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The defending champions need some crucial replacements after trading out a couple of players

Abhimanyu Bose21-Dec-20225:12

Who should replace Lockie Ferguson at Gujarat Titans?

Who they’ve got
Gujarat Titans, the defending IPL champions, released only six players ahead of this mini-auction and, rather unsurprisingly, have kept the majority of their title-winning squad intact.Follow the 2023 IPL auction LIVE

You can watch the auction live in India on Star Sports, and follow live analysis with Tom Moody, Ian Bishop, Wasim Jaffer and Stuart Binny right here on ESPNcricinfo.

Current squad: Hardik Pandya (capt), Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha, B Sai Sudharshan, Darshan Nalkande, Jayant Yadav, Pradeep Sangwan, Rahul Tewatia, Vijay Shankar, Rashid Khan, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Yash DayalWhat they have to play with
The Titans have a total purse of INR 19.25 crore (USD 2.3 million approx.), and seven slots to fill, including three overseas slots.What they need
A fast bowler. They traded Lockie Ferguson to Kolkata Knight Riders and will need a replacement, as head coach Ashish Nehra said earlier this month. Another Indian quick will also help, because they would want a back-up for Yash Dayal. Not to forget Hardik Pandya’s workload management. Having released Jason Roy and traded Rahmanullah Gurbaz to Knight Riders, Gujarat would also want to bring in a top-order batter, who can either open or come in at No. 3. And a fast-bowling allrounder, but with only Rajasthan Royals (INR 13.2 crore), Royal Challengers Bangalore (INR 8.75 crore) and Knight Riders (INR 7.05 crore) left with smaller purses than them, they may end up being out-bidded for the big names (think Sam Curran, Cameron Green, Ben Stokes) in that category.The likely targets
Sam Curran would be a perfect fit, adding batting depth while also replacing Ferguson as a frontline quick. However, he will be in high demand and teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings have plenty left in their purse and could break the bank for him.Reece Topley, a tall left-arm quick with a deadly yorker, will add to the team’s arsenal and might be easier to get than some others. Titans could target him as a like-for-like replacement for Ferguson.Jaydev Unadkat has a history of being expensive, but he brings with him a wealth of experience as well as form and confidence. He led his domestic side Saurashtra to the domestic 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy title this month, and also got a Test recall for India’s ongoing tour of Bangladesh.Mayank Agarwal is likely to be the most sought-after Indian batter in the auction. He would fit into the Titans top order, but they will face stiff competition from several teams.And why not Kane Williamson? He was released by Sunrisers and could become Titans’ glue at the top of the order. He can open the innings or play at No. 3.

A look back to 50 years ago, and the protests against South Africa’s tour of England

Alan Gardner26-Dec-2020It is often tempting to look around and conclude that we live in uniquely troubled times (and the effects of a global pandemic have certainly given 2020 a boot up the annus horribilis league table). But while the world has roiled these past few years amid schisms over race and culture, concerns about democratic accountability and the way governments function in an interconnected world, it is worth keeping in mind that the good old days often don’t live up to their billing.In , Colin Shindler revives the fractious arguments and bitter enmities that characterised a polarising campaign to stop South Africa’s 1970 tour of England. In doing so, he draws parallels with the 2016 European Union referendum – one of the side effects of which has been the demise of the Kolpak era in county cricket – and reminds us how sport can play a central part in shaping our civilisation (even as sportsmen claim their perennial aversion to being lumped in with politicians).If the past is another country, to borrow from the novelist LP Hartley (who finds his way into Shindler’s account, along with many and varied other bits of correspondence dug out from the archives), the UK of half a century ago may not look so alien – particularly to a cricket fan. South Africa returned from sporting isolation in 1992, but cricket in the country to this day is still reckoning with a history blighted by apartheid.Related

