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Liverpool owners FSG reportedly have a "strong relationship" with an "unbelievable" transfer target, according to an update from journalist Ben Jacobs.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds are still basking in the glory of their EFL Cup triumph over Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, as a young side sealed glory at Wembley in memorable fashion.

Away from the on-field action, however, work is no doubt going on surrounding new signings in the summer transfer window, with Liverpool's next manager wanting to bring in players who can suit his style of play.

One individual who has emerged as a shock candidate for the Reds is Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, with a move to Anfield something that would not go down well at all among Blues supporters. He is seen as an alternative to fellow target Goncalo Inacio.

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is also being looked at as a potential option in defence, and the England international could come in as a direct replacement for Joel Matip, who is likely to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

FSG have "very strong relationship" with Leeds sensation

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs claimed that FSG have a "strong relationship" with Leeds star and Liverpool target Archie Gray, even though he may remain at Elland Road for the time being due to a desire to develop his career organically.

"Some members of Liverpool's hierarchy have a very strong relationship with the Gray family. But it is clear, within that family, that the development of Archie Gray needs to be a patient one. The feeling from the player and the family is that Leeds is the right place for him at this moment in time. If anybody comes in for him in the summer, they're going to have to give a clear pathway and potentially find a short-term solution for minutes through a loan.

"It's unlikely, if Gray signs for a club like Liverpool in the summer, that he would be getting regular minutes. I think the player knows that and, at this stage, he is only really thinking about Leeds."

Gray has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the recent past, and this update adds real encouragement that a switch could happen in the future, even if that isn't as soon as this summer.

At just 17 years of age, the Leeds starlet has a huge future in the game, and he has been a big part of an impressive season at Elland Road to date, starting 30 of his side's Championship matches and helping them sit second in the Championship.

Ali Maxwell of the Not The Top 20 podcast has called Gray "unbelievable", and his ability to play at right-back and in midfield draws instant comparisons with Liverpool superstar Trent Alexander-Arnold, with 22 appearances coming in the former in 2023/24.

The Liverpool star who outshone Virgil van Dijk in the Carabao Cup final

Although Van Dijk won the MOTM award in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, one Liverpool player was just as good.

By
Zak Anderton

Feb 25, 2024

The long-term potential that the Englishman possesses means the Reds should do all they can to sign him, and the fact that FSG's relationship with him and his family is healthy can only be a good thing.

Manchester City are leading the race for a “world-class” star, and they are now prepared to explore a deal in the January transfer window.

Man City looking at signing new forward after slow start

Man City’s opening match was full of promise, picking up an impressive 4-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but they have since gone on to lose their last two matches, and Rodri was very critical of the performance in the 2-1 loss at Brighton.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner said: “Some of the mistakes we are making are kids’ mistakes; you are not concentrating and paying attention. The reality is that we have to raise the level if we want to compete.”

Pep Guardiola initially attempted to ‘raise the level’ by overhauling his squad during the summer transfer window, although there were very few additions in forward areas, with the now injured Rayan Cherki the only outright attacker to move to the Etihad Stadium.

That is despite City being heavily linked with a new winger, and at one stage they were preparing an offer for Rodrygo, but the Brazilian ultimately ended up remaining at Real Madrid.

However, there has now been a new update on Man City’s pursuit of Rodrygo, with a report from Caught Offside revealing they are leading the race for the 24-year-old’s signature. It is claimed that the forward is seen as a “perfect fit” and a “key piece” in City’s fluid attacking system.

During the summer transfer window, Arsenal were informed that Madrid would be prepared to listen to offers of around €80m (£69m), which suggests it may take a similar amount to get a deal done this winter, with City now willing to explore a January move.

More rounded than Isak & Haaland: Man City must rue losing 'world's best CF'

Manchester City must regret selling a centre-forward sensation who could rival Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak

By
Will Miller

Sep 6, 2025

Interestingly, Madrid are open to cashing-in on the Brazil international this summer, which may be music to Pep’s ears, given that the 54-year-old is known to be a long-term admirer.

"World-class" Rodrygo could take Man City's attack to next level

Oscar Bobb has made a decent start to the season, scoring at the Club World Cup, before going on to pick up an assist against Wolves on the opening day, but the Norwegian is still yet to truly establish himself at the top level.

