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When Liverpool smashed not just their own transfer record but the Premier League’s transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m, many associated with the Anfield club would be forgiven for thinking that was it.

Marc Guehi has been touted with a move around the £40m mark but another colossal spend was surely out of the question, right? Think again.

Anyone fancy Alexander Isak? Of course, you do. Every club in European football would love to see the Newcastle striker leading the line for them.

The trouble is, he’s rather unattainable. Every player has their price, but it feels unlikely Liverpool will make a bid of £150m, the fee the Magpies could be looking for if they are to enter negotiations.

That being said, reports have indicated in the last 24 hours that the Reds are reportedly willing to put £130m on the table. Talk about making a statement to your rivals.

Yet, with that deal looking incredibly difficult to do, they have turned their attention to Hugo Ekitike.

The latest on the Hugo Ekitike situation

On Monday, Newcastle burst into life, making Ekitike their number one target and thus beginning work on a move. That was according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.

It has since been reported by Fabrizio Romano that the Toon have lodged an official bid to sign the Eintracht Frankfurt forward. Sadly for Newcastle, that was rejected. Frankfurt want more for their French superstar.

Transfer Focus

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

Ekitike has attracted the interest of plenty this summer, namely Manchester United and Chelsea. Yet, Liverpool are now at the table.

Romano reports that if they cannot prise Isak away from St James’ Park, then they will make a play for the Bundesliga superstar instead.

It’s a remarkable ultimatum on the face of it. Give us Isak or we’ll poach your leading transfer target instead. It’s older brother behaviour from one of Europe’s elite clubs. Who can blame them, either?

It’s a situation that could become quite messy, hence why Liverpool are looking at further alternatives to bolster their forward line.

Liverpool's Isak and Ekitike alternatives

According to the Daily Mail, FSG and Co have a number of strikers on their radar this summer, including the likes of Ollie Watkins and Victor Osimhen.

One of the more standout names is Brentford striker Yoane Wissa. Also a target for Tottenham Hotspur this summer, the report notes that Liverpool have been in talks with several centre-forwards, one of which is the Bees sensation.

The Reds are weighing up their options, alright, and could have to pay around £50m or even more to prise him away from London.

How Yoane Wissa compares to Hugo Ekitike

This summer we are likely to see Darwin Nunez depart Anfield on a permanent basis.

Once a club-record signing, it simply hasn’t happened for the Uruguayan in Liverpool colours, chiefly in 2024/25 when he scored just seven goals in 47 outings.

He’s a bundle of chaotic energy. Sometimes it’s good, but for the most part, it’s a negative trait. Few forwards in Europe’s top leagues miss as many big chances as him.

During 2023/24, Nunez missed 27 big chances in the Premier League, only second to Erling Haaland. On that basis, you may not think it’s a particularly negative stat. The trouble is, while Haaland missed plenty of chances, he was also burying them at regular intervals, notching 27 league goals that year. Nunez could only manage 11.

So, if Liverpool are to go out and buy a striker to replace Nunez this summer, they need a safe and proven pair of hands. Isak, of course, is the dream buy, but in Wissa, they’d sign a similar player, someone who’s already been there and done it in the English top-flight.

Ekitike has his positives, of course he does. He’s got rangy strides and plays in a similar manner to Isak, cutting inside and burying opportunities. You don’t score 22 goals as a 22-year-old in the Bundesliga without being a good player.

Goals

19

15

Expected goals (xG)

18.59

21.67

Big chances missed

17

16

Assists

4

8

Shots off target *

0.7

1.2

Shots on target *

1.2

1.5

Conversion rate

20%

13%

Scoring frequency

154 mins

172 mins

That said, much like Nunez, he’s still raw. You sense he needs a year or two learning from another frontman should he join a big club.

Wissa, however, is 28. He’s in his prime, he knows his game perfectly, and as a Premier League-proven forward, would surely hit the ground running right away. In the words of former Brentford boss Thomas Frank, he’s “unbelievable.”

The DR Congo international scored 20 goals in 39 matches in all competitions last term, the best campaign of his career to date and he’s improving at a rapid rate. He’s ready for a big move, he’s ready to take centre stage at one of the grandest clubs in Europe, notably scoring more regularly than Ekitike last term and registering a higher conversion rate.

If you still aren’t convinced, then perhaps data-led website, FBRef, can help you out. According to the numbers, Isak was the sixth-most similar striker in the Premier League to Wissa last season. The most comparable was Kai Havertz.

What that tells us is that Wissa doesn’t just possess the carrying ability of someone like Isak, but he’s also strong in the duel. Let’s put it this way: his game feels more refined than Ekitike’s at this moment in time.

The French youngster would not be a bad signing but if Liverpool desire someone a little less chaotic, someone less raw than Nunez, Wissa is your man. He’d also be a great deal cheaper. What’s not to like?

