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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.

Huge Rothwell upgrade: Leeds make enquiry to sign "phenomenal" £30m star

Leeds United are interested in signing a star who would come in as an upgrade on Joe Rothwell.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 2, 2025

Burnley are preparing for life back in the Premier League and could now be in the lead to sign a proven international defender, according to a report.

Burnley ready to break cycle of newly-promoted clubs in Premier League

Many newly promoted sides of the past have found it difficult to transition to life in the Premier League after claiming promotion, which is something the Clarets are desperate to change at Turf Moor.

Speaking ahead of their return to top-flight action, Nedum Onuoha believes Burnley should use Brentford as an example of how to survive and grow among the elite of the English pyramid over the next few years.

He explained: “It sounds a bit dull if you are a Burnley fan, but stick with the process. Clubs that manage to maintain their identity, can end up doing well. Brentford, for example. They never really deviated away from the model that they have, and now they’re an established Premier League side.”

Nevertheless, signings are necessary for the EFL Championship runners-up to build a squad that can live up to that feat. CJ Egan-Riley could be set for the exit door, and Burnley are now plotting an ambitious swoop for Liverpool’s Joe Gomez that could total £25 million.

Rennes midfielder Jordan James is also on Scott Parker’s radar. This development may become an ideal trade-off between youth and experience if Josh Brownhill leaves Turf Moor, signalling that there is plenty of work going on behind the scenes in Lancashire.

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Talks are believed to be intensifying over the player in question.

ByHenry Jackson May 26, 2025

The revolving door of transfer speculation never stops and Burnley are now reportedly in the lead to win the race to sign a talented defender with top-flight experience.

Burnley could win the race to sign Chris Mepham

According to Graeme Bailey in conversation with EFL Analysis, Burnley could trump Sheffield United and Sunderland to sign Chris Mepham, potentially on a free transfer with his contract at Bournemouth set to expire at the end of this month.

The Wales international earns £35,000 per week and spent the campaign on loan at the Black Cats, scoring once in 40 appearances as they also claimed promotion via the playoffs.

Chris Mepham’s campaign for Sunderland in numbers – EFL Championship (Fotmob)

Tackles won

31

Aerial duels won

109

Interceptions

34

Recoveries

138

Blocks

3

Dubbed “superb” by Dan Ballard, Bournemouth also have an option to extend his deal for a further 12 months despite his contract being set to run out, though Bailey anticipates that Burnley could skip to the front of the queue in any case.

He stated: “It could be one of those promoted teams. Do we see Burnley coming in for him? They may have to lose Maxime Esteve, and they’ve lost CJ Egan-Riley already. I wouldn’t rule Burnley out of the running on that one.”

Whether Bournemouth do activate his extension clause or not, the Clarets appear to be well in the race to bring Mepham to Turf Moor and he would be an ideal fit given he has made over 60 Premier League appearances across his career.

Celtic won the Scottish Premiership title and the League Cup trophy during the 2025/26 campaign, but missed out on the treble with a loss to Aberdeen on penalties in the SFA Cup final.

It was a successful season for Brendan Rodgers and his men, despite the final loss at Hampden Park in the final game of the campaign, and that was owed, in part, to the quality of the squad.

Nicolas Kuhn was one of the stars who propelled Celtic to two trophies with his contributions at the top end of the pitch, with 21 goals and 15 assists in all competitions this term.

His form was particularly impressive when you consider that his reported wage of £12k-per-week does not make him one of the top earners in the squad.

Noteworthy Celtic players who earn more than Nicolas Kuhn

As per Capology, James McCarthy (£14k), Anthony Ralston (£14k), Luis Palma (£16k), and James Forrest (£19k) earn, or earned in McCarthy’s case, more than Kuhn.

Chalkboard

They combined for 12 league starts between them, whilst Palma was sent out on loan to Olympiacos for the second half of the season, and the German winger managed 21 starts on his own.

Meanwhile, Maik Nawrocki, who played three times in the Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, is also on a weekly wage of £12k at Parkhead, which suggests that Celtic are not getting value for money on their wages with several members of the squad.

Another centre-back who reportedly earns more than Kuhn is Gustaf Lagerbielke, who Lecce chief Pantaleo Corvino claimed is on £13k-per-week, and Rodgers must finally axe the flop this summer.

