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Van der Dussen, who turned 36 earlier this month, has accepted that his time in the team will not be forever

Firdose Moonda27-Feb-2025While most in South African white-ball cricket see every step of the next two years as building a path to the home ODI World Cup in 2027, Rassie van der Dussen is entertaining the idea that the Champions Trophy 2025 could be his last multi-team event.Van der Dussen turned 36 earlier this month and currently plays only one format for South Africa, though he has been capped in all three. As he gets older and a younger crop of batters start coming through, he has accepted that his time in the team might be nearing an end.”It’s definitely a possibility that it’s my last ICC tournament. I’m not saying that with any preconceived ideas that I’ll call time on it, or management will call time on my career. It’s just the reality,” van der Dussen said in Karachi, where South Africa are preparing for their last group stage match against England.Related

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“It’s such a great thing that there’s so many young players coming through, guys really playing well. A guy like Tristan Stubbs, he’s sitting on the sidelines. Or Tony de Zorzi. And even if you go into the domestic structure, Matthew Breetzke came in and made that 150. You can even go further back, Lhuan-dre Pretorius just made a hundred against Western Province in the one-day cup. Ryan’s [Rickelton] only starting out now actually so there’s so many good players.”I’m not blind to the possibility that if I don’t perform that someone won’t be there to take my place. I certainly don’t expect any preferential treatment because I think in a healthy environment, guys push each other organically and that pushes everyone to be better.”Three of the players van der Dussen mentioned – Stubbs, de Zorzi and Rickelton – are in South Africa’s Champions Trophy squad and along with him are competing for, at most, two spots in the top order. One of those positions is to open alongside captain Temba Bavuma – and that role has shifted between de Zorzi and Rickelton – and the other to bat at No. 3 (though de Zorzi and Rickelton both played the tournament opener against Afghanistan as Heinrich Klaasen was out injured).Van der Dussen knows Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi are pushing him for a spot in the South Africa line-up•ICC/Getty ImagesSince 2019, van der Dussen has been South Africa’s most regular No. 3 and with good reason – he has their third-highest batting average in ODIs and has built a reputation for reliability. But over the last year, that has started to wane.Before his 52 against Afghanistan, van der Dussen had gone ten innings without a half-century and it has been 13 since the last time he scored a hundred. Though there is no suggestion of it – and him being at a press conference suggests also no danger of it – when Klaasen returns to full fitness, van der Dussen could be in the firing line if all of Bavuma, de Zorzi and Rickelton are retained. In the immediate term, it is more likely, de Zorzi will sit out and van der Dussen could get a shot at a title he has been working towards. “For me I always wanted to get to the Champions Trophy, which is now, and then we’ll reassess after that,” he said. “My national contract is coming up at the end of April.”I’ll have discussions with Rob [Walter, the white-ball coach] and with Enoch [Nkwe, director of national teams and high performance] and see where they see me and what my role is going forward. I feel like I’m playing well. Physically, I’m putting a lot of time into my body. If I’m still good enough in two years, I’d like to think that I’m in the mix. If not, if other guys are pushing me and I can’t keep up with the youngsters, then that’s also fine.”

“My ultimate goal has always been to play for the Proteas. People are asking me, are you going to play leagues afterwards? I don’t know if the prospect of not playing for the Proteas goes away, I’ll have that hunger to play in the leagues”Rassie van der Dussen

Unlike some players in the twilight of their careers around the world – Trent Boult, Devon Conway and Tabraiz Shamsi are some examples – van der Dussen does not appear inclined to reject a national contract for league opportunities.”My ultimate goal has always been to play for the Proteas,” van der Dussen said. “People are asking me, are you going to play leagues afterwards? I don’t know. I don’t know if the prospect of not playing for the Proteas goes away, I’ll have that hunger to play in the leagues. Representing my country has always been one of my big and only goals so if that falls away, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. If I’m offered another contract, I’ll definitely take it and commit for that time period.”And even if that contract does not take him all the way to 2027, van der Dussen wants to play a part in helping South Africa’s ODI side move towards their best ahead of the World Cup. “I would suspect that, from a management point of view, your 2027 World Cup side has to start playing more regularly and start playing together. But there’s a lot of leagues happening in the next few months and everyone won’t be available all the time, so even if it’s in a transitional sort of role, I’ll definitely commit to that. Being here is for me the ultimate thing. Leagues are nice, but that’s not my be-all and end-all.”Rassie van der Dussen is focusing on upskilling his game and believes leagues like T10 have helped in that regard•SportzpicsHe confirmed that while he has not retired from red-ball cricket, in “the last year or two of my career, I can’t see myself playing any more red-ball cricket”, and that he turned down an offer to do so later this year. “I did have a county offer thrown my way, which I declined.”Instead, he is focusing on upskilling his short format game and seeing how far it takes him. “I’ve played in a few leagues and done well. Even leagues like T10 have taken my game forward. That’s why I’m feeling now that I’m still hungry and I’m still playing well.”As things stand, South Africa have at least one more Champions Trophy game and, depending on the outcome of the Afghanistan vs Australia match, may not even need to win it to progress to the semi-finals.They take on England, who are already eliminated, but who van der Dussen believes could still be dangerous opposition. “We were always coming into this match saying that it will possibly be a quarter-final type of situation. Whoever wins that will go through. A little bit changes for them because they can’t go through anymore but for us, it’s a match against England. We don’t need any extra motivation to play England.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo, nesta noite de sábado (27), venceu o Goiás de virada por 2 a 1, no Morumbi, em jogo válido pela oitava rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Retornando de lesão, David entrou no final do segundo tempo e, nos acréscimos, aproveitou uma falha da defesa do Esmeraldino para virar a partida. Emocionado, o atacante comentou sobre a vitória e sua volta aos gramados.

