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Celtic still have plenty of time left to dip into the market to improve their squad for the 2024/26 campaign before the summer transfer window closes at the start of next month.

Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to add more quality to his options across the park in the coming weeks, particularly in the attacking areas of the pitch.

Speaking earlier this month, the Northern Irish head coach said: “The squad will hopefully look again different come the end of the window.

“I think it’s very clear. We need to improve in the front end of the pitch. The attacking department has always, and always will be, the strengths of my teams. We’ve lost important players in that area, and we need to replace players in that area.”

As you can see in the post above, Rodgers confirmed back in May that Portuguese winger Jota is set to be out of action for up to nine months with a knee injury.

This means that Celtic supporters may not see the former Benfica starlet out on the pitch in green and white again until January or February of next year.

Why Celtic need to replace Jota

The Scottish Premiership champions need to sign another left-sided attacker before the window slams shut to ‘replace’ Jota, because he could be out for more than half of the season.

Celtic’s rather drab 1-0 win over St Mirren, decided by a deflected strike from Luke McCowan, highlighted the need for attacking reinforcements to come through the door in the weeks to come.

Rodgers would surely have loved to have had Jota available to bring off the bench, or start, to add some attacking quality in the final third, after the winger delivered four goals and two assists in seven league starts in the second half of last season.

24/25 Premiership

Jota (per 90)

Percentile rank vs wingers

Goals

0.63

Top 6%

xG

0.48

Top 8%

Assists

0.32

Top 17%

xA

0.37

Top 8%

Chances created

1.89

Top 25%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Jota hit the ground running in the Premiership after his return to Glasgow from Rennes in January, ranking highly among his positional peers as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the left flank.

The Portuguese star is a winger who has the ability to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis, which is why his injury came as such a big blow for the Hoops and Rodgers, and why he has to be replaced.

Daizen Maeda is currently the only fit and available senior left winger in the first-team squad, and James Forrest, 34, was the only winger of any description on the bench at all against St Mirren.

This is why the Hoops must dip into the market to sign a player who can fill the gap left by Jota’s injury, to ensure that Rodgers is not left without adequate resources out wide until next year.

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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TEAMtalk recently reported that Brondby winger Clement Bischoff has emerged as a key target for Celtic, as they plan to bring in two more wingers before the end of the window.

The outlet claimed that the Danish youngster is available for a fee of around £6.3m, but that they could also face competition from Sunderland and Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Why Celtic should sign Clement Bischoff

Celtic should push to win the race for the 19-year-old talent’s signature this summer because they could finally replace the injured Jota by bringing him to Parkhead.

Bischoff could be the perfect signing to fill the specific need of this signing. He is a young player who may not expect to start every single game straight away, at the age of 19, which means that Jota’s return from injury may not cause problems in the squad.

Whereas, having Jota, Maeda, and another senior left-sided attacker who wants to start every week could cause problems and leave Rodgers in a difficult situation.

This means that Bischoff could fit the bill perfectly by coming in to play important minutes in the first half of the season, before moving to more of a back-up role when the Portuguese forward is back, learning from him to aid his own development.

The teenage whiz, who was described as a “flamboyant” and “technical dribbler” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has also shown enough quality in his time with Brondby to suggest that he can provide quality to Celtic straight away.

Extraordinarily, Bischoff has already created 24 chances and five ‘big chances’ in six games in all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign for the Danish side, playing on the left of a front three.

24/25 Superliga

Clement Bischoff

Appearances

29

Goals

2

Big chances created

9

Key passes per game

1.5

Assists

3

Dribbles completed per game

1.6

Dribble success rate

52%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the teenager only managed two goals and three assists at league level for Brondby last season, but all of his starts came as a left wing-back.

The Danish side have utilised him as a winger, instead of as a wing-back, at the start of this season and he has already produced one goal and one assist in three Superliga games.

This shows that he can provide more quality offensively when used on the wing, but it also shows that he is a versatile player who could be used in other positions down the left by Rodgers when needed.

