Erik ten Hag may get the chance to work with Harry Kane after all, with the Manchester United boss reportedly on Bayern Munich’s managerial shortlist.
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Jude Bellingham will be “at Wembley for the 15th” after helping Real Madrid to reach another Champions League final in the most dramatic of fashions.
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Arsenal's title hopes suffered a potentially fatal blow on Sunday as Isabella Hobson scored a stoppage-time equaliser for Everton in the WSL.
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Good news for some meant bad news for others as Australia laid down their plans for the World Cup, Ashes and beyond
Andrew McGlashan15-Apr-2019Cricket Australia made a raft of announcements on Monday with the World Cup squad, central contracts and two Australia A squads all named. That’s a lot of cricketers getting good and bad news. Here are some of the happier and less happy players today
David Warner and Steven SmithFinally, after more than a year, the pair can put their minds towards resuming their international careers after the fallout to the ball-tampering scandal. There remain questions to be answered, and the process may yet have some bumps in the road, but they are back for a huge year with the push at a World Cup and Ashes double. Judging by the IPL, Warner looks primed to make up for lost time, but it may take Smith a little longer.James PattinsonQuite how much Pattinson plays remains to be seen, but the growing feeling is that when he gets on the park he can be a matchwinner for Australia. There will be a lot of crossed fingers that his body stands up through his spell for Nottinghamshire and it’s perhaps not surprising that the selectors want him under their watch as much as possible. England will face a battery of quicks during the Ashes – Pattinson could be the fastest of the lot.Marcus HarrisChairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said cross-format players had been at the forefront of the mind in naming the central contracts – hence the absence of Kurtis Patterson, Joe Burns, and Marnus Labuschagne – but Harris has been rewarded for his first-class returns which included a 1000-run Shield season and a promising start to his Test career. The contract indicates he is locked in for the Ashes despite a wobble against Sri Lanka after the consistent returns against India.Nathan Coulter-NileCoulter-Nile had a little moan at the selectors during the season when he was overlooked for a one-day squad in what he perceived as a breakdown in communication. How things have turned for the allrounder, who also had to battle a nasty bout of vertigo during the BBL, and now he finds himself off to the World Cup and in possession of a central contract. His all-round package – pace and bounce with the ball, strong lower-order hitting and superb fielding – will make him a candidate for the No. 8 spot in the ODI team.
Peter HandscombThere was so much in favour of Handscomb: his quality against spin, recent solid returns and a maiden ODI hundred, brilliance in the field and wicketkeeping skills. But he was the batsman forced out of the World Cup by Smith’s return to the middle order. His initial recall in the summer had come as somewhat of a surprise, but he had barely put a foot wrong since averaging 43.54 in 13 matches. Now he’ll have to focus on a Test recall for the Ashes – his central contract suggests he remains firmly in the planning across all formats.Josh HazlewoodIn the end, Hazlewood’s troublesome back and the strength of Australia’s pace-bowling resources persuaded the selectors to show caution, holding him back for the Ashes. It will be a bitter blow for a man who played five matches in Australia’s successful 2015 campaign and overall has 72 ODI wickets at 25.15 and an economy rate of 4.73. The Ashes, of course, is also a major prize and at 28, he is young enough to have another tilt at the World Cup in 2023.Mitchell MarshIt was pretty much a season to forget for Marsh. Last September he was named one of the Test vice-captains and appeared earmarked for a key role under Justin Langer. However, the balance of the side changed from the start of the India series, and when he was called in, he had a nightmare with the bat at the MCG and was swiftly dropped. Now his central contract has gone as well, leaving a career needing to be rebuilt. That could start with the Australia A tour, however, with him having been named in both the one-day and four-day squads.Scott BolandThe Sheffield Shield player of year can feel harshly done by. He is the only member of the four-pronged Victoria pace attack which won the Shield final not to have been offered the hope of an Ashes berth in today’s announcements. Having just had his 30th birthday, and in an era when Australia are well-stocked for pace bowling, it feels as though Boland is destined to remain uncapped at Test level.
