Seamer claims four wickets alongside Douthwaite, as Ingram and Carlson build stand

ECB Reporters Network29-Aug-2024Timm van der Gugten was the pick of the Glamorgan bowling, grabbing the first four Leicestershire wickets to fall, while Dan Douthwaite also chipped in with four wickets to justify the decision to bowl first.Leicestershire fast bowler Chris Wright made his first-class return from a drugs ban to help his side to a batting bonus point, his side recovering to 251 all out on a hybrid pitch in Cardiff.Wright, who was banned for nine months but found not to be at fault after a banned substance was contained in a fruit supplement, combined with debutant Sam Wood and Tom Scriven as the last two wickets added 75 runs.Glamorgan lost both openers early in reply, but moved onto 114 for 2 at the close with Colin Ingram, 63 not out, and Kiran Carlson, 42 not out, putting on an unbroken partnership of 87 to put their side in the driving seat.After winning the toss and inserting Leicestershire in overcast and drizzly conditions, Glamorgan would have been hoping for an early breakthrough, which was delivered from a familiar source.Van der Gugten has been the spearhead of the Glamorgan attack this season and he delivered once again, taking all three wickets to fall before the lunch break with arrow-like accuracy.He bowled opener Rishi Patel for 7 with a delivery which clipped the top of off stump, then fellow opener Ian Holland played on with one which jagged back slightly when on 13.The Dutchman returned to have a spell just before lunch and added a third, this time LBW as captain Lewis Hill did not get far enough forward to depart for 25.Ned Leonard, on loan from Somerset, should have had a wicket when Indian star Ajinkya Rahane top-edged a pull shot, but deep midwicket Douthwaite was slow coming forward and ended up spilling the low chance.It was the ever-reliable van der Gugten who brought the downfall of Rahane, finding the outside edge after lunch and helped by a sharp catch at second slip by captain Sam Northeast.After looking good, England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed gave things away when he lifted a short ball from Douthwaite straight to Billy Root on the deep square leg boundary.Then out of the blue Australian Peter Handscomb went for 46, trying to dab Douthwaite down to third man but instead just feathering a catch to wicketkeeper Chris Cooke.Then New Zealander Fraser Sheat got into the act with his first wicket in county cricket, a rather tame dismissal of Liam Trevaskis who chipped the ball to mid-on.The tame-ness was copied by Louis Kimber who also chipped the ball in the air, aiming a leg side half volley at catcher Asa Tribe off the bowling of Douthwaite.That brought Sam Wood to make his debut in confident style as he and Scriven put on a half-century partnership, Wright and Wood doing the rest to reach the first batting bonus point.Glamorgan’s innings could not have got off to a worse start, captain Sam Northeast promoting himself to open and then departing first ball of the innings, caught behind by Handscomb from the bowling of Holland.The same bowler accounted for debutant Asa Tribe, who played on for 4. Ingram and Carlson saw out the rest of the day’s play to put Glamorgan in a strong position.

MS Dhoni, Lasith Malinga, Chris Gayle, along with others like de Villiers and Malik, are close to the end of their careers

Gaurav Sundararaman21-Jul-2020MS Dhoni
It’s impossible to speculate when it comes to MS Dhoni, but with the IPL and the World Cup originally scheduled for April and October this year, you’d think Dhoni had a perfect sign-off planned. However, we are talking about another year now, and Dhoni hasn’t played any cricket for India since July 2019. He will be 40 by then too, and will need two solid IPLs to stand a chance, which makes it highly unlikely. But it’s Dhoni we are talking about – can’t rule him out, can we?Lasith Malinga
The leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 107 strikes, Lasith Malinga had earlier announced that he would be retiring after the 2020 World Cup. Does the change mean he will hang around? He will be past 38 then. That said, the last year or so has been great for Malinga, who helped Mumbai Indians win the IPL again and followed it up with four wickets in four balls against New Zealand in September 2019. Fitness will be a concern, but form might not be, and it might come down to whether he is up for one more tilt or not.Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo have been two of the most iconic T20 players in the world•Getty ImagesChris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo
Chris Gayle is perhaps the most recognisable face on the T20 circuit, and even at 40 – close to 41, actually – he is a force to be reckoned with in the format. Gayle has hinted at extending his career but would be very lucky to make it at the end of the postponement. Also, Gayle has lot of competition for his spot in the side, so making the cut might require a combination of form and fortune, not to mention fitness.Gayle’s old colleague Dwayne Bravo came out of retirement earlier this year with an eye on the World Cup. Since his return, he has taken seven wickets at an economy rate of 7.15. With potentially an IPL and a CPL before the World Cup, Bravo was all gung-ho. It will be interesting to see how he deals with the tweaked situation. From his point of view, the best thing would be to play as much franchise cricket as possible, and hope the West Indies team management still has room for him, and his unique skills.Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik
The Pakistan duo of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik were expected to script their swansongs in Australia. Hafeez, who will be 40 in October this year, had said that he would delay his retirement if the tournament is rescheduled, and might go ahead and do just that now, though whether he will fit into the team’s plans a year on remains to be seen. Ditto for Malik, who will turn 39 in February.Pakistan may have found many competent youngsters the last few months to not miss the two veterans, and the fact that both of them have similar skills means fitting both of them in the squad could be a bit of a stretch. But big performances between now and then, and who knows…Both Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers want to play the T20 World Cup•AFP via Getty ImagesFaf du Plessis and AB de Villiers
Faf du Plessis had announced his desire to captain his side till the end of the T20 World Cup. But that was a long time ago, and Quinton de Kock has replaced him at the helm since then. Du Plessis will be 37 by the time the next World Cup starts, and it’s not unthinkable that South Africa would have looked at younger players to take the team forward by then.As for AB de Villiers, well, the question marks around him linger. The much-speculated comeback has been put on ice, but he is certain to be active in the franchise circuit, whatever the number of tournaments that get on the road eventually. Therefore, there’s not much difference between now, when he is 36 and a half, and next year. The bigger issue, of course, is whether he wants it or not.

