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Tottenham manager Thomas Frank unceremoniously missed out on his second playmaker of the summer on Wednesday evening, so he is in dire need of some good news when it comes to recruitment.

Despite Spurs’ very advanced talks for Eberechi Eze, Arsenal swooped in to hijack Daniel Levy’s negotiations after Kai Havertz’s injury, and they swiftly shook hands on a deal with Palace overnight.

Tottenham were believed to have a verbal pact in place with Palace and agreed personal terms with Eze, so it looked like a matter of time before the north Londoners welcomed him to N17.

However, the decision ultimately came down to Eze, as both Spurs and Arsenal were prepared to meet Palace’s demands at club level.

The England international chose Arsenal due to his long-standing connection with them through his boyhood academy years at the club (Alasdair Gold), with Frank and Levy now back to square one in their pursuit of a number 10.

They’ve been in this position before this summer, with Morgan Gibbs-White also failing to seal what was once a very advanced move to Tottenham after Nottingham Forest blocked the deal.

With Spurs’ mission to sign a James Maddison replacement now set to continue with just 12 days to go until the transfer deadline on September 1, the Lilywhites also have other positions they need to reinforce.

Frank believes that Tottenham actually need two number 10s after Maddison’s long-term injury, but whether the Dane gets his wish is another matter.

Elsewhere, it is reliably reported that Spurs also want to sign a new winger and centre-back (Michael Bridge).

Brentford captain Nathan Collins and Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie are among Tottenham’s defensive targets, while Man City winger Savinho is still being chased by Spurs despite Pep Guardiola’s side blocking the deal as of now (Fabrizio Romano).

Believe it or not, Brentford striker Yoane Wissa may also remain a possibility too.

Brentford "want to sell" Yoane Wissa to Tottenham as they delay Newcastle deal

According to The Mail’s Craig Hope, there is a feeling behind-the-scenes that the Bees are delaying their deal with Newcastle, having just rejected a second bid for the Congolese, because Brentford “want to sell” Wissa to Tottenham instead – due to their relationship with Frank.

The Dane would also be keen on signing his ex-star. However, any move for Wissa is dependent on revitalised centre-forward Richarlison leaving and a club meeting his minimum £50m valuation.

The Brazilian was actually offered as a makeweight in talks for Eze, as per this report, but that now won’t be happening.

Perhaps if they can offer out Richarlison in part-exchange for another playmaker, the door could reopen for Wissa, but for now, the 29-year-old has his “heart set” on a move to St. James’ Park.

He would be an excellent replacement for Richarlison, scoring 19 goals in the Premier League last season and earning plenty of praise from Frank in the past.

Chelsea’s summer spending spree is showing no sign of slowing down.

So far, the Blues have made eight new signings this summer, including bringing in Liam Delap, João Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Estêvão Willian and others.

However, they’ve still got plenty to do in the transfer market.

Right now, by our count, the Blues have 46 senior players on their books, but one could be on the way out, making way for another exciting young talent to arrive in West London.

Chelsea set to bolster their attacking options

As already alluded to, Chelsea are seeking to offload at least a dozen high-profile players in the next month or so, with Mike McGrath of the Telegraph reporting that Raheem Sterling could be on his way to Fulham.

One player who is closer to the exit door is João Félix who, according to David Ornstein and Simon Johnson of the Athletic, is set to join Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr for around £26.2m, amid interest from boyhood club Benfica.

The Portuguese only joined Chelsea permanently from Atlético Madrid for £45m a year ago, but has scored just 11 goals in 40 appearances for the Blues across his two spells, spending the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan, thereby very much not in Enzo Maresca’s plans.

So, with Félix on his way out, Chelsea are on the cusp of bringing in a replacement, with journalist Ben Jacobs noting that they are “advancing talks” to sign Xavi Simons, with “terms now broadly in place” to bring him to England. Club-to-club talks are ongoing to find a full agreement over a fee.

James Olley of ESPN claims that the Blues are willing to spend around £50m, with Leipzig holding out for closer to £60m.

So, will he soon become the 15th Dutchman to call Stamford Bridge home, following in the footsteps of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Ruud Gullit, Arjen Robben and others?

How Xavi Simons will improve Chelsea

Simons is certainly a highly-rated player, with Sultan Babajide of Breaking the Lines asserting that he is ‘destined for the top’, noting how he is ‘brilliant between the lines’.

