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They have received plenty of criticism for it over the last couple of years, but Chelsea seem determined to continue building a team full of exciting young talents.

For example, the West Londoners added Jorrel Hato, Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens and Estevao to Enzo Maresca’s side this summer.

However, one player who is just that little bit older than them is Liam Delap, who, at 22, is arguably still a prospect, but at the same time, needs to start delivering on a more consistent basis.

If he does do that, there is also more than a passing chance he could establish himself as an England regular; if not, Cobham is already producing an incredible gem who could surpass him for club and country.

Delap's route into the England team

While Thomas Tuchel arguably has the strongest England squad for a very long time, a narrative that has been doing the rounds this international break is that, after Harry Kane, there aren’t many, if any, obvious strikers to take as backup for the World Cup.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

For example, Ivan Toney is still playing in the Saudi Pro-League, Ollie Watkins has just one goal and no assists in 16 games this season, and Dominic Solanke is still out injured.

In fact, the search for a backup number nine has been so desperate that there are now genuine conversations around recalling Danny Welbeck ahead of the summer, and while he deserves to be in the conversation, he’ll be 35 this month, so he is not a long-term option.

This, then, is how, even though he’s not had the best of starts this season, Delap could very realistically find himself on that plane to the World Cup next summer.

After all, even though he was playing for a really relatively poor Ipswich Town side last season, the former Manchester City prospect was still able to rack up a reasonable enough tally of 12 goals and two assists in 37 appearances.

So, if he can rediscover some form this year, there is surely a place in Tuchel’s squad with his name on it, but if not, one of Cobham’s most exciting prospects in a long time could eventually usurp him for club and country.

The Chelsea gem who could usurp Delap

Cobham have long produced Premier League-level youngsters who have gone on to star for Chelsea or other sides, and it looks like Shumaira Mheuka is the next one up.

The 18-year-old goalscoring machine began his footballing journey on the south coast with Brighton & Hove Albion, but made the move to Stamford Bridge in 2022.

In the two and a half years since, the youngster has gone from strength to strength and is without a doubt one of the most exciting up-and-coming centre-forwards in the country.

For example, even though he was just 16 at the start of last season, he ended the campaign with 11 goals and three assists in 30 appearances across the u18s and u21s.

However, while his exploits last year were impressive, what he has been able to do this year has been utterly remarkable.

Appearances

61

Goals

34

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

So far, the teenage phenom, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed “Cobham’s finest,” has scored 13 goals and provided three assists in 12 appearances for the youth sides, totalling 997 minutes.

In other words, he is currently averaging 1.33 goal involvements per game, or one every 62.31 minutes, which is frankly ridiculous.

If that wasn’t enough, the Birmingham-born monster is also doing the business for the national side, racking up a tally of 14 goals and three assists in 20 appearances for the u19s.

With numbers and performances such as these, it’s easy to see why Kulig described the youngster as “the future of Chelsea and English football.”

Ultimately, if Delap doesn’t start performing for Chelsea soon, there is every chance he could be replaced by Mheuka, who could also soon make his way into Tuchel’s plans.

Bye-bye Tosin & Chalobah: Chelsea submit bid to re-sign "the world's best CB"

The iconic defender would be excellent for Chelsea, but bad news for Tosin and Chalobah.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 20, 2025

With the PSL clashing with the IPL, partial player availability was not a concern for the first time

Danyal Rasool13-Jan-2025The PSL moved into the IPL window this year, to improve the quality and availability of overseas players they’d be able to sign. On that count, the calculated risk they took appears to have paid off, with the roster for the tenth edition of the PSL including the widest array of high-profile overseas players they have managed in the post-covid era.David Warner, Daryl Mitchell, Jason Holder, Rassie van der Dussen and Kane Williamson were among the biggest names the PSL signed up at the draft this year, held at the sprawling Hazuri Bagh at Lahore Fort. While the ceremony itself was a stuttering, protracted affair, which, from start to finish, lasted a whopping seven hours, the cack-handed packaging should not detract from what may be a very decent product after all.For the first time, partial player availability, so often a hindrance during earlier editions, was not a concern. The only other cricket during the time the PSL will be played – between early April and late May – is IPL 2025. The IPL auction has concluded, and any players left over are definitively available, effectively meaning every player in the draft had communicated their complete willingness to participate in the PSL in full.Related

• Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars to kick off PSL 2025 on April 11; final on May 18

