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Crystal Palace are expected to lodge an enquiry over signing a “quality” £25 million player in the summer, according to a recent report.

Crystal Palace eye attacking signings

The Eagles still have 11 games left to play in the Premier League and an FA Cup quarterfinal tie to think about, but plans already appear to be getting underway for what could be a busy summer at Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace now plotting "ambitious" move for "incredible" £55m forward

The Eagles could be set to battle it out for a highly-rated forward, who’s also attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

1 ByDominic Lund Mar 2, 2025

Oliver Glasner is keen for his side to strengthen in the wide areas of the team, with it emerging last week that Liverpool’s Ben Doak and Lewis Koumas are of interest to Palace. The South Londoners are interested in signing not just one, but both Liverpool loan stars, who have been thriving at Middlesbrough and Stoke respectively this season.

Palace are also keeping a close eye on FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju and have sent scouts to watch him in action in recent weeks. However, they are not the only team interested, as Leicester City are also keen on a deal, though their interest hinges on them remaining in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, former chief scout Mick Brown has also stated that Palace are interested in signing Tyler Dibling from Southampton, but again, there are many other teams also interested in the young star.

Crystal Palace expected to make enquiry to sign £25m Spurs star

But as well as looking to strengthen their forward line, the Eagles are also looking to strengthen their midfield, as according to Give Me Sport, Crystal Palace are interested in signing Yves Bissouma from Tottenham Hotspur.

The report states that Spurs are willing to let Bissouma leave come the end of the season, with no indications of a new deal being discussed, as he will enter the final 12 months of the contract he signed when he became one of the several Brighton success stories to be sold for profit. Palace are monitoring the situation and are expected to make an enquiry into a possible deal, while several other teams are also expected to join the race.

French sides Marseille and Nice are also interested in signing the midfielder, and Bissouma is open to moving back to Ligue 1, but Palace will hope the opportunity to remain in the Premier League outweighs a return to France. It is unclear how much Spurs would be looking to get for Bissouma, but they may struggle to get near the £25 million they paid Brighton to sign him in 2022.

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20

Starts

12

Goals

2

Touches per game

41.9

Passing accuracy per game

29.3 (90%)

Tackles per game

1.9

The 28-year-old, who was dubbed “quality” by Jamie Carragher two years ago, has fallen out of favour somewhat at Spurs this season. The midfielder has started 20 of the 32 games he has played in all competitions, but the rise of Lucas Bergvall and the performances of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr have seen Bissouma fall down the pecking order, and given his contract situation, a move could be on the cards this summer.

The Eagles will be hoping to keep hold of Adam Wharton, but Bissouma could be seen as a potential replacement should Palace find it hard to keep the young Englishman.

A Celtic player has been persuaded to leave the Scottish Champions and join a new club after a promise from his potential new manager, according to a recent report.

Celtic suffer Champions League heartbreak

The Hoops suffered Champions League disappointment on Tuesday night, as they were denied extra time as Bayern Munich scored in the dying moments of the game to secure their place in the last 16 of the tournament.

Celtic took a shock lead through Nicolas Kuhn to make the game 2-2 on aggregate, but Alphonso Davies was on hand to deliver the sucker punch in the fourth minute of injury time.

Better than Maeda: Celtic have unearthed a £124m-rated star in the making

Celtic have hit the jackpot with the forward who is even better than Daizen Maeda.

2 ByDan Emery Feb 19, 2025

Despite being knocked out of the Champions League, Brendan Rodgers was left proud of his team’s performance, and he wants to make Celtic a seasoned club at this level.

“It’s a mixture of pride, firstly in the performance level. We have to remember this is Bayern Munich, and everyone talked about that before the game,” Rodgers told the media.

“Performance-wise, we were outstanding, played without any fear. Defended so well, with discipline, pressed at the right moments, gave them issues on that side, and able to be compact and tight in the right moment.

