England opener leads charge as she admits absence from T20I squad creates unique pressure

Valkerie Baynes26-Jun-2024

Tammy Beaumont got England motoring•Getty Images

England’s nine-wicket rout in the first match of New Zealand’s visit represented exactly how the hosts want to play.Having lacked a ruthless streak for much of their victorious ODI and T20I campaigns against Pakistan earlier in the home summer, England crushed the White Ferns on Wednesday, first by bowling them out for 156 in 33.3 overs thanks largely to Charlie Dean’s 4 for 38 before reeling in the target for the loss of just one wicket with a staggering 28.4 overs to spare, via brutal half-centuries from Tammy Beaumont and Maia Bouchier.Beaumont, unbeaten with 76 from 69 deliveries, and Bouchier, who had a breakout tour of New Zealand earlier this year and struck 67 off 50 balls, took England within 20 runs of victory with 137-run opening stand off just 106 deliveries. Combined with England’s spinners Dean, Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn – who took seven wickets between them – it was the sort of clinical all-round performance they had been seeking.Against Pakistan, England scrapped their way to victory in the first ODI before Nat Sciver-Brunt dominated the third, following a second-match wash-out. During the three T20Is, only Danni Wyatt’s quickfire 87 at Leeds stood out after Amy Jones and Dani Gibson rescued them from 11 for 4 in the series opener at Edgbaston and they managed to defend a modest total in the second match by bowling Pakistan out for just 79.It was those sorts of results, Beaumont said after beating New Zealand in Durham, that England had said they wanted to turn into much more dominant victories, especially given the mantra of “inspire and entertain” that has been underpinning their endeavours for the past two years.”We spoke a lot this morning about how we want to play our 50-over cricket, and what inspiring and entertaining is. At times that’s being ruthless and putting on a show like that,” Beaumont said. “To respond to that conversation and go out straight away and put it into action … in particular the bowling was absolutely ruthless.”That’s certainly the word we’ve started to use a bit more,” she added. “We want to enjoy our cricket, we want to show off, we want to show our skills and how much talent there is in that dressing-room, but actually we want to also win games of cricket and really dominate at the same time, and the two can definitely being mutually exclusive. So I think it was still a lot of fun today but still incredibly ruthless, and a bit of a statement for the start of a series.”It’s not necessarily the be-all and end-all. We still want to try and push the game forward and take the game to as many new heights as possible. But at the same time, when you’ve got the foot on the throat, we’re going to try and ram home that advantage.”England’s performance showed what they are capable of, given the talent at their disposal. Heather Knight was barely called upon after arriving with 20 runs still required, Sciver-Brunt and Wyatt went unused, while Alice Capsey and Sophia Dunkley were left out of the starting XI altogether, the latter having won back her place in the squad after a disappointing tour of New Zealand.Beaumont said that while Dunkley’s welcome return increased the competition for places, the same could be said for most spots in the side, as reflected by Ryana MacDonald-Gay’s call-up from an impressive domestic season as cover for injured seamer Kate Cross.Maia Bouchier got to fifty at well over a run a ball•PA Photos/Getty Images

Beaumont and Cross find themselves in a tough place, on the fringes of T20I selection with a World Cup just over three months away but important to England’s 50-over campaign in 2025 and, where applicable, the Test set-up too.And while hosting Pakistan and New Zealand hasn’t carried the same buzz as last year’s Women’s Ashes, Beaumont – England’s double-centurion in the Trent Bridge Test against Australia last June – said she was playing with more freedom now than she was back then, when England came back from a 6-0 points deficit after losing the Test and first T20I to draw by winning both the T20I and ODI series two games to one.”I found the Ashes quite difficult last year,” she said. “You have the high of scoring a double-hundred in a Test match and then literally an hour after the end of the Test, you get told you’re not around for the next 10 days – that kind of took the wind out of your sails a little bit. You then have 10 days of regional cricket and then rock up and you have to win every game of the Ashes to stay in. What the girls did in the T20s was incredible, but actually the pressure to come back in, be the opening batter, and keep that roll on and not be the one that messes it up and loses the Ashes, is pretty tough to deal with.”But unfortunately that’s the situation the likes of myself and Kate Cross are in. It feels like you’ve got to constantly make an impact to stay relevant, but that’s what you have to do. Both of us are good enough at sticking to our game and acknowledging that it’s tough, that’s how it is and it’s not going to get any easier. There’s nothing anyone can do really, unless they pick you in the T20s, but it doesn’t seem to happen. So yeah, that is what it is.”Related

Nat Sciver-Brunt: 'Being myself and free is the best way of displaying Pride'

