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Manchester United have plenty of work to do in the window, but could now be ready to sell one of their most recognised stars to offer Ruben Amorim extra funds to bolster his squad.

Manchester United look to sell before they can buy

Supporters of the Red Devils will be impressed by their ability to bring in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo despite missing out on funds generated by qualifying for European competition, albeit an outlay exceeding £130 million came out of the Old Trafford coffers to secure both deals.

In simple terms, Manchester United will now need to generate money through player sales to continue restructuring their squad with quality arrivals. Marcus Rashford and his £300,000 per week wages have been moved on to Barcelona, which is a start.

The Catalan giants have an option to make his move permanent next summer. Financially, that would be a major weight off of INEOS in their bid to generate capital, but the Carrington graduate isn’t the only one who will walk through the exit door.

Alejandro Garnacho could be sold to Chelsea by Manchester United for £40 million, with a reduced rate being offered to the Club World Cup champions as the Premier League giants try to push through a sale for another wantaway star.

Clearing the decks, Casemiro is another who could exit Old Trafford amid interest from Saudi Arabia. The 33-year-old has shown that he is still a proven presence at the top level, though his £350,000 per week wages are a drain on resources.

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Squad culls require tough decisions to be made and aren’t easy to perfect. Still, those choices need to be taken for the greater good, and Manchester United could now have a chance to offload another high earner.

Manchester United could sell Luke Shaw

According to The Sun, Manchester United will listen to offers for Luke Shaw amid serious interest from Saudi Pro League clubs in the England international.

The 30-year-old has two years left on his deal at Old Trafford and feels he could be at the end of the road at Old Trafford, where he has enjoyed a mix of success and injury problems over the last 11 years.

Luke Shaw’s time at Manchester United

Appearances

287

Goals

4

Assists

29

Trophies won

UEFA Europa League x1

FA Cup x1

EFL Cup x2

FA Community Shield x1

Should he decide to move on, Manchester United would likely be open to negotiating an exit without too many complications. However, he is a popular presence in the dressing room and is admired by Amorim, despite his £150,000-per-week wages accounting for a significant portion of their expenditure.

Patrick Dorgu is set to assume the role of first-choice left wing-back this term, leaving Shaw with a difficult decision to make on his future that could also impact the Red Devils’ scope to recruit more new additions.

حصل روبن نيفيز لاعب الهلال السعودي على قميص صديقه الراحل ديوجو جوتا، مع منتخب البرتغال، بعد أشهر من رحيل لاعب ليفربول السابق.

ولقى جوتا مصرعه هو وشقيقه أندريا سيلفا في حادث سيارة مروع بشهر يوليو الماضي، في إسبانيا خلال استعداده للسفر للعودة إلى ليفربول، بعد أيام من حفل زفافه.

وكان جوتا صديق مقرب لروبن نيفيز وجمعتهما صداقة قوية، وسبق ولعبا سويًا في صفوف فريق ولفرهامبتون الإنجليزي.

وحصل روبن نيفيز على القميص رقم 21 والذي كان يرتديه جوتا مع منتخب البرتغال، وقرر لاعب الهلال تخليد ذكرى صديقه المقرب بارتداء نفس الرقم.

وظهر نيفيز بقميص جوتا خلال مباراة البرتغال الجارية أمام أرمينيا في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026، حيث يتواجد على مقاعد البدلاء.

طالع | تشكيل منتخب البرتغال أمام أرمينيا في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.. موقف رونالدو

ورفعت الجماهير في المدرجات صور جوتا، وقبل انطلاق المباراة، ووقف اللاعبون والجمهور دقيقة صمت في الملعب حدادًا على اللاعب الراحل.

يذكر أن نادي ليفربول الإنجليزي قام بتعليق قميص جوتا رقم 20 الذي كان يرتديه مع الفريق، وحجبه عن جميع الفرق.

Having put pen to paper to officially become the new Rangers manager, Russell Martin has instantly reportedly shifted his focus towards what would be a bargain swoop for the Gers.

Martin already targeting Rangers incomings

The former Southampton boss has got straight to work with the 49ers and is already looking to build a Rangers squad in his vision and one capable of catching Old Firm rivals Celtic. Together with sporting director Kevin Thelwell, Martin will be desperate to get off to the best possible start at Ibrox in the summer transfer window.

