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Victoria looked well-placed to push for victory but not for the first time of late they let a strong position slip

Alex Malcolm09-Mar-2025

Jake Lehmann’s century guided a superb South Australia chase•Getty Images

An inspirational unbeaten century from Jake Lehmann in combination with a career-best 83 from Liam Scott secured South Australia their first home Sheffield Shield final since 2016 after they chased down 300 with four wickets to spare to defeat Victoria at the Junction Oval.Lehmann and Scott shared a match-defining 148-run stand to break the back of the chase having come together at 108 for 4. Henry Hunt also made a valuable early contribution of 66 and shared a 54-run stand with Lehmann. The trio withstood some brilliant spells from Scott Boland who took two late wickets to threaten to steal the game but ultimately Victoria could not sustain enough pressure with the ball.Related

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South Australia are now guaranteed a home final while Victoria can still made the decider if they beat Western Australia next week and other results go their way despite losing four matches in a row.Lehmann described his 12th first-class century as one of the best of his career after also going past 5000 first-class runs.”I feel like anytime you get a hundred and it’s in a winning team, and fourth innings is probably the hardest time to make hundreds these days, so yes, definitely up there,” Lehmann told ESPNcricinfo post match. “But it’s just probably on the vibe of the boys and the way we’ve played our cricket, and the belief in the team that we were always going to be able to chase them if we got into that last couple hours of the day.”South Australia coach Ryan Harris was full of praise for both Lehmann and Scott after the match. He was particularly proud of Scott’s efforts after backing up his 4 for 49 on day three with the ball with a match-winning 83.”I think his niche is probably No. 6 in this current set-up,” Harris told ESPNcricinfo. “And his overs, my communication with him is he’s probably a holder and now he’s a wicket-taker. And he’s done that because of having game time and learning his role and progressing as a player and as a person, learning the game. That only comes with game time and he’s done it beautifully. So he’s a huge player now.”Victoria coach Chris Rogers was left to lament how his side had lost a fourth game in a row after they had a lead of 163 with eight wickets in hand midway through day three and also had South Australia four down with 192 runs to defend on the final day.”We’re just missing something a little bit at the moment,” Rogers told ESPNcricinfo. “I just said to the group there were moments in this game where I think if we’d been able to get the upper hand we would have won this game against the side that’s on top of the table.”We feel like all the games we’re right in the contest, but then we just can’t get over the line. And that probably is the biggest frustration, and we’ve got to keep asking ourselves those questions, why aren’t we winning those moments?”The game was poised on a knife’s edge in the morning session when South Australia slumped to 54 for 3. Fergus O’Neill struck twice in three balls, pinning South Australia captain Nathan McSweeney lbw with a brilliant delivery that nipped in off the seam before taking the outside edge of Jason Sangha two balls later with one that straightened the other way.Lehmann and Hunt steadied with a 54-run stand but it was full of nervy moments. Hunt passed 50 but could have been out twice to Todd Murphy in one over, scoring a boundary off the outside edge while an offbreak beat his inside edge and went over the stumps past keeper Sam Harper for four byes.Lehmann also nearly fell to Murphy with Harper unable to hold a challenging catch down the leg side. Lehmann gave another life when he sliced a thick edge low to Xavier Crone’s left in the gully off O’Neill.Victoria still appeared firmly in the game when Hunt holed out to deep square for 66 off Sam Elliott. But Lehmann and Scott thoroughly dominated the middle session as Victoria fell flat.Boland bowled a very loose spell by his standards post lunch. He dropped short on several occasions and conceded four boundaries in three overs. Murphy gave up two at the other end as Lehmann and Scott set the tone for what was about to follow.The pair scored 104 runs from 30 overs in the middle session and scarcely looked troubled. Scott stood tall and drove powerfully through the off side against both spin and pace.Lehmann rotated the strike superbly without taking any undue risks and sweated on anything short and wide. Victoria spread the field to try and slow the scoring rate before the second new ball was due. But in the last 15 overs of the session Scott and Lehmann picked off 51 runs, including 16 off two overs of part-time spin from Campbell Kellaway and Harry Dixon.The trend looked set to continue against the second new ball as Scott raced past his previous highest first-class score while Boland struggled to get his line right in his first two overs after tea.But his international class shone through to force a late twist in the game. With 44 to win, Scott edged Boland to slip to give the hosts life. He then extracted another edge from Harry Nielsen shortly after to leave South Australia still needing 42 with just four wickets in hand. But Lehmann and Ben Manenti held their nerve.Lehmann survived another chance on 80 when he smashed Murphy straight to short cover but Kellaway could not hold the hot offer. Thereafter he latched on anything fractionally short to guide his side home, reaching his century and winning the game with three consecutive boundaries.

