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Liverpool have held back in recent transfer markets, opting against springing into the scramble for new players and instead relying on their existing stars.

It’s paid off, and handsomely at that. Aside from Federico Chiesa, who joined from Juventus for £12.5m last summer but only started once in the Premier League and is being touted for a move back to Italy, no first-teamers have arrived since August 2023, when Jurgen Klopp applied the finishing strokes to his midfield remodel.

Well, that was the case, at least, until FSG activated Jeremie Frimpong’s £29.5m release clause last month, and welcomed the right-sider from Bayer Leverkusen.

Frimpong, electric-paced and positionally flexible, replaces Trent Alexander-Arnold. Elsewhere, Milos Kerkez is in talks to leave Bournemouth and shore up the left flank, while Florian Wirtz is on the verge of following Frimpong from the BayArena to Anfield.

Negotiations have maybe been a tad protracted, but this is a potential British-record signing, and still, his announcement is but a formality at this stage (famous last words).

Fans got a chance to see their potential new superstar in action last night. Germany might have lost in their Nations League semi-final tie to Portugal, but the 22-year-old proved his talent.

Florian Wirtz's performance vs Portugal

Beady-eyed detractors watched on in hopes of Wirtz struggling to make an impression on the international stage, but he scored the opener and was firmly involved in much of the contest.

Clever shimmies, well-worked one-twos and indeed a desire to get at the heart of the affair, on both sides of the field, all highlighted the calibre of player Liverpool could welcome into their fold, even if he trudged home as one of the defeated.

It wasn’t a display that left nothing to be desired, however. Pitted against opposite counterparts Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, the Werkself icon was always going to be up against it.

Still, he scored, showcased his technical range and indeed a defensive persistence that will serve him well under Slot’s wing. The Liverpool head coach, remember, withdrew Jarell Quansah at half-time on his debut last season following concerns over his side’s success in the duel (or, more correctly, lack thereof).

Wirtz could almost complete the puzzle, ensure Slot has the means to win more gold next year. However, Liverpool also need a striker, and may well be planning a hijack for a new nine.

Liverpool plan hijack for new Striker

RB Leipzig failed to qualify for Europe this year, and thus are resigned to selling Benjamin Sesko and Xavi Simons, their two most profitable players.

And according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs, Liverpool could be ready to compete with Arsenal for centre-forward Sesko, potentially seeking to hijack Mikel Arteta’s move.

“The biggest question mark will be over the number nine and if they can genuinely go for Alexander Isak,” Jacobs said.

“Will they drop the £100m that Frankfurt are asking for Hugo Ekitike, they could even enter the race for Benjamin Sesko even though it feels like Arsenal are more advanced on that one at the moment.”

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The Gunners are “more advanced” in their pursuit, but the striker market is rather slim and Sesko, 22, has a €80m (about £67m) release clause.

That’s more affordable than the likes of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.

Liverpool would strike gold with Benjamin Sesko

Liverpool are undergoing a series of changes this summer, and Darwin Nunez is expected to be a part of the exodus, making way for a new striker.

Sesko’s a raw talent, his potential yet untapped, but he’s undoubtedly a star in the making, having scored 39 goals and laid on eight assists across 87 appearances for Leipzig.

The Slovenia international has even been declared “the new Erling Haaland” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, with his incredible power, rangy frame and pace (he’s “one of the fastest players on the planet”) aligning with the Manchester City superstar, who has scored 121 goals from 142 appearances in Pep Guardiola’s team, notably winning the treble. There’s the exemplar, right there.

It would be a fool’s notion to expect a similar pathway for Sesko, but then there’s no denying he’s got all the pieces to become a top talent in the Premier League, especially so if he’s been sourced by a creative phenom in Wirtz.

Wirtz, indeed, will depart Leverkusen having won the 2023/24 Bundesliga as an invincible, winning the Player of the Season. In total, he’s notched 122 goal contributions from 197 total matches for the Werkself.

Taking a closer look at the German playmaker’s extraordinary skill set, we see his passing and line-breaking qualities could serve chance upon chance on a silver platter for Sesko.

As per FBref, Wirtz ranked among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers this season for goal contributions, shot-creating actions and progressive passes, the top 2% for passes attempted and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.

When not threading surgical passes through to Sesko, Wirtz would be charging forward himself, left skip, right, left, right. His slaloming style, expertly weaving past hopeless opponents, would take the heat off the central striker, allow him to get into space.

Then, the pass is played, and Liverpool are ahead once again.

