Bangladesh’s traditional surfeit of slow left-armers has had a negative effect on other kinds of spin bowling in the country

Mohammad Isam06-Sep-2012That there are just two specialist legspinners in the 105-man list of BCB-contracted first-class cricketers doesn’t offend anyone in Bangladesh cricket. That the grand total stands at five, including two who are slowly drifting into batting allrounder roles and another who is considered a batsman despite his 148 first-class wickets, is hardly greeted with outrage.Chittagong division has both specialist leggies – Noor Hossain and Raihanuddin Arafat. Sabbir Rahman (Rajshahi) and Tanveer Haider (Rangpur) are the ones who began their careers as legspinners but are now mostly picked for their batting. Alok Kapali is the most successful legspinner in the country but he never really established himself as a top-level bowler, despite having a Test hat-trick to his name.It is a similarly dire outlook in terms of specialist offspinners, who are under threat of being driven out of business by the selectors’ proclivity for promoting batsmen who can provide offspin support. For the record, there are just two specialist offspinners – Sohag Gazi and Yasin Arafat – as against 21 recognised left-arm spinners, 15 of whom play as specialists in the eight regional teams.The numbers are a fair reflection of the general approach of decision-makers in Dhaka club cricket, which is the main source of income for cricketers in the country. Since the four-tiered structure (Premier League and first, second and third divisions) has a ruthless league format of one-day matches, officials are not willing to invest in bowling options they consider risky. There is a lot of love for “safe cricket”, and left-arm spin, which provides thrift if not wickets, fits the bill. Three, and even four, left-armers are often picked in playing XIs in the Dhaka First Division League, the only competition outside the Dhaka Premier League that is played on natural wickets.This lack of imagination among officials, perceptible over the last decade, has had an effect all along the food chain. The low demand for leggies and offies means that feeders such as academies and age-group teams across the country have no option but to nurture left-arm spinners, and so the supply of left-arm spinners outweighs those of the other varieties.”One has to understand that the young generation follows whoever is playing at the top level,” Habibul Bashar, now a national selector, tells ESPNcricinfo. “Imran Khan inspired so many kids to become fast bowlers in Pakistan. It is quite the same here; kids want to bowl left-arm spin because this is all they have in front of them.”There is a tradition of left-arm spinners in Bangladesh, and it is our forte. But I would have been happier if there were six or seven legspinners, at least, along with the large number of left-armers. We have told age-group coaches to find legspinners, keep an eye on them and let us know,” he said.The former Bangladesh captain said he used to be frustrated by the one-dimensional nature of bowling attacks at his disposal at every level. “I felt a little helpless when I had to put together a bowling combination. There were no offspinners, only left-arm spin.”He thinks the lack has also to do with the fact that it takes years to master legspin. “Legspin is a difficult art, compared to left-arm spin or offspin. I don’t know if there’s a mentality thing, where people don’t want to work hard.”A leg-spinner has a lot of advantages. He can get into the team quite easily, because I think winning games is easier with a good legspinner. But I’m not sure whether the new generation is interested in bowling legspin.”

Just as one-dimensional, left-arm-heavy bowling is hurting budding bowlers, it is also having an adverse effect on batsmen who are picked in the representative sides. They now take years to properly read offspin and legspin

The deficit has been hard on the existing legspinners. Hossain has been worn thin, shunted between representative teams like the Under-19s (in the recent World Cup) or Bangladesh A. The constant shifting about has not afforded him the opportunity to bowl lots of overs in matches in the NCL. The new contracts system, under which players will be pinned to a team for a year, could help in theory, but there is no guarantee that Hossain won’t be pulled out at short notice to play for the A team.Arafat’s stop-start career too says a lot about attitudes towards legspin. After taking 11 wickets in four games in his debut season (2003-04), he played two first-class games in 2005-06, one in 2006-07, three each in 2008-09 and 2009-10, two in 2010-11, and bowled just nine overs in the 2011-12 season. He was the token legspinner before Hossain, and toured South Africa with the National Cricket Academy in 2008.There is also a thin pack of offspinners – most of them batsmen who are part-time spinners than specialists. Gazi, the Barisal youngster, has played consistently for the last two seasons, mainly due to the bowling combination used by his team, as well as his ability with the bat (BCB lists him as an allrounder). “I really think that without the Barisal team, I wouldn’t get this far. They gave me enough opportunities to bowl and use as many variations as I please. I got the wickets too, which helped the team,” he said.The BCB contracts list is a fair reflection of the current status of offspin in the country – a far cry from the 1990s, when the skill was much used.Just as one-dimensional, left-arm-heavy bowling is hurting budding bowlers, it is also having an adverse effect on batsmen who are picked in the representative sides. Even those playing international cricket now take years to properly read offspin and legspin, and with the proliferation of left-hand batsmen in Bangladesh, at a time when the stocks of offspin are rising in several international teams, these problems are set to remain for the next few years.The Bangladesh selectors’ quest for legspinners or offspinners will be futile unless there is a change in the attitudes of those who are in charge of competitive cricket in the country. Not too many seem keen on the need for balancing the three formats in the domestic calendar. Introducing two-day or three-day tournaments in age-group cricket would seem to be the most viable option at this stage.

