As they potentially look to replace Callum Wilson this summer, Newcastle United have reportedly made contact with the entourage of a Champions League-winning striker.
Newcastle transfer news
The Magpies are closing in on what must be an important summer at St James’ Park, with exit rumours continuing to surround star man Alexander Isak. In what would be the move of the transfer window – perhaps in terms of both valuation and the impact it would make – both Liverpool and Arsenal are reportedly targeting the Swede, who’s worth £150m.
Whilst there’s no doubt that his exit would leave a gaping hole, Newcastle would at least be free from any PSR constraints to finally welcome reinforcements of their own.
That said, Isak may not be the only one to depart this summer, with Callum Wilson currently on course to leave as a free agent when his contract comes to an end in the coming months. In one swoop, it’s certainly a real possibility that Eddie Howe could be left without both of his strikers.
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If that does prove to be the case, the arrival of one particular target will be more important than ever and the Magpies seem to be well aware of that. According to CaughtOffside, Newcastle have now made contact with Tammy Abraham over a summer move from AS Roma.
The former Chelsea man has spent the campaign on loan at Milan in a mixed spell and has since found himself on the radar of the Tyneside club, along with the likes of Aston Villa and West Ham United.
Whether a return to the Premier League beckons for the 27-year-old remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that he’s one to watch amid growing rumours. An experienced goalscorer these days, he could instantly ease Newcastle’s Wilson blow.
"Amazing" Abraham could make Premier League return
Eyebrows were raised when Abraham swapped Chelsea for Milan in 2021 after winning the Champions League with the Blues, but the forward’s Italian adventure has proved more than worthwhile when fit and firing. Now, five years later, he looks destined to receive the chance to return to England’s top flight as a far more complete player.
Earning the praise of Jose Mourinho during their time together in Rome, the so-called Special One told reporters after a 3-0 win over Monza in 2022: “Today he was my Tammy.
“He played how I wanted him to. He won everything, he kept the ball, he provided an outlet, he won the first ball and he gave us an option in behind to push them back.
“We always talk about strikers when they score and obviously tonight was Paulo [Dybala]’s night, but Tammy was amazing.”
After scoring eight goals in all competitions in more of a backup role on loan at Milan this season, Abraham could yet become the perfect option for Newcastle behind Isak next season.
It’s a role that Wilson has struggled to fulfil amid injury issues, but one which could yet see the former Chelsea man thrive at St James’ Park.
What a game at the Etihad Stadium it was between Manchester City and Real Madrid. It was a Champions League classic, in which the visitors ran out 3-2 winners late in stoppage time, in one of the most enthralling games of the season.
After early chances for Madrid, which they probably should have scored from, Erling Haaland gave City the lead 19 minutes into the game. The Norweigan finished off a lovely team move, in which Jack Grealish clipped a pass over to Josko Gvardiol, who chested it down to Haaland for 1-0 to the home side.
Their lead lasted until the 60th minute when Kylian Mbappe had his say on the game. It wasn’t a clean strike from the Frenchman, but he lifted the ball over Ederson and it looped into the back of the net for 1-1.
With time ticking away, it seemed like the next goal could be decisive. It was once again Haaland who scored, converting a penalty won by first-half substitute Phil Foden, who was brought down just on the edge of the box.
However, the City number nine’s strike was anything but decisive. In classic fashion, Los Blancos scored two late goals to equalise and then win the game, in what was a calamitous few moments for Pep Guardiola’s side.
The man who scored the winner, Jude Bellingham, proved to be a real thorn in City’s side as they collapsed in the final minutes of the crunch clash.
Bellingham’s brilliance as City collapse
The last six minutes of the game, from the 86th to the 92nd minute, were a calamity for the Citizens. Firstly, the Spanish side equalised through a former City academy graduate, Brahim Diaz.
It was poor defending from the Premier League champions, who did not pick up their former player, allowing him to waltz into the box unmarked. He got on the end of a rebound from Vinicius Junior’s shot and fired home to make it 2-2.
It got worse for the home side, however, in the 92nd minute when Madrid won the game. Who else but Bellingham, the “big game player” himself, as Statman Dave called him. The England international was superb on the night and got the decisive touch to win the game for his side.
It was, again, terrible work from City. Mateo Kovacic sloppily lost possession in midfield, selling Rico Lewis short with his pass. Vinicius ran onto the ball, clipped it over the onrushing Ederson and into Bellingham’s path. He got ahead of Three Lions teammate John Stones and sealed a remarkably victory.
