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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have helped rejuvenate the careers of India internationals like Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube in the recent past, but with their IPL 2025 playoffs hopes all but gone, they are hoping to ease the transition into next season by bringing in youngsters like 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis, who turned 22 on the eve of CSK’s game against Punjab Kings (PBKS), and see how they go at the highest level.Batting coach Michael Hussey spoke about the young talents they have at their disposal on Tuesday adding that CSK really need to get better at scouting them and nurturing them. “I think it’s one area that we’ve really identified that we want to improve on is that talent identification side of things,” he said at the press conference.”So, we have had different players come in and train with us at various stages, almost on trial a little bit, but also when their names come up for an auction, then at least we’ve seen them, we’ve had eyes on them. I mean, we get sent all the videos, packages and stuff. But to be able to actually watch them in the flesh, it does give you a bit more to go on.”Wednesday’s IPL game will feature four uncapped Indian batters opening for the first time in the league’s history. Having used Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway and Rahul Tripathi as openers without much success, CSK have turned to Mhatre, who had impressed their team management during a mid-season trial at Chepauk, and Andhra’s Shaik Rasheed, who had not played in the IPL before this season.CSK have blooded the pair and Brevis into their team after putting them in match-simulation training at their high-performance academy on the outskirts of Chennai. Some overseas players, including those from New Zealand and West Indies, have also recently trained at the academy to prepare for subcontinent tours.Michael Hussey: We’ve had [Shaik Rasheed] with us now for, well, at least a couple of seasons and he’s a beautiful player•BCCI

“If we can play some practice games, see them [youngsters] under pressure, we can make more informed decisions about the talent that we’re looking at moving forward,” Hussey said. “So, it’s certainly one area that I think they’re putting a lot of time and effort into to make sure that we get the right talent moving forward.”They’re very important decisions. There’s so much talent in this country and [it’s about] picking the right ones. We’re still going to make mistakes, no question. But if we can make more informed decisions, then I think that will help the franchise moving forward.”Hussey believed that the work put in by the players and the staff at the academy could benefit CSK, if not right now, then at least in the future.”Yeah, even in situations like this [playoff hopes fading], as a coaching group, we’re looking for ways that we can do things better as well,” he said. “And it’s a magnificent facility, that high-performance centre. It’s a fantastic resource for us, so we should use it. And to be able to put players into situations in practice games that is closer to the match. I mean, we can bat in the nets, and that’s fine but to expose them in a match situation at practice is closer to what they’re going to experience in a match.”Hussey also said that the CSK team management will remain in close contact with the rookie players and will monitor their progress in their country’s leagues and domestic games so that they level up by IPL 2026. Mhatre has made starts in both of his innings so far but couldn’t press on. Rasheed did well on debut (27 off 19) but his most recent knock was a first-ball duck. Brevis was 17 off 17 against Sunrisers Hyderabad before he opened up and made 42 off 25.”Shaik Rasheed’s a good example [of a young player coming through the ranks],” Hussey said. “We’ve had him with us now for, well, at least a couple of seasons and he’s a beautiful player. But you’re right, we need to find out how he can go under pressure. So, yes, he’s got his opportunity now, and, you know, he’s handling it well at the moment. Like, obviously, he’ll want to get some more runs towards the back end of the season. But he’s certainly got the skill and the talent to be able to do it.”We’ll keep a close eye on them when they’re playing their domestic stuff as well and keep working with them. It’s not just working with them for this two-and-a-half months, it’s still communicating and working with them throughout the rest of the year as well, and seeing how they’re going, particularly in those pressure situations, seeing what their mentality is like.”

