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Leeds United have now made an approach to sign a “true gladiator”, who could replace Junior Firpo, according to reporter Ben Jacobs.

Leeds eyeing new defenders amid Firpo uncertainty

Firpo’s Elland Road future has been up in the air for quite some time, and the left-back is now looking increasingly likely to be heading for the exit door this summer, with Real Betis recently submitting a proposal to re-sign their former player.

The Dominican Republic international is out of contract at the end of this month, and Daniel Farke’s side have now started running the rule over potential replacements, with widespread reports suggesting Aston Villa left-back Alex Moreno is of interest.

With Firpo set to leave for nothing, however, there may be a desire to bring in a replacement on a free transfer, and Jacobs has now taken to X to reveal the Whites have now made contact over a deal to sign a new target.

Indeed, according to the GiveMeSport correspondent, Leeds have now made an approach for Atletico Madrid defender Reinildo, who is set to be available on a free transfer upon the expiration of his contract after the upcoming Club World Cup.

There may be competition for the left-back’s signature from within the Premier League, however, with Sunderland and Nottingham Forest making proposals of their own, while the defender also has “options” from Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

"True gladiator" Reinildo has experience at the highest level

The Mozambique international was a bit-part player for Atletico Madrid in the 2024-25 campaign, making 19 La Liga appearances and often being left on the bench, but he is experienced at the top level, having tested himself in the Champions League and Europa League.

Once lauded as a “true gladiator” by scout Jacek Kulig, the 31-year-old’s experience could be useful in helping Leeds avoid the drop next season, but there are some doubts over whether he would be an upgrade on Firpo.

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In fact, the 28-year-old has even outperformed Reinildo across some key metrics for defenders over the past year, despite being more well-known for his ability on the front foot, having picked up 14 goal contributions in the Championship last season.

Average per 90

Reinildo

Junior Firpo

Tackles

2.13

2.27

Clearances

2.82

3.51

Aerials won

0.89

2.10

As such, despite Reinildo’s top-level experience, the evidence doesn’t suggest that he would be a real upgrade on Firpo, and it may be worth Farke giving his current left-back a second chance to prove himself in the Premier League, should a move to Betis fail to materialise.

Crystal Palace hold a strong interest in an “explosive” forward, and they are now ready to submit a £7m offer to complete a deal, according to a report.

Palace eyeing new signings amid Europa League uncertainty

Palace secured qualification for the Europa League for the first time, courtesy of their FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City, but they are now at risk of being kicked out of the competition, due to issues surrounding multi-club ownership.

John Textor has since admitted that he is trying to sell his majority stake in the club, in order to allow the Eagles to compete in Europe next season, saying: “We are trying to help separate it and sell. We wanted to buy but it’s become clear that isn’t going to happen and so we’re trying to help Palace and the situation with UEFA. That’s about all I can say.”

Textor also adds that a “good meeting” was held with UEFA, which suggests there is hope that Oliver Glasner’s side will take part in the competition, but there is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the situation.

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The lack of clarity could also affect summer transfer plans, as Selhurst Park will not be as attractive a destination without European football on offer, but the south Londoners continue to run the rule over potential new signings.

According to a report from Africa Foot (via Sport Witness), Crystal Palace hold a strong interest in Watford winger Kwadwo Baah, who spent four years at Selhurst Park as a youth player from 2013 to 2017.

Such is Palace’s level of interest, they are now ready to submit a €8m (£7m) offer to complete a deal for Baah, although it is unclear whether Watford would accept a bid in that region, or hold out for a higher amount.

The winger’s versatility is of particular appeal to the Eagles, having regularly featured in both attack and right wing-back throughout the 2024-25 campaign.

"Explosive" Baah could be ready for Premier League move

The German’s time at Selhurst Park as a youth player didn’t work out, but he has managed to work his way up the football pyramid, spending time with Rochdale and Burton Albion in League One before making a name for himself with Watford.

The 2024-25 campaign was the 22-year-old’s most impressive to date, collecting four goals and three assists in the Championship, and displaying his versatility by featuring in a range of different attacking positions, including striker.

Former manager Tom Cleverley was also impressed by the forward, saying: “He is so skilful, so explosive, so powerful and direct. He’s been excellent for us this season.”

As such, Baah could now be ready to test himself in the Premier League, and a move to Selhurst Park would surely be of great appeal, particularly if UEFA sanction Glasner’s side playing in Europe.

Manchester United booked their place in the Europa League final last night, after a 4-1 win at Old Trafford against Athletic Club, building on their triumph from the first leg.

Goals from Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Casemiro secured the win for Ruben Amorim’s side, setting up a tie with fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur.

The 7-1 aggregate victory demonstrated the clinical nature posed by the Red Devils, something which they will need to replicate if they are to claim the title at the end of the month.

Should they manage to once again win in Bilbao, it would secure Champions League football for the club, putting a superb end to what’s been a terrible season on the pitch.

