Dion Myers has said that time away from cricket has given him a broader perspective on his game and renewed energy for his second stint. The 22-year-old Zimbabwe batter had taken a break from cricket to pursue his university studies in the UK before returning to the international fold in the ongoing five-match T20I series at home against India.”Over the last few years, there’s been a lot of self-introspection, seeing how my first stint went and things like I did well… things I can improve upon,” Myers said at his post-match press conference on Wednesday. “And watching a lot of cricket, honestly, along with my own training. It just helps sometimes when you’re out of the system or set-up to be able to look from a panoramic view and see what you can achieve or what you can do better to give to the team. The time away from the game [was] a blessing in disguise and it helped me realise a few more things about myself and also I needed to grow up.”Myers had captained Zimbabwe in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup and, in just over a year’s time, he made the step-up to the senior team in a one-off Test against Bangladesh in Harare. He subsequently featured in ODIs and T20Is for Zimbabwe before pausing his cricketing career for academics. In his third international innings upon return to action, Myers struck an unbeaten 65 off 49 balls, his maiden international half-century, against an India side that had three T20 World Cup champions in their ranks.Related

• Questions to answer for both India and Zimbabwe

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“It’s surreal, honestly,” Myers said. “It’s something that you dream about as a young boy, and I really thank my team-mates and my family for the support and above all, I thank God. Lots of times were tough in the past few years, but [I] managed to find a way, so very proud of it.”Being back in the team…it’s such a nice vibe, wonderful coaching staff as well and they’re there to support us, so I expect a lot more from this team going forward and very excited for the future.”With Zimbabwe moving on from the likes of Sean Williams and Craig Ervine, the young pair of Myers and Clive Madande offered a glimpse into that future with a counterattacking 77-run sixth-wicket stand off 57 balls after they had been reduced to 39 for 5 in seven overs. Myers was particularly fluent against spin, taking Ravi Bishnoi, Player-of-the-Match Washington Sundar and Abhishek Sharma for a combined 44 off 31 balls. Madande, at the other end, lined up seam-bowling allrounder Dube for a pair of sixes.Dion Myers returned to international cricket in this series•Associated Press

“It was the sort of wicket where you couldn’t really come in straightaway and start going at 150-200 strike rate,” Myers said. “I just tried to play it my way, hitting it on the ground early on, get into the game and as the innings goes on, you pick more areas of the ground. But from the others, the intent was great. You can’t fault that and I think if a couple of guys do well, it’s crazy what this team can achieve. It’s just a matter of time, I can assure you that.”Myers had a rust-ridden restart to his career – he had laboured to 23 off 22 balls in the first T20I before holing out for a duck in the second. Also in that second game, Abhishek Sharma whacked him for 4, 6, 4, 6, 4 in a 28-run over. However, that didn’t dent Myers’ confidence going into the third T20I.”It’s brilliant to learn and it’s brilliant to be in the firing line, and I’m a big believer that if a situation presents a tough circumstance, you’re going to stand up or just let it go,” he said. “So, it was a great experience for me, personally, I didn’t take it in a confidence-down sort of a way and I thought there are some things that I need to work on much like they’re trying to improve. That’s how I’m taking it and the rest of the boys are taking it.”After being particularly sharp in the field in the series opener, Zimbabwe were guilty of a number of lapses in the second and third games. Myers summed it up thus: “It was just different phases throughout the game. Maybe we just bowled a touch too straight and a touch too short [with the ball] on the odd occasion and the mis-fields didn’t help us. So, it was just minute differences [between the two teams] but I thought India played very well.”

Looking to add to their Ibrox arrivals after confirming Max Aarons, the 49ers and Glasgow Rangers are reportedly ready to win the race to sign a player who has been dubbed the ‘Brazilian Paul Pogba’.

Aarons "delighted" to join Rangers

Getting to work straight away after completing their takeover of the club and hiring Russell Martin, the 49ers have already secured both Aarons and young Scotland talent Lyall Cameron. Aarons particularly stands out as an impressive coup on loan from Bournemouth given the experience that he built up in the Premier League.

After arriving at Ibrox, the defender told the club’s website: “I am delighted to be here, as you can see it’s a huge club and you realise that when you walk through the doors, I can’t wait to get going.

