Despite already spending big this summer, Sunderland are now reportedly considering a move to sign a La Liga star who has a release clause worth around £26m.
Sunderland's impressive summer business set to continue
Not many saw it coming, perhaps not even the most optimistic of fans, but Sunderland have so far enjoyed an excellent transfer window. The Black Cats have welcomed as many as six fresh faces, with the likes of Simon Adingra, Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra particularly standing out as ones to watch next season.
The latest to be presented as a Sunderland player, Adingra told the club website after arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion: “It’s a pleasure to be here, and I cannot wait to get started. The Club and the project are really exciting. I spoke with everyone and their interest in me made the decision easy – I wanted to be part of Sunderland’s future.
“Playing in the Premier League has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, so to continue doing that is incredible. It’s a big challenge ahead – we’ll be facing top players and strong opponents – but I’m ready for it.”
Brighton's Simon Adingra in action against Leicester City.
The talented winger will form part of a new-look Sunderland attack that the Black Cats could see in action for the first time in their pre-season trip to Portugal.
Even as pre-season gets underway, however, those back in Wearside may not be done with their transfer business amid reports that another attacking option could now be in their sights.
Sunderland considering Tsygankov swoop
As reported by Diari de Girona and relayed by Sport Witness, Sunderland are now considering a move to sign Viktor Tsygankov from Girona this summer. The newly-promoted side have received positive scouting reports about the Ukraine international and could now make their move to trigger his €30m (£26m) release clause.
Minutes
1,913
1,097
Goals
2
2
Assists
5
2
Key Passes
33
16
Although the Girona man didn’t enjoy the best output last season, he did outperform Sunderland’s new man in Adingra, which would certainly make things interesting if the Black Cats made their move this summer.
Dubbed “outrageous” at the start of his career by scout Jacek Kulig, a move to the Premier League could be exactly what Tsygankov needs to rediscover his best form in front of goal.
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Meanwhile, as they look to form an underrated frontline, Sunderland could welcome a player who has experienced life in the Champions League. At 27 years old too, Tsygankov should be at the peak of his powers and may well prove to be an instant bargain at just £26m this summer.
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta and his ‘scattergun’ approach to the transfer window continues, with a fresh report claiming that discussions are now being held over a marquee Serie A star.
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Berta operates a different transfer strategy to his predecessor, Edu. Rather than identifying one key target to seriously pursue, the Italian is known to work on numerous deals simultaneously before landing on the best one for a key position.
“The best way of describing it is that Andrea Berta’s approach is different to Edu. If he was going to a party, he would lay out three or four outfits, try them all on and finally decide what to wear,” said reliable journalist Ben Jacobs on talkSPORT recently.
19/20 – winter
£0
20/21 – summer
£81.5m
20/21 – winter
£900k
21/22 – summer
£156.8m
21/22 – winter
£1.8m
22/23 – summer
£121.5m
22/23 – winter
£59m
23/24 – summer
£208m
23/24 – winter
£0
24/25 – summer
£101.5m
24/25 – winter
£0
“With this race for a number nine, what’s happening is that both deals, for Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres, are being advanced or ‘tried on’ before a bid is made. Andrea Berta is out in the market, effectively lining up both deals, whereas Edu tended to pick one and be very meticulous, and then discreetly try and get it over the line, often with a series of bids.
“It was either a very smart tactic because Arsenal had confidence that they would get that man, or it dragged on, and we got more summer sagas. We won’t see that with Andrea Berta.”
This was echoed by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg last month, who revealed that Berta held talks over “numerous” transfer targets for the wide area.
Recent reports from Turkey state that one of the many wingers on Berta’s Arsenal radar is Juventus sensation Kenan Yildiz.
Yildiz was said to have emerged as a “prime” Arsenal target recently, and a further update has now come to light on their interest.
Arsenal in discussions with Juventus over signing Kenan Yildiz
As per news outlet Juve FC, the Turkey international commands a valuation of around £85 million, following an excellent 2024/2025 campaign where he finished the Serie A campaign as the Old Lady’s best-performer by average match rating, according to WhoScored.
Juventus'KenanYildiz
It’s also reported that Arsenal have entered discussions with Juventus over signing Yildiz, despite their unwillingness to sell the 20-year-old, as they also try to tie him down with a new deal which could run until 2031.
Juve view Yildiz as a future star and cornerstone of Igor Tudor’s team, while the player himself isn’t exactly chomping at the bit to leave either, despite some contact made with his “close” circle.
The Turk is currently starring at the Club World Cup for Juve, scoring in their 5-0 win over Al Ain, and with £97 million worth of prize money on offer to the victors, Tudor won’t want to lose one of his star men before the tournament ends.
