تدافع العديد من الأندية الأوروبية خلال السنوات الماضية على مواهب أمريكا الجنوبية، وليس من الغريب أن يراقب البعض منها مواهب جديدة لتدعيم صفوفها في المستقبل.
وفي الدوري الإنجليزي يأتي تشيلسي في الصدارة حيث تعاقد مع إستيفاو ويليان من صفوف بالميراس مقابل 29 مليون جنيه إسترليني في عام 2024 وكيندري بايز من إندبيندينتي ديل فالي مقابل 17.5 مليون جنيه إسترليني وأندريه سانتوس من فاسكو دي جاما مقابل 13 مليون جنيه إسترليني، وقد رسخ هذا الثلاثي مكانتهم.
ويملك برايتون قصة نجاح أخرى حيث حول استثمارات متواضعة إلى أرباح هائلة، بعد أن تعاقد مع مويسيس كايسيدو مقابل 4 ملايين جنيه إسترليني ثم قام ببيعه بـ100 مليون إسترليني لتشيلسي، وكذلك ضم أليكسيس ماك أليستر مقابل 7 ملايين جنيه إسترليني قبل أن يبيعه بـ35 مليون جنيه إسترليني إلى ليفربول.
اقرأ أيضاً.. هنري يقلل من حظوظ ليفربول في الفوز بـ دوري أبطال أوروبا ويوضح السبب
وأفادت شبكة “إي إس بي إن” البرازيلية بأن ليفربول ونوتينجهام فورست استفسرا عن التعاقد مع حارس مرمى جريميو صاحب الـ16 عاماً جابرييل مينيجون، ويحرس مرمى الريدز حالياً مواطنه أليسون بيكر.
ويلعب حارس المرمى الذي يبلغ طوله 1.96 متراً مع جريميو منذ انضمامه لأكاديمية النادي في سن الرابعة عشر، ويثبت جدارته حالياً كلاعب أساسي في منتخب البرازيل تحت 17 عاماً.
ولا يسمح للاعبين البرازيليين بالانتقال لأندية أوروبية حتى بلوغهم سن الثامنة عشرة مما يعني أن أي انتقال محتمل سيحتاج إلى الانتظار حتى أواخر عام 2026.
ولم يتلق مع ذلك جريميو أي عروض رسمية بعد، ويعتبر صاحب الـ16 عاماً أحد ألمع المواهب الواعدة في قطاع الشباب ومن المتوقع تصعيده للفريق الأول.
Leeds United have now advanced talks to sign a £17m star who’s “one of the best in Europe” in his position, and they are tempted to trigger his release clause, according to a report.
Leeds in no rush to sign new goalkeeper
With Illan Meslier making a catalogue of errors last season, you may expect those at Elland Road will be eager to bring in a new goalkeeper, but Sky Sports News reporters Zinny Boswell and Keith Downie have revealed the Championship title-winners are prioritising other positions.
“Leeds United are in no rush to sign a goalkeeper as they assess potential targets. They have a long list of options, which includes Lyon’s Lucas Perri and Torino’s Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
“A goalkeeper would not need the same amount of time to settle in to Daniel Farke’s system, which is why the club are prioritising outfield players earlier in the window.”
Leeds submit £12m bid to sign "unbelievable" player, personal terms agreed
The Whites are “pushing” to complete a deal for a midfielder.
1
By
Dominic Lund
Jul 8, 2025
However, with a deal for Gabriel Gudmundsson over the line, the Whites now appear to have turned their attention towards bringing in a replacement for Meslier, with talks to sign a new goalkeeper recently progressing.
That is according to a report from Italy, which states Leeds are now tempted to pay the release clause in Milinkovic-Savic’s contract, which amounts to slightly over €20m (£17m) for clubs outside the Serie A.
The clause is available until the end of the month, so there is no urgent need for the newly-promoted side to make a move, but they will be wary of rival interest in the goalkeeper, with Serie A winners Napoli also being named as potential suitors.
Talks have advanced recently, but Daniel Farke’s side are still unsure whether they should cough up the £17m, and the situation should be monitored closely over the next few days.
Milnkovic-Savic among the "best" goalkeepers in Europe
Torino president Urbano Cairo holds the Serbian in very high regard, saying: “Milinkovic-Savic has a release clause in his contract, but these are things that can be changed. He’s a great goalkeeper, one of the best in Europe, and has improved so much.”
It is clear to see why the 28-year-old is so highly-rated too, having performed extremely well across a number of key statistics for goalkeepers over the past year.
