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With Junior Firpo currently set to leave as a free agent later this month, Leeds United have reportedly joined the race to sign a Bundesliga standout who’s worth just £8m this summer.

Junior Firpo set to depart Leeds

After four years at Elland Road, Firpo has just 24 days remaining as a Leeds player unless anything dramatic happens between now and the end of the month. With his contract expiring, the Whites have missed their chance to cash in and will now watch on as one of their most experienced players departs as a free agent. With or without the chance to cash in, however, Leeds must find a replacement this summer.

Daniel Farke is one of many who are well aware of Firpo’s importance in Yorkshire, having told reporters when asked about the defender’s contract situation at the start of last season: “If I’m honest I haven’t thought about this scenario so far because it was such a difficult summer for other things.

“You know how much I rate Junior [Firpo] and Sam [Byram] and how important they are for us. Junior played a really good game against Burnley, after long travel, improved defensive skill and turning into a leader. Great will to improve further.”

49ers lining up summer swoop to sign "resilient" relegated star for Leeds

He could get an instant return to the Premier League.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 6, 2025

Set to lose one of his leaders nonetheless, Farke must ensure that his replacement, whoever that is, steps up in Firpo’s place. Those at Elland Road cannot afford to get things wrong this summer with the Premier League looming.

None of the last six promoted clubs have survived their first season in the Premier League, but Leeds will be desperate to end that trend. The 49ers look likely to back them in pursuit of that too, given recent links to the likes of Gustavo Hamer and now a talented Bundesliga star who would replace Firpo.

Leeds racing to sign Anthony Caci

According to Foot Mercato, Leeds are now racing Borussia Dortmund to sign Anthony Caci from Mainz 05 this summer. The full-back, who can play on both sides of the defence or even in midfield, has been a standout in the Bundesliga across the last eight months and has more than played his part in Mainz’s shock sixth place finish.

Valued at just €10m (£8m) by Mainz, Leeds would be landing a bargain deal by beating Dortmund to Caci’s signature this summer. There’s even a strong argument that the Whites would be landing an upgrade on Firpo and not just a replacement.

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Whilst keeping up with Firpo on the creativity front, Caci outperformed the Leeds man in a number of key areas. Having proven himself in Germany’s top flight, the Frenchman has more than earned the opportunity to do the same in England’s top division.

At just £8m, Caci would undoubtedly be a bargain buy and one that the 49ers should do everything to seal should Firpo depart this summer.

Manchester City are now interested in a surprise move to sign a £35,000-a-week player from Chelsea, according to a new report.

Man City closing in on three new signings

As they did in January, City are expected to be very busy this summer, as Pep Guardiola eyes several incomings as well as outgoings. City have already announced the signing of Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The deal is thought to be worth around £31 million with £5 million in add-ons, after Guardiola identified him as the player to solve their left-back problems.

After Reijnders: Man City to submit bid for Mahrez 2.0 "in the next hours"

Man City’s squad overhaul looks set to continue this summer, amid Tijjani Reijnders’ expected arrival.

ByRobbie Walls Jun 4, 2025

And the Blues have also agreed a deal worth £46.3 million with AC Milan to sign midfielder Tijjani Reijnders. The Dutch international underwent his medical on Sunday, and he is now expected to sign a five-year deal before the Club World Cup.

The final player City are trying to get in before Tuesday’s deadline is Lyon attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki. It was claimed last week that discussions have been held over a deal, and they are now close to agreeing a deal for around £35 million. His potential arrival at the Etihad could see him become the man to replace Kevin de Bruyne, who has now departed the Blues.

Man City lining up surprise move to sign £35k-p/w Chelsea ace

While City work on deals to get players in before the start of the Club World Cup, they also have their eyes on players they would like to sign further into the summer transfer window. Now, according to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, City are lining up a move to sign goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea.

The Blues want to bolster their goalkeeper options for next season, given that Scott Carson is now leaving the club following the end of his contract. Bettinelli has been identified as a replacement, as City feel his character makes him ideal to be their third-choice keeper.

Leading up to the summer transfer window, there has been a lot of talk about the future of current number one Ederson, who has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. That has yet to progress, but it seems it could be all change in the goalkeeper department at the Etihad Campus.