Slot's own Huijsen: Liverpool submit concrete bid to sign "complete" star

Liverpool could be set to make a move to land a star who could become their own Dean Huijsen.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jun 5, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur went into last weekend on something of an increasingly rare high.

For everything else that has gone wrong this season, the North Londoners had just secured their place in the Europa League Final, and therefore the chance to make this campaign a memorable one.

Unfortunately, the little positivity there among the crowd quickly disappeared as Ange Postecoglou oversaw yet another dismal showing in the Premier League, which ultimately ended in the club picking up their 20th league defeat in the competition.

Unsurprisingly, then, reports have continued to emerge linking the club with a host of new managers, including one who’s got Champions League experience and would be a massive upgrade on Postecoglou.

Tottenham's manager search

With the domestic campaign being as much of a disaster as it has this year, it’s hardly been a surprise that, in recent weeks anyway, there has been an avalanche of reports linking the club to a plethora of top managers, like Marco Silva and Simone Inzaghi.

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Since taking charge of Fulham in 2021, the former has helped transform the Cottagers from a Championship side who’d come up and go straight back down on a regular basis into a comfortable mid-table side.

However, with little to no experience in managing a truly big club, the spotlight in North London could be a little too bright for the Portuguese coach.

In contrast, Inzaghi would be an incredible appointment down to his brilliant record with Lazio and Inter Milan, but due to the incredible work he’s done at the San Siro, it feels like hiring him is nothing more than a pipe dream.

So, this need to strike a balance between attainable and exciting might help explain the links to Roberto De Zerbi that have popped up in recent weeks.

For example, it was reported late last month that the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss is someone appreciated by many at Spurs, and then only last week, talkSPORT revealed that he’d be open to returning to the Premier League this summer.

It could be a complicated deal to get done, but one thing is certain: he’d be a significant upgrade on Postecoglou.

How De Zerbi compares to Postecoglou

So, if Spurs are able to convince the Italian coach that they’re the perfect club for him to take charge of ahead of next season, why would he do a better job than Postecoglou?

Well, the first thing to look at is their respective records in English football, as while the Australian has a marginally better one, it should be far greater given the size of Tottenham compared to Brighton and the nature of the latter constantly losing their biggest talents.

For example, the former Celtic manager has managed 98 games in England, of which his side has won 46, drawn 14 and lost 38, which comes out to a points-per-game average of 1.55 – a number seriously helped by the ten-game-winning streak from the start of last season.

In contrast, the former Sassuolo boss managed to win 38 of his 89 games in charge of the Seagulls, drawing 20 and losing 31, which comes out to a points-per-game average of 1.51.

However, since moving to Marseille, the “genius” tactician, as dubbed by analyst Statman Dave, has overseen 20 wins, five losses and 10 defeats, which comes out to a far more impressive point-per-game average of 1.86.

Moreover, the fact he’s managed at a club as massive and intense as the French giants is another big plus; if he’s been able to cope with the pressures on the French Riviera, he’d be fine in North London – which hasn’t been the case for Postecoglou this year.

Finally, on top of doing well in France, the 45-year-old is often credited with being something of an innovator, with Pep Guardiola, of all people, describing him as “one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years.”

Ultimately, it now feels like there is no future for Ange at Spurs, and while he might not be as big a name as some would like, De Zerbi is the perfect combination of gettable, exciting and capable of handling big clubs.

As well as Davies: 3/10 Spurs dud must be axed for the Europa League final

This Tottenham Hotspur player should be dropped for the Europa League final as well as Ben Davies.

By
Dan Emery

May 12, 2025

Everton need to trim the fat this summer. Oh, while excitement is in the air as David Moyes gears up for what may be the club’s biggest summer of spending, there’s plenty going on out the exit door too.

As many as 15 first-team players are out of contract at the end of the season. Some will stay. Many will go. Two of these quandaries take the shape of the culminating loan spells of Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom, neither of whom has enjoyed the best of terms. Several more are made from flotsam drifting out on short-term stints elsewhere.

There are too many profiles to dig into, but one curious expected outgoing is the man who earns more than any of his Toffees teammates: Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Everton set to part with Abdoulaye Doucoure

Back in 2020, Everton signed Doucoure from Watford in a deal worth £20m, and he’s since made 162 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring 21 goals.

Regarded as a ‘pressing machine’, the Malian ace is now 32 and while he still works industriously in the middle, three goals across 29 matches is hardly a prolific return for an attacking midfielder whose duel success rate stands at just 39% in the Premier League this year, as per Sofascore.

Indeed, one of those facing the end of their contract this summer, the £130k-per-week Doucoure is Everton’s top earner. Given the amount of shuffling set to take place over at Bramley Moore this summer, it would be a grave error to renew Doucoure’s deal on the same terms.