Bellingham was excellent on the night, and City simply fell away. They would have been looking for their own creative force to step up like Bellingham did, but he was, in many ways, outclassed by the Madrid number five.
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.
The Man City star who was outclassed by Bellingham
It was not the worst performance ever from Kevin De Bruyne against Los Blancos, but Guardiola would have wanted more from City’s star man. He threatened to impact the game with a goal or assist but did not actually manage to do so in that sense.
The Belgian stalwart’s stats via Sofascore from the game were, perhaps, a little disappointing. He did manage to create three chances, although lost the ball 19 times and had a dismal 74% pass accuracy. Off the ball, he was underwhelming too, winning just one from nine ground duels.
In comparison, Bellingham managed to create two chances himself, lost the ball just nine times and had an impressive 92% pass accuracy. He was imperious off the ball, winning seven from 12 ground duels, and, of course, scored the all-important winning goal.
De Bruyne vs. Bellingham key stats
Stat
De Bruyne
Bellingham
Touches
51
60
Pass accuracy
74%
92%
Passes completed
24/35
36/39
Key passes
3
2
Dribbles completed
0/2
3/3
Number of times ball lost
19
9
Ground duels won
1/9
7/12
Stats from Sofascore
There is no doubt that Guardiola will have been seeking more complete display from his number 17. So often a rich source of goals and assists, the Belgian did cause Madrid problems at times, but nothing too concerning. The Manchester Evening News journalist Simon Bajkowski described his balls into the box as “a nuisance”, but they did not lead to anything for City.
In the second leg, the Citizens will be desperate for their star man to show up for the count if they are to turn the tie around. De Bruyne already has eight goal involvements in ten games against Madrid, including Tuesday’s clash, but will be hoping to add to that next week in Spain.
Whether or not he starts, however, remains to be seen with both Omar Marmoush and Phil Foden waiting in the wings. Perhaps a place on the bench beckons next time out.
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Everton manager David Moyes will be looking to bolster his squad ahead of deadline day on Monday.
At the time of writing, the Toffees have yet to make a signing during the January transfer window, although it isn’t for the lack of trying.
Moyes’ first few weeks have seen the Goodison Park outfit move away from the Premier League relegation zone, putting some breathing space between them and Leicester City.
Everton manager David Moyes before Brighton match
Is a first January signing imminent, however? As it appears the Merseyside club have agreed on a deal to bring a former Premier League midfielder back to England.
Everton's bid to sign Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz played for Southampton in the top flight before joining Juventus on loan for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.
He made an appearance against Newcastle at the start of the current season, yet moved to Flamengo for £16m not long after. Now it looks as though he is set for a swift return to England, although a deal has yet to be confirmed.
Southampton midfielder Charly Alcaraz.
The move could give the club a boost, no doubt about that. Might they be targeting someone else during the current window? Someone who could shine with Alcaraz.
Everton's search for a striker
As reported earlier this week, Everton could make a late move for Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi to bolster their attacking department.
Transfer Focus
Beto has been linked with a return to Serie A, hence the reports emerging from Italy regarding the Toffees’ interest in Awoniyi.
West Ham United previously showed a desire to sign the Forest striker during the current window, although they moved on to look at other options, leaving the door ajar for the Goodison Park side to make a late swoop.
Nottingham Forest's TaiwoAwoniyicelebrates scoring their third goal
Any move could cost the club around £18m, as Forest will be keen to recoup what they paid out to sign the striker.
If he does join, it could give Moyes a licence to finally ditch Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is entering into the final few months of his contract at the club.
Why Everton need to replace Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Calvert-Lewin was subbed off during the 1-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion recently due to a hamstring injury, appearing to look like bad news for Moyes and the rest of the club.
It isn’t as bad as first feared, with the Englishman missing just a few weeks of action, but this will place pressure on Moyes to potentially bring in some cover ahead of the deadline on Monday evening.
The striker has managed to score just three goals in 22 Premier League matches so far this season. Against Tottenham Hotspur, he ended a 16-game scoreless streak by scoring against the North Londoners.
It certainly appears as though the centre-forward will depart the club once his contract expires this summer, and he will have plenty of clubs interested in his signature.
