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Hazlewood has been outstanding in the IPL following injury and indications from last season are that the hierarchy remains

Andrew McGlashan01-May-20252:12

What makes Hazlewood a much-improved T20 bowler?

Plenty of Australian cricketers are currently plying their trade overseas, and Josh Hazlewood is going as well as any of them for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the IPL in what has been an encouraging return from injury and shapes as bad news for Scott Boland’s hopes of featuring in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.As of Thursday, Hazlewood was the leading wicket-taker in the IPL – with 18 wickets in ten matches – and while the role and requirements of T20 are considerably different to a Test match, his trademark back-of-a-length mode of attack has been key to a number of his dismissals.Two years ago, Boland was the beneficiary when the selectors opted to preserve Hazlewood for the Ashes that followed the WTC final against India as he returned from a side injury picked up in that season’s IPL. Boland went on to bowl brilliantly at The Oval, claiming five wickets in the match, as Australia won the mace by 209 runs. This time, barring any setbacks for Hazlewood over the next month, it looks like going the other way.Related

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For all Boland’s success that sees him sit with a Test record of 56 wickets at 17.66 from 13 matches he has only once been a first-choice selection when the big three quicks have been fit or not rotated: that was the opening Test of the 2023 Ashes when he was selected ahead of Mitchell Starc at Edgbaston. The two matches Boland played in that series have been the only occasion when a team has consistently dominated him – he finished with two wickets at 115.50 and an economy rate of 4.91 – as England’s Bazballers used his metronomic length to their advantage.Last season against India, Boland was the ultimate super sub. He replaced an injured Hazlewood in Adelaide where he zipped the pink ball around but then immediately made way in Brisbane only for Hazlewood to then suffer a calf strain. Boland took 16 wickets in the next two matches at the MCG and SCG, but the pace-bowling hierarchy remained clear. Again, Boland will likely need someone else’s misfortune to make the XI at Lord’s.Josh Hazlewood had an interrupted series against India•Getty ImagesHazlewood cut a distraught and frustrated figure as he walked off the Gabba after a ginger one-over spell on the fourth day after he tested the extent of the calf strain. Having emerged from an injury-hit period between 2021 and 2023, where he played just four Tests, he featured in 12 out of 13 matches after the WTC final, only missing at Headingley in the Ashes when he was rested.As Hazlewood recovered from the calf injury, a hip problem emerged, which ruled him out of the Champions Trophy. Through the various setbacks – both the recent ones and during 2021-2023 period – Hazlewood has remained adamant that it’s largely been bad timing rather than an indication that his body is becoming a genuine concern although Aaron Finch has previously suggested the selectors may need to start cherry-picking the Tests he plays.”I’ve had a little history of sides and calves, they are probably the two things that have kept me out for the majority of the last four years, but I [can] sort of just keep adding another layer to the defence hopefully,” he said late last year. “I’ve ticked a lot of boxes in the last 12 months and it’s just the timing again – they are only little two or three-week injuries, it’s just the timing of it and missing big games so that’s probably the frustrating thing.”Hazlewood has the 300-wicket mark in his sights should he be able to string appearances together this year, currently sitting on 279 at 24.57. There are landmarks approaching for all the big three: Pat Cummins is on 294 Test wickets, while Starc has 382 and is four games away from reaching 100 caps.There will be a couple of training camps in Brisbane during May for the Australian players who are based at home, which includes Boland who opted not to play county cricket after finishing the domestic season with a knee niggle.Initial WTC final squads, which will be 15 players, need to be submitted to the ICC by May 11 but can be amended until the end of the month. After that, the technical committee’s approval will be required for any injury replacements. Australia are expected to have a couple of travelling reserves with them in England, from where they head straight to the West Indies for a three-Test series.

They must now pick themselves up for a qualifying event for the T20 World Cup, but the fact remains: missing the ODI World Cup hits their finances and following

Firdose Moonda25-Jun-2023Cricket in Ireland could be pushed into the shadows of sports-lovers’ minds after they fell out of contention for the 2023 World Cup. Ireland have lost the first three group matches in their qualifying campaign and will not advance to the Super Sixes, a disastrous result for the game in the country after it had begun to gain a foothold over the last 16 years.Appearances at the 2007, 2011 and 2015 World Cups, accompanied by headline performances against Test teams, and their own elevation to Full Member status allowed cricket in Ireland to take up space in a packed sporting landscape. But their recent slide, which extends to missing out on the 2019 World Cup, and losing 11 of their last 15 ODIs, has seen the game take a dangerous backward step.”Fifty-over cricket is what brought Irish cricket to prominence at home in the first place – not just at home but overseas as well. The World Cups in 2007 and 2011: those kinds of occasions are burned and seared into the Irish sporting collective memory,” Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland’s (CI) chief executive told podcast earlier this month.”Normally what happens is that a sport becomes big at home, then prevails on the world stage; we’ve prevailed on the world stage and we are trying to use that to drive success, visibility and cultural relevance [at home]. We’ve become a big nation in cricket, we want to become a major sport in Ireland.”Related

