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With rumours continuing to arrive around Bruno Fernandes’ future, INEOS are now reportedly readying a big-money move to sign a £67m star who could eventually succeed their captain at Manchester United this summer.

Bruno Fernandes concern still lurking

Where Manchester United would be without Fernandes is a scary thought, given that with their captain they’ve fallen as low as 16th in the Premier League. But it’s a reality that they may be forced to live out this summer amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

In a squad full of struggling players, it is Fernandes who has been at the centre of anything good during Ruben Amorim’s six-month stint. Even as those around him have struggled, the Portugal international has managed a stunning 19 goals and 19 assists in all competitions. Take those 38 goal involvements away and the worst-case scenario would become all too realistic for the Red Devils.

With that said, Amorim has made his stance as clear as anything when it comes to Fernandes’ potential departure, recently telling reporters: “Our idea didn’t change. We want to keep the best players – and Bruno is clearly one of the top players in the world. We want Bruno here.

Amorim now personally driving Man Utd move to sign £80m+ Carrick-esque star

Amorim is reportedly a huge fan.

ByTom Cunningham May 15, 2025

“It is easy to understand [his importance] – not just because of the numbers but the way he plays and the importance he has during his five years here. It’s normal a lot of clubs want a player like Bruno. He is a leader and he’s the captain, so he’s really important. He is a top player, we need top players.”

Man Utd readying Sancet move

Amorim’s stance has not stopped those at Old Trafford from preparing for the worst, however. According to reports in Spain, INEOS are now readying a big-money move to sign Oihan Sancet, who has a release clause worth as much as €80m (£67m) at Athletic Bilbao. The deal, therefore, certainly wouldn’t come cheap, but Sancet’s talent is undeniable nonetheless.

Starts

18

33

Goals

15

8

Assists

1

9

Key Passes

19

88

With 15 goals to his name in just 18 La Liga starts this season, Sancet is one of few box-crashing midfielders who could replace Fernandes’ goalscoring touch at Old Trafford, albeit whilst lacking the same creative output.

Amorim’s system could be a perfect fit for the Bilbao star too, with his 3-4-2-1 system operating with two No.10 roles. Sancet would, of course, seamlessly slot into one of those roles, but it’s hard not to imagine the partnership that Manchester United could form if they sign the Spaniard and keep hold of Fernandes this summer.

Dubbed “underrated” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Sancet could finally find his place in the spotlight by completing a move to Old Trafford in the coming months.

The Argentine relishes intimidating his opponents, and his imposing character would restore a winning mentality at Old Trafford

If Manchester United end up signing Emiliano Martinez, then the goalkeeper might need to apologise to the Old Trafford faithful given the relationship between them. After seeing Bruno Fernandes hammer a stoppage-time penalty over the bar to confirm Aston Villa's 1-0 win in 2021, Martinez began dancing in front of the Stretford End, deliberately goading the supporters.

Though he did not directly save the penalty, Martinez was effectively claiming the assist, and for good reason: the Argentine wound up Fernandes by telling him that Cristiano Ronaldo should take the spot-kick, and the mind games worked as Fernandes missed only his second of 23 penalties for the Red Devils, handing Villa a first win at Old Trafford for 12 years.

United fans have also seen Martinez lose his head to their benefit, when he was sent off in the final game of last season for rushing out of his area and clattering into Rasmus Hojlund. Both sides of Martinez's mentality will be being pored over by United's coaching staff and recruitment team as the club weighs up whether or not to sign him from Villa, but what they will be most interested in is his ability to make saves. The ex-Arsenal man is the best in the world when it comes to that particular skill, one that has been devalued in football lately, especially by United.

And that is why the Red Devils should make signing Martinez their next priority after completing a deal to secure Bryan Mbeumo, as they would be getting a world-beating goalkeeper who is renowned primarily for keeping the ball out of the net.

gettyWeakness exposed

When United signed Andre Onana in 2023, all the talk was about the Cameroonian's skill with the ball at his feet and how his arrival would help Erik ten Hag finally implement the possession-based football he wanted his United team to play to take them to the next level. Not much analysis was done on Onana's shot-stopping ability, and his shortcomings in that area were brutally exposed soon after his £47m ($64m) arrival from Inter.