Everton are set to embark on an exciting new era at Bramley-Moore Dock and could make a bargain signing to kick off their summer business, according to a report.

Everton preparing for summer of mass changes

David Moyes has comfortably ensured top-flight survival for Everton and has managed to revive a squad that has plenty of uncertainty hanging over it heading into the summer.

With the Toffees set to say farewell to Goodison Park, key figures such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young are yet to commit to extensions, while several loanees find themselves in limbo.

Abdoulaye Doucoure has commented on his future at the club, stirring debate among supporters, stating: “There’s not been any talks so far with Everton. I think personally, I don’t wait for them to give me a contract or not, because my contract is finished. I already have some proposals on the table, to be honest, and I think in the next three weeks, I will have to take my decision — whether I stay or not.”

Clearly, Moyes has plenty of work to do in the market before his squad is in ideal shape for next season. Ipswich Town pair Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson have emerged as Everton targets, offering an inkling of the direction his recruitment strategy could take.

Burnley’s Josh Brownhill could join the Toffees on a free transfer, which would be a wise move in the face of PSR regulations, which could otherwise create problems in a moment of positivity.

Sky Sports reporter says 49ers want to sign £20m+ Everton star for Leeds

Leeds have added a new attacker to their transfer shortlist heading into the summer.

ByBrett Worthington May 8, 2025

Tapping into that theme, another star from the EFL Championship may also arrive this summer without the Toffees having to spend a penny in transfer fees.

Everton want to land Leeds United full-back Junior Firpo

According to Everton News, as per journalist Graeme Bailey, Junior Firpo could make a surprise move to Everton this summer on a free transfer once his contract expires at Leeds United.

While Spain is thought to be his preference, Everton appear to be at the front of the queue if the defender opts to remain in England.

Labelled “immense” by Conor McGilligan, the Dominican Republic international has registered four goals and 10 assists this campaign, playing a major role in the Whites’ promotion back to the top flight.

Ricardo Chavez Soto

Monterrey

Ryan Hollingshead

Los Angeles FC

Jesus Gallardo

Toluca

Anton Gaaei

Ajax

Juan Sanabria

Atletico San Luis

Earning £60,000 per week at Elland Road, it is said that Firpo also has admirers from Spain, where he came through the ranks at Real Betis before joining Barcelona back in 2019.

Previously, the Santo Domingo-born defender struggled with life in the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, but he has been a key attacking force down the left flank this term and appears primed for another tilt at the top flight.

Now, Everton’s task is to put forward a convincing argument that they are a better proposition than Leeds in the long run. Given their newfound stability, they stand a good chance of winning the race for his signature.

تحدث الهولندي فيرجيل فان دايك، مدافع الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول عن هزيمة فريقه أمام تشيلسي في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج”.

وخسر ليفربول أمام تشيلسي أمس، السبت، في إطار منافسات الجولة السابعة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على ملعب “ستامبفورد بريدج”.

بتلك النتيجة خسر ليفربول الصدارة واحتل المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي برصيد 15 نقطة خلف آرسنال المتصدر بـ16 نقطة.

وقال فان دايك في تصريحات لـ”ليفربول إيكو”: “كانت مباراة مفتوحة بالطبع، وخاصةً في الشوط الثاني، من الواضح أن سعي الفريقين للفوز وتلقيهما هدفًا بهذه الطريقة ليس أمرًا رائعًا، خاصةً مع اقتراب فترة التوقف الدولي”.

اقرأ أيضًا | واين روني يكشف سبب تراجع مستوى محمد صلاح مع ليفربول

وأكمل: “حققنا نتائج إيجابية بالتأكيد وجدنا طريقة، من المفارقات أن نستقبل هدفين في مباراتين مختلفتين في الدقيقة الأخيرة، لا يزال أمامنا الكثير من العمل، نعلم أنه في كرة القدم، كل ثلاثة أو أربعة أيام، تتغير الأمور لكن علينا أن نعمل لكي تتغير الأمور لصالحنا”.

وأردف: “كانت الأيام السبعة أو الثمانية صعبة علينا جميعًا لكننا مع الجهاز الفني والجماهير، قادرون على قلب الأمور لصالحنا أنا واثق من ذلك”.

