Head spent more than a year on top of the rankings, but last played a T20I in September 2024

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2025India batter Abhishek Sharma has overtaken his Sunrisers Hyderabad opening partner Travis Head to go top of the T20I batting rankings.Head had held on to the No. 1 position since June last year, when he toppled Suryakumar Yadav, but having last played a T20I in September 2024 and opting to sit out of Australia’s five-match series in West Indies, he slid down a slot as Abhishek became the third Indian to top the T20I batting charts after Virat Kohli and Suryakumar.Abhishek last turned out for India in the five-match T20I series against England in February, scoring a 54-ball 135 in the final game of that series.Josh Inglis, who racked up 172 runs in the five matches against West Indies and finished as the third-highest run-scorer of the series, moved up six places to ninth in the rankings. Shai Hope, despite a century helping him finish as the second on the run charts in the series, stayed tenth.

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While Tim David moved up 12 places to 18th after he scored the fastest T20I century for Australia, and Brandon King made gains by moving up nine places, Cameron Green was the biggest mover from the series, shooting up 64 spots to sit at No. 24.Among the bowlers, fast bowler Nathan Ellis jumped up nine spots to go joint-eighth.Meanwhile, England captain Ben Stokes’ century and five-wicket haul at Old Trafford saw him move up three spots to No. 3 in the Test allrounders’ charts, which is still led by India’s Ravindra Jadeja, who has been in fine form in the ongoing series between the two teams.Washington Sundar, who brought up his maiden Test century in Manchester, moved up eight places to go joint-thirteenth, with career-high ranking points of 193.

One debutant and another playing only the second ODI of his career shepherded the visitors’ chase to give them a 1-0 lead