RelacionadasSão PauloVÍDEO: Emoção até o fim! Veja os melhores lances da virada do São Paulo sobre o Goiás pelo BrasileirãoSão Paulo27/05/2023São PauloATUAÇÕES: Caio tem grande atuação, e David faz o gol salvador da virada do São PauloSão Paulo27/05/2023São PauloVAR age, mas São Paulo vira sobre o Goiás no Morumbi, sobe ao G4 do Brasileirão e continua invicto em nova era DorivalSão Paulo27/05/2023

– Estou muito feliz de poder voltar com a confiança de todos. O professor vem nos apoiando, dando confiança e falando que eu ia voltar e ajudar muito a equipe. Hoje fui feliz de voltar depois de uma lesão complicada. Deus sabe o que faz. Foi uma lesão que poderia ter sido mais grave, de (ligamento) cruzado, com cirurgia. Eu aguentei bem, fiquei um mês pouquinho no departamento médico, agradeço também a eles que me deram apoio, cuidaram bem de mim para voltar bem e ser coroado com o gol da vitória. Quando a bola chega ali na frente, não pensa em dor, em joelho, nada – disse o jogador ao canal Premiere na saída de campo.

+ATUAÇÕES: Caio Paulista tem grande atuação, e David faz o gol salvador da virada do São Paulo
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O jogo começou complicado para o São Paulo, que viu o Goiás abrir o placar após Maguinho subir sozinho no meio da área do Tricolor. O primeiro tempo foi de um time pouco criativo e com dificuldades de ditar o ritmo do jogo.

Já na segunda etapa, apoiado pela torcida, a equipe começou a pressionar o rival e, após chute de fora da área desviado pela defesa, Pablo Maia empatou a partida. Dorival promoveu três mudanças no final da segunda etapa e foi dos pés de uma delas que saiu o gol salvador. Após bola mal rebatida pela defesa do Goiás, David aproveitou a sobra e empurrou para o fundo das redes.

O São Paulo volta a entrar em campo na próxima quinta-feira (01), diante do Sport, pelo jogo de volta das oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil. O Tricolor pode perder por até um gol de diferença que estará classificado. A bola rola às 19h30 no Morumbi.

MatériaMais Notícias

Palmeiras e Corinthians se enfrentam neste sábado (29), às 18h30, no Allianz Parque, em partida válida pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Em momentos distintos, as equipes fazem o segundo Dérbi do ano. O clássico não terá transmissão na TV aberta.

> Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Em boa fase, o Verdão vem de classificação na Copa do Brasil diante do Tombense e atualmente ocupa a quarta colocação do Brasileirão, comquatro pontos conquistados. Na estreia, o Palmeiras derrotou o Cuiabá, em casa, por 2 a 1 e na segunda rodada empatou com o Vasco em 2 a 2, no Maracanã.

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

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Ainda sem a definição de um novo técnico após a saída de Cuca, apesar de ter se classificado para as oitavas da Copa do Brasil, o Timão vive um momento conturbado. Assim, o ex-meia Danilo, técnico do sub-20, é quem dirigirá o Time do Povo no clássico. O Corinthians está na 14ª colocação do Brasileirão, com três pontos. Na última rodada, foi derrotado pelo Goiás por 3 a 1 fora de casa.

O técnico Abel Ferreira ainda não pode contar com Bruno Tabata, emtransição, Atuesta, que passou por cirurgia no joelho direito, e Marcos Rocha, que sofreu uma lesão na coxa esquerda diante do Tombense. Em contrapartida,Raphael Veiga está recuperado de lesão muscular e deve ser titular neste sábado, assim como Rony, que já havia retornado diante da equipe mineira na Copa do Brasil.

Do lado do Timão, Fagner e Adson, que eram dúvidas, foram relacionados para o confronto no Allianz Parque. Ambos sentiram problemas musculares no duelo contra o Remo, no meio de semana. Já o zagueiro Bruno Méndez foi preservado por controle de carga. Ele também sentiu a parte física e precisou ser substituído no compromisso pela Copa do Brasil.

