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Aston Villa are leading the race for a promising young defender, who is expected to cost over £17m, and they are now pushing to get a deal over the line, according to a report.

Villa set to sell women's team amid PSR concerns

Premier League teams are having to come up with inventive new ways to get around PSR, and Villa now appear to have followed in Chelsea’s footsteps by agreeing to sell their women’s team.

As a result, Unai Emery should hopefullyhave more money to work with in the transfer window, and the manager is particularly keen to bolster his options in the middle of the park, with a £17m bid being made for Galatasaray’s Gabriel Sara.

According to a report form France, Aston Villa are also leading the race for versatile Toulouse player Jaydee Canvot, who is able to play at both defensive midfield and centre-back, and they are now pushing to get a deal over the line.

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Aston Villa in Premier League battle to sign striker who can compete alongside Ollie Watkins.

2 ByBrett Worthington Jun 30, 2025

Toulouse are undecided about whether they are willing to cash-in on Canvot this summer, but should the French club choose to sanction a departure, it is expected that they will hold out for a fee of €20m (£17m).

The Villans are said to have had a scout at the Maurice Revello tournament, which was won by France U20s, and they were clearly impressed by the defender’s performances, although it remains to be seen whether they are willing to stump up £17m.

Canvot could be excellent long-term signing for Villa

The Toulouse ace is only 18 years old, so it is an impressive feat that he has already managed to force his way into the first team, making 20 appearances in all competitions last season, which indicates he may not be too far off Villa’s first-team level.

One scout was also left impressed after watching the teenager in a midfield role, praising him for his ability in possession of the ball.

It is too early to say definitively whether the youngster would be a success at Villa Park, but he is certainly displaying good signs, and the Frenchman’s versatility is an added bonus.

As such, it is promising news that Villa are pursuing a deal, but £17m would be a large fee to pay for a player yet to prove himself over a sustained period.

Arsenal continue working on their summer recruitment plans ahead of an imperative 2025/2026 campaign, with Mikel Arteta looking to swiftly put the disappointments of last season firmly behind him and bring silverware back to the Emirates.

Arsenal attempting to secure key summer signings for Mikel Arteta

New sporting director Andrea Berta’s arrival at N5 was met with plenty of excitement and anticipation for the window ahead.

Related Forward pulls U-turn over joining Arsenal with "verbal agreement" reached

He’s made a definitive decision.

Posts 2 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 11, 2025

Since replacing Edu Gaspar in the role, Berta has wasted no time in identifying key targets and moving forward with due negotiations.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Arsenal’s pursuit of a second-choice goalkeeper to replace Neto and provide David Raya with an astute back-up now looks set to end with the looming arrival of Chelsea’s Arrizabalaga, who’s poised to join the Gunners for just £5 million due to a release clause in his contract.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are also attempting to sign RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko to end their long wait for a prolific frontman, with Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg among the credible media outlets to report that “concrete talks” have been held over a move for the Slovenian.

However, one man who was long thought to be joining Arsenal, before either of these names, comes in the form of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

The Spain international caused a major stir when denying reports that he’s set for a medical with Arsenal, which even came after renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano gave his famous ‘here we go’ to the deal, indicating that his move to the Emirates was done.

Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay even made a cryptic statement suggesting his transfer to Arsenal was nowhere near as advanced as this, but reliable media sources have since come out to reassure supporters that their signing of Zubimendi remains firmly on track.

David Ornstein shares Martin Zubimendi update out of Arsenal

Firstly, Romano reiterated earlier this week that an Arsenal deal for Zubimendi is definitively agreed, but also refused to rule out the prospect of Real Madrid hijacking this deal in a sensationally late fashion.

However, in an even more positive update, The Athletic correspondent David Ornstein has now poured cold water over the prospect of Real swooping in at all, despite reports to the contrary from Spain.

Ornstein states that Arsenal consider Zubimendi’s transfer as “done and signed”, and Bernabeu sources say Real never actively pursued a move for the “world-class” 26-year-old.

In his detailed piece for The Athletic, Ornstein adds that Sociedad want the deal to be fully ratified in July for accounting purposes, so they can log Zubimendi’s sale as part of the next financial year.

This could seriously explain the delay behind his likely announcement as an Arsenal player, so it appears supporters can breathe an even bigger sigh of relief when it comes to the Sociedad star’s looming arrival.

