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Since the turn of the century, Chelsea rank first across Europe for transfer expenditure, spending a rather grotesque figure of €3.86bn (£3.2bn).

Having sold players to recoup around €1.96bn (£1.65bn) during the same period, the Blues have a total net spend of €-1,899.67m since 2000.

While the club may have won two Champions League titles and five Premier League crowns during that period, plus winning a plethora of other domestic and European trophies, spending has gone to a new level since Todd Boehly took control.

The Stamford Bridge side did make plenty of exciting signings during the first 12 years of the century. Players such as Didier Drogba, Claude Makelele and Ricardo Carvalho all played key roles under José Mourinho as the Blues emerged as a major force.

Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Oscar saw Chelsea enjoy a successful second act between 2012 and 2017, winning another two Premier League titles and a Europa League crown.

One signing was perhaps lauded more than the rest, especially given how much potential he had upon moving to Stamford Bridge.

Juan Mata looked ready to explode into life in the Premier League upon moving to England. Unfortunately, his time in London was short-lived, but his cult status hasn’t left him.

Juan Mata’s Chelsea statistics

Mata had enjoyed an excellent start to his career. After making his debut for Valencia, the Spaniard accrued over 150 competitive appearances for the La Liga side, scoring 46 goals and grabbing 52 assists in just four seasons.

This form saw him secure a place in the 2010 World Cup squad. He may have only played 20 minutes for Spain during the tournament, but he got his hands on the trophy.

Chelsea made their move a year later, signing the playmaker for a fee in the region of £23.5m, which was certainly a bargain.

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2013/14

17

1

3

2012/13

64

20

30

2011/12

54

12

20

During his first season with the club, he played 54 games and registered 32 goal contributions, helping the Blues win the FA Cup and Champions League.

Remarkably, 60 goal involvements were recorded in the season after as Mata emerged as a key attacking threat for the London side. They didn’t win anything, but with Mourinho announced as the new manager in the summer of 2013, hopes were high of further glory.

It was clear he wasn’t going to fit into his tactical system, resulting in Mata making just 11 Premier League starts for the Blues during the first half of the season.

In January, Manchester United paid £37.1m to bring him to the North East, but he left Chelsea as a cult icon for his impressive displays.

With the transfer window set to open in just a few weeks, could Chelsea be about to raid Valencia once again for a talented young player with the world at his feet?

Indeed, a move for Cristhian Mosquera this summer could see him become Mata 2.0.

Chelsea make their move for La Liga sensation

While the club are in urgent need of a new striker or two heading into the transfer market, Enzo Maresca is also on the lookout for a new defender.

According to Caught Offside, Chelsea are keen to step up their interest in Mosquera, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season for the Spanish side.

As per the report, the Blues could be set to initiate talks with the centre-back soon in a bid to secure his signature. Due to the fact that his contract expires next summer, Valencia are only demanding a fee of around €25m (£21m), which is certainly feasible for Maresca.

They face stiff competition from Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig. While Atletico Madrid are also keen. Three of these clubs will take part in the Champions League next term, meaning Chelsea must secure their place in the competition to stand a chance of landing the youngster.

Transfer Focus

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

Although Maresca has plenty of centre-backs at his disposal, Mosquera could soon become a first-choice option for the Italian.

Why Chelsea must sign Cristhian Mosquera

The 20-year-old has started all but one of Valencia’s league matches this season, although the club have underperformed as a whole, looking like they might finish in the bottom half of the table.

Throughout the campaign, the Spaniard exuded the qualities of someone ten years older. Indeed, he has won an impressive 69% of his total ground duels per game in the top flight, along with making 3.4 clearances, 1.4 tackles and losing possession only 0.3 times per match.

These solid displays at the heart of Valencia’s backline have bolstered his reputation, being praised heavily in the process.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig stated that Mosquera is a “magnificent CB in the making” earlier this year. He also stated that the youngster was “one of the most talented U-21 CBs in Europe” following an excellent performance against Real Madrid in April.