The match is off, but the fight for the result may just be starting.At present, as the ECB and BCCI sift through the fallout of the Test that never was, we know neither the result of the match or the series. We don’t know if the series will be finished in the 2022 English season, or if a one-off Test will be scheduled to mitigate for the substantial losses incurred by this one. We do not even know, for sure, what the insurance implications are.The basic facts are these: if the Test is deemed, by the ICC, to have been called off due to Covid, the game will be treated as abandoned. As a consequence, the series will finish (at least for now) as a 2-1 victory to India. This scenario would also mean the ECB receiving no insurance payout as it is not covered for this eventuality.But if the ICC decide India have effectively forfeited the match, the game will be awarded to England and the result of the series will be deemed to be 2-2. This scenario would also enable the ECB to make a claim for an insurance payout.The compromise solution, offered by the BCCI, is the rescheduling of this game. With India’s white-ball sides due to tour England in 2022, there would appear to be small window available for such a solution, though even then it is unclear whether the match would be treated as standalone or a completion of the current series.”We have to just take a breath and ask the ICC to formally adjudicate on the result of this,” Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, said. “The BCCI have offered to reschedule the match, which is good news. But whether that is part of this series, a fresh one-match series or the first match of another series, I don’t know yet.”These are the things that we need to take some time over. I know that fans will be anxious to know. Players are, too. But we do need to take some time in these situations.”Though both boards’ public statements sounded conciliatory, ESPNcricinfo has learned that, behind-the-scenes, the action has been every bit as competitive as anything we have seen on the pitch. The ECB has asserted that, if there is no rearranged date for the game, then the Test should be deemed to have been forfeited by India. That would not only square the series at 2-2, but would allow the ECB to claim insurance payouts on lost revenues, which could well exceed GBP 30 million (USD 41.6 million approx.).The ECB is not covered for Covid-impacted cancellation by insurance. While Harrison did originally seem to imply it was in an interview on Sky Sports, he later clarified to confirm it was not. Instead, he confirmed that all ticket-holders will be refunded by the ECB. Crucially, he argues that the match was not called-off due to a Covid outbreak, but due to of a Covid outbreak.A significant amount of money could be lost over the Old Trafford Test’s cancellation•Getty Images

The ICC’s World Test Championship conditions accept Covid outbreaks as an acceptable reason for abandoning a match, a tour or a series if it has a “significant impact” on a team’s ability to field a team. Whether they accept the of Covid as a reason for abandonment remains to be seen. Harrison – and separately Dinesh Karthik, who worked with the Sky commentary team during the series – both implied that it was fatigue from bubble life as much as anything else that drove the decision.”There is a tangible difference between those things [forfeit or cancellation], Harrison said. “This is not a Covid cancellation. This is a match cancelled because of serious concerns over the mental health and well-being of one of the teams. There is a difference. But it doesn’t make a difference in respect of a ticket buyers; they will be paid back in full. It makes a difference in terms of the ECB balance sheet.”You can’t be flippant about issues of mental health, and this is what this is about. India have been wonderful tourists, but they have been here for a long time. Playing at this level, week after week, is difficult. Even if we feel we are emerging from the pandemic, life is different for the players. When Covid creeps into an environment, it can accelerate very quickly.”Related

