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The USMNT Transfer Notebook tracks American player movements, with latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, the U.S. men's national team need to be in peak form. While U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino will shape the group internationally, it's up to the players to take charge of their club careers – finding consistent minutes while maintaining a high level of competition. This summer will be pivotal for players who’ve struggled for playing time or raised their profile enough to draw interest on the transfer market.

Two key USMNT contributors, Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic, have delivered strong club seasons in Italy. Each appeared in over 40 matches, and both are now in talks for contract extensions – Juventus are eager to keep McKennie long-term, while AC Milan want to retain Pulisic, their top scorer in Serie A.

In Belgium, Griffin Yow could play his way into Pochettino’s plans for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Westerlo winger impressed for the U23s at the 2024 Paris Olympics and is attracting interest from clubs across Europe. Westerlo, however, are working to extend his stay.

Then, a look ahead to the future. Cavan Sullivan wants to be a part of the 2026 World Cup roster, but it doesn't seem like a feasible option for him at this stage of his career. However, the 15-year-old is reportedly set to get his first real involvement with Manchester City, in some capacity, through training this summer. What could that lead to?

GOAL tracks all of the American player movements in the USMNT Transfer Notebook, a recurring feature covering the latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool.

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  Juventus offer Weston McKennie new contract

  The are reportedly ready to tie up McKennie to a new long-term deal that keeps him in Turin. After two seasons fueled by transfer rumors, and a loan move away to Leeds United in the latter half of the 2022-23 season, the American is now set to become one of the highest earners at the club on a deal through 2028.

  His current deal is set to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season, so it became imperative in recent weeks that the club start talks ahead of the summer transfer window – where the 26-year-old could once again be the subject of yet another transfer saga. This campaign, the U.S. international has featured in various midfield roles, and as a wingback, making 41 appearances across all competitions where he's scored five goals and recorded three assists.

  By locking him down to a new long-term deal, McKennie will stay with the club where he's become a regular at, despite playing under three different managers over the past 12 months. The American will be getting minutes at a crucial time in his career, where he will need to be at his best ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup – a tournament set to be played on U.S. soil, and one where the USMNT will have the highest of expectations.

  He will also be participating in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer with the , and as a result, will miss out on the CONCACAF Gold Cup under Mauricio Pochettino.

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  AC Milan to lock-down Christian Pulisic with new deal

  Christian Pulisic's future will no longer be up in the air if AC Milan have anything to do about it. The are reportedly looking to lock down their attacking talisman for years to come with a new contract that includes a pay raise.

  Pulisic, who is Milan's leading scorer in 2024-25, reportedly makes $4.56 million (€4 million) per season, but the new deal will bump that to $5.7M (€5 million) annually. The new contract would extend his contract to 2029 with Milan, with his current deal running out at the end of 2027.

  The 26-year-old has been one of their best attacking performers across all competitions in 2024-25, and has even helped lead them to the Coppa Italia final this May, where, with a win, the club would clinch Europa League football in the 2025-26 season.

  A regular with the USMNT, Christian Pulisic has tallied 32 goals and 18 assists in 72 appearances for the national team. He’s expected to be a central figure in the squad heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil, and Mauricio Pochettino will need his top attacker playing consistently. Right now, there’s no better situation for him than at AC Milan.

  The one potential drawback to re-signing with Milan is the club’s uncertain European future. If they miss out on continental competition, Pulisic would lose the chance to test himself against top-tier opposition at the club level.

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  Cavan Sullivan reportedly set for his first Man City training

  The Philadelphia Union prodigy, who became the youngest player to debut in MLS history in 2024 – breaking Freddy Adu’s 20-year-old record – has already agreed to join Manchester City once he turns 18. At just 15, though, he still has time to develop and gain experience before making the move. In the meantime, the U.S. men’s national team prospect is reportedly set to train with the Premier League club tin the near futre.

  Journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that the Union's Homegrown gem will be working with Pep Guardiola's side this summer – though the details of Sullivan's reported involvement remain unclear still, as he's a Union player.

  “Understand Manchester City are planning for talent Cavan Sullivan to begin training in July, work in progress with Philadelphia Union. Sullivan, developing very well and seen as one of the best young players worldwide. He will officially join Man City in 2027," Romano wrote.

