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Get to know the 2024 World Cup teams: Canada, Namibia, Netherlands, Oman and Scotland

26-May-2024

Canada

by Hemant Brar
Canada booked their ticket to the 2024 T20 World Cup by topping the Americas Region Qualifier, a tournament that had Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Panama as the other teams.In a winner-takes-all game, they beat hosts Bermuda by 39 runs and qualified for the World Cup on the basis of a superior net run rate. That was in October 2023, though, and their recent form has not been great. Last month, they visited the USA for a five-match T20I series and were beaten 4-0.This will be Canada’s first appearance at a T20 World Cup. Spin-bowling allrounder Saad Bin Zafar will lead the 15-member squad, which has only three players under the age of 30.Canada are in Group A and will face USA in the tournament opener in Dallas on June 1. India, Pakistan and Ireland are the other teams in their group.Key players
Saad Bin Zafar a left-arm spinner and a left-hand batter, has been playing for Canada since 2008. One of the big games of his career was the final of the 2018 Global T20 Canada, where he took 2 for 26 and scored an unbeaten 79 off 48 balls to be the Player of the Match. Following that, he was called up by St Kitts & Nevis Patriots as a replacement player for the CPL 2018 playoffs. In 2021, he registered figures of 4-4-0-2 against Panama in a T20I.Aaron Johnson, originally from Jamaica, is a powerful opening batter who loves playing no-look shots. The 33-year-old made his T20I debut for Canada in 2022. In 16 games so far, he has two hundreds, five half-centuries, an average of 50.92 and a strike rate of 166.58.Kaleem Sana, a left-arm seamer, can swing the new ball and bowl yorkers at the death. He started his cricket in Pakistan, and even dismissed Babar Azam in his last first-class match, in 2014. In that do-or-die game against Bermuda, he was the Player of the Match for his figures of 3 for 4.Canada in major tournaments
While this is the first time Canada are playing in a T20 World Cup, they have participated in the ODI version four times, in 1979, 2003, 2007 and 2011. Across 18 games there, they registered two wins: against Bangladesh in 2003 and against Kenya in 2011.Form guide*
LLLLWSquad
Saad Bin Zafar (capt), Aaron Johnson, Dilon Heyliger, Dilpreet Bajwa, Jeremy Gordon, Junaid Siddiqui, Kaleem Sana, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Nikhil Dutta, Pargat Singh, Ravinderpal Singh, Rayyan Pathan, Rishiv Joshi, Shreyas Movva (wk).Namibia won three of their eight matches at the 2021 T20 World Cup, even progressing to the Super 12s•ICC via Getty

Namibia

by Firdose Moonda
A former German colony and South African protectorate, Namibia has a small but storied history in the game. There is evidence of cricket being played in the desert nation Namibia from the early 1900s, and with greater regularity from the First World War. Organised fixtures have taken place since the 1930s and Namibia’s involvement with the South African County Cricket Association from the 1960s ensured there was a fairly strong level of competition and development. Namibia became a member of the ICC in 1992, achieved ODI status in 2018 and have been rising on the T20 circuit in the last four years. After appearing at both the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups, Namibia secured their spots for 2024 by winning the Africa regional Qualifier in November last year, where they were unbeaten over six matches. They were the dominant team of that tournament and registered a seven-wicket win over the only Full Member participant – Zimbabwe – and a six-wicket victory over fellow qualifiers Uganda.Key players

Captain Gerhard Erasmus is Namibia’s highest T20I run-scorer, the only batter from the country with more than 1000 runs to his name, and showed his commitment to the national cause when he played the 2021 tournament with a broken finger that necessitated an adjustment to his grip. He finished as Namibia’s second-highest run-scorer and his unbeaten 53 helped them beat Ireland and advance to the Super 12s.While left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz is Namibia’s most successful T20I bowler, they boast a quartet of left-arm seamers for this event – the most among participating teams. Ruben Trumpelmann will lead their attack, supported by Tangeni Lungameni and allrounders Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit provide two other options which gives Namibia one of the most varied and balanced attacks at the tournament.Namibia in major tournaments

