Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland, Oman and Papua New Guinea have battled their way through the qualifiers to the tournament proper. What lies ahead of them?

08-Oct-2021Netherlands By Hemant BrarPath to the World Cup
Having participated in the 2016 T20 World Cup, Netherlands got a direct entry into the T20 World Cup Qualifier, where they won five out of six league games and then trounced UAE in the playoffs to seal a World Cup spot. They went on to win the Qualifier, beating Papua New Guinea in the final.Peak in cricket (so far)
Beating England at Lord’s in a last-ball thriller at the 2009 T20 World Cup, and then repeating the feat in the 2014 edition with a 45-run victory in Chattogram. Another high was chasing down 190 in 13.5 overs against Ireland in Sylhet, also in the 2014 edition.Players to watch
Ryan ten Doeschate: He was the second-highest run scorer for Netherlands in the Qualifier. A year later, he topped the run charts for Essex at the 2020 Vitality Blast. Although his recent form hasn’t been great, and he no longer bowls in T20, the 41-year-old will be determined to make an impact in what will be his last tournament.Roelof van der Merwe: Another globe-trotting veteran, van der Merwe can change the complexion of a match with both his lower-order hitting and left-arm spin. In this year’s Vitality Blast, he picked up 11 wickets in seven games at an economy of 7.19 in Somerset’s run to the final. This will be his fourth T20 World Cup; the first two came for South Africa.Paul van Meekeren: A tall fast bowler who can touch 140kph, van Meekeren also possesses a handy slower ball. Earlier this year, in his debut CPL season, he picked up eight wickets in as many games at an economy of 7.93 for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, the eventual champions.How far might they go?
Netherlands are paired with Sri Lanka, Ireland and Namibia in Group A, from where the top two teams will qualify for the Super 12s. If they can beat Ireland in their opening game, they should make it to the next round, given they are favourites against Namibia. Anything beyond that will be a miracle.It’s a tough road for Namibia, who will come up against Sri Lanka, Ireland and Netherlands in the early part of the tournament•Peter Della PennaNamibiaBy Peter Della Penna
Path to the World Cup
Namibia went undefeated in the Africa Regional Finals to earn a trip to the T20 World Cup Qualifier. After two defeats to Netherlands and PNG forced their backs to the wall at the start of group play, Namibia rallied for five straight wins to clinch a spot in their maiden T20 World Cup.Peak in cricket (so far)
Qualifying for the 2003 World Cup, where they went winless. More recently, they achieved ODI status by winning the 2019 World Cricket League Division Two on home soil.Players to watch
Gerhard Erasmus: The captain is the spine of the batting order, capable of anchoring the innings or revving up the engine when necessary. In a big win over Singapore in the World Cup Qualifier, he struck four sixes in a 29-run over. He also later showed his class with a half-century against Ireland. Erasmus bowls more than handy offspin and is also Namibia’s best fielder.JJ Smit: The 25-year-old allrounder’s value as batter and bowler is at the death. He does not bowl at express pace but is accurate with his yorkers. He has also turned many middling totals into challenging ones with his belligerent striking, such as in his 59 off 25 balls with five sixes in a win over Oman that clinched their spot at the World Cup.Bernard Scholtz: Namibia’s all-time leading wicket-taker in first-class and T20 cricket, Scholtz is not a big turner of the ball but relentlessly probes away with accuracy to build pressure that results in breakthroughs both for him and anyone bowling in tandem. He was the Player of the Tournament in the 2015 T20 World Cup Qualifier, and had the most wickets among spinners at the 2019 Qualifier.How far might they go?
Namibia have drawn the short straw, getting paired with former world champions Sri Lanka, along with Ireland and Netherlands, both of whom they lost to in the T20 World Cup Qualifier by wide margins. It will be an uphill battle to advance to the Super 12s.Scotland didn’t make it past the first round in the 2016 T20 World Cup•Getty ImagesScotland By Sruthi RavindranathPath to the World Cup
Scotland were the best team going into the 2019 World Cup Qualifier, ranked 11th in T20Is, but had a lacklustre outing, with three wins and three losses in the group stage, eventually finishing fourth on the Group A table. But they won the third qualifying playoff against hosts UAE and clinched their spot at the T20 World Cup for the second straight time.Peak in cricket (so far)
After failing to qualify for three T20 World Cups in a row, Scotland made it to the 2016 edition after winning the Qualifiers in 2015 (jointly with Netherlands), but exited in the first round after notching up a solitary win, against Hong Kong. They gained their best-ever ranking of No. 11 in T20Is in 2017, and got their first win against England in a one-off ODI in Edinburgh in 2018.Players to watch
George Munsey:The hard-hitting opener was Scotland’s highest run scorer in the Qualifiers in 2019, with 234 runs in eight matches. His T20I career strike rate of 155.01 is fourth best among batters who have faced a minimum of 500 balls. One of his best performances in international cricket came in September 2019 against Netherlands, when he hit 127 not out off 56 balls, the highest score in T20Is by a Scotland player.Safyaan Sharif: Sharif has emerged as the leader of Scotland’s pace attack in recent years. The right-arm quick was the top wicket-taker for Scotland in the 2019 Qualifiers, with 13 wickets in seven matches. He enters the T20 World Cup having just taken his best T20 figures – 4 for 24 against Zimbabwe in September.How far might they go?
