AC Milan are now reportedly plotting a move to sign Niclas Fullkrug from West Ham United after the striker’s agent made a damning admission ahead of the winter window.

The forward has struggled ever since arriving in the Premier League, but whilst he continues to contemplate his future, things have been looking up for West Ham. The Hammers made it back-to-back league wins on Saturday by defeating relegation rivals Burnley 2-1. It followed their 3-1 victory over Newcastle United last weekend and took them level on points with the Clarets.

The international break comes at a bad time for the Hammers, with Nuno Espirito Santo now settled into life in London and gradually turning things around. After the break, his side visit Bournemouth in search of a third-consecutive victory which could take them out of the relegation zone.

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It’s also a game that could see Callum Wilson square off against his former club in search of two goals in two games. Getting the summer arrival fit and firing on all cylinders will be key to West Ham’s survival and potentially key to determining Fullkrug’s future.

AC Milan join Fullkrug race after agent admission

According to Tuttomercatoweb, AC Milan have now joined the race to sign Fullkrug, who has missed the last four Premier League games through injury and scored just three goals during his time at West Ham.

When the forward arrived from Borussia Dortmund, there were question marks about his age, but those questions that were answered by the impressive season that he had just enjoyed in Germany – helping his side reach the Champions League final in 2024.

Any hope that Fullkrug could replicate that form in the Premier League didn’t take long to disappear, however, and now he looks destined to leave.

Speaking on the TOMorrow Business Podcast, Fullkrug’s agent Thorsten Wirth made a damning admission about the forward’s time at West Ham, saying: “Looking back, we have to say the transfer didn’t work out. There’s no point in sugar-coating it.”

Meanwhile, when asked about Fullkrug’s future, he said: “This always has to happen in cooperation with the club, but I believe it can make sense to change something there.”

Although Peter Crouch went as far as calling the forward “excellent” at Euro 2024, it’s fair to say that Fullkrug’s time at West Ham simply hasn’t worked out and he should move on in 2026.

As exciting as Potts: 19-year-old West Ham star has "the world at his feet"

Who will replace Brendan Rodgers as Celtic manager?

Well, most supporters would like to see Ange Postecoglou return, having won five trophies during his two seasons in Glasgow, very much still, almost inarguably, the most popular Celtic boss of modern times.

However, according to widespread reports, the Aussie is highly unlikely to return to the club at this time, seeking time away from football following his ill-fated 39 days in charge of Nottingham Forest, failing to win any of his eight matches in the East Midlands.

Other names, including Kieran McKenna, Craig Bellamy, Kjetil Knutsen and Nicky Hayen, appear to be high up on the board’s wish list, but getting them out of their current positions will not be easy, so should Celtic target a “box office” title-winning coach currently out of work, who could repeat Postecoglou’s success?

What made Ange Postecoglou a success at Celtic

Given that Celtic had been a total mess the season before, when Postecoglou was appointed manager in the summer of 2021, most, including all Rangers supporters, were laughing.

Well, they weren’t laughing for long because, after losing his first three Premiership away games, the Australian then oversaw a 38-match unbeaten streak in the league, winning 32 of these matches, departing having picked up two league titles, two League Cups and a Scottish Cup.

His charisma and personality completely won over a then-divided fan base, very much playing the role of a cult leader, while his now infamous Ange-ball high intensity, high-possession, relentless style of play was like nothing seen in Scottish football before or since.

Also, Postecoglou’s knowledge of lesser-known markers, specifically the Japanese league, helped him sign Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Kyōgo Furuhashi, while, in a cosmopolitan squad, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, Matt O’Riley, Aaron Mooy, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Alistair Johnston and others from all across the globe thrived.

All of this culminated in creating, arguably, the most thrilling and unstoppable Celtic side anyone has enjoyed watching for a very long time, ending the 2022/23 season with 99 points, having scored 114 goals, the most the club have managed in a single league campaign since 1916.

However, it was Postecoglou’s cult of personality that instantaneously enamoured him with supporters from day one, which was crucial considering his lack of prior name recognition, so should Celtic now seek to appoint a coach who possesses similar characteristics?

