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Saim Ayub’s dream debut season soared to new heights as a magnificent hundred from the Pakistan opener helped seal a thrilling win in the first ODI over South Africa in Paarl. Taking charge of a game that looked a lost cause when Pakistan lost four early in a chase of 240, he struck up a 141-run partnership with Salman Agha, whose all-round contribution began with a four-wicket haul and culminated in an unbeaten 82 as he held his nerve in a tense late stand with Naseem Shah to get Pakistan over the line with three balls and as many wickets to spare.All of this appeared a world away when Pakistan stumbled badly in pursuit of what should have been a below-par first-innings effort from South Africa. Marco Jansen cleaned up Abdullah Shafique with a pearler first up, swinging it back in to brush off stump. Babar Azam muddled through for a turgid 23 that does little to allay concerns over his own form, with Ottneil Baartman – who began with two maiden overs, drawing him into a miscue that went straight to the cover fielder. It was swiftly followed by captain Mohammad Rizwan being cleaned up off the pads, and a flustered Pakistan were in a generous enough mood to gift South Africa another wicket when Kamran Ghulam set off for a run Ayub had no interest in.Pakistan’s long tail continues to be a problem, and Irfan Khan’s teething problem continues, so when the visitors found themselves at 60 for 4 in the 20th over, the Ayub-Agha partnership was their last realistic shot at an unlikely victory. South Africa had the chance to slam the door in Pakistan’s face, but when Agha nicked off to Aiden Markram on 6, Heinrich Klaasen shelled a sharp chance.Gradually, imperceptibly at first, Pakistan began to claw their way back into the game. Ayub, who had until then scrapped uncharacteristically to 31 off 57 at one stage, began to find regular singles and doubles, as well as the occasional boundary. Agha is perhaps ideally suited for that kind of role, possessing the wile to squeeze out runs even if the power hitting doesn’t come naturally to him.As South Africa’s intensity and quality in the field dropped, the partnership steadily built, sneaking past 50, and eventually striding past three figures. Ayub, who had by now worked his way into the sort of flair that he’s naturally known for, turned the screw against Baartman, whose figures until then read 5-2-9-2. Two sixes and two fours brought the asking rate back down under a run a ball before Ayub slapped Rabada for a majestic six over midwicket to bring up his second ODI hundred in three innings.But with a long tail, there was the inevitable risk. Ayub had been playing with fire helping it to the deep-third and fine-leg boundaries, and eventually ended up holing out to the latter. Kagiso Rabada, sensing his opportunity, prised out Irfan four deliveries later, and South Africa were into Pakistan’s tail.Tabraiz Shamsi made short work of Shaheen Afridi, but Naseem and Agha realised the asking rate was under control, and went about ticking the last few runs off methodically. There was the occasional frenzy, but Agha displayed the steel that has stood him out since he integrated himself so effectively into the team. He picked his moment, slapping Shamsi over the top for a six that brought the asking rate back under control. By the end, all Pakistan needed were singles, and there was still time to finish with a flourish when Agha drove Jansen back down the ground to seal the win.Earlier in the day, a disciplined bowling performance from Pakistan, saw Pakistan restrict South Africa to 239 for 9 in Paarl. Agha’s part-time offspin ran through the South African top and middle order after the hosts made a flying start as they slumped from 70 for 0 in ten overs to 88 for 4 soon after. It was left to Heinrich Klaasen, who set aside his all-out belligerence for a valuable knock of 86 off 97, to make sure his side’s bowling attack had something of note to defend.Heinrich Klaasen made 86 off 97 balls•Gallo Images/Getty Images