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The ECB remains adamant that Covid in itself was not the reason for the abandonment. It points out that the entire India squad was tested on Thursday – the day before the game – and all the results were negative. In principle, therefore, they had around 20 players from which to pick.However, four members of the support staff – first head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar, and later on physio Yogesh Parmar – had tested positive, while the other physio Nitin Patel had been identified as a close contact in the first batch of cases. Parmar had been working closely with players over recent days, with Patel staying away from the squad. As a result, players in the India squad have expressed nervousness about mixing, fearing the virus could be incubating within the group.Harrison was at pains to point out that the IPL was not a relevant factor in India’s decision making. Players from both teams involved in the competition are now hoping to arrange flights from the UK to the UAE on Saturday, with a six-day quarantine period likely to be necessary. The tournament is set to resume in the UAE on September 19 after also being put off in May after a Covid outbreak in the bubble. Any player testing positive in the UK would have to isolate for a minimum of 10 days.”Let me be super clear,” Harrison said. “I don’t think the IPL has anything to do with this. This is not a situation which has been created by the rescheduled IPL. I fundamentally do not believe that for a second.”With the game currently deemed “cancelled” – not “forfeited” – the onus will be on the ECB to have that decision overthrown. If it is to do that, it will have to contest it under the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee, which is currently chaired by Michael Beloff QC. A private pay-off before reaching that stage is also a possibility, though the offer of another Test next year may suffice.If the matter does come before such a committee, the whole affair could become quite messy. The ECB is likely to claim the India team breached protocols by attending Shastri’s book launch – he is being referred to as “patient zero” within the England camp – and will maintain the game was called off because senior India players simply refused to participate. The details of what constitutes a breach will be important, given that Harrison said teams were no longer in biosecure bubbles.”We’re in managed, living standards, which is a much better and more healthy place for players to be in the long term,” he said. “But it does carry with it some risks. Let’s be clear: we were never trying to sell this as a Covid-free environment, we were trying to sell this as a Covid-managed environment for our Indian friends who have been in bubbles for a long time as well as the England players, this was a really important part of them being here for a three-month period over the course of this summer.”The India camp is likely to argue that it lost faith in any protocols and point to the three pitch invasions from the YouTube blogger, Jarvo, as evidence of failures in security. They will also point to England’s abandonment of their tour to South Africa at the end of last year. Then, while a couple of England players did initially test positive for the virus, they were subsequently found to be false positives.For spectators, meanwhile, the host club, Lancashire, has guaranteed a refund. They are not, however, able to refund travel or accommodation costs. Lancashire’s chief executive, Daniel Gidney, described the club as “devastated” by the development.

West Indies captain wants his batters to ‘be clear about whether you’re playing forward or back’

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Nov-2021Defend a lot. Be clear on whether you’re playing back or forward. And stick around for a couple of sessions. This is West Indies’ batting game-plan for the second Test according to captain Kraigg Brathwaite.With the surface for the second Test expected to be even more spin-friendly than the first, West Indies’ batters technique and application seems set for another major examination.”The plan is to be clear in what you want to do. Believe that you can do it, and do it for long periods,” Brathwaite said. “We’ve got to have the discipline and the fight to do it for 50 overs – more than two sessions, or three sessions.”We had a lot of discussions. One important thing is that you’ve got to defend a lot of balls. Having a straight bat is one thing we discussed.  That’s very important. And sweeping as well – especially the offspinner. It’s just about being clear and confident about whether you’re playing forward or back.”West Indies’ only half-centurions in the first Test were Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua da Silva, who put up a 100-run stand in the second innings, rescuing the side from 18 for 6. Brathwaite said the remainder of the batters had drawn inspiration from that partnership.”Bonner and Josh showed that when you have a solid defence, if you put the effort and energy in, you’ll be successful. Sometimes when doubt comes in, you can slip up a bit. Just trust that defence. When the bad balls come you get runs. It’s important to have that clarity, as to what you want to do here.”In terms of how they were able to manoeuvre different balls, they were a very good example for us. As a batting group, it was good to see, and something to learn from.”West Indies have had a mixed 2021. They began with an excellent 2-0 victory in Bangladesh, before drawing two Tests at home against Sri Lanka. Their worst series was the 2-0 defeat at South Africa’s hands at home, before drawing a home series against Pakistan 1-1. Brathwaite outlined the importance of the next match: if they beat Sri Lanka, they would have won more matches in 2021 than they’ve lost.”To be honest we showed good progress in 2021. It was not a good series against South Africa, but we bounced back decent against Pakistan. In Bangladesh we won that series 2-0. Winning this game will be very crucial from a points perspective for the Test Championship. As a team we’ve made some strides. Once the group stays together and keeps building, that’s crucial.”

