The T20Is were the ones postponed when India toured South Africa in 2021

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2024India are set to tour South Africa in November this year to play four T20Is. The matches will be played between November 8 and 15 across Durban, Gqeberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg.It is understood that these four T20Is were the ones postponed when India toured South Africa in 2021, the schedule of which was rejigged following the surge of Covid-19 cases in South Africa. India played just three Tests and three ODIs then, and a CSA release had said that the T20Is will be “rescheduled for a more opportune time in the new year”. South Africa had won both the Test and ODI series then.The teams had then agreed to play these matches later but couldn’t find a window. India had also toured South Africa in December 2023 for an all-format series consisting of three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests, all part of the 2023-27 FTP. The T20I and Test series were drawn 1-1, while India won the ODIs 2-1.India’s T20I tour of SA 2024

1st T20I on November 8 – Kingsmead, Durban

2nd T20I on November 10 – St George’s Park, Gqeberha

3rd T20I on November 13 – SuperSport Park, Centurion

4th T20I on November 15 – Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Hosting India is a financial lifesaver for most boards, and CSA is no different. It is understood that the broadcast revenues from one T20 equals over R150 million (US $8.4 million). CSA declared a loss of R119 million for the last financial year.”I would like to thank the BCCI for their continued support to South Africa’s cricket, and world cricket in general,” Lawson Naidoo, CSA chairperson, said. “Any tour by the Indian cricket team to our shores is filled with amazing camaraderie and exciting cricket, and I know our fans will be eagerly awaiting this series which will showcase the exceptional talent from both teams.”

Celtic are looking to improve their options in the wide areas during the summer transfer window ahead of the 2025/26 campaign getting underway.

The Hoops are already closing in on their first addition on the flanks, as reporter Anthony Joseph has claimed that the club have agreed a fee of £1.7m to sign FC Nordsjaelland attacker Benjamin Nygren.

The Sweden international, who scored 15 goals in 30 league matches for the Danish club this season, is set to arrive to compete for a place on the right wing, but the club are also looking at a left-sided addition.

Journalist Sacha Tavolieri has claimed that talks are ongoing between Celtic and Michel-Ange Balikwisha over a potential move from Belgian side Royal Antwerp.

The Belgian reporter added that the 24-year-old winger is keen to make the move to Parkhead this summer, but it remains to be seen whether or not terms will be agreed between all parties to make it happen.

Celtic are looking to bring in a new left-winger after Jota suffered a long-term knee injury in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, and there are reasons for and against a move for Balikwisha.

The Celtic case for Michel-Ange Balikwisha

One of the reasons why Celtic may want to sign the Belgian forward is because he has the potential to deliver quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals at the top end of the pitch.

The right-footed flanker has produced 29 goals and 17 assists in 141 appearances in all competitions for Royal Antwerp to date, which includes four goals and three assists in ten games during the Pro League play-off round this season.

Balikwisha has shown that he has the potential to make a big impact in the final third at a good level in Belgium’s top-flight, which is why Celtic may feel that he could hit the ground running in Scotland.

At the age of 24, the Belgian forward is also at a good age where he still has time to develop and improve, but is not inexperienced, which could make him an ideal signing.

24/25

3

205

29

23/24

1

49

10

22/23

2

103

14

21/22

2

51

10

As you can see in the table above, though, there are also reasons to be concerned about a potential deal for the winger, as he has missed 63 matches through injury in the last four seasons combined, and this means that the attacker may not be available week-in-week-out.

Balikwisha has also only played more than 17 games in one role, as a left winger, in his career, which does not suggest that he is supremely versatile across the frontline.

Transfer Focus

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

Celtic could, however, land an even better winger signing this summer by moving for Blackburn Rovers dynamo Tyrhys Dolan over a swoop for Balikwisha.

Why Celtic should sign Tyrhys Dolan

The Hoops are reportedly in the running to land the 23-year-old attacker on a free transfer, as his contract at Ewood Park is due to expire at the end of this month.

This means that he would be significantly cheaper than Balikwisha, who has a reported price tag of £5m, and that would allow the Scottish Premiership champions to save money to spend in other areas of the pitch.

Not only would Dolan be a cheaper alternative, the English forward would also arrive as a player who is more likely to be a reliable option for Brendan Rodgers from a fitness perspective, as he has not suffered any notable injuries in his career, as per Transfermarkt.

