Ishan Kishan’s return to red-ball cricket continues to gather steam with his selection in the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup, which will be played in Lucknow from October 1 to 5.Kishan recently marked his first appearance in first-class cricket since July 2023 – a period notable for the loss of his BCCI central contract – with a century for India C in the Duleep Trophy.Kishan is one of two wicketkeepers in the squad, with Dhruv Jurel also picked subject to India not selecting him in the XI for their second Test against Bangladesh, which is set to be played in Kanpur from September 27 to October 1.Left-arm quick Yash Dayal and middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan, who are also part of the Test squad, have been picked in the RoI and Mumbai squads respectively, with the same caveat.Related

• Irani Cup moved from Mumbai to Lucknow

Mohammed Shami is a notable absentee from the RoI squad. Having not played any competitive cricket since last year’s 50-over World Cup, Shami was in contention to feature in at least one Duleep Trophy fixture to prove his match fitness. It seems now that his comeback is set to be delayed further, with him not part of the RoI squad.Shami himself is keen to give himself more time in rehab as he works his way back from an ankle surgery. The India fast bowler is keen to ease himself back up to the rigours of top-flight cricket in the Ranji Trophy beginning October 11. He has been named in Bengal’s list of probables for the season.The RoI squad features as many as four frontline openers – captain Gaikwad; Abhimanyu Easwaran, the second-highest run scorer in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy; Devdutt Padikkal; and B Sai Sudharsan.Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan have, however, recently embraced opportunities in the middle order. Padikkal batted at No. 4 on Test debut against England earlier this year in Dharamsala.Andhra’s Ricky Bhui and Baroda’s Shashwat Rawat have been rewarded for their Duleep Trophy form. Bhui top scored with 359 runs at an average of 71.80, with two hundreds and a half-century, while Rawat is coming off scores of 124 and 53 in his most recent outing for India A.RoI have picked a formidable pace attack that includes Prasidh Krishna, who recently made comeback from a quadriceps injury in the Duleep Trophy, alongside Mukesh Kumar and two left-arm quicks in Dayal and Khaleel Ahmed. Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain and Rahul Chahar are the spinners.Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane is set to lead a full-strength Mumbai squad that also features Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz. Rahane is coming off a steady diet of red-ball cricket for Leicestershire in the County Championship. There’s also comeback for India allrounder Shardul Thakur, who is fit again following foot surgery in June.Thakur, who picked up the injury during India’s tour of South Africa late last year, hasn’t played any professional cricket since IPL 2024. With a tour of Australia coming up, he will be hoping to bounce back into contention He last played for India in the first Test in Centurion in that South Africa series., before returning to perform for Mumbai during the Ranji knockouts.The match was originally to be held in Mumbai, but was moved out of the city due to the possibility of weather-related interruptions owing to the monsoons.

Squads for the Irani Cup

Rest of India: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vice-capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk)*, Ishan Kishan (wk), Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal*, Ricky Bhui, Shashwat Rawat, Khaleel Ahmed, Rahul Chahar.Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Prithvi Shaw, Ayush Mhatre, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan*, Shreyas Iyer, Siddhesh Lad, Suryansh Shedge, Hardik Tamore (wk), Sidhaant Addhatrao (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Himanshu Singh, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Mohammad Juned Khan, Royston Dias.*

Lancashire live to fight another day after challengers fall at penultimate hurdle

