Sunderland are reportedly among a host of Premier League clubs interested in completing the signing of a title-winning player this summer.

Sunderland push for defender but Bellingham is off

The Black Cats have been boosted in their efforts to sign Reims centre-back Cedric Kipre, with the former West Brom defender “increasingly likely” to leave his current club ahead of next season.

Kipre is considered a “serious option” for Sunderland, who will know the importance of strengthening their squad significantly in the summer transfer window, looking to avoid an immediate return to the Championship in the process.

On the flip side, Regis Le Bris is going to have to make do without Jobe Bellingham moving forward, with the 19-year-old choosing to seal a move to Borussia Dortmund, as has been widely reported for some time. Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie provided the latest earlier this week.

Sunderland want to sign Liverpool hero

Now, according to a fresh claim from Empire of the Kop, Sunderland are one of eight Premier League clubs who are eyeing a move for Joe Gomez this summer.

The 28-year-old’s Reds future is up in the air currently, with the report stating that the new champions are “open” to the idea of allowing him to leave. The Black Cats are “informed as to his situation”, as are fellow promoted sides Leeds United and Burnley, and Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Everton, West Ham and Bournemouth.

Gomez could be perfect for Sunderland this summer, as they look to add experience to a relatively young squad, with the Englishman now a proven player at the very top level.

The 15-cap international has won two Premier League titles and the Champions League with Liverpool, among various other trophies, while Virgil van Dijk has described him as an “outstanding” player.

That is huge praise from one of the best defenders of his generation, and at 28, Gomez still has plenty to offer, even though he has endured some serious injury problems down the years.

He can shine at both centre-back and right-back, giving Le Bris more depth immediately – he has even slotted in at left-back at times in his career – and if Sunderland could bring both him and Jordan Henderson to the Stadium of Light, they would immediately have far more authority in their ranks.

Sunderland now looking "increasingly likely" to sign ex-PSG defender

Regis Le Bris wants to snap him up.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 3, 2025

It remains to be seen if Gomez actually wants to leave Liverpool – he still has two years left on his current deal – but the Black Cats should be viewing him as a fantastic option.

Australia’s bowlers were carted all over Lord’s, before England’s dominated under the floodlights

Andrew McGlashan27-Sep-2024

England produced an electric all-round display to set up a series decider at Bristol on Sunday, as they thrashed Australia by 186 runs at Lord’s. Harry Brook’s sublime 87 formed the backbone of the innings which was capped off by the thunderous hitting of Liam Livingstone in a ground-record 25-ball half-century. Jofra Archer then briefly rekindled memories of 2019 with the best spell of his latest comeback, while Matthew Potts bagged a career-best 4 for 38 in an overwhelming performance.Harking back to last year’s dramatic Ashes Test, there was also, briefly, a moment with an Australian wicketkeeper in the spotlight. On 17, Brook glanced Mitchell Starc down the leg side and was given out but queried whether the catch had carried to Josh Inglis, who had been recalled to the side after injury. The replays showed the ball pitching just before his gloves. The crowd booed as the pictures came on the big screen, accompanied by a few chants of ‘same old Aussies, always cheating’, but it was a tame interlude compared to 2023.Following his maiden ODI hundred in Durham, Brook cruised to a 37-ball fifty, adding 79 in 53 balls for the third wicket with Ben Duckett and 75 in 47 with Jamie Smith for the fourth, as England went through the gears in a game cut to 39 overs by heavy morning rain. Livingstone produced a grandstand finish to the innings with a mighty display of striking, including four sixes off the last over bowled by Starc, whose 28 runs conceded amounted to the most expensive over by an Australian bowler in men’s ODIs. England amassed 156 off their last 15 overs.Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh gave the daunting chase a promising start – Head launching a gigantic pull out of the ground over the Tavern Stand – and after the eight-over powerplay Australia were 66 without loss compared to England’s 34 without loss. Overall, the 16 sixes hit in the match was a record for a Lord’s ODI. However, sustaining the tempo was a tall order. Head swung across the line at Brydon Carse and Steven Smith edged an ugly charge at Potts.Then Archer produced something special. An off-cutter at 88.2mph initially shaped in at Marsh before straightening to beat the edge and clatter off stump. It was a gem of a delivery to give Archer his first Lord’s wicket since 2019 and he rightly wheeled away in celebration. When his next ball clattered into the forearm of Marnus Labuschagne, the 2019 flashbacks were in full flow, albeit in coloured clothes, and Archer also added Glenn Maxwell during Australia’s collapseBefore long, however, his ball to Marsh had a contender for delivery of the game (or series) when Carse found an unplayable offering to flatten Labuschagne’s off stump. It was a collective effort from England’s quicks who shared nine wickets – Potts taking three wickets in four balls to rush through the lower order – before Adil Rashid finished things off.Matthew Potts starred with four wickets•Getty Images