The 23-year-old ace, who has racked up 210 appearances for Blackburn already, is durable and can be relied upon to be available most weeks as Celtic compete across four competitions, as he has been used to 46-game seasons in the Championship.

Dolan, once hailed as “outstanding” by manager John Eustace, also has the positional flexibility to make him a useful option even when Jota is back fit. He has played 25 games or more in four different positions throughout his career, and is capable of playing on the right or left flank, as an attacking midfielder, and as a centre-forward.

This suggests that he is more likely to be a viable option in other positions than Balikwisha, who is predominantly a left-winger, would be, which is another reason why he could be a more valuable signing for Rodgers moving forward.

Goals

0.17

Top 45%

Shot on target percentage

44%

Top 11%

Non-penalty xG per shot

0.13

Top 22%

Goals per shot

0.12

Top 33%

Goal creating actions

0.48

Top 11%

Defensive actions leading to goal

0.06

Top 2%

Assists

0.17

Top 37%

As you can see in the table above, Dolan also caught the eye with his contributions at the top end of the pitch in the second tier of English football, ranking highly in a host of key attacking metrics.

He ended the campaign with a return of seven goals, seven ‘big chances’ created, and six assists, compared to Balikwisha’s haul of four goals, seven ‘big chances’ created, and three assists.

These statistics, with both his goal and assist numbers as well as his underlying data, suggest that the potential is there for the potential free agent signing to deliver quality as a scorer and a creator of goals for Celtic.

Overall, Dolan would be a better signing for the Scottish giants than Balikwisha because he would arrive at Parkehad for less money, offer more reliability with his fitness, offer more versatility with the positions that he can play, and offer a similar threat in front of goal.

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It is now down to Rodgers to push the board to strike an agreement with Dolan to bring him in on a free transfer instead of pursuing a big-money deal for Balikwisha this summer.

Glasgow Rangers have a lot of work to do during the summer transfer window as they go about building a squad that can compete for the Scottish Premiership title next season.

Russell Martin arrived at Ibrox earlier this summer as the new head coach and the new boss will be aiming for success in his first year in charge.

The Gers manager has inherited a team that ended the 2024/25 season without a single trophy to show for their efforts, which illustrates how big the job ahead of him is going to be, as he is not taking on a side that is ready to hit the ground running next term.

Plenty of work is already going on to alter the make-up of the squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, as the Light Blues confirmed the signing of Lyall Cameron on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old Scottish midfielder has joined on a free transfer from Dundee to bolster Martin’s options in the attacking midfield positions next season.

What Lyall Cameron could bring to Rangers

One thing that stands out about Cameron is that he has already amassed plenty of experience in the Premiership at a young age, with 65 appearances in the league since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

This means that he could hit the ground running at Ibrox as a player who has already played plenty of matches in the division in the last two years, which means that he knows what to expect physically and tactically.

His performances in the Premiership in the 2024/25 season also suggest that the midfield whiz could be an exciting addition to the squad as a player who can make a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

Cameron, who can play as a central midfielder or as an attacking midfielder, ended the campaign with a haul of nine goals and five assists in 33 outings in the league for Dundee.

Shots on target

20

Top 4%

xG

3.80

Top 7%

Goals

9

Top 4%

xA

4.78

Top 10%

Chances created

54

Top 4%

Assists

5

Top 9%

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish maestro ranked highly among his positional peers in the division when it came to scoring and creating goals as an attacking midfielder.

These statistics suggest that Cameron could arrive as an exciting addition, given his ability to make things happen in front of goal, but the Gers are now looking to sign another attacker who would be even more exciting for Martin.

Rangers hopeful of deal to sign new winger

According to STV News, Rangers are ‘hopeful of concluding’ a swoop for Peterborough United winger Kwame Poku during the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Light Blues believe that they are in pole position to secure a deal for the Ghana international, whose contract with the English side expires at the end of this month.

Transfer Focus

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

It adds that the Ibrox giants would be due to pay a minimal training compensation fee to Peterborough for Poku if a move goes through as expected, due to his age and UEFA’s cross-border compensation rules.

STV News also reveals that the Light Blues are hopeful of bringing Max Aarons, who came through the Norwich academy during Martin’s time in Norfolk as a player, to the club from Bournemouth, in what is likely to be a loan deal.

If the Gers can finalise a move for Poku on a ‘free’ transfer in the coming days, Rangers could have an even more exciting signing than Cameron for their new head coach.