Meantime, Bart Vlietstra of the Guardian believes there has always been ‘something irresistible’ about a player he labels a ‘precocious’ talent, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout agrees, describing him as a ‘fascinating player’.

Simons’ career breakthrough came at PSV Eindhoven, scoring 22 goals and registering 11 assists in just 48 outings for the Dutch giants, while he has also racked up 21 goals and 23 assists in 76 appearances since making the move to RB Leipzig.

So how does he compare to the player he’s set to replace in the Chelsea squad Félix? Let’s find out.

Appearances

33

41

Goals

11

10

Assists

8

3

Appearances

43

44

Goals

10

10

Assists

15

6

Appearances

48

40

Goals

22

9

Assists

11

3

As the table outlines, ever since Simons became a regular first-team player at PSV, his statistics have been more impressive than those of Félix.

The Portuguese international’s £113m move to Atlético Madrid back in 2019, making him the fourth-most expensive player of all-time, has turned out to be one of football’s great what if moves, with Jack Lang of the Athletic noting that he is widely-regarded as having ‘wasted his talent’, never able to fit into the playing style or system at any of the clubs he’s featured for since Benfica.

Simons, in contrast, is a player on the way up, likely to get even better, so he could have an enormous impact at Chelsea, potentially elevating them to a level where they’re fighting for the Premier League title and Champions League supremacy once again.

Better signing than Simons: Chelsea could see bid accepted for £34m star

Chelsea will need to improve their defence this summer

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 27, 2025

It’s hard to think of another summer quite like this one for Arsenal.

Preseason hasn’t even started yet, and the club has already signed four players, including Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke, for a combined £112m.

Moreover, talented centre-back Christian Mosquera is set to have a medical today, Viktor Gyokeres looks likely to have his on Friday, and Eberechi Eze continues to be linked.

As if that wasn’t enough, rumours concerning a £80m move for Rodrygo keep popping up, although to complete a deal to sign him on top of everyone else, the Gunners will surely have to make some sales, and it looks like they will.

Why Arsenal want to sign Rodrygo

Even though it would require a massive financial commitment, and he’d become their second most expensive signing of all time, it’s really not hard to understand why Arsenal would want to bring in Rodrygo.

Firstly, he may be a natural left-winger, but as the last couple of seasons have shown us, he can still be incredibly effective off the right and even up, which could help massively if the Gunners endure another torrid year with injuries.

More importantly, though, is the fact that the Brazilian has remained incredibly effective even out of position over the last few years.

Appearances

51

54

Minutes

3707′

3452′

Goals

17

14

Assists

9

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

142.57′

138.08′

For example, since the start of the 23/24 season, the “special” talent, as dubbed by former manager Carlo Ancelotti, has found the back of the net on 31 occasions and provided 20 assists in 105 appearances, totalling 7159 minutes.

That means the former Santos gem has been averaging a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 140.37 minutes across the last two years, which is undoubtedly impressive.

Finally, with two La Liga titles and two Champions League titles among an array of other trophies under his belt, the 24-year-old dynamo would bring a real know-how to the Emirates, which is something the team have been lacking in recent years.

However, to afford Rodrygo’s wages and transfer fee, Arsenal will surely have to offload a few players this summer, and based on reports, it looks like one out-of-favour ace could be nearing the exit.

The Arsenal star who could be sold

With the signings already made, those set to be completed soon, and the additional links to players like Rodrygo, it’s no surprise to see speculation arise around the possible sale of certain players.

Transfer Focus

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

At first, there were reports about a possible move for Gabriel Martinelli by Al-Nassr, reports that were quickly rubbished.

Since then, Leandro Trossard has been linked with several moves, including a potential transfer to Bayern Munich, and Jakub Kiwior is also reportedly no longer in the manager’s plans.

However, there is now another player being linked with an official exit from the club this summer, someone who wasn’t even part of the squad last season: Fabio Vieira.

Yes, according to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, the player’s representatives are currently working on getting him to a new team this summer, and have even been in talks with several interested clubs from ‘Turkey and Germany’s top divisions.’

Interestingly, the report reveals that an unnamed Serie A side would be willing to pay €18m for the Portuguese ace in a deal structured like Nuno Tavares’ to Lazio, but as Arteta and Co paid £34m for the player just three years ago, that is not a price they would entertain.

Whatever the final fee ends up being, it is probably time to move the 25-year-old on, as after two underwhelming campaigns in England in which he amassed 13 goal involvements in 49 games, he enjoyed a decent enough spell with Porto last year.

