All posts by h79snht.top

Four venues in Malaysia will host the 16-team tournament, while Samoa will be making their maiden World Cup appearance

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2024

India are the reigning champions of the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty Images

Defending champions India are grouped with West Indies, Sri Lanka and hosts Malaysia for the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup which begins on January 18, 2025. The 41-game event will feature 16 teams, like the inaugural edition in 2023, and will conclude with the final on February 2.Four venues across Malaysia will host the event. Bayuemas Oval in Selangor will host all Group A games and the final. The Dato’ Dr. Harjit Singh Johor Cricket Academy (JCA Oval) in Johor will host the Group B games. Sarawak’s Borneo Cricket Ground will be the venue for the Group C fixtures, and the UKM YSD Oval in Selangor will host the Group D matches.It will be the first World Cup appearance across any age division for Samoa, who are in Group C alongside New Zealand, South Africa and an Africa qualifier, yet to be decided. Group B has England – losing finalists in 2023 – alongside Pakistan, Ireland and USA. Group D features Australia, Bangladesh, Scotland and an Asia qualifier. Group A has India, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, who will be featuring in their maiden U-19 women’s World Cup competition as well.How the teams stack up

Group A – India, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Malaysia [Bayuemas Oval in Selangor]

Group B – England, Pakistan, Ireland and USA [Dato’ Dr. Harjit Singh Johor Cricket Academy, Johor]

Group C – New Zealand, South Africa, Africa’s Qualifier and Samoa [Borneo Cricket Ground, Sarawak]

Group D – Australia, Bangladesh, Asia’s Qualifier and Scotland [UKM YSD Oval in Selangor]

The tournament will begin with six games on opening day: Australia versus Scotland, England against Ireland, and Samoa taking on the Africa qualifier in the morning; followed by Pakistan-Ireland, Bangladesh against the Asia qualifier, and New Zealand versus South Africa in the afternoon. India begin campaign on the second day against West Indies. Before the main event gets underway, there will be 16 warm-up games between January 13 and 16.Once the group stage is over, the top three teams from each group will progress to the Super Six stage, with the three teams from Group A and Group D combining to form one Super Six group, and the same with the top three teams of Group B and Group C in the other group.The teams will also carry forward their points and net run rates and will play the two sides who, a) were not in their group in the first stage, and b) finished at a different position from them. As an example, if India finish second in Group A, then they will play the winner and second runner-up of Group D. The top two teams from each Super Six group will progress to the semi-finals.The groups and teams for the Under-19 T20 World Cup 2025•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“This is a special event to the ICC and forms an important part of our Global Growth Strategy of raising the profile of women’s cricket and further growing the game around the world,” ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said in a statement. “It is also a unique opportunity to introduce our vast global audiences to the future stars of the sport.”We look forward to building on the success from the foundation laid at the inaugural event in South Africa in 2023. We wish all the teams the very best of luck in their preparation and to the Malaysian Cricket Association in organising the event.””Malaysia is proud to host the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in 2025, continuing our tradition of supporting the growth of cricket on the global stage,” host tournament director Dinesh Muthuraman said. “Women’s cricket is experiencing unprecedented growth both in Malaysia and around the world. We are fully confident that this World Cup will further accelerate that momentum, leading to significant developments in the sport, especially for women’s cricket.”The tournament was originally supposed to be co-hosted by Thailand, but their withdrawal means Malaysia will host all games. In 2008, Malaysia also hosted the Men’s Under-19 World Cup which had future stars like Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steven Smith, Imad Wasim, Reeza Hendricks, Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Ravindra Jadeja.

Liverpool could only wonder what it would be like to sit back at the top before Jurgen Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers way back when.

But the strong desire for greater success has since been realised, in full colour, over a sustained period of success that has returned every shape of silverware to Anfield’s trophy cabinet.

And when Arne Slot replaced the German last summer after he had ‘run out of energy’, in his own words, many thought that was it, that was the end of an illustrious period that would be remembered for years and years.

That hasn’t proved the case. Most rivals expected the Reds to fall by the wayside, or at least stumble, ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, but Liverpool are Premier League champions, deserving winners, dominant winners.

Multiple threads connect the two eras, but that all-important piece of twine, central to everything good on the red half of Merseyside across recent years, is Mohamed Salah.

And he’s set to continue his iconic journey.

