All posts by h716a5.icu

Bhatia, Patil and Punia remain unavailable for India’s white-ball series against WI due to injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2024Fast bowler Arundhati Reddy has been dropped from India’s white-ball squads for the West Indies series. The hosts have handed maiden call-ups to Nandini Kashyap and Raghvi Bist for the T20Is, while Pratika Rawal and Tanuja Kanwar have been called up for the ODIs.Opener Shafali Verma continues to miss out from both squads after being dropped for the ODIs against Australia. D Hemalatha goes out from the T20I squad that played the T20 World Cup in October while Radha Yadav, who was the highest wicket-taker in the one-dayers against New Zealand at home, has missed out for the ODIs.Yastika Bhatia, Shreyanka Patil and Priya Punia remain unavailable due to injuries.Priya Mishra, Uma Chetry, Saima Thakor, Minnu Mani and Titas Sadhu have been included in both squads.Reddy has been left out of the squad despite finishing as India’s joint-highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup, with seven wickets in four games. Having been picked for the Australia ODIs, she played only the third ODI where she finished with figures of 4 for 26, running through the hosts’ top order. ESPNcricinfo understands that Reddy has been asked to play in the ongoing domestic Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy, where she represents Hyderabad.Wicketkeeper-batter Kashyap was the leading run-scorer for Uttarakhand and the third-highest overall in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy this year, with 247 runs in seven innings, including a 117 not out against Pondicherry. Her domestic team-mate Bist, made an impression during India A’s one-day series against Australia A in August in Mackay, scoring three consecutive half-centuries, including a match-winning 53 in the third one-dayer. Picked in Team E for the Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy, she smashed a 51-ball 71 in the final against Team A to help her side to the title in November this year.Rawal, meanwhile, first came into the spotlight in 2021 when she hit an unbeaten 155-ball 161 to take Delhi into the knockouts of the domestic one-day competition. Earlier this year, she was part of Delhi’s run to the semi-final of the Under-23 One-Day Trophy, where she finished as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer with 411 runs in seven innings.Left-arm spinner Kanwar (26) has played four T20Is for India. She was also part of the India A series against Australia.The West Indies series will begin with three T20Is in Navi Mumbai from December 15. The teams will then play three ODIs in Vadodara on December 22, 24 and 27.India’s T20I squad vs West IndiesHarmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana, Nandini Kashyap, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sajeevan Sajana, Raghvi Bist, Renuka Thakur, Priya Mishra, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor, Minnu Mani, Radha YadavIndia’s ODI squadHarmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Tanuja Kanwer, Titas Sadhu, Saima Thakor, Renuka Thakur

Leeds United are reportedly in talks for a “quick” ex-Real Madrid player who currently picks up £50,000-a-week with his current club.

Leeds looking at more defensive signings after Bijol, Bornauw, Gudmundsson and Perri

The Whites have brought in seven new senior players this summer, with goalkeeper Lucas Perri being the latest Elland Road arrival.

Joining from Lyon, the Brazilian shot-stopper looks set to take over as first choice under Daniel Farke, who dropped Illan Meslier for the Championship title-winning run-in.

Karl Darlow and Alex Cairns are also still on the books at Yorkshire, meaning Meslier could be sold before the September 1 deadline.

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Centre-backs Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw and left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson have also put pen to paper on Leeds deals, signing from Udinese, Wolfsburg and Lille respectively.

Lukas Nmecha

Wolfsburg

Free

Jaka Bijol

Udinese

£15m

Gabriel Gudmundsson

Lille

£10m

Sebastiaan Bornauw

Wolfsburg

£5m

Louis Enahoro-Marcus

Liverpool

Undisclosed

Sean Longstaff

Newcastle

£12m

Anton Stach

Hoffenheim

£17.4m

Lucas Perri

Lyon

£13.9m

Further signings at the back could be on the agenda as well, providing Isaac Schmidt is wanted by Werder Bremen on a season-long loan ahead of the 2026 World Cup where he hopes to represent Switzerland.

Leeds will need to find a full-back replacement for Schmidt, and it looks as if they may have found their man.

Leeds in talks with right-back Vinicius Tobias

According to reports from Fussball Europa and journalist Andre Oechsner, Leeds are looking at a move to sign right-back Vinicius Tobias from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Signed from Brazilian side International in 2022, Tobias had a loan spell with Real Madrid and their Castilla side, making one senior appearance at the Bernabeu.

