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Maiden first-class hundred for former England Under-19s captain

ECB Reporters Network22-Aug-2024A magnificent maiden first-class century from Ben McKinney and a dogged hundred from Alex Lees put Durham in a dominant position on day one of their Vitality County Championship clash with Nottinghamshire.McKinney, who is playing in just his second County Championship match, smashed an experienced Notts bowling attack around the park at the Seat Unique Riverside after Haseeb Hameed put the hosts into bat at the toss, while Lees anchored the Durham innings to reach three figures for the third time this season in the County Championship.McKinney was very much the aggressor in the early stages of the day as the pair put on 189 runs for the first wicket, the hosts’ highest opening stand of the season. The visitors then made a mini-fightback and picked up three wickets for 58 runs, but Lees combined with Ashton Turner for a partnership worth 122 to leave the hosts 393 for 5 at close.McKinney, who was part of the England Lions side that beat Sri Lanka last week, was excellent throughout his innings and laid a fantastic foundation for Durham in this mid-table battle. The 19-year-old dominated with some great shots, particularly on the off side, while Lees offered few opportunities as he went through the gears on the way to a 15th first-class century for Durham.Meanwhile Notts skipper Hameed will be scratching his head after his decision to bowl first allowed the hosts to post a big total. As a result his side already look like having a mountain to climb.On the opening morning at Chester-le-Street Durham managed to negotiate a tough period of opening bowling from Olly Stone, who was released from the England Test squad to play in this game, and Brett Hutton, but McKinney and Lees looked in good touch.Once he made it through the opening exchanges, McKinney looked to attack whenever he could and he hit two glorious boundaries on the off side from a Stone over. The tall left-hander passed fifty for the second time in his first-class career with a cover drive for four while Lees kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end to take the partnership past 100 just before lunch.McKinney continued where he left off after lunch as he remained positive and he picked up several boundaries including a lovely pull shot off the bowling of Hutton.Then came a flurry of milestones for the hosts with Lees reaching his fifty from 114 balls and former England Under-19s skipper McKinney brought up his maiden hundred from 117 balls with a beautiful cover drive. He then hit Freddie McCann for the first six of the match over the long-off boundary, but his excellent knock didn’t last much longer as he chipped a McCann delivery straight to midwicket and had to depart for 121.Scott Borthwick looked in good touch but Lyndon James bowled him for 26 after he left one which clipped the top of off stump and the Notts bowler struck again soon after, removing Ollie Robinson for 13, which gave the visitors some hope.While wickets were falling at the other end, Lees remained firm and joined McKinney in getting a century after tea, albeit in a somewhat different style with the former England man’s milestone coming from 223 balls with just seven boundaries.Turner, who is making his first-class bow for Durham, came to the crease and ran well between the wickets with Lees as they accumulated runs and passed 300. Turner then played a delightful pull shot for four and Lees got in on the act as he dabbed a Stone ball to the third man boundary as the hosts piled on the runs.The second new ball initially couldn’t help Notts in their pursuit of wickets as Turner reached his fifty from 70 balls. However, Hutton then bowled Lees for 145 to end a fine innings and give the visitors a sniff in the final stages of the day.James picked up his third of the day as Graham Clark went for 7, but Turner remained unbeaten on 62 at stumps.

India vice-captain looking forward to forging opening partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-20241:05

Gill: We’re the world champions and we have to play like that

Shubman Gill, India’s vice-captain in ODIs and T20Is, has said he aims to improve his performance in the shortest format, as the team begins to build towards defending their T20 World Cup title in 2026.”My performance in T20Is before the World Cup this year wasn’t how I had expected it to be,” Gill said ahead of the series opener against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. “Hopefully, going forward, in the upcoming cycle – I think we play 30-40 T20Is [before the next T20 World Cup] – I can improve my performance when it comes to batting, and also [we can improve] as a team.”Gill was a reserve player and not part of the squad that just won the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies, where India opened with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. With both senior batters now retired from T20Is, Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was the back-up opener at the World Cup, are now first choice for India at the top of the order”We really enjoy batting with each other. Especially the kind of shots we play, we kind of complement each other,” Gill said of his partnership with Jaiswal. “Being a right-left combination, we have had good partnerships in whatever T20Is we have played before; two partnerships have been 150-plus [too]. So we have a great understanding and communication between us, and I have fun batting with him.”Related

• Suryakumar Yadav: 'The same train will continue, only the engine has changed'

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Gill and Jaiswal strung a couple of big partnerships in the T20Is in Zimbabwe after the T20 World Cup 2024 ended. Gill, who was India’s stand-in captain that series, top-scored with 170 runs at a strike rate of 125.92 in five innings. He was then appointed vice-captain for the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka, selected ahead of other opening contenders like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhishek Sharma, who had scored a hundred in Zimbabwe.The series in Sri Lanka is also Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as India coach after he succeeded Rahul Dravid, whose coaching tenure ended after the T20 World Cup triumph.”We have had just two net sessions together, and this is the first time I am working with him,” Gill said about Gambhir the coach. “But whatever he has told me during these two sessions, his intent and communication have been very clear – he knows what he wants from which player, and what he thinks will work for each player.”India play three T20Is against Sri Lanka in Pallekele on July 27, 28 and 30, followed by three ODIs in Colombo on August 2, 4 and 7.