The 27-year-old is currently earning £100k-per-week and getting this figure off the wage bill could allow Moyes some flexibility in the transfer market ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s Everton stats
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2023/24
38
8
3
2022/23
18
2
1
2021/22
18
5
2
2020/21
39
21
3
2019/20
41
15
1
2018/19
38
8
3
2017/18
44
8
5
2016/17
11
1
0
Via Transfermarkt
Calvert-Lewin has been underwhelming for quite some time now, and perhaps it would benefit all parties involved if he leaves in a few months.
Awoniyi would be a more than able replacement, especially if Moyes can ensure that he will be the main attacking option for the Toffees.
Why Awoniyi could be a great signing for Everton
The Nigerian striker made his mark at Union Berlin during the 2021/22 campaign, scoring 15 Bundesliga goals for the club along with netting four in Europe. In the words of journalist David Hundeyin, he is a “monster of an athlete”.
These performances attracted interest across the continent, but it was Forest who secured his signature, hoping that the 27-year-old centre-forward could score the goals which would ensure they remained in the top flight.
The 2022/23 season was a success for Awoniyi, who scored ten league goals while chipping in with an assist as the club narrowly avoided the drop.
His goal tally dropped to six last season, but his performances were praised by journalist Bence Bocsak, who said: “Such a smart signing from Nottingham Forest last summer. He is a fantastic forward.”
Unfortunately, he has had to play second fiddle to Chris Wood this term, with Nuno preferring the former Newcastle United striker. In fairness, he has netted 17 goals in the Premier League, firing the club into the top four.
Awoniyi, on the other hand, has scored just once and a move away from the City Ground could give him the chance to become the focal point of a top-flight team once again.
If Moyes can bring in both Alcaraz and Awoniyi ahead of Monday evening, the duo could fire the club to Premier League survival, without a shadow of a doubt.
Why Awoniyi could shine with Alcaraz
When compared to his positional peers in similar leagues, Alcaraz ranks in the top 2% for progressive carries and successful dribbles per 90, while also ranking in the top 4% for shot-creating actions and in the top 6% for touches in the opposition penalty area.
These statistics prove that the Argentinian midfielder loves to get forward as often as possible, creating chances for his teammates in the final third on a regular basis. His presence in the opposition penalty area could see him work well with Awoniyi.
Southampton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz.
Ranking in the top 9% last season in the Premier League for goals per shots on target suggests Awoniyi would benefit from Alcaraz’s ability to bomb forward, taking advantage of his creative talents to score consistently for Everton.
In theory, it looks like a match made in heaven. In reality, Moyes will have to work his magic to bring both players to Merseyside before the window closes.
If so, then Everton should comfortably avoid a relegation battle, maintaining their top-flight status ahead of the move to their new stadium next season.
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Arsenal still remain in contention for the Premier League title this season, despite trailing runaway leaders Liverpool by six points, having played a game more.
The Gunners are also through to the last 16 of the Champions League, and if Mikel Arteta can get his side to embark on a solid run of form over the next few weeks, they could still have a chance of winning a major trophy.
Whatever happens between now and the end of the campaign, one thing remains abundantly clear: Arteta must have a clearout of his first-team squad this summer.
Several players are out of contract, while there have been numerous first-team stars who have failed to perform throughout 2024/25, which could indicate plenty of transfer activity during the summer transfer window.
Arsenal players out of contract in summer 2025
How many will stay on beyond this summer?
ByHenry Jackson Jan 15, 2025
We have taken a look at those players Arteta could decide to sell this summer to freshen up his squad. From a £25m signing to someone who scored 17 goals last term, this list features a couple of surprises indeed.
1 Gabriel Jesus
When Gabriel Jesus moved from Manchester City to Arsenal in the summer of 2022 for a fee of £45m, it was seen as an important move, adding quality to Arteta’s attacking department.
Despite scoring 11 goals during his maiden season, he suffered a serious injury at the 2022 World Cup, which kept him out for several months. Last term, the Brazilian managed just eight goals and notched seven efforts throughout 2024/25.
Of course, missing 35 games with injury hasn’t helped. Jesus’ cruciate ligament tear means he won’t be back in action until next season.
If he can get himself fit before then, it might be in the club’s best interests to put the forward up for sale.
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ByRoss Kilvington Jan 17, 2025 2 Jorginho
Jorginho’s contract expires in a couple of months, and it remains to be seen whether Arteta will offer him an extension.