Aston Villa are pushing hard to sign an “exciting” £25m La Liga star, having now submitted a proposal, according to a report.
Villa set sights on new goalkeeper
Emiliano Martinez may well have signed off in the worst possible way in a Villa shirt, having been dismissed for a foul on Rasmus Hojlund at Old Trafford, before his side went on to lose 2-0 against Manchester United in controversial fashion.
However, the goalkeeper will, of course, be fondly remembered, should he decide to move on, given everything the Villans have achieved in recent years, securing a second European campaign on the spin despite the defeat against the Red Devils.
Not only that, but there have been hints that Martinez could remain at Villa Park beyond the end of the campaign, with Unai Emery simply saying “no way” when asked whether the Argentine has played his final game for the club.
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That said, while Emery clearly retains hope of keeping hold of the shot-stopper, Villa and Monchi’s pursuit of potential replacements suggests there is concern the 32-year-old will move on during the upcoming window.
According to a report from Spain (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa are now pushing hard to sign Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, having submitted a proposal, but there is likely to be fierce competition for his signature from some top clubs.
Indeed, Newcastle United, Barcelona, Arsenal, Napoli and Bayer Leverkusen have also made proposals for Garcia, and with all the aforementioned clubs set to take part in next season’s Champions League, it could be difficult for the Villans to win the race.
The Spaniard, who has a reported asking price of £25m, is set to meet with his agent later this week, in order to choose his next club, having set his sights on joining a top side, so a decision could be on the horizon very soon.
"Exciting" Garcia could be solid Martinez replacement
Having proven himself with Espanyol, scout Ben Mattinson believes the Spanish shot-stopper is now ready to make the move to a top club, saying: “An uber-athletic keeper with dominant cross claiming, composure on the ball, standing at 6’3” tall, García is an exciting keeper ready for a step up.”
The 24-year-old is at a good age to be a long-term success at Villa Park, and he was an indispensable member of the Espanyol starting XI last season, appearing in all 38 of the Spanish side’s La Liga outings.
It will be a concern for Villa that so many other top clubs are in the race for the Espanyol star, but it was recently revealed that he has set his sights on being a regular starter, rather than playing second fiddle to another goalkeeper.
As such, if Martinez moves on this summer, a move to Villa Park could appeal to Garcia, given that a starting spot will be up for grabs.
Last month, Liverpool officially confirmed that Mohamed Salah had put pen to paper on a new two-year contract extension with the club to extend his stay at Anfield.
The Egypt international’s deal was due to expire this summer, making him a free agent, but he has decided to commit to the Reds until the summer of 2027.
Salah has scored 33 goals and provided 23 assists in 49 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool so far this season, which illustrates how big of a boost this news was to Arne Slot.
The forward told the club’s official website: “Of course I’m very excited. We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football.”
The news of his new contract at Anfield also means that the right-wing position has been locked down for next season, as Salah’s form suggests that he will be the first-choice in that role for Slot for another two years.
Who plays on the left side of the front three on a regular basis in the 2025/26 campaign remains up for debate, though, as does the future of Luis Diaz.
Why Luis Diaz could move on from Liverpool
Earlier this week, CaughtOffside reported that Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal are eyeing up both Diaz and Darwin Nunez for moves in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Liverpool forward Luis Diaz
The outlet claimed that Slot would rather keep hold of the former Porto star, but that the club would be prepared to cash in on him if an offer of £67m comes in for his services.
It revealed that Al Hilal are ready to pay big to land the winger, who has also been of interest to Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, this summer, which means that his future at Anfield is currently up in the air.
Luis Diaz (Premier League)
23/24
24/25
Appearances
37
33
xG
11.88
9.99
Goals
8
12
Big chances missed
13
9
Big chances created
5
8
Assists
5
5
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Diaz’s output has improved in the Premier League in comparison to last term, after he struggled in front of goal in the 2023/24 campaign.
Liverpool, however, may also see this as inconsistency from a 28-year-old forward who should be in the prime years of his career, and may wonder if it is sustainable or if his finishing will revert to type next year.
Therefore, the club could decide that now is the right time to cash in on him for £67m, amid interest from Saudi Arabia, whilst his value is high off the back of a strong season.
Liverpool would need to have a top-quality left-wing option to replace him, though, and their interest in a Ligue 1 star could be the end of Luis Diaz.