They are likely to progress to the Super 12s – they start their first round against Bangladesh (ranked sixth to Scotland’s 15th), but their next two games are against Papua New Guinea and Oman, the teams they beat in the Qualifiers. But keeping in mind their fickle form in that tournament, and that they haven’t had much T20 game time ahead of the main event, they might be surprised by these teams.This will be Papua New Guinea’s first-ever T20 World Cup appearance•International Cricket CouncilPapua New GuineaBy Peter Della PennaPath to the World Cup
After a series of close playoff heartbreaks at the 2013 and 2015 T20 World Cup Qualifiers, in 2019, Papua New Guinea progressed from the East Asia-Pacific regional qualifier to top Group B at the global qualifier in the UAE, their 5-1 record clinching them an automatic berth. Their only loss in the group stage came against Scotland. Arguably their most impressive win came by five wickets with an over to spare against Netherlands before to the same opponents in the tournament final.Peak in cricket (so far)
Securing ODI status in 2014 at the 50-over World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand. They had a brief lapse in status from 2018 to 2019 after a poor finish at the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, but regained it a year later at WCL Division Two in Namibia.Players to watch
Assad Vala: Papua New Guinea’s do-everything captain is a towering figure, literally and figuratively, in the national team. The six-foot tall batter’s size translates into muscle at the crease where he is a powerful striker of the ball at No. 3 and consistently PNG’s top scorer. He also regularly bowls a full quota of offspin and is often a handful for left-handers to get away.CJ Amini: The long-time vice-captain is a third-generation national team player. A showstopper in the field at backward point, he has produced some of the most spectacular run-outs and catches in world cricket to not be captured by television cameras. His fielding prowess often overshadows the fact that he is also a quality legspinner and capable of smashing a few quick runs in the death overs.Norman Vanua: The allrounder started off the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier by taking a hat-trick against Bermuda, and through the tournament proved himself to be PNG’s best death bowler with his accurate yorkers. With the bat, he has shifted roles between being a pinch-hitting opener and an inspirational finisher. Aside from Vala, he’s the most likely to clear the ropes.How far might they go?
PNG’s fortunes are the hardest to predict because of their difference in form between formats. They lost eight straight ODIs in the two months leading into the 2019 Qualifier, before morphing into a T20 juggernaut in the UAE. They are in similarly terrible ODI form going into the T20 World Cup, having lost another eight in a row to stretch their ODI drought to 16 straight losses. But few would discount their chances by conflating their ODI form with that in T20Is.Oman captain Zeeshan Maqsood’s first task will be to take his team to a top-two finish against Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh and Scotland•Peter Della PennaOmanBy Peter Della PennaPath to the World Cup
Oman entered the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE as one of the group favourites and performed like it. Only a last-day slip-up in the group stage to Jersey denied them an automatic berth in the T20 World Cup – that went to Ireland, who finished with the same 4-2 record as Oman but with a superior net run rate. Oman then lost to Namibia in their opening playoff match before finally clinching a spot in the T20 World Cup in a tense second-chance eliminator against Hong Kong.Peak in cricket (so far)
Beating Ireland in their opening match of the 2016 T20 World Cup in Dharamsala. It showed that their qualification journey was no fluke and they used it as a springboard to securing ODI status in 2019.Players to watch
Bilal Khan: Oman’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, with 51 scalps, Bilal is one of the most devastating fast bowlers at Associate level. The left-armer generally bowls in the 135-140 kph range, but gets prodigious swing with the new ball and is a menace at the death with his yorkers. His new ball spell in the Qualifier reduced Hong Kong to 13 for 4 and then he came back with the old ball to end with figures of 4 for 23.Zeeshan Maqsood: The 33-year-old built his early reputation as a firecracker at the top of the order. In more recent times, he has been far more potent with the ball while leading Oman’s arsenal of left-arm spinners. He can still bring explosiveness with the bat when called upon, and is arguably Oman’s best player of spin, another reason why he shifted himself down to the middle order upon taking over as captain in 2018.Naseem Khushi: The 39-year-old wicketkeeper is Oman’s most explosive death-overs hitter. In that same must-win game against Hong Kong, he deflated the opposition by belting an unbeaten 26 off 9 balls. He is sometimes held back as late as No. 9 in the batting order, but can be promoted higher to suit the very specific requirement of teeing off in the last four overs, something he does better than most at Associate level.How far might they go?
Oman gained the biggest advantage due to the tournament venue reshuffle, which now sees them hosting matches in the opening round. They are a far stronger and deeper team than they were at the same event five years ago. Now that two teams advance from each opening round group instead of one, they have the strongest odds of any of the Associate teams to reach the main draw.