Namibia made their World Cup bow at the 2003 tournament – the last 50-over event to be hosted in Africa – and lost all their six matches. They have an opportunity to improve on that record at the next ODI World Cup, which they are co-hosting, but have to qualify for it first. They have a more recent and positive history at the T20 World Cup and made history when they advanced out of the first round to the Super 12s in the 2021 tournament, where they also beat a Full Member – Ireland – for the first time. They were unable to repeat the feat at the 2022 tournament, despite victory over Sri Lanka, and exited after the first round.Form guide*
WWLLWSquad
Gerhard Erasmus (capt), Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni, Nikolaas Davin, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, JP Kotze, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger, Peter-Daniel BlignautHaving now beaten South Africa in two consecutive World Cups, Netherlands will hope to do it again this year•ICC via Getty Images

Netherlands

by Firdose Moonda
The standout Associates of the last two years, Netherlands were the only non Full-Members (other than the co-host USA) to automatically qualify for this event after they finished in the top eight at the 2022 tournament. Since then, they were also the only Associate to play at the 2023 ODI World Cup, ahead of West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland, and proved themselves worthy of the biggest stage.They have been South Africa’s banana skins twice, after beating them at the T20 World Cup in 2022 to send them out of the tournament, and then again at the ODI World Cup in 2023, albeit with less dramatic consequences. That they are grouped with them again will only whet the appetites of supporters of the underdog, not least because the Dutch are coached by a South African – Ryan Cook – and have three South African players in their squad. Veteran allrounder Roelof van der Merwe and batter Colin Ackermann are not among them though, as the pair opted out of the tournament to fulfil county commitments. In a nutshell, that’s the story of Dutch cricket as it battles to find the sweet spot between competing with as full-strength a side as they can put together and ensuring their players can make a long-term living from the game.Key players
With shoulder-length locks and a side hustle as a DJ, Max O’Dowd is the rockstar of the Dutch team in stereotype and reality. He is their leading T20I run-scorer and closing in on 2000 runs in the format but will want to improve on a strike rate that sits just above 120 to compete with global greats.The mantra of 22 twos in a 50-over game was introduced by captain Scott Edwards, who is one of the quickest runners between the wickets and heavily reliant on his sweep shot. He is a busy cricketer and ambitious leader, who will be key to their hopes of competing in the Caribbean.Netherlands in major tournaments
Netherlands have played in five T20 World Cups since 2009 when they upset England at Lord’s. Only once, in the 2021 tournament, have they failed to win a match. They’ve also participated in five ODI World Cups – 1996, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2023 – but have only won four out of 29 ODI World Cup matches.Form guide*
LLLWWSquad
Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Kyle Klein, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Scott Edwards (capt/wk), Saqib Zulfiqar, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikramjit Singh, Vivian Kingma, Wesley BarresiAqib Ilyas, who has captained Oman in seven T20Is, will lead the side in the 2024 T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty Images

Oman

by Himanshu Agrawal
The 2024 T20 World Cup will be Oman’s third appearance in the tournament, and they qualified for it by winning all five games in the 2023 Asia Qualifer, including beating hosts Nepal in a Super Over in the final. In April this year, they reached the final of the ACC Premier Cup under the leadership of 36-year-old Zeeshan Maqsood, but the selectors preferred top-order batter Aqib Ilyas as captain for the World Cup.Oman played their first official T20I in 2015 and won their second game in the format when they beat Hong Kong later that year, going on to win the series 2-1.Key players
Zeeshan Maqsood is Oman’s highest run-getter and the only one with a T20I century. He also bowls left-arm spin. Maqsood has played in two T20 World Cups.Batter Aqib Ilyas also bowls offspin and legspin, and was the leading wicket-taker in the ACC Premier Cup.Seamer Bilal Khan, 37, is Oman’s top wicket-taker in T20Is, with 106 wickets at an economy of 6.68. Known for his yorkers, he took five wickets in three matches in the 2021 World Cup and conceded only 4.45 runs an over.Oman in major tournaments
Oman played in the first round of the 2016 and the 2021 T20 World Cups, and co-hosted the latter with the UAE. In 2016 they beat Ireland and in 2021 they hammered Papua New Guinea by ten wickets, but both times they couldn’t make it to the Super 12s.Form guide*
LLWWLSquad
Aqib Ilyas (capt), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale, Ayaan Khan, Khalid Kail, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi, Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel AhmadSome of the Caribbean pitches are likely to suit Brad Wheal’s style of bowling•ICC/Getty Images

