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West Indies Under-19 held off Kent by 28 runs in a low-scoring contest at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium to record their first win of the Regional Super50. Sent in to bat, West Indies Under-19 were bowled out for 155 in 46.3 overs. They then spun out Kent for 127 in just 34 overs, with 16-year old left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop taking 4 for 44.Kent were 76 for 2 before Bishop ripped through the middle order. He first dismissed Darren Stevens for 18 in the 18th over, before striking thrice in the 22nd over. Then off the next, Bhaskar Yadram took the first of his three wickets by bowling Matt Coles for a duck, as Kent lost four for three runs to slide from 92 for 3 to 95 for 7.Captain Sam Northeast, who was at the non-striker’s end throughout the mayhem, tried to weather the storm, making 37 before he was ninth man out to Keemo Paul. Yadram then removed tailender Ivan Thomas to end the match with figures of 3 for 6 in five overs, clinching an improbable win.A 59-run second-wicket partnership between Matthew Patrick and Yadram produced the bulk of the runs for West Indies Under-19. Patrick top-scored with 45 off 79 balls while Yadram’s 29 wound up being the third highest total in the match to go along with his three wickets later on in a solid all-round performance.Trinidad & Tobago produced a tremendous fightback to win a thriller by 11 runs over Leeward Islands at Coolidge. Defending 226, they appeared well out of the game after a 115-run opening stand by Leewards captain Kieran Powell and Montcin Hodge. But the wicket of Powell in the 27th over, stumped after being unable to reach a ball dragged wider outside off stump by left-arm spinner Khary Pierre, sparked a slide which resulted in Leewards losing all ten wickets for 100 runs and slump to their first loss of the tournament.Pierre struck in the 31st and 35th overs in identical fashion to remove Nkrumah Bonner and Marlon Samuels, both batsmen skipping down the track to clear mid-on, only to miscue them to Rayad Emrit at long-off. Emrit then struck a crucial blow to remove Hodge for 82, producing an edge behind to Denesh Ramdin on a failed attempt to guide a single to third man. Only two other batsmen made double-digits with 16 extras winding up as the next best contribution outside of the openers.Pierre was named named Man of the Match after finishing with 4 for 40. He induced a leading edge from Jahmar Hamilton for his fourth , and concluded his day with another fine moment at the end of the 46th over, running out Gavin Tonge from long-on with a relay to Ramdin for the ninth wicket with 20 required to win. Shannon Gabriel defeated Jason Campbell’s heave across the line in the 49th over to end the match.Campbell’s efforts with the ball went in vain after he had set up the dramatic second innings, taking 5 for 37 with his left-arm spin in the first innings. Nicholas Alexis made 50 at No. 3 for T&T but Imran Khan’s 45 not out at No. 6 ensured they batted through the 50 overs. Roger Primus fell in the 39th over to make it 151 for 6 and Khan shepherded T&T’s long tail through the final 11 overs before they ended on 226 for 9, which ended up being just enough to secure their third win, putting them just a bonus point behind Leewards for the top spot in Group A.

Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta has ended his 11-year stay at Stamford Bridge, leaving new Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino with a big decision to make

There was another significant juncture in Chelsea's extraordinary period of upheaval last week, as Cesar Azpilicueta bid farewell to the club after 11 trophy-laden years of loyal service. His departure immediately adds to Mauricio Pochettino's in-tray, with the new head coach now facing a big decision over who should take the armband.

Indeed, the Argentine needs to form a new on-field leadership team altogether, as Jorginho's move to Arsenal in January means the club has lost both its captain and vice-captain in the space of six months. Mateo Kovacic, another player to have worn the armband recently, has also moved on.

Chelsea's unprecedented overhaul of the first-team squad this summer means the options to replace Azpilicueta as skipper are limited, but a few names in particular stand out as candidates…

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  6Enzo Fernandez

  In his brief time at Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez has demonstrated his leadership credentials in his attempts to dictate play from the middle of the park amid relative chaos around him. Indeed, he aspires to be a leader on the pitch, saying in April: "I always dream to be a leader because when I started, I always wanted to be an example."

  His authority was noted by interim manager Frank Lampard, but his thoughts are perhaps an accurate reflection of where the midfielder will sit in Pochettino's thinking: "Enzo is becoming a leader," he said. "But he's 22, I think it's quite difficult for us to talk about that, he'll have to find his way."