Therefore, Bischoff could be a brilliant addition to the Celtic squad as a quality and versatile young player who could make an instant impact, whilst also having the potential to complement Jota when he is back fit and available.

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Posts 1 ByDan Emery Aug 7, 2025

Will he, won’t he? That is the question dominating those of a Liverpool persuasion, with it likely to prove an anxious few weeks amid the wait to see if Alexander Isak will make the jump to Anfield this summer.

Rival supporters are raising their eyebrows at such interest in the Newcastle United man, not least considering the £256m that has been spent so far, albeit with prior claims indicating that Arne Slot’s side could fork out for him and still be in the clear, considering how well the club has been run.

Having waited patiently amid a muted 2024 summer window, the Reds have sprung into action this time around, lasering in on Isak to solve their centre-forward woes, with the hapless Darwin Nunez seemingly heading for the exit.

The Uruguayan scored just seven times in all competitions last season, having been given the cold shoulder by Slot, while stand-in false nine Luiz Diaz has since secured his own departure, after joining Bayern Munich on a £65.5m deal.

That latter move has also heightened the need for competition for Cody Gakpo on the left flank, with recent reports indicating that the Merseysiders may well be looking toward a Premier League solution to bolster their attacking ranks.

Liverpool enter race for another Premier League addition

Isak remains priority number one right now, with reports suggesting that Liverpool are ready to lodge a bid of around £130m, following the bombshell news last week that the Swede had informed Newcastle of his desire to leave.

Despite rival interest from Saudi Arabia, the 25-year-old appears to have his heart set on making the move to Anfield, with the Magpies said to be lining up RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko as his replacement.

Away from solely focusing in on Isak, however, Caught Offside have suggested that the Premier League champions have also entered the race for Crystal Palace playmaker, Eberechi Eze.

Transfer Focus

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

As per the report, while it is Arsenal who lead the race for the England international, they are facing ‘stiff competition’ from the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and now Liverpool, with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur also in the mix.

The 27-year-old is being lined up as a potential replacement for the outgoing Diaz, according to the piece, with the player’s £68m release clause likely to be an attractive prospect for any interested suitor.

Why Eze could be another Isak level signing

The beauty of signing a player like Isak is the fact that he has already proven himself in the Premier League, having scored 54 goals in just 86 appearances in the competition, following his arrival in the summer of 2022.

In that same time frame, Nunez – for example – has played 95 times in England’s top-flight, albeit while netting just 25 times, highlighting the significant upgrade that the Newcastle man would represent.

A terror for Premier League defences, Isak has already been described by Virgil van Dijk as “definitely the most in-form striker at the moment in world football”, with that glowing praise coming prior to the striker’s clincher in the Carabao Cup final triumph in March.

Such Wembley heroics are also familiar to that man Eze, with the former Queens Park Rangers starlet having scored the only goal as Palace saw off Manchester City in the FA Cup final just a few months later.

That crucial strike marked the versatile forward’s 14th goal of the campaign in all competitions, having also chipped in with a further 11 assists amid his role in a left-sided number ten berth.

Arsenal

7

1

0

Chelsea

9

1

1

Liverpool

7

1

1

Manchester City

9

2

1

Manchester United

11

0

0

Spurs

7

3

1

Total

50

8

4

Like Isak, the fleet-footed “magician” – as hailed by The Telegraph’s Sam Dean – has seemingly reached talismanic status at his current side, with now the perfect time for him to take that next step to a club operating at the summit of the European and English game.

Like Isak too, Eze has also showcased what he can do at Premier League level on a consistent basis, having registered 57 goals and assists in 146 games in the competition to date, 16 of which came in 2024/25.

Of course, there is undoubted excitement over deals for the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, although quite how that trio will fare in English football remains to be seen.

In Eze – the man who scored at Anfield in Palace’s 1-0 win back in April 2024 – there would be no such need for concern or questioning. This is a player who can immediately make an impression on Slot’s starting lineup.

