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Manchester United have now reportedly made contact to sign 18-year-old Salvador Blopa from Sporting CP in an attempt to jump ahead of Real Madrid in the race for his signature.

Those at Old Trafford have kept an eye on the transfer market ever since the summer window slammed shut and with things looking up on the pitch, they could be well-placed to welcome a number of upgrades in 2026.

Ruben Amorim’s side entered the November international break without a defeat in five games, having drawn twice and won three to move up to seventh in the Premier League.

Whilst their wait for five wins in a row is ongoing, there’s no doubt that the Red Devils have taken a significant step. Whether that continues after the international break is the big question.

Man United will play host to Everton in what should be seen as a winnable game at Old Trafford against former manager David Moyes. They then face struggling sides West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in two of their next five games in a run that should see them push on even further.

Amorim’s not getting ahead of himself, however. After rescuing a late draw against Tottenham last time out, he told reporters that his side still have plenty of problems to solve.

It’s a sign of the high standards that the Man United boss holds and INEOS could yet help him to meet those standards by turning to the transfer market once again in 2026.

Man Utd have 'held conversations' to sign Blopa

As relayed by TeamTalk, Man United have now ‘held conversations’ to sign Blopa from Sporting CP and jump ahead of Real Madrid in the transfer race in the process. The 18-year-old can play right midfield, right-back and left midfield as one of the most versatile players that Sporting have to offer.

Out of all those positions, he’d likely solve Amorim’s right wing-back problem. As things stand, it’s Amad Diallo or Noussair Mazraoui in the role, but Blopa’s emergence could quickly cause United a much-welcomed selection headache down that side.

£150,000-a-week La Liga star who Amorim wants is now open to Man Utd move

The Man Utd boss has given the green light.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 15, 2025

The interest from Real Madrid and those at Old Trafford in Blopa should also come as little surprise. The teenager scored twice on his Sporting debut and earned praise from current manager Rui Borges, who told reporters: “Tactically he gave us what we wanted.

“In the B team he sometimes plays on the right and other times on the left, sometimes higher and sometimes lower. He’s a kid with very unique characteristics, athletic, and physically he’s going to grow immensely more.”

The Red Devils have built a reputation of turning Sporting’s stars into world stars and the versatile defender could be next.

Now worth more than Anderson: Man Utd star is the "nearest thing" to Zidane

Celtic are in the process of finding their long-term successor to former head coach Brendan Rodgers, who resigned from the role last month after a 3-1 loss to Hearts.

The Northern Irish manager returned to Parkhead in the summer of 2023, replacing Ange Postecoglou in the dugout, and won the Scottish Premiership title in both of his full seasons in charge.

Celtic are now looking for a manager to come in and build on that success in the months and seasons to come, and Columbus Crew boss Wilfried Nancy appears to be closing in on the job.

The latest on Wilfried Nancy to Celtic

According to Sky Sports, the Premiership champions have been granted permission by Columbus Crew to hold discussions with the French tactician this weekend.

The report claims that Nancy is open to making the move from the MLS to Scotland to replace Rodgers in the dugout, after the 2025 MLS came to an end for his side this month.

It adds that the Hoops want to have a new manager in place for their league clash with St Mirren next weekend, and that they will need to discuss compensation with Columbus Crew if they agree terms with Nancy.

If the French boss does take over the job in the coming days, one player who could benefit from his arrival at Parkhead is central midfielder Arne Engels.

Why Arne Engels could explode under Wilfried Nancy

Just as Matt O’Riley did when Rodgers took over from Postecoglou, Engels could explode with the change in manager from Rodgers to Nancy this season.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Belgian star could be O’Riley 2.0 with the potential that he has to be an exciting attacking force as one of the two number 10s behind the striker in his 3-4-2-1 system.

Appearances

38

37

Goals

3

18

Minutes per goal

843

181

Big chances created

16

14

Key passes per game

2.2

2.5

Assists

12

13

As you can see in the table above, the Denmark international, who now plays for Marseille, scored 15 more goals and provided one more assist in the league under Rodgers than he did under Postecoglou.

Engels could benefit in a similar way with this change in manager, as he has mainly played as a central midfielder in a 4-3-3 system for Rodgers, but he could play further forward under Nancy.