  Sullivan, who has two goals and one assist in five MLS NEXT Pro games for Union II this season, has made the bench for every single MLS game with the senior roster in 2025, but has only played in three matches, tallying 45 total minutes of action.

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  Griffin Yow to stay in Belgium?

  Yow was one of the stars of the U.S. Olympic team at the 2024 Paris Games, and now he's starting to garner attention from across Europe – according to Give Me Sport's Tom Bogert. The 22-year-old is attracting suitors in the English Championship, Netherlands, and other contenders in Belgium, while his current club Westerlo want to extend his deal in the Belgian Pro League.

  The 22-year-old has eight goals and three assists in 21 starts this season, making 30 total appearances. A former D.C. United Homegrown talent, Yow has yet to make his senior debut for the USMNT, but he has been a regular throughout the U.S. youth system, and made five appearances for the U23 USMNT at the 2024 Paris Games.

  For Yow, a renewal at Westerlo would be a safe move, as he's become a regular in the team and often finds himself playing consistent minutes at a relatively high level. However, if he wanted to take the next step ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the winger could look for a new club this summer and find himself tempted by the likes of England and the Netherlands. No teams have been mentioned as interested, yet, but anyone looking for a pacey attacking option on the wing could be tempted to make a move for him with just one year left on his contract.

Players who perform well in the Championship regularly get signed for lavish fees by those in the upper echelons of the Premier League.

Take Archie Gray, for example. The 18-year-old shone for Leeds United in the second tier last season, helping the club reach the playoff final. Despite losing, it wasn’t long before Tottenham Hotspur came in with a £30m offer, which was duly accepted.

Elsewhere, Jude Bellingham emerged from the Birmingham City academy to establish himself as one of the finest talents in the Championship. He may have only played 41 games for the Blues, yet this didn’t stop Borussia Dortmund calling in 2020.

The 15 biggest transfer sales in EFL Championship history

Championship clubs have received some eye-watering fees from the biggest clubs in the country and beyond.

By
Ross Kilvington

Jan 29, 2025

Over the years, clubs from the second tier have also spent a lot on players. With finances steadily improving due to more lucrative TV deals, while most clubs have bolstered their profits by selling their best talent for premium prices, Championship sides have never had it so good.

As such, we at Football FanCast look deeper into the top 15 record signings made by clubs from the division below the Premier League.

15

Andre Gray

Brentford to Burnley (£9m)

Burnley’s 2014/15 season ended in relegation after just one season in the top flight, and Sean Dyche wasted no time splashing out the cash.

Andre Gray signed for £9m, becoming a club-record purchase at the time. He netted 23 times to fire Burnley back into the big time, carrying on this form during 2016/17 as the club avoided relegation. Money well spent indeed.

14

Dwight Gayle

Crystal Palace to Newcastle (£10m)

Newcastle United suffered relegation at the end of the 2015/16 Premier League campaign, but it was clear they wanted a swift return to the top flight. This led to the club signing striker Dwight Gayle, who arrived from Crystal Palace in a deal worth a reported £10m.

A return of 23 goals in just 32 matches for the Magpies signified how important a signing Gayle was, helping lead the club back to the promised land after just one season away.

The 35-year-old is currently playing for Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership.

13

Maxime Esteve

Montpellier to Burnley (£10m)

Vincent Kompany signed Maxime Esteve on a loan deal in January 2024, hoping that his presence would help Burnley avoid the drop.

While the Frenchman became a key member of the starting XI, it wasn’t enough to save the club from slipping back into the Championship. However, this didn’t stop the Clarets from splashing out £10m to secure his services permanently after their relegation.

At the time of writing, he has yet to miss a league game for the club as they seek an immediate return to the Premier League.

12

Isaac Mbenza

Montpellier to Huddersfield (£11m)

Isaac Mbenza moved to Huddersfield Town on loan ahead of the 2018/19 season, but he couldn’t keep the club in the top division, despite netting against Manchester United.

A reported fee of £11m was agreed so that Mbenza would remain at Huddersfield, yet the winger would play just 43 games over the next two seasons before departing in 2021. Not the best way to spend a chunk of their parachute payment.