With Isak leading the line, and the Englishman operating off the left flank, the Merseysiders could have a new deadly combination to unleash next season.

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2 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 30, 2025

Fast bowler set to depart Trent Bridge having played a role in six title-winning campaigns

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2024

Luke Fletcher was a stalwart at Notts for 17 seasons•Getty Images

Luke Fletcher, Nottinghamshire’s veteran seam bowler, is to leave the club at the end of the 2024 season after a 17-year career at Trent Bridge.Fletcher, who turns 36 on Wednesday, has taken 442 first-class wickets since making his Nottinghamshire debut in 2008, as well as 93 List A, and 108 T20 wickets. After working his way through the age-group system at Trent Bridge, he was released back to club cricket at Papplewick and Linby – and even worked on the gates at the club – before earning a consistent starting spot in 2009.He became a cult hero at Trent Bridge for his wholehearted approach to the game, and played a role in six title-winning campaigns, including their County Championship triumph in 2010 and two T20 Blast titles in 2017 and 2020.”For a local lad to represent this club is an honour, and I never could have expected the career I’ve had,” Fletcher said. “My overwhelming feeling now is how grateful I am for all the years I’ve spent with Notts and the memories I have made along the way.”A place is only as good as the people within it, and I’ve had the pleasure of sharing a dressing room with so many great people, and creating relationships that I will cherish forever.”But it’s also everyone around the club – from the ticket office to the chefs, community teams, ground staff, dressing room attendants and so many more. I’ve been here for such a long time and it has all meant a great deal to me.”Whilst I am sad that my time at the club is done, I couldn’t be happier with everything I have achieved. Trent Bridge feels like home, it always has done, and it always will do.”Fletcher’s finest year at the club came in 2021, when he was named PCA County Championship Player of the Year after taking 66 wickets at an average of 14.9. That came four years after a career-threatening injury in 2017, when he was struck on the head by a Sam Hain drive in a T20 clash against Birmingham Bears – an incident from which he made a full recovery.He is one of only five men to have taken 100 T20 wickets for Nottinghamshire, while his eight fifties for the club include two career-best scores of 92.”Luke is a hugely popular character, and with good reason,” Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, said. “He has given his heart and soul to this club, forged so many friendships and played with a smile on his face.”It says a great deal that Stuart Broad – who played with some of the greatest players of his generation – deems Fletch one of ‘the best team-mates you could ever have’.”It means so much to him to have represented his home county for nearly two decades, and that loyalty has been reciprocated by members and supporters who show him great affection.”His stats and success deserve mention too – he has worked tremendously hard at his craft to be the best he can be, and that has paid dividends.”We wish him all the best wherever he goes, and whatever he does – he will always get a warm welcome and special reception at Trent Bridge.”

For much of the last few months, the conversation around transfers and Arsenal has focused on their need for a new number nine.

It’s not hard to understand why that is, as by the end of last season, Mikel Arteta’s side had scored 17 fewer goals than Liverpool and three fewer than Manchester City, despite finishing second in the Premier League.

However, while the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres and Ollie Watkins would all surely help the North Londoners score more goals, it would also make sense for them to bolster their winger and midfield options.

Fortunately, that appears to be what they are planning to do, as reports have now linked them with a tremendously exciting talent who has won comparisons to Bukayo Saka and Rodrygo.

Arsenal target wide talents

While a new striker is high on Arsenal’s list of priorities this summer, more wide talent appears to be just as important to Arteta and Co, as evidenced by links to players such as Noni Madueke and Rodrygo.

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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The former could be available for around £50m, and while he won’t necessarily excite the fans, he is homegrown and familiar with the Premier League.

Rodrygo, on the other hand, is neither of those things, but with two Champions League titles to his name and a tally of 25 goal involvements in 53 appearances last season, he feels like he’s be more than worth the £85m it could cost to sign him.

With that said, another exciting talent has now entered the frame, someone who’s not only been compared to the Brazilian but also to Saka.

