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Aston Villa have lofty ambitions for next season, despite missing out on the Champions League.

Unai Emery’s project is still very much ongoing, and the next step is for him to lead the club to their first major trophy in nearly 30 years.

The Europa League might be their best shot, especially as winning it will secure a spot in the 2026/27 Champions League.

In order to do this, he will have to sign a few high-profile players while also complying with PSR regulations in the process.

With this in mind, it looks as though the club are chasing a move for a current Barcelona player.

Aston Villa chasing swoop for Barcelona sensation

While it might be slightly more difficult to lure the type of players Emery wants at the club this summer, it isn’t stopping the Spaniard from trying.

Reports in Spain (as per Sport Witness) claim that Villa are battling it out with Chelsea and PSG to sign Barcelona starlet Fermin Lopez.

The report goes on to state that Villa and the French giants have made contact with Lopez and are showing the most interest.

Chelsea could be set to make an offer worth €75m (£63m) in the near future to secure his signature, meaning Emery will have to act swiftly to get his man.

Why Aston Villa must sign Lopez

There are so many talented players at the La Liga side now. Lopez joins a list which includes Pedri, Gavi, Pau Cubarsí and, of course, Lamine Yamal.

Well, of those players, it is Yamal he is most similar to. When compared with positionally similar players in LaLiga this term, FBref suggest that the generational wonderkid and Ballon d’Or contender is the fourth most similar player to Lopez.

While the latter might play a more central role compared to Yamal, who operates on the right wing, the duo have shared similar statistics in La Liga last season.

According to FBref, the duo recorded similar metrics, including shot-creating actions (4.10 vs 5.92) per 90, goal-creating actions (0.50 vs 0.91), successful take-on percentage (45.5% vs 50.9%) and shots on target percentage (36.6% vs 31.9%) per 90 in La Liga for Barcelona.

On that evidence, they are both creative players who love to get at their marker/

Metric

La Liga

Champions League

Goals

6

1

Assists

5

3

Big chances created

8

3

Shots per game

1.5

1.5

Key passes per game

1

0.5

His former manager at the Catalan club described Lopez as having the “whole package” and judging by his statistics and performances last term, this assessment is bang on the money.

Alongside his 11 goal contributions, Lopez also created eight big chances in the top flight, along with averaging one key pass per game.

Considering he started just 12 league games, averaging only 45 minutes per match, these are impressive statistics indeed.

Should he make the move to Villa, he would certainly secure more gametime in the starting XI than he was afforded under Hansi Flick last season.

Will he want to drop and play in the Europa League, however? Or is the long-term project at Villa enough to entice the youngster?

The next few weeks could be interesting indeed, and given he offered similar statistics to those of Yamal last season, he would make for an excellent signing.

"Sensational" GK emerges as Aston Villa's top target to replace Martinez

The Villans have identified a 25-year-old goalkeeper as their first-choice option to replace Emiliano Martinez this summer.

ByDominic Lund Jun 9, 2025

While the major honours haven’t come – bar some FA Cups – Arsenal have had some supremely gifted players pull on the famous red and white shirt during the Emirates era.

In Mikel Arteta’s current team, you’ve got the likes of William Saliba, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, who wouldn’t look too out of place in some of the club’s more successful sides.

Go back a little further, and the likes of Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Özil were wowing fans every week, but perhaps the player who entertained more than any other during his stint at the club was Alexis Sanchez.

Appearances

166

Minutes

13556′

Goals

80

Assists

44

Goal Involvements per Match

0.74

Minutes per Goal Involvement

109.32′

The Chilean international racked up a stellar haul of 80 goals and 44 assists in 166 games for the North Londoners, and while his exit left a dreadfully sour taste in the mouths of fans, he remains one of the very best players to have graced the Emirates.

So, fans should be incredibly excited about recent reports linking the club with another superstar attacker who could be their new Sanchez.

Arsenal transfer news

With Arsenal’s need for more goals in the team next year undeniable, there have been several talented wingers linked with the side in recent weeks, like Antoine Semenyo and Bryan Mbeumo.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former could be available for just £42m in the summer, which seems like more than a fair price, as not only can he play on either side of the pitch, but he’s also scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 40 games this year.

