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Newcastle United have yet to make a signing so far this summer and it’s fair to say a large section of the fanbase are getting edgy.

Eddie Howe must bolster several areas of his squad ahead of next season, especially with Champions League football returning to St James’ Park once again.

There hasn’t been a shortage of names linked. From Joao Pedro to Harvey Elliott, Howe is keen on strengthening his attacking options.

It is the defence which perhaps needs the most work, however. Could a deal for Marc Guehi be completed before the end of the window?

Newcastle's pursuit of Marc Guehi

The Magpies have been tracking Guehi for quite some time now, and it remains to be seen whether Howe will be able to make a concrete move to sign him.

Last season, the English centre-back ranked highly across a range of metrics when compared to his peers. Indeed, he ranked in the top 21% for ball recoveries (4.3) per 90 and in the top 20% for blocks (1.62) and in the top 22% for dribblers tackled (0.91) per 90.

He also won an impressive 63% of his ground duels per game in the Premier League last term, suggesting that the defender would make for an excellent signing.

Accurate passes

43.1

Tackles

1.8

Interceptions

0.8

Total duels won

4.9

Possession lost

9.7

Ball recoveries

4.3

Yet, with Liverpool now in talks to land the Englishman, reportedly even closing in on a move, the Toon will have to turn to alternative options.

Newcastle's dream Guehi alternative

According to reports in Italy (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are locked in talks to sign Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini this summer.

The report states that Atalanta don’t want to sell the 21-year-old, but if an offer of around €40-50m (£34m – £43m) arrives, they might have to reconsider.

It won’t be cheap bringing the player to Newcastle, but he could be a dream Guehi alternative, that’s for sure.

The youngster only played six league games last term, but he still won 57% of his total duels per game, as well as averaging 1.3 tackles per game and succeeding with 85% of his passes.

Hailed as a “top talent” by none other than Fabrizio Romano back in 2022, Scalvini could come of age should he make a move to St James’ Park this summer.

While he didn’t play often last term, when compared to his peers during Atalanta’s victorious Europa League campaign in 2023/24, he sparkled across several metrics.

Not only did he rank in the top 2% for tackles per 90 (3.94), but he also ranked in the top 21% for progressive carries (1.31) and in the top 7% for ball recoveries (7.69) per 90.

Pitting those numbers against Guehi last term, Guehi only made 1.79 tackles, 0.65 progressive carries and 4.30 ball recoveries per 90 minutes.

Against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final that season, the Italian notably managed to keep the likes of Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface quiet, winning three of his four duels and losing possession just once.

Should he make the move to Newcastle and replicate that performance on a consistent basis, Scalvini could perhaps be an even better signing than Guehi. That’s for sure.

The next Gordon: Newcastle have made contact to sign "special" £40m star

Newcastle are seeking to bolster their ranks ahead of their return to Champions League football

2 ByRobbie Walls Jun 29, 2025

Seamer will bolster T20 squad after departures of Xavier Bartlett and Wes Agar

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2024

Tom Rogers has spent the last two BBL season with Melbourne Renegades•Getty Images

Kent have signed Melbourne Renegades seamer Tom Rogers for the second block of Vitality T20 Blast group games.Rogers, 30, has several years’ experience in the Big Bash League with Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes but this will be his first stint in county cricket. In all T20 cricket, Rogers has taken 60 wickets at 24.78 with an economy of 8.38.”We’re pleased to have got Tom on board to sure-up our bowling options going into the ‘business end’ of this South Group stage,” Kent’s director of cricket, Simon Cook, said. “He has a lot of experience and has skills that will be useful to us with both the ball and the bat, too.”Rogers will reinforce Kent’s bowling in the Blast, with Xavier Bartlett having only been made available for the first eight group games and Wes Agar returning to Australia early due to a shoulder injury.Kent are currently second from bottom in the South Group, having won two games, but could still fight their way into contention for a top-four spot.”I’m grateful for the opportunity to play in the Vitality Blast and I’m excited to be joining Kent,” Rogers said. “We know that every game is vital for us now, and I want to do my part in getting results as a Spitfire in the near future.”

Premier League football has very much taken a backseat at Manchester United with the upcoming Europa League final a huge match for everyone associated with the Red Devils.

