All posts by h716a5.icu

Manchester United are now considering a move to sign an “incredible” Bayern Munich midfielder for just £25 million, according to a recent report.

Bruno Fernandes set to stay at Man Utd after Nations League triumph

International duty has taken centre stage in the last week or so, and like nearly every Premier League team, United have players all over the globe representing their countries.

Their best CF since Ronaldo: Man Utd eager to sign "fearless" £44m striker

Manchester United are eyeing up a move for a striker who would be their best forward since Cristiano Ronaldo.

ByDan Emery Jun 8, 2025

But not many will have had a better time with their country than Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, who were part of the Portugal squad that won the Nations League. Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties on Sunday following a 2-2 draw after 120 minutes.

Fernandes played the entire 120 minutes and even netted in the penalty shootout win, while Dalot was an unused substitute, as he was in the semi-final win over Germany.

This is Fernandes’ second trophy with his country, and after the game, the Red Devils skipper revealed “winning with Portugal is different”.

“I’m going to celebrate with my teammates and my family. It’s a special moment for everyone. Winning for Portugal is different. It’s for our family, for our people, for the country, for our people.

“Once again, the wave of red that I saw so much on social media was there and made us feel like we were playing at home. Thank you very much for all the support; it was excellent. We felt it, from start to finish, from the moment we got to the end.

“Everything we did during the game helped us win. We knew we were going up against a great team, and at the same time, we knew we were a team of the same level. We knew Spain’s qualities; we were very aggressive when losing the ball, which was very important.”

Man Utd considering move to sign "incredible" £25m Bayern Munich ace

As Fernandes continues celebrating, the Red Devils now have their eye on one of his international teammates. According to Mirror Football, relayed by Simply Utd on X, Man United are weighing up a move to sign Joao Palhinha.

The 29-year-old only joined Bayern Munich from Fulham last summer, but it was a very underwhelming first campaign for the Portuguese enforcer – he only played 17 games in the Bundesliga, as his season was hampered by injuries and competition in the midfield area.

It’s been reported that Palhinha, who has been dubbed “incredible” in the past, may leave Munich this summer, given his struggles, but it is unlikely they are going to get near the £44 million they paid Fulham in 2024. In fact, this report states that United could sign the midfielder for just £25 million.

Palhinha

Casemiro

Apps

17

24

Starts

6

18

Progressive passes

32

84

Progressive carries

3

4

Passes attempted

552

990

Passes completed

510

780

Tackles (won)

20 (14)

83 (50)

Interceptions

4

14

Blocks

13

39

Clearances

9

51

His arrival at Old Trafford could see him be the man to replace Casemiro, who, while he performed very well towards the end of the season, could be a player who is allowed to leave, given his hefty wages. Talk of an exit has gone quiet in recent months, but Amorim will want to trim his squad down given no European football, and given Casemiro’s age, he could be one that is on the chopping block.

Responding to the abject failure of Tony Mowbray returning to the West Bromwich Albion hot-seat, the Championship outfit has gone down the more modern, if untested route of appointing Ryan Mason.

Of course, the Baggies have excelled in the past when going after a manager once regarded as a second-in-command figure, with Carlos Corberan a background figure at Leeds United himself before succeeding at the Hawthorns, much like the 33-year-old was at Tottenham Hotspur.

Mason will hope no high-profile exits are signed off on during the early stages of his tenure, with Mowbray having to deal with the major exit of Alex Palmer at the start of his choppy second stint.

Ultimately, the loss of Palmer – among other factors – contributed to West Brom’s promotion campaign being derailed.

Palmer's demoralising sale

The Kidderminster-born goalkeeper would have to be patient waiting it out for senior chances, but when he became the Baggies’ main number one under Corberan, the 28-year-old never looked back.

The 2023/24 season would see Palmer start every single league clash under the Spaniard’s wing, resulting in the gloveman collecting a mightily impressive 18 clean sheets along the way, whilst also only leaking 48 strikes in total.

He entered the following campaign overflowing with confidence, therefore, with Palmer only shipping 27 league goals across 30 second-tier matches before Ipswich Town came calling.

Unfortunately, instead of sticking with their dependable stopper, West Brom would cash in, as Palmer left his boyhood club behind mid-season for £2m.

Games played

16

Wins

5

Draws

4

Losses

6

Goals conceded

20

Clean sheets

3

Whilst the 28-year-old attempted to fit in at his new Suffolk location, the wheels came off West Brom’s promotion mission drastically, with only three clean sheets coming the Baggies’ way after Palmer’s departure, alongside only five league wins being tallied up.