Ahead of Vitor Pereira’s first summer in charge, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now reportedly moving to seal their move to sign a South American talent at their manager’s request.

Pereira already requesting Wolves incomings

With Matheus Cunha reportedly on his way to Manchester United this summer, it should come as no surprise that Pereira has requested attacking reinforcements in the coming months. Recent rumours have indicated that the Portuguese manager is a particular fan of Corinthians forward Yuri Alberto and has now asked Wolves to make a reunion happen between himself and his former star.

Appearances

34

Goals

13

Assists

1

Having worked with the Brazilian before, Pereira will already know all about Alberto’s potential. At 24 years old, he has shown consistent promise at Corinthians over the years and only added to his goal tally this season – scoring 13 in 34 games.

The Portuguese manager also knows just how important it is to get recruitment right at Wolves in the coming months, having told reporters when asked about the summer transfer window back in April: “I expect to go with Wolves to the next level, the next step. This is what I’m thinking about.

“We don’t need a lot of money, we just need to make the right decisions and have a plan. My focus is on this team and trying to get the best results possible until the end of the season.

“Keeping almost all of the players (is important) because we have a very good group. I want to work for another level, I want to take the next step with this club.”

Signing South American talents seems to be the manager’s chosen route towards that next step, too, with another promising talent now reportedly on Wolves’ radar ahead of the summer window.

Wolves moving to seal Araujo deal

According to reports in Brazil, as relayed by Sport Witness, Wolves are now moving to seal their deal to sign Evertton Araujo, who has a release clause worth as much as €40m (£34m) at Flamengo. Whilst such a price may seem steep, reports suggest that Pereira has requested the arrival of the midfielder and the Midlands club have already made contact over a potential deal.

Pereira’s request should come as no shock and Wolves, themselves, are no strangers when it comes to signing Brazilian talents after welcoming Andre last summer.

Wolves now eyeing £14m Argentinian prodigy who's already met with Arsenal

He’s a wanted man.

ByTom Cunningham May 22, 2025

Described as “strong” and “composed” as well as “aggressive” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Araujo could go on and make the same impact as Andre if he followed him to the Midlands in the coming months. Wolves’ transfer strategy has seemingly taken them towards Brazil once again and that should be seen as no bad thing.

Tottenham Hotspur have been tipped to appoint a “perfect” replacement for under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou, but it isn’t their rumoured top managerial target Andoni Iraola.

Ange Postecoglou relying on Europa League to save Tottenham job

Following a dismal Premier League campaign, with Postecoglou on course to become Spurs’ worst-ever head coach in the competition’s history, the Australian is seriously under the cosh.

Tottenham plan "surprise" move for Chelsea star as Maresca sanctions exit

The Lilywhites are big fans.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 8, 2025

A 3-1 win over relegated Southampton on Sunday provided a rare break from the pressure surrounding Postecoglou’s position, with the 59-year-old now fully focused on getting past Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie on Thursday.

It is widely believed that Postecoglou is relying on a good run in the Europa League to keep his job at Tottenham, and this is echoed by reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures	Date
Wolves (away)	April 13th
Nottingham Forest (home)	April 21st
Liverpool (away)	April 27th
West Ham (away)	May 3rd
Crystal Palace (home)	May 10th

“It’s not over yet, but it’s a dangerous situation, the one of Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham,” said Romano on his YouTube channel last week.

“I know Spurs fans are not happy with the current situation. It’s really poor in terms of points. In the Europa League, it’s a different story. Now, there is an important clash with Eintracht [Frankfurt]. So the Europa League is saving the season at the moment for Tottenham and Postecoglou.

“If Tottenham win the Europa League, this could change the whole sense of the project. Next year, they would be in the Champions League finally, so it would be really important. Otherwise, the expectation is that there is a very concrete and strong chance for Tottenham to replace Postecoglou at the end of the season.”

The Lilywhites have already been drawing up potential replacements for Postecoglou, including Iraola, who is believed to be their leading candidate for the job (The Athletic).

However, the 42-year-old isn’t Spurs’ only option, with links also surrounding Fulham boss Marco Silva.

Some reports even suggest that Tottenham have already made an apporach for Silva, following another impressive campaign at Craven Cottage for the Portuguese. European football is very much still alive for the Whites, and they’re fresh off the back of a thrilling 3-2 win over Premier League title frontrunners Liverpool.