Why Celtic must sell Gustaf Lagerbielke this summer

The Hoops swooped to sign the Swedish central defender from Elfsborg for a reported fee of £3m in the summer of 2023, and it is fair to say that things have not gone to plan for him so far.

He only made ten appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign, as Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales established themselves as the first-choice pairing.

Speaking about Nawrocki and Lagerbielke’s lack of game time last season, pundit Ewan Cameron claimed that they were not Rodgers’ signings, saying: “He (Rodgers) doesn’t fancy them. He doesn’t rate them.”

Appearances

7

Starts

4

Pass accuracy

85%

Clean sheets

3

Error led to goal

0

Duel success rate

72%

The Swedish defender’s lack of game time in the Premiership that season, as evidenced in the table above, backs up that claim from Cameron, as Rodgers very rarely relied on him.

Celtic’s manager then opted to allow the 25-year-old flop to join FC Twente on loan for the 2024/25 campaign, and it has been another fairly frustrating year for the centre-back.

Lagerbielke did start 15 Eredivisie matches, playing more than he did for the Hoops, but was also an unused substitute in five of the club’s last six regular season games.

This shows that he has failed to nail down a regular spot as a starter in the Dutch top-flight out on loan, which does not suggest that the £3m dud is coming back to Parkhead this summer in a position to push on and fight for a place in Rodgers’ starting line-up.

The Northern Irish boss decided to go with Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Scales, and Nawrocki ahead of him in the squad this season, and Lagerbielke’s struggles abroad indicate that the manager made the right call.

Celtic table bid to sign a star who'd unlock Yang's "world-class" potential

Celtic are reportedly interested in a move to sign a star who could be a dream for Hyun-jun Yang.

ByDan Emery Jun 3, 2025

Therefore, Rodgers must, now, finally ditch the defender on a permanent basis, if there is sufficient interest from elsewhere to facilitate a deal, because he does not appear to have a bright future in Glasgow and earns more than one of the team’s biggest stars in Kuhn.

Glasgow Rangers could be set to see their takeover by the 49ers Enterprises go through by the start of the summer transfer window.

It appears as though it is a matter of when and not if the US-based consortium will arrive at Ibrox, hopefully with plenty of financial investment to help bolster the squad.

There will be several major decisions to make ahead of pre-season. Working out who must stay and who should be sold is going to be crucial ahead of the 2025/26 season for Rangers.

Furthermore, choosing the correct manager to lead the club into this new era could be the most important decision the 49ers make.

Barry Ferguson has been the interim manager since Philippe Clement was given his marching orders a few months ago. He went to get the role on a permanent basis after overseeing just four wins from his ten games in charge at the time of writing, conceding 20 goals in the process.

With the end of the season in sight, the rumour mill has begun with regard to who will be the next manager of the Light Blues.

The managers linked with Rangers

The most surprising name linked with a move to manage the club is José Mourinho. He knows full well about the Ibrox atmosphere having seen his Fenerbahçe side defeated on penalties in the Europa League last month, even congratulating the squad in the dressing room after the game.

According to TEAMtalk, Mourinho would reportedly be keen on making the move to Glasgow, although he would need significant backing from the 49ers that they would provide him with funds to strengthen.

The Portuguese boss might not be at the top of his game compared to his previous successes, but he would certainly be box office.

Former Southampton manager Russell Martin is also a name that has been mentioned regarding the vacant managerial role.

The Scot is reportedly keen on taking over from Ferguson this summer and is reportedly waiting to hear from the hierarchy at the club to discuss a potential move.

Of course, Steven Gerrard has been linked with a return to Ibrox after being sacked by Al-Etiffaq in Saudi Arabia.

This news was once again reported by TEAMtalk. Gerrard knows what it takes to win with the club, having led them to their first league title in a decade during the 2020/21 campaign.

His previous two managerial roles ended poorly, however. They say never go back. Should the club make a move for the former Liverpool icon? Or is time to go in a totally new direction under new owners?

Marco Rose is a name that has been mentioned recently amid the talks of a takeover by the 49ers.

