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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has revealed that he is sweating on the fitness of Ao Tanaka after the 5-0 defeat to Arsenal at The Emirates on Saturday.

Speaking after the game, the German head coach explained: “After a tackle in the first half, he had problems with his MCL.

“He kept going and I hope it’s not too bad. I hope the assessment is not too bad. There are a few concerns that it would be an injury but it’s normally positive that he could play further on. But we will have to assess him and we will see how long it takes to get him fit and back to full fitness.”

Farke says that he hopes that it is not a bad injury for Tanaka, and that feeling may be compounded by a similar injury to club captain Ethan Ampadu last week.

The Wales international is due to be out until after the international break, at least, with an MCL injury that was sustained against Everton on the opening day.

That injury to the skipper allowed Ilia Gruev to test himself at Premier League level against the Gunners on Saturday, but he was unable to impress with his showing in midfield.

Why Ilia Gruev may not be the answer for Leeds

Speaking ahead of the clash with Arsenal, Farke revealed that Sean Longstaff is more suited to playing as a number eight instead of as a replacement for Ampadu in the number six role, which is why Gruev was then selected against Arsenal.

Unfortunately, though, the Bulgaria international failed to show the defensive strength and quality that was needed to protect the back four, in what turned out to be a hammering by Mikel Arteta’s side.

The left-footed maestro only started 20 times in the Championship last season, per Sofascore, and won 52% of his duels in the second tier as Leeds largely dominated games with the ball.

Gruev’s lack of physicality meant that there was always going to be a question mark over his head going into the Premier League season, and his performances in the first two games have not changed that.

Ilia Gruev	Vs Everton	Vs Arsenal
Minutes	13	90
Pass accuracy	80%	92%
Key passes	0	0
Tackles	0	1
Interceptions	0	1
Duels won	0/1	1/3
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Werder Bremen star has only won one of his four duels in 103 minutes of action in the top-flight to date.

His lack of physicality was on display in the 5-0 defeat to Arsenal as he only won one duel in 90 minutes against a side that was constantly attacking his half of the pitch, which shows that he was not offering enough protection in front of the back four.

The Championship champions are now reportedly keen on bringing in another option in that area of the pitch who could come in as an upgrade on Gruev.

Leeds eyeing move for Bundesliga midfielder

According to Monday’s edition of Bild, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds United are one of the teams in the race to sign Borussia Monchengladbach defensive midfielder Julian Weigl.

The report claims that the Premier League side and Al-Shabab FC are both contenders to land a deal for the Germany international before the end of the summer transfer window.

Transfer Focus

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

It states that the Bundesliga outfit are set to allow him to move on before the deadline after the player requested to be allowed to explore a move elsewhere.

Sport Witness relay quotes from Gladbach director Roland Virkus explaining the situation: “The important thing was: He asked us to release him for talks. We are also in talks. That’s the way it is. That doesn’t mean he won’t return to the squad if they fail. That’s open. It was important for Julian to be able to hold talks with the clubs.”

It is said that Weigl is available for a fee of around £5m, amid interest from Leeds and Al-Shabab, and it is now down to the 49ers to get a deal done for the German star.

Why Leeds should sign Julian Weigl

Off the back of the injuries to Ampadu and Tanaka, securing a cut-price deal to sign Weigl from Gladbach as an upgrade on Gruev in the number six position could be a shrewd move by the club.

The 29-year-old star is a natural number six who could slot into that role at the base of the midfield when Ampadu is unavailable, or off the bench when needed.

Speaking about Weigl’s style of play, defender Marc Bartra once said: “He is very similar to Busquets. He dictates play from midfield and helps us a lot when we lose the ball, it looks like he always has everything under control. He really reminds me of Busquets a lot, even if there is obviously still some distance between the two of them.”

As someone who played alongside Busquets at Barcelona and Weigl at Borussia Dortmund, Barta is possibly the best-placed person to make such a connection, and it speaks to the profile of player that Leeds would be signing.