Celtic's next Ange Postecoglou

According to a report by Sky Sports, seven names are under consideration for the vacant Celtic job, including the aforementioned Bellamy, Knutsen, McKenna and Hayen.

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They also state that Damien Duff is ‘being assessed’, noting that he has ‘strong ties with principal shareholder Dermot Desmond’.

The Irishman began his coaching career as youth manager at Shamrock Rovers before joining Celtic, briefly working with the B team before serving as Neil Lennon’s assistant when he replaced Rodgers in February 2019.

After Lennon was sacked, he had a short stint on the Republic of Ireland’s coaching staff, before joining Shelbourne, where he truly made a name for himself.

In just over three seasons in charge of Shels, overseeing 151 games, Duff enjoyed unparalleled success, as the table below documents.

Matches

151

Wins

60

Draws

50

Loses

41

Goals for

189

Goals against

157

LOI points-per-game

1.49

2022 LOI finish

7th

2023 LOI finish

4th

2024 LOI finish

Champions

FAI Cup best

Runners-up

When Duff was appointed Shelbourne manager, they were a newly-promoted club, leading them to a first ​​​​​​​FAI Cup Final for 11 years at the end of his first season, ultimately beaten 4-0 by Derry City at the Aviva.

Nevertheless, this would prove to be the start of something special because, last year, the Reds were crowned League of Ireland champions for the first time in 18 years, pipping serial champions Shamrock Rovers on the final day by two points.

As a player, Duff won two Premier League titles with Chelsea and was part of the Fulham side that reached the Europa League Final, as well as accumulating 100 international caps, only six Irishmen have more.

Nevertheless, considering the Reds were 25/1 rank-outsiders before the season began, Duff described this as both the greatest achievement and the “pinnacle” of his career, adding that it was like something out of a Hollywood script.

Despite being a beloved figure among the Tolka Park faithful, Duff resigned as manager in June, following a sequence of five wins from 20 league matches, stepping away just days before the start of their Champions League qualifying campaign.

Still very popular in Drumcondra, Shelbourne technical director Luke Byrn described Duff as “box office”, while Miguel Delaney of the Independent asserted that his personality is ‘intensely captivating’ and ‘compelling’ to listen to, comparing him to José Mourinho, who was of course his manager at Stamford Bridge.

Meantime, Samuel Hutchinson of Total Football Analysis documents how Duff favours a style revolving around high possession and high intensity, very similar to that of Postecoglou.

Thus, Duff has both the personality and playing style to replicate Postecoglou’s success in Glasgow.

Of course, his lack of elite-level coaching experience is a concern, but he has worked at Celtic before and, possibly most crucially of all, is available.

Postecoglou himself was not first-choice, the Celtic board spending months attempting to woo Eddie Howe before that fell through, so Duff could ultimately prove to be the right man at the right time.

O'Neill 2.0: Celtic chasing "one of the best coaches" as Ange alternative

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Newcastle United have bounced back from Alexander Isak’s troubling departure this summer with ease.

Banking Eddie Howe’s Toon an eye-watering £125m when ditching Tyneside for Liverpool, it’s clear that Isak wasn’t cut out for the pressures of such an expensive move straight away, with only one goal coming his way at Anfield to date.

On the contrary, Nick Woltemade – who entered the building in a last-ditch summer move for £69m – has looked ready-made for the pressures of being Newcastle’s main marksman from minute one of his arrival, with the goalscoring prowess he became known for in the Bundesliga immediately following him to English shores.

Woltemade's fantastic start at Newcastle

Often, it takes a goalscoring machine from a European league plenty of time to settle into their groove when getting used to what is expected of them in the Premier League.

In Woltemade’s case, however, the goals have just continued to flow, with the 6-foot-6 menace joining Howe’s ranks off the back of a blistering 17-goal season on the books of Stuttgart.

In total, Woltemade already has five goals next to his name from just ten Newcastle appearances, with journalist Zach Lowy’s previous billing of the Bremen-born striker as being a “ridiculous” finisher of chances clear for all to see at St James’ Park.

