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Nearly six years after he last played for India, fast bowler Siddarth Kaul has announced his retirement from Indian cricket. He is, however, still open to the possibility of playing overseas. The 34-year-old ends his international career with six caps, three apiece in T20Is and ODIs between June 2018 and February 2019.In the 2023-24 season, Kaul helped Punjab win their maiden T20 crown, finishing as their highest wicket-taker with 16 in 10 games as they lifted the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He was also their highest wicket-taker (19 wickets in six games) in the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy.Related

• The shukrana of Siddarth Kaul

Kaul most-recently represented Punjab in the first half of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, where he went wicketless across two matches. He finishes with 297 first-class wickets in 88 matches, at an average of 26.77, over a career that spanned 17 years. He also picked up 199 List A wickets at 24.30 and 182 in T20s at 22.04, with an economy rate of 7.67.Kaul broke through for Punjab in first-class cricket as a 17-year-old, and first hit the headlines a year later when he was part of Virat Kohli’s victorious India side at the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia. However, multiple back injuries set him back for over five years.Between December 2007 and February 2012, Kaul played just six domestic matches across formats. When he returned, he was part of an emerging crop of fast bowlers in Punjab alongside Manpreet Gony, Sandeep Sharma and Barinder Sran.Kaul played three County Championship matches for Northamptonshire earlier this year•Getty Images

Over the years, Kaul’s wicket-taking ability and death-bowling skills made him a key member of Punjab’s white-ball setup. He finishes as the all-time highest wicket-taker (155 wickets) in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (120).The highest point of Kaul’s career came in 2018 when he earned a T20I cap on the tour of Ireland after being a consistent performer in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad for two seasons. In 2017, he picked up 16 wickets in 10 games, while in 2018 he was SRH’s joint-highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps in a season where they finished runners-up to Chennai Super Kings.Apart from Sunrisers, Kaul also represented Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL.Kaul is open to the idea of playing overseas, “wherever opportunities arise.””I feel I still have 3-4 years of cricket left in me, but I wanted to go out on a high, when I was at peak fitness and performing well rather than being asked to go due to fitness or non-performance at some other point,” he told ESPNcricinfo.”If you see my graph over the past 9-10 years, I’ve been performing really well across formats. So I felt this was a good time to go. Hopefully going forward, whatever opportunities arise, like in county cricket [he represented Northamptonshire in three Division 2 Championship games this summer, picking up 13 wickets at 29.84], or Legends League, MLC etc, I’d like to explore them if I get the chance.”

Sunderland’s hectic transfer window started on a sombre note when Jobe Bellingham pushed through a move to leave the Black Cats behind for German behemoth Borussia Dortmund.

At that point in time, the Wearside masses must have been fearful regarding what the rest of the window was going to look like. However, they’ve never looked back, with the likes of Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki adding in plenty of fresh personnel to their options centrally.

Still, if there’s more chances to snap up exciting options in the midfield department before the Premier League season begins, Sunderland are unlikely to turn down such a tantalising opportunity.

Sunderland knock on door for £26m star

Indeed, it’s already been proven that Regis Le Bris and Co. are not done with revamping their midfield options, as Granit Xhaka is now set to undergo a medical at the Stadium of Light.

The Swiss international – who is set to join for £17m – will offer plenty of grit and fight having starred in the testing Premier League before for Arsenal, which will be needed if Sunderland are to immediately survive in such a stressful division.

He isn’t the only midfield addition that could soon catch the eye of the Stadium of Light fanbase, however, as a new development from Turkish outlet Saba Spor, via X, indicates that the Black Cats have made an approach to Galatasaray regarding ex-Norwich City ace Gabriel Sara.

Indeed, the report suggests that the newly-promoted side have ‘knocked on the door’ of the Super Lig side regarding a potential deal, with Sara currently valued at more than €30m (£26m).

Winning Sara’s services could see Sunderland pick up their next version of young Bellingham, with Xhaka far more attuned to the defensive side of his game.

Whereas, the Brazilian is capable of being both an attacking force but also a combative and energetic option if needed, much like the brand-new Dortmund number 77.

Why Sara can be an "incredible" Bellingham replacement

Of course, there is also the aforementioned Diarra and Sadiki to chuck into the equation.

However, that duo will need time to get up to speed with their new environments, with Sara already well accustomed to the demands of the English game when starring week in week out for Norwich City in the Championship, before Turkey came calling.

In total, for the Canaries, Sara would pick up a sublime 21 goals and 17 assists from 96 appearances, which blows Bellingham’s own output for Sunderland out of the water, as he lags behind on 11 goals and four assists himself from six fewer clashes.

Yet, Sunderland only forked out £1.5m for the 19-year-old before he became an asset worthy of a hefty £27m, with Le Bris and Co. needing to splash out £26m on Sara, knowing he’s a worthy replacement for the now Bundesliga midfielder and not a project that will take time to come good.

