Barcelona will report to La Liga that Marc-Andre ter Stegen is expected to be out for around four months following the goalkeeper's surgery.
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Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and his son have received death threats from Galatasaray fans instructing them to sanction Victor Osimhen's move to the Turkish club.
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Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl has criticised Paris Saint-Germain star Gianluigi Donnarumma for his role in Jamal Musiala's injury.
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Bismah Maroof, the Pakistan women captain, talks about life since the team’s forgettable World Cup and the learnings from a historic win against New Zealand
Annesha Ghosh08-Nov-2017The only high points of Pakistan’s campaign at the Women’s World Cup were the scare they gave South Africa in their tournament opener, and then when their bowling attack spewed sparks to nearly pull off a second consecutive upset of India in a world tournament.But that was that. The threat didn’t translate into results, and a winless World Cup campaign led to an upheaval in the management, the sacking of the ODI captain, the appointment of a foreign coach, and a revamp of the managerial staff – all of this providing fodder for social-media trolls for over four months.But an ODI victory on Sunday against a team that had defeated them in each of their 12 previous meetings, across 20 years, changed everything, with current and former internationals taking to Twitter to commend the triumph. Even New Zealand, the opponents they defeated, applauded Pakistan during the innings break for the bowling effort that shot them out for 155.”As a team, we needed this appreciation in a big way,” Bismah Maroof, the newly appointed full-time captain, says. “Our World Cup results were quite heartbreaking. To see the people of Pakistan and the Australian team members, South Africans, commentators encouraging us the way they did [after the win against New Zealand], it validates the hard work you put in to achieve such results.”
Congratulations @mir_sana05 and Pakistan Women on your historic victory against NZ. Well played
— Alex Blackwell (@AlexBlackwell2) November 6, 2017
Huge win – congrats @mir_sana05 @maroof_bismahhttps://t.co/GS1HMfYdM4
— Isa Guha (@isaguha) November 6, 2017
The symbolism of the events leading up to the victory didn’t go unnoticed. Sana Mir, removed from the captaincy in the wake of a very public spat with the management, rolled New Zealand over with a four-for, before providing rearguard action with the bat and scoring the winning runs, with Maroof at the other end.”Sana is a fighter,” Maroof says. “I’ve always believed that with or without the captaincy, whenever the team needs her she’ll fight it out for the team. She has been under a lot of pressure since the World Cup and she converted that into a match-winning performance in a momentous win.”For Maroof herself, the months since the World Cup opener have been full of upheaval. Her tournament ended prematurely, with a fractured little finger in her right hand, and in the subsequent matches the batting unit fell apart – barring the occasional half-century from Nahida Khan and Ayesha Zafar.Cricket had to be put on hold when she returned and underwent rehab for close to 40 days. More than anything, accepting the reality of it all was most difficult.”The injury was untimely, and I had to stay away from cricket to clear the clutter in my head that the fracture brought,” she says. “But I took my time and moved on. I disengaged myself from cricket for a good number of days and spent my time with family. That helped my soul-searching a bit.”When I was offered captaincy, my family advised this could be right time for me to guide the team to more positive results. I took the role up as a challenge and I know it’s going to be quite an experience.”Maroof has been the mainstay of a volatile batting order since her debut as a 15-year old, and against New Zealand made 35-plus scores in each of the three ODIs. She says captaincy hasn’t put any extra pressure on her as a batsman, and that the ODI series has been a shot in the arm for the team.”Yes, we should have won the first game too. Our lower middle order is relatively inexperienced, so after they fell, the tailenders got somewhat excited at the prospect of victory,” she says, smiling. “But the biggest takeaway from the defeat was also what helped us win the third ODI and will do so in our upcoming games: take responsibility and close out the chase.”It’s a positive sign for Pakistan cricket. The better we perform, the better facilities we’ll get from the board. And that’s something we need to do for ourselves and for the next generation of women cricketers.”AFPMaroof attributes interim head coach Mark Coles with having begun the process of inculcating a new team culture.”He’s made