Crystal Palace have enjoyed a fantastic campaign under Oliver Glasner and now look set to put some of their new-found appeal to use in the transfer market.

Crystal Palace set to build on wonderful campaign

After defying the odds to record a remarkable FA Cup triumph, Crystal Palace now have the feather in their cap of being Europa League participants next term, which is bound to attract prospective recruits.

Glasner has made quite an impact since walking through the doors of Selhurst Park and has re-affirmed his commitment to the Eagles despite his prowess in the dugout not going unnoticed.

He stated: “I have one more year left, and now we are speaking about next season. Everything that happens after July 1 2026 we don’t talk about this at the moment. It is too far away.

“We are talking about this year, and that is why I am 100 per cent committed. I have a contract and I have no other things on my mind.”

With his future at the club secure, Crystal Palace are expected to be active on the market and have identified Strasbourg forward Emanuel Emegha as an ambitious target to strengthen their forward line ahead of next season.

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Unlikely to be the only arrival in South London, Mainz star Nadiem Amiri is also on the Eagles’ list as they look to the continent for fresh blood to help their European push.

Everyone connected with the club is experiencing an elevated level of excitement about the future. Arguably, Crystal Palace’s appeal has never been greater, and that can help to attract talent from global markets.

That said, Glasner is now reportedly intensifying advances to bring a talented gem to Selhurst Park that could be a star of years to come.

Crystal Palace intensify move for Faveurdi Bongeli

According to Africa Foot, Crystal Palace are stepping up talks to sign Tout-Puissant Mazembe winger Faveurdi Bongeli amid rival interest from Burnley in the 18-year-old.

Capable of playing on either flank, illustrating a degree of versatility, the youngster is also said to be on the radar of Borussia Monchengladbach, Dunkirk, Sint-Truiden and other clubs in England and Germany.

Faveurdi Bongeli’s statistics in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

4

Goals

0

Assists

0

It is unclear whether he would go straight into the senior set-up or spend a period in Crystal Palace’s development squad before making the step-up, should a move occur.

Nevertheless, there is room for another wide player in Glasner’s squad to help complement the likes of Ismaila Sarr moving forward. Depth could be key to staking a claim in the Europa League, and Bongeli appears to be a star in the making with a number of clubs keen.

Now, it remains to be seen if Bongeli can achieve a dream move to England. Crystal Palace are likely to be in the hunt for several additions this summer, so there is plenty to get excited about for supporters.

