قاد ممفيس ديباي منتخب بلاده هولندا، للفوز على ليتوانيا بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين، خلال المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين مساء اليوم الأحد، بالتصفيات المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.

والتقى منتخب هولندا مع ليتوانيا في إطار تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026، على ملعب “داريوس وجيريناس”.

وافتتح المنتخب الهولندي التسجيل عن طريق لاعبه ممفيس ديباي في الدقيقة 11، ثم عزز كوينتين مادورو تقدم هولندا بهدف ثانٍ في الدقيقة 33.

وتمكن منتخب ليتوانيا من تقليص الفارق بهدف في الدقيقة 36 من اللقاء، وأدرك التعادل في الدقيقة 43، لتصبح النتيجة 2-2.

وعاد ديباي ليسجل الهدف الثاني له والثالث للمنتخب الهولندي في الدقيقة 63 من اللقاء، وقد أصبح الهداف التاريخي لمنتخب بلاده.

وبات رصيد ممفيس ديباي مع هولندا 52 هدفًا ليتخطى نجم هولندا السابق، روبن فان بيرسي الذي يملك 50 هدفًا.

حسمت المباراة بفوز هولندا بثلاثية لهدفين، لتحصل على ثلاث نقاط، وترفع رصيدها لـ10 نقاط في صدارة المجموعة.

وتضم مجموعة هولندا كل من بولندا (7 نقاط)، فنلندا (7 نقاط)، ليتوانيا (3 نقاط)، مالطا (نقطتان). أهداف مباراة هولندا وليتوانيا

Sussex’s bowlers dealt Northamptonshire a double blow late in the day at Wantage Road to close in on victory and the chance to stretch their advantage at the top of Vitality County Championship Division Two.Set a target of 284, Emilio Gay’s 67 appeared to have given Northamptonshire a fighting chance – but he and skipper Luke Procter both fell in the space of four balls to leave the visitors as clear favourites in a low-scoring contest.Seamer Nathan McAndrew, who dismissed Gay leg before, ended with 2 for 37 as the home side closed on 137 for 4 – still needing another 147 to pull off a first win of the season.Procter played a key role with the ball earlier in the day, recording season’s best figures of 4 for 45 as Sussex were bowled out for 237 in their second innings, while Ben Sanderson took 3 for 44.The opening day’s play had encompassed 22 wickets – and more of the same looked on the cards when Tom Alsop departed in the first over, edging Sanderson behind with no increase to Sussex’s overnight lead of 129. In a tight opening spell Sanderson soon dismissed nightwatcher Sean Hunt as well, taken at first slip, while Raphy Weatherall and Justin Broad also extracted movement and bounce off the surface.James Coles settled down to dispatch a series of classic cover drives to the boundary, while Oli Carter shook off a slow start by whipping Procter for six over square leg, but the Northamptonshire captain responded by bringing one back to pin Coles in front.Broad then struck twice just after lunch with a ball that seamed and bounced to clip Carter’s off bail before Fynn Hudson-Prentice miscalculated a cut shot and speared it into the hands of mid-off instead.Having spilled a number of catches in Sussex’s first innings, the home side squandered an opportunity to remove John Simpson as Gay, springing across from second slip, fumbled a sharp chance off Sanderson. In the same over, Broad’s throw from cover should have left McAndrew short of his ground and the Australian capitalised on that let-off, thrashing five boundaries to reach a valuable 22 before he was out in peculiar fashion.McAndrew’s leading edge off Procter looped up towards mid-off, with the bowler racing to gather it, colliding with the substitute fielder and dumping the ball on the turf in his follow-through – yet the catch stood.Procter swiftly polished off the last two wickets, including that of Simpson for 40, to leave Northamptonshire almost a session and a half’s batting and they lost Ricardo Vasconcelos prior to tea, trapped in his crease by McAndrew’s second delivery.However, Prithvi Shaw got off the mark by crunching McAndrew to the cover fence and continued to exhibit classy strokeplay on either side of the wicket as he and Gay built a partnership of 69, the highest of the match.Left-armer Hunt produced a beauty to separate the pair, knocking back Shaw’s off stump for 37 – and he might also have dislodged Gay in his next over but Simpson, leaping low to his left, was unable to pouch the chance.The opener took advantage to pass 50 for the sixth time this season from the next ball and he and Procter dug in to reach 118 for 2 before Sussex prised them both out in successive overs. Offspinner Jack Carson persuaded Procter to nudge one to Simpson and the swift loss of Gay left Matthew Breetzke and Rob Keogh with the task of ensuring Northamptonshire at least live to fight another day.

