Tag Futebol

Arsenal are planning to hold talks with a club chairman about signing another forward, after their £50 million deal for Noni Madueke, with sporting director Andrea Berta making serious statements in the transfer market.

Eze's dream CF: Arsenal in talks to sign £69m "monster" & it's not Gyokeres

Arsenal could still change their mind on Viktor Gyokeres.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 10, 2025

Madueke is poised to make the switch to north London and will become the latest in a long line of deals between both Chelsea and Arsenal. The England international specifically comes as the seventh player to move from Cobham to London Colney in the past six years, not to mention the second in this window alone, following Kepa Arrizabalaga.

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

25/26 – summer

£75m

After opening formal club-to-club talks earlier this week, Arsenal reached a swift agreement for Madueke, worth over £50 million including add-ons. The 23-year-old agreed personal terms over this move a while ago, but Berta has now managed to convince Chelsea to sell their winger too.

Madueke joins Kepa, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard as Arsenal’s fourth signing in total this summer, and takes the club’s expenditure to around £125 million.

Arsenal are also in advanced talks to sign striker Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP, with there being no sign of this deal collapsing just yet as Berta looks to end their long wait to bring in a prolific goalscorer

The Gunners could yet another attacking midfielder after Madueke too, as links still surround Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

The 27-year-old would join Mikel Arteta’s side in a separate deal to his international teammate (Fabrizio Romano), following another electric campaign at Selhurst Park, where he racked up 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Eze’s FA Cup-final-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Man City at Wembley ended the club’s history-long wait for a major trophy, but Palace face the very real prospect of losing their star man before deadline day on September 1.

Arsenal plan to contact Steve Parish over Eberechi Eze deal

The attacking midfielder joined Palace in a deal worth around £20 million from QPR in 2020, and he’s since justified that price tag time and time again.

His value has now more than tripled, with the Eagles holding steadfast in their demands for his full £68 million release clause to be paid.

That is according to The Guardian and journalist Ed Aarons, who also report that Arsenal are planning to contact Palace chairman Steve Parish directly about signing Eze, and he is unlikely to accept any proposal below the clause.

Reports suggest that Arsenal have held productive talks with Eze’s camp already, but formal negotiations are yet to open with the south London club, so this could be one to watch in the coming weeks.

Called a “sensational” footballer by members of the press, Sky Sports state that Arsenal are targeting their ex-academy ace to complement club captain Martin Odegaard in an attacking midfield, rather than out wide.

Glasgow Rangers are expected to make a bid to bring a Nike-sponsored attacker to Ibrox following their move for Thelo Aasgaard.

Rangers sign Thelo Aasgaard on four-year Ibrox deal

The Gers, new owners the 49ers Enterprises and manager Russell Martin have been busy so far at Ibrox this summer, with Aasgaard becoming the latest permanent addition from Luton Town.

An attacking midfielder, Aasgaard has cost those at Ibrox around £3.5m and has signed a four-year contract in Glasgow. Talking after completing his move to Scotland, Aasgaard said:

“When I heard about Rangers I was over the moon. I have played against the manager’s teams a few times and I always pictured myself in his team and to be here now is really good. It was an easy decision, I love the number of games here, it is like the EFL and I love playing. The stature and history is enough as well.”

Meanwhile, Martin was “delighted” at securing Aasgaard’s services: “We are delighted to bring Thelo to the club. He is a player who we have liked for a long time, and we believe he possesses the necessary qualities to thrive at this club and in this team. He wants to win and develop as a player, and we believe we can help him do both. His attributes will enhance the group and look forward to him getting to know his teammates on and off the pitch.”

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Posts ByRoss Kilvington Jul 6, 2025

Aasgaard joins Lyall Cameron, Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell and Emmanuel Fernandez as Rangers’ summer signings, and by the looks of it, a new attacker is now wanted by Martin and co.

Rangers and 49ers set to make Weslley Patati bid

According to recent reports relayed by Ibrox News, Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Weslley Patati is a target for Rangers this summer.

It is claimed that the Gers are expected to make an offer for the Brazilian in the coming days, with Patati’s asking price of more than £8m.

A left-footed attacker, Patati is primarily a right-winger but can also turn out on the left or even as an attacking midfielder if required. Still just 21 years of age, Patati is already sponsored by Nike and currently holds a career-high €2.5m Transfermarkt valuation.

Weslley Patati stats 24/25

Games

39

Goals

13

Assists

10

Under contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv until 2027 after signing last year, Patati enjoyed a successful first season with the Israeli side, winning the league title in 2024/25.

As can be seen, he registered double figures for goals and assists, so a move for Patati could be a shrewd one by Rangers, considering the Gers have just Oscar Cortes, Rabbi Matondo and Ross McCausland as their only wing options at this moment in time.

Since taking the job at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has generally gotten it right when it comes to the transfer market.

For example, while he’s overseen the arrival of his fair share of duds like Willian, Raheem Sterling and Nuno Tavares, he’s also helped sign some special talents like Declan Rice, Gabriel Magahele, David Raya and Jurrien Timber.

However, there is one player who divides opinion perhaps more than any other: Kai Havertz.

To some, the German is an underrated lynchpin without which the attack falters, while others view him as an overpriced makeshift forward who can’t be trusted to finish his chances in the moments that matter.

Yet, it might not matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on next season, as recent reports have heavily linked the club with someone who’d likely be a massive upgrade.