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2024Surrey’s third successive Vitality County Championship title was confirmed when Lancashire took just 32 minutes and 7.1 overs on the fourth morning to complete their 168-run victory over Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford.Resuming on 204 for 6, Somerset were dismissed for 224 with Luke Wells taking two of the wickets to finish with 4 for 36 and Anderson Phillip the other two to finish with 3 for 81.The result ends Somerset’s hopes of a breakthrough County Championship title, and is their second disappointment in the space of a week. On Saturday, their defence of their Vitality Blast title ended in defeat in the final against Gloucestershire, although they still have one last shot at silverware with the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final against Glamorgan looming at the weekend.”If you don’t believe you can win a game, there’s no point turning up,” Jason Kerr, Somerset’s head coach, said. “We thought there was a chance today but obviously it hasn’t turned out that way.””I take a huge amount from this season,” Kerr added. “Every county wants to be in a position in which you are competing to win trophies and there’s also been young players emerging. There’ll be a huge number of positives but it’s probably slightly early to be in a position where we can reflect on it all.”I think we’ve progressed massively since last year. We finished seventh last year and this year we’ve been more disjointed with our overseas signings and the continuity of the side’s been different as well but I think we’ve grown massively.”Somerset lost a wicket to the first ball of the day when Lewis Gregory was deceived by Wells’ googly and bowled for a golden duck.Next over, Lancashire enjoyed more success when Craig Overton was leg before wicket to Anderson Phillip for 4 and after pulling Wells for two fours, Brett Randell was bowled for 9 when trying to repeat the feat. The game ended and Surrey’s title was confirmed when James Rew was bowled off an inside edge by Phillip for 31Collectors of statistical oddities might wish to note that this is the first match in the history of the County Championship in which 21 wickets have fallen on the first day and the game has lasted until the fourth morning without weather interruption.Despite their win, Lancashire are still favourites to be relegated. Keaton Jennings’ side will be playing Division Two cricket next season regardless of the result of their game against Worcestershire if Nottinghamshire take ten points from their final match at home to Warwickshire, who would also need five points from that game.”It’s been a really good game of cricket,” Jennings said. “A good surface, two teams competing over the course of four days. It’s been good fun.”I’m really chuffed the lads have put in what I think is our best team performance over the course of this campaign. It’s really pleasing. It’s down to guys putting their hands up. Luke Wells getting 130 and putting in a performance that the team required to try and get us into a winning position and then taking poles this morning.”Guys chipped in with the new ball; Anderson, Bails, Will, Baldy. The bowlers had to take 20 wickets to win the game and they’ve done that. It’s been an entertaining three and a bit days, so it just shows you cricket at Old Trafford has been really good.”It’s awesome what the guys have produced over the last three days. I thought both sides were under par first innings, it wasn’t a 140 surface. I also didn’t think it was a 400 surface either which we got.”All in all, both sides competed and made errors to let each other back into the game. We could have disintegrated, but didn’t. We continued to fight like we have over the whole campaign. The guys have tried really hard, they just haven’t quite got it right like we did this game.”

وجه حسام حسن، المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر، وإبراهيم حسن مدير المنتخب، رسالة دعم وتحفيز إلى محمد صلاح قائد الفراعنة والمحترف ضمن صفوف ليفربول الإنجليزي قبل إعلان الفائز بالكرة الذهبية للعام الحالي 2025.

ويتواجد محمد صلاح، ضمن القائمة المرشحة لحصد الكرة الذهبية لأفضل لاعب في العالم لعام 2025، الذي يقام مساء اليوم الإثنين.

طالع | موعد والقنوات الناقلة لحفل الكرة الذهبية 2025 اليوم

ونشر حسام وإبراهيم حسن عبر الحساب الشخصي لهما على “إنستجرام: “قياساً بالصعوبات التي واجهها طوال مشواره فهو يستحقها”.

وأضاف: “قياساً بحجم التحديات التي تغلب عليها فهو يستحقها، قياساً بسنوات من التألق والتميز والإبداع في أقوي دوري في العالم فهو يستحقها”.

وتابع: “قد تصل للقمة ولكن كل الصعوبة تكمن في الاستمرار علي القمة، وقد وصل للقمة واستمر عليها لسنوات طويلة بفضل الله اولا ثم موهبته واجتهاده وإصراره حتى أصبح نموذجاً يحتذى به لكل الباحثين عن النجاح”.

وأكمل: “فهل آن الآوان أن تنصفه كرة القدم وينصفه من بيدهم اختيار الفائز ؟”.

وأتم: “دعواتنا ودعوات كل المصريين وكل الجمهور لـ محمد صلاح حول العالم بأن يكون هو الفائز بالكرة الذهبية لتكون خير تتويج لمسيرة لاعب عظيم قد لا يتكرر مرة أخرى في تاريخنا الكروي المصري والعربي والإفريقي بل والعالمي”.

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All the issues and implications surrounding a landmark county cricket deal

Matt Roller30-Sep-2024

Hampshire Sport & Leisure Holdings Ltd include the on-site hotel at the Utilita Bowl•PA Images/Getty

Have Delhi Capitals bought Hampshire?
Not quite. Delhi Capitals are an equal-share joint venture between the sports arms of two Indian conglomerates: JSW Group and GMR Group. GMR bought the Delhi franchise – initially named Delhi Daredevils – ahead of the inaugural IPL season in 2008, and sold a 50% stake to JSW in 2018. GMR are the only relevant party in the Hampshire deal.So who are GMR, and why have they invested in cricket?
The group describe themselves as “a leading infrastructure developer” who own and manage projects in a number of different areas. They own and run six airports, including Delhi and Hyderabad. GMR says its sports division has the “social objective” of “promoting and nurturing potential talent at the grassroot level” in Delhi while the IPL has proved a lucrative investment: having paid US$84 million for the Delhi franchise in 2008, they sold a 50% stake in 2018 for US$66m.Do GMR own any other teams?
Yes. GMR are the owners of Dubai Capitals in the UAE’s ILT20, India Capitals in the Legend League Cricket (LLC), and have a stake in Seattle Orcas (MLC). JSW, their IPL co-owners, run Pretoria Capitals in South Africa’s SA20, and the two companies also co-own Delhi Capitals Women in India’s WPL. GMR also own teams in the Indian sports kabaddi and kho-kho.And have they taken over at Hampshire?
Hampshire announced on Monday morning that GMR have acquired a majority stake – understood to be around 53% – in Hampshire Sport & Leisure Holdings Ltd, and will complete a full acquisition over the next two years. Rod Bransgrove (chair) and David Mann (chief executive) will retain their respective roles during that transition period.GMR have a 50% stake in Delhi Capitals in the IPL•BCCI

