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Hampshire slump to another thumping defeat after offspinner completes five-wicket haul

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-May-2025Jack Carson’s five-wicket haul wrapped up a simple three-day victory for Sussex as they won on the road for the first time in the Rothesay County Championship this season.Offspinner Carson found turn, bounce and a bagful of Hampshire wickets as he ripped through three of the four remaining batters to pick up five for 26 – his best of the campaign.Hampshire were bowled out for 165, and despite Oli Carter falling, Tom Haines and Tom Alsop easily knocked off the 23 runs needed to take them past the winning line before lunch.Sussex’s third win of their return to Division One came with 20 points, to keep tabs on the leading title contenders.Hampshire began the day trailing by 29 runs, but they had only whittled that down to 15 before Brad Wheal turned Carson around the corner to leg slip.There was a mini-flashpoint when James Fuller and bowler Nathan McAndrew collided during a single. Liam Dawson wasn’t impressed, although the umpires calmed things quickly.Dawson took the hosts into a slender lead, his two accompanied by a huge cheer, but just 10 runs later he tried to ride Carson’s turn, but tickled behind to John Simpson.Dawson had been the main hope for Hampshire to test Sussex, but his exit for 48 saw Kyle Abbott edge to slip three balls later.Henry Crocombe put Hampshire out of their misery when John Turner prodded a short ball to short leg.Dawson managed to get Carter’s edge but it was a rare moment of joy as Sussex ticked off the runs in under 15 minutes.It was a particularly revered victory for the visitors, with strike bowler Ollie Robinson rested with an ankle injury and overseas opener Daniel Hughes absent awaiting the birth of his first child.Captain John Simpson had noted his side had “punched above expectation” so far this season. They leapfrogged Hampshire with the win, and also kept in touching distance of the title pacesetters.Simpson’s third century of the season, in a 173-run stand with Fynn Hudson-Prentice, was the difference in the match, while Crocombe’s first appearance of the season was a huge success – four explosive wickets in the first innings were followed by a tidy two for 44 in the second.For Hampshire, it was their first home defeat in the Championship since July 2023, with this only their fourth loss at Utilita Bowl since April 2019.Although this fixture was the first between the two south coast counties in a decade, Sussex have still only lost once on this ground in 10 red-ball outings – 20 years ago.Hampshire have endured a rollercoaster trio of matches heading into the Vitality Blast portion of the season.A dismal performance against Nottinghamshire was followed by a sensational victory at Edgbaston, which relighted excitement of a potential title charge, only for a seven-session mauling.Their six batting bonus points in the first block of Championship games is only better than bottom-side Worcestershire, with only Ben Brown of the regulars to average over 40. Only he and Nick Gubbins have recorded centuries.They didn’t get a batting point in this match, and only took three points from a dire week.

Lahore Qalandars became the first team to beat Islamabad United in nearly 14 months, snapping a PSL-record ten-match winning streak

Danyal Rasool30-Apr-2025

Haris Rauf picked up four wickets•PCB

Lahore Qalandars became the first team to beat Islamabad United in nearly 14 months, snapping a PSL-record ten-match winning streak, beating United by 88 runs. Qalandars, who were also the last side to beat United before this streak, had the path paved for them by a near-perfect T20 batting performance. Each of the top six scored between 22 and 44, four boasting strike rates in excess of 145, as they posted 209. It was followed by a professional bowling performance that picked up enough wickets at regular intervals to ensure – one partnership aside – that United’s response would not be a serious attempt at a chase.United made five changes to a side that had won each of their first five matches, but Qalandars came out hungrier. Mohammad Naeem has struggled for fluency all season, but signalled a shift with three boundaries on the trot against Ben Dwarshuis in the fourth over, which Fakhar Zaman followed up by with a pair of sixes against Naseem Shah. The team nature of the innings was epitomised by Fakhar launching Jason Holder for a six off the final ball of the powerplay, one ball after a superb bit of fielding saw Naeem run out.Hunain Shah, one of the players brought into the side, couldn’t stem the flow at the end of the powerplay as Abdullah Shafique helped himself to three boundaries in the over, but then again, no United bowler, barring perhaps Imad Wasim, could. Imad deceived Fakhar in the flight to send him back for a brisk 44 off 30 before striking again in his following over to remove Shafique.Sikandar Raza added the finishing touches to Lahore Qalandars’s innings•PCB

