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Arne Slot’s Liverpool look a pale shadow of their former imperious selves.

Where to begin? Liverpool are so tactically imbalanced, so open and unsure across each phase of play. The finely-wrought tactics of last season are nowhere to be seen; instead a hodgepodge of high-quality players without a recognisable identity.

Is that a bit harsh? Perhaps it is. But the Reds have got some issues, all right, and the impressive mentality displayed across the opening weeks of the season has perhaps papered over the lack of control and coherence on show so far this year.

Against Galatasaray, Liverpool huffed and puffed but were miles away from their best, and they were indeed defeated in the Champions League.

Liverpool's worst performers in Istanbul

Liverpool thought they had found a lifeline in the dying embers against Turkish giants Galatasaray in Istanbul, but their penalty was overturned by VAR.

And so Slot’s anguish deepened. But the plain truth of it is Liverpool deserved to lose and have much to sort out if they are to challenge for the biggest prizes on offer this year.

Florian Wirtz will be scapegoated by some, but he was a focal creative presence and is devoid of confidence.

However, positives stemming from Ibrahima Konate’s performance were few and far between. The French defender has been out of sorts since the summer, and his error-laden, unconvincing showing against Galatasaray will have done little to quell the noise as he approaches the end of his contract with Real Madrid lurking.

The 26-year-old needs to sort his form out quickly, especially after Giovanni Leoni ruptured his ACL against Southampton in the Carabao Cup last week. Liverpool were unable to wrap up a summer move for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, let’s not forget.

Liverpool’s flanks have been picked upon across a number of games this season, with right-back presenting Slot with something of a conundrum. On Tuesday evening, Dominik Szoboszlai failed in the role.

Dominik Szoboszlai must be dropped

Victor Osimhen had scored early on from the spot, and that goal proved definitive as Galatasaray kept Liverpool out. It was Szoboszlai’s trailing arm which prompted the referee to award that first-half penalty, but that was hardly the extent of the Hungarian’s troubles.

The Liverpool Echo acknowledged that the penalty conceded was soft, but this couldn’t detract from an overall performance that left plenty to be desired, with questions arising as to whether deploying the attacking midfielder at right-back is a viable long-term plan, especially with Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley both in the squad.

Baris Alper Yilmiz was an absolute livewire for the hosts, and Szoboszlai struggled to contain him. The Turkish international won all seven of his duels, as per Sofascore, and indeed won the penalty.

With Liverpool’s versatile 24-year-old beaten routinely, there’s much for Slot to work on going forward. Szoboszlai shifted into a more advanced midfield role in the second half, but he was unable to influence as he might have hoped.

While Slot continues to puzzle over the solution at right-back following Trent Alexander-Arnold’s summer departure, it looks like the Hungarian won’t always be the solution, which is understandable, and so should perhaps be axed ahead of the weekend trip to Sunday, who boast a ferocious frontline indeed.

Liverpool have faced some concerning problems across the opening weeks of the season, but this is not a disaster, this is not a catastrophe.

There is plenty of time for Slot to fix things, but he does need to fix them quickly, and leading stars like Konate and Szoboszlai need to snap themselves back into form.

Trent 2.0: FSG have already sold a Bradley & Frimpong upgrade at Liverpool

Arne Slot has problems to fix at Liverpool after an up-and-down start to the season.

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 30, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are now racing Arsenal for the signature of a £130m+ attacker, who’s been described as a “true icon in the making”.

Tottenham eyeing new attacking midfielder amid Simons' slow start

It is still very early days, but Xavi Simons hasn’t exactly set the world alight since his arrival from RB Leipzig, most recently failing to create any big chances and completing just one of the four dribbles he attempted in the 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In fairness, the Dutchman is arguably being deployed out of position, having predominantly been given the nod at left-wing by Thomas Frank up to this point, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes the 22-year-old will be a success in north London long-term.

Tottenham now expected to submit £25m+ offer for "special" Brazilian forward

Spurs are poised to submit an opening bid for a new forward, who’s been dubbed a “quality finisher”.