Arsenal's striker search

Given Arsenal’s lacklustre form in front of goal this season, it’s hardly been a surprise to see the club linked with a host of talented strikers in recent weeks, from the well-known Benjamin Sesko to the more under-the-radar Nick Woltemade.

Transfer Focus

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

The former has been heavily linked with a £67m move to the Emirates for some time now, and while that is a hefty outlay, there is a lot to like about the 6 foot 5 speedster, like his tally of 27 goal involvements in 45 games this season.

Woltemade, on the other hand, would only cost the club £42m this summer, and while he produced just 20 goal involvements this year, he did so in just 33 games across all competitions.

Yet, while both players would likely help the Gunners’ frontline next season, they both feel like players for the coming years, not someone who’d be an instant and sizable upgrade like Viktor Gyokeres.

Yes, according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are still very much in the race for the Sporting CP star.

Bailey revealed that not only are the Gunners still interested in the Swedish international, but they also held direct talks with his camp on Wednesday.

A price is not mentioned in the story, but other reports from this week have claimed that the former Coventry City striker could be available for around £67m.

While that is undoubtedly a lot of money, this is a deal Arsenal should be going all out to complete, as Gyokeres would be a monumental upgrade on Havertz.

How Gyokeres compares to Havertz

So, if Arsenal are able to get Gyokeres this summer and, in turn, spend the sort of money it reportedly cost to do so, then it seems incredibly unlikely that he’d be coming in to sit on the bench.

Therefore, the Sporting star would be in competition with Havertz for a starting berth in the team, and based on how they stack up against one another, we think it’s a competition he’d win with ease.

For example, in 52 appearances this season, totalling 4248 minutes, the Stockholm-born “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored a simply sensational 54 goals and provided 13 assists, which works out to an average of 1.28 goal involvements every game, or every 63.40 minutes.

In contrast, the Gunners’ number 29 scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 36 appearances, totalling 2809 minutes, which comes out to a decent but far less impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 140.45 minutes.

Unfortunately for the former Chelsea ace, the comparison is just as one-sided when we take a look under the hood at their respective underlying numbers.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.88

0.58

Non-Penalty Goals + Assists

1.17

0.61

Progressive Passes

2.11

2.95

Progressive Passes Received

10.5

5.79

Progressive Carries

4.27

1.44

Shots

4.11

2.80

Shot on Target

2.10

1.11

Key Passes

2.06

1.11

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.00

0.52

Shot-Creating Actions

4.75

2.25

Goal-Creating Actions

0.84

0.15

Successful Take-Ons

1.79

0.48

For example, the 27-year-old comes out way ahead in the vast majority of relevant metrics, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, key passes and passes into the penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Havertz is a great player and someone who’ll be an incredibly useful asset to the squad next season, but from every angle, it’s clear that Gyokeres is the vastly superior goalscoring number nine.

Therefore, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him this summer.

A hybrid between Gabriel & Saliba: Arsenal join the race to sign £68m star

Arsenal could sign a defender who’s like Gabriel and William Saliba.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 12, 2025

Leeds United ended their Championship season by beating Plymouth Argyle in stoppage time to claim the title ahead of Burnley, whilst also hitting a century of points.

Since then, it has been a week full of parades, celebrations, and interesting chants and dance moves from members of the squad and management.

Once the celebrations are over, or at least subdued, Daniel Farke and his staff will have to start to think about plans for the upcoming summer transfer window.

Leeds are in a party atmosphere right now, and rightly so after their incredible achievement, but they know how hard the task ahead of them will be.

In fact, Football Insider reports that the Whites already have doubts over Joel Piroe and are not expected to build their attack around the Dutchman next season, which suggests that the club will be in the market for a new centre-forward.

This means that Leeds will need to find a lethal number nine to come in and provide the team with goals on a regular basis, as they look to land their best striker signing since Chris Wood.

Leeds United's strikers since Chris Wood

The New Zealand international set the bar high when he plundered an exceptional haul of 27 goals in 44 Championship matches for the West Yorkshire outfit in the 2016/17 campaign.

His incredible form in the second tier led to interest from the Premier League, though, and Burnley swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £15m, which was a club-record deal for the Clarets at the time.

Wood has gone on to score 88 goals in the Premier League for Burnley, Newcastle United, and Nottingham Forest combined, which shows that he has proven himself to be a reliable scorer in the top-flight.

Leeds, meanwhile, have not found a striker of Wood’s quality or potential since his move to Turf Moor, as none of their former or current strikers since the New Zealand international have gone on to achieve what he has.

Leeds United’s top scorers since Chris Wood left
Season	Top league scorer	League	Goals
24/25	Joel Piroe	Championship	19
23/24	Crysencio Summerville	Championship	20
22/23	Rodrigo	Premier League	13
21/22	Raphinha	Premier League	11
20/21	Patrick Bamford	Premier League	17
19/20	Patrick Bamford	Championship	16
18/19	Kemar Roofe	Championship	15
17/18	Kemar Roofe	Championship	11
Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, no striker has hit 20 goals in the league for the Whites since Wood’s return of 27 goals, with winger Crysencio Summerville the only player to hit that mark in the last eight seasons.

Patrick Bamford showed great potential to kick on when he scored 17 goals in the Premier League in the 2020/21 campaign, but the former England international has failed to score more than eight goals in a season in any of the last four years.

Football Insider’s report that the club have doubts over Piroe’s suitability for the top-flight does not suggest that the Dutchman is set to be the next Wood by going on to be a success in the Premier League, either, and this means that Leeds have to nail their next striker signing this summer.

