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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have responded to their early-season defeats – they have now lost three in a row in IPL 2025 – by ringing in the changes, but they are still struggling to find their best combination. It’s a “conundrum”. So says head coach Stephen Fleming, who is concerned by the lack of balance in the squad and the dearth of firepower in the batting line-up.Four games into IPL 2025, CSK have cycled through 17 players, including all seven overseas options, which is a departure from their usual strategy of continuity in selection. No other side has used as many players this season.”Yeah, that [finding the balance] is the conundrum at the moment,” Fleming said at the press conference after CSK’s loss to Delhi Capitals (DC) on Saturday. “To get more solidity at the top we have to remove obviously an overseas player, so we’re grappling just with the combination that we need. When it doesn’t go right, you pore over it and analyse that and see if it was the right call.”Related

• Rayudu: 'CSK will come back strong once they get their combination and personnel right'

• Weary and battered CSK seek urgent revival against PBKS

• Ashwin's YouTube channel 'to step away from covering CSK games'

• KL Rahul: 'Back to enjoying my cricket, not thinking about taking it deep'

• KL Rahul shines as DC outclass CSK in Chennai

CSK have the worst scoring rate in the powerplay among all ten teams this season at this stage, and in order to remedy that, they brought in Devon Conway and reunited him with Rachin Ravindra at the top at the expense of Rahul Tripathi against DC. They also swapped out allrounder Jamie Overton for an Indian seamer in Mukesh Choudhary. The changes didn’t work out, however, with Conway compounding CSK’s powerplay troubles with another low score and Choudhary leaking 50 runs in his wicketless spell of four overs.”We felt that our batting in the powerplays has been below par and going too hard was probably not the way, particularly on our wicket, which is a little bit tricky,” Fleming said. “So we’re looking just to settle that with guys that have been in good form and have done it before, so that’s the theory behind that and that’s what we’ll possibly continue with.”But it just comes down to run production. You can have all the tactics you like, if you’ve got a couple of players in form they can cover for others. But at the moment we’re just not quite getting the big individual scores we need so that the cameos can do their part; we’re getting starts but not quite enough.”After crashing to their biggest-ever defeat at Chepauk in terms of runs, in late March against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), CSK seemed dreadfully off the pace and out of depth in another chase, this time against DC in a day game on Saturday. They managed only 69 for 4 in ten overs in pursuit of 184, and by the time MS Dhoni walked out to bat in the next over, the asking rate had almost touched 12. Vijay Shankar had a particularly tortured stay in the middle while Dhoni also failed to bring out the big hits in the face of a mounting asking rate.”The attempt was that we went out… a combination of they bowled well, I think the ball started to grip a little bit more,” Fleming said. “Well, we understood it was going to be good for the first half and then gradually get slower, so we were keen to bat and then take pace off the ball and they did it really well. Vijay Shankar struggled to get timing all the way through his innings. But that period from 12 to 16 was difficult for all, it was tough to watch and certainly tough to be out there, so the game was just slipping away and even with intent and different methods to do it, it was just too big a scale.”Noor Ahmad has a chat with MS Dhoni•AFP/Getty Images

CSK have now failed to chase 180-plus targets in their last ten attempts, dating back to 2020. Fleming admitted that it’s another worry and called for more contributions from the top order.”Yeah, whenever you’re not doing something well, it concerns me,” Fleming said. “That’s the job. So we’re looking to find the formula that will get us over the line. We’re certainly well aware of the [180-plus] chasing stat.”We are focusing hard bowling-wise to restrict teams below that [180], but we do need to be better with the bat. There’s no doubt about it. We need to have one or two players in the form, predominantly the top three or four, and you look at the teams that are going, well, you’ll see that the majority of the runs are getting scored through there, through the top four, so we need a bit more production there, and that then allows the more power-hitters or the players to finish off the coming in the right spots.”We’re having to introduce players, just not quite at the right time, and we’ve got [Shivam] Dube as well, who’s close [to returning to form], but just not quite getting the job done.”

Big picture: Opportunity for precious game time in Pakistan

A triangular ODI series is something of a curiosity that belongs in a museum more than it does in 2025. Pakistan last hosted one in 2004, and there have been none in the ODI format anywhere since 2019. When this particular series was announced not long ago, it stood out – it is the only ODI tri series in the current FTP.Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa will play a truncated version of the classic tri-series, with just one round of matches followed by a final. The schedule was likely squeezed by the SA20 at one end and the Champions Trophy at the other, and it is that upcoming ICC event – the first hosted by Pakistan in nearly three decades – which gives the series context.While South Africa’s squad is weakened by player commitments at the SA20 and injuries, Pakistan and New Zealand, who take each other on in the opener, have pretty much full-strength sides. Both have named near-identical squads for this series and the Champions Trophy, and had two practice sessions at the rebuilt Gaddafi Stadium, which will officially be inaugurated on Friday, on the eve of the first game.Related