Statistic
Average per 90
Save percentage
77.5% (93rd percentile)
Goals against
1.14 (75th percentile)
Save % (penalties)
57.1% (91st percentile)
Touches
46.95 (98th percentile)
As shown, the Spain-born goalkeeper is particularly impressive at stopping penalties, having made a number of key saves during his time with Torino in the Serie A.
Milinkovic-Savic could be a fantastic signing for Leeds, who certainly need to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, given that Meslier may not be trusted by Farke, having been dropped for the promotion run-in during the climax of the 2024-25 season.
Test captain trained in Multan but Zak Crawley said England “don’t know yet” if he will play
Matt Roller04-Oct-2024
Ben Stokes played a limited part in England training ahead of the first Test•Getty Images
Ben Stokes has emerged as a doubt to play in the first Test of England’s tour to Pakistan on Monday, though Zak Crawley has declared himself fit. Stokes batted for around half an hour in the nets and very briefly bowled off a short run-up at a training session in Multan on Friday, but is not certain to be included when England name their side on Saturday.Stokes tore his left hamstring while batting during the Hundred in August, ruling him out of England’s Test series against Sri Lanka. He has been targeting this three-match series in his rehabilitation but told ESPNcricinfo last month: “I’d rather take an extra two weeks than run the risk of potentially doing something worse, and then putting myself out of the game for longer.”If Stokes is ruled out, Ollie Pope will continue to deputise as England’s captain after leading them to a 2-1 win against Sri Lanka. Stokes’s potential absence may also open the door to Chris Woakes, who is in contention to play his first overseas Test in two-and-a-half years and would help to balance the side from No. 7.Related
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Crawley, who will return to the side after missing the Sri Lanka series with a broken finger, said England are well placed to cope in the event that Stokes is unavailable. “We’ve got a really deep squad, with plenty of options with the ball and with the bat as well,” he said. “We feel ready. Whatever team comes out, it will be a nice balance either way.”England are expected to name their XI two days before the first Test, as has become customary for them, and Crawley suggested a late call would be made on Stokes’ inclusion. “He seems to be going well, recovering well from his injury,” he said. “We don’t know just yet. I think he’s got to do a few more tests, but he’s been doing some running and stuff.”Crawley himself has not played competitively since England’s third Test against West Indies in July. He fractured his little finger while dropping a catch in the slips on the third day off Jason Holder and his absence highlighted his importance to the side, with Dan Lawrence failing to pass 35 as a makeshift replacement.England trained for the first time in Multan – the venue for the first two Tests of this three-match series – on Friday, having arrived early on Wednesday morning. They will not play any warm-up matches before the first Test, but Crawley said he felt “brand new” and ready to play, 10 weeks after his most recent innings – though he will not field in the slips.”The finger is all right,” Crawley said. “It’s as good as it could be at this stage. I’ve recovered well from it. It was a nasty break at the time, but I’ve recovered well and I don’t feel it at all while I’m batting. In the field, I haven’t done too much. I’m trying to rest it, but I did a few catches there [in training] and it feels fine.Zak Crawley was back in the nets having recovered from a finger break•Getty Images
“I won’t go at slip, just from advice from the doctor. I feel like I could, but I’m just trying to follow the professional advice. It feels back to normal now, so I’m looking forward to cracking on… I feel brand new. I’m looking forward to getting out there. I’ve certainly missed it, so I can’t wait to get out there again with the boys.”Crawley had his hand heavily strapped at the start of his lay-off, to the extent he was unable to pick up a cricket bat until mid-September. “[The break] showed how much this means to me, to play for England, how much I love playing for England,” he said. “I’ve come back with a new hunger, for sure. I feel like I’ve got a lot of energy.”He has been training at Canterbury with Jeetan Patel, England’s spin-bowling coach, and at a net facility in south London, and followed his net on Thursday with several laps of the ground to help him acclimatise to the stifling 38-degree heat. “We’ve all played in heat like this before, so it’s not a concern,” Crawley insisted.Crawley set the tone for England’s clean sweep on their most recent tour to Pakistan with an 86-ball hundred on the first day of the series in Rawalpindi. “That’s my favourite thing about opening: you get to create the tempo, and set it with your innings,” he said. “I take pride in that knock: [it is] one of my favourite days of my career.”But he suggested that he has become a more adaptable player in the two years since. “You’ve got to read the conditions. That’s something I’ve thought about in the past couple of months, being more adaptable, playing the right shots, still being very aggressive – that’s always going to be me – but just playing the right shots.”
Rangers continue to be busy in the transfer market.
Since being appointed manager, Russell Martin has made six signings to date at Ibrox, the latest of which is Nasser Djiga’s arrival on a season-long loan.
