Over recent years, Manchester United haven’t been shy to splash the cash on new additions in an attempt to help various managers lead them up the Premier League table.

Since the summer of 2022, over £800m has been spent on signings, with the expectation that more funds are needed to take the Red Devils back to their former glory.

Erik ten Hag spent three quarters of the aforementioned figure, but his inability to provide sustained success has handed Ruben Amorim the responsibility at Old Trafford.

The 40-year-old himself has already splashed over £200m in the transfer market, with more additions expected during the upcoming January transfer window.

Numerous areas of the pitch are subject to investment, as seen by the attacking department in the summer, but the winter window presents the perfect chance to bolster the midfield.

United’s hunt to land a new midfielder in January

Given the lack of depth in United’s central midfield department, a new number six has been seen as the priority in the January market, leading to numerous names being touted with a big-money transfer.

Wolverhampton Wanderers star Joao Gomes has been one of the latest players linked with a transfer to Old Trafford, with the player himself open to a potential winter move.

The Red Devils’ interest has led to a £44m price tag being mooted in recent days, but at present, there have been no conversations between the clubs or the player.

However, he may be seen as a potential back-up option in the coming months, with rumours picking up over a move for Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson.

According to The Athletic, Amorim’s men have made the 23-year-old their primary target for the next window, but any deal could cost a pretty penny for INEOS.

The report also states that Sean Dyche’s side are reluctant to lose their star man during the midway point of the season, leading to a £100m asking price being quoted.

Why United’s primary target would be the best deal since Bruno

Back in January 2020, United did spend big to improve their first-team squad, subsequently forking out a reported £47m for the signature of midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

At the time, the Sporting CP star would have been an unknown quantity to many, but nearly six years on, it’s safe to say such a move was one of the club’s best in recent times.

The 31-year-old has since racked up a total of 303 appearances for the Red Devils, even managing to net his 100th goal for the club in the 2-1 victory over Chelsea back in September.

However, he’s also been a provider for those around him, as seen by his tally of 86 assists, with the Portuguese international current averaging 0.62 goal contributions per 90.

United have tried to replicate such deals in years gone by, completing moves for the likes of Patrick Dorgu, but the Dane’s move has been merely unsuccessful.

The aforementioned star has found minutes hard to come by, even struggling to perform when given the chance, which could lead to an early departure despite only joining 12 months ago.

However, a deal for Anderson would certainly follow the Bruno trend, with the Red Devils potentially getting themselves one of the division’s best talents at present.

The Englishman has taken his game to the next level in 2025/26, with his stellar performances cementing his place as an international regular within Thomas Tuchel’s England side.

His tally of two combined goals and assists in the Premier League may not seem impressive, but it’s his underlying stats which have made him such a sought-after talent.

Anderson, who’s been labelled a “warrior” by Ben Mattinson, has regained possession the most of any player in the league this season – with such an asset filling the club’s hunt for a dominant ball-winner.

Such a feat is made all the more impressive by his other tallies out of possession, with the Forest star winning 2.8 tackles and 7.2 duels won per 90 – further reaffirming his dominant nature.

Elliot Anderson – PL stats (25/26)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	12
Goals & assists	2
Pass accuracy	83%
Progressive passes	8.3
Passes into final third	8.2
Take-ons completed	1.3
Ball recoveries	8.5
Tackles made	2.8
Duels won	7.2
Stats via FBref

However, with the ball at his feet, he’s been just as effective, as seen by his remarkable tally of 8.3 progressive passes completed per 90, with 8.2 of his efforts being made into the final third.

To top off the 23-year-old’s incredible numbers in 2025/26, he’s completed 1.5 key passes per 90 to date, with 1.3 of his passes being into the opposition’s penalty area.

A deal for Anderson would be yet another huge piece of business conducted by INEOS, but it’s one that would certainly solve one of Amorim’s biggest issues at Old Trafford.

Should the £100m man get anywhere near the levels produced by Bruno at the Theatre of Dreams, it would be a phenomenal addition, and one that could allow the side to finally compete for titles once again.

