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ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the CB Series ODI between India and Sri Lanka in Hobart

Sidharth Monga at Bellerive Oval 28-Feb-2012The power failure
During the innings break, the power in parts of Bellerive Oval failed, affecting the four light towers, and the TV cameras. Initially they thought of delaying the start of the second innings, but with the natural light staying good the game resumed at the scheduled time, 6:35 pm, even if it meant viewers at home could not watch the first 3.4 overs. The light tower, too, came to life well before natural light faded. Ravi Shastri was a victim too, stuck in a lift throughout the power cut.Perera’s juggling act
The two new-balls rule is not easy to handle. Today, as Thisara Perera was brought into the attack, he took the ball that was used to bowl the previous over. Just before he was about to run in, Simon Taufel intervened and asked him to return Asad Rauf’s ball to Rauf. Hopefully they are as vigilant against mixing up balls during rain breaks.The break before the break
It was 12 minutes before the second drinks break when Kumar Sangakkara hit one with the bottom of his bat. It must have chipped because he asked for another bat. There was some miscommunication, and a wrong set of bats arrived for him. Sangakkara asked for another set, and in the meantime his batting partner Tillakaratne Dilshan asked for some drinks. MS Dhoni did not want to be left behind, and called for a banana. Sachin Tendulkar asked for a drink too. All this 12 minutes before a scheduled break. The bemused umpires stood wondering how the field of cricket turned into a lawless state. About three minutes into it, Simon Taufel finally began walking towards the fielders, and they came back to play.The miss
Bellerive Oval is not as big as other Australian grounds, but the India fielders still tended to stay in from the rope to prevent the seconds they usually concede. On one such occasion, when Kumar Sangakkara did not get the elevation on an attempted loft, Praveen – already a few yards in – took three steps in and the ball ended up going over his head. Later in the innings he would have two chances for catches running in, but those would evade him too.The surprise run-out
In the 46th over of the Sri Lankan innings, amid a glut of runs, Sachin Tendulkar’s throw caught Thisara Perera on the line. It was against the run of play, and India were not even expecting a wicket when the umpire signalled to the third umpire to adjudicate. The fielders went back to their mark, Dhoni stood ready to keep, Praveen Kumar was ready to bowl, and the big screen said “out”. India were too tired to come together and celebrate, and stayed in their places.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Clay Holmes in crossing over in the Subway Series rivalry.

According to multiple reports, the former New York Yankees closer is signing a three-year deal with the New York Mets.

The deal is worth $38 million with an opt-out after the second year, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. He adds that the Mets plan to turn Holmes—who has spent the majority of his MLB career as a reliever—into a starting pitcher.

The 31-year-old tallied a career-high 30 saves with the Yankees last season in 67 appearances while notching a 3.65 era, 68 strikeouts, and a 1.302 WHIP. He earned his second-career All-Star appearance in 2024 but was demoted from the team's closer role in September.

The addition of Holmes is the second notable free agent acquisition for the Mets this offseason alongside the signing of pitcher Frankie Montas. New York is also reportedly among the final four teams remaining in the Juan Soto sweepstakes.

After a 89–73 finish in the regular season, the Mets made it to the 2024 NLCS before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games.

The rich get richer. 

With the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline on Tuesday, July 30, World Series favorites Los Angeles Dodgers fortified its roster by way of adding prized right hander Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers. The Dodgers, littered with talented pitchers, have been dealing with injuries throughout its starting rotation and want to leave as little holes in the roster as possible in hopes of winning the World Series this fall. 

The Dodgers odds continued to shorten on the news that the team landed Flaherty, who was sought after by several contenders ahead of the deadline. Meanwhile, teams like the Philadelphia Phillies had a quieter deadline, seemingly satisfied with the current roster. 

The Yankees were quiet at the actual deadline, but did land Jazz Chisholm over the weekend, who is off to a scorching start in pinstripes, belting four home runs in three games with his new team. 

New York’s AL East rival, Baltimore Orioles, bolstered its starting rotation with Zach Eflin from the Rays and are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with slugger Eloy Jimenez from the White Sox. 

Teams further down the odds board were busy, most notably the Astros, who landed Yusei Kikuchi from the Blue Jays, and the Mets, who landed a hoster of different depth pieces to both their rotation and lineup. 

