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Having already advanced towards Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool have reportedly been handed another boost towards signing a top target, who is now open to completing a summer switch.

Liverpool advancing in Ekitike deal

It’s been the summer of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes in the transfer market and Liverpool’s double act are now advancing towards their latest blockbuster deal. Not only have they emerged into the race to sign Ekitike this week, but they’ve shoved Newcastle out of the picture entirely.

Reports are now indicating that Liverpool have already received the green light from the forward and are now actively negotiating with Eintracht Frankfurt. Newcastle, meanwhile, have walked away from any potential deal.

Likely to follow Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong on Liverpool’s list of incomings, Ekitike will be solving the biggest problem that Arne Slot had within his title-winning squad last season.

The Dutchman often chose to deploy Luis Diaz as a No.9 over Darwin Nunez as the latter struggled more than ever at Anfield. Now, amid rumours that both South American stars could yet leave this summer, Liverpool are advancing towards an instant upgrade.

Even after Ekitike, however, the Edwards and Hughes show may not be over. Reports are now suggesting that Liverpool have also set their sights on signing a South American megastar in a deal that would arguably be even bigger than Ekitike.

Rodrygo now "open" to Liverpool move

According to Eduardo Burgos, a reporter from Spanish outlet AS, Rodrygo is now “open” to joining Liverpool this summer and the Reds have sent super agent Pini Zahavi to help broker a deal with Real Madrid.

Burgos told The RedmenTV: “It’s genuine. Liverpool already held talks with his camp. They sent an emissary to Madrid to talk to his family, and Rodrygo is happy with the interest.

“He’s open to a move. He always liked the Premier League. Two summers ago, even [Manchester] City tried to sign him. Guardiola called him a few times. He appreciated the gesture but in the end his preference was to stay in Madrid.

“His preference has now changed and now he’s hoping to leave…I think he will leave because he wants to be the star of the team, and [at Real Madrid] it will be very, very difficult, almost impossible. I think it’s not 50-50; it’s maybe 70-30. He’s open to a move and I think Liverpool may make a move.”

Liverpool now contacted with fresh opportunity to sign "superb" UCL winner

They could steal in ahead of Premier League rivals.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jul 17, 2025

The winger’s arrival would send yet more shockwaves around the transfer market, but it’s one that Liverpool have seemingly set their sights on despite the Brazilian’s hefty £11m-a-year salary.

Leeds United have their eyes on a £50,000-a-week striker as an alternative to Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz, according to journalist Graham Bailey.

Leeds keen on new striker with Muniz a top target

The Whites have been relatively busy so far during the summer transfer window, with seven new senior faces arriving at Elland Road.

Lukas Nmecha

Wolfsburg

Free

Jaka Bijol

Udinese

£15m

Gabriel Gudmundsson

Lille

£10m

Sebastiaan Bornauw

Wolfsburg

£5m

Sean Longstaff

Newcastle

£12m

Anton Stach

Hoffenheim

£17.4m

Lucas Perri

Lyon

£13.9m

Daniel Farke and the 49ers Enterprises are still hoping to add more, with a new winger and forward now seemingly at the top of the to-do list for sporting director Adam Underwood.

Leeds recently missed out on an ambitious move for Igor Paixao, who chose Marseille over a move to Yorkshire. In regards to a new striker, Fulham’s Muniz has been a firm target in recent weeks, however, there is yet to be progress on any potential transfer.

Talking to Leeds United News, Bailey said that those at Craven Cottage are in talks over a new deal for the Brazilian.

“It’s not news that intermediaries are doing the work. Fulham remain in talks over a new deal, however.

“They still want to keep him, but until they get the new deal signed, it’s not going to stop other people offering him elsewhere. He’s a good Premier League striker with a high ceiling. He’s still quite young, so he’s going to get linked around.”

Leeds meet £24.5m star's agents and now ready to trigger his release clause

The Whites could have an advantage in their race to sign a talented playmaker.

BySean Markus Clifford Aug 1, 2025

Leeds may soon have to move on from Muniz, and the journalist answered a question on the Whites’ alternative centre-forward targets.

Leeds still eyeing move for Everton’s Beto

Bailey added that Everton striker Beto, who was linked with Leeds at the beginning of the window, is still on the Elland Road radar as Farke and Underwood search for a new striker.

Beto, a Guinea international, is on £50,000-a-week with the Toffees and is into the final two years of his Everton contract.

However, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin leaving Merseyside this summer, Everton currently have a shortage of senior strikers, despite signing Thierno Barry, so any Leeds move for Beto could be tricky, as they have found in their attempts to sign Muniz.

Non-penalty goals

72nd percentile

Aerials won

97th percentile

Shots on target

87th percentile

Successful take-ons

90th percentile

Time is ticking, though, with Beto and Everton due to travel to Leeds on August 18 for a Premier League opener.

تحدث ماريو إيليتش قائد فريق أوكلاند سيتي النيوزيلندي، عن مواجهة بيراميدز، التي تقام بين الفريقين، مساء غد الأحد، في إطار منافسات بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال.

ويلتقي بيراميدز مع أوكلاند سيتي، في التاسعة من مساء غد الأحد، على استاد الدفاع الجوي، في الدور الأول من بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال.

وقال إيليتش خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت: “نحن دائمًا نضع لأنفسنا توقعات عالية، في كل مباراة نلعبها نريد فيها الفوز، نركز على الأداء أولاً، وحافظًا على صلابتا الدفاعية بالتاكيد ستكون فرصتنا كبيرة للفوز”.

وأضاف: “سندخل مباراة بيراميدز بهدف تحقيق الفوز، مع إدركنا بصعوبة المباراة، وقوة المنافس، لكن لدينا ثقة كاملة في أنفسنا، وقدراتنا على تحقيق المفاجأة”.

وتابع: “نعلم أن بيراميدز فريق كبير وخطير هجوميًا، قد أثبت جدارته بالفعل، بالفوز بدوري أبطال إفريقيا، سبق وأن خوضنا مباراة قوية أمام النادي الأهلي، نتوقع أن تكون هذه المواجهة بنفس الصعوبة”.

طالع | وقت إضافي أم ركلات ترجيح؟.. فيفا يوضح مصير مباراة بيراميدز وأوكلاند سيتي حال انتهائها بالتعادل

وأكمل: “قمنا بدراسة فريق بيراميدز تفصيلاً وحددنا عناصر القوة لديهم، لكنا على علم أنهم متماسكون في جميع الخطوط، وضعنا خطة واضحة ونسعي للالتزام بها حتي نقلل من خطورة بيراميدز ونحقق النجاح المطلوب”.

وواصل: “نعلم أن اللقاء سيكون مرهق بدنيًا خاصة أن الفريق معتاد على الأجواء ونحن قادمين من أجواء شتوية في نيوزيلندا، لهذا قضينا عدة أيام في أبو ظبي قبل اللقاء للتكيف مع الأجواء”.

واستطرد: “استفدنا من تجربتنا السابقة ضد الأهلي كما أن مشاركتنا في عدة نسخ في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية منحتنا خبرة وثقة كبيرة، خوضنا 3 مباريات قوية في مونديال الأندية بأمريكا”.

وأستكمل: “دائمًا ندخل في مثل هذه اللقاءات ونحن الطرف الأضعف، خاصة أننا فريق من الهواة ولاعبينا لديهم وظائف يومية خارج مجال كرة القدم لذلك يكون الضغط الأكبر على المنافس”.

وأتم: “نركز على المباراة دقيقة بدقيقة ونتمسك بالأسس الدفاعية ونعرف أننا قادرون على صناعة الفرص ويبقى الأهم استغلال تلك الفرص عندما تأتي، كرة القدم هي لعبة المفاجآت، حققنا نتيجة تاريخية بالتعادل أمام بوكا جونيور الأرجنتيني في كأس العالم للأندية، لذلك طالما على أرضية الملعب نملك الفرصة في الفوز في النهاية 11 لاعبا أمام مثلهم، سنلعب بخطة واضحة وسنترك الباقي لكرة القدم”.

Newcastle United will play football with Alexander Isak at the front next season. It’s a wonderful thought, and it’s very much set to happen, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein stating there’s “no chance” the Sweden striker leaves St. James’ Park this summer.

That’s because the Carabao Cup champions sealed their place in next year’s Champions League on the final game of the Premier League season, clinching fifth place.

However, the future of Callum Wilson is less clear, out of contract at the end of the month, but offered fresh, reduced terms.

Perhaps Newcastle should move to sign a new centre-forward instead, with talks being held for an exciting Premier League star.