واستطرد: “الأمر يتعلق برؤيتنا لهذا المنظور كلاعبين وجهاز فني، وأريد أن يرى المشجعون هذا المنظور أيضًا لكننا نعيش في عالم مليء بالضجيج، وعلينا التعامل مع هذا أيضًا، يقع على عاتقنا مواصلة العمل، وتحقيق النتائج، والتكاتف، واكتساب الثقة”.

وأضاف: “علينا أن نفعل ما كنا نفعله العام الماضي، عندما كان الجميع في غاية السعادة، الآن نمر بلحظة عصيبة، وقد تتغير بسرعة لكن علينا أن نعمل جاهدين لتجاوزها”.

وأتم: “هذا شيء ندركه ونحتاج إلى القيام به معًا، كما فعلنا دائمًا على مدار هذه السنوات، خاصة عندما كنت هنا في النادي لأنه كانت هناك بعض الصعود والهبوط في المستوى”.

Goals, goals and more goals. If there is one thing Arsenal have lacked this season, it’s goals.

It’s been clear for some time now that Mikel Arteta’s side lack a genuinely clinical striker to lead the line, and so the last few months have seen them linked with a whole host of exciting names.

One of the most prominent was Newcastle United’s incredible Alexander Isak, but with a price tag that could reportedly be as high as £150m, it’s a move that now seems increasingly unlikely.

However, that doesn’t mean that the North Londoners aren’t still looking to bring in a new striker, as recent reports have linked them with someone who could be the perfect alternative.

Arsenal's striker search

Before getting to the forward in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other attackers linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, such as Viktor Gyokeres and Daizen Maeda.

Transfer Focus

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

The former looks like he’d cost around £70m, and while that’s still a hefty sum of money, it’s hard to argue against considering the Swede has scored 52 goals and provided 12 assists in 29 appearances for Sporting CP this year.

Maeda, on the other hand, would cost around £25m and has also enjoyed a brilliant campaign north of the border, scoring 33 goals and providing 12 assists in 48 games for Celtic.

However, the Gunners might be looking for a genuine bargain alternative to the Newcastle ace, which would explain the situation around Jonathan David.

According to a recent report from Italy, Arsenal are now one of several sides interested in signing the LOSC Lille star this summer, when his contract has expired.

Alongside the North Londoners, the report has claimed that Liverpool, Inter Milan, Juventus and a handful of other Premier League sides are also keen to land the soon-to-be free agent.

It could be a complicated deal to get over the line in light of the competition, but given David’s immense ability, it’s one well worth fighting for, especially as he’d be an incredible Isak alternative.

Why David would be a great Isak alternative

So, there is ultimately one reason, and it’s a massive one, why David would be a brilliant alternative to Isak: the finances involved.

While he would likely demand a slightly inflated wage to make up for the lack of a transfer fee, the money involved in any deal would still pale in comparison to what would be needed to sign the Newcastle star.

In turn, this would then allow the Gunners to invest heavily elsewhere in the squad, be it in another striker, a new left-winger, competition for Martin Odegaard, or even more defenders.

Moreover, just because he’d save the club an enormous sum of money does not mean he’d be a lacklustre signing.

For example, since the start of 1/22, the New York-born monster, whom journalist Tony Marinaro dubbed “one of the best strikers in the world,” has scored 96 goals and provided 25 assists in just 182 club appearances.

David’s recent club career
Season	21/22	22/23	23/24	24/25
Appearances	48	40	47	47
Goals	19	26	26	25
Assists	0	4	9	12
Goal Involvements*	0.39	0.75	0.74	0.78
All Stats via Transfermarkt (*per Match)

In other words, the incredible goal machine has averaged a goal involvement every 1.50 games across the last four seasons of top-flight football, which is evidence enough to suggest he’d be a good fit for the North Londoners.

Finally, it’s not just at the club level where the Canadian international has proven himself. In 61 appearances for Les Rogues, he scored 32 goals and provided 19 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal every 1.19 games.

Ultimately, with Isak almost certainly being too expensive to sign this summer, Arsenal would be wise to sign David in his place and spend the rest of their transfer budget improving the entire team.

He'd revive Odegaard: Arsenal aiming to sign "the new Mbappe" in £85m deal

Arsenal need to sign a player who could revive the fortunes of Martin Odegaard.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 5, 2025

Enzo Maresca is already eyeing signings for Chelsea ahead of the summer transfer window, despite a couple of matches to go before the end of the season.

Ajax defender Jorrel Hato is the latest centre-back to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. The Blues missed out on Dean Huijsen, therefore, they are moving on to other targets.

While, defensively, the club can improve next term, their need for another centre-forward has seen them linked with a few names. Hugo Ekitiké has been someone on the club’s radar of late amid excellent form at Eintract Frankfurt.

Benjamin Sesko is another striker Maresca is keeping an eye on. Could this be the striker the Blues need?

The latest on Chelsea's pursuit of Benjamin Sesko

The Blues are reportedly showing plenty of interest in signing Sesko this summer, especially with his vast potential and wonderful goalscoring record.

A fee of £84m might be required if the Premier League side are serious about bringing him to England, however. Much of this will depend on whether the Blues can secure Champions League qualification or not.

The 21-year-old is one of the most exciting young forwards in the game and his form in Germany demonstrates why.

