European club now set to hold advanced talks to sign £80k-p/w Wolves star

Ahead of what is likely to be a busy summer transfer window, Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly facing the prospect of losing another key man alongside Matheus Cunha.

Wolves transfer news

Whilst Wolves’ main aim is undoubtedly survival this season, there would have still been plenty of frustration over how their FA Cup run came to an end against Bournemouth last time out. Having levelled things up through a sensational strike from range, Cunha commenced his side’s downfall when he left the referee with little choice but to hand him his marching orders.

Going on to lose on penalties without their star man, Wolves are without a place in the last eight of the FA Cup and will be without Cunha for the next three Premier League games in what is arguably a far bigger blow.

It’s something that Cunha should be desperate to rectify if this is to be his final season in the Midlands. With a £62m release clause in his new contract, the Brazilian has already attracted the reported interest of Arsenal, Chelsea and others to create quite the race for his signature when the summer arrives. And he’s not the only player who could depart Molineux.

According to Record, as relayed by Sports Witness, Benfica are now set to advance their talks to sign Nelson Semedo on a free deal following the expiry of his current Wolves contract at the end of the season.

Wolves have finally found their new Raul Jimenez and it's not Cunha

Wolves may have replaced Raul Jimenez with a current first team star.

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By
Ross Kilvington

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Yet to sign an extension in the Midlands, the right-back could yet reunite with former Wolves manager Bruno Lage and return to one of his very first clubs back in Portugal.

Wolves, meanwhile, look increasingly likely to bid farewell to another captain and another experienced player without profiting. With a matter of months left until his contract expires, Semedo seems destined to bow out.

Wolves need Semedo's experience

If Wolves are to lose Cunha this summer, then keeping hold of the likes of Semedo is suddenly more important than ever. Vitor Pereira needs no reminding of the right-back’s importance and experience, having handed him the captain’s armband following his arrival and Mario Lemina’s ill-discipline in the final stages of Gary O’Neil’s tenure.

Pereira reiterated his desire to keep hold of Semedo in January, telling reporters: “Because I have time, I’m finding the personalities that I want as leaders in the team. At the moment, I’m not changing the captain and I’m okay with him, but I’m studying the personalities and I need some time for that.

“He’s a good player, he’s professional, he has the skills that I like, so it means that if the club was to ask my opinion, I would want to stay with him.

“There have been no discussions because there have been a lot of things to fix and to work on, so it’s difficult for me to think about everything. But we will have time to sit down and discuss.”

Whether the time has passed for those discussions over renewing Semedo’s £80,000-a-week contract remains to be seen, but it seems as though Benfica are wasting little time in negotiations of their own in pursuit of his signature.

Zagueiro do Fortaleza vê equipe com necessidade de ser 'mais eficiente'

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a vitória do Juventude sobre o Ceará, o Fortaleza precisava vencer o Santos, neste domingo (24), para não terminar a rodada na última posição do Campeonato Brasileiro. Porém, o empate sem gols na Arena Castelão trouxe uma nova frustração ao torcedor e também aos jogadores do Leão.

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>Confira o ranking da IFFHS com os 10 melhores times do mundo

O zagueiro Marcelo Benevenuto, ainda à beira do gramado, frisou a questão da quantidade de tentativas buscadas pelo Tricolor, chegando ao ponto de totalizar 27 finalizações.

Porém, da mesma forma que exaltou a dedicação, o defensor também colocou a necessidade da equipe ser mais eficiente em seu volume de jogo. Algo que pode igualmente ser traduzido em números além do empate sem gols, já que somente duas das 27 tentativas foram na direção da meta defendida por João Paulo.

– Está faltando ser eficiente. Tentamos, tentamos e tentamos. Temos que pedir desculpas para o torcedor. Infelizmente, não conseguimos fazer o gol. É continuar trabalhando, é o jeito. Trabalhar para ser mais eficiente, sair o gol e sair com a vitória. Estamos criando, até jogando bem, e não conseguimos fazer o gol. Vale mais jogar mal e ganhar, como foi contra o Atlético-GO – apontou o zagueiro.

