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Bangladesh finally found a way to bat like a confident unit and that only happened because they realised they should always be looking for runs, even on tough pitches

Mohammad Isam in Dhaka11-Nov-2018One of the areas that Tamim Iqbal discussed with the Bangladesh batsmen during and after the first Test against Zimbabwe was the pace of their innings. He isn’t a big believer in defending too many deliveries for the sake of survival, which is what Bangladesh tried to do in Sylhet. Tamim feels batting becomes easier when you’re always on the lookout for runs, regardless of the match situation.Bangladesh suffered a familiar top-order collapse on the first day of the Dhaka Test but their recovery from that was simply excellent. They even crossed the dreaded 169, having failed to do so in each of their last eight innings. The 266-run partnership between Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque is the fourth-highest by a Bangladeshi pair. Mominul became the first batsman from his team to get to three 150-plus knocks, while Mushfiqur became only the 10th wicketkeeper to score six Test hundreds.

I found out why he is one of the top five players in Bangladesh. It really affected me. I think his input was important for me. I think it is one of my best hundredsMominul on Mushfiqur’s influence and making runs on a tough pitch

The change in fortune, particularly on an “unpredictable” pitch, was down to Mushfiqur and Mominul recognizing quite early that scoring runs will bring them comfort at the crease and in turn have the opposite effect on Zimbabwe’s bowlers.Mominul was the first to hit a boundary; by lunch he had four – one skewed over gully but the other three timed through midwicket, cover and mid-off. Mushfiqur was more careful, only looking for boundaries after the first interval. He had four fours when he reached his fifty.The pair had a great time in the middle session, scoring 151 runs in 32 overs. Mominul reached his century during this time, and as the partnership went into a higher gear, it became evident that they had cut out the risks and were working hard to grind down the Zimbabwe bowlers.In the last eight innings, the last of which was in Sylhet, the same batsmen had a hard time avoiding loose strokeplay. But here, there was a fine mix of deliveries left alone throughout their long partnership, with Mushfiqur especially careful against the fast bowling of Kyle Jarvis and Tendai Chatara. He reached his hundred after the tea interval, his first Test century since February 2017, against India in Hyderabad. The former Bangladesh captain has been very consistent in ODIs and T20Is during this period, but in Tests, especially with Tamim out injured, he needed to do better. And on Sunday, he most certainly did.Mushfiqur Rahim is pumped up after reaching his hundred•AFP”Mushfiqur bhai guided me throughout my innings,” Mominul said. “I found out why he is one of the top five players in Bangladesh. It really affected me. I think his input was important for me. I think it is one of my best hundreds. It was an interesting innings. It was tougher than some of my other hundreds.”Mominul is an instinctive top-order batsman. He made a good start to the year with his hundred in each innings against Sri Lanka. But apart from a 182 against Ireland A in August, he has had a lean time in 2018. But despite getting out to loose strokes several times in the last eight months, his confidence was evident even in Sylhet. Here in Dhaka, on a far more challenging pitch, Mominul scored freely but always made sure to pick the right balls to hit.”I didn’t see much of a difference [between this innings and the previous Tests]. I should have scored in the last five or six innings. You get out of the rhythm sometimes. Maybe something goes wrong with the routine, which I try to maintain.”I don’t try to complicate my batting. It is easier if you focus only on seeing the ball and playing the ball. You have to be mentally strong. Sometimes people say things when I am not scoring runs but that’s normal. Everyone would.”Still, there were the odd silly mistakes. Mominul survived dropped catches (albeit tough ones) on 9, 25 and 120 leaving no doubt that Bangladesh have a long way to go to become a fully confident Test batting unit. The three early wickets they lost also suggested the same. They were at a virtual standstill with Imrul Kayes and Liton Das finding it hard to get scoring opportunities in the first 11.1 overs. Imrul got out to a fine delivery but Liton and then Mohammad Mithun played poor shots after struggling to get the ball off the square.These were silly mistakes that could have cost Bangladesh heavily. Instead, through the Mushfiqur-Mominul record fourth-wicket stand, the home side have a stronger foothold in the contest.