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Speaking to the club’s official media channels, Thelwell reiterated that success won’t come easy but it is a must at Rangers. He said: “This is a new chapter for Rangers, and while we recognise success won’t come easy, our goal is clear: we need to win. My focus is on delivering that, with discipline and ambition. We’ll give everything to move this club forward as quickly and sustainably as we can.”

The start of a new chapter may yet see the introduction of more new characters too. The rumours have been coming thick and fast as to who could become the first arrival of the Martin era, from Dor Turgeman to a player who the manager knows very well in Flynn Downes.

Using Martin’s Premier League links will likely prove key this summer if the Gers are to bridge the gap on Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. And Downes wouldn’t be a bad start. Martin worked with the midfielder at both Southampton and Swansea in a partnership which could be renewed at Ibrox this summer.

The midfielder’s not the only Premier League target that Rangers have on their radar, however. The Scottish giants have also reportedly turned their attention towards a free agent who just left Nottingham Forest.

Rangers and Martin targeting Toffolo

As reported by The Scottish Sun, Rangers and Martin are also targeting a deal to sign Harry Toffolo not long after he left Nottingham Forest at the end of his contract this summer.

The experienced left-back will therefore be available for nothing and could instantly jump ahead of the likes of Jefte and Ridvan Yilmaz in Rangers’ pecking order down that side. Meanwhile, if there are any concerns that negotiations will be difficult, then the fact that Toffolo is represented by the same agent as Rangers forward Danilo may ease those concerns.

From the very start of his Nottingham Forest career in 2022, Toffolo found himself at the centre of praise. Welcoming the defender to the City Ground, former manager Steve Cooper said at the time: “Harry is an excellent addition to the squad and adds quality and depth to a position that we were keen to strengthen this summer.”

Now, it could be Martin’s turn to welcome the 29-year-old to his squad in what would be a solid way for Rangers to commence their summer business. An experienced defender who’s available at a bargain price, Toffolo is not one that the Gers will want to miss out on.

Celtic made a bold decision in the January transfer window at the start of this year when they opted to sell Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes for a reported fee of £10m.

The Japan international scored 85 goals in 165 matches in all competitions for the Scottish giants during his time at Parkhead, including 34 goals in the 2022/23 campaign.

Despite losing the prolific goalscorer midway through the campaign, the Hoops opted against dipping into the market to sign a replacement for him, although they were linked with an interest in Danish forward Mathias Kvistgaarden.

What Mathias Kvistgaarden could bring to Celtic

The Scottish Premiership champions reportedly made an approach to sign the Brondby striker in January, but failed to get a deal over the line for him, and are reportedly looking at him once again ahead of the summer.

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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If the Hoops do decide to go through with a swoop for him ahead of next season, Kvistgaarden could be an exciting addition to the squad, considering his impressive record in Denmark.

The 23-year-old striker has scored 16 goals, and missed 14 ‘big chances’, in 24 starts in the Danish Superliga, and scored 22 goals in all competitions for Brondby, which suggests that he could arrive as a big goalscoring threat at an age where he still has time left to develop and improve.

His form has led to Transfermarkt valuing the forward at £6.7m at the time of writing (20/05/2025), which is even lower than the player Celtic essentially replaced Kyogo with, Daizen Maeda.

Rodgers has hit the jackpot with Daizen Maeda

The Japan international has played on the wing for the majority of his Celtic career, but Kyogo’s move to Rennes in January provided him with an opportunity to play more games as a striker.

He had only played two matches as a centre-forward in all competitions before the turn of the year, and has since played eight times in that role, splitting number nine duties with Adam Idah.

Daizen Maeda’s 2024/25 campaign

Position

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Left wing

35

16

8

Centre-forward

10

14

4

Right wing

1

2

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, that change in position has been a masterstroke by Brendan Rodgers, who has hit the jackpot with the forward, because he has been directly involved in 18 goals in just ten games as a striker.

His market value has also soared as a result of that change. Maeda was valued at £6.7m, as much as Kvistgaarden, in December 2024, and is now valued at £9.3m by Transfermarkt at the time of writing, which shows that the versatile star is now worth even more than the Celtic transfer target.

