload at the time, but then asks when he would possibly have had the time to take a step back and adjust? In 2014, he was a leading figure of one of the greatest Sri Lanka sides ever assembled, desperate to finally win the silverware to reflect that greatness. Within six months in 2014, Sri Lanka won an Asia Cup, a T20 World Cup, a Test series in England, and a home series against Pakistan. Mathews was instrumental to every one of those victories.That Mathews was coming in lower down, bred the kind of trophy-winning aggression even the top order displayed. “It gave me huge confidence knowing that Angie was there, because you know you’re in absolutely in good hands,” Sangakkara says. “It gives you a lot of freedom to bat, and up your tempo, or reverse pressure and be a little more aggressive. You knew you had this exceptional batter to come.”There are other exceptional Mathews moments. His captaining of the 3-0 home whitewash of Australia is an obvious. Batting all day with Kusal Mendis to save a Test match at the Basin Reserve in 2018 is another.But even without any of that, Mathews’ 2014 was enough. This was a year in which Sri Lanka carved a glorious arc through world cricket, stirring controversy sometimes with their own board, sometimes with the opposition, enrapturing their fans for months on end. In addition to the great batters already mentioned, the likes of Lasith Malinga and Herath have also had their legacies partially defined by the trophies won through this stretch.All those superstars needed 2014’s wins to provide the late validation their great careers deserved. All those superstars needed every bit of Angelo Mathews they got that year.

The delay in announcing the final schedule and ticketing process has made it hard for the fans to plan their travel

Sidharth Monga11-Aug-2023On August 9 the ICC and BCCI finally announced the revised, and hopefully final, schedule for the “ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023”, which will begin on October 5. Normally such an announcement so close to an event might offer the sport’s fans a reason for the delay and express regret for any inconvenience caused.The question of expressing regret, however, doesn’t arise in this case. What inconvenience can a change in schedule – no matter how late – cause to a fan if tickets haven’t gone on sale yet?Tickets for the 2023 ODI World Cup will be available to the public only from August 25, 41 days before the first match. To know how you can buy these tickets, please register with the ICC website from August 15. What we know so far is that if you are travelling to India to watch India play, or your team take on India, you will have to wait until August 31 to September 3 to try to get a ticket.Related

• Pakistan vs New Zealand World Cup warm-up game to be played behind closed doors