Here is where the current World Series odds stand at FanDuel Sportsbook following the end of trade season. 

2024 World Series OddsLos Angeles Dodgers: +300Philadelphia Phillies: +500New York Yankees: +550Baltimore Orioles: +600Atlanta Braves: +1200Houston Astros: +1300Cleveland Guardians: +1800Minnesota Twins; +1800Milwaukee Brewers:+2400Seattle Mariners: +2900San Diego Padres: +3000Arizona Diamondbacks: +4500Kansas City Royals: +5500Boston Red Sox: +5500New York Mets: +6000Texas Rangers: +6000St. Louis Cardinals: +800

Highlights of the first round of the Ranji Trophy’s Super League and Plate matches

Sidharth Monga07-Nov-2008
Rohit Sharma scored a fluent third first-class century © PA Photos
Show ’em what they are missing
Had Ranji Trophy cricket been followed in India, this one would have been an equivalent of Wayne Rooney wanting badly to score against Everton. Only that Yere Goud did score a century against Karnataka, that too in his first match against his team from last season. But only a handful watched Goud score a patient 122 not out to help Railways, the team he had left to join Karnataka for an acrimonious one-season stay, gain three points from a first-innings lead over Karnataka.It was a good old-fashioned Ranji innings where you realise the opposition has scored enough to rule out an outright win [Karnataka had scored 365 in more than one-and-a-half days], and you turn it into a one-innings match. Goud found a suitable partner in Sanjay Bangar, the Railways captain: for the fifth wicket they added 75 in 28.3 overs. The partnership ended in a mix-up when Bangar wanted a third, but Goud didn’t. Goud tried to sacrifice his wicket, but was too late, and that denied Bangar a century. Goud, though, took out his anger on Sunil Joshi, hitting him for three sixes in quick time. Then remembering his tag as a stonewaller, he went back to grafting, and made sure Railways recovered from 185 for 5 to 389 all out.A happy divorce
Abhinav Mukund and M Vijay came together as an opening partnership mid-way of last season, and their first association yielded 256 runs against Saurashtra. Vijay got 230 not out then, and Mukund 120 – on debut. In the first match of this season, though, they raised the bar and went for a bigger run-feast. For 107.4 overs, an inexperienced Maharashstra attack struggled for a wicket, as the right-left combination went on accumulating runs. They ended the first day at 377 for 0, needing 88 more to break the record for the highest opening partnership in the Ranji Trophy, previously held by Raman Lamba and Ravi Sehgal.They could get only 86 before Vijay was caught at the wicket off Harshad Khadiwale, but better news awaited both the openers. Mukund went on and score the first triple-century of the season, and Vijay left the match mid-way because an India cap awaited him in Nagpur. Neither will mind the separation.Enamul Haque jnr, Maharashtra’s overseas import, bowled 31 wicketless overs for 171 runs.A timely nudge
This is an important season for the young hopefuls in Indian cricket, because already two of the senior Test players have retired. Keeping that in mind, Rohit Sharma scored a timely century – in one session, against Rajasthan – to add to his impressive century against the Australians in Hyderabad, earlier this year. As Mumbai looked to capitalise on a 103-run first-innings lead, Rohit made the setting of the target easier with a typically fluent third first-class century. His 128 took 140 deliveries, and 94 of those came in 22 fours and one six. As a result of the innings, Mumbai had enough time to bowl Rajasthan out in the second innings, and gain five points.In the same match, Dhawal Kulkarni, who came into spotlight through his IPL performances for the Mumbai Indians, made a solid Ranji debut, becoming only the seventh Mumbai player to take a five-for on debut. “Earlier I used to just run and bowl and even the pace was less. But Mumbai Cricket Association sent me to Brisbane for a camp and once I came back I was a changed bowler. My technique was right I developed more strength and my pace was increased,” he said, and went on to take four more wickets in the second innings to show his gratitude to the team.The comeback
Figures of 34-10-101-2 and 5-2-6-0 do not sound sensational at all, but in the scenario of the Delhi-Punjab match they were significant. For these were Ashish Nehra’s returns, on his first-class comeback after he missed the entire last season. Moreover, the first-innings figures don’t do justice to how Nehra bowled.In his first spell, he got the ball to consistently move away from the left-hand opening batsmen. However, luck deserted him for the first seven overs, during which he kept beating both Karan Goel and Ravi Inder Singh. In the third over of the day, Nehra made Ravi Inder play and miss at three successive deliveries. He finally got his breakthrough in the seventh over of the innings, when Ravi Inder played all over a straight and fast delivery. He then came back for a testing spell later in the day. It was a pleasing throwback: Nehra, his shirt not tucked in, animated, never far away from throwing frustrated tantrums. More pleasing was his perseverance, and one hopes the same is the case throughout the season.The no-show
Playing his first first-class match for Punjab in more than three seasons, Yuvraj Singh didn’t have a favourable outing. With the anticipation around him, he walked in to bat against Delhi minutes before lunch on the first day. He got a bouncer first up from Pradeep Sangwan, which he easily ducked under. That was followed up by five accurate deliveries, the last of which he played at, and guided to Shikhar Dhawan at first slip. On day that eight catches fell short of the slips, Yuvraj’s hard hands made sure that was not an issue when he edged. In the second innings, Yuvraj scored 38 off 44, but by then Punjab had conceded the first-innings lead.The trivia
Abhinav Kumar, the wicketkeeper playing his fifth first-class match, became the first Hyderabad player, and 11th overall, to be stranded on 99 in a Ranji Trophy match, as his team went from 283 for 7 to 296 all out. But his 99 not out proved crucial in Hyderabad’s gaining a first-innings lead over Orissa, and with that three points.Shane Warne’s boys’ corner
In the IPL, Rajasthan Royals was full of Cinderellas, who Warne bound together into a match-winning unit. Cricinfo will keep an eye on those relatively unknown players, and see how they do in their first first-class season after a successful IPL season.Swapnil Asnodkar scored 191 against Kerala, at a whopping strike-rate of 47.04. But Goa managed only one point from the match, as Kerala scored 486 in reply to Goa’s 460.Siddharth Trivedi took 5 for 44 and 2 for 42, including five wickets in the first 34 balls he bowled, to first reduce Saurashtra to 12 for 5, and then push them to an innings defeat. This was some effort by Gujarat, who played in the Plate League last year, to smash the Super League semi-finalists.