Wolvaardt on playing Tests: It's like last-minute studying for an exam

Dean, Beaumont, Bouchier lead New Zealand rout

Heather Knight: New Zealand ODIs offer chance for World Cup experimentation

Powerplay: Jon Lewis on spinners, stress management and AI

New Zealand have plenty of reflection and improvement ahead if they are to bounce back, having lost their home T20 and ODI series against England in March and April.Had 20-year-old opener Georgia Plimmer not been run out for 29 pressing on for a single after deflecting Melie Kerr’s shot off her boot straight to midwicket, New Zealand may have been able to forge a much-needed partnership. As it stood, only Brooke Halliday’s half-century stood out, and she was the sole White Ferns bowler to take a wicket after playing as a specialist batter during England’s tour of New Zealand while making her way back from a foot injury.”I was a little bit confused because I was just putting my kit on, but yeah, maybe one day when Georgia gets a little bit older, she’ll be able to say ‘no’ to Melie,” Halliday said. “We talked about recently trying to be in the crease a little bit tighter to the stumps to try and help get the single down at mid-on, so that came back to bite her a little bit there… it’s just unfortunate the way she got out, but good signs.”Individually everyone will probably reflect on batting, bowling and fielding and then we’ll come together as a group and see what we want to work on and how we’re going to approach the next game. We’re not going to dwell too much on it, I’m sure, but you’ve always got to reflect and take what you can out of a game like this.”

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.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

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

Essex wicketkeeper claims share of county record but hosts face difficult final day

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2024Essex 339 (Walter 134, Critchley 53, Potts 4-71) and 28 for 1 need a further 405 to beat Durham 587 and 184 for 8 dec (Borthwick 71, Harmer 4-75, Porter 3-18)Wicketkeeper Michael Pepper equalled the Essex record for the most Vitality County Championship dismissals in a match as his side were set 433 to win on what looks like being an intriguing final day.Pepper had taken four catches in the first innings and followed it up with another quartet and a stumping in the second to equal the county’s best of nine in the match.Earlier, Paul Walter had completed the second century of his career but Matthew Potts’ exceptional fast bowling gave Durham a 248-run first-innings lead.The visitors did not ask Essex to follow on, and Jamie Porter extended his lead as Division One’s leading wicket-taker with three scalps to take him to 32 wickets this season, with Simon Harmer picking up four before Durham declared eight down.That set Essex 433 to win in a minimum of 107 overs, and in the 11 overs in the evening, Potts nicked off Nick Browne as the hosts reached 28 for 1 with 405 still required to win.Walter had been restricted to two Championship appearances this season after hyper-extending a toe on his left foot. The left-hander had saved Essex with Matt Critchley the previous evening but their 147-run stand ended early on day three when Critchley slapped to mid-off having failed to settle in the morning.Walter continued with a lovely array of drives to reach a 146-ball century, the second of his first-class career and much quicker than his 263-ball effort against Yorkshire two summers ago.Potts has slowed his run-up down in recent times but has not lost his pace and was electric in the morning. He had only taken 11 wickets in his previous five outings this season, as his hopes of taking James Anderson’s spot in the England Test team diminished.Potts had already accounted for Browne and Jordan Cox before beating Pepper and Walter for pace to end up with a season-best 4 for 71.That left Essex 310 for 7, and the final three didn’t stick around. Shane Snater drove to cover, Harmer edged a ball that kept low behind and Eathan Bosch skewed to short third.Durham’s decision to bat again backfired initially as they slumped to 11 for 2 and then 77 for 4 with Porter continuing his season haul.Unlike Potts, Porter’s England dreams have seemingly faded but his appetite for wickets hasn’t lessened. He found a subtle amount of nip away to find Alex Lees’ outside edge first ball of the innings, then extracted a feather edge from Michael Jones’ bat in the seventh over. He could almost have had a couple more had he had a bit more luck with some chop-ons.The pitch, which had been a batting paradise, has developed some variable bounce and turn as the innings have progressed – which Harmer and Critchley exploited. Harmer got his wicket by teasing David Bedingham with a flighty delivery outside off stump, with the ball lobbing to Tom Westley at cover.Critchley also got first-innings centurion Ollie Robinson chasing a wider ball to edge behind, before Porter returned after tea to castle Colin Ackermann.The steady trickle of wickets was juxtaposed by Scott Borthwick’s 88th first-class fifty; a picture of serenity, simply picking off the wayward balls for 71. But his vigil was ended by Harmer, with Pepper grabbing his eighth catch of the match, and then Ben Raine slog-swept into the deep two balls later.Pepper stumped Bas de Leede to bring about the declaration, to join Kenneth Gibson, David East and James Foster as the only Essex keepers to effect nine dismissals in a match.Browne edged Potts – who ended the day with 1 for 9 from his five overs – behind as Durham made an early inroad.

Chelsea’s recruitment drive has been pretty exciting over the last week, with numerous talks ongoing behind-the-scenes after they sealed a deal for Liam Delap.

Chelsea attempting to confirm more signings before Club World Cup

Delap officially signed a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge earlier this week and will don the number nine shirt, with the Blues deciding to pay his £30 million release clause.

