Arsenal summer signing Eberechi Eze has opened up to former team-mate Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of GOAL’s Beast Mode On podcast and lifted the lid on his new life with the Gunners. The England international has explained which Arsenal player has impressed him the most so far and revealed what it's like to work with manager Mikel Arteta.
GOAL’s Beast Mode On Podcast, hosted by Adebayo Akinfenwa, welcomes guest Eberechi Eze to talk about life at Arsenal following his big-money move to the Emirates Stadium this summer from Crystal Palace.
Eze has joined a host of new recruits in north London in a squad packed full of talents and admits there's one player in particular who has caught his eye at the club. The England international has also revealed he's thriving playing in an environment when all the players are eager to improve.
Eze thriving at Arsenal after summer move
Eze swapped Crystal Palace for Arsenal in a £60 million move as part of a big-spending summer by the Gunners who also brought in stars such as Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi and Cristhian Mosquera. The winger has gone on to feature regularly for Mikel Arteta's side and appears to have settled into life quickly with the Gunner, scoring twice already in the Premier League. Eze has now opened up on his journey to becoming an Arsenal and England star.
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Eze lifts lid on 'special' Arsenal team-mate
Speaking exclusively to GOAL's Beast Mode On podcast, Eze said: “Everyone is sort of what you expect them to be. The expectation of all the players is high. I'll say one player who has gone even beyond the high expectation I already had – because I'd heard good things about him – was Jurrien Timber. He's a special player and a special guy.
“I think for me, in an environment of people and you have a culture that is geared towards improving, these guys all want to improve. So for me it's a pleasure to be part of it and to see guys like him who perform the way they perform, who carry themselves the way they carry themselves. It’s inspiring, for sure.”
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'Incredible' Arteta creating 'special place' at Arsenal
Eze also spoke about working with Arteta. The Arsenal boss currently has his team four points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table also topping the standings so far in the 2025-26 Champions League.
Asked what it’s like working under the Spaniard, Eze said: “He’s incredible. Attention to detail, how much I’m learning so fast, the type of player I know I’ll become (under him), the culture he’s created… It’s a special place to be right now, for sure.”
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Former India great set to become the first capped male Indian player to play in the BBL with Thunder, Hurricanes, Sixers and Strikers all chasing him
Alex Malcolm and Sidharth Monga23-Sep-2025
R Ashwin at a training session•PTI
R Ashwin is set to become the first capped male India player to play in the BBL with four clubs vying for his services to play in the latter stages of the upcoming season.It is understood that Sydney Thunder, Hobart Hurricanes, Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers are the four teams chasing Ashwin’s signature in what is set to be a major coup for the BBL. Thunder and Hurricanes appear to be the frontrunners for the India great with a deal likely to be finalised later this week.No internationally capped India male player has played in the BBL previously, but Ashwin’s retirement from the IPL earlier this year has opened the door for him to play franchise cricket overseas for the first time.Related
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Only retired Indian players are allowed by the BCCI to participate in overseas T20 leagues. Earlier this year, Dinesh Karthik played for Paarl Royals in the SA20. In 2023, Ambati Rayudu turned up to play for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the CPL, and then in January 2024 with MI Emirates in the ILT20. Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan featured for Dubai Capitals in the ILT20. Two years ago, Suresh Raina was part of Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10.Ashwin has already committed to the first-ever ILT20 auction in the UAE, which will take place next Tuesday. If bought, he will play out the ILT20, which has changed dates for the upcoming season and will now run from December 2 until January 4.The BBL begins on December 14, and the home-and-away part of the season runs until January 18. The finals will be held between January 20 and 25. It means Ashwin will be available for three-four games at the end of the season for one of those teams, plus finals should the team he signs with qualify. ESPNcricinfo understands that his deal will also include the BBL for the 2026-27 season.BBL clubs can only play three overseas players in their XI. Each of the clubs has already locked three players in via the league’s pre-signing rules and the June overseas draft. Clubs can sign an additional four overseas replacement players, meaning they can have up to seven on their list, but only three can play at any one time. Also, if any of the teams release an international player for SA20, Ashwin could fit in as a replacement for him.The league rules state that replacement overseas players have to nominate themselves for the draft, which Ashwin did not as he had not retired from IPL cricket at the time. But there is an exemption for overseas players to be allowed to play in the BBL if their circumstances have changed. Former New Zealand batter Martin Guptill was previously signed by Melbourne Renegades in 2022-23 after retiring from international cricket despite missing the inaugural BBL overseas draft. England star Nat Sciver-Brunt was allowed to play for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL after being cleared by the ECB, having initially been ruled out of nominating for the draft due to injury.The club that signs Ashwin will still have to fit his salary inside their overall purse, much of which will already have been allocated for most squads, but there will likely be an additional marketing agreement with Cricket Australia that will not count towards the salary cap for the team that lands him.Teams can also go over the cap by 5% in a particular year with approval from the league’s technical committee, provided that it is offset over a three-year period.