Tom Westley digs in to deny Lancashire

Stubborn Essex refuse to take the bait, securing draw despite Lancashire’s Bazball morning

ECB Reporters Network16-Apr-2023

Tom Westley offered stern resistance•Getty Images

Essex 219 (Critchley 78, Anderson 4-70) and 128 for 4 (Westley 43, Critchley 35*) drew with Lancashire 207 (Bell 60, S. Cook 5-42) and 351 for 7 dec (Jennings 96, Hartley 73*, Bell 56)Essex captain Tom Westley dug in for two and three-quarter hours to deny Lancashire the LV= Insurance County Championship victory their batting fireworks looked to have set up.Westley faced 120 balls in scoring 43 as Essex batted for two sessions to save face, and the game, after a dispiriting morning when they regularly lost balls out of The Cloud County Ground.Lancashire had set a nominal target of 340 in 68 overs thanks to a perfect example of the Bazball ethos by scoring 184 runs in the 28-over morning session with 137 coming in the final 15 overs. The big-hitting trio of Tom Hartley (73 not out), Colin de Grandhomme (38) and Tom Bailey (25 not out) hammered nine sixes during a sustained period of carnage.Essex did not rise to the bait, though, and turned the McCullum-Stokes blue-sky thinking on its head as they settled in with the sole intention of saving a game that had lost 103 overs because of the weather. They had reached 128 for 4 from 58 overs when handshakes were exchanged on the draw at 5.52pm, both teams taking eight points.Related

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Of greater significance in the wider scheme of things, James Anderson bowled 13 overs in bite-sized spells on the first leg of his domestic warm-up tour ahead of the Ashes. While not as venomous as in Essex’s first innings, England’s premier seamer still had the opposition playing and missing with some regularity.However, anything other than a draw soon became moot, but not before Alastair Cook fell lbw for the second time in the match to Anderson, tucked up without scoring and with just five runs on the board.Essex crawled along to 23 from the first hour when Nick Browne was doubled up by Bailey and became another lbw victim.Westley and Dan Lawrence saw Essex through to tea two wickets down and 29 overs used up. But four balls after the interval, Lawrence shuffled across his stumps to be undone by an inswinger from Bailey.Westley’s vigil ended just as the final hour began when he was the fourth to go lbw to de Grandhomme after which it was left to Matt Critchley and Adam Rossington to see out time.It had been significantly more exciting earlier. Keaton Jennings and George Bell set up the platform for the blitz to come as they took their fifth-wicket partnership to exactly 100, adding 44 in the first three-quarters of an hour’s play, before both fell to Simon Harmer.Bell had just reached his second half-century of the game by straight-driving Shane Snater, when he misjudged the next ball after sweeping Hamer for a ninth boundary, and was lbw for 56.Jennings, having started his innings in mid-afternoon on Friday, was finally out for 96 after just shy of six hours at the crease when he had an uncharacteristic rush of blood and lofted Harmer to deep mid-on.It proved to be the point at which Lancashire went into complete overdrive as they took advantage of a depleted Essex attack shorn of Sam Cook, off the pitch with a hamstring injury.De Grandhomme launched three sixes from four balls he faced from Harmer. However, when the New Zealander had reached 38 from 31 balls – having put on 56 in seven freewheeling overs with Hartley – he went for one swing too many and had two of his stumps knocked out of the ground by Doug Bracewell.Incredibly, the tempo increased as Hartley and Bailey put on 81 runs in the eight overs during an unbroken eighth-wicket stand before the declaration at lunch. At one point the pair shared six sixes in a 20-ball spree against Jamie Porter and Snater.

Tottenham prepared to make super bid to sign striker with 40 goals in 24/25

Tottenham Hotspur have suffered numerous injury problems and their need for a fit and available striker couldn’t be more evident heading into the summer transfer window.

Tottenham Hotspur plan for summer of major change

Straddling the line between ecstasy and agony, Ange Postecoglou’s final prayer of turning an inconsistent campaign into a memorable one rests on his side’s ability to win this season’s Europa League.

Currently at the quarter-final stage, navigating past Eintracht Frankfurt followed by either Lazio or Bodo/Glimt could secure a place in the final come May. In turn, claiming competition glory would go a long way to attracting talent this summer when evaluating the lure of Champions League football on offer.