Sara’s career numbers by position

Position played

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

CM

105

14

16

AM

34

6

6

RM

33

7

2

LM

24

3

4

DM

24

5

6

RW

5

4

1

LW

1

0

0

RB

1

0

0

LB

1

0

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Sara should also be comfortable with what is required of him in the Premier League, having now experienced the challenges of a tough, top division in Turkey by amassing a blistering two goals and ten assists from 45 outings, leading to Galatasaray’s head coach Okan Buruk praising the South American for adapting “very quickly.”

He is also adaptable when it comes to where he positions himself on the pitch, when glancing at the table above, with the 26-year-old content at being a number ten, a defensive anchor, or even a winger, much like Bellingham, who similarly rotated his duties under Le Bris’ methods.

Further noted as being “incredible” by U23 football scout Antonio Mango when challenging near the top of the Championship with Norwich, it could now finally be Sara’s time to shine in the Premier League, away from all those missed opportunities in Norfolk.

Sunderland definitely look well-stocked in the midfield department ahead of next season, with Sara adding yet more quality to the ever-growing camp if he joins shortly.

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Third consecutive title awaits after Dan Worrall, Sam Curran four-fors set up ten-wicket win

Vithushan Ehantharajah19-Sep-2024

Rory Burns and Ryan Patel celebrate arm in arm•Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Sun kissed and hazy, like the summer should have been. As south London bathed in 25-degree heat, there was a prevailing sense of better late than never. And not solely down to the pleasingly warm weather.The last day of cricket at the Kia Oval culminated in two tucked to midwicket by skipper Rory Burns to confirm a 10-wicket win for Surrey over Durham. With one round to play, the 2024 County Championship title is within reach. The prospect of silverware now as certain as it should have been at the start of last week.At the time of writing, the defending champions lead Somerset by 28 points, who must chase down 393 against Lancashire to cut that to 12 going into the final round. That would put the onus on Surrey beating Essex at Chelmsford next week. Three-peats are tough and whether confirmed on Friday if Somerset lose, or in the last days of September, it will be worth the wait.Surrey did not shirk the hard work on days one and two, but they did not have to over-exert themselves on day three. Just six balls into the morning session, Durham had already lost two more wickets having arrived on 1 for 1. Daniel Hogg – the second nighwatcher after Callum Parkinson was picked off first ball of the second innings – lost his off stump for Dan Worrall’s 50th Division One wicket of the season. The soon-to-be-English Australian celebrated by removing regular opener Ben McKinney for a duck two balls later.Worrall’s pocketing of four of the top five was mirrored by Sam Curran, who accounted for four of the rest. The left-armer finished with 4 for 23, three of them bowled, including the final wicket of Chemar Holder that gave Burns and Dom Sibley a real shrug of a chase, polishing off a target of 25 by 3.33pm.The junior Curran was the only member of the XI not burned by the twin defeats to Somerset in the last week. International duty meant he watched a thrilling red-ball finale at Taunton from a stream in Cardiff – the day before England’s second T20I against Australia – and the early Finals Day defeat at Birmingham from Sky’s commentary box.What bitterness there was last Thursday was multiplied by the semi-final defeat. Rather than use the rest of the day as a jolly – the prerogative of all teams that lose the 11am semi-final – Surrey decided to return to London immediately.Almost exactly a week on from Taunton, they were still in the changing room come 6pm – Sam Curran too – cheering as Lancashire’s George Balderson removed Tom Kohler-Cadmore to leave Somerset 155 for 5, and lamenting a series of drops. At 6.02pm, there were hoots and hollers as Kasey Aldridge was dismissed off what was the last ball of the day in Manchester, with Somerset needing 189 more on Friday with just four wickets remaining.”I’d be lying if I said the guys wouldn’t be tuning into the scorecards or the streams,” Curran said. “Hopefully Lancs can get that victory and stay up as well.”The message from the three wise heads of Gareth Batty, Rory Burns and Alec Stewart was to forget and move on. The performance and result speak to that. “I think that showed the strength and character of the group,” Curran said, “to come back to The Oval and win in three days.”It also shows the quality in the squad that someone of Curran’s ilk can drop in for just his second County Championship match of the season and have such a profound effect. Likewise, that a bit-part player in Ryan Patel can peel off a face-saving century on day two of just his seventh appearance of the summer, with Will Jacks and Jamie Smith away on England duty.”The group is a really close group,” Curran said. “It was a really tough week last week – lose at Taunton and lose at Finals Day after such a good T20 season. It’s frustrating but the character showed this week, guys bouncing back, forgetting about it – that shows why we’re such a good team.”As much as defeat stung Durham, their glory had already come to pass. Bonus points confirmed life in Division One for another season, not that they were ever really involved in the scrap. They will remain in London on Thursday night to toast a promising first showing back in the top flight since 2016.It was one of their reinforcements in Emilio Gay who offered the most resistance with a tidy 48, after a duck in the first innings. The Northamptonshire recruit – currently on loan to cover for Scott Borthwick’s injury ahead of joining full-time at the end of the summer – drove well and missed better, having arrived at the end of that crushing first over with Durham 2 for 3, still 152 behind in their second innings.Gay’s dismissal – trapped lbw by Worrall coming around the wicket – came after he had taken the visitors to within 34. That was eventually split between the Netherlands pair of Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede, who gave Durham the lead before Curran, with the help of Tom Lawes, lopped off the tail.That tea was taken with such a paltry target was typically cricket, especially when Burns and Sibley took just five overs to complete the formalities. An eighth win of the season was cheered by all at the ground, a sentiment reciprocated by the Surrey players who walked the perimeter to applaud those who remained, as a thank you for their support this summer.In tow was Stewart, who decided to stop in front of the pavilion bearing his father’s name to allow the players their moment in the last of the summer sun. And as he applauded those members applauding him, it did feel a shame this was over so soon.Spill over into a fourth day and, maybe, the finale Surrey fans dreamed of comes to pass. Of a legend bowing out after 11 years as director of cricket with a fourth Championship title under his watch.Ah well. Whether with Lancashire’s help or by their own hand, whether on Friday or next week – glory awaits.