Newcastle United have submitted a new bid for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa worth £40 million. The offer is said to be comprised of a £35 million transfer fee and £5 million in “difficult to achieve” add-ons.

Brentford brought Wissa to the Premier League from FC Lorient in 2021 for £8.5 million, meaning that the current bid would more than quadruple their initial investment. However, David Ornstein has since reported that this bid has been rejected.

Ornstein writes that sources close to Brentford do not know the club’s current valuation of Wissa, as they have not shared that information with any of the striker’s suitors at this point.

Whilst the Magpies move has been shut down for now, there is positive news for Newcastle in that both Fabrizio Romano and Ornstein are reporting that Wissa wants the deal to happen, with Romano posting that Wissa “hopes for green light to join NUFC project” and has sent a clear message on Wednesday.

Over the last few weeks, a number of clubs have been embroiled in transfer sagas that undoubtedly seemed connected. Newcastle’s need to bring in a player like Wissa has only been added to by the seemingly impending exit of Alexander Isak, who is pushing for a move more than ever.

Newcastle were previously reported to be waiting until Brentford signed Bournemouth’s Dango Ouattara to make an offer, as he is seen as potentially being a replacement for Wissa. Now that Brentford have their man, they may be willing to allow Wissa to move to Newcastle if a satisfactory bid is received, especially given Wissa’s desire to see the deal happen.

Once Wissa joins Newcastle, the club may be more willing to entertain bids from Liverpool for Isak, as they, too, will have their replacement striker. Liverpool have already spent heavily this window; they have moved on a number of players for big fees, and players like Harvey Elliott could also be exiting soon, allowing them to have the finances to place a bid that matches Newcastle’s valuation of Isak.

Wissa has big shoes to fill

If Wissa is indeed to be the replacement for Isak, then he has big shoes to fill, but if anyone can do it, he can. Last season, Isak registered 23 goals and 6 assists, whereas Wissa registered 19 goals and 4 assists, only marginally behind the Swedish striker.

One positive way in which the two strikers are similar is that they both outperformed their expected goals last season. This means in the same way that Isak was scoring goals that most strikers wouldn’t, Wissa will be able to join the side and impress in the same way.

While Isak had better numbers, he was doing it in a better team, a team that managed to qualify for the Champions League, whereas Brentford only finished in 10th place. With the addition of Anthony Elanga to the squad and pre-existing players like Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy supporting him, Wissa will likely boost his numbers once he makes a move to the North East.

Manchester United will want to address their goalkeeping situation before the window is closed at Old Trafford and could now be set to focus all their efforts on a talented stopper from the continent, according to a report.

Bayindir's error vs Arsenal leaves Man Utd searching for answers

Truthfully, there wasn’t much to separate Manchester United and Arsenal in their Premier League opening clash, apart from the level of goalkeeping performances on display.

Unfortunately for the Red Devils’, Arsenal’s prevalence at set-pieces earned the points for the visitors, who received a helping hand from Altay Bayindir’s failure to steer away Declan Rice’s delivery before Riccardo Calafiori pounced from close range.

Speaking on the BBC’s Football Daily podcast, David James believes the Turkish international shouldn’t have got involved with William Saliba in the lead-up to the only goal of the encounter.

He explained: “There were two issues with the goal. The first was Bayindir getting involved with William Saliba before the corner-kick was taken. Saliba ran across the front and I actually think it was a foul on Mason Mount because Saliba nearly dragged his shirt off to get in front of Bayindir.

“But by getting involved with Saliba, everyone has now got arms on each other and Bayindir is in no position to do anything decent from where he is.”

On the same day, reports emerged that Man Utd are plotting a surprise reunion with David De Gea. Meanwhile, Gianluigi Donnarumma has been considered by the Red Devils amid speculation surrounding the future of Andre Onana.

Nevertheless, there could now be another solution to their woes between the sticks as INEOS prepare to focus their attention on finalising a deal for a rising star.

Manchester United look to finalise Senne Lammens move

According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United chiefs are convinced they’ll win the race to sign Royal Antwerp’s Senne Lammens despite interest from Inter Milan in securing his signature.