Tottenham tipped to appoint Marco Silva instead of Andoni Iraola

Now, TalkSPORT pundit Troy Deeney has explained why Silva would be the “perfect” appointment for Tottenham, with the ex-Watford striker tipping him to transform Spurs in just three months.

“The biggest compliment you could take for Marco Silva is that, if you look at all the people that are around him – his staff – they’ve been poached, because they (other clubs) want Marco Silva but they go and get the people off his branches,” said Deeney on air (via West London Sport).

“He’s ready for a big team. I think he’d be perfect for Spurs if they would allow him to just go and take over and not get involved too much from up above.

“I think he’d change the culture of that place within three months. Marco is definitely ready. Fulham are on a good trajectory, but I think they’ll struggle to keep him long term.”

Check out the growing list of male cricketers who have gone across borders to play more international cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2025Former New Zealand captain Ross Taylor un-retiring to play for Samoa makes him the latest in a growing list of men who have turned out for more than one country.The first dual international was all the way back in 1881-82, when Billy Midwinter played for England in a three-Test series after having played two Tests for Australia against England. He went back to representing Australia and played six more Tests.In those early years Billy Murdoch, John Ferris, Sammy Woods, Frank Hearne, Albert Trott and Frank Mitchell did the same – playing Test cricket for Australia and England. Then there was the Nawab of Pataudi, Iftikhar Ali Khan, who played for England and India, and subsequently the instances of players who played for India and then Pakistan after the partition of the country in 1947.In the new millennium, among the players who have represented at least one Full Member team, only 18 male cricketers are recorded to have played for two countries in international cricket before Gavin Hamilton (Scotland and England) in 1999. Since then, excluding Hamilton, who went back to Scotland and played through the 2000s, there have been 25.

T20 stars find new homes

The best known among these is Tim David, who played the last of his 14 T20Is for Singapore, where his father worked as an engineer, in 2020 before appearing for Australian against India in Mohali in September 2022.David Wiese had a stop-start career with South Africa as a bowling allrounder, playing six ODIs and 20 T20Is for them before shifting his loyalties to Namibia, for whom he has been a star player. Since the move in 2021, he has played nine ODIs and 34 T20Is for his new team and, like David, is popular in the franchise-league circuit.Tim David is one of the most in-demand players in the franchise T20 circuit•Getty ImagesAnother such cricketer is Hayden Walsh, who emerged as West Indies’ next big short-format spinner in November 2019, not long after playing for USA in Sandy’s Parish against Canada, Bermuda and Cayman Islands. But 25 ODIs and 39 T20Is (combined, for USA and West Indies) later, at 33, he appears to have fallen off the radar.

Africans on the move

Daniel Jakiel played two T20Is for Zimbabwe in 2019 before moving to Malawi, for whom he has played 39 times, while Gregory Strydom played 12 ODIs for Zimbabwe, all in 2016, and then moved to Cayman Islands, where he has played six T20Is, all in 2019.Related

• Former NZ international Tom Bruce switches to Scotland

• Taylor comes out of retirement to play for Samoa

And then there are the more high-profile names, like Gary Ballance, who has played Test cricket for England and Zimbabwe – much like Kepler Wessels, who played Test cricket for Australia and South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s. Roelof van der Merwe, 40, is still going strong for Netherlands after switching from South Africa in 2015. He should be in action at the 2026 T20 World Cup too.Peter Moor moved from Zimbabwe to Ireland but retired as the 17th player to play Test cricket for two countries, without turning out for Ireland in ODIs or T20Is. Juan ‘Rusty’ Theron, who moved from South Africa in 2012 and became eligible to play for USA in 2019, hasn’t actually played international cricket since 2022. He was last seen in competitive cricket at the 2023 Major League Cricket before moving to the retired-cricketers circuit.Joe Burns, the new Italy captain•International Cricket Council

The Italian Job

News of an Italy team selection wouldn’t normally catch the attention of the rest of the cricket world but it did when Joe Burns, the former Australia Test opener, changed allegiance thanks to his mother’s heritage and was named Italy’s captain.Burns was not the first dual-international to play for Italy – that was former England fast bowler Jade Dernbach, who made the switch in 2019. He hasn’t played for Italy since October 2021 though.Eoin Morgan, the Ireland man in England, poses with the 2019 World Cup trophy•Getty Images

