Saini replaces Siraj in India B while Gaurav Yadav comes in for Malik in India C

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2024

Mohammed Siraj and Umran Malik have been ruled out of the first round of the Duleep Trophy because of illness. Navdeep Saini has replaced Siraj in the India B squad, while Gaurav Yadav has come in for Malik in the India C squad.Ravindra Jadeja, meanwhile, has also been released from the India B squad, though no reason has been provided for the update. No replacement has been named for him either.Gaurav, a 32-year-old fast bowler originally from Madhya Pradesh, switched to Puducherry before the last domestic season. He made headlines when he picked up 41 wickets in the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy, second on the overall list, in just 11 bowling innings at an average of 14.58, with five five-wicket hauls and a ten-wicket match haul to stun Delhi in the opening round.Before that, too, he was a consistent wicket-taker with the red ball, with a tally of 24 in 2022-23, 23 in 2021-22, and 23 in 2019-20. Overall, he has played 37 first-class matches for 141 wickets since making his debut in the format in November 2012.Related

Duleep Trophy first round: Injured Kishan ruled out, Samson named replacement

Suryakumar out of first round of Duleep Trophy with injury

Buchi Babu tournament: Kishan's impressive red-ball return, Iyer's Narine moment

Gaurav Yadav – the Bisoni Kalan farm boy who 'made a name' in Ranji cricket

Pant to make red-ball comeback with Duleep Trophy; Shami not picked

The injury-prone Saini, who played two Tests on India’s tour of Australia in 2020-21, has been given a chance to come back on the selectors’ radar ahead of the Test season. He was part of two India A four-day games last season – one against England Lions at home and one in South Africa in December – but he failed to pick up more than one wicket in any of the four innings he bowled in.Nitish Kumar Reddy’s participation will continue to be subject to fitness, a BCCI statement said, as he continues to recover after a sports hernia surgery.The first round of the Duleep Trophy will be played simultaneously in Anantapur and Bengaluru from September 5.Originally a zonal competition featuring teams from five (and later six) zones, the format of the Duleep Trophy has changed often in the past few seasons, and will be a four-team contest this time. Since the second round will clash with the home Test series against Bangladesh starting September 19, the players who are picked for the Tests will be replaced.Revised squads for Duleep Trophy first roundIndia A: Shubman Gill (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KL Rahul, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Tanush Kotian, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Vidwath Kaverappa, Kumar Kushagra, Shaswat Rawat.India B: Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Musheer Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy (subject to fitness), Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Yash Dayal, Mukesh Kumar, Rahul Chahar, R Sai Kishore, Mohit Awasthi, N Jagadeesan (wk)India C: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Abishek Porel (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, B Indrajith, Hrithik Shokeen, Manav Suthar, Gaurav Yadav, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Anshul Khamboj, Himanshu Chauhan, Mayank Markande, Aryan Juyal (wk), Sandeep WarrierIndia D: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Atharva Taide, Yash Dubey, Devdutt Padikkal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Ricky Bhui, Saransh Jain, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Aditya Thakare, Harshit Rana, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Sengupta, KS Bharat (wk), Saurabh Kumar

Manchester United came unstuck last season, and things looked pretty bleak as the Red Devils wrapped up a year that offered no route into European football and dealt a 15th-place finish in the Premier League.

However, to borrow a common social media phrase: ‘When you’re big, you’re big.’

Matheus Cunha is evidence of that, having joined United from Wolverhampton Wanderers despite interest from Arsenal, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur. All four interested parties will play in Europe next term.

Following on from that, there’s even more excitement to come at Old Trafford

Man Utd hold talks for top striker target after Mbeumo

Bryan Mbeumo has informed Brentford that he will only leave the club if it means moving to the Theatre of Dreams. INEOS are pushing to get that one done, having seen two offers rejected already.

If the Cameroonian does sign for Ruben Amorim’s side, he will join Cunha in a new-look strikeforce promising much more than was on show last year. And that’s without even considering the elite striker who may yet join the club.