Newcastle meet with Premier League striker

As per NUFC Blog, Newcastle met with Rodrigo Muniz’s camp last month to ascertain whether the Fulham forward would be interested in a move to Tyneside this summer.

He would, with the player’s representatives exploring different avenues ahead of a potential summer transfer, heading into the final year of his Cottagers deal (albeit the club have the option to extend terms by an additional 12 months).

It’s thought the prolific Brazilian could cost as much as £50m.

What Rodrigo Muniz would bring to Newcastle

Muniz signed for Fulham from Brazilian club Flamengo, aged 20, in 2021, making remarkable progress across the past two seasons in the Premier League for Marco Silva’s side, having previously completed a difficult loan spell in the Championship with Middlesbrough, scoring twice across 17 fixtures.

But having found his shooting sense with Fulham over the past two years, Silva has hailed him as a “proper quality striker”, with pundit Alan Shearer backing such effusions up by calling him “horrible to play against.”

His potential was perfectly illustrated by a rich burst of form last season in the Premier League, scoring seven goals from as many matches across spring.

This year, Muniz hasn’t been provided the same regularity of minutes, but he’s still managed to bag himself a goal when afforded a chance.

This innate clinical quality is actually something that could see him replace Wilson at St. James’ Park, with his scoring leading FBref to draw him against the Newcastle man during the 2023/24 season, given both retain their attacking fluency even if not featuring week in, week out.

Wilson, reduced to scraps this season due to injury problems, is typically an invariably deadly finisher, scoring 27 goals across 30 Premier League starts over the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.

He’s a target man, and no mistake. It’s interesting, though, that Muniz has enjoyed such clinical shooting success across the past two years in the English top flight, also demonstrating a tenacious attitude in the duel, if not through his passing, his creativity.

As per FBref, he actually ranked among the top 3% of Premier League forwards this term for non-penalty goals scored per 90 (0.75), so prolific and fluent when afforded the chance to impress.

His failure to earn regular starts at Craven Cottage likely came from his overall game, which may not be kitted out with the completeness of other strikers. But that’s okay; in that way, he can be Howe’s next version of Wilson.

Muniz doesn’t need to bring a protean attacking arsenal to the fold when Isak’s staying put, but his keen-edged shooting could certainly add the perfect dimension to ensure attacking success across the whole campaign, across a variety of fronts.

Newcastle line up "magical" £59m CF who's like Cunha & Mbeumo

Newcastle are plotting to sign a few new forwards this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 5, 2025

Chelsea are still on the hunt for another striker, despite already signing Liam Delap in time for the Club World Cup, but this is a transfer which may have to wait until further down the line this summer.

Chelsea tipped for second centre-forward signing after Liam Delap

Enzo Maresca’s forward line could look very different by the beginning of 2025/2026.

Alongside Sesko: Chelsea also step up pursuit of another striker wanted by Arsenal

The Blues have ramped up their interest in a “prolific” striker, who is also a target for Mikel Arteta.

ByDominic Lund Jun 10, 2025

Despite scoring in the Conference League final against Real Betis, helping Chelsea win their first major trophy under Maresca in the process, it has been a tough 2025 for Nicolas Jackson.

The Senegalese has scored just one Premier League goal this calendar year and suffered a real downturn in form beyond the turn of the year, combined with injuries and suspensions.

While Chelsea aren’t pushing Jackson out of the door, it is believed that they will listen to suitable offers, with Manchester United, Aston Villa, Inter Milan, and Atletico Madrid all expressing an interest recently (Simon Phillips).

His departure could also prove key to Chelsea making room for another prolific centre-forward after Delap, which is something Stamford Bridge officials are apparently keen to do.

One name has dominated the headlines when it comes to BlueCo potentially bringing in another new number nine – Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike.

Chelsea have held talks with Eintracht over a deal for Ekitike, and even mooted the possibility of players going the other way in a part-exchange.

The Frenchman is also said to be very keen on a move to west London (Simon Phillips), but the sticking point throughout this saga has been Ekitike’s lofty £84 million asking price.

The 22-year-old is fresh off the back of an electric campaign, scoring 22 goals and assisting 12 others in all competitions, which has prompted his side to stand firm over a sky-high price in negotiations so far.

However, according to TEAMtalk, Chelsea may not have to go that high after all.

