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He also hailed Marco Jansen as ‘the complete package’ for South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-20251:39

Do South Africa have the best attack in the tournament?

Anil Kumble feels that the variety offered by South Africa’s pace trio of Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi makes them the most complete attack for the not-always-bowler-friendly conditions seen in the Champions Trophy 2025.On Saturday, South Africa hammered England to progress into the semi-finals. In their two group stage matches (one was rained off), South Africa bowled England out for 179 and Afghanistan for 208 – the two lowest totals in completed innings in this edition of the Champions Trophy.”I think one good thing about South Africa is that all three of their fast bowlers that played today – of course Mulder is the one who bowls the middle periods – but if you look at the three tall fast bowlers, all of them are really tall. And all of them are different,” Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day show.Related

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“Their angles are very different. Rabada is very classical whereas Ngidi is pretty awkward to face with his action and Marco Jansen comes at such height. So all three are very different. So that’s the nature you want in a one-day. That’s the variation.”Even on a flat track, it’s not easy for the batters to line up because all three are very different. And that’s something that South Africa can certainly feel [confident] they have this kind of a quality and also the variety going into the business end of the tournament.”1:27

Kumble heaps praise on Jansen

Kumble: Jansen the ‘complete package for South Africa’Jansen set the tone in South Africa’s win against England, dismissing their top three inside seven overs with his bounce. He also took three catches, including one off his own bowling.”I think he’s still very young, although he has played quite a lot of cricket. He has certainly matured,” Kumble said. “I’m sure these three wickets [will give him confidence], and also you can see his athleticism in the field with all those catches.”He has improved a lot with his batting as well. He has contributed with the bat on many occasions for South Africa. So in that sense he’s a complete package for South Africa at No. 7 or No. 8.”And with the ball, with the new ball he can bring the ball back in. He’s tall so it’s not easy for the batters to just get under him,” he said. “We saw that with Phil Salt, it just took off. It was quite steep, the bounce, and he couldn’t get over it. You need that variety in your bowling attack and that’s something that South Africa have in plenty.”

Rahmat became Afghanistan’s highest run-scorer in Tests with an unbeaten 231 while Shahidi struck his second Test ton

Sreshth Shah28-Dec-2024

Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi put on a mammoth third-wicket stand•Zimbabwe Cricket

Almost exactly 100 years since Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe became the first pair to achieve it in Test cricket, the Afghanistan pair of Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi batted out a full day of a Test match without being dismissed. In the process, Rahmat became the holder of Afghanistan’s highest Test score (231*), Shahidi struck his second Test ton (141*), and the pair comfortably broke the record for Afghanistan’s best Test partnership (361). All in all, their addition of 330 runs across 95 overs on the third day has taken Afghanistan to 425 for 2, now only 161 behind Zimbabwe’s 586.Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo ranks among one of the best places to bat among Test venues, and Zimbabwe’s first-innings score across the first two days suggested a placid third-day surface, which it was, barring the occasional ball that stayed low.The Zimbabwe bowlers were made to grind by the strong defensive game showed by Rahmat and Shahidi, but they were also let down by their fielding. There were atleast four catches dropped, all off Rahmat, along with a few half-chances. Both spin and pace proved ineffective to get a breakthrough, and the set batters pounced on the loose deliveries from the inexperienced bowlers, a regular occurrence through the day.Starting the day afresh from an overnight partnership of 31 and staring at a mammoth 491-run deficit, Rahmat took a single in the first over of the day to bring up his fifty. But some disciplined bowling from Blessing Muzarabani and Trevor Gwandu kept the run-scoring in check. It took 12 overs for the day’s first boundary when Rahmat picked up one, by cutting left-arm spinner Sean Williams for four, and it would be a ploy he would use against all three Zimbabwe spinners. With no variable turn off the pitch, the pair could also trust their game when coming down the track against the spinners, something Shahidi did often against the part-timers Brandon Mavuta and Brian Bennett. Five overs before lunch, Shahidi brought up his half-century, and two overs later, Rahmat had completed his second Test ton.Rahmat Shah claimed the Afghanistan record for the highest individual score•Zimbabwe Cricket

