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With the BPL embroiled in fixing allegations, the BCB’s new anti-corruption consultant is designing a new integrity unit

Mohammad Isam19-Aug-2025Alex Marshall, the new consultant to the BCB’s anti-corruption department, wants to strengthen the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) so that it doesn’t look like a “vulnerable” competition to bookies and other corruptors. Marshall, who was the ICC’s anti-corruption unit general manager until September last year, has been appointed by the BCB for a year.He arrived in Dhaka on Monday, and met BCB president Aminul Islam and the rest of the directors on Tuesday. Marshall said he would look at every aspect of the BPL, including team ownership structure, so that the tournament’s foundation is less susceptible to corruption.”The biggest threat to any franchise league around the world is when it appears vulnerable,” Marshall said. “That’s why we need to ensure the BPL does not give off that impression. The way the tournament is run, how finances are managed, and how team ownership is structured – all of these must be handled at a high, professional standard and properly safeguarded.Related

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BCB forms independent body to probe BPL corruption allegations

“The reality is, if a franchise league isn’t seen as professional and well-protected, it eventually becomes a target for corruptors. We’ve seen this happen in many countries, and the BPL has also faced issues in the past. That’s why it’s essential for a new integrity unit to provide the protection the league needs.”The fallout from the BPL’s last season, which finished in February this year, is still making headlines in Bangladesh. The board appointed an independent investigation committee following a swirl of corruption allegations in the BPL. Eight months on, the three-member committee is still wrapping up its investigation, with the BCB expecting the primary report later this month. The committee has reportedly uncovered several spot-fixing cases in the last five BPL seasons, including the 2024-25 edition.The BCB is also still dealing with two franchises, Durbar Rajshahi and Chittagong Kings, who have dues pending with the board and players. The BCB recently released a statement detailing how much they are owed by Chittagong. BPL apart, the BCB’s anti-corruption unit is also investigating a controversial stumping incident in last season’s Dhaka Premier League, the country’s main List A competition.Alex Marshall: ‘I am working with the board and the president to design an integrity unit that gives the right level of protection that is deserved within Bangladesh’•Getty ImagesMarshall said he had found the full support of the BCB’s directors, including president Aminul, as he looks to redesign the anti-corruption unit. He said much would depend on how much the unit can educate players, coaches and officials to shield them from corruptors.”I am working with the board and the president to design an integrity unit that gives the right level of protection that is deserved within Bangladesh,” Marshall said. “I will complete that design over the next three or four weeks, and I will then present that back to the board for their sign-off.”Therefore, after that point, you would see the implementation of the unit. But that’s just one moment of creating something. The effort needs to be long-term education, [and] protection. And if someone breaches the rules, they need to know they will be investigated and they will be prosecuted.”

Among the association’s next tasks is the establishment of an Africa T20 competition, the resumption of the Afro-Asia Cup, and the inclusion of cricket at the Africa Games

Firdose Moonda19-Jul-2025

[File photo] Tavengwa Mukuhlani has been ZC’s chair since 2015 and has been re-elected three times•Zimbabwe Cricket

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) head Tavengwa Mukuhlani has been appointed chairman of the Africa Cricket Association (ACA) after serving in the same role in an interim capacity since November last year. Mukuhlani was unanimously appointed by the 23 ACA member associations at their annual general meeting in Singapore on Friday.”We stand today at the threshold of a new era for African cricket – an era defined by stronger governance, broader opportunity and renewed ambition,” Mukuhlani said in a statement issued by ZC. “Let us continue building on the progress we have made, united by a common purpose and driven by a shared love for the game.”The ACA, which includes two Full Members in South Africa and Zimbabwe, has recently been through an administrative overhaul, which has included the adoption of a new memorandum of incorporation to ensure better governance.Related

