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Chelsea have identified Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite as a top centre-back target for the summer transfer window, following yet another impressive campaign for the commanding centre-half.

£47m star has already agreed to join Chelsea with club talks "to follow"

Enzo Maresca’s side are busy behind-the-scenes amid their Club World Cup campaign.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 17, 2025

This time last summer, much to the bemusement of fans and critics alike, Branthwaite was a surprise omission from Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024 – but he’s since taken that rejection in his stride.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season	Average match rating
Cole Palmer	7.33
Moises Caicedo	7.02
Enzo Fernández	6.95
Nicolas Jackson	6.88
Noni Madueke	6.82
via WhoScored

The 22-year-old starred for Everton again last term, playing a key role as David Moyes’ side comfortably avoided the drop, and supporters will be hoping that Branthwaite will repeat those same feats at their new home on Bramley-Moore Dock next season.

Five years after Carlo Ancelotti handed Branthwaite his senior top flight debut against Wolves, followed by a succession of productive loan spells at the likes of Blackburn Rovers and PSV Eindhoven, the towering 6 foot 5 starlet is now a wanted man across the Premier League.

His growing list of admirers includes Chelsea, with the addition of a centre-back still on Enzo Maresca’s to-do list after the west Londoners missed out on a deal for Dean Huijsen, who eventually chose to join Real Madrid instead.

Chelsea made contract offers to Huijsen, but it wasn’t enough to convince the Spaniard to U-turn on his dream move to the Bernabeu, with Maresca’s side back on the hunt for exciting defensive options.

Jarrad Branthwaite's fresh stance on joining Chelsea

According to reliable journalist Simon Phillips, writing via his Substack, Chelsea have been handed a boost in pursuit of Branthwaite as an alternative to Huijsen, as BlueCo set their sights on the Englishman despite rumours he’s set to command a seismic £80 million price tag.

It is believed that Branthwaite could now ask to join Chelsea, amid “frustration” that Everton have placed such a large asking price on his head.

“Chelsea intend to push for him [Branthwaite] again and there is a possibility that they offer players to Everton in an attempt to get the fee down and make the deal more appealing on both sides,” said Phillips.

“The other further info we have received from SPTC sources is that there’s a feeling now that Branthwaite could actually leave Everton this window for a Champions League club – which puts Chelsea in a strong position.

“We’ve also heard that he is a little frustrated, on Everton putting such a big valuation on his head. We had initially heard that Branthwaite would not actively push for a move. But it has now transpired that he is keen on Chelsea and could end up asking for the move. He loves Everton and wants to respect them, but he is keen to advance now to the next stage of his career and play UCL football. I don’t foresee him kicking up a fuss as such, but he may privately ask for the move.”

His ball-playing ability and defensive intelligence would complement Chelsea’s possession-based system under Maresca, offering both quality for now and excellent long-term potential.

However, there is little denying that Chelsea will definitely want to re-negotiate the mooted fee Everton are demanding, and Branthwaite’s desire to join them could play a pivotal role in this.

English cricket is looking under the right rocks, Australia still speaks to a culture of superficiality

Andrew Miller20-Nov-2021Forgive my lack of empathy on this one, but in the grand scheme of cricket’s current miasma, Friday’s revelation from Down Under – that an ordinary cricketer has turned out, to use the Australian vernacular, to be an ordinary bloke – doesn’t exactly move the needle.It has, however, moved the sporting narrative.Tim Paine’s tearful exit as Australia’s Test captain – 1393 days after his predecessor Steven Smith was ejected for conduct similarly unbecoming of his revered office, and 18 days before the next Ashes instalment – has provided a far more complete narrative arc than the not-quite Ashes glory of 2019 that rounded off Cricket Australia’s recent home-vid documentary, .And so, with apologies to Paine’s apologies, and to his anguished lament for a lost innocence that , even while pressing on with his repackaging as the squeaky-clean boy next door who was going to rescue Australia’s morals from the gutter, let it be put on record that this is the first thing in weeks that has put a smile back on the face of English cricket.