Transfer Focus

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

Man United’s interest in a certain Viktor Gyokeres has been well-documented over the past several months. However, their 2024/25 woes have created some limitations, and the 27-year-old, who was so dangerous under Amorim’s wing, has expressed a preference to sign for Arsenal.

However, Caught Offside have recently reported that it’s now only a matter of time until Gyokeres is on the move, with Arsenal and United singled out as the clubs to have discussed a move with Sporting, asking to be kept in the loop regarding his future.

Sporting’s president, Frederico Varandas, has since said there is a “strong possibility” the Sweden international is sold this summer below his €100m (£85m) release clause. A more realistic €80m (£68m) fee has been touted.

Why Viktor Gyokeres is perfect for Man Utd

Just imagine for a moment that after this terrible year, this nadir in which Man United have plummeted, Amorim finds himself equipped with a front three comprised of Cunha, Mbeumo and Gyokeres.

It would certainly be an improvement on last year’s attacking crop, with Gyokeres’ ridiculous return of 97 goals and 28 assists across 102 matches for Sporting, leading journalist Alex Turk to call him a “monster” when urging United to make their bid.

Signing such a prolific player to go alongside Mbeumo might even prove the formula for a return to the apex of European competition, especially when considering Gyokeres outscored every single player across Europe’s top ten divisions last year.

1.

Viktor Gyokeres

33

39

2.

Kylian Mbappe

34

31

3.

Mohamed Salah

38

29

4.

Robert Lewandowski

34

27

5.

Harry Kane

31

26

While detractors would point toward Gyokeres plying his trade in the Portuguese top flight, it’s worth noting that he still scored those goals, also putting a hat-trick past Manchester City in the Champions League.

And like Mbeumo, he is a striker who has been fashioned in the Championship, thriving for Coventry City before earning his big move, which may yet pale in comparison to a high-profile transfer to Man United.

Mbeumo – who learned his trade in the EFL like Gyokeres – will be aiming to rival the Swede’s goal return, sure, but he will also advance his dance partner’s individual success.

As per Sofascore, the Bees forward averaged 1.8 key passes per Premier League game in 2024/25, creating 17 big chances besides.

There’s a certain completeness and intelligence to Mbeumo’s style of play, which emphasises his potential in tough conditions at United, where the margin for error will be a narrow thing indeed over the coming months.

With these two forwards combining with Cunha, there’s a real chance the Red Devils will rise again. For now, fans will understandably reserve judgment, but even the most dejected of fans would concede that INEOS are making positive moves in the market.

Their next McTominay: Wilcox in talks to sign £51m "machine" for Man Utd

Manchester United could win themselves a new version of Scott McTominay by signing this £51m machine.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 29, 2025

Good things come to those who wait. That’s an aphorism firmly printed in the minds of Newcastle United’s fanbase, for sure.

The Magpies have endured another frustrating start to a summer transfer window, with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Joao Pedro all opting against moves to St. James’ Park.

But Eddie Howe has bounced back from last summer’s failed bid for Anthony Elanga by signing the Nottingham Forest winger for £55m, thus filling a gaping hole in his first-team squad.

Now, he’s planning something special. Something emblematic of the club’s ambitions, their desire to not just to upset the Premier League hegemony but to destroy it, establishing themselves as part of a new ‘big six’.

Having won the Carabao Cup and qualified for the Champions League for the second time in three years, the Toon are well on their way to achieving this, and the signing of Hugo Ekitike would only rubberstamp this new position of strength.

The latest on Hugo Ekitike to Newcastle

Make no mistake, Newcastle would send shockwaves rippling across the footballing world if beating Liverpool and Chelsea, among others, to Ekitike’s signature.

The Frenchman is a rare breed of centre-forward, truly dynamic and creative in his approach to his craft. Already, he has been described by analyst Ben Mattinson as being “one of the best strikers out there”, and yet we’re looking at a player who still has a mountain to climb before completing his development.