1.

Abdoulaye Doucoure

32

2025

£130k-per-week

2.

Jordan Pickford

30

2027

£125k-per-week

3.

Idrissa Gueye

35

2025

£120k-per-week

=4

James Tarkowski

32

2026

£100k-per-week

=4

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

27

2025

£100k-per-week

He’ll be midway through his 33rd year by the end of next season and, despite scoring the winner at Nottingham Forest a few weeks back, no longer carries the same swagger in the final third.

Everton need a new star in attacking midfield. Iliman Ndiaye, Charly Alcaraz and Dwight McNeil make three exciting options, three good reasons why Doucoure’s influence is waning.

That said, the fans could be in for an even more thrilling ride if Everton’s new version of Ross Barkley hits his stride after flourishing for the academy.

Everton's new Ross Barkley

Barkley featured 179 times for Everton’s first team after breaking from the Finch Farm youth ranks, notching 52 goal involvements and drawing inevitable comparisons to Wayne Rooney.

However, he left for Chelsea in January 2018 for a £15m fee, now long archived as a bygone part of the Merseysiders’ history.

It’s been a while since such a player rose to the fore (Anthony Gordon notwithstanding), but Moyes might just find he holds the keys to unlocking the next prodigy, with 17-year-old Braiden Graham making waves for the development outfit.

Graham’s still in that unsure maiden stage, struggling to find his best position. However, a four-goal performance from attacking midfield for the U21s last time out in the Premier League 2 suggests that maybe he has a future as a ten.

Attacking midfield

5

7

1

Centre-forward

5

3

0

Right winger

2

1

0

Left winger

2

1

1

Central midfield

2

0

0

With such dynamism, ranged in his ability to make a positive impression on the pitch, Graham’s surely going to go a long way, not least because his shooting boots seem to stay intact wherever he features.

The Northern Ireland youth international has been hailed as a “fearless” forward and an “incredible player” by his former Linfield boss David Healy, prior to transferring to the Toffees. In short, there’s an ever-loudening buzz around this young talent, whose eye for goal and crisp, powerful dribbling offer shades of Barkley in his Everton days.

Having scored four goals in a single game against Tottenham Hotspur’s U21s – away from home – makes a firm comment on this young man’s potential, not least because Spurs’ U21s won the Premier League 2 last season.

One to watch, and maybe one whose professional Everton debut lingers not too far away.

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ByAngus Sinclair Apr 21, 2025

The 31-year-old will retire from international cricket on Sunday to become a full-time police officer

Shashank Kishore12-Oct-2024Lorna Jack-Brown’s job as a police officer in Edinburgh has taken her down dark alleys. In 2018, when it took a mental toll, she almost retired from international cricket.From nearly walking away from the sport, Jack-Brown, the wicketkeeper-batter, has been able to tick off a “life dream” of playing in Scotland’s first-ever T20 World Cup. On Sunday, against England in Sharjah, she will retire as Scotland’s most-capped woman cricketer, bringing the curtains down on a career that would’ve spanned nearly 18 years.At 31, a full-time career in the police force beckons.Related

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“If I was able to play this far, it’s only because I got help when I needed it,” Jack-Brown reflects. “I realised my work had been taking a toll on me gradually. When it got to a stage where I’d refuse to train, get panic attacks and look for reasons not to play cricket, I knew something was wrong.”Jack-Brown sought help by enrolling at Scotland Institute of Sport. They discovered her stress triggers were because of her police work. As an officer who deals with domestic and sexual abuse, Jack-Brown says she has seen “all kinds of not so nice stuff.””Not that there’s really any nice crime,” she quickly adds. “I certainly went through a few doors and have seen a few crime scenes I never want to see again. I’ve been chucked in front of a bus; I’ve had knives thrown at me. I think the only thing I haven’t had is someone’s throwing out a gun on me, which I’m thankful for.”Jack-Brown’s manner of describing these “interesting experiences” can make her a good screenplay writer for a crime series. She laughs off any prompts when asked if it’s a career waiting to be explored. Her resilience and mental fortitude are impressive.