• Ihsanullah reverses decision to retire from all franchise cricket

• PSL 2025 draft – Williamson among seven New Zealanders drafted; Warner, Mitchell among Platinum picks

• English players want NOC clarity after signing PSL deals

• PSL set for IPL clash after move to April-May window

The decision did not come without trade-offs; Rashid Khan, for example, signed a three-year contract with Lahore Qalandars in 2023, but will instead be at the IPL. But players from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, so often unavailable because the PSL’s traditional February-March window clashed with their home international season, were signed in droves.New Zealanders, in particular were popular; more than half of the platinum picks at the draft were Kiwis: Finn Allen, Mitchell, Adam Milne, Michael Bracewell, and Mark Chapman were all picked in the highest category, with all of them first-time PSL participants. They were topped up in the supplementary pick with Williamson and Kyle Jamieson, also first-timers.Salman Agha, Shadab Khan and Babar Azam share a light moment on the sidelines of the PSL draft•PSLOver the years, it has been overseas power-hitting the PSL has relished, each franchise comfortable that there was enough domestic fast bowling to go around without being spread too thin. That changed this time: Milne, Sean Abbott, Jamieson, Nahid Rana, Holder, Corbin Bosch, Alzarri Joseph and Josh Little were among the overseas quicks snapped up.That may partially be explained by the availability of players who might otherwise not been options for the PSL, but perhaps also hints at the waning confidence in local fast bowling talent among the franchises.There were departures and farewells for players who have become synonymous with a particular franchise. Faheem Ashraf left Islamabad United having been a one-franchise player until now, winning three titles. If there was a general indication his star was waning, Quetta Gladiators clearly thought otherwise; they used their wildcard on him to pick him in the Platinum category, rather than the Silver he had been assigned.There was movement out of the Gladiators, too. Sarfaraz Ahmed, their captain for the first eight seasons and player for each of the last nine, was not part of the draft; Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar said he would be involved with the franchise in a “new role”.Mohammad Hasnain, meanwhile, also leaves the Gladiators to link up with Multan Sultans. Poignantly, Ihsanullah, Sultans’ quickest bowler until 2023, was left unpicked after an independent review found the PCB’s botched handling of an elbow injury had done him significant harm. Sultans’ owner Ali Tareen said last week medical consensus was he would never hit those speeds again.Meanwhile, there was a splitting up of one family. Last year, Naseem Shah and both of his younger brothers, Hunain and Ubaid, played for United; Hunain went on to hit the winning runs. This time, Sultans plumped for the youngest, with Ubaid leaving the defending champions to join the 2021 winners.Last year, the PCB told ESPNcricinfo was to co-exist with the IPL rather than compete with it. The PSL draft this time around may have wanted organisation and production quality, but did offer a little glimpse into what that might look like once April rolls around.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge fifty sets hosts up for success

ECB Media10-Aug-2025

Sophie Devine made key breakthroughs in the chase•ECB via Getty Images

Southern Brave made it two from two in this year’s competition, as Sophie Devine starred in a 15-run victory over Birmingham Phoenix in front of a record crowd at Utilita Bowl.A crowd of 11,167 turned out in the Hampshire sunshine to see the home side prevail in a game which see-sawed throughout but was ultimately decided by the regular wickets Brave took throughout the Phoenix run chase.Both teams came into today’s game off the back of strong opening wins, with Phoenix winning the toss and opting to field. Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s 59 from 39 balls was the foundation for the Brave’s total of 139, ably supported by Laura Wolvaardt (28) and Devine (27).After a good start from Brave, Phoenix came back into the first innings, restraining the home side in the last 25 balls. At one stage, a big score was on the cards but, led by Megan Schutt (2 for 23 from 20 balls) and then Em Arlott (2 for 19 from 20 balls) at the death, Brave faltered to 139 with only 19 coming from the last 15 balls.Southern Brave took the early wickers of Emma Lamb and Georgia Voll, both of whom had done well in the Phoenix’s first game. Ellyse Perry and Amy Jones then steadied the ship and looked comfortable in their efforts to knock off the total.When Jones was out for 20, Sterre Kalis took over the charge to the finish, with Phoenix needing 45 from the final 30 balls. However, when Perry was caught well in the deep by Mady Villiers for 26 from 21 balls, Kalis accelerated but ultimately ran out of support, and Phoenix were bowled out with two balls to spare, 15 short.The Brave bowling performance was headlined by Lauren Bell taking 3 for 17 from 19 balls, with Devine’s 2 for 28 and Tilly Corteen-Coleman’s 2 for 16 also doing damage.With her 27 runs, two wickets and a run out, Devine, the Meerkat Match Hero said: “I’m really pleased about the result. Danni (Wyatt-Hodge) was outstanding. The way she set up the game, it was trickier than she made it look. It was a great game for us and nice to do it in front of the home crowd.”It is always nice to perform against teams you have previously played for. Every game is on the line and you have to be good. We have to keep sharp and keep learning. I have not played a lot of cricket over the last few months and was probably swinging like a rusty gate. I’ve played enough cricket to know that it will come. When you have someone like her (Wyatt-Hodge), it makes easier. If I can contribute in any way, that is what I am here for.”