Joe Root is set to make his first red-ball appearance for Yorkshire in almost two years as he prepares to line up against Gloucestershire this week in the second round of the County Championship.Root, whose only domestic cricket last year came in the Hundred for Trent Rockets following the Ashes, was announced in Yorkshire’s 13-man squad for the trip to Bristol. After missing the opening fixture against Leicestershire following the two-month tour of India, Root will play the next four rounds, followed by a trip away to Northamptonshire for the seventh round which begins on May 24. The 33-year-old last played first-class cricket for his home county in May 2022 against Warwickshire, a month after stepping down as Test captain, before playing three times in the T20 Blast up to June.It is a further boost to Yorkshire’s promotion hopes after they welcomed back Harry Brook for the first of his five-game stint last week. Brook, who had not played since England’s white-ball tour of the West Indies in December after withdrawing from the India series following the death of his grandmother Pauline, returned to action with a crisp unbeaten 100 off just 69 deliveries. Brook’s last fixture will be against Glamorgan at home, starting May 3, before taking a break ahead of England’s T20 series against Pakistan that leads into the T20 World Cup.Following an indifferent tour of the subcontinent, during which he scored 320 runs at 35.55, with just one century coming in the fourth Test as India triumphed 4-1, Root will use the next month to tune up ahead of a bumper six months. England welcome West Indies and Sri Lanka for three-Test series this season, the first of which begins at Lord’s on July 10. They then travel to Pakistan and New Zealand before the end of the year.Yorkshire will hope to make the most of the availability of both their stars as they look to return to Division One, having suffered relegation in 2022. They were hamstrung last summer by a 48-point deduction that decimated any hopes of an immediate return but are considered favourites to re-emerge from Division Two this time around.

She said there were lessons to pick up from Wolvaardt not getting enough strike in the final stages of the second ODI

Srinidhi Ramanujam20-Jun-2024To get close to chasing India’s 325 and fall short just by four runs is a massive confidence booster for South Africa, according to Marizanne Kapp, one of the four centurions in the second ODI in Bengaluru. She said this was the brand of cricket they wanted to play, looking ahead to next year’s 50-over World Cup in India.This was after South Africa were reduced to 67 for 3 inside 15 overs on Wednesday. Even the series opener saw them having a collapse upfront, where from 33 for 3, they were eventually bowled out for 122. But unlike Sunday, South Africa fought back hard in the second game but Pooja Vastrakar denied Laura Wolvaardt – who top-scored for the visitors with 134 not out – and South Africa a series-levelling win with a sensational final over.”There were a lot of positives today,” Kapp said after the game. “To get that close is obviously a massive confidence booster especially moving forward, we know we can reach that total. But in saying that, probably after that first four in the last over, it was our game to lose. It’s definitely something we would speak about, but in the future, if we could have maybe tried to get Wolfie [Wolvaardt] on strike a bit more, then maybe… there are a lot of things we could have done differently. But again, to come that close, after starting a little bit slower today, we have a lot of positives to take forward, given that we have a World Cup next year.Related

• 'The older I get, I'm getting better' – Kapp glad she was talked out of retiring

• Mandhana and Harmanpreet top Wolvaardt and Kapp in landmark 646-run contest

• Stats – Mandhana, Harmanpreet, Wolvaardt, Kapp combine to break ODI records

• Wolvaardt, Vastrakar and a six-ball emotional rollercoaster like no other

“It’s [the intent] something we’ve been speaking about. We had a meeting with the batting coach after our first ODI. He said that if we had scored 100 in 20 overs in that ODI, he would have been happy even if we got bowled out. But to score 122 off the 37 overs, it’s not the brand of cricket we want to play. Definitely happy with the way we scored today and got close to the target.”During the chase, Wolvaardt crossed 4000 ODI runs and became the highest run-getter for South Africa in 50-over cricket. Kapp also touched the 3000 mark to be fourth on the list. Kapp, who played as a specialist batter in these two matches because of workload management, has visibly upped her batting in the last 12 months. Since 2023, she has smashed two centuries and four half-centuries in 15 innings to average 68.20 in this format.Coming in at 67 for 3 when the team needed a big partnership, she thrived under pressure and shared 184 runs off 170 balls with Wolvaardt to take South Africa closer to the huge target.”If you look at myself and Wolfie, it’s been a few times now that we have been out in the middle,” Kapp said. “The way my batting has gone in the last couple of years, I have been striking at close to 100, so it’s just a little bit more natural for me. I have found that If I am being positive, I usually score runs more often than not. Whereas she likes to take her time, set herself on and then go after the bowlers. We don’t even have to speak about it. It naturally worked out that way that I am going to be the aggressor, and she takes her time.”At the end of the day, this is why I play cricket for,” Kapp spoke of playing under pressure. “I believe usually in those situations, I perform, and I pride myself in that. Wolfie and I, we enjoy that. Sometimes, you get a bit annoyed or upset if you are tired, but look, no. It’s a team sport, and the two of us enjoy batting together. I feel like games like this, situations like this probably bring out the best in myself and Wolfie.”

