Celtic are preparing for an exciting summer under Brendan Rodgers, though they may now be resigned to losing one of their most talented young prospects.
Celtic look forward to chance to complete domestic treble
Domestic trebles have become a speciality for the Hoops over recent years, and they will have a chance to complete another clean sweep against Aberdeen this weekend in the Scottish Cup final.
Rodgers was able to soak up the acclaim of supporters after witnessing his side lift the Scottish Premiership trophy last weekend. However, the Irishman knows there is still work to do before the champagne can really start to flow at Parkhead.
Brendan Rodgers
Speaking ahead of the clash, he said: “We’ve had some great performances and results against Aberdeen, but finals are finals.
“I enjoy the occasion, I enjoy the pressures of finals, but we can only really enjoy it if we go in with the right mentality, the right preparation and then we can see where it takes us.”
Coming to the end of a long season, Rodgers will already have one eye on the transfer market as Celtic prepare to strengthen on all fronts to put up another fight for silverware and European progression next term.
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Blackburn Rovers star Tyrhys Dolan is a target for the Bhoys on a free transfer and could join Kieran Tierney in walking through the Parkhead entrance once the window opens.
Nevertheless, departures will also be expected to make room for new arrivals to settle into life in Glasgow, and one of the Hoops’ most prodigious stars could now be on his way out of the club, per recent developments.
Celtic gem Cummings spotted at West Ham's London Stadium
With his contract set to expire at Parkhead, Celtic striker Daniel Cummings was spotted at West Ham United’s London Stadium on Sunday, a stadium which is bigger than Parkhead, taking in their 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest. It has been claimed that a move to the Irons looks imminent for the forward.
The Scotland Under-19 international has been in brilliant form for the Hoops’ B Team this campaign, registering 29 goals in 37 appearances, combining his first-team outings and exploits further down the ladder.
Commended for his “spectacular” finishing by The Young Team, he now appears poised to leave his boyhood club after months of no progress over a contract extension.
West Ham previously tried to sign Cummings on deadline day earlier this year, though they now look to have prevailed in their attempts to bring the clinical poacher to East London.
From a Celtic standpoint, losing another young talent is a sign of the limited pathway to the first team for homegrown stars, but most will acknowledge that this has been coming for a long time.
Liverpool’s search for a new striker has reportedly taken a fresh twist, with a new option now emerging who could provide Michael Edwards and FSG an alternative to Hugo Ekitike.
Liverpool linked with Hugo Ekitike move
It’s no secret that Liverpool are ready to spend big this summer, with Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz already all likely on their way Anfield, but none of those will solve Arne Slot’s striker problem. Instead, to do exactly that, Edwards has reportedly set his sights on signing Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ekitike in a deal that Chelsea are also in pursuit of.
The Frenchman enjoyed an excellent season in Germany and will now reportedly cost any potential suitors as much as £84m. Whether Liverpool are ready to match that price tag is undoubtedly the big question. The Premier League champions are already preparing to spend a club-record fee to sign Wirtz whilst also splashing out on Kerkez and Frimpong. Add £84m onto that and Liverpool could find themselves spending more than ever this summer.
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When looking at the numbers, it becomes clear as to why Frankfurt are demanding such a high price to sell Ekitike. That’s not to say there aren’t some concerns, though.
As impressive as the former Paris Saint-Germain was throughout the season, scoring 15 goals and creating another eight, he significantly underperformed when it comes to expected goals and Liverpool simply cannot afford to splash out on another wasteful finisher after Nunez.
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ByTom Cunningham May 30, 2025
For £84m, the Reds must be investing in a clinical striker. With that said, instead of Ekitike, Liverpool could yet target a cheaper alternative this summer who has already got an Anfield goal to his name.
Liverpool considering Goncalo Ramos swoop
According to Sam McGuire for Anfield Watch, FSG and Liverpool are now considering a move to sign Goncalo Ramos from PSG this summer. The Portugal international has often been used from the bench by Luis Enrique in France and may now seek a starting place elsewhere.
Given that he’s likely to be valued at around €65m (£55m) as PSG aim to recoup what they initially paid, Ramos would also be a cheaper option than Ekitike.
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Whilst Ramos has underperformed on expected goals, he has been better in that regard than Ekitike, who has underperformed by over six goals. It’s also worth noting that, despite playing the equivalent of almost 12 games in Ligue 1, the PSG forward scored 10 goals throughout the campaign.
Dubbed “prolific” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Liverpool have seen Ramos’ goalscoring prowess for themselves in the past when he netted a penalty in the Anfield leg of PSG’s Champions League win against the Reds in March, whereas he also scored at Anfield for Benfica in 2022.
Bournemouth have announced Dean Huijsen will join Real Madrid at the end of the season after the Spanish giants activated the sought-after centre-back’s £50m release clause. Liverpool, as well as other Premier League behemoths, have been beaten.