But Qalandars’ middle and lower order is becoming one of their strengths, and Daryl Mitchell, Sam Billings and Sikandar Raza took turns making United pay. Mitchell plundered 18 off the usually electric Holder while Billings helped himself to three sixes off five deliveries as United’s fielding discipline fell apart. The irrepressible Raza topped it off by ransacking Dwarshuis’ 19th over for 21 and Holder’s last for another 16 as 96 came off the final six.United are the last side to give up a pursuit of a large total, but the partnerships they usually put together in such situations never looked like forming. A 69-run stand between Andries Gous and Salman Agha offered a glimpse of United’s ability and mindset in games of this nature, keeping Qalandars honest as the asking rate was kept within the realms of possibility. But once Raza darted one through the defences of Agha in the 12th over, the mess it made of his stumps foretold United’s impending fate. Four balls later, Haris Rauf struck to remove Azam Khan, the first of four wickets for Qalandars’ quickest bowler.When he got Gous playing down the wrong line, he had sent United’s most established threat packing after an entertaining 27-ball 41, and unlike Qalandars, United couldn’t get the rest of their batters chipping in to burrow their way through to the total. Raza picked up another couple as the innings began to disintegrate, and when Rauf coaxed Naseem into carving one straight down third’s throat to wrap the game up, United had lost their last nine for 41.The magnitude of the win took Qalandars up to second place, with the team they had so thoroughly vanquished still sitting comfortably up top.

Derby County have been preparing for a tough season by bringing in a number of different-style players. The Rams narrowly survived Championship relegation last season thanks to the February arrival of John Eustace.

After settling the ship at relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers and turning them into play-off contenders, Eustace made the switch to Derby to help guide them to safety. In order to build on last season’s finish, Eustace has signed a mix of experienced players and up-and-coming talents.

Three young players have come in on loan from teams that will feature in the European competitions this season. Bobby Clark from RB Salzburg, Owen Beck from Liverpool and David Ozoh from Crystal Palace have all arrived at Derby with heaps of potential and even more to prove to their parent clubs.

These loan-signings are a part of Derby’s cost-conscious transfer plans that have also seen four more experienced players, including Rhian Brewster, arrive on free transfers. This frugal business has allowed for bigger spending with the likes of Patrick Agyemang for £5.8 million and another potential new arrival who has worked with Eustace in the past.

Eustace wants Travis reunion with Derby bid submitted

Tuesday afternoon saw Derby make their next move in the transfer market as they submitted an ambitious bid of £1.5 million for Blackburn Rovers captain Lewis Travis. Eustace previously managed Travis during his tenure as Blackburn boss and regularly relied upon him when fit.

Eustace was often full of praise for Travis, and in a game where the midfielder had gotten himself suspended, Eustace still described his performance as “sensational” and praised him as a “real leader”.

Unfortunately, this reunion may have to wait a while longer as the Lancashire Times’ Elliot Jackson has reported that the £1.5 million bid has been rejected as it falls short of Blackburn’s evaluation of Travis. The phrasing of this report does indicate that Blackburn may be open to selling their skipper if Derby are able to offer a price that they deem fair.

Travis is a seasoned player and has survived relegation battles before. He fits the model of player that Eustace seems to want to bring in this summer, but, at only 27 years old, Travis may be the best transfer of the bunch.

Eustace backs experience at Derby

The young loanees have their own merits, but they do lack the experience of regular EFL game time and the stress of a relegation battle. Due to this, Eustace has balanced the squad with a number of experienced players who can lead the team to safety.