The outlet claim he only has eyes for a move to Old Trafford and they will now look to put a ‘decisive plan’ in action to land the goalkeeper. Albeit, Onana’s failure to secure a move elsewhere has impacted their overall pursuit of a new number one.

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Overall, the Belgian star has kept 12 clean sheets in 64 appearances for Royal Antwerp, leading to a call-up to his senior national team back in March for their UEFA Nations League playoff matches against Ukraine.

Manchester United have kept in touch with his entourage all summer and have him on a shortlist alongside Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez. Now, it appears Lammens is top priority as the Red Devils consider a late move to bolster their goalkeeping department.

Labelled “elite” by Ben Mattinson, Fotmob show the 23-year-old has retained a 73.3% save percentage this season, which may pique the interest of supporters as they cross their fingers for a new number one at Old Trafford.

Aston Villa are now stepping up their efforts to sign an “incredible” Brazilian, who is set to cost €35m (£30m), according to a report.

Villa eyeing midfielder amid Chelsea's interest in Rogers

Rather than strengthening his squad with new signings, one of Unai Emery’s most important tasks this summer will be to keep hold of his star players, with the likes of Emiliano Martinez, Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers all attracting major interest.

In fact, such is Chelsea’s level of interest in Rogers, they have now submitted a bid for the attacking midfielder, with Nicolas Jackson and Tosin Adarabioyo reportedly being used as makeweights.

The Villans are determined to keep hold of Rogers, however, and they should be in a strong position to keep hold of the 23-year-old, given that he remains under contract until the summer of 2030.

John McGinn has also been attracting attention from elsewhere, with Everton emerging as potential suitors for the Villa captain, but once again Emery is very reluctant to sanction a departure, given the Scot’s importance to his side.

That said, amid interest in both Rogers and McGinn, Aston Villa have now set their sights on a new midfielder, and a report from Fanatik has revealed they are now stepping up their efforts to sign Galatasaray’s Gabriel Sara.

Emery’s side are said to be making a ‘concerted effort’ to get a deal for Sara over the line, but they will have to spend €35m (£30m) to tempt his current employers into a sale, with Galatasaray unwilling to even consider offers below that figure.

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Leeds United are also in the race for the Brazilian’s signature, off the back of an impressive 2024-25 campaign, but Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk strongly believes he will remain at the Turkish club.

"Incredible" Sara could be versatile option for Emery

With Rogers’ future up in the air, it could be important for Emery to bring in a midfielder capable of making a real impact on the front foot, and the former Norwich City man, described as “incredible” and Premier League-ready by U23 scout Antonio Mango, certainly fits the bill in that regard.

During the 2023-24 Championship campaign, the maestro amassed 13 goals and 12 assists in 46 games for the Canaries, while he also picked up 11 goal contributions for Galatasaray during his debut campaign in Turkey.

The 26-year-old is also capable of playing in a deeper role, however, catching the eye with both his dribbling ability and some of his defensive showings over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Progressive carries

2.66 (94th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.27 (91st percentile)

Interceptions

1.27 (74th percentile)

Blocks

1.74 (90th percentile)

Sara is clearly a very well-rounded midfielder, who could make a real impact at Villa Park, so it may be worth forking out the £30m asking price.

Glasgow Rangers kicked off the Russell Martin era with a big result on Tuesday night in the Champions League at Ibrox, as they beat Panathinaikos 2-0.

Goals from Findlay Curtis and Djedi Gassama in the second half of the match, aided by a red card for the away side, secured the victory for the Light Blues, who now take a two-goal advantage over to Greece next week.

Whilst it was not a perfect performance from the Scottish Premiership giants, as they needed goalkeeper Jack Butland to pull off a number of impressive stops, there cannot be too many complaints about a 2-0 win in a European match.

Especially when you consider that the likes of Gassama, Cyriel Dessers, and Hamza Igamane were resigned to the bench and Thelo Aasgaard was missing through injury.

Due to various fitness issues, Martin opted to go with Brazilian centre-forward Danilo through the middle as the starting number nine against Panathinaikos.

He failed to register a goal or an assist in his 74 minutes on the pitch, but did not have a single ‘big chance’ in front of goal, and there could be more to come from the striker this season.

What Danilo needs to be successful at Rangers

Possibly the biggest hurdle the 26-year-old marksman needs to jump over to be successful at Rangers is avoiding injuries, as he has been absent for far too many matches since his move to the club in 2023.

