Tottenham Hotspur have endured a topsy-turvy transfer window in many ways, making shrewd additions, but also missing out on key targets at various stages of the summer.

Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha and Mathys Tel have all joined the Lilywhites during the off-season, with two of the trio cementing their place in Thomas Frank’s starting eleven.

However, an attacking midfielder has been a priority in recent weeks, but the club’s hunt for new talent in such an area has so far been to no avail.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze have been two players the hierarchy have been in contact with in an attempt to land top-level talent for Frank in his first Premier League campaign at the helm.

His side have failed to complete deals for either of the aforementioned stars, with the latter joining North London rivals Arsenal – leading to other options being considered ahead of next week’s deadline.

Spurs’ hunt to land a new attacking midfielder this summer

Over the last couple of days, Spurs have reportedly made an offer for Como star Nico Paz, with the hierarchy evidently wanting to back the new manager in his quest.

The bid was in the region of £61m for the 20-year-old talent, but the Serie A side rejected the proposal, with the player himself expected to stay in Italy beyond the summer window.

However, their attempts in the market haven’t been deterred, subsequently turning their attention to Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers, according to Football Insider.

Their report claims that Frank’s side have entered talks with Unai Emery’s men over a potential deal this summer, with negotiations so far being positive.

The article also states that his current employers don’t want to offload the England international this summer, valuing him at £100m, but may be forced to sell him to satisfy their PSR standing if a huge offer is made.

Why Spurs’ latest target is a bigger talent than Paz

Paz has emerged as a surprise target for Spurs as of late, but it’s understandable when delving into his numbers from the most recent campaign in Serie A.

Their interest in a new number ten is evident after James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski suffered fresh injury setbacks, with both set to be out until 2026 at the earliest.

However, the Argentine may have the tools to fill such a void, netting six goals and registering eight assists for Cesc Fàbregas’ side throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

Paz has also made a stellar start to the new season, firing home a spectacular free-kick whilst netting an assist in the 2-0 win over Lazio last weekend.

There’s no denying he’d be a superb addition, but after just one year in Europe’s top-five leagues, it could also be a risk, spending big money on a star who may never reach such levels again.

A deal for Rogers would be an excellent pickup, with the Englishman thriving in England’s top-flight in recent years – having the experience in such a division that would make him an immediate hit with the fanbase.

He will likely be an expensive addition, costing around £80m, but possesses a better skill set than Paz – as seen when comparing their respective stats from the 2024/25 campaign.

Rogers, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by Lee Hendrie, registered a higher tally of combined goals and assists, whilst posting a better shot on target accuracy rate – offering Frank’s side an added threat in front of goal.

Should the 23-year-old replicate such figures in North London, he would add that further quality in the final third, the hierarchy have been hunting for – adding to the signing of Kudus in such an area.

Games played

37

35

Goals & assists

18

14

Shot on target accuracy

36%

33%

Passes into final third

1.6

1.2

Key passes made

1.9

1.8

Progressive carries

3.3

2.5

Carries into opposition box

1.1

0.5

Through balls completed

0.7

0.5

Fouls won

1.5

1.1

He also completed more key passes per 90, with more of his efforts being into the final third – offering a needed creative presence in the role behind the centre-forward.

Rogers’ ability to get the ball into dangerous areas is further highlighted by his higher tally of carries into the opposition box – having the end product to either go alone or pick out a teammate, as seen by his goal contributions last campaign.

There’s no denying that Rogers would be a huge addition to the side, but he has the potential to get even better in the years ahead in North London, given his tender age.

The hierarchy need to fork out the sum for his signature to avoid missing out on the Villa star, undoubtedly offering a more complete option than Paz in the immediate and long-term future.

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Celtic need to bring in a new winger, or two, to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ options at the top end of the pitch before the summer transfer window officially slams shut.

The Hoops currently have Daizen Maeda, Hyun-jun Yang, and James Forrest as their senior wide players, and Maeda is the only one to have managed a goal contribution so far this season.

The Japan international teed up Luke McCowan for his goal on the opening day against St Mirren, before he notched his first goal of the campaign in the 4-1 win over Falkirk in the League Cup.