The Belgium international, whose set-piece delivery was hailed as “world-class” by Rodgers, produced nine goals and six assists in the Scottish Premiership last season, but has only managed one goal and one assist in ten games this term, with both of those goal contributions coming against Kilmarnock for Martin O’Neill.

Engels has created four ‘big chances’ in four appearances in the Europa League this season, being rewarded with one assist, per Sofascore, which is a testament to his technical and creative quality.

The midfield star is valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, over a year on from his £11m move from Augsburg, which suggests that the Hoops need to find a way to get more out of him, to ensure that their £11m investment does not turn out to be a poor one.

Playing further up the pitch, as a number ten, as part of Nancy’s preferred tactical set-up would put him in more positions to show off his brilliant technical ability, rather than often being too far from goal as a central midfielder or as a number six under Rodgers.

Celtic now "granted permission" to take biggest step yet in push to hire Wilfried Nancy

The Bhoys are set to make their move…

ByTom Cunningham Nov 15, 2025

Therefore, the Columbus Crew tactician could help Engels to explode and follow in O’Riley’s footsteps if Celtic hire him and he goes through with the 3-4-2-1 system used in the MLS.

Two wickets each for Hasaranga and Theekshana restricted Zimbabwe to 146, before SL blazed to the target

Madushka Balasuriya25-Nov-2025Pathum Nissanka found a timely return to form as he struck a devastating 98 off 58 deliveries to help Sri Lanka chase down a target of 147 against Zimbabwe in just 16.2 overs, with nine wickets to spare, in what was a must-win game in Rawalpindi. The result gives Sri Lanka their first win on the tour, and snaps a five-match losing streak in T20Is. It now means Sri Lanka go into their final game against Pakistan on Thursday knowing that a win will mean they qualify for the final of the tri-series.Before Nissanka’s blitz, Sri Lanka’s bowlers had done well to restrict Zimbabwe to a sub-par total of 146 for 5. Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga ended with identical innings-best figures of 2 for 23, as Zimbabwe struggled to push their innings into high gear.There were starts for Brian Bennett and Sikandar Raza, but both fell at inopportune moments, while a final flourish from Ryan Burl was still not enough to challenge a strong Sri Lanka batting performance. The rest of the Zimbabwe batting once more fell flat. There was also a debut for Pavan Rathnayake, though Nissanka ensured Rathnayake was not required to bat.

Nissanka finds form

After that monumental 107 against India in the Asia Cup, Nissanka’s next five white-ball scores read 29, 24, 24, 0 and 17. Not necessarily terrible form, but for a side that relies heavily on his power-hitting to set the tone, it’s no surprise that Nissanka’s dip in form has coincided with a lean period for Sri Lanka.But here, with Sri Lanka chasing a middling total and needing a win to stay in contention for the final, Nissanka finally got one to stick. Sri Lanka produced their best powerplay of the series – 64 for 1 – with Nissanka accounting for 37 of those runs. Through the middle overs, Sri Lanka struck a further 73 – and Nissanka 51 of those. And only three death-overs deliveries were needed to seal the chase – a wide, a four, and a mammoth six.File photo: Maheesh Theekshana got two wickets in the powerplay•Associated Press

Full or short, it didn’t matter, Nissanka dealt with them all just the same. There were sweeps off seamers, flat-batted wallops over extra cover, slaps down the ground, and mega pulls right across the square boundary. Richard Ngarava was singled out in particular, with the tall left-arm seamer being taken for four fours and three sixes.Nissanka struck 11 fours and four sixes in total. Such was Nissanka’s control over proceedings that the final shot of the chase – a front-foot pull for six over backward square leg – had Nissanka looking up at the sky with a wry smile. No, not in celebration, rather disbelief that he had struck six when he intended to hit a four, as the latter would have allowed him to make a run at a second T20I century.