“Our European credibility was always going to be important. That’s my main takeaway from this campaign. We learned some valuable lessons along the way, played some amazing football, and taken on a club of this size and magnitude – a club where one of their players is more than our budget.

“It allows us to build. Last year I felt we developed even though we never got the points. Performance-wise, I thought it was good. This season it’s been very good. We’ve made the progress that made me want to come back, and now we have to finish the season off strong. My unswerving plan is to make it a seasoned club at this level, where we can go and really hurt big opponents like Bayern Munich.”

Celtic gem has been persuaded to join a new club

As well as disappointment on the pitch, the Hoops have now suffered more off it, as according to Hammers News, Daniel Cummings’ rumoured move to West Ham is even closer after Graham Potter made the player a promise of first-team minutes.

The Hammers were keen on signing the young striker in January, while Celtic have been keen for Cummings to remain with them, as Rodgers has pleaded with the player to remain patient in his wait for a senior breakthrough.

However, he has become unhappy with the lack of opportunities in the first team, and despite Celtic trying to tie him to a new contract, Cummings looks set to join West Ham, as Potter has promised the player he will be part of the club’s first team squad next season.

The 18-year-old came through the ranks at Celtic Park, scoring 34 goals in their B team. However, that hasn’t done anything for him to get regular opportunities in Celtic’s first team, as he’s only made one appearance. That appearance came in this season’s Champions League, as he was brought off the bench for the final 11 minutes against Aston Villa last month.

Apps

50

Goals

34

Assists

0

The Hoops are well gifted in the attacking area, as shown in the game against Bayern Munich, as they had Adam Idah and Johnny Kenny both on the bench. So, with his contract coming to an end, Celtic can’t be surprised that the player is looking at options elsewhere, as he clearly feels moving on is the best for his career.

رد نداف شوشاني، المتحدث باسم جيش الاحتلال الإسرائيلي، على المصري محمد صلاح، جناح فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، بشأن سؤاله للاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا”، حول استشهاد اللاعب الفلسطيني سليمان العبيد.

وكان الاتحاد الفلسطيني لكرة القدم، أعلن في بيان رسمي، يوم الأربعاء، استشهاد اللاعب الفلسطيني سليمان العبيد، إثر مقتله برصاص قوات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي.

وحدثت الواقعة المؤلمة، أثناء انتظار سليمان العبيد للمساعدات الإنسانية في جنوب قطاع غزة، بعد استهداف قوات الاحتلال لمنتظري المساعدات الإنسانية.

ونشر يويفا تغريدة تحمل صورة سليمان العبيد بتعليق: “وداعًا سليمان العبيد، بيليه فلسطين، موهبة أعادت الأمل لعدد لا يحصى من الأطفال، حتى في أحلك الأوقات”.

وقام محمد صلاح بإعادة نشر تغريدة “يويفا” معلقًا: “هل يمكنكم أن تخبرونا كيف مات وأين ولماذا؟”.

وردًا على منشور محمد صلاح على منصة “إكس”، قال المتحدث باسم الجيش الإسرائيلي، نداف شوشاني بحسب ما نشرت وكالة أنباء رويترز: “مرحبًا محمد، بعد مراجعة أولية، لم نعثر على أي سجلات لأي حوادث تتعلق بسليمان العبيد، وللتدقيق أكثر، نحتاج إلى مزيد من التفاصيل”.

العبيد الذي لعب للمنتخب الوطني الفلسطيني، كان يلعب لصالح ناديه غزة عندما اندلعت الحرب في 7 أكتوبر 2023.

الفلسطيني الشهيد من مواليد 24 مارس 1984، وولد بمدينة غزة، وكان متزوجًا وأبًا لخمسة أطفال.