And it’s hard to imagine that evolution will simply cease upon a move to Tyneside. Eintracht Frankfurt have overseen the 23-year-old’s progress since he arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in January 2024 as a loanee before becoming a fixed feature at the prow of the ship.

Newcastle’s interest runs deep, of course, for United had a £33m bid accepted back in 2022, but for the Reims prospect’s head to be turned by PSG’s late interruption.

And now, according to top sources such as The Athletic’s David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle are pushing ahead, looking to close a deal.

Such news represents a double-edged sword: Ekitike has the makings of a world-class forward, but his acquisition heightens fears surrounding Alexander Isak’s future, with Liverpool having already made an attempt to lure him to Anfield in a staggering £130m deal. That’s the word of Times journalist Martin Hardy, anyway.

Especially since Howe is looking to take Newcastle’s summer expenditure to the next level, with a move for a Premier League star in the pipeline.

Newcastle discussing move for Premier League star

According to The Athletic, Ekitike isn’t the only former transfer target back on Newcastle’s radar, with Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi’s name being continually discussed in internal recruitment meetings.

Newcastle saw four bids for Guehi rejected by Eagles chairman Steve Parish last summer, but they could now return, with the Three Lions star in the final year of his contract and with no plans to renew.

Liverpool are also firm admirers, looking to sign the 25-year-old for £40m. However, as with Ekitike, Newcastle’s long-standing interest could hold sway in negotiations.

Why Marc Guehi would be a brilliant signing

Over the past several years, Guehi has established himself as one of the leading central defenders in English football, crowning his time at Crystal Palace, 155 senior appearances deep, with a reputation-raising victory over Manchester City to win the FA Cup in May.

His time at Selhurst Park looks to be reaching its end, though, with the Eagles likely to want to cash in on their “elite” talent, as he’s been called by writer Eddie Gibbs, rather than lose him on a free next year.

Hailed as a “monster in defence” by reporter Bobby Manzi, Guehi is quite literally the perfect defensive profile for Howe’s system: he’s combative, collected, and quietly authoritative.

Moreover, the England international’s surpassing technical qualities could see him charge the transitional emphasis, enhancing the system to a degree that could see him prove to be a signing just as exciting as any move for Ekitike, which is certainly saying something.

Ekitike is one of the most talented young strikers around, but he’s also got work to be done. There are blemishes in his ball-striking, weaknesses in his intuitiveness, though these are small things, outweighed by the scale of his potential.

Guehi, conversely, has shaped into the complete package under Oliver Glasner’s wing in the capital and would be expected to hit the ground running at Newcastle.

When fit and fully functional, Sven Botman is patently Newcastle’s best centre-half. His 2022/23 campaign was a thing to behold, but his last two terms have been disrupted by setbacks.

Looking at how Guehi ranks up against that giddy height is quite a thing. This might be a player who moves over and instantly establishes themselves as the cream of Newcastle’s crop.

Matches (starts)

36 (35)

34 (34)

Goals

0

3

Assists

0

2

Clean sheets

11

11

Touches*

58.4

64.9

Pass completion

87%

84%

Key passes*

0.3

0.5

Dribbles (success)*

0.1 (100%)

0.4 (86%)

Tackles + interceptions*

2.0

2.6

Clearances*

3.3

4.6

Duels (won)*

3.5 (67%)

4.9 (59%)

We can extrapolate the data above to posit Guehi’s signature being of equal merit, equally as exciting, to any deal for Ekitike in the coming weeks.

Guehi, after all, has been named as “England’s best centre-back” by one analyst, the evidence of which lies in his fixed position in the Three Lions starting line-up over the past couple of years.

As is starting to become a frustrating theme, it looks like a deal for Guehi will indeed include fending off Liverpool. But, with Howe building an incredible project and Guehi sure to assume a leading role under the St. James’ Park lights, the Englishman might just feel that a move to Newcastle represents the best move for his career at this stage.

Considering the calibre of player the Palace man is and the need for a centre-back, there’s certainly an argument that Guehi could be the defining success of a tremendous transfer window on Tyneside.