  The language barrier is also an issue, with Lampard revealing in May that Enzo "doesn't speak English much at all". Consequently, this feels like an opportunity that will come too soon for the club's record signing.

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  5Ben Chilwell

  A name that will likely be mentioned in despatches in discussions over the club's next club captain and leadership team is Ben Chilwell. Despite only signing in 2020, the 26-year-old suddenly finds himself among the club's longest-serving players.

  A Premier League and Champions League-winner as well as an England international, he has a wealth of experience at the highest level and knows what it means to represent Chelsea through thick and thin, while his disarming, warm character means he is popular among the squad and the fanbase.

  His injury record should be a concern, however, as Pochettino will want his captain to be ever-present. Some will also argue that he is perhaps nice for the job.

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  4Kepa Arrizabalaga

  The notion of Kepa Arrizabalaga even being in contention for the captaincy would have been laughable less than a year ago, but the goalkeeper has battled back to prominence at Stamford Bridge.

  Kepa enjoyed a quietly solid campaign after reclaiming his place between the sticks from now ex-Chelsea stopper Edouard Mendy, and Lampard even handed him the armband for the home game against Brighton at the backend of last season – although that ended in another disappointing defeat.

  He is an outsider for the role, but it has been reported that Pochettino is willing to stick with the Spaniard as his No.1 next season rather than spend on a replacement. That makes him a contender for the captaincy as a vocal presence at the back and one of the longest-serving first-team regulars, despite his shortcomings.

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  3Raheem Sterling

  Raheem Sterling still hasn't even been at Chelsea for a year, but his experience and winning mentality mean he will feature prominently in Pochettino's thoughts as he ponders his decision.

  Sterling has emerged as a natural-born leader, captaining both Manchester City and England in the past and earning the respect of his peers with his exploits both on and off the pitch. His trophy-laden time at the Etihad Stadium means he is comfortably the most decorated player in the Chelsea squad.

  It's a role the player relishes at international level, saying after captaining the Three Lions last year: "It's a great privilege and never in my wildest imagination as a young player coming through did I ever think I would captain England one day, it comes with maturity the manager sees in you, the passion and love I have for the country.

  "I always have this thing where I remember me coming through as a young player and it's nice when senior players put their arms around you, it's a new environment and all we can do is make sure the new ones feel as comfortable as possible."

  The main thing that will count against Sterling is his brief time at Stamford Bridge to date, but don't be surprised to see him in his manager's new leadership team.

Michael Beale has recently signed his third player for Glasgow Rangers, with midfielder Kieran Dowell joining the Ibrox side on a pre-contract deal until 2026.

He joins Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell as Beale signings, and the signs are certainly looking positive ahead of what promises to be a busy transfer window, with plenty of ins and outs ahead of 2023/24.

The 42-year-old will have to be smart with his transfer dealings as funds may be in short supply, though according to Football Insider, the Gers have been linked with a move for defender Thierry Small, with a fee of around £1.2m demanded by Southampton.

The 18-year-old could follow in the same footsteps as former Ibrox left-back Calvin Bassey, who was sold to Ajax last summer for a club-record fee of £23m having enjoyed a stellar campaign which included a Scottish Cup winners' medal and a Europa League final appearance.

Could Thierry Small join Rangers this summer?

With Beale looking to rejig the squad, anything is possible, and for the aforementioned £1.2m fee, it could well prove to be an excellent investment, similar to that of Bassey.

The current Ajax star cost the Light Blues just £230k as a compensation fee to Leicester City in the summer of 2020, and having made sporadic appearances in his debut season, a defensive injury crisis last term gave him the chance to impress at centre-back as he played 50 games across all competitions.

Like Bassey, Small is also a left-back, while he can play slightly further forward if required, and he has spent the second half of the season on loan at St Mirren, giving him good experience of the physical nature of Scottish football.

Small is still in the embryonic stages of his career, with his 6.44/10 Sofascore rating indicating that he is still on a steep learning curve, however, he has managed to make one key pass per game while grabbing an assist, indicating that he has shown glimpses of his attacking abilities.

Defensively, the youngster averages 1.3 tackles and one clearance per game, which despite ranking him 7th and 14th in the squad respectively is rather respectable considering he has only started seven Premiership games.

Football writer Simon Peach lauded the defender as “exciting” and “highly rated” after he moved to Southampton from Everton in 2021, so he perhaps has the potential to make the breakthrough at Ibrox over the next year or two.