What does this mean for the Hundred?
The ECB started the process of selling stakes in the eight Hundred teams at the start of this month. The proposed model would see the ECB sell 49% stakes in each team to private investors, with 51% transferred to the host venue or county – in Southern Brave’s case, Hampshire.So will GMR become majority owners of Southern Brave by default?
No, not necessarily. The ECB’s sales process includes a mechanism which gives the ECB discretion over whether or not to transfer 51% stakes to hosts. They could opt to retain it if they feel that an investor is attempting to circumvent the wider sale process or buying a franchise via the back door. “The deal is not contingent on getting a Hundred franchise,” Bransgrove said.But in practice…?
The ECB have spoken to every IPL and WPL franchise about the prospect of investing in Hundred teams, and GMR appear highly likely to bid for the remaining 49% of Southern Brave as part of the sales process. If GMR’s bid is successful and is considered by the ECB to represent fair market value, Hampshire would then be transferred the other 51% and GMR would effectively become 100% owners of the Hundred franchise.What’s in it for Hampshire?
Most obviously, money. Hampshire said in their statement that the deal was “designed to strengthen the financial position” of their parent company, which also runs the on-site hotel and golf course at the Utilita Bowl. GMR will provide “a material injection of capital to reduce the leveraging” of the company – in other words, starting to pay off Hampshire’s £60 million debt.Bransgrove said GMR were chosen after a “thorough selection process” because of their “shared values and commitment to our vision”. The Utilita Bowl has been awarded its first men’s Ashes Test in 2027, and Bransgrove said investment was necessary to ensure Hampshire can stay “at the top table… in a leadership position”.What do the ECB make of it?
Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, welcomed GMR to English cricket in a statement. Gould said: “I am pleased to see their commitment to continuing to develop Hampshire’s cricket teams and pathways and enhance facilities at Utilita Bowl, and their respect for the traditions of the game in this country.” After recent criticism of the Hundred’s sale from Lalit Modi, Gould said that the deal “demonstrates the global interest” in investing in English cricket.Related

Kevin Pietersen helped to broker Hampshire's 'historic' GMR deal

Hampshire's previous franchise moves: A nebulous royal family

Lalit Modi pours scorn on 'overambitious' Hundred in leaked financial projections

GMR Group 'keen' on Southern Brave investment after securing Hampshire deal

Colin Graves: Private ownership at Yorkshire 'essential for club's future'

Didn’t Hampshire do something like this before?
Yes. Hampshire were previously part of a short-lived tie-in with Rajasthan Royals in 2010, which saw them spend four years playing as Hampshire Royals as one of five ‘Royals2020’ teams around the world. The deal was quietly shelved amid a dispute between Rajasthan’s owners and the IPL which briefly saw the franchise expelled from the league.How long has this been planned?
Hampshire said that the principal terms and conditions of their agreement with GMR were “formally agreed upon by the parties a year ago” and Bransgrove clarified that talks started “the best part of two years ago”. The reported in January that the two parties were in advanced talks and in February, Bransgrove and Mann were GMR’s hospitality guests at the ILT20. Discussions have continued through the year, with GMR representatives attending England’s T20I against Australia at the Utilita Bowl earlier this month, and the deal has now been announced publicly.What’s KP got to do with it?
Kevin Pietersen played an informal role in helping to broker the deal as a “common link” between Bransgrove and GMR’s Kiran Kumar Grandhi. Pietersen represented both Hampshire and Delhi Daredevils (as they were then known) during his playing career, and described Monday as a “historic day” for English cricket.Will Hampshire’s deal be the first of many in county cricket?
Maybe, although not imminently. Hampshire are one of only three counties – the others are Durham and Northamptonshire – who are private limited companies rather than member-run mutual ‘societies’, though Yorkshire’s chair Colin Graves is attempting to demutualise the club to open up the possibility of private funding.The majority of counties are heavily reliant on central ECB funding for income and may consider private investment an attractive alternative. “I’m absolutely certain that we will not be the last to go down this route,” Bransgrove said.

Tottenham Hotspur were gearing up to welcome Morgan Gibbs-White to Thomas Frank’s early-stage project, with Daniel Levy having overseen a £60m approach for the Nottingham Forest playmaker.