If there was any anxiety about India’s performance this home season, the first day’s play went some way to allaying them. Weakened they might be with the retirements of three legends, wounded they might be after losing the last series here 0-3, there is still plenty of fire. West Indies came under it and couldn’t really muster up a response. After choosing to bat, they were bowled out for 162 with time to spare for the tea break. At stumps, they were clinging on to a lead of 41.Mohammed Siraj picked up where he left off after his Iron Man efforts in England. He focused on pitching the ball up. He targeted the top of the stumps. He didn’t give the batter any easy reprieves and that was enough for him to pick up four of the first five wickets to fall. He thought he had a fifth – which would’ve been a landmark moment because he doesn’t have a five-for at home – but DRS took it away. Jasprit Bumrah, his new-ball partner, offered him a pat on the back when replays showed the lbw shout against Justin Greaves being struck down but didn’t seem to be so sympathetic when he started ripping out the tail with his yorkers. Eventually Siraj had to settle for figures of 4 for 40.A comfortable day’s play offered opportunity for India to make further gains, particularly their new man at No. 3. But Sai Sudharsan’s dismissal for 7 off 19 only served as a reminder that this team is still transitioning and that without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Aswhin and Rishabh Pant, who is only injured, there are vulnerabilities. KL Rahul papered over them with a no-nonsense half-century. It feels like he knows how to match his output with his ability now. Something West Indies are struggling with.Their XI has nine centuries in it. Two of their top three have yet to contribute to that count. The other one has a double, but he was coming back to international cricket after a 20-month break. Tagenarine Chanderpaul would be sorely disappointed with his return – out for a duck, caught down the leg side. But there were others who had reasons to feel more guilty. Brandon King left a straight ball to knock down his middle stump.KL Rahul led India’s reply with a composed half-century•AFP/Getty Images

Alick Athanaze looked steady, especially after he got through a nervous first few deliveries where it seemed like he was too keen to feel bat on ball. The West Indian No. 3 was just starting to gain confidence in his defence when Siraj decided to prey on his inexperience. He had seen the batter settling in nicely and decided to tease him with a fuller delivery. Had the length been shorter, Athanaze might have been more circumspect with his shot. The fact that it was pitched up had his juices flowing. He went for a big booming drive and was caught at slip.Roston Chase and Shai Hope offered some resistance. Theirs was the longest partnership of the innings – 70 balls – and it pushed India to produce the two best balls of the day. Kuldeep Yadav, who had spent a five-match tour of England on the sidelines, struck with his eighth delivery back, creating gap between Hope’s bat and pad with his drift and surging through it with his dip and turn. It is ridiculous how often wristspinners make the stumps look like an easy target.Chase was the victim of Siraj’s a wobble-seam variation, although the real genius of the wicket lay in the steep angle that the fast bowler created into the right-hander. The West Indies captain was suckered into closing the face of his bat so early that he was caught by the wicketkeeper off the leading edge.India’s bowling wasn’t at its threatening best – there were seven fours in the first 10 overs – but they were better at the basics than their opposition. Bumrah did have one bit of the spectacular in him. At the Asia Cup, he was partly bowling his team to victory and partly testing his fitness out for these Test matches. Early indications were that his rhythm is on point. He spotted Greaves’ tendency to bat with a huge backlift, which also curved to the off side, and knew it would be vulnerable to his yorker and it proved so the very first time he tried.Bumrah now has 50 Test wickets in India and he got there in record time, a full 521 balls quicker than the previous mark set by Mohammed Shami.

Big picture – Who will bounce back?