Onana was lobbed from the halfway line in a friendly against Lens on his Old Trafford debut before enduring a truly torrid time in the Champions League, as he made ghastly errors against Bayern Munich and in both matches against Galatasaray which directly led to United being dumped out of Europe's elite competition. He has continued to make high-profile errors ever since, most notably in April's Europa League clash with Lyon after being dragged into a war of words with Nemanja Matic.

His footwork has barely compensated for all those errors, and after two years there has been no noticeable improvement in United's ability to play out from the back. Onana has even cost them infuriating goals when trying to play out, such as when he failed to communicate with Patrick Dorgu against Ipswich Town in February. The goalkeeper has mostly abandoned short passing and has resorted to hoofing the ball downfield, more often than not hitting it out of play or to the opposition.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesChange in priorities

Onana's litany of mistakes have evidently frustrated Ruben Amorim, and the Portuguese even dropped the goalkeeper for one game after the Lyon debacle. When asked in a press conference whether he needed to replace Onana in the long term, Amorim did get into a heated argument with a reporter, but what was most telling was that he did not defend his No.1 nor talk up his qualities. "We need to improve every position on the field" was his response; not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Just as the season was winding down, it was reported that Amorim had grown so frustrated with Onana's mistakes that he had tweaked the team's style of play to discourage the ex-Ajax man from playing out from the back. It was also reported that the coach primarily wanted a goalkeeper who could give 'peace of mind' and 'reduce the sense of volatility' that had defined the team's defensive displays.

The search for a potential Onana replacement would focus on ' fundamental traits like shot-stopping, catching, and minimising errors rather than building play from the back'. If that report is accurate, then Martinez and Amorim are speaking the same language.

GettyFrom the bottom to the very top

Martinez has taken the long road to superstardom after joining Arsenal as a 17-year-old. He spent time up and down England playing in the unglamorous lower leagues, dropping as low as fourth-tier League Two to play for Oxford United as well as taking in Championship stints with Wolves, Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United.

Playing out from the back is rarely a priority in such surroundings, and Martinez thus focused on the basics of goalkeeping. He maintained that focus when his career began to finally take off back at Arsenal and then at Villa, as well as when he became Argentina's No.1 as he played a pivotal role in them winning the World Cup and two Copas America.

Martinez saved three penalties in the semi-final shootout triumph over Colombia in the 2021 Copa America, playing incredible mind games with his opponents which could be easily heard in a stadium that was empty due to Covid-19 rules. His shootout heroics continued into both the 2022 World Cup quarter-final win over the Netherlands and the final victory against France, as well as in the 2024 Copa America quarters against Ecuador. He collected the Golden Glove at all three tournaments and was subsequently named the top goalkeeper in the world, winning the Yashin Trophy (part of the Ballon d'Or awards) in 2023 and 2024 while scooping the FIFA Best Goalkeeper prize in 2022 and 2024.

Getty'By saving, I win titles'

Martinez celebrates the fact that he is known above all for his ability to make saves. He told 'Sports Center': "Now in the football world the first question they ask about a goalkeeper is 'Is he good with his feet?'. Sometimes clubs maybe sign a goalkeeper who's skilled with their feet but doesn't save much. I always focus on needing to save better than I play with my feet. I focus on saving, saving, saving. By saving, I win titles."

Signing Martinez would signal United going back to their roots for having a goalkeeper who is adept at making saves. David de Gea was an incredible shot-stopper and that is why he went on to become the goalkeeper with both the most appearances and clean sheets in the club's history. That ability was ultimately under-appreciated by the club amid their bid to modernise and find their own version of Ederson, but signing Martinez would be a step back in the right direction.

The 32-year-old is a figure who intimidates opposition players. In his own words, he likes to "create chaos" for his rivals, and he shares many traits with United's most legendary goalkeeper of all, Peter Schmeichel.

Also, what is the highest total in Tests that didn’t include a hundred partnership?