“I’ve got a lot of experience now in different leagues and I have played a lot of games. I think I can bring that experience, I can bring a new energy, and I think Rangers fans can be excited – I am really looking forward to it.”

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Martin, equally delighted, then said: “Max is a player who I have always kept a keen eye on since he was emerging through the youth ranks while I was coming to the end of my time at Norwich as a player.

“He is a wonderfully talented player who is hungry to develop, improve and help deliver success for his side. We are pleased to bring him on board for this season, and I believe he will be a fantastic addition to the squad.”

The Scottish giants will be hoping that Aarons’ arrival is the first of many amid links to the likes of Conor Coady and an impressive midfielder who has reportedly been handpicked by the 49ers.

49ers now ready to battle for Metinho

According to The Scottish Sun, the 49ers are now ready to win the race to sign Metinho ahead of Champions League side Basel this summer. The American owners reportedly handpicked the Troyes midfielder as someone they wanted to invest in before arriving at Ibrox and now have the perfect opportunity to do so.

Earning high praise from scout Kai Watson, who described the midfielder as a “strong passer of the ball”, Metinho has also been dubbed the ‘Brazilian Paul Pogba” in the past – highlighting the talent that Rangers could be signing.

Fending off interest from Basel won’t be easy, however, after the 22-year-old spent last season on loan in Switzerland, but the 49ers will be hoping that their newest project will be enough to build a strong case. After Aarons, Metinho would certainly only continue a promising start to Rangers’ summer window.

Opening pair combine for club-record 259-run partnership to set up huge win

ECB Reporters Network24-Jul-2024

Ed Pollock flicks off his pads•Stu Forster/Getty Images

Centurions Ed Pollock and Gareth Roderick rewrote the record books in spectacular style for Worcestershire during their 183-run Metro Bank One Day Cup triumph over Middlesex at New Road.The opening pair smashed 259 off just 35.2 overs, Worcestershire’s highest first wicket List A partnership, in a total of 371 for 3 from 48 overs. Their stand surpassed by the 243 made by Brett D’Oliveira and Jack Haynes against Essex at Chelmsford three years ago.Pollock went onto amass 180 from 138 balls with five sixes and 21 fours, his second century in four days after his 120 not out against Wales in a warm-up match. It was the joint second-highest individual score for Worcestershire in List A cricket alongside Tom Moody with only Callum Ferguson (192) ahead of Pollock.Roderick was the perfect foil to Pollock during the initial phase of his innings but then accelerated to such an extent that he scored his 115 off only 104 balls and also with five sixes in addition to 10 other boundaries.A three wicket burst with the new ball by Harry Darley, one of six Worcestershire One-Day Cup debutants, pressed home his side’s advantage. Another in Jack Home then chipped in with three wickets and, Middlesex who lost half of their side for 118 despite Mark Stoneman’s powerful 75 off 37 balls, were bowled out in just 25.4 overs.Worcestershire fielded arguably the most inexperienced attack in their history after being decimated by injury and illness. Their absentees were Joe Leach, Adam Finch, Nathan Smith, Ben Gibbon, Matthew Waite, Yadvinder Singh, Josh Cobb, Kashif Ali and D’Oliveira.Six players made their One-Day Cup debuts in Home and Darley, Rehaan Edavalath and three new short-term signings from National Counties cricket in Tom Hinley (Oxfordshire), Hishaam Khan (Staffordshire) and Tommy Sturgess (Berkshire). Middlesex had five players absent due to the Hundred in Stephen Eskinazi, Max Holden, Leus du Plooy, Ryan Higgins and Tom Helm, and handed first One Day Cup starts to Nathan Fernandes and Noah Cornwell.Worcestershire were put into bat and Pollock and Roderick gave them a flying start with a century stand in 16.3 overs. Pollock was the dominant partner initially and raced to his half century off 45 balls. But Roderick gradually stepped on the accelerator in supporting the left-hander as boundaries flowed constantly and he completed a 62-ball fifty.Pollock moved into the 90s with a six backward of square off Blake Cullen and then a steer to third man off the same bowler enabled him to complete a superb hundred. Roderick swept Fernandes for another maximum – his fourth – in completing a 92-ball hundred which also contained nine fours.The stand was worth 259 in 35.2 overs when Roderick attempted a similar shot against Fernandes and was bowled. But then Rob Jones provided staunch support in adding 93 in just 10.2 overs with Pollock.. His memorable effort finally ended when he went for another big hit against Fernandes and was caught at long-on.Darley, who made his senior debut with four appearances in the Vitality Blast, struck a trio of early blows with the new ball when Middlesex launched their reply. His second legitimate delivery nipped back and bowled Sam Robson and then a similar ball hit the top of Joe Cracknell’s off stump.There was more joy for Darley when Fernandes aimed a leg-side blow and popped up a catch to captain Jake Libby at cover. Home came into the attack and struck when Jack Davies top edged a skier to fellow keeper Roderick. He then had Stoneman caught behind when driving and Martin Andersson holed out to third man and the innings quickly subsided.

