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Kickstarting their summer business and welcoming a replacement for Rayan Ait-Nouri, Wolverhampton Wanderers have now reportedly agreed a deal to sign their third arrival of the window.

Wolves' transfer window so far

Like much of the Premier League’s bottom half, Wolves have endured a fairly quiet transfer window this summer. Despite losing both Matheus Cunha and Ait-Nouri in big-money deals, the Midlands club have failed to welcome an overhaul of fresh faces. Instead, just the two have arrived in the form of Fer Lopez and, most recently, Jhon Arias.

After becoming the latest to arrive, Arias said: “Of course you can’t deny that there are great clubs in England, with a lot of power. But I also believe a lot in Wolverhampton.

“It’s a project that was presented to me, with great players. I don’t even need to talk about André, who you know here from Brazil, or João Gomes, who played for Flamengo, I faced him a lot, I know what a great player he is. Only there you can see that there are many South Americans known from Brazilian football.

“So I believe in the cast they have, in the players they have, and in the coach, who is a guy with a sensational job. So I’m calm about what I’m going to face, knowing what they expect from me. I’ll arrive to give 100%, add to everything the club already has.”

Approach made: Wolves now make enquiry to sign "unbelievable" £15m striker

The Old Gold have made contact over a deal for a centre-forward, with Vitor Pereira looking to bolster his attacking options.

ByDominic Lund Jul 30, 2025

Wolves fans have every right to be excited by the South American’s arrival too. Just last season, Arias created as many as 13 goals whilst scoring four himself in all competitions for Fluminense and will now have the clinical Jorgen Strand Larsen in front of him to add to those numbers.

Meanwhile, with Cunha now arguably replaced, those in the Midlands have now turned their attention towards filling the role of Ait-Nouri ahead of next season.

Wolves agree deal to sign David Moller Wolfe

As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Wolves have now agreed a deal to sign David Moller Wolfe from AZ Alkmaar and have already booked a medical for the left-back as he prepares to fly in and complete his move.

At 23 years old, it’s clear to see why Wolves turned towards Wolfe in search of replacing Ait-Nouri. The Norwegian’s attacking output particularly stands out, with three goals and seven assists in all competitions last season representing a player who could make sure that Pereira forgets all about his former star left-back.

Praised as “athletic” by analyst Ben Mattinson last summer, Wolfe is now destined to become Wolves’ third signing of the summer as the Premier League campaign draws closer and closer.