Of course, the season wouldn’t be seen as an overwhelming success story even if Ruben Amorim’s men do lift the trophy over Tottenham Hotspur, considering his side sit in a depressingly poor 16th spot in the top-flight, but a memorable win out in Bilbao would be a much-needed ray of sunshine nonetheless.

Alongside restoring some pride, adding the Europa League into the decorated Old Trafford trophy room would also see Champions League football return to the Theatre of Dreams.

Off the back of that potentially occurring, United could be able to lure some top talents to England, with a whole host of interesting names already being linked with a summer switch to the red half of Manchester.

Man United preparing whopping £113m transfer

On top of the added bonus of being potentially back in the illustrious Champions League, the Red Devils are an attractive club to come to based on past prestige alone.

That’s a possible explanation as to why Matheus Cunha reportedly remains keen on a move to United over sticking it out with Wolverhampton Wanderers, alongside Sporting goal machine Viktor Gyokeres being linked with an Amorim reunion.

But, there is another blockbuster move reportedly in the works that could trump both of these statement deals, with reports from Spain now suggesting that United have lodged a mammoth bid of £113m to try and land RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons.

Transfer Focus

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

Amorim’s bruised giants would really show they mean business after such a turbulent campaign if they were to land the services of the dynamic Dutchman and it’s stated that they are ‘desperate’ bring him to Old Trafford.

How Simons could be Fernandes 2.0

There is a hope that Simons could come into the English game and be as dazzling as Bruno Fernandes has been in the attacking midfield positions since leaving Portugal behind.

Whilst Simons will be expected to achieve big things on his arrival – especially at that steep £113m price-tag – it’s unlikely he will come into the building aiming to directly surpass Fernandes during his Old Trafford stay.

After all, Fernandes is now up to a mighty 184 goal contributions across 288 games donning United red, with a very impressive 38 of those being notched up just this season, even as Amorim’s side sink to grim new lows.

But, Simons will still strive to be the club’s next version of Fernandes in time, with the Leipzig number 20 equally as skilful and goal-and-assist heavy as his experienced Red Devils counterpart when at the peak of his powers.

Indeed, just this campaign alone, the £113m-rated attacker has managed to pick up a blistering 11 goals and eight assists from 33 appearances, meaning he could slot in as another bright spark from the midfield areas like the Portuguese ace.

24/25

Leipzig

33

11

8

23/24

Leipzig

43

10

15

22/23

PSV

48

22

11

The pair could even link up alongside each other in Amorim’s system – with Simons also capable of playing down either the left or right wing.

Yet, it’s obvious when looking at the numbers above that the 22-year-old could go on to reach Fernandes’ lofty heights regardless of what the future United XI looks like, with a crazy 77 goals and assists amassed by Simons over the last three seasons.

After all, the modern-day United great was once just an electric performer out in Europe himself with Sporting, before going on to be given an opportunity in the Premier League to expand his game even more.

Once branded as “exceptional” by Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund for his excellent exploits in Bundesliga, it could now be time for Simons to make that same leap to England, with United needing to splash the big bucks to begin their major summer overhaul.

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Manchester United could be about to land a star who could nail down one key position in Ruben Amorim’s squad.

ByEthan Lamb May 16, 2025

Everton are planning for a busy summer, with The Friedkin Group willing to back David Moyes as he whips his side into shape.

The Scottish manager has been brilliant since replacing Sean Dyche in the dugout, but there’s only so much he can do without investment across numerous positions, angling the Toffees toward a state of confidence and coherence, capable of competing at the upper end of the Premier League.

There’s no question the Merseysiders need more goals as they step into the Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium, and Moyes appears to have found his man already, with Everton joining the race for a Serie A striker.

Everton join race for new striker

It’s no secret that Everton are in need of a new centre-forward, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin approaching the end of his current contract, while Chelsea loanee Armando Broja is likely to return to his parent club.

Transfer Focus

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

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With that in mind, Caught Offside report that Everton have joined the hotly-contested race for Valentin Castellanos, a 26-year-old striker plying his trade for Lazio.

The reliable goalscorer would be allowed to leave if Lazio received a fee of around £30m, although in truth, suitors may well be put off by such demands.

In any case, Everton know they have their work cut out with this one: Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are all eager to make their move this summer.

What Castellanos would bring to Everton

Castellanos, a two-cap Argentina international, played out the early years of his career in his homeland before transferring to the MLS in 2018, where he would remain in the Big Apple with New York City F.C. until moving on loan to Girona in 2022.