Under heavy cloud, the ball nipped around early after England had been put into bat. Phil Salt fell shortly after the powerplay, skewing the excellent Josh Hazlewood to backward point, and Will Jacks picked out the same fielder to give Marsh a wicket in his second over – the first he had bowled since April 3. On a day when Cameron Green was revealed to have a back injury, it was not insignificant that Marsh was back with the ball.Brook initially appeared to be playing a different game to the other batters, as he skipped out of the blocks with three leg-side boundaries prior to his near-dismissal, and England’s momentum built around him. Sean Abbott’s expensive series continued – by the end of the innings his combined figures for three outings were 19.4-0-165-0 – while both Brook and Duckett took on Adam Zampa as well as the other overs of spin from Maxwell and Labuschagne.Duckett, who had offered a tough return catch to Starc before scoring, sent Zampa over long-on for six before moving to a hard-working 51-ball half-century one ball later, before top-edging the legspinner to deep backward square. Smith continued the aggressive approach against Zampa, sending him over wide long-on, and Brook added a second six in the same over to deep midwicket. The 12 overs of spin went for 106.A moment of absent-mindedness nearly did for Smith when he only just avoided being run out when he didn’t run his bat in at the non-striker’s end, although the ball ended up costing Australia six runs as the deflection went to the rope. By then, Brook was challenging for England’s fastest ODI hundred at Lord’s – 61 balls by Jos Buttler – but picked out long-on as Zampa ended his stay from his 58th.Smith fell in the next over, slicing Maxwell to short third, but any concerns the innings may limp to a finish vanished as Livingstone provided stunning late power. A huge blow over midwicket off Hazlewood was followed by the dismantling of Starc’s figures, including two sixes into the pavilion, to the increasingly joyous roars of a large crowd. Unlike last summer, an England-Australia series goes to the final game 2-2, although the weather in Bristol may yet have the final say.

علق محمد بركات لاعب الأهلي السابق على تتويج بيراميدز ببطولة كأس السوبر الإفريقي على حساب نهضة بركان المغربي.

وتوج فريق بيراميدز بلقب السوبر الإفريقي أمام نهضة بركان المغربي بهدف دون رد أحرزه فيستون مايلي، على ملعب الدفاع الجوي.

طالع | دودو الجباس: بيراميدز تغلب على عامل الجمهور.. ونستحق التتويج بكل شيء

وقال محمد بركات ضيف “الكورة مع فايق” على قناة “إم بي سي مصر 2”: “نبارك لبيراميدز على السوبر الإفريقي على استحقاق، فريق تطور بشكل كبير جدًا، مع الوقت الأمور تطورت للأفضل”.

وتابع: “المحترفين المتواجدون في صفوف بيراميدز يصنعون الفارق بشكل كبير جدًا وإضافة كبيرة لهم”.

واختتم: “بيزيرا لاعب جيد جدًا، حظ الزمالك وجماهيره، شيكابالا يعتزل وهذه الصفقة تأتي، لديه اللمسة المختلفة، يلعب بروح وهذا شيء مهم جدًا، وهو إضافة مهمة للزمالك”.