“It was fun to bat at No. 4, game time is important going forward in the tournament,” he said

S Sudarshanan11-Apr-2025

Gujarat Titans’ M Shahrukh Khan scored 36 off 20 balls against Rajasthan Royals•IPL

Of the six times M Shahrukh Khan has batted at No. 4 in the IPL, only thrice has he faced 20 or more deliveries. In the IPL 2025 match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Ahmedabad, he walked in at the end of the tenth over with Gujarat Titans (GT) 94 for 2. Shahrukh hit four fours and two sixes and finished with 36 off just 20 balls. His dismissal was also in a bid to take on positive match-up Maheesh Theekshana. It is the role clarity with GT that allowed him to flourish.”My role was pretty clear when they retained me itself – that I will be batting at No. 4 or 5,” Shahrukh said on the eve of the match against Lucknow Super Giants. “There is also the thing about left-right combination. Before this game, Sai [Sudharsan] had gotten out early, so [Sherfane] Rutherford had gone in at No. 4. That’s how the combination works. But it was fun to bat at No. 4, [I] got some time [to get set]. Game time is important going forward in the tournament.”With GT’s top-order firing consistently, their middle-order has had little to do in the five games so far. The one time they did have to chip in, it served GT well as they romped to the top of the points table. Apart from Shahrukh, Rahul Tewatia, batting at No. 6, scored an unbeaten 24 off 12 balls.Related

'Scientist' Sai Kishore shows off his new inventions

“The top three is getting the bulk of the runs,” Shahrukh said. “But there will be a situation, where wickets do fall. That’s what our preparation been like since camps started. As middle order, we are ready for any situation that comes to us. Good thing is that in the last game a lot of got batting. So even if wickets fall, we are well-prepared to do our job.”R Sai Kishore has out-bowled Rashid Khan thus far in IPL 2025•BCCI

One of the stars of the GT side this year has been left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore. With Rashid Khan being the only other specialist spinners in the rank – after Noor Ahmad was snapped up by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the auction – Sai Kishore has got ample chances to play. He has revelled in that and the numbers are proof – ten wickets (joint second) in five matches with an economy rate of 7.25 and an average of 13.30. He has not just bowled more than Rashid this season but also picked up more wickets than the Afghan spinner.”He’s always been a fantastic bowler,” Shahrukh said of his Tamil Nadu team-mate. “Just because he has not got many games under his belt, doesn’t mean he’s lesser than somebody else in the team. He’s always been bowling this way, and has got the opportunity now over a period of time to show what he is, and what skill he has in his kitty.”Before IPL 2025, Sai Kishore had played just the ten games across two seasons. This is after being on the bench at CSK since 2020. He has showed off his wares, including the mystery element by making use of the carrom ball.”I have played a lot with him at Tamil Nadu and the way he has done for Tamil Nadu is exceptional,” Shahrukh said. “He’s continuing the same form here. As a team-mate and state-mate, I am very happy for him the way he is doing. The ball is coming out of his hand really well. I haven’t seen him bowl this brilliantly with so much of control. Hardly any loose balls in this tournament. It is good to see, I am very happy for him.”

Thomas Frank could not have wished for a better first Premier League game in charge of Tottenham Hotspur against Burnley at home on Saturday.

A newly-promoted team coming away to Spurs on the opening day was always likely to work in the home team’s favour, given that the last six teams to come up have all gone straight back down, and that is how it played out.

Richarlison was given the nod ahead of Dominic Solanke in the centre-forward position and showcased his potential as a number nine for Frank with two terrific goals, including an overhead kick.

The Brazil international will be hoping to stay fit and kick on as the main man for goals for Spurs in the Frank era, having started the season with a bang.

Richarlison was not the only player who caught the eye with an impressive performance against the Clarets on Saturday, though, as Mohammed Kudus put in a fantastic display.

Spurs signed the Ghana international from Premier League rivals West Ham United for a fee of £55m earlier this summer, and he has already shown the supporters a glimpse of what to expect from him.

What Mohammed Kudus can bring to Spurs this season

The former Ajax starlet lined up on the right of the front three, with Richarlison in the middle and Brennan Johnson on the left, and caused Burnley endless problems at the top end of the pitch.

Kudus was a constant threat with the ball at his feet and got supporters out of their seats with his direct and aggressive play on the ball, which helped him to create both of Richarlison’s goals.