Why Kwame Poku is more exciting than Lyall Cameron

The 23-year-old’s form for Peterborough in the 2024/25 season suggests that he has the potential to provide even more quality than the former Dundee man at the top end of the pitch for the Gers next term.

Poku, who plays as a left-footed attacker on the right flank, could come in as a direct replacement for Vaclav Cerny, who returned to Wolfsburg this summer, and potentially offer even more of a threat than the Czechia international from the right wing.

The Wolfsburg loanee caught the eye with his performances for the Gers during the 2024/25 campaign, but the Light Blues may be set to sign an even better talent.

Appearances

27

33

Goals

12

12

Big chances missed

3

6

Big chances created

9

6

Assists

8

4

Dribbles completed per game

1.9

1.4

Dribble success rate

47%

46%

As you can see in the table above, the Posh wizard scored more goals per game than the former Rangers sensation, whilst also delivering far more quality as a creator for his teammates in the final third.

This suggests that Poku, if he can translate his form over to the Premiership, could improve the team’s attack next term by offering plenty of quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, as shown by his output in League One this term.

The left-footed magician, who was dubbed “outstanding” by reporter Lukman Evergreen, has shown that he can score and create goals at an impressive rate, even scoring three more goals and providing three more assists than Cameron managed in the Premiership last term.

This means that Poku could carry an even greater threat than the new Rangers signing in front of goal next season if Martin can get a deal over the line for the Peterborough star in the coming days, as this latest report suggests that they will.

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The right-sided winger would be an incredibly exciting signing for Martin at Ibrox because of his potential to be an upgrade on Cerny, and his potential to deliver even more quality at the top end of the pitch than Cameron.

Glasgow Rangers officially kicked off the 2025/26 campaign by playing their first pre-season friendly in front of supporters at Ibrox against Club Brugge on Sunday.

The Light Blues found themselves 2-0 down at half-time, having conceded twice in the opening 12 minutes, but second-half goals from Mohamed Diomande and Findlay Curtis ensured that they avoided defeat.

Russell Martin was without some of his summer signings to choose from, though, as the likes of Thelo Aasgaard and Joe Rothwell, for example, watched on from the sidelines.

The former Scotland international did get to see Emmanuel Fernandez and Max Aarons out on the pitch for the first time, as the Scottish giants ramp up their preparations for their Champions League qualifying clash with Panathinaikos.

Martin will surely be hoping to get Aasgaard up to speed as quickly as possible in the next couple of weeks, because the former Luton attacking midfielder has the potential to be an exciting addition to the team.

Why Thelo Aasgaard is an exciting signing for Rangers

The Gers recently snapped up the 23-year-old attacker on a four-year contract after agreeing a reported fee of £3.5m to sign him from the English League One outfit.

Aasgaard left the Hatters just six months after he signed for the club from Wigan Athletic, as they were relegated from the Championship last season, which activated a relegation release clause in his contract at Kennilworth Road.

Rangers took advantage of that to bring him to Ibrox this summer, and they will now be hoping that he plays a key role on the pitch for Martin for many years to come.

Whilst some supporters may not want to hear this, Aasgaard is similar in style to Todd Cantwell. He is another attacking midfielder who can also play out wide and thrive as a roaming number ten who can carry the ball and dribble past players, rather than being outstanding as a goalscorer or a creator.

24/25 Championship

Thelo Aasgaard per 90

Percentile rank vs midfielders

Goals

0.12

Top 24%

Progressive carries

1.61

Top 26%

Take-ons attempted

2.74

Top 12%

Successful take-ons

1.31

Top 9%

Touches in opposition penalty box

2.62

Top 14%

Fouls won

1.96

Top 11%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, the Liverpool-born midfielder thrives with the ball at his feet in the middle of the park, picking it up in pockets of space that allow him to then drive forward into the box, taking players on or winning fouls.

He only produced two goals and one assist in his 17 Championship outings for Luton, though, and Martin may want him to improve his output in the final third at Ibrox.

It is his ball-carrying and willingness to take players on, though, that could make him an exciting signing for the club, who are now eyeing up a forward who would be even more exciting than Aasgaard.

Rangers eyeing Premier League winger

According to The Scottish Sun, Rangers are one of the clubs in the race to secure a deal for Crystal Palace youngster Jesurun Rak-Sakyi this summer.

The report claims that the Light Blues are ‘chasing’ a move to sign the left-footed star, who spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Sheffield United in the Championship.

Transfer Focus

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

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It reveals that Palace are ready to demand a fee of around £10m to allow the right winger to move on from Selhurst Park before the end of the summer transfer window.

