All posts by h716a5.icu

Arsenal have been dealt a setback in their pursuit of a top target this summer, with Andrea Berta’s move for the player becoming increasingly complex as the Gunners face missing out on his signature.

Arsenal could also terminate 23-year-old's contract after Takehiro Tomiyasu

He’s ready to accept an offer to leave.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 16, 2025

Most recently, Mikel Arteta has welcomed Chelsea winger Noni Madueke to the Emirates Stadium, following the arrivals of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard.

Madueke agreed personal terms with Arsenal at the start of July, and it didn’t take long for the north Londoners to shake hands on yet another club-to-club deal with Chelsea themselves – agreeing a £52 million fee to make the 23-year-old their seventh arrival from Stamford Bridge in six years.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£75m

The England international signed his five-year Arsenal contract on Wednesday morning (Fabrizio Romano), and it is only a matter of time before Madueke makes his Gunners debut.

After Madueke, Berta and Arteta are believed to hold a serious interest in Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze, who the club views as a potential central attacking midfield addition to complement captain Martin Odegaard – not a winger (Ben Jacobs).

Arsenal are planning to make an approach to Palace over signing Eze after talks with the 27-year-old’s camp, and talkSPORT reported earlier this week that, despite this, the north Londoners are still very keen on Real Madrid forward Rodrygo.

The Brazilian, who could end up costing £80 million, remains high on Arsenal’s target list, and Rodrygo has given “positive” indications that he’d be willing to join Arteta’s side, according to the BBC’s Sami Mokbel.

However, reports in Spain now suggest that the potential deal is proving a real mountain to climb.

Arsenal unlikely to sign Rodrygo as move hits "standstill"

Cadena SER, citing their “close” Arsenal sources, state the situation between Real’s versatile forward and Arteta’s side has become “very complicated”.

While not impossible, an Arsenal move for Rodrygo is becoming increasingly unlikely, especially as they close in Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres and having just signed Madueke.

Contacts have taken place between Premier League clubs and the 24-year-old’s agents, but as of now, everything is apparently at a “standstill”. Real actually view Rodrygo as one of the top 10 strikers in world football, with the former Santos sensation able to play as a centre-forward as well as on either flank, so they’re refusing to drop his price tag.

Liverpool apparently remain interested in him as an alternative to Alexander Isak or Hugo Ekitiké, but for now, Xabi Alonso’s side are not considering his departure. Los Blancos could now leave any exit discussions for August, with the player’s future set to be a talking point for some time yet.

Rodrygo was scarcely used at the Club World Cup by Alonso, and it remains to be seen how the attacker fits into his plans, despite the obvious quality.

“For me he’s probably the most talented and most gifted player in the squad,” said Jude Bellingham about Rodrygo.

“The things he can do with the football – we’ll be messing around and he’ll flick the ball up somehow, and you’re like, ‘How do you do that?’. I’m trying to do it, twisting up my ankles and everything like that. He’s a pleasure to play with.”

St Lucia Kings sign up New Zealand’s Tim Seifert as a replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2024Heinrich Klaasen will not be taking part in the 2024 season of the Caribbean Premier League, which begins on Thursday, due to a family emergency. The South African middle-order batter is one of the world’s best power-hitters, especially against slow bowling and is a significant loss for St Lucia Kings, who had signed him up, in June ahead of the CPL draft.Kings, who made it to the Eliminator after finishing third on the points table last season, have replaced Klaasen with New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert, who has previously played for Trinbago Knight Riders and won the title with them in 2020.Klaasen was part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors team in 2022, but that was before he came into his own as a limited-overs cricketer. He made 118 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 137. In the two years since then, he has played 82 T20s for both club and country, scoring 2293 runs at a strike rate of 169, including two hundreds and 16 fifties.Related

Theekshana: 'I've been bowling the carrom ball since I was 12'

'It's not rocket science' – CPL's CEO asks T20 leagues to collaborate on scheduling

Stars in the making – five young West Indians to look out for at CPL 2024

CPL 2024 FAQs: New team, new players, new intrigues

There were personnel changes in other teams as well with Knight Riders bringing USA’s Andries Gous on board as a temporary replacement. The 30-year-old wicketkeeper-batter impressed as the seventh-highest scorer at the T20 World Cup earlier this year and will sub in for Australia’s Tim David, who is expected to join Knight Riders only after their first four matches of the season.Barbados Royals needed short-term cover as well with David Miller and Keshav Maharaj due to miss the first two matches to attend the Cricket South Africa awards function on September 5. They’ve brought in Sri Lanka allrounder Dunith Wellalage, who was a standout performer in the recent ODI series against India, and Shamarh Brooks.Sikandar Raza has pulled out of the CPL as well with an injury. The Zimbabwe allrounder posted on X (previously Twitter) that he would be missing the entire tournament. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are yet to name a replacement.For more details on the CPL squads for the 2024 tournament, click here.