Danyal Rasool08-Aug-2025

An unbeaten 104-run partnership between debutant Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat – playing his second game – helped a nervous Pakistan overcome a stutter to chase down 281 in the penultimate over and take a 1-0 lead in the ODI series with a five-wicket win.West Indies had put up 280 through three half-centuries in the first innings, but Pakistan’s spinners contained them to keep them to a below-par score with Shaheen Shah Afridi (4 for 51) and Naseem Shah (3-55) mopping the hosts up at the death.Pakistan’s pursuit was far from convincing, struggling to pace the innings too. Babar Azam (47) and Mohammad Rizwan (53) each fell after promising, if placid, starts, and West Indies found themselves burrowing into the lower order when Rizwan fell with 101 still to get. But Nawaz overcame early struggles and briefly rode his luck with a couple of dropped chances to turn the game around with 63 not out, eventually finishing it at a canter alongside the more solid Talat, who made an unbeaten 41 in 37 balls.Much of Pakistan’s ODI success over the past year depended on Saim Ayub getting them off to a flyer, so it felt significant West Indies neutralised that threat early, Jayden Seales extracting rubber-ball bounce that took his edge and flew on command into the keeper’s gloves. While Babar took his time to settle, Abdullah Shafique looked classically pretty through an even-paced knock, but found himself undone by slightly lower bounce that excited Shamar Joseph enough to force his captain’s hand into a successful review.Initially, it appeared the worst of Babar and Rizwan was on display in that third-wicket partnership. At one point early on, they would play sixteen successive dot balls as the asking rate crept above six. They began, as they so often do, to catch up, finding regular boundaries and running a few twos, and the asking rate gradually eased back down into the fives. Whether that redeemed their slow start or made them even more culpable is by now an intractable question to answer.But West Indies trusted their pace bowlers longer than Pakistan had, only delivering one over of spin until the 20th over. But that wasn’t a commentary on Gudakesh Motie’s skills, who began to trouble the pair, ultimately sending Babar packing when he ventured out for a slog and was deceived by the turn three runs short of his half-century.Salman Ali Agha was more proactive, but threw away a decent start when he scooped a ball that gripped right back into a grateful Roston Chase’s hands. The value of Rizwan’s wicket was growing with each passing wicket, and he’d eased himself past a half-century by once more, Joseph found a way to rap him in front of the pads, this time securing the on-field decision that put West Indies on top.Nawaz and Talat, one ODI in 2019 the sum total of their 50-over international experience, seemed unlikely saviours at that point. Hasan scored just three off his first 12 balls, and looked vulnerable against spin. Shai Hope dropped him early as a nick off an attempted slog couldn’t nestle into his gloves, and with the asking rate rising, he was the one Pakistan required out there until the very end.The tide began to turn in the 39th over by which time the dew was making the ball hard to grip. Talat smacked Chase for two boundaries, before a rare errant over from Joseph saw five wides and 17 runs scored which brought the asking rate to just above seven. It was the break Pakistan needed to pace the innings on their terms, with each player finding the boundary anytime the equation became uncomfortable.With four overs to go and Nawaz on 49, Motie put down an unforgivably easy chance at short third, and as Seales went down on his knees in disbelief, the fate of the game was sealed. Talat plundered 15 off the following over, and five balls later, Nawaz had sealed the win.Evin Lewis and Keacy Carty’s 77-run stand got West Indies flowing despite losing an early wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Earlier, West Indies were put in to bat partially because of the uncertainty of conditions both overhead and underfoot, and once they’d brushed off the customary first-over wicket Afridi tends to take so often, Evin Lewis and Keacy Carty began to set a platform in the powerplay. Shaheen and Naseem struggled to find bite with the new ball, and by the eighth over, Rizwan had turned to the spin of Ayub. On a surface that has seen just the one ODI played, no one really knew how successful that would be, but the next two and a half-hours answered that question.With the surface gripping, each of Pakistan’s three spinners – Ayub, Agha, and Sufiyan Muqim – were thrust in immediately. The following 27 overs saw just one over of seam bowled as West Indies found themselves bleeding the occasional wicket while the run-rate Lewis and Carty had helped keep around six dipped below five. It was telling that the one over of seam – from Faheem Ashraf, saw Lewis pillage a six and a four bringing up his half-century in the process.But Lewis – on 60 – felt Ayub was the spinner to target, and having dispatched him for a boundary, opted to heave the final ball of his third over into the air. Shaheen spun himself around a couple of times before improbably holding onto it. A tortured innings from Sherfane Rutherford then concluded when he spooned Agha to cover-point.Chase (53) and Hope (55) put together a stand for the fifth wicket, but with no break from the stifling spinners, the run-rate began to fall. The 64 they added came off 89 deliveries, and with just one ball after the 34th over, Shaheen and Naseem began to find reverse swing. It took them a couple of overs to find their accuracy, during which Chase brought up his half-century. But he holed out to Naseem almost immediately afterwards, and just as the ball began to reverse, West Indies’ tail was exposed.The yorkers began to land, and West Indies had no answer. Naseem and Shaheen found pinpoint accuracy, and any runs West Indies scored had luck attached to them. At one point, the matting for the stump-mic helped lift the ball over Rizwan for four byes, and the following over a 140kmph yorker from Naseem hit leg stump, but without dislodging the bails.Even so, the last three were cleaned up by Pakistan’s two frontline quicks hitting the base of the stumps, and bowling West Indies out with an over to spare. Later, Pakistan would achieve their own target with seven balls to go.