The England-Ireland switch

Eoin Morgan and fast bowler Boyd Rankin moved from Ireland to England well before Ireland became a Full Member nation, and Ed Joyce moved the other way after the step up for Ireland.Of them, Morgan was the biggest achiever, with the 2019 ODI World Cup win as captain the biggest highlight. Rankin retired in 2021 after having played most of his 13 years of international cricket for Ireland. He represented England in one Test, seven ODIs and two T20Is.Joyce played his only Test match for Ireland, but stood out for playing successive ODI World Cups for different countries. He helped Ireland qualify for the 2007 edition but played the tournament for England, and then switched back to Ireland in time for the 2011 tournament.Ross Taylor will become the latest in a long line of New Zealand cricketers to move to another country•Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

To New Zealand, from New Zealand

Tom Bruce became the latest to make the switch from New Zealand, to Scotland in August 2025, and is currently in action for his new team at the World Cup League 2 matches in Canada.He is not the first to make the journey, one way or the other.Corey Anderson might be the biggest name of the lot. His Test and ODI careers, from 2013 to 2017, were entirely for New Zealand – 13 and 49 matches in each formats respectively. His 42 T20Is have been more diverse: 31 for New Zealand, and the last 11 for USA.Mark Chapman went from Hong Kong to New Zealand. Now 31, Chapman was born in Hong Kong and played for them from 2014 to 2016 before moving full-time to New Zealand, for whom he has been a regular, especially in T20Is, for the past few years.Michael Rippon played all his nine ODIs for Netherlands but has played one T20I (out of 19) for New Zealand after making the switch in 2022.Luke Ronchi played for Australia in 2008-09 and then for New Zealand from 2013 to 2017. He became the first man to represent two Full Member countries in around two decades, Wessels having been the previous one. Ronchi played all his four Tests for New Zealand, four of his 85 ODIs for Australia and the rest for New Zealand, and three of his 33 T20Is for Australia and the rest for New Zealand.Geraint Jones, from Ashes-winning catch to Papua New Guinea•Getty Images

Dirk Nannes, Geraint Jones, and the rest

Dirk Nannes played his only ODI for Australia, against Scotland, in 2009, not long after switching from Netherlands after having played two T20Is. He went on to play 15 T20Is for Australia but is better known for his exploits in franchise T20 cricket.Geraint Jones, best remembered for the catch that won England the Edgbaston Test in the 2005 Ashes, played 34 Tests and two T20Is for England, but played for both England and Papua New Guinea in ODIs – 49 for England, and two for PNG.Some of the other modern dual internationals are Izatullah Dawlatzai (Afghanistan and Germany), Amjad Khan (England and Denmark), Xavier Marshall (West Indies and USA) and Ryan Campbell (Australia and Hong Kong).

This is a team that dominates spin bowling and may well have the best top six on the planet

Sidharth Monga07-Oct-20231:16

Steyn: Markram played good cricket shots and they travelled a mile

July 6, 2019 in Manchester was a poignant night for South African cricket. It was their last match of a disappointing World Cup campaign. It was like a band parting because a lot of their backroom and administrative staff was moving on. Players were moving on. Everybody was saying their farewells, and there was uncertainty around the future of South African cricket.In the year and a half leading up to that World Cup, South Africa had lost a home Test to India, had been blown away in home ODIs by the same opposition, and the socioeconomics of their cricket made it difficult for them to retain talent. There was a justified sense of doom and gloom around the future of South African cricket that night.And yet, that night, South Africa teased their followers with a glimpse of what could have been. Faf du Plessis scored a century, Rassie van der Dussen announced himself to the wider world with an innings of 95, and they beat Australia. The consolation win ended up changing the expected semi-finals line-up, and thus possibly the result of the tournament, but that was the least of South Africa’s concerns that night. When asked about their future, the players didn’t know what to say.Related

• South Africa confident to cut loose despite untried lower-order hitters

• Aiden Markram: 'There's a lot of passion in this team to give our absolute all at this World Cup'

• Markram and South Africa smash World Cup records

• Markram, van der Dussen and de Kock ton up as South Africa trump Sri Lanka in run-fest

• Bavuma's South Africa are different. Maybe their World Cup will be too?