Now, with the start of Champions League qualifying under a fortnight away, how many more new recruits will Rangers secure?
Rangers continue to be busy in the transfer market
On Saturday, Martin set foot in the Ibrox dugout for the very first time, overseeing a 2-2 pre-season friendly draw, falling 2-0 behind after just 13 minutes, only for second half goals from Mohamed Diomandé and then Findlay Curtis to salvage a stalemate.
Max Aarons made his maiden appearance in light blue from the start, while Emmanuel Fernandez did so as a second half substitute.
Now, according to a report by The Sheffield Star, Rangers are ‘considering’ re-signing Josh Windass from Sheffield Wednesday, seven years after he departed Glasgow, with Derby County, Norwich City and Coventry City also noted ‘admirers’.
The EFL Championship club find themselves in a very perilous position given that, as documented by Philip Buckingham of the Athletic, owner Dejphon Chansiri is no longer paying players, or any staff for that matter, meaning players will soon be able to terminate their contracts and leave for free.
Transfer Focus
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Windass has 12 months remaining on his contract with the Owls but, as outlined, should the crisis at Hillsborough continue, he could become a free agent in the near future.
How Josh Windass would improve Rangers
As alluded to, Windass spent two seasons with Rangers between 2016 and 2018, making 73 appearances, scoring a modest 19 goals and registering 13 assists.
Since departing however, he has largely impressed in England’s lower leagues, as the table below documents.
2018/19
Wigan Athletic
Championship
40
5
4
2019/20
Wigan & Sheff Wed
Championship
25
7
0
2020/21
Sheffield Wednesday
Championship
44
10
6
2021/22
Sheffield Wednesday
League One
12
4
2
2022/23
Sheffield Wednesday
League One
42
16
7
2023/24
Sheffield Wednesday
Championship
28
7
2
2024/25
Sheffield Wednesday
Championship
47
13
6
As the table outlines, Windass has reached double figures in terms of goals in three of the last five seasons, enjoying his best-ever EFL Championship campaign last year; only four players scored more than his tally of 13 in the division.
His manager Danny Röhl described him as a “quality” player, while the undisputed highlight of his career came in May 2023, scoring an 123rd minute winner as Sheffield Wednesday beat Barnsley in the EFL League One play-off final at Wembley.
So, could Windass become the latest Rangers player to return to the club and enjoy a successful second spell?
Well, let’s assess a few who have done exactly that in the past.
Allan McGregor
273
227
Steven Davis
208
159
Kenny Miller*
37
105 + 154
Barry Ferguson
235
185
*returned a third time.
As the table outlines, many of the greatest players from Rangers’ modern history rejoined the club following spells away.
Few have done so with such distinction as Steven Davis, described by Jordan Campbell of the Athletic as a ‘central part’ of Walter Smith’s all-conquering team between 2007 and 2011, before playing a pivotal role under Steven Gerrard nigh on a decade later too, thereby able to ‘cement his place in Rangers royalty’.
Glasgow Rangers midfielder Steven Davis.
So, despite a far less glittering first spell at the club, could Windass do something similar? Well, his goal-scoring exploits in the EFL Championship last season certainly suggests so, especially when considering that England’s second-tier, according to Global Football Rankings, is the 11th strongest division in the world, with the Scottish Premiership all the way down in 43rd.
Thus, if Rangers are able to snap up Windass on a free, it would surely be a shrewd acquisition.
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There’s much fanfare around Liverpool’s pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, and rightly so.
Hugo Ekitike has left Eintracht Frankfurt and signed for the Premier League champions in a deal worth an initial £69m, but the hungry Reds want more, want to consolidate their imperious position at the summit of the mountain.
Isak, 25, has informed Newcastle that he wishes to pursue a move to Anfield, and with sales of stars like Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott, it might just be possible.
However, it’s not just the frontline that Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are hoping to improve before the window slams shut.
Liverpool's summer transfer plans
Away from the front of the ship, Liverpool also plan to add some depth at the back, with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi having emerged as the top target over the past several weeks.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, Tottenham Hotspur are also eager to make their own bid, and so the Anfield side appear to have lined up a potential alternative who has taken his first strides onto the senior stage.
Indeed, as per Corriere dello Sport – via Sport Witness – Liverpool have initiated contact with Serie A club Parma as they look to swipe their rising defensive star Giovanni Leoni.
Napoli's Romelu Lukaku in action with Parma's GiovanniLeoni
Leoni, 18, exuded confidence and quality across his breakout campaign in Italy, and Inter Milan are also looking to sign him this summer.
