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She felt fielding was one area India can improve on in the lead-up to the upcoming World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-20253:00

Mandhana: I always back myself to be in ‘zen mode’

On a day when Australia posted their joint-highest ODI total, of 412, Smriti Mandhana gave India a strong chance to chase it down with a 63-ball 125. Her 50-ball hundred was the second-fastest in all Women’s ODIs.Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma made half-centuries from No. 4 and 5, but the chase eventually fizzled out, with India bowled out for 369. India lost the three-match series 2-1.Related

Australia clinch series after scintillating Mooney, Mandhana tons and 781 runs

Mandhana, who also scored a match-winning century in the second ODI and finished the series as its highest run-getter (300 runs), did not feel she was under too much pressure to do the heavy lifting at the top of the order, and rejected the idea that India’s batting line-up is overdependent on her.”Everyone [in the Indian side] is a match-winner – not only [the] 11 but all the 15 who are part of the team are match-winners,” Mandhana said. “I never look at anyone thinking that they are adding any pressure on me or anyone, for that case.”Secondly I have a huge belief in the whole team, that from any point we can still win the match. That is never going to change with one or two results. If you see in the last 12-odd months we’ve got 300 or 300-plus even when I’ve got out so that doesn’t really say anything about the batting reliance on anyone. Pratika [Rawal], Harleen [Deol], Jemimah [Rodrigues], Harman, everyone’s got a hundred in the last 12 months.”‘Not only [the] 11 but all the 15 who are part of the team are match-winners’•Getty Images

Mandhana, India’s vice-captain, pointed to fielding as an area India will look to work on heading into the upcoming World Cup. India were sloppy on the field throughout the three ODIs, dropping as many as 15 catches.”Australia is a great opposition to test ourselves [against] in terms of where we are lacking,” Mandhana said. “[…] It was a good series in terms of understanding our strengths and where we are lacking. There’s a lot of difference [between the teams] in the fielding. Fielding part is one thing which as a team we are on a rise but we also feel there are days where we look like a [good] fielding side and there are days where we don’t.”That’s about how we find the consistency in the team in terms of fielding as a unit and not individual brilliance, but fielding together as a team. That’s one thing which we thought we have to address before the World Cup. Otherwise, for everyone, it was just about [getting] the feel of the Indian conditions and how we really want to go forward.”The biggest positive from the series for India, according to Mandhana, was the “willingness” shown by the younger players to improve themselves.”The series was not like it was going to make us believe that we’ll win the World Cup. That belief is always there,” Mandhana said. “This series is just for us in terms of understanding what is going right and what’s going wrong because Australia is the best opposition to test it out [against].”We’ve had a great 12 months at home but we did not play Australia at home in the last 12 months. [We have taken back] a lot of positives, a lot of things in terms of what we want to work on. As long as that willingness to work hard is there, I feel the battle will be won. I see that a lot in the girls – that willingness to win, the willingness to learn and the willingness to grow. It’s a young team but the will level is very high.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Grêmio chegou a um acordo para contratar o volante Dodi junto ao Santos. O atleta assinou com o Tricolor e terá vínculo em definitivo até o final de 2026, com possibilidade de extensão conforme desempenho esportivo.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

O atleta iniciou sua trajetória nas equipes de base do próprio Grêmio e, agora, retorna para ‘casa’ em busca de mais minutos em campo.

O volante Dodi agora se junta a Soteldo, que teve seu empréstimo anunciado pelo Santos e disputará a temporada do ano que vem pelo Grêmio.

A saída do jogador reflete a nova política do clube, que visa a diminuição da folha salarial dos jogadores. O clube possui uma despesa mensal de R$ 13 milhões com os salários do elenco alvinegro e a ideia é tentar reduzir isso para R$ 5 milhões.