When politics killed a tour

The D'Oliveira Affair

Dolly mixture

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Dear Mr Arlott

Meanwhile, despite great strides in many areas, the experiences so eloquently given voice and amplified during an English summer touched by the Black Lives Matter protests around the world – from Ebony Rainford-Brent and Michael Holding to Azeem Rafiq and Michael Carberry – remind us that questions of race and reconciliation are yet to be solved at home.Even in the current climate, it is hard to imagine the deployment of barbed wire – as referenced in the book’s title – searchlights and security guards at cricket grounds around the country simply in order to host a game. But that was merely one aspect of the planning (predicted cost: more than £250,000) for a proposed tour that pitted English cricket’s hidebound establishment against a motley alliance of students, clergymen and MPs.Trouble had been brewing since the D’Oliveira affair of 1968, and South Africa’s refusal to countenance the inclusion of a non-white player in the MCC touring party. Yet the authorities in England persisted in attempts to host South Africa less than two years later, in the belief that blandishments about “building bridges” and claims by the South African Cricket Association that future squads would be selected solely on merit might override objections about the iniquities of apartheid. As Shindler writes: “The bridges did not appear to be facilitating any sort of traffic into the townships.”The temptation of seeing England take on what was considered the best team in the world was obvious. South Africa had just thrashed Australia 4-0 at home, and could field a side containing Barry Richards, Graeme Pollock and Mike Procter, among others; Basil D’Oliveira himself was in favour. But ranged against the blazers at Lord’s was an equally compelling cast.John Arlott had declined to tour South Africa again after observing the country’s racial segregation in 1948-49, and he stepped down from BBC commentary duties ahead of the 1970 series out of opposition to the “completely evil regime” of the John Vorster government. The Reverend David Sheppard, once of Sussex and England, led opposition from the church, while the more militant Stop the Seventy Tour movement was orchestrated by future Labour MP Peter Hain. Learie Constantine, the former West Indies allrounder, then recently ennobled as Baron Constantine of Nelson, voiced fears that the arrival of South Africa “could be disastrous for race relations in this country”.Pitch PublishingMost colourful was the irascible commentary provided by the journalist and broadcaster Michael Parkinson, who railed against the “Marylebone Clodpole Club”, whose refusal to bow in the face of public protest he characterised as follows: “It is a rag-bag of cliché, red herring, zig-zagging, bobbing and weaving, and as an argument in favour of the tour has all the watertight qualities of a string bag.”As well presenting a range of material from newspapers and magazines (in which, amusingly, some people were complaining about the “left-wing bias of the BBC” even 50 years ago), Shindler adroitly sifts the cultural milieu of the time, touching on anti-Vietnam war riots in America and the rise and fall of the Beatles, as well as connecting events to the present day: “The fault line running through the country that divided Leavers and Remainers in Britain after June 2016 is not far removed from the line that divided those who supported the tour from those who exulted in its cancellation in 1970.”The fight to stop the ’70 tour during a summer when cricket grounds became battlegrounds remains an important episode in the history of the game in both England and South Africa, for whom years of isolation were to follow. Shindler’s book, as Parkinson writes in the foreword, is a “powerful reminder of those turbulent times”, as well as of cricket’s capacity to promote change. In another divided era, the struggle for a better world beyond the boundary continues.Barbed Wire and Cucumber Sandwiches
by Colin Shindler
Pitch Publishing 2020
£19.99, 320 pages

MatériaMais Notícias

Fortaleza e Retrô-PE se enfrentam no Castelão, nesta quinta-feira (14), às 21h30, pela segunda fase da Copa do Brasil. A classificação será decidida em jogo único e sem vantagem do empate a nenhum dos lados. Ou seja, caso não haja um vencedor no tempo normal, a decisão será nos pênaltis.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFinançasQuanto o Nova Iguaçu vai receber se vencer o Inter e fizer história na Copa do Brasil?Finanças13/03/2024Onde AssistirSão Bernardo x Corinthians: onde assistir ao vivo, horário e escalações do jogo pela Copa do BrasilOnde Assistir14/03/2024DicasSão Bernardo x Corinthians: estatísticas e informações para apostar no jogo da Copa do BrasilDicas13/03/2024

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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Fortaleza x Retrô
COPA DO BRASIL – 2ª FASE

Data e horário: quinta-feira, 14 de março de 2024, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Local: Castelão, em Fortaleza (CE)
Onde assistir: Premiere

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
FORTALEZA (Técnico: Juan Pablo Vojvoda)
João Ricardo; Tinga, Brítez, Cardona (Titi) e Bruno Pacheco; Kauan, Pochettino e Kervin Andrade (Calebe); Yago Pikachu, Lucero e Moisés.

RETRÔ (Técnico: Roberto Fernandes)
Paulo Ricardo; Israel, Dankler, Guilherme Paraíba e Edson Lucas; Jean, Alencar e Moisés Ribeiro; Radsley, Giva e Luisinho

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Copa do BrasilFortaleza

Everton have now reportedly been contacted with the opportunity to sign an international striker who has been likened to Erling Haaland in recent years.

