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After already making their first approach for his signature, Nottingham Forest have now reportedly been handed the green light to push on and sign a talented 17-goal striker this summer.

Nottingham Forest plotting South American swoop

If recent rumours are anything to go by then Nottingham Forest’s recruitment team certainly has a soft spot for South American talents. Having already watched the likes of Murillo thrive at the City Ground, Evangelos Marinakis is set to welcome at least three more Brazilian talents this summer amid reports that Forest have agreed a deal to sign Igor Jesus, Jair Cunha and Cuiabano from Botafogo.

Just how much of an instant impact all three players make remains to be seen, but there’s no denying that they are all talented in their own right. That said, the standout remains Jesus.

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By
Charlie Smith

Jun 13, 2025

The young striker has looked ready for a move into European football for some time and the City Ground could be the perfect environment for his goalscoring prowess to thrive alongside a South American contingent.

Given that all three players are currently at the Club World Cup with Botafogo, the big question for Forest will be whether they can complete their triple swoop in time for them to feature at the start of next season.

The Tricky Trees have just discovered where they’ll be and when in the Premier League season, with the visit of Brentford awaiting on the opening day in August. It’s then that Nuno Espirito Santo could have the aforementioned trio available and potentially one more Brazilian talent at his disposal.

Nottingham Forest receive green light for Romulo move

Having already made their first approach and established contact over a potential deal, those in the Midlands could now take their next step towards another South American star. According to CNN Turk, as relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest have now received the green light to sign Romulo Cardoso by the forward himself, who wants to complete a move to the Premier League.

At 23 years old, Romulo has already made his mark on European football with as many as 17 goals and 10 assists in just 33 appearances in Turkey last season. Now, he could be set to complete the biggest move of his career.

Nottingham Forest join race for £85m star who’s starred at Club World Cup

He’s a man in demand…

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 18, 2025

The striker spot is certainly up for grabs at Nottingham Forest too. As impressive as Chris Wood has been – scoring 20 Premier League goals last season – there’s no denying that he’ll be past the peak of his powers sooner rather than later at 33 years old. And that’s why Romelo’s arrival would prove to be so important this summer.

Newcastle United are confident that they will keep Alexander Isak in the squad this summer, but a new striker is being chased all the same.

Eddie Howe wants more firepower in the attacking third, with Callum Wilson ageing and out of contract, and William Osula, 21, drifting through his maiden year as a Magpie.

Well, The Telegraph understand talks with Brighton & Hove Albion are on the brink of kicking off for the transfer of Joao Pedro, who is valued at £60m and who the Seagulls are willing to sell this summer.

Newcastle open talks for sought-after star

Pedro, 23, is proven in the Premier League and has the dynamic faculties to complement Isak, rather than outright replace him. However, there may be an even bigger fish Howe could add to the Tyneside pond.

As per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Newcastle have held talks with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, putting their name in the hat as Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool all tussle for the striker’s signature.

Ekitike might be the talk of the town, but it doesn’t seem like any suitor would be willing to meet the Bundesliga club’s €100m (£85m) valuation of the 22-year-old. Saying that, the player’s entourage have informed the relevant parties that a reduced figure may yet be agreed.

Newcastle agreed an initial £26m deal to sign Ekitike when he was at Stade de Reims way back in 2022, but he rejected their interest when Paris Saint-Germain came calling.

What Hugo Ekitike would bring to Newcastle

Newcastle might have felt the force of Ekitike’s rejection in the past, but he was a teenager who had been presented with a proposal to remain in his homeland with the cream of Ligue 1’s crop.

PSG didn’t work out for him, only scoring four times across 33 senior showings before being rehoused in Germany with Frankfurt, but it’s here where the striker has found his feet, with his first full campaign at the club ending with 22 goals and 12 assists across all competitions.

His displays have actually led analyst Ben Mattinson to praise him as “one of the best strikers out there.”

As far as Pedro’s concerned, Ekitike is the superior player, and if Bailey’s on the money (quite literally) with his claims that Frankfurt’s £85m demands might be slashed, putting every effort into convincing the Frenchman feels like a no-brainer.