West Brom cannot deal with another demoralising exit of this fashion if they want to mount a serious promotion charge under Mason.

But, they could be heading to another Palmer situation.

West Brom must not sell "outstanding" star

Murmurs have died down regarding Tom Fellows leaving the Baggies this summer, which will be music to the ears of West Brom fans and Mason alike, considering he notched up 14 assists in league action last season.

Yet, the summer will still bring about a lot of anxiety regarding the situation of Isaac Price, with a new report from SportsBoom speculating that the recent January buy could already be heading for the exit door as a Jobe Bellingham-depleted Sunderland circle for his services.

Price had hardly any time to show off his excellence for West Brom last season – especially as he joined Mowbray’s camp amid the Baggies’ promotion hopes falling off a cliff – but he has shown this off-season what he’s all about when curling home efforts like the one above on the international stage for Northern Ireland.

Off the back of his continued brilliance for his country, scout Jacek Kulig has labelled Price as “fantastic”, with Mason perhaps the manager to get even more out of the promising 21-year-old, having worked closely with Spurs’ rising stars when located in North London.

There is still plenty to come from Price at the Hawthorns, with the former Everton youth product at least managing to get off the mark with a single goal and assist from 15 league appearances last season, even as his new employers regularly slipped up.

Therefore, instead of selling him to the likes of Burnley or Sunderland before he reaches his full potential, the Baggies must keep a firm grip on their “outstanding” youngster, as his ex-Toffees teammate Asmir Begovic once labelled him.

Further lauded as “smooth” when gliding forward by Mowbray, patience must be exercised on the end of West Brom with their rising star, especially now that a youth-oriented boss such as Mason is in charge.

If he comes good, he could well be a key player if promotion is to be clinched.

Wallace 2.0: West Brom want to sign free agent with 50 Championship goals

West Bromwich Albion could soon snap up their next Jed Wallace by landing this experienced Championship performer.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 16, 2025

Liverpool made mincemeat of the Premier League’s finest in 2024/25, winning the title in Arne Slot’s first season at the helm.

Such was their dominance that a late-season sojourn over in the Gulf states was permitted while rivals worked toward positive finishes to the term.

This wasn’t the case for the Anfield side; far from it. However, 2025/26 will bring a new campaign and Liverpool are acting like it, using their pull, heightened by the recent success, to sign Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, as well as Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez.

Liverpool like to pluck exciting talents from their divisional rivals, and this summer is proving no different. Indeed, with a fee agreed with Leverkusen for the £34m sale of Jarell Quansah and Ibrahima Konate’s future uncertain as he enters the final year of his contract, Real Madrid lurking, is it any surprise that sporting director Richard Hughes is hoping to sign Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi?

Why Liverpool target players like Kerkez & Guehi

Liverpool might have broken the British transfer record this month (should Wirtz’s fixed £100m fee be expanded by the £16m in add-ons), but the Merseysiders tend to walk down a less-beaten path, signing up-and-coming talents from clubs settled lower down the Premier League ladder.

Take Andy Robertson, for example, signed from Hull City for just £10m back in 2017. He’s since solidified his name among the division’s all-time great full-backs.

1.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

259

64

2.

Andy Robertson

308

60

3.

Leighton Baines

420

53

4.

Graeme Le Saux

327

44

5.

Kieran Trippier

204

38

And how could we forget Gini Wijnaldum? The Dutchman was the industrious, metronomic heartbeat which kept Klopp’s system ticking, purloined from Newcastle United after their relegation to the Championship.

Shoutout Xherdan Shaqiri, too.

The point is, Liverpool run their club intelligently, identifying players proven in the Premier League and with plenty of scope for growth. Manchester United, with their Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, may well have taken a leaf from their rival.

While FSG are in a position to sign superstars like Wirtz, they haven’t lost track of their roots: Kerkez, signed for £40m, is evidence of his, hailing from the south coast, while the 24-year-old Guehi would also align with this tried-and-tested Merseyside method, having been at the centre of transfer rumours in recent days that suggest Liverpool would be willing to pay £50m to snap him up.

Slot will have had his say in identifying such players, looking to bring them to Anfield, but he is benefiting somewhat from the club’s prowess when Klopp was at the helm. Certainly, there’s one star in particular who aligns with the discussed method who should be the barometer from which to judge an addition’s success.