Barry reveals Everton "ambition" after first goal

When Iliman Ndiaye drove beyond chasing Nottingham Forest defenders before gift-wrapping the perfect chance for Thierno Barry to break his duck against Nottingham Forest, there wouldn’t have been a more relieved person inside The Hill Dickinson Stadium than the £27m signing.

The forward, now off the mark, has already set his sights on a key Everton “ambition” after finding the back of the net for the first time since his move from Villarreal in the summer.

Everton have every right to be thinking about European football after 15 Premier League games. The Toffees currently find themselves as high as seventh and just two points adrift of Crystal Palace inside the top four.

The January transfer window could help turn that ambition into a reality. The Friedkin Group already backed David Moyes in the summer, welcoming some of the club’s most expensive ever arrivals and could yet do the same when the winter window opens next month.

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On that front, the search for a striker is still on despite Barry’s goal drought coming to an end. The likes of Joshua Zirkzee are beginning to emerge as serious options, with Everton reportedly ready to pounce in the race to secure his signature.

What’s more, the Toffees are also reportedly among the clubs to be offered the chance to sign Evan Ferguson in the January transfer window as he looks to finally revive his career.

Everton offered chance to sign Ferguson

Everton have now been contacted with the chance to sign Ferguson, according to TeamTalk, with AS Roma likely to bring his loan spell to an end next month.

The 21-year-old was supposed to get back to his best in Italy, but has scored just once in 14 games. A much-needed move has turned into a nightmare spell.

Everton, however, know all about getting players back to their best. Jack Grealish was becoming a forgotten star at Manchester City. Now, he’s thriving under Moyes. The same can be said for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who has become one of Everton’s most important players despite struggling at Chelsea last season.

Now, Ferguson could be next in line. The potential is certainly there, too. At 21 years old, the Republic of Ireland international is still a few years away from his peak and Everton should look to land what could prove to be an undeniable bargain next month.

Style-wise, Ferguson would arguably suit the current, physical version of the Premier League, especially given that Gary Lineker once compared him with Haaland – saying: “I don’t want to get carried away but I do see a hint of Haaland about him. His stature and his movement and stuff like that. His youth, as well.”

Dewsbury-Hall repeat: PL talent ready to leave his club with Everton keen

Newcastle United were hit with a big blow in the summer transfer window when Alexander Isak opted to pursue a move to Premier League champions Liverpool.

The Magpies raked in a British record fee of £125m for the Sweden international, who scored 52 goals in his last two full seasons at St. James’ Park in all competitions, per Sofascore.

That meant that Eddie Howe and the recruitment team had plenty of work to do in the summer to bring in players to carry a goal threat, and they did a fairly decent job.

Ranking Newcastle's summer signings

The headline signing for the Magpies was, of course, the £69m addition of Nick Woltemade as a replacement for Isak, and he has scored a respectable five goals in ten Premier League games this season.

£55m signing Yoane Wissa from Brentford, though, is yet to feature for the club, due to injury, which makes it hard to judge how good of a signing he will turn out to be.

Whilst Wissa is impossible to rank, Jacob Ramsey ranks at the bottom of the pile of summer signings, right now, having failed to provide a goal or an assist in ten appearances this season for the Magpies.

1

Malick Thiaw

2

Nick Woltemade

3

Aaron Ramsdale

4

Anthony Elanga

5

Jacob Ramsey

N/A

Yoane Wissa

As you can see in the table above, Malick Thiaw ranks at the top of the pile after his brace against Everton, as he has provided a solid presence at the back for Newcastle.

The German giant, signed from Milan for £30m, has started nine Premier League games and won a whopping 72% of his duels, per Sofascore, which makes him the most dominant defender in the squad.

Whilst Thiaw has been a brilliant signing for the club, there is a pre-existing member of the squad who may have the potential to be their next Isak-esque superstar.

The Newcastle ace who could be their next superstar

Lewis Miley was given a rare opportunity to impress in the middle of the park against Everton, in what was his third start of the Premier League season, and he showcased his class, winning 100% (3/3) of his physical duels, per Sofascore.

The Newcastle academy graduate also scored the second goal of the match, firing past Jordan Pickford with his weak foot, which came after his brilliant corner was nodded in by Thiaw in the opening minute of the game.

Miley was once hailed as “England’s next superstar” by BBC pundit Pat Nevin. Performances like his one against the Toffees at the weekend only help to back up that claim, as he looks to make his mark at senior level.

The 19-year-old whiz has made 60 first-team appearances for the Magpies to date, per Transfermarkt, but the next step for him is to nail down a place as a regular starter in midfield, which means that he will need to get in over Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, or Joelinton.