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While football (both association and Gaelic) remains the most popular sport in Ireland, their men’s rugby union team have also captured the hearts of the nation. They are currently No. 1 in the world and are among the favourites for this year’s World Cup, which will be played at the same time as the cricket World Cup that Ireland will miss out on. Apart from the attention those sporting codes could command at the expense of cricket, there is also a massive financial implication for CI following their World Cup crash-out.The participation money for the tournament is US $1 million and that’s before any corporate opportunities, which are desperately needed by Irish Cricket. Already, they are operating on a $5 million loan from the ICC to meet their operational costs and were hopeful a World Cup place would also bring a cash injection.”There is a million dollars that comes with participation in the World Cup and there is a build up process in terms of talking about – where Irish Cricket becomes part of the national conversation for a long time,” Deutrom said. “Because the 50-over World Cup lasts so many weeks, it gains and generates significant support from governments both north and south and it’s an opportunity for commercial partners to say, ‘That’s something I want to be part of – an Ireland team on the world stage.’ All of those elements are so important for us in terms of our credibility.”Lahiru Kumara celebrates with team-mates after dismissing Paul Stirling•Getty ImagesNone of that can happen for CI now, and though there will be some dissection of how they found themselves in this situation, it can’t last long. Three weeks after this World Cup Qualifier ends – and Ireland will have to hang around to compete in the playoff matches – another starts: the 2024 T20 World Cup Qualifier in Scotland. There, Ireland, who made it to the Super 12s of the last T20 World Cup, won’t want to make the same mistakes they have so far with the one-dayers, most of them down to team selection and fixture prioritisation.Before this tournament, Ireland were occupied with red-ball cricket and played a Test against England at Lord’s. What could have been one of the most celebrated and memorable games for them was seen as not being a “pinnacle event” according to CI’s high performance director Richard Holdsworth, because of the importance of back-to-back qualifying campaigns.Immediately before that Test, Ireland hosted Bangladesh at Chelmsford in their last World Cup Super League series. Had they won 3-0, albeit each victory requiring a large margin, they would have automatically qualified for the showpiece event in India, and South Africa would be playing in Zimbabwe now. And before that, Ireland were playing Tests in Sri Lanka which may have informed their decision to pick legspinner Ben White for this series, even though he was expensive in Galle.White offers the ability to turn the ball away from the right-hander, thought to be an advantage in Bulawayo, but he only took one wicket in two matches and was then replaced by Barry McCarthy, who took 3 for 56 against Sri Lanka. Another selection question includes the omission of Zimbabwe-born PJ Moor, who has not played a game, even though he would be most familiar with conditions. Moor has played nine of his 49 ODIs in Bulawayo and eight other List A matches there, and has two half-centuries and two scores in the 40s at Queens.Ben White celebrates dismissing George Munsey•ICC/Getty ImagesNonetheless, before the Sri Lanka game, Ireland’s coach Heinrich Malan insisted the team had “done our homework”, but was speaking in reference to taking on the tournament’s top wicket-taker Wanindu Hasaranga.Ireland did attack the Sri Lankan legspinner and he had his most expensive 50-over outing against them, but also took five wickets. And in short, that has been the story of Ireland over the last 18 months or so. They’ve pushed big teams and big players as they tried to play what Malan called “a brand of cricket that’s exciting”, but in big moments, they’ve fallen short. It doesn’t get bigger than a World Cup qualifier.In the moments after the defeat that will keep Ireland away from India, Malan was at a loss to explain how or why they had got there but the tone of his voice revealed that he knows he will have more people to answer to than the scant media presence in Bulawayo. “It’s been a tough week or so and very disappointing,” he said.”I don’t think there is one piece where we’ve been poor, there’s a couple of pieces. It will take some time to sink in. We’ve got to be better in most areas. I don’t think we’ve come close to playing the way we’ve wanted to play over the last three games. It’s tough because there’s a lot of emotion going around.”Malan was appointed on a three-year contract last January and began work in March but has so far overseen a string of poor results including 17 losses in 25 T20Is and four out of four Test defeats. Asked about his own future, Malan gave nothing away. “In international cricket you always feel pressure. It’s a tough place to be at times. We’ll be better off for this once the dust settles.”The bigger question is if Irish cricket as a whole will be.