Manchester City fans will be hoping their damaged side can get back on the horse in convincing fashion when Premier League football kicks off again in August.

The ten-time top-flight champions fell way below their lofty standards last season when finishing in third spot in the competitive division, whilst an FA Cup final slip-up to Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace further added to the lacklustre mood at the Etihad.

City have been spending big this summer to try and right the wrongs of their 2024/25 campaign coming undone, with Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait Nouri all coming through the door in quick succession, but this hat-trick of exciting buys still couldn’t stop the Citizens from crashing out of the Club World Cup unexpectedly to Al-Hilal.

More new purchases could be pushed onto the table, therefore, to help boost Pep Guardiola’s men even more, with a potential defensive addition around the £25m mark on the agenda.

£25m star now on Man City's agenda

Of course, it’s not just incoming signings that City will be wanting to press on with.

The dented Premier League giants will also want to get even more personnel off their books this summer – away from allowing just Kevin De Bruyne to move onto Napoli – with Jack Grealish reportedly being eyed up by many a potential suitor, including both Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, as City continue with their clearout.

Transfer Focus

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

£40m could soon enter into City’s bank account if the former Aston Villa man finally departs Manchester for good, with £25m of that potentially used to snap up Inter Milan defensive star Denzel Dumfries.

Indeed, as per a new report from Italy, the lightning-quick right-back is being eyed up by City as another first-team altering addition.

It’s claimed that City are ready to trigger that £21m release clause fee, signalling their intentions to make a bid in the not-too-distant future.

How Dumfries can be City's answer to Frimpong

Should Dumfries head to England this summer then he could well be City’s answer to Jeremie Frimpong, with the Citizens once possessing the 5-foot-8 menace during his youth days, before he moved on to Liverpool for a hefty £29.5m after a blistering Bayer Leverkusen stint.

Now, that past regret will be far easier to process if Dumfries soon joins Guardiola’s ever-growing camp to be City’s up-to-date answer to their ex-academy talent.

After all, City have licked their wounds in this department before, with Guardiola and Co. still managing to finish above Chelsea last season, even as their former homegrown product Cole Palmer terrorised Premier League defences at will.

Now, they will be hoping to overshadow another of their top-flight rivals in Arne Slot’s Reds by landing their own version of Frimpong, with both right-backs in question loving a speedy dart forward, as much as they love to battle away at the back for their team’s cause.

Last season in the intense environment of the Serie A, Dumfries would dazzle as a gung-ho option on the right, with a sublime seven of his 11 goals for the campaign coming in Italian top-flight action, which included a fantastic breakaway move being finished off by the direct 29-year-old.

Frimpong bettered Dumfries’ hefty amount, but not by much, with the pacey Amsterdam-born defender chipping in with a bumper nine efforts himself in the Bundesliga.

Total shots

1.52

1.36

Shot-creating actions

2.32

2.67

Attempted passes

38.68

35.80

Progressive passes

2.25

2.00

Progressive carries

2.51

4.11

Touches in attacking penalty area

0.76

0.90

Tackles

1.49

1.13

Blocks

1.46

0.98

Aerial duels won

2.60

0.43

The similarities don’t just end with their shared prowess for gallivanting forward with pace, however, as seen when glancing at the table above, with both defenders willing to get stuck in for the cause, too.

If anything, City might be winning themselves a better signing by landing Dumfries for a lesser £25m, with the Dutchman winning more tackles and aerial duels over the last year than Frimpong, according to FBref, away from just being known as a “monster” in the words of journalist Alan Rzepa.