Yorkshire pair put on record 454 stand before home side collapse in face of 267-run deficit

Vithushan Ehantharajah10-Oct-2024It was a day four that England had dreamed of and Pakistan feared, and one this docile Multan pitch probably did not deserve. A first Test that was drifting towards nothingness has now been flipped in favour of the tourists, who are on the cusp of another famous win in these parts.England’s staggering 823 for 7, their third highest total and fourth overall, featuring Harry Brook’s maiden triple-century of 317 and Joe Root’s new career-best of 262, has laden this match with more history for themselves. Pakistan, meanwhile, plumbed new depths.A tough time in the field led to a dreadful start to their second innings, losing Abdullah Shafique first ball and then finding themselves 82 for 6, before eventually closing on 152 for 6. With Abrar Ahmed hospitalised with fever, they are likely three wickets away from a sixth consecutive Test defeat, and third at home.That Pakistan came to the ground on Thursday morning still ahead by 64 felt a lifetime ago. But even then, with Brook and Root resuming on 144 and 176, respectively, the signs were ominous, and so they proved. By the time their stand was broken – Root trapped lbw by Salman Agha – it had reached 454, England’s highest outright and the fourth-highest in Tests for any wicket against any team. They should have parted on 258, but a simple dropped catch from Babar Azam gave Root, on 186, a reprieve when he pulled Naseem Shah to midwicket.Brook arrived as the lesser of the two stories after Root had become England’s leading Test run-scorer on day three, then registered 20,000 across all formats with his first boundary of the day. But the junior Yorkshireman would seize the headlines by becoming England’s sixth triple-centurion, and first since Graham Gooch.Brook, who was born nine years after Gooch’s 333 against India at Lord’s in 1990, eventually finished on 317 from a staggeringly low 322 balls, displaying remarkable fitness and shot-making throughout. The 310 deliveries it took him to reach the milestone made it the second quickest to Test triple, 32 balls shy of Virender Sehwag’s effort against South Africa in 2008.ESPNcricinfo LtdIt needed an effort like that to put Root in the shade as he notched a sixth Test double-century; only Wally Hammond (7) has more for England. Root had been batting since the evening of day two, when Ollie Pope’s dismissal brought him to the crease at 4 for 1. By the time Root was dismissed, departing with the score 703 for 4, England leading by 147, he had spent just eight deliveries of the 285.1 overs of the match off the field. After battling cramp on day three, he deserved more than 14.5 overs in the sheds before the declaration came, but will take solace in the fact there should be some extra rest time on day five.Brook remained on 260, having breezed past his previous highest Test score of 186 against New Zealand at Wellington in 2023, and a standout first-class knock of 194 – against Kent in 2022. A maiden red-ball double was confirmed with a straightforward single from his 245th delivery.After 118 deliveries to get to 100, then 127 more to get to 200, the next stage required just 65, featuring 10 fours and two sixes. The first of those lusty hits was straight and true off Salman, the second a charge and thwack over extra cover off Naseem, which took him to within 10 of that triple.There was no sign of anxiety in the “nervous 290s”, with the hunt for quick runs ahead of the declaration aided by a neat cameo from Jamie Smith, as part of a broader 41-ball stand of 79 for the fifth wicket. A clubbed back-foot shot to the straight boundary – his 31st overall – off part-time legspinner Saim Ayub took him to the promised land.At that juncture, there was reason to believe Gooch’s 333 and Len Hutton’s outright English record of 364 were under threat. But in a bid to step up the pace, a top-edged sweep brought an end to Brook’s innings. He will have to settle for fifth on the list of England’s highest individual innings.Pakistan’s fielders lined up to congratulate him, no doubt pleased to finally see the back of a batter who now has more Test runs in their country than his own (785 to 761). Brook was the middle of three wickets to fall in 20 deliveries for as many runs, before Brydon Carse – who struck his second ball in Test cricket for six over long-off to bring up the 800 – joined Chris Woakes for a cursory stand of 24, at which point stand-in captain Ollie Pope called the team in with a lead of 267.ESPNcricinfo LtdIt felt, at the time, like a mercy to the hosts, who were nursing the highest total they had conceded in an innings, with six bowlers conceding 100 runs or more for only the second time in Test history. But more pain was in the offing.A six-over period before tea started horrifically, as Woakes found some necessary shape through the air and off the pitch to take out Shafique’s off stump. And though Woakes would go on to drop Shan Masood, leaping at mid-off, then see a similarly tough chance missed off his bowling by Gus Atkinson at cover, amends would be made at the start of the evening session.Atkinson finally snared Masood, as the Pakistan skipper offered a tame catch to Zak Crawley, one of two catching midwickets. The Surrey quick then got a length ball in the off stump channel to leave a beleaguered Babar Azam edging through to Smith.It was then Carse’s turn to punch a few more holes in the batting line-up, though he owes Ayub credit for handing him an easy one with his first ball of the second innings. The left-hander’s attempt to clear cover after being served up a short, wide loosener was an aberration, even if it required a superb take from Ben Duckett, over his shoulder, sprinting back from mid-off. It spoke of the fact the real demons were in Pakistan’s tired minds rather than under foot.That would be the worst ball bowled by Carse, arguably the pick of the seamers, hitting the pitch hard and getting extravagant movement into the right-handers through the air, while operating in the mid-to-late 80s mph. A delivery showcasing all of those traits knocked back Mohammad Rizwan’s middle stump to give the debutant quick figures of 2 for 39 from his 10 overs so far.Pope captained smartly, not just with his field positions, but the way he rotated the quicks. And he was due credit when Jack Leach removed Saud Shakeel caught behind off the left-arm spinner’s second delivery, having replaced Carse.That would be the final wicket to fall, though England should have had another when Aamer Jamal, on 12, top-edged a pull shot off Carse that was spilled by Shoaib Bashir at deep backward square leg. Jamal built on the reprieve to accompany Salman Agha, whose 41 restored some order to proceedings. Even it has only delayed another humbling defeat by a day.