Yang and Forrest combined for six goals and eight assists in the Scottish Premiership last season, per Sofascore, and have yet to prove either of them has what it takes to be a regular starter on the right flank.

This means that the Hoops are still yet to find their replacement for German winger Nicolas Kuhn, who was Rodgers’ first-choice option on the right side last term.

Celtic sold the former RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich youngster to Como for a fee of £17m earlier this summer, and his exit left a hole in the attack.

Why Celtic need to replace Nicolas Kuhn

It may seem obvious as to why the Hoops need to find a replacement for the left-footed attacker, but the club are over a month on from selling him to the Italian outfit and have yet to find a player to replace the impact that he made on the pitch.

Kuhn delivered heaps of quality in the final third on a regular basis for the Scottish giants across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, which earned him his £17m move to Italy.

The 25-year-old magician ended his only full season at Celtic with a return of 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 appearances, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he offered goals and assists week-in-week-out.

13 of those goals and nine of those assists for the Hoops came in the Premiership, as he caused constant problems for opposition defenders in the top-flight.

xG

0.46

Top 10%

Goals

0.62

Top 8%

Shots on target

1.30

Top 14%

xA

0.34

Top 10%

Assists

0.43

Top 10%

Chances created

2.49

Top 12%

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn was one of the most dangerous wingers in the Premiership with his ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate.

This is why it is important that the Hoops push to bring in a high-quality forward to ‘replace’ what the German attacker provided on the pitch for Rodgers in the 2024/25 campaign.

Celtic make contact over deal for Dutch winger

According to CeltsAreHere, Celtic have made contact with the representatives of Feyenoord winger Calvin Stengs, having identified him as a potential signing.

The report claims that the Hoops have contacted him to express their interest in bringing the forward over to Parkhead before the end of the summer transfer window.

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This means that the Scottish giants are exploring a possible deal to snap up the 26-year-old dynamo, but they have yet to speak with Feyenoord to discuss a fee for the attacker.

CeltsAreHere adds that it will not be an easy deal for Celtic to get done before September’s deadline because the Dutch side are not actively looking to cash in on him and view him as a key part of their plans moving forward.

It had been reported last year that Charlotte FC were close to signing the forward for a fee of £6.4m, but the player rejected the transfer. This may, though, offer a rough guide to how much the Hoops may need to pay for his services.

Why Celtic should sign Calvin Stengs

Rodgers should be pushing the board to formalise the club’s interest in Stengs by following up on their contact with the player with official talks with Feyenoord to get a deal done.

This is because the Netherlands international, who scored against Celtic in the Champions League in 2023, could be the manager’s next version of Kuhn.

Like the German whiz, Stengs is a left-footed right winger who likes to cut inside onto his favoured foot to deliver goals and assists at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis.

The 26-year-old talent missed 35 games through injury last season, per Transfermarkt, and that led to a return of just one goal in 16 matches in all competitions.

Whilst supporters may be concerned by that injury record, it is worth noting that Stengs only missed 14 matches through injury in the six seasons before that combined.

The Dutch star, who Jacek Kulig claimed “could do wonders” as a winger in the right system, showcased his quality in the final third for Feyenoord in the 2023/24 campaign, before last season’s injury woes derailed his progress.

xG

5.22

Top 20%

Goals

6

Top 22%

xA

8.59

Top 2%

Chances created

71

Top 1%

Cross accuracy

33%

Top 13%

Assists

12

Top 1%

As you can see in the table above, Stengs ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in the Eredivisie as both a scorer and a creator of goals that term, ending the season with 18 direct goal contributions in the division.

The £6m-rated star delivered eight goals and 17 assists in 43 appearances in all competitions for Feyenoord that term, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he can provide a constant threat at the top end of the pitch when fit and playing regularly.

Stengs, who scored 24 goals and racked up 22 assists in 113 games for AZ Alkmaar, could fill the hole that has yet to be filled since Kuhn’s move to Como was confirmed over a month ago, as he has the quality on the ball to replicate the impact the German star made.

Of course, there is still a degree of risk attached to any move for the Feyenoord ace because of the volume of games he missed last season, but his overall injury history does not suggest that it is likely to be a long-term concern.