Better than Wirtz: Liverpool preparing £113m bid to sign superstar winger

Liverpool could sign another marquee player this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 15, 2025

Liverpool made mincemeat of the Premier League’s finest in 2024/25, winning the title in Arne Slot’s first season at the helm.

Such was their dominance that a late-season sojourn over in the Gulf states was permitted while rivals worked toward positive finishes to the term.

This wasn’t the case for the Anfield side; far from it. However, 2025/26 will bring a new campaign and Liverpool are acting like it, using their pull, heightened by the recent success, to sign Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, as well as Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez.

Liverpool like to pluck exciting talents from their divisional rivals, and this summer is proving no different. Indeed, with a fee agreed with Leverkusen for the £34m sale of Jarell Quansah and Ibrahima Konate’s future uncertain as he enters the final year of his contract, Real Madrid lurking, is it any surprise that sporting director Richard Hughes is hoping to sign Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi?

Why Liverpool target players like Kerkez & Guehi

Liverpool might have broken the British transfer record this month (should Wirtz’s fixed £100m fee be expanded by the £16m in add-ons), but the Merseysiders tend to walk down a less-beaten path, signing up-and-coming talents from clubs settled lower down the Premier League ladder.

Take Andy Robertson, for example, signed from Hull City for just £10m back in 2017. He’s since solidified his name among the division’s all-time great full-backs.

1.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

259

64

2.

Andy Robertson

308

60

3.

Leighton Baines

420

53

4.

Graeme Le Saux

327

44

5.

Kieran Trippier

204

38

And how could we forget Gini Wijnaldum? The Dutchman was the industrious, metronomic heartbeat which kept Klopp’s system ticking, purloined from Newcastle United after their relegation to the Championship.

Shoutout Xherdan Shaqiri, too.

The point is, Liverpool run their club intelligently, identifying players proven in the Premier League and with plenty of scope for growth. Manchester United, with their Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, may well have taken a leaf from their rival.

While FSG are in a position to sign superstars like Wirtz, they haven’t lost track of their roots: Kerkez, signed for £40m, is evidence of his, hailing from the south coast, while the 24-year-old Guehi would also align with this tried-and-tested Merseyside method, having been at the centre of transfer rumours in recent days that suggest Liverpool would be willing to pay £50m to snap him up.

Slot will have had his say in identifying such players, looking to bring them to Anfield, but he is benefiting somewhat from the club’s prowess when Klopp was at the helm. Certainly, there’s one star in particular who aligns with the discussed method who should be the barometer from which to judge an addition’s success.

Liverpool have struck gold on Premier League signing

Like Kerkez and Virgil van Dijk before him, Alexis Mac Allister has proved a stunning signing for Liverpool, joining the club from Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal worth £35m two years ago.

His first term, the Argentina international, who was instrumental in his nation’s 2022 World Cup triumph, filled in as a holding midfielder after the Anfield side failed in a bid to land Moises Caicedo; since, with Slot in charge, he’s moved back into a more expansive midfield role, winning silverware in both seasons on Merseyside.

One constant, however, has been Mac Allister’s brilliance in the centre of the park. The 26-year-old has only gone from strength to strength after switching the Seagulls for the Liverbird, with pundit Joe Cole even declaring him a “superstar” who “can play anywhere”.

Matches (starts)

33 (31)

35 (30)

Goals

5

5

Assists

5

5

Touches*

74.2

55.8

Pass completion

88%

87%

Big chances created

3

6

Key passes*

1.4

1.3

Dribbles*

0.5

0.5

Ball recoveries*

5.9

4.2

Tackles + interceptions*

4.1

3.3

Ground duels (won)*

5.0 (50%)

4.3 (50%)

Take a look at the table above. What do you see? Curiously, Mac Allister has shifted roles under Slot, less active and frenetic in his play, calmed into a controlling force which channels the flow of the coach’s ball-playing vision.

The South American star perhaps said it best himself: “In terms of the change, perhaps with Jürgen I played as a lone five [holding midfielder]. So, the position was very different. I was much more defensive than anything else.

“So, the system has changed a little, but the main ideas are the same. I think perhaps the big change is in having that patience to have longer periods of possession and dominate games more and obviously that creates more chances.”

It’s certainly showcased through the metrics: as per FBref, Mac Allister ranked among the top 20% of midfielders in the Premier League last year for goal involvements, the top 16% for progressive passes, the top 14% for shot-creating actions and the top 13% for tackles per 90.

He’s the real deal, having ballooned in value and technical quality since making the leap. It’s a rise that Slot and co will no doubt hope Kerkez will follow, and Guehi too, should he sign from Palace this summer.