When compared to his positional peers in La Liga this season, Mosquera currently ranks in the top 4% for ball recoveries (5.16) per 90, along with ranking in the top 14% for pass completion percentage (90.8%) and in the top 18% for percentage of dribbles tackled (76.3%) for Valencia.

He is certainly still raw and has plenty of development to do over the next few years, but these statistics prove he can mix it with the very best in Spain, no doubt about that.

For a fee of just £21m, Maresca won’t find better value out there all summer. Mosquera has proven throughout the 2024/25 campaign that he is a reliable centre-back,k and his signing fits into the club’s policy of bringing younger talent to London.

Mata enjoyed a wonderful two-and-a-half-year spell with Chelsea after sealing a move from Valencia. Given his growing reputation and talent, Mosquera could certainly go on to enjoy a similar sort of impact at Stamford Bridge should he make the move this summer.

Maresca must act swiftly to secure his signature, especially with plenty of other suitors swirling around the player.

Chelsea really looking at signing £25m "new name" who agreed to join Arsenal

He’s shook hands on personal terms with the Gunners last year.

ByEmilio Galantini May 23, 2025

Everton have finally got their head above the water, and David Moyes is planning on strengthening his squad this summer to ensure Bramley Moore has a good chance of tasting more lucrative successes than Goodison Park has been treated to in recent years.

While fans will hope for a flashy new forward, a rock-sold defender with a modern twist, it’s important to remember that a couple of under-the-radar, pragmatic signings will be essential in establishing a balanced and dynamic team.

Central midfield probably needs the least amount of work, but Moyes is planning on signing a former favourite to complete his set.

Everton chasing PL midfielder

According to Wednesday’s edition of MF Dnes – via Sport Witness – Tomas Soucek has major reservations about continuing at West Ham United, given Graham Potter views him as a utility option.

Transfer Focus

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

The experienced star is seemingly keen to remain loyal to his current employers, with two years left on his current deal, although he seemingly won’t accept an ‘inferior’ role under the new Potter regime.

This opens the door for Everton, with Moyes taking the Czech midfielder under his wing for the lion’s share of his Premier League career.

However, newly-promoted Leeds United are also keen, so The Friedkin Group will need to act quickly to avoid any embarrassment in securing a shrewd summer signing.

Why Moyes wants Soucek at Everton

Hailed as a “machine” by former West Ham correspondent Tom Clark, Soucek has been a regular feature for West Ham across the 20s, signed by Moyes from Slavia Prague on loan in January 2020 before his signing was wrapped up on a permanent basis for about £19m at the end of that season.

The 30-year-old played a vital role in winning the Conference League and challenging in European competition across three seasons in Moyes’ system, scoring 39 goals across 240 Irons appearances, including seven in the Premier League this term.

In spite of his prolificness and strong presence in the middle of the park, Potter’s not convinced, and it seems like Everton are ready to pounce on this opportunity and sign a replacement for Doucoure, 32, who is indeed out of a deal this summer.

This is probably the right decision, given he’s the club’s top earner at £130k per week. Moreover, the well of goals, Doucoure’s trademark, has dried up, with just three Premier League goals to his name this season.

West Ham United’s All-time Top Scorers (midfield)
Rank	Player	Apps	Goals
1.	Martin Peters	355	98
2.	Sir Trevor Booking	514	81
3.	Mark Noble	550	62
4.	Billy Bonds	645	49
5.	Tomas Soucek	240	39
Data via Transfermarkt

He knows how to find the back of the net, but Soucek, once remarked to be a “revelation” at West Ham by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, certainly isn’t a one-trick pony, with his physicality and industriousness forging a complete midfielder, perfect for Moyes’ system.

It’s no surprise the Scottish manager wants his towering 6 foot 3 general back in his fold, and with the likes of Idrissa Gueye getting on a bit, making a summer move makes sense irrespective of the Moyes factor.