As such, Pep may be keen to bring in a more proven winger this winter, and the Real Madrid forward is now a seasoned Brazil international, scoring seven goals in 33 appearances for his country, while also picking up 119 goal contributions in 272 outings for his current employers.

Journalist Kyle Bonn has previously praised the former Santos man for his ability to put away chances, which is evidenced by the fact he has averaged 0.35 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, despite being expected to score 0.21 per 90.

Rodrygo could take Man City’s attack to the next level, so it is exciting news that they have now moved into pole position in the race for his signature.

Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner and England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt were the most expensive overseas players at a price of INR 3.2 crore

Shashank Kishore13-Feb-2023India batter Smriti Mandhana was the most expensive buy at the inaugural Women’s Premier League auction in Mumbai, going to Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 3.4 crore (USD 415,000 approx). She was also the first player to come up for bidding at the auction on Monday.RCB spent nearly 50% of their INR 12 crore purse on three players in the first marquee set, also buying allrounders Sophie Devine at her base price of INR 50 lakh (USD 61,000 approx) and Ellyse Perry for INR 1.7 crore (USD 207,000 approx).They then added big-hitting 19-year-old wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, who featured in India’s victorious Under-19 World Cup campaign last month, for INR 1.9 crore (USD 232,000 approx).Related

• Smriti Mandhana set to return to action against West Indies

• Parth Jindal: 'People spent a lot on marquee players, didn't have much money for others'

• Urooj Mumtaz: 'Extremely unfortunate to see Pakistan players missing out on WPL'

• Reactions to the WPL auction – Smriti Mandhana watches herself make history

• Harmanpreet Kaur: 'WPL is a gamechanger for all of us'

“Everyone knows Mandhana and Perry, we were pretty committed to the couple of people we wanted to get,” RCB director of cricket Mike Hesson said. “We’re very happy to get such quality players. It’s a dream result for us to get Mandhana, Perry and Devine. Smriti has got plenty of captaincy experience and is familiar with the Indian conditions, so highly likely [she’ll be captain].”Mumbai Indians, who failed to buy Mandhana, beat off competition from RCB and Delhi Capitals for Harmanpreet Kaur and bought the India captain for INR 1.8 crore (USD 220,000 approx). Among Mumbai’s other big-ticket Indian signings were allrounder Pooja Vastrakar for INR 1.9 crore (USD 232,000 approx) and Yastika Bhatia for INR 1.5 crore (USD 183,000 approx).Allrounder Deepti Sharma was the second-most expensive Indian at INR 2.6 crore (USD 317,000 approx). She will line-up for UP Warriorz, who will be based in her home state of Uttar Pradesh. Warriorz also spent big on Tahlia McGrath and India allrounder Devika Vaidya at INR 1.4 crore (USD 171,000 approx) each, and Shabnim Ismail at INR 1 crore (USD 122,000 approx).

Gardner, Nat Sciver-Brunt most expensive overseas buys

Ashleigh Gardner, the No.1. allrounder in women’s T20Is, attracted the joint second-highest bid of INR 3.2 crore (USD 390,000 approx) from Gujarat Giants, alongside England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, who was bought by Mumbai for the same price.

Top ten most expensive buys

• Smriti Mandhana (RCB) – USD 415,000

• Ashleigh Gardner (Gujarat) – USD 390,000

• Natalie Sciver-Brunt (MI) – USD 390,000

• Deepti Sharma (UP) – USD 317,000

• Jemimah Rodrigues (Delhi) – USD 268,000

• Beth Mooney (Gujarat) – USD 244,000

• Shafali Verma (Delhi) – USD 244,000

• Pooja Vastrakar (MI) – USD 232,000

• Richa Ghosh (RCB) – USD 232,000

• Sophie Ecclestone (UP) – USD 220,000

Gardner’s strike rate of 133.62 is the highest among all batters with over 1000 T20I runs. On Friday, she picked up a five-for in Australia’s resounding win over New Zealand in their opening game of the Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.Sciver-Brunt, a hard-hitting middle-order batter and seamer, was the third highest run-getter in the 2022 Women’s Hundred. Her 228 runs in six innings for Trent Rockets came at a strike rate of 122.58.Her England team-mate and left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone went to Warriorz for INR 1.8 crore (USD 220,000 approx), while Beth Mooney, who was the highest run-scorer during Australia’s tour of India in December, was bought by Giants for INR 2 crore (USD 244,000 approx).