Northamptonshire 154 for 4 (Bopara 105*, Clark 3-13) beat Surrey 147 for 6 (S Curran 69*, Scrimshaw 3-34) by 7 runs Former England all-rounder Ravi Bopara produced an explosive knock of 105 not out from 46 balls to stun Surrey and propel Northamptonshire Steelbacks to their first Vitality Blast Finals Day since 2016.The 40-year-old, a former Blast winner with Essex, turned back the clock with a magnificent display – posting his first Northamptonshire hundred as they fought back after losing two early wickets to post 154 for four in a rain-reduced contest at the Kia Oval.Surrey captain Sam Curran made a valiant attempt to rescue his side with a first half-century of the tournament, an undefeated 69 from 38 – but they came up short on 147 for six.Experienced seam pair Ben Sanderson (two for 24) and David Willey (one for 28) kept their cool in the death overs to clinch the Steelbacks’ success.An early evening downpour trimmed the contest to 14 overs per side and, having won a crucial toss, the Surrey skipper had no hesitation in opting to bowl when play finally began at 7.50pm.That choice was quickly vindicated by Jordan Clark (three for 13), who made the ball swing and removed both Steelbacks openers for ducks in a devastating first over before a flurry of boundaries by Tim Robinson got the scoreboard moving.The New Zealander clubbed 20 from 12, mostly from Tom Curran’s opening over, but tried to pull Chris Jordan’s first ball and perished to a top edge – passing the baton on to Bopara, who seized it eagerly.Runs flowed through the veteran’s combination of power, timing and precision, with Gus Atkinson’s single over disappearing for 18 before Bopara clipped Clark to the fence to post his half-century.Supported by Saif Zaib (17 not out from 12), Bopara hit the accelerator and dominated their unbroken partnership of 74 from 35, hooking Tom Lawes for four from the penultimate ball of the innings to bring up a remarkable 45-ball ton.Like the visitors, Surrey were two down early on as Ryan Patel swung his first ball into the hands of deep square leg and Lewis McManus, standing up to Sanderson, took a thin edge to dismiss Jason Roy.Ollie Pope (41 from 23) went on the offensive, cutting Willey for two fours and driving his namesake, leg-spinner Lloyd, for a straight maximum as he and Sam Curran accumulated steadily and kept the required rate within range.The pair added 74 from 38 before Pope top-edged a short delivery from George Scrimshaw (three for 34) to long leg and, when Dan Lawrence holed out two balls later, the home side still needed another 70 from 32.Curran kept them in contention, slamming Justin Broad over the cover fence and Laurie Evans banged successive fours off Scrimshaw before miscuing the next one to point.Sanderson returned to send down an over that cost him just five before Willey’s spate of yorkers left Surrey needing 19 – and, although Curran smote a Sanderson full toss for six – it was not enough.

The incident that caused the probe happened during Pakistan Shaheens’ tour of the UK

Danyal Rasool07-Aug-2025Pakistan batter Haider Ali has been placed under criminal investigation by the Greater Manchester Police, and has been provisionally suspended by the PCB pending the outcome of the inquiry. While no details about the nature of the criminal offence have been released, ESPNcricinfo understands Haider is not currently in custody in the UK, but was interviewed under caution by GMP.The PCB issued a statement it had been “made aware” of the investigation, with the incident in question occurring during Pakistan Shaheens’ recent tour of England, which concluded on Monday. The PCB has confirmed it is providing Haider legal support “to protect his rights throughout this process”.”The PCB has been made aware of a criminal investigation currently being conducted by the Greater Manchester Police involving cricketer Haider Ali,” the PCB statement said. “The investigation pertains to an incident that reportedly occurred during the Pakistan Shaheens’ recent tour of England.”The PCB fully respects the legal procedures and processes of the United Kingdom and acknowledges the importance of allowing the investigation to run its due course. Accordingly, the PCB has decided to place Haider Ali under provisional suspension, effective immediately, pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation. Once the legal proceedings are concluded and all facts have been duly established, the PCB reserves the right to take appropriate action under its Code of Conduct, if necessary.”Haider, 24, has played two ODIs and 35 T20Is for Pakistan, and was a senior player on the Shaheens’ UK tour. He played all three 50-over games against a first-class XI, as well as two three-day games.

Liverpool saw their mini-revival come to an end as they lost 3-0 against Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday. The Reds were unable to build on their victories over Aston Villa and Real Madrid in a sluggish performance which saw Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku put them to the sword during Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th-game as a manager.

In a lacklustre start to the 199th meeting between the two sides, Liverpool conceded an early penalty when goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili brought down the electric Doku inside the area. However, Georgia’s No. 1 was able to make amends, diving to his left to deny Haaland. City didn’t have to wait long to get another chance, though – Norway international Haaland leaping above Ibrahima Konate to head home from Matheus Nunes’ cross after 29 minutes.

Still struggling to get a foothold, Liverpool thought they delivered a sucker punch when Virgil van Dijk met Mohamed Salah’s corner with a superb header. However, the goal was ruled out as Andy Robertson was adjudged to have been interfering with play from an offside position. And to compound the visitors’ misery, City soon doubled their lead when Gonzalez’s strike deflected in off Van Dijk.