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Therefore, Celtic should be pushing to get a deal done for Stengs before the end of the window because he has the potential to be Kuhn 2.0 for Rodgers as another left-footed right winger who can offer goals and assists with impressive regularity.

وجّه عادل مصطفى، المدرب العام السابق للنادي الأهلي، رسالة دعم وتقدير إلى عماد النحاس عقب رحيله عن تدريب الفريق الأحمر، وتعيين ييس توروب مديرًا فنيًا جديدًا خلفًا له.

وكان النادي الأهلي قد عقد مؤتمرًا صحفيًا للإعلان رسميًا عن التعاقد مع ياس توروب لقيادة الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، بعد إنهاء التعاقد مع الإسباني خوسيه ريبيرو بسبب تراجع النتائج، وتولّي عماد النحاس المهمة بشكل مؤقت حتى التعاقد مع المدير الفني الجديد.

طالع أيضًا | خالد الغندور: ما فعله سوروب يؤكد شخصيته القوية.. ومسؤول الأهلي “خط أحمر”

وكتب عادل مصطفى عبر صفحته الرسمية على موقع فيس بوك رسالة مؤثرة لزميله السابق قال فيها: “المخلص والراجل والجدع طول الوقت، كنت بتحاول تقدم أحسن ما عندك، اتشرفت بالعمل معاك، وربنا يكتبلك كل الخير”.

وفي سياق متصل، أعلن نادي الزوراء العراقي تعاقده رسميًا مع عماد النحاس لتولي القيادة الفنية للفريق الأول خلال المرحلة المقبلة، في خطوة جديدة بمسيرته التدريبية.

ويُعد النحاس من أبرز المدربين أصحاب الخبرة في الدوري المصري، إذ تولّى تدريب عدة أندية منها المقاولون العرب، الاتحاد السكندري، وأسوان، إلى جانب تجربته الأخيرة مع الأهلي كمدير فني مؤقت قبل رحيله عقب تولي توروب المهمة رسميًا.

MatériaMais Notícias

Livre no mercado após não renovar com o Barcelona, o volante Sergio Busquets pode influenciar na negociação do Corinthians por Gustavo Cuéllar.

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+ Lance! estreia nova marca e se reposiciona no mercado de mídia esportivas

O atleta de 34 anos não quer correr o risco de um dia enfrentar o Barcelona, clube que o formou. Assim, equipes árabes e da MLS surgem como opção. O jogador espanhol recebeu proposta do Al Hilal e avalia a possibilidade de jogar na liga que já possui Cristiano Ronaldo e Benzema.

+ Todos os jogos doBrasileirãovocê encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

Se o Al Hilal conseguir trazer o volante espanhol, a diretoria do clube saudita pode abaixar a pedida de 5 milhões de dólares (R$ 24,6 milhões na cotação atual) e facilitar a saída de Cuéllar, que tem vínculo até junho de 2024.

continua após a publicidade

O Lance! informou no dia 6 de junho que caso o Al Hilal não esteja disposto a reduzir o valor, a tendência é que a diretoria alvinegra saia do negócio por Cuéllar.

O Timão formalizou proposta de três anos de contrato pelo atleta de 30 anos e aguarda resposta do Al Hilal. Contudo, o clube árabe não tem pressa para responder pois precisa definir seu novo presidente e treinador. Tais decisões impactarão na chegada ou não de reforços badalados, como no caso de Busquets.

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+ Timão se afasta do Z4? Veja tabela e os próximos jogos do Brasileirão

O Corinthians trata a chegada de um volante como prioridade na janela de transferências do meio do ano. Com Matías Rojas, do Racing, encaminhado, a diretoria alvinegra também busca um zagueiro e atacante pelos lados.