A dream for Bruno: Newcastle likely to see £50m bid accepted to sign new CM

As Newcastle United look to bolster their midfield options, the Mapgies are reportedly set to see a £50 million bid accepted to sig a great “leader”.

ByBen Gray Jul 15, 2025

Chelsea need to balance the books with player sales, in light of their estimated £140 million summer transfer expenditure so far, not to mention pressure from UEFA with regard to FFP.

The Blues are set to receive a bucket-load of prize money from reaching the final of the Club World Cup, having earned a reported £80 million in total from their six games at the tournament so far, but the sheer amount of deadwood on Enzo Maresca’s books needs trimming.

Related "World-class" player reaches gentleman's agreement to leave Chelsea

He can depart for an obtainable fee.

Posts 2 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 9, 2025

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys and Marcus Bettinelli all departed Stamford Bridge recently and brought in around £19 million, but there are a host of other players in line to depart the west London club.

Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Ben Chilwell, David Datro Fofana, Armando Broja, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku and Djordje Petrovic could all reportedly leave Chelsea too, but BlueCo face an almighty task to find all the aforementioned men new homes before deadline day on September 1.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Madueke, and ESPN report that they could agree a £43 million deal with Chelsea by the end of this week, so as things stand, it appears that transfer could be closest to completion.

Petrovic is also attracting a lot of interest after reaching a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that he can leave Chelsea for £25 million.

The writing has been on the wall for a lot of the previously named Chelsea men for quite some time, but striker Nicolas Jackson could now join them out the door, especially after the arrivals of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap.

Jackson is “no longer” unsellable, according to multiple reports, and it shows just how quickly things can change in football. The Senegal international was branded one of Maresca’s “most important” players by pundit Joe Cole in May, but Jackson now finds himself in an increasingly precarious situation.

Nicolas Jackson could leave Chelsea in Barcelona loan deal

According to reports in Spain, Barcelona could offer the African a new temporary landing spot.

While talks between the Catalans and Maresca’s side are yet to take place, Barca have apparently “set their sights” on signing Jackson from Chelsea, amid a belief that the 24-year-old would fit perfectly into Hansi Flick’s system.

Chelsea are also said to be open to letting Jackson depart for the Camp Nou on an initial loan deal, on the condition he’s guaranteed game time, so Barca’s hierarchy are closely monitoring the ex-Villarreal gem ahead of a potential swoop.

If Barca do entertain the possibility of signing him permanently in future, perhaps at the end of his loan if he does well enough, then Fabrizio Romano reports that Chelsea have placed a £52 million price tag on his head – so Barca know exactly what it will take.

India B were propped up on Musheer Khan’s magnificent 181 in the Duleep Trophy game in Bengaluru

Shashank Kishore06-Sep-2024Until last week, Navdeep Saini hadn’t touched a red ball for over seven months. He was hoping to ease himself into the season with a steady diet of white-ball cricket courtesy of the Delhi Premier League (DPL). But when the Duleep Trophy call-up came, as a late replacement for Mohammed Siraj, he had to hit the ground running.Two days in, Saini has already had a bigger influence on the game than he may have imagined. A mix of stoic defence and the occasional free swing brought him an excellent half-century, his second in first-class cricket. He occupied the crease for 349 minutes, his longest vigil, during the course of a magnificent 205-run stand for the eighth wicket with Musheer Khan as India B recovered from 94 for 7 to post 321.Saini’s contribution was massive in helping Musheer build from an overnight 105 to a majestic 181. But that was one-half of his efforts on the second day’s play in Bengaluru. He later delivered a telling early spell with the new ball to send Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal back. India A then recovered to finish on 125 for 2 still trailing India B by 187 runs.KL Rahul and Riyan Parag added an unbroken 68-run stand for the third wicket for India A•PTI Gill was out shouldering arms to an in-ducker that flattened his off stump for 25, reminiscent of his dismissal to Australia’s Scott Boland in last year’s World Test Championship final. Agarwal’s wicket for 36 was slightly lucky; made possible thanks to Rishabh Pant’s agility as he threw himself to his left to take a catch down the leg side to dismiss the opener who had tantalised the audience with a series of superb cover drives. Riyan Parag and KL Rahul, playing his first red-ball game since the Hyderabad Test against England in January 2024, then put together an unbroken 68-run partnership, allaying the early jitters.Related