Celtic are set to be in the market to bring a new number nine option to the club to compete for a starting berth at the top end of the pitch next season.

The Hoops have added 19-year-old striker Callum Osmand to the group, on a free transfer from Premier League side Fulham, but the young whiz has yet to play a single senior match in his career.

Brendan Rodgers is still looking for a bona fide first-team striker option, though, to finally replace Kyogo Furuhashi, who left the club to sign for Rennes in the January transfer window.

The Hoops opted against any moves to directly replace the Japan international that month, but they could change that by signing a striker to compete with Adam Idah, Osmand, and Daizen Maeda.

Celtic may not need to splash the cash, immediately, to sign a quality centre-forward, though, as their previous deal for Odsonne Edouard shows that the loan route can be a profitable one.

Celtic hit the jackpot with Odsonne Edouard

In the summer of 2017, the Scottish giants swooped to sign the French teenager from Paris Saint-Germain on loan with an option to make it permanent the following year.

Edouard hit the ground running at Parkhead as a loanee with a return of 11 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions for the club in the 2017/18 campaign, which shows that he made an immediate impact on the pitch during his time on loan.

His impressive form throughout that season convinced the Hoops to activate their option to sign him permanently in the summer of 2018, for a club-record fee of £9m.

That club-record transfer fee turned out to be a snip for Celtic because Edouard went on to provide goals at an exceptional rate over the next three seasons, before being sold for a healthy profit.

24/25

Daizen Maeda

33

23/24

Kyogo Furuhashi

19

22/23

Kyogo Furuhashi

34

21/22

Kyogo Furuhashi

20

20/21

Odsonne Edouard

22

19/20

Odsonne Edouard

29

18/19

Odsonne Edouard

22

The French striker, who scored at least 22 goals in each of those three campaigns, showed incredible consistency in the final third with his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

This led to Crystal Palace swooping in to sign him for a fee of up to £18.5m in the summer of 2021, which shows that Celtic hit the jackpot with the forward, who delivered consistent quality on the pitch and made the club a huge profit.

Celtic exploring loan deal for new striker

In the present day, the Scottish Premiership champions are reportedly interested in signing a number nine on loan in a potential repeat of their Edouard success.

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 Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, Celtic have made contact with Italian giants Napoli to discuss a deal for Giuseppe Ambrosino.

The reporter claims that the Hoops have made an enquiry about the young centre-forward, and that they have now entered talks to explore a move for the striker.

Joseph adds that they are ‘exploring’ the possibility of an initial loan deal with the option to make it permanent next summer, in what would be a very similar move to the one that they agreed with PSG for Edouard.

He also states that Ambrosino is ‘keen’ on a transfer to Glasgow, which suggests that personal terms will not be an issue if a switch can be agreed between the two clubs.

Why Ambrosino could be Edouard 2.0 for Celtic

There are obvious similarities between this potential transfer and the one that brought Edouard to Parkhead in 2017, as he would be another young striker arriving from a major European club on an initial loan deal with the possibility of a permanent switch the following year.

Celtic would have the chance to assess Ambrosino and his long-term potential as a Premiership striker in the 2025/26 campaign before making a definitive decision at the end of the season.

The Italian youngster would also arrive at Parkhead in a similar place in his career to the one that Edouard arrived in when he joined in 2017, as the French gem had scored eight goals in 25 academy games for PSG, but only one goal in 17 games on loan at Toulouse at first-team level.