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The 33-year-old, who earns £35,000 a week at Chelsea, has been at Stamford Bridge since July 2021. He joined the club on a free transfer from Fulham, and in those four years, he has played just one game for the Blues, and that came in the FA Cup in the 2021/22 campaign. The goalkeeper is under contract until 2026.

A player trading model at Glasgow Rangers has been largely non-existent over the previous few years.

The club’s rivals at the other end of the city have sold some of their prized assets when the iron is hot, raking in massive profits in the process.

Indeed, the likes of Kieran Tierney, Jota and Matt O’Riley were all sold for just over £75m. Combine this with the financial rewards on offer in the Champions League, and it is clear to see why Celtic are light years ahead of the Gers, from a financial viewpoint at least.

Under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Rangers sold Nathan Patterson for £16m in January 2022 to Everton.

A few months later, Joe Aribo was offloaded to Southampton for a fee in the region of £10m, while Calvin Bassey became the club’s record sale, moving to Ajax in a deal worth up to £23m.

Since then, the Ibrox side have allowed the contracts of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos to expire. At one time, they were considered the two most bankable stars in the team.

Last summer, it was revealed that the club brought in just £800k, despite selling Sam Lammers, Connor Goldson, Todd Cantwell and Scott Wright.

Russell Martin must ensure the Gers are selling players at their peak in order to receive the highest possible fee.

Hamza Igamane and Mohamed Diomande have been linked with a move away from Glasgow this summer. It makes sense for Martin to try and hold onto them as long as possible, however.

The case might be different for Nico Raskin. The Belgian was arguably the club’s best player throughout 2024/25. As such, he should command a high fee this summer amid reported interest.

Why Rangers could sell Nico Raskin this summer

Not only did the midfielder take the captaincy at times last season when James Tavernier was injured, he also secured his maiden national team call-up.

Raskin made his debut for Belgium in March against Ukraine and was called up again for the World Cup qualifiers against North Macedonia and Wales recently.

Last month, it was revealed that Aston Villa and Leeds United were showing interest in the former Standard Liege starlet.

Amid this growing interest from the Premier League, TEAMtalk stated that Rangers would expect at least £25m in order to sell Raskin this summer.

This type of money could go a long way, especially as Martin looks set to rebuild a squad that failed to win a trophy last season.

On the other hand, if Raskin stays and enjoys another good season, plus shines for Belgium at the 2026 World Cup, he could potentially attract an even bigger bid.

Much for the new manager to ponder, that’s for sure. What he must do this summer is bring in another midfielder or two in case Raskin does leave the club.

With that in mind, it appears as though the Glasgow giants are after an English starlet who played in the Championship last term.

Rangers search for a midfielder

Martin has set his sights on Flynn Downes this summer in a bid to improve his midfield options. The Southampton star played under the Scot and would be a solid addition to the first team squad at Ibrox.

Transfer Focus

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

Another player who could make the move is Saints midfielder Shea Charles. He also played under Martin last term and journalist Graeme Bailey is backing the Light Blues to make a move for him this summer amid interest from Leeds United.

“He’s an interesting one. It is more likely that he joins Rangers. He’s not on huge wages and obviously he played under Russell Martin at Southampton.” said Bailey.

The Northern Irishman spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, with the 21-year-old – who joined the Saints for £15m in 2023 – enjoying a productive season.

Bringing in or two temporary signings could mean Martin uses his funds elsewhere. Should Raskin depart in the summer, Charles would be an instant replacement for the Belgian dynamo at the heart of the Rangers midfield.

Why Rangers should sign Shea Charles

Charles played all but three league games for the Owls last term, notching one goal and five assists in the process.

He typically operated in a defensive midfield slot and exuded plenty of the qualities which made Raskin enjoy such a fine season.

When compared to his positional peers in the Championship throughout 2024/25, Charles ranked in the top 9% for interceptions (1.46) per 90, while also ranking in the top 19% for tackles (2.68) per 90 and 7% for percentage of dribblers challenged (63.9%) per 90.

This no-nonsense approach allows Charles to win the ball back once his team have lost it, where he is then able to move it on and start an attack.

The Irishman also won an impressive 6.5 total duels per game last term – a success rate of 59% – while recovering 5.7 balls per game in the second tier.

Amid the interest in the youngster, analyst Kai Watson heaped plenty of praise on the midfielder, saying that “he can do everything”, as a result of his “great physical and technical profile”.