The Whites have already been linked with an interest in new players ahead of the summer transfer window and one of their targets, Troy Parrott, could be their best striker signing since Chris Wood.

Why Troy Parrott could be the best striker signing since Chris Wood

What made Wood such a successful signing for Leeds was that he developed during his time at Elland Road, as the forward scored 13 goals in his first Championship season before hitting 27 goals in his second.

The Whites were, then, able to cash in on him for a significant amount of money, which is not something that they have been able to do since then.

Parrott is reportedly one of the names on the club’s shortlist of striker targets ahead of the summer transfer window, and the Ireland international is a forward who has the potential to be the best centre-forward signing since Wood.

Firstly, the Irish striker has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve at the age of 23, which means that he could grow in value throughout his time at Elland Road before being sold for a profit in the future, as was the case with the current Nottingham Forest star.

Secondly, Parrott is a player with the physical attributes to compete at the top level, as he is a nimble and quick forward who can race away from opposition defenders, whilst Piroe, for example, is not blessed with lightning-quick speed or athleticism.

Finally, the 23-year-old star’s form in the Netherlands over the past two seasons suggests that he has the potential to be a reliable goalscoring threat for the Whites.

Parrott, who was described as a “phenomenal” marksman by former Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe, has caught the eye with his performances in the Eredivisie for Excelsior and the Eredivisie and the Europa League for AZ Alkmaar.

Troy Parrott	23/24 Eredivisie	24/25 Eredivisie + Europa League	Overall
Appearances	29	40	69
xG	9.49	20.22	29.71
Goals	17	18	35
Big chances created	5	10	15
Assists	4	3	7
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster has plundered an eye-catching 35 goals in those two competitions in the last two seasons combined, outperforming his xG by roughly five goals in that time.

These statistics suggest that Parrott, who has scored 20 goals in all competitions this term for AZ Alkmaar, is already a player who can deliver goals on a regular basis at the top level, because he has proven himself in a big European league and in a big European competition.

If you take his form in the last two seasons, his physical attributes, and his age profile into account, the Leeds target has the potential to be the club’s best striker signing since Chris Wood.

No centre-forward since the ex-Burnley man has gone on to thrive in the Premier League on a consistent basis, or be sold on for a major profit, and Parrott is a striker who seemingly has the potential to go on to achieve both of those things, which is why the Whites must swoop for his services this summer.

Rio Ferdinand 2.0: Leeds want to sign "extraordinary" £20m defender

Leeds United are keen on signing a £20m star who could be the next Rio Ferdinand at Elland Road.

By
Dan Emery

May 5, 2025

While the mood following Thursday night’s Europa League win is a jubilant one around Tottenham Hotspur, there is no denying that, domestically at least, this season has been a disaster.

However, it would also be fair to say that there is a real sense of disappointment about that fact, as while injuries have certainly played their part, it feels as if many of the players have not played to their full potential, as while the table might not show it, Spurs have several seriously talented stars in their squad.

For example, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray already look like top-flight veterans, Dominic Solanke can be near-enough unplayable on his day, and in Djed Spence, the North Londoners could have an incredible all-action full-back on their hands.

However, when it comes to the club’s best player, the one other top teams would love to sign, it has to be Dejan Kulusevski, although since taking charge in 2023, Ange Postecoglou is responsible for the Lilywhites’ best signing since the Swede.

Kulusevski's Spurs career

It was in January 2022, under former manager Antonio Conte, that Kulusevski first made his way to N17 on an 18-month loan deal with an option to buy, which was exercised in June 2023, when he joined the club permanently for around £25m.

While not bad by any means, it would probably be fair to say that in his first couple of years in North London, the Stockholm-born star wasn’t particularly remarkable, racking up just 15 goals and 19 assists in 96 games across his first two-and-a-half-seasons.

However, this year has been completely different, as a positional shift, which has seen him move into the middle of the park for about half of his appearances, has seen his productivity explode.

Kulusevski’s Spurs record

Season

21/22

22/23

23/24

24/25

Appearances

20

37

39

44

Goals

5

2

8

10

Assists

8

8

3

10

Goal Involvements per Game

0.65

0.27

0.28

0.45

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, he’s scored ten goals and provided ten assists in just 44 appearances this term, and of those 20 goal involvements, 12 have come in 23 appearances in attacking and central midfield.

Moreover, even when he’s not scoring or providing an assist, the “world-class” international, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been far more influential this year, helping spring attacks from deep and even occasionally helping stop opposition ones from starting.

In all, Kulusevski must be considered one of Spurs’ most important players, but there is another crucial first-teamer who’s undoubtedly been the club’s best signing since the Swedish superstar first made his way to North London.

Spurs' best signing since Kulusevski

While you could make the argument that the likes of Solanke, Bergvall or even Gray have been Spurs’ best signings since Kulusevski, we reckon it’s someone else entirely, someone who is undeniably crucial to Postecoglou’s gameplan: Micky van de Ven.

Yes, for our money, the North Londoners’ best signing since the Swedish international has to be the Flying Dutchman, who joined the club for around £43m from VfL Wolfsburg in August 2023, which might have seemed like a lot at the time, but now looks like a bargain.

So, what makes the Wormer-born titan so special then? Well, there are a few things, but his headline quality, and the one that makes him so important to the manager’s long-term plans, is his electric pace.

For example, it was only last season that the 24-year-old set a Premier League record for the fastest sprint when he hit an unbelievable 37.38km/h in a game against Brentford, and it’s this ability to get back at a pace no defender can match that allows the North Londoners to play such a high line when he’s fit.