Test vice-captain says winning can become habit as team looks towards 2025-26 challenges

Vithushan Ehantharajah23-Jul-20242:00

Ehantharajah: England comfortable sitting in fourth gear now

Victory over West Indies in the second Test at Trent Bridge secured England their first multi-match series win since the end of 2022. Something which vice-captain Ollie Pope hopes can become a habit.It is a slightly misleading statistic. England have only lost one series under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum – the recent 4-1 defeat to India – and Sunday’s result, which gives them a 2-0 lead heading into the final Test beginning on Friday at Edgbaston, means they have now won four out of seven completed series.There was also victory over Ireland in a one-off Test last summer, and India in a Test rescheduled from their 2021 home series. With 16 wins from 26 matches, Stokes’ win percentage of 61.53% currently ranks third behind legendary Australians Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting as far as those who have captained at least 25 Tests.Related

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And yet, after drawn series against New Zealand and Australia – both missed opportunities – followed by the loss in India, the onus was on England to get back to winning ways as soon as possible. Particularly with the shift in personnel brought about, primarily, to build towards the 2025-26 Ashes.”There was obviously a lot said after the India series about those kind of things,” Pope said when asked about the importance of notching this series win after the last 18 months. “Although it [talk of a lack of series win] fell in an Ashes series, and India is always a tough place to go.”I think winning can become a habit and the way we’ve gone about these two games is high class and that’s shown in the results so far.”That the series has been secured with the help of new faces speaks to Pope’s optimism about the future. James Anderson’s enforced retirement after Lord’s came alongside a stellar debut performance from Gus Atkinson, who emerged with 12 for 106 from the match courtesy of five-wicket hauls in both innings.With Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow discarded, Jamie Smith’s 70 in his maiden innings along with seven catches so far has ensured a seamless transition with the wicketkeeper position. Shoaib Bashir’s match-winning 5 for 41 on the final day of the second Test – his third five-wicket haul in just his fifth appearance – vindicated the gamble to select the offspinner instead of Jack Leach, who is above the 20-year-old in the pecking order at their county, Somerset.New blood settling quickly is a familiar quirk to this team; Atkinson, for instance, was the fifth player on debut under Stokes to claim a five-for. But the manner in which selectors moved away from others – notably Anderson, England’s greatest Test cricketer – suggests cultivating a comfortable environment and making uncomfortable decisions are not mutually exclusive.Ollie Pope’s 121 and 51 earned him the Player-of-the-Match award•Getty Images

“I think [there were] some big calls and some tough calls on guys to make. But it feels at the minute that we’ve got a really nice balanced attack and batting line-up as well.”Obviously we want to give guys confidence and that we’re building the team around them. But at the same time in international cricket there’s always going to be pressure for spots. And that’s shown in the last few weeks that the guys that have come in have done beautifully and we can keep building from here.”The way Bash bowled was amazing. Stokesy coming in as well [as an allrounder]. And then we’ve got the two quick guys this game as well, which was a really nice varied attack. And the batting is looking to take shape and hopefully it will be that way for a couple of years as well.”Pope’s part in that batting line-up came to the fore at Trent Bridge, scoring 121 in England’s first innings, then 51 in the second. It was a far-from-flawless sixth Test century as he was dropped on 46 and 54. But after 57 in his only innings at Lord’s, it seems Pope has emerged from a slump that saw him average just 19.05 in 18 red-ball knocks for England and Surrey – a run which began after a match-winning 196 in the first Test of the India series. He is averaging 44.64 as a Test No. 3 since his promotion to the role under Stokes.”I actually felt I played better in the second innings,” Pope said. “I got dropped twice in the first innings, one I actually creamed anyway. I didn’t feel quite at my best but I felt pretty good. And I felt pretty good at Lord’s last week as well so I’m happy to make it count this game, got that bit of luck and was able to cash in.”As well as an unassailable 2-0 lead, England left Nottingham with a bit of history, scoring 400 for both innings for the first time. The strike rates of 4.60 and 4.70, respectively, were brisk but no real risks were taken. A change of tack, perhaps?Pope does not think so – “it’s just out natural games” – but does acknowledge the batters are looking to adopt a more “ruthless” approach in this next stage of their evolution as a collective. All while retaining their capacity to go after opposition attacks.”There might be a day where we go and get five- or six hundred at some point in the future as well. And that’s a cool thing to have.”I feel that everyone has kind of grown into their roles and now there’s a real hunger. There always is a hunger, but now there’s an extra bit in that batting line-up and now we feel like we can go on to do even better things. At the time it was about building confidence now it’s about hopefully we can keep becoming more and more ruthless.”We put on just over 400 in the third innings of the game and had we not done that it might’ve been a closer affair in the end. We want to be as ruthless as we can as a batting unit, but still play the way we do because that’s our natural game. But being ruthless is being part of Test cricket as well.”

