Paul Pogba reveals a hilarious conversation between him and France boss Didier Deschamps following his return to football with Ligue 1 side Monaco.
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Southern Brave 132 for 4 (Wyatt 43) beat Birmingham Phoenix 129 for 8 by three runsSmriti Mandhana overtook Tammy Beaumont to return to the top of the Women’s Hundred scoring charts as Southern Brave beat winless Birmingham Phoenix by three runs in a thriller.Indian opener Mandhana has 224 runs in the 2023 edition of the Hundred after a stylish 39, which all made her the first women past 600 runs in the tournament’s history.The 84 runs she put on with opening partner Danni Wyatt set Brave on their way to fifth victory from six fixtures to send them back top of the table.Lauren Bell, Georgia Adams and Anya Shrubsole all took two wickets to make sure Brave defended 132 as already eliminated Phoenix reached 129 in front of a record 9,829 for a women’s Hundred game at the Ageas Bowl.Brave won the toss and eased through the gears with Mandhana and Wyatt cruising to 36 in a no-thrills powerplay.The overseas star was formidable through the leg side – with 25 of her runs coming from hits across the line, with a clear plan to rotate the strike with singles into the midwicket expanse.Wyatt struck all but one of her six boundaries behind the wicket before she was bowled by an impeccable legcutter for 43.The 84 the opening duo put on was the Brave’s fourth highest stand and the eighth time the pair had scored over 50 together.Mandhana fell 11 balls later to the 70th ball when she was given leg before to Arlott – who ended with two for 22. Replays showed it should have been reviewed as it pitched outside leg stump.Phoenix played three leg spinners on a pitch which turned but all three were milked, with only Katie Levick getting on the wicket list when she had Georgia Adams stumped.Maia Bouchier swept Erin Burns’ off spin onto her own stumps – the Australian was the only bowler to go at under a run a ball as Brave posted a slightly above-par 132.Sophie Devine swatted the third ball of the innings to midwicket but Sterre Kalis and Eve Jones built a platform with a 40-run stand.They both fell within nine balls of each other as the spin duo of Kalea Moore and Adams both pulled Brave back on top – Kalis lbw to Adams and Jones caught at midwicket.Another stand, this time of 43 between Burns and Jones edged the visitors towards favourites.But Jones was run out by Bouchier’s strong arm after some slow running to leave Phoenix needing 36 off 24 balls.Burns hit Adams for the first six of the day and then a four, but was caught at long-on.Defending 15 off the last end, Bell built pressure with a pair of slower-ball dots before finding Abbey Freeborn mishitting to mid-off.And Shrubsole had Tess Flintoff caught-and-bowled and Hannah Baker stumped while defending five off the final ball as Brave boosted their hopes of a third trip to Lord’s, with their play-off place now all but ensured.
Thomas Tuchel admits he is "tempted" to stay on as England manager beyond the 2026 World Cup, despite two dismal performances on the bounce.
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Manchester United went into the last international break off the back of a relatively high point in Ruben Amorim’s time in the dugout at Old Trafford so far.
The Red Devils progressed through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad in the second leg, before they beat strugglers Leicester City 3-0 in the Premier League.
United are unbeaten in their last four matches and have only conceded two goals in that time, drawing 1-1 with Real Sociedad and 1-1 with Arsenal.
The defence, which has conceded 40 goals in 29 Premier League games, has shown signs of improvement with just one goal conceded in their last two league outings.
Central defender Harry Maguire has missed the last four matches with a calf injury, which has coincided with the club’s improved defensive record.
This may bring up some doubts over the English centre-back’s long-term future at Old Trafford under Amorim, as he does not appear to be one of the manager’s best options at the back.
Why Man United need an upgrade on Harry Maguire
The experienced defender is still under contract until the summer of 2026 and it remains to be seen whether or not the Red Devils will be able to move on from him in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Amorim could, however, dip into the market to sign an upgrade on the former Leicester and Hull City man in order to send him further down the pecking order at Old Trafford ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
In Maguire’s last six starts for United, the team have conceded nine goals and won two matches – against Ipswich Town and Leicester in the relegation zone – in all competitions.
Compare that to the aforementioned form in the four matches since he picked up a calf injury and this suggests that Amorim’s side have been better off without him.