It would be an interesting move to secure the services of the highly-rated player, especially as Leeds United are seemingly keen.

He would add defensive solidity to the midfield and, if Raskin is sold, the midfielder would be an ideal replacement. For that there is no doubt.

Will Martin act swiftly in a bid to bring his former player north of the border? As mentioned, a permanent move may be hard to pull off.

A loan deal, however, could work out perfectly for all parties involved. Charles gets the chance to play in Europe and challenge for trophies, while Rangers manage to utilise a talented young player who could add plenty to the squad.

It’s a no-brainer.

Martin on verge of first Rangers signing as "aggressive" gem takes medical

The Gers are set to get their business underway.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 12, 2025

As they look to continue their spending after Fer Lopez, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now reportedly confident that they’ll win the race to sign a Premier League winner this summer.

Wolves pushing on after Lopez

Wolves have money to burn after selling both Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri and have already left a small dent in their budget by splashing out £19m to sign Lopez from Celta Vigo. Given that Cunha alone cost Manchester United £63m, however, it’s fair to say that Molineux chiefs could still have a fairly large budget to work with this summer.

With that budget in mind, it’s no surprise that several names have seemingly found themselves on Wolves’ radar this summer. And that includes Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi.

Vitor Pereira and co. have reportedly joined the race to sign the Colombian defender, whose £24m release clause is set to expire on July 10. With Wolves, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur – among others – chasing his signature, the race to sign Lucumi is certainly hectic and is only set to heat up as the clock ticks down on his release clause.

Whether those in the Midlands can beat their Premier League rivals is the big question at Molineux. It would certainly show plenty of ambition if they managed to do so and ambition is exactly what they must show after losing key men this summer.

If Pereira is to pick up where he left off in his first full season in charge then replacing Cunha’s creativity will be particularly important. It won’t be an easy task to find the heir to the Brazilian’s throne but on Premier League gem would certainly be a strong candidate.

Wolves now confident they'll sign Harvey Elliott

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Wolves are now confident that they’ll win the bidding war to sign Harvey Elliott this summer, who Liverpool value at £40m.

The young midfielder is one of the names likely to be shown the Anfield door at the right price in the coming months. Jarell Quansah has already suffered that fate and is on his way to Bayer Leverkusen. Now, Elliott could follow suit to join Wolves and receive a much-needed starting role.

Whilst there may be some concerns over Wolves’ ability to match his price tag, the departures of Cunha and Ait-Nouri should be able to help fund a move that would certainly be worthwhile.

Although he’s come off the back of a difficult first season under Arne Slot, it wasn’t so long ago that Elliott was on his way to becoming a key man under Jurgen Klopp, who was a huge admirer of the now Premier League winner.

Wolves join huge race to sign "excellent" defender as £24m deadline looms

He’s a wanted man…

ByTom Cunningham Jun 25, 2025

The former Reds boss told reporters when the young midfielder scored against Cardiff City on his return to injury in 2022: “Harvey was unlucky with the injury but lucky with the whole process afterwards.

“Everything went really well. He did an incredible job, the medical department did an incredible job. He is a fearless boy and a great footballer so all these things.”

Craig Overton and Roelof van der Merwe salvaged the innings before they helped roll Glamorgan for 85