West Indies, however, have plenty of problems of their own, coming off a humiliating home series defeat to Australia

Karthik Krishnaswamy01-Oct-20259:01

Chopra: At home against West Indies ‘should be a relatively easier series for India in this WTC’

Big pictureEvery home season brings the same expectations from India, but this one also brings a set of new anxieties. They’re about to play their first home Test since 0-3, their first home Test under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, and their first home Test since the retirements of R Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. An unusually green pitch in Ahmedabad adds another layer of anxiety, potentially magnifying the importance of the toss.India’s anxieties, of course, pale in comparison to those of their opponents: injuries to key fast bowlers, the loss of a T20I series to Nepal (albeit with a second-string team that has no overlap with their Test squad), the emergency review of the team’s Test-match performances that followed 27 all out in Kingston, and the existential questions around the team’s future in the World Test Championship. West Indies can’t turn anywhere without fear of getting punched in the face.But it could give them the license to throw a few punches of their own. Their captain Roston Chase put it simply on the eve of the Test match. “When you have nothing to lose, you can just go and play freely, because, I mean, everyone is expecting us to lose.”Related

Between formats and futures: Gill's most unprecedented test yet

Gill: India won't be 'looking for any easy options' against WI

Greaves, Rutherford, Warrican get CWI contracts for 2025-26

One of the greenest Indian pitches likely for Ahmedabad Test

India's selection headache: Two slots, multiple contenders

Everyone expects West Indies to lose. Everyone expects India to win. Everyone always expects India to win at home. From the start of 2013 to roughly the same point last year, India kept meeting these expectations again and again and again.Until they didn’t. Until New Zealand visited and won in a manner that showed just how much skill and effort it had taken for India to create and sustain the illusion of invincibility over such a long period. You might be the best team in the world, but you have to keep going out and proving it again and again, each time against a set of highly skilled athletes throwing a new set of challenges at you.Man to man, in personnel terms, this Test in Ahmedabad looks like a mismatch. But it will begin with the scorecard reading 0 for 0, in conditions from which no one quite knows what to expect.Form guideIndia WDLWL (last five Tests, most recent first)
West Indies LLLWLIn the spotlightThe last time India went into a home Test without Ashwin was all the way back in November 2010. As good as their spin attack is even without him, India will only really know what his absence means when they actually deal with it. In this scenario, Ravindra Jadeja becomes even more important than he usually is, with ball, bat, and as a leader, and not just because he’s vice-captain for this series.There is grass on the Ahmedabad pitch, but West Indies do not have Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph. They do, however, have one of the world’s best young fast-bowling talents in Jayden Seales, whose 88 Test wickets so far have come at the hugely impressive average of 22.32. He’s quick, skillful, and bowls a fullish natural length that could bother India’s batters considerably if there’s any help available. If he gets on a roll, Seales has the potential to make the kind of impact that Suranga Lakmal did in Kolkata in 2017 or Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke did in Bengaluru last year.2:50

‘Nothing is pre-decided’ – Gill on Bumrah’s workload

Team newsIndia, as always, kept their selection cards close to their chest on the eve of the match, but Gill suggested they are considering playing a third seamer given the greenness of this red-soil pitch in Ahmedabad. Does this mean a third frontline quick in Prasidh Krishna, or does it mean the allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy? And what does it mean for the spin attack, and for Kuldeep Yadav?India (possible): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Shubman Gill (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Nitish Kumar Reddy/Axar Patel/Devdutt Padikkal, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Prasidh Krishna, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj.Jediah Blades, who replaced Alzarri Joseph in West Indies’ squad, had not yet joined his team-mates in Ahmedabad by Wednesday. This means Seales will be partnered in their pace attack by Anderson Phillip and/or the uncapped Johann Layne, as well as the allrounder Justin Greaves. Khary Pierre could also make his debut at 34, as one of two left-arm fingerspinners alongside Jomel Warrican.West Indies (possible): 1 Tagenarine Chanderpaul, 2 Kevlon Anderson, 3 Alick Athanaze, 4 Brandon King, 5 Shai Hope (wk), 6 Roston Chase, 7 Justin Greaves, 8 Khary Pierre, 9 Jomel Warrican, 10 Anderson Phillip/Johann Layne, 11 Jayden Seales.Pitch and conditionsIndia begin this new home season on an unusually green pitch, with potentially 4-5mm of grass on it. Selections and toss decisions could come down to how much moisture it retains on the morning of the match. The teams will also keep a wary eye on the sky and the forecast, with Ahmedabad experiencing intermittent rain in the lead-up to the Test and with showers expected on day one.2:10

