Having already won the series, India could give a chance to Ravi Bishnoi, Tilak Verma, Jitesh Sharma and Harshit Rana

Mohammad Isam11-Oct-2024Big picture: Bangladesh’s last chance to salvage prideAfter winning the Test series 2-0, India will be keen to stretch their dominance against Bangladesh to the absolute by carrying their T20I form from Gwalior and Delhi into Hyderabad, in the third T20I. It is the final match of a tour where Bangladesh have batted woefully, and bowled well only in certain periods. That was not good enough as India displayed their heightened T20 skills.In the second T20I, the home side posted their highest total against Bangladesh even after losing three wickets in the powerplay. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rinku Singh added 108 for the fourth wicket before Hardik Pandya and Riyan Parag struck meaty blows at the death. A target of 222 was overbearing on the visitors who could manage only 135 for 9. India now have the option to test the rest of the squad after going unchanged in the first two games.The only solace for Bangladesh in the series so far has been that their seamers have performed satisfactorily. Taskin Ahmed took 2 for 16 in Delhi while Mustafizur Rahman was wily as usual and Tanzim Hasan Sakib showed his growing skills. The spinners, though, couldn’t find their right lengths and let them down.Related

Taskin urges BCB to prepare better pitches at home

Reddy arrives with a bang and a 'promise of more'

Bangladesh’s top order, too, hasn’t given them the best of starts. Litton Das and newcomer Parvez Hossain Emon went too hard at the bowling without the desired results, while captain Najmul Hossain Shanto looked good in patches before caving in quickly. Top order and spinners must get their act together for the visitors to have one last chance to at least threaten the hosts on this tour.Form guideIndia WWWWW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
Bangladesh LLLLLIn the spotlight: Nitish Kumar Reddy and MahmudullahNitish Kumar Reddy has slotted right into India’s template of being an attacking batting unit. During the second T20I in Delhi, he struck seven sixes in his 34-ball 74 after his side had slipped to 41 for 3 in the sixth over. Even Rinku, a big-hitter himself, played second fiddle to Reddy for most of their partnership. Reddy has plenty of shots in his arsenal, including the ability to rotate strike. India will be equally interested in how he develops his medium-pace bowling in the long run.Nitish Kumar Reddy showed a lot of promise during the second T20I•BCCIWhile Reddy is just starting out, Mahmudullah will be playing his last T20I for Bangladesh. The veteran of 140 matches announced his retirement from the format before the Delhi game. It wasn’t a huge surprise, given Mahmudullah’s age and lack of form of late. Although he top-scored with 41 for Bangladesh in Delhi, it was yet another example of a fire fighting than taking the attack to the opposition. Bangladesh have a long discussion ahead of them to replace Mahmudullah in the T20I side, but Hyderabad will be the occasion to bid him goodbye.Team news: India to test bench strength?Ravi Bishnoi, Tilak Verma, Jitesh Sharma and Harshit Rana warmed the bench in the first two T20Is but could get a run in Hyderabad, especially with the series already decided.India (probable): 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Riyan Parag, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Varun Chakravarthy/Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mayank Yadav/Harshit RanaBangladesh may bring in Mahedi Hasan in place of Jaker Ali.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Parvez Hossain Emon, 2 Litton Das (wk), 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPitch and conditions: Rain could interrupt playIn IPL 2024, the three sides who made 200-plus batting first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium won the game. However, there’s a forecast of rain in Hyderabad on Saturday.Stats and trivia: India extends home domination India stretched their unbeaten run in the bilateral T20I series at home to 16 after beating Bangladesh by 86 runs in Delhi. In a streak that goes back to September 2019, they have won 14 series and drawn two. In IPL 2024, Abhishek Sharma struck 284 runs, including three fifties, at a strike rate of 249.12 in Hyderabad. In Delhi, India used seven bowlers and each took at least one wicket. Bangladesh’s spinners conceded 14.75 runs per over in Delhi, their most expensive collective performance in a T20I when they bowled a minimum of five overs.

Nottingham Forest have been told the price it would take to sign a versatile star, with the Premier League side also agreeing personal terms as they look to make their third signing of the summer after Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha.

Nottingham Forest make contact to bring World Cup winner to the City Ground

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BySean Markus Clifford Jul 24, 2025

Forest are gearing up for their first season back in Europe since 1996, but this window has been fraught with challenges so far.

