Diaz upgrade: Liverpool among frontrunners to sign £60m "superstar"

A fortress is made impregnable not through the initial conquering but the success in defending the territory claimed over so many years, and that means Liverpool will need to strengthen their ranks this summer.

It’s clear at this point that Arne Slot is going to win the Premier League in his first term in the hot seat, an incredible feat given Liverpool were effectively written off following Jurgen Klopp’s departure at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

But Slot will want an abiding position at the forefront of English and indeed European football, and Liverpool’s frontline has looked a little out of kilter over recent months.

Liverpool's DarwinNunezand Diogo Jota look dejected after the match

It’s clear that FSG are going to authorise one or two exciting summer bids.

Liverpool targeting new forwards

Mohamed Salah has meted out punishment on near every opponent he has faced this season, but Liverpool need more up front, with The Athletic among those to report Red interest in Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak.

Newcastle United's AlexanderIsakcelebrates scoring their second goal

However, number nine isn’t the only spot on the club’s radar.

As per Caught Offside, Liverpool and Arsenal are interested in signing Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze; further suitors are in the running but the Premier League’s top two share the lead here as well.

Eze’s strong and potent performances under Oliver Glasner suggest he has what it takes to thrive at a top-performing club like Liverpool, who could do with such a dynamic attacker.

Last summer, the Eagles anticipated a swarm of interest in their silky star but no one came forward. Now, the ball is in their court and demands worth £60m have been put in place.

Why Liverpool want to sign Eze

Eze packs a punch. The 26-year-old has gone from strength to strength since leaving Queens Park Rangers in the Championship in 2020 and joining the Selhurst Park ranks for a £20m fee.

Eberechi Eze for Crystal Palace

Hailed as a “superstar” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Eze has hit 12 goals and 12 assists apiece under Glasner’s wing, featuring 48 times in total.

This season alone, he’s been in fine fettle, playing a more creative role than in 2023/24 but doing so to a fine effect.

Eze’s broad skill set lends itself to multiple positions, and while he’s been fielded routinely in the middle of the park this year, he has ample experience out on the left flank.

With that in mind, Eze could be the perfect signing to upgrade on Luis Diaz, whose uncertain future at Anfield suggests a replacement will be required sooner rather than later.

Matches (starts)

25 (23)

29 (23)

Goals

2

9

Assists

6

5

Shots taken*

3.4

2.0

Pass completion

82%

86%

Big chances created

9

6

Key passes*

2.0

1.6

Dribbles*

2.1

1.6

Ball recoveries*

4.6

2.9

Tackles + interceptions*

1 8

1.2

Duels won*

5.4

3.8

While Eze hasn’t chalked up the greatest numbers in front of goal this season, his underlying data suggests that he’s outstripping Diaz across almost every department.

This is important. Diaz isn’t exactly revered for his clinical touch, instead effusively praised for his tricks and slicks, skill and will toward driving play forward and leaving defenders munching dust.

Liverpool forward Luis Diaz

To sign a player who produces such qualities but to a higher standard, more relentless in the duel, creative in his playmaking duties, active in carrying the ball, it’s an intriguing proposition, one which might just dynamise Liverpool’s already progressive attacking outfit.

Moreover, Eze’s clinical side was on full show last season, firing 11 goals home across 24 Premier League appearances, missing just five big chances in an immense display of potency.

Indeed, the Englishman halted Jurgen Klopp’s bid for a farewell league triumph after scoring at Anfield in the 1-0 win in April, with journalist Keifer MacDonald noting that the playmaker had left Trent Alexander-Arnold “furious” due to his slow walk off the field when substituted late on.

Liverpool winger Luis Diaz

Whether the Three Lions star, who scored his first international goal off the bench in a 3-0 win over Latvia last week, is bid for remains to be seen, but Eze has everything that Slot’s Liverpool need, especially if a clinical centre-forward is welcomed to the fold this summer.

In a more distinguished team like Liverpool, Eze may even find himself unlocking his full goalscoring potential. As per FBref, the £100k-per-week talent actually ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shots taken per 90.

Having been described as a “wizard” by Arsenal’s Declan Rice in the past, Palace’s main man may just be on the move this summer. Diaz has been a fantastic servant for Liverpool over the past several years and will be duly rewarded with a Premier League winners’ medal in the coming months, but the time might be right for a change.