The 32-year-old colossus has had an up-and-down time at Old Trafford, with Gary Neville stating in 2022 that Maguire played better for England than United and that he had an “awful time” to date at that point.
Maguire has, however, made 234 appearances for the club in all competitions and won the League Cup and the FA Cup, which shows that it has not all been doom and gloom for him in Manchester.
United have only kept one clean sheet in his 20 appearances in the Premier League this season, though, and this suggests that Amorim should try to find an upgrade on the veteran stopper this summer, which the club appear to be trying to do.
Manchester United enquire about deal for Serie A star
According to Italian outlet Messaggero Veneto, Manchester United are one of a number of European teams interested in a deal to sign Udinese centre-back Oumar Solet in the upcoming summer transfer window to bolster their backline.
The report claims that West Ham, United, and several teams from Turkey are keen on signing the 25-year-old defender from the Serie A outfit, which suggests that there will be plenty of competition for his signature.
Messaggero Veneto adds that the Red Devils and the Hammers have already enquired about a move for the French ace, testing the ground ahead of a possible swoop, as they plot to sign the former RB Salzburg star.
The report also reveals that Udinese are set to put a price tag of at least €40m (£33m) on the central defender’s head, despite the fact that he only joined them on a free transfer in the January window earlier this year.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It claims that Solet has signed a contract through to the summer of 2027 and suggests that this could tempt Udinese into cashing in on him this summer, as he is not on a long-term deal that gives them negotiating power.
Manchester United must, now, follow through on their initial enquiry with an offer that is enough to seal a deal for Solet, whether that is £33m or a cheaper fee, as he could come in as an upgrade on Maguire ahead of next season.
Why Oumar Solet would be an upgrade on Harry Maguire
The right-footed defender has starred for Udinese since his move to the Serie A at the start of the year and his statistics from his time in the Italian top-flight suggest that he could offer even more than the England international does.
Solet’s use of the ball could be particularly useful to Amorim’s team in possession when it comes to progressing the ball up the pitch, whether that is with passes or with carries and dribbles from a centre-back position.
As you can see in the chart above, the French titan excels with the ball at his feet, particularly in comparison to Maguire, who ranks fairly lowly in most progressive statistics.
Solet, who was once described as a “marauding centre-back” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the quality and forward-thinking mentality on the ball to consistently progress play out from the back, which could help United when they are building out from the back to break teams down and bypass opposition presses.
Appearances
20
10
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.0
2.7
Clearances per game
3.3
3.6
Duels won per game
4.0
5.0
Ground duel success rate
59%
66%
Error led to shot/goal
1
0
As you can see in the table above, there is not a great deal of difference between the two players when it comes to their out-and-out defending at the heart of the backline, as they win duels, make clearances, and make tackles and interceptions at a fairly similar rate.
This suggests that Solet could offer a similar level of defensive quality whilst improving what United do in possession with his progressive passes and carries to start attacks and find the team’s dangerous offensive players in better positions more frequently than Maguire currently does.
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Therefore, Amorim must push for the board to complete a deal for the Udinese star in the upcoming summer transfer window because he appears to have the required attributes to come in as an upgrade on Maguire in the centre-back position.
Yorkshire have signed Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel for an initial four-game spell as overseas player.With Shan Masood currently on international duty with Pakistan’s white-ball sides and Neil Wagner unable to join the club as planned due to injury, Yorkshire have moved to sign Shakeel, who will be available for next week’s LV= Insurance Championship fixture against Gloucestershire at Bristol.The club had previously announced Shai Hope as a short-term overseas signing as cover for Masood. The West Indies international made his debut in the ongoing game against Leicestershire and will be involved for the first three rounds of the season.Shakeel, 27, made his Pakistan Test debut on England’s tour in December, and recorded his maiden century against New Zealand in January.Related
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“Saud is a very talented young player, he will be a wonderful addition to our current squad,” Darren Gough, Yorkshire’s managing director of cricket, said. “He did well against England and New Zealand.”Here at Yorkshire we want to get the balance right between youth and experience and we now feel we have got a squad where we have plenty of opportunities for everyone.”We don’t want to be in a position like last year where we had to rely purely on youth at times – you need that balance in the line-up.”Masood, signed to take over as captain after a successful summer at Derbyshire, is set to miss Yorkshire’s first four matches due to his involvement in T20I and ODI series against New Zealand. With Wagner’s fitness uncertain, the club have said Shakeel’s deal could be extended.”We see this as a great signing,” Gough said. “Saud is coming over here looking to put his name in lights. He has already played for Pakistan – he’ll be in their Test squad in July most likely. He is coming here to develop his game and it’s great for us to have someone else of international experience coming into the Yorkshire dressing room.”