11

Matt Ritchie

Bournemouth to Newcastle (£12m)

Rafa Benitez wasted no time in bolstering his Newcastle squad after relegation in 2016. Dwight Gayle had joined, but it was the signing of Matt Ritchie which looked like the most impressive piece of business.

10 goal involvements for Bournemouth the season prior went a long way in the Cherries retaining their Premier League status, and this saw Newcastle spend £12m to secure his signature.

He went on to make over 200 appearances for the Magpies across the next eight seasons.

10

Ross McCormack

Fulham to Aston Villa (£12m)

In the same summer that Villa spent big money on signing Jonathan Kodjia, another striker also arrived at Villa Park. Ross McCormack had sparkled at Fulham, but a bid of £12m was always going to be accepted, despite his talents in front of goal.

The move soon turned into a nightmare. McCormack would manage just three goals during his spell with the club, working out at £4m each. Hardly money well spent in the transfer market.

9

Benik Afobe

Wolves to Stoke (£12m)

Benik Afobe helped Wolverhampton Wanderers secure the Championship title in 2018, leading the club to make his loan deal permanent.

However, he was on the move just two weeks later to Stoke City, who offered £12m for the striker. The move didn’t exactly work out as expected, especially considering the fee spent.

Across 51 matches for the Potters, Afobe managed a paltry nine goals and has since embarked on a nomadic career which has seen him play in Turkey and Qatar.

8

Harry Wilson

Liverpool to Fulham (£12m)

Fulham spent big during the summer of 2021 in a bid to secure promotion to the Premier League with Harry Wilson joining the Cottagers for £12m – and it turned out to be a crucial signing.

The Welshman was excellent throughout 2021/22, scoring 10 league goals while registering 20 assists in the second tier. He has continued to impress in the top flight, helping the club establish themselves as a solid Premier League outfit under Marco Silva.

7

Joel Piroe

Swansea to Leeds (£12m)

Joel Piroe emerged as one of the deadliest strikers in the second tier during his time with Swansea City. He scored 46 goals in 96 games for the Welsh side, ensuring there was plenty of interest in him during the summer of 2023.

Indeed, it would be Leeds United who would win the race, splashing out £12m on the Dutchman – and it looks like money well spent.

Since making the move to West Yorkshire, Piroe has netted 24 goals, and he will be hoping to end the club’s exile from the top flight this season.

6

Helder Costa

Benfica to Wolves (£13m)

Wolves spent what was a club-record fee of £13m to bring Helder Costa to the Midlands in January 2017, despite sitting 18th in the league table at the time.

He enjoyed a remarkable start, contributing 18 goal involvements during his first six months, before aiding the side as they cruised to the Championship title the following season, scoring five times.

That was as good as it would get for the winger, who scored only once more for Wolves.

Hurricanes and Stars remain in the bottom half of the points table

Tristan Lavalette02-Nov-2023Hobart Hurricanes overcame a vintage 75 from Meg Lanning, as Nicola Carey and Naomi Stalenberg chased superbly under pressure to thwart Melbourne Stars at Bellerive Oval.Bucking the tournament’s trend, an increasingly confident Hurricanes were nerveless under lights to reach the target of 143 with four balls to spare. Carey and Stalenberg combined for a partnership of 69 unbroken runs after coming together at 74 for 4 following the key wicket of captain Elyse Villani.They played risk-free cricket as Hurricanes comfortably crossed the target having been in trouble earlier in the innings.Villani and Lizelle Lee had started watchfully in the powerplay as they blunted a desperate Stars attack facing an uphill battle to defend a seemingly modest total.But Lee holed out to Sasha Moloney in the sixth over to trigger a collapse as Hurricanes slumped to 47 for 3 when Heather Graham was caught behind off Annabel Sutherland.Much like counterpart Lanning earlier, Villani defied her team’s predicament by batting calmly and hitting attractive shots around the wicket. Stars were feeling the brunt of not only Villani’s bat, but also a pesky bird feeling rather territorial in the outfield.Hurricanes took the power surge in the 11th over, but it did not have the desired effect with Villani on 41 succumbing to a Sutherland slower delivery.Meg Lanning made the Stars innings a one-person show•Getty Images