Indeed, the 23-year-old’s four-goal tally in the Premier League alone means his goalscoring frequency in the daunting division sits at every 120 minutes, as the number 27 goes about trying to immortalise himself in the Newcastle hall-of-fame as one of their most devastatingly effective centre-forwards.

It will, of course, take a superhuman effort from Woltemade to ever reach Alan Shearer’s venomous levels in front of goal, with a record-breaking 260 Premier League strikes next to the Magpies icon’s name.

But, he could be on his way to becoming even more clinical if he lines up with this Newcastle assist king more often, with the pair ready to cause widespread havoc together to push their side further up the early league standings.

The Newcastle star who can make Woltemade even better

It’s safe to say that the Germany international is blessed with who he has around him in the attacking positions on Tyneside, with Anthony Gordon capable of bursting into life at a moment’s notice as one of Howe’s many livewires down the left wing, having accumulated 24 assists to date at Newcastle.

Yet, despite this impressive track record, it’s actually Jacob Murphy who might well be the attacking teammate that can take Woltemade to new heights, despite often being thought of as an under-the-radar “unsung hero” at the Premier League giants, according to journalist Scott Wilson.

Games played

10

Minutes played

752

Goals scored

1

Assists

3

It’s clear from taking one glance at the table above that Murphy is the sort of presence that excels when he’s made to feed off scraps, with just 752 minutes of action handed to him this season, resulting in the 30-year-old attacker still being able to pick up a standout four goal contributions.

He would even get the ball rolling for his team last time out against Fulham when he finished under pressure to seal a one-goal lead, with more starts surely coming his way, having been labelled as being “in the form of his life” after his lively afternoon against the Cottagers by Newcastle-based blog Mouth of the Tyne.

But, away from his assured nature to fire this fierce effort past Bernd Leno last time out, it’s also his ability to be an effective partner for a lethal striker that will be music to Woltemade’s ears as he attempts to become even deadlier in England.

A large portion of Isak’s 62 goals in Newcastle black and white would come about off the back of a Murphy assist – 11 to be exact – with the German, therefore, hopeful of reaching this tally, and even eclipsing it, knowing he has the “outstanding” number 23, as he was once labelled by ex-Toon forward Craig Bellamy, next to him supplying him with chances galore.

With Anthony Elanga also in reserve, Woltemade should not find it tricky whatsoever in his bid to become the next Shearer-shaped talisman, having already scored four in his first six league games for the Magpies.

For comparison, Shearer’s start to 1996/97 saw him score three times from his first six top-flight appearances for the Tynesiders – albeit while then reaching seven from just his first ten league outings.

Woltemade is then on the right track, with a new fan favourite having emerged at St James’.

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Newcastle United fans won’t want to dwell on Alexander Isak’s notable summer exit at all now.

The Magpies’ former fan favourite definitely left on sour terms in the summer when he forced through a mighty £125m move to Arne Slot’s Reds, though, having bagged a weighty 62 goals for the Tyneside giants across 109 outings.

Luckily, Eddie Howe’s men have recovered strongly from what had the potential to be an earth-shuddering setback, as Nick Woltemade came in through the door to instantly replace the superstar Swede for a whopping £69m.

He has filled the Isak-shaped hole well, too, with a blistering six strikes already in his back pocket for the Premier League titans from just 12 games. In stark contrast, Newcastle’s ex-star man has only one meagre effort next to his name at Anfield.

Worryingly, though, the “first class” Woltemade – as Eddie Howe has recently labelled him – has been a rare bright spark at St James’ Park this season, despite only just entering the English game.

On the contrary, many of Newcastle’s stalwarts who have been in and around the Magpies’ first team long before the 6-foot-6 menace’s arrival have been below-par this campaign, with all of Newcastle’s mounting issues clear for all to see, as they collapsed to a 3-1 defeat away at lowly West Ham United last time out.

The biggest problems facing Newcastle in 2025/26

Newcastle must wish they could only play in the Champions League at the moment, with the Magpies picking up a lethal eight goals across two wins so far in that competition, as they re-enter the illustrious stage on Wednesday night against Athletic Club.

