Pep Guardiola's 'half-hour chat' convinced Jurgen Klopp's 'most trusted ally' to forget Liverpool allegiances and join Man City

Details of how Pep Guardiola convinced Pep Lijnders to become Manchester City's new assistant coach have emerged after a previous spell at Liverpool.

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  • Lijnders is Guardiola's new assistant
  • Previously worked for Klopp at Liverpool
  • Had failed spell as Salzburg manager
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    A half-hour conversation from City manager Guardiola was enough to convince Lijnders to join his old rivals, according to . Lijnders was Klopp's right-hand man as Liverpool battled the Cityzens for the Premier League title but his past allegiances haven't been an issue for the 42-year-old, even though he only left Anfield a year ago.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    City confirmed Lijnders' move earlier on Tuesday, with the Dutchman arriving alongside new set-piece coach James French. Both will be in Guardiola's back-room staff for the Club World Cup, with their first match coming next week on Wednesday against Wydad Casablanca.

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    Lijnders left Liverpool at the same time as Klopp last year after two separate spells in his coaching staff. He has had two stints as a manager with NEC Nijmegen and Salzburg, but neither have been successful. His arrival at City comes after former assistant coaches Juanma Lillo and Inigo Dominguez left the club at the end of their contracts.

  • Getty Images Sport

    WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

    City face Casablanca in their first Club World Cup game and then take on Al-Ain and Juventus in their remaining Group G matches.

لاعب ليفربول: مبابي يتصل بي كل ساعتين للانضمام إلى ريال مدريد

تحدث لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول عما يفعله الفرنسي كيليان مبابي من أجل إقناعه بالرحيل إلى ريال مدريد الإسباني.

ويرغب ريال مدريد في تعزيز خط دفاع الفريق الأول خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية أو الصيفية المقبلة، من أجل استكمال إصلاح وتجديد دماء الفريق في هذا المركز، نظرًا لسوء المستوى الذي ظهر به الموسم الماضي وفي بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

ويستعد الدولي إبراهيما كوناتي رفقة منتخب فرنسا لمواجهة آيسلندا في المباراة التي تجمعهما مساء الثلاثاء المقبل في إطار منافسات تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لبطولة كأس العالم 2026.

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وينتهي عقد كوناتي في يونيو 2026 المقبل ويعتبر الدولي الفرنسي هدفًا رئيسيًا للعديد من الأندية الكبيرة وعلى رأسها ريال مدريد كون أحد أفضل المدافعين في أوروبا حاليًا.

ووفقًا للتقارير الصحفية الإسبانية والإنجليزية المختلفة فإن كوناتي لن يمدد عقده مع ليفربول وسيرحل إلى ريال مدريد الصيف المقبل ليتكرر سيناريو زميله ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد.

وسُئل كوناتي عما إذا كان مبابي يضغط للتعاقد معه العام المقبل، أجاب المدافع مبتسمًا في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “آس”: “نعم، كيليان مبابي يتصل بي كل ساعتين”.

Kohli on equalling Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI hundreds: 'It's stuff of dreams'

He got to the milestone on his 35th birthday in India’s World Cup match against South Africa at Eden Gardens

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-20231:29

‘Ridiculous!’ – Anil Kumble marvels at Virat Kohli’s ODI numbers

Virat Kohli has equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of 49 ODI hundreds, getting to the landmark on his 35th birthday in India’s World Cup match against South Africa in Kolkata.”Every opportunity to play for India is big one for me. To be able to do that on my birthday, in front of the whole crowd, it’s stuff of dreams, something that as a child you wish had happened,” Kohli said after his record-equalling innings. “I am very grateful to God that I have been blessed with these kinds of moments, so much love from the fans as well and just continue to help the team in any way possible.”Kohli reached the record-equalling hundred off 119 balls, getting to the milestone in the 49th over of India’s innings by punching Kagiso Rabada to cover for a single in front of a near-capacity crowd at Eden Gardens. While Tendulkar scored his 49th century in his 451st ODI innings, Kohli got there in just his 277th innings in his 289th match. He finished unbeaten on 101 off 121 balls, having steered India to a total of 326.

