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It wouldn’t be unfair to say that, for much of this year, there’s not been much for Arsenal fans to celebrate.

First, the club failed to sign anyone in the winter transfer window, then they crashed out of the FA Cup and League Cup, and to top it all off, injuries and a lapse in form saw them bow out of the Premier League title race.

However, in the last month or so, the team feel like they’ve turned a corner and, following what will go down as a legendary victory over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, there is a palpable sense of optimism and positivity coursing through the fanbase.

This turnaround in the team’s fortunes has also been reflected in individual players, with perhaps the most significant transformation – alongside Mikel Merino – being that of Jakub Kiwior.

The Polish international has gone from a worrying afterthought to a growing fan favourite and someone who looked impeccable away at the Bernabeu, but football is a brutal business, and if recent reports are to be believed, the club could already be eyeing up his replacement.

Arsenal transfer news

Before we get to the player in question, there are a few other defenders who have been touted for moves to Arsenal this summer, such as Dean Huijsen.

Transfer Focus

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

The Bournemouth gem reportedly has a £50m release clause in his contract. However, just because the club knows how much he’ll cost doesn’t mean he’ll be easy to sign, as sides like Real Madrid, Chelsea and Liverpool have also been credited with interest.

Another name that has, rather surprisingly, come up in connection to the North Londoners in recent days is Nathan Collins.

The Brentford ace has been enjoying a stellar campaign with the Bees this season and, according to journalist Graeme Bailey, is someone the Gunners have been looking at.

However, it probably wouldn’t be entirely accurate to describe the Irishman as being better than Kiwior, which could be said about Murillo.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of the Nottingham Forest star’s ‘main suitors’ ahead of the summer transfer window.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid are also interested in the talented defender, but that the Tricky Trees value him at around €80m, which is about £69m.

It would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but Murrilo would undoubtedly improve Arsenal’s squad, although he’d be bad news for Kiwior.

How Murillo compares to Kiwior

So, if Arsenal were to get their way this summer and bring Murillo to the Emirates, it seems unlikely, at least to start with, that he’d replace either William Saliba or Gabriel Magalhães as the team’s starting centre-back.

Therefore, he’d likely be the first backup option and, in turn, be in direct competition with Kiwior, but who comes out on top when we compare them?

Well, as raw output isn’t something that really matters all that much for a central defender, it’s more useful to take a look under the hood, at their underlying numbers, and when doing this, it’s clear that the Brazilian is far superior.

For example, he comes out on top in almost all relevant metrics, including but not limited to, progressive passes and carries, tackles and tackles won, interceptions, blocks, clearances, aerial duels won, ball recoveries and more, all per 90.

On top of that, while the former Spezia ace has seriously stepped up for the North Londoners in recent weeks, the Forest monster has been performing at a top level for the entire season and has played a key role in why they stand a brilliant chance of qualifying for the UCL next season.

Moreover, it’s been his incredible form this year which lends serious credence to the claim he’s “one of the best defenders in the PL” made by certain experts on Brazilian football.

Finally, while this isn’t massively important today, it does help that the Sao Paulo-born star is three years younger than the Tychy-born international, as that could see him coming into his prime years around the same time as Saliba and helping to further future-proof the team.

Ultimately, while he might cost a lot of money, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Murillo this summer, as he looks like he could be a mega defender a few years from now, and he’s already a better player than Kiwior.

Arsenal can forget Merino & Trossard by unleashing "unplayable" star at CF

Arteta must be bold ahead of Arsenal’s next game.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 23, 2025

Sheffield United fans must have a sinking feeling in their stomachs when it comes to the ongoing automatic promotion race in the Championship.

Indeed, Chris Wilder’s Blades have found recent games in the second tier unexpectedly tricky, with three defeats on the spin in the league resulting in United falling out of the top two.

Now, an ever-increasing five-point gap has formed between the out-of-form side and Daniel Farke’s table-topping Leeds United.

Still, the second tier is known for throwing up many twists and turns. Amidst all this talk about promotion, there has also been a transfer rumour here and there, with the Blades linked with a top EFL performer in the centre-back areas.