Ambrosino spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Frosinone in the Serie B and only managed a return of five goals and three assists in 36 games, but did put up some promising underlying numbers.

Goals

5

Top 38%

Shots

58

Top 12%

Shots on target

16

Top 30%

Chances created

39

Top 4%

Successful crosses

19

Top 5%

Assists

3

Top 16%

Successful dribbles

15

Top 28%

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old striker put up plenty of shots and shots on target and created loads of chances for his teammates, which suggests that he has the potential to improve his output if his end product becomes more consistent.

Ambrosino scored 20 goals and provided five assists in 32 games for Napoli’s U19 team in the 2021/22 campaign, which shows that he provided a consistent goal threat as a striker at youth level, just as Edouard did before he exploded onto the scene at Parkhead.

The Italy U21 international, who recently scored a fantastic free-kick against Germany’s U21s, has the potential to develop into a lethal goalscorer for Celtic, if they can help him to take the next step in his career.

Edouard used the Premiership as a platform to thrive as a first-team star, having only shone at academy level previously, and Ambrosino could follow in his footsteps by starring on loan for the Hoops, before joining permanently next summer.

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Amid rumours that they’ve joined the race to sign Hugo Ekitike, Manchester United are now reportedly considering a summer swoop to sign another Bundesliga star for Ruben Amorim.

Man Utd join Ekitike race

Despite finishing as low as 15th in the Premier League and missing out on European qualification, Manchester United have still managed to put themselves in interesting conversations this summer. The Manchester United name seemingly still carries strong and has already convinced Matheus Cunha to arrive from Wolverhampton Wanderers. But INEOS are not done there.

According to recent reports, the Red Devils have now joined the race to sign Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer. The German club value their forward at a hefty £84m but that has not been enough to deter those at Old Trafford from making their approach in an attempt to beat rivals Liverpool to a summer deal.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)	Hugo Ekitike	Rasmus Hojlund	Joshua Zirkzee
Minutes	2,563	2,004	1,402
Goals	15	4	3
Assists	8	0	1
Expected Goals	21.6	5.3	4.8

It’s easy to see why Manchester United are interested in Ekitike. The Frenchman outscored Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee combined last season and whilst his underperformance when it comes to XG may be a concern, there’s no denying that he’d be an instant upgrade on Amorim’s current options.

Of course, it’s at Old Trafford that Ekitike could form an impressive partnership with Cunha. The Brazilian was officially unveiled as a Manchester United player earlier this week and told the club’s media channels: “It is the most common phrase that you can say at this moment, but this is the dream come true. Maybe outside, I think maybe my decision, they don’t understand. But when you have always dreamed to play here, it’s easier to pick this decision.”

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After Cunha and perhaps even after Ekitike, however, INEOS could still be on the hunt for fresh faces, which could yet include a Bayern Munich defender.

Man Utd considering Kim Min-jae move

According to Bild reporter Christian Falk, Manchester United are now considering a move to sign Kim Min-jae from Bayern Munich this summer. The defender is set to fall down the pecking order in Germany following the arrival of Jonathan Tah and could, therefore, be on the move in the coming months.

Falk told Caught Offside: “No decision has yet been made on Kim Min-jae’s future. There have also been no negotiations with the player’s side. But, there is interest from Saudi Arabia. Kim has not ruled it out.

“However, we are still waiting to see whether Liverpool and Manchester United become concrete. There are also rumours that the two Premier League clubs are interested. The fact is: FC Bayern can imagine a sale. However, there is still no offer for the defender.”

Dubbed a “technical leader” by former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung, Min-jae could solve Amorim’s defensive problems once and for all by completing a summer move to revive his career following Bayern frustration.

Having initially cost the Bavarians around €50m (£43m) in 2023, however, there will be big questions as to how much they will demand to sell their centre-back this summer.