Jasprit Bumrah has been rested from the ODI series but is in the T20I squad
ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-20251:19
Chopra: Rohit’s place in the side will now depend on form
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been picked in India’s ODI squad for the series in Australia starting on October 19, marking their international comebacks after last playing in the 2025 Champions Trophy final in March. The squad will be led by Shubman Gill, who has replaced Rohit as the ODI captain, with Shreyas Iyer the vice-captain.The selection panel, headed by former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar, met on Saturday in Ahmedabad, where India won the first Test of the series against West Indies by an innings and 140 runs.There are five changes to the ODI squad from the 15 that won the Champions Trophy in the UAE in March: Ravindra Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy are missing, Hardik Pandya is recovering from a quadriceps injury, Rishabh Pant has not yet fully recovered from the broken foot he suffered in England, and Jasprit Bumrah has been rested. They have been replaced by allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was injured for the Champions Trophy, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal.Related
Gill inherits the wealth of India's Rohit-Kohli era
Gill replaces Rohit as India's ODI captain
“With regards to Jaddu [Jadeja], I mean look, at the moment to take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible. He is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is, but there will be some competition for places,” Agarkar said. “Of course he was there in the Champions Trophy squad, because we took those extra spinners with the conditions there [in UAE]. At the moment we could only carry one and get some balance in the team with Washi [Washington Sundar] and Kuldeep there as well. I don’t think we are going to need more than that in Australia. It’s a short series, you can’t accommodate everyone and unfortunately at the moment he is missing out, but it’s nothing more than that.”Bumrah is part of the T20I squad for the five matches in Australia after the ODI series. The only change to the T20I squad that won the Asia Cup last month is Hardik being replaced by Reddy, while Washington has been added, making it a squad of 16.”We have already rested him for the one-day games. When we can manage his workload, we will do that,” Agarkar said about Bumrah. “Wherever you can give him a break, you will, because we all know how important he is, but we have also got to see what is in the interest of the team. And when we need him to play, he is always available, but we will look after [him]. Not just him, Siraj bowls a lot of overs as well. There are other guys who do play Test cricket, who will end up having a lot of bowling to do, so we will try and manage all the seamers, so that we minimise the risk of injuries.”Agarkar indicated that Gill and Rohit were likely to open in the ODIs, which means Jaiswal could miss out on a place in the starting XI. He also said Jurel was picked ahead of Sanju Samson in the ODI squad due to batting position, while KL Rahul is likely to remain the first-choice wicketkeeper.”Sanju Samson bats at the top of the order,” Agarkar said. “I think when he got a 100, I think he batted No. 3, if I am not wrong. Jurel usually bats lower down the order. KL bats there as well. You have seen how good a player Dhruv is. Again, you are looking at spots. I don’t think there is room at the top again. So, we are looking at guys who can fit in those spots. Obviously, Sanju at the moment in T20 cricket is batting there [middle order] and we are trying him there. But in one-day cricket, it’s a little bit different. So, that’s basically the thought. It’s more the position than anything else.”India play three ODIs in Australia on October 19, 23 and 25, followed by five T20Is between October 29 and November 8.
Shubman Gill (capt), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-capt), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.
Matthijs de Ligt scored his first Manchester United goal against Southampton just minutes after Andre Onana saved a penalty at the other end.
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A big Celtic summer transfer window update has emerged on the club’s plans for Cameron Carter-Vickers…
Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has revealed that the Hoops’ number one objective ahead of the 2022/23 campaign is to sign the American defender at the end of his loan spell at Parkhead.
He told GIVEMESPORT: “I’m sure Celtic have got a list of potential replacements if they’re not able to make this Carter-Vickers deal a permanent arrangement from Tottenham.
“But that’s the priority right now. They want to make this deal permanent.”
Spurs reportedly want a deal worth up to £10m for the central defender and O’Rourke has confirmed that the club will be pushing to get a move over the line.
This is great news for the Celtic head coach as bringing Carter-Vickers in on a permanent basis would be a terrific signing for the club in the short and long-term.
The defender enjoyed a phenomenal season on loan in Glasgow as he played a huge role in the team winning the Premiership title. He arrived on a temporary basis last summer and hit the ground running as he quickly established himself at the heart of the backline for Postecoglou.
Carter-Vickers ended the campaign with an average SofaScore rating of 7.33 across 33 appearances – out of a possible 38 – in the Scottish top-flight. The defender won 68% of his individual duels in the competition and made 4.1 clearances per game as he proved his quality at his level.
This shows that he will be a fantastic addition to the squad in the short-term next season, as Celtic know that he is able to consistently perform to a high standard.
In the long-term, Carter-Vickers will be an investment for the club. At the age of 24, he has plenty of development left ahead of him and this means that he can improve as a player and increase his potential value.
The centre-back can be sold on for a huge profit in the future if he is able to fulfil his potential and make himself an attractive target for top European teams. This makes him a shrewd signing both in terms of what he offers on the pitch and what he can offer to the club in the future in a financial sense.
Therefore, it is great news for Postecoglou that the club have made a permanent swoop for the centre-back a priority.
Major League Soccer has announced the finalists for its 2025 Year-End Awards, with Lionel Messi headlining a five-player shortlist for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award. Bradley Carnell, Jesper Sørensen, and Mikey Varas are finalists for the Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year honor, with winners to be revealed during the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Over the summer of 2023, Todd Boehly’s spending at Chelsea again was rather sizeable, splashing out a whopping £386.7m on 12 permanent signings.
In order to fund this, the Blues also made back around £231.8m in sales, with 14 players leaving the club on permanent transfers, whilst 16 left the club on loan.