But Carey and Stalenberg were unruffled as Hurricanes continued to turn around their season after starting with a pair of big defeats against Perth Scorchers.Having only taken one wicket in her first four matches, Shabnim Ismail rattled Stars’ misfiring top order while Molly Strano shackled a succession of batters with her accurate offspin.Hurricanes’ bowlers were aided by reckless batting from Stars. Playing a lone hand with a 50-ball 75, Lanning rescued Stars from peril at 46 for 4 with no other batter reaching 20 runs.It was not the performance envisioned from Stars when Lanning elected to bat on a flat surface. She watched on glumly as opener Sophie Reid holed out in the first over to Strano, who bowled a wicket maiden.A buoyant Hurricanes went on the attack with Ismail bowling short of a length. The plan worked almost immediately with Alice Capsey baited into hitting a rising delivery straight to Carey at third.At 5 for 2, it was left to Lanning and Sutherland to steady the ship but they continued to be confronted by a hostile Ismail armed with an aggressive field.Having emerged from a form rut against Scorchers with 49 off 27 balls, Sutherland briefly showcased her growing repertoire of inventive strokes to become the youngest player to reach 1000 runs in the WBBL. She clubbed Ismail down the ground, but on the next delivery miscued a delivery angled into her body straight to mid-on.Lanning rebuilt the innings by playing cautiously initially and she received support from Sophia Dunkley, who on two survived a missed stumping from Lee off Amy Smith.Lanning decided to put the foot down in the 12th over with three boundaries off Maisy Gibson. She accelerated further after taking the power surge in the 15th over and reached her half-century in style with a clip on the leg side.Not even the return of Ismail slowed down Lanning, who smashed a full toss for six as she eyed a remarkable century.But Lanning’s dismissal in the 18th over put the brakes on as Stars finished with a total that ultimately proved insufficient in the batting-friendly conditions.

Arsenal fans have been going apoplectic over the refereeing decisions in their Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

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• Soft Saka foul against Nuno flagged by Gunners fans
• Arsenal could have had a penalty too
• PSG also had claim to a spot-kick

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tensions were running high at the Emirates Stadium and on social media, as the performance of Slavko Vincic was questioned by both sets of fans on X. Arsenal supporters felt hard done by after Bukayo Saka was deemed to have fouled Nuno Mendes for a gentle push in the back. Had the play continued the winger was through on goal. Saka was then booked for kicking the ball away. However, both sets of fans will feel they could have had a penalty. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia appeared to be impeded by Myles Lewis-Skelly in the Arsenal area, while Mikel Merino saw a goal-scoring opportunity denied by Joao Neves. A replay appeared to show the Portuguese got the ball before making contact with the Arsenal midfielder.

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  WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Vincic's performance was the main point of conversation on X. One user, Culturecams, posted: "Ref needs half time more than the players."

  Another supporter, BodegaaCat, added: "This ref has been shocking. Mendes fell over way before he was touched"

  Mabyllionaire wrote: "Arsenal fans booing the ref… these lot were calling themselves "Dark Arts FC" and now someone's doing it to them in a game that actually matters they can't hack it."

  FIFA Youtuber and Arsenal fan Nepenthez gave his two cents, writing: "This f*cking ref man. Blowing every time a PSG player gets breathed on."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Vincic did get some of his decisions spot on. Myles Lewis-Skelly was rightly shown a yellow card for a number of fouls on Desiree Doue. Even so, the attending Arsenal fans were vocal in their opinion of the Serbian's performance, showering the Emirates pitch with boos. Given the performance of both sets of players, their anger could only be directed at one man.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Arsenal face a difficult task in the second half as they fell behind to an smart finish by Ousmane Dembele in just the fourth minute. The curling effort was the result of a 27-pass move by Les Parisiens. Gianluigi Donnarumma was able to maintain the visitors' lead when he made a sharp save from a Saka effort a few minutes before the break.