Sheffield United interested in £15m defender

Much of the transfer chatter since January has surrounded Queens Park Rangers defender Jimmy Dunne with reports in recent months suggesting the Blades are interested in signing the centre-back.

However, they can forget about that move by looking at another centre-half currently shining in the EFL.

Transfer Focus

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

As per journalist Alan Nixon, the stuttering promotion candidates are interested in a deal for Sunderland powerhouse Daniel Ballard.

Nixon elaborates that Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats would perhaps sanction a deal for their dominant centre-back to leave if the Blades coughed up a fee around the £15m mark, with Wilder and Co somewhat light in the centre-back department this season to date.

Described as a “warrior” by Tony Mowbray – Wilder’s desired targethas the potential to be equally as impactful as Harrison Burrows with the former Peterborough United full-back having taken to Championship football like a duck to water after waving goodbye to League One.

How Ballard could be Burrows 2.0

Burrows more than warranted this move up a division with the South Yorkshire titans, with the Posh academy product lighting up the third tier by constantly putting in vibrant attacking displays on the left channel.

59 goals and assists would be tallied up by Burrows wearing Peterborough blue, and although he’s had to deal with the harsh step-up in quality quickly, he’s come out the other end with flying colours.

Indeed, having traded one EFL club for another, just like Ballard may do, he has tallied up five goals and three assists as a regular this season in the league above.

Across his excellent Sunderland stay to date, Ballard has also shown he has an eye for goal – away from bravely going about his defensive duties – with the header above back in 2023 one of five goals the ex-Arsenal man has managed to chip in with from 85 total appearances.

His powers haven’t waned since this bundled-in effort against Sheffield Wednesday, with the defender often finding himself out of Le Bris’ XI owing to injury troubles rather than any notable drop-off in form.

When he has been fit, however, the 25-year-old has been one of the first names on the Frenchman’s teamsheet, with Ballard both a capable defender when it comes to his ball-playing ability, but also his ability to get stuck in and put in dogged performances by winning 4.5 duels per game this season in the league.

There would be a risk attached with this deal considering his sketchy injury record, but if he was to break out of these recurring problems, he could potentially be the club’s next Burrows as he is a formidable performer in defence who is also a goal threat when needed.

Ballard would no doubt be even more inclined to swap Wearside for Yorkshire if Wilder’s men break out of the Championship, but that unfortunately, could prove to be too steep of a hurdle to overcome if recent results are anything to go by.

Sheffield United messed up selling a star who's now outscoring Brereton

The star sold by Sheffield United has scored more than Ben Brereton Diaz and Callum O’Hare this season.

1

By
Dan Emery

Apr 10, 2025

Inter Miami’s chief business officer, Xavi Asensi, has explained how Lionel Messi helped to deliver a “wonderful miracle” for MLS and Inter Miami alongside Manchester United and England legend Sir David Beckham. Argentine GOAT Messi moved to the United States in 2023 and has helped to grow the American game at a rate few could have predicted prior to his arrival.

• American dream: What Messi has achieved in Miami

  When bidding farewell to European football at Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona icon Messi decided that the time had come to spread his wings. Beckham, who is now a co-owner in Miami, helped to convince the World Cup winner that he should chase the American dream.

  Messi had offers to join eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League, but opted to tread his own path. Success has been enjoyed in the States, picking up an eighth Ballon d’Or while cementing his standing as the most decorated player in history.

  At 38 years of age, there is no sign of Messi slowing down. He has enjoyed a Golden Boot-winning campaign in 2025 and has helped Inter Miami to the MLS Cup final. The expectation is that he will also form part of Argentina’s global title defence next summer.

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  Combined forces: Messi has linked up with Beckham

  Those in Florida always dreamed of such success, with an all-time great leading way, and Messi has helped to make all of that possible. Asensi has told : “All in all, I would say that it's a miracle. It's a wonderful miracle – it is daring and a dream. From ownership to everyone that is here in the club, we are really blessed to be part of it. We are five years old, we are creating history, we are living history as we are speaking. So having Lionel playing and being our captain changed us completely.”

  Asensi added on the power of Beckham combining with the mass appeal of Messi: “Without David Beckham none of us would be sitting here. Everything ended up being possible. There aren't names as global as David Beckham and Leo Messi – they are combined here.

