A full-blown middle order collapse – four wickets in 11 deliveries – has left Mumbai with an uphill battle in their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Vidarbha in Nagpur.Parth Rekhade, the left-arm spin allrounder playing in only his second first-class match, dismissed Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube in a single over, the 41st of the innings, as Mumbai went from a comfortable 113 for 2 to 113 for 5.Rahane was the first to go in the triple-wicket over for 18 when the ball rolled back onto the stumps off a defensive push. Suryakumar Yadav was next, out for a two-ball duck when he jabbed at an in-drifter with hard hands. Danish Malewar at silly point held it on the second attampts as it came off the pad after taking the inside edge. Dube then played back to one that skidded across from around the stumps as the thick edge was superbly taken at slip by Atharva Taide.There was more drama in store when Shams Mulani, who orchestrated a stunning turnaround in the quarter-final courtesy a century stand with Tanush Kotian, was trapped lbw by Harsh Dubey, the left-arm spinner. Originally given not out as he played around a sharp-turning delivery, Akshay Wadkar opted to review the decision and replays confirmed the ball would’ve crashed into the stumps. Mulani had to walk back for 4 as Dubey picked up his 60th wicket – it made him the sixth bowler in Ranji history and the first since Jaydev Unadkat in 2019-20 to pick up 60 or more in a season.Shivam Dube picked 5 for 49 as Vidarbha were bowled out for 383•PTI
As he has often done, Shardul Thakur led a fierce Mumbai fightback as he put on a half-century stand with wicketkeeper Akash Anand, who battled his way to make a half-century from the top of the order. Shardul played his strokes and attacked the bowlers to pick up runs at every available opportunity. Their partnership was worth 60 when Shardul holed out to deep square for a 41-ball 37 while attempting to pull Yash Thakur, which was one of the last acts in an action-packed session.Yash Thakur bounded in full intensity on a hot afternoon, his figures of 2 for 56 in 11 overs doing no justice to his efforts. This included the big wicket of Siddhesh Lad to break a half-century stand when he got one to angle in and hold its line to burst past Lad’s outside edge. He should’ve also had Rahane lbw on 11, but for a no-ball he delivered in trying to hit the deck hard.In the morning session, Vidarbha managed to add just 75 to their overnight 308 for 5 with Yash Rathod, their top run-getter this season, bringing up his half-century before falling to trigger a slide. Dube, who had dismissed Rekhade and Karun Nair on the opening day, picked up three wickets in three overs to finish with figures of 11.5-1-49-5, his third five-for in first-class cricket.
Celtic kicked off their defence of the Scottish Premiership title with a dramatic 1-0 win over St Mirren at Parkhead in their opening match on Sunday evening.
Luke McCowan scored the goal of the game for Brendan Rodgers’ side, as he came off the bench to fire into the bottom corner, via a deflection, from the edge of the box.
The Scottish midfielder saved the Hoops from drawing a blank on the opening day, as they had looked rather blunt at the top end of the pitch in the 86 minutes that preceded his strike.
Adam Idah was selected to start as the centre-forward for the Premiership champions ahead of new signing Shin Yamada and Johnny Kenny, and he failed to justify his inclusion.
Adam Idah's disappointing showing against St Mirren
The Ireland international was provided with a big chance to show the supporters that he has what it takes to be the main number nine for Celtic, but he failed to take it.
Performance in Numbers
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Idah had a huge opportunity to open the scoring from close range in the second half and rattled his effort off the past, albeit from a fairly tight angle, whilst the striker failed to score with his other three shots on goal.
The 6 foot 3 forward did with both of his aerial duels, to his credit, but the former Norwich man also lost four of his five duels on the deck and failed to complete his only attempted dribble.
It was a blunt performance from the Irish striker, who may have harmed his chances of keeping his place in the XI, but he was far from the only disappointing performer, as Benjamin Nygren also struggled on his debut.
Why Celtic should drop Benjamin Nygren
Rodgers must ruthlessly drop the Swedish central midfielder for the trip to Aberdeen next Sunday because he was just as bad as Idah against St Mirren.
