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Newcastle United’s transfer strategy this summer has been one of urgency and precision.

After finishing fifth in the Premier League last season and securing a place in this year’s Champions League, the Magpies have been determined to strengthen in all departments.

The recruitment drive has already seen significant arrivals. Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw, Anthony Elanga and Aaron Ramsdale have all arrived to add competition.

The club’s ambitions to compete both domestically and in Europe are plain to see, but the 3-2 thriller defeat against Liverpool at St James’ Park served as a stark reminder of how quickly plans can be disrupted.

Midfielders Sandro Tonali and Joelinton both picked up injuries, leaving fans and management concerned about the stability of the engine room.

With Champions League fixtures looming, Newcastle suddenly face the prospect of heading into winter without two of their most trusted midfielders.

Newcastle make move for new midfielder

While speculation over Alexander Isak’s future continues to simmer in the background, the pressing priority is now midfield.

Newcastle know they cannot risk being short in the one area of the pitch that dictates both defensive resilience and attacking creativity.

The search for a solution has therefore intensified in recent weeks, and the club has now turned its attention to one of the Premier League’s most exciting young talents.

Transfer Focus

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

According to reporter Jason Soutar, Newcastle United have opened talks with Manchester United over a deal for Kobbie Mainoo.

The 20-year-old midfielder is widely regarded as one of England’s brightest prospects.

The club have enquired about the conditions of a transfer, with the player thought to be open to a move away from Old Trafford.

Mainoo does not fall into the category of wantaway players currently unsettled at United – a group that includes Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia – but his long-term future under Rúben Amorim remains uncertain.

The Portuguese manager has so far preferred to use captain Bruno Fernandes in the central role, often alongside Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte, leaving Mainoo on the bench for two consecutive matches.

Reports have also linked Bayern Munich and former United boss Erik ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen with interest, though neither club has formalised a move.

Mainoo himself is said to favour a switch abroad, but Newcastle’s offer of regular first-team football at a Champions League club may be difficult to ignore.

How Mainoo and Bruno Guimarães could transform Newcastle

The growing recognition of Mainoo’s talent only adds to the intrigue.

Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has compared him to “a mix of Xavi and Busquets”, while United writer Alex Turk describes him as a future “£100m-plus footballer”.

Thus, for Newcastle, this is a chance to recruit not just a stop-gap solution, but a midfielder capable of becoming a cornerstone of their project for years to come.

The most compelling aspect of Newcastle’s pursuit is the potential partnership between Mainoo and club captain Bruno Guimarães.

Since arriving at St James’ Park, Guimarães has been the heartbeat of the team, combining defensive resilience with incisive creativity.

His influence is borne out in the numbers.

Matches Played

38

Minutes Played

3,271

Goals

5

Assists

6

Progressive Carries

64

Progressive Passes

271

According to FBref, last season he ranked in the 91st percentile for progressive passes per 90 (7.29), 78th percentile for progressive carries (1.73), and 89th percentile for shot-creating actions (3.69).

Simply put, he is among the most effective deep-lying playmakers in Europe.

The difficulty for Howe has been ensuring Guimarães is not shackled by too much defensive responsibility. Injuries to key personnel have forced him to sit deeper in the past, reducing his attacking output.

This is where Mainoo’s arrival could be transformative. Despite his age, the Manchester United outcast has already shown an impressive balance between defensive steel and technical quality.

Via FBref, he ranks in the 72nd percentile compared to positionally similar players in Europe for tackles per 90 (2.44) and the 78th percentile for dribblers tackled per 90 (1.25), demonstrating his ability to break up play and protect the back line.

At the same time, his composure on the ball and eye for a forward pass give him the qualities needed to recycle possession and progress play under pressure.

A partnership with Guimarães would allow the Brazilian to push higher up the pitch, dictating attacks and creating chances, while Mainoo shields the defence and links transitions.

It is a blend that mirrors some of Europe’s most successful midfield pairings – the balance of control and creativity that every top team requires.

For Newcastle, such a signing would not only fill the immediate gap left by injuries but also send a message about their long-term ambitions.