Rangers, however, would prefer to land the talented young forward on a season-long loan, rather than to splash the cash out to sign him permanently, but they would be willing to do a permanent deal if the asking price is reduced.

It now remains to be seen whether or not the Scottish giants can convince the Eagles to allow the dynamo to leave on loan, which may depend on whether or not any other teams are prepared to meet their £10m valuation for a permanent deal.

Why Rangers should sign Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

Vaclav Cerny returning to Wolfsburg at the end of last season, after his loan spell at Ibrox came to an end, left a hole in the team in the right wing position.

This means that Rak-Sakyi could slot straight into the starting XI as Martin’s right winger to replace the Czechia international, and his form for Sheffield United suggests that he has the potential to make an immediate impact.

Whilst Aasgaard is an exciting player in his own right, due to his technical ability, the Crystal Palace youngster would be even more exciting for supporters because he also has the ability to deliver goals and assists to get fans out of their seats.

The 22-year-old whiz, who produced 15 goals and eight assists in League One for Charlton in the 2022/23 campaign, ended last season with a return of seven goals and two assists in 22 league starts for the Blades.

This shows that he is more likely to make an impact in front of goal than Aasgaard in the Scottish Premiership next season, as the Norway international only managed two goals and one assist in the same division.

24/25 Championship

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi per 90

Percentile rank vs wingers

xG

0.32

Top 13%

Goals

0.36

Top 11%

xG on target

0.36

Top 9%

xA

0.18

Top 22%

Assists

0.10

Bottom 47%

Successful dribbles

2.44

Top 7%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sakyi ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking statistics, aside from assists, which shows that his teammates let him down with their wasteful finishing.

The left-footed star, once hailed as “remarkable” by Roy Hodgson, is a forward who can provide a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals on a regular basis, whilst also consistently taking on opposition defenders, as shown by his 2.44 successful dribbles per 90.

This suggests that Rak-Sakyi could be an incredibly exciting player for Rangers supporters to watch, because he can combine exciting dribbling skills with quality end product in the final third.

Whereas Aasgaard has the technical and dribbling ability to get around the pitch, but needs to prove that he can deliver the goals and assists to go along with it, which is why the Palace winger could be an even better signing for Martin in the here and now.

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Leeds United are now strongly considering a bid for a “brilliant” midfielder, who could be in line to join alongside their move for Sean Longstaff this summer, according to a report.

Leeds stepping up pursuit of new midfielders

Leeds have now reached an agreement on personal terms with Newcastle United’s Longstaff, as revealed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, with the deal said to be edging closer to completion.

Widespread reports have suggested the Newcastle midfielder is free to leave his boyhood club this summer, with Eddie Howe sanctioning a departure, and a move to Elland Road appears to be an increasingly likely outcome.

However, Daniel Farke may not want to stop there, with some extra quality perhaps needed in the engine room if his side are to avoid relegation from the Premier League next season, and the Championship title-winners have now intensified their interest in a different midfielder.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Leeds are now stepping up their interest in Shea Charles, with the Southampton midfielder catching the eye during a loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday last season.

The Whites tracked Charles’ performances during his loan spell with the Owls, and they were clearly impressed by what they saw, as a move is now being strongly considered, although it is unclear what sort of fee it would take to prise him away from the Saints.

Will Still is also hoping to keep hold of the central midfielder beyond the summer, which could make it difficult for the Whites to get a deal for the £15m-rated maestro over the line.

Charles could be "brilliant" addition to Farke's squad

While the signing of Longstaff makes more sense, considering the 27-year-old is vastly experienced at Premier League level, the Southampton midfielder’s performances in the Championship indicate he could be capable of making the step-up to the top flight.

Not only has the 21-year-old hailed as “brilliant” by members of the media, but journalist Joe Crann believes he could go on to achieve big things in the game.

Perhaps most noteworthy is the Northern Irishman’s defensive ability, performing very well across some key metrics over the past year, when compared to other midfielders.

Shea Charles

Average per 90

Interceptions

1.46 (83rd percentile)

Tackles

2.68 (78th percentile)

Aerials won

1.54 (80th percentile)

However, having recorded five assists in the Championship last season, the former Sheffield Wednesday man is clearly a well-rounded midfielder, capable of contributing on the front foot.

Charles could be a solid signing for Leeds this summer, but Longstaff looks to be a more attainable target, given that Newcastle are more willing to sanction a departure.