Equally important as the series sweep over Sri Lanka is that the Australians have earned back some of the respect they had lost

Daniel Brettig04-Feb-2019″Do. Don’t think … don’t hope. Do. At least you can come off and say, ‘I did this … at least I did something’.”This snatch of the former Hawthorn coach John Kennedy’s halftime speech to his players during the 1975 VFL Grand Final is one of the more celebrated pieces of sporting oratory in Australian history. At the end of a summer in which the national men’s cricket team has had to reckon without the critical talents of Steven Smith and David Warner due to their Newlands scandal bans, it was worth pondering just how much the collective led by Tim Paine and coached by Justin Langer had been able to sort effective actions from complicated thoughts, hopes and ambitions.Given the intensity and deep thought that Langer in particular has committed to the job since he took over as coach back in May last year, a fairly long list of decisions might now be put down to overthinking, however good intentioned, and also the mental drain of Test cricket:ALSO READ: Tim Paine targets Ashes glory after Sri Lanka sweepMitchell Starc bowling at first change in the Perth ODI. Aaron Finch as a Test opener. Marnus Labuschagne as a No. 3. Peter Handscomb in, then out, then in for one Test, then out again. Pace bowlers electing to pitch short with a still-new ball on day one in Sydney. Marcus Stoinis in the Test squad. Matthew Wade not batting high enough to be considered. Kurtis Patterson picked from outside the original Sri Lanka squad. Will Pucovski called up one game after returning to cricket from mental health issues and then not chosen. Glenn Maxwell not being selected at all. One (Mitchell Marsh), two (Josh Hazlewood), three (Pat Cummins), four (Travis Head) vice-captains.Through all these contentious and sometimes overwrought decisions, there was a sense of learning by trial and error, in much the same way as Cricket Australia and its rights holders unpicked the complex realities of dual broadcasts on and , alongside three radio networks all equally eager for their regular pieces of access. No two players summed this up for Australia better than Starc and Usman Khawaja, players expected to take on senior mantles in the absence of Smith and Warner but waylaid by crises of confidence, injury and distractions outside of the game.

We’ve got some really good characters, some really strong characters, and people we can build a really strong Australian cricket future onTIM PAINE

“A real lesson in a lot of the younger guys in the team (is that) Test cricket is not always easy, no matter how good you are. You have to work really hard,” Paine observed in the aftermath of the Canberra Test. “Whilst those two guys haven’t had outstanding summers or as good a summer as they would have liked, the way they went about it at training and the way they led our group in terms of effort and how you prepare to play Test cricket was great to see.”For the younger guys to see them go through a really tough period, not throw in the towel and keep working away and get the results they did in this Test was a really good lesson in perseverance. I know a lot of the young guys will really learn a lot from that.”There were differing approaches for Khawaja and Starc to reach some kind of improvement. Khawaja leaned heavily on the comfort and support of his wife Rachel while sticking more or less to the same plans and thoughts he has long held close to his batting game. He eventually found it somewhat easier to concentrate simply on the next ball in what was at best a moderately challenging situation in the third innings against a Sri Lankan team already well and truly behind in the match.Starc, meanwhile, was fortified by the support of team-mates both in public and private, but also resorted to sticking on the blinkers to avoid the myriad opinions of commentators and supporters. At the same time, he looked outside the team bubble – gilded or not – for the morsels of advice he needed to be who he always has been: an extremely fast, intimidating left-arm bowler with a hint of unpredictability. New South Wales bowling coach Andre Adams has certainly had a better week in Canberra than his national team equivalent David Saker.In Burns and Patterson, Australia have batsmen ideally suited to complement Smith and Warner in England•Getty ImagesFor Paine, the clarity Starc and Khawaja were able to find at the end of a long and largely disappointing international summer was a useful lesson in terms of the game’s mental dimensions. So often against India, the Australians appeared either distracted or harried into errors they might not have otherwise made, caused both by the quality of Virat Kohli’s team but also the weight of the occasion. Granted a simpler challenge against Sri Lanka, they were able to shape their games into more sustained and constructive displays.”When everyone is struggling in sport and cricket in particular, a lot of it is in your own head,” Paine said. “At times we’ve got to find ways to get out of our own head and Starcy was probably a pretty good example of that.”I was really proud of the way our boys rallied around Starcy and, even when he wasn’t at his best, kept reminding him of how important he is to our team and how we think he’s one of the best bowlers in the world. Eventually I think we got through to him and I thought he bowled superbly this game. I think it was a real lesson for all of us but particularly the young guys in our group.”Though there were plenty of unknowns for Australia at the start of the international season, it must be said that a final scoreline of 2-1 losers to India (somewhat flatteringly) and 2-0 victors over Sri Lanka (an accurate reflection) was a good pointer as to where Paine and Langer’s men stood. In making a couple of straightforward selection calls to include Joe Burns and Patterson on the basis of consistent performance, they were able, too, to unearth a pair of players likely to ideally complement Smith and Warner in England later this year.And if Paine and Langer both seemed exhausted by thoughts, words and deeds over the past four months, they were also content that in terms of the way the team’s players conducted themselves, they had pulled back some measure of respect from an Australian public that had so decried them in the wake of Newlands. “I’m really proud of the way we’ve gone about it,” Paine said. “We spoke at the start of the summer that our main priority was to win back the respect of our Australian public and our cricket fans.”Sitting here now, I think we’ve gone a long way to doing that. I think we’ve still got a little bit of work to do, but we’re on the right track. I couldn’t be prouder of the way our coaching staff, our support staff and our playing group have gone about things in some really difficult times, and it’s in these difficult times that you see the sort of characters that you’ve got in your group. It’s confirmed to us that we’ve got some really good characters, some really strong characters, and people we can build a really strong Australian cricket future on.”For all of Kennedy’s exhortations, the Hawthorn side of 1975 were not able to do as he asked, turning a 20-point half-time deficit to North Melbourne into a 55-point defeat. Even so, Kennedy’s message lived on, particularly after the team went on to reverse the result over the Kangaroos in 1976. It’s that sort of longer-term success that Australia will hope to get after the many travails and missteps of 2018-19.