ByDominic Lund Sep 28, 2025

The former striker said: “Simons has only just started, but I like Simons. I really like him. I think he’s going to be a big, big, big success at Spurs. He can play on the left or as a No. 10, but he’s also not scared, and that’s why I like him.”

Lucas Bergvall started in the number 10 role against Wolves, but given that the Sweden international is only 19-years-old, it would make sense to bring in another attacking midfielder.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Tottenham have now joined the race for Real Madrid star Arda Guler, having sent scouts to watch the youngster in action, but there could be competition for his signature, with a number of other big clubs also keen.

Arsenal, Newcastle United, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund are also named as potential suitors for the attacking midfielder, but any of the interested parties may have to shell out a huge fee to get a deal done, with it previously being revealed he is valued at over £130m.

The report makes it clear that Madrid are reluctant to sanction a departure, given that Guler has emerged as a crucial player since the arrival of Xabi Alonso.

Guler living up to his potential at Real Madrid

After impressing at international level in the summer, scoring against the USA and Hungary, scout Jacek Kulig suggested the Turk could go on to be a future star.

Since then, the 20-year-old has gone from strength to strength, picking up three goals and three assists in his opening seven La Liga games, with the starlet establishing himself as a key player for Real Madrid.

Having also been lauded as a “special talent” by scout Ben Mattinson, Guler could be a fantastic signing for Tottenham, but it seems very unlikely that a deal will be possible, given his astronomical price tag.

Both Gaikwad and Zampa have been sidelined from the rest of IPL 2025 with injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Apr-2025Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have signed 17-year-old Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre as a replacement for the injured captain Ruturaj Gaikwad for the remainder of IPL 2025, for INR 30 lakh.Mhatre is yet to make his T20 debut but has two centuries in seven List-A games. The first of them was a 117-ball 181 against Nagaland that included 15 fours and 11 sixes followed by a 93-ball 148 against Saurashtra that included 13 fours and nine sixes. He can also bowl offspin, with which he has picked up seven List A wickets in four innings.”He came into the trial at Chennai and he was in the nets. It was just amazing how these young cricketers play,” CSK’s bowling consultant Eric Simons said. “They play a fearless brand of cricket. If you look at the way CSK plays, there’s a brand [of cricket] we play and he fitted in that perspective to be able to play with a sense of freedom, to be able to play aggressively but the way you play. He came and had really good nets and the guys who kept eyes on him were very impressed with what he’s got and what he can offer for the future. So very excited to have him as part of the side.”Mhatre also represented the India Under-19 team in three games at the Asia Cup in 2024. It was in the first-class circuit, however, where he first made headlines. He made his red-ball debut in the Irani Cup last year and dazzled with a knock of 176 against Maharashtra – led by Gaikwad – that followed his 52 against Baroda on a turning track in Vadodara. So far, he has played nine first-class games, scoring 504 runs, including two hundreds, at an average of 31.50. His List A numbers are more impressive: 458 runs in seven innings at an average of 65.42 and a strike rate of 135.50. With his century against Nagaland, Mhatre had also broken Yashasvi Jaiswal’s world record of becoming the youngest player to score 150-plus in men’s senior List A cricket.Gaikwad led CSK in their first five games, of which they lost four, before an elbow injury ruled him out of the season, with MS Dhoni taking over as captain.R Smaran is among the brightest young talents from Karnataka•Maharaja T20Smaran replaces injured Zampa at SRHAustralia legspinner Adam Zampa has been sidelined from the rest of IPL 2025 with a shoulder injury. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have brought in Karnataka batter R Smaran as his replacement. Smaran, 21, is uncapped in the IPL and has joined SRH at his base price of INR 30 lakh.Zampa, who played alongside Australia team-mates Travis Head and Pat Cummins, had featured twice, taking 2 for 94 from eight overs, although one of those appearances had been in the game that brought 528 runs between SRH and Rajasthan Royals.Smaran was among the breakout stars of the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 433 runs in seven innings at an average of 72.16 and strike rate of just over 100. He also starred for them in the final with a knock of 101 off 92 balls that helped Karnataka lift the title by putting up 348. He has played six T20s so far, scoring 170 runs at a strike rate of 170.00. He was recently in action in the DY Patil tournament in Mumbai, in the lead-up to IPL 2025.