In fact, we saw this in the team’s 1-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt last week, when he managed to get back and stop breakaways a couple of times in the first half.

However, on top of his “ridiculous” speed, as analyst Ben Mattinson described it, the former Wolfsburg star has a brilliant sense of when to make a tackle and has the physical strength to take on any attacker he comes up against, leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to brand him “complete & dominant.”

Moreover, his underlying numbers make for some great reading, with FBref placing him in the top 1% of Premier League centre-backs for assists, the top 2% for expected assisted goals, the top 3% for ball recoveries, the top 5% for goals plus assists and carries, the top 10% for goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Van de Ven’s Scout Report

Statistic

Per 90

Percentile

Assists

0.20

Top 1%

Exp. Assisted Goals

0.12

Top 2%

Ball Recoveries

5.87

Top 3%

Goals + Assists

0.20

Top 5%

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.17

Top 5%

Carries

56.09

Top 5%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.20

Top 10%

All Stats via FBref

Ultimately, while this season has been something of a disaster, Spurs have several seriously talented players in their squad, and based on how well he’s played when fit, Van de Ven has to be the club’s best signing since Kulusevski.

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Allrounder on how boom in women’s cricket isn’t just a game-changer, but life-changing

Matt Roller07-Aug-2024It was the FaceTime that changed Ashleigh Gardner’s life. She had just finished a training session in Gqeberha during the T20 World Cup, and watched the bids roll in for her lot at the inaugural Women’s Premier League auction while on a video call with her mum. The numbers went up and up, eventually hitting INR 3.2 crore.Her brother brought his phone into shot showing the calculator app, confirming that this was life-changing money: A$558,000 for three weeks’ work, which ended up being the joint second-highest contract at the WPL. It marked a total transformation in women’s cricket since Gardner signed her first state contract, worth A$3,000, as a teenager.Male cricketers have had to deal with the pressure of a price tag ever since the IPL’s inception in 2008. But when Gardner looked around the dressing room, she realised that this was a new sensation in the women’s game: “It was totally bizarre,” she tells ESPNcricinfo. “It was certainly something that I never thought would happen to me throughout my career.”Related

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It reflected the explosion of interest and investment in women’s cricket over the last decade. “People are buying into what the women’s game is, showcasing women in sport,” Gardner says. “Hopefully cricket is leading the way: I’m sure cricket and soccer are pretty close but to be involved in the women’s game at the moment, and the evolution from 10 years ago to now, it’s been fantastic.”Yet by her own admission, Gardner has struggled with her status as Gujarat Giants’ highest earner. Her record across the WPL’s first two editions has been solid enough but unspectacular – two half-centuries and a strike rate of 128.57 across 16 batting innings, plus 17 wickets with her offbreaks – and the franchise have finished bottom in both seasons.”The ridiculous price tag that it came with certainly brought an expectation that I had to live up to,” Gardner says. “It was weird, because I had – obviously – nothing to do with the price tag that I was bought for. It was like, OK, there’s this expectation – but it’s probably a perceived pressure thing that I’m putting on myself, which I have no control over.”I probably haven’t played to the best of my ability, which has been really disappointing… It was certainly life-changing, don’t get me wrong. But associating myself with that is probably something that I try to stay away from. It’s a number, at the end of the day. If I can keep performing and doing my best for the team, I think that’s more important than anything else.”Gardner is speaking while wearing Trent Rockets’ yellow training kit: she is playing in the Hundred for the first time, and was their top pick at the draft earlier this year. Her contract is worth £50,000 – around one-sixth of her WPL salary – but that reflects a 60% increase on previous years which was enough to attract the top Australian players to the competition.The tournament fits well into their schedule this year. Australia have not played a game in the four months since they toured Bangladesh, so the Hundred represents the start of several players’ T20 World Cup build-up, with the tournament starting in October. “It’s probably the quietest off-season we’ve had in a little while,” Gardner says.But part of the attraction was the opportunity to play at some of England’s best venues, in front of strong crowds: last weekend, the total attendance at the women’s Hundred across four seasons went past one million. For Gardner, being signed by the Rockets also meant a return to Trent Bridge, where she took a match-winning eight-wicket haul in last summer’s Ashes Test.Ashleigh Gardner became only the second woman to pick up eight wickets in a Test innings•Getty Images”What we’ve seen over the last few seasons is how successful it’s been. I know in Australia we’re pretty jealous of the crowds that they get. It just shows where women’s cricket is at the moment in this country: it’s going in leaps and bounds in the right direction, and it’s awesome to see fans turn out. I haven’t played at Headingley or in Manchester before, so that is super exciting.”Gardner believes that Australian cricket – which sees the WBBL played in a standalone window at the start of the summer – could learn from the Hundred. “When the WBBL was in its infancy, we used to play some double-headers, which I really love. It’s a one-club mentality, when you get to play before the men. Obviously here, they do it so well.”I can potentially see it changing again in Australia: in terms of crowds and being able to get the fans involved, it probably will end up going towards that. Some people are strongly opinionated on that happening, so the women have free reign in that space of the year. But I think in terms of growing the brand, the men do a fantastic job and hopefully we can leverage that.”Gardner has played for Sydney Sixers since the WBBL’s inception, but has only represented them at their official ‘home’ ground – the SCG – once since 2018. The WBBL has trimmed its fixture list this year, from 56 regular-season games to 40, and will stage more matches at major stadiums after using smaller venues in recent seasons.”It was obviously disappointing [in the past] not to be able to play at a place like the SCG,” Gardner says. “Not being able to use that venue was pretty sad. But going to a few more big venues this year, and cutting down the games as well… hopefully, that brings out the best cricket, because players know that they’ll have four less games to compete in.”More immediately, Gardner’s focus is on helping the Rockets recover from a slow start and reach the knockout stages of the Hundred. “As an international player, there’s always that expectation. You’re picked up for a reason, and it’s about making sure I’m a good team-mate as well. Hopefully, that leads to success on the field.”And then I guess just having in the back of my mind the World Cup, which actually isn’t that far away. It’s going to be polar opposite conditions, but if my processes stay the same, there’s no reason why I can’t be successful – both for myself, and for my team going into that World Cup for Australia.”