Mbeumo looks set to be marginally more expensive at £51m, but even then, that seems like a reasonable price for a winger who’s scored 18 goals and provided nine assists in just 40 appearances for Brentford this term.

However, if a winger has the potential to be the Gunners’ next Sanchez, they have to be truly special, like Rodrygo.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are indeed interested in the Real Madrid superstar.

In fact, he goes a step further, revealing that the North Londoners are “one of the clubs that has shown the most interest” in the Brazilian international, or in other words, they are currently leading the race for him.

However, while no price is mentioned in the report, stories from earlier this month claim that it could cost up to £85m to sign the talented winger this year.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Rodrygo’s incredible ability, it’s one worth splashing the cash for.

Why Rodrygo would be Arsenal's new Sanchez

Given Sanchez’s spectacular stint with Arsenal, it’s certainly a big claim to say that Rodrygo could be the club’s new version of him, but there are some key similarities.

Firstly, like the former Barcelona player with Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr, the Real ace would be making his way to the Emirates to get out of the shadow of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.

Second, he’d be leaving one of Spain’s big two for the Gunners at 24 years old, just a year younger than the Chilean icon.

Moreover, he’d be able to add some much-needed threat to the North Londoners’ left-hand side, which has been seriously lacking this term.

For example, in 50 appearances, the Osasco-born dynamo has scored 13 goals and provided ten assists, and then last year, he managed to rack up a sensational haul of 18 goals and nine assists in 52 games.

Appearances

267

Minutes

16060′

Goals

68

Assists

50

Goal Involvements per Match

0.44

Minutes per Goal Involvement

136.10′

Furthermore, it’s not just the fact he can score and create goals from the wing; it’s the way in which he plays, the way in which he drives at defences and terrifies opposition defenders that could see him become like Sanchez.

Finally, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, also knows how to win, as, during his time with Los Blancos, he has lifted three La Liga titles, two Champion Leagues, one Spanish Cup and plenty more.

Ultimately, from the similarity in how he might join the club to his playing style and output, Rodrygo has every chance of becoming Arsenal’s new Sanchez, so Arteta and Co have to do all they can to sign him as soon as possible.

Their answer to Salah: Arsenal make offer for £63m CF who's outscoring Isak

The dazzling striker could be the one to lead Arsenal to glory next year.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 14, 2025

West Ham United have reportedly submitted a contract offer to a “beautiful footballer” ahead of a potential London Stadium free transfer.

West Ham preparing for summer after costly 2024/25 season

The Hammers are making preparations ahead of Graham Potter’s first full season in charge of the Irons, with the club having nothing to play for in the remaining Premier League fixtures.

The current campaign hasn’t gone to plan for West Ham, who spent big last summer when Julen Lopetegui was in charge. He didn’t last long and was sacked at the beginning of the year, with Tim Steidten also following him out of the London Stadium door shortly after.

Max Kilman

Wolves

€47.5m

Crysencio Summerville

Leeds United

€29.3m

Niclas Fullkrug

Borussia Dortmund

€27m

Luis Guilherme

Palmeiras

€23m

Mohamadou Kante

Paris FC

Undisclosed

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Man Utd

€18m

Wes Foderingham

Sheffield United

Free transfer

Guido Rodriguez

Real Betis

Free transfer

Jean-Clair Todibo

Nice

Loan transfer

Carlos Soler

PSG

Loan transfer

Evan Ferguson

Brighton

Loan transfer

Now, with Potter in charge and Mark Noble still as sporting director, West Ham have been linked with a number of new signings.

Up to 10 players could be on the way out of West Ham and in regards to incomings, the likes of Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg and Udinese defender Oumar Solet are just two targets.

The new Payet: West Ham have unlocked a "future icon" of the London Stadium

West Ham’s “future icon” could be their next Dimitri Payet

ByConnor Holden Apr 8, 2025

A striker is also on the agenda, with Lille’s Jonathan David, Fiorentina’s Moise Kean and Corinthians’ Yuri Alberto three attackers thought to be of interest to West Ham.

West Ham make offer to sign Kyle Walker-Peters

Now, according to talkSPORT, West Ham have made their move to sign Southampton right-back Kyle Walker-Peters this summer. The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of the current campaign, and with the Saints already relegated, is set to be on the way out of St Mary’s.