Steven Lynch08-Aug-2017We were talking during the Oval Test about home advantage, and wondered which Surrey player had scored the most Test runs there. Was it Stewie or Hobbs? asked David Humphries from Surrey

You’ve chosen the right two, and it’s very close: Alec Stewart scored 624 Test runs at The Oval, and Jack Hobbs 619. “The Master” had the edge on “The Guv’nor” in one important respect, though: Hobbs averaged 56.27 and Stewart 31.90. Two other legendary Surrey names are close at hand as well: Ken Barrington scored 596 Test runs at The Oval, and Graham Thorpe 586. Kevin Pietersen scored 897 Test runs at The Oval, but only 374 of them after joining Surrey in 2010. For the list of the leading run-scorers in Oval Tests, click here. The leading Surrey wicket-taker there is Jim Laker, who claimed 40, while his partner-in-spin Tony Lock lies second, with 34.What is the highest total in Tests that didn’t include a hundred partnership? asked Kieron McArthur from Barbados

There have been three totals of 500-plus (and one of 499) in Tests without a partnership of 100 or more. England made 515 against Pakistan at Headingley in 2006 despite the highest stand of their innings being 86, while India made 520 against Australia in Adelaide in 1985-86 (the first wicket put on 95, and the last 94). But top of the list remains Australia’s 533 against West Indies, also in Adelaide, in 1968-69: the highest partnership was 93, between Doug Walters and Paul Sheahan. That was a high-scoring match, with a total of 1764 runs – a record for a time-limited Test ¬- and 17 individual scores of 50 or more, still the overall Test record.It took Stuart Broad 19 balls to get the first five of his eight wickets at Trent Bridge•Getty ImagesI wondered during the Oval Test whether Toby Roland-Jones would complete the fastest five-for on debut – but he got stuck on four wickets for quite a while. Who does hold this record? asked Giles Taylor from England

I think this record belongs to the Jamaican fast bowler Lester King, who took five wickets in the first five overs of his Test debut, for West Indies in Kingston in 1961-62 as India nosedived to 26 for 5. King was unfortunate that his heyday coincided with that of Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith (plus a useful third seamer in Garry Sobers). In fact King played only one further Test, against England in Georgetown in 1967-68, when Griffith was injured.The fastest five-fors in any innings, after first coming on to bowl, were achieved in 19 balls – by the Australian left-armer Ernie Toshack, against India in Brisbane in 1947-48 (he took 11 for 31 in the match), and by Stuart Broad, at the start of his 8 for 15 against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2015.Who scored the most runs in Tests before being dismissed? asked Michael Fox from England

My first thought that it would be hard to beat Reginald “Tip” Foster, who scored 287 on his debut for England against Australia in Sydney in 1903-04, which remains the highest score by anyone in their first Test. But someone did manage more runs before being dismissed: Jacques Rudolph, the South African left-hander, kicked off his Test career with 222 not out against Bangladesh in Chittagong in April 2003, and added 71 in his next innings, in Dhaka, to make it 293 runs before he was out for the first time. Brendon Kuruppu of Sri Lanka scored 220 Test runs (201 not out and 19) before getting out, while Lawrence Rowe of West Indies and New Zealand’s Mathew Sinclair both started with an innings of 214.Of living people, who has gone the longest since playing in a Test match? asked Karthik Subramaniam from India

There are two men, still alive as I write, whose Test careers finished over 67 years ago in 1950. The hard-hitting Eastern Province batsman Ronald Draper played two Tests for South Africa against Australia in 1949-50, the second of which finished on March 6. Later that year the Cambridge University and Sussex batsman Hubert Doggart played twice for England, his Test career coming to a close on June 29 after West Indies’ famous victory at Lord’s. Doggart, who was later president of MCC, is now 92, while Draper is 90.Women’s cricket, however, boasts an even longer time gap: the remarkable Eileen Ash, who rang the bell before the start of the recent women’s World Cup final at Lord’s, played the last of her seven Test matches in March 1949. As Eileen Whelan she had made her debut against Australia in Northampton in 1937, and is the last surviving pre-war Test cricketer of either sex. She is now 105 years old.Leave your questions in the comments

da bwin： Liverpool are believed to be “working on” tying down an “outstanding” player to a new contract alongside Virgil van Dijk, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Salah signs new Liverpool deal

da roleta： The news that Reds supporters have been dreaming of finally came true on Friday, with Mohamed Salah signing a new two-year deal at Anfield.

There have been concerns all season long that the 32-year-old Liverpool legend would leave the club, but he will now be on Merseyside until at least 2027, saying he intends to win more trophies there:

“If I don’t believe that, I would not have signed. I believe the team can win trophies and with the support of the fans and the city, and that the supporters always give us in the games, I believe we can win many trophies in the next years.”

Now, the hope is that other players will follow suit, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk also both out of contract at the end of this season.