The left-footed summer signing was picked over Arne Engels in midfield and failed to justify his inclusion, with an awkward-looking showing in the middle of the park.
Benjamin Nygren
Nygren appeared to trip over his own feet a few too many times, with Sky Sports pundit Chris Sutton describing a few of his touches as “dreadful” during commentary.
Like Idah, the 24-year-old attacker also fired a shot against the post, although his was via a save from Shamal George, and had two shots on target without scoring.
Vs St Mirren
Benjamin Nygren
Minutes
78
Big chances created
0
Shots on target
2
Accurate crosses
1/8
Successful dribbles
0/1
Ground duels won
1/5
Aerial duels won
1/4
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Nygren was too much of a lightweight in midfield for Celtic, as he lost 77% of his overall duels, whilst Idah, at least, was dominant aerially.
This shows that he was just as bad as the Irish forward because he was even worse in duels and only came slightly closer to scoring than the striker with his shot that was saved.
Hoops supporters also may not want to see too many more corners from the Sweden international, as he only completed one of his eight attempted crosses from set-pieces and open play combined.
Nygren may just need some time to settle in and adapt to Glasgow and Scottish football before Celtic fans can see the best of him on the pitch, which is why it may be best for Rodgers to place him on the bench for the time being.
Engels delivered ten goals and 13 assists in his debut campaign in Scotland, and McCowan won the game with his strike off the bench on Sunday. They are both suitable options to come in and replace Nygren as a starter for the trip to Aberdeen next weekend.
Celtic can finally replace Kyogo in swoop for "unplayable" £150k-p/w PL gem
Brendan Rodgers can finally replace Kyogo Furuhashi with an ambitious Celtic swoop for this Premier League forward.
Dottin picked up four wickets and then blitzed 33 off 22 but New Zealand’s spinners undid West Indies
Srinidhi Ramanujam18-Oct-2024New Zealand stormed into the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup after 14 years, beating the 2016 champions West Indies by eight runs in a low-scoring thriller in Sharjah. New Zealand will meet the 2023 edition’s runners-up South Africa as the tournament is set for a first-time champion.Opting to bat first, Sophie Devine’s side huffed and puffed their way to 128 for 9 on a pitch where the ball was not coming onto the bat. Deandra Dottin starred for West Indies, taking 4 for 22. However, West Indies’ chase did not take off as expected with Eden Carson and Co keeping them to 25 for 2 in the powerplay.Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor toiled hard but could manage only a combined 28 off 41 balls. That left West Indies 51 for 4 and needing 78 from 55. Dottin once again kept West Indies in the game. Her fireworks – a 22-ball 33 where she hit Lea Tahuhu for three sixes in an over – brought the equation down to 34 from 24. But Amelia Kerr, the highest wicket-taker at this World Cup, ended Dottin’s innings in the 17th over when she top-edged a sweep to short fine leg.New Zealand were not flawless, having dropped five catches in the field, but their bowlers found a way to stop West Indies to 120 for 8.Eden Carson was the Player of the Match for a second successive game•ICC/Getty ImagesCarson makes early inroadsCarson has been New Zealand’s go-to powerplay bowler, having taken four of her five wickets prior to the semi-final in this phase. On Friday, she once again set the tone with the ball. After conceding two fours to Qiana Joseph, the offspinner bowled a length ball on middle that spun past the batter’s swipe to knock her stumps. Soon 16 for no loss became 20 for 2 when Carson darted one full and wide of off for Shemaine Campbelle to step out and miscue one towards extra cover, where Suzie Bates took a diving catch. The wickets slowed down West Indies with Matthews and Taylor moving at a snail’s pace. Carson came back again for the ninth over when Matthews and Taylor smashed a four each to pick up pace but the offspinner had the last laugh, bowling Taylor for a 20-ball 13 as she mistimed a slog sweep. She ended with figures of 3 for 29 and the Player-of-the-Match award.West Indies dominate the powerplayMatthews was happy to bowl first, which was evident in the way