West Ham might not be the most exciting team in the Premier League this season but Soucek has retained his threatening presence in the final third nonetheless, with FBref ranking him among the top 5% of centre-midfielders in the division this term for goals scored and the top 1% for touches in the box per 90.

Given that the data-driven site list Doucoure as one of Soucek’s most statistically comparable players, it feels like something of a no-brainer, not least because Moyes knows Soucek well, trusts him.

Moreover, Soucek’s scoring knack from midfield offers shades of Tim Cahill.

Cahill is one of Everton’s most memorable stars of the Premier League era, having scored 56 goals from 226 matches for the Toffees, predominantly from an attacking midfield standpoint.

Despite his smallish stature, Cahill was something of an aerial monster, a further similarity to Soucek, who, albeit, is much taller.

It feels important that Everton address their goalscoring issues with a wider scope this summer, not just bagging a new centre-forward but indeed signing a player such as Soucek who could add a much-needed dimension from deeper, making those effortless runs into dangerous positions to emulate Cahill and add a string to the manager’s tactical bow.

Hailed as one of Europe’s “prolific central midfielders” by esteemed analyst Michael Cox, Soucek has the qualities to step into Cahill’s boots, so to speak, fuelled further by the past connection with Moyes.

The Malian’s offensive sharpness has waned in recent years, and Soucek could be the perfect addition to uphold Moyes’ values at Bramley Moore.

The Czech international has averaged 5.1 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore, and would freshen up the Toffees ranks for sure.

With Potter not all that enamoured, West Ham’s loss will prove to be Everton’s gain.

Moyes' biggest star since Rooney: Everton leading race to sign £38m star

Everton appear to be making moves to land a talented youngster ahead of this summer.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 24, 2025

Celtic provided the perfect response to their 3-2 defeat to their rivals before the international break with a 3-0 win over Hearts at Parkhead on Saturday.

The Hoops had allowed their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table to be cut down to 13 points by losing to Rangers, but immediately bounced back with a convincing win over the Jam Tarts.

Daizen Maeda took his tally for the season to 30 goals in all competitions for the Bhoys with his two strikes against Hearts, whilst Jota added another goal to his collection since his return to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

Whilst many will focus on the attacking talent that was on display, as Jota and Maeda stole the headlines with their goals, the presence of Callum McGregor in the middle of the park was equally as important.

Why Callum McGregor's performance was important for Celtic

The retired Scotland international missed the 3-2 defeat to Rangers before the break through injury and returned to show the Hoops what they missed with a sublime display in midfield.

Celtic’s captain lined up alongside Reo Hatate and Arne Engels in the midfield three against Hearts on Saturday and stood out as the star performer in that area of the pitch.

Pass accuracy

89%

81%

99%

Passes completed

59

34

66

Key passes

1

0

2

Big chances created

0

0

1

Tackles + interceptions

0

1

2

Dribbled past

1x

0x

0x

As you can see in the table above, McGregor outperformed his positional peers in the match with his exceptional use of the ball and his reliability defensively.

This illustrates why his display was so important for Brendan Rodgers against Hearts because it highlights the quality he brings in and out of possession.

The left-footed star provides a metronomic presence at the base of the midfield for Celtic with his ability to complete passes efficiently under pressure, completing 94% of his passes overall in the division this season.

McGregor, who completes 73 passes per game on average, can control games for the Hoops by dictating the tempo of matches with his passing quality, whilst also frustrating opposition teams because of his press resistance on the ball, forcing them to drop back deeper.

This is part of the reason why Celtic struggled without their captain when they faced Rangers at Parkhead before the break, as Engels is not best suited to that role as the number six.

Why Arne Engels struggled against Rangers

The former Augsburg star started at the base of the midfield, with Luke McCowan and Hatate in the number eight positions, and struggled against the Gers.

Engels is usually tasked with playing as one of the more advanced midfielders, looking to score and create goals, but had to step up in a deeper role against Rangers because of his captain’s injury.