The fiesty midfielder’s progress at Liverpool has even impelled Real Madrid to come knocking on the door, with reports earlier in the year suggesting Florentino Perez would be willing to fork out some €90m (£76m) for the maestro, who has been earmarked as a potential long-term successor to Luka Modric’s soon-to-be vacant locker at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Naturally, this puts him in a much higher bracket than Kerkez and Guehi, but we must caveat that with a firm ‘for now’, as the ball-playing specialist may yet find his new and potential teammates to be rivalling him on the financial scales down the line.

Liverpool know their stuff, work with a calculated eye to sign up-and-coming Premier League stars and bring them up to elite status, when certain other high-station clubs then come sniffing around for fully developed product.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Mac Allister is a perfect representation of that, and soon Kerkez and perhaps Guehi will be too.

Better than Gyokeres: Liverpool in the race for "the new Haaland"

Liverpool are sounding out a series of Alexander Isak alternatives this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 27, 2025

Looking to rebuild Pep Guardiola’s midfield, Manchester City are now reportedly preparing to step up their deal to sign a £50m star who they want sealed and delivered by June 1.

Man City set for midfield rebuild

With Kevin De Bruyne’s departure confirmed and stars such as Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva arguably past the peak of their powers, the focus for Manchester City this summer will be on their midfield.

Just how they replace three club legends in one summer is the big question. Already, both Morgan Gibbs-White and Florian Wirtz have been heavily linked with moves to The Etihad, but it seems as though the latter is destined to choose Bayern Munich rather than Guardiola’s side. And whilst news has been more positive in the case of Gibbs-White, City will need more than one reinforcement in the middle of the park.

Replacing De Bruyne will be particularly difficult and the extent of the task at hand won’t be lost on Guardiola, who told reporters after the midfielder announced that he would be leaving the club: “Kevin is not a vocal leader. He is a leader in that every day for nine years, except the last year and a half, being there helping the team.

“And his talent is unique, everyone knows it – he has the vision and the pass. When players are up front and Kevin has the ball, and he feels like this, they know they can run because the ball can be delivered.”

Whilst there will be plenty of emotions on show as Manchester City exit an era full of success, this season’s struggles have highlighted that now is the perfect time for fresh faces.

Genuine chance Man City hijack £45m "mad man" Liverpool are working to sign

Man City have now made an approach to sign a player who Liverpool have held talks with.

1 ByBrett Worthington May 21, 2025

The Citizens, without Rodri, have been uncharacteristically poor in midfield, and the arrival of one particular player would likely help to put them back on track at the heart of Guardiola’s side.

Man City set to step up Reijnders move

Although reports seemed to go quiet following a flurry of news revealing their interest, those at The Etihad are still reportedly interested in one Serie A star. According to TuttoMercatoWeb, as relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City are now set to step up their move to sign Tijjani Reijnders, which they want done when the window opens next Sunday, June 1, so they can take the midfielder to the Club World Cup.

Whether AC Milan will make negotiations that easy remains to be seen, however. No matter when a deal potentially takes place, Reijnders is unlikely to come cheap amid a reported €60m (£50m) price tag.

Minutes

3,038

2,580

Goals

10

4

Progressive Carries

110

99

Ball Recoveries

115

102

The player who Reijnders could replace in Man City’s midfield is Silva. The Portugal international has fallen away from his usual intensity this season and has been outperformed by the AC Milan star who could yet be on his way to Manchester.

A player who analyst Ben Mattinson previously praised for the “insane” level that he was performing at, Reijnders may soon complete his move in time to make his Man City debut at the Club World Cup.

Wolves have made contact over the signing of a “brilliant” Manchester United player on a free transfer this summer, according to a new report.

Man Utd circling for Cunha after Wolves win at Old Trafford

Wanderers are sweating over the future of star man Mathues Cunha, with United looking like they are leading the race to sign him at the end of this season. The Brazilian has been such an impressive performer for Wolves, in what has largely been an underwhelming season for too many players, scoring 14 goals in the Premier League and once again shining in the recent 1-0 win at United.

If Cunha does leave Wanderers this summer, a top-quality player needs to come in and replace him, and Chelsea’s Joao Felix has been mentioned as a loan target. The Portuguese hasn’t reached his potential, having won the European Golden Boy award back in 2019, but he could still be an exciting addition.

Aside from Cunha, there could be other exits at Wolves in the coming months, with Tommy Doyle expected to move on to pastures new, in order enjoy more regular playing time. Now, a well-known central defender has been backed to head to Molineux in the next transfer window.

Wolves make contact with Man Utd's Lindelof

According to the latest from Caught Offside, Wolves have “been in contact” with United centre-back Victor Lindelof over a summer move to Molineux. The 30-year-old is expected to leave the Reds Devils on a free transfer at the end of the season, and Wanderers are among a host of clubs who are keen on snapping him up. Fulham, Everton and West Ham are all mentioned in the report, too.