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Among the body’s next tasks is the establishment of an Africa T20 competition, which has been in the works for several years, the resumption of the Afro-Asia Cup, which was mooted last year, and the inclusion of cricket at the Africa Games in Egypt in 2027 after it debuted at the same competition in 2023.Cricket made its first appearance at the continental competition in Ghana, where Zimbabwe won both the men’s and women’s events (the men’s with an emerging side) as South Africa sent experimental sides instead of their full-strength teams.Mukuhlani is interested in extending cricket’s reach at the Africa Games, in part, with the hope of securing more funding for the ACA. “These engagements are crucial not only for visibility but also for opening new doors of investment, policy support and continental collaboration,” he said.Mukuhlani has been ZC’s chair since 2015 and has been re-elected three times. He also sits on the ICC’s finance and commercial affairs committee.In his tenure, ZC has worked its way out of debt, navigated an ICC suspension for government interference, and got the women’s team on the future tours programme.The men’s team, however, is not part of the World Test Championship and failed to qualify for the last two ODI World Cups and last T20 World Cup, but will play in the 2027 50-over World Cup, which Zimbabwe will co-host with South Africa and Namibia. Zimbabwe will also co-host the 2026 men’s Under-19 World Cup with Namibia.

South Africa can dare to dream. With Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma playing the most significant innings of their careers, the latter while carrying a hamstring injury, they closed within 69 runs of claiming the World Test Championship title, which would be the finest hour for a cricket nation steeped in history but short on silverware.The second-wicket pair combined to add 143 in 38 overs of wonderfully controlled batting, a partnership that will go down in South Africa folklore barring extraordinary events on the fourth morning, with Markram reaching his eighth Test century from 156 deliveries in the closing moments of the day. They repelled everything Australia threw at them on a pitch that, with the sun out for most of the day, was at its friendliest for batting in the Test. The way Australia’s last-wicket pair of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood had earlier been able to add 59 in 22 overs had foretold what was to come.Related

• 'Just stay calm…' South Africa fight fatalism as greatest prize draws near

• South Africa had to make 'big call' on whether Bavuma should retire hurt

• South Africa hope Markram's career-defining knock can be match-defining, too

• Smith's finger injury compounds Australia's woe

Still, Australia felt favourites when they set about defending 282. Despite the early loss of Ryan Rickelton, edging a very full delivery from Starc which was confirmed by the third umpire, there was a notable urgency to South Africa’s batting. In the first innings, it took until the 20th over to reach 30 (three wickets were gone by then), whereas this time they were 47 for 1 after ten.Starc struck again to have Wiaan Mulder caught low at cover, but then came a vital moment when Bavuma, on 2, edged to Steven Smith at first slip. Smith was stood so close – he was wearing a helmet as the carry off the surface continued to die – and the chance burst through his hands, leaving him with a compound dislocation of his right little finger. The agony was clear on his face as he immediately left the field. By the end of the day, it was likely shared by his team-mates.Shortly before tea, Bavuma joined the injury list when he picked up a hamstring injury but he defied the pain, mixing hobbling between the wickets with some crisp strokeplay. It was going to take much more than a tweaked muscle to stop Bavuma. There was, however, a question to be asked as to whether Australia could have squeezed an injured batter hard in the field. The closest Bavuma came to a mistake was when he top-edged Nathan Lyon towards deep square-leg on 43 but Sam Konstas, on as a substitute, couldn’t quite make enough ground with a full-length dive that left him with a mouthful of grass.Aiden Markram brought up his eighth Test century•ICC/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Markram was all but faultless. He kept the scoreboard ticking – Australia sent down just three maidens in 56 overs – alongside a selection of handsome boundaries, none better than the back-cut off Starc which bisected deep third and deep point with precision and left the bowler waving his arms in frustration. He would then move to 97 with the sweetest of straight drives against Hazlewood. As the close neared, and it appeared he may have to wait for the morning, his crowning moment arrived with a whip through the leg side.Pat Cummins went through all the options at his disposal, but nothing could conjure the moment to create an opening. Lyon caused some problems out of the rough and came very close on a few occasions while Travis Head’s first delivery ragged sharply at Markram. They will need a miracle on Saturday.It was South Africa’s surge with the ball on the second day that had kept them in the game after conceding a lead of 74, but Alex Carey had pushed the advantage over 200. When Lyon was lbw to Kagiso Rabada in the third over of the day – his ninth wicket of the match – it appeared Australia’s innings would end swiftly, but the last-wicket pair had other ideas.3:26