A fascinating battle might well ensue at the top of the division next season between City and Liverpool, with the Citizens hopeful they can return to the Premier League summit after experiencing a blip of a season by securing more and more new stars, such as Dumfries.

Bigger talent than Reijnders: Pep driving Man City move for £43m sensation

Following the arrival of Tijjani Reijnders, Man City still want to bolster their midfield options, reportedly interested in making a £43m signing.

ByBen Gray Jul 4, 2025

Southampton are now in advanced talks to sign an international striker who is represented by the same agency as midfielder Flynn Downes.

Southampton are expected to lose one or two key players over the coming months and therefore will have to enter the market to find replacements as they bid to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking under Will Still.

Done deal: Southampton have "agreed" £6.8m exit of "incredible" attacker

He has played his final game for the club.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 20, 2025

Defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis could be considered their most important player, as he managed to stand out last season in what was a diabolical campaign for the club. His performances for the Saints earned him a call-up to the England national team, and that has now earned him the attention of Portuguese giants FC Porto.

According to Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas, Southampton have turned down a bid worth £19 million for Harwood-Bellis from Porto. Despite being under contract until 2028, the Saints are open to selling the defender in this transfer window, but they believe he is worth much more.

Southampton paid £15 million to sign the player from Manchester City last summer, so the likelihood is they’re going to want closer to double that price.

Southampton in advanced talks to sign £7m striker

But while Harwood-Bellis may eventually be on his way out of St Mary’s Stadium, Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg reports some good news – Southampton are closing in on the signing of Damion Downs from FC Köln.

The 20-year-old is considered to be a top target for Saints this summer, and they have submitted a bid worth €8 million, which is roughly £6.85 million, to the German side. Downs is currently away with the USA for the Gold Cup, so a deal for the forward is likely to be completed once that competition is finished.

Downs, who has earned two caps for the USA national team, has been at FC Köln since 2020, when he joined their under-17 team. The young forward worked his way through the age groups and was finally promoted to the first team during the 2023/24 season, where he played 10 Bundesliga games. Downs became even more of a regular last season, as he played 29 games, this time in Bundesliga 2, and scored an impressive ten goals in the process.

Apps

42

Goals

13

Assists

6

Downs has just one year remaining on his contract, and Saints will be hoping that can work to their advantage, as the German side are likely to want to sell the player before he leaves the club for nothing in 12 months.

They may hold another advantage in the race to sign Downs too, as the striker is represented by agency Wasserman, who also represent current Southampton midfielder Downes, perhaps smoothing negotiations when it comes to agreeing personal terms.

England Under-19s suffer collapse before Shanmuganathan fifty buoys tourists in second dig

ECB Reporters Network11-Jul-2024

Keshana Fonseka made 86 in England’s first innings (file photo)•Getty Images

England Men Under-19s will head to Chelmsford for a series decider after the first Youth Test against Sri Lanka Under-19s ended in a rain-affected draw.Any hopes of a result had been dulled when the second day was completely washed out, after which the tourists controlled the contest to earn a deserved 77-run first-innings lead. Sri Lanka U19s then batted out the remainder of the match to be 192 for 4 when stumps was called at 5.30pm.Skipper Dinura Kalupahana’s century was followed by Praveen Maneesha’s 6 for 56 as the legspinner claimed five of the six Young Lions wickets to fall on the final day.England U19s were bowled out for 247 but will take positives ahead of next week’s second Youth Test in the form of Freddie McCann’s 92 at the top of the order while Lancashire’s Keshana Fonseka also fell just short of a century when he was caught driving at Sheshane Marasinghe on 86. The pair had put on 160 for the second wicket yesterday.Surrey Academy paceman Alex French picked up four wickets in the first innings too – when England had reduced Sri Lanka to 37 for 4 – but they were unable to assert that early authority as Kalupahana’s classy century shifted the momentum.Three late wickets last night meant the Young Lions started the day needing to reassert themselves, but instead they lost 6 for 54 with Maneesha’s skiddy legspin doing the majority of the damage.Rocky Flintoff added one to his overnight score when he was caught by Nathan Caldera before Maneesha had Jack Carney trapped lbw pushing forward.Fonseka had been untroubled as he struck 13 boundaries in his 149-ball stay but, like a number of batters yesterday on a slowing pitch, he pushed a drive into the infield and was caught by Sadew Samarasinghe.Maneesha mopped up the remaining three wickets in back-to-back overs to give Sri Lanka a first-innings lead they would barely have imagined earing after their first-morning collapse.From there the match meandered towards a draw. Farhan Ahmed picked up his first wicket of the match when he snuck one past Samarsinghe’s forward prod and in the next over Noah Thain held a sharp catch above his head at first slip when Pulindu Perera swiped at Jaydn Denly’s second ball.Sharujan Shanmuganathan was composed in reaching 73 before swiping at Denly and being caught in the deep by Ahmed, who also held the catch to remove Gayana Weerasinghe off Daavya Sharma.