Despite the convincing victory, numerous players failed to deliver at the Theatre of Dreams, potentially putting their places in the side at huge risk.

United’s poor performers against Athletic Club

After Diogo Dalot’s injury, Noussair Mazraoui was forced to operate in an unnatural right wing-back role, largely featuring as part of the back three since Amorim’s arrival.

The Moroccan failed to win any of the tackles he entered, whilst losing 100% of the ground duels he contested – with last night’s showing one to forget for the former Bayern Munich star.

He wasn’t alone in failing to impress, with forward Alejandro Garnacho once again falling way below the high levels of performance he’s set for himself at United.

The youngster only managed to complete one of his three attempted dribbles and only registered one effort on goal as he failed to add to his tally in Europe this campaign.

However, despite the showings from the aforementioned duo, one other Red Devils star failed to deliver, potentially becoming a new version of one other former failure at Old Trafford.

The United player who’s becoming the new Amrabat

Midfielder Sofyan Amrabat arrived at United with high hopes of being a success last season, but ultimately failed to deliver during his temporary spell at the club.

The Moroccan, who joined on loan from Fiorentina, featured for a total of 30 times across all competitions, often being utilised as a bench player and brought on late in matches.

However, despite his poor displays, he was useful in terms of seeing out games, managing to regain possession and winning 60% of the tackles he entered at Old Trafford.

Fast forward to the present day, Amorim has found his own version of the 28-year-old in Uruguayan Manuel Ugarte, who failed to impress once again last night.

The former PSG ace has been impressive during his early days at the club, managing to follow in Amrabat’s footsteps of impressing in regaining the ball for the Red Devils.

Last night was no different, winning two tackles and seven duels, managing to break up the play in the heart of the side – undoubtedly contributing to the victory.

However, with the ball at his feet, he struggled to make a huge impact, losing possession 15 times and managing to complete just 67% of the passes he attempted.

Manuel Ugarte’s stats for United against Athletic Club

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

62

Touches

48

Passes completed

22/33 (67%)

Possession lost

15x

Tackles won

2

Duels won

7

Dribbles completed

1/2 (50%)

Stats via SofaScore

Ugarte also only competed 50% of the dribbles he attempted and was unable to make a single key pass, having little to no impact on the club’s goalscoring antics.

As a result, the midfielder was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst – further highlighting how poor he was throughout the triumph.

After such a showing, it’s safe to say the Uruguayan could be on borrowed time within the starting eleven, with other options needing to be considered ahead of the final.

With nothing left to play for in the league, Amorim can use the matches as an opportunity to trial other players in such a role to bolster their ambitions of claiming the trophy in the coming weeks.

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Leeds United and the 49ers Enterprises are reportedly well placed to sign a £20m+ player who is sponsored by Adidas.

Leeds drop more Championship points after more Meslier errors

The Whites looked on course for one of two automatic promotion spots in the Championship weeks ago, but a wobble from Daniel Farke’s side has seen them knocked off top spot by Sheffield United.

Just six points from a possible 15 have been collected by Leeds in the previous five games, whereas the Blades and Burnley have both picked up 13.

Leeds United’s final Championship fixtures

Luton Town (A)

Middlesbrough (A)

Preston North End (H)

Oxford United (A)

Stoke City (H)

Bristol City (H)

Plymouth Argyle (A)

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier, after saving a first-half penalty against Swansea City on Saturday, made two errors which led to goals to continue his season to forget at Elland Road.

Talking after the game, Farke refused to call out Meslier and instead backed his side to go up. “It was obvious to see what happened today. It was a typical first game after an international break, it was a scruffy game. We weren’t at our best.

“The team was more or less not together for two weeks, we just had one training session. We spoke at half-time about shaking off the rustiness of the international break and we were much better in the second half.”

“If you ask me right now, I’m 100% convinced that next season we will play in the Premier League.”

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Leeds and the 49ers are also planning for the summer transfer window, where they hope they’ll be preparing for Premier League football.

That has shown in the targets they have been identifying, such as former midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin. Now, an update has emerged on the Whites and a move for the Ibrox star.

Leeds well placed to agree move for Rangers star Raskin thanks to 49ers

According to Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, Leeds are well placed to land Raskin this summer due to the 49ers Enterprises’ pending takeover of Rangers.

The Whites are ‘looking to test Rangers’ resolve’ when it comes to Raskin and the 49ers are seen as key, ‘providing a seamless transition between two clubs owned under the same umbrella’.

Raskin, who is now a Belgium international, is thought to be valued at more than £20m by those in Glasgow. Capable of playing as a central or holding midfielder, the 24-year-old has a sponsorship with Adidas and has been praised by the Belgian press following his international debut last month.

“He has that doggedness that the Belgian fans like to see. He was very strong as a breaker, positionally he was good and his passing was also solid to good. A discovery of the national coach at international level.”