Agha’s burst into bowling prominence was as sudden as it was unexpected. Openers Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickleton were coasting along in the first powerplay at over seven runs per over, making light work of Shaheen and Naseem’s opening spell without appearing to take any risks. Rizwan may only have introduced Agha into the attack to break up the momentum, but it turned out to be an inspired choice.Inside four overs, South Africa’s batting line-up – as well as their position of advantage – was cut to ribbons. It all began when Agha got one to skid into de Zorzi and trap him in front; no review was necessary. Rickleton chopped one on off from him in his following over, but Agha would save his best for last. With the new batters suddenly unable to read him either off the pitch or out of the hand, Rassie van der Dussen and Tristan Stubbs played for turn that wasn’t there, and heard the rattle of their off stump being knocked back.Rizwan sensed spin was finding surprise purchase here, and brought out the full cavalry. Before long, Abrar Ahmed was powering through, while Ayub and Ghulam each got turns. But Markram and Klaasen were slowly beginning to wrestle control back from Pakistan, ticking along through the middle overs, hoping to hold out before going big at the death. But they knew the innings was being played on a tightrope without a safety harness, and it took a miscue off an Ayub long hop from Markram to topple them off it.With Jansen struggling badly throughout his innings, it was left to Klaasen to salvage what he could from what was left. Pakistan’s seamers were at their disciplined, spirited best, too. That Jansen-Klaasen stand made it to 50, but Jansen had managed a mere 10 off 27, and only got that far thanks to the largesse of a dolly Haris Rauf put down. Klaasen tried to continue hammering away, and would have fully deserved a fifth ODI hundred, but Shaheen, too, deserved a wicket. It came via a beauty, seaming in and knocking back the middle stump of Klaasen; the rattle may well have been the final nail in the coffin for the hosts’ innings.Kagiso Rabada and Ottniel Baartman hobbled along for the last few overs, adding 21 for the 9th wicket, but Pakistan had inflicted much of the damage by then through Agha. With Ayub, they would see to it that the job was finished in a game the two dominated so thoroughly that when Agha was awarded the Player of the Match, he would invite Ayub to take it off him instead.

Former Test batsman Kurtis Patterson underlined his successful return to the Sheffield Shield, helping New South Wales bat out a draw against Queensland.After NSW were asked to start their second innings with a 167-run deficit on Monday morning, Patterson’s 66 helped the Blues to 256 for 4 when both sides agreed to end play.Ollie Davies also thrived for NSW, caught in the deep hooking in the final session for 88 after being measured early and taking the game on more late.The result left both teams without wins from the opening three rounds, with two draws each.But this fixture was an undoubted personal victory for Patterson.NSW’s captain as recently as two seasons ago, the left-hander was only picked for three Shield matches last summer and again started 2024-25 out of the side. But with a raft of players unavailable through Australia and Australia A commitments, selectors were forced to bring him back in, at No.3.And the two-time Test representative delivered, after admitting he once feared his first-class career was over. The 31-year-old played a lone hand with 91 for the Blues in the first innings, before again shining bright on Monday.Patterson played one of the shots of the day with a flourishing square-drive off Mitchell Swepson, as one of six boundaries in his innings.And he barely looked troubled until rain briefly interrupted play in the second session, and Swepson ripped one back between bat and pad to bowl him on his first ball back.But by then, the game had been saved for NSW, with Patterson and Davies’ 117-run third-wicket stand counteracting Queensland’s rain-interrupted first-innings total of 406 for 5.Davies’ runs also marked his best outing so far this summer, before he enters Australia A’s camp later this week to face India A in Melbourne.

After finally agreeing a deal to sign Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United are now set to intensify their efforts to sign another impressive attacking addition.

Man Utd reach agreement to sign Mbeumo

After a long few weeks, United are finally set to get their man after reportedly agreeing a deal worth as much as £70m+ all-in to sign Mbeumo. INEOS had been spending recent weeks attempting to get that price tag down, but Brentford’s stubborn stance soon forced their hand. Putting the hefty fee aside for the moment, however, there’s no denying that Mbeumo will be an instant upgrade at Old Trafford.

The forward’s arrival will take United’s spending to around the £133m-mark after welcoming Matheus Cunha for a reported fee of £63m at the start of the summer transfer window. For all the criticism that they have received, INEOS have so far backed Ruben Amorim in the summer transfer window.

Premier League 24/25 (via FBref)

Mbeumo

Cunha

Starts

38

29

Goals

20

15

Assists

7

6

Expected Goals

12.3

8.6

Not only did Mbeumo and Cunha score a combined 35 Premier League goals last season, but they also stood out for how they outperformed their expected total. Their records suggest that Manchester United are set to welcome two much-needed clinical finishers to their side.

To give context for just how much of an upgrade they’ll provide Amorim, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund managed a combined seven Premier League goals last season.

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After Mbeumo and Cunha, however, the Red Devils are reportedly not done there in the summer transfer window.

Man Utd set to intensify Sesko move

According to TeamTalk, Manchester United are now set to intensify their move to sign Benjamin Sesko, who is valued at a hefty £67m by RB Leipzig this summer.

The 6 foot 5 Slovenia star initially caught United’s eye in 2022, when they first contacted the forward whilst he was still at Red Bull Salzburg. And, having worked on their relationship with player and camp ever since, the Red Devils are in position to step up their interest and complete their attacking overhaul in style.