Australia’s reserve opener Marcus Harris is resigned to the fact that he may not play in the Ashes, praising David Warner for his performances despite twin failures in the Headingley Test.Harris, 30, is the only specialist reserve batter currently in the squad after Matt Renshaw was released following the second Test at Lord’s. But he is not expecting to play a part in the series unless there is an injury to one of Australia’s top five batters.Since Australia’s loss at Headingley, all the selection talk has revolved around trying to fit Cameron Green back into the team after Mitchell Marsh made himself indispensable following his stunning opening-day century and crucial wickets, having replaced Green when he was withdrawn due to a hamstring niggle.Related

• 'You have to play a spinner' – Moeen answers Murphy question for Australia

• David Warner's spot could come under scrutiny for Old Trafford Test

• Green does not see Test opening role as realistic

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• David Warner hoping for SCG farewell from Test cricket in January 2024

Warner has been mooted publicly as the man who could make way given his continued struggles against Stuart Broad. But Green, and others within the Australian team, have tempered suggestions that either he, Marsh or Travis Head could be viable options to open the batting at Old Trafford.Harris echoed those sentiments and acknowledged that he is unlikely to be considered until after Warner’s planned Test swansong in January next year, given that Warner and Usman Khawaja have produced three 50-plus opening stands in the series so far while England’s opening duo of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett have managed just one.”Davey’s earned the right to pull the pin whenever he wants to pull the pin and he’s done well this series,” Harris said.”England’s not an easy place to open the batting and him and Uz have got us off to some good starts. So if I have to wait until then, so be it. But if something comes up earlier, I’m ready to go. Davey’s obviously a bit of a lightning rod for opinion.”Even if you’re not getting the big runs that you want to get, if you can still contribute to the team in some way, shape or form, I think you’re doing a job. But that’s coming from an opening batter so I’m probably biased towards that.”Harris was called upon midway through the 2019 Ashes series and found the challenge every bit as difficult as Warner, making just 58 runs in six innings.Marcus Harris has made nine first-class centuries in England•Getty Images

But Harris has accrued three years’ worth of County Championship experience since then and has built an impressive first-class record in England, averaging 45.83 from 52 innings with nine centuries, including two this season for Gloucestershire.Given his experience in English conditions, Harris cautioned against asking a middle-order batter to open the batting in a Test match in England.”I think it depends on the conditions and where you are,” he said. “Like you saw in the subcontinent, it is probably the best time so to have someone destructive like Heady, he can open the batting there. But I think probably in England and in Australia, the way the wickets have been the last couple of years, and New Zealand, those sorts of wickets, it’s more of a specialist position. And you want your destructive players like Greeny or Mitch or Travis to be coming in against a bit more of an older ball.”Maybe those first two wickets were alright. Definitely, Edgbaston would have been okay, but I think like we saw at Lord’s, whenever there were some overheads, and at Headingley, it was hard work. My experiences from county cricket [are] if you cop the wrong time of the day to open the batting, especially if you’re a destructive batter, it’s probably not ideal.”Harris is strong in his belief that he is a much-improved player compared to both his last England tour in 2019 and his last Test opportunity in January 2022.”I have been exposed to a lot more conditions,” Harris said. “Since then I have been to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and played three county seasons here. Being an overseas pro to county teams is a different experience to playing Shield cricket. I just feel more well-rounded. That series taught me a lot in 2019. At the time it didn’t seem good, but I have probably benefited from it in the long haul.”I feel like I am ready to go whenever that chance comes. Whether that is this tour or not, so be it. I am in a good place mentally and with life. Whenever it comes up, I’ll be ready to go.”Harris has not played since making an unbeaten 122 for Gloucestershire against Durham on May 21, with the attack featuring Test bowlers Matthew Potts and Ajaz Patel.He was given the option of playing county cricket last week to get some middle time under his belt, as Michael Neser did for Glamorgan, but he opted to go on a golf trip to Scotland with Marsh, Josh Hazlewood, and Australia bowling coach Daniel Vettori.”I got given the option,” Harris said. “I thought it would be good to have a couple of days off and get away from cricket altogether. I have been here since April 1 so it has been a pretty long tour. The training we can do now with how big the squad is as a collective, during the games is as good, if not better, than playing a game of cricket. I don’t feel like I haven’t had a lot of cricket.”Might have been a different story if I just came on the Ashes and hadn’t played any county cricket. But personally, there hasn’t been any issue for me.”