Chelsea believe £65 million Hugo Ekitike could rival Alexander Isak

As per their information, the club’s recruitment team hold a genuine belief that Ekitike will end up rivaling Newcastle United star Alexander Isak, with Chelsea making him a “high-priority” target as a result.

It is also believed that £65 million could even be enough for Chelsea to sign Ekitike this summer, and their public £84 million valuation is merely “posturing” in an attempt to look strong during negotiations.

The report adds that Chelsea have been in direct contact with the former PSG striker’s camp, echoing other media sources, but the complexity of this deal means this could be one that remains ongoing for a while yet.

In any case, he is clearly highly-rated within Cobham, not to mention the rest of the footballing world.

“I might say something really crazy, but I’ll say it anyway: I think he’s a mix between Neymar and [Kylian] Mbappé. I sincerely think so,” said former Netherlands star Wesley Sneijder.

“He has the grace of Neymar, but also the movements of Mbappé. To suddenly accelerate, that’s something that Mbappé also has. And he’s only 22 years old. There’s really a lot of potential in this boy.”

Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Tottenham Hotspur and their chances of appointing a former Bayern Munich manager who they’ve reportedly contacted.

Tottenham players back Ange Postecoglou amid mounting pressure

Ange Postecoglou faces a very uncertain future in N17, following a disastrous Premier League campaign, where they’ve tasted defeat on 19 occasions in the top flight alone.

Manager open to immediate Tottenham talks after missing out on Man United

He appears pretty keen on Spurs.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 30, 2025

According to The Telegraph, this woeful domestic form means Postecoglou and Spurs could part ways at the end of the season, regardless of their campaign in the Europa League.

However, midfielder James Maddison has now publicly backed the 59-year-old, stating that the squad are “100 per cent” behind their head coach despite their “unacceptable” 2024/2025.

“We’re behind the manager, 100 per cent. I think he’s a great man,” said Maddison in a press conference.

“He’s the first person to tell you, I’ve heard it myself, that we’ve had a poor season, especially in the league. We’ve been very good in Europe, but the league season’s probably been unacceptable, and we can all take collective responsibility for that.

“But he’s my manager, he’s my gaffer, I respect him an awful amount.

“The narrative is something that we players try and keep away from because it’s not healthy to read into what you lot are talking about – the manager’s position. I just know that I come into work every day and see the lads listening, taking on the messages, how he wants to play and trying to do what’s best for this club.”

Intense pressure has surrounded the Australian for months, and a succession of managers have been linked as candidates to replace him.

According to reports in Germany last week, one of the names under consideration is Borussia Dortmund boss Niko Kovac.

The 53-year-old has helped to steady the ship at Dortmund after Nuri Şahin’s dismissal midway through the campaign, and enjoyed previous success at Bayern, where he won a Bundesliga title, DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup.

According to Bild, Tottenham made recent contact with Kovac via an intermediary, and are believed to be big fans of his intense style of play.

Fabrizio Romano shares update on Niko Kovac's links to Tottenham

Following these reports, the reliable Romano has shared an update on Kovac and his links to Spurs.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist says that nothing is advanced between Kovac and Tottenham just yet, based off the lack of information he’s heard, but he doesn’t entirely rule out the tactician as an option.

“I’m not aware of anything advanced on this one yet,” said Romano.

“Spurs will not make any decision now with the Europa League semi-finals due to start soon.”

The former Croatia captain could be a solid outside candidate, with Kovac attracting praise for his leadership qualities.

“He [Kovac] has experience, he was a very good player and was the captain of the Croatia national team,” said German footballing legend Lothar Matthäus.

“He has charisma, he has passion, he knows about football. He was a leader as a player and is showing this as a coach too.”

From afar, the intense battle for automatic promotion in the Championship is an enthralling spectacle to watch.

But, for those locked deep in it, there is nothing more nerve-wracking, with one minor misfire squandering your chances of an instant path up to the Premier League.

Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United have found out the hard way how cruel the tense promotion fight can be, with the one-time leaders now out of the top two after two humbling losses on the spin.

Time is still on their side to atone for these missteps, but Wilder will need to be more cutthroat with his team selections and drop underperformers, with Ben Brereton Diaz’s first-team spot on shaky ground.

Why Brereton Diaz needs to be dropped

The Chilean attacker won’t be deemed as a blunder in the transfer market, however, with Brereton Diaz boasting a mildly impressive three goals and three assists from 14 encounters since joining on loan in January.