The Light Blues reportedly paid a fee of up to £6m to sign the attacker from Dutch giants Feyenoord two years ago, but the clash with Panathinaikos was only his 49th appearance in all competitions.

Danilo’s injury history

#1

#2

#3

Type of injury

Broken cheekbone

Knee injury

Knee injury

Date of injury

September 2023

December 2023

September 2024

Return date

October 2023

May 2024

November 2024

Days out

43

171

65

Matches missed

9

32

12

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Danilo has missed 53 games through injury since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, with two knee injuries and one broken cheekbone, which led to him having to wear a protective face mask.

The Rangers number 99 has showcased his quality when he has been available, as rare as that has been, though, with a return of 12 goals and nine assists in his 49 appearances.

Last season, Danilo scored five goals, created eight ‘big chances’, and registered four assists in 23 matches in the Premiership, despite only starting eight of those games.

But the Brazilian attacker did not get any service against Panathinaikos, and that is why the Gers need to sign more creative players to provide the striker with the opportunities he needs to score.

Rangers told to pay record fee for creative star

Rangers may have to pay a club-record transfer fee to land one of the creative stars on their wishlist for the summer transfer window, though, as per a fresh report.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to IbroxNews, the Scottish giants will need to pay a fee of around £15m to sign winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi from Premier League side Crystal Palace.

The report claims that the Eagles would prefer to sell the 22-year-old forward, rather than send him out on loan, and they will want a fee of at least £15m to part ways with him.

Tore Andre Flo’s £12m move from Chelsea in 2000 remains the club’s current record signing to this day, which means that a £15m splurge on Rak-Sakyi would smash that.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein claimed that Rangers have had an offer of a loan with an obligation to sign the forward for around £10m turned down by Palace, and they may now have to break their transfer record to bring the Englishman to Ibrox this summer.

Why Rangers should sign Rak-Sakyi

Splashing out a club-record fee of £15m would be a huge gamble by Rangers because there would then be immense pressure on Rak-Sakyi to be a superstar in Scotland.

The left-footed winger would have to win the club many trophies and or go on to be sold for a healthy profit for the transfer to be viewed as a success, which may be why the Gers may be hesitant to commit such funds to a deal.

However, Rangers could land an excellent right-wing prospect and reignite Danilo’s career at Ibrox if they decide to sign Rak-Sakyi, or if they are able to negotiate a loan deal with Palace.

The 22-year-old starlet, who was likened to a “slalom skier” by former boss Dean Holden, has shown great promise in his loan spells away from Palace so far, shining in League One with Charlton and in the Championship with Sheffield United.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi’s two full senior seasons

Stats

22/23 League One (Charlton)

24/25 Championship (Sheffield United)

Appearances

43

34

Starts

40

22

Goals

15

7

Minutes per goal

233

248

Big chances created

5

3

Key passes per game

1.3

0.9

Assists

8

2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sakyi has scored 22 goals and provided ten assists in 77 games in the EFL in his career to date, which shows that he has the potential to score and create goals from the right flank.

At the age of 22, he also has the time left ahead of him to continue to grow and develop as a player, which is why he could be an investment that has the potential to grow in value, even if the club smash their club-record to sign him.

The left-footed wizard could also help to reignite Danilo’s Ibrox career by providing the striker with a winger who can score the ‘big chances’ that he creates, whilst also being able to offer creativity from the flank to ensure that the forward has opportunities to score.

Of course, the Brazilian forward also needs to work on his fitness to ensure that he is available for Martin to select week-in-week-out in the 2025/26 campaign, but if he can do that then Rak-Sakyi could be a dream winger for him to play with.

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Whether that means that the Palace youngster is worth £15m is hard to say, as it will depend on how his career at the club ultimately plays out, but he is a quality winger who could thrive alongside Danilo and be a strong addition to the squad, however a deal gets done for him.