Age

EFL Games Played

Travis*

27

248

Weimann

34

482

Batth

34

480

O’Donnell

36

383

Morris

29

290

* Not Yet Signed

If Travis arrives, these five players will have played a monumental 1,883 EFL games between them. Last season, Derby had the oldest average squad age in the Championship with 27.6 years, which has now increased to 28.1 years, just behind newly promoted Wrexham.

Eustace must view the experienced players as instrumental to the club’s survival last season, and so is doubling down on including this profile of player in the squad.

Furthermore, Danny Batth, Andi Weimann, and loanee Owen Beck have all played under Eustace before, so it’s clear that he isn’t taking risks and wants either experienced players or those he knows he can trust. Given this and his past comments about Travis, it’s no wonder that Derby are trying to sign him.

Travis may have the fewest appearances of these five players, but he is the youngest by two years. With almost 250 EFL games under his belt, and potentially another five to ten years of football left in him, Travis is the perfect blend of experience and potential longevity that, if signed, won’t only help Derby this season but in the future.

Manchester United are weighing up making a £65 million move for Everton centre-half Jarrad Branthwaite in a bid to shore up their leaky defence. The Red Devils have been linked with a move for the English defender before, but were unwilling to meet the Toffees' asking price previously. United, desperate for defensive reinforcements, may look to make a move for the defender as soon as January.

Interest in Branthwaite keeps growing

Branthwaite had appeared to put to bed all rumours of him leaving Everton when he signed a new contract at the club in June, but this has not stopped players agitating for moves in the past. United added Wolves' Matheus Cunha this summer, despite the Brazilian signing a new deal at the club and having a rather exuberant extension announcement in January. The Red Devils may be looking to replicate that with the English defender.

Branthwaite has developed into one of the brightest defensive prospects in the Premier League and his partnership with James Tarkowski in front of Jordan Pickford between the sticks has become quite the impenetrable wall at the back. Branthwaite, a left-footed defender, has emerged at the top of a number of clubs' shopping lists owing to his blend of physicality and ability on the ball, fitting of a modern style centre-half.

According to the , Branthwaite is United's first choice option to replace 33-year-old Harry Maguire, whose contract expires next summer, but will face competition from bitter rivals Liverpool. The Reds have earmarked Branthwaite as a potential long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk and could replace Ibrahima Konate who is being tipped to complete a Bosman move to Real Madrid next year. Yet, it is unclear whether Branthwaite would be keen to switch the blue of Merseyside for the red.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportUnited's defensive frailties laid bare yet again

The plight of Ruben Amorim's United continues to deepen and there is little sign of things getting better at Old Trafford any time soon. The Portuguese coach has maintained his faith in his 3-4-3 formation throughout his tenure, despite it earning him just nine wins from 33 games, and is yet to find what his strongest starting line-up is. The inconsistent team selection and performance of his defenders have created huge gaps at the back, exposed ruthlessly by Brentford on Saturday. Igor Thiago capitalised on lacklustre defending by the Red Devils to score a brace and Mathias Jensen added a third to take United's goals conceded tally to 11 from just six Premier League games. The Red Devils have had a number of defenders slot into the three available defensive slots, each with mixed success, and their pursuit of a reliable presence at the back seems never ending. Everton's Branthwaite could prove to be the ideal option at the back to fill the holes so often found in the heart of United's defence, but persuading him to join may be tricky.

The grass is not always greener

Branthwaite won't have to look too hard to find someone who found life in Manchester difficult. The defender has recently been joined at Everton by Jack Grealish, on loan from Manchester CIty, who has been enjoying a resurgence at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The English winger made a £100m switch to City following a number of spectacular seasons for Aston Villa, but, after goals dried up and he was pushed out of the team, struggled to impose himself in Pep Guardiola's squad. He has admitted that his off-pitch antics did not help, but since his move to Everton, Grealish is a player transformed. Branthwaite may take one look across the dressing room at Grealish and realise a move to a bigger club may not be the right move for him at the moment.