The German ace could be Farke’s own Busquets at the base of the midfield as an upgrade on Gruev who can offer more to the team out of possession in what is set to be a scrap to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

24/25 Bundesliga	Julian Weigl per 90	Percentile rank vs midfielders
Tackles + interceptions	3.16	Top 37%
Clearances	2.69	Top 20%
Shots blocked	0.84	Top 2%
Percentage of dribblers tackled	60.9%	Top 13%
Blocks	1.69	Top 28%
Challenges lost	0.56	Top 13%
Aerial duel success rate	67.2%	Top 2%
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Weigl ranked highly among his positional peers in the Bundesliga last season in a host of defensive metrics, including his success rate in duels on the deck and in the air.

These statistics show that he can be a dominant defensive force against opposition players at the top level, whilst Gruev was not outstanding physically in the Championship and has struggled with the physicality of the Premier League so far.

Weigl, who started 33 games in the Bundesliga last season, per Sofascore, is an experienced campaigner who has played for Farke in the past and has proven himself in one of Europe’s major leagues.

This is why he could come in as a fantastic bargain signing for £5m as an upgrade on Gruev due to the defensive and physical qualities that he can bring to the number six position as a Busquets-esque figure.

Gnonto upgrade: Leeds ready to pay £30m to sign "menacing" new star

Leeds United are reportedly willing to splash the cash to sign an upgrade on Wilfried Gnonto.

2

By
Dan Emery

Aug 25, 2025

This is why Farke should be pushing the club to get this deal done before the deadline because he could be an experienced alternative to Ampadu at the base of the midfield, as a strong and dependable option who can be relied upon as a defensive force.

“I bowled almost 30 overs in that match [against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy]. So I never lost my rhythm”

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-20251:09

Jadeja: Rohit hundred ‘set the platform’ for India

Ravindra Jadeja has credited the domestic cricket he played for his rhythm in ODIs, the first he has played since the World Cup final in 2023. In two matches, against an explosive England side, Jadeja has conceded just two boundaries in 19 overs while also picking up six wickets. He has played a key role in India’s series win, which they achieved even before the final ODI, which will also be his 200th.”Feeling very good,” Jadeja said. “Especially playing ODIs after almost two years. You have to adapt quickly in this format. I believe that the domestic game that I played [against Delhi] helped me a lot. I bowled almost 30 overs in that match. So I never lost my rhythm. And I am trying to bowl Test lines and lengths in ODIs as well. What we call the rhythm, the continuity, was in place because my break from cricket wasn’t that long. So in my view, I have benefited from the domestic match that I played.”Jadeja retired from T20Is after India’s World Cup win in June last year, which left him with no cricket between the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which ended in the first week of this year, and this ODI series. Jadeja played two Ranji Trophy matches in this period but bowled in only one of them: 30 overs for 12 wickets across two innings.Related

Jadeja and Axar give India a good headache to have

India’s domestic cricket, especially the Ranji Trophy, has been in the news because of the board’s edict to its players to not skip matches unless injured or having their workload managed. Virat Kohli turned out for Delhi for the first time in 12 years and Rohit Sharma for Mumbai for the first time in ten. The board also received some criticism for what was seen as headmasterly treatment, especially when the cricket India was expected to play after the break was a different format.Staying in touch with cricket doesn’t seem to have done any harm to Jadeja, which the decision-makers will take as vindication as they have maintained that the best way to improve as a cricketer is by playing matches.

It would be fair to say that this summer has been about as good as any Arsenal fan could have hoped it would be at the end of last season.

On top of looking pretty good on the pitch, Mikel Arteta’s side have been massively reinforced in the transfer market, with seven senior players joining so far.

Moreover, the signing of Eberechi Eze was twice as sweet for fans, as not only did they get a sensational gifted playmaker who can play on the wing, but they also managed to snatch him from the grasp of Tottenham Hotspur, who look like they have done the same thing with Xavi Simons and Chelsea.