The former MLS star and current NFL kicker has shared his positive outlook for the USMNT’s prospects at the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup

• Aubrey highlights quality of current USMNT player generation
• Former Toronto FC defender mentions connection with Brenden Aaronson
• NFL kicker sets realistic expectations for tournament performance

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED

  Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey recently discussed his thoughts on the USMNT's chances at the 2026 World Cup, expressing confidence in the team's potential while maintaining measured expectations. The 30-year-old previously played professional soccer with Toronto FC after being drafted by them before eventually retiring in 2018. He has since joined the NFL and Cowboys as a placekicker, and emphasized the strength of the current player pool and the significant advantage of playing on home soil.

  “I think they have a good shot,” Aubrey said on . “They have a lot of really good players, especially in the important positions. You’ve got Pulisic, anything could be possible with him. I played with Brenden Aaronson at Bethlehem Steel, so I’m a huge supporter of his. I want to see him get more minutes. I know he’s right on the cusp there coming off the bench a lot of times.

  “I love watching him. [Matt] Turner is another fun story, a convert from baseball. I like them, I think they have a shot of winning, especially with home-field advantage. I don’t think we can expect them to win, but I expect them to be out of the group and hopefully win that first knockout stage game.”

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• WHAT BRANDON AUBREY SAID

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Aubrey's career trajectory is incredible, going from a first-round MLS SuperDraft pick who struggled to establish himself in professional soccer to becoming one of the NFL's most accurate kickers with the Dallas Cowboys. His continued interest and insight into the national team highlights the interconnectedness of American sports culture and the growing prominence of soccer within it.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  The USMNT will continue preparations for the 2026 World Cup under head coach Mauricio Pochettino and will come together in September next for international friendlies against South Korea and Japan.

Wickets and economy in tough conditions prove once again how versatile England’s senior seamer is

George Dobell22-Jan-2021It would probably be stretching things a little to compare James Anderson to Dame Judi Dench, Sir David Attenborough or even the late Queen mother.But, as he rose above the conditions to produce another outstanding performance – a performance that kept his side in this match despite losing an important toss – the thought occurred: he’s been around forever, he’s reliably excellent and it’s hard to avoid the suspicion they don’t make them like this anymore. He is, despite the chuntering – which is rarer these days – well on the road to becoming a national treasure.Anderson could have been forgiven for letting out a sigh of despair when England were sentenced to a day in the field. There was nothing for him here: not seam; not swing; not pace. Just oppressive humidity and a temperature that would have a tomato loosening its collar. For a man who claimed just one Test wicket on the last tour of Sri Lanka, it might have been an intimidating prospect.But so great is Anderson’s control, so impressive his array of skills, he found a way to not just build pressure but claim his best Test figures in Sri Lanka since 2012. Despite his age, he delivered 19 overs in the day – 10 of them maidens – conceding just 24 for his three wickets. And so high are his standards, so much does he detest conceding runs, he still left the pitch grumbling to himself after a rare loose ball in the last over of the day allowed Niroshan Dickwella to flick one off his legs for four.Related

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Grant Flower pleased with Sri Lanka application despite 'giving them three wickets'

Mark Wood finds relief in rare breakthrough as hard graft earns overdue reward

Angelo Mathews edges day for Sri Lanka after arm-wrestle with James Anderson

Bowling, like batting, isn’t just about doing the right thing. It’s every bit as much about not doing the wrong thing. And what Anderson is able to achieve better than most, is an ability to marry variation without releasing pressure.So here, despite the lack of assistance, he was able to gain a fraction of reverse-swing, a hint of bounce and a scintilla of seam movement. Combined with his control, it allowed him to prey on batsmen’s insecurities and impatience. So if the wicket of Kusal Perera – “trying to hit me over the fort,” as Anderson put it to the BBC – was a touch fortuitous, perhaps he earned it by starting with a maiden and making it clear that the batsman was having nothing for free.The wicket of Lahiru Thirimanne was probably the most pleasing. Having probed around the off stump from round the wicket throughout the first session, early in the second Anderson persuaded one to leave the batsman, taking the outside edge as Thirimanne pushed at it. At that stage, he had 3 for 4 in his sixth over.It was revealing that Anderson admitted he was uncharacteristically nervous going into this game. It had been five months since he had played, after all. He was replacing his old friend Stuart Broad who had done such a sterling job in the first game. – “they’re big shoes to fill,” Anderson said – and, in his four most-recent Tests in Asia, he had claimed only one wicket across 85 overs. When you’re 38, such spells can be interpreted as symptoms of a terminal decline.