تلقى نادي ريال مدريد بشرى سارة في تدريبات الفريق، وذلك قبل اللقاء المرتقب الذي سوف يجمع الفريق الملكي مع يوفنتوس في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وسوف يستضيف ريال مدريد نظيره يوفنتوس يوم الأربعاء المقبل على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو، لحساب الجولة الثالثة من مرحلة الدوري في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويسعى ريال مدريد إلى الفوز على يوفنتوس، وذلك من أجل مواصلة نتائجه الرائعة خلال هذا الموسم، حيث يتصدر الفريق الملكي ترتيب الدوري الإسباني بعد مرور 9 جولات على بداية المسابقة.

كما حقق ريال مدريد انتصارين في أول جولتين لعبهما الفريق في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا على حساب كيرات الماتي وكذلك أولمبيك مارسيليا.

والتقطت عدسات الكاميرا اليوم الإثنين ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد وهو متواجد في تدريبات ريال مدريد بشكل طبيعي، دون الشعور بأي ألم من الإصابة.

اقرأ أيضًا .. كازورلا يوجه نصيحة إلى نجم برشلونة ويختار أفضل لاعب خط وسط في العالم

وكان أرنولد أصيب خلال مواجهة ريال مدريد أمام مارسيليا في الجولة الأولى من دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث تعرض لإصابة في عضلة الفخد.

وأكدت صحيفة آس، أن أرنولد جاهز بنسبة 100% للعب أمام ليفربول يوم 4 نوفمبر المقبل في دوري أبطال أوروبا لحساب الجولة الرابعة من مرحلة الدوري.

كما أشار الصحفي الإسباني المعروف، كارلوس رودريجيز، إلى أن أرنولد أكمل الجزء الأول من التدريبات الجماعية اليوم بنجاح، وقد يتم استدعائه ضد يوفنتوس، في حين أفاد ماريو كوراتيجانا، الصحفي بذا أتلتيك، أن أرنولد بجانب داني كارفاخال في المراحل الأخيرة من تعافيهما من الإصابة.

وأكد كوراتيجانا، أن القرار سوف يعود إلى مدرب ريال مدريد، تشابي ألونسو، بشأن إشراك أرنولد وكارفاخال في كلاسيكو الدوري الإسباني الأسبوع المقبل ضد برشلونة، أو استبعادهما.

ويعول ألونسو خلال الفترة الأخيرة على فيديريكو فالفيردي في مركز الظهير الأيمن، مع غياب كارفاخال وأرنولد للإصابة، وعدم إمكانية مشاركة خيسوس فورتيا، اللاعب الشاب بسبب تواجده مسبقًا مع منتخب إسبانيا في بطولة كأس العالم للشباب تحت 20 عامًا في تشيلي، والتي توجت المغرب بها لأول مرة في تاريخها.