Now, however, the clock is ticking and the world is watching, and the government’s stated “nuclear option” of appointing an independent regulator is one of many reasons why Tom Harrison and his ilk will have to progress from soundbites to actions in double-quick time

Schadenfreude? You betcha! But it is also a warning, amid English cricket’s own and ever-evolving reckoning, that some issues simply cannot be wished away – “kicked into the long grass”, as Nigel Huddlestone, the UK sports minister, said of the racism scandal – or made better overnight with a bit of elite sloganeering and a few well-timed crocodile tears.For here we have, on opposite sides of the globe but essentially hand-in-hand (given that the Ashes is basically a sibling squabble that could be played out just as effectively over a lifetime of Christmas dinners), two faces of the exact same coin. Two deep-rooted sporting cultures that, for very different but equally seismic reasons, have had cause in their recent histories for deep and urgent introspection.Related

• CA has reputational and cricketing questions to answer

• Not removing Paine in 2018 'clearly sent the wrong message', says CA board chairman

And yet… is it weird to point out that there’s a gravitas to England’s ongoing scandal that makes Australia – once again in strictures because of an addiction to moral trivia – look decidedly shallow?First ball-tampering, now a grotty text exchange. If these are the issues for which the nation’s prudish guardians screech to DEFCON 1, lobbing off weeping sportsmen like shrimps onto a moral barbie, then good luck to anyone who dares to penetrate this human shield, and undertake the sort of systemic autopsy that the ECB seems now to be bracing itself for.You’re right. It’s nothing to crow about whatsoever. It’s not as if England’s unfolding crisis has been undertaken willingly, or with any thanks due to the administrative heel-draggers whose lack of proactivity have allowed even Boris Johnson’s corruption-mired government to take the moral high ground.But it does feel, at the very least, that the racism scandal has moved England’s discourse into a “post-bad apples” phase, for want of a better description. Going into last week’s DCMS hearings, the sport had been braced for a bonfire of individual reputations, given both the names that had already leaked into the public domain, and the sense that Azeem Rafiq – euphemistically painted as “hot-headed” in the various attempts to discredit him in the course of the investigation – was set to spray his parliamentary privilege like napalm across the game that had rejected him.But it didn’t quite pan out like that. Of course, there was some more collateral damage along the way, with the likes of Matthew Hoggard, David Lloyd and Tim Bresnan joining those names already in the public domain – not to mention the feckless Alex Hales, who now seems destined to spend the rest of his career apologising for a lifetime of poor judgment.However, the common theme throughout Rafiq’s DCMS testimony, aside from his innate dignity, was that this issue was not about individuals. “It’s important we don’t make it about Michael,” he said at one point, when asked to expand on Michael Vaughan’s alleged “too many of you lot” comments. And if that now sounds like a convenient caveat, following the disclosure of Rafiq’s own anti-Semitic sentiments back in 2011, then in fact that revelation merely underscores the validity of his point.

Paine’s humiliation speaks to a culture of superficiality, one that still seeks to protect at all costs the sacred notion of “Australian-ism”, for fear of one day exposing the same rotten core that the ECB is now having to publicly contend with