South Africa spinner says he prepares to bowl long Test spells even when playing limited overs contests

Firdose Moonda12-Aug-2024If you woke Keshav Maharaj up in the middle of the night and asked him to start a spell, he would immediately oblige.”My passion is spin bowling. I love it. I can wake up at two o’clock in the morning and if you ask me to bowl, I’ll bowl,” Maharaj said from Trinidad, where South Africa and West Indies drew the first Test of a two-match series. “That keeps me motivated. And also, the desire to want to do well for the team and take this team into a different direction, I’ll bowl the whole day if I need to.”He is not exaggerating. Maharaj bowled 40 overs from the Queen’s Park Media Centre End during West Indies’ first innings – albeit it was broken up by rain breaks – and delivered the second-longest spell by a bowler in men’s Test since 2001. In the absence of a second specialist spinner in the XI, Maharaj “knew there would be a lot of bowling for me to do,” and prepared for it in the months of white-ball cricket that preceded this series which included an SA20, IPL and the T20 World Cup.Related

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“Whatever format I play, I always keep my workloads as if I’m preparing for Test cricket,” Maharaj said. “The only thing that changes is your lengths and sometimes your lines a little bit, but from a longevity point of view, I still bowl my long hours, regardless of whether it’s T20 or fifty-over cricket. It’s something I pride myself in. I don’t have many variations like the other types of spinners around the world so I try to rely on consistency and being able to do it for long periods of time.”On a docile pitch, Maharaj’s discipline was key to South Africa taking a 124-run first innings lead but he also found some turn on the third day. A hint of bounce meant that when South Africa declared on the fifth morning, with two sessions and 20 minutes to go, they were banking on Maharaj, to a large extent, to be able to bowl them to victory.But, batting appeared easier on the final afternoon and West Indies were able to score at a healthy enough rate to keep South Africa at bay. In the end, Maharaj thought the hours of rain across the five days also played a part in denying him.”The constant rainfall bound the wicket and made it more pleasant to bat,” he said. “If there wasn’t so much time taken away due to the rain, I think the wicket would have deteriorated the way we expected it to.”Despite foreseeing spinner-friendly conditions, South Africa opted for an XI with only Maharaj as a frontline spinner and left Dane Piedt on the bench. With Lungi Ngidi and Wiaan Mulder contributing little more than a fifth of the total overs bowled, South Africa also looked a bowler short but Maharaj believed they “we got it (selection) right in the end. Aiden (Markram) did an exceptional job as our fourth bowler, created opportunities and got that pivotal breakthrough in the morning of the West Indies first innings.”With four wickets in each innings, Keshav Maharaj was South Africa’s best bowler of the match•AFP/Getty ImagesMarkram’s dismissal of Jason Holder sparked a West Indian collapse of 6 for 60 in 17.1 overs which set the situation up for South Africa to push for a win. That they didn’t has been described as “disappointing,” by everyone from captain Temba Bavuma to Maharaj, especially as South Africa have only a few fixtures scheduled.In this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, they play only two-Test series. They have played five Tests and have only seven left between now and January. To give themselves a good chance of making the final, they will have to win all seven and will have to keep looking to force results in their favour.”It’s obviously disappointing not to get a result. We’re always going to play cricket to ensure that we can give ourselves the best chance, even if that process dangles the carrot with the prospect of losing a game,” he said, referring to South Africa setting West Indies a chaseable 298 in Trinidad. “Draws don’t count for much. We obviously know there’s a World Test Championship at stake, but we’re focusing on each and every game.”And in Maharaj’s case – on bowling as much as he can in each and every game. “I never want the captain to take the ball away from me in Test cricket so I’m always trying to bowl my best ball and trying to be a wily old character.”

Glasgow Rangers are set to confirm their first signing of the Russell Martin era as they close in on a deal to sign right-back Max Aarons from Bournemouth.

Fabrizio Romano reports that all of the documents have been signed to complete a season-long loan move for the former England U21 international, who is set to bolster the club’s defensive options.

Aarons is no stranger to the new Rangers boss because he came through the Norwich academy when the former Scotland international was the club captain at Carrow Road.

Speaking on the Talk Norwich City podcast in May, the 25-year-old defender explained why he thought Martin would become a manager in the future when they trained together.

Aarons said: “When he came and trained with us he had an aura. I always knew he would go on to be a manager. I think players who played with him always knew that as well.

“I knew we had to be on it when he was training with us and giving 110 per cent because if not Russ would tell you and I loved that.”

What Max Aarons could bring to Rangers

It is fair to say that Rangers are not signing Aarons at the apex of his career, as he has had a difficult time of things since leaving Norwich to sign for Bournemouth in 2023.

After missing just two games through injury in his entire time in Norfolk, the full-back suffered two injuries that kept him out for 15 matches combined in his first year at the Vitality, which heavily disrupted his progress with the Cherries.

The right-footed whiz only played 23 games in the Premier League in his first 18 months with Bournemouth, before being loaned out to Valencia, where he played five times, in the second half of the 2024/25 season.

