The last time Leeds United were promoted to the Premier League, they had a summer transfer window to remember, landing numerous players who went on to star at Elland Road.

The likes of Raphinha, Rodrigo and Robin Koch all moved to the club that summer, all playing a crucial role in their ability to take the top-flight by storm under Marcelo Bielsa.

Daniel Farke is the man tasked with the responsibility this time around, looking to build a competitive squad after their title-winning, 100-point campaign in the Championship throughout 2024/25.

Whilst his side managed to produce a season to remember in the second tier this season, the gulf between the two divisions is getting larger year-on-year, with quality additions needed to have any chance of survival.

The transfer window is now just around the corner, with the Whites’ hierarchy already making moves to land numerous talents who could thrive at Elland Road.

The latest on Leeds’ pursuit of new additions this summer

Given the recent reports that claim Leeds will have around £100m to spend on new additions this summer, it’s no surprise to see a whole host of talents linked with a move to Yorkshire.

Former star Kalvin Phillips is just one player who’s been touted with a move, potentially securing an unexpected return after his £45m switch to Manchester City in the summer of 2022.

However, he’s not the only midfielder on the club’s shortlist for the upcoming window, with Newcastle United star Sean Longstaff emerging as another option, according to TEAMtalk.

The report claims that the Whites are plotting a move for the 27-year-old star, who’s made 25 appearances in the Premier League throughout the ongoing campaign.

It also states that he could be available for as little as £12m during the off-season, with Everton and Manchester United also in the race for his signature ahead of the opening of the market.

Why Longstaff would be perfect alongside Tanaka

Japanese international Ao Tanaka made the switch to join Leeds nearly 12 months ago, arriving from German outfit Fortuna Düsseldorf for a fee in the region of £3.5m.

Such a deal appears to be a bargain given his displays in Yorkshire, making 45 appearances across all competitions and netting five goals in the process.

The 26-year-old was named in the EFL’s Team of the Season, showcasing his excellent impact within Farke’s side, likely to be a key part of any success in 2025/26.

He could take his game to the next level with the potential arrival of Longstaff, with the Newcastle ace having the tools to make the pair a force to be reckoned with next campaign.

The star, who’s been labelled “unbelievable” by former footballer Alan Shearer, has completed 86% of his passes in the league, whilst registering 2.6 touches in the opposition box – showcasing his impressive displays with the ball at his feet.

Games played

25

Minutes played

786

Pass accuracy

86%

Touches in opposition box

2.6

Tackles won

1.8

Tackle success rate

59%

Duels won

4.8

Recoveries made

3.6

He’s also managed to win 1.8 tackles won per 90, whilst winning 4.8 duels – able to regain possession for Farke’s men and hand them the added defensive quality they will need in England’s top-flight.

Over the years, he’s managed to register 10 goals from his midfield role, having the quality in the final third to make an impact should he find himself in such a position.

Such figures could be able to fall perfectly into the hands of Tanaka, enabling the Japanese star to carry on his excellent goalscoring record from a deep-lying position.

£12m for a player with his Premier League experience would be a bargain in today’s market, making for a superb start to what is certainly going to be a massive summer for the football club.

He'd be amazing with Beto: £17m star is open to discussing a move to Leeds

Star who is open to talks over a move to Leeds would be perfect for fellow target Beto.

1 ByDan Emery May 13, 2025

وجه جوتي، أسطورة نادي ريال مدريد، رسالة إلى لاعب الفريق الملكي، مطالبًا إياه بالرحيل عن صفوف الروخي بلانكوس خلال فترة الميركاتو الشتوي العام المقبل في يناير.

ويقدم ريال مدريد موسمًا جيدًا جدًا حتى هذه اللحظة تحت قيادة المدير الفني تشابي ألونسو، بحثًا عن تحقيق كافة الألقاب وتعويض ما حدث الموسم الماضي

ويتصدر ريال مدريد ترتيب الدوري الإسباني حتى هذه اللحظة برصيد 21 نقطة، عقب مرور 8 جولات على بداية المسابقة المحلية، متفوقًا على برشلونة صاحب المركز الثاني.

لكن هناك بعض اللاعبين الذين لا يشاركون مع ريال مدريد منذ بداية الموسم، ويأتي على رأس هؤلاء اللاعبين إندريك.