Joao Gomes upgrade: INEOS ready Man Utd talks for "out of this world" star

Manchester United look set to make another move for a central midfielder ahead of the January window.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 28, 2025

Allrounder produced composed half-century in rare opportunity, but couldn’t set up victory

Valkerie Baynes18-Jul-2025Doing her own thing served Alice Davidson-Richards well in her comeback to the England Women’s ODI squad, even if it didn’t serve those back at HQ quite so well at the precise moment of her recall.Davidson-Richards scored a half-century in a 106-run stand with Surrey team-mate Sophia Dunkley in the first of three ODIs against India on Wednesday night.Their fifth-wicket partnership rescued England from 97 for 4, but it wasn’t enough to win the game, India prevailing off the back of Deepti Sharma’s unbeaten 62 to make Saturday’s match at Lord’s a must-win prospect for the hosts.Related

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• Rawal pulled up for 'avoidable physical contact' in first ODI

It was Davidson-Richards’ second innings for England since 2023, having played twice against West Indies earlier this season, although she was only required to bat once and scored 7 not out in a series dominated by the home side’s top-order.She said she had been so focused on playing for Surrey that, when England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards came calling, Davidson-Richards was in another world.”I had six missed calls,” Davidson-Richards said. “Lott was like, ‘where you’ve been?’ I said, ‘I was in a theatre with no signal, pal.'”They were waiting for the email for the squad to go out and I hadn’t got a signal, so I hadn’t found out yet. It was a bit of a surprise to come out and have all the missed calls and then speak on the phone with Lott, it was a pretty epic evening.”Davidson-Richards also said she hadn’t let Edwards’ edict that domestic performances would have greater influence on international selection into her mind too much, as she amassed 289 runs in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at an average of 48.16 and strike rate of 102.84, with a highest score of 100.She was also instrumental in cementing Surrey’s position at the top of the T20 Blast table with an unbeaten 28 and 3 for 11 against Warwickshire earlier this month.She credits working with Surrey sports psychologist Louise Byrne and head coach Johann Myburgh with helping her through nearly two years on the fringes of England selection. Now, her recall has come at an opportune time for Davidson-Richards, with the World Cup in India just over two months away.

“For me it’s always been a goal. It’s never gone away, but the focus on just myself and trying to win games for – then it was South East Stars and now it’s Surrey – became the main focus”Davidson-Richards on playing for England

“The main thing for me has being trusting my game and trusting myself and the skills that I do really well,” Davidson-Richards said. “I’m quite an up-and-down human at times, so trying to stay as level as possible and keep trusting myself as the games go on.””For me it’s always been a goal,” she added of her desire to play for England. “It’s never gone away, but the focus on just myself and trying to win games for, then it was South East Stars and now it’s Surrey, became the main focus.”When I started focusing on those sorts of things first, and the little things, then the stuff further along the line tends to come along.”Dunkley, who has batted up and down the order at international level in recent years, showed her own comfort at No. 5 with a top score of 83 in the opening ODI against India, where she enjoyed being reunited with Davidson-Richards.”I’ve batted with her loads at Surrey,” Dunkley said. “We’ve batted together in a lot of different partnerships, she’s great to bat with, really calm and really good at ODI cricket so it’s nice to bat with her.”I really like batting in the middle. I’ve batted all different places and I think I’ve settled in that role, batting four for Surrey and now batting five. It suits my game quite well and hopefully I can impact the game more going forward there.”The immediate task will be keeping the series alive at Lord’s, the scene of Deepti’s run-out of Charlie Dean while backing up, which sealed a 3-0 sweep of the corresponding series in 2022.Deepti and Dean have since played as team-mates at London Spirit in the Hundred, with Deepti telling ESPNcricinfo she had parked the dismissal as an “in-the-past” thing.If, at the time, the incident had represented India asserting themselves at the home of cricket, then they have gone a step further on this tour. India’s 3-2 victory in the T20I series was more comprehensive than the scoreline suggests, comprising three emphatic wins against two last-ball thrillers that went England’s way, including the dead-rubber fifth match. They have since gone on to win a scrappier affair at Southampton that left both sides with clear areas for improvement.For India, their fielding came under the microscope amid a rash of dropped catches, as did a top-order which failed to capitalise on starts and relied on a fifth-wicket stand worth 90 between Deepti and Jemimah Rodrigues to keep a modest target in sight.England found themselves at least 20 runs short upon batting first and will be looking for more from the top order which crushed West Indies at the start of summer.

Penny for Alexander Isak’s thoughts? Liverpool’s record-breaking striker has been down by the wayside right since the summer, and the fans are desperate to see him recover his form and showcase that world-class quality.

Isak left Newcastle United for Anfield at the end of the summer transfer window, on strike throughout August following a breakdown in relations on Tyneside. It’s been a struggle ever since, with the lack of a pre-season and injury issues in recent months limiting him to just four Premier League starts so far.

