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Liverpool have found out their fate for their title defence in 2025/26. The Premier League fixtures were confirmed on Tuesday morning, with Arne Slot hoping to lead his team to the title for the second year in a row.

With Florian Wirtz set to join soon, and the experience of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk in the squad, they have an exciting side. Indeed, those players and their teammates will begin the title defence on Friday, 15th August, at home to Bournemouth. Their first away trip will see them travel to St James’ Park to face Newcastle United.

It has already been a busy summer at Anfield, and things will now only ramp up with the announcement of the fixtures.

Liverpool's latest transfer target

Liverpool’s 2025 summer window has started quickly. They already have Jeremie Frimpong in the door, and seem set to add Wirtz and Milos Kerkez from the Cherries, sooner rather than later. Then, the attention can turn to their next reported target.

Transfer Focus

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

The highly reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano has recently confirmed on YouTube, via Caught Offside, that the Reds hold “concrete interest” in Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike. Romano explained that Reds ‘are involved in the story’ for the Frenchman this summer.

However, the deal can’t progress yet, because Liverpool ‘are waiting to find a solution for Darwin Nunez’, who will leave the club this summer.

Once that transfer has gone through, a move for Ekitike might speed up. The Mirror recently quoted his price at £60m, so it is safe to assume the Merseysiders will need to pay somewhere in that region.

Why Ekitike could help Salah break more records

At just 22 years of age, Frankfurt superstar Ekitike has garnered himself a fantastic reputation, having shone in the 2025/25 campaign. Football scout Antonio Mango once called him a “gem” of a footballer while journalist Graeme Bailey has outlined how some think he could be “the next Mbappe”. It is easy to see why.

The Frenchman, who came through the Reims academy, where he was born, managed to score 22 goals and grab 12 assists across all competitions last season.

He played 48 games and was a really important part of a Frankfurt side that finished third and qualified for the Champions League.

Indeed, Ekitike comes with a great pedigree in Europe, too. Of his 34 goals and assists last term, seven came in the Europa League, which included a goal away to eventual winners, and Liverpool’s Premier League rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

If the Reds are able to get this deal over the line, Ekitike could become the perfect player alongside Salah. The Liverpool legend was sensational yet again last season, winning the Golden Boot with his 29 goals and picking up 18 assists, too.

With 87 assists to his name in the Premier League and no signs of slowing down, there is a realistic chance that the man lovingly dubbed the “Egyptian King” by the Anfield faithful could climb higher up the list of all-time most assists in the English top flight.

Ryan Giggs currently tops it with 162 assists, so Salah has some way to go, but matching his assist total from 2024/25 next season will see him climb to fourth and go far ahead of Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.

Ekitike could be the perfect player to help get him there. His underlying stats on FBref from last season are those of a true goalscorer, with 0.53 goals per 90 minutes ranking him in the top 19% of Bundesliga forwards.

The Frenchman is a complete centre-forward, and wouldn’t just help boost Salah’s assist numbers. He is a chance creator too, averaging 1.55 key passes each game, which places him in the top 12% of Bundesliga forwards. With Salah’s eye for goal, they could form a deadly duo.

There is no doubt that Liverpool’s investment this summer has been huge, but in many ways, it has to be in order to compete for the Premier League title again. Perhaps, for just £60m, Ekitike could be the missing piece in their side.

It will be fascinating to see how this move develops, but one thing is for sure: the Frenchman could form a superb partnership with an all-time legend of the Premier League.

He'd be elite alongside Wirtz: £130m star is now Liverpool's no.1 target

Liverpool may not be done with their big spending yet

By
Joe Nuttall

Jun 18, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to make an “unbelievable” star their club-record signing, with Thomas Frank identifying him as a prime target, according to a report.

Tottenham eyeing new forward amid Son uncertainty

Heung-min Son became the first Tottenham captain to lift a major trophy in 17 years last month, with his side prevailing over Manchester United in the Europa League final, but there have been suggestions the South Korean’s time at N17 could be coming to an end.

That is according to journalist Matt Law, who said: “I mean, certainly after the last game of the season, he left people with the impression, both in the dressing room and around the staff, that he might have played his last game for Tottenham.

“The way he said his goodbyes for the summer did leave people with the impression that he thought he could go.”

As such, one of Frank’s most important tasks this summer could be to bring in a replacement for the forward, and the new Spurs boss has now identified a Premier League attacker as a prime target.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Tottenham are now ready to make Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze their club-record signing by shelling out £68m for the forward, who Frank believes is capable of thriving out wide.

Tottenham now in talks to sell "phenomenon" after bid in the last few days

Daniel Levy and Johan Lange could ship out a few interesting names this summer.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 27, 2025

Crucially, Eze would be keen on a move to N17, despite widespread reports from elsewhere suggesting that Arsenal have now joined the race for his signature, and Spurs would be willing to make an upfront payment of £45m to get a deal over the line.