اقرأ أيضًا .. الإعلان عن المرشحين لجائزة لاعب الشهر في الدوري الإنجليزي.. موقف محمد صلاح

إندريك لم يشارك مع ريال مدريد في أي دقيقة خلال هذا الموسم، وبقى الدولي البرازيلي حبيسًا لدكة البدلاء فقط، حيث يفضل ألونسو الاعتماد على كيليان مبابي وجونزالو جارسيا في مركز المهاجم الصريح.

ويرى جوتي في تصريحات نقلها ”tribalfootball” أن إندريك يجب أن يغادر ريال مدريد خلال فترة الميركاتو الشتوي العام المقبل والتي سوف تكون في يناير، وذلك على سبيل الإعارة للحصول على وقت للعب.

وقال جوتي: “حقيقة أن إندريك لا يملك أي فرصة ولا حتى للإحماء، وأن تشابي يفضل إشراك جونزالو جارسيا في الدقائق الأخيرة عليه، يظهر التسلسل الهرمي الحالي أنه ليس لديه فرصة”.

وأضاف جوتي في حديثه عن إندريك: “هل يمكنه أن يكون حاسمًا مع الفريق؟ لا أحد يعلم، هناك دائمًا إصابات ولحظات يراهن فيها المدرب عليك، تسجل وتصبح جزءًا من ديناميكيات اللعب”.

واختتم لاعب خط الوسط السابق: “إذا لم تتح له الفرصة بحلول ديسمبر، فإن أفضل خيار له هو الإعارة لمواصلة التطور. بالنسبة للاعب شاب كما قلنا مرارًا مع أردا جولر، أهم شيء هو دقائق اللعب”.

It’s been another quiet week at Ibrox for Rangers, although is that about to change?

So far, the most noteworthy Rangers event of the past few days was Cyriel Dessers’ goal for Nigeria, on target on Wednesday in a friendly tournament against West African rivals Ghana.

Elsewhere, on Tuesday, Rangers confirmed they will face Club Brugge and Middlesbrough in pre-season friendlies at Ibrox in July but, for now at least, there’s still no news as to who will be in charge for those games, or indeed, more importantly, the start of Champions League qualification either.

Well, 95 days on from Philippe Clement’s sacking, could the 49ers finally be about to land their new manager?

Rangers ramping up managerial hunt

A whole host of names have been linked with a move to the Ibrox dugout in recent months, with fierce speculation suggesting Steven Gerrard could be on his way back to Scotland after a failed stint in Saudi Arabia.

Also of interest to the Rangers hierarchy are the likes of Russell Martin and Brian Priske. Yet, there’s another name who looks like he may be edging closer to filling the vacancy.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

According to a report by Guillem Balague for BBC Sport, the Rangers hierarchy have ‘held fresh talks’ with Davide Ancelotti this week, adding that ‘further discussions’ are scheduled to take place ‘over the next few days’.

Davide has been a long-time assistant to his father Carlo, working at Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton and Real Madrid.

This month, Carlo left los Blancos by mutual consent to become the new Brazil manager and, at his unveiling, he confirmed “Davide is currently in negotiations with a European team… if he goes to a club, I wish him the best, and if not, he can come back to us.”

Now, it appears increasingly likely that Ancelotti will become the new Rangers head coach, with former Rangers manager Mark Warburton saying that, should he take the job, it would be a “huge step up”, going from being an assistant to occupying the “number one role”.

Well, speaking to STV, Guillem Balague believes Davide to be one of the “most sought-after assistants” in world football, firmly believing he will be a success at Ibrox, so would his arrival be great news for a certain Rangers stalwart?

Why Ancelotti can reignite Tavernier's Rangers career

When James Tavernier joined Rangers from Wigan Athletic for a reported £200k in 2015, the Light Blues were still an SPFL Championship club.

Fair to say, a lot has changed in the subsequent decades, and this has proved to be, inarguably, one of the bargains of the century.

To date, Tavernier has made 513 appearances for the club, only ten men have accumulated more in a Rangers jersey, as the table below outlines.

