Earlier this week, Everton finally secured the signature of striker Thierno Barry in a £27m deal from Villarreal.

David Moyes has been working to get this one over the line, and there is no doubt Barry could become a major hit on Merseyside next season.

The supporters will be hoping that the Frenchman isn’t the only attacking player to arrive this summer, especially as Moyes will be looking to drag Everton back into the top half of the Premier League table.

Recent news suggests Moyes might be close to signing another player. Could he be an even bigger talent than Barry?

Everton hold talks with Manchester City starlet

According to Football Transfers, Everton are aiming to finalise a move for City starlet James McAtee after they held talks with his representatives earlier this week.

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West Ham United are also keen on securing his signature, and the youngster could cost Everton around £30m should he choose them.

The next few weeks could be interesting indeed, as McAtee certainly appears to be a man in demand. If Moyes is able to wrap up a deal sooner rather than later, he could transform the club’s attacking department.

Furthermore, McAtee would turn out to be an even bigger talent than Barry over the next few years.

Why Everton must sign James McAtee

For Villarreal last season, Barry scored 11 times in La Liga, going on to grab four assists also, as he established himself as one of the best young forwards in the division.

McAtee may have only played 27 times for Man City last term, with only nine of them coming in the starting XI, but he still managed to find the back of the net seven times.

Goals

3

Assists

0

Key passes per game

0.2

Big chances created

2

Successful dribbles per game

0.1

Shots per game

0.8

He also shone for England at the recent U21 European Championship, scoring once and grabbing two assists as the country retained their title. Barry also featured at the tournament, but he managed to score just once as France were knocked out at the semi-final stage.

McAtee also averaged 1.7 key passes per game, while averaging 2.3 shots and 36.3 touches per match at the competition. Barry, on the other hand, could only muster 0.4 key passes, while averaging two shots per game, and 13.2 touches each game.

While the former Villarreal starlet was clearly close to his best last term, considering his displays in La Liga, it is evident that McAtee has yet to truly blossom.

Given that Pep Guardiola once hailed him as a “special talent”, once he finds a team that is willing to utilise his skills on a regular basis, the Englishman will be unstoppable. Indeed,

The pair would combine to great effect next season should Moyes secure a deal with City, but given their respective ceilings, it is McAtee who has the potential to be the bigger talent. Indeed, managing to poach such a player from an academy like Man City’s would be truly exciting.

Everton could be a team to be feared next season, especially should a move for McAtee go through in the coming weeks, that’s for sure.

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Justin Broad takes seven but match called off after suspected broken finger for Vasconcelos