With Alexander Isak pushing for a move away from Tyneside, Newcastle United are faced with the difficult task of replacing one of the Premier League’s most technically gifted forwards.

The Swede’s blend of elegance, close control, and clinical finishing has made him a central figure in Eddie Howe’s system. Now, with Liverpool preparing a formal bid, Newcastle are already planning for life without their star striker.

In searching for a successor, Newcastle are looking for someone who shares Isak’s key qualities and possesses the potential to develop into one of the league’s leading strikers.

The forward they’ve identified ticks those boxes…

Latest on Newcastle's search to replace Isak

The bombshell news broke on Thursday that the Magpies’ main man is intent on leaving the club, having thus far failed to commit to a new deal at St James’ Park.

With that in mind, Newcastle are preparing to present their long-term project to Benjamin Šeško, the 21-year-old Slovenian striker currently at RB Leipzig, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Transfer Focus

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

After monitoring his progress since his RB Salzburg days, and previously attempting to sign him in 2022, the club are once again pushing to secure his signature.

With Leipzig finishing seventh in the Bundesliga and tumbling out of the Champions League early, the timing aligns perfectly.

His contract runs until 2029, but a £60m bid, down from the £85m figure previously quoted, could now be enough to secure his services.

Why Šeško is the perfect Isak replacement

With Isak’s departure appearing increasingly likely, Šeško is seen as the ideal successor. Standing at 194cm, he matches Isak’s physical presence but adds an impressive mix of speed, agility, and strength.

Despite operating in a Leipzig side that underperformed last season, his displays in the Bundesliga only strengthened his reputation as one of Europe’s most exciting young centre-forwards.

Owing to his blend of pace and a towering frame, football talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him the “new Erling Haaland” – though Šeško’s style is notably more measured and refined.

While his overall numbers may fall short of Isak’s, they paint the picture of a striker not just keeping pace with the Premier League star, but exceeding expectations in less favourable circumstances.

The comparisons between the two are striking.

As per Transfermarkt, Šeško scored 21 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions last season, including 13 in the Bundesliga. Though he registered fewer total goal involvements than Isak (18 vs. 29), his efficiency in front of goal was impressive.

He scored 11 non-penalty goals from 8.4 expected, a sharp overperformance that suggests a striker with strong finishing instincts.

That ability to convert is reflected in his other shooting metrics.

According to data from FBref, Šeško averaged 2.5 shots per 90, compared to Isak’s 3.1, and put 43.9% of them on target, a touch higher than Isak’s 43.2%. Though he operates with slightly lower volume, the Slovenian is equally efficient, a valuable trait for a forward potentially operating in a Newcastle team that created fewer clear chances than some of their top-six rivals last season.

Šeško’s pace also adds a key dimension. At Salzburg, he was clocked at 36.11 km/h — one of the fastest top-level strikers in Europe.

In terms of buildup and link play, he’s still developing.

The same data showed that he averaged 15.7 completed passes per 90 with a 67.6% completion rate, lower than Isak’s 17 passes at 75.3%. But he’s competent at holding the ball up and offers glimpses of becoming a more rounded playmaker, something reflected in his 1.74 progressive passes per 90 and 1.93 shot-creating actions.

Perhaps most importantly, he appears ready to take the next step. Though he hasn’t agitated for a move, reports in Germany suggest Šeško views a switch to the Premier League as a logical progression.