The Colombian has only scored one goal across his past 19 fixtures in all competitions for the Reds – albeit assisting in four of his past six top-flight games – and at 28 is heading into the penultimate year of his £55k-per-week deal with sights set on a new bumper package or change of scenery.

There have been whispers of late that Diaz could be sold this summer to fund a freshen-up. Barcelona have a long-standing admiration and the Saudi Pro League are also there, quietly lurking.

How much of a vested interest sporting director Richard Hughes has in Eze at this stage, we don’t know. However, his efforts in south London over the past few years certainly indicate a future at one of the division’s European competitors, and Liverpool will be right there, ready to pounce if the right opportunity presents itself.

Slot could boldly axe "special" Liverpool star who's the new James Milner

Who will stay and who will go in the transfer market for Liverpool this summer?

1 ByAngus Sinclair Apr 1, 2025

Mohammed Shami revs it up on red-ball return

Shami bowled 17 overs for East Zone on the first day of their Duleep Trophy opener against North Zone

Ashish Pant28-Aug-2025Mohammed Shami has, of late, spent more time trying to prove his red-ball fitness than he has playing red-ball cricket.Since the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final, his only first-class game was a Ranji Trophy match for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in November last year. It’s part of the reason he did not make it to India’s Test squad for the tour of England. Nine months on, he’s playing his second red-ball game in the Duleep Trophy season opener for East Zone against North Zone at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence on the outskirts of Bengaluru.Shami, now nearly 35, bowled 17 overs across four spells on the first day of the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy, progressively getting more incisive as the day went on. East Zone had won the toss and opted to bowl under murky skies. He was given the first over, and while he hardly got any movement, his lines were tight. He bowled five overs in his first spell, mostly within himself, and conceded ten runs with two maidens. It was evident that Shami was trying to ease himself back into the red-ball grind, concentrating more on the seam position and his lengths.Related

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Gill and Jurel miss Duleep Trophy quarter-finals

Shami bowled his second spell just before the lunch break, a three-over burst pretty similar to his first, where he conceded ten runs. He beat the batters a few times and drew a few false shots, but the Shami sharpness was missing.That changed after the lunch break. Having found rhythm, there was a marked difference in Shami’s run-up and delivery stride. He bowled five overs in his third spell – two of then maidens – and conceded just nine runs. The batters, who were until then playing Shami fairly comfortably, were suddenly getting beaten for pace. There were plenty of plays and misses, inside-edges onto pad, and the occasional false shot. Having found his lengths, Shami’s focus was now on upping his speed.Despite the improvement, Shami did not have a wicket yet. He should have had North Zone’s wicketkeeper-batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan caught down the leg side early in his fourth spell, but Kumar Kushagra dropped a relatively straightforward chance behind the stumps. He eventually found success when he had Sahil Lotra caught behind late in the day. It was a nippy length ball well outside off stump that Lotra chased and edged to the wicketkeeper.Mohammed Shami made his international comeback in January this year•Associated PressShami bowled the second-most overs among the six bowlers East Zone used on the opening day, only behind left-arm spinner Manishi, who bowled 19. He went through the day without any visible hiccups and will hope to put in more miles on day two. In all, Shami conceded 55 runs in 17 overs for one wicket.Shami has struggled with fitness ever since injuring his ankle during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He underwent surgery after playing through pain during India’s run to the final and then missed all of India’s fixtures in 2024 due to his injury, recovery from surgery, and subsequent knee issues.He was part of India’s limited-overs series against England and the Champions Trophy earlier this year, and played nine matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad in a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign. Following that, he was not picked for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar suggesting that Shami’s “workload is not where it needs to be.”There is still a month and a bit to go before India’s next Test series – at home against West Indies – and Shami will, through the course of the Duleep Trophy, aim to put in the work needed to prove to the selectors that he is ready to get back to Test cricket.

How many bowlers have dismissed a father and a son in Tests?

And did Yashasvi Jaiswal have the highest score for an opener on Test debut?