Liverpool are not willing to rest on their laurels after they won the Premier League in Arne Slot’s first season at Anfield in the 2024/25 campaign.

The Reds have already swooped to make their first signing of the summer transfer window by bringing Jeremie Frimpong to the club from Bayer Leverkusen.

He has come in to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has signed for Real Madrid on a permanent basis, and will compete with Conor Bradley for a spot at right-back next term.

The Netherlands international delivered five goals and nine assists in all competitions for Leverkusen this season, which suggests that the full-back could provide plenty of quality in the final third for the Reds.

Frimpong, however, may not be the only attacking dynamo to make the switch from Germany, and Leverkusen specifically, as Liverpool are continuing to work on a deal to sign Florian Wirtz in the coming weeks.

Why Florian Wirtz could be a big signing for Liverpool

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the club are ‘advancing’ to sign the Germany international, with a medical already being planned for the attacking midfielder.

Journalist Paul Joyce also recently claimed that the Reds have made an offer worth up to £113m for the 22-year-old sensation, which illustrates the kind of money Liverpool will need to spend to get this deal over the line.

It is not a surprise to see that price tag over the Leverkusen star’s head, though, because he has been in fantastic form for the German side over the past two seasons.

Wirtz scored 21 goals and provided 23 assists in the Bundesliga in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined, which shows that he can offer quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from an attacking midfield position.

His form in the German top-flight this season suggests that he could be an incredibly exciting addition to the squad for Slot, due to his form at the top end of the pitch.

24/25 Bundesliga	Florian Wirtz
Appearances	31
xG	9.40
Goals	10
Big chances created	17
Key passes per game	1.8
xA	9.44
Assists	12
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Wirtz hit double figures for both goals and assists in the Bundesliga for Leverkusen, overperforming against his xG.

Meanwhile, none of Liverpool’s central or attacking midfielders managed more than six goals or six assists in the Premier League, which suggests that the German star would be a big upgrade on what Slot currently has at his disposal.

The Premier League champions, however, are now reportedly lining up a move to bring in a star who would be an even bigger signing than Wirtz.

Liverpool set to bid for Premier League star

According to a report in Spain, Liverpool are eyeing up a move to bring Alexander Isak to Anfield from Newcastle United in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Reds are set to make a bid worth up to £101m for the Sweden international. £84m would be up front and the rest would come in performance-based add-ons.

Transfer Focus

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

It also reveals that Liverpool have been keeping tabs on Newcastle’s attempts to pin Isak down to a new contract, and that they are ready to pounce if the striker does not commit his future to St. James’ Park.

The outlet adds that the Reds want to move swiftly with a deal for the former Borussia Dortmund attacker, hence why they are planning to make a mega bid for his services.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not an offer of £101m would be enough to tempt Newcastle into cashing in on their star striker, or if the player would be open to ditching his team in favour of a move to Anfield.

Why Isak would be a bigger signing than Wirtz

Isak would be a bigger signing than Wirtz for Liverpool for a number of reasons, despite potentially costing less than the German star if they can wrap up a transfer at a fee of £101m.

Firstly, it would be a move that would see the club take away one of their Premier League rivals’ top players, weakening their direct competition, rather than going abroad to snap up a talent like Wirtz. This would make him a statement signing for the Reds, because it would illustrate their pull by being able to sign such a player from a rival.

Secondly, and this ties in with the first point, Isak is a proven Premier League performer who would be able to come in and hit the ground running as a player who does not need any time to adapt to the division.

Whereas Wirtz has never played domestic football outside of Germany and, therefore, there are still some doubts over how his game will translate to the Premier League, simply because he has yet to prove himself at that level.

Isak, as shown in the clip above, has also already proven his quality against Liverpool with a terrific goal in the League Cup final at Wembley back in March, leading to Slot describing him as an “unbelievable threat”.

24/25 Premier League	Alexander Isak
Appearances	34
xG	20.42
Goals	23
Conversion rate	23%
Big chances created	11
Assists	6
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Swedish marksman enjoyed a sensational season with the Magpies in the Premier League, as he was directly involved in 29 goals, nine more than Wirtz was involved in for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.

Luis Diaz was Liverpool’s top-scoring striker option in the top-flight for Slot with a return of 13 goals, which suggests that Isak would come in as a huge upgrade for the club in the number nine position.

Overall, Isak would be an even bigger signing than Wirtz for Liverpool because of the statement it would send out, signing him from a Premier League rival, the proven quality that he would provide, and the upgrade that he would be for the team.