• Champions Trophy: Teams, players, venues, and more

• Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf back in Pakistan squad

• Jacob Duffy added to NZ ODI squad for tri-series in Pakistan

• PCB shifts ODI tri-series to Lahore and Karachi

For each side, it offers the opportunity for precious match practice in conditions where the Champions Trophy will be held in the main (with India’s matches in Dubai). Pakistan and New Zealand will also open the marquee tournament, though that game will take place in Karachi and not Lahore. Both have played exactly nine ODIs each since the end of the 2023 World Cup, and all in very different conditions to this. While Pakistan won each of their three recent ODI series, New Zealand fell short in the one they played in the subcontinent, a 2-0 reversal against Sri Lanka.However, it’s not as if they are short of match practice in this country. Since December 2022, they have played two Tests, eight ODIs and ten T20Is in Pakistan across four series. On most of those occasions, though, multiple factors meant New Zealand sent in weakened squads, with larger context to build up to. This time, however, there is a multi-team trophy on the line, all while preparing for the second-biggest title in ODI cricket.It offers the visitors a chance to trial what appears a healthy balance between seam and spin in Pakistan. Captain Mitchell Santner will have Rachin Ravindra, Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips for slow bowling company, while they also have a battery of fast bowlers – no fewer than six – in their tri-series squad.Pakistan appear to have shown their hand slightly more, with just one full-time spinner alongside Salman Ali Agha, their most plausible part-time spin option. There is a bit of tinkering required at the top, where it appears Fakhar Zaman, back in from the cold, will open with Babar Azam, an experiment the PCB are testing ahead of the Champions Trophy. With this their only game before the deadline to make changes to the squad on February 11, there is more riding on it for them than just the eventual outcome of the contest.

Form guide

Pakistan WWWWW
New Zealand LWWLLBabar Azam is expected to be called upon to open the batting to provide stability up top•Gallo Images/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Babar Azam and Lockie Ferguson

Babar Azam is always in the spotlight, but things are different this time. With Saim Ayub’s injury and Abdullah Shafique’s loss of form, ESPNcricinfo understands Pakistan’s former captain is expected to be called upon to open the batting to provide stability up top. He has, with polarising effect, performed this role in T20 cricket for several years, and more recently stood in as Test opener in Cape Town, scoring a half-century in each innings. In ODIs, however, all but 14 of his innings have come at three, and as he looks to navigate his way out of a difficult run of form, a change of position in his most prolific format will guarantee all eyes on him.Lockie Ferguson has not played ODI cricket since the tail-end of 2023, but with Pakistan also naming four seamers in their squad, this may be a series where express pace is a factor. Fresh off a respectable showing in the ILT20, where he places among the top-ten wicket-takers, the 33-year-old Ferguson is the oldest fast bowler across all three sides this tri-series, but also the quickest. Against a makeshift Pakistan opening pair and, in Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan, middle-order players more accomplished against spin than high pace, Ferguson’s extra heat presents a locus of vulnerability for Pakistan, and a point of difference for New Zealand.

Team news: Saim Ayub is out of action

Ayub, recovering from an ankle injury, is out of the series and the Champions Trophy. Pakistan are expected to open with Fakhar and Babar, with three premier seam bowlers and Abrar Ahmed as lone frontline spinner. The middle order will see some rotation over the series.Pakistan (likely) 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Kamran Ghulam, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), 5 Tayyab Tahir/Saud Shakeel, 6 Salman Agha, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Shaheen Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar AhmedNew Zealand have two opportunities to work out their best side here before the deadline for the Champions Trophy squads shuts. The conditions would suggest three fast bowlers at a minimum. With all of New Zealand’s spinners also handy batters, balance of the side is not much of an issue.New Zealand (possible) 1 Devon Conway, 2 Will Young, 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Kane Williamson, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 7 Glenn Phillips/Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Will O’RourkeThe Gaddafi Stadium has been renovated ahead of the Champions Trophy•Danyal Rasool

Pitch and conditions

This is a bit of a mystery, with the entire ground rebuilt recently. Historically, though, the Gaddafi has produced flat batting surfaces and reward for extra pace in ODI cricket. Overhead conditions are likely to be more overcast than sunny, with temperatures dipping in the evening, but no rain is expected.

Stats and trivia

• Babar has only opened twice in ODI cricket, in a bilateral series against England in 2015. He scored 26 runs across his two innings
• Ferguson is one wicket away from becoming the 19th New Zealander to 100 ODI wickets
• Pakistan last hosted an ODI tri-series in 2004, featuring Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. It was called the Paktel Cup, after a telecommunications company that no longer exists. Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in the final then

Quotes

“You have to look at what the pitch, opposition and conditions are like before you finalise a team. This time around, even the Gaddafi Stadium is new to us.”
“We’ve seen [Tim] Southee and [Trent] Boult do it for a long time for us and do an extremely good job. We’ve got some new guys coming through alongside the experience of Matt Henry, and some good fast bowling stocks.”