Liverpool are in a ruthless mood this summer and after welcoming Florian Wirtz for a British-record fee, Richard Hughes is reportedly set for talks to sell one of Arne Slot’s star and has already contacted his potential replacement.

Liverpool not done after record Wirtz deal

Unlike in the past, Liverpool are not just sitting back and admiring their silverware. They’re gunning for more. Jeremie Frimpong arrived first to replace Trent Alexander-Anrold, but the biggest headlines were still to come as Wirtz followed his former Bayer Leverkusen teammate to Anfield in a British-record £116m deal.

The German is ready to take the Premier League by storm too, telling Liverpool’s official media channels: “I’m really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League.

“I will see how I can perform there. I hope I can do my best. I spoke also with some players who played there and they told me that it’s perfect for me and every pitch is perfect, you can enjoy every game. I’m really looking forward to playing my first game.”

Even after Wirtz, however, Liverpool are not done there. It has been a summer full of business for Richard Hughes, who is making up for lost time following a quiet debut year in Merseyside. Up next looks set to be Milos Kerkez, whilst reported talks to sell one star man could lead to another big-money incoming.

Liverpool set to hold talks to sell Nunez

According to Fabrizio Romano, reporting on Saturday afternoon, Liverpool are set to hold talks with Napoli next week over the sale of Darwin Nunez. The Italian club reportedly see the forward as their dream target and are now looking to learn more about the details of a potential move.

The sale of the struggling forward could be good news for those in Merseyside, who have reportedly already contacted Hugo Ekitike over a deal to replace Nunez this summer.

Liverpool hold talks to sign "fantastic" star loved by Jordan Henderson

The Reds are making more moves on the market.

2

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Jun 21, 2025

When speaking about the Frenchman, Romano recently told the Market Madness Podcast: “Well, I think for Ekitike this could be a possibility to go to Liverpool, because there were calls from Chelsea two weeks ago. Man United, in recent days, also made contact with the agents to understand the situation.

“But for Liverpool, this is also a possibility. Liverpool also spoke to the agents. Also, Liverpool considered Ekitike an interesting opportunity. And so that’s the name I would keep in their shortlist.”

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)	Hugo Ekitike	Darwin Nunez
Minutes	2,563	1,133
Goals	15	5
Assists	8	2
Expected Goals	21.6	5.8

As the numbers show, Liverpool would once again be landing an instant upgrade this summer to continue what is likely to go down as their best-ever transfer window, even if the Frenchman could cost £85m.

The frequency of the mega auctions and the auction purse were among the other points discussed

Nagraj Gollapudi and S Sudarshanan31-Jul-20243:35

Should the Impact Player rule stay or go?