The first woman to score a century in Twenty20s, talks about her batting style, unplayable balls, how other teams should be wary of her, and more

Cricinfo staff09-May-2010You came in to bat at No. 6 in the tenth over, and still went on to get a century. Do you prefer batting in your original opening slot, or are you also generally comfortable dropping down?
It doesn’t really matter where I play. I am comfortable at any position.How did you get into cricket, and how did you get noticed?
I started playing when I was 14 for my school and then my country. Then I got the opportunity to play for West Indies.What did you have for breakfast that day before scoring that century?
Umm… a cup of apple juice and some croissants.What’s your next personal ambition?
I want to go for the record again.What was your going through your mind during the innings?
I was just thinking that the century looked possible and aimed at that.How scared should the other teams be of you now?
Very!You raced to a half-century in 22 balls against Australia in last year’s Twenty20. How did you develop this attacking style?
I have always played this way.What’s your favourite shot?
Straight over the bowler’s head.Do you prefer batting against spinners or quicks?
It doesn’t matter who the bowler is. I just play the way I always do.Which do you favour – finding the gaps or chipping over the in-field?
I prefer finding the gaps or hitting over the bowler’s head.Favourite ground to bat on?
I don’t have a favourite ground as such, but I’d like to play at the Kensington Oval in the final.What’s an unplayable ball according to you?
For me, it would the ones I miss!You now hold the record for the fastest century in both men’s and women’s cricket. Any tips for the men on how to break your record?
No, I don’t. I think they know how to get there.If not cricket, what would you be doing today?
I’d be in athlectics.The power game is something that is not often associated with women’s cricket. Your second fifty in yesterday’s game came off just 13 balls. Do you think Twenty20 can lead to bigger scores and quicker rates of scoring in women’s ODIs?
Yes it will definitely help increase one-day scores.”I don’t have a favourite ground as such, but I’d like to play at the Kensington Oval in the final”•Getty ImagesWest Indies were the dominant force in the 1980s and the early 90s in the men’s game. Why is it that women’s cricket in the region has taken such a long time to take off?
It’s just that the structure for women’s cricket has only developed now. So it will take a while before we can be at the level as the top four.West Indies women have had some impressive performances in the last year, including an ODI series win against World Champions England in November. What has been the trigger in bringing about this turnaround?
We don’t always play together since we are from different countries. But when we get together, we concentrate on working hard and gelling as a side.What did the coach tell you after you came off the field? How did you celebrate?
I got a big hug and then my family called to speak to me.

