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Ireland spinner was suspended from bowling earlier this year after her action was found to be illegal

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2025Ireland left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire has been cleared to resume bowling in international cricket with immediate effect.Maguire, 18, was suspended from bowling earlier this year after being reported during the first ODI against India in Rajkot on January 10. Her action was deemed suspect under the ICC’s Illegal Bowling Regulations.Maguire has since remodelled her action and subsequently underwent an independent re-assessment at an ICC-accredited testing centre where she was cleared.”An independent assessment of Maguire’s remodelled bowling action at an ICC accredited testing centre concluded that the amount of elbow extension was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC Illegal Bowling Regulations,” an ICC release said.Maguire made her ODI and T20I debut against West Indies in July 2023. She has so far played 11 ODIs, where she has picked 16 wickets, with best bowling figures of 5 for 19 against England last year. Maguire has also played nine T20Is, where she has nine wickets at an economy rate of 7.20.The 18-year-old is not part of the Ireland squad that faces Pakistan in a three-match T20I series, which begins in Dublin on Wednesday.

Interim Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has had a brilliant start to his return to Parkhead with two wins in his first two matches in the dugout.

He masterminded a 4-0 win over Falkirk in his first game back, despite the Hoops having lost their last two matches in the Scottish Premiership prior to that outing.

The experienced manager then led his team to the final of the League Cup with a 3-1 win over Rangers, after extra time, at Hampden Park on Sunday.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not O’Neill will still be in the dugout when that final rolls around, as the Hoops are still looking for their permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers.

The former Celtic manager tendered his resignation at the start of last week, after a 3-1 loss to Hearts, but the club do not seem particularly close to making an appointment at this moment in time.

As part of their process to find their next manager, the Scottish giants should be looking for someone who has a better record of competing in Europe.

Why Celtic need an upgrade on Brendan Rodgers in Europe

There is no doubt that Rodgers was excellent for the Hoops on the whole when it came to competing domestically, as he won four trophies in his two full seasons back at Parkhead.

The former Liverpool and Leicester City head coach won the Premiership title in both of those campaigns, although he did leave the club eight points adrift of Hearts last week.

However, Rodgers struggled in Europe throughout both of his spells in charge of Celtic, in both the Champions League and the Europa League.

The Hoops reached the play-off round, just before the last 16, in the Champions League last season, only to lose to Bayern Munich, after the change in format to a league phase.

That is the furthest that any of Rodgers’ Celtic teams managed to go in any European competition across six seasons at the club, though, as they never reached as much as a quarter-final.

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The Northern Irish manager has won six and lost 18 of his 36 matches in the Champions League as a manager, which includes one win in six games at Liverpool, per Transfermarkt.

These statistics show that Rodgers has struggled in European competitions throughout his career, which is why he may not have been the right man to push Celtic forward in the Champions League or the Europa League.

It is also why the Hoops board should be looking for a head coach who has the potential to help the club to kick on in Europe, in order to compete for trophies on the continent as well as in Scotland.

Plenty of managers have already been linked with replacing Rodgers in the dugout at Parkhead, but there is one in particular who could be a key upgrade on Rodgers.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

It was recently reported that the Scottish giants have approached Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen as they look to establish a shortlist of options for the role.

The report claimed that the Hoops will look to use the lure of big wages to tempt him to make the move from the Belgian club, but it remains to be seen whether or not that will be a successful approach.

Why Celtic should appoint Nicky Hayen

Celtic should push to bring Hayen to Parkhead to be the long-term replacement for Rodgers because his success at Club Brugge, domestically and in Europe, has been very impressive.

The Belgian boss, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, won the Pro League as an interim manager at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, before finishing second to USG by three points last term, per Transfermarkt.

Hayen won the Belgian Cup last season, though, and the Belgian Super Cup at the start of the current campaign, which means that he has won three trophies in roughly 18 months as the interim and permanent manager.