Scotland

by Vithushan Ehantharajah
Scotland were flawless in the Europe Region Qualifier for the 2024 T20 World Cup winning six from six to finish top of the table. A squad with a number of familiar faces who have plenty of experience in Caribbean conditions carries a fresh, ambitious feel. The presence of fast bowler Brad Wheal (Hampshire) and keeper-batter Michael Jones (Durham) adds some extra heft to the squad. But that is offset by the loss of experienced seamer Josh Davey, who was unavailable for selection.Key players
Brad Wheal has the kind of skiddiness off the surface that should suit surfaces in the Caribbean.George Munsey has contributed to some of Scotland’s most high-profile wins in the current era, including an unbeaten 66 in the victory over West Indies in the 2022 World Cup. No Scot has more T20I runs since Munsey’s debut in June 2015.Batting allrounder Brandon McMullen has played six of his nine T20I innings at No. 3 and strikes at 147.82 from the position. He also bowls right-arm nibblers, taking 5 for 34 against Ireland in 2023’s ODI World Cup Qualifier.Scotland in major tournaments
This will be Scotland’s ninth appearance at a major ICC event and their fourth in a row on the global T20 stage. Their first win at a tournament outright came in their defeat of Hong Kong in 2016. In 2021 they progressed to the main round but they failed to repeat it in 2022.Form guide*
LWLWLSquad
Richie Berrington (capt), Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Chris Greaves, Oli Carter, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal*In their last five games against teams featuring in the 2024 World CupAlso read the team previews of Nepal, PNG, Uganda and USA

His methods have brought titles to Mumbai and Vidarbha, and they could now potentially take MP all the way

Shashank Kishore17-Jun-2022″Quick, boys.”A voice, not loud enough to boom around the dressing room but loud enough to be heard, gets everyone’s attention in the Madhya Pradesh camp.It’s their coach Chandrakant Pandit’s first and final reminder that they need to be out of the ground soon. A recovery session, team meeting, and one-on-one chats are lined-up at the hotel. They can’t be fatigued by Bengaluru’s evening traffic after a long day.They want to make sure their hour-long commute back to the hotel will last no more than an hour. Within 20 minutes of stumps being called, they’re all ready to go. The players troop out, one by one, bags neatly packed and loaded onto the bus.What does this have to do with cricket and the Ranji Trophy? Well, this peek into the MP camp highlights the importance they have placed in time management, planning and preparation – the ingredients of a most memorable campaign, constructed methodically under Pandit, a man whose methods have brought success to the numerous teams he has coached over the years. Methods that are uncontested.”I may even slap a player, but there’s a reason behind it and he will understand that too,” he once said, only half in jest.He’s won Ranji titles with Mumbai and Vidarbha, and he’s now coaching MP, who are perfectly placed to reach their first final this century. We aren’t even counting the many players he has shaped at the National Cricket Academy or at several junior camps.File photo – Captain Aditya Shrivastava contributed a crucial second-innings 82 to drive home MP’s advantage over Bengal•PTI For three weeks now, MP’s hotel has been their home. Even with bubble restrictions lifted, they’ve continued taking precautions, and kept to themselves. Instead of a round of golf next door, the players have spent the extra hour at the gym. Rather than trips downtown to visit a mall, watch a movie, or grab a bite, they’ve indulged in and chitchat by the poolside, or competitive games of FIFA, or late-night coffee sessions.These players have had each other’s backs through thick and thin. Team bonding has been the foundation of their Ranji Trophy campaign. It perhaps is with most successful teams, but this feels different. Or maybe it just feels so organic that the vibes resonate across the group without anyone going out of their way to speak about it.You can see why this is big. MP don’t often make Ranji finals. They were last there in 1998-99, when they lost to Karnataka. Pandit, incidentally, was their captain then.Now there’s another opportunity, potentially, should they see off Bengal’s challenge on the last day of their semi-final in Alur. MP need six wickets to win, and even a draw will be enough since they’ve secured the first-innings lead. Bengal need a further 254 runs in a chase of 350.Kumar Kartikeya picked up three of the four Bengal wickets that fell on Friday. He’s itching to get his hands on the Ranji Trophy. When he left home nearly a decade ago, he didn’t know he’d make it to the IPL. The Ranji Trophy was all he’d heard of, and dreamt of playing in. If he were to win it now, it would make the trip back home doubly special.Rajat Patidar has seen different shades of the happiness spectrum over the last six months. In February, he wasn’t picked at the IPL auction. In April, he was sitting down to plan his wedding, but had to put it on the backburner. One call from Sanjay Bangar, the Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach, and he was in Mumbai within six hours.In May, he became the only Indian uncapped player to hit a century in the IPL playoffs. If he adds a Ranji Trophy win to that achievement, he might have a significantly expanded guest list when his much-delayed wedding goes ahead.Chandrakant Pandit coached Vidarbha to back-to-back Ranji Trophy titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19•PTI Akshat Raghuwanshi, the prankster in the group at 18, whom everyone is fond of, may have not even been here had MP had the services of the India allrounder Venkatesh Iyer. Raghuwanshi was making a mark in age-group cricket when a freak innings – a half-century off twenty-something balls in an impossible chase – made heads turn.Umpiring in an Under-19 match, Pandit declined to give a plumb lbw early in Raghuwanshi’s innings just so he could see more of this talent he’d heard so much about. What he saw certainly impressed him, because he gave Raghuwanshi his Ranji chance straightaway, and he’s responded with three half-centuries and a century in his first five innings at this level.Then there’s Aditya Shrivastava, the captain, who was all of five when MP last made it to the final. When he started out in 2015, he was so star-struck around the group that he’d barely mumble a word to the senior players.Here he is now, as captain, giving pep talks to the entire group – every day, every session, every time they step out onto the field. With the bat, his stubborn 82 in the second innings, his only half-century of the season so far, was as important as the 79 Patidar made in the same innings, the wickets Kartikeya took, or the century Himanshu Mantri made in the first innings.These are just some of several stories that make up this team, many of which are still waiting to be told. You are unlikely to hear them unless and until MP win. Because that is one of Pandit’s simple rules. Talk only after you have something to show for it.And no one is complaining. Everyone is happy to stick to this instruction. There’s the Ranji Trophy on the line, and they’re just giving it their all by shutting out external noise, quite literally.On Saturday, along with Pandit, there will be many others willing them on. Among them, will be all the former players who’ve shaped MP cricket into what it it today: the Bundelas, the Khurasiyas, the Saxenas and the Ojhas among others. They will all be wishing their team well.