Afghanistan completed their most high-profile bilateral series win and their first against a team ranked in the ICC’s top five with a 177-run victory over South Africa in Sharjah. After dominating South Africa with the ball two days ago, Afghanistan repeated the dose with the bat on Friday and posted their tenth total of 300 or more to ask South Africa to complete their sixth-highest successful chase. A collapse of 10 for 61 meant South Africa did not even get close and recorded their fifth-biggest defeat by runs. Afghanistan lead the series 2-0 with one match remaining.Birthday-boy Rashid Khan turned 26 and took his fifth career five-for to top off a day of excellence for Afghanistan in all departments. Their celebrations began with Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s seventh ODI century, followed by Rahmat Shah’s 29th ODI half-century and then Azmatullah Omarzai’s fastest fifty in the format. Omarzai reached his half-century off 32 balls, ended unbeaten on 86 off 50 balls and led Afghanistan’s charge of 93 runs in the last ten overs to post a challenging total. While Rashid headlined their bowling, he shared his success with left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, who finished with a career-best 4 for 26.Afghanistan asserted themselves from the get-go when they chose to bat which left South Africa to field in the worst of the heat. Officially the temperature was 38 degrees Celsius but the real-feel was in the late 40s and they did not have any real menace. Gurbaz and Riaz Hassan put on 88 for the first wicket before Gurbaz and Shah shared a 101-run second-wicket stand which formed the spine of the Afghan innings.South Africa’s spinners, Bjorn Fortuin and Aiden Markram were the most effective in keeping Afghanistan quiet and conceded 59 runs in 14 overs between them, but debutant legspinner Nqaba Peter was expensive and Nandre Burger also conceded 68 runs. Lungi Ngidi was the pick of the seamers, particularly at the end of the innings but South Africa lacked wicket-taking ability, which allowed Afghanistan to get away from them with their fourth and fifth wicket stands of 55 off 40 balls and 40 off 23, respectively.Gurbaz got things underway with the first boundary: a massive six over long-off, off an Ngidi length ball. He followed it up with a cover drive for four, and then two pull shots off Burger short balls to race to go from 4 off the first 15 balls he faced to a run-a-ball 24.Fortuin was brought on in the powerplay and kept his end quiet but Burger’s insistence on using the short ball did not serve South Africa well early on. His first spell of five overs cost 32 runs. He was replaced by Peter, whose first over was tight. He gave away a boundary in each of his next two before Markam took over. Markram got the first wicket when he beat Hassan’s inside-edge and hit him on the pad above the knee roll.Rashid Khan appeals for a wicket•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Gurbaz quietened down for a couple of overs but when Wiaan Mulder was brought on in the 21st over, he could not resist a charge down. He hit Mulder over long-on for his second six. What followed was an electric display of shots from both Gurbaz and Rahmat in a stand that seemed to drain South Africa. Rahmat reverse paddled Markam to third and flicked Mulder fine for four, Gurbaz lofted Peter over mid-off, mid-wicket and swept Fortuin to deep backward square to edge towards 90.Then, the nerves kicked in. He spent 18 deliveries in the 90s and seven of those on 99, including a maiden over from Fortuin, as he inched towards his milestone. He got there when he swept Markram behind square leg and his response was as emotive as they come. Gurbaz dropped his bat and then himself to his knees in sajdah, and then composed himself to create a heart-shape with his hands and blow a kiss to the changeroom and a spirited Sharjah crowd. However, in the next over, he swung at a Burger ball, missed and was bowled to end an exceptional knock. This is also the third successive year in which Gurbaz has scored two hundreds. With this knock, Gurbaz has most ODI hundreds for Afghanistan, surpassing Mohammad Shahzad (6).Afghanistan’s 200 was up after 36 overs, and they would have been eyeing a total in excess of 300. Peter made it difficult for them before the last ten overs and picked up his first ODI wicket when he dragged his length back as Rahmat advanced on him, and had Rahmat stumped on 50.Omarzai’s intent in the final period was clear when he hit Mulder over long-off for six two balls into the last 10. He sent Peter in the same area twice, and then hit him over mid-wicket for his fourth six and the shot that brought up his half-century, off 32 balls. Mohammad Nabi was little more than a spectator in the 55-run stand with Omarzai but when he tried to smash an Ngidi slower ball, he skied to Bavuma to depart for 13.That brought Rashid to the crease and he was in immediate trouble, albeit not caused by the bowlers. He hit Ngidi to sweeper cover and ran two but pulled up at the end of the second run with what looked like a hamstring concern. He received treatment on the field, skied the next ball he faced, which Peter couldn’t get to, and then held his hamstring again. Rashid stayed with Omarzai as he took Afghanistan over 300, and any problems he had with his fitness did not show in the field.South Africa’s chase got underway steadily with returning captain Temba Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi’s opening stand of 73 in 14 overs. But Bavuma’s dismissal and then Rashid’s introduction into the attack sparked an almighty collapse. Bavuma top-edged a pull off an Omarzai short ball and the high catch was well judged by Mohammed Nabi. Bavuma departed before he even had a chance to face Rashid, who was given the ball in the 18th over and caused problems with his first ball which teased Reeza Hendricks’ outside edge. Four balls later, de Zorzi tried to drive Rashid through the covers but edged to Ikram Alikhil.Stunned by spin, South Africa went into their shell and scored only 11 runs in the next four overs as pressure built. When left-arm spinner Kharote was brought on in the 23rd over, Hendricks looked particularly out-of-sorts when he stayed back in his crease to play for turn and was bowled. In the next over, Tristan Stubbs was given out on review when he gloved a sweep off Rashid to Nabi at leg slip. Two balls later, Kyle Verreynne failed to pick the wrong ‘un and was out lbw and Markram was left with the lower-order. Mulder was Rashid’s fourth victim, beaten as he stayed back, and Fortuin was bowled by his counterpart Kharote off one that stayed low. At 112 for 7, there was no way back for South Africa.Rashid’s fifth came when he bowled Markram with a googly. Kharote took wickets either side of that to leave South Africa floored. They lost all ten wickets in the space of 20.3 overs.

Leeds United were given a very timely reminder of how easy it can be to get recruitment wrong at Premier League level when they sanctioned a loan exit for Max Wober this month.

The central defender has been sent out on loan to Werder Bremen for next season, having been deemed not to be good enough to play a key role for Daniel Farke next term.

Wober was initially signed by Victor Orta for £11m from Salzburg in January 2023 whilst Leeds were in the Premier League, but he was unable to prevent the team from being relegated.

The Whites have already added Lukas Nmecha, Sebastiaan Bornauw, and Jaka Bijol to the squad that is hoping to avoid the drop next term, but there is still plenty more work to be done before the window slams shut.

Here’s what Leeds United’s dream squad could look like if everything goes according to plan this summer.

The goalkeepers A new number one

Leeds know that they need to recruit a new first-choice goalkeeper to line up between the sticks for them next season, because Illan Meslier is not going to cut it.

The French goalkeeper made three errors that directly led to goals and conceded 2.73 more goals than expected, based on the xG against him, in the Championship last term.

This does not suggest that Meslier is likely to be good enough to make the step up to the top tier again, which is why Leeds should cash in on him amid interest from Fenerbahce.

Leeds have reportedly made contact over a deal to sign goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, who has a £19m release clause, from Torino this month, and he would arrive as the new number one in an ideal world.

Appearances

39

37

Save percentage

71%

76%

Penalties committed

1/4

4/7

Goals prevented

-2.73

+10.56

Pass accuracy in own half

93%

93%

Error led to goal

3

1

As you can see in the table above, the Serbia international could come in as a gigantic upgrade on Meslier, as both a reliable goalkeeper who does not make many errors, and as a shot-stopper.