With Borna Barisic entering the final year of his contract, it appears as though Beale is looking at young talent to fill the void when he finally departs, and in the process, he may just unearth another £23m gem.

Newcastle United are exuding confidence and swagger in abundance at present but must ensure that the newfound cohesion is fortified by an iron-clad underbelly.

Since the £300m PIF takeover, the Magpies have completed a score of signings and have swiftly asserted themselves as one of the Premier League's most captivating high-fliers, perched in third place with just four matches to play.

Liverpool, in fifth, are three points behind and have contested an additional fixture, and a glorious return to the Champions League after 20 years away could alight St. James's Park in sparkling glory.

Manager Eddie Howe has led his team to a remarkable resurgence and everything is falling sweetly into place in Newcastle, with throngs of promising talents pushing for a place in the 45-year-old's plans to coincide with the first team's emphatic exploits.

The crème de la crème, perhaps, is exuberant midfield prodigy Lewis Miley, who will be pushing to make an appearance in some form next season despite his tender age.

Who is Lewis Miley?

Having flourished during his formative years on Tyneside, the 17-year-old Miley signed his first professional contract with Newcastle, with academy director Steve Harper "delighted" to secure his signature and saying that "his hard work, attitude to learning, and training, as well as his technical ability, has got him to this point."

Since that momentous day for the teenager, he has partaken in a training session with the first team and looks set to increase his responsibility on the training front as Howe slowly nurtures him towards a position where he can compete for sporadic spots in match-day plans, perhaps starting with the early phases of domestic cup competition.

Hailed as a prospect with "bags of potential" by reporter Lee Ryder and lauded as "talented" by Miles Starforth, Miley has scored four goals and supplied six assists from 16 appearances at youth level – including seven direct contributions from nine Premier League 2 displays.

Furthermore, he has even featured as an unused substitute against Bournemouth for the seniors in the English top flight this term.

Already at this maiden stage, Miley has the look of an ell-encompassing and dynamic midfield option, with journalist Mark Carruthers describing him as "a powerful runner, good close control and can pick a pass."

The eight-cap England U17 international could even be said to bear a certain semblance to distinguished Magpies machine Bruno Guimaraes, who has been in scintillating form for his Premier League outfit since signing from Lyon for £40m in January 2022.

Having forged 53 showings for the Toon, the Brazilian has scored nine goals and served five assists and has been praised as "world-class" by teammate Dan Burn after his transformative effect on his side.

The £120k-per-week machine ranks among the top 17% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for assists, the top 19% for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for progressive passes and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, with a playing style that Miley can use as a faultless blueprint as he looks to mould his own game to ascend towards prominence.

The excitement surrounding youth players always comes with a layer of caution, with countless cases of precocity in the academy ranks falling flat when the time to grace the senior pitch arises, but there is a sense that Miley could evade this narrative.

If Howe invests time and effort into this midfield talent, there is no telling how high his ceiling could stretch, especially with a peer of 'world-class' stature in Guimaraes to nurture him to prominence.

Former Spurs employee Ramon Planes 'could be tempted by an offer from Tottenham Hotspur' amid all the noise surrounding Fabio Paratici.

Paratici ban extended worldwide

Earlier this week, Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy were hit with the major announcement by FIFA that Paratici's Italian footballing ban has been extended worldwide. The club chief's alleged involvement in former club Juventus' recent financial scandal resulted in him being slapped with a 30-month Serie A ban but FIFA's message has now confirmed that this applies to the Premier League as well.

This news deeply affects Paratici's role as Tottenham sporting director with the 50-year-old no longer able to negotiate transfer dealings or even get materially involved in Spurs' search for a new manager. The Lilywhites parted company with Antonio Conte earlier this week as the north Londoners begin their quest to hire a permanent replacement.

Cristian Stellini and assistant coach Ryan Mason have been placed in temporary charge until the end of this season but news of Paratici's extended worldwide ban has given chairman Daniel Levy yet another conundrum to solve.

As a result of the Paratici news, some reports have already suggested that Spurs could hire a replacement, with Spanish sources now sharing an update on this front.

According to the report from the continent, it is believed that Tottenham are 'closely following' former Barcelona sporting director Planes, with La Liga side Real Betis also targeting the 55-year-old. It is also claimed that Planes 'could be tempted by an offer from Tottenham Hotspur' with the English side listed as an 'option' for the chief. A man in demand, it is also not completely ruled out that Barca come back in for their ex-employee.