Hayden: Starc showed courage with the bat

It was not the first time Starc and Hazlewood had combined in such a fashion, surviving 18 overs together against India in Perth last year, while Hazlewood has also previously shown his stickability when helping Cameron Green add 116 against New Zealand in Wellington earlier in 2024.There was rarely anything expansive about the partnership but for large stages the duo were untroubled which was a hint at the changing batting conditions. Starc shielded Hazlewood on occasions, particularly against Rabada and Marco Jansen, but Hazlewood produced one of shots of partnership when he ramped Jansen over the slips.Starc has always had batting pedigree and at times has underdelivered for his talent in Test cricket. This half-century, coming off 131 balls, was his first since Old Trafford in 2019 and it ended as the second-most deliveries he had faced behind the career-best 99 (a Test high score he shares with wife Alyssa Healy).At times South Africa seemed strangely flat but so, too, did the pitch for the first time in the game. In the end it was the sixth bowler used in the session, Markram, who ended the resistance when Hazlewood drove off the back foot to cover. And so the final question was posed: was 282 chaseable? The answer, historically so for South Africa, would appear to be in the affirmative.

أعلنت رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز اليوم الخميس، عن قائمة المرشحين لجائزة أفضل لاعب في المسابقة وذلك عن شهر أكتوبر.

وشهد هذا الشهر العديد من المباريات المثيرة في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج” كما استمر إيرلينج هالاند في تألقه.

وشهد الشهر لقاء ديربي بين ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد واستطاع رجال أموريم أن يحققوا فوزًا مهمًا بثنائية مقابل هدف لأول مرة على ملعب “أنفيلد” منذ 9 سنوات.

ويتواجد إيرلينج هالاند، نجم مانشستر سيتي على رأس المرشحين للفوز بجائزة لاعب شهر أكتوبر بعدما سجل جميع أهداف مانشستر سيتي الثلاثة في أكتوبر، رافعًا رصيده إلى 11 هدفًا في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز هذا الموسم.

ويتواجد كاش لاعب أستون فيلا في القائمة بعدما ساهم في تحقيق فريقه فوزه الثاني هذا الموسم بفوزه على بيرنلي 2-1، قبل أن يُمرر تمريرة رائعة أدت إلى هدف الفوز ضد توتنهام هوتسبير.

واختتم الدولي البولندي شهرًا مميزًا بتسجيله الهدف الوحيد في فوز فيلا 1-0 على مانشستر سيتي.

اقرأ أيضًا | طبيب يمنح بيدري وبرشلونة نصيحة هامة لتفادي الإصابات

برونو جيمارايش لاعب نيوكاسل الذي سجل هدفين من أصل خمسة أهداف سجلها فريقه في أكتوبر، سجل هدفًا رائعًا من مسافة بعيدة في الفوز 2-0 على نوتنجهام فورست.

وتواجد فان دن بيرج لاعب برينتفورد بعدما سجل هدفين في الشوط الثاني في الفوز 2-0 على إيفرتون.

وظهر جونيور كروبي لاعب بورنموث إذ تألق اللاعب الفرنسي البالغ من العمر 19 عامًا، حيث سجل ثلاثة أهداف في مباراتين فقط مع بورنموث.

وتواجد بريان مبويمو بعدما قاد فريقه للفوز على ليفربول بتسجيله أول أهداف المباراة في وقت مبكر وتألق في العديد من المباريات الأخرى جعلت مانشستر يونايتد يتواجد ضمن أول 5 مراكز في جدول البريميرليج.

وظهر نوردي موكيلي مدافع سندرلاد، إذ تألق المدافع الفرنسي ووضع فريقه في المقدمة خلال فوزهم 2-0 على ولفرهامبتون وساعدهم في الحفاظ على نظافة شباكهم في مباراتهم الوحيدة هذا الشهر.

إيجور تياجو مهاجم برينتفورد أصبح مرشحًا للاعب الشهر في أكتوبر بعدما واصل تألقه أمام المرمى، وسجل هدفين في ثلاث مباريات خلال شهر أكتوبر.