it very clear that while we focus on our strengths, it important to accept our weaknesses and work on them. I think that way we’re starting to be at peace with both the person and player we are as individuals.”On commentary during the third ODI, Coles said he was “no longer father to only his two daughters back in New Zealand” but, with the coaching role, now had “the responsibility of 14 more”. Maroof reciprocates, calling him a “friend and fatherly figure” who, she says, has injected into the dressing room a degree of buoyancy that has multiplied trust among the players.”It took him a while to understand the Pakistani culture [Coles jokingly terms it “excitable”]. He’s been able to assess our mindset pretty quickly after that. Every girl knows they can walk up to him and speak their heart out. This uninhibited flow of communication is somewhat new to us.”You could probably see that when we were making those calls while taking singles and doubles. A ‘yes’ meant a ‘yes’ and a ‘no’ meant a ‘no’. It’s basic stuff, really, but yes, it’s starting to work for us.”Apart from Coles’ empathy, Maroof believes he has imparted a sense of direction.”Earlier, it was difficult to gather an understanding on the kind of approach we needed to adopt in key situations. With Mark coming in, he’s clearly outlined the roles best suited to each one of us. Even the plans we chalk out on paper are followed up with due deliberations on how we should be executing them. This awareness he’s instilled in us, [in my opinion, we had been missing out previously].”Now the full-time captain across formats, Maroof is alive to the challenges strewn across Pakistan’s path. “Our top-order looks fairly settled. Our concern now is the No. 5 and 6 positions, and also our fielding – something Mark, too, has identified as needing improvement.”The World Cup was testament to the growth the women’s game has made. We are not yet at par with the best teams, but our aim now is to bridge that gap as quickly as possible. At the same time, we realise it’s important to be patient. So we want to grow as a team and remodel ourselves as a better fielding, batting and bowling unit – one step at a time.”
Arsenal are now “monitoring” an “exciting” midfielder, with a summer transfer possible if they are willing to pay at least £50m, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.
The Gunners are well-known to be interested in signing a midfielder this summer, having been pursuing Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi for quite some time, but there is growing uncertainty that a deal for the Spaniard will be possible.
As such, while Mikel Arteta is still hoping to get a deal for Zubimendi over the line, alternative targets are being identified, with a move for Atletico Madrid’s Pablo Barrios now being plotted.
The north Londoners are also in the race for Rosenborg youngster Sverre Nypan, who is considered a key signing for Arteta’s future project, but there will be competition from Liverpool, while Manchester City are also known to be interested.
Arsenal set to make offer to sign 21-goal "superstar" after hiring Berta
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By
Dominic Lund
Mar 4, 2025
Not only will Arsenal have to do battle with Liverpool if they decide to pursue Nypan, but they are also battling the Reds for Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Hugo Larsson, according to a recent update from Plettenberg on X.
Tottenham Hotspur and several other teams, including the top Bundesliga clubs, are also “monitoring” Larsson, with a summer move deemed a possibility, should any potential suitor be willing to fork out a big fee.
The German club are hoping to receive at least €60m (£50m) for the midfielder, and they are seemingly in a strong negotiating position, given that he remains contracted until the summer of 2029.
Frankfurt are expecting “concrete offers” for the 20-year-old in the summer, but it remains to be seen whether the Gunners are willing to make a bid.
Although the Swedish maestro is still very young, he has already received eight caps for his country, having impressed at club level, establishing himself as a key player for Frankfurt since making the move from Malmo FF.
Prior to his arrival in Germany, the former Malmo man was lauded as “one of the most exciting talents in Swedish football” by freelance scout Ben Mattinson, and he has certainly lived up to the hype thus far.
The starlet has made 33 appearances in all competitions this term, and he has been on the scoresheet five times, scoring an unconventional goal with his knee to mark his 50th Bundesliga outing last month, during Frankfurt’s 3-1 victory over Holstein Kiel.
Having proven himself in the Bundesliga over the past two seasons, Larsson could be ready to take the next step in his career by signing for one of the Premier League’s top clubs, so it is exciting news Arsenal could be in the race for his signature this summer.
