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Rinku Singh played a crucial role in Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) last-ball win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Eden Gardens but may have injured himself in the process of keeping his team alive in the race to the playoffs in IPL 2025.He first scored an unbeaten 19 off 6 balls as KKR took 22 off the final over of their innings to post a total of 206 for 4. Then, when RR needed 22 off the last six balls of the chase, Rinku made a couple of critical saves. Off the first ball of the 20th over, he ran to his right at deep cover and dived full length to deny Jofra Archer a boundary, after which he was seen limping while holding the region near his right groin.Related

• KKR 'need to sharpen up' in the middle phase to stay in contention, says Rayudu

• No rush, just Russ: measured mayhem is KKR's new mantra

• Race to IPL 2025 playoffs: SRH become third team to get knocked out

• Riyan Parag becomes first batter in IPL to hit six sixes off successive balls

With RR needing three runs off the last ball – two to take the game into a Super Over – Shubham Dubey dug out a yorker from Vaibhav Arora towards mid-off. Rinku charged in from his position on the long-off boundary, collected the ball, and threw it on the bounce to Arora, who ran out the diving Archer to seal a one-run win. Rinku was originally placed at long-on but was moved to long-off by captain Ajinkya Rahane just before that ball.Vaibhav Arora ran out Jofra Archer off the final ball•AFP/Getty Images

“[The diving effort on 19.1] was very important because everyone in India knows that the outfield here is very fast,” Rinku told the broadcaster after the match. “So you have to react accordingly. Once the field restrictions are lifted after the powerplay, I field outside the 30-yard circle. I enjoy my fielding a lot. And to be honest, I like fielding more than batting.”ESPNcricinfo TimeOut expert Ambati Rayudu said Rinku always had his eyes on the ball and was impressed by the way he picked it up: “That was a great pick-up. The ball wobbled just before his hands but his eyes were stuck to the ball. So, it was a very good pick-up.”With KKR needing to win every game to have a realistic chance of making the playoffs, they put on a strong fielding performance while defending 206. In the first over of RR’s chase, Rahane ran backward from midwicket and took a diving catch to dismiss Vaibhav Suryavanshi despite having stitches on the webbing of his right hand, which was heavily bandaged.”Fielding is the factor where you can control as a unit,” he said after KKR moved to sixth place on the points table. “If you can save 10 or 12 runs in the field, that’s a bonus. That’s what we decided – let’s give our best in the field, bowlers are doing their job anyway. It is all about if you can take one or two brilliant catches, stop a couple of runs, and in the end that was the difference.”KKR’s next play Chennai Super Kings at home on Wednesday.

Manchester United have been known to splash the cash over the last couple of years, spending over £800m on new additions for the side since the summer of 2022.

Erik ten Hag was responsible for the vast majority of such spending, having five windows to make the additions he thought would transform the club’s fortunes.

The likes of Casemiro, Antony and Rasmus Hojlund were all brought in under the Dutchman’s guidance, with the latter two departing the Red Devils in the closing stages of the recent window.

However, current boss Ruben Amorim has also spent in the region of £200m alone this window, securing the signatures of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.

Such funds are way higher than any supporter would’ve expected, but it may have been an even bigger shopping spree had they completed a deal for Carlos Baleba.

Man Utd’s hunt for Baleba this summer

In an attempt to bolster the midfield department, United targeted various options in the Premier League, with Adam Wharton just one name on their shortlist.

However, Brighton star Baleba was undoubtedly the biggest target, with Amorim’s side making an approach for the Cameroonian international’s signature ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

While at one stage the player himself seemed keen on a switch to Old Trafford, a move failed to materialise as the Seagulls were reluctant to offload the 21-year-old talent.

Fabian Hurzeler’s side stated that they wanted a fee in the region of £100m to part ways with Baleba, but such a figure was out of the Red Devils’ budget after their previous dealings in the window.

It remains unclear whether the hierarchy will return for his services in 2026, but it’s clear that the board have been targeting added reinforcements in the middle of the park.

However, despite their attempts in the market, United already have a hugely talented player in their ranks – with his recent rise now seeing his value soar over recent months.