خلال شهر أكتوبر، لم ينجح أي فريق في هز الشباك أمام دفاع آرسنال الفولاذي، لذلك تواجد جورين تيمبر في القائمة لما أظهره من أداء مميز من الناحية البدنية والفنية.

Lighting up the pitch in October 💫

Vote now for your @EASPORTSFC Player of the Month 🗳️ — Premier League (@premierleague) October 30, 2025

First half into IPL 2025, GT have won five out of seven games, with Mohammed Siraj being among their top performers

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-20254:39

Finch: Gujarat Titans are the team to beat

After winning the IPL in their first season in 2022, and then finishing as runners-up next year, Gujarat Titans (GT) finished eighth in 2024. Last year, GT were being led by Shubman Gill after Hardik Pandya was traded to Mumbai Indians, and managed only five wins in 14 games. This time, Gill has led GT to as many wins in half the number of matches. Seven games into IPL 2025, GT are table-toppers with ten points.Vikram Solanki, their director of cricket, believes Gill has “lots to learn” as a captain, but that he’s growing and has been “quite brilliant”.”The connections that he’s formed with his bowling group – we saw that last year actually. He’s grown into the role from one game to the next,” Solanki said ahead of GT’s next fixture, against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Monday. “He’s sort of developing as a captain – developing his captaincy style – which is very good to see…”Related

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“He’s got quite an experienced bowling attack to lean on as well, which is obviously very helpful. But he continues to go from strength to strength as far as his captaincy is concerned.”Among the bowlers at Gill’s disposal is the quick Mohammed Siraj, who has 11 wickets in seven games this season. He is GT’s joint second-highest wicket-taker so far, and has returned to form after being dropped by India for the Champions Trophy just before the IPL. Solanki highlighted the “big influence” which Ashish Nehra, GT’s head coach, has had on Siraj.”They obviously have a very good connection, but I don’t want, for a second, to take away from all of the hard work that Siraj has done also,” Solanki said. “Of course, he has all of the support of all of the coaches, and there is no doubt that Ashish has been a big influence. But we must also acknowledge the work that Siraj has done and respect that.”Solanki said that there was “no better coach” than Nehra when it came to instilling confidence in players. But while mentioning that, he also spoke of Siraj overcoming the disappointment of missing out on the Champions Trophy, a tournament which India went on to win undefeated.”It just seems as though we’ve got a guy that has something to prove,” Solanki said of Siraj. “I’m sure he was disappointed, but he’s channelled that disappointment in working hard, and, I suppose, having a real thought about what he wants to do. He’s got a great coach in Ashish Nehra helping him as far as his performance is concerned. Long may that connection continue and long may Siraj continue to thrive.”

Heading into the 2025 summer transfer window, Arsenal fans were expectant. They were promised an unprecedented summer and despite the slow pace with which a deal for Viktor Gyokeres was completed, the Gunners indeed had a crazy summer.

That striker deal was finally wrapped but Andrea Berta strengthened Mikel Arteta’s squad in every single position possible.

At the back, Kepa arrived from Chelsea in a £5m deal while Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie, two of the most exciting young defensive talents in Europe, both signed.

In midfield, Martin Zubimendi was the marquee addition but he was joined by former Brentford skipper, Christian Norgaard.

It was the forward line that was bolstered most, however. Gyokeres, of course, was the big addition but beside him came Noni Madueke – a signing that sparked controversy – and one that had the whole fanbase unified; Eberechi Eze.

What those signings have done is take this squad to the next level. It’s another phase and level of progression for Arteta’s side and even with a whole host of injuries – namely to William Saliba, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka – they swept aside Nottingham Forest with ease on Saturday.

It’s not the first time that Arteta has chosen to take the team in a new direction; Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko are testament to that.

The Jesus and Zinchenko sagas at Arsenal

In the summer of 2022, Arteta knew he needed something to take his project to the next level.

In order to do that, he signed Jesus for £45m and Zinchenko for £30m from Manchester City within just a few weeks of each other.