His second assist, for Richarlison’s overhead kick, was particularly eye-catching. The winger brilliantly beat the defender with a sharp touch on the outside and provided a sublime cross with his weaker right foot to tee up the striker for the stunning finish.

Minutes

85

xA

0.58

Chances created

5

Assists

2

Pass accuracy

92%

Dribbles completed

2/3

Ground duels won

5/7

As you can see in the table above, the £55m signing enjoyed a terrific debut against Scott Parker’s team by creating a whopping five chances for his side in 85 minutes on the pitch.

Kudus only delivered three assists and averaged one key pass per game in the Premier League last season for West Ham, per Sofascore, which may suggest that the Hammers were not getting the best out of the left-footed star.

After also creating three chances in the Super Cup against PSG, per Sofascore, the 25-year-old star could be expected to provide creativity for Spurs on a regular basis down the right flank this season in Frank’s system.

It is down to Frank to ensure that the team is getting Kudus in the right positions to keep up that level of creativity, though, and the club’s latest transfer target could help with that.

Spurs have shown interest in Premier League full-back

According to The Boot Room, Tottenham Hotspur are one of a number of clubs to have shown an interest in Manchester City full-back Rico Lewis this summer.

The report claims that intermediaries have been tasked with reaching out to clubs, including Spurs, to let them know that the England international may be available.

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

Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Spurs have all been contacted by these intermediaries and, subsequently, shown an interest in the young defender.

The Boot Room adds that Lewis is considering his future at The Etihad, despite City wanting to offer him a new contract, and that he is set to hold talks with Pep Guardiola before the end of the month.

Forest – led by Evangelos Marinakis – have reportedly had an offer of £25.8m turned down by Manchester City, and it remains to be seen how much it would take for Spurs to get a deal done for the 20-year-old talent to bolster Frank’s squad before the end of the summer transfer window.

Why Spurs should sign Rico Lewis

Tottenham should be pushing to get a deal done for Lewis ahead of the likes of Forest and Aston Villa because he could be a dream signing for Kudus down the right flank.

The City academy graduate primarily plays at right-back, although he can also play in midfield, and has the ability on the ball to be the player who provides the former West Ham man with the service he needs to be effective on a consistent basis.

Spurs, as aforementioned, need to make sure that Kudus consistently gets the ball in positions to make an impact in the final third, to ensure that he does not struggle in the same way that he did with the Hammers last season.

Lewis, who assisted Erling Haaland for a goal against Wolves on Saturday, is a young talent who possesses the qualities on the ball to make him an ideal partner for Kudus down the right side for Tottenham.

Pass accuracy

91.9%

73.4%

Progressive passes

6.03

5.16

Passes into the final third

4.88

4.50

Touches in the opposition’s box

2.53

1.23

Progressive carries

2.08

2.04

Through balls

0.24

0.19

As you can see in the table above, the Manchester City youngster is more progressive and efficient with the ball at his feet than Pedro Porro, at least based on their respective statistics over the last 365 days.

These statistics suggest that Lewis, once dubbed “exceptional” by Guardiola, would be more likely to supply Kudus with the ball in advanced positions each game, providing the winger with even more opportunities to make things happen with the ball at his feet at the top end of the pitch.

The Spurs target also won 59% of his ground duels in the Premier League last season, whilst Porro won 53% of his, per Sofascore, which suggests that he also has the potential to be as strong, if not stronger, out of possession as a defender.

This may not seem like a big deal for Kudus, on the face of it, but if Lewis can prove himself to be a defensive upgrade on Porro, the Ghana international may not need to focus on his defensive duties as much, freeing him up to play higher up the pitch.

Worth more than Kudus & Eze: Spurs have struck gold on "incredible" talent

Tottenham Hotspur already have a player who’s value has soared in North London in recent times.

3 ByEthan Lamb Aug 17, 2025

Overall, therefore, the England international could be a dream for Kudus because of the qualities that he could provide in and out of possession, which is why Spurs should be pushing to snap him up.