Much before Hardik Pandya’s meaty blows with the bat, the Mumbai Indians fast-bowling unit scripted Royal Challengers Bangalore’s undoing. Here’s a recap

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai16-Apr-20192:09

Five reasons why Mumbai beat Royal Challengers

It’s fair to say that Hardik Pandya’s final few blows sealed Mumbai Indians’ win on Monday night. But the fact that the hosts were chasing a modest-looking score at Wankhede Stadium was down to their pace attack that had done the damage early on.Royal Challengers Bangalore were restricted to 171 for 7 because Mumbai’s fast bowlers kept them from scoring freely with their accurate lengths and pace variations. Here’s how the pace attack fared on their home pitch:Jason BehrendorffThe first time these two teams met this season, Jasprit Bumrah had dismissed Virat Kohli with a short ball. When Behrendorff opened the bowling on Monday and bowled to Kohli, he had a deep point and deep square-leg in place. Even before Kohli had taken strike, Behrendorff had bowled a good length with his first ball, pinning Parthiv Patel right in front but an inside edge saved him.On the first ball of his second over, Behrendorff banged in a short-of-length delivery on middle, got it to nip in and the wide gap that Kohli leaves between his bat and pad led to an inside edge and an easy catch for the wicketkeeper. Kohli was gone for 8.After his first two overs, Behrendorff had 2-0-14-1, but he ended with 4-0-49-1 after bowling a bit too short to Parthiv and conceding 17 in the 16th over. What Rohit Sharma may want to do in their remaining matches is finish Behrendorff’s quota within the first ten overs because he is not known for his death bowling.Jason Behrendorff is pumped after getting a wicket•BCCILasith MalingaComing in for the injured Alzarri Joseph, Malinga opened from the other end, and even though he bowled a touch fuller than Behrendorff, his accuracy and swing meant he conceded only five runs in the second over of the match. Malinga later returned to the attack when AB de Villiers had settled down.He aimed for the stumps with length deliveries in the 13th over. He went for a short ball on the third delivery – whether by mistake or experiment – that went for four, and quickly responded with a yorker and more of length deliveries. Two overs for 16 runs.The drama came in his last two overs – the 18th and 20th of the innings. He pushed Royal Challengers on the back foot with his trademark slower deliveries that dismissed a well-set Moeen Ali for 50 and the dangerous Marcus Stoinis for a duck. With de Villiers run out with four balls to go in the innings, Malinga toyed with the lower order, sending down more slower balls and taking two more wickets to end with 4 for 31 and the Player-of-the-Match award.Hardik Pandya completes his bowling action•BCCIJasprit Bumrah If Malinga snuffed out Royal Challengers with his flurry of wickets, Bumrah strangled them early on with an economical spell that hardly had any loose deliveries. As soon as he was introduced, Bumrah sent down a maiden by bowling according to his field; his lengths were accurate as ever – he knew straightaway that bowling just short of good length would reap great dividends on this ground. He swung the ball late and beat the batsmen as many as eight times in his first two overs in the Powerplay. He had even brought in two slips in the sixth over as there was a hint of swing, and he conceded just four runs in his first two overs.When he returned at the death, Bumrah was either going for the block hole or the skiddy short-of-length area, which had worked the entire innings for Mumbai. Again, a boundary-less over and only eight off the 17th over. In the 19th over, a couple of low full tosses were dispatched through the covers by de Villiers, but Bumrah replied with a pin-point yorker through de Villiers’ legs, following it up with a bouncer that hit the batsman on the side of the helmet. Bumrah finished with 4-1-22-0, and played the biggest role in tying Royal Challengers down.Hardik PandyaHardik has been leaking too many runs in the death overs so Rohit used him smartly by introducing him as soon as the Powerplay ended, for three overs on the trot. In those, Hardik showed how well he knows the Wankhede track. After five length deliveries in the seventh over, he slipped in a ball that was only slightly slower – at 124.4kmh – just short of good length, which got extra bounce and took Parthiv’s bat shoulder for a catch to point.He conceded only five runs off eight balls to left-handers Moeen and Parthiv combined and, in a disciplined bowling show, he was hit for only two boundaries by de Villiers – an inside edge for four and a top-edged pull for six. Despite those strokes of bad luck for him, Hardik finished with 3-0-21-1.”We bowled pretty well with the new ball, I think we were better at that part,” Hardik said at the press conference after the match. “Our bowling unit has bowlers who can swing the ball and get some purchase from the wicket, and we hit the right areas, and we were getting the movement from the wicket which was important for us.”When Mumbai’s chase started, the Royal Challengers bowlers bowled either too short or too full and the difference in the Powerplay scores (45 and 67) could have been the difference in the end.