New Zealand and South Africa meet for the first time since they contested the 2024 T20 World Cup final in October last year, under rather different circumstances. Both teams began their Women’s World Cup campaigns with heavy defeats and there’s little to choose between them as they face off in Indore on Monday.New Zealand’s 89-run defeat to Australia laid bare familiar concerns with the bat; they crumbled in a chase of 327 despite a century from Sophie Devine. Since the start of 2024, they have lost ten of 15 ODIs – a result of their inconsistency with both bat and ball. To add to their challenges, they entered this World Cup without playing a single ODI in the six months leading up to it.While there have been individual performances, the batting unit will be eager to click collectively. New Zealand have scored 250-plus only twice since 2024. In the bowling department, they have a mix of youth and experience with Lea Tahuhu, the Kerr sisters – Jess and Amelia – along with Bree Illing and Eden Carson, forming a unit capable of making a difference.South Africa had a disastrous start against England in Guwahati, where they were bowled out for 69. They will look for a reset in Indore. They remain a top-heavy side, with Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, and Marizanne Kapp scoring the bulk of their runs. But their last two ODI defeats – including a 115 all out against Pakistan – have been due to severe batting collapses. A third in a row will be difficult to come back from in this tournament.

Form guide

New Zealand LWWLL (last five completed matches)
South Africa LLWWWSophie Devine made a hundred against Australia•Getty Images

In the spotlight – Brits and Bates

Tazmin Brits has hit peak form in 2025. In ten ODIs this year, she has scored four centuries and one half-century, averaging 81 at a strike rate of 93.91. Known for her power game, Brits has made noticeable improvements against spin. With the in-form Laura Wolvaardt at the other end, the pair forms a strong right-hand opening combination capable of dictating terms. If they get going, South Africa could get the platform they’ve lacked in recent ODIs.Suzie Bates will make her 350th international appearance for New Zealand on Monday – a landmark in the women’s game. The veteran remains a key presence in a top order featuring Georgia Plimmer and Amelia Kerr. Although she fell for a duck against Australia, Bates has scored three half-centuries in her last seven ODI innings. As New Zealand aim for their first win of the tournament, Bates will be eager to mark the occasion with a defining innings.

Team news

South Africa may reconsider their XI after leaving out allrounder Annerie Dercksen – one of four batters to make a century for them since the start of 2024 – for Anneke Bosch, who has neither been a regular nor scored a fifty since December 2023.South Africa:1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Sune Luus, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Anneke Bosch/Annerie Dercksen, 6 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 7 Chloe Tryon, 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Masabata Klaas, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko MlabaLeft-arm spinner Flora Devonshire was ruled out of the World Cup with an injury to her bowling hand and seamer Hannah Rowe was named her replacement. However, New Zealand are unlikely to change the side for their second match in Indore.New Zealand: 1 Suzie Bates, 2 Georgia Plimmer, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Sophie Devine (capt), 5 Brooke Halliday, 6 Maddy Green, 7 Isabella Graze (wk), 8 Jess Kerr, 9 Lea Tahuhu, 10 Eden Carson, 11 Bree Illing

Pitch and conditions

Indore rolled out a flat track for the opening game and Australia piled on 326 batting first. A different surface will be used for the second match, but weather could be a factor. It rained heavily the day after the first game there and conditions are expected to be overcast with hazy sunshine. As Suzie Bates put it, “It’s all about who adapts the best tomorrow because it is a different wicket, and it can play differently.”

Stats and trivia

• Suzie Bates, the third highest run-scorer in women’s ODIs, is 104 short of 6000
• Marizanne Kapp is two away from breaking into the top five wicket-takers in women’s ODIs. She has 169 scalps from 154 matches.
• Wolvaardt and Brits have scored nine ODI hundreds between them since 2024.
• New Zealand have not scored a 300 in ODIs since the start of 2024.

Quotes

“Yeah, I think it’s a huge advantage. It’s not only playing in the same conditions, but not having to travel after that game.”
“For us as a batting unit is to just literally just knuckle down and just bat. Don’t think too much about the outcome. Just take it one ball at a time.”

And is Gus Atkinson the fastest to 50 Test wickets by time?