Liverpool have struck gold on Premier League signing

Like Kerkez and Virgil van Dijk before him, Alexis Mac Allister has proved a stunning signing for Liverpool, joining the club from Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal worth £35m two years ago.

His first term, the Argentina international, who was instrumental in his nation’s 2022 World Cup triumph, filled in as a holding midfielder after the Anfield side failed in a bid to land Moises Caicedo; since, with Slot in charge, he’s moved back into a more expansive midfield role, winning silverware in both seasons on Merseyside.

One constant, however, has been Mac Allister’s brilliance in the centre of the park. The 26-year-old has only gone from strength to strength after switching the Seagulls for the Liverbird, with pundit Joe Cole even declaring him a “superstar” who “can play anywhere”.

Matches (starts)

33 (31)

35 (30)

Goals

5

5

Assists

5

5

Touches*

74.2

55.8

Pass completion

88%

87%

Big chances created

3

6

Key passes*

1.4

1.3

Dribbles*

0.5

0.5

Ball recoveries*

5.9

4.2

Tackles + interceptions*

4.1

3.3

Ground duels (won)*

5.0 (50%)

4.3 (50%)

Take a look at the table above. What do you see? Curiously, Mac Allister has shifted roles under Slot, less active and frenetic in his play, calmed into a controlling force which channels the flow of the coach’s ball-playing vision.

The South American star perhaps said it best himself: “In terms of the change, perhaps with Jürgen I played as a lone five [holding midfielder]. So, the position was very different. I was much more defensive than anything else.

“So, the system has changed a little, but the main ideas are the same. I think perhaps the big change is in having that patience to have longer periods of possession and dominate games more and obviously that creates more chances.”

It’s certainly showcased through the metrics: as per FBref, Mac Allister ranked among the top 20% of midfielders in the Premier League last year for goal involvements, the top 16% for progressive passes, the top 14% for shot-creating actions and the top 13% for tackles per 90.

He’s the real deal, having ballooned in value and technical quality since making the leap. It’s a rise that Slot and co will no doubt hope Kerkez will follow, and Guehi too, should he sign from Palace this summer.

The fiesty midfielder’s progress at Liverpool has even impelled Real Madrid to come knocking on the door, with reports earlier in the year suggesting Florentino Perez would be willing to fork out some €90m (£76m) for the maestro, who has been earmarked as a potential long-term successor to Luka Modric’s soon-to-be vacant locker at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Naturally, this puts him in a much higher bracket than Kerkez and Guehi, but we must caveat that with a firm ‘for now’, as the ball-playing specialist may yet find his new and potential teammates to be rivalling him on the financial scales down the line.

Liverpool know their stuff, work with a calculated eye to sign up-and-coming Premier League stars and bring them up to elite status, when certain other high-station clubs then come sniffing around for fully developed product.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Mac Allister is a perfect representation of that, and soon Kerkez and perhaps Guehi will be too.

Better than Gyokeres: Liverpool in the race for "the new Haaland"

Liverpool are sounding out a series of Alexander Isak alternatives this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 27, 2025

The former South Australia and Adelaide Strikers coach will oversee two four-day matches in Darwin next month

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2024Jason Gillespie’s first tour since being named Pakistan’s Test coach will see him back in Australia as he oversees two four-day matches for the Shaheens (Pakistan A) in Darwin next month.Pakistan Shaheens will play two four-day games against Bangladesh A between July 19-22 and 26-29 with Gillespie head coach for those matches before returning to Pakistan to prepare for a two-Test series against Bangladesh.Related