Batsman flew in from Miami the night before the CPL final and lifted the trophy on Tridents debut

Matt Roller17-Oct-2019The day before the Caribbean Premier League final, Barbados Tridents realised that the hamstring JP Duminy had tweaked in Qualifier 2 wasn’t going to heal in time to play.Phil Salt, the Sussex batsman on the fringes of the England squad, got a phone call from his agent while holidaying in Miami. “Can you get to the airport for 7 o’clock tonight?” Just over 24 hours later, Salt was celebrating his first major T20 trophy in the dressing room.”It’s been a belting week”, Salt told ESPNcricinfo from Tampa, the next stop on his North American holiday. “It had been on my radar from the day before, but I thought it was something like a ten per cent chance I’d be going.”I actually flew in with the owners – they’re based in Dallas – got there, had a night in the hotel, and met up with the boys in the morning. We had the team meeting at 2.00, the bus left at 2.30 and we were straight into the game.”For Salt, the occasion was made all the more special due to his link with Barbados. After growing up in North Wales, he moved to Barbados as a child for his formative years – he famously once ‘took’ Sir Garry Sobers’ Indian takeaway by mistake – and had grown up playing age-group cricket with plenty of his team-mates on Saturday night.”A lot of the boys are old friends so it was good to see them again… Roshon Primus, Justin Greaves. I’d come across Jason Holder – he was a few years older than me, but I always used to see him at Wanderers Cricket Club practice. And then Shai Hope was the year above me, but I used to play with him as well… it’s sort of the whole squad that in some way or another I’d had something to do with.”Salt’s kit was printed at the last minute – as evidenced by his name and number being printed in a different font and colour to the rest of the side – and he borrowed a bat off Raymon Reifer. To most it would be unsettling, but Salt shrugged it off: “I find it quite easy to roll with the punches and get on with it.”Phil Salt’s last-minute shirt had his name and number in the wrong font and colour•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettyComing in at 43 for 1 in the sixth over, Salt found mid-on and mid-off off his first two balls, and was hit on the forearm by a Ben Laughlin slower-ball bouncer facing his third – but to the general disbelief of the whole ground, umpire Gregory Brathwaite raised his finger.”I couldn’t quite believe it. I was so far away from it! I was like – hang on a minute, I could really kick off here. But then I thought, you know what, there’s nothing I can do – I’ve just got to accept a poor decision and move on.”In the end, it mattered little: after Jonathan Carter’s late salvo and a disciplined bowling effort, the Tridents eased to a 27-run win, and Salt soon had his hands on the trophy.”The celebrations were great,” he said. “We had a good chat among the group. I came into it quite late, but talking to the guys over a couple of beers, they’d been through quite a lot – they’d struggled at the start of the comp, and hadn’t played their best cricket. But they came together as a team and built up that momentum – I felt lucky to be a part of it. It was one of the best days of my life.”Salt resumed his holiday after another day’s layover, and the T10 league is next on his agenda before a Big Bash League stint at the Adelaide Strikers. He was “pretty disappointed” to miss out on England’s T20I squad to go to New Zealand, having received his maiden call-up for the one-off game against Pakistan at the start of the summer, but is confident that he can press his case with a good winter.”When I got the call from [England selector] James Taylor, I thought he was going to tell me that I was in [the squad]. It’s a strong one that they’ve picked, and I’m sure they’ll do really well out there. He just said that I was really close but didn’t make it this time. Every game of cricket I play now, I’m just trying to do my best and perform.”