Indeed, the Slovenia international has scored 21 goals in 45 appearances for RB Leipzig throughout 2024/25 and judging by that, Sesko could be the answer to Maresca’s problems.

Goals

13

Assists

5

Shots per game

2.1

Goal conversion percentage

19%

Scoring frequency (minutes)

185

Successful dribbles per game

1.2

Via Sofascore

It’s safe to say that the offence is one of the big reasons Chelsea still have a battle on their hands to secure a top five place with Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester City and Brentford all scoring more than their 63-goal haul this term.

Nicolas Jackson, sent off against Eddie Howe’s side a few weeks ago, certainly hasn’t helped their cause in recent weeks.

What Sesko's arrival would mean for Jackson

Following an impressive season at Villarreal in 2022/23, one which saw the player net 13 goals and grab five assists in all competitions, Chelsea signed Jackson for more than £30m.

Jacek Kulig described Jackson as “extraordinary” for his exploits during that campaign, but his spell at Chelsea, however, hasn’t quite been as good.

17 goals during his first season was more than respectable, but this tally has dropped to 12 during the 2024/25 campaign with pundit Tim Sherwood famously remarking that “at times he looks like someone playing in Soccer Aid who’s not a footballer.”

Should Chelsea qualify for the Champions League next season, it is evident they will need someone more influential in front of goal, as Jackson simply isn’t the answer.

He currently earns £100k-per-week, more than Sesko’s £91k-per-week, and it’s safe to say that money would be better spent on the Slovenian instead.

When compared to his peers in the Premier League this season, Jackson fails to rank in the top 40% for no-penalty goals (0.41) per 90, while also failing to break through the top 40% with regard to successful take-ons (0.73) and touches in the attacking third (14.64) per 90.

Those are hardly the statistics of a player who can fire Chelsea to glory, that’s for sure. If Maresca is serious about improving this summer, bringing in Sesko for Jackson would certainly please a vast portion of the support.

The transfer window this summer could turn out to be interesting indeed.

Better than Huijsen: Chelsea set to open talks to sign "immense" £42m star

Chelsea are keen to move on from Huijsen by targeting a Dutch defender

ByRoss Kilvington May 19, 2025

Winner goes through to the final four, loser goes out

Firdose Moonda22-Jun-20241:26

Bishop: WI batters have to play freely against South Africa

Match detailsWest Indies vs South Africa
North Sound, Antigua, 8.30pm localBig picture – Semi-final spots up for grabsIt isn’t actually called a quarter-final, but for all intents and purposes, it is. West Indies and South Africa meet in the T20 World Cup 2024 with the winner set to go through to the final four and the loser set to go out.Tickets still available for crunch game

Additional tickets have been made available for the T20 World Cup game between West Indies and South Africa. They are priced at US$ 45 and can be purchased online at tickets.t20worldcup.com or at the counter at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

What may be lurking in the back of South Africa’s mind is how close five of their six games so far have been. They have snatched victories from the unlikeliest of scenarios and seem to be riding a wave of good fortune that they have failed to catch in tournaments past. They will be the first to admit that they are yet to put together the perfect game, but they boast a perfect record. Six out of six wins means they are once again being spoken of as champion material. Could this be the year South Africa finally win a T20 World Cup? West Indies might have something to say about that.The co-hosts were unbeaten through the group stage too. Though they lost to defending champions England in the Super Eight after that, they are still on track to achieving what they set out to: re-establish West Indies as a powerhouse by competing strongly and (hopefully, for them) winning a third T20 World Cup. If they score 160 and win by 52 runs, they could even go past England and top Group 2. For now, it all hinges on how they do in this match and though West Indies may take heart from sweeping South Africa 3-0 before the tournament, it’s worth remembering that that was a second-string South Africa side. The real test is now.Form guideWest Indies WLWWW
South Africa WWWWW1:44

How can West Indies contain Quinton de Kock?

In the spotlight – Alzarri Joseph and Marco JansenAlzarri Joseph has the same number of tournament wickets as Anrich Nortje – 11 – at a slightly higher average (13.81 compared to 12.90) but a slightly better strike rate. Joseph has taken a wicket once every 11 balls at the tournament – and Nortje once every 13 balls – and is rightly seen as West Indies’ biggest threat with the ball.Joseph has only played two T20Is against South Africa, and in the last one took a series-winning 5 for 40 to seal a seven-run win. Four of the five batters Joseph dismissed in that match – Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen – have been part of South Africa’s XI in every game at the World Cup thus far. On his home ground, Antigua, he will have even more motivation to attempt to repeat the feat.Related