da cassino： After putting in what might be one of the club’s all-time great performances away to European champions Real Madrid on Wednesday night, Arsenal had the task of dispatching Ipswich Town yesterday afternoon.

da pinnacle： Given the hype before their Champions League game and the sheer jubilation that followed it, it wouldn’t have been all that surprising to see the Gunners struggle to motivate themselves for a Premier League game that ultimately now means little in the grand scheme of their season.

However, Mikel Arteta has instilled a certain philosophy in his team, and they came out flying against the Tractor Boys, coming away from Suffolk as fully deserved 4-0 winners, with the likes of Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard seriously impressing.

Yet, as good as the two starters were and as vital as they will be for the rest of the season, one of the second-half substitutes is now worth considerably more than both and could even be the Gunners’ new Cesc Fàbregas.

Merino & Trossard's game vs Ipswich

With Thomas Partey set to miss the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain thanks to his brainless yellow card in the closing stages of last week’s win, Arteta left him out of yesterday’s starting lineup, moving Merino into midfield and starting Trossard up top, in preparation for the upcoming game.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

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While some were understandably worried about changing a winning formula, it would be fair to say it was a tweak that worked perfectly.

For example, the Belgian scored a goal in both halves and what made them all the more impressive was that he did so with little space to manoeuvre in the box, which might be how he has to operate next Tuesday.

We weren’t the only ones impressed with the former Brighton & Hove Albion man either, as the Standard’s Simon Collings awarded him an 8/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘made his case’ to start against PSG and ‘offered more than just goals.’

Moreover, be it the confidence he’s gained from playing up top or the simple fact that he’s now had a sizable run of games in the side, the former Real Sociedad star was phenomenal and earned an 8/10 rating from Collings.

For example, his brilliant backheel allowed Gabriel Martinelli to score his 50th goal for the club, and while he didn’t get on the scoresheet himself, he was here, there and everywhere in the middle of the park, as exemplified by his statistics.

For example, in just 57 minutes of action, the “duel monster,” as dubbed by Arsenal content creator Adam Keys, amassed a combined expected goal plus assists figure of 0.48, provided one assist, took 33 touches, played one key pass, was accurate in 100% of his crosses, created one big chance, won ten duels and made six tackles.

Merino’s game in numbers

Minutes

57′

Expected Assists

0.04

Assists

1

Expected Goals

0.44

Key Passes

1

Big Chances Created

1

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (1)

Touches

33

Duels Won

10

Tackles

6

Dribbled Past

0

All Stats via Sofascore

In short, both Trossard and Merino put in stellar displays yesterday and should now be nailed-on starters for next Tuesday’s season-defining encounter.

Yet, both players are worth considerably less than one of yesterday’s substitutes, who could be the club’s next Fabregas.

The Arsenal gem worth millions more than Trossard & Merino

So, first things first, how much are Merino and Trossard worth today? Well, according to Football Transfers, the former is worth around €39.7m, which is about £34m, and the latter is valued at €31.8m, which is about £27m.

Now, while those are not insignificant valuations, they are, surprisingly so, much lower than Ethan Nwaneri’s, which is a whopping €54.6m, which comes out to about £47m, or £20m more than the Belgian and £13m more than the Spaniard.

It might seem like an absurd number for someone who’s just turned 18, but that might actually work in his favour, as the Hale Ender is already showing an ability to thrive in a title-chasing side at such a young age, scoring nine goals and providing two assists in just 33 appearances, totalling 1294 minutes.

In fact, it’s this ability to step up and perform like a seasoned professional at such a young age that makes him so similar to Fabregas.

The former captain became the youngest player to represent the team in a competitive fixture – a title now held by the Enfield-born gem – when he came off the bench against Rotherham United in a League Cup match in October 2003.

Then, over the next few years, he became a regular starter in the team, so much so that he started the club’s triumphant FA Cup final against Manchester United in 2005.

On top of breaking through in similar ways, there is a real possibility that the Gunners’ “unplayable” young star, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, could eventually move into the position once held by the Spaniard in time, as while he’s thriving on the wing at the moment, his most played position across his junior career was attacking midfield.

Finally, like the former Barcelona star, the teenage phenomenon has already shown that nothing about top-flight football fazes him, which could be one of the characteristics that help him establish a starting role in the first team in the years to come.

Ultimately, while Merino and Trossard should and almost certainly will start against PSG, Nwaneri looks like he will be one of Arsenal’s best players for potentially the next decade or more.