Glasgow Rangers head into their second Premiership match of the season under severe pressure to secure all three points.

The 0-0 draw against Hearts last week immediately put the Light Blues on the back foot, meaning a win over Motherwell this afternoon is a must.

Philippe Clement should make a few changes to his starting XI. Will a player who has started the opening two games of the campaign be dropped?

Tom Lawrence’s stats vs Hearts

Tom Lawrence was deployed as the number ten in the season opener against the Jambos due to the likes of Ianis Hagi and Todd Cantwell being on the verge of leaving the club.

During the tie, the Welshman completed just 21 passes, created just one big chance and made one key pass while succeeding with only one of his four dribble attempts. These are hardly the statistics of a player looking to carve open opposition defences.

Defensively, the former Derby County gem lost possession 11 times throughout the game, along with winning just four of his 15 total duels, showing how poor he was in one on one battles against the tricky Hearts side.

Rangers simply couldn’t find a way through the defence last week and there is no doubt that a greater threat in the final third is required against Motherwell today.

Touches

43

Accurate passes

21/25

Key passes

1

Big chances created

1

Total duels (won)

15 (4)

Dribble attempts (successful)

4 (1)

Via Sofascore

Could Clement relocate a player into the number ten slot against Well? As Mohamed Diomande has the ability to shine in a more advanced position.

The man to replace Lawrence vs Motherwell

The Ivorian has forged a solid partnership already with new signing Connor Barron in the heart of the midfield.

With a win needed, however, could Clement place Dujon Sterling in the centre of the midfield alongside Barron, moving Diomande into the attacking midfield slot?

During the second half of last season, the African averaged 1.5 key passes per game in the top flight, while also creating one big chance and succeeding with 62% of his dribble attempts, solid statistics as he adapted to Scottish football.

Prior to this, he was in excellent form for Danish side FC Nordsjaelland, as he showcased his abilities going forward during the first six months of the Danish top flight.

Indeed, the 22-year-old grabbed three assists, created three big chances and averaged 1.1 key passes per game. These statistics came in just 13 matches, making them stand out a lot more.

Lauded as “aggressive” by analyst John Walker, moving Diomande slightly further forward could be a masterstroke by the Belgian this afternoon.

He wouldn’t be sacrificing anything in the middle of the pitch, as Sterling has proved capable of starring in that area previously, therefore it is a gamble certainly worth taking in a must-win clash.

There is no doubt that the Light Blues do need to bring another attacking midfielder to the club, as Clement cannot rely on Lawrence between now and 2025, especially with his previous injury issues.

Diomande as the number ten behind Cyriel Dessers today? Yes please.

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The man staring intently at his laptop in the dugout is an increasingly central member of a team’s support staff