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With Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Ottneil Baartman all shining at different stages of the competition, Marco Jansen has flown under the radar despite being an important part of South Africa’s progress. The economy rate of 5.90 includes bowling mostly in the powerplay and is South Africa’s second-lowest after Baartman (though Jansen has played one more game). Though he has gone wicketless in all but one match, Jansen has been match-winning in other ways. Against England, he was tasked with the game’s penultimate over and conceded just seven runs, leaving Nortje 13 to defend. Crucially, he has adapted to conditions when some of his team-mates have not, and he is yet to be given a chance to show what he can do with the bat.Team news – West Indies have choices to makeShai Hope’s unbeaten 39-ball 82 opening the batting against USA may mean West Indies do not have immediate cause to bring in Kyle Mayers, who has replaced the injured Brandon King in their squad. It’s an interesting call to make because Mayers has the advantage of knowing the South African players well, from his time at the SA20, and of being West Indies’ second-leading run-scorer in the pre-World Cup series played against South Africa last month. Their other decision will be in the make-up of the bowling unit – whether to include an extra seamer in Romario Shepherd or stick to the offspin of Roston Chase.West Indies (probable): 1 Shai Hope/Kyle Mayers, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Rovman Powell (capt), 5 Andre Russell, 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Romario Shepherd/Roston Chase, 8 Obed McCoy, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Gudakesh MotieThe last time South Africa played in Antigua, they opted for two spinners and left Baartman out, and may consider that combination again. However, Tabraiz Shamsi was expensive against USA, which could open the door for the other left-arm spinner in the squad: Bjorn Fortuin, who has not had a game thus far. It’s more likely South Africa will stick to what they like best, with an unchanged batting line-up and one of Shamsi or Baartman.South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi/Ottneil Baartman, 11 Anrich Nortje1:43

Will Kyle Mayers open against SA?

Pitch and conditionsFrom South Africa’s match against USA earlier in the week, North Sound seemed good for run-scoring. That was a day game and this is a night fixture, though, so there may be a slight difference. There have been two night games played at this venue in the tournament: Australia chased down 73 against Namibia inside six overs and scored 100 runs inside 12 overs when they beat Bangladesh in a rain-affected game on Friday. Rain, in fact, may be the biggest concern for the teams with the forecast not great during the day on Sunday, but the precipitation probability decreases to 17% in the evening.Stats and trivia The head-to-head record between these two teams is equal: Played 22; West Indies won 11; South Africa won 11. In T20 World Cups, they have met four times, and South Africa have won three. West Indies’ only victory came in 2016 There have only been three totals of over 200 at the T20 World Cup so far and West Indies have one of them. They scored the highest total of the tournament with their 218 against Afghanistan in the group stage. South Africa have batted first four times in six matches and average 146 Nicholas Pooran is the tournament’s top run-scorer at the moment with 227 runs; Quinton de Kock is in third place, 40 runs behindQuotes”It’s important for us to continue in this vein because we see what’s at stake now.”
“This team believes that we can be really great as a unit. Obviously, with the last World Cup [in India] bowing out in the semi-finals… it’s both the character and there’s a lot of hurt. So, we just take it one game at a time and focus on trying to get the results to go our way and not looking at the negatives, just trying to highlight the positives as much as possible.”

Trent Alexander-Arnold has left Liverpool. In fairness, FSG have done very well indeed here, banking around £10m to allow the right-back to join Real Madrid early, so that he can play under Xabi Alonso in next month’s Club World Cup.

It was tired saga, an indisputable stain on Liverpool’s incredible Premier League triumph. Ah well, it will come out in the wash. Now that the whole ordeal is over, we can turn toward the exciting incomings heading Anfield’s way.

Jeremie Frimpong has completed his medical, and his transfer to Anfield will be announced imminently, while deals for Florian Wirtz and Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez are in the pipeline. Liverpool also want a new number nine.

However, this can’t all happen without a few exits. Let’s take a look at who might be leaving Arne Slot’s Reds this summer.

Who could be leaving Liverpool

Alexander-Arnold wasn’t the only one in tears as Liverpool lifted the Premier League title after their season-closing draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Harvey Elliott cut a poignant figure, for the young playmaker has been limited to a bit-part role this season and looks like he may leave. Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund are mooted names, with Liverpool demanding £50m.

With Frimpong inbound, Kostas Tsimikas’ five-year stay at the club may be at an end. Andy Robertson, 31, has been on the decline, but he wants to stay and challenge Kerkez for a place, and there won’t be room for three.

Darwin Nunez is perhaps the most nailed-on for a departure. Liverpool want a striker, but can’t move forward without the sale of their club-record man, whose well-documented struggles in England have left him with just seven goals from 47 matches across all competitions this term.

It’s been frustrating to watch the Uruguayan struggle, especially since those early hopes he would emulate his countryman Luis Suarez and become a superstar at Liverpool.

Elsewhere, curious reports of Bayern Munich’s interest in Cody Gakpo have also surfaced this week, but it seems unlikely FSG would allow the left-sided forward, behind only Mohamed Salah in Liverpool’s scoring charts this season, to leave.

Liverpool summer transfer window in 2020

However, Luis Diaz is also being targeted by suitors and may well be set for an exit in the coming months.

FSG expecting bid for key player

According to transfer insider Ben Jacobs, Liverpool are expecting to hear from Saudi officials in the coming weeks, with Al Nassr – who are requesting funding to make an offer – identifying Diaz as their top target.

Jacobs believes Diaz is likely to cost in excess of €85m (£72m) if he’s to leave Anfield this summer, with his potential exit certainly not a formality.

Barcelona also have a long-standing interest in the 28-year-old, with La Blaugrana in particular publicly revealing their admiration for the player as they weigh up a bid.

It’s thought that Diaz is pushing for a new contract at Anfield, earning just £55k per week and entering the penultimate year of his current deal.