It is reported that West Ham have made a contract offer to Walker-Peters via his reps, and the Irons are thought to be leading the race to sign the defender.

Potter feels like Walker-Peters can be a shrewd addition and provide an option at both right-back and left-back, with the boss currently happy with Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right-hand side. As well as Walker-Peters, the Hammers are also keen on Southampton duo Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Aaron Ramsdale.

Should Walker-Peters make the move to London with West Ham over the coming months, he would arrive with plenty of Premier League experience under his belt.

Called a “beautiful footballer” by former Saints manager Russell Martin, he has made 144 appearances in the top flight after previously coming through the ranks at Tottenham.

Interestingly, Football Transfers have likened Walker-Peters to West Ham left-back Emerson Palmieri, and soon, he could be rivalling the Italian and Wan-Bissaka for a starting spot.

A transfer looks like one to keep an eye on, as West Ham await a reply from the defender over a move to link up with Potter.

It can take a lot out of you to silence the RCB fans, but Mayank made it seem like child’s play

Shashank Kishore03-Apr-20243:03

Should Mayank be fast-tracked into India’s T20 World Cup squad?

For a moment, no one quite knew where the ball was.Mayank Yadav had just clean-bowled Cameron Green. The ball clipped the stumps and flew over wicketkeeper KL Rahul’s head to the boundary.You couldn’t have faulted anyone for being swept off their feet by the visceral thrill of watching a raw fast bowler bounding in, gold chain gleaming and bouncing from side to side under the lights, with just pace, and nothing else, on his mind.Related

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The Mayank Yadav story: from not having a run-up to lighting up the IPL

He had just left Green, nearly six-and-a-half feet tall and expected to have undergone a trial by pace and bounce many times over as part of his cricketing initiation in Western Australia’s famed WACA ground, jittery. His feet movement told you so. Mayank had beaten him twice with the short ball, clocked at 156.8kph and 155.6kph respectively.The one that got him was bowled at 146.2kph. But the skid off the pitch made it appear quicker. Green made no effort to get behind the line; he stayed leg side of the ball and offered a tentative prod to a delivery veering into the stumps. He had been beaten by pace, neck and crop; it didn’t matter if he had played down the wrong line.It was as if the bails flying off was a siren ringing loud for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Only a ball earlier, Green had flat-batted Mayank’s attempted short ball to the boundary with the ball bursting through Deepak Hooda’s hands at mid-on. When you are that quick like Mayank was, you can get carried away.Mayank Yadav clocked 156.7kph in his searing spell•BCCIWhile he seemed momentarily disappointed – he threw his hands up and looked skywards – he was calm amid the chaos he was causing once back to his run-up, trusting himself to trouble the batter once again. As it turned out, he had to wait all of one delivery. It was a thrilling sight.What could you have possibly said of Mayank that you didn’t the other night? Many things.What you could not was that the speed gun was faulty. And that his sensational debut spell in Lucknow was a one-off. You could see the pace and fire. The crowd, loud and often unabashed in their support for RCB, had been silenced. It can take a lot out of you to silence them, but Mayank had just made it seem like child’s play.This dream delivery was the sequel to a thunderbolt that felled another Australian, a maverick no less.Only Glenn Maxwell can tell if it was an ego thing. You wondered how much of his attempt to pull Mayank was down to him trying to stamp his authority over a rookie and tell him: “I’m Glenn Maxwell and the crowd’s here to watch me.” But the 153.7kph thunderbolt left him short-changed by a few milliseconds. Cramped for room, all Maxwell could do was spoon one high off the bat to Nicholas Pooran at mid-on.You could see that very moment – even without the speed gun influencing you – why there has been so much talk and attention around the 21-year-old. He was unlikely to escape attention bowling thunderbolts north of 150kph anyway. But he has shown over the course of his first two IPL games how he can marry that pace with accuracy – he didn’t bowl a single wide on Tuesday.3:15