Now, Leeds are in talks with Tobias over a potential transfer to Elland Road. The Whites are aware that Shakhtar Donetsk want to receive €20m (£17.4m) plus bonuses for the “quick” full-back, who currently picks up €3m (£2.62m) a season.

That works out at £50,000-a-week, so Leeds will need to splash the cash once again if they are to secure Tobias’ signature to rival Jayden Bogle for a starting spot.

However, Leeds and Farke also know they need to strengthen their ranks in the final third, with the manager admitting that his side aren’t ready for the Premier League in attack.

“We know in the offence we are not ready for Premier League level. We’ve proven we can be ready for one game and for that I am not too concerned at the moment as it stands. We are two weeks away from the first game. I can’t guarantee that for the first game everything is really ready and we are fully equipped. We definitely have to make sure that latest after the first international break we have really a competitive squad for the Premier League. We are not anxious but fully aware we need to do something.”

Therefore, a move for Tobias shouldn’t be a priority for Leeds at this moment in time, instead focusing on attacking additions instead.

Bayern Munich faced a fresh dilemma as teenage playmaker Adin Licina drew interest from rival clubs amid uncertainty over his future.

Teen star yet to pen extensionForeign clubs circling with interestKompany desperate to keep talentFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Bayern are facing the risk of losing another highly-rated talent, with 18-year-old playmaker Licina attracting strong interest from clubs across Europe. According to , multiple sides have already made approaches for the Germany U19 international, whose contract with Bayern runs until June 2026.

Bayern fear he will leave on a free transfer next summer and are keen to extend his stay, but Licina is yet to be convinced by the club’s project and pathway to the first team under coach Vincent Kompany.

Licina, regarded as one of the most gifted products of the Bayern Campus, impressed in preseason last year and even featured in a friendly against Tottenham in South Korea. 

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Bayern and Kompany have been under fire for their handling of young players in recent months. The Bavarian side saw Paul Wanner leave for PSV in the summer despite hoping he would stay, with the midfielder convinced he would not get enough playing time in Munich this season, while Lennart Karl was said to be visibly upset after being left on the bench.

For Kompany, securing Licina’s future is also quite symbolic, as the Belgian coach has spoken about trusting young players, but convincing the teenager to stay will require a clear plan of progression into Bundesliga minutes rather than just starring in the reserves. 

TELL ME MORE

Licina is primarily seen as a playmaker, but he has taken major strides regarding his physicality recently, now standing 1.85m tall and weighing 74kg, with a recorded top speed of 34.6 km/h. Those improvements have made him a more complete and robust attacking midfielder, better suited for senior football.

After making his debut for Bayern's U17s at just 15, he quickly established himself as a consistent scorer and creator, particularly in the U19 Bundesliga, where he recorded nine goals and three assists in 32 games during his first full season. He also gained exposure in the UEFA Youth League, where Bayern have often tested their top talents against elite European academies.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

The key question is whether Bayern can convince Licina to commit his long-term future. That will depend on whether Kompany offers him a realistic pathway to first-team minutes, something Bayern have struggled to guarantee in the past.

Losing Licina for free in 2026 would be a major blow for Bayern, both symbolically and financially. For the player himself, the coming season will be crucial with strong performances at reserve and youth international level will only strengthen his bargaining position.

It is expected that Shreyas Iyer will, however, continue to lead the side

PTI01-Dec-2024India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav will be back in action for Mumbai’s next Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) game, against Andhra on December 3 after taking a two-week break to attend a family function. He is expected to play the remainder of the tournament and also feature in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy starting December 21.It’s likely Suryakumar will not lead Mumbai in SMAT with Shreyas Iyer in charge till now and expected to continue in that position. It is understood that Suryakumar is fine with Iyer continuing as the captain and is ready to bat at any position that the team management feels is suitable for him.Suryakumar, who led India to an emphatic 3-1 series win over South Africa recently, will link up with the Mumbai squad in Hyderabad on Monday and is expected to turn up for the next game. Placed fourth in Group E, Mumbai have won two of their three games so far and have two league games left after Sunday, when they play against Nagaland.The ongoing SMAT has seen a number of high-profile names participate after the T20I tour of South Africa, such as Hardik Pandya, Iyer, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakravarthy, and others. Suryakumar had also played one round of the Ranji Trophy in October before leaving for South Africa.