Steven Lynch18-Mar-2025Matt Breetzke recently scored 150 in his first ODI, and 83 in his second. Does he have the most runs after two such matches? asked Jason Seymour from South Africa
South Africa’s Matthew Breetzke hit 150 in his first one-day international, against New Zealand in Lahore in February, which was the highest by anyone on ODI debut, beating Desmond Haynes’s 148 for West Indies vs Australia in Antigua in 1978.Breetzke added 83 in his second match, against Pakistan in Karachi two days later, giving him 233 runs after two ODIs: the previous highest was again Haynes, who followed his 148 with 47.Rather surprisingly, given his turbocharged start, Breetzke was not included in South Africa’s squad for the Champions Trophy: it had been named already, but there was a provision for late changes. In his next ODI he will need to score 32 runs to stay ahead: England’s Nick Knight had 264 runs after his first three ODIs, which included hundreds on successive days against Pakistan in 1996.Gus Atkinson reached 50 Test wickets in a little over five months. Has anyone got there quicker than that? asked Mark McKenzie from England
The England seamer Gus Atkinson collected 50 Test wickets in just 158 days from his debut at Lord’s on July 10 last year. The only bowlers to reach 50 quicker than that are Australia’s Rodney Hogg, in 116 days from December 1, 1978, and Vernon Philander of South Africa, in 139 days from November 9, 2011. The previous fastest for England (and still joint fifth overall) was Maurice Tate, in 248 days from June 14, 1924.Atkinson reached 50 in his 11th Test, quite a way down a list headed by Australia’s Charles Turner: he got there in six matches, just ahead of Philander, Tom Richardson of England and Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya, who all reached 50 in their seventh Test.When New Zealand beat West Indies by one wicket in 1980, they did it with numbers ten and 11 at the crease. Usually there’s a proper batsman there to finish things off – are there any other Tests like this one? asked Chris Goddard from England
When New Zealand squeaked past West Indies to win by one wicket in Dunedin in February 1980, you’re right that the last four runs came with the final pair at the crease – No. 10, Gary Troup (who finished with 7 not out) and No. 11, Stephen Boock (2 not out). Neither was any great shakes with the bat – Troup was once dismissed five times in the space of seven balls bowled to him in Tests – but they somehow got New Zealand home. Boock remembered being “absolutely petrified” before he went in to face the West Indian fast bowlers, but somehow scampered through for the winning run: “I got a leg-bye off Joel Garner from the last ball of an over. At the time I thought I was in complete control, but when I looked at it on television later it looked as though I changed my mind ten times. If the throw had hit I would have been out by miles.”There have now been 15 one-wicket victories in Tests, and that’s still the only one where Nos. 10 and 11 were together at the end. There have been four matches where the end came with No. 9 in with No. 11: by England (Sydney Barnes and Arthur Fielder) against Australia in Melbourne in 1908, England (Alex Kennedy and George Macaulay) against South Africa in Cape Town in 1923, Australia (Doug Ring and Bill Johnston) against West Indies in Melbourne in 1952, and West Indies (Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales) against Pakistan in Kingston in 2021.Ryan ten Doeschate has the highest career average in ODIs, followed by Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli•Peter Della PennaShubman Gill is averaging 59 in ODIs. Is this a record? How about T20s? asked Milind Rao from India
You’re right that Shubman Gill currently averages 59.04 in one-day internationals, just above his India team-mate Virat Kohli (57.88). The only man ahead of them is Ryan ten Doeschate, who averaged 67.00 in 33 ODIs for Netherlands between 2006 and 2011.Only nine other men (four of them current players) have an average above 50 in ODIs, given a minimum of 20 innings: Dawid Malan (55.76), Babar Azam (55.50), Michael Bevan (53.58), AB de Villiers (53.50), Jonathan Trott (51.25), MS Dhoni (50.57), Ben Duckett (50.38), Ibrahim Zadran (50.18) and Rassie van der Dussen (50.13). Shai Hope of West Indies currently averages 49.93. At the moment there are also six women with a career average above 50 in ODIs, again given a minimum of 20 innings.The highest average in men’s T20 internationals currently belongs to Sami Sohail of Malawi, with 56.12 from 42 innings; India’s Tilak Varma comes next with 49.93. Not far behind are Kohli (48.69), Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan (47.41) and Japan’s Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (45.80).The women’s T20I list is headed by the Isle of Man teenager Lucy Barnett (67.45), ahead of the Australian pair of Tahlia McGrath (41.62) and Beth Mooney (41.21).How many Test cricketers have been born in Scotland? asked Kelvin Muir from… Scotland
So far there have been 11 Test cricketers who were born in Scotland. They make a reasonable XI too – perhaps a bit light on batting, but well served for bowlers, and there are a pair of wicketkeepers!The openers of this team (who played their Tests for England unless stated otherwise) would be Archie Jackson, who was born in Rutherglen in Lanarkshire and made 164 on his Test debut for Australia against England in Adelaide in 1929, and Middlesex’s Eric Russell (born in Dumbarton). The one-time England captain Mike Denness (Bellshill) is at No. 3. Gavin Hamilton (Broxburn) scored a lot of runs for Scotland in the 1999 World Cup, before one unsuccessful Test appearance for England, while Gregor MacGregor (Edinburgh) was a fine 19th-century wicketkeeper, and a rugby international too. Hampshire’s Alex Kennedy (Edinburgh) did the double five times (and passed 100 wickets in a season on 15 occasions), while Gordon Rowe (Glasgow) bagged a pair in his only Test for New Zealand in March 1946. Tom Campbell (Edinburgh) kept wicket for South Africa in five Tests before the First World War, while the tall Northamptonshire fast bowler David Larter (Inverness) toured Australia twice in the 1960s. The slow bowling would be in the hands of legspinner Ian Peebles (Aberdeen), who troubled Don Bradman in 1930, and the offbreaks of Peter Such (Helensburgh).There’s also one Scottish-born female Test cricketer: Jan Lumsden, who first saw the light of day in Musselburgh, played six Tests for Australia in the 1970s.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Liverpool have been backed to sign a “magnificent” player in the January transfer window, but they will face competition from Real Madrid.