However, if Rangers can get Aarons back to his best, then they could have a reliable defender who can also provide quality in possession, based on his impressive displays for Norwich when they won the Championship title in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 campaigns.

Starts

41

45

Goals

2

2

Big chances created

6

5

Assists

6

2

Clean sheets

11

17

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.7

1.6

Duel success rate

58%

53%

As you can see in the table above, the former Canaries star, who was named in the PFA Team of the Year on both occasions, offered a threat at the top end of the pitch whilst also helping his team to keep plenty of clean sheets.

Those performances for Norwich came in a ball-dominant team that won the league title both times, which shows that he can thrive as a full-back in a side that competes at the very top of the league, as Rangers will do next term.

As shown in the clip above, Aarons excels at linking up with teammates to maraud down the flank in transition, helping his team to get up the pitch quickly and effectively to create chances in the final third.

The English whiz struck up an exceptional partnership with Emiliano Buendia on the right flank, as they played at right-back and right-wing week-in-week-out in both of those title-winning seasons for Norwich.

Buendia was a natural number ten who was utilised as a right-winger by Daniel Farke, with the license to drift infield into central areas to create space for Aarons to bomb on and make runs into the final third.

That partnership clearly helped the full-back to flourish, given his form for Norwich in those seasons, and that is why Martin can make the defender explode again by signing Tyrhys Dolan, who is a reported Rangers target this summer.

Why Tyrhys Dolan is perfect for Max Aarons

The Light Blues should sign the Blackburn Rovers forward before the end of the summer transfer window because he could be the perfect signing alongside Aarons.

Dolan could also be a bargain signing for the Scottish Premiership giants because his contract at Ewood Park is due to expire at the end of this month, which means that he is set to be available on a free transfer.

It is his quality and versatility on the pitch that Rangers should be most interested in, though, as the wing wizard, who created seven ‘big chances’ for his teammates in the 2024/25 campaign, has the potential to be a Buendia-esque figure ahead of Aarons on the right flank.

Dolan, who was once lauded as “outstanding” by former boss John Eustace, is a versatile attacker who can comfortably play out wide on the right or in a central position.

Right wing

48

5

6

Centre-forward

38

5

3

Attacking midfield

26

6

4

Right midfield

25

4

3

Left winger

17

4

1

Left midfield

12

2

3

Second striker

4

1

1

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old whiz has predominantly played as a right winger, but has plenty of experience as a striker and as a number ten.

This suggests that he would be perfectly suited to playing a similar role to the one that Buendia played ahead of Aarons at Norwich, as he can start out wide on the right and drift inside to create space for the full-back on the overlap.

Interestingly, Adam Armstrong played a similar tactical role for Martin in the 2023/24 campaign in the Championship, as he started on the right wing before coming infield to play as a striker.

This particular position for Dolan, who scored seven goals and provided six assists this season, would be slightly different, coming into a number ten area instead of playing as a number nine, to make sure that Aarons can thrive as an overlapping full-back.

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Therefore, Dolan could be the perfect signing for the Light Blues to help Aarons explode next season, because of the goals and assists he can provide as well as the positional flexibility to play a unique tactical role.

Given the high standards he’s set for himself in 2024/25, Liverpool boss Arne Slot has a huge job on his hands this summer to continue the process made in recent months.

The Dutchman took the reins from Jürgen Klopp last summer, offering a seamless transition and leading the side to Premier League glory at the very first attempt.

He managed to achieve such a feat with multiple games to spare, winning 25 matches out of a possible 35 to date, losing on just three occasions, with one coming on home soil.

However, the Dutchman faces a huge task on his hands next time around to maintain such a success and hand the club an opportunity to make it back-to-back titles.

If such an achievement is to happen at the same point in 12 months time, this summer transfer window will be crucial, with the hierarchy needing to hand Slot the funds to make the additions he needs.

An update on Liverpool’s pursuit of new signings this summer

With the transfer window just around the corner, numerous names have been mentioned over a potential move to join Liverpool, including Bournemouth’s left-back Milos Kerkez.

The Hungarian has been on their shopping list for many months now, with the Reds still in the hunt for his signature, leading to a potential saga throughout the off-season.

However, the opposite side of the pitch could also be in line for investment, with Slot’s men closely monitoring a move for Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong, according to reports in Spain.

They state that the Reds are to submit an offer in the region of £34m for the 24-year-old star, who’s made 47 appearances across all competitions for the German outfit this campaign.