Delhi Capitals (DC) co-owner Parth Jindal wants the Impact Player rule scrapped, while Kavya Maran, the owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), recommended a minimum of seven players to be retained without any restrictions on the number of overseas players bought back. There was also a split vote on having a mega auction every five years. These were some of the discussions during the meeting between the BCCI and the owners of the ten IPL teams on Wednesday, in Mumbai.The meeting, which was held at the BCCI office, was organised to discuss various points concerning retentions for the IPL 2025 season. There were also discussions on whether the right-to-match (RTM) card option should be brought back at the auction, and if a special category should be created for uncapped players to incentivise teams that have scouted and developed young talent. The frequency of the mega auctions and the auction purse were among the other points discussed.In a media release, the BCCI said these recommendations will be taken to the IPL governing council for “further deliberation and evaluation” before formulating the player regulations. The rules for both retention and auction for the 2025 season are expected to be finalised by end of August.Impact Player ‘detrimental to Indian cricket’The original motive of the Impact Player rule was to allow more Indian players, especially the uncapped ones, to get exposure. However, prominent players and coaches argued that it was not creating a level-playing field, with India’s Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma saying he was not a big fan of the rule because it would hold back the “development” of allrounders.Jindal agreed with Rohit’s viewpoint. “Some people want it because it gives a chance to young players to play in the IPL,” Jindal said after the meeting. “Some people don’t want it because it is detrimental to Indian cricket in terms of the development of allrounders. So it’s a mixed bag. I’m on the second camp. I don’t want it. I prefer the game as it is 11 versus 11, and I think allrounders are very important. And you have different players who don’t bowl in the IPL or don’t bat in the IPL because of this rule, which is not good for Indian cricket.”A combination of retention and RTM? Number of retainees?Retention was the most important item on the agenda and Jindal said it was “all up in the air” with teams requesting various numbers. It is understood Maran asked for at least seven retentions. It is no surprise considering SRH have several big names in their squad. Apart from captain Pat Cummins, the likes of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Reddy and T Natarajan played important roles in SRH finishing as runners-up in the 2024 season.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that Maran requested the IPL not to impose a cap on the number of overseas as well as capped and uncapped Indians a franchise could retain once the IPL had finalised the retention number. She said they would lean towards retaining maximum overseas players. This view was echoed by more than one franchise during a recent meeting with IPL chief operating officer Hemang Amin.The franchises had told Amin that retaining the core was critical not just from a performance point of view but it enabled teams to create fan loyalty with some of the established players. They also wanted to retain uncapped Indian talent they had deeply invested in.13:31

Runorder: Is the mega auction good for the IPL?

ESPNcricinfo has also learnt that Maran proposed that players could be secured via a plain retention process or a combination of retention and RTM at the auction or all exclusively via the right-to-match (RTM) card. The last method, it is understood, was suggested by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who had asked for as many as eight players to be bought back exclusively via the RTM method.Maran is believed to have told the gathering that the franchise would get the choice to discuss with the player whether he wanted to be retained prior to the auction or via the RTM option. This will not leave the player “disgruntled” about his retention price, she said. From previous experience, Maran pointed out that players preferred to go to the auction because they felt the retention amount was on the lower side.An RTM, which allows the market to determine the price, was previously part of the 2018 mega auction but not in 2022 when teams were revamped after a four-year cycle. Maran felt that a player could be paid better in case he preferred the RTM option, so that the auction purse would dictate his exact value. Either way, Maran said, the process would ensure transparency.Scrap mega auction?Jindal said while the franchises were “not on the same page on many issues”, he was “surprised” some owners wanted mega auctions scrapped.”I was surprised,” he said. “There was a debate. Some people said that there should not be a mega auction at all. There should be only smaller auctions. I’m not in that camp. I feel that it evens the playing field and it’s very good for everyone. It makes the IPL what it is. It makes it competitive. It makes it an even-playing field.”Maran was one of those in favour of having mega auctions every five years. She also proposed having just a mini-auction for the 2025 season.Retention pot instead of slabsDuring their meeting with Amin, some franchises, including SRH, had suggested that the IPL must allow them the discretion to negotiate the retention amounts with the players instead of ranking them via retention slabs which has been the norm in previous mega auctions.Maran is believed to have suggested that based on the number of players retained, the IPL could determine an amount which the franchise then would negotiate with the players.Apart from Jindal and Maran, other owners who were present at the meeting were Shah Rukh Khan (principal owner of KKR), Manoj Badale and Ranjit Barthakur (principal owner and chair of Rajasthan Royals respectively), Kiran Gandhi (DC co-owner), Rupa Gurunath and Kasi Viswanathan (owner and CEO of CSK respectively), Prathmesh Mishra and Rajesh Menon (chair and vice-president at Diageo, the group that owns RCB), Sanjiv Goenka and Shashwat Goenka (LSG owner and his son), Ness Wadia (co-owner of Punjab Kings), Amit Soni (CVC Partners, owners of Gujarat Titans) and Akash Ambani (Mumbai Indians owner), who is understood to have attended virtually.