John Greig

1961-78

755

Sandy Jardine

1964-82

674

Ally McCoist

1983-98

581

Sandy Archibald

1917-34

580

David Meiklejohn

1919-36

563

Dougie Gray

1925-46

555

Derek Johnstone

1970-86

546

Davie Cooper

1977-89

540

Peter McCloy

1970-85

535

Ian McColl

1945-60

526

James Tavernier

2015-present

513

Tavernier captained Rangers to the Premiership title in 2020/21, subsequently lifting the League Cup and Scottish Cup too, as well as being the talismanic figure en route to the Europa League Final three seasons ago, scoring seven times during the knockout phase.

However, he has come in for some criticism this season, with Nick McPheat of BBC Sport questioning if he is ‘no longer first choice’, while interim manager Barry Ferguson trialled him as both a centre-back, as part of a back three, as well as at wing-back.

Nevertheless, if Davide’s playing style is at all akin to that of his father, a fluid approach that encourages maximum creativity, this appointment could reinvigorate Tavernier.

Right-back Dani Carvajal was such a prominent attacking figure for Real Madrid, so let’s asses how he compares to Tavernier, with the caveat that the Spanish international has not featured since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against Villarreal in early-October.

Goals

5

1

Assists

13

1

Big chances created

20

0

Goals

24

6

Assists

12

5

Big chances created

19

4

Goals

18

0

Assists

10

5

Big chances created

14

4

Goals

18

1

Assists

17

4

Big chances created

18

7

As the table outlines, Tavernier’s attacking output has been absolutely off the scale, notably registering 52 assists since the 2021/22 campaign. Taking you back to that point about an Ancelotti side favouring creativity and you can begin to see why he could take quite a liking to the Gers captain.

While Carvajal’s’s numbers are not quite so astronomical, Tobi Peter of Breaking the Lines documents that his ‘attacking contributions are crucial’ for Real Madrid.

So, with the incoming Ancelotti likely to want his full-back to operate high and wide, this could be exactly the appointment 33-year-old Tavernier needs to reinvigorate his career in Govan.

Same agent as Gerrard: Rangers want cheap deal to sign £1m int'l defender

He could arrive with the potential new manager.

ByTom Cunningham May 28, 2025

The day Alice Capsey turned 18, she walked towards a pod of journalists, delighted that she no longer needed a chaperone during interviews.She’d been doing these – accompanied – for a while and her team, Oval Invincibles, had just pulled off the highest successful run chase in the Women’s Hundred to defeat Northern Superchargers at The Oval after the men’s teams had played the curtain raiser.As eager and comfortable as she was on that night almost two years ago, it’s easy to forget she is still a teenager now and to overlook how the sheer volume of cricket she has played since took a “toll” on her. Since July 2022, Capsey has played a staggering 93 top-level T20 matches. As a result, she hasn’t played regional cricket this season, opting to focus on playing for England and, when she’s not, taking a break from cricket.Related

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Speaking in Canterbury after her career-best 67 not out off 60 balls secured victory for England in a nervy third T20I against New Zealand, Capsey revealed that she felt in a much better place than she had over the past year and just how hard it had been to reach that point.”I’ve been kind of under the spotlight for the last three years and it’s taken its toll a little bit, especially over the last year,” Capsey said. “So I really have taken a step back this year and gone, ‘What’s going to be the best option for me to go onto the pitch and perform?’ Prioritising myself a little bit more… not listening to the outside noise as much and really focusing on what matters to me as a person and as a cricketer and what’s going to make me the best cricketer for this team.”Capsey enjoyed a breakout season during the inaugural Women’s Hundred and was part of the first England A squad to tour Australia during the Women’s Ashes at the start of 2022, earning her senior call-up for the Commonwealth Games later that year. Since then, she has become a fixture at No. 3 in T20Is and played in franchise tournaments around the world while floating round the middle order in 17 ODIs.But her half-century against the White Ferns to help England to a 3-0 lead in their five match T20 series on Thursday was her first fifty in the format since last August. Her highest score in the 11 innings she played in between was 31 – made against Pakistan in May – and sat alongside a string of scores either in the 20s, or in single figures. Her highest score in ODIs is 44, also reached during Pakistan’s recent visit. In her two other ODI innings this English summer, she was unbeaten on 39 and 35 against Pakistan and New Zealand respectively.All of these numbers serve as a reminder that Capsey is still a young player learning her craft, and suggest she is figuring out what works for her at the right time.”For someone of my age, I feel really experienced within T20 cricket and I feel really comfortable with my role at No. 3,” she said. “I know that it’s not going to come off every time and I know that there’s going to be critics about how I go about the game. But on nights like these, it is just about going big and really securing the win.Capsey has played a high volume of T20, including at the WPL•BCCI