Now, should Leeds go up and the 49ers take control at Rangers, a move to Elland Road for Raskin looks like it’s on the cards.

Also: has anyone taken the first nine wickets in a Test innings, but missed out on the tenth?

Steven Lynch21-May-2024Has anyone taken the first nine wickets in a Test innings, but missed out on the tenth? asked Jamie McAllister from England
There are currently 17 instances of a bowler taking nine wickets in a Test innings (plus three cases of ten). The only one that fits the bill here is Muthiah Muralidaran’s 9 for 51 against Zimbabwe in Kandy in January 2002. Murali took the first nine but, after the last pair had added 35, Chaminda Vaas nipped in and took the tenth.It was a very close thing. On Cricinfo, Charlie Austin wrote at the time:

“… events on the field were dominated by Muralitharan’s failure to capture the last wicket in the morning. The off-spinner, hampered by torn ligaments in his ring finger dislocated the night before, would have surpassed fellow off-spinner Jim Laker’s ten for 53 against Australians in 1956 if Russel Arnold had not fumbled a simple bat-pad catch off the first ball of the day. Then, fifth ball, Muralitharan spun an off-break sharply back into the pads of Travis Friend only to see umpire Venkatraghavan rule in the batsman’s favour.Next over, Vaas ran through the motions, bowling gentle medium pace at number 11 Henry Olonga. But the dreadlocked tailender couldn’t resist a swipe the left-armers last ball and was caught behind by Kumar Sangakkara. There was a stifled appeal and a moment of silence – when the Sri Lankan players wondered whether they could just ignore the final wickets fall – before umpire Asoka de Silva was forced to raise his finger.”

In Murali’s other nine-for, against England at The Oval in 1998, the other wicket (not the tenth) was a run-out.A notable near-miss happened in Brisbane in 1985-86: Richard Hadlee took the first eight Australian wickets to fall, then caught the ninth. He did collect the last wicket, to finish with 9 for 52.What’s the longest winning streak in the IPL? asked Rajender Shetty from India
The longest winning streak in IPL history is held by the Kolkata Knight Riders. They won nine games in a row including the 2014 final, against Kings XI Punjab in Bengaluru, then won one further match in 2015 – making ten IPL games in all – before tasting defeat.Actually KKR the team won 14 games in a row in all competitions, as they followed their 2014 IPL victory with five more wins in the short-lived Champions League T20 tournament, held in India later that year. The New Zealand domestic team Otago also had a run of 14 successive victories, while Karnataka won 15 in a row in Indian domestic cricket in 2018 and 2019. But the overall T20 record most successive wins is a remarkable run by the Pakistan side Sialkot Stallions, who won 25 in a row between February 2006 and October 2010.Mark Taylor (front row, first from left) played under only one captain – Allan Border (holding the Ashes trophy) – before taking charge of Australia himself•Adam Butler/PA Photos/Getty ImagesI noticed that the Australian fast bowler Grahame Corling played just five Test matches, all in England in 1964. How many people have won five caps, all in the same series, and never played again? asked Curtis Nicholas from Australia
Grahame Corling was a compact seamer from northern New South Wales who won selection for the 1964 Ashes tour after only one season in Australia’s Sheffield Shield. Aged 23, he played in all five Tests in England, taking 12 wickets at 37.25: he had Geoff Boycott (also in his first series) caught at slip by Bob Simpson three times. But Corling was seemingly never again in the running for a Test place, and faded out of first-class cricket after the 1968-69 season.I was rather surprised to discover that Corling was one of 30 players whose Test career amounted to one five-match series, starting with the Yorkshire wicketkeeper Joe Hunter in 1884-85. Among the more famous one-series wonders are Australia’s “mystery spinner” Jack Iverson (he had a big part in winning the 1950-51 Ashes) and, more recently, England’s Chris Adams (in South Africa in 1999-2000).There are not many recent instances, partly because there are not many five-Test series these days. Apart from Adams, the only ones this century are George Bailey (for Australia in the 2013-14 Ashes) and England’s Tom Hartley, who played throughout the recent series in India, but will presumably get another chance soon.There have also been a few six-Test series, but no one has won their only caps by playing throughout one of those. You could make a case for this applying to the Australians Barlow Carkeek and Claude Jennings, who both won six caps in England in 1912, during the one and only Triangular Tournament – they won three each against England and South Africa.I watched Gloucestershire reach 700 at Leicester the other day, and was surprised by an announcement that said they had never made that many before. Are there any other counties who have never had a total of 700? asked Ken Griffin from England
Gloucestershire’s 706 for 6 declared against Leicestershire at Grace Road last weekend was indeed their highest first-class total – previously it was 695 for 9 declared, against Middlesex at Archdeacon Meadow in Gloucester in 2004, when the New Zealander Craig Spearman hit 341. Before that you have to go back to 1928, when Gloucestershire’s 653 for 8 declared against Glamorgan in Bristol included 218 from the great Wally Hammond.Sixteen of the 18 first-class counties have now amassed a total of 700 or more. One of the exceptions is Durham, who attained first-class status only in 1992: their highest is 648 for 5 declared, against Nottinghamshire in Chester-le-Street in 2009. The other county is more of a surprise: Middlesex contested their inaugural first-class fixture in 1864, but their highest total is a relatively modest 676 for 5 declared, against Sussex in Hove in 2021. Earlier this summer, Middlesex amassed 655 against Glamorgan, their second-largest total and highest at Lord’s.Graeme Smith won 117 Test caps, but played under only two captains (excluding himself). Was this a record for anyone who appeared in 100+ Tests ? asked Deepak Krishnan from India
You’re right that Graeme Smith played under only two other captains, right at the start of his career: Mark Boucher in his first three Tests, and Shaun Pollock in the next five.Smith is one of seven 100-Test players who played under only two other captains, the others being Michael Clarke, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Steve Waugh. But Mark Taylor played 104 Test caps, and was captained in the first 54 by Allan Border before taking over himself for the next 50 matches.At the other end of the scale, Frank Woolley of England played only 64 Tests in a long career that lasted from 1909 to 1934, but was captained by no fewer than 14 other players in those matches. West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul played under 12 different captains, excluding himself, during a 164-Test career, while Mushtaq Ahmed (52 Tests) and Jack Hobbs (61) also had a dozen different captains.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