Chelsea push to sign second ex-Man City gem after Delap amid £20m discount

The Blues could add to their ex-City contingent again.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 5, 2025

The now-former Ipswich Town star is eligible to take part in Chelsea’s Club World Cup campaign, giving Enzo Maresca a classic out-and-out number nine to work with ahead of the potentially lucrative tournament, which could yield £97 million in prize money.

BlueCo are by no means slowing down in the market after the confirmed arrival of Delap, with Chelsea at work to strengthen numerous other areas of Maresca’s squad before the mini-window shuts on June 10.

Ipswich Town 2-0 Chelsea

8.08

Bournemouth 1-2 Ipswich Town

8.05

Ipswich Town 2-2 Aston Villa

8.04

Ipswich Town 1-2 Southampton

7.83

Fulham 2-2 Ipswich Town

7.55

via WhoScored

Chelsea are still reportedly pushing to sign Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund, as his price tag apparently drops to around £30 million, and they’ve been in discussions with AC Milan about a deal for French international goalkeeper AC Milan.

However, despite Chelsea holding talks over Maignan, as first revealed by Fabrizio Romano, there remains a considerable gap in valuation between the clubs.

With Chelsea also reportedly in negotiations over signing Ajax starlet Jorrel Hato in their pursuit of a new centre-back, not to mention a move for Eintracht Frankfurt sensation Hugo Ekitike, it is clear that Maresca’s side are pulling no punches as they attempt to reinforce the squad.

There’s actually been an interesting update on the latter, who appears likely to leave Eintracht after just one full season in the Bundesliga.

Hugo Ekitike clear he wants to join Chelsea with "positive talks" held

According to a report by journalist Simon Phillips, via his Substack, Ekitike has communicated his desire to join Chelsea behind-the-scenes – following the 6 foot 3 striker’s excellent campaign of 22 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

However, the move remains complicated, with price proving to be a major sticking point.

“More positive talks yesterday and this one has been progressing. However, as with Maignan, Chelsea are not paying their asking price. Games are being played here too,” said Phillips.

“The player wants the move and has communicated that. Frankfurt know they are selling him, so Chelsea once again are taking the tough stance here and know they are in a strong position.

“Chelsea have mooted players to Frankfurt as a make-weight on the deal, and they are interested. I don’t know which players, but it is rumoured to be a couple from Strasbourg, so it would have to be unofficial favour for a favour ‘swap’ deals here.

“I see this one dragging on a bit to be honest because the gap in valuation is too big. But as I said, there has been positive progress on this over the last week. By the way, there is no way Chelsea should be paying £80m for Ekitike so I back this stance here, I just don’t back it for Maignan.”

Match details

Netherlands vs Sri Lanka
Gros Islet, 8.30pm local

Big picture

Well, where do you go from here? For Sri Lanka, safe to say, this is nowhere near where they would have wanted to be, as yet another major ICC tournament goes by with them toiling with little more than pride to play for.This turn of events might rankle even more considering that coming into this tournament there had been a quiet confidence in the Sri Lankan camp, particularly of positive results against one or both of South Africa and Bangladesh – certainly the latter whom they recently beat in T20Is – as well a deep run in the tournament. But things didn’t quite work out that way, and following a washout against Nepal, they are now faced with the very real prospect/ignominy of ending at the bottom of their group with not even a win to their name.It’s also their final ICC tournament until their home T20 World Cup in 2026 – there’s a Champions Trophy next year but they missed out on qualification – so regardless of the result, there will no doubt be an inquisition back home into the state of white-ball cricket.Related

• Mathews on Sri Lanka's exit: 'We've let the entire nation down'

• Bangladesh favourites to make Super Eight, but Nepal could ask difficult questions

As for the Netherlands, there is still a chance to qualify for Super Eight, but it requires a dominant win against Sri Lanka, as well as Nepal beating Bangladesh.If this scenario had been posited a couple of years ago, it’s safe to say Bangladesh would have been pretty relaxed, but such has been the upward trajectory of the Associate members, especially at this tournament, such upsets are not nearly as surprising as they once might have been.Nepal’s agonising defeat to South Africa allied with Sri Lanka’s dismal showing so far in this tournament has lent itself further to these unlikely scenarios, but there’s more to it. While Sri Lanka have Test tours of England and South Africa scheduled for the year following this campaign, the failure to qualify for the Dutch means their cricket for the foreseeable future is done, so they’re certainly not in want of added motivation. With them playing after Bangladesh and Nepal, they will go in knowing exactly what’s needed of them.In terms of head-to-head records, Sri Lanka have never lost to Netherlands, but the more recent encounters haven’t been as one-sided as the scorecards might suggest.