Theekshana stakes his claim

In 11 T20Is in 2025, Theekshana has 11 wickets at an economy rate of 7.78. It is his most expensive year so far – his overall economy rate stands at 6.97 – while also being his least impactful (in which he has played at least ten matches) since his debut in 2021. It has meant that despite picking up 24 wickets in 2024 at a strike rate of 18.7 – the figure stands at 23.1 for 2025 – Theekshana has found himself the odd man out on more than one occasion.So having been dropped for Sri Lanka’s second game in this tri-series, Theekshana was recalled for this match, and promptly handed the new ball. By the time his three-over powerplay spell had ended, two of Zimbabwe’s top three had been sent back – he beat both edges to rattle the stumps of Tadiwanashe Marumani and Dion Myers – as his figures at that stage read 2 for 19. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, ended the powerplay on 44 for 2.Theekshana’s final over arrived at the start of the death-overs period, and in it he gave away just four runs. That was four quality overs in the game’s most difficult period for bowlers on a good batting track. In a year where he hasn’t been at the top of his game, Theekshana seemed to have provided a timely reminder of what he offers when he’s at his best.Sikandar Raza steadied Zimbabwe in the middle overs•PCB

Raza, Bennett to the rescue again

Of the 581 runs Zimbabwe have struck over the course of four games this series, 273 have come off the bats of Bennett and Raza – that roughly accounts for 46%. It is a worrying dependency as of late, but one that Zimbabwe will be grateful for at present.After Theekshana’s early strikes, it was Bennett who ensured the scoring rate remained above seven runs an over, particularly with Brendan Taylor struggling for fluency at the other end. It meant that despite Taylor’s 14 off 16 balls, their partnership of 36 still came off 28 deliveries.And once Taylor fell, it brought Raza to the crease, and together he added 36 off 30 balls with Bennett – they mixed the odd boundary with intelligent strike rotation. While they were together, Zimbabwe looked on track for at least 160 as the pair navigated the middle overs expertly.

Burl’s late show spares blushes

Burl has flattered to deceive throughout this series, but against Pakistan last time out, his 67 off 49 deliveries finally realised some of what he had been threatening. Unfortunately for Burl, that knock came in a doomed cause, whereas on Tuesday evening, he revived an innings that had been limping to a close.After Bennett and Raza had both fallen in the space of 13 deliveries courtesy Hasaranga’s double strike, Zimbabwe’s innings was in danger of unraveling. Of the four overs bowled at the death, two went for three and four runs, respectively. But Burl, who had been on 1 off 7 balls when Raza fell midway through the 15th over, ensured the innings retained some momentum by striking 36 runs off his next 19 deliveries.If Tashinga Musekiwa had been able to offer more support than his eventual 6 off 14 balls, Zimbabwe may have reached the 160 they had been eyeing – or perhaps more.

“The beauty of this team is that we’ve not relied on one person. More people are starting to click and put in performances,” Marizanne Kapp says after massive win over Pakistan

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Oct-20253:27

Review – South Africa are looking formidable

When South Africa began the World Cup by being blown away for 69 by England, it was natural to wonder whether they really were serious contenders for the title. But, since that catastrophic start, they have put on one hell of a campaign. They have now won five games in a row – four of those comfortably, only one match going into the final over.In the rain-affected match against Pakistan on Tuesday, South Africa’s batters put on their highest World Cup score ever, hitting 312 for 9. What’s more, they only had 40 overs in which to make those runs. The 312 is also the highest total at the Khettarama this World Cup by 54 runs.Senior allrounder Marizanne Kapp, who hit 68 not out off 43 balls, said afterwards that a host of players had stepped their game up to make this turnaround happen. “We were very disappointed with that performance against England,” she said. “Luckily, we turned it around very quickly. I think that’s down to the goals we’ve had and the hard work we’ve been putting in.Related

• 'Want to take it one step further' – Bosch on SA's push for maiden ODI World Cup final

• Kapp-powered SA knock Pakistan out in wet Colombo

“The beauty of this team is that we’ve not relied on one person. More people are starting to click and put in performances.”And so it was on Tuesday, that to reach their highest World Cup total, South Africa had a range of important contributions. Captain Laura Wolvaardt led off with a 90 off 82 balls. Sune Luus made 61 off 59. Kapp hit three sixes and six fours in her innings. And, at the death, Nadine de Klerk thumped a staggering 41 off 16 balls. De Klerk had hit only two fifties from 43 previous innings before she bludgeoned a match-turning 84 not out off 54 balls in the game against India. She had then hit 37 not out off 29 against Bangladesh, before this explosive innings in Colombo.”We’ve always known Nadine’s very talented,” said Kapp. “I’ve always rated her. I’ve always said she’s a very good batting allrounder. In the last few years, I think it’s been about the bowling, but this year her batting is really clicking.”South Africa had booked a place in the semi-finals even before this game and are now certain to finish at least third on the table. They have one match in this stage to play – against the feared Australia side.Despite that embarrassing start, Kapp thinks the bowlers have more work to do than the batters to get South Africa in perfect shape for the knockouts.”The batters have been very proactive. The intent is there, as well as the scoring shots,” she said. “I think we can tighten up a little bit on the bowling side of things. Even though we’ve done well, we’ve bowled some loose deliveries.”But in general we’re happy with where we are at the moment.”