Liverpool eyeing move for Ligue 1 star
According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign Lyon forward Malick Fofana in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Reds and fellow Premier League side Arsenal are the two main suitors for the Belgium international, as they look to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
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It reveals that Liverpool are planning a swoop to sign the 20-year-old starlet, as they look to take advantage of Lyon’s ‘financial problems’, whilst the likes of PSG, Juventus, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United are also said to be eyeing him up.
CaughtOffside adds that the Reds are serious about a move for the Ligue 1 sensation, who is valued at roughly £42m by the French outfit, and that they are looking at him amid doubts over the future of Diaz and Diogo Jota.
With this in mind, FSG swooping to sign Fofana from Lyon in the summer transfer window could spell the end of Luis Diaz’s career at Anfield.
Why Malick Fofana could be the end of Luis Diaz
If the Reds complete a deal to sign the 20-year-old star from Lyon this summer, the club could be even more open to cashing in on the Colombian forward amid strong interest from the Saudi Pro League.
Having turned 20 at the end of March, Fofana is a young player with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve, which would make him a long-term addition for the club. He is eight years younger than Diaz and could, therefore, provide more to the team over the next five or six years, or more.
Malick Fofana for Lyon.
Last month, talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed that the forward has “enormous potential” and a “big future ahead”, and that is backed up by his impressive performances for Lyon at such a young age this season.
Despite being a teenager for the majority of the 2024/25 campaign, Fofana has featured regularly in both Ligue 1 and the Europa League, and chipped in with more than ten goals across both competitions.
Malick Fofana (24/25)
Ligue 1
Europa League
Appearances
28
10
xG
3.72
2.17
Goals
5
6
Big chances created
5
1
Assists
4
1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the £42m-rated star has scored 11 goals and provided five assists, and outperformed his xG by roughly five goals.
Fofana also ranks within the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Men’s Big 5 Leagues and European competitions for progressive carries per 90 (6.69) over the last 365 days, which illustrates how effective he is at getting his team up the pitch through dribbles.
Liverpool's Arne Slot and Luis Diaz
Diaz, meanwhile, ranks in the top 32% with 4.17 progressive carries per 90 in that time, which suggests that the Lyon star could immediately provide more to the team as an outlet to get the ball up the pitch and into dangerous positions.
Fofana’s finishing this season, outperforming his xG by more than five goals, also suggests that the potential is there for him to provide a similar goal threat if Liverpool’s other forwards can get him into high-quality positions on a regular basis.
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Therefore, Liverpool signing the Lyon star could be the end of Diaz at Anfield because he is an incredibly talented player, who plays in the same position, and the club could bring him in as the long-term option on the left flank, leaving the door open for a move to Al Hilal for the Colombian star.
Celtic are on the march to another potential domestic clean sweep, but could now face a battle on their hands to retain a talented young star, per reports.
Celtic take one step closer to a domestic treble
Hampden was literally a sea of green last weekend as Celtic fans packed out the national stadium on Sunday to witness their side batter St Johnstone 5-0 to reach the Scottish Cup final.
Brendan Rodgers now stands effectively one game off becoming the first ever Hoops manager to win three trebles in charge at Parkhead. They only need one point this weekend away to Dundee United to seal a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title.
Celtic managerBrendanRodgerscelebrates with the trophy after winning the League Cup
In essence, Celtic have one match left this campaign that carries direct jeopardy. However, the thought of post-split clashes such as their trip to Tannadice followed by a meeting with Rangers the week after leave enough motivation for the champions to retain a healthy fire in their belly.
Come the summer, Rodgers’ priority will centre around securing Champions League-calibre additions to bolster his side ahead of the final qualifying round.
Crystal Palace youngster Jesse Derry is a target for Celtic following his refusal to sign a new contract at Selhurst Park. On the same token, Stoke City winger Million Manhoef is on the Bhoys’ radar, though may cost £10 million to bring to Glasgow’s east end.
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While incomings are always on the agenda, it would be negligent to rule out the fact that several departures could occur at Parkhead this summer to make room for fresh blood.
Further down the food chain, Celtic could now be set to lose a talented young star in a scenario that fans have seen unfold all too often in recent years.
Celtic could lose Dara Jikiemi to Nottingam Forest
According to Football Insider, Celtic could lose young defender Dara Jikiemi to Nottingham Forest after the Premier League outfit set their sights on bringing the 15-year-old to the City Ground.
Following some excellent performances at club level that led him to captaining Scotland’s Under-15 side earlier this year, he could become the latest in a long line of youngsters who have departed Lennoxtown to move on before making a sustained first-team breakthrough.
Ben Doak, Rocco Vata, Daniel Kelly, Liam Morrison and Cameron Harper are just a handful of prodigious stars who have left the Scottish champions in recent years while at a young age, enjoying a mixed degree of success south of the border and further afield.