Bringing in a player who has already started for England in a European Championship final and scored in an FA Cup victory over Manchester City demonstrates both vision and intent.

At just 20 years old, Mainoo is a talent who could grow with the club as they continue to build towards competing consistently at the highest level.

Manchester United, of course, will be wary of letting such a player leave. He is a Carrington graduate, a fan favourite, and one of the few academy products to establish himself in recent seasons.

But with Fernandes an immovable figure in Amorim’s system and Baleba on the horizon, United may face a difficult decision.

For Newcastle, timing is everything, and their pursuit of Mainoo could prove one of the defining moves of the summer window.

He'd be Gordon 2.0: Newcastle in talks to sign "unbelievable" £60m talent

Newcastle could be set to land their next Anthony Gordon this summer…

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 28, 2025

New Zealand have been the best team on view, but Pakistan come into the final on a high after a massive batting performance against South Africa

Danyal Rasool13-Feb-2025Big picture – Pakistan vs New Zealand is the ideal final match-upIt’s rare for a tournament final to be a dry run, but that’s almost what this Pakistan vs New Zealand game will be. There’s a trophy on the line in Karachi, five days before another Pakistan vs New Zealand game in Karachi – that is the big one, the opening game of the Champions Trophy. In that sense, when this tri-series was planned, this was the final that would have made the most sense, if you’d asked anyone bar, perhaps, South Africa.New Zealand have comfortably been the team of the tournament so far, but Pakistan arguably come in on a bigger high, riding a wave after coming back from the dead to steal the second place on the table after an epic ODI chase against South Africa. The execution of the win was more satisfying than the fact that it happened. Two men in Pakistan’s middle order stringing together Pakistan’s third-highest ODI partnership – Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha put on a whopping 260 for the fourth wicket, masterfully pacing a chase while seemingly not playing a single shot in anger. Most notably, it will allay fears of an over-dependence on Fakhar Zaman up top if the middle order can find a way to stand up for itself more regularly, balancing Pakistan’s batting line-up ahead of the Champions Trophy.Related