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Suthar, Rana star on another 14-wicket day in Anantapur

Rahul’s was largely an exercise in denial after being lucky twice. Still on zero, he could have been Saini’s third wicket when he nearly dragged a ball back on to the stumps while attempting a loose drive. Then, on 3, he was reprieved by Nitish Kumar Reddy at third slip after poking at an away-going delivery from Mukesh Kumar. Rahul scored his first runs off his 14th delivery and it wasn’t until the fag end of the day, when he unfurled a superb cut behind point off Reddy, that he finally seemed in his element.Rahul’s methods also had something to do with the appreciable movement Saini and left-arm seamer Yash Dayal were able to get. Either way, having been on the field for a better part of the game already, there couldn’t have been a bigger endorsement of the middle-order batter’s match fitness as he eyes a return to the Indian Test squad.Parag was a little more sprightly, even though he was occasionally troubled by the late movement on offer. He survived a close lbw shout early off Reddy when the ball curved away to hit him high on the back leg. Like Rahul, Parag is a stroke-maker but his willingness to show fight and deviate from his natural game was an encouraging sign.Musheer Khan finished with 181 for India B•PTI There were less encouraging signs as well from India A, like the tactics employed by their captain. Having taken the new ball at the first available opportunity at the start of the 81st over, Gill spread his field out to both Musheer and the No. 9 batter Saini. This not only limited the bowlers’ ability to exert pressure, but it also helped India B push their total ever higher.After Musheer initially denied himself run-scoring opportunities in trying to farm the strike, he was encouraged by Saini’s ability to hold his own. The pair, however, got lucky when they were involved in a comical mix-up didn’t somehow result in a wicket. Both batters were stranded mid-pitch looking at each other in the fourth over of the day, the 83rd of the innings, after Musheer had pushed the ball to point. Khaleel Ahmed, who could’ve thrown at either end, eventually went for the striker’s and missed with Saini having long given up.As Musheer opened himself out to take all the available runs, Gill tried to unsettle him by placing a leg slip. Musheer responded by hooking Avesh Khan for six, and then followed it up with a superb pull in front of square for a boundary in the same over. Along the way, Musheer also made judicious use of DRS to overturn two decisions – one lbw and one caught behind.Musheer brought up his 150 off 326 balls when an overthrow allowed a second run with no one backing up. It summed up the state of play at the time, with India A running short of ideas. Soon after the landmark, Musheer launched Parag for a massive six over deep midwicket to signal a change in intentions.But a double-ton wasn’t to be as he fell in the second over after lunch, a ball after he had slog-swept Kuldeep Yadav onto the roof at deep midwicket. Two of Musheer’s three first-class hundreds are now 150-plus scores. This one, like the others, served to reiterate his maturity and hunger at 19.

Ben Stokes is the star signing at MI Cape Town for the upcoming season of the SA20, with Azmatullah Omarzai the other big overseas name joining them as they look to put up a better show after finishing bottom of the table in both the previous editions.They join Rashid Khan and Trent Boult, the pre-signed overseas players for 2025, as well as Nuwan Thushara and Chris Benjamin, who have been retained. The roster of domestic players is as impressive: Kagiso Rabada, Dewald Brevis, Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton and George Linde are joined by Delano Potgieter, Thomas Kaber and Connor Esterhuizen.For Boult, it’s the fourth Mumbai Indians-owned team he is a part of, having previously played for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, MI New York in MLC, and MI Emirates in the ILT20.Related

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• Sunrisers Eastern Cape sign Bedingham, Crawley and van der Merwe