they started with the ball. In the first six overs, bowled equally by spin and pace, West Indies kept New Zealand quiet, leaking just 32 runs. Fast bowler Chinelle Henry bowled three of her four overs inside the powerplay, hitting the hard lengths and extracting movement in the air and off the surface to not let Bates and Georgia Plimmer get going. Two of New Zealand’s three fours in this phase were freebies – a full toss off Zaida James and an overpitched delivery from Henry. Plimmer struggled to find her timing early on. Bates tried to move across and come down the track to find quick runs but to little effect.Deandra Dottin became the first woman with three four-plus wicket hauls at the T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesDottin rips through New ZealandIt didn’t matter that Dottin was bowling only for the second time in this T20 World Cup. She put her decade-long experience to use on a pitch that was not easy to bat on. She bowled mostly full and straight, and mixed it cleverly with slower deliveries which was enough to trouble New Zealand. Dottin struck with her second ball to remove Kerr for 7. But Brooke Halliday and Devine’s quick starts revived the innings; the duo added 27 off the next 14 balls.But in Dottin’s second over, the 15th of the innings, swung the momentum once again towards West Indies. There was a short break in play after Halliday was hit on her left foot by a throw from deep midwicket. Dottin fired in a yorker the next ball. Halliday missed jamming her bat down at it and saw her off stump pegged back. She made 18 off nine balls.In the following over, Afy Fletcher dismissed Devine for a run-a-ball 12, and New Zealand, at 98 for 5, needed Maddy Green and Isabella Gaze to step up. But Dottin denied them that opportunity. She first sent back Green and then trapped Rosemary Mair lbw with the help of DRS. At 104 for 7, New Zealand seemed to have lost the plot. But they managed to eke out 24 from the last three overs, which proved to be decisive in the end.
Ibrahim Zadran and Mujeeb Ur Rahman miss out as they are still recovering from injury
ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2024
Sediqullah Atal has six T20I caps to his name•Getty Images
Afghanistan have made two additions to the squad that beat South Africa in Sharjah in September, for the ODI series against Bangladesh at the same venue in November: opening batter Sediqullah Atal and left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad come into a 19-man squad. Ibrahim Zadran, who is recovering from an ankle surgery, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, sidelined by a right phalanx (hand) sprain, are not yet fit to play.Atal, who has six T20I caps to his name, has been in top from at the Emerging Teams Asia Cup T20 tournament, with scores of 52, 95 not out and 83. Noor makes a comeback off a stellar Caribbean Premier League performance where he was Player of the Series for his table-topping 22 wickets for St Lucia Kings.Afghanistan Cricket Board chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil said: “Ibrahim Zadran is currently undergoing rehabilitation and continues to recover from the surgery he recently had. Mujeeb Ur Rahman also remains unavailable due to ongoing treatment.”However, Noor Ahmad is back in the squad, and we have included a promising top-order batter in Sediqullah Atal, who has impressed everyone with his consistent top performances.”Afghanistan play Bangladesh in three ODIs overall, from November 6 to 11, which will serve as part of the team’s build up to the Champions Trophy in February 2025. In their previous assignment, the three ODIs against South Africa, Afghanistan created history with their first series win against an opposition ranked in the top five of the ICC rankings.Afghanistan squad for Bangladesh ODIsHashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran, Farid Ahmad Malik. In: Sediqullah Atal, Noor AhmadAfghanistan vs Bangladesh series schedule Nov 6, 1st ODI, Sharjah Nov 9, 2nd ODI, Sharjah Nov 11, 3rd ODI, Sharjah
واصل باريس سان جيرمان انتصاراته بالفوز ضد لانس مساء اليوم الأحد بهدفين نظيفين ضمن منافسات الدوري الفرنسي لكرة القدم.
ونشرت صحيفة “لو باريزيان” أنه على الرغم من تحقيق انتصار ضد لانس، إلا أن باريس سان جيرمان تعرض لخسائر جديدة على مستوى الإصابات، بعد أن خسر مجهودات عثمان ديمبلي وديزري دوي لعدة أسابيع خلال فترة التوقف الدولي.