That’s the end of that one, then. Los Blancos really are the scourge of Liverpool’s side. At another point of the backline, Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed that he will leave his boyhood club at the end of the season, with the Santiago Bernabeu the all-but-confirmed destination for the ball-playing superstar.
Arne Slot has done an incredible thing this year, dominantly winning the league title after Jurgen Klopp stepped down last summer, especially since Federico Chiesa has been the only first-team addition, and he hasn’t even started in the top flight.
Trent and Carragher
Liverpool may face more bother from Madrid in several other transfer sagas, but more on that later. For now, let’s familiarise ourselves with the vice-captain’s slated replacement, Jeremie Frimpong.
The latest on Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool
Just as Alexander-Arnold will join Xabi Alonso and Huijsen in a new Real Madrid project, so too will Bayer Leverkusen’s Frimpong make the move to Merseyside this summer.
Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong
As per Fabrizio Romano, sporting director Richard Hughes is simply putting the finishing touches on the transfer before an official announcement is made. Such issues pertain to the pay structure of the €35m (£30m) release clause.
For it to collapse now would be a shock. Some fans might reserve judgement on the fleet-footed right-sider, whose speed and attacking quality cannot be questioned but whose defensive security is more contested, but Frimpong, 24, is a shrewd and exciting signing for the club.
Under Alonso’s wing at Leverkusen, the Netherlands international has hit 59 direct contributions from 131 appearances, so it’s no surprise the wing-back has been called a “monster in the final third” by United Stand presenter Beth Tucker.
He’s exactly what Slot needs at right-back, a contrasting profile to Conor Bradley, who will add depth and dynamism to Liverpool’s ranks. Now, FSG are ready to turn to their next top target.
Liverpool turn to new top target
Liverpool want a striker and have also registered their interest in playmaker Florian Wirtz, but according to Caught Offside, FSG have made Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez their top target now that Frimpong is on the cusp of signing.
It adds that the Reds have already held talks with the Cherries over a possible move for the Hungary international, who has been transfer-listed for a price of £45m, with the south coast side making it clear he can leave.
AFC Bournemouth's MilosKerkez
Arsenal, Chelsea and, of course, Real Madrid, have all been named as suitors, but Liverpool have put in the groundwork and made it clear that the 21-year-old is their first-choice pick to strengthen the left flank of Slot’s backline.
What Milos Kerkez would bring to Liverpool
Liverpool might not be signing Huijsen, but they will hope that their persistent efforts over the past several months will hold sway in closing a deal for Kerkez.
Bournemouth defenders Milos Kerkez & Dean Huijsen
Signing the powerful and mobile defender would mean that one of Robertson or Kostas Tsimikas would need to leave, more likely the latter, but maybe it’s the right time for change.
After all, Kerkez has been described as a “machine” of a player by Sky Sports’ Izzy Christensen, who continued to say the “frightening thing is he’s not even reached his peak yet.”
As per Sofascore, Kerkez has scored two goals and laid on five assists for his teammates in the Premier League this season, starting all 36 of the Cherries’ fixtures.
Moreover, he’s kept it crisp with an 80% pass success rate, winning 60% of his ground duels and averaging 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game.
Milos Kerkez for Bournemouth
With such an athletic and energetic style, willing to drive forward into dangerous positions and provide creative support to the forwards, Kerkez could be the perfect upgrade on the 31-year-old Robertson, joining Frimpong in an elite new wide duo that could prove the perfect way to continue the Scotland captain and Trent’s legacy.
In 2022, former West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic described the pair as “the best full-backs in modern football,” with their overlapping quality, their playmaking and completeness, supercharging Klopp’s high-octane system.
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It’s hard to imagine there will ever be another pair of full-backs quite like them, with Liverpool’s midfield long characterised by a selfless industriousness that promotes creative success from out wide.
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With Frimpong’s pace and potency combining with the tireless work rate of Kerkez, there’s no telling how fluid and interchangeable Liverpool’s approach could become next year as they look to defend their Premier League title.
While it would be foolish to expect them to reach the same extraordinary creative heights as their predecessors, the rising stars are talented attacking talents unto themselves, and like Robertson and Alexander-Arnold, they bring different tactical takes to the table.
Bayer Leverkusen's JeremieFrimpongscores their first goal
Kerkez, for example, could channel the spirit of Alexander-Arnold through his distribution, ranking among the top 12% of Premier League full-backs for successful crosses into the penalty area per 90 this term, as per FBref, whereas Frimpong’s desire to burst into the final third himself can be observed through
With Mohamed Salah holding off and playing him through a chink in an opponent’s armour, this could be a masterful combination for Slot to work on this summer.
Liverpool aren’t resting on their laurels this summer. Slot is determined to make sufficient reinforcements after clinching the Premier League title in his first season in charge.