Arsenal had previously shown strong interest, preferring him to Sporting’s Viktor Gyökeres due to his age. However, they stepped back, paving the way for Newcastle to step in and pitch themselves as the perfect platform.

There’s also a stylistic harmony between Šeško and Howe’s approach. Like Isak, he offers vertical threat and mobility, capable of drifting into wide channels to stretch defences and creating space for others.

His pressing numbers are low (just 0.11 tackles in the attacking third per 90, compared to Isak’s 0.23), but his energy and willingness to learn could suit the high-intensity demands at St James’ Park.

With Chelsea target Xavi Simons already edging toward the Leipzig exit and interest in Loïs Openda growing, it feels like the Bundesliga club are bracing for change.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are ready to capitalise — seeing Šeško not just as a replacement for Isak, but a long-term centrepiece for their next phase.

Newcastle's most expensive sales of all time

A look at Newcastle’s 20 most expensive departures.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 5, 2025

Rapid five-wicket haul is followed by fast-paced fifty to leave Derbyshire on the ropes

ECB Reporters Network17-Sep-2024Middlesex, trying to close a 15-point gap behind second-placed Yorkshire in the promotion race, utterly dominated an afternoon in Derby where the home side, attempting to overcome their own 19-point deficit to elude a first wooden spoon since 2016, lost six wickets for three runs in 43 balls.With Toby Roland-Jones returning five for 34 in all, Derbyshire ignominiously sank from 130 for two to an eventual 173. The decline set in when Harry Came fell for 66 as the Middlesex captain extended his recent superb sequence to 36 wickets at 16.92 in six matches.Led by Mark Stoneman’s rampant, unbeaten 79, Middlesex then romped through the evening, too, reaching 125 for one in reply on the first day of a vital Vitality County Championship meeting for them. No home seamer could match the accuracy and late movement on an occasionally two-paced pitch that meant “TRJ” claimed all his five scalps bowled or LBW.Belatedly exploiting conditions after Ryan Higgins’s outswing had undone Luis Reece for 20, he first removed Brooke Guest, missed by Noah Cornwell off his own bowling when three but out for seven 50 minutes from lunch, which arrived at 99 for two.Startling carnage then swept in from nowhere from the afternoon’s seventh over. Came lost his off stump and, after Wayne Madsen top-edged a cut at Ethan Bamber to first slip to go for 20, Roland-Jones knocked over two more for ducks and a then a third without score once David Lloyd had returned a catch to Bamber for two.Derisive applause greeted the single that finally took Derbyshire off 133, the score at which the last hapless trio had fallen, and the former England man’s spell ended with 8-5-6-4. It took the 17-year old bowler Harry Moore, in only his third first-class innings, and spinner Jack Morley, on loan from Lancashire, to add 35 for the ninth wicket.Having resisted 38 balls for one run, Morley unaccountably then leapt out to Luke Hollman’s leg spin and was bowled by his 39th before Moore miscued a lofted drive to deep mid-on for 32, which brought tea two overs early.In five of their last eight completed innings, Derbyshire had failed to better their 173 here. But Middlesex were aware at the interval that Yorkshire were doing well in Cardiff and that Sussex, the other side above them, already seemed well set for success in Bristol.If the obvious task was to make their own advantage now count, it didn’t help that the second ball of the reply, a half-volley from Zak Chappell, was clipped by Sam Robson low to mid-on. But their response to being one down without a run scored was full-on aggression: a dozen fours had come by the twelfth over.Chappell, who’d received his county cap in a presentation at the start, could celebrate no further as the two left-handers, Stoneman and Max Holden plundered 71 in the hour that took the former to his first fifty for eleven innings, off only 41 balls.If the tempo eased against the spinners on a surface already taking turn, Holden, the foil to Stoneman’s belligerence, moved quietly on to 44 not out by the close and the pair will resume their 125-run partnership on Wedneday with Middlesex only 48 in arrears.

Things could have been very different for Tottenham Hotspur right now, had they failed to beat Manchester United in last season’s Europa League final.

But they did, and now, new manager Thomas Frank is piecing together a new Spurs side capable of challenging at the top end of the Premier League and hunting down more silverware.

Frank has already been handed a wily new forward in Mohammed Kudus, with the fleet-footed winger signing from West Ham United for £55m.

The ambition hasn’t stopped there. Tottenham offered a release clause-triggering £60m for Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White but have been accused by the Tricky Trees as having made an illegal approach.

Hope remains that a deal will cross the line in the coming weeks, but Frank and Daniel Levy are hoping to complete a few more transfers before the end of summer.

Why Spurs want Morgan Gibbs-White

Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest enjoyed a standout season in 2024/25, qualifying for Europe after spending the previous years battling against the relegation zone.

Across 34 top-flight matches, the 25-year-old scored seven goals and supplied ten assists, but it’s his tenacity and influence, on the ball and without it, that have made him such a coveted name.

