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Manchester United hit their lowest ebb last season, but Ruben Amorim has a vision and is convinced that the only way from here is up.

Amorim clearly wants to restructure his frontline, so as to turn a corner. Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha has already completed a £62.5m move to the Theatre of Dreams, and right-sided forward Bryan Mbeumo is in talks to follow.

However, replacing the much-maligned Rasmus Hojlund could be the crowning moment of United’s transfer window, with a new number nine desperately needed to front the team.

Hojlund has been hung up to dry somewhat, only scoring four goals across 32 Premier League matches in 2024/25, but then also missing just six big chances, as per Sofascore, so his problems lie in finding opportunities, rather than letting them go begging.

The 22-year-old Dane has been touted for a return to Italy this summer, two years on from his £72m move from Atalanta to Manchester. United, then, would need to find a replacement.

Man United open talks for new striker

As per a Spanish report, Manchester United have made their first move in an effort to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike this summer, having established contacts with the Bundesliga outfit. Liverpool and Chelsea are already thick in the race.

Ekitike, 22, is one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe right now, and with United’s move for Viktor Gyokeres having hit a roadblock, this may be a stunning acquisition for the Premier League giants.

The sticking point? Die Roten would quite like to bank €100m (£84m) for the sale of their star striker, so the Red Devils will need to weigh up how to make this work.

Why Man United should sign Hugo Ekitike

Ekitike might be young, but he’s demonstrated over the past year an aptitude that places him right alongside the best forwards in Europe. Indeed, analyst Ben Mattinson has hailed him as “one of the best strikers out there” while he’s also been described as the “next Mbappe” by journalist Graeme Bailey.

Across all competitions in 2024/25, the Frenchman scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists for his teammates, proving himself not only to be a first-class shooter but also a dynamic forward capable of linking play together.

With Amorim’s attacking system likely to see Cunha and potentially Mbeumo flank him, this could be the perfect way to add colour to the team, certainly providing an upgrade on Hojlund.

Goals

0.30

0.51

Assists

0.06

0.29

Shots taken

1.65

3.74

Shot-creating actions

2.07

3.50

Touches (att pen)

3.78

6.73

Pass completion

76.9%

75.3%

Progressive passes

0.96

1.95

Progressive carries

1.20

3.04

Successful take-ons

0.33

1.90

Ball recoveries

1.71

2.75

As you can see, Ekitike is simply far superior to the Red Devils’ focal frontman, dwarfing him in regard to creative underlying numbers.

Moreover, Ekitike has actually demonstrated an even more clinical conversion rate than his beleaguered positional peer, scoring 16 goals in the Bundesliga last term and only missing 15 big chances, as per Sofascore.

His movements and intelligence denote his suitability as the frontman at a prestigious club like Man United, who will rise again after such struggles in recent years.

Flanked by Cunha and Mbeumo, Amorim would have created a robust and balanced front three by placing Ekitike at the front and centre.

Unfortunately for Hojlund, there may be no route back after his struggles, and change, for sure, will be a good thing heading into the new campaign.

Ekitike upgrade: Wilcox in constant contact to bring "monster" to Man Utd

Manchester United appear to be making positive moves over a deal to land a new striker for Ruben Amorim.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 14, 2025

Sometimes in football, things are just meant to be. Despite not picking up a single victory in their last six standard Championship games, Sunderland rallied and came up through the play-offs in dramatic circumstances.

As they weaved their way through the most lottery system in world football, they must have thought the gods were with them when Dan Ballard powered home an injury-time goal in the semi-finals against Coventry.

The gods were shining down on them again last weekend when Tom Watson, soon to be of Brighton, slid the ball home in the dying embers to send the Black Cats up.

Sunderland have been through hell and back since their exit from the top-flight several years ago, so you can’t say they don’t deserve to be back.

But, what lies in store now? Well, a move for Jordan Henderson could be on the cards.

The latest on Jordan Henderson's future

A Premier League and Champions League winner, Henderson left Liverpool behind in search of luxurious riches in Saudi Arabia.

However, his move to the Pro League wasn’t exactly filled with success. He left after a matter of months, heading to Ajax.

A European titan, his spell in the Netherlands hasn’t been too pleasing either. He’s been attacked by reporters for showing an alleged disrespect to the club amid talk he could leave, while the Amsterdam club lost the Eredivisie title on the season’s final day to PSV.

Still, there has been some solace for Henderson who, after Thomas Tuchel was appointed England manager, is now back in the Three Lions setup.

To top things off, he could also return to his boyhood club. That’s according to talkSPORT, who revealed earlier this week that the Mackems are ‘contemplating’ a move to bring the midfielder back to the Stadium of Light.

Henderson first left Sunderland behind back in 2011, having played 79 times for the club.

Would he be a good signing? Well, speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of BetVictor Casino, former Black Cats defender Wes Brown seemed to think so.