Liverpool manager ArneSlotlooks on
And rightly so. Arsenal, Manchester City and the rest are all going to be desperate to recolour the ribbons next term, but with signings like Frimpong and Kerkez and forward-focused additions still yet to come, there’s plenty to be excited about for those of an Anfield persuasion.
He plays a lot like Wirtz: Liverpool plot huge move to sign £85m "magician"
Liverpool are ready to throw the kitchen sink at a marquee attacking signing this summer.
As of now it wouldn’t be unfair to label him too good to limit himself to one or two formats
Sidharth Monga24-Dec-2023There are so many twists of fate in this story that there is no room left for what-ifs. It is too hectic to even attempt a re-telling but at this juncture we must filter out the KL Rahul bits.It was the summer of 2021 in England. An injury to Shubman Gill had brought Rahul back into the Test squad, a good two years after he last played one. He was strictly a back-up batter, probably selected only because he was versatile enough to provide cover for more than one slot. On the eve of the first Test, though, a delivery from Mohammed Siraj injured Rahul’s good friend and the incumbent opener, Mayank Agarwal.It brought together Rahul and Rohit Sharma, two batters still looking to find their bearings in Test cricket, in conditions that were supposed to be their kryptonite, against the new ball, the toughest time to play in England. In testing conditions through the series, the two put on an exhibition of leaving the ball. India’s openers aggregated 784 runs between them in that series, among the top 10 for a travelling side to England.Related
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Later that year, Rahul came back from an injury to complete the set of centuries in Australia, England and South Africa, only the second opener from Asia to do so since South Africa’s readmission. In the next year, he went on to captain India.And yet, two Tests after his captaincy stint, and six after his superlative century in South Africa, Rahul found himself out of the side. At that time, it seemed a horses-for-courses thing in a team that had room only for five batters given their consistent focus on taking 20 wickets by playing an extra bowler. By the time the course changed, though, Rahul had injured himself during the IPL and was in a race against time to make it to the World Cup. In his absence, Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a century on debut, Gill moved down to No. 3, and where was the room for Rahul?So here we are, back to the site of Rahul’s century in Centurion, but with the most probable way for him to get into the XI being taking on wicketkeeping duties despite having started in only one first-class match as a designated wicketkeeper before. This could also mean batting in the middle order for only the second time in his 47-Test career. Not only does it not upset the top three, it also allows him some break after keeping wicket for a whole Test innings.KL Rahul scored 123 in his last Test in Centurion•AFP/Getty ImagesThere are two ways to look at this arrangement, both of them valid. First is to say what a sacrifice Rahul is making for the team in Rishabh Pant’s absence. That he is always ready and willing to do what the team needs him to do. There can be sympathy for a batter of such high skill and ability to have to double up in order to play for India.None of that is misplaced sentiment but Rahul also averages 33.44 after 47 Tests. It is not like Rahul hasn’t been given chances: since his debut, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are the only batters to have played more Test matches for India. We must make allowance for the increasingly difficult conditions Test cricket is played in, especially wherever India travel. The average of openers in the Tests that Rahul has played is 31.24. So while a century every seven Tests might not satisfy everyone, he has only been slightly better than the average opener in the conditions he has played in.This is where you wonder if Rahul has spread himself too wide. Rahane and Pujara were Test specialists. Kohli is the only India batter of this era who has managed to master both Tests and ODIs for more than a decade, and also have a long T20 career. It won’t be inaccurate to say that it hasn’t even been three years since Rohit finally figured Test cricket out.It has been argued previously that Rahul’s shift to a more conservative brand of T20 cricket might have resulted in better performances in Test cricket upon the comeback in 2021.Rahul is only 31 so there is a while to go before a final assessment can be made on his career, but as of now it wouldn’t be unfair to label him too good to limit himself to one or two formats but not quite in that Kohli category to have mastered two of them for so long. Starting with the newest chapter in Centurion, Rahul, already one of the best in the world in the ODI middle order, will want to prove he is good enough to master two of them at the same time.