“We’re here to play in the big leagues too, doesn’t mean we’re cocky, arrogant [laughs]. It’s just me having fun in my final few games”Lorna Jack-Brown

“It’s just hard to understand some of the sights and some of the experiences that I’ve had,” she says. “Even if I’d try to describe it to some of my team-mates, they’d be like ‘sorry, what did you do?’ But yeah, I think it’s not just physical. It does take an absolute mental toll.”This journey of being a police officer was completely accidental. After completing a physical education degree in 2015-16, Jack-Brown spent nine months working for Carnival Cruise Lines in America, “enjoying all the adventure life can offer a twenty-something straight out of college.””It allowed me to see places I’d never be able to otherwise. I had the time of my life. But my nature is such I always want to be doing something different. When I came back from America, a family friend introduced me to the possibility of joining the police.”They were like either you can apply to be a special constable but you wouldn’t be paid or you can apply for the full-time role for which you need to pass an exam. I said ‘bring it on.’ And the next thing I realise is, I’ve prepared and cracked this exam and joined the police [in 2017].”Lorna Jack-Brown with who we think is a very cute cricket fan•Lorna Jack-BrownAfter seven years of juggling two demanding careers, Jack-Brown decided this April, soon after Scotland qualified for the World Cup, that she would draw the curtains on one part of her professional career.”Maybe if we hadn’t qualified, that push to be at another world tournament may have gotten the better of me,” she says. “But I’m very content with my decision. I’ve got a bit going on with my shoulder, a few niggles I need to sort out before I can pick up a cricket bat or throw a ball again.”But yeah, just because I’m retiring from international cricket, it doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop playing. It’s a good time to step back and allow my wife, who also works in the police, some breathing space because over the past few years, me being at cricket tournaments has meant her exhausting all her paid leaves to take care of our daughter and dogs.”Jack-Brown is also focused on making further inroads into her young police career.”I do want to become a sergeant and then hopefully an inspector,” she says. “I also want to delve into the other units and then get as much experience and then start climbing the ranks if I can. But yeah, that’s a journey of 20 years looking ahead.”For now, Jack-Brown is happy living up to her image as the “bad cop” on the cricket ground. “The other day, when [Tazmin] Brits got out, I celebrated wildly and then suddenly her head snaps back to look at me. She kept staring at me, so I was like, ‘I’m gonna keep staring at you too’.”We’re here to play in the big leagues too, doesn’t mean we’re cocky, arrogant [laughs]. It’s just me having fun in my final few games.”Jack-Brown has also been busy planning outings with her parents, who’ve flown in to Dubai to see her wind down a memorable career.”We were at Dubai Mall yesterday, we’ve got the desert safari to look forward to,” she says. “Couple of days of sight-seeing, my final game and they’ll be on the same flight home as us. The other day, I was asked, ‘do you not want to give your mum the business class seat? And I was like no, I don’t want to. I’ve been in this team for 15 years and I’ve never had a business class flight. I was like I’m taking it. It’s probably my reward [laughs] for not giving up, I deserve it.”

As a child of T20, why wouldn’t he favour the format that inspired him?

Matt Roller15-Nov-2022In early 2019, Somerset filmed short video clips of their academy players for their YouTube channel to introduce them to the club’s supporters.They were each asked a series of quickfire questions: Childhood hero? If you could be one current cricketer, who would you be? Would you rather play in the Ashes, World Cup or IPL? Will Smeed, then 17, answered the last question with a self-aware, self-confident smirk as he gave the response that he knew would horrify many fans of English cricket: he went for the IPL.It might be a difficult answer to understand – and one that shouldn’t be taken too seriously – but Smeed is part of a generation who have grown up with the tournament. From 2010-14, the IPL was the only top-level cricket available on free-to-air TV in the UK, regularly drawing in half-a-million viewers per afternoon on ITV4 despite the contempt with which it was viewed by English administrators.Smeed was three years old when England won the 2005 Ashes on Channel 4: for most of his life, English cricket has been paywalled. The minority of young cricket fans with Sky subscriptions might have grown up on a diet of Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, but it was Kieron Pollard, MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers who made a lasting impression on the rest.Smeed has always been “an anomaly”, as he put it in a interview after signing a white-ball-only contract with Somerset on Monday. He played 55 professional T20 games before his 21st birthday and has made appearances in the Hundred, T20 Blast, Abu Dhabi T10 and PSL, but not the County Championship nor the Royal London Cup. His talent is abundantly clear: on 50-over debut this summer (in a game without List A status) he hit 90 off 56 balls against an attack which featured Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi; in August he became the Hundred’s first centurion.Smeed’s decision is groundbreaking. Other English players have quit first-class cricket in the past but the vast majority of them have done so late in their careers, not at the age of 21 and on the fringes of the England set-up. It is a move that young players across the country will have noted and discussed over the last 24 hours.Highly regarded as he progressed through Somerset’s age-group teams, Smeed’s name first came to wider attention four years ago. Playing a Second XI Championship game at the age of 16, he put on 92 for the third wicket with a 42-year-old Marcus Trescothick; both made hundreds, and their stand made headlines.It might prove to have been the highlight of his red-ball career. Smeed insists he has not retired from multi-day cricket but, barring some creative selection for England’s Test team, it is difficult to see a route back for him. Mo Bobat, England’s performance director, saw his decision coming; speaking on an episode of the podcast, recorded last month, he suggested that Smeed “could have a purely white-ball career”.And why shouldn’t he? There is an assumption built into English cricket that Tests should always come first, but the sport has not been set up that way for those of us who have grown up in the 21st century. The genie has been out of the bottle since Smeed was a toddler.In practice, Smeed’s decision may not change much: he has never played a first-class game and the depth of talent nurtured in Somerset’s academy means he finds himself a long way down the pecking order in their Championship team. His short-form dominance and long-form struggles have created the perfect storm for a unique decision.Related