Hailed as a “leader” who is “always looking to progress the team” by pundit Glenn Murray, Gibbs-White has what it takes to add a layer to Tottenham’s team that was lacking for large patches last year.

It’s not as if he’s just a pass-focused player, either. The England international averaged 1.3 tackles and 4.5 successful duels per league game, as per Sofascore.

With Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur both potentially leaving this summer, as The Athletic have suggested, Frank may well be searching for yet another centre-midfielder to partner Gibbs-White.

Spurs line up new midfielder

According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Tottenham are interested in signing Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz this summer, with the Brazilian having informed the Old Lady he wishes to return to the Premier League and is keen on a move to Spurs.

West Ham are the side pushing to complete a deal, however, while Forest and Fulham have both been credited with recent enquiries of their own. The competition is fierce.

Luiz, 27, joined Juventus from Aston Villa in a £42m deal one year ago, but he is available for a smaller £34m fee.

What Douglas Luiz would bring to Spurs

It’s been a year to forget for Luiz, who only started three Serie A matches across the entire 2024/25 campaign. However, given that he was previously described as “one of the Premier League’s standout midfielders” by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, Spurs could do a lot worse.

Looking at Luiz’s struggles on the Italian scene, it’s clear that he has flattered to deceive. But context is important: Luiz failed to settle in Turin, and his campaign was further impeded by injuries.

Looking at the level he was performing at the year before, with Aston Villa in the Premier League, you can see why Tottenham are interested in completing a deal.

Matches (starts)

35 (35)

19 (3)

Goals

9

0

Assists

5

0

Touches*

70.1

27.3

Pass completion

89%

90%

Big chances created

10

3

Key passes*

1.5

0.8

Dribbles*

0.7

0.6

Ball recoveries*

5.5

1.6

Tackles*

1.7

0.9

Duels (won)*

4.2 (51%)

1.9 (55%)

One thing that’s interesting across both of Luiz’s recent campaigns is that he maintains an impressive crispness on the ball, not dribbling forward unceasingly but picking his moments. This bespeaks his tactical intelligence. Former teammate John McGinn even claimed once that he is a “world-class” player.

A dynamic and well-rounded midfielder, Luiz could be the perfect partner for Gibbs-White in the middle of the park, with the Forest man operating further ahead, maximising his creative qualities while the Brazilian dictates from deep.

Gibbs-White ranked last season in the Premier League among the top 12% of positional peers for goal-creating actions and the top 9% for through balls per 90, as per FBref, so while he has an impressive completeness and bite about him, Frank will no doubt look to maximise this shining part of his skill set.

Luiz could certainly help in this regard, not only adding some tough-tackling quality to the fold but some flair and uniqueness too.

Even though the 27-year-old played a nominal part in Juventus’ season, he still finished the campaign ranked among the top 9% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for passes attempted and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90.

This goes to show that the players, contrasting but in concert with their emphasis on collecting the ball and enhancing their side’s fluency, could prove a deadly duo indeed, supplying the forwards and working hard to protect the defenders behind them.

Frank’s set-up can be defined by its transitional focus. He said that “adaptability is really important to him”, and in these two midfielders, the Danish tactician would find that he has contrasting parts who could both be fielded alongside each other or indeed act as the foil for the other, stepping in when called upon.

Such a breadth of options is something that Postecoglou lacked last year, and that’s in part down to injuries, but there’s no question that Luiz and Gibbs-White would enhance a Spurs side that is starting to show signs that it can take the next steps toward something special.

If Levy manages to pull off both these exciting midfield signings, it could be exactly what Frank’s system needs to kick on and challenge at the front end of the Premier League next term while pushing to succeed in the Champions League and maybe even win a bit more silverware too.

Dream Wharton alternative: Spurs working on deal to sign "outrageous" CM

Tottenham Hotspur are making a move for a star who could make them forget about Adam Wharton.

1 ByEthan Lamb Jul 25, 2025

Opportunity to impress in absence of Test stars, but financial boost is West Indies’ main motivation