“I missed the regional cricket this year. I have played so much cricket and I thought the best way to actually perform for England and get myself in the best positive space to be able to perform was to have a little break. We’ve obviously got huge winter and playing for England and performing for England is my main priority. Playing the amount of games I have, I’ve been exposed to a lot of different situations, which is just going to help me as a batter but as an allrounder. Then, obviously on the flip side, it’s a hell of a lot of cricket.”Taking time off between international series appears to be paying dividends, with a T20 World Cup in October, followed by an away Ashes series, then a 50-over World Cup in India in 2025.”As much as I probably haven’t played the amount of cricket that I have in the past couple of years, I feel the most calm and controlled I’ve felt in a very long time,” Capsey said. “I feel really calm, I know what my options are and yeah, I just feel really confident and it’s amazing that if you’re in a good head space that you then take it onto the pitch and feel a lot better about yourself.”Jon Lewis, England’s head coach, said recently that he’d like Capsey “to be one of our best top-five batters” in ODIs, while recognising that her schedule is currently focused on the shorter format. He has also been keen to deploy her part-time offspin, albeit in a side spoilt with spin-bowling riches in the form of left-armer and world No.1 Sophie Ecclestone, legspinner Sarah Glenn and offspinner Charlie Dean.But, as shown in fielding an experimental line-up missing captain Heather Knight, opening batter Danni Wyatt and seamer Lauren Bell, England are all about exploring their options ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.”We’ve been spoken to by the coaching staff before the series, saying that there will be a bit of chaos thrown in front of us, a few different situations about how we adapt to it,” Capsey said. “The performances are showing we are getting the results, but I think as a group we’re really calm with the different changes and we all feel like, especially from my point of view, I feel like it doesn’t matter who’s in the team, we can all just go out in there and play with freedom and play to our strengths.”I’d love to bowl, but I stand no chance with those three,” Capsey added. “They perform day in, day out and when I do get the opportunity, don’t get me wrong, I’m going to make the most of it, but if I’m not having to bowl, then they’re doing their job and we’re probably winning more games than we’re not.”

Arsenal have many items on the agenda this summer as new sporting director Andrea Berta looks to back Mikel Arteta with new signings, and one of their key aims is to bring in multiple attacking players.

Arsenal targeting new winger and striker this summer

The transfer window is officially open for business, at least until June 10, with a short break then following before it reopens on June 16 right the way through till September 1.

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They’ve now pulled out of the deal.

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This current mini-window was introduced to allow sides competing in the Club World Cup to register new players before the tournament kicks off, but it applies to all Premier League sides, including Arsenal.

Arsenal are expected to complete a move for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi with a medical scheduled for the Spain international (BBC), so there is every chance that they could officially sign him before June 10, considering how advanced that deal is.

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

After Zubimendi, much has been made of the Gunners’ pursuit of a top striker, with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko both top of Arsenal’s list of striker targets.

Supporters are especially keen for Berta to acquire a prolific goalscorer – which has long been viewed as the missing piece of Arteta’s jigsaw – following a campaign where they struggled to score many compared to their previous standards.

However, a number nine isn’t the sole focus going forward.

Bukayo Saka’s injury lay-off midway through 2024/2025 brought attention to Arsenal’s need for an alternative on the right-hand side, while there are some questions about the long-term future of Leandro Trossard, who’s about to enter the final 12 months of his contract.

Interestingly, Berta could turn to one of Arteta’s former stars at Man City – £242,000-per-week Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane.

Arsenal are reliably believed to hold a genuine interest in Sane with his Bayern contract just weeks away from expiring as things stand. The German also recently employed super-agent Pini Zahavi to assist in new contract talks, or find him a new club if needs be.

Arsenal open talks with Leroy Sane's camp over joining

Now, as per Bayern Munich insider Christian Falk, it is believed Arsenal have “started talks” with Zahavi over signing Sane.