Goals scored

0.53

0.46

Assists

0.28

0.28

Shots taken

4.00

1.94

Shot-creating actions

3.55

3.33

Touches (att pen)

6.88

5.64

Progressive passes

1.86

3.60

Progressive carries

3.27

3.05

Successful take-ons

1.83

1.34

Ball recoveries

3.06

2.73

Tackles + interceptions

0.81

1.16

As you can see, the two forwards are matched up rather well, but Ekitike clearly has the edge, outperforming his South American counterpart across most relevant metrics.

Indeed, should you strip away Pedro’s penalties in the Premier League last season, he would rank among the bottom 21% of the division’s forwards for goals scored per 90.

Oh, Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard has praised the Brighton man’s “magical” ability on the ball, but Ekitike might just be ‘Europe’s most elegant striker’, so say the Bundesliga, in any case.

But the proof is in the pudding, and Frankfurt’s number nine passes the eye test, all right. There’s a certain lightness to his dribbling, with an underlying creativity that would see him hit the ground running on English pitches, in Howe’s system.

Pedro is a talented footballer, but Ekitike is simply that bit better, and Newcastle have got to aim for the stars as they go from strength to strength.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig believes Ekitike “could reach world-class striker levels.” Pedro is a talented guy, but is the same scale of potential also applicable to him?

This is a tough case, with Frankfurt proving stubborn in their appraisal of the striker and rival interest against top-drawer outfits making PIF’s task difficult.

But just imagine if they pull it off; it would remind the footballing world that there’s a new superpower on the block.

Schar upgrade: Newcastle among favourites to sign "unbelievable" £40m star

Newcastle will be looking to improve their defence this summer

ByRoss Kilvington Jun 16, 2025

Kerr wasn’t given run-out because the ball was deemed dead, but questions around the incident remain

Shashank Kishore04-Oct-2024There was confusion, and no little anger, as India were at the centre of an umpiring controversy during their women’s T20 World Cup match against New Zealand in Dubai on Friday, which India lost by 58 runs.They felt they had a legitimate wicket – a run-out of Amelia Kerr – but it wasn’t to be, with the umpires deciding the ball was dead when the dismissal was effected.The appeal for the run-out came after Kerr was caught short of her ground while attempting a second run at the end of the 14th over of New Zealand’s innings. Having hit the ball towards long-off off the last ball of Deepti Sharma’s over, Kerr and Sophie Devine took a single, and didn’t seem to have any plans to push for the second. Deepti asked the umpire to hand her cap back to her and was been given it.However, with Harmanpreet Kaur, the fielder, collecting the ball and ambling in with it in her hands, Kerr and Devine tried pinching a second. Harmanpreet fired the ball in, Richa Ghosh collected it, and broke the stumps with Kerr short of her crease.The umpires – Anna Harris and Jacqueline Williams – decided the ball was dead, and anything that came after, the dismissal in this case, would not count as having occurred with the ball “in play”. Section 20.1.2 of the dead-ball law says: “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.”For that moment when the bowler collected her cap and the batters seemed happy with just the single, it is reasonable for the umpire to deem the ball dead. However, the umpires omitted to send the batters back to their respective ends. Kerr should have been back on strike for the start of the next over, but it was Devine who took strike against Renuka Singh and nudged a single. Kerr was out off the following delivery when she hit the ball to Pooja Vastrakar at extra cover, to be dismissed for 13 off 22 balls.Related

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Before that, though, play was held up for over seven minutes, with India head coach Amol Muzumdar visibly upset at the ruling, engaging in an animated chat with the fourth umpire, while Kerr was near the boundary before being called back.Speaking after the game, Jemimah Rodrigues said, “I was not there when the umpire gave the cap to Deepti, but, I mean, New Zealand were pretty sure that it was a double run and Amelia went for it, which showed that the over was not called out yet. And we all thought that, okay, we got that run-out.”What if that run-out wouldn’t happen? Would they give us a two for that. So I think, honestly, that’s not in our control at the end. We respect the decision of the umpire and we were okay with that. But yeah, it’s a bit harsh when Amelia herself walked out because she knew she was out.”Devine, who was batting alongside Kerr, explained she hadn’t heard the umpire call the over and they were trying to pinch a second run. “My understanding is that the ball is dead when the umpire calls ‘over’ and I didn’t hear the umpire call ‘over’,” she said. It was an interesting one, and I guess it broke a little bit of momentum and maybe stalled them [India] a bit.”That’s part of cricket. Interpretation is going to be slightly different. We were always trying to pinch runs here and there because you never know when one run is going to change things. The umpires have a job to do and we respect that, and I sometimes push the boundaries a little bit.””We know how important Amelia’s wicket was, at that moment it felt a little [like] why didn’t it go in our favour,” Rodrigues said. “But, at the same time, I think we did what we can.”We spoke to the umpire. Then we had to accept the decision of the umpire and move on. So I think that’s what we did really well, that we just moved on from that. And we got her out pretty soon. So that works for us.”