While it looks increasingly likely that the latter will stay put and do the same as Salah, the former’s head appears to have been turned by a move to Real Madrid. That said, nothing has been confirmed over Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool at the peak of his powers.

Liverpool want new deal for "outstanding" ace

According to Romano in his newsletter for GiveMeSport, Liverpool are still looking to seal a new deal for Ibrahima Konate, as well as Van Dijk:

“They are in negotiations. Now the priority was obviously Salah and Van Dijk, but the next one could be Konate as Liverpool are working on it.”

Ensuring that Konate remains at Liverpool for the foreseeable future is of the utmost importance, considering he is still only 25 years of age and eight years Van Dijk’s junior.

The Frenchman is appreciated by so many at Anfield, from Arne Slot to the supporters, and captain Van Dijk also hailed him earlier this season, saying after their win away at Wolves in September:

“As you saw, he is important with the goal, he is defensively solid, a bit unlucky with the goal we conceded, but obviously the qualities he has are outstanding, in my opinion.

“He is learning, growing, getting better and looking after himself much better in order to be ready every three days as that’s what asked. And also we have a young player behind him in Jarrell, who is also doing well. We have to keep pushing each other and he is doing a good job.”

Relatively speaking, the £70,000-a-week wage that Konate earns is low compared to many of his teammates, so he deserves an improved contract to show that he is truly appreciated.

Related Liverpool confident of winning race for "amazing" £60m+ star this summer

The Reds are in a good position to strike a deal…

Posts 2 BySean Markus Clifford Apr 12, 2025

Granted, injuries have hampered him at times in his career, so there is a slight risk involved in handing him an extension, but he should only get better in the coming years, and losing him at this point in his career could be a big blow to the Reds.

The prolific left hander took four boundaries off the final over to reach a brilliant hundred

AAP12-Nov-2023Perth Scorchers usurped Sydney Thunder at the top of the table after Beth Mooney’s third WBBL century powered her side to a 42-run win.After losing her superstar opening partner Sophie Devine early, Mooney almost single-handedly steered Scorchers to a competitive 159 for 4 at the Junction Oval.In reply, the resurgent Thunder fell to 18 for 3 by the end of the powerplay, having not dropped any wickets there in their previous seven games.Related

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Young quick Chloe Ainsworth (2 for 8) set the carnage in motion with back-to-back wickets and things only spiralled further out of control from there.The loss was only Thunder’s second of the tournament and relegated them to second spot on the ladder behind Scorchers.It was only in the twilight of the Scorchers’ innings that Mooney enjoyed a steady partnership as in-form Hannah Darlington spearheaded the Thunder attack to keep her team-mates quiet.Chloe Piparo did well to help Mooney steady the ship following the loss of Amy Jones just as Scorchers looked primed to take the power surge.Mooney had played a patient innings but smacked Sammy-Jo Johnson for four fours from five deliveries in the final over to snatch the ascendancy for Scorchers.On 97, Mooney pulled stand-in Thunder captain Johnson past deep midwicket for four to bring up an unbeaten ton on the last ball of the innings and the 61st delivery she faced.Mooney is now the only player to have passed 400 total runs in all nine iterations of the WBBL and is the current edition’s second-highest run-scorer, only one run behind Devine.Thunder were in trouble by the end of the power play after Ainsworth snared star imports Chamari Athapaththu and Marizanne Kapp in consecutive balls.Scorchers successfully reviewed an lbw shout on in-form Athapaththu before Piparo at point caught out-of-sorts Kapp for a golden duck.Rested with hamstring soreness, captain Heather Knight watched on helplessly as the Thunder batting order fell to 33 for 5 when Devine caught and bowled Claire Moore.Only Australian representative Phoebe Litchfield offered resistance at first drop so when she was caught in the deep from Amy Edgar’s bowling, Scorchers were home.