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The Shaheens will remain in Darwin during August, playing 50-over matches against Northern Territory and Bangladesh A, before taking part in an expanded nine-team Top End T20 series for the second year running.”The opportunity to be the head coach of Pakistan’s Test side is fantastic,” Gillespie, who quit as South Australia and Adelaide Strikers coach, told a PCB podcast shortly after his appointment. “It’s an honour. I’ve been coaching for quite a while now in various roles around the world, but one thing I haven’t done is coach an international Test side. When this opportunity presented itself, I jumped at it.The Top End series, staged from August 9 to August 18, will also feature a Bangladesh High Performance side. Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers will send teams while Tasmania will also feature. Academy sides from Melbourne Renegades and Stars will again take part as in previous seasons while defending champions NT Strike and the ACT Comets make up the tournament.The PCB has announced a Shaheens’ squad, with one further player and a captain to be confirmed before the tour, which features fast bowler Khurram Shahzad who made his Test debut against Australia in Perth last year before his tour was ended early by injury.”I am grateful to Northern Territory for inviting the Pakistan Shaheens for the second successive year,” PCB director of international cricket Usman Wahla said. “Last year, the players had a memorable experience and enjoyed playing and performing in excellent playing conditions, in front of enthusiastic cricket fans.”This year we have added red-ball cricket matches to give more exposure to our cricketers and I am confident the players will benefit from this tour and will return as better cricketers.”During the Test series, which Pakistan lost 3-0 but pushed Australia in Melbourne and Sydney, then team director Mohammad Hafeez said there were discussions between the PCB and CA on future touring opportunities for development teams.For the Australian domestic cricketers involved, the Top End T20 series will provide pre-season opportunity for those not in action overseas.”The competition adds another layer to what our pre-season would typically be, exposing players to tournament conditions ahead of the Australian domestic season,” Kade Harvey, Perth Scorchers’ general manager, said. “It’s also a great opportunity for some of WA’s most promising prospects to test themselves against quality opponents from Australia and Asia.”Last year the tournament featured Jake Fraser-McGurk and Will Sutherland who have since represented Australia, and in Fraser-McGurk’s case taken the T20 world by storm at the IPL.”To have two cricket powerhouses in Pakistan and Bangladesh now participating alongside half of the Big Bash League franchises is a testament to the potential of winter cricket in the Territory.” NT Cricket CEO Gavin Dovey said.Further squads for the Top End T20 series will be confirmed in the coming weeks.Pakistan Shaheens to tour Darwin Haseebullah, Hunain Shah, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Amin

While Arsenal have sat idly by for much of the early stages of the transfer window, watching Manchester City and Liverpool strengthen significantly, Andrea Berta is now closing in on his first deal since arriving at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners are frantically trying to agree a move for either Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres, but they have now tied up a move to sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.

It’s one of football’s worst-kept secrets since January that the Spaniard is set to head to London with reports in January suggesting a deal was already being worked on.

Well, this week it was reported that a fee has now been agreed between the two clubs, one that will see Arsenal pay a fraction more than the midfielder’s £51m release clause, so they can manage their payments in instalments.

David Ornstein further revealed on Friday morning that Zubimendi is now in the English capital to meet Arsenal officials and complete the formalities of his move to the Premier League.

So, who’s next? Well, it could be a creative midfielder.

Arsenal move closer to signing another midfielder

Arsenal supporters are simply crying out for a striker to sign this summer, so it may come as a concern that deals for Sesko or Gyokeres don’t look like they’re no closer to completion.

That can’t be said of a move for Zubimendi, nor, according to reports, can it be said for a player who was plying his trade in the Premier League throughout 2024/25.

Back in May, it was reported that the Gunners had lodged a bid worth £30m to sign Leicester City’s creative marvel, Bilal El Khannouss.

Transfer Focus

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

Since then, there has not been much of an update on their pursuit of the Morocco international until now.

Indeed, Africa Foot report ahead of the weekend that Arsenal are now ‘close to agreeing a deal’, having already agreed personal terms with El Khannouss’ agents.

A fee is yet to be agreed between the north Londoners and Leicester, with the report concluding that Berta and Co must now meet the Foxes’ financial demands.

El Khannouss could be available for a cut-price fee considering his side were relegated from the top-flight only last month.

Why El Khannouss would be a good signing for Arsenal

Now, we know what you’re thinking. Why sign someone from one of the worst teams we’ve seen in the Premier League across recent years?

Well, if anyone wearing Leicester blue last season could come out of the campaign with their head held high, then it was the Moroccan who caught the eye with his passing ability from midfield.

El Khannouss was certainly one of Leicester’s players of the season – that isn’t hard of course – but he did play well, registering three goals and six assists in all competitions. Those are far from mindblowing numbers, but at the age of 21, there is a lot of potential to work with here.

Indeed, across the season, the attacking midfielder ranked among the top 14% of positionally similar players in the English top-flight for progressive passes and in the best 10% for passes into the final third, underlining his ability to play through the lines and pick out his teammates in promising positions.

That is no doubt his strong point. As outlined by data analyst Ben Mattinson, El Khannouss has a “killer final ball”, while he boasts an “elite weight of pass” and, importantly, “releases runners early.”

This should be music to the ears of the forward players at Arsenal, but particularly for any future striker that Arsenal sign, namely Sesko.

Shots

1.24

1.86

Shot-creating actions

3.16

4.80

Pass completion %

75%

82%

Long pass completion

58%

55%

Key passes

1.72

2.44

Progressive passes

5.36

10

Successful take-ons

1.36

0.97

The Slovenian is a powerhouse striker and as the goal below showcases, he loves to get in behind.