Players bought and money spent

• Delhi Capitals – 18 players for INR 11.65 crore

• RCB – 18 players for INR 11.90 crore

• Mumbai Indians – 17 players for INR 12 crore

• UP Warriorz – 16 players for INR 12 crore

• Gujarat Giants – 18 players for INR 11.95 crore

Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy, who wasn’t part of the two marquee sets and came up only in set five, was snapped up by Warriorz for a steal at INR 70 lakh (USD 85,000 approx), while Meg Lanning, Australia’s previous ODI and T20 World Cup-winning captain, was signed by Capitals for INR 1.1 crore (USD 134,000 approx). Capitals continued their overseas buying spree when they bought South Africa allrounder Marizanne Kapp, who attracted the highest bid among allrounders outside the marquee set at INR 1.5 crore (USD 183,000 approx).West Indies batter Hayley Matthews was the only player unsold from the first marquee set, but she was eventually bought by Mumbai during the accelerated phase at the end of the auction for INR 40 lakh (USD 49,000 approx). Among other surprise overseas omissions before the start of the accelerated phase of the auction were former New Zealand captain Suzie Bates, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, South Africa captain Sune Luus, and the Australian pair of Megan Schutt and Jess Jonassen. Jonassen was also bought during the accelerated phase by Capitals for INR 50 lakh (USD 61,000 approx), while RCB eventually picked up Schutt for INR 40 lakh (USD 49,000 approx).Alyssa Healy was bought by UP Warriorz for INR 70 lakh•Hanna Lassen/Getty Images

Capitals sign India’s Gen Z

Capitals bought India batters Jemimah Rodrigues (INR 2.2 crore – USD 268,000 approx) and Shafali Verma (INR 2 crore – USD 244,000 approx), alongside Australia captain Lanning, giving them plenty of leadership options.”No, it’s too early for that, but of course there are captaincy options in those names,” Parth Jindal, the co-owner of Capitals, said. “One is an India Under-19 captain [Shafali], another is a legend of the game in Meg Lanning. Jemimah too is a wonderful reader of the game. But it all depends on the coach at the end of it, also depends on who else we pick up.”Rodrigues got India off to a winning start over Pakistan at the T20 World Cup with a half-century on Sunday, while Shafali, who was part of that XI, captained India to their inaugural women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup last month.

Under-19 World Cup winners who got picked

Shafali and Ghosh, by virtue of being internationals, were grouped in the capped sets of players and predictably went for big money. With all five teams having established a core group of players by the time the uncapped players came up for bidding, it was only a select few from the victorious India Under-19 squad that got picked. Among those to get bought were Bengal’s Titas Sadhu (Capitals), Delhi’s Shweta Sehrawat (Warriorz), UP’s Sonam Yadav (Mumbai Indians) and Parshavi Chopra (Warriorz), Andhra’s Shabnam MD (Giants) and Mumbai’s Hurley Gala (Giants). S Yashasri, who was a standby at the World Cup, was picked by Warriorz.

Low demand for Associate Players

Associate players were in low demand, with only four of them – USA’s Tara Norris, UAE’s Mahika Gaur, and Scotland’s Bryce sisters, Sarah and Kathryn – being shortlisted for the accelerated rounds.Norris, the 24-year-old left-arm seamer from Philadelphia, was snapped up by Capitals for INR 10 lakh (USD 12,200 approx). She plays much of her cricket in England and was the second-highest wicket-taker for Southern Vipers in their charge to the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2020. She was also part of the Loughborough Lightning in the Kia Super League.At 16, Gaur could have been the youngest overseas signing and even attracted a bid from the Giants, only for them to be told they had exhausted their quota of six overseas players. The Bryce sisters didn’t find a bid.The inaugural season of the WPL will be contested by the five franchises from March 4 to 26, with all 22 matches being held at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Expansion team's home debut draws celebrities, sports icons including part-owner and San Diego Padres superstar Manny Machado

• San Diego FC hosted their first home game against St. Louis City SC
• Manny Machado, part-owner and Padres star, in attendance
• Snapdragon Stadium packed for MLS debut

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  San Diego FC, Major League Soccer's newest expansion team, played their inaugural home match at Snapdragon Stadium Saturday against St. Louis City SC. The historic event drew a sellout crowd, including high-profile figures such as part-owner and San Diego Padres star Manny Machado and boxer Ryan Garcia.