A prolific season in Spain led to a permanent move to Lazio, and after scoring just four Serie A goals last season, Castellanos has now posted 14 across 39 appearances this term, supplying eight assists.

There’s an athletic grace to his football that would certainly add a dimension to Moyes’ attack, contrasting with the powerful strides of Beto and Calvert-Lewin’s target man style, should the veteran forward renew his contract.

As per FBref, Castellanos ranks among the top 9% of centre-forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shots taken, the top 12% for goal-creating actions and the top 20% for progressive carries per 90, praised for his “extraordinary” technical ability by Lazio boss Marco Baroni.

The nine’s performances in the Europa League this year have also led the data-driven platform to compare him to Richarlison, Everton’s former talisman who left for Tottenham Hotspur in a £60m deal back in 2022.

It’s difficult to analyse the Brazilian’s performances from this term, for his availability has been limited due to injury, but Richarlison did enjoy heightened success under Ange Postecoglou’s wing last year, with his energy, versatility and snapping bite making for an intriguing option.

League Stats – Castellanos vs Richarlison

Stats (* per game)

Castellanos (24/25)

Richarlison (23/24)

Matches (starts)

28 (27)

28 (18)

Goals

10

11

Assists

3

4

Shots (on target)*

3.6 (1.4)

2.2 (0.9)

Big chances missed

13

7

Pass completion

70%

71%

Key passes*

1.0

0.6

Dribbles*

0.6

0.4

Duels won*

4.8

2.9

Stats via Sofascore

It’s an option Castellanos could provide for Moyes to have an even greater effect.

Richarlison’s tenacity and ability to add a direct threat while using his movements and physicality to upset defenders differentiates him from the rabble of forwards across the continent. Fitness setbacks have been his nemesis in recent years, but his underlying talent level remains strong.

However, while Everton might be interested in completing a deal, it doesn’t make sense to take a backwards step when every aspect of the club is currently angled forward, to a new beginning.

Castellanos could be the man to lead Everton over the coming years, bearing Richarlison’s prolific quality and multi-facetedness.

Though the Argentine could perhaps be a bit more clinical with his shooting, there’s enough about his overall game that Moyes would delight in working with him, adding a layer to an Everton team firmly rooted in structure and solidity and purposeful pragmaticism.

After renewed promise since the harsh winter of Dyche’s final days abated, Everton have got an appetite for a new level of success.

Showing intent and bringing players such as Castellanos into the fold, instead of returning for a former star in Richarlison, who has flattered to deceive since leaving, is surely the way forward.

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With Arsenal’s adventures in Europe taking priority at the back end of the season, Mikel Arteta has used the last two Premier League games as opportunities to rotate his side.

The title will not be heading in the direction of the Emirates Stadium this season and the manager has clearly realised that too, opting to give his biggest stars some time off with that crunch tie with Real Madrid in mind.

Despite drawing 1-1 with Everton a week ago, that strategy certainly paid off in midweek after that remarkable victory over Real Madrid.

After two appearances as a sub, Bukayo Saka looked revitalised. His return to club action has been managed well.

That said, the club’s league form does leave much to be desired, winning two of their last seven league fixtures. It’s hardly a surprise the title is now but a dream.

So, with another 1-1 draw with Brentford this weekend amid more rotation, those on the fringes didn’t do a whole lot to stake their claim for more regular starts.

Arsenal's biggest underperformers against Brentford

It’s safe to say that Arsenal’s draw with Brentford was rather more sedate than the rip-roaring success of Tuesday night against Madrid.

That was summed up by the sheer number of changes to the Gunners’ teamsheet. In came the likes of Leandro Trossard, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney and Ethan Nwaneri, while goalscorer Thomas Partey started at right-back.

Nwaneri wasn’t able to dazzle as we know he so often can, but it wasn’t a bad performance. Tierney lasted just over an hour, scoring a memorable disallowed goal in the process, and coped well with the threat of Bees talisman Bryan Mbeumo.

However, as for Zinchenko and Trossard, they really did disappoint.

The latter did his best to get on the ball and create opportunities but he lacked goal threat and proved why Arteta has favoured Mikel Merino in that central striker berth since Kai Havertz’s injury.