Brexit has made Scottish soil a hotbed for scouts from English clubs due to tightened rules over signing EU-based players while they are under the age of 18. Celtic aren’t immune to this and will routinely face challenges in keeping hold of young talent for years to come.
Having made his Test debut earlier this year, the Bengal fast bowler is ready to go again after recovering from dengue fever
Shashank Kishore04-Sep-2024On a pleasant Bengaluru afternoon, after working up a sweat during an intense training session, India fast bowler Akash Deep is on his phone to check scores of the first Rawalpindi Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh.He’s aware he could be in contention for India’s home Tests against Bangladesh later in September, and wants to see how their batters are faring. Watching cricket that is relevant to his immediate assignments has been Akash’s night-time routine lately. During the day, he’s been ramping up his bowling workloads and training hard.”I haven’t played any competitive cricket since the Bengal T20 League in June,” Akash tells ESPNcricinfo ahead of the Duleep Trophy from September 5 in Bengaluru and Anantapur. Dengue fever had sidelined him for three weeks until mid-July, but he’s done the work since to get himself ready in time for India’s home season, and hopes to add to his maiden Test cap that he earned against England in Ranchi this year.”I was on complete bed rest for those three weeks. When I came back to bowl, I realised the body takes time to get back into rhythm. You can do as much gym work as you want, but unless you bowl, those bowling muscles don’t open up.”Akash, 27, is just four seasons old in first-class cricket, and he’s made a strong impression as a skiddy bowler who can dart the ball both ways. When he was spotted by former Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary during a club game in Kolkata in 2018, Akash caused both “hair-raising excitement” – in Tiwary’s words – and frustration because of his tendency to bowl “four good balls and two hit-me balls.” A conversation with India fast bowler Mohammed Shami in Kolkata was a turning point.”He spoke to me about his issues with fitness, what he did to improve, how he came back from injuries,” Akash says. “That chat gave me perspective. I used to bowl mid-130s, but after following his advice, I worked on my fitness and I realised slowly I could bowl long spells without being tired.”In red-ball cricket, I’ve been focusing on consistency. How long can you land the ball on the same spot? Sometimes when there’s nothing in the wicket, you can tire out. My focus has been on building my endurance to bowl long spells and remaining consistent because you need to keep up the pressure and not leak runs.”As a fast bowler, I keep discussing with so many coaches. It’s about building up to get wickets in Tests. The formula doesn’t change, A good ball is a good ball at both club level and international level. My job is to keep hitting the five-to-seven metre mark, keep it there. The more you can bowl there, the more successful you will be.”These habits earned him three wickets in his first hour as a Test cricketer: Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley in the bag before he was six-overs old in Ranchi. As he reflects on those emotions now, Akash has put the giddy high of his Test debut behind him.”When you work hard and come this far, there’s a feeling from within that that I need to do a lot more to stay here. That’s my thinking. I feel I needed to work harder, so that I can play a lot many more Tests.”The journey to his India cap has been tough. In 2015 his father and brother, both of whom were unwell, died in the span of two months. It was then that he considered leaving home for Kolkata to play cricket seriously.”A lot has changed but I think of my dad,” Akash says. “I wish he’d seen me play Tests. Whenever I’m low or in need of that extra push, I think of him. It gives me the strength to get even better.”Akash Deep with his family on the day of his Test debut•BCCIAkash comes from Sasaram, a town in rural Bihar, where in 2007 his entire neighbourhood pooled in money to rent a generator and a TV to watch India play Pakistan in the T20 World Cup final. Sixteen years later, they were gathered around a giant screen outside his house to watch one of them play for India. Akash’s mother and sister, though, were rushing to Ranchi at a few hours’ notice, to watch him get his Test cap from Rahul Dravid.”Growing up, people in our village used to scold us whenever we talked about cricket,” he says. “All we kept hearing was it won’t feed us. No one had ever done anything that could be considered a big achievement. No history of sports, no proper grounds or infrastructure. But when I went back home after my Test debut, I saw kids playing with such joy and parents actually encouraging them. If because of me, awareness in my town has gotten better, what more can I ask for?”Akash is earnest and articulate. He attributes this to his mentors and expresses gratitude towards those who have helped him.”Arun Lal, he’s done so much for me,” Akash says, when asked about those he looks up to. “It’s amazing how some people come into your life. At a time when I didn’t believe in myself, he’d tell me how I’m the best and how I had everything to succeed. Those words to a nobody were very encouraging.”He believed in me more than I believed in myself. That motivated me to learn. When I made my Test debut, I called him to get his blessings. He said, ‘I knew this would happen, I told you five years ago.’ If you’re at five, he’ll build you up to be 10 on 10.”There’s determination to Akash and a hunger that leaves little room for complacency. He knows he’s just getting started. “I feel every stage I’ve got chance, I’ve tried to perform well. But I don’t feel I’ve achieved a lot. As a person there’s no age to learning. If I get into this mindset that I’ve achieved, then that (hunger) dies. I want to just stay fit, keep playing, focusing on that and not think of what I’ve done.”My mindset is simple. The next match I play is the most important match of my life.”