Manchester United are about to receive an offer for one of their players, but it is expected to be way below their asking price, according to a new report.
Man Utd looking to sign attackers this summer
As the season continues, it is quite clear that the Red Devils need to improve their forward line, as a lack of goals and a cutting edge is really costing the Premier League side. Rasmus Hojlund continues to lead the line for United, but the Denmark international is struggling a lot in front of goal, and his performances under Ruben Amorim have been nothing to shout about.
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Therefore, a move away could be on the cards, and it was reported over the weekend that United are preparing a £33 million offer to sign Victor Osimhen, which includes Hojlund moving in the opposite direction. Napoli were interested in signing Hojlund before he moved to Old Trafford, and the Red Devils will be hoping that the interest remains despite his struggles in Manchester.
As well as signing a new number nine, United are also looking at a new number 10, and Amorim is pushing the club to sign Francisco Trincao from Sporting CP. Amorim has worked with the player before, and he is now keen to reunite with the attacker, as he fits into his system with his versatility and high intensity. However, they are not alone in their pursuit, as Manchester City are also keen, and FC Barcelona are also keeping an eye on the situation.
Man Utd braced for £16m offer for Antony with talks planned over sale
For United to bring in these attacking players, there are going to have to be a few departures, and one player who is expected to leave in the summer is winger Antony. Now, according to Stretty News, Man United are expected to receive an offer for Antony from Real Betis which is far below their asking price.
The Brazilian is currently enjoying an extremely successful loan at the Spanish side after joining in January, and despite there still being a few months of the campaign left to play, Betis are ready to make his move to the club into a permanent switch.
The report claims that Betis are planning to open talks with United over a permanent deal but are looking to halve the asking price in those talks, as they are willing to make a bid between €20m and €25m (£16-20 million).
However, United are looking to get between €40m-50m (£33-41 million) for the Brazilian – INEOS believe they can get that much for Antony because while he has struggled in England he has excelled in Spain, scoring two goals and grabbing two assists in five La Liga games.
Apps
7
Goals
3
Assists
2
Antony is under contract at Old Trafford until 2027, but given Amorim allowed him to leave on loan, it means it is likely he doesn’t feature in his plans going forward, and therefore, a sale could well go through if they can meet a middle ground on price in the coming months.
Openers Shanto and Zakir saw off the day and left Bangladesh with 471 to get in two days
Hemant Brar16-Dec-2022Shubman Gill scored his first Test hundred, and Cheteshwar Pujara his first in 52 innings and the fastest of his career as India declared on 258 for 2, setting Bangladesh a target of 513 in the first Test in Chattogram. More realistically, they gave themselves two days and a bit to pick up ten wickets.In response, Bangladesh openers Najmul Hossain Shanto and Zakir Hasan saw off the 12 overs left in the day’s play.This was after Kuldeep Yadav, playing his first Test in 22 months and eighth overall, picked up his third five-wicket haul to skittle out the hosts for 150 in the first innings.Resuming the day on 133 for 8, Bangladesh could add only 17 more as Kuldeep had Ebadot Hossain caught down the leg side in the fifth over of the day to complete his five-for. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the other overnight batter, then tried to farm the strike even more but was stumped off Axar Patel soon after while going for a big hit. That gave India a lead of 254 but they decided against enforcing the follow-on.In the second innings, Khaled Ahmed and Taijul Islam opened the bowling for Bangladesh as Ebadot didn’t step onto the field. On Thursday too, after dismissing Shreyas Iyer, he was off the field for the rest of India’s first innings. With Shakib Al Hasan also not bowling, probably because of the rib injury he sustained during the ODI series, the hosts were left with just three frontline bowlers.KL Rahul and Gill, though, started slowly, accumulating only 16 runs in the first eight overs. Gill upped the scoring rate after lunch but Khaled broke their 70-run stand. Using the short-ball play, he first hurried Rahul and then had him pulling one to fine leg for 23.Khaled also hit Pujara on the body twice, but the plan didn’t work against Gill, who took the short ball on and hit the seamer for a four and a six. Later, as Khaled seemed to be tiring at the end of his seven-over spell, Pujara too pulled him for four.Shubman Gill got to his maiden Test hundred off 147 balls•AFP/Getty