Andrew Miller30-Oct-2024Big picture: Do not adjust your timezonesAre you keeping up at the back? England’s Test team has just arrived back home from Pakistan, licking their wounds after a 2-1 series defeat, but already making plans for their next three-Test tour of New Zealand in barely three weeks’ time. And now, to fill the idle minutes between those two significant endeavours, a separate England squad has been dispatched to the Caribbean for its fourth visit in the space of three years, to continue the reboot of their white-ball fortunes after two underwhelming World Cup defences.This is the sweet spot of England’s post-Covid fixture congestion – a series so shoehorned that it’s hard to know what to read into the players selected, or indeed the results expected. As Jason Holder told ESPNcricinfo, the ECB’s honouring of its debts to West Indies after his team’s efforts in the lockdown summer of 2020 is a significant factor in the timing of this tour, and so there’s a transactional aspect to the coming eight games that cannot be ignored. The financial stimulus in the Caribbean may matter more than the actual results, given that the hosts don’t even have a place at February’s Champions Trophy to offer a short-term focus for their efforts.For England, however, this is a golden opportunity for their next generation to stake claims for integral roles in the coming Bazball-ification of the white-ball team. Brendon McCullum won’t be getting his feet under the table until the tour of India in January, but his influence is already palpable. The cross-pollination of players – with Jordan Cox and Rehan Ahmed joining from the Pakistan tour and Jacob Bethell soon to take the opposite route to New Zealand – reinforces the sense that one philosophy is about to take hold across all three squads, and so it probably doesn’t matter where and how you make your case … Big Bazzer Will Be Watching You.And so, in the short term at least, cohesive strategies will probably matter less than well-crafted cameos. With Jos Buttler extending his absence from professional cricket into a fifth month, and with Harry Brook – his heir apparent – tied up on Test duty, Liam Livingstone gets an unlikely shot at the captaincy, just weeks after he was initially cut from England’s ODI plans against Australia. He takes charge of a squad that features five potential 50-over debutants, from the restlessly ambitious Cox, to the fast-tracked legspinner Jafer Chohan, as well as the ubiquitous John Turner, the Hampshire fast bowler who has been mentioned in dispatches for more than a year already but might finally get his opening in these coming games.Shimron Hetmyer is back in West Indies’ ODI squad•Getty ImagesMore established names ought to relish this opportunity too. Sam Curran, for instance, was wondering out loud last month whether his face fitted in the Bazball era, given his lack of extreme pace and height runs counter to the attributes that England’s selectors have been advocating of late. The fact that he was overlooked as Buttler’s stand-in might confirm his paranoia too. But he was player of the match in his last ODI in Antigua, and that will surely count for something.Phil Salt is another who might be grateful for the absence of the multi-format players. The Caribbean was the scene of his breakthrough as a T20I opener, with twin hundreds on England’s last visit, but in the 50-over format, he failed to make it out of the powerplay in any of the five matches against Australia, even if his 45 from 27 at Bristol last month was a rowdy way to sign off for the summer.They’ll be coming up against a West Indies team with a proud home record against England. In addition to their two-decade unbeaten run in Tests, they’ve won each of their last three home white-ball series against the visitors, including a 2-1 win in the corresponding ODI campaign in December 2023.Between the wily left-arm spin of Gudakesh Motie and the pace prowess of Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales, West Indies have invariably found the requisite firepower to blunt England’s hard-hitters, and they’ve rarely lacked muscle with the bat themselves. It ought to be high-octane cricket over the coming days, in front of eager crowds of autumnal English sun-seekers. But quite what any of it will prove, the jury will remain out on that, at least until the new year.Form guideWest Indies WLLLL
England LWWLLIn the spotlight – Evin Lewis and Liam LivingstoneEngland fans may remember Evin Lewis from his astonishing onslaught at the Kia Oval in 2017, right at the apex of England’s white-ball revolution. On a cool autumnal afternoon, he blazed a remarkable 176 not out from 130 balls with 17 fours and seven sixes, and was firmly on course for West Indies’ second ODI double-hundred when he inside-edged a yorker onto his ankle and retired hurt with a hairline fracture. That was the third of his five ODI hundreds to date – a tally that only Shai Hope among contemporary West Indies cricketers can beat – and the most recent came only last week against Sri Lanka in Kandy: a 61-ball onslaught, sealed with a matchwinning six. Remarkably, that was Lewis’ first ODI appearance for more than three years, but as his captain Hope put it at the post-match presentations, “he picked up where he left off”.Barely six weeks have elapsed since Liam Livingstone was called up as an injury replacement for Jos Buttler, after his calf injury ruled him out of the ODI series against Australia. Now, he’s been handed a more remarkable promotion still – stepping directly into the skipper’s shoes as England’s sixth captain of 2024. He returns on the crest of a relative wave, after recently rising to become the leading T20I allrounder in the ICC’s rankings. But his returns in ODI cricket remain hit-and-miss. His blistering 62 not out from 27 balls against Australia at Lord’s contained a stunning seven sixes, but was also his first half-century in 14 innings since another dramatic intervention, 95 not out from 78 balls, against New Zealand in September 2023. In between whiles he went missing (along with most of his team-mates, to be fair) at the 50-over World Cup in India. His multi-faceted spin bowling remains a vital means of balancing England’s XIs, however, and a strong showing in this series will set him on course for a shot at redemption in the Champions Trophy.Jacob Bethell prepares to bat in the nets in Antigua•Getty ImagesTeam news: Debuts in prospect for EnglandShimron Hetmyer’s return is West Indies’ only change from the ODI squad that played (and won) the last of its three matches against Sri Lanka on Saturday, and so continuity would seem to be the order of the day. He looks likely to slot into the middle-order, with the 17-year-old Jewel Andrew, who made his international debut in that Kandy contest, the obvious batter to make way. There’s time enough for him to come again. Romario Shepherd could also make a return after sitting out that same match.West Indies: 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Shai Hope (capt and wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Keacy Carty, 7 Alzarri Joseph, 8 Roston Chase, 9 Gudakesh Motie, 10 Romario Shepherd, 11 Jayden SealesThe squeeze on this series, from Test tours of Pakistan at one end and New Zealand at the other, mean a swathe of multi-format players will be missing in the coming days, including Brook and Ben Duckett, whose century against Australia in Bristol was a perfect translation of his Bazball tempo from five-day to 50 overs. Cox, fresh from the Pakistan tour, will be one of several players earmarked for ODI debut in the coming days, while Buttler’s absence means Michael Pepper, his injury replacement, could be another. More likely, perhaps, given the rough hierarchy that governs England’s opportunities, is that Will Jacks gets a chance to open, and Dan Mousley – overlooked for a debut against Australia – gets first dibs in the middle order.England: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Will Jacks, 3 Jordan Cox, 4 Jacob Bethell, 5 Liam Livingstone (capt), 6 Dan Mousley, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Reece TopleyPitch and conditions: Remember the wind factorA fairly central strip means boundary dimensions are more or less uniform. With four visits to the Caribbean in the space of three years, England’s senior players are well used to the cross-winds that can aid or end any given batter’s attempts to clear the ropes. Conflicting reports of rain may also throw a little chaos into the mix.Stats and trivia West Indies have won seven of their previous 18 ODIs at the Sir Vivian Richards Ground in Antigua, five of which have come in their last six appearances since 2017. Their most recent match at the venue, however, was a six-wicket defeat against England in December 2023. Evin Lewis needs 51 runs to reach 2000 in ODIs.Quotes”That’s something you’re going to see throughout the series, there’s going to be a fair few debuts. And there’s going to be people who get an opportunity because we want to see what we can do. Because that’s what we want to get out of this trip is see how they fare in international cricket.”

