Man Utd now set to submit Sesko bid £3.5m higher than Newcastle's offer

Manchester United are keen to restore their former glories and could now submit an offer for one of their key targets who is attracting plenty of attention, according to reports.

Manchester United's dilemma with Rasmus Hojlund

Admittedly, Rasmus Hojlund endured a difficult campaign at Old Trafford last season, scoring ten times and registering four assists in 52 appearances across all competitions.

Ultimately, the Denmark international looked short of confidence in a side that frequently faltered, though he has looked sharp in pre-season and scored a goal in the Red Devils’ Premier League Summer Series triumph against Bournemouth.

Rasmus Hojlund

Despite the forward getting off the mark, Ruben Amorim has refused to commit on whether Hojlund will stay at the club, perhaps a telling sign that he could be allowed to depart if appropriate interest arises.

He stated: “I’m really happy with Rasmus, but I don’t know what is going to happen until the end of the market. The important thing is that Rasmus is scoring goals. He’s connecting really well with the team. He’s improving. Again, I don’t know what is going to happen until the market is closed. We suffered a lot because of the lack of goals last season.”

Joshua Zirkzee also played his part in leading the line last season, scoring seven times, albeit the Netherlands international is a self-proclaimed hybrid within the forward line.

Reports are beginning to accelerate that Hojlund may be about to move on, which begs the question of who could come into replace the Dane amid recent Manchester United links to the likes of Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins.

Now, the Red Devils could be about to open their chequebook with an offer that could outstrip their rivals’ pursuit of a star performer on the continent.

Manchester United to outbid Newcastle United for Benjamin Sesko

Per TEAMtalk, Manchester United will outbid Newcastle United for RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko this week, though they will be in a race against time to complete a deal to sign the clinical striker.

The Bundesliga outfit want a package of £78.3 million plus a sell-on clause inserted into his contract, and the Red Devils are expected to offer around £73.1 million, including bonuses. This does however beat Newcastle’s £69.6 million offer, add-ons factored in, albeit both are still under Leipzig’s price tag.

Benjamin Sesko’s tally in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

45

Goals

21

Assists

6

Labelled “powerful” by Tony Cascarino, the Slovenia international is soon set to decide on his next destination, and his representatives are in constant negotiations with all parties as the saga rumbles on.

Of course, Manchester United’s historical significance may tip the scales. However, Newcastle can offer Sesko the prospect of Champions League football, leaving a critical decision for him to make between now and the end of the window.

Edwards, Sutherland, Hardie in Australia A squad for Sydney four-dayer against England Lions

New South Wales allrounder Jack Edwards has been named captain of a youthful Australia A 12-man squad to face England Lions in the upcoming four-day game in Sydney from January 30, with the squad also featuring two other fast-bowling allrounders in Aaron Hardie and Will Sutherland.Kurtis Patterson, 31, has also been recalled to the Australia A fold for the first time since 2020 and is the oldest player in the squad.Australia’s selectors have pushed for youth and have only retained five players from the squad that faced India A in two four-day games in October and November, with Jordan Buckingham, Fergus O’Neill, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli and Brendan Doggett all getting another opportunity, although Doggett was only drafted into that series as a late injury replacement.Related

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There was no room for Marcus Harris, Jimmy Peirson or Nathan McAndrew, who performed solidly in the second Australia A game in Melbourne. Former Test batters Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb were also not selected. The latter was very close to being selected for the Sri Lanka Test tour and is currently captaining the Cricket Australia XI against England Lions in the first match of the tour in Brisbane.Cameron Bancroft is unavailable through injury after fracturing his shoulder in the BBL. Veteran two-Test seamer Michael Neser, who injured his hamstring in the Australia A game at the MCG, has also not been selected.The selectors showed how much they valued performances in the Australia A matches during the Test series against India with Nathan McSweeney, Sam Konstas and Beau Webster all selected for their Test debuts after good performances against India A. Doggett was also called into the Test squad for the second and third Tests as fast-bowling cover following his stunning 6 for 15 against India A in Mackay.CA contracted fast bowler Xavier Bartlett gets an opportunity after missing the two Australia A matches with a side injury. He took 5 for 32 in his last first-class match for Queensland before the BBL break.Aaron Hardie is the only member of the Australia A squad who is also in the Champions Trophy squad•Getty Images