Mohamed Salah's Liverpool future

Liverpool ended months of anxious speculation in April, extending Salah’s contract at Liverpool for an additional two years. His £350k-per-week deal was set to expire at the end of the 2024/25 season.

He’s no longer a spring chicken, but Salah is very much still reflecting his greatness on the field. Last term, he spearheaded Slot’s Premier League title charge, notching 47 goal contributions across the league campaign (an all-time record for a 38-game season).

His vicious blend of deadly shooting and intelligent playmaking have established him as one of the finest forwards of his generation, indeed hailed by Liverpool podcaster Lewis Aspinall as “the best right winger in Premier League history”.

Salah is now 33 years old, but he has all the tools to forge another successful season for himself and his team. With someone like Florian Wirtz, signed from Bayer Leverkusen for a British-record £116m fee, supplying him, is there really any doubt?

Moreover, Liverpool are hoping to sign a centre-forward to replace Darwin Nunez, and he could be perfect for the Egyptian King.

Liverpool hold talks for new striker

As per Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool remain interested in signing Hugo Ekitike this summer and have been in contact regarding the player, though they face stiff competition from Newcastle United.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

Chelsea have also shown interest this summer, but their recent £60m acquisition of Joao Pedro will have tempered their desire.

The Eintracht Frankfurt striker is among the most coveted players on the market, but he’s valued at £85m, and this has dissuaded suitors from making concrete moves.

Nonetheless, if Liverpool bank sums from Nunez (with Luis Diaz attracting intrigue from Bayern Munich and Barcelona too), they will have the means and the focus to push ahead and sign a frontman who has what it takes to become a superstar.

Why Liverpool want Hugo Ekitike

Ekitike was recognised as an exciting attacking talent from his days as a fledgling on the professional stage, with talent scout Jacek Kulig saying, “he could reach world-class striker levels”.

He has demonstrated as such in the Bundesliga over the past year, scoring 22 goals and supplying 12 assists across all competitions last season. He had spent a half-season on loan with Die Adler previously, warming himself up to a senior role away from the bloatedness of Paris Saint-Germain’s fringes.

And what a decision it was to forge his own path away from the French capital. The data is certainly kind to Ekitike, for he ranked among the top 16% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last season for goal involvements, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons, and the top 20% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.

That latter metric is interesting. Ekitike is a man of mobility and swiftness. He gets things done himself, scarce one to linger in wait of deliveries posted onto his doorstep.

This is especially important for the continued success of Salah, for the Liverpool legend is indeed getting on a bit, and a robust and reliable centre-forward such as Ekitike will aid him in conserving his energy for the critical moments.

The Frenchman might not be on the same prolific level as Salah, but he’s got a similarly varied approach to his attacking play, and this could bear dividends for Liverpool’s offensive fluency next season.

It’s important to remember that Ekitike isn’t the finished product yet, but then he’s already been hailed as “one of the best strikers out there” by analyst Ben Mattinson, with his progress a rising thing over the past several seasons.

He would certainly prove an upgrade on Nunez, who has been heavily linked with a move to Napoli this summer.

Hugo Ekitke vs Darwin Nunez (24/25)

Stats (per 90)

Ekitike

Nunez

Goals scored

0.53

0.40

Assists

0.28

0.16

Shots taken

4.00

2.70

Shot-creating actions

3.55

2.46

Touches (att pen)

6.88

5.88

Progressive passes

1.86

2.14

Progressive carries

3.27

1.83

Successful take-ons

1.83

0.64

Ball recoveries

3.06

3.26

Tackles + interceptions

0.81

1.99

All data via FBref

Nunez has been known for his connection with Salah, having assisted the right-winger 11 times across his Liverpool career. Can you imagine how a more refined and established forward like Ekitike would play with him, in turn providing a far superior goal threat?

Moreover, the forward is blessed with a certain instinctiveness that will allow him to latch right onto Salah’s inventive passes, his whipped crosses and deft lay-offs.

This “incredible” young prospect, as described by teammate Rasmus Kristensen, is on the fast track to the top of the game, and Liverpool must do all they can to ensure he winds up at Anfield this summer.

He might even be the perfect partner for Salah over the next couple of years, bringing an energy and dynamism to feed off the 33-year-old’s technical brilliance.