Signing a replacement for Andre Onana has seemingly been one of Manchester United’s biggest priorities since the start of the summer. Now, chasing exactly that, the Red Devils have reportedly joined the race to sign a Club World Cup star.

Man Utd's goalkeeper search goes on

Although reports have suggested that Onana believes he’ll still be the No.1 at Manchester United next season and he’s keen to fight for his place, Ruben Amorim may not share that view. The Portuguese manager must be ruthless and showing the Cameroon international the door should be one of his first acts this summer.

He's better than Cunha: Man Utd close in on signing "phenomenal" star

Manchester United look set to complete their second signing of the summer after Matheus Cunha.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 25, 2025

That said, the Red Devils must get their next move right after Onana. They cannot risk signing another liability. Whoever arrives, be it Emiliano Martinez, Andriy Lunin, Diogo Costa or another option, simply has to be a significant upgrade on the former Inter Milan man.

Whilst Martinez has been the most prominent name in recent rumours, the numbers indicate that the Aston Villa man would not be the much-needed upgrade that Amorim needs, as highlighted by Statman Dave.

Four errors leading to shots is far from an ideal record, but signing Martinez wouldn’t exactly solve that problem for United. Instead, their troubles may simply take the shape of a new No.1 if they sign the World Cup winner this summer.

Those at Old Trafford certainly have plenty to think about and that thinking has reportedly seen them turn towards the Club World Cup for a fresh option.

Man Utd plotting John Victor move

According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Manchester United are now plotting a summer swoop to sign John Victor from Botafofo who has a release clause worth just $8m (£6m).

The impressive shot-stopper agreed to stay put at the Brazilian side to play at the Club World Cup in a decision which has resulted in a moment to remember against Paris Saint-Germain.

Joining Alisson Becker as the only goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet against PSG this season, the Botafogo goalkeeper played a pivotal part as his side shocked the Champions League holders to win 1-0.

For just £6m, Manchester United could sign a goalkeeper who managed to keep Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia out and someone who is ready to step into European football.

Having reportedly sent scouts to watch the 29-year-old in action, United should be well aware of Victor’s talents and, more importantly, his ability to play at the very top level.

Rather than signing the likes of Martinez or Costa this summer, INEOS could yet turn towards an unexpected option in the Brazilian.

Lord’s will host two men’s Tests this summer, with England’s third Test against India slotted for the venue as well