Tottenham Hotspur manager AngePostecogloureacts

Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko are on Spurs’ radar but would likely only be attainable should qualification for Europe’s premier competition become possible.

Brighton’s Jake Hinshelwood is a candidate to enrich Tottenham’s midfield after his recent displays for Brighton & Hove Albion and may be an affordable target at the £34 million mark.

With the north Londoners in the market for stars with potential, there could be a significant sea change this summer that may pave the way for long-serving stars to depart as part of a new dawn.

Tottenham out of contract players in 2025

Ben Davies

Sergio Reguillon

Fraser Forster

Alfie Whiteman

That could also be the case managerially, as Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola could reportedly succeed Postecoglou if Daniel Levy decides to part ways with the Australian.

Much depends on the outcome of this campaign, albeit Spurs’ Premier League exploits are likely to be a disappointing feature should they continue to produce inconsistent domestic results.

Now, there could be some light at the end of the tunnel as Tottenham are now willing to put forward a significant proposal to bring in one of Europe’s most prolific forwards.

Tottenham prepared to submit super offer for Viktor Gyokeres

According to reports in Spain, Tottenham are prepared to break the bank to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting and are willing to make a ‘super offer’, despite his current employers’ reluctance to let him leave this summer.

Possessing a high release clause at the Portuguese champions, it is said that willingness from the Sweden international to seek a new challenge in one of the world’s elite environments could hasten the process of a big-money sale as Spurs look to finally fill the void left by Harry Kane.

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Continuing his fine form, Gyokeres has registered an incredible 40 goals and 10 assists in 41 matches across all competitions, including six in eight Champions League encounters.

Labelled “fantastic” by Nico Kovac, the former Coventry City striker ranks as Sporting’s best-performing player this campaign and has registered an average rating of 8.03 for his exploits in 2024/25, per WhoScored.

Sporting CP's ViktorGyokerescelebrates scoring their third goal

Firepower is necessary if Spurs have designs to establish themselves as one of England’s premium forces again. Nevertheless, they aren’t the only side who will want Gyokeres within their ranks this summer.

Never in doubt! Lamine Yamal commits his future to Barcelona as wonderkid pens new long-term contract to continue in Lionel Messi's footsteps

Lamine Yamal has signed a new contract at Barcelona until 2031, the club have confirmed.

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Yamal signs new dealHas become a superstar at BarcelonaCommits future to Catalan clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Spain international has committed his future to the Catalan giants, signing a deal until 2031 that will run until he is 23. He has already made 106 appearances for the club, scoring 25 goals and laying on 34 assists.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Yamal had been linked with a potential move to Paris Saint-Germain but any doubts over his future have now been put completely to bed. The teenager is already a two-time La Liga champion, as well as a European champion, and will continue in the footsteps of Lionel Messi at Barcelona, as he bids to become equally legendary.

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The Spain international has enjoyed a stunning season under Hansi Flick, scoring 18 goals and laying on 25 assists in 55 games. He has become a sensation since his first-team debut, so it is little surprise the Catalan giants are desperate for him to stay.

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WHAT NEXT?

Barca have yet to announce their pre-season plans but Yamal is currently enjoying a well-deserved break.

How Andrea Berta is planning to sign Matheus Cunha for Arsenal

A report has shared exactly how new Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is planning to tempt Wolves forward Matheus Cunha with a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

Andrea Berta tipped to sign Matheus Cunha for Arsenal

The arrival of Berta has brought plenty of speculation linking the Italian with a summer swoop for Cunha.

Arsenal open talks to sign £50m player with Berta expected to launch bid

The new Gunners sporting director already has targets in place.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 12, 2025

Wolves’ versatile star striker, who’s racked up 15 goals in all competitions for Vitor Pereira’s side this term, is set to be available for £62.5 million this summer, after the Brazilian put pen to paper on a new four-year contract in early February.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Chelsea (home)

March 16th

Fulham (home)

April 1st

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

That price comes in the form of a new release clause penned into his fresh terms, which allows clubs to trigger the option and bypass negotiations with Wolves if they’re prepared to pay the fee.