The Japanese whiz, who was described as “unbelievable” by Rodgers, has thrived due to the positional change that the manager opted to make after Kyogo left, and has proven himself to be more than capable of being a starting centre-forward for Celtic.

Therefore, the Hoops have hit the jackpot with the 27-year-old star, who may have just alleviated the need to splash the cash on Kvistgaarden this summer, as the club now have him and Idah available to lead the line heading into next season.

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Turning their attention towards incomings after finally reaching a breakthrough in negotiations with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool are now reportedly in pole position to sign a midfield star.

Liverpool turn focus towards incomings

It’s been a long time coming and it hasn’t been without some nervous moments, but it looks as though Van Dijk and Salah are finally set to sign new Liverpool deals to end what were growing fears around Anfield. All of a sudden, the headlines threatening to overshadow the Reds’ march towards the Premier League title look destined to clear just in time.

The news should signal a sigh of relief around Anfield and allow the likes of Richard Hughes to turn their attention towards any potential incomings this summer.

It may still be a busy window for the Reds too. As impressive as Arne Slot’s side have been this season, there’s still plenty of room for improvement as proved in Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat at the hands of Fulham last time out.

Their frontline will particularly be interesting to watch in the coming months. It’s been arguably the main point of weakness at Liverpool when it hasn’t been Salah stealing the spotlight and those struggles could result in at least one fresh face to lead the line.

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On that front, names such as Hugo Ekitike and Newcastle United star Alexander Isak have already been mentioned in recent headlines in two deals that would undoubtedly improve Slot’s attack. It’s not just in attack that the Reds could improve though, with one midfield target now reportedly emerging.

Liverpool in pole position to sign Nicolo Barella

After missing out on Martin Zubimendi last summer, Slot solved his problems by transforming Ryan Gravenberch into one of the most talented No.6s that the Premier League has to offer. But recent weeks have highlighted why the Reds need to add further depth in the middle of the park rather than falling back on a fatigued trio. And that’s where one star could come in.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by Sports Witness, Liverpool are now in pole position to sign Nicolo Barella from Inter Milan this summer in a deal that would cost around €100m (£87m).

If there was any remaining doubt over Barella’s ability, then that should have been put to bed against Bayern Munich in Inter Milan’s Champions League quarter-final first leg tie. The Italian dominated the German giants as Inter soared to a shock 2-1 victory at the Allianz Arena.

According to Fotmob, Barella ended a fine evening with a 92% pass accuracy, five recoveries, five successful passes into the final third and was dispossessed just once. At the opposite end, meanwhile, Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich managed just three defensive actions, whilst Goretzka failed to complete a single tackle.

The 2024 tournament has produced some exciting matches albeit on dodgy pitches

Ian Chappell15-Jun-2024Two of cricket’s greatest rivalries – India vs Pakistan and Australia vs England – were played in a 24-hour period during the 2024 T20 World Cup.While these fierce rivalries still generate great excitement, the Australia vs England bout fell short of expectations, with Australia winning the T20 match comfortably. India versus Pakistan always creates hysteria and once again this was the case even in New York as there are plenty of expats from both countries living in the USA.Going into the heavyweight bout India had only lost one World Cup contest to Pakistan and that was in the T20 format in 2021.Related

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India versus Pakistan, but different

This imbalance was partly explained years ago by a decorated Indian cricketer: “Pakistan tries to impress India,” he explained, “while we are only interested in having an impact on the West.”Pakistan cricket’s previous history may also help explain India’s stranglehold in their World Cup encounters. In early 1973 the Pakistan team were described as “Panikstan” because of the suicidal nature of their 92-run loss to Australia at the MCG. They then confirmed their newly acquired nickname by losing the third Test at the SCG by 52 runs despite only chasing a moderate target of 159.The “Panikstan” moniker was to the fore again in the 2024 World Cup as Pakistan lost a crucial contest to India in New York. After manoeuvring into a strong position where they were predicted to win, Pakistan capitulated and lost a low-scoring encounter by six runs.This was yet another typical big-brother-over-little-brother victory and that syndrome has weighed heavily on Pakistan in World Cup encounters.

There’s a highly competitive cricket rivalry still to be played in the Super Eight – India vs Australia. This has become a blockbuster contest in recent years.