Former Australia opener says it’s a “good strategy” to have “outliers” in the squad that can keep the other players “honest”

Sruthi Ravindranath21-Aug-20231:29

Moody: Tilak’s selection is down to his temperament

Matthew Hayden believes Tilak Varma’s inclusion in India’s squad for the men’s Asia Cup is a “good strategy” as it would put pressure on Suryakumar Yadav and keep the rest of the frontline batters in the side “honest”.”We’ve seen the class of Tilak Varma. I think it’s a good strategy in terms of not just this World Cup but even potentially getting into the next World Cup as well,” Hayden said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards ceremony in Mumbai. “The great thing about India is it’s got a really solid one-two-three combination. Similar to Australia actually, when you look at their last four or five months, they’ve had a really good and strong – what we like to call – the engine room. And then they’ve got some good problems to solve through the middle order.”And if they can fill spots with talented young players like Tilak Varma, put pressure on someone like Suryakumar Yadav, I think that’s a good strategy. Keep everyone honest in the side and performing. So not a bad move. I think it’s a great side.”Related

Rahul, Shreyas and Tilak make it to India's Asia Cup squad

Ganguly feels Kohli, Iyer and Rahul can all bat at No. 4 if required

Rohit wants India to be flexible, in mind and batting order

Tilak, who hasn’t played an ODI yet, was included on the back of his promising performances during the T20I series in the Caribbean. Hayden said the emergence of such young talents is one of the positives to come out of injuries to various senior players in the Indian side. Jasprit Bumrah, India’s No. 1 bowler, has just returned from a 11-month hiatus and has been named in the 17-member squad. Ditto with KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, who have missed the last few months because of injuries too.”In the landscape of modern cricket now, you’re going to get injuries,” Hayden said. “We’ve seen that with Jasprit Bumrah and we’ve seen the emergence of players in and around him that have had an opportunity because he hasn’t been playing. They look at their bench strength as much as they look at their playing make-up because ultimately you’re going to be challenged.”When I look back at the World Cup campaigns that I was a part of, I remember [Shane] Warne was out with a drug-related incident [in 2003] and then [Brad] Hogg comes into the side and has an unbelievable series in South Africa. So as much as we’d love to see superstars feature in World Cups, the outliers tend to be those players that might win you a World Cup. It might be Ishan Kishan, for example. He might have an unbelievable World Cup and blast everyone away. The selectors don’t write their names down first, but they have something special and they can deliver it on a World Cup stage.”There are some key questions for India heading into the 50-over World Cup at home this year: who will be their No. 4? What will their middle order look like? While captain Rohit Sharma said he wanted to keep the batting order flexible, Hayden said the Asia Cup would give India a chance to fine-tune their plans and possibly find answers they need.”The Asia Cup is kind of where you’re going to see a lot more answers to those questions,” Hayden said. “Playing in their home conditions, in the build-up to the World Cup – the World Cup’s on our doorstep – that’s about as good as you get from the subcontinent teams, playing in Sri Lanka, in Pakistan, ahead of an enormous campaign here in India. There’s no question that you’re going to have bench players playing in this World Cup. Your outliers are as important as your key players. And it’s in your favour.”But we all know how much everyone loves cricket here as well. To be at home, there’s an enormous pressure that will come with that. But I think that you’ve got good lead up time and good preparation.”

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.

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.”

Manchester United’s work within the transfer window has left a lot to be desired over recent years, with huge money spent on players not up to the level of the Premier League.

Former Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag spent upwards of £600m during his time in charge of the club, but his additions clearly haven’t worked given the club’s 15th place league standing last season.

Ruben Amorim has had to work with such signings, only having the January window to make the additions he desires to help transform the current situation at Old Trafford.