Then came the first big chance in the 69th over with Afghanistan at 198 for 2 and Rahmat on 107. Bennett got a length ball to turn lesser than expected, Rahmat’s prod brought an outside edge, and the ball flew past Craig Ervine’s left at first slip. On 134, Rahmat survived a dropped chance at long-on, and on 152, escaped two catching opportunities in one Muzarabani over. In between, the pair brought up their 200 stand by finding the fence through midwicket or cover when Muzarabani and Gwandu overpitched their deliveries. And going into tea, Afghanistan were 298 for 2, with 203 runs collected in the first two sessions.Fresh off the two dropped chances in the penultimate over of the second session, Zimbabwe were further deflated at the start of the post-tea session when Rahmat struck three fours off Nyamhuri in the first over after resumption. In the same Nyamhuri spell, Shahidi cut him for four to move to 99 and next ball, picked up a single to claim his second Test ton.As the second new ball also turned old, the boundaries dried up again, but a four through cover from Rahmat to start the 108th over brought up the 300-run stand. When Rahmat moved to 199 with a single soon after, the partnership ticked over to 308, a new record for Afghanistan.Shahidi, the only double-centurion for Afghanistan previously, then watched on from the other end as Rahmat joined him on that list, and it came not in the form of a circumspect single but a full-blooded drive through mid-on. As the ball trickled to the boundary, Rahmat was applauded by his team-mates and by the sparse home crowd as he also went past Shahidi’s score of 200* from 2021 to claim the Afghanistan record for the highest individual score.As the final hour of the day began, and it dawned on Zimbabwe that they might have their first-ever day of Test cricket without a single wicket, Ervine tempted the two batters with some unusual fielding positions – perhaps to buy a wicket or force them to do something different – but there was no budging.If anything, Rahmat and Shahidi reined in their strokes. Only three boundaries were scored in the final 13 overs – only three fours and one six – as it was clear their aim was to finish the day unbeaten. As Williams bowled the final over of the day without much drama, Rahmat and Shahidi walked back with smiles, were congratulated by a few Zimbabwe fielders, and were welcomed with a standing ovation by their team-mates and support staff.

Pakistan 344 (Shakeel 134, Sajid 48*, Noman 45, Rehan 4-66, Bashir 3-129) and 37 for 1 (Masood 23*) beat England 267 (Smith 89, Duckett 52, Sajid 6-128, Noman 3-88) and 112 (Root 33, Noman 6-42, Sajid 4-69) by nine wicketsThe wait is finally over. For the first time since 2021, Pakistan have won a Test series at home, coming back from 1-0 down to confirm a 2-1 success over England.A comprehensive nine-wicket win on day three of the third and decisive Test in Rawalpindi arrived before lunch, achieved with so little fuss that England’s victory by an innings in the opening match feels like it belongs in a different series altogether. It is only the second time Pakistan have come from behind in a series and the first time they have done so at home.Just as it was in the first innings, and indeed the victorious second Test at Multan, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan ran riot, bagging all 10 wickets as England were snuffed out for 112 in a listless second innings performance. It was Noman’s turn to pocket the match ball with 6 for 42, a sixth five-wicket haul, while Sajid’s 4 for 69 registered a second 10-wicket match of his 10-Test career after 6 for 128 on the first day.That left a nominal chase of 36 on the table, which was still enough for beleaguered home skipper Shan Masood to indulge in a cathartic 23 from six deliveries. He clouted four successive fours against Jack Leach upon his arrival to the crease after Saim Ayub was trapped leg before, then sealed victory with a towering six off Shoaib Bashir.Prior to Masood walking off with Abdullah Shafique, Noman and Sajid had done so hand in hand, basking in the glory of instigating England’s day three collapse in which the final seven wickets fell for just 46, and the fact their introductions turned the series on its head. Since being drafted into the squad after the tourists took a 1-0 lead, they have managed 39 wickets between them – Noman’s left-arm spin taking 20 at 13.85, Sajid’s off breaks 19 from 21.01.And yet, things began serenely enough for England. They started Saturday 53 behind on 24 for 3, but in Root and Brook, they had two batters capable of chipping off that deficit, and then some.Related