  “When we arrived here in 2020-21 with owners Jorge Mas, [his brother] Jose Mas and David Beckham in charge, the main goal was to win on the pitch. I would say Lionel Messi is the greatest of all time, subjectively and objectively. So obviously having the best player possible in your roster is a no-brainer.

  “This is what we've been trying to do from the very beginning. Not just bring in big-name players, but bring in the best players possible so the team on the pitch is something we can be proud of – and one that wins.”

• Global brand: Inter Miami become a household name

  Messi changed the landscape for MLS when arriving in America, despite the likes of Beckham, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic having previously trodden a similar path. He has shifted tickets and shirts at a remarkable rate, helping Inter Miami to become one of the most recognisable sporting brands on the planet.

  Asensi said: “Overnight we went from being an MLS club to a club that I would say everybody knew. Every outlet in the world, everyone talked about it. Crazy. From Fiji to Anchorage, Patagonia to Mongolia, it put Inter Miami into the big time. We're talking about the number one sport in the world, and the US economically is the number one country in the world. It's the biggest market, and the king of sports entertainment.”

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  A-list guests: Messi preparing for MLS Cup final

  Messi has helped to attract A-list guests to Inter Miami games, with the likes of Will Smith, Floyd Mayweather, Tom Brady, Aryna Sabalenka, LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, Eva Longoria, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos attending Herons matches.

  More celebrity visitors are likely to acquire tickets for Saturday’s MLS Cup final. Said contest will take place at Chase Stadium, as Inter Miami prepare to bid farewell to that venue. They will be moving into the newly-constructed Freedom Park next season – with their opening five games taking place on the road as their new home is completed.

Julio Rodríguez is doing his part for the Mariners in their winner-take-all Game 7 as Seattle plays for the franchise's first trip to the World Series.

To begin the American League Championship Series decider, he hit a leadoff double on the second pitch of the game to get in scoring position for Josh Naylor, who drove him in two batters later. That gave Seattle an early 1-0 lead, but the Blue Jays were able to tie the game in the bottom half of the first thanks to an RBI single from Daulton Varsho.

Rodríguez wasn't done, though, crushing a go-ahead solo home run in his next at-bat to take back the early lead. The ball sailed 423 feet over the left center field fence after a seven-pitch at bat.

In the clutch at-bat, he quickly got down 0-2 and was nearly called out on strikes on a checked swing down in the count. First base umpire Doug Eddings ruled that Rodríguez didn't go around, but the checked swing was insanely close and could have went either way:

Rodríguez took a second ball before fouling off two pitches ahead of the massive homer to break the 1-1 tie. He may have gotten away with one, but Eddings had to go with his gut which said Rodríguez held off. The call can't be taken back and it may prove to be critical in the decisive matchup for a trip to the World Series.

“Had the call gone our way, there was every chance the outcome of the match could have been different,” Fahima Khatun said

S Sudarshanan07-Oct-2025

Shorna Akter’s catching attempt wasn’t deemed good enough•Getty Images

Third umpire Gayathri Venugopalan’s decision to reprieve Heather Knight against Bangladesh came under the scanner after England escaped to a four-wicket win in their women’s World Cup 2025 match in Guwahati.In the 15th over of England’s chase of 179, Knight chipped legspinner Fahima Khatun to the covers, where Shorna Akter dived to her right and seemed to have taken a low catch. Knight started walking, but the on-field umpires referred it to the TV umpire, who felt that the fielder did not have her fingers under the ball and ruled it not out. Knight was on 13 at that point. She went on to finish unbeaten on 79 off 111 balls, taking her side home with 23 balls to spare.”At first look, I thought it was out,” Knight said after the match. “I thought it carried and thought it was a fair catch and walked off. But the TV umpire decided otherwise. I certainly had a bit of luck today. But probably with the year I have had, I deserved a little bit of luck. I tried to ride it and really make it count.”Related