This scandal is about a system that has made discrimination of all types endemic, and then tried everything it could to cover it up. To claim, as carpetbaggers such as Nigel Farage have tried, that Rafiq’s own failings invalidate his now widely acknowledged grievances, is a gross distortion of the facts.The question that arises, therefore, is whether the ECB is remotely capable of “putting its house in order”, as Huddlestone rather pompously put it at the DCMS hearing on Thursday?The early signs, it has to be said, have not been entirely convincing. On Friday, all 41 members of the ECB board met at the Kia Oval to consider English cricket’s unified response to the crisis. After much grunting and groaning, out popped a deeply vapid statement, shortly before 4pm, outlining explicitly non-specific “areas of focus” aiming at “winning back your trust”.Further details have since emerged, including a 12-point action plan with EDI initiatives at its core, but this was precisely the sort of gesture-political hogwash that Rafiq had warned the board not to latch on to during his DCMS appearance. “We need organic change,” Rafiq had told the committee. “If tokenism is the angle the ECB go down, I will call it out.”The ECB’s response to the Robinson saga, aside from Robinson’s suspension, was to plough on with their “moments of unity” prior to England internationals•PA Photos/Getty ImagesAt this point, let’s cut to Tom Harrison, English cricket’s rolled-up-sleeved, rakishly plausible frontman, whose innate shininess evokes David Cameron in his pre-Brexit heyday, but whose flustered, haunted responses in parliament had rather more in common with Cameron after the fall. Harrison emerged from that Oval meeting claiming that he had “the backing of the game” to drive the necessary changes, and at the very least, he has demonstrated in the past 18 months that he does care; his personal response to Rafiq’s interview with ESPNcricinfo last summer was a major factor in the escalation of Yorkshire’s response.And yet, barely five months have passed since the entire focus of English cricket was on one man, Ollie Robinson, and that cache of derogatory texts that he had sent (as an immature and soon-to-be-sacked Yorkshire rookie) a decade earlier. The ECB’s response to that saga, aside from Robinson’s suspension, was to plough on with their decidedly wishy-washy “moments of unity” prior to England internationals, a stance that Rafiq dismissively referred to as “T-shirts” during the hearing. England were also, Rafiq noted, “one of the first teams to stop” taking the knee in support of Black Lives Matter, as if content to have ticked the box and moved on to sunnier uplands.Now, however, the clock is ticking and the world is watching, and the government’s stated “nuclear option” of appointing an independent regulator is one of many reasons why Harrison and his ilk will have to progress from soundbites to actions in double-quick time.But I’d still wager that, when it comes to tokenism, the ECB has learnt more in the past fortnight than Cricket Australia in three years. Paine’s humiliation – like Smith’s, like David Warner’s, like Cameron Bancroft’s – speaks to a culture of superficiality, one that still seeks to protect at all costs the sacred notion of “Australian-ism”, for fear of one day exposing the same rotten core that the ECB is now having to publicly contend with.Nothing in this sorry saga offers an easy route to a better future. But the least that can now be said is that English cricket knows which rocks to look under, as opposed to which empty shells to build on.

Rasmus Hojlund is reportedly on RB Leipzig's radar as Manchester United continue to pursue their talisman Benjamin Sesko.

• Man Utd eye RB Leipzig's Sesko
• Hojlund keen on Old Trafford stay
• Transfer options mount up

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Amid United's interest in Sesko, The Athletic reports that Leipzig are among several clubs now looking at Hojlund. That has 'raised the prospect' of a swap deal for the two strikers, with United also likely to have to stump up a fee given the disparity in the players’ valuations.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report adds that Hojlund, who says he wants to stay and "fight" for his spot at United, would not be expected to start each game if Sesko – who is valued at upwards of £65 million ($85.5m) – joined the club. The Danish international has not been told he is directly up for sale, with the Red Devils currently valuing him at just under £45m ($59m) – a long way off his £72m ($94.7m) transfer from Atalanta in 2023. 

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Inter Milan reportedly held concrete interest in Hojlund, 22, but the Serie A team moved on to Ange-Yoan Bonny, who joined from Parma for €26m (£22.5m). If United do sign Sesko, they are likely to have to sell players first, with Alejandro Garnacho at the top of that list.

• Calciomercato
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  It remains to be seen whether Hojlund will still be a United player when the summer transfer window closes on September 1 and if Ruben Amorim's team can secure a Sesko deal. An intriguing few weeks lie ahead.

Curran and Holden hit fifties each but it went in vain as Capitals recovered from 31 for 3 to chase down 190

Abhimanyu Bose09-Feb-2025Rovman Powell made the most of a second life gifted to him by Azam Khan to power Dubai Capitals to their maiden ILT20 title as they beat Desert Vipers in the thrilling final.Capitals conceded 189, when they were in a position restrict Vipers to a lower total and were then 31 for 3 after five overs in the chase. That could have been 46 for 4, but a wicketkeeping error from Azam was punished in full by Powell, who hammered 63 off 38, to help Capitals pull off a four-wicket win. Shai Hope and Sikandar Raza also played key roles in the stiff chase as Capitals registered their fourth win against Vipers in the season.Half-centuries from Max Holden and Sam Curran took Vipers to a competitive total, with Azam also chipping in with an impactful cameo of 27 off 13. But it wasn’t enough in the end.