  The pair were on the field before the game and received a raucous ovation by the crowd.

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• WATCH THE REACTIONS

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  San Diego FC’s first home game ended in a goalless draw in front of the sellout crowd, although the fans did get to see quite a spectacle.

  The game was dominated by the home side with more than 67 percent possession by the final whistle, although St. Louis SC did enough to keep them at bay, restricting them to just one shot on target.

  Hirving Lozano was forced off in the 31st minute with a suspected hamstring injury and was replaced by Emmanuel Boateng.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  Following their goalless draw, San Diego sit in second place on the Western Conference table, unbeaten after two games with only the San Jose Earthquakes ahead of them.

  The expansion side go on the road next to face Real Salt Lake City on March 8 before returning home to host Columbus Crew on March 15.

However, Super Kings have requested to have his action tested under laboratory conditions at an ICC-accredited centre

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2023Aaron Phangiso, South Africa and Joburg Super Kings’ left-arm spinner, has been suspended from bowling in the ongoing SA20 with immediate effect due to an illegal bowling action. The Independent Bowling Action Panel on Tuesday confirmed that his action didn’t adhere to the regulations laid down by the ICC.The panel, consisting of match referee representative Gerrie Pienaar, former South Africa seamer Vernon Philander, and CSA’s High Performance Manager Vincent Barnes, submitted their final report on Monday after they were asked to judge the matter.Related

• Phangiso cleared to bowl after getting his action cleared

• SA20 venues face a power problem

• SA20 announces prize money of over USD 4 mn for inaugural season

• Phangiso reported for suspect action

Phangiso was reported by the match officials during Super Kings’ match against Pretoria Capitals on January 17.However, according to a media release on Tuesday, Super Kings have requested to have Phangiso’s action tested under laboratory conditions at an ICC-accredited centre. If the governing body’s testing shows that his action is legal, he will be allowed to resume bowling.Phangiso has taken ten wickets in six matches – including two four-wicket hauls – for Super Kings at the SA20 so far. His last game for them came against Sunrisers Eastern Cape on Saturday, where figures of 4 for 20 earned his side a win, and Phangiso a Player-of-the-Match award. With three wins in six games, Super Kings are currently occupying the fifth spot in the six-team competition.This is the second time in his career that Phangiso has been reported for a suspect bowling action. He was first reported during Lions’ win against Warriors in the semi-final of the Momentum One Day Cup in 2016, but was cleared after undergoing remedial work on his action.Phangiso, 39, has played 21 ODIs and 16 T20Is for South Africa, the last of which came against India in Cape Town in February 2018.

Leeds United are currently attempting to fight their way out of the Championship at the second time of asking, after they just fell short last term.

The Whites lost 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final, after finishing third in the division, and are currently sitting in third place once again, in the final international break of the calendar year.

Daniel Farke has a few players in his squad whose respective futures may depend on what happens between now and the end of the season, as Junior Firpo and Sam Byram are both set to become free agents next summer.

With this in mind, perhaps, Leeds are reportedly looking into the market to find a new left-back option to come in and bolster their playing squad.

Leeds interested in English full-back

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are interested in Gent left-back Archie Brown and are one of a number of clubs eyeing the young dynamo up.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that the Whites, Brentford, West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea are all lining up moves for the 22-year-old ace ahead of the January transfer window.

It states that he is on the radar of the aforementioned clubs but does not reveal how much the Belgian giants would demand in order to part ways with Brown, who was once dubbed “complete” by former head of scouting Samuel Cardenas, midway through the season.

TEAMtalk adds that Leeds may need to earn promotion to the Premier League to win the race for his signature, which could mean that they need to hope that the left-back remains at Gent until next summer.