In the age of ever-increasing exit velocities and launch angles, David Fletcher stands out. The Angels’ second baseman ranks dead last in average exit velocity among qualified major-league hitters and has the second-lowest strikeout rate in the American League. He’s also second in the AL in hits and owns the longest hitting streak of the season, doing so with a quiet confidence his manager likens to Joe Namath’s.
On a team with three-time MVP Mike Trout, two-way phenomenon and 2021’s presumptive AL MVP Shohei Ohtani, and All-Star corner infielders Anthony Rendon and Jared Walsh, it’s the 5' 9" Fletcher who has paced the lineup from the leadoff spot for most of the year. (Recently, he and Ohtani have flipped spots, with Fletcher now batting second.) The soft-spoken 27-year-old is not one to draw attention to himself, but his play this season has been impossible to ignore, and his teammates are more than happy to do the talking for him.
“Fletch is a unique type of player. He knows how to play the game. His IQ in baseball is very high,” shortstop José Iglesias said earlier this month. As if that wasn’t enough, Iglesias said Fletcher’s savvy extends from the diamond to the card table. “He teaches me about poker as well. He’s a good poker player.”
And how does Fletcher describe himself?
“I just enjoy competing in everything,” Fletcher says. “And I hate losing.”
That high-level baseball acumen and renowned stoicism are traits Fletcher displayed long before arriving in the big leagues in 2018. On a middling team that shares a market with the defending champion Dodgers, his cool demeanor and understated skillset make him an anonymous star and one baseball’s best-kept secrets.
While finishing second in the Premier League and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League would constitute an unreal campaign for most clubs, it wasn’t for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s side came into this season hopeful of finally getting over the line in a major competition, only to fall short yet again.
With that said, this year wasn’t a total write-off, as there have been some massive positives, notably the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
The latter, in particular, now looks destined for stardom since cementing a starting spot in North London and earning three caps for the senior national side.
Yet, in an exciting development, recent reports are now linking Arsenal with another youngster who could be an even bigger talent.
While Arsenal have been linked to a host of established superstars who could come in and make an immediate impact on the first team this summer, several tremendously exciting prospects have also been touted for moves to the club in recent weeks, like Kenan Yildiz and Konstantinos Karetsas.
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 could reportedly be available for an astounding £86m, and while that is a mind-blowing sum of money for a 20-year-old, he was able to score seven goals and provide five assists in just 35 Serie A appearances this year.
Karetsas, on the other hand, could cost a slightly more palatable £38m, although with him still being just 17 years old and only managing seven goal involvements in 39 games this year, that could still be too much.
Moreover, it would be hard to compare either youngster to Lewis-Skelly, unlike Jorrel Hato.
According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal and Chelsea are incredibly interested in the Ajax gem.
In fact, the Italian claims that within the last week, the Gunners have been ‘calling’ the Dutch giants to learn more about the young defender.
Romano does not mention how much a potential deal might cost, but according to other reports from earlier this week, the Amsterdam outfit could ask for up to £42m.
It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Hato’s immense ability and potential, it’s one Arsenal should fight for, especially as he might be a bigger talent than Lewis-Skelly.
Okay, so the first thing to say is that nobody is disputing the fact that Lewis-Skelly is a simply phenomenal talent, who at this point looks destined to be a part of Arsenal’s first team for years to come and likely a regular starter for Arsenal as well.
However, at this point in time, it’s also not controversial, at least it shouldn’t be, to suggest that Hato is a bigger talent, and there are a few reasons why.
Firstly, while this season was the young Englishman’s breakthrough campaign, and he only became a regular fixture in the first team in the latter half of it, the Ajax star, who has “superstar potential,” according to U23 scout Antonio Mango, has been playing senior football for some time now.
He made his first team debut for the Amsterdam outfit back in February 2023, when he was still just 16 years old, and since then, he’s played 111 matches for the first team, in which he’s scored four goals and provided nine assists – he also made his senior national team debut at 17 years old, in November the same year.
Moreover, in another example of just how absurdly developed and highly-rated the Rotterdam-born talent is, he has started 102 of those 111 club games and even worn the captain’s armband multiple times.