Moody: Mayank has great control and a mature head to go with his pace

It wasn’t like RCB were caught off guard. Mahipal Lomror, one of their best batters on the night, touched upon the team having made plans for him prior to the game. The idea was to use his pace and access areas behind square, and not to attack him in front of it.Maxwell did. Green did, to an extent. Rajat Patidar, Mayank’s third wicket of the night, certainly did in trying to play a release shot. Hitting a 150kph bowler in front of square can be challenging enough; it can perhaps be even more so when you are trying to fetch it from head height outside off.Mayank’s spell of 4-0-14-3 earned him a second straight Player-of-the-Match award. It left you in awe as much for his pace as it did for the intrigue of what is to come. Sure enough, Mayank would be made aware of the pitfalls of stardom, if he has not been already. He only needs to look at Umran Malik from a couple of years ago.Umran’s has been a story of what could have been. But he is still young and could yet revive a career that has seemingly hit a rough patch at the moment. At 21, Mayank has already seen injuries rob him of a season, but there is a demeanour to him that points to oodles of maturity and understanding of his body.His rise to stardom has been as quick as his thunderbolts. He, and Indian cricket, will be dearly hoping the trajectory continues to curve upwards.

Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair bat for day-night first class games in future

Himanshu Agrawal05-Jun-2022The 2020-21 season was the first time that the Ranji Trophy had to be shelved because Covid-19 had intervened in the way of India’s premier first-class competition. Though it returned the following season, the BCCI decided to hold it in a truncated format. Teams played just three group games as opposed to the usual eight and needed at least two outright wins to make it to the quarter-finals.”That’s been a big challenge because it’s important for you to start with your A-game from the first match itself,” Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran tells ESPNcricinfo. “With eight games, teams used to peak at the right time – you could say probably around the fifth game – and in about two or three outright wins, we were there [qualified for the next stage]. And qualification was also a little easier because the number of teams that would qualify from a group was more.”But senior Karnataka batter Karun Nair looked at the brighter picture despite the fact that teams would have to top their respective groups to qualify for the knockouts. Even then, Jharkhand had to face Nagaland in the pre-quarter-final since seven other group toppers performed better.Related

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“The format was nice in that the top team qualifies and gets to play the knockouts,” he said. “It does put pressure on teams, but we always look to win every game we play. So the amount of pressure on us is the same every time we go out there and play.”It was not just about the fewer group games. The two-month long IPL season was squeezed between the Ranji Trophy, split between the league stage and the knockouts. That, in turn, meant teams in good form would end up losing momentum, and most players without IPL contracts would find themselves with an unwanted break.Bengal, for instance, registered three consecutive victories on their way to making it to the quarters. They beat Baroda by four wickets in a successful chase of 349, defended 239 against Hyderabad, and triumphed over Chandigarh by 152 runs.”It has been challenging because we had the momentum. We had been playing really good cricket, and won three outright games,” Easwaran said. “But that’s there for every single team that has qualified. We are not too much worried about that.”Like six other Indian players without IPL contracts, Easwaran hopped across the border to participate in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL), Bangladesh’s List-A competition, to keep himself in touch with the game while most others competed in the IPL.”I was looking to play some good standard cricket, and playing with and against a lot of international cricketers,” Easwaran said of his short overseas trip. “It was a really good tournament, and I played a few club games in Calcutta [after that]. You can say that we would love to be a part of the IPL, but that is not in the individual’s hand.”While an entire IPL season thrown in between a first-class competition presented the challenge of switching between formats in a short span of time, there was also the question of player fatigue. Those part of the T20 tournament as well as their Ranji sides had to play three first-class fixtures in a row before moving over to the IPL, where teams were scheduled to play 14 group matches in what was a ten-team event unlike the eight it has been since 2014.For instance, Nair’s Karnataka team-mate Prasidh Krishna pulled out of the upcoming Ranji quarter-final against Uttar Pradesh citing workload management. Prasidh was picked in India’s squad of 17 for the upcoming fifth Test against England which starts July 1, with the national team set to depart in the second week of June.”You have to adjust to circumstances. We all are really happy for Prasidh getting selected for the Indian team,” Nair said. “It is the team management’s call to give him this break after a really long IPL.”But is a split Ranji competition a concept worth exploring in the future? England and Australia have been breaking their first-class tournaments with the shorter-format events completed in between, a concept in place for a number of years now.Historically, India has been hosting the Ranji final in February or March, when it gets darker in the evenings much earlier than in May or June. However, flip the coin and you notice that monsoon starts knocking on the door by this time of the year.”If we play in May or June, we won’t get too many venues to play in and you would have to do away with the home-and-away rules because I don’t think you can play in a place like Bengal in June,” Easwaran said.Suresh Raina tosses the pink ball to Ashok Dinda during the 2016-17 Duleep Trophy•AFP‘Day-night games in Ranji would be great’
With day-night Tests occasionally being hosted by some of the top nations – Australia have hosted at least one such fixture every home summer since 2015-16 – adapting to the pink ball and playing under floodlights become key.India has hosted only three day-night Tests so far, with the Ranji Trophy yet to stage any such match. Only the now-scrapped Duleep Trophy has had day-night first-class matches; 12 such games were split across 2016, 2017 and 2018.”It’s something that is going to be more incorporated in the coming years,” Nair said. “There is going to be more and more day-night Tests happening in India. I am sure we’ll also get day-night Ranji games.”Easwaran also looked forward to a couple of pink-ball matches every Ranji season, reasoning it would be good practice for someone selected for the national team, especially since day-night Tests might happen more frequently in the times to come.”BCCI can take a few steps to get in at least one or two pink-ball games because if somebody gets picked [for India], he will have a better exposure and a better experience to take forward,” he said. “One or two games in a year would be great if India consider playing a pink-ball Test every series.”I don’t think most guys have played with a pink ball in a day-night game. Conditions change, it is a different ball, and we are playing at a different time. You get to learn a lot.”