If they can secure a deal to bring the former Derby County man to Elland Road, whether that is in January or next summer, then he could form an exciting partnership with Largie Ramazani.

Why Leeds should sign Archie Brown

The 22-year-old, who scored the winner against Molde in the Europa League recently, is six years younger than Firpo and nine years younger than Byram and this means that he has far more long-term potential for Leeds than the two players who are out of contract next year.

This means that he could be the first-choice left-back for the club for many years to come, and the Englishman could develop alongside fellow youngster Largie Ramazani, 23.

The summer signing from Almeria, who is currently out injured, has scored three goals and provided one assist in six Championship starts on the left flank this term, and is another player – like Brown – who is young and has plenty of potential to develop and improve.

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old ace has been in fine form for the Belgian side at left-back in the Pro League this season, rarely being dribbled past and winning the majority of his physical duels.

This suggests that wingers find it difficult to get the better of him and he could, therefore, provide a solid platform for Ramazani to then thrive going the other way, knowing that he has a solid defender behind him to deal with opposition forwards.

Given their respective ages, Farke could have his starting left-hand side for many years to come by bringing in Brown to play behind the Belgian starlet, which is why they could be an exciting duo, full of potential, for the Whites.

Leeds sold a "magician" who's now worth more than Rutter & Summerville

The former Leeds United star’s value has soared since his move from Elland Road.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 12, 2024

A furious Eddie Howe slammed the mentality of his Newcastle United players after a damning defeat to West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday. The Magpies had a nightmare outing at the London Stadium as they gifted the Hammers their first home win in nine months. After the loss, Howe's side have now slipped to 13th place in the Premier League table, with just three wins from their first 10 matches.

• A day to forget for Newcastle

  The Magpies started the game on a bright note as Jacob Murphy put the visitors in front after just four minutes. The right-winger weaved in and out of the Hammers defence before striking hard into the bottom-left corner. But Newcastle could only hold onto their lead for half an hour as Lucas Paqueta, looking to lead West Ham to safety, curled an effort from distance past the diving Nick Pope. Ten minutes later, an Aaron Wan-Bissaka cutback was turned into his own net by Sven Botman to give the hosts the lead. Newcastle pushed, but were unable to find a way back into the game and Tomas Soucek bundled home in injury time to seal the three points.

  It was the Magpies' fourth defeat of the season, as it left them struggling in 13th in the league table with just three wins from their first 10 league games. Star forward Anthony Gordon drew a lot of criticism as his Premier League goal drought extended to 19 matches.

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  Howe tears into Newcastle players

  Speaking to reporters about his team's performance after the game, a frustrated Howe said: "The dynamism wasn't there. The physicality and the energy were missing. We scored early and could have grabbed hold of the game but we didn’t and let it slip away. It didn't look like a Newcastle team that we've seen in recent seasons. The body language, the collective spirit on the pitch, loads of little things weren’t there. It was a by-product of us just not being where we needed to be mentally."

  On subbing off stars like Gordon and Nick Woltemade, the English coach added: "I could have taken anyone off. That is a reflection of where we were at that stage of the game. It is very rare for me to feel that way. I don't think I have since I have been Newcastle manager."

• West Ham relieved after regisering first home win in nine months

  Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo was happy to gift the West Ham fans the victory over the Magpies, as the Portuguese coach said: "I think the fans saw something in the team today. This is what we want. How can we as a team show to our fans that we want to fight and we want to change the situation."

  He added: "The players are realising that winning in the Premier League, we have to work very hard. We will do it again. The win makes it easier, there are smiles and the legs feel easier. We see slight improvements on the pitch. We have to create a platform on the pitch."

  Captain Jarrod Bowen told Sky Sports: "It’s obviously been a difficult period. But when I’ve spoke to the lads, [I’ve said] we’re the only ones who change it. When mine [my shot] hit the post… sometimes you think ‘Is our luck going to change?’ But we stuck at it and we went on to get a comfortable win. Yes, it’s been frustrating. But we have so much potential in this squad, and I’ve told the team, it’s up to us to go out and show it."