Afghanistan were 95 for 2 at stumps, staring at a mammoth 491-run deficit

Sreshth Shah27-Dec-2024

Brian Bennett celebrates his century•Zimbabwe Cricket

Bulawayo was buzzing on the second day of the Boxing Day Test as the home fans celebrated one landmark after another, with Zimbabwe creating history against Afghanistan by getting to their highest Test score of all time. Overnight centurion Sean Williams posted his personal best in Tests, the captain Craig Ervine scored his fourth Test ton in a 13-year career, and Brian Bennett struck a dramatic maiden hundred, taking Zimbabwe to 586.Williams set the tone early with a cut through point to pass 150. He looked to be aggressive to the leg side but mistimed a pull off Naveen Zadran to deep midwicket, adding only nine to his overnight score before departing for 154 in the day’s sixth over.The No. 7 Bennett, playing only his second Test, then looked busy upon arrival. His early strokes allowed Ervine, starting overnight on 56, to get his eyes in, and together they put on 82 in only 20.2 overs for the sixth wicket. Ervine showed off his ease against spin to dominate square of the wicket. He reached triple figures with a flick towards backward square leg in the 109th over, took off his helmet, and revealed a smile that bore a feeling of satisfaction.Left-arm spinner Zia-Ur-Rehman had Ervine nicking to the keeper for 104 two overs later, followed by Brandon Mavuta’s dismissal for 0 in the same over, those two wickets did not bring any respite for the inexperienced Afghanistan bowling unit. The turn was predictable, the pacers were ineffective, allowing Bennett and the lower-order to score freely.Bennett, a few streaky boundaries aside, peppered boundaries through the covers, and after lunch the message was clear that the remaining batters would also play positively. Teen debutant Newman Nyamhuri, known for his left-arm seam bowling in the domestic circuit, showed he can also contribute with the bat. He was out on 26 to Zahir Khan, but not before bringing up Zimbabwe’s 500 with a big six down the ground. It ended a 21-year wait for Zimbabwe to breach that mark in Tests.Naveed Zadran celebrates the wicket of Sean Williams•Zimbabwe Cricket

The mystery spin of AM Ghazanfar didn’t have much impact either, with Bennett and Blessing Muzarabani (19) crunching sixes off his overpitched deliveries. As Zimbabwe pushed towards their previous highest score of 563 for 9, achieved against West Indies in 2001, errors crept into the Afghan fielding effort too. Fumbles and misfields allowed singles to become doubles, and Muzarabani survived a dropped chance at deep midwicket too.However Muzarabani fell with Zimbabwe at 550 for 9, earning Azmatullah Omarzai a maiden Test wicket, and with only the No. 11 remaining, Bennett, on 82, moved to fifth gear. A six off Zia-ur-Rehman through midwicket took him to 89, and back-to-back twos in Trevor Gwandu’s company got him closer to triple digits. His 96th run also took Zimbabwe to 564, a new high in their 32-year history in the format.But that was not enough for the crowd. Only a Bennett century would make the innings perfect, and it arrived in cinematic fashion in the 135th over. Zadran had set up a short-ball ploy with two sweeper fielders in the deep on the leg side, but Bennett went for the pull anyway. The fielder in the deep took the catch, only to see that he had stepped into the boundary line, and Bennett roared “come on” in the direction of his family on the grass banks, which included his father and twin brother. He would pin another six next ball over the same region before Ghazanfar picked up his third wicket by removing Gwandu, leaving Bennett unbeaten on 110.”[It is] not just my first Test century but my first century for Zimbabwe, so it’s a great feeling,” Bennett said after the day’s play. “To get a Test match hundred at Queen’s [Sports Club] with my family watching, with Sean Williams and Craig Ervine also getting hundreds and putting on a record score for Zimbabwe in Test matches. I don’t think there’s any better feeling to that. So, yeah, I’m just very proud.”At first, when I saw it going, I thought it was six, but when I saw it coming down, I was like, oh shucks, I’m in trouble here,” he recalled the drama. “But you know what? You create your own luck in cricket. And when it stepped over the boundary there, I was lost for words, actually.”It wasn’t too much about me getting to my hundred. It was more about us getting a big score and getting the Afghan guys out on the field for as long as possible. So credit to the tail-enders as well. They did a good effort for me to get my hundred but also, I think we were six down, and with our tail, we added 120 [121] runs.”Afghanistan’s reply to 587 began in overcast conditions after tea, and Sediqullah Atal lost the battle of the debutants to Gwandu trying to flick across the line in the second over. Gwandu got a ball to swing in and shape away late to gain his maiden Test scalp. The seamer would bowl four overs before an injury while fielding ended his day early.Muzarabani was metronic from the other end, bowling in the channel around off stump, and challenged Abdul Malik’s bat on occasion. It needed someone of Rahmat Shah’s experience at No. 3 to get the runs flowing. His strong off-side play earned him four fours in the space of as many overs bowled by Gwandu and Nyamhuri. Malik, instead, offered soft hands when possible, with his only boundary a gentle glance towards fine leg.With the pitch still good for batting and the effects of the new ball wearing off, both batters milked the Zimbabwe bowling, but looking to make something happen Ervine brought Muzarabani back and the idea worked. Malik, who had mostly offered defensive shots, was proffered a short ball by Muzarabani and the rising delivery forced the error, straight to Ben Curran at fine leg.Hashmatullah Shahidi, at No. 4, battled against the fading light to face some tricky overs of spin from Williams and part-timers Mavuta and Bennett. He struck three boundaries in 24 balls, while Rahmat moved to 49 after surviving one catching chance at slip. Bad light stopped play three overs before close, with Afghanistan on 95 for 2, staring at a mammoth 491-run deficit.

Sunderland are the early big spenders out of all the newly promoted teams heading up to the Premier League.