It now remains to be seen, though, whether or not they can convince Newcastle to part ways with the 25-year-old centre-forward after they wrap up a move for the Leverkusen star.

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1

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 7, 2025

Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy could soon find himself moving on to a new challenge and another candidate has emerged for the role, according to a report.

Leicester City's managerial uncertainty dominates summer headlines

Strangely enough, Ruud van Nistelrooy is still in charge at the King Power Stadium and remains while the club prepare for pre-season. However, his future is anything but certain in the East Midlands.

Despite months of speculation pointing Russell Martin in the direction of Leicester City, the former Southampton boss has taken over at Scottish Premiership runners-up Rangers after their lengthy recruitment process to replace Philippe Clement.

Following his appointment last November, four wins and three draws in 25 matches across all competitions have put former Netherlands international Van Nistelrooy on the brink.

However, reports suggest Leicester City fear relieving the former Manchester United star of his duties may land them another Profitability and Sustainability Rules breach, hence the delay in making a decision on his future.

Expected to kick off next term with a 12-point deduction, being on the receiving end of further financial penalties could risk their chances of promotion back to the top-flight.

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Nevertheless, the Foxes’ pursuit of Jack Kingdon on a free transfer shows that work is ongoing regardless of who is in the dugout, even if recruitment is expected to be scaled back once again this summer.

Before the challenges that lie ahead, supporters need clarity regarding whether Van Nistelrooy will still be at the club come the start of pre-season.

From the sounds of things, that may not be the case. Leicester City are set to engulfed by change this summer and another name has now been mentioned in connection with the hotseat.

Leicester City could turn their attention to Sean Dyche

According to Graeme Bailey in conversation with EFL Analysis, Leicester City could look to approach former Everton manager Sean Dyche if Danny Rohl fades away from being a frontrunner to take over at the King Power.

The German coach is believed to be the leading contender for the role. However, he may also be tempted by a return to his homeland, which may be where Dyche comes into the conversation like a bolt from the blue.

Sean Dyche’s managerial record in 2024/25 – all competitions

Matches

21

Wins

4

Draws

8

Losses

9

Points per game in Premier League

0.89

Renowned for his ability to solidify and stabilise teams, the former Everton and Burnley boss has taken charge of 322 Premier League matches combining his exploits at both clubs, claiming 93 victories in that time. His favoured formation is 4-4-1-1, with a busy ‘second striker’ playing off of a target man.

Now on the lookout for his next position, the 53-year-old will point to establishing the Clarets as a top-flight force, claiming continental qualification at Turf Moor and stabilising the Toffees on a shoestring budget.

Should Leicester City begin next term with a points’ deduction, Dyche would be a sensible appointment to help grind out a consistent supply of points in England’s second-tier, a prize he managed to get his hands on in 2016.

A third FA Cup victory in six years for Manchester City might not make up for a dismal 2024/25 campaign, but it could plant the seed for rejuvenation under Pep Guardiola next term.

Losing Rodri so early on in the season proved to be the catalyst for the club’s worst run of form since the Spaniard took over in the summer of 2016.

This ensured none of the big prizes would be heading to the Etihad. But it wasn’t just losing Rodri that impacted the club. As a group, the team underperformed as the most successful era in the club’s history drew to a close.

Phil Foden has gone from 40 goal contributions last season to registering just 16 throughout 2024/25 in what has been a steady decline.

Elsewhere, Jack Grealish has also been poor, recording only eight goal contributions all season, while even Kevin De Bruyne hasn’t quite been his influential self as he shows signs of slowing down.

One of the biggest disappointments was Erling Haaland. The Norwegian had scored 52 and 38 goals across his first two seasons at the club, but has failed to hit those sorts of numbers this term.

Why Erling Haaland has struggled for Man City this season

The striker certainly began the campaign with a bang. Across his first five Premier League games, Haaland netted an impressive tally of ten goals.

This included back-to-back hat tricks against Ipswich Town and West Ham United. At this point, it appeared as though no one was going to prevent him, or City, from powering to another top-flight title.

Between the start of October and the end of 2024, however, Haaland managed to find the back of the net just three times. Even though his form picked up between January and March, an ankle injury sidelined him for a few games, and he hasn’t scored since March 30.

To put it into context how much of a drop-off the forward has endured this term, he has averaged a goal every 123 minutes in the Premier League this season, compared to every 95 minutes last year.

Erling Haaland’s PL stats for Man City

Metric

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

37

27

21

Goal conversion percentage

29%

22%

20%

Shots per game

3.5

3.9

3.6

Goal frequency (minutes)

77

95

123

Assists

8

5

3

Via Sofascore

Furthermore, Haaland’s goal conversion rate has dropped from 22% to 20% while he is averaging fewer shots per game (3.9 vs 3.6). These statistics might not indicate a serious drop-off, but considering he is about to end the season with his worst goal tally at a club since the 2021/22 season, there is a problem.

With Guardiola keen on bolstering his squad this summer, it looks as though he is eyeing a move for one of the finest wingers in Europe.

Could his potential arrival revive Haaland next season?