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  Newcastle aim for comeback in Europe

  Newcastle's players will now shift focus to Europe and aim to get back to winning ways after the disappointing away defeat against West Ham. In the Champions League, Howe's men have registered back-to-back wins after going down against Barcelona in their opening game. They next host Athletic Club at St James' Park on Wednesday before facing Brentford in a Premier League clash on November 9, their final game before the international break.

There’s rain forecast throughout the day but if we get a game, expect conditions to suit spin as the game goes on

Madushka Balasuriya17-Oct-20253:12

Preview: Pakistan search for their first win

Big picture – Pakistan’s battle to stay alive

It’s that time of the tournament where the calculators come out as qualification permutations start being meted out in earnest. Heading into this game, of the two sides New Zealand are the ones with qualification for the semi-finals still in their hands; wins in their next three and they’ll be on an unassailable nine points – easier said than done, though, as India and England await after their bout with Pakistan.For Pakistan, things are a little trickier. Not only are they firmly bottom of the table with a solitary point, they also have the worst net run rate. All that said they’re still not mathematically eliminated, though with South Africa and Sri Lanka to follow after New Zealand, three wins in three would be a monumental feat. And even that would not guarantee qualification, with other results needing to go their way.But for the time being all these sides can do is focus their attention onto matters on the field. Pakistan will know that they haven’t been as bad as results suggest. Yes, their three defeats have been pretty comprehensive, but two were to pre-tournament favourites India and Australia. And against England, it was only rain that halted their push towards a first win.Related

• Fatima Sana – a captain burdened, a fast bowler unrestrained

Fatima Sana has led from the front, picking up nine wickets across the tournament, and in her, Pakistan possess a potent weapon against most top orders – amplified by the fact that batting in Colombo has been at its most perilous in the first half of the innings. And in Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sandhu they boast a pair of spinners that would challenge any batting line-up.Their batting, however, has let them down at this World Cup, and it’s here that New Zealand will seek to gain an advantage. New Zealand have shown glimpses of their prowess with both bat and ball across this tournament, but are yet to string it all together. They bundled out Bangladesh cheaply, but failed to consistently challenge batters in their matches against Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka.On the batting front too, there have been good performances – especially from Sophie Devine – but none that have managed to blow the opposition away. These will be areas they will be desperate to improve on, and a down-on-their-luck Pakistan might be just the opposition they would be eyeing to sharpen their blades.

Form guide

New Zealand WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)

Pakistan LLLWL

In the spotlight – Baig and Tahuhu

Fatima Sana has been doing the business with the new ball, but her new ball partner Diana Baig has struggled to hold down the fort at the other end. Baig, to be fair, has had a fairly prolific 2025, picking up 17 wickets so far in 12 WODIs. It is, in fact, the most successful calendar year of her career, but her economy rate has been on the high side – in a series against South Africa last month she conceded 8.83 an over, and even in a dominant performance against England she went at 8.33. With their batting misfiring, Pakistan will know they can ill-afford to leak runs.Lea Tahuhu took seven wickets across New Zealand’s opening three matches at this World Cup – her only three matches in 2025, in fact – but found herself on the bench against Sri Lanka. That decision was based on Chamari Athapaththu being perceived to have a poor match-up against left-arm seamers like Bree Illing. Pakistan are one of Tahuhu’s favoured opponents, with her economy rate across 11 WODIs against them just 3.70, so expect her to be back in the XI and with a point to prove.2:14

Sawyer: ‘We’ve got to be really wary of the Pakistan attack’

Team news

Tahuhu is likely to be back in the XI, having sat out the washed-out match against Sri Lanka on tactical grounds.New Zealand XI (probable): 1 Suzie Bates, 2 Georgia Plimmer, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Sophie Devine (capt), 5 Brooke Halliday, 6 Maddy Green, 7 Isabella Gaze, 8 Jess Kerr, 9 Rosemary Mair, 10 Eden Carson, 11 Lea Tahuhu.Pakistan haven’t been shy about changing up their XI, particularly their batting order. But considering the washout against England, they might stick to an unchanged side.Pakistan XI (probable): 1 Omaima Sohail, 2 Muneeba Ali, 3 Sidra Amin, 4 Aliya Riaz 5 Natalia Pervaiz, 6 Sidra Nawaz (wk), 7 Fatima Sana (capt), 8 Rameen Shamim, 9 Diana Baig, 10 Nashra Sandhu, 10 Sadia Iqbal

Pitch and conditions

More of the same from Colombo as far as the weather is concerned, with rain forecast throughout the day. If we do get a game, expect the pitch to suit spin as the game goes on.