The 17-year-old allrounder first picked up bat and ball at the age of two and has never looked back since

Annesha Ghosh13-Jan-2023Where would Indian women’s cricket be without farsighted fathers?Dorai Raj made a cricket icon out of a sleepy girl. Harmander Singh Bhullar raised his firstborn “like a son” and she went on to take India into the World Cup final with an epochal 171 not out. Shriniwas Mandhana was so smitten by left-hander batters that he ensured his naturally right-handed daughter morphed into one of the game’s most prolific left-hand openers. Ivan Rodrigues and Sanjeev Verma pushed against all sorts of obstacles to turn the first female child in their respective families into teen debutants for India.The latest in the list of enterprising Indian dads making precocious international cricketers out of their daughters is GV Rami Reddy. G Trisha, his only child, considers him “the single biggest reason” why she has made it to the squad of 15 to represent India at the inaugural Under-19 Women’s World Cup, which kicks off in South Africa tomorrow.Related

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Women's Under-19 World Cup: Super Six, key fixtures, stand-out players, and more

Shafali Verma to lead India at Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup, Richa Ghosh also picked

“I came to know cricket through my dad at a time when I could barely tell what cricket was,” Trisha, 17, says of her early initiation into the sport as a two-year-old. “Maybe it’s only as I grow older that I’ll be able to fully appreciate my dad’s contribution in my life and cricket, all the sacrifices he’s made for me, the direction he’s given my life.”A batting allrounder who bowls legspin, Trisha has been considered a prodigy on the domestic circuit for as long as she has played the game at the competitive level. At seven she took part in the Telangana state’s district senior women’s meet and featured in the U-19 girls competition organised by the School Games Federation of India a year later.Trisha on her father’s role in her career: “I think he has everything sorted in his head since I started playing the sport, with a plastic bat and ball, or even before that”•Courtesy GV Rami ReddyWhen only a few months shy of nine, she played for Hyderabad’s U-16 side in the inter-state tournament in 2014-15. The following season she broke into the state U-23 side and not long after that, made her debuts for the Hyderabad and South Zone U-19s.The last time a young female cricketer turned heads in Hyderabad cricketing circles with this kind of precocity, she ended up being the leading run-scorer in the women’s international game. “Mithali Raj – what do I tell about her?” says Trisha. “Growing up in Hyderabad and training at the same coaching centre – St John’s Cricket Academy – as her are the obvious commonalities we share. But to get anywhere close to being a cricketer like her, I know I will have to keep working hard.”I have seen her practise at the academy since my father enrolled me there as a seven-year-old. Like for many others, she’s been a role model for me too, and I have been quite lucky to get advice from her whenever she visits the academy.”Better still, call it a coincidence or something else, Mithali was one of the batters I ended up bowling to on my senior debut for Hyderabad, against Railways.”In that tournament, the 2017-18 senior women’s inter-state T20 competition, Trisha featured primarily as a bowler. Her consistency apart, that she could open both the batting and bowling for her age-group sides played a part in fast-tracking her into top-flight domestic cricket.”It’s majorly down to my dad’s planning,” says Trisha, laughing, when asked about what making her senior debut a few weeks after her 13th birthday felt like. “Sure, me gradually taking a liking to the sport did help but had he not got me into the game early, I wouldn’t have been able to have this much domestic cricket under my belt already.”G Trisha’s career stats

India U-19: 6 matches, 130 runs, 3 wkts
List A: 20 matches, 370 runs, Highest score: 69, 17 wkts, Best 5 for 17
T20s: 21 matches, 335 runs, Highest score: 56*, 16 wkts, Best 3 for 10