Should Tottenham hire Planes?

The experienced sporting director has worked for clubs across Spain and was even attracting interest from Newcastle back in 2021. Perhaps most interestingly, Planes also held a brief role as Tottenham's technical secretary from between 2014 and 2015 when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge.

Indeed, Planes could be a solid candidate to potentially succeed Paratici if Spurs go down that route, not least because the official is familiar with both Spurs and manager target Pochettino.

As shared by Guillem Balague, both men have also worked together before at Espanyol, so the pair could already have a considerable rapport from their jobs side-by-side in past seasons. He is one who may well be worth considering for Spurs and Levy.

Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is reportedly wanted by three different Premier League clubs ahead of a likely summer exit from Anfield.

The Lowdown: Ox on the move?

The 29-year-old joined the Reds back in the summer of 2017, making the move from Arsenal and looking to be a key part of the Jurgen Klopp revolution.

Unfortunately, Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered a cruciate ligament injury late in his first season at the club, robbing him of a chance of playing in the 2018 Champions League final.

Since then, injuries have continued to affect the Englishman and he has increasingly been a peripheral figure under Klopp, almost becoming something of a forgotten man.

This season, Oxlade-Chamberlain has only started four league games and only 17 minutes of action has come his way in the Champions League.

His current Liverpool contract expires at the end of this season, and with an extension highly unlikely to be signed, he will move on to pastures new.

The Latest: Three clubs keen on signing

According to Football Insider, Southampton, Brighton and Leicester City are all keen on acquiring Oxlade-Chamberlain’s signature during the summer transfer window.

It is noted that Saints are keen on bringing the midfielder back to the club where he initially made a name for himself, although relegation could scupper their chances of a move coming to fruition.

Meanwhile, Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi sees Oxlade-Chamberlain as a strong addition to bolster his midfield options, and Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers is also an admirer.

The Verdict: Reds career has petered out

It makes complete sense for the 35-cap England international to leave Liverpool this summer, with his constant fitness issues making a new deal a needlessly risky idea.

He turns 30 this summer, too, and is simply not the force he was prior to the serious knee injury five years ago, in terms of his dynamism and match-winning potential.

Klopp has hailed Oxlade-Chamberlain as a ‘spectacular’ player in the past but he will surely know his race is run, with younger, less injury-prone signings required in the summer.

He should be remembered for playing an important role during a legendary period at Liverpool, though, having won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup, among other trophies, scoring 18 goals and registering 15 assists along the way.

He can still do a good job for a lower-ranked Premier League team, and should they stay in the top flight, a return to Southampton would be the most nostalgic move for him.

France and AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud ‘would be a good fit’ for Crystal Palace in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Giroud linked with Palace move

The Eagles have struggled for goals at times so far this season, only scoring 21 times in 25 Premier League matches, with Wilfried Zaha leading the charts with six strikes despite missing time through injury.

One player who has been linked with a summer move to Selhurst Park is Giroud, who is France’s all-time record goalscorer with 53 goals in 120 caps.

The 36-year-old is out of contract at Milan at the end of the season, meaning other clubs could snap him up as a free agent.

The Latest: ‘Would be a good fit’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke talked up the idea of Giroud joining Palace at the end of the season:

“I think it would be a move he would consider. If he doesn’t agree a new contract at AC Milan, I’m sure a move back to the Premier League would be right up there among his top priorities.

“Crystal Palace would tick a lot of boxes because I think Giroud, ideally, would prefer to move back to London having lived there and played for Arsenal and Chelsea. Palace would be a good fit for him.”

The Verdict: Is he too old now?

There is no denying Giroud’s pedigree as a footballer, with his aforementioned record for France outstanding and a tally of 262 goals at club level also highly impressive.

At 36, there is certainly an argument to say that the £73,000-a-week striker is well past his best, however, and that Patrick Vieira should look at younger, longer-term options to bring in.

It could be that Giroud has one more season in him at a high level, having been hailed as ‘world class’ by Simon Kjaer earlier this season, but it would come with a risk element.