Hosts rolled for 85 as defending champions make strides in push for playoffs

ECB Reporters Network07-Jun-2024

Charli Knott claimed a three-for and then top-scored in the chase•Getty Images

Australian allrounder Charli Knott starred with ball and then bat as defending champions Southern Vipers put Lancashire Thunder in a spin at Emirates Old Trafford en route to a crucial seven-wicket victory in the race for Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day later this month.Vipers bowled their hosts out for just 85 in 19.5 overs as spinners Linsey Smith and Knott returned 3 for 9 and 3 for 15 respectively from their excellent four-over spells.That virtually settled a clash between a Thunder side who started the day fourth in the table, one point ahead of Vipers in fifth. After impressing with her offspinners, Knott opened the batting for the Vipers and dominated their chase with 45 off 28 balls.Vipers won with 55 balls remaining. No side in CE Cup history has ever claimed a quicker victory.Vipers, champions in 2022 and 2023, continued their dominance over Thunder in the regional era and won this one with a bonus point, claiming the maximum five points available for their third win in six games. Thunder have now won two and lost four. Both have four group games left.Across both 50-over and T20 cricket, Vipers are unbeaten in 10 matches against the Red Rose, winning nine. One was last season’s T20 semi-final. The odd one out was a 50-over tie.Unfortunately for Thunder, they didn’t get anywhere near victory here – in spin-friendly conditions – and only just avoided posting the lowest ever total in the three-and-a-half-year history of this T20 competition.That still belongs to the now defunct Lightning side, who were bowled out for 81 by Central Sparks at Leicester in 2021. Thunder, however, did post their own lowest T20 regional total. Former Viper Tara Norris top-scored with 13 down the order.Eight of Thunder’s 10 wickets fell to spin amidst a flurry of injudicious shots. England offie Charlie Dean and captain Georgia Adams both struck once, added to two for seamer Freya Davies.England fringe left-arm spinner Smith set the tone in a three-over spell with the new ball, bowling Australian Katie Mack, Seren Smale and Emma Lamb.The departures of Mack and Smale, one trying to cut a ball too close to her and the other playing across the line, came in successive deliveries in the third over, leaving Thunder 11 for 3. Smith later had Lamb bowled off an under-edge trying to sweep.Two of Knott’s wickets came courtesy of Rhianna Southby stumpings as Danni Collins and Kate Cross departed. She also had Ellie Threlkeld caught at mid-off.Dean had England team-mate Sophie Ecclestone caught at cover for 4.As wickets fell, Thunder continued to attack – until the point of no return. Norris came in at 58 for 7 in the 13th over and compiled her 13 without hitting a boundary. In hindsight, more of her team-mates should have adopted the same calm approach.Overseas allrounder Knott then drove the first ball of the Vipers’ chase, off Cross, to the cover boundary, and latched onto anything full or short in hitting nine fours.By the time England spin legend Ecclestone came on to bowl the fourth over, Vipers were set at 25 without loss.They never looked like letting things slip, despite Ecclestone getting Knott stumped by Threlkeld – 55 for 1 in the sixth. Ella McCaughan fell without adding to the score as Ecclestone claimed two of the three consolatory wickets for Thunder.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are in a good place under the shrewd leadership of Vitor Pereira.

With another Premier League campaign to look forward to, the onus is on the manager to take the Old Gold back into the top half of the table.

This task will be made much more difficult by the fact he will be without the services of both Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri next term.

Ait-Nouri looks set to join Manchester City, with Wolves pocketing a fee of around £33.7m in the process.

Cunha, on the other hand, will be much more difficult to replace…

Why Wolves will struggle to replace Matheus Cunha

The Brazilian has joined Manchester United, who paid his £62.5m release clause, thus ending his two-and-a-half-year stint in the Midlands.

Last season, he finished with 23 goal contributions – 17 goals and six assists – across 36 matches for the Molineux outfit.

In the Premier League, he also ranked first among the squad for goals and assists (21), shots on target per match (1.3), big chances created (13) and key passes per game (1.8).

Replacing someone recording those sorts of numbers isn’t exactly going to be easy for Pereira, that’s for sure.

Matheus Cunha’s Wolves’ statistics
Season	Games	Goals	Assists
2024/25	36	17	6
2023/24	36	14	8
2022/23	20	2	1
Via Transfermarkt

He does, however, have funds to spend ahead of next season. If he wishes to sign a player who can replicate these types of attacking figures, then the club may have to spend big.

Recently, they have earmarked a player currently starring in Ligue 1 as a potential replacement for the Brazilian.

Wolves' perfect Cunha replacement

Pereira will be able to count on Jorgen Strand Larsen for the upcoming season, but more firepower is required, that’s for sure.

Sky Sports recently claimed that Wolves have made Nice striker Evann Guessand a priority target this summer, with the Midlands club looking at making a bid of around £25m to tempt Nice to part with one of their prized assets in the coming weeks.

The Ivorian enjoyed his breakthrough season with the club last term. Across 33 Ligue 1 appearances, the striker scored 12 goals and grabbed nine assists. This works out as a goal involvement every 1.5 matches.