Form guide

Netherlands LLWLL (Last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLWLW

In the spotlight – Aryan Dutt and Angelo Mathews

Aryan Dutt had impressed with a three-wicket haul in the last encounter between these two sides – at last year’s ODI World Cup. While he was overlooked in the more seamer-friendly conditions of Dallas and New York, he found his way back into the side against Bangladesh in Kingstown. With spin set to play a key role in Gros Islet, Dutt’s control and variation could prove pivotal in the powerplay to expose Sri Lanka’s soft middle order.Angelo Mathews’ last T20I at Gros Islet was all the way back in 2010•ICC/Getty Images

When Angelo Mathews last played at Gros Islet, his career was in its infancy. Then too it was during a T20 World Cup, but Sri Lanka Cricket – at least on the field – was in a better place. Now 14 years later, he is back as an ageing stalwart with his team having been eliminated at the first hurdle. He has also struggled to keep up with the more aggressive approach T20 cricket demands – his career strike rate stalling at 119.48, well below the standard bearers of the format. With Sri Lanka’s power-hitters currently restricted to their top three and an out-of-form Dasun Shanaka, they need Mathews to show he’s capable of adapting to the times.

Team news – spin to win?

Spin-bowling allrounder Saqib Zulfiqar could come into the XI should the Netherlands opt for an extra spinner.Netherlands (probable XI): 1 Michael Levitt, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Vikramjit Singh, 4 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 5 Scott Edwards (capt, wk), 6 Bas de Leede, 7 Logan van Beek, 8 Tim Pringle/Saqib Zulfiqar, 9 Aryan Dutt, 10 Paul van Meekeren, 11 Vivian KingmaIf Sri Lanka want an extra spinner, they could hand allrounder Dunith Wellalage a T20I debut.Sri Lanka (probable XI): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamindu Mendis, 4 Dhananjaya de Silva, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga (capt), 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Matheesha Pathirana, 11 Nuwan Thushara

Pitch and conditions

There were runs aplenty in the Australia-Scotland game, which will be encouraging for both sets of batters but Australia’s deployment of three spinners might provide some indication as to the most effective tactic on this Gros Islet pitch. As for the weather, there is a possibility of rain later in the night.

Stats that matter

• Sri Lanka have a 9-0 win-loss record against the Netherlands in limited-overs cricket.
• Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka are the only Sri Lankan batters to average above 25 and have a strike rate of above 130 in T20Is since January 2023.
• The average first-innings score at Gros Islet is 161.

Quotes

“They gave us great support, no matter where we play. Whether it was in Sri Lanka or even here, there were a lot supporting us. And I feel very sorry as we couldn’t do anything for them. I want to apologise for that.”
“For our guys, it’s an awesome opportunity to play cricket in different parts of the world. It’s something we thrive off. We love playing in different conditions in different parts of the world. Obviously, it’s short breaks between games but that’s just part of how these World Cups go and our guys love that.”

There is no shying away from the fact that the 2025/26 campaign is going to be an incredibly difficult one for Leeds United in the Premier League.

The Whites won the Championship title with a staggering 100 points, returning to the top-flight at the second time of asking, and are now preparing for a season at the top table.

Daniel Farke and the recruitment team are tasked with building a squad that can defy the odds next term, as the last six teams to be promoted to the Premier League have all been relegated at the first attempt.

The German head coach was not too keen to talk about the top-flight straight after promotion was secured back in April, but it will be on his mind now.

Leeds have already been linked with plenty of potential new signings to bolster their options across the board, and one player they have been linked with a move for is central defender Japhet Tanganga.

Why Japhet Tanganga could be a good signing for Leeds

The West Yorkshire outfit are reportedly eyeing up a move to sign the Millwall centre-back, who has a release clause in his contract that makes him available for a fee of just under £2m.

Sunderland and Burnley are also said to be interested in a deal for the former Tottenham Hotspur starlet, which means that the Whites could face plenty of competition to strike a bargain move for Tanganga.

For a fee of less than £2m, the English titan could be a good signing for Leeds because he has been an impressive performer in the Championship and has the potential to be a strong addition to the squad.

Whilst he has yet to prove himself in the Premier League, as he had to drop down to the second tier after coming through at Spurs, he has shown promise in the Championship with Millwall.

Japhet Tanganga (Championship)	23/24	24/25
Appearances	18	40
Tackles + interceptions per game	2.6	2.3
Clearances per game	3.3	5.4
Ground duel success rate	53%	61%
Aerial duel success rate	55%	63%
Dribbled past per game	0.2	0.3x
Clean sheets	5	14
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Tanganga provided a strong presence at the back for Millwall in the 2024/25 campaign, especially, winning over 60% of his duels on the ground and in the air, whilst rarely being dribbled past.

If he can translate that kind of form over to the Premier League, then he could be a dominant force at the heart of the Leeds defence. However, the Whites could land an even better centre-back signing with a move for a Serie A defender.