The Celtic target’s biggest selling point as a manager, however, should be his side’s impressive performance in Europe, as he reached the last 16 of the Champions League in the 2024/25 campaign, which is further than Rodgers after took the club.

Matches

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15

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6

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2

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7

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1.33

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Last 16

As you can see in the table above, Hayen also reached the semi-finals of the Conference League in the 2023/24 campaign, winning in the quarter-finals before losing the semi to Fiorentina.

The Club Brugge boss, who was hailed as a “workaholic” by his former chairman Rob Edwards, has won as many Champions League games in 15 matches and 18 months as their manager as Rodgers has in his entire career, with 36 games under his belt.

This suggests that he would arrive at Parkhead as an upgrade on the Northern Irish head coach when it comes to competing on the European stage with the Hoops, as he has achieved more in less than two seasons than Rodgers managed in over four seasons with the Bhoys.

Hayen, who was described as “tactically unbeatable” by one scout on X, has shown that he can compete domestically, with trophies in Belgium with Brugge, as well as on the European stage.

That is why the 4-2-3-1 manager could be a perfect fit for Celtic as an upgrade on Rodgers to help them kick on in Europe this season and in the future.

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Celtic have another future superstar who is as exciting as Callum Osmand in their academy.

ByDan Emery Nov 3, 2025

On top of his success in the Conference League and Champions League, Hayen has also won all four of his Champions League qualifiers, which is noteworthy after Celtic lost to Kairat in the play-off round this season.

The sale of the Tampa Bay Rays to a group led by Jacksonville real estate developer Patrick Zalupski is on track to be finalized as soon as September, according to a report from Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal of

The sale, which will be for around $1.7 billion, is expected to keep the team in the Tampa Bay area—with a strong preference to be in Tampa proper rather than St. Petersburg, per the report.

The team's current owner, Stu Sternberg, purchased the franchise for $200 million in 2004. The team is searching for a new stadium after the damage to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg from Hurricane Milton last fall. Repairs are well underway at Tropicana, and the hope is that the Rays will be able to play there next season while a new stadium is potentially built.

The Rays have been playing home games this season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees, while repairs continue at Tropicana Field.

It’s been an unfortunate start to the season for Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who’s been sidelined multiple times through injury already and is now racing to recover from an MCL problem.

The North London derby on November 23rd takes on added significance for Arsenal as they await Odegaard’s potential return from a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

The Norwegian playmaker has become synonymous with Arsenal’s attacking fluency, and his absence has been an unwanted headache for Mikel Arteta.

Amid their pursuit of a first Premier League title in 22 years, the Gunners have done very well to cope through a torrid period of injuries to key attacking players at the Emirates. Odegaard’s latest setback came during their 2-0 win over West Ham in early October, when a collision with winger Crysencio Summerville resulted in a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee.

The incident forced him off after just 30 minutes and made unwanted history. Odegaard actually became the first player in Premier League history to be substituted before half-time in three consecutive starts, and what makes this injury particularly cruel is the timing.

The 26-year-old had only just returned from a persistent shoulder problem that had already disrupted his campaign. That shoulder issue saw him withdrawn after 38 minutes of Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Leeds United at the very start of 25/26, before an aggravation of the same injury forced him off after just 18 minutes against Nottingham Forest.

Odegaard has completed a full 90 minutes only twice this season, and Arsenal rehab specialists have resorted to pretty unique methods to speed up his recovery.

The former Real Madrid midfielder has been using anti-gravity treadmills at Arsenal’s London Colney training centre to accelerate his comeback, a technique that reduces gravitational load while restoring muscle strength and mobility.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

His return would provide a massive boost heading into one of the season’s most important fixtures against Spurs right after the international break, but Arsenal have now been dealt a pretty concerning update.

Credible reports had claimed that Odegaard is battling to be in contention for Tottenham alongside Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres, with Gabriel Jesus the only forward definitively ruled out (Simon Collings).

However, Norway boss Stale Solbakken has now made a suggestion that even the derby may be too soon for him.