Related Huijsen 2.0: Liverpool enquire to sign one of the 'most complete teen CBs'

Liverpool could be set to target their next centre-back sensation, in the mould of Dean Huijsen

Posts ByRobbie Walls Jul 10, 2025

انطلقت منافسات الجولة الرابعة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26، ظهر يوم السبت بعد انتهاء فترة التوقف الدولي لشهر سبتمبر.

وتمكن آرسنال من تحقيق فوز على نوتينجهام فورست بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، ليصالح جماهيره بعد خسارة الجولة الماضية أمام ليفربول بهدف دومينيك سوبوسلاي.

واكتفى فريق تشيلسي بتعادل محبط مع برينتفورد، مساء يوم السبت في الجولة نفسها، بهدفين لمثليهما.

وواجه ليفربول خصمه بيرنلي على ملعب “تورف مور” في الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي عصر يوم الأحد، حيث فاز حامل اللقب بهدف دون رد.

وأخيرًا، انتهت منافسات الجولة بفوز مستحق لصالح مانشستر سيتي على مانشستر يونايتد بثلاثة أهداف دون رد على ملعب “الاتحاد”. جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي

1 ليفربول، 12 نقطة.

2 آرسنال، 9 نقاط.

3 توتنهام، 9 نقاط.

4 بورنموث، 9 نقاط.

5 تشيلسي، 8 نقاط.

6 إيفرتون، 7 نقاط.

7 سندرلاند، 7 نقاط.

8 مانشستر سيتي، 6 نقاط.

9 كريستال بالاس، 6 نقاط.

10 نيوكاسل يونايتد، 5 نقاط.

11 فولهام، 5 نقاط.

12 برينتفورد، 4 نقاط.

13 برايتون، 4 نقاط.

14 مانشستر يونايتد، 4 نقاط.

15 نوتينجهام، 4 نقاط.

16 ليدز يونايتد، 4 نقاط.

17 بيرنلي، 3 نقاط.

18 وست هام، 3 نقاط.

19 أستون فيلا، نقطتان.

20 ولفرهامبتون، بدون نقاط.

ويمكن متابعة ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26، محدث بشكل مستمر من هنا.

Arsenal are displaying serious ambition this summer and show absolutely no sign of easing up any time soon, with sporting director Andrea Berta having worked extensively on a potential marquee signing.

Related Arsenal trying to convince £55m ace to join, Arteta is speaking to him

The Gunners boss is getting involved.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jul 4, 2025

Much has been made of the club’s pursuit of new attacking options, after they recently agreed deals for goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, midfielder Martin Zubimendi and Premier League stalwart Christian Norgaard.

Arsenal confirmed Kepa’s signing earlier this week and Zubimendi is expected to follow him imminently, with Fabrizio Romano and other reliable media sources sharing that Norgaard will also join Mikel Arteta’s side very soon.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£5m

Berta is in ongoing talks for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera as well, and the versatile 21-year-old could well replace Takehiro Tomiyasu, who’s now officially terminated his Arsenal contract.

However, critics are eager to see the Gunners strengthen further forward as well.

Arsenal hold a serious interest in signing Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace as Berta seeks two new wingers, with Chelsea’s Noni Madueke also on their radar in a separate move to the England international (Fabrizio Romano).

Interestingly, Madueke isn’t their top target for the right-hand side.

That man is instead Real Madrid star Rodrygo, who is believed to be a “dream” signing for Arsenal.

Reports suggest that Arsenal could move to sign Rodrygo with Eze, if they’re given encouragement that the Brazil international will be up for leaving the Bernabeu (GiveMeSport), and journalist Graeme Bailey has shared quite a promising update on this situation.

Arsenal prepared to pay £75m for Rodrygo amid "constant" Berta contact

As per the reporter, speaking to TBR Football, Berta has personally been in “constant contact” with Rodrygo’s camp after identifying the 24-year-old as a key target.

TBR state that a deal for him would cost around £70-75 million, and this is deemed an “acceptable” price by Arsenal, who are seemingly prepared to pay those figures.

Berta has also been made aware of Rodrygo’s plan to inform Real of his desire to leave, which he’ll confirm to Xabi Alonso’s side once they return from their Club World Cup campaign.

“I am told Andrea Berta made Rodrygo one of his top targets months ago, he recognised very early the situation that was emerging around him,” said Bailey.