With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added to the ranks, Everton are starting to take shape as the 2025/26 campaign looms large.

David Moyes did a fine job last season, replacing Sean Dyche in January and steering the Toffees away from relegation danger and into the comfort of mid-table. They finished 13th in the Premier League, with pragmatic resilience and flashes of exciting attacking quality providing Goodison Park with a poignant but rousing send-off.

Now, this new chapter at the Hill Dickinson Stadium demands a grander vision, and Moyes is determined to emulate his previous success with Everton and West Ham United by driving this Blues team into European competition and restoring the club’s reputation.

After the first-team exodus at the end of last season, which was much needed, Everton need to make a series of further additions this month, with the market murmurings suggesting the Friedkin Group aren’t done in the middle of the park just yet.

Everton still chasing midfielders

Dewsbury-Hall is a fantastic midfielder, robust and reliable. However, Abdoulaye Doucoure’s exit in June calls for more quality in the centre.

The exciting Tyler Dibling has been withdrawn from first-team training at Southampton amid Everton talks. Moyes has already overseen two knocked-back bids for the attacking midfielder, 19, who can play centrally or out wide.

A more pragmatic profile would belong to Aston Villa’s John McGinn, with recent news suggesting Everton have seen an £18m offer rejected for the 30-year-old Scot.

Instead, TFG are ready to turn toward Sunderland’s Chris Rigg, with TEAMtalk revealing that Everton are exploring a move for the midfielder, who is among England’s sought-after teenagers.

The report states that Everton’s scouting team have urged caution, for the 18-year-old is priced at £40m and the Black Cats are under no pressure to sell. The Toffees will observe from afar across the campaign, ready to pounce.

What Chris Rigg would bring to Everton

Rigg might only be 18, but he’s already become a major player at the Stadium of Light, starting 36 Championship fixtures last season as Sunderland clawed their way back into the Premier League.

Though Dibling has proven himself at the top level, there’s little question that Rigg could explode into the limelight if afforded the opportunity, and he will, having engineered the promotion with his controlled, productive performances.

Among Dibling’s most striking strengths is his tactical fluency, able and impressive across any number of positions. Rigg shares this quality, maybe even more dynamic than his fellow prodigy.

Central midfield

27

4

–

Attacking midfield

24

1

3

Right winger

13

2

1

Defensive midfield

10

1

–

Left winger

2

1

1

Centre-forward

1

–

–

Given that Rigg has yet to actually play out a match in England’s top flight, and he is still considered to be worth something in the region of £40m, much like Dibling, Everton might find that they could sign an even bigger talent in the versatile midfielder.

And he shares some of his young countryman’s ball-playing and -carrying properties too. Rigg wrapped up the 2024/25 Championship term ranked among the top 17% of positional peers for succcessful take-ons and the top 18% for passes into the penalty area, as per FBref, denoting both power and intuition when on the ball.

Hailed for his “phenomenal talent” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Rigg has what it takes to become a superstar in the Premier League, with the journalist continuing to say he’s “a technically gifted midfielder capable of moments of brilliance.”

With Everton opening talks with Manchester City for Jack Grealish, the need for a youngster such as Dibling is eased somewhat.

Should Rigg become available next summer, perhaps Moyes and co would be better off playing the long game.

He’d be Gueye 2.0: Everton closing in on move for "exciting" £22m star

Everton are looking for plenty more new signings this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 7, 2025

It’s hard to remember a summer quite this hectic for Arsenal.

It was less than a month ago that fans were complaining about a lack of business, and now it’s hard to keep track of what’s happening every day.

Mikel Arteta and Co have seriously improved the squad with the additions of Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, and Kepa Arrizabalaga, and it feels like a matter of when, not if, Cristhian Mosquera is announced as well.

The same could be said for Viktor Gyokeres, who could be the answer to the Gunners’ goalscoring problems of last season, and if reports are to be believed, the club are interested in someone who’d be a dream signing for the Swede.

Arsenal target dream teammate for Gyokeres

While Arsenal have been linked with an absurd number of players this summer, it would be fair to say the most significant saga, if you can call it that, has been around Gyokeres.

Transfer Focus

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

The club switched focus from Benjamin Sesko to the former Coventry City star once it was clear the German side were not interested in negotiating a reasonable fee, and while things have been easier with Sporting CP, there have still been a number of delays.

However, it now appears that the only things left to work out before the 27-year-old can go off for his medical are the add-ons, as it has been widely reported that the initial fee the Gunners will have to pay is around £55m.

While the North Londoners might have called it a day following such a flurry of spending in the past, it now looks like they’re eyeing up another international ace, someone who’d be a dream teammate for Gyokeres.

At least that is according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who has revealed that Arsenal are interested in Xavi Simons.

The Italian journalist has revealed that the Gunners made an enquiry with RB Leipzig at the start of the window, suggesting there is more than a passing interest.