Trossard did find the net against Everton a week ago but that marked his first league goal since the north London derby back in January.

Trossard had just five touches in the box on Saturday, far fewer than Gabriel Martinelli’s 11, with his display summed up well by GOAL who noted that it was another ‘ineffective display’, hence his 5/10 match rating.

Still, at least he wasn’t as ineffective as Zinchenko.

Zinchenko's performance in numbers vs Brentford

This has been a challenging and difficult season for the Ukrainian who hasn’t earned much game time at all.

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Indeed, the 28-year-old has only actually played 11 times in the Premier League despite being in the squad on 25 occasions. He’s only started three league games too.

That’s hardly a surprise really when you consider Riccardo Calafiori’s arrival last summer and the emergence of Hale End superstar Myles Lewis-Skelly.

As a result, Zinchenko’s last two appearances have actually come in midfield. He starred in that position against PSV in the Champions League, starting in the Odegaard role and scoring a brilliant long-range effort in the first half.

While he dominated against the Dutch side, his influence was poor against Brentford. His display was rather summed up by a succession of first-half corners that he and Nwaneri wasted down the right.

Insistent on playing things short, the ball was played into Zinchenko who ultimately failed to really take control of the situation on more than one occasion.

His lack of influence was summed up by the fact that his touch count of 36 was nine fewer than goalkeeper David Raya’s tally. Grim reading indeed.

To make matters worse, the former Manchester City star failed to provide a key pass, register a cross or complete a dribble.

Minutes played

62

Touches

36

Accurate passes

26/29 (90%)

Key passes

0

Completed crosses

0

Long balls completed

0

Shots on target

0

Shots off target

1

Successful dribbles

1/1

Duels won

3/4

Possession lost

5x

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

While the PSV game was a reminder of his qualities, this was a reminder of why Arsenal must cash in on him in the summer. GOAL handed him a 5/10 rating, noting that he was ‘rather quiet’.

Providing the Londoners see off Madrid again in a few days, it’s likely Arteta will ring the changes regularly in the Premier League but Zinchenko shouldn’t start again.

At left-back, Tierney staked more of a claim to feature when Calafiori or Lewis-Skelly aren’t selected while the midfield still has plenty of options who could be chosen ahead of him.

This may well have been his last start in Arsenal colours.

100% duels won, 94% passing: Arsenal star is now as undroppable as Rice

Arsenal failed to overcome Brentford on Saturday evening.

2 ByMatt Dawson Apr 13, 2025

Charlie Dean admits England “got away with one” following a batting collapse against Pakistan

Valkerie Baynes15-Oct-2025″We got away with one today,” was Charlie Dean’s summation of England’s great escape from Pakistan in a washed-out World Cup match in Colombo.England have used get-out-of-jail cards against both the teams which had to go through qualifying just to be here. At least against Bangladesh it was largely their own doing after Heather Knight survived three overturned dismissals to haul them out of danger with her 79 not out.This time, it was down to the brewing monsoon season in Sri Lanka and, with matches against India, Australia and New Zealand looming, England should now have a clear indication of the work ahead of them if they are to move forward with a campaign where their unbeaten record so far flatters them somewhat.Related