This will of course attract elite-level sides considering Cunha’s exceptional 2024/2025 campaign, where he starred for Wolves in a variety of attacking positions, and manager Mikel Arteta is widely rumoured to favour versatility when it comes to signing new players.

Berta also has a connection to Cunha through their time together at Atlético Madrid, with Arsenal’s new transfer chief signing the 25-year-old from Hertha Berlin to back Diego Simeone in 2021.

The forward scored seven goals and eight assists for Atlético in all competitions before departing for Wolves, where he has since gone on to shine at Molineux, and reports have claimed that Berta has told Arsenal he wishes to sign Cunha this summer (The Boot Room).

Former Gunners striker Jeremie Aliadiere also predicted that Berta could help Arsenal to strike a deal for Cunha, almost immediately after reports surfaced that the 53-year-old was closing in on the sporting director’s job.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' MatheusCunhareacts after the match

“Berta knows Cunha from their time at Atlético Madrid, and it could be a deal that goes through,” said Aliadiere.

“He’s having a great season in a team that’s struggling to fight relegation. That shows you how good he is and how quickly he’s adapted to the Premier League. He could be a good signing too.”

How Andrea Berta is planning to sign Matheus Cunha for Arsenal

Now, a report has shared how Berta is plotting to lure the Olympic gold medalist to N5 this summer.

Indeed, a Spanish media source claims that Berta wants to “leverage his bond” with Cunha to sign him for Arsenal, and the official has made it “clear” behind the scenes that Wolves’ attacking sensation should be his first major signing.

Their strong relationship apparently developed at Atlético, where Berta was “instrumental” in his transfer from Hertha, and later his departure to England. Interestingly, previous interim director Jason Ayto and the Arsenal recruitment team also expressed an interest in Cunha during the last transfer window, but a bid ultimately didn’t materialise for the player.

However, Cunha’s new release clause presents a golden opportunity for Arsenal to seal an agreement this summer instead, and Berta could prove to be key.

“He is a special player. He can do things that can make the difference in small details,” said Wolves boss Pereira about Cunha.

“Cunha is a player, in my opinion, who can reach high standards in this league. I hope not [elsewhere] because we need him.”

Worse than Beto: Moyes must drop 6/10 Everton star who had 0 shots

Everton’s impressive start to life under David Moyes continued as they extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to seven matches with a 1-1 draw against Brentford on Wednesday night.

The Toffees found themselves 1-0 down at the break after Yoanne Wissa found the back of the net in the fourth minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half.

A second-half header from Jake O’Brien, who brilliantly met Vitalii Mykolenko’s cross to the back post, secured a point for the Blues on the night, though.

Despite the positive performance and result, it was not a perfect evening for Moyes and his men as in-form forward Beto did not put on his shooting boots.

Beto's performance against Brentford

The Portuguese number nine has been in phenomenal form since the Scottish manager took charge of Everton, with a return of five goals in his previous four Premier League matches before the trip to Brentford.

Beto

Unfortunately, Beto squandered both of his ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net, as his two shots on target from one-on-one situations were saved by Mark Flekken.

However, both of those chances were created by his tireless running and desire to chase down every loose ball in anticipation of a mistake, and it did take two good saves from the Bees number one to keep him out.

Beto also provided an excellent presence at the top end of the pitch for the Toffees, as the former Udinese marksman won nine of 16 duels on the night.

Chalkboard

Whilst he may be criticised for missing the chances, which he created for himself, there was an Everton player who was even worse than him – Jesper Lindstrom.

Why Jesper Lindstrom should be dropped

The Danish forward was selected to start on the right flank for the Toffees on Wednesday night and failed to make the most of his opportunity to impress.

He only had 37 touches of the ball, fewer than his goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (44), and this illustrates his lack of impact on the pitch, as the winger failed to get involved in the match to make a difference at the top end of the pitch.

Minutes

75

Key passes

0

Big chances created

0

Shots

0

Dribbles completed

0/2

Duels won

4/10

As you can see in the table above, Lindstrom came off the pitch without a single shot or chance created to show for his efforts across 75 minutes, whilst he also let his side down out of possession by losing the majority of his duels.