Barcelona received a boost ahead of their Champions League opener as Hansi Flick’s suspension was overturned, clearing him for the Newcastle game.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Barca have received a major boost ahead of their Champions League opener against Newcastle after UEFA lifted the suspension of head coach Flick and his assistant Marcus Sorg. The pair had initially been handed one-match bans following last season’s controversial semi-final elimination to Inter, but Barca appealed the ruling. According to , UEFA has partially upheld the appeal, meaning Flick and Sorg will be on the bench at St. James’ Park. Both remain under a one-year “monitoring” period, during which any further violations could reactivate the suspended ban.

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The decision is huge for Blaugrana, who begin their European campaign against a resurgent Newcastle side. Flick’s presence on the touchline is important for his tactical management in what promises to be a demanding league phase of the competition. 

The German coach has been tasked with restoring Barca’s European pedigree after several painful eliminations in recent years. His availability ensures continuity in leadership at a time when Barcelona are eager to bounce back from a frustrating 1-1 La Liga draw with Rayo Vallecano and maintain focus on reclaiming continental success.

TELL ME MORE

The ban stemmed from UEFA’s charge that Flick and Sorg had breached the governing body’s principles of conduct during last season’s semi-final tie against Inter, having angrily protested and criticised the referee's decisions. While the suspension has been lifted, both coaches remain under probation for 12 months, meaning any further incident could lead to reinstatement of the punishment alongside fresh sanctions. Barca will cover the costs of the appeal process, though this is seen as a small price to pay for having their manager on the sidelines.

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(C)Getty imagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCA?

Barca must quickly shake off their domestic frustrations and turn their focus to Europe. With seven points from three La Liga fixtures, they trail Real Madrid by two points and cannot afford to let early-season slip-ups derail momentum. After the weekend's clash against Valencia in La Liga, the spotlight will shift to the visit to St. James’ Park.

Erling Haaland gave a classy pep talk to Moldova goalkeeper Cristian Avram after Norway scored 11 goals past him in a World Cup qualifying game. The Manchester City star scored five and provided an assist as Norway took a step closer to qualifying for the 2026 tournament. The Norwegian bagged his fifth international hat-trick and took his goals tally to 48 in 45 matches for Norway.

• Haaland's pep talk to Moldova keeper revealed
• Scored five goals past the custodian
• Norway humiliated Moldova 11-1

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After one of the worst nights of his professional career, Avram revealed that he had a chat with Haaland, where the City striker gave him an inspiring pep talk. Haaland registered five goals in the match and an assist, while Thelo Aasgaard scored four. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard and Felix Horn Myhre were also on target for Norway in an emphatic victory.

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• AFP
  

  WHAT HAALAND SAID

  Speaking to , the goalkeeper said: "Hello, I'm the goalkeeper for Moldova and I conceded eleven goals. I spoke to Erling. He said, 'It’s not my fault,' and that he just had to keep trying to score because of the goal difference. I understand him. It's part of the game. He wanted to keep fighting."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Haaland took his international goals tally to 48 in 45 appearances for Norway. The quintet of strikes marked his personal best in international colours and the most by a European player in a World Cup qualifier since Hans Krankl’s six for Austria in 1977.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR HAALAND?

  Haaland will now hope to translate his form from international football to his club as City prepare to face rivals Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.

تلقى الجزيرة الإماراتي، الذي يضم المصريين إبراهيم عادل ومحمد النني، خسارة أمام منافسه الوحدة، بهدف نظيف، في اللقاء الذي أقيم بينهما في بطولة الدوري الإماراتي.

والتقى الجزيرة مع الوحدة، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة من مسابقة الدوري الإماراتي 2025-2026، على ملعب محمد بن زايد.

طالع فيديو | إصابة قوية لـ محمد النني ويغادر ديربي أبو ظبي

وشارك الثنائي المصري محمد النني وإبراهيم عادل في التشكيل الأساسي مع الجزيرة، لكن النني تعرض لإصابة قوية خلال المباراة، حيث سقط في الدقيقة السادسة ممسكًا بركبته قبل أن يغادر الملعب على نقالة.

