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Sunderland are back in the Premier League and look poised to pursue another statement signing that may help their quest for survival, according to a report.

Sunderland in surprise Armand Lauriente U-turn

While the Black Cats’ ability to attract premium talent this summer cannot be faulted, supporters may be surprised at the swift turnaround involving a proposed deal to sign Sassuolo striker Armand Lauriente.

Taking to social media platform X, Fabrizio Romano confirmed Sunderland will no longer sign Lauriente after his move collapsed despite traveling to the North East for a medical.

He stated: “Armand Lauriente’s move to Sunderland has collapsed after player travelled for medical and signature on Saturday. Deal off with Sassuolo winger due to return to Italy.”

Despite a peculiar turn of events on that front, the Black Cats have already closed out six deals in an eventful window, with Habib Diarra, Enzo Le Fee, Simon Adingra, Noah Mandava, Reinildo Mandava and Chemsdine Talbi arriving at the Stadium of Light.

Granit Xhaka could be another high-profile addition at Sunderland and links to players with such pedigree are a major source of encouragement for supporters, though it remains to be seen if he will be willing to give up regularly challenging for the title in Germany.

Better signing than Henderson: Sunderland open talks to sign £17m "monster"

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ByKelan Sarson Jul 17, 2025

Sourcing an imposing centre-back to deal with Premier League strikers is also a priority for Regis Le Bris, so it will come as no surprise to hear that the Wearsiders are sizing up a move for Bologna star Jhon Lucumi.

Plenty of time exists to make sure Sunderland find deals that suit their aims. Either way, they don’t seem to be wasting a moment as another defender has cropped up on their radar.

Sunderland make approach to sign Igor Julio

According to The Mirror, Sunderland have enquired about Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Igor Julio, therefore making an approach for the Brazilian defender who is also subject to interest from other clubs.

Intriguingly, Real Sociedad were in talks over signing the 27-year-old, but their efforts to bring him to La Liga have stalled and offered a window for the Black Cats to swoop in under their noses.

Five similar players to Igor Julio (FBRef)

Kevin Vogt

Bochum

Pierre Kalulu

Juventus

Archie Gray

Tottenham Hotspur

Anthony Jung

Freiburg

Becir Omeragic

Montpellier

Labelled an “animal” by former Seagulls boss Inigo Calderon, Julio struggled for fitness last term and made just 16 appearances across all competitions due to a hamstring problem, which forced him further down the pecking order on the South Coast.

Nevertheless, he did make 42 recoveries on Premier League duty when called upon, illustrating that there is a place for him somewhere in the top-flight.

Sunderland will hope to capitalise on his need for a new challenge, leaving a potential scenario open where £45,000 per week earner Julio could move to the North East to strengthen Le Bris’ backline.

West Bromwich Albion’s Championship season derailed at a worryingly quick pace last campaign.

Heading into Christmas last year, the Baggies were just about holding onto a playoff spot in sixth position, but right after Carlos Corberan’s exit to Valencia was confirmed, West Brom’s promotion push fell off a cliff.

Their woes on the pitch weren’t helped whatsoever by their demoralising striker situation, as the majority of 2025 in the second tier for the Baggies had to be endured without 12-goal menace Josh Maja leading the line owing to injury.

He will be back and raring to go under Ryan Mason’s guidance, but more strength in depth is desperately needed up top just in case Maja suffers from another season-ending setback, with Leyton Orient goalscoring sensation Charlie Kelman now reportedly on the shopping list.

West Brom's ongoing pursuit of Kelman

With Daryl Dike also prone to a long-standing issue in the Hawthorns treatment room, it’s no shock to see West Brom are attempting to be proactive in adding more stars to their often depleted centre-forward department.

Journalist Darren Witcoop first revealed at the tail-end of June that West Brom were keen on adding the Queens Park Rangers outcast to their squad this summer after an explosive loan stint with Richie Wellens’ O’s.

Even though Orient would come up short in their bid to win promotion to the Championship, Kelman would still manage to come out on top as the division’s top goalscorer, with a lethal 26 strikes coming his way in all competitions.

Yet, the 23-year-old has seriously struggled in the second tier previously – with no goals next to his name from 23 appearances in the unforgiving league – meaning other targets might well be sought after by Mason and Co, with one loanee also on the Baggies’ radar potentially even more exciting than the golden boot recipient joining the club.

The "phenomenal" attacker who is more exciting than Kelman

One bonus of having Mason in the dug-out is his connections to the Premier League, with the 33-year-old perhaps able to raid ex-club Tottenham Hotspur for some of their top, young assets.

Will Lankshear is certainly one up-and-coming talent that could tick many of West Brom’s boxes in their search for a deadly, new striker, with reports recently suggesting a move for the 20-year-old to return to the Hawthorns on a loan basis is on the cards.

Of course, there may be some hesitancy on West Brom’s end about diving back in to land the promising striker – considering he netted zero times last season during a brief loan stint – but it’s clear he has more to give away from these struggles, having already bagged a senior strike for Spurs.

Indeed, Lankshear was arguably shoved into the deep-end last campaign at the height of West Brom’s problems on the pitch, with his unbelievable goal record at youth level in North London potentially ready to come to the surface in men’s football now, especially as a familiar face in Mason – who worked closely beside him at Spurs in youth circles – would be by his side.