ECB Reporters Network16-Jun-2024Will Smeed smashed 86 off 48 balls to lead Somerset to a 108-run Vitality Blast South Group victory over Glamorgan at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The opener blitzed nine fours and five sixes to dominate the home side’s innings of 193 for 8 after losing the toss. Craig Overton contributed 42, while Dan Douthwaite claimed three wickets in an over to finish with 4 for 37 from four.In reply, Glamorgan could muster only 85 all out, Sam Northeast top scoring with 24 and Lewis Gregory taking 3 for 11 to become Somerset’s equal leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket.Somerset’s innings was a rollercoaster, starting well, dipping dramatically and finishing strongly. Smeed and Tom Banton produced an opening stand of 38 inside four overs before Banton was bowled by a full delivery from Timm van der Gugten.It was 51 for 1 at the end of the six-over powerplay as Smeed took centre stage, dominating a second-wicket stand of 54 inside six overs with an out-of-sorts Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who fell to a boundary catch off Andy Gorvin for nine.By then, Smeed had gone to a brilliant 30-ball half-century with a pulled four to fine leg off Douthwaite. He celebrated by clearing the rope in the same area next ball and Somerset looked on course for a 200-plus score.That changed in the 12th over, which saw Douthwaite send back Tom Abell, Sean Dickson and Gregory with the second, fourth and sixth deliveries, Dickson to a brilliant one-handed catch by Jamie McIlroy at mid-on. When Ben Green was caught and bowled by Mason Crane at the start of the following over four wickets had fallen in the space of seven balls.Smeed, who had looked on course for his second T20 century, was bowled by a full-length ball from Douthwaite and Somerset were seven down with more than six overs of their innings left. Overton and Roelof van der Merwe showed their experience by steadying the ship before a late assault, which saw Overton hit sixes over long-off and long-on, the latter sending the ball sailing into the River Tone.A half-century stand off 30 balls gave the hosts momentum going into Glamorgan’s reply, which saw Overton dismiss Kiran Carlson, caught at third man in the first over, and Riley Meredith send down a wicket-maiden, having former Somerset player Eddie Byrom caught behind for a duck.Marnus Labuschagne and Northeast took the score to 37 by the end of the powerplay, but the second ball of the seventh over saw Labuschagne fall lbw to Gregory aiming to leg. Colin Ingram then guided an Overton delivery straight to gully to leave Glamorgan 43 for 4.Northeast miscued an attempted scoop shot off Gregory to Jake Ball at short fine-leg and when Douthwaite offered the same bowler a tame return catch Somerset’s captain had equalled leg-spinner Max Waller’s record of 139 T20 wickets for the county.Van der Gugten clothed a Ball delivery to cover and Chris Cooke was superbly caught by Green on the cover boundary at the end of the same over to make it 71 for eight.Gorvin delayed the inevitable with a couple of belligerent blows, but left-arm spinner van der Merwe wrapped up the result, taking wickets with his only two balls of the innings.

Prospective debutant confirms his form against Essex, as Eathan Bosch claims three wickets

ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2024Jamie Smith produced the perfect dress-rehearsal for his England debut on day one of their top of the table clash with Essex at The Oval.Named this morning as the only wicketkeeper in England’s 14 for the first Test against the West Indies a week on Wednesday, Smith struck his second century of the season, making exactly 100 with two sixes and 14 fours, as the hosts reached 248 for 8 on a rain-shortened day in south London.Smith’s heroics apart, Surrey’s batters struggled against some probing bowling, South African quick Eathan Bosch returning 3 for 52 in only his second appearance for the county.Play began on time after morning drizzle but only two overs were possible before the rain returned, forcing the players from the field until after an early lunch.The delay helped the hosts who had been asked to bat first under slate grey skies which had largely dissipated by the early afternoon.Even so former England opener Dominic Sibley produced a mixture of crisp drives off his pads with plenty of playing and missing outside off stump, and was given a life on 10 when Jamie Porter shelled one at backward point, Shane Snater the unlucky bowler.The spill wasn’t overly expensive as Sibley reached only 24 before swishing one from Bosch to Dean Elgar at first slip.Dan Lawrence, also named in the England squad, fluffed his lines, producing one glorious cover drive before fencing at one from Bosch which bounced a bit off a length caught the edge and flew to Simon Harmer’s giant hands at second slip.Harmer would spill a more routine chance to reprieve Rory Burns on 25, Snater again the luckless bowler, but like Sibley before him the Surrey skipper didn’t cash in, nicking one from Paul Walter in the next over to Michael Pepper behind the stumps.His dismissal brought Ben Foakes to the crease, the wicketkeeper – not for the first time – cast aside by England supremo Rob Key, this time in favour of his team-mate Smith. Tellingly, Surrey named Foakes as keeper despite Smith’s promotion to the role in the national side. Smith has only kept wicket twice for Surrey this season, one of those appearances coming in Foakes’ absence.Fate dictated the two men would bat together though not for long, Foakes, understandably deflated edging through to Pepper to give Bosch a third wicket.Smith though stood firm, demonstrating his ability to be a 360-player, punching and caressing fours through cover and punishing anything on his legs both backward and forward of square.A ninth four crunched square took him to 50 in 70 balls as he and Sai Sadharsan shared a stand of 70, the Indian youngster’s contribution to which was 13.The stand would be broken in strange circumstances. Porter was forced off the field mid-over after appearing to dislocate a finger. Walter took up the cause for the visitors and two balls later found the edge of Sudharsan’s bat, Harmer providing safe hands at slip.Nothing though was going to derail Smith from a day of destiny, the 23-year-old twice clearing the ropes on the way to a century sealed by a quickly run single.Job done, he left the stage to the next delivery he faced, castled after missing a straight one in Matt Critchley’s first over.Jordan Clark didn’t detain us for long and Ryan Patel’s burgeoning innings was cut short by the first ball of a new spell from Snater which pierced his defence.