“Jordan Henderson going back to Sunderland would make sense. He’d understand that he might not play every week, but when needed, definitely show the heart,” Brown began.

Sunderland’s squad boasts some fabulous young players from Jobe Bellingham to Chris Rigg, but Brown thinks adding some experience to the squad now they’ve been promoted would be a fine idea.

The former Manchester United star said: “You do need a few experienced players in the squad, to settle the ship. We all know it’s not going to be perfect next year and there are going to be games where it’s not a good day. There has to be people in the squad to pick the other players back up. You see it year after year, how teams that come up, they can’t quite get back up from a defeat and their heads go down, everyone’s nervous.”

Jordan Henderson’s Sunderland career
Season	Games	Goals	Assists
2008/09	15	1	2
2009/10	38	2	6
2010/11	39	3	4
Stats via Transfermarkt.

Concluding why the 34-year-old should head back to the northeast, Brown commented: “You need players to bring the life back into the team and Jordan would definitely be a player that would easily help do that. It’s his boyhood club as well. He would try everything to help the team.”

While Henderson’s arrival would be noteworthy, so would a potential exit for Bellingham.

Brown provides verdict on Jobe Bellingham's future

With a name like Bellingham, you’re always going to attract the attention of elsewhere and it looks like the younger brother of Jude could follow in his footsteps this summer by heading to Germany.

Sky Sports Germany reported this week that the attacking midfielder has been in talks over a move to sign for Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.

What does Brown make of the young Sunderland star?

He told FFC: “I like Jobe Bellingham, he’s not his brother but he’s a solid player, still young. I can tell you, I played in the Championship, it’s a tough league to get out of, it’s horrible. You could be sitting pretty one minute, you lose two games on the bounce and you’re back in tenth, and you don’t know what’s going on. He’s got a great mindset, determination and they seem like a great bunch of lads.”

Brown concluded: “He’s fitted into that team fantastically and there’s a lot of people who will be looking forward to seeing what Jobe can do in the Premier League.”

While the 19-year-old’s numbers were not jaw-dropping this season, scoring four and assisting three, it’s clear he’s got immense potential and losing him just as they earn promotion would undoubtedly be a big blow.

Big O'Nien upgrade: Sunderland targeting move for "freak" £20m "monster"

Sunderland might look to upgrade on Luke O’Nien when venturing up to the Premier League.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 30, 2025

Crystal Palace have now joined the hotly-contested race to sign a “brilliant” new striker on a free transfer this summer, according to a recent report.

Nketiah reaches 50 goals in Crystal Palace win over Wolves

The Eagles followed up their amazing 1-0 triumph over Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday with an impressive 4-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their final home game of the season, reaching a club record 52 Premier League points.

Related Crystal Palace now plotting quick deal to sign "aggressive" £20m midfielder

The Eagles are now eyeing a move for an attacking midfielder.

Posts ByDominic Lund May 20, 2025

Oliver Glasner decided to hand striker Eddie Nketiah a rare start, and it was a move that paid off as he netted twice in a five-minute window to help the South Londoners on their way to victory. It meant Tuesday night’s game was a special landmark for the 25-year-old, as he netted his 50th career goal. After the game, Nketiah revealed he wants to contribute more next season.

“It is nice to reach that landmark. I know I can do much better and help the team. It’s a nice way to end the last home game, and I want to contribute more next season.”

Nketiah joined the Eagles last summer having decided to leave Arsenal in search of regular football. His move to Selhurst Park probably hasn’t quite gone the way he expected, as he’s made just nine starts in the Premier League, scoring only three goals, perhaps understandably struggling to get ahead of Jean-Philippe Mateta in the pecking order.

Crystal Palace join Leeds in race to sign £140k-p/w star on free transfer

Nketiah will hope next season he can contribute more, but his chances of doing so could be dealt a further blow, as according to Football Insider, Crystal Palace have made contact with Jamie Vardy over a move to Selhurst Park.

Football Insider reports that contact has been made between the South Londoners and Vardy’s camp, as they try to get an understanding of whether he would want to move to Selhurst Park. The 38-year-old, who scored in his final game at the King Power Stadium as a Leicester City player on Sunday, is planning to continue playing at the highest level.

Palace don’t have a clear run at signing the Englishman, as it’s already been reported that Wolves are already plotting a move to sign the striker, while Leeds are also advancing on a deal, and Everton are said to be leading the race to sign Vardy.

Jamie Vardy’s Premier League record

Apps

342

Goals

145

Assists

50

The 38-year-old, who has been hailed as “brilliant” by Gary Lineker, has scored nine goals in 35 Premier League games this season, taking his total top flight tally to 145, a number any striker would kill to achieve in one of the top leagues in Europe.

It isn’t clear if Vardy would be interested in a move to Palace, but if the Eagles have any chance of signing the striker, they are going to have to pay around the £140,000 mark for wages, as that is what Vardy currently earns at Leicester.