Veja todas as informações da partida:

PALMEIRAS x CORINTHIANS

Local: Allianz Parque, em São Paulo (SP)
Data e hora: 29/4/2023, às 18h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Wilton Pereira Sampaio(Fifa-GO)
Assistentes:Guilherme Camilo (Fifa-MG) e Nailton Junior Oliveira (Fifa-CE)
VAR:Pablo Ramon Gonçalves Pinheiro (VAR-Fifa-RN)
Onde assistir: Premiere (pay-per-view) e em tempo real no LANCE!

PALMEIRAS:Weverton; Mayke, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo e Piquerez; Zé Rafael, Gabriel Menino e Raphael Veiga; Dudu, Artur e Rony. Técnico: Abel Ferreira.

Desfalques:Bruno Tabata (transição), Marcos Rocha (lesão na coxa esquerda) e Atuesta (cirurgia no joelho direito)
Pendurados: não tem

CORINTHIANS:Cássio; Fagner, Gil, Murilo e Fábio Santos (Matheus Bidu); Roni, Fausto Vera e Matheus Araújo; Adson, Yuri Alberto e Róger Guedes. Técnico:Danilo.

Desfalques:Bruno Méndez (controle de carga), Caetano (transição, treinando parcialmente), Renato Augusto (recuperação de cirurgia no joelho) e atacante Pedro (transição após entorse no tornozelo direito)
Pendurados: Fausto Vera

South Africa showed ’em all how it is done – with the papare band blaring at the Dubai International Stadium in front of a sparse crowd.A collective bowling effort was followed by a strong batting show, led by a 96-run partnership between captain Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch. They registered an eight-wicket win in the first semi-final to send Australia packing from Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, thereby ending their run of seven successive finals in the competition.Australia’s first ICC competition after Meg Lanning’s retirement ended in the knockout stages, with the six-time champions also missing Alyssa Healy who suffered a foot injury against Pakistan.South Africa first restricted Australia to 134 for 5 despite a late surge, and then romped home by eight wickets with 16 balls to spare to make a massive statement and enter their second consecutive T20 World Cup final.

Powerplay strangle ft. Kapp and Khaka

The clarity in South Africa’s thinking was evident at the toss, when they inserted Australia in a crunch game. Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka got enough swing with the new ball. In fact, Khaka did not even have to find out about the purchase to pick up a wicket. Her first ball in the game was a length ball that shaped away a touch and Grace Harris slashed into the hands of backward point.Nonkululeko Mlaba and Co celebrate Tahlia McGrath’s wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Kapp had extracted enough movement both ways in the opening over. In her second, she saw a free hit being dispatched through square leg by Georgia Wareham. But she used the outswing to undo the batter, the DRS coming to South Africa’s aid. Kapp bowled one on good length around the fifth stump and Wareham couldn’t resist the slash. The on-field umpire missed the edge but Kapp and wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta knew.Kapp was getting so much assistance that Wolvaardt gave her a third straight over inside the powerplay. Australia managed only 35 for 2 in the first six overs, their lowest in the phase in this T20 World Cup, and ended up facing 19 dots.

A semblance of recovery courtesy Mooney, McGrath

Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath are called “McMooney” by fans for their numerous rescue acts with the bat. They joined forces when Australia were 18 for 2 after three overs. McGrath ended the powerplay with two fours off Nonkululeko Mlaba’s over, but it felt the ball was not coming onto the bat. Wolvaardt exploited that by bringing spin on from both ends and McGrath’s next boundary was only in the 11th over. She fell a couple of overs later, hitting Mlaba straight to cover to end her 50-run stand with Mooney.At that stage, it seemed Australia had the perfect base for take-off. Mooney, on 37 off 38 then, swiped one through square leg in the 16th over to end another boundary-less phase of 29 balls. In the process, she became the ninth woman – third from Australia – to 3000 T20I runs. But in a bid to steal a non-existent run – coupled with a Kapp brilliance – she was run out for 44 off 42 balls.Despite that, Australia managed to get a strong finish, scoring 31 off the last three overs, thanks to Ellyse Perry and Phoebe Litchfield. But given what followed, it was not strong enough.Laura Wolvaardt got off to a solid start•Getty Images

Wolvaardt and Bosch knock out Australia

Like Australia, South Africa also faced 19 dot balls in the first six overs. But they hit five fours and a six in that phase to finish on 43 for 1, the highest by any team against Australia in this T20 World Cup. But while Australia scored 21 in their nine attacking shots in the powerplay, South Africa managed 32 off ten. It began with Tazmin Brits unafraid of using her feet against Ashleigh Gardner and then against Megan Schutt, too. Brits hit Gardner for a six, clearing the leaping Annabel Sutherland at the rope.Sutherland, though, struck with her first ball, getting a length delivery to skid and rattle Brits’ off stump. The time was ripe for Australia to apply the squeeze, but Wolvaardt and Bosch had other ideas. The former first clubbed Sutherland over midwicket before Bosch hit back-to-back boundaries off Sophie Molineux in the sixth over. Wolvaardt also swung her Adelaide Strikers team-mate Darcie Brown over long-on for a massive six.Intent was writ large throughout South Africa’s chase with Bosch attempting a couple of reverse hits and being nimble on her feet against spin. South Africa had hit a four in every over from the third to the eighth. It was followed by three boundary-less over but Bosch broke the shackles by hitting Wareham for a four and six off back-to-back deliveries. She then went 4, 2, 4 against Gardner in the next over to bring up her fifty.Wolvaardt fell – holing out to mid-off – with South Africa only 14 away. Bosch duly finished it off to remain unbeaten on 74, her best T20I score.Only earlier this year, South Africa had defeated Australia for the first time in T20Is. Who knew that would be a precursor to something massive like this, and put them a step closer to their maiden world title?