Appearances

39

33

16

42

Goals

7

2

1

5

Assists

16

6

3

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.24

0.25

0.26

For example, the “exceptional” midfielder, as talent scout Jacek Kulig once dubbed him, produced 11 goal involvements in 42 games, but eight of those came in just 26 league clashes.

In other words, this summer may well be the last time Berta and Co will be able to get decent money for the Santa Maria da Feira-born ace.

Ultimately, Vieira is not a bad player, but it just has not worked out for him in an Arsenal shirt, and if selling him this summer frees up space to sign Rodrygo, then that is a no-brainer.

Shades of Trossard: Arsenal target is now in London to undergo his medical

Arsenal could sign a player with shades of Leandro Trossard.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 16, 2025

Visitors name three-seamer line-up in anticipation of showery weather in Manchester

Matt Roller20-Aug-2024

Dhananjaya de Silva is all smiles during training•Getty Images

Dhananjaya de Silva, Sri Lanka’s captain, has revealed that his team wanted to play more than one warm-up match before their Test series against England but were denied the chance to do so.Sri Lanka lost by seven wickets in their four-day, first-class match against an inexperienced England Lions team at New Road last week. They were bowled out for 139 on the opening day but grew into the match, with Nishan Madushka, Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya all scoring second-innings half-centuries.Eight of the side that will face England at Emirates Old Trafford in Wednesday’s first Test were involved, with Kamindu Mendis, Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando due to come into the side. Milan Rathnayake, the 28-year-old seamer, will make his Test debut at the age of 28 after taking a wicket in each innings against the Lions.”The conditions are quite different to Asian countries,” Dhananjaya said. “We wanted to play a few matches, but that’s what we get. We didn’t go with the full-strength [team]. We have tried out a few players as well. The result didn’t go our way, but we had the preparation, I think. It’ll work in this match.”Dhananjaya said he had “no idea” why Sri Lanka’s desire for a second warm-up match had been overlooked, but suggested that the schedule was tight ahead of their first Test series of more than two games since 2018. “I have no idea about it,” he said. “Maybe because we are playing a three-match series after a long time; maybe that’s the reason.”Related

Mathews fights after Smith's maiden hundred, but England close in on victory

Jamie Smith digs deep in the gloom as Asitha Fernando keeps Sri Lanka in the contest

Chris Woakes 'wouldn't shy away' from attack-leading role in overseas Tests

Sri Lanka dig deep through de Silva, Rathnayake after top-order collapse hands England control

Pope at ease with caretaker captaincy brief

Sri Lanka have not played a Test since April but come into this series after beating India 2-0 in an ODI series, and have a 100% record in Dhananjaya’s three matches as captain. “Our mental state is good,” he said. “Yes, we lost the practice match, but that match is there for our training. Within that, we got the preparation we wanted.”He is expecting the weather to play a significant role in the Test match, and hopes that Prabath Jayasuriya – whom he described as a “world-class spinner” – will play a role later in the match. “From the looks of it, it’ll be a rain-affected match,” Dhananjaya said. “I thought because of that, it’s best to go with three quicks, because we will go in and out of the game.”Dhananjaya made his Test debut immediately after Sri Lanka’s most recent Test tour to England in 2016, but will lean on the experience of Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne throughout the series. “It’s been long since we played here the last time,” he said, “but there are a few experienced players… They are sharing the experience with me.”

Excellent bowling from Nathan Sowter, Ben Raine and Callum Parkinson sets up win for last QF place