The United talent who’s worth more than Baleba

Over the last couple of years, United have shifted their focus to recruiting younger talent to try and decrease the age of the current first-team squad.

The side for the 2025/26 Premier League campaign currently has an average age of 25.6, with the age range in the side having players placed between 17 and 39.

Casemiro is currently one of the midfield options currently at Amorim’s disposal, but the Brazilian, who is now 33, is entering the final years of his career and desperately needs to be moved on in the near future.

Youngster Kobbie Mainoo is another player who is available to Amorim in that department, but despite his success on the field in recent times, he’s fallen down the manager’s pecking order.

After his dream 2023/24 campaign, which saw an FA Cup final goal and a late strike against rivals Liverpool, many supporters would’ve expected the 20-year-old to be a first-team regular by now.

The 20-year-old, who’s been labelled “generational” by teammate Hojlund, only made 25 league appearances last season, 19 of which were from a starting role, with the likes of Casemiro often being selected ahead of the academy graduate.

His only start in 2025/26 so far came in the Carabao Cup defeat against Grimsby Town – leading to the player himself asking for a loan spell away from his boyhood side.

Kobbie Mainoo – PL stats (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

25

Pass accuracy

87%

Tackles won

1.6

Interceptions made

1.1

Blocks made

0.9

Take-on success

46%

Carries into 18-yard box

0.6

Recoveries made

4.8

Tackle success rate

60%

Stats via FBref

However, such a request was immediately dismissed, resulting in the player needing to fight for a place within the first-team squad – until January at the earliest.

Despite his recent lack of action, Mainoo has seen a swift upturn in his market value, with FootballTransfers now valuing the Englishman at a staggering £57.8m.

Such a figure is now higher than the value of Baleba, who’s now valued at just £49.1m by the same site despite his recent valuation by the club in the summer window.

Given the aforementioned price tags, it’s clear that Mainoo is still a young talent with huge potential, with Amorim desperately needing to hand him consistent minutes in the months ahead.

He’s already showcased he’s capable of thriving at Old Trafford, but he needs the manager’s backing to do so, which could potentially put a permanent end to their hunt for Baleba.

Related Man Utd may regret selling £73m CF who's scoring more than Sesko & Mbeumo

Manchester United may have made a mistake in offloading one top-level talisman.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Sep 9, 2025

When thinking about the best players to ever play for Germany, the likes of Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer, Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller all spring to mind. The fact is, they have been blessed with outrageous talent in several different eras – winning four World Cups as a result.

The biggest name that stands out in the modern era is arguably Neuer. It’s rare when a goalkeeper is recognised as the best of his time, but the Bayern Munich legend has simply revolutionised his role. As the first real ‘sweeper keeper’, Neuer shocked opponents by positioning himself close to the half-way line and often taking risks as if he were in the No.6 role rather than between the posts.

Appearances

124

Clean Sheets

51

Goals Conceded

118

Conceding less than a goal a game throughout his international career, it’s no surprise that Neuer has been showered with praise over the years. And that includes from Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who told reporters: “I’ve seen everyone. Sepp Maier, Oliver Kahn, and now Manu.

“I have the greatest respect for Sepp and Oli, they were absolutely world-class. But what Manuel has done is something else: he took the whole goalkeeping game to a new level.”

Meanwhile, if your preference is goals rather than those that prevent them, then Muller stands out for Germany. Nicknamed Der Bomber by fans thanks to his ability to tear defences apart, only Miroslav Klose has scored more goals for Germany than Muller.

So, there’s certainly plenty of players to choose from in Germany’s illustrious history. You could do a lot worse than simply picking any of the players involved in their 7-1 thrashing of Brazil in 2014, that’s for sure. But that didn’t stop recent Newcastle United signing Nick Woltemade from naming a shock Arsenal player as his favourite German player of all time.

Nick Woltemade: Kai Havertz is my favourite German player

After putting pen to paper to join Newcastle, Woltemade shocked everyone by naming Kai Havertz as his favourite German player. The Arsenal forward was selected over the likes of Klose, Muller and Neuer, with the Newcastle star revealing that he’s a big fan of his compatriot in unexpected fashion.