Leeds in talks to sign Serie A stopper

According to Tutto Mercato Web, Leeds United are interested in a deal to sign Udinese central defender Jaka Bijol in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that contact has already been made between the two parties as the Whites attempt to push ahead with a swoop for the Slovenia international in the coming days.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It states that talks are set to get underway in the next few days after the initial contact was made, although it remains to be seen exactly when Leeds will make an official move for the centre-back.

Tutto Mercato Web does, however, reveal that Udinese are ready to demand a fee in the region of £17m in order to allow their star defender to move on from the Serie A club before the end of the transfer window.

Leeds could, now, snap up an even better signing than Tanganga by going through with a swoop for this Slovenian star in the weeks to come.

Why Bijol would be a better signing than Tanganga

As aforementioned, the Millwall titan is yet to prove himself on a regular basis in the Premier League, which is why he is currently playing in the Championship with the Lions.

Bijol, meanwhile, has shown himself to be a steady performer in one of Europe’s major leagues in the Serie A, and would arrive at Elland Road with top-flight pedigree.

He has been a regular starter for Udinese in each of the past three seasons in the Serie A, with 90 appearances in the division, and has proven himself to be a dependable option at centre-back.

Bijol won at least 65% of his aerial battles in all three of those terms, notably winning 76% of them in the 2023/24 campaign, which speaks to his dominant defensive work in the air at the very top level in Italy.

Most impressively, though, the 26-year-old titan’s statistics at league level in the 2024/25 season were even more eye-catching than Tanganga’s were at a lower level.

24/25 league stats (per 90)	Jaka Bijol (Serie A)	Japhet Tanganga (Championship)
Pass accuracy	84%	77%
Progressive passes	2.98	2.10
Tackles + interceptions	2.46	2.33
Blocks	1.15	0.99
Clearances	5.53	5.57
Aerial duels won	3.31	3.07
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Bijol offered more to his team in possession when building attacks out from the back with his reliability and progression on the ball, which could help to limit any mistakes when playing out under Farke in the top-flight.

The Slovenian star, who claimed he has “no fear”, also made more tackles, interceptions, and blocks per 90, with a very similar number of clearances, which suggests that he would also offer more to Leeds as an out-and-out defender.

Crucially, these performances from Bijol were in one of the top leagues in Europe and may be more likely to translate to the Premier League than Tanganga’s Championship showings are, due to him already proving himself at the top level.

This is why the Whites could land an even better signing than the English stopper by going through with a deal to sign the Udinese central defender before the end of the summer transfer window.

Leeds now chasing double swoop to sign £8m goalkeeper and Ligue 1 standout

The Yorkshire club are wasting no time.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 7, 2025

It is now down to the board, though, to reach an agreement with the Serie A side once they enter the talks that Tutto Mercato Web claims are set to take place soon.

Chelsea are now just two games away from being crowned champions of the world.

Late on Friday night, the Blues booked their place in the Club World Cup semi-finals, thanks to a 2-1 victory over Palmeiras at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Cole Palmer broke the deadlock early, only for Chelsea-bound Estêvão Willian to score a stunning equaliser, but Malo Gusto’s late cross was deflected into his own net by Agustín Giay as the Londoners prevailed in Pennsylvania.

Enzo Maresca’s team will now take on Fluminense in Tuesday’s semi-finals at MetLife Stadium, the third different Brazilian club they’ve faced this summer, firm favourites to reach the final, where either Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid await.

Related How to Watch the FIFA Club World Cup for Free

Everything you need to know about the Club World Cup.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Jun 13, 2025

Meantime, Chelsea remain, as is their want, extremely busy in the transfer market, with João Pedro debuting off the bench on Friday, while Jamie Gittens has since arrived too, it could mean that another of their forward players is to take his leave.

The latest on Noni Madueke's Chelsea future

As reported by Sam Dean and Sam Wallace of the Telegraph, Arsenal are preparing a £50m bid for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke.

Meantime, David Ornstein of the Athletic notes that the England international has actually already ‘agreed personal terms’ with the Gunners, and this deal appears as though it could actually happen, with Madueke thereby becoming the tenth player to leave Chelsea for Arsenal in the modern era, six of which have done so since 2019.

Players Arsenal have signed from Chelsea (1992-present)

Players

Year

Fee

William Gallas

2006

£5m

Lassana Diarra

2007

£6m

Yossi Benayoun

2011

Loan

Petr Čech

2015

£10m

David Luiz

2019

£8m

Willian

2020

Free

Jorginho

2023

£12m

Kai Havertz

2023

£65m

Raheem Sterling

2024

Loan

Kepa Arrizabalaga

2025

£5m

Information courtesy of Premier League.com

A real mixed bag there from an Arsenal perspective, with Chelsea supporters very much viewing their North London rivals as a bit of a dumping ground, but could a highly-rated teenager be moving in the opposite direction?