He almost single-handedly finished Royals’ chase of 126, with an unbeaten 48-ball 70

Deivarayan Muthu20-Oct-20201:55

Steven Smith: Buttler can bat like de Villiers or Pollard at back end

It was a strange Abu Dhabi pitch. It offered slow turn and grip in the evening, but later in the night there wasn’t as much purchase for the spinners. Balls from different lengths, though, kept stopping at the batsmen.However, there was no stopping Jos Buttler on Monday night. On a surface where his captain Steven Smith – and all the Chennai Super Kings batsmen – struggled, Buttler almost single-handedly finished Rajasthan Royals’ chase of 126, with an unbeaten 70 off 48 balls, and gave their playoffs chances a leg-up.Buttler entered in the fifth over after Deepak Chahar and Josh Hazlewood had knocked over the Royals’ top order with swing and Test-match lengths. Hazlewood then thought he had trapped Smith for a duck after nipping one into the pads, but replays detected an inside edge as the Super Kings’ review went in vain. Smith kept shuffling across the stumps, but the bowlers kept denying him the access to the leg side. His first runs on his favourite leg side came off his 22nd ball and his first boundary off his 24th.Buttler, however, needed just eight balls to find the boundary. When Ravindra Jadeja slid one on the middle stump, Buttler stretched out, got his hands low, and reverse-swept him fiercely over point for four. Then, in the next over off Hazlewood, he took half a stride across off stump, and chipped him over mid-on. Buttler was showing what the Super Kings were desperately missing: power, intent, innovation and clarity.The Royals’ bowlers, particularly the legspin duo of Shreyas Gopal and Rahul Tewatia, had strangled the Super Kings, and MS Dhoni’s men just couldn’t find a way through to unsettle them. Jadeja was promoted ahead of Kedar Jadhav to counter Gopal and Tewatia, but he managed only 10 off 14 balls from them. Buttler, though, smartly took on the relatively weaker links in the Super Kings attack by going after Shardul Thakur and Piyush Chawla. He struck 48 off 27 balls from them, and gave Smith the breathing space he needed.Jos Buttler receives a special gift after finishing the chase for the Rajasthan Royals•BCCI”I think he came on with a really positive mindset and took the game on by playing his cricket shots,” Smith said of Buttler at the virtual press conference after the match. “He hit the ball nice and hard and his mindset was really positive. He made things easier for me at the other end and I was able to get myself into my innings.”Sure, Buttler reminded everyone that he’s a gun middle-order batsman, but, perhaps, there’s still a case for the Royals to move him back to the top and give themselves a better chance at qualifying for the playoffs. In the middle order in T20 cricket, Buttler has struck at 140.75 and averages 26.83 in 171 innings. His strike rate and average as an opener shoots up to 151.75 and 40.12 in 62 innings.A few low scores at the top for Buttler this IPL and Robin Uthappa regaining some form as an opener have tempted the team management to use Buttler as a middle-order finisher – a role he has made his own in 50-over cricket. The Royals’ coach Andrew McDonald is also big on match-ups and maintaining a left-right combination. So, they have paired up Ben Stokes with Uthappa at the top and are looking up to Buttler for the big finishing kick. Smith even likened Buttler’s middle-order impact to the likes of Kieron Pollard and AB de Villiers.”Jos is obviously an unbelievable player at the top, but I also believe he’s got the capabilities to do the things that AB de Villiers, Pollards and Hardik Pandyas….guys like that can do at the back end,” Smith said.”Those kinds of players at the back end win you games, so it’s a difficult one. I heard Jos loves batting at the top as well, so that conversation is a difficult one, but it provides such great stability in the middle and the power and innovation that he’s got is second to none. So, obviously we’re lucky to have a player like Jos and the ability that he’s got and the versatility he has in his batting as well.”The original finisher Dhoni was probably impressed by Buttler’s innings, too, handing over his yellow jersey from his 200th IPL game.