India legspinner steps in for contest against Hampshire at Utilita Bowl
ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2025 Rahul Chahar, the India spinner, has joined Surrey for their season-ending fixture against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl this week, as the club bids for their fourth County Championship title in a row.Chahar, 26, was registered to play for Surrey at the start of September, in line with ECB regulations, but was not required to play in the club’s home matches against Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire. That latter fixture ended in a thrilling 20-run loss that has handed Notts control of the title race going into the final week.Chahar has regularly featured for Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy, and also made a one-off appearance in this season’s IPL, as an impact substitute for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Overall, he has taken 87 wickets in 24 first-class matches at 26.12, with best match figures of 9 for 148.He also played one ODI and six T20Is for India between 2019 and 2021, around the same time that he played a key role in Mumbai Indians’ twin IPL titles in 2019 and 2020.”I’m excited to join Surrey for this week’s match,” Chahar said. “I’m coming here to have an impact and help the team in their final match of the season.”His call-up comes after Surrey lost both of their current spinning options, Will Jacks and Cam Steel, to injury. Alec Stewart, the club’s high-performance advisor, said: “Adding Rahul to the squad gives us another spin option at the Utilita Bowl.”We always knew that we would be missing players for the final period of the season and try to plan accordingly given the potential surfaces and the opposition we’re playing.”We had originally earmarked for Sai Kishore to return for the latter stages of the season but he unfortunately has a finger injury resulting in an operation has meant he was unavailable.”Surrey trail Nottinghamshire by 14 points going into the final round of matches, meaning that they must win their fixture, and hope that Notts accrue fewer than 11 points in their own final match against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge.
McGrath confident of Australia’s “settled squad” with “so much depth” to defend the ODI title despite the unfamiliar conditions
Andrew McGlashan12-Sep-2025For many overseas cricketers, India is becoming something of a second home these days but despite the increasing familiarity with the country, Australia are preparing to embrace the unknowns at the upcoming women’s ODI World Cup.It’s a situation that will confront all the teams in the competition – even to a degree joint-hosts India – given the mix of venues. The Holkar Stadium in Indore has never hosted women’s internationals, Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium hasn’t staged women’s ODIs and its last women’s T20Is were in 2019, and Visakhapatnam’s previous ODIs were in 2014. Navi Mumbai, the late replacement for Bengaluru, while having staged Tests and T20Is, hasn’t yet been used for the 50-over format in women’s cricket.Then there’s the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo to throw in the mix. The venue has hosted seven women’s ODIs this year featuring Sri Lanka, India and South Africa but Australia, who will face Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the ground, last played there in 2016 when only five of the current squad were on the tour.Related
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Head coach Shelley Nitschke said last week that she had reached out to the men’s set-up for help gathering data, specifically referencing Colombo where Australia played two spin-dominated ODIs earlier this year, and the players are aware they will need to be adaptable throughout the tournament.”We have been quite lucky, we feel like we’re travelling to India every second month almost,” vice-captain Tahlia McGrath said ahead of Australia’s three-match ODI series against India which starts on Sunday in New Chandigarh. “Spent a lot of time over here, played in these conditions a lot, but we’re playing in some parts that we’re not very familiar with.”[We are] in New Chandigarh at the moment, never been here before, [and] lots of the World Cup venues never been to before. So it’s about learning the conditions, adapting to the conditions, being flexible and communicating really well as a group because it is a little bit foreign to us.”No matter where you are in India, you can get thrown up very different conditions from day to day, so excited about the challenge, [we have] a little bit of experience, but a little bit of unknowns.”