England’s spinners contributed just four maidens between them and conceded more runs per over than Wood and Anderson. For Bess to deliver fewer overs than Anderson is telling

But we have surely learned not to write-off Anderson. Like Broad, he demonstrates his hunger by retaining his fitness and continuing to develop new skills. And as much as the England management know they have to plan for the future, the fact is Broad and Anderson have so far bowled 45 overs in this series. 24 of them have been maidens and they’ve claimed six wickets for just 58 runs. The bar for Olly Stone and co is set impossibly high. England’s other seamers have claimed 3 for 198 between them.With all that in mind, you could make a strong case to argue this performance – in conditions – was of more value than several of those five-fors claimed on green surfaces and with a Duke’s ball in England. These are the conditions in which Anderson’s critics say he is impotent, after all.In truth, Anderson’s reputation as effective only at home doesn’t really stand up to scrutiny. While his bowling is clearly best suited to conditions in England, his record in Asia compares favourably to many of the best in the business. He averages 30.14 across 22-and-a-half Tests in the region. By comparison to other top seamers of the age – Ishant Sharma averages 32.14 in Asia, Kagiso Rabada 34.52, Mohammad Amir 50.46, Vernon Philander 38.06 and Zaheer Khan 34.46 – that is excellent.Dale Steyn, it should be noted, claimed his Test wickets in Asia at 24.11, while Pat Cummins, in a small sample size of four Tests, averages 29.71.Anderson won especially fine support from Mark Wood. The figures don’t show it, but Wood has been immense in this series and finally claimed his first wicket during an eight-over spell before the arrival of the second new ball.You wonder what Wood makes of the way he’s used by England. He always looks willing; he always runs in with complete commitment. But he played just one Test in helpful conditions during the English summer and he rarely sees anything like a new ball. To then use him in back-to-back matches on surfaces offering him so little assistance… The decision not to award him a full central contract looks more ridiculous by the moment.Jack Leach didn’t find much purchase from the Galle pitch•SLCEngland’s issue – and it really is a big issue given they are about to head to India for four Tests – is that that can’t really rely on their spinners to retain control on flat pitches. Dom Bess and Jack Leach didn’t, by any means, bowl badly. It’s okay that they don’t have the weapons to trouble good batsmen in such conditions. In the key stand, against Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, they were up against two men averaging more than 40 in Test cricket on a surface that would have tested any spinner. Indeed, Bess bowled far better than in the first innings of the first Test when he finished with figures of 5 for 30.But what England would like, is just a little more control. And here the spinners contributed just four maidens between them and conceded more runs per over than Wood and Anderson. For Bess, 23, to deliver fewer overs than Anderson is telling. “I wasn’t expecting to bowl that many overs,” Anderson admitted afterwards.This was, in some ways, an old-fashioned day’s cricket. And absorbing, in its own way. We’ve been spoiled, really. In the not-so-good old days – before opening batsmen reacted to the introduction of spin by attempting to reverse-sweep them past the slip cordon – this is what Test cricket was like. For those who don’t remember, at one point in the 1960s, England drew seven Tests in succession and 13 out of 15.Often, in such circumstances, England’s lack of variation is bemoaned. But they had plenty here: they had pace, left-arm angle and two spinners turning the ball – well, trying to – in opposite directions to one another.These things are not a silver bullet. Sometimes attrition is the only way. And whatever the conditions, wherever the game, it seems England’s elder statesmen remain the answer to their captain’s prayers. England know they have to move on at some stage. But, when you’ve become accustomed to such standards and have something this special, you’re going to be very reluctant to waste a drop of it.

What a big summer it is going to be for Leeds United.