Newcastle United could now complete the £35m signing of a “remarkable” striker, coming after a breakthrough around a similar price for AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw.

Magpies agree £35m deal for Malick Thiaw

Eddie Howe shared the latest on Alexander Isak’s situation at St James’ Park after the 2-2 draw against Espanyol on Friday, not exactly guaranteeing that he will be staying put.

“I don’t know how long that will be for. It’s clear I can’t involve him with the team at the moment. He is training later than the rest of the squad. There have been discussions since the tour. I don’t think disciplinary action has happened.

“He is here, so of course he has a future at Newcastle. From our perspective, we would love to have him back with the team, but the situation has to be right for that to happen. He doesn’t have a fitness issue. I’m aware of a feeling within the squad that there’s something there not to the benefit of the group.”

It goes without saying that at least one top-quality striker will be needed for Newcastle if Isak does leave, if not two – the likes of Michail Antonio have been mentioned as a possible replacement for Callum Wilson.

Newcastle also need to strengthen in defence however, and a move for Milan starlet Thiaw is gathering pace. Indeed, Keith Downie revealed on Saturday afternoon that ‘Newcastle now have an agreement in principle with AC Milan’ for around £35m, and the German defender will sign a four-year contract on Tyneside.

Newcastle could also sign £35m striker this weekend

According to Downie, Thiaw may not be the only signing on the horizon, as Yoane Wissa’s representatives are travelling to the UK this weekend, looking to seal a move away from Brentford, also for around £35m.

The Bees striker is desperate to join a club in the Champions League despite interest from Saudi teams, and PIF are ‘ready to finalise a deal’ in the coming hours and days.

It is reaching the stage where Newcastle may have to bite the bullet and accept a huge offer from Liverpool for Isak, rather than keeping an unhappy player, and it looks as though the likely British transfer record windfall from that deal will fund multiple moves in several positions.

In Wissa, Newcastle would be signing an experienced and proven Premier League player – one who scored 19 league goals last season, also being lauded by Thomas Frank back in 2023.

“Wissa, we knew, has always been a goalscorer. He scored seven goals in the first season and seven in the second in the Premier League, for a player that didn’t play much. It’s remarkable. I definitely think he is best as a 9. He’s got that nose for goals.”

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Keeping a happy Isak is clearly still the ideal result for Newcastle, but there are plenty worse outcomes than picking up Wissa, Thiaw and a new midfielder with the funds generated from his exit.

Travis Head is not expected to feature for Adelaide Strikers before the Sri Lanka tour

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jan-2025Mitchell Marsh, who was dropped for the final Test against India, is in line to play his first BBL match for nearly three years after being added to Perth Scorchers’ squad to face Melbourne Renegades at Optus Stadium on Tuesday.Quick bowler Jhye Richardson has also been made available for a BBL return having been part of the Test squad for the final two matches of the Border-Gavaskar series.Related

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Availability of other Test players will be confirmed in the coming days, but Travis Head has effectively confirmed he won’t be featuring for Adelaide Strikers.”I’m wrecked,” Head told Fox Cricket at the SCG on Sunday. “I don’t know what I’m going to do in the next few days but we’ve got 10 or 12 days off now before we go to Sri Lanka and I’m going to use every little bit of that.”Marsh returned to Perth on Monday following Australia’s series-clinching victory at the SCG where he had ceded his place in the side to Beau Webster who went on to produce a memorable debut.Marsh could be available for a longer run with Scorchers through to the end of the BBL if he doesn’t make the squad for the Sri Lanka tour which is due to be named later this week.His last BBL outing was in January 2022, after which he missed the following season having opted to have ankle surgery in a bid to earn a Test recall which came to fruition in the 2023 Ashes, where he scored a century at Headingley. He remained a fixture in the side until a few days ago when he paid the price for a lean series with the bat.Webster could be available for Melbourne Stars’ next game against Sydney Sixers on Thursday and also the return derby against Renegades on January 12.Steven Smith (Sydney Sixers), Sam Konstas (Sydney Thunder), Marnus Labuschagne (Brisbane Heat), Usman Khawaja (Brisbane Heat), Alex Carey (Adelaide Strikers), Nathan Lyon (Melbourne Renegades) and Sean Abbott (Sydney Sixers) are the other players from the Test squad who could turn out for their BBL teams. Scott Boland, who plays for Melbourne Stars, may be rested after his workload in the final two Tests.Most of those names are then likely to be part of the Sri Lanka tour which begins with a training camp in Dubai. Teams that reach the BBL finals will be without any of the players who are on that trip.