Chelsea are already making plans to prepare for the upcoming summer transfer window in an attempt to bolster the squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Blues have been linked with Inter stars Yann Bisseck and Marcus Thuram, whilst Napoli centre-forward Victor Osimhen reportedly wants to sign for Enzo Maresca’s side.

Chelsea have had success in recruiting from the Serie A in the past, with French central defender Marcel Desailly being a prime example – the titan joined from AC Milan in the summer of 1998 and went on to become a stalwart at Stamford Bridge.

He ended his time in England with 222 appearances in all competitions for the Blues, winning the FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup, before being released in 2004 after six years at the club.

Chelsea could repeat that success and raid AC Milan once again for a defensive star as they reportedly eye up one of their present-day stars.

Chelsea plot move for Milan star

According to Tutto Mercato Web, Chelsea are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that Aston Villa and the Blues are both plotting moves to sign the France international, as Maresca looks to bolster his options in the goalkeeping position.

It adds that both teams have ‘taken information’ on the shot-stopper ahead of a possible ‘concrete’ move in the summer window, suggesting that they have made contact with either Milan or the player’s representatives to see if a transfer is realistic.

There is no mention of how much it would take to take the Italian giants into selling Maignan, but Chelsea must now push to get a deal done for him ahead of next season.

Why Chelsea should sign Mike Maignan

The Blues hit the jackpot when they signed Desailly, who went on to be a regular for many years and racked up over 200 first-team appearances, from Milan and they could do the same again by improving their defence with the French shot-stopper, who has played 154 times for the Serie A side.

Robert Sanchez has been the first choice for much of the current campaign and has done little to suggest that he is the long-term answer for Maresca in that position.

The Spaniard has made three errors that have led to shots, five errors that have led to goals, and given away two penalties in his 25 Premier League appearances this term.

Maignan’s performances in the Serie A for Milan over the past two seasons, meanwhile, suggest that he could come in to provide more stability between the sticks.

Appearances

59

41

Clean sheets

20

10

Error led to shot

2

5

Error led to goal

3

6

Penalties committed

1

2

As you can see in the table above, Sanchez has made more than twice as many errors that have led to shots, twice as many errors that have led to goals, and committed twice as many penalties in 18 fewer appearances since the start of last season.

This suggests that Maignan would improve Chelsea’s defence by not making as many critical errors that lead to goals conceded, hence why his clean sheet rate is also more impressive than the current Blues goalkeeper’s.

The French ace, who was described as “world-class” by Serie A reporter Haris Mrkonja, has the potential to be an excellent addition to Maresca’s squad as a replacement for Sanchez, given his form over the past two seasons, and that is why the club must push to land him ahead of Villa.

Chelsea now interested in signing £43m Inter Milan star alongside Thuram

The Blues have identified a new target ahead of the summer transfer window…

ByDominic Lund Apr 6, 2025

Maignan, therefore, also has the potential to be Desailly 2.0 for the club as another defensive titan, albeit in a different position, to come over from Milan to the Premier League to star at Stamford Bridge.

The upcoming summer transfer window will be an interesting one for Celtic as they will hope to avoid losing any more of their top players ahead of next season.

Last year, Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion swooped in to sign Matt O’Riley from the Scottish giants for a reported fee of more than £25m.

That came after the Danish magician had scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists in the Scottish Premiership during the 2023/24 campaign for Brendan Rodgers.

The Hoops now have a number of valuable assets who could be targets for other clubs in the upcoming summer transfer window, thanks to their performances this season.

Celtic's top five most valuable players

According to Transfermarkt, 27-year-old central defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, who has been linked with Bayer Leverkusen, is currently the most valuable player in the squad with a valuation of £11.9m.