With all that said, there are still a few days left until the window closes, and if Arsenal really want to end it with a bang, they should go back in for a player they’ve been linked with before, a player more talented than Eze and Simons.

Why Eze is such an important signing for Arsenal

Even though we are going to look at another player Arsenal should sign later, it’s important to remember that Eze is a potentially game-changing addition in his own right.

After all, one of the Gunners’ most significant problems last season was an inability to break teams down and make things happen when their star players were injured or out of form, and this is something the Englishman can solve.

For example, according to FBref, he ranked in the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for total shots, the top 10% for successful take-ons, the top 11% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Moreover, despite playing for a mid-table side at best, the 27-year-old “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling just 3303 minutes.

In other words, the £100k-per-week superstar managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

He is also a big-game player, scoring in the quarter-final, semi-final, and final of the FA Cup to help Palace win their first-ever major trophy.

With all that said, the Gunners could land themselves a bigger talent than Eze and Simons by going back in for a Premier League star they’ve been linked with in the past.

The player who is a bigger talent than Eze & Simons

Now, for a player to even be compared to Eze and Simons, let alone be considered a bigger talent, they’ve got to be something quite special.

Transfer Focus

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

Fortunately, that would be an apt way to describe Morgan Rogers, who has been linked with Arsenal a number of times this summer, and might just be available for around £80m.

It would certainly be a significant investment to make in one player, but the Aston Villa star has proven he’d be worth it and then some over the last season or so.

Moreover, as the Premier League is ranked the toughest league in the world, and the Bundesliga is just the fourth, comparing all of his numbers to Simons’ is difficult.

However, thankfully, we can get a clearer picture of who the bigger talent is, thanks to both playing in the Champions League last year.

Appearances

12

5

Minutes

1025′

337′

Goals

4

0

Assists

3

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.00

Minutes per Goal Involvement

146.42′

N/A

Unsurprisingly, it is the Claret and Blue “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob, who comes out miles ahead, as in his 12 appearances, totalling 1025 minutes, he scored four goals and provided three assists.

That means the often “unstoppable” midfielder, as dubbed by former Liverpool defender turned pundit Jamie Carragher, was able to average a goal involvement every 1.71 games, or every 146.42 minutes in football’s biggest club competition.

On the other hand, the Leipzig ace was unable to score a single goal or provide a single assist, despite facing some rather beatable teams, such as Sporting CP and Sturm Graz.

Now, when it comes to statistical comparisons with Arsenal’s new number ten, the Villans’ attacking dynamo does not come out on top, but his overall average of a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 149.86 minutes across the full campaign, isn’t far off.

Moreover, the reason we would still classify him as a bigger talent is that, at just 22 years old, he is approximately four years away from reaching his peak, according to research carried out by The Athletic.

So, when he does reach that point, based on what he’s already doing, we would expect his numbers to be better than Eze’s are today.

Ultimately, Arsenal have made an exceptional signing in the former Palace star, and it looks like Spurs have in the young Dutchman, but for our money, Rogers is still the biggest talent of the three.

Imagine him and Eze: Arsenal "closing in on" agreement to sign £52m "beast"

Mikel Arteta is close to finalising a deal that would be perfect for Arsenal and for new man Eberechi Eze.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 29, 2025

انتهت مباراة الفريق الأول لكرة اليد بالنادي الأهلي، أمام برشلونة الإسباني، في اللقاء الذي جمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة العالم لكرة اليد للأندية “سوبر جلوب” منذ قليل.

وسقط فريق كرة اليد لـ الأهلي أمام برشلونة بنتيجة 26-21 في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم في إطار لقاءات نصف نهائي كأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد.