League stats 24/24 (via FBref)

Sesko

Hojlund

Zirkzee

Starts

30

23

14

Goals

13

4

3

Assists

5

0

1

Expected Goals

10

5.3

4.8

Like Mbeumo and Cunha, Sesko outperformed Zirkzee and Hojlund last season, with his clinical nature in front of goal also standing out when compared to their underperformance. If Sesko arrives to join the incoming duo then United could be going from one of the most disappointing frontlines to one of the most promising in the Premier League.

Described as a “menace” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the 22-year-old is ready to take the Premier League by storm after stealing countless headlines in the Bundesliga.

Chelsea have now approached the agents of a Tottenham Hotspur target, with the west Londoners looking to hijack their London rivals, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

Blues looking to sign winger amid Madueke uncertainty

Madueke has featured regularly for the Blues at the Club World Cup, appearing in four of their five matches up to this point, but it now appears as though the winger could be heading for the exit door, amid major interest from Arsenal.

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That is according to an update from Florian Plettenberg on X, with the Sky Sports reporter revealing that talks are set to take place at some stage this week, while also adding: “Arsenal have reached a full agreement with Madueke until 2030, after making their official bid days ago, as revealed. The 23 y/o winger is currently focused on the Club World Cup with Chelsea. Price valuation: around €60m.”

Of course, Enzo Maresca is already blessed with a plethora of options in attack, with Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro recently arriving at Stamford Bridge, but Romano has revealed that another winger is now being targeted.

Taking to X, the transfer expert outlined Mohammed Kudus as a target for Chelsea this summer, saying: “Tottenham are set to bid again for Mohammed Kudus next week as player’s keen on joining Spurs. Chelsea have also been in touch with Kudus’ camp with more clubs also interested, but Spurs want to accelerate. Thomas Frank already approved Kudus as key target.”

As things stand, Spurs appear to be more advanced in their pursuit of the West Ham United star, but there is certainly interest on the Blues’ behalf, having approached his agents over the possibility of a deal, which could amount to around £70m.

"Electric" Kudus could be ideal Madueke replacement

With Madueke seemingly heading for the exit door, it would make sense to bring in a like-for-like replacement for the England international, and there are indications that Kudus could be an ideal addition to the squad.

Much like the London-born winger, the Ghanaian’s main position is right-wing, while he is also a very impressive dribbler of the ball, having received praise for his ability to drive at opposition defences from analyst Raj Chohan.

Host Dan Woffenden was also enamoured by the forward’s performances in the 2023-24 campaign, describing him as “electric” in February 2024, at which point the West Ham star was leading the way for successful take-ons in the Premier League.

Kudus clearly has the tools to succeed at Stamford Bridge, but there are doubts over whether he would be a necessary signing, given that Chelsea have already spent big this summer, and a deal for the Hammers forward is likely to be on the expensive side.

Celtic will have to fight hard to keep hold of their best players during the summer transfer window, as teams are already circling around some of their top talents.

According to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph, Italian side Como have made an approach to sign Nicolas Kuhn from the Scottish Premiership champions.

The journalist claims that the German winger is “in demand” and that German outfit RB Leipzig are also among the teams interested in a swoop to sign the 25-year-old star before the end of the summer transfer window.

Joseph adds, though, that the Hoops are in a strong position with the forward because he still has four years left to run on his contract at Parkhead.

Whilst losing Kuhn, who produced 13 goals and nine assists in the Premiership this season, would be a blow for the Scottish giants, Celtic must also be wary of losing their exciting young prospects.

The Hoops have been burned in the past by failing to keep hold of promising young players, and Ben Doak is one notable example of a starlet the club surely wished they had managed to keep.

Ben Doak's soaring market value since leaving Celtic

In the summer of 2022, the Scottish winger turned down a contract with the Bhoys and sealed a transfer to Premier League giants Liverpool on a ‘free transfer’.

The Reds had to pay a compensation fee of £600k for the young attacker, who had made two first-team appearances for the Hoops, and that deal has turned out to be a bargain for the English side.

Doak has only made ten appearances for Liverpool in three years, but played 24 games on loan at Middlesbrough this season and has been capped six times by Scotland.

At the time of writing, Transfermarkt values the 19-year-old winger at a whopping £12m, which is significantly more than the £600k that the Premier League team paid for him in 2022. This means that the Reds got a bargain deal and Celtic were left hard done by, as they did not get good value for his services.