Whilst Havertz made the cut above several legends, Woltemade may simply enjoy the thought of playing alongside the Arsenal man. If both enjoy impressive campaigns, they could provide Julian Nagelsmann with quite the strike partnership.

Germany are due some success if history is anything to go by too. They haven’t won a major trophy since the 2014 World Cup and the pressure is on ahead of next summer.

With 20 goals and 17 assists in just 55 games for his country, there’s every chance that Havertz will play a large role in Germany’s attempt to get back to the top of world football. Whether his biggest fan in Woltemade is alongside him remains to be seen, however.

There was scrutiny around India’s move to bring on Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube during the fourth T20I against England, with England captain Jos Buttler saying after the match that this did not fit the definition of a like-for-like replacement. The television commentators who were on air at the time of the substitution – Kevin Pietersen and Nick Knight – had also questioned the swap. Dube did not take the field in the chase, after taking a blow on the helmet on his way to 53 off 34 balls.”It is not a like-for-like replacement. We don’t agree with that,” Buttler said after India completed a 15-run win. “Either Shivam Dube has put on about 25mph with the ball or Harshit has really improved his batting. It’s part of the game and we really should have gone on to win the match, but we disagree with the decision.”There was no consultation [with us]. That’s something I was thinking as I came out to bat – who is Harshit on for? They said he is a concussion replacement, which I obviously disagreed with. It is not a like-for-like replacement. They said that the match referee had made the decision. We had no say in it or any part of it. But we’ll ask Javagal [Srinath] some questions just to get some clarity around it.Related

• Suryakumar's India look to land one final blow on England

• Compromise may be needed with concussion subs to ensure player safety

• Dube's spin takedown and Hardik's masterful pacing a sight to behold

• Hardik, Dube, spinners hand India series win

“Like I said, it was not the whole reason why we did not win the match. We had our chances to win the game which we could have still taken. But I’d like to have a bit more clarity on that.”As per the ICC’s playing conditions for men’s T20Is, “The ICC Match Referee should ordinarily approve a Concussion Replacement Request if the replacement is a like-for-like player whose inclusion will not excessively advantage his/her team for the remainder of the match. In assessing whether the nominated Concussion Replacement should be considered a like-for-like player, the ICC Match Referee should consider the likely role the concussed player would have played during the remainder of the match, and the normal role that would be performed by the nominated Concussion Replacement.”Dube scored a half-century after walking in at 57 for 4 and stitched an 87-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Hardik Pandya. It allowed India to post 181 for 9. On the penultimate ball of the innings, Dube was hit on the helmet by Jamie Overton’s 141.5kph bumper.India had batting allrounder Ramandeep Singh on the bench, who might have better fit the definition of a like-for-like replacement for Dube. For a short while, Ramandeep came on as a substitute for Varun Chakravarthy.3:48

How allrounders test the limits of concussion sub rules

“He [Rana] is not the like-to-like replacement for Shivam Dube,” Pietersen had said on air. “You ask anyone in the world, and they will say the same thing. Dube is not a genuine pacer, but Rana is.” Knight also echoed these thoughts.India’s assistant coach Morne Morkel said: “Shivam came off the field in the innings break with mild headache symptoms. We took a name forward to the match referee in terms of a suitable substitution, and from there it is up to the match referee to make the decision. When the decision was made, Harshit was having dinner. So we had to get him ready as quickly as possible to go on the field and bowl.”It goes to the powers above me – match referee makes the decision. We can only take the name forward and from there it is out of our hands.”Rana, who was playing his first T20I, was brought into the attack in the 12th over and he struck with his second ball. He got a short-of-good-length ball to bounce extra to take the outside edge of Liam Livingstone, who had looked to guide it through third. Rana bowled his full quota of overs and picked up three wickets. He also was at short third to catch out England captain Jos Buttler, who walked back fuming and had a few words with head coach Brendon McCullum, perhaps regarding the approval of Rana as the concussion substitute.”Two overs into the chase, I was told [about being the concussion substitute],” Rana said after the match. “I have been preparing for a while, not just for this series. I have been waiting for this moment [his debut] to prove myself. When I got the chance, I did not think of the circumstances and just thought about delivering. I have experience of bowling at the death [for KKR in the IPL] and relied on that.”