طالع | برشلونة ينهي مشوار الأهلي في كأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد.. وينافس على البرونزية

وتُقام جميع مباريات بطول كأس العالم للأندية في الفترة من 26 سبتمبر إلى 2 أكتوبر 2025، على صالة العاصمة الإدارية الجديدة.

وتشارك في البطولة 9 أندية مقسمة على 3 مجموعات، وهي، الأهلي، الزمالك، برشلونة الإسباني، فيزبريم المجري، سيدني الأسترالي، ماجديبورج الألماني، كاليفورنيا إيجلز الأمريكي، الشارقة الإماراتي، توباتي البرازيلي.

وكان الأهلي تأهل إلى دور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد، باحتلاله المركز الثاني في ترتيب مجموعته كأفضل مركز ثاني من المجموعات الثلاثة للمونديال.

وبعد الهزيمة أمام برشلونة يستعد الأهلي لمواجهة ماجديبورج الألماني، في مباراة تحديد المركز الثالث بـ كأس العالم للأندية. موعد مباراة الأهلي وماجديبورج الألماني في كأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد

وينتظر الأهلي في مباراته القادمة مواجهة قوية أمام ماجديبورج الألماني، يوم الخميس 2 أكتوبر، في تمام 05:15 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية.

The veteran returned to the Mexican national team against Japan after more than a year away from call-ups.

• Came off the bench on Saturday
• Played 30 minutes
• Has nine goals in 26 matches with San Diego FC

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  One of the most anticipated returns to the Mexican national team was that of Hirving Lozano. After his stint in Europe and move to MLS, “Chucky” hadn’t been called up by since March 2024. The forward, who has become a fan favorite at San Diego FC – where he has tallied nine goals and six assists in 26 matches under head coach Mikey Varas – is now looking to reclaim his place in the squad.

  “In San Diego, he’s been regaining his form. He’s had a great career overall in Mexico, in Europe, and now in San Diego, he’s showing flashes of the level he once had. He’s explosive, he can score, he’s fearless, and he’s Mexican – we have to take advantage of that,” Aguirre said about the winger.

  Aguirre hopes to get a longer look at the forward when Mexico line up against South Korea on Tuesday. 

  “I’m eager to bring back the old Chucky because he had a great World Cup, he’s given us joy, he was a champion in Italy and the Netherlands, and I’ve even spoken with Carlo Ancelotti, who once used him as a center forward [at Napoli]," he said. "I’m happy with how he’s doing, and I hope tomorrow I can give him more minutes than the other day.”

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lozano was Mexico’s breakout star at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he scored a memorable goal against Germany. 

  But recent years haven’t been easy for the former PSV and Napoli man, as injuries and the difficult decision to leave European football for MLS marked a turning point. Still, his resurgence with San Diego has earned him another shot under Aguirre.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Mexico have three straight wins against South Korea – two in friendlies and one at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MEXICO NATIONAL TEAM?

  After facing South Korea, Mexico will meet Colombia on Oct. 10 and Ecuador on Oct. 14 to continue preparations for the World Cup.

تحدث أيمن يونس، نجم الزمالك السابق، عن فوز الأبيض على الإسماعيلي بهدفين نظيفين، ضمن منافسات الجولة السابعة من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وقال أيمن يونس في تصريحات خلال الاستوديو التحليلي بقناة “أون سبورت”: “فوز مهم جدًا للزمالك، والاستمرار في الانتصارات أمر ضروري، والذكاء في استغلال الفرص والثغرات واندفاعات الإسماعيلي هو ما فعله الزمالك”.

وتابع: “الأداء مقبول بعد مباراة المصري، والأبيض يحافظ على مستواه وشخصيته، لكن هناك العديد من اللاعبين في الزمالك حولهم علامات استفهام”.

طالع.. الزمالك يفقد خدمات لاعبه أمام الجونة في الدوري المصري

وأكمل: “يظل الاسم الأبرز والأجمل في الملعب عبد الله السعيد، الذي يقدم أداءً رشيقًا جدًا في كل المناطق المهمة، قادر على استخلاص الكرة وبناء الهجمة وإنهائها، كما يصنع الفرص ويستعرض إمكانياته”.