Full list of goalkeepers: Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, Karl Darlow, Alex Cairns

The defence A whole new left side for Leeds

The last six teams that have been promoted from the Premier League have been relegated at the first attempt, which suggests that it is likely that the Whites will have a busy defence next season as they bid to avoid joining that statistic.

Leeds did only concede 30 goals in 46 matches in the Championship, despite Meslier’s dire form, which may be why Jayden Bogle could stay as the first-choice right-back, and Sam Byram has penned a new deal to provide depth at right-back and left-back when needed.

Farke has already bolstered his ranks at centre-back, though, with the arrivals of Jaka Bijol from Udinese for £15m and Sebastiaan Bornauw from Wolfsburg for around £5m. They will now look to compete with Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk for the two starting roles at the heart of the defence.

It is on the left side of the defence where it will be all change for Leeds, though, as they do not have any senior left-backs in the building following Junior Firpo’s exit.

Gabriel Gudmundsson has joined for a reported fee of £10m to replace Firpo, but the Whites have also been touted with interest in Slavia Prague’s £22m-rated Malick Diouf.

The Senegal international, who is only 20, could be a back-up to Gudmundsson initially, with the potential to explode as an exciting left-back option in the future, after he scored seven goals in 27 league games in Czechia last season.

Full list of centre-backs: Joe Rodon, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jaka Bijol, Pascal Struijk

Full list of right-backs: Jayden Bogle, Sam Byram

Full list of left-backs: Gabriel Gudmundsson, Malick Diouf

The midfielders Farke reunites with former star

The midfield section of the squad is split into two profiles, with one group of midfielders to play in the double pivot of the 4-2-3-1 formation, and the other group as options for the number ten position.

In the first section, Farke currently has Ao Tanaka, Ethan Ampadu, and Ilia Gruev to pick from, but they are reportedly looking to add to their options in that area of the pitch.

They are said to be interested in Hoffenheim giant Anton Stach, who is valued at £17m, after he started 29 matches in the Bundesliga for his club last season.

Possible signing Anton Stach

6 ft 4

Ilia Gruev

6 ft 1

Ethan Ampadu

6 ft

Ao Tanaka

5 ft 11

Brenden Aaronson

5 ft 10

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old German titan would bring some much-needed height and physicality to Farke’s options in the middle of the park.

In the number ten role, Leeds have been linked with an interest in Aston Villa’s Emiliano Buendia, who is valued at £20m, as a player who has worked with the manager before.

The Argentina international produced 24 goals and 41 assists in 121 appearances for the boss at Norwich, which suggests that he may offer more to Leeds at the top end of the pitch than Brenden Aaronson, who only managed nine goals and two assists in 46 league games last season.

Full list of central midfielders: Anton Stach, Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka, Ilia Gruev

Full list of attacking midfielders: Emiliano Buendia, Brenden Aaronson

The forwards Surprise move for huge Premier League flop

Lukas Nmecha, as a back-up striker, is the only attacking signing that Leeds have made to bolster Farke’s options at the top end of the pitch, but they are expected to be active in the forward areas.

They may already be content with what they have on the right flank, though, as Dan James has put pen to paper on a new contract at Elland Road, and they have Wilfried Gnonto in reserve, whilst Buendia is also capable of playing on the right flank.

There does look set to be a change through the middle for the Championship champions, though, as they are in the market to sign another striker on top of Nmecha.

Leeds are reportedly keen on a deal to bring Nikola Krstovic, who is valued at £21m, to Elland Road from Italian side Lecce, and he may be the best available option for the club to pursue.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

16 (20/21 Premier League)

Nikola Krstovic

11 (24/25 Serie A)

Rodrigo Muniz

9 (23/24 Premier League)

Evan Ferguson

6 (23/24 Premier League)

Josh Sargent

5 (20/21 Bundesliga)

As you can see in the table above, Krstovic has the most recent history of hitting double figures for goals among the club’s top centre-forward targets, as Calvert-Lewin’s best season came five years ago.

The Montenegro international has proven that he can score goals in a major European league and could come in to start in the number nine position, leaving Joel Piroe and Nmecha behind him as depth options for Farke, which could also see Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford seek game time elsewhere.

For the left flank, talks to bring Manor Solomon back on a permanent basis from Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly stalled, which means that they may have to explore other options.

As an alternative to the Israel international, Leeds should make a surprise move for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Fabio Silva, who was linked with a move to Yorkshire back in June.

Silva was a huge flop in the Premier League with Wolves, scoring four goals in 62 games after a £35.6m move from Porto, but his form on loan in LaLiga with Las Palmas last season suggests that he has developed since then.

The Portugal international, who was once described as a “generational” talent by scout Jacek Kulig, delivered ten goals and three assists in La Liga, playing off the left and through the middle as a versatile forward, which suggests that he could be a solid addition on the flank for Leeds at a reported fee of £21m.

That would leave Largie Ramazani, who managed six goals and two assists in seven league starts last term, as the back-up option on the left wing next season, and possibly force Jack Harrison out of the squad.