This is all symptomatic of the deeper malaise at Arne Slot’s Liverpool. Slot’s Liverpool, last season’s dominant league champions, have been pants this year, with nine losses in their past 12 matches in all competitions.

Not good enough. Isak’s only goal came against Southampton in the Carabao Cup, a competition the Merseysiders have since been dumped out of.

He will surely come good, but FSG will be anxiously waiting for proof that they have got bang for their buck. At the moment, Isak is offering less than Darwin Nunez before him.

Why Liverpool sold Darwin Nunez

Slot’s brand of football is built on structure and. Both he and Jurgen Klopp subscribe to attacking play, but where the German enjoys heavy metal, Slot is more of a purveyor of smooth jazz.

That was last season, though, with the Reds having left so much to desire this season. Liverpool are so tactically imbalanced, lacking the control of last season.

It’s for this reason that Nunez was sold. Wasteful in front of goal, yes, the Uruguayan was also erratic and mercurial, and given that Slot only started him once in the Premier League after Boxing Day, it’s clear he did not view him as the answer.

25/26(Al-Hilal

10 (6)

5 (2)

24/25 – Liverpool

47 (17)

7 + 7

23/24 – Liverpool

54 (33)

18 + 15

22/23 – Liverpool

42 (26)

15 + 4

21/22 – Benfica

41 (32)

34 + 4

So, it would not be that bold to assume that selling Nunez to Al-Hilal and replacing him with a clinical superstar like Isak was done with a view toward giving Liverpool more accuracy and presence in the final third.

It’s worth stressing that Isak is anticipated to be a success at Anfield. He is too good – and proven in the Premier League – not to click into gear.

But, as journalist David Lynch put it earlier in November, Isak is “offering Liverpool less than Darwin Nunez did” at the same stage last season, and that will certainly need to change going forward.

There is still full anticipation that the Sweden international will be a success story at the club, though, but the same can’t be said for another of Liverpool’s summer recruits, who has so much to prove after a wretched start to the season.

Liverpool's new version of Nunez

In fairness, Nunez scored on his Liverpool debut against Manchester City in the Community Shield. He posted a goal and an assist off the bench on his Premier League debut, a draw at Fulham.

But, ultimately, the 26-year-old’s erraticness and his inability to conform to Klopp and then Slot’s tactical systems led to his sale.

Now, Liverpool may have landed their new version of the South American, and not in Isak, but Milos Kerkez, who completed a £40m move from Bournemouth to the Anfield club this summer.

Kerkez, 22, was named as a part of the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for 2024/25, exceptional on the south coast. That fine form is a world away from what Liverpool fans have witnessed over the past three months, with journalist Jean Paul Schiberras claiming he “looks like he has never played football before” in Slot’s set-up.

Following the defeat to PSV, content creator Mark Goldbridge remarked that Kerkez has been “such a bad signing” for Slot’s team. It was a collective shambles on Wednesday evening, but the Hungary international was culpable for lackadaisical defending as the visitors surged forward and took the lead in the second half.

It is incomprehensible to think that Kerkez simply doesn’t have what it takes to play for Liverpool. Last season, he was arguably the best left-back in the league, such a ferocious mix of power and athleticism and energy.

But he is lacking, as it were, street smarts. Kerkez has the skills to succeed at a club like Liverpool, but too often he has suffered from poor decision-making, lacking the awareness and positioning to read danger and ensure he is one, two, three steps ahead.

Matches (starts)

38 (38)

11 (10)

Goals

2

1

Assists

5

0

Touches*

59.6

50.8

Accurate passes*

28.6 (80%)

27.9 (86%)

Chances created*

1.0

0.6

Dribble (success)*

0.6

0.3

Recoveries*

4.7

2.8

Tackles + interceptions*

2.6

1.6

Clearances*

2.6

3.3

Duels won*

4.0 (54%)

3.6 (61%)

Errors made

4x

2x

This is why he is an endangered member of this squad. This is why he faces the potential of leaving with a reputation akin to Nunez, brimming with quality but arriving as a young and uncut gem, ultimately failing to bring it all together.

Is he a liability in this team? Perhaps so. It is useful to use Andy Robertson as a yardstick for the conundrum: last season, the Scotsman was clearly on the decline; a left-back was clearly a priority for FSG to sort out. But there are many calls now for the vice-captain to restore a nailed-down starting berth.