Popular football magazine SCOUTED dubbed Guessand as “dangerous” and “versatile” a few weeks ago in the aftermath of his excellent season for Nice, while The Athletic’s Alex Barker has noted his “Bruno Fernandes-esque drive to unpredictably create high-quality chances”

As he showcased last season, the in-demand talent does boast a real creative spark, having created 12 ‘big chances’ in total, as per Sofascore. For context, that is not far off what Manchester United skipper, Fernandes, recorded in the Premier League (16).

Indeed, he also ranks in the top 4% among his peers in Europe’s top five leagues for both successful take-ons (1.83) and progressive carries (2.98) per 90 over the previous 365 days, further showcasing his wide array of talents.

This versatility of playing as a striker or on the left flank will certainly help Pereira get over losing Cunha.

If he does sign for just £25m, then there is no doubt that the 23-year-old could potentially generate a massive profit for Wolves in the near future.

They must act swiftly to get this deal done as soon as possible.

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With Martin Zubimendi already on the way, Arsenal have also now reportedly held positive talks to sign a defensive target over Liverpool who’s worth more than £40m.

Arsenal complete paperwork for Martin Zubimendi deal

A year on from deciding to stay at Real Sociedad instead of joining Liverpool, Zubimendi is finally set to become a Premier League player. But it’s Arsenal who have reason to celebrate. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners have now completed all the paperwork and the Spaniard will become an Arsenal player for a fee around the €65m (£58m) mark.

Zubimendi could yet have the task of replacing Thomas Partey in Mikel Arteta’s side. The latter is yet to sign a new deal at the club and remains on course to depart as a free agent at the start of next month.

As replacements go, it’s clear to see why Arsenal have turned towards Zubimendi as speculation continues to grow about Partey’s future. The talented 26-year-old would slot straight in.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Martin Zubimendi

Thomas Partey

Minutes

2,962

2,797

Progressive Passes

195

185

Tackles Won

37

53

Ball Recoveries

140

138

Zubimendi’s best work undoubtedly comes in possession and Arteta’s system should provide him with the perfect platform to showcase that ability in the Premier League.

After agreeing a deal to sign the midfielder, however, Arsenal are not done there. They’re looking to deal Liverpool a blow with a focus on signing a defensive addition ahead of the Premier League champions this summer.

Arsenal hold positive talks to sign Jorrel Hato

According to reports relayed by Football Transfers, Arsenal have now held positive talks to sign Jorrel Hato from Ajax this summer. The Dutchman has also attracted the interest of Liverpool, but the Gunners are now hoping to steal a march on their rivals.

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The deal won’t come cheap, though. Reports are suggesting that Ajax are demanding as much as €50m (£42m) to sell their 19-year-old left-back in the coming months. Alas, it must be said that price tag becomes understandable when assessing just how talented Hato already is at such a young age.

Among those full of praise for the Ajax teenager, scout Jacek Kulig dubbed Hato a player with “immense quality” and a “fantatsic mix of complete full-back, playmaking full-back, and ball-playing centre-back” in traits that tick all of Arsenal’s boxes.

As the chaos of the transfer window continues, those in North London should do everything to ensure that they beat Liverpool to Hato’s signature this summer.

Ready to go again? Newcastle United supporters have to wait for several interminable months until their team will be competing competitively once again.

But when Eddie Howe does lead his team back out onto the field, he will be doing so having ended the club’s 70-year wait for major domestic silverware after deservedly beating Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.

Moreover, the Magpies’ efforts across the Premier League campaign led to the euphoria of final-day success in the top flight, sealing a fifth-place spot and unlocking the doorway back into the Champions League.

Newcastle did it all having endured a miserable 2024 summer transfer window, also starting the campaign off on weak footing. Now, PIF are in a better position for compliance with PSR, and signings are to be expected.

While incomings are expected, one or two may need to go. Chiefly, Anthony Gordon could be at risk, with Liverpool interested and United listing him at £80m.

Let’s have a look at how the Magpies boss might pull it all together.

1 GK – James Trafford

Nick Pope has been a fantastic servant for Newcastle, but a conclave has been held to determine whether a new face is needed between the sticks, and James Trafford has been deemed the right fit.