Games played

61

209

Age

20

23

Goals scored

32

47

Assists

5

11

Staggeringly, despite playing 148 games less than Kelman, the four-time England U20 international is only 15 goals off matching the ex-Orient loanee’s entire career goal tally, albeit from primarily playing Premier League 2 football.

Still, with Kelman only managing a meagre 13 goals from 101 clashes away from his celebrated O’s spell, the “phenomenal” youngster – as he was once labelled by football journalist John Wenham – could well be deemed as the better option.

After all, the QPR reserve attacker would also cost a significant fee to win, which makes the move even riskier when assessing his patchy goalscoring record away from East London.

Whereas, Lankshear would be picked up temporarily, with the 20-year-old no doubt eager to right his earlier West Brom wrongs if he were to join as the Baggies gun for promotion glory.

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca isn’t resting on his laurels in the transfer market as he attempts to get several deals done swiftly.

Jamie Gittens looks to be closing in on a move to Stamford Bridge. Borussia Dortmund accepted a bid of around £55m for the English talent, and he is set to have his medical soon.

The move for the 20-year-old is certainly a statement of intent by Maresca, but the Blues are also closing in on another attacking player.

Indeed, Joao Pedro looks set to make the move from Brighton and Hove Albion to Chelsea, as the Blues have agreed a deal worth up to £60m for the versatile forward.

Why Chelsea are signing Joao Pedro

Maresca will be looking to move on both Christoper Nkunku and João Felix during the summer transfer window.

As such, bringing in a versatile forward like Pedro makes perfect sense. He may have scored just ten goals in the top flight last season, but his attributes stretch to more than just finding the back of the net.

Indeed, he demonstrated his creative side by registering 11 big chances in the top flight, along with averaging 1.1 key passes and 1.1 successful dribbles per game for Brighton. This certainly proves he’s a particularly dangerous player in the final third.

This is the sort of forward that can thrive in Maresca’s system, no doubt about that. Add someone like Gittens on the wing, and it is a recipe for success.

Goals

10

Assists

6

Big chances created

11

Key passes per game

1.1

Successful dribbles per game

1.1

Shots per game

1.7

The Blues may be paying a premium price for the Brazilian, but they’ve had success when signing a similar player before…

The Chelsea star who's worth more than Pedro

When Chelsea spent £40m to sign Palmer from Manchester City in 2023, plenty of eyebrows were raised.

Not because of the fee, but because Pep Guardiola decided to let a player of such potential leave for so cheap. The Spaniard even lauded the player as having a “special quality” in front of goal after he scored his first Champions League goal for City, aged just 18.

The Stamford Bridge side have witnessed Palmer’s maturation over the previous two seasons, going from a winger to an attacking midfielder and even a false 9, starring in similar positions on the pitch to the incoming Pedro.

Across 94 games in all competitions, the 23-year-old has registered an enormous 68 goal contributions – 40 goals and 28 assists – in just 94 matches.

These statistics have more than repaid the £40m spent on him two years ago, but Palmer shines across other areas also.

When compared to his peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the former City starlet ranks in the top 12% for progressive passes (6.04) per 90, while also ranking in the top 10% for total shots (3.41) and in the top 5% for shot-creating actions (5.7) per 90.

This set of figures proves that Palmer is one of the finest attacking midfielders on the continent, which is evidenced by his market value.

According to Transfermarkt, the youngster is now valued at a whopping €120m (£102m), which is an incredible rise from the £40m they paid in 2023.

Not only that, but he is worth way more than Pedro, suggesting the Blues have struck gold by bringing Palmer to London.

He'd be unplayable with Pedro: Chelsea also trying to sign £85m PL star

Chelsea are looking to sign a Premier League winger

1 ByRoss Kilvington Jun 30, 2025

Afghanistan boosted their Super Eight chances with yet another dominating win, this time thumping New Zealand by 84 runs in Providence. Having beaten Uganda by 125 runs in their opening match, they are now at the top of Group C with a net run rate of 5.225.After being sent in, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran gave Afghanistan a start of 103 in 14.3 overs. It came off the back of the 154 the pair added against Uganda, thus making them the first opening pair to register two successive century stands in the history of the T20 World Cup.Afghanistan’s was an innings of two halves. They scored 55 for no loss in the first ten overs and 104 for 6 in the last ten, with Gurbaz contributing 80 off 56 balls. New Zealand, who had decided not to play any warm-up games, looked every bit rusty as their fielders dropped catches and missed run-out opportunities.With the pitch assisting both seamers and spinners, chasing 160 was not going to be easy. But few would have expected New Zealand to collapse in the manner they did.Related

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Fazalhaq Farooqi picked up three wickets in the powerplay and Rashid Khan three just after it. Eventually, both ended with identical figures of 4 for 17 as New Zealand were bowled out for 75 in the 15.2 overs. Glenn Phillips and Matt Henry were the only New Zealand batters to reach the double digits.