Lamine Yamal was given an injection by the doctors and physiotherapists of the Spanish national team ahead of their World Cup qualifying clash against Turkey as he was experiencing acute lower back pain. The 18-year-old had sustained a minor injury in the sacroiliac region before joining up with the national team but was trusted to play in the international games, sparking fury at Barcelona.

• Spanish federation was in contact with Barcelona

  A feud has erupted between the club and the national team after the teen sensation returned with an injury, ruling him out of their most recent match and is expected to the Champions League opener against Newcastle this week.

  According to although the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) claimed Yamal had no discomfort, they had informed Barcelona that they had "injected Voltaren into his spine because he couldn’t leave the hotel and asked us not to play."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Yamal missed Valencia game due to injury

  Barca missed Yamal’s services against Valencia, a game in which the Catalans whitewashed their opponents 6-0, with Marcus Rashford and Roony Bardghji starting on the wings. 

  Head coach Hansi Flick was furious with the RFEF’s treatment of Yamal, who was unable to train with his team-mates after returning to Catalunya. The 60-year-old said in the press conference: “Lamine Yamal will not be available. He went with the national team in pain and did not train. They gave him painkillers to play. They had at least a three-goal lead in every match, and he played 73 minutes and 79, and between matches he couldn't train. That is not taking care of the player. I am very sad about this.”

• Sporting director Deco sides with Flick

  Amid the controversy regarding Yamal’s injury and Flick’s comments, which stunned the RFEF, Barca’s sporting director, Deco, has backed the German manager. He said in an interaction with the club’s media team: “In Lamine’s case, I agree with what [Flick] said. In the end, we have to improve our communication, we have to improve the protocols between clubs and national teams. Players are subject to excessive workloads nowadays as we all know. [International breaks] are always complicated because many times players come back with injuries. We have to try to improve. We agree with the mister because in the end, [Yamal is] an important player for us, an important player for Spain, and I think between all of us we have to be a little bit more careful.”

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Will Yamal play against Newcastle?

  Barcelona will be featuring in the Champions League this week to take on Premier League side Newcastle in their opening game. But unfortunately, the teenager, who did not train on Monday, is expected not to take the field.

Glasgow Rangers and Russell Martin made a move to sign an “immaculate” £2m player for nothing, as per Sky Sports.

Martin delighted with Rangers after 3-0 win vs Viktoria Plzen

The Gers took another step in the right direction towards Champions League qualification on Tuesday evening, beating Viktoria Plzen 3-0 at Ibrox in the first leg of their third qualifying round tie.

Martin, who was left fuming with his Rangers side after a 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw with Motherwell, rung the changes and left out captain James Tavernier and star midfielder Nicolas Raskin.

However, two goals from summer signing Djeidi Gassama and one from Cyriel Dessers puts the Gers in a strong position to progress to the next round. Talking after the Ibrox victory, Martin said via PA:

“I really enjoyed it. I’m proud of the guys. We had a really difficult evening on Saturday, just because there was not enough running in behind, aggression, intensity with the ball. We were not just ranting and raving, we showed a lot of clips and we tried to do a lot of learning in the meeting room and on the pitch in the last couple of days and they took it on brilliantly.

“The guys that came in the team were fantastic. We’re going to need everyone. You don’t get dropped from this team, people come in and out quite a lot because we need to be fresh.”

Rangers summer signings

From

Fee

Oliver Antman

Go Ahead Eagles

£4m

Oscar Cortes

Lens

£4m

Thelo Aasgaard

Luton

£3.5m

Emmanuel Fernandez

Peterborough

£3.5m

Djeidi Gassama

Sheffield Wednesday

£2.2m

Joe Rothwell

Bournemouth

Undisclosed

Lyall Cameron

Dundee

Undisclosed

Mikey Moore

Tottenham

Loan

Nasser Djiga

Wolves

Loan

Max Aarins

Bournemouth

Loan

So far, 10 new additions have been made by Martin and the 49ers Enterprises, with more still potentially on the way before the September 1 deadline.