Kohli began his innings in the sixth over and then India lost Shubman Gill in the 11th, with the score then 93 for 2. “It was a tricky wicket to bat on,” Kohli said. “We got a great start through Rohit [Sharma] and Shubman, and then when I got in, my job was to keep that momentum going, but as soon as the ten overs got over, the ball started gripping and the wicket started slowing down as the ball got older.”Our roles are different – me and Shreyas [Iyer], we wanted to string in a partnership and to be honest, as soon as we lost Shubman and Rohit within ten overs, my role was to bat deep and bat till the end because that’s what I have done over the years and that’s what the communication from the team was well; I bat and guys bat around me and then Shreyas started hitting a few. So, we were not thinking that we would get 327 [326] but that’s what happens when you dig deep and you take the game into the last few overs then you can get a few more than you thought.”He and Iyer kept India’s momentum going with a third-wicket stand of 134 off 158 balls. “We had a lot of practice sessions before we went to the Asia Cup. I and Shreyas invariably batted together, because No. 3 and 4, against spinners. And I spoke to him, ‘This is the partnership that has to take centre stage through the middle overs’. So both of us are pretty comfortable rotating the strike against spinners. Whatever loose balls he got, he put them away, credit to him,” Kolhi said. “As I said, when you lose two wickets and don’t have Hardik [Pandya] in your team, you need to bat deep and make sure that you get to a stage where the opposition feels like we have to restrict them, rather than thinking we are one wicket away from 30 runs lesser than what we had to chase. He batted beautifully according to the situation and strike rotation was the key.”Getty ImagesKohli now has two hundreds in the 2023 World Cup to go with four half-centuries in eight league games so far. He is the second highest run-scorer in the tournament behind South Africa’s Quinton de Kock, his 543 runs coming at an average of 108.60 and strike rate of 88.29. It is the first time he has scored more than 500 runs in an ODI World Cup.Kohli’s hundred continues a prolific year for him in the ODI format. He has more than 1000 runs with five centuries in 2023, at an average of 72.18 and strike rate of 99.82. It is the eighth time he has scored more than 1000 ODI runs in a year, surpassing Tendulkar’s record of seven.With seven wins in seven games, India were the first team to qualify for the World Cup semi-finals, ahead of this top-of-the-table clash with South Africa.

8/10 Sheffield United star just made himself as undroppable as Brewster

da blaze casino: Sheffield United picked up the league double in the Steel City Derby on Sunday lunchtime as Chris Wilder’s Blades got the better of Danny Rohl’s Sheffield Wednesday by a single goal.

da dobrowin: As is often the case in a contest that has huge bragging rights on the line, the clash itself was cagey and attritional at points, with only five shots on target registered by both sides at Hillsborough.

Thankfully for the promotion-hungry Blades, one of their on-target efforts would trickle in courtesy of Rhian Brewster, with the number seven one standout performer that would help his side go joint top of the Championship with Yorkshire foes Leeds United.

Brewster's game-changing performance vs Wednesday

Indeed, Wilder would elect to start the ex-Liverpool forward for this full-blooded affair ahead of Callum O’Hare, which was a decision that proved to be a masterstroke come full-time.

The injury-prone attacker is enjoying his finest spell in a Blades shirt to date at the moment, with this late tap-in taking his second-tier goal haul for the campaign up to two alongside his three assists.

Not the most memorable strike in terms of quality, but the effort – which was all Tyrese Campbell’s making down the wing – would still send the Blades masses into pandemonium at Hillsborough, knowing their title charge remains on.

But, although Brewster would steal all the headlines at the end with this invaluable contribution, there were other faces in South Yorkshire who stood out even more, including this defender who could now be deemed as undroppable moving forward.

The Sheffield United star who is now undroppable

Whilst certain positions in Wilder’s XI are fixed now, with Michael Cooper an absolute shoo-in in-between the sticks among other names, the right-back position is still very much up for grabs.

With both Harry Clarke and Alfie Gilchrist absent for the Steel City Derby, Wilder would hand Femi Seriki only his fourth start of the Championship season to try and make up for these woes, which was another close call the United boss got spot on.