وجاء هدف الوحدة الوحيد في اللقاء عن طريق رافيل طاهر لاعب الجزيرة بالخطأ في مرماه، في الدقيقة 45+1 من الشوط الأول.

وبهذه النتيجة، يحتل الجزيرة المركز الخامس في جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري الإماراتي برصيد 7 نقاط، بينما يصبح الوحدة في المركز الأول برصيد 11 نقطة. أهداف مباراة الوحدة والجزيرة

Leeds United’s promotion to the Premier League means that they have to be ruthless with the players they decide to keep at Elland Road this summer.

Illan Meslier is one player whose future in West Yorkshire remains uncertain, although LeedsLive recently reported that no official offers have been made for the goalkeeper yet.

The outlet added, though, that the French shot-stopper could move on if Daniel Farke does not guarantee him game time next season, amid the club’s search for a new goalkeeper.

Meslier was dropped for Karl Darlow in the run-in at the end of last season, after making three errors that directly led to goals, and it does not seem likely that he will be a frontline option for the German boss.

Leeds, meanwhile, are reportedly set to cash in on another dud who is even more pointless to the squad than Meslier ahead of next season.

Leeds set to sell £11m flop

The former Lorient goalkeeper may end up being second or third-choice if the Whites are successful in signing another shot-stopper, but the club are about to sell a player who is even further down the pecking order in his position.

Transfer Focus

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

According to DeichStube, via Sport Witness, Leeds have agreed a deal with Werder Bremen to sell central defender Max Wober, who joined from Salzburg in 2023 for a fee of £11m, to the German side on a permanent deal.

The report claims that a transfer for the Austria international is in the final stages and is set to ‘imminently’ join the Bundesliga outfit this week on a four-year contract.

It adds that Werder Bremen are set to pay a fee of around £3.4m to sign the left-footed defender from the Premier League side, which represents a significant loss on the £11m that was paid for him two-and-a-half years ago.

Why Wober is less important than Meslier

Cashing in on Wober makes a lot of sense for Leeds this summer because he is even less important than Meslier in regard to Farke’s squad depth ahead of next season. Whilst the Frenchman is currently one of two first-team goalkeepers at the club, the Austrian defender is way down the list of potential centre-back options in a back four.

The former Salzburg star only played 332 minutes of football in the Championship last season, whilst Ethan Ampadu, Pascal Struijk, and Joe Rodon all played over 2,000 minutes.

Leeds have since added Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw from Udinese and Wolfsburg respectively to bolster their centre-back ranks, leaving Farke with Bijol, Bornauw, Struijk, Ampadu, and Rodon ahead of Wober in the pecking order.

This shows that the Werder Bremen target is even more pointless than Meslier, because he is even further down the list of options in his respective position.

Appearances

16

Starts

14

Clean sheets

2

Dribbled past

8x

Duel success rate

53%

Penalties committed

1

Error led to shot

1

As you can see in the table above, Wober also struggled in the Premier League the last time Leeds were there in the 2022/23 campaign after his move from Salzburg, barely winning above half of his duels and being dribbled past eight times in 14 starts.

The Whites were, of course, relegated from the top-flight that term and that may be part of the reason why they have moved quickly to improve their centre-back options by signing Bijol and Bornauw, after seeing how Wober performed when they were last in the division.

Overall, selling him, despite making a significant loss on the £11m that they bought him for, makes a lot of sense, potentially even more so than cashing in on Meslier does.

Huge Rothwell upgrade: Leeds make enquiry to sign "phenomenal" £30m star

Leeds United are interested in signing a star who would come in as an upgrade on Joe Rothwell.

ByDan Emery Jul 2, 2025

Leicester City have now held talks with a 57-year-old over the vacant manager position at the King Power Stadium, according to a recent report.

Despite the terrible campaign for the Foxes in the Premier League, it took them nine weeks after the season had ended to announce Ruud van Nistelrooy had in fact left the football club. After managing just five wins from his 27 games in charge, his departure was expected; just the time it took to announce it left many supporters confused.