Powell’s second life the turning point

Capitals were in trouble early in their chase of 190, with David Warner chopping on off David Payne and Mohammad Amir removing Gulbadin Naib and Sam Billings, who was also dropped off Amir three balls before his dismissal.Vipers almost had another one when Nathan Sowter had Powell stumped down the leg side, but the third umpire caught Azam bringing his gloves beside the stumps before collecting the ball and it was declared a no-ball.That proved to be the turning point in the game as Powell, who was on 2 off 6 at the time, switched gears to wrestle momentum away from Vipers. He hit Sowter for a six before crashing 15 off the 16 runs Curran conceded off the next over, with two fours and a six.Hope picked up the pace as well, hitting Sowter for a six as the next two overs fetched Capitals 21 runs.Even as Curran accounted for Hope, Powell kept going, while Dasun Shanaka joined in with an impactful cameo of 21 off 10.

Raza applies finishing touches

With 38 still needed off 19 deliveries, the job was far from done but Raza ensured Capitals went over the line.Raza and Powell picked up a boundary each off the 18th over, before Sowter finally had his man when Powell was caught at backward point.However, Raza hit three fours off four balls in the next over to leave Capitals with just nine needed off the final over.Raza finished the game in style, hitting Khuzaima Tanveer for a six and four off the first two balls of the last over to seal a win without any more drama.Sam Curran blitzed 62 off 33•ILT20

McCoy gives Capitals the perfect start

Capitals got off to a great start after winning the toss as Obed McCoy removed the dangerous Alex Hales with his first ball. Hales chipped him to midwicket, where Haider Ali took a good catch diving forward.Capitals could have had Gurbaz back in the hut in the next over, but Scott Kuggeleijn dropped him at deep point off Farhan Khan.Holden, who cracked two boundaries off McCoy in the first five balls he faced, injected Vipers with the early momentum, racing to 22 off 13 when Gurbaz miscued McCoy to mid-off in the fifth over.

Holden holds Vipers together

Holden continued to attack, picking three boundaries off Kuggeleijn to take Vipers to 53 for 2 at the end of the powerplay. He brought up a 32-ball half-century in the eighth over with a boundary driven back over Raza’s head. Another attempted straight drive off the next ball almost saw him hole out, but Powell dropped him running to his right from long-on.Dan Lawrence then holed out at deep cover off Haider, having contributed just 10 runs to a 41-run stand for the third wicket.Capitals slowed things down and it only got better for them when Holden holed off to long-on off Raza.

Curran, Azam finish strong for Vipers

But Curran and Azam then hammed 67 off 29 balls for the fifth wicket to take Vipers to a strong total. Azam made an instant impact, clipping his first ball fine down the leg side for a boundary before clearing long-off in the same over.McCoy returned to bowl the 18th over and Curran welcomed him with boundaries on either side of point off the first two balls and then nudged him past fine leg for another boundary two balls later.Kuggeleijn, who had been expensive on the night, bowled the penultimate over and Curran greeted him with a 117-metre six over midwicket. Curran brought up a 28-ball fifty next ball before picking up another boundary off a top edge.Kuggeleijn also dropped Azam off the last ball of the over to finish with figures of 0 for 40 from three overs.Azam hit another boundary to punish that mistake, but in the end, his innings won’t be what he will likely remember about this final.

Max Dowman's devastating cameo in Arsenal's 3-2 pre-season win over Newcastle has captured the imagination of Gunners fans on social media.

• Excited Gunners compare 15-year-old to all-time greats
• Dowman won the deciding penalty
• Arteta called youngster's performance 'special'

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dowman entered the game with the scores level on the hour mark. The 15-year-old showed remarkable confidence, routinely picking up the ball and driving at the heart of the Newcastle defence. He drew two smart saves out of Nick Pope, and John Ruddy, before cannily drawing a foul from Joelinton inside his own penalty area. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard dispatched the ensuing spot kick, earning Arsenal the victory in an exciting game in Singapore.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Supporters PatrickTimmons1, perhaps somewhat sarcastically, compared the 15-year-old to the GOAT. Posting on X: "Lionel Messi, I hope you enjoyed your time as the greatest football of all time because Max Dowman is here now.