ESPNcricinfo looks at key areas where further work is required to improve relations between Yorkshire and the community

David Hopps10-Sep-20211 By your delayed or inadequate responses, and your media policy of silence, you have allowed Yorkshire to represent indefensible wrongdoing for millions of cricket followers. Your own county is split down the middle. You might well think that reaction is overdone. But why didn’t you see this coming?2 It is one thing to promise to review diversity and equality policies. It is another thing entirely to enact them with enthusiasm at all times. How will you ensure that happens? And while diversity training is potentially a good thing, what will you do about the perennial box-ticking problem of players daydreaming at the back of the room or the administrator who just goes through the motions?Related

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3 Fair and open recruitment would also obviously be a positive step. Will that commitment be extended not just to employees but to every single age group side picked to play for Yorkshire and every group of players called up for consideration for those sides?4 More 1st XI cricketers have emerged in the past few years from a single school in Cumbria – Sedbergh School – than from minority ethnic communities. No criticism of Sedbergh, they can be justly proud of their record. But are you, Yorkshire, as ashamed by the failure of your other development pathways as you should be?5 Legal dangers of publishing the full report are real. But do you realise how damaging the delayed publication of these partial findings have been, how they have put back Yorkshire cricket half-a-century and how much they have destroyed the trust of so many?6 Azeem Rafiq did not find all his complaints upheld. Not by any means. That much you have made clear. But do you accept that he challenged authority on behalf not just of himself but of others yet to follow, do you further recognise that if you respond with alacrity to the issues raised he can be a catalyst for real change, and that if that happens, he will have made a historic contribution?Dickie Bird at the reopening of Bradford Park Avenue in 2017•ESPNcricinfo Ltd7 Do you regret that the summary of the report sounds overly defensive and is it fair to wonder whether that is the result of many employees being primarily concerned about reputational damage to themselves as well as the club?8 As the panel make clear by referencing the Stephen Lawrence Report, institutional racism can be defined by “unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping”. By that definition, the summary of the report comes mightily close to suggesting that Yorkshire have been institutionally racist. So why conclude it is unproven? Is that an obvious cop-out?9 Will you take up the challenge of changing attitudes across every corner of cricket in the county – involving schools, clubs, league officials and enforce changes to their own systems – and promote a zero-tolerance attitude to racism amongst all players and officials at all levels?10 The redevelopment of Bradford Park Avenue to the point when it can stage county cricket again would be a factor in rebuilding trust in ethnic communities. What deadline have you set for adequate pavilion facilities to be provided so county matches can return?

Chelsea have now moved ahead of Arsenal in the race to sign Marseille striker Robinio Vaz, having opened talks, and a January offer is now being explored.

The Blues’ interest in signing a new striker perhaps stems from the slow start Liam Delap has made to life at Stamford Bridge, most recently failing to find the back of the net in the 2-0 victory at Burnley, before being replaced by Malo Gusto in the second half.

Michael Owen was critical of some aspects of the striker’s performance too, saying: “I do think in this situation he needs to be a little bit more unselfish, he probably could have passed it a couple of times.

“If he plays this ball in [to Pedro Neto] and makes a run to take the defender away, he will leave Neto with a one-on-one in this area. I think he’s got to do that instead of being a bit selfish and thinking he’s going to score a goal on his own. He takes a pot-shot from 25 yards and it’s not great.”

Ultimately, Enzo Maresca’s side prevailed regardless, but it was another poor performance from the 22-year-old, who is still yet to open his account since moving to west London, and a new centre-forward is being targeted for the January transfer window.

Chelsea make contact to sign Robinio Vaz

According to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea have now opened talks over a deal for Marseille striker Vaz, having made contact with both the French club and the 18-year-old’s representatives ahead of a potential January move.

The Blues are exploring the possibility of making a formal bid for the youngster this winter, and they have moved ahead of London rivals Arsenal in the race for his signature, with the Gunners taking a more patient approach.

A deal would be relatively affordable, with the Ligue 1 side looking to hold out for €20m – €30m (£18m – £26m), but they are in no rush to cash-in, having already knocked back an offer from an unnamed European club.

The Frenchman has been a breakout star for Marseille this season, managing to become a first-team regular, having only missed one Ligue 1 game, and he has weighed in with four goals and two assists in 12 outings.

