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Coming off a big defeat and potentially missing key players, Giants are already facing an uphill task against Alyssa Healy’s side

Abhimanyu Bose05-Mar-2023

UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants
Gujarat Giants will return to the DY Patil Stadium a day after the big defeat they suffered at the hands of Mumbai Indians, hoping for a turn of fortunes when they take on UP Warriorz, who will be playing their first game of the Women’s Premier League. But unfortunately for Giants, the problems extend beyond the pitch.Giants replaced West Indies’ Deandra Dottin with Australia’s Kim Garth in the days leading up to the WPL. The team said Dottin was “recovering from a medical situation” but she took to social media to suggest that she is fine. Then, in the first over of their chase of 208 against Mumbai Indians, Giants’ captain Beth Mooney suffered a knee injury while running between the wickets and was helped off the field.Related

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Warriorz, led by Alyssa Healy, will look to get off to a strong start. They have plenty of firepower in their line-up, such as the big-hitting Grace Harris and Kiran Navgire, while their bowling attack features Shabnim Ismail and Deepti Sharma.Players to watch
For the Warriorz, Healy, Navgire and Harris are the ones who are expected to provide the fireworks with the bat, with able support from Tahlia McGrath, Deepti and Devika Vaidya. They also have Shweta Sehrawat, who was part of India’s U-19 World cup winning team.In the bowling department, Ismail, Lauren Bell and Anjali Sarvani are the pace options, while Sophie Ecclestone and Rajeshwari Gayakwad shore up the spin department on top of the allrounders.For Giants, 25-year-old left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar was among the few bright spots against Mumbai Indians, conceding just 12 runs from her two overs.Dayalan Hemalatha was another, with an unbeaten 29 off 23 deliveries that included two sixes and a four. With Mooney’s availability being uncertain, there will be more of an onus on her to shore up their batting.Ashleigh Gardner, the player of the tournament in the recent Women’s T20 World Cup, picked a wicket but went for 38 and was dismissed for a golden duck against Mumbai, but will be in the spotlight.Playing XIs
UP Warriorz (possible): 1 Alyssa Healy, 2 Shweta Sehrawat, 3 Kiran Navgire, 4 Tahlia McGrath, 5 Grace Harris, 6 Devika Vaidya, 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Simran Shaikh, 9 Shabnim Ismail, 10 Rajeshwari Gayakwad, 11 Anjali SarvaniGujarat Giants (possible): 1 Sophia Dunkley/Beth Mooney, 2 S Meghana, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Ashleigh Gardner, 5 Sushma Verma, 6 Annabel Sutherland, 7 Dayalan Hemalatha, 8 Georgia Wareham, 9 Sneh Rana, 10 Tanuja Kanwar, 11 Mansi JoshiStats and trivia
Shweta Sehrawat was the top scorer at the inaugural Women’s Under-19 T20 World CupOnly two players – Hemalatha and Monica Patel – reached double figures against Mumbai Indians for Gujarat GiantsQuotes”It is an opportunity sure but what I’ll want is that the team does not repeat their mistakes. I will tell the girls to keep their heads high and to learn from today. Definitely we will perform good.””We have a good mix of experience and youth along with ability and look forward to putting on a show for our fans. We are here to win and be ruthless in our brand of cricket.”

Mishra and Bishnoi also played their part in strangling Sunrisers on a slow, low Ekana surface

Hemant Brar07-Apr-2023

On a slow, low and dying black-soil surface at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow Super Giants’ spinners starved Sunrisers Hyderabad of runs to set up a five-wicket win.After winning the toss, Aiden Markram opted to bat but his side could post only 121 for 8. Super Giants were without Mark Wood (flu) and Avesh Khan (injured) but Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi and Amit Mishra ensured their absence wasn’t felt. The trio picked up 6 for 57 in their combined 12 overs, with Krunal inflicting the most damage with the wickets of Mayank Agarwal, Anmolpreet Singh and Markram.KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers kicked off the chase by adding 35 in 4.3 overs. Mayers and Deepak Hooda fell in back-to-back overs but Krunal hit a 23-ball 34 to kill the game. When Nicholas Pooran hit the winning six, Super Giants still had four overs left.KL Rahul top-scored for Super Giants with 35•BCCI