While Romano makes no mention of how much the Dutchman might cost, reports from earlier this summer claim that a fee of around £68.8m might be enough to secure his services.

It would be a complicated and costly transfer to get done, but Simons is an incredible talent and worth the effort, especially as he’d be a dream for Gyokeres.

Why Simons would be a dream signing for Gyokeres

To understand why Simons would be a perfect signing for Gyokeres, we first need to understand how the Sporting star plays.

Interestingly, while he can play in several ways, he’s first and foremost a penalty area specialist, as evident from his heat map from last season and the locations where he takes his shots.

Therefore, to get the very best out of the Swedish poacher, Arsenal will need players who can get the ball to him in dangerous areas, be that through carrying the ball or passing it up the pitch.

Fortunately, the former Paris Saint-Germain gem can do both, as per FBref, he is in the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers for through balls in Europe’s top five leagues and the top 7% for passes into the penalty area.

Moreover, when compared to midfielders alone, the 22-year-old ranks in the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.

On top of his clear ability to get the ball into goalscoring areas, the Amsterdam-born ace, who one analyst has dubbed “one of the best 10s in the world,” is also an output machine.

In 33 appearances last season, totalling 2763 minutes, he scored 11 goals and provided eight assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 145.42 minutes.

Appearances

33

Minutes

2763′

Goals

11

Assists

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.57

Minutes per Goal Involvement

145.42′

Just imagine what those numbers could look like playing with a striker as prolific as the Sporting monster.

Ultimately, it’s clear that from his effectiveness in moving the ball up the pitch to his raw output, Simons would be an incredible teammate for Gyokeres, and therefore, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him this summer.

£69m star wants to join Arsenal by Wednesday, Berta expects breakthrough

The Gunners are attempting to strike a deal.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 18, 2025

New Zealand were on the high of a maiden Women’s T20 World Cup win and their spinners combined to take seven of the ten Indian wickets to restrict them to 227. But India’s ODI debutants, Tejal Hasabnis and Saima Thakor, shone in crucial moments to help them make a winning start to the three-match series against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.Hasabnis, the Maharashtra middle-order batter, played a steady innings at No. 6 walking in after India were in a spot of bother. She made 42 off 64 balls and was involved in a 61-run partnership. Then Thakor, Mumbai’s bowling allrounder who played for UP Warriorz in WPL 2024, delivered telling blows with the ball to help dismiss New Zealand for 168 and help India go 1-0.Amelia Kerr and Eden Carson continued their superb form from the T20 World Cup. Amelia, the Player of the Tournament, returned 4 for 42 while Carson, who headed into the title-clash on the back of two Player-of-the-Match performances, picked up two of her own. With Suzie Bates also bowling five overs and returning a wicket, it seemed as if India had left a few runs on a surface that looked good for batting.That looked to be case even more when Georgia Plimmer got off to a flier. She hit a flurry of boundaries off Thakor and Renuka Singh, both of whom erred by bowling on her pads. The idea was not all wrong – Thakor was getting the ball to shape away, and hence was trying for the magic ball. There was merit in her bowling plan after it paid dividends on her third ball in internationals. She got one to nip away ever-so slightly to entice a poke from Bates and feather an edge behind.Renuka used the width of the bowling crease to bowl the in-anglers but it played into the hands of Plimmer and Lauren Down, batting at No. 3 after Amelia was seen limping towards the end of the bowling innings. But Deepti Sharma then used her experience to prise out Plimmer. She slowed the flighted ball down and made the batter force the issue, only for her to chip a return catch back.Deepti’s street-smartness then helped India see the back of New Zealand captain Sophie Devine. Devine, who stepped down from T20I captaincy after the T20 World Cup, pushed one towards Deepti but stood out of her crease. Deepti threw the ball back at wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia even as Devine took a few steps back, but no part of her foot was inside the crease.Radha then managed to have Down miscue one to mid-off an over after a leading edge landed short of the same region. Which is when the real domination came from New Zealand with the bat. Brooke Halliday and Maddy Green combined to play a clinical game. They used the crease to manufacture boundaries regularly, most of them behind square on either side.Green first scooped one fine down leg, cut one fiercely past backward point and then sliced one over the same region. Halliday even used the reverse sweep early. They added 49 off 63 balls for the fifth wicket. Smriti Mandhana, captaining India after Harmanpreet Kaur missed out due to a niggle, brought in Shafali Verma in a bid to change a few things but she was hit for a couple of fours in an over.Thakor then broke through, in the third over of her second spell. She got one to stop on Halliday and managed to catch hold of the caught and bowled chance. Three balls later, Mandhana nailed a direct hit at the striker’s end to send Green back. And there was no looking back from there for India. They struck regularly, with only Amelia’s 55-ball stand with Isabella Gaze for the eighth wicket delaying the inevitable.Tejal Hasabnis was solid in the middle order•BCCI