Martin Williamson reviews the latest Ashes books offerings

Martin Williamson and Will Luke19-Nov-2006In his foreword to Cricket’s Burning Passion (see below), Michael Atherton writes: “In the aftermath of the wondrous 2005 Ashes series, a raft of cricket books appeared on the bookshelves. There were the usual gruesome mix of ghosted autobiographies, ghosted diaries and rushed, ill-considered reviews …”. Ahead of the 2006-07 series a number of books have been issued, as expected, but the quality is far superior than those Atherton refers to. In 2005, the writers were all up against tight deadlines as publishers sought to cash in. The current offering shows that the authors have had the advantage of having time to prepare, and the result in a much more enjoyable and readable selection

Stiff Upper Lips and Baggy Green Caps Simon Briggs (Quercus, 280pp)

So much has been written about the Ashes, especially since September 2005, that finding a fresh angle on such a well-documented history would seem to present an almost insurmountable challenge. However, Simon Briggs has managed to rise to the occasion, and the end result is a delightful offering which should appeal to both seasoned fan and relative newcomer. The strength of the book is that it eschews the worthy-but-dull statistics which often form the bedrock of such histories and, by concentrating on the colourful characters and events the result is an easy read but a far from unfulfilling one. If you want a potted history of Test cricket’s oldest continuous rivalry – and you want to be entertained into the bargain – then look no further.The Ashes Miscellany Clive Batty (VSP 146pp)

The problem with books of miscellany is that the originals have spawned some dreadful offspring with little merit aimed at nothing more than cashing in on the sales boom. In the last couple of months there have been two such dire offerings, so it was a delight to find that The Ashes Miscellany is a return to the well-researched and entertaining kind of book that made the genre so popular in the first place. The contents will appeal to both those who consider themselves well versed in Ashes history and casual cricket fans who want trivia to impress their friends in the pub. It would have been too easy to pad the book with well-worn anecdotes and page-filling statistics, but Clive Batty has avoided that short cut and produced a genuinely good publication.The Book of Ashes Anecdotes Gideon Haigh (Mainstream 376pp)

The delight of setting out on a review of anything by Gideon Haigh is that you know it will be a quality read, and this collection of quotes and book extracts is no exception. He has produced a similar offering before – his 1997 Australian Cricket Anecdotes is well worth snuffling out – and this follows a similar format. Some of the entries are familiar but many are not, and it is those that shed a new light on many events in Ashes history. What really makes this, however, is that Haigh has not gone down the route of reproducing pithy one-liners but has opted for longer extracts, and this allows the flavour of the writers and characters to come through and make a more lasting effect. I found the Bodyline section the most interesting, especially Douglas Jardine’s reflection on it and Bradman some years later. “You know, we nearly didn’t do it,” he said. “The little man was bloody good.” That last sentiment also applies to Haigh’s book.

Cricket’s Burning Passion Scyld Berry and Rupert Peploe (Methuen 206pp)

In his introduction, Michael Atherton notes that amid all the Ashes brouhaha in 2005, few actually knew much about the urn at the heart of all the fuss. The challenge for Berry and Peploe (the great grandson of Ivo Bligh, the man who regained the Ashes lost in 1882) was to bring alive a tour which took place 124 years ago. That they have done, and the end result is a remarkable story and a compelling read. Bligh is one of the game’s more colourful characters and those who toured with him – and almost all of them died young – are a fascinating rabble. And as for the urn? Well, there remains some uncertainty about its contents. Some say it is a burnt bail, others a burnt piece of leather from a ball. Most likely, however, it is ash from fires at Bligh’s run-down stately home – more than one tale exists of the urn being knocked over and the contents spilled and replaced from the fireplace by clumsy servants. The Ashes are possibly sports’ least intrinsically valuable trophy. This book helps to explain why they are priceless.Match of My Life Sam Pilger and Rob Wightman (Know the Score books, 240pp)