With Siraj leading the pace attack, India will also be on the lookout for a left-arm seamer, but who will make the XI?

Shashank Kishore14-Feb-2022After a one-sided ODI series that ended with India winning 3-0 and the two-day IPL auction, where 10 players from the team landed massive pay days, the focus shifts to the three-match T20I series beginning February 16 at Eden Gardens. West Indies are coming off a thrilling 3-2 series win at home over England and coach Phil Simmons believes they are “a little bit further ahead with our batting assessments in T20s than in ODIs” and could pose a bigger challenge.As India begin to train in Kolkata, all eyes will be on their team combination and style of play, aspects that have come in for sharp scrutiny since their group-stage ouster from the T20 World Cup in the UAE last October-November. India took baby steps in bouncing back to beat New Zealand 3-0 at home immediately in the aftermath of the World Cup disappointment but have a few talking points.Related

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Opening options
KL Rahul has been ruled out because of a left hamstring strain. That means Rohit Sharma, the captain, will have a new opening partner. Most likely, this could be a tussle between Ishan Kishan, the most expensive Indian buy at the auction, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has made a name for himself in T20s through his exploits for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. Kishan, a clean stroke-maker, also offers the team management the flexibility of keeping wickets. This could allow them to consider resting Rishabh Pant, given India play Sri Lanka in three T20Is followed by two Tests on the bounce with little downtime.If India are looking left-field option – it may not seem so for Kolkata Knight Riders – they could consider Venkatesh Iyer, the allrounder. Venkatesh, who made his debut in the New Zealand series, has had all his IPL success at the top. This was key to the Knight Riders’ stirring run to the final in 2021. The team’s struggle to find a combination up top in the first half of the tournament got them to consider Iyer for the UAE leg. He finished it with 320 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 125; only Gaikwad (407) scored more runs in this period. With India constantly on the lookout for bowling contributions from the top six, Iyer could tick that box, too.Lower-order batting depth
If Venkatesh is used at six, India will have to possibly decide between one of Suryakumar Yadav or Shreyas Iyer for the middle-order spot. The only way both Suryakumar and Shreyas make the XI is if Pant rests.The presence of Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Harshal Patel lends formidable lower-order depth. Thakur and Chahar have been batting aplenty in the nets, apart from honing their primary skill of being swing bowlers. Harshal is no mug either, having taken up batting in a big way since 2018. In 2019-20, he was Haryana’s highest run-scorer in the T20 competition as an opener, making 374 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 165.48. He provided a peek of his batting improvements in his only outing for India in November, when he made a polished 11-ball 18 along with Chahar as the pair revived India from 140 for 6 to a match-winning 184 for 7.For now, all indications are it could be a toss-up between Thakur and Chahar for one spot, given how similar they are in terms of their primary skill sets. “Both of them are batting well,” batting coach Vikram Rathour said. “The reason for that is both of them work really hard on their batting. It’s not now but from the the past few years they’ve been working hard on their batting and now you can see the results. So, it’s really good to have two allrounders.”It gives us a lot of flexibility in terms of what kind of team we want to play with. It’s good to see that competition happening in the team as well. They’ll be competing, and they are batting well. Both of them are bowling well as well, it gives us a lot of flexibility as a team.”Washington didn’t train two days prior to the series opener. The BCCI later confirmed that a hamstring strain had ruled him out of the T20I series, and that Kuldeep Yadav would replace him in India’s squad.T Natarajan hasn’t played for India since their tour of Australia last year•Getty ImagesSiraj the leader of the pace attack
With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami resting, Mohammed Siraj becomes the automatic leader of the pace attack, with a number of options – as mentioned above – forming a line-up India will be reasonably happy with. In the spin department, they have got Yuzvendra Chahal’s bankability and Ravi Bishnoi’s quick leg breaks to choose from. They have also called upon Kuldeep Yadav and Harpreet Brar into the squad as net bowlers. Like Deepak Hooda, Brar is also seen as handy lower-order batting option to go with his left-arm spin.The team continues to remain on the lookout for a left-arm pacer. T Natarajan has battled form and injuries lately and is on his way back up to top-flight cricket, having last played for India on the tour of Australia in January last year. India last fielded a left-arm seamer in a T20I in Sri Lanka when they turned to Saurashtra’s Chetan Sakariya in what was a second-string squad. Natarajan brings with him a good yorker and accuracy, Sakariya prides himself on swinging the new ball and delivering excellent slower variations, including a potent back-of-the-hand one.The latest left-arm pacer who has made his way into the extended squad is Uttar Pradesh’s Yash Dayal, who brings with him raw pace. Dayal was part of the net bowling contingent for the ODIs before leaving to join his state side for the upcoming Ranji Trophy. Then there is the in-form Jaydev Unadkat, who last played T20Is in 2018, and Khaleel Ahmed, who has fallen off the radar alarmingly. Both bowlers continued to be in high-demand tough, with Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals overcoming a bidding war to secure their services.