The £120,000-a-week Lindelof could be a shrewd signing by Wolves, even though his best days may arguably be behind him, hence United being willing to lose him on a free. The defender is a hugely experienced figure, making 277 appearances for the Red Devils and winning 71 caps for Sweden, while Fraizer Campbell lauded a performance against Everton last season.

“He was brilliant. He’s not let his man have time or space, [Jack] Harrison, who started on the right fot them, he’s a good player, he could have caused us a lot of problems, he snuffed that out. He did really well. That’s exactly what the manager wants. He wants people he can trust when he picks them, whatever position they play in, to do a job for him. He’s demonstrating that by playing left-back.”

There is a certain gamble Wolves would be taking in signing Lindelof, especially as he has had lots of injury problems at United, but the free aspect of the transfer would take out some of the risk element.

Wolves must rue selling sensational star who is worth £40m more than Cunha

Wolves sold a player in 2022 who is now worth around £100m

By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 21, 2025

The Swede can come in and be a strong squad option for Vitor Pereira, putting his experience to good use and adding the much-needed depth that Wanderers crave ahead of what is hopefully a more positive 2025/26 campaign.

Nottingham Forest could now look to hijack a rival Premier League club’s move for an “unbelievable” player, according to transfer expert Graeme Bailey.

Forest's summer transfer plans taking shape

Forest still have plenty to play for this season, with Champions League qualification still very much on the cards despite the 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa last weekend, while they will also have dreams of winning the FA Cup.

However, with the summer transfer window edging ever closer, it is important Nuno begins to lay the groundwork ahead of next season, and the manager appears to be particularly keen on signing a new striker.

Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, AFC Bournemouth’s Evanilson, and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha are some of the biggest names on the shortlist, with Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin also emerging as an option in recent days.

Nottingham Forest very keen on signing £26m USA international this summer

The Tricky Trees have set their sights on a midfielder, who is now likely to leave his club this summer.

ByDominic Lund Apr 8, 2025

Bolstering his attacking options appears to be a priority for Nuno, but there have also been suggestions the manager could look to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, with replacements being eyed for Matz Sels, despite his impressive form.

Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is one of the names on the shortlist, with the 26-year-old set to be available for £25m, now the Saints’ relegation from the Premier League has been confirmed.

Speaking to Nottingham Forest News, transfer expert Bailey has now confirmed Burnley’s James Trafford is also of interest to the Trickly Trees, saying: “They have been delighted with how Sels has performed, he has been superb but I know they are looking at the market.

“There are some very good goalkeepers going to be available – Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford and Caoimhin Kelleher amongst them, and Forest like those three – and that isn’t including the plethora of foreign options. It is not definite but they are looking at it.”

Trafford could be "unbelievable" signing

Sels has been reliable for Forest between the sticks this season, starting all 31 of their Premier League matches, but there are clear indications Trafford could be an upgrade on the Belgian.

Burnley have shipped just 12 goals in the Championship this season, which is by far the best defensive record in the league, and he has received high praise from minority owner JJ Watt, who lauded the goalkeeper as “unbelievable”.

That description is fully justified, given that the 6’6″ colossus ranks extremely highly on a number of key metrics for goalkeepers over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Goals against

0.30 (99th percentile)

Save percentage

86.0% (99th percentile)

Save % (Penalty kicks)

100% (95th percentile)

Clean sheet percentage

70% (99th percentile)

Trafford has long been expected to sign for Newcastle United this summer, and it may be difficult to hijack the move for the goalkeeper, but if Champions League football is on offer at the City Ground next season, moving to Forest could be an attractive proposition.

The England captain insisted it was not a “skill issue” that caused the meltdown in Perth as the tourists plot their fightback

Vithushan Ehantharajah29-Nov-20252:51

Ehantharajah: This defeat will hurt for England

One of the few success stories from Jon Ronson’s , a book that delves into the worryingly compelling world of online humiliation and real-world consequences, comes from Max Moseley.The ex-Formula One boss’, ermmm, extra-curricular peccadilloes were plastered all over the papers in 2008. And yet, not only did he manage to survive those stories – even retaining his position as FIA president – he emerged more popular than before simply because he refused to be shamed by them. Even considering the economic and social factors that allowed Moseley to emerge unscathed from such scandal, the underlying reason why, Ronson posits, was through owning the facts of his now public sexual proclivities.Related