Scout Ben Mattinson also clearly believes the starlet has a lot of potential, having singled him out for high praise when giving an overview of his key strengths on X back in February.

Vaz could be a future star, but with a Premier League title push potentially on the cards, Chelsea could do with bringing in a striker with a little more experience in January, rather than yet another youngster.

Enzo Maresca now driving Chelsea move for £79m Premier League star Enzo Maresca now driving Chelsea move for "incredible" £79m Premier League star

The Italian is looking to sign a new defender, who is viewed as an ideal fit for his system.

ByDominic Lund Nov 23, 2025

With the talks concluding late and other logistics being thrown off by uncertainty, the matches will be played on November 14 and 16

Andrew Fidel Fernando and Danyal Rasool12-Nov-2025Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has threatened players of the men’s national team and support staff with “a formal review” if they leave the ongoing Pakistan tour over security concerns. Several team members had asked to return to Sri Lanka, following the suicide bombing in Islamabad – the city they are staying in – on Tuesday. Players’ families in Sri Lanka had expressed their concerns over safety, in particular.”The support staff were very clear that we wanted to stay and complete the tour,” said Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s head coach. “But as the team management on tour, we heard the players concerns, and made sure we addressed them at length.”Deliberations went late into the night on Wednesday regarding the future of the tour, with players, team management, SLC officials, and Pakistan security officials, all involved in the discussion. PCB chair and Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi himself is understood to have come to the team hotel to reassure Sri Lanka’s players, with other officials from Pakistan’s security establishment also assuring the team their security arrangements remained rigorous. In addition, they had provided assurances that safety protocols around the team hotel would be tightened, with a separate elevator and restaurant area likely to be set aside for the team.With these talks concluding late and other logistics being thrown off by uncertainty, the two remaining ODIs in the series have now been pushed back a day. Naqvi announced that the matches will be played on November 14 and 16, when they had been scheduled for November 13 and 15. The first two matches of the T20I tri-series (featuring Zimbabwe) that follows the ODIs, have also been postponed by a day. That series will now also be entirely be played in Rawalpindi, when some matches had previously been scheduled for Lahore.SLC said the board had assured players of their safety, and instructed the team to continue playing matches as scheduled. The board also laid out consequences for any member of the touring party who defies their instruction.”If any player, players, or member of the support staff return despite SLC’s directives, a formal review will be conducted to assess their actions, and an appropriate decision will be made upon the conclusion of the review,” the board statement said.Through the course of the day, SLC is understood to have stood firm against player requests to return home. Sri Lanka have only played one of the three ODIs that are scheduled, and also have a T20I tri-series to play in Pakistan immediately after. Nevertheless, pressure from players had forced another meeting.SLC’s statement said the board had worked quickly to allay fears.”Following this development, SLC immediately engaged with the players and assured them that all such concerns are being duly addressed in close coordination with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the relevant authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of every member of the touring party.”Naqvi is understood to have decided to meet Sri Lanka’s players to reassure them regarding their safety and encourage them to continue the tour. Earlier on Wednesday, he met with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan, Fred Siriweera. The PCB released a statement saying a detailed briefing on the security provided to the Sri Lankan team was provided, and that Siriweera expressed his satisfaction over the arrangements.A Sri Lankan team had suffered a terrorist attack in Pakistan in 2009, in Lahore. Sri Lanka had been among the first teams to resume tours to Pakistan after the long exile, however.

Mitchell Starc revealed he has been working on ironing out some technical issues ahead of the Ashes as he warmed up for the Test series with some hostile bowling on the opening day against Victoria at the SCG.Starc ended the opening day with 4 for 91 from 18 overs, including a particularly rapid spell after lunch, but New South Wales paid the price for dropping Peter Handscomb before he had scored as he forged an impressive century to leave the visitors handily placed on a hard-fought day.”[I’ve been] working on a few things, getting that rhythm back,” Starc said. “Probably my longest layoff injury-free for a long time so trying to find that rhythm through the ODIs [against India]. Just felt like something wasn’t quite clicking there and it felt pretty close today. So, yeah, reasonably happy.Related