Leicester City may now approach 4-4-1-1 boss who has coached 322 PL matches

Ruud van Nistelrooy could find himself ousted at the King Power Stadium.

BySean Markus Clifford Jun 5, 2025

Alas, the Foxes are finally on the lookout for a new manager to lead them in the Championship. One person that Leicester looked keen on appointing was Russell Martin. It was even reported that Martin had agreed a deal in principle to join Leicester, but that didn’t come to fruition, as the former Southampton manager decided to join Rangers instead.

Since then, out-of-work Sean Dyche has been mentioned as an option, while Danny Rohl has emerged as their number one target, with his release clause slashed from £5 million to £1 million.

But if a deal still cannot be agreed with Rohl, Graeme Bailey has revealed that Leicester could make an approach for Dyche, who has done wonders in the Championship before.

Leicester hold talks with experienced Championship promotion winner

However, there is now a new name in the frame to possibly replace Van Nistelrooy. According to Football League World, Leicester have held talks with Chris Wilder over their managerial vacancy.

Wilder is another manager who is currently out of work, as he left his post at Sheffield United nearly three weeks ago. The Blades’ new owners decided it was time for the club to go in a different direction, despite the fact that Wilder led United to a third-place finish and the play-off final.

The 57-year-old would be considered a more experienced option for the Foxes, especially at Championship level, as he’s taken charge of 189 games in that division, winning 93, averaging 1.69 points per game and, in that time, he guided the Blades to the Premier League during the 2017/18 season.

However, a concern would be his Premier League record, as he’s won just 20 of the 90 top-flight games he has been in charge of.

Games

305

Won

140

Drawn

57

Lost

108

Points

477

Points per game

1.56

Wilder is just the latest in a string of names to be added to the list of options for the Foxes, but appointing the former Sheffield United boss may be easier than chasing other managers. That is because Wilder is represented by the same agency as current Leicester defender Luke Thomas, with the club no doubt holding an existing relationship with the agency which could smooth negotiations with no current employer to worry about.

Wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton gets a recall; Dane Paterson and Dane Piedt retain their place

Firdose Moonda08-Jul-2024David Bedingham, Dane Paterson and Dane Piedt are the only players from South Africa’s makeshift squad that toured New Zealand in February to be named for their next red-ball assignment, against West Indies in August. While Bedingham is seen as central to the future of South Africa’s long-format batting, Paterson, 35, has been included to add experience in the absence of Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen, and Piedt, 34, to have a second spinner in addition to Keshav Maharaj.The rest of the players were all part of South Africa’s home series against India earlier this year with the exception of batter Matthew Breetzke, who has earned his first Test call-up. Breetzke is currently playing for Northants and was part of a South African A side that toured Sri Lanka last year. With Dean Elgar’s recent international retirement, he will provide batting back-up to a top five that will likely include Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham.Red-ball coach Shukri Conrad confirmed that Stubbs would take over the No. 3 spot, with de Zorzi moving up into Elgar’s opening slot. “Technically Stubbs is one of the best around,” Conrad said at a press conference. “He’s the type of cricketer that I want at the top of the order. And I think he has got all the makings of a top-class No. 3 batter. He will get a really good run and he is definitely one for the future. Some might say it’s a big call, but I certainly won’t be throwing someone in at the deep end and give him a task that I didn’t think he was capable of handling.”Wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton has been recalled after last playing Tests in the home series against West Indies in March 2023 and will compete with incumbent gloveman Kyle Verreynne for a spot at No. 6. The only seam-bowling allrounder in the squad is Wiaan Mulder, who also last played Tests at home against West Indies, after Jansen was rested from the tour.”Given the hectic schedules and not necessarily for South Africa – you take someone like Marco, who would have had two months at an IPL straight to a World Cup, straight into an MLC – the plan was always for different guys to be getting breaks at different times,” Conrad said. “So this is Marco’s time where we felt we can do some really good work with him from a rehab and conditioning point of view, and if there’s some technical work that needs to happen.”ESPNcricinfo LtdJansen will also miss the October Tests in Bangladesh and “be ready for Sri Lanka and Pakistan”, Conrad said. “And then another quick will have the Bangladesh series off and be ready for Sri Lanka and Pakistan. So it’s conversations that Rob [Walter, the white-ball coach] and I have been having for the longest time now. We want to make sure that we manage these players properly. They never get time to actually do some work on their bodies and any technical stuff. It’s not a holiday.”The pace attack will be led by Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi with Nortje not considered after he opted out of a central contract this year with the aim of focusing primarily on T20 cricket. Paterson and left-armer Nandre Burger are the other two pace options.South Africa’s first-choice Test players have not been in action since the New Year’s Test, which they lost to India after being to miss the New Zealand series and honour SA20 commitments. South Africa lost that series 2-0 and sit in seventh place on the WTC points table, but have only played four matches. They have eight more Tests scheduled in this cycle – two in the West Indies, two in Bangladesh in October and home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan – and have hopes they could put themselves in a position to compete for a spot in the WTC final.”We’ve got eight test matches left in the cycle and whilst one doesn’t want to look too far ahead, in order to give ourselves a good crack at it, we probably need to win at least seven,” Conrad said. “That’s part of the end goal. We know that every Test series is going to be a challenging one. But when we play to our full potential, I think we can obviously get the right results. We’re still very much in the mix.”Those members of the squad who are not involved in the MLC or on the county circuit – Bavuma, Breetzke, de Zorzi, Mulder, Paterson, Stubbs and Verreynne – will take part in a four-day training camp in Durban before departing for the West Indies. The first Test takes place in Trinidad from August 7 and the second in Guyana a week later.South Africa Test squadTemba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne

Arsenal are now preparing a very serious £84m offer for a striker, with Andrea Berta recently holding talks over a potential deal, according to a report.

Berta driving Arsenal's attacking summer transfer plans

Berta is approaching his first transfer window since being appointed as sporting director, and the Italian has grand plans, which could lay the groundwork for the Gunners to finally win the Premier League title next season.

The 53-year-old is personally keen on signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, who would be extremely interested in a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer, while Real Madrid star Rodrygo is believed to be at the top of his wishlist.

Talks have been opened over a deal for the Brazilian, who could join alongside RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko, with Berta now in concrete discussions over a deal for the Slovenian, who Mikel Arteta is believed to be a big admirer of.

There has now been a new update on Arsenal’s pursuit of Sesko, which suggests the talks may have gone very well, with a report from Spain revealing they are now preparing a very serious €100m (£84m) offer for the centre-forward.

Berta has been in direct talks with RB Leipzig over a summer deal, and there is a feeling Sesko would be interested in becoming a part of Arteta’s project, despite interest from a number of other European clubs.

The Gunners are prepared to go all out to win the race for the 21-year-old, but Leipzig are in no rush to sell, with the 21-year-old under contract until 2029. However, there have been other claims suggesting there is a €80m summer release clause, so Arsenal could be willing to go above and beyond for Sesko following the claim from Spain.

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The lack of a centre-forward has arguably been costly for the Gunners this season, with both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus spending lengthy periods on the sidelines, and a new striker could be the final piece of the jigsaw for Arteta.

Manchester City brought in Erling Haaland back in the summer of 2022, which enabled Pep Guardiola’s side to finally get over the line in the Champions League, and there are indications the Leipzig star could have a similar impact on the Gunners.

The “extremely quick” forward, who has been compared to Haaland in the past, enjoyed an impressive 2024-25 season, regularly contributing goals and assists for Leipzig across all competitions.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Bundesliga

33

13

5

DFB-Pokal

4

4

1

Champions League

8

4

0

That said, Jamie Carragher has suggested that whichever striker Arsenal sign may remain behind Havertz in the pecking order, given how important the German is to Arteta’s play-style.

However, even top coaches have to make tweaks sometimes, with Guardiola managing to accommodate Haaland, and Arsenal changing their tactics to suit Sesko may enable them to finally win the Premier League title next season.