India’s chief selector said the move will also help them manage Hardik Pandya’s workload better

S Sudarshanan22-Jul-20241:26

Agarkar: Fitness the reason for choosing Suryakumar over Hardik as T20I captain

The decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain and hand the white-ball vice-captaincy to Shubman Gill was because “the captain should be on the park”, chief selector Ajit Agarkar has explained. In other words, Hardik Pandya’s struggles with his fitness had worked against him.”Why Surya was made the captain, because he is one of the deserving candidates,” Agarkar said at a press conference on Monday in Mumbai. “He’s been around the group over the last year, we get feedback from the dressing room a lot. [He has a] good cricket brain, and [is] one of the best T20 batters in the world.”One of the main issues [discussed] was that you want a captain who’s likely to play all the games. We think he is a deserving candidate and hopefully we’ll see over time how he develops into the role.”Related

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Hardik was India’s vice-captain in the shorter formats till the T20 World Cup 2024, stepping up to lead the team whenever Rohit Sharma was unavailable rested or not available. However, since the start of 2022, Hardik has featured in only 46 of the 79 T20Is India played. He suffered an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup in India last year, and was out of action till the start of IPL 2024. The value of a fully fit Hardik was seen at India’s T20 World Cup win, where he scored 144 runs at a strike rate of 151.57 and returned 11 wickets at an average of 17.36.Agarkar said the move to not give him additional leadership responsibility will allow the team management to manage his workload better. “We want him to be the player he can be, because those sorts of skillsets are difficult to find. Fitness has been a challenge for him over the last few years. Then it [appointing Hardik captain and losing him to injury] becomes a bit difficult for the coach as well as the selectors. We have now got a bit more time till the next T20 World Cup where we can look at a few things. He’s an important player and his performances are more important for us.”His fitness is a challenge and we wanted someone who is available more often than not. Surya has the qualities you need to succeed as a captain. Two years is a bit more time to try and look at some things a bit differently. In this way we can manage Hardik better.””Every time you play, your place is on the line. These conversations don’t happen overnight. We’ve discussed them over the last few months, leading up to the World Cup as well. You get feedback from the dressing room as well, and the biggest thing is that the captain should be on the park. It’s a prerequisite really. Hopefully Surya does it and so far, there hasn’t been a concern over his T20 batting anyway.”Shubman Gill being groomed to be India captain0:56

Agarkar: ‘Gill shows a lot of qualities that we hear from the dressing room’

Gill got his first taste of top-flight captaincy at IPL 2024 with Gujarat Titans, and then led India on the tour of Zimbabwe earlier this month, where they won the T20I series 4-1. His place in the ODI and Test teams is certain, and, with Rohit’s T20I retirement, he seems to be the preferred opener in the format alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.”Shubman is the guy, we feel. He’s a three-format player, seems to show a lot more qualities over the last year or so that we hear from the dressing room. That’s why we want to have somebody who can learn from the senior guys – Surya in this instance and Rohit, who is still around.”KL [Rahul] hasn’t been part of T20Is now for a little while. You look at some of the feedback that you get, we’ve got a chance to hit the reset button a little bit, we have got a bit more time to plan. When Hardik did get injured, [captaincy] was a challenge at the point when Rohit wasn’t playing. While Rohit was still around, [it] made our life easier – that he could come and lead. We don’t want that situation going forward. We don’t want to face the same challenges where suddenly we have to look around for a captain in case there are injuries or loss of form somewhere.”[Shubman] has shown some decent leadership qualities, and we want to try him to get experiences. There are no guarantees but at this point, that’s the thought.Rishabh Pant made his return to international cricket in the T20 World Cup 2024•Associated PressWhy Pant over Samson for the SL series?Despite scoring a century in his last ODI – against South Africa – Sanju Samson did not find a spot in the squad for the Sri Lanka tour. Rahul retained his spot as first-choice wicketkeeper after a successful World Cup last year, Rishabh Pant came in as the back-up gloveman, leaving no room for Samson.”Before his unfortunate [car] accident, [Rishabh] has been a key player for us,” Agarkar explained. “KL has been terrific in one-day cricket and had a great World Cup. Unfortunately, someone had to miss out, and in this instance, it was Sanju. These guys will have to keep getting runs and performing otherwise you know there is a quality player waiting. With a big Test season coming up, we feel these two will have a huge role to play. To get Rishabh playing 50 overs will be a step forward, hopefully he’ll build on what he’s done so far.”With Pant only now making his way back in the longer formats, India did not want to burden him with the responsibility of being the vice-captain.”Rishabh’s been out for a long time, we need to get him back playing,” Agarkar said. “He is a key player, hasn’t had a lot of cricket. We’ve seen what he can do in international cricket, he’s won Test series almost off his own bat. We want him back playing, that’s the first thing. We don’t want to burden somebody again who’s coming back after over a year.”0:38