• Hyderabad Cricket Association raises concern about World Cup schedule

• Mission Impossible: the quest for World Cup tickets

• ODI World Cup tickets to go on sale on August 25

• Date changes for India-Pakistan and eight other World Cup games

This timeline makes it extremely difficult for fans from countries that can’t get an India visa without producing a confirmed itinerary. It won’t be a cakewalk for those who want to travel from within the country either. Flights and hotel rooms are already exorbitantly priced around key match dates. And if you book travel and stay without a confirmed match ticket, you could end up at the mercy of touts and other agencies offering even more expensive packages. There is distinct possibility now that matches not involving India might be played in front of relatively poor crowds.If the ten-team format didn’t already make the tournament exclusivist, the possibility of poor representation of travelling fans might make you question the “world” in the “ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup”.What about the “ICC” part then? The Men’s 50-over World Cup is the ICC’s flagship event, but the governing body has been virtually absent – at least in the public eye – while the BCCI delayed finalising the schedule and ticketing to an unprecedented degree. The ICC CEO, Geoff Allardice, practically expressed helplessness on BBC’s during the World Test Championship final this June. He said he hadn’t seen the schedule at the time but hoped to announce it “as soon as we possibly can”.Eventually, the schedule was announced with 100 days to go to the first match (and revised 43 days later). Forty-nine days later, we will reach a stage where the public can register on the ICC website to receive news and updates about tickets. Ten days after that tickets will go up for sale.In the absence of an official explanation for the late change in schedule, you can believe one of two reasons. First that two of Pakistan’s matches coincided with big festivals in Ahmedabad and Kolkata, and local police expressed their inability to provide adequate security for both the festival and the cricket. When these matches were moved, it had a ripple effect on other fixtures.The second reason was offered by BCCI honorary secretary Jay Shah during a press conference in Delhi on July 27: “If security was an issue then why would the match go there [to Ahmedabad]?” he said. “[October] 14-15 is not the problem. Two or three boards have written in, asking to change based on the logistical challenges. There are some matches where there is only a two-day gap, so it will be difficult to play and then travel the next day [and then play again].”Flights to and hotel rooms in Ahmedabad were already priced much higher than usual before the India-Pakistan game was confirmed for October 14, from the original date of October 15•AFP/Getty ImagesIf it is the latter reason, it is extremely accommodating of the BCCI to entertain such late requests from boards after they had signed off on the original schedule.We don’t know who is answerable for the delays because we don’t know for sure whether this World Cup has a tournament director or an organising committee. Sources within the ICC and BCCI say Hemang Amin, the acting BCCI CEO for three years now, is the tournament director but there is no public record of such an appointment. Some others in the two bodies aren’t even aware of such an appointment. The latest announcement identifies Amin as the “CEO of the BCCI”.There was no such ambiguity around the 2019 World Cup in England. In July 2016 – three years before the event – both ICC and ECB appointed Steve Elworthy, a veteran of three ICC tournaments already, the managing director of the World Cup. He went on to form a local organising committee, which is a combination of the host board and ICC officials. They are the people responsible and accountable for delivering a successful World Cup.If it is the first reason – date clash with festivals – the BCCI might deserve some benefit of doubt. No organisation wants to sabotage its own event. While festival dates are known well in advance, Indian bureaucracy can sometimes spring surprises on the BCCI. Then again, this is precisely why World Cups are planned well in advance. Brushing off these delays as an “Indian thing” will be a grave disservice to past BCCI administrations. For the 2011 World Cup, the BCCI appointed a public-facing tournament director, the experienced Ratnakar Shetty, and an organising committee well in advance. The first batch of tickets went on sale as early as June 2010.Perhaps the presence of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as co-hosts helped push matters along in 2011. Almost like how coalition governments work better. To stretch the analogy, the mandate for the current BCCI administration is absolute, and power is heavily centralised with honorary office bearers, a complete departure from the Lodha Committee recommendations to make the functioning of the board more professional and transparent.Not to tempt fate, but the actual cricket during the World Cup should go smoothly. In all likelihood the pitches, outfields and dressing rooms will be perfect, the needs of the broadcasters will be fulfilled, and the teams will be well looked after. The people working on the ground are too experienced to mess that up.Neither the ICC nor the BCCI seemed anxious or apologetic about the schedule or ticketing delay because their bottom line will remain unaffected. The ICC will produce a fabulous broadcast and get its revenue. It doesn’t seem to see this as an impediment to its ambition of globalising the game and taking cricket to the Olympics. The BCCI will sell out all India matches, and will carry on as it does. Politicians, film stars, and privileged people willing to pay will get in to watch matches. Only the regular cricket fan will suffer. the regular cricket fan.

Was the wicketkeeper-batter’s bold approach in the WTC final appropriate?

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Jun-20211:02

Virat Kohli – ‘We don’t want Rishabh Pant to lose his positivity or optimism’

Just before he entered the Indian dressing room on Wednesday afternoon, Rishabh Pant punched the thick wooden door hard with his bare-knuckled right fist.Pant had just got out attempting to slog Trent Boult, getting a top-edge that flew high to backward point. Henry Nicholls, running backwards, took the catch of the final to silence the Indian fans in the crowd at the Rose Bowl. The magnificent catch, one of the turning points of the final, didn’t get as much attention as the shot that Pant played. The question still being asked is: was Pant’s bold approach appropriate?Related

Why did India lose the plot in one hour on the last day of the WTC final?

The rise, fall and rise of Rishabh Pant, in his and others' words

Dig deep, get down and dirty – no one does it better than New Zealand

Virat Kohli – 'Can't be too worried about getting out, have to take more risks'