Arsenal beat Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, so the champagne remained corked in Liverpool’s internal quarters, with the Reds squad convened to celebrate if their closest rivals tripped up.

But they didn’t, and now Anfield has the chance to erupt into a frenzy when Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon, with three points enough to seal Arne Slot the Premier League title in his first season at the helm.

Having only swallowed two defeats in the top flight this season, Liverpool will be deserving, dominant winners. Much has been made of the purportedly low quality pervading across the division this year, but this is nonsense, with the Reds in need of 11 points from 15 remaining to cross the 90-point threshold.

Liverpool have been great, but now they must begin preparations for the 2025/26 campaign, defending their expected title while challenging across tournamental fronts too.

With Darwin Nunez set to leave, a centre-forward will be needed. However, Liverpool also need defenders, with Dean Huijsen identified as the perfect player to reinforce a title-bound rearguard.

Liverpool's interest in Dean Huijsen

Huijsen joined Bournemouth last summer in a deal which could reach £15m, leaving Juventus after graduating from the Serie A giants’ academy.

The centre-half has been immense, one of the standout players in Andoni Iraola’s high-flying team, sitting eighth in the Premier League, which will secure a European spot next year if Crystal Palace fail to win the FA Cup.

With a £50m release clause, the 20-year-old Huijsen is “the most in-demand centre-back in the world” right now, according to analyst Ben Mattinson.

Liverpool are very much in the mix for the defender, as per Fabrizio Romano, with sporting director Richard Hughes looking to secure his signature and add to Slot’s rich backline.

However, it does seem that Chelsea lead the race at this current stage.

If Stamford Bridge adds the Spain international to their mix, Liverpool will endure, turn their attention to another central defender.

Huijsen, indeed, isn’t the only defender from the Vitality on FSG’s mind.

Liverpool leading race for PL sensation

As per GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool do have the lead in the race for another Bournemouth talent, with FSG preparing to intensify efforts to sign left-back Milos Kerkez.

In with a shout for a place in the Premier League Team of the Season after a stellar year, Kerkez, 21, would be available for around £40m this summer, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all interested too.

However, Liverpool’s groundwork and the Hungarian’s friendship with Dominik Szoboszlai could hold sway in negotiations.

Transfer Focus

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

Liverpool would love both Cherries defenders, but getting the Kerkez deal over the line will prove the more important piece to shift toward Merseyside.

Why Liverpool should prioritise Kerkez

Kerkez has started every Premier League fixture for Bournemouth this season, with performances leading talent scout Antonio Mango to describe him as “one of the best young full-backs in football.”

Born in Serbia, Kerkez brings a fascinating blend of athleticism and power, capable of driving upfield and making things happen in the final third while adding security and width to the backline during defensive phases, with his ball-playing ability also allowing his side to calmly play their way out of danger.

Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher has even hailed him as a “revelation for Bournemouth,” so important for one of the division’s most exciting, attack-tailored outfits.

It’s clear that he’s got what it takes to star for Liverpool, potentially even swiping Andy Robertson’s usual place in Slot’s starting line-up from the get-go.

Matches (starts)

33 (33)

30 (26)

Goals

2

0

Assists

5

0

Touches*

59.1

63.9

Pass completion

80%

89%

Big chances created

6

6

Key passes*

0.9

1.3

Succ. dribbles

0.6 (56%)

0.2 (41%)

Ball recoveries*

4.5

3.0

Tackles + interceptions*

2.7

2.0

Clearances*

2.8

1.3

Ground duels (won)*

3.4 (60%

1.7 (53%)

Liverpool may covet Huijsen, but Robertson’s declining output and solidity in defence suggest that Kerkez would be the more vital piece to add to the machine. The Bournemouth man is more active, mobile and confident in the duel, albeit not so crisp in possession, though this is in large part down to the players’ respective assigned roles.

Not only this, but Kerkez also ranks among the top 18% of full-backs in the Premier League this season, as per FBref, for assists, the top 11% for successful crosses and the top 13% for both progressive carries and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.

He’s got a natural potency, one which has deserted Robertson after so many years of service on Merseyside. This new spark of creativity could prove to be so important for a Liverpool side braced for the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold at the end of his contract, with Real Madrid confident they will secure his signature.

No doubt, FSG would love to sign both Kerkez and Huijsen this summer, but Kerkez’s signature carries with it the more pressing urgency for those of a Liverpool persuasion.

If Liverpool have the means, which in this case some might consider a synonymical word for ‘ambition’, then they will move to sign both of Bournemouth’s left-sided defenders this summer.

It would be a statement of intent, all right, and one which might leave a lasting imprint on Slot’s legacy at Anfield. However, given the need for balance and impetus down the left flank, Kerkez should be the priority.