Arsenal may well possess one of the best passers of a ball in the game in Martin Odegaard, but the addition of El Khannouss would no doubt help Sesko settle in even quicker should they both arrive at the Emirates.

At this stage of his career, you could well argue that the Leicester star is like a younger version of Odegaard, setting the tempo and feeding elite balls into the strikers.

Considering the lack of joy Leicester had in 2024/25, playing for a ball-dominant side like Arsenal would be a match made in heaven for the young creative star.

He's like Auba: Berta closes in on signing "the new Haaland" for Arsenal

Are Arsenal finally closing in on the signing of a new striker?

1 ByMatt Dawson Jun 19, 2025

New Zealand’s training session, meanwhile, was cut short because of what Stead said were “not really acceptable” practice pitches

Matt Roller12-Jun-20242:19

Powell on what a home World Cup means for West Indies

Rovman Powell believes that his West Indies side are facing an “undercooked” New Zealand at the perfect time after their heavy defeat to Afghanistan.Both teams were forced to cut their preparations short at the Brian Lara Stadium ahead of Wednesday night’s Group C fixture. New Zealand abandoned their afternoon training session an hour before schedule due to “unacceptable” practice strips, while heavy rain wiped West Indies’ floodlit session out altogether.It is the start of the rainy season in Trinidad and the national meteorological service issued a yellow-level adverse weather alert on Tuesday morning, signalling the likelihood of thunderstorms. There was a brief downpour during New Zealand’s session – when the pitch was uncovered – and longer, heavier ones followed after they left. Wednesday night’s forecast is much better.Related

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Underdone New Zealand already on the brink

“We had that downpour for about five minutes, and the practice wickets got wet out in the middle,” Gary Stead, New Zealand’s coach, said after returning to the team hotel in Port-of-Spain. “I know the priority was obviously for the match wicket to get covered, but when we went back and tried them they were pretty slippery to stand up on.”New Zealand briefly tried to use the practice strips but swiftly gave up. “The balls were going through the top of the surface, so we had a good fielding training instead,” Stead said. “It was deemed not really acceptable to get anything out of the nets… The guys worked out pretty quickly that there wasn’t going to be a lot of point in it”

“The balls were going through the top of the surface, so we had a good fielding training instead. It was deemed not really acceptable to get anything out of the nets.”Gary Stead on New Zealand’s practice session that was cut short

An 84-run defeat to Afghanistan in their opening match on Friday means that a loss against West Indies would effectively – if not quite mathematically – eliminate New Zealand from the World Cup. Powell, West Indies’ captain, believes that his side can exploit New Zealand’s slow start to the tournament.”Definitely, if there’s a good time to play New Zealand, I think it’s now,” Powell said. “As you said, they’re a little bit undercooked. The pressure is really on them, because this game decides whether they go on: yes or no. Having said that, we’re not focusing on New Zealand: we’re focusing on what we have to do.”With New Zealand’s limited preparation for the tournament already under scrutiny, their batters have barely been able to face fast bowling in the nets since arriving in Trinidad. They travelled from Guyana on Saturday and trained on Sunday, but faced similar issues.”Again, the pitches weren’t great,” Stead said. “Balls were rising up around throat height regularly, so it was more facing the slower bowlers and throws. It comes back to making sure that mentally we get in a good frame of mind and ready for this match tomorrow night.”England racked up 267 against West Indies at the Brian Lara Stadium in December but Stead believes that score was an outlier, and expects a much lower-scoring game on Wednesday.James Neesham is in contention to be back in the XI against West Indies•ICC/Getty Images”If you look at the history of the ground here… it’s certainly not a 200 wicket or anything like that. The pitch looked interesting. For us, it’s about making sure we’ve got our bases covered.”Powell also hinted towards a low-scoring game. “With the rain around, that can play a part in the scores,” he said. “If the groundsmen don’t have sufficient time to produce good wickets, that’s also a problem with the rain around. You don’t get enough time to sun. Hopefully tomorrow is a very good day in terms of the weather.”New Zealand’s management have made clear that they expect all 15 players in their squad to play a role in the World Cup and are set to bring Ish Sodhi into the side on Wednesday night. James Neesham could also come into contention, with Stead suggesting that selection will be heavily influenced by West Indies’ potential weaknesses.”Every game, we try to go in and work out what our best match-ups are,” Stead said. “That comes from the data analysis and videos that we do in our scouting. I would expect there will be some changes.” He also hinted heavily at Sodhi’s inclusion: “When we look at the West Indies team, [he is] a guy that matches up well against a number of their opposition players.”New Zealand’s net run rate took a significant dent against Afghanistan, to the extent that winning their remaining fixtures – against West Indies, Uganda and Papua New Guinea – might not be enough to qualify for the Super 8s, depending on other results in Group C.”We know what’s in front of us: we have to win three games and win them well,” Stead said. “It’s [about] still holding the belief and the confidence within the group that we can go out there and do this. We know things are stacked against us at the moment but that’s the challenge; that’s the cards we’ve been dealt. We now have to go out there and put in a performance that we’re proud of.”