The Premier League legend expressed his hopes that Mauricio Pochettino's side can find form in the wake of a disappointing run

Henry called on the USMNT to 'solve issues' ahead of World CupAdmitted that the U.S. are struggling after South Korea loss2026 hosts are 10-0-7 under Argentine manager Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

France and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry admitted the USMNT has issues that must be addressed ahead of the 2026 World Cup and stressed the urgency to improve with the tournament less than a year away.

"The national team has an issue, and I hope that's going to be solved pretty soon, because what you want is the national team to perform, especially when the team is the host," he said at a CBS press conference promoting its UEFA Champions League coverage.

The former striker, who also played and coached in MLS, urged U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino to start delivering results amidst a poor run of form. The USMNT have yet to beat a FIFA top-25 team under Pochettino, who took charge a year ago.

Still, Henry showed some optimism, recalling that his France team entered the 1998 World Cup facing heavy criticism before going on to win the tournament despite widespread doubts about their quality.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THIERRY HENRY SAID

The  USMNT are now winless in their last seven matches against non-North American top-25 opponents, being outscored 17-3 in that span. Henry believes Pochettino has enough quality on his squad to turn things around. 

"That's something that he has to figure out. He has a team in order to do that," Henry explained. "It is not only him, but the team is struggling right now. Hopefully, they won't be struggling at the World Cup, because you want the host to go as far as they can go, obviously. That's a question for Pochettino."

One player with whom Henry is very familiar, outside of Christian Pulisic, is Tim Weah. Henry idolized Weah's famous dad, George, for his playing style as a striker. 

Henry was surprised to see Tim Weah make the move from Juventus to Marseille, but stressed the onus is on the American winger to perform at his new club.

"It was unexpected at the very beginning, his dad played there," Henry said. "I think it is going to be good for him. If you follow what's been happening in Marseille since the beginning of the season, it's been a bit chaotic, as the club has been at times. But I do think it's going to be good for him. He does speak French.

"Obviously, he didn't work out, maybe, as he expected, being in Turin [at Juventus], although he had some good games. But things have changed, and now it's on him to be able to perform for Marseille, which is not an easy one at times, because that place can be pretty crazy at times. But I wish him all the best."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The USMNT's inability to pick up results of late has been heavily criticized. Pochettino started his tenure brightly, but has since struggled, losing in the semifinals of the Nations League before falling to Mexico in the Gold Cup final. 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR POCHETTINO AND THE USMNT?

The Argentine manager has announced a tricky slate of fixtures ahead of the World Cup. They will face Uruguay and Paraguay later this fall, before reportedly taking on Portugal next March. 