Why Marco Rose could be in contention

Rose was recently sacked by Bundesliga side RB Leipzig after two and a half years in charge.

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The 49ers have a strong relationship with Red Bull and with Rose having managed both RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig during his career so far, the connections are there to be made.

Gretar Steinsson, the 49ers Technical Director, has held discussions with managerial targets across Europe ever since the potential takeover was mooted and this could see the club look in a different direction.

RB Leipzig

2022-25

124

1.85

Borussia Dortmund

2021-22

46

1.85

Borussia Mönchengladbach

2019-21

88

1.61

RB Salzburg

2017-19

114

2.35

Lok Leipzig

2012-13

30

1.2

Via Transfermarkt

Rose worked with Steinsson during his spells in charge of both Salzburg and Leipzig, indicating that there is a prior relationship which could perhaps lead to Rose becoming one of the favourites for the vacant role at Ibrox.

This may just be a coincidence, but given his relationship with the Red Bull Group in recent years, Rose might be getting talked about as a potential new manager in the coming weeks, that’s for sure.

Why Rose could be a great alternative to Gerrard

The Ibrox faithful will forever have a place for Gerrard in their hearts, especially after claiming the Premiership title in 2021.

During his final few months, however, the football wasn’t pretty and the Light Blues were struggling majorly.

Spells at Aston Villa (sacked after less than a year) and Al-Ettifaq (left by mutual consent after 18 months) haven’t exactly done much to further his career after success with the Gers.

The only positive surrounding his potential return is that Gerrard knows the standards expected at Ibrox, meaning he could integrate a lot quicker than, say, Rose or someone else.

The case for Rose is also complicated, although he has managed one of the biggest clubs in Europe – Borussia Dortmund – between 2021 and 2022.

Rangers did defeat his side 4-2 during the knockout stages of the Europa League in the 2021/22 campaign as they set the standards on their way to the final that season.

Prior to that, he claimed two Austrian Bundesliga titles with Salzburg, also going on to win the Austrian Cup but it is his spell with Leipzig which was the longest of his career.

During his debut season, the 48-year-old secured the German Cup, but his Bundesliga placings got worse over his time with the club. Third was secured in 2022/23, before a fourth-place finish last season.

When he was sacked, Leipzig were sitting in sixth place and in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification.

He prefers to use a classic 4-4-2 system, which could be altered in several ways to suit the players at Rangers. Plus, he could be given money to bolster the squad in the transfer market should he join the club.

Scottish scout and analyst Kai Watson has heaped praise on Rose amid his name being mentioned with the job, saying: “I honestly can’t believe there’s snobbery around Marco Rose. Take the Celtic scarf picture out of the equation, claiming that he’s a bad or below average manager is truly a wild statement in my opinion. In profile/stature he’s a level above someone like Gerrard, by a distance.”

Interestingly, Rose has defeated Celtic four times in his managerial career, twice each with Salzburg and Leipzig. Of course, beating them with Rangers is a different challenge altogether, but he knows how to get the better of the Parkhead side.

That could be all the difference.

Rangers must axe £3m flop who has missed more games than Lawrence

Kevin Thelwell has a big job on his hands at Rangers

ByRoss Kilvington Apr 27, 2025

Despite PSR concerns, Aston Villa have now reportedly joined a hectic race to sign a Bundesliga defender ahead of a number of Premier League rivals for Unai Emery this summer.

Aston Villa's PSR concern

On the pitch, Aston Villa are a side competing for consecutive top-four finishes in the Premier League and find themselves in the last eight of the Champions League and the last four of the FA Cup. It seems as though things can’t get much better.

In reality, however, as successful as they have been on the field, concerns are reportedly emerging over profit and sustainability rules behind the scenes.

Questions will be asked over just how a side of such recent success have struggled to stay in line with the rules, especially after the big sale of Jhon Duran to Saudi Arabia in January, but it looks as though Villa could be in for a cautious summer.

Whether those concerns will result in player sales or limited spending remains to be seen. However, reports are emerging on both the incoming and departure fronts.

On the departure front, it’s Boubakar Kamara who has attracted attention in recent days with Liverpool reportedly eyeing a move to sign the Aston Villa midfielder.