The midfielder arrived in north London two years ago, giving Arteta some strength in depth, but so far this term, the 33-year-old has started just 12 matches in all competitions for the Gunners.
Earning £110k per week, releasing him this summer could allow Arteta to free up a major chunk of the wage budget which could go towards signing an upgrade.
It would be a big call given his experience and his status as a dependable member of the squad, but the Spaniard may have to be brutal as he searches for that elusive league-winning formula.
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ByBarney Lane Feb 6, 2025 3 Jakub Kiwior
Jakub Kiwior looked like a wonderful bargain at £20m, especially given how much potential the Polish defender possessed.
Since joining the club, he has made 54 appearances in two years, but hasn’t quite lived up to his promising talent. In the Premier League this season, the 24-year-old has won just 43% of his ground duels, while keeping one clean sheet across his eight domestic games.
If the right offer was on the table this summer, Arteta could well cash in on the centre-back.
4 Thomas Partey
Like Jorginho, Thomas Partey’s contract also expires in a few months, meaning he could leave Arsenal for nothing in the summer.
The Ghanaian joined the Gunners in 2020, costing the club £45m, and it appeared to be a solid signing by Arteta, who was looking to get his side challenging for the Premier League title.
The 31-year-old made 115 appearances across his first four seasons in north London, but he turns 32 in June, which suggests Arteta might be happy for him to walk away, aiming to bring in a younger replacement for the midfielder.
Considering he earns £200k per week, ranking him as the fifth-highest earner at Arsenal, it certainly isn’t a bad shout.
5 Kieran Tierney
Kieran Tierney moved from Celtic to Arsenal in a deal worth £25m in the summer of 2019, and the Gunners looked like the perfect move for the left-back.
Injury issues have hampered his spell in the Premier League, but the Scot has still made over 100 appearances for the club. The last couple of years have been tough, especially with Tierney falling out of favour under Arteta.
He joined Real Sociedad on loan last season before returning to England, but has played just five times for the Gunners throughout 2024/25.
His contract expires this summer, and it certainly appears as though he won’t be an Arsenal player once the 2025/26 campaign begins.
6 Takehiro Tomiyasu
Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has been with the Gunners since the summer of 2021, costing £19.8m.
The 26-year-old made 84 appearances during his first three years. Not a regular starter, the former Bologna defender would fill in whenever necessary and was often a reliable performer under Arteta.
A knee injury has restricted him to a solitary appearance for the Gunners this term, and this could well be his final campaign in north London, mainly down to his lack of reliability on the fitness front.
7 Leandro Trossard
Leandro Trossard made the move from Brighton & Hove Albion to north London in January 2023, as Arteta looked for something extra in the final third.
The £27m fee may have been a tad excessive, but during his first few months at the club, the Belgian registered 11 goal contributions, before going on to score 17 goals last season, with 23 to his name in total.
However, in 34 matches this term, the 30-year-old has managed just five goals. There is no doubting he is effective, but will Arteta be looking to sign an upgrade on the former Brighton star?
If so, Trossard could well be on his way out of the Emirates once the season finishes.
Oleksandr Zincehnko was the other arrival from Manchester City in the summer of 2022, linking up with his old teammate Jesus, and the pair looked like they could spearhead a potential title challenge.
The Ukrainian has made only 13 appearances during the current campaign under Arteta, and it looks increasingly likely that he will depart the club sooner rather than later.
Indeed, the left-back looked like departing the club during the January transfer window, with Borussia Dortmund showing plenty of interest in the former City star.
He is still at the Emirates for now, but with the manager potentially looking to overhaul his squad, there is every chance that the 28-year-old will be among those on the chopping block.
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With the World Cup impetus and increased revenues, Garber said there's 'no reason why our league can't be a dominant league'
Says 2026 World Cup to eclipse record-setting 1994 eventGarber identifies youth development as a key priority"MLS can be one of the top leagues in the world"Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED
With the 2026 World Cup less than 10 months away and MLS celebrating its 30th season, Don Garber outlined his vision for maximizing next year's tournament – co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the U.S. – for positive effect on soccer in North America.
The MLS Commissioner underscored the importance of channeling the energy and excitement around the tournament into permanent improvements in the American soccer ecosystem. Noting that the 1994 World Cup sparked the formation of MLS, Garber said 2026 edition will surpass its predecessor's record-setting metrics.