That is no easy task, but it is one that he is capable of completing, as his performance against Everton proved, because the youngster has the talent to be impactful at Premier League level, despite his age and inexperience.

As a young midfielder who can score and assist goals, with four goals and six assists at first-team level so far, Miley is an even more exciting talent than Thiaw, who is not as flashy a talent as a centre-back.

The England U21 international has the chance to be a superstar for the Magpies because he is an English and academy-grown prospect who the fans can get behind and champion as ‘one of their own’ from the local area, which adds an extra special dynamic to his potential rise to stardom.

Miley, given that he is not a regular starter yet, still has a long way to go before he is at Isak’s level of stardom at St. James’ Park, but the potential is there for him to eventually hit those heights.

It is now down to the English midfielder, though, to deliver quality performances whenever he is called upon, as he did against Everton, to prove to Howe that he has the consistency required to start week-in-week-out.

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After Miley achieves that, the teenage talent can focus on being a real difference-maker at the top end of the pitch with goals and assists to take him from being a key player to a superstar.

Tottenham Hotspur’s squad in 2025/26 is packed with numerous midfield stars, but it’s apparent that boss Thomas Frank is yet to work out his best combination in such an area.

The Dane has utilised a three-man midfield in the vast majority of his 11 Premier League outings to date, often varying between two deep-lying options with a ten and a flat three.

Joao Palhinha arrived in the summer on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich and has started all but one, with his ball-winning presence a real component to the Lilywhites’ side.

The same can’t be said for £52m addition Xavi Simons, as the Dutchman has struggled to nail down a starting position in his attacking midfield role – subsequently being named in the starting eleven on just six occasions.

However, there’s little denying that one player would have easily walked into the current squad had he still been on the books after his previous spell in North London.

Spurs’ most underrated player in the last decade

When talking about Spurs’ most underrated players in numerous years, many players will be mentioned, but one will always rise to the top – with that man being Mousa Dembélé.

The Belgian midfielder joined the Lilywhites from Fulham for just £15m back in the summer 2012, with very few supporters anticipating the levels he would produce in the capital.

He would go on to rack up a total of 249 senior appearances during his seven-year spell at the club, often catching the eye with his physicality and dazzling feet.

Standing at 6’1, you wouldn’t expect a player to easily get past the opposition, but Dembele used to glide past his men – leading to his tally of 10 goals and 11 assists.

Many of his former teammates have sung his praises in recent years, even labelling him as one of the most underrated players they have played alongside in their careers.

Former right-back Kieran Trippier is just one player to sign his praises, with the Englishman stating: “He was a remarkable player. He was unbelievable, I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for being such an unbelievable player.”

Since his move to Guangzhou City back in 2019, the Lilywhites have massively lacked a player of his quality, with Frank and the supporters undoubtedly wishing they had a player of Dembélé’s talents at present.

The Spurs star who was tipped to be the next Dembele

In the last six years since Dembele’s departure from Spurs, the hierarchy have spent upwards of £300m on the midfield department alone – a simply staggering amount of money.

Numerous of their additions still remain on the books in North London, with the aforementioned Simons just one of the options Frank is still able to call upon.

Pape Matar Sarr and Lucas Bergvall are two other young stars who have been brought to the club in the last few seasons, with both cementing themselves within the first team ranks.

The latter of the duo joined for just £8m from Swedish side Djurgarden last summer, but has already racked up a total of 60 appearances despite being just 19.

However, Yves Bissouma is another midfield addition that remains in North London, but his time at the club has been far from successful in the last few years.

The Malian joined for a reported £25m from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2022, leading to journalist Alasdair Gold claiming he’s just “like Dembele”.

In the three years with the Lilywhites, the 29-year-old has already racked up a century of appearances – even finding the back of the net on two separate occasions.

Games played

28

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

89%

Tackles won

2.1

% of tackles won

63%

Duels won

5.2

Interceptions made

1.2

Recoveries made

5.4

However, it’s been a period that has been littered with controversy, with Bissouma being suspended by the club back in August 2024 after being pictured inhaling laughing gas.

Frank’s arrival has seen the downward spiral continue for the Malian, with the Dane leaving him out of the UEFA Super Cup clash with PSG after being consistently late for training.

In the three months since the final, he’s failed to make a single appearance for the Lilywhites, even being left out of the Premier League and Champions League squads for the first half of 2025/26.

Such an omission is a sign that the manager simply doesn’t see the 29-year-old as part of his long-term plans – with the hierarchy desperately needing to offload him in January.