Proven winners, players he knew from his days as assistant head coach to Pep Guardiola, this was a strong recipe tor success and indeed they changed the game when they first arrived.

Zinchenko allowed a huge level of tactical progression. The left-back is one of the finest inverted full-backs in European football which allowed Arsenal to gain more possession and control the tempo of a game more efficiently.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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How about Jesus? Well, he brought spice, he brought trickery and he brought goals. The Brazilian’s first few months at the Emirates Stadium were a sight to behold.

A proper Brazilian forward, Jesus was spellbinding. He beat players for fun and, importantly, he scored goals. In his first nine Premier League outings, he bagged five times and also registered four assists, proving to be a unique all-round threat.

Zincheko + Jesus for Arsenal

Stat

Zinchenko

Jesus

Signed for

£30m

£45m

Games

91

96

Goals

3

26

Assists

5

20

Mins played

5,282

5,461

Stats via Transfermarkt.

The trouble is, while Arsenal got better as a squad, the importance of Zinchenko and Jesus became less and less.

The Ukrainian, for all of the good he brought in possession, was a liability defensively and Jesus, well, he just can’t seem to stay off the treatment table.

We all got a reminder of just how good the 28-year-old is when he scored six goals in the space of five games over the 2024/25 festive period, including a hat-trick in the Carabao Cup against Crystal Palace.

Yet, his season was turned upside down when he ruptured his ACL in the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United.

Even before that, however, he was beginning to be phased out by Arteta. Kai Havertz was now the golden striker.

At left-back, meanwhile, Arteta upgraded on Zinchenko by adding Riccardo Calafiori to the fray. The emergence of Hale Ender, Myles Lewis-Skelly, also bumped him further down the pecking order.

Arsenal’s game-changers were no longer game-changers; they were merely spare parts in this squad.

The same is now happening for two of Arteta’s most trusted forward players at the Emirates. It would be a surprise if they started games regularly again.

£66m Arsenal duo are going to suffer this season

What a transfer window Arsenal had. Yet, unfortunately for two players in the forward line, they may well find themselves reduced to bit-part figures, just like Jesus and Zinchenko in the last few years.

The players here are Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, key components of the Gunners’ forward line for a number of seasons now.

Unfortunately for Martinelli, he doesn’t look as though he’ll ever live up to his sky-high potential. Once described as a “talent of the century” by Jurgen Klopp, it feels like a long time now since the Brazilian netted 15 Premier League goals in a single campaign.

It also feels like a long time since Trossard’s 17-goal haul in 2023/24. That season, only Bukayo Saka scored more goals for Arsenal.

It’s safe to say that 2024/25 was not one full of too much success for either player. While Martinelli did score inside the Bernabeu, he and Trossard both ended the term with ten goals apiece from 51 and 56 games respectively.

It’s not an awful tally, but you need more, particularly when Arsenal were contending with injuries to the likes of Saka, Havertz and Jesus.

So, over the summer of 2025, Arsenal have undergone another level of progression, one that could spell the end for any thoughts both Martinelli and Trossard had of gaining regular starts.

Indeed, with Madueke and Eze having entered the fray, immediate upgrades have been sourced on the £270k-per-week duo. We saw that first-hand during Arsenal’s win over Forest at the weekend.

While Madueke didn’t leave the pitch with a goal or an assist, he was relentless down the right-hand side and showcased why he will be the most natural back-up and competition for Saka. He completed five key passes and also registered five successful dribbles.

As for Eze, he was a breath of fresh air on the left-hand side of the attack. Jinking past players for fun, he was the player who registered the assist for Gyokeres’ goal.

Running in behind, the Hale Ender was picked out by Calafiori. Eze did not need a touch to set himself, ultimately sliding the ball into the path of the big Swede who couldn’t miss from a matter of yards out.

It was a performance that evoked memories of the 2022/23 side, one that Jesus and Zinchenko were part of. The football was slick, it was sweeping and it got past the Forest defence with ease.

Unfortunately for the £66m-rated pair of Trossard and Martinelli, it’s not good news. Still, for fans of the club, it was incredibly refreshing to see a pair of wingers with the desire to beat their man.