Reports claim Newcastle have prepared a £20m offer for the Burnley shot-stopper, whose manager Scott Parker has hailed him for his “world-class” ability.

2 RB – Tino Livramento

Manchester City’s bid for Tino Livramento has hit a standstill, and let’s hope it stays that way, for the robust and dynamic full-back is shaping into one of the best in the business.

As journalist Zach Lowy put it: “Livramento isn’t just one of the best right backs in England, but one of the best left backs too.”

3 CB – Marc Guehi

Last summer, Newcastle failed with not one, not two, not three, but four bids for Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi.

Now, the Toon are back in for the Three Lions star, who won the FA Cup in May and is just one year away from free agency.

The Eagles know they are fast running out of time to cash in on their £50m-rated superstar.

4 CB – Sven Botman

Sven Botman has endured another injury-wrecked campaign, but he’ll be hoping to build up his fitness across the off-season and form a rock-solid partnership with Guehi over the coming years.

However, with Dan Burn and Fabian Schar still in the mix, Howe could certainly have a wealth of talented defensive options to choose from.

5 LB – Lewis Hall

Sidelined since March following ankle surgery, Lewis Hall proved one of Newcastle’s biggest success stories last season, producing performances of age-belying completeness to solidify himself as one of the best young players in the Premier League.

A shining endorsement of United’s recruitment set-up.

6 DM – Bruno Guimaraes

Newcastle could stake their case to having the finest midfield in the Premier League, and Bruno Guimaraes has been the linchpin.

The complete package and then some, signing the Brazilian general from Lyon for £40m was one of PIF’s first moves back in January 2022.

1.

Bruno Guimaraes

154

1=

Fabian Schar

154

3.

Dan Burn

149

4.

Jacob Murphy

137

5.

Sean Longstaff

134

No Newcastle player has featured more regularly than Guimaraes under Howe’s wing.

7 CM – Sandro Tonali

One of Newcastle’s best players across the 2024/25 campaign – if not the best – Sandro Tonali’s redemption arc has been a thing to behold, such an elegant and intelligent part of United’s build-up play, of their backline protection.

The decision to place the Italy international in the deep-lying midfield role in lieu of Guimaraes last autumn kicked off the free-winning run of results, creating a foundation for glory further down the line.

8 CM – Joelinton

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Newcastle need to make a series of signings this summer, but the centre of the park is one area where moves should be catered toward depth, rather than high-profile investment, with Joelinton’s brutish energy adding the perfect counterpoint to Tonali’s class and Guimaraes’ all-influencing ability.

9 RW – Anthony Elanga

Nottingham Forest signed Anthony Elanga from Manchester United in 2023 and he hasn’t looked back, with his performances across 2023/24 leading Newcastle to launch a swiftly rejected £50m bid on transfer deadline day last summer.

While Bryan Mbeumo has opted to join the chaos at Old Trafford this summer, Newcastle can still bag themselves a high-level winger in the 23-year-old Elanga, hailed for his “special” qualities by Nuno Espirito Santo.

24/25 – Forest

38

6

11

23/24 – Forest

36

5

9

22/23 – Man Utd

16

0

1

21/22 – Man Utd

21

2

2

20/21 – Man Utd

2

1

0

Making the move to the City Ground proved a career-defining move for the Sweden star in the best sense, and now he must take the next bold step in his development, with the Magpies lurking.

10 LW – Joao Pedro

If Newcastle sell Gordon, they will bank up to £80m. Redirecting that toward a dynamic forward, such as Joao Pedro, would be a sure-fire way to keep the club firing on all cylinders.

According to The Telegraph, the Tynesiders have identified Pedro – who could fetch £59m – as the perfect man to join the club after missing out on Mbeumo.

He’s scored 30 goals and added ten assists across 70 appearances for the Seagulls, and at 23, is only going to get better and better.