Impact Player strategySunrisers started with three overseas players – Markram, Harry Brook and Adil Rashid – giving themselves the option to use either Heinrich Klaasen in case of a collapse, or one of Marco Jansen or Fazalhaq Farooqi to beef up their bowling in the second half. At 55 for 4 after nine overs, it looked like they would have to bring in Klaasen. He was padded up in the dugout but Sunrisers didn’t lose another wicket until the 18th over. Eventually, Farooqi replaced Rahul Tripathi at the start of the chase.Super Giants followed a more straightforward route, swapping Mishra with Ayush Badoni after the 19th over of the first innings.Krunal’s three-for dents SunrisersJust after two overs of seam, it was clear that this pitch was tailormade for spinners. Rahul duly brought Krunal on in the third over, and the left-arm spinner had Mayank Agarwal chipping one to extra-cover. Anmolpreet Singh and Rahul Tripathi took some time to get used to the slowness of the surface, and then hit four fours in eight balls to take the side to 43 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.Krunal, though, dragged them back by dismissing Anmolpreet and Markram off successive balls. Anmolpreet was trapped lbw by a quicker one and Markram done in by turn. Playing his first game of the season, Markram looked to drive a full ball only to get beaten and have his off stump uprooted.In the next over, the ninth of the innings, Bishnoi set Brook up nicely. After bowling two googlies, he anticipated Brook’s advance down the track and slipped in a wide legbreak. Brook did exactly what the bowler anticipated, ended up nowhere near the pitch of the ball, and was stumped by some distance.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Sunrisers struggle to break awayWhile Tripathi and Washington Sundar ensured Sunrisers didn’t lose another wicket for the next seven overs, the scoreboard moved at a glacial pace – just two boundaries came from overs 7 to 16. Tripathi tried to ramp Yash Thakur in the 18th over but failed to clear Mishra, who dived full-length to his left at short third to take the catch. Mishra picked up two himself in the next over, tossing the ball up to Washington and Rashid and having them caught down the ground. Only Abdul Samad’s unbeaten 21 off 10, which included two sixes off Jaydev Unadkat in the 20th over, took Sunrisers past a run a ball.Rahul, Krunal boss the chaseWith Quinton de Kock available, there was some intrigue over whether he or Mayers would open the innings alongside Rahul. But Super Giants stuck with the same batting line-up, leaving de Kock out to the surprise of many. And even if Mayers couldn’t repeat his heroics of the previous two games, he and Rahul gave the side a breezy start.Farooqi had Mayers pulling one straight to deep square leg in the fifth over, and from the other end, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took a low, one-handed return catch to his left to send Hooda back. But Super Giants had the advantage of knowing their target.Krunal joined Rahul at the end of the powerplay, and without taking much risk, the pair picked up a boundary in each of the next five overs. Krunal was the aggressor during the third-wicket stand of 55 in 6.2 overs, scoring at a strike rate of 147.82. Super Giants reached 100 in the 13th over before Krunal nicked Umran Malik behind. Rashid then had Rahul and Romario Shepherd lbw off successive deliveries, but the result was a formality by then.

India allrounder opens up on what happened during those 48 hours when he had to leave the team in the middle of a Test to visit his mother in hospital

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2024

An emotional R Ashwin has expressed his immense gratitude towards India’s “outstanding” captain Rohit Sharma for his leadership and “heart of gold” during last month’s Rajkot Test against England.Ashwin, who took his 500th wicket and played his 100th Test during the series against England, had to temporarily withdraw from the third Test in Rajkot because of a health emergency concerning his mother. He left his team-mates after play on the second day and rejoined them late on the fourth day.”It all kicked off on the second day, though it’s a bit blurry now,” Ashwin said on his Youtube channel. “I was on 499 wickets I think, and was hoping to reach the milestone in the second Test in Vizag, but it wasn’t to be. But on day two in Rajkot, I finally got Zak Crawley. It wasn’t a particularly great ball, but I finally got to the landmark.””After the end of play, I had agreed to do some interviews and went to the press area. I’d just got my 500th wicket, so was expecting a call from my wife or father. I was a bit surprised not to hear from them, since it was almost 7 PM. But I figured they must be busy with interviews and responding to congratulatory messages, so didn’t think much of it.”After being unable to reach my parents, I finally got hold of my wife on the phone. Her voice was breaking. I told her I was just about to get into the shower, and she asked me to go somewhere alone, away from my team-mates. She said that my mother had collapsed after a severe headache.”Related