Palace are open to receiving the remaining £23m in installments, with a total package of £68m making the England international the Lilywhites’ new club-record signing, having previously signed Dominic Solanke from AFC Bournemouth for a fee of £65m.

"Unbelievable" Eze could be ideal Son heir

The timing could be right to let Son leave, with the South Korea international finally getting his hands on a trophy, and there are signs the Palace star could be an ideal replacement, given the level of his performances for the South London outfit.

Most notably, the 27-year-old led the Eagles to their first-ever major trophy by scoring in the FA Cup final against Manchester City last month.

Not only that, but the “unbelievable” Palace talisman has proven himself to be a fantastic dribbler of the ball over the past year, while also placing highly for assists per 90, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers.

Statistic

Average per 90

Assists

0.28 (80th percentile)

Shot-creating actions

4.69 (82nd percentile)

Successful take-ons

2.33 (86th percentile)

As such, it is clear to see why Tottenham are willing to make Eze their record signing, and it is exciting news that he remains keen on a move across the capital.

It’s not long until silly season begins, with that weird hinterland between the end of the 2024/25 campaign and the opening of the summer transfer window already affecting Liverpool.

Only, the recent rumours that Florian Wirtz is on Anfield’s radar as Arne Slot works with sporting director Richard Hughes to determine the best strategy to strengthen his title-winning side this summer.

Once upon a time, such a signing would have indeed felt absurd for the Reds, but this is a new era on Merseyside and it’s one to keep an eye on, to be sure.

How much Wirtz may cost Liverpool

Liverpool fans have been getting themselves acquainted with Wirtz this week. The Bayer Leverkusen star is being anticipated to leave this summer, and, yes, he’s on FSG’s watchlist.

The problem, naturally, is that Manchester City are also keen on signing the German playmaker up, with The Athletic even revealing on Wednesday that the Premier League behemoths have held talks with Wirtz’s representatives

Bayern Munich are still in the driving seat, but this is proving to be an open race, one which could end with the 22-year-old at any of the destinations.

Wirtz, who has plundered 31 goal contributions this year after winning last year’s Bundesliga Player of the Season as an invincible champion, would likely cost Liverpool €150m (about £126m) to prise away from Leverkusen.

As with Alexander Isak, it would be foolish not to have an alternative lined up; luckily, FSG do at that.

Liverpool's dream Wirtz alternative

Liverpool clearly fancy a new playmaking midfielder, and though Wirtz is the cream of the crop, Xavi Simons isn’t far behind him.

Simons has gone from strength to strength in the Bundesliga, no longer one of the pack at Paris Saint-Germain and instead a “superstar” who is “destined for greatness,” as has been claimed by analyst Ben Mattinson.

The 22-year-old has been a key presence for RB Leipzig over the past two seasons, scoring 20 goals and laying on 23 more assists over 70 appearances.

Back in March, it was revealed that Liverpool were preparing a £67 bid for Simons, and while that didn’t materialise, the interest is genuine and he’s got his sights on the Premier League. Last Slot would love to work with his countryman, who would fit right into his midfield.

This is something of a Dutch revolution, after all. Simons is destined for the Premier League, insofar as he wants to join and has the skill set to flourish on English soil.

Like Wirtz, Simons is comfortable across a wealth of attacking positions, perhaps even more so. This season, he’s flitted back and forth from left wing and a more central attacking position, effective from both vantages.

So then, a young and right-footed playmaker with a dynamic approach. He ticks many of the same boxes as Wirtz, and he holds his own from a technical standpoint too.

Matches (starts)

30 (24)

24 (24)

Goals

10

9

Assists

12

7

Shots (on target)*

2.5 (1.2)

1.9 (0.8)

Pass completion

82%

83%

Big chances created

17

12

Key passes*

1.9

2.1

Dribbles*

2.7

1.3

Ball recoveries*

3.6

5.2

Tackles*

1.1

1.1

Duels won*

5.3

5.4

Honestly, there isn’t all that much to differentiate the two playmakers. Maybe Wirtz pips Simons, but the Netherlands international has got more than enough to make a real impact on Slot’s side.

Indeed, given that Leipzig would be seeking out a smaller fortune for his sale too, it’s something of a no-brainer given the size of the rebuild that is needed this summer.

If you needed a further illustration of the little magician’s ability, FBref have laid out even more of Simons’ impressive data from the 2024/25 campaign.

It’s shown that he ranks among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for touches, the top 6% for ball recoveries, the top 12% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for through balls, the top 12% for passes attempted and the top 13% for progressive passes per 90.

Truly, he’s one of the best passers out there. Given that Simons has scored more goals than he’s assisted this season, moreover, there’s even more excitement sure to be emanating from the Reds camp, whose pursuit of Wirtz could lead them to Simons, and it’s hard to suggest they’d be significantly worse off for it.

He’s withheld from mentioning him until this point, but Trent Alexander-Arnold’s expected move to Real Madrid demands a new elite-level playmaker to bolster Slot’s squad.