• Jonathan Trott to take over as head coach of Pretoria Capitals

• SA20 in 2025 will run from January 9 to February 8

As ESPNcricinfo had reported last month, the SA20 franchises have been targeting top Test players from England for the third edition in 2025 after many of them were busy with the tour of India during the 2024 season. Joe Root has been signed by Paarl Royals, Pretoria Capitals have Ollie Pope, Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes have gone to Joburg Super Kings and Durban’s Super Giants respectively, while Zak Crawley has been acquired by Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who have won both editions of the competition.England are down to play both T20I and ODI series in India at the start of next year, but both their winter Test tours – to Pakistan in October and New Zealand in December – will be over before Christmas. Therefore, players not involved in the limited-overs games in India will be available to play full seasons at the ILT20 and SA20. The 2025 edition of the SA20 runs from January 9 to February 8.Stokes’ England contract is due to expire at the end of September, after he turned down a three-year deal last year. He hasn’t played a white-ball game for England since the 2023 ODI World Cup, and hasn’t played a T20I since November 2022, when he scored 52 not out to take England to the World T20 title in the final.He is out of action at the moment, a hamstring tear putting him out of Northern Superchargers’ campaign at The Hundred. The ECB has said in a statement that Stokes is aiming to return for the Test tour of Pakistan, which will start in Multan on October 7.If he takes part in the SA20, it will be a rare appearance for England’s Test captain at a franchise league. His last few appearances at the IPL were disrupted. In 2021, he broke a finger in Rajasthan Royals’ first game of the season and was ruled out for the tournament. Then in 2023, he played just two games for Chennai Super Kings all season, partly because of the long-standing knee condition, which had forced him to start the season as a specialist batter. He subsequently opted out of IPL 2024 to manage his workload.Mujeeb Ur Rahman has also represented Barbados Royals in the CPL•ICC/Getty Images

Royals add Mujeeb to 2025 squad

Paarl Royals have added Mujeeb Ur Rahman to their squad for the third season of SA20. Dinesh Karthik, who retired from “representative cricket” in June and was appointed Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s batting coach and mentor in July, had been signed earlier, as were the English trio of Root, Jacob Bethell and Sam Hain.”Mujeeb is an impressive young man who has performed in the best leagues around the world. He has the ability to deceive batters with his variety and pick up crucial wickets, and as his stats state, he can be very economical as well,” Royals’ director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara said in a statement. “He adds a lot of depth and variety to our spin bowling department, and we are all very excited to have him make a real impact at the Paarl Royals.”Mujeeb had earlier represented another of the group’s teams, Barbados Royals, in the CPL.Paarl Royals squad for SA20 2025: David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Dinesh Karthik, Joe Root, Bjorn Fortuin, Andile Phehlukwayo, Mitchell van Buuren, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Codi Yusuf, John Turner, Jacob Bethell, Sam Hain, Keith Dudgeon, Nqaba Peter, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dayyaan Galiem

La Liga giants Real Madrid have started their brand-new era under Xabi Alonso, and following their disappointment of a 2024/2025 season, Los Blancos are apparently setting their sights on a Tottenham star to help with the rebuild.

Spurs are expected to undergo somewhat of a rebuild themselves, with the Europa League champions ushering in their fifth new manager since 2019.

Levy holds Tottenham talks for "top" player with negotiations started at £50m

The Spurs chairman met with a club chief for talks.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 2, 2025

Thomas Frank arrives in N17 with the goal of building upon his new side’s triumph in Bilbao against Man United, a result which also gifted them a place in next season’s Champions League draw.

A major thorn in the cap of his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, was the plethora of injuries his squad sustained last term. The Australian was forced to cope without many key players for extended periods throughout 24/25, and Frank will be keen to avoid a similar scenario as he braces for an equally congested fixture calendar.

They’ve already moved to reinforce the squad with a permanent deal for Mathys Tel and a £5 million move for Japanese sensation Kota Takai, with Tottenham also widely reported to be in talks for West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus.

However, Spurs do face the prospect of losing some key big names before deadline day as well.