Full list of right wingers: Dan James, Wilfried Gnonto

Full list of centre-forwards: Nikola Krstovic, Joel Piroe, Lukas Nmecha

Full list of left wingers: Fabio Silva, Largie Ramazani

After losing both Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri to both Manchester clubs, Wolverhampton Wanderers have now reportedly turned their attention towards potential incomings and one Premier League rival.

Wolves lose Ait-Nouri and Cunha

Whilst losing Cunha always seemed inevitable due to his £63m release clause, Wolves may not have had the same feeling of inevitability about Ait-Nouri’s future. One swift move from Manchester City soon changed things, however, and now the Midlands club are set to enter next season without arguably their most important players.

Despite being picked apart, however, those in the Midlands still have reason to be positive. Having sold Cunha for his £63m release clause and Ait-Nouri for a reported £36m, Wolves now have money to spend on incomings of their own ahead of Vitor Pereira’s first full season in charge at the club.

As a result, the rumours have already been coming thick and fast. Top of Wolves’ wishlist should be finding replacements for both Ait-Nouri and Cunha before perhaps addressing other areas in need of upgrading.

To that end, names such as Barcelona’s Gerard Martin and Nice forward Evann Guessand have threatened to steal the headlines in recent weeks in two moves that would solve Wolves’ problem.

The latter enjoyed a particularly impressive season in France, scoring 13 goals and creating another 10 in all competitions for Nice. Doing enough to earn the interest of Wolves, the Ivory Coast forward could yet be on his way to the Premier League.

Meanwhile, those at Molineux have also reportedly turned their attention towards signing a reinforcement slightly closer to home and one who already knows all about the Premier League.

Wolves plotting Yegor Yarmolyuk move

As reported by Caught Offside, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now plotting a move to sign Yegor Yarmolyuk from Brentford this summer. Like the Midlands club, the Bees could lose two crucial figures this summer in manager Thomas Frank, who looks destined for Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United-linked Bryan Mbeumo. They are, therefore, keen to keep hold of Yarmolyuk.

Every player has their price, however, and the West London club reportedly value their young midfielder at just €30m (£25m) in what should be an affordable price for a Wolves side fresh from big-money sales.

The Midlands club aren’t alone in pursuit of the 21-year-old, though, with Frank reportedly eyeing the chance to bring him to Tottenham and Leeds United also interested.

The dream XI Wolves can build: Semedo stays; next Cunha & £35m duo all sign

A look at the Dream XI Wolves can build for next season

By
Joe Nuttall

Jun 11, 2025

It should, of course, come as little surprise that Spurs have already set their sights on the Brentford midfielder and Fank’s influence could yet deal Wolves a frustrating blow.

The Spurs-bound manager was full of praise for Yarmolyuk last season, telling reporters: “He possesses a fantastic mindset and trains well every day. If you train well consistently and are one of the best in practice, you will eventually make your way to the starting lineup, and I hope he establishes himself there.”

The summer transfer window is nigh. Everton have one final Premier League match to play out this season, against Newcastle United on Tyneside, but 13th place has been sealed and Goodison Park has been left behind.

The air was blue but the mood was not last weekend, with The Toffees’ victory over Southampton one of the most charged and emotional days in the club’s modern history. A day of celebration.

David Moyes ensured it was so, having led the squad away from the lower levels of the Premier League after replacing Sean Dyche in January. The Scottish tactician will lead Everton into the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and his sights will be set on progress.

While fans are excited about potential incomings, many are leaving at the end of their contracts and interest in star defender Jarrad Branthwaite remains too. Whether the English sensation stays or goes, Moyes wants a new centre-back.

Everton considering bid for new centre-back

According to TEAMtalk, Everton are weighing up a bid for Nantes centre-back Nathan Zeze, though they face fierce competition from Bournemouth, who have already submitted a verbal offer of around €20m (£17m) as they look to replace the Real Madrid-bound Dean Huijsen.

It’s understood that the reason Everton have yet to make any concrete move stems from the ongoing reshuffle process, with the bosses internally deciding who should leave and who should stay.

As per the report, centre-back is deemed to be a ‘priority’ for the Toffees this summer, with the Friedkin Group ready to back Moyes in the market ahead of a fresh start next season.

Why Everton should sign Nathan Zeze

Veteran defender Michael Keane is among the many Everton first-teamers facing the end of their contract this summer, and he could be replaced by a younger man in Zeze.

Hailed as an “elite” youngster by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Frenchman has the potential to reach the level of someone like Branthwaite, with a modern outlook and a left-footed preference that suggests he could even replace the England international, who has been courted by Manchester United over the past year, with Liverpool and Manchester City also among those to register their interest.

In a way, Zeze could become Moyes’ own Branthwaite, arriving as a youngster and becoming one of the most talented defenders in the Premier League at an early age.

Zeze’s development in France could positively impact his start to life at Everton. Take, for example, Branthwaite’s 2022/23 loan spell with PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie. The renowned Premier League defender used that spell, 20 at the time, in Holland to foster his youthful talents, and he’s now reaping the benefits of his toils.