ECB Reporters Network29-Aug-2024The Vitality County Championship Second Division match between Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire was abandoned owing to concerns from the umpires over player safety on a hybrid pitch.Umpires Chris Watts and Sue Redfern called a halt early on in the final session after Northants batters Ricardo Vasconcelos and Rob Keogh had been struck blows on the hand by Gloucestershire paceman Ajeet Singh Dale and retired hurt.Northants were 116 for 2 in reply to Gloucestershire’s 125 when the contest was abandoned at 5pm, the umpires consulting with both captains before leading the players from the pitch and then holding a consultation with groundstaff to explain their decision.Watts and Redfern then talked with match referee Jason Swift before contacting ECB pitch inspectors at Lord’s to seek advice. The decision was then taken to abandon the match.Gloucestershire scored in excess of 500 runs on a neighbouring pitch against Leicestershire earlier in the week, but were unceremoniously shot out in just 36.1 overs on this occasion. The county deployed a hybrid pitch for their home Championship match against Middlesex in May without any issues arising. But this was an altogether different set of circumstances, with Vasconcelos being taken to hospital with a suspected broken finger.When Keogh was struck during the final session, the umpires, concerned for the safety of the batters, made their intervention. Northants will collect 11 points for a draw, including three bowling bonus points, but Gloucestershire will receive none. It remains to be seen whether or not the county will face any further sanction but the matter has been passed to the Cricket Regulator for investigation.The umpires issued a brief statement, which read: “The match has been abandoned because there was a foreseeable risk to the batters. In the opinion of the umpires, it would be unreasonable to continue.”Gloucestershire declined to speak to the media at the close of play, and later issued a statement in anticipation of further action.”Whilst we acknowledge that this is not something anyone would have wanted to happen, we need to see, understand and discuss the match referee’s report before making further comment on the decision,” the club wrote. “We expect there will be an ECB investigation and we will of course assist them at all stages of that investigation.”Justin Broad had reason to feel aggrieved, having produced a career-best bowling performance to put the skids under Gloucestershire. In the absence of pace spearheads Ben Sanderson and Jack White, both rested ahead of next week’s Vitality Blast quarter-final against Somerset, batting all-rounder Broad was handed the new ball and returned startling figures of 7 for 33 in 15.1 overs with seven maidens.Of the Gloucestershire batters, only Ollie Price managed to cope with exaggerated nip and seam off the pitch, top-scoring with 52 and staging a stand of 60 for the fifth wicket with Graeme van Buuren, whose dismissal for 40 sparked a collapse which saw the home side lose their last six wickets for 22 runs in 11.1 overs.Despite having to field a weakened attack, Procter did not hesitate to bowl first on a green-tinged surface and it proved an exceedingly good toss to win, Gloucestershire losing openers Cameron Bancroft and Ben Charlesworth inside six overs as Broad and his captain made the new ball talk.Although Broad boasted just 11 wickets at 43 apiece in 13 previous first-class matches, he looked the part when persuading a length ball to straighten up and clip the top of Bancroft’s off stump. Having scored a maiden double hundred in his last innings, Charlesworth was brought down to earth with a bump when pushing tentatively at an angled delivery from Procter and offering a straightforward catch to second slip.Procter struck again in his next over, Miles Hammond swishing at a ball outside off stump and nicking to second slip as Gloucestershire slipped to 16 for 3. Unlike Hammond, the in-form James Bracey could not be held accountable for his dismissal, the Championship’s leading run scorer being unfortunately run out when Dom Leach diverted an Ollie Price drive onto the stumps with the batter at the non-striker’s end backing up.Price and van Buuren enjoyed better fortune against the change bowlers, the latter taking on Gus Miller with a top-edged hook that went for six and then twice pulling Leach to the mid-wicket boundary to afford the innings momentum.But van Buuren flirted with danger and was twice dropped on 25 and 30 before pursuing a wide delivery and feathering a catch to second slip to gift Broad his second wicket. The South African’s dismissal for a run-a-ball 40 with the score on 93 sparked a calamitous collapse, Tom Price falling lbw to Broad in the final over before lunch, which was taken with the hosts on 113 for 6. Gloucestershire’s slide continued unchecked after the interval, Zafar Gohar shouldering arms to a straight one from Broad, who then pinned Ollie Price lbw for an 85-ball 52 to register his maiden five-wicket haul.Broad then accounted for tailenders Dom Goodman and Zaman Akhter in quick succession on his way to achieving the best figures of any Northants bowler in matches at Bristol since George Thompson took 8 for 14 in 1910.Batting continued to be a hazardous affair when Northants replied. Prithvi Shaw and Vasconcelos staged an opening partnership of 50 in 11.1 overs, only for the latter to then edge a catch behind off Singh Dale. Vasconcelos advanced his score to 21 before retiring hurt, after which Procter and Keogh added an unbeaten 49 for the third wicket.

With Callum Osmand signed and delivered, Celtic have now reportedly turned their attention towards another young talent in what is a hectic race for his signature.

Osmand "really excited" by Celtic move

Following Kieran Tierney, Benjamin Nygren and Ross Doohan through the door, Osman officially put pen to paper at Celtic earlier this week. Arriving from Fulham, the 19-year-old will have his sights set on breaking into Brendan Rodgers’ first-team plans as soon as possible in Scotland.

After arriving, the young striker told Celtic’s official website: “It’s a massive move. I’m really excited and I can’t wait to step out at Celtic Park in front of all the fans.

“The winning mentality at Celtic is obviously unbelievable and I want to win trophies here. Every game that I step into here, I want to win, and I feel like we have all the facilities, players and staff to do so.”

The former Fulham man is also not the first to swap the Cottagers for Celtic Park, with Moussa Dembele and Matt O’Riley paving the way before Osmand, who took the chance to mention both players: “Obviously, there has been multiple names that have come to Celtic like Moussa Dembele and Matt O’Riley.