Pass accuracy

88%

94%

Touches

76

89.1

Passes

51

73.2

Ground duel success rate

20%

59%

Possession lost

14x

7.2x

Tackles + interceptions

0

1.7

As you can see in the table above, the Belgium international failed to live up to the standards that the skipper has set for that position in or out of possession, losing the ball far too frequently and offering little protection to the back four.

The 21-year-old starlet should not be expected to be as effective in that role, though, because he is an attack-minded player who has a future as a number eight for Celtic, rather than as a deep-lying conductor of play.

Engels has racked up ten goals and 12 assists in all competitions for the Scottish giants this term, which shows that he has excelled at his natural game – scoring and creating goals.

The former Bundesliga whiz is not the long-term successor to McGregor, because that is not his natural game, and that is why he struggled in the game against Rangers before the break.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Rodgers, though, may have already unearthed his next version of the Celtic captain by bringing 19-year-old academy starlet Jude Bonnar into the first-team group.

Why Jude Bonnar could be the next Callum McGregor

The teenage dynamo has been in the matchday squad on five occasions in all competitions since the start of February, and got ten minutes off the bench in a 5-1 win over Aberdeen in the Premiership.

That ten-minute cameo, in which the Scotland U21 international completed all four of his attempted passes, was his first-team debut for the Hoops and the manager spoke to his suitability for the team after the match.

Rodgers told the Daily Record: “He’s got a good profile and fits how we want to play. So that is a nice little taster for him.”

This suggests that the Northern Irish boss sees potential in Bonnar and believes that the teenage talent has the technical skills and know-how to suit the way that his team lines up, with a number six and two eights in a midfield three.

The B team star, whose ability was described as “unbelievable” by former coach Alan McGrillen, spoke to Celtic TV after the game and admitted that he looks up to McGregor as a role model, because of how he acts on and off the pitch every day.

Bonnar has already shown a tiny glimpse of his metronomic qualities, completing 100% of his passes in his cameo against Aberdeen, and Rodgers could look to help him develop and refine that ability to mould him into the new version of McGregor in the future.

The Scottish youngster has also shown the potential to offer a goal threat, as the captain has with eight goals in 28 league matches this term, with a return of ten goals in 46 B team games.

Celtic gem was "the next Van Dijk" but Postecoglou sold him for just £1m

The former Celtic star was described as “the next Van Dijk” by his former manager.

ByDan Emery Apr 3, 2025

This is only the start of the road for Bonnar, though, and there is plenty more time left for him to progress as a player and forge his own way in the game, hopefully at Celtic.

The very early signs, however, are that the potential is there for him to develop into McGregor 2.0 for Rodgers as a composed and controlling midfield star who can also provide a goal threat.

There was no animosity between the sides this time, but it was still an engrossing game

Shashank Kishore21-Apr-20241:17

Tom Moody analyses Starc’s final over against RCB

KKR versus RCB at Eden Gardens is often an eventful contest.There was the infamous 49 all-out in 2017, and more recently ‘lord’ Shardul Thakur scored a brazen half-century to pull off a stunning rescue act.On a sweltering Sundary afternoon, KKR and RCB played out another memorable game in Kolkata, and though nearly 450 runs were scored it wasn’t your regular IPL run fest. In the end the contest was decided by… well, the barest of margins. With a wicketkeeper from England diving full length to break the stumps and run out a batter from New Zealand, who was attempting a second run off the final ball to take the match into a Super Over.The heartbreak was once again RCB’s to suffer as their season hurtles towards an early conclusion with their seventh loss in eight games. And yet, this hit different, because it was different from their feuds with KKR in the past.Only a month ago, KKR’s mentor Gautam Gambhir had said the “one team I wanted to beat every time and probably even in my dreams was RCB.” But there he was, on the eve of the match, displaying camaraderie for the second time this season with Virat Kohli, whom he has had several feisty altercations with in the IPL.Related