He's more creative than Trent: Liverpool make £87m "superstar" a top target

Arne Slot could reshape Liverpool’s creative structure by completing this statement signing.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 23, 2025

For a change, Sri Lanka have also named a full-strength squad to face Zimbabwe in the two ODIs

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Aug-2025Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are about to begin a two-ODI series in Harare. Here are five things to watch for.

Brendan Taylor is back playing white-ball cricket

Having served out his three-and-a-half year ban for corruption-related offences, Taylor is back playing ODIs – the format in which he has been most prolific, having made 11 hundreds. This isn’t Taylor’s first international since the return – he had hit 44 and 7 against New Zealand in a Test earlier this month. But perhaps he has his eyes on that 2027 men’s ODI World Cup, and at age 39, he needs to prove he can keep contributing meaningful runs. He has done well enough against Sri Lanka in the past, averaging 36.92 against them – a little higher than his career average. Zimbabwe will need his experience against an unorthodox Sri Lankan attack.

Sri Lanka have named a full-strength squad

In the past, Zimbabwe tours have been seen as an opportunity for Sri Lanka to try out some younger players. But Sri Lanka are now the kind of side that does not consistently make major ODI tournaments, and they are not taking chances this time. They will be intent on their potential 2027 World Cup players getting some exposure to conditions in Zimbabwe. But more than that, they will be keen to continue winning in the format in which they have seemed most comfortable over the past 12 months. It’s a chance too, to prove that their improvement in the format is not just down to familiar (big-spinning) conditions at home.

Zimbabwe have to turn the ship around

In 2025, Zimbabwe’s men have lost 13 of the 17 completed matches they have played, across formats. Their one series victory, actually, was in the ODI format, when they defeated Ireland 2-1 in a home series in February. Since late April, though, they have lost 10 matches consecutively – six Tests and four T20Is. In all four of those T20Is, their batting never got going, though occasionally the bowling was effective. Against a reasonably confident Sri Lanka team, they have their work cut out.Charith Asalanka has tended to make use of his bowling depth in ODIs•MARTY MELVILLE/AFP via Getty Images

Sri Lanka binge on allrounders

This phase of Sri Lankan men’s cricket has valued multi-skilled cricketers, and despite Wanindu Hasaranga being unavailable for this series, there are still some allrounders on show. Charith Asalanka is increasingly a reliable bowler in this format, but in the squad also are the likes of Janith Liyanage, Milan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, and Kamindu Mendis. In ODIs, Asalanka has tended to make use of this bowling depth to prevent batters from settling, and to give himself more options at the death. In the first two ODIs of their most-recent series, for example, Asalanka used seven bowlers apiece.

Dilshan Madushanka attempts to impose himself

Following a stellar 2023 World Cup (though the team tanked around him), Dilshan Madushanka has had a quiet couple of years. He has struggled for rhythm and control across formats. Now, ODIs are the only format he really gets picked for. A rapid left-arm quick who can swing the ball into the right-hand batters early, and also has a wicked cutter, would be an asset to any limited overs team, so long as the radar is good. Thankfully for Madushanka, he has a little form going into this series, having racked up regular wickets in domestic limited-overs tournaments.

In a very Kane Williamson sort of way he made sure nothing less than the perfect play would catch him out at the pivotal moment of the Christchurch Test

Andrew Fidel Fernando13-Mar-2023Kane Williamson is scrambling.At his best, this is an imperious batter. Compact, assured, supremely accomplished. Not a player in the vein of a Babar Azam, or even a Rohit Sharma, who both bat as if born into an obscene inheritance of talent. There are gifts for Williamson too; they are quickened by something else.But, last ball of a Test, the shadow of the Hagley Oval pavilion darkening a surface that still offers bounce and movement for the bowler, who is operating with a ball that is 70 overs old and as such has long since lost its shine, there Williamson is. He has attempted to hook this head-high ball (he might fairly contend it passed higher than his head), and he has missed.So now, he has to go to Plan B. And everyone knows what Plan B is.Before he has even left his crease, batting partner Neil Wagner is halfway down the pitch. Wagner is nursing a hamstring tear and a bulging disc in his spine. But this is Wagner, who is a cricketer powered so completely by willpower that the physical details of what his body can realistically achieve fade into insignificance. Wagner desperately wants to be halfway down the pitch at this moment. So, it ends up not mattering what the nerves near his spine, or his hamstring, are telling him. (“Dear God, what is your problem?” “We’ve had enough.” “Please stop, you f****ng madman.” – Some of the things his body would be saying, if we had to hazard a guess.)Related

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Williamson is still on the crease while Wagner is halfway down, because the bowler Asitha Fernando is playing the situation perfectly. He has bowled a bouncer, which Williamson has to put his weight on his back foot to play. Because he is going back, it means he has to reverse his momentum to attempt the single that New Zealand require to win the game. In such situations, run outs are frequently the most likely dismissal – the bowler beating the bat, the keeper with one glove off throwing down the stumps closest to them, the non-striking batter caught short.But Asitha is ready for his plan B too. Niroshan Dickwella, the wicketkeeper, misses the stumps closest to him, which means that Wagner makes his ground comfortably. But Asitha knows that if Dickwella is aiming at those stumps, he can collect on his follow through and throw down the next set. His thinking is spectacular. It is perfect.Earlier in the over, Asitha collected a bounce throw from the deep and effected a run out with minimum fuss and total efficiency. If there is any player on the field matching Williamson’s nous and Wagner’s effort right now, it is Asitha. His first 11 overs in this innings cost 14 runs. In the previous three overs before this one, when New Zealand have been trying to smash it, he conceded just 15. He’s keeping Sri Lanka in the match.