Related Best signing since Rice: £58m goalscoring "monster" wants to join Arsenal

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 21, 2025

With his Anderson-esque load-up, and an insatiable appetite for learning, he is trying to master the art in one of the toughest settings

Mohammad Isam14-Mar-2019Abu Jayed doesn’t quite think that he belongs to international cricket. He’s been in the senior set up for over a year, but has featured in just eight internationals.It has taken him a decade of first-class cricket to finally get noticed.Since his debut in July 2018, Jayed has played only one out of four Tests at home, and even though he has been picked for their last four overseas Tests, that’s hardly a sign of continuity in Bangladesh cricket.Yet, Bangladesh have an impressive swing bowler who invests a lot of thought in his bowling and has become, almost quietly, the highest wicket-taker in the country’s first-class competitions since his debut in 2010.These are early days for Jayed the international cricketer, but in this brief period, he has shown he can be a potent swing bowler in Bangladesh’s attack. It is, however, spin that overrides swing in the Bangladesh attack’s mindset.Spin wins them a lot of home Tests these days, which has also meant far less focus on trying to find ways to win abroad. In the lead-up to the ongoing New Zealand tour, there hadn’t been any tour-specific preparations (unlike their last two tours to this region), so newcomers like Jayed had to simply rely on their existing skillset.Yet Jayed has, for the major part, been accurate, been willing to bowl long spells, upped his pace over the past nine months and looked to have every weapon available in a swing bowler’s arsenal that Bangladesh have missed in the past six years.”While I was reviewing videos from West Indies,” Jayed said, “I saw that my pace on that tour was between 122 and 125kph. Now I am bowling between 129 to 134kph on this tour. I have got some belief in myself that I can swing the ball. I can see that batsmen have to work hard to face my bowling. If I can keep improving, I can become an international level pace bowler.”During commentary in the Hamilton Test, former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull compared Jayed’s bowling action to James Anderson. For most of his teenage years, Jayed spent time trying to emulate Anderson’s action. A chance encounter with Mizanur Rahman, a senior coach in the BCB, put Jayed on the path from transitioning from a dreamy kid to a serious swing bowler. It helped that Rahman took an interest in Jayed’s progress.”I started off as a fast bowler, but my brother told me that pace bowling won’t work in Bangladesh,” Jayed said. “After his suggestion, I started to bowl off-spin. I played U-13s as an offspinner, but I would bowl them quite quickly. I switched back to pace bowling soon. In the U-16s, someone told me that I was quite a quick bowler for my age, so I kept going.”Abu Jayed jumps into his James Anderson-esque load-up position•Getty Images”In one of the age-group games, Babul sir [Mizanur Rahman] noticed me. My bowling action was totally like Anderson’s in those days. But I was falling over on the left side, so he corrected my action. From that point, I started to get the outswing going.”As he evolved through Under-19 and first-class cricket, Jayed got a boost from one of the foremost names in fast-bowling coaching in Bangladesh. “[Sarwar] Imran sir inspired me by saying that I can play for Bangladesh,” Jayed said. “He said that Bangladesh doesn’t have many swing bowlers, so I can keep trying.”Jayed quietly made himself indispensable in Sylhet division’s NCL campaigns from 2010, taking 135 wickets at an average of 25.62 with eight five-wicket hauls. He was an easy pick for the East Zone side in the Bangladesh Cricket League, the higher-level first-class competition, in which he has so far been the standout pace bowler with 76 wickets in 24 matches.Predominantly, Jayed bowls long spells, and preys on the batsmen’s patience. “For example, when I play under [Mominul Haque] in the BCL, I stick to his plan. I am usually able to bowl 10-12 overs, so I work on the batsmen’s patience,” Jayed said.Jayed developed the inswing and has honed his ability to reverse the ball, too. He is known to be an energetic bowler, who doesn’t just trundle through a mid-innings spell. He gives it his all. Among his team-mates, he is also known as someone who has great knowledge of the ball.Some also feel that Jayed, one of the few Sylhet-born cricketers from his generation, has also inspired others to take up fast bowling. Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed, who are also in the Bangladesh Test squad for the tour of New Zealand, are also from Sylhet.

“There was a time [when I felt bad], but I started to focus more on first-class cricket… I wanted to be the highest wicket-taker every year…”