That campaign also serves as a better yardstick than his English exploits, when comparing him with Zeze.

League Stats – Jarrad Branthwaite vs Nathan Zeze
Stats (* per game)	Branthwaite (22/23)	Zeze (24/25)
Matches (starts)	27 (21)	18 (17)
Goals	2	0
Assists	1	0
Touches*	56.6	62.1
Pass completion	87%	86%
Ball recoveries*	6.6	3.7
Tackles + interceptions*	2.3	3.4
Clearances*	3.4	6.6
Duels (won)*	3.4 (56%)	4.8 (61%)
Data via Sofascore

As you can see, Zeze has arrived on the senior stage with a firm defensive quality, so strong in the duel and active in clearing danger away. Moreover, he’s incredibly fierce in ball-winning situations, something that could be translated well into Moyes’ system, where Branthwaite is thriving.

The teenager, who will turn 20 in June, has already played 35 times for the Nantes first team, his maturity underscored by recent weeks, playing every minute of five of his side’s past six Ligue 1 matches, conceding only five goals in that period.

Branthwaite is the cream of Moyes’ defensive crop, but Zeze has that ‘elite’ capacity which could propel him into the upper echelon of defenders in the Premier League.

The Friedkin Group just need to make sure they seal the deal before Bournemouth canvass a proposal the prospect can’t resist.

Moyes already has Everton's Doucoure replacement in future "top PL player"

With Abdoulaye Doucouré set to leave Everton after Sunday’s visit to Newcastle, does David Moyes already have a ready-made replacement?

By
Ben Gray

May 23, 2025

Birmingham City ended up coasting to the League One title in style with five straight victories to close out the season seeing the Blues end on a record-breaking 111 points.

This was the first honour added to the St. Andrew’s trophy cabinet since Birmingham’s dramatic League Cup win over Arsenal in 2011, but the Tom Wagner-backed Blues will be hungry for more successes of this kind when heading up to the Championship.

Back-to-back promotions will be the dream goal for Chris Davies’ men upon their re-entry into the tricky division, with some new statement signings needed to boost their chances of immediately feeling at home in the EFL’s elite league.

One of those major buys could be Che Adams, with the hectic rumour mill suggesting Birmingham are keen on snapping up their former star to add even more firepower to their ranks.

Birmingham's hunt for Che Adams

Late last month, Football Insider broke the news that Davies and Co were eyeing up a spectacular move to tempt Adams back to the West Midlands club.

They further stated that Birmingham were looking to add the 28-year-old back to their roster in order to possess a Championship ready goal machine, with Adams boasting 49 career goals in the difficult division.

But, both Jay Stansfield and Alfie May arguably deserve a crack at the level after firing home the goals to seal promotion for their side.

Moreover, Birmingham could seal a better and more worthwhile purchase than landing Adams by signing an EFL star who might make the likes of Stansfield and May even more prolific.

Birmingham eyeing a more exciting signing than Adams

Luring Adams back to St. Andrew’s won’t be a cheap deal to get over the line, considering he once joined former employers Southampton for a reported £15m.

On the other hand, snapping up the services of Peterborough United superstar Kwame Poku could be a lot cheaper, with a compensatory fee needing to be agreed between both the Blues and Posh as the Ghanaian ace’s contract is now expired in Cambridgeshire.

Whilst Adams’ impressive goal record might well justify whatever bumper fee Torino want, Poku would come in and offer far more than just goals for Davies’ men, with the excellent delivery in the video above proving the 23-year-old’s calmness under pressure to pick out an inch-perfect pass for a teammate.

Of course, Poku’s blistering game does also focus in on his ability to fire home strikes, considering he bagged a potent 12 league goals last season for Darren Ferguson’s men.

But, he can also be unselfish and creative marauding through the centre or down the right channel, meaning the likes of Stansfield and May could have chances galore put on a plate for them if the 5 foot 10 star does finally join.

On top of that, it’s not also guaranteed that Adams would return to the Blues and be an instant rip-roaring success, considering he fired home just 12 goals during his first two seasons at the level when last donning a Birmingham strip.

Games played

27

37

44

Goals scored

12

19

16

Assists

8

3

8

Touches*

46.3

29.0

21.9

Shots*

2.4

2.7

1.6

Scoring frequency

172 mins

142 mins

148 mins

Accurate passes*

20.3 (80%)

8.1 (69%)

10.9 (79%)

Big chances missed

3

13

13

Big chances created

9

6

7

Whereas, looking at the table above, it appears that Poku, Stansfield and May could become a terrifying trio for Championship defences to contain, with the “top drawer” talent – as he’s been lauded by Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony – chomping at the bit to prove himself as an attacking force in the far tougher league.

Also, reunions often just don’t go to plan either. Whereas, if Poku’s League One numbers are anything to go by, he could be the exact fresh blood Birmingham need to become an more formidable outfit stepping back up a division.

Birmingham closing in on signing their next Iwata for Davies

Birmingham City could soon snap up their next Tomoki Iwata with this summer purchase.