Man City eye move for Real Madrid superstar

City’s main transfer target this summer appears to be Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz. His agents apparently flew to England recently, but it is unclear whether they spoke to City about a move when the window opens.

It would be a major coup if they could secure his signature, but is another one of Europe’s finest being earmarked for a move to the Etihad?

According to Spanish news outlet Sport, City have contacted Real Madrid sensation Rodrygo in the hopes of bringing him to England.

The Brazilian will likely wait until Madrid have appointed a new manager following Carlo Ancelotti’s departure to take over as the Brazil manager.

The right offer could certainly tempt the La Liga giants into a sale, with a price tag set at around the €100m (£85m) mark, then the winger could be on the move.

Much will depend on how much Guardiola is willing to spend on the player, especially if he is successful in a deal to sign Wirtz, but City are lining up a swoop for the Brazil international.

Rodrygo on the right flank could certainly provide some much-needed attacking dynamism to the first-team, and he would work wonders for Haaland.

Why City should sign Rodrygo

Across 267 games for Madrid, the 24-year-old has registered 118 goal contributions – 68 goals and 50 assists in all competitions.

These goal involvements have helped the club win two La Liga crowns and two Champions League titles, but it looks as though his time in the Spanish capital might be coming to an end.

Capable of scoring goals in the biggest and most important games, he was hailed by journalist Dougie Critchley as being a “big game player” and this is someone Guardiola would surely love to have at his disposal next term.

When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s big five leagues, the Brazilian ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes, progressive carries, touches in the opposition penalty area, and progressive passes received per 90.

Additionally, he also ranks in the top 9% for assists and top 4% for shot-creating actions per 90 across the previous 365 days.

These qualities could be a dream for the Norwegian sensation. With Rodrygo getting into dangerous positions so often, especially in the attacking penalty area, Haaland would be the one to benefit, being offered countless chances in front of goal.

In La Liga this season, the Madrid winger has created five big chances while averaging 1.6 key passes per game. Add in the fact he succeeds with 1.6 dribbles – a success rate of 52% – per game, and it is clear to see exactly what he could offer to City from this summer onwards.

He and Haaland would make for a dream partnership that Guardiola would hope not only gives the club a chance at reclaiming back the Premier League title, but also for another chance of winning the Champions League.

A lot of factors will have to work in City’s favour for a move to go ahead, but as the Spaniard knows, he cannot afford for his team to perform so poorly throughout 2025/26.

With Rodri set to return from injury soon, plus new signings like Nico Gonzalez and Omar Marmoush settling in nicely, City have the tools ready to begin a brand-new era at the Etihad.

Adding Rodrygo would be the icing on the cake.

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall May 14, 2025

Even in a frustrating season, Rangers have still had their standout stars and Gers legend Ally McCoist took the time to have his say on two particular players he’d have loved to have played with.

Ally McCoist full of praise for Rangers stars

It’s been a nightmare campaign for the Gers in the Scottish Premiership. They have been a world away from runaway leaders Celtic and are heading into the summer transfer window with it all to do. Those at Ibrox will, however, be hoping that the pending arrival of the 49ers will help turn a new leaf and bridge the gap on their Old Firm rivals once and for all.

The first take that the 49ers will need to tick off their list of priorities will no doubt be hiring a permanent replacement for Philippe Clement, but then their aim should be to keep hold of some of their stars – including two that Ally McCoist name-dropped.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast in partnership with TalkSPORTBET, McCoist was asked which current Ibrox stars he’d like to have played with.

Rangers must go all-out to keep Raskin and Cerny

Many around Ibrox will certainly agree with McCoist’s praise and it’s something that the 49ers should instantly recognise before keeping hold of the two Rangers stars. In the case of Vaclav Cerny, things are slightly more complicated than they could be, however. It’s not just a case of keeping hold of the winger, the Gers must renegotiate their loan deal into a permanent arrival with parent club Wolfsburg.

Meanwhile, keeping hold of Raskin may also prove to be difficult amid reported interest from the likes of Aston Villa and Leeds United. As McCoist mentioned, the Belgian has recently become a full international and is a player who is making “steady improvement”. Whether that’s improvement Rangers can keep up with will certainly be interesting to see this summer.

What is certain though, is that both current stars would have thrived alongside McCoist – the type of player that the 49ers would love to have at their disposal upon their arrival.

The left-arm spinner took 2 for 22 in ten overs against Sri Lanka, varying his pace masterfully once again

Karthik Krishnaswamy09-Nov-2023It won’t go down as the ball of this World Cup. Or even the best ball bowled by a left-arm orthodox spinner at this World Cup. Or even the best ball bowled by Mitchell Santner at this World Cup – that honour, surely, will go to the pitch-leg, hit-off ripper he bowled to Mohammad Nabi in Chennai.This ball wasn’t that kind of ball, the kind that becomes instant social-media fodder. This was different, a ball less about its own magnificence than what it revealed about the bowler’s craft in totality. This was the kind of ball that made you wish you had paid more attention to every preceding ball this bowler had sent down, and resolve to pay extra attention to every subsequent ball.Santner delivered this ball from wide of the crease, his round-arm release accentuating the angle into the right-hand batter. The trajectory, looping up above Angelo Mathews’ eyeline, drew him forward, towards what his muscle memory must have told him was a comfortable front-foot block.Related