Celtic’s top two scorers – Daizen Maeda (31) and Nicolas Kuhn (18) – also make the top five list. Maeda is worth £9.4m, and the German forward is the joint-second most valuable in the squad at £10.2m.

Cameron Carter-Vickers

27

£11.9m

Arne Engels

21

£10.2m

Nicolas Kuhn

25

£10.2m

Reo Hatate

27

£9.4m

Daizen Maeda

27

£9.4m

Arne Engels, who joined the club from Augsburg last summer and has scored ten goals in all competitions, also makes the top five list alongside those three and Reo Hatate.

Whilst Celtic will be happy to have so many highly-valued assets at Parkhead, the Hoops once lost a player for £0 who is now worth more than all of them in the form of Aaron Hickey.

Aaron Hickey's current market value

The Scottish defender joined the club’s academy at the age of 12 and spent four years in the set-up before joining Hearts at the age of 16, as he revealed to Brentford’s official website.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Hickey confirmed that it was his decision to move on from Celtic, rejecting their offer of a new contract, because of his lack of game time in the academy, which meant that the Hoops ended up losing him for nothing.

The versatile full-back then went on to make his senior breakthrough at Hearts before spending two years in Italy with Bologna, between 2020 and 2022, before his big-money move to the Premier League with Brentford ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Brentford reportedly paid a fee of £14m for the Scottish defender and he has only played 35 matches in the Premier League to date, missing 76 games with hamstring and ankle injuries.

At the time of writing, despite his lack of football in recent seasons, Hickey is currently valued at a whopping £15.4m by Transfermarkt – even more than the fee the Bees paid for him.

The 22-year-old talent was even tipped to become even better than Kieran Tierney, who is due to rejoin Celtic this summer, and Andy Robertson by Barry Ferguson, who is currently the manager of Rangers, two years ago, as shown in the clip above.

Hickey, who was described as “amazing” by former manager Steven Naismith, has been unable to fulfill that potential so far, due to his hamstring and ankle injuries, but his significant market value points to the quality he has already shown in his short career to date.

Celtic must rue losing "exciting" gem who's now playing like a £100m star

Celtic lost the talented young attacker for a fee of just £230k and now he’s being compared to a £100m talent.

ByDan Emery Apr 15, 2025

Despite those injury problems, Celtic may regret losing him for nothing as the young dynamo has gone on to become worth even more than all of Rodgers’ current stars, including Engels, Kuhn, and Maeda.

A former scout has claimed that a “really good” Premier League player would be “happy” to seal a move to Everton in the summer transfer window.

Moyes eyeing summer signings for Everton

David Moyes will know the importance of the Blues nailing their summer transfer business, with the manager reportedly personally pushing to complete the signing of Brighton striker Evan Ferguson. The 20-year-old has spent this season on loan at West Ham, having fallen out of favour with the Seagulls, but the Everton manager reportedly believes he can get the best out of the Republic of Ireland international.

In terms of other Blues-related transfer news, Monaco attacker Mika Biereth has been linked with a summer move to Merseyside, following an impressive season. The 22-year-old has scored 12 goals in just 13 appearances in Ligue 1, as well as netting twice in the Champions League for Sturm Graz, prior to his move away later in the campaign.

West Brom midfielder Tom Fellows has been backed to move to Everton numerous times, with a move almost happening in the January window, and the Premier League club are said to be confident of striking a deal this summer.

Liverpool player would be "happy" join Everton, says King

Speaking to Goodison News, former Everton scout Bryan King, who once told them to sign Alexander Isak during his time as their Scandinavian talent-spotter, said Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah would be “happy” to join the Blues this summer.

“This wouldn’t be the first time a Liverpool player has joined Everton. Therefore, I couldn’t see that being a problem, and I think Liverpool will sell to the club that makes them the best offer. In addition, I’d imagine Quansah would be quite happy to move across Stanley Park. He is probably already living in the Liverpool area. Therefore, a move to Everton wouldn’t cause him or his family too many problems.”

The £30,000-a-week Quansah would be a controversial signing by Everton, given the fact that he is a Liverpool player, but it is easy to see him being a good addition, should he not have a long-term future at Anfield.

The 22-year-old England international had a tough start to the season, being substituted at half-time away to Ipswich Town on the opening weekend, and he has only made two starts in the league in 2024/25. That said, Jurgen Klopp was a big admirer.