'Shellshocked' Stokes hails Head for 'knocking the wind' out of England

Bazball's last stand: build your own Ashes fantasy adventure

Stokes: Calling England arrogant is a step too far

England have not disgraced themselves to that degree on this Ashes tour. Entire universes separate a two-day defeat in the opening Test match and, say, a lifelong penchant for questionable dress-up and sadomasochism. But to go by the coverage here in Australia – and some back home – Bazball has bared its arse to the world.And so, on Saturday, not governed by shame but duty, Ben Stokes took the initiative. England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick had been pencilled in to address the media at the start of a training session at Allan Border Field, some 8km north of The Gabba, where England will be situated from Sunday. Stokes, however, decided the first official engagement since last Saturday, in the immediate aftermath of Australia’s eight-wicket win, should come from him.It was an opportunity for clarity amid what he perceives to be a sea of conjecture and unfair criticism. He disagreed with the notion his team were arrogant and gave context to their no-show for the Prime Minister’s XI fixture in Canberra. At the forefront, however, came home truths around a key position squandered – 105 in front after lunch on day two, with nine second-innings in hand, that eventuated in one of England’s most embarrassing Ashes defeats.Ben Stokes gets back into training ahead of the second Test•Getty Images”We had our foot on the throat of Australia at that time,” said Stokes, ruefully. “And I guess a good one [thought] is…you’ve never got enough when it comes to the bat and you’ve never got enough on the board when you’re trying to bowl a team out.”That’s a mentality thing. If you can think of it more like that, that will send guys out there with that real clear mind – not only about how we want to operate but where the game currently is sat. You’ve never won til you’ve won, and last week was a great example of that.”We were in such a commanding and controlling position in that Test, particularly after the first innings – being [effectively] 105 for 1, getting a lead and making them chase down 200 [205] there was still a lot of belief that we were going to do this. That doesn’t mean we don’t look back on important moments and know we could have been better, and in how we executed that.”You can all agree with me, it’s not a skill issue or a quality issue that we have with regard to that moment in that game happening. We’re all really, really good players. We’ve all shown that at different moments throughout our careers. It’s just having an understanding of where that was at that moment in time. Being 100 for 1 in the third innings was an unbelievably strong position to be in.”The introspection in the days since has come both as a team and individuals. Stokes revealed he has been wondering what he could have done differently in the field, particularly in the early stages of Head’s remarkable 123 from 83 deliveries. Stokes, shellshocked in the immediate aftermath, has since found faults in his own captaincy. He was perhaps guilty of sifting through plans too quickly, not letting them settle. Spamming the bumper ploy when England’s success had come through nailing a length. Not bowling Joe Root early enough to change the pace as Head – a leftie – began swinging for the fences.There will be much interest in England’s approach with the bat in Brisbane•Gareth Copley/Getty Images”We’ve used that time to reflect on all those kinds of things, not only from a team point of view but me as a captain – the job I have to do out there. The next time we’re potentially in a situation like that, I’ll be in a better place to handle something that happens so quickly.”I know there were areas in that fourth innings where I could have been a lot better as captain. I am the person who makes decisions about how we go out there and operate, and I am the one who gives the plans to the bowlers. On reflection of myself, I wasn’t as clear as I normally am in those moments.”That’s something I have thought about, what I can do better as a captain and a leader. Making sure wherever the game is, whatever the momentum is swinging or not, the key thing for me is to be completely crystal clear with my bowlers.”

That’s why it was such a strange feeling at the end of that game because it happened very, very quickly. We lost a game we were in control of and we all know thatBen Stokes

Clear messages, full hearts, can’t lose – therein lies the actual essence of what Stokes and Brendon McCullum have tried to instill since they joined forces in 2022. Stripping away the add-ons of Test cricket has always come with the ultimate goal of being better at Test cricket. And even in defeat, all Stokes and McCullum ask is whether you can be satisfied in having committed to your role in your own way.Self-flaggelation is discouraged – the final two sessions at Perth Stadium underlines cricket does a good enough job at promoting self-hatred – but honesty remains a vital tool. And it was instructive that Stokes decided to reiterate the blueprint here and now, when it is under its most intense scrutiny.”We keep it very simple, which is always looking to put the opposition under pressure, but then also understanding the moment we need to absorb the pressure that is being piled on to us from the opposition,” he said. “We know that we are very, very good at the first bit and we all know there are areas that we can be better doing the second bit. That is the key of it. We do that and understand that. We don’t take anything for granted around anything.Ben Stokes said England have taken time to reflect on what went wrong in the first Test•Getty Images”We’re not going ‘oh, well’, because we don’t do that. We don’t shrug it off and think ‘next time hopefully it will happen’. We are professional sportsmen, we pride ourselves on how we go about things and we pride ourselves on the results of the games we’re playing in.”We all know that we definitely could be better in those moments and I think it showed in that third innings. That doesn’t take away how well we played for the vast majority of that game, although it was quick. That’s why it was such a strange feeling at the end of that game because it happened very, very quickly. We lost a game we were in control of and we all know that.”It is likely the majority of the XI will get the chance to show they have learned from last week’s mistakes. Mark Wood is expected to miss out, but the 10 remaining could be rolled out again, each with their own shot of redemption.The second Test, ultimately, represents a do-over. The chance to shape the narrative, even if the odds are skewed very much in Australia’s favour given their dominant record in day-night cricket.Harnessing that energy and channeling it into squaring the series will not be easy. Even with the time that has passed since the opening defeat, there are still five days to go. Five more days of talking, five more days of wondering. England will be gagging for the pink-ball Test to begin.