Glasgow Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell was provided the funds to splash on a host of new signings for Russell Martin during the summer transfer window.

The former Everton surpremo was shaping the squad for the first time since his move to Ibrox in April, and there was plenty of movement in and out of the club.

As you can see in the graphic above, Thelwell was backed by the board when it came to incoming signings, as he splashed the cash on several significant additions.

The most expensive signing of the summer window was centre-forward Youssef Chermiti, who arrived from Everton in an £8m deal. So far, the Portugal U21 international has scored one goal for Rangers.

Bojan Miovski was also brought in for a reported fee of up to £4.2m to bolster the club’s attack. The former Aberdeen man has only scored two goals in all competitions, per Sofascore.

Another Thelwell signing who has been underwhelming since his move to Ibrox in a £3.5m deal from Luton Town has been attacking midfielder Thelo Aasgaard.

Where Thelo Aasgaard ranks among Thelwell's Rangers signings

Thelwell signed eight players on permanent deals in the summer, on top of the Oscar Cortes and Lyall Cameron deals that were agreed before his tenure, and the bulk of them failed to make much of an impact.

Djeidi Gassama has been the best addition to the squad out of those eight players. The French winger has scored six goals and provided two assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which is more than any other summer signing has managed.

Oliver Antman, who joined from Go Ahead Eagles for £3m, has the most assists in the squad of any summer signing, with three, per Transfermarkt, and still has plenty of time left to improve at the age of 24.

Chermiti ranks just above Miovski, despite the fee, because he is five years younger than the Macedonia international and has more time ahead to develop and reach his potential at Ibrox.

Ranking permanent Thelwell signings for Rangers
Rank	Player
1	Djeidi Gassama
2	Oliver Antman
3	Thelo Aasgaard
4	Youssef Chermiti
5	Bojan Miovski
6	Emmanuel Fernandez
7	Joe Rothwell

That is also why Emmanuel Fernandez, who has started two games, ranks above Joe Rothwell, who is 30 and did not even make the bench for the 3-0 win over Dundee at Dens Park.

That leaves Thelo Aasgaard in third place. That may sound like praise at face value, but it really paints a picture of how underwhelming Thelwell’s signings have been.

The Norway international has produced one goal and one assist in 16 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, and the assist was a short pass to Gassama before his wonder goal in the earlier clip.

Aasgaard was also sent off against Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park for Danny Rohl’s side, which means that he has as many red cards as goals for the club so far.

At the age of 23, the former Luton star has time ahead of him and may develop into a future star for the Gers, but his current performance level has been underwhelming, at best.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

That is why there may be some regrets over their decision to part ways with attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi, who was released by Thelwell at the end of his contract in the summer.

Why Rangers must regret releasing Ianis Hagi

The Light Blues chief may regret releasing the Romania international because he would walk into the starting line-up over Aasgaard based on his form for Rangers and his performances for his new club this season.

Hagi currently plays for Analyaspor in Turkey after moving on from Ibrox as a free agent in the summer, despite showing some impressive displays in the Scottish Premiership last term.

After working his way back into the squad under Philippe Clement after a contract issue, the 27-year-old attacking midfielder scored four goals, created six ‘big chances’, and registered five assists in 16 league starts for the Light Blues, per Sofascore.

These statistics show that the playmaker, who former Romanian international Ilie Dumitrescu dubbed “sensational” last term,provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Scottish giants, whilst being utilised as a number ten or as a winger.

As aforementioned, Aasgaard has not shown consistency as either a scorer or as a creator since his £3.5m move from Luton, which is why the decision to release Hagi in the summer looks like a misjudged one.

25/26 season	Aasgaard (Premiership)	Hagi (Super Lig)
Appearances	9	8
Goals	1	2
Conversion rate	7%	13%
Key passes	7	17
Big chances created	0	2
Assists	1	1
Fouls won per game	1.4	2.5
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Hagi’s form in the Turkish top-flight is also vastly superior to the Norwegian midfielder’s for Rangers, as he has scored ten more chances and scored twice as many goals in fewer appearances.