Slot has started using the 31-year-old more frequently, yes, but he has only started two of 12 Premier League fixtures this season, one of which includes the comprehensive 2-0 win over Aston Villa earlier this month.

Described as a “nervous wreck” by pundit Jamie Carragher, it’s clear that Kerkez is feeling the weight of moving to one of the world’s largest outfits. It doesn’t help that Slot’s tactics have proved so dysfunctional this term.

But left-back was a glaring weakness at Liverpool last year, and with Kostas Tsimikas out on loan and Robertson winding down, things have only gotten worse for the champions.

In this, Kerkez is becoming a major problem, a liability as concerning as Nunez was.

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ByAngus Sinclair Nov 27, 2025

There was a pause in play while Pakistan sought clarification from the umpires

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Oct-2025

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana chats with the fourth umpire after Muneeba Ali’s run-out•Associated Press

Confusion over whether opening batter Muneeba Ali was actually deemed run-out caused a brief stoppage in the fourth over of Pakistan’s chase against India in their World Cup match in Colombo, with Pakistan querying the decision on the edge of the boundary while the dismissed batter Muneeba remained on the edge of the field of play.The sequence of events that led to the confusion was unusual. First, Muneeba had not been attempting a run – she had been batting out of her crease (presumably to counter swing) as India appealed for an lbw off the bowling of Kranti Goud. As that appeal went up, Muneeba had promptly grounded her bat behind the crease before the throw from Deepti Sharma came in from the slip cordon. However, she had very briefly raised her bat off the ground again without having grounded any other part of the body behind the line, and it was in the moments her bat was slightly raised that Deepti’s throw hit the stumps and dislodged the bails.ICC Playing Condition 30.1.2 does allow for a batter to lose contact with the ground beyond the crease and not be given out, but that exception is only granted to a batter who is “running or diving towards her ground”. Muneeba was merely stepping back into the crease, and there was no momentum that would have necessitated her bat leaving the crease.The playing condition states: “However, a batter shall not be considered to be out of her ground if, in running or diving towards her ground and beyond, and having grounded some part of her person or bat beyond the popping crease, there is subsequent loss of contact between the ground and any part of her person or bat, or between the bat and person.”Related

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Bugs halt play between India and Pakistan in Colombo

The confusion was partially caused by conflicting third-umpire decisions being flashed on the big screen. Muneeba was initially given “not out” on the screen and even the India players had returned to their places. But that decision was soon changed to “out”, prompting celebrations from the India players and a puzzled expression from Muneeba, who animatedly sought clarification from the on-field umpires.It is possible third umpire Kerrin Klaaste had first given Muneeba not out before having seen the footage beyond Muneeba’s initial grounding of the bat. It is likely that after seeing the full set of replays – where Muneeba raised her bat again – Klaaste changed her decision.Once the on-field umpires confirmed she was out, Muneeba began to leave the field, but a flurry of activity near the Pakistan dugout gave her pause. She seemed to be getting instructions from her team-mates to remain on the field while they queried the decision again, this time from fourth-umpire Kim Cotton, who was at her station in between the two team dugouts. Muneeba was seen to be in further discussion with her team-mates – captain Fatima Sana in particular – as next batter Sidra Amin stood on the edge of the boundary without entering the playing area.Eventually, Sana appeared to signal to Muneeba that she may leave the field, likely having received further clarification surrounding the dismissal. Amin entered the field and went on to take strike. The incident caused a stoppage that went for several minutes longer than a regular run-out would take.Muneeba would also have been given out lbw off that delivery had India reviewed the on-field umpire’s not out decision. Her dismissal left Pakistan 6 for 1 in four overs in their chase of 248.

Iran has announced they will boycott the event in Washington next month due to the U.S. denying visas to several members of its delegation, but will not withdraw from the World Cup itself, at this time. The U.S. has long-standing, strict visa restrictions on citizens from certain countries, including Iran, for claimed political and security reasons.

World Cup draw fiasco as Iran threatens boycott

The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) spokesman, Amir-Mahdi Alavi, stated the officials faced "visa obstacles that go beyond sports considerations". The U.S. granted only four visas, including one for the head coach, but notably denied the application for FFIRI President Mehdi Taj for the ceremony at the Kennedy Center on December 5th. Iran views the decision as a non-sporting, political decision and has informed FIFA, urging the governing body to intervene. 

The incident has raised speculation that the travel ban could potentially impact Iran's participation in the actual tournament to be held in America, Canada and Mexico, but officials have not confirmed a World Cup boycott at this stage. The issue highlights broader diplomatic tensions, as the U.S. previously announced potential visa exemptions for athletes and support staff for major sports events, though their application to the draw was unclear.  