Gambhir: ‘Our responsibility to have Bumrah fresh for important games’

Jadeja has not been droppedAgarkar also said that Ravindra Jadeja “was not dropped” from the ODI set-up, but was left out to give opportunities to Axar Patel.”It would have been really pointless to take both him and Axar for this short series. We know what Jaddu has done. He’s had a terrific World Cup. All options are open. But there was [a chance that only] one of them would have played all three games if we had taken both. There’s a big Test season coming up where he’s likely to feature in a lot of the Tests. I don’t think three games would have mattered. So, no, [he is] not at all dropped.”Agarkar also made it clear that with Shreyas Iyer, Rahul and Pant back in ODIs, Suryakumar is being looked at as a T20I player for India.Some Test players likely to play Duleep TrophyAgarkar said that some of India’s Test players are likely to play the first Duleep Trophy game this season. The Duleep Trophy this season will be held between September 5 and 22 in Anantpur. India are expected to start their home season with a Test series against Bangladesh in mid-September.”We haven’t discussed with Gautam yet – it’s not always easy – but there will certainly be enough players out of that squad that are likely to play the first [Duleep Trophy] game at least,” Agarkar said. “That’s the only game they can really play. We’ll sit down and discuss which guys really need to play. It’s nice for the competition if all your top players come and play. It is not easy with such a packed and long season, tough for the players if they have a week off somewhere to make them play. There will be some in the squad who will play.”Agarkar said that the goal for Mohammed Shami is to get fit in time for India’s home Tests. The fast bowler has not played any cricket since November 2023 and had to undergo ankle surgery later on. He has just started bowling again at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. “There are so many Tests coming up. In India, you don’t play three seamers in the XI but going forward we’ll need some depth and have conversations around it.”

After missing out on Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra, Leeds United are now reportedly taking concrete steps in the race to sign an 18-year-old defender this summer.

Leeds turning towards alternatives after Sadiki & Diarra

With just one month until their Premier League return gets underway, Leeds find themselves in a frustrating position after missing out on both Diarra and Sadiki to rivals Sunderland. Forced back to the drawing board, the 49ers will be desperate to land their next top target to continue their spending after Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw.

As things stand, the latest name to arrive remains Bornauw, who told the official Leeds website after putting pen to paper: “I’m really pleased to be here, it’s an amazing club.

“The Premier League was always my dream, and then to play for such a big club in England and in Europe, it’s a dream come true. I think the Premier League for me is the biggest league in the world.

“Obviously, Germany is a really strong league too, but I think as a football player, we aim for the highest and I think the Premier League is the highest for me.”

Those at Elland Road will be pleased to have welcomed the former Wolfsburg defender, but they won’t want their business to end there. After missing out on other targets, the Whites have reportedly set their sights on the likes of Nuno Tavares and Juventus star Timothy Weah.

Both players would be excellent additions. Tavares, returning to the Premier League for the first time since leaving Arsenal, would instantly replace the departed Junior Firpo, whilst Weah would hand Daniel Farke an impressive attacking boost with ample experience at the top level.

It’s not just experience that the 49ers have set their sights on, however, amid recent reports that they’re now chasing an impressive young talent this summer.

Leeds taking concrete steps to sign Jassi

As reported by TeamTalk, the 49ers and Leeds are now taking concrete steps towards signing Suaibo Jassi from Santa Clara this summer after scouts became huge admirers of the 18-year-old right-back. Rivalling Brentford in pursuit of the teenager, the Yorkshire club could finally get one over on a Premier League rival.

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The defender only signed for Santa Clara this summer but could already be on the move amid interest from the Premier League, according to reporter Rudy Galetti.

One for the future, Jassi’s may not be the type of player to make an instant impact but he may well be one ready to take hold of Daniel Farke’s right-back spot in years to come.