Meanwhile, if the Villans choose to run the risk of spending once more this summer, names such as Marc Casado and Andreas Christensen could steal the headlines fresh from Barcelona, according to recent reports.

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ByRoss Kilvington Apr 11, 2025

The same can also be said for one Bundesliga talent, as Aston Villa look to reinforce their backline and beat Liverpool and Manchester City to the signature of a talented defender this summer.

Aston Villa battling to sign Sildillia

Putting their financial concerns to one side, those in the Midlands have reportedly joined a hectic Premier League race. According to CaughtOffside, Aston Villa are now battling to sign Kiliann Sildillia from SC Freiburg ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion, Liverpool and Man City.

The Bundesliga side are reportedly valuing their right-back at just €16m (£14m) this summer – a price Villa may be able to match even amid their PSR frustrations.

At just 22 years old, the Bundesliga right-back has earned plenty of praise in recent years – including from Antonio Mango. The U23 scout took to X to describe Sildillia as an “extremely athletic” defender “who possesses a great burst of pace and acceleration”.

However, whether those are traits Aston Villa are left to benefit from remains to be seen as Premier League clubs race to sign the talented right-back.

Pakistan have the upper hand but the SA left-arm spinner has prevented them from making the most of it

Danyal Rasool14-Oct-2025When running late, there is always an instinct to rush, even if you cannot possibly make it to your destination on time. You might skip a long shower or an elaborate breakfast, or flirt with the top end of a speed limit on the way. There are wins to be had along the way, small gains that make no difference to the final outcome. But they’re worth pursuing anyway.And South Africa woke up late. Part of it, like the flip of the coin on Sunday morning, they could do as little about as if someone had turned off their alarm and drawn the curtains tighter to induce further sleep. But when Pakistan got the best of the batting conditions, South Africa’s spinners took over a session to find their lines, allowing Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood to gain an early, and what felt like a decisive, upper hand.It did not stop South Africa from scrambling to make up ground, even if the inherent disadvantage of batting last meant they were invariably treading water. That knotty sense of hopelessness was at its zenith at tea on Tuesday, a full two days after Imam and Masood pulled clear. But every time Pakistan’s position has veered into unassailability, Senuran Muthusamy has stood stubbornly in the way.Related

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Muthusamy has made a life out of ensuring innate disadvantages do not prove insurmountable. Growing up in South Africa as a specialist red-ball spinner around the same time as Keshav Maharaj is an accident of birth not conducive to a long Test career. Muthusamy made his first-class debut in 2013, and only got a shot at international cricket when South Africa toured India six years later. His Test match journey reads like a destination list even off-the-beat travel brochures would find too unusual to suggest: Visakhapatnam, Pune, Centurion, Chattogram, Bulawayo and now Lahore.With Pakistan 199 for 2 on Sunday afternoon, yet another one of those rare opportunities for impact appeared to have passed him by, but Muthusamy kept going. He spent the rest of the game showing everyone the value of a scrap to stay alive. Off the final two balls before tea that day, South Africa began to tug Pakistan back, and have held them in place in this uneasy stalemate. The hosts have the higher ground, but remain acutely aware that it is treacherous. Muthusamy accounted for 11 of the next 18 Pakistan wickets that fell, doubling his career Test haul over the past three days.On Tuesday, Masood’s men looked to make amends for leaving the door open. Abdullah Shafique scratched his way to 41, his highest Test score in over a year, and Babar Azam (42) and Saud Shakeel (38) both contributed with similar scores to swell Pakistan’s lead to 259 with six wickets still in the bag. Pakistan’s sense of comfort was illustrated by Shakeel – perhaps the team’s most conservative batter – stepping outside his crease to swipe Muthusamy over midwicket. He found the assured hands of Tristan Stubbs on the boundary, and South Africa began to claw their way back into plausibility once more.Shan Masood and Imam-ul-Haq had laid Pakistan’s groundwork on the first day in Lahore•AFP/Getty ImagesIt took a remarkable implosion from Pakistan, who lost their last six for 17 runs, to keep South Africa in contention. Muthusamy and Simon Harmer held their lines and nerve as the batters appeared to lose theirs; this was the third-steepest six-wicket collapse for Pakistan in a decade. By the time it was done, Muthusamy’s figures were the third-best in Gaddafi Stadium history, behind only Imran Khan and Abdul Qadir.By stumps, Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi were holding Pakistan at bay. The pair have complemented the tenacity of their spinners; it seems a long time ago but just this morning, de Zorzi had lifted Noman Ali over his head for six before bringing up the game’s only century off Pakistan’s most valuable spinner. Rickelton and de Zorzi have been responsible for exactly two-thirds of the runs South Africa have scored this Test, and will need to crank it up to an even more unlikely percentage if they are to fetch the remaining 226 to pull off a supremely unlikely heist.”A partnership on a wicket like this is gold,” de Zorzi said after play. “It’s tough to start and for a new guy to get rhythm. The beginning is the toughest but hopefully we can build a partnership and crack on.”Any reading of recent – or ancient – history suggests it remains an uphill challenge. Only one of the previous three completed Test matches in Lahore have resulted in a win for the chasing side, and never has a total anywhere near this magnitude been brought down. The advantage Pakistan built up by calling correctly at the toss and the three hours that followed still holds firm, but South Africa have refused to allow the hosts to stretch it further.At the end of the day, the PCB’s in-house website, in its report for the day, cautiously noted the game was “hanging in the balance”. This was around the same time as de Zorzi was beginning to talk up his side’s chances.”Ricks and I keep each other present,” he said. “We take it one ball at a time and remind each other of our options. The guys coming in are just as able, if not more talented. Hopefully they won’t [need to] but anyone in there, if they build a partnership, it’s on.”They may have woken up late, but Muthusamy and de Zorzi have ensured Pakistan are still on their toes three days after they were supposed to have pulled away.