Perhaps India should have swept the ball more. Or at least employed the sweep more effectively (given several batters were out playing that shot throughout the series).India captain Rohit Sharma thinks that this is what the Sri Lanka batters did better than their counterparts through the course of this 2-0 result. They were better at stretching the India field square of the wicket. In the third ODI, for example, Sri Lanka scored 173 of their 248 runs (roughly 70%) square of the wicket. Only 38 of their runs came down the ground.”They were consistent with sweeps, taking their chances,” Rohit said of Sri Lanka’s batters. “There weren’t a lot of runs scored down the ground. They didn’t use the feet as much as we expected. It was about using sweeps and piercing that deep square leg and midwicket field. That is something we failed to do as a batting unit. We didn’t play enough sweeps, reverse sweeps, or paddle sweeps, and used our feet too much. That was the difference.Related

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“If you look at Kusal Mendis and Avishka Fernando today [who put on an 82-run stand], they got a lot of runs square of the wicket. They were using the turn, and sweeping, making the fielder move left and right. They were smart with how they batted and we were not.”All in all, we need to admit where we have made mistakes, we didn’t dominate against spin. On such wickets, you need to dominate a bit and the Sri Lankan spinners had consistently kept us under pressure in all three games.”It’s strange to put India’s batting against spin under the microscope, because while India’s international limited-overs tracks have tended to be good for batting in recent years, India’s batters are generally no strangers to turning tracks, which Rohit and others have emphasised through the series.5:05

Rohit breaks down his batting method in the powerplay

The approach for now, seems to be to let each batter figure their own strategy out when playing on big-turning tracks. Some may want to dart forward more often, but others may prefer to go deep into their creases. The thinking is that playing spin well looks different from batter to batter.”It is more to do with individual plans rather than us telling them what to do or what shot to play. All these guys have come here playing so much cricket. All of a sudden to tell them to do things a little different – to play the shot that they are not comfortable with – is not ideal.”That’s where I have said, it’s all about individual plans, how they want to take the bowlers on, what are the shots they want to play. It starts with your training, When you get to your sessions, I can see the guys are working hard in the nets whenever we get the opportunity to train as well. I don’t see there being a lack of effort when we want to try and play different shots.”Although his team was modest with the bat, Rohit was easily the best batter of the series, hitting 157 runs at a strike rate of 141.44 across the three games. As an opener, he did enjoy the best batting conditions. But in games one and two, in which he scored fifties, he had ensured that the required run rate was not a major concern for batters coming after him.”I knew that the runs that will be scored during the powerplay will be critical. I knew that the wickets will get a little slow after that, the ball will turn a bit and even the field is spread out. When there are only two fielders outside the ring, we had to take our chances. I took those chances whenever I felt that I could put the bowler under pressure. All the runs that you score over and above that, it benefits the team to play the remaining 40 overs.”My personal effort was to ensure that I score as many runs as I could. It was not as if I wanted to throw my wicket away after the powerplay. I wanted to continue the momentum and intent, but I unfortunately got dismissed while trying to play a few shots. My batting plan is pretty simple and straightforward.”

Celtic have now submitted an offer of up to £2.5m for an “amazing” versatile star in the summer transfer window, according to a new transfer update.

Hoops supporters will be hoping to see a flurry of attacking reinforcements between now and the end of the current window, with Bojan Miovski one such player who has been linked with a summer switch to Parkhead.

The 26-year-old is now plying his trade at Spanish side Girona, but he has proven his worth in the Scottish Premiership in the past, proving to be a star man for Aberdeen and scoring 44 goals in 98 appearances for them.

Meanwhile, Rapid Vienna winger Isak Jansson has been mentioned as a possible replacement for the outgoing Nicolas Kuhn, who is on the verge of joining Serie A side Como.

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph claimed Celtic have enquired about the availability of Jansson, and there has now been another key development.

Celtic make £2m+ bid for Jansson

According to a new update from Celts Are Here, Celtic have now submitted an offer of as much as £2.5m for the signature of Jansson this summer.

That said, a bit in excess of £3.4m has reportedly been made by an unnamed club, so the Hoops won’t have things all their own way. A rumoured valuation of £8.6m is said to be “super ridiculous”, according to the report, perhaps set with the goal of making Celtic and others enter a bidding war.