وأتم: “عدي الدباغ أنقذ نفسه وسجل هدفًا من صناعته بعد أن أضاع فرصة مؤكدة في الشوط الأول، وعبد الله السعيد يستحق جائزة أفضل لاعب في المباراة”.

The old cliche goes that if you can’t beat them, join them, but the same is also true that if you can’t stop them, then sign them. Liverpool appear to be doing the latter.

Few players will have given Anfield hero Virgil van Dijk sleepless nights in recent years, although Alexander Isak might well be one of them, with Newcastle United’s Swedish sensation proving an absolute menace for the Dutchman and his fellow defenders.

Described by the Reds skipper as “definitely the most in-form striker at the moment in world football”, ahead of the Carabao Cup final in March, the returning Isak duly scored in that Wembley showpiece to seal an emotional, surprise win for the Magpies.

In all, the former Real Sociedad man has netted four times in just six appearances against the Merseysiders across all competitions, with that likely to have played its part in their apparent bid to prise the 25-year-old from St James’ Park on a £120m deal.

Such bombshell news has become the talk of the town from a Premier League perspective, although on Tyneside, Eddie Howe and co don’t appear to have thrown in the towel just yet.

Still steadfast in their desire to keep hold of the 6 foot 4 machine, Newcastle may steer Arne Slot’s side toward potential attacking alternatives…

Liverpool's potential Isak alternatives

The obvious place to start is with the man who could well have a pivotal role to play in Isak’s future, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.

The young Frenchman is being lined up as a future replacement for the Sweden star at St James’, albeit with Liverpool also throwing their hat into the ring, should it prove too difficult to get their top target out of the north east.

It would appear that it isn’t just that duo who the Merseysiders have their eye on, however, with the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reporting that the champions are considering multiple other options in the bid for a new number nine.

Transfer Focus

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

Among those said to have been discussed at Anfield is Manchester United outcast, Marcus Rashford, with the Englishman noted as one of the six Isak alternatives that have been considered.

As the report does note, such talks have not progressed any further as yet with it looking unlikely that Slot and co will pounce, albeit with the 27-year-old certainly available having been exiled by Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim.

Valued at £40m earlier this year, amid the chance for Aston Villa to purchase their loan signing on a permanent deal, Rashford would represent a far cheaper choice than that man Isak. He would also be far more controversial, however…

Why Liverpool could be targeting the new Michael Owen

It says it all that the last player to directly move between Liverpool and Man United was Phil Chisnall, with the forward scoring ten goals in 47 games at Old Trafford, before moving to Anfield on a £25k deal in 1964.

Even signing a player with a previous association to the ‘other’ club has been a rarity in modern times, with notable examples including a certain Paul Ince in the late 90s, alongside the more infamous ‘treachery’ of Michael Owen.

Once the golden boy of Liverpool, having emerged from the academy ranks as a dazzling teenager, Owen burned his bridges – and then some – after ending up on the books at United in 2009, having joined Sir Alex Ferguson’s side via spells at Real Madrid and Newcastle United.

Despite admitting that he had had his heart set on returning to Merseyside amid his exit from Madrid in 2005, no such homecoming came to fruition, with the declining striker later linking up with Fergie on a free transfer.

Still just 29 at the time of that controversial switch, it was evident that Owen’s powers were on the wane, with his last-gasp goal in a 4-3 win over rivals Manchester City the only real moment of note across the next three years. Just 17 goals in 52 games says it all.

While circumstances might be different in the case of Rashford, he too could prove to be something of a bizarre, unnecessary signing, this time for Liverpool, with it hard to see the wisdom in even considering the Three Lions star as an Isak alternative.