Chopra: ‘I hope India don’t prepare rank turners’ against West Indies

Stats and trivia Since winning by 243 runs in Mohali in December 1994, West Indies have played 10 Tests against India in India, drawing two of them and losing the other eight. Roston Chase, Shai Hope and Jomel Warrican are the only members of West Indies’ squad who were part of their previous Test series against India in India, in 2018. All three of them, as well as John Campbell, also returned to India a year later for a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Lucknow. Ravindra Jadeja is 114 runs away from becoming only the fourth player in Test history to achieve the double of 4000 runs and 300 wickets. Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Daniel Vettori are the three allrounders presently in that club. John Campbell is six runs away from the 1000 mark in Test cricket.Quotes”I’ve mostly played T20 here and I think it’s very different from playing a Test match, because obviously the wicket, over a period of five days, plays differently from a T20 match. The last Test match that we played here was on a black-soil [pitch]. We’re playing this one on red soil. So I’m also looking forward to seeing how the wicket is going to play over the next five days.”
“This is a new series, it’s a new day, so we just have to put everything behind [us] that has happened before, and just come out with the mentality that we’re looking to dominate, we’re looking to win, and just go out there and give your best, ask god for guidance, and stick together as a team. Obviously, we’re in India, we’re not going to have much support, so we have to stick together as a unit — coaching staff, players, management, we all have to support one another through the tough times and through the good times as well.”

The season is well settled at this point, but Newcastle United are still without the kind of fluency that has come to be expected across the past few years under Eddie Howe’s management.

In fact, 14th in the Premier League after 11 matches, there is concern over the club’s direction after an eventful summer of ups and downs.

While it feels absurd, unthinkable, to imagine Howe’s job is at risk, there’s no question that PIF expect an upswing in performances and results, and should that not occur, the Tynesiders may be forced into a tough decision down the line.

Howe is a club legend, the harbinger of all that has been good at St. James’ Park in recent years. But improvements are needed, nonetheless; the form on the road has been shocking this season.

Newcastle’s Form in 2025/26 (all comps)

Home

Stat

Away

10

Games

7

7

Wins

1

0

Draws

3

3

Losses

3

20

Goals scored

7

9

Goals conceded

8

2.1

PPG

1.16

Howe needs his players to step up, especially in attack. At the nadir would be Anthony Elanga, whose £55m summer transfer from Nottingham Forest has so far not gone to plan.

Why Elanga is struggling at Newcastle

It has been over a year since Newcastle first lodged an offer for Elanga. They failed to convince Evangelos Marinakis to part ways with the fleet-footed winger at the end of the 2024 summer transfer window, though they secured their quarry one year later.

It was a move laced with excitement, and Elanga could still prove a thrilling addition to Howe’s squad, but the right-sided forward has yet to register a goal or an assist for the Toon, and analyst Raj Chohan said the £100k-per-week talent has been “a massive overpay” on PIF’s part.

Certainly, Elanga and Anthony Gordon would appear perfect for Nick Woltemade at number nine, whose wide-ranging attacking skillset has proved unable to service either winger in the Premier League. Despite this, the German has been in fine form this season.

Howe has shown his tactical and coaching acumen over the past few years, but if he has run out of steam, there’s a manager waiting in the wings who could be the perfect successor.

The manager who could revive Elanga at Newcastle

According to The Mirror earlier in November, Newcastle have compiled a shortlist of managers who would be suitable for the job, should a managerial vacancy emerge in the not-too-distant future.

On this list is Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, whose performance on the south coast over the past several years has established him as “one of the best in the league”, in the eyes of Como scout Ben Mattinson.

Bournemouth caused a stir when they sacked Gary O’Neil after keeping them up in 2023, opting to replace him with the fresh and innovative ideas of Spaniard Iraola, who had impressed in his homeland with Rayo Vallecano over three campaigns.

But the Cherries haven’t looked back, posting a record-breaking Premier League return of 56 points last season, having implemented an attractive and progressive style of football.

Indeed, Iraola’s message of intensity underscores his potential to succeed at Newcastle, and it is this methodology that could see him prove the perfect coach to oversee Elanga’s resurgence.

Semenyo is the frontal part of a durable and exciting team. A key part of the attraction toward Iraola’s managerial skill is his ability to withstand upheaval. Many Cherries left during the summer, and Bournemouth have still impressed this season, five wins from 11 in the Premier League this year.