Stats – Pakistan's first 350-plus chase, Rizwan-Salman's record partnership

Williamson hails 'outstanding' Conway after record partnership

But Pakistan’s death bowling remains a cause for concern. They conceded 98 in the final six overs against New Zealand, and 87 in the final seven on Wednesday against South Africa. On both occasions, one man in a purple patch took the attack to them – the fast bowlers in particular. It was Glenn Phillips one day, Heinrich Klaasen the next. It keeps New Zealand in the game till late, knowing they can catch up against a bowling line up that has revealed it it vulnerable.New Zealand have just about played two perfect games, with control the key feature of their performances. There is a calm this side exudes when it appears a passage of play is going against them. They didn’t panic when they weren’t quite at the run rate they wanted to be against Pakistan until deep in the innings, keeping their ammunition dry until the opportunity to use it presented itself. When Matthew Breetzke took them on at the death, they retained their composure, aware the target was still below par, and then made short work of it with a near faultless chase.Most notably, New Zealand have shown how to use spin as a leash for the opposition on these surfaces, and possess more experienced, more varied and, frankly, superior slower bowlers. Mitchell Santner has been in the middle of special run the last few months, and stifled Pakistan alongside Michael Bracewell, Phillips and Rachin Ravindra last week. They bowled 26 of the 47.5 overs through that innings, and while Pakistan’s spinners bowled a similar amount, they weren’t nearly as effective.It is a game with silverware up for grabs, and the group-stage rubber between the two next week inflates its importance rather than diminishing it.Form guidePakistan WLWWW
New Zealand WWLWWKane Williamson’s form is a warning sign for Pakistan, as well every side he comes up against in the next few days•Associated PressIn the spotlight: Fakhar Zaman and Kane WilliamsonFakhar Zaman’s fireworks at the start have been integral to Pakistan’s hopes. When Zaman fell for a 69-ball 84 against New Zealand, Pakistan’s chase fell apart in Lahore, and his 28-ball 41 saw Pakistan fly to 91 in the first ten overs – their third fastest ten-over score in ODI history – against South Africa. It has gone some way towards replacing the hole left at the top by Saim Ayub’s injury, and given impetus to a side whose middle order doesn’t quite have the explosiveness to make up for any dawdling up top. On flat wickets where big totals will have to be put up and chased down, and with Fakhar key to Pakistan’s success in international tournament knockout games, his performance and the game’s outcome may well be very closely aligned.Kane Williamson followed up a half-century against Pakistan with an unbeaten hundred to vanquish South Africa. New Zealand haven’t played too many ODIs since the 2023 World Cup, but he appears to have picked up where he left off, on surfaces that are perfectly suited to his immense ability. He showed in the first game he could grind it out on a “tackier wicket”, as he put it, while picking the pace up on the flatter surface against South Africa. His legendary unflappability has handled far bigger occasions, with his current form not just a warning sign for Pakistan, but every side he comes up against in the next few days.Team news: Rachin Ravindra won’t be rushed backWith Haris Rauf unavailable, Pakistan are unlikely to tinker with the side that got them to the final barring injuries.Pakistan (likely): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Saud Shakeel, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), 5 Salman Agha, 6 Tayyab Tahir, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Shaheen Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Mohammad Hasnain, 11 Abrar Ahmed*New Zealand coach Gary Stead said that Rachin Ravindra had experienced headaches after the blow to his head in the tri-series opening and though that has subsided, they don’t intend to rush him back into action, especially with his replacement Devon Conway filling in with aplomb. Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, who had sustained a hamstring injury in the ILT20, has resumed training and is building up his intensity, with Stead saying that the team management will “look to have him playing in one of the next two games.”New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Will Young, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham/Mark Chapman, 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Ben Sears/Lockie Ferguson, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Will O’RourkeThe Pakistan middle order came good on Wednesday, and will hope to cash in on the flat Karachi surface•PCBPitch and conditionsKarachi proved just as flat as Lahore on Wednesday, and the outfield was lightning quick, playing its part in the highest-scoring ODI in the previous game. It will be a warm, sunny day, with temperatures hitting up to 30 degrees.Stats and trivia Fakhar has scored 57, 114, 91, 55* and 0 in the five semi-final/final games he has played in white-ball international cricket. The first three went towards wins. Pakistan lost the other two. Williamson became the fifth New Zealand batter to reach 7000 ODI runs on Monday, and is on the cusp of more run-scoring history: he is 148 away from becoming the first New Zealander to 19,000 international runs. New Zealand have been in 12 finals of multi-team white-ball tournaments since 2000. Of these, they have won four and lost eight. What’s worrying is that the last of those wins came way back in 2005.

Bournemouth's renovation of the Vitality Stadium will start before the end of the 2025/26 season, with plans to to almost double their home ground's capacity waiting for final planning permission. The proposed work will see a complete renovation of the South Stand and the filling in of all four corners of the stadium, adding 9,000 extra seats to the 11,379 capacity venue.

• Renovation of Vitality Stadium to start by Spring 2026

  While the club has yet to announce the exact date the proposed work will start, reports Bournemouth hope to commence renovations between January and March 2026. If planning permission is granted, the Cherries will start the redevelopment by installing a new perimeter fence, turnstiles, ticket office and a 'small-scale extension' to the West Stand, as well as internal refurbishment of the East and West Stands. The club hopes to complete that work by March 2026.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Major work on Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium to run beyond Summer of 2027

  Attention will then turn to the construction of a new South Stand, and filling the four corners of the ground. That work is scheduled to start in August 2026. The final phase of the project will see the expansion of the North and East stands. The club hopes that will start in the summer of 2027.

• Bournemouth lag behind in matchday revenue

  Bournemouth have punched above their weight since their first season in the top tier back in 2015. Having spent nine of the last ten seasons in the Premier League, the club is now in a position to invest in their infrastructure. The Vitality Stadium is the lowest capacity venue in the league by some distance, limiting Bournemouth's ability to generate matchday revenue. In the 2023/24 season, the Cherries generated £6.5m from their stadium. Only relegated minnows Luton Town (£6.2m) garnered less from their gate receipts. The average matchday revenue for Premier League clubs was £45m.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Bournemouth wait on final word on planning permission

  The club is working with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council on the planning and consultation phase. They will hope for a speedy resolution, so they can start to solidify their position as a perennial Premier League fixture with a ground worthy of the top tier. 