Beto, at least, won the majority of his physical battles and caused problems in the final third by testing Flekken on multiple occasions, whilst the Danish lightweight offered very little.

Jesper Lindstrom for Everton

The Liverpool Echo handed him a mediocre player rating of 6/10, which seems fair given his average statistics, and Moyes must instantly drop him from the starting XI as a result of this showing.

Abdoulaye Doucoure missed the game for the birth of his baby and should be brought back in to replace Lindstrom, should he be available for the clash with Wolves next week.

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That could allow Charly Alcaraz to move out wide to the right to accommodate the former Watford man coming in to fill the number ten position behind Beto.

Man Utd and INEOS eye bid to sign £20m gem who's been likened to Dele Alli

Manchester United are now considering a move to sign a £20 million-plus player who has been likened to Dele Alli in the past, according to a recent report.

Kobbie Mainoo could leave Man Utd

United’s hierarchy and Ruben Amorim are going to be looking to move a few players on this summer, as they try to move some of the deadwood on and avoid a repeat of this campaign. Players such as Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen look set to leave in the summer when their contracts expire.

Sky Sports: Man Utd may now sell £100m star who INEOS were working to keep

Man Utd and INEOS are now open to the possibility of letting a player leave Old Trafford at the end of the season.

ByBrett Worthington Mar 19, 2025

While Casemiro has been heavily linked with a move away in the last 12 months, there is also speculation around the futures of Antony and Marcus Rashford, who were sent out on loan in January.

But the exits may not stop there at Old Trafford, as Kobbie Mainoo is now being linked with a possible move this summer. According to Sky Sports Germain reporter Florian Plettenberg, Man United may now look to sell Mainoo in the summer among the aforementioned five to raise transfer funds.

The club are planning to invest in top transfers, and to do that, they will need to generate money. Mainoo is valued at £100 million by United, and if he were to be sold, he would help with PSR, as the fee would be 100% profit, given he came through the academy.

Manchester United's KobbieMainooin action with Leicester City's Boubakary Soumare

The news does come as a surprise, as it was reported not so long ago that INEOS were trying to tie the midfielder down to a new contract.

Man Utd considering move to sign £20m+ gem

So as Mainoo is linked with an Old Trafford exit, according to TEAMtalk, Man United are now weighing up a move to sign Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland.

Sunderland'sJobeBellingham

The report states that United are one of several Premier League clubs considering a move to sign Bellingham at the end of the season. The Red Devils are monitoring and tracking his progress at the Stadium of Light, as they want to put themselves in a strong position to sign him. But teams such as Brighton, Brentford, and Nottingham Forest are also watching the young midfielder with a lot of interest.

This report goes on to add that Bellingham, who is said to be valued at £20 million by the Black Cats, believes he has a strong chance of playing in the top flight next season, meaning he could leave Sunderland if they don’t seal promotion. Bellingham is said to be interested in a move, as he wants to play at the highest level.

Apps

81

Goals

11

Assists

4

The midfielder, who is under contract at the Stadium of Light until 2028, has had another impressive campaign in the Championship, and talkSPORT’s Adrian Clarke has likened Bellingham to Dele Alli, who was a young player who had all the makings to go to the very top. Clarke believes Bellingham’s ability to ghost into the box in that box-to-box role he plays makes him similar to the player Alli was during his time at Tottenham.

فيديو | إلياس مونتيل يسجل هدف باتشوكا الأول أمام ريال مدريد

قلّص باتشوكا النتيجة في مباراته الجارية حاليًا ضد نظيره فريق ريال مدريد، في مباراتهما في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، نسخة 2025.

ويلتقي الفريقان في الوقت الحالي في إطار منافسات الجولة الثانية من دور مجموعات البطولة، المُقامة حاليًا في أمريكا.

وتمكن باتشوكا من تسجيل هدف أول في شباك نظيره ريال مدريد، في الدقيقة 80، وجاء هدف باتشوكا الأول عن طريق إلياس مونتيل، بعدما سدد كرة من على حدود منطقة الجزاء، لتصطدم في الدفاع وتسكن شباك تيبو كورتوا.