• Why Kohli's dismissal against KKR was not given a no-ball

• How RCB finished so near and yet so far against KKR

• KKR survive Karn scare to win by one run

• Du Plessis: 'Your decision making is clearer when you are winning games'

The contest came alive nonetheless through Phil Salt’s salvo in the powerplay, RCB’s exceptional catching, and an exchange of blows that ensured that neither team stayed in control for too long. There was a flashpoint at the start of RCB’s chase when Kohli’s cameo – which included a no-look six off Mitchell Starc – was cut short by a high full toss that he felt should have been a no-ball, but the flaring of tempers died down once it was clear the decision was based on technology and not human intervention.A 102-run stand for RCB’s third wicket between Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar threatened to decide the game far too early. An ask of the nature of 86 off 54 balls with eight wickets in hand should have been straightforward in this extremely high-scoring season, but it is rarely so between RCB and KKR. Four wickets in the space of two overs, and the visitors were reeling.Dinesh Karthik, who had scores of 53 not out and 83 in RCB’s most recent defeats, brought the game down to 31 off 12 balls. One big over away from ending a run of five successive defeats. A finishing test a day after he expressed his desire to play the 2024 T20 World Cup for India. But when Karthik fell for an 18-ball 25, RCB still needed 21 off the final over with only two wickets in hand.Mitchell Starc stood at the top of his mark. He’d been expensive all season and he’d gone for 36 in his first two overs on Sunday, but surely with Karn Sharma and Mohammed Siraj at the crease, the game was beyond RCB?Mohammed Siraj is distraught even as KKR celebrate their dramatic one-run win•BCCIOn a pitch where pace-off seemed the way to go, Starc trusted his Plan A: pace-on. He went full and he went fast, but he missed his lengths. The first ball of the final over to Karn was in the slot outside off stump and disappeared over the cover boundary. The second was similar too; this time it grazed the edge of Karn’s big swing but the TV umpire decided the ball had bounced just before Salt collected it behind the stumps.Yorker anybody? Or what about the bouncer? Sweat pouring off his face, his purple jersey clinging to his skin, Starc was on his haunches two balls in. He rose to deliver more of the same. Karn stayed inside his crease, cleared his front foot, and slammed the third and fourth deliveries over extra cover and point for sixes.With only three to get off two balls, and RCB’s hopes as high as they’d been all day, Starc found his length and delivered a yorker-length delivery. Karn connected with the toe of his bat and Starc bent down low to grab a sharp return catch with just one hand. Under pressure in oppressive conditions, he had managed to cling on when it mattered most.It seemed to have taken plenty out of Starc but he managed to bowl a tight last ball, yorker-length and tailing away as Lockie Ferguson squeezed it to deep cover. The throw to the wicketkeeper was poor and it took an outstanding take and dive from Salt to break the stumps and leave RCB one run short of where they needed to be.It was a strange contest, with 12 scores more than 15 but none higher than 55, the most in that range in any IPL game. And though it didn’t have the headline performance that lingers in the memory, it did have the fight and the finish to further embellish the RCB-KKR rivalry.

Ben Stokes’ team has brought cheer to Britons, just like Ian Botham’s and Michael Vaughan’s did in the past