It also claims that the Dutchman is the manager’s key target for the upcoming window, with Frimpong having the tools to come into the side and soften the blow of one player’s pending departure.

Why Liverpool’s £34m target is the dream TAA replacement

Over the last couple of days, Liverpool fans have been left dismayed after right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold confirmed he would be ending his 20-year stint with his boyhood club.

The 26-year-old has racked up over 350 appearances after making his first-team debut back in the summer of 2016, winning a staggering six major trophies – including two Premier League titles.

However, after such an impressive stint at Anfield, it’s going to be tricky to replace such a talent, which could subsequently have an impact on their ambitions of going back-to-back in the Premier League next campaign.

Premier League

257

18

67

Champions League

60

2

13

FA Cup

13

1

3

Carabao Cup

10

0

6

Europa League

5

0

2

Club World Cup

2

0

1

CL Qualifying

2

0

1

Community Shield

2

1

0

UEFA Super Cup

1

0

0

It’s a positive sign that the hierarchy have already wasted little to no time in targeting a replacement, with Frimpong having the tools to do just that – or even provide an upgrade on the Englishman.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats from 2024/25, the Leverkusen star has managed to outperform him in numerous key areas – with the fee touted potentially being a bargain for the Reds.

The Dutchman, who’s been labelled “one of the best wing-backs in Europe” by scout Jacek Kulig, has managed to complete more progressive carries per 90 this campaign – handing Slot an added attacking threat from full-back.

He’s also managed to complete more of the passes he’s attempted, but whilst also attempting more take-ons – highlighting the threat he poses with the ball at his feet.

Defensively, he’s been just as impressive, winning more tackles against players attempting to dribble past him – with Frimpong able to offer added stability, something which Trent often struggled with at Anfield.

£34m for a player of his calibre in today’s market is an absolute steal, allowing the club to land a player who can fill the role for many years, given his tender age.

Whilst losing Trent will be a huge disappointment to many, the Leverkusen star has the chance to allow supporters to forget about his departure and play a key role in any success endured under Slot in the years to come.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would reportedly approve the signing of an all-round player who Son Heung-min thinks is “incredible”, with sporting director Andrea Berta and the Gunners boss now having one eye on the next transfer window.

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Their 3-1 Champions League semi-final loss to PSG means Arsenal no longer have any silverware to play for next season, meaning attention is continues turning further to Berta’s debut summer at the Emirates Stadium.

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The ex-Atletico Madrid chief is expected to be very busy in the coming weeks, and a major squad overhaul has already been mooted by sections of the press.

Berta could even orchestrate a summer spend worth up to £300 million on seven signings across the squad, according to GiveMeSport, and it is highly anticipated that forwards will arrive at Arsenal among them.

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

Injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have seriously debilitated Arteta’s forward options and exposed their lack of a potent goalscorer to lead their line, while there are also precious few options on the right-wing behind star man Bukayo Saka.

Some uncertainty also surrounds the long-term futures of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, who’ve been sporadically linked with potential exits from N5, so Arsenal’s forward line could be looking significantly different by the time next season commences.

Arsenal could sign a striker, left-winger and right-winger this summer (GiveMeSport), but Arsenal will only have so much money to spend on high-profile stars and competition is set to be rife for their signatures.

However, one man who could cover a lot of bases in the attacking areas, and a player they’re now believed to be interested in, comes in the form of versatile PSG ace Lee Kang-in.

A report from The Sun claimed earlier this week that Berta personally wants Lee at Arsenal, and PSG are prepared to sell the South Korea international who can play as an attacking midfielder, on the right, on the left and even as a striker when required.

Mikel Arteta would "welcome" Lee Kang-in signing at Arsenal

Berta was apparently driving a move for Lee when he was at Atlético, only for the Italian to miss out on his signature to PSG.

Following on from these claims, a Spanish media source now states that Arteta would “welcome” the signing of Lee at Arsenal as well, so it appears both the manager and sporting director are in agreement over his quality.

The 24-year-old has bagged six goals and six assists in all competitions this term, across 44 total appearances, but a fair portion of his minutes have come off the bench.

Enrique, who called Lee a “complete” player, has found real use of him as a utility man at the Parc des Princes, and judging by praise from international teammate Son, he could end up being a very useful addition for Arsenal, even if reports late last year claimed PSG could demand £51 million to let him go.

“Kang-in Lee’s talent is incredible,” Son told Sungmo Lee in 2023.