By overlooking Harris, Renshaw and Handscomb, the selectors are looking to the future on the batting front with the exception of Patterson. Jayden Goodwin and Tim Ward, like Patterson, have been rewarded for outstanding recent Shield form despite all three not being in the first-choice XIs of their respective states early in the Shield summer.Ward, 26, played four matches for Australia A against New Zealand A in 2023 and made three half-centuries in eight innings but was dropped by Tasmania last season. However, he has bounced back strongly with scores of 51, 92, 96, 7 and 142 since being recalled by Tasmania in November.Goodwin, 23, is currently playing in the CA XI alongside Ward and is highly regarded by the national selectors despite only averaging 32.38 across 27 first-class innings. But he made scores of 94, 139 and 69 in Shield cricket in November with the latter two coming against South Australia in a pink-ball game, which featured Doggett and Australian white-ball pacer Spencer Johnson.Hardie is the only member of the Australia A squad who is also in Australia’s Champions Trophy squad. He has not been bowling recently due to an ongoing quad issue and has only played one first-class match this summer after a lean season with the bat last year in red-ball cricket. But he has scored a century for Australia A previously in New Zealand in 2023.Sutherland, 25, is the only full-time Shield captain in the squad, but Edwards captained NSW in three Shield games prior to the BBL break, standing in for the absent Moises Henriques, and is NSW’s permanent 50-over captain. It will be the first time Edwards has represented Australia A, having played all 37 of his first-class matches for NSW, averaging 28.21 with the bat and 26.69 with the ball.Australia A squad: Jack Edwards (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Brendan Doggett, Jordan Buckingham, Jayden Goodwin, Aaron Hardie, Fergus O’Neill, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe (wk), Corey Rocchiccioli , Will Sutherland, Tim Ward

عبد المنصف: الزمالك رفض منحة الأهلي.. وهذا سبب غياب ممدوح عباس

كشف محمد عبد المنصف، حارس الزمالك السابق، عن سر اختفاء ممدوح عباس رئيس القلعة البيضاء السابق، عن المشهد الحالي وعدم تقديم حلول للأزمة المالية التي يُعاني منها النادي في الفترة الحالية.

وقال محمد عبد المنصف في تصريحات عبر برنامج “اللعيب” على قناة “MBC مصر”:”لماذا لم يظهر الأستاذ ممدوح عباس لحل الأزمة الحالية لنادي الزمالك؟ دعني أوضح شيئًا؛ أنكم كمجلس إدارة واحد اعتمدتم على رجال أعمال، وفي النهاية كان الأستاذ ممدوح عباس هو الشخص الذي يتدخل دائمًا في كل أزمة ليقوم بحلها، فأصبح الأمر سهلًا بالنسبة لكم”.

وتابع: “ومع مرور الوقت، استمر هذا النمط في إدارة الأمور داخل النادي خلال الفترات السابقة، أما الآن، فالأستاذ ممدوح لم يعد متواجدًا، أو ربما هناك اختلاف في وجهات النظر بينه وبين بعض أعضاء مجلس الإدارة، أو أنه يمر بوعكة صحية لأنه دائمًا يعاني من التعب، وبالتالي أغلق هذا الباب، وأنتم الآن يجب أن تعتمدوا على أنفسكم في إيجاد الحلول”.

وأشار: “الخلاف بين ممدوح عباس ومجلس الإدارة الحالي في وجهات النظر، قائم بالفعل، وهناك بعض الأمور التي تحدث في الكواليس وتثير اعتراضات على بعض الاختيارات، سواء فيما يخص التعاقد مع اللاعبين أو في الفكر الإداري الجديد داخل النادي”.

طالع أيضًا | طارق يحيى: الزمالك لم يشهد استقرارًا ماديًا إلا مع مرتضى منصور.. ورسالة للمجلس

وعند سؤاله عن مدى تدخل ممدوح عباس في اختيار اللاعبين، أجاب عبد المنصف: “هو بالفعل كان يدفع مبالغ مالية ويقول لهم: هذان هما اللاعبان السوبر اللذان وعدت بهما الجماهير، هذه هي الأموال، تفضلوا وتعاقدوا معهما”.