ECB Reporters Network19-Jul-2024

Alex Lees works the ball leg side•Getty Images

Alex Lees and Colin Ackermann scored unbeaten half-centuries to take Durham to an eight-wicket victory over Derbyshire Falcons in the Vitality Blast match at Derby.Lees made 72 off 60 balls and Ackermann 54 from 30 with the pair sharing an unbroken stand of 88 as Durham ended on 159 for 2 to claim the remaining quarter-final place in the North Group.Durham’s victory was set up by excellent bowling from Nathan Sowter, Ben Raine and Callum Parkinson, who took two wickets each to restrict Falcons to 155 for 8.Most of the Falcons got a start on a slow pitch but no one could go on with Wayne Madsen and Alex Thomson top scoring with 22.The home side fought hard to defend a modest total but Lees and Ackermann showed experience and nous to take Durham into the knock-out stages.Falcons had motored to 64 in the powerplay with Paul Coughlin leaking 33 from two overs but their adventure came at the cost of three wickets.Luis Reece went in the first over, bowled stepping across to Parkinson before David Lloyd cut Coughlin for four and six.Aneurin Donald drove Parkinson over the long off boundary but then top edged a sweep to backward square.Coughlin was cut over third man for six by Madsen but responded by having Lloyd caught behind for 20.Madsen made a brilliant century against Durham in the Blast two years ago so they were relieved when he mistimed a drive at Sowter and holed out to long off to leave the Falcons 65 for 4.Coughlin returned to have Brooke Guest caught behind and his next ball saw Ross Whiteley edge to slip where Ashton Turner spilled the chance.Samit Patel cut Matthew Potts over third man for six but Sowter was tying the Falcons down and he struck again when he trapped Patel lbw for 20.When Whiteley edged a drive at Raine, Falcons were 110 for 7 but Thomson pulled Coughlin for six before Mohammad Amir smashed Parkinson into the front of the media centre.Raine bowled Amir as he and Potts conceded only 15 from the last three overs to leave Durham chasing 156.Lees drilled Daryn Dupavillon for two fours but Amir was giving nothing away, conceding only five from his first two overs before taking a smart catch at short third off Pat Brown to remove Graham Clark.Lees pulled and drove Amir for two fours to take Durham to 45 for 1 at the end of the powerplay but they were being made to work hard by some disciplined bowling.Although David Bedingham pulled Thomson for six, he dragged the next ball to mid-wicket and after 10 overs, Durham were 75 for 2, needing another 81.Ackermann eased the pressure with two big sixes over midwicket off Thomson in the 13th over and drove Reece for another off the last ball of the 15th.Patel conceded only four off his final over but Lees and Ackermann took no risks to see Durham home with seven balls to spare.

One of the most interesting transfer sagas that will develop this summer regards Aston Villa’s former loanee Marcus Rashford. His future is up in the air at Old Trafford, and it does seem likely that he will depart Manchester United after a decade at the highest level for his boyhood club.

He went on loan to Villa Park in January, but it remains to be seen if he will stay at the club. The Villans have a £40m buy option for the winger, but BBC Sport reported that ‘there have been no negotiations over a permanent transfer’, and Rashford thinks United ‘would be prepared to sell him for £40m to anyone this summer’.

So, if they do not keep hold of the England superstar, it means Villa will need to sign a new winger. Perhaps that player could be Rashford’s international teammate.

Aston Villa’s potential Rashford replacement

It will be fascinating to see if Rashford stays at Villa Park beyond this season. However, if that is not to be the case, then it seems as though Unai Emery’s side have done due diligence on alternative options.

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 a report from TEAMTalk, the Villans are a ‘team to watch in the race’ to sign their former attacker Jack Grealish. The Manchester City star seems destined to leave this summer, and could now launch a move for their ex-captain, who was a superstar at Villa Park.

Emery is said to be ‘a big admirer’ of the forward, and could push for a deal to be done. However, they will face competition from Everton and Newcastle United, as well as Scudetto winners Napoli.

Grealish is valued at £40m by Football Transfers, and could cost upwards of that price.

Why Grealish would be a good signing

If Villa are to bring Grealish back to his boyhood club this summer, it would be a sensational return for a true maverick of the Premier League. Despite a tough season for City, the England international is still a player capable of magical moments.

He has only played 20 games in the Premier League under Pep Guardiola this season. In that time, the 29-year-old scored and assisted one apiece. Despite four goal involvements in five games in City’s run to the FA Cup final, he was snubbed of an appearance at Wembley, with Guardiola choosing to bring Claudio Echeverri on for his debut, instead.

Should Grealish get to call Villa Park home again next season, he would surely love to reignite the exceptional form that earned him the £100m move to City in the first place. In 213 games for the Villans, he scored 32 times and created 43 goals.

So, how does that stack up to Rashford’s form at Villa Park? Well, the Wythenshawe-born superstar was sensational during his 17-game stint in Claret and Blue, leaving a huge impression in such a short time.

During his brief career as a Villa player, Rashford found the back of the net four times and grabbed six assists. He played 940 minutes, the equivalent of 10.4 games, leaving him with a goals per game ratio of almost one.

With that being said, Grealish could be the perfect Rashford replacement. The numbers from the 2020/21 campaign, his final season at Villa, compared to the United star’s stats from the same season, show exactly what he can do in a Villa shirt.

According to FBref, the former Villa skipper averaged 3.33 key passes and 7.08 progressive carries per 90 minutes. In comparison, the Red Devils’ number 10 averaged 1.33 key passes and 4.14 progressive carries each game.