The 29-year-old, who bagged 13 goals and six assists in total for Vincent Kompany last season, playing more of a key role towards the back end of 2024/2025, is tempted by the prospect of a move to London.

His family reside in the English capital, so a permanent switch there is appealing to him, with Falk adding that Tottenham are likely to battle with Arsenal for Sane’s services as well.

Sane’s top-level experience, and the fact he could be obtained for no transfer fee, make him a very enticing potential signing for Arsenal.

However, Sane wants a £192,000-per-week base salary, on top of £2.5 million in bonuses and a signing-on fee (Sky and Sport Bild). These were his most recently rumoured demands to stay in Bavaria, so he’ll likely request similar numbers to join Arsenal.

England opt to manage Atkinson’s workload after haul of 34 wickets across first six Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2024England have withdrawn Gus Atkinson from their 50-over squad to face Australia later this month, as they look to manage his workload after a summer in which he put himself in the first rank of quick bowlers for the Test side.Atkinson made his debut in July, taking 12 wickets in the match against West Indies at Lord’s, on the way to a haul of 34 wickets in six Tests. He and Chris Woakes were the ever present seamers through series against West Indies and Sri Lanka, which both consisted of back-to-back-to-back Tests.There were signs during the latter stages of the Sri Lanka series that Atkinson’s pace had dropped off through the course of the summer, and he spent time off the field on day three at The Oval with a tight quad – although he was deemed fit enough to bowl 11 overs in the fourth innings, taking one of the two Sri Lanka wickets to fall.The England management have now opted to rest him for their five ODIs against Australia, with Olly Stone joining the squad in his place.Related

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England are due to travel to Pakistan at the end of the September, ahead of a three-Test tour, and then go to New Zealand in November for three-more Tests. They will already be without Mark Wood, who was ruled out for the rest of the year by an elbow injury, and have been working to reshape the seam attack this summer after the retirements of Stuart Broad and James Anderson.”I think he’s okay,” England’s stand-in Test captain, Ollie Pope, said of Atkinson. “He’s obviously got a couple weeks off now just to refresh and move forward. He’s able to put his feet up now, but I think the way he bowled today and just chatting to him, he actually feels like it feels better today than it did when he first felt it so that’s a positive for us. Fingers crossed he’s all good.”The short turnaround until England begin their winter touring commitments in Pakistan, as well as a schedule that will see them play six more Tests before Christmas – with a white-ball trip to the Caribbean sandwiched in between – means player management will be at the forefront of the ECB’s thinking. Aside from Stone, five players who were involved against Sri Lanka are also in the ODI squad: Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Matt Potts and Jamie Smith.Pope was confident there would be no issues motivating the side for Pakistan, where Ben Stokes is hoping to be fit enough to resume duties as captain.”Obviously from a batting point of view it’s different to the fast bowlers, but I think they’ll have a couple weeks off just to refresh and get right for that,” Pope said. “And I think pulling an England shirt on is the greatest honour, so I don’t think there needs to be much more motivation.”We love touring as a team and everything’s a new, exciting challenge. So I think from that point of view, that’s fine. I know it’s a short turnaround, but I think us as a team, we love every bit in an England shirt whenever we get the opportunity to pull it on. So that won’t be an issue getting up for that. There’ll be a lot of excitement come the time ago to Pakistan.”England ODI squad to play Australia: Jos Buttler (capt), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, John Turner

Arsenal fans have reacted with frustration to the news that the Gunners are pursuing Chelsea's Noni Madueke rather than more highly-rated wingers.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Gunners bid £50m for Madueke
• Linked with Rodrygo, Gordon & Nico Williams
• Chelsea talks ongoing

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal have made an opening bid of £50 million ($68m) for the 23-year-old, a fee which includes add-ons, but while Chelsea are open to negotiation, they believe the England international is worth more and are holding out for a higher fee. Meanwhile, some Gunners fans are baffled by the amount of money their club is willing to spend on a relatively unproven Premier League player, leading to the hashtag '#NoToMadueke' trending on social media.