  Another fan, 2SAFC invoked Messi's name as well as comparing Dowman to Lamine Yamal, writing: "Another win for #Arsenal. 🔴⚪️ Two games, Two wins. ✨Max Dowman, Ill let him do the talking, in my opinion… The next Lionel Messi, all for Lamine Yamal succeeding but this guy is 15, and arguably his level. ⚡️"

  FTProgression added: "Max Dowman…. I am speechless. This is a Messi, Neymar, Yamal level talent."

  And EduardoHagn also joined in with a similar post: "MAX DOWMAN WTF. He’s like Yamal. He’s like Messi. He wins a penalty for Arsenal."

• WHAT ARTETA IS SAYING

  Mikel Arteta was effusive in his praise of the youngster after the final whistle. He called the 15-year-old "special", and heralded the work of Dowman's "family, the people at the club, and around the academy" in getting the player ready for his chance in the first team.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It is telling that Arteta called on Dowman to replace Bukayo Saka, as the Arsenal manager tended towards his more senior players in this fixture. There were starting spots for fellow teenagers Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, but given their heavy involvement in the 2024/25 campaign, their inclusion was a given. Andre Harriman-Annous and Marli Ellis Salmon eventually made their way on to the pitch, but Dowman's 30-minute cameo could be a sign that Arteta intends to include the winger in his first-team plans going forward.

Liverpool won the 2024/25 Premier League and are now moving to secure their place among Europe’s elite for the coming years, making sweeping changes in the transfer market.

A momentous effort to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz looks to be coming to a pleasing head, but the negotiations are still ongoing. Liverpool’s latest offer totals £113m, but the Bundesliga side are holding out for what would be a British-record £126m fee.

With moves for full-back pairing Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez already wrapped up, the Reds are surely set to continue competing for the biggest prizes in Arne Slot’s system.

However, there’s still something missing and no mistake. Well, while Liverpool have options at centre-forward in Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, neither really cut the mustard last term, and both could be sold.

Liverpool aren’t prioritising the frontman position at the moment, but they are surveying the market and have been linked with a move for Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Liverpool's interest in Viktor Gyokeres

With Arsenal “advancing in negotiations” for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, says Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool could have a free shot at Gyokeres this summer, having opened talks for the forward last month.

The Sweden striker has been breathtaking over his two campaigns in Portugal, scoring 97 goals and providing 28 assists across just 102 matches, winning back-to-back Liga Portugal titles.

Regarded as “the best finisher in the world” by data analyst Spencer Hossman, you can see why Liverpool are keen, for the 27-year-old is levels above Nunez and Jota.

However, recent reports suggest Manchester United may be set to win the race, ready to pay a £60m fee for the goalscorer.

Most Goals Across Europe’s Top Ten Leagues (24/25)
#	Player	Apps	Goals
1)	Viktor Gyokeres	33	39
2)	Kylian Mbappe	34	31
3)	Mohamed Salah	38	29
4)	Robert Lewandowski	34	27
5)	Victor Osimhen	30	26
5=	Harry Kane	31	26
Data via Transfermarkt

Every case is different, but some fans might reserve judgment on this one, for Nunez posted 34 goals from 41 matches in 2021/22, playing for Benfica in Portugal.

The Iberian country is not on the same level as the Premier League, and that’s a fact. If Liverpool were to sign a striker from their own division, one already proven as a world-class option on English shores

Liverpool still in for PL striker

As per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are still dreaming of signing Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak this summer, despite The Athletic’s David Ornstein previously declaring there would be “no chance” that the Sweden international leaves after United qualified for the Champions League.

It’s understood that upcoming contract talks will have a significant bearing on Isak’s stance, but if he were to leave this summer, Newcastle would be looking to bank a figure reaching as high as £150m.

Sky Sports’ Keith McDownie has claimed that while Newcastle are hopeful they can retain their talisman this summer, Isak is ambitious and does appear to view a transfer away at some stage.