From a far larger pool of games back in the Premier League, ten to be exact, Howe and Co only have a slim three wins next to their name, with the 3-1 defeat picked up at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon sparking St James’ Park royalty Alan Shearer into labelling the loss on the road as a “rotten” performance.

It was far from Newcastle at their very best, that’s for sure, with Woltemade even letting the side down with just 14 touches of the ball, as the Magpies only had an early Jacob Murphy effort to shout about in the attacking positions.

Defensively, the travelling Toon looked all over the place, too, with more question marks popping up at the close of the loss at the London Stadium as to how Dan Burn remains in Howe’s starting XI.

Howe has had to count on his ageing number 33 to be a stand-in in the left-back spot for the majority of the season so far, with one Newcastle-based content creator even stating that persisting with the 33-year-old here is the “stuff of nightmares.”

The Blyth-born defender certainly had an afternoon to forget in East London to back up these comments, with zero tackles and only two duels being won, as Howe now prays he has Lewis Hall back to full fitness shortly to bring this long-standing experiment to a close.

Newcastle’s long-term injury list

Player

Games missed

Yoanne Wissa

13

Tino Livramento

7

Lewis Hall

6

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Injuries have been a real pain this season so far for the Premier League underperformers, with Newcastle’s lack of depth in defence – due to Hall being in and out of the treatment room – meaning they have had to rely solely on Burn in a makeshift left-back position.

Moreover, their frustrations in this department have, no doubt, only been strengthened by the fact that summer arrival Yoanne Wissa has not been able to line up for one single Magpies game so far this season, after joining for a bumper £55m from Brentford.

With 45 Premier League goals next to his name for the Bees, he would have been a breath of fresh air for Newcastle fans to latch on to, in a similar fashion to Woltemade.

Instead, with Wissa sidelined and many more issues coming to the forefront, the feel around St James’ Park is arguably stale, with Joelinton also now showing visible signs of rust.

Yet, he continues to be selected week in, week out – like Burn – despite zero goals or assists coming his way this campaign so far.

He isn’t the only first-team star that is crumbling right now, however.

£100m Newcastle star now looks "all over the place"

Newcastle turned a few heads this summer when gaining £125m after Isak left the building.

But, this trend of selling one of their prized assets for around the £100m mark could amazingly continue on, if rumours surrounding Anthony Gordon’s long-term future at St James’ Park were anything to read into the same window Isak departed.

Indeed, the Merseyside-born winger was being tipped to relocate to Anfield, much like his former teammate, for an equally ludicrous fee, with statistician Statman Dave even noting that Gordon can be “unplayable” on his day, like the lethal Swede, as well.

The England international loved linking up with Isak when he was still situated on Tyneside, with eight of the Scandinavian’s aforementioned 62-goal tally coming directly from a Gordon assist.

On top of that, the former Everton youngster turned Newcastle first-teamer also has 26 goals in total for Howe’s men, with nine of those efforts coming just last season to pique the Reds’ clear interest.

But, away from some flashy performances in the Champions League so far this season, with Jose Mourinho even waxing lyrical about the 24-year-old when his Benfica side came to St James’ Park, Gordon has cut a disinterested presence in Newcastle’s ongoing demise in the Premier League.

The hot-and-cold number ten is now deep in a 19-game patch in the top-flight, where he has picked up zero goals and assists.

Worryingly for Newcastle, this isn’t the first instance where Gordon has mentally checked out of proceedings, having left behind boyhood employers Everton mid-season – in controversial circumstances – to jump ship to the Toon in early 2023.

While that was a major plus at the time, as Newcastle didn’t have to play the long game, it should have been a slight warning sign for what the future could hold, with the attacker even being hauled off at the half-time mark against West Ham, after an “awful” 45-minute spell, in the words of journalist Luke Edwards.

Further said to be looking “all over the place” at the moment by journalist Adam Clery, it could be that Gordon is just hurting from his synergy with Isak going to the wayside, as a possible £100m move to Anfield in January – to link back up with his deadly former teammate – now looking way off the cards.