Williamson once described the feeling of batting alongside a big-hitting Brendon McCullum as being “like the library in a theme park” … Libraries have been around for millennia. Quietly enriching the human experience, shaping history in all sorts of subtle ways, forging progress, informing advancement.

On this last ball, Asitha gets into perfect position to collect the ball as Williamson is scrambling, he swivels on his left heel, and almost in the same movement, he throws down the stumps at the non-striker’s end.It is an perfect play. He’s beaten the batter and pushed him on to the back foot. He’s collected the throw and hit the stumps direct. But Asitha sends the throw in on the bounce. It hits the pitch halfway between him and middle stump. The bails fly off. Some close fielders are excited.But here is the physics: The bounce helped the ball find its target, but it slowed the throw down. Not only did the ball have a greater distance to travel, it had to be deflected off the ground, which always absorbs some energy. Williamson made his ground by a fraction of a second. This, very likely, was the difference between a draw for New Zealand, and a victory.On his 93rd Test, the act that will define this game, is Williamson’s sprinting and diving. So that only a perfect play, and not an perfect play, could catch him short.Captain Tim Southee greets his two match-winners, Kane Williamson and Neil Wagner•Getty ImagesThis is New Zealands greatest men’s batter. The late Martin Crowe – the only player whose record could seriously have stood up to Williamson’s – happily acknowledged this many years ago. In the last Test Williamson played, he became the most prolific Test batter from his country and put the matter to rest. This 121 not out was his second second-innings hundred in succession.Others have perhaps forged more eye-catching careers through their explosive batting, or their charisma, or the effect they have had on foreign leagues and foreign teams.Williamson once described the feeling of batting alongside the bonkers Brendon McCullum as being “like the library in a theme park”.Theme parks, a modern phenomenon, are the venue of glorious, but transitory, entertainment. They are lit up all over, joyful squeals lasting late into the night, kids flitting from ride to ride, the bang-badoosh-whoosh of rollercoasters the scene of screaming and indescribable fun for years, but eventually turning into rusting monuments to human elation decades later, the place decommissioned, the park having made its money, and moved on.Libraries, meanwhile, have been around for millennia. Quietly enriching the human experience, shaping history in all sorts of subtle ways, forging progress, informing cerebral pleasures. They will be around for millennia yet.Today, Williamson, the greatest batter New Zealand has ever produced in its long cricketing history had to scramble a bye, to win a Test off the last delivery. And he scrambled the hell out of it.

His ambitions might seem lofty but he’s been putting in the hard yards to achieve them – for Delhi Capitals in the IPL to start with

Alex Malcolm20-Sep-2021Hotel quarantine allows a lot of time to think. And Marcus Stoinis has been doing some thinking in Dubai, as he prepares for the return of the IPL with Delhi Capitals, his first cricket assignment in four and a half months (he opted out of Australia’s limited-overs tours of West Indies and Bangladesh).The rare downtime has given the 32-year-old a chance to reset some personal goals.”My next phase, the way I see it, over the next three years I want to be not only the best finisher in Australia, I want to be the best finisher in the world,” Stoinis says.Related