Losing Kuhn will clearly hurt the Hoops, considering what a dangerous and prolific performer he was for the Scottish champions last season, but in Jansson, they could have a fantastic option lined up.

The Swede has been capped internationally across four different youth age groups and can play on either wing or through the middle as a number nine, and he has racked up 17 goal contributions (10 goals and seven assists) in 45 appearances for Rapid.

Isak Jansson’s international stats

Caps

Goals

Sweden Under-21s

3

0

Sweden Under-17s

20

2

Sweden Under-16s

1

0

Sweden Under-15s

2

1

At 23, Jansson is still a young player with plenty of time to improve as the years pass, so Brendan Rodgers may like the idea of developing him as a footballer, with Rapid sporting director Marcus Katzer lauding both his ability and sell-on value.

“One week after we exercised the purchase option in the season, we had an offer of more than £1 million on the table. He will clearly be transferred for many times what we paid for him. He has been an amazing success for us.”

There is a lot of competition for Jansson’s signature, however, so it won’t be easy for Celtic to strike a deal, but he is an ideal right-sided winger to come in and fill the void left by Kuhn, while his versatility also allows him to add depth across the attack as Rodgers prepares to fight on multiple fronts next season.

Liverpool are acting like a team whose wish is not just to defend their Premier League crown next season, but to compete for and clinch silverware in the Champions League and the domestic tournamental trophies.

Standing on the precipice of devolution last summer (or so it seemed), Liverpool held their tongue amid the transfer din and let their rivals dart this way and that as they pieced together teams capable of competing for the biggest prizes.

With Jurgen Klopp leaving after coming a day late and a dollar short in the 2023/24 title race, the Reds were largely forgotten, condemned by public opinion to a season of scrambling to retain their recovered seat back among Europe’s elite.

But Klopp made sure Anfield knew the name Arne Slot before he left, and the Dutch coach returned the call 11 months on, having tied red ribbons onto the league trophy.

Liverpool might not have made much noise in last year’s transfer market, and indeed weren’t considered a threat for the top spot by many, but things have changed and now the Merseysiders are looking to consolidate their position at the summit, with so many waiting for them to fall.

There’s a lot going on, but FSG have yet to move for a new striker, and they need to do exactly that.

Liverpool need a new striker

With Darwin Nunez expected to leave this summer, Liverpool have been expected for several months to sign a new number nine.

Sadly, that won’t be Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak. The Athletic’s David Ornstein has claimed there’s “no chance” he leaves St. James’ Park after clinching Champions League football, with PIF sure to demand north of £150m for their star man.

With Isak looking like a no-go, Liverpool have instead shifted their attention over to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike in recent weeks, but the French forward, 22, currently looks to be leaning toward a move to Chelsea.

Ekitike is dynamic and layered in his approach, though perhaps not far enough into his development to justify the £84m payment Frankfurt want.

Ekitike’s good and all, but would Liverpool be getting bang for their buck? It’s uncertain. However, there’s a far greater chance a deal for one of Europe’s established powerhouses would provide Slot with the goals he craves.

Liverpool open talks for new striker

They say money talks, but the riches of Saudi Arabia appear to have fallen on deaf ears in Victor Osimhen’s case. The Napoli forward has rejected a staggering £25m-per-year salary to move to Al-Hilal, instead choosing to remain in Europe.

With a €75m (£63m) release clause in his contract, transfer insider Graeme Bailey believes conversations with Liverpool officials last month might have played a part in the Nigerian striker’s decision, with a move to the Premier League his preference.

Previous reports claim Osimhen, 26, has been on Liverpool’s radar for a while, and given that other options appear financially unviable, Liverpool may want to launch their move in the coming weeks.

Why Liverpool want Victor Osimhen

It’s been a long time since Liverpool had a consistent and reliable focal frontman, one who could rival any across the game.

Bobby Firmino was indisputably world-class, but not really a goalscorer in the strictest sense; Daniel Sturridge on his day could throw down with the best of them, but getting him into the ring and out of the infirmary proved a different battle altogether.

What Liverpool need is their new version of Luis Suarez, the Uruguayan legend turning the Premier League into his playground during his time on Merseyside. Steven Gerrard actually called the “world-class talent” the best that he had played with.

And in Osimhen, Slot could unearth exactly that guy. The deadly Napoli striker was out on loan with Galatasaray last season, winning trophies and scoring goals (37, in fact, across just 41 fixtures). For context, Isak scored 27 times in all competitions in 2024/25, while Ekitike netted 22 times for Frankfurt.

Osimhen might have endured a bitter divorce with his Naples parent club, but that only increases the chances of Liverpool enjoying a smooth negotiation process to bring him over to Anfield.

Once described as a “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Osimhen was the cream of Napoli’s incredible Scudetto-winning 2022/23 campaign, defenders powerless to stop his powerful movements and thunderous striking.