Pakistan’s cool kids may take the limelight but an innocuous-looking 30-year-old was their star seamer

Danyal Rasool06-Aug-2020It’s just a fact of life it is harder to get excited about Mohammad Abbas than it is Shaheen Afridi or Naseem Shah. Abbas is 30, but alongside the 20-year old Afridi and 17-year old Naseem, looks positively middle-aged. His somewhat-bored frown and world-weary countenance, combined with a gait that’s more shuffle than stride, could make you mistake him for one of those desi uncles you actively avoid trying to sit next to at stuffy dinner parties you never wanted to be at.Put the cricket whites on him, though, a brand new red ball in his hand and wave the sun away, and this apparently unremarkable man undergoes a metamorphosis that would be Kafkaesque if it wasn’t free of any existential despair. Abbas the bowler doesn’t sulk about being overlooked. He’s well aware he isn’t able to compete with the cool kids for social media traction or YouTube clips. He doesn’t exist to enthrall, but to be appreciated.For there are no bells and whistles to Mohamad Abbas. He can’t bat to save his life, as it took Jofra Archer one ball to demonstrate. He’s not a gun fielder like Shadab Khan is, for example, and he isn’t the most engaging at press conferences. He won’t head too many marketing campaigns, you won’t find his face plastered across billboards in Pakistan, and if you ever spot him having a late night drink anywhere, it’s probably nothing stronger than a hot chocolate.ALSO READ: Masood 156 sets stage before Pakistan seamers tear things upBut as the curtain began to fall on Pakistan’s innings, the stars began to align for Afridi and Naseem’s sidekick. Quietly, imperceptibly, the sun, which had peered out from behind the clouds, almost as a reward for Shan Masood’s epic resilience, disappeared back behind, and as the skies above Old Trafford turned grey, Abbas felt the transformation happening. Never mind everybody still thought Afridi was the one to watch out for – and if you were Rory Burns, he certainly was – but the first over from Abbas was an unassumingly devastating reminder why this ostensibly harmless dibbly-dobbler opened the bowling ahead of the most explosive teenage fast bowler in world cricket.He spent an entire over getting the ball to hold its line outside off stump to Dom Sibley; if anything, the occasional one seamed away. Half an over in, the young English batsman wondered what all the fuss was about, and worked him dismissively behind square for two. Two balls later, he got one past the slip cordon, and even if he wasn’t entirely in control, he had taken six off this supposedly metronomically accurate bowler’s first over. Result.First ball next over, Abbas pulled his line back. You can’t afford to do that at his pace, and Sibley clipped him to midwicket for another two. But then Abbas sprung the trap, pitching it up, and bringing it back off the seam so sharply the bat may well have been at the other Old Trafford, so wide was the gap when the ball clattered into the pads. That first over didn’t look so innocuous after all.If that left you salivating, you were in luck, because this was just the appetiser. Ben Stokes thought he had spotted the mistake the inexperienced Sibley was making, and made a point to stand half a metre outside his crease, almost finishing his shots in the danger area. That approach has troubled Abbas in the past, especially in Australia, where, forced to pull his lengths back, he struggled.Mohammad Abbas produced a jaffa to bowl Ben Stokes for a duck•Getty ImagesAbbas isn’t half the bowler when the stumps are out of the equation: 41 of his 77 Test wickets have involved trapping the batsman in front or knocking back his stumps. Unless Mohammad Rizwan was willing to keep up to the stumps in what was only the fourth over of the innings, it appeared Abbas wouldn’t be the man to threaten Stokes, especially with the Englishman coming into this series in the batting form of his career.Abbas had decided, though, he wouldn’t back down. Of the six balls he bowled to Stokes, just one was pitched back of a length; the others were all fuller as he probed for a weakness. It was the most absorbing ten minutes of the entire Test, as a world-renowned World Cup-winning superstar tried to stand his ground against an understated medium-fast bowler. Rizwan wasn’t coming up. It was all down to Abbas.He didn’t need anyone else. As Stokes charged at him again, Abbas banged the ball in on a length, his exquisite control over the seam allowing it to shape ever so slightly away. As Stokes drove instinctively, the bat hit fresh air. The ball had gone past, and the next thing you saw was the bails flying out from behind. Abbas had found a gap Stokes didn’t believe existed. Joe Root’s face, a picture of admiring disbelief, was perhaps the only compliment worthy of the delivery.Half an hour later, the attention had drifted away from Abbas once again. Everyone began to get restless, eager to catch a glimpse of the much-hyped Naseem Shah. Abbas would bowl a few more overs from his end while the world paid attention to the other one. You barely noticed him dropping out of the attack as Yasir Shah came in.Abbas took his cap from the umpire, and went off to field somewhere on the boundary. The sun had come back out, and the cool kids had stolen the limelight once more.