1 ByKelan Sarson May 18, 2025

Chelsea have now submitted an opening bid of £64m for an “incredible” striker, but they are set to face fierce competition for his signature from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Blues ramping up striker pursuit

The Blues looked toothless in front of goal yesterday afternoon, drawing 0-0 away at Brentford, with Christopher Nkunku once again failing to deliver at striker, having scored just three Premier League goals all season.

The performance at the Gtech Community Stadium underlined the need for Enzo Maresca to bring in a top striker in the summer transfer window, and the west Londoners have been ramping up their pursuit over the past few weeks.

There has been a positive update on the move for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, with the Nigerian now setting his sights on a move to Stamford Bridge, while Maresca’s side are also plotting an approach for Lille striker Jonathan David, who is set to be available on a free transfer.

Chelsea now interested in signing £43m Inter Milan star alongside Thuram

The Blues have identified a new target ahead of the summer transfer window…

ByDominic Lund Apr 6, 2025

A number of Europe’s top strikers are on the shortlist, including Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, and a report from Spain has now revealed Chelsea have made their first move for the Swedish striker, submitting a €75m (£64m) bid for his services.

However, there may be fierce competition for Gyokeres’ signature, with Manchester United also submitting an offer of the same value, while recent reports have also detailed the Sporting star could be keen on a move to Arsenal following talks with sporting director Andrea Berta.

The Blues believe the forward will be able to adapt to life in the Premier League quickly, which is why they are willing to make a huge offer, and his goal record in Portugal this season indicates he could make an instant impact in Maresca’s side.

"Incredible" Gyokeres impressing in Portugal

The 26-year-old has been in simply sensational form for Sporting this season, amassing 43 goals and 11 assists in 43 appearances in all competitions, showcasing that he is ready for a big move to one of Europe’s top clubs.

Not only that, but the Sweden international, who has been lauded as “incredible”, ranks highly across a number of other key attacking metrics over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Statistic

Average per 90

Shot-creating actions

3.85 (95th percentile)

Progressive carries

4.29 (96th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.18 (83rd percentile)

Touches (Att pen)

6.07 (86th percentile)

With Nkunku potentially in line to leave this summer, and Nicolas Jackson now without a goal in his last 10 Premier League games, it is clear the Blues will need to bring in a top striker this summer.

Gyokeres’ goal record indicates he could be one of the best options on the market, so it is exciting news that Chelsea have now made the first move by submitting an opening bid.

And has anyone scored more runs than Harry Brook against one country while striking above 100?

Steven Lynch17-Dec-2024I heard that Steve Smith scored his 15th century against India in Brisbane. Was this a record? asked Vijay Bedade from India

Steve Smith’s 101 in the third Test in Brisbane at the weekend was his 15th century against India in all three international formats (his tenth in Tests, to go with five in ODIs). That’s the most by anyone against India: Ricky Ponting made 14, and Joe Root currently has 13.The overall record is held by Sachin Tendulkar, who made no fewer than 20 international centuries against Australia – 11 in Tests and nine in ODIs – while Don Bradman made 19 against England, all in Tests (and in 37 matches, compared to Tendulkar’s 110).Virat Kohli currently has 17 centuries against Australia, while Tendulkar made 17 against Sri Lanka. Kohli also has 15 international hundreds against Sri Lanka.Harry Brook went past 2000 runs during his century in the first Test in New Zealand. It was his 36th innings – was this a record, for anyone or maybe just for England? asked Dominic Sampson from England

Harry Brook surged past 2000 runs during his 171 in the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch last month. It was his 36th innings, putting him level with three other batters: the West Indians Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell, and Australia’s Arthur Morris.But there are seven men who reached 2000 Test runs in fewer innings. Brian Lara (West Indies) and Doug Walters (Australia) got there in 35, Marnus Labuschagne (Australia) in 34, Michael Hussey (Australia) and Herbert Sutcliffe (the only England player quicker than Brook) in 33, and George Headley (West Indies) in 32. But way clear at the top is that man again – Don Bradman needed just 22 innings to reach 2000 Test runs for Australia.Amir Jangoo scored a century in his first ODI the other day. How many people have done this for West Indies? asked Conrad Patterson from Barbados

The Trinidad & Tobago wicketkeeper-batter Amir Jangoo, who’s 27, hit an unbeaten 104 in his first one-day international, against Bangladesh in St Kitts last week. He’s in rarefied company for West Indies: the only other man to score a century on debut in ODIs for them was Desmond Haynes, with 148 against Australia in Antigua in February 1978.Haynes was the second man overall to score a debut hundred in ODIs, after Dennis Amiss for England against Australia at Old Trafford in August 1972. In all, 18 men have now achieved the feat. Jangoo was the second to do it in 2024, after Michael English for Scotland against Namibia in Dundee in July.Harry Brook is the only batter to have scored more than 400 runs against a single opposition while striking at above 100•Getty ImagesAfter Harry Brook’s century in the first Test against New Zealand, I noticed he had scored 500 runs against the Kiwis off only 495 balls, thus giving him a strike rate of over 100. Does anyone else have more runs against a single opponent at over 100? asked Alan Green from Northern Ireland