• TV umpiring slip-ups come under the scanner at Women's World Cup

• Shining Knight sweeps in to rescue England

• Knight scraps to help England overcome Bangladesh scare

The tricky bit about these non-dismissals was that the TV umpire gave her ruling while saying the replays available to her were “inconclusive”. In the first instance, of the caught behind, an on-field decision of out was overturned on “inconclusive” evidence, which might have gone against Bangladesh. In case of the “catch” in the covers, too, replays seemed to suggest that the fielder had her fingers under the ball, but the on-field umpires hadn’t really given the batter out to start with.But so convinced was Knight of the legality of the catch that she had reached the boundary line before walking all the way back.Fahima, who finished with 3 for 16 from her ten overs, certainly felt the catch-that-wasn’t affected the final result.”It was a disappointing decision for us,” she said. “Every player in our team felt it was a clear dismissal. The decision was overturned after being given out, which was disappointing. We all know how crucial that wicket was. Had the call gone our way, there was every chance the outcome of the match could have been different.”This was one of the three reprieves for Knight, who was batting for the first time in international cricket since her return from a hamstring injury. She was ruled out caught behind on the first ball she faced. But a review saved her, after replays showed that Marufa Akter’s inswinging delivery had missed her inside edge and brushed the front pad instead. The impact, as it turned out to be, was well outside the line of off too. Then, in the seventh over, she was given lbw but used the DRS successfully once again. Ball-tracking showed that this time, the ball would have bounced over the stumps.”It was the first time I was out three times in an innings and had them overturned, that’s for sure,” Knight said. “It was a case of refocusing. I knew I didn’t hit the ball, and it was tricky conditions as well. It was swinging quite a lot, [which] can make it tricky for the umpires as well. But that’s the joy of DRS, isn’t it? It’s great to have that in place.”

It’s become a running joke that players who arrive at Manchester United with a notable reputation tend to see their stock plummet, with Old Trafford having been a graveyard for the best and brightest over the last decade or so.

From Angel Di Maria to Alexis Sanchez, the signings of perceived ‘world-class’ talent have spectacularly backfired, with the pursuit of glamour names and marketing opportunities rarely equating to on-field glory.

Thankfully, it does appear that there has been a change in tack under the new INEOS regime, with Jason Wilcox and co having gone for young and hungry figures like Senne Lammens and Benjamin Sesko, alongside Premier League-proven talents in Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

With potential future captain Matthijs de Ligt now starting to shine at the heart of the defence, while veteran warrior Casemiro is enjoying a midfield renaissance, a strong spine is finally beginning to emerge under Ruben Amorim.

As defeats to the likes of Grimsby and Brentford have showcased this season, however, this new-look United side are far from the finished article, with it likely to take a succession of transfer windows for Amorim to be able to build a title-challenging squad again.

Investment in new recruits is certainly needed, although there is also a sense that there still remains plenty of ‘deadwood’ to be shifted too.

The players Man Utd need to sell in 2026

Whether it is in January or next summer, United face another pivotal year with regard to squad-building, with ruthless decisions needing to yet again be made in order to take this club where it needs to go.

In the most recent window, for instance, Amorim oversaw departures for the likes of Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford, with the Portuguese having taken a particularly strong stance on those latter two names.

When next summer rolls around, it would be no surprise to see further peripheral figures also sent packing, with both Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte surely at risk, amid reports that Omar Berrada wishes to implement a two-year rule for new signings.

In essence, those brought in have a maximum of two years to make their mark or face the axe, with Zirkzee – who has played just 90 minutes this season – certainly out in the cold right now, while Ugarte was reportedly the subject of a dressing down from his former Sporting CP boss at the end of last term.

Question marks also remain over the futures of the aforementioned Casemiro and Harry Maguire, amid their expiring contracts, with the Brazilian – for all his importance – regularly unable to last the 90 minutes, having been subbed off on seven occasions in the top-flight this time around.

Long-serving defender Diogo Dalot also appears another player at risk, amid the change to a 3-4-2-1 system, with the orthodox right-back having come under fire this season for his struggles on either flank.

What is clear is that the likes of Amorim and Wilcox aren’t afraid to make the big decisions, a fact that was also evident with the handling of another former world-beater over the summer.

The Man Utd flop who finally needs to be sold

Signed for just £18m, Lammens looks like one of the bargains of the season in Premier League terms, with the Belgian ‘keeper still yet to taste defeat in his new surroundings, following a near faultless five games in the United goal to date.