We have seen how Iraola has moulded Semenyo into one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League. The Ghanaian is the talk of the town and is expected to earn a big-money transfer in 2026.

Newcastle are likely to miss out, but if Iraola did end up at Newcastle, he might be the perfect manager to fashion Elanga into a star of a similar standing, taking his pace and power and weaving it into something deadly.

After all, even against the backdrop of a testing start to life in Newcastle, Elanga still ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 5% for crosses per 90, as well as the top 1% for percentage of shots on target (all data via FBref).

That latter metric is curious. It speaks of real potential as a goalscorer for Newcastle. Iraola’s adept wing play could see such success come to fruition, with Semenyo well known as a frequent pepperer of the goal.

This is all, obviously, hypothetical. Iraola is the manager of a high-flying Premier League outfit in Bournemouth, and the Magpies hierarchy continues to display a show of faith in Howe’s ability to turn things around.

But if things do not improve, and change is needed, it is clear that the 43-year-old Iraola will rank highly on the club’s list, having hit his stride and then some at the Vitality. Surely he would be tempted by a move to Tyneside, with Newcastle demonstrating over the past several years an ability to exceed expectations and win silverware.

This is all down to Howe, but he will not be in the dugout forever, and in Iraola, Newcastle could score themselves new teachings to inculcate into an outfit that has developed something of a knack for success, and is now ready to take that next step forward.

Related Newcastle already have the new Anderson & he's "England's next superstar"

Eddie Howe could unearth Newcastle United’s next Elliot Anderson by starting this promising star more often.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 18, 2025

حقق فريق الجونة فوزًا صعبًا على نظيره الاتحاد السكندري، بهدفين نظيفين، في اللقاء الذي جمعهما اليوم، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

واستضاف الاتحاد السكندري، نظيره الجونة، على ملعب استاد الإسكندرية، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من مسابقة الدوري المصري.

طالع.. ماريو ديسبوتفيتش يوضح دوره مع وادي دجلة.. ورأية في محمد الشيخ

وجاء هدف المباراة الوحيد عن طريق مروان محسن، مهاجم الجونة في الدقيقة السابعة من الوقت بدل الضائع في الشوط الأول من ركلة جزاء.

وجاء الهدف الثاني لصالح الجونة عن طريق أدهم كريم في الدقيقة الأخيرة من عمر المباراة.

وشهد اللقاء تلقي كريم الديب لاعب الاتحاد السكندري بطاقة حمراء في الدقيقة 39.

ورفع الجونة رصيده إلى 18 نقطة في المركز الثامن من جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، بينما تجمد رصيد الاتحاد عند 8 نقاط في المركز الـ20. أهداف مباراة الجونة والاتحاد السكندري في الدوري المصري

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos junta os cacos após um dos piores anos de sua história e aposta na gestão de Marcelo Teixeira para reorganizar o clube dentro e fora de campo. Mas o que esperar do Peixe no próximo ano? O Lance! listou alguns pontos para ficar de olho!

RelacionadasSantosSantos anuncia a contratação do meia OteroSantos29/12/2023SantosSantos vence o Corinthians e acerta a contratação do atacante Guilherme Augusto; saiba quem é e confira detalhes do negócioSantos29/12/2023SantosE o Pituca? Entenda o que falta para o Santos anunciar o retorno do volanteSantos28/12/2023

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

COMPETIÇÕES

O Santos não conseguiu garantir vaga para a Copa do Brasil. Assim, o clube disputará apenas o Campeonato Paulista e a Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro.

PODE CONQUISTAR

O Santos ficou fora dos últimos três mata-matas do Paulistão, e a missão do clube em 2024 é não passar dificuldades e garantir vaga às quartas de final na competição. Na Série B, o Peixe entra como favorito ao acesso e principal candidato ao título.

+ Veja como ficou a tabela do Brasileirão após a última rodada

QUAL JOGADOR VALE FICAR DE OLHO?

O rebaixamento forçou a diretoria a promover um reajuste na folha salarial da equipe, que está passando por uma grande reformulação. Mesmo assim, o Peixe se movimenta no mercado, e tanto Giuliano quanto Willian Bigode devem despontar como protagonistas no elenco e merecem a atenção do torcedor santista.