Steven Lynch18-Jul-2023In Dominica, R Ashwin bowled Tagenarine Chanderpaul, having already dismissed his father in a Test. How many people have achieved this double? asked Ahson Atif from India, among others
India’s R Ashwin completed this rare feat by bowling Tagenarine Chanderpaul in the first Test against West Indies in Roseau last week; he’d dismissed Tagenarine’s father, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, four times in Tests in 2011 and 2013.Ashwin was the fifth bowler to dismiss a father and a son in a Test. The previous two also involved the Chanderpauls: Mitchell Starc of Australia, and the South African offspinner Simon Harmer have also accounted for both. The first two cases involved the New Zealanders Lance and Chris Cairns, who were both dismissed by Ian Botham and Wasim Akram.Did Yashasvi Jaiswal break the record for the highest score by an opener on Test debut? asked Priyanth Kumar from India
The Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 171 on his Test debut against West Indies in Roseau last week. He was the 17th Indian to score a century on Test debut, and the third opener.The highest score by any opener on debut is 201 not out, by Sri Lanka’s Brendon Kuruppu, against New Zealand in Colombo in 1986-87. The only other double-century – and the highest by a left-hander – was Devon Conway’s 200 for New Zealand against England at Lord’s in 2021.Next, and the highest for India, comes the 187 of Shikhar Dhawan, against Australia in Mohali in 2012-13.Earlier this summer Pat Cummins won three successive Tests after losing the toss. Was this a record? asked Rahul Sompura on Facebook
Although Pat Cummins lost the toss in the World Test Championship final against India and the first two Ashes Tests, Australia won all three matches. This turns out to be the 15th occasion a captain has lost the toss but won three Tests in a row. There are five cases of four – by Australia’s Warwick Armstrong (starting in 1921), Viv Richards (1988-89), Stephen Fleming (2005-06), Graeme Smith (2008-09) and Steven Smith (2017-18). But leading the way, with five successive Tests won after losing the toss, is MS Dhoni, in a sequence that started in 2013. Shivnarine Chanderpaul lost seven successive Tests after losing the toss, starting in 2005-06.This strikes me as a rather contrived record, as it relies on the captain being repeatedly unlucky at the toss, which is unusual – even though England’s Nasser Hussain once lost ten tosses in a row (Dhoni and Sunil Gavaskar come next, with nine). Perhaps a better marker is successive Tests won after losing the toss (ignoring matches where the toss was won); Australia won 12 in a row in which Ricky Ponting lost the toss from 2007-08, and South Africa 11 under Graeme Smith (starting 2008-09). Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh lost eight successive Tests in which he won the toss, starting in 2018.MS Dhoni went on to win five successive Tests at home after losing the toss, starting in 2013•BCCIWhat is the lowest number of wickets a team has lost while winning a Test match? asked Sanket Amdalli from the United Arab Emirates
There have now been five Test matches in which the winning side lost only two wickets, all of them innings victories. The most recent was by South Africa (637 for 2 declared) over England (385 and 240) at The Oval in 2012, in the match in which Hashim Amla scored 311 not out. South Africa also beat Bangladesh in Chattogram in April 2003 while losing only two wickets.The first three instances were all by England: against South Africa at Lord’s in 1924, New Zealand at Headingley in 1958, and India at Edgbaston in 1974.There are 11 further Tests in which the winning side lost only three wickets, the most recent by Sri Lanka against Ireland in Galle earlier this year.George Headley played Test cricket against Wilfred Rhodes, who made his debut in 1899, and also against Tom Graveney, whose last Test was in 1969 – a total span of 70 years. Has any other Test player covered a longer period with opponents and/or team-mates? asked Stephen Parker from Australia
The 70-year span you mention for the great West Indian George Headley actually comes in second on this particular list: in his first Test, England’s Wilfred Rhodes played alongside WG Grace (debut 1880) and in 1929-30, against Headley, who played on till 1953-54, a total span of more than 73 years.Freddie Brown of England played alongside Frank Woolley (debut August 1909) and Brian Close, whose last match was in July 1976 – a span of almost 67 years. George Gunn played against Australia’s Syd Gregory (debut 1890) and Headley, whose last Test was in 1953-54 (total span more than 63 years), while Woolley played against Gregory and with Brown, whose last Test was in 1953 (span almost 63 years. Here’s the list of the longest Test careers .Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Tireless Jadeja's control on lifeless pitch justifies Kohli's faith in team combination

India have left R Ashwin out for all four Tests so far, and India’s win at The Oval helped them shut out “outside noise”