In the same breath as criticising Newcastle’s recent downfall, though, Shearer has also offered some pearls of wisdom to the likes of Gordon, with this big-game mentality and the constant need to entertain, now having to be replaced by a “back to basics” approach to get off the mark in the league, sooner rather than later.

If Gordon can get back to his best in the bread and butter of the league, Newcastle will surely rise in the league standings, with an unsatisfactory 13th spot at the time of writing, just not cutting the mustard.

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Leeds United youngster Harry Gray has been in the spotlight among the fanbase once again this week after scoring two goals in a 3-2 loss to Accrington Stanley for the U21s.

The 17-year-old striker has scored seven goals in eight games in the EFL Trophy and Premier League 2 combined, to go along with a hat-trick against Scunthorpe in the English National League Cup.

Whilst Gray is, as evidenced by his goalscoring form, an exciting prospect for the Whites, he is not an attacking midfielder who will come up to the first-team and improve Daniel Farke’s side in the wide areas, where they have been struggling on the right wing with Brenden Aaronson.

Why Leeds need an upgrade on Brenden Aaronson

The USA international, to his credit, did play a key role in the club’s 2-1 win over West Ham United last month, scoring his first goal of the season from close range.

However, that was only his second goal in 48 Premier League appearances for Leeds across two seasons at the level, per Sofascore, which is a concern moving forward.

The American winger did assist Lukas Nmecha against Nottingham Forest before the international break, but he has yet to prove that he can deliver a consistent end product in the top-flight.

Two goals and four assists in 48 top-flight matches is far from an impressive haul for the former RB Salzburg man, which is why the Whites may look for an upgrade on him.

Whilst Gray is shining at academy level, Farke could look beyond him and to the U18s to find the player who could end Aaronson’s Elland Road career, in Sam Alker.

Why Sam Akler could end Brenden Aaronson's Leeds career

The 16-year-old talent, who does not turn 17 until next March, has caught the eye with his performances at youth level, so much so that he has attracted interest from across Europe.

Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen have both been credited with interest in the attacking midfielder, which speaks to the level of talent that he has shown during his time at Thorp Arch.

The teenage whiz, who was described as a “standout” in the academy set-up by Como scout Ben Mattinson, has delivered two goals and two assists in 15 games as an attacking midfielder, per Transfermarkt.

Aaron Lennon

16 years, 4 months, 7 days

James Milner

16 years, 10 months, 6 days

Rob Bowman

17 years, 2 months, 16 days

Wesley Boyle

17 years, 5 months, 22 days

Alan Maybury

17 years, 5 months, 26 days

Harry Kewell

17 years, 6 months, 8 days

Alan Smith

18 years, 17 days

Andy Gray

18 years, 1 month, 29 days

Stephen McPhail

18 years, 1 month, 29 days

Noel Whelan

18 years, 4 months, 4 days

If Farke were to hand Alker a debut in the next match, he would rank between Aaron Lennon and James Milner in the list of the club’s youngest debuts in Premier League history.

This shows both how rare it is for a 16-year-old to debut in the Premier League and the level of talent you need to do so, given the careers that Lennon and Milner went on to have.

Leverkusen and Dortmund seemingly feel that the England U16 international is a huge talent, given their reported interest, and that is why handing him a first-team debut in the coming weeks could be a smart move by Leeds.

Giving the 16-year-old ace a chance in the Premier League would show him that there is a clear pathway to regular football at Elland Road, which could prevent him from being tempted by the prospect of a move to Germany.

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Aaronson made the move from attacking midfield to right wing this season in the Premier League, which is why it is his career at the club could be under threat by Alker’s emergence in the first-team, as the youngster could make a similar transition, unlike Gray, who is a natural number nine.

If the English attacking midfielder can make the step up and show that he belongs at first-team level, he could develop into the upgrade that Leeds need on the wing, negating any need for Aaronson at Elland Road.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor carried the team on his back against St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, securing the win with a stunning strike from distance.

The former Scotland international delivered a staggering finish from outside of the box in the 95th minute for the Hoops, when the game felt destined to end with a 0-0 draw.