Chelsea targeting Madueke upgrade

According to a report by Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are closely monitoring Ethan Nwaneri’s contractual situation at Arsenal and are ‘ready to attack the situation’.

The 18-year-old, only eligible to sign a professional contract since March, currently has just one year remaining on his deal with the Gunners, and James McNicholas of the Athletic has reported that ‘talks are at a delicate stage’, with the club desperate to tie down ‘such a valuable prospect’.

He adds that, before committing to anything, the £47m-rated youngster wants to seek assurances over his playing time, following a breakout season at Arsenal, seeing 1,378 minutes of action across all competitions, including starting 11 Premier League matches, scoring nine goals.

For context, despite his age and the fact he played 1,246 fewer minutes, he only scored two fewer goals than Madueke across all competitions, underlining the immense potential and talent that he possesses.

Indeed, Nwaneri is only the third player to score nine goals before their 18th birthday for a Premier League club, after Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, who weren’t bad, were they?

Described by Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout as a “magnificent talent”, he could well be the perfect long-term replacement for Madueke, but if it is indeed first-team opportunities that are the teenager’s priority, perhaps Chelsea are not the right club to join, considering all the wide-attacking options currently on their books.

Chelsea’s current wide attackers

Players

Age

Chelsea appearances

Cole Palmer

23

95

Noni Madueke

23

91

Pedro Neto

25

49

Christopher Nkunku

27

60

Raheem Sterling

30

81

João Félix

25

40

Jamie Gittens

20

0

Mykhailo Mudryk*

24

73

Tyrique George

19

26

Kendry Páez

18

0

Estêvão Willian

18

0

Omari Kellyman

19

0

*currently banned for doping.

All information courtesy of Transfermarkt

Fair to say, Maresca has a fair few options from which to choose out-wide, even if Mykhailo Mudryk is currently banned, while a couple of others are likely to depart, including the aforementioned Madueke and João Félix.

Nevertheless, might Nwaneri be the best of the lot?

Well, former Chelsea winger Joe Cole compared the teenager to Lionel Messi, following Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Leicester City in February, stating “you can’t mark him because he can go both ways… I don’t even want to say it, but it’s like Messi”.

Meantime, Lorihanna Balabanova of Total Football Analysis praises Nwaneri’s ‘versatility’ and phenomenal ‘potential’, adding that his ‘best attribute is his ability to find pockets and exploit spaces’.

Thus, it is clear that Nwaneri is a player who is poised to be a future star, and if there’s one thing Chelsea love, it is hoovering up such young talents, so will they strike again?

Related More exciting than Estevao: Chelsea chase one of "England's biggest jewels"

Chelsea could be looking to make a move for one of England’s finest talents

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Jul 5, 2025

It also announced an expansion in the number of teams in the Women’s T20 World Cup to 16 from 2030

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2024The ICC has confirmed that a review into the conduct of T20 World Cup 2024 will be carried out after the global body set up a panel with three of its board directors – Roger Twose, Lawson Naidoo and Imran Khawaja – to oversee the review and submit findings later in the year.ESPNcricinfo had reported earlier that there was scrutiny on the extent of expenditure on the US leg of the tournament and the organisation of the Caribbean leg. The decision to appoint a review panel was taken at the ICC annual conference in Colombo from July 19 to 22, which was attended by all 108 members. The three-man panel will engage an independent consultancy to carry out the review, before reporting back to the board.The ICC also approved the expansion of the Women’s T20 World Cup to 16 teams in 2030. Eight teams had taken part in the inaugural tournament in 2009 and that number rose to ten in 2016. Ten teams will also take part in the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October. The 2026 edition will have 12 participating teams, for which the cut-off date for qualification is October 31, 2024, before the expansion to 16 in 2030.For the next Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026, the ICC said the allocation of the eight regional qualifying spots would be as follows: two teams each from Africa and Europe, one from the Americas, and three from Asia and East Asia Pacific (EAP) combined. Previously, Asia had two spots and EAP one.The ICC also announced that USA Cricket and Cricket Chile have been “formally put on notice” because both organisations are not compliant with ICC membership criteria. They have 12 months to make rectifications.”Neither member is considered to have in place a fit for purpose detailed governance and administrative structure and systems,” the ICC said in a release. “The ICC Americas office will work with Cricket Chile to support them in remedying their non-compliance. The board agreed that a normalisation committee comprising of board and management representatives will be set up to oversee and monitor USA Cricket’s compliance roadmap and the ICC board will reserve its right to suspend or expel the member for continued non-compliance.”

One of the biggest priorities for Arsenal this summer is to sign a new centre forward with Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko both touted.

Yet, the Gunners must also bolster their options out wide where Bukayo Saka could do with added assistance on the right wing. Upgrades on Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, the scorers of ten goals apiece last term, could also be upgraded.

Andrea Berta has reportedly been looking at whole host of options with Premier League trio Anthony Gordon, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers all reportedly on their radar.