Daniel Farke’s side are hoping to defy the odds and avoid relegation in the Premier League, something that has become notoriously more difficult over the past few seasons. In the last couple of campaigns, all six previously promoted sides were relegated.

So, it will have to be an odds-defying campaign for the Whites, who were the team to beat in the second tier last season. They won the Championship, picking up 100 points and losing just four games. Farke will be hoping to count on his players to step up even more in 2025/26.

However, they will be active in the transfer market too. In fact, they are stepping up their hunt for a midfielder to help upgrade their options in the middle of the park.

Leeds' hunt for a midfielder

Farke already has some talented midfielders at his disposal, including Ao Tanaka and Ilia Gruev. So, to strengthen in that area, and potentially upgrade on the likes of Brenden Aaronson, would be a huge statement of intent.

According to a report from the Yorkshire Evening Post, the Whites have ‘included’ Noah Sadiki on their shortlist to beef up the midfield this summer.

However, he’s not the only one. Indeed, they are said to have ‘identified’ Strasbourg midfielder Habib Diarra ‘as a potential midfield addition’. The Senegal international is a player ‘they believe will be Premier League quality’ ahead of next season.

It would appear that this a move firmly in the works now with Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett further revealing on Tuesday that the Elland Road outfit have lodged a bid of £21m to sign Diarra.

Why Diarra would be a good signing

If Leeds were to sign Diarra this summer, they would be adding a “complete midfielder” to the squad. At least, that is how football analyst Ben Mattinson described the Senegal international, implying he can play all over midfield.

That “Swiss Army Knife” type profile would surely work well in Farke’s midfield, and give him plenty of tactical flexibility. Diarra is both a goalscorer and creator, finding the back of the net four times and registering five assists for Strasbourg last season.

Impressively, the 21-year-old, who is already the Strasbourg captain after coming through their academy, scored on the international stage for Senegal against England one week ago. He showed good intelligence to curve his run behind the Three Lions defence, carrying the ball into the six-yard box and slotting home from a narrow angle.

Diarra could be the perfect upgrade in the Leeds midfield for Aaronson. The USA international has previously struggled in the Premier League.

He has made 36 appearances in the top flight of England, mainly operating as a number 10 and a right-winger, but has just four goals and assists to his name.

Despite scoring nine times and registering two assists in 46 Championship games last season, there have been doubts about Aaronson’s scalability to the top flight. The Whites’ former goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, told Football Insider he is “nowhere near Premier League level”.

So, if they do bring Diarra in as his replacement, the numbers on FBref suggest it’d be a good move. Not only did he average more goals and assists per 90 minutes than Aaronson, with 0.34 compared to 0.28, but his off-the-ball work was better, too. Diarra’s 3.45 ball recoveries each game trumped Aaronson’s tally of 3.09.

Goals and assists

0.34

0.38

Progressive passes

4.44

4.05

Passes into final third

2.45

2.13

Interceptions

0.50

0.20

Ball recoveries

3.45

3.09

If Leeds can agree a deal to sign Diarra somewhere around the £21m mark, it would be a fantastic piece of business. They are signing a leader and an international-class midfielder, capable of playing numerous roles.

As far as an upgrade on Aaronson goes, time will tell, but the stats are there to suggest this is the dream move for the Yorkshire club this summer.

Big Aaronson upgrade: Leeds close to agreeing deal for £30m "magician"

Leeds are confident that they will sign this star, and he would be a big upgrade on Brenden Aaronson.

1 ByDan Emery Jun 17, 2025

Kai Rooney copied Viktor Gyokeres' celebration after scoring for Manchester United's Under-16 team at the SuperCupNI.

Rooney Jr copies GyokeresScores in Man Utd's 3-0 winBeat West Cork AcademyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Kai scored for United's Under-16s against West Cork Academy on Monday, converting a penalty to make it 2-0, having first assisted Sam O'Brien's opening goal. After the second goal, Rooney Jr ran to the touchline and covered his mouth in a celebration that mirrors that of Arsenal's new signing, Gyokeres. Bassirou Nkoto scored their third goal as United won 3-0.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

United had pursued Gyokeres throughout the summer but he instead opted to move to north London. That did not stop Rooney Jr from emulating the Sweden international, however. Gyokeres covering his mouth is said to be a reference to Batman villain Bane.