وأوضح: “فهو الذي كان يوجّه الأمور، ولكن المشكلة أنه عندما كان يرى أداء اللاعبين بعد التعاقد، كان يجدهم دون المستوى المتوقع، فيقول: هذا ليس ما كنت أتوقعه، فقد كان يرى أن هناك لاعبين آخرين يمكنهم تقديم مستوى أفضل للزمالك، وهذا كان يسبب له انزعاجًا، فيتراجع قليلًا ويغضب من بعض القرارات التي يتم اتخاذها”.

وأضاف عبد المنصف: “أنا أوجه حديثي إلى مجلس الإدارة الحالي: لا تعتمدوا دائمًا على ممدوح عباس لحل مشاكلكم، الرجل قام بالكثير، وكذلك عمرو الجنايني وجمال العدل، وغيرهم ممن وقفوا بجانبكم في أوقات صعبة، لكن عليكم أن تواجهوا الأزمة الحالية بأنفسكم، فالمشكلة الآن ليست إدارية ولا فنية، بل هي مشكلة مالية بحتة”.

واختتم: “لقد كانت أمامنا فرصة كبيرة هذا الموسم، الأهلي منحنا فرصة نادرة الحدوث بأن نبدأ الموسم بصورة غير متوقعة، ولكن للأسف نادي الزمالك لم يستغل تلك الفرصة كما يجب”.

Karun Nair stars again for Vidarbha to set up finale date with Karnataka

Before Nair’s fireworks, Yash Rathod and Dhruv Shorey scored hundreds to set the platform for a comfortable win

Shashank Kishore16-Jan-2025Karun Nair’s glorious run of form brought him an unbeaten 44-ball 88 as Vidarbha beat Maharashtra comfortably in the second semi-final of the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy. The result sets up a fascinating prospect where Nair will be up against Karnataka, his former team, in Saturday’s final.Nair narrowly missed out on a fifth straight List A century only because he ran out of time. That he even got close to one is because of a sensational end-overs acceleration. On 51 off 35 balls with two overs remaining, Nair hit four sixes and three fours in the last two overs. This included a sensational sequence of 4, 0, 6, 4, 4, 6 in the final over against Rajneesh Gurbani, who was up against his former team. Nair took his run tally to 752 runs while being dismissed just once.The only time Nair didn’t middle something was while attempting a couple of reverse sweeps early in his innings to build on the platform laid by the openers. But that didn’t stop him from being enterprising, as he played some delicate paddles, audacious scoops as well as some clean strikes down the ground – he hit nine fours and five sixes in all.After being put in, and setting a target for the first time in the tournament, Vidarbha posted 380 for 3, the last seven overs alone producing 108. Nair’s sensational late carnage came on the back of a 224-run opening stand between Dhruv Shorey and Yash Rathod in 34.2 overs. Jitesh Sharma, who came in at No. 4, also cashed in, hitting a 33-ball 51 in a 93-run stand with Nair off just 59 deliveries.Maharashtra’s chase didn’t take off till the 30th over, when they were 153 for 3. Except for a four-over window from here, where Ankit Bawne and Arshin Kulkarni upped the ante with an array of stunning shots, the intent to make a serious pitch to scale down their target seemed missing.File photo – Yash Rathod was the Player of the Match for his 116•PTI It didn’t help that they lost Ruturaj Gaikwad in the third over when he top-edged a pull off Darshan Nalkande and was sensationally caught by Jitesh, who covered nearly 30 yards to his left before diving full-stretch to pluck a one-handed stunner.Rahul Tripathi, their other big-match player capable of taking the attack to the opposition from get-go, made an attractive 27 off 19 before a heave across the line had him nicking behind in the ninth over. This is when Kulkarni appeared to have gotten stuck, on the face of some impressive bowling from Vidarbha, particularly from Yash Thakur, who was zippy, and Harsh Dubey, who was able to keep it tight with his left-arm spin.Despite Kulkarni putting on a half-century stand with Siddhesh Veer, Maharashtra lacked the middle-overs firepower that allowed them to put any kind of pressure on Vidarbha as the game meandered until it briefly came alive in that short window after the 30th over. But those hopes ended when Kulkarni and Bawne fell in quick succession after scoring 90 and 50 respectively. Kulkarni’s runs came at a strike rate of 89.10 when the requirement was much higher.Earlier in the day, Shorey began with three fours in the very first over off Gurbani, while Rathod brought the typical left-hander’s flair to get going as he climbed into left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary. The pair accelerated steadily, bringing their half-centuries in the 19th over.Rathod was the more adventurous against spin and used his feet superbly to hit both with and against the turn. He brought up his second List A century of the season off just 90 balls in the 31st over and then tried to up the scoring. Shorey got there soon after, zipping through the 90s with two back-to-back boundaries and then bringing up his second straight hundred off 104 deliveries.Maharashtra had their chances but they didn’t take. In the 24th over, they should have had Shorey for 57 when he got a bottom edge to wicketkeeper Nikhil Naik off Siddesh Veer. Had Maharashtra opted to review, they would have been able to overturn the on-field decision of not out. In Veer’s next over, Naik missed a stumping chance to dismiss Rathod on 76.Then in the 45th over, Jitesh was put down on 19 when Naik failed to latch on to a skier to make it a forgettable day that even his 49 late in the second innings couldn’t quite compensate for. Nair, too, received a reprieve when, on 30, he was put down by Pradeep Dadhe at fine leg.Whatever Nair did on the field from there on worked magically as Vidarbha recorded their eighth successive win to secure a maiden entry into the Vijay Hazare final.