Amol Karhadkar13-May-2013A man – often a bespectacled one – glued to his laptop, more often than not seated next to the head coach, seems to have become a permanent fixture in the ever-expanding line-up of support staff that cricket teams feature these days.His designation – video analyst, analyst, or performance analyst – may differ from one set-up to another, but his role is increasingly being accepted and acknowledged as important by all teams. Times have changed.”In 2002, we used to run from pillar to post, trying to convince Ranji Trophy coaches and captains of the importance of analytics,” says Prasanna Agoram, who works as the performance analyst of South Africa’s national team and the IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore. “Nobody back then thought that men with laptops could make a difference to a team’s performance.Now not only do all the IPL and Ranji teams have analysts, almost all the Under-19 teams in India also have them.The advent of Twenty20 cricket has had a large part to play in the change. What was essentially a post-mortem and opposition-analysis tool had to become a real-time analysis tool to stay relevant in instant cricket. Currently the three majors in data analysis in the Indian cricket market -SportsMechanics, Sporting Minds and Kadamba – have their own versions of real-time decision-support systems.”The game changes within a matter of a couple of balls, so you have to provide real-time inputs,” says Subramanian Ramakrishnan, popularly known as Ramky, the founder-director of SportsMechanics. “A combination of mathematical algorithm formulae, situation of the game, and gut feeling helps you come up with a solution that can change the course of a game.”Usually players out in the middle look at the scoreboard and play accordingly. Here the dugout handles the analysis and a player only has to focus on execution.”Ramky has played a pivotal role in forcing Indian sports set-ups to take data analysis seriously. After being appointed as the Indian cricket team’s performance analyst in 2003, he went on to found SportsMechanics and also diversified into performance analysis in Olympic sports. SportsMechanics now helps the likes of badminton player Saina Nehwal in opponent analysis, and also has the Indian national cricket team as a key client. Four IPL teams – Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils and Pune Warriors – have been using SportsMechanics’ T20 software, Over the Rope, this season.The real-time decision-making system that analysts provide, if used effectively, might provide as much input as a key member of the support staff does in a game. The software enables a coach to survey all the possible options that are feasible during a game.For instance, say Mumbai are playing Super Kings and Ravindra Jadeja takes a couple of quick wickets. The software will present all the historical and predictive data of the remaining Mumbai batsmen to their coach, helping him decide on the best possible option in terms of whom to send in to bat next.T20 cricket has had a major impact on the players’ mindset and on the market dynamics of cricket. Analytics has been affected too. Earlier players were assessed on their average, more or less. When ODIs started to dominate international cricket, terms like strike rate and economy rate came into vogue. With T20, the goalposts have been moved again.”T20s have made data analysis more complex,” says AR Srikkanth, Kolkata Knight Riders’ analyst. “For instance, for a batsman, a release shot – the stroke that follows a couple of dot balls – has become very important, so you have to let a bowler know what a batsman’s release shot usually is.

“T20s have made data analysis more complex. For instance, for a batsman, a release shot – the stroke that follows a couple of dot balls – has become very important, so you have to let a bowler know what a batsman’s release shot usually is”AR Srikkanth, KKR’s analyst

“For a bowler, the comeback ball – the one after being hit for a four or a six – is critical. If you don’t focus on the comeback ball, you may end up conceding 20 or 25 runs in an over without realising it.”This means that IPL teams don’t just look at the overall strike rate and economy rate of a batsman or a bowler while pursuing players. “When it comes to signing a domestic batsman, the main factors that we delve into are the number of times he has finished games for a team, how many times has he been involved in match-winning partnerships, number of balls and dot balls he faces, his ratio ofrotating strike, and the ability to hit boundaries,” says Srikkanth.As for bowlers, just like a batsman’s innings is broken down into groups of every ten balls he faces, a bowler gets a detailed breakdown of his spell. “It matters a lot as to whether a bowler prefers to bowl all his four overs at one go or in three or four spells. The kind of balls he bowls in a particular spell have to be made known to the batsmen in advance,” Prasanna says.The IPL has brought in an unprecedented monetary dimension to cricket – not only in terms of player purses but also of players being remunerated differently. Cricket analysts need to factor the economic aspect in their data crunching.”There is a good chance of market value playing on a player’s mind. It may result in him prioritising personal interest over his team’s interest. Such a possibility is eradicated if you notice such a trend while analysing performances in detail,” Ramky says.Considering data analysts watch more video footage of competitive cricket all over the world than anyone else in a dressing room, their involvement in IPL auctions is on the rise. It was Srikkanth who first suggested KKR take a punt on Sunil Narine’s unorthodox offspin two years ago when they wanted a quality spinner.Prasanna says he will think a thousand times before suggesting RCB pay a million dollars for a pace bowler, considering he will play half his games “on belters in Bangalore”.While data analysts may and do differ on the calibre and value of a particular player, they are in unison when it comes to their job titles, and the tendency to refer to them as “video analysts”. Not just because their job is much more than just watching videos, but also because most of them are qualified coaches.”I don’t know who coined that term but we would rather prefer being referred to as a performance analyst.” Srikkanth says. “I hope there comes a day when a performance analyst will be known either as ‘intelligence provider’ or ‘assistant coach’.”

Liverpool are yet to conclude any business since Arne Slot took over as manager but fear not, we are still a while yet from the Premier League recommending in August.

Tears were shed when Jurgen Klopp departed Anfield in May, but this is a great chance for a reset in Merseyside.

Manchester City and Arsenal have been the dominant sides in the top-flight over the last two years but it's time that Slot put the Reds back in the conversation.

They fell away towards the end of last term but with some more firepower and more defensive solidity, they should be right back up there.