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2024The final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 will be played at Lord’s from June 11.India and Australia are currently the top two teams on the points table with 68.52 and 62.50 percentage points respectively, but the identity of the finalists will not be known till next year. For India, who were the losing finalists in both the previous WTCs, there are ten Tests left to play in the cycle – two at home against Bangladesh, three at home against New Zealand, and five away in Australia; Australia, the defending champions, also have an away series of two Tests in Sri Lanka.”Winning the World Test Championship was, and still is, a big goal for this team,” Pat Cummins, Australia’s Test captain, said in a statement. “It is the culmination of hard work and consistency over the two-year cycle for all teams. So hopefully we will be there again, there’s a lot of cricket still to be played between now and then, and the fans can get a chance to watch us defend the title.”ESPNcricinfo LtdNew Zealand (50.00) are currently at No. 3 on the nine-team table and, after their historic 2-0 series win in Pakistan, Bangladesh (45.83) are at No. 4. They are followed by England (45.00) and South Africa (38.89). Sri Lanka, Pakistan and West Indies are the bottom three teams at the moment.England has been picked as the venue for all three WTC finals so far, the first having been in Southampton and the second at The Oval.”We’re delighted to be working with the ICC to bring the World Test Championship final to Lord’s for the first time,” Guy Lavender, the MCC chief executive and secretary, said. “It is our great privilege to be asked to host a final of any kind but to welcome the two best men’s sides in Test cricket – our most cherished format – is a singular honour. It will be an experience not to be missed, adding to the storied 140-year history of Lord’s Tests.”Lord’s will host two Tests next summer, the other being the England vs India Test from July 10 to 14. That is the third Test of that tour, which will start at Headingley on June 20, followed by Tests at Edgbaston (from July 2), Lord’s, Old Trafford (from July 23) and The Oval (from July 31). If India make the final of the WTC, it will mean six Tests in a row for them in England.

Leeds United’s promotion to the Premier League means that they have to be ruthless with the players they decide to keep at Elland Road this summer.

Illan Meslier is one player whose future in West Yorkshire remains uncertain, although LeedsLive recently reported that no official offers have been made for the goalkeeper yet.

The outlet added, though, that the French shot-stopper could move on if Daniel Farke does not guarantee him game time next season, amid the club’s search for a new goalkeeper.

Meslier was dropped for Karl Darlow in the run-in at the end of last season, after making three errors that directly led to goals, and it does not seem likely that he will be a frontline option for the German boss.

Leeds, meanwhile, are reportedly set to cash in on another dud who is even more pointless to the squad than Meslier ahead of next season.

Leeds set to sell £11m flop

The former Lorient goalkeeper may end up being second or third-choice if the Whites are successful in signing another shot-stopper, but the club are about to sell a player who is even further down the pecking order in his position.

Transfer Focus

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

According to DeichStube, via Sport Witness, Leeds have agreed a deal with Werder Bremen to sell central defender Max Wober, who joined from Salzburg in 2023 for a fee of £11m, to the German side on a permanent deal.

The report claims that a transfer for the Austria international is in the final stages and is set to ‘imminently’ join the Bundesliga outfit this week on a four-year contract.

It adds that Werder Bremen are set to pay a fee of around £3.4m to sign the left-footed defender from the Premier League side, which represents a significant loss on the £11m that was paid for him two-and-a-half years ago.

Why Wober is less important than Meslier

Cashing in on Wober makes a lot of sense for Leeds this summer because he is even less important than Meslier in regard to Farke’s squad depth ahead of next season. Whilst the Frenchman is currently one of two first-team goalkeepers at the club, the Austrian defender is way down the list of potential centre-back options in a back four.

The former Salzburg star only played 332 minutes of football in the Championship last season, whilst Ethan Ampadu, Pascal Struijk, and Joe Rodon all played over 2,000 minutes.

Leeds have since added Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw from Udinese and Wolfsburg respectively to bolster their centre-back ranks, leaving Farke with Bijol, Bornauw, Struijk, Ampadu, and Rodon ahead of Wober in the pecking order.

This shows that the Werder Bremen target is even more pointless than Meslier, because he is even further down the list of options in his respective position.

22/23 Premier League	Max Wober
Appearances	16
Starts	14
Clean sheets	2
Dribbled past	8x
Duel success rate	53%
Penalties committed	1
Error led to shot	1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Wober also struggled in the Premier League the last time Leeds were there in the 2022/23 campaign after his move from Salzburg, barely winning above half of his duels and being dribbled past eight times in 14 starts.

The Whites were, of course, relegated from the top-flight that term and that may be part of the reason why they have moved quickly to improve their centre-back options by signing Bijol and Bornauw, after seeing how Wober performed when they were last in the division.

Overall, selling him, despite making a significant loss on the £11m that they bought him for, makes a lot of sense, potentially even more so than cashing in on Meslier does.

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