Carragher bemoans Liverpool "crisis"

The champions lost a fourth successive Premier League game on Saturday evening, with the 3-2 defeat away to Brentford continuing a scarcely believable run of poor form, and big-money signings like Florian Wirtz struggling again.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes this is now a genuine “crisis” for Arne Slot, not holding back in his criticism of the champions for Sky Sports.

“Losing four games in a row for Brentford would be a disaster. To see the champions do it with the expenditure in the summer means we’re in crisis time for Liverpool right now. There will be a lot of serious questions asked in the dressing room between the players and the coaching staff and the people above the manager.

“When they’ve looked at what they’ve spent, they’ll be looking for a lot more. Liverpool have to look at the physicality and height within their team because, right now, I don’t think they have enough.”

Liverpool are struggling in many areas, not least in defence, with 14 goals already conceded in their first nine league games this season. It could be that a new defender is looked at, and a fresh update has emerged regarding the Reds’ winter window plans.

Liverpool backed to sign "magnificent" centre-back

Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown claimed Liverpool could look to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi in January to fend off interest from the likes of Madrid.

“There’s obviously been a hell of a lot of talk about Marc Guehi, they missed out in the summer and now there’s all sorts of clubs having a look at him. At first, it seemed like a certainty that he would go to Liverpool in January, but that doesn’t seem to be the case at the moment because he’s got these other options.

“It’s no surprise that the likes of Real Madrid are in for him now, he’s England’s starting centre-back and he’s going to be available for free. But I’ve always felt Liverpool could try to get it done in January even if it isn’t a certainty any more. He is by far the best option out there at the moment, and he’ll be available for £35million or less, which is a bargain fee for a defender of that quality.

“When you consider the difficulties they’ve had in defense lately, I expect they’ll be even more determined to get that deal done as soon as possible.”

Appearances

9

9

Starts

9

9

Minutes played

810

746

Clearances per game

5.4

5.4

Aerial duel wins per game

3.0

3.9

Tackles per game

1.9

1.9

Goals

1

0

Assists

1

0

Missing out on Guehi on deadline day felt significant at the time, and it almost feels as though things have unravelled for Liverpool ever since then. He even assisted against them in the Eagles’ 2-1 win at Selhurst Park, and has been called “magnificent” by former Reds left-back Stephen Warnock.

The 25-year-old would surely be starting over the out-of-form Ibrahima Konate currently, and he would have added much-needed centre-back depth, especially with Giovanni Leoni now out injured for the rest of the season.

Move over Salah: Slot's 5/10 Liverpool star is the new Jordan Henderson

Liverpool’s crisis deepened as they were condemned to a fourth successive Premier League defeat at Brentford.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 26, 2025

If the chance arises to sign Guehi in January, Liverpool simply must swoop, or if not, snap him up on a free transfer at the end of the season. It would be a surprise if Palace allowed him to leave before then, especially with European commitments, but receiving a fee for him could still appeal.

Liverpool are now expected to launch a 2026 offer to sign a key defensive reinforcement, who pocketed Cody Gakpo in the Champions League earlier this season.

Salah set to be excluded from Liverpool squad

Just days after his stunning rant, Mohamed Salah is set to be left out of Liverpool’s squad to face Inter Milan, according to reports. The Egyptian left no stone unturned, claiming that the club have thrown him under the bus and revealing that he no longer has a relationship with Arne Slot.