Vicky Lopez claims Women's Kopa Trophy! Barcelona & Spain sensation fends off Michelle Agyemang to be named best young player after sensational campaign

Barcelona and Spain teenager Vicky Lopez has been named the best young women’s player in the world and has picked up the Kopa Trophy at the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards in Paris. The 19-year-old played a key role in Barcelona’s stunning season, winning Liga F and Copa de la Reina titles, and also helped Spain make it to the finals of Euro 2025 in the summer.

  • Lopez picks up 2025 Kopa Trophy

    Lopez has seen off competition from Lionesses star Michelle Agyemang, Real Madrid's Linda Caicedo, Chelsea midfielder Wieke Kaptein and Club Olimpia and Paraguay star Claudia Martinez to win the Kopa Trophy. The victory comes after another superb season for club and country for the impressive 19-year-old and sees her pick up another individual award after winning the Golden Girl prize in 2024.

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  • Barcelona star dedicates award to her late mother

    Lopez offered her thanks to her family after picking up the prize. She said in her acceptance speech: "Thank you to my family. I dedicate this to my mother, who watches over me from heaven and is protecting me so I can become a better person. I hope you're proud of me; I miss you. I also want to thank Real Madrid, where I took my first steps. I also want to thank the national team, and obviously I can't forget Barcelona, La Masia, its president… they've supported me and let me compete for the best team in the world at 16 years old. I want to send a little something to the pioneers of women's football. Thanks to them, I'm able to collect this award today."

  • Kopa Trophy double for Barcelona

    Lopez's win makes it a Kopa Trophy double for Barcelona as Lamine Yamal scooped the men's prize. It's the second year in a row that Yamal has won the Kopa Trophy. The 18-year-old is also in the running for the men's Ballon d'Or award as well.

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  • The full Kopa Trophy rankings

    Lopez finished top of the rankings ahead of Real Madrid's Caicedo. Chelsea star Kaptein was third, with Agyemang fourth and Martinez fifth.

Talles Costa e Welington avançam em tratamentos de lesões no São Paulo

MatériaMais Notícias

A reapresentação do São Paulo nesta segunda-feira (15) contou com algumas novidades. Welington e Talles Costa avançaram nos tratamentos das suas lesões.

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Weligton passou por uma cirurgia no tornozelo esquerdo em março, para acorreção de lesão ligamentar e lesão de sindesmose. A expectativa é que o Tricolor perdesse o atleta, pelo menos, até o final da temporada por conta da recuperação.