Related Arsenal star looks like their best bargain since the days of Henry & Vieira

Very rarely does a player feel like a bargain but Andrea Berta has struck gold on this one.

Posts ByMatt Dawson Sep 15, 2025

Shubman Gill and Maheesh Theekshana have become the new No. 1 men’s ODI batter and bowler respectively in the ICC rankings update released on the opening day of the Champions Trophy. Gill has gone past Babar Azam on his list, while Theekshana has gone past Rashid Khan on his.Gill had an excellent time of it in the home ODI series against England, which India won 3-0, with scores of 87, 60 and 112, which made him the top run-getter in the series, his 259 runs coming at an average of 86.33 and a strike rate of 103.60. The next highest scorer, Shreyas Iyer, was 78 behind Gill with 181 runs.This is the second time Gill has gone to the top of the pile in ODI cricket – the previous occasion was during the ODI World Cup in 2023.

Full rankings tables

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• Click here for the full player rankings

Gill’s rise has pushed Babar to second place. Gill has 796 rating points, while Babar has 773.They are followed in the top five by Rohit Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen and Daryl Mitchell, who has moved up two places after the tri-series in Pakistan where he scored 81, 10 and 57.Following the two-ODI series against England, Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka has moved up eight spots to No. 8, while Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan captain, has reached 15th place.Maheesh Theekshana became the seventh Sri Lanka bowler to bag an ODI hat-trick during the Australia series•Getty Images

Sri Lanka are not a part of the Champions Trophy, having missed out on qualification, but along with Asalanka, Theekshana made the most of the two-ODI series at home against Australia, returning 4 for 40 and none for 11.Rashid, who hasn’t played an ODI since last December, has slipped to the second spot, but isn’t too far behind Theekshana – he has 669 ratings points to the table-topper’s 680, and a good Champions Trophy campaign can take him back to the top.Behind Theekshana and Rashid on the bowlers’ table is Namibia’s Bernard Scholtz, followed by India’s Kuldeep Yadav and Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi in the top five. Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand captain, has made big moves too, his five wickets in the three ODIs in the Pakistan tri-series giving him a five-spot boost and putting him at No. 7.

Manuel Neuer claims Bayern Munich's 3-1 win against Chelsea in the Champions League opener was more than just a win, but rather a "crowning achievement" for the team. The Bayern goalkeeper believes they have improved as a squad and the result is a testament to it. The 39-year-old also completed his 100th Champions League victory with a win over the Premier League side.

• Manuel Neuer's 'insane' performance against Chelsea

  Neuer was solid in Bayern's Champions League win over Chelsea, making key saves and commanding his area with experience and calm. He helped maintain a strong defensive shape, limiting the London club's chances and playing a crucial role in Bayern's confident start to the campaign. The 39-year-old's performance showcased why he remains one of the top goalkeepers, contributing significantly to the team's victory, with coach Vincent Kompany labelling his performance "insane."

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• AFP
  

  The key points behind Bayern's dominance

  Neuer expressed his happiness after Bayern's win, praising the team's strong form and momentum. He acknowledged the challenge of facing the Club World Cup champions and emphasised the importance of building on this victory.

  "When you're a Bayern Munich player, you always want to win. For us, the greatest thing is to play in the Champions League and win it," he said. "That's why it's always a distant goal. You have to try to do your homework. The game against Chelsea isn't homework, but rather a crowning achievement, the way we played today. We crushed them here at home. But in the new league format, we're first playing to get into the top eight. Then you want to progress in the knockout rounds toward the final."

  Neuer added: "You're playing against a Premier League team, against a team that, in some ways, played similarly to Augsburg in the second half away from home. These are examples from the Bundesliga that you can then translate to the Champions League. We showed there that we also have to fight. That was an important factor today. Nevertheless, we were also the better team in terms of playing skills. We were simply cooler with the ball."