A new report claims Liverpool have made contact with a “superb” Paris Saint-Germain star over a summer move to Anfield and the Champions League winners have already responded.

Liverpool eyeing two Premier League players after Kerkez

Reds supporters couldn’t have asked for a much more positive start to the summer transfer window, with the arrival of Florian Wirtz having the potential to be huge. Not only that, but Jeremie Frimpong has also joined and Milos Kerkez is on the verge of coming in from Bournemouth.

Liverpool’s business may not stop there, however, and another Cherries player, Antoine Semenyo, continues to be linked with a move to the club. He has been mentioned as an option for some time, following an excellent season in the Premier League in 2024/25, in which he scored 11 times.

A new centre-back has to be looked at by the Reds at some point, considering Jarell Quansah is off to Bayer Leverkusen, and a bid for Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi could be made at some point this week.

Further up the pitch, Lyon winger Malick Fofana has been talked about as an exciting young target, with Liverpool ahead of Chelsea in the race to snap him up.

Liverpool make contact with PSG star Barcola

According to The Boot Room, Liverpool have now made contact and enquired with Paris Saint-Germain about signing winger Bradley Barcola this summer.

Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea are all in the same boat, but it is stated that PSG don’t want the France international to leave and have told those clubs their stance.

It looks unlikely that Liverpool will be able to entice Barcola to Anfield, but if the situation changes, they should be looking to bring him in as a hugely gifted option.

The Frenchman is now a Champions League winner after PSG’s brilliance last season, and he played his part in the success, scoring three goals and registering four assists in the competition.

At just 22, there is still so much more to come from Barcola as the years pass, and while he is at his best on the left wing, his versatility allows him to be a huge threat on the right flank and even in a central attacking role.

He was lauded as a “superb” player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig back in 2023, and has only grown as a footballer since then, and Liverpool’s best chance of signing him may be if PSG sign another attacker this summer, potentially stunting his growth there.

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Granted, new wide options aren’t essential for the Reds, especially if both Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo stay put, but players with the long-term ability of Barcola may not come around too often.

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.

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

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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

Papua New Guinea captain Assad Vala said that their batters couldn’t adjust to the Providence Stadium pitch against Uganda on Wednesday. PNG were bowled out for 77, their lowest total in T20Is, and eventually suffered their second defeat at the T20 World Cup 2024. in what turned out to be a low-scoring encounter.Hiri Hiri’s 15 was the top score for PNG, while only two others reached double figures. They succumbed to Uganda’s pace bowlers first, and then the spinners took grip of their batting. Vala, who fell in the first over for a duck, felt that there were too many soft dismissals in their innings.”Because it was a new wicket, we didn’t have a target set,” Vala said. “We said to give ourselves a few overs then see how we go from there. As the game progressed, I think we didn’t do that. I think the batters that played today really let ourselves down. We didn’t do as we planned.”We had a lot of soft dismissals. I think anything just over 100 was a good score on that wicket. It was a challenging wicket to bat on. They bowled really well but a lot of soft dismissals from us put them on top. They never gave us any chance to get back into the game. So, credit to them as well.”Alei Nao got the early breakthroughs for Papua New Guinea•ICC via Getty Images

Vala however lauded his bowlers who reduced Uganda to 6 for 3 in the third over. They further slipped to 26 for 5 before Riazat Ali Shah and Juma Miyagi restored the Uganda innings with a 35-run stand. Riazat enjoyed some luck in his crucial 33, surviving an easy dropped chance by fielder Charles Amini on 8; that was one of two dropped chances let off by PNG in their defense of a small target.”I thought that the effort from the bowlers really brought us back into the game,” Vala said. “There weren’t enough runs on the board for them to defend. We started really well with three early wickets.”You need everything to go your way in a small total. We created the opportunities at the same time. When we need to take those chances, I don’t know what to say anymore. It is a disappointing effort from us.”Vala doesn’t want his troop to drop their shoulders yet. They have matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand next, so he wants to see the energy levels they displayed against West Indies in their opening game.”We are coming up against two Full Member nations in Afghanistan and New Zealand in the next two games in Trinidad. I think we need to be up for that,” he said. “We don’t get the opportunity to play against those teams so when the opportunity is in front of us, we need to make the best of it.”I think we need to have the full energy, determination and attitude towards playing against top teams. We got outplayed today, to be honest. We didn’t play as well as we did against West Indies so we need to have the right attitude in the next two games.”