Like Owen – who burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old at Anfield – Rashford was also once a teen sensation for Man United, having scored twice on debut as an 18-year-old back in February 2016, before ending that campaign with eight goals in just 18 games under Louis van Gaal.

2024/25*

24

7

3

2023/24

43

8

6

2022/23

56

30

11

2021/22

32

5

2

2020/21

57

21

18

High points have followed since for the academy graduate, namely his 30-goal season in 2022/23 during Erik ten Hag’s time at the helm, although inconsistency has been the theme of recent years.

As evidenced in the table above, the forward’s “unstoppable” 2022/23 campaign, as hailed by Ten Hag, stands out amid a rather underwhelming half a decade, in truth, with Liverpool not exactly targeting a player in his pomp.

As was the case with Owen, for all parties this appears to be a move best avoided, with the scrutiny and controversy unlikely to be made worthwhile by performances on the pitch.

He's better than Ekitike: Liverpool chasing "monster" £60m Isak alternative

Liverpool are looking to sign a new number nine in the summer transfer window.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 15, 2025

England captain believes her players have become ‘smarter’ while sticking to aggressive mantra

Valkerie Baynes18-Jun-2024For some 18 months, England Women have committed to playing a harder, faster, more aggressive style of cricket but, according to Heather Knight, they are also becoming smarter.Since Jon Lewis took over as head coach at the end of the 2022 English summer, the team vision has been clear, expressed in mantras such as “attacking mindset”, “walk towards the danger” and the even more ubiquitous “inspire and entertain”.It has worked in so far as it has transformed a team which was comprehensively beaten 12 points to four by Australia in the 2019 Ashes and 6-4 in a rain-hit 2021-22 series into a side which drew last year’s series on points, winning four matches to Australia’s three.But it is very much a work in progress. In their recent home series against Pakistan, England lacked ruthlessness and polish, despite being a far stronger side.Knight, England’s captain, believes that in hosting New Zealand in three ODIs starting next week followed by five T20Is, they have an opportunity to build on knowledge gained against the White Ferns in New Zealand earlier this year.”We became a bit of a smarter team,” Knight told ESPNcricinfo, looking back on England’s tour of New Zealand in March and April. “We played on bigger boundaries, wickets that did a little bit more in the powerplay, so it wasn’t really easy to attack then. We learned how to be a bit smarter and how to adapt a little bit to different conditions.”Sometimes it’s going to be hard to attack in the powerplay, the idea was to sort of go from ball one and keep the foot down, but that isn’t always going to be possible and sometimes there’s going to be little bumps along the road, but I think we learned a lot from that tour.”Heather Knight speaks at a Chance to Shine event at Lord’s•Chance to ShineEngland defeated New Zealand in their ODIs earlier this year 2-1 and won the T20I series 4-1.England have lost only two of their 13 completed ODIs since the start of December 2022 and they have won 21 of their 27 T20Is in that time. Crucially, with a T20 World Cup fast approaching in Bangladesh in October, one of those defeats was to hosts and underdogs South Africa in the semi-final of last year’s T20 World Cup and two more to a visiting Sri Lanka side who had never beaten them in a series before.There were also learnings against Pakistan, including playing on slower wickets. At Edgbaston, England recovered from 11 for 4 to win the first T20I, then secured a 37-run ODI victory in Derby which Knight described at the time as “scrappy”.”Our job is just to keep getting better, keep playing cricket that we want to play and also winning those games when it’s tough,” Knight said.”You look at that Derby game, it wasn’t probably the most exciting to watch sometimes,” she added, recalling how England failed to claim the final wicket of a match that they had otherwise dominated. “I guess in that case it is just about punching out results and trying to say, look, it wasn’t quite the perfect wicket to be able to play how we wanted to, but being smart with it and adapting to what’s in front of us.”Because ultimately our biggest chance to inspire as well is winning big competitions and performing in big events, and trying to win in the way that we want to do, which is exciting and attacking.”The balance is much finer in T20 cricket, where the margins for error are far smaller and understanding that is becoming a key part of England’s narrative.Danni Wyatt’s 48-ball 87 in the third T20I against Pakistan was by far the standout performance for England, while Nat Sciver-Brunt produced a corresponding innings in the ODIs with an unbeaten century in the last match of the tour.”T20 is so hard to be consistent, it’s really a tough thing to do,” Knight said. “A top opening batter in world cricket maybe might come off one in three, one in four, and someone like Danni is one of the best openers in the world. She doesn’t come off every game and she’s brilliant at being able to manage that.”It can be quite mentally tough, honestly. Her super-strength has been able to say: ‘Right, I didn’t get any runs, I’m completely fine. That’s how I want to play and I’m going to go and try and play exactly the same way in the next game’.”It’s about being really clear going into that T20 World Cup in particular, how we want to do things. It’s all well and good saying, ‘oh, we’re going to be attacking, we’re going to be aggressive,’ but being really clear on individually the ‘how’ of that.”But it is not only a World Cup victory, or how it is achieved, that has the potential to inspire, as Knight well knows. On Monday, she joined Chance to Shine, the children’s cricket charity with whom she has held a long association, in welcoming hundreds of state school pupils to Lord’s for a day of cricket coaching and other activities.Related