Arsenal star Martin Odegaard "some distance away" from injury return

Speaking in a press conference this week, Solbakken stated that Odegaard is actually “some distance away” from his injury return — which makes for a pretty concerning admission ahead of Tottenham’s visit to the Emirates in just 10 days time.

Despite still being sidelined, Odegaard has travelled with the Norway squad to be a presence for morale ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and Italy.

Arteta will be keeping a very close eye on his players during this international break, which always poses the threat of unwanted injury problems, and defender Riccardo Calafiori gave Arsenal a scare earlier this week after it was revealed the left-back is training alone with a hip issue.

Luckily for the Azzurri and Arteta, Italian medical officials believe that Calafiori will be fit to face Norway on November 16, with the individual training programme most likely a precaution and nothing too serious.

Immediately after their clash against Tottenham, the north Londoners take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Chelsea just four days later, with Arteta hoping he has most of his attacking contingent back and ready to contribute in these vital face-offs.

There's been a lot of talk lately about the Premier League as a product. Is modern football actually boring? Are teams now too reliant on set pieces to score goals? Are the mavericks and the willing protagonists being silenced just to preserve their manager's tactics? Have we gone too far in pursuit of sporting perfection?

These are some of the questions we'll be attempting to answer today. Football, as the world's most beloved sport, is supposed to be entertaining. That's why millions and billions tune in. It's not just about glory, but the winding, loop-filled road to it.

That's perhaps even truer in the Premier League, the supposed best competition in the world, the actual incarnation of the failed European Super League. Yet fans, supporters and viewers seem as disinterested as ever.

That's why we at GOAL felt it was imperative to both a) name and shame some of these anti-footballing culprits, and b) praise those who actually seem committed to keeping our attention. We've ranked the 20 top-flight teams based on their style of play, how much fun it usually is to watch them as a neutral, the flair and enjoyability of their best players, and the jeopardy they are constantly battling. You'll understand that last point a little later…

Getty Images Sport20Wolves

Unsurprisingly, the team that is currently bottom of the real Premier League table is also bottom of these rankings. Unless you're a West Brom fan hungry for a delicious hate-watch, who on this planet is tuning into Wolves games thinking 'ooh yeah that should be a fun one'?

Maybe new manager Rob Edwards will work some magic and get the side he used to play for firing again. Maybe Jorgen Strand Larsen will rediscover his shooting boots. Maybe one of their many South Americans will turn into Pele reincarnated. Don't count on it, though.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport19Burnley

Heading into and out of the season's third international break, Burnley sit above the relegation zone. Yeah, go and double-check if you want, it's a little hard to believe, but it's true. Scott Parker has a recent history of his teams getting slaughtered at the top level, yet he's somehow made the Clarets a fairly respectable outfit again in the Premier League. They at least have a chance of survival, unlike the newly-promoted teams of the last few seasons.

Nevertheless, this has come at a cost. Unlike Vincent Kompany's side who tumbled to relegation in 2023-24, this version of Burnley are much more compact. They will earn more points in the real world than style points in this ranking.

AFP18Leeds United

From the outside looking in, it would be very easy to assume that Daniel Farke has stuck to his high-octane principles which have served him so well as a Championship manager. However, in an attempt to keep his job in the Premier League, he's had to revert to a much stodgier brand of football.

Elland Road is home to one of the most intimidating crowds in the country, though the team that plays there could do with some more on-ball quality if they are to rise back up this list akin to the days of Marcelo Bielsa.

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Getty Images Sport17Fulham

You have to feel for Marco Silva. He's worked wonders with Fulham but seldom seems to receive the backing he needs in the transfer market to ever take them to that next level.

His sides are largely perceived as defensive – which is quite funny given he was seen as a hopeless, forward-thinking romantic at Hull City, Watford and Everton – but they still do possess some trickery in the form of Alex Iwobi and youth product Josh King. The squad has gone a bit stale, though that's hardly his fault.