With a deal for Jeremie Frimpong reportedly in the closing stages, Liverpool have moved swiftly to secure competition for Conor Bradley. But neither full-back represents the one-of-a-kind creative quality of Trent.

Slot is actually clever to be shifting the playmaking focus into a more conventional number ten berth. Whether this gambit proves to be a success remains to be seen, but if Wirtz and Simons are the targets, it’s hard to envisage all that much going wrong for the Premier League champions.

It’s an exciting time to be a Liverpool fan.

A dream for Salah: Liverpool moving to sign "the world's best midfielder"

Liverpool boss Arne Slot’s season will be rewarded in the transfer market this summer.

2 ByAngus Sinclair May 15, 2025

Crystal Palace and Steve Parish are now trying to persuade an “unplayable” attacker to join them ahead of rival interest from Aston Villa, who are currently ahead in the race.

Crystal Palace putting plans in place for the summer window

The Eagles saw their seven-game unbeaten run come to an end on Saturday as they were beaten 5-2 by Manchester City. Oliver Glasner will perhaps not be totally disappointed by the result despite the manner of their collapse, as his priority will be the FA Cup semi-final in just under two weeks time.

Crystal Palace eyeing move for "sensational" £20m maestro; Glasner's a fan

Palace are in the race to sign a midfielder, alongside a number of other Premier League clubs.

By
Dominic Lund

Apr 10, 2025

Despite there still being a lot to play for, Palace and their hierarchy are already putting plans in place for what looks like a busy summer transfer window. Signing a new centre-back appears high on their list, as Marc Guehi could be on his way out of the club. The Eagles have been linked with a move for Victor Lindelof, who looks set to leave Manchester United at the end of the campaign when his contract expires.

However, he is not their only option, as Palace are believed to have made contact over a deal to sign Kevin Lomonaco from Independiente De Avellaneda – he could cost the South Londoners as little as £5 million this summer.

As well as having eyes on strengthening their defence, Glasner wants to add more quality in other areas of the pitch too, as the Eagles are interested in signing Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland. They are not alone in this race, as several top teams from England and abroad are also chasing the young Englishman.

Crystal Palace want to hijack Aston Villa deal for Rashford

The Premier League side also want to improve their attack, and according to The Sun, Crystal Palace are lining up a move to sign Marcus Rashford from Man United if Aston Villa do not sign him, with Steve Parish and co. regularly monitoring Rashford’s performances while out on loan.

The Midlands side do have the option to sign the Englishman for £40 million at the end of his stay there, but the Eagles leadership are keeping an eye on the situation and are interested in talking to the player and trying to persuade him to move to Selhurst Park.

A source goes on to state that Palace are aware that they would have to keep hold of their better players, such as Jean Philippe-Mateta, Adam Wharton, Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr, to convince the forward to sign from Old Trafford.

A return to United has not been ruled out for Rashford, who has been dubbed “unplayable” by BBC writer Raj Chohan in the past, while a move abroad could also be on the cards, as Paris Saint-Germain are keeping an eye on his situation as well. The 27-year-old has enjoyed a rather successful spell at Villa Park so far, but it remains very much up in the air what he plans to do with his career next.

They haven’t yet fired as a combination, and with the USA leg over and conditions getting better for batting, India may need more from them

Sidharth Monga21-Jun-20241:21

Kumble: India unlikely to change Kohli-Rohit partnership against Bangladesh

At this T20 World Cup 2024, India have made it clear they want to be flexible with their batting order – with one caveat.”Besides the openers, none of the guys’ positions are fixed as such,” Rohit Sharma said ahead of their game against Pakistan in New York. “We want to be very flexible in that and the message has been given to them very clearly about it, that only the openers will stay stagnant unless it’s a Super Over or it’s a five-over game. But otherwise, the openers will stay the same.”Related