What Alexander Isak would bring to Liverpool

What would Isak bring to Liverpool? In short, goals, and lots of them.

The 25-year-old has been a revelation at St. James’ Park since signing for a club-record £63m fee in 2022, departing Real Sociedad.

Across his three campaigns on Tyneside, Isak has scored 62 goals and laid on 11 assists across 109 matches, hitting his most confident stride over the past year, scoring 27 times as the Magpies flew back onto Europe’s elite stage, and indeed bagging against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.

But it’s not just the numbers, instead the remarkable range of skills that Isak brings to the table. Slot has showed through his maiden year at Anfield that he likes offensive players who operate dynamically, not just firing at goal but creating and linking up with teammates.

He’s a deadly marksman, hailed as a “world-class assassin” by pundit Alan Shearer, but Isak is indeed far more than a simple goalscorer, finishing the chances created by his peers.

Indeed, he’s one of the most complete out there. As per FBref, Isak ranked among the top 16% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90.

You can see why he’s so coveted across the continent. Isak is the very definition of world-class, bringing so many dynamic attacking qualities to the table.

His tried-and-tested consistency in the Premier League bespeaks his suitability for Liverpool, and he’s two years younger than Gyokeres besides.

Sweden boss Jon Dahl Tomasson even went as far as to coin Isak “the best striker in the world.” The one-time Newcastle man acknowledged his bias, but in fairness, Isak has showcased his skills to such a level that that claim isn’t without substance.

Ultimately, both Isak and Gyokeres would improve Slot’s Liverpool system if they were added into the ranks, but if fans were quizzed on their ideal option to don the striker’s shirt, Isak would win overwhelmingly.

After such a prolific and robust campaign for Eddie Howe’s side, Isak has proven himself one of the best of his generation, especially since his athleticism appears to have taken a leap forward, avoiding any impactful injury that plagued him through previous seasons at Newcastle and in Spain.

Liverpool are dreaming of completing this staggering signing, and if they play their cards right, the pieces might just fall into place.

He's like Gordon: Liverpool lead race for "explosive" £40m Diaz replacement

Liverpool boss Arne Slot will need to welcome a new winger into the fold if Luis Diaz is sold.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 7, 2025

Manchester United have now opened talks to sign an “incredible” star, who’s scored a whopping 147 career goals, and they are looking to get a deal done at the start of next year.

Man Utd looking to bring in another leader

In the wake of the 4-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night, Ruben Amorim praised Lisandro Martinez for his leadership capabilities, while also adding: “Mason Mount is always the same thing, training, talking, dealing with people around Carrington. That is not easy. So he is a very, very good player.”

However, the perceived lack of leaders in the squad has been criticised for quite some time, with Roy Keane calling into question whether Bruno Fernandes is a suitable captain after the 1-1 draw against Chelsea last season.

Following the emphatic win at Molineux, the Red Devils are up to sixth in the Premier League table, but they clearly aren’t the finished article just yet, having lost at home to 10-man Everton and drawn with a struggling West Ham United side in recent weeks.

If Man United are to start competing for the top honours once again, they may need to bring in players who are experienced at the top level, and they have now opened talks over a deal for Sergio Ramos, who is a free agent, following his departure from Monterrey.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states negotiations are in the early stages, with United expressing the ‘strongest’ interest in securing the former Real Madrid man’s signature, and they are looking to bring him in at the start of next year.

Several other unnamed clubs are in the race for the Spaniard’s signature, with his future set to be resolved in the next few weeks.

Amorim's priority target: Man Utd step up interest in "special" Madrid star

Man United are now in the race for a “special” player

By
Dominic Lund

2 days ago

"Incredible" Ramos knows what it takes to win

With Keane previously making it clear he is not entirely convinced by Fernandes as a captain, Man United could perhaps do with bringing in an experienced leader, who knows what it takes to win.

The 39-year-old certainly fits the bill in that regard, having become the first player to captain a team to three straight Champions League triumphs during his time with Real Madrid.

Mesut Özil has also made it clear just how highly he rates his former teammate, saying: “Sergio Ramos is the best defender I’ve ever played with. And the one with the most character. At that time I was still very young, but I already had a very strong mentality. It was incredible. It was clear that sooner or later he would lead Real Madrid to UCL glory.”