Australia’s ruthless performances across formats expose gulf between teams, despite England’s pre-series optimism

Valkerie Baynes01-Feb-2025England’s post-Ashes review has begun, even before any formal announcements, with captain Heather Knight and Jon Lewis, the head coach, forced to consider their positions in light of an unprecedented 16-0 defeat.While Lewis has been forthright, insisting he is the right person to take the team forward in the immediate aftermath of England’s innings defeat in the Test to conclude a terrible tour, Knight was not about to make an “emotional” call on her future just yet.Any decisions may be taken out of their hands with Clare Connor, the ECB’s deputy chief executive, due to address a media conference over the weekend.It is hard to see what more Knight could have done, other than scream – as she often looked like she wanted to do – every time an England fielder shelled a regulation catch during the series.And there’s no guarantee that would have helped any more than the high-level training she and Lewis say England have displayed outside of matches.Poor shot selection was another weak point for England throughout and, while she was culpable herself, Knight was her side’s leading run-scorer with 229 runs across all three formats, behind only Australian Beth Mooney’s 409 overall.”I’m probably going to sit on the fence again and say it’s a time to probably not think about it,” Knight said after being asked, not for the first time on the tour, whether she was thinking about her position.”Things are pretty raw and have obviously happened pretty quickly. I think the coming weeks is a time for everyone to reflect on what we could have done better, how we’re going to improve as a side. That’s not an emotional decision that’s going to be made now, it’s in the coming weeks.”Related

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Alex Hartley: Sophie Ecclestone 'refused TV interview' after Ashes loss