Cricinfo’s timeline of Andrew Symonds’ controversial moments

Cricinfo staff24-Nov-2008
Oops, I did it again … © Getty Images
June 2005
Turns up drunk to the one-day match against Bangladesh in Cardiff and after Australia lose he is banned for two matches. In Roy, Going for Broke he said: “I was also told in the clearest possible terms that any further misdemeanours would see me sent packing. For good.”March 2006
Asks a Super14 rugby player to “take it outside” while at a nightclub during Australia’s tour of South Africa. “I was on my way out of the VIP area when Pup [Michael Clarke] zoomed in to steer me away and calm things down,” Symonds said.2007 World Cup
In the Caribbean there’s an attempt to set Symonds up. “I walked out of a nightspot and a bloke ran across the car park and slapped me in the face as we were walking into a taxi,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. “He had a bloke with a camera behind him. You get to a point where you work very hard to achieve something and when you look at it, you’ve got so much to lose if you make a bad mistake. You have to spare a thought – stop, and have a think – every now and then to try and prevent problems.”January 2008
Is the victim of an alleged “monkey” sledge from Harbhajan Singh at the SCG that turns into the biggest incident of the summer. Harbhajan escaped suspension on appeal and the fall-out, intense glare and feelings of being let down by Cricket Australia contributed to his problems over the past four months.August 2008
Goes fishing in Darwin instead of attending a team meeting and is sent home before the one-day series against Bangladesh. He undergoes rehabilitation, which includes psychiatric help, and later admits he drank too much at times in the lead-up to the suspension.November 2008
After apologising to his team-mates and undergoing a “welfare programme”, he comes back into the side for the first Test against New Zealand. At the end of the match he goes to a Brisbane hotel where he claims he was provoked by a member of the public. He is back at the team accommodation by 9.30pm.January 2009
On the mend from knee surgery, Symonds calls Brendon McCullum a “lump of s…” during a radio interview on a show known for its light-hearted nature. Symonds was referring to McCullum’s signing for New South Wales to play in a domestic Twenty20 final when he made the comment.Symonds publicly apologised and was fined A$4000 at a Cricket Australia hearing. His international career was left in doubt when Cricket Australia’s directors ruled that he should be stood down from the tour of South Africa, resulting in him missing a second straight overseas tour.June 2009
Although overlooked for the Ashes, Symonds’ powerful strokeplay was deemed an asset for the ICC World Twenty20 and he was given a final opportunity to prove himself. Instead he was disciplined on the eve of the tournament for another “alcohol-related issue” and sent home to Australia after an episode described by Cricket Australia’s CEO James Sutherland as “the final straw”.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has offered a staunch defence of under-fire Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso, insisting he has "seen this movie" of crisis talk many times before. Despite the champions suffering back-to-back defeats and facing intense scrutiny over their form, the league chief believes the Basque coach has the "Madrid DNA" required to survive the storm and turn the season around.

Same old story at Real Madrid

The atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu has turned toxic in recent weeks, with Alonso's tenure reportedly hanging by a thread following a disastrous run of results in which they have won just two of their last eight matches. However, amidst the clamour for change and the swirling rumours of an imminent dismissal, the president of La Liga has stepped in to offer a calming perspective. Tebas, speaking ahead of a pivotal weekend for the Spanish giants, dismissed the panic surrounding the club, suggesting that such dramatic narratives are par for the course at Real Madrid.