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Mathews’ eyes, however, had deceived him. He had committed fully to a front-foot stride when he realised it was getting him nowhere. Having hung deliciously in the air for a split-second, the ball plummeted, landing perhaps half a foot short of where the batter may have expected it to. As Mathews reached for the ball, his left arm at full stretch, it turned and bounced towards the outside shoulder of his bat. Mathews yanked his bottom hand off the handle in a desperate attempt to cushion the ball’s impact, but that did nothing to prevent it from popping gently into the hands of Daryl Mitchell at slip.Santner had beaten Mathews in flight, comprehensively.Spinners do this in many ways. Some do this by means of dip, the effect of vicious overspin on the ball, but while overspin was certainly an ingredient here, it may not have been Santner’s primary mode of deceiving Mathews. In this case, it was perhaps more to do with the pace at which Santner had delivered this ball.The ball clocked 78.7kph, and this was slow both in absolute terms, judged against the average speed of the average 21st-century fingerspinner, and relative to Santner’s average speed, which lies somewhere in the mid-80s. And among the fingerspinners playing at this World Cup, hardly anyone varies their pace as much as Santner does, ranging all the way from the mid-70s to the mid-90s.For the batter, there are few, if any, clues to be gleaned about the pace at which Santner will release the ball from his approach to the crease and load-up. His run-up contributes little by way of momentum, since his action is distinctly stop-start, with a pause before he gets into his delivery stride.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo before this World Cup, Santner spoke about this pause, and how it helps him read batters’ intentions.”If you talk to some of the other bowlers, they try to probably look at some spot on the pitch. I try to watch the batter the whole time,” Santner said. “The little delay [in my action] helps me if they’re going to charge at me or try something… At times, especially when it’s flat or if I think the batsman is going to do something, I watch him even harder.”1:01

What makes Santner so effective?

Bowlers with smoother, more rhythmic actions than Santner may be able to put more of their body into the ball than he does, which may translate into more revolutions on the ball, leading to more drift and dip. The trade-off for Santner, though, is that he gets a window into the batter’s intentions in the split-second before he delivers the ball. It’s a massive advantage in white-ball cricket, because there’s a lot more premeditation at play, and because Santner has worked so hard to be able to vary his pace to such a degree without compromising on his length, he makes full use of this advantage.It’s why he often seems a step ahead of batters, most commonly when they try to make room and find out that he hasn’t just followed them but almost pre-empted them with his adjustment of line. It’s why he gets through entire spells of seeming to simply bowl normally and escape punishment even on the flattest of pitches. It’s how he ended up going for just 37 in his ten overs, without conceding a single four or six, on an Ahmedabad pitch where England made 282.It’s why he’s part of an exclusive club at this World Cup: spinners with at least 10 wickets at a sub-25 average and an economy rate of below five. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav are the other two members of this club, and all three will now most likely feature in a blockbuster semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium.

Nearly 91% of all his deliveries this season have been above 140kmph… and that’s only half the story

Jarrod Kimber24-Apr-20224:15

Sanjay Manjrekar: Umran Malik has been ‘allowed to blossom’ at SRH

“This is the moment so many look forward to in a Sunrisers [Hyderabad] encounter,” Simon Doull says on commentary. “Umran Malik. Genuine pace, Umran Malik.”Malik is smiling. So is Nicholas Pooran, who has just taken the ball well above his head. Kevin Pietersen seems to have said yippee on air..”There’s pace, there’s bounce, yes there is,” Pietersen says. “Bang.”Matthew Hayden adds, “146 would you please?””Just a warm-up” Doull says, almost doubting what he has just seen.Malik’s first bouncer has taken this game to another level.Even though Marco Jansen has taken three wickets in the second over and already opened up the match. Even though Jansen might well be the world’s best bowler in a few years. He has decent pace, incredible height, seam, swing, is accurate, and uses a left arm. Two of those can get you a good career; three, and you’re a long-term player. I don’t know what having all six can do, because the only player even close was Bruce Reid, and we barely ever saw him fit.Compared to him, Malik is fairly one-dimensional, but that singular skill is about the sexiest thing in our sport: raw pace.Lots of bowlers are quick; we’ve never had this many bowlers who can deliver at over 90 miles – or 145 kilometres – per hour. But Malik is faster than that. He’s in the Lockie Ferguson category. And there aren’t that many others really with them.Nearly 91% of all Umran Malik deliveries this season have been above 140kmph•BCCIIt means that every ball is an event. So after that opening bouncer, the next one is a length ball, outside off stump, too wide and not exciting, but that doesn’t douse down the excitement at all.A quick technical explanation follows, showing how well aligned Malik is, and the braced front leg. Hayden compares him to Waqar Younis, Doull to Haris Rauf. Pace is pace, .The cameras quickly find Dale Steyn – the bowling coach for Sunrisers – watching on in the dugout. Malik has not yet finished his over, and already he’s completely changed the entire conversation. In many ways, the game is already over, yet it feels more alive than ever through him.Malik’s story is well known. He didn’t touch a cricket ball until he was 17. He was bowling on a cement wicket in the nets in Jammu and Kashmir when India’s U-19 selectors saw him. Those balls led to him becoming the fourth player from Jammu and Kashmir to play in the IPL.This is not an Indian cricket hotbed. Parvez Rasool is the first – and only – Indian international from J&K, having played two white-ball matches. In the IPL there’s also been Mithun Manhas (born in the province but who built his career in Delhi before returning), Rasikh Salam, Abdul Samad and Manzoor Dar (was picked up by a franchise but never played a game).4:25