The Ecuadorian midfielder logged 15 goals and nine assists across 139 matches with Vancouver

Joined MLS side Vancouver in 2021Valued at around $5M, per TransfermarktHas eight caps with Ecuador’s national teamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Pedro Vite is enjoying one of the best stretches of his young career, and after a strong run with the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Ecuadorian midfielder appears to be headed to Liga MX.

According to MLS insider Tom Bogert, Vite has reached a verbal agreement with Pumas UNAM, although the deal is not finalized. Sources indicate that the transfer could be completed soon, pending final negotiations and paperwork.

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Pumas targeted Vite earlier this year when they faced the Whitecaps in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, a tournament in which the Canadian side eventually fell to Cruz Azul in the final.

According to GOAL sources, Pumas plan to use the Ecuadorian primarily as a winger, though he can also slot into midfield. His versatility is seen as a major asset by head coach Efraín Juárez, who views him as a projected starter.

With Aaron Ramsey expected to anchor the midfield, Vite would provide depth and rotation options. If the Welshman – or any of the regular starters – struggles with form or fitness, Vite’s ability to play centrally could prove crucial and give Pumas more tactical flexibility.

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Pedro Vite could become Pumas’ most expensive signing, with the club reportedly ready to pay around $5 million to secure the midfielder – a figure that would surpass the $4.2 million they spent on Nicolás Castillo.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR PUMAS?

Juárez’s side endured a humbling start to the Apertura 2025, losing 3-0 on the road against Santos Laguna. They’ll look to bounce back Sunday when they host Pachuca.

Former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has left Aston Villa to complete a permanent transfer to Vasco da Gama. Coutinho left the Villans last summer to return to his homeland and join the Brazilian Serie A side on loan and he has now made his move permanent. The 33-year-old made 26 appearances last season where he scored five goals and provided three assists.

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Coutinho joins Vasco da Gama permanentlySigned for the Brazilian side on loan last summerEnded Aston Villa nightmareFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Coutinho's nightmare Aston Villa spell has finally ended as he secured a permanent move to Vasco da Gama, after spending the 2024-25 campaign on loan at the Brazilian club. The midfielder tried to push for a permanent transfer last summer by mutually terminating his contract and joining Vasco on a free transfer but the Villans at that time only sanctioned a loan move.

AdvertisementWHAT ASTON VILLA SAID

The official statement from the Premier League club read: "Aston Villa can confirm that Philippe Coutinho has completed a permanent move to Vasco da Gama. The midfielder was on loan with the Brazilian side last term and returned to the club following the end of his temporary stint, but both clubs have now agreed a deal for the playmaker to go back to his hometown club on a permanent basis. After signing for Villa initially on loan in January 2022, he went on to pen a permanent deal at Villa Park and made 43 appearances in claret and blue, scoring six goals. Everyone at Aston Villa would like to thank Philippe for his service to the club and wish him all the best in his future career."

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Coutinho joined Aston Villa on loan from Barcelona in January 2022 before making his transfer permanent six months later. However, he failed to make an impact under Unai Emery and was sent out on loan to Qatari side Al-Duhail ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Matheus Lima/Vasco da GamaWHAT NEXT FOR COUTINHO?