With 110 to get and just five wickets in hand, which No. 4 and No. 7 would you have in?

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2020 Hot SeatScenario
It’s day five in Durban, where the pitch is offering a bit of seam and spin, but nothing too alarming. You are captaining a World XI side against South Africa and are chasing 280 on the fifth day. At tea, you are five down with 110 left to get from a possible 35 overs. Which current No. 4 and No. 7 would you pick to be in this situation? Your Nos. 8 to 11 are Pat Cummins, R Ashwin, Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah.Karthik Krishnaswamy:
Steven Smith is the best batsman out there, by a massive margin, and he bats at No. 4. As does Virat Kohli, whose ODI chasing skills could also come in handy here, but where’s the fun in picking either of them? I’ll go instead with Ross Taylor, who has pulled off some brilliant limited-overs chases himself and has all the gears you’d need for this situation, including the ability to shut up shop and block out the end overs if it comes to that. With him will be Niroshan Dickwella, who is innovative, left-handed (useful for going after Keshav Maharaj’s left-arm spin), and easily the best in the world at winding up bowlers strategically – as he showed in the closing stages of the 2017 Kolkata Test – in order to get them chattering between deliveries, which will eat up precious seconds and minutes if the World XI need to bat for a draw.Andrew Fidel Fernando:
I’m going to go for Kusal Perera, who of course played one of the all-time great innings from almost exactly this position, at this very ground, only 15 months ago. The point with Perera is that he’s one of those batsmen who can go into berserker mode and rattle South Africa, an infamously rattle-able team. To balance this wildest of wild cards, I’d throw in the most sensible No. 7 (and possibly the most sensible person, in general) that I can think of: BJ Watling. There are few lower-order batsmen who are better in tough situations. And the man could strike up a prudent and productive partnership with a broomstick if required. Even Trent Boult, who is probably the most fun tailender right now, might find himself stroking sober singles past mid-off while at the other end Watling gently massages the World XI to their target.AFPAndrew Miller:
This is the scenario that Joe Root is itching to take down. He may not be quite the shoo-in to cricket’s Fab Four that he seemed a couple of seasons ago, but he’s a stubborn git beneath his cherubic exterior, especially when it comes to his position in the batting order. He averages 50.02 in 70 innings at No.4, and having repeatedly resisted exhortations to move up to first drop (where his average slips to 38.12), this is his chance to end the debate once and for all. Alongside him, I’m going to opt for a straight-laced sidekick because taking the chase deep is the first objective – there are two No. 8s still in the hutch for the final push, but two No.11s waiting to be exposed if we over-reach ourselves too soon. Step forward Chris Woakes, who made his one and only Test hundred at No. 7, against India in 2018, but whose technique is among the most watertight in the England line-up – especially if the pitch isn’t offering too much heat for the quicks. Let’s eat up 20 overs with measured accumulation and see how the land lies for the final hour.Alan Gardner:
Much as I’m tempted to pick Ben Stokes and Jack Leach, drop my mic and stroll off stage, I guess there’s probably a more sure-fire route to victory from this point (and Bumrah can probably just about pull off the Leach role from No.11 if required). Stokes is in, though, as the current king of the chase, and even though we only need to knock it around at three an over, I’m going to call on the heavy artillery from both ends. Rishabh Pant has made domineering hundreds in England and Australia, so I reckon he’d be good value to extend his excellent SENA record. South Africa were given a memorable fourth-innings tonking at Durban by one spiky left-hander last year, so how on earth would they handle two?Danyal Rasool:
Everyone has that friend who comes over to play FIFA and then insists on playing with the side with the most superstars. So, soon enough, you stop inviting them over. To avoid falling victim to that fate, I’ll steer clear of Steven Smith. I’ll pick Babar Azam instead, who has been at the top of his game for a while. Since October 2018, Babar has averaged 64.94 in 23 Test innings; by comparison, Virat Kohli averages 52.04 in that period in as many innings. Babar’s run includes some delightful batting in South Africa, where he took apart Dale Steyn. At No.7, why not pick a man who could finish the game off in a hurry if he found himself running out of partners? Colin de Grandhomme is that kind of player and likes pace on the ball. Keshav Maharaj could be a struggle, but de Grandhomme has the ability to hit over extra cover with incredible power. All he needs to do is clear the fence a couple of times to make the South Africans nervous. And don’t we all know what happens when South Africans get nervous?