It was not the perfect start for Mandhana, who was leading India in an ODI for the first time. She fell cheaply, cutting one straight to backward point. But Shafali looked to bring a gear that we hardly saw at the T20 World Cup, particularly targeting Jess Kerr. She used the pull shot to good effect and then dispatched a length ball over the sightscreen. But she pulled Carson’s first ball straight to square leg to fall cheaply.A couple of 20-something partnerships followed – first between Bhatia and Dayalan Hemalatha, who batted at No. 4 in Harmanpreet’s absence, and then between Bhatia and Jemimah Rodrigues. It was only when Rodrigues combined with Hasabnis that there came a sense of stability in the Indian batting.The pair looked particularly at ease against spin, maneuvering the ball in the outfield to keep the scorecard ticking. Hasabnis showed her prowess against spin specifically when she went deep in the crease against Amelia’s legspin to slice it past backward point. The pair increased the pace as they went along in their 61-run partnership of just 70 balls.But Rodrigues missed a clip off Bates and was adjudged lbw, the review returning an umpire’s call on impact. Then on 42, Hasabnis could not resist charging at a tossed-up delivery from Amelia and was stumped. Deepti, who walked in at No. 7, showed a lot of intent from the start. She hit a couple of fours and a six in her 41, her best score in ODIs since September 2022. Her innings capsulated the theme of India’s innings – that of batters getting starts but not carrying on. Five India batters made more than 30 but none crossed 42.India faced 125 dots in the 44.3 overs they batted; New Zealand faced 141 in their 40.4. But eventually, it came down to the team that made fewer mistakes and India, despite finishing on what can at best be termed a par score, took the honours that mattered in the series-opener, winning just their second ODI in the last eight outings against New Zealand.

Tottenham still have some key transfer business to conduct ahead of Thomas Frank’s first full season in charge of the Lilywhites.

As important as Kudus: Tottenham also confident of winning race for £25m forward

Spurs believe they can beat their Premier League rivals to the signature of a “electric” striker.

1 ByDominic Lund Jul 7, 2025

Spurs are yet to really make a statement signing this summer. Mathys Tel made his stay permanent for a cut-price fee of around £30 million, and Kota Takai’s £5 million move from Kawasaki Frontale was finally confirmed by the club this morning.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Tottenham have high hopes for Takai, and he will be in and around the first team next season, according to Alasdair Gold, but far more eyes are on whether the north Londoners can strike a deal with rivals West Ham United over the signing of Mohammed Kudus.

Spurs are in ongoing talks with West Ham to agree a move for Kudus after seeing an opening £50 million bid rejected, and he’s the calibre of potential signing which supporters are crying out for as Frank prepares for his first-ever season coaching in the Champions League.

Their pursuit of proven top-level additons is made even more important by uncertainty surrounding the futures of vital Tottenham men – most notably Son Heung-min and Cristian Romero.

The former has attracted rumoured interest from both Saudi Arabia and Los Angeles FC, but any potential exit for the South Korean will likely be delayed until after their pre-season tour of Asia – due to the obvious commercial appeal Son has in the far east (BBC).

Son’s entered the final 12 months of his contract, so chairman Daniel Levy could well be tempted to sell the 33-year-old in the event of a suitable offer.

Meanwhile, reports from Spain and South America have continued to heavily link Romero with a move to Atlético Madrid.

Tottenham in talks to sell Cristian Romero after Atlético Madrid offer

Spanish newspaper AS have an update on the £165,000-per-week defender’s future this week, with Atlético already tabling a £60 million bid, including add-ons, for his services.

This hasn’t met Spurs’ valuation of the centre-back, who won last season’s Europa League Player of the Year award, as Levy demands closer to £60 million all-in.

Nevertheless, Diego Simeone’s side are not giving up or shying away. Atletico are in ongoing talks with Tottenham over signing Romero, who James Maddison called Spurs’ most “underrated” player, and this story is unlikely to go away any time soon.

Simeone publicly confirmed his desire to sign the Argentine in a recent press conference, and there is an expectation that Romero could be more than open to this La Liga switch.

“You’ve got to want to be there, and I’m not sure he wants to be at Spurs,” said pundit Tony Cascarino on talkSPORT.

“I’ve always felt that he’s played his best football that he’s played his best football when he’s had to and when Atletico have made a clear indication they want him. That would be one of his issues [Frank], he’s got to look players in the eye and find out do you want to be at this football club.”

Liverpool are not resting on their laurels after they won the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first season in England, having joined from Feyenoord last summer.

The Reds boss has already added Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen to bolster his squad, whilst Milos Kerkez is set to be confirmed as their latest signing from Bournemouth.

These moves show that the Reds want to build on their success to push on and compete for even more trophies in Slot’s second season at Anfield.

Of course, signing new stars in several positions also means that some players may have to be moved on to make space in the squad, as Jarell Quansah is reportedly set to leave the club.

Fabrizio Romano claims that Bayer Leverkusen have agreed a deal that could be worth up to £35m to sign the England U21 international this summer.