A Sky Sports reporter has labelled a Leeds United sale a “done deal” after a “full agreement” was reached with the Whites.

Players who could leave Leeds this summer

Daniel Farke and the 49ers Enterprises have added to their squad already this summer with moves for Lukas Nmecha, Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw all moving to Elland Road.

However, there have also been some departures, with both Junior Firpo and Josuha Guilavogui leaving following the expiry of their contracts.

Huge Rothwell upgrade: Leeds make enquiry to sign "phenomenal" £30m star

Leeds United are interested in signing a star who would come in as an upgrade on Joe Rothwell.

ByDan Emery Jul 2, 2025

Joe Rothwell and Manor Solomon’s loan moves have both ended, with the former of the two since moving to Rangers, and more Leeds players could depart before the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Forward Mateo Joseph has been linked with a move to Real Betis, whereas Max Wober has also admitted he has been told to find a new club this summer.

Now, it looks as if the Austrian defender has found his new club following a recent transfer update.

Wober Leeds exit a “done deal” after "full agreement” with Werder Bremen

Linked with a move to Werder Bremen, Wober’s move to the Bundesliga side is now “considered a done deal”.

That’s according to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, who says that Bremen have a “full agreement with Leeds” and that Wober has agreed on a four-year deal with his new side.

Wober, a 6 foot 2 defender who can play as a centre-back or as a left-back, joined Leeds in 2023 but couldn’t help them remain in the Premier League.

Games

28

Goals

1

Yellow cards

5

Minutes played

1,837

He was loaned out to Borussia Mönchengladbach shortly after and returned to Yorkshire for the 24/25 campaign, playing nine times in all competitions. Farke did praise Wober, though, labelling him as a player with a “great mentality”.

“We knew he could play this position. He has played there for other clubs and for his country, but often more of a solid defender that closes the wings. But we have worked a lot on our offensive game with him.

“He’s perhaps not natural going forward, but he has a great mentality and always puts a shift in. If you do this, he has good technique and put a cross in, then you can effect the offence. Really good performance.”

The opener made 81, while Rodrigues chipped in with a 15-ball unbeaten 28 to help India out-bat Nepal