“Rodrygo’s team have engaged with him throughout. This isn’t a blind chase by Berta and Arsenal, they have done a lot of work on him. He is not their only target, but the chances of landing him have been increasing every month since Berta first had contact.”

Rodrygo would be a statement signing for Berta after his excellent 2024/2025 campaign. The “superstar” has netted 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, including his numbers at the CWC, and he’s apparently keen to play on the left-hand side as opposed to on the right at Madrid (ESPN).

Given Leandro Trossard has entered the final year of his deal, not to mention Gabriel Martinelli’s uncertain long-term future, this is a move that could seriously suit all parties.

Deafeat in a T20I they should have won in New Zealand was a “fire-starter” for England, captain says

Valkerie Baynes16-Jul-2024

Heather Knight believes her side deserve more credit for their performance against New Zealand•ECB via Getty Images

The seed was planted in Nelson back in March, when a bungled run-chase saw England squander the chance to go 3-0 up in a T20I series against New Zealand.England ended up winning 4-1 and, while the White Ferns threw on some fertiliser with a consolation win in the last of three ODIs, England captain Heather Knight believes the root of her team’s domination of the return tour can be traced back to that third T20I.Now, England are on the cusp of securing an undefeated home summer at Lord’s in the fifth and final T20I after sweeping the ODIs against New Zealand 3-0 and beating Pakistan 3-0 and 2-0 in T20I and ODI series respectively.Related

Dunkley earns back England T20I place for New Zealand series

England to drop World Cup hints during New Zealand T20 series

Capsey feeling 'in control' of her game after taking a step back

Glenn steps up as England look to shed reliance on big names

Gaur withdraws from Women's Hundred due to side strain

“That T20 that we lost in New Zealand, Amy Jones actually spoke brilliantly after that and talked about her fears in T20 chases, and actually made a conscious effort to address that mentally and how she wants to go about chasing,” Knight said at Lord’s on Wednesday.”She spoke really well in front of the group around that, and I think that was quite infectious really, and was a bit of a fire-starter for us wanting to be a bit more ruthless and really nail teams when we are on top. That’s something that’s going to be so important in tournament cricket.”I think our skill level has continued to improve as well. That New Zealand loss in the T20 series where we didn’t chase down a score that we should have was a bit of a catalyst for us to ultimately not let that happen again, and when we’re really on top, to really nail teams.”Against Pakistan, the ‘nailing teams’ objective remained beneath the surface with England winning but without the ruthless streak that has blossomed while hosting New Zealand.England went unbeaten against Pakistan and can do the same against New Zealand•Getty Images

“A lot of people have said to me, ‘New Zealand haven’t been great’. But I think we’ve been awesome,” Knight said. “I think the way we’ve kept their key players quiet probably needs a little bit more credit, to be honest.”The way we’ve played and put them under pressure, and been relentless when we’ve been on top and trying to keep them quiet has been great. We are desperate to finish this summer unbeaten. It’s not something we’ve done very often. It’s our last game of the summer and we want to continue what we’ve done.”The White Ferns’ batting has let them down against England’s top-class bowling attack, led by spinners Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn and Charlie Dean. That has coincided with the hosts showing off the depth of their line-up, with several batters finding form. It has also left England with some difficult selection decisions ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October.Maia Bouchier appears to have secured an opening berth alongside Danni Wyatt, with both having rested at various stages of the T20I series to give Sophia Dunkley a chance to show her improvement after losing her place following the tour of New Zealand and rediscovering her touch in regional cricket.In both matches she has played, Dunkley has made solid starts with 35 and 26 and her versatility in being able to bat up and down the order could earn her a place in the squad as the spare batter.”She’s looked completely at home again,” Knight said. “She’s got us off to some brilliant starts in the two games that she’s played and that is something that Sophia does give us when she’s at her best. For me, it looks like she’s back towards her best. That decision is pretty tricky around the players that we have and that’s a really good place to be.”Sophia Dunkley has won her place in the squad back•ECB via Getty Images