Captaincy takes Amy Jones right out of her comfort zone

King's Ball of the Century sets up Australia's 16-0 Ashes whitewash

If England are to move on from Knight after nine years at the helm, they must consider who they have to replace her and whether they are a better option.Nat Sciver-Brunt said last week she would “love to lead the girls… whenever that time is” when asked if she’d like to be England captain one day.It was the sort of response Sciver-Brunt was obliged to give, to avoid headlines screaming that she was out to take Knight’s job or that she didn’t have any desire to lead her country, rather than an outright expression of her willingness to take the role now.Sciver-Brunt is part of England’s four-pronged leadership group, which also includes Amy Jones and Sophie Ecclestone, and she has stood in as skipper before, including partway through England’s T20 World Cup exit in October after Knight injured herself while batting against West Indies.A chaotic fielding performance ensued and Lewis came onto the field during a drinks break, his efforts to help lift the team going in vain as West Indies won by six wickets and ended England’s campaign in the group stages.Sciver-Brunt cannot be blamed for England’s fielding woes in that instance, any more than Knight can be held responsible for the lack of improvement in that area since.When Amy Jones stood in as captain during India’s 2022 tour of England, she said the on-field leadership role was “definitely not something that comes naturally to me”. That was two and a half years ago and being part of a wider leadership group may have built Jones’s confidence in that area.Ecclestone’s penchant for wearing her heart on her sleeve – which is very unlike Knight, Sciver-Brunt and Jones – while shouldering the responsibility of leading England’s spin attack might count against her. That is unless England opt for a real shake-up of the role.Even then, Ecclestone’s apparent refusal to do a post-match interview with former team-mate turned broadcaster Alex Hartley, who had earlier questioned the fitness of some members of the England team, became the flashpoint of the tour and is the sort of controversy the ECB would want to avoid.The absence of a clear-cut successor combined with Knight’s relatively strong individual performances and limited responsibility for England’s failings make a case for her staying on as captain. Whoever leads the side going forward, they need a thick skin. Just ask her.”There’s always highs and lows, and that’s the joy of the job,” she said. “Sometimes it tests you, tests your character, tests the good times and the bad times, and you have to take them on the chin, the bad times, to enjoy the good times.Heather Knight has much to consider after England’s 16-0 drubbing in Australia•Getty Images”It’s always a tough place to come and tour as a cricketer and particularly as a leader. We haven’t played well enough, and you’re going to feel that as a leader and feel that on your shoulders. I’m certainly frustrated with how the team has gone. We haven’t shown our best cricket and we’re all obviously very frustrated with that and pretty gutted.”Lewis, too, is under scrutiny. Since taking over in late 2022, he has overseen the highs of England’s home Ashes series, where Australia narrowly retained the trophy, and the lows of the T20 World Cup and this series.After England lost the third T20I of this Ashes by a massive 72 runs – they also lost the first by 57 runs – Lewis denied that the eight-points-all draw in 2023 had given his side too much confidence.Instead, he said, it was a case of England being unable to execute in the crucial moments of this series and adapt in the face of a relentless Australian side at home.No one in a position to effect change has offered a solution to that in all the early picking over England’s defeat, and there were worrying signs even before that.Lewis expressed concern ahead of the series about the hectic schedule – which was the same for both sides.He also suggested that a Bondi Beach packed on a Sunday morning with swimmers and touch rugby players gave Australia an inherent advantage in terms of athleticism and talent pool (there was no pun intended, despite how bizarre the notion was).Young, inexperienced players learning their craft on the international stage has been mentioned more than once as another explanation for England’s struggles.It was all sounding like excuses.Meanwhile, Australia were the team with real problems in terms of injuries to key players and yet they took it all in their stride to grind their opposition into the dirt.The hosts were without injured captain Alyssa Healy and key allrounder Ash Gardner for the T20 leg of the series, with Mooney standing in as wicketkeeper and vice-captain Tahlia McGrath stepping up to the senior role.Healy’s availability for the Test was uncertain right up until match eve, causing uncertainty over the batting order for a time.Australia’s dominance of the Women’s Ashes was absolute•AFP/Getty ImagesAustralia wiped the T20Is 3-0 and scored 440 in the Test, including centuries for Mooney and Annabel Sutherland for a 270-run lead on first innings. They did so with Ellyse Perry coming in at No.10 after injuring her hip in the field on the first day.After the Test, Healy announced that she faced a period on the sidelines to resolve her foot stress injury and said she was “going to have a look at a couple of things and how I can be better, maybe a bit more disciplined in some areas”.Healy’s assertion that she could do more, even when injured, epitomised Australia’s constant desire to be better even when they are on top.England’s somewhat improved performance in the field on the third afternoon of the Test and the resilience of tailenders Lauren Filer and Lauren Bell in delaying the inevitable amid a nine-wicket innings from Australia spinners Alana King and Gardner can’t paper over the chasm between these sides.Connor herself, may come in for some tough questioning.She announced a sweeping restructure of domestic women’s cricket in the wake of England’s 12-4 home Ashes defeat in 2019, a process that is ongoing with the alignment of women’s teams to county sides starting this spring. Yet the gulf between England and Australia that was supposed to be closed by those changes is now as stark as ever.The ECB has repeatedly talked up their investment in and professionalisation of women’s cricket, which stands to benefit further from the sale of the Hundred franchises. But if the structural changes already underway need more time to come to fruition, then the ECB must manage expectations.The MCG hosting an aggregate crowd of 35,365 over the three days of a dead-rubber, surpassing the record attendance for a women’s Test set at Trent Bridge in 2023 by the end of the second day, further rammed home the strength of the game in Australia.After their weakest performance in the multi-format era of the Women’s Ashes, it is now incumbent upon England to stage a remarkable recovery.

The left-arm spinner had been due to return to the T20I side in Cardiff before the last-minute injury

Firdose MoondaUpdated on 12-Sep-2025South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has been ruled out of their T20I series against England after tweaking his groin in the warm-up of the first match in Cardiff.Maharaj, the No.1-ranked ODI bowler in the world, had been named player of the series in their 2-1 series win in the 50-over leg of the tour. However, he has now been withdrawn from their squad for the remaining two fixtures, at Old Trafford and Trent Bridge. Bjorn Fortuin, the left-arm spinner who had been preparing to play for Hampshire in the Vitality Blast Finals Day on Saturday, has been called up in his place.After the Cardiff match, which South Africa won on by 14 runs on DLS, captain Aiden Markam confirmed Maharaj had been due to play the game but was forced out with the injury and replaced by Corbin Bosch. Maharaj had been recalled to the T20I squad after being left out in Australia and Zimbabwe.Related