Pant himself was angry. As he charged Boult and the ball flew towards Nicholls, he would have known he had made a mistake. However, ever since he had arrived at the crease early in the first session after Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara fell in quick succession, Pant had been walking the high wire. Yet, it was only those outside who had their hearts in their mouths. For the stockily built Pant, who India’s bowling coach Bharat Arun describes as a “pocket dynamo”, his various advances towards the bowler were calculated acts of blunting the opposition attack.Pant’s plan and instinct was to play every ball. At times it backfired. Off the ninth ball he faced, Kyle Jamieson pitched a delivery on length with a scrambled seam. Jamieson had induced edges and lbws with similar deliveries and lengths, which was on the fullish side. Pant attempted a push to the off side away from his body. The outside edge flew straight to second slip where Tim Southee made a mess of an easy catch. Pant was on 5. India were 82 for 4.The Indian fans celebrated the drop. Southee banged the turf. Jamieson walked away, doing well to hide any emotions towards his senior team-mate, who had now dropped not one but two catches in the match. Dale Steyn, one of ESPNcricinfo’s experts for this Test, tweeted wondering whether Southee had dropped the WTC mace.Pant seemed unmoved. As Jamieson tested Ajinkya Rahane with short stuff, at the other end Pant was doing mock drills: ducking, swaying, hooking, pulling, ramping.Then it was Southee’s turn with the ball again. A delivery before the first hour into the morning, Southee swung one into Pant, who lunged forward toward the off stump. If you freeze the replay at that point, you can see Pant’s front toe, the right one, pointing towards cover – as if he was going to drive it square on the off side; instead with a loose left leg and meaty wrists, he flicked the ball to the right of mid-on for a boundary. Even Rahane was caught by surprise as he had to quickly move out of the way.When Neil Wagner replaced Southee, Pant charged him the third ball of the over, to slap a firm four. Next ball, he quickly moved into position to perfectly defend it under his eyeline, and exchanged a cool stare with the left-arm quick. Both men would engage in fencing duel.Rishabh Pant played his shots, as only he does•Getty ImagesPant jumped out of his crease again for a streaky outside edge against an away swinging delivery that flew to the right of gully for four. Wagner had a curious smirk. Next delivery, slightly fuller, again an away swinger, Pant charged and this time missed. Rahane walked up to Pant. From afar, Pant seemed to indicate to his vice-captain that if he stayed in the crease, there was a greater danger of the ball taking the outside edge.Next over Rahane was gone. India just ahead by just 77 runs, with 25 minutes to lunch. What would Pant do now? He jumped once again and went for an almighty heave against Wagner and missed completely. Wagner scratched his chin with an expression that said: ‘What the hell?’ Was it rash? Crazy? Pant might tell you: it was not an act of defiance. It was his instrument of defence.Immediately into the second session, Wagner went round the stumps to unleash his main weapon – the short ball. Six men were in position on the leg side: short leg, backward short leg, midwicket, deep square leg and two fine legs. Every time Wagner banged in short Pant pulled him – both on the front foot and the back foot. And he was pulling these balls into the ground.One particular stroke showed how well Pant had understood the pitch and the bowler’s plan: he reverse swatted Wagner for a single to third man with such disdain as if he was shooing a fly.Rishabh Pant swats one away•PA Photos/Getty ImagesPitted against the meditative batting of Kane Williamson and Kohli in the first innings, it is easy to be critical of Pant’s bating on Wednesday. Anarchic it might have seemed from outside, but Pant actually used his natural game to play to the situation. He was doing exactly what Kohli professed after the defeat: taking risks but in a calculated fashion. And he had to take risks. Both he and Ravindra Jadeja had battled hard to survive the first hour after lunch. Then Jadeja succumbed to sustained pressure. India’s tail rarely wags. Pant did not have too many options, because otherwise there was every danger that India would end up with a far lesser lead. Recent evidence suggests the same. In the WTC, India have been bowled out 19 times. Only on four of those 19 occasions has the team batted more than 10 overs and added more than 50 runs after losing the seventh wicket.Kohli himself was cautious about making too much of Pant’s final shot on Wednesday. The Indian captain backed Pant, saying he was an “expressive” batter and India didn’t want him to “lose his positivity or his optimism in changing the situation for the team”, because that is his USP. “It’s up to him to understand whether it was an error of judgement and rectify it moving forward because he has a long career with the Indian team, and certainly someone who could be a match maker for India on consistently many occasions in the future,” Kohli said at the post-match media briefing.This is not the first time Pant has played one stroke too many. It will not be the last time. The frustration from outside is because he himself raised the bar with his heroics in Australia, followed by the home series against England where he dug his heels in initially and then seized the momentum. He nearly did the same in Southampton, albeit in a different manner. Without his innings India potentially might have lost the battle well before lunch.