Interim head coach Martin O’Neill needed his captain to step up with that goal because it was an underwhelming performance that will leave several players concerned about their place in the starting line-up.

For example, the Northern Irish manager should ruthlessly drop left-winger Sebastian Tounekti from the team ahead of the clash with Feyenoord on Thursday night in the Europa League.

Why Celtic should drop Sebastian Tounekti

The Tunisia international was a breath of fresh air after his move from Hammarby at the end of the summer transfer window, as he got fans off their seats with his exciting play on his debut against Kilmarnock.

Unfortunately, though, the 23-year-old forward has failed to add end product to his exciting play, with a return of two goals and no assists in 14 appearances in all competitions for the club, per Transfermarkt.

On top of his struggles in the final third throughout the season so far, Tounekti’s all-round performances in the last two Premiership games have left too much to be desired.

As you can see in the table above, the Hoops winger failed to deliver much in the way of quality against Kilmarnock or St Mirren, whilst struggling badly with the physical side of the game.

With this in mind, O’Neill could ruthlessly ditch Tounekti from the starting line-up on Thursday by unleashing Paulo Bernardo in a brand-new role on the left flank.

Why Paulo Bernardo should be played on the left wing

The Portuguese central midfielder has only played six matches in all competitions this season, per Transfermarkt, but unleashing him as a left winger could be a genius move by the interim manager.

Per Transfermarkt, Bernardo has never played as a left midfielder or left winger in his senior career, for Benfica or Celtic, but it is a position that could suit him against Feyenoord.

Against St Mirren, Tounekti and Kieran Tierney often seemed to want to do the same thing, which was to get to the byline to cross the ball, and they got in each other’s way at times.

Playing Bernardo on the left against Feyenoord would provide Tierney, who has delivered four assists in all competitions this season, the freedom of the left flank to deliver crosses, as the ex-Benfica man would drift inside into more central areas in possession, similarly to how Luke McCowan plays when he is deployed on the right wing.

On top of this move potentially unlocking Tierney as an attacking force, it could also provide Bernardo with more opportunities to showcase his talent at the top end of the pitch.

The central midfielder, who was hailed as “tenacious” by Brendan Rodgers, has produced seven goals and seven assists in 83 appearances for the Hoops to date, per Transfermarkt, whilst he has also scored 11 goals in 32 caps for Portugal’s U21s.

This suggests that he does have the potential to provide a threat in the final third if given a chance to play further up the pitch, which is another reason why this brand-new role could be a good move for him.

Therefore, O’Neill should finally ditch Tounekti from the starting XI to try out a pairing of Tierney and Bernardo down the left against Feyenoord on Thursday.

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Prospects of a result are slim with one day remaining and a lead of 73