Salt admits disappointment to slipping down pecking order but keen to seize opportunity

Matt Roller21-Sep-2023A sodden Headingley outfield delayed its arrival by three days, but England’s latest white-ball opening partnership will stride out to the middle together at Trent Bridge on Saturday with an opportunity to show that they are not just a stop-gap, but a viable long-term option at the top of the order.Phil Salt and Will Jacks were due to open the batting against Ireland before Wednesday’s ODI was abandoned without a ball bowled and both men know that this series is about much more than results. Instead, it represents a chance for them to show that they should be part of a regenerated England side after this World Cup.Salt and Jacks have batted together before, though only six times and all in T20s, rather than 50-over games. They opened together in one of England’s seven T20Is in Pakistan this time last year, and were also opening partners for Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 in January. That they were due to open, with Zak Crawley in the middle order, confirms their status as the next men in.In style, they are similar to the Jason Roy-Alex Hales prototype, the opening pair that launched England’s white-ball revolution. Jacks, like Hales, is the taller of the two, and particularly strong through the covers; Salt, like Roy, is slightly shorter, but a powerful, leg-side dominant player. Unlike Roy and Hales, they both offer secondary skills: Jacks bowls useful offbreaks, while Salt can keep wicket.After England’s humiliating group-stage exit at the 2015 World Cup and ahead of their next full series against New Zealand, Roy and Hales were given an extended run at the top of the order, given licence to fail as long as they played in the team’s new attacking style. Salt and Jacks could be in a similar position – even if England’s white-ball teams are now in a very different place.There is healthy competition between Salt and Jacks. Salt turned 27 last month, Jacks’ 25th birthday is in November, while Salt has 30 international caps and a T20 World Cup winners’ medal to Jacks’ 10. But Jacks was picked ahead of Salt to open the batting in last month’s T20I series against New Zealand, with England keen to give him a run of games.”I was disappointed, I can’t lie to you,” Salt said. “I had a good IPL, but I didn’t do myself justice when I came back for the Blast. Playing for England is where I want to be… if anything, it’s given me motivation to get back in the team and reclaim my place.” He sought feedback from Matthew Mott and Jos Buttler, who explained there had been “a little shift around in the pecking order.”With Hales now retired from international cricket and Roy’s World Cup omission likely to draw a line under his England career, there will soon be spots up for grabs. “I’d like to think so, yeah,” Salt said when asked if he saw himself taking one of them. “There’s a lot of guys in my position also thinking the same thing.”Will Jacks made his T20I debut as Salt’s opening partner•Getty Images

Of course, there is no guarantee that there will be dual vacancies at the top of the order. Buttler recently cautioned against what he sees as an English obsession with age, saying: “We are always looking for the next thing… If people are still performing, age is irrelevant.” After all, England will likely head into next year’s T20 World Cup with Buttler and Jonny Bairstow as their openers.But in ODIs, England will start building towards the 2027 World Cup – and the 2025 Champions Trophy – when they travel to the Caribbean in December. Their fringe players have lined up that tour for further potential opportunities and will make themselves available even if it means limiting their time for franchise cricket; both Salt and Jacks are in demand worldwide, and are likely to be retained for next year’s IPL.”Playing for England is a priority,” Salt said. “There’s a lot of franchise opportunities out there, but every game I can get in an England shirt, I want to take the opportunity with both hands. Some people are at the stage of their career where they are prioritising earning money… [but] right now, I just want to play as many games as I can for England.”After those three fixtures against West Indies, which are followed by five T20Is, England will not play another ODI until September 2024, when they host Australia at the end of the summer. With the country’s leading white-ball cricketers involved in the Hundred rather than the One-Day Cup, the ongoing Ireland series provides rare exposure to 50-over cricket.”It is slightly strange: you’ve got to remember the rules,” Jacks joked on Wednesday. “I’ve barely played [50-over cricket]: I’ve played two games in the last five years.” Salt believes that most players are able to adapt: “The fundamentals and the basics are very, very similar. It’s just spread out over a bigger period of time.”More immediately, they will just hope to get on the pitch: mercifully, Saturday’s forecast for Nottingham suggests they should at least manage that.

Jude Bellingham has already eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo in the hearts of Real Madrid fans as the Englishman is said to be "loved" more than the legend.

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• Bellingham a fan favourite at Real Madrid
• Journalist says he is loved more than Ronaldo
• CR7 spent nine years at the Bernabeu

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bellingham rocketed to Madrid stardom immediately after joining the club from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023, making him a fan favourite alongside star attacker Vinicius Junior as they won a Champions League and La Liga double.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 21-year-old is still far from repeating the kind of success Ronaldo enjoyed in his nine-year spell at the Santiago Bernabeu, but journalist Andy Brassell believes the Portuguese star was never truly loved by the Madrid faithful. Citing the moment Bellingham whispered into Bukayo Saka's ear during Madrid's Champions League loss to Arsenal, Brassell says Bellingham has earned "unconditional" love in the Spanish capital.