Nuno Espírito Santo recently lost star attacker Anthony Elanga to Newcastle United in a deal worth around £55 million, with the Englishman set to be a sore miss after he bagged six goals and 12 assists last season.

Nottingham Forest’s rumoured transfer targets this summer

Target

Current club

Position

Taty Castellanos

Lazio

Striker

James McAtee

Man City

Attacking midfield

Pablo Maffeo

RCD Mallorca

Defender

Douglas Luiz

Juventus

Midfielder

Nahuel Molina

Atlético Madrid

Right-back

Forest also continue to face the threat of Morgan Gibbs-White’s departure – an equally crucial player for Nuno in 2024/2025 – as Tottenham maintain their pursuit of the 25-year-old despite Evangelos Marinakis threatening legal action.

Gibbs-White has made it clear he still wants to join Tottenham despite taking part in Forest pre-season, according to reports, with the transfer expected to happen eventually despite resistance from Nuno’s side.

“It’s going to happen, it’s just going to drag on until the end of the window. When a player’s head gets turned like that, the deal is almost done,” said pundit Paul Robinson to Tottenham News this week.

“Forest had dug their heels in; they’re going to obviously try and get as much money as they can for him, but eventually it’ll go through.

“It’s one of those deals that Tottenham wants to happen. The player is obviously keen for it to happen. And it’s one of those where Forest are digging in to get as much as they can.

“The last thing that Forest are going to want to do is keep an unhappy player at the start of the season. So it’s a deal that should get done at some point, but it might cost Tottenham a little bit more than they want, and it might drag on a little bit longer than they want.“

If/when Gibbs-White leaves, supporters will be hoping that Marinakis and co reinvest that money in strengthening severely weakened areas of the squad.

Nottingham Forest given £39m demand after agreeing terms with Dan Ndoye

According to widespread reports, Bologna forward Dan Ndoye is a top target for the club, following his excellent season in Italy where he bagged nine goals and six assists in all competitions.

The 24-year-old operated on both flanks and even as a second striker over the course of those matches, with his ability to play in multiple areas potentially very useful to Nuno.

Newspaper Corriere dello Sport has an update on their chase for the Switzerland international this week, reporting that Forest have agreed personal terms with Ndoye, but there remains a significant gap in valuation.

Bologna want around £39 million to sell Ndoye, and Forest haven’t even gone over the £26 million barrier, so they’ll have to seriously improve their offer.

Serie A champions Napoli actually made a loan-to-buy bid worth around £35m for the ex-FC Basel star, including bonuses, but even this wasn’t enough with Antonio Conte moving on to alternatives.

Celtic appear to be in fine shape heading into the new season under Brendan Rodgers, but not everyone will make the cut as he continues to assess his squad.

Celtic hammer Newcastle United in first home pre-season encounter

Despite the fact that Celtic are several weeks ahead of Newcastle United in their pre-season preparations, there was an air of class about the way they brushed aside Premier League opposition at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon.

The Scottish Premiership champions officially unveiled Shin Yamada as their latest signing before the match before goals from Arne Engels, Johnny Kenny, Hyunjun Yang and Liam Scales sealed a comfortable victory on home soil.

Post-match, Rodgers made it clear Celtic have work to do in the transfer market after showing their quality against a high-calibre outfit, stating: “We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but the guys that are training and working with us are doing so well.

“I would expect us, by the end of the window, to have brought in players in certain areas of the pitch that we need to go through a really long season.”

Rumours are swirling that Daizen Maeda could sign a new contract, albeit there is no confirmation on that front, leaving the Bhoys searching for attacking reinforcements across their front four positions.

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BySean Markus Clifford Jul 18, 2025

Wycombe Wanderers forward Richard Kone is thought to be on the Hoops’ radar as a contingency, though the Ivorian may only be brought in if departures are to occur in Glasgow between now and the close of play.

Fringe players moving out on loan or permanently will be key to progress on incomings, so it will come as no surprise to hear that Celtic are closing in on another opportunity to cut their wage bill.

Celtic ace Marco Tilio set to join Rapid Vienna

According to Sky Sport Austria reporter Eric Niederseer, a “basic agreement” has been reached between Celtic and Rapid Vienna that could see Marco Tilio head to the Allianz Stadion on a loan deal with an option to buy.