Regarded by one talent scout to have some of the best pressing in the business, the £83k-per-week goalscorer wouldn’t just stand isolated as a target man under Slot’s wing.

Indeed, as per FBref, he ranked among the top 4% of strikers across applicable leagues last season for shot-creating actions, the top 18% for progressive carries, and the top 16% for ball recoveries per 90, emphasising his energy and tenacity in winning back possession and then making things happen.

This was exactly the same with the veteran Suarez, whose unrelenting hunger for the ball built an invariably prolific career, deadly for so many clubs across Europe during his heyday.

Barcelona

283

195

113

Ajax

159

111

68

Liverpool

133

82

31

Atletico Madrid

83

34

6

Groningen

37

15

10

Barcelona actually wanted to replace Suarez with Osimhen back in 2019, but were tilting into financial ruin and ultimately opted against the move, instead signing Antoine Griezmann for £107m – a deal which worked out just great for La Blaugrana.

At his core, Osimhen is a deadly goalscorer, but he’s also so much more. Skilful, smooth and intelligent, he could certainly prove to be a striker as complete as Suarez was during his Anfield days.

Would there be an element of risk with signing a striker seemingly tagged with contention? Maybe, but then Suarez had a fiery streak too, and he did just fine on English shores.

Move over Wirtz: Liverpool can sign Salah's next Firmino in £84m "magician"

Mohamed Salah is going to have some exciting new attacking talent alongside him next season.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 8, 2025

If this is to be the end of Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United, it would mark a sorry way to go out.

The architect of the club’s surge to the Europa League final, having scored six goals in the knockout stage alone, the Portuguese playmaker couldn’t repeat those heroics on the big stage, having put in a surprisingly muted display in Bilbao.

A defeated captain in a European showpiece for the second time – having led the team out in the absence of Harry Maguire in 2021 – the 30-year-old was far from at his best, epitomised by his two errant passes in the build-up to Brennan Johnson’s crucial strike on Wednesday night.

Speaking after that dismal 1-0 defeat, the United skipper outlined that he would be forced to accept it if the club did decide to cash in on him this summer, with The Telegraph’s James Ducker relaying that Saudi side Al-Hilal are “eager to sign” the midfielder.

As Fernandes admitted himself earlier this year, he had turned down an “offer” from elsewhere before signing a new extension last summer, with it yet to be seen if he will continue to remain the centrepiece of Ruben Amorim’s side.

Should a surprise exit occur or not, it is clear that the Red Devils are in desperate need of more players of his ilk, with that search seemingly already underway.

Man Utd's search for a Bruno Fernandes successor

While things may have been different in Bilbao, Fernandes has stood apart as the major success story of the past decade or so, having registered 98 goals and 86 assists in all competitions in just over five years.

The former Sporting CP star is a real creative spark, particularly when operating as a number ten, with the same perhaps true of departing Lyon starlet, Rayan Cherki, a player whom United know all about following their meeting in the Europa League earlier this year.

According to journalist Patrick Berger, there were even talks held with the player’s representatives following that quarter-final clash, with United said to hold a “strong interest” in the Frenchman.

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The suggestion is that the Red Devils are competing with Borussia Dortmund for the 21-year-old’s signature, with it having already been revealed that Cherki will be leaving the Ligue 1 side at the end of the season.

Reportedly available for around £25m, as per prior reports, the in-demand talent – who is not said to be a “priority target” for Liverpool – could represent a real bargain addition for INEOS this summer.

Why Rayan Cherki could be the next Bruno Fernandes

Fernandes may be the captain of a sinking ship in some regard, but that should not take away too greatly from the remarkable impact he has had over the past five years, often carrying the creative and goalscoring burden on his own at times.

Currently leading the way for goals and assists again at Old Trafford this season, the “creative machine” – as hailed by Manchester City counterpart, Kevin De Bruyne – has so often taken centre-stage. He is a man who relishes the limelight.

That is a quality that Cherki appears to share, with the silky sensation notably netting in fine fashion against Amorim’s men at Old Trafford, having rifled the ball home past a helpless Andre Onana – just a week on from scoring at the death in the first leg.

Described as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by The Athletic’s Alex Barker, the youngster has replicated Fernandes in showcasing his impact both creatively and in getting goals himself, having scored 11 times and contributed 22 assists in 44 games in 202425.

That includes a return of eight goals and 11 assists in the French top-flight, with the United skipper, for instance, recording a similar return of eight goals and nine assists in the Premier League.

Games

30

35

Goals

8

8

Goal frequency

257min

367min

Big chances missed

1

10

Assists

11

9

Big chances created

22

15

Key passes*

2.5

2.5

Pass accuracy*

84%

81%

Successful dribbles*

1.6

0.8

Possession lost*

14.5

18.3

As indicated above, Cherki is also something of a ‘creative machine’ himself, having provided 22 big chances in Ligue 1, alongside averaging 2.5 key passes per game. Fernandes, as shown, averages 2.5 key passes per game in England’s top tier, albeit while creating ‘just’ 15 big chances.