“It’s about learning the conditions, adapting to the conditions, being flexible and communicating really well as a group because it is a little bit foreign to us.”Tahlia McGrath
The series against India will be Australia’s first internationals since the Ashes finished in early February but McGrath was confident the stability of the squad will serve them well.”We’ve been pretty settled with our squad for quite a while now, so we’ve been pretty lucky with that,” she said. “The only thing is, though, we’re over here for a very long time and I think we’ve got 15 in the World Cup squad and 17 over here at the moment, so it’s a really good opportunity to play a few players, play some different roles.”Not sure what Shell’s got in mind, but we’ve got so much talent, so much depth over here that it doesn’t really matter what team we throw out or what batting order, all that sort of thing, we’re in pretty good hands.”Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux is not expected to feature in the India series as she completes the final stages of recovery from knee surgery but is expected to be ready for the World Cup. The uncapped pair of wicketkeeper Nicole Faltum and allrounder Charli Knott have been included for the bilateral series although, barring injuries, may not feature in what is a chance to gain further experience around the squad.Once the World Cup begins, Australia will be aiming to become the first side since 1988 to defend the ODI title while the memories of their semi-final defeat in last year’s T20 World Cup still linger.”An ODI World Cup is special, they’re probably the pinnacle,” McGrath said. “For the players that were in Dubai it adds that bit of motivation, not a nice feeling the way we exited. And then the extra little bit of motivation as well that we want to be the first team in a while to go back-to-back [in the] ODI World Cup.”
USWNT star Alyssa Thompson continues to shine in the Women's Super League, with another stunning goal being recorded for Chelsea. The highly-rated forward has only been in England for a matter of months, but her undoubted talent is being showcased in the best possible manner. Her second WSL goal was crashed into the top corner during a 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
Two in two: Thompson produces another moment of magic
Thompson’s first in the top tier of English football was recorded in a 1-1 draw with London rivals Arsenal. Said effort saw her use explosive pace to surge up the pitch before exchanging passes with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and firing into the back of the net.
Having got a taste for finding the target, Thompson conjured up another moment of individual brilliance against Liverpool. Once again the top corner was found after being given far too much space in which to work her magic.
On this occasion, the 21-year-old picked up the ball on the left flank, having been picked out in space by Wieke Kaptein. She was allowed to drift inside, following a clever drop of the shoulder, and proceeded to curl an unstoppable strike beyond Faye Kirby.
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Having joined Chelsea in September, Thompson is delivering an immediate return on the transfer fee that the Blues invested in her potential. She was the club’s record signing at the time of her arrival from Angel City FC, with a little under £1 million ($1.3m) changing hands.
Thompson said when linking up with the reigning WSL champions: "Chelsea is such an amazing club, one of the best in the world. Being able to play with players that are the best in the world is an amazing opportunity at such a young age, and I want to learn, grow and develop a lot. I feel like Chelsea is such an amazing environment to do that in."
Thompson continues to develop at an impressive pace, having already become an Olympic gold medal winner at the 2024 Games in Paris – when she worked under former Blues boss Emma Hayes.
She has been earning rave reviews from those in the Chelsea camp, with current head coach Sonia Bompastor telling reporters after witnessing her stunning strike against Arsenal: "I’m glad she plays for Chelsea. You can see how much talent she has and the quality she brings to the team. I think she’s improving game after game, becoming more connected to her teammates, and understanding the way we want to play better. I think that’s good."
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GettyMore dropped points: WSL champions held by Liverpool
Thompson said of opening her goal account in the WSL: "It was amazing, it felt like a dream. I was in shock, honestly! I was really happy, and it was so nice celebrating with the girls and just having them all around me."
Those emotions have now been experienced for a second time – having scored her first Chelsea goal in the Champions League – but she was unable to prevent Bompastor’s side from dropping more points in domestic competition as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Liverpool. The Blues – who are unbeaten across their last 34 WSL fixtures – remain second in the table, three points adrift of leaders Manchester City.