MatériaMais Notícias

Já classificado ao mata-mata do Brasileirão Sub-20, o Corinthians foi até Belo Horizonte e empatou por 2 a 2 com o Atlético-MG, na rodada final da fase de grupos. Ambos gols corintianos, anotados por Giovane e Wesley, saíram nos acréscimos do primeiro e segundo tempo, respectivamente.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansOrganizadas do Corinthians convocam para protesto na porta do CT Joaquim GravaCorinthians04/05/2023Fora de CampoPentacampeão defende contratação de Luxemburgo: ‘Pode colocar o Corinthians no rumo certo’Fora de Campo04/05/2023CorinthiansDanilo deve voltar ao Sub-20 do Corinthians, mas fará ‘ponte’ com Lázaro na integração dos atletas da baseCorinthians04/05/2023

+Maycon erra e vira vilão em derrota do Corinthians na Libertadores; veja notas

O resultado assegura o Timão na segunda posição do Grupo A, com 18 pontos, três a menos do que o Flamengo. Já o Galo ficou em quinto lugar e não avançou para a próxima fase do torneio.

O Corinthians irá enfrentar o Athletico-PR, terceiro colocado do Grupo B, nas quartas de final da competição. As partidas irão acontecer nos dias 22 e 27 de julho, e o Alvinegro decidirá em casa. O Timãozinho volta a campo no domingo (7), às 15h, contra o União Suzano, pelo Paulistão da categoria.

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O JOGO

A partida contra o Galo marcou o retorno do técnico Danilo ao comando do Sub-20. Ele esteve ausente contra o Água Santa pois comandou o time profissional na derrota contra o Palmeiras.

O Atlético-MG saiu na frente do placar aos 35 minutos do primeiro tempo, em cobrança de falta na risca da entrada da área corintiana. Giovane, nos acréscimos da primeira etapa, aproveitou cabeceio do zagueiro Renato em cobrança de escanteio e empatou a partida.

continua após a publicidade

+ Veja tabela e a situação do Timão no Brasileirão

O Galo, que precisava vencer para chegar ao mata-mata, voltou do intervalo com ímpeto ofensivo e retomou a vantagem. Isaac chutou da entrada da área e contou com falha de Kauê para fazer o segundo gol dos mineiros.

Aos 49 minutos da etapa final, Wesley recebeu na entrada da área e chutou no canto, sem chance para o goleiro. O resultado tirou o Atlético-MG da competição.

Tudo sobre

Atlético-MGBrasileirão Sub-20Corinthians

Squads for Bangladesh’s tour to the West Indies in November are yet to be announced

Mohammad Isam01-Nov-2024

Mehidy Hasan Miraj, Shanto’s deputy, is one of the front-runners to be Bangladesh’s future captain•AFP/Getty Images

The BCB had named Najmul Hossain Shanto as the Bangladesh captain for the three ODIs against Afghanistan in Sharjah next week. The announcement follows the discussion between Shanto and BCB president Faruque Ahmed on Thursday evening after the Chattogram Test, as Shanto had informed the board of his reluctance to continue as Bangladesh’s all-format captain. BCB however hasn’t announced the squads for the West Indies tour later in November where Bangladesh will play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.Faruque told the media on Thursday that Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was named Shanto’s deputy for the Afghanistan series, and Taskin Ahmed are “front-runners” in the BCB’s captaincy discussion.All three are in the Bangladesh ODI squad. Nahid Rana, the 22-year-old tearaway quick, is only uncapped player in the side. Rana has played five Tests so far, impressing with his pace and bounce. He has taken 26 wickets at 16.46 in ten List-A matches.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The selectors have also recalled opener Zakir Hasan and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed. The left-handed Zakir has played just a single ODI last year to go along with 12 Tests. Nasum, meanwhile, played the last of his 15 ODIs in the World Cup in India last year.There was no room for Anamul Haque, Taijul Islam and Hasan Mahmud. Mahmud is out due to a shoulder injury he picked up in the ongoing National Cricket League.Bangladesh are also without Shakib Al Hasan, who Faruque said voluntarily pulled out of reckoning for this ODI series. Litton Das is also missing due to fever which kept him out of the Chattogram Test against South Africa.The Bangladesh team, which will depart for Dubai in two groups on Saturday and Sunday, will play the three ODIs on November 6, 9 and 11 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.Bangladesh’s ODI squadSoumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Zakir Hasan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana

Glasgow Rangers have used the loan system to great effect in recent seasons and are currently looking for a player to replace their latest loan success, Vaclav Cerny.

The winger spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Ibrox, and caught the eye with his impressive performances on the right flank for Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson’s side.

Cerny, 27, ended the Scottish Premiership season with an excellent haul of 12 goals and four assists for Rangers, which shows that he offered a threat in the final third on a regular basis.

It was the latest example of the Light Blues’ excellent use of the loan market, and there have been plenty of other great examples over the years, going all the way back to the signing of Ryan Kent on loan under Steven Gerrard.

More recently, though, the Light Blues snapped up a promising talent from a Premier League club by signing Abdallah Sima on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, in a deal that was another big success.

Rangers hit gold with Abdallah Sima

In the summer of 2023, the Gers swooped to sign the versatile attacker on a season long-loan from Brighton, but they did not include an option to make the deal permanent the following summer.

Despite only having the Senegal international on loan for one season, Rangers will surely look back on his time at Ibrox as a success due to his quality on the pitch.

As you can see in the graphic above, Sima ended his time in Glasgow with a return of 16 goals and two assists in 39 games, which shows that he posed a big threat as a goalscorer.

The 24-year-old star also started the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, and the final of the League Cup as Rangers won the competition, scoring in the quarter-final against Livingston.

Appearances

25

Starts

17

Goals

11

Big chances created

2

Assists

2

Dribbles completed per game

1.2

Duels won per game

6.4

As you can see in the table above, Sima was particularly prolific in the Premiership, despite injuries limiting his minutes, as he scored 11 goals in 17 starts in the division for Michael Beale and Philippe Clement.

The right-footed forward hit the ground running in Scottish football and proved to be a reliable forward who was depended on by both managers that season.

Overall, it was a brilliant deal for Rangers because they had a high-quality player who made a big impact on the pitch and helped the team to win a trophy, without having to pay a transfer fee for him.

Rangers eyeing move for Brighton talent

The Light Blues could repeat that Sima blinder by signing another young star on loan from Brighton this summer, amid interest in one of their current crop of talents.

Transfer Focus

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

According to Football Insider, Rangers are interested in a deal to sign Brighton’s young English goalkeeper Carl Rushworth on a season-long loan to bolster Russell Martin’s squad.

The report claims that the Light Blues are ‘accelerating’ their efforts to bring in a new shot-stopper to improve the team, as they look for competition for Jack Butland and Liam Kelly.

Carl Rushworth

Football Insider adds that Rangers are working to agree a deal for Rushworth this week, although it remains to be seen if they will be able to wrap up a move before the 17th July deadline for the Champions League squad to face Panathinaikos later this month.

The outlet reveals that the Gers would like to replace Butland and that the Brighton youngster is looking for a club where he can play regular football again.

Why Carl Rushworth would be an Abdallah Sima repeat for Rangers

Rangers would repeat their Sima masterclass with Rushworth because he would be another young loanee from Brighton who could arrive to make an instant impact at Ibrox as a key player on the pitch.

In the 2024/25 campaign, Butland conceded 2.22 more goals than expected based on the xG of the shots against his goal in the Premiership, which shows that he underperformed as a shot-stopper.

Rushworth only played two games on loan at Hull, as they preferred their permanent number one option, but his form on loan at Swansea in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign suggests that he has the potential to come in as an upgrade on Butland.