“I have spoken to Matt on the phone, so he has given me advice. He talked me through some stuff, that I knew about too. He was telling me about how big the club is, how amazing the fans are and it’s a new life really. So excited is definitely the word for me.”

Following Osmand’s arrival, Celtic’s focus isn’t destined to change anytime soon. Reports are now indicating that they’ve now instantly turned their attention towards signing another impressive young talent.

Celtic join race to sign "special" O'Sullivan

According to the Irish Independent, Celtic have now joined the race to sign Cathal O’Sullivan from Irish club Cork City this summer. It will be a complex deal to do, as the Scottish champions have joined the likes of Brentford and Preston North End in an already hectic battle to land the 18-year-old midfielder.

Like Osmand, O’Sullivan is full of talent and has often found himself at the centre of praise as a result. When speaking about one of Ireland’s top young talents, former Preston and current Cork City forward Sean Maguire told reporters: “He’s one of the best young fellas I’ve played with, and that includes in England. Not just because of his talent, it’s just his attitude towards everything.

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“That’s what teams in England will look for first, because you can just see it clear as day how good he is on the ball. He’s a joy to play with. When he eventually goes to England, I’ll be gutted not to play with him again, because of how good he is. “

“But I’ll be keeping tabs on his career, because he’ll definitely play for Ireland. He’s that good. I genuinely think he’s special… Whatever the club gets from him, he probably should be worth 10 times more.”

A new report claims Liverpool have made contact with a “superb” Paris Saint-Germain star over a summer move to Anfield and the Champions League winners have already responded.

Liverpool eyeing two Premier League players after Kerkez

Reds supporters couldn’t have asked for a much more positive start to the summer transfer window, with the arrival of Florian Wirtz having the potential to be huge. Not only that, but Jeremie Frimpong has also joined and Milos Kerkez is on the verge of coming in from Bournemouth.

Liverpool’s business may not stop there, however, and another Cherries player, Antoine Semenyo, continues to be linked with a move to the club. He has been mentioned as an option for some time, following an excellent season in the Premier League in 2024/25, in which he scored 11 times.

A new centre-back has to be looked at by the Reds at some point, considering Jarell Quansah is off to Bayer Leverkusen, and a bid for Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi could be made at some point this week.

Further up the pitch, Lyon winger Malick Fofana has been talked about as an exciting young target, with Liverpool ahead of Chelsea in the race to snap him up.

Liverpool make contact with PSG star Barcola

According to The Boot Room, Liverpool have now made contact and enquired with Paris Saint-Germain about signing winger Bradley Barcola this summer.

Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea are all in the same boat, but it is stated that PSG don’t want the France international to leave and have told those clubs their stance.

It looks unlikely that Liverpool will be able to entice Barcola to Anfield, but if the situation changes, they should be looking to bring him in as a hugely gifted option.

The Frenchman is now a Champions League winner after PSG’s brilliance last season, and he played his part in the success, scoring three goals and registering four assists in the competition.

At just 22, there is still so much more to come from Barcola as the years pass, and while he is at his best on the left wing, his versatility allows him to be a huge threat on the right flank and even in a central attacking role.

He was lauded as a “superb” player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig back in 2023, and has only grown as a footballer since then, and Liverpool’s best chance of signing him may be if PSG sign another attacker this summer, potentially stunting his growth there.

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Granted, new wide options aren’t essential for the Reds, especially if both Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo stay put, but players with the long-term ability of Barcola may not come around too often.

It’s exactly a month now until Sunderland’s exciting, yet daunting, Premier League season finally kicks into gear with West Ham United travelling to the Stadium of Light on the opening day.

There will be no Jobe Bellingham for Regis Le Bris to select, but that saddening exit has been more than softened by the number of incoming faces that have arrived on Wearside, with the ambitious Black Cats now up to six summer purchases after finalising a standout deal for Simon Adingra to enter the ranks for £18m.

Poaching the Ivorian from Brighton and Hove Albion will help boost Sunderland’s top-flight experience ahead of the challenging season to come, with more signings tipped to join the building who have recently called the elite division home.

Sunderland monitoring £30m midfielder

Indeed, whilst it is exhilarating to splash the cash on some foreign talents in the hope they come good, Le Bris will be aware that the Premier League is an unforgiving beast. Therefore, he will need players who have been in and around the division before to try and stave off relegation.