When asked about Alonso’s precarious situation with his future reportedly on the line this Sunday, Tebas was defiant in his support, telling reporters: "I have seen this movie many times before. Real Madrid is a team that knows how to overcome situations. Xabi Alonso has Madrid DNA and I believe that he, the players and the club will move forward. They have had that mentality since they were children and Xabi has lived it from home."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportA week from hell in Madrid

Tebas’ confidence stands in stark contrast to the mood in the Spanish capital. Alonso is currently navigating the darkest period of his short managerial career at Madrid, with the pressure gauge firmly in the red following a catastrophic week. The crisis began last weekend with a shock home defeat to Celta Vigo – a result that saw the Galicians secure their first league victory at the Bernabeu in 19 years – and was compounded midweek by a humbling loss to City in the Champions League.

Reports emerging from Spain suggest that the board's confidence in Alonso was already fracturing before the City defeat. The hierarchy is believed to be deeply concerned not just by the results, but by the manner of the performances. The team have looked disjointed and lethargic, with the exciting, structured football Alonso implemented at Bayer Leverkusen failing to translate to a squad built on individual brilliance. The loss to Pep Guardiola’s side has reportedly pushed the board to the brink, with many outlets suggesting that anything less than a convincing victory this Sunday could spell the end for the Basque coach.

Alonso is 'perfectly prepared' to turn it around

Despite the noise, Tebas believes Alonso has the character to ignore the speculation. He highlighted the coach’s extraordinary achievement in the Bundesliga – where he went unbeaten with Leverkusen and sealed the club's first ever top-flight title – as proof of his elite managerial credentials. For Tebas, the key is for Alonso to remain true to his principles rather than bending to the external pressure.

"Let him continue to be himself," Tebas advised when asked what counsel he would offer the beleaguered manager. "He is a coach who has triumphed and it is not easy to do so in a Bundesliga with the level of competition that exists.

"He is perfectly prepared to carry this forward. I encourage him and Real Madrid, because they always get out of these situations."

Getty Images SportVinicius tensions add to the fire

While results on the pitch are the primary driver of the crisis, the situation is being exacerbated by significant internal friction, particularly concerning Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian winger has been at the centre of a storm due Alonso occasionally dropping him to the bench. His angry reaction to being substituted against Barcelona caused a stir in the Spanish media, too. The lack of public sanction for that dissent has led to accusations that Alonso has lost authority over the dressing room.

Real Madrid face a do-or-die encounter against Alaves this Sunday in La Liga. They are currently four points behind leaders Barcelona in the table and failure to win will likely see them fall further behind and could result in Alonso's dismissal.

Liverpool have forked out over £200m on new first-team signings this summer, and there’s more still to come from sporting director Richard Hughes, whose task is a significant one.

Last summer, the former Bournemouth technical director came under fire for his supposed hesitance in the transfer market. Liverpool had clawed their way back into the Champions League and had won the Carabao Cup, but Jurgen Klopp had managed his last and signings were needed, were they not?

But Federico Chiesa was the only man added to the ranks, joining from Juventus for a cut-price £12.5m (aside from Giorgi Mamarashvili, who has now completed his £29m move from Valencia after spending the 2024/25 campaign back on loan with the La Liga side).

But Hughes’ long-term plan was vindicated when Arne Slot led Liverpool to the Premier League in his first season, almost nine years after Klopp replaced a bruised Brendan Rodgers.

The Reds finished ten points ahead of second-place Arsenal, and now they are showing their hand; now they are spending. Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez have reshaped the squad – and there’s more still to come.

The latest Liverpool transfer news

Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez remain the most likely Liverpool stars to complete high-profile exits, with the former coveted by Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the latter by the Saudi Pro League.

Liverpool want to sell Nunez, who hasn’t worked out three years on from his big-money move from Benfica. Diaz, however, is set to stay put unless a mammoth bid comes in.

Should the Merseysiders be roped into selling, however, they want to set themselves up. As such, Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon has been earmarked, one year after a saga emerged concerning the Magpies winger and the Reds.

Rodrygo, otherwise, would be the dream, albeit the Brazilian is worth €100m (£85m) and is fixed in Arsenal’s sights.

Who knows which way the wind will blow with those murmurings? However, Nunez is set to leave, and Liverpool had wanted another Newcastle sensation to replace him: Alexander Isak.