• Struggling Bangladesh in fight for survival against Bumrah & Co

Rohit and Virat Kohli have been India’s constants at the top of the order, and so far they’ve put on stands of 22, 12, 1 and 11. This wasn’t a matter of concern to the team management in the first round, because the openers were getting out early, looking to play aggressively, and those losses weren’t a dampener on the rest of the batting order, with the challenging surfaces of the USA not calling for power-hitting.Now, though, with pitches in the Super Eight stage getting better to bat on, with conditions calling for a little more inventiveness and power, there might be a bit more concern around Rohit and Kohli.India have some breathing space, having opened the Super Eight with a win, but two familiar scenarios played themselves out in that match against Afghanistan. Rohit scored six off nine deliveries from the left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi and got out to him. Since 2022, he has struck at just 120.12 against left-arm pace, a variety of bowling he will likely face in India’s remaining matches. Bangladesh, their next opponents in their Super Eight group, have Mustafizur Rahman, and Australia Mitchell Starc.Then the offspinner Mohammad Nabi rocked up and bowled through the powerplay without conceding a boundary to either Rohit or Kohli, both right-hand batters, conceding nine off 12 balls to the pair. Eventually, it was the left-hand batter at No. 3, Rishabh Pant, who innovated against Nabi and salvaged the powerplay for India.Kohli looked in better touch than Rohit, and batter for longer, but that is not necessarily a good thing in T20s. An opener batting into the ninth over and going at a run a ball on a pitch that isn’t treacherous can be counterproductive. You could even make the argument that an opener getting out for a single-digit score having faced single-digit balls is better than a run-a-ball 24.Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have put on 22, 12, 1 and 11 in India’s four matches so far•ICC via Getty ImagesThen, in case you feel out of form, how do you play yourself into form in a tournament with such a short turnaround between matches? Perhaps that’s why both Rohit and Kohli turned up for optional nets in the one-day gap India had between the Afghanistan and Bangladesh matches, this after having travelled from Barbados to Antigua on the evening of the Afghanistan match.Batting coach Vikram Rathour was asked whether he was happy India were winning even without any major contribution from Kohli so far. Rathour said he wasn’t. “I’m not happy. I would love if he gets going and scores more runs,” he said. “But yeah, it is good that when you are challenged at times and you know the guys who are not getting too much of batting in India sometimes, they are the ones who put up scores. Our middle order came to play. So it was good to see.”Bangladesh can test India with left-arm pace and spin so it will be a challenge for the openers again. “They’re a good unit. They have a lot of guys who can [challenge us with] spin bowling and they are good in certain conditions,” Rathour said, but he wasn’t speaking in the context of India’s openers. “And these conditions do suit them a little as a team because the wickets seem to have a bit of help for the spinners and they do have spinners in their team. But again, in this format I think every team is a tough team.”I don’t believe there is any contest in T20 cricket which is an easy contest. It might look like [it] in the end, I mean today [against Afghanistan] we won by almost 50 runs, so it looks easy but I’m sure when the game was on it felt pretty tight.”That last bit tells you a lot about how the contest felt in the first half of India’s innings. Kohli and Rohit are among the greatest batters India has produced. They take pride in continuing to earn their places in the side, and set an example with their work ethic. This is surely not the time to second-guess the combination India have gone with. And they have the batting depth and the bowling attack to make up for any shortcomings at the top of the order.Still, the openers will want to be at their best by the time they face bigger opponents. They don’t want Rohit’s proclamation about their being the only constants turn into famous last words.

If both Pant and Kohli are to make the XI, India will have to leave out either Hooda or Suryakumar

Shashank Kishore09-Jul-20221:48

Does Kohli walk in to India’s full-strength T20I XI?

A team that dominated from start to finish, as India did in the first T20I against England, shouldn’t have too many headaches, right? Not really.India will discover a problem of plenty they know they will have to tackle sooner than later with the T20 World Cup looming. How do they handle Virat Kohli’s form issues? Where do they slot in Rishabh Pant? What about the allrounders’ conundrum? Let’s look at each case.Related

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In India's gauntlet match, Kohli must hit the right gears to stay in the fight