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(C)Getty ImagesEverton hoping to avoid the Nuno manager bounce

Everton would have spent the last week preparing for Graham Potter's West Ham arriving in the north-west, but may now have to adjust their preparations following the dismissal of the former Chelsea and Brighton boss. The Hammers have brought in former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo immediately, desperate for the Portuguese coach to kick start their poor start to the season.

Monday’s clash also sees David Moyes come up against his former side. The Scottish manager oversaw West Ham’s success in the Europa Conference League and will be once again determined to show his former employers that they were wrong to dismiss him so easily. The Toffees could climb into European qualification spots with a victory over the Hammers.

Former Australia seamer follows Anthony McGrath to Headingley from Chelmsford

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2025Mick Lewis, the former Australia seam bowler, has followed his former Essex head coach, Anthony McGrath, to Yorkshire, where he will work as the club’s new men’s bowling coach, on a three-year deal.Lewis, 50, had been at Chelmsford since 2022, during which time he worked with players such as Jamie Porter and Sam Cook, and helped guide the team to three top-four finishes in the County Championship and a run to the Vitality Blast Finals Day.However, McGrath recently left his head coach role at Essex to take up the same position at Headingley, and Lewis is set to follow suit. He will begin his new role at the end of February, ahead of Yorkshire’s pre-season tour of Abu Dhabi in March.”I’m thrilled to be joining Yorkshire at what is such an exciting time for the club,” Lewis said. “I’m looking forward to working with a great cohort of bowlers to help them achieve success in Division One and cannot wait to get started.”Ben Coad’s record speaks for itself and the prospect of working with emerging talents like Ben Cliff, George Hill and Jafer Chohan excites me greatly”.Prior to his move to Essex, Lewis had been head bowling coach at Victoria, where he helped the team secure four Sheffield Shield titles. He also had stints in the Big Bash with both the Melbourne Stars and Renegades.In a 14-year playing career, Lewis claimed 460 wickets in all formats, including 11 in nine white-ball appearances for Australia. His unfortunate claim to fame came in his final appearance, against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2006, where he conceded 113 runs in ten overs, then the most expensive analysis in ODI history.McGrath added: “Mick will bring immense experience to the role and will undoubtedly add incredible value to all our bowlers who I know will benefit from his vast wealth of bowling knowledge. His record is there to see, and it is testament to the ambitions we have as a club that we are able to bring Mick to Headingley.”Our time together at Essex was successful and I’m looking forward to further success together here at Yorkshire”.Gavin Hamilton, General Manager of Cricket, said: “Everyone at Yorkshire is delighted to welcome Mick into his new role here. He has an incredible record of producing international quality bowlers and I know his appointment will excite our current crop of bowlers who are already looking forward to developing further with him.”He is an addition to the coaching staff that we know will add value immediately, putting us in the best position to compete in 2025”.

Celtic could be in the market to bring in more attackers to bolster their squad between now and when the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

One player who does not appear likely to end up at Parkhead this summer, though, is long-term target and Denmark international Mathias Kvistgaarden.

The Daily Record reported earlier this summer that Celtic cooled their interest in the striker, after they failed to sign him in January and last year, ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Kvistgaarden is now reportedly closing in on a move to Championship side Norwich City, having turned down the chance to sign for Ligue 1 outfit Lens.

What Kvistgaarden could have brought to Celtic

If the Hoops had managed to secure a deal for the forward this year, or last year when they were interested, then they could have had a lethal centre-forward option in the Scottish Premiership.

However, it would have been a gamble for the club because he has yet to prove himself outside of the Danish top-flight, in which the striker has been fantastic.

Kvistgaarden (Superliga)	23/24	24/25
Appearances	24	29
Goals	8	17
Big chances missed	9	17
Big chances created	6	5
Assists	5	5
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Kvistgaarden has made a big impact in front of goal in the last two Superliga seasons for Brondby, which suggests that the potential was there for him to be an exciting signing for the Premiership champions.

