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Scoring goals hasn’t been an issue for Tottenham Hotspur throughout 2024/25, with the club posting one of the best tallies in the division over the course of 38 games.

The Lilywhites registered 64 goals in the Premier League under Ange Postecoglou, a record that was only bettered by six other sides in the division – three of which occupied a place in the top five.

However, despite such a record, it appears as though the club are plotting moves for numerous reinforcements in such a department, with new boss Thomas Frank wanting added options at his disposal.

The Dane took the reins after the Aussie was dismissed by owner Daniel Levy, having a huge job in his hands to lead the side back up the Premier League in 2025/26.

It’s evident that he will have money at his disposal to spend on players he sees fit, but it’s crucial that the right additions are made to avoid a repeat of the recent campaign.

The latest on Frank’s hunt for new additions at Spurs

In their attempts to land a new attacker this window, OGC Nice talisman Evann Guessand has emerged as an option for Spurs, after making contact with the Ligue 1 outfit over a potential deal.

He’s not alone in that aspect, with talks also being held over a deal which would see Brentford striker Yoane Wissa follow his former boss across the capital this summer.

However, despite the aforementioned stars, RB Leipzig forward Xavi Simons has again emerged as a target, according to Ben Jacobs’ update with TBR Football.

He claims that the Lilywhites hierarchy have made an enquiry to land the Dutch international, who registered 10 goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga this season.

The report also states that Levy and Co have asked about how much a deal for the 22-year-old would cost this window after his impressive form in recent years.

Why Simons would be a better signing than Eze for Spurs

At this point, it feels as though there hasn’t been a window in recent history in which Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze hasn’t been linked with a move to join Spurs.

This summer appears no different with rumours already emerging linking the England international with a move across the capital to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

However, this time around, the competition for the 26-year-old’s signature is likely to be higher given his success with the Eagles, which saw him net the winner in the FA Cup final.

It’s been reported that he does currently have a £68m release clause in his current contract at Selhurst Park, but it remains to be seen if Oliver Glasner’s side would be willing to negotiate a cheaper deal.

Regardless of any interest in Eze during the off-season, the board should look past a move for his signature, subsequently pursuing a move for Simons instead.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats from the recent season, the Leipzig talent has registered more goals, highlighting the threat he can add to Spurs should he move to North London.

Simons, who’s been labelled “one of the best youngsters in Europe” by Alex Barker at The Athletic, has also completed more of the passes he’s attempted, and posted more progressive passes per 90 – handing other attackers at the club the chance to bolster their own tallies.

Games played

25

34

Goals scored

10

8

Progressive carries

3.6

2.4

Progressive passes

5.9

3.3

Shot-on-target accuracy

46%

27%

Pass accuracy

79%

74%

Passes into final third

3.3

1.7

Carries into final third

3

1.6

The youngster’s also starred with his ball-carrying, registering nearly two times more carries into the final third per 90, showcasing his desire to get forward at any given moment.

Given the difference between the aforementioned duo this campaign, it’s evident that Simons would be a better signing for Frank in the coming months in his attempts for sure success.

Should he carry over his skillset to England, it would be a sensational addition that would allow the club to have a leading European star in their side for many years to come.

Frank's answer to Dembele: Spurs now eyeing £85m "ball-carrying machine"

Tottenham Hotspur have made a move to land a star who could emulate Moussa Dembele’s success.

1 ByEthan Lamb Jun 18, 2025

West Bromwich Albion lost one of their key players in the January transfer window when they sold number one Alex Palmer to Ipswich for a reported £5m.

The English stopper started the first 30 matches of the Championship campaign and kept 11 clean sheets, whilst saving 74% of the shots against his goal.

Instead of dipping into the market to source a replacement for the 28-year-old star, West Brom opted to utilise Joe Wildsmith and Josh Griffiths, which did not go to plan.

Why West Brom need a new goalkeeper

Wildsmith played the first ten matches in the league after Palmer’s move to the Premier League, and conceded 0.95 more than expected based on the xG against him.

He was dropped from the side by Tony Mowbray, though, after the error for the goal above, as he failed to keep out a free-kick from Trai Hume that appeared saveable, certainly from the angle behind the goal.