Osman Samiuddin07-Sep-2021He didn’t play the innings of the match. That was played, arguably, by the Player of the Match Rohit Sharma; or if it is a mood-change we are measuring, then Shardul Thakur in the first innings. Umesh Yadav ended up with more wickets, and Jasprit Bumrah bowled the spell of the Test on the final day.Ravindra Jadeja did none of this and yet was absolutely central to India’s win at The Oval. This is just how he rolls. The two wickets of Haseeb Hameed and Moeen Ali were important but not as much as the sum of his bowling: 30 overs on a track aiding no bowler let alone one as prosaic as a slow left-armer, as many as 11 maidens and an economy rate of well under two. He bowled just under a third of the overs in the innings, which, in a five-man attack on one of the hottest days of the summer, is an important proportion given the load it took off the four quick bowlers.It becomes especially noteworthy because it came in the aftermath of the continued non-selection of R Ashwin. That has been one of the main talking points right through this series, but nowhere did it reach a higher pitch than at The Oval, when Virat Kohli revealed his Ashwin-less team at the toss.Related

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  • 2-1, 2-2 or 3-1? India chase history, England look to avoid ignominy in one last squabble

  • England have looked outgunned and outplayed by India

  • Kohli: Among top three bowling performances I've seen as captain

  • Jasprit Bumrah happens. And England's challenge ends

A vast body of opinion – “the noise on the outside”, Kohli would later call it – thought India had erred. On the surface, The Oval hasn’t been, for the last decade at least, an especially spin-friendly Test surface. But spinners average 24 from day four onwards, the best for all grounds in England with more than a Test played since 2014. There has been something for spinners then, but it doesn’t change the fact that this Oval surface was not especially spin-friendly, either to the eye, or in numbers: seven wickets in all for 220 runs.Kohli’s reasoning at the toss only amplified that noise, in arguing that Jadeja’s match-up against England’s four left-hand batters was a good one. Ashwin’s record against left-hand batters, as we are regularly reminded, is freakishly good.4:32

Why did India promote Jadeja ahead of Rahane?

The more Ashwin has not been picked, however, the more it has seemed as if this is not a like-for-like comparison between the two, or even a trade-off. This has been about India looking for its best combination, an aim complicated by the emergence of Thakur, who would do well to retire now because four Tests in, his career all-round figures are so good they have only one direction to go in. If anything this three-into-two conundrum highlights, it is the depth that India enjoy.Jadeja offers a more solid batting option than Ashwin, which, with India’s middle order struggling as it has, is important. His being left-hand, as batting coach Vikram Rathour said, has helped break up an all right-hand top five. But the real issue is that Thakur has ended up scoring runs and taking wickets, and India have now won three and drawn one of their last five away Tests in Australia and England without Ashwin.”Within the group we know what we focus on and we take a collective call as to what feels like the best combination for us to walk on the field with,” Kohli said at the presentation after the game. “And whatever feels best balanced we just go ahead with it, and we believe we can win Tests with that bowling line-up or batting line-up. Whatever the noise on the outside we don’t bother with that. We just have belief in our group and we carry forward with that.”None of this should deflect from Jadeja’s actual performance with the ball. Final day or final innings – or a combination of both – are nervy occasions for spinners because of the pressure of expectations: this is where they make their name, if not their living. Wickets are crucial, of course, but in a fourth innings, with a side trying to bat out a draw or chase a win, control is as important.Monday wasn’t the first time for Jadeja though. He bowled 32 overs in the fourth innings at Lord’s in 2014, conceding just 53 as India defended 319 on a slow surface.Ravindra Jadeja ended with 11 maidens out of 30 overs, which included two wickets•AFP/Getty ImagesAt the MCG in 2018, on an even less responsive surface than The Oval, he wheeled out 32 economical overs in the fourth innings in another win. There is Jamaica 2019 and Galle 2017 too, and in only one has he not been the lone spinner. So when Rathour said on the fourth evening that India expected Jadeja to “play a massive role [on the final day]”, he wasn’t simply resorting to an easy soundbite.”[On] the fifth-day wicket, there is rough outside the left-hander’s off stump. So, he will play a massive role,” Rathour reasoned. “He bowled really well, I thought. He bowled with a lot of control, the last 5-6 overs he bowled did create a lot of opportunities.”This is what India expected and this is precisely what he did, hitting that rough relentlessly and ensuring, primarily, that he wasn’t going to cede runs. They could keep him out, or kick him away, but he wouldn’t let them score off him. Eleven maidens out of 30 is a high proportion, but it more or less matches his career rate: he bowls a maiden every three overs in the fourth innings. Of active Test bowlers, only Nathan Lyon, James Anderson and Stuart Broad have bowled more fourth-innings maidens; and all three with far lesser frequency.The wickets were the bonus and that, at the other end, the likes of Bumrah worked off him, feeding off the pressure, and creating their own magic.