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Scott Currie relishing 'dirty work' as Hampshire target more Blast success

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Brook content to move on quickly from 'shambles of a night'

Earlier on Wednesday, Lungi Ngidi was ruled out of the series with a right hamstring strain. Ngidi returned home on Thursday and faces a race against time to be fit for South Africa’s next assignment – the start of their World Test Championship (WTC) title defence in Pakistan which begins on October 12.Left-arm quick Nandre Burger has been added to the squad in Ngidi’s place and is available from the second match at Old Trafford on Friday.On Tuesday, David Miller was also withdrawn from the squad after sustaining a hamstring strain during the final week of the Hundred. No replacement has been named for him in the squad.In better news, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lizaad Williams all returned to action in the rain-affected affair. Rabada did not play the ODIs in Australia or England after suffering ankle inflammation but bowled the opening over in Cardiff.Jansen made his comeback from the thumb surgery he underwent after the WTC final in June and Williams returned from knee surgery, which has kept him out of action for most of the year. Jansen bowled two overs in the match but Williams was not used at all.This story was updated at 5.41pm BST following Maharaj’s withdrawal from the squad

Pedro Porro has hit out at Tottenham Hotspur fans on his Instagram story, accusing the Spurs faithful of disrespecting his team-mates in the club's humiliating 2-1 defeat by Fulham. Thomas Frank's side have been pitiful at home this season and were again on the losing side, prompting boos from the stands in north London directed at goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Vicario howler leads to fan jeers

Spurs were again defeated at home as the pressure continues to mount on their new Danish head coach. Finding themselves down 2-0 after just six minutes, Spurs were already chasing the game and could only claw back one goal in the second half through Mohammed Kudus. It marked yet another disappointing day for the club who were thrashed last week by bitter rivals Arsenal and conceded five in an eight-goal thriller in France against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

Taking a lot of the ire from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium terraces was Vicario, who was at fault for Harry Wilson’s goal. The Italian had carried the ball wide and could only clear the ball as far as Josh King in the Cottagers’ midfield. The teenager set the ball to the Welsh winger who was able to curl an effort from distance into the gaping goal. Following the mistake, the Spurs fans booed Vicario whenever he got the ball and the desperately toxic atmosphere at the club continues to worsen.

After the game, Frank defender his players and slammed the fans who vented their fury at the squad. He told : “I didn't like that our fans booed at him [Vicario] straight after and a few times he touched the ball. They can't be true Tottenham fans because everyone supports each other when you are on the pitch. And we do everything we can to perform. After, fair enough, boo, no problem. But not during. That's unacceptable in my opinion."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportPorro hits out at Spurs fans

Following suit, Porro has also offered his thoughts on the booing. He took to social media to criticise the ‘disrespect’ shown to Vicario and was unhappy that the Italian had been on the end of severe sticks by his own supporters.

On his Instagram story, Porro said: “Football is emotions. In football, as it life, there can always be mistakes, what I will not tolerate is hearing disrespect from the fans to my teammates, hence my frustration at the end of the game.”

He added that the Spurs players “will get up” and sent a reminder that they won the Europa League last season, despite their league performances being dire – finishing 17th in the Premier League.

“We remind you six months ago, everything was so bad, and in the end it is not how it begins, but how it ends. To the true Spurs fan, I love you.”

Spurs in crisis

Unfortunately for Porro, Spurs are not in the Europa League this season and, unless they pull of a miracle and win the Champions League, their place in Europe’s top competition next season is already slipping away.

Also, by claiming that fans that boo are not ‘true fans’, the Spanish defender may risk aggravating a frustrated fan base yet further. Spurs fans would be more than justified to demand that Porro and his team-mates start performing at the required level, rather than posting messages on social media.