Yes, according to a recent report from French outlet L’Équipe, Arsenal are interested in AS Monaco gem Maghnes Akliouche.

The report has revealed that while in talks with Viktor Gyokeres’ agent, Andrea Berta also inquired about the 23-year-old, who has the same agent.

The report further explains that should the Gunners wish to pursue the French talent, they’d have to pay the Ligue 1 side around €70m, which is about £60m.

It would be a surprising signing, but given Akliouche’s ability and potential, Arsenal should continue exploring it, especially as he has been compared to Saka and Rodrygo.

How Akliouche compares to Saka & Rodrygo

In this instance, the primary comparisons to Saka and Rodrygo stem from FBref, which analysed players in similar positions in the Champions League this season and concluded that the Arsenal star was the fifth most similar midfielder to Akliouche, and the Real Madrid player was the tenth most similar.

Akliouche & Saka

Statistics per 90

Akliouche

Saka

Assists

0.22

0.24

Tackles + Interceptions

2.58

2.62

Carries

29.2

27.9

Successful Take-On %

37.1%

35.0%

Attempted Long Passes

4.16

4.52

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 UCL Campaign

You can gain a better understanding of how these comparisons were made by examining the underlying numbers in which the Frenchman ranked closely to the two internationals. In the Englishman’s case, these metrics included assists, tackles plus interceptions, carries, and more, all per 90.

In the case of the Brazilian, the underlying numbers included metrics such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, key passes, goal-creating actions, progressive carries, and more, all per 90.

Akliouche & Rodrygo

Statistics per 90

Akliouche

Rodrygo

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.40

0.48

Progressive Carries

4.16

4.64

Key Passes

1.46

1.65

Goal-Creating Actions

0.45

0.41

Expected Assists

0.16

0.16

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 UCL Campaign

With that said, while sharing some key statistical similarities with two of the most exciting wingers in the game is certainly encouraging and suggests the Monaco ace has a bright future, it’s not the only argument for why the Gunners should sign him.

Another key one would be his output for last season.

In 43 appearances, totalling 3301 minutes, the brilliant 23-year-old, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig describes as having a “left foot made of gold,” scored seven goals and provided 12 assists.

That means he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.26 games, or every 173.73 minutes, and also means he would have been the joint fourth most productive player among Arteta’s squad.

Ultimately, Akliouche might not be the most well-known player among Premier League fans, but he appears to be something truly special, and therefore, Arsenal should do what they can to sign him this summer.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 2, 2025

Glasgow Rangers are still in the process of finding a new head coach to lead them into the next era at Ibrox under the new ownership that is set to come in.

Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell are tasked with finding a permanent replacement for Philippe Clement, who was relieved of his duties in February, after Barry Ferguson’s interim stint came to an end.

The former Scotland international only won five of his 16 matches in charge of the Gers during his time in the dugout, and it was then confirmed that he would not be offered the job on a full-time basis.

Then, rather bizarrely, the Daily Record reported that Ferguson was planning to get rid of Nils Koppen, the technical director, if he had been given the job, despite the Belgian chief being in a position above his.

The focus is now on finding an external candidate who can come in to bring success back to Ibrox after a season without any major trophies.

One coach who has been linked with a move to Ibrox this summer is former Real Madrid assistant manager Davide Ancelotti, who has been working with his father Carlo Ancelotti.

Why Rangers should avoid Davide Ancelotti

It is first worth acknowledging that there are reasons why the Gers are right to have taken an interest in the Italian coach, because he is vastly experienced at the top level of European football.

As you can see in the graphic above, his father has won the Champions League five times and lifted a league title in all five of the major European leagues.

Davide has not worked with Carlo for all of those achievements, of course, but he has been either a fitness coach or an assistant manager to the legendary manager in his last six jobs.