Versatility of allrounder offers balance as England build towards next T20 World Cup
Matt Roller21-Jan-2022It looked for all money as though Liam Livingstone had produced the decisive moment in November’s T20 World Cup semi-final when he had Glenn Phillips caught at long-off, leaving New Zealand needing 60 more runs off 29 balls with no frontline batters left in the dugout. Livingstone let out a guttural roar of celebration before completing a tight final over to return figures of 2 for 22 in his four; if England’s death bowlers had held their nerve, it would have been remembered as a match-winning spell.It completed a fine tournament for Livingstone, despite the fact he had only faced 29 balls with the bat. Across the World Cup, he conceded 5.73 runs an over and only seven boundaries in the 90 balls he bowled. “People call him a part-timer. He’s not. He’s an allrounder,” Eoin Morgan said. “We trust his bowling a lot.”Livingstone’s emergence as a bowler – and his ability to bowl both legspin and offspin in a single over, depending on match-ups – allowed England to maintain a batting-heavy strategy throughout and also enabled them to bowl more spin in a T20 World Cup than they ever had previously. And while he will not be available for the first T20I in Barbados, after a bout of non-Covid-related sickness earlier in the week, his place in the first-choice XI is now assured.It remains to be seen whether a three-spinner, three-seamer strategy is viable in Australia but following Friday’s World Cup draw, England’s two biggest Super 12s fixtures – against Australia and New Zealand – are at the MCG and the Gabba respectively, both of which have been surprisingly spin-friendly in recent BBL seasons.
Livingstone’s versatility came to the fore in the World Cup, generally bowling legbreaks to right-handers and offbreaks to left-handers, albeit with some exceptions. He mainly bowled legspin to the left-handed Devon Conway in the semi-final, looking to defend a big leg-side boundary and perhaps also in the knowledge that Conway is a rare player who is stronger against balls that spin away from him than ones which come in.”It’s obviously unusual because I can’t think of anyone else that does it,” Gareth Batty, Surrey’s assistant coach and former T20 captain, says. “It shows where the modern game is going, and how right-handed batsmen want to take down the ball spinning into them, certainly at international level or the elite franchise level.”He’s clearly spent a lot of time on it. I wouldn’t say he’s perfected either [legspin or offspin] but he’s trying to get them to a very high standard. The fact that he’s a batter and whacks them means he can put a little bit of a batsman’s psyche into his bowling, so he knows what the batters are thinking at each time.”Carl Crowe, the spin-bowling coach who has worked with Livingstone at Lancashire, says that a shift in mindset has been crucial. “Others talk about him as a part-time spinner but we’ve talked about him considering himself as a frontline spinner and that’s when he’s bowled his best,” he says. “Even if he’s only used as a part-timer in some teams, the mindset of being a frontline spinner certainly seems to have helped him.”He works incredibly hard at it. Clearly he’s got a natural talent but he tries to maximise that and particularly in the second half of his career so far, I think he’s realised the value he can add with his bowling. There aren’t too many guys around the world who can bowl offspin and legspin like him. It’s a unique skillset but with the work he puts in, he’s not taking it for granted.Livingstone has had success for Perth Scorchers, which augurs well for the T20 World Cup in Australia•Getty Images”Top-level batters will be picking it [an offbreak or a legbreak] at the top of his mark; that’s less about deception and disguise at the moment, and more about just bowling it,” he adds. “He’s been working on a googly which is a lot harder to pick – obviously it has the same grip as a legspinner, so they’ll only be able to pick it on release or when the ball is in the air. The simple plan is to deceive a batter who doesn’t pick it and that’s an area he’d been working on at Lancashire before he went away to the West Indies.”With an IPL mega-auction coming up, Livingstone’s second string is likely to add value to his bid. “Half the pitches may offer something to the spinners and the other half are generally smaller grounds which works for somebody like Livingstone who hits the ball a very long way,” Batty says. “He’s loading a lot of bases for you when you’re talking about the IPL and skillsets required.””His batting is already taking lots of interest round the world,” Crowe adds, “but I think people in franchise tournaments might start considering him as an allrounder now. That adds value, not only to him monetarily, but also to whichever team he’s playing for.”Livingstone can expect to be a key part of England’s plans heading into the World Cup in October, not least given his strong record (average 30.38, strike rate 138.14) across two Big Bash seasons for Perth. He had a mild illness earlier this week but is expected to play in the first T20I against West Indies on Saturday, which marks the start of England’s World Cup run-in.Related
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Batty, who will be commentating on the series for talkSPORT, expects Kensington Oval – the venue for all five games – to provide England’s spinners with a challenge. “You can get certain surfaces there where it’s almost like rolled concrete, and you get a sheen on it where it glimmers at you,” he explains. “That sometimes says it isn’t going to spin a lot, but it might bounce.”What we know about West Indian batters is that if you put it within their striking area, they’ll whack ’em miles. But if you can take it outside of that, outside the eyeline, the extra bounce can work in your favour. It’s risk-reward. The ball can travel, it really can.”Last time I was commentating out there, Chris Gayle walloped a few – it was like he was hitting them onto the cruise ships. The spinners will come into it at some point, and it’s just a question of being smart, using the wind because that coastal wind does whip through, and using the dimensions of the ground in your favour.”To follow the action from Barbados, download the talkSPORT app, re-tune your DAB radio, listen at talkSPORT.com or tell your smart speaker to ‘play talkSPORT 2’.