The reality is, Spurs have been incredibly poor in recent weeks and three defeats in six days will do little to win over an exasperated fanbase. Two defeats in as many games against London rivals will have only deepened the grievances in the north of the capital and Spurs have lots of work to do to ensure they do not slip yet further down the division.

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Getty Images SportFrank in trouble

Frank is in desperate need of a positive result against Newcastle next week if he is to remain in the Spurs dugout. The Magpies will not provide an easy proposition either, having bounced back this weekend with a 4-1 thumping of Everton. If the results do not improve, it is difficult to see the former Brentford man lasting too much longer.

Despite the £200m spending spree in the summer transfer window, Manchester United have failed to address the need for a new central midfielder in Ruben Amorim’s side.

His 3-4-2-1 system requires two dominant ball-playing options, with Bruno Fernandes currently occupying one of the two positions at the heart of the side.

The Portuguese international is primarily a number ten, but the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have seen him drop into a slightly deeper number eight role.

Casemiro has often been the man to partner him in the middle of the park, but with his contract expiring at the end of 2025/26, it’s evident that a long-term solution is needed.

As a result, the Red Devils have since been drawing up a shortlist of potential options, with the January transfer window now rapidly appearing on the horizon.

Man Utd’s hunt for a new central midfielder in January

In an attempt to improve the options in the midfield department, the United board have identified Stuttgart star Angelo Stiller as a potential addition this January.

The German has developed into one of Europe’s leading performers, but he could be available for a fee in the region of £53m – a potential bargain given his recent rise in the Bundesliga.

However, he’s also seemingly on the radar of European giants Bayern Munich, which could lead to a huge battle for the 24-year-old’s signature in the months ahead.

He’s not alone in being a potential target for Amorim’s men, with Joao Gomes another talent that’s currently being considered for the central midfield role.

According to one Brazilian outlet, the Red Devils are advancing in talks for the 24-year-old, with a £44m transfer fee being mooted for his services this winter.

The report notes that a deal is ‘widely expected’ to be completed and that the player is ‘close’ to transfer clubs over the winter.

It also states that the Wolves star would be open to a switch to Old Trafford, but it remains to be seen if his current employers would sanction a move during the mid-point of the campaign.

Why United’s latest target would be a better signing than Anderson

Over the last couple of weeks, Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson has been another player who has been on their radar to bolster the central midfield department.

The Englishman has been one of the star men in the Premier League this campaign, leading to a first string of international appearances under Thomas Tuchel.

He’s featured in every single minute of the Reds’ league campaign to date, even playing a key role in the recent 3-0 triumph over Liverpool at Anfield this weekend.

His form has led to huge rumours over a potential switch to Old Trafford, but his current side are demanding a fee in the region of £100m to part ways with him in the near future.

Such a deal would be a club record, breaking the £89m fee paid for Paul Pogba way back in the summer of 2016 – potentially making a transfer somewhat unlikely this winter.

As a result, cheaper alternatives will likely have to be considered by Amorim and the board, which could result in a transfer for Gomes in the coming months.

When comparing the Brazilian’s stats to those of Anderson from the opening months of the season, the Wolves star has managed to outperform him in numerous areas – that’s despite his side sitting rock bottom.

Gomes, who’s been described as “one of the best pressers in the league” by one analyst, has completed more of his attempted passes and notched more passes into the opposition box per 90 this season.

Such numbers in possession showcase that the Brazilian thrives at finding a teammate, which could benefit some of the £200m additions within the final third at Old Trafford.

Games played

12

12

Goals & assists

0

2

Pass accuracy

85%

83%

Passes into opposition box

1.3

1.2

Clearances made

2.1

1.1

Interceptions made

1.2

1.1

Tackles made

1.8

1.5

Take-on success

50%

46%

He’s also won more tackles per 90 whilst making more clearances and interceptions per 90 – numbers which make him the perfect ball-winning option for the Red Devils.

Gomes’ all-round dominance is further reflected in his higher take-on success and aerial duels won per 90, which could make him an absolute steal at his current asking price.