That’s where reported target Granit Xhaka might well come to the rescue in the middle of the park, with the ex-Arsenal star boasting a whopping 225 outings in the Premier League to date.

This is also where Bilal El Khannouss could join the ever-growing Black Cats camp and cause a stir, considering the Moroccan playmaker stood out last season for Leicester City near the bottom of the top-flight pile with his creativity and eye for goal.

According to Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett via X, Sunderland are monitoring developments involving the in-demand 21-year-old, with Mikel Arteta’s high-flying Arsenal also once noted as being an admirer of the £30m-rated ace, alongside what is described as ‘long-term’ interest from Le Bris and Co.

If all goes to plan and Sunderland are successful in this race, the Black Cats might well be about to pick up their next Jobe Bellingham, as the promising attacking midfielder attempts to reach the same levels as the now Borussia Dortmund superstar under Le Bris’ tutelage.

How El Khannouss could be Le Bris' next Jobe

Of course, Sunderland have already added several thrilling attacking signings to try and fill the void left behind by the 19-year-old’s high-profile departure, with the likes of £30m purchase Habib Diarra comfortably slotting in at the number ten spot if needed.

Yet, away from the much-loved Chris Rigg, there isn’t an instantly recognisable out-and-out number ten, which will be a concern, considering how impactful Bellingham was from this position during Sunderland’s promotion heroics.

In total, before packing his bags for a new Black and Yellow adventure, Bellingham would chip in with four goals and three assists in league action, with the strike above showing off his cool ability to fire home a sweet effort from distance, much like El Khannouss managed last season versus Tottenham Hotspur.

Whilst those numbers are not that mind-blowing in the grand scheme of things, even as he helped Sunderland return to the top-flight, Dortmund clearly saw a lot of promise in the teenage sensation as they attempt to try and mould him now into a potential world-class performer in Germany, with Sunderland thinking the exact same with their fresh target.

Games played

32

Goals scored

2

Assists

3

Touches*

42.5

Accurate passes*

24.0 (80%)

Big chances created

8

Analysing the numbers, El Khannouss managed to stand out as a bright spark last campaign, even as Leicester’s hopes of staying up fell to the wayside, with the 21-year-old going on to create an impressive eight chances in total, despite the Foxes only scoring a weak 33 strikes from 38 clashes.

In the right environment, El Khannouss’ game might be taken to that next level to the point where he’s in conversations to join the likes of Dortmund, with the Athletic’s Alexander Barker already labelling him as a “top talent” for the future.

Sunderland will just hope that if he does explode into life even more on Wearside, that he doesn’t desert the camp as quickly as Bellingham did, with El Khannouss perhaps one for the long-term if Le Bris’ men can consolidate their status as a top-flight side swiftly.

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South Africa lost to Ireland for only the second time in ODIs, with Jason Smith’s 91 in vain

Abhimanyu Bose07-Oct-2024

Half-centuries from captain Paul Stirling and Harry Tector, and an all-round bowling effort helped Ireland to a consolation win in the third ODI against South Africa. This was just Ireland’s second win over South Africa in the format.Winning the toss for the first time in the series, Ireland put on their best batting display before their bowlers made the most of friendly conditions under lightsJason Smith, playing his second ODI, made a fighting 91 but it was an effort in vain after Ireland had run through South Africa’s top five inside 20 overs.In the last two ODIs, Ireland bore the brunt of having to bat under the lights and suffered collapses. But on Monday, South Africa found out just how different a proposition it has been to bat second in Abu Dhabi.With the new ball swinging appreciably more under lights than in the last two games (broadcast showed average swing of 2.1 degrees on Monday compared to 1.1 over the previous two games), Ireland’s quicks made early inroads after their batters got them to a competitive total. Mark Adair had Ryan Rickelton edging to the slips cordon in the first over and trapped Rassie van der Dussen in front three overs later.Reeza Hendricks, flown in from South Africa due to the injury to Temba Bavuma, lasted just seven balls as he edged Graham Hume to Andy Balbirnie at second slip.Kyle Verreynne counter-attacked with six boundaries, but was trapped lbw for 38 by Craig Young as he missed his flick after going across the stumps. Smith and Tristan Stubbs tried to rebuild but Young had the latter nicking off with a harmless length ball in the 20th over.There was another stand of resistance between Smith and Andile Phehlukwayo, but the latter scuffed a pull to fine leg to give Fionn Hand a first ODI wicket on debut.Jason Smith scored his first international fifty but in vain•Cricket Ireland