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“I tend to be someone [for] who continuous bowling keeps me in rhythm. It was a quick return to playing…I wasn’t going into the ODI series thinking I was cherry ripe.”Starc, who had asked for side-by-side footage of his most recent Test spell in Jamaica where he took 6 for 9 and the ODI in Adelaide to try and see if he could pick out an issues, added he had spoken to Australia coach Andrew McDonald after play to say he felt close to finding his best form again.”I think I’ve sorted it out. It’s just getting the engine going again,” he said. “I couldn’t really pick up too much in the action [from the footage]. I felt like I was pretty close and today I feel like I’m even closer.”Starc, playing just his fourth match since the West Indies tour, struck twice in quick succession after lunch to leave Victoria wobbling on 106 for 4. But Sam Harper, who counterattacked with a 40-ball 54 which included taking 22 off five balls against Starc, added 92 with Handscomb. Then Fergus O’Neill, whose batting has flourished this season, helped put together 84 with Handscomb for the sixth wicket.Shortly after coming to the crease Handscomb edged Josh Hazlewood low to first slip where Jack Edwards, who handed the NSW captaincy to Steven Smith for this match, spilled a regulation catch. Handscomb made it count, reaching his second Shield century of the season from 208 balls with a drive down the ground against Hazlewood. Shortly after, he fell to a Nathan Lyon delivery with a relatively new ball which slid past the outside edge.”Nice to come out here and face such a quality attack,” Handscomb said. “To score runs is always nice, but to do it against those boys was special for me.”Starc provided New South Wales with their first wicket of the day when he trapped Harry Dixon with a searing yorker. Then after lunch he was involved in an engrossing contest with Campbell Kellaway, the 23-year-old opener who is establishing himself as one of the most promising among Australia’s next generation, with the left-hander repeatedly having to sway out of the line of well-directed bouncers.Peter Handscomb celebrates his century•Getty Images

However, one short ball Kellaway couldn’t avoid slammed him on the left hand causing significant pain and a lengthy delay. But he was able to resume and brought up a 96-ball fifty before gloving Starc down the leg side. It was a clear deflection and Kellaway began to walk but then stopped leaving the umpire to raise his finger.”Old Starcy fired up a bit there and got the ball whizzing through, which with the summer of cricket coming up, it’s exciting to see,” Handscomb said. “[It was] amazing from Campbell. You take a few body blows, a few finger blows, it’s never nice.”For him just to knuckle down and keep fighting and keep trying to just focus on the next ball, sticking to his process and putting everything else out of his mind was a class act. Sort of showing that he is going from strength to strength as a batter and doing some pretty amazing things at the top of the order in the Sheffield Shield, which is a tough ask.”Starc struck again at the start of his next over when Ollie Peake slashed to gully where Kurtis Patterson took an excellent catch. His figures took a dent after tea as Harper began the session in dramatic fashion with two fours and two sixes. It included a huge hook which lost the ball in the stands, in the process racing to a 38-ball fifty, before picking out deep square leg when he couldn’t resist having another dip.Among other members of Australia’s Test attack, Hazlewood ended wicketless after seeing the early opportunity against Handscomb go begging but again looked in excellent rhythm as he had during the recent white-ball matches against India.Lyon had struck in the morning session when he had Marcus Harris caught at short leg off an inside edge. He finished with 2 for 65 from 21 overs. Sean Abbott, one of the reserve quicks for Perth, initially went at more than four an over but clawed things back and struck to remove O’Neill via an inside edge.Shortly after lunch, Will Salzmann was subbed out of the game with a hamstring injury under the trial being run by Cricket Australia for the first five rounds of the Shield season. He was replaced by Ryan Hicks. It was the second time NSW had made use of the rule after Abbott suffered a split webbing against Victoria in Melbourne.

For the first time in a long time, potentially ever, there is a strong argument to be made that Arsenal are the best team in the world at the moment.

Mikel Arteta’s side are clear atop the Premier League table and, following their 3-1 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, are now clear atop the Champions League table as well.

This incredible run of form probably shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, as the club have built a squad full to bursting with world-class talent, and even then, their most important player, Bukayo Saka, is yet to find his best form.

At his best, the Hale Ender is a total game-changer, and so fans should be hugely excited about reports linking Arsenal to another attacking monster who has been compared to him.

Arsenal target another Saka-type star

With the winter transfer window now rapidly approaching, Arsenal have started to be linked with a host of brilliant players.

Transfer Focus

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

Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, for example, has been touted for a £100m move to the Emirates, as has Porto’s £79m Samu Aghehowa.

Yet, while both of these brilliantly talented players would improve the Gunners’ squad, neither one can be compared to Saka, unlike Michael Olise.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are now one of a few teams plotting to sign the Bayern Munich monster next year.

Alongside the North Londoners, Liverpool and Manchester United are reportedly keen on the French international, who has been nothing short of world-class since his move to Germany.