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay31-Jul-2025 Nottinghamshire 511 for 6 (Haseeb 208, James 72, Haynes 70) lead Somerset 438 (Rew 166, Abell 156, Abbas 3-60) by 73 runs Haseeb Hameed made a superb double-hundred but his Nottinghamshire side’s chance of denying Surrey a fourth consecutive Division One title are receding with their Rothesay County Championship contest with Somerset almost certain to end in a draw.With half-centuries from Jack Haynes (70) and Lyndon James (72), Nottinghamshire finished day three at 511 for six in their first innings for a lead of 73. Yet the combination of a dead pitch and the Kookaburra ball seems to have left no realistic route to a positive result on the final day.They began this round – the 11th of the 14 – a point behind Surrey but the latter’s victory against Durham at Chester-le-Street puts clear daylight between them and the chasing pack, although Nottinghamshire still have to go to the Kia Oval in September. Somerset, in third place, arguably need nothing less than a win here to maintain their outside chance.Unless Nottinghamshire can rapidly extend their lead to a couple of hundred on the final morning, and then bowl out Somerset, which seems highly improbable, all four of Nottinghamshire’s matches using the Kookaburra ball will have ended in stalemate.Somerset’s verdict on the conditions was made evident by skipper Lewis Gregory’s decision not to bother with the second new ball, spinner Archie Vaughan bowling the final delivery of the day with a ball that was 151 overs old.Hameed’s 208 – which ended, to his misfortune, when he was run out responding to a team-mate’s call – takes his tally for the season to 1,108 as the leading runscorer in the Rothesay County Championship.A day that will not stay long in the memory began with Nottinghamshire cutting 82 runs from an overnight deficit of 249 and losing one wicket when Joe Clarke chipped Gregory to short midwicket for 42.The afternoon was a little more entertaining, mainly for Craig Overton assuming the role of pantomime villain in his efforts to unseat Hameed, largely by bowling a legside line, often banging the ball in short.Frustrated when the Nottinghamshire skipper was almost out on 137 immediately after lunch – edging wide enough for wicketkeeper James Rew to reach the ball with his fingertips but not catch it – Overton had metaphorical steam emerging from his ears when Hameed’s failed attempt to pull him on 152 ended with the opener desperately trying to kick the ball away from his stumps as it dropped over his shoulder.Hameed survived again. He had gone past 150 in an innings for the fourth time in his career and appeared as temperamentally unflappable as ever.Amid all this, his counterpart Gregory appeared to have decided that taking the second new ball would aid only the batting side in providing more pace on to the bat from a pitch that itself had none to offer.Nonetheless, the fourth wicket partnership of Hameed and Haynes were able to achieve enough acceleration to claim three batting bonus points within the 110-over specified time, giving them five from the match to Somerset’s four, Haynes then becoming the sole casualty of the afternoon, his dismissal to Gregory almost a duplicate of Clarke’s.They had added 123, and with James, a double centurion himself only last week, now at the other end, Hameed might have envisaged another profitable alliance as Nottinghamshire sought to end the day with the upper hand.In the event, after lifting Vaughan gloriously over long-off to complete his third career double-ton with a 23rd four to go with two earlier sixes, Hameed was soon gone, although through no fault of his own, run out brilliantly by the combination of Tom Lammonby and Rew after James had called him through for a single to extra cover.James played nicely again, adding 88 with Liam Patterson-White for the sixth wicket before he was caught on the midwicket boundary.

Tea A stunning partnership worth 195 between Harry Brook and Joe Root put England on the cusp of a series-sealing win at The Oval. India had taken control of the fifth Test when Brook walked out to bat at No. 5 with 268 runs still required, but he seized the moment with an audacious 91-ball hundred, his tenth in Tests and his first in the fourth innings of a match.Brook was given a life late in the morning session, picking out Mohammed Siraj at long leg with a miscued pull shot only for Siraj to tread on the advertising toblerone on the boundary rope. Rather than prompting a change in approach, the reprieve led Brook to double down, slapping India’s seamers around as he raced to 38 off 30 balls at lunch.If he rode his luck at times, his attacking intent worked in his favour: soon after lunch, Prasidh Krishna drew a thick outside edge which flew away between the solitary slip and gully, with the field spread to try and keep a lid on England’s scoring. He continued to bludgeon anything short through the leg side, but rotated the strike with ease through the afternoon.

Brook’s celebrations are typically restrained but he showed his emotion when sprinting back for two to reach three figures, pumping his fists, swishing his bat and throwing his head back in relief. He was out seven balls later, losing his bat as he attempted to swipe Akash Deep for a third boundary in a row, but the damage had been done.Root, meanwhile, played in Brook’s slipstream, ticking over with few qualms and occasionally freeing his arms – including belting Ravindra Jadeja back over his head for four, and swinging a high full toss over midwicket. India could not dislodge him, reviewing unsuccessfully after Siraj trapped him on the pad on 88, and he responded with back-to-back boundaries to reach 98.India’s session was personified by the exhausted Akash Deep: he attempted to stop a boundary by sticking out his boot, only to divert the ball back over the rope, and then lost his footing when Jacob Bethell skewed a caught-and-bowled chance back to him. Siraj kept charging in, bowling 17.1 overs in the first two sessions, but could not conjure up another game-breaking moment.

Chelsea and Argentina star Enzo Fernandez has switched agents as he links up with former Paris Saint-Germain star and compatriot Javier Pastore's agency. The World Cup-winning midfielder has been a key figure in the Blues' dressing room since joining them from Benfica in January 2023 for a then-record fee. In the current season, Fernandez has appeared in 22 matches in all competitions and scored five goals.