Four years on, in their next ODI World Cup match, the resilient sporting nation has announced themselves as credible threat. Whatever the realities of South Africa and the cricket economy be, there has been reaffirming regeneration.And it hasn’t needed wholesale changes. All three centurions in this tournament opener, Aiden Markram, van der Dussen, Quinton de Kock, were part of that Manchester XI. Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi have only become better in the intervening four years. David Miller has resurged.This is a different South African team to the ones we are used to. They come here with great numbers against spin. Since the start of 2022, they average 42 against spin in the middle overs at a-run-a-ball, the best by a distance. In Markram and Heinrich Klaasen, they have two of the most-sought-after middle-overs batters. And yet even those building them up were a little circumspect because, after all, they did lose to spin in a T20 World Cup that they were among the favourites to win last year.ESPNcricinfo LtdStarting in Delhi against a side that relies on slower bowlers was going to be challenging, but a relaid surface didn’t quite test South Africa on the conditions front. With that rider out of the way, South Africa did serve a warning to other contenders. The highest World Cup total, the quickest World Cup century, three centuries in one innings should be enough for the world to sit up and take notice, but it was the assured, unhurried manner in which they went about doing it that will concern the others.In his last hurrah in ODI cricket, de Kock is more a sophisticated car than the runaway car we know of. He made a slow start but gradually kept going through the gears. He was 21 off 28 when Sri Lanka first went to spin, and immediately de Kock pulled out a reverse-sweep to counter Dhananjaya de Silva. This was his way of saying he was being watchful but he was not going to let the bowlers get on top of him.De Kock ended up scoring 87 off 56 balls in the middle overs with barely a risk taken except for the one six down the ground against the turn of de Silva. Van der Dussen didn’t even take that much risk. His was a proper dispiriting innings of a No. 3, whose method promises replicas.The high point was the delectable drive wide of mid-on after stepping out to left-arm spin, and the contest that ensued. No left-arm spinner likes it, and Dunith Wellalage is no different. A cat-and-mouse ensued where van der Dussen kept trusting the pitch to try to step out, but Wellalage didn’t leave his spot. He just varied the amount of air he gave the ball, and kept van der Dussen rooted. A couple of half edges later, the reverse-sweep came out.Wellalage eventually ended up with unflattering figures of 10-0-81-1, but he was the only one who challenged van der Dussen. Markram didn’t face even that much challenge. His is the most remarkable resurrection in this South African side. A prodigy, an opener, given captaincy too early, Markram looked a man weighed down by the world in 2019.Now Markram has reinvented himself as premium batter against the older ball in limited-overs cricket. Between the World Cups, he has averaged 64 and struck at 107 in the middle overs. At Kotla, he showed what he can do when he has a platform and can take his innings into the death overs.The most remarkable thing about the quickest World Cup century was that there was nothing frenetic about it. Just a couple of on-the-up straight drives to get going, after having faced 10 balls for just nine runs, and then just precision timing and placement.There will be times when their untested lower order will hamper them, but South Africa have served an early reminder that on form and variety, they might just have the best top six in this World Cup. We have come a long way from that gloomy night in Manchester four years ago.

England tumble into the void of Buttler’s thousand-yard stare after Labuschagne drop

Andrew Miller16-Dec-2021If Jos Buttler’s pupils were craters, then the entire England team could have tumbled into the void of his thousand-yard stare, after one of the most evocative errors ever committed to Ashes legend.Dropped catches are a fact of Test cricket, and an occupational hazard of wicketkeepers in particular – “you get that one chance and that’s what you’ll be judged on,” Matt Prior, Buttler’s England predecessor, said during BT Sport’s close-of-play analysis.And yet, some drops just carry more weight than others, be it the moment of the match, the magnitude of the occasion, the identity of the reprieved … or in this late, late instance, all three, as Marnus Labuschagne was horribly spilled under the floodlights, to deny James Anderson his first wicket of the Ashes, and to suck any hope that England had harboured of a late redressing of the first-day balance.It was, by any wicketkeeper’s standards, an irredeemable shocker. A regulation nick, at a comfortable height to Buttler’s right, and one that he ought to have swallowed – not least given the confidence with which his day had begun, thanks to a stunning leg-side grab to dismiss Marcus Harris off Stuart Broad.That earlier moment had been a perfectly choreographed marriage of footwork and hand-speed, as Buttler flung out his right mitt to prise England’s only new-ball breakthrough. And yet, by degrees, his ebullience ebbed, most notably through a separate – less ghastly but equally culpable – spill off Labuschagne, as he misjudged the pace of a glove down the leg side and was almost through his leap before the ball reached his hands.Related