Afghanistan’s shaky start

Trent Boult found some swing in the opening over but Gurbaz and Ibrahim showed their intent by picking up three fours off Henry from the other end.Both batters had luck on their side, too. Gurbaz got a second life when he skipped down the track to Santner and missed the ball, which went on to brush the leg stump but the bails did not budge. In the following over, Finn Allen dropped Ibrahim off Henry at the deep-square-leg boundary.That was not all. Gurbaz got another reprieve after being involved in a miscommunication with Ibrahim. Having taken off for a single, Gurbaz had to retrace his steps and would have been run out had Conway not fumbled the throw.Two balls later, New Zealand finally seemed to have found success when Santner pinged Ibrahim’s pads and umpire Kumar Dharmasena ruled it lbw. But the batter got the decision overturned on review as the ball was heading down the leg side. Immediately after that, Ibrahim hit Santner for an inside-out four as Afghanistan ended the powerplay on 44 for no loss.

Bracewell, Ferguson put the brakes on

New Zealand went against the prevailing wisdom of not bowling an offspinner when two right-hand batters at the crease, and Michael Bracewell repaid that faith by conceding only six off his first two overs.Lockie Ferguson was even more frugal, going for five in his first two. He could have had Ibrahim off a slower full toss but a leaping Kane Williamson failed to pull off a one-handed stunner at mid-off. That meant while Afghanistan remained unscathed, they had only 55 on the board after ten overs.

The acceleration

Afghanistan had not hit a single six in the first ten overs, but there were five in the next three, including three in one Bracewell over as Gurbaz and Bracewell stepped on the accelerator. The pair took the side past 100 in the 14th over. New Zealand finally broke through when Ibrahim bottom-edged a short ball from Henry onto his stumps, after having been hit on the grille on the previous delivery.Promoted to No. 3, Azmatullah Omarzai played his part with 22 off 13, which included two sixes in three balls off Henry. Mohammad Nabi fell for a first-ball duck but Gurbaz kept finding the boundary at regular intervals. However, a three-wicket, three-run final over by Boult kept Afghanistan to 159.Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored his second fifty in as many games•ICC/Getty Images

Farooqi rocks New Zealand early

Farooqi gave Afghanistan a dream start with the ball. With the very first delivery of the innings, he uprooted Finn Allen’s leg stump as the ball moved in late. In the seamer’s next over, Conway pushed at one that seemed to come slower off the surface and was caught at extra cover.The decision to give Farooqi a third over in the powerplay brought further rewards. This time, bowling around the wicket to Daryl Mitchell, he got a length delivery to just straighten and take the outside edge. Gurbaz took a regulation catch to complete the dismissal and leave New Zealand 28 for 3.It could have been worse for New Zealand. In between, Naveen-ul-Haq had rapped Kane Williamson’s front pad after the batter had moved across to play a delivery. Afghanistan sent it upstairs for an lbw review but the umpire’s call saved the New Zealand captain.

Rashid joins the party

Afghanistan did not have to wait too long for Williamson’s wicket. Rashid brought himself on after the powerplay and struck straightaway as Williamson guided one to first slip. But Rashid was just warming up. In his next over, he dismissed Mark Chapman and Bracewell off successive deliveries to leave New Zealand on 43 for 6. Chapman went for a pull and got bowled; Bracewell was late to bring his bat down and was lbw.Phillips was New Zealand’s last hope. He did hit a couple of boundaries but was soon caught at long-on when he tried to take on Nabi. That ended any hopes of revival New Zealand might have had.

Manchester United might have fallen by the wayside under Ruben Amorim’s leadership last season, but INEOS are acting with intent in the transfer market to get Old Trafford back on course.

While Erik ten Hag’s dismissal last October was the right decision, a belated decision, a wholly different tactical plan issued by Amorim sank United further into their troubles, leading to a 15th-place Premier League finish and defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.

But the Red Devils are one of the biggest clubs in the world, and their peerless pull is still intact. Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha has already been signed, and Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo wants the move despite rival interest carrying the promise of Champions League football.

And once again, another Premier League star with their feet higher placed up the league ladder wants to move to the Theatre of Dreams this summer.

Man Utd in talks for PL star

As per Football Insider, Man United are engaged in daily talks with Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who is anticipated to be switching clubs this summer.

The 32-year-old bid an emotional and cryptic farewell to Villa Park in May and is valued at £40m. This is a sizeable figure for a goalkeeper, but the need to replace the beleaguered Andre Onana is clear for Amorim, and it must happen.

Atletico Madrid are also keen, as are numerous clubs over in the Saudi Pro League. Still, United are working tooth and nail to get this one over the line.

Why Man Utd must sign Emi Martinez

Described as being “genuinely world-class” by Sky Sports’ Dan Bardell, Martinez would be exactly the type of upgrade Man United need to spark their desperately needed resurgence.

An Arsenal career largely on the backbenches and out on loan in lower divisions ended when Aston Villa paid the Gunners £17m for the shot-stopper in 2020. The rest, as some say, is history.

Aston Villa

212

256

70

Argentina

53

23

37

Arsenal

38

41

16

Arsenal U21

37

41

11

Reading

18

23

5

Wolves

15

19

5

Sheff Wed

15

19

2

Rotherham

8

10

2

Getafe

6

9

2

Oxford United

1

3

0

United have already raided England’s Midlands for one of the region’s most talented footballers, signing Cunha for £62.5m, and now they can repeat the trick between the sticks, upgrading on Onana in the same way that the Brazilian forward has replaced Marcus Rashford and soon-to-be-sold Alejandro Garnacho.