“I believe he could grow even further. We have to help him not to get too much pressure.”

Despite bowling with a wet ball, he conceded only three runs and picked up Moeen Ali’s wicket to put Punjab Kings ahead

Deivarayan Muthu02-May-20242:16

McClenaghan: ‘Unbelievable’ Brar, Chahar hit the perfect lengths at Chepauk

Conventional T20 wisdom suggests that only the super-specialists or the best bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah bowl the 19th over as the batting teams are looking to make the most of the remaining balls.But on Wednesday evening against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk, Punjab Kings captain Sam Curran tossed the ball to legspinner Rahul Chahar for the 19th. It was the first time that Chahar was bowling the 19th over in the IPL, and it was also the first time since 2020 that PBKS were having a spinner bowl that over.Having already trapped Ravindra Jadeja for 2 off four balls in the tenth over, Chahar returned with a dew-slicked ball for the 19th. Eight members of the Chepauk groundstaff had just broken into the field, dragging four ropes between them.Related

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Chahar responded with a cagey three-run over, which also included the wicket of spin-hitter Moeen Ali. More importantly, Chahar doused MS Dhoni’s explosive finishing ability by hiding the ball wide outside off and denying him easy access to his favourite leg-side boundary. ESPNcricinfo’s Shiva Jayaraman puts Dhoni’s off-side limitations against spin in numbers: out of the 147 boundaries hit by Dhoni against spinners in the IPL, only 43 have come on the off side. The last time he hit a spinner for a boundary on the off side was in 2022. Since then, Dhoni has faced 35 balls from spinners without a boundary to the off side.Chahar does not have the T20 pedigree of Rashid Khan or Sunil Narine, but he still has attributes that make him a difficult bowler to put away. He is quick through the air, bowls into the surface, and doesn’t allow you to charge at him. He can also turn the ball sharply at that quick pace, and often runs up in a reverse diagonal across the umpire to confound batters.Chahar didn’t go for the funky run-up against Dhoni, but darted three of the four balls he bowled to Dhoni away from his reach. Dhoni hastily chopped the first ball to cover-point. He then tried to do something different by bringing out the scoop, but it narrowly missed leg stump and thudded into the keeper’s pads. Dhoni then stabbed a skiddy legbreak to cover-point for a single and closed out the over with a pulled single to deep midwicket.Rahul Chahar got 2 for 16 against CSK, and denied MS Dhoni boundaries•BCCIChahar deployed the angular run-up against Daryl Mitchell, and, like Dhoni, he could not find the boundary. Job well done.”I was backing myself that if I bowl my best ball [in the 19th over], then they can’t hit me,” Chahar said after helping PBKS restrict CSK to 162 for 7. “I wanted to ensure I don’t pitch it up to Dhoni, or not [bowl] near his face. Otherwise, it would have gone [to the boundary]. I think, yes [it was one of my best spells].”Dhoni has struggled against spin for some time now, and CSK have delayed his entry point so much this season that he had faced just three balls of spin before Wednesday’s game. However, Curran, a former CSK allrounder who had worked closely with Dhoni, held Chahar back and won the tactical battle.Rilee Rossouw, who had recently captained Quetta Gladiators into the PSL knockouts and has played T20 leagues around the world, was full of praise for Curran’s captaincy.”I’ve got to give credit to Sam,” Rossouw said after PBKS beat CSK by seven wickets. “He came to me and said: ‘What do you think about bowling the legspinner in the second-last over?’ And he took the gamble. It was his gut feel, and it came off beautifully well. So a lot of credit has to go to Sam for making that decision. It’s not something that we see every day in cricket nowadays. Also, Chahar bowled fantastically well. That’s how the game has evolved, I feel. On a slow, turning wicket that was a very good call from Sam.”Bowling at the death (overs 17 to 20), though, isn’t an entirely unfamiliar territory for Chahar, especially against CSK in Chennai. He has faced CSK four times at Chepauk, and has operated at the death in three of those games.Recall the IPL 2019 qualifier. Chahar, who was with Mumbai Indians then, had bowled the 17th over with Dhoni in the middle even though it meant Lasith Malinga would not bowl out. It proved to be a turning point for MI as Chahar gave away only three runs. Five years later, Chahar did the same for PBKS.Before this match, Chahar had made just four appearances for PBKS this season, managing just three wickets while conceding more than ten runs an over. He will be hoping that his match-winning spell of 4-0-16-2 against CSK in Chennai will turn his own form around as well.