Mahika Gaur, England’s teenage left-arm seamer, has thrown up another conundrum after missing the early part of the summer to complete her high school exams, then picking up a side strain which has kept her out and prompted her to withdraw from the Hundred to continue her rehabilitation.”It’s tricky,” Knight said. “She hasn’t played a huge amount for England because of her exams and then injury. We were hoping she could get a few games in this series, but that side issue has obviously come back and I think the thing with young players, you have to be really careful – particularly young, fast bowlers – with how you manage them and not push them too far.”She’s not completely out of our plans, but it does make it harder for us to pick her now obviously with those seamers that we’ve got performing really well.”England look set to take a spin-heavy attack to Bangladesh. Lauren Filer offers raw pace to offset her relative inexperience at international level, fellow seamer Lauren Bell is starting to see the benefits of changing her action and Nat Sciver-Brunt is increasing her bowling load after a knee problem. Freya Kemp, who has added to England’s batting depth, is also returning to her allrounder role after a back injury.If Pakistan and New Zealand’s performances have made putting England’s into context difficult, it’s worth looking back to their tour of India late last year, where they lost the Test but won the T20I series 2-1, and last year’s Ashes, where England won both white-ball series in a drawn campaign after Australia won the Test.”I guess we’ve proved in the last 12 months that we can beat anyone on our day,” Knight said. “The Ashes series last summer showed that, particularly in the white-ball series, how we played, winning those series 2-1.”But ultimately we’re just trying to keep improving as well. That’s been a really pleasing thing: [not just] the way we’ve played, but also the fact that as individuals, we’re still trying to get better, we’re still trying to work on things.”We know other teams around the world are going to be doing that. We can only look after ourselves as a team and try and keep moving the game forward and playing how we want to. Bangladesh will be a tough test to see if we can do that in a big tournament as well.”

تحدث محمد الغزاوي سفير مصر في بوركينا فاسو، عن تذاكر مباراة منتخب مصر القادمة أمام بوركينا فاسو، التي ستجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات التصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026.

ويحل منتخب مصر ضيفاً على بوركينا فاسو، على ملعب الأخير، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الثامنة من عمر مباريات المجموعة الأولى لـ تصفيات كأس العالم.

وقال محمد الغزاوي في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “تذاكر مباراة مصر وبوركينا فاسو نفذت، ويحاولون طباعة تذاكر جديدة، الملعب سعته حوالي 28 ألف مُشجع، ويحاولون أن يزيدوا العدد لـ31 ألف، الحضور الجماهيري سيكون مكثفًا جدًا”.

طالع أيضاً..  تاريخ مواجهات مصر وبوركينا فاسو قبل موقعة الحسم في تصفيات كأس العالم

وأضاف: “تم اعتماد ملعب بوركينا فاسو، لأن المسؤولين هناك كان لديهم حرص على إصلاح الملعب واعتماده من فيفا قبل مواجهة مصر، بعد أن ضغطوا بقوة من أجل ذلك”.

وأتم: “المنتخب سيخوض تدريبًا غدًا الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، ونحن نتابع إجراءات التأمين لبعثة المنتخب الكامل، وسألنا الاتحاد حول توفير أمن خاص لـ محمد صلاح، لكن اللاعب نفسه يُفضل أن يتعامل مثل زملاءه ولا حاجة لتأمين خاص”.

Underestimate Birmingham City at your own peril next season.

Already, the ultra-ambitious Blues have welcomed in seven new faces to the St. Andrew’s camp with more surely expected as they go about continuing to construct a side ready to compete, and potentially soar, at Championship level.

The most high-profile signing of Birmingham’s hectic summer so far has come in the form of £10m attacker Kyogo Furuhashi leaving Rennes behind for pastures new in the West Midlands, with lots expected of the Japanese forward in his fresh second-tier surroundings.

Why Kyogo Furuhashi is an exciting signing

Whilst he has never got going in France with zero goals or assists next to his name from six Rennes appearances, Birmingham will feel they’ve made a worthwhile investment in the 30-year-old striker based on his blistering output at Celtic alone.

From 165 clashes donning the famous green and white jersey, Kyogo would tally up a stunning 85 strikes in total, alongside also chipping in with a healthy 19 assists for his troubles.

Everyone at St. Andrew’s will be praying he can get back to the clinical best he managed in Scotland when now plying his trade in nearby England, with his former Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou once even labelling the four-time Scottish Premiership winner as “outstanding” for his constant magic in Glasgow.

Kyogo will surely give the likes of Jay Stansfield and Alfie May a run for their money in the forward areas, but another exciting signing up top would be seen as even more of a coup than the 23-time Japan international’s arrival onto the scene.