Whilst also chasing deals to sign both Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tyler Dibling, Everton have now reportedly submitted an offer to sign an in-demand midfielder who’s worth around £17m.

Update on Everton's moves for Dewsbury-Hall and Dibling

After a fairly quiet few weeks, Everton have finally come to life in the transfer market. Just under two weeks until the Premier League campaign gets underway, the Toffees have reportedly set their sights on both Dewsbury-Hall and Dibling.

The Friedkin Group are wasting no time with negotiations, either. According to Fabrizio Romano, Everton have submitted an opening bid to sign Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea with the Blues open to his exit this month.

Meanwhile, despite already seeing two bids rejected for Dibling, with their second offer reportedly worth around £35m, those at the Hill Dickinson stadium intend to land both of their attacking targets before the window slams shut.

Securing those two additions would suddenly turn Everton’s summer around. Suddenly, their list of incomings would begin to look impressive, having already signed Adam Aznou, Thierno Barry, Carlos Alcaraz and Mark Travers.

Dibling and Dewsbury-Hall would also please David Moyes, who cut a frustrated figure when questioned about incomings during Everton’s pre-season tour of America.

The veteran manager told reporters: “The truth is we’re not getting them over the line at the moment – that’s a fact. We’re not getting a lot of the deals done which we’re hoping to do, so we’re continually reassessing and moving on, while maybe things are not coming to fruition.”

After Dewsbury-Hall and Dibling, however, Everton may not be done there in the market. Reports are now suggesting that they’ve submitted an offer to sign a £17m target.

Everton submit opening Lopy offer

As reported by Spanish newspaper MARCA and relayed by Sport Witness, Everton submitted an opening offer to sign Dion Lopy from UD Almeria, but that offer failed to reach the Spanish club’s €20m (£17m) valuation.

Linked with Barcelona, Almeria’s £17m demand should come as no surprise, but even as Everton aim to replace Abdoulaye Doucoure, splashing out such a price to welcome a LaLiga2 midfielder would represent a risky decision.

Everton now considering making offer for "incredible" £13m La Liga defender

His club are open to selling him this summer.

ByHenry Jackson Aug 4, 2025

If they can get that price down, then Lopy, a Senegal international, could prove to be a shrewd acquisition. As things stand, though, Friedkin may well be better off turning to alternative options.

Of course, if they push on despite Almeria’s £17m demand, then Everton should at least hold an advantage in personal talks with the defensive midfielder this summer.

The 23-year-old is represented by the same agency as long-term Everton star Jordan Pickford – handing the Toffees a relationship to instantly put to good use in negotiations.

As the final month of the transfer window continues, whether it’s Lopy, Dewsbury-Hall or Dibling, it looks destined to be a busy couple of weeks in Merseyside.

Renan Lodi has unilaterally terminated his contract with Saudi heavyweights Al-Hilal after he was excluded from the list of players registered for the Saudi Pro League. A legal battle between the two parties is set to ensue, as the former Atletico Madrid left-back has vowed to "assert his rights like any worker" after being deprived of the chance to play regularly.

Lodi's relationship with Al-Hilal hits rock bottom

Lodi and Al Hilal part ways in the most unexpected and turbulent manner. The Brazilian full-back, who arrived in Saudi Arabia in January 2024 from Atletico Madrid on a contract valid until 2027, decided to unilaterally terminate the agreement after being excluded from the list of registered players for the Saudi Pro League due to the maximum limit on foreign players imposed by the regulations.  

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLegal battle brewing between the two parties

The main issue arose at the start of the new season. After the summer training camp in Germany,Lodi discovered that he had not been included in the list for the Saudi Pro League. Lodi's only option was to play in the Asian Champions League, a prospect that did not satisfy him at the age of 27.   

The decision has sparked a dispute: the club has announced that it will take "all necessary legal measures", while the player has called for his professional rights to be respected, involving the international sporting authorities. 

Lodi set to 'assert' his rights 'like any worker'

Lodi said he tried to talk to the club to get back into their plans, but received no response. This led to his decision to seek legal advice and terminate his contract.

"I cannot be deprived of the right to practise my profession. I have decided to assert my rights like any worker who is prevented from doing their job," he said. The footballer hopes that "the competent authorities will judge my case as soon as possible" so that he can return to playing. 

When interviewed about the matter, coach Simone Inzaghi expressed his regret at the outcome. "I am sad because he did very well for us at the Club World Cup and has always been a great professional," the former Inter boss said.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportFIFA' intervention in the matter on the cards

Lodi's future remains uncertain. The player has already returned to Brazil, but his departure from Al-Hilal has opened up a legal battle that is bound to cause controversy. The issue at stake concerns not only a terminated contract, but also the interpretation of FIFA rules and the rights of a professional who claims the right to pursue his career without restrictions.