+ ATUAÇÕES: Rafinha faz pênalti infeliz e compromete ótimo trabalho defensivo do São Paulo em Itaquera

Na manhã desta segunda-feira (15), fez seu primeiro trabalho no gramado. O lateral-esquerdo correu no campo sob cuidados dos profissionais de saúde do CT da Barra Funda.

Já Talles Costa também foi operado no começo de março, após sofrer um trauma no joelho durante o jogo contra o São Bernardo, pelo Campeonato Paulista. O volante passou por uma sutura no menisco, após passar por alguns exames de imagem na época. Segundo informado pelo São Paulo, a evolução do atleta começou no final da última semana.

+ Clique aqui e veja como apostar no Brasileirão
+ Confira os jogos e classificação resultados do Campeonato Brasileiro na tabela do LANCE!

Agora, Talles Costa alterna trabalhos no gramado e no REFFIS Plus sob o comando dos fisioterapeutas. Muito pela idade, o processo de recuperação do volante é mais cauteloso.

Quanto ao restante dos lesionados, ainda nenhuma novidade. O Tricolor se reapresentou no CT da Barra Funda durante a parte da manhã desta segunda-feira (15). O dia começou com um trabalho na academia, focado em treinamento de força. Na sequência, Dorival Júnior ministrou algumas atividades técnicas, e em campo reduzido, os jogadores realizaram treinamentos com posse de bola e situações de ataque e defesa – mas somente com os jogadores reservas do clássico. Os titulares passaram por um treino regenerativo.

'I didn't make a big deal out of it!' – Xabi Alonso denies Vinicius Jr tension after Brazilian's substitution amid fears over place in Real Madrid starting XI

Xabi Alonso insists he's not making a “big deal” after growing speculation over Vinicius Jr’s substitution appearances. Real Madrid are on a good run in La Liga, but questions loom over player rotation as Alonso maintains a team-first approach, saying he wants all players to feel comfortable and that what matters most is the results and collective spirit.

The concerns surrounding Vinicius

Vinicius has been highly productive yet noticeably rotated this season. He has scored two goals and provided two assists in five La Liga matches so far. Despite being one of Madrid’s top attackers in terms of goal involvement, he has yet to complete a full 90 minutes in any of the 12 competitive matches under Alonso. This has fuelled speculation over his starting status.

With Vinicius' contract renewal also being the talk of the town, speculations have continued to form and gain traction. Reportedly, the Brazilian declined Madrid's latest offer, sparking concern about his future.

AdvertisementAFPCoach Alonso isn't bothered by the rising speculations

Alonso was asked about the apparent tension and substitution pattern involving Vinicius, to which he replied that he doesn't think about it much and rather maintains a team-first approach.

"I've been a player. Me too, when I was substituted, it wasn't the best time. I take it naturally and we talk about things. I like being close to the players. I don't make a big deal out of it," he said at a press conference.

"After the match I spoke to the players and they were all happy: for the victory and eager to continue improving. That's what we need, to be a team player and have a collective spirit . All the players understand the role we want for the team and they are contributing. I'm happy with Vinicius, we're just starting the season. He has to continue feeling comfortable. There's still a lot left."

Vinicius' Madrid future in question

Contract negotiations between Los Blancos and Vinicius have stalled since the end of last year, with the Brazilian pushing for wage parity with Kylian Mbappe and clarity over his role under Alonso. Despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Saudi Pro League clubs, Madrid are reluctant to let him run down his deal into its final year. While Alonso insists Vinicius remains central to his plans, uncertainty lingers as talks drag on, leaving both the player’s future and Madrid’s attacking balance under scrutiny.

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Getty Images SportMadrid needs undivided focus to win the league

Madrid are set to face Levante next in the league on September 23 and Alonso has emphasised that his team needs to maintain their focus to win the upcoming games. Alonso's men will then fly to Almaty to face Kairat Almaty in their next Champions League outing on September 30.

Tottenham "could be close" to signing £208k-a-week star as Eze blow softened

Tottenham are set to be very active in this final stretch of the window, and we can expect talks for attacking targets to intensify quickly after they were robbed of a deal for Eberechi Eze by north London rivals Arsenal.

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The Lilywhites thought they were closing in on Eze, then Arsenal moved, and everything changed.