• Batting duo set foundation for Australia's early stranglehold

• Australia rise above Cummins chaos as Labuschagne, Warner grind England down

• Warner confused by England bowling plans as Thorpe defends selection

“He’s a human being,” Graham Thorpe, England’s assistant coach, said at the close. “It’s bit like being a goalkeeper. You can keep magnificently throughout the day, but if you drop a catch, it gets highlighted. But we’ll get around him and try to be philosophical about it as well, because I think you have to be. At the end of the day, we’re playing a game of cricket.”Perhaps it’s too soon to pronounce Buttler’s drop as the moment that the Ashes were lost. But if, as you might expect from a side that has won 10 of its last 11 home fixtures against England, Australia were to grind this latest formidable start into another imposing finish and a
2-0 series lead, then posterity is sure to replay his agonising miss, time and time again, until it is grooved into the sport’s annals.Just ask Ashley Giles, who dropped Ricky Ponting at square leg on this very ground in 2006-07 – an error which could not be held directly responsible for the horrors of England’s final-day collapse, but which set in motion a chain-reaction of Australian recovery for the remainder of the match. Or how about Thorpe himself, whose reprieve of Matthew Elliott at Headingley in 1997 holds a similarly grim fascination for those of a ghoulish bent?”Everyone who’s played this game and drops a catch is always disappointed,” Thorpe added. “For Jos, it’s going to hurt tonight but he’s going to have to get out of bed and come again, and enjoy his day tomorrow, because that’s what Test cricket is all about.”And yet, it’s not just Buttler who will have to come again because, by the close, England’s collective morale was through the floor. The day had started with Australia’s captain Pat Cummins being pinged as a Covid close contact – a drama that gave rise to momentary parallels with another fateful pre-toss incident at Edgbaston in 2005. Instead, the day ended with Cummins’ deputy (and predecessor) Steven Smith ensconced in a 45-run stand with his bat-alike Labuschagne, and primed to cash in on what has already proven to be an unforgiving deck.Buttler reacts after dropping Labuschagne for the first time•Getty ImagesThe moment looks likely to matter all the more, because in the absence of Mark Wood – the one man who could have bludgeoned a way through these conditions – the sameness of England’s five-pronged right-arm seam attack has been exposed, exactly as happened to their four-pronged right-arm seam attack in the same contest four years ago.And given that the first three of those bowlers – Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes – were unchanged from that original floodlit contest, it probably shouldn’t have come as a massive surprise.”I thought we stuck at it well,” Thorpe said. “I thought they played particularly well in those first few sessions, but obviously in Adelaide, it’s a good toss to win. Throughout the day, the run-rate didn’t go too far. But we’d have obviously loved to have more wickets down at the end of the day.”But just as Anderson had briefly ignited that 2017-18 match with a memorable spell under the lights, so the circumstances stacked up this time around, whereby England had one shot at redemption at the end of an arduous day. As ordained from the outset, twilight arrived along with the second new ball, and there was just enough nibble in the conditions to give England hope of a flurry of late breakthroughs – the sort of jackpot that could have justified their earlier focus on bowling dry, rather than striving for breakthroughs.Then Buttler dropped his clanger, and it was as if England had set themselves a massive great mammoth trap, only to watch their big beast trot harmlessly over their meticulously prepared pit of wooden stakes, and away to graze in the neighbouring pasture.Buttler’s diving catch saw off Marcus Harris in the first session•Getty ImagesFor the onlooking Prior, however, the moment was especially culpable because he felt it had been telegraphed by Buttler’s sluggish body language in the build-up to England’s final push.”Everyone thinks it’s your hands that get you a catch. It’s not, it’s your footwork,” Prior noted. “You’ve got to do the work with your legs, and then your hands just follow.”There were a couple of takes down the leg-side where [Buttler] had a dive and a bit of a fall and a flop. That’s lazy wicketkeeping. If he was on it in the first over the day, he would have been hop-skipping across, and would probably have stayed on his feet without diving.”It’s an agonising challenge now for Buttler to regroup from here and put in the performance that can both restore his own standards, and lift the levels of the men around him. It’s well known that he took some persuading to pitch in for the Ashes, amid the pressures of touring during the pandemic, but ultimately he did so because everything about his recall to the Test team, back in 2018, has been leading up to this point.He’s a proven England matchwinner, an indisputable legend of the white-ball game, and a player who only last month was belting most of Australia’s Test attack all around Dubai in a contemptuous onslaught at the T20 World Cup. For a split-second in the first Test at Brisbane, he channelled that same belief and focus into a spirited 39-run counterattack. But by the second innings of that dispiriting team performance, his joie de vivre had dissipated and he was back to poking uncertainly in the channel outside off.And now, here he is, snatching at England’s most priceless chance of an Ashes lifeline, as if taken by surprise by the bounce of the new ball and the sudden effectiveness of England’s greatest fast bowler in helpful evening conditions. It’s a dichotomy that encapsulates the wider failings of the team of which he is a central personality. And if a player of such proven stature as Buttler can’t raise his game for the clutch moment of the Ashes, what hope the wider team?