• Manuel Neuer bags his 100th Champions League Victory

  Neuer joined Bayern in 2011 after making his mark at Schalke, where he debuted in the Champions League in 2007. Known for standout moments like saving penalties against Real Madrid in 2011-12, he went on to anchor Bayern’s 2013 Champions League triumph. Now celebrating his 100th win in the competition, Neuer’s consistency and clean-sheet record cement his place among the greatest goalkeepers in Champions League history.

  Asked about his 100th Champions League victory, the German goalkeeper said: "It's a nice number. But it's much more important to have won these victories with the team. We celebrate together."

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• AFP
  

  Bayern's focus now shifts to the next challenge

  Kompany's side have little time to savour this victory as they must quickly reset and sharpen their focus to face another crucial league challenge against Hoffenheim on September 20, before they face Cypriot side Pafos in their next Champions League outing.

The 2024/25 campaign was a turbulent one for West Ham United. A change of manager halfway through, moving from Julen Lopetegui to Graham Potter, made things tough, and the Hammers never really gained any momentum, struggling to move out of the bottom few teams in the Premier League.

Yet, relegation was never really a concern, with the Irons finishing almost 20 points clear of 18th.

Looking ahead to the new season, Potter must surely want his side to become more consistent in front of goal. They only managed 46 last season, as per Understat, better than just five other teams in the top flight.

That might be why the East Londoners are targeting a new number nine in the transfer window.

West Ham search for a new striker

After a loan move for Evan Ferguson last season did not work out, the Hammers are still looking for a new centre forward to supplement the likes of Niclas Fullkrug and Jarrod Bowen in attack. Well, perhaps they have found someone who can add to the goals next season.

According to a report from Tasnim News Agency, the Hammers have ‘expressed interest’ in signing Inter and Iran striker Mehdi Taremi. The 33-year-old’s ‘departure from Inter is now certain’ in the aftermath of Simone Inzaghi leaving the club and the arrival of new summer signings.

This could give West Ham an opportunity to pounce. They are set to go head to head with Fulham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest for his signature, however, with Turkish side Besiktas also interested.

As for the price, it was reported earlier in the window that Inter would accept up to €10m (£9m) for the 33-year-old this summer.

Why Taremi would be a good signing

The 2024/25 season was tough for Taremi, who struggled for opportunity in the Inter side. Of course, last season’s Champions League runners-up have Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram in their squad, so getting a starting berth ahead of those two is far from easy.

The Iranian international played 43 games last season across all competitions. Although he only managed to find the back of the net three times, he did grab nine assists, four of which came in the Champions League. One of those was in the semi-final second-leg win over Barcelona.

The veteran striker arguably played the best football of his career at Portuguese giants FC Porto. He played 182 games for the club, amassing a sensational 91 goals and chipping in with 51 assists, too. He bagged this acrobatic volley against Chelsea back in 2021, a real standout effort in his large goal catalogue.

Comparisons can be drawn between Taremi and his potential new teammate, Fullkrug. The Germany international joined for £27m last summer from Borussia Dortmund, as an experienced striker, aged 31, when he moved to the London Stadium.

It certainly wasn’t the easiest first season in Claret and Blue for the striker, born in Hannover. He played 20 games for the club, scoring three goals and grabbing two assists. Two separate injuries certainly disrupted his progress during his debut campaign for West Ham.

The similarities between each striker do not stop at the fact that they are both experienced players in their early 30s. In fact, they are both stastically similar on FBref, after their respective Champions League campaigns in the 2022/23 season.

The numbers behind their goal-scoring form in that campaign are alike. The Inter star, then playing for Porto, averaged 0.33 goals and 0.22 goals per shot on target each game. In contrast, West Ham’s number 11, then a Dortmund player, averaged 0.26 goals and 0.27 goals per shot on target per 90 minutes.

Goals

0.33

0.26

Shots on target

1.49

0.96

Goals per shot on target

0.22

0.27

Expected goals

0.43xG

0.47xG

Goal-creating actions

0.87

0.69

At upwards of £9m, this move could be a bargain for West Ham this summer. There are certainly shades of the deal to sign Fullkrug last summer, given their age and similar threat in front of goal.