Presidente do Santos contesta arbitragem e VAR da final do Paulistão contra o Palmeiras

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O presidente do Santos, Marcelo Teixeira, não aprovou algumas decisões da equipe de arbitragem da final do Paulistão, contra o Palmeiras.

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No primeiro gol alviverde, marcado por Raphael Veiga de pênalti, a princípio o juiz Raphael Claus não assinalou a infração sofrida por Endrick. Chamado pelo VAR, ele mudou a decisão.

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Teixeira contestou a marcação e ressaltou que, na cobrança de tiro de meta de Weverton, que encontrou Endrick no ataque, a bola estaria em movimento.

– A gente não vê lance em detalhes, mas o trio de arbitragem foi muito bem, conduziu bem. O detalhe foi a decisão do VAR. O VAR chama e eles estão conversando, o próprio (Raphael) Claus dá sinal de dar continuidade ao jogo. O nosso goleiro quase bate o tiro de meta. Dizem que a bola estava em movimento no tiro de meta (cobrado pelo Weverton). Independente dessas questões, não vi erro do Claus. São detalhes que podem ocorrer. Ele poderia ter revisto essa questão da bola rolando, mas fui ao vestiário cumprimentá-lo – disse, em tom ameno.

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➡️ O QUE VEM POR AÍ?

Após a final diante do Palmeiras, o Santos estreia na Série B na sexta-feira (19), contra o Paysandu, na Vila Belmiro.

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Will Jacks back in England XI after three years for second Ashes Test

Allrounder Will Jacks will make his first Test appearance in three years after leapfrogging Shoaib Bashir as England’s spinner for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.Jacks, a left-field pick for the tour of Australia, will replace fast bowler Mark Wood, who was ruled out through injury. It will be the Surrey allrounder’s third Test cap, having earned his first two in Pakistan in 2022, taking 6 for 161 on debut in the first Test in Rawalpindi.The 27-year-old was one of multiple spinners on both those occasions but now finds himself not just thrust into an Ashes with England 1-0 down, but as their primary spinner in the day-night Test, which begins on Thursday.Jacks has played just five first-class matches in the last two seasons, and took just five wickets in three County Championship appearances in 2025 at an average of 38.80. Should he pick up a wicket in the upcoming Test, it will be only his 50th in first-class cricket since debuting in 2018.Related

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He has been used intermittently as a spinner in limited-overs cricket, with 50 caps across ODIs and T20Is with just nine wickets. It helped his case for selection on the tour that he had spent the summer working with head coach Brendon McCullum upon his return to the limited-overs set-up in May. Jacks was subsequently awarded a two-year central contract in October.”It’s something I’m really looking forward to,” told the ECB’s in-house media. “To be on an Ashes tour in the first place is something I wouldn’t have been expecting a few months ago. But it’s been amazing to be here, be around this team… to be in the XI is a dream come true, to play an Ashes series away from home.”Personally, I’ll just be looking to add a little bit to the team in each three facets of the game. I know I can effect the game in a positive way like that, and I’ll just be doing my best to support whenever the team needs me.”Obviously I play a lot of white ball cricket under lights and hopefully that will suit me and the conditions won’t feel too foreign to me. Mostly, I’m just looking forward to getting out there and trying to do my best.”Will Jacks was included in England’s side for the second Test•PA Images/Getty