It requires something really unique for a new Ashes book to poke itshead above the masses. And though Sam Pilger and Rob Wightman’s lacks a certain gravitas, the 12 namesfeatured provide enough interesting and amusing anecdotes to hold thereader’s attention span. The premise is simple: 12 famous Ashes namesrecount their stories. The usual and the modern are all there: AshleyGiles, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer – but far too much has alreadybeen said about 2005, the series which apparently beats all that precede it.Fortunately there are others to address the balance and Neil Harveyopens the book’s innings. Written in his own words Harvey recounts hisfirst Ashes Test (he made 112in the first innings scored the winning run in Australia’s chaseof 404). It is written with candour with amusing stories of the tours -meeting King George VI and Keith Miller’s friendship with the currentqueen, Elizabeth – which comes as a relief. Langer’s, on the otherhand, is too misty-eyed; a syrupy tone is best left for the biography.And writing in the third person, which he does once or twice, is aninstant mood-killer too. Talking of killing the mood, Geoffrey Boycott- an inevitable name to appear in such a collection – ischaracteristically candid, although offers a little too much on hisown achievements. It’s Geoffrey, though, and therefore requiredreading. Overall, it is a crisp, brisk and enjoyable view intoplayers’ experiences of playing in the Ashes. It’s a little different,too, and therefore worth a look.

A review of Lord’s in the 21st Century

Edward Craig04-Sep-2006

MCC is an important and worthy organisation, no doubt, and many people may be unaware of this, picturing it as a stuffy old boys’ club. That the club feels it is misunderstood is as much to do with its history as its future. So why produce a lengthy corporate video that bangs on about the (extraordinary and eccentric) past while trying to claim it is a club for the future? And why, please why, make it 97 minutes long?The first flaw of the DVD is to base all its various chapters around last year’s Ashes Test which, apart from that first morning, does not make for happy watching to an England fan and, for the objective viewer, is not nearly as gripping as what followed.From this base it launches into a preachy explanation of what exactly MCC does and why it is great. And there are many interesting elements. The history of the club is rich and mysterious, Lord’s itself is a constant source of wonder whether architecturally or from a cricket perspective and interviews with the groundsman Mick Hunt and head of cricket John Stephenson are illuminating, if you are into the gritty side of cricket administration.But the DVD does not really know what it is. A highlights package for the Ashes Test (please, no)? An extended MCC advertisement? A history of Lord’s and MCC? A Lord’s love-in? In truth, it is all of these things and none of them. It might have been stronger had it settled on one tone.MCC still does fantastic work, especially developing cricket abroad, but it seems increasingly irrelevant to cricket “in the 21st century” – an image this DVD does little to shake.

Sunderland have now made a “direct approach” to sign a “fantastic” midfielder, according to Fabrizio Romano, having also opened talks to sign Granit Xhaka in recent days.

Black Cats looking to sign new midfielders

The Black Cats have already secured the signatures of Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra this summer, while Enzo Le Fee made his stay at the Stadium of Light permanent, meaning Regis Le Bris appears to be relatively well-stocked in the central midfield area.

However, the manager will be under no illusions about how difficult it will be to remain in the Premier League next season, and he clearly believes that signing another central midfielder could boost his side’s survival chances.

It may also be a wise idea to bring in players with Premier League experience, and Xhaka ticks that box, having spent a number of years with Arsenal, and talks over a deal for the 32-year-old have now been opened.

However, the former Arsenal man is not Le Bris’ only target in that area of the pitch, with Romano recently taking to X to reveal that Sunderland have now made a “direct approach” to the agent of Napoli midfielder Frank Zambo-Anguissa.

The Black Cats are still “working on” a deal for Xhaka, but Zambo-Anguissa has also now entered the frame as a potential target, although it could be difficult to lure him away from Napoli, as the Italian side have already offered him a new deal.

As things stand, the 29-year-old has a £38m release clause in his contract, meaning the newly-promoted side may need to spend big if they are to get a deal over the line.

"Fantastic" Anguissa would be coup for Sunderland

It appears unlikely that Sunderland will be able to secure the Cameroon international’s signature, given that Napoli are “confident” he will commit to a new contract, but it would be a real coup if they were able to get a deal done.

More exciting than Xhaka: Sunderland make contact to sign £34m star on loan

Sunderland could seal a deal even more exciting than Granit Xhaka returning to the Premier League with this world-class capture.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 17, 2025

The 29-year-old played a major role for the Serie A champions in their title-winning 2024-25 campaign, making 35 league appearances, during which time he picked up six goals and four assists.

Former Napoli loanee Philip Billing was also left impressed by his ex-teammate during his spell in Italy, describing him as “fantastic”. Speaking about the Cameroon international and Scott McTominay, the Bournemouth man also added: “I stick to my own playing style but also try to learn from them.

“They are both incredible, great profiles both physically and technically. They run a lot and also score goals.”

That said, Xhaka may be a more attainable target, and it is an added bonus that the Swiss midfielder already has Premier League experience.