He hopes to carry his learnings from Lisa Keightley and Ricky Ponting into a ‘well-balanced team’

Alex Malcolm18-Feb-2024Michael Klinger wore many hats during his playing days as a highly dependable, ultra-consistent runscorer for the innumerable states, counties and franchises he represented.In his post-playing days, he is wearing even more. He is currently the head of men’s T20 for Cricket New South Wales, overseeing the cricket programs of the two Sydney BBL clubs as well as Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket, where he just pulled off a major coup in signing Ricky Ponting as the new head coach.In his spare time, he took up a role as batting coach for Sydney Thunder’s WBBL side. And now he will be the head coach of Gujarat Giants in the WPL after Rachael Haynes’ resignation, having only signed to be batting coach just recently.Related

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“It may seem like a lot of hats but it fits in perfectly well into a 12-month schedule,” Klinger told ESPNcricinfo. “I’m really enjoying it, doing mainly the administration role but doing a little bit of coaching has invigorated me to some extent and I’ve really enjoyed it. I hadn’t worked in women’s cricket up until October last year and really enjoyed it and feel that I can really help whether it’s the Thunder or the Gujarat Giants going forward as well.”Klinger has had head coaching experience before, having coached Melbourne Renegades in the men’s BBL for two seasons between 2019 and 2021 before taking up his role with Cricket New South Wales. It wasn’t an easy experience with Renegades winning just seven games across two seasons having come into the role cold with no real coaching experience behind him.But he has learned some valuable lessons from that experience, and his work as an administrator in cricket high performance has given him a different lens on coaching. He has worked with one of Australia’s most experienced coaches in Greg Shipperd at Sydney Sixers, NSW and Washington Freedom in setting up all aspects of a cricket program. Then working under the experienced Lisa Keightley recently at Sydney Thunder in the WBBL as a batting coach added another layer to his experience.”Lisa Keightley was very good at building relationships with the players,” Klinger said.”Certainly, on the back in my role with the Renegades and even just speaking to Ricky [Ponting] over the last four to six weeks around coaching I think is going to be invaluable for me going into this role as well.”I’m hugely thankful to Rachael Haynes as well. I think without her asking me to come into the batting coach role, none of this would have ever happened. So thankful for her for introducing me into this franchise, originally as a batting coach, and then now obviously the opportunity as a coach.”Klinger does know what a winning team looks like. He won five T20 titles as a player, three in the state-based Big Bash competition with Victoria and South Australia and then two BBL titles with Perth Scorchers under Justin Langer.What he knows is the importance of getting the most out of your entire squad. Giants struggled last year on the back of Beth Mooney’s injury early in the tournament. The return of Mooney and the addition of Phoebe Litchfield add plenty of batting firepower alongside Ashleigh Gardner and Laura Wolvaardt. Klinger worked with Litchfield during the WBBL last year.”Phoebe Litchfield is already a star but could be the best player in the world in a very short period of time, I think,” Klinger said.”I think there’s a pretty well-balanced team.”You need your big players to be playing well. But you also need a lot of your depth players to be contributing and winning a couple of games for you during the tournament. It’s an eight-game tournament, you probably need to win at least four to get into the finals. So that’s probably our first aim, is to qualify for the finals and then and then go from there.”