• WHAT BRASSELL SAID

  He said on : "It's a little clue to why he's so loved in Madrid in an unconditional way that Cristiano Ronaldo never was. Cristiano Ronaldo was admired and respected, but never loved like Jude Bellingham. Now, you might sit there and think: 'Okay, well Cristiano Ronaldo scored more than a goal a game for nine years, how can that be the case?' "But I think it's the indefinables with Bellingham. And you saw it at Dortmund as well, the way he connected with the crowd. It's not just the way he plays, but the fact he makes the fans in the stadium feel part of it. He plays the game like any of us would if we had the ability. I think that's the important thing. He's a mix between the best player in the world and us playing on a Sunday. And I don't mean that in a bad way, I mean that in an entirely positive way. And I think that's the thing, because the Madrid media would expect anyone to do that for Real Madrid. [Bellingham] doesn't need to be asked. He doesn't care that it's his England team-mate and I think Bukayo Saka would quite respect that."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM AND RONALDO?

  Bellingham and his Madrid team-mates are looking to reduce the gap to La Liga leaders Barcelona when they face Getafe on Wednesday. Ronaldo and Al-Nassr, meanwhile, will take on Yokohama Marinos in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals this weekend.

Karun Nair’s unbeaten fifty underpins Northants hopes after Hassan Azad falls for 48

Vithushan Ehantharajah19-Sep-2023Even with an 18-point lead at the top of Division One and facing bottom-of-the-table Northamptonshire at home, Surrey arrived into this penultimate match of the season wary of complacency. At the Kia Oval, in weather confirming summer was really over, it was Tom Lawes, one of their own, who stepped up to maintain standards.Northamptonshire closed on 171 for the loss of 6, Lawes’ nagging, surprisingly brisk seamers responsible for half of them. A simple equation is two wins give Surrey the title, which is all they care about. The fine print for the rest of us is that victory with three bonus points puts the onus on second-place Essex to win to keep the County Championship alive. Across a bitty 63.4 overs, when the usually reliable senior figures were a little off with the ball, Lawes’ 3 for 47 has not only helped bag two of those bonus points but moved the game along with rain set to play its unwelcome part for the rest of the week.Rory Burns won his first toss in five, inserting the visitors in as grim conditions as possible without being bad enough to prevent play from starting on time. The skies were overcast enough to require the floodlights at full beam at 10:30am. And the sharp winds that persisted throughout the day were fierce enough for the flags sitting atop the Micky Stewart Pavilion to be brought down.At another time, Burns would have needed to reinforce his hairband before heading out onto the field. Alas, the flowing 14-inch locks are no more, shorn for a good cause to make a natural wig for The Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or to other conditions.Related