The 23-year-old Belgian will, as is the fact of life for a goalkeeper, make a mistake at some stage, although his strong early impression has already won over the Old Trafford faithful, with supporters and pundits alike willing him to be the second coming of Peter Schmeichel.

Getting people onside early on is particularly key in a position that Gary Neville regularly describes as the “most difficult position in English football”, with Lammens’ predecessor Andre Onana having failed to do just that upon his arrival in 2023.

Formerly part of Erik ten Hag’s famed Ajax side that reached the Champions League last four in 2019, Onana was reunited with the Dutchman four years later, joining from Inter Milan on a £47.2m deal.

The Cameroon international – who was actually available on a free transfer in 2022 – departed the San Siro having starred amid their surge to the Champions League final in his solitary campaign in Italy, producing an eye-catching display even amid defeat to Manchester City in the showpiece.

Speaking ahead of that eventual 1-0 win for the Etihad side, Pep Guardiola even hailed Onana as “one of the best in the world right now”, with it looking as if United had acquired a perfect replacement for the departed David De Gea.

Frustratingly for all concerned, the erratic ‘keeper looked a poor fit from the off, memorably lobbed from the halfway line on his Old Trafford debut against Lens in July 2023.

The sight of the £120k-per-week stopper tangled in his own goal set the tone for what was to follow, having also escaped punishment for a late punch against Wolverhampton Wanderers on his Premier League bow, before producing a string of blunders during United’s dismal European run.

In that 2023/24 Group stage alone, he made two errors leading to a goal, having followed that up with a further five errors across the 2024/25 season in the Premier League and Europa League, as per Sofascore.

Perhaps the final straw came away at Lyon last term, with Onana engaging in pre-match verbals with Nemanja Matic, who branded him one of the “worst keepers in Manchester United’s history”.

Desperate to prove him wrong, United’s number 24 went on to play his part in both of Lyon’s goals, the second coming at the death just minutes after he had appeared to rile the home crowd by taking an age over a goal-kick.

The woes of Altay Bayindir did ensure he was subsequently reinstated, but the die was cast, with Amorim shipping out his previous first-choice stopper to Turkish side Trabzonspor late in the window.

With no buy option included as part of that deal, the 29-year-old – who has actually conceded just seven goals in eight Super Lig games in Turkey – will have to return to Manchester next summer, with INEOS swiftly needing to find a buyer for their exiled flop.

The problem is, the Red Devils will likely have to take a sizeable hit on their initial investment, with CIES Football Observatory deeming him to be worth a maximum of just €15m (£13m), even less than what United paid for Lammens.

Getting something for him is better than nothing, however, with the Red Devils needing to try and swiftly move on from this costly transfer mistake.

Joshua Zirkzee chooses club he wants to leave Man Utd for in January

He wants out of Old Trafford in the New Year.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 18, 2025

Kylian Mbappe’s feud with Paris Saint-Germain has exploded into one of football’s most expensive courtroom battles, with the Real Madrid star now demanding more than €260 million in compensation. PSG have countered with an even bigger €440m claim, as both sides accuse each other of breaches of contract, bad faith and unfair treatment in a case now before a Paris labour court.

• Mbappe escalates compensation claim against PSG

  French superstar Mbappe’s long-running contract dispute with Paris Saint-Germain has reached a dramatic new phase, with the forward now demanding over €260m (£229m/$301m) in compensation as the case moves through the Paris labour court. According to a recent report by the Real Madrid striker, who did not attend Monday’s hearing, has massively increased his initial claim of €55m (£48m/$64m), arguing that PSG “owe him that money because his fixed-term contract should be reclassified as a permanent one.”

  This reclassification, his lawyers say, would entitle him to full compensation for unfair dismissal, unpaid wages, bonuses and severance, in addition to substantial damages. His legal team stated: “Kylian Mbappe is not asking for anything beyond what the law provides; he is simply seeking the enforcement of his legal rights, as any employee would.”

  Mbappe’s complaint also alleges moral harassment, undeclared work and breaches of PSG’s duty of good faith, pointing to his sidelining in 2023 after he informed the club he would not extend his contract. The forward was excluded from a pre-season tour and forced to train with fringe players, a practice described in France as “lofting.”