Why selling Jarell Quansah makes sense for Liverpool

Selling a homegrown, 22-year-old, England U21 international may not make much sense at face value, given that he is valuable for the homegrown quota and has plenty of room left to improve.

However, the Reds are in win-now mode after their Premier League success and with the likes of Alisson, Mo Salah, and Virgil van Dijk in the latter stages of their respective careers.

Unfortunately, Quansah has not proven that he has the quality to be a key player when called upon in the Premier League for Liverpool, given his performances for the team in the 2024/25 campaign.

The English youngster was handed a start against Ipswich Town on the opening day of the top-flight season, but was hauled off for Ibrahima Konate at half-time.

After the match, Slot explained that it was because he lost too many duels, telling TNT Sports: “First thing I said is we don’t have to speak about tactics if we lose so many duels and that was what we did. Not that Jarell [Quansah] lost every duel – many of us lost too many duels. But I think we needed Ibou Konate to win these long balls in the air from their No.9.”

Appearances

13

Starts

4

Error led to shot

1

Error led to goal

0

Penalties committed

1

Ground duel success rate

47%

Aerial duel success rate

41%

As you can see in the table above, losing duels was a theme for Quansah throughout the Premier League campaign, as he lost the majority of his battles on the ground and in the air.

The 22-year-old defender, who has lost 53% of his ground duels in the U21 Euros for England this summer, has not shown enough strength as a centre-back to compete week-in-week-out for Liverpool, which is why cashing in on him makes sense at this moment in time.

Premier League club eyeing up Liverpool midfielder

Quansah may not be the only England U21 international to move on from Anfield before the end of the summer transfer window, though, as Harvey Elliott is now being eyed up by a Premier League.

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 Football Insider, Brighton & Hove Albion are interested in a move to sign the former Fulham prodigy from Liverpool to bolster their midfield options.

The report claims that the Seagulls are confident that they can agree a deal with the Reds to bring the left-footed star over to the AMEX this summer, and that they are one of the frontrunners to land his signature.

It adds that Brighton are capable of matching Liverpool’s £40m valuation of the English playmaker, and it now remains to be seen when they will make an official swoop for his services.

Why Harvey Elliott would be a bigger loss than Jarell Quansah

Losing Elliott would be a bigger blow than losing Quansah this summer because he is more suited to making an impact on the pitch in the here and now.

As aforementioned, the central defender has been disappointing when called upon at the back for the Reds, which is why it makes sense to move him on, but that has not been the case with the attacking midfielder.

When given opportunities to impress, the 22-year-old star has shown plenty of promise for the Reds, with five goals and three assists in 28 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign.

The England U21 international, who has scored two goals in four games at the Euros this summer, also produced four goals and 11 assists in all competitions for the Reds in Jurgen Klopp’s final season at Anfield.

Non-penalty goals

0.66

Top 1%

Assists

0.33

Top 14%

npxG + xAG

0.60

Top 15%

Shot-creating actions

4.48

Top 23%

Progressive passes

8.80

Top 2%

Passes made

64.76

Top 2%

As you can see in the table above, Elliott has been particularly impressive over the past 365 days when called upon by Slot, ranking highly among his positional peers in a host of attacking and possession-based metrics.

These statistics show that the young attacking midfielder offers a lot of value on the ball as a player who can score and create goals, whilst also progressing the play with his passes, which is why it would be a blow to lose him from the squad this summer.

Whilst he may not be a frontline option who is likely to start 50 games next season, his form in the last couple of years shows that he is a very good squad player who can be relied upon when needed, as a starter or off the bench.

This is why losing him to Brighton this summer would be a bigger blow than Quansah’s move to Leverkusen, as the centre-back has not proven himself to be as valuable to the team.

He'd be unplayable with Gordon: Liverpool submit bid to sign £64m forward

Liverpool are planning to sign a new striker this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 24, 2025

If there is one thing Arsenal have really lacked this season, it’s goals.

Mikel Arteta’s side are set to finish second in the Premier League this weekend, but as things stand, they have scored 18 goals fewer than Liverpool.

With their attacking output such an apparent weakness, it’s hardly been surprising to see the Gunners linked with a host of brilliant strikers and wingers in recent weeks, with Rodrygo perhaps being the most exciting of them all.

However, if recent reports are to be believed, the North Londoners might now be looking at a potential alternative to the Real Madrid star, someone who’s been compared to Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal transfer news

Before we get to the star in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other players linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, such as Viktor Gyokeres and Bryan Mbeumo.

Transfer Focus

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

The former has scored an unreal 53 goals in 51 appearances this season while providing another 13 assists for good measure, so even though he’d reportedly cost the Gunners between £60m and £70m, it would be hard to say he wouldn’t be worth it.

Likewise, Mbeumo has been on fire for Brentford this season, scoring 19 goals and providing nine assists in just 41 games, making his £60m price tag seem more than reasonable.

However, another name that has recently entered the picture, and someone who could be an ideal Rodrygo alternative, is Ademola Lookman.