Queensland crashed out of the One-Day Cup title race in humbling fashion, suffering a six-wicket loss to wooden spooners Western Australia at the Gabba.WA paceman Bryce Jackson snared 4 for 39 in a player-of-the-match performance as Queensland were skittled for 131 in 29.2 overs.In reply, a WA side featuring mostly emerging players reached the victory target in just 26 overs, with Hilton Cartwright, Sam Fanning and Jayden Goodwin all chipping in.Queensland entered their last match of the regular season in third spot and well in the hunt to claim a spot in the March 1 final. They needed to beat WA and for Victoria to beat second-placed NSW to lock away a spot in the decider.Even if NSW beat Victoria, Queensland could have still made the final by posting a bonus-point win over WA. But things went awry for the Bulls from the outset.Star trio Ben McDermott, Jimmy Peirson and Matt Renshaw all fell cheaply as Queensland slumped to 17 for 3 in the fifth over.Lachlan Hearne and Angus Lovell briefly steadied the ship, but those knocks were only a temporary reprieve as WA’s youth-laden attack continued to wreak havoc.Queensland were 102 for 9 before No. 10 Mitchell Swepson whacked 45 off 35 balls to at least give Queensland some sort of chance to pull off a miracle win.Jackson, playing just his fifth List A match, was the star of the show with four wickets, while Brody Couch and Mahli Beardman were also influential.The pace trio have just 15 List A appearances between them, and spinner Corey Rocchiccioli was playing just his second List A match.But despite their youth and inexperience, the WA attack ripped through Queensland’s talented line-up with ease.  Swepson whacked three sixes and three fours in the sole real resistance Queensland were able to put up.WA made light work of the run chase, with teenage paceman Callum Vidler the only Queensland bowler to make any true inroads.The win was only WA’s second of the season, with their hopes of winning four straight titles derailed by injuries and poor form across the campaign.

It’s been a roller coaster of a summer for Tottenham Hotspur this year.

The North Londoners started the transfer window in an understated manner, completing the permanent signing of Mathys Tel and bringing in the exciting but still young Kota Takai.

Then, Daniel Levy and Co completed the capture of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United before trying and ultimately failing to sign Morgan Gibbs-White.

However, unlike previous summers, the Europa League champions appear determined to bring in more potential game-changers before the window slams shut.

One of the players they’ve been heavily linked with in recent days has been Savinho, although if reports are to be believed, the club could now be plotting a move for someone who’d be an even better signing.

Spurs target Savinho upgrade

Reports of Spurs’ interest in Savinho first began popping up towards the end of last week. However, it’s been over the last day or so that the links have started heating up.

Transfer Focus

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

According to some sources, the North Londoners have already progressed from internal talks to making their first offer for the 21-year-old gem.

However, while the Brazilian would be a tremendously exciting addition to the Lilywhites’ squad, it now looks like the club are also looking at another Premier League star, someone who’d be an even better signing.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which has revealed that Spurs are still very interested in Eberechi Eze this summer.

In fact, the report goes much further than that, claiming that the Lilywhites are now preparing an offer for the Crystal Palace star, whose £68m release clause reportedly expires at the end of the week.

It could end up being a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Eze has more than proven he’d be worth the effort and, for our money, he’d be a better signing than Savinho.

Why Eze would be a better signing than Savinho

Now, it should be said that Spurs would do well to sign either Savinho or Eze this summer, as both players are undeniably talented and would bring something fresh to Frank’s attack.

Still, there are several reasons why the latter would be a better addition than the former.

The first is simply their output from last season, as in 48 appearances for Manchester City, totalling 3087 minutes, the Brazilian ace scored three goals and provided 13 assists.

That means he maintained a reasonably impressive average of a goal involvement every three games, or every 192.93 minutes, and while that’s certainly not bad, it pales in comparison to the Palace star.

In his 43 appearances for the Eagles, totalling just 3303 minutes, the 27-year-old “superstar,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists.

Appearances

43

48

Minutes

3303′

3087′

Goals

14

3

Assists

11

13

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.33

Minutes per Goal Involvement

132.12′

192.93′

In other words, the Greenwich-born dynamo managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes, for a team that finished in mid-table.

The second reason the Englishman would be a better signing for the Lilywhites is down to his versatility, as while the former Girona ace can play on either flank, he can play in the ten as well as off the left.

This ability to play in the middle of the park is now even more important for the North Londoners as James Maddison is expected to miss almost the entire season due to his ACL injury.

Finally, on top of the output and positional versatility, the former QPR gem is simply more of a sure thing when it comes to the Premier League, as so far, he’s made 146 appearances in the competition, in which he’s scored 34 goals and provided 23 assists.

In contrast, the City ace has made just 29, in which he’s scored one goal and provided ten assists, and therefore it’s far harder to make a concrete prediction about how he’ll fare in the coming seasons.