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When Brook began the 13th over by striking Sajid for back-to-back fours – first through cover, then over mid off on the charge – the more pessimistic Pakistan fans might have been wondering if the Yorkshire pair were about to embark on another match-tilting partnership. After all, it was these two who combined for all of 454 in the first Test at Multan.However, that was before Sajid and Noman entered the series. And after the former adjusted his line to keep Brook honest, the latter followed up a slow delivery with one far quicker that was cut late into the gloves of Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan’s lead had been cut to 11, but the first domino had been toppled. Others duly followed.Stokes’ troubles against spin continued, inexplicably leading a straight delivery from Noman, expecting turn from over the wicket that never came. Jamie Smith’s charge to Sajid was almost as bad, bowled off stump through a wild swing that belied the sensibilities he had displayed with a load-bearing 89 in the first innings.It was only four balls after Smith’s dismissal that England went ahead, and what hopes they had of extending that in a meaningful way ended when Root was snared by a pearler from Noman with a lead of eight. Perfect dip onto a length to drag the right-hander forward from around the wicket, before just enough spin – it was a delivery the 38-year-old had served up a few times but only Root was good enough to nick. ASajid tagged in to lop off the tail, yorking Gus Atkinson before knocking back Rehan Ahmed’s leg stump for his second 10-wicket match haul. And he looked to have bagged a second five-for in the match when Shoaib Bashir was given out LBW on the sweep.A cursory DRS review came back in the No.11’s favour, with the impact onto the pad coming outside off stump. The reprieve only brought an extra two runs, as Noman caught Leach lacking on the charge, firing one wide of the advancing left-hander, stumped smartly by Rizwan.A lead of 35 was always going to be light work on a pitch that was far from demonic, but it was Masood’s introduction that ensured formalities were completed inside 3.1 overs. Ayub began the chase with a brace of fours at the end of the first over before Leach pinned him in front, confirmed via DRS after another erroneous call from umpire Sharfuddoula.But even his dismissal brought some icing to the cake, as Masood took the team charging over the line for his first series win as captain. After starting his tenure with six straight defeats before the second Test of this series, It was hard to begrudge him that honour.

يحل فريق ليفربول ضيفًا على خصمه كريستال بالاس، عصر السبت، في مباراتهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز موسم 2025/26.

تأتي تلك المباراة في إطار لقاءات الجولة السادسة من الدوري الإنجليزي لذلك الموسم، وذلك على ملعب “سيلهرست بارك”.

يدخل ليفربول تلك المباراة وهو يتصدر جدول الدوري الإنجليزي برصيد 15 نقطة، العلامة الكاملة، في حين أن كريستال بالاس لن يكون خصمًا سهلًا على الإطلاق حيث يحتل المركز الخامس برصيد 9 نقاط.

ويسعى النجم المصري، محمد صلاح، إلى التألق في مباراة اليوم من أجل تحقيق إنجاز مميز (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

ولن يتمكن الفرنسي هوجو إيكتيكي من المشاركة في مباراة ليفربول وكريستال بالاس بعدما طُرد في لقاء دور الـ32 من كأس كاراباو أمام ساوثهامبتون، الثلاثاء الماضي. تشكيل ليفربول المتوقع أمام كريستال بالاس اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: أليسون بيكر.

خط الدفاع: دومينيك سوبوسلاي، إبراهيما كوناتي، فان دايك، ميلوس كيركيز.

خط الوسط: جرافنبيرخ، ماك أليستر.

خط الوسط الهجومي: محمد صلاح، فلوريان فيرتز، كودي جاكبو.

خط الهجوم: ألكسندر إيزاك.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Liverpool have forked out over £200m on new first-team signings this summer, and there’s more still to come from sporting director Richard Hughes, whose task is a significant one.

Last summer, the former Bournemouth technical director came under fire for his supposed hesitance in the transfer market. Liverpool had clawed their way back into the Champions League and had won the Carabao Cup, but Jurgen Klopp had managed his last and signings were needed, were they not?

But Federico Chiesa was the only man added to the ranks, joining from Juventus for a cut-price £12.5m (aside from Giorgi Mamarashvili, who has now completed his £29m move from Valencia after spending the 2024/25 campaign back on loan with the La Liga side).

But Hughes’ long-term plan was vindicated when Arne Slot led Liverpool to the Premier League in his first season, almost nine years after Klopp replaced a bruised Brendan Rodgers.

The Reds finished ten points ahead of second-place Arsenal, and now they are showing their hand; now they are spending. Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez have reshaped the squad – and there’s more still to come.

The latest Liverpool transfer news

Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez remain the most likely Liverpool stars to complete high-profile exits, with the former coveted by Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the latter by the Saudi Pro League.