Barcelona’s return to their spiritual home has been pushed back yet again, with the club confirming that their Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain on October 1 will take place at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuic. The Camp Nou, which has been undergoing a massive €1.5 billion facelift since June 2023, remains off-limits. Hopes of reopening in time for the new campaign have collapsed, leaving the Catalan giants scrambling for alternative venues.

The homeless champions

Instead of walking out at their iconic 99,000-seater cathedral, Barça have spent two full seasons exiled at the Olímpic, a stadium with just over half the capacity. That compromise has been bearable, but frustrations are boiling over as deadlines continue to slip. 

AdvertisementGOALUEFA rules tighten the screws

Barcelona initially tried to delay the problem by asking UEFA to let them play their opening group match away from home. That wish was granted, they travelled to Newcastle this Thursday, but the reprieve was short-lived. 

Champions League rules are clear: under Article 25.08, clubs are expected to play all their home matches in the same venue. UEFA does have some flexibility, but any mid-season switch would almost certainly only be allowed between the group phase and the knockouts in February 2026. In other words, Barca need to pick a home and stick with it.

Broken promises and moving deadlines

The original dream was to unveil the shiny new Camp Nou with the Joan Gamper Trophy in August. That date came and went, with the match hastily moved to Johan Cruyff instead. Then came a revised promise: the refurbished stadium would be ready for their La Liga curtain-raiser against Valencia on September 14. Once again, fans were left disappointed, as that fixture was relocated to the Johan Cruyff and ended in a 6-0 win, overshadowed by the empty backdrop. Now, with October looming, the Camp Nou is still a construction site, and patience among the faithful is wearing thin.

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Getty ImagesMontjuic: The only real option

For the Champions League, the Olímpic Lluís Companys is the only realistic choice. The ground, perched on the Montjuïc hill, holds 55,000 and has already become Barça’s “home away from home.” However, the promise of a new Camp Nou, modernised and worth every cent of its €1.5bn rebuild, keeps supporters dreaming. But until cranes, scaffolding and hard hats are swapped for banners, chants and floodlights, Barcelona remain nomads.

After welcoming Noah Okafor from AC Milan, Leeds United have now reportedly made contact to sign a La Liga star who has a release clause worth as much as £22m.

Okafor "excited" by Leeds challenge

Following a well-fought opening day victory against Everton, the Whites kept hold of the positive mood around Elland Road with the arrival of Okafor. Daniel Farke will be hoping that the AC Milan loanee solves his biggest problem in attack in what would hand Leeds a major boost towards their survival chances.

After putting pen to paper, the forward – delighted by the move – told Leeds’ official website: “I think it’s an amazing day, I’m really excited. As a kid, I dreamed of playing in the Premier League. That’s why for me it was quite an easy decision.

“So I said, yeah, my football suits the Premier League, this is like a dream come true. I can’t wait to step on the field. I heard that the Premier League is the best league in the world, it’s so intense.

“I have loads of friends that played there or are playing there. I’m really, really excited. I can’t wait, like I said before. I’m also ready for this new challenge.”

As excited as Okafor is to get going in Yorkshire, he will also be well aware just how quickly he needs to find his golden touch. At Milan last season, the Swiss international managed just one goal and two assists in an injury-hit campaign. Now back fit and in the Premier League, he will be asked to hand Leeds the key to survival.

The Whites may not be done there, however. Reports are now suggesting that they’ve stepped up their chase to sign a La Liga talent this month.

Leeds make contact to sign Uche

As reported by AS and relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds have now made contact to sign Christantus Uche from Getafe. The attacking midfielder reportedly has a release clause worth €25m (£22m) and is seen as the key to solving Getafe’s financial problems.

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The Spanish club’s president Jose Bordalas even went as far to admit that the club are in no position to reject any offers for their key men this summer, telling reporters: “We’ll have to release some so we can register all or almost all of them. “I wouldn’t like Uche or anyone to leave, but we have to accept the offers we have, and there are several.“

Praised for an “excellent season” by scout Jacek Kulig back in March, Uche would round off what has been an extremely solid first transfer window back in the Premier League for Leeds.