However, Celtic could find an even better striker for Brendan Rodgers this summer by swooping to sign £6.8m Girona centre-forward Bojan Miovski instead.

Why Celtic should sign Bojan Miovski

The Hoops were linked with an interest in the former Aberdeen man earlier this summer, and they should press ahead with a move for the Macedonia international to bolster their squad.

Miovski could be an even better striker than Kvistgaarden for Celtic because he has already proven his quality in the Premiership, and shown potential in European competitions.

The left-footed marksman scored 32 Premiership goals in two seasons with the Dons, in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns, whilst Kvistgaarden has only scored 25 Superliga goals in the last two terms combined.

This shows that Miovski has proven that he can score goals more frequently than the Danish forward whilst already proving himself in the league that Celtic play in.

The Macedonia international has also scored two goals in five Conference League games and two goals in two Europa League qualifiers, whilst Kvistgaarden has never scored above the level of Conference League qualifiers.

This suggests that Celtic could have more confidence in Miovski’s ability to deliver on the European stage, given what he has achieved in his career, which is another reason why he could be an even better centre-forward option for the club.

The Girona striker, who was once dubbed a “complete number 9” by journalist Josh Bunting, has the experience in Scotland to be able to hit the ground running for the Hoops, making him an ideal target.

Kvistgaarden, meanwhile, has never played in Scotland and there are no guarantees that he would adapt to the league, which is not a concern that they would have about Miovski.

Bigger loss than Kuhn: Celtic have set huge asking price for "special" star

Celtic have slapped a huge price tag on the head of one of their star players.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 5, 2025

Therefore, Celtic could forget all about the potential Norwich signing by swooping to bring the LaLiga forward back to Scotland before the end of the summer.

Leeds United are ramping up their transfer activity as the new Premier League season edges ever closer.

Former Manchester City youth starlet Lucas Nmecha has now joined the ranks from Wolfsburg to enhance the Whites’ attacking options. It’s surely only a matter of time before Jaka Bijol is announced too, after he has allegedly undergone a medical at Elland Road.

The next logical step would be to add some reinforcements in the middle of the park, therefore, and Leeds’ wish could be granted if they were to land a former Premier League ace.

Leeds interested in deal for £25m star

Strengthening the midfield ranks is evidently a key priority for Leeds this summer with moves for the likes of Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki reportedly lined up.

Diarra seems to be a more concrete target at the moment with fresh claims suggesting that they made a bid worth £21m.

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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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Slow progress is being made on that deal, so the Whites are seeking alternatives. Well, according to a new report from Italian outlet Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, Leeds are in the picture to land former Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz this summer.

The report states that Luiz will be allowed to leave Juventus this off-season after a mediocre stint in Turin, but Leeds could well be put off by the Serie A giants and their asking price, with Igor Tudor’s men having purchased the Brazilian for a bumper £42m fee.

The move could still have legs on a loan-to-buy basis, however, with the report clarifying that such a deal would only cost Daniel Farke’s men £25m down the line. That marks a sharp decrease from Luiz’s staggering £100m valuation back in 2023.

Thus, that £25m fee feels like a reasonable fee to pay for the South American, with his reputation needing to be repaired, and that could occur back in England, where he once starred for Unai Emery’s men regularly.

Why Luiz could become Leeds' new Raphinha-like star

Luiz could come in and seriously improve Farke’s midfield options, with this deal having a similar feel to when Leeds purchased another Brazilian from Europe in the form of Raphinha for a bargain £16m, with the rest now history on the end of the Barcelona superstar.

Obviously, Raphinha didn’t have the backdrop of flopping at Rennes before he relocated to West Yorkshire, but it would have been seen as a savvy deal at the time, with Leeds only having to fork out a modest fee to win the slick winger.

The 34-time Brazil international would go on to cement himself in Leeds hearts everywhere with his skilful performances throughout his short stay, leading to the now Barca number 11 collecting 17 goals and 12 assists from 67 appearances, with his efforts as the Whites’ top goalscorer during his swansong season at Elland Road helping Leeds to just about beat the drop.