Usual suspects Karnataka and Saurashtra, indomitable J&K, on-a-roll Bengal among last teams standing
Saurabh Somani18-Feb-2020Gujarat After beginning steadily, Gujarat’s season took off with a stirring win over Punjab in their fourth game. They were 72 for 5 in the second innings, with the overall lead just 124, but the last five wickets added 95 runs, and the target of 220 proved beyond Punjab. The next games had Gujarat defeating defending champions Vidarbha in a close contest, taking a hard-fought first-innings lead against Delhi, and rounding things off with a win against Andhra.Best performers Axar Patel has played only four matches in the season so far, but he’s already taken 24 wickets. He also made an important 89 against Andhra.The all-round talents of Roosh Kalaria have served Gujarat well across formats, particularly this season. In the Ranji Trophy so far, he’s Gujarat’s highest-wicket taker with 30 strikes. His batting average is a useful 16.25 too.Bengal Bengal had been good without being great in the first half of the season, but the surge came in their second half. A Manoj Tiwary triple-century led to an innings win over Hyderabad, rain robbed them of potential first-innings lead points at least against Delhi, and then they came from behind to win each of their last two games, against Rajasthan and Punjab. They chased down 320 against Rajasthan, and won a tense, low-scoring shootout against Punjab.Best performers Manoj Tiwary was always going to be one of Bengal’s go-to batsmen, but the sudden downturn of form for captain Abhimanyu Easwaran meant the responsibility on Tiwary was greater. He was scoring consistent runs, then exploded with that monumental 303*. He ended the league stage with two half-centuries on a dustbowl against Punjab.Shahbaz Ahmed had played just two first-class matches before this season, but he turned out to be Bengal’s surprise weapon; 29 wickets at an average of just 13.44 were already fantastic, but Shahbaz has also hit 281 runs at 31.22. One of his two half-centuries came in that chase against Rajasthan.Karnataka Karnataka were expected to top the table, and would have done so if not for a couple of uneven performances. But they won the big moments. They came out on top in two thrilling games against two long-time rivals: Tamil Nadu and Mumbai. They also stepped on the gas when needed, with two wins in their last three league games.Best performers Injury has meant K Gowtham has played only four games, but he’s been a strong presence in each of those, with bat and ball. A batting average of 44.60 and a bowling average of 20.57 speak for themselves.Devdutt Padikkal tapered off somewhat in the second half of the season, but he had begun with a bang, and is still the highest run-getter for Karnataka this season with 547 runs. That comes on the back of good form in the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophies.Saurashtra Saurashtra continued the form that took them to the final last year, with solid performances through the league phase. They might have finished higher on the table, but Madhya Pradesh held on for a draw with nine wickets down. Saurashtra’s only blip came in a loss to Uttar Pradesh.Best performers Jaydev Unadkat had what was till then his best Ranji season last year. This year, he’s taken it a notch further. He’s missed a game but still has 51 wickets, at an incredible average of 11.90 and equally stunning strike rate of 25. Unadkat has been the heartbeat of the bowling attack.Cheteshwar Pujara has the best average among Saurashtra’s batsmen, though that was perhaps only to be expected. However, with Pujara not available, it’s Sheldon Jackson who has stepped up, much like he did last season too. Jackson is the leading run-getter for Saurashtra, and a lot of his runs have come at crucial times.Parvez Rasool shares some smiles with team-mates after yet another Jammu & Kashmir victory•PTI Andhra Andhra had a splendid campaign and were leading the combined A & B table for a large part until two consecutive losses at the end dented their position. However, thanks to the good work put in earlier, they still qualified comfortably enough.Andhra served early notice of their form. In their opening-round game against defending champions Vidarbha, they battled back from conceding a 230-run first-innings lead to force a draw. In their next match, they beat Delhi by nine wickets, narrowly missing out on a bonus point. They had a run of four wins in five matches at one point.Best performers Before this season, medium-pacer KV Sasikanth had made only sporadic appearances for Andhra. Now, he’s indispensable to Andhra’s plans. The leading wicket-taker with 35 scalps despite missing a game, he’s also scored 203 runs at 22.55, becoming a useful lower-order batsman.This has been the season that Ricky Bhui’s talent has met with more consistent performances. Bhui is Andhra’s leading run-getter, but more than the runs, it’s the situations in which he’s got them. He made 100* in the season opener against Vidarbha to help salvage a draw and his 144* in the next match against Delhi was the cornerstone of Andhra’s win.Jammu & Kashmir They came into this season on the back of unprecedented strife in the state. Even without that context, their performances on the field have been sensational, but given the larger picture, they have been even better. The only game they lost, to Haryana, was a two-wicket defeat. The best part about J&K’s season has been how much of a team show it has been. They haven’t relied on any one person significantly more than others. Four batsmen have over 400 runs (a fifth has 386). Five bowlers have more than 20 wickets. The entire team has showcased indomitable spirit.Best performers Even in a team effort, you can’t keep Parvez Rasool away from the limelight. He’s got 403 runs, and his average of 44.77 is the highest in the team. He’s also got 25 wickets at just 14.56. And he’s done this despite missing games.The exciting young Abdul Samad had made a name for himself at the start of the season when he was picked up in the IPL auction. The rest of the season has shown why. That he has 547 runs is impressive enough – but stunningly, they have come at a strike rate of 116.13. His innings have been truly game changing. And he’s found the time to turn his arm over and grab four wickets in 15 overs too.Odisha Odisha began their season with three consecutive bonus-point wins. They were a bit fortunate to get a draw against Tripura with two days and a session lost to rain. It could have marked a slide in fortunes, but the inflexion point was successfully passed in a heart-stopping one-wicket win against Haryana in the next match. Though they lost two of their last four matches, they had done enough to finish in the top two in Group C.Best performers He’s only 26 but Suryakant Pradhan is already a veteran for Odisha. He has never quite enjoyed a season as spectacular as this one, though. He’s already the team’s leading wicket-taker with 35 wickets, but he’s also contributed 244 runs, including a manic 64 off 28 balls against Services, batting at No. 9.Their ages – 33 and 19 – are possibly the only differentiators between Basant Mohanty and Rajesh Mohanty. Basant has 30 wickets at 18.90, Rajesh has 32 wickets at 18.43. Basant is more economical, Rajesh strikes quicker. Together they have given Odisha a pace edge that they lacked when Basant was operating solo.Goa Relegated to the Plate Group last year, Goa are back to Group C after topping the Plate table this year. Goa were expected to get tough competition from only two teams – Chandigarh and Pondicherry – and they came through those tests well. Conceding a massive lead of 329 against Chandigarh, they dug in during the second innings to force a draw. They held off Pondicherry for a ten-run first-innings lead and then induced a late collapse to surge to victory on the final day.Best performers Amit Verma has had the season of an allrounder’s dreams. It would have been great as a batsman or bowler alone – 791 runs at an average of 71.90, and 41 wickets at 13.26. He’s been Goa’s highest run-getter and wicket-taker, and he’s the captain too.Smit Patel began the season relatively slowly, with 71 runs in his first three innings. Then he began reeling off the big scores without pause, ending the league stage with 751 runs at an average of 75.10.
He will remain with the team to continue his rehabilitation and has not been replaced in the squad
Andrew McGlashan02-Dec-20250:46
McGlashan: An unfortunate end if Khawaja’s Test career is over
Usman Khawaja’s international future is in doubt after he was ruled out of the second Test at the Gabba after failing to recover from the back spasms that he suffered in the opening match in Perth.Khawaja had batted for the first time since the injury on Tuesday during a 30-minute net session but did not come through it with a clean bill of health to be able available for selection. It will be the first Test he has missed since his return in early 2022.Related
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“Khawaja will remain with the team to continue his rehabilitation,” a statement said. “He has not been replaced in the squad.”The third Test begins in Adelaide on December 17 which gives Khawaja two weeks to recover although there will be questions over whether he can regain his place.Khawaja’s form was under scrutiny heading into the series – he is now averaging 31.84 since the end of the 2023 Ashes with one century in 45 innings – and coupled with the way Travis Head threw down the gauntlet as an opener and his public statements about being keen for the role, it had sparked a debate about whether now was the time to draw an end to Khawaja’s Test career.His absence opens the door for Head to continue the opening role he took on in the second innings in Perth where he carved his way to 123 off 83 balls although there are other potential routes Australia could take.Since Perth, Head has spoken about being willing to take on the role on a more permanent basis but there remains an ongoing debate about his value at No. 5. Coach Andrew McDonald has also floated the notion of flexible batting orders within a Test.Usman Khawaja was ruled out of the second Test•AFP/Getty Images
“I’m not sure about the middle-order part, but I’d probably expect Trav to open,” Scott Boland said. “It’s hard because obviously he’s put in a lot of work since the last game to try and get his body right but he hasn’t come up unfortunately. I thought he looked pretty good in the nets but he must’ve thought himself that he wasn’t ready to go.”Josh Inglis and Beau Webster are the spare batting options in the squad. Inglis, who made a century on Test debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year, scored a hundred against England Lions last week. Webster was unlucky to miss out on the XI in Perth having made four half-centuries in his first seven Tests alongside contributing handy wickets.Boland added losing Khawaja wasn’t ideal but was confident Australia would be able to adjust as they did in the first Test.”I guess it does [upset the balance of the team] a little bit because we probably planned to have Uzzie there the whole time,” he said. “But I think the best thing about our team over the last few years is that when someone has come out due to form or an injury or something like that, someone’s always stood up and done their job.”Trav did that last week and even without Pat [Cummins] and Josh [Hazlewood], some bowlers have come in and done a good job. We’ve obviously got huge depth in our squad and we can replace anyone if we need to.”If Head does take Khawaja’s role again and makes a success of it, and whoever comes into the XI performs well, it may be tough for Khawaja to return.Khawaja initially suffered back spasms on the opening day at Perth Stadium. England collapsed so quickly on the first afternoon that Khawaja was unable to open due to the time he’d spent off the field and when he emerged at No. 4 could only make 2 before gloving a short ball from Brydon Carse.On the second day Khawaja took his place at first slip, taking a catch to remove Harry Brook and then spilling a low edge offered by Jamie Smith. His back went into spasm while leaping for another edge provided by Smith, opening the way for Head’s remarkable century.