Much better in the early stages of the second half, substitute Cody Gakpo passed up a great chance to pull a goal back for Liverpool, firing wide from Conor Bradley’s low cross. And the champions were then made to pay when Doku capped off a scintillating performance by curling home City’s third.

As the match wore on, Salah almost scored a late consolation but he stabbed his effort just past the post as City secured a huge three points which sees them – and not Liverpool – confirm themselves as Arsenal’s closest challengers for this season’s Premier League title.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from the Etihad Stadium…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Giorgi Mamardashvili (6/10):

  Gave the penalty away by clipping Doku with his left knee, but the shot-stopper made amends by saving Haaland's resulting spot-kick.

  Conor Bradley (6/10):

  The youngster found it difficult to contain Doku, though he admirably stuck to the task. Going forward, he whipped in a number of teasing crosses, which his team-mates were unable to do more with.

  Ibrahima Konate (4/10):

  Getting involved in Bradley's battle with Doku when he didn't need to, with the Belgium ace subsequently squirming free inside the penalty area, the defender was mostly responsible for the spot-kick which Mamardashvili then saved. The France international was beaten in the air moments later as Haaland headed City in front.

  Virgil van Dijk (5/10):

  The Dutchman thought he had equalised with a brilliant header, but the goal was disallowed by the officials. And then to make matters worse, Gonzalez's low drive deflected off him and past Mamardashvili for City's second.

  Andy Robertson (5/10):

  While he failed to close down Nunes, whose cross brought about Haaland's header, the left-back appeared to be under instruction to stay narrow and not engage with the City man. He was then deemed to be interfering with play in the build up to Van Dijk's header, with the goal later being chalked off.

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  Midfield

  Ryan Gravenberch (5/10):

  Was often second-best in his ground duels, winning just 22 per cent (2/9) of his attempted challenges.

  Alexis Mac Allister (5/10):

  Emerging successful from just two of his five ground duels (40%), he struggled to get near City's midfielders, receiving a yellow card for a foul on Doku.

  Dominik Szoboszlai (5/10):

  As Liverpool struggled to make inroads in the encounter, the Hungary international had few moments to do what he does best – marauding forward to launch attacks.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Mohamed Salah (7/10):

  While he received little service, the forward was a threat whenever he did have the ball, curling in a great corner which led to Van Dijk's disallowed goal. The Egypt international went close to scoring late on, stabbing an effort just wide of the post.

  Hugo Ekitike (5/10):

  The striker was left to plough a lonely furrow as Liverpool struggled to muster up enough opportunities. He was then withdrawn early in the second half.

  Florian Wirtz (5/10):

  Operating from the left-hand side, the German allowed Liverpool to catch their breath on one or two occasions, floating infield on the counter-attack.

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  Subs & Manager

  Cody Gakpo (5/10):

  Introduced early in the second half, he should have converted one of Bradley's dangerous crosses but the forward completely missed the target.

  Milos Kerkez (5/10):

  A second-half substitute, the full-back found it difficult to make an impact.

  Curtis Jones (6/10):

  Replacing Mac Allister in the second half, the midfielder was neat and tidy as Liverpool pushed for a consolation.

  Joe Gomez (N/A):

  Brought on too late to effect the game.

  Federico Chiesa (N/A):

  Another late substitute, he was unable to register another strong cameo.

  Arne Slot (5/10):

  The manager could only watch on as his side struggled in an opening 45 minutes which ultimately decided the game. While Liverpool were slightly better in the second half, particularly in the first 10 minutes or so, they were comfortably second best throughout.

تمكن الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي المصري من تسجيل الهدف الثاني ضد نظيره زيسكو الزامبي، في المباراة المقامة حاليًا، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.

ويلعب المصري ضد زيسكو على ملعب الأخير بزامبيا، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من عمر مواجهات المجموعة الرابعة لبطولة الكونفدرالية.

ونجح المصري من استعادة التقدم في الدقيقة 24 من عمر اللقاء عن طريق منذر طمين لتصبح النتيجة 2-1. 