Ultimately, while Savinho is a very talented player and someone who could develop into a star, Spurs would be better off going out and signing someone who is already a superstar, such as Eze.

Spurs prepared to pay £40m to sign "special" James Maddison replacement

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly not concerned by the price tag of a star who could be a dream replacement for James Maddison.

ByDan Emery Aug 11, 2025

Former England head coach back with county where he won 2017 Championship title

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2024

Chris Silverwood is set to return to Essex after being appointed as the club’s director of cricket. Silverwood will take up the role in mid-December, succeeding Anthony McGrath after the latter moved to Headingley as Yorkshire head coach.Silverwood’s initial tenure at Essex saw the club embark on one of the most successful periods in their history. He oversaw their promotion from Division Two in 2016, an achievement that was topped the following summer by a first County Championship title in 25 years.Although Silverwood moved on, initially as England bowling coach before taking over from Trevor Bayliss as head coach in 2019, Essex continued to land silverware under McGrath, who stepped up from assistant coach under Silverwood to guide the club to a Championship and Blast double, followed by the Bob Willis Trophy.Related

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“I’m absolutely delighted to return to Essex,” Silverwood said. “It’s a club that holds very special memories for me, with the success we enjoyed in 2016 and 2017, and it’s been great to see the success Anthony McGrath has had in the years in between.”There is work to be done around the squad, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead, with an emphasis on working hard to help develop our home-grown players.”Building on the work done by Mags, I’m focused on getting the squad to a point where we have strength in depth, with a strong core of our own local players. I’m excited to get straight to work to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible and that the squad is in the best possible shape to compete on all fronts next summer.”Silverwood’s time in charge of England was significantly affected by the restrictions around touring caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and he left the role after a 4-0 Ashes defeat in 2021-22. He subsequently coached Sri Lanka for a two-year period, stepping down after the T20 World Cup earlier this year.Essex restructured their club hierarchy over the summer, with John Stephenson departing as chief executive and Dan Feist being appointed general manager. McGrath was promoted from head coach to director of cricket, but opted to return to his native Yorkshire at the end of the season.Jason Gallian, chair of Essex’s cricket committee, said: “We’re thrilled to announce the reappointment of Chris, who was the outstanding applicant in a comprehensive recruitment process.”We were clear throughout that we were focused on making the right decision, not just a quick one, and following this process, we firmly believe we have stuck to that and appointed the best candidate.”I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the Cricket Committee, as well as Alastair Cook on the interview panel, who contributed significantly with their expertise.”Having spoken to Chris, I know how motivated he is to make his mark in the coming years, and his desire is as high as ever to take on the role of director of cricket and lead on the strategic side.”Within that, he will play a very important role with a talented men’s first XI, and he is focused on winning trophies with this club and growing the game throughout our region. Everyone welcomes Chris back, and we look forward to once again seeing him around the Cloud County Ground and hopefully leading the side to success on the field.”

India put on their best batting show and then were clinical with the ball and on the field to send the Asia Cup champions packing from the tournament