Finally, on top of the experience and responsibility that the “exceptional” talent, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has over the Gunners’ gem, he also comes out on top when we compare the two teenagers’ underlying numbers.
|
Hato vs Lewis-Skelly |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics per 90 |
Hato |
Lewis-Skelly |
|
Non-Penalty Expected G+As |
0.16 |
0.04 |
|
Non-Penalty G+As |
0.28 |
0.07 |
|
Progressive Passes |
4.17 |
4.67 |
|
Progressive Carries |
1.42 |
2.43 |
|
Key Passes |
0.63 |
0.53 |
|
Passes into the Penalty Area |
0.80 |
0.66 |
|
Live Passes |
52.4 |
43.4 |
|
Shot-Creating Actions |
1.43 |
1.91 |
|
Goal-Creating Actions |
0.45 |
0.00 |
|
Tackles |
2.01 |
1.45 |
|
Blocks |
1.22 |
0.26 |
|
Interceptions |
0.76 |
0.46 |
|
Clearances |
2.29 |
1.78 |
|
Ball Recoveries |
4.51 |
3.49 |
|
Aerial Duels Won |
1.77 |
0.72 |
|
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Domestic Season |
||
For example, the 19-year-old does far better in metrics like actual and expected non-penalty goals, key passes and passes into the penalty area, goal-creating actions, tackles, blocks, interceptions, clearances, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, Lewis-Skelly is a superstar in the making, and of that, there is no doubt, but as things stand, Hato looks to be even better.
Therefore, Arsenal should do all they can to sign the Dutch gem this summer, as he could be a world-class player a few years down the line.
A hybrid between Gabriel & Saliba: Arsenal join the race to sign £68m star
Arsenal could sign a defender who’s like Gabriel and William Saliba.
By
Jack Salveson Holmes
Jun 12, 2025
It looked as if it would go right down to the wire, but Wrexham would clinch automatic promotion out of League One with a game to spare in the end.
The match that would finally seal their unbelievable leap up to the Championship was an unforgettable 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic, with the opening goalscorer on the day being midfield maestro Oliver Rathbone.
He cemented his place in Red Dragons’ history when powering home a fantastic effort early into the first half, and he will hope he can kick on in a Wrexham shirt even more when the challenge of the Championship officially arrives in North Wales.
That said, one new addition could potentially usurp him in that midfield pecking order…
This off-season could see the Red Dragons conduct their business in a cutthroat manner, with goalscoring icon Paul Mullin rumoured to be on the move to Wigan Athletic, despite boasting a bumper 105 goals in total at the Racehouse Ground.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Welsh giants move away from solely relying on Rathbone for creativity in the middle of the park, with journalist Graeme Bailey now revealing that Wrexham are monitoring Tom Cairney’s situation as they hunt more second-tier-ready stars.
Bailey does suggest that Cairney’s preference is to stick it out with his long-term employers in Fulham, but Wrexham haven’t buried all their hope just yet when it comes to landing the skilful 34-year-old, knowing full well he would significantly enhance their options in the middle.
Rathbone, in particular, might need to watch out.
Wrexham entertained League One audiences all campaign long, as the likes of Sam Smith, Elliot Lee, and Steven Fletcher all stood out in the attacking positions.
Rathbone’s name will also be chucked into the mix as another captivating performer, with the former Manchester United youth product ending his own memorable individual season with eight league goals next to his name, which is the same amount both Fletcher and Lee managed, and was only bettered by 18-goal hero Smith.
Moreover, the 28-year-old would tally up a further three assists as a creative machine in the middle, alongside also showing off his grit and determination by averaging 5.3 successful duels per second-tier contest.
Whilst Rathbone is undoubtedly a gem in the lower reaches of the EFL, he hasn’t been as comfortable when jumping up to the Championship in the past, with just a mediocre eight goal contributions collected from 80 appearances at the level when on the books of Rotherham United. To further pile on the misery, he has also been relegated from the unforgiving division.