There might still be plenty of the season to go, but West Ham United look like they are in real trouble.

Nuno Espírito Santo was able to get something of a new manager bounce away to Everton, but since then, the team have lost to Arsenal and Brentford and remain in the Premier League relegation zone.

Moreover, while the former is understandable, the performance at home against the Bees was hugely worrying.

Therefore, to ensure the club can arrest their terrible form against Leeds United, Nuno needs to make a number of changes to the team, such as dropping Tomáš Souček.

The changes Nuno needs to make at West Ham

Starting at the back, Nuno needs to replace Kyle Walker-Peters and Oliver Scarles with Aarron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The former would offer more protection on the right-hand side, and the latter would add far more explosiveness and ingenuity to the left.

For example, the former Slavia Prague gem already has three league assists to his name in eight games, and the equalising goal against Everton came about because of his brilliant crossing.

There needs to be dramatic changes up top as well, with Lucas Paqueta moving back into the ten position and Callum Wilson starting up top.

The Brazilian was utterly anonymous in the false nine, and while he’s not been in brilliant form this season, he’s still one of the Hammers’ most creative players and therefore has to be somewhere he’ll see more of the ball.

Moreover, with the former Lyon star in the middle, Nuno can move Crysencio Summerville back out to the left.

This should have a significant impact on the side, as while the Flying Dutchman lacks somewhat in terms of actual output, he is an incredibly direct and tricky winger who can move opposition defenders around.

Additionally, with Diouf behind him, the left-hand side could be a seriously productive area of the pitch for the East Londoners.

Finally, Andy Irving has to be dropped in favour of the far more mobile, exciting and technically complete Soungoutou Magassa.

The young Frenchman still has a lot to learn at this level, but unlike the Scotsman, he’s blessed with “pure athleticism” and can “spray passes wide out to the wings” according to respected analyst Ben Mattinson.

With that said, there is one more change Nuno should make to the team – a change that would see him drop Souček.

The West Ham star who should start ahead of Souček

Now, it should be said that while he should be dropped from the starting lineup for the game against Leeds, there is certainly still a space in the squad for Soucek.

Chalkboard

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After all, the Czech international is someone you can trust to give his all for the team whenever he’s on the pitch.

However, as was abundantly clear against Brentford, that isn’t enough to be starting anymore, as his dire lack of athleticism is a problem, as is his less-than-impressive passing range.

Therefore, if Nuno wants to help start a new, more exciting and progressive chapter at the club, he should look to start academy gem Freddie Potts alongside Magassa.

It would certainly be a young and relatively inexperienced pairing, but even then, it would be better than what fans have seen so far this season.

For example, Mattinson has described the academy product as a promising midfielder who is “so smooth on the half-turn and composed under pressure.”

On top of that, he is also someone who can get the ball up the pitch quickly for his side, thanks to his impressive “passing range and powerful carrying.”

Finally, while he does lack top-flight experience, the Barking-born ace did incredibly well on loan in the Championship with Portsmouth last season.

He ended up making 38 appearances for the side, of which 36 were starts, scoring one goal, providing four assists, and helping keep the club in the second tier.

Potts’ 24/25
Appearances	38
Starts	36
Minutes	3108′
Goals	1
Assists	4
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Ultimately, it would be bold, but given how poorly West Ham are performing, Nuno needs to be bold, and therefore, he should start Potts against Leeds.