“I think it's more interest overall in the game, right?” Garber said on the US Soccer podcast. “Whether it's the men’s World Cup or the women's World Cup, we still as a sport are trying to find our way. Where are the big moments that can break through, so that, you know, we're talking about culturally. In the late night talk shows, or at the water cooler or throughout social media and MLS. Or when it's a women's World Cup – I’m sure the NWSL will feel the same way – well, we're the center part of that conversation.
“So I don't think there's any shortage of interest in the game, where the '94 World Cup was the most successful World Cup of all time, and it'll be eclipsed by the '26 World Cup. But how do we connect all that with those that are really trying to build the game for a better future? Better opportunities with professional players, more opportunities for youth players, perhaps less pay to play, better infrastructure, both of the youth level and at the professional level."
Garber said the best measure of achievement will be the halo effect, converting temporary enthusiasm into permanent growth for domestic leagues, particularly MLS.
“I think the overall interest in the World Cup is going to help drive that," he said. "All the research we've done is every time there's been a World Cup in the modern era…. those domestic leagues have grown by 15 to 20 percent in overall interest…. I expect people will become more interested in MLS, but how do we get somebody who's engaging with a national team celebration to now be a fan of one of our clubs?
“And that's just work. We've got to do the work. We've got to have great fans-fests. We've got to have great contact. We've got to link our players that are playing for their national teams. We have to put MLS in the middle of the conversation. And if we do that, I think overall the league will ultimately benefit. And it won't be a Taylor Swift concert. I worry about that – you just don't want it to be something big. You want it to be something big, long-lasting and legacy-making and meaningful.”
AdvertisementWHAT GARBER SAID
Speaking about long-term objectives, Garber evaluated MLS's current position against international rivals and identified strengths established within the North American soccer landscape. He referenced the massive attention MLS and LAFC have benefited from after the recent signing of former Tottenham legend Son Heung-Min.
“I do believe that MLS can be one of the top leagues in the world, if not top league of the world," he said. "You see what's going on now, just signing Son… you know some of the better players in the world want to be here. Question is, when do we have them here? Some of the best young American players, young Canadian players coming up, want to be here. Some of them stay, some of them get sold on, just like the rest of the world. Our facilities are among the best in the world."
Garber said a major factor in the league's evolution will be continued investment and revenue generation.
“So what we're really missing is, how could we compete on the field against the best clubs in the world? And that's really just about money. It's just about how big an MLS be from a business perspective to generate enough revenue to be able to do what all leagues do, which is pay players the vast majority of the money you earn.
“And if we're able to do that, able to create a dynamic where MLS is a much bigger enterprise, I think just based on how good it is to live in our country, how popular our culture is…. I see no reason why our league can't be a dominant league. I really don't. I think the only thing holding us back is our ability to fund salary budgets that they could fund at the top levels in the five, six top European leagues. "
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The formation of Major League Soccer was directly tied to the United States' bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup. MLS has since expanded to 30 teams, making it one of the biggest leagues in world soccer.
Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?
MLS is considering a schedule shift to better align with FIFA's international calendar. At last month's MLS All-Star Game, Garber indicated that there is increasing momentum. The league had previously said no change would take affect until at least 2027.
"If it's going to happen, it's going to happen after the 2026 World Cup," Garber said. "So making this change is seismic. It's not something we should do lightly. We obviously have teams across multiple climate zones, multiple time zones, unlike any other league in the world. And if we do make the change, we're not going to go back on that decision.
"There are a number of key benefits to it. Aligning with the world standard, we think, is important for our brand as we try to continue to engage as one of the important, influential leagues in the world. We want to align with on the calendar to be able to be even more engaged on the player transfer market."
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…
Latest Wrexham transfer news
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
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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.
Why Cairney would be an upgrade on Rathbone
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.
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Should Rahul bat more freely while chasing?