Starts

21

Goals

3

Big chances created

7

xA

4.52

Key passes per game

1.9

Assists

7

Successful dribbles per game

1.5

As you can see in the table above, the teenage talent caught the eye with his performances on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship this season, showing off his creativity on the right flank on a regular basis.

Overall, the Hoops will surely rue not being able to convince Doak to stay at Parkhead because he has thrived since leaving Scotland for a minimal fee, and they must now avoid a repeat of that with Johnny Kenny.

English club bid for Johnny Kenny

According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, English League One side Bolton Wanderers have made an offer to sign the Irish centre-forward.

The reporter claims that Celtic have turned down a bid worth up to £500k from the third tier outfit for the young marksman, as they value him at more than that.

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Joseph adds that Bolton are expected to come back in with a second offer to land the former Shamrock Rovers number nine before the end of the summer transfer window.

However, the journalist reveals that the Premiership champions are not actively looking to cash in on the 22-year-old striker, although they could sanction a loan move later in the window if the right move comes up.

The Hoops must, now, maintain this stance because they could find themselves on the wrong end of another Doak repeat if they allow Kenny to leave the club for anywhere near the £500k bid that Bolton have made for him.

Why Celtic must not sell Johnny Kenny

The Scottish giants must keep hold of the Irish marksman and either keep him as part of the first-team squad or send him out on loan to a good level for the 2025/26 campaign, because he is a promising young talent.

Although he is a bit older than Doak was when he moved on from Glasgow, at the age of 22, he is still very young for a centre-forward and has shown plenty of promise already.

Kenny spent 2024 on loan at Shamrock Rovers in Ireland and caught the eye in his home country, scoring 13 goals in 29 Premier Division matches for the club.

The young attacker, who was dubbed “brilliant” by Brendan Rodgers, also impressed on the European stage with his contributions in front of goal in the Conference League in the first half of the 2024/25 campaign.

xG

3.78

Top 8%

xG on target

5.56

Top 6%

Goals

5

Top 9%

Shots on target

10

Top 8%

Assists

1

Top 39%

Dribbles completed

7

Top 13%

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic loanee ranked highly among strikers in the competition when it came to scoring goals and testing goalkeepers with high-quality shots, firing in 5.56 xG worth of shots on target.

His form for Shamrock Rovers led to Rodgers making him a part of the Celtic squad for the second half of the season, and Kenny showed that he has something to offer to the team in his limited Premiership minutes.

Kenny only played 159 minutes across eight games in the division for the Hoops, but still managed to score one goal and provide one assist, with his goal coming in the form of a header against Aberdeen, as shown in the clip above.

His statistics for Shamrock Rovers and in limited game time for Celtic show that he has the potential to develop into an effective centre-forward option for Rodgers, because he has scored goals when called upon, which is why cashing in on him for a minimal fee this summer would be a big mistake.

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Kenny could follow in Doak’s footsteps and soar in the value if he continues to improve and grow as a player if the club allow him to leave for a small fee, and that is why they must either keep him or loan him out this summer to ensure that they benefit from his development in the future.

With rumours continuing to come thick and fast, Leeds United are now reportedly eyeing a sensational double swoop to sign a £12m midfielder and a striker who’s closing in on the Premier League’s 100 club.

Leeds set for busy summer as 49ers hunt proven top level stars

If there were any concerns that the 49ers are not aware of just how much backing a promoted side needs to avoid relegation at the first time of asking, then recent rumours should have put those worries to bed. The American owners have already reportedly set their sights on several improvements, with club chairman Paraag Marathe setting his ambitions higher than simply escaping the clutches of the dropzone.

He told reporters after the Whites secured promotion back to the Premier League recently: “Two years of getting to this point, but all that hard work and all that difficulty makes this much more rewarding and makes this so special.

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“This is a journey and this is not the end. We have to keep going. This is what Leeds does. We are going to have some difficulties, but we are going to get where we want to go and we are going to be one of the best clubs in all of Europe.”

Whilst talk can sometimes be cheap, recent reports suggest that the 49ers are set to put their money where their mouth is this summer amid links with the likes of Beto, Jamie Vardy and Caoimhin Kelleher, planning to spend over £100m to strengthen the spine of the site with Premier League level talent.