AdvertisementAFPIran FA: 'No one will attend the event'

Following the announcement, Taj said: "We are evaluating our options, which will depend on timing and circumstances. We remain in close communication with the Iranian foreign ministry and other authorities, and we will take the necessary decision at the appropriate time. The current position of the Iran Football Federation executive committee is that no one will attend the event unless all visas are issued. It appears to us that the matter has become politicised. We informed the FIFA president, Mr. Infantino, that they have taken a political stance and the situation is completely politicised. We believe that FIFA should take a stand against such behaviour." 

Remarkable run of qualifications

Iran have consistently navigated the challenging Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualification process to secure berths in the last four consecutive FIFA World Cups: 2014, 2018, 2022, and the upcoming 2026 tournament, making seven appearances in total at the tournament in the competition’s history. 

For the 2014 World Cup, they topped their final qualification group with a decisive win against South Korea. They achieved back-to-back appearances for 2018 by dominating their group undefeated, without conceding a goal in the final two rounds. Qualification for 2022 saw them again finish atop their group as the first Asian team to secure a spot with a win over Iraq. Most recently, they secured their place for the 2026 World Cup with a draw against Uzbekistan during the third round of the qualifiers in March 2025, marking an unprecedented fourth consecutive appearance through consistent top-tier performance relative to the quality in their confederation. 

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AFPWhat if tensions between the countries escalate?

There's no suggestion Iran will boycott the tournament, but if the visa issue remains unresolved and they do pull out, FIFA will have a decision to make on who they replace them with. FIFA regulations state that if an association withdraws or is excluded from the competition, the Organising Committee "shall decide on the matter at its sole discretion and take whatever action is deemed necessary". If they pull out before the main tournament draw FIFA would be more likely to invite a replacement team to fill the spot in the final tournament to avoid an unbalanced group. This replacement would likely be the best-ranked non-qualifying team, potentially from the AFC. If they withdraw after this point the spot at the tournament would most likely remain empty and opponents awarded victory by forfeit. 

Former West Indies captain Brian Lara highlighted lack of funds and technology as factors in the team’s recent decline, but also called upon the players to show more passion in order to compete better.After West Indies’ defeat to India in the first Test in Ahmedabad, Test captain Roston Chase highlighted “infrastructure problems” and the continuous “struggle for finances” in the Caribbean. This was touched upon by the cricket strategy and officiating committee of Cricket West Indies, of which Lara and Chase are both a part.”If you want to get things done, you have to have the capital to do it. So that is a major part,” Lara said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday. “But at the same time, I would like to ask Roston Chase and the other guys to… do they have the cricket at heart? Do they really want to play for West Indies? And that is the most important thing because you would find a way.Related

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“I mean we did not have better facilities 30-40 years ago. Viv Richards didn’t bat on any better practice pitches or anything. We had to do the same thing, the same grind; but the passion was different. The passion to play for West Indies was different. So I urge the young players to realise that this is a wonderful opportunity. And I am almost sure that every single one of their parents would have had in the back of their mind, their son playing for the West Indies, their son doing well for the West Indies because it meant a lot back in those days.”So I agree with [Chase on West Indies’ struggles for finances], but I still believe there is an onus on each young player to create that love and desire to play for West Indies.”Saying that, Lara also acknowledged that the players should not be blamed for seeking lucrative deals in franchise cricket, and that CWI needed to find a way to make it financially attractive for them to represent the region.”I can’t blame any single player for wanting to pursue cricket as a career outside of the West Indies – because the disparity in what’s happening, playing five or six franchise leagues, compared to playing for the West Indies, is different [in monetary terms],” Lara said. “And you have to have empathy with that player. But you also have to feel that what can we do at home to make sure that that player, or future players, understand that playing for the West Indies is also very important.5:02