Clearly, these are different players indeed, but both stand as pillars in their respective Premier League positions, instrumental for their respective ‘non-big-six’ outfits.

Underscoring his credentials on the biggest stage, Martinez was only beaten seven times in the Champions League last term, finishing Villa’s European campaign with an 83% save percentage. By contrast, Onana finished the season with a 63% save rate in the Europa League, leaving a trail littered with errors.

Martinez is a proven Premier League and Champions League goalkeeper who just so happens to have won the World Cup too, coming up trumps against Randal Kolo Muani in extra time before crucially saving from Kingsley Coman during the shootout.

He’s exactly what Amorim needs, blessed with good distribution and elite shot-stopping skills.

United have already raided the Midlands this summer for one of the Premier League’s biggest stars; it’s time to do it again.

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ByEthan Lamb Jun 20, 2025

Liverpool could be crowned champions of England, once again, if they manage to avoid defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday.

Arne Slot is aiming to win a title in his first year in the country, having replaced Jurgen Klopp last summer, and only needs one more point to confirm it.

The Reds beat Leicester City 1-0 last time out at the King Power, consigning them to relegation to the Championship, and they now have the chance to win the Premier League title in front of a packed-out Anfield.

Whereas, when they won their first Premier League title, under Klopp, the players were forced to celebrate inside an empty arena due to restrictions.

Despite Liverpool being on course to win the division, the club are looking at ways to improve the squad in the upcoming summer transfer window, in order to give Slot the best possible chance of following up on his terrific debut season with more trophies next term.

The latest on Liverpool's interest in Premier League forward

According to Football Insider, Liverpool have a firm interest in West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus as they look to bolster their attacking options ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The report claims that the Ghana international is ‘firmly’ on their radar heading into the summer transfer window, because of several factors. Liverpool are believed to be interested in his Premier League experience and his versatility to play in any of the positions across the attack.

Football Insider adds that the former Ajax star has a release clause in his contract that would allow teams from England to sign him for £80m, but that the Hammers are prepared to go lower than that and would be open to doing business for a fee of £70m.

The outlet adds that Slot wants to add a top-class attacker to his squad in the summer transfer window, with Kudus emerging as one of the club’s targets.

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West Ham’s star winger is not at the top of Liverpool’s list of targets, however, and this suggests that they may have to miss out on others before they decide to go ahead with a move for the dynamo.

Football Insider also claims that a £70m deal would be difficult for the Reds to get over the line if they do press ahead with a swoop for his services, and that they could have to sell some of their current talent in order to facilitate a move.

What Mohammed Kudus could bring to Liverpool

As aforementioned, Liverpool would be signing a player with Premier League experience, having played 60 times in the division, and this suggests that he could hit the ground running.

Rather than taking a risk on a player from abroad who may not be able to adjust to the English top-flight, the Reds could snap up a proven performer in the league, making it less of a gamble.

Kudus would also provide impressive versatility across the frontline. He has played 46 or more matches in each position as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder, centre-forward, and right-winger in his career, which shows that the gem can adapt to playing in a multitude of roles across the pitch.

This means that Slot could play him out wide, through the middle as a striker, or as part of the midfield three, depending on the opposition and what suits the game, rather than being limited by the player only being effective in one particular role, for example.

Kudus, once described as a “game-changer” by analyst Ben Mattinson, can also provide quality at the top end of the pitch, as evidenced by his return of 18 goals and 12 assists in 75 matches for the Hammers to date, including 12 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League.

The 24-year-old ace has scored 11 goals from 12.02 xG, which means that the forward is performing around on par as a finisher, but he still has plenty of time left to develop and improve as a player at the age of 24.

The West Ham star, as you can see in the clip above, is an exciting player to watch who could get supporters off their feet with his ability on the ball, coupled with the goals and assists that he could provide.

This latest report about Liverpool’s interest in Kudus may not be exciting for everyone connected with the club, however, as it could be bad news for someone like Luis Diaz.

Why this is bad news for Luis Diaz

Football Insider’s report named the Colombia international as one of the players who could be sold in order to raise funds to afford a swoop for the West Ham attacker.

Diaz turned 28 in January and may now be at the peak of his market value, which could make it the best possible time for the club to cash in on him in the upcoming summer window.

It was reported earlier this month that there are teams in Saudi Arabia that are eyeing Diaz up as a potential target, and it was claimed in March that Barcelona are preparing to push for the ex-Porto star.

This suggests that Liverpool could have enough interest from other clubs to realistically cash in on the winger ahead of next season, which would provide them with more money to splash on new additions.

As you can see in the table above, Diaz’s finishing quality has fluctuated between the last two seasons and Liverpool may wonder if his current form is a flash in the pan or a sign of things to come.

The Reds could decide that the interest in his services makes it the perfect time cash in on him whilst his stock is high, given his return at the top end of the pitch this season, and to use the cash to sign a younger replacement like Kudus.