Celtic are in the midst of building for the new campaign and are now closing in on a winger who would provide a much-needed fresh face in the wake of a key departure, according to a report.

Nicolas Kuhn's Celtic exit prompts frantic transfer movement

After 18 successful months in Glasgow, Nicolas Kuhn is joining Como from the Scottish Premiership champions in a deal that will see the Bhoys earn a tidy profit on the former Germany Under-20 international, who was brought in from Rapid Vienna for £3 million.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed the Celtic winger’s departure on social media platform X, stating: “Nicolas Kühn, on his way to Italy as he signs in as new Como player on €19m from Celtic. Agreement done as revealed last week and Kühn on his way with agent Fabian Dingler. Here we go, confirmed.”

Leaving Brendan Rodgers short of options out wide, the Bhoys have reacted by putting in a bid for Rapid Vienna star Isak Jansson, who could follow in Kuhn’s footsteps by leaving the Austrian Bundesliga side for Parkhead.

Their offer is said to be in the £2.5 million range, though an unnamed side have put forward a £3.4 million proposal for the Swede, potentially sparking a bidding war between interested parties.

Attacking reinforcements appear likely to arrive sooner rather than later, with Celtic also focused on deals for Kawasaki Frontale striker Shin Yamada and Napoli’s Giuseppe Ambrosino.

Celtic’s opening five matches of their Scottish Premiership title defence

St Mirren (H)

Celtic Park

Aberdeen (A)

Pittodrie

Livingston (H)

Celtic Park

Rangers (A)

Ibrox

Kilmarnock (A)

Rugby Park

Following an end to last term that felt like a slight grind to a halt, new faces are needed to provide a spark once again and the Bhoys are now close to landing a key target, per recent developments.

Celtic close to signing Royal Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha

According to Voetbalkrant, Royal Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha is close to joining Celtic and Marc Overmars is keen to push through a deal swiftly so the Belgian Pro League outfit can begin to work on incomings.

Financially, Antwerp are in a position where they need to sell before they can buy, and it appears that the Bhoys are now on the verge of taking the 24-year-old off their hands for a ‘hefty sum’ of money.

Celtic can sign a better ST than Kvistgaarden in "complete" £6.8m star

Celtic could forget all about Mathias Kvistgaarden by signing this striker this summer.

1 ByDan Emery Jul 6, 2025

Enjoying a productive campaign, Balikwisha registered four goals and three assists in 18 appearances across 2024/25. However, injuries have limited his scope to make a greater impact over the last couple of years.

Either way, Celtic are now set to land a key reinforcement out wide and one they have targeted for a long time, providing an injection of quality once Kuhn completes his move to Como.

Time is of the essence for the Bhoys ahead of their Champions League playoff tie in August, so fans will be waiting with anticipation hoping an announcement will soon follow.

Rain in Rawalpindi may impact the Test as well with the visitors leading 1-0

Danyal Rasool29-Aug-2024Big picture: Pakistan in perilPakistan cricket, right now, isn’t exactly going through a golden era, but few expected the bloody nose Bangladesh gave them last week.For much of that Test match, Pakistan’s chief frustration appeared to be they would end up with a draw, a draw would inhibit their efforts, which captain Shan Masood bullishly talked up in the build-up, at having a real crack at reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Five days later, Pakistan would lose, and to add insult to injury, have half-a-dozen points docked for slow over rates, placing them ever so close to the bottom of the table. A home series defeat to Bangladesh would bring its own ignominy, which has little to do with whether they’re in the race to prove themselves the best Test side in the world. Bangladesh had, until last week, won just six away Tests in a quarter century of being Full Members, two against an enfeebled West Indies in 2009, and another two against Zimbabwe.Related

Bangladesh's chance to build on Rawalpindi miracle

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Nahid's rise gives Bangladesh a happy selection headache