Chopra: Gulf between India, West Indies there for everyone to see

“The IPL has carved out a period of time where it’s exclusive to the IPL. But there’s six or seven different leagues that’s popping up around the world, and everybody’s wanting to do it. So I think the onus is on Cricket West Indies to find a way to create, unify the efforts of the young players who want to go out, but also have them playing for us.”And a series against India, we want to play good cricket against the best team in the world. So you want your best players out there. You don’t want your best players in America or somewhere else around the world.”Lara used an example of football legend Lionel Messi, who has spent his entire club career outside of his home country, but has been an integral part of Argentina’s national team.”I mean if you look at Argentina, Messi grew up in Europe, but he plays for Argentina. But he played for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and he was allowed [to play],” Lara said. “And there’s a lot more South American footballers that do that, and eventually go back and play for their country, and have the pride to do so.”Australia is able to do it. England is able to do it, to keep their players loyal to their country. So we have to find a way to do that and there’s no pointing any fingers at anybody. It’s just that we’ve got to come together as a team, as administrators, as coaches, as players. And really and truly if you have West Indies cricket at heart, you will find a way to move forward.””I am hoping I would like to see a stronger first-class performance before you get into the international scene” – Brian Lara•Associated Press

Batting has been one department where West Indies have struggled. The squad touring India don’t have a single batter who averages 30 in Tests. They have had promising talents like Alick Athanaze, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kavem Hodge and Mikyle Louis break into the team, but none of them has been able to establish themselves as a regular.”I believe that if a player is being picked on potential only and he does not have the stats to go with it, it is very difficult for him now to get to this higher level, and [to] expect so much from him,” Lara said. “I believe that because of that situation, you would find players that are maturing later on. So it is either you stick with them – age 22, 23, 24, 25 hopefully reap the benefit when they get into their late 20s – or you look at players that are seasoned, Jason Holder and the guys who may have matured.”And if you remember, Graham Gooch scored the majority of his runs in his 30s. A guy like Adam Gilchrist, Mike Hussey, all these guys started playing late, and they came out to be some of the best in the world. So you are going to find, once in a lifetime, the Tendulkars. Age 16, 17, Afridi, the Garfield Sobers who were in their teenage, they were able to cope with it immediately. Everybody is not going to be blessed with that sort of talent.”So I am hoping that I would like to see a stronger first-class performance before you get into the international scene. Back in my day, you had to break records. You sat and watched cricket for two years, 20 Test matches, carry the towel, carry the water before you finally got in. And during that period of time, you grew, you matured. And some mature faster than others.”

He once again came so close to sealing his place in popular legend, but it was not meant to be

Sidharth Monga14-Jul-2025

Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja and Ben Stokes added so much to this Test match•Getty Images

Ravindra Jadeja is a cricketer’s cricketer. Barring certain freakish geniuses, he is the first name many want on their team sheet. He is a solid, dependable player who contributes in many different ways.Everything he does – barring wielding his bat like a sword which can break weaker wrists – looks effortless and repeatable. As a bowler, he can hit the good length straight out of the bed, and can keep hitting it until he draws water out of the ground. He is a sensational fielder in the outfield.As a batter, Jadeja doesn’t need to premeditate or make trigger movements. A lot of it is just physical gifts that he has honed and trained. He hardly ever looks hurried. His batting is pure. He just reacts to what is bowled, as coaches teach you at grass roots levels. If it is short, go back. If it is full, go forward. If it is wide, leave it alone. Score off bad balls, keep good balls out.Related

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Gill 'extremely proud' of India's lower-order fight