How do India fit in Kohli? Before we answer that, let’s look at what the incumbents have done.Deepak Hooda is just six T20Is old but has already shown he can adapt to the team’s new ‘high risk, high returns’ policy. In four innings, he has made 205 runs at a strike rate of 172.26. He’s had a breakthrough IPL for Lucknow Supergiants, scoring 451 runs in 14 innings – mostly at No. 3 or 4 – at a strike rate of 136.66. He can also bowl some handy offspin if needed.In the T20I series opener against England, Hooda made an impressive 17-ball 33 at No. 3, building on Rohit Sharma’s pulsating start. He walked in at 29 for 1 in the third over and walked out with the score 89 for 3 in the ninth. Job done.Let’s look at Suryakumar Yadav – the 360-degree batter, who has time and again demonstrated his capabilities of playing different roles – enforcer, finisher, accumulator, you name it. Suryakumar made his debut under Kohli in March 2021 against England. Across 15 T20I innings that have brought him 405 runs, he strikes at 170.Like Hooda, Suryakumar made a big impression in the first T20I in Southampton•Associated PressSuryakumar’s unique ability to go big from ball one makes him stand out among the rest. He loves pace on the ball. Against spin, his strike rate of 140.22 in 43 T20s (including IPL and India) is the fourth-best strike rate since 2020. His average of 39.43 is higher than the three Indians above him on the list – Prithvi Shaw, Sanju Samson and Nitish Rana.Like Hooda, Suryakumar made a big impression in the first T20I in Southampton. He made 39 off 19 balls, without giving you the impression that he was slogging. That is because he wasn’t. His late movements without giving the bowlers an inkling of the region he’s eyeing, subtle wrists to either ramp or scoop, and ability to play the pull or hook make him a destructive batter.This brings us to Kohli. Should he walk back in – which he should – he could open in a stopgap arrangement, given KL Rahul, the first-choice opener, is still injured. This could then displace Ishan Kishan, but it will go against Rahul Dravid’s policy of giving players role clarity and backing them in those roles through an extended run of matches. Having identified Kishan as back-up, slotting Kohli there for the moment is only likely to throw up more headaches. The most likely slot then is three.His record in all T20s since the start of the year reads 18 innings, 410 runs, strike rate of 117.81, and an average of 24.11. Sixteen of these came for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2022, where he opened the batting for much of it. His powerplay strike rate in the IPL was 116.78.His struggle to force the pace on slower surfaces was evident. It’s an aspect that has been troublesome for Kohli for a while. Since 2020 (IPL and T20Is), Kohli’s strike rate of 105.23 (51 innings) is the lowest among those who have played more than 20 innings. His overall batting impact per game since IPL 2020, as per ESPNcricinfo smart stats, is 20.29, the second-lowest among all batters with 750 runs. Only Kane Williamson fares worse.So, whichever way India choose to slot Kohli in, it’s clear he will have to rediscover the kind of touch he brought to the table in 2016, form of the kind he showed against Australia in a virtual T20 World Cup quarterfinal where he made a 51-ball 82 not out in a winning chase or the IPL that followed, where he made a chart-topping 973 runs, including four hundreds in the season.Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik during a practice session•PTI What about Pant and Shreyas Iyer? One of the theories fast gaining ground is India could try and punt on Pant the opener. He has only so far done it in one ODI at home, against West Indies, earlier in the year. If he does open with Rohit, the axe could yet again, unfortunately, fall on Kishan for now, but it could give India the option to play both Suryakumar and Hooda alongside Kohli in the middle order. The person to sit out then could be Dinesh Karthik, who has been brought back after three years because he plays a specific role of a finisher. If Karthik continues, once again it means one of Hooda or Suryakumar make way. So, either way, to fit in both Pant and Kohli in the same XI, India will have to choose between leaving out one of their in-form batters.There is also Shreyas Iyer in the mix. Iyer batted at No.3 in the third T20I against West Indies and also against Sri Lanka and South Africa at home this year. Since the start of 2022, he has scored a total of 323 runs at a strike rate of 154.54 in nine T20Is. And despite formidable numbers, he isn’t guaranteed a spot. Does Jadeja slot back in straightaway? Logically, yes. It’s a straight swap with Axar Patel. While Ravindra Jadeja’s batting credentials have been on an upswing, his bowling in T20 cricket has tailed off over the past two years. Since IPL 2020, he has struck 575 runs at 147. In the same period, his death-overs strike rate of 199.60 is the fourth-best. With the ball, he has picked just 24 wickets in 40 games at an economy of 7.70. However, Hardik Pandya’s encouraging returns with the ball could give Jadeja a bit of leeway, as the sixth bowling option, giving India flexibility they dearly missed at last year’s World Cup.

In appreciation of a player who always seemed to have more to give for the success of his team