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If Smeed finds a suitor in next month’s IPL auction – and his deal with MI Emirates in the ILT20 hints that he might – then he would have missed the first two months of the season regardless; if he does not, he will have two months between the end of the PSL and the start of the Blast to rest and then train, rather than playing second-team cricket in “an empty field with the wind howling”, as he put it.While money is clearly not his primary motivation – he has already earned huge sums from cricket while most of his friends are racking up debt from their student loans – his move makes financial sense, too. When English players without national contracts miss games to play in the IPL, they are obliged to pay a significant percentage of their salary back to their counties; as a white-ball specialist, Smeed will not have that issue if he gets a deal in 2023.It might have been obscured by England’s Test team under Brendon McCullum, but the game’s formats are quickly diverging. An ODI series starts in Australia this week while the Test squad are training in Abu Dhabi; in February, the white-ball team will play warm-up games in Bangladesh during the second Test in New Zealand. Smeed put it simply: “I would much rather be a master of one trade than a jack of all.”In his school days, Smeed was two years below Tom Banton – now his T20 opening partner – in the same King’s College Taunton boarding house. In 2019, it seemed as though Banton had the world at his feet: he was the Blast’s breakout star and scored five Championship fifties, juggling the formats admirably. Now, he is trying to reboot his career after three difficult seasons in which his red-ball struggles bled into his white-ball game.Instead, Smeed has gone all-in: “I want to be the best player that I can be, and to do that I believe that this needs to be my focus,” he said. In the long term, there may be some concerns over his adaptability – as Ben Stokes showed in Sunday’s World Cup final, T20 is not only about power-hitting – but the dearth of 50-over cricket available to him due to the Hundred’s clash with the Royal London Cup is a bigger factor in that than the decision to put his red-ball ambitions on ice.In due course, Smeed will become a superstar: his fearless hitting and raw power have already attracted him to franchises across the world and his decision this week marks him out as an outlier. But he is also part of a tranche of young players who have grown up with T20: do not be surprised if and when others follow his lead.

In case you were among the many left confused, we try to explain the umpires’ decision here

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Oct-2020On Tuesday evening, the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Rashid Khan was both hit-wicket and caught off the same ball against the Chennai Super Kings. It couldn’t be both, of course. And the incident, a rare one, triggered the question: was Khan out hit-wicket or caught?After verifying with the concerned officials, ESPNcricnfo’s scorers recorded it as ‘Rashid Khan hit wicket b [Shardul] Thakur’. But many readers were left wondering why. Let’s explain…The incident took place on the last ball of the penultimate over of the match, delivered by Thakur. Sunrisers were in a desperate position, needing 22 runs from the final seven deliveries, with Khan on strike. Responding to the wide yorker, Khan quickly moved to his right, went down on his right knee, and hit the ball with power to long-on, where Deepak Chahar completed an easy catch. However, Khan, who had gone deep in his crease to play the shot, had pegged back the off stump and disturbed the off bail with his right heel while playing the shot.The result: Khan became the second batsman in IPL 2020 to be out hit-wicket after the Mumbai Indians’ Hardik Pandya.According to MCC’s Laws of Cricket, ‘caught’ takes precedence over any other form of dismissal except ‘bowled’. Law 33.1 states: “If […] the striker is not out Bowled, then he/she is out Caught, even though a decision against either batsman for another method of dismissal would be justified.”So why was Khan not declared out caught? Simple: the square-leg umpire, Anil Chaudhary, had declared him out hit-wicket as soon as he hit the stumps. Automatically, at that point, the ball became dead. According to Law 20.1.1.3, the ball is “deemed to be dead from the instant of the incident causing the dismissal.”A simpler interpretation is found in , which states that if more than one dismissal is “theoretically” possible “but an umpire gives a decision on one of those methods before the other is completed, it is the first decision that counts”.Coincidentally, the book cites an example matching the Khan dismissal. “A batsman may stand on his/her stumps while playing a pull shot into the air. If the batsman is out Hit wicket while the ball is in the air, the umpire should wait to see if the catch is taken, and if it is, he/she should give the batsman out Caught – should the catch not be taken, the umpire can then give the batsman out Hit Wicket. However, if the umpire does not wait, and instead gives the batsman out before the catch is taken, then the dismissal is Hit wicket.”So now you know.