Brought in two years ago from Melbourne City, the 23-year-old has only made a couple of competitive appearances for Celtic and moved back on loan to his former club to find his feet from January 2024 until the tail end of last season.

Florian Plettenberg has now added a move is considered a “done deal” with Tilio set to join Vienna on loan with an obligation to buy next year, should he start 20 games.

Reported to be earning £4,400 per week at Celtic, Tilio has been involved during pre-season, albeit his presence is more down to the fact Rodgers has a shortage of wingers to work with after selling Nicolas Kuhn to Como.

With an exit now lined up, the Bhoys will hope to recoup some of the £1.5 million they shelled out for the Australia international once his departure is finalised.

While they haven’t hit the heights they did at Highbury, Arsenal have been blessed with an abundance of incredible players since moving to the Emirates two decades ago.

For example, the likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães wouldn’t be out of place alongside some of the club’s very best players.

Moreover, even during Arsène Wenger’s later years, fans and the Premier League as a whole were treated to some truly mercurial talents, such as Mesut Özil and Santi Cazorla.

Yet, when it comes to arguably the best attacker the Emirates faithful have had the joy of watching, it is hard to look past the force of nature that was Alexis Sanchez.

So, fans should be ecstatic that it looks like the club is about to sign someone who could be Mikel Arteta’s own version of the Chilean.

Arsenal target game-changing attackers

While reinforcing the rest of the team is a smart move from Arsenal, it goes without saying that adding more goals to the side is priority number one.

Transfer Focus

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

Therefore, talk of signing Eberechi Eze for around £60m makes perfect sense, as while he’s not necessarily an out-and-out attacker, the Crystal Palace star did rack up 25 goal involvements in 43 games last season.

Likewise, while fans might not be delighted with the links to Noni Madueke, he had a reasonable return of 11 goals and five assists in 2449 minutes last season.

However, although both players are likely to improve the North Londoners’ overall attack, more so the Eagles star, neither is expected to have the same impact as Alexis did when he joined the club, which might not be the case for Viktor Gyokeres.

Yes, according to a recent report from A Bola, as relayed via Spanish media, Arsenal have maintained their determination to sign the Sporting CP star.

More than that, the report has revealed that talks between the two sides are at such an advanced stage that an agreement in principle has been reached.

The report claims that the Gunners are set to pay an initial fee of €65m, with add-ons, which should bring the final price to around €80m, equivalent to approximately £69m.

It’s a lot of money to spend on one player, but Gyokeres has proven himself to be worth such a fee, and he could develop into Arteta’s own Alexis.

Why Gyokeres could be Arteta's Alexis

So, to get it out of the way right away, there is one massive, unavoidable difference between Gyokeres and Alexis: their positions.

The former was, at his best, a devastatingly effective winger, and the latter is an out-and-out striker, but that doesn’t matter.

Our argument is not that the Swedish international will replicate the Chilean’s exact playstyle, but rather that he could come in and have a similar impact on the club.

Appearances

166

Minutes

13556′

Goals

80

Assists

44

Goal Involvements per Match

0.74

Minutes per Goal Involvement

109.32′

For example, in his first campaign at the Emirates, the former Barcelonian star was nothing short of game-changing, and ended up bagging an absurd tally of 25 goals and 12 assists in 52 appearances.

He then followed that up with 17 goals and ten assists in 41 games the following season.

When he finally left the club, the Tocopilla-born dynamo had racked up a monstrous haul of 80 goals and 44 assists in 166 games.

Interestingly, when you watch back his highlights, it becomes clear that it was a combination of technical skill and sheer determination that helped him score so many goals.

Now, the former Coventry City star might not have the technique of the 36-year-old, but he undoubtedly has that same brutal determination to his game, potentially even more so than the former Arsenal ace.

Don’t just take our word for it, though, as respected analyst Ben Mattinson has claimed that one of the Swede’s biggest strengths “is his mentality,” he has “an obsession with scoring goals” and that he’ll “have utter confidence in his ability to be the main man.”

We’ve seen this single-mindedness to make things happen off the pitch as well, with reports emerging earlier this week claiming that he is willing to give up almost €2m of his salary to help make this transfer happen.

Finally, away from the psychoanalysis, the Stockholm-born “monster,” as dubbed by Mattinson, also shares the trait of being an output machine with the former Emirates star, and can take the game by the scruff of the neck that way.