Outscoring Salah in 2025: Everton chasing DCL upgrade who's "like Haaland"

Moyes needs to strengthen Everton’s frontline this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 22, 2025

It remains to be seen if Liverpool want to sell Quansah this summer, but he has the physical prowess to thrive under Moyes, as well as technical ability – he has a 91.6% pass completion rate in the league this season – and he has even been compared to Virgil van Dijk in style, which is the ultimate praise.

Already planning ahead to the summer transfer window, Everton have reportedly added a Player of the Year winner to their shortlist, which includes three other midfield targets.

Everton's midfield plans explained

With Abdoulaye Doucoure on course to depart as a free agent at the end of the current campaign, the Toffees have reportedly set their sights on a number of potential replacements. The Frenchman has enjoyed an impressive campaign and finding someone who will have the same influence on David Moyes’ side will no doubt prove to be a difficult, but crucial task.

As things stand, names such as Wilfred Ndidi, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Sunderland captain Dan Neil have all been mentioned as targets, with The Friedkin Group willing to shop in the Championship market this summer.

Dewsbury-Hall, out of those three options, is the most interesting name on that list of targets. The former Leicester City star has struggled to break into Enzo Maresca’s Premier League side at Chelsea and has often found himself relegated to Europa Conference League responsibilities. Now, a year on from arriving at Stamford Bridge, he looks destined to depart.

Meanwhile, Ndidi would likely be the cheapest option of the lot, given that he reportedly has a relegation release clause worth just £9m at Leicester City. For a player with such invaluable experience, a price tag below the £10m mark should be considered an undeniable steal.

A massive Beto upgrade: Everton enter talks to sign "phenomenal" star

Everton are making moves to land a new striker for David Moyes ahead of the summer.

ByEthan Lamb May 1, 2025

Whether Everton decide to push on and land Dewsbury-Hall, Neil or Ndidi this summer remains to be seen, however. Instead, Friedkin could turn towards a player who has just picked up a Player of the Year award.

Everton add Gustavo Hamer to shortlist

According to TeamTalk, Everton have now added Gustavo Hamer to their midfield shortlist, which now reportedly sits at four names ahead of the summer transfer window. The Sheffield United star enjoyed a standout season even as the Blades missed out on automatic promotion in the Championship and could yet find himself on the move as a result.

Earning plenty of praise after picking up the Player of the Season award, Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told reporters when asked about Hamer’s quality: “When Gus speaks, everybody listens. And rightly so, there should have been interest in him in the summer, because of how outstanding he was in an incredibly disappointing campaign for us. He cleaned up in the Player of the Year awards, so there was always going to be interest in him.”

With nine goals and seven assists in all competitions, the midfield star will be looking to perform one or two more moments of magic to seal promotion through the play-offs for Sheffield United, before potentially earning the big move that he deserves this summer.

Arsenal are believed to be emerging as favourites to sign a highly-rated forward who is among Chelsea’s top transfer targets this summer, with Andrea Berta threatening to scupper the club’s London rivals.

Arsenal targeting new attackers for Mikel Arteta this summer

According to recent reports, the Gunners are contemplating fresh additions in both wide areas and further up front.

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Mikel Arteta’s side are apparently debating the prospect of signing an alternative to Bukayo Saka on the right wing, while uncertainty surrounding the long-term futures of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard could also prompt the club to move for a left-winger (GiveMeSport).

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

There is also the very real prospect of a new number nine arriving at the Emirates, with injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz exposing Arteta’s lack of prolific, natural options in the centre-forward area (GiveMeSport).

Many intriguing names have been linked with moves to N5 over the last few weeks, and especially since Berta’s appointment as sporting director was confirmed in late March.

According to German newspaper Ruhr Nachrichten, as relayed by Get Football News Germany, Borussia Dortmund starlet Jamie Gittens is becoming a key target for Arteta and Berta.

The Englishman, formerly of Man City’s academy, is making a real name for himself in the Bundesliga as a standout attacking talent, having racked up 12 goals and five assists in 46 total appearances this campaign.

Jamie Gittens imagining move to Arsenal over Chelsea

Chelsea are widely believed to be attempting a move for Gittens ahead of the summer, but Arsenal have now burst into the race for Dortmund’s forward sensation.

As per Ruhr Nachrichten, via GFNG, Gittens “can very well imagine” a move to Arsenal, and the north Londoners have an edge in the race for his services. Dortmund could also find a minimum offer of around £42 million pretty tempting, with Arsenal now thought to be in pole position to secure a move.