His current rough patch has lasted a lot longer than anyone might have imagined
Aakash Chopra23-Aug-2022″Form is temporary, class is permanent. And Kohli is class.””He isn’t out of form. Just short of runs.””It’s not that he isn’t scoring runs, it’s just that the century hasn’t come. Anyway, it is just round the corner. This series. This tournament. This match.”The chatter started as the wait became longer for the elusive 71st international hundred, but now it has reached a point where the conversation is no longer just about the next century anymore.Related
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What is ailing Virat Kohli?
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There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind about Virat Kohli’s class and his skills, and even if he doesn’t score another run in international cricket from here on, he will still be regarded as one of the greatest to have played the game. A man who did superhuman things and mastered all three formats like almost no others.Still, there’s also no hiding from the fact that the bat that worked like a magic wand isn’t obeying his commands anymore. There are more misses than hits. The aura of invincibility has faded and his presence doesn’t instil the same fear in bowlers’ minds as it used to earlier.But let’s be honest: this has happened to everyone who has played the game before him. That is why you are always remembered for how you lived and not for how you died.Okay, I shall now leave the metaphors behind and focus on the issue at hand.Kohli hasn’t scored enough runs lately. It has been a rough patch that has lasted a lot longer than any of us thought it might – Kohli included, perhaps. There are dozens of theories floating around about what might have gone wrong and how and when this dreadful spell might end. I am guilty of indulging in a couple of them, which I shall elaborate on later in this article.When a player goes through a rough patch, the conversation has only two places to go – is it a technical problem or a mental one? In my limited experience, both are intertwined; often one leads to the other and nobody can determine what came first, chicken or egg.Here’s a cycle of events: a slight technical glitch creeps into your game unknowingly but you ignore its presence because you’re able to handle it for a while with a superior (read, positive) mindset. Until it becomes too much to handle and you lose your rhythm, which results in the mindset not being the same anymore. You then start introspecting and doubt becomes a constant companion. Such a chain might start with a cocky mindset that allows a mistake to creep in in the first place too. Anyway, you get the drift.
Then you start working on both aspects. Technical first, because it’s tangible, and then the mindset: positive thoughts, visualisation, and so on. Eventually you find a way out of the hole… for a while, and then you don’t. This is a basic cycle in a cricketer’s career, repeated many times over, and ending in a final goodbye.I’m in no way suggesting that Kohli’s story is remotely close to its final pages. In fact, considering all that he has achieved, his commitment to his fitness and his fighting spirit, the chances that he will be able to produce an encore are high. But it’s also important that it happens soon enough, for the sake of his and India cricket’s immediate future. After all, there is a World Cup starting in about eight weeks.So is it a technical problem that Kohli is facing? Is it his commitment to the long front-foot stride (the same commitment that got him thousands of international runs) or is it the front foot going too far across now, making him prod at balls outside off? (Remember, Ricky Ponting’s front foot went a lot further across.) Or is it that he doesn’t have a strong back-foot game through the off side and bowlers have finally figured it out?Graeme Smith didn’t cover-drive much. Virender Sehwag didn’t pull or hook. And there are many more such examples. But these limitations did not stop those players from becoming very successful international cricketers. Yes, Kohli is edging more frequently than he used to, but is it the only mode of his dismissals? Once again, I’m not suggesting that there isn’t a technical issue – nobody is perfect – but the length of this dry spell suggests there’s more to it.There are two things that have happened in the last two years that had not happened before with Kohli. There were long disruptions in cricket due to Covid, and also, Kohli expressed a desire to take breaks, which he did not do when he was at the peak of his powers, when he more or less wanted to play every day, if that was possible. Bio-bubble fatigue is real and it drains players in ways they have never experienced before, and long breaks are things most current players don’t know how to handle either.For the longest time, the only way to get back into form for a top player was to play as much cricket as possible, even if it meant playing at a slightly lower level. Everyone went through that drill till about a decade ago. But nowadays, poor form is followed by breaks from the game. I’m not an expert and won’t pretend to be one but we really don’t know whether that’s the best approach towards regaining form and/or confidence. Times have changed and ways of dealing with issues like this might have changed too.