Appearances

50

52

Minutes

4169′

4248′

Goals

43

54

Assists

15

13

Goal Involvements per Match

1.16

1.28

Minutes per Goal Involvement

71.87′

63.40′

For example, in 52 appearances for the Lisbon outfit last season, totalling 4248 minutes, he scored a mammoth 54 goals and provided 13 assists for good measure.

That means the international poacher maintained an out-of-this-world average of 1.28 goal involvements per game, or one every 63.40 minutes.

Ultimately, the Gyokeres might not be as technical a player as Alexis was, but thanks to the sheer weight of his determination and the number of goals he’s capable of scoring, there is every chance he could be to Arteta what the Chilean was to Wenger.

Eze & Gyokeres will love him: Arsenal explore signing £65m "mini Salah"

Just imagine this player alongside Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 8, 2025

Club captain Brett D’Oliveira struck his fourth successive half-century since returning from injury to inspire another Worcestershire recovery on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship derby with Warwickshire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.D’Oliveira had come to the wicket just over a week ago with Worcestershire 10 for 4 on the opening morning versus Essex at Chelmsford and his 68 helped his side rally to 266 all out on their way to a 43-run success. That followed his 97 during the home win over Kent and for good measure he hit another 51 in the second innings against Essex.Here, his side were struggling at 67 for 4 in testing conditions when he walked out to the middle and was again the cornerstone of a fightback with the top score of 76.D’Oliveira received excellent support from Adam Hose, fit again Matthew Waite and Logan van Beek in partnerships of 49, 76 and 43.He had missed the entire Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign whilst having extensive rehab to a shoulder problem which has troubled him for the past year. But the treatment seems to have paid handsome dividends for the 32-year-old who has been in prime form since the Championship programme recommenced.Waite also made his mark with a fluent half-century on his return to action after nearly two months on the sidelines with a side strain.Oliver Hannon-Dalby, the leading wicket-taker in Division One, added three more scalps to take his tally for the season to 46 and again bowled impressively.Worcestershire gave a Championship debut to young Academy pace bowler Jack Home who last week signed a three-year contract after taking 16 wickets in five games in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.Warwickshire made one change from the side which had defeated Kent with spinner Danny Briggs replacing Jacob Bethell.Warwickshire skipper Alex Davies put the home side into bat on a wicket where the bounce was variable, particularly when bowling from the New Road End, and Hannon-Dalby made the first breakthrough when Jake Libby pushed forward to a delivery which nipped away and was caught behind.Kashif Ali, who had scored two centuries in the corresponding game at Edgbaston, provided keeper Michael Burgess with another catch off former Worcestershire allrounder Ed BarnardGareth Roderick had his middle stump knocked back by Michael Rae and then Ethan Brookes, promoted to No. 4, was lbw to Hannon-Dalby on his return to the attack with a delivery which swung back in. Hose and D’Oliveira battled through to lunch at 77 for 4 from 30 overs.D’Oliveira pulled Rushworth for four to bring up the 100 in 39.3 overs. The fifth wicket pair extended their partnership to 49 but Hose, having battled for nearly two hours for 33, drove at Barnard and was pouched at second slipWaite was full of positive intent from the start and collected four boundaries at Barnard’s expense in two overs.He was the dominate figure in a half-century partnership with D’Oliveira and completed his own fifty from 71 balls with nine fours.The afternoon session produced 111 runs from 34 overs for the loss of one wicket. But Waite added only one more run before he was lbw to Rae after he switched ends to end a stand of 76.D’Oliveira reached another excellent half century from 115 balls when he late cut Briggs for his seventh boundary. He found another staunch ally in van Beek in adding 43 for the seventh wicket but on 76 was finally caught low down at first slip by Yates off Will Rhodes.The second new ball accounted for van Beek with a third scalp for Hannon-Dalby thanks to Yates again showing a safe pair of hands, this time at second slip.But Home, who hit Barnard for the first six of the game backward of square, and Tom Taylor earned Worcestershire a precious batting point before the close during an unbroken stand of 52.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin wants to make further additions to his first-team squad before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

The Light Blues are in Champions League action against Panathinaikos tonight, as they look to progress through to the next round of qualifying, after they won 2-0 in the first leg.

Work is still going on behind the scenes to improve the squad, though, despite the season having already got underway, as the Gers attempt to bolster their options in the wide areas.