Though primarily a tactical decision to opt for Jacks given he is a far superior batter to Bashir, it marks a significant moment in the latter’s career. Since becoming Ben Stokes’ No.1 spinner from the start of the 2024 summer, debuting in India earlier that year, this is the first time Bashir has been left out.The 21-year-old missed the last two Tests against India this summer with a broken finger on his left hand, though he did take the final wicket in a thrilling victory at Lord’s having suffered the injury in the same game. That bravery further enamoured him to Stokes, who has been Bashir’s biggest advocate since spotting him two years ago on social media bowling to Alastair Cook on first-class debut for Somerset against Essex.He has since gone on to earn 19 caps, taking 68 wickets at 39.00 but is now without a county after his deal with Somerset expired at the end of the season, though he is on a central contract. After making England’s 12-man squad for the first Test at Perth, Bashir now finds himself lower down in the pecking order.Ironically, part of the attraction to Bashir is his high release point and the over-spin he imparts on the ball – characteristics England deem vital in Australia based on Nathan Lyon’s success. That Lyon boasts an impressive record across his 13 day-night Tests – 43 dismissals at 25.62 – has prompted England into changing their all-pace tactic from the first Test.”Talking about the tactical element of a day-night game, you do try to look at Australia,” Stokes said. “They play a lot of day-night cricket here, how they use their spinner as an attacking option, or more to give the bowlers an easier rotation and to get through the overs quicker to have more time with the new ball under lights. There’s both those elements we will consider with how a spinner is to be used in a day/night game.”England XI: 1 ⁠Zak Crawley, 2 ⁠Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 ⁠Harry Brook, 6 ⁠Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Will Jacks, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 ⁠Brydon Carse, 11 Jofra Archer

SL call up Vijayakanth Viyaskanth as cover for injured Hasaranga

Legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth has been added to Sri Lanka’s T20I squad for the T20I tri-series in Pakistan as cover for allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who has a hamstring injury.Hasaranga has not been ruled out of the series yet. He picked up the hamstring niggle during the second game of the ODI series against Pakistan and subsequently missed the third ODI as Sri Lanka suffered a 3-0 defeat.Related

  • Injured Muzarabani out of Pakistan tri-series, Nyamhuri named replacement

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Viyaskanth will join the team directly from Qatar, where he was playing for Sri Lanka A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament. He has represented Sri Lanka just once in senior cricket, making his debut in the Hangzhou Asian Games in October 2023.Viyaskanth first rose to prominence in December 2020, when he became the youngest player at 18 years and 364 days to feature in the Lanka Premier League for Jaffna Stallions. In that tournament, he also became the first born-and-bred player from Jaffna to appear in an internationally televised game. Viyaskanth was also the second highest wicket-taker in the SLC T20 League in August 2025. Overall, in 59 T20 games, he has taken 67 wickets at 20.98 with an economy of 7.18.Sri Lanka are also missing their regular T20I captain Charith Asalanka for the tri-series. He flew home with an illness and Dasun Shanaka will fill in as captain. Sri Lanka play their first game of the tri-series on November 20 against Zimbabwe. The series starts on November 18 with each team playing the other twice before the final on November 29.

Northern Superchargers officially renamed Sunrisers Leeds

The Sun Group, an Indian media conglomerate, had completed a £100 million takeover of the franchise earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2025Northern Superchargers have been renamed ‘Sunrisers Leeds’ by their new owners, one of three anticipated name changes in the Hundred ahead of the 2026 season.The Sun Group, an Indian media conglomerate based in Chennai, completed a £100 million takeover of the Leeds-based franchise earlier this year. Yorkshire opted to sell their 51% stake in the Superchargers on top of the ECB’s 49%, meaning that the Sun Group owns 100% of the company’s shares.The new owners have now filed documents to Companies House in the UK, which confirm that the Superchargers name will be discontinued. The new name ‘Sunrisers Leeds’ falls in line with their other franchise brands: Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in South Africa’s SA20.

Two further name changes are anticipated in the Hundred, with the league’s eight teams now under private ownership. Manchester Originals are set to become Manchester Super Giants, after Lancashire’s deal with the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. Oval Invincibles, meanwhile, are expected to be renamed MI London when Reliance Industries Limited’s minority investment is finalised.Sanjay Patel, Yorkshire’s chief executive, earlier this year said that the club would use the proceeds from the sale to start clearing their significant debts. “The deal puts the club in a strong financial position, which has been far from the case for many years here, and we can start looking towards a very bright future,” Patel said.Superchargers’ women won the Hundred this year, beating Southern Brave in the final at Lord’s, while their men were knocked out in the eliminator. The men will return under a new head coach as well as a new name next year, with Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Daniel Vettori linked with the vacancy opened up by Andrew Flintoff’s departure.The ECB announced last week that the Hundred will move from a draft system to a player auction for recruitment from next year, with a substantial increase in salaries and an extra overseas player per side, both designed to boost star power. The 2026 season is expected to run from July 21 to August 16.