طالع.. فيديو | في دقيقتين.. المصري يتقدم وزيسكو يسجل التعادل

وسجل النادي المصري أولًا، عن طريق لاعبه محمد هاشم في الدقيقة 4 وبعدها بدقيقة في الدقيقة 5 تعادل فريق زيسكو بواسطة لاعبه فريدي مايكل كوبلاند. 

المصري يتواجد في المجموعة الرابعة من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية، بجانب أندية الزمالك وكايزر تشيفز وزيسكو.

وكان النادي المصري فاز في مباراة الجولة الأولى على كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي بهدفين مقابل هدف، بينما زيسكو كان قد خسر أمام الزمالك بهدف دون رد في الجولة الأولى أيضًا. هدف المصري الثاني أمام زيسكو يونايتد

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has been left unimpressed by one of the players he inherited, and may look to replace him in the January transfer window.

Spurs move up to third after victory at the Hill Dickinson

With Tottenham finishing 17th in the Premier League last season, Frank was always going to have a tough job on his hands trying to turn the north London club back into contenders at the top end of the table, but the Dane has made a solid start.

Courtesy of the 3-0 victory against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, Spurs are now up to third in the Premier League table, with the manager taking the time to praise his side’s performance after the match.

Micky van de Ven secured the first brace of his career in the 3-0 victory, meaning the centre-back is now tied with Richarlison as the Lilywhites’ top goalscorer in all competitions this season, with the Brazilian also on three goals.

However, two of the Brazilian’s goals came on the opening day of the campaign against Burnley, with the 28-year-old failing to find the back of the net on a regular basis, while Dominic Solanke has had a different problem since moving to the capital.

The striker has suffered consistent injury issues since arriving in north London, making just two substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, and Frank is now unimpressed by the former AFC Bournemouth man.

That is according to a report from Football Insider, which claims the Tottenham boss doesn’t fancy Solanke, with the manager now deciding he wants to sign a new striker, and the Englishman could be replaced in the January transfer window.

Having suffered an ankle injury, the 28-year-old is set to spend a prolonged period on the sidelines, which could be an issue, given that Mathys Tel isn’t exactly flourishing, having scored just one Premier League goal in seven appearances.

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Spurs have taken the lead in the race for an “intelligent” midfielder

ByDominic Lund Oct 26, 2025 "Fantastic" Solanke needs to put injury problems behind him

If Frank is questioning the three-time England international due to his injury record, he may have a point, given that he has spent a lot of time on the treatment table over the course of the past two seasons.

Season

Games missed due to injury

2024-25

14

2025-26

12

However, should the centre-forward be able to overcome his issues, he could be a better option than the likes of Tel and Richarlison, having amassed 21 goal contributions in all competitions last term, in what was an impressive debut campaign.

Once described as a “fantastic footballer” by Ange Postecoglou, Solanke, who rakes in £140k-a-week, could re-emerge as an important player for Tottenham, and it would be a little hasty for Frank to sanction a departure in the January transfer window.

He delivered more overs than any other bowler, was faster and better than any other, but was the most expensive of the three specialist quicks

Danyal Rasool27-Dec-2024Like blindly following the recipe book for an exotic dish, it was hard to say what Naseem Shah was cooking up at first this morning. He began groggily, throwing the ball up in search of swing as if this was a Rawalpindi winter day and not a Centurion summer one. He barely broached 135kph, and was much too wide, so any away movement only meant an extra lunge for Mohammad Rizwan. If something was brewing, it was difficult to tell what that might have been.But it was that kind of morning session, a bowling effort on psychedelics, balls just floating into the ether, hovering there briefly as if the laws of gravity had briefly been suspended, and barely kissing the surface before dancing away into the wind. On a pitch where banging the ball into the surface has been the most proven way to get results, Naseem was rejecting conventional wisdom, no discernible logic behind this iconoclasm. Mohammad Abbas, 13 years his senior, tried following the rulebook to a tee, bless him. But at his pace, with little work going into the ball off his wrist, even the Centurion surface struggled to give him a leg up.So Shan Masood took him off after a four-over burst. Naseem has built up quite the oeuvre of glorious failure, the universe seemingly conspiring to refuse to give him what he was owed. But he knows, better than most, how frugal with the distribution of joy the world can sometimes be, and he will have known that on this occasion, his empty-handedness was well-deserved.Related