However, one player Rangers missed out on was Conor Coady, who swapped Leicester City for Wrexham in a £2m transfer.

Rangers moved to sign Coady for £0 – Sky Sports

As per Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett, Rangers tried to sign Coady on a free transfer from Leicester, with the defender believing that he would be able to walk away from the King Power for nothing.

Instead, Leicester managed to secure a fee for the “immaculate” England international, who signed a two-year deal in Wales.

Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga have been the centre-back additions so far, rivalling John Souttar, Clinton Nsiala, Leon King and Ben Davies, but with the latter linked with Birmingham City, another defensive arrival shouldn’t be ruled out.

This was Ireland’s first T20I win against South Africa and second overall against them in internationals

Firdose Moonda29-Sep-2024
Ireland beat South Africa for the first time in a T20I after posting their highest total against them and successfully defending it in Abu Dhabi. In the process, they became the first team to win a match batting first at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in the last eight T20Is at the venue.In what was a family affair, Ross Adair grabbed the early headlines when he scored a 57-ball hundred, his first in T20Is – and Ireland’s third century in the format – before his younger brother, Mark Adair, took 4 for 31 to seal the win.Ross set the tone when he shared Ireland’s second-highest opening stand in the format – 137 – with his captain Paul Stirling, who scored his first fifty in 21 T20Is. Their start meant Ireland were on track for a score above 200 but lost 6 for 43 in 32 balls to leave some runs unscored. Still, they asked South Africa to complete the highest successful chase in T20Is at this venue and they made a fist of it.Reeza Hendricks scored his second successive half-century Matthew Breetzke his first but Ireland struck often enough to ensure the required run rate got too big on South Africa’s middle order. They needed 108 off the last 10 overs, with nine wickets in hand, and 53 off the last five overs, with seven wickets in the bank, and that is when Mark Adair struck. He went around the wicket to Tristan Stubbs, who pushed at a wide ball and was caught behind. That sparked a collapse that saw South Africa lose 5 wickets for 25 to fall 11 runs short.Ross Adair rides his luckTake nothing away from Ross’ innings, which was an exhibition of all-round hitting, but he will know he should have been out not once, not twice, not three, not four but five times. He offered South Africa a first chance on 19, in the powerplay, when he was cramped by a Lizaad Williams short ball and miscued a pull to deep square leg. The catch was taken but Williams had overstepped and Adair batted on.Then, in the 14th over, immediately after Stirling was dismissed, Adair, on 78, hit Wiaan Mulder to Williams at deep backward point. Williams got both hands to it but palmed the ball over the boundary rope to send Adair into the 80s. Adair swung wildly at the next ball and hit it straight up but Ryan Rickleton couldn’t make enough ground to take the catch. And the ball after that, Adair was at the non-striker’s end when Harry Tector called him through for a single and then changed his mind. Patrick Kruger could have run Adair out but he missed his throw from extra cover. Adair had not quite had enough of danger and in the next over, on 90, he offered Kruger a return chance but it just went over him and Adair kept going. He brought up 100 off 57 balls and finished with nine sixes, the most by an Irish batter in the format.ESPNcricinfo LtdSA strangle Ireland in end oversIn the first match, South Africa gave away only six runs in the last two overs of the Ireland innings to leave them short of a par score; this time they gave away only 19 in the last three overs to keep Ireland under 200. Lungi Ngidi, who has been excellent on the tour, started the squeeze with an over of slower balls. That included a ball that completely foxed Neil Rock, who was far too early on his shot, and took out his middle stump. Ngidi finished with an analysis of 1 for 23 in four overs. Kruger bowled the 19th, which started with a run-out as Mark Adair was scrambling for a second run and was also peppered with pace-off. And Williams was given the last over by which time South Africa incurred an over-rate penalty and had to have an extra fielder in the ring. Still, he did not concede any boundaries as he stuck to yorker lengths.Humphreys belated birthday giftLeft-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys turned 22 on Saturday and celebrated with a trip to the Abu Dhabi Louvre but the real gift came 24 hours later when he took his first wicket of the series, and it was a big one. After conceding 26 runs in his first three overs, Humphreys was given the 14th over to finish and he made a big incision. With 66 needed off 39 balls balls, Aiden Markram premeditated a reverse-sweep but did not account for the change of pace from Humphreys. He sent the ball down quicker, it beat Markram and bowled him. Humphreys finished with 1 for 30 and left South Africa’s middle order with too much to do.Mark Adair magic After dismissing Stubbs, Mark Adair opened up South Africa’s middle order and then dismantled it in the 19th over. South Africa needed 23 runs off the last 12, and Mark Adair sent down a slower ball to Mulder, who hit straight up and Adair took it on himself to complete the catch. Two balls later, Breetzke tried to swat Mark Adair through the leg side but sent the ball straight to Harry Tector at long-on. Mark Adair closed out his over when Nqaba Peter hit him to extra cover, where Stirling took a diving catch to put Ireland in the pound seats. Graham Hume had 17 runs to defend off the last over and picked up two wickets in the process of doing that.