The New York Yankees didn't have Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, but late in a tie game, the team looked to the veteran slugger for some offense.

The Orioles were prepared for that, however. After Stanton entered the game as a pinch hitter, taking the place of Ryan McMahon, Baltimore opted to intentionally walk him to eliminate the home run threat.

Well, with Stanton being an absolutely abysmal baserunner, the decision to give him first base for free resulted in the end of his night. Aaron Boone quickly moved to pinch run for Stanton, who is a liability on the base paths, bringing in Anthony Volpe to take over at first base.

As quickly as Stanton's night started, it ended.

That's one way to make a contribution. Unfortunately, the Yankees weren't able to capitalize on Stanton's intentional walk, unable to get a run on the board to break the 1–1 deadlock.

Stanton's lack of mobility at this stage in his career means he's best served being utilized at DH. But with Aaron Judge occupying the role on Sunday, Stanton was out of the lineup and on the bench.

In 70 games this year, Stanton has a .916 OPS with 21 home runs and 56 RBIs.

Everton have now reportedly made an enquiry over signing a South American forward, who will be worth as much as £40m in 2026.

Moyes: Everton want to be "challenging for Europe"

After victory over Bournemouth in midweek, David Moyes looked ahead to his side’s clash against Nottingham Forest this afternoon with plenty of ambition in mind. The veteran manager, whilst urging Everton to stay realistic, admitted that he wants the Toffees to be a team “challenging for Europe”.

He told reporters: “If we can get another win against Nottingham Forest, we push ourselves right in there again, but in the same breath we’re all looking over our shoulder because we want to get more distance between the bottom of the league and the ones at the bottom at the moment.”

Given how tight the Premier League table is, Everton may not be far off where they want to be by the end of the weekend. Heading into the weekend, Moyes’ side sit 10th, but only three points adrift of the top four. If results go their way, they could find themselves in a sensational position.

It would then be about keeping hold of that European place and that’s something the January transfer window would help. On that front, The Friedkin Group have already got a number of targets in mind.

According to recent reports, Everton have now joined the race to sign Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid as he looks to earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad by returning to the Premier League.

Meanwhile, they’re also on the hunt for a striker amid Thierno Barry’s poor start and Beto’s continued struggles. It’s very much been the missing piece for Moyes and Everton have reportedly turned towards Yuri Alberto as a result.

Everton make enquiry to sign Yuri Alberto

According to TeamTalk, Everton have now made an enquiry over signing Alberto in 2026. The Corinthians forward is reportedly valued at as much as £40m, but could prove to be worth the price given how he’s starred since returning to Brazil in 2023.

Dubbed “superb” by South American expert Nathan Joyes last November, Alberto’s since enjoyed an excellent campaign in Brazil – scoring 18 goals in 54 games in all competitions.

As Everton search for the clinical striker that they so desperately need, the 24-year-old could finally get the Premier League move that has been on the cards for a couple of years.

Related Everton eyeing up move to sign former-Liverpool star who's been "fantastic"

He could come back to haunt Liverpool.