Real Madrid (Assistant manager)

Carlo Ancelotti

233

Everton (Assistant manager)

Carlo Ancelotti

67

Napoli (Assistant manager)

Carlo Ancelotti

73

Bayern Munich (Assistant manager)

Carlo Ancelotti

60

Real Madrid (Fitness coach)

Carlo Ancelotti

119

PSG (Fitness coach)

Carlo Ancelotti

77

As you can see in the table above, the Rangers target has plenty of experience coaching at the top level under his father, at massive clubs like Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

However, Davide Ancelotti has not managed a single game as a first-team head coach or manager in his own right, which means that he would also arrive at Ibrox as an incredibly inexperienced boss in that respect.

This means that appointing him would be a huge gamble for Rangers because he is yet to prove that he can successfully coach a winning team on his own, which is why it may come as good news that there is a fresh report detailing the club’s plans to speak with another candidate.

Rangers set for talks with Davide Ancelotti alternative

According to The Scottish Sun, Rangers are set to hold talks with former Scotland international Russell Martin over a deal to be the next head coach at Ibrox.

The report claims that the ex-Southampton manager will meet with Gers chiefs at some point this week to discuss a potential move to Glasgow ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

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It states that Ancelotti, Steven Gerrard, and Brian Priske are also in the running, as Stewart and Thelwell have a shortlist of candidates that they are working through to find the new Rangers head coach.

The Scottish Sun claims that there have already been initial talks held with Martin, but they are set for further discussions when they will allow him to outline how he would bring success back to Ibrox as a coach.

However, the outlet adds that he is also a strong contender for the Leicester City job in the English Championship, which could mean that the Light Blues need to move quickly if they want him as their next boss.

Martin should, with this in mind, be a strong candidate for the role because he could be an even better option than Ancelotti and Priske this summer.

Why Russell Martin would be a good appointment for Rangers

On paper, Priske looks to be an excellent option for the job because he has won two titles with Sparta Prague and one title with Midtjylland in Denmark, which shows that he can coach a winning team.

However, the Danish tactician has typically favoured a 3-4-3 shape throughout his career, which worked in Czechia and Denmark to win titles, but he had to adapt at Feyenoord and switched between 4-4-2, 4-3-3, and 4-2-3-1 formations, with little success, before being sacked shortly after losing 6-1 to Lille in the Champions League.

With Rangers typically playing against teams sitting in a low block, a 3-4-3 formation that is more suited to transitional games and playing on the counter with wing-backs bombing on may not suit a tilt at the Scottish Premiership title, and his Feyenoord performance suggests that he is not successful at coaching four at the back formations.

This is one key reason why Martin could be better than him for this job, because he plays an attacking 4-3-3 formation that is well-suited to dominating and breaking down low blocks, as evidenced by his side’s performance in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign when they won the play-offs to earn promotion to the Premier League.

Pass accuracy

87.7%

1st

Passes into the penalty area

594

1st

Progressive passes

2556

1st

Shot-creating actions

1255

1st

xG

79.8

2nd

Points per game

1.89

4th

As you can see in the table above, the former Rangers loanee successfully deployed a team that dominated the ball whilst creating high-quality chances at an exceptional rate.

Analyst John Walker described Martin’s style as “exciting” and “total football” and those statistics back that up, as the manager has proven that he can coach a team to be incredibly dominant and creative when he has the players to do so.

Of course, he was sacked by Southampton earlier this season after a dismal run of 13 losses in 16 Premier League games, but the Saints went on to lose 30 times in 38 matches, suggesting that Martin was not the only problem there.

The Scottish tactician also showcased his coaching ability in the lower leagues in England with MK Dons, helping to coach this incredible goal below.

Martin could bring an enjoyable and successful style of play to Rangers that could help them compete for trophies again, and could be a better option than Priske, due to his stylistic issues, and Ancelotti, who is an unknown quantity.

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ByRoss Kilvington May 24, 2025

Sunderland supporters have been seriously put through the wringer by their side in recent memory, with League One football even on the menu back in 2019.