Much was made entering Thursday of the fact that Game 3 of the Red Sox and Yankees' American League wild-card series would match two rookie pitchers—an acknowledgement, perhaps, that the lights might be a bit bright for one or both of them.

When Boston pitcher Connelly Early proved overwhelmed by the moment Thursday, however, something truly unexpected happened: Red Sox manager Alex Cora did him no favors. As New York put four runs on the board in the fourth inning, Cora flummoxed fans by declining repeatedly to pull—or even talk to—Early until the last possible moment.

Baseball's talking class had a lot to say about Cora's moves—or lack thereof. For instance, they marveled at how late Cora was even to warm up another pitcher (Justin Slaten eventually replaced Early).

Even Yankees writers were left to wonder at Cora's process.

Don't worry—Boston will be ready to go in February.

Cora's leadership throughout the entire series was called into question.

Fortunately, Early's name lends itself easily to puns.

The Virginia product seems certain to learn from this. Will his skipper?

أبدى حازم إمام مدرب الزمالك الأسبق، استيائه من تصريحات يانيك فيريرا المدير الفني السابق لـ الفريق الأبيض، موضحًا حقيقة وجود أزمة في تحليل الأهلي قبل مباراة القمة بينهما في الدوري المصري.

وقال حازم إمام في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة النهار: “تعجبت من تصريحات فيريرا، فهناك مدربين كبار سبق لهم تدريب الزمالك، وغادروا النادي وكانت لهم مستحقات، لكنهم دائمًا تحدثوا عن الزمالك بأفضل الكلام”.

وأضاف: “الملعب لم تكن أرضيته سيئة كما ذكر يانيك فيريرا، فقد تدربنا على ملعب الكلية الحربية ثم العاصمة الإدارية خلال فترة إعداد 15 يومًا، وعند العودة كان الملعب أفضل مما طلب بكثير”.

وبسؤاله عن أزمة تحليل مباراة الأهلي في الدوري، أوضح: “في الفترة بين مباراة الجونة والأهلي حدث انقطاع في الاشتراك بمنصة تحليل الأداء، لكن هذا ليس مبررًا، حيث يمكن متابعة مباريات الأهلي عبر يوتيوب أو بث مباشر، وحلت المشكلة قبل مباراة الأهلي بيومين، وأجرينا محاضرات لمتابعة طريقة لعب الفريق، ولا أرى حجة لذلك”.

طالع | ميدو ينتقد رحيل صلاح مصدق عن الزمالك.. ويصرح: تصريحات فيريرا تكشف شخصيته

وواصل: “أيمن الرمادي عمل لمدة شهر في الزمالك وما زال يتحدث عن أسلوب التعامل داخل النادي، ولم أكن أحب أن يتحدث فيريرا عن الزمالك بهذا الشكل”.

وزاد: “الفريق لم يتم إعداده بدنيًا بشكل جيد خلال فترة الإعداد، وبعض اللاعبين تحدثوا معي عن انخفاض اللياقة البدنية في الشوط الثاني، وتحدثت معه عن ذلك”.

وأشار: “شخصية فيريرا صدامية مثل ما حدث مع سيف الدين الجزيري عندما تحدث معه حدث مشكلة معظم اللاعبين كانوا لا يريدوا الحديث معه، عندما تحدثت مع فيريرا بشأن شكوى اللاعبين كان يقول لي إن هذه فلسفتي الذي العب بها”.

وأتم: “كنت أذهب للتعلم من فيريرا، لكن مجالي في التدريب كان صفرًا، ولم أستفد منه شيئًا”.

When Eddie Howe reflected on Newcastle United’s form at the start of the November international break, he would have felt the weight of back-to-back Premier League defeats against Brentford and West Ham United.

He also would have known the significance of a big performance against Manchester City at St. James’ Park when club football returned, and so it was momentous to have battled to victory against Manchester City on Saturday evening, recovering ground in the race for European football.

The season’s still young, and there is optimism regarding the Magpies’ hopes of finding success once again this year, but Howe and technical director Ross Wilson will already be looking toward the future, and they have earmarked Elliot Anderson as the perfect player to take this project to the next level.