But he has since penned a new deal at the City Ground, with the Tricky Trees claiming Spurs made an illegal approach for the Three Lions star.

He’s now sign a new deal at the City Ground. It’s a bitter pill to swallow after transfer guru Fabrizio Romano had placed his catchline, ‘Here we go”, on the move, signifying a done deal.

However, Spurs must now move forward, and Frank is assessing his options, with sights still set on a new midfield playmaker.

Spurs lining up Gibbs-White alternative

Gibbs-White would have been perfect for the Tottenham project. The succession of recent pre-season draws have illustrated the need for more spark in the midfield, and it’s something Frank is now placing emphasis on, having already signed Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United for a £55m fee.

Romano has confirmed that, while the Gibbs-White deal is dead, the Lilywhites have already started working on alternatives, saying: “They’re working on it [alternative targets for Gibbs-White. As soon as I know, I will tell you.”

Well, according to reporter Graeme Bailey, internal discussions have begun over the potential signing of Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, who is expected to leave Anfield this summer due to a lack of playing time under Arne Slot.

Elliott, 22, would likely be open to the move, Champions League competitors as Tottenham are, and he would come in at a cheaper price than Gibbs-White, valued at £50m.

Why Spurs should sign Harvey Elliott

Having joined Liverpool from Fulham for a compensation fee of about £4m in 2019, aged only 16, Elliott has since established himself as a fixed part of the wider Reds squad, featuring 147 times and notching 35 goal contributions.

Former Liverpool U18s head coach Neil Critchley said in the past that the England U21 superstar is able to produce “some real bits of magic” on the ball, and his ability to shift between the right flank and attacking midfield even suggests that he could bring shades of Dejan Kulusevski to Frank’s first-team squad.

Kulusevski, 25, played a crucial part in the Ange Postecoglou era, really coming into his own as an all-action central midfielder last season, having previously played out on the right.

He’s injured right now, but there’s no disputing how important he is to this Tottenham team, with Sofascore recording that he scored seven goals and supplied four assists in the Premier League last year, having also averaged 2.1 key passes and 4.1 successful duels per game.

Elliott lacks the Sweden international’s completeness, but he’s a veritable wizard across his areas of expertise, and would certainly add a ball-playing dimension that was targeted through the acquisition of Gibbs-White.

24/25

28

5

3

23/24

53

4

14

22/23

46

5

2

21/22

11

1

0

*20/21

1

0

1

19/20

8

0

1

The left-footer’s ability to score goals and create chances aplenty offers shades of Kulusevski, though the Tottenham man has more of a full-throttle engine about him, Elliott’s technical skill is up there with the very best.

As per FBref, the Liverpool man ranked last season among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for all of goals plus assists, passes attempted and progressive passes, as well as the top 15% for goal-creating actions per 90.

Considering the dimension it would add to Tottenham, Frank must take these internal discussions and push ahead with a formal approach for Liverpool’s talented prospect.

Not only would he be a dream Gibbs-White alternative, but he’d bring a sense of Kulusevski’s flair to the side.

Bad news for Bissouma: Spurs start talks to sign a £30m "monster"

Tottenham are hoping to sign a new centre-midfielder this summer.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 27, 2025

Tottenham are “now” actively looking at signing an intriguing alternative to West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus, with talks for the Hammers star far from straightforward.

£60m Tottenham man now up for sale, champions preparing bid, Saudi in contact

Spurs are actively looking for buyers.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 5, 2025

Earlier this week, multiple reports began emerging that Spurs had entered talks for Kudus, with chairman Daniel Levy even reaching out to his east London counterpart, David Sullivan, for discussions over the 24-year-old (GiveMeSport).

These talks have been backed up by trusted transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano as well, who reported that a “positive” approach was made as negotiations get underway between all parties involved on the player and club side.

A very reliable Lilywhites source, insider Paul O’Keefe, even states that Tottenham have already seen an initial £50 million offer rejected for Kudus – which happened midway through June.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025	Average match rating
Son Heung-min	7.00
James Maddison	6.98
Pedro Porro	6.95
Dominic Solanke	6.84
Dejan Kulusevski	6.83
via WhoScored

West Ham will reportedly sell for around £60 million (The Guardian), and if Spurs manage to get anywhere in pursuit of the former Ajax star, it would be the first transfer between both clubs since Scott Parker’s switch to north London in 2011.

With just under two months to go before the end of the summer window, Levy and co will not want to haggle for too long, with journalist Pete O’Rourke sharing news on a potentially viable alternative.

Tottenham actively looking at signing OGC Nice forward Evann Guessand

Speaking to Football Insider, O’Rourke claims that man is OGC Nice forward Evann Guessand, who’s fresh off the back of a 13-goal season in all competitions.

Tottenham have been tentatively linked with a move for Guessand this window, but O’Rourke tells Football Insider that Thomas Frank’s side are actively pursuing the versatile Ivory Coast international – who predominantly featured on the right-hand side in Kudus’ position last term.