Leeds have secured three new buys in the form of Lukas Nmecha, Jaka Bijol, and Sebastiaan Bornauw, but the Whites’ promising business has been blown out of the water by the Black Cats’ lavish approach, as seen in Sunderland forking out a combined £50m to land both Enzo Le Fee and Habib Diarra.

Plenty more luxurious buys could soon be on the menu away from this club-record £30m deal, as Regis Le Bris eyes up Ligue 1 and beyond to improve his budding squad.

More transfers expected at Sunderland

Le Bris must know the French top division inside and out, having previously been at the helm of ex-employers Lorient in the division.

Transfer Focus

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

He’s certainly clued up on those who he thinks could take the Premier League by storm, with Sunderland reportedly interested in the likes of Lyon’s electric attacker Georges Mikautadze and standout Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell to immediately improve their first-team options, while they are also allegedly keeping close tabs on 20-year-old starlet Arthur Evom Ebong.

Yet, his next buy could see him venture out to Serie A to try and link up with Matteo Guendouzi.

Indeed, reports from Italy suggest that Lazio are scared about the prospect of keeping their star Frenchman around this summer, with Aston Villa, neighbours Newcastle United and Sunderland named as interested parties.

19/20

34

0

3

18/19

48

1

2

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Although it is reported that Sunderland may have to splash out a club-record £43m to land Guendouzi, it could be a worthwhile splurge to make, even as the Black Cats edge closer to adding Noah Sadiki to their plentiful midfield options.

His wealth of Premier League experience could potentially be invaluable to the Wearside underdogs as they climb back up to the top-flight, alongside the fact that the 26-year-old has turned into an even more formidable central midfield option in Italy.

Why Guendouzi would be a better signing than Sadiki

Of course, Sadiki could go on to be another youngster that Sunderland manage to get the very best out of, with the Congo international no doubt joining the Stadium of Light ranks dreaming of becoming the Black Cats’ next Jobe Bellingham-style project.

Last season, the 20-year-old undoubtedly impressed those out in Belgium, with the versatile Saint-Union Gilloise number 27 helping himself to two goals for his Europa League-competing outfit across the 2024/25 campaign, leading to Sunderland making their £17.75m move.

Yet, if it’s immediate success Sunderland are after – instead of waiting around for a youngster to learn the Premier League ropes – Guendouzi is their next best possible buy.

The 6-foot-1 battler is very much well-versed in what it takes to be a competent performer in some top leagues, having now made a mammoth 151 appearances in both Ligue 1 and Serie A, away from just his 57 top-flight outings in North London.

He will no doubt be chomping at the bit to return to England, too, considering he wasn’t always the star of the show at the Gunners. Still, even from just 23 Premier League starts during his final Arsenal season, he still showed off his presence as a “monster” – as he’s been glowing labelled by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – winning 4.8 duels per game.

Games played

37

Goals scored

1

Assists

3

Touches*

68.3

Accurate passes*

52.1 (91%)

Ball recoveries*

4.7

The 26-year-old has since refined other aspects of his varied game at the Stadio Olimpico, with the table above showing off his well-rounded characteristics as a far more confident and assured performer when averaging a mightily impressive 91% pass accuracy last season in the hustle and bustle of Serie A.

If there’s any manager that could get even more of Guendouzi, too, it’s Le Bris, with the popular Wearside boss once coaching the Frenchman during the early stages of his football education at Lorient.

Also hailed as possessing “something special” by journalist Aaron West in the past, it does feel as if the time is right for the ex-Gunners midfielder to return to England and be a star, whilst Sadiki waits for his moment in the spotlight down the line.

Shades of Cresswell: Sunderland now in advanced talks to sign £4m star

Sunderland will be looking to the future if they successfully snap up this £4m gem.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 3, 2025

Also: who took more than 2000 wickets in first-class cricket without playing in a Test?

Steven Lynch28-Apr-2020I met Michael Kasprowicz recently, and he mentioned that when he took seven wickets in a Test innings, his best figures, there were two other seven-fors in the same match. Was this a record? asked Amit Gadkari from India

The Australian seamer Michael Kasprowicz took 7 for 36 for Australia against England at The Oval in 1997, and he’s right that there were two other seven-fors: Glenn McGrath had taken 7 for 76 in England’s first innings, and in between Phil Tufnell claimed 7 for 66.This was the only occasion that there were three seven-fors in the same Test, although there was a statistically better return in Cape Town in 1889, in only the second Test ever played in South Africa: William “Gobo” Ashley took 7 for 95 in England’s total of 292, then Johnny Briggs collected 7 for 17 and 8 for 11 as South Africa were demolished for 47 and 43.Rishabh Pant made two nineties against West Indies late in 2018. Has anyone made more in one series? asked Keersi Raj from India

India’s Rishabh Pant batted twice in that 2018-19 Test series against West Indies – and scored 92 each time. That was the 39th instance of a batsman making two nineties in a Test series, but he was the first to have only two innings – the previous lowest was three, by Jeremy Coney for New Zealand against Australia in 1985-86, when he scored 98 in Christchurch and 93 in Auckland, having started the series with 101 not out in Wellington.But the clear winner is the old Australian left-hander Clem Hill. In successive innings in the 1901-02 Ashes, Hill was dismissed for 99 in Melbourne, then 98 and 97 on his home ground in Adelaide. He had another near-miss – out for 87 – in the final Test in Melbourne.What is the highest number of overs bowled by an individual in a Test match? asked Muhammad Raafay from Pakistan