Griffiths then came into the side and conceded 2.11 more goals than expected and only saved 59% of the shots against his goal in his six appearances in the Championship, conceding 1.8 goals per game on average.

Transfer Focus

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

This shows that neither of them were able to replace Palmer’s quality or consistency in the second half of the season, which is why the Baggies should turn to reported transfer target Angus Gunn.

Why West Brom should sign Angus Gunn

SportsBoom recently reported that West Brom are one of a number of Championship clubs eyeing up the Scotland international after it was confirmed that he will be a free agent this summer.

The 29-year-old star is leaving boyhood club Norwich City at the end of his current contract, and the Baggies should swoop to secure a bargain signing.

Gunn, once dubbed “exceptional” by Joe Hart, would arrive as a proven Championship performer who could hit the ground running as an experienced signing, allowing him to nail down the number one position.

Appearances

30

40

34

Clean sheets

7

11

7

Save percentage

72%

69%

67%

Post-shot xG minus goals conceded

+8.2

+4.6

-3.6

Error led to goal

1

0

0

As you can see in the table above, Gunn has only made one error that directly led to a goal in his three seasons in the Championship with the Canaries since their relegation from the Premier League in the 2021/22 campaign.

He has also been a net positive as a shot-stopper in that time, preventing 9.2 more goals than expected based on the post-shot xG of the shots against him, which suggests that Gunn could be an impressive operator for the Baggies if he can get back to his best after a difficult year.

The Scotland international showcased his quality against West Brom towards the end of the season, though, with this exceptional save in the clip above.

Now, Gunn could be making those kind of match-winning saves for the Baggies if the club can wrap up a bargain deal for the EFL star on a free transfer to finally replace Palmer as a quality number one option at Championship level next season.

West Brom pushing hard to sign POTY-winning defender who's "tough as nails"

The Baggies have set their sights on a full-back, who recently scooped up a Fans’ Player of the Year award.

ByDominic Lund May 22, 2025

Celtic’s amazing head coach of recent times, Ange Postecoglou, achieved great success during his two years at Parkhead before a move to England.

The Australian boss, who won the domestic treble in his final campaign at Celtic, won the Scottish Premiership title in both of his seasons with the club.

Underpinning his success at Paradise was the excellent work done in the recruitment department, signing the likes of Jota, Kyogo Furuhashi, Joe Hart, and Cameron Carter-Vickers among others.

Jota was, arguably, the greatest signing of Postecoglou’s tenure as he joined the Hoops for a reported fee of £6.5m, after thriving on loan in his first season at the club, as shown in the graphic below.

After his exceptional form in the 2022/23 campaign, Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad swooped in to sign the winger for a reported fee of £25m, representing a huge profit for the club, and the winger has since returned on a permanent deal from Rennes in January for £8m.

Not all of Postecoglou’s signings at Celtic paid off, though, and one of the most infamous, for lack of a better word, moves was the addition of James McCarthy in the summer of 2021.

The curious case of James McCarthy

Ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, the Scottish giants confirmed the double signing of Joe Hart on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur and McCarthy on a free transfer from Crystal Palace.

At the time of that double deal, Postecoglou said: “I’m delighted that we have signed two top-class players in Joe and James. Both of them have a wealth of experience at both club and international level, and that is something which can only benefit the squad, and I’m looking forward to working with both of them.”

Hart went on to live up to that “top-class” tag with 64 clean sheets and only 145 goals conceded in 153 matches – less than a goal conceded per game – in three years at the club.

McCarthy, however, has not had the best of times at Parkhead so far and only played 22 times, racking up 739 minutes of action, in the 2021/22 campaign.

He followed that up with just 62 minutes on the pitch in five appearances in all competitions in the 2022/23 term, missing significant time through an injury picked up midway through the season – per The Scottish Sun.

Since the 2022/23 campaign, McCarthy has not made a single appearance for the first-team – playing two times for the B team in the Lowland League last season – and his current status is incredibly unclear.