Shaheen Afridi left out of second Test against Bangladesh

Masood suddenly finds himself in a battle for the captaincy so soon after assuming it, having lost each of the four Tests he’s been in charge. While flashes of quality against Australia over the winter meant the overall result could potentially be overlooked in favour of a long-term plan, such forgiveness will not come if Pakistan drop a home series against Bangladesh. With a busy time ahead that includes the sterner challenges of England and South Africa, ensuring they avoid handing this Test trophy over next week remains the bare minimum for this red-ball side to retain credibility with its supporters.Bangladesh played the Rawalpindi Test at their own pace and won•Associated PressThat task is complicated by the weather in Rawalpindi once more. Rain forced the cancellation of practice sessions on the eve of the game, with more forecast for the first day. It has led Pakistan to hesitate before officially confirming a spinner for the Test, naming a 12-man squad with Abrar Ahmed and Mir Hamza both in contention. Masood pointed out Pakistan were the more proactive side last week, and with Bangladesh only needing a draw, his side will have to find a way to repeat that while also ensuring they get a better result.And what, really, can you say about the position Bangladesh have created for themselves? Najmul Hossain Shanto’s side outplayed as well as outthought the hosts, doing the basics right. Like making sure they had spinners in case they came in handy on the final day, which they did. Or not leaving runs out by declaring early owing to ultimately unrealised concerns it might rain, which it did not. They let Pakistan’s wobbles do the rest, and the ten-wicket win was as clinical as it was merited.There are more important things going on back home, but the uncomplicated joy of last week was as welcome as it was unexpected. This, remember, is not a vintage Bangladesh side, and did not come in saddled with high expectations. They came in last week, saw an opponent making unforced errors and didn’t interrupt them. They didn’t get sucked into playing fashionably aggressive cricket, or bullied into doing anything they didn’t want to do. They had no qualms about batting at under three runs an over for large parts of the first innings, and when Pakistan turned to declaration bowling, they simply didn’t decare.It secured Bangladesh arguably their greatest Test win, but they will know they need to hold off on wild celebrations for now. With one Test on the horizon and no clear signs Pakistan will be able to produce the pitch they want, all Bangladesh may need to do is pick up where they left off in the first Test. Pakistan must make all the moves, and as Bangladesh demonstrated, they are not going to be displaced too easily.Babar Azam’s recent form has been a big concern for Pakistan•Associated PressForm guidePakistan: LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first) Bangladesh: WLLLWIn the spotlight: Babar Azam and Mushfiqur RahimBabar Azam’s slump aligning perfectly with the team’s nosediving Test form has been aggravating. Pakistan are used to dry patches and players out of form, but it isn’t quite obvious why this generation’s best batter is now struggling to achieve the big scores that came so easily to him. There isn’t a particular type of bowling or kind of shot that’s ailing him nor does he have other responsibilities now that he has been relieved of the armband. Babar fell to two basic unforced errors in the first Test, a squeeze down leg side and a drive without footwork doing for him. Home runs on flat surfaces against Bangladesh seemed like a no-brainer, and he now has one more Test to try and fix that.Mushfiqur Rahim played the role of the senior pro to a tee in the first Test. He used his strong defensive technique to good effect over the course of three partnerships that allowed the batters at the other end to operate with more freedom. Shadman Islam only opened up his repertoire in a 52-run stand with Mushfiqur, while Litton Das finally showed some form, after Mushfiqur allowed him to bat his way. Mehidy Hasan Miraz continued to shine with his batting mentor, playing out 178 balls in his innings. Mushfiqur continuing this role is bad news for Pakistan.Team news: Taskin in, Nahid out?Shaheen Afridi has been omitted from the squad for the second Test, with Abrar and Hamza part of the 12-member squad Pakistan have announced.Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Shan Masood (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Salman Ali Agha, 8 Abrar Ahmed/Mir Hamza, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Mohammad Ali, 11 Khurram ShahzadMushfiqur Rahim tunes up for the second Test against Pakistan•PCBFast bowler Taskin Ahmed is back fit, and should replace Nahid Rana. Having secured one of their greatest Test wins, Bangladesh are unlikely to make further changes.Bangladesh: Shadman Islam, 2 Zakir Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Litton Das (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Shoriful Islam, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Taskin AhmedPitch and conditions: Rain on the radarPakistan have made no secret of their desire for a pace-friendly wicket, though achieving it proved difficult in the first Test. There will be more than a tinge of grass on this new pitch, but monsoon rain lashed the city in the days since the end of the first Test. More rain is forecast during the game.Stats and trivia: Babar’s slump Mushfiqur, who was named Player of the Match in the first Test, is the only Bangladesh player to have taken part in all seven of his nation’s away Test wins Since the start of 2023, Babar averages 21.15 in 13 Test innings with a highest score of 41Quotes”We’re loathe to make a decision [on who to play] purely on over rates. Our over rates were poor in the first Test and unacceptable. We need to be better and get through our overs quicker. Our opposition like to call for gloves and drinks at very regular intervals so we need to be mindful of that but we can’t control that. What we can control is our energy levels and making sure we’re getting through our overs as quickly as possible.”