Previous reports have suggested Leoni would be available for a fee of around €40m (£34m).
Why Liverpool want Giovanni Leoni
Liverpool made an attempt to sign Bournemouth’s Dean Hujsen in May, seeking to activate the young Spaniard’s £50m release clause.
He signed instead for Real Madrid, but Liverpool’s intent was clear.
Leoni fits a similar profile, and in this way, he could turn out to be an even more exciting talent than Guehi, who, aged 25, is one of the Premier League’s standout performers.
Though Liverpool wouldn’t be signing the same level of ability in the 6 foot 4 Leoni, he has the chance to leap ahead of the Palace captain, having been hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig as “one of the most complete teenage centre-backs in Europe.”
That roundedness is better highlighted through data-led platform FBref, who ranked Leoni among the top 17% of centre-backs across Europe last season for goals scored, the top 38% for successful take-ons and the top 17% for passes blocked per 90, highlighting that blooming technical variation.
Guehi is, of course, riding the crest of a wave as one of Europe’s most talented defenders, but Leoni would be cheaper and could be shaped by Slot’s coaching expertise over the next several years, absorbing the fruits of Virgil van Dijk and Konate’s labours (should the latter stay put).
League Stats 24/25 – Marc Guehi vs Giovanni Leoni
Stats (* per game)
Guehi
Leoni
Matches (starts)
34 (34)
17 (14)
Goals
3
1
Assists
2
0
Touches*
64.9
46.9
Pass completion
84%
89%
Key passes*
0.5
0.1
Ball recoveries*
4.3
2.0
Dribbles*
0.4
0.2
Tackles + interceptions*
2.6
1.7
Clearances*
4.6
3.6
Duels (won)*
4.9 (59%)
2.5 (61%)
Errors made
2
1
All data via Sofascore
As you can see, Guehi far outstrips his younger positional peer, but there’s a lot to like from the Italian, who has established himself as a crisp passer and a defender who is strong in the duel.
Also, Leoni made just one error across the campaign, which bespeaks his composure and coolness under pressure. A calm head is something that has proved a staple of Guehi’s skill set over the past few years.
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehi
Leoni is a work in progress, but Slot is a master at bringing up-and-coming prospects to the fore. Given the cheap price tag and the existing completeness about Leoni, he might just come to prove the bigger talent in the long run.
Isak's new Gordon: Liverpool lining up "explosive" £51m Diaz replacement
Liverpool are still ready to be active in the summer transfer market.
It has been a busy summer for Nottingham Forest so far, although not in the way they, nor their fans, might have expected. Earlier in the window, they lost one of their key attackers, Anthony Elanga. The Swedish star made the move up north to Newcastle for a fee of £55m.
They also came close to losing star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. He was subject to a bid from Tottenham Hotspur, in what was reportedly a £60m deal. He was scheduled to have a medical in North London, but the deal fell through and the England international has since signed a contract extension.
It seems as though the East Midlands side might now look to recruit someone this summer, and have been strongly linked with a former Premier League star.
Forest’s latest target
It has certainly been a hectic few weeks for those at the City Ground, losing one and almost two key attackers. However, it does seem like they are working on signing depth out wide, if recent reports are to be believed.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to a recent briefing from David Ornstein, Forest are firmly in the race for Ipswich Town and England under-21 international Omari Hutchinson. The Athletic journalist reported on Wednesday that talks are ‘ongoing’ between the two clubs.
Indeed, Forest actually placed a bid for the winger, but their £35m offer was not deemed enough for the Tractor Boys, who rejected the bid.
Ipswich Town'sOmariHutchinsonreacts
Ornstein says it would need a ‘higher fee’ for Ipswich to sell one of their key players. Forest are not alone in this race, with Brentford also interested in a deal.
Why Hutchinson would be a good signing
At just 21 years of age, Hutchinson has shown great promise for the Tractor Boys in the Championship and the Premier League. He initially spent time on loan at the club before moving permanently last summer from Chelsea. He is a graduate of their academy, having also represented Arsenal as a youth player.
The versatile attacker has made 82 appearances for the first team at Portman Road, scoring 14 times and grabbing eight assists. His stats from Sofascore in the Championship and Premier League show just how well he has performed.
For example, Hutchinson averaged 1.6 key passes in the second tier and 1.1 in the top flight for Ipswich per 90 minutes.
Hutchinson key stats for Ipswich
Stat (per 90)
23/24 Championship
24/25 Premier League
Key passes
1.6
1.1
Big chances created
0.3
0.2
Dribbles completed
2.1
1.8
Passes completed
24
23.1
Tackles and interceptions
2.8
1.5
Expected goal involvements
0.43xGI
0.18xGI
Stats from Sofascore
Over the summer, the former Chelsea and Arsenal academy star was part of England’s successful under-21 European Championship-winning side.