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. This one of Shohei Ohtani and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from Game 4 of the 2025 World Series, however, is worth roughly $1.2 billion—in their combined salary, that is.

The Blue Jays showed their grit and resilience Tuesday night to even the series against the Dodgers after Game 3's 18-inning marathon thriller. The most-watched man of the Fall Classic might be two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who stepped onto the mound for Game 4 less than a day after he reached base nine times in Los Angeles' win.

But even Ohtani couldn't contain Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who crushed a two-run homer off the Dodgers pitcher in the third inning of Toronto's 6-2 victory in Game 4.

Guerrero's homer was his seventh this postseason, passing Joe Carter and José Bautista for the most postseason home runs in Blue Jays' franchise history. His 26 hits and counting are also tied for second-most in a single postseason in MLB history.

On a historic and very happy night for the Blue Jays, this epic photo of Guerrero and Ohtani taken by Sean Haffey from Getty Images has rightfully gone viral on social media:

Blue Jays fans were already hailing it as the greatest picture of the World Series, one that should be hung in the team's clubhouse if Toronto goes on to win the title:

Iconic.

Game 5 of the series will take place Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Whether his demotion to No. 7 was down to his own poor form, or an opponent-specific tactic, it has raised more questions than answers

Karthik Krishnaswamy22-Apr-20255:51

Knight on Pant batting at No. 7: It is ‘bizarre’

What were Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) thinking, on Tuesday night against Delhi Capitals (DC), when they pushed Rishabh Pant so far down the order that he batted outside the top six for the first time in the IPL since his debut season in 2016? What was Pant’s role in making this decision, as LSG’s captain?In a short, post-match interview with the broadcaster after LSG had lost the IPL 2025 match by eight wickets in Lucknow, Pant’s explanation was a terse one: “[The] idea was to capitalise. We sent [Abdul] Samad to capitalise on a wicket like that, but after that [David] Miller came in, and we just really got stuck in the wicket, but eventually these are the things we’ve got to figure out and try to find our best combination going forward.”That statement calls for a little bit of unpacking. First, it was Samad who walked in at No. 4, Pant’s usual position, when LSG lost their second wicket in the 12th over. Perhaps what Pant meant by “capitalise” was that LSG were looking for quick runs, and felt that Samad – who had scored 20 off 11 balls and an unbeaten 30 off 10 in LSG’s last two games – could provide them some of those at that stage.Related