The last time Lucknow Super Giants won a game while chasing was more than a month ago, on April 7 , when it was only the second week of IPL 2022. Now with barely a week left for the league stage of the tournament when teams are expected to fine-tune their plans for the playoffs, a glaring weakness has emerged for Super Giants: they can’t ace their chases.Even though Super Giants were chasing 179 on Sunday, which might have appeared to be below-par because of how Rajasthan Royals were looking set for 200-odd at one point, KL Rahul ‘s team stumbled to 34 for 3 in the powerplay and left too much to do for the middle order that neither had the experience like their top order nor the hitting abilities of their lower order.Related
Scenarios: Despite losing to Royals, Super Giants comfortably placed for playoffs
Padikkal, Boult and Ashwin help Royals leapfrog Super Giants to No. 2
Rahul admitted after their loss that they had to get “smarter” while batting and “needed to work hard” on their game because it was the fourth time in a row that they went down in a chase.”It was a gettable target. It was a good pitch, there was a bit in there with the new ball. We were backing ourselves to get that target, but we couldn’t execute our plans and once again the batting group…we haven’t been able to collectively perform as a unit in a few games,” Rahul told the host broadcaster at the presentation. “We need to go back and work on our game, work on being smarter when we’re in the middle and try and get a win for the team.”Pune was a lot harder, there was a lot more on the pitch there. This (Brabourne Stadium) was a really good pitch, there was seam movement early on, quality bowlers like Trent [Boult] and Prasidh [Krishna] were hitting hard lengths, getting to move it just a little bit. They bowled in good areas and when you lose two wickets in an over that puts pressure on you and it has happened a couple of times with us where we’ve lost the game in the powerplay, as a batting we’ve lost three-four wickets which is obviously very hard to come back from. We need to work hard on our game and make sure when the ball is moving and when there are quality bowlers, you find a way to stay in the game and give your team a good start so that in the back end, we can always get runs.”Super Giants are now second on the list to lose the most number of wickets in the powerplay in this IPL, only behind Kolkata Knight Riders. On Sunday, Boult and Prasidh rocked Super Giants early with the back-to-back wickets of Quinton de Kock and Ayush Badoni in the third over followed by Rahul’s departure for a laborious 10 off 19 in the sixth over.Deepak Hooda struck a 33-ball fifty at No.4 on Sunday•BCCI”If we can hold our nerve in the middle while we’re batting and give ourselves a chance to play out the new ball or play out a good spell even when there are just 120 balls,” Rahul further said. “If you can get through that spell then you always have enough time to make up and win the game from there. We’ve got power in our batting; people do hit the ball really far, and they can hit sixes and get a big over, so it’s just about being smart and playing out the good spells.”One way for Super Giants to succeed on Sunday would have been to take the game deep because Royals have had issues with their death bowling and still have the worst economy rate in that phase. Maybe, the Super Giants think-tank held Marcus Stoinis and Jason Holder back for that phase, but their decision to promote Badoni to No. 3 backfired as he fell for a golden duck.Their bowling coach Andy Bichel told the host broadcaster Star Sports early in the chase that Badoni was promoted because he had been batting well in some of their practice games, and Rahul revealed after the game that they could bat Stoinis up the order in the coming games.”He (Badoni) has been batting well,” Rahul said at the press conference. “In the last four-five games, we felt like we could have used him slightly differently, so we tried playing him top of the order.”On Stoinis’ batting position, Rahul said: “What we’re trying to do is utilise players who will best suit the situation and for us, Marcus is one of those players who has brute force, and we know that he can be really dangerous at the back end, so we’ve tried to hold him back a little bit. We’ve kept it slightly flexible with the batting roles, and this is the role we’ve picked him for, the finisher for us and even today, he batted really well.
“We need to go back and work on our game, work on being smarter when we’re in the middle and try and get a win for the team.”KL Rahul
“He’s showing that he can really win us games single-handedly, but you need someone to support him at the other end and he needs, and the team needs the top order to set up the game for someone like Stoinis and Jason to come in and finish games which hasn’t happened, unfortunately. Having said that, we might even see Stoinis batting up the order in the next game or the coming games where we give him more overs to play and give him a chance to go out there and be the dangerous Stoinis that he is.”Daniel Vettori and Piyush Chawla, experts on ESPNcricinfo’s show T20 Time Out also expressed that Super Giants need to bat Stoinis and Holder higher, before Krunal Pandya, who batted at No. 5 on Sunday.”Honestly, they are heavily dependent on their top three,” Chawla said. “In the middle order, you just have Marcus Stoinis, who comes quite late, and if you see the other batters, they don’t have much experience. The whole middle order has been exposed for Lucknow in a couple of games especially.””We’ve had it on numerous occasions that quality, proven, generally international batsmen have been left to Nos. 5, 6 and 7 or left too late and then unproven domestic batsmen or even unproven international batsmen are batting ahead of them,” Vettori said, “and it seems to be counterintuitive to have that kind of set-up because Stoinis has batted on numerous occasions up the order and Krunal Pandya hasn’t; he has mostly batted at No. 6 or 7. It feels like they’ve got their roles mixed up, and also Jason Holder, who is one of the best middle-order batsmen, has the potential to go up.”Vettori further said there was no need for Super Giants to experiment with Badoni at No. 3 when Deepak Hooda had been excelling there earlier. “You want your best batsmen out there to take it on because Hooda has batted at three on numerous occasions now, and he has looked like KL Rahul in a lot of ways. I don’t believe there’s any need to protect your best batsmen.”