However, reports over the last 48 hours have suggested that Noni Madueke is now a very realistic option for Arsenal in the transfer window.

How Arsenal could strengthen out wide

The ever-reliable David Ornstein revealed to his followers on Saturday afternoon that Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Madueke.

Club-to-club talks are yet to take place but the Gunners have clearly not done a lot of work on the player side.

Chelsea are now expecting a bid from the Gunners in the forthcoming days, according to Sky Sports.

Capable of playing on the right or the left, the England international would add solid cover along the Arsenal attack, but truth be told, they can surely do better than this.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Well, one option is Real Madrid’s Rodrygo. They have flirted with making a move for the Brazilian for most of the window and according to prior reports, positive talks have been held regarding a move.

Reports from Spain a few days ago suggested that Arsenal were prepared to put a whopping £78m on the table to prise the winger away from the Spanish capital and it’s now been revealed that he actually fancies a move.

According to Gunners insider, Hand of Arsenal, intermediaries working with clubs in Saudi Arabia have been told that “in no uncertain terms that Rodrygo’s preference is to move to the Premier League.”

The report goes on to reveal that Arsenal is the Brazil star’s “absolute priority” if a deal can be struck with Madrid.

How Rodrygo compares to Noni Madueke

There are understandable concerns from Arsenal supporters that Madueke would be another dud Chelsea player they’ve signed.

However, he does have immense talent. The winger scored a Premier League hat-trick in 2024/25 and despite the wealth of riches available to Enzo Maresca in attack, the England international still started 27 games in the top-flight.

Yet, he’s not Rodrygo, is he? The Brazil “superstar”, as he’s been dubbed by former teammate Luka Modric, has a history of scoring plenty of goals in Spain and the best campaign of his career came back in 2022/23, when he found the net on 19 occasions.

He may have only scored six times in LaLiga throughout the last campaign but he found the net 14 times across all competitions. He also supplied 11 assists to rubberstamp his threat as a creator too.

Madueke, on the other hand, only scored 11 goals in all competitions and registered just five assists. Already, we can see that Rodrygo produces better output. But, where else does the 24-year-old Madrista thrive?

Goals per game

0.24

0.25

Assists per game

0.11

0.20

Shots *

3.54

2.52

Key passes *

1.42

2.29

Progressive passes *

3.05

5.05

Shot-creating actions *

3.50

4.95

Successful take-ons *

1.99

2.29

Progressive carries

6.81

5.28

Carries

28.4

41.5

Touches

43.4

62.6

Well, in 80% of the metrics analysed, it’s the Madrid sensation who comes out on top. Not only does he produce more goals and assists per game, but he’s just overall a much greater threat in the final third of the pitch.

Madueke does trump him for progressive carries, but that aside, there are some big wins for Arsenal’s £78m target, perhaps most notably in a creative sense, where he registered more progressive passes, shot-creating actions and key passes.

Yes, Arsenal had problems scoring goals last term but with Saka out injured, they also lacked a bit of creativity. After all, no one in the Premier League came close to matching his level of output in that regard.

Saka produced the highest number of expected assists per 90 minutes last term (0.52) in the entire division, more than even Mo Salah, who produced 0.48.

So, with Rodrygo looking a lot more like the complete package when compared to Madueke, he must be Arsenal’s biggest priority once they’ve got a striker over the line.

The dream squad Arsenal could build: £235m stars & "the new Haaland" sign

Here’s what the Arsenal squad could look like at the end of the summer.

ByMatt Dawson Jul 6, 2025

BBL officials remain hopeful that Australia’s Test players will be able to feature in the latter stages of the regular season in January although availability will come down to workloads after the five-Test series against India.With Australia due to tour Sri Lanka for two Tests from late January, players involved in that squad won’t be available for the BBL finals which run from January 21-27. The India series finishes on January 7 in Sydney with a window of approximately the final ten days of the BBL home-and-away stage where Tests stars could feature, but it appears unlikely that will include the fast bowlers.Related