Why Diaz could be another Luis Suarez

While it might seem a good idea to take a big offer for Diaz, he’s regarded as a “world-class” player by former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and replacing him effectively, with other areas in need of investment, could be tricky.

Indeed, the Colombian has just enjoyed his finest campaign at Liverpool, scoring 17 goals and providing eight assists across all competitions.

Moreover, his underlying technical data is highly impressive. As per FBref, the skilful star ranks among the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top-five leagues this term for goals scored, the top 7% for pass completion, the top 19% for successful take-ons and the top

Selling Diaz while at the top of his game could even mimic the one-time sale of Suarez to Barcelona, the football legend joining Camp Nou in a deal worth £75m back in 2014.

There are differences, of course, but Liverpool would be relinquishing a South American star after a season competing at the peak of the Premier League.

But feelings of indifference toward Diaz are misguided: as Suarez was under Brendan Rodgers, Diaz is one of the finest players in the world in his position, perhaps a little wasteful here and there, but still producing impressive numbers that other players may struggle to replicate.

1)

Raphinha

36

18

2)

Bradley Barcola

34

14

3)

Luis Diaz

36

13

4)

Javi Puado

35

12

5)

Vinicius Junior

30

11

As you can see, Raphinha and Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola were the only left-sided forwards across Europe’s top-five leagues who outscored Diaz this season, and he was indeed the highest scorer in the Premier League.

Suarez scored 82 goals across 133 matches for the Reds. He is, of course, an out-and-out centre-forward, but the principle remains: Liverpool would be skating across thin ice in allowing their fleet-footed maverick to depart with plenty more upheaval taking place down Anfield Road.

It’s a tricky one: Diaz is one of the best wingers in the Premier League, instrumental in winning the thing under Slot’s leadership this season, and having completed his most productive individual season in a Liverpool shirt too.

However, he’s also going to be 30 by the time his current deal expires at the end of the 2026/27 campaign, and suitors seem willing to at least consider paying a handsome figure to take him from Merseyside.

Much to consider, however; is Diaz really such a liability in this team? Is his prowess unfairly darkened by Salah’s ridiculous output, hardly a fair yardstick to compare against any talented winger?

Liverpool might just come to look at their banked sums, should Diaz depart, with a similar ruefulness to when Suarez up and left for riches abroad.

That said, resilience and intensity have led Slot’s Liverpool to success this season, and they should be able to overcome such a setback.

Salah 2.0: Liverpool pursuing £59m star who has a "left foot made of gold"

Liverpool may yet enter the transfer market for a right-sided forward this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 30, 2025

Big picture: Anderson enters the end-game

It’s been an emotional week already for the grand old men of British sport. At Wimbledon on Thursday, Andy Murray unleashed the waterworks as he bade farewell to Centre Court, with a final acceptance that his flesh was now too weak to sustain his indomitable spirit.By contrast, that same afternoon at Saint Vulbas, and then at Silverstone three days after that, Mark Cavendish and Lewis Hamilton proved what a champion’s mindset can still achieve when the fates finally decree that you have suffered purgatory for long enough.Related

• Atkinson upstages Anderson with seven-for as England dominate

• Strauss: Next Ashes 'too far' for Anderson (but he should receive a knighthood)

• Stokes: England must build a team that can win in Australia

• Stokes' brave calls and bowling return herald start of England's evolution

• From haircuts to sledging – Anderson's other 'highlights'

And now, we roll through to Lord’s on Wednesday, where another immoveable constant of the British sporting summer will begin his own five-day farewell. As with each of the three men mentioned above, James Anderson has never known when to quit, and were it not for the march of time, he’d have no reason to do so. “I’ve not really got a choice, have I?” he demurred, when asked if he was at peace with the decision to pension him off after this, his 188th Test – even after last week’s stellar haul of 7 for 35 for Lancashire at Southport.But, as Anderson himself might remember from the circumstances of his own England debut – on this very ground 21 years and a handful of weeks ago – international sport has, at some point, to return to being a young man’s game. Back then, it was Andrew Caddick who never played for his country again, even after claiming ten wickets in England’s previous Test at Sydney in January 2003. If opportunity doesn’t knock at some point for a new generation, then stagnation and frustration become the only true measures of progress.That’s not quite where England find themselves after a torrid winter tour of India. But, in the wake of their 2-2 Ashes draw and a careless share of the spoils in New Zealand in February, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum find themselves in unusually urgent need of a series win – a strange state of affairs for a team whose initial success was largely down to their disregard for the end-game.James Anderson and Ben Stokes in their Test whites•PA Photos/Getty Images

Hence their changing of the guard, with Bazball’s original pin-up, Jonny Bairstow, being forced to bow to the reality of his fading returns, and Ben Foakes dispatched for his inability to hit the top-notes of aggression that the team ethos demands. Stuart Broad has also sauntered off the stage, 12 months yet only one home Test ago, meaning that the future will be upon this England team almost before it has had time to take stock.What can West Indies do to knock that future off its stride? Potentially, more than many other teams might muster. For if England’s approach, in essence, has been about an overdose of good vibes, then they are coming up against a team with a proven ability to raise their own game against these particular opponents.As the current holders of the Richards-Botham Trophy, West Indies have not lost a home series to England in two decades and counting, and if the challenge that awaits them in inclement English weather is likely to be somewhat tougher, then they come armed with a core of significant senior campaigners, not least among them the returning former captain Jason Holder, and a fast-bowling contingent that would be the envy of many of their Test opponents.Either way, West Indies are not letting the sentiment of the occasion deflect them from their mission, with more than one player expressing their intention to “ruin” Anderson’s farewell. Hopefully the weather doesn’t get there first in the course of an unsettled forecast for the week ahead. There’ll be enough moisture doing the rounds at Lord’s by the time he’s bowled his last.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Form guide