Birmingham could sign an even bigger talent than Kyogo

Birmingham fans might well feel let down by the millions splashed out on Kyogo if he doesn’t instantly hit the ground running, fearful that another Rennes crisis of confidence has enveloped him.

Whilst it could take time for Kyogo to warm up to the challenges of the Championship, Danny Ings would surely feel instantly more comfortable dropping back down to the EFL, after finding his recent Premier League stints to be full of injuries.

As per a report earlier this summer from journalist Graeme Bailey, Birmingham have considered a move for Ings, knowing full well what he’s capable of in front of goal when injuries aren’t dominating his playing time.

All this talk might well have died down now – with Bailey further revealing that Wrexham and Burnley were even eyeing up the goalscoring veteran – but if Birmingham want another top-quality attacker to add to their glittering striker options, and a star who is an even bigger talent than Furuhashi for free, this is a move they should try to get back into motion.

Ings’ G/A record by club

Club played for

Games

Goals

Assists

Burnley

130

43

14

Southampton

100

46

10

West Ham

69

5

5

Aston Villa

52

14

8

AFC Bournemouth

30

8

3

Liverpool

25

4

1

Overall number

406

120

41

Sourced by Transfermarkt

After all, it’s clear from the table above – unlike Kyogo, who fired blanks in Ligue 1 – that Ings has shown off his goalscoring prowess all across his career, even when issues have arisen, with a hefty 120 career goals next to his name from 406 clashes. It was only four years ago that Aston Villa forked out £30m for his services.

43 of those strikes would come about on the books of Burnley, with the three-time England international chomping at the bit to return to the Championship where he first honed his potent craft, as seen in him bagging a healthy 21 strikes during the 2013/14 season to seal promotion for the Clarets.

From then on, it’s been a career mainly played at the pinnacle of English football, with Ings dropping back down to the Championship with Birmingham seen as a statement of intent on Davies and Co’s end of where they want to be in the very near future.

Once labelled as “clinical” by football journalist Leanne Prescott, Ings would be raring to go donning Birmingham blue if a move was sealed, with the experienced attacker perhaps pipping Kyogo to a starting spot in the process.

Related Birmingham City could sign "special" star who's even better than Doyle

Tommy Doyle could have competition in the midfield spots at Birmingham City if this star is also signed.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Jul 8, 2025

Smith maintains form as two wickets before close leave challengers in strife

ECB Reporters Network02-Jul-2024

Jamie Smith produced another vital innings before Ryan Patel provided the final flourish•Surrey CCC/Getty Images