Technically there are two answers to this question. The most individual overs delivered by a bowler in a Test is 146.1 (including 102.1 in the first innings), by the England slow left-armer Bobby Peel, against Australia in Melbourne in 1885. But they were four-ball overs, so in all he sent down 585 deliveries, a number that has been exceeded several times in Tests with six and eight balls to the over.The record for six-ball overs is 129, by the West Indian spinner Sonny Ramadhin against England at Edgbaston in 1957. Ramadhin delivered 774 balls in the match, the overall record – and his 98 overs (588 balls) in England’s second innings is also the highest.The most eight-ball overs in one Test is 95.6 (766 balls), by the England spinner Hedley Verity in the timeless Test in Durban in 1939. South Africa’s Norman Gordon sent down 92.2 overs in that game (738 balls), the record for a pace bowler. For the full list, click here.Sonny Ramadhin bowled 129 six-ball overs – 31 in the first innings and 98 in the second – in a Test against England at Edgbaston in 1957•Getty ImagesWho took more than 2000 wickets in first-class cricket without playing in a Test? asked Gordon Brine from New Zealand

In all, 33 bowlers have taken 2000 or more wickets in first-class cricket – and, given the general reduction in matches these days, it looks unlikely that anyone will ever join them. Courtney Walsh, who finished with 1807 first-class wickets, is the only bowler with more than 1500 who appeared in the current century – and even he retired in 2001.The top 21 wicket-takers all appeared in Test cricket, but three of the others who finished up with more than 2000 wickets did not. Seamer Jack Newman took 2054, mainly for Hampshire, while the Gloucestershire slow left-armer George Dennett collected 2151. But the leading wicket-taker among non-Test players is the Glamorgan stalwart Don Shepherd, who took 2218 with his medium-paced cutters and spinners.James Faulkner took six wickets in his only Test match for Australia, but without taking five in an innings. It got me wondering, what was the most wickets taken on Test debut without a five-for? asked Jack Nugee from England

I had thought that James Faulkner, whose only Test came at The Oval in 2013, might be quite high on this list – but actually there are no fewer than 81 bowlers who took six or more wickets on debut without the aid of a five-for in either innings.Thirteen of them took the maximum of eight – four in each innings – most recently the South African offspinner Dane Piedt, with 4 for 90 and 4 for 62 on his debut, against Zimbabwe in Harare in August 2014. The best such debut figures are 8 for 99 (4 for 43 and 4 for 56) by the Australian fast bowler Laurie Mayne, against West Indies in Kingston in 1964-65.Use our
feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Glasgow Rangers have made a formal bid to sign another full-back for manager Russell Martin after an Ibrox deal for Max Aarons.

Rangers sign Aarons on loan as Gers announce deal

After confirming a deal which was agreed earlier in the year to sign midfielder Lyall Cameron, the Gers and 49ers Enterprises have moved efficiently to bring Aarons to Ibrox.

Moving to Glasgow on a straight loan deal from Bournemouth, Aarons got straight to work with Rangers and said after penning his contract:

Ahead of Rangers’ Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos and Scottish Premiership opener at Motherwell, Martin and the Gers will be looking at more additions, with further defensive signings on the agenda.

Leicester City centre-back Conor Coady is open to a move to Rangers following contact, whereas Liverpool’s Owen Beck is another transfer target. Talks were thought to be opened by Rangers over a move for Beck, and a new update has emerged.

Rangers make bid to sign Owen Beck

According to DaveOCKOP, ‘Rangers have now made their interest formal with a bid for the 22-year-old’.

Liverpool have held talks with Beck over extending his contract and sending him out on loan, whereas Rangers are interested in a permanent deal for the left-back.

Beck spent last season on loan at Blackburn Rovers and won their Young Player of the Season award after making 24 Championship appearances. Prior to his time at Ewood Park, Beck also had loan spells at Famalicao, Bolton Wanderers and Dundee United.

The Welshman was actually described as “spectacular” by scout Jacek Kulig, who also compared him to Andy Robertson when coming through Liverpool’s academy.

Elsewhere, former Liverpool U21 coach Barry Lewtas called Beck a “consistent performer” back in 2022. “I thought Owen was fantastic. The progress he has made over his time at the Academy, but certainly the last couple of years, is a credit to him with the work he puts in [and] how coachable he is because he listens and takes on board the information we give him. He has become a real consistent performer for us and in my opinion he was the standout player against Derby.”

Rangers deal agreed: Gers accept bid to sell Ibrox ace without Martin's approval

They won’t be making a profit either.

1 ByCharlie Smith Jun 25, 2025

Now, a move to Glasgow with Rangers could be one to keep an eye on following the update of a formal bid being submitted.

da dobrowin： Sunderland are thought to be in talks to sign a new £17m forward who Regis Le Bris already knows well, according to a new update.

Speakman in Sunderland transfer talks after Le Fee deal

da luck： The Black Cats have so far been patient when it comes to new signings, with Enzo Le Fee’s loan move becoming permanent the only incoming piece of business following promotion to the Premier League.

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is working behind the scenes on deals, though, and admitted last week he was in three different countries in three days discussing transfers with targets.