Leeds United are believed to be interested in signing a “special” player in the summer transfer window, with Daniel Farke a big admirer of the individual in question.

Leeds preparing for Premier League return

The Whites are edging closer to their first game back in the Premier League, with Farke and his players preparing hard after their return to pre-season training.

Leeds’ first match is a home clash with Everton on August 18th, with Elland Road likely to be in raucous spirits under the lights and in front of the Sky Sports cameras, following a couple of seasons away from the top flight.

It has been a productive summer transfer window for the Whites to date, with the likes of Jaka Bijol, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Sebastiaan Bornauw all brought in, but further fresh faces are required, in order to give Farke’s side the best possible chance of avoiding a swift return to the Championship in 2025/26.

Leeds have reportedly made an offer for Fenerbahce and Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, as they look to find an upgrade on Illan Meslier between the sticks, but it looks as though another player who Farke knows well could be an alternative option in the coming weeks.

Leeds keen on signing "special" free goalkeeper

According to journalist Barry Anderson on X, Leeds are interested in signing goalkeeper Angus Gunn this summer, with the Scot available on a free transfer after leaving Norwich City at the end of last season.

Gunn could be such a shrewd signing by the Whites, not only because he would arrive for free, but also due to the vast experience he now possesses.

The 29-year-old is a 16-cap Scotland international, being hailed as “special” on the international stage by David Marshall, and Farke is a huge fan, saying of him all the way back in 2017:

“Angus is very highly-rated and a really talented goalkeeper. He’s brilliant with his feet as well as his hands and is tall too. We’re happy to have him here for the next season and are thankful to Manchester City for helping us with this deal. I’m looking forward to working with such a great talent.”

Gunn has come up against Leeds so many times in his career, losing on five occasions at Elland Road in total, four of which came as a starter, but he could bring great quality in goal for plenty more years.

Related More important than Longstaff: Leeds submit bid for "big-game" £11m star

Leeds could make a more important signing than Longstaff

Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Jul 10, 2025

He already has 31 appearances to his name in the Premier League, as well as 166 in the Championship, and he could be a safe pair of hands for the Whites, even as a second or third choice option.

Smith, Maxwell and Head lead the charge for Washington, who lost just one game in MLC 2024