As a result, Phil Parkinson might well deem it necessary to seal an upgrade on Rathbone to win his team a more accomplished Championship pro centrally, with Cairney ticking all the right boxes.
After all, unlike Rathbone, Cairney has tasted lots of success at the punishing level in the past, with an unbelievable three promotions coming his way from his mammoth tally of 318 Championship outings.
|
Cairney’s G/A record in the Championship by season |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games played |
Goals scored |
Assists |
|
21/22 |
26 |
3 |
4 |
|
19/20 |
42 |
8 |
3 |
|
17/18 |
37 |
6 |
5 |
|
16/17 |
47 |
13 |
11 |
|
15/16 |
39 |
8 |
6 |
|
14/15 |
39 |
3 |
6 |
|
13/14 |
37 |
5 |
8 |
|
12/13 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
|
11/12 |
27 |
0 |
4 |
|
10/11 |
22 |
1 |
4 |
|
Sourced by Transfermarkt |
|||
He might just be what Parkinson’s men need to adjust to their difficult new terrain swimmingly, with the two-time Scotland international amassing a mightily impressive 96 goals and assists combined across his many seasons at the level too.
Hailed as “outstanding” by Scott Parker when the pair were together at Craven Cottage, Cairney has even kicked on to become a Premier League-calibre performer in West London, with two of his 16 goal contributions in the elite league coming about just last season, irrespective of the Fulham veteran now being 34 years of age.
Rathbone won’t be completely chucked to one side, but if it’s a toss-up between the 28-year-old starting or Cairney starting, the reliable Cottagers servant will come out on top every single time, especially as Wrexham aim to consolidate their status as a Championship-capable outfit.
Their next Paul Mullin: Wrexham in talks to sign "clinical" new striker
Wrexham can boost their attacking firepower even more by signing their next version of Paul Mullin.
By
Kelan Sarson
Jun 9, 2025
ICC says tickets will go on sale for the final only after the conclusion of the first semi-final, scheduled on March 4
Nagraj Gollapudi27-Jan-2025Tickets for the 2025 Champions Trophy final, scheduled on March 9, will be available only four days prior to the match. Announcing the sale of tickets on Monday for the eight-team tournament, which begins from February 19, the ICC said tickets for the final will be available after the first semi-final, which is scheduled on March 4.Such a late release of tickets for the final has been necessitated by the hybrid model put in place for the tournament because of India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the event. As a result, it was decided India would play all their matches in Dubai, including the knockouts should they reach them. Dubai will host the first semi-final, however, regardless of whether India reach the last four or not. In case India reach the final, that too will be played in Dubai. The second semi-final will be played in Lahore, and should India not make the final, that game will also be played in Lahore.Related
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The ICC on Monday said the tickets for the Pakistan leg of the Champions Trophy, comprising 10 matches and the Lahore semi-final, will go on sale from Tuesday (2 pm Pakistan time/1.30 pm IST). Tickets for the Dubai leg are not going on sale yet, the ICC saying, “information would be made available in the coming days” without specifying any date.Tickets for matches in Pakistan are priced from 1000 Pakistan rupees [approx. 3.59 USD] for the general category, while the premium category starts from 1500 rupees [approx. 5.38 USD]. Sumair Ahmad Syed, the tournament director and PCB COO, said the tickets have been made “affordable” to ensure “fans from all walks of life can be part of this historic spectacle, making it a celebration for all generations of cricket lovers.”India and Pakistan are both in Group A, along with Bangladesh and New Zealand. The highly anticipated India-Pakistan group game is scheduled to take place in Dubai on February 23.The PCB is currently racing to have its stadiums ready for the event. All three venues in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi have been undergoing varying degrees of renovation but the Pakistan board remains confident that they will be ready ahead of time. Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and Karachi’s National Stadium are due to host a short triangular ODI series with New Zealand and South Africa before the Champions Trophy.The 2023 ODI World Cup in India was also hampered by a late release of tickets, with the first batch going on sale 41 days before the opening game.
The 31-year-old's summer transfer saga appears to be reaching a conclusion, and will end with a return to New England
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