James McCarthy’s Celtic career
Season	First-team appearances	Yearly wage
24/25	0	£728k
23/24	0	£728k
22/23	5	£728k
21/22	22	£728k
Wage via Salary Sport

As per The Scottish Sun earlier this year, there is a mystery surrounding the Irish midfielder because he has been removed from the club website, was not in the team picture in pre-season, and has not made a senior appearance since the 2022/23 campaign, yet Celtic have never confirmed his departure.

Per Salary Sport in the table above, the Hoops are still paying McCarthy £728k-per-season and Transfermarkt reports that the Irishman’s current deal does not officially expire until this summer, which means that the club appear to be paying a significant sum of wages for, essentially, nothing in return.

It is a bizarre situation and one that may be officially resolved in the summer if and when they confirm that he has left the club at the end of his deal.

Celtic, however, have another player who is fast becoming the new McCarthy, as another flop on fairly big wages despite rarely being seen on the pitch, in the form of Anthony Ralston.

Why Ralston is becoming the new McCarthy

Per Salary Sport, the Scotland international is on a weekly wage of £14k at Parkhead this season, with McCarthy being the only other player in the squad on the same wage.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast’s Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

This means that he is currently on more money per week than Kasper Schmeichel (£13k), Nicolas Kuhn (£12k), Paulo Bernardo (£11k), and Luke McCowan (£8k), among other first-team stars.

That is despite Schmeichel being the number one goalkeeper and Kuhn delivering excellent performances this season, racking up 18 goals and 14 assists from a right wing position for the Scottish giants.

The German winger has, therefore, made a huge impact at the top end of the pitch for the Hoops in all competitions, providing quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Ralston, on the other hand, has only started five matches in the Champions League and the Premiership combined in the 2024/25 campaign, after starting six times in those two competitions last season.

The Scottish defender, who came up through the academy system, did start 61 Premiership matches between the 2019/20 and 22/23 campaigns, but has fallen down the pecking order in recent years.

Anthony Ralston’s Celtic career
Season	League starts	Yearly wage
24/25	5	£728k
23/24	6	£728k
22/23	14	£728k
21/22	25	£442k
20/21	1	£286k
19/20	21	£286k
18/19	3	£234k
17/18	7	£234k
16/17	1	£130k
Wages via Salary Sport & stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, he has only started 11 league matches – alongside zero in Europe – since the start of the 2023/24 season for the Hoops, earning the best part of £1.5m in wages in that time.

The rarely-seen defender is, therefore, fast becoming the new McCarthy at Celtic as his number of league starts each season has declined year-on-year for the last four campaigns, despite still being a relatively high earner.

Ralston is currently earning more in wages than players, like Kuhn and Schmeichel, who offer far more on the pitch for the Bhoys, which suggests that the Hoops are throwing money down the drain with the reserve defender.

With this in mind, Celtic should consider moving the full-back on in the upcoming summer transfer window before his lack of minutes on the pitch reaches McCarthy’s territory.

Rodgers must finally get rid of Celtic dud who earns more than Maeda

Celtic must move on from the forward who earns even more than Daizen Maeda.

4

By
Dan Emery

Apr 9, 2025

Unless Ralston can find a way to put himself back in Brendan Rodgers’ plans as a regular in the first-team, the 26-year-old flop is well on his way to becoming a forgotten man at Parkhead.

A former team-mate of Lionel Messi has revealed how much he would love to join the Argentina icon at Inter Miami. The World Cup winner has recently extended his stay with the MLS side, penning a new contract at the club that will run through to the end of the 2028 MLS season. Messi will be 41 when his contract expires, meaning this could be the final club of his incredible career.

• Messi starring in MLS with Miami

  Messi is continuing to play a starring role for Inter Miami and is currently eyeing his third piece of silverware with the club. The former Barcelona star has already won the Leagues Cup and the Supporters Shield during his time with David Beckham's club and will face the Vancouver Whitecaps next for the MLS Cup on 6 December. Saturday's game will be Inter Miami's first MLS Cup final appearance and offers Messi the chance to add yet another trophy to his extensive cabinet.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Ex-Messi team-mate opens door to MLS move

  Ahead of the game, Messi's former Argentina team-mate Darío Benedetto has been talking about his future. The 35-year-old, who left Newell's Old Boys in October, is on the verge of retirement but admits he could be tempted to reconsider, particularly if Messi comes calling. "If he calls me to play for Inter Miami, I'll go by bicycle!" he told ESPN.