That willingness to make something happen may lead to the odd erratic pass – as their possession lost record illustrates – but the two men both share that ability to unlock a defence with a moment of magic, or turn a game in an instant.

It is for no reason that teammate and ex-Arsenal man Ainsley Maitland-Niles has hailed Cherki as the “best natural talent” he’s ever seen, while going on to describe the forward as a “wizard on the ball”.

Much like Fernandes has done for so long, United are in need of someone else to conjure up some magic in Manchester. The Lyon diamond certainly seems to fit the bill.

The new Van Nistelrooy: Man Utd make approach for £55m Delap alternative

Man Utd are desperate to sign a new centre-forward this summer, with Liam Delap just one target to have emerged.

ByRobbie Walls May 20, 2025

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has plenty of work to do in the window, though there are still question marks remaining over one of his most recognisable stars heading into the summer.

Celtic's summer transfer plans begin to accelerate

Plenty of movement is expected in both directions at Parkhead once the off-season comes around as the Bhoys look to build for next campaign’s Champions League qualifiers.

Currently, Celtic are a point off being crowned Scottish Premiership champions and still have a domestic treble in their sights, which, in turn, is bound to raise the stock of several assets who are already well-regarded in the football world.

Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Nicolas Kuhn are among those who may attract interest from elsewhere this summer, making it a priority for Brendan Rodgers to do his due diligence on potential replacements.

According to reports, Slovan Bratislava star David Strelec is a target at Parkhead and may be available for an overall package of £5.9 million, alleviating some of the strain on Celtic’s slim forward line.

Furthermore, Mathias Kvistgaarden is a long-term Hoops pursuit, even if his £13.5 million valuation could discourage the Parkhead hierarchy from pushing forward in their bid to sign the Denmark Under-21 international.

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1

By
Dan Emery

Apr 14, 2025

Either way, there is an acknowledgment that a refresh will be needed to maintain hunger for silverware over the next few years. Several Celtic stars may consider their options this summer; it is just the nature of a squad cycle’s lifespan in Glasgow’s east end.

Nevertheless, there could now be a twist involving one of Rodgers’ disciples who has seemed destined to leave the club for a few months, per reports.

Celtic star Greg Taylor could u-turn and extend his contract

In recent times, Greg Taylor has become a prime candidate to leave Celtic as even with weeks until the end of the season, no news of a contract extension has emerged regarding the Scotland international and he is now set to become a free agent this summer.

Nevertheless, journalist Mark Guidi has made clear that Taylor could yet stay at the Bhoys, claiming that the gap between player and club in negotiations over a new deal isn’t ‘insurmountable’ despite suggestions to the contrary.

Guidi stated on Go Radio: “Maybe having seen the reception he got from the Celtic supporters on Saturday, he’s clearly a very popular member of the squad.

“He’s a good guy around the dressing room, good guy around the training ground. He got his family, his young family, involved on Saturday.

“Maybe he’ll just think, do you know what? If Celtic can come up with a bit, by all accounts, they are a good bit apart in terms of what he’s been offered and what he’s looking for. It’s a good bit, by all accounts, but it’s not insurmountable.”

Kieran Tierney has been quietly announced ahead of the summer. Nevertheless, his frequent injury problems over recent years mean a reliable competitor in his position will be needed to handle another congested fixture schedule.

Taylor won’t have designs on playing second fiddle, but competition for your role is the nature of the beast at Celtic. Following months of speculation, could an unexpected stay still be on the cards?

Kuldeep was the Player of the Match in India’s last Test but he knows that does not guarantee anything

Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Nov-20252:19

Bangar: ‘Kuldeep has to play all Tests in India’

Kuldeep Yadav has won three Player-of-the-Match awards in Test cricket: against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2022, against England in Dharamsala last year, and in India’s most recent Test match, against West Indies in Delhi last month.On the first two occasions, India left Kuldeep out of their XIs in their very next Test. On both occasions – Mirpur, 2022 and Chennai, 2024 – he went out because India left out a spinner to play an extra seamer.There’s a chance now that Kuldeep’s wretched luck with Player-of-the-Match awards could continue into Friday, with India captain Shubman Gill suggesting on the eve of the first Test against South Africa that the team management was debating the choice between an extra allrounder and an extra spinner.Related