Smith then took charge of the scoring, driving with authority on the off side, but lost partners at the other end. Bjorn Fortuin hung around before being bowled by left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys. Young then had Williams edging it to the keeper as he tried to ramp a short ball.Smith also launched Young and Adair over the leg side for a couple of sixes after bringing up his maiden international half-century. He moved into the eighties with a powerful flick wide of long-on off Adair in the 43rd over, before flicking him through midwicket for another boundary. He finished that over by swatting the fast bowler over wide long-on as he quickly moved into the nineties.But Adair had the last laugh when he caught Smith at deep point to end his resistance as the batter sliced a wide yorker from Hume. He hit nine fours and four sixes in his 93-ball knock, which followed a duck on ODI debut. Hume wrapped up the win when he had Lungi Ngidi edging behind with 23 balls to go.Ireland built their score on the back of Stirling and Andy Balbirnie’s first 100-plus partnership in ODIs. They made the most of good conditions on a fresh pitch, with Stirling starting off with a powerful cover drive off Ngidi in the first over. There were some edges that either went in the gaps or didn’t carry as Ireland’s openers saw out the powerplay.Stirling even took on South Africa’s best bowler in the series, Lizaad Williams, hooking him for six. Balbirnie was slower to start, taking his time to settle in. It was in the 13th over that he really got going, flicking Ngidi through midwicket for a boundary. In Ngidi’s next over, Balbirnie hit him for six before getting a couple of boundaries off Fortuin.There were a couple of quiet overs that followed during which Stirling got to his half-century, but Balbirnie holed out as he miscued a pull off Williams. The 101-run stand between Stirling and Balbirnie was Ireland’s second-highest in ODIs against South Africa.Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie put up a solid opening partnership•Cricket Ireland

Stirling immediately tried to put the pressure back on South Africa as he drove Williams through cover before hitting Fortuin wide of long-on. Curtis Campher started quickly, picking two boundaries off a Williams over before clubbing Fortuin over wide long-on for six. Stirling and Campher added 58 runs for the second wicket before Campher tried to paddle Baartman only to see the ball crash into the stumps.Stirling went on to drive Ngidi over long-off for another six before crashing Baartman behind point for a boundary, but was then cleaned up by an in-ducker for the second straight game, falling 12 short of a century.Lorcan Tucker, fit again and back in the side, kept Ireland ticking alongside Harry Tector, picking up regular boundaries as they added 54 runs to Ireland’s score. The stand was broken when Tucker tried to scoop Phehlukwayo only to sky it behind, with Ryan Rickelton taking a good catch running back.Phehlukwayo struck again in his next over, as George Dockrell cut him straight to point.Tector lofted Ngidi over long-on before cutting him behind through point for four to reach his half-century in the 48th over. Williams, who was not having his best game of the series until this point, finally made his mark in the penultimate over. He left the middle stump broken as Adair went across the stumps to try and scoop him. He then trapped Hand in front next ball and yorked Hume off the final ball to finish the series with 11 wickets.Tector finished on 60 off 48 as he was run out in the final over trying to run a second to keep strike.

Leeds United were very much the entertainers in the Championship last season as they romped home to the title in style.

In total, the free-flowing Whites would fire home an emphatic 95 strikes across the 46-game campaign, with Joel Piroe also winning the second-tier’s top goalscorer accolade when contributing to a sizeable 19 of that high amount.

Still, the newly promoted side will know the Premier League is a different kettle of fish altogether, resulting in some proven top-flight attackers now appearing on their ever-growing shopping list, as their goalscoring heroics in the EFL are pushed to the side.

Leeds consider move for new number ten

At one end of the pitch, Farke and co appear to have finally sealed a replacement for Illan Meslier, in the form of Lyon’s Lucas Perri, with the 27-year-old set to sign for a fee of around £13m from the Ligue 1 outfit.