The short answer is no – among batters for whom we have full ball-by-ball information, no one has scored more than 400 runs against a single country at a strike rate above 100. Before the start of the third Test, Harry Brook led the way with 678 runs against New Zealand from 671 balls, a strike rate of 101.04 runs per 100. He’s also in fifth place on this particular list, with 841 runs from 907 balls against Pakistan, a strike rate of 92.72.Currently second behind Brook is India’s Virender Sehwag, whose 1239 runs against Sri Lanka came from 1241 balls, a strike rate of 99.83. Before the third Test in New Zealand, Tim Southee had biffed 619 runs against England from 623 balls (99.35), while Shahid Afridi’s 709 runs for Pakistan against India came from 729 balls, at a rate of 97.25 per 100. For the list, click here. Note that an asterisk in the strike-rate column means we don’t have full details for all the player’s innings, so these should be discounted as they are likely to be inaccurate. It’s also possible (but slightly unlikely) that we are unaware of someone else with better figures.What are the highest tenth-wicket partnerships involving an opener and a No. 11 in Tests and first-class cricket? asked Nirmal Mendis from Sri Lanka

The highest tenth-wicket partnership in first-class cricket between an opener and the No. 11 in the innings in question is 214, by Nick Knight (255 not out) and Alan Richardson (91) for Warwickshire against Hampshire at Edgbaston in May 2002. Wisden called the partnership “astonishing” and “prodigious”, mainly because Richardson had scored only 82 runs in his previous 31 first-class innings, and reached double figures just twice. They took the score from 258 for 9 to 472 all out.By coincidence, the record they broke was also set at Edgbaston, 20 years previously in May 1982, when Geoff Boycott (79) and Graham Stevenson (115 not out) put on 149 for Yorkshire’s last wicket against Warwickshire. The record in Tests is 94, by Sunil Gavaskar (166 not out) and Shivlal Yadav (41) for India against Australia in Adelaide in December 1985.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

While his slow start didn’t hurt Punjab Kings on the night, it could go very wrong at other times – as his predecessors at the franchise would attest to

Shashank Kishore06-Apr-20232:39

Was there a need for Dhawan to start slowly?

Wins matter. And when a side, especially one as inconsistent as Punjab Kings have been in the IPL, wins two in a row to begin a new season, it’s likely there will be cause for celebration, as there should be.But it’s also likely that at some stage there could be quiet introspection about whether Kings were below-par. And if Shikhar Dhawan’s 86 off 56, which looks heaps better than the run-a-ball 30 that he was on after 11 overs, could’ve become a talking point.Did Kings under-achieve by getting 197 on a surface where 220 seemed about par, considering there was “considerable dew” right from the start, as per Sanju Samson the Rajasthan Royals captain?Related

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There was skid off the pitch that took the spinners out of the equation because it was increasingly difficult to grip the ball, and the straight and square boundaries on one side were less than 60 metres.It can look like finger-pointing, but Dhawan’s knock had its gears and phases. Sure, the argument is when one batter is swinging for the hills and connecting with everything, as Prabhsimran Singh did in racing to his maiden IPL half-century off just 28 balls, it was a prudent call to knuckle down and play second fiddle.But the question remains: could Dhawan have shown a little more urgency early on?”I think when Prabhsimran was going so well, he knew he could take his time and play second fiddle,” batting coach Wasim Jaffer said. “That’s where experience counts. When Prabhsimran got out, he took charge and batted through the innings.”We wanted one of the top three to bat through the 20 overs, and he did exactly that. He picked up his strike rate a lot better in the second half. Somebody as experienced as him knows to pace his innings and he did exactly that.”Dhawan began to take on the attack in the 12th over; the first sign of real aggression was when he stepped out to hit Yuzvendra Chahal down the ground for six. Heaves to the short leg-side boundary off Chahal would also bring him back-to-back boundaries off Chahal’s next over, the 14th. It also brought Dhawan his 50th half-century in the IPL, which puts him third behind David Warner and Virat Kohli.Between 2018 and 2020, when Dhawan had his best years, scoring nearly 500 runs every season in the tournament, there was a tempo to his batting in the powerplay that was unmissable. But since 2021, his scoring rate in the first six, especially, has been on the decline.Shikhar Dhawan brought up his 50th IPL half-century•Associated PressIn 2021, he went at 119.48 after facing 231 deliveries. Last year, it was 116.90 across 207 deliveries. This year, he’s made 29 off 25 balls in this phase. And because he’s started cautiously, Dhawan has felt the need to innovate in the latter half. Like play scoops and switch-hits to fast bowlers, like he repeatedly attempted on Wednesday night with varying degrees of success.”If Royals had got there, you’re looking at those five overs he faced for a run-a-ball,” Tom Moody told ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time:Out. “In those conditions, you can excuse a run-a-ball if there’s swing or if the wicket is a bit slow. Then it’s fine. Because you’re building a base. But clearly it was a perfect surface to just stand and deliver, and to be brave and play those big shots.”Which we saw with Prabhsimran, who flat-batted Trent Boult twice and went over mid-off. When you’re chasing, and there’s dew, it’s a small ground and a belter, you need 220. I think it was more a case of he was feeding strike to the batter that was going, but conditions commanded that it was a case of ‘we need to go’ and just not ‘you need to go’. That was the difference.”Watching him bat, you couldn’t help but wonder if he’s putting himself under the same pressure his predecessors at the franchise did. KL Rahul cited a weak middle order as one of the reasons for his conservatism, something former head coach Anil Kumble has pointed to several times since. Mayank Agarwal too seemingly felt burdened by captaincy and was saved the embarrassment of being left out only because he was the designated captain.Kings have now put their trust in Dhawan to lead a resurrection of the team’s fortunes. They don’t have gun batter Jonny Bairstow for the season. And it’s not clear how long Liam Livingstone, who’s still making his way back to full fitness, will be unavailable for.When they find themselves challenged a lot more, Dhawan will be in the spotlight. If he can free himself of the shackles and play without worrying about batting long, it could help Kings put themselves in a position where they can aspire to finally break their playoffs drought.