Bumrah chooses to stay “stable,” and when he doesn’t have the results to show for his work, he doesn’t get too down on himself
Sidharth Monga12-Jul-20224:32
Is Jasprit Bumrah the best all-format bowler in the world?
A lot of fast bowlers build themselves a character. Curtly Ambrose never did interviews while he played, almost becoming this mythical, impenetrable figure immune to human failings. Mohammad Asif almost always sounded contemptuous of batters in his interviews, once famously ruing that AB de Villiers got out too early, thus denying him the joy of a full set up and the payoff. Most often, they are the rockstars of cricket: eccentric, individualistic and definitely not pop. They make you believe nothing is beyond them.After a point, fast bowling becomes a way of living. They don’t stop being a fast bowler after six hours of play. Like the old-time professional wrestlers who never broke kayfabe. No wonder a lot of fast bowlers like pro wrestling. Big Boss Man, this big monster heel in kayfabe, once smashed the door of his car’s boot on his hand in the presence of fans. He showed no pain. When Jake “The Snake” Roberts was a kid, his father Grizzly Smith used to tell him how he was planning to take the family out of town because his wrestling adversaries were coming after him. Then of course the Internet broke down the fourth wall to usher in the Reality Era where wrestlers hardly stay in character outside the shows.Related
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If he ever were to be a pro wrestler, Jasprit Bumrah would belong to the Reality Era. When he does well – sorry, when the result on the day is good, as Bumrah would, and others should, describe it – and when the accolades are flowing, Bumrah doesn’t add to any myth-building. Instead, he chooses to stay real – stable, in his words. When Bumrah doesn’t have the results to show for his work, he doesn’t get too down on himself.Only last Monday and Tuesday, Bumrah was part of an attack that failed to defend 377 in the fourth innings of a Test. They didn’t even come close to threatening England. He himself went at 4.35 runs an over. A week later, against the same batters, Bumrah has six wickets in a little over seven overs in an ODI. Of course, Bumrah bowled beautifully at The Oval, swinging the ball mesmerizingly and also getting seam movement from the pitch, but what he tried wasn’t much different to what he does on his worst days.”This is the beauty of cricket, isn’t it?” Bumrah said when asked how he reconciles with such wildly swinging fortunes when it comes to the results. “One day you will see everything is going in your favour. Another day you can try whatever you want, but it doesn’t work for you. That is exactly why you need to keep a stable head.”Every day is a new day. There will be days when you will get the edge first ball, there will be days you will bowl similarly all day but not get a single edge. You don’t want to get desperate in these scenarios. That is why I rate stability a lot. Because at the end of the day there is very little in your hand. Once a bowler has let the ball go, there is nothing in his control.”Sometimes you will bowl well, get the edge, but the catch will be dropped. Sometimes the ball will pass over the stumps. Sometimes a full toss will get you a wicket. That doesn’t mean you bowl more full tosses. So I only try to prepare what I can. And not think of what is not in my hand. After that whatever is the result, I accept and move on.”Jasprit Bumrah picked up career-best figures of 6 for 19•Associated PressThen it is probably not a good idea to ask Bumrah if this was as well as he has bowled. “I don’t look at end results and judge my bowling,” Bumrah said. “There have been instances when I have bowled so much better than this and not gotten wickets. But I always looked at following the same routine. Yes, today was a day where the white ball swung and there was some seam movement. So yeah, I wanted to exploit that.”When we started the innings, we saw there was some seam and swing. So [Mohammed] Shami and I had a conversation and decided we should bowl a little fuller and try and bowl the Test-match length. It was a good day that we got the wickets. And there was some help in the beginning, and the wicket was also on the softer side.”