Stats – England clinch the narrowest Lord's win

For years now, Jadeja has been the premier allrounder in the most demanding format of the game. He is also perhaps the closest to being an allrounder in the classic sense of the word. He can be genuinely picked as a specialist top-six batter in almost all conditions. He can be selected as a bowler alone in most conditions, barring ones that make it impossible for spinners to bowl in.Since Jadeja’s debut, only five men have bowled more deliveries in Test cricket. His batting took time to come along, but he is averaging 42.01 since 2018, the year in which he scored his first century. That is in the top 20 among those who have scored at least 2000 runs in this period.Yet, to the casual observer, Jadeja hasn’t delivered that one memorable performance to remember him by. It is the curse of being so good. When you win, you win big. His countless five-fors and runs at home are completely taken for granted in popular memory largely because they are not done in the epic matches that – no offence to him – Ben Stokes does, for example. Or Andrew Flintoff before him.This Test at Lord’s – a venue where Jadeja scored 68 priceless but chancy runs 11 years ago and clinched the match-winning run-out – was an opportunity for him to finally give storytellers a story to back his numbers with. He is just what this young, inexperienced unit needs. Just someone old-school to drive home the advantage they are capable of getting.Ravindra Jadeja notched up a fourth straight half-century•Getty ImagesThis was Jadeja’s fourth straight half-century. At a time when it was not easy to think straight, he calmed India down with his solid batting. When he went in, India had almost lost the match. Yet again, a Test they had been the better team for longer periods in. When Jadeja went to lunch, he had lost Nitish Kumar Reddy, the last recognised batter he had. India still needed 81 runs for the win. He scored 61 of the 99 runs that came while he was at the wicket. He faced over 30 overs out of the 55 bowled in that time.Jadeja is so old-school and so naturally gifted that he has not had to constantly upgrade himself. Sometimes it frustrates those who watch him. He still defends spin with his bat beside the pad, something that has been erased from the game with DRS taking over. Still, his basics are so good that he is one of the best Test players going around.It is this strength that can become a slight weakness at times. Let’s firstly get it clear that Lord’s doesn’t really have pockets to hit twos into. The square is lush, and it is not easy to use the bowler’s pace to run the ball behind square. The balls are soft; even Rishabh Pant doesn’t charge against the old ones because there is no guarantee they will travel.So once England set defensive fields for Jadeja, he was handcuffed. He doesn’t play the reverse sweeps and the ramps and the kind. With traditional shots, it was difficult to find gaps in the spread-out field for twos to transfer the pressure back on England. It was almost a situation of taking it one run an over, provided the Nos. 10 and 11 hold their end up for one or two balls every over.Ravindra Jadeja held his own after India lost three wickets early•Getty ImagesJadeja, though, was prepared to do it in singles. He clearly calculated these were not conditions where he could take the risk. He had the discipline and the physical strength to keep turning up over after over, and back himself to be the last man standing. He kept the sword celebration aside when he reached fifty.What started as just a “let’s see how far we can get” ended up as a heartbreakingly close defeat. Jadeja came this close to sealing his place in popular legend. A story mothers would tell their babies on their laps. It was not to be. His strengths brought him close. They perhaps kept him from attaining the ultimate win. People will argue whether he should have taken risks. There is no straight answer.Jadeja didn’t show much emotion when the ball wickedly bounced onto the leg stump off a seemingly solid defensive shot from Mohammed Siraj, who was on his haunches and almost injured himself punching his bat. As if asking it, “What did I do to deserve this?”A lot in life is about turning up. About being there. With equanimity. Jadeja has faced a lot of heartbreak in his life, including the World Cup semi-final six years ago in this country when he again nearly won India a lost match. Jadeja knows more than most about the value of turning up. His team has been the better team over way more time than their opposition in the series. Yet, they find themselves behind 2-1. If India need any inspiration to turn up and repeat doing the good stuff in Manchester, all they need to do is look at Jadeja.

Arsenal fans are jubilant right now, and they have every right to be.

Following a Saturday that saw Liverpool and Manchester City lose, the Gunners had a chance to extend their lead atop the Premier League table at home to Tottenham Hotspur, which is just what they did.

Mikel Arteta’s side were utterly sensational on Sunday evening, with summer signing and former Spurs target Eberechi Eze becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in the derby since Alan Sunderland in 1978.

What made the victory all the more impressive was that Arsenal had several key players missing, including club captain Martin Odegaard, though another of Arteta’s starmen might be becoming his new version of the Norwegian.

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The former Real Madrid ace was hoping to make amends for his poor form last year, but so far has spent most of the campaign on the sidelines.

In fact, he became the first player in the competition’s history to be forced off before halftime in three successive Premier League fixtures.

The third game was the 2-0 win over West Ham United on the fourth of October, when he was forced off in the 30th minute with a knee injury that has kept him out since.

There was hope he might’ve made it back into the squad on Sunday, but that game must’ve come too soon, as he was once again watching from the sidelines.

However, the Norwegian international could finally be part of proceedings again against Bayern Munich, as Arteta said in his pre-match press conference, “We are hopeful that tomorrow he can be in the squad.”

This is undoubtedly a boost for the Gunners, as even when he’s not necessarily on song, the Drammen-born maestro can add something to the side.

Although he might find it challenging to get back into the lineup following Eze’s sensational display in the derby.

Eze’s Arsenal record

Comp

PL

UCL

EFL Cup

Apps

10

4

2

Starts

8

2

2

Goals

4

0

1

Assists

2

1

0

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, another Arsenal star has been fulfilling some of Odegaard’s responsibilities in his absence.

Arsenal's new Odegaard

Now, when thinking about an Arsenal player who could be Arteta’s new Odegaard, most people will probably go for Eze.

After all, the Englishman has been playing in the same position over the last few weeks and is the most attacking midfielder in the lineup.