كشفت تقارير صحفية أن مدرب ريال مدريد، تشابي ألونسو، يضغط من أجل حسم ناديه لصفقة مميزة لتعزيز صفوف الفريق خلال الفترة المقبلة.

ويقود ألونسو ريال مدريد في موسمه الأول، ويسعى للمنافسة بقوة للعودة لحصد الألقاب، بعد موسم صفري للنادي الملكي تحت قيادة كارلو أنشيلوتي.

وتعاقد ريال مدريد في الصيف مع ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، فرانكو ماستانتنونو، ألفارو كاريراس، ودين هويسن.

وبحسب ما ورد في صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، يفكر ألونسو بجدية في الضغط من أجل ضم نجم يوفنتوس الشاب، كينان يلدز إلى فريقه، ويرى أنه الخيار الأمثل لريال مدريد.

اقرأ أيضًا | ريال مدريد يُفاجئ مبابي بشأن صفقة لاعب ليفربول

ويعد ألونسو أحد المعجبين بأداء يلدز منذ فترة طويلة، وسبق وحاول التعاقد معه حين كان مدربًا في باير ليفركوزن الألماني، لكن لم تنجح المفاوضات في ذلك الوقت.

ويرتبط يلدز بعقد مع يوفنتوس حتى يونيو 2029، ويعلم النادي الإيطالي جيدًا بأن لاعبه محل اهتمام لعدة أندية وسيعمل على محادثات تجديد حيث يرغب في الاحتفاظ بالنجم التركي الشاب.

وقد ترتفع القيمة السوقية ليلدز إلى حوالي 100 مليون يورو بحلول الصيف، وسيتضح حينها موقف ريال مدريد من التفاوض للتعاقد معه بهذا السعر.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco contou com o talento individual de Payet para dar duas assistências e vencer o Vitória por 2 a 1, na noite deste domingo (12), em partida válida pela sexta rodada do Brasileirão. Os gols em São Januário foram marcados por Maicon e Vegetti. Com o resultado, o Cruz-Maltino deixou a zona de rebaixamento da competição. Confira o Lance! Final no player acima.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoJornalistas detonam arbitragem de Raphael Claus, ‘mesmo roteiro em jogos do Vasco’Fora de Campo12/05/2024Fora de CampoTorcedores do Vasco vão à loucura com Payet: ‘Senhoras e senhores’Fora de Campo12/05/2024Fora de CampoWeb se revolta com decisão do VAR em jogo do Vasco: ‘Pênalti claríssimo’Fora de Campo12/05/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
VASCO 2 X 1 VITÓRIA
6ª RODADA – SÉRIE A DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO
🗓️ Data e horário: domingo, 12 de maio de 2024, às 18h30 (de Brasília);
📍 Local: São Januário, Rio de Janeiro (RJ);
📺 Onde assistir: Premiere;
🟨 Árbitro: Raphael Claus (FIFA-SP);
🚩 Assistentes: Alex Ang Ribeiro (FIFA-SP) e Daniel Luis Marques;
🖥️ VAR: Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral (FIFA-SP).

VASCO (Técnico: Rafael Paiva)
Léo Jardim; João Victor (Paulo Henrique), Maicon, Léo e Lucas Piton; Sforza, Galdames (Mateus Carvalho) e Payet (Praxedes); Rossi (Adson), David e Vegetti.

continua após a publicidade

VITÓRIA (Técnico: Léo Condé)
Lucas Arcanjo; Wullean Lepo (Zeca), Camutanga, Reynaldo e PK; Luan Vinícius (Iury Castilho), Dudu, Rodrigo Andrade e Matheuzinho (Jean Mota); Janderson (Luiz Adriano) e Alerrando (Zé Hugo).

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoFutebol NacionalVascoVitória

Watching Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-1 defeat to their bitter rivals in the Premier League on Sunday made it clear where Thomas Frank’s priorities need to be moving forward.

Whilst you could look at that loss and suggest that they need to improve defensively, which would be a fair comment after they conceded four goals, it is in possession where they really need to improve.