Virat Kohli eased to his second successive century and Ruturaj Gaikwad hit his first in ODIs as India piled up 358 for 5 in front of 60,000-odd spectators, in the second ODI in Raipur. That total, however, didn’t turn out to be a dew-proof one, with South Africa going past the target to silence the packed crowd and set up a decider in Visakhapatnam.Aiden Markram, who led South Africa’s chase with his first hundred in an ODI chase, Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis upstaged Kohli and Gaikwad, with some help from dewy conditions. It was the joint-highest successful chase against India in men’s ODIs and South Africa’s third-highest overall in the format.When Brevis holed out for 54 off 34 balls, after raising his maiden ODI fifty, South Africa were still ahead, needing 70 off 57 balls with six wickets in hand. The visitors then suddenly fell behind when they lost Breetzke and Marco Jansen in successive overs. By the time Jansen holed out to long-off, South Africa required 37 off 33 balls with four wickets in hand. Tony de Zorzi hobbling off the field with a potential hamstring injury after 45 overs added another twist to the chase. He joined Nandre Burger, who had hurt his own hamstring and left the field earlier in the first innings.Related

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• Rahul: Toss and dew 'making a huge difference'

• Burger and de Zorzi pick up injuries during Raipur ODI

It boiled down to South Africa needing 27 off 30 balls. Corbin Bosch’s attacking enterprise and Keshav Maharaj’s calmness got the job done for them, leaving India wondering what might have been.India had to contend with multiple mishaps in the field, including Yashasvi Jaiwal dropping Markram on 53. Jaiswal got into an awkward side-on position, let the ball slip through his hands and tip over the rope for six. Markram then cranked up the tempo, launching Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja for sixes. He proceeded to bring up his hundred off 88 balls. On a day where three centuries were scored, Markram’s proved to be the match-winning one.India were up against it even before the first ball was bowled. Their wretched luck at the toss continued – they lost their 20th straight toss in ODI cricket – and Rahul made his displeasure known by throwing his head back.Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad thrilled the Raipur crowd•AFP/Getty Images

After they were asked to bat first, India moved to 40 for 0 in the fifth over, with 13 of those runs coming via wides. Burger and Lungi Ngidi, who had replaced Ottniel Baartman, found swing with the new ball, but struggled to control it. Burger, though, tightened up to have Rohit Sharma nicking behind for 14 off eight balls. Then, in the tenth over, Jansen bounced Jaiswal out for 22. Jansen then greeted Gaikwad with a nastier head-high lifter. Gaikwad took his eyes off the ball, threw his hands up in defence, and managed to glove it over the keeper for four.Gaikwad then found his groove with a brace of paddle-sweeps off Maharaj. Kohli was already set at the other end, having opened his account with a pulled six off Ngidi. He then dashed out of the crease and whacked a four straight past Bosch, leaving Gaikwad ducking for cover. When Markram pitched one too full and outside off, Kohli flat-batted him through covers.Gaikwad matched Kohli shot for shot. He pumped Maharaj over his head after stepping out and shovelled Bosch through midwicket, having even Kohli excited at the other end. He zoomed from 50 to 100 in just 25 balls. It was his 18th List A ton and first as a non-opener. Picked ahead of natural middle-order batters like Rishabh Pant and Tilak Varma, Gaikwad showcased his versatility.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