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Therefore, the news that Liverpool are interested in signing Kudus, who is four years younger than Diaz, could be bad news for the Colombian’s future at Anfield heading into next season.

We will be keeping tabs on how these five young women go at the latest edition of the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia

Shashank Kishore17-Jan-2025Caoimhe Bray (Australia)A seam-bowling allrounder like her role model Ellyse Perry, Bray became the youngest to feature in the WBBL late last year when she was just 15. She marked the occasion by dismissing Deandra Dottin and then hitting the winning runs for Sydney Sixers.She had come into the spotlight after amassing nearly 1000 runs in the New South Wales Under-18s competition in 2024, which included a double-century in the final. Last September, she made her Australia Under-19s debut in a tri-series, where she hit 84 and picked up 4 for 20 against New Zealand.Bray has also represented Australia’s junior football team as a 14-year-old at the AFC Women’s Under-17 championships in Indonesia.Tilly Corteen-Coleman has come through the ranks following an impressive initiation in domestic cricket•Getty ImagesTilly Corteen-Coleman (England)A left-arm spinner who dismissed Meg Lanning on her Hundred debut as a 16-year-old, England’s Corteen-Coleman has come through the ranks following an impressive initiation in domestic cricket, where she picked up four wickets in four deliveries for South East Stars in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.She followed that up with an impressive outing at the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2024, where she picked up nine wickets in eight games as South East Stars finished runners-up.Corteen-Coleman has already gained valuable experience in Asia, having represented England Under-19s in Sri Lanka last year.Niki Prasad recently led India to the Under-19 Asia Cup title•ICC via Getty ImagesNiki Prasad (India)As a 15-year-old in 2021, Prasad hit Deepti Sharma for towering sixes at a club tournament in Bengaluru, and there was a buzz around her in the cricket circles in the city. But a departure from her aggressive game to try and bat longer pushed her down the pecking order after she was initially in the running to play in the inaugural edition of this World Cup in 2023.Over the past 18 months, Prasad has rediscovered her big-hitting abilities through dedicated power-hitting sessions as well as a transformation in her fitness routine. In 2025, she will lead India as they hope to defend their crown. She is one of five players from the current India squad to have been picked up in the latest WPL auction; Prasad will play for the Meg Lanning-led Delhi Capitals.Karabo Meso has already featured in two T20Is as a wicketkeeper-batter•Cricket South AfricaKarabo Meso (South Africa)Set to play in her second Under-19 World Cup, Meso is seen in South Africa as the natural successor to incumbent wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta.Meso comes from a family with a sporting background. Her mother played netball and her father played softball. Meso herself started off as a prodigious track-and-field athlete before shifting to cricket and choosing the big gloves. She earned a maiden national call-up for the home series against Sri Lanka last April, and has subsequently featured in two T20Is.Related

All you need to know about 2025 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup

Her eight dismissals and superb glovework at the previous edition of the tournament was noticed when she was picked in ICC’s team of the tournament despite South Africa not making it past the Super Six stage.Limansa Thilakarathna (Sri Lanka)Daughter of former Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Melbourne-raised Limansa, an Australian national, wants to be a legspinner like another famous Victorian, the late Shane Warne. In 2021, she became the youngest female cricketer – at 12 – to play at the premier level, when she was chosen for Cricket Victoria’s Under-16 squad. She currently represents Melbourne Cricket Club.Limansa’s Australian nationality has caused debate within Sri Lankan cricketing circles, but the selectors have stuck to their decision of picking her citing her all-round abilities – she bats left-handed and in the top four, apart from being a legspinner.

There were lessons, bonhomie and great moments aplenty in two fine games on Sunday night

Mark Nicholas28-Mar-2023The cricket match we had been waiting for came the day before yesterday at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Sure, I was lucky enough to be present at a thriller of a game in South Africa (a little more of that in a while) but the one in Mumbai was the final of the first Women’s Premier League, and the question was, could it live up to the billing. Hurrying back to a Johannesburg hotel room from a breathless Supersport Park – the crowd still dizzy from the home team’s spectacular run chase against West Indies – I settled in front of the televison for the nub of the matter between Delhi Capitals, led by the Australia captain, Meg Lanning, and Mumbai Indians, led by India’s Harmanpreet Kaur.Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet were at the wicket, nervously chipping away at the Delhi total of 131 and meeting mid-pitch for short conversations and little fist-punches, the touchy-feely performance recognition of cricket’s modernism.Lanning was a study of concentration: cool in the deployment of her bowlers and accurate in the positioning of her fielders, each of whose attention and athleticism would likely decide the outcome. These three, alongside Marizanne Kapp, South Africa’s totemic allrounder and Lanning’s go-to game-breaker, are among the game’s greatest players. They fly the flag for nations steeped in the cricket history of men and now telling stories of women who delight and surprise in equal measure.Related