ImagesAgainst spinners, Gill used the sweep shot to good effect, picking up three boundaries with it. He, though, had a scare on 70 when Yasir Ali pinged him on the pads. The on-field umpire ignored the vociferous appeal, and when Bangladesh opted to review it, they were told the DRS technology was down.Post tea, Gill and Pujara batted with even more intent. Gill moved to 99 with a reverse-swept four off Mehidy and two balls later hit him over mid-on for a one-bounce four to get to his hundred. He fell for 110 while attempting another big shot, but Pujara took over after that.Having reached his fifty off 87 deliveries, Pujara took only 43 balls more to get to his hundred. On the way, he used his feet against spinners to loft them over mid-off and mid-on, deployed the lap sweep on more than one occasion, and even brought out the reverse sweep as India eyed declaration.From the other end, Virat Kohli almost exclusively dealt in singles. He and Pujara added 75 off 73 balls in an unbroken stand for the fifth wicket, Kohli’s share in that being 19 off 29 balls.A misfield at mid-on took Pujara to the three-figure mark off 130 balls, and with that, India declared their innings as well.
Ruud van Nistelrooy says he doesn't know if he will keep his job as Leicester City manager following the club's Premier League relegation.
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Leicester relegated from Premier LeagueVan Nistelrooy had disastrous spellUnsure if he will be kept on at FoxesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Leicester were relegated to the Championship following their 1-0 loss to Premier League champions-elect Liverpool at the weekend, rubber-stamping a dreadful season for the Foxes. Despite picking up just eight points from 20 matches under the Manchester United legend, Van Nistelrooy appears to want to stay on at the club but is yet to find out his fate.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesWHAT VAN NISTELROOY SAID
He told reporters that he had sat down with Leicester's owners and the board and told them "how we move forward as a club".
The Dutchman added: "I know what my plan is to bring the club back but I am waiting on alignment. The quicker the better for the football club."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Van Nistelrooy took over at King Power Stadium in November on a three-year deal after replacing the sacked Steve Cooper but a run of 16 defeats in their past 18 games has condemned them to life in the English second-tier. Former England interim manager Lee Carsley has been linked with the post but it may not be smart financially for Leicester to sack another manager in the same financial year at a time when they are potentially in danger of falling afoul of profit and sustainability rules.
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Leicester, who will say goodbye to club legend Jamie Vardy at the end of the season, travel to Wolves in their next Premier League game on Saturday.
Chelsea’s attackers have arguably been a little bit underwhelming so far in the Premier League this season. The exception to that is Cole Palmer, who has once again stood out with 14 goals and six assists in the top flight.
He has been well-supported by a few of the Blues’ attackers. Nicolas Jackson has played well, with nine goals and five assists, and Noni Madueke has ten goal involvements, with both players the only other Chelsea attackers to score more than five goals.
However, a couple of players have underperformed, including Joao Felix and Pedro Neto, who have only managed one goal each in the Premier League. Thus, it might not be a surprise that the Blues are targeting a late move for Brighton and Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson.
Why Chelsea want Ferguson
A report on Friday confirmed that the Blues have joined the race to sign Ferguson before Monday’s deadline. At this stage, it is not clear whether or not they want to do a loan deal or make a permanent move for the Irishman. However, he is valued at £40m by the Seagulls.
It has been a really tough season in 2024/25 for the 20-year-old. He has played 15 times across all competitions but has only found the back of the net once. That strike came at home in a 2-2 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
However, he has shown great promise at first-team level for the South Coast outfit. The striker has scored 17 times and grabbed five assists in 80 games for the club, although has only played 3542 minutes in that time.
So, with that in mind, the Blues would certainly be adding someone who has a natural eye for goal. Although he has struggled this season, it is important to remember Ferguson is just 20 years of age and has years to go in his development as a professional.
It remains to be seen if the Blues will sign Ferguson, but for £40m they could certainly do worse. In fact, one of their current players is worth far more than the striker, who cannot get into the side this season under Enzo Maresca.