Manchester City have been making waves so far during the summer transfer window as Pep Guardiola attempts to win back the Premier League title.

Indeed, no fewer than four players have moved to City, and there is scope for plenty more in the coming weeks.

Kyle Walker has left, as has Kevin De Bruyne, with Guardiola streamlining his squad.

With the Englishman departing, City have targeted a swoop for a Serie A player who could add something extra to the right side of their defence.

Man City ready to close in on Serie A star

Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki have all arrived at the Etihad ahead of the 2025/26 season. Despite City exiting the Club World Cup earlier than anticipated, the three players could be vital for the club next season.

Now, according to reports in Spain, City could be set to close in on a deal to sign Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries, with the Etihad side ready to accelerate their move for the rampaging talent.

He has a release clause worth £21.5m, as per the report, but this expires on July 15 and it looks as though Guardiola is keen to activate it before the deadline.

The right side of the defence is a position which needs to be strengthened massively and Dumfries could be an excellent signing.

He could turn out to be Guardiola’s very own Bryan Mbeumo, who has been heavily linked with a move to rivals Manchester United this summer.

Why Manchester City must sign Denzel Dumfries

United’s attack could look very different should they secure a deal for Mbeumo in the coming weeks.

Off the right flank last season, he registered 28 goal contributions in the Premier League – 20 goals and eight assists – proving he would be an excellent signing for Ruben Amorim.

Dumfries could turn out to be Guardiola’s own version of the Brentford forward. Despite not playing in quite such an advanced position, the Dutchman did record similar statistics to Mbeumo throughout last season, with FBref noting the pair to be similar players among wingers across Europe’s top five leagues.

Indeed, according to FBref, the pair performed similarly when it came to shots per 90 (1.74 vs 2.08), shot-creating actions (2.53 vs 3.8) and goal-creating actions (0.18 vs 0.53) in their respective domestic leagues.

Goals

7

Assists

2

Big chances created

6

Total duels won per game

3.9

Tackles per game

0.9

Balls recovered per game

2.2

Both players are superb at bursting forward down the right flank in order to either get a shot away or to create chances in the final third, with Dumfries notably registering 17 goals and assists in all competitions last term as an advanced wing-back.

Journalist Alan Rzepa described Dumfries as a “monster” all the way back in 2021, but fast-forward four years, nothing has changed.

In Serie A last term, he scored seven goals and grabbed two assists. Given that City’s full-backs scored just eight goals between them all season, adding someone like Dumfries would be an excellent move.

For a fee of £21.5m, Guardiola could well be signing his very own Mbeumo-esque figure on the cheap. Someone capable of shining in the Premier League with his attacking talents on the right flank.

If it all works out, Dumfries might just quietly be the signing of the summer for City.

Romano: "Agreement sealed" as Man City win race and sign 18 y/o ex-PSG gem

The paperwork has now been “signed” over a move to the Etihad.