Stats and trivia

• Suzie Bates is 75 runs away from 6000 in ODIs. She is also 68 runs away from surpassing Charlotte Edwards to become the second-highest run-scorer in WODIs.
• Bates has scored 874 runs at an average of 72.83 against Pakistan, only bettered by Stafanie Taylor’s 1287.
• New Zealand hold a 15-1 win-loss record over Pakistan in WODIs, with their last defeat coming in 2017.

Quotes

“They’ve [Pakistan have] put some teams in some real tough spots, I think they had Australia 6 for 60. And then obviously the other night England was 7 for 70. So, their bowling attack is one that we’ve got to be really wary of. They’ve really challenged a couple of weeks or two of the top nations. So, yeah, been impressed in particular with their bowling.”
“We have a chance to go in[to the] semis if we win the next three matches. So maybe the scenario is open, so maybe we will win the three matches.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League triumph at the end of the 2024/25 campaign has injected a newfound sense of excitement into the fanbase for the future of the club.

Ange Postecoglou may have lost his job despite the success, and Daniel Levy’s position as chairman, remarkably, is no more, but with Thomas Frank at the helm, the man tasked with the responsibility of building on the European victory, things look rosier.

The Dane has already made an incredible start to life in North London, winning two of his three outings – including a superb display against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the Etihad.

The fanbase mustn’t get carried away with the recent showings, but it’s excellent to see the Lilywhites moving in the right direction after years of failures on the pitch.

However, if the club are to mount any serious charge up the Premier League this campaign, they will likely need to nullify the threat of one big-money transfer in the months ahead.

Alexander Isak's record against Spurs

Despite owner Daniel Levy spending over £120m on new additions this summer, top-flight rivals Liverpool have obliterated such a number – dropping over £400m in the window despite winning the league in 2024/25.

The likes of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké had already completed moves to Merseyside before the Reds dropped an English record £125m fee to secure the services of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United.

Arne Slot’s side now possess a huge array of attacking talent, further strengthening their grip at the top of the table – with the Lilywhites needing to try and keep the Swede quiet after his big-money move.

Over the years, Isak has enjoyed coming up against Spurs, netting six times in his five outings against the club – the joint-most of any side he’s faced in his professional career.

Such a move has left the rest of the division in awe, offering a real fear factor to any side who dares go toe-to-toe with them – but Frank’s side now also possess a player of similar quality within their ranks.

The Spurs player who’s worth more than Isak

In an attempt to bolster the options at the new manager’s disposal, Levy secured the signature of winger Mohammed Kudus, with the Ghanaian joining in a £55m transfer from West Ham United.

He’s already made an immediate impact in North London, registering two assists on his league debut for the club – subsequently nailing down the right-wing position as his own.

However, he could be aided in the final third by another one of the club’s additions – potentially linking up together and creating their own deadly partnership.

Xavi Simons was selected as the man Levy and Co wanted to fill the number ten role in North London for 2025/26 and beyond – forking out a fee in the region of £52m for his signature.

He’s become a recognisable name over the last couple of years after starring for RB Leipzig, but he now has the chance to further impress upon his move to the Premier League.

The Dutchman impressed in the Bundesliga last campaign, subsequently ranking in the 97th percentile for passes into the final third per 90 (2.5) and the 97th percentile for carries into the final third (2.9).

Such numbers highlight the talent the 22-year-old possesses with the ball at his feet, able to provide needed quality to Frank’s side, whether that be in a wide left or central attacking midfield role.

However, it’s all well and good getting into good areas – but it’s another being able to add an end product, something which Simons demonstrated last season, as he ended the year with 17 goal contributions in Germany’s top-flight.

Creating a connection with Kudus is one thing, but his transfer to the club has already generated massive excitement – with the hierarchy getting themselves a bargain given his recent upturn in market value.