Mark Nicholas26-Sep-2022At a classy dinner ten days ago in honour of Eoin Morgan and for the charities with which he has aligned, Ben Stokes was asked about his pride in the staggering achievements of the summer. “Just to see the full houses and hear that people couldn’t take their eyes off the television screen does it for me,” he said, “That’s what it’s all about, entertaining the people who love the game and hoping that others who might not, change their mind, because of the way we have played.”Not for the first time, England’s cricket had proved cathartic. Stokes’ team lit up the summer, winning six out seven Tests in such style it was as if a new golden age was born. Given that a grim winter abroad had led to post-Ashes depression and that defeat in the Caribbean had further exaggerated the malaise, this was a monumental achievement – up there with any from all time.On reflection now, 1981 was a year of extraordinary political and cultural change: a seminal time in the evolution of modern Britain. Tradition was overtaken by the consumer’s free market ambition, while the speed of technological change marked the beginning of a new age. Initially, Margaret Thatcher’s austerity-driven government faced a frightening, anarchic tension on the streets as riots broke out in Brixton, South London, and wound their way up the country to Toxteth in Liverpool. It took Botham’s Ashes, as the series became known – along with the marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer – to lift spirits and create a sense of pride in a country otherwise torn apart.Botham’s version of modernism: his carefree, rebellious approach to a game run by old-school whispers in old-school corridors, made for compelling viewing. Off the field, the longer he grew his hair and toyed with the ways of rock ‘n roll, the more the people embraced him: on the field the harder he hit the ball and the more he swung it when he bowled, the louder they cheered. This sense of optimism moved the dial. Such is the power of sport, and in particular, of the Pied Piper effect created by Botham. Suddenly, even the government’s tactics began to make sense. Austerity soon became prosperity as a kind of economic liberalisation allowed markets to fly and entrepreneurship to thrive.Related

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In 2005, the capital’s streets were once again the target for extremist fury. On July 7, a series of suicide attacks by terrorists targeted London’s public transport system. Apart from the bombers, 52 others died and more than 700 were injured. And yet, on July 21 – a day of further attacks – the bulldog spirit ensured that Lord’s was bursting at its seams for the first Test in perhaps the greatest Ashes series of them all.Michael Vaughan’s England threw all they had at the Australians over those hugely atmospheric days, but it wasn’t enough. Typically and ruthlessly, the old enemy cut into England’s heart and threw it to the wind. Lesser, weaker, sides would have been unable to cope but Vaughan was not for turning in his belief that Ricky Ponting’s fine team could be beaten and across the five weeks that followed Lord’s, England played to their potential and ensured the Australians did not quite reach theirs. Match after match felt like the heavyweight fight it was, and on each occasion a full 15 rounds were needed to decide an outcome. Andrew Flintoff became the Botham of the day, and with him, a magnificent fast-bowling attack and some thrilling batting brought the Ashes “home” for the first time since Mike Gatting’s travelling band had done the same in Australia 18 years earlier.On the back of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic, 2022 has been a dreadful year in the United Kingdom, so much so that there is no immediate sign of respite from unpredictable government, hard recession, the frightening cost of living, an energy crisis, rail strikes and airline chaos. Most recently there has been the death of the Queen. The cricketers, however, have made the country proud, allowing us to smile about our game again. From Bairstow to Broad; Root to Anderson and Stokes to Robinson, it has been a summer of comic-book hero stuff, with scripts written by fantasists and acted out by players liberated from the fear of failure. The six Test matches won came from batting second, and therefore last, with each having a narrative that was often fraught and always tense. When it was over, Joe Root said he had never had so much fun playing professional cricket – lucky Joe, a second life in the age of innocence.It has been riveting to watch the swapping of roles by Root and Stokes. Through the former captain’s darkest days as England captain, his mate had his back, never once wavering from generous comment and unconditional support. Of course, Root’s days were not always dark. Indeed, the brightest of them were splendid affairs, not least when Virat Kohli’s strong India team were beaten 4-1 in 2018. Most of England’s cricket in that series sparkled and the selection of allrounders who each offered a variant on the “total cricket” theme brought new light through old windows.