So, who could they sign? Well, they've already turned down Newcastle star Anthony Gordon, although there is a belief according to reports that they could go back in for him.

Another player happens to be his England colleague Marc Guehi.

The latest on Marc Guehi's future

Next summer could see three vital players leave Anfield behind. All of Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are out of contract. Of the three, you sense that Salah could be the first to jump ship.

However, if the latter takes his leave, they will need reinforcements. They may even need them before he departs.

One option could be Crystal Palace's Guehi. Slapped with an asking price of £65m, he has been the subject of interest from Liverpool in recent weeks, although considering his performances at Euro 2024, his signature could now be harder to obtain.

There also appears to be interest from Tottenham so if Richard Hughes and Co do make a move, it won't be straightforward to get over the line.

What Heskey has said about Marc Guehi

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of 888sport, Emile Heskey chatted to us about Liverpool's recruitment for this summer.

Asked about Guehi's displays, he was left incredibly impressed with the centre-back's level of performance in Germany this summer.

Although suspended for the quarter-final clash with Switzerland, he has been a rock at the heart of England's backline, taking Harry Maguire's left-centre back role and making it his own.

"He has looked so composed and assured," Heskey began. "I’ve been very impressed with him and he’s been one of England’s best players of the tournament so far. He has been solid in every game and formed an excellent partnership with John Stones at centre-back."

Marc Guehi at Euro 2024
Games played	4
Clean sheets	2
Touches *	91.8
Pass accuracy	93%
Interceptions *	0.5
Tackles *	0.5
Ball recoveries *	5
Duels won *	4
Yellow cards	2
Stats via Sofascore (* = per game)

The defender has only been a bit part of England squads in recent international breaks but he has now become a mainstay, something that has left the former Liverpool striker gushing.

Heskey continued: "Not playing a competitive game for England before at a major tournament, you have to say Guehi has been mightily impressive with the calmness he has shown throughout each game so far in the competition."

So, would he be a good signing for Slot? Heskey – who played for the Three Lions on 62 occasions – concluded: "He would be superb alongside Van Dijk. There is no better centre-back to learn from than him and it would take his game to the next level.

"Guehi has been so comfortable bringing the ball out from defence, he has good pace as well, so this would work well at Liverpool should it happen."

The Palace star did struggle with injury last term but featured on 25 occasions in the league, also captaining the club at times.

Emile Heskey backs Liverpool to sign "exciting" £70m PL star

Emile Heskey was speaking to Football FanCast this week.

By
Matt Dawson

Jul 7, 2024

In what could be a shrewd deal, Manchester United have reportedly "started discussing" a swap deal that would see Aaron Wan-Bissaka leave in favour of a possible upgrade this summer.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils have already flexed their new-found muscles with minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in charge of his first summer transfer window, welcoming both Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro. But there could still be more to come before the new Premier League campaign gets underway against Fulham on August 16, given that rumours have since linked the Red Devils to the likes of Ivan Toney and Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

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There have also been rumours on the departure front, with Jadon Sancho unsurprisingly the biggest name among those. The winger, who has undeniably been a transfer flop since arriving for a reported £73m in 2021 may not be the only one heading for an exit, however. As things stand, Wan-Bissaka's Manchester United contract is set to expire next summer, allowing the right-back to leave Old Trafford in a free deal, unless a reported swap deal comes off.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United and INEOS have "started discussing" a swap deal for Denzel Dumfries in what would see Wan-Bissaka head in the opposite direction to Inter Milan. The Dutchman, on around £50,000-a-week compared to Wan-Bissaka's £90,000-a-week, is set to be out of contract this time next year, which means that Inter could be in need of this deal just as much as those at Old Trafford.

Romano told GiveMeSport: “They're considering several players for that position. So it's true that some intermediaries started discussing this idea between Wan-Bissaka and Dumfries. It is not something very easy. So at the moment, it is not something advanced.

“But some intermediaries are trying to bring it to the table of both clubs and see what's going to happen. But again, it’s not that easy. Both players are out of contract next year, so this is why this idea started. Let's see what's going to happen between the clubs. Again, not something close or imminent.”