• Stats – Corbin Bosch's boss-mode outing in the Boxing Day Test

• Pakistan lose their way after Bosch bash hands South Africa advantage

“You have to learn to adjust in new conditions,” Naseem admitted after the match. “It’s not easy but you have to be disciplined and adjust to different conditions quickly. The pitch here is at a bit of a height and the ground at a depression, so I think you have to adjust as a bowler, and it took me a few overs to do that.”But there was something Test cricket saw in Naseem, something it liked. In a country that has recently seen its express quick either lose their pace, or their interest in Test cricket, or both, Naseem still has it all.By his second spell, he was pushing up as high as 145.9kph, he had dragged his lengths back. The rebellious streak was gone, the spell was beginning to come of age, and the recipe book was being faithfully followed. When it still wouldn’t produce a wicket, Naseem dealt with the setbacks with wistful smiles rather than visible agitation. After all, he had seen from the dugout the fickle nature of Test cricket’s generosity; Kagiso Rabada had bowled better than any of the Pakistan bowlers without being rewarded for it.David Bedingham had ridden his luck against Naseem, surviving a review off the first ball of Naseem’s return spell. Pakistan, to be fair, managed their reviews about as efficiently as many lottery winners do their prizes, but it did signal a shift in intensity from a bowler whose ceiling remains a formidable force to handle. Bedingham soon paid the price for his insouciance when a shade of extra bounce, thanks to improved lengths and higher pace, became too hot to handle, and Naseem had begun to put a spell of proper old-ball Test match fast bowling together either side of lunch. Kyle Verreynne was goaded into a similar shot, and outdone by a similar delivery.By now, the crowd by Castle Corner had broken out into a chorus of grudging respect; South African spectators cannot help, it would seem, but respect a fast bowler operating at the top of his game. Chants of “Naseem! Naseem” began to go up every time he walked back to the mark, but it was the afternoon, and they were well lubricated by now, so you may be able to put some of the generosity down to that. Apparently, SuperSport Park sold more than 1 million Rand worth of alcohol on day one; the eye test would suggest day two wasn’t far behind.

“You have to learn to adjust in new conditions. It’s not easy but you have to be disciplined and adjust to different conditions quickly.”Naseem Shah

Naseem knew, though, that this day had been generous to Pakistan; none of the other bowlers had come close to matching his quality, and yet South Africa were suddenly seven down; the woefully out of form Marco Jansen was meat and drink for Naseem. By then Naseem’s second spell was a match-turning one: 3 for 28 in five overs, and the question turned from the size of South Africa’s lead to the possibility they may not get one at all.On other occasions, in other countries, that might have been work done for a brittle, express pace bowler, but Masood felt Pakistan had no other well to turn to. He tied Aiden Markram up at one end, inducing him into a false shot against Khurram Shahzad at the other end. And still Naseem bowled, him powering on from the media end blending into the background of the day. Drinks came and went, and Naseem was still there, pace slightly down, but banging it into the pitch and asking the same questions.”Fast bowling is not easy but you have to be ready. I always try to work hard and bowl more in the nets and even in domestic cricket.”The team needed it, and obviously when the captain asks you, you have to be ready. That is my habit as a fast bowler, to accept the ball when needed. I hadn’t known it would happen, but the captain thought about which bowler would be more impactful, and asked me to bowl. My body’s fine.”However, the good balls were no longer producing edges, and the occasional loosener that crept into his spell was being put away by Corbin Bosch, exactly the sort of player who Pakistan tend to allow dream career starts. There were five overs between Naseem getting a break, and the captain turning right back to him, but now, Test cricket was playing hard-to-get with him once more.The field had been spread out for Bosch, the sniff of optimism from the early afternoon had gone. The
crowd, too, began to treat Naseem as the figure of heroic failure he was becoming as the innings dragged on, playfully booing every appeal, and then shouting “review it” once Pakistan’s profligacy had squandered them all.South Africa had added 88 for the last two wickets, and, despite delivering more overs than any other bowler, faster than any other bowler, better than any other bowler, Naseem’s figures showed he was the most expensive of the three specialist quicks. It is a wonder Naseem plays Test cricket with a smile on his face, but Pakistan are fortunate he does. And perhaps, a pleasant festive afternoon when Test cricket briefly smiles back is all the reward he needs.