Yes, according to a recent report from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal are looking for a new winger this summer, and the Atalanta star is someone they are interested in.

In fact, Plettenberg claims that talks with the Nigerian international and other players “are in full swing.”

According to stories from earlier this year, the former Napoli star could cost the North Londoners up to £55m, and while that’s a lot of money, he’d certainly be worth it, especially as he’s won comparisons to Saka.

How Lookman compares to Rodrygo and Saka

So, before we get to why Lookman might be an ideal alternative to Rodrygo, let’s examine this comparison to Saka and where it has come from.

Well, in this instance it stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, before creating a list of the ten most comparable players.

By doing this, it has been concluded that the Englishman is the second most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Nigerian across the last 365 days.

Non-Penalty G+As

0.78

0.79

Shots

3.23

3.39

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.53

0.63

Live Passes

33.8

33.0

Shot-Taking Actions

5.44

5.93

Interceptions

0.12

0.16

The best way to see how this is worked out is by taking a look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including but not limited to non-penalty goals plus assists, shots, crosses into the penalty area, live passes, shot-taking actions and more, all per 90.

In short, there are a lot of statistical similarities between the “world-class” 27-year-old, as dubbed by the BBC’s John Bennett, and Saka, although were he to join the Gunners, he’d almost certainly have to play off the left – where he is still comfortable – which makes him an alternative to Rodrygo.

So, who comes out on top when we compare the pair’s output from this season against one another?

Interestingly, it’s actually the London-born dynamo who comes out on top, as in 39 appearances, totalling 2826 minutes, he has scored 20 goals and provided seven assists, which comes out to an incredible average of a goal involvement every 1.44 games or every 104.66 minutes.

In contrast, the Brazilian international has scored 13 goals and provided ten assists in 50 appearances, totalling 3290 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.17 games or every 143.04 minutes.

Ultimately, Rodrygo would certainly be a statement signing, but should it not materialise, Arsenal may end up better off bringing in Lookman, as he’s both more productive and incredibly similar to Saka.

He's like Isak: Arsenal plan talks to sign £105m Gyokeres alternative

The free-scoring forward would be perfect for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 22, 2025

Former Tottenham Hotspur managing director, Fabio Paratici, has reportedly pushed one manager to chairman Daniel Levy, and the tactician in question has now officially left his club.

Ange Postecoglou still expected to leave Tottenham this summer

Spurs are gearing up for their most important clash of the 2024/2025 season on Wednesday, with Ange Postecoglou’s side taking on fellow Premier League underachievers Man United in a blockbuster Europa League with everything on the line.

Tottenham in transfer talks with "superstar" who's confirmed he's leaving

Spurs sense a serious opportunity to strengthen their squad.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

May 17, 2025

The victor will seal a place in next season’s Champions League draw, and for the north Londoners, it also represents an unmissable chance to clinch their first piece of major silverware in nearly two decades.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League	Average match rating
Son Heung-min	7.00
Pedro Porro	6.98
James Maddison	6.98
Dominic Solanke	6.85
Dejan Kulusevski	6.83
via WhoScored

After a torrid domestic campaign of record-breaking lows, where Tottenham have even lost their highest number of Premier League games in a single season, and currently sit a lowly 17th in the table, Europa League glory could hand supporters something to smile about at long last.

Postecoglou could even save some face and make good on his early-season statement that he ‘always’ wins trophies during his second season in charge.

However, regardless of what happens in the Bilbao final, the consensus is that Postecoglou is likely to leave Spurs at the end of the season.

Tottenham have been linked with a host of managers to replace the 59-year-old ahead of 2025/2026, with Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Marco Silva (Fulham), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Thomas Frank (Brentford), Scott Parker (Burnley), Jürgen Klopp (Head of Global, Red Bull), Niko Kovač (Borussia Dortmund) and Edin Terzić (free agent) all mentioned by reports as potential successors to Postecoglou within the last month.

Ex-Sky presenter Richard Keys also recently claimed that Tottenham held talks with former Barcelona boss Xavi, so there appears to be a number of options under consideration by Levy.

There is another readily-available option following a significant development this week – ex-Ajax boss Francesco Farioli.

The highly-rated young tactician, who guided Ajax back to the Champions League, also suffered heartbreak at the end of the Eredivisie season – having blown a seismic nine-point lead to surrender the Dutch title to PSV Eindhoven.

Francesco Farioli exit confirmed after Fabio Paratici tells Tottenham to hire him

Reports in the English media recently claimed that Paratici recommended Farioli to Levy and Tottenham, with the club now handed a chance to appoint the 36-year-old.

In an official statement published on Monday, it has been confirmed that Farioli has decided to leave Ajax. The Italian informed officials of his desire to leave, just one year after taking charge, and Spurs have the chance to move for him without having to negotiate with Ajax.