Rangers are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign right-sided attacker Oliver Antman from Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles, in a move that could set them back £5m.

The Scottish Premiership giants are also reportedly close to securing a deal to bring England U19 forward Mikey Moore to Ibrox on loan from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Rangers would add to Martin’s options on the flanks if they can get both of these deals over the line in the coming days, hopefully before the league opener against Motherwell on Saturday.

What Moore and Antman could bring to Rangers

Both players are exciting wingers who could provide creative flair at the top end of the pitch if they are able to show the best of their abilities in Scotland this season.

Moore, who has only played 21 times for Tottenham to date, is relatively untested at senior level, though, and it remains to be seen if he can make the step up to be a key player on a regular basis in the first-team at Rangers, as he has yet to prove himself.

However, the 17-year-old talent did produce 19 goals and 13 assists in 24 matches for Spurs at U19 level before he made his first-team breakthrough, which shows that the potential is there for him to deliver goals and assists if he can hit the ground running at Ibrox.

Antman, on the other hand, would be joining the Scottish giants off the back of an impressive campaign with Go Ahead Eagles in the Eredivisie last season, as he showcased his ability to create high-quality chances for his teammates at an exceptional rate.

24/25 Eredivisie

Oliver Antman

Starts

28

Goals

6

Key passes per game

1.6

Big chances created

16

xA

6.54

Assists

15

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Finland international created a whopping 16 ‘big chances’ in 28 starts in the Dutch top-flight, which suggests that he could be a fantastic addition to the Rangers squad.

This is because no Rangers midfielder, winger, or forward created more than 11 ‘big chances’ in the Premiership last term, which suggests that Antman could come in as Martin’s chief creative threat.

Both players could provide a threat at the top end of the pitch, notably as creators, and that is why the club’s latest transfer target would love both of them.

Rangers in the race to sign new striker

According to Croatian news outlet Germanijak, Rangers are still in the race to secure a deal for Westerlo centre-forward Matija Frigan this summer.

The report claims that the Gers are lining up a move for the Croatian number nine after his proposed transfer to English Championship side Hull City was put into doubt by a transfer ban for the Tigers.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

It adds that Spanish side Elche and Premier League team Sunderland are also interested in signing the 22-year-old striker, which shows that there is plenty of competition for his signature.

The outlet states that Westerlo are looking for a fee in the region of £7m in order to allow the forward to move on this summer, whilst Elche are said to be looking at a deal worth around £5.1m.

This gap in valuation between what Elche want to pay and how much the Pro League team are asking for could leave the door open for Rangers to swoop for him in the coming weeks.

Why Rangers should sign Matijia Frigan

The Light Blues should swoop to sign the 22-year-old attacker because he is a talented young forward who could love to play with Antman and Moore at Ibrox this season.

As aforementioned, Moore and Antman are both creative wide players who could provide the striker playing ahead of them with plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net, which is why Frigan could be delighted at the prospect of being in the same side as them.

The left-footed forward’s form for Westerlo in the last 12 months or so suggests that he could come in as an effective forward who could thrive alongside the wing wizards.

Since the start of the 2024/25 campaign, Frigan has scored 14 goals from 14.26 xG in the Pro League, which shows that he is about on par with where he should be for the chances that have been created for him.

The Croatian forward, who was hailed as “complete” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the finishing powers to potentially make the most of Antman and Moore’s creativity, whilst he may also come in as a big upgrade on Cyriel Dessers by offering a physical presence in the number nine position.

24/25 season

Dessers (Premiership)

Frigan (Pro League)

Appearances

35

39

Ground duels won

42

74

Aerial duels won

28

51

Ground duel success rate

34%

43%

Aerial duel success rate

31%

36%

Fouls won

21

35

Fouls committed

32

31

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Frigan is far more likely to win physical duels with defenders, on the ground and in the air, which could make him more reliable for Martin than the Nigeria international is.

Therefore, there are technical and physical reasons why the Gers should splash out £7m to bring the Westerlo star to Ibrox before the end of the summer transfer window, as he could be an upgrade on Dessers as well as a great foil for Antman and Moore to play with.

At the age of 22, Frigan would also come in as a young player with the potential to grow and develop during his time in Glasgow, which could make him an excellent long-term signing for the club as well.

Overall, the £7m-rated star is an effective centre-forward who could thrive off the creativity that Rangers are currently looking to add to their squad and could be a very shrewd addition this summer.