These statistics show that the Romania international has taken the threat that he provided on the pitch for Rangers last season and carried it into his form in Turkey for his new club.

Hagi only turned 27 in October and is not a player who is heading into the final years of his career or is regressing as a player, as evidenced by his form this season, which makes it all the more surprising that the Gers allowed him to leave for nothing.

Rangers can avoid Gilmour repeat by playing teen who's a "heck of a player"

Danny Rohl can avoid his own Billy Gilmour situation by unleashing this Glasgow Rangers youngster.

1

By
Dan Emery

Nov 17, 2025

Their respective statistics suggest that the Romanian star would walk into the current Rangers team over Aasgaard, and that says it all about Thelwell’s recruitment in the summer, as it stands.

With Rohit and Kohli retired, India’s selectors face a series of tricky calls ahead of the five-Test tour of England

Nagraj Gollapudi16-May-20254:11

‘Captaincy will not bear heavily on Gill’s shoulders’

The Test retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have not only opened vacancies for their batting slots, but also given India an opportunity to address questions of critical importance, including the captaincy. The upcoming five-match Test series against England, from June 20 to August 4, then, is hugely significant. ESPNcricinfo looks at the questions the Ajit-Agarkar-led selection panel, which is expected to meet on May 24, will discuss as Indian cricket enters a new era.Who will be the captain?Shubman Gill is the frontrunner, but Jasprit Bumrah is in the race as well. Some even believe that KL Rahul is a wildcard. Gill, 25, has received favourable assessments from his peers, the selectors and India’s coaching staff, who collectively believe he is growing into a composed and assured player. Even if his batting overseas is still in its development phase, everyone agrees Gill has all the attributes to grow and become a long-term leader.Bumrah, on the other hand, has proved he can lead by example and gain respect from his players. He first captained India in the fifth Test against England in 2022, and then in the first and fifth Tests of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Bumrah, though, doesn’t have his own back (pun intended), with stress-related issues in the lower back forcing him to undergo surgery two years ago, and, in January, end his Australia tour early, on day two of the Sydney Test. He returned to action in the IPL after missing the Champions Trophy, and the medical advice for Bumrah is not to play every match in a long Test series like the one in England.There is also a left-field option available to the selectors: appoint Bumrah as the captain with Gill as his deputy, with Gill taking over the captaincy each time Bumrah doesn’t play.Who will Jaiswal’s opening partner be?Rahul’s success in Australia, which forced Rohit to bat in the middle order, means the former is set to be the frontrunner to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. In Australia, Rahul was originally picked as an extra batter for a middle-order role. While it is likely that he remains an option for both opening and middle-order roles again, Rahul has good numbers as an opener in England.Among the batters expected to tour England, Rahul is the most experienced. He has played nine Tests there over two series – first in 2018 and then in 2021-22 – and has opened in all but one of them, scoring 597 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 37.31.Abhimanyu Easwaran and B Sai Sudharsan are likely to be the other favourites for the opening slot, or go on tour as reserve openers. Vastly experienced and successful at domestic level, with over 100 first-class matches, Easwaran, 29, plays for Bengal, and has travelled as a reserve opener on several Test tours in the past. That includes replacing Mayank Agarwal on the 2021 tour of England. He is, however, yet to make his Test debut.Sai Sudharsan, the Tamil Nadu left-hand batter, has also impressed the selectors since scoring a century on first-class debut in 2022, and continuing to develop as an opener. Sai Sudharsan has also been among the best young top-order batters in the IPL, where he plays for Gujarat Titans. He has also represented Surrey in county cricket, and scored a century for them, although he had batted in the middle order then. Overall, as an opener in first-class cricket, Sai Sudharsan has scored 1397 runs in 33 innings at an average of 42.33 with four centuries.Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan are both part of the India A squad that will tour England for two first-class matches before the Test series, with Easwaran named as captain.Who takes over Kohli’s No. 4 spot?As Cheteshwar Pujara told ESPNcricinfo, there is no ready replacement to take up the No. 4 slot, which Kohli took over from Sachin Tendulkar in 2013. Kohli had never batted at No. 4 in Tests before that, but made the slot his own. Kohli proved, then, that experience of batting at that position really doesn’t matter as long as you have the pedigree. Currently, Rahul and Gill could be the top contenders for that position.After Kohli pulled out of the home series against England last year, Rahul batted at No. 4 in the first Test in Hyderabad, and made 86 and 22, before missing the remainder of the series due to injury.As for Gill, while he has never batted at No. 4 in Tests, he has strong numbers there for India A: in three innings, he has scored 287 runs, including a 204*, at an average of 143.50. However, in case Rahul opens and Gill moves down from his usual No. 3 slot to No. 4, then Sai Sudharsan could be looked at as the No. 3.In his debut series, Nitish Kumar Reddy scored a hundred at the MCG last year•Associated PressIs there room for Nitish Reddy?Nitish Kumar Reddy was the fourth-leading run-scorer in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and scored a memorable maiden Test century in front of a nearly-full MCG. Reddy, Easwaran and Harshit Rana were the three uncapped picks on that tour.Picked as an allrounder, Reddy grabbed headlines for his belligerent batting even as he admitted he did not stand up to the task as a bowler. However, in England, if Reddy could find some purchase in seaming conditions, he becomes an attractive choice to bat in the lower order and double up as the fifth bowling option.Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur, showed his prowess with both ball and bat in a strong finish to the Ranji Trophy just before the start of the IPL. He could be another option the selectors might ponder over as a bowling allrounder or even as a travelling reserve. Thakur, 33, has played four of his 11 Tests in England, including the World Test Championship final defeat to Australia at The Oval in 2023. Thakur, though, would retain better memories of the venue during India’s win in 2021, where his half-centuries in both innings proved vital.Reddy and Thakur have both found places in the India A squad touring England.What about the fast bowlers?A five-match Test series calls for a bigger fast-bowling pool. That becomes even more crucial because of the fitness issues of Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, which makes it unlikely that either of them features in all five Tests. Apart from those two and Mohammed Siraj, the contenders among the fast bowlers are M Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Rana, and the left-arm trio of Khaleel Ahmed, Arshdeep Singh and Yash Dayal.Kuldeep Yadav was a key figure in India’s 4-1 home-series win over England last year•Getty ImagesIs there room for Kuldeep?The England tour will be India’s first full Test series after R Ashwin’s retirement midway through the Australia tour. With the selectors likely to include at least one spinner other than Ravindra Jadeja, in the squad, they could have an interesting choice to make. One option is Washington Sundar, who was recalled midway through the home series against New Zealand last year, and who featured in three of the five Tests in Australia, though he played more as a batting allrounder.Will the selectors, though, consider Kuldeep Yadav, who missed the tour of Australia after undergoing hernia surgery? Kuldeep achieved significant success in India’s 4-1 win against England at home in 2023-24, and was the joint-third-highest wicket-taker with 19 wickets at a strike rate of 36.05.That was only marginally better than Ashwin (36.11), but much better than Jadeja (46.26). While Kuldeep had a forgettable experience in the Lord’s Test in 2018 – only his second overseas Test – he has shown he can be a match-winner in all conditions, picking up a five-for in the Sydney Test of 2019 – and that was before he tightened his lengths, added a yard of pace, and became the rounded wristspinner of the last two years or so. Kuldeep has 56 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 22.16 and, most impressively, a strike rate of 37.3 – the best among all spinners in Test history with at least 50 wickets.