Goals and assists

0.66

0.62

Key passes

3.33

1.33

Goal-creating actions

0.82

0.62

Take-ons completed

2.67

2.53

Progressive carries

7.08

4.14

If Villa get that version of Grealish, or even a player half as good, they have an excellent replacement for Rashford. Both players were sensational that season, with 16 goals and assists for Grealish and 20 for Rashford.

To bring back a player to his boyhood club who can be one of the best attackers in the country, as the stats show, might be a genius move for Villa.

As Statman Dave once called him, he is a “menace”. If Emery can bring the best out of Grealish, it will be a fantastic deal for the club and player.

Emery's new Duran: Aston Villa lead chase for "frightening" £40m sensation

Unai Emery is aiming to bolster his attacking options this summer

1 ByRoss Kilvington Jun 7, 2025

David Moyes has done a tremendous job as Everton boss over the last couple of months, pulling the club clear of any looming relegation threat in the Premier League.

He was appointed as manager back in January after Sean Dyche was sacked, leading the club out of trouble and comfortably away from the drop zone.

The Scotsman has only lost five of his 20 games in charge at Goodison Park, with the Toffees finishing 13th and 23 points clear of third-bottom Leicester City, who were relegated to the Championship.

Moyes has demonstrated that he’s capable of taking the club to the next level ahead of their move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium over the next couple of months.

The hierarchy need to back him in his quest, handing him the funds to make the changes to the first-team squad that he desires, which could see the Toffees rise back up the league standings.

The latest on Everton’s pursuit of new additions this summer

Over the last couple of days, Everton have been one of a number of clubs touted with a summer move for midfielder Angel Gomes during the off-season.

The 24-year-old announced that he would be departing French side Lille on a free transfer at the end of June, after failing to agree a new deal with the Ligue 1 outfit.

However, he’s not the only player touted with a move to Merseyside this summer, with Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap firmly on their radar, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The journalist confirmed that the Toffees are preparing a huge offer to the forward to convince him to join Moyes’ side over a switch to Manchester United or Chelsea.

He also claims that the £30m release clause doesn’t appear to be an issue, it’s down to the player to decide where he goes, with the hierarchy seeing him as a leading talent in their new project.

Why Everton’s £30m target could be Moyes’ own Richarlison

Brazilian forward Richarlison is a player who captured the hearts of the fanbase during his spell at Everton, making over 150 appearances for the Toffees over a four-year period.

He scored 53 times for the club, reaching double figures across all competitions in every season he spent as a first-team regular, offering a key source of goals for various managers.

However, he would depart in a £60m deal to join Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2022, banking the club a hefty profit on their investment which saw them spend £40m on his signature.

However, current boss Moyes could land his own version of the forward this summer with Delap, following suit of the 28-year-old, who joined the club from a lower-level Premier League outfit.

When comparing the Englishman’s stats to those of Richarlison, he’s managed to outperform him in numerous key areas – showcasing what an excellent addition he’d be for the Toffees.

Delap, who’s been labelled “sensational” by one analyst, has massively outscored the Brazilian, whilst also posting a higher shot-on-target rate – showcasing his clinical edge within the final third.

He’s also managed to win more aerial battles in the Premier League this season, handing the Toffees the needed focal point that they’ve been hunting for in recent years.

Games played

37

15

Goals & assists

14

5

Shot-on-target accuracy

44%

41%

Progressive carries

2.1

1.4

Pass accuracy

70%

60%

Shot-creating actions

2.2

1.4

Take-on success

45%

6%

Aerials won

43%

30%

The Ipswich star has also completed more of the passes he’s attempted whilst also completing more progressive carries per 90 – having the opportunity to provide other players around him with chances in attacking areas.

The £30m fee touted for his signature would be a huge investment from the hierarchy, but it’s a deal worth completing given his tender age – handing him the platform to improve his skillset.

However, if he manages to have the same level of success Richarlison did on Merseyside, it would be a superb piece of business, potentially making the club a massive profit in the years to come.

Forget Alcaraz: Moyes may have found his new Fellaini in 8/10 Everton star

David Moyes could have his next Marouane Fellaini in this constantly improving Everton star.

ByKelan Sarson May 25, 2025

Celtic have the chance to win the domestic treble for the second time in the last three seasons when they face Aberdeen in the final of the SFA Cup.