But, to the dismay of the Blades faithful watching on alongside his manager, the usually potent forward was largely anonymous in the last two defeats against Oxford United and Millwall.

Minutes played

59

45

Goals scored

0

0

Assists

0

0

Shots

0

2

Touches

20

21

Accurate passes

7/10 (70%)

9/14

Possession lost

7x

6x

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Brereton Diaz has been massively underperforming to the detriment of his promotion-chasing side, with only two shots registered in total across a combined 104 minutes versus the U’s and Alex Neil’s visitors.

Moreover, his wastefulness on the ball as a right winger has killed many an attacking opportunity, with possession given up a high seven times at the Kassam Stadium, despite only mustering up a weak 20 touches of the ball.

Wilder substituting off the Southampton loanee at the half-time interval versus Millwall could mean he’s willing to drop the 25-year-old completely for his side’s mammoth trip to Plymouth Argyle later on, therefore, which might potentially gift this exciting winger the chance to nail down a starting spot on the right subsequently.

How Wilder can replace Brereton Diaz

After all, if the Blades do decide to go all gung-ho on their travels to Devon, they could gain a lot of joy from a leaky, relegation-doomed side in the Pilgrims, considering Plymouth have given up a high 81 goals in league action.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi could be licking his lips at the prospect of a start at Home Park, consequently, with the Crystal Palace loanee gifting his side a lot more on the right flank last time out than the out-of-sorts Brereton Diaz.

Across his bright 45-minute stint on the Bramall Lane turf, Rak-Sakyi managed to tally up three more shots than his poor counterpart, on top of also twisting and turn Millwall shirts for fun with three successful dribbles, as per Sofascore.

Winning 100% of his ground duels too, the 22-year-old attacker would have been kicking himself that he didn’t add to his growing goal and assist tally for the club in the unfortunate 1-0 defeat, having picked up six strikes and two assists away from this second successive loss.

Hailed as a “remarkable” player by former Eagles boss Roy Hodgson, Rak-Sakyi would love to close out his memorable stint in South Yorkshire with a promotion on his fledgling CV.

With double the amount of strikes compared next to Brereton Diaz’s league output – on top of his promising cameo against Millwall – the time could be right to hand the entertaining youngster a start, as Wilder attempts to roll the dice subtly to get his team’s stuttering promotion push back on course.

Wilder must axe Sheffield United man earning more than Cooper & Campbell

Chris Wilder could soon ditch this Sheffield United high earner.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 8, 2025

A low-scoring game dominated by the bowlers was not the ideal way to launch a tournament which hopes to embrace a new audience

Sidharth Monga04-Jun-20242:06

Maharoof: Pitch in New York ‘not good enough’ for a T20 game

Were we not entertained?
Even for a traditional cricket fan, this match was a bit of a hard-sell. A diehard fan might have found some excitement during some tight overs when South Africa were chasing 78, but otherwise it was just too loaded in favour of the bowlers. There was just too much bounce, and unpredictable bounce, which made six-hitting next to impossible. It was going both up and down, left and right. And it was happening not in the air but after the ball bounced, which gives batters very little time to adjust. They can defend their wicket but can’t possibly score quickly.Why was the pitch so difficult? Surely they didn’t do it on purpose?
It is hard to say. These drop-in pitches were prepared by an experienced groundsman from Adelaide who knows the assignment. Perhaps they haven’t had enough time to settle down with enough cricket played on them. There are four pitches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, and six for the nets at Cantiague Park. They were all prepared at the same time. India have done the most training at Cantiague Park, and they have seen them behave better day by day. Perhaps these will too.Related

• Klaasen on New York pitch: Batters need to suck it up

• Stats – Nortje and Baartman hack into the dot matrix

• 'So unfair' – Sri Lanka, given a raw scheduling deal, struggle to find their bearings