We look at some of the questions England will try to answer across ODI and T20I series against West Indies

Alan Gardner01-Dec-2023Will Jacks demonstrated his attacking instincts against Ireland in September•PA Photos/Getty Images

Is Jacks the real deal?

Who is the only man to have played all three formats for England in the last 12 months but not receive a central contract? Not yet a regular, at the same time you don’t have to think too far outside the box to come up with the name of Will Jacks. While David Willey’s snub took the headlines, it is the case of Jacks that could become much more pertinent in selection meetings. One of the most aggressive batters among England’s next generation – his commitment to attack was epitomised by his dismissal, caught on the boundary for 94 off 88 balls, with a maiden hundred in sight against Ireland in September – he will have a chance to stake his claim at the top of the order in both white-ball formats. His offspin is also good enough to have brought him a six-for on Test debut (just don’t mention the fact his lack of a central contract might yet mean he opts to fulfil an SA20 deal ahead of the chance to tour India early next year). The ECB’s decision “was disappointing but it does give me freedom,” he told the earlier this week, before adding: “The World Cup is a massive one so playing T20 cricket is really important to me at the moment. The way the game and the world is at the moment definitely suits me.”

Who holds the keys to No. 3?

While Jacks and Phil Salt will be looking to cement their status as a firestarting opening combo in the Hales-Roy mould, the identity of the ODI side’s No. 3 could be even more pivotal. Joe Root indicated during the World Cup that he hoped to still be in the team for the next edition in four years’ time, but a tournament haul of 312 runs at 30.66 raised the heretical notion that – as in the T20 format – England might be better off without their most classically adroit batter. Zak Crawley seems likely to get first bite at first drop in the new era, and there is every chance that one of the Test team’s purest Bazballers could thrive in conditions that are less likely to expose technical issues. Equally intriguing, though perhaps on the backburner, is the prospect of Ollie Pope being ported across from his berth in the Test side. As discussed on the latest Switch Hit podcast, Pope was seemingly preferred in the squad to Sam Hain on the basis of his range and versatility across formats. He has yet to play a limited-overs game for England but, with a run-a-ball Test double-hundred to his name, ought not to have any trouble setting the required tempo.

Is Carse the new Plunkett?

There were a multitude of missteps across England’s doomed World Cup defence, but one of their mistakes could perhaps be charted right back to July 14, 2019. That was the last time Liam Plunkett played international cricket, and his reputation as a middle-overs wrecking ball has grown with each passing year that England failed to find a suitable replacement. In India, their bowlers in the second powerplay (overs 11-40) averaged 43.59, putting them seventh out of the ten competing nations, one below Netherlands – and that despite a successful tournament for Adil Rashid, the legspinning foil to Plunkett’s hit-the-deck enforcer. Enter (belatedly): Brydon Carse. The Durham quick has had an injury-disrupted career and, at 28, has only played 21 List A matches; in 76 T20s, he has 40 wickets at 41.95. But during a handful of England outings spread across two-and-a-half years there have been glimpses of high pace and a Plunkett-esque modus operandi, while his career-bests in both white-ball formats have come in international fixtures. With David Willey retiring, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood unlikely to do another four-year cycle, and Jofra Archer still in injury-enforced limbo, this tour represents a chance for Carse, Gus Atkinson, Matt Potts and the uncapped John Turner to prove that England’s seam stocks still run deep.Rehan Ahmed has come a long way in a short space of time•AFP/Getty Images

Rehan ready to fill Rashid’s boots?

The spin department, meanwhile, already has its coming man. It was in the Caribbean two winters ago that Rehan Ahmed first came to wider attention (beyond his role as a teenage nets bowler at Lord’s) when helping England to runners-up spot in the Under-19 World Cup. Since then he has made his mark in the history books by becoming the youngest man to win senior England caps in all three formats, which included taking a five-for on Test debut, and generally handled every challenge thrown his way while still being a teenager. In the Caribbean, Rehan will provide the main slow-bowling threat for the ODIs – remarkably, with 10 List A appearances, he has twice as much experience in the format as the other spinner on tour, Tom Hartley – before resuming his role as sorcerer’s apprentice when Rashid returns for the T20I leg. Having taken over, and impressed, as Southern Brave’s wristspin option during the Hundred, his continued progress in the shortest format will likely inform his chances of being involved in next year’s T20 World Cup.Will these three World Cup winners make it to the 2024 event?•Associated Press

Is old still gold in T20?