Taremi is a “complete striker” according to Statman Dave and capable of scoring 20 goals a season, as he showed at Porto. This could be one of the bargains of the summer.

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ByKelan Sarson Jul 31, 2025

Sunderland’s transfer window has been the biggest in the club’s history. After an unexpectedly long stint out of the Premier League, manager Régis Le Bris has been backed to ensure that they stay there.

The club have made roughly £36.8 million from the sales of Jobe Bellingham and Tom Watson to Borussia Dortmund and Brighton respectively, which has added a boost to their transfer budget.

Most of the new arrivals at the Stadium of Light have been attacking or midfield players, and the squad is yet to reinforce their defence, which was the fourth-best in the Championship last season. However, the Black Cats are now looking to change that in a big way and go all out on an up-and-coming talent.

Sunderland scouting Italian star Comuzzo

Reports from Italy, via Sports Witness, have revealed that Sunderland are among a number of English teams who have been scouting Italian centre-back Pietro Comuzzo. Comuzzo’s club, Fiorentina, have spent part of their pre-season in the UK, where Black Cats scouts checked on him in person.

Sports Witness shared a recent interview where Comuzzo stated he was happy at his current club and wasn’t currently looking to move. However, during the transfer window, things can change quickly. If Le Bris could convince Comuzzo of the project, then it’s reported that Fiorentina would be willing to part ways with the player for £34.5 million, which would see the Black Cats once again smash their previous transfer record by £7.5 million.

Rank

Player

Fee

Signed from

Year

1

Habib Diarra

£27m

Strasbourg

2025

2

Simon Adingra

£21m

Brighton

2025

3

Enzo Le Fee

£19.3m

AS Roma

2025

4

Chemsdine Talbi

£18m

Club Brugge

2025

5

Noah Sadiki

£15m

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise

2025

6

Didier Ndong

£13.6m

Lorient

2016

=7

Granit Xhaka

£13m

Bayer Leverkusen

2025

=7

Asamoah Gyan

£13m

Rennes

2010

9

Steven Fletcher

£12m

Wolves

2012

10

Jack Rodwell

£10m

Man City

2014

Comuzzo will be in the UK this weekend as Fiorentina face Manchester United at Old Trafford in a pre-season friendly. Early reports had indicated that United were another one of the teams to have taken an interest in the centre-back, but after several big-money signings and other positions yet to fill, they seem unlikely candidates.

Sports Witness’s Kaustubh Pandey concluded that the stories currently circulating about Comuzzo could be an attempt to increase his value and sell him at a later date. In which case, this could end up being a long-term Sunderland target that they use to solidify their place in the Premier League if they stay up this season.

Why Comuzzo is so highly rated

Comuzzo is a name that fans will hear a lot of in the coming years, and there are a few reasons why he is seen as such a prodigy. When compared to centre-backs of a similar age who featured in the Premier League last season, fans can see his uniqueness.

Tackles in Defensive 3rd Per 90

1.19

0.79

0.7

Long Pass Completion

69%

56.3%

59.5%

Attempted Tackles on Dribblers Per 90

1.19

0.85

1.07

Success Rate of Tackles on Dribblers

79.3%

64.3%

62.1%

Stats from: FBREF

Abdukodir Khusanov and Dean Huijsen have both recently received big transfers, with the former joining Manchester City in January and the latter joining Real Madrid this summer, but in many regards, Comuzzo is better than both.

An issue that many defenders find when joining the Premier League is that the pace of the wingers is too much for them. However, this is where Comuzzo specialises, as not only does he attempt more tackles on dribbling players than average, he also has a higher success rate with them.

Comuzzo’s ability to accurately play a long ball is also unique. Not only does it get the team out of danger defensively, but it can also help the team up the pitch offensively. Many of the newly promoted teams find themselves camped in their own third as the bigger Premier League sides attack them. Comuzzo would help avoid this with the combination of his ability to win back the ball and then progressively play it out once he has done so.

All of these attributes make Comuzzo an ideal player for the Premier League and particularly one further down the table. If Sunderland don’t push for him this summer, their chance of signing him may disappear, because it’s only a matter of time before someone snaps him up.