Srinidhi Ramanujam23-Jul-2024

Shafali Verma blitzed her way to a 26-ball fifty•Getty Images

Shafali Verma’s career-best 81 and a disciplined bowling effort propelled India into the semi-finals of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 with an 82-run win over Nepal. With three wins from three games, India topped Group A. Pakistan, who defeated UAE earlier in the afternoon, were the second team to advance to the knockouts, with two wins out of three.Opting to bat first, the Smriti Mandhana-led India posted 178 for 3 thanks to Shafali’s breezy knock and a solid opening stand with D Hemalatha. It was an uphill task for Nepal, who don’t play under lights and, against an in-form bowling attack, they could only manage 96 for 9 in 20 overs.Shafali blazes away but Hemalatha scratchyWith the semi-final spot almost in the bag, India rested their regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur and allrounder Pooja Vastrakar and gave some game time to S Sajana and Arundhati Reddy. There was also a change at the top of the order, with India promoting Hemalatha to open with Shafali. The openers took their time to assess the conditions and several loose deliveries went unpunished early on. But soon enough Shafali found her feet and accelerated. The same cannot be said of her opening partner on the day.D Hemalatha scored her T20I best of 47 in a 122-run opening stand with Shafali Verma•Getty ImagesAfter an unbeaten 41 against Bangladesh in April in her comeback game, Hemalatha had crossed 30 only once in the next eight innings across ODIs and T20Is before Tuesday. This however was a golden opportunity for Hemalatha to cement her spot in the XI, batting against an Associate team on a slow surface. She did get a few good shots away thanks to a strong bottom hand, but in general struggled to find her timing in a 42-ball 47.Shafali, on the other hand, capitalised on the Nepal bowlers’ struggle to find the right line and length. She used her feet and wrist well to flick, hit straight drives down the ground, slog sweep to deep midwicket and, overall, played with good intent. India finished the powerplay on 50 for 0 and Shafali brought up her tenth T20I fifty in the eighth over, off just 26 balls. At the halfway stage, India were 91 for 0 and looked set to breach the 200-run mark again.India finish strong despite a brief stutterHowever, Nepal’s experienced left-arm spinner Sita Rana Magar pulled things back and removed Hemalatha and Shafali in the 14th and 16th over respectively. Shafali ended her knock with 12 fours and a six, and the duo’s 122-run partnership was the highest opening stand across editions of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup and the second-highest for any wicket.Sita Rana Magar was the pick of the Nepal bowlers•Getty ImagesIndia’s scoring rate slowed down when the new batters came in but Jemimah Rodrigues’ clever batting, which fetched her five fours in her 15-ball 28 not out, helped India get close to 180. Sajana, like Hemalatha, also struggled in her 12-ball stay. Whether India persist with Hemalatha or give more opportunities to Sajana at No. 3 is something to keep an eye on, leading up to the T20 World Cup in October.Reddy grabs her opportunityAn injury to Titas Sadhu opened the door for Reddy to get back with the Indian squad, following impressive performances in domestic cricket and the WPL. In the limited opportunities she has got since her comeback against South Africa last month, Reddy has stepped up to the challenge. Against Nepal, she delivered again, picking up 2 for 28 in her four overs. Having worked on her variations and the ability to swing the ball both ways in the last 12 to 15 months, Reddy struck off her fourth delivery, bowling opener Samjhana Khadka. She went for 11 runs in her second over, but fought back to dismiss Magar for a 22-ball 18 with a delivery that seamed back in to hit the middle stump.Nepal were rocked early in the chase, and never really recovered.

Where is Alexander Isak going to be playing his football next season? The Newcastle United striker is one of two attackers embroiled in a huge transfer saga involving the Magpies and Premier League champions Liverpool. It is fair to say that his future is up in the air right now.

A new report from David Ornstein explains that the Reds have contacted Eintracht Frankfurt over a possible move for Hugo Ekitike, also a key target for Liverpool. However, Arne Slot’s side have also made a move for Isak. Newcastle are hoping to keep their number nine and also sign Ektiike.

At this stage, it is too difficult to predict which striker will end up where next season. A recent development could see Newcastle move for a different striker altogether.

The latest on Newcastle’s striker pursuit

It will be fascinating to follow this transfer saga, which does not seem like it will come to a conclusion anytime soon. Perhaps the Magpies will instead look to pursue a new target up front, and have been linked with someone from within the Premier League.

Transfer Focus

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

According to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey, the North Eastern giants hold a strong interest in Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, and, in the view of Bailey, like the striker ‘an awful lot’.

They are said to be ‘one of several Premier League clubs in talks’ to sign the forward in the 2025 summer window, meaning the competition will be stiff.

Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest are also interested in a deal that could see the striker leave for as little as £40m.

Why Wissa would be a good signing

Perhaps it would be wise for Newcastle to untangle themselves from this Isak and Ekitike saga and focus on someone with a fantastic record in the Premier League, instead. Wissa is certainly that guy, and his top-flight numbers speak for themselves.

The 28-year-old has played 137 Premier League games in his career so far, finding the back of the net 45 times and assisting a further 13 goals. The last two seasons have seen the DR Congo international reach double figures for goals.

The 2024/25 campaign was comfortably Wissa’s best in the Premier League. He featured in 35 games for Brentford, scoring 19 times and grabbing five assists, stepping up in the wake of Ivan Toney’s departure. Impressively, the striker contributed to seven goals in the final seven games of the season.

If Isak is to depart St James’ Park this summer, then replacing him will be no mean feat. Last season, former defender-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports the Swede is the “best striker in the Premier League”, talking in December 2024.

Well, the stats from last season make it easy to see why the Liverpool legend spoke so highly of Isak. He bagged 23 goals in 34 Premier League appearances, as well as that crucial strike in the Carabao Cup final triumph over Carragher’s former side.

Finding an heir to the throne of Isak will not be easy, but perhaps Wissa, an “exceptional” striker according to Jamie Redknapp, could be the guy they’re looking for. They are actually noted as statistically similar players, as per FBef from the top flight last season and some of the stats stand out.