It is the looming defence (and England surely won’t shy away from that word again) of another world title that means the T20I series against West Indies will carry greater weight. England have stuck with the majority of their 2022 T20 World Cup-winning squad – Dawid Malan the only member who has been explicitly dropped – but there could still be significant jostling for position, with Jacks, Rehan, Atkinson and Ben Duckett foremost among those looking to make a mark in the absence of established names like Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Wood and Chris Jordan. Even those involved in the Caribbean, such as Rashid, Woakes and Moeen Ali, could be left looking over their shoulders. Moeen, who will turn 37 midway through the tournament next June, has hinted that the World Cup would be a logical end point for his international career but England will want to be clear they are picking him on merit rather than reputation. Getting the old gang back together failed disastrously at the ODI World Cup, although there are two clear differences here – a smaller gap between tournaments and the fact England’s players play a lot more T20 year round. With two-time champions West Indies also trying to rouse themselves after back-to-back blowouts at T20 World Cups, it should be all to play for in Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad.

Past coaches have had revolutionary plans, but they’ve not been easily accepted. Will Dravid be able to stamp his signature with this crop?

Sidharth Monga04-Nov-20214:23

Moody: Dravid’s challenge will be to manage the schedule

Early in his captaincy career – well, he was just a stand-in at that point of time – Rahul Dravid experienced the dark side of superstar power in Indian cricket. He declared an innings closed with Sachin Tendulkar on 194. The furore that followed shocked him. His full-time captaincy, lauded for his tactical nous and forward thinking, was littered with troubles with superstars, one who refused to move on, another who resented a change in his batting position. It eventually ended in the captain’s resignation and a sense of unfulfillment even though he had led India to their first Test win in South Africa and a rare series win in England.This was perhaps why Dravid has long been reluctant to take up the head coach role. Now that he has agreed to it, he is arguably India’s most high-profile coach ever. And he walks into a similarly challenging prospect of transitioning the team from the current superstars to the next ones. Make no mistake about it, Dravid inherits an extremely successful team. They have won two successive Test series in Australia, are a single draw away from winning one in England. India are nigh unbeatable at home, and have made at least the semi-finals of the last seven ICC events.Yet it a delicate turn for Indian cricket because the core of this team is in the last quarter of their careers. Their leader on the field, Virat Kohli, is showing signs of wear and tear, and wants to cut down on responsibilities. Every other automatic captaincy choice is older if not the same age. Not that Kohli is in a tearing hurry to give it all up either.Along with the selectors, Dravid will have to manage this transition as smoothly as he can with all the personality clashes that crop up during such times. The role of selectors can be easily overlooked, but they play a potentially bigger role than the coach.The previous team management led India on some really tough tours, two each to Australia and England and one to South Africa, but they had one advantage. Their stint was the most straightforward one in Indian cricket. In the team, there was no other power head. Unlike MS Dhoni and Dravid before him, Kohli didn’t have to manage any senior or difficult character. He got rid of the only possible dissenting voice, coach Anil Kumble, fairly early in his captaincy.They didn’t need any of the diplomacy a team management needs to deal with the BCCI. In the name of a board was a Committee of Administrators, which never denied anything they wanted. One of the things that has probably worn Kohli down, of late, is the board making sure that player power is kept in check. This is the reality of leading an Indian cricket team, a reality Kohli and Ravi Shastri were immune to, but Dravid – and whoever the next captain – is won’t be. While transitioning, they will still have to get the best out of these senior superstars.Dravid’s success as coach at the junior level has been unparalleled, but the biggest job in world cricket is a different ball game•Getty ImagesOn the field, challenges for Dravid are more direct. He has to make India’s white-ball sides more modern while maintaining the Test intensity. To run down India’s limited-overs sides based on ICC tournament knockout matches will be unfair, but there is a sense that despite running the biggest league in T20 cricket, India are always playing catch-up. Their default position in these formats is conservative. Only when they are pushed up against a wall do they unshackle themselves. The results are often spectacular, which frustrates the observers even more. Dravid will need to get rid of that handbrake.With the largest talent pool available to them, Dravid and the new captain will have to realise the vast potential India have in limited-overs cricket. Those who observe India’s limited-overs talent pool at grassroot levels, especially in the batting, are underwhelmed at what India achieve on the international scene. The test will be immediate: there are two World Cups coming up in the next two years, the T20 one in Australia in 2022 and the ODI World Cup at home in 2023.Related

• If Dravid the coach is anything like Dravid the captain, be ready for unpopular calls