Coach McDonald says once fit, Stoinis and Green could play together in the XI

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2023Marcus Stoinis is doubtful for Australia’s opening match at the 2023 ODI World Cup, against India on October 8 in Chennai, because of a hamstring niggle he picked up in the first ODI against the same opponent in Mohali last month. Stoinis has not played a match since.”He’s got a slight hamstring complaint at this stage, so that’s why he missed the practice games and he’ll be touch and go for the first game against India,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said in Chennai on Thursday while talking about Stoinis. “We’ve got the main session today and then another hit out tomorrow, so he’ll go through his work there and we’ll see whether he’s available for selection for game one but at the moment he wasn’t fit and available for those practice games.”Cameron Green found some form in the final warm-up match against Pakistan, but McDonald said one of the plans was to have both in the playing XI.”There’s a way that we can fit them both into the one side,” he said. “Over the last 18 months, we’ve had a pretty clear way that we want to build three ways of playing. One of those ways is definitely with all the allrounders and potentially two quicks, and you’ve seen that side in the past 18 months being played, so there is a real possibility that both of those players can be in the same XI and we haven’t ruled that out.”When asked about the other ways, he said: “You can change your batting line-up, you can change the structure of your top order. So behind the scenes, we’re pretty clear on the way that we want to go about it. And that’ll be surface-dependent and clearly body-dependent as well.”The World Cup is a long campaign, there’s no doubt going to be some sore bodies at certain times. We feel as though with [our] squad that we’ve got great flexibility, albeit at the moment obviously Travis Head sitting and where he’s at, that’ll give us greater scope to shift and manoeuvre the side the way that we have over the last 18 months.”Marcus Stoinis last played a game on September 22•Getty ImagesDespite the plethora of fast-bowling options Australia possess, Stoinis opened the bowling in recent ODIs and T20Is, with encouraging success. That gave them the option of holding back one of their frontline quicks in the middle overs, a phase that could be crucial during the World Cup.McDonald added Glenn Maxwell finding form in the warm-up against Pakistan with a quick 77 and eight overs with the ball worked out nicely for them.”Cameron Green got a little bit of time in the middle also and clearly Glenn Maxwell being able to cope with the demands of the game that he played, a significant innings plus being able to back up and bowl as many overs as he did. He has pulled up really well. So a few of those moving parts that we had leading in have unfolded positively for us, which is nice. If you asked me that two weeks ago, I would have been a little bit worried but now everything seems to have come together nicely.”Legspinner Adam Zampa also hasn’t played since pulling up sore in the second ODI in Indore last month but he was not a concern, according to McDonald, and he had missed the two warm-ups more for workload management.Australia will have to wait for an update on Head until October 11 or 12 to have a clearer indication of when he can join the squad in India.

With the summer transfer window approaching, the 49ers now reportedly have the chance to seal a bargain deal to sign a player who previously scored the winning goal against Rangers.

Rangers could land bargain deal

The Gers may have endured a season to forget – resulting in the dismissal of Philippe Clement – but that didn’t stop them from getting one over on arch-rivals Celtic last time out. Defeating the Bhoys late on courtesy of Hamza Igamane’s winning goal in a 3-2 thriller, the Gers at least came away from the Old Firm derby having left their mark.

However, any celebrations won’t last too long, with the Gers already turning their focus towards the summer transfer window and ensuring that they’ve got more than just an Old Firm derby victory to cheer in the Scottish Premiership next season.

The arrival of the 49ers should certainly provide the Scottish giants with a much-needed boost in pursuit of that. And although their first task will be finding a permanent replacement for Clement, recent reports suggest that they could then turn towards a bargain deal.

Rangers News has highlighted that the 49ers have the chance to sign Dejan Ljubicic in a free deal this summer once his contract comes to an end at FC Koln in Germany’s second division, with the Austrian already on the 49ers’ radar.

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A player that the incoming owners already know after previously attempting to seal his signature at Leeds United, Ljubicic looks set to be one to watch when the summer transfer window swings open.

Meanwhile, those at Ibrox are also well aware of the midfielder’s quality, having watched on as he scored the winning goal for Rapid Vienna against Steven Gerrard’s Rangers side in the 2018/19 Europa League group stage.

"Special" Ljubicic could partner Diomande

In Ljubicic, Rangers would be welcoming a defensive midfielder who could provide the foundation for the likes of Mohamed Diomande to thrive further forward. Rangers already reaped the rewards for his attacking exploits against Celtic when he gave them a 2-1 lead over their rivals and could see his full potential unleashed by Ljubicic’s arrival.

The 27-year-old is certainly appreciated at Koln, having earned the praise of manager Gerhard Struber, who told reporters last summer: “Dejan is a player who has performed great for FC in recent years and can help us very, very well on the way back to the Bundesliga. Great. Simply great. The overall package is special. I’m very happy for him.”

Having been wheeling away in celebration at the detriment of Rangers as many as six seasons ago, the defensive midfielder could finally make up for his winning goal by kicking the 49ers era off with a bang at Ibrox.