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Posts ByDan Emery Jul 29, 2025

And breathe. It’s finally happened. Manchester United have reached a breakthrough with Brentford for the transfer of Bryan Mbeumo, who will join Old Trafford in a deal worth up to £71m.

Of course, the Cameroon winger hasn’t signed yet, with his medical slated for this weekend. But this is a significant step forward, ending the interminable negotiating with Premier League rivals Brentford for their star man.

United have bagged Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £62.5m; Ruben Amorim is redefining his frontline, but more is needed to spark a much-needed resurgence after finishing 15th in the top flight and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.

In any case, the Red Devils have stepped in the right direction, but more is certainly needed.

The latest Man Utd transfer news

United have secured their offensive flanks, but they still need to sign a striker, with Rasmus Hojlund flattering to deceive last season, scoring just four times in the Premier League.

However, with Christian Eriksen having left at the end of his contract, United also need to improve their midfield, and while a wealth of names, such as Atalanta’s Ederson, have been bandied about, Amorim appears to have centred on a talent who could make a lasting impact.

As per Calcio Mercato Javier Guerra has reached a verbal agreement with Man United as he leans toward an exit from Valencia.

The clubs are still negotiating the details, but this is a promising update indeed.

Further outfits from Spain and England have made enquiries, while AC Milan failed with a move in June. The 22-year-old is valued at £26m, but could be a shrewd long-term investment.

What Javier Guerra would bring to Man Utd

Guerra is, thus far, a one-club man, having graduated from Valencia’s Mestalla reserve side to complete 89 senior appearances for the first team, scoring eight goals and providing four assists.

Regarded by talent scout Jacek Kulig to be a deep-lying playmaker with a tactical style akin to Xabi Alonso, Guerra would instil composure, ball-playing intelligence and clear vision to Amorim’s set-up, making it easier to put emphasis on transitional play and ferry the ball forward to the likes of Bruno Fernandes.

He would, in this way, prove a seamless replacement for Eriksen, all the while packaging the United system with his own brand, having actually been hailed as a “phenomenal young talent” by journalist Zach Lowy.

Indeed, Guerra ranked among the top 15% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues last term for shots taken, the top 17% for successful take-ons and the top 18% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.

The Spaniard’s blooming roundedness even suggests that he could be the next version of his legendary countryman Rodri, only this time playing on Manchester’s red side.

To claim that Guerra would emulate his fellow Spaniard Rodri from the off in the Premier League would be a fool’s game, to be sure. Pep Guardiola’s Ballon d’Or winner joined Man City from Atletico Madrid in a club-record deal worth £63m back in July 2019, when he was 23 years old.

Rodri was further in his development than Guerra at that stage, but the similarities are there, even if the Valencia star is more of a pass-focused player than he is, with the City sensation encapsulating every facet of the midfield game to a preternatural level.

Rodri Pep Guardiola Manchester City

The 29-year-old has won the whole gamut with Pep Guardiola at Man City, and he won the 2024 European Championship with his nation too.

If United can forge their own version of the modern great in Guerra, Amorim’s vision truly could have lift-off in the coming months and years.

It would be redundant to contrast and compare Guerra with the current iteration of Rodri, who is both vastly superior and missed the majority of the 2024/25 campaign through injury.

So, instead, let’s have a look at Guerra’s La Liga statistics from the recent term against Rodri’s from his final year in his homeland. Though the latter maintained a higher level, there’s plenty of promise to be taken from the collation.

La Liga – Javi Guerra vs Rodri
Stats (* per game)	Guerra (24/25)	Rodri (18/19)
Matches (starts)	36 (31)	34 (32)
Goals	3	3
Assists	3	1
Touches*	49.8	69.8
Pass completion	80%	91%
Big chances created	6	2
Key passes*	0.6	0.5
Dribbles*	0.8	0.6
Ball recoveries*	5.9	9.2
Tackles + interceptions*	2.0	4.2
Duels won*	3.5	7.1
Data via Sofascore

As you can see, Rodri was by far the more combative and commanding midfield general, with his energy and tenacity seen through his rate of defensive contributions and ball recoveries.

But Guerra has put in a terrific campaign on his own merits.

It’s also worth noting that Guerra has been competing in an imperilled Valencia side, who looked doomed and headed for the second tier across the opening half of the season before a resurgence after a wintry 7-1 defeat to Barcelona in January sparked new fluency and focus.