Yet in Toronto in 1996 the two teams mixed amicably in a series at the suitably named Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club. The five-match series was tied at two-all when one Indian player hilariously noted: “The soldiers are lined up at the border armed with rocks but they don’t know which way to throw them.”So well did India and Pakistan get on that I asked a mixed group of players, “Why do the two countries fight wars when the players socialise comfortably?”The answer was revealing and yet concerning. “We understand each other and eat similar food,” said an Indian player, “and the people generally get on well but the politicians of each country like to keep the aggro simmering.”The pitches in the USA again generated controversy, particularly the New York venue, which attracted a lot of negative publicity and proved to be difficult for batters. In many cases a score just exceeding 100 proved to be a match-winner.The USA reputation for providing dodgy pitches isn’t a recent one. In September 1999, I covered an India A vs Australia A five-match series in Los Angeles, where the respective skippers were VVS Laxman and Adam Gilchrist, both of whom went on to enjoy illustrious international careers.The pitches on that occasion could only be described as “ropey”, especially when genuine pacemen like Brett Lee operated. Dodgy pitches were accepted with a shrug of the shoulders in 1999 but, with the USA team qualifying for the Super Eight and being promoted as a viable cricket nation, this is not good enough. Mind you, USA cricket has long been wracked by organisational turmoil and this could be yet another example of the chaos that exists among their administration.While T20 pitches should never totally favour batters, there’s no excuse for surfaces that are considered dangerous.There’s a highly competitive cricket rivalry still to be played in the Super Eight – India vs Australia. This has become a blockbuster contest in recent years.Even if these two teams provide yet another exciting contest, it shouldn’t camouflage the USA problem. If cricket wants to make headway in the USA it has to vastly improve the administration and their pitches, while also convincing locally born players it’s a game worth playing.

In memory of Cricinfo pioneer Travis Basevi, who died last week, and made many invaluable contributions to this column

Steven Lynch25-Oct-2022Travis Basevi 1975-2022

Like everyone else connected with ESPNcricinfo, I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Travis Basevi last week, at the young age of 47. His lasting memorial will be the superb StatsGuru, but he was also responsible for creating much of the site’s database in the first place, and much more besides. He was a great help during my time as Cricinfo’s editor, and afterwards, when he continued to help out with arcane queries for this column. When he finally left, I wished him well and said I hoped he hadn’t been diverted too much from real work by Ask Steven. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Your requests were far from irritating, they were the stuff I’d thrive on.”And so, as a tribute this week, I’ve collected together some of his invaluable contributions to this column over the years.I was impressed with the way that every New Zealander made a tangible contribution to their Test victory at Leeds [in 2015]: the least significant performers were Kane Williamson (six runs, three wickets) and Matt Henry (39 runs, two wickets). Has there ever been a Test where the minimum performance in runs and wickets was so considerable? asked Stephen Taberner from Australia

It’s obviously difficult to quantify this sort of thing exactly, but I asked ESPNcricinfo’s ace number-cruncher Travis Basevi whether he could come up with a formula. He told me that, excluding extras and run-outs, the overall bowling average in all Tests is 31.43. That means that the smallest contribution to New Zealand’s fine win at Headingley was by Ross Taylor (68 runs, no wickets), as Kane Williamson’s contribution was 100.29 (six runs plus three wickets at 31.43) and Matt Henry’s 101.86.That is indeed the highest minimum contribution in Tests, beating Mushfiqur Rahim’s 61 in Bangladesh’s victory over Zimbabwe in Chittagong in 2014-15, and three instances of 59 – Mohammad Kaif for India vs West Indies in St John’s in 2006, Nayan Mongia for India vs South Africa in Kanpur in 1996-97, and Michael Hussey for Australia vs South Africa in Johannesburg in 2011-12. It’s not a perfect formula – the presence of two wicketkeepers in the names mentioned reminds us there’s no provision for catches – but, as Travis points out, “even if you change the value of a wicket to 20, or 40, New Zealand at Headingley are still significantly in front – so a most excellent spot.”
– June 9, 2015Travis Basevi was the creator of StatsGuru, an invaluable data tool for cricket journalists and stats fans all over the world•Will LukeHas anyone else scored their first and second Test hundreds in the same game, as Peter Fulton did at Auckland [2012-13]? asked Tim Pate from New Zealand