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Ashwin said he couldn’t immediately process the news, particularly with the Test, and series, in the balance. England had ended the second day on 207 for 2 in response to India’s 445, with the series tied 1-1.”I just blanked out. I don’t remember what I did, but I was crying,” Ashwin said. “I didn’t know what to ask her. I didn’t want anyone to see me cry – it was an instinctive reaction. I just sat alone in my room, not knowing what to do.”On one hand, I knew I had to go back home, but there was also the thinking of how can I let my team-mates down. I couldn’t strike that balance. I didn’t know what to tell the coach or captain. I was in the XI, and if I go home now, we’d be left with only 10 players, giving England the advantage.”But I was also just thinking about my mother. And when was the last time I spoke to her. In my mind, I knew I had to go back home and see her, but the doctors were informing us that nobody was allowed in to meet her.”R Ashwin with his family on the morning of his 100th Test•BCCI

It was at this point of time, Ashwin said, that Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid came into the dressing room, and made his decision a straightforward one.”I think since I wasn’t answering my phone, my wife must have called Rohit and Dravid to tell them the news. Rohit came in, saw me thinking, and just said, ‘what are you doing? You need to leave right away. Please just pack your bags and go'”.The next challenge was finding a quick way back home, but with no flights to Chennai scheduled till the next morning, Ashwin got help from an unexpected source.”I must say a big thank you to Cheteshwar Pujara as well, who spoke to a lot of people and arranged for a chartered flight for me.”Our team physio Kamlesh Jain is a good friend. Rohit told Kamlesh to accompany me on the flight to Chennai, despite Kamlesh being one of only two physios in the team.”I told Kamlesh, ‘it’s ok, please stay back’. But when I went to the board the flight, Kamlesh and a security person was already there. Not just that, but Rohit regularly kept calling Kamlesh to check in on me and see how I’m doing. That deeply moved me. In a selfish society like ours, that man who decides to take a moment to think of someone else’s wellbeing, he’s truly great.”Rohit is a special person, an outstanding leader, with a golden heart. I saw it first-hand. I’d give my life for him on the field, that’s the kind of captain he is. It’s because of these qualities that he’s won so many titles, including five IPLs. I pray to God that Rohit achieves even more in his career and life.”Ashwin’s stay in Chennai was brief, and after being informed his mother would make a recovery, he knew he had to re-join his team-mates in Rajkot. “My mother was initially surprised to see me. And that’s the difference in parents of previous generations and today’s. She only wanted what’s best for me. And wanted me to be with the team. Even in those circumstances, she kept thinking of me.”With the help of BCCI secretary Jay Shah, Ashwin was able to take another chartered flight from Chennai to Rajkot, and eventually linked up with his team-mates on day four. India won the Rajkot Test by 434 runs to take a 2-1 lead and eventually won the series 4-1 in Dharamsala with Ashwin taking nine wickets in his 100th Test.