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There were signs already that this was an old-ball pitch, with the extent of reverse swing and grip for slower balls increasing as LSG’s innings progressed. With that in mind, LSG may have been looking to send Samad in when there was still a good chance of the ball coming on to the bat.The move didn’t come off on the day, with Samad caught and bowled by Mukesh Kumar for two off eight balls. Pant didn’t come out at the fall of Samad’s wicket either, or at the fall of the next wicket later in the same over, the 14th of LSG’s innings, when Mukesh bowled Mitchell Marsh with a yorker.David Miller walked in at No. 5, and he was followed to the crease by Ayush Badoni, who came off the substitutes’ bench for the second match running. It was also the second match in a row where LSG had used a batter as their Impact Player even though they batted first. Typically, teams name a batting-heavy starting XI if they bat first and replace one of their batters with a bowler.Badoni had come off the bench to score a crucial 34-ball 50 in LSG’s previous game against Rajasthan Royals (RR). In that game, he batted at No. 5 when LSG lost their third wicket – of Pant – in their eighth over. LSG may have felt then that they needed someone to come in and steady their innings and give their end-overs hitters more favourable entry points.In this match, Badoni came in with just six overs remaining. As it happened, he made a strong contribution, his 21-ball 36 giving LSG a bit of impetus at the death even as Miller – who made an unbeaten 14 off 15 balls – struggled at the other end.With the Miller-Badoni partnership stretching into the final over, Pant finally came to the crease with just two balls remaining. He tried to manufacture boundaries off both balls, but didn’t put bat to ball against either, with Mukesh bowling him as he attempted a reverse-scoop off the final ball.Pant has endured a difficult IPL 2025, and came into Tuesday’s game having scored just 106 runs in 108 balls across seven innings. This, perhaps, may have led him to demote himself – if he took the decision – behind batters in better form.His long-time Test-match team-mate Cheteshwar Pujara, however, was having none of it. “I genuinely don’t know what the thought process was,” he said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut. “There’s no doubt he should be batting up the order. He’s trying to do what MS Dhoni does, but he’s nowhere near [Dhoni’s age].5:50

‘An under-pressure captain affects the whole team’

“I still feel he’s someone who should be batting in the middle overs, between [overs] six and 15. He’s not a finisher, and he shouldn’t be doing the job of a finisher.”Pujara’s co-panelist Nick Knight, the former England opener, felt he could accept the reasons for the move, but didn’t like the optics.”I’ve not really a problem with Badoni batting at four-five,” Knight said. “I see some rationale in that, because I think he’s playing well, and I think he’s more likely to score runs than Rishabh Pant. There’s the problem. Samad you could probably say the same, he’s more likely to score runs than Rishabh Pant. David Miller, you could say the same.”When you look at the decision-making, perhaps in rationale it makes some sense. Where I don’t like it at all is it just doesn’t look very good. There is your captain, sliding, going backwards in the batting order when you really need him to step up. He’s the one that’s going to be standing up and talking in front of your team, he’s the one who’s leading you out there. He’s your leader, and it just doesn’t look great when the leader is going the other way.”From that perspective that’s my problem, because I would agree – Badoni is probably more likely to score runs, etc etc. It doesn’t look right.”A second-order glance at Pant’s IPL 2025 numbers throws up a more specific reason for his demotion: a tactical retreat against spin. Coming into Tuesday’s game, he had struggled against both styles of bowling, but while he had managed a strike rate of 117.46 against pace, he had gone at just 71.11 against spin.2:29

Why is Rishabh Pant more successful in Tests than T20s?