In many ways, he left Slot with no choice but to exclude him. However, Liverpool are still reportedly keen to keep hold of Salah and see his omission as a logical step rather than a punishment.

What happens next is the big question. The arrival of AFCON should at least take the headlines elsewhere, but when Salah returns Liverpool have a problem on their hands.

The 33-year-old is arguably the best player to ever play for Liverpool in the Premier League, but Anfield chiefs are unlikely to pick any star over their manager at this stage.

Salah replacement: Liverpool keen to sign "one of the best wingers in Europe"

The Reds could solve their Salah problem.

1 ByTom Cunningham 4 days ago

There is reported interest from the MLS and the Saudi Pro League, coupled with Liverpool’s own interest in Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, which could result in a big January shake-up.

Alas, the Reds also have other problems to solve. They’ve been far below expectations this season, it’s not just been Salah. Far from it, in fact, and have already set their sights on welcoming the likes of Wilfried Singo as a result.

Liverpool expected to launch Wilfried Singo offer

According to Fotomac, as relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool are expected to launch an offer to sign Singo worth as much as €43m (£38m) in 2026.

The Premier League champions could reportedly offer €28m (£25m), plus a maximum of €15m (£13m) in potential bonuses. It would, therefore, be a hefty offer but one they should pursue to solve their right-back problem.

Slot should be well aware of the 24-year-old’s quality too, given that he pocketed Gakpo in Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat against Galatasaray earlier this season.

The right-back made four recoveries, four clearances and won over half of his ground duels. Gakpo, meanwhile, was hooked after 62 minutes, having failed to take a single shot.

Whilst concerns surround Salah’s situation and Liverpool’s need for a centre-back, the right-back position has also become a problem. Neither Conor Bradley nor Jeremie Frimpong have truly claimed it thanks to form and injuries, with Dominik Szoboszlai often filling in, and Slot needs a permanent fix.

Liverpool join race to sign Konate replacement who's "an insane centre-back"

“We aren’t able to create the momentum in our batting, we are trying to figure out how to solve that,” admits Sidra Nawaz

Madushka Balasuriya08-Oct-20250:58

Nawaz: ‘We are not being able to build momentum with the bat’

Pakistan knew they needed to be near perfect to beat Australia, an opponent they had failed to overcome on 16 prior occasions, and for around 22 overs, they were.There were diving catches, lightning quick stumpings, and your proverbial livewire acts of fielding. The conditions, too, were tailor-made; there were a few raised eyebrows when Pakistan opted to bowl first, but with the caliber of spinners they had in their ranks, they were confident of challenging Australia’s batters.That confidence was vindicated swiftly, as a combination of skillful bowling, efficient catching and some uncharacteristic errors in batting from a large chunk of Australia’s batting unit, saw the defending champions stumble to 76 for 7.Related

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Pakistan had never beaten Australia, and now they were closer than ever. But like a car crash in slow motion, the opportunity that had presented itself before them was snatched away brutally.”When they’re [Pakistan are] flying, they’re up and about. If you get a little partnership going, they can get a little bit flat, and you can open the game up that way,” Beth Mooney said after the game.”I sort of knew we had a long time to bat, so we didn’t have to do anything too rash.”That same sentiment was echoed by Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana during the post-match presentation.”We were on top after 20 overs in the first innings. After that, Beth Mooney played well and our girls’ energy came down. We need that energy until the last ball.”Mooney had struck a match-winning 109 off 114 deliveries to take the game away from Pakistan. That 109 was just five short of Pakistan’s eventual tally in their chase.Mooney’s innings also served to highlight the weaknesses prevalent in Pakistan’s batting unit. While Mooney rotated the strike – she took 44 singles across her innings – and shelved her attacking instincts to steer the game back towards her side, Pakistan lost wickets from the get-go.A game that started with ‘how good is this’ ended with ‘how did that happen’ for Fatima Sana•ICC/Getty ImagesSidra Amin struck 35 from 52, but no other batter in Pakistan’s top six reached double digits. While there is the mitigating factor that their last two games have been against Australia and India, and their first match in this tournament was against a Bangladesh outfit that is proving to be dangerous with the ball, Pakistan will know that a high score of 159 across those games is not good enough.”It is quite disappointing for us also because we were batting well previously. We did well in the Qualifiers, we did well in the series against South Africa in the lead up to the World Cup,” Sidra Nawaz said after the game.”Here, we aren’t able to create the momentum in our batting, we are trying to figure out how to solve that, and do well in our upcoming matches.”While Nawaz’s comments hold a modicum of truth – there were two scores of 287 and 255 against South Africa in Lahore – Pakistan’s unreliable batting unit has been a problem for some time now.Across 35 innings since the 2022 World Cup, they have managed a score of 250 or more just five times. Even accounting for low-scoring chases, this has been a fairly worrying record, and it’s something they will need to address sooner rather than later if they are to support the best efforts on the field.