Son Heung-min is a reliably claimed target for the Saudi Pro League (The Telegraph), and there is a serious belief that last season could’ve been his final campaign at Spurs – 10 years after he joined from Bayer Leverkusen.

“Son could very well have played his last game for Tottenham, and well, if it was the Europa League final, it would be fitting,” journalist Graeme Bailey told TBR Football last month.

“I am told he still believes he is more than capable of recapturing his best form – but Spurs are ready to make moves this summer and Son leaving could materialise.”

Alongside Son, it is believed star £165,000-per-week defender Cristian Romero is attracting serious interest from Spain.

While reports that Tottenham have reached an “agreement in principle” to sell Romero look wide of the mark, Atlético boss Diego Simeone has publicly confirmed the club’s admiration for him.

Real Madrid expected to make "concrete" move for Cristian Romero

Now, as per CaughtOffside, Atlético are joined by their cross-town rivals in pursuit of the “sensational” Argentine.

Real are “now expected” to make a “concrete” approach to sign Romero from Tottenham, but chairman Daniel Levy won’t be letting him go on the cheap, even if last season’s Europa League Player of the Year has just two years left on his current contract.

Spurs want a minimum £60 million to consider letting him leave, with both Real and Atlético viewing this price tag as excessive for the time being.

The former are boosted by Romero’s openness to joining Real, as is mostly the case when Alonso’s side come knocking, but Tottenham won’t be bullied aside in potential negotiations and are determined to keep hold of him.

وجه الكابتن محمود الخطيب، رئيس النادي الأهلي، رسالة لأعضاء الجمعية العمومية للقلعة الحمراء، قبل انعقادها يوم الجمعة المقبل 19 سبتمبر.

ومن المقرر أن يعقد مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي جمعية عمومية طارئة يوم الجمعة، لمناقشة تعديل بعض أحكام لائحة النظام الأساسي للنادي الأهلي، بالإضافة أيضًا إلى إمكانية تحديد موعد الانتخابات القادمة، بعد إعلان الخطيب عدم الترشح لفترة جديدة.

طالع | محسن صالح: الخطيب أخطأ في قراره.. ويوجه نصيحة لـ حسام غالي

وقال الخطيب خلال الموقع الرسمي للأهلي: “اناشد أعضاء الجمعية العمومية بضرورة الحرص على حضور «الاجتماع الخاص» للجمعية يوم الجمعة المقبل للتصويت على تعديلات لائحة النظام الأساسي للنادي بعد صدور قانون الرياضة رقم 171 لسنة 2025”.

وأكد الخطيب على ثقته الكبيرة في أعضاء الأهلي الذين لم يتأخروا يومًا عن تلبية نداء ناديهم، لا سيما وأن الحضور هذه المرة يمثل أهمية كبرى للمشاركة في رسم مستقبل النادي واعتماد لائحته الخاصة.

وأشار إلى أنه سوف يكون في مقدمة الحضور، خاصة وأن الأمر يتعلق بمستقبل النادي واستقراره والحفاظ على مسيرته.

يذكر، أن محمود الخطيب أعلن عن عدم ترشحه لفترة جديدة في انتخابات النادي الأهلي القادمة، مرجعًا ذلك لأسباب صحية.