Luiz might well follow in Raphinha’s footsteps and be the energetic presence Leeds need to secure their Premier League status this coming season, with the Rio De Janeiro-born midfielder a proven top-flight performer.

Farke would love to call upon Luiz as an additional central body, therefore, with the vibrant Brazilian capable of getting stuck in when needed. Like Raphinha, who’s now a firm Ballon d’Or contender, he’s got fine pedigree, notably hailed as “one of the best 6s in the Premier League” and “one of the best [midfielders] in the world” by Sky Italia.

That’s showcased perfectly by his numbers for the Villans, where he ranked within the top 7% of midfielders in the Premier League in 2023/24 for goals, demonstrating his attacking flair to go alongside his defensive qualities.

Luiz’s numbers in the PL for Villa by season

Stat (* = per game)

19/20

20/21

21/22

22/23

23/24

Games played

36

33

34

37

35

Goals scored

3

0

2

6

9

Assists

2

2

3

6

5

Touches*

46.1

55.6

56.9

60.6

70.1

Accurate passes*

27.7 (83%)

36.8 (86%)

37.1 (87%)

39.6 (86%)

50.4 (89%)

Big chances created

3

4

2

7

10

Tackles*

1.3

1.5

1.7

2.0

1.7

Clearances*

1.3

1.2

0.6

0.6

0.5

Total duels won*

4.1

4.9

4.4

4.4

4.2

Stats by Sofascore

Luiz only got better and better the more his Premier League journey at Villa Park went on, culminating in him firing home a ridiculous nine Premier League strikes during his final season in the West Midlands.

He would even be labelled as “world-class” during his celebrated stay with the Villans by teammate John McGinn, with Raphinha once also talked about in the same glowing manner in West Yorkshire when heralded as “special” by Marcelo Bielsa.

Everything is pointing in the direction of this being a superb deal, with Luiz potentially going on to be their new Premier League saviour, just as Raphinha was once upon a time.

Related He's better than Diarra: Leeds now looking at deal to sign £26m "threat"

Leeds United are eyeing up a midfield star who could be even better than Habib Diarra.

Posts 1 ByDan Emery Jun 19, 2025

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will currently be plotting moves to bolster his squad after the summer transfer window officially opened for business on Sunday.

The Northern Irish head coach has already landed one signing in the form of Kieran Tierney, who is set to re-join the club from Arsenal after six years in England.

Greg Taylor’s contract expires this summer and Jeffrey Schlupp’s loan deal has ended, which means that the Scotland international is currently the only left-back contracted to the Hoops heading into the 2025/26 campaign.

However, whilst Rodgers must think about potential transfer targets to improve the squad, the Celtic manager also has to be ruthless when deciding who will be a part of his team next season.

How Celtic's midfield could look next season

Football FanCast recently published an article outlining what a dream starting XI could look like for the Hoops next term, and it included a midfield trio of Callum McGregor, Arne Engels, and Lennon Miller, who could be signed from Motherwell as a potential replacement for Reo Hatate if he moves on.

That would leave Paulo Bernardo, Luke McCowan, and Hyeok-kyu Kwon as the senior central midfield back-ups heading into pre-season, after McCowan and Bernardo played back-up for much of this season.

The former Dundee star and the Portuguese whiz combined for ten goals and 13 assists across all competitions, with seven goals and nine assists for McCowan and three goals and four assists for Bernardo.

This suggests that they both provide enough attacking quality to be solid rotation options behind a first-choice midfield of McGregor, Engels, and Miller, which is why Rodgers must ruthlessly axe Kwon.

Why Celtic should axe Kwon

Kwon was signed from Busan IPark in the summer of 2023 and arrived as the ‘K League Rodri’, having averaged 3.3 tackles and interceptions and 5.0 ball recoveries per game in the K League 2 during the 2023 campaign.