However, given he was overlooked for so many years, despite being the top pace bowler on the wickets-chart, the exclusion had been becoming demanding for Jayed. But like a true professional, he respected the domestic game, which earned him his keep, and he set his new goals to move up the ladder.”There was a time [when I felt bad], but I started to focus more on first-class cricket,” Jayed said. “I wanted to be the highest wicket-taker every year, and slowly eclipse bowlers like Tapash Baisya, Hasibul Hossain, Tarek Aziz and Talha Jubair. I stopped thinking about the national team at one point.”I told Talha [Jubair] recently that I am close to catching up with his tally of first-class wickets. One day, I want to catch up with Mohammad Sharif, or at least get close to it.”But Jayed wouldn’t want to emulate the fate of Sharif, Tapash, Hasibul, Tarek or Talha, neither of whom had a long career despite the promise they exuded. Among them only Tapash was more of a regular but only when Mashrafe Mortaza was injured in the early to mid-2000s. But injuries, a drop in the pacers’ form and, most pertinently, the impatience of selection committees over the last two decades, have made pace bowling in Bangladesh cricket a sideshow.Jayed doesn’t obviously plan to change any of that. He simply wants to learn better the complex art of swing bowling. He wants to meet his hero Anderson one day, but for now he is keen to play more Tests, and keep picking up vital life lessons along the way.By the end of the tour, he hopes to have a chat with Tim Southee, from whom he wants to learn a new kind of delivery: one that is delivered cross-seamed and while appears to be an outswinger originally, comes back into the right-hander.Nobody in Bangladesh cricket, mad about ODIs and the upcoming World Cup in particular, can be bothered. Jayed is, and wants to get better. Swing bowling is a tough art, and Jayed perhaps is learning it in the toughest setting in world cricket.

Five takeaways from South Africa’s 3-0 Test whitewashing of Pakistan

Liam Brickhill15-Jan-2019Pace is pace, bru
South Africa has always been a fast bowling hotbed, and the current generation is in such good shape that Pakistan, well stocked with seamers themselves, were easily out-bowled. The main difference between the two attacks boiled down to one thing: pace. Pakistan’s quicks operated at around 135kph, while three out of four of the South African fast men were consistently 10kph quicker than that. True, Vernon Philander doesn’t need extreme pace to succeed, but it can’t hurt that his bowling partners had opposing batsmen ducking and weaving. Duanne Olivier, consistently the fastest bowler on either side despite the heaviness of his short-ball workload over three Tests in quick succession, also ended up as the leading wicket-taker in the series and proved the adage that “pace is pace, bru”.Bowler-friendly pitches make for great cricket
South Africa coach Ottis Gibson’s message to his batsmen was that 500 needn’t be their target on bowler-friendly pitches and, in a series where 400 was breached only once across 12 innings, the wider point for the cricket-watching public was that ball dominating bat can be just as exciting, or even more so, when compared to runs galore. There wasn’t a single session across the three Tests that didn’t demand the viewer’s attention. At times, batsmen thrived, but the bowlers were never out of the game and as a result this series was without the lulls that can afflict run-fests. Every run made had context, meaning and import.Duanne Olivier was irresistible while running through Pakistan•Associated PressSteyn’s still got it (and so does Amla)
When Dale Steyn left the field midway through the second day of the third Test, clutching his right shoulder and angrily thumping the side of the Wanderers tunnel, South Africa feared the worst. It has been a long road back to full health for Steyn, and another serious injury at this stage could have been disastrous. But he was back on the field after lunch, and in the second innings led the attack once more, bowling more overs than anyone else, and at serious pace too. Steyn, as his captain and coach have said recently, is a freak of nature, a once-in-a-generation athlete, and the fire in his eyes has not dimmed one iota. He will remain a force to be reckoned with both at the World Cup, and in Tests to follow as he sets his sights on 500 scalps. The whispers around the form of another of South Africa’s elder statesmen ahead of this series have also been firmly hushed: Hashim Amla remains as vital to South Africa’s plans as Steyn.Home is a fortress, winning away is the next step
South Africa have now won seven Test series in a row at home, but it’s been almost two years since they last won an away series, against New Zealand. Since then, South Africa lost in England, albeit with a depleted side, and then floundered in Sri Lanka. This is undoubtedly a formidable Test team in their own conditions, and their rise to No. 2 in the Test rankings has been hard earned and thoroughly deserved. Home is a fortress, but South Africa will need to start winning away as well to reach Test cricket’s summit, and re-visit the heights set when they remained unbeaten away from home from October 2007 to November 2015. After the World Cup, they have a trip to India – currently ranked Test cricket’s No. 1 side – to look forward to in October. South Africa’s ability to adapt and compete in that series will be a true marker of their progress and standing.Temba Bavuma acknowledges the applause•AFPSouth Africa are building depth
When South Africa were struggling through their tour of England in 2017, missing not only AB de Villiers but also a slew of other players through injury, a feeling started to grow that the domestic system was not producing the ready-made Test cricketers it once had, and that the shallowness of their stocks was being exposed. South Africa lost the Basil D’Oliveira trophy, but gained the services of Gibson after that tour, and one of his first acts as national coach was to set in motion a programme to groom the country’s fast bowling talent. Fast forward a year, and the increased depth and strength of their quicks is plain to see. Importantly, moves have been made in other areas too. Theunis de Bruyn’s century in Sri Lanka last year showed his mettle, while Temba Bavuma has continued to develop into a world-class pressure-absorber in the middle order, Aiden Markram is the real deal, and Zubayr Hamza gave a glimpse of what he may be capable of in his debut innings.

Liverpool are facing a potentially huge summer transfer window with three of their biggest stars set to become free agents at the end of June.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah are all out of contract at the end of this season, which means that they will be free to discuss moves elsewhere unless the club can agree fresh terms with them.