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It was a hard game to call, especially after Alice Capsey whipped off the bails to run-out Harmanpreet, but the suspicion lingered that Sciver-Brunt was not for turning, and therefore Lanning’s war was at the other end. What she cannot have reckoned on was Amelia Kerr’s brazen counterattack. When it got really tight, Kerr simply thumped a few to various boundaries, and suddenly Sciver-Brunt was paddling the winning runs.What happened next was riveting. Mumbai Indians swarmed the field and hugged the hell out of each other – of course they did, this was a big deal. But wait, did I see right? The coach, Charlotte Edwards, stayed boundary-side, wiping the fall of tears from her cheeks. Meanwhile, Lanning – as good and tough a cricketer as Edwards – immersed herself among the Mumbai horde to shake every hand, have a squeeze or two herself, and warmly smile her way through the pain of defeat. She’s a winner, and this sort of thing doesn’t come easy. But the humanity of her actions was rather moving. Lanning saw the big picture for what it was, a canvas on which women’s cricket can be painted alongside any of the existing masterpieces.Australia are the benchmark for women’s cricket. Lanning is the best batter, a great pro and superb captain. Not long back she took time away from the game to recharge and rethink. Since returning she has won the T20 World Cup with her hugely professional and widely gifted team. South Africa gave the Aussies a run in the final – a fabulous occasion at Newlands incidentally – but one team was better than the other. The speed at which women’s cricket is now moving is astonishing. On the field, the power of shot, speed of bowler and agility of fielder has improved beyond measure, even during the past year or so. Off the field, the players are commanding a heady price at auction; Sciver-Brunt cost the Mumbai franchise about US$ 390,000, and she rewarded the faith.

The quality of the bats is a good thing for women, who are now challenging boundaries and frequently hitting amazing shots, giving their natural game of skill and touch another exciting dimension

The trick now will be to take stock. The development of the professional women’s game has come from a blank sheet of paper and is all the better for it. But the lines on the paper are filling up fast. Burnout is a very real threat to the globetrotters of the day. Sciver-Brunt was another who took time away from the game in the second part of last year to reboot. The highest compliment one can pay her is to recount that while she was at the crease on Sunday, there was an inevitability about the outcome. Richie Benaud used to say that the key to a run chase was to be there at the end. Sciver-Brunt must have been listening. The party began, and how!The scene took me back to the first men’s IPL final, when Chennai Super Kings were outwitted by Rajasthan Royals. It was Shane Warne triumphant against MS Dhoni and Muthiah Muralidaran; Warne inspiring his misfits and igniting Ravindra Jadeja; Warne investing both emotionally and physically in franchise and tournament. Warne being Warne. Royals swarmed then as Mumbai did on Sunday night, and Dhoni warmly congratulated. It was good between the teams, as if they were all on the same mission – the justification of something new that the players saw as opportunity.WPL night was ever so slightly different. Yes, it was something new but it was part of a mission that has defined who we are and what we believe to be right. The communal celebrations were the branches of an olive tree that will, metaphorically, live forever. Women’s cricket is no longer an idea or even a movement. It is an integral part of cricket life. The Indian franchise-league presence is the final piece of the jigsaw. Lanning instinctively knew it and saw that on this glittering night, in front of a full house, the winner was less relevant than the writing on the wall. She lost with dignity, which has not always been said about sportspeople in this angry age, but which seems to be back in fashion – among cricketers anyway.The IPL takes its share of the credit, since players who previously only knew one another from opposite sides of the fence now spend long periods of the year living in each other’s pockets. As must Brendon McCullum, who convinced his New Zealand players to dumb down the histrionics and see cricket for what it is – not trivial but not life and death either. Such was his impact that the generously spirited reaction to cruel defeat in the 2019 World Cup final by his successor Kane Williamson and the whole team will live long in the memory.Johnson Charles and Kyle Mayers put on 135 in 58 balls in the epic Centurion T20I•AFP/Getty ImagesThe women have an unfettered sense of joy in their game – an innocence almost – that suggests both unity and an old-fashioned morality. A well-used piece of footage during the later stages of the WPL had Jemimah Rodrigues in the Delhi Capitals dugout leading some of her team mates though an impromptu and wonderfully fluent dance, after which they all fell about with laughter. It was a reminder that we can take ourselves and the game too seriously. Ben Stokes has worked this one out too but applies his conclusions in a rather different way. Part of England’s recent success comes from upping the fun factor and lowering expectation.There was something of the same at Supersport Park early on Sunday evening as West Indians mingled among South Africans after 517 runs had been scored in 38 overs and five balls. In the television preview to the match, I interviewed Johnson Charles, who said he wasn’t bothered by arriving the day before the first match and that, anyway, he wasn’t the sort of player who studied the pitch and weighed up his options; rather, see ball and hit ball was the message. After which we walked to the middle together and, prophetically, he said we should expect a 245 game on a pitch this good. I can’t say I took him seriously. Duh me. He made 118 of them himself, in 46 balls.The balance between bat and ball is a true essential in the ongoing review of cricket’s health. So yes, these matches are heavily loaded in favour of batters, but on other occasions in other places, the ball has its say. Where possible, boundaries should be pushed back for men, whose physical strength has exponentially increased with the quality and amount of wood in the bats. The problem is how easily the mishit flies over not just the infield but the boundary riders too. This is obviously unfair to bowlers and takes much of the fear out of attacking batting, thus making the task of a big hit under pressure easier on the mind. The quality of the bats is a good thing for women, who are now challenging boundaries and frequently hitting amazing shots, giving their natural game of skill and touch another exciting dimension.The summary of all this is that whenever the critics – and I have been one – bang on about overkill in the short-form space compromising Test cricket, it is easy to forget cricket is in a generally happy place. Aspects of today’s game are not for everyone but then nor are aspects of today’s life. In a worn cliché it is said that cricket reflects life. This may be so, it may not. But as long as the grounds are full of enthusiastic spectators, the rudiments of technique remain – they form the aesthetic – and the contest goes to the wire, there is nothing to do but celebrate. Lanning had her day in the South African sun on February 26th, when her team won the T20 World Cup against South Africa at Newlands. On Sunday it was the turn of Harmanpreet in Mumbai and Lanning was first to applaud her. How the great world spins…