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“So that’s what I’ve spent my time thinking about and preparing myself for. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to be able to do it for the Melbourne Stars as well. It might mean the role is going to change. But I’ve got a great opportunity to do it with Delhi under Punter [coach Ricky Ponting], and a great opportunity in this World Cup. Whether it’s in this World Cup or the next World Cup, that’s up to me.”Stoinis is no shrinking violet, and some may scoff at his ambition, particularly as he plays almost exclusively as an opener in the BBL for Melbourne Stars – with great success. But his numbers batting in positions five through seven for Australia in T20 internationals and Capitals in the IPL, suggest he’s already a lot closer to his goal than many might realise. In fact, until last month, neither Stoinis nor Australia’s selectors or coaching staff were aware of how highly he ranks among global T20 finishers over the past three years.In T20I cricket, only Kieron Pollard and Mohammad Nabi have scored more runs with a better strike rate and boundary percentage over a three-year period in the lower middle order, putting Stoinis on par with India’s Hardik Pandya (257 runs, 8.91 runs per over, 5.41 balls per boundary), and ahead of South Africa’s David Miller and West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran. In the IPL, Stoinis is squarely in the middle of the top ten on those two parameters.ESPNcricinfo LtdYet he is no guarantee to be inked in at No. 5 or 6 in Australia’s opening T20 World Cup match against South Africa on October 23. He has been named in the 15-man squad but was deemed to have taken a selection risk by opting out of Australia’s recent tours citing bubble fatigue after the postponement of the IPL and the subsequent difficulty that Australian players had in returning home.Stoinis remained in Perth to train and spend time with family and friends, but it did not take long for him to realise how much he missed playing. “That was a big decision at the time,” he says. “I wasn’t used to watching the team play and not being involved, knowing that’s what I want to do. And the first couple of weeks you’re also second-guessing yourself as to whether you should have gone on the tour.”It took me a good two months to just really chill out. But it became more and more clear that that was the right thing to do for me. I’m feeling good now, feeling ready to go. I didn’t take much time off training. Because that’s another thing you realise when you take a break – that you love the cricket. I love cricket, I love training.”While fun, fashion and frivolity can appear top priorities for Stoinis, the truth is, there is hardly anyone in Australian cricket who trains more meticulously or diligently. He spent his time off working with three different batting coaches, his long-time personal mentor Neil Holder; and Western Australia’s head coach, Adam Voges, and their batting coach, Beau Casson.Aside from the mechanics of his game, Stoinis is trying to go to the next level with his mental preparation and overall mindset. He works with two mental-performance coaches, Dave Diggle, who currently works with the Australia Rugby Union team, and David Reid, who is the mental performance coach for Essendon in the Australian Football League.Hotel quarantine has provided the perfect sanctuary in which to re-engage with his mental processes. “It’s been a good chance for me to sink my teeth into that mental side of my game,” Stoinis says.”Outside of your technique, the No. 1 thing is dedicating and controlling your mind towards visualisation and preparation, and staying away from [thinking about] the outcome as much as you can”•Ron Gaunt/BCCI”You’d actually probably laugh. I shouldn’t tell you this, because Zamps [Adam Zampa] will give me s**t. But I’ve got my pads, I’ve got everything out here [in the hotel room], because I do my visualisation with all the gear on.”I think when I look back, I perform my best when I’ve sunk my teeth into my preparation and my visualisation.”He is also learning to detach himself from results. “Outside of your technique, I think that’s the No. 1 thing, dedicating and controlling your mind towards that process and staying away from the outcome as much as you can,” he says.”But like everything, it’s a lifetime’s work, you never feel like you master it. It’s super humbling because you find out pretty quickly when you’ve gone away from it because you’re walking off and you’re out.”Even the other day I was thinking about it, and I was talking to myself about fear. We’ve all got a bit of fear in us. I feel like a fear of failure for me is hopefully starting to diminish – in that, to me, I’m only going to fail when I give up.”Fearlessness is one of the key traits of the best finishers in T20 cricket. Pollard hit his first two balls for sixes for Trinbago Knight Riders in a recent CPL game, on his way to a match-winning 51 from 22 balls.This is one area Stoinis knows he needs to improve in if he is to achieve his lofty goal. Fearlessness will help him produce faster starts. On the list of cricketers who have made over 1000 T20 runs for the three years starting April 2018, Stoinis ranks 29th in terms of his strike rate in the first ten balls of innings – 137.07. The elite finishers are above 160 on this metric.In T20I cricket, Stoinis has been among the top three batters in the world on strike rate and balls per boundary over the last three years•Getty ImagesFor Stoinis, it comes down to communication with his coaches and team-mates, to be able to have complete trust in himself in the middle. “You make your plan beforehand,” he says. “You understand which bowlers you’re going to target.”On another day, Kieron Pollard might get out going for a second six. But he understands, and I’m sure the coach or whoever understands that, so then you’re all on one page. And I think that helps to get rid of any sort of distraction and fear of failure. Because you’ve committed to the plan yourself. You committed to that with the team.” It is part of the reason Stoinis has gelled so well with Ponting, who has made sure his communication is clear and concise.”The more I got to know him, he’s a very deep thinker, so I was then not wanting to feed him too much [information],” Ponting told SEN recently. “I’d feed him little bits but then wait for him to think about it and process it and come back to me and ask questions about what he needs to do next, or how he needs to get better.”I’ve tried to make it pretty clear to him where I see him slotting in with the Delhi Capitals outfit and given him a certain role that he’s going to play for us.”He is a hard worker. There’s no doubt about that. He likes to bat and bowl as much as anyone we’ve had at Delhi, so as long as I give some clear direction and he understands what he’s doing and what his role is, then I just let him go about getting himself prepared.””Ricky is a bloody genius,” Stoinis says. “And a lot of his genius isn’t always about the cricket. It’s about how he communicates with people. He understands me quite well. So, he knows how to push my buttons. He knows when to challenge me. He knows when to pump me up.”When it comes to game time, we’ve got a good relationship in that I’m sitting in the dugout, I’m asking him what he’s thinking. I’m telling him what bowler I want to target, when to send me out, he’s telling me to sort of sit down and relax.”Usually we end up talking at the time-out about just the plan of attack for the last whatever it is – eight overs, nine overs, seven overs. And it’s pretty clear, we both understand what we want to do and how we want the game to pan out from there.””Ricky is a bloody genius. And a lot of his genius isn’t always about the cricket. It’s about how he communicates with people”•Saikat Das/BCCIStoinis is also keen to play his part with the ball in the UAE. He has suffered some niggles in recent years and tweaked his back just prior to arriving in Dubai. But he says he has done more bowling in the last three months than he has in three years.”Usually when the shoe is on the other foot and I’m bowling, I’m pretty aware that the batting team is going to look to target me,” he said. “My skill is in understanding the game as a batsman, what the batsmen are trying to do.”I think you’ve got to realise that you’re only just trying to cause half a mistake. You don’t need to always completely deceive the batsman.”For me, it’s just come with experience. It’s come with talking to a lot of different guys, a lot of different bowling coaches and players, most of them actually through the IPL. And most of that stuff is subtle changes in your grip, in how hard you are gripping the ball.”Stoinis’ immediate task is to help Capitals claim the title that eluded them in the UAE last year but then the focus will shift to playing an important part in Australia’s tilt to win a maiden T20 World Cup.”The key for us is going to this tournament having each other’s back, looking to play like we’ve got nothing to lose because at the end of the day, we don’t have anything to lose,” he says.”I think if we play with that freedom and that excitement, we’re going to do something special. I think that’s the way we’ve got to attack that. There’s enough talent. There’s so many good players in our team that there’s no reason why we shouldn’t.”