  A move may be unlikely, but Benedetto is still hoping to finish his career on a high. He added: "I got fed up with certain bad habits that football has taken on today. Troubles, business dealings, it doesn't matter… But I'll always love it, because I'm very grateful to football. I can't believe the career I've had… Now I'm almost retired. But I've decided, through therapy, to extend it a little longer and retire on a high note.

  "I'm going to lean towards clubs that don't have any problems, because the last few years I've spent my time complaining. I want to enjoy playing football," he added, "I would have liked to retire at Boca, but it didn't happen. My best form was in 2016. And I always watch it on TV."

• Messi staying at Miami

  As for Messi, he now looks set to stay at Miami potentially until he hangs up his boots after penning a three-year extension in October. The World Cup winner said: “It makes me really happy to stay here and to continue with this project that, besides being a dream, has become a beautiful reality – playing in this stadium, at Miami Freedom Park. Since I arrived in Miami, I’ve been very happy, so I’m truly glad to keep going here.”

  Yet Messi has also admitted that he still longs to return home to Barcelona and plans to go back to the city with his family in the future. He told Sport: "I really want to go back there, we miss Barcelona a lot. My wife and I, the kids, are constantly talking about Barcelona and the idea of moving back. We have our house there, everything, so that's what we want. I'm really looking forward to going back to the stadium when it's finished because since I left for Paris, I haven't been back to Camp Nou, and then they moved to Montjuic.”

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  Messi vs Muller up next

  Messi is now preparing for Saturday's clash in a game which will see the Inter Miami talisman come up against former Bayern and Germany star Thomas Muller. The forward joined Vancouver Whitecaps in the summer after his contract with Bayern ended and is now set for yet another match-up with Messi.

  "It's not about Messi against Thomas Müller," Muller told reporters. "It's Miami against the Whitecaps. Maybe they rely a little bit more on him than we do on me, because we are such a good group."

  The two superstars have previously met 10 times, with Messi ending up on the winning side only three times.

MatériaMais Notícias

John Textor, proprietário da SAF do Botafogo, sofreu punição pelas ofensas proferidas na derrota por 4 a 3 para o Palmeiras, em 2023. A pena definida foi suspensão de 45 dias e multa no valor de R$ 100 mil. Além disso, ainda há dois processos que ele será julgado.

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Apesar dos 45 dias, o empresário cumprirá apenas 17 de suspensão. Isso porque ele foi punido com 30 dias anteriormente, que aumentaram para 35 dias após julgamento do Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD).

John Textor já tinha cumprido parte da pena total, considerando os 35 dias determinados em 2023. O Botafogo entrou com pedido de efeito suspensivo na época, para o norte-americano acompanhar a reta final do Brasileirão. Nesta sexta-feira (26), o processo voltou a ser julgado.

continua após a publicidade

Na prática, a suspensão significa que Textor não pode frequentar jogos do Botafogo durante os dias determinados. A multa é passível de recurso.

MAIS PROCESSOS

John Textor pode sofrer mais sanções, desta vez pelas acusações de manipulação de resultados e contra o Palmeiras.

O empresário também é processado pelo STJD por não apresentar as provas que afirmou ter sobre os supostos casos de corrupção no futebol. O outro processo é sobre as acusações de Textor a respeito de que jogadores manipularam resultados em jogos do Palmeiras contra São Paulo e Fortaleza. Ambos ainda não foram julgados.

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Tudo sobre

BotafogoJohn Textor

Left-arm spinning allrounder Dunith Wellalage will lead Sri Lanka A in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Rising Stars T20 tournament, in Doha later this month.Also in the squad are legspinners Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Sahan Arachchige, allrounders Milan Rathnayake and Ramesh Mendis, and top-order batters Nuwanidu Fernando and Nishan Madushka, and seamer Pramod Madushan.Though none of the players in this squad have consistent places in the senior XI, Wellalage, Nuwanidu, and Madushka have all played white-ball cricket for Sri Lanka in the last few months. Rathnayake also played in Sri Lanka’s most recent Test series, against Bangladesh in June. Madushan has not played for Sri Lanka since 2024.Elsewhere in the squad is 20-year-old batting allrounder Vishen Halambage, who has been called up to the Sri Lanka senior squad, though has yet to play a match for the national team. Ramesh Mendis, meanwhile, last played for Sri Lanka in February this year, in a Test against Australia.