All you need is a smartphone and a tripod to find out more about your bowling

Deivarayan Muthu28-Nov-20204:02

Lockie Ferguson: ‘Wanted to put technology in people’s pockets’

Speed is “everything” for Lockie Ferguson. His pace was noted in 2008, when he competed with Jimmy Neesham in a fast-bowling competition on the sidelines of the New Zealand vs England Test at Basin Reserve.Ferguson’s elder brother Mitch Ferguson was also known for his rapid pace back in the day at Auckland Grammar but then slipped through the cracks, and is now a software developer. The Ferguson brothers’ need for speed drove them to develop an application called Machineroad with which bowlers can measure their speeds on their smartphones. In addition to being a pocket speed gun, the app allows you to record your training sessions while providing real-time feedback on lengths and bounce points among other analytics.So, all you need is a smartphone, a tripod set up 1.5 metres high and two metres behind the bowling crease, and “find out more about your bowling”.Watch the cricket on ESPN+

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“It was Mitch’s baby to start with. Fortunately, I’m in cricket as well, so it was a good avenue to get technology this cutting edge into everyday users,” Lockie told ESPNcricinfo during a virtual interaction. “Obviously, as professionals, we get the opportunity to have HawkEye, ball tracking, and pitch mapping and all these sorts of analytics, which help to become a better cricketer and now we’re trying to put that in someone’s pocket.”So, obviously pretty easy with me being a quick bowler and easy alignment for our product there, but certainly from a young age, I wanted to be a quick bowler because my big brother was a fast bowler and I wanted to be faster than him. Off the back of that, I think everyone will probably agree – even talking to some of the batters in the team, getting the app out at training, they’re all charging in and trying to bowl quick. So, it just shows you that there’s a lot of passion for fast bowling and everyone wants to know at some stage how quickly they can bowl.”Mitch drew from his experiences as a raw fast bowler – mismanaging bowling loads and lack of enough awareness about fast bowling – to make the app “hugely scalable” for club cricketers.Lockie Ferguson and Shivam Mavi test out the Machineroad app at the KKR nets•KKR/Machineroad”I guess the main reason behind [creating] the app was some of the stuff that I went through as a young cricketer,” Mitch said. “I was going through the grades and involved in a lot of representative cricket and obviously having quite a few injuries during that time as well. Ultimately, it was kind of based around how we can provide visibility to some of those young players because I definitely missed out on my fair share of opportunities.”You’ve got HawkEye and a range of other pieces of equipment that does enable you to capture some of this data, but one of the biggest things around that is a lot of that equipment is quite expensive, especially when you try to bring that equipment and technology to clubs and lot of other remote areas throughout the world as well. One of the key things that we really wanted to focus on was how we can take that technology, how we can simplify that data.”

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Recently, the Ferguson brothers used the app with the Parnell Plums Women’s side in Auckland, where Maddy Curran clocked 110kph, catching the attention of Northern Districts, who have now called her to their academy.”One of our best [things] happened with the Parnell Women’s team,” Lockie said. “We were out there testing the app with the Parnell Plums – which is a great women’s team in Auckland. Maddy Curran, one of the opening bowlers was bowling on the app and she’s quite quick. It picked it up – she was bowling at almost 110ks – then I posted it on our Machineroad Instagram and my Instagram. And next week, the ND coach got in touch with her and she is now involved with their academy. That might kick-start her career and if we can create more of those stories then that’s awesome.”While the immediate focus is to build engagement and gamification tools in the app to encourage cricketers around the world to challenge themselves against each other, Lockie reckoned it could also help bowlers test their plans at the nets and execute them better in the middle.”In the developing part, one thing Mitch and I talked about was… I hate to quote games, but last year at the World Cup, we were sort of faced up against Steve Smith. So, we were working out a game plan on what my strengths are against a batter like him who is so leg-side dominant and obviously got great plans. So, we sort of talked about this leg-gully option and at the time I wasn’t potentially in a position to be able to do that, but had I had that at training and actually filmed myself working on trying to hit a spot… I’m not always going to bowl that far on the left shoulder – a bumper. Tough to do it in the nets against our batters because they don’t want to face it too much.”But there is an element that I’m trying to create a plan that I think will work, but then how do I train and get real-time feedback? Then, this app is more or less on those lines where you can work on a skill like that [spot bowling] and hopefully, get the wicket or have Martin Guptill catch a one-hander at leg gully .”

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta issued a rallying cry to supporters. “Be in your seats by 7.30pm,” he commanded.