Manchester United’s central midfield department has been one that has been up for debate, with numerous players trying to stake their claim for a regular starting role.

Ruben Amorim has often struggled to find his best partnership in such an area of the pitch, leading to countless players being utilised in the middle of the park since his appointment.

However, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro have been the manager’s duo of choice of late, with the pair starting each of the Red Devils’ five Premier League matches in a row.

The club have remained unbeaten during such a period, showcasing that the boss has made the right decision in opting for the pair instead of selecting the likes of Kobbie Mainoo.

However, with Casemiro now 33, he’s likely coming to the back end of his career at the top level, with the hierarchy already laying the foundations for a move for one player in the January window.

Man Utd’s hunt for a new midfielder in January

Over the last couple of days, it’s been reported that United are targeting a move for Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson in the upcoming January transfer window.

It’s been claimed that the Red Devils have already made an approach to Sean Dyche’s side to register their interest in landing the 23-year-old England international in the coming months.

However, any deal would be a club record, with the Reds currently demanding a fee in the region of £100m to part ways with their star man during the upcoming market.

He’s not the only midfielder in their sights at present, as Brighton & Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba has once again appeared on their radar, if recent reports are to be believed.

According to one Spanish outlet, Amorim and INEOS have made the Cameroonian international their “dream” target for January, but like Anderson, he would set them back a small fortune.

They also state that a £100m deal would be needed to prise him away from the AMEX, but that the player himself would be open to a switch to move to Old Trafford in the near future.

Why United’s £100m target would end Ugarte’s career

It wouldn’t be the first time United have splashed the cash on a new central midfielder, especially after spending a reported £50m for the signature of Manuel Ugarte back in 2024.

The Uruguayan’s transfer generated huge excitement within the Red Devils fanbase, with his arrival finally handing the side the disruptive presence needed to regain possession.

However, a little over 12 months on from his switch to England’s top-flight, he’s since dropped down the pecking order, as seen by his tally of just two league starts in 2025/26.

Amorim has undoubtedly lost faith in the 24-year-old at present, with a new addition only pushing the former PSG star further down the list – which could tempt the hierarchy to cash in on his services.

Spending £100m on a new addition would be a huge statement of intent, but it would no doubt put the future signing ahead of Ugarte in the pecking order due to the fee alone.

Baleba now appears to be the most likely candidate to join the Red Devils in January, with the youngster offering an immediate and long-term upgrade on the Uruguayan.

When comparing their stats from the 2025/26 campaign, the Brighton star has managed to outperform him in numerous key areas – potentially making his £100m price tag an excellent deal.

Games played

11

9

Games started

10

2

Pass accuracy

86%

85%

Log balls completed

54%

50%

Interceptions made

1.4

1.1

Duels won

6.5

5.1

Take-on success

63%

33%

Recoveries made

5.9

5.8

The 21-year-old has completed more of the passes he’s attempted this campaign, whilst completing more of the long passes he’s attempted – highlighting the dominance he has over Ugarte in possession.

He’s also completed more of the dribbles he’s attempted, further showcasing his all-round talents with the ball at his feet in the Premier League this season.

Out of possession, Baleba has won more duels per 90, whilst making more interceptions per 90 – subsequently offering the side a more dominant option out of possession.

£100m would be a huge statement of intent from the United hierarchy, but given his tender age, Baleba would be the perfect immediate and long-term solution to their problems.

As to Ugarte, such a transfer would likely spell the end of his time in Manchester, with the board needing to offload him to avoid losing a huge chunk of their £50m investment.

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Despite some negative noise regarding attacking regressions, Tottenham Hotspur have made headway under Thomas Frank’s management, fifth in the Premier League and in a promising position in the Champions League group stage.