Top order wickets and rain leads to bore draw at the Utilita Bowl

ECB Reporters Network22-Apr-2024

Rob Yates made sure all of Warwickshire’s top three average over 100 after the first three Vitality County Championship fixtures – but his unbeaten 84 couldn’t prevent an inevitable draw with Hampshire.Yates, opening partner Alex Davies and No.3 Will Rhodes are three of the top four run scorers in Division One so far this season with averages of 123, 120, and 116. All three attempted to up the run-rate in a bid to force a result at Utilita Bowl but eventually rain won the day and the points were shared.Warwickshire pick up 13 points to Hampshire’s 10 – with neither side yet to win or lose a game after three rounds. The visitors began the day with a 136-run lead but had a positive approach to trying to win, even if the odds, and in this case pitch, seemed stacked against them.Davies was dropped at gully after adding one to his overnight score, and only added a single before advancing to Mohammad Abbas and skewing to short third to end a 56-run opening stand. He now has 481 runs this season and sits top of the charts.Yates was tasked to keep the scoreboard ticking, while the proper aggression came from the other end, with Rhodes, Ed Barnard and Dan Mousley not needing a second invitation to attack. Boundaries remained tricky to consistently score but Warwickshire particularly impressed with their running between the wickets, which added runs consistently at over four runs an over.Rhodes is up to 348 runs in the Championship but his 25 off 39 was ended when he was leg-before to a delivery which turned from Liam Dawson. The degree of spin would have excited Warwickshire, and their spinners Danny Briggs and Yates, as they started to plot the perfect time to pull out and put some pressure on the hosts.The Yates and Rhodes alliance had brought 46 runs and Yates continued with Barnard in a similar vein – with a 54 run stand, as Yates picked up his half-century in 84 balls with a delicious cut to the boundary.Barnard fell for a 17-ball 18 when he skied Dawson, with the left-arm spinner settling underneath it himself. Mousley picked out mid on after a quick-fire 14 before the drizzle that had come down throughout the morning got slightly heavier after lunch and saw play stopped at 2pm.It proved terminal, as hands were shaken two hours later, with Hampshire at the foot of the table and Yates left unbeaten after his third 50-plus score of the season.

Leeds United have been dealt a number of injury concerns ahead of the Championship run-in, with one star potentially out for four of the last six games.

Pascal Struijk injury update ahead of Leeds’ trip to Middlesbrough

The Whites are currently involved in a tight three-way battle for two automatic promotion spots in the Championship and have gone through one of their worst periods of form at the worst possible time.

Daniel Farke’s side have won just once in their last six second-tier games, which has allowed both Burnley and Sheffield United to take full advantage.

Championship run-in

Leeds (82 pts)

Sheffield United (83 pts)

Burnley (84 pts)

Middlesbrough (a)

Millwall (h)

Derby County (a)

Preston North End (h)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Norwich City (h)

Oxford United (a)

Cardiff City (h)

Watford (a)

Stoke City (h)

Burnley (a)

Sheffield United (h)

Bristol City (h)

Stoke City (a)

QPR (a)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Blackburn Rovers (h)

Millwall (h)

Leeds now sit third with six games to go, and they were dealt another concern when defender Pascal Struijk limped off late on against Luton Town last time out.

An injury update has since been shared on Struijk, with the centre-back set to sit out the trip to Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening and then the home clash with Preston North End on Saturday lunchtime at the very least.

Farke has the option to use Ethan Ampadu at centre-back or the returning Max Wober, however, the manager’s midfield options are limited due to the injured Joe Rothwell.

Joe Rothwell could miss next 4 Leeds games with calf injury

As revealed by Farke, Rothwell “will be out this week and probably also for the Easter weekend” with a calf problem. The central midfielder was absent for the draw with Luton and looks set to miss Middlesbrough and Preston with Struijk.

However, worryingly, Rothwell could also be out for the trip to Oxford United on Good Friday and the Elland Road clash with Stoke City on Easter Monday.

The 30-year-old has been a regular in the matchday squad this season, making 39 appearances in all competitions. He’s produced some key moments in recent months, including providing two assists for Struijk in the 2-1 win over Sunderland.

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Talking about Rothwell earlier this year, Farke was full of praise for the midfielder. “We don’t have to speak about his quality, he’s a pure baller – with the ball probably one of the best in this country. What he does in terms of passing, his technique and tidy touches is outstanding. Sometimes in this position, you need a few different skills or you would win Premier League title after title and have 150 caps for England.

“But when it comes down to dominate the game and be there with tidy touches, to drive the game forward, if you enjoy football you enjoy him playing. It’s great we have him as a really good option.”

Now, Leeds will have Ampadu, Ao Tanaka, Ilia Gruev and Josuha Guilavogui as central midfield options with Rothwell sidelined.

Everton are now plotting a surprise move for a winger, with David Moyes believed to be an admirer, but they are set to face competition for his signature, according to a report.

Toffees' summer transfer plans taking shape

Following a major improvement in form since the return of Moyes, the Toffees’ relegation fears have been quashed, which allows them the luxury of finishing the Premier League season without relegation fears, while giving Goodison Park a fitting send-off.