However, the Toon closed that door, and Liverpool have instead moved for another, and he wants to join.

Liverpool on the brink of signing

According to Sport BILD, Liverpool are edging closer toward signing Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, though the German club are holding out for €100m (£85m).

Transfer Focus

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

However, the French forward wants to sign for the Anfield side and has even submitted an official transfer request to manoeuvre the discussions into the closing stages.

Personal terms are all but finalised, no problem there. However, the outfits need to iron out the details, with an official proposal now imminent.

The 23-year-old should sign as Liverpool’s new number nine, and in doing so, may emulate Virgil van Dijk, in a sense.

Why Liverpool are signing Hugo Ekitike

It’s not over till the fat lady sings. A saying that’s well worth remembering in football. Take Van Dijk. Liverpool signed him for £75m in late December 2017 – some Christmas present, that.

But months earlier, Liverpool had been left hot under the collar after Southampton put paid to their advances, ending the building saga in June 2017 after an alleged illegal approach. FSG apologised for “any misunderstanding” and put their bid on hold.

But Van Dijk had caught a whiff of Klopp’s project and was sold. Well, he was several months on, in any case. The Netherlands international handed in a transfer request later in the 2017 summer window and informed Saints he wanted to sign for Liverpool.

The rest is history, with Van Dijk, now 34, one of the most decorated and accomplished defenders of his generation. Ekitike is no doubt eager to take a leaf from the centre-back’s book, having established himself in the Bundesliga, posting 40 goal contributions from 64 matches in a season-and-a-half with Frankfurt.

Make no mistake, we’re not claiming Ekitike will be utilising his 6 feet and 3 inches to protect the box, rocketing up with steely headers and flying this way and that with tough challenges. This, clearly, isn’t Slot’s Van Dijk heir.

But there’s a pattern to the respective deals which highlights FSG’s method, having identified one of Europe’s most exciting up-and-comers and spent the big bucks on reeling him over to Anfield.

Early into his career, Ekitike – described as “unreal” by analyst Ben Mattinson – has demonstrated growth and ability, which has already led to a €35m (£30m) transfer from Reims to Paris Saint-Germain.

24/25 – Frankfurt

33

15

8

23/24 – Frankfurt*

14

4

2

23/24 – PSG

1

0

0

22/23 – PSG

25

3

4

21/22 – Reims

24

10

4

20/21 – Vejle*

11

3

2

20/21 – Reims

2

0

0

Sure, Isak would have been nice. The 25-year-old is, after all, “the best striker in the world”, as analyst Raj Chohan put it last season, but Hughes’ contacts with Newcastle turned up nought. We’d have been looking at something in the £200m ballpark, which is a nonsensical figure.

But in Ekitike, Liverpool have a rising phenom, the perfect profile. He’s mobile, slippery and intelligent, a fierce and constant pepperer of the goal. His finishing leaves something to be desired, but this can be worked on. FBref record that Isak is one of his most statistically comparable players, after all.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has even called the France talent “the next Mbappe”, with his creativity, pace and dynamism making him more than just a player of French likeness.

Was Van Dijk the finished product when he first alighted in Liverpool? Were the detractors not vocal in their scorn? Liverpool paid over the odds for some half-decent defender, they claimed.

The Reds skipper is now considered one of the finest players of his generation, one of many cases of FSG’s data department coming up trumps.

With Ekitike, they may well strike gold once again.

Better than Isak & Ekitike: Liverpool make £142m "monster" a dream target

Liverpool have two primary candidates to bolster their forward line; Alexander Isak & Hugo Ekitike.

1 ByMatt Dawson Jul 17, 2025

Manchester United have now joined the race to sign a “phenomenal” midfielder, who recently put in an impressive performance at Old Trafford.

Man Utd stepping up pursuit of new midfielder

Man United have set out to sign a new central midfielder in the January transfer window, and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes is the object of their desires, with it recently being revealed the 24-year-old has said ‘yes’ to a move to Old Trafford.

INEOS are now working on a deal for the Wolves star, with David Ornstein revealing the Old Gold may choose to cash-in during the January transfer window, as his value may decrease if they are a Championship club by the time summer comes around.