• Nortje: Don't need 20 sixes to make an entertaining game

Or perhaps the curator is leaving extra grass because the square of four pitches has to host eight matches in 10 days. He obviously doesn’t want them to die down by the time the New York leg is nearing its end.But aren’t these expert batters? Why couldn’t they adjust and score at least a run a ball through grounded shots?
The outfield wasn’t great. There were quite a few shots that would have fetched fours in standard conditions, but this is a heavy sandy outfield. Even aerial shots that clear the infield were bouncing in it and plugging.Can anything be done about the outfield? Perhaps shave some of the grass?
That could make it dangerous for the fielders. Already they are not too keen on diving. Perhaps they could consider bringing the boundaries in.Hang on, why do we want standard conditions?
Because T20 is the shortest format of cricket. It is the vehicle to take it to newer outposts. There is just not enough time to adjust to such variable conditions. It creates competitive imbalance, giving the bowling side a huge advantage. As you saw, the side batting first didn’t have the time to realise 120 was a good score and kept losing wickets trying to aim for a bigger total.Especially in tournament play, cricket always aims for standard conditions because you want the players to shine and not the conditions. In the ODI World Cup in India last year, the governing body kept rating pitches “average” whenever they deviated a bit from the norm.Looking good, but what about the pitch?•ICC via Getty ImagesBut didn’t Sri Lanka win the toss? Why did they choose to bat first?
They possibly didn’t know what to expect from these pitches.And why is that?
They only just arrived two days ago after spending their entire night in the Miami airport because of a flight delay. Then the actual facility doesn’t have practice pitches. Looking at how they would be practising elsewhere, they chose to rest rather than make the trek all the way from downtown Brooklyn to Long Island. Even on match day they woke up at 5.30am to make it in time. They were practically sleepwalking.Why are they staying so far?
The other hotels in the vicinity are fully booked by the other teams who are here for longer.That sounds like a nightmare. Why go through all this to come to New York when you can’t get a cricket field in the city where there are enough hotels to house all the teams?
New York is arguably the best city in the world. Like any business, cricket wants to expand. It is aiming for the richest consumers of sport.Then why play at 10.30am on a Monday?
In the biggest existing market for cricket, India, it was 8pm on a Monday. That’s primetime. You can’t completely ignore the existing audience in order to make an outreach to a newer one.There was significant help for the fast bowlers•Associated PressWere they entertained at least?
Going by the texts I received, no. They are generally traditionalists so most of them were laughing laughs of vindication. It was the loudest I told you so.I can understand they must be feeling like that girl in the meme where the boy is walking with her but looking at someone else.
That’s not a question but I will grant you this one. It is quite accurate.So is this a total disaster?
No, there is a cheat code. India vs Pakistan, arch rivals with a shared bloodied history. It has already sold out two stadiums in and around New York. It will rescue everything.Did it really need a World Cup for that particular game to be sold out? Because from what I understand it is a completely inconsequential match, which tells me these two teams can sell out anything.
Yes, it is inconsequential unless at least a couple of big upsets take place in other matches in this group. It is also correct that you don’t even get easier opponents in the next rounds if you win this match.But no, those two teams can’t play each other outside multi-nation events because of the politics between the two countries. Between you and me, the governing body even rigs the draw to make sure they play each other at least once.Hmm. But it’s not like the 1800s when Canada and USA played international cricket for the first time. The conditions needn’t have been such an unknown. Surely if the expat fans are selling out two stadiums, they must be wanting to play too? If they had stadiums here, you wouldn’t need to bring in untested pitches from Australia.
Yeah, but you can’t blame the ICC for that. Developing grounds and pitches is the job of the national board.Why didn’t they do it then?
USA Cricket? Now that’s a whole can of worms even the ICC opens with a visor and gloves on.How much did they spend on this makeshift stadium again?
Well, that really is the $30 million question.

Key wicket opens door for England, but figures take a dent in tricky return to action