ACC Rising Stars tournament schedule

Nov 14 – Oman vs Pak; Ind vs UAE
Nov 15 – Ban vs HK; Afg vs SL
Nov 16 – Oman vs UAE; Ind vs Pak
Nov 17 – HK vs SL; Afg vs Ban
Nov 18 – Pak vs UAE; Ind vs Oman
Nov 19 – Afg vs HK; Ban vs SL
Nov 21 – Semi-finals: A1 vs B2; B1 vs A2
Nov 23 – Final

Viyaskanth, 23, has also been on the fringes of the national team for several years, though the presence of Wanindu Hasaranga, and more recently Jeffrey Vandersay, has kept him out. He has continued to do well domestically however, including in the recent SLC T20 competition – the top T20 domestic tournament this year, in the absence of the postponed Lanka Premier League.The Rising Stars tournament begins on November 14. Sri Lanka A play Afghanistan A, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh A in the group stage. Group B comprises India A, Oman, Pakistan A and UAE. Two teams from each group will then qualify for the semi finals.

Sri Lanka A squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup T20 tournament

Dunith Wellalage (capt.), Vishen Halambage, Nishan Madushka (wk), Nuwanidu Fernando, Lasith Croospulle, Ramesh Mendis, Kavindu de Livera, Sahan Arachchige, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Pramod Madushan, Garuka Sanketh, Isitha Wijesundara, Milan Rathnayake, V Viyaskanth, Traveen Mathew

Venkatesh Prasad reiterates his commitment to bringing big-ticket cricket back to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru

Shashank Kishore08-Dec-2025

Venkatesh Prasad has vowed to restore the image of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium•The India Today Group via Getty Images

Venkatesh Prasad, the former India seamer, has been elected president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Sujith Somasunder, who played two ODIs in 1996 and was until recently head of education at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, is the vice-president.Prasad, who received unanimous backing from former colleagues Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath among others, defeated his rival KN Shanth Kumar by a 749-558 margin. Flanked by his team members, Prasad reiterated his commitment to work with the state government to restore “Chinnaswamy’s lost glory”.”First and foremost, this is a victory for the sport of cricket,” Prasad said. “Secondly, this is a victory for all the members who wanted a change, all the people who wanted international cricket to come back to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.”Related

Probe panel deems Chinnaswamy 'unsafe' for large-scale events

The venue hasn’t hosted a big-ticket game since a stampede outside the premises claimed 11 lives during a Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL victory party on June 4. Since then, the KSCA has been a no-go for cricket in Bengaluru, with the BCCI preferring to host the Duleep Trophy and ‘A’ series between India and South Africa at the Centre of Excellence.The M Chinnaswamy Stadium was scheduled to host five women’s ODI World Cup games, including the final. But they had to be moved out after the previous KSCA dispensation, which was operating without a treasurer and secretary, who had resigned on moral grounds after the stampede, failed to obtain the necessary clearances from the state government.KSCA subsequently ran into trouble with the state’s electricity suppliers over fire-safety compliances, which led to power supply to the venue being cut-off. Power has since been restored after a fire-safety audit that said KSCA was in compliance with regulations.Prasad has now instructed his team to study the other possible changes they can implement by studying the findings of the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission, appointed by the Karnataka government in the aftermath of the stampede.DK Shivakumar casts his vote at the KSCA elections•PTI