وشهد باريس سان جيرمان في مباراة لانس، خروج 3 لاعبين جدد بسبب مشاكل بدنية، وكان خفيتشا كفاراتسخيليا أول من تعرض للإصابة بعد نصف ساعة فقط بسبب كدمة في ساقه اليسرى.
اقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | ثنائية باركولا تقود باريس سان جيرمان للفوز على لانس بالدوري الفرنسي
كما تعرض لوكاس بيرالدو وكانج إن لي لإصابات في الكاحل بعد الاستراحة، وغادر اللاعب البرازيلي الملعب محمولاً على نقالة، مما أثار مخاوف لغياب طويل متوقع.
وقال لوكاس فرنانديز في تصريحات بعد المباراة: “للأسف تعرض كفارا لعرقلة ولم يتمكن من مواصلة اللعب، بالنسبة لي، الإصابة ليست خطيرة، بيرالدو ما تعرض له كان الأخطر، لا أعرف ما الذي يعانيه بعد، نحن بحاجة للجميع، سيكون موسم طويل”.
وسيخضع لوكاس بيرالدو لفحوصات هذا المساء لتحديد طبيعة إصابته، كما يعاني كانج إن لي من ألم، ويتعين الانتظار حتى صباح الإثنين لمعرفة ما إذا كان سيغيب عن لقاء أتالانتا بيرجامو قبل 3 أيام من انطلاقته.
وعلق لويس إنريكي بعد مباراة لانس: “إنها مباراة معقدة، مما أجبرنا على إجراء عدة تغييرات، لم أتلق بعد أي رد من الطاقم الطبي بشأن إصابات اليوم، علينا انتظار نتائج الفحوصات التي سيجريها الطاقم، ليس لدي أي معلومات حتى الآن، البطولة التي يعشقها الجميع، دوري أبطال أوروبا على الأبواب، إنها فترة صعبة ومعقدة بعض الشيء بسبب الإصابات، لكني هادئ وآمل أن نتمكن من تجاوز هذا، علينا تقبل الوضع، فهذه هي كرة القدم”.
South Africa made it to their first men’s World Cup final but they are not celebrating yet
Sidharth Monga27-Jun-20243:20
Moody: We haven’t seen the best of South Africa yet
A big indicator of the scars South Africa’s men’s cricket teams carry is how the outpouring of emotion at making their first World Cup final came more from former cricketers who faced all those near-misses than the ones who have made it to the final. Perhaps it is because they have a final on hand in two days’ time. Perhaps it is because they are led by a fairly even-headed captain. Perhaps it is because they finally got an easy win, which can sometimes rob the moment of its enormity.Whatever it is, their media commitments after the semi-final didn’t suggest a team relieved at having crossed a hurdle they had fallen at seven times previously. Their mental strength has been called into question. The tag “choker” has been thrown around liberally. This is only their second win in a knockout match at a World Cup. Yet they hardly displayed any emotion.At least winning close games this time must make them feel something is different, right? “I don’t really look too much into things like that, to be honest,” Markram said. “It’s a game of cricket. Someone has to win, and someone has to lose ultimately. That’s the name of the game. You take it in your stride. You do get belief, though, from winning close games and potentially winning games that you thought you weren’t going to win. It does a lot for your changing room and the vibe in the changing room. We’ll take a little bit of confidence from that and see if we can put it to any use in the final.”Related
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'That's not the pitch you want to have a World Cup semi-final on'
That Markram is focused more on the cricket and not on the signs is evident from how he didn’t even know he has won every World Cup match – as a boy at the Under-19 World Cup and as a man in ODIs and T20Is – as a captain.Tabraiz Shamsi, though, gave a slightly better insight into what it might mean for some of them to make it to the final. Dale Steyn, a commentator at the ground, tweeted how emotional he was. He also met Shamsi on the sidelines. “I actually did speak to him after the game,” Shamsi said. “He gave me a massive hug and said the exact same thing that, like I said to you, this is not just for us, it’s for the people back home and the players that have played before us. They have laid the foundation for the team to progress and it’s just our duty to take it one step forward.”Are they deliberately playing it down because they might fear getting too emotional too soon? “There’s no such thing, as you would’ve seen throughout the whole campaign from this team,” Shamsi said. “We haven’t even worried about the second fixture that was ahead of us. It was just about the next game and the next and the next. So now we’ve got to the final, we can sit down, see who we are going to be facing and then do our preparation as we have done for every single team.”