The latest on Anderson to Newcastle

As far as Newcastle are concerned, the Anderson situation is twofold: they will absolutely be in the thick of any upcoming battles to bring their academy graduate back home, and they will surely need to make concessions of some description, given the Tricky Trees are set to demand in excess of £100m for their prized player, who is also being chased by Manchester United

Anderson, 23, was sold to Forest in 2024 for a fee in the region of £35m. This was signed off by PIF officials bearing gritted teeth, having felt forced into cashing in for the homegrown talent in order to balance the books and placate PSR.

Ruefulness has since shifted to regret. Anderson has been described as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League” by England manager Thomas Tuchel, who has designated the star as a regular starter alongside Declan Rice as the 2026 World Cup looms large.

While Newcastle’s vested interest could lead to an exciting and concerted bid – Howe said at the start of October that he “would love him to” come back home – but it’s not as if the Toon engine room is lacking without him.

That said, Joelinton appears to be winding down after years of tireless and robust service. Anderson would surely dovetail into a trio with Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.

If Newcastle have to shuffle a few things, so be it, and there’s one rather brazen sale PIF could permit to ensure the club have the finances to pull a bid off next year.

The Newcastle superstar PIF could sell

It may well be a controversial move, but Newcastle have floated the possibility of selling Anthony Gordon about for some time, with Liverpool interest in their one-time academy talent in 2024, before United opted instead to cash in on Anderson.

Gordon joined Newcastle from Everton for around £45m in January 2023 and, after a testing start to life on Tyneside, made significant progress across the 2023/24 campaign, winning the club’s Player of the Year after recording 21 goal contributions in the Premier League and serving as a talisman as Howe’s side battled through an injury-hit year.

But last season, as Newcastle went from strength to strength, returning to the Champions League and winning the Carabao Cup, Gordon regressed, only scoring six Premier League goals all year.

Though his playing style has put him in a promising position to beat the likes of Marcus Rashford to a regular starting berth at next year’s World Cup, more is needed from a player of his calibre, whose once untouchable place on Howe’s left wing is looking far more apt for replacement at this stage, especially with injuries and suspensions contributing toward his poor form this year.

Then, of course, we have Harvey Barnes, whose brace against City underscored his worth in this system. That’s three goals in two Premier League matches for the former Leicester winger, whose incisiveness from the wing works well against Nick Woltemade’s unique striking game, willing to drop deep and influence play while also playing the part of a powerful target man.

Gordon’s blistering speed and ability to stick to the flank or weave inside to wreak chaos are two brilliant aspects of his game, but he needs to offer more, and his inability to do this could see Howe sell him to fund a move for Anderson, perhaps making a shrewd winger signing to complement Barnes besides.

Because frankly, Gordon’s form in front of goal hasn’t been good enough for a while. The Three Lions star was said to have entered “Gabriel Obertan territory” after the loss at West Ham, which, for one of the most prominent wingers in England, self-proclaimed as a “nightmare for anyone” he comes up against, is not good enough.

25/26

7

0 (0)

24/25

34

6 (6)

23/24

35

11 (10)

22/23

16

1 (0)

Should Gordon fail to establish prolific form before the end of the season, there will be more than just a few questions placed by his name. Given that Liverpool have expressed an interest over the past couple of years, not dissuaded by Newcastle’s £100m valuation, could there be regret that he was not sold sooner?

Barnes, after all, is beginning to find goalscoring form, and Gordon has failed with 60% of his dribbles in the top flight this term, also missing big chances while failing to break his duck.

Gordon at full speed and potency in the final third and up and down the touchline is a dangerous adversary for even the finest of defenders. But his declaration of a nightmarish playing style can only go so far if he is unable to produce clinical results at the end.

We need only look at the Alexander Isak saga and the potential that Woltemade offers in the box to understand that selling Gordon for the right price would not be detrimental for Howe’s longer-term plans.

And if those funds are used to bring Anderson back home, thus completing what may well become the best central midfield in the whole country, then it would surely be a worthwhile move.

Newcastle have already got a bigger talent than Barnes who's "like Mbappe"

Newcastle United have a bigger talent than Harvey Barnes in an 18-year-old who is similar to Kylian Mbappe.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 24, 2025