“Today was a good day. It will bring a lot of praise. But neither do I get too happy with praise nor do I get too down with criticism.”Jasprit Bumrah
Fast bowling is a tough job but it is also an optimist’s job. You are, after all, cheating your body into performing acts it was not built to do. Accordingly, many fast bowlers internalise that they are the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be. Bumrah? He doesn’t even take it seriously when a respected pundit such as Nasser Hussain calls him the best bowler across formats today.”I don’t focus on these things,” Bumrah said. “Today was a good day. It will bring a lot of praise. But neither do I get too happy with praise nor do I get too down with criticism. I don’t look at it this way: I am here, I am very good in all formats. I enjoy every format. I try to do what I can. I respect what people say but I don’t take it seriously. Very grateful for the applause you get but I always try to keep a stable head. That’s how I will always be.”This is how cricket is, and will be. Most cricketers and fans don’t like talking about luck and conditions because of the popular perception that luck or reliance on conditions is the opposite of skill. It couldn’t be farther from the truth.This has been a weird year in England in which the Dukes Test balls have moved less and gone soft sooner than usual, but the white Kookaburra has been swinging more than it does and for longer. On top of that Bumrah got a green pitch on a muggy afternoon. That he said made his job easier: he just had to bowl line and length and let the ball do the rest as opposed to making things happen on flat ODI decks. The edges came readily, none fell short, and half chances stuck.This is a real description of the events at The Oval. And also, by extension, at Edgbaston. This is Bumrah’s description. A Reality Era description.
We are backing the Rangers Monday night on the run line vs. the Angels. These two AL West teams are trending in opposite directions despite both pushing their chips in at the trade deadline, and we have an opportunity to capitalize.
The Rangers’ arrow is pointing upward as Texas has won eight of their last 10, and have a 2.5-game lead over the Astros in the AL West.
The Angels, by contrast, have won only three of their last 10, and are 11.5 games behind the Rangers.
For the month of August, the Rangers have scored 5.25 runs per game, while the Angels have mustered only 3.5.
Here are some more interesting stats: The Rangers have the best record against the spread when at home this season, covering the spread 63.3% of the time (38-22). Across all games played, the Rangers have covered the spread 59.3% of the time (70-48), which ranks third in MLB.
The Rangers will want to make sure they maintain their distance and don’t lose any ground on the Astros tonight, and with Los Angeles starting lefty Patrick Sandoval, they should be able to get the job done. Sandoval has been good for Los Angeles this season with a 3.86 ERA; however, the Rangers are especially dominant vs. left-handed pitching. Their .825 OPS, .470 SLG, and .355 OBP and 173 RBIs all rank second in MLB, while their .186 ISO is tied for sixth. Even if Sandoval is able to keep the Rangers at bay, the bullpen is unlikely to hold up, as they have a disastrous 6.11 ERA for the month of August.
Meanwhile, Max Scherzer gets the start at home for Texas and he has been strong since joining the club, allowing only four earned runs across 13 innings pitched for Texas. Since the All-Star break, Scherzer has looked more like himself, with an ERA of 2.70. This scuffling Angels offense is unlikely to put a lot of runs on the board vs. Mad Max, and the Rangers bullpen has also settled down of late, boasting the third-best ERA (1.72) for the month of August.
Put all these things together, and we will grab the value for a plus-money payout for Texas to cover the run line at home tonight.
Manchester United will have to pay €75 million (£65m/$85.5m) plus add-ons if they want to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig this summer.
United interested in SeskoHave approached Leipzig over a dealBundesliga club set price for strikerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Per , Leipzig have set an asking price of €75m for Sesko's signature. They are also keen to receive add-ons, and a sell-on clause, with Newcastle and the Red Devils involved in a tug-of-war over the Slovenia international, who scored 21 goals in 45 games in all competitions last season.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
United are reported to have made contact with Leipzig over a deal to sign Sesko and Newcastle have also made him a priority. In addition to a pursuit of the 22-year-old, Ruben Amorim's side are also said to hold an interest in Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins. Sesko's current deal runs until 2029.
DID YOU KNOW?
While Sesko enjoyed a prolific season overall, he has only played two full seasons in the Bundesliga, scoring a total of 27 goals in 64 games. Nevertheless, United have placed him at the top of their shortlist of attackers as the club aim to revamp their frontline.
AFPWHAT NEXT?
United face Bournemouth in their next pre-season friendly on Thursday. They will hope to have a deal wrapped up in time for their Premier League opener against Arsenal on August 17.