With various doubts, from age to technical, over the specialist openers in the debate, McSweeney has risen to the top

Alex Malcolm10-Nov-20242:20

Malcolm: ‘McSweeney could be a future captain if he finds his feet’

With Australia’s newest Test match opener Nathan McSweeney standing just a few metres away outside the MCG, chair of selectors George Bailey was asked whether his selection had been the toughest he had made in his tenure in the job.Bailey is never one to give much away. Nor should you ever read too much into his comments. But there was just a momentary pause before he answered.”Not necessarily,” Bailey said. “I think it’s a good thing when you’ve got options, and there’s players that are putting their hands up for different roles. So I think, not necessarily difficult on that front, but always looking for what you think the best balance will be and the sort of make-up of that team.”Related

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The reality is this was a challenging selection. Despite the insistence from the selectors that this wasn’t a bat-off, or “the great Australian bake-off” as Bailey jokingly put it, the way the Australia A teams were selected and the batting orders, on top of the public debate, clearly showed there was no standout candidate even if the selectors had an idea of which way they were leaning from a long way out.Age, Bailey insisted, was not a factor despite McSweeney being 25 and a “super age”, as Bailey called it, compared to a 32-year-old Marcus Harris and a soon to be 32-year-old Cameron Bancroft.The non-selection of 19-year-old Sam Konstas and a host of decisions this panel has made in recent times would be evidence in their eyes that they do pick for the here and now. But it is hard to believe that either consciously or unconsciously, a panel as thoughtful and analytical as Bailey, Andrew McDonald and Tony Dodemaide did not at least consider the possibility that selecting an exclusively over 30s XI in Perth was not the ideal way to future-proof a team that is hurtling towards a transition period.Where they have been consistent is with the insistence that batting positions don’t matter, and they are intent on picking the best players in the country for the Test team.This is where McSweeney’s selection is fascinating. He is set to open the batting in Perth having never done it at Sheffield Shield level and having only done it at first-class level for the first time against India A in the last five days.

Over the last 12 or 15 months, seeing a player whose growth is on a great trajectory, very organized, composed player at the crease, and got a game that will really suit Test cricketGeorge Bailey on Nathan McSweeney