It’s emotional down here. We’re into a final
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) June 27, 2024
That they have been winning close games is probably not down to some intangible mental strength but the depth in their squad. When asked if it felt different being in close situations this tournament than previously, Shamsi pointed to the lack of messiahs and weak links. “Everybody’s really relaxed, and in this team no one is given the responsibility to win the game for the team,” he said. “If you see maybe other teams or the Proteas teams of the past, there was a specific batter that was relied upon. There was a specific bowler that was relied upon. I personally cannot pinpoint which bowler is responsible for making us win or which batter is responsible for making us win.”And I’m sure you guys have seen that throughout the campaign as well. Normally, in most teams, if you get one or two of the main batters out, the team panics. Whereas with us, who’s that guy? Nobody. Everybody is responsible for doing their bit to make us win, and that’s just the way we’ve rolled. And as always, some guys will have a good game, some guys will have a bad game, but as a squad we have individuals who are capable of winning games on their own. So we are perfectly happy with that. If somebody gets a duck or a bowler goes for 40 or 50 runs, it’s not the end of the world. Some other bowler covers for them and vice versa with the bat.”Markram agrees that this team has a large variety of strengths: four fast bowlers of varying styles, one fingerspinner and one left-arm wristspinner, an opener in form, an explosive middle order. “You definitely believe so, yes,” he said when asked if it felt like they had most bases covered for whatever conditions and opposition is thrown at them. “Cricket’s a funny game where things go right for you, things don’t go right for you, and you take it in your stride. But we’re happy with the squad that we have here. It’s not just the XI playing. It’s a massive squad effort. And you pick your XI based on conditions. That’s all it’s about. So once we get to Barbados and we see what we think we’re going to come across in terms of the pitch, then we’ll try to pick our best XI. But we’re really happy as a white-ball group where we are and the options that we do have when it comes to selection.”The biggest reason to keep emotions in check, though, is summed up by Shamsi: “It’s a huge achievement, but when we arrived for the World Cup, we didn’t come here to get to the final, we came here to win the final as did all the other teams. But for us, there’s nothing over the top.”
Newcastle United’s fantastic second half of the season ensured they will return to the Champions League in the 2025/26 campaign. Eddie Howe’s magnificent Magpies came fifth in the Premier League and managed to cling onto that final Champions League spot despite defeat on the last day of the season at home to Everton.
Since Boxing Day, the North Eastern giants looked like strong contenders for a top-five finish. They were fifth in the league just one day after Christmas, and never really looked like dropping out of that race in 2025.
With a huge season ahead, it will be an important few months for Newcastle to build a squad worthy of competing with Europe’s elite. Already, they have been linked with some elite-level players.
Newcastle’s latest summer targets
There is a report from one Spanish news outlet that links the Magpies to four players this summer. One of those includes Real Madrid attacker Rodrygo, who could be available for as little as £67m. Former Manchester City winger Ferran Torres, now at Barcelona, is also linked.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, one of the most concrete links for Newcastle right now comes from CaughtOffside. They suggest that the North East side are targeting a move for Paris Saint-Germain attacker Lee Kang-in. They are thought to be one side who have ‘made contact’ for the South Korean attacker.
The key phrase there is one of, because the Magpies are set to fight seven other sides across Europe. They include Spanish side Atletico Madrid and Premier League rivals Manchester United and Arsenal.
Lee Kang-in for Paris Saint-Germain
Interestingly, the Gunners were linked with Lee by The Athletic back in January, who reported his transfer fee as £36m, double what the French side paid for him. Perhaps it will be a similar fee this summer, too.