Brendan Rodgers clinched his second Scottish Premiership title in as many seasons last weekend when his side swept Dundee United away with a 5-0 win.

The Hoops will want to continue their dominance for seasons to come, and have already swooped to make one high-profile signing in the form of Kieran Tierney.

Why Kieran Tierney is an impressive signing

The Scotland international will officially join Celtic on a free transfer when his contract at Arsenal expires at the end of June, returning to the club after six years in England.

As you can see in the graphic above, the academy graduate enjoyed a phenomenal first spell in Glasgow, winning five league titles and making 170 first-team appearances.

At the time of writing (01/05/2025), Transfermarkt currently values Tierney at £8.5m, which is a drop from the £25m he was sold for, but that still means that the club are signing an £8.5m-rated asset for £0. He is an impressive addition for the Hoops because he is a proven Premiership star and a valuable asset.

Celtic do, however, have numerous valuable assets at the club, in what is a very talented squad, and one of those who is worth even more than Tierney is Daizen Maeda.

Celtic have hit the jackpot with Daizen Maeda

The Hoops swooped to sign the Japan international, who was described as a “snip” by pundit Chris Sutton, for a fee of just £1.6m, in the summer of 2022 from Yokohama F. Marinos.

Maeda, who was recently hailed as “brilliant” by Rodgers, has soared in value over the past three years in Glasgow, and is currently enjoying his best season at the club.

The 27-year-old forward has plundered 33 goals and provided 11 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions, which is a tally of 44 goal contributions that beats his return of 14 and 18 in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns, respectively.

March 2025-present

£9.3m

December 2024

£6.8m

October 2024

£6.3m

May 2024

£5.9m

December 2023

£5.5m

June 2023

£5.1m

December 2022

£4.2m

June 2022

£2.9m

As you can see in the table above, Maeda’s value has skyrocketed as a result of his improved output at the top end of the pitch in the current season, going from £5.9m last summer to £9.3m at the time of writing.

His current market valuation of £9.3m also means that his value has soared by 481% from the £1.6m that Celtic paid for his services back in 2022, and that he is now worth even more than Tierney, who was once sold for £25m.

This shows that the Scottish giants have hit the jackpot with Maeda because he has provided sensational performances on the pitch this term, and the Japan international is now an incredibly valuable asset who is worth even more than a big summer signing.

Worth less than Nawrocki: Celtic must axe flop who "wants to be at the club"

Celtic must ruthlessly bin this player who is now worth even less than Maik Nawrocki.

ByDan Emery Apr 29, 2025

The England batter had the stellar ability to make games change course, and that made him worth more than his numbers