The second thing that changed with Kohli – and it only happened after he had not scored enough for a while – was his approach to starting new innings. The foundation of Kohli’s batting was absolute commitment to his method, in a manner that was almost robotic. But in the last couple of years he seems to have tried various approaches. So much so that you hardly remember what his foolproof old method was. He has gone very hard and he has gone very cautious too. I’m not saying that he has not followed his tried-and-tested method at all but that the deviations from that method have been too frequent.The problem isn’t as grave if you keep getting out for single-digit scores. In those cases you would be able to identify the issue a lot easier. But if you’re getting starts and are committing mistakes much later in the innings (and very often at that), you fail to identify the problem. It’s not the first ball outside off that you’ve nicked but the 70th or the 100th, and that points towards it being more a mental problem. Of course it’s a technical flaw but it’s the mental discipline, or lack of it, that triggers that flawed response.In theory cricket is a team sport, but you are on your own more often than not. While you’re a part of the team’s successes and defeats, you also inhabit an alternative universe of your own performances. And it gets very lonely there.For much of his career Kohli walked a path less travelled – the one that took him to the very top. Now he has to walk a path that almost everyone else has travelled (including himself early in his career). This path might lead him back to the old glory days or he might not achieve the same heights ever again.It’s a disturbing thought but one that must be considered nevertheless, for that’s the only way to live a liberated life. The enjoyment of playing the sport does not lie in coming out all guns blazing or defending endlessly but in playing at your own pace; the pace that you set for yourself without thinking about the outcome, for that’s what you were most comfortable with. That’s when every ball becomes an event – the most important event of your life at that point of time. And that’s when you become one with the sport itself.The current Indian team set-up is ideal for Kohli to be liberated from expectations, including some of his own, because the unwavering focus is on the team outcome. This set-up won’t judge him for the fifties and hundreds he scores or doesn’t but on how he has been able to contribute to upholding the team philosophy, and that’s a lovely place to be in.Kohli has paid a huge price for his own success, which has included not only others judging him by the lofty standards that he set but also Kohli himself trying to replicate the player he was three years ago. You have almost been able to touch and feel his struggle, and there isn’t a cricket lover who hasn’t wished for it to end. Sport should be a source of joy, not agony, for player and viewer alike. We hope that the break he has taken does the trick and the bat becomes his wand again.
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Karthik Krishnaswamy in Hamilton13-Feb-20202:06
‘Opening the innings isn’t new to me’ – Shubman Gill
India have won each of their last seven Tests, each of them by an innings or 200-plus runs. Given this, they should start the red-ball leg of their New Zealand tour at peak confidence, particularly since their opponents are coming off a 3-0 whitewash at Australia’s hands. But injuries and a couple of cases of iffy form have thrown uncertainty into India’s preparations. Here are the key issues they’ll look to sort out over the course of their three-day warm-up game against a New Zealand XI, which begins on Friday in Hamilton.A new opening combinationSince they began opening together, no one has scored more Test runs for India than Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma, and both average in the 90s in this period. New Zealand conditions were always going to be a bigger test for both of them, but now India won’t have Rohit, who’s out with a calf injury.Agarwal, meanwhile, has run into some ordinary form, picking up a pair for India A in an unofficial Test against New Zealand A in Christchurch, and following up with scores of 32, 3 and 1 in the ODI series. More than the scores, he will be concerned by the nature of his dismissals. In the second ODI in Auckland, he was caught on the crease and squared up by a Hamish Bennett delivery that didn’t move all that much, and in the third ODI in Mount Maunganui, he was bowled by one that straightened past his outside edge when he played across the line to Kyle Jamieson.Prithvi Shaw punches the air after a century on debut•Associated PressAgarwal will probably still start the Test series, given the weight of his runs in India’s home season, but who will partner him? Prithvi Shaw has already played two Tests and scored a century on debut, and was set to start for India on their 2018-19 Australia tour, before an injury, and then a suspension, put him out of the game for a significant spell. Shubman Gill is yet to play Test cricket, but he’s made 83, 204* and 136 in his last two red-ball games for India A, in New Zealand, and averages 73.55 in first-class cricket. How well Shaw and Gill do in the warm-up match could determine who partners Agarwal in the first Test in Wellington.Cracks in the pace machineIf all its components were fit and firing, India’s pace attack would be the least of their worries going