Change is afoot at Rangers, from the ownership to the management and perhaps a few fresh faces. Whether the Gers’ official Clement replacement decides to welcome the bargain of Ljubicic this summer remains to be seen, however, as they look to make their mark.

Aston Villa enjoyed a rather productive January transfer window. First of all, they managed to sell Jaden Philogene to Ipswich Town for £20m, making a profit on the youngster.

Secondly, they signed two attacking players who could make a big difference between now and the end of the season.

Donyell Malen joined from Borussia Dortmund a few weeks ago, while Marcus Rashford moved to Villa Park on loan from Manchester United, with a £40m buy option inserted into the deal.

Unai Emery’s side are chasing a place in the top four of the Premier League table. Signing Rashford could be an inspired one with regard to that ambition.

Why Aston Villa signed Marcus Rashford

Since Ruben Amorim took charge of Manchester United, Rashford featured just four times under the Portuguese manager, scoring three goals.

It became clear that the Englishman wasn’t going to play a part in Amorim’s system going forward and a move away from Old Trafford could be the best thing to happen to him.

Despite a relatively quiet season by his standards, Rashford has still created four big chances, averages one key pass and has scored four goals in the top flight. That said, despite the fact he’s not been fit and firing this term, this is still a player who has scored 87 Premier League goals.

At Villa, Emery will likely give him more consistent game time and if he hits top form, it could be a wise signing indeed.

The manager may already have a player at the club who is worth way more than Rashford, however.

Aston Villa talent is worth even more than Marcus Rashford

Someone who has been superb during the 2024/25 campaign is another English talent in Morgan Rogers.

The second half of the 2023/24 season saw Rogers begin to make his mark at Villa, scoring three goals and registering an assist in just 11 Premier League games since his move from Middlesbrough.

It was evident Emery had a prodigious talent on his hands, but even he might have been shocked at just how well the Englishman has performed throughout 2024/25.

Rogers’ statistics this season
Metric	Champions League	Premier League
Goals	3	6
Assists	1	4
Big chances created	3	8
Successful dribbles per game	3.3	1.8
Key passes per game	1.6	1.3
Via Sofascore

In August, U23 scout Antonio Mango waxed lyrical about the winger, saying that he was “terrific” and “brave”, someone who has “all you characteristics you want in a young footballer.”

That’s certainly been true of Rogers in 2024/25. With ten goals and five assists already, including a stunning hat-trick against Celtic in the Champions League, the former Boro star has emerged as a key player under Emery. No doubt about that.

Compared to his peers in the top flight, the starlet even ranks in the top 7% for goals per shot on target and in the top 11% for through balls per 90, yet more evidence of his effectiveness in the final third.

These incredible performances over the previous 12 months have seen his market value soar.

Indeed, according to the CIES Football Observatory, Rogers is now currently valued at a staggering £74m, which is a staggering rise, especially considering the Villa Park side paid just £15m to sign him last year.

This also means he is worth nearly double that of Rashford if going by the buy clause in his loan deal, indicating that Emery has hit the jackpot on the 22-year-old sensation.

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Phil Parkinson has claimed that Wrexham have "been playing catch up" in the transfer window and has hailed Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Wrexham splashing the cashAiming to compete in the ChampionshipHave signed Nathan Broadhead in club-record dealFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Wrexham have splashed the cash this summer, breaking their transfer record to sign Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich Town in a deal that could be worth in excess of £10 million. He became their ninth summer signing in the process and Parkinson has explained that the club have had no choice but to spend big to stay competitive in the Championship. 

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Wrexham have had three successive promotions, coming out of the National League, and Parkinson believes that, in every season, they have had to lean on Reynolds and McElhenney's vast reserves of cash, and has hailed their willingness to spend as the club prepare for their first season in the second-tier since 1982. 

WHAT PARKINSON SAID

Parkinson told reporters: "The backing [from owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney] is key.

"There's a lot of spending power in the division. Really since day one, because we've moved so quickly as a club, we've always had to work hard to fast-track the quality level to the first team.

"We've always been playing catch up, even in the National League we were behind a lot of clubs development-wise — the structure, academy, players coming through.

"We had to improve the standard and that filters down. The structure behind the first team has become stronger with the formation of the academy a couple of years ago.