Will Rhodes marked his penultimate home game as a Warwickshire player with a double-century to put his side in total command of Kent in the Vitality Championship at Edgbaston.Rhodes struck a chanceless 201 (295 balls, 32 fours) to lift Warwickshire to 420 and a first innings lead of 264. Such a high-class innings from the former captain suggests that Durham, for whom he has signed a three-year contract, will welcome a player heading into his peak as a player.Rhodes’ six-and-a-half hour marathon laid a foundation for his side to press hard for their first championship win of the season. Needing 264 to avoid an innings defeat, Kent closed the second day on 157 for three as Olly Hannon-Dalby (three for 26) took his championship wicket tally this season to 43.Kent’s multitude of problems continues to mount. Their bowling attack, nobly led by George Garrett (three for 76) and Matt Parkinson (three for 94), was deprived of Grant Stewart by a shoulder injury while Tawanda Muyeye could not open the batting as he was unable to field due to a knee injury.When Warwickshire resumed on the second morning on 207 for three, their progress was immediately brisk. Rhodes struck the first ball of the day to the boundary and five fours from his first 17 balls faced in the session took him to a 151-ball century.Jacob Bethell edged Charlie Stobo to wicketkeeper Harry Finch but Rhodes and Barnard rattled up a century stand in 150 balls. Kent are having the sort of season where every time you think nothing else can go wrong something does, and so it proved when Stewart pulled up in his delivery stride, flexing his shoulder, first ball after lunch and left the field.The fifth-wicket stand reached 145 in 34 overs before Barnard lifted Parkinson to mid off. The last six wickets then fell for 46 as Warwickshire, miles ahead already, threw the bat. Michael Burgess pulled Joey Evison to deep mid-wicket, Michael Booth lifted Parkinson to extra cover and Michael Rae larruped the spinner for six but was then stumped off him. Garrett finished the innings by having Rhodes caught at deep square and knocking out Hannon-Dalby’s off stump.Kent started their second innings after tea with 43 overs to bat in the day and lost Ben Compton in the fifth of them when he edged a loose drive at a wide ball from Hannon-Dalby to wicketkeeper Burgess. Harry Finch, opening in Muyeye’s absence, and Daniel Bell-Drummond added 116 in 29 overs without many alarms but Lady Luck then truly turned her back on Kent in the closing overs.Bell-Drummond was adjudged lbw to a ball which appeared to be passing well down the leg-side. Finch (38, 96) departed in equal disbelief at being given out caught at slip off his shoulder. Lady Luck, it appears, has a real downer on Kent right now.

As rumours continue to emerge about Alexander Isak’s future, Newcastle United have reportedly reached an advanced stage with their deal to welcome an incoming of their own.

Newcastle remaining stubborn on Isak stance

For the first time this summer, those around St James’ Park have every right to be concerned about Isak’s future. Liverpool have put their cards on the table and are willing to break their club record for a second time this summer to sign the Swede. But Newcastle won’t be swayed that easily. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Magpies’ stance remains that Isak is not for sale this summer.

With Champions League football secured last season and no major PSR concerns to worry about, Newcastle are still in a strong position when it comes to keeping hold of their star man. Whether that changes as the summer goes on remains to be seen, however.

Whilst the line remains that any striker that does arrive this summer will be playing alongside Isak, the names on Newcastle’s shortlist could certainly step up to play the main role if disaster strikes.

On that front, names such as Yoane Wissa particularly stand out. The Brentford forward enjoyed an excellent campaign last time out, scoring 19 Premier League goals, and could yet be on his way to St James’ Park before the end of the summer.

He’s not the only impressive name on Newcastle’s supposed shortlist, though. Reports are now going as far as to suggest that Newcastle have reached an advanced stage in their deal to welcome a Bundesliga star.

Newcastle reach advanced stage in Ekitike deal

According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Newcastle are now expected to submit a second bid to sign Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, with their deal now at an advanced stage. The Frenchman could reportedly cost as much as €80m (£69m) in what would see those at St James’ Park break their transfer record previously set by Isak when he arrived for £63m in 2022.

Interestingly, Romano recently claimed that if Liverpool miss out on Isak then they will turn their attention towards Ekitike in a lose-lose situation for Newcastle. Whether the Magpies have simply pushed on with their move to sign the forward, nonetheless, or it’s a clue about Isak’s future remains an unanswered question, though.

As exciting as Ekitike: Newcastle discussing bid to sign "elite" £40m star

Newcastle’s summer transfer window is roaring into life.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 16, 2025

What those in Tyneside are well aware of, however, is the talent that Ekitike has. Described as “dynamic” by German football writer Constantin Eckner, Newcastle could be about to form one of the Premier League’s best strike partnerships in Isak and the Frankfurt star.