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England’s latest batting performance was even worse than the 182 for 6 they managed against Bangladesh, who had them 78 for 5 inside 23 overs. Against some brilliant seam bowling by Fatima Sana, who peppered them with in-duckers on her way to figures of 4 for 27 from six overs, England slumped to 78 for 7 in the 24th.”It wasn’t the start that we wanted with the bat and we didn’t quite adapt quick enough to the wicket, to the way the ball seamed around,” Dean added. “Then I guess we just got a bit bogged down with the spin. It’s hard to really be proactive and take on those options when one, they bowled really well, and I guess when you’ve lost quite a few wickets.”I’m not a top-order batter, so I don’t want to speak for those players and I know that they’ll all be disappointed with how today went and looking to rectify that as quickly as possible. We have some world-class players in our XI, in our 15, so we know that that’s not how the game’s going to go every time but hopefully we can scratch this one off and go ahead on Sunday with a positive mindset.”That they managed to reach 133 for 9 was down largely to Dean who had a job to do – not for the first time – at No. 8, adding 47 runs off 41 balls with No. 9 Em Arlott, called into England’s starting XI for the first time when fellow seamer Lauren Bell fell ill along with spinner Sophie Ecclestone.At this World Cup, Dean has scored 27 not out, having stuck with Knight in for an unbroken 79-run stand against Bangladesh, 19 against Sri Lanka which was the best of England’s batters from No.5-11, and now 33 while the more recognised batters have struggled, Knight’s innings and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s century against Sri Lanka aside.Amy Jones broke the back of England’s pursuit of a paltry 70 against South Africa with 40 not out but hasn’t passed 11 since, fellow opener Tammy Beaumont has reached double figures three times in four innings without passing 32 and the middle order of Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb and Alice Capsey has failed to fire.Charlie Dean top-scored for England with 33•AFP/Getty ImagesStill, England are top of the table, level on points but with a superior net run rate to Australia, who threaten to pose an even sterner contest.England won their warm-up game against Australia, which was somewhat of a surprise given that they left the Ashes in January without registering a single victory from seven matches across formats. That result sparked a change of head coach and captain with Charlotte Edwards replacing Jon Lewis and Sciver-Brunt taking over from Knight.But the squad make-up hasn’t changed markedly and their ability to adapt to conditions and cope under pressure, which was found so wanting in Australia and at the T20 World Cup before that, is now under scrutiny once more.Next up on Sunday will be India, who are looking to secure a place in the top four after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Australia and South Africa.”We can definitely be better,” said Dean, who was appointed as Sciver-Brunt’s vice-captain ahead of this event. “We really want to take it game by game and look to put some of the best teams under pressure with India, Australia, and New Zealand coming up. We’re excited for hopefully some better batting wickets or higher-scoring games and to really test ourselves against the best oppositions.”

By ensuring that they pair left-right combinations and spin hitters with pace hitters, CSK have significantly raised the ceiling of their line-up

Sidharth Monga04-Apr-2024There is something odd about the scorecard from the season-opener of IPL 2024.The three Royal Challengers Bengaluru spinners have bowled five overs between them for just 37 runs. The two fingerspinners have gone for just 13 in three. And yet that’s where they stop even though the Chennai Super Kings – Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni in particular – are suspect against spin. That’s because of the presence of spin disruptor Shivam Dube, against whom RCB keep bowling their quicks.Of the 50 balls bowled after Dube’s arrival at the wicket, 44 are bowled by the quicks. Dube faces just 13 of the first 31 balls of pace in this period, letting Jadeja score 24 off 16 at the other end, which is a rate quicker than what is required.Let’s imagine the choices the RCB captain has. He can try to shut down Jadeja’s end by persisting with spin, but he runs the risk of conceding sixes to Dube, which can end the match in a hurry. So Faf Du Plessis goes for pace, and hopes to get Dube out early so that he can control the rest with spin. Dube, though, plays it smartly and lets Jadeja score runs against a favourable match-up.CSK have been called old-school in the past by T20 purists. That they go more on vibes and feel than data. Not very innovative, many have called them. What they instead are is this: less trigger-happy, but on the lookout for every small advantage. Even the vibes and their feel for the game are based on data accumulated in the great cricketing minds of Stephen Fleming and Dhoni.Related

• 'I am six foot three, 100 kgs' – Mitchell is easing himself into Rayudu's role at CSK