“I don’t think it’s a huge adjustment to go from three to opening,” Bailey said. “I think in the 15 or so games that he’s been batting at three for South Australia, I think he’s been in before the 10th over about 20 times. He’s had plenty of experience. I think his game and the way he plays, I don’t think the adjustment will be too much.”It’s worth drilling into those numbers. The 15 Bailey refers to is the overall innings McSweeney has batted at No. 3 in Sheffield Shield cricket (one of those came for Queensland before the move to South Australia which accelerated his rise). He has averaged 30.86 with one century and three half-centuries that have all come this calendar year in his last seven hits in the position.It is understood Australia’s selectors did a deeper dive into the candidates’ performances against the best Shield attacks on the Test venues in the recent past to find a separator amongst them. McSweeney stood out.Last season he made 64 and 100 in a low-scoring game against a New South Wales attack featuring Jackson Bird and Chris Tremain, 112 not out at the Gabba against Michael Neser, Mark Steketee and Mitchell Swepson, and 117 against the Shield finalists Tasmania on a brutal wicket at Bellerive where the next highest score in the game was 68. This season he scored 55 and 127 not out against NSW at Cricket Central in Sydney where Nathan Lyon took eight wickets across 63.3 overs. His 39 and 88 not out against India A were standout performances in Mackay on a surface assisting the quicks.Nathan McSweeney has impressed at a time when Shield runs have been at a premium•Getty ImagesBut it’s worth noting he batted at No. 3 in just two of those eight innings, No. 4 in five of them and No. 5 once. His entry points were in the 26th, 18th, 46th, 19th, 24th, 11th, 4th and 25th overs respectively. Two of those four centuries came batting behind a nightwatcher.Steven Smith averages 67.07 at No. 3 in Tests with eight centuries, including a double, and though he won’t admit it publicly, even he found the adjustment to opening difficult.For this reason, Harris and Bancroft have a right to feel aggrieved. For 12 months the selectors have pointed to past success stories of Usman Khawaja, Justin Langer, Simon Katich and Shane Watson as converted Test openers to support their stance that batting positions do not matter. But there is a chance they are outliers depending on how you view things. As Smith showed, and as most grizzled openers will attest, there is a distinct difference between occasionally walking out early at one or two for not many to face the new ball and doing it day in, day out for over a decade as Harris and Bancroft have.Harris’ Test scores of 79 and 70 at the SCG and Perth Stadium against a Jasprit Bumrah led India attack in 2018-19, and 76 against James Anderson, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes on an MCG minefield in 2021-22, do not seem to have overturned perceptions around his inability to convert starts and the large gulf between his first-class record at the bowling graveyard of the Junction Oval compared to the Test venues.His 74 against India A on Friday appears to have been too little too late, despite no other top three batter in the game, including McSweeney, passing 25. His play against spin would also be a factor. He looked far from comfortable against Tanush Kotian’s offspin. Australia’s hierarchy are wary of giving R Ashwin a look at four left-handers in the top seven.Marcus Harris’ hopes of resuming his Test career will now likely depend on injury to others•Getty ImagesFor Bancroft, perception about his technical deficiencies are becoming reality. After he was overlooked in January having dominated the Shield for two summers, he was never going to be selected having returned 29 runs in eight first-class innings this season. Bailey insisted the door wasn’t closed for either Harris or Bancroft. But brutally for both men, it is clear they are the wrong side of 30, and despite higher career averages than McSweeney, those too are the wrong side of 40 despite this being a difficult era for batters in Shield cricket.It is noteworthy that McSweeney’s consistency of mechanics, method and decision-making have been praised in the aftermath of his selection.For Konstas, his time is coming but it’s not quite now. When Khawaja will end remains a mystery, but the 19-year-old appears perfectly poised to assume his position with more first-class experience under his belt.Ultimately, McSweeney is in the right place at the right time. He has been identified as a future Australian leader and his first-class form is matching that standing.”[We’re] really thrilled with Nathan’s game,” Bailey said. “Over the last 12 or 15 months, seeing a player whose growth is on a great trajectory, very organized, composed player at the crease, and got a game that will really suit Test cricket. I think he’s wonderful person. He’s clearly had some good leadership exposure now, good catcher, bowl’s some good off spin too. So the package is really impressive.”He is, however, about to step into a new world.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar played in the franchise's first series of the season in late March, going 3-for-15 in a four-game sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres.

It was a rough start to the season for the newly acquired outfielder, which was made worse shortly thereafter when he landed an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.

Profar returned to the lineup on Wednesday night after completing his three-month long suspension, and made sure to make his debut in front of the home crowd at Truist Field count.

With Atlanta leading the Los Angeles Angels 7-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Profar turned on an 89-mile-per-hour Hunter Strickland changeup and launched a towering solo blast deep into the night.

The no-doubt home run cemented a successful home debut for Profar. The Braves won 8-3, and Profar went 2-for-4 in his return from suspension.

It's been a disappointing season thus far for the Braves, who sit at 39-46 on the year, but the franchise hopes that Profar's return can continue to spark an up-and-down offensive attack in the second half of the season.

Vincent Kompany played down links with Manchester City after Bayern Munich chief tipped the Belgian coach to replace Pep Guardiola at Etihad Stadium in future. Kompany played under Guardiola at City for three seasons and is heavily influenced by the Spanish coach's style and philosophy. The 39-year-old joined the Bavarian club in the summer of 2024.

• Kompany linked to Man City

  In his maiden season in Munich, Kompany helped Bayern regain the Bundesliga title after they lost it to Bayer Leverkusen during the 2023-24 campaign. In the current season, Kompany oversaw a blistering start for the Bavarian side, who are currently enjoying a rich vein of form across all competitions. 

  In the Bundesliga, they sit at the top of the table with 34 points from 12 matches, having won 11 and drawn one. Their most recent league outing saw them thrash Freiburg 6-2 at the Allianz Arena, with goals coming from Lennart Karl, a brace from Michael Olise, Dayot Upamecano, Harry Kane, and Nicolas Jackson. Their Champions League campaign has been equally impressive. They enjoyed a flawless record until their last fixture against Arsenal, where they lost 3-1 and suffered their first defeat of the season. 