He’s already added Matheus Cunha to his ranks, splashing £62.5m on the Brazilian’s signature, but further talents are expected to arrive at the club in the coming weeks.

Numerous areas of the pitch are set to be improved for their quest in the 2025/26 campaign, with multiple names mentioned over transfers to the Theatre of Dreams.

The latest on United’s hunt for new additions this summer

Striker Viktor Gyokeres has been a player firmly on the club’s radar and understandably so given his stint under Amorim during their time together in Portugal at Sporting CP.

The Swede scored 54 times in his 52 appearances, making him one of the most in-demand players this window, but it appears as though he’s set for a move to join rivals Arsenal.

However, another player has emerged on their radar in recent days, with Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor now a key target, according to GOAL Brazil.

Their report claims that Victor already has an offer on the table from the Red Devils, who are prepared to trigger the 29-year-old’s release clause this summer, which currently stands at just $8m (£5.8m).

It also states that the player himself would be keen on a move to Old Trafford this window, with the hierarchy seeing the shot-stopper as a possible number one ahead of 2025/26.

Why United’s latest target would be a better signing than Gyokeres

Given Gyokeres’ goalscoring record for the Portuguese outfit, there’s no denying that the Swede would be an excellent option in the final third for Amorim’s side.

However, given the £70m price tag that has been mooted, along with his lack of experience in England’s top-flight, it could prove to be a huge risk for the club in 2025/26.

Other current options in the Premier League appear to be available this summer, with work already being done to land the signature of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins during the off-season.

There’s no denying that a new talisman is needed during this window, but Gyokeres shouldn’t be the one they turn to, allowing another side to take the chance with a move for his services.

The same can’t be said for potential addition Victor, with his buy-out clause potentially being a bargain for the club if they can complete a deal for his signature.

The Brazilian could prove to be a bargain, filling the void that’s been vacated by current number one Andre Onana after he suffered a hamstring injury that could rule him out of the start of the new campaign.

However, even upon the Cameroonian’s return to first-team action, he may struggle to regain his place in the side should Victor make the move to the Theatre of Dreams.

The Botafogo star, who’s been labelled “incredible” by one analyst, massively outperformed Onana last campaign, highlighting the talent he possesses in between the sticks.

He’s conceded fewer goals per 90, whilst claiming more crosses, offering a needed presence and a player who can command his 18-yard box, which could bolster the defensive unit.

Games played

11

34

Clean sheet percentage

55%

26%

Save percentage

81%

68%

Goals conceded

0.6

1.3

Pass accuracy

81%

72%

Crosses claimed

0.8

0.6

Saves made

2.7

2.5

Onana has been prone to mistakes during his time at the club, something which the potential new addition could prevent, as he made more saves during his spell in Serie A last campaign.

Amorim will desperately want a new striker to lead his attacking department into 2025/26, but ultimately it may have to wait given the recent news around the goalkeeping department.

Such an area is arguably one of the most important on the pitch, with the club simply not being able to enter the new season without adequate options at the manager’s disposal – subsequently making Victor a crucial addition during the off-season.

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1 ByEthan Lamb Jul 13, 2025

“The biggest problem is the batters who are taking a start but are not going to play a long innings,” the head coach said

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Feb-2025Australia’s batters were at home on Sri Lanka tracks in ways Sri Lanka’s batters weren’t. This was one of the take-aways from a Test that Australia dominated, according to head coach Sanath Jayasuriya.Sri Lanka’s batters also largely fell playing attacking strokes.”There was a serious problem with shot selections, as well as with handling situations,” Jayasuriya said. “I don’t think certain players have handled situations well. They’re experienced players, and they have to be more mature.Related