However, after the move to Bramley-Moore Dock takes place, the aim will be to kick on and compete for a place in Europe, rather than worrying about relegation, which means the Merseysiders could need to bring in a number of reinforcements this summer.

Targets have been identified in several positions, with Genoa’s Koni De Winter of interest at centre-back, alongside Burnley’s Maxime Esteve, while a move for Udinese striker Lorenzo Lucca is now being plotted to bolster the frontline.

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Moyes is seemingly keen to strengthen his squad in a number of areas, with a report from TEAMtalk revealing Everton are also keen on a surprise move for Liverpool winger Ben Doak, who the Scottish manager is said to be an admirer of.

It would be a shock to see a player cross the Merseyside divide, with Gary Ablett the last player to complete a direct move from Anfield to Goodison Park back in 1992, but the Toffees’ interest is thought to be genuine, having held internal talks about the move.

Moyes’ side are yet to make an official move for the winger, but should they be willing to firm up their interest, they may need to offer between £25m – £30m to tempt the Reds into a sale, amid interest from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace and AFC Bournemouth.

Everton’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Liverpool (a)

April 2nd

Arsenal (h)

April 5th

Nottingham Forest (a)

April 12th

Manchester City (h)

April 19th

Chelsea (a)

April 26th

"Rapid" Doak could be top signing for Everton

On the face of it, Everton fans may not be too keen on the prospect of signing a Liverpool player, but there are plenty of signs the 19-year-old could get his career truly up and running at Goodison Park.

The Scottish winger has spent time on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship this season, where he has impressed considerably, picking up three goals and seven assists in 24 league outings.

Former Blues striker James McFadden also praised the starlet for his performance at international level against Croatia earlier in the campaign season, saying: “We all know he’s rapid and often you get players who are really quick but don’t have technical ability.

“But you can see he has got that. His first touch is good, it takes him where he wants to go.

Should Liverpool be willing to sell Doak this summer, there is every indication he could make an instant impact at Goodison Park, while also possessing a lot of potential, so it is promising news that Everton could make a surprise move.

While the mood around the club has dramatically improved following their Europa League win on Thursday night, Tottenham Hotspur have had to deal with plenty of problems this season.

The most significant has been the near-endless stream of injuries, which has made it impossible for Ange Postecoglou to field his first-choice defence for much of the campaign.

So, it’s not surprising to hear that Daniel Levy and Co are looking to add to their defensive ranks in the summer.

In fact, recent reports have touted a former Premier League player with a move to N17, a player who’s been compared to Cristian Romero.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

It looks like it will be a big summer for Spurs this year, so before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at a few of the club’s other targets, such as Oihan Sancet.

Transfer Focus

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

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The Athletic Bilbao monster will reportedly cost around £69m in the coming months, and while that is a lot, it might well be worth it, as in just 30 appearances, he has scored 17 goals and provided three assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.30 games, almost exclusively from midfield.

An even more expensive signing could be Matheus Cunha, with reports from earlier this month claiming that the North Londoners would be willing to spend £75m to secure his services ahead of the chasing pack.

Again, it’s an enormous sum of money, but given the fact that the Brazilian international has scored 16 goals and provided four assists in 30 appearances this season, it might well be value for money.

However, as mentioned above, bringing in some more defensive cover appears to be one of the club’s priorities this summer, which helps explain their interest in Eric Garcia.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Tottenham are interested in signing the former Manchester City gem, who is currently on loan with Girona, from Barcelona.

In fact, the report goes a step further, claiming that the Lilywhites are ready to make an offer of around €15m for the Spanish defender, which amounts to about £13m.

It could be a bargain for a relatively young centre-back who has plenty of experience playing at a high level, and he’s already won comparisons to Romero.

How Garcia compares to Romero

So, before getting into the other reasons Spurs might want to sign Garcia this summer, it’s worth exploring this comparison to Romero and where it comes from.

Well, in this instance, it stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one and, in this instance, has concluded that the Argentine star is the fourth most similar centre-back to the Spaniard.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots on target, passes into the penalty area, live passes, goal-creating actions, tackles, blocks and more, all per 90.