By the looks of things, one player on Speakman’s list could now be Sassuolo forward Armand Lauriente, with a new update showing there has been a development.

Sunderland in talks for Sassuolo forward Armand Lauriente

According to reports in Italy relayed by Chronicle Live, Sunderland are thought to have begun talks over a ‘sensational swoop’ to sign Lauriente.

The Sassuolo forward has already worked under Le Bris, scoring one goal in four games under the Sunderland boss during their time at French side Lorient. He can also play anywhere across the front three, so would provide plenty of versatility in the final third, should a deal be struck.

The Black Cats are looking to provide competition to Wilson Isisdor and Eliezer Mayenda and seemingly see Lauriente as the man to do just that, with previous claims suggesting he could cost up to £17m.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign in 2024/25, scoring 19 goals and registering six assists in 34 appearances in all competitions, mainly as a left winger.

Forwards similar to Lauriente

Club

Dan James

Leeds United

Borja Sainz

Norwich City

Wilfried Gnonto

Leeds United

Sontje Hansen

NEC Nijmegen

Liel Abada

Charlotte FC

As per FBref, Lauriente ranks in the top 1% for goals when compared to attacking midfielders and wingers, the top 2% for shots on target and the top 6% for expected goals.

As can be seen, Lauriente has been likened to a number of wingers playing their trade in England, so a move to the Stadium of Light could be one to keep an eye on.

Freya Kemp could yet play a full role in the Women’s Ashes in the new year, according to England’s captain Heather Knight, despite flying home early from their tour of South Africa in order to manage her recovery from a long-term back injury.Kemp, 19, claimed two wickets with her left-arm seam across the three matches of last week’s T20I leg of the multi-format series, and bowled her full allocation of overs in their emphatic nine-wicket win in Centurion on Saturday.Kemp has suffered two stress fractures of her back in recent years, the first of which prevented her from bowling competitively for 14 months, but Knight insisted her withdrawal from the ODI and Test squads in South Africa was due to a surfeit of caution, rather than a recurrence of the injury.”It wasn’t originally part of the plan,” Knight said on the eve of the first ODI in Kimberley. “We were hoping to have her available for all three formats but, obviously, with her history with back injuries, she’s someone that we have to manage quite tightly and really look after.”We’re gutted to lose her,” Knight added. “She’s a great person to have around the group, and obviously a hugely exciting prospect for us. But the right thing for Freya was to go home and have a little look at how her back’s going, and then hopefully build towards those Ashes.Related

• Seren Smale, Ryana MacDonald-Gay called up to South Africa tour

• Wyatt-Hodge, Sciver-Brunt hammer England to series-sealing victory

• Mandla Mashimbyi appointed South Africa Women's head coach

• Dean sets up big win as England complete 3-0 sweep

“We’re really hopeful that she’s going to be fit and available, but it’s a tricky one with stress fractures. You just have to be a little bit careful around loads. She was obviously able to partake in all three games, so that’s a good sign, but the decision was made that she wasn’t going to be in a place to be ready for the one-dayers and the Test.”England’s 3-0 win in the T20Is means they will guarantee themselves at least a share of the multi-format series if they can win the first ODI at Kimberley on Wednesday, with two further 50-over matches to follow in Durban and Potchefstroom, and the one-off Test beginning in Bloemfontein on December 15.With the Ashes looming in January, Tammy Beaumont and Kate Cross – England’s longer-format specialists – are back in contention, as Knight’s team seeks to finetune their 50-over plans after successful summer series against Pakistan and New Zealand. A used track is in prospect at the Diamond Oval, which is expected to offer less pace than was on offer in the final two T20Is.”We haven’t played a huge amount of ODI cricket recently, so it’s a format that I really enjoy playing,” Knight said. “Everyone’s pretty excited to get into the longer format, and have a little bit more time to execute your skills and build plans around one day game.””Obviously with the Ashes, we’re not looking too far ahead,” she added. “Continuing to have success on this tour is, naturally, going to be the way that we’re going to build into the Ashes. The focus very much on South Africa and what they’re going to bring against us tomorrow.”

Newcastle United are keeping their eye on a number of strikers this summer amid the uncertainty over Alexander Isak's future as the Swedish striker continues to push for a move to Liverpool. Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson has been discussed as an option, however, it has been reported that the Magpies are still undecided over whether they want to make a move for the Senegalese.

Newcastle United interested in a move for Nico Jackson  Striker fallen down the order at Chelsea this summer The Magpies are still undecided on move for Jackson Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Isak has been trying to push for a move away from Newcastle United this summer amid massive interest from Premier League champions Liverpool. While the Magpies are not very keen on losing their star striker, they are bracing for the departure and have shown interest in the likes of Yoane Wissa, Ollie Watkins and Samu Aghehowa. It is said that the Chelsea talisman is their major option to replace Isak; however, iNews has reported that the Magpies are still yet to decide if they want to move for the Senegalese striker. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Newcastle have also been pushing for a move for Brentford star Yoane Wissa; however, iNews also reported that the Magpies view the Congolese forward as a replacement for Callum Wilson, who departed the club earlier this summer. They are considering pushing for another striker this summer, given that Isak does indeed end up leaving St. James' Park.    