"Jewel" Dumfries could be an upgrade on Wan-Bissaka

Although Wan-Bissaka has done well to fight for his place in Erik ten Hag's side, it must still be said that the Red Devils would be far better suited to signing a more offensive option down the right-hand side if they are to become a team capable of permanently stepping onto the front foot. Whether it's Liverpool, Manchester City or, though to a lesser extent, Arsenal, the Premier League's best sides all deploy fullbacks capable of contributing going forward. Now, United may need to do the same.

Progressive Carries

50

30

Goals

4

0

Assists

4

2

Ball Recoveries

58

94

The numbers show that whilst Wan-Bissaka is better defensively, with a better ball recovery rate, but Dumfries' attacking output would make him an invaluable option. Described as a "jewel" by former Barcelona and Netherlands midfielder Ibrahim Affellay, Manchester United would be taking a significant step towards the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City by swapping Wan-Bissaka for Dumfries this summer.

حقق المنتخب الإنجليزي فوزه الثاني في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026، بثلاثية نظيفة أمام لاتفيا، تحت قيادة المدرب الألماني توماس توخيل.

والتقى منتخب إنجلترا مع لاتفيا، ضمن مباريات الجولة الثانية لتصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لمونديال 2026.

وافتتح ريس جيمس التسجيل للمنتخب الإنجليزي بهدف في شباك لاتفيا من ركلة حرة، في الدقيقة 38 من عمر المباراة. هدف ريس جيمس في مباراة إنجلترا ولاتفيا

🔥🔥 رييس جيمس يفتتح التسجيل للمنتخب الإنجليزي بهدف رائع من ركلة حرة على حدود منطقة جزاء لاتفيا#تصفيات_كأس_العالم_2026 | #رمضان_مع_beIN#WorldCupQualifiers | #RamadanwithbeIN pic.twitter.com/RCKI0EdrX5 — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) March 24, 2025

ثم عزز هاري كين تقدم إنجلترا بهدف ثانٍ في الدقيقة 68، بتمريرة من ديكلان رايس. هدف هاري كين في مباراة إنجلترا ولاتفيا

🔥⚽️ هاري كاين يعزز تقدم إنجلترا بهدف رائع من عرضية مميزة من ديكلان رايس#تصفيات_كأس_العالم_2026 | #رمضان_مع_beIN#WorldCupQualifiers | #RamadanwithbeIN pic.twitter.com/CbkbJWYSlN — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) March 24, 2025

وبحلول الدقيقة 76، سجل إيبيريشي إيز الهدف الثالث للإنجليز بتمريرة من فيل فودين. هدف إيبيريشي إيز في مباراة إنجلترا ولاتفيا

🔥⚽️ إيبيريشي إيز يعزز النتيجة للمنتخب الإنجليزي بهدف ثالث في شباك لاتفيا#تصفيات_كأس_العالم_2026 | #رمضان_مع_beIN#WorldCupQualifiers | #RamadanwithbeIN pic.twitter.com/wrJvsgHCQB — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) March 24, 2025

حسمت المباراة بفوز إنجلترا بثلاثية دون مقابل أمام لاتفيا، لترفع رصيدها في المجموعة إلى 6 نقاط، من انتصارين.

وكانت إنجلترا حققت الفوز في الجولة الأولى على ألبانيا بهدفين دون مقابل، وبالتالي تنفرد بصدارة المجموعة.

يذكر أن إنجلترا تقع في مجموعة تضم منتخبات ألبانيا ولاتفيا وصربيا وأندروا.

Two more Arsenal players are in ongoing talks to leave the Emirates Stadium with Emile Smith Rowe, who is said to be on the verge of a move to Fulham.

Smith Rowe close to joining Fulham from Arsenal in £35 million deal

The Hale End academy graduate, thanks partly to a knee injury last season, played just 347 minutes in the Premier League last season and started just three of his 13 top-flight appearances under Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal contact elite European club over signing £150,000-per-week forward

The north Londoners have reached out to them.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 25, 2024

Smith Rowe, who scored 10 league goals and registered a further two assists for Arsenal during the 2021/2022 season, his best campaign to date, also found himself competing with a host of star attackers to regain his place in Arteta's first team.

The Englishman has been heavily linked with a summer exit as a result, despite just how highly-rated he is in north London. Reliable journalist Charles Watts said earlier this week that Arsenal are reluctantly prepared to sell Smith Rowe for the right offer, and allow him to gain minutes elsewhere.

Arteta would ideally like to keep Smith Rowe at the club, but the attacking midfield ace is keen to play regular football and that is something which Arsenal cannot guarantee.