The 33-year-old will be back in action for Vasco on July 12 as they take on Botafogo in the Brazilian Serie A.

There is no escaping from the fact that this season has been a real disappointment for Arsenal.

As things stand, Mikel Arteta’s side are 12 points off Liverpool in the Premier League and, in reality, the title race came to a pathetic end months ago.

However, it is not all doom and gloom in the red half of North London, as in Europe anyway, the Gunners have seriously stepped up and are just two games away from what would be their second Champions League final in their history.

The competition has seen some of Arsenal’s players remind the rest of the world just how good they really are, including one unlikely star who is now worth more than Thomas Partey, whose future is back in the conversation.

The latest on Thomas Partey

Just a few weeks ago, it was generally believed that once his £200k-per-week contract came to an end on June 30th, Partey would depart Arsenal as a free agent following five relatively successful years at the club.

However, ahead of the team’s underwhelming draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, The Athletic’s David Ornstein broke some news that suggested that might not be the case anymore.

According to the respected journalist, the Gunners now want the experienced midfielder to remain at the club and are in talks over a new deal, which could either be for two years or one with an option for another.

Appearances

47

Minutes

3496′

Goals

4

Assists

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.14

Minutes per Goal Involvements

499.42′

There is certainly an element of risk in handing a soon-to-be 32-year-old player with an extensive injury list a new deal, but this season has seen him available for almost all of it, and with 47 appearances so far, it’s clear Arteta still rates him.

However, his age and injury history have likely counted against his most recent valuation, as Transfermakrt has priced him at just €15m, which is about £13m and millions less than one of Arsenal’s surprise stars of the last month.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Partey

So, while practically the entire team played well against Real Madrid, one starter perhaps surprised fans with just how well he performed against the European Champions: Jakub Kiwior.

Yes, the player in question is the former Spezia ace who’s often been looked upon as an unconvincing backup to the sensational William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.

However, since the latter was ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, the Polish international has stepped up in a massive way.

In fact, had it not been for his French partner, he’d have a clean sheet at the Bernabeu to his name.

Moreover, while the highly-rated Bondy-born superstar made yet another mistake at home against Palace this week, the “extraordinary” Tychy-born titan, as dubbed by Robert Lewandowski, found himself on the scoresheet.

So, with such a dramatic turnaround from worrying backup to essential starter, it’s not all that surprising to see the 25-year-old’s valuation be higher than some of his teammates.

For example, Transfermarkt has priced the defensive “monster,” as dubbed by reporter Sam Dean, at €22m, which comes out to about £19m, or £6m more than Partey.

Ultimately, while he’ll likely never be the first choice when the backline is fully fit, Kiwior has demonstrated over the last month or so that, when needed, he can be the perfect backup for Arsenal, and, as such, we would not be surprised to see his valuation climb higher before the end of the season.

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Celtic went into the final international break of the season off the back of a disappointing 3-2 defeat to their city rivals in the Scottish Premiership at Parkhead.

Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed that his side let the game slip away from them after they brought the score back to 2-2 from 2-0 down at half-time, as Hamza Igamane scored an 88th-minute winner for Rangers.

Goals from Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate got the Hoops back into the game and the home crowd appeared to be pushing them on for a winner, before that late sucker-punch.

Despite that loss, Celtic are a whopping 13 points clear at the top of the Premiership table and it seems to be a matter of when, not if, they clinch a fourth successive league title.

There were also other positives to take out of the clash with their Glasgow rivals, despite the disappointing scoreline, as central defender Maik Nawrocki stepped up with an impressive showing.

Why Maik Nawrocki deserves more minutes this season

The Polish central defender had not played a minute of Premiership action or started a single game in any competition for the club this season prior to the clash with Rangers at Parkhead last time out.

Injuries to Liam Scales and Auston Trusty resulted in Rodgers deciding to go with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Nawrocki as the central defensive pairing, and the latter certainly took his chance to impress.

Those did not watch the game may see that the former Legia Warsaw man made his first start and that Celtic conceded three goals and lost and try to connect the dots, but none of the goals conceded were down to any errors on his part.

If anything, Nawrocki’s contributions in the heart of the backline for the Scottish giants prevented the highly-motivated Rangers team, managed by Barry Ferguson, from scoring even more goals at Parkhead.