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This coming together of a batting order where you can never pin down two batters with the same bowling type is as T20 purist as it can get. It is no accident. When they got together for pre-season last year, CSK had no real bowling attack thanks to injuries. So they looked to compensate with the bat, more so with the Impact Player available.In Dube and Ajinkya Rahane, they found spin and pace disruptors. Both had to work on their game to become the assets they did. Dhoni played a part in the mindset change of Rahane, who, in the words of Fleming, had forever been told to bat through the innings. Now he was just told to make sure he hits pace and then either hits or gets out trying to hit spin. Dube just practised hitting sixes in the nets.Since the last IPL, CSK are among the three quickest-scoring sides after years of staying in the middle of the table and winning through bowling. CSK have always been big on batting depth but now they could go even deeper using the impact rule. Then they sprinkled three left-hand batters among their top eight. This year they lost Devon Conway but managed to get what many consider an upgrade on him in Rachin Ravindra, another left-hand batter.Ravindra provides the explosive foil to the more conservative style of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who sets up to bat for long. Rahane looks to take apart pace, but if the openers bat through the powerplay, CSK can go straight to Dube and Daryl Mitchell, another right-left duo.In the 2023 IPL, 70.64% of the balls bowled to CSK were delivered to a right-left combination. Delhi Capitals were almost the same as them, and only Punjab Kings fared better. Added to the right-left pairings, CSK have been the most efficient side in pairing complementary batters, who protect their partner against their weakness.Shivam Dube’s six-hitting ability makes opposition captains hesitate to bring on their spinners when he’s at the crease•Associated PressDuring their second match this year, CSK were faced with Gujarat Titans’ Sai Kishore bowling a tidy spell. He was 2-0-13-0 when Rahane tried to hit him out of the ground and got stumped. Immediately Dube came in and took down Kishore, which meant his quota was left uncompleted. Rashid Khan’s final over was forced into the 19th.It was only when the ball swung and seamed for Delhi Capitals’ Khaleel Ahmed and Ishant Sharma that CSK were pushed off their plan. Two early wickets meant they were forced to promote Daryl Mitchell ahead of Dube. By the time Dube got in, the Capitals had got three overs of Axar Patel in. CSK still had Rahane to counter Anrich Nortje and Mukesh Kumar, but he fell to a slower ball from Mukesh.The occasional failure will happen. That is the nature of T20. However, CSK have put together a batting line-up that, while not full of feared hitters, provides a great deal of mitigation against failure. You will have to get both openers out early and then also hope for an early wicket in the middle overs to keep CSK down.CSK’s scoring contribution is also not dominated by a few batters. ESPNcricinfo’s Shiva Jayaraman puts it in numbers for us. In IPL 2023 they had 10 players bat in the top eight, with the median player among those ten (the average of the fifth- and sixth-highest scorers) contributing 7.18% of their runs. No team came close to having such little churn among their batters, such an even spread of contributions and also be in the top-two batting sides. The median percentage contribution for RCB was 7.67 but that’s also a factor of them using 13 batters in the top eight.Quietly, without fanfare, CSK have managed to pair batters who can counter a wider range of threats, spreading the scoring and keeping the churn to a minimum. In short, the foundation needed to build the perfect batting innings.

Old-ball graft and final-day burst highlight slingy seamer’s invaluable qualities

Cameron Ponsonby20-Mar-2022It’s good. It’s promising. All that learning stuff that Andrew Strauss spoke about before the tour? This is it, here. Saqib Mahmood has passed his GCSECBs.Four wickets on debut, with a fifth ruled out for overstepping: this was an excellent start for the Lancastrian quick who finished the second Test in Barbados with the best match figures of any fast bowler on a pitch that offered them next to no assistance.Mahmood looks like he could be the round peg for the round hole in England’s bowling attack. For years, the accusation against this team has been that their ten-deep bucket of identikit right-arm seamers created a bowling attack too one-size-fits-all to pose any sort of challenge away from home. They needed something different.Related