• Fernandez switches agent

  Fernandez was previously managed by former Uruguayan footballer Uriel Perez but, as of December 2025, the Argentine has parted ways with Perez to sign for a new agency named The Elegant Game, according to . The company was co-founded by former Argentina international and PSG star Pastore.

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  Could Fernandez leave Chelsea?

  The change of agent could spark rumours of Fernandez seeking a possible move away from Stamford Bridge. However, there have been no concrete reports on the midfielder parting ways with the Premier League giants in recent times. In April 2025, the 24-year-old was linked with a move to La Liga giants Real Madrid, however, Chelsea were ready to do all they could to keep the midfielder in their set-up. Ultimately, Los Blancos never made a formal offer for Fernandez.

• Fernandez recalls winning World Cup with Messi

  In a recent interview, Fernandez reflected on winning the World Cup for Argentina with the legendary Lionel Messi in 2022 in Qatar. Recalling the most memorable moment of his life, the Chelsea star told : "Winning the World Cup with Messi was incredible. We were fully motivated because our team grew up watching Leo at home on TV. We’d been fighting for it for many years and Messi had unfinished business. I’m so proud that I was able to share that moment with him and win the World Cup alongside him, knowing what it meant to him and all of us. Of course, we all wanted to do it for him because it was the only sporting achievement missing for him.

  "He’s a great person and I’m so proud to share these moments with him. He’s the greatest of all time, so it’s a privilege to share the dressing room with him. It’s a huge thing for me and I’m really enjoying it. I try to make the most of every moment spent with him."

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  Fernandez's injury problem ahead of World Cup year

  Fernandez struggled with knee problems a couple of months back and had was sidelined for a few games for the Blues. He even pulled out of back-to-back Argentina squads during the October and November international break as he did not want to aggravate his injury further ahead of his nation's title defence campaign in North America next summer.

  Before pulling out of the national team squad in November, the midfielder had said: "I will not be available with Argentina. I was just talking to the medical team because I had a problem with my knee in the last four months. I came with a bone edema that got worse in the last weeks and months because we played a lot of games. I think the most important thing is coming to the end of the season and I think it's good to make this decision together. Always respecting the doctors and everything."

  Fernandez will be back in action for Enzo Maresca's side on Saturday as they host Everton in a difficult Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge.

Phoenix crawl to 122 as Rockets cruise home with 22 balls to spare

ECB Media08-Aug-2025Trent Rockets kicked off their campaign in the Hundred men’s competition with an effortless victory over Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston.122 for 6 from the Phoenix never looked enough, and David Willey’s new-look Rockets side were led to a comfortable six-wicket victory by a strong bowling effort spearheaded by Lockie Ferguson (3 for 20) and a chase fronted by Tom Banton (42 from 29).Asked to bowl first, the Rockets attack made early inroads, removing Phoenix’s top three of Ben Duckett, Will Smeed and Aneurin Donald to leave the home side 24 for 3 after the 25-ball Powerplay.Rehan Ahmed swivels on the pull•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty Images

Sam Cook’s brilliant work off his own bowling to run out Jacob Bethell left Phoenix reeling, but a defiant Liam Livingstone (39) and Joe Clarke (29) partnership led a rebuild. Livingstone played a captain’s knock, hitting three sixes in his 30-ball stay, while Clarke struggled for fluency; a brilliant set from Ferguson removed them both.Despite some tight Rockets death bowling, a couple of late blows from Dan Mousley and Benny Howell brought Phoenix closer to a respectable total.In reply, although Tim Southee (2 for 36) bowled Joe Root early on, the Rockets began aggressively against the trio of Kiwi quicks. Banton and Rehan Ahmed (25 from 16) struck some lusty blows to quickly bring the runs required to below a run-a-ball.Although Ahmed and Banton were both removed by Benny Howell (2 for 25), who was the pick of the Phoenix bowlers, Max Holden (22 from 13) led the Rockets comfortably home with 22 balls to spare.