Appearances

115

Goals

18

Assists

13

Yellow cards

2

Red cards

0

Minutes played

5,846

(via Transfermarkt)

“In an ideal world, Mikel Arteta would keep Smith Rowe," said Watts.

"This time last year he made it clear that he would not be sold and I think his stance would be the same this time around if it was just down to a footballing decision. But Smith Rowe now has just two years left on his contract and has a strong desire to be playing regular football having sat on the bench for much of the last two seasons.

"So Arsenal would reluctantly let him leave should a good offer arrive from Fulham, Palace or anyone else."

Following on from that update, that desired bid appears to have arrived from Craven Cottage. As reported by The Guardian and other reliable media sources, Smith Rowe is now closer to joining Fulham in a £35 million deal, which would be a club-record fee for Marco Silva's side.

Fulham are believed to be confident of wrapping up an agreement soon, but Smith Rowe isn't the only player who could be departing London Colney in the near future.

Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson in talks to leave Arsenal

According to talkSPORT, both Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson are both actively attempting to find a new club as well.

The duo, on a combined £200,000-per-week, also found themselves struggling for consistent places in Arteta's starting lineups last season – and have been regularly tipped for the exit door before deadline day on August 30.

It is believed both Nketiah and Nelson are both in talks to leave Arsenal with Smith Rowe, but talkSPORT don't expand on which sides they are in discussions with. Nketiah has attracted serious interest from Marseille recently, with some reports claiming terms have been agreed, while Nelson has been a target for West Ham.

da apostaganha： Chelsea are exchanging documents to finalise the eight-figure signing of another player alongside Samu Omorodion from Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea agree £34.5 million deal for Omorodion after Gallagher sale

da dobrowin： After both the west Londoners and Diego Simeone's side agreed to the transfer of midfielder Conor Gallagher, who's set to have his medical in Madrid today ahead of a £36 million move to the Metropolitano Stadium, Chelsea used the opportunity to strike a deal for Omorodion.

Related Chelsea could sign £162,000-per-week ace and Omorodion after Gallagher sale

Enzo Maresca’s side have been very busy this window.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Aug 6, 2024

Talks over selling Gallagher seemingly opened the door for Todd Boehly and co to reignite discussions for the Spanish striker, with Omorodion finalising personal terms ahead of a £34.5 million move to Chelsea.

Atletico have also moved to do a deal for Man City striker Julian Alvarez, who looks as if he'll take Omorodion's place in Simeone's squad for next season. Chelsea actually had a bid rejected for Omorodion earlier in the window, as widely reported, but the 20-year-old now seems set to link up with Enzo Maresca ahead of the new Premier League season.

"Last piece of the domino will be Samu Omorodion to Chelsea," said reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano on Tuesday evening.

"Final fee paid by #CFC will be £34.5m. Small details of player’s terms negotiated right now but parties sure that will get done. Gallagher to Atléti and Julián Álvarez to Atléti, also already done as revealed."

Omorodion vs N. Jackson – 23/24 League Stats

Statistic

Omorodion

Jackson

Minutes

1,922

2,810

Goals

8

14

Assists

1

5

Shots per game

1.9

2.3

Aerials won per game

1.8

1

Dribbles per game

0.6

1.5

Overall rating

6.42

7.07

via WhoScored

The young forward, who's helped Spain to the Olympics final against France, where he'll have the opportunity to win a gold medal, scored nine goals and registered an assist in 36 total appearances on loan at Deportivo last season.

Chelsea have refused to rule out signing Victor Osimhen as well as Omorodion, according to The Telegraph's Matt Law, which makes for pretty reading in the eyes of a Blues supporter.

Another player they've been in talks over signing is Gremio sensation Gabriel Mec. Reports over the weekend stated that Chelsea have agreed a deal for Mec, with South American journalist Uriel Lugt sharing a further update.

Chelsea exchanging documents to finalise Gabriel Mec signing

According to the reporter, Chelsea are exchanging the final documents to finalise a £21 million deal for Mec, who has been likened to Ronaldinho and graduated from the same academy as the Barcelona legend.

The teenage wonderkid is the latest prodigy from Brazil to agree to join Chelsea, with Estevao Willian putting pen to paper on a Stamford Bridge switch just before him. It's added that a seven-year contract is on the table for Mec.