ByHenry Jackson Jul 11, 2025

“We had a really good match, it was just some small moments that we could’ve done better,” says New Zealand head coach Gary Stead

Madushka Balasuriya25-Sep-2024You win the toss, you bat. When it comes to playing a Test in Galle, that is not so much as received wisdom as it as an etched in stone eleventh commandment. While this might on the face of it seem a ploy to get the best of the batting conditions, in actuality, it’s more down to not wanting to get the worst of it.In the first Test, Sri Lanka won the toss and obviously batted, but while the notable turn on day one signified a raging turner from the outset, Sri Lanka still managed to run up 305 in the first innings – even accounting for them losing their last four wickets for just 24 runs.And after that, it was in fact New Zealand’s batters that got to utilise the most batter friendly of conditions across the Test – on day two, when the turn had slowed down and Sri Lanka’s spinners struggled for control. But their innings, too, was hampered by a late collapse, going from a pretty strong 269 for 5 to 340 all out.Related

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But as the Test wore on, particularly on the fourth and fifth day, batting became the chore Galle is more commonly renowned for, with 14 wickets falling on day four and two wickets within 15 minutes on day five to wrap up the game.”The pitch can change quite quickly and we saw that,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead noted on the eve of the second Test. “From being relatively good off the straight areas, to then spinning, quite a bit on that fourth day. The conditions can change very quickly.”So I think every run you get in the first innings is very important. And making sure you can post a as large a total as possible, as that means it’s just less runs you have to score in the second innings.”Stead’s sentiment was something shared by Sri Lanka batting coach Thilina Kandamby, who spoke towards the importance of setting the tone early on, be it with the bat or ball.”Setting the tone is key in Test cricket, even with the ball. In Manchester also, if you remember, we had a really bad day starting with the bowling. Then we recovered really well. That’s the positive part of it, whether it comes to bowling or batting our recovery is really good. But setting the tone is really important, and all the players know that.”Both teams are also acutely aware of the areas in which they need to improve, primarily in pressing home hard-fought advantages. With five wickets in hand, 50 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’s first innings total, and a set pair of Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips at the crease at the start of day three, New Zealand might have been eyeing a hefty first-innings lead – particularly taking into account the confidence with which they had approached their batting the previous day.As it turned out, they would lose their remaining five wickets for 86 runs on the third morning, and in the process relinquish the grip they had on the game. With 63 runs the final margin of defeat it’s pivotal passages such as these, that Stead knows proved the difference in the end.”I actually think we had a really good Test match and for the most part it was very evenly contested. I thought that it was just some small moments that we could have done better,” he explained. “We probably should have got more run in terms of that first innings, and the lead from the position we were in.”And then the second session, I think it was of the third day, where we didn’t take a wicket. [Dinesh] Chandimal and [Dimuth] Karunaratne batted very well, but we maybe were just a little bit slow to adjust and adapt to that situation.””We probably should have got more run in terms of that first innings, and the lead from the position we were in” – Stead•AFP/Getty ImagesKandamby had similar grievances with his own side. Sri Lanka lost five of their top six batters (including Angelo Mathews who retired hurt) inside the first 35 overs of day one, before a century from Kamindu Mendis and a Kusal Mendis fifty revived their innings. In the second innings, having got to 153 for the loss of just one wicket, Sri Lanka stumbled to 178 for 4. And then again went from 286 for 6 to 309 all out.”Mindset will be the same [going into the game], but we have discussed where we went wrong, especially in the batting,” revealed Kandamby. “We had a collapse in the third or fourth day, it had happened a couple of times earlier also. The senior players need to take the responsibility because they have played a lot of cricket in Galle. We all knew the wicket would be helpful for spinners.”When we see the stats, I think they swept more than us, which is a concern. We played some good sweep shots as well, but you can’t always trust the defence on a wicket like this. So you’re better always to be in a positive mindset to score runs.”One other area of concern has been the contribution from Sri Lanka’s tail. In terms of batting contributions from those batting at 9, 10 and 11, Sri Lanka know they could be doing better. Across both innings they contributed a total of 13 runs, while Ramesh Mendis batting at eight offered not much more.This has partly been reason for Sri Lanka bringing in Milan Rathnayake – following his impressive showing with the bat in England – in place of Lahiru Kumara, but Kandamby said it was nevertheless an area they were actively looking at improving on.”Yes we’re looking for runs from them [the tail], but more than that it’s about supporting the batter at the other end. It’s only after the recognised batter gets out that we start thinking about how to put the pressure back on the bowlers and get some runs. So honestly if they can get about 30-40 runs, that would be good. Because if you look at it compared the rest of the Test playing nations, our batters at 9, 10, 11, are quite low down.”Whenever we have practice, batting is compulsory for them. And when we’re not playing in a series, they will work the coaches at the HPC (high performance centre) to work on their technical errors.”