Arsenal’s most significant weakness this season is not a big secret; it’s a lack of goals.

Now, did the Mikel Arteta’s side face some questionable refereeing decisions early on and a torrent of injuries later? Yes, yes, they did.

However, even then, it would be hard to describe the club’s attack – bar Bukayo Saka – as anything other than disappointing this year. After all, they scored 17 goals fewer than Liverpool.

So, news that the club are closing in on a new attacking star should excite fans, especially as this is a player who could become world-class with Saka to his right.

Arsenal's attacker search

Given their blunt attack, it’s hardly been a surprise to see Arsenal linked with a plethora of forward talent in recent weeks and months, such as Leroy Sané and Nico Williams.

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 could be available for free this summer, as his contract with Bayern Munich expires at the end of the month, and given his tally of 13 goals and six assists in 45 games this season, he’d certainly be a wise acquisition.

Williams, on the other hand, would cost around £50m, but at 22 years old and with a tally of 11 goals and seven assists in 45 games this year, he too would likely be a wise addition to the team.

However, what most fans would tell you, and rightly so, is that the Gunners are in need of a new striker more than anything else, someone like Benjamin Sesko.

Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the RB Leipzig star.

In fact, the journalist claims that the deal is now on and that talks between the clubs and the player himself are progressing, with outside reports claiming that the final fee could be somewhere in the region of £70m.

It’s certainly a lot of money to spend on a young forward, but his talent and potential are undeniable, and he could be incredible alongside Saka.

Why Sesko would be unreal with Saka

So, while there are likely a plethora of reasons why Saka could help turn Sesko into a world-class striker, from his work off the field to leadership on the pitch, there is one reason that stands above all others: his output.

The Hale End superstar has turned into a lean, mean output machine in the last year and a bit, as even though he missed almost four months of action with injury this season, the 23-year-old phenom racked up a superb tally of 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 appearances, which comes out to one every 1.42 games.

Moreover, per Understat, he would have had at least one more assist had his teammates been better at finishing, as his ten league assists came from an expected assist figure of 11.58.

Now, let’s look at the Leipzig star’s numbers.

In just 45 appearances this season, the 22-year-old “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 21 goals and provided six assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.66, which for someone of his age, is sensational.

Appearances

45

37

Minutes

3258′

2619′

Goals

21

12

Assists

6

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.60

0.70

Minutes per Goal Involvement

120.66′

100.73′

Yet, it gets better, as the Slovenian “diamond,” as dubbed by Mattinson, is also able to turn middling chances into goals; according to Understat, his 13 Bundesliga goals came from 10.84 expected goals, and last season, he scored 14 from an expected goals figure of 8.60.

The fact he is consistently finishing at a higher standard than would be expected of him should delight fans and Arteta, as that ability, combined with the Gunners’ talismanic number seven, could be a match made in heaven.

And, just to make the former Salzburg gem even more exciting, he happens to be a mammoth 6 foot 5, and yet, per the respected Mattinson, is blessed with “rapid speed,” “good dribbling”, and “good mobility.”

Ultimately, while he isn’t going to be cheap, Sesko appears to have everything a striker needs to become a world-class goalscorer, and when you consider he’d be playing alongside Saka, it feels more like a matter of when and not if that happens.

Arsenal very close to signing £50m star who's a Saka & Rodrygo hybrid

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 6, 2025