As well as on both flanks, the 24-year-old can operate as a second striker and even as a centre-forward when required. Tottenham would also need a maximum of just £25 million to strike a deal for Guessand, making this an attractive option for Levy, and O’Rourke says he’d be the ideal signing for Frank’s system as well.

“A lot of Premier League clubs are looking at Guessand,” said O’Rourke.

“He had a very good season for Nice last season, he got 12 goals and seven assists in 33 Ligue 1 games, so he has a good record. He’s got the physical profile that you think would be a success in English football, and can play anywhere across the front line as well.

“There’s been interest from Brighton, West Ham, Wolves and now Tottenham also have an active interest in Guessand.

“Nice are bracing themselves for interest in this upcoming transfer window. For Tottenham, he would be a good signing, he would fit into how Thomas Frank plays.

“The way Guessand can play anywhere across the front line would make him a valuable addition. Nice will be hoping they can keep hold of him after qualifying for the Champions League themselves.

“They’re looking for a big fee, around £20-25million for a player who still has three years left on his contract.

“It’s not an easy deal to do, but it’s no surprise that a lot of Premier League clubs are looking at him.”

Newcastle United could well be set to lose Alexander Isak this summer after the striker appears to be exploring other options.

The Swedish centre-forward has been with the Magpies since the summer of 2022, going on to score 62 goals in just 109 matches for the club. This works out as a goal every 1.7 matches, and if he does leave, Eddie Howe will have a massive void to fill.

In the past, the Toon have enjoyed the services of several top class forwards. Going as far back to the days of Hughie Gallacher, who scored over 100 goals and helped Newcastle win the First Division in the 1920s, to Jackie Milburn, who won three FA Cups as a player and was the club’s highest ever scorer – until a certain Alan Shearer rocked up at St James’ Park.

Before Shearer, however, the likes of Malcolm Macdonald and Andy Cole flexed their goalscoring prowess for the club during the 1970s and 1990s, but it was the former Southampton and Blackburn hitman who would eclipse everything his predecessors achieved.

Alan Shearer’s Newcastle heroics

By the time Shearer made the move from Blackburn to Newcastle in the summer of 1996 for a world record fee of £15m, he was already established as arguably the finest centre-forward in the Premier League.

He led Blackburn to the 1994/95 top-flight title and ended his spell with the club having scored 130 goals during his stint at Ewood Park.

Throughout the next decade, the Englishman would shatter records at the Magpies and come close to glory on several occasions. The Toon reached the FA Cup final in both 1998 and 1999, yet lost both to Arsenal and Manchester United.

A move to United in 1996 might have seen Shearer enhance his medal collection, but nothing was going to stop him from moving to his hometown team.

Shearer could do it all. Not only potent in the penalty box, the striker loved scoring incredible goals. Who can forget his stunning volley against Everton in 2002, or his excellent free-kick against Wimbledon in his first ever match for the Magpies.

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2005/06

41

14

4

2004/05

42

19

4

2003/04

52

28

6

2002/03

48

25

6

2001/02

46

27

6

2000/01

23

7

2

1999/00

50

30

13

1998/99

40

21

7

1997/98

23

7

1

1996/97

40

28

9

All of this added up to the 63-cap centre-forward eventually breaking Milburn’s all-time scoring record during a game against Portsmouth towards the tail end of the 205/06 season.

Racing onto a flick from Shola Ameobi, Shearer powered home a trademark finish in front of the Gallowgate End to score goal number 201 for the club.

Despite having players such as Isak, Andy Carroll, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Obafemi Martins lead the line at one stage or another since Shearer retired, none have come close to matching the legendary striker and his achievements.

Perhaps if Isak remains for the next few years, he could have a chance at breaking the goal record, but it looks as though he won’t be staying at St James’ Park for long.

As such, Howe must be looking at alternatives to bolster his attacking department. Could he target a move for someone who has shades of Shearer?

Newcastle’s search for a striker

Howe has been working hard to bring in another striker this summer. Players such as Yoane Wissa, Julian Alvarez and Mike Biereth have all been targeted in recent weeks.

All three would certainly make an impact at Newcastle, no doubt about it, but it is their pursuit of another striker that could take the club to the next level.

Journalist Graeme Bailey shared an update on X regarding Howe eyeing a move for Benjamin Sesko, saying that the Magpies “have engaged in talks” with the striker “to try and convince him to move to St James’ Park.”

Bailey added that “Newcastle would be prepared to break their transfer record to land him.”

According to The Times, it could take a fee of around £70m in order to land Sesko this summer, which would see Newcastle break their club-record transfer fee, eclipsing the £63m spent on Isak.