However, on top of the immense competition, the Gunners will have to stump up a massive fee of up to €140m to get their man, which is about £123m.

With that said, while it would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, Olise’s immense ability and similarity to Saka make it one Arsenal should fight for.

How Olise compares to Saka

One of the most significant comparisons between Saka and Olise comes from FBref, which ranks the Englishman as the eighth-most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Frenchman across Europe’s top five leagues.

The best way to understand how this conclusion has been reached is to examine the underlying numbers in which the pair rank closely.

In this instance, the metrics include non-penalty expected goals, progressive carries, shot-creating actions, successful take-on percentage, and more, all per 90.

Progressive Passes Received

12.5

12.4

Goals per Shot

0.14

0.11

Goals per Shot on Target

0.30

0.22

Key Passes

2.53

2.21

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.42

0.35

Tackles Won

0.53

0.58

Carries into the Final Third

2.84

2.56

On top of these statistical similarities, they are both seen as two of the best players for two massive clubs.

However, while it’s great that the former Crystal Palace star can be compared to the Gunners’ talismanic number seven, there are other reasons the North Londoners should be looking to sign him, such as his output.

For example, while he failed to score on Wednesday night, the 23-year-old has racked up a tally of nine goals and ten assists in 19 appearances this season, totalling 1538 minutes.

That comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every game, or every 80.94 minutes, which more than justifies Oliver Glasner’s former claim that he’s “one of the best talents in the world.”

It’s not just this year that the 13-capped international has been an output machine, though, as last year he was just as dangerous.

In 55 appearances across all competitions, totalling 3842 minutes, he produced 43 goal involvements, which comes out to an average of one every 1.27 games, or every 89.34 minutes.

Ultimately, it would cost an arm and a leg, but Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign Olise next year, as, like Saka already is, he could be a real game-changer.

Arteta now has an even better duo than Gabriel & Saliba at Arsenal

Mikel Arteta has created an Arsenal team full of incredible partnerships, including one better than Saliba & Gabriel.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 27, 2025

Manchester United’s hierarchy ensured that Ruben Amorim was well backed in the 2025 summer transfer window. Despite another season filled with inconsistencies under the Portuguese manager, the Red Devils’ owners have backed their manager, highlighted by the amount of money they spent over the summer.

Star forward Bryan Mbeumo has been the biggest success story after his £71m move from Brentford. He was one of three marquee attackers who United signed, along with Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5m, and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko for £74m.

Goalkeeper Senne Lammens rounded out a busy summer where Amorim was well and truly backed.

If recent rumours are to be believed, INEOS are willing to give Amorim even more money to spend.

United’s next marquee signing

It is certainly an exciting time to be a United fan with all the incomings. They have been linked with a few big names from within the Premier League, including Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba, in recent days.

Transfer Focus

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

Yet, the man who the Red Devils could turn to first in midfield is Real Madrid and France international Aurelien Tchouameni. According to reports in Spain, via Football365, United have ‘put forward an offer’ to sign the former AS Monaco star as soon as January.

This is certainly not a deal that will come cheap for United. The reported bid they have played for the midfielder would see him become Amorim’s most expensive signing, at £79m including add-ons.

However, the report suggests Los Blancos are not open to the move as things stand.

Man Utd's next Casemiro in the making?

At 25 years of age, the 43-cap France international is about to enter the peak years of his career. Since moving to the Bernabeu in 2022 from Monaco, he has become a key player in midfield, helping Madrid win multiple titles, including the Champions League and La Liga.

This season under Madrid’s new head coach, Xabi Alonso, Tchouameni has featured 15 times, in all competitions. Operating at the base of midfield, he’s completed 90 minutes 12 times, racking up 1224 minutes so far.

There are a couple of smaller things in Tchouameni’s game that make him such an appealing addition for Amorim. One of those is his versatility, with the Frenchman able to slot in at centre-back. The other his his knack for goal.

England fans won’t forget this strike in the 2022 World Cup, highlighting how dangerous he can be from range.

If the Red Devils were able to bring the Frenchman to Old Trafford this term, he would, in many ways, be the second coming of Casemiro. United’s number 18 has shone under Amorim this term, playing all ten Premier League games he’s been available for. Indeed, there are a couple of striking similarities between the pair.

Indeed, the fact that Casemiro was also a big money signing from Los Blancos is one of the main ways this deal feels alike. Versatility is also a similarity, with the Brazilian able to operate at centre-back too, as well as his natural role in midfield.

The former Madrid star is also prone to a goal just like Tchouameni, with three to his name already this term.