Liverpool want to sell Nunez, who hasn’t worked out three years on from his big-money move from Benfica. Diaz, however, is set to stay put unless a mammoth bid comes in.

Should the Merseysiders be roped into selling, however, they want to set themselves up. As such, Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon has been earmarked, one year after a saga emerged concerning the Magpies winger and the Reds.

Rodrygo, otherwise, would be the dream, albeit the Brazilian is worth €100m (£85m) and is fixed in Arsenal’s sights.

Who knows which way the wind will blow with those murmurings? However, Nunez is set to leave, and Liverpool had wanted another Newcastle sensation to replace him: Alexander Isak.

However, the Toon closed that door, and Liverpool have instead moved for another, and he wants to join.

Liverpool on the brink of signing

According to Sport BILD, Liverpool are edging closer toward signing Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, though the German club are holding out for €100m (£85m).

Transfer Focus

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

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However, the French forward wants to sign for the Anfield side and has even submitted an official transfer request to manoeuvre the discussions into the closing stages.

Personal terms are all but finalised, no problem there. However, the outfits need to iron out the details, with an official proposal now imminent.

The 23-year-old should sign as Liverpool’s new number nine, and in doing so, may emulate Virgil van Dijk, in a sense.

Why Liverpool are signing Hugo Ekitike

It’s not over till the fat lady sings. A saying that’s well worth remembering in football. Take Van Dijk. Liverpool signed him for £75m in late December 2017 – some Christmas present, that.

But months earlier, Liverpool had been left hot under the collar after Southampton put paid to their advances, ending the building saga in June 2017 after an alleged illegal approach. FSG apologised for “any misunderstanding” and put their bid on hold.

But Van Dijk had caught a whiff of Klopp’s project and was sold. Well, he was several months on, in any case. The Netherlands international handed in a transfer request later in the 2017 summer window and informed Saints he wanted to sign for Liverpool.

The rest is history, with Van Dijk, now 34, one of the most decorated and accomplished defenders of his generation. Ekitike is no doubt eager to take a leaf from the centre-back’s book, having established himself in the Bundesliga, posting 40 goal contributions from 64 matches in a season-and-a-half with Frankfurt.

Make no mistake, we’re not claiming Ekitike will be utilising his 6 feet and 3 inches to protect the box, rocketing up with steely headers and flying this way and that with tough challenges. This, clearly, isn’t Slot’s Van Dijk heir.

But there’s a pattern to the respective deals which highlights FSG’s method, having identified one of Europe’s most exciting up-and-comers and spent the big bucks on reeling him over to Anfield.

Early into his career, Ekitike – described as “unreal” by analyst Ben Mattinson – has demonstrated growth and ability, which has already led to a €35m (£30m) transfer from Reims to Paris Saint-Germain.

Hugo Ekitike – Professional Career by Season (League only)

Season (* loan)

Apps

Goals

Assists

24/25 – Frankfurt

33

15

8

23/24 – Frankfurt*

14

4

2

23/24 – PSG

1

0

0

22/23 – PSG

25

3

4

21/22 – Reims

24

10

4

20/21 – Vejle*

11

3

2

20/21 – Reims

2

0

0

Data via Transfermarkt

Sure, Isak would have been nice. The 25-year-old is, after all, “the best striker in the world”, as analyst Raj Chohan put it last season, but Hughes’ contacts with Newcastle turned up nought. We’d have been looking at something in the £200m ballpark, which is a nonsensical figure.

But in Ekitike, Liverpool have a rising phenom, the perfect profile. He’s mobile, slippery and intelligent, a fierce and constant pepperer of the goal. His finishing leaves something to be desired, but this can be worked on. FBref record that Isak is one of his most statistically comparable players, after all.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has even called the France talent “the next Mbappe”, with his creativity, pace and dynamism making him more than just a player of French likeness.

Was Van Dijk the finished product when he first alighted in Liverpool? Were the detractors not vocal in their scorn? Liverpool paid over the odds for some half-decent defender, they claimed.

The Reds skipper is now considered one of the finest players of his generation, one of many cases of FSG’s data department coming up trumps.

With Ekitike, they may well strike gold once again.

Related Better than Isak & Ekitike: Liverpool make £142m "monster" a dream target

Liverpool have two primary candidates to bolster their forward line; Alexander Isak & Hugo Ekitike.