The biggest deal of that window was acquiring a midfield partner for Enzo Fernández, signing Moises Caicedo from Brighton, for a fee of around £115m. The 23-year-old midfielder signed an eight-year deal with the club and has already made 61 appearances, scoring two goals and, providing six assists.
|
Chelsea 2023/24 season signings |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Fee (£) |
|
Moises Caicedo |
£115m |
|
Christopher Nkunku |
£52m |
|
Roméo Lavia |
£51.7m |
|
Cole Palmer |
£39.1m |
|
Axel Disasi |
£37.4m |
|
Nicolas Jackson |
£30.8m |
|
Lesley Ugochukwu |
£22.4m |
|
Robert Sanchez |
£19.1m |
|
Djordje Petrovic |
£13.3m |
|
Deivid Washington |
£13.3m |
|
Angelo |
£12.4m |
|
Diego Moreira |
£0 |
Christopher Nkunku also joined from RB Leipzig for a fee of around £52m, agreeing a deal prior to his arrival on July 1st, 2023.
But injuries affected the Frenchman’s first season at the club, as he has only been able to make 31 appearances for the Blues since joining.
Nkunku’s first season at the club only saw 14 appearances, having suffered a knee injury, a hamstring injury, and a hip injury, really struggling to regain and sustain fitness. In those 14 games, Nkunku managed three goals across just 516 minutes on the pitch.
However, to start this term, despite being the understudy to Nicolas Jackson so far, the 26-year-old has made 17 appearances in all competitions, scoring ten goals and supplying one assist, already more than he managed in the entirety of 2023/24.
Despite his good goal tally this time around, the former Leipzig man is far more of a number ten, someone who likes to play off of the striker, be involved in all phases of play, and arrive in the box late, rather than being the out-and-out number nine, looking to occupy the box at all times.
This could see Nkunku force a move, as he looks for more game time in his natural position, with Manchester United reportedly interested in the Frenchman. Therefore, Chelsea could move for a new striker alongside Jackson, and links are beginning to emerge for a current Premier League star striker.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, who was dubbed “The New Zlatan” by scout Jacek Kulig, is reportedly going to be available in 2025, chiefly if the Magpies fail to qualify for the Champions League, according to Graeme Bailey.
This could see the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea (noted as long-term admirers) and Liverpool all chase up their interest in the striker.
Since joining Newcastle in 2022, Isak has been a phenomenal asset to the Toon, making 78 appearances, in which he’s scored as many as 40 goals. So, how does the Swede compare with what Maresca already has at his disposal?
|
Isak vs Jackson in 2024/25 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90 mins) |
Isak |
Jackson |
|
Goals |
0.65 |
0.63 |
|
Assists |
0.16 |
0.31 |
|
xG |
0.51 |
0.65 |
|
Progressive Carries |
2.24 |
1.98 |
|
Progressive Passes |
1.65 |
1.56 |
|
Shots Total |
3.47 |
2.60 |
|
Key Passes |
1.18 |
1.25 |
|
Shot-Creating Actions |
2.35 |
2.60 |
|
Aerial Duels Won |
1.18 |
0.52 |
|
Stats taken from FBref |
||
Both Isak and Jackson do have similar profiles, looking to help their teams in the build-up, progress play, link the ball, run the channels and then arrive in the box.
Winning more aerial duels and, of course, scoring more regularly, Isak would offer a greater box threat. His 6 foot 4 frame is frightening and would give Chelsea something they severely lack currently; height.
Considering their profiles are similar and the fact he’s been priced at a seismic £115m, perhaps developing the rawer Jackson would save them money but the Sweden international is a proven hit now in the Premier League and is waiting for his big money money.
Jackson is there already but Isak would be an amazing pickup for any Premier League top side, guaranteeing goals, and overall quality in all phases of play.
Chelsea must regret selling £35m ace who's dominated Saka like Cucurella
The former Chelsea ace has taken his career to the next level after leaving Stamford Bridge.
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By
Ethan Lamb
Nov 13, 2024
Indore and Rajkot are reportedly the frontrunners as alternative venue
Nagraj Gollapudi12-Feb-2023The third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia will not be played in Dharamsala because the venue is not ready to host the match.The BCCI is yet to finalise the new venue but Indore and Rajkot are reportedly the frontrunners. A final decision is expected to be taken soon.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the BCCI took the decision to move the fixture out of the venue in the Himalayas after an unfavourable report from the board’s inspection panel.As reported previously, the panel visited the ground on February 11 and noted several bare patches on the outfield, which was re-laid recently by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association to install a new drainage system. Another deterrent was the fact that no cricket had been hosted in Dharamsala since the two T20Is between India and Sri Lanka last February.Dharamsala was incidentally the venue where India clinched the 2016-17 series against Australia by winning the fourth Test by eight wickets.India are up 1-0 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, after beating Australia by an innings and 132 runs inside three days in Nagpur. The second Test is in Delhi from February 17 to 21, and the third is scheduled between March 1 and 5 at a yet to be confirmed venue.