Not only is the 180-time Spain international a top-quality defender, but he also poses a threat at the other end of the pitch, having amassed a whopping 147 career goals for club and country.

That said, Ramos is now 39-years-old, and hasn’t played in Europe since a spell with Sevilla in the 2023-24 campaign, so there may be some doubts over whether he is still capable of making an impact at a club like Man United.

Everton had emerged as a surprise contender in the race to secure Manchester City’s Jack Grealish on a loan deal alongside West Ham and Napoli. However, a report from BBC indicates that Everton have taken a step back from any potential pursuit of the 29-year-old midfielder.

• Grealish set for Man City exit
• Everton were keen to sign him
• West Ham & Napoli are also in the race

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite initial optimism about making a statement move, Everton now appear to be distancing itself from negotiations with Manchester City. This development marks another setback in what has become a frustrating transfer window for Everton, as several potential deals continue to stall.

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  WHAT MOYES SAID

  Everton manager David Moyes, speaking during the club’s pre-season preparations in the United States, has expressed concern over the lack of meaningful progress in the transfer market. Addressing reporters ahead of their Premier League Summer Series clash against his former side, West Ham, Moyes admitted that efforts to bolster the squad with experienced players have so far fallen short.

  "The truth is we're not getting a lot of the deals over the line at the moment, that's a fact," he said. "We're desperate to get things moving on because we know time's running out."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Everton's interest in Grealish appears to be cooling, Napoli and West Ham remain very much in contention. Antonio Conte is understood to be an admirer of the England star and has already brought another former Manchester City player, Kevin De Bruyne, into his squad. The Italian giants, along with West Ham, are monitoring Grealish’s situation closely as City consider offloading the midfielder for a reported fee of around €45 million (£39m). Although City are open to a sale, a loan with a future purchase option remains a viable route for interested clubs.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Grealish, who currently earns approximately €10 million (£8.6m) annually, is reportedly willing to accept a reduced salary in order to secure regular football and a fresh start. This flexibility might still leave the door ajar for Everton should the club revisit the possibility later in the window.

The pitch in Multan is expected to play like it did in the first Test. But can West Indies prepare and execute better this time around?

Danyal Rasool24-Jan-2025

Big Picture

It is not difficult to know what’s coming this Test match. It is an easy one to analyse, a straightforward one to predict. West Indies will have prepared studiously for the challenge Pakistan will pose, and Pakistan, themselves, have made no secret they will double down on the nature of the surfaces they prepare. The wicket might begin to break up when the two captains head out for the toss. Whoever wins will bat first, and spin bowling will feature right from the outset.But forewarned is not necessarily forearmed. The challenge Pakistan pose with these surfaces that crackle in the winter heat is much easier to understand than to do anything about. The outcome of the game hinges on West Indies’ execution; any mistakes they made in terms of understanding what kind of pitch this was will have been ironed out.Kraigg Brathwaite threw the gauntlet down to his team at the end of the first Test, while encouraging them with the reminder they were ahead in the game at a few key stages, and there was significant room for improvement to offer them belief.Related

• Aaqib Javed says Pakistan's spinning pitches are here to stay

West Indies’ own spinners showed they could go toe to toe with Pakistan’s, and Jomel Warrican registered better figures than any of his Pakistani counterparts. In Kemar Roach, they possess the best fast bowler on either side, on the few occasions that one will be required. They even worked out how to make the sweep and reverse-sweep productive, if not necessarily risk-free. And they found runs with the lower order, an inveterate Achilles’ heel of Pakistan’s bowling, no matter the conditions.Aaqib Javed made an impassioned defence of the pitches Pakistan have begun preparing at home, but he knows he has not won everyone over yet. Concerns about what it means for the country’s Test batting and fast bowling linger, and the only thing – the main thing, in his view – his style has got going for it is simple; it wins Pakistan Test matches. Pakistan are aware they must continue getting these wins, because the moment results turn, that spring-loaded criticism is waiting to be unleashed.