"We've come into this division very quickly and it's important we've brought in Championship standard players to help us on this journey. Also, to help the existing players who have do so well over the last few years."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Wrexham face West Brom this weekend in their first home game of the campaign. 

Meg Lanning’s team also have the desire to embrace the Team Australia aspect of a multi-sport event, which will be a new experience

Andrew McGlashan27-Jul-2022When you are a team like Australia, who have won everything on offer in the last few years, it is probably not a bad thing to have a brand new prize to aim for.In the last four years, Meg Lanning has led her side to two T20 World Cup titles, two Ashes crowns, and an ODI World Cup title alongside other series successes. Their last defeat in any bilateral series came in T20Is, against England in 2017, that were part of the multi-format Ashes.Related

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CWG 2022 – India are medal contenders, but the gold seems reserved for Australia

Australia look to test their T20 limits

But as the side enters its new coaching era following the departure of Matthew Mott, the prospect of adding a Commonwealth Games gold medal is an alluring one, and something no one has ever had before. Winning more cricket matches is enough motivation for this team as it looks to continue forging its legacy, but there is also the desire to embrace the Team Australia aspect of a multi-sport event, which will be a new experience.”The first Commonwealth Games medal up for grabs in women’s cricket is certainly something we’re striving for,” Lanning said before team left for their warm-up tri-series in Ireland. “Being part of that bigger Australian team, which is something we really want to embrace. To represent Australia on a really big stage, a new platform for the game to be able to reach a new audience, is something that is really exciting for the sport.”It’s hugely special. I grew up watching a lot of the Commonwealth Games and I just love the team atmosphere.”It was a view echoed by vice-captain Rachael Haynes. “There is a sense that it’ll be a little bit different, it’s almost the unknown,” she said. “I think the team’s just really looking forward to it. To be around a whole group of different athletes and different sports and be a team within a much larger team as well.”Alana King is proving to be a wicket-taking machine•Phil Walter/ICC/Getty ImagesAs it was in New Zealand a few months ago, it would be a surprise if they did not achieve their ambition of gold – although, at some point, there has to be a hiccup in their all-conquering era. A place in the final is a bare minimum expectation even taking into account the jeopardy of semi-finals and the fact the T20 format narrows the margins.Meeting India in the opening match brings back memories of the previous T20 World Cup in Australia, when they stumbled in their first game and were left walking a tightrope for the rest of the competition. We all know how it ended, but it was rarely a serene progression until they cut loose in the final against India at the MCG. “We seem to meet them a lot in the first game of major tournaments,” Lanning agreed.Matches against Barbados – who will include potential match-winners Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin – and Pakistan follow, and though the top two from each group go through there is not much margin for error.While there has been major change in the coaching set-up – and Shelley Nitschke is only interim head coach, although she will be favourite for the long-term position – the playing squad is notable for its stability. It is the same 15 names who were on duty for the ODI World Cup.Long-term injuries to Georgia Wareham and Tayla Vlaeminck continue to be covered with great effectiveness, an allrounder of the quality of Sophie Molineux can’t get on the contracts’ list, and Ellyse Perry is no longer a first-choice in the T20I side.Such is the quality in the Australian ranks, that Ellyse Perry might be forced to reinvent her T20 game•Getty ImagesThose who have taken their chance to fill the gaps already look like mainstays. Darcie Brown is in the race to reach 80mph [it would be fun if she and England’s Issy Wong face off in this tournament] and legspinner Alana King is proving a wicket-taking machine. Tahlia McGrath’s magnificent start to T20I cricket – as part of a stunning re-emergence to the international game – is largely responsible for pushing Perry to the sidelines, which happened before her latest back injury.If Australia reach the final in Birmingham, there is every chance that for the second time in three major tournaments, Perry won’t feature. The hamstring injury at the 2020 T20 World Cup was awful luck, but it is starting to feel like a defining moment in her T20 career. That in itself says so much about Australian cricket and why they are the force they are.Of course, you would not put it past Perry to reinvent herself as a T20 cricketer; there is the motivation of the World Cup title defence in South Africa early next year for starters, and then, in four years’ time, the Commonwealth Games is held in regional Victoria. Will Perry, already 15 years into international cricket, still be part of it by then? Only time will tell, but for many in this Australia side it is well within range.”Hopefully I’m still around to be involved,” Lanning said, no doubt hoping they are defending gold medallists.