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The context of Gill’s statement was a question about whether India were thinking of picking a third seamer rather than a third spinner given Eden Gardens’ recent history of help for fast bowling.This was Gill’s reply: “This time of the year, there’s always a conflict whether you would want to go for that extra allrounder or you want to go for an extra spinner, but once we come tomorrow, see how the wicket looks in the morning, we are going to take a decision [on] what kind of combination would give us the best chance to be able to win this Test match.”India’s bowling combination in their last Test match in Delhi was two seamers in Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj and three spinners in Kuldeep, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, of whom the last two are allrounders.Kuldeep Yadav was the Player of the Match in India’s last Test•AFP/Getty ImagesThere are two possible interpretations of Gill’s statement.One is that India are thinking of picking a third seamer, in which case Akash Deep would come into their attack. That, then, would mean leaving out either Washington or Kuldeep.Given that Gill referred to the time of the year, this seems the likely quandary for India. The weather in Kolkata through the Test match is set to be mild, with daytime temperatures in the mid-to-early 20s (Celsius). With the ground staff preparing a pitch that looks like it will start out flat and true, there is a chance that the sun may not beat down hard enough over the first two or three days to accelerate surface wear and tear. Given the likelihood of swing, both conventional and reverse, playing a role through the Test match, India may feel a third seamer could be a likelier wicket-taking option than a third spinner.This would leave them with the classic debate: attacking wristspinner with the tools to take wickets even on flat pitches (Kuldeep) vs offspinning allrounder who is good enough to play either as a pure batter or bowler in Indian conditions, but who is unlikely to run through teams on unhelpful surfaces (Washington).On the evidence of the Delhi Test, where India spent 200 straight overs on the field after making West Indies follow on, India would be heavily inclined to pick Kuldeep. On a slow, low Delhi pitch where edges seldom carried to close catchers, Kuldeep was by far India’s most incisive spinner, picking up 8 for 186 in 55.5 overs. Between them, Jadeja and Washington bowled 88 overs and took 5 for 269.But India value batting depth, and have emphasised it to an unusual degree during Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach. Kuldeep can hold up an end as a lower-order batter, as he has shown previously in Test cricket, and showed last week while scoring 20 off 88 balls and 16 off 54 in India A’s second unofficial Test against South Africa A in Bengaluru. But Washington is a proper batter with a century, five fifties, and an average of 44.76 in Tests. There is no competition between the two as batters.And even if he may lack Kuldeep’s wicket-taking genius, Washington is a genuine bowler in home conditions, and can bowl long spells and test batters’ defence even on flatter pitches, particularly through his ability to generate unusual amounts of drift.Washington Sundar scored his maiden Test century in England earlier this year•AFP/Getty ImagesIt isn’t a straightforward choice at all, if the choice is between Kuldeep and Washington, with the player picked batting at No. 8.There is, though, another possible interpretation of Gill’s words, that India stick to a two-seamer, three-spinner combination, with Kuldeep and Axar Patel – who would be the extra, third allrounder – fighting for one slot.At Thursday’s press conference, Gill was asked if Kuldeep vs Axar was the conflict he had referred to.”I think let’s leave that one for tomorrow,” Gill said, after a pause. “You can see it at the toss.”In most circumstances, three spin-bowling allrounders would seem like overkill, and an exceedingly defensive move, especially if it came at the cost of the point of difference Kuldeep brings to India’s attack. With Rishabh Pant returning to their XI and displacing Nitish Kumar Reddy, their batting definitely doesn’t need the extra security of Axar batting at No. 9.But there are signs that India could be a little worried about Kuldeep’s form. They released him midway through the white-ball tour of Australia so he could get into red-ball rhythm by playing an unofficial Test for India A. He went on to endure a difficult match with the ball: just one wicket across two innings in South Africa A’s five-wicket win while going at a run a ball in the first innings and at close to five an over in the second.Anyone can have a bad match, of course, and Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, who also played that match, also bowled expensive spells, on a pitch at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru that began as a green seamer before flattening out entirely.Axar Patel’s last Test was in February 2024•BCCISiraj and Akash Deep, however, aren’t in the position Kuldeep has occupied right through his career. Whether it was Jadeja and R Ashwin in his early years or Jadeja, Washington and Axar now, he has always been the wristspinner who isn’t much of a batter competing with quality fingerspinning allrounders. Any fluctuation in Kuldeep’s form is a chance for one of the others to remind the team management of their best attributes.And Kuldeep isn’t competing with bits-and-pieces allrounders. Even Axar, who hasn’t played a Test match since February 2024, is a genuine bowler in Indian conditions. When he lost his place during the series against England last year, he had begun looking a little one-dimensional, threatening only one edge of the bat, with teams seeming to have worked out the threat of his wide release and undercut. But he has shown signs of late, albeit in white-ball cricket, of having worked hard on adding more layers to his craft, dangling up a noticeably higher proportion of overspin-heavy balls in the 81-84kph range, much slower than his usual pace.Because there’s so much competition, none of India’s spinners are standing still and resting on their skillsets. They simply cannot afford to.”I consider myself very fortunate to have the allrounders we have,” Gill said. “Whether it’s Axar Patel or Washington or Jaddu , whether it’s their bowling record or their batting record, it’s really good, especially in India. As a captain, it’s very difficult to decide whom to pick and whom to leave out, because they are as good batsmen as they are bowlers, they are proper allrounders […] But it’s a better problem to have too many options rather than too few options.”India’s problem of plenty has once again left them mulling over a splitting headache of a selection. Whether it’s two spinners or three, and whether it’s two allrounders or three, someone who would walk into most other Test teams will be sitting out.