The victory that followed that hammering, by the by, was crafted by Guerra, who scored and assisted in a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo.

Certainly, Guerra is showing himself at a younger age to have a bit more creative flair about him than Rodri, who marshalled so confidently an organised Atletico Madrid side.

To set the expectation that he would reach Rodri’s lofty level would be the instant undoing of this talented young midfielder. But can Amorim not fashion his own version, one not expected to reach his compatriots’ level, but instead offer his technical qualities to Man United and improve them?

Signing a rising star with a point to prove is exactly the kind of move Amorim needs to make, and it’s one which might establish foundations for a much-needed revival.

He's more important than Mbeumo: Man Utd to make bid for £30m "machine"

Manchester United’s dealings in the transfer window have shown no signs of slowing down in recent days.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jul 18, 2025

Chelsea appear to be closing in on a deal for RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons as widespread reports indicate that talks are seriously progressing, but key issues surrounding the Dutchman are now being brought to the surface.

£40m star drops Chelsea transfer hint on Instagram amid Xavi Simons talks

The west Londoners are set to be even more busy.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 5, 2025

Despite having already spent an estimated £277 million on incomings this summer, Chelsea have done extremely well to balance the books through outgoings, which will be imperative amid their pact with UEFA to produce a ‘positive transfer balance’.

If Carney Chukwuemeka seals his long-awaited return to Borussia Dortmund on a permanent deal, which could yield around £22 million, Chelsea’s money raised through outgoings will near the £250 million mark.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Given Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Alfie Gilchrist and Nicolas Jackson, among others, could also depart in the coming weeks, Chelsea are in a pretty healthy position to add Simons to their squad.

In what is a very exciting prospect for Enzo Maresca, a move for the 22-year-old is a separate topic to that of Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho, and Sky Sports reported earlier this week that Chelsea are in talks to sign both players.

Their move for Simons is believed to be the furthest along, though, with negotiations described as advanced by Fabrizio Romano and the player “clear” in his desire to leave Leipzig for Stamford Bridge.

As Chelsea attempt to make room for Simons, who’s racked up 21 goals and 23 assists in all competitions for Leipzig since the start of 2023/2024, Maresca has been sent an intriguing warning over the ex-PSG sensation.

Chelsea sent Xavi Simons warning as talks advance

Speaking on talkSPORT’s Trans Euro Express podcast, Bundesliga expert Kevin Hatchard has shared rumours he’s heard of potential attitude problems.

“He scores goals, he makes goals, he’s always trying to affect the game. He’s a real puzzle, Xavi, because I like watching him play. I like what he brings to a game. He’s got really silky skills,” said Hatchard.

“The debate in Germany has been: Is he a team player? Does he have attitude problems? All of that.

“Now, that might be paper talk. That might be just media noise, and it just isn’t true, because there are some coaches that speak up for him. But there are also coaches that have alluded to, he could be more of a team player, his attitude could be different, etc.”

The pundit also questioned how Simons would cope behind Cole Palmer in Maresca’s pecking order, as both men play in the same position.

“What I’m fascinated by is if he does go to Chelsea, how does he deal with not being the main man? Because he won’t be, because Cole Palmer’s the main man.

“He plays in Cole Palmer’s position. So he’s not going to be the main man. They might play him off the left, because he naturally gravitates to the left anyway.

“But I’m just fascinated to see how he deals with it, because it’s not a work-rate thing. The work rate’s there, because you don’t play for Leipzig if you don’t work without the ball. It’s not that.”

Leipzig’s demand for Simons is rumoured to be around £60 million, so the cost of a transfer mistake for BlueCo could be huge here if they get it wrong.

The last thing Maresca needs is another ‘Joao Felix-type’ scenario on his hands, so it will be very intriguing to see how Simons may fare in London.