Squawka noted that the midfielder was ‘likened to Rodri due to his similar stature and playing style’, as another towering number six who likes to make tackles and interceptions whilst also getting on the ball to complete passes and dictate matches.

Upon signing for the club, Kwon said: “I will become the best player in Celtic and go to higher places such as the German Bundesliga or the English Premier League.”

The 24-year-old star came to Glasgow with incredibly high ambitions, as shown by these comments, and was clearly plotting to be Rodgers’ own version of Rodri, who won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, as the star anchor of the midfield.

Hyeok-kyu Kwon (Scottish Premiership)	23/24 (St Mirren)	24/25 (Hibernian)
Appearances	8	21
Starts	8	12
Goals	0	0
Assists	0	0
Tackles + interceptions per game	2.5	2.0
Ball recoveries per game	5.0	2.1
Duel success rate	51%	53%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, though, Kwon has yet to play a league match for Celtic in two seasons, playing for St Mirren and Hibernian on loan.

Kwon, who was hailed as “excellent” by Saints boss Stephen Robinson, enjoyed a fairly decent start at St Mirren, starting regular matches, but his form tailed off at Hibs before his season was ended due to injury in March.

The defensive midfielder failed to start games on a consistent basis, and his defensive numbers reflect that with a decline in tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game.

His lacklustre statistics and his lack of starts for Hibs do not suggest that he is likely to break into Celtic’s midfield next season, or earn a move to the Premier League or the Bundesliga, which is why Rodgers must ruthlessly axe him from the squad this summer.

Celtic could sign their new Dembele with swoop for "outstanding" £10m star

Celtic could repeat their Moussa Dembele masterclass with a swoop for this star.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 1, 2025

If an opportunity to cash in on the 24-year-old flop arises, the Hoops should move on from him, as they already have options in midfield, because his performances do not suggest that Rodgers will be getting his own version of Rodri any time soon.

Tottenham Hotspur are now fighting to sign “one of the best left-backs in Europe”, but there could be competition for his signature from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Tottenham eyeing left-back amid Udogie uncertainty

There have been few standout players for Tottenham this season, given what has been a very disappointing Premier League campaign, but Destiny Udogie has clearly done enough to catch the eye.

Manchester City are now pushing to sign the left-back, with new sporting director Hugo Viana believed to be a long-term admirer, although it remains to be seen whether Spurs would be willing to strengthen a direct rival.

Cristian Romero’s future in north London also remains in doubt, with the Lilywhites contacting AFC Bournemouth over Dean Huijsen, who could be brought in as a replacement for the Argentine.

Tottenham in race to sign £74m Premier League star who PSG are in talks for

The transfer would turn a few heads.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 12, 2025

With a move also potentially on the cards for Udogie, Ange Postecoglou could also be tasked with bringing in a replacement this summer, should the Australian keep his job, and an exciting target has now been identified.

According to a report from Spain, Tottenham are now in the race to sign AC Milan left-back Theo Hernandez, but there could be stiff competition for his signature, given that Chelsea and Man City have also expressed an interest.

Hernandez’s contract is set to expire in 2026, which means this summer could be Milan’s last opportunity to receive a sizeable fee for his services, with the Frenchman’s value believed to be around £30m.

The 27-year-old is believed to be a key target at left-back, but with a number of top clubs queuing up for his signature, it remains to be seen whether Spurs will be able to lure him to north London.

Hernandez could be "brilliant" addition for Tottenham

It would be fair to say the Milan defender is not enjoying the best of seasons, but journalist Zach Lowy states he has been “one of the best left-backs in Europe over the past decade”, having particularly impressed in an attacking sense.

The France international has chipped in with a remarkable 34 goals and 45 assists in 256 appearances for Milan, during which time he has been lauded as “consistently brilliant” by football writer Carlo Garganese, which indicates this season may just be a blip.

Hernandez has proven he could be a fantastic addition for Tottenham, and £30m could be a bargain fee, given the level of his performances in the Serie A over a number of years.