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Knight has worked with the organisation since finishing university, when she coached state-school children – often alongside Charlotte Edwards – two days a week while juggling a burgeoning playing career that, for her, didn’t become fully professional until three years later, in 2013.”It enabled us to pay the bills basically whilst we were still playing cricket for England and enabled us to live before everything became professional,” Knight said. “It’s really important to try to get cricket into state schools and there’s a lot of barriers there, like facilities. At my old school there, people used to smoke on the rubbish astro turf that we had and there was stains on it and things like that.”Here today there’s state-school children from all over the place, from all backgrounds, coming in and having an amazing day at Lord’s. It’s all about giving them a good first experience of cricket really, and trying to get them interested in the game and more involved.”Chance to Shine deliver cricket to over 600,000 young people each year, working in state schools and underserved communities. Until midday on 18th June donations made to Chance to Shine will be doubled by the Big Give campaign. Support the charity today and help inspire more young people through cricket.

Sporting CP star and top Arsenal transfer target, Viktor Gyokeres, has made an intriguing admission to teammates, amid reports that the clubs are advancing in talks over his move to north London.

Portuguese media claim Arsenal have agreed fee to sign Viktor Gyokeres

Over the last seven days, reports in the Portuguese media have boldly claimed that Arsenal are making serious progress in their bid to tempt the 26-year-old back to England.

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Following his quite ridiculous haul of 53 goals across 51 appearances in all competitions this season, Gyokeres has emerged as a prime striker target for Arsenal, with sporting director Andrea Berta said to be personally pushing for him.

“Andrea Berta is pushing to sign Viktor Gyökeres for Arsenal,” said Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg a fortnight ago.

Sporting CP

101

96

28

Coventry City

116

43

17

Brommapojkarna

67

25

9

FC St. Pauli

28

7

4

Swansea City

12

1

0

Brighton

8

1

1

via Transfermarkt

“Several talks have already taken place. Alexander Isak remains high on the Gunners’ list, as previously revealed — but he’s very expensive. Manchester United, Chelsea, and Real Madrid are all in the race. No commitments yet. Everything is still open. Bayern are currently out — too expensive. As exclusively revealed in October, Gyökeres can leave Sporting this summer for €60–70 million, due to a verbal agreement between the player and the club.”

Since then, the likes of newspaper O Jogo, sharing information in the last few days, have reported that Gyokeres is “on his way to Arsenal”, with the Gunners and Sporting shaking hands on a £59 million fee.

Last week, fellow Portuguese source A Bola made claims of an Arsenal offer to Gyokeres over personal terms worth £135,000-per-week as well, though reports closer to home have since stated that Berta is actually prepared to hand out a £10 million-per-year salary package (CaughtOffside).