Spurs were deep in talks with Crystal Palace, seemingly on the brink of agreeing a deal for their star number 10.

However, Arsenal reignited their long-standing interest almost immediately after losing Kai Havertz to injury – seizing the initiative and agreeing a deal worth £60 million upfront, plus £7.5 million in add-ons.

Despite Tottenham agreeing both personal terms and a deal in principle with Palace, the final decision rested with Eze, and he chose a move to the Emirates.

The 27-year-old grew up a Gunners fan, trained in their academy as a youth, and Mikel Arteta’s side needed fresh attacking flair amid Havertz’s fresh knee problem. Arsenal have been targeting Eze all summer, but Havertz inadvertently pushed them into action whilst breaking Spurs’ hearts in the process.

Now Spurs are left scrambling for different options to plug the creative voids left in their squad – made worse by Son Heung-min’s departure and James Maddison’s long-term ACL injury.

In just a few hours, the tag-team of Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta snatched the deal from under Daniel Levy’s nose. From nearly finalized by Tottenham to firmly Arsenal’s – this one will sting in N17 for some time.

Levy and Thomas Frank will be desperate to put the saga behind them whilst making a serious statement of intent, and they’ve been linked with a few intriguing attacking options in the aftermath of their botched Eze deal.

Tottenham are still trying to loosen Man City’s grip on Savinho, but another option is still there in the form of Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

Tottenham could be close to agreeing loan deal for Rodrygo

According to Defensa Central, the Brazilian is not in Xabi Alonso’s plans, and his pool of suitors is running thin.

As things stand, Spurs are the most realistic destination for him, and their eagerness to offload him has resulted in Bernabeu chiefs softening their stance when it comes to his £86 million price tag.

So much so, in fact, that Real are now prepared to green-light an initial loan for Rodrygo, something that is enticing Tottenham as Levy maintains an interest in the 24-year-old.

As per Defensa, this means that Tottenham “could be close” to reaching an agreement for Rodrygo, as they’re also ready to cover the player’s entire £208,000-per-week salary.

The only roadblock is apparently whether Levy will agree to include a buy-option/obligation, as Florentino Perez would ideally like his price tag paid in full, but could be forced to wait until 2026.

Rodrygo, for his part, has decided to leave Real in pursuit of more game time, and while not explicitly stated, the prospect of a Premier League move could well tempt him.

Called a “superstar” by Luka Modrić, Rodrygo bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions for Los Blancos last term.

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West Brom join race to sign Liverpool gem who Klopp called a "joy" to watch

West Brom are in a four-club battle to complete the signing of an “unbelievable” Premier League youngster before the end of the summer transfer window.

Mason delighted after West Brom win

The Baggies have made a perfect start to their 2025/26 Championship campaign, winning their opening two matches, including last Saturday’s 3-2 win away to Wrexham.

Ryan Mason has shone in his early months in charge, suggesting West Brom have a top manager to spearhead their promotion push, and he was delighted with what he saw against Wrexham.

“I thought we were excellent. We deserved to win the game and it’s been a hell of a long time since we won away from home in this league. It’s very nice to get that feeling inside the changing room. We came here with the right mindset and willingness to get a victory. We stood up as a team and as a squad.”

It’s now a case of West Brom potentially adding to their squad between now and the end of the current transfer window, and they have been linked with a move for an exciting player who could be an inspired signing.

West Brom battling to sign "unbelievable" Liverpool ace

The Athletic now report that West Brom are among the “suitors” for Liverpool midfielder James McConnell, with a loan move for the 20-year-old mooted. The Baggies are far from alone in showing an interest, however, with Oxford United, Hull City and Sturm Graz also in the race to snap him up over the next couple of weeks.

McConnell could be a fantastic loan addition for West Brom this summer, considering he has held his own in a Liverpool shirt when required, making 13 appearances and chipping in with one assist for the reigning Premier League champions.

The England Under-20 international has been hailed as an “unbelievable” player by former Reds coach Barry Lewtas, while Jurgen Klopp has lauded him, too, which speaks volumes about his ability.

“James in the six is just a joy to watch, the boy never played in that position before, we put him there and he throws his heart on the pitch.”