After Jansen dismissed Gaikwad for 105, ending a 195-run partnership for the third wicket, Kohli went on to bring up back-to-back hundreds. It was the 11th instance of Kohli achieving the feat, easily the most by any batter in ODIs. Ngidi then stopped Kohli’s innings on 102 in the 40th over. When Washington Sundar was run-out, India slipped to 289 for 5, but Rahul took charge of the innings in the end overs to take India past 350. He combined power with invention to remain unbeaten on 66 off 43 balls. Jadeja wasn’t as fluent, managing an unbeaten 24 off 27 balls.Unlike South Africa’s quicks, India’s were largely on target with the new ball. Arshdeep Singh got one to nip away from Quinton de Kock and had him miscuing a hoick to mid-on in the fifth over for 8 off 11 balls. Harshit Rana threatened both the edges of Markram from various lengths, but the batter managed to see off the new ball and laid a strong foundation for South Africa’s chase. Temba Bavuma kept him good company in a 101-run stand for the second wicket before the South Africa captain was bounced out by Prasidh Krishna.Markram countered India’s spinners, including Kuldeep Yadav, before Rana bested him with a slower offcutter into the pitch. Breetzke and Brevis then forged a powerful partnership, pushing South Africa closer to the target. Breetzke extended his golden run in ODIs, with his seventh 50-plus score in 11 innings. Though both Breetzke and Brevis were part of a late wobble, Bosch stayed cool with Maharaj to seal South Africa’s win with four balls to spare.

“Leave the football before the football leaves you” was the message that Jamie Carragher handed to Manchester United midfielder Casemiro in early 2024.

It was one of the aggressive forms of criticism we’ve seen on Sky Sports in recent years and it was arguably deserved.

The Brazilian was one of the best midfielders in the world at Real Madrid. He was a serial winner, a Champions League legend.

At Old Trafford, however, his career has started to wane. Who could forget Casemiro’s tired and laboured display against Crystal Palace at the back end of 2023/24?

He was dribbled past a remarkable eight times during that game. For no context, no player in the whole of that Premier League campaign was dribbled past on more occasions in one match.

Since then, however, Casemiro has enjoyed something of a revival under Ruben Amorim in 2025/26. Long gone are the days of Erik ten Hag fielding the veteran at centre-half. He looks like a proper midfielder again.

The Brazil international has been one of United’s most consistent players this term, scoring three goals and supplying an assist. Yet, that should not distract supporters from the fact that he is still a problem.

He’s now 33 years of age and cannot be trusted to play for 90 minutes. Because of that, the transfer chiefs at United are considering launching a big-money move for a new midfielder in 2026.

The search for a Casemiro heir at Man United

While many problems linger in the air at Old Trafford, the biggest arguably lies at wing-back and in the centre of midfield.

United bolstered their attacking line significantly in the summer with the additions of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha but the midfield went untouched. That needs to change in January or next summer.

There are three players who appear to be at the forefront of their minds. Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson would appear to be the dream target but he is also being chased by rivals Manchester City and could cost a fortune.

Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is another long-term target and could finally make his big move in 2026. He gave Casemiro the runaround during United’s 2-1 win on Sunday. Samuel Luckhurst noted that the Brazilian looked “haunted” by his experience at Selhurst Park just a couple of years ago.

The other target is Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba but his form has taken a downturn in 2025/26 and he doesn’t look like a player worthy of a previous £100m price tag.

Wharton vs Man Utd on Sunday

Touches

48

Accurate passes

23/29 (79%)

Key passes

1

Accurate crosses

1/3

Shots

1

Tackles won

3/3

Interceptions

1

Clearances

2

Recoveries

7

Duels won

5/7

Stats via Sofascore.

Anderson and Wharton would be the ideal solution to United’s woes and according to the numbers, it’s the former who should be the priority target.

He’s a bigger threat in the final third but he doesn’t shirk his defensive duties. He’s won more duels and made more ball recoveries per 90 minutes this season than his England colleague. According to Thomas Tuchel, he’s “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”.

Yet, what if United had already signed their answer to Wharton and Baleba?

Man United have found their own Wharton and Baleba

United have taken a vested interest in improving their youth ranks since INEOS completed their takeover of the club.

Towards the beginning of 2025 they signed young Malian midfielder Sekou Kone in a bargain deal and while he is yet to appear for the first-team just yet, he has endured an injury-hit first few months at Carrington and looks a real superstar in the making.

There is also left wing-back Diego Leon, the young defender who looks well set to replace either Patrick Dorgu or Diogo Dalot in that position before too long.

The latest talent who looks set to arrive is a 17-year-old midfielder by the name of Cristian Orozco.

It was reported last week that United were set to complete a move to sign the teenager, with Orozco flying to the UK over the weekend to formalise a $1m move from Colombian side Fortaleza.

So, who is the budding youngster? Well, he’s notably been compared to both Casemiro and Moises Caicedo. Already it’s clear to see why comparisons are also being made to Baleba, the man Brighton actually tasked with replacing Caicedo at the Amex.

Having captained Colombia at U17 level, he already boasts natural leadership skills but it’s his skillset in and out of possession that makes him so exciting.

Como scout Ben Mattinson has outlined that Orozco is capable of ‘controlling the game from deep in midfield’. His best attributes are his press resistance and footwork to turn past defenders, while he’s ‘so composed under pressure’ and is capable of ‘recycling possession’ superbly well.