Posts 1 ByMatt Dawson Jul 17, 2025

Former Australia white-ball captain Cameron White has been identified as the man to coach the Melbourne Renegades back into contention in the BBL.White has signed a three-year deal to replace David Saker, who moved on in May after a disappointing seventh-place finish in his third season at the helm.The 40-year-old White is taking on his first head-coaching job but has worked under Sydney Sixers boss Greg Shipperd for the past two years and was previously an assistant at the Adelaide Strikers.Related

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He inherits a Renegades roster that includes white-ball run-machine Jake Fraser-McGurk, superstar spinners Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon and prized recruit Josh Brown.”I’ve got so many great memories here as a player and achieving success, so to be back in Renegades colours several years later is a thrill,” White said. “The idea of working with this playing group – some really exciting players there, both young and experienced – is really exciting. I’m really looking forward to ripping in and starting my journey as coach.”Renegades came out with pick two in the BBL overseas draft order announced on Thursday.As a player, White represented Australia 142 times across all three formats.  He was best known for his contributions as a middle-order batter in the white-ball sides.While his Test career was limited to four appearances on a 2008 tour of India, White captained the T20I side six times and the ODI side once, in 2011.He was also a member of the Australia side that beat New Zealand in the final to win the ICC Champions Trophy in 2009. Domestically, White played during the Renegades’ only BBL championship in 2019.Victoria’s longest-serving Sheffield Shield captain, White amassed more than 7000 first-class runs between his debut as a teenager in the 2000-2001 summer and his final match in 2019.

Chelsea are pressing ahead with a move to sign one marquee player after they reached an agreement for the signing of Liam Delap, with Enzo Maresca’s side showing no hesitation in attacking the market after ending 2024/2025 on a major high.

Chelsea begin busy summer window with Liam Delap signing

Cole Palmer’s magical second-half attacking display helped spare Maresca’s blushes in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday evening, with Chelsea coming back from behind to smash Real Betis 4-1 in Poland.

Chelsea submit bid to sign £42m Serie A star who's admitted he could leave

The west Londoners are in good spirits after their Conference League triumph.

1 ByEmilio Galantini May 29, 2025

Manuel Pellegrini’s side threatened to end Chelsea’s season on a sour note, but strikes from Enzo Fernández, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo in the final 25 minutes of the 90 sealed Maresca’s first piece of major silverware since taking over from Mauricio Pochettino last summer.

Chelsea’s top five finish and subsequent qualification for the Champions League, coupled with their win at the Stadion Miejski, means Maresca’s debut season in the dugout can be deemed a real success.

Despite their damp patch midway through 2024/2025, Chelsea roared to the finish line and displayed serious intent during the latter stages of this campaign, winning six of their final nine league games and losing just one as performances took a positive turn.

Now, attention fully turns to the transfer market, with Chelsea expected to be very busy yet again this summer.

They’ll also have a mini-transfer window – open from June 1 to June 10 – to sign new recruits ahead of their Club World Cup campaign. With £97 million worth of prize money on offer if they win the tournament, Chelsea are expected to take it seriously, and it is believed they ideally want two or three of their new signings through the door before the CWC kicks off next month (Simon Phillips).

One target they’ve been seriously pursuing in the last fortnight, Ipswich Town star Delap, also had a host of other offers on the table from Man United, Newcastle and Everton – so competition was rife for his signature.

However, reports this week began emerging that Chelsea’s Champions League status put them in pole position for the Englishman, who bagged 12 league goals for Ipswich last season (talkSPORT).

Now, Chelsea are expected to seal an imminent deal for Delap, as confirmed by trusted transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

However, Delap’s arrival at Stamford Bridge may not be the end of their striker search. Chelsea could in fact sign two centre-forwards this summer, according to journalist Simon Phillips, and this is now being echoed by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

Chelsea "pushing" to sign Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike

According to Plettenberg, “underrated” Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike remains a top target for BlueCo, regardless of their agreement with Delap.

The 22-year-old is fresh off the back of an incredible full debut season at Eintracht, having signed permanently from PSG last summer. Ekitike scored 22 goals and racked up 12 assists in 48 appearances across 24/25, leaving little wonder the Bundesliga side will demand a high asking price.