S Sudarshanan09-Oct-2024On a slightly cooler evening in Dubai, with semi-final qualification hopes in the balance, India brought their A-game to the fore to thrash Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup 2024. They put on their best batting show – perhaps the best among all teams in the tournament so far – and then were clinical with the ball and on the field to send the Asia Cup champions packing from the tournament.Batting first, India rode on half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur to post 172 for 3, the highest total in this T20 World Cup. They then skittled Sri Lanka out for 90 to register an 82-run win, India’s biggest in T20 World Cups, with Arundhati Reddy and Asha Sobhana picking up three wickets apiece. As a result of their massive win, their net run rate (NRR) jumped to 0.576, better than Pakistan’s and only behind Australia’s. This is notable as their NRR had taken a beating following the 58-run defeat to New Zealand in their opening match.Shafali, Mandhana remind us what India missedBefore Wednesday, India’s opening stands against Pakistan and New Zealand were 18 and 11 respectively. In a tournament where batting first seemed to give teams an advantage, India batted second in both their matches. India got to bat first after Harmanpreet won her first toss and the openers set about their task steadily.Sri Lanka pressed their spinners into service and both Shafali Verma and Mandhana found it tough to break free. Shafali took the aerial route for India’s first four in the third over and did so again in the fourth and the fifth. She was on 24 off 20 in the fifth over; at that point Mandhana was on 6 off 10. But in a pattern different from the previous game, she was not being impatient or trying too hard.Smriti Mandhana was rapid after the first six overs•Associated PressMandhana finally got going with a smack over the left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari’s head as India ended the powerplay on 41 for 0. She also slogged another left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera for a six over wide long-on in the next year to signal the gear change. India managed to hit at least one four in each over between the third and the ninth. Chamari Athapaththu kept India guessing by giving her bowlers one-over spells till the 13th over, by then Mandhana overtook Shafali to get to a fourth T20 World Cup half-century.Harmanpreet says hello from No. 3It took a run-out to end India’s opening partnership at 98, their third-highest in T20 World Cups, when Athapaththu and Ama Kanchana – brought in for Hasini Perera – combined to catch Mandhana short on 50. On the very next ball, Athapaththu had Shafali miscuing a heave to cover. That over meant Athapaththu ended the one-spell strategy and bowled a second over in the spell – the 13th and the 15th overs.Having batted at No. 4 against Pakistan, Harmanpreet came in at No. 3 and was soon joined by Jemimah Rodrigues before she even faced a ball. Few batters in the Indian line-up are at ease against spin than Rodrigues. She used the sweep to first put Ranaweera away and then moved in her crease to pull Athapaththu to the deep square leg boundary.At the other end, Harmanpreet hit Kumari for a four and a six to ensure the openers’ platform did not go to waste. Rodrigues soon fell for 16 off 10 – she was given a life at 13 when Kavisha Dilhari dropped a dolly at deep midwicket – but played a vital role in injecting momentum after two quick wickets.By then, Harmanpreet, with a cushion of a long batting line-up to follow, cut loose. She first paddled Kanchana past short fine leg before hitting two fours to spoil Athapaththu’s figures. Ranaweera could not hang on to a powerful hit at cover when Harmanpreet was on 22. She hit Kanchana and Prabodhani for two fours each in the last two overs to bring up only her third half-century in T20Is since the 2023 T20 World Cup. That blitz – 52 not out off just 27 balls – helped India take 46 off the last four overs, the most by any team in this T20 World Cup.Renuka Singh struck twice in the powerplay to dent Sri Lanka•Getty ImagesShe had retired hurt against Pakistan due to a neck injury, and had come for the toss with a pain-relief patch on the right side of her neck but was termed fit for this game. However, she did not take the field in the chase, with Mandhana captaining the team.Sri Lanka slide in chaseHeading into the T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka had the most wins since April last year and their win-loss ratio was better than that of India and Australia. Because they had hunted down 166 to win their maiden Asia Cup title, it would have been a tad premature to write them off in the 173-run chase in Dubai. But India were on the money from the word go, and never let them even get a sniff.An athletic effort from Radha Yadav, substitute for Harmanpreet, on the second ball of the chase set the tone. She ran back to her right from backward point and dived full length to catch a miscue from Vishmi Gunaratne. Mandhana then handed the new ball to Shreyanka Patil at the other end, ahead of Deepti Sharma. Patil responded by pushing one slightly quicker and getting it to spin away, enticing a defensive, hard-handed poke from Athapaththu to gather the edge to slip. When Renuka Singh had Harshitha Samarawickrama, the star of the Asia Cup final, feather an outside edge in the third over, the challenge was almost quelled.Legspinner Asha then joined the party in the middle overs, picking up three wickets using the sharp spin available to undo the batters. Her biggest wicket was that of Anushka Sanjeewani, who was the enforcer in the 37-run fourth-wicket with Dilhari. After floating a few up to the batter, Asha pulled the length ball to deceive the Sri Lanka wicketkeeper, with Richa Ghosh stumping her. Asha and Reddy, the Player of the Match against Pakistan, struck regularly through the middle overs. Both finished with identical figures of 3 for 19, Reddy’s efforts creditworthy after she was taken for 12 in her first over. For the third game in a row, Sri Lanka finished with a double-digit total in this competition.It was an outing that raised India’s hopes of a semi-final qualification, with their last league game against Australia on Sunday.