  The case stems from the breakdown of relations following Mbappe’s refusal to activate the optional extension in his 2022 contract, a decision that left PSG facing the prospect of losing a €300m (£264m/$347m) asset for free, and ultimately did.

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  PSG’s accusations of loss of revenue and reputational damage

  PSG have responded with a colossal counter-claim of €440m (£387m/$510m), arguing that Mbappe’s departure on a free transfer inflicted severe financial and reputational harm. The club insists he acted in bad faith throughout the final year of his contract, with PSG saying in a statement: “The club has presented evidence demonstrating that the player acted disloyally by concealing his decision not to extend his contract for almost eleven months, between July 2022 and June 2023, thus depriving the club of any possibility of arranging a transfer.”

  PSG further argue that Mbappe reneged on what they describe as a verbal agreement to forgo certain bonuses in exchange for being reintegrated into the squad during the 2023-24 season. Their statement adds: “The player challenged an agreement reached with the club in August 2023, which provided for a reduction in his remuneration should he decide to leave freely, in order to preserve the club’s financial stability following the exceptional investment made.”

  The French champions also categorically denied allegations of psychological pressure or mistreatment, which Mbappe has been claiming. PSG emphasise that Mbappe still played over 94% of official matches that season, reinforcing that all “sporting decisions were made by a coach who is now a Champions League winner.”

• Mbappe’s camp challenges PSG allegations and recounts isolation period

  The French captain’s legal team has firmly rejected PSG’s narrative, insisting that the club never provided proof of any agreement to waive bonuses. The player maintains that he was subject to “moral harassment,” pointing to his exclusion from pre-season tours and enforced training away from the first-team squad. His camp argues this treatment created a “hostile working environment” and breached the club’s obligations under the French labour code.

  His lawyers highlight that Mbappe’s sidelining began shortly after he informed PSG he would not extend his contract, claiming this amounted to a clear attempt to pressure him into renewing. They repeated that PSG have “never produced any evidence” of a verbal pact on bonuses or salary reductions.

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  Court ruling could reshape contract disputes across European football

  The star forward, who left PSG having scored a club-record 256 goals in 308 games, believes that the club’s actions were motivated by frustration over his decision to depart for free. His team insists PSG used public pressure tactics to shape the narrative around his exit, a claim the club vehemently denies.

  This legal confrontation has quickly become one of the largest and most complex player-club disputes European football has ever seen, and the combined claims push the potential financial outcome of a figure unprecedented in football labour cases.

  The tribunal is expected to deliver a decision on December 16, though the case may drag on through appeals. 

Leeds United are hoping to convince Raheem Sterling to move to Elland Road in the January transfer window, with a move now in the works.

With Wilfried Gnonto’s future up in the air ahead of the upcoming transfer window, the Whites are looking to bring in a new forward, and the need to bolster their attacking options has been exacerbated by the slow start the likes of Lukas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have made.

The summer signings have scored just two goals between them from open play in the Premier League this season, with Daniel Farke’s side the joint-second lowest scorers in the top flight, having found the back of the net just 10 times in their opening 11 games.

Chance creation in general has also been an issue for the 2024-25 Championship winners, most recently recording an xG of just 0.69 in the 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest, which suggests they may need to bring in a new attacker capable of picking out the likes of Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha in dangerous areas.

How Leeds are hoping to convince Raheem Sterling to move to Elland Road this January

According to a report from SportsBoom, Leeds are preparing a move for Chelsea outcast Sterling ahead of the January transfer window, with Enzo Maresca making it clear the 30-year-old doesn’t have a future at Stamford Bridge.

The Whites are set to battle Crystal Palace for the forward’s signature, but they are hoping the prospect of receiving regular first-team football will convince the Englishman to move to Elland Road.

The Blues are willing to pay part of the winger’s wages in order to get him off the books, given that he is yet to make a Premier League appearance this season, having become part of Maresca’s ‘bomb squad’.

It would be a risk for the 49ers to sign the former Manchester City man, given that he may be very rusty after spending such a long time on the sidelines, but his previous exploits in the Premier League suggest it could be worth launching an ambitious move.