McConnell would add immediate quality in midfield areas for West Brom, and his versatility allows him to thrive in various roles, from a more disciplined berth in front of the midfield, to a player who can create in the attacking third, having scored 13 goals for Liverpool’s Under-21s and Under-18s combined, in a total of 78 appearances.

The youngster may struggle to have a long-term future at Anfield, given how hard it is for youth products to fully make the grade there, and a strong season on loan with the Baggies could hopefully lead to a permanent move becoming a possibility.

Nair, Malewar and bowlers lead Vidarbha to third Ranji Trophy title

Playing their first final, Kerala were left with several moments to look back on

Shashank Kishore02-Mar-2025

Vidarbha are the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy champions•PTI

Vidarbha put the ghosts of 2023-24 to bed in the most emphatic manner possible – snatching a thrilling battle for the first-innings lead in style – and then grinding Kerala down for nearly five sessions in the second innings to be crowned Ranji Trophy champions for the third time. It made it all the more special that they achieved this feat in front of nearly 3000 home fans who had trooped into the VCA Stadium in Nagpur on a Sunday afternoon, and saw Akshay Wadkar’s team lift the trophy.A heartbroken Kerala squad were left to rue what could’ve been. Would things have been different had Sachin Baby middled his slog sweep on 98 with a lead within touching distance? What if Akshay Chandran had taken second-innings centurion Karun Nair’s catch early on day four? What if DRS had not reprieved half-centurion Danish Malewar after Vidarbha had lost two early wickets?

There were several such moments Kerala could look back on. All told, they would be richer with the experience of playing in their first final. That their coach Amay Khurasiya walked all the way to the center and took a fistful of a crumbly top surface of the Jamtha deck for posterity told you how much it meant to him.The final day’s play began with some hope for Kerala. Even when Nair fell after having added just three runs to his overnight score of 132, it was a long shot for Kerala to try and gun down a score Vidarbha would set them. The dream, however far-fetched, was still alive when local boy Aditya Sarwate spun one past Nair. There was turn, variable bounce, and plenty of bite off the pitch, especially with a new cherry Kerala had.Then Harsh Dubey was out lbw playing across the line to a full delivery from Eden Apple Tom. Two wickets inside the first 45 minutes of play had Kerala excited. Maybe the Gods were conspiring to make this another thriller? How could a team that got here on the back of leads by one run and two runs fizzle away so easily? Maybe there was another twist.This feeling got even more stronger when Wadkar was bowled by one that scooted low. Sarwate, who had celebrated many special moments with Wadkar by his side in the Vidarbha dressing room, celebrated wildly now at having dismissed him. Sarwate had three wickets suddenly, and all of Kerala’s prayers behind him.This was when Akshay Karnewar, an ambidextrous spinner, who hadn’t had much of a role with his primary skills in the game, made an invaluable 30, which took plenty of time out from the game. As it veered towards lunch and beyond, Kerala’s hopes dimmed, and it was effectively shut out by Darshan Nalkande, who muscled a half-century at which point both teams decided they had had enough.At 2.20pm, with tea looming, the stumps were drawn on an exhilarating season as Vidarbha were officially crowned champions. Having got to the semi-final on the back of the joint-most wins – alongside Mumbai – by a team in a season, they finished it off in typically style. It was a stonewalling effort led by Nair, whose fourth hundred of the season – and ninth overall, across formats led the way. There was also a half-century from the industrious Malewar, their 21-year-old batting hope.They had more than made up for the first-innings lapse, when Nair was run-out after a mix-up with Malewar. That moment had the potential to be game-changing. For Vidarbha, it wasn’t. Because theirs was an effort beyond just Nair’s or Malewar’s.It was Yash Rathod’s too, as he finished the season with the most runs. Or Dubey’s, who took the Ranji record for most wickets in a season. Or Parth Rekhade, whose triple-wicket burst in the semi-final derailed Mumbai, or Dhruv Shorey, who, like Nair, gelled into a new setting with ease. Or Wadkar, a battle-hardened veteran who held the team together through last year’s defeat to finally stand atop the winner’s podium with the trophy in hand.

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