Garcia & Romero

Statistics per 90

Garcia

Romero

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.16

0.14

Shots on Target

0.40

0.53

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.48

0.53

Live Passes

73.4

71.5

Goal-Creating Actions

0.32

0.26

Tackles

2.06

2.17

Blocks

1.35

1.18

Aerial Duel Win %

55.6%

60.6%

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

On top of winning comparisons to the World Cup-winning Lilywhites ace, the £99k-per-week “monster,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also has some seriously impressive underlying numbers in his own right.

For example, FBref places him in the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for goals, goals plus assists, shots on target, non-penalty expected goals, penalties won and tackles in the middle third, the top 3% for long pass completion and passes into the final third, the top 5% for progressive passes and much more, all per 90.

Ultimately, even if he cost more than is being reported, Spurs would be smart to sign Garcia, so if they can get him for around £13m, then that would be a no-brainer, as he’d be an ideal backup for Romero and Micky van de Ven at the very least, if not a competitor for game time.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 18, 2025

Leeds United are now racing for the signature of an “amazing” defender, who could be available for a bargain fee in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

Leeds' summer transfer plans taking shape

Leeds’ promotion from the Championship was confirmed after Burnley defeated Sheffield United 2-1 on Monday night, and while they will still be keen to wrap up the league title, the 49ers Enterprises can now start to make more concrete plans for the summer transfer window.

With the Whites now set to be playing in the Premier League next season, Kalvin Phillips is interested in a return to Elland Road, and Manchester City are willing to take a huge loss on the £45m fee they shelled out in the summer of 2022.

Phillips may tick some boxes for Daniel Farke, with the manager believed to be keen on bringing in players who have Premier League experience, and the likes of Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and Brighton & Hove Albion forward Evan Ferguson are also on the shortlist.

Farke is clearly keen to bolster his squad in a number of areas, in order to avoid an instant return to the Championship, and Leeds have now joined the race for a defender, with a report from Football Insider naming them as potential suitors for Vancouver Whitecaps’ Dembo Saidykhan, who can play as a centre-back or as a right-back.

Saidykhan’s impressive performances in the MLS have attracted the attention of a number of European clubs, with Wolves also set to be in the race for his signature, and there is a feeling he could be available for a bargain fee.

The defender’s contract is set to expire at the end of the year, which means Vancouver Whitecaps may choose to sanction a departure this summer, in order to make sure they don’t miss out on a transfer fee entirely.

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Posts ByBarney Lane Apr 21, 2025 "Amazing" Saidykhan impressing for club and country

The report states the Gambian has caught the eye at international level, and he has clearly impressed compatriot and former footballer Cherno Samba, who believes he could go on to have a great career.

The 21-year-old is clearly showing promising signs, so Leeds should look to snap him up this summer, especially considering he could well be available for a bargain fee, but they must also bring in players with experience in a major European league.

Saidykhan is yet to prove himself at a high level, and Farke would be gambling with instant relegation back to the Championship if he didn’t bring in another centre-back, with Modibo Sagnan, of Ligue 1 club Montpellier, among the potential targets.

Leeds United are currently enjoying their title party and could already be set to kick that up a notch after identifying two candidates to join them on their Premier League journey, according to a report.

Leeds crowned champions after stunning win at Plymouth

Daniel Farke has endured plenty of trials and tribulations this term, but his side have been a class above and deservedly find themselves top-flight bound after a successful campaign climaxed with a last-gasp title winner from Manor Solomon at Plymouth this weekend.

Many would argue that a club of Leeds’ stature belong in the Premier League, though there is plenty of work to be done to ensure his squad are equipped to take on the challenge of surviving after promotion from the Championship.

Dipping into the market, Farke has identified Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda as a primary target at Elland Road following his freescoring campaign north of the border. The Japan international is valued at £25 million, while Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are among a host of clubs ready to swoop for his services.

Confidence is high that Solomon will join Leeds on a permanent deal after a fine campaign on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, with the player said to have agreed to a return next term.

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Kalvin Phillips and Tomas Soucek have been mentioned in connection with the Whites. The former hardly comes a surprise due to his links with his boyhood club, but it remains to be seen if a fairytale return is on the cards.