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old colossus won 70% of his physical duels with Rangers players and did not get dribbled past a single time, whilst he also read the game well to make four interceptions.

So far this season, Scales has averaged 4.3 clearances and 1.7 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst Trusty has averaged 3.3 clearances and 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premiership.

This suggests that Nawrocki has the potential to offer more than both of them as an out-and-out defender if he can maintain the level that he displayed in the clash with Rangers.

Therefore, the summer signing from 2023 deserves more minutes between now and the end of the campaign to prove to Rodgers that he has a future as a key player for Celtic before the next transfer window.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Nawrocki is currently one of the lowest valued players in the squad at Parkhead, and a strong end to the season as a first-team regular could help to boost his value.

Celtic's lowest-valued players in the 24/25 season

At the time of writing (25/03/2025), the former Legia Warsaw man is valued at just £1.7m by Transfermarkt and there are only four outfield players in the squad who are worth less, albeit one of them is the rarely-seen James McCarthy.

Hyun-jun Yang, who has recently emerged as a key squad option for Celtic with five goals and six assists this season, has seen his value rise to £2m – £300k above Nawrocki.

The 24-year-old titan’s goal between now and the end of the season should be to nail down a place in the XI next to Carter-Vickers ahead of the summer, in a bid to improve his position in the squad and his market value.

There is, however, a former Celtic centre-back who is currently worth even more than both Yang and Nawrocki. The Hoops cashed in on Jack Hendry in the summer of 2021 for a reported fee of £1.5m, and he has thrived since then.

Celtic sold their own John Stones

The Scotland international was signed from Dundee in January 2016 and made just 27 first-team appearances, despite earning comparisons to John Stones in his younger days.

During his time at Wigan, before his move to Parkhead in 2016, Hendry spoke about being compared to the Manchester City and England star. He told The Guardian:

“The conversations were initially all about going to Everton, into the 23s and developing the way Stones had done. The Wigan chairman told me they had missed out on Stones when he went to Everton so now it was their turn to get one up.

“I’ve grown up with people speaking about our similarity. I’m now going to be on the same pitch as him. It’s funny how football works out. He has had criticism, come back and is a world-class footballer so he is a great role model.”

He was seemingly unable to live up to that comparison at Celtic, given his lack of game time, and was sent out on loan to Oostende in Belgium, giving the Pro League side an option to buy him – for the aforementioned fee of £1.5m, for the 2020/21 campaign.

Interestingly, though, the centre-back almost immediately completed another transfer, joining Belgian giants Club Brugge for a reported fee of £3.5m just one month later, due to a release clause that was put in his deal.

Hendry went on to play 41 times for Club Brugge in all competitions before Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq swooped in to secure his services for a reported fee of £6.5m in the summer of 2023 – a fee considerably higher than what Yang and Nawrocki are currently valued at.

This means that his value soared by 333% in the space of two years, from the £1.5m that Celtic sold him for to the £6.5m that the Saudi Arabian side signed him for, and the Hoops may regret that they did not get more value out of the Scottish titan.

Hendry, who has been an incredibly reliable figure in possession and a strong defender off the ball, has been Al-Ettifaq’s own version of Stones with his mixture of technical and physical qualities in a centre-back position.

Celtic, unfortunately, could not unearth their version of the Manchester City star during the Scottish titan’s time at Parkhead, but he did not get many opportunities to showcase his quality.

That is a lesson that can now be learned from to better handle Nawrocki, who has shown that he deserves to have more minutes on the pitch moving forward, having proven that he can put in exceptional performances at Premiership level.

Rodgers must, now, hand more starts to the Polish centre-back in the hope that he can kick on and flourish at Parkhead, in a way that Hendry never got the chance to do – causing Celtic to miss out on having their own John Stones at centre-back.

Celtic star was sold for £4.5m, now he scores more frequently than Maeda

Brendan Rodgers cashed in on the Celtic attacker last year and he is now more prolific than Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah.