In that season with the Swans, the former England U21 international started all 46 league games and caught the eye by preventing 4.02 goals (xG) between the sticks, which shows that he could be a better shot-stopper than the current Gers number one based on the quality of his shot-stopping that term.

It was his all-round game in that season for the Welsh side, though, that really suggests that Rangers could find their next Sima success by raiding Brighton for another young gem on loan.

Post-shot xG minus goals conceded

+0.12

Top 14%

Save percentage

70.9%

Top 22%

Touches

50.48

Top 6%

Percentage of passes that were launched long

31.8%

Bottom 49%

Defensive actions outside of the box

1.39

Top 29%

Average distance of defensive actions

16.3 yards

Top 26%

As you can see in the table above, Rushworth is a modern goalkeeper who can act as a sweeper behind the defence as well as being comfortable and composed in possession, taking plenty of touches without launching it long very often.

These statistics suggest that the left-footed star, who was hailed as “fearless” by former boss Matt Taylor, would suit Martin’s ball-dominant style of play, as he will need to be competent at drawing in a press and playing around it, rather than constantly launching the ball long.

Factor in that his shot-stopping form for Swansea suggests that he could be even better than Butland with his hands and the potential is there for Rushworth to be the dream all-round goalkeeper for Rangers.

This is why he could be a Sima repeat because the 24-year-old titan could step in and instantly be the best option to be the number one for Martin, hopefully helping the team to achieve success on the pitch next season, if they can land him on loan.

As important as Raskin: Rangers receive bid to sell "vintage" Ibrox star

Rangers have received an offer for a star who is as important to the team as Nicolas Raskin.

ByDan Emery Jul 14, 2025

Grace Scrivens half-century sets hosts up before Aussies dampen Spirit

ECB Media07-Aug-2024Aussie duo Ashleigh Gardner and Alana King spun Trent Rockets to a much-needed 31-run win over London Spirit at Trent Bridge.Gardner and King combined for six wickets as a star-studded Spirit line-up never threatened to chase down 158 for 5.Young gun Grace Scrivens struck 55 from 43 balls for the hosts, although she had to walk off the field in the second innings when she was struck in the face attempting a catch.It meant Rockets ended a three-game losing streak and was made all the more impressive as Nat Sciver-Brunt, the women’s competition’s leading run-scorer, had a comparatively quiet match with 21 from 12 balls.Former England Under-19s skipper Scrivens played arguably her best innings of The Hundred sharing a 74-run opening stand with Bryony Smith that set the tone for a performance that will have caught the attention of the other teams.Scrivens hit nine boundaries and her opening stand with Smith, who crashed 34 from 22 balls, was only ended in misfortunate when Charlie Dean got a finger on the ball before it crashed into the stumps with Smith unable to recover her ground after backing up.India star Deepti Sharma claimed the big wickets of Sciver-Brunt and Gardner, but Heather Graham’s unbeaten 22 from 12 balls ensured a fast finish.Spirit’s chase was immediately undermined when Gardner removed Georgia Redmayne and Cordelia Griffith from successive balls before King had former Australia captain Meg Lanning caught by Kirstie Gordon at mid-on.Gardner trapped Dani Gibson lbw and when England and Spirit skipper Heather Knight’s sweep at King landed in the hands of Smith, after hitting 29 from 20, the game was up.Gardner and King both finished with identical figures of 3 for 23 from 20 balls as Spirit closed on 127 for 7.Meerkat match Hero, Gardner, said: “It was huge (win for us). It was probably the first game we put all three facets of the game together. The openers did a fantastic job giving us the start that they did, that was the best we’ve been with the ball and we were pretty clean in the field. It was a pretty perfect performance.”