Hutchinson played in all six of the Three Lions’ matches, assisting once and scoring this well-taken effort in the final against Germany.
When looking at this deal, it may remind Forest fans of a past signing, that of Callum Hudson-Odoi. The pair share a fairly similar career path, with the Forest winger, who has recently swapped to wear the number seven, also coming through the Chelsea academy.
Like Hutchinson, he is a graduate of the esteemed Cobham academy, and also went on loan before securing a permanent move away.
Fans at the City Ground will remember his contributions last season fondly. The 24-year-old, who was born in London, bagged five goals and assisted eight in the Premier League, including a memorable winner in a 1-0 victory over Liverpool.
It is not only the early career paths of each player which is so similar, and suggest Hutchinson could become the second coming of Hudson-Odoi. Their versatility also stands out and is a real feature of their respective games.
The Ipswich star can operate on either flank or as a number 10, which he has done 32 times for the Tractor Boys. As for his potential new teammate, Hudson-Odoi can also play on either wing and has been known to play behind the striker, too, which he did at times last season.
How Forest fans would love for Hutchinson to become the new version of Hudson-Odoi. Both versatile attackers and Cobham graduates, they offer tactical flexibility to Nuno Espirito Santo and quality on the ball.
Described as an “outstanding” player by football scout Antonio Mango, Forest fans would surely love to see Hutchinson line up alongside Hudson-Odoi in Garibaldi Red next season at the City Ground.
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Cameron Ponsonby03-Nov-2024″I’ve seen a few things on Twitter asking if I exist,” jokes John Turner. Five England squads and 15 months after his first call-up, he finally earned his debut in Antigua this week.A first appearance came on Thursday and a first wicket arrived on Saturday, when Brandon King’s flashing drive was brilliantly caught by Jordan Cox at backward point.”It’s nice to have been involved in the last few months, but now to get that opportunity to actually play is really exciting,” explains Turner. “To get your first wicket is really cool and is probably a moment I’ll never forget.”One of the founding members of England’s ‘pace project’, Turner was plucked from obscurity last year when he went from professional debut for Hampshire to an England call-up in 70 days. The ECB have since doubled-down on their punt by handing Turner another 12-month development contract.”I think the whole ‘pace project’, as they call it, is really exciting,” Turner said. “There’s quite a lot of us that’s in and around. I think just being in and around the squads is really exciting to try and put my name in the hat for a spot on the Test team, or the T20 team. I think I’m still very raw, I’m very young and still have a lot to learn.”Turner’s two outings so far have been a qualified success. On debut, he beat King and Evin Lewis regularly without reward, while in his second appearance he dismissed both within his first seven balls. In both instances, you looked at the scoreboard and were surprised to see he’d conceded his runs at 5.2 an over and then 7 an over. But a couple of pulled sixes on each occasion will do that.Handed his cap by Jofra Archer, the Bajan-born quick announced to the world that Turner was the best player of PIG, the football-based headers and volleys warm-up game England play, in the squad. This was a lie. Turner is bottom of the pile.Which, if anything, is a relief. A better hockey player than cricketer growing up, Turner completed his degree in economics and finance at Exeter University over the summer which he had been studying for full-time. A year ago, if you walked through the team hotel of this same tour, chances are you’d have seen Turner with his head buried in his books and a laptop with a coffee on the go.Turner removed Evin Lewis for his second wicket•Getty Images”I’m obviously not planning on using it right now,” Turner commented. “But I think I’ll probably end up doing a masters at some stage in the next few years, just to add to my CV and keep ticking over.”During this year’s Hundred, Turner finished a match for Trent Rockets in Birmingham on a Monday night, drove back to Exeter where he arrived at 2:30am, sat his exam at 9:30am, and then drove back to Nottingham the next day for the Rockets next match. He passed.One of the first picks of this England generation to be selected on attributes as opposed to a proven body of work, Turner appreciates the benefits and also the slightly awkward nature of leapfrogging those who have been putting in the hard yards for years.”It’s obviously really exciting that someone sees something in you,” he says. “Probably before you see it yourself.”Cricket is a stats game, but you need those attributes to prove yourself or be successful at the top level. And whether I’ve got that, or whether some other guys, younger guys, have got that, no one really knows until you’re put in this environment and either succeed or you fail.”You see guys doing really well in county cricket, and not necessarily getting opportunities in the national setup. And you feel for them, it’s tough grinding away and almost you’re not tall enough or not big enough, and you’re being labelled as that’s why you’re not going to succeed. But on the flip side, I’m fortunate enough to be benefiting from this and, hopefully, just make the most of it and take whatever opportunity I’m given.”Turner’s pace, he admits, has been down this tour and is something he’s looking to address.”It’s one of my biggest attributes but I feel like I’ve been down on that in the last few games. I reckon I’ve been low 80s when I prefer to be high 80s. I know in The Hundred I was high 80s with one or two in the 90s.”So I know I can get there. It’s just, what am I not doing and I need to figure that out and put that into practice and hopefully get up there.”But then again, it’s something to improve on and then just trying to hit the deck hard and make life uncomfortable for the batter. Use whatever the surface has to offer – so whether that’s going to nip around, or stay low, pop up – just trying to take advantage of that. [I want to] be really attacking and try and be that point of difference.”