Since July 2020, spinners have been called for overstepping seven times more frequently

Shiva Jayaraman10-Feb-2021R Ashwin hadn’t bowled a front-foot no-ball in close to 3340 overs across 74 Test matches before the Chennai Test against England. In his 75th Test, however, he was called for overstepping five times in his 73 overs. Shahbaz Nadeem and Jack Leach were called for overstepping in Chennai too, while in Karachi, Yasir Shah and Nauman Ali bowled no-balls against South Africa. There were quite a few errant spinners in the Chattogram Test too – Jomel Warrican alone sent down five. This isn’t a surprise, really. It’s the result of TV umpires taking over on the adjudicating on no-balls.Spotting no-balls is not as easy a task for the on-field umpire as it may seem, as noted here. On-field umpires were calling no-balls only when they were absolutely certain of the infringement, which carried an unwritten benefit-of-doubt clause within it. But since the ICC put front-foot no-balls on the TV umpires’ plate in July 2020, there’s been a spike in the number in Test cricket, and that benefit of doubt has vanished.While a rise in the number for fast bowlers overstepping was to be expected, it has come as a surprise that spinners have erred as often as they have. After all, theoretically, the on-field umpires have more time to look at the popping crease and up at the batsmen when spinners are bowling compared to when quicks are in operation. They should, therefore, have missed fewer no-balls from spinners than from pacers. And so, the increase in no-ball calls against spinners should have been lower when compared with fast bowlers. However, the numbers tell a different story.Since the Pakistan tour of England in August 2020, spinners have sent down 63 no-balls in Test cricket – one every 216 deliveries (or 36 overs). Compare this to the period between August 2018 and July 2020, when spinners were called for overstepping only once in every 263 overs. That is, they’ve been called for no-balls more frequently after TV umpires took over.Meanwhile, fast bowlers are being called for overstepping once every 117 deliveries since August 2020, down from every 275 deliveries in the two-year period before that.ESPNcricinfo LtdOne possible reason could be that years of conditioned thinking – that spinners don’t bowl as many no-balls as fast bowlers do – had lulled on-field umpires into being less watchful when spinners operate. This could have had a knock-on effect on spinners too. You haven’t been pulled up for bowling a no-ball in ages and, therefore, it isn’t a problem you need to pay attention to at the nets.Some more numbers to chew on: Since August 2020, 40 spinners have bowled in Test cricket, and as many as 20 of them have bowled at least one no-ball; in the two years before that, 82 spinners bowled, but only 21 were called for overstepping. The number of spinners being no-balled has nearly doubled. More and more fast bowlers are being spotted overstepping too, but the spike – from 53.2% to 68.6% – is not as alarming.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe graphic above lists the top ten spinners in terms of balls bowled from August 2018 to July 2020 and the number of no-balls they sent down in that period. With the exception of Nathan Lyon and Roston Chase (the latter has bowled only 38 overs since), all bowlers have bowled at least two no-balls since August 2020. Each of them had bowled around 300 overs in Tests before this period and, with the exception of Ravindra Jadeja, been called for no-balls only once at most. This suggests, again, that spinners were overstepping often, just that it wasn’t being spotted.ESPNcricinfo LtdA look at Shannon Gabriel’s no-ball stats tells us that on-field umpires might be paying more attention to repeat offenders – and spinners have not been among them traditionally. Gabriel’s frequency of bowling no-balls has actually improved, indicating that he’s not been adversely affected by the change in TV umpires calling no-balls. In 325 overs between August 2018 and July 2020, Gabriel was called for overstepping 31 times – once every 63 deliveries on average. Among 20 fast bowlers to have bowled at least 300 overs in that period, Gabriel was the worst offender, by a distance at that. Ben Stokes – the next worst – sent down 44 more deliveries on average before he overstepped. And since August 2020, there have been nine fast bowlers – among those who have bowled at least 25 overs – who have transgressed more often than Gabriel has.ESPNcricinfo Ltd