Posts 1 ByTom Cunningham Dec 3, 2025

£40m is, of course, a steep price to pay but that price would turn into a bargain if Alberto helped the Toffees into shock European contention this season.

Everton now ready to compete in race to sign "physical" La Liga star in £35m deal

The New York Yankees are hoping to see Jazz Chisholm Jr. back in the lineup before too long. Chisholm has missed the last 25 games while dealing with an oblique injury, but is set to embark on a rehab assignment in the coming days.

After Chisholm played the first 30 games of the season at second base, the Yankees are considering shaking things up when the 27-year-old makes his way back to the field. According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Chisholm could be moving to third base when he's activated from IL.

The six-year veteran has some, but not much, experience over at the hot corner. After being acquired by New York last season, he played 45 games at third base, but those are his only appearances at the position in his career.

With Chisholm unavailable, the Yankees have used Oswald Peraza at third base while D.J. LeMahieu slots in at second.

Aaron Boone told reporters that Chisholm is set to play third base for the organization's Double A affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, in a game on Thursday ahead of his return to the Yankees.

In 30 games before in his injury, Chisholm had a .714 OPS with seven home runs, 17 RBIs, six stolen bases and 39 strikeouts.

Are Manchester United back on track? It’s probably premature to make such a conclusive claim, but then we can’t help but notice the hint of success now that Ruben Amorim has strung together a five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.

It was refreshing to see the Portuguese coach speak candidly after the recent draw at Tottenham Hotspur, though. Amorim understands that, while progress has been made in recent months, there is so much work still to be plied.

While the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have reshaped the Red Devil frontline for the better, there’s no question that issues remain in the centre of the field, even with Casemiro resurgent and the skipper, Bruno Fernandes, in fine form.

Man Utd's search for a midfielder

INEOS and the Manchester United recruitment team have accepted that the midfield requires something of a rebuild, with Bruno and Casemiro into their 30s and Kobbie Mainoo out of sorts.

One of the pleasing changes of recent months has been a focus on adding Premier League-proven quality. Mbeumo and Cunha stand as testaments to this. Now, the same logic must be applied in the centre.

There are a number of possibilities, the most noisy of which centres on England star Elliot Anderson, though Nottingham Forest have placed a prohibitive £100m price tag on their prized star’s name.

United are ready to spend in 2026, though, and could instead make a move for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, having profiled the Cameroonian talent last summer.

According to GIVEMESPORT and Fabrizio Romano, Old Trafford Director of Football Jason Wilcox has held positive discussions with the young midfielder; however, it looks like Brighton have doubled down on their £115m valuation.

Crucially, Baleba is “very keen” on leaping at the chance to sign for Amorim’s outfit, and so a deal could certainly be pulled off next year.

Why Man Utd want Carlos Baleba

Man United have needed a mobile centre-midfielder for a while, and in Baleba, they might just land the perfect player.

The Brighton star is into his third season in the Premier League, and though he hasn’t been at his best since the summer, this is likely because of the fallout from United’s failed attempt to bring him away from Fabian Hurzeler’s outfit in August.

Hailed by analyst Joao Miguel as being a “transition monster” who “eats hectares of space for lunch”, the 5 foot 11 star would dovetail right into the way Amorim wants to play, perhaps even more so than Anderson, who is firmly rooted in Forest’s counter-pressing brand of football.

Anderson might be more mobile and energetic in his game, but Baleba’s mix of tough-tackling defending and ball-playing quality makes him the perfect alternative, and one who could even come to surpass the England man.

For all the gains United have made in recent months, they are still an imperfect outfit. Too easy to catch on the break and lacking physicality, xGA data reveals Amorim’s side to be among the most statistically porous in the division.

Burnley

22

23.4

Nott’m Forest

20

16.6

Man United

18

16.4

West Ham

23

16.3

Wolves

25

16.0

Baleba’s strength and ground-covering presence would ease this problem and then some, adding the fresh legs needed to keep Bruno on his A-game. This positive chain would ripple through to the forwards, who are already showing such promise.

Anderson is emerging as a talented midfielder, and either would be a credit to the Man United project. However, Baleba’s desire to move to Manchester, the club’s comprehensive profiling of his style and his powerful and athletic approach could see him emerge as the pick of the bunch.

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2 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 17, 2025

An “incredible” manager has now emerged as the leading candidate for the Nottingham Forest job, with Evangelos Marinakis considering sacking Ange Postecoglou.