ويعاني ريال مدريد من النقص العددي منذ الدقيقة 7 بعد طرد راؤول أسينسيو، ولكنه تمكن من تسجيل 3 أهداف حتى الآن، عن طريق جود بيلينجهام، أردا جولر وفيدي فالفيردي.

Oval conditions will give Australia 'slight advantage' in WTC final – Ricky Ponting

India vs Australia in a World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval will “bring both teams a little closer together” but conditions at the venue will give Australia a “slight” edge. That’s the assessment of Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain who is currently involved in the IPL as head coach of Delhi Capitals.”I think it will be a bit more similar to an Australian wicket than it will be to an Indian wicket, therefore I’m giving a slight advantage to Australia,” Ponting said at an event in New Delhi. “If this game was being played in India, I would’ve said it’s really going to be hard for Australia to win. If this game was played in Australia, I’d say Australia are the heavy favourites. The fact that this final is being played in England, it probably brings both teams a little closer together.”Ponting is excited at the prospect of watching a gun Australian attack square off against a blockbuster Indian top order. The match will be played with the Dukes ball, and not the Kookaburra.”The one thing India have been able to change through that period from late 1990s until now or even the early 2000s until now is their ability to compete outside of India,” Ponting said. “Yes, their batting skills have gotten better but the fact that they’ve been able to produce some very good fast bowlers over the 10-15-year period that they’ve been able to have success away.”Obviously they will miss [Jasprit] Bumrah, he’s going to be a huge loss for them, but they still have the likes of [Mohammed] Shami, who will actually bowl well in English conditions. When it comes to the big match-ups, Virat [Kohli] against anyone is going to be a big match-up. I caught up with him when we were there in Bangalore, and I had a good chat with him about his batting and where he’s at in his career and he said to be that he’s back to his absolute best and I think we saw that last night [Kohli made his sixth IPL century on Thursday night], he’s had a very good IPL.”He’ll be the prized wicket all the Australians will be looking forward to. Last few series they’ve played, [Cheteshwar] Pujara has been really hard to dismiss. He’s over there [in England] playing now [for Sussex]. Steve Smith is also there playing along with Marnus Labuschagne, trying to get a bit of a feel for the conditions before this big Test match comes around. So, look, I think it’ll be India India’s top order against Australia’s fast bowling. I think it is a bit of a mouthwatering sort of thought going forward.”Ricky Ponting on Virat Kohli: “I caught up with him when we were there in Bangalore, and I had a good chat with him about his batting”•Associated Press

Ponting was hopeful the spinners would have as much say on the outcome as the pacers, at least as the Test progresses. In the first WTC final in June 2021, India played both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, but have usually preferred Jadeja when it has boiled down to picking just one of them. Australia will likely play only Nathan Lyon, although they could also bring in Todd Murphy as another option.”Normally the wickets that I played on at The Oval have started as really, really good batting wickets and actually have offered a little bit to the spinners as the game’s gone on. So that’s what I’d like to see in this wicket; a really good contest day four, day five.”How much of a say will the toss have? Not much, as far as Ponting is concerned.”Oh look, I think it’ll be important, but, to be honest, I’m not a huge believer in the toss unless the conditions are really skewed one way, unless you really turn up in New Zealand or South Africa and there’s an absolute green wicket,” he said. “Actually, you can say that Australia and South Africa in Brisbane this year with a wicket up there had a lot of grass on it and that was probably a little bit unfair. So, you want to win those tosses. But I think if we turn up at The Oval and the wicket looks like a normal Oval pitch that as you say will probably give some assistance to the batterers in the first few days and give some assistance to the spinners as the game goes on, I don’t think it really matters.”You can still win if you lose the toss, you can still win if you win the toss, you get the chance to do what you want first and obviously try and control the game. But as we know, winning the toss doesn’t mean winning the game. Whatever you do first in the Test match, you still have to do that really well to give yourself the chance to win. So, I’m expecting it for the spectacle itself. I’m expecting that it’ll be a really good wicket and it’ll be five days of really good solid, hard Test match.”

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