DID YOU KNOW?

Kai is fast developing into a really promising prospect at United, playing for the youth teams and working his way slowly through the system. Gyokeres, last season, scored 52 goals in all competitions; Rooney Jr has found a pretty promising striker to follow in the footsteps of.

GettyWHAT NEXT?

Rooney and his Under-16 team-mates will also play Rangers and Co Tyrone in their group.

Teams coming to India shouldn’t just focus just on the spinners, they should prepare for the quicks as well

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Ranchi22-Oct-201911:14

How did South Africa go from bad to worse?

Prepare for the quicksTeams touring India know the drill. They send over their A team in advance. They scuff up the practice pitches back home. They go to the UAE on training camps. They hire an Indian batting consultant, or spin consultant.South Africa prepared hard for the challenge of facing India’s spinners, and it showed at various points during the series – the centuries Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock scored in Visakhapatnam, the fifties by du Plessis and Zubayr Hamza, the dogged lower-order partnerships. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja never once ran through South Africa.But Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav did, repeatedly. They looked unplayable at times, but could South Africa – their top order, in particular – have been more ready for the challenges they posed? They could have, and future teams touring India will no doubt imbibe the lesson South Africa learned the hard way.Faf du Plessis hears the death rattle behind him•Associated PressLearn from India’s quicksKagiso Rabada had a pretty decent series, in patches, and his lengths improved with every Test he played, until he delivered a truly outstanding new-ball spell in Ranchi. But he wasn’t at the batsmen constantly in the way Shami and Umesh were, nor did he use the bouncer as effectively. And he was the best of South Africa’s quicks.The others were a disappointment. Vernon Philander was accurate, but lost most of his sting after the ball lost its shine, Anrich Nortje was quick but raw, and Lungi Ngidi was disappointingly down on pace in Ranchi after sitting out the first two Tests for fitness reasons.When they go back home, South Africa will need to figure out why the gap between the two pace attacks became so wide. Do they play too much of their home cricket in overly seam-friendly conditions, and are their quicks at a loss, therefore, when they come across pitches where you need to do a little extra to get any purchase? Should South Africa look into their domestic cricket for fast bowlers who attack the stumps more? Do their seamers need specialised coaching – like their batsmen had on this tour – from a subcontinent expert?Vernon Philander reacts in the field•BCCIPick your best specialistsHamza has a 50-plus first-class average at both provincial and franchise level, and when he got a game in Ranchi, you could see why. There was an effortless simplicity to his batting during his first-innings half-century, with his mind seemingly unclouded by the uncertainty that can strike visiting batsmen in the subcontinent. His defence looked secure, but he was always looking for scoring opportunities, and his control percentage was in the 90s before he paid the price for trying to cut Jadeja off his stumps.Why didn’t Hamza play the first two Tests? South Africa had Theunis de Bruyn at No. 3, and you could see why they wanted to give him a couple of games, he’d scored a century in Sri Lanka from that position. But they also played an allrounder, Senuran Muthusamy, at No. 7.There was an earnest doggedness to Muthusamy’s batting, and he wasn’t dismissed in either innings in Visakhapatnam, but he seemed a pretty limited player in comparison to Hamza. More than that, though, what he offered with his left-arm spin was clearly not enough to compensate – he lacked the control to be a viable fifth-bowling option, and there was a half-tracker every two overs that the Indian batsmen ruthlessly put away.Senuran Muthusamy had a rough first day in Test cricket•BCCIPlaying a spin-bowling allrounder is a temptation other touring sides have succumbed to in India. It’s a way to hedge your bets. England played Ian Blackwell in Nagpur in 2006 (it was his only Test) and Samit Patel in Ahmedabad six years later. Cameron White is a pretty good batsman, but in his only Test series for Australia, in India in 2008, he played as a spin-bowling allrounder at No. 8.This idea, of trying to create a credible spin-bowling allrounder out of nowhere, has never worked, but teams keep trying it. Don’t do it unless you actually have a Jadeja or a Shakib Al Hasan.Don’t play spinners for the sake of itThis was a lesson South Africa failed to imbibe even after they had learned it the hard way. Dane Piedt played as one of two frontline spinners in Visakhapatnam, and went for 209 runs across the two innings, at 5.81 per over, while only picking up one wicket.An extra seamer in Visakhapatnam could have given South Africa a little more control, and they seemed to learn from that experience when they went to Pune and played a third seamer. When Keshav Maharaj missed the third Test with a shoulder injury, South Africa could have played four seamers, but instead they left out Philander and went back to Piedt as one of two spinners, and India – Rohit Sharma in particular – toyed with him once again.Dane Piedt sends one down•BCCIPiedt ended the series with the worst economy rate of any bowler in a series in Asia (minimum 200 balls bowled), and South Africa could have been much better served with a seamer bowling all the overs he sent down.Keep the faithHowever awful a tour someone has had, don’t jettison the player unless they’ve clearly shown (like Piedt, maybe) that they may not be that good in the first place. If you’ve identified someone as a player for the future, and they’ve shown enough glimpses of that ability, stick with them, and they’ll learn from this experience.Aiden Markram had a nightmarish tour, where he simply couldn’t get into double figures, and ended it by breaking his hand lashing out at a “hard object”. Maharaj bowled well in patches, but struggled for consistency and ended up with unflattering numbers. These are the kinds of players who could come back to India in 3-4 years’ time, and show that they’ve improved in terms of both skill and mentality.Elgar and du Plessis have proved this. Both had horror tours of India in 2015, and came into this series with poor records across all their Asia tours, but they both looked a lot better this time around, especially against spin.R Ashwin hits Aiden Markram’s stumps during the Visakhapatnam Test•BCCITry not to overhaul your coaching staff two months before the next tourAfter a disappointing World Cup in which they went out at the group stage, South Africa restructured their entire coaching staff, which meant Ottis Gibson was out after two years in the job, and Enoch Nkwe was in as interim team director.Nkwe is young and ambitious, and may well go on to have a bright future in the job, but is a tour of India – one of the hardest assignments not just in cricket but in all sport – really the ideal time to bring in a new coach, that too one untested at international level?It’s one thing to throw people in at the deep end, but this was throwing someone in when you could see shark fins poking out of the pool’s surface.