As it stands, there have not been any reports that suggest that any of them are set to sign extensions at Anfield, but none of them have been signed by another team, which means that there is plenty of time left.

Appearances

29

xG

22.15

Goals

27

xA

7.01

Big chances created

21

Assists

17

As you can see in the table above, losing Salah – in particular – would be a significant blow for Arne Slot and his side because the winger has been in sensational form this season in the Premier League.

The Reds will need other players to step up and carry the load at the top end of the pitch if the Egypt international does move on from Anfield ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Of the stars currently at the club, former PSV forward Cody Gakpo is, perhaps, best placed to step up and establish himself as the main man for Slot.

Cody Gakpo's incredible form this season

The Netherlands international has racked up 16 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions for the Reds so far this term, matching his tally from 53 outings in the 2023/24 campaign.

This shows that he has improved his output in the final third, with as many goals in 13 fewer matches, since Slot arrived on Merseyside with his 4-3-3 set-up, predominantly utilising Gakpo on the left flank – cutting in on his right foot.

Make no mistake, Salah has been the main man for Liverpool this season but the Dutch winger has also played a significant role in the team’s success on the pitch.

Gakpo scored five goals and provided four assists in five appearances in the League Cup in the run-up to the final, only to miss out on a place in the starting line-up at Wembley as he recently returned from injury. Slot may wonder if the result would have been different if they had his attacking qualities on the pitch from the start.

Starts

16

xG

5.99

Goals

8

Big chances created

7

Key passes per game

1.2

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old winger has also offered a big threat at the top end of the pitch in the Premier League, outperforming his xG and being unlucky to only have three assists to his name.

Liverpool may hope that he can add even more goals to his game and become an established star for the Reds if Salah moves on this summer, as a result of more responsibility being placed on his shoulders – despite him not being one of the most highly-paid players at the club.

According to Capology, Gakpo is currently on a wage of £120k-per-week and that does not even earn him a place in the top ten earners at Anfield this season.

That speaks to the value-for-money that the Reds have got out of the Dutch sensation this term, because he has been a terrific performer despite not being one of the highest earners, but it also suggests that the club may not be getting value for their money from other forwards.

Mo Salah

£350k

Virgil van Dijk

£220k

Trent Alexander-Arnold

£180k

Andy Robertson

£160k

Alexis Mac Allister

£150k

Alisson

£150k

Federico Chiesa

£150k

Ryan Gravenberch

£150k

Darwin Nunez

£140k

Diogo Jota

£140k

As you can see in the table above, there are ten players in the current Liverpool squad who earn more than Gakpo does at this moment in time, including Diogo Jota.

The Portugal international started the League Cup final against Newcastle on Sunday and put in the type of performance that explains why Liverpool chief Michael Edwards should ruthlessly cash in on someone who’s been described as a “pointless footballer” by one Liverpool content creator.

Why Liverpool should cash in on Diogo Jota

Jota failed to get his only shot attempt on target and completed just 40% of his attempted passes, whilst losing three of his four ground duels, at Wembley.

Quite simply, the Liverpool number 20 did not do anywhere near enough to cause problems for Fabian Schar and Dan Burn, who had a relatively easy time keeping him quiet.

It was a laboured performance from the 28-year-old forward and one that has become all-too-familiar to Slot and the supporters in the 2024/25 campaign, as the striker has failed to offer consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.

Jota, who earns £20k more per week than Gakpo, has only scored eight goals in 29 appearances in all competitions for the Reds this season, half as many as his Dutch teammate has scored.

The Portuguese attacker’s form in both the Premier League and the Champions League this term has been a cause for concern, as he has struggled quite badly.

Appearances (starts)

18 (10)

4 (3)

xG

6.10

0.98

Goals

5

0

Big chances missed

9

3

xA

1.08

0.11

Assists

3

0

As you can see in the table above, Jota has underperformed against his xG in both competitions, scoring just five goals in 22 matches, and has created very little for his teammates at the same time.

This shows that the former Atletico Madrid man has not made enough of the opportunities that his teammates have created for him, as he has missed 12 ‘big chances’ to go along with those five goals, which means that Slot cannot rely on him to perform week-in-week-out.

TEAMtalk recently reported that Wolverhampton Wanderers are keeping tabs on his situation at Anfield ahead of a possible swoop for his services in the upcoming summer transfer window.

With this in mind, Edwards must brutally cash in on the Portuguese dud who has not offered enough on the pitch this season to justify his £140k-per-week wages, particularly in comparison to Gakpo’s contributions as part of the front three.

Therefore, Liverpool must take advantage of the interest from Wolves to move on from the 28-year-old forward, who has been unreliable in front of goal this season, in order to make room for Slot to bring his own signings in to bolster the playing squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

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ByAngus Sinclair Mar 18, 2025

There have not been many positives this season for Glasgow Rangers. The Ibrox side won’t win any domestic silverware, trailing their arch-rivals by 16 points in the Premiership title race, also being knocked out of the Scottish and League Cups.