England LLLLW (last five Tests, most recent first)
West Indies WLDLL

In the spotlight: Gus Atkinson and Shamar Joseph

Yeah, yeah, so there’s really only one fast bowler on anyone’s lips right now, but seeing as Anderson loathes the spotlight, it makes sense to pass it over to two of the newest kids on the Test block.Gus Atkinson has been England’s coming man for the best part of a year already, but after drinks-carrying roles on two senior tours of India – before Christmas for that dismal World Cup campaign and after Christmas for a marginally less dispiriting 4-1 Test defeat – Lord’s will serve as the grand unveiling of a quick who has got a lot of informed onlookers very excited indeed. Over and above his smooth attributes as a 90mph fast bowler, Atkinson’s appetite for the big stage would appear to mark him out. His best displays to date have come when there’s been the most to prove, not least a high-octane duel with Jos Buttler in last year’s Hundred. Dillon Pennington and Matthew Potts are waiting in the wings for when Anderson has bowled his last, but Atkinson has been handed first dibs of the new era.Shamar Joseph prepares to bowl in the nets•Getty Images

If Atkinson can make half the impact that Shamar Joseph managed in his maiden Test series, then England will have been extraordinarily well served. After five wickets on debut in a spirited personal display in Adelaide, no performance of recent vintage came close to matching the raw, rapid raucousness with which Joseph followed up in Brisbane, as Australia were scattered to the four corners of their former fortress at the Gabba. His figures of 7 for 68 in 11.5 brutally direct overs were capped by the flattening of Josh Hazlewood’s off stump and a victory gallop for the ages. It’ll be a different level of expectation now, of course – and a wicketless one-off appearance for Lucknow in this year’s IPL was early evidence that his spells won’t all be as straightforwardly joyous. Nevertheless, he arrives as a serious prong in a serious pace attack, and England will be forewarned.

Team news: England ring the changes

No Bairstow, no Foakes, no Tom Hartley, no Mark Wood. Only two of those names are likely to feature again for England as Bazball 2.0 prepares to be unleashed. Instead, re-enter Harry Brook at No. 5, back in situ after missing the India tour due to the death of his grandmother, and welcome aboard the Surrey pairing of Atkinson and Jamie Smith, whose credentials have been bigged up ever since Rob Key witnessed his astonishingly rapid hundred for England Lions in Sri Lanka two winters ago. He does not keep wicket for his county – awkwardly, the man he has replaced has that honour. But then, neither does Shoaib Bashir command a first-team place at Somerset. England are more excited about the ceiling of such players’ potentials, rather than the facts of their current professional status. Mind you, the opposite holds true for the returning Chris Woakes, the reigning Compton-Miller medallist after his heroics in last summer’s Ashes. He’s no more a long-term pick than Anderson, but he does command an average of 11.33 in five previous Tests at Lord’s. Seeing as England haven’t won a full series since 2022, getting that W on the board is still a priority.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Shoaib Bashir, 11 James AndersonThe sad absence of Kemar Roach, who sustained a knee injury on county duty with Surrey, hasn’t dented the quiet self-belief of a West Indies team that may prove to be overly reliant on Kraigg Brathwaite’s obduracy at the top, but certainly possess more than enough bowling tools to give Stokes’ batters a serious run for their money. The challenge, as so often in recent encounters, comes in the batting. With Mikyle Louis confirmed for a debut at the top of the order – the first player from St Kitts to win a Test cap for West Indies – four of the top six will have played nine Tests between them. Gudakesh Motie has edged out Kevin Sinclair for the solitary spinner’s berth, with Motie’s recent success against England’s batters in white-ball cricket potentially the clincher.Kraigg Brathwaite looks on during West Indies practice•Getty Images

West Indies 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Mikyle Louis, 3 Kirk McKenzie, 4 Alick Athanaze, 5 Kavem Hodge, 6 Jason Holder, 7 Joshua da Silva (wk), 8 Gudakesh Motie, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Jayden Seales.

Pitch and conditions: Cold and damp is the order of the day

The weather promises to be cold, intermittently showery and distinctly underwhelming. All of which augurs pretty well for the quick bowlers on display, given the old cliché of Lord’s being a venue where you look up, not down. Even by the old ground’s flat-decked reputation, however, this season has been taking the Michael – as Glamorgan’s Sam Northeast can attest after overhauling Graham Gooch’s legendary 333 in April, the previous highest score ever made in NW8. Jayden Seales had a similarly brutal run-out for Sussex against Middlesex at Lord’s in May, when a total of 18 wickets fell in four days.