The Kingston-born winger has a whopping 123 Premier League goals to his name, having been a major part of Guardiola’s all-conquering Man City side, with perhaps his best years coming from 2017-18 to 2021-22.

The £325k-a-week Chelsea man has also been described as “absolutely outstanding” by Paul Merson during his time with the Blues, suggesting he could still have more to give in the Premier League.

Leeds certainly need a spark from somewhere, having struggled to create chances as of late, and Sterling could be a fantastic signing if he is able to rediscover his best form.

Raheem Sterling has been named as one of the best wingers in Premier League history

20 Best Wingers in Premier League History

Where does Mohamed Salah rank in the greatest Premier League wide men?

By
Charlie Smith

May 23, 2025

One of the greats of Indian cricket played the game his own way and left lasting memories

Karthik Krishnaswamy24-Aug-2025January 2019. Earlier that month, Cheteshwar Pujara had been the toast of the nation, scoring centuries in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney as India won a Test series in Australia for the very first time. Now he was the villain of all of Karnataka, or at least the few hundred despondent diehards at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium who watched him seal their team’s fate with an unbeaten fourth-innings hundred that steered Saurashtra into the final of the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy.The bulk of Pujara’s innings came against the backdrop of chants from these diehards. “Cheater! Cheater! Cheater!” Once in each innings, he had been reprieved by the umpire when he seemed to have edged behind. Both times, he stood his ground and batted on.If you watched this match, you may have remembered it when you read Pujara’s retirement announcement on Sunday. One word in particular.”As a little boy from the small town of Rajkot, along with my parents, I set out to aim for the stars; and dreamt to be a part of the Indian cricket team,” he wrote on his social media feeds. “Little did I know then that this game would give me so much – invaluable opportunities, experiences, purpose, love, and above all a chance to represent my state and this great nation.”Related

• Stats – India were at their best when Pujara was in the middle

• The off-field partnership: what makes the Pujaras tick

• Pujara retires from all Indian cricket

• 'Always put his mind, body and soul for the country' – colleagues react to Pujara's retirement