Ange's future in doubt after terrible start

Ange has made an awful start to life as Forest manager, becoming the club’s first manager in 100 years to fail to win any of his first six games, and things may not improve anytime soon, with some very tricky fixtures on the horizon.

Consequently, it is no surprise the Australian’s future is now up in the air, with the Tricky Trees identifying a number of potential replacements, including Fulham’s Marco Silva, and Rafa Benitez, with the latter recently emerging as a leading candidate.

However, the ex-Liverpool boss is not the only major contender for the job, according to a report from The Telegraph, which states that Sean Dyche has now emerged as the frontrunner to replace Postecoglou in the dugout.

Marinakis is considering parting ways with the 60-year-old, as he is still yet to get a win on the board, and Dyche could be a safe pair of hands, given that he has experience guiding relegation-threatened teams to Premier League safety.

As previously mentioned, Silva has also been considered, alongside Brondby manager Steve Cooper, but with both currently employed, compensation would be an issue, so a move for an out-of-work manager could make more sense.

"Incredible" Dyche could be ideal appointment for Forest

It was always going to be a risk appointing Ange, given that the former Tottenham Hotspur boss is well-known for his attacking style of play, which is completely at odds with Nuno Espirito Santo’s more pragmatic, counter-attacking approach.

Trophy-laden manager open to Nottingham Forest talks after being spotted with Marinakis

The Greek billionaire was in “close proximity” to him very recently.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Oct 10, 2025

The appointment simply hasn’t worked out, and with some tough fixtures coming up, it would not be a surprise to see the 60-year-old face the sack soon, at which point Marinakis may be concerned about Forest being dragged into a relegation battle.

As such, it would be ideal to bring in a proven Premier League manager, who knows what it takes to avoid the drop, meaning Dyche could be perfect, having kept both Burnley and Everton in the top flight over the years.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has also lauded the 54-year-old, who utilises a 4-2-3-1 system, for the previous work he has done in the Premier League.

Long-term, Dyche may not be the answer, given that he was unable to turn Everton into contenders at the top end of the table, but on a short-term basis, the former Nottingham Forest trainee could make a real impact.

Aside from finally facing a shot on target, that was about as perfect a game as Arsenal could have hoped for.

Mikel Arteta’s side played host to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, and while Diego Simeone’s side are usually no pushovers, they were in North London.

Bar a momentary loss of composure from David Raya in the first half and a decent-looking shot from Julián Alvarez in the second, the Gunners never really looked in any danger and tore the Spanish side to pieces, earning their third win in Europe this season.

There were standout performances from all over the pitch for the hosts, but two starters really stood out: Declan Rice and someone who now has to be considered as one of the best in the world in his position.

Rice's game vs Atlético

While Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi put in brilliant performances alongside him, Rice was once again Arsenal’s most impressive midfielder on Tuesday night.

Granted, there were a couple of times in which he seemed to lose his footing, but aside from those minor blips, he was near enough faultless from the first minute to the last.

If the former West Ham United captain wasn’t helping snuff out attacks, he was helping kickstart them for the North Londoners, and as always seems to be the case these days, his deliveries were on another level.

It was his free-kick that led to the opening goal, and then towards the end of the game, he came incredibly close to picking up another assist with a similar pinpoint accurate delivery.

The all-action monster also left quite the impression on the Sun’s Jordan Davies, who awarded him an 8/10 match rating at full-time.

Rice’s game in numbers

Minutes

93′

Assists

1

Big Chances Created

2

Key Passes

3

Passes (Accurate)

45/46 (98%)

Shots

1

Touches

63

Interceptions

1

Clearances

1

Blocked Shots

1

Recoveries

2

All Stats via Sofascore

Unsurprisingly, his statistics more than justify the praise and back up the eyetest.

In 93 minutes of action, he amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.36, created two big chances, played three key passes, completed 45 of 46 passes, was accurate with 100% of his long balls, took one shot, took 63 touches, and made one clearance, an interception and two ball recoveries.

In all, it was another world-class performance from Rice that more than proves he is one of the very best in the world, which could also be said about one of his teammates displays.

The Arsenal star who is one of the best in the world

The brilliant thing for Arteta and the Arsenal faithful is that a host of players delivered sensational performances on Tuesday night.

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For example, Gabriel Martinelli scored a wonderful goal, Viktor Gyokeres nabbed a brace, and Jurrien Timber continued his impressive form going forward.