Rising star slams unbeaten 56 from 16 balls then claims two wickets in rout

ECB Reporters Network20-Jun-2024

Jacob Bethell salutes the crowd after his 15-ball fifty•Getty Images

Birmingham Bears 219 for 4 (Bethell 56*, Barnard 48, Mousley 43) beat Northamptonshire 129 for 9 (Bethell 2-18) by 90 runsA scintillating innings from Jake Bethell hoisted Birmingham Bears to a thumping 90-run Vitality Blast victory over Northants Steelbacks at Edgbaston.Twenty-year-old Bethell smashed an unbeaten 56 from just 16 balls, including a 15-ball half-century, the quickest for the Bears in the Blast, to lift his side to 219 for four.Ed Barnard (48, 29), Dan Mousley (43, 26) and Alex Davies (36, 29) had already laid the foundation for a solid total but Bethell turned solid into spectacular with a furious onslaught of seven sixes, including four from Ben Sanderson in the last over.Steelbacks then meandered to 129 for nine (Bethell adding two for 18 to his batting heroics) to suffer their eighth successive T20 defeat to the Bears. The only negative of the night for the home side was an injury to fast bowler Richard Gleeson who limped off the field, apparently with a hamstring injury, after delivering his seventh ball.After the Bears chose to bat, Barnard hungrily seized his first T20 opportunity of the season. He dominated an opening stand of 80 in 52 balls with skipper Davies who was content to play a supporting role.Ravi Bopara did most to shackle the batters with a canny spell of 4-0-21-2 which included the breakthrough wicket when Barnard slogged to deep mid-wicket. Davies chipped to mid-wicket and Hain hammered a return catch to Bopara but Mousley batted with typical brio before slog-sweeping Freddie Heldreich to Sikandar Raza on the mid-wicket fence.That brought in Barbados-born Bethell who thrilled the crowd by thundering to 50 in just 15 minutes. The last five overs of the innings yielded 92 runs.Northants looked shell-shocked and the effects of Bethell’s plundering were evident from the visitors’ early batting. Under massive scoreboard pressure, the top order went for broke and paid the price.David Willey was superbly caught by Barnard at extra cover off Gleeson who was then chipped tamely to mid on by George Bartlett. Gleeson left the field with figures of 1.1-0-2-2 but the Bears charged on towards victory regardless. When Matt Breetzke skied a heave at Craig Miles, it was 20 for three and the Steelbacks had consumed 16 balls and three wickets without erasing what the Bears had scored in the 20th over.Things went from bad to worse for the Steelbacks in the sixth over when George Garton removed Raza and Saif Zaib, caught at extra cover and slip respectively, from successive balls. Bethell’s happy day continued when Miles took a superb catch inches inside the mid-wicket rope to dismiss Lewis McManus.Still there was Bopara and the former England batter has pulled off some highly unlikely rescue acts for his teams over the years, but finding 151 from 67 balls with four wickets intact was beyond even his considerable skills. With his departure, stumped off Jake Lintott, the sun set on the Steelbacks’ hopes of a fightback just as a glorious sunset, a divine fusion of pinks, purples and oranges, settled upon the sylvan Birmingham skyline.

Arsenal are expected to sign world football’s “second best” player with the groundwork for a deal already done, according to a very reliable media source.

Andrea Berta holds talks with key Arsenal targets

New sporting director Andrea Berta is set to take the lead in what is anticipated to be a pretty busy summer window for the north Londoners.

Arsenal make offer to £30m star after Berta successfully convinced Arteta

The Italian and Arsenal’s manager are already working on the club’s transfer plans this summer.

9

By
Emilio Galantini

May 9, 2025

Nuno Tavares, Albert Sami Lokonga, Fabio Vieira and Oleksandr Zinchenko could all quit Arsenal in the summer, according to Sami Mokbel, with Jorginho also agreeing to join Flamengo and Kieran Tierney set to make a return to Celtic after their contracts expire.

Arsenal’s final Premier League games	Date
Liverpool (away)	May 11th
Newcastle United (home)	May 18th
Southampton (away)	May 25th

If Arsenal don’t agree an extension with Thomas Partey, following his arguably best season at the Emirates to date, then the Ghana international will follow them – so it appears there will be plenty of ins and outs.

In terms of incomings, Berta is believed to have reached out to the representatives of a few key summer targets already.