The need to bring in a new central midfielder may also be exacerbated if Kobbie Mainoo moves on, with it now emerging that talks over the 20-year-old signing a contract extension have been put on hold, amid interest from reigning Serie A champions Napoli.

However, it would be understandable if Wolves were unwilling to sell Gomes, given that he has been one of their key players this season and remains contracted until 2030, and the Red Devils have now joined the race for a potential alternative.

That is according to a report from talkSPORT, which names Man United as potential suitors for Everton midfielder James Garner, who is also being targeted by Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.

The Toffees have little interest in sanctioning a departure, however, and have recently stepped up talks over a new contract, with Garner’s current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

David Moyes is personally keen to keep hold of the central midfielder, and it is no surprise, given that he recently played an instrumental role in his side’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford.

Garner impresses in shock Everton win at Old Trafford

After Idrissa Gueye was shown a red card for an altercation with teammate Michael Keane on Monday night, United would’ve been expecting to take all three points, but they were unable to take advantage of their numerical superiority.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the only goal of the game just before the half-an-hour mark, with Garner grabbing the assist, while also making three interceptions and one clearance to keep Ruben Amorim’s side at bay.

Man Utd have advantage over Chelsea in race for "midfield sensation" Assan Ouedraogo

He has a massive future in the game.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 25, 2025

Hailed as “phenomenal” by pundit Trevor Sinclair, a deal for the Englishman wouldn’t break the bank at £20m+, and he has outperformed Gomes across some key defensive statistics over the past year.

Key defensive statistics per 90 (past year)

James Garner

Joao Gomes

Interceptions

1.41 (85th percentile)

0.81 (34th percentile)

Blocks

1.41 (77th percentile)

1.31 (68th percentile)

Clearances

2.19 (80th percentile)

1.37 (40th percentile)

That said, both Garner and Gomes aren’t experienced at the highest level, and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni would perhaps be a more exciting addition to the squad, with the Spanish side’s asking price recently being revealed.

Manchester United is preparing an offer worth £33 million to sign an “exciting” ace and reunite him with manager Ruben Amorim, according to a recent report. The Red Devils get their latest new era underway at the end of this week, as they travel to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town.

Amorim has been brought to Old Trafford to return the glory days to the club, and it seems INEOS already have plans in place to have a busy January transfer window to help him do just that.

Man Utd want to sign "world-class" star to be Amorim's answer to Rodri

Manchester United fans could soon be welcoming their very own Rodri to Old Trafford.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 17, 2024 Man Utd transfer news

At the end of last week, it was claimed that United were working on a deal to sign Sverre Nypan from Rosenborg in the January transfer window. The midfielder has been watched by the Red Devils for a while now and played against them during pre-season in the summer. The 17-year-old is regarded as one of the hottest properties in football, and United are hoping to get a deal done in the New Year as he will only cost £10 million.

Nypan would be a signing that is more for the future, but United also have their eyes on an exciting attacker who would no doubt improve them straight away. United have reportedly submitted an offer worth €100 million (£83.5 million) to sign Ademola Lookman from Atalanta. The 27-year-old, who played a key role in their Europa League success last season, is on the radar of the Red Devils as well as Paris Saint-Germain. Both sides have submitted offers, and Atalanta are open to a sale if they receive a huge fee.

Man Utd readying £33m offer to sign Geovany Quenda

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Manchester United are also looking to secure an agreement to sign Geovany Quenda from Sporting. The 17-year-old has broken into the Sporting CP first team this season under Amorim’s guidance and has already caught the eye with his performances.

Quenda, who has been labelled “exciting” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been a regular starter for the Portuguese side this season, and his performances as a right-wing back or winger have put him on the radar of the Premier League side. Obviously, United being managed by Amorim also gives them an advantage as the boss knows the attacker very well.

This report states that United are now prepared to reunite Amorin with Quenda but at the end of the season, as the 39-year-old promised he wouldn’t be raiding his old club in January. Sporting CP have extended Quenda’s contract recently, and that has involved adding a €100 million (£84 million) release clause.

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The Red Devils have no plans whatsoever to pay that amount of money however – they are willing to make an offer worth around £33 million. It goes on to add that the Premier League side want to sign Quenda “as soon as possible” to avoid competition for his signature.