However, Spurs’ number one priority should be to keep hold of Udogie, which they should be in a strong position to do, given that the 22-year-old is contracted until 2030.

Despite the late collapse, Bangladesh find themselves well placed at the end of day two with Mushfiqur, Litton and Shanto scoring runs

Mohammad Isam18-Jun-2025A batting collapse hastened Bangladesh’s first innings towards its end in the Galle Test but the visitors will be more than happy to take 484 for 9 to start their new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.Bangladesh are trying to get out of a long batting slump, so runs from three of their main batters were a welcome sight. Their top six averaged only 24.38 during the 2023-25 WTC cycle, contributing heavily to the team’s indifferent form in the last two years. In a marked improvement, in the first Test of the new cycle, Bangladesh’s top six added 444 of the 484 runs at the end of day two. This was only the third time in the last five years that the top six have scored more than 400 runs in a Test innings.A particular gripe of Bangladesh has been the quality of pitches back home, where they often play on raging turners in Dhaka. Faced with entirely different conditions in Galle, the batters filled their boots in much the same way as they did in 2013. Galle provided Bangladesh their highest total in Test cricket as they put up 638 on the back of Mushfiqur Rahim’s double-century.Related

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Twelve years later, Galle has proven to be Bangladesh’s happy hunting ground again. Mushfiqur once again led the charge with 163, his seventh 150-plus score in Tests. The century helped him get over a form slump since the Pakistan tour in August last year. Litton Das too struck his first half-century in any format since that tour. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto broke an even longer duck when he got a century for the first time since November 2023.Shanto was quite attacking on the first morning, hitting the ball well down the ground. He focused on playing straight, but also employed the sweep whenever the opportunity was right. The Sri Lankan spinners asked him to play the shot, with two fielders behind square on the leg side, and he resisted. When that gap opened up, he unleashed. It was a sign of his maturity.What pleased the Bangladesh team management was the fight shown by Shanto, who was playing with an injured finger. He hurt himself during fielding drills on the eve of the Test, but Mohammad Salahuddin, the team’s assistant coach, said that Shanto shrugged off the pain.”He did play with a swollen finger, but Shanto is a tough guy, ” Salahuddin said. “I don’t think a lot of people would be able to keep their wits about themselves despite going through so much trolling [during his lean run of form]. He is a mentally tough character as a leader, and that helps the rest of the team.”Najmul Hossain Shanto batted with an injured finger•AFP/Getty ImagesAfter Shanto and Mushfiqur added 264 runs for the fourth wicket, Bangladesh’s second-highest fourth-wicket partnership, Mushfiqur and Litton put on 149 for the fifth wicket. Litton pressed on the accelerator during his 90 off 123 balls, especially after Pathum Nissanka put down a catch when he was on 14. Litton kept the spinners at bay with his square-cuts and dabs, often finding a boundary with Mushfiqur consolidating at the other end.”Litton batted with much control. He batted calmly,” Salahuddin said. “I think it was his only bad shot in the game [his dismissal to a reverse sweep]. It can happen in cricket. He can learn from this and play bigger innings. I think he will not repeat the mistake again.”Bangladesh’s team management is meanwhile looking to shake off the late batting collapse, as they hope the bowlers can take advantage of an already decent score. “We batted really well in the first two sessions. We could have done better later. We still have a pretty good total. Maybe tomorrow, if we can bowl well, we can actually control the game,” Salahuddin said. “Our batting could have been a little better in the last session. I still think we have enough runs on the board. If we bowl well, I think we can control the game. We played some bad shots, which is why we lost some wickets.”Bangladesh lost five wickets for 26 runs at the end of the second day, having earlier slipped to 45 for 3 in the first hour on day one. In between, Mushfiqur, Shanto and Litton have given them a lifeline to get over a long batting downturn. Mushfiqur is heading towards his 100th Test later this year, so he will keep going, but for Shanto and Litton, their scores couldn’t have arrived at a more perfect time.