علّق الصحفي توماس جواش، على تصريحات النجم الأرجنتيني ليونيل ميسي، بشأن إمكانية عدم مشاركته في كأس العالم 2026.

وفجر ميسي مفاجأة حيث صرّح النجم الأرجنتيني بأنه إذا لم يكن في حالة بدنية جيدة، فلن يشارك مع منتخب الأرجنتين في كأس العالم العام المقبل. 

وصرّح ميسي: “لا أعتقد أنني سأشارك في كأس العالم القادمة، نظرًا لعمري، فإن الأمر الأكثر منطقية هو أن ذلك لن يحدث، أنا متحمس، لكنني أتعامل مع الأمر يومًا بيوم، ومباراة بمباراة” (طالع التفاصيل).

وبحسب ما نشرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، تحدث جواش عن الأمر قائلاً: “كنا جميعاً في غاية الهدوء حتى ظهر ميسي، متسائلاً عن إمكانية مشاركته في كأس العالم العام المقبل”.

وأضاف: “يقول إنه من الطبيعي ألا يكون هناك، ولكن إذا كان لكأس العالم أي جاذبية، فهي الرقصة الأخيرة بين ميسي وكريستيانو رونالدو، فيما سيكون من أروع الملاحم في تاريخ كرة القدم والرياضة العالمية، لكن ليو يُشكك في ذلك”.

وأتم: “أتمنى أن يلعب ميسي في كأس العالم، حتى لو كان مُحنّطاً، لأن 48 فريقاً سيشاركون، ومئات اللاعبين، وميسي فقط سيغيب؟ أعتقد أن الأمر سيكون بمثابة مزحة في عالم كرة القدم، وعلى أي شخص التدخل”.

Captain bats through another innings unbeaten before Mills and Briggs extinguish Fire

ECB Media05-Aug-2024Southern Brave 139 for 5 (Vince 73*) beat Welsh Fire 97 (Mills 4-16, Briggs 3-14) by 42 runsSouthern Brave made it four wins from five in the Hundred this year by thrashing Welsh Fire at Sophia Gardens.James Vince’s match-winning 73 from 50 balls in the first innings set Fire 140 to win, and the home side never threatened to reach the target. The Brave ended the night top of the table.Jofra Archer missed his second game of the competition, with the ECB managing his workload closely, but the Brave cruised to victory regardless.”It was nice to get the win,” Vince said. “Batting first, we found it quite tricky. but at halfway you never quite know until both sides have batted. The way we bowled throughout, but particularly up front, was fantastic and proved it was reasonably tough out there.”The Fire won the toss and elected to field first, but the Brave’s batters worked well in partnerships with Alex Davies, Leus du Plooy and Kieron Pollard all supporting the in-form Vince’s superb 73 not out, which included seven fours and three sixes.A Chris Jordan cameo in the final 10 balls featured a 98-metre six, before he fell to the last ball, skying David Payne and being well caught by David Willey.Overseas quicks Haris Rauf (2 for 22) and Matt Henry (1 for 20) were the standout bowlers for Welsh Fire, with the home side hoping conditions under the lights might favour a big chase.Danny Briggs celebrates a breakthrough with his captainBut Luke Wells and Jonny Bairstow struggled to get opening bowlers Akeal Hosein and Craig Overton away, with just 29 scored from the first 30 balls and the bowlers making life difficult with significant swing.Both opening batters then fell in quick succession as the Brave took control, with Tymal Mills (4 for 16), Danny Briggs (3 for 14) and Jordan (2 for 19) running through the Fire’s batting order to seal a very comfortable victory.”Our bowlers have dovetailed really well: Akeal and Craig with the new ball and then CJ and Tymal through the back end,” Vince said. “They’ve done it so many times and we are in nice rhythm at the minute. The bowlers have been fantastic and I think the batters did a good job on that pitch as well.”