Barry Ferguson did mastermind a 3-1 victory over Fenerbahce in the Europa League first leg of their last-16 clash, but even the most optimistic Rangers supporter will feel glory in Europe is beyond them.

Vaclav Cerny has been a hit since joining the club on loan from Wolfsburg, scoring 17 goals in all competitions, although finances will likely prevent the Gers from securing his signature on a permanent basis.

Hamza Igamane has also been another bright spark for the club. Costing just £1.7m from Moroccan side AS FAR last summer, the 22-year-old has since netted 13 goals in all competitions, despite this season being the first outside his native Africa.

One of the most underrated players since he returned to the starting XI in October has been Nico Raskin.

The Belgian has missed only two games between September and the time of writing, establishing himself as a key member of the team.

How Nico Raskin has grown in importance at Ibrox

Against Celtic at the start of the year, Raskin was given the captaincy due to James Tavernier missing the game through injury.

During the 3-0 victory, Raskin provided an assist while also making two key passes, creating a big chance and winning 60% of his ground duels throughout the game.

He controlled the midfield, making four interceptions and three tackles which nullified Celtic and contributed to the stunning Old Firm win.

The midfielder has struggled with his injury problems during his first year or so at the club, but his performances this season have proved he is now indispensable to any future success at Ibrox.

Raskin may not offer too much in the final third, but in terms of providing effective support in the heart of the midfield, he has been crucial.

In the Premiership, the Belgian has averaged 3.6 tackles per game, along with averaging 7.8 ball recoveries, 1.6 interceptions and 1.4 clearances each match in the top flight.

If he continues this current form until the end of the campaign, the new manager might have to fend off interest from other clubs this summer.

Indeed, these impressive performances for the Light Blues have seen Raskin’s market value soar since joining the club.

According to Transfermarkt, the Belgian is currently worth around £5.5m and this value should only continue to rise over the coming months ahead of the summer transfer window.

He has the highest market valuation in the entire squad apart from Cerny, who will depart this summer once his loan spell ends.

Whoever comes in to take charge of the Gers ahead of the 2025/26 campaign must utilise Raskin in his desired position, as he could be an ideal choice to take over the captaincy from Tavernier, especially following his display against Celtic in January.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Having also starred in continental competition, shining against Fener last week and standing out against Spurs, he’s certainly following in the path of a Europa League hero from a few years ago.

Rangers' European hero is now worth less than Raskin

Joe Aribo may have only been at the club for three seasons, yet he developed from a raw talent to a player who scored in a major European final.

Glimpses of his talent were on show during the Gers title-winning 2020/21 campaign, where he registered 15 goal contributions – eight goals and seven assists – as the club went the entire league season undefeated.

2023/24

40

4

1

2022/23

27

2

0

2021/22

57

9

10

2020/21

43

8

7

2019/20

49

9

8

2018/19

39

10

5

2017/18

34

6

3

2016/17

22

0

7

From a personal point of view, the following season was even better. Indeed, the Nigeria international scored nine goals while chipping in with ten assists across all competitions, helping the Gers reach the 2022 Europa League final.

He opened the scoring in that match against Eintracht Frankfurt, becoming just the fourth player in the club’s history to score in a European final. Unfortunately, Rangers lost the game on penalties to the German side.

With Giovanni van Bronckhorst needing to raise some funds that summer in order to bring in the players he wanted, a few were moved on.

How Joe Aribo is playing in 2025

Calvin Bassey departed the Ibrox side in 2022, with Ajax signing him for a club-record fee after an impressive campaign.

This bolstered the coffers, but when Southampton came in for Aribo, a deal was concluded that could rise to around £10m, and it was too good to turn down, that’s for sure.

This fee proved to be a significant profit on the midfielder, although they would have a big gap to fill.

Aribo hasn’t exactly proved his worth on the south coast, however, struggling to adapt at times.

The “exceptional” gem – as so dubbed by his manager Ivan Juric recently – scored just twice for the Saints in his first season.

He helped them secure a place back in the Premier League last term, defeating Leeds United in the playoff final, but they look set to drop back down into the second tier.

Now part of a team that could end with the fewest points in Premier League history, Aribo has netted three top-flight goals. As a result, his value has decreased since making his move south of the border three years ago.

Now, according to Transfermarkt, Aribo is currently worth £5m and if he fails to perform in the Championship next term, this could drop even lower.

This valuation is even lower than Raskin’s at the time of writing, indicating that the Gers have struck gold by selling Aribo when they did, maximising the best possible transfer fee for the former Charlton Athletic midfielder.

The new manager will be aiming to bring in his own players for cheap, before making millions on them after a few years at Ibrox. That’s a certainty.

49ers must move on Rangers star who earns more than Raskin & Hagi

Rangers should move on from the reportedly highly-paid star in the summer window.

ByDan Emery Mar 10, 2025

Aston Villa moved one step closer to a potential trip to Wembley with a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup at Villa Park at the weekend.