Manchester United might be in the market for a striker during the January transfer window. The Red Devils signed Benjamin Sesko over the summer, but he picked up a knee injury during their most recent Premier League clash, a 2-2 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur.
Even if that blow doesn’t prove to be a severe one, as is expected, the Red Devils could still be in need of a new number nine in the winter window. When Sesko is absent or injured, it leaves Joshua Zirkzee as the only senior striker in the squad – although 17-year-old Chido Obi could also be called upon.
It seems as though Ruben Amorim’s side may have a centre-forward in mind if they dip into the market.
United’s centre-forward target
At this stage, it is unclear how much INEOS will put into the transfer kitty for Amorim to dip into in the January market. However, there has been a clear plan to back the Portuguese, so there could well be funds made available.
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If that is the case, the Red Devils could be looking to win the battle to sign Brazilian striker Vitor Roque. The 20-year-old is someone United are racing to sign, according to Pete O’Rourke, transfer correspondent for Football Insider.
However, they will not be the only Premier League club looking to sign the striker in a couple of months.
Londoners Chelsea and Spurs are in the frame too, although it could be a deal that is ignited “more in the summer” if reports are to be believed. As for a price, reports in Spain indicated that he could cost as much as £44m.
Why Roque would be a good signing
Whether this is a move that happens in January or the summer, there is no doubt that United would be buying an exciting young talent. Although he struggled during his first stint in Europe at Barcelona, Roque has proven he has plenty of ability since.
Nowadays, the one-cap Brazilian international is plying his trade back in his home country, for Palmeiras. His form has been impressive in 2025, too. In 52 games across all competitions, Roque has found the back of the net 20 times and assisted five goals.
In the Brazilian top flight, the 20-year-old has played his best football. He’s made 30 appearances in the competition this calendar year, bagging 16 times, at better than a goal every other game.
Described as an “unstoppable” force by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Roque’s underlying numbers back up how well he has played.
For example, he’s averaging 0.76 goals per game, which places him in the top 6% of Brazilian top-flight strikers.
Goals
0.76
94th
Expected goals
0.58xG
92nd
Goals per shot
0.21
89th
Shot-creating actions
4.07
88th
Take-ons completed
1.85
97th
If this deal gets over the line, it could be like the second coming of Matheus Cunha for United. Roque’s fellow Brazilian has not set the world alight in terms of goals and assists, with just one to his name so far against Brighton and Hove Albion.
But, he has still played superbly, and shown exactly why United paid the £62.5m fee to Wolverhampton Wanderers. After a wonderful performance away to Liverpool, journalist Sam Pilger described him as “an incredible signing” for the Red Devils.
If United were to sign Roque, they would love for him to have such an impact, even if he wasn’t able to chip in with goals and assists as much as you might expect. There are similarities between the Palmeiras star and United’s new number 10, with both exciting Brazilian forwards who can be a real difference maker.
For a fee of £44m, this is certainly an interesting move for the Red Devils. They may need him in January, but if they end up getting him in the summer, Roque could be an exciting addition to their attack, just as Cunha has been so far this season.
With Sesko scoring just twice so far this term, injury or not, the Old Trafford side could be in need of a suitable rival in that number nine berth.