  Kompany has received praise from club president Uli Hoeness as the Bayern chief claimed that the Belgian would one day replace Guardiola at Etihad Stadium. Speaking at the recent ‘Power Days’ business event, Hoeness said: "Kompany learned a lot from Pep Guardiola. When [sporting director] Max Eberl suggested Kompany as the third or fourth option, Karl-Heinz [Rummenigge] and I called Pep Guardiola, with whom we are both very good friends, and asked him. Pep said, ‘You can take him blindly, he’s a fantastic coach, he’ll even take over Man City someday when I’m no longer there.'"

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  Tipped to replace Guardiola at Man City?

  Speaking about the links to his former club and Hoeness' comment, Kompany said: "I've often said, I'm not here to comment on Uli Hoeness' statements. I have huge respect for him. But in football I can't think that far ahead, my focus is on Bayern and what we can achieve now. I like to just live in the world I have in front of me now, that takes up all my time. I have zero thoughts about other teams, I only see FC Bayern."

• Kompany not bothered by recent drop in form

  Bayern's sensational form has gone down a bit in the past couple of weeks as some key errors have been noticed in their matches of late. Against Freiburg, Bayern conceded two early goals before coming back from the setback to score six and pick up a thumping win in the end. Then came the 3-1 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal in the Champions League.

  Kompany, however, is not too worried about the drop in form as he told reporters: "We started the season by scoring three goals in the first 20 minutes. It was to be expected that it would change. But falling behind is something we're working on, putting a greater focus on. I still think it's normal circumstances but if it starts to become a pattern, we'll have to work on breaking through that. But the last 20 games we've usually led 3-0 after 20 minutes, that's been the case much more often."

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  Kompany wants to end Bayern's wait for DFB Pokal

  After helping the club win back the Bundesliga title last season, Kompany now aims to win the DFB Pokal too, a trophy that Bayern have not won since 2020. Ahead of the club's  DFB Pokal round of 16 clash against Union Berlin on Wednesday, the Belgian coach said: "At the end of the season, we'd like to have this pressure again, even more. We want to put in a good performance and win – we're prepared for anything, for 90 minutes or another 30. It's positive pressure. You can always say you want to win everything — but it takes work and attitude. If we show tomorrow how hungry we are for the final, then we have a good chance."

Curacao have become the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup after a 0-0 draw with Jamaica in their final qualifying game. Curacao finished the third round qualifying stage at the top of Group B with 12 points from six games, one more than Jamaica. Ex-England boss Steve McClaren resigned from his post with Jamaica immediately after the final whistle. The other teams that sealed direct qualification from CONCACAF are Haiti and Panama.

Curacao break Iceland's record

With a goalless draw against Jamaica in their final qualifying match, Curacao became the smallest nation ever to book a berth in the World Cup finals. The record was previously held by Iceland, who made it to the World Cup in Russia in 2018. However, in terms of size and population, the European nation is much bigger than the Central American country, who have a population of just over 150,000 and a land area of 171 square miles. 

Curacao will be the fourth country to make their debut at the 2026 World Cup alongside Cape Verde, Jordan and Uzbekistan. It is an incredible achievement for a nation that only became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010, following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. Only 10 years ago, their FIFA ranking was 150th, but they now sit at 82nd. 

AdvertisementGettyMcClaren resigns after draw against Curacao

Former Manchester United assistant coach McClaren, who initially took charge of the Jamaica national team in 2024, has resigned from his post following the draw against Curacao.

McClaren said: "Over the last 18 months, I have given everything I have to this job. Leading this team has been one of the greatest honours of my career. But football is a results business and tonight we have fallen short of our goal, which was to qualify from this group. It is the responsibility of the leader to step forward, take accountability and make decisions in the best interests of the team. 

"After deep reflection and an honest assessment of where we are and where we need to go, I have decided to step down as head coach of the Jamaican national team. Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is to recognise when a fresh voice, new energy and a different perspective is required to move this team forward."

'It's incredible and amazing'

Curacao midfielder Juninho Bacuna, formerly of Rangers and Birmingham, was excited ahead of the clash as he told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's crazy and would be one of the biggest things that will happen to Curacao. It's incredible and amazing. Even a few years ago, you would not have even thought about it. To be personally part of it and to make that dream come true would be incredible."

Curacao boss Dick Advocaat, who has previously coached the Netherlands and Belgium, will become the oldest manager at the World Cup at 78. This record was previously held by Otto Rehhagel when he managed Greece in 2010 at 71. 

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AFPCan Jamaica still qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

Despite the disappointing draw, Jamaica still have a shot at qualification. They will take part in a six-team mini-tournament in Mexico next March, where they will have to win two games. It will end in a final against DR Congo or Iraq. It remains to be seen who will succeed McClaren in the Reggae Boyz hot seat as preparations for the playoffs get underway.