25/26 Premier League

Spurs

League rank

xG

11.0

17th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

16th

Progressive passes

413

12th

Shots

110

19th

Shots on target

40

15th

Average shot distance

15.6 yards

17th

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Spurs are one of the worst teams in the Premier League at progressing play with passes, creating shooting opportunities, and creating high-quality chances.

The Lilywhites ended the match against Arsenal with three shots on goal and 0.07 xG, per Sofascore, with their goal coming from Richarlison’s stunning long-range lob over David Raya.

Tottenham’s struggles at the top end of the pitch explain why the club are reportedly considering a move to sign Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo.

The Ghana international has a £65m release clause that can be activated at the start of the January transfer window, and Spurs are one of the teams vying for his signature.

How Antoine Semenyo could solve Tottenham's attacking problems

Whilst a lot of Tottenham’s problems could come down to coaching issues, with how players are asked to play, the team selections, and the patterns that are or are not coached in training, having a top talent in the final third can make up for some coaching problems.

Semenyo is the kind of forward who can create things for himself with his incredible speed, power, ball control, and ability in front of goal when he gets near the opposition’s box.

The former Bristol City striker’s goal against Liverpool at Anfield earlier this season is the perfect example of the kind of quality that he could bring to North London in the second half of the campaign.

With Tottenham’s lack of progressive passing and high-quality chances this season, having a player who has runs and goals like that in his locker would be invaluable for Frank.

That strike against Liverpool was also not a flash in the pan for the versatile attacker, who can play out wide or through the middle, because he has been in impressive form in the Premier League this term.

25/26 Premier League

Antoine Semenyo

Percentile rank vs wingers

xG

4.58

Top 1%

Goals

6

Top 1%

Shots

23

Top 10%

Shots on target

14

Top 1%

Assists

3

Top 6%

Successful dribbles

21

Top 5%

Touches in the opposition’s box

45

Top 12%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Semenyo has been one of the most productive wingers in the division for Bournemouth this season, with more goals than any other winger in the league.

These statistics, and the nature of his goal against Liverpool in particular, suggest that signing the Cherries star would go a long way to solving some of the attacking issues that Frank’s side have.

Therefore, Spurs should push hard to win the race for his services by activating his release clause at the start of the January transfer window and trying their hardest to convince him that a move to North London is the best next step in his career.

£65m, though, would make him the club’s joint-record signing alongside Dominic Solanke, who also came from Bournemouth, so it would take a big financial commitment from the Lilywhites.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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In order to make a move for the 25-year-old star viable, sporting director Fabio Paratici should look to ruthlessly sell some of the club’s current players to fund a transfer for Semenyo.

One of the sellable assets who should be cashed in on by Paratici to create funds for a swoop for the Cherries sensation in January is right-back Pedro Porro.

Why Spurs should sell Pedro Porro

Ahead of the summer transfer window, CaughtOffside reported that the Spain international was attracting interest from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City.

It was claimed that Spurs were not interested in selling the full-back at the time, which was in May, but that they would have changed their tune if an offer of around £57m came across their desk.

Whilst Porro ultimately remained in North London, that report in the summer shows that there are some top clubs across Europe who would be interested in him if he became available, although it remains to be seen if any of them would pay the £57m price tag.

The Spaniard attracted interest from those teams after a return of four goals and nine assists in 51 appearances in all competitions for Spurs in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, but his form this season has left a lot to be desired.

Polish journalist Michał Okoński described his crosses into the box as a “disaster” earlier this month, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment when you consider that he has lost possession 222 times and delivered one assist in 12 Premier League games, per Sofascore.

Pedro Porro – Premier League

24/25

25/26

Appearances

33

12

Possession lost per game

17.5

18.5

Key passes per game

1.7

1.2

Big chances created

10

2

Assists

6

1

Pass accuracy

76%

73%

Cross accuracy

31%

17%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Spain international’s use of the ball has regressed since the end of the 2024/25 campaign. He is currently giving the ball away more frequently whilst creating less for his team.

Porro has been far too wasteful with the ball at his feet at right-back for Tottenham. That is evident in his regressing creative stats, but it is also evident in that he has made four errors leading to shots for the opposition in the Premier League, twice as many as he made in 33 matches last season.

As well as his struggles on the ball, the former Sporting star has gone from averaging 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game last season in the Premier League to averaging just 1.7 per match in the current campaign, per Sofascore.