“I think he has everything sorted in his head since I started playing the sport, with a plastic bat and ball, or even before that.”A former fitness trainer with the ITC conglomerate in Bhadrachalam, a small town in south-east Telangana, Reddy, who is now 52, quit his job of more than a decade and moved to East Marredpally, a residential suburb of Secunderabad in 2013.”The only motive was to give Trisha better opportunities to train and play proper cricket,” he says. “To make a world-class cricketer from a country of more than 1.30 crore population requires effort and early investment, and that’s what I have tried to do. Bhadrachalam didn’t have quality facilities or cricket grounds, so I had to risk what was a settled life for me and my family until then.”A former U-16 national-level hockey player from Andhra Pradesh in the early 1980s, Reddy felt being short-statured put him at a disadvantage to pursue a career in one of his other favourite sports, tennis.”I didn’t have the genes [of height], but had the passion, so when I got married, I made up my mind that girl or boy, I will provide everything my child needs to play cricket for India. It’s a sport where, like football, you can excel even if you are short.”Reddy, true to his words, was on the job soon after Trisha was born in 2005, the year India Women made their first appearance in a World Cup final. That tournament was played in South Africa, where she is now set to play in the U-19 World Cup.Former Hyderabad spinner and India fielding coach R Sridhar has been one of the guiding forces behind Trisha’s rise to international cricket•Courtesy GV Rami Reddy”In that era, women’s cricket was fairly unknown in our country – a pity if you think of the heights the likes of Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami were taking Indian cricket to at the time,” reflects Reddy. “My understanding was that most kids in India typically start playing cricket at age six or seven. I needed to do something extra to give my daughter an edge.”For starters, he would put on cricket on the television at home and in the gyms of the ITC facilities where he worked, while his wife, G Madhavi, breastfed infant Trisha. Reddy affectionately recalls how the 18-month-old would be drawn to the luminescence of the screen. “Those little eyes, the light brightening up her tiny face as she lay in her mother’s lap… there was something special about those moments. Her first brush with cricket, really.”By her second birthday Trisha had a plastic bat in hand and would knock plastic balls at public parks in Bhadrachalam. When she was three, Reddy introduced her to practising with the tennis ball, and at four, she would frequently do batting drills in the corridors of the gyms he worked in. The number of balls Reddy would throw at her daily also increased over time: from 100 to 200 and then 300.”For those many knockings, the only trade-off was that Dad had to buy me something I liked,” Trisha says. “Mostly, it would be crayons or drawing books or any related stationery, because I have always enjoyed drawing. It’s gone from being one of my favourite pastimes as a kid, besides swimming, to something that now helps me unwind, switch off from cricket.”Reddy then had a cement pitch laid at a local ground in Bhadrachalam. One of his gym instructors took up coaching duties with Trisha in the evenings, and Reddy looked after her practice in the morning. Each session lasted nearly two hours, with an hour thrown in to work on her fitness too. In all, since the time she was around four, Trisha devoted some six hours a day to jogging, swimming, learning to bat, field and bowl medium pace.Trisha with India U-19 coach Nooshin Al Khadeer, who was in various coaching roles in Hyderabad as the youngster rose up the ranks in domestic cricket•Annesha Ghosh”It was after we moved to Secunderabad,” Reddy says, “that coaches John Manoj and Sreenu sir at St John’s suggested she become a spinner. “Trisha was seven at the time, and she was making steady progress as an opening batter. The coaches felt switching to spin could keep her from picking up injuries common to pace bowlers.”Her action, somewhat roundarm, has evolved naturally, says Reddy; he thinks it’s a bit like the Afghanistan wristspinner Rashid Khan’s. Among the coaches who have worked with Trisha to date, he reserves special thanks for R Sridhar, the former India men’s fielding coach, who was part of the backroom staff at St John’s, and former India spinner Nooshin Al Khadeer, the India U-19 coach at the World Cup, who held coaching positions at Hyderabad during Trisha’s debuts across all domestic teams.”Their guidance has been indispensable to Trisha’s journey,” he says. “Among other important advice, they encouraged her to retain her style of bowling when most felt it ‘looked unnatural.'”In October 2018, Trisha she was selected along with many India internationals in the National Cricket Academy’s spin-bowling camp in Baroda under Raj Kumar Sharma, who coached Virat Kohli when he was young.In the lead-up to the U-19 T20 World Cup, though, it’s her primary skill, batting, that has remained the focus within her all-round proficiency. She made the starting XI in all the preparatory series the India U-19s have played since November: the quadrangular series in Visakhapatnam, the bilateral assignment against a New Zealand Development side in Mumbai, and the away series against South Africa.India won them all, and Trisha says she enjoyed the experience of batting at No. 3. “The New Zealand series was our first bilateral series, and being an opener, coming at one-down brought me new learnings about my batting and adaptability.”A young Trisha in the nets•Courtesy GV Rami ReddyIn the T20 World Cup warm-ups, she made a five-ball 2 and 36-ball 44 batting at No. 3, against Australia and Bangladesh respectively.Reddy says Trisha’s solidity of technique, as well as her along-the-ground strokes and fitness to play long innings, could see her do well at No. 3.”Her coaches and I appreciate she’s only starting to get strong, so we have focused on her lofted strokes only after she turned 16,” he says. “Going for big shots when she lacked the power could have led to low returns. Without the runs, making the World Cup squad would have been unlikely.”Reddy says he goes over every performance of Trisha’s and carefully oversees her diet. To give his undivided attention to her cricket, he has quit his job and supports his family with the proceeds from the sale and lease of some ancestral land in Bhadrachalam.”Every month I use 20-30 new balls for her, and send her to special fitness and group coaching, give good nutrition involving chicken and fish, quinoa, dragon fruit, kiwi, blueberries, apples…” he says. “Cricket is an expensive sport but I am doing all I can.”It takes a village to raise a child, they say. But if Reddy’s efforts come to fruition, and a shared dream of his and Trisha’s becomes a reality, by the end of this month he might be remembered as the father who created a World Cup winner for India from scratch. It will be a first in the history of women’s cricket in the country.