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  WHAT ARSENAL FANS ARE SAYING

  Writing on X, AfcGabeast said: "You have to ask yourself if Madueke was at Arsenal do u think we could sell him for 50m? yeah I thought so, that how insane this business is"

  EGTVEgal added: "Nobody wants or needs Noni Madueke at Arsenal stop. £50M for Madueke? Arsenal are shooting themselves in the foot. Sort out Eze or Rodrygo first"

  Criticising boss Mikel Arteta, clinicalkai asked how "£50m for Madueke can be easily completed yet £70m for Gyokeres of £60m for Eze somehow cannot".

  White_Yardie added: "I don’t believe all these transfer rumours but if Arsenal spend £55m on Madueke and don’t get Eze & Gyokeres then BERTA IS A FRAUD"

  Some fans saw it differently, with akarsenalnews writing: "If Madueke was coming from PSG, everyone would see it so differently. Madueke isn't the issue, the fact he's coming from Chelsea is."

• THE EXPLANATION

  Arsenal's summer search for a left winger has been well documented, with other rumoured options including Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon and Athletic’s Nico Williams. However, according to , the north Londoners believe all these players would cost more than Madueke, who they are aiming to acquire for roughly £50m. Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is determined not to overspend on transfer fees or wages despite pressure from fans, and he still firmly believes that there are good players available for around £65m ($88m).

• GOAL
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Berta is still doing plenty behind the scenes to secure the number one priority for Arsenal this summer: an elite-level striker. The club's pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres has been clear to see, but Berta appeared to make genuine strides earlier this week by flying out to Lisbon to hammer out an agreement with Sporting CP.

“It’s something he’s done quite a bit in the T20 side previously as well”

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2024Jos Buttler has backed Jonny Bairstow to come good at No. 4 during T20 World Cup 2024, citing his experience batting in the powerplay and ability to attack spin in the middle overs.”I think for every player in the team, it’s about trying to read the situation of the game and play accordingly,” Buttler said at a press conference on Saturday. “I think Jonny’s got the experience and the game to play that role for us at No. 4.”It’s something he’s done quite a bit in the T20 side previously as well, and he’s got great variety in his game. So he is used to batting in the powerplay should that situation arrive at No. 4, but he has also got experience and power, and is a good player of spin throughout the middle phase as well.”Related

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Bairstow, who was expected to open for England in the 2022 T20 World Cup but missed the tournament due to a freak injury sustained while playing golf, called the move to No. 4 “a compliment”.Bairstow has spent the majority of the last year playing in India. It started with the 2023 ODI World Cup, followed by the five-match Test series and then the IPL. But Buttler said Bairstow was anything but jaded.”I think he’s excited. I think he’s in a good space,” Buttler said. “He’s been away for a long time, but he is a very proud guy and he has been playing a lot of cricket for England over that period of time, which is where he wants to be.”So he seems in a good space. His family is going to be with him on this trip as well, which is nice. And I think getting that injury just before the last T20 World Cup, I’m sure he’s really excited for this one.”Jofra Archer returned in England colours in the T20I series against Pakistan•Getty ImagesButtler: ‘Not trying to put too much pressure on Archer’Jofra Archer made a return to international cricket during the T20I series against Pakistan last month, after a year out with injury, but Buttler says the team management doesn’t want to put him under undue pressure.”Playing cricket again and being back in an England shirt, I know how hard he has worked to get back and it’s been a long time for him,” Buttler said. “As I’ve said before, we’re not trying to put too much expectation on him.”We know what a superstar he can be but it’s been a long time since he’s played international cricket so it’s very easy to get very excited about it and expect big things from him. But I think just give him a bit of time. He’s happy and smiling and loving being back in the changing room as much as he is on the field. So he’s in a really good space.”When asked if England were looking at playing both Archer and Mark Wood in the same XI, Buttler said: “Certainly, an option, yes.”England, who are the defending champions, will begin their campaign against Scotland on Tuesday.

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick issued a strong warning to Marcus Rashford before approving the English forward's loan move to the club. The German coach had a direct conversation with the Manchester United outcast last week before he travelled to Catalonia. Rashford is expected to be announced as a new Barcelona signing this week.

Flick issued warning to RashfordManager approved Rashford's loan moveRashford to be unveiled as Barca playerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Rashford will finally end his United nightmare and exit Old Trafford this summer as he is all set to complete a loan move to Barcelona. The 27-year-old reportedly rejected offers from the Saudi Pro League and some top European clubs, as the winger only wanted a transfer to the Catalan side.