Stats and trivia: Anderson eyeing his final place in history

• Anderson, currently on 700 Test wickets, needs nine in the match to overhaul Shane Warne’s mark of 708, and move into second place on the all-time Test wicket-taker’s list, behind Muthiah Muralidaran (800).
• Stokes, who is expected to be back to full bowling fitness after undergoing knee surgery in November, needs two more wickets to reach 200 in Tests, after spending 17 Tests and nigh on two years in the 190s.
• Joshua da Silva, West Indies’ keeper, needs eight more runs to reach 1000 in Tests.
• Despite being the current holders of the Richards-Botham Trophy, West Indies have lost each of their last seven Test series in England, dating back to 2000, and have not won a series in the country since 1988.
• In the past decade, however, the rivalry has been especially intense at home and away. Since 2015, both teams have won six and lost six out of 15 matches, with a win apiece on their last two visits to England in 2017 and 2020.

Quotes

“This week will all be about Jimmy, and rightly so. But I can tell you that his main focus is about going out there, taking wickets and trying to win this game for England. I’m sure when we’re done here this week, that’s when everything else will take over. But he’s desperate to go out there and put in a winning performance for England.”
Ben Stokes on Anderson’s swansong“It’s a young group, especially the batsmen, they have a lot of time to learn because obviously playing Test cricket it takes a while to really understand. You’re always learning on the job, but it’s a very decent team, for sure.”

da aviator aposta： It’s been an unusual season for Arsenal this year.

da esport bet： It has felt as if Mikel Arteta’s side have simply gone from one disaster to another, and yet, as things stand, they look set for a second-place finish in the Premier League and almost made it to the final of the Champions League.

However, while challenging is nice, the North Londoners have now done that for three campaigns on the bounce, and fans are understandably demanding that they get across that finishing line next season.

Fortunately, the board seem intent on making the signings to help them do that this summer, with recent reports now linking the club to a prolific goalscorer who could be an ideal Viktor Gyokeres alternative and a massive Kai Havertz upgrade.

Arsenal's striker search

While Arsenal have been linked with a host of sensational strikers in recent weeks and months, perhaps the most significant have been to Sporting CP star Gyokeres.

Transfer Focus

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

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The Swedish international was touted for a move to North London last summer, and now, in recent weeks, it appears as if new Sporting Director Andrea Berta has really stepped up the club’s pursuit of the former Coventry City man.

In fact, reports from the last week or so have gone as far as claiming that the player has already agreed terms with the Gunners, while others have asserted that the North Londoners have submitted a bid in the region of £63m.

However, for all the goals Gyokeres has scored this season – 53 in all competitions – Arteta and Co might prefer to sign someone who could be even more of a sure thing, someone Premier League-proven, someone like Bryan Mbeumo.

Yes, according to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal have an ‘active interest’ in the Brentford star, whose raw output, versatility and underlying numbers have left the recruitment staff impressed.

However, given the Cameroon international’s importance to the Bees and the interest from other sides like Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and Newcastle United, he wouldn’t come cheap, with the West Londoners expected to demand around £60m for his services this summer.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Mbeumo’s sensational ability, it’s worth pursuing, especially since he could be an ideal Havertz upgrade.

How Mbeumo compares to Havertz

So, the first to say is that while Mbeumo has primarily played off the right for Brentford, he’s no stranger to playing down the middle either, making 42 appearances as a second striker and 32 as a centre-forward.

Therefore, with that in mind and the fact that Bukayo Saka is near-enough undroppable when fit, it seems likely that Arsenal would sign the Bees ace primarily with the intention of starting him up top, in turn placing him up against Havertz for game time.

With that said, who comes out on top between the two attackers?

Well, when it comes to their raw output, which is, of course, what matters more than anything else for a striker, it’s the “unplayable” Cameroonian, by Brentford boss Thomas Frank, who comes out miles ahead.

For example, so far this season, he has scored 19 goals and provided nine assists in just 41 appearances, totalling 3487 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.46 games, or every 124.53 minutes.

In contrast, the Gunners’ number 29 has scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 35 appearances, totalling 2790 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.75 games, or every 139.5 minutes.

Unfortunately for the former Chelsea ace, the one-sided nature of this comparison only continues when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

Mbeumo vs Havertz

Statistics per 90

Mbeumo

Havertz

Goals + Assists

0.70

0.64

Progressive Passes

3.74

2.95

Progressive Carries

3.41

1.46

Shots

2.06

2.83

Shot on Target

0.93

1.11

Key Passes

1.84

1.08

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.54

0.49

Passes into the Final Third

1.71

1.53

Shot-Creating Actions

3.82

2.24

Goal-Creating Actions

0.54

0.15

Successful Take-Ons

1.38

0.49

Ball Recoveries

4.04

2.09

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Season

For example, the “monster” forward, as dubbed by presenter Beth Tucker, comes out on top in the majority of relevant metrics, such as goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries shot and goal-creating actions, key passes, passes into the final third and penalty area, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while he might not be the biggest name around, Mbeumo has shown this season that he has what it takes to score bags and bags of goals in the Premier League, and therefore, Arsenal should sign him, even if it would be bad news for Havertz.

Related Their original Zubimendi: Deal done for £110k-per-week ace to leave Arsenal

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Posts ByMatt Dawson May 20, 2025