Seriki’s performance in numbers

Minutes played

90

Touches

54

Accurate passes

17/20 (85%)

Key passes

1

Accurate long balls

3/4

Successful dribbles

4/6

Clearances

4

Tackles

4

Total duels won

11/21

Stats by Sofascore

The 57-year-old wouldn’t have felt any worry with Seriki at the right-back spot despite the occasion, having seen him win five duels against Bristol City just the league match before, only for him to put in even more of a determined and dogged effort against Rohl’s hosts when glancing at the table above.

Across the course of the 90 minutes, the Manchester-born 21-year-old won a steep 11 duels for his side when they were under the cosh, on top of also relieving danger with some sprints in attack, leading to four successful dribbles also coming his way before the high-stakes game was done and dusted.

Having battled back from his own injury concerns, the up-and-coming Blades prospect will hope he’s gifted an extended run in the main team now as Wilder’s first-choice right-back, with Sheffield Star journalist Danny Hall even gifting Seriki a high 8/10 rating post-match.

United will know the win wasn’t clinched in the prettiest of manners, but another three points being tallied up on the board keeps the title race ticking over for another day, as the red and white half of South Yorkshire aim to take Leeds all the way.

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ByKelan Sarson Mar 14, 2025

ريال مدريد يسعى لضم صفقة أخيرة في انتقالات الصيف

بدأ تشابي ألونسو مدرب ريال مدريد التخطيط لمشروع جديد في النادي، بعد أن حصل المدرب الإسباني على معظم ما طلبه من الإدارة.

وعلى الرغم من تلبية معظم طلبات تشابي ألونسو إلا أنه مازال في حاجة للاعب خط وسط دفاعي وقد استغل المدرب إمكانيات تشواميني بشكل جيد لتوظيفه في هذا المركز.

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ومع ذلك يفضل ألونسو الاعتماد على لاعب يقدم قيمة أكبر في الملعب من حيث التمريرات وبناء الهجمة، وبالفعل أصبح هناك مراقبة على العديد من اللاعبين خلال الفترة الأخيرة.

ووفقاً لصحيفة “آس” الإسبانية فإن آدم وارتون لاعب خط وسط كريستال بالاس أصبح على رادار ريال مدريد للانضمام لصفوفه وشغل هذا المركز على الرغم من أن التعاقد معه لن يكون سهلاً على الإطلاق.

وتبلغ قيمة وارتون 80 مليون يورو وهو مبلغ ترفض إدارة ريال مدريد دفعه إلا إذا رحل لاعب كبير في الأسابيع المقبلة، ولا يعد النادي الإسباني هو الوحيد الذي يسعى لضم النجم الشاب.

ويرتبط وارتون بالانضمام لأندية مانشستر سيتي ومانشستر يونايتد وليفربول وتراقب موقفه مع كريستال بالاس، ولن يترددوا في دفع قيمته نظراً لتضخم سوق انتقالات البريميرليج هذا الصيف.

وأثبت وارتون جدارته وأحقيته في خط وسط كريستال بالاس الموسم الماضي وشارك في 20 مباراة منها 16 مباراة بشكل أساسي في سن الحادية والعشرين فقط.

Na chegada, Méndez explica como Pato e Arboleda foram determinantes para sua escolha pelo São Paulo

MatériaMais Notícias

da brdice: Jhesgon Méndez chegou ao São Paulo. E em sua apresentação oficial, na tarde desta quinta-feira (12), no CT da Barra Funda, o volante equatoriano explicou como o compatriota Arboleda, quase um estandarte do Tricolor, e o atacante Alexandre Pato, com quem jogou no Orlando City, dos EUA, acabaram lhe motivando a vir para o Morumbi.

– Conversei com Arboleda quando o São Paulo me contatou, ele comentou como era o clube, as pessoas. A verdade é que ele falou muito bem de tudo. Não foi necessário que ele me dissesse algumas coisas, eu já sabia, porque o clube é grande. Falei com o Pato, grande amigo meu, ele está muito feliz que estou aqui. Foi uma decisão pessoal, agradeço ao presidente, ao Rui Costa (diretor executivo de futebol). Sempre tento para um lugar onde as pessoas te querem. Isso foi importante.