On that evidence, it’s easy to see why comparisons to Wharton are being made. The Palace midfielder is one of the most press-resistant midfielders in the English top-flight and that was clear for all to see when he supplied the pass that led to Palace’s penalty on Sunday. He evaded his marker with ease and then picked out a punchy forward pass.

Orozco, however, isn’t just about making things look pretty. Further labelled as “a midfield destroyer with leadership maturity far beyond his age” by one analyst on social media, he also brings the best of Baleba who is more defensively minded than Wharton.

United’s new signing is unlikely to provide them with too much threat in the final third but like Wharton he’ll evade the press and manoeuvre the ball nicely. Like Baleba, he’s also capable of sitting in front of the defence and breaking up play.

The teenager certainly isn’t ready for first-team football just yet but INEOS could well save themselves a fortune in the transfer market here.

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Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Nov 30, 2025

Bates is set to become the first woman to play 350 internationals and she will share the moment with Devine, who will feature in her 300th international

Deivarayan Muthu05-Oct-20251:55

Bates: Not having to travel an advantage right now

Suzie Bates is set to become the first woman to play 350 international games on Monday, when she faces South Africa in Indore in the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup.She has the chance to celebrate the landmark with fellow New Zealand stalwart and captain Sophie Devine, who will feature in her 300th international match on Monday.Bates had made her debut in an ODI against India in 2006 aged 19, just a few months before a 17-year-old Devine made her first appearance for the White Ferns on their tour of Australia. At the time, Bates was also an elite basketball player – she even represented New Zealand at the 2008 Beijing Olympics before switching her focus to cricket.Related

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Bates said that she and Devine will put those milestones on the back burner for now, and that the focus is on their crucial World Cup fixture against South Africa after they had lost their opening game to Australia on October 1.”Yeah, there’s probably a little bit of embarrassment from both of us,” Bates said at her press conference on the eve of New Zealand’s clash against South Africa. “We just feel that when we celebrate these milestones, it’s just because we’re getting old. But yeah, it’s one of those things that maybe in the moment, you probably take for granted, and it’s a World Cup game, and we don’t want to get too carried away with that milestone.”But I know after the game, Sophie and I will sit and reminisce on how far we’ve come, not only as players together throughout this career, but as a team. I just think there’s been so much growth in New Zealand women’s cricket and those younger players coming through. So, yeah, we’ll be really proud. But in the morning, I think we’ll just be trying to get on with the cricket. And it’s something [in] ten years’ time when we’re both not playing, we might have a cup of coffee and think how cool it was to do it in Indore in India.”Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates – New Zealand’s two superstars•ICC/Getty ImagesDevine had kicked off New Zealand’s campaign with a run-a-ball 112 – her ninth ODI hundred – but it was not enough to stop the Australia juggernaut on Wednesday. Despite the opening defeat, Craig McMillan, New Zealand’s assistant coach, was pleased with Devine’s form.”Well, I think the thing about whenever Sophie Devine’s at the crease, the game is never over,” McMillan said on Friday. “I think Australia felt that as well because she’s so powerful, can hit boundaries, and even though we were needing to go at nine or ten an over… for quite a while we were actually doing that, and she was the key to that. It was a class, a great way to start the tournament, really. She’s really put a stamp on this tournament right from the start, and that’s what you want from your captain, from your leader, and the other girls will follow her.”Devine will retire from ODI cricket at the conclusion of the ongoing World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, but will remain available for T20Is under a casual playing agreement with New Zealand Cricket [NZC]. Bates, who has had a front-row seat to Devine’s rise, delivered a glowing appraisal of her all-around ability and suggested that Devine is irreplaceable.”You’re not ever going to be able to replace Sophie Devine,” Bates said. “I think she’s changed the game through her power with the bat. I know every opposition fears the way she plays the game, and we haven’t had many players like that from New Zealand who can take the game away from an opposition.”And then with the ball, everyone talks about her batting, but the way she competes with the ball and the fact that she’s captain, it’s just going to be impossible to replace her. And I’m really glad that it’s just 50-over cricket that she’s talked about stepping away from. It probably feels right with the World Cup being four years away, but there’s plenty of 20-over cricket for her to contribute. And there’s going to be no other Sophie Devine that New Zealand cricket [will] produce. It’s going to be hard to find an allrounder as explosive as her in world cricket”Rosemary Mair bowled and batted on the eve of the match against South Africa•ICC via Getty Images’Still a little bit of work to do for Mair’Seamer Rosemary Mair, who had missed New Zealand’s first match of the competition against Australia, with a side strain, is recovering well, according to McMillan. Bates also suggested that Mair is “getting close to full fitness,” but she is unlikely to be rushed back into action against South Africa on Monday.”She’s going well,” McMillan said on Friday. “Would have been nice for her to get a few more overs in tonight, that was the plan, but she’ll probably bowl tomorrow. She’s coming along nicely. There’s still a little bit of work to do, so not sure how she’ll be for the next match, but she’s not far off, and she’s certainly progressed a lot over the last week, which is encouraging to see.”