Bissouma currently earns a reported £55k-per-week in North London, with the club paying him a staggering £1.4m since his last competitive outing in the first-team.

Not only has he failed to reach the levels many anticipated upon his move, but he’s also bleeding the club dry of crucial funds that will be needed in January.

His lack of action, current earnings and disciplinary record all point to an exit for the midfielder in the upcoming winter window, with the club needing to make his departure a priority.

Frank will no doubt want to clear him off the books, raising funds for the January market, which is no doubt a crucial point of the season in his quest to secure Champions League football a second successive year in North London.

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Daniel Farke and the Premier League is never a happy marriage and he already now needs to find a way of saving his skin as Leeds United manager across his side’s upcoming games in November.

Indeed, the Whites were resoundingly beaten 3-0 away at Brighton and Hove Albion over the weekend, as ex-Elland Road star Georginio Rutter came back to haunt the West Yorkshire giants, the day after Halloween.

Next up for Leeds is a huge clash away at Nottingham Forest, which feels like a must-win game, not only so the Whites don’t get dragged further into the early relegation fight, but also so Farke can try to survive another day in the dug-out.

After all, Wolverhampton Wanderers have now just dismissed Vitor Pereira, as fixtures become more and more pressurised for managers all across the bumpy division.

Farke will know he has some decisions to make regarding who he starts down either flank for this crucial tie at the City Ground, with both areas of the pitch becoming a problem for the German in recent weeks.

Leeds' winger issues

Coming up to the Premier League, Leeds had a very frightening attack to try and keep their hands on.

Manor Solomon, in particular, stood out for his gung-ho displays down the left wing for Farke’s title-winners, with a stunning ten goals and 13 assists falling into his lap from 41 Leeds outings.

Thankfully, £18m summer recruit Noah Okafor has shown signs of his brilliance as a Solomon-style replacement, with two goals already next to his name in the Premier League, despite his new side’s overall up-and-down form. That said, they did have to rely on the underperforming Jack Harrison when the Swiss missed a period through injury.

It’s more on the right channel where Farke will feel less at ease, as both Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto – who are EFL superstars in their own right – have failed to maintain fitness so far this season, leading to the German having to shoehorn Brenden Aaronson into a right wing spot regularly.

The heavily scapegoated American did put in a sublime showing on the right channel against West Ham United, as his early goal set Leeds on their way to a 2-1 home victory.

But, that is Aaronson’s only goal contribution in Leeds white from this position on the pitch, with the other ten strikes he has put away for Farke and Co in the past all coming from a more central viewpoint.

Subsequently, the former Norwich City manager might well feel he needs more reinforcements in this spot, particularly with Gnonto also being linked with a January move away from West Yorkshire.

Leeds could sign "special" £23m Gnonto replacement

Leeds showed in the summer that they are willing to splash the cash, with £98m forked out on the likes of Okafor and many more talents.

£23m could soon be added to that spending amount, if Ismael Saibari’s Transfermarkt valuation is anything to go by, with a recent report from the Boot Room linking the Premier League newcomers to the on-fire Moroccan attacker.

At the close of October, the site speculated that a whole host of top-flight outfits were taking a look at the blistering PSV Eindhoven forward, with Aston Villa, Everton, and West Ham named as onlookers, alongside the West Yorkshire side.

Leeds are desperately in need of some additional firepower, and while Saibari has regularly lined up as a central option for PSV, whether that be as a number ten or as a traditional midfielder, he can also cut it as a right or left winger.

His immense goal and assist record in the Netherlands to date will no doubt be further music to the ears of an under-pressure Farke.

Eredivisie games played

77

Goals scored

24

Assists

17

Champions League games played

26

Goals scored

8

Assists

1

After advancing up the youth system in Eindhoven, Saibari has never looked back since entering the first-team fold.

He has a stunning 24 goals and 17 assists from just 77 games in the Dutch top-flight. Staggeringly, eight of those strikes have come just this season, leading to his current manager in Peter Bosz, hailing him as a “special” asset to possess.

With further Champions League pedigree under his belt – which has led to Saibari collecting ten goals from 15 games this season – Leeds could really show they mean business by landing the red-hot 24-year-old’s services this January, as they attempt a revamp of some of their attacking spots shortly.

With Farke further set on what the makeup of his central midfield options looks like, with no number 10 position in fill in his current formation choice, either, Saibari could well be handed one of the wing roles on his potential arrival at Elland Road, as Leeds perhaps puts their money where their mouth is to ensure an immediate return to the Championship is pushed to one side.

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