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da apostaganha
+Valores aumentados: saiba as premiações da Libertadores e Sul-Americana 2023 fase a fase
+ Confira as principais negociações do futebol nacional no Mercado da Bola do L!

E quais dicas o Pato deu ao jogador de 25 anos? Ele mesmo conta…

– Fizemos muito boa amizade nos EUA. Ele (Pato) me falou da grandeza do clube, me explicou algumas coisas que quem está fora não sabe. Agradeço a ele pelos conselhos. Disse para eu desfrutar com responsabilidade, mas para não se sentir pressionado, desfrutar do futebol, tentar ganhar títulos.

Revelado pelo Independiente del Valle, justamente o algoz são-paulino na final da Copa Sul-Americana do ano passado, o jogador atua desde 2019 no futebol dos EUA.

Considerado uma grande promessa, foi contratado pelo Orlando City, mas perdeu espaço na equipe de Miami e acabou se transferindo para o Los Angeles FC no último ano, onde se sagrou campeão da MLS (Major League Soccer).

Como seu contrato com os estadunidenses se encerra agora em janeiro, ele virá em uma transferência sem custos para o clube do Morumbi. O LANCE! apurou que deverá assinar vínculo de três anos.

Méndez chega ao Morumbi com holofotes suficientes para ser titular do meio-campo, atuando como segundo homem da posição, à frente de Pablo Maia e responsável pela articulação inicial das jogadas.

– Falei com o treinador, ele me contou algumas coisas que busca para a equipe. Ele pediu que eu jogasse mais adiante, mas eu gosto de sair de trás, onde tenho mais controle do time.

Na apresentação, Méndez também explicou o motivo de ter escolhido a camisa 21, com grande simbolismo parea ele.

– Tem o significado especial, foi a data que morreu meu pai há cinco meses. Foi um momento duro para mim, pois ele sempre estava ao meu lado, me apoiando, escolhi esse número por ele.

> Confira jogos, classificação e simule os resultados do Paulistão-23

Fellows 2.0: West Brom could fix Wallace blow by unleashing "bright" teen

West Bromwich Albion supporters will head to Leeds United this coming weekend hopeful that their side can disrupt the flow of the table-topping Whites.

It will be easier said than done, however, with Daniel Farke’s men now ridiculously unbeaten in Championship action across a mammoth 16-game stretch, whilst Tony Mowbray’s Baggies continue to blow hot and cold with only two victories picked up themselves from their last five league outings.

To further add to the West Brom unease, the experienced figure of Jed Wallace is now sidelined through injury, but the playoff-chasers did manage fine without him in their last 2-0 win over Oxford United.

West Brom dealing with Wallace's injury

Indeed, although Wallace had found his minutes limited under the previous regime, he had picked up a goal and an assist under Mowbray in league action before this injury setback occurred.

Still, his absence wasn’t really felt in the 2-0 victory over the U’s, as other experienced heads such as Alex Mowatt took control by bagging the opener, before the equally seasoned John Swift made sure of the three points at the death.

Moreover, Tammer Bany exploded into life in a Baggies strip from off the bench, with the former Randers FC man a revelation late on down the left channel when teeing up Swift for his game-clinching strike.

But, it’s down the right – where Wallace primarily plays – where the promotion hopefuls didn’t look quite as devastating when Grady Diangana was given a late run-out, with the ex-West Ham United attacker managing just five lacklustre touches.

Therefore, with Wallace missing for several weeks, it could be an apt moment for Mowbray to gamble with this Tom Fellows understudy, who could well become the club’s next on-fire homegrown winger if given time.

West Brom's next Fellows

West Brom, of course, struck gold when gifting Fellows more regular senior opportunities just last season, with the constantly improving 21-year-old midfielder up to a breathtaking 11 assists this campaign in the second tier.