But, all that agony and woe surrounding the Black Cats has been finally lifted courtesy of Regis Le Bris’ heroics from the dug-out, as the Frenchman proudly brings Premier League football action back to the Stadium of Light.

The hope will be that Sunderland’s emotional 2-1 win over Sheffield United will keep Jobe Bellingham around for a little while longer, amidst interest from elite sides such as Borussia Dortmund.

But if that is to be Bellingham’s swansong moment, he delivered yet another classy display for his top-flight-bound side from the middle of the park, alongside a whole host of other standout performers.

Sunderland's best performers vs the Blades

Before looking at the other heroes in Le Bris’ camp, Bellingham stood out once again as a key part of the young and promising Sunderland side.

The in-demand number seven would only misplace six of his 55 passes when offering the Black Cats calm through the middle on such a tense stage, whilst also winning six duels to display more grit and fight than an underperforming Sydie Peck for the Blades.

Bellingham wasn’t the only star who managed to show up for the big occasion, however, as Daniel Ballard put in another imperious display defensively when winning his own sizeable duels count of 11, whilst Eliezer Mayenda also shone when levelling the proceedings as a pacey option up top.

But, the main talking point afterwards was Tommy Watson’s last-minute winner, with the homegrown Wearside product capitalising on a lax pass by Kieffer Moore to fire home a stunning effort to seal Sunderland’s progression back up to the big time.

That was one hell of a parting gift from the 19-year-old hotshot, who is set to join Brighton and Hove Albion this summer for £10m.

Indeed, Watson is perhaps the club’s next Jordan Henderson as he goes on to potentially affirm himself as a Premier League regular with the Seagulls.

Why Watson could be Sunderland's next Henderson

Amazingly, Henderson was only one year older than Watson when his big move to Liverpool occurred.

He never looked back after waving goodbye to his boyhood club either, leading to the now Ajax man going on to make 492 appearances for the Reds, alongside winning 83 England caps.

Therefore, Watson will be aiming to follow in Henderson’s footsteps as an equally talented and promising starlet through the middle – albeit one who unfortunately does their best work away from the Stadium of Light.

After all, from only 24 first-team games to date, the 19-year-old is up to three strikes with the best left till last when breaking Blades hearts. To add context, Henderson would only power home two more efforts himself donning Sunderland red and white, even from 55 more outings.

Watson’s G/A numbers for Sunderland

Age bracket

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

U18s

40

18

7

U21s

31

13

11

First team

24

3

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

The attacker’s blistering numbers for the Black Cats at both an U18 and U21 level also show off a prodigy ready for the bright lights of the Premier League, albeit now without his hometown side.

Still, everyone associated with Sunderland will be overjoyed that it was one of their own that got them back up to the promised land regardless of his next onward route, with Roker Report writer Andy Tomlinson handing out an 8/10 post-match rating to Watson subsequently.

There will be a concern that Watson is only getting started and will be taken to new heights on the South Coast, much like Henderson managed at Anfield.

But, whatever does happen across Watson’s lengthy career to come, he will always have this moment of magic on his resume that took his boyhood employers back up to the Premier League.

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Posts 1 ByHenry Jackson May 23, 2025

With Fabio Paratici set to return to the club, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly in constant contact with an impressive defender who’s also found himself on the radar of Real Madrid.

Fabio Paratici set for Tottenham return

Having left the North London club in 2023 following a two-and-a-half-year ban by FIFA which he is still serving, Paratici has reportedly agreed to return to Tottenham. The Lilywhites have plenty of work to do this summer and the return of an experienced sporting director may well go a long way towards things finally changing for the better under Ange Postecoglou.

How much room Spurs have to manoeuvre in the transfer window is the big question. Should they miss out on winning the Europa League and, subsequently, a place in next season’s Champions League, those in North London are unlikely to have a large budget to spend. After taking one leg in the final with a 3-1 first leg victory over Bodo/Glimt, however, Europa League victory is still very much a possibility.