This pattern had held true even during his one sizeable innings of the season, a 49-ball 63 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). In that innings, he had scored 18 off 23 balls against the spinners and 45 off 26 against the faster bowlers. The bulk of the damage he had done against the quicks had come late in LSG’s innings. Batting on 40 off 39 at the start of the 18th over, Pant had hit three sixes in his next ten balls, off the pace of Matheesha Pathirana and Khaleel Ahmed.And so, like a number of batters have done before him in the IPL – including fellow keeper-batters Dinesh Karthik and Dhoni – Pant on Tuesday may have been looking to hold himself back with match-ups in mind, with DC still having two overs of Kuldeep Yadav left when Badoni joined Miller. That Pant ended up getting to face just two balls wasn’t in his control; the partnership between Miller and Badoni ended up consuming 34 balls.For all that, though, there’s one major difference between the cases of Karthik or Dhoni for a delayed entry point and that of Pant. Karthik and Dhoni have been finishers for most of their T20 careers, and for large parts of those careers were deemed to be pace-hitting specialists. Pant has mostly batted through the middle overs, and for much of his career has been a brilliant, unconventional hitter of spin.Of late, though, his output against spin has dwindled. Pant had strike rates of 147 or more against that style of bowling in each of his first four IPL seasons. Since 2020, he has gone at sub-120 strike rates in four out of five seasons, including the current one.Pant is just 27, though, and may yet have time on his side to reverse this downturn against spin; Karthik and Dhoni were in their mid-to-late 30s by the time they became pigeonholed as pace-hitters. It’s unlikely Pant sees himself in the finisher’s role in the long term anyway, given the damage his style of play – involving manipulation of fields and hitting the ball in unusual areas – can cause through the middle overs.A top-order role, in fact, is perhaps better suited to Pant’s strengths if he’s looking to avoid a confrontation with spin, or to face it on slightly easier terms, with powerplay field restrictions on his side. But with LSG boasting one of the most in-form opening partnerships of IPL 2025 in Marsh and Aiden Markram, and with their No. 3 Nicholas Pooran in exceptional form and sitting second on the Orange Cap standings, there perhaps isn’t a top-order slot for Pant to occupy without causing what he and the team management may feel is unnecessary disruption.Rishabh Pant came in at No. 7, and was bowled second ball•Associated PressSo the move down to a finisher’s role may be an entirely temporary one tailored to the circumstances LSG and Pant are currently in. It may even just be opponent-specific. In this match against DC, Pant may have felt he was likelier to contribute meaningfully if he avoided a showdown with one of the tournament’s best spinners in Kuldeep. It’s instructive that the one other time he demoted himself in this manner – in LSG’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 8, when he eventually didn’t bat at all – was against another of the IPL’s better spin-bowling teams.There may have been enough reasons, then, for Pant to have held himself back as he did on Tuesday, but one puzzling question still remains: why use Badoni as Impact sub when he could have been part of the starting XI, and allowed LSG to bring in a bowler later in the game? This question has carried a particular sense of urgency in LSG’s last two games, when their bench has included the exciting, 150kph-breaching Mayank Yadav, who is nearing a highly anticipated return from back and toe injuries that have kept him out of action since October 2024.The answer, perhaps, is that LSG don’t feel Mayank is as yet fit to bowl his full four-over quota, and that they have started their last two games with a five-bowler XI with the idea of potentially bringing Mayank on for a one- or two-over burst if they got through the first half of their match without needing to bolster their batting. That, however, didn’t happen either against RR or DC.

Ronny Simon is turning his awful game into a positive.

The Miami Marlins second baseman committed four errors in the first four innings of his team's matchup with the San Diego Padres Tuesday night. Though the official scorer later changed one error to a hit, the damage was done. Simon could be seen crying during a break in the action. On Wednesday, he offered a fresh perspective on what happened.

Simon told reporters he heard from several current and former players after the game, including two Padres, as Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arraez reached out to him.

His full statement is below.

That's a great attitude for the 25-year-old to have. It's worth noting that he was the first player out on the field working out before Wednesday's game.

The Marlins collapsed as a team on Tuesday night. They took a 6–0 lead in the top of the first inning, then allowed the Padres to mount a furious comeback. San Diego wound up winning 8–6.

In their bid to move up in a crowded American League West race, the Athletics are reportedly turning to a minor-league masher.

The Sacramento-based team is calling up first baseman, left fielder and right fielder Nick Kurtz from the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, according to a Monday afternoon report from Martin Gallegos of MLB.com.

Kurtz, 22, was taken fourth in last year's MLB draft by the Athletics after a strong collegiate career with Wake Forest. With the Aviators this season, Kurtz has slashed .321/.385/.655 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs.

All told, Kurtz comes to Sacramento having played 32 minor-league games—seven in Single-A, five in Double-A, and 20 in Triple-A.

The Athletics are currently 10–12—last in the AL West, but just three games behind the first-place Texas Rangers. The two teams are scheduled to meet in a three-game series beginning Monday in Sacramento, with Kurtz presumably in line to make his MLB debut at some point.

If there is to be one major criticism of Daniel Farke and the squad that both he and the Leeds United hierarchy have assembled at Elland Road, it is the lack of quality and creativity in the final third.

The sight of Jack Harrison and Brenden Aaronson lining up on the flanks in recent weeks, in particular, perhaps illustrates that point best, with Harrison’s days in Yorkshire looking to have been over after spending the previous two seasons on loan at Everton.