However, the former Crystal Palace star is quite different from the club captain in the sense that he is more of a moments player; he is someone who can float in and out of games and tends to take fewer touches when looking for attacking opportunities.

Instead, the player who has been performing most similarly to the Norwegian has been Leandro Trossard.

Now, there are, of course, differences between the two players, but in the 26-year-old’s absence, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star has been doing some of the things he tends to do.

For example, the Waterschei-born winger is dropping further back in games and helping to link the play more, which is something his heatmap against Spurs makes quite clear.

Moreover, despite playing out wide and being on the pitch for 16 fewer minutes, the “cult hero,” as dubbed by content creator Alex Moneypenny, took just eight fewer touches than the hat-trick hero.

Against Sunderland, he took 55 touches to the Englishman’s 41.

This combination of dropping a little deeper and spending more time on the ball has also seen him take more control over the tempo of games than he used to, showing a more creative side to his passing than fans have seen before.

When you add these things together, along with his mentality and experience, it becomes clear that his influence on the team has helped mitigate the loss of the captain.

Ultimately, Trossard and Odegaard have been quite different players during their time at Arsenal, and likely will be again when they’re both in the team.

However, for now anyway, the Belgian has slowly transformed into a version of the former wonderkid for Arteta.

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Bangladesh government removes Ishfaq Ahsan for his ‘political links’

Mohammad Isam07-Oct-2025The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) landed in controversy immediately after their election results were announced on Monday. Within hours, the government removed one of the newly-elected directors, Ishfaq Ahsan. He was one of two government representatives in the BCB board, but his stay was short-lived.Ahsan’s political links forced the National Sports Council, the organisation that oversees sports in the country, to take this action. “We will appoint a new director [on Tuesday]. We have removed him for his political links,” Kazi Nazrul Islam, NSC’s executive director, told reporters on Monday.ESPNcricinfo understands that the NSC is likely to appoint a female board director in his place.A day-long BCB election, with physical votes as well as e-ballots, was held at a hotel in Dhaka on Monday. Aminul Islam was re-elected president. He will lead the working committee, the grounds committee and the BPL committee. Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud, a first-time director, assumes charge of the High Performance centre.Former Bangladesh spinner Abdur Razzak, also a first-time director, was handed the post of chairman of women’s wing. Nazmul Abedeen will continue as cricket operations chairman while Ishtiaque Sadeuque will be game development chairman. Bangladesh’s age-group cricket will now be headed by renowned singer Asif Akbar.

Manchester United have now reportedly set their sights on signing an impressive Ligue 1 defender, who has left their scouts blown away.

INEOS draw up 2026 transfer plan

To their credit, Man United got their summer transfer window fairly spot on. Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Senne Lammens all look like solid signings, whilst Benjamin has shown flashes of his true quality. And results proved before the international break that a turnaround under Ruben Amorim is still possible.

Even if Monday’s 1-0 loss against the 10 men of Everton brought them back down to reality, one defeat in their last five games represents much-needed improvement.

INEOS have never stopped backing their manager and recent reports have claimed that they’re ready to return to the transfer market to improve his squad even further in 2026.

The plan, according to the Express, is to sign two wing-backs and a midfielder next summer, with the likes of Elliot Anderson among their top targets.

The Nottingham Forest star has been one of the best players in the Premier League this season even as his side sacked Nuno Espirito Santo and then Ange Postecoglou before hiring Sean Dyche.

Thomas Tuchel has been impressed enough to grant Anderson a starting place next to Declan Rice in his England side, which is now his to lose ahead of the World Cup.

The unfortunate news for Man United is that his price will only increase if he enjoys a successful tournament, even though reports have already claimed he’ll cost them over £100m.

The midfielder is also not the only name on United’s shopping list. INEOS have also reportedly set their sights on signing Ligue 1 defender Jeremy Jacquet.

Man Utd plotting "bargain" Jeremy Jacquet move

According to Caught Offside, Man United are now plotting a move to sign Jacquet from Stade Rennais after the young defender impressed their scouts in France.

The Red Devils have reportedly joined Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace in the race to sign the 20-year-old and it’s easy to see why.

Dubbed “imposing” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, Jacquet is reportedly available for as little as €30m (£26m), which Caught Offside’s Mark Brus described as a “bargain” deal.

Having already signed Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven in recent years, adding Jacquet to their ranks would complete Amorim’s back three for years to come.

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With Harry Maguire still yet to sign a new contract ahead too, the young centre-back may have the chance to come straight into Man United’s starting side next summer in an attempt to make an instant impact.

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