Sunderland’s extremely impressive start to life back in the Premier League has been built on a very strong defensive spine.

Indeed, the well-drilled Black Cats have only given up 11 goals across the 12 games they’ve played since dramatically returning to the big time, with five wins also coming their way.

Robin Roefs, in particular, has stood out as a top-drawer summer recruit in between the sticks, while Daniel Ballard has made the jump to the top-flight look routine, too, winning a commanding 6.3 duels per match across his seven Premier League starts.

This defensive doggedness is very unlike-Sunderland, when you look back at the woes they are used to experiencing at the foot of the top-flight table.

Still, even when times were consistently tough and bleak, previous club captain John O’Shea managed to stand out as a commanding force.

O'Shea's hero status at Sunderland

The Black Cats would have felt they’d won themselves a coup when O’Shea arrived through the door in 2011, having picked up 394 appearances for Manchester United during Sir Alex Ferguson’s heyday as a manager, before coming to the Stadium of Light.

The revered manager would even hail him as a “great professional”, despite his importance to the Red Devils’ cause sometimes slipping under the radar, with the Wearside outfit managing to win the five-time Premier League winner for just a reported £3m.

He would turn into a relegation fighter quickly, though, in his new surroundings, with his determined displays, matched by his knack of being in the right place at the right time to pop up with a big goal, making him a fan favourite from the get-go.

One of his former Sunderland bosses in Martin O’Neill, would go as far as to say he had “enormous” respect for the veteran defender, with the Irishman only absent from 18 league contests during his first four seasons at the club, all of which ended up in Sunderland surviving.

Unfortunately, the latter years of his Black Cats journey would culminate in a relegation down to the Championship, but he is still fondly remembered to his day for being a dependable giant.

In the current Sunderland ranks, it could be argued that the forceful Ballard – coming in at a 6-foot-2 frame – is most similar to O’Shea in his Stadium of Light prime, with two important goals already next to his name this season.

However, a different member of Le Bris’ rigid backline has caught the eye in this regard…

Sunderland's new John O'Shea

Sunderland might not be struggling against the drop this season, but that doesn’t mean certain members of Le Bris’ camp don’t still evoke similarities to heroes of the Black Cats’ recent past.

Like O’Shea, Nordi Mukiele would have been viewed as a statement deal for Sunderland to secure this summer when leaving Paris St Germain behind, having accumulated a hefty 200 appearances in both the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, before embarking on a fresh Premier League challenge.

For just £12m, too, Mukiele has now gone down as a steal similar to O’Shea, only costing £3m, with the Frenchman visibly at the peak of his career, donning Sunderland red and white.

The £100k-per-week fighter has jaw-droppingly beaten Ballard in the duels won count total so far for the season, with a mighty 7.6 duels won on average to date, among other impressive numbers, making him a regular from minute one of his Stadium of Light stay.

Mukiele’s league numbers in 25/26

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

Mukiele

Games played

10

Goals scored

1

Assists

1

Touches*

63.7

Accurate passes*

29.9 (79%)

Clearances*

6.6

Total duels won*

7.6

Clean sheets

3

Stats by Sofascore

With a goal and assist also next to his name, alongside collecting three clean sheets, Mukiele has managed to stand out as a well-rounded performer for Le Bris and Co. so far, away from just being seen as a “colossus” in physical duels, as per the words of Sky Sports’ journalist Andy Sixsmith.

Mukiele will be aiming for a long career in the Premier League now, past just a standout debut season, to become even more like O’Shea, with his levels never dropping for the Black Cats so far, already putting him on the same pedestal as the “always solid” Irishman, as both Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves labelled him recently.

It could also be argued, like O’Shea, Mukiele’s determined performances have gone somewhat unnoticed to the neutral, next to Granit Xhaka stealing the spotlight for his equally combative showings.

But, if he were to be a vital part of the defence that saw Sunderland pick up a mid-table finish, or even higher, right after promotion, he would surely be handed his flowers, as a new batch of heroes begin to emerge on Wearside.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2025