Debutant seamers play their part in rocking South Africa top order

Valkerie Baynes27-Jun-2022England have had their first glimpse of life beyond Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole and it looked pretty bright out there at Taunton.With Brunt revving up the crowd while sitting in the Somerset Stand and Shrubsole also taking in the view at her home ground, England’s retired seam stalwarts gazed down on the action as Issy Wong and Lauren Bell, on international debut, helped reduce South Africa to 45 for 4 on the opening day of the Test.There’s every chance that Brunt, having presented Wong with her Test cap, looked on with satisfaction as she and Bell grabbed their opportunity to try and step into the void she left when she recently announced her retirement from Tests, following Shrubsole’s decision in April to call time on her international career.Related

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Kapp's epic 150 keeps South Africa afloat on return to Test cricket

“They didn’t look out of place at all, did they?” said Kate Cross, who claimed four wickets in her new role as seam attack leader. “Wongy steaming in and trying to knock people’s heads off at some point, she’s been doing that in the nets with us all week so it was great to see her get a chance.”There’s not many times that you’ll make your full England debut in a Test match. It’s just pretty special. It’s been a really nice day. There were some amazing speeches this morning. Katherine Brunt in particular had everyone in tears, talking about when we play Test cricket it feels like we’re always fighting to prove that we can play the format and we want more of it.”So it’s always nice when you get the new guard to come in and get that opportunity as well. I thought everyone played with a smile on their face and no one looked nervous. No one looked out of their depths at all. So I thought that’s a great place for us to be.”Wong struck with her 12th ball in international cricket, pegging back Laura Wolvaardt’s middle and off stumps, then took a screamer of a catch launching herself into the air in the covers to dismiss Sinalo Jafta giving Cross her third wicket.Bell bowled a probing first spell, and finished the day with the wickets of Lizelle Lee, to a tight lbw decision upheld on impact on umpire’s call, and the prize wicket of Marizanne Kapp, spectacularly caught by Tammy Beaumont at mid-off.Kapp’s faultless 150 resurrected South Africa’s innings to the point that they had reached 284 by the time they were bowled out to end the day’s play, altering the complexion of the match somewhat although it did little to dampen England’s spirits, given the performance of the side’s newcomers.Kate Cross struck early for England•PA Images/GettyAlso making their Test debuts were Alice Davidson-Richards, a batting allrounder who offers another seam-bowling option and who dismissed Nadine de Klerk cheaply, and Emma Lamb, who will have the chance to open alongside Beaumont when England begin their response on Tuesday.For her part, Kapp was particularly impressed by Wong. “When she bowled that first over this morning I told our team doctor I believe she’s going to go far,” Kapp said. “I think she has what it takes.”Overall as a unit I feel like they bowled really well. It does get harder to bowl once the ball is so much older and with a quick outfield so I feel like they bowled really well and for me the goal was to just get through the tough sessions and then I knew I could cash in at the back end.”Wong was somewhat of a surprise inclusion having been promoted from travelling reserve when Emily Arlott struggled for fitness after a recent covid infection. Despite having travelled with England squads for the best part of two years, Lisa Keightley, the head coach, said she wanted to carefully manage Wong’s workload and suggested that she was more in the frame for a limited-overs role this season.Wong ended the day with 1 for 54 from 13 overs, and Bell with 2 for 47 from 16 and both were able to reflect on their journey to this point, having progressed through Chance to Shine and become the first full participants of the programme set up in 2005 to address the decline of cricket in state schools to go on and play for England.”It feels pretty special to be the first people to have been a part of that pathway, hopefully we’re the first of many,” Bell said.Wong agreed: “I’m sure there will be other Chance to Shine graduates after Belly and me.”For those that have gone before them looking on, there was reason to hope and believe too.