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Zimbabwe bowling coach Langeveldt was all smiles, saying it “was a great day” for the visitors
Mohammad Isam20-Apr-2025Shortly after the lunch break in Sylhet, Zimbabwe seamer Blessing Muzarabani broke Bangladesh’s back.He gave the Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto a thorough working-over, hammering him with one short ball after another. When Shanto meekly struck one to point, Zimbabwe could sense a chance at a comeback. By the time Muzarabani removed the Bangladesh deputy Mehidy Hasan Miraz with another superb bouncer, the home side were left reeling on the opening day of the Test series.Starting with Shanto’s dismissal, Bangladesh lost five wickets for 48 runs and were eventually bowled out 191 runs, handing Zimbabwe a big advantage. Muzarabani finished with three wickets, Victor Nyauchi had earlier removed both openers, while Wellington Masakadza and Madhevere shared the other five.Related
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The advantage was grabbed after lunch. Shanto lasted just nine balls post-lunch after tackling Muzarabani successfully before the break. Mehidy lasted just four balls before getting into a tangle against Muzarabani.Charl Langeveldt, Zimbabwe’s bowling coach, hailed his side for adapting to new lengths and using the bouncy conditions in Sylhet to their advantage.”It was a great day for Zimbabwe cricket,” Langeveldt said. “I think the bowlers were too short in the first session. They didn’t make the batters play enough. I told them to string a few overs together without giving away runs. We eventually removed Shanto, which led us to a mini-collapse. It was great for us. The spinners cleaned up the tail. It was a good, disciplined day.”Langeveldt said Nyauchi’s early breakthroughs happened because he bowled to the team’s plans of going slightly wide and full to the openers. “Got the two nicks,” he said, while describing the plan. “Blessing’s aggression and bounce caught them off guard. He has bowled well for us in the last few Tests. Aggression and hitting the right areas is important as the wicket has bounce and carry.”Bangladesh’s assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin felt that openers Shadman Islam and Mahmudul Hasan Joy were complacent against Nyauchi after seeing off the initial threat with the new ball. He also pointed at a technical issue with Joy’s standing position while saying Mehidy’s game against the short ball needed more work.”After playing out their good bowlers, they [the openers] crossed the tough time. When they saw a bowler with less pace, they took it easy. I think that was the big mistake,” Salahuddin said. “Joy stands on off-stump so he is defending a ball on the sixth stump. I think there’s a technical fault here, which we have to fix quickly,” said Salahuddin.”Shanto admitted it wasn’t a delivery to go after, but I think for Miraz to play better at this level, he has to improve against the short ball. West Indies attacked him there. Other teams will do the same.”Bangladesh’s bowlers bowled with “good heat” during a “challenging” final session, according to Langeveldt, when Zimbabwe batted in response to the hosts’ 191. But Zimbabwe openers Ben Curran and Brian Bennett finished at 67 for no loss in 14.1 overs – a near-perfect first day for any visiting side – asked to field first in Bangladesh – moving into day two of a Test.
Harry Brook could be in line to replace Ollie Pope as Ben Stokes’ deputy in Australia this winter, after Brendon McCullum revealed that the identity of England’s Test vice-captain will be part of their pre-Ashes discussions this week.McCullum is set to fly home to New Zealand on Monday evening following the conclusion of England’s home international summer, after their final T20I against South Africa ended in a wash-out at Trent Bridge on Sunday. He is due to meet managing director Rob Key in London prior to his flight to discuss selection for the Australia tour, and though he anticipates picking the squad to wrestle back the urn after 10 years will be “pretty easy”, he admits there are important details to iron out.Undoubtedly, one of the trickier matters to broach will be the issue of the vice-captaincy. McCullum confirmed there has been no conversation with Pope yet, who was originally appointed to the role in 2023, and has led the team on five occasions, most recently in the fifth Test of the India series when Stokes was ruled out with a shoulder injury. However, Brook has emerged as an impressive option since being elevated to the limited-overs role at the start of the summer.”We will work on that one as well,” McCullum said, when asked if there would be a new vice-captain for the Ashes. “We will chat about that over the coming days, as we finalise our Ashes squad.”You’re always looking at things, right? Every time you get together with a series, you discuss things. I think it’s no secret that Harry Brook is emerging as a leader within English cricket, so that’s something we need to work out. But whatever happens, a great team man understands that just because you haven’t got a title, doesn’t stop you from being a leader.”McCullum has clearly been impressed at how Brook has operated in his new role. The pair have been working closely this summer since McCullum assumed control of the white-ball teams at the start of the year, with Brook stepping up as captain in March, when Jos Buttler resigned in the wake of the team’s early Champions Trophy exit.”I’ve enjoyed working with Brooky, I think he’s taken to the role really well, really quickly. Still a work in progress but he’s got a demanding schedule himself and we have to be aware of that as we move forward.”He’s got a good head on his shoulders, he’s well connected within the group. He keeps things very simple. We’ve got a really good relationship and I think that started well.”Pope, 27, has won three and lost two of his five matches in charge, which encompasses a 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka last summer. In that period, he has impressed teammates and staff with his leadership qualities, and emerged as a vital cog in the dressing room.Ollie Pope has led England in five Tests to date•Getty Images