Arteta’s side have apparently pushed harder than Chelsea so far, and there appears to be a race taking shape between the two sides for Gittens, who appears likely to leave Dortmund when the window reopens.

The 20-year-old’s exploits have earned him a growing reputation abroad as one of Europe’s most exciting young final third players, with ex-Dortmund boss Nuri Şahin branding Gittens an “incredible” one-v-one specialist.

“He’s a very important player for us,” said Sahin.

“Jamie himself wants to take the next step, and we want him to take that step. Now he’s scoring goals and playing more mature football. It’s not news to me that he’s incredible one-on-one and is a very good finisher.”

Meanwhile, Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken has heaped praise on the youngster’s impressive output.

“Jamie is doing an outstanding job,” said Ricken.

“He was a standout, including in the way he helped Ramy (Bensebaini, Dortmund’s left-back) in defence. He has developed into a real difference maker with his goals and assists.”

This summer is huge for Liverpool if they are to maintain the success they’ve endured throughout Arne Slot’s first season in charge of the football club.

His side claimed the Premier League title with multiple games to spare, but the real challenge will come next campaign, with a real battle expected at the top end of the table.

Manchester City and Arsenal are likely to spend big this summer to try and close the gap produced by the Reds in recent months, which could bring a tasty battle for the title in 2025/26.

However, if Slot’s men aren’t to get left behind by their rivals, they too will have to enter the transfer market and make key reinforcements in numerous areas across the pitch.

In recent weeks, one player has constantly been touted with a switch to Anfield, with another update in recent days shedding light on the situation in such a department.

Liverpool’s hunt for defensive reinforcements this summer

Dean Huijsen is the man most linked with a summer move to Liverpool, after previously holding talks with his representatives over a switch to join the Reds.

The Spaniard has a £50m release clause within his current deal at Bournemouth, but LaLiga giants Real Madrid have now made their own move for the 20-year-old sensation.

It remains to be seen if Slot’s men can complete a deal for him, turning their attention to another target in the form of Benfica star Tomas Araujo, according to Anfield Watch.

The report claims that the Reds’ hierarchy are keen on a move for the 22-year-old, who could also cover at right-back if needed, with Manchester United and Chelsea also keen on his signature.

It also states that the Portuguese youngster currently has a €80m (£67m) release clause in his deal, but it’s unclear whether a deal could be done for less than such a fee.

Talks have also allegedly been held with the player’s agent, Ali Barat, who coincidentally is also advising Huijsen. While Barat is driving Huijsen’s move to Stamford Bridge, discussions have also been held between Liverpool and the agent regarding a move for Araujo.

Why Liverpool’s £67m target would be the dream Huijsen alternative

Slot has done an excellent job in creating a seamless transition between taking the reins last summer from Jürgen Klopp, putting them level with Manchester United on 20 league titles in their history.

Their defensive department has played a key role in achieving such a record, conceding just 37 times in their 36 outings to date – the second-best record of any side in England’s top-flight.

The likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have played a key role within the backline this campaign, with a move for any of the aforementioned targets adding further depth to the defensive unit.

Huijsen would undoubtedly be the supporters’ first choice given his rise in the Premier League with the Cherries, but a deal for Araujo could prove to be an excellent one should he move to Merseyside.

When comparing his stats to those of the Spaniard, he’s managed to match or better him in numerous key areas – showcasing how much of an excellent addition he would be to Slot’s squad.

Araujo, who’s been labelled “complete” by talent scout Antonio Mango, has managed to complete more of the passes he’s attempted, whilst completing more take-ons, handing the side the added ball-playing option within the backline.

He’s also managed to win more tackles and come out on top in more of the aerial battles he’s entered – offering a superb option within the backline to further bolster their defensive quality.

Games played

27

30

Minutes played

2239

2324

Progressive passes

5.3

4.9

Pass accuracy

85%

83%

Tackles won

1.7

1

% of tackles won

75%

64%

Take-on success

55%

40%

Aerials won

61%

60%

His dominance over Huijsen is there for all to see based upon the stats produced by the pair, undoubtedly being the better option when pursuing a move for another centre-back this summer.

Whilst Araujo would cost a little bit more than the Spaniard, it’s a worthwhile investment, having all the tools to develop further, given his tender age of just 22.

If the club are to maintain the success endured this campaign, added squad depth is certainly needed, with a big-money deal for Araujo undoubtedly handing Slot just that.

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