What’s the ideal way to handle Umran Malik?

J&K has had serious pace before too, in the shape of Abid Nabi in the mid-2000s. Though he took over a hundred Ranji Trophy wickets and had some success in the Indian Cricket League he never quite materialised fully.This is different. This is real pace. If Nabi was the dream, Malik is the reality.His second over starts with Harsha Bhogle mentioning that the slip is standing right on the edge of the 30-yard circle. The second ball is a wicket, short and at the body. Shahbaz Ahmed is beaten for pace. By the time he catches up to it, he can only feather it down the legside for Pooran to complete a great diving catch.The following ball Wanindu Hasaranga is beaten, a fast delivery angled in at him, but moving away. This isn’t an excellent T20 ball, it would be brilliant in any format. A few balls later he is playing across the ball trying to hit it to leg, and it ends up outside off.It looks uncomfortable and no fun for anyone. There is a story from the beginning of Malik’s career when he was at Sunrisers. Jonny Bairstow was facing him in the nets and had to ask for him to bowl slower. And when he arrived in the IPL it took only a few balls into his career when people started noticing him. This was clearly next level pace.His third over begins with a chyron on the screen that asks a simple question: “Is Umran Malik the fastest bowler India has ever produced?”Umran Malik was the talk of the town during the Sunrisers vs RCB game•BCCISunil Gavaskar suggests you can only know that about the modern era. But Indian bowlers have not been fast historically, even if in recent times that has changed, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav have all been very fast. Or at least capable of rapid deliveries at times.Malik is consistently fast, like Mark Wood. His slowest on-pace balls are not slow. And he doesn’t bother with slower balls much at all. The consistent high pace is something else, because there is no let up. If you don’t like it this fast, you have a problem. This isn’t a one-off effort ball; it’s just his stock delivery.His speeds in this match come up on the screen. The slowest is 138.6kmph, which is still a quick delivery. But the average is 145kmph. To stay at 90 miles per hour consistently is hard for even the fastest bowlers (although in this case, the average is helped by his lack of a slower ball).More numbers of his speeds in his IPL career so far come up 140kmph 90.8% In fact, he doesn’t bowl slower balls. Only 2.8% of his deliveries are under 130kmph. Because he is so quick, some of his slower ones are in the low 130s. But he only bowls 6.4% of his deliveries at 130 to 139. At the very most he bowls a slower ball every ten deliveries, and in truth, it’s probably far less than that. Those are not normal rates.There is a DRS for caught behind that is overturned and Bhogle excitedly exclaims “Two slips in the 12th over, wow” as Malik finishes his third.The fourth over has some pace in it. The first five balls are 151kmph, 148kmph, 151kmph, 141kmph and 147kmph. That is probably why 77% of the fan poll say Malik is India’s fastest bowler ever.3:55

The Umran Malik conundrum: Enviable pace vs run-leaking tendency

His pace now has Pietersen asking whether he is so fast his line and length don’t matter, as poor Josh Hazlewood backs away and plays a shot so tentative it apologises for the play-and-miss. The talk is now about Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson. Later it will be Shoaib Akhtar, although that is after his spell is finished. That is in Jansen’s over, the man who set up the win. They’re still buzzing about Malik.Jansen took out Faf Du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Anuj Rawat in one over. T Natarajan was pretty good too, knocking out Harshal Patel and Hasraranga’s stumps and taking Glenn Maxwell. Even J Sucith took two wickets. But the man with one wicket gets all the attention.In the mid-match interview, Steyn is asked about Malik before Jansen. In the innings break, Pietersen is still talking about Malik unprompted, even as they show the other bowlers taking wickets. RCB are dismissed for 68, and the bowler with one victim is the story almost all the way through. You can put some of this down to the fact he is a young Indian quick. But a lot of it is just because he is young and that quick.The real proof was in the way the commentators reacted to the two bouncers in that first over. The first one I described earlier. But the last one was just as important. It flashed by a missed hook shot, and it was his second delivery over the shoulder, meaning it was a no-ball, and RCB would get a free hit.Usually, a mistake like that would get the commentators all upset with the bowler and the lack of discipline. Instead Hayden bellows: “Bring it on, bring it on,” while Pietersen is just laughing. Shabaz slaps the free hit over cover for a boundary, meaning the extra bouncer cost Sunrisers 7.3% of RCB’s total.No one cares. Because Umran Malik is fast.