Many will be quick to assume that a place in Bilbao is now firmly in Spurs’ grasp and Postecoglou reiterated that a repeat of his side’s performance on Thursday night next week will see them advance.

He told reporters: “Obviously they scored the goal late, which doesn’t reflect our dominance in the game, but if we repeat that performance next week it’ll be enough for us to get through.

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A lot is on the line.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini May 1, 2025

“Yeah, I think it puts us in a good position. I thought the players were outstanding today, I thought our performance was everything it needed to be, really well organised and disciplined defensively and really calm going forward and created good opportunities for ourselves.”

Europa League victory would no doubt help to turn the narrative of their season on its head, perhaps saving Postecoglou’s job in the process and even luring top transfer targets to the club.

Tottenham in constant contact with Jonathan Tah

According to The Boot Room, Tottenham are in constant contact with Jonathan Tah over a summer switch following the expiry of his current Bayer Leverkusen deal at the end of the season. The Lilywhites are far from alone, however, with Manchester United and now even Real Madrid also looking to convince the defender into a move.

As Paratici plots his first transfer back, those in North London could end the summer having landed a true bargain. The Leverkusen defender played a pivotal part in last season’s invincible domestic double and has impressed once again throughout the current campaign.

A player who’s earned plenty of praise over the years, former Germany boss Joachim Low told reporters after handing Tah his international debut at the beginning of his career: “He’s a young player with a lot of potential. He’s physically strong and very quick. Everything is possible.”

Where will the final of T20 World Cup 2024 be won and lost?

Nagraj Gollapudi, S Rajesh and Shiva Jayaraman28-Jun-20242:10

How do South Africa tackle Kuldeep and Bumrah?

Toss factor: Bat first?In the four day matches played at Kensington Oval so far in this tournament, the team winning the toss has twice elected to bat first. While Namibia lost against Scotland, India beat Afghanistan comfortably by 47 runs. England elected to bowl in the other two matches, losing to Australia and defeating USA.Overall in this tournament, India have batted first in five of their seven matches, and on four of those occasions their opponents sent them in, including Thursday’s semi-final in Guyana where England were bowled out for 103 in pursuit of 172.Related

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Unbeaten India and South Africa come face to face in bid for glory