Form guide

Pakistan: WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)West Indies: LLWLD

In the spotlight – Shan Masood and Alick Athanaze

Pakistan cricket brings with it short attention spans, and Shan Masood knows he will not have much of it for the next nine months. He has now been now been captain for just under the full WTC cycle, and this is Pakistan’s last Test in a disappointing year and a half of Test cricket. Reports about his position as Test captain being vulnerable have surfaced more than once, and with a new cycle beginning at the end of the year, Pakistan will likely reevaluate at some point. However, this game represents a chance to finish off strongly, and continue making his case. With the bat, there are possible signs of a patch of form with a hundred and a fifty in his last three innings, and while he has not been viewed as the reason for an upturn in Test results, victory here will mean he finishes the cycle off with four wins in his last six TestsAlick Athanaze compiled a fine fourth-innings half-century on a tough Multan surface•AFP/Getty Images

Alick Athanaze came into this series with runs against Bangladesh, and appears to have enjoyed batting in Pakistan more than most of his team-mates He scored 99 and 58* in the three-day game before the series in Islamabad, and was responsible for nearly half of his side’s runs in the fourth innings in Multan, becoming the only visiting batter to score a half-century. Praise for the Dominican’s technique has come from exalted quarters, with Brian Lara and Ian Bishop among his admirers, and if the visitors top six are to rise to the challenge their captain laid out for them, Athanaze is expected to have a significant role.

Team news

Pakistan have not yet named an XI, with Aqib Javed saying they would take a final look at the surface.Pakistan (likely XI): 1 Shan Masood (capt) 2 Muhammad Hurraira 3 Babar Azam 4 Kamran Ghulam 5 Saud Shakeel 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) 7 Salman Agha 8 Noman Ali 9 Sajid Khan 10 Abrar Ahmed 11 Khurram ShahzadWest Indies, too, have yet to name a starting line-up. Jayden Seales misses out with a slightly niggle in his leg. Kemar Roach is available again alongside Amir Jangoo.West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt) 2 Mikyle Louis 3 Keacy Carty 4 Alick Athanaze 5 Kavem Hodge 6 Justin Greaves 7 Tevin Imlach/Amir Jangoo (wk) 8 Gudakesh Motie 9 Kevin Sinclair 10 Jomel Warrican 11 Kemar Roach

Pitch and conditions

The pitch has been prepared in the same way as the one for the first Test was. Weather conditions have not changed in the week since, and it remains cold and dry. Any deviation from what happened in the first Test would be a surprise.

Stats and trivia

• None of the last 62 wickets Pakistan have taken in home Tests have come from a fast bowler
• Pakistan have not won back-to-back Test series since February 2021

Quotes“Of course we were right to prepare a spin pitch against West Indies. Their batters are not as proficient against spin when compared to fast bowling.”
“I’ve played on surfaces that spun from day one, but this was the first time I’ve seen such cracks on a pitch on day one.”

Liverpool have reportedly sent Ibrahima Konate a new contract offer amid Real Madrid transfer links.

• Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool for Real Madrid
• Konate in final year of contract
• Reds offer new extension

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Liverpool have sent a new and improved offer to the centre-back after their initial proposal was knocked back by the 26-year-old. The Reds are keen to tie the Frenchman down to a new deal and avoid a repeat of the situation where Alexander-Arnold ran down his contract before joining Madrid.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Liverpool looked to be in panic stations earlier this year when key trio Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah were in the last few months of their contracts. The latter two eventually penned two-year deals but academy product Alexander-Arnold ended his long stay with the club, much to the dismay of many fans. After selling backup centre-back Jarell Quansah, the Reds can't afford to lose Konate anytime soon, unless they strengthen in that position, but Madrid are not an easy club to refuse.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Former Sochaux star Konate joined Liverpool in 2021 from RB Leipzig for a fee around £36 million ($49m) and has made 132 appearances for the club since, scoring five goals in the process. Following that Anfield switch, he has also been capped 23 times by his country.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  As Liverpool wait to see if the 6ft 4in Konate responds positively to their reported contract offer, Arne Slot's team continue their pre-season campaign when they take on AC Milan on Saturday before rounding off the month against Yokohama FM next Wednesday.