A brilliant 107 from Ryan Patel, necessarily watchful at first but buccaneering by its end, built on Jamie Smith’s classy 70 and enabled Surrey to reach a second innings 278 and set Essex a formidable 361 to win the top-of-the-table clash at the Kia Oval.By stumps, they were 21 for two with Nick Browne edging Jordan Clark to keeper Ben Foakes – via a push-up from a diving Smith at third slip – to depart for nine, and nightwatchman Eathan Bosch bowled for one as he shouldered arms in Clark’s next over. Dean Elgar is 11 not out.Patel thumped paceman Shane Snater for two legside sixes in an over and soon afterwards hit Simon Harmer’s off spin into the Bedser Stand during a 125-ball knock that also featured 15 fours – the 14th of them a stunning straight drive off Matt Critchley to complete the 26-year-old’s fourth first-class hundred.Smith had earlier lit up a stop-start day as, for the second time in the match, he made sure Division One leaders Surrey stayed in control of a vital fixture against second-placed Essex.With 35 overs ultimately lost to bad light and rain, across an infuriating five separate interruptions in the first half of the day, Surrey stretched their 126-run overnight lead to 360 as first Smith and then a 65-run seventh wicket partnership between Patel and Clark denied Essex a way back into the game.Patel’s superb late hitting then saw him plunder the bulk of the 85 runs Surrey managed to score for their last two wickets. Overall, indeed, it was a great effort by Surrey, who began day three on 44 for three, and the only consolation for Essex was seamer Jamie Porter claiming his 500th first-class wicket by having Clark caught at third man, uppercutting, for 30.Leading Essex by 12 points coming into the match, Surrey would stretch that gap to 29 if they go on to secure victory on day four and – if that does happen – they would chiefly have Patel and 23-year-old Smith to thank for a sixth win from nine Vitality County Championship outings so far this season.Smith’s opening day 100 did much to take Surrey to 262 in their first innings and, resuming on 11, the player selected at the weekend to be England’s new Test wicketkeeper-batsman later this month again showed his sublime strokemaking skills even in such bowler-friendly conditions and with the need to keep starting again and again after each break for bad weather.After an initial 30-minute passage of play, in which Foakes was dropped on nine at first slip off Porter as Surrey edged to 63 for three, there were three mini-sessions of 10 balls, one ball, and then another 10 balls, either side of an early lunch.More rain then followed a 27-ball session, driving the players off yet again at 2.12pm, but after a fifth re-start of the day at 2.38pm there was at last a prolonged period of play – broken only by the tea interval – until stumps.By then Smith had moved smoothly past fifty, despite seeing Foakes fall for 13 when he edged Snater and was smartly held above his head at second slip by Harmer.Left-hander Sai Sudharsan, the India international, helped Smith to add 45 for the fifth wicket, taking Surrey’s overall lead beyond 200, but it was Smith who was the main aggressor with a booming extra cover drive off Snater and a gorgeous on-drive off Porter perhaps the pick of his eventual 11 fours.And Smith, who came in on 25 for two, had scored 70 of Surrey’s next 98 runs when he greeted left-arm seamer Paul Walter’s first ball by pulling it straight to deep square leg in the 38th over.When Sudharsan fell for 12 in the next over, thin-edging Bosch behind, Surrey were suddenly 127 for six and Essex knew they had probably their last chance to stay in the contest.Patel and Clark, however, both batted with grit and no little skill to defy the Essex seamers for almost 20 overs, and Surrey’s lead had reached 274 before Porter’s dismissal of Clark was quickly followed by Bosch bowling Tom Lawes for a first-ball duck.That was the signal for Patel, who had survived a caught and bowled chance to Bosch on 40, to press hard on the accelerator and although James Taylor (3) was bowled sweeping at Harmer he found in last man Dan Worrall a steady partner while a further 43 runs were added in, by now, bright sunshine and until Patel was bowled swinging at Critchley.

Tottenham Hotspur salvaged their season when they defeated Manchester United in the Europa League final last May, rolling out the carpet for Champions League football once more.

Having completed some housework already, finalising a shrewd £30m deal for Mathys Tel and sealing the permanent signing of Kevin Danso after his loan spell, new manager Thomas Frank has turned his attention to external solutions.

While the former Brentford boss would love nothing more than to reunite with Bryan Mbeumo, the Red Devils hold the lead in that race. As such, Spurs have turned their attention to Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, having made contact with Bournemouth but made it known they have no interest in meeting the £70m asking price; the same is true for other suitors.

Despite an abject Premier League campaign, the Lilywhites have an exciting project indeed, and that’s why they might want to turn to a Semenyo alternative who might even prove an upgrade.

Spurs lining up Semenyo alternative

As per L’Equipe, as relayed by GetFootballNewsFrance, Tottenham have received a huge boost in their bid to sign AS Monaco winger Maghnes Akliouche, who has been informed he could leave the Ligue 1 club for the right price this summer.

That price is marked at €60m (£51m), so he wouldn’t come cheap. However, the 23-year-old ace is one of the most exciting talents in France and is also attracting interest from Nottingham Forest alongside Spurs, who are both chasing a deal for the starlet.

The Moroccan has yet to be the centre of an official bid, but if Bournemouth remain stubborn on their valuation of Semenyo, that could change very soon.

What Maghnes Akliouche would bring to Spurs

Akliouche has made headway at Monaco over the last few years, graduating from the academy to become one of the most influential members of the first team.

Maghnes Akliouche – Monaco Stats by Season (all comps)

Season

Apps (starts)

Goals

Assists

24/25

43 (38)

7

12

23/24

31 (19)

8

4

22/23

13 (6)

1

0

21/22

9 (1)

0

1

Stats via Transfermarkt

He’s just come off the back of his most productive campaign, and having demonstrated such interesting year-by-year growth, might just be the perfect option to add to a developing Tottenham side showing itself to be a hothouse for young stars.

Indeed, Akliouche ranked among the top 14% of attacking midfielders and wingers last season for assists, the top 11% for progressive passes, and the top 16% for tackles per 90, as per FBref, illustrating both his creative flair and a tenacious approach to his football.