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Given the climes, and prolific new-ball duo of Kemar Roach and Dan Worrall going up against a batting line-up that has only managed four bonus points all season, this was surely going one way. And yet 13 overs in, neither had caused Hassan Azad or Emilio Gay any discomfort, barring a delivery from Worrall that leapt off a length and clocked Azad on the jaw of his grille.At 29 for no loss, both left-handed openers would have been satisfied with their early work. But Surrey are not where they are because of the work of just two bowlers. Enter Jordan Clark, who needed just four deliveries to move to the top of the club’s wicket-taking charts with a 47th dismissal of the season as Gay flicked down the leg side to Ben Foakes.Azad, however, trucked on, typically barnacle-like in approach. He has long been about accumulation through survival, but that throwback approach has been found wanting this season, as per the average of 16.15 from 14 innings heading into this match. Nevertheless, on a day like today, stickability was the name of the game and, together with Karun Nair – one of two Indian batters in this match after Sai Sudharsan was handed a debut in place of Jamie Smith away on England duty – compiled a 55-run stand from 24.2 overs.There was a whiff of general sadness when Azad fell, short-arming Worrall behind with an apologetic pull, wary of the man lurking around the corner at leg gully. Not for the first time this season, the short-ball did for him, two shy of a second half-century of the season.Nair, meanwhile, was able to bring up his own in 108 deliveries, and will recommence his innings on Tuesday thanks largely to a life given to him by Jamie Overton when on 11, off the bowling of Worrall. That is likely to be more stop-start than day one, which featured just one shower stopping play for two hours from 1:30pm.Nevertheless, a relatively frustrating day for Surrey carried cheer beyond the wickets. Overton pulled up five deliveries into his second over with what looked like a twinge to his left groin. In the immediacy, their depth covered for the loss as he walked off and Burns brought himself on to send the final delivery down the leg side. Lawes plugged the gap from the Vauxhall End, eventually prising out Luke Procter with a length delivery that lifted and left the visiting skipper.By then, Overton had returned to the field, taking a regulation catch at second slip. And just to reiterate his bloody-mindedness, he was back bowling by the 57th over, rapping Saif Zaib on the hand before nicking him off two deliveries later with a full ball that arched away late.It was the second of three dismissals in 25 deliveries, sandwiched between Lawes removing Keogh – another catch for Overton – and yorking Lewis McManus. Overton should have had a third when Justin Broad fended some extra bounce behind, which Foakes could only tip over the bar.At 5:22pm, bad light stopped play and no doubt Surrey were rueing what looked set to be a procession of the remaining Northants wickets to make up for the early, Zaib-led resistance as they walked off. Remarkably, the clouds had parted enough to allow through what remained of the sun to give us a 5:38pm restart, with an optimistic 12 overs remaining.Six minutes later, back came the clouds and off went the players. The only play of note was a ninth boundary to Nair, driven through extra cover, to take him to a second half-century for Northants.

Liverpool will hold new contract talks with Ibrahima Konate after learning of Paris Saint-Germain's desire to sign the defender this summer.

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• Liverpool have reportedly held new talks with Konate
• The discussions come amid interest from PSG
• But in-demand Huijsen could be a replacement

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Konate’s contract at Anfield expires at the end of next season and, as they seek to extend his stay at the club beyond then, the Reds also hold an interest in Dean Huijsen as a potential replacement for the France centre-back.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  reported that there has been no breakthrough in talks between Liverpool and Konate, with the decision made to focus on his contract in response to interest from PSG, who knocked the Reds out of the Champions League this season.

  If no resolution can be reached with Konate, then there could be motivation on Liverpool’s part to cash in and avoid losing him for free at the end of next season. Should that scenario play out, then a move for Huijsen may be on the cards. The Reds are interested in the Bournemouth defender, but are expected to have competition from Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle United.

• HOW KONATE AND HUIJSEN COMPARE

  There’s reason to believe Liverpool would not be too upset at the thought of losing Konate, if they could indeed replace him with Huijsen, who has impressed significantly for Bournemouth this season and has contributed to seven clean sheets in the league this season. The Spain international has been on the pitch for 25 of the 40 league goals Bournemouth have conceded. Konate has seen 21 of Liverpool’s 31 goals conceded with him on the field.

  Huijsen has made more blocks (25 to 15), interceptions (49 to 11) and clearances (160 to 110) than Konate in the league this season despite playing the same amount of games (27). Konate has the edge in terms of aerial duels won (69 to 61) and tackles (36 to 33).

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KONATE AND HUIJSEN?

  Konate will hope to help Liverpool get over the line and clinch the Premier League title on Sunday, when the Reds will need just a point against Tottenham to win the league.

  Bournemouth host Manchester United earlier on the same day, with Huijsen likely to be key as they look to take a step towards European qualification.