If they manage to sign the RB Leipzig frontman, it would signify a major statement of intent by Newcastle ahead of next season.

Sesko has plenty of traits similar to Shearer, meaning he could be the ideal player to lead the club’s charge in both the Premier League and Champions League.

Why Newcastle must sign Benjamin Sesko

The 22-year-old has an excellent goalscoring record for someone so young. Indeed, across 210 senior matches, the Slovenian has found the back of the net 90 times.

Sesko has scored 39 of those at Leipzig, with several being stunners. Against Bayern Munich last season, he netted a sublime strike with the outside of his foot from around 25 yards out to open the scoring.

He loves powerful efforts from outside the penalty area, just like Shearer in his pomp, with the former England skipper renowned for his ability to fire home from all angles and any distance – and with venom at that.

Much like Shearer was the main man at St James’ Park, Sesko has become a focal point of Leipzig’s attack since joining them in the summer of 2023. He is a “monster” of a striker, in the words of by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Shearer himself likes what he sees, having also noted comparisons between the Leipzig man and a certain Erling Haaland:

“He has the same frame. He is as quick as he is. He can certainly travel with the ball like he can. “He is very good at scoring goals. He is very good at bringing people into the game, so I get the comparison.

“I like him a lot. I know he is very young – he is only 21 years of age so he’s got a lot of learning to do – but without doubt there is a top-class footballer in there.”

Hailed as “phenomenal” by scout Antonio Mango, Sesko shone for his club last season. He finished the campaign with 13 league goals and a goal conversion percentage of 19% in the Bundesliga.

Furthermore, the player also created five big chances and recorded five assists, while succeeding with 55% of his dribble attempts.

It was yet another excellent season for the young striker and it is evident he is going from strength to strength.

Leipzig missed out on Champions League qualification, meaning Sesko will surely be seeking a move to a club where he can showcase his talents on the biggest stage in club football.

Newcastle would certainly provide the stage for the Slovenian, that’s for sure. If Isak does leave, Sesko would have some pretty big boots to fill.

Given his displays on the continent over the previous few years, the youngster wouldn’t be fazed at this prospect.

In the process, he could turn out to be one of the club’s finest strikers since Shearer. No pressure, eh?

PIF set sights on signing 13-goal star for Newcastle after Isak bombshell

The Magpies have instantly turned towards potential replacements.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 25, 2025

The Three Lions bored fans into leaving early against Andorra last time out while La Roja look like world-beaters once more after destroying Turkey

'A devastating symphony', said 'Spain ran Turkey over', crowed 'It's not possible to play football better than this,' was 's reaction; said it was 'Like watching a video game'. 

Contrast the justifiably gushing praise of the European Championship winners' latest performance with that of the team they beat in the final in Berlin little more than a year ago. 'Joyless' was ' verdict from England's drab win over Andorra; 'Turgid' was the description from the described the 2-0 victory as a 'trudge'; 'Dire' was the assessment in .

The difference in opponents was also stark. While not exactly world beaters, Turkey are ranked 27th in the world and reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. Andorra are ranked 174th in the world and have only won seven competitive matches in their history. Spain, it should be added, were playing in a hostile atmosphere on the road in Konya while England were at home, albeit not at Wembley but rather Villa Park.

Spain's exhibition on Sunday has solidified their status as favourites to win the 2026 World Cup, and while England are still third on that list, there is a chasm between the Three Lions and Luis de la Fuente's free-scoring side, as well as the other teams to beat such as France, Argentina and Portugal. That does not reflect well on Thomas Tuchel, who has been brought in on a short-term contract and at great expense with one mission only: to lead England to glory next July at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

To be fair to Tuchel, his team have not had to raise their game in any of their four World Cup qualifiers thus far and he has still managed a 100 percent record in competitive games. But now comes the first true test of his mettle, an intimidating game against Serbia in Belgrade, and his side better rise to the challenge.

AFPKnowing the squad inside out

The different trajectories Spain and England have taken since the Euros final call into question the Football Association's (FA) decision to appoint a hired gun from the outside such as Tuchel rather than a culture builder who knows the national game inside out, as La Roja have done with Luis de La Fuente. 

The Spain coach's background is strikingly similar to those of both Tuchel's predecessor Gareth Southgate and interim boss Lee Carsley. De La Fuente has been working for the Spanish football federation since 2013, coaching the Under-19s, Under-21s and the Olympic team before taking the senior reins from Luis Enrique – initially to much criticism – after Spain had bombed out of the 2022 World Cup to Morocco in the last 16. 

De La Fuente won the U19 European Championship in 2015 with a team containing current players Unai Simon, Rodri, and the hat-trick hero from the Turkey win, Mikel Merino, as well as Marco Asensio and Dani Ceballos. Four years later, he did the same with the U21s, with some overlap from his U19s team but also fresh faces who are now key players in his senior squad such as Dani Olmo, Fabian Ruiz and Mikel Oyarzabal (the scorer of the winner in the Euro 2024 final). 