Kelleher would be a particularly impressive arrival. The Irishman has been an incredibly successful deputy to Alisson Becker at Liverpool and has rarely faltered when called upon in the Brazilian’s absence. Now, however, he’s ready to become an undisputed No.1.

The same can be said for two more top flight talents, who have found themselves on Leeds’ radar after struggling to gain the consistent game time that they’ll be desperate for.

Leeds eyeing Wilson and Longstaff deals

According to The Sun, as relayed by TeamTalk, the 49ers are now plotting a double swoop to sign Callum Wilson and Sean Longstaff from Newcastle United this summer. The former is set to become a free agent following the expiration of his current deal in Tyneside next month, whilst Longstaff will reportedly be available for as little as £12m in the coming months.

Both players would be excellent additions at Elland Road, given their experience at the very top level. And if Marathe wants to ensure that Leeds become more than just survival hopeful, then signing such experience will be crucial.

Wilson would be a particularly interesting option. Whilst his career has often been surrounded by injuries, the veteran striker is only 12 goals away from reaching the Premier League’s 100 club and almost guarantees goals when fit.

Appearances

237

Goals

88

Assists

25

At 33 years old, Wilson could have one last Premier League move left in the tank and Leeds could certainly do a lot worse than signing the former Bournemouth star on a free this summer.

Chelsea would have been expecting a tricky contest against Arne Slot’s Liverpool, but would have remained hopeful of a positive result off the back of the Reds potentially dropping the ball after being crowned Premier League champions a week ago.

The Dutchman would make considerable alterations – seen in the likes of Jarell Quansah starting at the back ahead of Ibrahima Konate – yet the manner in which Enzo Maresca’s Blues brushed aside the Reds 3-1 was still impressive, considering that was only Liverpool’s third loss of the season to date.

Now, Chelsea are only four points off Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in second spot, away from their pursuit of a Champions League position.

To clinch a top-five place though, Maresca will know he needs Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez performing at the same unbelievable levels they managed against Liverpool for the rest of the campaign to come.

Fernandez & Palmer's importance to Chelsea

Before exploring Fernandez’s superb day at the office further, Palmer would end up clinching the three points right at the death for Chelsea, meaning he’s now in an illustrious list of past Blues goalscorers.

It was a top-drawer showing from the former Manchester City attacker throughout, with Palmer notching up four key passes as a constantly creative menace, on top of beating Alisson from the penalty spot with an ice-cold finish.

Whilst it’s expected that Palmer will be able to bury chances considering he’s up to 15 Premier League strikes now, Fernandez’s composure was a joy to behold too during the 3-1 win, with this perfect touch and finish after just three minutes setting the tone for Chelsea to collect all three points.

Much like his electric teammate, however, the South American is a team player for the Blues cause, with four duels won, displaying the ugly side of his game, away from nearly adding to this seven assists in the league when collecting two key passes.

Both players are stalwarts under Maresca and for good reason, but there’s another standout performer who is equally as paramount to Chelsea right now, away from this spectacular duo.

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The Chelsea star who is as important as Fernandez & Palmer

The West Londoners really do seem to be entering their stride at the best possible time, considering the Blues have now won their last three Premier League clashes on the trot, even with Slot’s intimidating Liverpool in their way.

These victories are made to look even more impressive when you take into account Moises Caicedo – who usually lines up in the centre of the park – has had to be drafted into the right-back position as of late, but the £115m star’s versatile nature has just managed to shine through regardless.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

53

Accurate passes

29/31 (94%)

Key passes

1

Accurate crosses

1/1

Accurate long balls

1/1

Clearances

5

Blocked shots

1

Interceptions

1

Tackles

2

Total duels won

7/10

The expensive 23-year-old is beginning to prove his worth as a full package, with Caicedo exiting the field of play after the 3-1 win with only two misplaced passes next to his name, leading to a 94% pass accuracy being calculated.

But, he also battled well – much like Palmer and Fernandez – when necessary, with a high seven duels won across the course of his stellar 90 minutes, away from winning the hosts that late decisive spot-kick when moved back into the midfield areas.

Handed out an 8/10 post-match rating by London Evening Standard journalist Malik Ouzia, it looks as if Maresca will continue to pick Caicedo alongside Palmer and Fernandez for the foreseeable, knowing full well this trio are ready for the potential Champions League challenge that awaits.

Before anything is set in stone, however, Chelsea will just need to keep picking up the wins, with a very tough fixture away at Newcastle United up next, one that will show off the character of Maresca’s camp.

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