Sidharth Monga17-Aug-2020Only 10 players won more Man-of-the-Match awards when playing ODI cricket for India than Suresh Raina’s 12. Only 11 have played more than his 226 matches. Only 10 players have scored more runs than his 5615. His average of 35 and strike rate of 94 are so close to the legend he played alongside and was supposed to replace: Yuvraj Singh, who averaged 36 and struck at 87 runs per 100 balls.Yet Raina retires from international cricket not a legend, not a superstar, not remembered for his Man-of-the-Match performances although one of those, a stunning hundred in Cardiff teased a glorious assertive turn that he long promised. What you remember instantly of Raina is instead his joy at other’s success. His willingness to throw himself around on the field. To run hard for his partner. To dive for his crease, a technique he mastered. And that is what remains of his primary skill, batting: cameos that made the whole team effort look way better without drawing too much attention to themselves.That tight tense chase in the quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup is so rightly remembered for Yuvraj Singh’s unbeaten half-century to go with his two wickets, but what Singh remembers is a 34. When Raina came in to bat at the fall of the fifth wicket, India still needed 74 off 75, but he immediately eased things for Singh by going after the bowling. In the nervous, error-filled semi-final against Pakistan, India ended up with a target to defend because of Raina’s late push. This time he scored 36.When India needed 322 in 40 overs to stay alive in the tri-series in Australia in 2011-12, Virat Kohli scored a stunning 133 off 86 balls, but Raina’s assault of 40 off 24 balls in the end was just as breathtaking. Raina’s Test debut was a hundred but it was overshadowed by Sachin Tendulkar’s double. Some of his best ODI innings were played in the company of MS Dhoni, who would invariably outshine him.ALSO READ: The best of Suresh Raina in India coloursWhen around an established, more accomplished batsman, Raina was a nuisance for the fielding captain. Joe Pesci if Indian cricket was the mob. Raina could hit into unusual areas: over cover and extra cover on the off side, and over midwicket on the leg side. Also he batted selflessly, which allowed him to hit his boundaries. “Selflessness” might not sound like much today, but when Raina came in, Singh and Mohammad Kaif had only just pulled India out of an era of notorious not-outers in the middle order.After the 2011 World Cup, with Singh now taking time off to recover from illness, it was expected Raina was the perfect fit for that role. He was the left-hand presence in the middle, he was in his 10th year as an international yet young, he was fit, he could chip in with the ball and would pull off difficult catches in the field.And yet in tough conditions Raina struggled. When he went to Cardiff to start his comeback trail for the 2015 World Cup, he had gone 55 innings outside Asia with just three scores of 50 or more. Dhoni had now begun to prefer batting closer to the end of the innings so Raina was given the lead role in the lower middle order: the No. 5. He went in at 110 for 3, which soon became 132 for 4, and this Raina took charge of the situation. He was in total control, and for once dominated a partnership with Dhoni. Pesci had become de Niro for a day.Although he scored only one more hundred after this – that against Zimbabwe – Raina had a good selfless World Cup in Australia. He was still only 29 when sent packing after a tough home series against South Africa at the end of that year. His knee, which was first operated on in 2007, also began to play up.ALSO READ: Suresh Raina, an ace at World Cups and Asia CupsIt will surely rankle Raina that he was never given a run to truly replace Singh. Even after Dhoni’s astute judgement of Ajinkya Rahane: excellent against the new ball or on quick pitches in the middle order, but dodgy on slower pitches. With the top three set in stone, and with slowness mostly a factor in the middle overs, Rahane was always going to struggle.With a similar average and a much lower strike rate, Rahane became the No. 4 choice two years before the 2019 World Cup. When Rahane began to fail, they tried a host of options but never went to Raina. India eventually messed it all up, but never gave someone who had done this job before a go.The selectors can’t really be blamed outright because Raina wasn’t scoring in domestic List A competition. However, he would hardly have been the first person India selected based on IPL runs or past experience. Dhoni, in fact, came back without even playing domestic cricket. Evidently Raina had not done enough when at his best, in the eyes of the leaders of the team, to be made an exception for. It will be a cause for dissatisfaction for Raina, both with himself and the management.It is interesting that India never thought of Raina as a rival for Dhoni’s slot when the latter began to lose his touch. Raina was a free-flowing batsman, and the left-hand option that India badly needed. However, much like for captain Kohli, vice-captain Rohit Sharma and coach Ravi Shastri, it would have been sacrilege even for Raina to think he could replace Dhoni. He was Chinna Thala because there was a Thala. Most of his career was spent in Dhoni’s company: they debuted together, he often stood next to Dhoni at slip on in his ear shot at cover, they put together 3585 runs in each other’s company; no two men have partnered for more for the fourth wicket or lower.Raina took the partnership to the next level when he decided to retire on the same day as his captain. Him at just 33. Once again, like some of his finest efforts on the field, his retirement, too, was a cameo. The tributes he received on Twitter tell you what a team man he was.Now, though, Raina has a chance to play a lead role. He is still only 33, he won’t be playing much else but T20, but he still has a good three-four years of conditioning left in him. As recently as this May, he spoke to Irfan Pathan about the need to be respected by the board. The same board which refused to acknowledge his retirement for close to 30 hours because he hadn’t officially informed them.The same board that doesn’t allow its players to play T20 league cricket outside of IPL. This has caused a lot of disquiet among players who don’t earn BCCI contracts; fewer than 30 do. The prime of an athlete is way shorter than other professionals. They want to make the best of it.Go freelance, Suresh. You have achieved both runs and titles in the IPL. Retire after the next IPL, and play three leagues a year instead. Set a precedent for others that there is an alternative. Lead this revolution. Even Pesci had a much bigger role in The Irishman, in all likelihood his last stand.

Former Arsenal and Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole has admitted coaching Harry Kane and Cole Palmer in the England setup gave him imposter syndrome. Cole is now a full-time coach in the England setup and previously served as assistant to Lee Carsley during his interim stint in charge of the Three Lions while also working with the U21s, having previously worked with Birmingham City.

Getty Images SportCole was 'anxious' about coaching world class talent

Cole left his position with Birmingham City last month to focus solely on his role with the England squad having initially joined the national team setup on a part-time basis in 2021. Cole was brought in to support Carsley and was part of the management team that lifted the U21 European Championship in Georgia in 2023.

However, Cole was briefly promoted to the senior squad prior to Thomas Tuchel's appointment after Gareth Southgate left the England head coach role following their Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain last summer. It was with the men's side that Cole worked alongside Carsley to help coach the likes of Kane, Palmer and Bukayo Saka among others.

During his time with the senior squad, though, Cole has confessed that he questioned whether he was worthy of coaching the world class trio. Indeed, the 44-year-old was aware that many of the players he works with are coached by elite managers that made him anxious about whether he was in a position to tell them how to play.

AdvertisementCole claims 'you can shrink' when coaching elite players

In an interview with , Cole stated: "Even when you are talking to Under-21s you are still talking to players who are coached by Pep Guardiola, and all these top managers, so you do have to find some confidence and authenticity. You can shrink.

"There were times I was thinking, ‘I am telling Cole Palmer that’s not good enough but Pep allows him to do it’. It’s that connection and finding that relationship with the players."