Celtic are striving forwards under Brendan Rodgers and another action-packed season is in store for the Bhoys, which could now lead to a significant development at Parkhead.

Celtic find themselves pursuing several arrivals

Five signings have come through the door officially this summer for Celtic to strengthen their bid for another Scottish Premiership title. However, recent reports suggest plenty more could be on the way before too long.

Wycombe Wanderers striker Richard Kone is on the Bhoys’ radar and could be a big-money arrival at the £7 million mark, though any thought of him coming in at Parkhead may hinge on the future of Daizen Maeda.

Of course, Brendan Rodgers has already got one answer to his multi-faceted striker quest after confirming that Shin Yamada will join Celtic from Kawasaki Frontale after weeks of speculation hinting the Japanese forward is set for a move to Glasgow.

During the week, Celtic saw off Sporting Lisbon in expert fashion courtesy of goals from Reo Hatate and Luke McCowan. Speaking post-match, the Hoops’ Irish boss praised his side’s excellent tactical execution against a distinguished opponent.

He stated: “Performance wise it was outstanding. We made another step in our fitness and tactical idea with some of the players coming in. Overall it was a very, very good performance against a very good team. Tactically we were excellent with our pressure and pressing and some of our football was outstanding.

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“We maybe lacked a little bit in the final third at times just to finish off some great moves but other than that it was a very, very good workout for us.”

In spite of the Hoops’ display, Rodgers still has work to do in tailoring his side, and he will need to make sure his key players stick around for another tilt at domestic and European success.

Celtic closing in on bumper new Daizen Maeda contract

According to Football Insider, Celtic are pushing ahead with their attempts to tie down Daizen Maeda, and he is said to be willing to commit long-term with one demand – the Hoops match his ambitions.

Rodgers views the Japan international as a central part of his future plans and is willing to build his entire team around him, with talks open over a new deal amid interest from the Premier League in his services.

Daizen Maeda’s importance to Celtic

Appearances

158

Goals

62

Assists

28

Shedding some further insight, O’Rourke stated: “It makes a lot of sense for Celtic to try and keep hold of Maeda. If Celtic want to continue their dominance in Scotland, they’re going to have to keep hold of their best players, and there’s no doubt Maeda is amongst those.

“He’s under contract until 2027, so they’re looking to extend that and give him bumper new terms just to keep the player happy and ward off interest from Premier League clubs.

“There was talk that Brentford and Tottenham were interested in him.The Japan international was their top goalscorer last season, so he isn’t going to be an easy player to replace if they do end up losing him.”

With 33 goals to his name last season, Maeda became Celtic’s most reliable option whether wide left or as a centre-forward and is widely viewed as an indispensable player in Glasgow’s east end.

Only two years remain on his deal, so it would make perfect sense for the Bhoys to tie him up on an extended contract before his future becomes a main topic of conversation.

Leeds United are set for an incredibly busy summer of transfer business, after the first window opened on Sunday, as they look to recruit for a season in the Premier League.

The last six teams to have won promotion to the top-flight from the Championship have all been relegated at the first time of asking, including Burnley, Luton, Sheffield United, Leicester, Southampton, and Ipswich.

Daniel Farke, who was relegated from the Premier League with Norwich City in 2020, knows how difficult it will be for the Whites to avoid the drop, which is why the summer transfer window is so important.

Leeds have to recruit well if they want to have a shot at avoiding relegation back down to the Championship, which is what Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa did in the summer of 2020.

Orta splashed the cash to bring an exciting talent to Elland Road in the form of Raphinha ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, following the club’s promotion from the second tier, and it was a signing that helped them to avoid relegation for two seasons.