In its report in July, the commission had stated that the stadium’s “design and structure” were inherently “unsuitable and unsafe” for mass gatherings. It warned that continuing to hold high-attendance events at the venue would pose “unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility, and emergency preparedness”.On Sunday, Karnataka’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, a KSCA life-member and among the early voters, vowed to bring the IPL back to the Chinnaswamy.”I’m a cricket lover,” he said. We will ensure that the accident in Karnataka does not happen again and hold cricket events at Chinnaswamy Stadium in a manner that upholds the honour of Bengaluru. We will not shift the IPL elsewhere and will continue to hold it here at Chinnaswamy Stadium. This is the pride of Bengaluru and Karnataka, which we will retain.”Prasad joins a small group of former India players currently in cricket administration. Recently, Mithun Mahnas, the former Delhi captain and a cricket administrator in Jammu & Kashmir, was elected BCCI president, while Sourav Ganguly, Prasad’s former India colleague and captain, was unanimously elected as president of Cricket Association of Bengal. Saurabh Tiwary and Shahbaz Nadeem, who also had brief India careers along with a strong body of work in domestic cricket, have entered cricket administration in Jharkhand in positions of authority.

Splashing the cash in the transfer market hasn’t been alien to Manchester United over the last couple of years, with INEOS massively backing various managers at Old Trafford.

Since the summer of 2022 alone, the hierarchy have spent upwards of £800m on new additions, but it’s safe to say they’ve failed to have the desired effect in the Premier League.

Ruben Amorim could only direct the side to 15th place last time around, with the 40-year-old’s men now sat in eighth in 2025/26, but it could be about to get tricky for the manager.

Many of his key starters are set to go away with their respective nations for AFCON at the end of December, which could leave the squad bare in numerous areas.

As a result, the board have drawn up a plan, which could see numerous big-money talents make their own move to Old Trafford during the January transfer window.

United’s hunt for new signings in January

Over the last couple of days, Real Madrid star Rodrygo has once again appeared on United’s radar, but it seems a deal for the forward’s signature could prove to be a tricky one.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are all said to be monitoring the progress of the Brazilian international, which could lead to a bidding war in the winter window.

He’s fallen down the pecking order of Xabi Alonso over the last couple of months, which could see him depart the Bernabeu in a deal worth around the £70m mark.

However, he’s not the only player mentioned with a potential switch to Old Trafford, with Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo another player seemingly on their radar.

According to Football Insider, INEOS have identified the 25-year-old as the perfect player to come into the club in January to bolster the frontline during AFCON.

The report also states that the player has a £65m release clause that becomes active in the new year, with such a fee one the board are looking to activate and fast-track a deal for.

Why United’s £65m target would be Cunha 2.0

Investing big on Premier League players who have caught the eye in recent times is another thing United have done, as seen by the deal to land Matheus Cunha from Wolves during the summer.

The Brazilian scored 15 times in England’s top-flight last season, which massively attracted the interest of the Red Devils and Amorim during the recent summer window.

As a result, the board forked out a reported £62.5m for the attacker’s signature, with Cunha just one of three forwards signed to make a difference in the final third.

During the opening months of his career in Manchester, the 26-year-old has struggled to replicate his best form, as seen by his tally of one goal in his first 11 outings.

However, there’s still bags of time for the big-money addition to resurrect his career at Old Trafford, especially if Semenyo makes the move in the coming months.

They could star together, or the Ghanaian international could overtake him in the pecking order – something which could come to fruition when comparing their figures.

In 2025/26, Semenyo has massively outperformed Cunha in numerous key areas, with the Cherries star the perfect man to improve the frontline in 2026 and beyond.

The 25-year-old, who’s been dubbed the “best winger in the country” by Chris Waddle, has already posted more combined goals and assists this season – showcasing his incredible ability in front of goal.

Semenyo has also completed more carries into the final third, whilst achieving a higher take-on success rate, with such numbers making him a much better ball-carrier than the Brazilian.

How Semenyo & Cunha compare in the PL (2025/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Semenyo

Cunha

Games played

13

11

Goals & assists

9

1

Shot on target accuracy

52%

40%

Progressive carries

3.5

2.8

Progressive passes

3.7

3.6

Take-ons completed

1.9

1.7

Take-on success

53%

52%

Crosses completed

1.7

1.6

Aerials won

2.3

0.8

Stats via FBref

His dominance over the United star is further reflected in his higher tally of crosses completed per 90, with such a tally showcasing his ability to add an end product to his mazy runs.

Other numbers, such as a higher shot on target accuracy rate and a better pass accuracy rate, highlight his all-round dominance in attacking areas.