Nottingham Forest have now submitted an offer for a defender who has “great speed”, with negotiations currently ongoing.

Business as usual at Forest despite Nuno uncertainty

Nuno speaking negatively about his relationship with Evangelos Marinakis has caused instability at Forest, and there have been suggestions that Ange Postecoglou could be brought in as a replacement for the 51-year-old.

However, there is said to be an air of business as usual at the City Ground, with Forest focusing on having a strong end to the summer transfer window, having already made major improvements to their squad.

One position in which the Tricky Trees are yet to strengthen, however, is full-back, and Nuno clearly feels more depth is required on both sides ahead of the upcoming Europa League campaign.

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Earlier this week, it was revealed that talks over a deal for Leicester City left-back Victor Kristiansen are progressing, and now Nuno’s side are looking to strengthen on the opposite flank too.

That is according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), which states Nottingham Forest have now submitted a €12m (£10m) offer for Juventus right-back Nicolo Savona, which was knocked back, with the Italian club looking for a total package worth up to €20m (£17m).

The Serie A side are open to a sale, with information from journalist Gianluca di Marzio also being relayed, who reports that negotiations between the two clubs are currently ongoing, and they are likely to meet somewhere in the middle.

Savona is being targeted as an alternative to Sevilla’s José Ángel Carmona, who has made it clear he would prefer to remain at his boyhood club, rather than moving to the Premier League this summer.

Carmona should remain Forest's number one target

The aforementioned report states Carmona could still change his mind about a move to the Premier League, which would be good news for Forest, given that he has vastly outperformed Savona from a defensive point of view over the past year.

Average per 90

Jose Angel Carmona

Nicolo Savona

Tackles

2.42

1.42

Interceptions

1.96

0.58

Blocks

1.22

0.75

Clearances

2.88

2.04

The Spaniard is also far more experienced at senior level, having made 96 appearances across spells with Sevilla, Getafe and Elche CF, while the Juventus defender has just 40 first-team appearances to his name.

Juventus boss Igor Tudor has praised his defender in the past, saying: “He is professional and has great football intelligence. He understands what is happening on the pitch, and he has great speed. So we’re talking about a player with so many skills.”

“He is a humble guy who listens to advice. These are things that may seem obvious, but they are not at all. He has those values ​​that are getting a bit lost, so they are precious now.”

However, Forest should work on changing Carmona’s mind before the transfer deadline, as there is every indication he would be a better signing than the Italian.

Jack Grealish admits he holds some regrets over his past partying but has refused to cite that as the reason why he left Manchester City by joining Everton on loan in the summer. The midfielder has made an excellent start to life at the Toffees, recording four Premier League assists in five appearances so far this season.

Grealish makes immediate connection with Everton fans

Grealish has been quick to establish himself as a hero among the Everton faithful after playing a significant role in their bright start to the 2025-26 campaign. The 30-year-old has been back to his creative best by driving David Moyes’ side to seven points from a possible 15 with victories over Brighton and Wolves, as well as a draw against former side Aston Villa.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfielder has fallen back in love with football after joining Everton

The switch to Merseyside has led Grealish to “feel the love again” for football after going through a difficult period at City last season. The England international made just 20 league appearances in 2024-25 with 13 coming as a substitute in a campaign which saw him fall out of favour under manager Pep Guardiola.

City spell was a success despite holding regrets over his partying

However Grealish, who has often found himself in the newspapers for enjoying the nightlife, insists while he could have chosen better times to attend parties as a City player, he believes his spell at the club was a successful one. Grealish made 157 appearances in all competitions under Guardiola's stewardship, winning the treble in 2022-23.

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Getty Images SportEngland star lifts lid on life at City under Guardiola

In an interview with his former Villa boss Tim Sherwood on Grealish said: “People go, 'he likes to go out, he likes to party' – and I do. I want to be able to live my life as well and enjoy myself, but there's a time and a place to do that.

"I'll be honest with you, I probably haven't picked the right times – sometimes at City, for example, I didn't help myself at times, I'll openly say that – but then I don't think it was all down to that. 

“People say to me, 'what happened at City?' But I had two good years there. The first year I was getting used to everything, going there for that amount of money, the pressure and just getting used to the way the manager wanted to play and the environment. The second year we won the treble and it was an unbelievable year. I loved it. The third year, I put that down to myself really and I feel like I didn't do certain things right in that year.”