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal was cruising to what looked like another quality start and victory against the Athletics on Monday night before encountering some turbulence in the seventh inning. Holding onto a 3-2 lead, the fireballing lefty allowed the home team to load the bases without an out. While this would have been reason enough for a manager to relieve any other pitcher, Skubal has earned the right to work out of such jams. And it looked like he would after striking out two batters to set up a battle with Shea Langeliers.

Langeliers, one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball since the All-Star break, worked the count to 2-1 and got a fastball to his liking. No one in the ballpark knew that his swing would result in a grand slam sooner than Skubal.

His immediate reaction said it all.

If you have some time to sit through some raw footage from a fan in attendance, the alternate angle of all the joy leaving the reigning American League Cy Young winner is even more compelling. It's like Skubal was living four seconds in the future where the Athletics had a 6-3 lead and he absolutely did not care for it.

Detroit would lose, 8-3, reducing their lead over the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL's best record to half a game.

On Saturday lunchtime, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had a big decision to make. Play Martin Odegaard or Eberechi Eze in the number 10 position?

Well, the Spaniard chose his club captain Odegaard. It was a successive start for the Norwegian who is now back from injury and ready to make an impact.

What that meant was that the Gunners’ November Player of the Month was selected on the left flank.

It wasn’t a decision that went well for Eze. The scorer of that famous hat-trick in the north London derby just a few weeks ago, his influence from the left, rather than in a central area, was severely lacking.

It was Eze who switched off at the back post for Matty Cash’s opener and despite having a goal ruled out for offside, he was anonymous in the final third.

The summer signing was subsequently withdrawn at the half time interval having registered just 13 touches of the ball and amassed just seven passes.

Why Arsenal must pick Eze over Odegaard in the number 10 role

Before Emiliano Buendia’s late winner at Villa Park on Saturday, TNT Sports’ Martin Keown had named Martin Odegaard as the player of the match.

The club captain drifted in and out of the game, but left the field with three key passes and three shots to his name. He also ensured Bukayo Saka looked like a constant threat in the game. Indeed, in the words of the Telegraph’s Sam Dean, he noted that “it can’t be a coincidence that Saka has been so dangerous today, on the day he is reunited with Odegaard,” suggesting that as a pairing, they remain one of Arsenal’s “great weapons.”

That they may well be, but the skipper arguably held Arteta’s team back. While Eze has looked like such a big goal threat over the last few weeks, a dynamic and silky player who can produce a moment of magic out of nowhere, Odegaard was sluggish and timid in possession.

His biggest problem is that unlike Eze, he takes too many touches and he’s slow in possession. The 26-year-old is one of the best midfielders in the world on his day. He’s supremely creative but Arsenal’s summer recruit from Crystal Palace has taken them to the next level in recent weeks.

Mins played

90

45

Touches

80

13

Key passes

3

0

Shots

3

0

Successful dribbles

1/4

1/1

Duels won

3/10

2/5

Possession lost

15x

3x

It was surely no coincidence that two of their finest wins of 2025, the victories against Spurs and Bayern, came with Eze in the team over Odegaard.