Two men have scored twin centuries in their very first Test: Lawrence Rowe made 214 and 100 not out for West Indies against New Zealand in Kingston in 1971-72, and Yasir Hameed echoed his feat with 170 and 105 for Pakistan vs Bangladesh in Karachi in 2003-04. Seven others before Fulton had followed their maiden Test century with another one in the same match – but where Fulton does lead the way is that it took him till his 13th Test to achieve the feat: another New Zealander, Geoff Howarth, is next with 11 (vs England in Auckland in 1977-78).The others to score their first two centuries in the same Test are Warren Bardsley (Australia vs England at The Oval in 1909 – his fifth Test), Vijay Hazare (India vs Australia in Adelaide in 1947-48 – seventh), Jack Moroney (Australia vs South Africa in Johannesburg in 1949-50 – fourth), Duleep Mendis (105 and 105, a unique double, for Sri Lanka vs India in Madras in 1982-83 – his fifth Test), Wajahatullah Wasti (Pakistan vs Sri Lanka in Lahore in 1998-99 – second), and Phillip Hughes (Australia vs South Africa in Durban in 2008-09 – second). Moroney and Wajahatullah never scored another Test century. For a full list of those scoring two hundreds in the same Test, click here.
– April 9, 2013. “Nice one,” said Travis. “Fulton’s effort totally escaped me the other week.”I noticed that Brendon McCullum’s two highest Test scores have come in the second innings of the match. What’s the record in this regard? asked Murtaza from Canada

It’s true that Brendon McCullum’s two highest Test scores – 302 against India in Wellington in 2013-14, and 225 against India in Hyderabad in 2010-11 – both came in New Zealand’s second innings. His next-highest of 224 – also against India – was in the first innings in Auckland in 2013-14, a week before that triple-century. The batter who enjoyed the second innings the most turns out to be Bangladesh’s Al Sahariar, whose seven highest scores – ranging from 71 down to 34 – all came at the second attempt. Six batters – Ali Bacher (South Africa), Hanson Carter (Australia), Harry Cave (New Zealand), Junaid Siddique (Bangladesh), Pommie Mbangwa (Zimbabwe) and Shane Shillingford (West Indies) – all recorded their five highest scores in the second innings. Of that group, Junaid was the only one to make a century (106 against England in Chittagong in 2009-10), while Mbangwa’s scores ranged from 8 to 3. His highest first-innings score was 2 not out. In all Mbangwa collected nine ducks (and eight not-outs) in 25 Test innings.Moving to the reverse stat – highest scores in the first innings of a match – the leader is something of a surprise. For much of his career, Tom Graveney seemed to be labelled as having a suspect temperament… but his 23 highest Test scores all came in the first innings. Joel Garner comes next with 20, ahead of his fellow West Indian Brian Lara – whose epic 153 not out to seal a one-wicket victory over Australia in Bridgetown in 1998-99 was his highest second-innings score in Tests, but his 16th-highest overall. The other first-up specialists, with their 15 highest scores all coming in their teams’ first innings, are Marvan Atapattu, Michael Clarke (to date) and Steve Waugh.
– June 30, 2015. Luckily, Travis was “intrigued by the first part”.Kumar Sangakkara (left) and Mahela Jayawardene added 624 together – still the highest partnership in Tests – in Colombo in 2006 against South Africa, but only one of them received the match award•AFPIn the recent Perth Test [2015-16] David Warner scored 253, but didn’t receive the Man-of-the-Match award. Was this a record? asked Steve Austin from Australia

There have actually been two higher individual scores than David Warner’s 253 in Perth that didn’t lead to the player concerned winning the Player-of-the-Match award. Highest of all was Kumar Sangakkara’s 287, for Sri Lanka against South Africa in Colombo in 2006, when the award went to Mahela Jayawardene for his 374 (it might have been fairer to make a joint award, which happens sometimes). In Wellington in 1990-91, Aravinda de Silva’s 267 for Sri Lanka was trumped by Martin Crowe’s 299 for New Zealand. When Sachin Tendulkar made his highest Test score – 248 not out against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2004-05 – the award went to Irfan Pathan, who took 11 wickets for 96 in the match. I should point out here that such awards only became commonplace in Test matches in the 1980s.
– December 1, 2015. Travis: “It’s Sangakkara getting dudded when Jayawardene made 374 – I guess the adjudicator never realised you could give it to both of them.”In the Sharjah Test [2015-16], England fielded five bowlers who bowl with the hand opposite the one they bat with. Is this unique for a Test? asked Gerry Cotter from England