Therefore, the Baggies could hope history repeats itself with 19-year-old Akeel Higgins potentially being bumped up to the first team fold soon, having excited those at the Hawthorns already with his sublime U21 showings.

This season so far, Higgins has picked up one singular goal in Premier League 2 action – which was this stunning solo strike earlier in February – but he also has three assists next to his name to show off his unselfish approach when bursting forward, with an ambition to rival Fellows’ creativity if he is gifted a senior shot by Mowbray.

After all, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for the 61-year-old to throw the starlet into games moving forward, considering he worked alongside some top young assets in the form of Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham when still at the reins of Sunderland.

Player

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

Higgins

72

11

7

Fellows

61

14

14

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Looking at the table above, it does feel as if Higgins is overdue his moment in the first-team spotlight, with Fellows only needing 61 games for both the U18s and U21s before being unleashed into the senior picture.

Lauded as a “bright” prospect for the future by youth coach Richard Beale back in 2022, time will only tell if he can pass any forthcoming first team assessments with flying colours, having been gifted his senior debut already by Corberan last season.

Player

Current club

Market value

Morgan Rogers

Aston Villa

£33m

Dara O’Shea

Ipswich Town

£12m

Tim Iroegbunam

Everton

£8m

Finn Azaz

Middlesbrough

£7m

Chris Wood

Nottingham Forest

£6m

Sam Field

QPR

£2.5m

Tom Fellows

West Brom

£2.3m

Marcus Forss

Middlesbrough

£2m

Now, it could be coming together for Higgins to become the club’s next Fellows, with Mowbray perhaps catching more teams off-guard near the top of the division with the fresh and raw attacker in his ranks.

West Brom struck gold on £0 signing who's up there with the EFL's best

West Bromwich Albion won this star for absolutely nothing.

ByKelan Sarson Feb 24, 2025

Hasaranga and Kumara set up Sri Lanka's demolition of Oman

A second consecutive five-wicket haul from Wanindu Hasaranga skittled Oman for 98 – the second-lowest ODI total in their history – as Sri Lanka cruised to a ten-wicket win. The result means Sri Lanka have one foot in the Super Sixes with two wins from two.The win set up by Hasaranga with figures of 5 for 13 was finished off by the Sri Lankan openers, who completed the chase in 15 overs. Dimuth Karunaratne notched his 10th ODI fifty in the process.The nature of the win has also given a significant boost to Sri Lanka’s net run rate – something which they will be able to carry over to the Super Sixes stage, provided Oman qualify. As for Oman, they remain in a good position to make the next round despite this defeat, with two wins from their three games.On an overcast and cold Bulawayo morning, Dasun Shanaka wasted little time in putting Oman into bat, with proceedings expected to be tough for the batters early on.Lahiru Kumara, bowling consistently in the 135-140kph range, was particularly impressive, as his pace allied with the hard lengths he so often looks to exploit, proved too much for the Oman batters, most of whom weren’t used to contending with such pace. Kumara’s first wicket came in his first over through a good length delivery that pitched and straightened on off stump. Kashyap Prajapati, who saw a leading edge dropped by Kumara off a similar ball earlier in the over, failed to get bat on it and was trapped on the back pad.Lahiru Kumara put on an impressive show, picking up three wickets•ICC via Getty Images