Former England opener secures new county after Middlesex release

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-Feb-2025

Mark Stoneman left Middlesex at the end of last season•Getty Images

Hampshire have signed Mark Stoneman for the 2025 County Championship season to cover for the loss of James Vince, who is stepping away from first-class cricket this year.Stoneman joins the club on a on-year red ball contract, having left Middlesex at the end of last summer. The 37-year-old adds experience to a well-oiled domestic side who finished second in Division One last term, but have been left short by Vince opting out of red-ball cricket this summer, a decision partly taken to work around the ECB’s new stance on No Objection Certificates (NOC) and protect his contract to play in the PSL.Vince had captained Hampshire across all formats for almost a decade, and will be replaced by wicketkeeper batter Ben Brown taking the reins in the Championship. However, Vince’s loss as one of the club’s most prolific batters – top-scoring last season with 986 runs at an average of 49.30 – has put the onus on bringing reinforcements to the Utilita Bowl promptly with the start of the English domestic season just two months away.Stoneman is a reliable opening batter who boasts 14,448 first-class runs at an average of 34.23, with 31 centuries. The left-hander came through the ranks at Durham, playing in three Championship-winning sides at Chester-le-Street, and captained their One-Day Cup success in 2014, before moving to the Kia Oval for the 2017 season. He subsequently played a key role in Surrey’s 2018 title success – their first since 2002.It was while at Surrey that Stoneman earned 11 Test caps for England, which included the 2017-18 Ashes, passing fifty five times without making it to three figures. A move to Middlesex arrived midway through 2021 (initially on loan) on a three-year deal, which the club eventually decided not to renew.”I’m very much looking forward to joining Hampshire for the upcoming season,” said Stoneman via a statement from Hampshire on Thursday. “I know how hungry the club is to get their hands on the Championship having been so close for the last few years.”There’s a fantastic group of players and coaches who I look forward to joining up with, and hopefully we can get our hands on that red ball title come September.”Giles White, Hampshire’s director of cricket, added: “We believe Mark has a lot to offer. He’s won Championships and played at the highest level, and it was evident when we met that he is extremely motivated to have an impact at the club.”It feels like a great fit for both parties and we are excited by his arrival.”Hampshire are also expected to announced the signing of New South Wales’ impressive allrounder Jack Edwards soon. Edwards, at the time of writing, has 26 wickets and 386 runs in the ongoing Sheffield Shield season, and would help fill the void left by Pakistan seamer Mohammed Abbas, who has joined Nottinghamshire. Hampshire explained Abbas’ release was down to the need to “rebalance” their squad in Vince’s absence.

Manchester United have now identified a “phenomenal” midfielder as their new dream target, and they are hoping to get a deal wrapped up before the transfer deadline, according to a report.

Man Utd halt Baleba pursuit with Brighton demanding £100m+

Man United were willing to break the bank to sign Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, despite being quoted over £100m, but they have now halted their pursuit of the midfielder, given that the Seagulls are extremely reluctant to sanction a departure.

Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler has also asserted that he is “very, very confident” Baleba will remain a Brighton player beyond the September 1st deadline, and United have now been forced to move on to alternative targets.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that United are well-placed to win the race for Sporting CP’s Morten Hjulmand, despite rival interest from Juventus, but reports from elsewhere suggest INEOS are hesitant about spending £69m on the Danish midfielder.

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However, according to a report from Spain, the United board ‘highly value’ Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, suggesting they are big fans of the Englishman, who has now emerged as the new dream midfield target.

Wharton is viewed as an alternative to Baleba, and INEOS are clearly looking to get a deal wrapped up soon, having formulated plans to sign him before the transfer deadline, rather than waiting until the January transfer window or next summer.

There is a belief the 21-year-old would be an ideal fit for Ruben Amorim’s side, having sought a player capable of providing balance in midfield for quite some time, and the youngster could even be brought in as a replacement for Casemiro.

However, a deal will not be easy, given that Palace are in no hurry to sanction a departure, with the Eagles looking to receive at least £40m for the England international, who is one of their key players.

"Phenomenal" Wharton could be exciting Baleba alternative

The former Blackburn Rovers man is certainly held in very high regard by the Crystal Palace faithful, with Dan Cook of HLTCO singling him out for high praise during the 2024-25 campaign.

However, there are doubts over whether the Palace star would be a like-for-like alternative to Baleba, given that he excels at creating chances and advancing the ball up the pitch, while the Cameroonian flourishes defensively.