• Pujara's best in Test cricket

State and nation. Pujara belonged equally to both. He played nearly as many first-class matches for his state team (90) as he did Test matches (103), and more than half his Saurashtra games (58) came after his international debut. And this is before we count white-ball cricket, of which he only had a fleeting international taste. Pujara’s father Arvind and uncle Bipin played for Saurashtra too, 43 times between them.Australia’s scourge, Karnataka’s cheater. The competitor in Pujara may have enjoyed both roles equally.In being as much of Saurashtra as of India, Pujara was almost unique for an Indian cricketer of his generation. This, of course, was a matter largely of circumstance. He was a red-ball cricketer of the highest rank, and a red-ball cricketer almost to the exclusion of anything else. The gaps this left in his international schedule allowed him to build a significant body of work in domestic cricket.And as he did this, he became a reminder of a bygone age when batters dreamed of scoring 100 first-class hundreds. For Geoffrey Boycott, getting to that landmark – in an Ashes Test, no less, and in front of his home crowd – was “the most magical moment of my life”.ESPNcricinfo LtdPujara, the most Boycottian batter of his age, didn’t get quite as far, but he went two-thirds of the way, scoring 66, ten of them during a productive late-career county stint at Sussex. In the span of his career, only one batter, Alastair Cook (68), made more first-class hundreds. It’s a momentous achievement, and one, appropriately enough, entirely out of step with the zeitgeist.But as out of step as he may have seemed, Pujara was a formidable cricketer who at his peak ranked just below the four great Test batters of his age. Quite a peak it was too; at the end of that 2018-19 Australia tour, he averaged 51.18 and had scored 18 hundreds in 68 TestsHis numbers declined in the pandemic and post-pandemic years, but he was hardly alone in suffering that fate, with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane going through similarly prolonged slumps as India played Test match after Test match, home and away, in treacherous batting conditions.And all of that, and perhaps the effects of age on his game, have left many of us with a somewhat diminished image of Pujara the batter. In the tributes from team-mates and former players that have flowed since his retirement announcement, the most frequently used word, by far, is “grit”, and the most frequently evoked image is of the body blows he took during his 211-ball, fourth-innings 56 in the Gabba fairytale of 2021.Cheteshwar Pujara cops a blow from Josh Hazlewood•AFPPujara had plenty of grit, of course, but you need a whole lot more than that to play 103 Test matches. You need those magic, uncoachable qualities that are commonly clubbed together under the banner of talent.One common definition of batting talent prizes the ability to hit a wide range of attacking shots, with bonus points for hitting good balls and/or in unusual directions. Pujara’s gifts didn’t lean in this direction, but he nonetheless gave a sense that he was born to bat.”Every great batsman,” CLR James suggested in his chapter on George Headley in , “is a special organism.” Whether Pujara was a great batter is a debate for elsewhere, but he was undoubtedly a special organism, a batter who could go on and on and score prodigious quantities of runs. In October 2008, for instance, he scored 386 and 309 for Saurashtra’s Under-22s, and in November he followed up with a 302* in the Ranji Trophy.This appetite for runs was well-known long before Pujara played for India, so while it was remarkable that he scored six hundreds – two of them doubles – in his first 16 Tests, with his average hovering in the 60s, it wasn’t that much of a surprise. It takes an uncommonly good eye and technique to be able to score like that, and also the mind of a special organism, capable of an uncommon level of focus. In the first half of his career, Pujara often seemed to bat in a state of trance-like absorption that was palpable to the viewer.He would start watchfully, even glacially, and you’d wonder if his low, choking grip was inhibiting his power and range of strokes, but if he batted long enough he would flick a switch and start hitting shots to all parts, leaping off his toes to cut the fast bowlers without needing width, sashaying out of his crease to drive spinners inside-out or whip them outside-in.ESPNcricinfo LtdThis way of batting came with a remarkably high ceiling, of course, but also a high floor. He often looked in control even when he wasn’t making a lot of runs, as in England in 2014, and by the end of that 2018-19 Australia tour, he had faced at least 50 balls in 73 of his 114 Test innings, and carried on to the 100-ball mark and beyond on 42 occasions.The limits of Pujara’s game only really became evident on extreme pitches, particularly against bowling attacks of uncommon depth, where the proverbial ball with the batter’s name on it was always around the corner. India just happened to play a lot of their cricket on those kinds of pitches, against those kinds of attacks, during the second half of his career. Other batters may have tried to bat differently; Pujara’s faith in his way never wavered.And while this meant he stopped scoring hundreds – he only made one in his last 35 Tests – he still made significant contributions to India’s results: two half-centuries spanning 381 balls in the 2021 SCG draw, that aforementioned 56 at the Gabba, a 206-ball 45 in a slow-burning, match-turning century stand with Rahane at Lord’s in 2021, and a second-innings 61 at The Oval in the same series.None of this was enough to ward off time, of course, and the surge of batting talent pounding at India’s door. But let’s put the job Pujara did in perspective. Since his last Test match, the six batters India have tried at No. 3 have collectively averaged 31.95 across 24 Tests. A fading Pujara, over his last 24 Tests, averaged 31.51.The end came with a second defeat in a second World Test Championship final in 2023, but it wasn’t really the end. The Pujara of Saurashtra, Sussex and West Zone would score a further 2057 first-class runs, at an average of 51.42, with seven hundreds. A fitting finish, on Pujara’s own terms, leaving you wondering if he couldn’t have gone on just a little longer.

UConn Huskies women's basketball star Azzi Fudd is having herself an excellent couple of days. Last week, she announced her new podcast , co-produced with Steph Curry's Unanimous Media.

And on Monday, the Arlington, Virginia, native threw out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals' game vs. the Cincinnati Reds.

Fudd rolled up to the mound in a custom Nats jersey, and showed off her athleticism with a pretty decent—albeit seemingly short—throw.

Check that out below:

Although she was a projected first-round pick, Fudd opted against the 2025 WNBA Draft for another year at UConn, where she'll have one last chance to study under the tutelage of Geno Auriemma.

Still, she'll have access to the WNBA and its spoils via her recently confirmed girlfriend Paige Bueckers, currently in her rookie year with the Dallas Wings.

So it's the best of both worlds for everyone. And we can't wait to see what this DMV native does next season.