West Indies 157 for 2 (Lewis 94) beat England 209 (Livingstone 48, Motie 4-41) by eight wickets (DLS) The only way is up as England seek to reboot their once-glorious white-ball fortunes, but on the evidence of a deeply one-sided first ODI against West Indies, the journey to the 2027 World Cup will be long, arduous and – perhaps most significantly – unfamiliar to a new generation of cricketers whose lack of experience in 50-over cricket was all too plain to see in Antigua.The format’s rhythms weren’t quite such a mystery to the man who gunned them down, however. Evin Lewis had been absent from West Indies’ ODI plans for more than three years until last weekend, when he announced his second coming with a 61-ball century in Sri Lanka. Now he added a startlingly violent 94 from 69 balls, making light of a two-paced pitch and a stodgy outfield to blaze eight sixes – one for each of the wickets by which his team eventually won. It might even have been nine for nine had he connected properly with the shot that got him out, an inside-out slap to wide long-off, with victory already in the bag.The result had scarcely been in doubt after Gudakesh Motie’s four-wicket haul had wrecked England’s hopes of a competitive total, but the only real challenge to West Indies’ dominance was the rain, which arrived at the end of the 15th over of their chase to briefly raise the prospect of a very unjust washout. West Indies were 81 for 0 by that point – with Lewis himself on 51 – but after an hour-long delay and the loss of 15 overs and 53 runs from the target, the skies cleared sufficiently for justice to be served on a red-raw England line-up featuring no fewer than four debutants.The power and poise of the run-chase was at total odds with the tentative fare that had preceded it. Whereas England had had to wait until the 32nd over of their innings before their stand-in captain Liam Livingstone struck the first of their two sixes on the night, Lewis himself outdid that tally four-fold, having waited just 11 deliveries before hoisting the lively pace of John Turner over the ropes at deep backward square.Gudakesh Motie claimed four wickets including Liam Livingstone•Getty Images
Even when Adil Rashid did him in flight in his second over, Lewis’ commitment to the aggressive option allowed him to find enough hang-time to leave deep midwicket sprawling for his fifth six in the space of 13 overs. He then followed that up by whipping Sam Curran through backward square for his first four of the night, and after bringing up his fifty from 46 balls, he jogged through for one more single before the rain break to reach his 2000th ODI run.Lewis’ sidekick Brandon King offered a more earthbound assessment of the tricky batting conditions, grinding along to 30 from 56 balls as Jofra Archer and Turner, making his long-awaited international bow, repeatedly harassed his outside edge in a lively but unrewarded powerplay gambit. King’s torturous stay might have ended in the first over after the rain delay, but Livingstone’s half-tracker lbw was found to have pitched outside leg. Instead, he fell to perhaps his most emphatic shot of the night – a full-blooded full through a Jacob Bethell long-hop that picked out deep square leg to end a 118-run opening stand.The damage, however, had long since been done, however, leaving Keacy Carty and Shai Hope to wrap up victory with 24.1 overs of their original allocation left unused. Even allowing for the absence of so many key personnel through injury and Test commitments, England’s shortcomings had been glaring in the extreme.After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, their innings was characterised by timid accumulation, reminiscent of their off-colour displays at the 2023 World Cup, interspersed with moments of frustration, with the majority of their wickets falling to misjudged attempts to clear the inner ring. By the 21st over, England were flatlining at 93 for 4, with each of the top four falling for scores between 17 and 27 – none of them at a strike-rate quicker than 82 – as if overawed by the responsibility of batting for more than twice as long as a standard T20 innings.West Indies did bowl