Kumara’s next two would come courtesy some shorter stuff, with first Zeeshan Maqsood and then Mohammad Nadeem chipping to square leg. He would end with figures of 3 for 22 in eight overs – a Player-of-the-Match worthy performance on any other day.Kasun Rajitha at the other end picked up just a solitary wicket but was consistently threatening by bowling the nagging line outside off. Fittingly, it was an outswinger to Aqib Ilyas that would give him a deserved return, with the right-hander pushing uncertainly outside his off stump only to get a thick edge to a recently-installed fifth slip.The Kumara-Rajitha one-two combo would eventually see Oman slide to 20 for 4 midway through the 10th over. Karunaratne, speaking after the game, said the conditions provided the pace attack an opening and they grabbed it. “Today we won the toss and there was something for the fast bowlers, with the cloudy conditions. They grabbed the opportunity.”A 52-run stand between Jatinder Singh and Ayaan Khan then provided Oman a glimmer of hope of reaching a respectable total.But in a single Hasaranga over all such hopes were vanquished. Three googlies, three wickets, zero runs – Jatinder, Shoaib Khan and Jay Odedra all sent packing. Jatinder and Odedra were dismissed lbw while Shoaib was castled after an ill-advised attempt at a slog. After that it was just a matter of time.Ayaan sought to soldier on with the tail, but Hasaranga wasn’t having any of it. He would complete his five-for trapping Bilal Khan lbw as the last man. Four of his five wickets were either lbw or bowled. Only Ayaan, who was caught expertly at slip, would require the intervention of a team-mate. There was a run-out in the mix as well, just to compound a miserable day for Oman and yet another perfect outing for Sri Lanka.Karunaratne summed it up: “We’ve won convincingly, and that’s what we’ve wanted to do. Everything is is pretty good shape. But we want to take it match by match and get to the Super Sixes.”

How good was Dale Steyn, the white-ball bowler?

He’s been among South Africa’s most successful short-format bowlers but his brilliance in Tests eclipsed the rest

Firdose Moonda01-Sep-2021Remember the time Dale Steyn beat Rohit Sharma’s bat 15 times in a row? In an ODI? When Rohit finally made contact, he got a jeering round of applause from the Wanderers crowd and a sneer from Steyn.Remember the time Steyn defended six off the last over in a T20I by bowling five dot balls, taking two wickets and effecting a run-out to keep South Africa in contention for a semi-final spot at a T20 World Cup against the team that had knocked them out of a major tournament three years before?No? Of course you don’t.Related