Dean Foxcroft included in a squad which sees a number of senior players rested before the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2023Lockie Ferguson will captain New Zealand in their ODI series against Bangladesh later this month with Tom Latham among a group of senior players given a break before the World Cup.Latham, currently leading the one-day side in place of Kane Williamson, has been rested from the three-match tour in late September along with Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee to allow them a short period at home.Trent Boult will feature along with Kyle Jamieson and Adam Milne. The spin bowling will be shared between Ish Sodhi, Rachin Ravindra and Cole McConchie.Related

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Ferguson recently captained New Zealand in a T20 warm-up match against Worcestershire on the current tour of England.”Lockie is an experienced bowler at the international level, and this is an opportunity for him to really lead from the front with not just the bowling group but the team as a whole,” head coach Gary Stead said. “He stepped into the role for the warm-up matches in England and led a group with a lot of moving parts well.”We have a very full schedule between now until the end of our tour to Pakistan in April including the World Cup and the start of the new World Test Championship cycle so trying to keep players and staff fresh and ready at the right times is paramount,” Stead added.”Balancing workloads also provides opportunities and it’s exciting to have different players in the group and learning in an environment like Bangladesh. It can be a challenging place to tour and getting used to different conditions quickly will be important over the next few months.”Dean Foxcroft, who has recently qualified for New Zealand and made his T20I debut against UAE last month, has been included in the squad.”Any time a player is selected for the first time it’s exciting and Dean’s shown as the [Otago] Volts’ leading white ball run scorer last summer the talent he has,” Stead said. “We were impressed with the way he came into the group with the T20 squad, and this will be another great opportunity to keep learning in our environment.”Mark Chapman and Jimmy Neesham weren’t considered for selection because of the birth of their first children.The three ODIs will take place in Dhaka on September 21, 23 and 26 with the teams then heading to India for the World Cup.New Zealand ODI squad vs Bangladesh Lockie Ferguson (capt), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult. Chad Bowes, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young

Pigeons and windows come a cropper as Warwickshire turn the screw at Canterbury

ECB Reporters Network 11-Jul-2023Kent 171 and 55 for 1 (Denly 29*, Compton 17*) trail Warwickshire 549 for 7 dec (Yates 228, Maxwell 81) by 323 runsA double-century from Rob Yates put Warwickshire in a commanding position after day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship game with Kent at Canterbury.The visitors declared their first innings on 549 for seven, a lead of 378, before reducing Kent to 55 for one at stumps.Yates hit his highest first-class score of 228 not out from 421 balls, with 23 fours and a six, having batted for nearly nine hours. Australia’s Glenn Maxwell made 81 in his first championship appearance for four years and Henry Brookes was unbeaten on 52 as the visitors dominated throughout.Chris Rushworth bowled Tawanda Muyeye early in Kent’s second innings and although Ben Compton and Joe Denly survived till the close, the hosts are still 323 behind with two days remaining.Warwickshire began the day on 155 for two and they’d nudged into a three-run lead when Sam Hain edged Arshdeep Singh and fell to a diving catch by Jordan Cox for 32.Jacob Bethell immediately went on the attack, clubbing Hamid Qadri for a six that flew into the gardens on the Old Dover Road side of the ground. The ball was lost, somewhere in the vicinity of a dead pigeon it had apparently hit.Kent’s hopes were looking nearly as lifeless when Jack Leaning briefly revived them with two wickets in five balls. Bethell was out for 31, caught by a back-pedalling Arshdeep at deep mid-on for 31 and Ed Barnard went for a four-ball duck, narrowly surviving an lbw shout off the third ball he faced before getting caught behind.This spasm of hope for the home side quickly subsided as Yates and Maxwell put on a stand of 124. The former reached three figures when he cut Arshdeep to third man and the lead was exactly 100 at lunch.Maxwell looked set for a hundred, but he was caught behind chasing a wide delivery from Matt Quinn, though with the lead already past the 200 mark there was little celebration either in the middle or on the boundary.The most dramatic moment of the afternoon session came when Yates hit Qadri for a six that went so far over the bowler’s head that it ended up smashing a glass panel on the balcony of the Kent dressing-room.Yates cruised past his previous highest score of 141 with a straight-driven four off Grant Stewart and it was 442 for six at tea.Michael Burgess was subsequently out for 42, caught off Quinn by Harry Finch at backward point but Yates survived a major scare when he was on 199, chipping a ball from Qadri just out of reach of three fielders, before he drove the next ball through the covers to pass 200.The declaration came as soon as Brookes had creamed Leaning for six to reach his half-century, leaving Kent with 14 overs to survive under increasingly ashen skies.Muyeye lasted just five balls before Rushworth sent his off stump flying and although Denly and Compton made it to the close on 29 and 17 respectively, Kent will need something approaching a miracle over the next two days to avoid a damaging defeat.