with nous from the outset, not least Jayden Seales, who shrugged off a wicketless tour of Sri Lanka earlier this month by claiming both of England’s openers inside his first five overs.The first to fall was Phil Salt, whose third-ball blaze through the covers belied a notably sluggish outfield that would add to the sense of an innings with no momentum, and would ultimately vindicate Lewis’ decision to take the aerial route as much as possible. On 18 from 29 balls, Salt tried just that, but his toe-ended drive was well caught by Alzarri Joseph, running back in the covers, as his innings came to an end inside the powerplay for the 18th time in 23 ODIs.Will Jacks, promoted to opener in the absence of Ben Duckett and the injured Jos Buttler, then produced a near identical knock of 19 from 27, eventually skying an attempted launch off Seales to Motie at mid-on, to leave England neither here nor there at 46 for 2 in the 11th over.Matthew Forde’s lack of extreme pace was scarcely any less effective on a receptive surface that offered grip and bounce to his cutters. Jordan Cox projected confidence at No.3 in the first act of his extended international audition, with the prospect of a Test debut in New Zealand looming next month, but then ruined the impression with a horrid hack to deep third, while Bethell – another Test debutant-in-waiting – looked sparky as he kept the strike rotating, but also fell to an ungainly slog into the covers to hand Forde his second.Only the team’s relative old stagers – Livingstone and his de facto deputy Curran – found the gumption to thrive briefly in a fifth-wicket stand of 72. But their endeavours were derailed by a familiar recent nemesis. Motie’s wily offerings had been instrumental in West Indies’ twin series wins this time last year, and sure enough, he accounted for the senior men – most crucially Livingstone, who had just begun to step up his tempo with a calculated assault on the offspin of Roston Chase.But, after being given a life on 44 as the returning Shimron Hetmyer spilled a simple chance at short midwicket off Chase’s final delivery, Livingstone then popped a return catch back to Motie four runs later. When Curran holed out to long-on for 37, the tail came as meekly as the rest.John Turner, Jordan Cox, Dan Mousley and Jamie Overton show off their maiden ODI caps•Getty Images
Jamie Overton, making his ODI debut, had been singled out for his long-levered ability to hit sixes down the ground, but fell lbw to Motie as he missed a first-ball sweep, while Dan Mousley’s international debut was scarcely any more memorable, though he did at least connect well on the flat pull off Motie that picked out Lewis on the midwicket boundary for 6.Joseph had been expensive in his initial spell – not helped by some lax work in the outfield – but bounced back well with the late wickets of Archer and Rashid, England’s leading ODI run-scorer in this deeply inexperienced squad, who extended that lead by a further 15 runs to drag England’s total past 200. Not even the onset of the Antiguan rain could delay the inevitable for long.
وجه أحمد بلال مهاجم الأهلي الأسبق، انتقادات قوية للإعلامي مدحت شلبي بسبب تصريحاته الأخيرة ضد محمود الخطيب رئيس القلعة الحمراء.
وقال أحمد بلال في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “النهار”: “الأيام الماضية شهدت العديد من النقاشات، حيث تحدث الكابتن مدحت شلبي وتطرق إلى الكابتن محمود الخطيب، مع كامل احترامنا وتقديرنا لمدحت شلبي، الذي يمتلك خبرة تمتد لخمسين عامًا في الإعلام، وهو شخصية مهنية محترمة جدًا، إلا أنني أود قول كلمتين”.
وأكمل: “كابتن مدحت حتى الآن لم تعتذر للكابتن الخطيب، لم تقل أنا آسف أو حقك عليّ أو تجاوزت في حق الكابتن الخطيب، وهذا الكلام لم يصدر منك، رغم أنك إعلامي محترم ومحبوب، ونثق بك ونستمع إليك، والناس تأخذ بكلامك وتتأثر به، لذلك ليس من المنطقي أن يتم إيقاف برنامجك خلال 24 ساعة بسبب هذه الافتراءات”.
وواصل: “محمود الخطيب رجل محترم ومهذب جدًا، لا يصدر عنه أي كلام جارح، يتعامل بالقانون والأوراق الرسمية، وهو رجل ملتزم يحمل النادي الأهلي على كتفيه، وحقق نجاحات كبيرة جدًا، فلماذا هذا الهجوم؟ وما الداعي؟ ولماذا هذا التوقيت؟ لماذا يتم الطعن في الخطيب بهذا الشكل؟، ماذا فعل الخطيب لك شخصيًا حتى تتحدث عن أحداث من عام 2012 و2013، وتذكر أنه قال إنه مريض”.