It feels incredibly unlikely that Arteta will drop the latter but he must explore what this team could be like without their captain.

That said, Eze isn’t the only threat to Odegaard’s long-term future at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal's next Odegaard and Eze

Eze’s arrival has coincided with a lack of game time for Ethan Nwaneri. Last season he was compared to Lionel Messi by Joe Cole and described as “the most exciting footballer in England.” How times change.

While the 18-year-old is still up there as one of the finest young talents in the country, scoring nine goals last term, regular senior football has eluded him in 2025/26. He has played just 165 minutes of Premier League football this term and only 20 minutes since the start of November.

Nwaneri will no doubt come good but he will also have to rival the great Max Dowman for a place in the team over the forthcoming years. Odegaard, beware.

The two exciting teenagers are not the only threats to Odegaard’s long-term future, however. Enter Holger Quintero.

At the end of last week, Arsenal announced the signings of a set of twins, Holger and Edwin Quintero from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle.

They have become one of the finest exponents of young talent in world football in recent years. Part of their alumni include Moises Caicedo, Piero Hincapie and PSG’s brute of a central defender William Pacho.

Well, the Quintero twins look like the next cabs of the rank and while they will not be seen in Arsenal colours until they turn 18, the 16-year-old’s have signed an agreement to join the club, something that was announced last Thursday.

Edwin is a left-footed right winger and, alongside Dowman, has been labelled as a “10/10 talent” by scout Jacek Kulig. As for his brother, Holger, he is an attacking midfielder by trade and an exciting one at that.

Described as a “top talent” by Como scout Felix Johnston, he possesses a glittering array of skills, outlined by Kulig.

The scout notes that he has “superb close control, flair and creativity” while hailing the youngster’s “low centre of gravity and excellent agility, acceleration and coordination.”

Close control and creativity are two areas in which Odegaard also thrives in but it’s arguably that lack of acceleration and ability to carry the ball forward with pace that holds him back. That’s where Quintero could trump him in the years to come.

Further described as a young kid with “elite dribbling skills with futsal-like ball control”, there is a reason Arsenal have decided to invest in these two young attacking sensations.

To predict they could become world beaters might be a stretch at this stage, but there is huge excitement about them both. As Kulig put it, Holger is “one of the most exciting U17s in South America.”

Watch out, Odegaard, it might not only be Dowman coming for your place.

4/10 star had his worst game in an Arsenal shirt vs Aston Villa

Arsenal suffered their second defeat of the season against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 6, 2025

Leeds United are keen to revive their Premier League fortunes after a poor start to the season under Daniel Farke, who has now found out where he stands ahead of their trip to face Manchester City.

Leeds United and Daniel Farke caught in awkward situation

There is no point in beating around the bush. Farke has come under significant pressure recently at Elland Road, and a run of five losses in his last six matches has done little to win fans over in West Yorkshire.

On the face of it, the German is a talented coach who deploys an exciting brand of football that has won plenty of adulation, albeit the Whites have been undone too often by the fine margins of the top-flight.

Facing Manchester City is a daunting task at the best of times, not least when they managed to give a rest to key players during their Champions League exploits in midweek.

Another misstep and Farke could be in serious trouble, with former Union Berlin boss Bo Svensson and ex-Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers on Leeds’ shortlist should they decide to call time on his spell at Elland Road.

Survival is a difficult ask for any newly-promoted side, and nobody was expecting the Whites’ return to the Premier League to be straightforward. However, results are critical, and they appear to be in short supply at the moment.

Ultimately, only time will tell whether Farke gets an extended period to turn things around. As supporters hunt for clarity, a new update has now emerged regarding his future.

Daniel Farke given Leeds United sack ultimatum

According to sources from Football Insider, Leeds boss Farke has two matches to save his job at Elland Road, and the 49ers Enterprises are now ‘exploring new manager options amid growing fan discord over the performances and results under Farke’.

Carlos Corberan and Marcelo Bielsa are also mooted as options alongside Rodgers and Svensson, though whoever takes on the mantle, should the 49-year-old be relieved of his duties, will face some tough festive fixtures in the cold light of day.

Leeds United’s tough upcoming matches

Manchester City (A)

Premier League

Chelsea (H)

Premier League

Liverpool (H)

Premier League

Brentford (A)

Premier League

Crystal Palace (H)

Premier League

For now, Farke remains in post, but the fact that his club are already on the lookout for alternatives paints a bleak picture for his future unless Leeds can string together a run of meaningful results in the near future.

Related Leeds have a "laughable" signing who's a bigger waste of time than Perri

Leeds United fans must now be scratching their heads as to why their beloved side ever signed this dud.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 28, 2025

Truthfully, the Whites’ boss has been uncompromising in his methods and is willing to go down on his own terms rather than be forced to deviate from his tactical style.

While that is admirable in theory, it remains to be seen if he can evade doubters over the coming weeks with his job well and truly on the line.