Jarrod Kimber18-May-2025In December 2013, when covering a Test at the WACA, journalists started putting their laptops in the fridge as they overheated. It was hot every day of this Test, with 37°C the maximum temperature. The sort of heat that melts your soul after a day or two.Some batters say that it gets harder to think in hot conditions. They resort to trying to get as many runs as they can before fatigue gets them out. This was one of those days. England were well behind in the Test, needing to score 504 to win. At the crease was Kevin Pietersen.The chances of winning were low. The heat had split the WACA pitch like a fault line, with cracks everywhere. Australia had Mitchell Johnson in peak form, and burly chested fast bowler Ryan Harris, who was almost as good. They were both too fast, too much. With a big total to chase, the wicket and the heat, nothing was on England’s side. But they did still have Pietersen, the player who changed things with his strokeplay. His strike rate at the end of his career was 62, which was nowhere near some of the quickest players. But when he went hard, it was violent. “Kevin Pietersen, he’s the best player I’ve ever seen play for England,” says David “Bumble” Lloyd.At The Oval in 2005, Pietersen was yet to make a Test hundred. He was facing Brett Lee and Shaun Tait – two of the fastest bowlers, then and now. As well as Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne – two of the best bowlers, then and now.Pietersen slog-swept Warne like he was a part-timer in a village team. The champion legspinner took 40 wickets in that series. Pietersen brought his hundred up from 124 balls, though for a period Warne bowled defensively around the wicket into the footmarks just to slow him down.But it was the attack on Brett Lee that was the most exhilarating. After 60 balls, Pietersen was on 35, and most of those were boundaries from attacking Warne. Lee decided to bounce Pietersen.It started with a bruise, clocked at 93.7mph. All Pietersen could do was glove it and almost fall over into his stumps. Straight after that, Lee went all in on the short ball. Pietersen went on the hook.The second ball of this plan was hooked for six. Lee’s speed was 91mph. It cleared fine leg by some distance. Pietersen was not a great hooker; like many other tall batters, he didn’t face as many short balls growing up as others. He often made the decision late, and it was more of a panicked swipe. He also often tried to play it off the front foot, which he was even worse at. He averaged far less on the pull and hook than the top six batters of his era.After a watchful start against Brett Lee at The Oval in 2005, Pietersen laid into him, hitting three sixes and five fours•Hamish Blair/Getty ImagesPietersen used this shot differently compared to other players. He was daring quicks to keep bowling it to him. Lee did. Looking back, it felt like this contest went on forever. Lee kept getting faster and shorter, and Pietersen swung more and more frantically. Lee was forced to give up the plan.No one who saw that innings live has ever forgotten it.Pietersen was no one’s idea of a perfect batter. His technique involved hitting balls on the up, dragging deliveries from outside off to leg, and hitting the ball in the air. Playing across the line might have been why he struggled in the second innings of matches, averaging only 38, as the ball kept lower. Overall, the risks he took stopped him from averaging 50 in what was a great era to bat.He is not an automatic selection for the top 50 Test batters of all time, but his ability to turn a match in an innings was like few others in history. It means his average of 47 is more significant than others.About eight years after 2005, Pietersen is facing fast bowling from Australians again – this time on a faster wicket, at the WACA. But he is also going up against a new Australian spinner, Nathan Lyon, bowling with the breeze.Australia have attacking fielders and boundary riders, an in-out field. Many batters would simply rotate the strike, punish any bad deliveries and keep their wicket intact. Lyon is the bowler to milk, to stay in against, to save your real energy for Johnson’s thunderbolts or Harris’ Mack Truck-like force. However, it is hot, and the Australian quicks are all rotating through their second spells. To give them more time to rest, Lyon’s offspin is floating on the breeze.Pietersen starts to attack him almost immediately, smashing one back, which is stopped. Next, he comes down the wicket and drop-kicks a shot over mid- on. He gets three. The next over, there are two more boundaries: one from a fine sweep and another from a cover drive against the spin. Lyon stays on, and Pietersen wants to emphasise that he should not. So he runs down and smashes the ball over the long-on fielder into the crowd. It is audacious, wild, and exactly how Pietersen thinks.He was averaging more than 50 against Lyon then. He has the match-up, has put him in the crowd, and scores off him with ease. One more blow will change Australia’s rest strategy.BloomsburyPietersen runs down the wicket at Lyon one more time and goes for glory. But something doesn’t work; his head isn’t perfect, the ball doesn’t come from the middle, it hangs in the famous Fremantle Doctor and the catch is taken by Harris, one of the quick bowlers he is trying to tire, at long-on.Though we were almost a decade into Pietersen’s career at this point, and he’d taken that sort of risk so many times, he was still taken to task for it.People saw it as arrogance, a lack of patience, or just plain stupidity. But there was solid thinking to how he played. If he did knock Lyon out of the attack, Johnson would probably have to come back too early. Getting him tired was the key to making runs against Australia if you’d managed to survive Harris and the new ball.Johnson and Harris were the threats. You could try handling them for hours and do that over time, or you could speed up the process by making the player who rests them unbowlable.Pietersen often chose the faster, more dramatic option. And when it worked, England won the 2005 Ashes due to his 158 at the Oval. When it didn’t, Australia won the 2013-14 Ashes at the WACA. In terms of game theory, Pietersen was risk and reward. He was hailed as a hero when it worked and abused as a pariah when it didn’t.The Art of Batting: the Craft of Cricket’s Greatest Run Scorers

Among Indians with at least 500 runs in the tournament, only one has hit more sixes than fours and that’s the CSK spin hitter