These statistics show that Porro has regressed in and out of possession at right-back for the Lilywhites, which is why it could be the right time for Paratici to cash in on him in January, amid interest from City, Barcelona, and Bayern, to avoid his value dwindling if his form does not improve.

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Whilst it remains to be seen how much teams would be willing to pay for him, any fee in the region of the quoted £57m would go a long way to funding a deal for Semenyo, who has a £65m release clause.

Former allrounder credits friend and ex-team-mate for bringing him back to the sport he loves

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2025

Andrew Flintoff’s return to coaching was engineered by his friend Rob Key•Ashley Allen/Getty Images

Andrew Flintoff has credited his friend and former team-mate Rob Key for creating the conditions that have allowed the England men’s set-up to flourish under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, and says that the team’s positive outlook is a key reason why he wanted to come on board as England Lions head coach.Speaking to the Beard Before Wicket podcast, Flintoff reiterated that Key’s friendship had been a crucial factor in his return to public life, following the horrific car-crash on the set of Top Gear in December 2022.However, it was Key’s vision for English cricket that persuaded Flintoff to make a full return to the sport in a coaching capacity, initially as a consultant for the men’s white-ball squad, and latterly as Lions coach, including for this winter’s tour of Australia, which will run parallel to the main Ashes campaign.The pair have been close friends since their days in the England Under-19 set-up, and Flintoff declared that Key was “England’s best captain never to a captain the side”.”His cricket brain works in a different way to a lot of other people,” he said. “He’s similar to Shane Warne and people like that, they see the game differently.”You’re always going to have your critics. You can go into Wetherspoons down the road, and there’ll be 15 people who know better than Pep Guardiola. Everyone’s got an opinion, but I think he enjoys being the one making the decisions. He loved playing, but by doing this job, he can make an impact, and he wants to do it his way.”I think what they’ve done – himself [Key], Brendon, Stokes, now Harry [Brook]’s taken over in one-day cricket – as a fan, it’s been amazing. The way they play and the players they pick, they seem really good lads from the outside. I suppose that’s one of the reasons I wanted to be involved in this.”English cricket’s going forward. We’re leading the way in a lot of respects, and I want to be a part of that. By doing the Lions, I’m getting a chance to get involved and hopefully bring the next lads through. I’m very much on the same page of what they’re trying to do with England, and I feel fortunate to be a part of it.”England head into this winter’s Ashes with Ben Stokes looking to cement his legacy as captain with a first series win in the country since 2010-11. Flintoff himself captained England to a 5-0 loss in the 2006-07 campaign, and while he recognised there were similarities between the two men as players, he insisted Stokes was on a different level as a leader.”I do see similarities, but as a leader, he’s incredible,” Flintoff said. “I captained England, and I was terrible. I really was. It wasn’t for me, but you see him … he’s got that atmosphere. He’s got that aura.Three lions: Steve Harmison, Rob Key and Andrew Flintoff celebrate England’s 2004 series win against West Indies•Getty Images

“One of the things which I prided myself on as a player was, when the game’s on the line, that’s when the best of me came out. And I see that with Ben. Playing against Zimbabwe in Harare, I’m probably not going to at be my best, you know, but in the big moments, that’s when I came alive, and that’s when Ben does.”Both players have been prone to bowling long, punishing spells as captain – with Flintoff once bowling more than 50 overs in a drawn Test against Sri Lanka in 2006.”I just ran myself into the ground,” he said. “I’ve seen him do that a little bit as well, but Ben’s got Baz and good people around him, just to save him from himself. I never had that.”Elsewhere in the interview, Flintoff recalled how Key had helped to coax him back into the public domain, first by inviting to attend the 2023 Ashes series in a private capacity, and then by offering him a chance to work behind the scenes with England’s squads.He admitted that he had been “bricking it” prior to his first involvement with the men’s squad, for their white-ball series against New Zealand in September 2023, at which stage he had still not been seen in public since his crash.However, the welcome he received from the squad reminded Flintoff that “actually, this is this is where I want to be, this is where I feel comfortable”.”Cricket did save me,” he added. “It got me out of the house, and it got me focused on something, but more importantly, surrounded by people who have got something in common. I genuinely love it. I love the culture. It’s so much fun.”