• All the BBL and WBBL squads for 2025-26 season

• T20 World Cup puts squeeze on WBBL overseas stars

• All the BBL and WBBL squads for 2024-25 season

• Sydney Thunder confident of Warner BBL return

• Melbourne Stars get first pick in BBL overseas draft

The BBL fixtures were confirmed on Friday with the season starting on December 15 – the second day of the Brisbane Test – and the final played on January 27 which is a public holiday the day after Australia Day.”We’ve seen the last couple of seasons the impact those local heroes have when they come back into the BBL,” Alistair Dobson, the head of the BBL, told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ve given ourselves a really good opportunity this year from a scheduling perspective with the window post the SCG Test before our team head off to Sri Lanka for players to play a number of games.”We’ve given ourselves every shot. That said a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series is probably the toughest Test series our players will play in and that’s where their focus is. We’ll work with them as that series goes through to understand what they can do and whether they can play some BBL games. We know they want to and we are optimistic we’ll see a number of them back again.”Last season, some of Australia’s Test players made a brief appearance between the Pakistan and West Indies series.The BBL brought in a new mechanism which allows clubs to sign Australia contracted players outside of their 18-player squad with the ability to bring them in if they became available. Pat Cummins (Sydney Thunder) and Mitchell Starc (Sydney Sixers) took up this option but did not play for their clubs. It has been a decade since Starc last played BBL in 2014, while Cummins last featured in 2019.Last season Steven Smith played twice for Sydney Sixers, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne twice for Brisbane Heat and Alex Carey once for Adelaide Strikers. Travis Head had been set to play for Strikers but was rested by Cricket Australia while Nathan Lyon did not feature for his new team Melbourne Renegades.The overseas player draft is expected to take place in early September with clubs now able to sign player before the draft on a multi-year deal.Perth Scorchers will play on opening night•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Scorchers to launch season

Perth Scorchers will host the opening match of the 2024-25 season when they face Melbourne Stars at Optus Stadium. Once the BBL starts there will only be two nights during the regular season – Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – when matches won’t be played. With the Perth Test followed by the day/night game in Adelaide, which are broadcast into the primetime east coast market, being the first two in the series against India, it means the BBL then gets a clear run for the evening timeslot once it begins.Strikers will host their traditional fixture at Adelaide Oval on New Year’s Eve (against Scorchers) while Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers and Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars are the New Year’s Day fixtures. Defending champions Heat begin their campaign with an away fixture against Stars on December 18.A Boxing Day double header will follow the opening day of the MCG Test with Sixers playing Stars followed by Scorchers against Heat and there will be another double header after the first day of the SCG Test on January 3.

Geelong gets another chance

One of the major controversies last season was the abandoned game in Geelong between Renegades and Scorchers when a damp pitch was deemed to be dangerous. But there has been a show of faith for GMHBA Stadium which will host Renegades’ first home game against Hurricanes on December 19. Renegades other four home fixtures will be at Marvel Stadium.

BBL fixtures 2024-25

December 15:Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars, Optus Stadium (4.15pm)
December 16:Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades, SCG (7.15pm)
December 17: Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers, Manuka Oval (7.15pm)
December 18: Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat, MCG (7.15pm)
December 19: Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes, GMHBA Stadium (7.15pm)
December 20: Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars, Adelaide Oval (6.45pm)
December 21: Hobart Hurricanes vs Perth Scorchers, Blundstone Arena (4.00pm)
December 21: Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers, ENGIE Stadium (7.15pm)
December 22: Brisbane Heat vs Adelaide Strikers, Gabba (6.15pm)
December 23: Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers, Marvel Stadium (7.15pm)
December 26: Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars, SCG (6.05pm)
December 26: Perth Scorchers vs Brisbane Heat, Optus Stadium (6.15pm)
December 27: Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes, Adelaide Oval (6.45pm)
December 28: Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder, Manuka Oval (7.15pm)
December 29: Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers, Gabba (6.15pm)
December 30: Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Renegades, ENGIE Stadium (7.15pm)
December 31: Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Oval (6.45pm)
January 1: Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers, Blundstone Arena (4.00pm)
January 1: Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars, Gabba (6.15pm)
January 2: Melbourne Renegades vs Adelaide Strikers, Marvel Stadium (7.15pm)
January 3: Sydney Sixers vs Brisbane Heat, Coffs Harbour (6.05pm)
January 3: Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder ,Optus Stadium (6.15pm)
January 4: Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades, MCG (7.15pm)
January 5: Hobart Hurricanes vs Adelaide Strikers, Blundstone Arena (7.15pm)
January 6: Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder, Gabba(6.15pm)
January 7: Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Renegades, Optus Stadium (4.15pm)
January 8: Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes, ENGIE Stadium (7.15pm)
January 9: Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers, MCG (7.15pm)
January 10: Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Thunder, Blundstone Arena (7.15pm)
January 11: Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers, SCG (4.45pm)
January 11: Adelaide Strikers vs Brisbane Heat, Adelaide Oval (7.30pm)
January 12: Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars, Marvel Stadium (7.15pm)
January 13: Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers, ENGIE Stadium (7.30pm)
January 14: Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Renegades, Blundstone Arena(7.30pm)
January 15: Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Sixers, Adelaide Oval (7.00pm)
January 16: Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes, Gabba (6.30pm)
January 17: Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder, SCG (7.15pm)
January 18: Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat, Marvel Stadium (5.00pm)
January 18: Perth Scorchers vs Adelaide Strikers, Optus Stadium (5.15pm)
January 19: Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes, MCG (7.15pm)
January 21: The Qualifier (1 vs 2)
January 22: The Knockout (3 vs 4)
January 24: The Challenger (loser of Qualifier vs winner of Knockout)
January 27: The Final (Reserve Day, January 28)