Brendan Doggett took 6 for 48 and 1 for 38 in his first Shield game of the season for South Australia and looks set to be added to Australia’s Ashes squad for the first Test
Alex Malcolm04-Nov-2025
Brendan Doggett made a successful return to first-class cricket•Getty Images
Brendan Doggett says he’s been waiting on an Ashes call for a long time and believes he is ready to go if Australia’s selectors add him to the first Test squad which is likely to be announced on Wednesday.Doggett, 31, appears all but certain to be included in Australia’s first Ashes Test squad after a successful return to Sheffield Shield cricket following a minor hamstring injury, but even with Pat Cummins ruled out of the first Test, Doggett is unlikely to make his Test debut in Perth as he is set to be a reserve for Test incumbents Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland.Speaking in Adelaide on Tuesday, Doggett said he had yet to hear from the national selectors but said he was waiting by the phone having been part of Australia’s Test squad for the WTC final and the West Indies tour in the winter before being withdrawn because of a hip injury.Related
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“Absolutely. [I’ve] been waiting for this for a long time,” Doggett said. “I feel like if I do get a call to join that squad, I’ll be ready. And then we’ll see what happens.”Doggett took 6 for 48 and 1 for 38 in his first Shield game of the season for South Australia, against Western Australia at the WACA ground in Perth last week. It was his first first-class game since May and only his second game of any form in that period. He had missed the opening two Shield rounds after suffering a minor hamstring injury while batting in South Australia’s opening One-Day Cup match of the season on September 20, and both South Australia and Cricket Australia’s medical staffs, in conjunction with the national selectors, were ultra cautious with his return given his importance to Australia’s pace-bowling depth for the upcoming Ashes series.”To get injured batting is unlike me,” Doggett said. “It was unfortunate. There’s not much I can control in that. So it was just about getting my rehab right and trying to get back as soon as I could to play for South Australia”I guess the timing is perfect to take a six-for but obviously I was just really happy to get back on the park and contribute.”Doggett has risen in the ranks to be Australia’s next fast bowler in line behind the big four, particularly on flatter Test surfaces, given his ability to swing the new ball in combination with his extra pace and height.Brendan Doggett celebrates a wicket•Getty Images
He starred in last year’s Shield final on a flat surface at Karen Rolton Oval and took 11 wickets for the match to help South Australia to their first title in 29 years. He played three County Championship matches for Durham immediately following that in April and early May and took nine wickets in his first two before a minor injury saw him withdrawn, with Australia’s selectors wanting him fit and on standby for the WTC final and the West Indies tour.”I really enjoyed my time in Durham,” Doggett said. Unfortunately, I got injured halfway through my stint. I had probably a bigger finish to our domestic season, obviously with the Shield final, I got through 50-odd overs [46.5] in that I think, so it was big finish for me to head straight over and play over there.”But I really enjoyed it. The conditions are so different, and it was just a really good learning curve for me. And the whole purpose of that was to sort of try being in and around that World Test Championship squad, which I was fortunate enough to be included in. I really enjoyed it, and I’d probably love to go back if I had the opportunity.”Doggett has long been regarded as a possible Test option having first been picked in an Australia Test squad back in 2018 after starring in the 2017-18 Shield final when he was playing for Queensland. But injuries and a move to South Australia had seen him drop down the pecking order as the likes of Jhye Richardson, Michael Neser and Boland all made their debuts in the years immediately after that. Australia have not had a new fast bowler debut in a Test match since Boland was picked for the third Ashes Test on Boxing Day in 2021.Doggett returned to the Test squad for the first time in six years for the second Test of last summer’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy series following his 6 for 15 for Australia A against India A in Mackay. That was the first of four six-wicket hauls he has taken in his last 12 first-class matches along with two other five-wicket bags. He has 57 wickets at 20.40 in that time at a staggering strike-rate of 39.5.Doggett’s rise has coincided with former Australia Ashes hero Ryan Harris taking over as South Australia coach.”Rhino has had a big impact for me, especially, probably in the last 12 months,” Doggett said. “More than anything, he sort of just given me a lot of confidence and just passed down his knowledge and the way he goes about coaching, he’s really passionate and he just wants the best for us as his players.”It’s probably just nailing my strengths. Being able to go out and feel backed and feel confident to try and swing that new ball, or bowl aggressively and try and bowl quick and just probably do whatever the team needs.”