Average per 90 (past year)

Adam Wharton

Carlos Baleba

Assists

0.13

0.03

Progressive passes

7.21

3.96

Tackles

2.09

2.64

Interceptions

1.35

1.62

Blocks

0.94

1.55

That said, Wharton is a different type of player to Baleba, he is Premier League proven, which aligns with the type of signing Man United are looking to make this summer, and the reported £40m asking price is very reasonable.

Florian Thauvin's impressive revival at Lens has earned him a pre-call-up to the French national team for the first time in over six years. The 2018 World Cup winner, who believes he is now a "much more complete" player, is in contention for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers after a journeyman career path.

Thauvin is back?

According to a report from , the 32-year-old is in contention for Didier Deschamps' final list for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Iceland after a remarkable career revival. He has been named on Deschamps' list as the coach has drawn up a provisional squad.

AdvertisementAFPThauvin's impressive form sparks recall

Since returning to Ligue 1 with Lens this summer after spells in Mexico and Italy, Thauvin has been in excellent form. The attacker has scored two goals in his first six league appearances and produced a standout man-of-the-match performance in a recent 0-0 draw with Rennes, where his side played for 93 minutes with 10 men. His creativity and leadership in that match particularly caught the eye, underlining his successful reintegration into French football.

'I'm much more complete now' – Thauvin on his evolution

The player himself believes he is better now than during his peak at Marseille, which earned him his spot in the 2018 World Cup squad. "I've never felt better," Thauvin said. "I think the best season of my career was 2018, but now I consider myself stronger. Back then, I was a young player, efficient, good at finishing, but perhaps a little too individualistic. Now, I have a much more collective vision… I'm much more complete."

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World Cup dream fuels comeback ambition

A return to the national setup would cap a sensational comeback for Thauvin, whose last of 10 caps came on June 11, 2019. The forward confirmed his desire to represent his country again, with the 2026 World Cup on his mind. "When you work, you put a lot of things in place every day, and when you perform well, you want to dream. It's something you have to earn," he stated.

Newcastle United are in talks over the signing of a towering Scandinavian attacker this summer, who could join alongside one of Yoane Wissa or Nicolas Jackson.

Newcastle watch on as striker dominoes fall

The striker situation at St James’ Park has dominated their summer, with Alexander Isak’s future still in doubt amid continued interest from Liverpool and seemingly every other European rival in the top flight landing their own superstar striker.

If Isak does depart, he would be the second big Swedish striker transfer of the summer aftter Viktor Gyokeres joined Arsenal, with the pair joining the likes of Erling Haaland and Alexander Sørloth in what is a growing crop of Nordic strikers thriving in major European leagues.

Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson have emerged as two of the leading options to arrive at St James’ Park to replace Isak, with both potentially needed if the Magpies lose both Isak and Callum Wilson in the same summer transfer window.

Like Isak, Wissa is refusing to play for his current club, in order to try and force a move away, while Jackson finds himself struggling for a starting berth at Stamford Bridge after the signing of Joao Pedro from Brighton. Now, an update has emerged regarding another Premier League attacker.

Newcastle join teams tapping into Scandinavian striker market

According to The Athletic‘s David Ornstein on X, Newcastle are in “talks” over signing Wolves and Norway striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, with the 25-year-old liking the idea of joining the Magpies.

“Newcastle retain firm interest in Jorgen Strand Larsen. Not more advanced than other options but 25yo Wolves forward among small group being considered. Talks via intermediaries + Norway int’l keen on NUFC but not agitating to exit.”

Strand Larsen stands out as another good option for Newcastle, having developed massively in recent years. According to Transfermarkt, the striker was worth just €600k (£500k) at Groningen, a number which has ballooned to €30m (£26m) after moves to Celta Vigo and then Wolves.

The Wolves ace has 14 goals in 39 appearances, which is a good return for a team that struggled in the Premier League last season, and Magpies legend Alan Shearer is a big admirer, hailing his qualities back in April.

“He was a nuisance. His hold-up play was excellent and I thought his touch and his control were superb. “Wolves didn’t play that well in the first half, but they certainly improved in the second. When you’ve got a guy who’s 6’4, you have to get balls into the box, and they certainly did that in the second half.”