into the Test series. But Ishant Sharma won’t play the warm-up match, and might miss one or both of the Tests too if his ankle injury doesn’t heal in time.Jasprit Bumrah, meanwhile, will be playing his first red-ball game since the second Test of India’s tour of the West Indies in August-September 2019. He bowled like a demon on that tour, moving the ball whichever way he pleased, at high pace, in the air or off the deck, and taking 13 wickets at the ridiculous average of 9.23, including a hat-trick. Just when he seemed to be at the peak of his powers, though, he sustained a stress fracture of the back, and his displays in white-ball cricket since his return have suggested he isn’t quite back at that level just yet.Ishant Sharma has been laid low by a grade-three tear in his ankle•BCCIIshant and Bumrah are probably India’s most important quicks away from home. Their fortunes over the next three weeks could hinge on how Bumrah copes with a red-ball workload over the next three days in Hamilton, and how Ishant performs in his fitness test in Bengaluru on Saturday. Even as India sweat over those questions, they will keep a close eye on how Umesh Yadav – who performed brilliantly in the 2019-20 home season but hasn’t yet made the same kind of impression overseas – and the pacy but uncapped Navdeep Saini bowl in Hamilton.The Jadeja-Ashwin questionIn India’s last overseas Test series, in the West Indies, they picked Ravindra Jadeja as their lone spinner and left out R Ashwin. As impressive as Ashwin was with the ball in the home Tests against South Africa and Bangladesh, Jadeja probably remains India’s No. 1 choice, with his contributions with the bat particularly hard to ignore.If the first-choice pace trio of Ishant, Bumrah and Mohammed Shami were all at full fitness, India may not have had any need for lengthy deliberations over their combination. But if they have to carry a fast bowler who’s not quite 100% fit, they might need to think of playing five bowlers, which opens a door for Ashwin.Another reason to ponder five bowlers is the nature of New Zealand’s pitches, which, over the recent past, have tended to not deteriorate on days four and five, leading to high-scoring third and fourth innings. There will likely be help for the fast bowlers on days one and two, though, so India have two ways to think about their selection: they might look for first-innings batting solidity and pick six specialist batsmen, or look ahead to an expanded second-innings workload and pick a fifth bowler.
Khadija Shaw surpassed a century of goals for Manchester City as she scored four times to inspire her side to their 10th successive Women’s Super League victory in a thumping 6-1 win over Aston Villa. The Jamaica international took her tally to 103 goals in just 120 appearances in all competitions for the Cityzens, who are now six points clear at the top of the league table.
With both teams taking to the field for their final league fixture of 2025, it was Villa who started the better as Rachel Daly threatened to connect with the in-form Kirsty Hanson’s low cross, but the captain narrowly missed the ball as she slid into the six-yard box.
However, City were soon able to bypass the visitors’ impressive high press, taking the lead when Shaw converted Vivianne Miedema’s first-time cross for her 100th goal. And the 28-year-old scored her 101st just moments later when she raced into the penalty area, before cutting onto her favoured right foot to find the far corner.
Showing no signs of complacency in the second half, City pushed hard for a third and they thought they had it when Miedema bundled home after Shaw hit the woodwork, but the goal was chalked off after Kerstin Casparij was adjudged to have been offside in the build-up.
However, the Blues eventually made it 3-0 when Netherlands international Miedema’s wonderful through ball found Aoba Fujino, who was emphatic with her finish past Villa goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo. So often a threat on the road, having drawn at Arsenal and won at Manchester United, Natalia Arroyo's Villans were rewarded for their consistent pressure when defender Lucy Parker headed home from substitute Missy Bo Kearns’ corner.
But City – who were able to bring on captain Alex Greenwood for her first appearance since October – soon restored their three-goal cushion when Miedema capped off a brilliant performance with a goal – the forward tapping home from Fujino’s neat cross. And for the icing on the cake, Shaw then scored her third and fourth goals of the afternoon as Andree Jeglertz's side secured their 13th straight victory in all competitions. They will now finish the year six points ahead of second-placed Chelsea and eight clear of third-placed Arsenal.
GOAL rates City's players from Joie Stadium…
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Ayaka Yamashita (5/10):
The 'keeper almost gave a goal away with a careless pass into City team-mate Yui Hasegawa, which – fortunately for both players – came to nothing.
Kerstin Casparij (7/10):
On her 100th appearance in all competitions for City, the Netherlands right-back was a threat going forward, forcing a good second-half save from Villa's D'Angelo.
Jade Rose (6/10):
The defender made an important block late on to prevent Villa striker Daly from finding the back of the net.
Rebecca Knaak (5/10):
Fresh from signing a new two-year contract extension in midweek, the centre-back was cautioned for a mistimed tackle on Villa's Daly.