Nuno can finally drop Paqueta for West Ham teen with "the world at his feet"

With Paqueta playing so poorly, Nuno should do something bold and bring in the exciting West Ham gem.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 22, 2025

Further work required, particularly at senior leadership levels, according to Sport Structures report

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2025A new independent assessment of cricket in England and Wales says that “genuine progress” has been made in the sport’s bid to address its long-standing issues of inclusion and equity – but adds that further work is needed in several areas, including at senior leadership level.The State of Equity in Cricket Report, published by Sport Structures, had been commissioned by the ECB as a follow-up to the damning 2023 report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC), which found that racism, classism, sexism and elitism were “widespread” in the sport.That original report had concluded with 44 recommendations to the ECB, one of which was to publish a “full State of Equity Report every three years”. This latest document, 53 pages long, has been delivered a year ahead of schedule, with Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, stating that it was intended to “hold us to account” as cricket seeks to become the most inclusive team sport in England and Wales.”Cricket is not yet where it aspires to be, but the tone has changed,” Kate Percival, Sport Structures’ CEO, said in a statement. “Inclusion is now seen as central to the game’s health and future.”The report outlined several “notable areas of progress”, including improved access to talent pathways, and a doubling of the number of women’s and girl’s teams since 2021, backed up by significant increases in the number of professional women’s players and their pay.The establishment of a new independent Cricket Regulator, ring-fenced from the rest of the ECB, was also noted in the report, along with a £50 million investment in facilities since 2023, particularly in urban areas including two all-weather cricket domes in Bradford and Darwen.However, despite improved representation at board level – with female non-executives at 37% compared to 11% in 2019, and 18% ethnically diverse non-executives compared to 5% in 2019 – the report stated that “further action” was required at senior level, with a particular lack of Black representation.Dame Sarah Storey is the only female chair at a first-class county•Lancashire CCCDame Sarah Storey, who is currently interim chair at Lancashire, remains the only female chair at any of the 18 first-class counties, while the resignation of Essex chair Anu Mohindru – who was found to have lied on his CV – means the ethnic diversity among county chairs and chief executives remains at 6%.Coaching course data showed that more diversity is required in the Specialist programme which feeds the professional game, while Disability cricket requires “deeper integration” within county and club systems. The recreational game, meanwhile, requires further “capacity and expertise” to deal with discrimination issues, although a newly-formed Recreational Discipline Panel of independent experts is in place to hear the most serious and complex cases.”The State of Equity in Cricket Report holds us to account in relation to our ambitions to become the most inclusive team sport,” Gould said. “It shows us some areas of excellent work and progress, as well as where we need to go further.”The extensive work to open up the talent pathway to young people from every background is a great example of the changes that can be made when cricketing organisations join forces to break down barriers and deliver systemic change.”We know there is still a great deal of work to do, and a number of areas where more action is needed to address structural issues. We said from the start there could be no quick fix, but we committed to delivering meaningful and lasting change, and that will remain our absolute focus in the months and years ahead as we build on the progress we are setting out today.”

It’s understood Azhar felt the appointment of Sarfaraz Ahmed in a role that aligned closely with his own responsibilities led him to feel his position had become untenable

Danyal Rasool19-Nov-2025Azhar Ali has resigned from his position at the PCB as selector and head of youth development, ending a 12-month stint in that role. The departure, which was not publicly announced by either Azhar or the board, has been confirmed by ESPNcricinfo.ESPNcricinfo has learned Azhar’s departure came after an extended period of simmering differences in outlook between the former Pakistan captain and the board. Matters eventually came to a head after Sarfaraz Ahmed was reportedly appointed – though, again, not officially confirmed by the board – as the head of Pakistan Shaheens and Under-19 sides, with his remit extending to the organising and managing of tours, as well as conducting training camps.It is understood Azhar felt the appointment of Sarfaraz in a role that aligned closely with his own set of responsibilities led him to feel his position had become untenable. He sent in his letter of resignation earlier this week, which the PCB accepted.Azhar, who captained Pakistan in Tests and ODIs, was first brought into the PCB as a member of the selection panel for Pakistan’s men’s national side in October 2024. A month later, he had the role of youth development head tacked on, one which was publicly announced by the PCB at the time.The official announcement of his appointment on the PCB’s website stated that he had been “tasked with shaping the future of Pakistan cricket by designing and implementing comprehensive youth cricket strategies, establishing robust grassroots cricket structures and talent pathways, collaborating with regional cricket associations to strengthen age-group programmes, educating emerging cricketers under the PCB’s Pathways Programme, and organising seminars and clinics to build awareness of off-field development essentials for aspiring players”.The next major assignment for a Pakistan age-group side comes at the 2026 Under-19 World Cup, which runs from January 15 to February 6, and will take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Co-hosts Zimbabwe, Scotland and England are in Pakistan’s group at the competition, which Pakistan have won twice – in 2004 and 2006.