Fans inside the Emirates Stadium did not disappoint. North London Forever blared out from the sound system and after an intense week in which they’d gone unbeaten against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, the fans were very needed.

The Gunners failed to defeat ten-man Chelsea at the weekend and it was a performance that looked tired. Arsenal have enormous squad depth but injuries are already testing this crop of players. As a result, Arteta rang the changes for the visit of Brentford on Wednesday night.

Arsenal may well have secured a 2-0 victory but it was not a vintage performance. It was a display befitting of just how different the starting XI looked.

There were no Bukayo Saka or Eberechi Eze. Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke started instead. With Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba still injured, the responsibilities at the heart of the defence fell to Cristian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie again.

Did they deliver? Well, Arsenal scored twice and kept a clean sheet, so it’s hard to argue against that.

Did Arsenal's midweek starters stake their claim?

Mosquera and Hincapie were rather patched together at the last minute when Saliba sustained a training injury late last week.

The Frenchman has now missed the last two games but for the two summer signings, this was a more composed and easier night than their showing at Stamford Bridge.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Hincapie has been brave and aggressive in both fixtures but Mosquera struggled against Chelsea, notably when it came to progressing the ball. Of course, a Brentford side missing the Premier League’s second top goalscorer in Igor Thiago for over an hour helped their cause, but if Arteta is going to be missing two of the world’s finest defenders, the stand-ins have proven they can more than do a job.

It was in attack where Arsenal perhaps struggled a bit more. While Set Piece FC seem to have become more about scoring from open play, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli didn’t do a huge amount to suggest they should be starting.

Madueke was energetic and effervescent on the right flank, performing four dribbles, two of which were successful, but he ultimately lacked end product, amassing two shots and failing to provide a key pass. Martinelli’s night was even worse. He had only one shot and completed just one dribble.

Odegaard, who stood in for Eze, was also lacking sharpness. The skipper created four key passes but lost six of his seven duels.

For Arteta, he will have been pleased with Mikel Merino, however. The Spaniard scored yet again, taking his goal tally as a centre-forward for the club to ten in 22 outings.

Arsenal have been fortunate that they can rely on their squad depth. They’ve missed Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus in recent weeks but Merino has more than stepped up.

It was the substitutes who changed the game on Wednesday too. Saka, who replaced Madueke, scored the second strike to seal all three points for the Londoners.

Yet, the goalscorers were pipped to the man of the match award by someone who’s been on the fringes of things this season.

Arsenal's man of the match against Brentford

The contributions that Saka and Merino came up with were vital but if it wasn’t for the performance of Ben White, this night would have been far more challenging.

For White, this has been a troubling last year or so of his career. Signed for a mega £50m back in 2021, he had established himself as a core member of the Arsenal side.

2021/22

37

0

2022/23

46

7

2023/24

51

9

2024/25

26

2

2025/26

8

1

He was notably described by journalist Tom Barclay as “one of the best prospects in English football” in the summer he moved from Brighton and in the early stages of his Arsenal career he lived up to that, amassing nearly 100 appearances between 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Last season, however, things began to unravel. Fellow right-back Jurrien Timber was back from an ACL injury and his form since has been impeccable. In the words of the Standard’s Simon Collings, he is “the best right-back in the Premier League right now.”

What didn’t help White last season were persistent injuries that meant he was never really able to build momentum.

In 2025/26, though, he’s been available all season but has been met with stubborn resistance from Arteta to play him. He’s not the first person to find himself in this position during the Spaniard’s tenure.

Think of the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe or Oleksandr Zinchenko. While they all didn’t do a lot wrong in Arsenal colours, Arteta sought to upgrade them at the earliest opportunity available.

Zinchenko, in particular, has suffered the same fate as White has this season. When the Ukrainian signed for Arsenal from Manchester City he revolutionised the way Arsenal were able to play.

Previously, Arteta’s system saw Tierney flying forward from left-back but Zinchenko was fielded as an inverted full-back, something we now see from both Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori.

During that 2022/23 campaign, Zinchenko and White were vital from their respective roles in defence. They contributed in all phases of play. The former Man City man was finally moved on in the summer, albeit only on loan to Nottingham Forest and if White wasn’t careful, he may have been heading elsewhere too.

But, he revived his career on Wednesday, given just his second start in the top-flight all campaign. The defender’s only previous start came against Manchester United on the opening weekend and since then, Timber has made the spot his own.

When Brentford came to town, White rolled back the years. The 28-year-old was phenomenal, notably providing the assist for Merino’s opener.

He took home the player of the match award and deservedly so for a display in which the England international won more duels (10) and made more tackles (6) than any other player against Brentford. He also made more clearances than any of his Arsenal colleagues (6).

Many have tried and failed to get back in Arteta’s good books. Zinchenko and Ramsdale can testify to that. However, White has showcased that he’s still very much an elite full-back and he should not be dismissed just yet.

With Mosquera having had to limp off the field in the first half with an injury, replaced at centre-half by Timber, it would not be a surprise to see White back in the starting lineup this weekend against Aston Villa. On the evidence of this performance, he is undroppable right now.

Playing better than Saka: Arsenal ready to pay club-record fee for £132m star

The Arsenal target has been having a better campaign than Bukayo Saka this year.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2025