Jurgen Klopp has already delivered his verdict on completing a return to Liverpool, who endured yet another disastrous afternoon in the Premier League as Nottingham Forest secured a dominant victory.
It’s hard to believe that the Reds were Premier League champions in May, and impressive ones at that. Arne Slot arrived and quickly conquered to shock the rest of English football. It looked like Michael Edwards had performed another act of recruitment genius, but now uncomfortable questions are beginning to emerge.
Liverpool have lost five of their last eight games and now sit in the bottom-half after 12 league games, all but ending their title defence before January has even arrived. After breaking their transfer record twice to welcome Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, it is a run of form that no one saw coming.
It’s now up to Slot to prove his credentials in a crisis. Victory over Real Madrid and Aston Villa proved that there is still plenty of quality in this Liverpool side, it’s just a question of when that quality will be on show.
Just how long Slot will have to turn things around is also a big question. Liverpool have never rushed managerial decisions and Slot has much more credit in the bank than others have done in the past, but the current run of results needs to end – especially if they come at Anfield.
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With the pressure building, Liverpool are set to play host to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday. Defeat there would certainly do further damage to the credit that Slot banked last season and perhaps send a timely reminder about Klopp’s answer about if he’d ever make a shock return.
Klopp's seven-word answer when asked if he was returning to Liverpool
Just before leaving the club, Klopp was asked if he’d ever make a return to the Anfield dugout if Liverpool needed him.
At the time and certainly for the entirety of last season, it was simply a throw-away answer and one that looked unlikely to rear its head again. Now, however, those at Anfield could do with their iconic manager’s energy more than ever.
They won’t and shouldn’t panic about Slot’s current run, but Liverpool should ensure that the Dutchman channels his very own version of Klopp. When Klopp’s sides were up against it, he had that unique ability to pull off what many still deem miracles to this day. He turned doubters to believers to champions. Slot must now remind his very own champions just who they are in similar fashion.
Meanwhile, if the manager’s run continues then Edwards could yet turn back towards one of the best managers in the club’s history for a stunning second stint.
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Manchester United are now fighting one of their Premier League rivals for the signature of Christian Pulisic, who has recently entered talks over a new contract at AC Milan.
Ruben Amorim is keen to bring in a new forward, despite both Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo making encouraging starts to life at Old Trafford, being praised by Gary Neville, who said: “With Cunha and Mbeumo, the risk of those signings was removed because in the sense they had played in the Premier League before and they had the hunger to deliver at a different level.
“Mbeumo looks like he belongs. He looks hungry and that he wants to score goals.
“Cunha and Mbeumo will win a lot of matches for Manchester United.”
Indeed, the two summer signings had already proven themselves in the Premier League, which meant they were low-risk additions, unlike Jadon Sancho, who flattered to deceive despite tearing it up with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
However, it has now been revealed that United are in the race for a forward who didn’t exactly set the world alight during his previous stint in England.
Man Utd fighting Aston Villa for AC Milan star Christian Pulisic
According to a report from Spain, Man United are now fighting Aston Villa for the signature of Pulisic, despite the forward recently entering talks with AC Milan over a new deal to extend his stay at the San Siro.
The Red Devils are keen to improve their forward options even further, despite adding Mbeumo, Cunha and Benjamin Sesko in the summer transfer window, and there is a belief the American could help them in their push for Europe for this season.
The 27-year-old’s contract situation is the ‘biggest obstacle’ for Amorim’s side to overcome, given that he is currently tied down until 2027, with an option to extend, and the Italian club are eager to keep hold of one of their key players.
The 82-time USA international was unable to establish himself as a Premier League star during his stint with Chelsea, registering just three goal contributions in all competitions during his final season at Stamford Bridge, but he has since taken his game to the next level.
Former USA defender Alexi Lalas has been left particularly impressed by the winger’s performances since moving to AC Milan, saying: “What is world class? Well, you’ve got your definition, I have my definition. But if you want to know what world class is, it’s Christian Pulisic.
“I think he’s playing his best soccer of his career. And I’m telling you right now, Christian Pulisic at this moment is one of the top 25 players in the world. He just happens to be American.”
Having already picked up eight goal contributions in all competitions this season, Pulisic could be ready for another crack at the Premier League, and he could be a real difference-maker for Man United in their push for Europe.
Man Utd set to make £52m bid for "the best winger in the country" An Mbeumo repeat: Man Utd to make £52m bid for "best winger in the country"
Manchester United look set to make another huge bid for a new attacker for Ruben Amorim.