The squads will be completed at the auction in Cape Town on October 1

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2024The six SA20 teams have completed their pre-signings and retentions ahead of the third season of the tournament, to be played from January 9 to February 8 next year. With more big-ticket names joining the teams, Graeme Smith, the league commissioner, feels “the hard work that the league and franchises have put in to create a world-class experience has paid off”.Among the stars to have signed up for what Smith called “one of the Tier 1 franchise leagues on the global circuit” are Joe Root, Dinesh Karthik, Ben Stokes, Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, Devon Conway, Azmatullah Omarzai, Jonny Bairstow and Rahmanullah Gurbaz.”To have the calibre of international players joining local heroes like Aiden [Markram], KG [Kagiso Rabada] and Heinrich [Klaasen] sets up an explosive season,” Smith said in a press statement. “We are also incredibly proud of all the domestic players who have been retained by the teams, including the majority of the rookies who have been incorporated as fully-contracted players for Season 3.”Related

Stokes, Omarzai join MI Cape Town's star-studded roster

SA20 in 2025 will run from January 9 to February 8

As things stand, the teams have between 14 and 17 players on their rosters, and the squads will be completed at the auction in Cape Town on October 1. Each team can have a maximum of 19 players, including one wildcard and one rookie player; of the other 17, a minimum of ten have to be South African, and a maximum of seven can be from overseas.A CSA statement added, “Each franchise will also need to select their Season 3 Rookie, while three of the franchises still have a wildcard to announce before December 30.” The schedule of matches will be announced on a later date.SA20 2025 squadsDurban’s Super Giants: Brandon King, Quinton De Kock, Naveen ul Haq, Kane Williamson, Chris Woakes, Prenelan Subrayen, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Noor Ahmed, Heinrich Klaasen, Jon-Jon Smuts, Wiaan Mulder, Junior Dala, Bryce Parsons, Matthew Breetzke, Jason Smith, Marcus StoinisJoburg Super Kings: Faf Du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Maheesh Theekshana, Devon Conway, Gerald Coetzee, David Wiese, Leus Du Plooy, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Donavon Ferreira, Imran Tahir, Sibonelo Makhanya, Tabraiz ShamsiMI Cape Town: Rashid Khan, Ben Stokes, Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult, Azmatullah Omarzai, Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Nuwan Thushara, Connor Esterhuizen, Delano Potgieter, Rassie Van Der Dussen, Thomas Kaber, Chris BenjaminPretoria Capitals: Anrich Nortje, Jimmy Neesham, Will Jacks, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Will Smeed, Migael Pretorius, Rilee Rossouw, Eathan Bosch, Wayne Parnell, Senuran Muthusamy, Kyle Verreynne, Daryn Dupavillon, Steve Stolk, Tiaan van VuurenPaarl Royals: David Miller, Mujeeb Ur-Rahman, Sam Hain, Joe Root, Dinesh Karthik, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Bjorn Fortuin, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Van Buuren, Keith Dudgeon, Nqaba Peter, Andile Phehlukwayo, Codi Yusuf, John Turner, Dayyaan Galiem, Jacob BethellSunrisers Eastern Cape: Aiden Markram, Zak Crawley, Roelof van der Merwe, Liam Dawson, Ottneil Baartman, Marco Jansen, Beyers Swanepoel, Caleb Seleka, Tristan Stubbs, Jordan Hermann, Patrick Kruger, Craig Overton, Tom Abell, Simon Harmer, Andile Simelane, David Bedingham

Arsenal are on the verge of completing the signings of both Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres and Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, but there is another target who sporting director Andrea Berta is also making significant moves for.

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Mikel Arteta, following Noni Madueke’s £50 million move from Chelsea, is reliably reported to be closing in on both Gyokeres and Mosquera too.

In what is a huge boost for the Gunners boss, Arsenal have reached a full agreement to sign Mosquera for a total package of around £17 million, including add-ons, and the versatile centre-back is due for a medical this week (Fabrizio Romano).

The Spaniard appears set to replace Takehiro Tomiyasu, after Arsenal mutually agreed to terminate the latter’s contract, with Arteta also believed to be closing in on Gyokeres.

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

25/26 – summer

£75m

A prolific striker has long been viewed by some as the final missing piece of Arsenal’s jigsaw which could transform them into Premier League title winners once again, following an agonising two-decade-long-plus wait.