At the Olympics in Tokyo, Spain reached the final before losing to Brazil, and De la Fuente got to work with Marc Cucurella, Martin Zubimendi and Pedri, who all played their part in the drubbing of Turkey. And since leaving the youth set-up and becoming coach of the senior side, De La Fuente has continued to hand huge responsibility to young players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Dean Huijsen, and has been rewarded for it, winning the 2023 Nations League before securing the Euros title.

AdvertisementGettyPlaying to win

De La Fuente not only knows the players inside out, he is also extremely clear on the style of football Spain should be playing. That comes with 12 years working at the federation's headquarters, while Spain's style is so defined that he barely has to enforce it.

He is mostly loyal to the positional play that was perfected by Vicente del Bosque's side that contained Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta. The performance against Turkey, in particular the sublime second goal scored by Merino, was very reminiscent of the great Spain side that dominated world football between 2008 and 2012.

And yet De la Fuente is not as dogmatic as previous coaches and is ready to adapt to circumstances. As he explained during Euro 2024: "My idea is to play games to win them, independently of how we play. There are times when you have to take the initiative and others when you have to know how to play with other resources."

De La Fuente also differs from Del Bosque and Luis Aragones in choosing from a much larger pool than that iconic team, which was mostly comprised of players from Barcelona and Real Madrid. Eleven clubs were represented by the starting XI and substitutes on Sunday, from the usual suspects Barca and Madrid to Tottenham and Rayo Vallecano.

AFPStrange call-ups

Tuchel has taken a different approach, leaning more towards experienced players than the next generation. Yes, Myles Lewis-Skelley was a bold call-up earlier this year and Elliot Anderson made his debut against Andorra, but there have also been some strange inclusions such as Jordan Henderson, Marcus Rashford and, above all, the return of Ruben Loftus-Cheek. In other words, players whose best days are firmly in the past.

The fact that Tuchel may only be around until the World Cup easily explains this short-term view, but it is counter-productive to England's long-term health as a footballing nation. His appointment effectively tore up everything that the FA looked to have been building towards under Southgate.

Southgate had reached the end of the road for England after eight years in charge and he as much as anyone else wanted a break. But turning to Tuchel instead of Carsley sent out a message that all that matters is short-term glory, above all winning the World Cup. Going all the way in the United States, Mexico and Canada is of course what every fan wants as well. Children dream of lifting the World Cup, not of streamlined strategies at St George's Park.

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Getty Images SportStruggling to click

However, the fact that England are struggling to click under Tuchel, nine months into his reign and in the middle of his third camp, is concerning. There is no sign of a clear style of play and it was telling that after the Andorra game he told journalists how important long balls and long throw-ins would be to his team at the World Cup.

The coach is also not delivering on many of the promises he has made since he got the job. Before his opening game against Albania, Tuchel criticised England's performances for most of their run to the Euro 2024 final, lamenting the lack of identity.

"Not last summer, no [they didn't have a clear playing style]. The identity, the clarity, the rhythm, the repetition of patterns, the freedom of players, the expression of players, the hunger [was missing]," he explained to . "They were more afraid to drop out of the tournament in my observation than having the excitement and hunger to win it. What has been missing is the people feel that that is the team to beat. That we arrive with a group to beat. That we know already when we arrive, once we qualify and arrive that everyone knows this is the team to beat."

تحدث سيد عبد الحفيظ، نجم الأهلي السابق، عن أوضاع الأحمر في الموسم الجاري، وحاجة الفريق لمدرب جديد.

وقال عبد الحفيظ عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر 2”: “الأهلي يحتاج إلى أجواء مناسبة، فمن المفترض أن تكون مبسوطًا وأنت ذاهب إلى عملك وتدريبك ومعسكرك”.

وتابع: “فالموضوع ليس مجرد لاعبين ومدرب، بل منظومة كاملة تبدأ من عامل غرفة الملابس الذي يرتب ملابسك، مرورًا بالجهاز الإداري المتفاني في عمله، والجهاز الطبي كذلك، والجلسات بين اللاعبين يجب أن يسودها الإيجابية والتركيز”.

وأكمل: “عبقرية القيادة ليست في الوجه الجامد، وإنما في كيفية التعامل مع من حولك لكل شخص طريقته، والقيادة الحقيقية تكمن في إدارة المجموعة التي معك”.

طالع.. خاص | حكم مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في الدوري المصري

واستكمل: “عندما تحتاج إلى المزاح تمزح، وعندما يحين وقت إظهار القوة تكون قويًا، هناك أمور تحتاج إلى حكمة، وأمور أخرى يجب أن تكون فيها حاسمًا وصارمًا جدًا في اتخاذ القرار لمنع وقوع الكوارث”.