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The negotiations picked up speed towards the end of last week after Flick personally spoke to Rashford, as reported by . The German manager warned the winger that he would have to fight for his place in the team's starting lineup and put in more work defensively. The report adds that concerns were raised internally over the England international's work rate. Flick, however, gave his green signal after getting a verbal assurance from Rashford.

DID YOU KNOW?

Rashford has his task cut out at Barcelona as he is expected to predominantly operate from the left side of their attack. He has to compete with Raphinha in that position, who was one of the star performers for Flick's side last season. In the central striker position, Rashford's competition is with legendary Polish forward Robert Lewandowski.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

Rashford could inherit the number of Lamine Yamal or Thierry Henry once he signs the dotted lines at Barcelona. The Spanish league winners have already confirmed that Yamal will take the iconic No.10 shirt after Ansu Fati's loan move to Monaco.

New Zealand captain believes the batting collapse on the third morning was the definitive portion of the match

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Sep-2024

“Will O’Rourke’s had a very short Test career so far, and he’s certainly announced himself” – Tim Southee•AFP/Getty Images

New Zealand tend not to do especially well in Galle. Of their five Test defeats from as many games at the ground, one has been by an innings, another by ten wickets, and one more by 202 runs. Their latest Test at the venue, which ended in a 63-run defeat to Sri Lanka on Monday, when they went into the fifth morning with an outside shot of victory – 68 more runs to win, with two wickets remaining – represents their closest result here.But two players, in particular, stuck out. In his first outing in steaming conditions, and on a dry deck, seamer Will O’Rourke was frequently menacing – often touching 140kph – while sending down short deliveries on a pitch not especially conducive to short bowling. Vitally, for a bowler in his third Test, there were also no hugely loose spells. His takings were 8 for 104. Six of those dismissals were of top- or middle-order batters. Captain Tim Southee was suitably impressed by the 23-year-old.”Will’s had a very short Test career so far, and he’s certainly announced himself,” Southee said after the match. “We saw in New Zealand how dangerous he can be. He’s got the skills to have a very good Test career. For him to come to his first Test in the subcontinent and walk away with a very impressive eight wickets for the match is nothing short of special. He’s got a great head on his shoulders, and he’s a big guy. So there’s a lot to like about Will O’Rourke.”Related

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On the batting front, 24-year-old Rachin Ravindra produced his second-highest Test score – a characterful 92 on a treacherous fourth-innings pitch – as New Zealand pursued a tall 275. Ravindra is not quite so new to internationals, of course, having lit up last year’s ODI World Cup in India. But he remains a batter still finding his feet at the top level, and the clear-headed approach he took on day four – pouncing almost unnerringly on errors of length, while endeavouring to keep the score ticking – was especially impressive in his third Test in Asia.”Rachin kept us in the hunt with that chase,” Southee said. “We knew it was [a] tough ask, and that it was going to take something special, with the wicket taking a lot of turn in these last couple of days. It was a great knock in those conditions.”It’s not easy to bat – the ball was spinning, and doing all sorts [of things]. For a young guy without a lot of experience in this part of the world to go out and get 90-odd was great signs for him as well. He’s another one that’s an exceptional talent, and he’s had a little taste of international cricket as well, and done exceptionally well. He’s a great young kid with a good head on his shoulders.”Tim Southee called Rachin Ravindra an “exceptional talent” after the Galle Test•AP

For Southee, it was New Zealand’s batting collapse on the third morning that was the definitive portion of the match. They had been 255 for 4 in their first innings overnight, only 50 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’s total. But they then lost six wickets for 71 runs, as the middle and lower orders succumbed to finger spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis. In the end, their lead was only 35, when it had threatened to be much more.”I guess the position where we got ourselves in, in the first innings, was good. But the last four or five fell for not many, and there was an opportunity to get a bigger first-innings lead,” he said. “We knew that that second new ball was going to be tough given the nature of the wicket and the quality of the Sri Lankan spin bowlers.”If you look at those moments, if we were able to press on and get more of a lead, things could have been different. It was still a good Test match. There’s plenty of good things we can take into the next couple of days.”