Why Raphinha was a big signing for Leeds

The Brazilian winger was a big signing for Leeds in a multitude of ways. Firstly, they reportedly paid Rennes a fee of £17m, plus add-ons, to bring him to West Yorkshire, which shows that they were willing to spend a significant sum of money on his services.

Secondly, Raphinha was a big addition for the Whites and Bielsa because he made an instant and huge impact at the top end of the pitch in the Premier League, providing quality in the final third on a regular basis to secure vital points for his side.

The Brazil international, as shown in the highlights above, was an exciting player for supporters to watch with plenty of goals, assists, and skills in his debut year in English football with the club.

Raphinha ended that first season with a return of six goals and nine assists in 30 appearances in the Premier League, which shows that he hit the ground running and did not need much time to adapt to the country and division.

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed wizard followed that up with a haul of 21 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 35 outings in the top-flight to lead them to survival under Jesse Marsch.

That form, finally, led to another reason why he was a big signing for Leeds, because it earned him a mega £55m transfer to Barcelona in the summer of 2022, which represented a huge profit on the £17m that they paid Rennes for his services two years prior.

The Whites were, of course, relegated the season after he left, illustrating how important he was to their survival, and Leeds could land their biggest and most influential signing since Raphinha by landing a reported Premier League target.

Leeds eyeing move for Premier League midfielder

Journalist Ben Jacobs has suggested that Leeds United could be eyeing up a deal to sign central £35m midfielder Yves Bissouma from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window.

The Mali international just won the Europa League with Spurs, starting in the final against Manchester United, but he could be on his way out of North London in the coming weeks, with the Whites said to be a team to watch in the race for his services.

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Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: “He wants to stay in the Premier League. I’m told Leeds are another one to watch. They’re looking to add another midfielder. It will all come down to finances and wages for them too.”

As the reporter said, wages could come into play as Bissouma earns £55k-per-week, per Capology. Patrick Bamford is reportedly on £70k-per-week, per Capology, which does not suggest that the club would have to break their wage structure to bring the Spurs midfielder in.

It now remains to be seen whether or not Leeds will be able to get a deal over the line for the ex-Brighton star, but he could be their biggest signing since Raphinha if they can bring him to Elland Road.

Why Bissouma would be Leeds' biggest signing since Raphinha

As aforementioned, Raphinha was a huge addition for Leeds because the quality that he provided at the top end of the pitch played a pivotal role in the team avoiding relegation from the Premier League in both of his seasons at the club.

The Whites have not achieved top-flight survival in a season since the Brazilian star moved on from Elland Road, but Bissouma is a player who has the potential to lead them to survival in the 2025/26 campaign.

Whilst the Mali international did not have the best season with Spurs, starting just 16 of his 28 outings in the top-flight, his form for Brighton before his move to Spurs shows that the potential is there for him to be an excellent player at that level.

U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed that Bissouma was “the best DM in the Premier League” in February 2021, and that was not an outrageous claim to make between the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns.

As you can see in the table above, the then-Brighton star caught the eye with 4.7 and 4.8 tackles and interceptions per game in those two seasons, which shows that he was constantly winning the ball back for his side by breaking up opposition attacks.

For context, no Leeds player managed more than 3.5 tackles and interceptions combined per game in the Championship this season, illustrating just how impressive Bissouma’s form for Brighton was from a defensive perspective.

The Spurs midfielder has shown signs of that quality during his time in London, averaging 4.2 tackles and interceptions per match in the Premier League for the club in the 2023/24 term, but he peaked with the Seagulls.

At the age of 28, Bissouma still has plenty of time to get back to his best, though, and that is why he could be a transformational signing for Leeds as a proven top-flight performer who could be the ‘best DM in the Premier League’ at his best, making him their best and biggest signing since Raphinha as no one else has kept the team in the top tier since the Brazilian left in 2022.

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He would arrive at Elland Road with pedigree and quality and could provide a strong foundation for Farke’s side in the middle of the park with his ability to consistently break up attacks, which would be particularly vital in a relegation battle where they may have their backs against the wall at times.