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“These players have played a lot of cricket and should know how to play. I’ve talked to them about this. But we’ve got to talk to them in detail about this now. Also, we cannot blame the wicket. Because we saw how the wicket behaved. This was a very good wicket. For a long time, we haven’t seen such a good wicket in Galle, on the third and fourth days.”The problem, Jayasuriya said, is batters not converting their starts into big scores. In Australia’s first innings of the first Test in Galle, six batters faced 50 balls or more. In Sri Lanka’s first innings, only Dinesh Chandimal faced more than 50 balls.”The biggest problem is the batters who are taking a start but are not going to play a long innings,” Jayasuriya said. “This is something I always mutter. We saw [Usman] Khawaja, [Steven] Smith and [Josh] Inglis, all three of them took a good start and they converted them to big hundreds. This conversion must be there. We’re not consistent in that. Our players should know that these are our conditions and we must make use of these conditions. There were lots of opportunities but we didn’t make use of them.”Australia’s spinners did tend to bowl faster than Sri Lanka’s, but at the time, Sri Lanka’s spinners had felt their slower pace was better suited to this surface.”They were bowling a little faster than us, but we were thinking that our pace was the best. That’s what we’ve been doing. The wicket was on the slower side and we were trying to bowl a little faster, but we ended up bowling as we usually do here.”After the third or fourth day, we saw the normal Galle wicket. What the Australia spinners did was bowl a little faster than us. That’s normally what they’re doing.”We’re used to bowling at a slower pace, but it didn’t work in this match. We need to discuss all that also.”

The allrounder has made the call as Australia’s limited-overs squad was due to head to Sri Lanka

Andrew McGlashan06-Feb-2025

Marcus Stoinis was part of the side that won the 2023 ODI World Cup•Associated Press

Australia allrounder Marcus Stoinis has announced his immediate retirement from ODI cricket, ruling himself out of the upcoming Champions Trophy.Stoinis, 35, will now focus on T20 cricket and remains available for Australia in that format. He scored 1495 runs in 71 ODIs at an average of 26.69 with a best of 146 not out against New Zealand in Auckland in 2017, and also took 48 wickets at 43.12 apiece.Related

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“Playing ODI cricket for Australia has been an incredible journey, and I’m grateful for every moment I’ve had in the green and gold,” Stoinis said. “Representing my country at the highest level is something I’ll always cherish.”This wasn’t an easy decision, but I believe it’s the right time for me to step away from ODIs and fully focus on the next chapter of my career. I’ve got a fantastic relationship with Ron [Andrew McDonald] and I’ve hugely appreciated his support. I’ll be cheering the boys on in Pakistan.”Stoinis was part of the 2023 ODI World Cup squad and played an important role with the ball against Pakistan, when Australia began their fightback from a poor start to the tournament and ended it as champions.”Stoin has been such a pivotal part of our ODI setup for the past decade,” McDonald said. “Not only has he been an invaluable player but also an incredible person to have in the group. He is a natural leader, an exceptionally popular player and a great person. He should be congratulated on his ODI career and all of his achievements.”However, he played only one more ODI after that World Cup, against Pakistan earlier this season, and did not receive a Cricket Australia contact last year, but was earmarked to play a role at the Champions Trophy in the absence of the injured Cameron Green.”I wasn’t involved in those discussions, but from our perspective, Stoinis was trying to map out how one-day cricket was going for him,” assistant coach Daniel Vettori said after the opening day of the second Test in Galle. “[The] 2027 World Cup is a long way away. From my perspective, it’s been great the way he’s been able to lead with the ball at times. I think back to that 2023 World Cup and those two breakthroughs against Pakistan, and his style of bowling and the aggressiveness. If the big three weren’t able to get a breakthrough or Zamps, then Stoins was turned to a lot on the bowling front, and he brought a real energy and attitude.”Stoinis recently played three matches for Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20, where he suffered an injury in his second outing, on the back of the BBL with Melbourne Stars.Australia will need to make numerous changes to their Champions Trophy squad, which they are due to confirm after the second Test against Sri Lanka. Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out with a back injury while captain Pat Cummins and fellow quick Josh Hazlewood will also miss the tournament.