Eintracht want as much as £84 million to sell Ekitike this summer, and if Chelsea are serious about him, they’ll need to splash the cash.

Leeds United secured the Championship title with a 2-1 win over Plymouth Argyle on the final day of the season earlier this month, and now have a season in the Premier League to look forward to.

The Whites racked up 100 points on their way to being champions of the second tier, but that does not mean that they are going to find the transition to the top-flight easy.

There are already doubts over some of the stars who led Leeds to the title, as Football Insider reported earlier this month that the club are not planning to build their attack around Joel Piroe.

The outlet claimed that there are doubts behind the scenes about whether or not the Dutch centre-forward can make the step up to the Premier League as Daniel Farke’s main number nine next season.

That is despite the fact that the left-footed striker won the Golden Boot in the Championship, narrowly beating Josh Sargent and Borja Sainz from Norwich to the trophy.

Why Leeds may have doubts about Joel Piroe

Leeds may have doubts about Piroe, though, because of the gulf in athleticism required between the two divisions, as the Premier League is an incredibly intense league.

The Whites need their centre-forward to be mobile and, or, strong to either run off the back of opposition centre-backs or to hold them off in order to retain possession for the team, because Farke’s side will not be able to be as dominant next term given that they are likely to be in a relegation battle, rather than a title race.

It is fair to say that Piroe is not the quickest centre-forward around, or that he uses his pace to leave defenders for dead. His game is more centered around positioning and finishing, being in the right place at the right time to use his lethal left foot.

However, Leeds need more than that in the Premier League because of the nature of the season that they are likely to face, with a lot of deep defending likely to leave them in need of a number nine who can either stretch a defence or hold the ball up.

Appearances

46

xG

17.17

Goals

19

Dribble success rate

32%

Ground duel success rate

33%

Aerial duel success rate

21%

As you can see in the table above, Piroe is not likely to hold the ball up effectively in the Premier League because defenders in the Championship found it far too easy to tackle him in dribbles and beat him in duels on the ground and in the air.

This explains why there are doubts behind the scenes about his suitability to a relegation scrap in the top-flight, because he does not appear to have the physical attributes required.

Leeds, with that in mind, are now reportedly eyeing up a deal for a striker who has already proven that they can compete in the Premier League.

Leeds leading race to sign Premier League striker

According to talkSPORT, Leeds United are leading the race to sign Newcastle United centre-forward Callum Wilson in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites are the ‘frontrunners’ to land the former England international, although there are no other teams named as being in contention to sign the marksman.

Transfer Focus

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

TalkSPORT adds that Newcastle have an option to extend the English forward’s contract by another year, as it is due to expire this summer, but they would be willing to allow him to leave on a free transfer if he can find a club to go and play regular football for.

This means that Leeds, and any other interested club, could land a bargain deal for the experienced cenre-forward by signing him on a free transfer ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Why Leeds should sign Callum Wilson

Farke must snap the Magpies marksman up on a free transfer if the opportunity presents itself in the coming weeks because he could come in as a big upgrade on Piroe.

Whilst there are doubts over the Dutchman’s suitability for the Premier League ahead of next season, Wilson has already proven, over many years, that he can be an excellent option at that level.

As you can see in the clips above, the Newcastle star racked up an extraordinary haul of 18 goals in the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign, only one goal fewer than Piroe managed in the Championship.

He has found himself behind Alexander Isak in the pecking order this season, which is no shame given that the Swedish marksman has scored 23 Premier League goals, but he has an excellent goal-to-start ratio throughout his career in the top-flight.

24/25

1

0

23/24

9

9

22/23

21

18

21/22

16

8

20/21

23

12

19/20

32

8

18/19

29

14

17/18

23

8

16/17

16

6

15/16

9

5

As you can see in the table above, the experienced forward tends to score goals in the top-flight when his manager gives him starts, as has been proven throughout his time at Bournemouth and Newcastle.

This means that Wilson, once dubbed “outstanding” by Eddie Howe, would come in as a proven Premier League goalscorer who could offer a reliable presence at the top end of the pitch that Piroe may not be able to provide.

The clip above, albeit from many years ago, also perfectly illustrates the pace, quality, and strength that the Englishman would bring to the Leeds team, as these attributes have allowed him to flourish at the top table for many years.