Deivarayan Muthu29-Apr-2023Shivam Dube is a six-hitter.Since his IPL debut in 2019, he has smashed 57 sixes and 56 fours. Among Indian batters with at least 500 runs in the tournament, nobody else’s sixes tally is greater than his fours tally. Overall, only Kieron Pollard (223 sixes, 218 fours), Andre Russell (183 sixes, 144 fours), Nicholas Pooran (80 sixes, 62 fours), Shimron Hetmyer (67 sixes, 62 fours) and Liam Livingstone (42 sixes, 40 fours) have hit more sixes than fours for this condition in the IPL.One-third of Dube’s sixes have come this season alone, which is just passed its midway stage.Dube has his limitations as a batter: he is vulnerable against express pace and bounce, and similarly struggles against wide lines. But he has the tools to dominate any variety of spin. His big reach and long levers can mess with the length – and mind – of even top T20 spinners. With those gifts, he can convert a length ball into a slot ball. Just ask the likes of R Ashwin, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. Royal Challengers Bangalore even had to hide Wanindu Hasaranga, the No.1-ranked T20I spinner, from Dube.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhen Dube was with Royal Challengers in 2019 and 2020, they largely used him as a finisher at Nos. 6 and 7, which exposed him to fast bowlers and death-bowling specialists. In 13 innings for them, Dube managed only 169 runs at an average of 16.90, high score of 27 not out, and strike rate of 122.46. With more opportunities up the order for Super Kings and the freedom to line up spinners, Dube has lifted his average to 30.88 after 18 innings and strike rate to 156.71.After the game against Royal Challengers at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, MS Dhoni revealed that Super Kings originally had some plans in store for Dube ahead of IPL 2023, but he arrived at their camp in Chennai last month with an injury. So, they put them on pause and just tried to maximise Dube’s strengths by deploying him as their spin hitter at No. 3 or 4, and giving him ideal entry points to start against spin. The slower bowlers have been in action from at least one end when Dube has walked out to bat in six of the seven innings he has played this season.Bumping Dube up the order coincided with Ben Stokes’ injury-enforced absence, and in order to accommodate Dube, the Super Kings management has been open to dropping Moeen Ali, another spin hitter, and pushing Ravindra Jadeja down the order. The move has worked well for them, with Dube rattling off three successive half-centuries.”He is someone who can hit very cleanly,” Dhoni said of Dube after he had slammed his first fifty in Bengaluru. “Yes, he has an issue with fast bowlers, but when it comes to the spinners, he’s a very clean hitter and he’s a tall guy. So, he has a different reach compared to some of the other batters. So, the spinners have to adjust their length according to him.”We had certain plans for him, but once he arrived for our camp, he was injured. So, we couldn’t do a lot of work, so we feel he’s somebody who can deliver and get us those extra runs in the middle overs. The thing is he needs to believe in that more than us. We know he has the talent but once you cross the rope and you’re standing over there [in the middle], you’re on your own. So, you need to have that belief in yourself.”ESPNcricinfo LtdIn that game against Royal Challengers, Dube launched an attempted yorker from Harshal Patel into the roof of the stadium for a 111-metre six. His ability to hit such monster sixes has triggered bidding wars at auctions. Amol Muzumdar, an analyst for ESPNcricinfo and Dube’s coach at Mumbai in domestic cricket, feels Dube’s six hitting is “second to none”.”When you look at Shivam Dube, the first thing that strikes you is his ball-striking ability,” Muzumdar says. “His ball-striking is unique and very hard, and his six-hitting ability is second to none. That’s why he becomes a very dangerous T20 player. He’s got long levers and uses those long levers to good effect and hence he gets that distance on the ball. He is aware of it, and he goes about training hitting those big shots in those net sessions.”I’ve seen him hit top-quality spinners in domestic cricket, and here even in the IPL. Of course, the pitches in the IPL and domestic cricket differ, but he’s got the ability to adjust quickly. He’s a thorough professional.”Focusing on fitness and lower-body strength during the domestic season has also contributed to Dube’s success. With Stokes still on the sidelines, Dhoni has also trusted Dube’s catching and fielding at the hotspots in the outfield.”If you look at him, he doesn’t seem that methodical, but he’s very methodical in his approach,” Muzumdar says. “When he comes for practice, he’s very straightforward and he knows what he’s going to do out of that session. Every practice session means a lot to him. He was coming out of an injury into the domestic season and again [got injured]. There was not much cricket played post IPL because of the extended monsoons in Mumbai. So, we had a short trip to Ahmedabad and from there we started our campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali [Trophy].”He has worked hard on his fitness and spent a lot of time with the physio and the trainer. He was working a lot on his running and his striding. He just wanted to get more strength in his legs because the hamstring injury was something of a big concern for him.”India had flirted with ‘Project Dube’ before but it didn’t work out. He was once hammered for 34 runs in an over against New Zealand in a T20I in Mount Maunganui in 2020. Which is maybe why this new role fits him better. He doesn’t have to worry about bowling anymore. He can put all his focus on the one thing he does better most people out there. Hit spinners for sixes. With Super Kings set to play four of their last six league fixtures – and potentially the playoffs – at spin-friendly Chepauk, Dube’s influence could be huge.