Alan Gardner13-Jun-2022Early in Jack Leach’s first spell on this fourth day at Trent Bridge, with New Zealand having lost an early wicket and hoping to avoid a Tricky Third Innings wobble, a delivery bowled from over the wicket to Devon Conway brought excited gasps from the crowd. What was it that had got them going? Turn and bounce from the rough outside the left-hander’s off stump? A devilish new variation that Leach had been working on back at Taunton, aka Ciderabad?Not quite. Conway had been done, all right, going back to one outside off – but it was the classic “straight-onner”, skidding past the outside edge and into Ben Foakes’ gloves. The ball may have actually turned a fraction, but to all intents and purposes it carried on through on its original path, whether by design or otherwise (Leach isn’t really known for his arm ball). Bit of flight, some natural variation. “Bowling, Nut!”To get to the rub: England doesn’t really do spinners, and slow left-armers don’t really do mystery. But Leach isn’t the sort to be deterred; persistence in the face of adversity is basically his calling card. In Barbados over the winter, he ploughed through 94.5 overs – the heaviest workload by an England spinner in 60 years. Leach took six wickets in the match, but his side were still five short of forcing victory when time ran out.But Leach has had plenty of success overseas – particularly in Asia, where he averages 27.32. At home, he struggles to get a game. This match in Nottingham was his first Test on UK soil since 2019. Well, technically, Lord’s last week was, but having concussed himself chasing a ball to the boundary in the sixth over of the game, that probably doesn’t count as a fair crack.Ben Stokes then chose to bowl first, on what England were soon to discover was one of the flatter Trent Bridge surfaces of recent memory (although that perception was aided in no small part by the number of missed chances in the first half of the match). One of the less-remarked-upon aspects of England’s decision at the toss was that Leach, who averages 80 in the first innings of Tests, was going to be asked to perform another thankless task. Only one of these sides picked a specialist spinner, and the one that did wasn’t about to do the guy any favours.Still, Leach plugged away, doubtless not helped by his inability to train properly in the build-up due to concussion protocols. He saw catches put down off both Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell, New Zealand’s two centurions, and finished with 2 for 140. Hard yards in the holding role, struggling to hold much at all.Devon Conway’s reverse-sweeping was a feature of his strokeplay against Leach•Getty ImagesBack to the New Zealand second innings. No great wear and tear to the deck, although Michael Bracewell, New Zealand’s debutant allrounder got one or two to turn (Bracewell is 31 but only took his first first-class wicket in 2019). There’s a little bit of rough outside the left-hander’s off stump from the Pavilion End, where Leach has tended to operate, and it is into that patch that he loops the ball up to Conway.Another fact to note: Leach’s Test bowling average against left-hand batters is 52.29, compared to 28.43 when bowling to righties; New Zealand’s top seven includes four left-hand batters.Despite the departure of Tom Latham, bowled while leaving, there is no sense New Zealand are going to allow themselves to be tied down once Leach is introduced to the attack in the 16th over. Conway brings out the reverse-sweep in Leach’s fifth over, the first of four that he will send rattling off the middle of the bat to the cover boundary; in Leach’s seventh, Will Young, ostensibly the preferred target, twice sashays down to launch the ball over mid-on.Conway looks increasingly at ease, another reverse for four bringing up his half-century. But Leach tosses one up again, perhaps a little higher and wide of off stump. There’s just enough dip and bounce as Conway looks to sweep in orthodox fashion for the ball to take the top edge and sail gently towards Jonny Bairstow at deep square leg. After a century stand the pin has been pulled, triggering the first of a series of detonations in the New Zealand top order.Related

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Leach ended his spell with figures of 11-2-53-1 – not the work of a defensive spinner, you’d say. But the data suggests Leach has been bowling both faster and shorter since his first came into Test cricket in 2018, rather than throwing it up and seeing what happens. Getting the right balance was something Foakes touched on afterwards.”There seemed to be a bit of turn and bounce when it was slower, so it’s just trying to get that pace right,” he said. “I thought he did a good job and adapted well, and picked up a reward. It’s just trying to make the most out of the wicket, it’s obviously a nice wicket and fast-scoring ground and when a batter attacks you, and you’re trying to also attack, it’s a tricky balance. But once it was slightly slower it seemed to bite a bit more.”Later in the day, as New Zealand’s slide towards jeopardy gathered pace, Leach thought he had struck again when turning one past Blundell’s outside edge – but DRS chalked off the wicket. Bracewell then dented his figures with a couple of bludgeoned fours down the ground. The fact that Bracewell found greater degrees of drift and turn with the ball would probably have hurt more.Leach is already an England cult hero, as attested by the fans at Trent Bridge wearing t-shirts printed with a wagon wheel of his 1 not out at Headingley. But if he is going to stay the course as England’s No. 1 Test spinner, then it will be on the back of his bowling. Work to be done, but still time for “Nut” to crack it.

It’s a new week, and Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank will be gearing up for a return to Premier League action at the weekend, when his side travel to Arsenal.

Tottenham have been a mixed bag this season, certainly more secure and steely than last year under Ange Postecoglou’s leadership, but lacking the snap and verve that the fanbase associates with the core of the club. To dare is to do, after all.

Someone embodying that mantra right now is Troy Parrott, whose stunning hat-trick at the weekend saw Ireland defeat Hungary and seal a World Cup play-off spot, having only days before bagged a brace to sink Portugal.