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Strand Larsen is arguably a better option than Jackson, considering he scored more league goals than him in a weaker team last season, so he and Wissa could be ideal business to make up for the loss of Isak, if it happens.

“The difference between Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill is that Gill will take you right till the end,” Sanjay Manjrekar says

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-20254:30

Manjrekar: There’s an air of dominance around Gill

Shubman Gill is a ” [one for the long haul]” and batting at just 60% is enough for him to score a century like he did in India’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh. This is the assessment of Sanjay Manjrekar, who also feels that Gill gives the impression of being someone who will be around for a further 10-15 years while Shreyas Iyer doesn’t.”He [Gill] is batting at the right position to make a huge impact. When he gets a hundred, like today, it seems like there is plenty left in the tank,” Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo Match Day. “It was like 60% of Shubman Gill is enough to get a hundred like this and he stays till the end. That is the difference between Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill that Gill will take you right till the end. He is somebody who you think is going to be around for 10-15 years. Shreyas Iyer, despite his obvious talent, doesn’t give you that impression.”Gill finished unbeaten on 101 against Bangladesh and guided India in their chase of 229 in Dubai. He faced 129 balls and hit nine fours and two sixes in his knock and ensured India got home with six wickets and 21 balls to spare. One of his two sixes – a front-foot pull off Tanzim Hasan in the ninth over – went into the second tier of the stands at deep-midwicket.Related

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“Some of the shots he played, the good-length ball he hit and it went into second tier… the big game is at his beck and call,” Manjrekar said. “Can he be better in 50-over cricket as a batter? I don’t think so, what can be better than this?”In the company of Rohit Sharma, Gill started off quickly and raced to 26 off just 23 balls with four fours and a six by the time the first powerplay ended. But he slowed down when Bangladesh employed spin on a slowish track and kept an in-and-out field. He scored his slowest ODI fifty, off 69 balls, and then got to his hundred in 125 balls, the slowest for an India batter in ODIs since the 2019 World Cup. His ability to change gears impressed Manjrekar.”He’s got the class to do it [change gears],” he said. India are blessed with [a top three] who are also Test batters, so they can play different gears. Yashasvi Jaiswal, when he comes in eventually, is also a Test batter. So if the ball is swinging around in overseas conditions, they have the ability to see the new ball through and then handle the various situations. Shubman Gill is that kind of a player, he is not one-dimensional, he has all the gears and we saw him do that today as well. He is a guy at the top of his 50-over-cricket prowess and he does it very calmly. There is an air of dominance and surety with the way he bats and finishes games.”Shubman Gill dug deep for his slowest ODI hundred•AFP / Getty ImagesFormer India legspinner Anil Kumble was impressed by the restraint Gill showed against spin. Bangladesh had offspinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz and legspinner Rishad Hossain, and Gill scored only 34 off the 56 balls he faces against them, hitting just the one four. But he took 28 singles that helped him tick along.”The other thing that was noticeable today was generally when he sees the offspinner he steps out and launches it over long-on, midwicket,” Kumble said. “He didn’t want to take the risk perhaps because of the pitch. He felt that that was the riskier option. Although Miraz is someone he would take on – we have seen it even in Test match cricket. He was constantly looking to just ease through and ensure he was there till the end. That was very noticeable even when the [required] run rate dropped a little bit.”Manjrekar agreed: “And also the ability to nick off singles, keep that scoreboard ticking. It is not that he plays the sweep shot a lot or the dab. He goes very traditional and loves to keep the bat straight. Even when he is playing the pull shot, the bat comes down very straight. A lot of his singles would be back-foot punches to long-on instead of playing just with soft hands. A guy who can get singles at will, can hit a six at will, has got a reasonably good defence for 50-over cricket, he’s the complete player at the moment.”2:30

Bumrah or Gill – who should be India’s next ODI captain?