India vs South Africa at the T20 World Cup final: all you need to know

South Africa, meanwhile, have won the toss three times and elected to bowl twice. Overall, they have batted first on four occasions, and chased as many times, winning all their games so far.Bowling is a strong suit for both teams, and both India and South Africa may prefer bowling second in the final, when the pressure will be higher. Since this is a day game, there will be no dew to advantage the chasing team.ESPNcricinfo LtdPace-off against SKYSuryakumar Yadav scores a high proportion of his runs in the zone stretching from backward point to backward square leg. He loves using any pace and bounce on offer to direct the ball behind the wicket, and South Africa’s fast bowlers know this. The zones behind the wicket have brought Suryakumar 66 runs off 24 balls against Kagiso Rabada in all T20s, 32 off 12 against Nortje, and 25 off just five balls against Jansen. Suryakumar has a phenomenal overall strike rate of 298 against the South African trio when he plays them in those zones.ESPNcricinfo LtdThere is, though, a way for fast bowlers to try and prevent him from accessing these areas: take the pace off. Especially in the IPL over the last few years, there has been a noticeable rise in bowlers deploying the slower ball against Suryakumar. He scores quickly against the slower ball too, going at a strike rate of 180.40 against the 148 slower balls he has faced in T20s since the start of 2023, but the revealing number is the average: it drops from 42.30 against on-pace deliveries to 20.53 against slower balls. And from once every 23 balls against on-pace deliveries, his dismissal rate climbs to once every 11.4 balls against slower balls.ESPNcricinfo LtdBowl Maharaj in the powerplayAfter losing the semi-final in Guyana, Jos Buttler conceded that he could have bowled Moeen Ali in the first six overs to create pressure on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Jansen and Rabada have usually started with the new ball for South Africa in this World Cup, but India’s openers enjoy facing pace first up and like to go hard against the fast men. While Rabada has dismissed Kohli and Rohit four times each in T20s, and the sample size is too small for Jansen, South Africa could look at going defensive by introducing Keshav Maharaj’s left-arm spin in the powerplay. Since January 2023, Maharaj has gone for 143 runs in 114 powerplay deliveries, with an economy of 7.52, and picked up six wickets in this phase. Traditionally, both Rohit and Kohli have tended to score slowly against left-arm spin.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe key battles – Klaasen vs Jadeja, Kuldeep vs MillerHeinrich Klaasen and David Miller are the best players of spin in the South Africa line-up. But can they withstand the collective pressure that the Indian spin trio of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja could build from both ends? Both batters have strong numbers against Axar, but have faced issues against the other two.ESPNcricinfo LtdKlaasen’s modus operandi relies on standing deep in the crease and using his bat swing to launch big hits, while also being able to manoeuvre the ball into gaps and run hard. By his own admission, it is when he is in two minds whether to attack or play safe that he self-destructs. And he has found himself in such a scenario against Jadeja. In their T20 meetings so far, Klaasen has managed just 16 runs off 15 balls against Jadeja.Miller, too, has been circumspect against Kuldeep. Since January 2022, Miller has scored at a run a ball off 24 balls from India’s best spinner in the format, while being dismissed twice. There is no doubt India will try and exploit these match-ups; how will Klaasen and Miller respond?ESPNcricinfo LtdSamson for Dube?In a curious move in the semi-final against England, India pushed Shivam Dube down the order, having mostly used him at No. 5 over the course of the tournament. Dube was included in India’s squad as a spin-disruptor, and although he has scored 47 off 38 balls against spin in this tournament, he has been dismissed twice by that style of bowling, and has been circumspect against pace, picking up just 59 off 62 balls. While it seems highly unlikely India will drop him for the final, they could replace him with Sanju Samson, who has occupied the bench since playing the warm-up match against Bangladesh.Shamsi or Baartman?Tabraiz Shamsi has 11 wickets at this World Cup, with one four-wicket haul and two three-fors, including 3 for 6 in the semi-final against Afghanistan. Shamsi has decent head-to-head against most of India’s batters in the last two years, too, and won the Player-of-the-Match award in the second match of the home T20 series last December in Gqeberha, where he picked up 1 for 18 in four overs. However, do South Africa need a second spinner at a venue where fast bowlers have taken 32 wickets as against 20 by spinners?The alternative could be Ottneil Baartman. The right-arm fast man nearly let England back into South Africa’s last Super Eight match with a 21-run 17th over, erring while repeatedly looking for yorkers rather than bang away on a hard length. But the yorker is a big weapon for Baartman at the death, and he has executed it well in South African domestic cricket. He has also been among the most economical bowlers in the country, capable of operating in all three phases. It is a good headache for Rob Walters, South Africa’s head coach-cum-selector and captain Aiden Markarm: rely on Shamsi’s experience and guile or inject the pace of Baartman?

Mohammad Amir makes his first-class return and Hasan Ali bags another five-for

Matt Roller02-May-2022

Division One

Mohammad Abbas
Mohammad Abbas has been relentless and consistent in his time as Hampshire’s opening bowler and proved his value again this week, taking 3 for 59 in Lancashire’s first innings with all three dismissals caught in the slips. He would not have been as pleased about his batting: he bagged a pair, including a first-innings lbw to compatriot Hasan Ali while leaving the ball alone.Hasan Ali
Another week, another five-for. Hasan Ali struck twice with the new ball to reduce Hampshire to 40 for 5 against Lancashire at the Ageas Bowl, and returned to finish off the tail and ended with 5 for 45 from his 15 overs in the first innings.

Another day, another @RealHa55an wicket haul #LVCountyChamp pic.twitter.com/C7pxBIlAMF

— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) April 28, 2022