The England side for the third Test against Pakistan in Sharjah did include four men – James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali – who bat left-handed but bowl with their right, plus Samit Patel, a right-hand batter but a slow left-arm bowler. I couldn’t think of any bigger numbers – but Travis Basevi, Cricinfo’s database ace, unearthed a couple. As England’s first Test against India at Trent Bridge in 2014 meandered to a draw, Alastair Cook and Gary Ballance both had a trundle – and they each bowl right-handed but bat left. They joined Moeen, Anderson, Broad and Stokes to make up the half dozen.There was an earlier instance too. In the first Test against New Zealand in Moratuwa in 1992-93, Sri Lanka had six players who bowled with one hand but batted with the other: Don Anurasiri, Asanka Gurusinha Dulip Liyanage, Arjuna Ranatunga, Hashan Tillakaratne and Jayananda Warnaweera. There are ten further cases of five (the first two by England in Pakistan in 1961-62), including two other recent instances by England: in Sydney in 2014-15 (Anderson, Broad, Stokes, Steve Borthwick and Boyd Rankin) and the Lord’s Ashes Test of 2015 (Moeen, Anderson, Broad, Stokes and a solitary over from Adam Lyth). The figures only take into account matches in which the players concerned actually bowled.
– November 10, 2015And a final thought…
If you’ve never tried Travis’ brainchild StatsGuru, why not give it a try? It may look complicated at first, but it’s really not that difficult (I can manage it, after all!) What you’ll then have at your fingertips is what Wisden 2003 enthused about: “An arcane world – a world of averages, aggregates and algorithms – suddenly became accessible.”

For a variety of reasons – not least that West Indies played very well – his debut as skipper ended in defeat

George Dobell12-Jul-2020It will surprise nobody that Ben Stokes was bowling at the end. With a miracle required and his bowling colleagues spent, Stokes was the man who took the responsibility. It was a similar story in Leeds and Colombo and Cape Town.This time it didn’t work out. For a variety of reasons – not least that West Indies played very well – his captaincy debut ended in defeat.Because of that it’s likely that Stokes’ brief reign as England’s Test captain may not be remembered favourably. People will look at the major decisions he made before the start of the game – notably the omission of Stuart Broad and resolving to bat first – and conclude he was simply incorrect.But the truth isn’t that simple. There was actually much to admire in Stokes’ captaincy. It wasn’t just that he top-scored for England in the first innings and the match or that he took most wickets for them in the first innings. It was that he was prepared to take brave decisions, he was prepared to lead from the front and he clearly had the unstinting support of his team. Judging purely by results is simplistic; Stokes looked a very good captain.ALSO READ: Blackwood, Gabriel heroes as Windies seal famous victoryFirstly that decision at the toss. It is true the pitch – which was effectively only used for four days – probably didn’t deteriorate as much as England hoped it would. And it is true England ended up bowling in the nicest weather of the game.But it is also true the bounce became more variable. And it is true there was ever more assistance for the spin of Dom Bess. Perhaps, had England managed another 50 or so runs across their two innings – and they really should have done – it is a decision that would have been fully vindicated. It certainly wasn’t an unreasonable decision.Stokes insisted he had “no regrets” about leaving out Broad, too. And that’s fair. For while Broad may well have been a useful addition to the attack in West Indies’ first innings, there is every chance he would have looked pretty impotent in their second. He has, remember, claimed only one five-wicket haul in his last 28 home Tests; it would be a mistake to believe he has suddenly become a destroyer again. Besides, the bowling really wasn’t England’s issue in this game.But there was an interesting caveat attached to Stokes’ ‘no regrets’ phrase that hinted at impressive depths of empathy with his teammates.”I stand by my decision because if I didn’t, what message would that send to the guys I did pick?” Stokes said. And he’s right: if he were to talk about how much his team missed Broad, it would only lead to Mark Wood and Jofra Archer feeling they were being blamed for the defeat. Archer, in particular, bowled very well in the second innings. Wood bowled better than his figures suggest. Their selections weren’t necessarily wrong; they just didn’t fully work out.The episode revealed aspects of Stokes’ character we don’t always get to see, too. So impressive were his communication skills, he even won praise from Broad for the manner in which his omission was handled.”He has been exceptional,” Broad wrote in his Mail on Sunday column. “He knocked on my hotel room door at 9pm on Thursday and asked for a chat. He said: ‘This is nothing about cricket. I just wanted to know how you’re feeling.’ That was a classy touch and the sort of thing that leads teams forward. If there were any doubts from the outside on how he would deal with being a captain, how he has conducted himself with me should dispel them.”