David Warner is ruled out, Will Pucovski has concussion and Joe Burns is badly short of runs

Andrew McGlashan11-Dec-20202:11

Smith on Pucovski’s concussion: ‘Everyone deals with injuries differently’

Hold the line, don’t panicThis would still appear the likely route, where Burns retains his place – he has been backed from the start by selectors, coach, captain and team-mates – with fingers crossed that he gets runs at the SCG or lifts for the occasion in Adelaide. He would be partnered by Marcus Harris, who last played a Test during the 2019 Ashes and has since tweaked his technique working alongside Chris Rogers, with 355 Sheffield Shield runs in three innings under his belt including a 239. Harris has nine Tests to his name, including four against India two years where he made 258 runs at 36.85, and in the following series against Sri Lanka he opened with Burns so it would not be an entirely unknown pairing.Joe Burns is bowled•Getty ImagesThe senior prosThe ship appears to have sailed on this one, but if you glance at social media (which, of course, is where all the proper selection debate happens) then you may notice a few mentions of Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja. The former had a prolific start to the Shield season, just as everyone, including Marsh himself, was moving on from his Test career. Speaking to , Justin Langer did not slam the door shut for Marsh: “You never discriminate against age. He’s doing everything possible,” he said. Khawaja, meanwhile, holds an average of 96.80 when opening the batting including 145 in the 2016-17 day-night Test against South Africa in Adelaide.Mission for MarnusThis is perhaps gaining a little momentum, a promotion one spot up for Marnus Labuschagne to plug the gap – most likely alongside Burns, but potentially even Harris if the selectors really get spooked by Burns’ form. As Steven Smith said yesterday, the No. 3 can be in to face the second ball of the match anyway so is there a massive difference if he goes in straight away? And if you can be thrust into an Ashes Test as a concussion sub, and never look back, you can probably handle this. Labuschagne has opened nine times in his first-class career, although not since 2016, and also did it in the recent ODI series after Warner’s injury although was dismissed for 7. The other byproduct of this move would be the middle-order batsman moving up a slot each which creates room for Cameron Green at No. 6. Green has done enough to suggest he could command a spot on batting alone, regardless of the bowling workload he is capable of.Marnus Labuschagne looks on during practice•Getty ImagesFrom left fieldThis one involves another batting-order reshuffle and is a bit more out-of-the-box: shift Matthew Wade up from No. 6. If it was alongside Burns it would retain the left-right combination and, as a punchy left-hander, Wade is not too dissimilar to Warner even though not the same pedigree. It would be a leap of faith given that Wade has never opened in first-class cricket (he does have an average of 57.25 from five innings at No. 3) although he has done it a lot in white-ball cricket, including a handful of ODIs, and on the Australia A tour of England in 2019 before the Ashes made one-day scores of 117 and 155 at the top of the order. This move would actually lead to fewer batsmen moving from their current positions but, like the Labuschagne option, would also open up the spot for Green.

Tottenham Hotspur swooped to appoint Thomas Frank as their new head coach ahead of the summer transfer window after they opted to remove Ange Postecoglou from his post.

The Australian manager won the Europa League at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, beating Manchester United in the final, but that was not enough for him to save his job.

Daniel Levy, who has since moved on from his role as chairman, parted ways with Postecoglou and snapped Frank up from Brentford, where he had won promotion to the Premier League and established the Bees in the division.

Four wins, two draws, and one defeat in the first seven matches of the top-flight campaign suggest that Spurs made a good decision when they changed managers this summer.

In his unveiling, the club’s official website noted that one of the reasons why Frank landed the job was that he has a proven track record in developing players.

Tottenham will now be hoping that he can work wonders with the plethora of talented young players at his disposal in North London, as he did with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Kevin Schade, and Yoane Wissa at Brentford.

Ranking Tottenham's most valuable U21 players

Whilst Frank could develop players of any age, the powers that be at Spurs may hope that he can develop the U21 players at the club to help them grow in value.

Tottenham have a rich history of developing and selling players. Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, both sold to Real Madrid, are notable examples, whilst Harry Kane came through the youth ranks before moving on to Bayern Munich in 2023 as the club’s all-time record goalscorer.

The Lilywhites may not have their next Kane in the making at the club at the moment, but they do have several impressive young stars who could have bright futures under an outstanding coach like Frank.

Spurs have four players aged 21 or under in their squad who are currently valued at £17m or more by Transfermarkt, which shows that several impressive young talents are waiting to explode in North London.

Tottenham’s most valuable U21 players
Player	Age	Market value
Lucas Bergvall	19	£33m
Archie Gray	19	£33m
Mathys Tel	20	£30m
Wilson Odobert	20	£17m
Kota Takai	21	£2m
Dane Scarlett	21	£2m
Valuations via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Lucas Bergvall is the joint-most valuable U21 player in the squad, and he has emerged as an early favourite under Frank.

The Sweden international has started four of his six appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring one goal and providing one assist, which shows that the manager has taken a liking to him.

Spurs will be hoping that Bergvall benefits from this exposure to regular starts in the top-flight to emerge as a star for Frank in the middle of the park.

Archie Gray is currently valued at £33m, the same as the Swedish starlet, but he has only made two appearances and started once in the Premier League so far this season.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Whilst Bergvall is seemingly Frank’s favourite U21 player at the club at the moment, the England U21 international has the potential to develop into a Bukayo Saka-esque talent for Tottenham if he gets more game time in his favoured position.

How Archie Gray can become Tottenham's Bukayo Saka

At the start of Saka’s Arsenal career, Mikel Arteta played the English star at left-back 21 times, in central midfield five times, and at left midfield 29 times, per Transfermarkt.

This shows that the left-footed youngster had to play in several roles before nailing down a regular spot in his favoured position on the right flank, where he has scored 47 goals and provided 40 assists in 137 starts.