Cole, however, added that his greatest thrill was seeing these talents carrying out his instructions, adding: "They have been coached by top managers. Now I am saying to them, ‘That is not enough, you’ve got to do this’. And they were amazing towards me. They were trying to work me out – do I know what I am talking about?

"Everything I spoke to them about in the team meetings I saw on the pitch. I’m telling Harry Maguire to do this and I’m telling Harry Kane to do that. To see it (on the pitch) was amazing for my confidence."

Getty Images Sport'I acted like an idiot at times' says Cole

Cole also added he has matured since his time as a player. The former England international routinely made headlines for his antics off the pitch, admitting that he acted like 'an idiot at times', stating: "I am not saying what I did was right. I acted like an idiot at times but I was a kid.

"We have all made mistakes and 20 years down the line we are telling our kids, ‘Don’t do that’. It really made me understand life, people, respect, in a different way. I have come out of that bubble. I have just matured. My drive is something different."

Additionally, Cole claims he now wishes to be remembered better as a coach rather than a player, adding: “I want people now to say, 'Ashley Cole, the coach’. Not, ‘Ashley Cole, the footballer’. It has been quite hard but I think I have done enough on the training pitch.

"Ashley Cole the player is done. But Ashley Cole the coach, he is doing alright, or whatever it looks like."

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England learn 2026 World Cup fate

Cole is expected to be part of the England coaching staff in North America for the World Cup next summer. The Three Lions learned their 2026 fate last week having been drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, Panama and Ghana.

England kick off their World Cup campaign with a game against Croatia on 17 June, before they take on Ghana on 23 June. Thomas Tuchel's men then round off the group stages against Panama on 27 June.

Unseasonal weather in Western Australia, and a relatively new venue, means surface characteristics are unknown

Tristan Lavalette19-Nov-2025Given the hyperbole, with unseasonal weather adding another layer of drama, there is much intrigue over an expected fast and bouncy Perth Stadium surface ahead of the first Test.However, Australia quick Mitchell Starc remains pessimistic of a pitch which the local tabloid newspaper, in its latest effort to needle England ahead of the series has dubbed a ‘Green Monster’.The teams in recent days have been preparing in the nets behind the massive ground, with the practice sessions notable for sharp and rapid bounce. Whether conditions can be replicated on a drop-in surface that was put in just four weeks ago remains unknown, although the groundstaff do remain hopeful.”The wickets out the back have had a bit of sideways, and up and down,” Starc told reporters. “I’m not going to pretend I know how to read wickets until they’re played on.”A fair bit has been made about the colour of it and that it’s going to be a green mamba. I think it’s probably ready to go now, so I don’t expect to see it do as much as you all anticipate it to do.”Having opened in 2018, and missing two international cricket seasons due to Covid, Perth Stadium is still a relatively new Test venue with no consistent trend established yet.In last year’s India Test, similarly played in late November, both first innings were over within four sessions before the pitch then flattened on days two and three, before unevenness started to come through via large cracks. The year before, against Pakistan, batting was treacherous in the fourth innings thanks to those same cracks, although that Test was played in the oppressive conditions of mid-December.While the WACA’s lore has been rekindled at times, Perth Stadium has been the best batting surface in Australia across the last four years since the new Kookaburra and greener surfaces have made conditions much more difficult on the east coast. Only five overseas batters have scored centuries in Australia in that time and three of them have come in Perth”We’ve had five different wickets in the sense,” Starc said of surfaces at Perth Stadium over the years. “We got a pretty slow, flat wicket against the West Indies [in 2022 which went deep into day five].”The first Test here [in 2018] was one where it cracked up and played a bit like the WACA used to. Last year saw all those wickets on the first day and then it got pretty flat.”You can look at trends and you can look at what’s happened. In the end you got to play what’s in front of you.”Related

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Adding to the intrigue, there has been some stormy weather in the metropolitan area in recent days, while rain is forecast this weekend on the back of a wetter winter and spring in Perth.Wet weather in Perth this deep into spring is unusual, with the famously sun-drenched Western Australia capital usually almost totally dry from November through to April.But WA Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald does not believe the elements will change the expected characteristics of the surface.”You look historically at every Test through both venues here in the west, pace and bounce is a mainstay, and that’s not going to change any time soon,” said McDonald, whose on-field press engagement was pushed back due to lightning strikes close to the ground.”This forecast has been hit and miss. The temperatures have been varying by a few degrees here and there every day. Taking lessons learned from last year, we started prep a day earlier…..really trusting to get our moisture and firmness right.”McDonald said 9mm of grass is currently left on the drop-in pitch, a similar amount to recent Tests at the ground. “The cracks will be present later in the game. What I’ve really knuckled down this preparation is ensuring the pace and bounce is spot on for day one, to ensure an even battle,” he said.”Previous years, I think we’ve been on the flatter side. But last year, being the exception, we were probably a day early in preparation.”So we tried to tackle that with giving ourselves an extra day in preparation to try and even out that balance.”