• Ind vs NZ T20Is: Rohit to lead; Kohli, Bumrah, Hardik absent

• Shastri: India 'one of the great teams in the history of cricket'

• VVS Laxman frontrunner to replace Rahul Dravid as NCA director

• Kohli on India's packed schedule: 'That's cricket for you today'

More than Shastri’s, like it or not, popular perception will judge Dravid’s tenure on these two events. Dravid is well equipped, though. He brings great experience in both team formation and strategising both as captain and coach in the toughest league of them all, the IPL. That is his big advantage over a man-manager kind of a coach. He also brings experience of overseeing players through their formative years at NCA and in Under-19 cricket.Dravid will find out not much has changed in India’s limited-overs setup since he was captain. The immediate problem is that everybody wants to bat inside the top three when the ball is hard and new. Back in 2006 and 2007, Dravid and coach Greg Chappell were ahead of their time in recognising the issue, but their solution, to ask the most versatile batter they knew to take up the responsibility in the middle order, backfired spectacularly because of lack of buy-in. What solutions will he bring about now? How will he manage a buy-in if he has similar revolutionary ideas?

“Along with the selectors, Dravid will have to manage this transition as smoothly as he can with all the personality clashes that crop up during such times. The role of selectors can be easily overlooked, but they play a potentially bigger role than the coach.”

Dravid will have to use all his diplomacy to manage the mental and physical health of his players. Kohli has cried himself hoarse in press conferences about the unsustainable schedules of the Indian team. This might just be the time to take the England route and invest in a completely different limited-overs outfit to better manage players’ bodies and minds. With some help from the BCCI, he will have to harbour a sense of security within the team, if he aims at such a shift.Test cricket has relatively easier assignments and challenges apart from the tour of South Africa and the last Test of the unfinished series in England. Leading that England series already, India will be favourites to make the final once again. However, during Dravid’s tenure, the futures of a few Test stalwarts will come up for review. Delicate decisions will have to be made.While the wild dream of being Test, ODI and T20I champions at the same time can’t be ruled out in the next two years, we will do well to not judge the team on those three or four knockout matches alone.That is one thing that will change from his current job where he himself makes a conscious effort to not focus on the results on the ground. To him, winning an Under-19 World Cup is less important than seeing his players holding their own against older, battle-hardened men in first-class cricket within one year of playing Under-19. His A-team tours are more about judging who can go on to serve India and then providing him enough chances to develop his game. Now Dravid will have to rely on someone else to do that for him.A recent TV commercial plays on the popular image of Dravid. They show him in road rage a moment after the narrator says their offer is as ridiculous as Dravid having anger issues. Because, well, if Dravid can have road rage, their offer is not so ridiculous after all. It works because it is an extremely clever advertisement, based of real-life perception of Dravid: a good boy with a neat side-parting who represents those qualities of people that they want projected.Yet the advertisers needn’t have created a fictional scene of road rage. They could have just shown him fling his cap into dirt as Rajasthan Royals coach when his players didn’t execute well. Welcome back to that life, Rahul. It’s quite a rush. Hope you don’t have to bring out that side too often.

A sight no Tigers fan wanted to see occurred on Wednesday during the club's 6–2 victory over the Mets. Lights-out relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan, one of the Tigers' savvy trade deadline pickups and one of the best relievers in all of baseball since the July 31 deadline, appeared to suffer an apparent injury while warming up in the bullpen. The Tigers broadcast showed Finnegan firing a warmup pitch in the bullpen, then squatting down in discomfort. Finnegan then walked through the Tigers dugout and headed down the steps towards the clubhouse.

Will Vest began wamring up in the bullpen in Finnegan's stead, with the former eventually entering the game in the top of the seventh inning, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless in relief. The Tigers announced that Finnegan experienced right groin tightness while warming up, according to Cody Stavenhagen of .

In 14 1/3 innings pitched since his acquisition by Detroit, Finnegan has yet to allow an earned run and has struck out 19 batters.

The New York Yankees are in the middle of a midseason snag, and are buying at the trade deadline as they look to pursue the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East.

The Yankees have already acquired former Colorado Rockies first baseman Ryan McMahon, as well as former Washington Nationals infielder Amed Rosario. Now New York is still seeking bullpen help, but is adding outfielders to the wish list with Aaron Judge on the IL with an elbow issue.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the outfield help could come by way of a reunion with Minnesota Twins centerfielder Harrison Bader, who last played for the Yankees in 2023. The Yankees are also interested in Chicago White Sox outfielder Austin Slater.

Bader is hitting .255 for the Twins this season with 12 home runs and 38 RBI, while Slater is batting .241 with five home runs and 11 RBI.

Despite outfield help now being classified as a need, the Yankees are expected to continue to be in the market for relief pitching before the deadline later this week.