From the delights of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter in the recent past, there is a real void now in the Whites’ forward line. Where will the magic come from? Which player will truly get the crowd off their seat?

Such concerns have stemmed from a side that has scored just ten goals in 11 Premier League games this season, with centre-back Joe Rodon currently the joint-highest scorer with two goals, alongside Lukas Nmecha and Noah Okafor.

Stodgy and scrappy, there is little to get behind with regard to Farke’s football right now, with a change in the dugout, or January investment, likely to be required.

On the latter point, the Whites could save themselves by reintegrating a handful of forgotten stars, with Joe Gelhardt among those currently thriving out on loan.

Can Leeds recall Gelhardt from Hull City?

At 23, there is a sense that the ship has sailed for Leeds’ former wonderkid, with Gelhardt having burst onto the scene under Marcelo Bielsa, following his arrival from Wigan Athletic in 2020.

Lauded as a “human wrecking ball” by the Argentine genius, the then-teenager did score twice in the Premier League during the 2021/22 campaign, although that was about as good as it got, having since spent recent years on loan at Sunderland and Hull City.

The rampaging left-footer – who has scored three goals in 57 total games for Leeds – initially joined the Tigers in January, before sealing a season-long loan return over the summer, having not been included in Farke’s pre-season plans.

Finally settled and afforded a consistent run of games, the Englishman is relishing his role as Hull’s new talisman, scoring seven goals in just 15 Championship games so far in 2025/26. Hull City manager Sergej Jakirović is among those dishing out the plaudits.

With his parent club currently struggling to fire, there might be a temptation to bring Gelhardt back into the Elland Road fold, not least if there were to be a change in manager.

As reported by Leeds Live last week, however, there are no plans to end the forward’s stay at the MKM stadium, despite the presence of a recall clause, with the 5 foot 9 star expected to see out the campaign with the second-tier side.

As noted by The Athletic’s Beren Cross – who corroborated those claims – the hope is that such a fruitful loan will enhance his transfer value, with the 23-year-old’s existing Leeds deal set to expire in 2027.

Games (starts)

15 (13)

Goals

7

Mins per goal

159

Big chances missed

4

Goal conversion

19%

Assists

2

Key passes*

0.9

Big chances created

2

Successful dribbles*

1.3

A return might not be on the cards then for Gelhardt, but could it be for arguably an even bigger talent?

Leeds loan star has "similarities to Summerville"

Among the criticisms of Farke’s tenure of late is the treatment of Largie Ramazani, with the Manchester United academy graduate having been restricted to a bit-part role following his arrival from Almeria in the summer of 2024.

A player lauded as having “so many similarities to Summerville” – in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson – due to his blistering pace and trickery on the flanks, the fleet-footed forward was restricted to just seven starts in the Championship last time out.

That limited role may have come amid issues with injury, although even when fit and firing, Farke tended to look elsewhere, despite the fact that the 24-year-old still managed to chip in with six goals and two assists from his 29 total league appearances.

That matches the eight goals involvements he chalked up in LaLiga the year prior for Almeria, have already proven – unlike Gelhardt – that he can flourish in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Also hailed as “the mini-Vinicius” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, during his first stint in Spain, the diminutive winger is an undoubted talent, with Leeds unfortunately yet to truly see the best of him.

Frustratingly for Ramazani too, neither have his current loan club, Valencia, with his return to LaLiga yielding just a solitary assist thus far, having again been pushed out to the periphery at the Mestalla.

Perhaps that suggests Farke was right to send him on his way, although at a time when Leeds are missing a spark, a player to bring a renewed level of excitement, the Summerville-esque speedster could well have provided just that.

Thankfully, as Cross reported, the Whites do have the option to end Ramazani’s temporary stay and bring him back to England, albeit with the most likely outcome set to be the forward then heading back out on loan for the remainder of the season.

Farke – or a potential successor in the dugout – will hopefully have a change of heart, with the forgotten Belgian arguably the player that Leeds should be looking to reintegrate, despite Gelhardt’s continued brilliance.

Farke has "wrecking ball" out on loan who can end Aaronson's Leeds career

Leeds could turn to this player to help solve their attacking issues

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 11, 2025