One of his best strikes in Red came last season in the Carabao Cup, when he hit this long-range screamer against Leicester City.

Tchouameni and Casemiro also share a statistical likeness, as can be seen when looking at their stats this season, as per FBref..

For example, the French star averaged 5.88 progressive passes and 3.3 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, compared to 4.41 progressive passes and 3.97 tackles and interceptions each game from the Brazil international.

Progressive passes

5.88

4.41

Tackles and interceptions

3.33

3.97

Clearances

1.96

1.76

Progressive carries

1.03

0.15

Ball recoveries

4.23

5.74

It is easy to see how this deal to sign Tchouameni could be the second coming of Casemiro at Old Trafford. They have followed a similar career path and are statistically alike. He could well be the Brazilian’s replacement down the line.

As football analyst Raj Chohan said, Tchouameni is “one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet” and he would certainly add more midfield quality to United.

Garnacho 2.0 at Man Utd: INEOS in talks with agent to sign £70m "monster"

One Garnacho-esque new signing could help add firepower to Man United’s attack.

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 19, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras recebe o Internacional neste sábado (11), pela 34ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. A bola vai rolar a partir das 21h (de Brasília), na Arena Barueri, em Barueri (SP), com transmissão exclusiva do Premiere (pay-per-view).

RelacionadasDicasPalmeiras x Internacional: estatísticas e informações do jogo pela 34ª rodada do BrasileirãoDicas09/11/2023Fora de CampoFacincani critica jogador após derrota do Palmeiras: ‘Não pode vestir essa camisa’Fora de Campo09/11/2023Fora de CampoEx-Palmeiras vê exagero em expulsão de Gustavo Gómez contra o Flamengo: ‘Daria amarelo’Fora de Campo09/11/2023

+ Confira os próximos jogos do Brasileirão

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Palmeiras x Internacional
34ª rodada – Campeonato Brasileiro

Data e horário: sábado, 11 de novembro de 2023, às 21h (de Brasília)
Local: Arena Barueri, em Barueri (SP)
Onde assistir: Premiere e tempo real do Lance!
Arbitragem: Paulo Cesar Zanovelli da Silva (Fifa-MG) (árbitro);  Guilherme Dias Camilo (Fifa-MG) e Felipe Alan Costa de Oliveira (auxiliares); Vinicius Goncalves Dias Araujo (SP) (quarto árbitro);  Marco Aurelio Augusto Fazekas Ferreira (MG) (VAR)

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
PALMEIRAS (Técnico: Abel Ferreira)
Weverton; Murilo, Luan e Naves; Mayke, Richard Ríos, Zé Rafael, Raphael Veiga e Piquerez; Breno Lopes e Endrick.

Desfalques: Dudu (lesão no joelho), Gabriel Menino (lesão no tornozelo) e Gustavo Gómez (suspenso)

INTERNACIONAL (Técnico: Eduardo Coudet)
Rochet; Bustos, Vitão, Mercado e Nico Hernández (Dalbert); Johnny, Aránguiz (Gabriel), Maurício e Wanderson; Alan Patrick e Enner Valencia.

Desfalques: Bruno Henrique (suspenso)
Dúvida: Aránguiz

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

The Herons might miss the Uruguayan when they take on Nashville Saturday night, yet his absence could offer some answers as to how they function going forward

Luis Suarez just had to do it again. In fairness, this is what Luis Suarez does: mayhem, chaos, rule-breaking – and often in rather nasty ways.

His latest act? Kicking Nashville’s Andy Najar in the groin during the second half of Inter Miami’s playoff clash. It was the kind of thing Suarez has probably gotten away with countless times – a ball about to enter the box, Najar holding him, Suarez pushing off and flicking his leg with a quick, snapping motion.

Whether he intended to plant his studs in the defender’s groin isn’t clear – that would require a frightening degree of accuracy, a no-look shot for the ages. But the broader point holds: Suarez made a deliberate act to injure an opponent. Few caught it in real time, and there was no punishment on the pitch, but MLS reviewed the play afterward and handed him a one-match suspension. He’ll now miss Saturday’s elimination game against Nashville – if Miami lose, their season ends, and Suarez won’t be on the pitch to help them.

Perhaps more importantly, though, this is a test for the Herons. They have survived without Suarez in the past. They have, arguably, looked better without him at times. And so, it becomes a strange balancing act. Suarez is a key player, to be sure. But they have shown previously that his absence isn't necessarily damning. And this game – win or lose – might just offer an idea of how a post-Suarez Inter Miami could function, not just in the next few weeks, but also for years to come. 