After deciding not to pursue RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Gyokeres emerged as their priority centre-forward target following a stellar second season at Sporting – where he bagged an incredible 54 goals in all competitions and spearheaded Rui Borges’ side to a domestic double.

Arsenal have been in talks with Sporting over a deal for Gyokeres, and it’s taken some time to find middle ground over the final fee after agreeing personal terms with the Sweden international last week (David Ornstein).

However, according to some reliable media sources, like Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg and The Athletic, Arsenal’s move for Gyokeres is now considered a “done deal” – with an agreement in principle now reached on a total £64 million deal including add-ons.

After Gyokeres and Mosquera, Arsenal are reportedly turning their attention towards £100,000-per-week Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze – who’s been repeatedly linked in the last fortnight.

Eberechi Eze loosely agrees personal terms to join Arsenal

Eze’s representatives have apparently held positive talks with Arsenal, but formal club-to-club negotiations are yet to open with Palace over a potential deal for the England international.

Now, Football Transfers have an update on the situation, and the outlet states that a player-plus-cash bid isn’t off the table as Arsenal look to agree a deal beneath his release clause.

The news website estimates his clause could be as high as around £70 million, so the north Londoners have looked at offering certain players as makeweights to bring his price down – including Leandro Trossard, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson.

Any player going the other way would be in a separate, ‘unofficial’ swap deal for accounting purposes – but Oliver Glasner’s side are said to be “open” to the prospect of accepting this as a potential solution in talks.

What’s more, Football Transfers has also reported that Eze has reached a “broad, informal agreement” on personal terms with Arsenal, so this story could be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks as Berta continues making serious statements of intent.

The 27-year-old scored 14 goals and registered 11 assists in all competitions last season, and Arsenal view Eze as a central playmaker to complement club captain Martin Odegaard.

يخوض فريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي، مواجهة صعبة، اليوم الأحد، أمام منافسه الشرس إنبي، في لقاء يقام ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع نظيره إنبي، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، على ملعب المقاولون العرب بالجبل الأخضر، في الثامنة مساء اليوم.

الأهلي يدخل اللقاء وهو في المركز الخامس عشر برصيد 5 نقاط، بعدما خاض أربع مباريات؛ تعادل مع مودرن سبورت 2-2، ثم فاز على فاركو 4-1، قبل أن يكتفي بتعادل سلبي مع غزل المحلة، ويخسر من بيراميدز 0-2.

طالع| تشكيل الأهلي المتوقع أمام إنبي اليوم في الدوري.. عودة مروان عطية

أما فريق إنبي، فيدخل اللقاء وهو يحتل المركز الثامن برصيد ثماني نقاط، حيث تعادل في مباراتين وفاز في مواجهتين، وخسر في لقاء وحيد ببطولة الدوري.

وما يزيد من صعوبة اللقاء، أن الأهلي يدخل المباراة بمدرب مؤقت وهو عماد النحاس بعد إقالة الإسباني خوسيه ريبيرو، إضافة إلى أن إنبي يمثل عقدة للفريق الأحمر في آخر موسمين، فكيف جاءت نتائجهما؟. نتائج الأهلي وإنبي في آخر موسمين

التقى الأهلي مع إنبي في آخر موسمين، في 4 مباريات، 3 في الدوري، وواحدة في كأس الرابطة، لم يعرف الأحمر فيها طعم الانتصار.

وخلال المواجهات الأربع، خسر الأهلي أمام إنبي 0-1، في مباراة أقيمت ضمن منافسات كأس الرابطة في مارس الماضي، فيما تعادل في ثلاث مباريات، 0-0 في ديسمبر 2024، و1-1 في أغسطس 2024، و2-2 في أبريل 2024.

بينما يعود آخر فوز للأهلي على إنبي إلى 4 أكتوبر 2023، في كأس مصر، حين انتصر الأحمر 3-0، في الدور نصف النهائي. تاريخ مواجهات الأهلي وإنبي

وإجمالا، لعب الأهلي وإنبي 53 لقاء، فاز الأحمر في 37 وتعادلا في 10 مواجهات، وانتصر الفريق البترولي في 6 مواجهات.