• Saqib Mahmood turns his eyes to the light after two years of injury hell

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Which is where Mahmood comes in. His abilities complement the needs of a set-up awash with opening bowlers adept on the green seamers of Edgbaston and Lord’s. Where others want the new ball, he’ll have the old. Where others swing the ball conventionally, he reverses it. Where others bowl quickish, he bowls fast. He is the family member whose favourite Celebration chocolate is a Bounty, hoovering up with joy what others avoid.”You want to be the guy the captain throws the ball to,” Mahmood said at the close on day four. “To break partnerships and take wickets. That’s the stuff I get satisfaction from. On green seamers, every seamer feels in the game but on ones like this, I really want to be a guy who can stand up and break a partnership.”Mahmood’s peak in this game arguably came in the moment that was taken away. His yorker – which clean-bowled Jermaine Blackwood – tailed in and beat the set batter for pace, only for it to be ruled out as Mahmood had overstepped.His average speed in this Test was only around 82mph/133kph, though he occasionally touched 88mph/141kph: not lightning fast, but his catapult-style action gives him the impression of a bowler who feels quicker than the numbers suggest. It was a delivery more reminiscent of Jasprit Bumrah than Jake Ball and should give England hope that they have a bowler who, rather than being dependent on conditions, is able to operate independently of them entirely.”I felt like criminal number one, the biggest criminal out here,” Mahmood reflected. “I was pretty gutted but tried not to let it affect me. Rooty spoke to me and said ‘you bowled great; don’t let it affect you’. Stokesy said he did the same for his first wicket. I was just concentrating on the task ahead more than anything. I’m glad we got him out because every run he scored made me feel horrible.”His burst on the final day – where he dismissed both Shamarh Brooks as well as half-wall, half-human Nkrumah Bonner – gave England hope in a situation that otherwise seemed desperate. The ball to Brooks may not have moved masses, but the one to Bonner did, with movement off the seam in conditions where all others had failed to break from the straight and narrow. The ability for a seamer to break through in unhelpful conditions is something that England have been screaming out for; on debut, Mahmood took the first step to answering the call.Mahmood struck in his first over on the final day•Getty ImagesThere might be an element of redemption in this debut for Mahmood as well. First called into a squad in 2019, he has been around the set up for much of the two years since. England know Mahmood well. For that reason, it would be fair to wonder whether the odd doubt ever entered his mind that perhaps England had seen what he had to offer and not liked it. This tour really did represent an ‘if not now, then when?’ moment for Mahmood.But if England didn’t see it before, they do now. “It was really impressive,” Root said, “[…] on a wicket like that, to seem so effective and to offer so much. He burst the game open for us [with] a brilliant spell. He created a lot of pressure and made things happen on a wicket where no seamer looked like they could. It’s a great sign for him and for us.”In the fourth innings, Mahmood bowled the most of any seamer, and more than Chris Woakes and Fisher combined. After the tea break, with seven wickets in a session needed for victory, Mahmood was the man Root turned to.Mahmood remains close with his former academy director at Lancashire, John Stanworth. Recalling watching him bowl for the first time at the tender age of 14, Stanworth said: “It was just, ‘wow, who’s this?’ You knew just straight away there was something to engage with.” Many of the England supporters watching Mahmood bowl with a red ball for the first time this week will have thought much the same thing.

The New York Yankees will be operating without right-handed pitcher Clarke Schmidt for a significant amount of time.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters Saturday that Schmidt will likely undergo Tommy John surgery. That would rule him out for the rest of the 2025 campaign and the majority of the '26 season as well.

The 29-year-old Schmidt was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday due to right forearm tightness. Schmidt only lasted three innings during his start Thursday in the Yankees' 8-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He told reporters after the game that he has been dealing with tightness in that right forearm since June 4, a 4-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in which he allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings.

A first-round pick by New York in 2017, Schmidt has been a steady member of the rotation over the last three seasons. In 2025, Schmidt logged a 3.32 ERA and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 14 starts.

The Yankees fell out of first place in the AL East on Thursday and now sit two games behind the Blue Jays in the division. They are back in action at 4:10 p.m. ET Saturday against the New York Mets.

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O Palmeiras enfrenta o São Paulo no próximo domingo (3), no Morumbis, em jogo válido pela 11ª rodada do Paulistão 2024. Já classificado em primeiro lugar do grupo, o Verdão joga para tentar atrapalhar a vida do rival que ainda não garantiu vaga pra fase final do Estadual.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Um mês após o vice da Supercopa, Abel Ferreira perdeu dois importantes titulares que atuaram no Mineirão, mas ganhou boas novidades que acabaram não atuando naquele dia.

Mayke e Gustavo Gómez são dois desfalques pesados na zaga alviverde, que ganhou os substitutos Marcos Rocha e Luan. Ambos reservas na Supercopa, a dupla vem fazendo um ótimo início de ano e participando de muitas jogadas ofensivas do Verdão até com assistências para gols.

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Aníbal Moreno é outra novidade que jogou pouquíssimo tempo na Supercopa. Por questões físicas, o argentino foi reserva em Belo Horizonte e só atuou nos minutos finais da partida. Agora já dono do meio campo alviverde, o camisa 5 deve ser títular no Morumbis neste final de semana.

No ataque, Abel Ferreira ganha talvez o maior reforço que não pôde atuar no jogo há um mês no Mineirão. Endrick ficou de fora da Supercopa por conta da Seleção Olímpica, e agora surge como a principal peça de ataque do Verdão para tentar vencer o rival fora de casa.

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O provável Palmeiras para encarar o São Paulo neste domingo é: Weverton, Rocha, Murilo, Luan e Piquerez; Aníbal Moreno, Richard Rios, Zé Rafael e Raphael Veiga; Endrick e Flaco López.