£65m for a player of Semenyo’s quality would be an excellent piece of business, with such a move softening the blow of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo’s absence at AFCON.

However, given the money spent during the summer, it would be another huge investment, with the backing certainly there – but it’s down to Amorim to get a tune out of the current crop of players at his disposal.

Related Fewer touches than Lammens & 100% duels lost: Man Utd flop must be dropped

Ruben Amorim has multiple changes to make after his side’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United.

Posts ByEthan Lamb 7 days ago

Scott Boland says he’s not driven by comments that England’s batters don’t fear him

Alex Malcolm17-Oct-20252:25

Mitchell Starc backs Australia’s fast-bowling depth

Scott Boland could not hide the smirk on his face.Not long after he had scythed through New South Wales to take a match-winning 5 for 67 to go with his 3 for 59 in the first innings to help Victoria claim a thrilling Sheffield Shield win at the Junction Oval, Boland was asked the obvious question in his post-match conversation with a group of reporters.Boland was asked if he had seen former England captain Michael Atherton write in the that he “holds no fear” for England’s batting line-up based on how they played him in England two years ago.”I saw it. My cousin sent it to me. He [Boland’s cousin] was taking the piss,” Boland said. “I’m sure there’s going be so much banter between the former players in between now and the first Test and even the end of the summer.”Related

Konstas wins the battle, Boland wins the match for Victoria

Stuart Broad: 'Worst Australian team since 2010-11'

Boland's MCG heroics more relevant than 2023 Ashes blip

Cummins 'running out of time' as Perth D-day looms

He was asked if it motivated him at all ahead of the Ashes.”Not really,” Boland said. “I’ve got my own internal motivations for what I want to do for the summer. I’ve never gone into a game where I’m just middling along. I guess there’s always some motivation for me to try and either come into the team and try to put in a really good performance, to try and keep my spot. There’s so many good fast bowlers in Australia that you just don’t want to give anyone an inch. So that’s sort of my goal when I’m playing Test cricket.”Boland, 36, always speaks like a man on the outside looking in. But right now, he is actually an incumbent in Australia’s Test XI having played in their last Test match in Jamaica in place of Nathan Lyon as part of a four-man pace attack. In fact, he took a Test hat-trick in the last Test over he bowled.And it’s looking increasingly likely that he will retain his spot even though Lyon is set to return for the first Test against England in Perth, with skipper Pat Cummins saying it’s “less likely than likely” he will be fit to play as he continues a slow recovery from a back injury.Boland said he had not spoken to Cummins in several months. But he was not expecting the skipper to miss all five Tests.”Patty’s so resilient,” Boland said. “He can play through a little bit of pain if he has some. Those guys play so much cricket there’s bound to be games where someone misses out. But if Pat happens to not play the first game, we’ve got a pretty handy incoming in at some stage during the summer.”

“I just want to find my rhythm as quick as I can in the game. And sometimes it happens in half a spell. Sometimes it takes a bit longer”Scott Boland