Andrew McGlashan29-Jul-2024Steven Smith led Washington Freedom to the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 title as they romped to an overwhelming 96-run victory against San Francisco Unicorns in Dallas. Smith and Australia team-mate Glenn Maxwell dominated with the bat then Unicorns’ chase disintegrated with Marco Jansen claiming both openers among his three wickets.The result cemented Freedom’s standing as the team of the season having secured five wins in the group stage before progressing direct to the final with victory over Unicorns in the Qualifier. This contest turned their way through a stand of 83 off 39 balls between Smith and Maxwell as Freedom added 121 in the second half of their innings.Smith, who was overlooked for Australia’s T20 World Cup squad earlier this year, overcame a sluggish start in the powerplay to make 88 off 52 balls including six sixes. Having been 10 off 12 balls in the sixth over he sped to a 34-ball fifty and ended the season as the joint second-leading run-scorer, alongside Travis Head, with 336 at a strike-rate of 148.67.Head, who has struck at over 170 during the tournament, fell early to Pat Cummins when he edged to slip, where Finn Allen held on at the second attempt, having been given a life in the opening over. But Andries Gous gave Freedom’s innings impetus as Smith found his feet although when Haris Rauf removed Rachin Ravindra after the midway mark, it was an even contest at 86 for 3.Glenn Maxwell found form towards the end of the tournament•MLCThen Smith and Maxwell, the latter having found form in the closing stages of the tournament, took charge included 28 coming off the 13th over from Juanoy Drysdale. Smith produced an outrageous scoop for six off Rauf and was in sight of a century when he got a top edge off Cummins.It appears likely that Smith’s T20I career is over following his World Cup omission and absence from the squad to face Scotland and England in September as the selectors look to the future, but it has been a profitable few weeks for him in the US.Though Maxwell also fell in the next over, superbly caught by Josh Inglis, Freedom were still able to cross 200.Unicorns’ chase never got off the ground. Jake Fraser-McGurk’s low-key tournament ended when he edged into the stumps against Jansen to leave him with 81 runs at 11.57 then both Sanjay Krishnamurthi and Allen also fell inside the powerplay to leave a daunting task. Sherfane Rutherford was superbly caught at deep backward square by Ian Holland the ball after being dropped and the rest of the batting fell away amid a huge asking rate.Freedom’s victory gave Ricky Ponting a title as coach a couple of weeks after leaving his role with Delhi Capitals.

Arsenal supporters are being forced to wait patiently for their first confirmed signing of the summer, despite new sporting director Andrea Berta’s well-documented transfer attempts behind-the-scenes.

The Gunners are reportedly closing in on a few key deals, namely for Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Arteta wants Arsenal to sign £204k-p/w forward with crucial meeting this week

The Spaniard is personally very keen to sign him.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 14, 2025

Arrizabalaga looks poised to complete a £5 million move to Arsenal as Mikel Arteta’s new back-up keeper and understudy to David Raya (David Ornstein), while Zubimendi is on course to seal a switch to the Premier League one year after rejecting Liverpool.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Zubimendi actually caused quite a stir with his recent comments suggesting that his future was still up in the air, but the likes of Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano have since confirmed that Arsenal are still expected to sign the 26-year-old after agreeing a deal with Sociedad.

After Zubimendi and Kepa, the north Londoners also remain in the market for a new winger and striker.

Arsenal have Real Madrid forward Rodrygo on their long list of wide options, with links still surrounding Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams, so that is certainly a position to keep an eye on. However, the most noise continues to surround Berta’s attempts to bring in a centre-forward.

Groundwork has been laid on deals for both RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, according to the BBC, with Arsenal exploring the conditions of moves for both men before deciding which one to formally pursue.

While Arsenal have already held “concrete” talks over Sesko, Gyokeres remains firmly on the radar.

Portuguese newspaper Record even reported this week that Arsenal made an official £55m opening bid for Gyokeres, with journalist Graeme Bailey sharing an update on the story.

Viktor Gyokeres camp clash with Sporting over rejected Arsenal bid

Speaking to The Boot Room, Bailey reports that the offer has been rejected by Sporting, which isn’t surprising when factoring in that their president, Frederico Varandas, confirmed that an offer below £60m wouldn’t be enough.

Bailey adds that Gyokeres’ camp clashed with Sporting after they snubbed Arsenal’s offer, but Arteta’s side remain in “constant contact” over his signature alongside Man United.

“Speaking to sources, Gyokeres is convinced that he is moving this summer, and he believes he will be in England – not that he has ruled out other countries, it is just where he believes he will be playing,” said the reporter.

“He did make it clear from the start that a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Pro League was not a consideration despite them making an approach this month.

“Arsenal and Man United are in constant contact, the lines of communication with those two clubs has been ongoing for months.

“The player’s representatives are working hard on his future, but there is no deadline here – it could be this month, but likely July, I am told, before something is agreed, but there is no panic. They are calm.”

Varandas’ preferred price tag could be around £68 million, but there are the strikers wages to consider, with Gyokeres reportedly demanding as much as £250,000-per-week.