وأردف: “أنت إعلامي محترف، لديك خبرة طويلة، واعٍ ومثقف، لكن يبدو أنك لم تستمع جيدًا للنصائح، ولم يحذرك أحد من الدخول في هذا الموضوع الحساس، والترند ليس بهذه الطريقة يا كابتن مدحت، هل هذا أسلوب إعلامي، وهل يصح أن يُقال هذا الكلام على التلفزيون؟ هناك أناس يصدقون ما يُقال، ويتابعون ويثقون للأسف”
وزاد: “هذا هو النادي الأهلي وهذا هو محمود الخطيب، الذي يملك ظهيرًا قويًا يدافع عنه، ربما يقبل الخطيب الاعتذار غدًا، لكن يجب أن تعتذر أولاً، وتحدثت عن خسارة الأهلي 120 مليون جنيه بسبب ريبيرو وكولر، وتساءلت عن دور الدولة ومن سيحاسب الأهلي، ولكن ألم تحسب المكاسب التي حققها الأهلي”.
خاص | حكم مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في الدوري المصري
واستطرد: “هل تريد أن يصبح الأهلي مثل أندية أخرى تواجه أزمات مالية مثل الزمالك، الذي تحدث نائب رئيسه عن ديون بقيمة 2.5 مليار جنيه، وألا يصعب عليك حال الزمالك، هل تريد الأهلي أن يصبح مثل الزمالك أو الإسماعيلي أو غيرهما من الأندية التي تعاني”.
وأضاف: “نحن نريد أن تكون جميع الأندية مثل الأهلي ملتزمة، تدفع مستحقات اللاعبين والمدربين، ولا تواجه إيقاف قيد، واسم مصر يجب أن يبقى نظيفًا، لا أن يشتكي الأجانب من أنديتنا، الأهلي يلتزم بعقوده، ويحقق أرباحًا، وفي عام واحد، حقق الأهلي دخلاً يتراوح بين 14 و15 مليون دولار”.
وأتم: “الأهلي باع لاعبين مثل وسام أبو علي وكذلك حصل على 9.5 مليون دولار من كأس العالم للأندية، و2.5 مليون دولار من بطولة إفريقيا، وإذا كان عليه 120 مليون جنيه، فهو قادر على سدادها دون أزمة، والأزمة الحقيقية هي عدم الدفع، أو أن يشتكي النادي في الفيفا، أو يواجه إيقاف قيد، والمفروض أن نشيد بالأهلي لالتزامه، لا أن نهاجمه بهذا الشكل”.
Franchise keeps Nicholas Pooran as top retention at INR 21 crore and does not retain KL Rahul
ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-20241:16
Steyn: ‘Another team will welcome KL Rahul with open arms’
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) wanted to hold on to “players who have a mindset to win” and those that “put the team before their personal goals and aspirations”, franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka said after announcing the team’s retention list ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.LSG let go of KL Rahul, who had captained the team for the three seasons since it came into existence in 2022, following their seventh-place finish in IPL 2024. Rahul will go into the mega auction, where he is expected to be one of the biggest draws.LSG retained Nicholas Pooran for INR 21 crore, the second most expensive player retained – level with RCB’s Virat Kohli and behind only SRH’s Heinrich Klaasen (INR 23 crore) – along with Ravi Bishnoi (INR 11 crore), Mayank Yadav (INR 11 crore), Mohsin Khan (INR 4 crore) and Ayush Badoni (INR 11 crore).Related
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Pooran was an “automatic choice” as the team’s top retention and the decision to keep him took “two minutes”, Goenka said. “We had a very simple mindset to go in with players who have a mindset to win, who put the team before their personal goals and aspirations,” he added. “And we wanted to retain as much core as possible within our available purse. We had a strong bowling unit, that’s why we went with three bowlers [Bishnoi, Mayank and Mohsin] from the previous season and all Indians. Pooran was a no-brainer. Ayush has done well for us at No. 6 and No. 7.”While Rahul was LSG’s top-scorer in IPL 2024 with 520 runs at a strike rate of 136, Pooran’s 499 runs came at a strike rate of 178.Mayank made his IPL debut in 2024 but played only four matches before he was ruled out by injury. He made a strong impression in that time with his 150kph speeds and picked up two Player-of-the-Match awards.Mohsin and Bishnoi picked up only ten wickets apiece in IPL 2024, while Badoni scored only 235 runs in the lower-middle order. But with Mohsin only 26 years old, and Bishnoi and Badoni both 24, LSG view them as long-term prospects.With five players retained, including two uncapped players, at a total cost of INR 51 crore, LSG have INR 69 crore remaining to spend at the mega auction. They have one right-to-match option to use if they want to buy back one of their capped players.