Lancashire made up for lost time and maintained their Vitality County Championship Division One survival hopes after Tom Bailey and Anderson Phillip impressed with the new ball against Worcestershire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.Bailey and Phillip fully justified Lancashire skipper Keaton Jennings decision to put the home side into bat in reducing them to 22 for 5 and then 56 for 7 in seamer-friendly conditions when play got underway after lunch. The duo both picked up three wickets to give Lancashire an ideal start to a game they have to win to keep alive their chances of remaining in the top flight for another season.Lancashire began the game 15 points adrift of third from bottom Nottinghamshire but last week’s win over Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford had kept them in contention.Bailey bowled eight overs on the trot and returned excellent figures of 3 for 9 while Phillip had 3 for 44 from seven overs.Worcestershire had already guaranteed their safety during a recent run of three wins in four matches and their eighth-wicket pair of Matthew Waite and Logan van Beek led a partial recovery. They plundered 63 in seven overs but the rain which had washed out the morning’s play returned after tea.Worcestershire made two changes from the side in action against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl with the fit again Waite and Jack Home replacing the injured Tom Taylor and spinner Amar Virdi. Lancashire kept faith with the side which had defeated Somerset.Bailey’s second delivery of the opening over accounted for Gareth Roderick who drove at a ball of full length which was swinging away and he edged to Will Williams at fourth slip.Jake Libby square cut Phillip for four but then was stuck in the crease and nicked another ball which moved away to Harry Singh at third slip. Rob Jones was undone by an excellent full length swinging delivery from Phillip and was caught behind. Kashif Ali steered Bailey to first slip and then Brett D’Oliveira pushed at the same bowler and perished at second slip.Adam Hose off drove Bailey to the ropes to move into double figures but it became 39 for 6 when Ethan Brookes played forward and was bowled with a fullish-length delivery which did just enough to nip away.Phillip came back into the attack to replace Bailey after a superb opening spell of 8-4-9-3 and he soon claimed his third scalp when Hose tried to on drive a delivery slanted towards leg stump and ended up deflecting to Jennings at second slip.Waite decided attack was the best policy and pulled and on drove Williams for sixes in his first over which cost 15 runs. Van Beek also went on the attack and he struck Balderson and Williams for further maximums.By tea the eighth wicket pair had added 63 in just seven overs but the players were unable to return for the final session after a heavy downpour.