The Surrey batter has also averaged 41.60 at No.3 during Stokes’ tenure. However, the emergence of Jacob Bethell has led to uncertainty as to whether Pope will start the Ashes in that position – and without the insulation of the vice-captaincy, that speculation is likely to grow.Bethell’s breakthrough 2024 was capped off when he averaged 52.00 away to New Zealand on his first Test assignment. And though he has had little game-time this summer, the 21-year-old was able to register his first professional hundred in the third ODI against South Africa. This week, he is set to become England men’s youngest-ever captain, leading a T20I tour of Ireland.”We’ll slow ourselves down a bit there,” McCullum said, when asked if Bethell could break into the XI for the first Ashes Test. “We’ll wait till we get down there before we start making those decisions.”McCullum suggested Pope will be considered England’s reserve wicketkeeper as cover for Jamie Smith. Similar considerations on alternates and the general make-up of the squad will be thrashed out in the coming days.A decision will also be made on back-up for England’s primary spinner Shoaib Bashir, with legspinning allrounder Rehan Ahmed, and left-arm orthodox options Liam Dawson and Jack Leach the candidates with Test experience.The touring party may also include seven fast bowlers to deal with the rigours of a five-match series, particularly given continued uncertainty over the fitness of Mark Wood. The Durham quick, who underwent left knee surgery in March, is unlikely to play any competitive cricket ahead of the first Test in Perth beginning on November 21.”I think it’s a pretty easy squad to pick really,” McCullum said.Jacob Bethell’s impact on debut in New Zealand makes him a strong candidate for the Ashes•AFP via Getty Images
“From our point of view, our very good back-up wicketkeeper is Ollie Pope, he’s done a great job for us in similar conditions in New Zealand. We know where we are at, probably the only one is the second spinner which we need to chat about to make sure we pick the person who will give us the greatest chance. It’s pretty settled.”We are also in the lucky position that, because of the schedule, we know that the Lions are going to be in Australia at the same time. A lot of the guys in that Lions set-up, if needed, will be playing cricket down there, up and running, and if needed can come across into the full squad anyway.”We don’t need too big a squad, but as we have prepared for over the last couple of years, we have a very settled group of batters, a cartel of fast bowlers, and Shoaib Bashir as our frontline spinner. He will give us the greatest opportunity with his bounce when required. We have a counter-attacking batsman at No 7 and a captain with the bit between his teeth and is super excited.”England are also set to employ their third seam bowling consultant of the year with Tim Southee unable to fulfill that duty due to a stint with Sharjah Warriors in the ILT20. James Anderson, who had previously held the role, is also unavailable.Related
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“Tim won’t be available for the Ashes,” McCullum confirmed. “There’s a couple of guys I’m talking to at the moment. Hopefully we will confirm one of those. They’re good names. It would be nice to add them.”Southee’s last engagement this year will be the white-ball series in New Zealand in October, which is also likely to feature members of the Ashes squad not involved in the ODI or T20I sides.The third ODI against the Blackcaps (November 1) in Wellington is just 12 days before the start of an England vs England Lions warm-up at Lilac Hill. Given the proximity of the tours, there is scope to use New Zealand as a pre-Australia base. The Lions are expected to be in Perth from the first week of November.”When it comes to this New Zealand tour, there is a chance we may bring one or two others in,” McCullum said, “to make sure that we we get their final bits of their preparation and the cherry ripe before Australia.”But we will also use the Lions set-up as well, to make sure we get some loading into some guys when we all meet together in Perth. We’ll finish our preparation with our warm-up game and look forward to it.”With McCullum taking Ireland off – assistant coaches Jeetan Patel and Marcus Trescothick will assume charge – he insists he will refresh before “welcoming the boys” back to New Zealand. While he promises to make them as comfortable as possible, with all the trappings his homeland has to offer, he is allowing himself to get excited about his maiden Ashes tour.”Ramp it up now, we’re ready to go,” he said. “I thought it would be exciting. We’re very keen to make sure that we treat every series in isolation and give it the respect and the focus it deserves, because the minute you get too far in front of yourself, you’re going to get your arse kicked. So we always deliberately try and do that. But now the Ashes is our next assignment in the Test team, so we can’t wait. It’s going to be awesome.”We try to do our best to insulate the environment, on good days and bad, from a lot of that noise and we know the noise is going to be extreme. But it doesn’t mean we’re not excited about that. It’s going to be a huge series and we go down there with the type of team that we want. We’ll give ourselves every chance against the very, very good Australian side in their own conditions. It’s going to be a ripper.”