But Spurs could certainly do with a bit more fluency and impetus when on the charge, and such creases must be ironed out over the coming months to make this a season to remember.

It was always going to be difficult, selling Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in 2023, and Ange Postecoglou deserves credit for establishing an attractive, entertaining playing style (when things were going his way).

But it’s true that some members of the squad aren’t quite pulling their weight. That said, Tottenham do have some top talents who have the capacity to secure the club’s place at Europe’s elite table and lead Frank toward trophy-winning success.

Mohammed Kudus being chief among them.

Kudus' start to life at Spurs

There was an air of controversy about Kudus’ summer transfer to Tottenham. After all, the Ghanaian winger had plied his trade down the road at West Ham United for the past couple of years, and the sale has left the Irons fanbase feeling hot under the collar.

But West Ham’s loss is Tottenham’s gain, with the 25-year-old having registered five assists in the Premier League this season, more than any other player.

His pace and potency have seen him add a dimension to Frank’s outfit that Tottenham simply didn’t boast last term, and in this, he is offering shades of Kane, taking on the responsibility of leading the club forward, bringing a unique flavour to the table.

Kudus is indeed emerging as Tottenham’s new principal source of attacking inspiration, but there’s actually another member of Frank’s squad who’s looking somewhat Kane-esque.

Spurs' new version of Kane

We’re not talking about one of the Tottenham forwards here. Instead, it’s Micky van de Ven whose growth into a talismanic role down N17 is leaving him in line to take Kane’s leadership berth, belatedly.

The 24-year-old has been a revelation since joining from Wolfsburg for around £43m in 2023, with injuries his biggest weakness. So strong and fast and commanding, with journalist Sonny Snelling even labelling him as “world-class”.

It was the 6 foot 4 star’s injury that derailed the Ange hype train a few years ago, sending that project into a spin. Then, last season, hamstring injuries reigned supreme over the defender’s hopes of availability. He started only 12 Premier League fixtures all season, eight of which came across Spurs’ first nine fixtures of the campaign.

While Cristian Romero is Tottenham’s captain, Van de Ven is the perfect counterpoint and every bit as impressive. It’s perhaps important to remember that, like Kane, Van de Ven is not the skipper, with the Three Lions striker behind Hugo Lloris in that regard.

Of course, Kane and Micky van de Ven are hardly similar players. They are so different across physical and tactical bases as to be diametrically opposed.

But Van de Ven offers so much more than his central defensive role demands, and in this, he shares a likeness with Kane, whose range of passing and ability to drop deep and influence make him a very unique number nine, and with 23 goals from 17 games for Bayern this season, he’s still rather good at his primary job.

Tottenham have struggled to replace Kane since selling him to Bayern, but that’s more because of the 32-year-old’s remarkable, unique qualities. When he left, the Lilywhites didn’t only lose their record goalscorer, but their shrewdest playmaker and source of inspiration across so many years.

But his pace. Such speed. It’s astonishing, in many ways, and hard to define. In the Premier League this season, furthermore, Van de Ven has completed 92% of his passes and come out on top in 63% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.38

Kyle Walker

Man City

37.31

Jackson Tchatchoua

Wolves

37.30

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.23

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.12

It tells much of the Dutchman’s athleticism that he is first, fourth, and fifth on the all-time speed rankings (beginning 2020/21), and is a further illustration of the above-and-beyond approach he brings to his centre-half role.

As per FBref, he also ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90, emphasising an attacking threat that has been on full show this season, six goals from 16 matches in all competitions.

This is a top-class player, and one whose special skills will inevitably see a wave of interest in his signature before long, Europe’s heavyweights squabbling over his signature.

It is perhaps a given that Van de Ven will eventually move on. The lure of Real Madrid and Barcelona, outfits bound to have earmarked the Netherlands international among a list of loose long-term targets, may ultimately prove too much for him to ignore.

This could see him shape into the next version of Kane in more ways than one. But, whatever happens down the line, Van de Ven is a unique player who Tottenham must keep a grip on for as long as they can, for he will spearhead the Frank era toward a surface only scratched when Postecoglou defied the odds and lifted the Europa League title last season, Van de Ven playing that final and thriving.

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