Scaling up ahead of their Premier League return won’t be easy for Leeds, given the level of side they are likely to come up against on a weekly basis compared to the English second-tier. Nevertheless, they now have two talented players in their sights that could make all the difference, per recent developments.

Leeds want Nicolas Kuhn and Cameron Carter-Vickers from Celtic

According to TBR, Leeds are in the mix to sign Celtic duo Cameron Carter-Vickers and Nicolas Kuhn to strengthen their Premier League survival bid. The pair earn £50,000 per week between them at Parkhead and have lit up the domestic scene in Scotland, emerging as two of the best players in the top-flight, with Carter-Vickers playing a part in the Bhoys conceding only 22 goals in 34 league matches.

Cameron Carter-Vickers – key statistics in 2024/25 (Scottish Premiership)

Duels won

160

Aerial duels won

119

Recoveries

123

Dribbled past

3

Interceptions

32

Nicolas Kuhn – key statistics in 2024/25 (Scottish Premiership)

Chances created

47

Completed dribbles

55

Shots on target

24

Touches in opposition box

157

Duels won

107

On the other hand, Kuhn has notched 20 goals and 14 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions, earning plaudits for his consistent displays coming off the right flank.

Celtic’s involvement in Champions League football may be a sticking point for Leeds if negotiations were to occur, though the lure of Premier League football can be a tempting one for top performers in Scotland.

Going in pursuit of even greater success next season, Liverpool are now reportedly prioritising a move to sign an impressive La Liga midfielder in this summer’s transfer window.

Salah reiterates desire for even more success

Mohamed Salah may be a two-time Premier League winner and undeniably one of the greatest players to ever grace English football, but he is not slowing down. At 32 years old, the Egyptian has just broken the record for most goal involvements in a 38-game Premier League season, with 28 goals and 18 assists, and was recently crowned the Football Writers’ Player of the Season.

He still wants more, however. That new contract wasn’t signed with the intention of slowing down in the final stages of his Liverpool career. Instead, Salah reiterated that he still wants to win at least one more Premier League and one more Champions League at Anfield.

The winger recently told Gary Neville: “This year I won the Premier League and I think I never felt happier in the club for eight years like this moment in the Spurs game. I really wish we win the Champions League game. I know the Premier League is always nice for the club and that’s how it should be but I would love to win the Champions League and Premier League again.”

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To achieve exactly that though, Liverpool will need to back Arne Slot in this summer’s transfer window. As successful as the Dutchman’s first season has been at Anfield, there remains question marks about whether the Reds were simply in the right place at the right time. And those questions must be answered in emphatic fashion next season.

Well aware of that, FSG are already acting to replace the departing Alexander-Arnold with Jeremie Frimpong in the coming months and have now reportedly identified another target who could help them to match Salah’s clear ambitions.

Liverpool prioritising Jauregizar move

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are now prioritising a move to sign Mikel Jauregizar from Athletic Club this summer. Slot reportedly rates the midfielder and could finally land the type of reinforcement that he has wanted since targeting Martin Zubimendi last summer. Given that the Reds are set to miss out on Zubimendi to rivals Arsenal, welcoming Jauregizar would arguably make perfect sense this summer.

La Liga stats 24/25 per 90 (via FBref)

Mikel Jauregizar

Martin Zubimendi

Starts

24

32

Progressive Carries

0.59

1.14

Progressive Passes

4.73

5.96

Ball Recoveries

5.78

4.32

The numbers highlight the similarities between the two midfielders, but also one key difference. Although Jauregizar has struggled to match Zubimendi’s ability to progress play, he has worked better out of possession – a trait that Slot has come to appreciate in Dominik Szoboszlai at Liverpool this season.

Labelled “underrated” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Jauregizar could be next in line to undergo the same transformation that Ryan Gravenberch has undergone in the last 12 months. From struggling star, the Dutchman is now a nominee for the Premier League Player of the Year award under Slot.

As for matching Salah’s ambitions, an added controller in the middle of the park in Jauregizar could go a long way towards Slot’s Liverpool side becoming far more dominant this summer and winning the top honours once again.