Leila Ouahabi (5/10):
The left-back was up against inspired Villa wing-back Chasity Grant, who won the battle between the two players.
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Laura Blindkilde Brown (6/10):
Neat and tidy on the ball, the England international supplied City's forward line well enough, watching on as Miedema and Shaw did the damage.
Yui Hasegawa (7/10):
The midfielder played a key role in City's second, winning possession in the middle of the park before setting Shaw on her way.
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Aoba Fujino (8/10):
One of City's best performers this season, the Japan international was electric down the right flank, netting her side's third with a superb finish before assisting Miedema.
Vivianne Miedema (9/10):
Displaying plenty of guile between the lines, the WSL's all-time top goalscorer showcased her all-round game by recording assists for Shaw and Fujino, before netting herself.
Lauren Hemp (7/10):
The scourge of Villa, having previously scored seven WSL goals against them, the winger registered the pre-assist in the build up to Shaw's opener.
Khadija Shaw (10/10):
Reaching and then surpassing a century of goals in City colours, the striker was simply remarkable inside the penalty area. She has now scored 12 WSL goals in just 11 games this term.
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Alex Greenwood (6/10):
Returning to the City fold for the first time since October following a period on the sidelines, the captain helped her side see out their victory.
Grace Clinton (6/10):
Replacing Laura Blindkilde Brown after the hour mark, the midfielder thought she scored City's sixth, but it actually deflected in off player-of-the-match Shaw.
Kerolin (5/10):
A second-half substitute, the winger replaced Lauren Hemp and was unable to make an impact on the match.
Iman Beney (N/A):
Emerging from the bench late on, the Switzerland international was not on the pitch long enough to influence things.
Sydney Lohmann (N/A):
Like Iman Beney, she didn't receive enough minutes in order to star.
Andree Jeglertz (8/10):
In what felt like a key moment in the game, considering Villa were spirited in the opening 45 minutes, the manager got his half-time team talk spot on as City were ruthless in the second half.
يرى أحمد فوزي، مدرب حراس منتخب مصر 2008، أن حمزة عبد الكريم اللاعب الناشئ يعد أفضل من ثنائي الفريق الأول للنادي الأهلي.
وقال فوزي خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “الكلاسيكو” المذاع على قناة “أون”: “حمزة عبد الكريم عقليته عقلية لاعب كبير، ينام بدري ويصحى بدري ويتبع نظام حياة مختلف”.
وأضاف: “أتمنى من النادي الأهلي أن يعطي لحمزة عبد الكريم فرصة، فهو لاعب كويس جدًا وهو من أبنائي”.
طالع | مدرب منتخب مصر يكشف حقيقة رغبة برشلونة في ضم لاعب الأهلي
وتابع: “وجهة نظري أن حمزة عبد الكريم أفضل من ثنائي الأهلي جراديشار ومحمد شريف”.
وأكمل: “قبل ماتش سويسرا في كأس العالم بقطر للناشئين، كان هناك مندوب من برشلونة ومعه تفويض رسمي وطلب أن يقابل حمزة، وكابتن محمد إبراهيم مدرب المنتخب تواصل معه”.
وأردف: “كان يوجد عرض آخر للاعب الإسماعيلي إبراهيم النجعاوي، من نادي في سويسرا بـ 600 ألف يورو تقريبًا، لكن النادي الإسماعيلي رفض ولم يعجبه الرقم، وتقريبًا الإسماعيلي كان يطلب مليون يورو، وهذه الأرقام ليست موجودة بالخارج لهذه الأعمار الصغيرة”.
واستطرد: “الكابتن إكرامي الشحات لا يُقارن، من رأيي في الملعب والتمرين لا يُقارن بأحد، وهناك حسين السيد من أفضل ثلاثة حراس في تاريخ الزمالك، وعلى قصر قامته كان ارتقاءه أفضل بكثير من الحراس”.
وزاد: “عبد الواحد السيد أفضل من محمد عواد، عبد الواحد السيد موهوب أكثر، وأرى أن محمد عواد لا يجب رحيله عن الزمالك، فنيًا أرى أن الزمالك يحتاجه، والمهدي سليمان ظلم نفسه بوجوده مع نادي الزمالك لأنه كان رقم واحد في الاتحاد السكندري”.
وأتم: “محمد الشناوي أفضل من أبو جبل، وأبو جبل لما وقع لم يتحمل الضغط، ومحمد عبد المنصف ظلم كثيرًا، كان متواجدا في فترة صعبة جدًا في نادي الزمالك”.