The AZ Alkmaar centre-forward, 23, is shaping into quite the goalscorer, becoming the player Spurs knew he could be after he graduated from the academy.

Parrott's record at Spurs

In July 2024, Tottenham sold Parrott to AZ Alkmaar for around £7m. The Republic of Ireland international had made his Premier League debut aged 17, but only ended up featuring three further times across all competitions before leaving for good, having completed no less than five stints out on loan.

In fact, each of the goalscorer’s four senior outings for the Lilywhites came during the 2019/20 campaign, and while Spurs knew when they sold him last year that he had untapped potential, it was clear he was going to struggle for minutes given the club’s attacking pecking order.

There was plenty of chatter regarding Parrott and his potential, even at that nascent stage. Of course, comparisons against Harry Kane were drawn, and talent scout Jacek Kulig has since praised him for his “incredible” performances over in the Netherlands, making good on that potential that was stunted by injuries.

There was always the promise of success. While he didn’t enjoy a prolific spell with Preston North End in the Championship, the player’s tenacity could not be questioned. His former manager Ryan Lowe said: “His work rate is phenomenal. For the size of him, he is a bit of a unit inside. He’s not massive, but very strong, uses his body very well & he got down the sides plenty of times.”

If this tells us anything, it’s that development in football is not linear, and it can take talented prospects a time to find their footing after showing initial promise at the foot of their professional career.

Tottenham must learn from their past mistake – if selling Parrott for a small fee could be called an error – and devote plenty of time to their new version of the Irish hero, who arrives in London at the start of 2026.

Spurs have a bigger talent than Parrott

Parrott is growing into his skin, so sharp and dynamic in the final third. There is an expectation that he should kick on and enjoy further success over the coming years, and Spurs may have to watch ruefully on as he makes headway.

However, that poignancy will be tempered and then some by the emergence of Mason Melia, who has completed a transfer rising to £3m last season, slated to join in January after the completion of the Irish league campaign.

Having idolised Kane and made his professional debut as a 15-year-old, the rangy striker is establishing himself as quite the hot prospect, with his former youth coach Hughie Nolan remarking that “nothing has fazed him” as he has raised his level again and again over his formative years.

The Athletic’s Connor O’Neill said after the announcement that he’s “easily the best young talent I have seen in the League of Ireland”. Parrott left his homeland and signed for Spurs before he could make his senior bow, but Melia arguably has more hype around him, and still only 18, there is so much scope for growth.

Having already featured 98 times for St. Patrick’s Athletic, notching 25 goals and eight assists, Melia will provide an interesting dimension to a Tottenham side crying out for attacking inspiration. Richarlison and Dominic Solanke have not provided the answer, for differing but equally concerning reasons.

Mathys Tel is a young and talented striker, beginning to show signs of the talent that Tottenham saw when bringing him over from Bayern Munich, but the jury is very much out and there are questions relating to whether the 20-year-old has what it takes to lead the line in the Premier League.

Moreover, he has recently emerged as a transfer target for Roma in Serie A, the Italians viewing him as an alternative option to Manchester United as the winter transfer window draws near.

With Parrott doing so well at the moment, it’s inevitable that wistful gazes will be cast toward the Irishman as he establishes himself as one of Europe’s most underrated strikers.

But while there’s a romanticism about a potential deal in 2026, bringing him back home, there’s little need when Tottenham have already signed a more talented Irish striker in Melia, who is now just over a month away from heading down N17.

Frank’s ability to nurture young prospects is well known in England, and Tottenham’s wider embracing of their youth suggests that Melia has made the right choice in moving to the capital and choosing white. He might be a “hidden gem” at the moment, as said by analyst Ben Mattinson, but Melia will soon establish himself as a major player in the Premier League, notably described as “the Irish Alexander Isak” for his effortless strike of the ball.

Will he need a bit of time? It’s more than likely. But the teenager is an aggressive and mobile striker, willing to make runs and connect play while simultaneously keeping one eye on goal at all times.

His wealth of experience, despite his young age, suggests that Tottenham may well hit the jackpot with his addition to the ranks. Parrott might be the talk of the town in Ireland right now, but in Melia, the Londoners have signed a young forward with the capacity to outstrip his older countryman and seal his place among Spurs’ finest forwards of the modern age, something Parrott was unable to do before leaving for a small fee.

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