Why Lee would be a good signing
It has perhaps been a slightly frustrating season for Lee in the French capital. He has struggled for regular opportunities, given he is fighting to break into an attack that includes Ousmane Dembele, Desiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Paris St Germain'sLeeKang-in, Paris St Germain's Nuno Mendes and Paris St Germain's Achraf Hakimi
He has played 30 games in Ligue 1 in the 2024/25 campaign, scoring six goals and registering the same number of assists. Crucially, Lee has played just 1667 minutes in the top flight of France, the equivalent of just 18 full games. 12 goals and assists in 18 games is a superb return.
One of the standout features about Lee’s game is his versatility. Luis Enrique has been able to rely on him in numerous positions this season. He has played 13 times as a right-winger, 12 times as a number ten, six games as a centre-forward and even once at right-back.
If the Magpies did sign Lee this summer, they would surely hope he could have the same impact at St James’ Park that their last midfield signing from Ligue 1 has done.
Bruno Guimaraes has been a revelation in midfield since his £30m move from Olympique Lyon in 2022.
He has amassed an impressive 154 appearances in that famous black and white shirt, scoring 22 goals and registering 24 assists in that time.
At the start of his time in the North East, he said he had ambitions of becoming a “legend” at the club. After helping to deliver the Carabao Cup this season, he may well have reached that level.
Interestingly, talent scout Jacek Kulig said he believes Lee can become a “future legend” of football, further drawing parallels between the pair. If he can have any sort of similar impact on the club as Guimaraes, it would have been a successful transfer.
There are some standout underlying stats on FBref for Lee, which indicate he could become a key player for Newcastle. For example, he averages 7.69 progressive passes and 5.19 shot-creating actions per game, which rank him in the top 3% and 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, respectively.
Lee key stats and rank vs midfielders in big 5 leagues
Stat (per 90)
Number
Percentile
Goals and assists
0.51
96th
Key passes
3.08
99th
Progressive
7.69
97th
Shot-creating actions
5.19
99th
Progressive carries
2.91
96th
Take-ons completed
1.56
97th
Stats from FBref
The last time Newcastle bought a midfielder from Ligue 1, it turned out to be one of the best signings they have made in recent memory. They will surely hope that, if Lee joins, he can be the second coming of Guimaraes in terms of impact on the club.
At just £36m, this could be the bargain of the summer for the Magpies, if Howe and co can get this deal over the line.
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Premier League football has very much taken a backseat at Manchester United with the upcoming Europa League final a huge match for everyone associated with the Red Devils.
Of course, the season wouldn’t be seen as an overwhelming success story even if Ruben Amorim’s men do lift the trophy over Tottenham Hotspur, considering his side sit in a depressingly poor 16th spot in the top-flight, but a memorable win out in Bilbao would be a much-needed ray of sunshine nonetheless.
Alongside restoring some pride, adding the Europa League into the decorated Old Trafford trophy room would also see Champions League football return to the Theatre of Dreams.
Off the back of that potentially occurring, United could be able to lure some top talents to England, with a whole host of interesting names already being linked with a summer switch to the red half of Manchester.
Man United preparing whopping £113m transfer
On top of the added bonus of being potentially back in the illustrious Champions League, the Red Devils are an attractive club to come to based on past prestige alone.
That’s a possible explanation as to why Matheus Cunha reportedly remains keen on a move to United over sticking it out with Wolverhampton Wanderers, alongside Sporting goal machine Viktor Gyokeres being linked with an Amorim reunion.
Matheus Cunha
But, there is another blockbuster move reportedly in the works that could trump both of these statement deals, with reports from Spain now suggesting that United have lodged a mammoth bid of £113m to try and land RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Amorim’s bruised giants would really show they mean business after such a turbulent campaign if they were to land the services of the dynamic Dutchman and it’s stated that they are ‘desperate’ bring him to Old Trafford.
How Simons could be Fernandes 2.0
There is a hope that Simons could come into the English game and be as dazzling as Bruno Fernandes has been in the attacking midfield positions since leaving Portugal behind.