The player worth more than Ferguson
The Chelsea star worth more than the Brighton forward is Christopher Nkunku. Things have not really worked out for the French forward at Stamford Bridge since his £52m move from RB Leipzig in 2023.
His record, on the face of things, is not too bad. The former PSG star has played 43 times in that famous Blue shirt, scoring 16 times and registering four assists.
However, seven of those goals have come in the Conference League, including two goals and an assist in the 8-0 win over FC Noah this season.
Nkunku has been disappointing in the Premier League in 2024/25, with five goals and one assist in 30 appearances. With that being said, he is competing against Palmer and Jackson for a spot in the side, which is far from easy given their form.
Stat
2023/24
2024/25
Total
Games
19
11
30
Minutes
419
439
858
Goals
2
3
5
Assists
1
0
1
The Frenchman, once described as “ridiculous” by Statman Dave during his time at Leipzig, was linked with a move back to Germany earlier in the transfer window. He had agreed on personal terms with Bayern Munich, as reported by Florian Plettenberg on the 18th of January.
ESPN reported that the Blues would want at least £50m for Nkunku if he were to leave, and there are certainly positives for his departure. Not only does it work better for him, given he can play regular football elsewhere, but it means Chelsea can also reinvest the money into a deal for Ferguson, which is better suited to their squad.
For all parties, it seems worth Nkunku leaving Stamford Bridge. He is worth £10m more than Brighton’s asking price for the Ireland striker, and that certainly benefits the Blues given they can add a more suitable profile to their squad.
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Glasgow Rangers Old Firm victory last week was meant to be a turning point in their season, especially given how well they played against their rivals.
Instead, it proved to be yet another false dawn for Philippe Clement and Co. A trip to Easter Road is never easy at the best of times, but this was a chance for the Ibrox side to follow up the 3-0 win over Celtic with another three points.
Despite going two goals ahead due to Hamza Igamane, Hibs pegged the Gers back to 2-2, before scoring a late equaliser to snatch a point.
Several members of the starting XI struggled, including defender Robin Propper, who hasn’t enjoyed the best of seasons.
On the surface, Propper’s statistics, particularly regarding his passing, have been excellent. Indeed, the centre-back has an average pass success rate of 90% in the Premiership this term, while succeeding with over half of his long ball attempts.
This is all fine and well, but Propper has failed to adapt to the physicality of Scottish football since joining the Light Blues. In the top flight, he loses possession 8.5 times per game while committing 1.1 fouls every match.
The former Twente captain simply does not look robust enough to cope with the demands of football in Scotland, something which will constantly hurt the side if he continues to play.
With Clement’s defensive options limited at this moment in time due to injuries, perhaps he could save millions in the transfer market by unleashing an academy graduate over the next few weeks.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
A few years ago, Leon King was being talked about as the next big thing to come out of Auchenhowie, especially as he played in all six of the club’s Champions League games during the 2022/23 campaign.
Indeed, Manchester United and Newcastle United sent scouts to monitor the youngster, but he ended up signing a new contract at Ibrox.
Across his six games in the Champions League, King won 50% of his total duels while averaging a pass success rate of 79%, not bad for someone thrown into the deep end aged just 18.
|
Leon King’s statistics during the 2022/23 campaign |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Metric (per 90) |
Champions League |
Premiership |
|
Accurate passes |
25.5 |
36.8 |
|
Tackles |
1.7 |
1.3 |
|
Total duels won |
2.7 |
3 |
|
Ball recoveries |
2.3 |
N/A |
|
Possession lost |
7.2 |
5.5 |
|
Via Sofascore |
||
Before that season, former Rangers defender Alan Hutton lavished the defender with praise, saying: “I think when I did watch him last season, he was like a big Rolls Royce, very elegant on the ball. He came out, kept possession and looked very comfortable for someone of such a young age.”
Since the start of last season, however, King has made just seven first-team appearances, with his progress seemingly stalling.
The 20-year-old only made his first senior appearance this term during the 3-3 draw with Hibs. There is no doubt how good King can be, but the Scotsman needs a chance to display his qualities in the starting XI.
Instead of splashing millions on a couple of centre-backs this month, if Clement managed to sign one while giving King much-needed game time, it could work wonders for his development.
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