£59 million would be considered one of the bargains of the summer for one of Europe’s most lethal goalscorers in his prime, so it will be intriguing to see if this does in fact come to fruition.

Viktor Gyokeres makes admission amid Arsenal agreement claims

However, according to Sporting midfielder and teammate Pedro Goncalves, the Swede is remaining coy over his future.

Confirming what the striker has told him, Goncalves states that Gyokeres said he’s ‘not a fortune-teller’ when asked if he could stay at Sporting – appearing to commit his future.

“I asked [Gyokeres], and we all asked him. He says he’s not a fortune-teller,” said Goncalves.

“We still have the Portuguese Cup against Benfica to play. I have a very good relationship with him, but I don’t talk about it with him. What I know is because of Fabrizio Romano… I’m sticking with him. I don’t know if he’s going to leave.

“I feel like he’s evolved a lot since he arrived. There are training sessions where it seems like he’s holding back.”

The Scandinavian superstar is making waves abroad, and it appears inevitable that he’s set to leave Sporting. The only question is, who can win the race for him?

Judging by recent reports, Arsenal appear to be firmly in pole position as things stand.

Manchester United are set to axe a £65,000-a-week player this summer who Ruben Amorim called out in his first game in charge.

Man Utd and Amorim preparing for summer after another defeat

The Red Devils can still salvage their season by lifting the Europa League, however, it has been a disappointing campaign on the whole.

Last time out in the Premier League, Man Utd suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United, with Amorim critical of his side making numerous mistakes.

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“We did a lot of mistakes and they were better than us, stronger than us. Suffering the second goal in the beginning of the second half hurt us a lot and then we did mistakes during the game that helped Newcastle to win the game.

“It’s a team thing [and not about individuals]. We are doing a lot of mistakes in certain games that give confidence to the opponent, give goals, and then it’s hard to cope with everything. We had the first chance, we didn’t score, [then] they have their chance, they score. Then they took control of the game. We scored to draw but then second half, we were suffering in the second play of the game, it’s hard for our team and we did a lot of mistakes.”

Man Utd’s next 5 fixtures	Date
Man Utd vs Lyon	April 17
Man Utd vs Wolves	April 20
Bournemouth vs Man Utd	April 27
Brentford vs Man Utd	May 4
Man Utd vs West Ham	May 10

One player who was dropped for the trip to St James’ Park was Andre Onana, and there have been plenty of rumours that the goalkeeper is unsettled at Old Trafford and looks set to be sold over the coming months.

There is interest from Saudi Arabia in Onana, whereas Man Utd are looking at replacements and have recently shown an interest in Anders goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.

More Old Trafford exits are on the cards, though, and Fabrizio Romano has shared another Man Utd exit update.

Jonny Evans set to leave Man Utd – Fabrizio Romano

As per transfer expert Romano, Man Utd defender Jonny Evans and third-choice keeper Tom Heaton are both set to depart the club this summer when their contracts expire.

Evans, on £65,000-a-week, returned to the Red Devils in 2023 and has made 42 appearances in all competitions under Erik ten Hag and Amorim in recent years.

Now 37 years of age, the experience centre-back started Amorim’s first game as United boss against Ipswich Town back in November.

That was actually Evans’ last top flight appearance for United, with Amorim critical of the defender after the 1-1 draw.

“If you see the first half, we were a little bit afraid. The No.5 [Sam Morsy] was always alone, we have to jump on him. Hutchinson was always in the dead space, Jonny Evans should be pressing his guy, but when we don’t have the training and it’s hard to see say all the reactions to the players. We had two days, they are confused a little bit. If you stay here, you don’t run, you defend but you don’t run.”

Now, it looks as if Evans will be one of a number of Old Trafford players to depart, something that won’t come as a huge surprise due to his age and contract status.