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Because the name Dale Steyn is synonymous with Test specials like Nagpur 2010 and Galle 2014. You remember a South African quick who bossed the subcontinent like no one else. You remember a red-ball magician who could swing the ball both ways, rip out the stumps, and stare down the batter for good measure during and after. You remember the scary eyes that speak, as Hashim Amla put it, of a spirit strengthened by the simplicity of humble beginnings and hard work; a bowler who broke the South African record for most Test wickets, at first with unmatched skill and in the end through sheer determination to fight back from a shoulder injury; you remember a champion cricketer in whites.Inevitably, that means his shorter-format game pales in comparison. The most memorable moment of Steyn’s white-ball career, which ended with his retirement announcement on Monday, came from the depths of despair at Eden Park. He lay on his back, his left hand cradling his head, his right outstretched to meet Grant Elliott’s. The South African-born Black Cap would pick a tearful Steyn up off the ground amid a million what-ifs.The image, from the 2015 World Cup semi-final, that has perhaps come to define Steyn’s white-ball career•Getty ImagesWhat if Steyn had bowled that last ball fuller? Or shorter? With only four runs to defend, why did he choose hard length for Elliott to get under and hit over long-on for the six that put New Zealand in the final and South Africa out of another World Cup?To some degree, we can understand why Steyn bowled the ball he did. The yorker hadn’t worked earlier in the over when Daniel Vettori made room and steered it to third man, and if Steyn missed – a distinct possibility because the ball was wet – the straight boundary was so short it was an almost certain maximum. We may never know why he didn’t default to the bouncer, which had beaten Vettori’s pull, except for the fact that it was not Vettori facing. Steyn had already bowled 8.4 expensive overs and there was a lot riding on the next ball. So much that maybe the what-ifs should be that minute.What if South Africa had picked a different team? What if they didn’t have outside interference in their selection? What if someone else had bowled the fifth over, the one in which Steyn conceded 25 runs? Or what if someone else had bowled the last one? Not a chance, on the last of those. As Steyn himself has said: “I was always going to bowl that over.” Whether that was stubbornness or pulling rank, ultimately, South Africa didn’t have anyone better for the job.Steyn’s economy rate of 6.45 between overs 41 and 50 in ODIs is the third best among pace bowlers since he made his ODI debut in 2005. Of the 45 seamers who have bowled at least 100 overs in 50-over cricket, only Jasprit Bumrah (5.91) and Mitchell Johnson (6.41) have more miserly numbers. It’s an obvious reminder that as a limited-overs cricketer Steyn was better than just good. He was exceptional.But against the record of his red-ball heroics, his shorter-format game has been overshadowed, even though that was the focus of the last phase of his career.Steyn retired from Tests in 2019 to pursue a World Cup dream that he has now confirmed will remain unfulfilled. He fell out of South Africa’s T20I plans as early as April last year when he was not given a national contract despite making his commitment to white-ball cricket clear. (As an aside, South Africa don’t seem keen on offering any of their greats limited-overs deals and neither Faf du Plessis nor Imran Tahir appears to be in contention for the T20 World Cup despite being available). At that stage, Steyn had played in five out of 11 T20Is for South Africa between March 2019 and February 2020 and before that, he had not played a T20I since the T20 World Cup in March 2016 thanks to a spate of injuries, a focus on breaking Shaun Pollock’s record as the leading Test wicket-taker in the country, and an unprecedented four-year gap (which has become five-years thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic) between the ICC hosting T20 World Cups.Steyn has been the most successful T20I bowler for South Africa, but was not given a national contract last year•Getty ImagesStill, Steyn remains South Africa’s most successful T20I bowler to date, and has the second best death-bowling economy rate in the world. Of the 34 bowlers who have delivered at least 200 balls between overs 17 and 20 in T20Is, Steyn’s economy of 7.27 is second only to Bumrah’s 7.23. Those numbers only pose more what-ifs. Like, what if Steyn had played more white-ball cricket at more crucial times?Steyn’s first ODI was for an Africa XI, and he did not play ODI cricket for South Africa for about a year after making his Test debut. In the first two and a half years of his ODI career, he only played six ODIs and he was not part of the squad for the 2007 World Cup, where South Africa relied on an experienced attack made up of Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Charl Langeveldt, Jacques Kallis, Justin Kemp and Andrew Hall. In the first six years of his white-ball career, Steyn played in only 55 of South Africa’s 120 ODIs and 21 of their 39 T20Is.Perhaps it was all part of a master plan because, in that time, Steyn enjoyed his two most successful years as a Test bowler – 74 wickets at 20.01 in 2008 and 60 wickets at 21.41 in 2010 – and was part of the South African Test side that reached No.1 in the rankings.Accidental or not, Steyn’s workload management early on would doubtless have played some part in the champion Test bowler he became and perhaps the ODI and T20I team South Africa didn’t. The opposite also needs to be considered. If Steyn had been managed even further (or at all, considering that the word only became part of the professional sporting lexicon in the last few years), would he have played even less white-ball cricket and more Tests?Steyn’s recurring shoulder injury near obliterated his white-ball career•Getty ImagesThough Steyn was never one to turn down game time in any format, South Africa could have strategised a situation in which he played at least 100 Tests and pushed for 500 wickets, approaching his career the way England have for Jimmy Anderson, who has not played an ODI since the 2015 World Cup. If that had happened, would the Steyn-Anderson match-up still be playing out on the field today? Maybe, but luck had other ideas.The first of Steyn’s serious injuries was in November 2015 in the series in India, where he only played one of four Tests; South Africa went on to lose their first series on the road in nine years. The second was a shoulder issue later that summer that would go on to blight the remainder of his career and virtually obliterate his white-ball game.It took Steyn eight months to recover, only to break his shoulder again. Then he needed more than a year to come back. By that point, Steyn was returning for only one thing: to break Pollock’s Test record.His limited-overs participation dwindled to a trickle. In the last three years of his ODI career, he only played 13 ODIs and five T20Is, but his desire to keep contributing never dimmed. And so, to franchise leagues it was, where they got the best of Steyn off the field, but not on it.Steyn’s nice-guy demeanour always lurked in his Test career but blossomed as he mellowed on the T20 scene. Never one to shy away from a chat, Steyn has made a habit of informal mentorship. At the PSL earlier this year, Steyn spent significant amounts of time sharing his knowledge with a clutch of young Pakistani quicks, who relished every second of it. Fortunate for those hoping to learn from him; less so for cricket watchers. The result was that Steyn spent much less time bowling and when he did, it wasn’t always with good results.Steyn hasn’t found much success in franchise cricket, but he’s played willing mentor to bowlers in the PSL and the IPL•Getty ImagesHe played only three matches for Quetta Gladiators, and in his first, conceded 44 runs in four overs, including 21 in his final over when Wahab Riaz hit him out of the park for back-to-back sixes. He improved by the next match, taking 1 for 20 in three overs, and then signed off with 1 for 34 in 3.4 overs in his final outing.At least the last moments of Steyn’s white-ball career were a success, albeit not for South Africa and not in a global tournament. With 24 to defend and two wickets to get off the final over against Multan Sultans, Steyn conceded just one run from the first two balls and had two wickets fall off the next two – a run-out and a catch. Gladiators won their first match of the season. It’s no World Cup semi-final, but at least there are no more what-ifs.If we remember anything from Dale Steyn’s 18 years as a professional sportsperson, it will be that. He left it all out there. The emotions, the struggles and, most of all, the success. To borrow from his team-mate Amla again, that reel, on a loop. The legend will always be.