Typically playing off the right flank, Akliouche operates in a similar area to Semenyo, albeit he plays a different role. FBref have actually likened his style of play to that of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the legendary Heung-min Son.

He notched 15 goal contributions in Ligue 1 last season, averaging 4.5 successful duels per game. He also created 15 big chances, as per Sofascore.

No question, Semenyo’s the real deal, but is the 25-year-old worth £70m? He finished the 2024/25 campaign with 13 goals and seven assists across 42 matches in all competitions, very impressive for the Cherries, but perhaps not worth such a large sum.

Not when there’s a “magician” in Akliouche potentially available, demonstrating incredible playmaking potential, with his “wand of a left foot” singled out for praise by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Semenyo is an energetic and versatile forward himself, and he did average a greater amount of successful duels than Akliouche last term (6.1 per Premier League match), but Tottenham could do with some more creative ingenuity on the flanks to enhance Frank’s system, and they already have a goalscoring specialist on the right in Brennan Johnson.

Moreover, the Morocco star has converted 12 big chances in the French top flight across the past two years, only missing 13 big chances, which speaks of a clinical instinct that Frank will be sure to tweak and develop on the training pitch.

While Semenyo would be a fantastic buy for the Londoners, Akliouche has a higher ceiling and would come at a cheaper fee.

Related Dream Son heir: Spurs set to enter bidding war for "generational" £50m star

The talented youngster could be a superstar at Spurs.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 20, 2025

Chelsea remain active in the transfer market after a busy window for the Blues so far, with Enzo Maresca’s side fully expected to add more star quality to their squad before the next summer deadline day on September 1.

Related Bigger talent than Delap: Chelsea enter race to re-sign "special" £51m star

Enzo Maresca is desperate to bring in young faces at Chelsea.

Posts 1 ByRoss Kilvington Jun 16, 2025

BlueCo added both Mamadou Sarr and Liam Delap to their contingent of stars for the Club World Cup, taking advantage of the pre-CWC window which closed on June 10, only to reopen again on Monday.

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

This mini-window allowed clubs like Chelsea to bolster their sides in preparation for the tournament, with FIFA appearing determined to ensure that some of world football’s finest are on display over the next few weeks.

Chelsea kicked off their CWC campaign on Monday with a 2-0 win over MLS side Los Angeles FC, but showcased their skills in front of a largely empty Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with just 22,137 fans in attendance for the clash.

Delap made his debut and grabbed an assist, with goals from Pedro Neto and Nicolas Jackson making sure Chelsea got off to the perfect tournament start in Atlanta.

The CWC is rather controversial considering the complete absence of rest for these players. Pre-season for 2025/2026 is set to begin immediately after the competition ends, and given the 2026 World Cup is next year, Chelsea players won’t be resting much next summer either.

However, with £97 million worth of prize money on offer if Maresca’s side win the competition, it is no shock at all that Stamford Bridge chiefs are keen for them to take the CWC as seriously as possible.

To lighten the load, Chelsea could add new signings to their squad midway through, with a unique player registration window open from June 27 to July 3.

That being said, if you already play for a rival team in the CWC, you’re unable to swap clubs – so Chelsea wouldn’t be able to register top transfer target and Borussia Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens.

Chelsea talks "to follow" for Jamie Gittens after player agreement

Chelsea had three bids rejected for Gittens before the CWC in a desperate attempt to get him over the line in time before 7pm on June 10 (Florian Plettenberg), ultimately failing to reach an agreement with Dortmund.

Since then, it’s been reported that Chelsea are still expected to go back in for the 20-year-old, even if he can’t play a part for them during the CWC, with Fabrizio Romano sharing another update on the saga.

Romano writes via X that Chelsea are set for new talks to sign Gittens, who’s already agreed to join Maresca’s side.

While some reports have suggested that Dortmund value him at around £60 million, the reliable Ben Jacobs has now shared that he could leave for £47 million, in what is a boost for Chelsea.

“Eventually, this deal is expected to get done because Gittens wants to move, and they [Chelsea and BVB] are not actually far apart as some had suggested,” he told The Football Terrace.

“We heard €70m or more, but the number I’m told is €55m, up by €5m from what Chelsea originally thought would get the deal done. And it’s not just the number but the structure of that deal as well.”