Cricket Australia’s CEO Nick Hockley has defended the selectors’ decision to rest Australia’s Test players from the series-deciding ODI loss to Pakistan in Perth, but has revealed that CA is looking closely at the travel schedule for next summer’s white-ball series against India prior to Ashes to try and ensure Australia can field its best XI more often.CA and Australia’s selectors have faced some public criticism in the aftermath of Sunday’s ODI series loss when Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne were all rested from the trip to Perth to freshen up before the first Test, despite an 11-day gap between the last ODI and the first Test, which is also in Perth, from November 22.But it is understood it had been long-planned from when the schedule was announced that the fast bowlers in particular would rest from the final ODI ahead of the Test series with a massive summer including seven Tests across the Border-Gavaskar series and the Sri Lanka tour, followed by the Champions Trophy.Related

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Australia’s strength and conditioning and medical staff have strong historical data that suggests that their fast bowlers are at huge risk of injury off a one-day break with a lengthy flight included, as was the case with the third ODI in Perth scheduled on Sunday, just two days after the second ODI in Adelaide. Australia experienced a very recent example of that issue in the UK when they lost six fast bowlers to injury, even without the issue of lengthy domestic flights included.It is understood that even if the third ODI was in Sydney, it is unlikely the three quicks would have played all three matches in any case although the match that they rested may have changed.”The amount of planning and work that goes into into squad selection and preparation across three formats, it is incredible in the detail they go to,” Hockley said at the MCG on Tuesday.”Certainly, in terms of the Test players, we want to get them through what’s effectively seven Test matches, kind of back to back, and then for the all-format players into the Champions Trophy. It was felt on this occasion it was in the best interest of the overall priorities for the summer that they miss out on the third ODI.”Hockley said the lessons of last week will be fresh in the mind when CA finalises the schedule for next summer’s white-ball series against India, which leads into the Ashes.”I think we will have a look at that,” Hockley said. “I think what this schedule has really shone a spotlight on is that the travel schedule into such a big series is critical again. This is about thinking ahead and getting players through in the best possible condition. So, yeah, as we look to the schedule for next year, we’ll get right into the detail to make sure that the travel schedule is optimised so we can continue to put our best possible XI on the field.”The major issue is that the commercial needs do not necessarily match those of the team. In an ideal world, Australia believe they could field their full-strength XI in all three games of a week-long ODI series if they were spaced out evenly with three-day gaps in between each game. But such a scenario would mean that the middle game of the series would fall on a Wednesday in early November while the work and school year were still in full swing in Australia, which is sub-optimal for broadcasters and venues to maximise viewers and crowd numbers. As a result, there is a preference for Friday and Sunday games on the same weekend with the teams travelling in between.Pakistan played the same XI in all three games, with their four quicks backing up a superb performance in Adelaide with an even better display in Perth. But none of the four played in the last two Tests against England before the tour to Australia, and Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah will both be rested from Pakistan’s upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, which follows this week’s T20I series, to further illustrate the difficulties all countries have of fielding full strength XIs for every international game.”We often have been criticised in the past for not giving new players an opportunity to come in,” Hockley said. “There was a plan in place, and that plan was really to make sure that our all-format players were in absolutely peak condition for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series.”This was obviously a massively disappointing result, but I think a really good opportunity to expose some of the talent that’s coming through to the pressures of international cricket. And on this occasion, I think they were they were found wanting by a very competitive and spirited Pakistan.”

Mhambrey will work with Malinga, MI’s current bowling coach, and Jayawardene, the new head coach

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2024

Paras Mhambrey will return to the MI coaching set-up for IPL 2025•Mumbai Indians

Former India seamer Paras Mhambrey has been appointed Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach ahead of IPL 2025. Mhambrey, who had served as MI’s assistant coach previously, will work alongside current bowling coach Lasith Malinga under newly appointed head coach Mahela Jayawardene.Mhambrey served as India’s bowling coach from 2021 till August this year under Rahul Dravid and was part of the T20 World Cup-winning side in the Caribbean. He was also part of the MI set-up when the team won the IPL in 2013 and the Champions League T20 in 2011 and 2013.Related

Jayawardene back as MI head coach, replaces Boucher

He also has experience coaching in Indian domestic cricket, having overseen the India A team and having helped Bengal to successive Ranji Trophy finals in 2005-06 and 2006-07. He played two Tests and three ODIs for India between 1996 and 1998. He represented Mumbai in domestic cricket, taking 284 wickets in 91 first-class games and 111 wickets in 83 List A games.On Sunday, MI had announced the return of former Sri Lanka captain Jayawardene as their head coach ahead of the new season. The coaching staff’s first task will be to finalise Mumbai’s retentions ahead of the deadline on October 31.MI finished at the bottom of the table in IPL 2024 with just four wins in 14 games under new captain Hardik Pandya.