Recently, the Italian has been pushing to sign Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, with extensive discussions held, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

As well as this, Berta reached out for talks with Nico Williams’ representatives in one of his first acts as sporting director, as per The Guardian’s Ed Aarons, with Arsenal exploring a move for one of La Liga’s standout talents.

However, one man who could be arriving before any of them is Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi.

The Gunners have been in advanced talks for his signature since January (The Mail), and the reliable David Ornstein says that those within Arsenal are behaving like they’ve already sealed a deal for Zubimendi.

Arsenal expected to sign Martin Zubimendi this summer

Now, a very credible source in the BBC, and their reporter Mokbel, have shared an update of their own.

Arsenal are very much expected to sign Zubimendi, according to their information, and the groundwork for a deal has already been done, largely by ex-sporting director Edu Gaspar and interim chief Jason Ayto.

The Spain international’s £51 million release clause looks likely to be triggered, but Arsenal should be wary that Zubimendi rejected a move to Liverpool last summer.

Arsenal will be eager to get this over the line early doors after months of negotiations, especially considering Zubimendi’s pedigree as a truly elite number six.

“For me, Martín is the second-best player in the world. We are incredibly lucky to have these two, who I consider the best players in the world.” said Spain boss Luis de la Fuente on Zubimendi and Rodri.

“But we also have other fantastic players who’ve been here and are with us now—another fantastic player, Pepelu hasn’t come yet, but he’s been called up with us.”

It’s a massive season-defining week for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side are still technically in the Premier League title race, but with Liverpool now 11 points ahead with seven games to play, it is all but over.

The Champions League, however, is most certainly not. The Gunners play host to European royalty Real Madrid on Wednesday, and to ensure they have the best chance of heading to Spain with a lead to protect, Arteta has to make a few changes.

Heroes could certainly be made but whether Jakub Kiwior goes on to evoke memories of Philippe Senderos and Co remains to be seen.

Why Arteta has to drop Kiwior

Kiwior played most of the game against Fulham last week and then started against Everton on the weekend due to Gabriel Magalhães’ recent hamstring injury.

To his credit, the Polish international was fine against the Toffees, but against the Cottagers, some of the same issues which have plagued him throughout his time in North London showed themselves again, such as lacklustre ball-playing and questionable positioning.

For example, he was partially to blame for their late goal after getting into and losing a tussle with the rapid Adama Traore.

Moreover, we’ve already seen how he fared against top European opposition in the past, when he started at full-back at home to Bayern Munich last time and seriously struggled, picking up a 3/10 match rating from the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who described him as ‘flat-footed’ while content creator and fan Alexander Moneypenny labelled him as “shakey.”

In all, while Kiwior is a useful squad player and perhaps someone who can come on towards the end of the game, he’s not got the quality to start, especially when there is already a perfect replacement in the squad.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Arsenal star to replace Kiwior

So, given the extent of the injuries to the team’s defensive options at the moment, there are only really two options to replace Kiwior at centre-back tonight, and Arteta should go with Ben White.

The Englishman started at right-back at the weekend and, when fit, has almost exclusively started off the right of a back four across the last three seasons.

However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace was initially signed as a centre-back and spent the majority of the 21/22 campaign there, with 34 of his 37 appearances that year coming in a back two.

Centre-Back

208

4

9

Right-Back

113

5

13

Defensive Midfield

13

0

0

Left-Back

4

0

0

Right Midfield

1

0

0

In fact, across his career to date, it’s been his most played position by quite some margin.

He has made 208 appearances there, so he should be able to slot in without an issue.

Moreover, by starting the Gunners’ “warrior,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, alongside Willliam Saliba, Arteta can once again start Jurrien Timber at right-back, where he has made 26 appearances this year.

Doing this would at least keep most of the team as they have been for much of the season, and when coming up against a team like Real, the rest of the starters need to be confident that those around them will know exactly what they are doing.

Ultimately, it’s not an ideal solution, but Kiwior has not shown enough in his limited appearances to warrant starting a game of this magnitude.

In contrast, White has been Mr reliable during his time at Arsenal and has yet another chance to show why his £50m price tag was more than justified all those years ago.

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