£44m in the current climate would be an excellent piece of business, with the midfielder having the opportunity to improve further in the years ahead given he’s just 24.

There’s little denying that Anderson would be the dream addition for many fans, but it’s evident that Gomes would be a cost-effective addition for the short term.

However, that shouldn’t discredit the Wolves star’s talents, with his numbers this season certainly going under the radar, which could make him a stellar addition for Amorim.

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He doesn’t turn the ball big, doesn’t have mystery deliveries, but whatever little he has is ideal for T20 and he keeps winning big moments

Sidharth Monga04-Jun-20251:27

Moody: Krunal Pandya screams character to me

Don’t look at numbers. Just close your eyes and say if you think Krunal Pandya is among the ten best bowlers in the IPL. You will, of course, say yes on the day that he became the first to win multiple Player-of-the-Match awards in IPL finals, but answer seriously: does he have any business being in the list of top-ten bowlers in the best, most competitive T20 league in the world?Now look at the numbers. He is among the top ten on every major metric in IPL 2025. He is No. 10 on most wickets, No. 7 on economy (among those who have bowled at least 25 overs), and No. 6 on ESPNcricinfo’s list of most impactful bowlers. Add to all that his 73 not out against Delhi Capitals (DC), and you have ESPNcricinfo’s second-most impactful performer of this IPL.This match was the perfect example of why Krunal sneaks into these lists, why he is valued by champion sides – this was his fourth title, after all – despite not looking like he should be. He doesn’t turn the ball big, he doesn’t have the classic action to get him alarming dip or drift, he doesn’t have mystery deliveries. But whatever he has is ideal for T20s: the right pace, the ability to pitch the ball where he wants to, the knowledge of where he should be pitching the ball, and a competitive streak.Related

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Krunal’s combination of high pace and lengths almost provides him immunity from the shot that spinners hate the most: the sweep. All through this IPL, he has conceded just 65 runs to all the varieties of the sweep shot put together. Nine spinners have gone for more. In the final, they tried sweeping him twice but couldn’t score a run. The option then for the batters is to either get a bad ball or try to manipulate the length by going deep into the crease or skipping down the track.This is where Krunal shows his smarts. When a subdued Prabhsimran Singh finally decided to step out against him, Krunal watched till the end and bowled his slowest delivery till then and also went wide because Prabhsimran looks to make room when he charges a spinner. Bowled at 81.49kph, this also turned the most till then and went out of Prabhsimran’s reach.When Josh Inglis, Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) best batter of the night, charged him, Krunal went the other route: bowling only his second 100kph-plus delivery and looking to cramp Inglis for room because he advances straight down. Both those balls created wickets, but it was as much the work around those deliveries that won Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) their first IPL final.Krunal Pandya has now won four IPL titles•Getty ImagesKrunal bowled unchanged for an analysis of 4-0-17-2 after RCB had been kept to 190, the lowest first-innings score all season in Ahmedabad. In his four overs, Krunal overpitched only once. And that was a yorker. There was nothing in the 2-4m zone that you can hit without stepping out. Only one delivery out of the 20 that he bowled to right-hand batters pitched more than a set of stumps wide.Because Krunal relies on bowling into the pitch and tries to put work on the ball with his hand more than his action, he can tend to err on the shorter side. In T20 cricket, if you must err, it is better you do so on the shorter side. Still, only five balls went shorter than 7m, only one shorter than 8m.The only boundary Krunal conceded was when he pitched shorter than 7m and also went really slow, probably his attempt to turn the ball big gone wrong. His pace ranged from 79.88 to 108.33. Krunal said it takes guts to slow the ball down in T20 even though it did seem to him going slow was the thing to do.Coach Andy Flower said that RCB wanted Krunal precisely for his temperament, his experience of having been part of big matches. He repaid them immediately with his first match in the RCB red. He was only beginning as he meant to end. Now he is one of only eight players to have won four IPL finals. Another top ten you wouldn’t have bet on him making.