!AO VIVO! Assista à entrevista de Abel Ferreira, treinador do Palmeiras

MatériaMais Notícias

Abel Ferreira, técnico do Palmeiras, concede entrevista após a derrota do Verdão para o São Paulo. Assista a coletiva do comandante no vídeo acima.

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Com o resultado, Abel (nove títulos) perdeu a oportunidade de igualar Oswaldo Brandão (dez títulos) como treinador mais vitorioso da história do Alviverde.

TÉCNICOS COM MAIS TÍTULOS NA HISTÓRIA DO PALMEIRAS

1º – Oswaldo Brandão – 102º – Abel Ferreira – 93º – Vanderlei Luxemburgo – 84º – Ventura Cambon – 75º – Luiz Felipe Scolari – 6

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Everton's future England superstar could soon steal the #10 from Ndiaye

When Everton wrapped up a season-long loan deal for Jack Grealish ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, it felt like the Three Lions star had entered the last-chance saloon.

It also raised questions as to what David Moyes was to do with his Toffees talisman, Iliman Ndiaye. Both mavericks couldn’t play on the left flank, after all.

But Ndiaye has performed excellently in a new right-sided berth, leading the club’s scoring charts with three goals from nine Premier League matches.

Iliman Ndiaye's importance to Everton

Alongside Grealish, he is the standout star in Moyes’ squad. Ndiaye only arrived in 2024, signing from Marseille for about £15m, but he was a beacon of hope throughout the end of Sean Dyche’s tenure and has scored nine goals under Moyes; no active Everton player has bagged more.

His electric pace and sharp-witted brain makes him a tricky customer for even the sternest Premier League defence. As per Sofascore, the Senegal international has won seven duels per game so far this season, and he has yet to miss a big chance when played in on goal.

Grealish has a unique skillset of his own, but there is really no one else quite like him on the blue half of Merseyside, perhaps the red streets too.

He wears the #10 shirt with pride and purpose, and it’s unlikely anyone in Moyes’ squad has the quality to take it from him right now.

There is an Everton up-and-comer who would fancy his chances, though. He’s currently out on loan, and causing quite the storm as he angles toward an emphatic return to the Premier League next season.

The Everton prospect who could take Ndiaye's shirt

For those of an Everton persuasion, it’s a hard thing to admit, but if Ndiaye isn’t playing European football before long, he may well cast an eye on the continent. Already, the likes of Tottenham Hotspur are weighing up a bumper bid, and the Friedkin Group have responded with a price tag spilling over the £70m mark.

Should he leave, Harrison Armstrong might fancy himself worthy of the summer. Certainly, the teenager has been riding the crest of a wave out on loan in the Championship with Preston North End this season, with his performances leading writer Jonny Nelson to predict that he “will be playing for England in two years”.

The 18-year-old has the grace, technical skill and physicality to become a mainstay in the Premier League, and after a promising spell on loan with Derby County last year, he has taken his game to the next level at Deepdale.

Rangy and ever-more athletic, he’s already featured eight times for Everton’s senior side and has racked up three assists, having played prominently for the development side before being determined to warrant a series of loan moves at a lower level.

Lauded for his “unreal” recent performances by the Second Tier Podcast, Armstrong is going from strength to strength.

We are seeing improvements. We are seeing maturity and growth. Armstrong ranks among the top 10% of Championship midfielders this season for progressive carries and the top 13% for successful take-ons per 90 (data via FBref).

But, more crucially, it is the overall level of his game that has been raised, more confident on the ball, more combative against the run of play. This is a Moyes midfielder, and one who stands a compelling chance of emulating Declan Rice at West Ham United, who was schooled into the superstar he is by the Scotsman.

Matches (starts)

15 (12)

8 (5)

Goals

1

0

Assists

0

0

Touches*

33.6

35.0

Accurate passes*

14.8 (68%)

20.1 (82%)

Chances created*

0.3

0.3

Dribbles*

0.6

0.8

Ball recoveries*

3.8

3.0

Tackles + interceptions*

3.2

2.1

Ground duels won*

2.9 (57%)

2.8 (59%)

Aerial duels won*

1.0 (45%)

1.1 (75%)

He is not a winger, and would not replace Ndiaye in terms of tactical role, but the Finch Farm starlet has what it takes to dazzle on Merseyside and provide Everton with a new dimension, much like the silky winger.

Everton might just have a superstar on their hands in Armstrong, one who could hit the heights Ndiaye has reached, and more.

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