While they’ve made more than their fair share of transfer mistakes in recent years, Chelsea have built themselves one of the best squads in the Premier League.
However, when it comes to picking out the best and most important player in Enzo Maresca’s side, there can only be one answer: Cole Palmer.
The Englishman joined the club in the summer of 2023 and, despite battling with injuries of late, has amassed a staggering tally of 45 goals and 29 assists in 101 games.
So, Chelsea fans should be very excited about reports linking them with another international superstar who could be a Palmer-esque signing.
Chelsea chase Palmer-type signing
Palmer has only played four games for Chelsea this season, in which he’s scored two goals, and while the club have fared okay without him, it’s clear that they miss his game-changing ability.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
For example, the often unplayable Englishman would surely have been able to find a winner in the game against Qarabağ, or grab another goal to ensure Sunderland never got their winner a couple of weeks ago.
It seems that the board might share the opinion that the side are lacking a bit of inventive cutting edge at the moment and, as a result, have turned their attention to one of the most exciting attackers in Europe.
At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Chelsea are interested in Julian Alvarez.
In fact, the report goes further than that and reveals that the Blues have joined the bidding war for his services, competing against the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona to bring him to London.
However, it won’t be a cheap deal to get over the line, with the story claiming that the Blues will make a club record €150m offer to sign the Argentine, which is around £133m.
Even so, this is a transfer worth pursuing, as Alvarez is one of the most exciting attackers in Europe and could be a Palmer-type signing.
Why Alvarez would be a Palmer-type signing
Now, there is certainly the Manchester City connection, but the primary reason Alvarez could be Chelsea’s next Palmer-type signing is the simple fact that he’s talented enough to have a similar monumental impact.
For example, from an output perspective alone, the Argentine international is operating at a level so far above most strikers in European football – other than Erling Haaland, of course.
The Atlético Madrid “monster,” as dubbed by journalist Pablo Gonzalez, ended last year with an astounding tally of 29 goals and eight assists in 57 appearances, totalling 3967 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.54 games, or every 107.21 minutes.
Then, as if to prove last year wasn’t a fluke, the former City gem has already amassed a tally of 13 goal involvements in 15 appearances, totalling 1216 minutes.
That comes out to a sensational average of one every 1.15 games or every 93.53 minutes, which lends plenty of credence to Pep Guardiola’s previous statement that he’s an “undroppable” force of nature.
In addition to his incredible output, the 25-year-old superstar has also got some unreal underlying numbers to his name.
According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for passes into the penalty area, through balls, goal-creating actions, the top 2% for progressive carries, crosses and more, all per 90.
Alvarez’s Scout Report
Statistics
Per 90
Percentile
Shots from Free Kicks
0.34
Top 1%
Passes into Penalty Area
1.74
Top 1%
Through Balls
0.73
Top 1%
Goal-Creating Actions
0.73
Top 1%
Progressive Carries
3.04
Top 2%
Passes Completed (Medium)
8.60
Top 2%
xA: Expected Assists
0.25
Top 2%
Key Passes
2.03
Top 2%
Crosses
3.53
Top 2%
Shot-Creating Actions
4.21
Top 2%
SCA (Live-ball Pass)
2.88
Top 2%
GCA (Dead-ball Pass)
0.05
Top 2%
Total Carrying Distance
170.64
Top 2%
Progressive Carrying Distance
82.18
Top 2%
Passes Completed
27.03
Top 3%
Passes Attempted
35.73
Top 3%
Total Passing Distance
420.19
Top 3%
Passes Completed (Short)
14.68
Top 3%
Live-ball Passes
30.90
Top 3%
Dead-ball Passes
4.73
Top 3%
GCA (Live-ball Pass)
0.42
Top 3%
Touches
45.51
Top 3%
Touches (Att 3rd)
25.39
Top 3%
Touches (Live-Ball)
45.30
Top 3%
Carries
27.81
Top 3%
Carries into Final Third
1.95
Top 3%
All Stats via FBref
In other words, the Atleti ace is as effective at creating opportunities for his teammates as he is taking them himself – sound familiar?