However, while all these starters were excellent, it’s impossible to ignore Gabriel Magalhães.

The Brazilian centre-back was at his imperious best against Simeone’s usually hard-as-nails Atlético, and in all phases of play looked near enough untouchable.

Of course, it was he who opened the scoring when he got on the end of Rice’s free-kick in the 57th minute.

And then, as if the Madrid outfit hadn’t learned their lesson from 13 minutes earlier, he once again got his head on a set-piece to provide the assist for Gyokeres to make it 4-0.

It wasn’t just in the opposition’s penalty area where he was a monster, though, as he did his absolute best to try and keep Raya from facing a shot on target at the other end of the pitch.

Unsurprisingly, the Sun’s Davies was massively impressed, awarding him a 9/10 and analyst Statman Dave went even further, describing him as one of the best defenders “on the planet.”

The 27-year-old’s statistics certainly help such a claim.

Gabriel’s game in numbers

Minutes

72′

Goals

1

Assists

1

Clearances

3

Blocked Shots

1

Aerial Duels (Won)

2 (2)

Big Chances Created

1

Key Passes

1

Passes (Accurate)

43/48 (90%)

Shots

3

All Stats via Sofascore

In just 72 minutes, he produced a combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.54, made three clearances, won 100% of his ground duels, blocked one shot, played one key pass, created one big chance, took three shots and completed 90% of his passes.

Ultimately, given his years of impressive displays and the level at which he is operating this season, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Gabriel is one of the best in the world, and Tuesday night only helped his case.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 20, 2025

Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez has been given time off and psychological support after being involved in a tragic road accident near the club’s training base that claimed the life of an 81-year-old man. The Spaniard was expected to be on the bench for Inter’s midweek game against Fiorentina, but will now take a week off to recover from the emotional trauma.

Inter offer full support to struggling Martinez

The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday morning near Inter’s training base in Fenegro, when Martinez’s car struck an elderly man who was crossing the road in a wheelchair. The Spaniard reportedly did his best to help the victim, who was later identified as Paolo Saibene, until emergency services arrived. An air ambulance being called to the scene, but the 81-year-old man was later pronounced dead in hospital.

The Serie A club quickly recognised the seriousness of the situation and moved quickly to support a visibly shaken Martinez. By the time Martinez arrived home on Monday evening, a psychologist was already waiting on him to provide support in coping with the emotional trauma, having been called in by the Milan club. According to , teammates and staff have stayed in constant contact, and Inter gave the goalkeeper the week off to recover from the tragic incident.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportInter cancel press conference and reach out to victim’s family

The incident happened shortly before 10am on Monday, leading Inter to cancel head coach Cristian Chivu’s scheduled pre-match press conference ahead of the Fiorentina game and morale was reportedly low during training, with the thoughts of the players and staff with the victim and the Spanish goalkeeper. 

Club officials are also expected to contact Saibene’s family to offer condolences and support. Meanwhile, Martinez went through routine drug and alcohol tests at Saronno hospital, with club officials present to assist him. Authorities in Como are still reviewing the accident, and a full report from reconstruction experts is expected later this week.

"Unfortunately, a serious and delicate event has occurred," Inter president Beppe Marotta said on Tuesday. "Our deepest sympathies are clearly with the family of the deceased, and we also feel for our player, whom we know very well. These are situations and misfortunes that, unfortunately, are part of everyday life, but I hope that we can also benefit from this tragic situation."

Martinez settling in at Inter

This season had started well for Martinez. Born in Las Palmas, Martinez came through Barcelona’s La Masia academy before joining RB Leipzig in 2020. After two years in Germany, he moved to Genoa and later signed for the Italian giants in the summer of 2024. The Spaniard was beginning to settle in and gain confidence, earning back-to-back starts against Sassuolo and Cagliari as he worked to prove himself as a reliable option behind veteran keeper Yann Sommer.

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IMAGO / Nicolo CampoDistraught Martinez cuts himself off from social media

Martinez won’t return to training until next week as he continues to recover from the emotional shock. The goalkeeper has been in touch with his teammates, coach Chivu, and club officials, who have all reached out to check on him and offer support. The 27-year-old has also stepped away from social media, deactivating his Instagram account to avoid online abuse. Meanwhile, Inter, who are currently fourth in Serie A standings, are doing their best to protect Martinez as he focuses on getting through one of the toughest weeks of his career.