At the other end, Leeds have already added Lucas Nmecha to their forward options, with the German attacker already helping himself to a pre-season goal for his brand new team.

But, with his sketchy injury record, it would be foolish to halt the striker additions there, as Rodrigo Muniz continues to be talked about as one of the Whites’ priorities up top in winning themselves a Premier League-ready performer.

Muniz does have a respectable 17 goals next to his name in the tough division for Fulham, but it remains to be seen what amount Farke and Co. would be willing to fork out to land the clinical Brazilian, with £50m coming in as his reported, eye-watering valuation.

Alongside securing a fresh striker, Leeds will also be on the hunt for an exciting number ten to complement the striker makeover, with Bilal El Khannouss an option they’re now considering in this department from recently relegated Leicester City.

Leeds-centric journalist Beren Cross has revealed that development amid interest in the Moroccan playmaker also coming from Sunderland and Aston Villa in the Premier League.

This level of interest in the £22.5m ace’s services might make it hard for Leeds to sneak a deal over the line, but if they want a promising attacking talent that could set up Muniz with even more chances, they should persist in trying to bring the up-and-coming youngster to West Yorkshire.

Why El Khannouss could be a dream for Muniz

Muniz’s 17 strikes for the Cottagers in total look like a reasonable amount of goals for a striker to have next to his name on first inspection.

However, that amount suddenly holds more weight when you consider eight of those strikes were hammered in Premier League action last season from just eight starts, with one of his Fulham teammates in Willian, even declaring him as “one of the best strikers in the Premier League” off the back of this blistering form.

An extended run in the team under Daniel Farke could well help Muniz become even more potent, with the likes of Daniel James no doubt chomping at the bit to supply him with golden opportunities, alongside El Khannouss if he ditches the King Power Stadium for Elland Road.

Even as Leicester fell through the relegation trapdoor last season, El Khannouss still managed to stand out as a thorn in the side of many top-flight outfits, with his promising output of two goals and three assists only telling the basic, surface-level story of an impressive individual campaign.

Indeed, if the 21-year-old had the potency of Muniz next to him in the Midlands, his assist count would be sitting at a far heftier amount, with a steep eight big chances created by the “sensational” El Khannouss – as he was glowingly labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson – when donning Foxes blue.

Four goals and 14 assists would also come the slick midfielder’s way when performing out of his skin for Genk before Leicester came calling, culminating in Miguel Ribeiro – who coached the Moroccan sensation in Belgium – further lauding the 21-year-old for possessing “eyes in his back” regarding his split-second ability to carve out an opening.

Both signings – as well as that of Perri – could be key, therefore, as Leeds attempt to play with confidence and swagger in the attacking areas in the Premier League, over receding into their shell as relegation candidates.

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Coach Muzumdar reveals decision was made long before they arrived in the UAE

Shashank Kishore03-Oct-20240:45

Harmanpreet: We have trained for the hot conditions

The “mystery” surrounding India’s No. 3 has been unboxed. The answer to the puzzle that Amol Muzumdar, the head coach, had been tight-lipped about is now set to be Harmanpreet Kaur.”Absolutely. Not just the warm-up games, but we had already decided back in India, in the camps that happened before we set off for the World Cup” Muzumdar said ahead of India’s tournament opener on Friday against New Zealand. “We had a lovely camp in Bangalore. We had decided there itself. These pre-World Cup matches absolutely stamped that for us.”You can guess it. If you go through the scorecards, you will find it.”It’s a position that has seen a number of occupants recently. And it’s one that was borne out of necessity, primarily because of Yastika Bhatia, who seemed the frontrunner until April, got injured during the Bangladesh tour.Related

October 4 at T20 World Cup: SA face WI in potential quarter-final; dew to play big role in India vs NZ

Rodrigues on batting at No. 5: 'I'm working on going all out from the first ball'