Newcastle United have Bayer Leverkusen to overcome this week in the Champions League, but there’s a far more tantalising fixture sticking out across the busy December period.

The Premier League’s first Tyne-Wear showdown since 2016 arrives on the calendar next weekend, with Sunderland’s electric start out of the blocks in the top-flight this season no doubt ramping up the nerves on the end of the Magpies.

Eddie Howe will also be fearful of a loss when you consider Newcastle have lost their last four meetings in this tense rivalry, with Leverkusen in midweek the perfect opportunity to collect a confidence-boosting victory, before facing off against Regis Le Bris’ tricky Black Cats.

In particular, Howe will hope he sees a lot more from the likes of Yoane Wissa and Anthony Elanga at the BayArena, with both high-profile summer recruits failing to settle so far on Tyneside.

The numbers behind Wissa & Elanga at Newcastle

£250m in total was forked out on summer signings at St James’ Park, with £110m of that excessive spending landing both Wissa and Elanga.

There was a method behind Newcastle’s madness here, with the former Brentford man and the Swedish winger amassing a stunning 41 goal contributions between them last season in the Premier League.

Unfortunately for the £55m striker, though, he has only lined up for a paltry 16 minutes in Toon black and white so far, with his first appearance for the club coming last time out against Burnley, 96 days on from him signing on the dotted line.

He is far from a lost cause, however, with a hope he can add to his 45 Premier League goals shortly with sustained time in the first team, as he potentially prepares to start versus Leverkusen. If he doesn’t get up and running soon, with his hefty £140k-per-week salary also added to the equation, he will definitely be dismissed as a rash waste of money.

Elanga doesn’t have a troubling injury record to fall back on when it comes to his critics, with just two assists and no goals next to his name from 22 appearances on Tyneside, making his £55m price tag already feel extremely extortionate.

Still, there will also be a hope in the air that the £100k-per-week forward is simply a work in progress, having previously shone with Nottingham Forest, away from negative labels coming his way that he is a “massive overpay” in the words of Raj Chohan.

Staggeringly, despite £110m being dropped on the underwhelming duo in question, they’re not deemed as big a waste of money as this other high earner, who Howe must now swiftly axe ahead of key games to come in December.

Howe must now drop £120k-per-week Newcastle man

At least with Wissa and Elanga, Howe and Co would have known they were paying a premium price for talents who were consistent top performers in the Premier League.

In the case of Jacob Ramsey, though, £43m was forked out on a star who had a rollercoaster stay at Aston Villa, having only collected a mediocre eight goal contributions across his final two top-flight seasons in the West Midlands, leading to him falling out of Unai Emery’s first team plans.

Ramsey’s flashes of brilliance at his hometown club did see journalist Charles Watts once herald him as a “special” talent for the future, but eyebrows would have been rightly raised when the £43m move was finalised, with his £120k-per-week wage also making him an immediate higher earner than St James Park stalwarts such as Dan Burn, who pockets £70k-per-week, on the contrary.

In the here and now, too, it feels like an awfully long time ago since the 24-year-old was generating lots of hype at Villa Park, with a rare first-team start against Burnley last time out seeing Ramsey look rather timid.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

73

Shots

1

Accurate passes

56/60 (93%)

Accurate crosses

0/1

Key passes

1

Successful dribbles

1/2

Penalties given away

1

Indeed, it doesn’t make for pretty reading on Ramsey’s end, with the 24-year-old’s general game going down as largely uneventful, until he gave away an unnecessary penalty via a handball, with only one shot, one key pass, and one accurate dribble registered.

With no goals or assists next to his name from 11 clashes, it isn’t the wildest shout to suggest he’s a bigger waste of money than both Wissa and Elanga, with Wissa needing more time to acclimatise, while Elanga at least has two assists to cling onto and showed what a dangerous talent he can be last season..

Moreover, with both Joe Willock and Lewis Miley also at Howe’s disposal in midfield in the reserve ranks, there doesn’t seem to be a long-standing space for the ex-Villa man in his starting XI, as the forgettable number 41 likely just turns into an expensive background figure that can’t be redeemed.

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Also: a remarkable outing for MI’s Mitchell Santner, conceding the joint-fewest runs by an IPL spinner bowling his full quota at the Wankhede

Sampath Bandarupalli22-May-20251:51

Moody: Santner a nightmare on pitches like this   

A statistical review after Mumbai Indians (MI) beat Delhi Capitals (DC) in match 63 of the IPL 2025 season, securing both teams’ playoff fates.11 Number of IPL seasons where MI qualified for the playoffs (or semi-finals). They had qualified previously in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2023. Only Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – 12 times – made it to the top four in the IPL more often than MI.1 DC became the first team in the IPL to not finish in the top four despite starting the season with four successive wins. MI halted DC’s four-match winning streak in Delhi, and Wednesday’s game against MI at the Wankhede confirmed DC’s elimination.6 of MI’s eight wins in IPL 2025 have been by a margin of 40-plus runs or 25-plus balls to spare. These are the joint-most such wins for any team in an IPL season. MI also had six big wins in 2020, including a win in the playoffs.MI’s win against DC was their third by a margin of 50-plus runs in IPL 2025. MI had three such wins in 2010 and 2013, as did the Gujarat Titans (GT) in 2023.5 Number of times MI have bowled out their opponents in IPL 2025. All other teams combined bundled out their opponents only seven times in this season so far. Only one team bowled their opponents out more times in an IPL season – six by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2024.