Boland is primed if he is called upon for the first Test. Like a prized race horse ahead of the Melbourne Cup, he seems to have timed his preparation down to the minute. He is pain free and without strapping on his knees for the first time in several years after a block of strength work in the gym following the Caribbean tour. His former Victoria team-mate and now Australia coach Andrew McDonald had challenged him to rethink the way he trained to become even more resilient as he ages.He bowled impressively in the opening Shield game of the summer against South Australia at Adelaide Oval last week and then backed it up with eight wickets at the Junction Oval. But he was frustrated with his performance this week having been far more expensive than usual. He conceded a tick over 4.1 runs per over across 30.4 overs in the match as the New South Wales batters looked to attack him, with Sam Konstas reverse ramping him for six in the second innings.With 0 for 54 to his name from 9.5 overs in the second innings, Atherton’s words felt prescient. But Boland found another gear, snaking a stunning delivery back through the gate to bowl the dangerous Oliver Davies for 64. He took 5 for 13 from his final 35 deliveries, including clattering the stumps twice more, to win the game for his state.”I knew the game was on the line,” Boland said. “I didn’t feel like I’d… not that I’d let the team down, but I hadn’t bowled as well as I wanted to for the whole week.”I just think it’s just a minor thing in my run up. I’m probably just stressing a little bit too much from what I usually do. But I know sometimes that just happens. I just want to find my rhythm as quick as I can in the game. And sometimes it happens in half a spell. Sometimes it takes a bit longer. This game just took a little bit longer, but I still felt like I was able to hang in there enough to bowl some spells when I’m getting wickets for the team.”Scott Boland took eight wickets for Victoria in their last Sheffield Shield game•Getty ImagesHe also showed a rare sign of raw emotion. After knocking over Davies, he charged past him and glared at him with a guttural roar. It was out of character for a man who barely celebrated a Test hat-trick and it caught the eye of veteran New South Wales coach Greg Shipperd.”Yeah, interesting, wasn’t it,” Shipperd said. “I don’t know what might have led up to that, but it’s not the Scotty Boland I know.”Victoria coach Chris Rogers said Boland and Davies had some history and that Davies “likes to give as much as he gets” but Boland played a straight bat.”I was just excited to get a wicket,” Boland said. “I hadn’t got one for a while. But I know we’ve had some good contests. I played an Aussie A game with him last year. Really enjoyed his company. So nice fellow. We had some nice words for each other after the game.”Boland is set to rest from Victoria’s next Shield game against Tasmania but will return for round four against New South Wales at the SCG in a game that is likely to feature Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Lyon.”I’ve got two really good games of work into my body now,” Boland said. “My body’s feeling really good. No issues with any my knees or anything like that that have been little niggles in the past. So I’m really happy with how it’s tracking. It’d be nice to have a few days off now and get some strength back in, because I know that when I’m doing that, my body’s feeling great, and I feel like I can get through as many games as needed for the summer.”

Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara will return to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a lead role to helm the coaching staff after the exit of Rahul Dravid as head coach recently. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Sangakkara, who has been RR’s Director of Cricket since 2021, is firming up the position with the franchise, even as he has already informally started planning for the 2026 season.Since he joined RR in 2021, Sangakkara doubled up as the head coach, and, under his watch, the Sanju Samson-led franchise made the playoffs twice in four seasons. In 2022, RR reached the final for the first time since they won the IPL in the inaugural season in 2008, but lost to Gujarat Titans. After finishing fifth in 2023, RR reached the playoffs the following season, when they lost in Qualifier 2. Dravid, who was RR’s captain in 2012 and 2013, and then mentor in 2014 and 2015, was hired as head coach by the franchise immediately after he won the 2024 T20 World Cup as India’s head coach.Although Dravid had signed a multi-year contract, his stint was short-lived, as he parted ways with RR recently. In a media statement issued in August, RR said that based on a structural review of the franchise post the 2025 season, where they secured just four wins in 14 matches, Dravid was “offered a broader position” but he had “chosen not to take”.Related

• Samson asks to be released by RR ahead of IPL 2026 auction

• Head coach Dravid parts ways with RR after just one season

The biggest priority for Sangakkara will be sorting RR’s captaincy after Samson asked the franchise to release him after the 2025 season. It is understood Samson, 30, told the franchise that he wanted a change and hence be released. Suffering a side strain early during the 2025 season, Samson played only nine matches, and had to endure the disappointment of watching RR end ninth on the points table despite being in the winning position several times.Samson, who is the most experienced player in RR’s ranks, was among the six players retained ahead of the 2025 mega auction at a price tag of INR 18 crore (USD 2.14 million approx.).While RR did cast the net with several franchises offering Samson as a trade in player swap, they have not been successful. Officially, RR have not made any comment on releasing Samson. The IPL retention deadline normally is end of November, but franchises are still waiting for a firm date.It is also learned RR will retain former India batter Vikram Rathour as the assistant coach, and that former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond is likely to continue as the bowling coach. While Bond moved to RR from Mumbai Indians in 2024, Rathour, who had been assistant coach with India under Ravi Shastri and Dravid, joined ahead of 2025. It is understood that the pair of Trevor Penney and Siddhartha Lahiri, who were part of Sangakkara’s support staff at RR previously, is also set to return.