Xavi Simons celebrates
Whilst Simons will be expected to achieve big things on his arrival – especially at that steep £113m price-tag – it’s unlikely he will come into the building aiming to directly surpass Fernandes during his Old Trafford stay.
After all, Fernandes is now up to a mighty 184 goal contributions across 288 games donning United red, with a very impressive 38 of those being notched up just this season, even as Amorim’s side sink to grim new lows.
But, Simons will still strive to be the club’s next version of Fernandes in time, with the Leipzig number 20 equally as skilful and goal-and-assist heavy as his experienced Red Devils counterpart when at the peak of his powers.
Indeed, just this campaign alone, the £113m-rated attacker has managed to pick up a blistering 11 goals and eight assists from 33 appearances, meaning he could slot in as another bright spark from the midfield areas like the Portuguese ace.
24/25
Leipzig
33
11
8
23/24
Leipzig
43
10
15
22/23
PSV
48
22
11
The pair could even link up alongside each other in Amorim’s system – with Simons also capable of playing down either the left or right wing.
Yet, it’s obvious when looking at the numbers above that the 22-year-old could go on to reach Fernandes’ lofty heights regardless of what the future United XI looks like, with a crazy 77 goals and assists amassed by Simons over the last three seasons.
After all, the modern-day United great was once just an electric performer out in Europe himself with Sporting, before going on to be given an opportunity in the Premier League to expand his game even more.
Once branded as “exceptional” by Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund for his excellent exploits in Bundesliga, it could now be time for Simons to make that same leap to England, with United needing to splash the big bucks to begin their major summer overhaul.
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Something feels different. For better or for worse (though usually better), Liverpool were tight-lipped on transfers with Jurgen Klopp at the helm.
It often felt like a contentious subject, but FSG’s savvy crew managed to make it work, combining with the German manager’s vision to drive Liverpool toward the full gamut of major honours.
However, something’s changed in this new iteration, this restructured hierarchy. Arne Slot, on the brink of winning the Premier League in his first season at the Anfield helm, has confirmed that Liverpool are planning for major investment this summer, with captain Virgil van Dijk echoing the sentiment as the final touches are placed on his expected new deal.
Liverpool are set to spend, all right. However, the Merseysiders will also want to cash in on a few to maximise the scope for investment.
Darwin Nunez is the anticipated surplus as plans are mapped for a new, more prolific centre-forward. However, the struggling Uruguayan isn’t the only forward at risk of being sold, with Luis Diaz also emerging as a candidate for sale.
Liverpool'sDarwinNunezreacts
And that’s despite his stunning recent form for the Reds.
Luis Diaz's late-season form
Liverpool are set to lift the Premier League title in the coming weeks, and Diaz has been instrumental in keeping Slot’s squad ticking over of late, rebounding from a frustrating patch of form to rack up the contributions in recent fixtures.
He’s scored 15 goals and laid on eight assists across all competitions for Liverpool this term, but Diaz may well be among those sold this summer.
Directly involved in goals during just one of Liverpool’s opening nine Premier League fixtures of 2025, a 2-1 victory over Wolves in February, Diaz has since registered a contribution across his past five outings, scoring in each of the Reds’ recent matches, having assisted in three successive games prior.
A man playing for his future? The winger has been routinely linked with a move to Barcelona over the past several years and Caught Offside have recently revealed that Liverpool would entertain offers in the £69m ballpark this summer.
Contrary to what the form book might suggest, Liverpool should indeed cash in on their Colombian maverick for maximum value this summer.
Liverpool winger Luis Diaz
He’ll have turned 30 by the time his current deal expires in June 2027 and has ebbed and flowed in front of goal for much of his time at Anfield.
Liverpool could bank a pretty penny by selling him now, while his stock’s sky-high, and anyway, the Reds have identified the perfect successor to sign this summer.
Liverpool chasing Diaz successor
According to Football Insider, Liverpool may finally get their hands on Anthony Gordon this summer, with the Newcastle United winger among the most likely Magpies to be sold for a big profit.
Liverpool were in talks to sign the England international last summer but a deal came to nought when alternative means to circumvent PSR were struck.