Ultimately, even though it will require a club record fee, Chelsea should be doing everything they can to sign Alvarez, as he would have as significant an impact on the team as Palmer.
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Tottenham Hotspur have levels still to reach under Thomas Frank’s management, but with such an exciting academy underbelly, there’s every reason for fans to be excited about the club’s long-term success.
There has been a real wave of youth investment in recent years, with Lucas Bergvall and Luka Vuskovic among the formative additions landed after showing signs of prodigious potential. However, the next superstar has yet to present himself.
Harry Kane is the most notable alumnus kicking a ball today, with the Three Lions captain in devastating form for club and country this season. Kane is one of the Londoners’ greatest players of all time, for sure.
Harry Kane
435
280
Jimmy Greaves
376
266
Bobby Smith
316
211
Heung-min Son
454
173
Martin Chivers
350
167
How Frank must long for the 32-year-old’s qualities. He would be the icing on the cake down N17 this season. However, Kane isn’t the only one-time Spurs striker making headway at the moment, with Troy Parrott in the form of his life.
Parrott's record since leaving Spurs
Parrott left Tottenham for AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Eredivisie in July 2024, completing a transfer worth around £7m. He had only featured four times for Spurs’ senior side and had completed five separate loan spells away, the last of which was a prolific year in Holland with Excelsior.
However, his 2024/25 campaign stood as the opus of his young career. The 23-year-old has been thriving with Alkmaar, and he has used that platform as a springboard toward new heights with the Irish national team too.
Indeed, after scoring 13 goals and supplying two assists across 14 matches in all competitions for his club this season, Parrott has headed out with his nation and dragged them to the World Cup qualifiers, scoring a brace in last week’s surprise victory over Portugal.
But it was the sublime hat-trick over Hungary on Sunday evening that consolidated Parrott’s new reputation as a hero in his homeland and one of the most talented up-and-coming strikers out there.
How Spurs must regret letting him leave, especially considering the current conundrum Frank is dealing with at number nine. That said, they do have a potential replacement in the wings who could be seen as the club’s new version of Kane.
Spurs' new version of Harry Kane
Dane Scarlett may have envisaged a bigger role at this stage of his career, but the 21-year-old Tottenham talent is undoubtedly still in with a shot of making it at the club.
Having been praised by former coach Jose Mourinho in the past for being a “diamond” of a prospect, Scarlett found a way back into the reckoning after a series of loan spells last season, and in this, he could emulate Kane and take a step forward where Parrott was unable to.
Curiously, Kane completed a series of loan spells away from Tottenham before establishing himself as one of the finest strikers of his generation. He was 21 when it all came together in London.
Scarlett must not be written off, not yet. The “fantastic finisher”, as he has been called by Frank, scored his first goal for the club in the Europa League last season, and while Frank has not yet unleashed him in the Premier League, the 5 foot 11 striker has made the bench five times across the club’s past seven matches.
TNT Sports pundit Peter Crouch said after that win over Elfborg last season that Scarlett reminded him of Kane back in his younger days, having displayed such resilience to kick on after a series of loan spells and become one of Tottenham’s greatest players.
While Parrott might have seen the chance for such success pass him by, it’s certainly not too late for Scarlett, and given the current attacking issues at the club, one golden chance may bloom into a prosperous future down N17.
However, given his record at senior level to date, it would not be a huge surprise if things ended in the same way it did for Parrott; a move elsewhere.
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