“I’ve got a good relationship with Jofra. He trusts me a lot and that goes beyond the field. I just asked him to leave nothing out there for me and run through a brick wall. And he did it.”Ben Stokes

It’s instructive to look at the way Stokes handled Archer, too. There have been times in Archer’s brief international career when he has both been over bowled – the Mount Maunganui Test being the nadir of that – and looked a bit unsure what his role was at specific times. Here, after bowling an excellent opening spell which featured a full, probing length and enough lateral movement to trouble all the batsmen, he returned with an older ball to deliver a wonderfully hostile spell.Again, it didn’t work out. But it was a riveting passage of cricket and a reminder that, while he might not be the finished article yet, Archer really could develop into a complete fast bowler.Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes celebrate the dismissal of Roston Chase•AFP via Getty ImagesBut the more pertinent point is, Archer knew exactly what was expected of him at all times and, with the clarity in mind, gave his captain everything he had.”I’ve got a good relationship with Jofra,” Stokes said afterwards. “I think he trusts me a lot and that goes beyond the field. I just asked him to leave nothing out there for me and run through a brick wall. And he did it.”To have someone like that who can go in and out of different scenarios of how you want him to bowl is great. He’s skilful with the new ball and we’ve seen what he can do with the old one: crank it up.”The point is, these decisions about selection and what to do at the toss aren’t necessarily right or wrong. They can be made to look that way by subsequent events but they are generally based on sound logic. It wasn’t the decision to bat first or the decision to leave out Broad that cost England.In the end, it was the smaller details that made the difference. Twice England saw wickets overruled after it transpired their bowlers (Archer and Stokes respectively) had over-stepped. Within a few minutes on the final afternoon, several opportunities to dismiss Blackwood were squandered, notably when Jos Buttler dropped him down the leg side off Stokes on 20. He might also have been caught on 8 and both run-out and caught on 29. Had any of those chances been taken, Stokes’ decision at the toss might have been seen to be inspired.Ben Stokes is left to rue some missed chances by his fielders•AFP via Getty ImagesCrucially, Stokes was also was let down by his team’s batting. In both innings, England batsmen were guilty of soft dismissals that precipitated collapses (4-39 in the first innings; 5-30 in the second). Very few Tests are won by teams which elect to bat first and post only 204 in their first innings. The decision to persist with Joe Denly (who is averaging 24.14 this year) and Buttler (who is averaging 21.38 in 11 Tests in the last year) is hurting England.”We’ll look back, particularly as a batting unit, and understand that when we get into positions, like we did in the first and second innings, we need to be really ruthless,” Stokes said. “We have to understand that when we are on top, we cannot give it back to the opposition. If we had another 60 or 80 runs to play with on the final day, it would have been a different game. We had opportunities to do that in both innings.”Most of all, though, England came up against a side who played very well. At different times in the match, Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph bowled beautiful spells. And, at various times, Kraigg Brathwaite, Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich put a price on their wicket that England’s batsmen would do well to emulate. In Holder they have an impressive leader of their own. His side have won four of the last six Tests between the sides. This isn’t an aberration.In the grand scheme of things, the bigger issue is that this Test took place. And, with the eyes of the cricket-loving world upon it, we were treated to a slow-burning classic that provided a reminder of the sport’s enduring charms. Whether you were supporting England, West Indies or just pleased to see cricket back on your TV, that is something to celebrate. We could have an enthralling series on our hands.

The Boston Red Sox have reportedly added a starting pitcher—but not one that many envisioned.

The Red Sox are acquiring pitcher Dustin May from the Los Angeles Dodgers for first baseman and outfielder James Tibbs, according to Thursday afternoon reports from Robert Murray of FanSided and Jeff Passan of ESPN.