By
Dan Emery

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Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, reversed their scoring trend of 2018 by taking off after the Powerplay, whereas Rashid Khan got his bunny again

Nagraj Gollapudi and Srinath Sripath29-Mar-20194:41

I’ve grown in confidence but far from being over-confident – Vijay Shankar

From best to worst – Bhuvneshwar’s fall at deathBhuvneshwar Kumar is counted among the best death bowlers in limited-overs cricket. Is that fact in danger of fast turning into a myth?This IPL, Bhuvneshwar has been the most expensive bowler in the final four overs: 17-20. He has leaked 72 runs in two matches at an economy rate of 18, including 13 boundaries. Three of the five most expensive overs of the tournament have been bowled by him.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe contrast between his numbers with the new ball and death is vast: in Powerplays, batsmen have found it hard to dominate Bhuvneshwar: 20 runs in four overs, conceding just three fours.On Friday, Bhuvneshwar had just given 10 runs in his two-over spell in the Powerplay. With Rashid Khan bowled out, Bhuvneshwar was their key bowler at the death. However, Sanju Samson took advantage of the slow speeds, the faltering in execution of the yorkers, to punch inside-out strokes and pick 24 runs in the 18th over. Then Ben Stokes, who struggled to get going early on, found his range in the final over. Bhuvneshwar’s death overs read 2-0-45-0.Since the 2018 IPL, Bhuvneshwar has given away 210 runs from 103 balls at the death, making him the third-most expensive bowler in the tournament. Compare that with an economy rate of 8.95 in the previous two seasons, and you can get a sense of Bhuvneshwar’s steep fall.Sunrisers max out Powerplay again to set up chaseESPNcricinfo LtdDot balls. Gold dust for bowlers. Gold for batsmen if they can keep the dot-ball count minimal. So far this IPL, Sunrisers have played out the least number of dots in the first 10 overs. It was little surprise then that they are the only team to string together consecutive century opening partnerships.On Friday, in the first half of their innings, barring the fourth over from Jofra Archer which went for three runs, David Warner and Jonny Bairstow hit at least one boundary in every over, backing it up with a single or two, to disrupt Rajasthan Royals’ plans. ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster had Sunrisers’ win probability up at 74%, only going down to 58% at the fall of Bairstow’s wicket.In their opening match against Kolkata Knight Riders, the Warner- Bairstow combine had compiled 92 runs at the halfway stage. There were 20 dots, 23 singles and 12 boundaries. Against Royals on Friday, they were even better: 115 runs, playing out just 14 dots, 21 singles, and racking up 18 boundaries.In the face of a steep target, Warner exploded against every bowler, as Sunrisers blasted 69 runs in the Powerplay, the highest for the season. They also happen to be the only team to not have lost a wicket in the first six overs. Their run rate of 10.25 in the Powerplay against Royals is vastly higher than the rest of the pack, who have all hovered around the 8.5 mark.Royals reverse 2018 trend, switch on after PowerplayESPNcricinfo LtdRajasthan Royals’ first four overs got them just 22 runs, with the loss of Jos Buttler early on to Rashid Khan. That became 45 by the end of the Powerplay, usually the point when their slowdown began last season. Ajinkya Rahane would struggle to get going with the field spread out, and the rest of their middle order would get choked as a result.Those holes were plugged to a large extent by promoting Buttler to the top of the order, a pivotal point in their season’s turnaround. Buttler made half of Royals’ runs since then, and his five fifties were two more than the rest of their batsmen put together. On Friday night, all that changed. Buttler went cheaply, and it was Rahane who stepped on the gas after six overs. He smashed 50 off 29 after the Powerplay, a strike rate of 172 that was his third-best in IPL history in that period.When Rahane perished going for quick runs, Sanju Samson took it to a whole new level against the lacklustre Bhuvneshwar Kumar, carting him for 24 runs in the 18th over, before Ben Stokes found his range in the final over to raze 21 more against the same bowler.A total of 198, 63 of which came in the final four overs. The complete antithesis of Royals 2018.Rashid Khan comes in early, strikes gold
ESPNcricinfo LtdDuring the warm-up before the match, Rashid Khan was spinning the football on his index finger as if it was a needle. Commentator Harsha Bhogle went to check if the finger and the football were glued together. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s most valuable player is used to doing unthinkable things.A short while later, Rashid walked in to bowl the fourth over of the match. It is rare to see him bowl so early in the Powerplay. In fact, only once in IPL history has Rashid bowled before the fourth over of an innings. Before Friday, he had five Powerplay wickets from 96 balls at an economy rate of 6.90.However, the one main reason Rashid came on early was to eliminate the threat of Jos Buttler. Rashid had dismissed the England batsman thrice before in T20s, twice in IPL, while giving away just four runs off eight balls. Add to that the fact that Buttler has faced a fair bit of Sunrisers’ other bowlers, without ever being dismissed against any of them.Buttler was not surprised seeing Rashid though. The first ball was a googly which he read well. The next one, Buttler moved outside the line, attempting a slog sweep, and was bowled around his legs. The ball had pitched on middle and leg, and it held its line to break the stumps. Two balls was what Rashid took to eliminate the most dangerous opposition batsman. Job done, Kane Williamson didn’t bowl Rashid any further in the Powerplay, saving him for tougher overs ahead.