It’s reported that Liverpool have retained a strong interest and, furthermore, cashing in on the winger would suit United more than their other big-money stars, Bruno Guimaraes and Liverpool-linked Alexander Isak.
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Why Liverpool should sign Anthony Gordon
Having been awarded Newcastle’s Player of the Year for 2023/24, Gordon came close to moving back to Merseyside and linking up with Liverpool are being released from their academy as an 11-year-old.
Though it didn’t come to fruition, Liverpool have retained their interest in a “special” player – as said by producer Andrew Musgrove – who has been an essential part of Eddie Howe’s success at St. James’ Park over the past several years, indeed beating Slot’s Liverpool in last month’s Carabao Cup final.
He’s registered 44 goal involvements for Newcastle since the start of last season and has even seen club chiefs place a £100m price tag on him in the past to deter pesky suitors. However, now that United’s stance has changed, that lofty valuation may well be whittled down.
Playing into Slot’s tactical approach, Gordon is also a positionally flexible forward. Chiefly a left winger, the 23-year-old has featured regularly on the right to accommodate Newcastle’s needs while also finding prolific success from a more central berth.
Anthony Gordon
Though Gordon’s arrival would see Diaz sold, this could allow him to work well with Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo, who is settled on the left flank, where his in-cutting shooting ability is best served.
While he’s been more potent in front of goal of late, the underlying data suggests Gordon, who is five years the South American’s junior, has the potential to outstrip him.
Shots (on target)*
2.0 (0.7)
2.0 (0.8)
Pass completion
80%
86%
Key passes*
1.9
1.6
Dribble (success)*
1.3 (45%)
1.5 (39%)
Ball recoveries*
3.3
3.0
Tackles + interceptions*
1.3
1.2
Duels (won)*
4.7 (51%)
3.8 (39%)
There’s also the case to be made that Gordon has failed to hit the same heights this year after his success in 2023/24, whereas Diaz has actually made improvements since Klopp stepped down at Anfield.
This might appear to sway things in the Liverpool man’s favour but it actually reinforces the argument for his sale this summer, replacing him with a younger star in Gordon, who mirrors many attributes and has the potential to go from strength to strength under Slot’s wing.
Anthony Gordon for Newcastle
Given that Liverpool’s interest stretches back to last summer, there’s every reason that he could be a success in a title-winning Reds squad, and given that Diaz’s potential sale could make it possible, it might just be one to keep a close eye on as the market opens its stalls.
Slot can axe Jota for Liverpool teen who's a "better finisher than Nunez"
Liverpool’s centre-forward options have left plenty to be desired this season.
Stats highlights from MI’s fifth win in a row in IPL 2025, against Lucknow Super Giants
Sampath Bandarupalli27-Apr-20253:25
Rapid Fire: Can MI finish in top 2?
2714 Number of balls taken by Suryakumar Yadav to complete 4000 runs in the IPL – the third quickest to the milestone after Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, both of whom took 2658 balls.10 Consecutive scores of 25-plus for Suryakumar in IPL 2025, after his 54 off 28 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in Mumbai. He’s only the second batter to achieve such a streak after Robin Uthappa had ten consecutive 40-plus scores in IPL 2014.174 Wickets for Jasprit Bumrah in the IPL after his spell of 4 for 22 against LSG. He is now Mumbai Indians’ leading wicket-taker, surpassing Lasith Malinga’s tally of 170.ESPNcricinfo Ltd16-0 MI’s win-loss record while defending targets of 200-plus in the IPL. They are the only team to defend all their 200-plus totals in the IPL.150 Number of matches MI have won in the IPL, including two via a Super Over. They are the first team to register 150 wins in the IPL.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 Consecutive matches won by MI in IPL 2025 after starting the season with only one victory in their first five games. The previous instance of MI winning five consecutive IPL matches was in 2020.5 Number of LSG bowlers to concede more than 40 runs against MI at the Wankhede – only the third such instance in IPL history, after Rajasthan Royals against Sunrisers Hyderabad and SRH against Punjab Kings earlier this season.