Sean Abbott produced a memorable performance with the ball to inspire Birmingham Phoenix to a three-wicket victory over London Spirit in a low-scoring thriller at Lord’s.Abbott claimed 4 for 14 from his 20 deliveries – the 10th-best figures in the history of the men’s Hundred – as Phoenix restricted their hosts to 127 for 7, and the Australian allrounder was there at the finish as his side snuck home with a ball to spare.Asked to bat first, Spirit had slumped to 30 for 5 after Tim Southee trapped Daniel Bell-Drummond lbw with his first delivery and Abbott saw off Michael Pepper, Adam Rossington, Dan Lawrence and Ryan Higgins in the space of eight balls.Shimron Hetmyer briefly flickered but fell for 16 after top-edging Benny Howell to Adam Milne before Liam Dawson (36 from 34) and Andre Russell (37 from 20) mounted a recovery. Russell hit four sixes in a typically brutal knock which included three maximums off the final set of the innings, bowled by Milne.Phoenix also struggled against the new ball, slipping to 20 for 4 after Dan Worrall claimed two early breakthroughs including the crucial wicket of Moeen Ali for a duck. Liam Livingstone was unlucky to be run out by Olly Stone at the non-striker’s end before the young guns Dan Mousley (39 from 38) and Jacob Bethell (43 from 27) took charge.The visitors stuttered when both players were dismissed with the finishing line in sight but Howell held his nerve, smashing the penultimate ball of the match over extra-cover to seal the win with Abbott, the Meerkat Match Hero, standing at the non-striker’s end.Abbott said: “The feedback from the guys who opened up was that it was doing a little bit so I was just trying to present the seam and hit the top of the stumps. Keeping the run rate down is the most important thing and if you can pick up some wickets along the way then that’s a bonus.”The first two games have favoured the bowlers. We didn’t expect as much seam movement at this time of the year.”It was nice to be out there at the end. I was chuffed for Benny, he played really well again tonight. It wasn’t the easiest wicket and the two young blokes [Mousley and Bethell] did pretty well to get us close to home.”

Everyone at Football FanCast is devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva. We are sending our thoughts and prayers to their friends, families, teammates and loved ones.

As Richard Hughes turns his attention towards bolstering Arne Slot’s midfield, Liverpool have reportedly made contact to sign a La Liga star worth just £35m this summer.

Liverpool working on Ekitike deal

Despite already spending big to sign Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez whilst also welcoming Freddie Woodman this summer, Liverpool are not done on the transfer front. The Reds still have their sights set on signing a striker and after reports earlier this week claimed that Victor Osimhen, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike are all concrete options, it looks as though the latter has emerged as the most likely to arrive.

The Eintracht Frankfurt star enjoyed an excellent campaign last time out and it should come as no surprise that he’s so high up on Liverpool’s list of targets. As Napoli continue to work on a deal to sign Darwin Nunez too, the Reds could land an instant upgrade whilst putting an end to the South American’s nightmare Anfield spell.

Minutes

2,563

1,133

Goals

15

5

Assists

8

2

Expected Goals

21.6

5.8

Although there will be concerns about Ekitike’s expected goals underperformance last season, his creative output should ensure that Liverpool are not put off a move to sign the Frenchman this summer.

With the likes of Mohamed Salah and Wirtz around him, that impressive output would only reach new levels at Liverpool. There’s still plenty of work left to be done for any deal to take place, however, and those at Anfield must ensure that they fend off interest from elsewhere in the Premier League.

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After Ekitike, meanwhile, Liverpool could turn their attention towards midfield reinforcements and a Barcelona talent.

Liverpool submit Marc Casado offer

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool have now made contact to sign Marc Casado from Barcelona, even submitting their first offer. The midfielder is considering an exit away from the Nou Camp in the hope of more game time next season and has attracted the interest of Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen and the Reds as a result.

The deal wouldn’t break the bank for Liverpool or Chelsea either, given that Barcelona are reportedly demanding just €40m (£35m) to sell the 21-year-old in the coming months.

Included in a group of progressive passers described as “fantastic” by scout Jacek Kulig, Casado could provide Slot with the perfect alternative to transfer target Adam Wharton if the Crystal Palace man remains out of reach.

At just £35m too, the Barcelona man would likely go down as Liverpool’s biggest bargain in a summer which has seen them break the British transfer record to sign Wirtz.

The chartered flight “AIC24WC” (Air India Champions 24 World Cup) has been organised by the BCCI

PTI03-Jul-2024

The world champions were made to wait before they were able to bring the trophy home•Getty Images

India’s T20 world champions finally left Barbados for New Delhi on a chartered flight from the Grantley Adams International airport in Bridgetown on Wednesday after being stranded for three days because of a category 4 hurricane, which forced the airport there to be shut down.The special Air India flight AIC24WC (Air India Champions 24 World Cup) took off around 4.50am local time and will land in New Delhi on Thursday at around 6.20am IST.The India players, the support staff, the players’ families and some board officials are aboard the flight along with members of the travelling media contingent. The flight was arranged by the BCCI.