Yastika has since returned from a knee injury and is part of the squad in the UAE. But it appears now that she has to wait for her opportunities. Harmanpreet batted at No.3 in both of India’s warm-ups, with scores of 10 and 1. But that, it seems, was immaterial in the large scheme of things.It would appear the reasoning behind the decision is to give Harmanpreet the best chance of being able to maximise on her power game once set. At the position she otherwise bats, at four or five, Harmanpreet has largely found herself playing catch up; the telling evidence being her strike rate of 94.09 across 84 T20 innings since 2022.Since Muzumdar took over, there have been four others who’ve been tried there. Among them, Dayalan Hemalatha’s was the experiment that lasted the longest. But in seven games, she managed just 139 runs, 41 of which came in one innings. Sajeevan Sajana and Uma Chetry were the others tried out briefly.Muzumdar could’ve turned to Jemimah Rodrigues if required, but her maneuverability against spin makes her key at No. 4 or 5. The line of thinking is that Rodrigues, a touch player. can find it easier to pick gaps with spread out fields.The sample size is small, but Rodrigues strikes at 143.81 in 10 innings at No. 5, a marked improvement to the 110.19 at No. 3, albeit across across 59 innings. Even so, Rodrigues herself is working towards “striking from ball one” as the next step in her evolution as a T20 batter.WPL given us a strong base to find playersMuzumdar talked up India’s squad strength while also underlining how key back-up players were handed certain roles. Like Sajana, who enhanced her reputation as an X-factor player, being sent on the ‘A’ tour to Australia to “tick off certain boxes” as part of her development.”I think it’s been a collective effort not just from the Indian team or the Indian contingent but also from the NCA,” Muzumdar. “We’ve been completely in sync with the coaches over there who went on the India A tour to Australia. [We’ve] had constant chats, feedback were given post the tour as well.”I think we’re trying to formalise a lot of stuff. Apart from the Indian contingent as I said, the India A [setup] is also very important for us so that we get a lot of players, and the bench strength is stronger. We’ve seen the results.”Some of the players that have come into the Indian squad here at the World Cup are the product of what WPL is. Of course, not undermining the first-class [domestic] cricketers back home. But WPL has given us a strong base to find players.”Shreyanka Patil finished WPL 2024 as the Purple Cap winner•BCCIOne of the players to have enhanced her reputation courtesy the WPL is Shreyanka Patil. The allrounder was the highest wicket-taker during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s run to the title earlier this year, including a stellar 4 for 12 in the final.Shreyanka is just 12 T20Is old but has already been identified as a key death bowler capable of creating angles, like her fast-bowling team-mates, from around the stumps. With her variations in pace, she has also shown the propensity to bowl in every phase of the game.Another player who has accelerated her journey through the WPL route is Radha Yadav, who found herself in the cold for over a year after the previous edition in South Africa. As has S Asha, the legspinner, another RCB find, who made her debut this April in Bangladesh.The WPL has also contributed to elevated fitness levels, through close monitoring and off-season camps where physios have continued to monitor players and have been in sync with the NCA through the Athlete Monitoring System (AMS) designed to give markers over a player’s workload and map performances.The byproduct of all this, apart from primary skills, is elevated fielding levels, something Muzumdar underlined as top priority when he took over last December.”We’ve worked upon it,” Muzumdar said. “Thoroughly gone deeper into it and tried to absolutely work individually, first in regard to the volume as far as fielding is concerned. And then in fitness we’ve paid attention to each individual to take their fitness levels to the next level.”So, I think we’ve put in that effort. The effort has been there. I think you’ll definitely see the results.”

Leeds United have only just announced the £12m capture of Sean Longstaff, but another midfield deal looks to be nearing to completion to complement the ex-Newcastle United man’s arrival.

Indeed, it is now being reported that Daniel Farke’s Premier League newcomers will welcome Anton Stach to the building imminently, with the versatile Hoffenheim presence going down as their sixth summer buy for around the £17.4m mark.

Longstaff and Stach might just be the start, however, before another wave of new faces joins very shortly, with attacking signings now looking to be a priority.

Leeds chasing deal for Premier League youngster

Away from Stach offering Leeds more options in midfield alongside the 27-year-old giant, the other signings through the door this summer have mostly been defensive, besides Lukas Nmecha.

Therefore, attack is surely the next part of the pitch due for a makeover, with Rodrigo Muniz reportedly still on the Leeds agenda, on top of new, exciting targets such as Igor Paxiao coming to the surface to gift the Whites more options on the left and right flanks.

Whilst Muniz is a buy that will appeal to Whites supporters everywhere, when assessing his weighty 17 goals in the Premier League, Leeds’ other pursuit of Marc Guiu might well raise some eyebrows.