There would have been slight jitters in the Indian camp when they slipped from 112 for 1 to 144 for 4 in under eight overs but Gill kept his calm and saw the chase through, which earned plaudits from Kumble.”He’s been brilliant, especially in this format. The elegance and the ease with which he got that hundred on a difficult pitch,” he said. “I don’t think it was a true pitch where the ball was coming on nicely. It was on the slower side and you had to make adjustments, yet he was middling the ball and timing it so well.”The best part about Shubman Gill was he ensured he saw the game through. It was not like he wanted to get going, get runs [and get out], we have seen that before. That is the maturity he has brought into the game. Hope this is the start of a fantastic season for him and India, because when you play the first match in a tournament and you get a hundred not out and you are there till the end, it augurs well.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers haven’t enjoyed the best of starts to the new Premier League campaign, having been thrashed by Manchester City before losing at Bournemouth by a one-goal margin, under the cosh for much of the contest.

Panic stations? Hardly. Wolves showed their quality and spirit when overcoming West Ham United in the midweek Carabao Cup clash, and have the chance to get their league season up and running when welcoming Everton to Molineux on Saturday.

One of the potential sticking points in mounting fluency and consistency over the coming months is the thought of losing goalscoring talisman Jørgen Strand Larsen, who is the subject of a flurry of bids from Newcastle United as the window winds down.

Strand Larsen's Wolves future

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi is adamant that Strand Larsen is going nowhere this summer, but the centre-forward has politely requested to join Newcastle United, who have seen three quick-succession bids – the latest of which worth £60m – rejected for the 25-year-old.

Having seen his loan spell made permanent this summer, you can understand the hierarchy’s stance, but every eventuality must be accounted for.

Wolves need to sign another striker, not least because Vitor Pereira lost Matheus Cunha to Manchester United a few months ago.

Well, according to Fabrizio Romano, Wolves have opened talks with Belgian club Genk for striker Tolu Arokodare, insinuating that pace is gathering on the Strand Larsen front, even if the Old Gold are maintaining their stance that the Norwegian is not for sale.

Valued at £25m, Fulham have also registered their interest in the Nigerian number nine this summer, but Wolves appear to hold the lead in the race at his late stage.

What Tolu Arokodare would bring to Wolves

Strand Larsen has played an important part for Wolves since joining from Celta Vigo last summer, scoring 14 goals as Pereira’s side staved off the threat of relegation that served as a backdrop to the campaign.

If he does end up leaving for St. James’ Park, Wolves would need an adequate replacement, and Arokodare has the skills to thrive in his stead, having scored 17 goals in 2024/25 to stand proud as the Juliper Pro League top scorer.

Genk manager Thorsten Fink was full of praise when discussing his marksman, hailing him as a “top striker” and drawing attention to his pace, power, height and two-footedness.

In that regard, the 24-year-old would appear a natural successor to Wolves’ current frontman, whose mobility and presence on the ball have allowed him to dovetail into Premier League life.

Hitherto a loanee in Germany and France, Arokodare has settled in Belgium, going from strength to strength. Across his 113 matches with Genk, who have won two of the past three league titles, the towering ace has scored 41 goals and has supplied 12 assists.

For sure, there’s more still to come. He’s not the most clinical, missing a slew of big chances across the recent season, but his thirst for success in the final third lends itself to a constant stream of goals.

With such a robust and focused style, he could easily replace Strand Larsen at Molineux, should push come to shove, having proven himself to be even more prolific than Wolves’ current marksman, across the last 365 days.

Strand Larsen vs Arokodare (past 365 days)

Stats (per 90)

Strand Larsen

Arokodare

Goals

0.45

0.62

Assists

0.14

0.22

Shots taken

1.96

4.98

Touches (att pen)

3.78

8.73

Shot-creating actions

1.43

3.40

Pass completion

65.1%

74.9%

Progressive passes

1.01

1.32

Progressive carries

0.56

1.15

Successful take-ons

0.24

0.88

Aerial duels

2.41

4.41

Data via FBref

Arokodare’s prowess as Genk’s striker comes with the caveat that he has, of course, been plying his trade at a different level than the Premier League, whereas Strand Larsen has leapt right into the ostensibly toughest division out there.

But still. There’s no denying that the rising goalscorer shares some interesting properties with Strand Larsen, and that Wolves could strike gold by sealing his signature in the coming days and turning a hefty profit on their current number nine.

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Posts ByWill Miller Aug 25, 2025