Simons, who’s been labelled “world-class” by Rafael van der Vaart, has now been valued at a staggering £92.2m by FootballTransfers – a near 100% increase on the fee paid not even a week ago.

Such a figure is higher than that of Isak, with the new Liverpool man only valued at £89.4m despite his recent record-breaking transfer to Anfield on deadline day.

If Simons can replicate the numbers which led to his move to join Spurs, his transfer fee would be a huge bargain – potentially fulfilling the board’s ambitions of building on the Europa League win.

At just 22, he has bags of time to reach the next level in his career, with his value only going to rise higher if he can keep improving under Frank’s guidance. This could well turn out to be an amazing parting gift from Levy.

Spurs have struck gold on "world-class" star who's worth more than Simons

Tottenham Hotspur have showcased their excellent work in the transfer market over recent years.

By
Ethan Lamb

Sep 4, 2025

Trio of fifties set the agenda for bottom club in must-win contest

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay16-Sep-2025Worcestershire 320 for 5 (Roderick 95*, D’Oliveira 84, Edavalath 61) vs DurhamHalf-centuries from Rehaan Edavalath, Brett D’Oliveira and Gareth Roderick helped Division Two bound Worcestershire frustrate relegation candidates Durham on day two of their Rothesay County Championship clash.Durham struck twice in the morning session to leave the visitors 49 for two, but 21-year-old Edavalath and 19-year-old Dan Lategan combined for a partnership worth 84 to steer their side out of a spot of trouble.Durham bounced back with a double-wicket burst, removing the pair in the afternoon, but Roderick and D’Oliveira frustrated Durham, picking up their own half-centuries in a partnership worth 170, the highest fifth wicket partnership for their side in the fixture, to take the Pears to 320 for five at close.After a washout on day one, Durham won the toss and elected to bowl first in their crucial clash with the Pears.
Jake Libby got off the mark early on with a tidy shot through the covers from the bowling of Ben Raine. The Worcestershire opening pair of Libby and Edavalath managed to negate some probing bowling from Raine and Matthew Potts without taking many risks during the first half hour.Raine was rewarded for the pressure he built up as Libby was caught behind for 14, after he chased one down the legside. A second soon followed as Kashif Ali edged a Potts delivery straight into the hands of David Bedingham at third slip for 10.Lategan then came to the crease and showed the first signs of aggression from the Pears batting line-up as he picked up three boundaries from a Potts over.
Edavalath remained solid after seeing off the new ball and Lategan continued to attack as the youthful pair took their side to 100 before lunch.Edavalath calmly accumulated his way to his maiden First Class fifty just after lunch, reaching it from 96 deliveries.
The opener played a glorious straight drive off the bowling of Durham’s Afghan debutant Shafiquallah Ghafari for four to keep the scoreboard ticking over.Lategan followed that up as he cut a Raine ball to the boundary, but Raine struck back as he got him LBW for a well-made 44.Pears skipper D’Oliveira was almost following the youngster back to the pavilion as he edged a Raine delivery to Emilio Gay at second slip but he couldn’t cling on.Just a couple of balls later, chaos ensued in the middle as when going for a quick single, Edavalath was sent back by his skipper and he was run out by Graham Clark for 61. However, D’Oliveira played a beautiful shot through the offside off the bowling of Potts to break the shackles.Roderick and D’Oliveira soaked up the pressure and they continued to accumulate runs, with the Pears captain finding the boundary after Sam Conners offered a bit of width. Roderick then joined in to whip a Ghafari ball off his legs to the boundary.The pair resumed after tea, with Roderick playing a delicate shot through the onside for four to kick things off after the tea break and he passed fifty off 88 balls soon after. D’Oliveira then reached his milestone from 114 balls as he got his side to a first batting point.Durham took the new ball on the 80-over mark and there was a little bit on offer for Raine, but Roderick and D’Oliveira continued to look unflustered.D’Oliveira played a beautiful shot through the offside for four, while Roderick continued to attack as he whipped a Will Rhodes ball through the legside for four.There was a late twist as Conners sent D’Oliveira’s off-stump flying for an excellent 84, but it was Worcestershire’s day as they got to 320 for five at close.