Of course, one of the most important stats for strikers is their shooting numbers. The Brentford star averaged 0.21 goals per shot per game last season, slightly pipping Isak, who had 0.2. The pair averaged the same number of goals per shot on target, with 0.46, too. Wissa’s 0.59 goals per game is not too far off Isak’s tally of 0.75.

Goals

0.59

0.75

Goals per shot

0.21

0.2

Goals per shot on target

0.46

0.46

Goal-creating actions

0.31

0.46

Ball recoveries

2.5

1.88

Aerial duels won

0.93

0.85

This could be a steal for Newcastle, at a price of just £40m. Wissa is undoubtedly one of the deadliest strikers in the Premier League, and only scored four fewer goals last season than Isak managed.

He has the quality and consistency to become the heir to the Swede’s throne and make the Magpies forget all about signing Ekitike this summer.

Elanga's dream CF: Newcastle exploring move for £50m Ekitike alternative

Following the signing of Anthony Elanga, Newcastle are now exploring a move to sign a Premier League striker worth £50m who has a “nose for goals”.

ByBen Gray Jul 14, 2025

Says he sees himself playing the T20 format longer than the other two

Andrew McGlashan20-Aug-2024Steven Smith has not ruled out the possibility of pushing to represent Australia at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles with T20 likely to be a format he keeps playing longer than others although he has no retirement plans in his mind.Smith has signed a new three-year deal with Sydney Sixers in the BBL, which means he will be playing professional cricket until at least 2026-27. But he would need to force his way back into Australia’s T20 set-up were he to be realistic about the Olympics the following year having been omitted for this year’s T20 World Cup.”I could still be playing T20 cricket in four years, so you never know,” he said. “It’s a format I can see myself playing probably for a lot longer than some of the others, especially with the franchise stuff around the world. I’ve signed on here for three years so it’s only another year after that. It would be cool to be part of an Olympics.”Related

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But as far as the various international formats go, it remains the status quo for Smith. “I don’t have any plans,” he said. “I’m just enjoying playing at the moment, I’m pretty relaxed and looking forward to this summer.”Of more immediate significance for Smith is the upcoming international schedule. He will return to action in the ODIs in England next month (having again been left out for the T20Is) before the main event of India’s visit. Amid the conjecture around whether he will remain Australia’s Test opener, Smith is relishing the prospect of facing India over a five-match series.1:42

Smith happy to open or bat at No. 4 against India

It will be the first time the two teams have taken on each other across five Tests since 1991-92 although there has been no shortage of drama in the four-match contests in recent times. Australia are aiming to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in ten years, having not beaten India since the 2014-15 series on home soil.”You can’t really hide in a five-Test series like you probably can in a two-match series for instance,” Smith said. “If someone gets the wood on you, it can be hard coming back from that. It’s going to be a wonderful series.”We are probably the two best teams at the moment in Test cricket. We played the World Test Championship final last year and beat them there. They’ve been great out here the last couple of times, they’ve played really good cricket, hopefully we can turn the tables. It’s been ten years since we last won the Border-Gavaskar trophy so need to do that this year.”

"I’m happy to bat anywhere. Batting at four, I could be in after the first two balls. I’ve been in early on many occasions and faced the new ball”Smith on the debate around his batting position

If Australia retain the batting order they have had since David Warner’s retirement in January, Smith will be opening against the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. Smith, who has a chance to pass 10,000 runs this summer, was elevated up the order when he told the selectors he was keen for the role. It also allowed Cameron Green to return at a more natural No. 4 but results were mixed for Smith across four Tests with 171 runs at 28.50 although that included a superb unbeaten 91 against West Indies.It is likely to be a topic that will dominate the next few months with Smith set to have some Sheffield Shield cricket before the India series.”The conversations I’ve had so far is that we’ll go to England… I’m there for the one-dayers, then make a decision after that,” he said. “There’s conversations happening in the background. You see some comments that guys like Usman [Khawaja] has said he likes me down at No. 4, think Marnus is of a similar thought pattern. We’ll wait and see. I’m happy to bat anywhere.”For me, it’s just a position. Batting at four, I could be in after the first two balls. I’ve been in early on many occasions and faced the new ball. For me, it’s kind of just a number. I batted at three for a long period of time as well and we lost wickets inside the first over and I’ll come out and score runs. The only real thing I had to get used to was how quick a turnaround it is when you come off the field and you only have ten minutes, particularly with the amount of mucking around I have in the changing rooms.”