Therefore, Farke must push the board to seal a deal for the Newcastle forward on a free transfer because he has the record and the physical attributes to come in as a big upgrade on Piroe to bolster the club’s hopes of avoiding an instant relegation back to the Championship.

Huge Byram upgrade: Leeds make contact to sign £15m-rated star for free

Leeds United could land an upgrade on Sam Byram by signing this Premier League defender.

1 ByDan Emery May 15, 2025

Liverpool inched closer to securing their second-ever Premier League title with a dramatic 2-1 win over West Ham United at Anfield on Sunday.

The Reds took the lead through Luis Diaz in the first half and appeared to be on for a comfortable win, before an own goal from Andy Robertson made it 1-1 in the second half.

Just minutes after that equaliser, though, Virgil van Dijk stepped up with a perfect header to win the match for Arne Slot’s side in the 89th minute.

Why Virgil van Dijk's performance was not perfect

It was not a perfect display by the Netherlands international by any means, despite scoring the winning goal, as his defensive work – unusually – left a bit to be desired.

The former Southampton colossus lost 100% (2/2) of his ground duels and made an error that directly led to a shot for the Hammers, in what was a shaky performance at times.

Robertson also appeared to point the finger at him for the Scottish defender’s own goal in the second half, as van Dijk came across and completely missed his attempted intervention – getting in the full-back’s way and inadvertently contributing to the own goal.

Because of these issues with his display, there were some stars who performed even better than the captain – including central midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.

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Alexis Mac Allister is as undroppable as Mo Salah

The Argentina international was better than van Dijk and just proved that he is as undroppable as Mo Salah, who broke the record for combined goals and assists in a single 38-game Premier League season with his assist for Diaz.

Liverpool’s wing wizard is, of course, undroppable when fit and available because of the quality that he can provide in the final third, as evidenced by that record.

Mac Allister, who earned a player rating of 8/10 from the Liverpool Echo, is just as undroppable because of the quality that he brings to the Liverpool midfield in and out of possession on a consistent basis.

Minutes

90

Key passes

2

Assists

1

Shots on target

2

Dribbles completed

1/1

Ground duels won

6/10

Tackles + interceptions

4

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old talent was solid out of possession, winning 60% of his ground duels, and broke up attacks with four tackles and interceptions combined.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion star also offered a threat at the top end of the pitch with two key passes and an assist for van Dijk’s winner with an excellent delivery from a corner, to go along with two shots on target.

Mac Allister combines hard work and tenacity out of possession with composure and class on the ball to make him the perfect box-to-box midfield player for Liverpool and Slot, which is why he is as important to the team as Salah in many ways because he can impact games at both ends of the field.

He was even better than van Dijk against West Ham, because he did not make any big errors as the centre-back did, and should remain a regular starter in the final matches of the Premier League campaign.

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It’s been a long time coming, but it’s all been worth it for a household that has been through everything

Firdose Moonda24-Dec-2024Timing, as they say in sport, is everything, and it was about a year ago that Corbin and Eathan Bosch went through some of their father Tertius’ things.Tertius had passed away in tragic circumstances in 2000, when Corbin was five and Eathan not yet two. The pair knew him only through the memories of others, including their mother Karen-Anne, who held on to a lot of Tertius’ playing kit. Among the things the brothers found was a 1992 World Cup shirt. “It was pretty special,” Eathan, a cricketer in South Africa’s domestic set-up, tells ESPNcricinfo. “And also just to see what the kit looked like back then and what it’s like now. I must say I wouldn’t be able to play in that kind of kit. It’s just so thick and heavy.”Related

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At the time, Eathan didn’t think he’d ever have reason to put the shirt on, but kept it with him anyway. Two days ago, that changed. He was invited to a hospitality suite at the Wanderers for Corbin’s ODI debut and decided on his outfit as he walked out of his front door. “It was a pink day so I thought I was going to wear a pink shirt, but then at the last second as I was leaving I remembered I had the [1992] shirt and I thought, ‘let me wear it.’ When I got to the stadium, I just put it on,” Eathan says. “I just thought it was a special occasion, and what better way to celebrate Corbin’s debut than wearing one of my dad’s shirts?”

From building with Lego at home, to making your ODI debut for the Proteas.

Corbin Bosch talks us through the whole experience leading up to last nights match and the game itself!#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #PinkDay #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/mqaoPgxSzM

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 23, 2024