TELL ME MORE…

Jackson was the starting No. 9 last season for Chelsea; however, the Blues have been splashing the cash this summer and have signed Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, both of whom have impressed Enzo Maresca. As such, Jackson has fallen down the pecking order, and the West London side are now looking to gain back funds by selling the Senegalese striker.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR JACKSON?

It is highly likely that Jackson will end up leaving Chelsea this summer amid the increase in competition for his spot. However, it will wholly depend on whether Newcastle make a solid offer for the £80 million-rated striker. It is also believed that the Blues will be open to retaining the services of Jackson if he cannot secure a move away from Stamford Bridge. 

Leeds United are not messing around in their efforts to build a squad that can avoid being relegated from the Premier League at the first time of asking next season.

It is clear that Daniel Farke and the recruitment team have placed an early emphasis on strengthening the defence, as three of the club’s four summer signings so far are defenders.

Leeds officially completed the signing of Sweden international left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson from Lille on Tuesday, to replace Junior Firpo as the first-choice left-back at Elland Road next term.

The Championship champions have also added two new central defenders to their squad this summer, as Sebastiaan Bornauw and Jaka Bijol have joined the club, from Wolfsburg and Udinese respectively.

Leeds will need to turn their attention to the attacking areas of the park before long, though, to make sure that their attack is ready for the Premier League.

TEAMtalk recently reported that the club would like to sign Manor Solomon permanently, but that negotiations have reached a deadlock, which means that it remains to be seen whether or not he will be returning to West Yorkshire.

Why Manor Solomon would be a risky signing for Leeds

Bringing the Israel international back to Elland Road ahead of a season in the Premier League could be a risky move for the club, given that he previously played at that level and had to drop down to the Championship.

Solomon first made the move to England with Fulham in 2022 and the winger enjoyed a decent, yet unspectacular, time at Craven Cottage, with a return of five goals in and zero assists in 24 matches in all competitions.

The 25-year-old then signed for Tottenham Hotspur the following summer and managed zero goals and two assists in six games for Spurs in all competitions before joining Leeds on loan last year.

Appearances

24

Goals

4

Big chances missed

0

Big chances created

1

xA

1.43

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, Solomon was far from an outstanding performer during his time in the top-flight, as he rarely contributed as a scorer or a creator of goals for Spurs or Fulham.

However, the right-footed sensation did produced ten goals and 12 assists in 39 appearances in the Championship for Leeds last season, as he hit his stride on the left side of Farke’s 4-2-3-1 system.

This shows that he knows the system and has proven that he can deliver in the pressure cooker that is Elland Road, but there is no guarantee that the forward will translate those performances up to the Premier League.

That is why Solomon is a potentially risky signing for the Whites to make this summer, and may be why they are looking at an alternative target.

Leeds submit bid to sign new winger

According to Africa Foot, Leeds United have made contact to sign Jeremie Boga from OGC Nice before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Premier League side have already submitted an offer of €15m (£13m) to snap up the Ivorian talent, although it remains to be seen whether or not that is enough to tempt the French club to part ways with him.

Transfer Focus

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

Boga’s contract with the Ligue 1 side is due to expire in the summer of 2027 and this means that the current window could be their last chance to extract maximum value out of him, as he will only have one year left on his deal next year.

The outlet adds that there is interest from teams in the Turkish Super Lig, which could offer competition to Leeds, but it does not reveal whether or not they have also made offers for the 28-year-old attacker.

Africa Foot does state, though, that the former Chelsea youngster, who also played for Birmingham City, would not be against a return to England this summer.

Why Leeds should sign Jeremie Boga

Leeds should push to win the race for the 28-year-old attacker because he could be an even better option than Solomon to fill the hole on the left wing for Farke in the Premier League.

Whilst he has not played, bar one game for Chelsea, in the English top-flight, Boga has proven his qualities in Ligue 1 and the Serie A during his career, two of Europe’s biggest leagues.

The Ivorian ace is coming off the back of a disappointing season, with three goals and one assist in 24 games for Nice, but Leeds could see that as a positive as it could allow them to land a bargain deal for the forward, who has offered far more in front of goal in previous campaigns.

In fact, Boga’s performances in the 2023/24 campaign in Ligue 1 for Nice suggest that he has the ability on the ball to offer even more to the team in the Premier League than Solomon.

xG

4.23

Top 22%

Goals

6

Top 13%

Shots on target

19

Top 16%

xA

4.26

Top 18%

Assists

6

Top 15%

Chances created

33

Top 21%

As you can see in the table above, the former Chelsea youngster ranked highly among his positional peers in Ligue 1 as both a scorer and a creator of goals, ending the season with more goals and more assists than Solomon has managed in the Premier League in his career to date.

On top of that, Boga, who was hailed as a “unique” talent by coach Michael Beale, also showcased his quality in Italy with Atalanta and Sassuolo, with 20 goals and 13 assists in 136 matches in the Italian top-flight.

The Leeds target, who scored 11 Serie A goals in the 2019/20 season, is an experienced and quality left-sided attacker who has shown that he can deliver goals and assists in multiple major European leagues.

There would be some concern over his disappointing form last term, though, but Farke will surely back himself to help Boga to get back to his best, which would make him an even better option than Solomon, who has not delivered anywhere near the same level of quality in a major league.

Their new Klich: Leeds considering move for PL star after internal talks

Leeds United are reportedly considering a deal to sign a star who could be their next Mateusz Klich.