Chelsea have been given a boost in their search for a world-class striker next year, as one of Europe’s finest marksmen could choose a switch to Stamford Bridge over Barcelona and PSG.

After their damning 2-1 loss at home to newly-promoted Sunderland, Enzo Maresca’s side have returned to winning ways after three victories in their last four games across all competitions.

In truth, the criticism of Chelsea can be overblown sometimes, considering that defeat to the Black Cats was their first and only loss in nine matches — a run which includes impressive victories over Liverpool, Tottenham and José Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League.

The Blues are now third in the Premier League table and six points behind league leaders Arsenal, but pundits like Jamie Carragher are adamant that Chelsea could use something different to their pretty similar options throughout the team.

Reports suggest that BlueCo partly agree with Carragher’s statement, as they’re making transfer plans ahead of next year despite spending close to £300 million in the summer.

The Premier League’s biggest summer spenders
Team	Spent	Received	Net Spend
Liverpool	£415,000,000	£187,000,000	£228,000,000
Chelsea	£285,000,000	£288,000,000	-£3,000,000
Arsenal	£255,000,000	£9,000,000	£246,000,000
Newcastle	£250,000,000	£152,000,000	£98,000,000
Man Utd	£216,000,000	£68,000,000	£148,000,000
Nottm Forest	£205,000,000	£107,000,000	£98,000,000
Tottenham	£181,000,000	£36,000,000	£145,000,000
Sunderland	£162,000,000	£44,000,000	£118,000,000
Man City	£152,000,000	£53,000,000	£99,000,000
West Ham	£124,000,000	£55,000,000	£69,000,000
via BBC

After his latest injury blow and being hauled off just six minutes into Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Qarabag last week, midfielder Romeo Lavia is expected to be sidelined for at least one month with a quadriceps problem, and Chelsea were already looking at new midfield targets before the Belgian’s return to rehab.

It is unclear whether Chelsea could look to strike a midfield deal in January, or whether it’s one for next summer instead, but it is reportedly more clear that Maresca wants a new centre-back to come in at the very least as BlueCo prioritise a defender.

Other media sources indicate that Chelsea may well bring in another striker next year as well, despite Joao Pedro’s excellent form and the return of Liam Delap.

Julian Alvarez reportedly refuses to rule out joining Chelsea ahead of Barca and PSG

Speaking to the Chelsea Chronicle, journalist Graeme Bailey has said that £211,000-per-week forward Julian Alvarez is one to keep an eye on.

The former Man City sensation has dazzled under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid this term, netting nine times in his last 15 outings, and he finished his debut 24/25 season at the La Liga side with nearly 30 goals in all competitions.

This incredible form is attracting interest from some of Europe’s biggest hitters, including PSG and Barca, but Bailey has suggested that Alvarez is refusing to rule out a Chelsea move.

Maresca could have his pick of new centre-forwards with the pacey Emmanuel Emegha poised to arrive from sister club Strasbourg in 2026.

Alvarez would be the cherry on top, but according to some reports in Argentina, those within Barca are convinced that Atletico could demand as much as £176 million to let the 25-year-old leave – so Chelsea may even have to break the Premier League transfer record.

Australia’s first Test line-up appears to be taking shape after Cameron Green produced two sharp four-over spells while Marnus Labuschagne made a half-century batting at No.3 in a hard-fought opening day between Western Australia and Queensland at the WACA.However, the Ashes squad members were overshadowed by Matt Renshaw who did not make the cut with Australia’s hierarchy opting for uncapped opener Jake Weatherald.After Queensland were sent in, Renshaw made 101 off 198 balls and shared a second-wicket partnership of 103 with Labuschagne before WA fought back through quick Cameron Gannon late in the day.”Obviously there’s a bit of disappointment straight away but then you realise that it’s not the end of the world,” Renshaw said of being overlooked for the first Test squad. “It’s a lot different to the way that I handled it eight-nine years ago. I just wanted to enjoy myself today and have intent.”