Goals from Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers secured the victory over Ange Postecoglou’s side on Sunday, with the first goal coming inside the opening minute of the match.

Whilst the main talking point was the terrific result and their progression through to the next round of the competition, it was also a big game for two of the January recruits.

Villa pushed the boat out to land Marco Asensio on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United, and both players came off the bench to make their debuts for the club.

Rashford completed one of his two attempted dribbles in his 24 minutes on the pitch against Spurs, but failed to register a shot on goal or a key pass for his teammates.

Asensio, meanwhile, was introduced to the game at the same time as the England international and made a greater impression on the onlooking supporters at Villa Park.

Marco Asensio's debut performance

The Spain international came on for Leon Bailey with 24 minutes left to play and produced a magical cameo that has created plenty of excitement heading into the rest of the season.

Asensio is on loan at Villa until the end of the season, but Fabrizio Romano recently reported that both sides are open to exploring a permanent move in the summer, which means that he may currently be auditioning for a long-term move to England.

The former Real Madrid attacker will certainly be getting a call-back after his first audition, as he caught the eye with an impressive showing against Spurs.

Asensio vs Spurs
Minutes played	24
Touches	20
Accurate passes	15/15
Key passes	1
Dribbles	1
Crosses	2
Duels won	2/3
Possession lost	2
Interceptions	1
Tackles	1
Stats via Sofascore.

He completed 100% (1/1) of his attempted dribbles, 100% (15/15) of his attempted passes, and 67% (2/3) of his duels in his 24 minutes on the pitch, to go along with one chance created.

As you can see in the clips above, his cameo was full of sublime touches and turns to retain possession and create openings for the Villans in the closing stages of the win.

Asensio, who has won three Champions League trophies, arrived at Villa with a terrific pedigree, having played for PSG and Real Madrid at the top level for a number of years, and his class was on full display on Sunday.

Surprisingly, however, the 29-year-old, despite his career achievements, is not one of the very top-valued players in the squad, with Transfermarkt currently valuing him at €20m (£17m), at Aston Villa.

Aston Villa's most valuable players

Monchi and Unai Emery have crafted a terrific squad at Villa Park and it is one that is now chock-full of brilliant, high-valued, players who are contributing week-in-week-out on the pitch.

Whilst Asensio does not crack the top ten most-valuable stars at the club, fellow loanee Rashford has arrived as the joint-most valuable Villans ace, with a market value of £46m.

Ollie Watkins and Amadou Onana are also tied with the former Manchester United superstar and England international at £46m, as they make up the top three.

Aston Villa’s top ten most-valuable stars
24/25	Market value
Marcus Rashford	£46m
Ollie Watkins	£46m
Amadou Onana	£46m
Pau Torres	£38m
Morgan Rogers	£33m
Leon Bailey	£32m
Boubacar Kamara	£32m
Ezri Konsa	£29m
Ian Maatsen	£27m
Jacob Ramsey	£27m
Valuations via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Asensio does not make the top ten list, behind the likes of Rashford, Rogers, Bailey, and Ramsey, but he is far from the only star who is unfortunate to miss out.

Belgium international Youri Tielemans is currently valued at €30m (£25m) and this means that, despite being worth more than the Paris Saint-Germain dynamo, he is also not among the top ten most-valuable players in the squad.

That should not take away, however, from the masterclass that Villa have played with the former Leicester City man, as they have hit the jackpot with the midfield maestro.

Villa have hit the jackpot with Youri Tielemans

The 27-year-old magician first made a name for himself in England during his time with Leicester City under Brendan Rodgers, with a return of 28 goals and 26 assists in 195 appearances in all competitions for the Foxes.

In the summer of 2023, Leicester had just been relegated from the Premier League and the midfield star’s contract at the King Power expired, which made him a free agent.

The Villans swooped to sign the central midfielder on a free transfer, which meant that they spent £0 on his transfer fee, to bolster Emery’s options in the middle of the park ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Tielemans, who was once dubbed “outrageous” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, produced two goals and six assists in 32 appearances in the Premier League in his first season with the Villans, but only started 17 of those matches.

This term, the 27-year-old star has started all 24 of his outings in the top-flight for Villa, which shows that Emery has trusted him to start week-in-week-out in the middle of the park.

Youri Tielemans (24/25)	PL	UCL
Appearances	24	8
Big chances created	10	0
Assists	4	2
Tackles + interceptions per game	3.2	2.5
Duel success rate	55%	53%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Tielemans has offered a constant creative threat in the Premier League for the Villans with ten ‘big chances’ created already.

His form has also helped his market value to soar. In December 2023, the Belgian maestro was valued at €20m (£17m) and this shows that his value has soared by millions in the past 13 months or so.

Villa have, therefore, hit the jackpot with the former Leicester star as they brought him in for £0 and he has developed into a consistent starter who is now worth millions more, and more than Asensio.

Emery will, now, be hoping that the midfielder can continue to shine for the rest of the season and beyond, which could help his value to increase even further to push into the top ten.

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