Football journalist Graeme Bailey claims that Leeds could soon chase a loan deal for the Chelsea youngster to boost their options up top, having looked at him previously.

Whilst Guiu does come highly rated from Stamford Bridge, his lack of Premier League experience would worry those at Elland Road as they jump back up to the gruelling division.

Yet, the Spaniard might well go to be an even bigger talent than Mateo Joseph if he does move to West Yorkshire, which would unfortunately push his fellow compatriot down the Whites pecking order even more.

How Guiu could be a bigger talent than Joseph

Joseph must already know deep down that his Premier League minutes next season are going to be somewhat sparse, considering only 11 league starts were handed to him last season on the way to Farke and Co. sealing the title.

A promising three goals and three assists would come his way, but the 21-year-old hasn’t quite shown enough in these bursts of quality from the bench to suggest he should be pushing for more consistent first-team minutes. Whereas, Guiu at Chelsea might well fancy his chances at being a second-in-command to Joel Piroe, and even more, based on his blistering cameos in West London last campaign.

Guiu’s overall numbers for Chelsea vs Joseph’s at Leeds

Stat

Guiu

Joseph

Games played

16

73

Goals scored

6

6

Assists

0

4

PL appearances

3

3

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Amazingly, despite appearing 57 times less for Enzo Maresca’s outfit overall when weighed up next to the 21-year-old’s haul at Elland Road, Guiu finds himself on the exact same goal tally Joseph has next to his name at Leeds, with all six of those efforts also staggeringly coming about last season as Chelsea ran out convincing champions of the UEFA Conference League.

Of course, the quality of the opposition can be questioned here, but Guiu does look ready for more senior chances, with those six goals coming about from just four starts, meaning he’s a far more lethal and composed finisher from limited chances than his Whites counterpart.

With two goals under his belt in the senior ranks at Barcelona, too, the 19-year-old would surely go on to enhance and elevate his game surrounded by the likes of Piroe as a hungry asset wanting to learn more, as opposed to Joseph, who has made his intentions clear on his desire to move on from West Yorkshire.

Once labelled as a “nightmare for centre-backs” to contain by football talent scout Jacek Kulig off the back of his high-energy game, Guiu might well be the perfect impact bench option for Farke to call upon next season, away from landing a more seasoned head such as Muniz.

With all these thrilling new buys in the offing, there might not be a place for Joseph at Leeds very soon, as fresh blood is potentially preferred over the reserve striker.

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Posts 1 ByDan Emery Jul 18, 2025

Derbyshire have signed opening batter Caleb Jewell as one of their overseas players for the 2025 season. Jewell, 27, has represented Australia A and is expected the play all formats for Derbyshire.A left-hand batter, Jewell averages 31.47 in first-class cricket. He was part of the Tasmania side that reached the final of the 2023-24 Sheffield Shield, making a career-best 227 against Western Australia earlier in the season. He also plays for Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash.”Caleb is a player I’ve had my eye on for some time, and everyone I have spoken to about him has said just what a good player he is,” Derbyshire’s head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, said. “Chief Selector for Cricket Australia, George Bailey, and Ian Bell, in particular, spoke very highly of his ability.”We have recognised that our batting line-up needed reinforcement, across all formats, and having Caleb here for the full season will allow us to build that consistency we need. He will bring real grit to the top of the order.”Although he has yet to win a senior cap for Australia, Jewell entered the debate around who could succeed David Warner and Usman Khawaja at the top of the order in Tests after making scores of 66, 78 and 131 for the A team in 2023.”I’m looking forward to getting my first taste of county cricket with Derbyshire, to show what I can do in all formats and help the club win matches,” Jewell said. “There are plenty of Australian players who have made their mark in England, and I want to be next. I’m excited to work with the coaching setup at Derbyshire, to take my game to the next level, and play alongside the quality group of players at the club.”The current season has been a difficult one for Derbyshire in the County Championship, with the club set to finish bottom of Division Two – although they came close to reaching the knockouts in both white-ball competitions.Jewell is Derbyshire’s second signing ahead of the 2025 summer, with Middlesex allrounder Martin Andersson agreeing a two-year contract.