This promises to be a very busy summer for Rangers at Ibrox.

New manager of the Gers, Russell Martin, is going to want to oversee a mass-overhaul of his squad, with plenty of ins and outs expected in the coming weeks.

So, could the Light Blues be about to land the first signing of the Martin era?

Rangers targeting defensive reinforcements

Things are ramping up at Ibrox right now with a move for winger Kwame Poku reportedly set to be wrapped up.

However, that’s not the only deal edging closer to completion.

Indeed, according to a report in Spain, Rangers have reached an agreement with Bournemouth to sign Max Aarons on a season-long loan, adding that an agreement is “nearly finalised”.

The 25-year-old full-back burst onto the scene with Norwich City, making 213 appearances for the Canaries, 70 of which came in the Premier League, touted as the next big thing, almost joining Tottenham Hotspur for £15m when he was still a teenager.

This big move never came to fruition, moving to Bournemouth two summers ago, but making very little impact on the South Coast, thereby actually spending the second half of last season on loan at Valencia, albeit he featured only five times for los Che.

Nevertheless, still only 25, Aarons is a player with plenty of potential, so could have a big impact in Govan.

Why Max Aarons could be Rangers' next loan star

Rangers have had plenty of players arrive on loan and have had a big impact throughout history, as the table below outlines.

Černý

2024/25

52

Not set to return

Sima

2023/24

39

Did not return

Diomandé

2024

19

Made permanent £4.3m

Tillman

2022/23

43

Did not return

Hagi

2020

13

Made permanent £3.5m

Defoe

2019

20

Made permanent free

Ojo

2018/19

36

Did not return

Kent

2018/19

43

Made permanent £7.5m

Weiss

2010/11

35

Did not return

Diouf

2010/11

22

Did not return

Rangers have had plenty of loan players in recent seasons and throughout history, but few have had as big an impact as Ryan Kent, underlined by the fact his move from Liverpool was made permanent for £7.5m, a club record for modern times.

Kent would go on to make 218 appearances for the club, scoring 33 goals and providing 56 assists, winning the Premiership title and the Scottish Cup, a key figure in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team that reached the Europa League Final.

The winger now plys his trade in Major League Soccer for Seattle Sounders, starting the Rave Green’s Club World Cup opener against Botafogo last Sunday, preparing to take on Atlético Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in the coming days.

So, why could Aarons be Rangers’ latest superstar loanee?

Well, writer Kai Watson labels him a “great athlete”, while Tom Quartly of Breaking the Lines believes the full-back offers ‘fluidity in both attacking and defensive phases’, claiming he has the talent to be one of English football’s ‘brightest stars’.

So, while Aarons hasn’t played a lot of football in recent years, he’s far from finished at 25 years old, and still has plenty left to offer.

What the arrival of a new right-back, who will surely have been guaranteed minutes, means for captain James Tavernier remains to be seen, but Aarons is surely just the first of many highly-rated Premier League or EFL players on their way to Ibrox this summer.

Tavernier didn’t particularly enjoy his best season at Ibrox, anyway, so this is certainly a deal worth getting over the line as Martin seeks to improve the squad.

He's Vaclav Cerny 2.0: Rangers are now set to sign "unplayable" star

Rangers are reportedly set to complete a deal for a star who could be Vaclav Cerny 2.0.

ByDan Emery Jun 16, 2025