وأضاف بخصوص المدرب الجديد: “المدرب عنصران، الكفاءة والشخصية، وإذا تمتع بهما فلا يهم كثيرًا مدرسته التدريبية أو سيرته الذاتية، لأن الفوز بمباراتين أو ثلاث كفيل بأن يرفع مكانته لدى الجماهير”.

واستمر: “الأهلي بحاجة إلى مدرب كفء، صاحب شخصية قوية، يفرض أسلوبه وطريقته على اللاعبين، وإذا توافرت هذه الصفات يكون الأمر إيجابيًا كما يجب أن يمتلك شغفًا، لأنه قد تأتي بمدرب كبير الاسم لكنه بلا شغف”.

أما عن مباراة القمة: “مباريات الديربي ليس لها مقاييس، لكنها تُحسب جيدًا، هذه النسخة حتى الآن باهتة فنيًا؛ الأهلي على غير المتوقع، والزمالك يعيش أجواءً خاصة لكنه يخسر نقاطًا أمام فرق أقل”.

وتابع: “أرى أن الفريق الذي سيقف بشكل صحيح سيكون الأقرب للفوز، والأهلي يحتاج إلى تنظيم دفاعي جيد، وأن تكون عملية الترحيل بين الخطوط نموذجية”.

وأشار: “حالة اللاعبين أكثر ما تقلقني، أنا دائمًا رهاني على الروح فمنذ كنا صغارًا نسمع عن روح الفانلة الحمراء، كأن اللاعب يقف على باب بيته ويدافع عن أهله، هذه الروح يجب أن تكون حاضرة، والزمالك يمتلك لاعبين أصحاب مهارات فردية مثل خوان ألفينا”.

وأردف: “حسين الشحات في مباريات القمة يكون عنصرًا مهمًا، ومحمد شريف محظوظ في هذه المباريات، بينما ديانج بحاجة إلى استعادة تركيزه أكثر”.

وأضاف: “بالنسبة لعودة أحمد عبد القادر، فهو لاعب على مستوى عالٍ، ومن الوارد جدًا أن يجدد الأهلي عقده معه، لكن في النهاية كل لاعب يختار ما يراه مناسبًا، والأهم أن يتوفر البديل في حال رحيله، فبمجرد وجود البديل، ينسى الجمهور من رحل”.

وأتم: “يجب أن تكون هناك دائمًا بدائل جاهزة تحسبًا لرحيل أي لاعب أو مدرب، بشرط أن يكونوا على مستوى يليق بالنادي الأهلي”.

Manchester United have now opened talks to swap Alejandro Garnacho for “one of the best strikers in Europe”, according to journalist Miguel Delaney.

Garnacho almost certain to leave Man Utd

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has recently revealed that Garnacho is almost certain to seal a move away from Old Trafford this summer, and there is a chance he could move to one of Man United’s Premier League rivals.

Romano said: “Don’t forget about the situation of Alejandro Garnacho, who remains a player appreciated by Chelsea. He remains a case to watch in this summer transfer window because Garnacho will leave Man Utd for sure. Chelsea are following the situation closely.”

It is no surprise that Ruben Amorim seemingly has no qualms about sanctioning a departure, given that the Argentinian hasn’t exactly endeared himself to fans as of late, with Mark Goldbridge left fuming after the United ace was pictured in an Aston Villa shirt.

Villa have also been named as potential suitors for the forward, who is enticed by the prospect of working under Unai Emery, but there has now been a suggestion that Amorim’s side could get him off the books in a different way.

In a report for The Independent, Delaney has now revealed that Man United have spoken to Villa about swapping Garnacho for Ollie Watkins, with INEOS trying to orchestrate slightly more unorthodox deals, in an effort to get around PSR issues.

Watkins is now attracting strong interest from the Red Devils, given that the striker is a proven Premier League goalscorer, and there is a belief they could get a deal done for around £40m – £45m.

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RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko is also on the shortlist, but a deal for the Slovenian may be more expensive, with a £78m fee being touted.

Watkins among the "best strikers in Europe"

Emery is likely to have little desire to lose the England international this summer, having lauded him as “one of the best strikers in Europe” in the past – a description which is certainly backed up by his performances for Villa over the past few years.

The 29-year-old has scored a minimum of 15 Premier League goals in his last three seasons, and having a reliable goalscorer in the squad would be a real boost for Amorim, given that the manager has been unable to depend on Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.

The only concern over the signing of Watkins is likely to be his age, given that the Englishman is seven years Sesko’s senior, so United have a big decision to make before the season starts.

Regardless of whether Garnacho is included in a swap deal, it is important United get the 21-year-old off the books this summer, with his Villa shirt stunt showing he has little interest in remaining at Old Trafford.