Despite sparkling knocks by Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, Royal Challengers Bangalore remain win-less in IPL 2019 after five matches

Sruthi Ravindranath in Bengaluru06-Apr-2019A couple of coincidences basically wrote the script for Friday’s match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders. Two weeks ago, Andre Russell had helped Knight Riders get 53 off 18 in the chase against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He faced a similar equation on Friday night against Royal Challengers. Last season, MS Dhoni hunted down 105 off 48 balls against the home team in Bengaluru. This time, Knight Riders were were also chasing a target of 206, with Russell in the middle.After AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli’s fireworks had kept the fans on their feet for most of Royal Challengers’ innings, it seemed like the side was finally going to taste their first win this season. But it took just one Russell innings, and some blunders in the middle from Royal Challengers, to undo their batsmen’s efforts as Knight Riders stole a stunning win in the 19th over. Here’s how it all turned the wrong way for the hosts.Sloppiness on the fieldDropped catches, misfield, conceding too many extras: Royal Challengers did it all. During Knight Riders’ innings, Navdeep Saini missed a chance to pluck the dangerous Chris Lynn out for 1 after he had top-edged a ball over the keeper’s head. With Lynn going on to lay the foundation for Knight Riders’ big chase, the missed chance proved to be a costly one.Much later, Lynn had raced to a 28-ball 42 when Marcus Stoinis tempted him with a wide delivery which he hit over Mohammed Siraj at sweeper cover, who failed to hold on to it. At this point, Knight Riders were very well on course, with their run-rate close to 10. While the drop itself wasn’t costly – Lynn added only one more run before he was dismissed in the next over – the missed opportunity came at a time when Royal Challengers were losing momentum and under the pump, and it left captain Kohli fuming.Where was Moeen?Lynn’s vulnerability to spin is no secret. In T20s since 2015, he’s been dismissed 33 times by spinners and averages just about 30 against them. Yet, Kohli brought in legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal only in the sixth over, and by then, Lynn had already dominated the Powerplay.And even though spinners, specifically left-arm spinner Pawan Negi, impeded the scoring in the middle overs, Kohli was still persistent about bowling his quicks even with the experienced Moeen Ali – who did not bowl a single over – in the mix.Negi, who was introduced only in the 10th over of the chase, went on to pick Robin Uthappa and Lynn and had 2 for 20 at the end of his third over. Royal Challengers’ have left themselves open to questions about their lack of planning but Kohli, speaking to the host broadcaster after the match, suggested that just giving his team-mates some space would help them come back stronger.Fast bowlers show no chill at deathDeath bowling has always been one of Royal Challengers’ major concerns. The Knight Riders’ win was the ninth time a team had won an IPL game when over 90 runs were needed off seven overs. And surprisingly – or perhaps not – Royal Challengers were the bowling side on six of those occasions.Particularly on Friday, Royal Challengers’ quicks seemed to lack composure towards the end, even when the opposition needed a steep 66 runs off 24 balls.It all started when Mohammed Siraj bowled his second beamer on the fourth ball of the 18th over, which meant he couldn’t bowl any more in the match. Russell had smoked that ball for a six. Stoinis replaced Siraj, and from there, the home side lost whatever control they had. Two more sixes were smashed in the next two balls and the game turned in Knight Riders’ favour.Tim Southee, who was brought in to bowl the next over, with 30 required off 12, was misfiring throughout. Russell feasted on ones that were short, wide too full or on a length. Southee also didn’t try and cramp Russell for space, offering generous width instead. That over pretty much sealed it – 29 runs came off it and Knight Riders then needed just one to win off the final over.