After returning to club action following the final international break of 2025, Liverpool needed to find a remedy for their issues.

A defeat to Manchester City two weeks ago is hardly something to be ashamed about, but after consecutive wins across league and European action, it was a return to the doldrums of the previous month.

In truth, Arne Slot’s men have been way off it in 2025/26. The Anfield outfit are severely lagging behind in the race for the Premier League title and they can probably already forget about any hopes of retaining England’s biggest prize, but for a major miracle.

The nadir of the campaign so far came on Saturday. Nottingham Forest, sat inside the relegation places, visited Mersyeside and swatted aside Slot’s troops with ease, winning 3-0.

It was a ghastly defeat and one that was epitomised by the performance of club-record signing Alexander Isak.

The issues behind Alexander Isak

2025 has been a peculiar old year for Mr Isak. He began the year in career-best form and took Newcastle United to a Carabao Cup triumph at Wembley against his new employers.

Yet, he ruined his legacy. He chewed it up and spat it back in the faces of Newcastle supporters.

He didn’t go on the club’s pre-season tour in Asia and from that moment he was never seen in first-team training again.

Isak trained on his own at Newcastle’s complex and then after missing the opening weeks of the season, finally got his British record move to Liverpool. FSG shelled out a jaw-dropping £125m to sign him but he has not been worth that fee in the slightest.

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The Swede has struggled with fitness and injury since moving, hardly surprising given he didn’t have a proper pre-season. That, however, is the player’s fault and he’s now paying the price.

The striker has now played nine games for his new side but has only scored once, a solitary goal in the EFL Cup.

He’s gone five Premier League matches without scoring and all four of his Liverpool starts in top-flight action have ended in defeat.

His performance against Forest on Saturday was the epitome of what he’s gone through on Merseyside to date.

As Slot’s side lost 3-0, Isak was nowhere to be seen. BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty described his afternoon as a “symbol of one of the most limp Anfield displays in recent years.”

As a consequence, the attacker only lasted 68 minutes on the pitch, amassing just 14 touches of the football and winning zero of his duels.

Minutes played

68

Touches

14

Accurate passes

5/7 (71%)

Key passes

1

Successful dribbles

0

Shots

1

Shots on target

0

Ground duels won

0

Aerial duels won

0

Before this game had even taken place Liverpool correspondent David Lynch had suggested the Swede was “offering Liverpool less than Darwin Nunez did”. Still, while Nunez never really got up to speed, there is a belief that Isak will eventually come good.

The same cannot be said for someone who plays further back than Isak.

Liverpool star is becoming this season's Darwin Nunez

What a puzzling character Mr Nunez was. The Uruguayan arrived in a £85m move from Benfica back in June 2022 but failed to ever really set the world alight.

He missed a catalogue of big chances. In January 2024, he set a Premier League record when he hit the woodwork four times in one game against Chelsea. No one has ever hit the bar or post on as many occasions in one match as that.

Furthermore, back in 2023/24, only Erling Haaland (34) missed more big chances than Nunez (27) in the top-flight. The trouble is, while the Norwegian powerhouse scored 27 that term, Liverpool’s leading number nine only found the net on 11 occasions in league action.

Then, last season, the South American netted just seven goals in 47 fixtures, prompting his exit from English football. He has since moved to Saudi Arabia and Al-Hilal, where he has netted five times in nine appearances.

Isak will likely have a better Anfield career than that, but he is arguably not the main scapegoat right now. That honour is in the hands of Ibrahima Konate.

The Frenchman, as Nunez did, has become the but of the jokes at Anfield this term and is the most under-fire player in Slot’s squad.

Yes, Florian Wirtz and Isak continue to disappoint, a huge problem given their price tags, but Konate has had one too many chances now and his Liverpool career is heading in a similar way to a certain Trent Alexander-Arnold.

His contract is due to expire at the end of the season and with Real Madrid allegedly chasing his services, it looks like the best option for all parties that he leaves on a free transfer.

Liverpool would love a fee, of course they would, but they just need to get him off their books now. He’s simply too error-prone. It’s not just one error either, something football analyst Raj Chohan outlined on social media during Saturday’s game.

Having made a dreadful mistake, beaten all ends up by Forest striker Igor Jesus, the Frenchman was extremely thankful that the goal that followed that sequence of events was ruled out for handball.

Writing afterwards, Chohan simply said, “every time he makes one error, he makes multiple.”

Tactical writer Dharnish Iqbal, further noted that Konate’s form at the moment is “shocking”, outlining him as one of the biggest problems at Slot’s disposal right now.

According to the official data, supplied by Sofascore, he has made three mistakes leading to a shot in league action alone this term. In the Champions League, he has made a further one. This is particularly bad as in the whole of the 2024/25 Premier League season, he made two. He’s already up to that number now from 12 starts.

He might not be like Nunez in the sense that he’s a striker, but he’s the new club scapegoat, and like Nunez, he needs to leave as soon as possible.

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Ibrahima Konate was not the only culprit during Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest.

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