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  Sticking to a brand

  Of course, this was bound to happen. Every few months, Suarez reminds the footballing world why he’s one of the game’s great villains – an immense talent, but a truly unlikeable one. This is the Suarez brand: brilliance wrapped in chaos. The contradiction is that what makes him great – the tenacity and relentlessness – also fuels the misdemeanors. In a twisted way, good and evil Suarez must coexist for elite Suarez to thrive.

  At his best, Suarez remains an unrelenting pest of a forward, even in his twilight years. He keeps running, shouting, and scrapping long after his body tells him not to. Everything about his 38-year-old frame – the worn knees, the heavy legs – suggests his career should be over. Yet somehow, he’s still fighting on. That persistence doesn’t justify the occasional kick or outburst; it’s simply part of who he is (and still shouldn’t be condoned).

  These incidents are forgivable when Suarez is fit and firing. But when he's off color? Then they start to seem a real issue. He has already been suspended once this season, that time for spitting at a Seattle Sounders staff member after losing the Leagues Cup final. He was banned for three games and should have been out for longer. And now, Suarez is out again.

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  Messi at false nine the solution?

  The immediate issue here – beyond that, of course, of having an aging superstar with serious anger issues – is how Miami approach Game 3. Suarez is having a poor season by his standards, with 10 goals and 10 assists in MLS. He is not the goalscoring threat he once was, but remains an influential part of the Miami attack. It's a footballing cliche of sorts, but Suarez makes all of the intelligent runs and occupies all of the right spaces. Strikers of his age are supposed to conserve energy and only move when they absolutely have to. Suarez is hardly ever static. Even when he is less effective in front of goal or slower getting to his spots on the pitch, he remains a nightmare for defenders. 

  Miami don't have the personnel to replace him or his impact. What they will have to do, then, is some tactical tweaking. The silver lining to having a player who gets suspended a lot is that you tend to learn how to operate without him when needed. And Miami have done so on a couple of occasions this season. The most obvious solution is a tried and tested formula that has worked for 15 years: play Lionel Messi as a false nine. It worked wonders for Barcelona, and Argentina have done a similar thing for years.

  That might, in fact, be the only option for. Young striker Allen Obando has hardly played all season. Tadeo Allende is a peripheral option. Messi, who is the team's best attacking player and playmaker, appears to be the most logical choice. 

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  Addressing tactical deficiencies

  But there will undoubtedly be a bit of a knock-on effect – at both ends of the pitch. Although they started the season in a 4-3-3, recently, Miami have played in a more recognizable 4-4-2. Suarez operates as a central striker of sorts, with Messi able to roam around in a free role just behind him. That makes perfect sense from an attacking point of view. It allows the outside players to get forward and scamper into good crossing positions, which then opens some space for Messi in the middle. This isn't tactically revolutionary as much as basic soccer.

  When you don't have a central striker, though, things change. The concept of the false nine is inherently reliant on having two attacking outside players who pour forward and sacrifice a little bit defensively. It's almost counterintuitive, but playing without a natural forward tends to be far more offensive of a setup – mostly because it can leave teams frighteningly exposed when they don't have the ball.

  Anyone who has watched Miami at any point this season would tell you that is not a very good idea. They're a pretty simple team to cut through, offering far too much space in the middle of the pitch, and limited pressure on the ball when they don't have it. The appeal of a 4-4-2, rather than a 4-3-3, is that it offers a more reliable defensive structure that is harder to play against. Effectively, then, in losing Suarez, Miami will be forced to leave themselves a little more open going the other way. 

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  Planning for the future

  Suarez is a real pain, but his presence alone makes Miami better – at least in theory. Without him in August, they were mixed: narrow wins over Seattle and D.C. United, but a 3-0 thrashing by Charlotte that exposed their flaws.

  That game was perhaps more indicative of how Miami can be attacked than the two wins. Charlotte had far less of the ball, and were comfortable in their defensive shape. They kept Messi quiet, and were incredibly direct and opportunistic when they had the ball. They managed four shots on target, and three ended up in the back of the net. That is, perhaps, a bit of a statistical anomaly. But it is indicative of how Miami can be hit when they're without Suarez. That could easily happen against Nashville Saturday night. 

  More broadly, it could offer some indications about Miami's future. Messi’s under contract for multiple years, but Suarez’s deal ends after this season. Despite Jorge Mas’ hints that the Uruguayan could stay, there’s been no public indication of renewal. There is every chance that he has played his last game for Miami. Now, the Herons have to figure out how to move forward without him.