May, a 27-year-old Texas native who once ranked among his organization's most prized prospects, has spent his entire six-year career with the Dodgers. In 2025, he is 6–7 with a 4.85 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 114 innings.

He finished fifth the National League's Rookie of the Year voting in 2020, but was soon felled by a barrage of injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 and elbow surgery in '23; an operation on his esophagus quashed his chances at a comeback in '24.

Boston is currently 59–51, and holds the second of the American League's three wild-card spots in a crowded race. Los Angeles, meanwhile, holds its usual perch atop the National League West division.

There’s been a bit of upheaval in the directorial department at Newcastle United over the past year, but Ross Wilson has forged a neat working relationship with Eddie Howe, and the pair are looking to make improvements at St. James’ Park.

Last year, Howe and his squad defied many odds to lift the Carabao Cup and restore a place in the Champions League. It all came together, and while the sale of talisman Alexander Isak this summer threatened to knock things out of kilter, United have made progress in recent weeks, with new heroes emerging.

Bruno Guimaraes remains the Magpies’ all-inspiring leader, but Malick Thiaw has risen to the occasion since arriving in the Premier League this year, becoming a different kind of driving force for the Tynesiders.

Howe's new leaders at Newcastle

Isak was never a vocal talisman in Howe’s Newcastle squad, but, before the summer transfer window, he led by example on the field, scoring 27 goals across all competitions last season and notching in the Carabao Cup final.

However, Newcastle banked a record fee for his signature, and Guimaraes has only raised his game this term, both from a technical and leadership standpoint.

Though a new forward focal point has yet to properly establish himself, Thiaw has taken to life in the Premier League seamlessly, and Bruno has actually remarked that the imperious German defender is “the future of this club”.

It says something of his character and technical quality that he has arrived from AC Milan for around £35m and swiftly stepped higher than Sven Botman. As per Sofascore, Thiaw, 24, has won 74% of his aerial duels in the Premier League, completing 88% of his passes and yet to make an error.

He’s some player, and Bruno is too, but United may actually have a younger member of their squad who is shooting through the form rankings in the English game, starting to prove he could be the pick of the bunch.

Newcastle made a better signing than Bruno & Thiaw

When Newcastle signed Lewis Hall from Chelsea for £28m (after a season-long loan move throughout the 2023/24 campaign), they knew they had struck a bargain for a young full-back with a wealth of potential.

However, injuries have damaged the 21-year-old’s chances of establishing fluency since that move became permanent, and so it’s interesting to see him playing so well in recent weeks, finally building toward the elite player he could, should, become.

Described as “the best player on the field” by reporter Andy Sixsmith after his monstrous display against Tottenham, Hall has overcome his injury problems and is now reminding the Premier League that he is one of the best in the business. Indeed, with more performances like these, it won’t just be those of a Toon persuasion advocating for him to be on the Three Lions plane across the pond next summer.

Minutes played

90′

Touches

75

Shots (on target)

3 (0)

Accurate passes

36/43 (84%)

Chances created

0

Dribbles

2/2

Recoveries

6

Tackles won

4/4

Interceptions

2

Clearances

4

Duels won

8/15

As per FBref, Hall actually ranks among the top 7% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 11% for progressive passes, and the top 5% for through balls and tackles won per 90.

This is a frighteningly rounded player, his formative career as a centre-midfielder fostering a dynamic skillset that is charging his journey to the top. If the England international can keep fitness levels on his side, then he will only get better and better on Tyneside, potentially even becoming Howe’s main man.

In this, he might become one of the best signings of the PIF era. Already, it is clear that his name belongs in such a conversation, but Hall needs consistency now. Who knows, maybe he could climb up to loftier ground than the likes of Bruno and Thiaw stand on.

There’s also the matter of him arriving from Chelsea after being awarded the Cobham side’s Academy Player of the Year award. Pinched from a direct rival, Hall is developing into a player who will rival the likes of Marc Cucurella for the left-back crown down the line.

With so much room still for growth, there’s every chance that Hall could be Howe’s main man in the not-too-distant future.

Bigger waste of money than Wissa & Elanga: Howe must drop Newcastle dud

Eddie Howe must now axe this big Newcastle United waste of money ahead of the tense Tyne-Wear Derby.

ByKelan Sarson 6 days ago