£150k-a-week Arsenal player keen on joining AC Milan after Igli Tare talks

da fezbet: Arsenal have just as many outgoings to sort out as new signings potentially coming through the door, with Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta revamping almost the entire squad ahead of a crucial 2025/2026 campaign.

New Fabregas: Arsenal trying to sign "one of the best CMs in the world"

Arsenal could sign one of the best young midfielders in the game.

ByMatt Dawson Jun 24, 2025

da bet nacional: The biggest name who appears poised to leave N5 very soon is star midfielder Thomas Partey.

The Ghanaian re-established himself as a firm favourite under Arteta last season, putting his previous injury woes behind him and making over 50 appearances in all competitions.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Partey starred in both midfield and as an emergency right-back, which proved pivotal for the Gunners as they reached the Champions League semi-finals, despite coping with the various absences of key players due to fitness issues.

His renewed form even prompted the club to open talks over an extension for the £200,000-per-week star, but according to recent reports, negotiations have hit a standstill, and it is growing increasingly likely that Partey could leave when his contract expires at the end of this month (The Athletic).

While Arsenal assess alternatives to Partey, with Sevilla’s midfield sensation Lucien Agoume repeatedly linked in the last week, the 32-year-old isn’t Arteta’s only potential next departure – following the confirmed exits of Kieran Tierney, Jorginho, Raheem Sterling and Neto.

Left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko has seemingly been deemed surplus to requirements by Arsenal’s manager after his limited appearances last season, and AC Milan are showing a very keen interest in the Ukraine international.

Oleksandr Zinchenko keen on joining AC Milan after talks

Zinchenko has reportedly held “positive” talks over a move to Atletico Madrid, but Milan are also believed to be firm contenders for the £150,000-per-week ace.

As per Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, Milan’s sporting director, Igli Tare, recently held talks with Zinchenko’s representatives, and the 28-year-old is becoming increasingly open to a San Siro move.

This comes as Milan look to sign an heir for Theo Hernandez, who could soon be joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, with Zinchenko seen as an immediate potential replacement for the Frenchman.

His high wages are the main obstacle standing between Zinchenko and a potential move to Milan, but Arsenal are apparently ready to sell the player for around £17 million, which is feasible for the Rossoneri.

Despite falling down Arteta’s pecking order in the last 12 months, Zinchenko has been a wonderful servant to Arsenal overall, and the ex-Man City defender could still have plenty to offer abroad.

“He moves out of his position and gets into little pockets to try and make things happen and this is quite incredible. You can tell that he’s played under Pep Guardiola because he plays in a similar way,” said former Arsenal defender Armand Traore to talkSPORT in 2023.

“For Arsenal, he’s been great. The second choice left-back is Kieran Tierney [and] he’s a great left-back, but at the moment he can’t get much of a game because of how great Zinchenko has been.

“He’s also great for the mentality of the whole squad because he’s won titles. I think he’s come in and been absolutely fantastic. I’m really impressed with him. He’s almost like the cherry on top [of the cake].”

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