ByDan Emery Jul 9, 2025

FSG’s transfer ethos – getting their work done nice and early – often leaves Liverpool somewhat in the corner of the room while rivals party late into the market, enjoying the thrill of Fabrizio Romano and the rest’s transfer updates.

There are worse problems to have, it must be said. And the real success is found on the field. Liverpool are on the verge of signing Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez, having already added Jeremie Frimpong.

Now, it’s time to sign a centre-forward, for Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota left plenty to be desired as Arne Slot’s focal frontmen last season, actually paling in comparison to Liverpool’s wider forward.

Liverpool’s Forwards in the Premier League (24/25)
Player	Apps (starts)	Goals	Assists
Mohamed Salah	38 (38)	29	18
Luis Diaz	36 (28)	13	7
Cody Gakpo	35 (23)	10	5
Diogo Jota	26 (14)	6	4
Darwin Nunez	30 (8)	5	3
Federico Chiesa	6 (1)	0	0
Data via Sofascore

Luis Diaz was even called into play as a makeshift number nine for much of the campaign, his false-nine-type qualities proving invaluable for the Reds as they marched toward the Premier League title.

Who, then, to sign? Targets like Hugo Ekitike, Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen would all do a job, but Alexander Isak is the cream of the crop, and sporting director Richard Hughes would rake in the plaudits if he got that one over the line.

The latest on Alexander Isak to Liverpool

It’s pretty clear Liverpool will sign a striker this summer. However, who that player might be is less certain. Liverpool can dream, though, and signing Isak would be an incredible way to cap off a wonderful summer.

As per transfer insider Ben Jacobs for GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool are prepared to break the British transfer record to sign Isak this summer, with Newcastle United valuing their striker at over £150m.

The “unstoppable” Isak, hailed by pundit Ally McCoist as “the best out-and-out forward in the league”, was outscored only by Mohamed Salah in the Premier League last season, his 23-goal return illustrating his elite ability.

However, Newcastle’s position on their talisman’s unavailability has been absolute (insofar as any stance can be absolute in the transfer market). Liverpool can dream, and it appears they will try, but don’t hold your breath.

Luckily, Liverpool are one of the most astute transfer operators, and they’ve already lined up the perfect alternative.

Liverpool line up Isak alternative

As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool have sounded out a potential move for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez this summer, and while the La Liga side would be looking for an unrealistic £160m figure, Anfield hold a trump card.

Indeed, Diego Simeone is interested in bringing Nunez to the Wanda Metropolitano this summer, and previous reports even suggest personal terms have been agreed for around a month. As a result, TEAMtalk suggest that a swap deal is an avenue they are exploring this summer.

This would no doubt be a difficult one to get over the line, but Liverpool’s interest is long-standing and the Argentina forward would be perfect for Slot’s system.

Why Julian Alvarez would be perfect

Alvarez had been tracked by Liverpool during his time at Manchester City, where he scored 36 goals and laid on 19 assists across two trophy-laden campaigns, earning an £81.5m transfer to Atletico Madrid last summer.

His first term in Spain was his finest yet, posting 29 goals and seven assists across 55 matches, blending newfound potency with his robust and dynamic attacking style. Making a direct comment on his exploits in Spain, journalist Roy Nemer even described the player as “the best forward in the world.”

As per FBref, he ranked among the top 6% of strikers across Europe last year for passes attempted, shot-creating actions and progressive carries, the top 8% for progressive passes and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90.

Already something of a nomad, the 25-year-old has demonstrated continual development and would now prove the perfect alternative to Isak, who is actually considered by the data-driven site as being one of Alvarez’s most comparable players.

Julian Alvarez – Career Stats by Club/Nation
Club/nation	Apps	Goals	Assists
River Plate	122	54	31
Manchester City	103	36	19
Atletico Madrid	53	29	6
Argentina	44	12	33
Data via Transfermarkt

Liverpool need a new goalscorer to perch at the front of their ship, but they also need a centre-forward who will play with flair and bring the attacking players together.

One of the Merseysiders’ attacking staples is that when the frontline clicks, they perform in concert, effectively unplayable. Isak aligns perfectly in this regard, but Alvarez too could dovetail into Slot’s set-up and provide a higher level of goalscoring threat while using his technical skills and off-the-ball intelligence to open up a new dimension.

Isak’s completeness is echoed by Alvarez, but the roots of the South American’s style are shaped by a natural quality in front of goal. As per Sofascore, he only missed seven big chances in La Liga last season, scoring 17 goals and creating nine big chances too.

And this isn’t a simple anomaly. Across his two campaigns in the Premier League, the 2022 World Cup winner scored 20 goals from 44 starts, only missing 14 big chances.

It’s pretty clear he’d prove an upgrade on Nunez, and while Isak is FSG’s first-choice pick, Alvarez might just be the perfect fallback if ambitious efforts to bring Isak over from St. James’ Park don’t pull through.

The winds of change are blowing at Anfield, all right, but there’s more still to come for the Premier League champions, who are packaging a proven squad with exciting additions who might just solidify Slot’s early success, shaping it into a dynasty.

Huijsen was better: How Spanish media rated Trent's first game post-Liverpool

Trent Alexander-Arnold made his debut for Real Madrid in the Club World Cup.

By
Matt Dawson

Jun 19, 2025