Farioli is very popular within Premier League circles, and some media sources even suggest that he’s shot to the top of their managerial shortlist. Dutch media have also branded Farioli as an “amazing” tactician, and the general Ajax reaction to his exit has been one of disappointment.

“I find this incredibly disappointing. Francesco and his staff have been a great help to us,” said Ajax director Alex Kroes.

“It’s been an intense season filled with many memorable moments, and we achieved our goal: qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Francesco also played a key role in enhancing the high-performance culture at Ajax, for which we are extremely grateful. This summer was already set to be a challenging transfer window, and it has now become even more so. It is up to us to ensure that a strong new coaching team is in place when pre-season preparations begin on 26 June.”

How India’s premier batter is trying to work himself back into form

Alagappan Muthu20-Nov-20244:44

Kohli in Australia: Can he turn his form around in his favourite country?

“Dink”The ball was supposed to meet the middle of the bat. It didn’t. A wholesome wooden sound instead turned into a hollowed out squeak.”Aaarrggghhh”Virat Kohli’s scream cut through the air in Perth, which carries a noticeable suburban charm, a quiet that can often be taken for granted. There are, however, places desperate to take the city into the future, like Optus Stadium whose blueprints could come in handy as a starting point for a UFO with its vast, oval, metallic magnificence. Its walkways on the outside remain open to the public. Cyclists and runners make good use of them. The cricket nets are just off of these walkways. People could simply drop by and watch the world’s most popular cricketer doing his thing. A handful of young adults did and were rewarded with his autograph.”THUD!”The cover drive was out and it seemed to be in perfect working order. Kohli was being very selective with it. He wasn’t going to his go-to shot unless he could reach somewhere at least close to the pitch of the ball. A large portion of his 9040 Test runs have come because he is this thorough.Related

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(An entirely muffled) “Thud.”Kohli went after something that was almost comically wide of off stump and fell right over onto his back at the batting crease. He shouldn’t have reached out so far and it felt like he was in disbelief that he had and that’s how he expressed it. It’s so much fun watching him, no matter what he does – he’s even helped out by his hair up a bit, It’s more brown than black.The other senses aren’t left wanting either. “Whiiirrrr”. He flicks his wrists and the bat spins out of his hand, hovering in mid-air, until he catches hold of it again. There are entire edits of him doing just this on Reddit. He’s made a nervous tick look cool. “Tap tap tap”. He gets into his stance and to face the bowler. “Clap clap clap”. India will hope that’s the noise that follows immediately afterward. It did at the nets on Wednesday, when he played that performative forward defensive, giant stride down the pitch, head down, bat close to pad, with complete confidence he had absorbed all the venom in the ball fed by a throwdown specialist from less than 22 yards.These moments, though, were sprinkled in between others where he couldn’t will his intentions into reality. It’s become a whole thing. Early Kohli had no filter. He was box office. Fab-four Kohli had, at best, one weakness. He was unreal. Present-day Kohli is veering dangerously close to being human. He’s having bad days at work. Over the past five years, he averages 33.45 with three centuries in 61 innings. In the five years before that, he averaged 62.78 with 20 centuries in 89 innings.2:42

Clarke: Rohit and Kohli have earned some slack

Some of his recent dismissals have been bizarre. Caught behind off Glenn Phillips. Bowled by a full toss from Mitchell Santner. Run-out in the dying stages of the day’s play. Others have followed a pattern. A continued vulnerability against left-arm spin and an over-reliance on his front-foot shots. All of it has prevented him from spending any meaningful time at the crease. Four of his last five innings have lasted less than 10 balls and only one of his last 14 have gone past 100.There may be a connection to that and the kind of training Kohli has been doing in Perth. He was out caught in the slips during one of the match simulations at the WACA and immediately went off to the nets for a half-hour session. He batted for much longer periods, on both days, at Optus Stadium. He gave himself time. He also had plenty of opportunities to play off the back foot and he took them; didn’t attempt anything fancy, just kept going through drills where he tried not to follow the movement when the ball passed his outside edge and soften the grip on his bat when he couldn’t quite get into the positions he wanted.There was no jeopardy here at practice but Kohli created it for himself just like Morne Morkel, the India bowling coach, said he would. He was working hard at working within limitations, though there was this one instance when he couldn’t help but soothe himself with an attacking shot. It was a back-foot swivel pull against Mukesh Kumar, immediately after he went past the bat, where he leaned his body weight to the off side just a little bit to manufacture the room that the bowler wasn’t so keen to give him. The sound that came off his bat was “thwack,” but it was so loud and rude it felt like it shouldn’t be repeated in front of polite company.The Indian fans have been yearning for him. Even in the middle of the home season, when he was responding to requests for pictures at the airport, he was met with “Virat , BGT .” There are wistful posts all over the internet; people looking back at his best innings in the way they look back on misspent youth, pundits explaining how he will get out of the rut and coaching staff hitting back at questions suggesting decline. There is noise on top of noise on top of noise. There always has been. Kohli is a full sensory experience.