Gray has suffered through his versatility throughout his senior career to date. 30 of his 49 starts for Leeds came at right-back. 34 of his appearances for Spurs have come at right-back, centre-back, or left-back. Meanwhile, he has started just 13 matches as a central midfielder, his favoured role, in that time, per Transfermarkt.

13 starts as a central midfielder, the position he grew up playing at academy level, in more than two years as a first-team player for Leeds and Spurs shows that he has not had many opportunities to develop in his long-term position.

Gray finally had the chance to play in central midfield for England’s U21s against Moldova last week and caught the eye with an impressive and well-rounded display in the middle of the park.

Vs Moldova U21s	Archie Gray
Minutes	90
Pass accuracy	94%
Long pass accuracy	100% (3/3)
Dribble success rate	100% (3/3)
Ball recoveries	5
Ground duels won	3/4
Aerial duels won	1/1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 19-year-old star put in a sublime performance in and out of possession, as he was effective as a passer and a dribbler, whilst also being almost perfect defensively.

This shows that he has the potential to deliver quality displays as a midfielder, despite playing so many other positions ahead of his best one at senior level to date.

Gray, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed was “born to play football”, could realise his potential at Tottenham if Frank plays him in his best role for an extended run of matches.

Analyst Ben Mattinson once claimed that the England U21 international is a “future £100m CM”, and it is not a crazy prediction when you consider that he is currently valued at £33m, having barely played in his natural position.

Gray has 30 matches of Premier League experience under his belt and has won the Europa League with Spurs, but the next step is for him to nail down a regular spot in the XI in the middle of the park.

Frank could, then, unearth his own Saka-type player as the former Leeds starlet could follow in the Arsenal superstar’s footsteps by transitioning from playing out of position at full-back to being a star in his natural position.

18-year-old Spurs gem is a "superstar" with more talent than Vuskovic

Tottenham Hotspur have a whole host of exciting youngsters to watch out for.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 13, 2025

Glasgow Rangers were dealt a big blow in their 3-0 win over Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, as Nedim Bajrami was forced off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury after 21 minutes.

The Albania international had scored one goal and created seven chances in his last two starts in the league, per Sofascore, which shows that he was finally finding his feet in the 2025/26 campaign.

Unfortunately, the former Sassuolo man is now set for a spell on the sidelines after this latest injury blow, which means that Danny Rohl will need to find a new left winger for the game against Ferencvaros on Thursday night.

Why Findlay Curtis should not start against Ferencvaros

Academy graduate Findlay Curtis came off the bench to replace Bajrami in the 21st minute against Kilmarnock on Saturday, but the Scottish youngster failed to take his chance to impress.

Perhaps it was nerves, as it was only his third appearance since the start of November, but the 19-year-old winger produced a shaky display before being substituted in the 76th minute.

Per Sofascore, Curtis completed one of his three attempted crosses, created one chance, and failed to score with either of his shots on goal, whilst one of those failed crosses sailed high and wide in the first half and led to some frustrated reactions in the penalty area.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The teenage forward also struggled with the physical side of the game. Per Sofascore, he lost three of his four ground duels and was dribbled past three times, which shows that the Kilmarnock players found him too easy to get the better of on the night.

With this in mind, Rohl could solve the Bajrami injury blow by leaving Curtis on the bench to be an impact sub and starting Thelo Aasgaard in a new role.

The new role that Thelo Aasgaard could play for Rangers

It is fair to say that the summer signing from Luton Town has not enjoyed an ideal debut season with the Ibrox giants so far, with a return of one goal and one assist in 22 appearances in all competitions, per Sofascore

He was described as a “passenger” by Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar last month, and his lack of goals and assists for the Light Blues backs up that comment.

Per Transfermarkt, all of his starts this season have come in central positions. This is why Rohl should flip the script and attempt to ignite Aasgaard’s Rangers career by playing him in a brand-new role on the left flank.

Thelo Aasgaard’s most-played positions
Position	Appearances	Goals + assists
AM	70	20 + 10
LW	21	5 + 0
CM	19	1 + 0
LM	6	1 + 1
CF	5	0 + 1
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the Norwegian talent is no stranger to playing on the left flank, as he has played 27 matches there in his career, which suggests that he is capable of playing out wide.

A return of seven goals in those 27 games also suggests that moving him out on the left could ignite his goalscoring potential at Ibrox, after a run of one goal in 22 matches in central positions so far for the Light Blues.

Unlike Curtis, Aasgaard has the physical and defensive attributes to his game that could make him a reliable operator out of possession in a left wing position. Per Sofascore, he has won 58% of his ground duels and only been dribbled past once in 12 appearances in the Premiership.

The Scottish youngster, meanwhile, has lost 53% of his ground duels and been dribbled past three times in 119 minutes of football, which suggests that the summer signing from Luton offers more physicality on the pitch.

Physicality is not everything, though, and Aasgaard will still need to prove that he can deliver goals and assists on a regular basis if Rohl opts to provide him with a chance to shine on the left wing after injuries to Bajrami and Oliver Antman in recent days.

With Mikey Moore, who can play centrally or out wide on either flank, also returning to fitness, it will be interesting to see what the German head coach ultimately decides to go with against Ferencvaros on Thursday night.

Rangers prioritising move to sign "strong" 6ft 4 box-crasher after scouting mission

He could be Rohl’s first signing.

By
Tom Cunningham

Dec 6, 2025

It could be a good move, though, to unleash Aasgaard over Curtis in that left wing spot on Thursday night, both because of the physical element and how it could ignite the ex-Wigan star’s career at the club.