Stokes has seen this summer’s movie before. In fact, he has produced, directed and starred in a few of them. His mantra to play to win – to risk defeat in pursuit of victory, whatever the odds – is not new to him, only to everyone else

The following summer, in 2019, Stokes then took the support of his captain to an altogether new level with a solo performance at Headingley against the Australians that ranks with any in the history of the game. Root simply couldn’t get the ball out of his hand in the second innings when, knee injury and all, Stokes pounded in for 24.2 overs to take 3 for 56, thus denying the Australians the oxygen of quick runs towards an unassailable lead.After which, came innings: the unbeaten 135 of which Don Bradman or Viv Richards, never mind Ian Botham, would have been greatly proud. Two days after being bowled out for 67, England recorded their highest ever successful chase – 359 was the target – with Stokes front and centre of what, even at the time, felt more like a piece of fiction than reality. He hit 11 fours and eight sixes, many of which came as he finessed at 76-run partnership for the last wicket with Jack Leach.You might have picked up where this is going. Stokes has seen this summer’s movie before. In fact, he has produced, directed and starred in a few of them. His mantra to play to win – to risk defeat in pursuit of victory, whatever the odds – is not new to him, only to everyone else.To wind back the clock one more time, let us revive the Lord’s Test against India last summer. There was something profoundly irritating about the way in which England lay down against Kohli’s team, who, naturally enough, were hellbent on revenge for 2018. Thanks primarily to Anderson and Root, England controlled the game right up until the fall of Rishabh Pant’s wicket on the fifth morning: the point at which India, on a decent batting pitch, were just 167 ahead with only three wickets left in the shed. The excited buzz around Lord’s was silenced by the misguided short-pitched attack against the tail that allowed Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah to swat and swipe their way to a partnership 89 that brought Kohli’s declaration and, ultimately, England’s demise. Pusillanimous batting in the face of a suddenly visceral and rather brilliant opponent saw England collapse to 120 all out and defeat by 151. To this observer, it was the first sign that Root had lost his captaincy mojo; in short, the end of one management team and the need for another was clear. England needed to strip it back; to find a simpler, brighter version of the game.Stokes, meanwhile, was on a six-month sabbatical. Almost certainly, he will have cringed at what he saw. He had never sought the captaincy and, even if deep down he aspired to it, would under no circumstance “white-ant” his mate to get it. But he was watching and thinking. Australia last winter, and the West Indies tour that followed, was the nadir for Root, the point at which the strain outweighed the privilege. After his resignation, Stokes telephoned Rob Key to say he was up for it. The rest is history.Forty-one years ago, Ian Botham lifted the spirits of a beleaguered nation with a sparkling series win over the Australians•PA Photos/Getty ImagesNo one has been tighter to Stokes than Root. It is to his eternal credit that Stokes can speak so highly of the man he replaced and of his methods. For Root to say this is the most fun he has had playing professional cricket is to agree, in part, that what went immediately before was not much fun.In the first half of the summer, released from the traffic of captaincy, he batted perhaps better than any Englishman has batted before – Stokes at Headingley excepted – expanding his game to something more expressive and theatrical than seen previously. Those runs were to dry up in the second half of the summer because, in the end, the amount of cricket played by these fellows will take its toll. When we next see Root at the wicket for England, there may be more of the pragmatist in him than the showman. Runs are the currency of the greats and Root knows that such a moniker is in his gift.If selecting the best England side from the players I have seen live – so we start, say, with Ted Dexter and John Snow and go through to the present day – both Root and Stokes would be in it. Should Stokes carry on like this, he will be appointed captain of this XI too.Test cricket’s power to heal, its unique quality to occupy up to five days and bleed messages of ebb and flow, patience and reward, hype and humdrum, drama, delight, victory and defeat is not to be underestimated. If ever I saw cricket improve the national mood, it was in the summers of 1981, 2005 and 2022. Those who threaten the primacy of Test cricket know not what they are doing. We will not forgive them if they succeed. Thank you then, to Stokes and his merry men for making this loud and clear.

This and other vital issues are tackled in this month’s Briefing

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Jun-2020The Briefing Do you remember what cricket was like? The smell of fresh-mown leather, the sound of willow hitting stumps, fast bowlers delivering devastating googlies, batsmen shining their bats vigorously on their groins. That was the basic gist, right? It’s been a while.The route forward
As cricket plots its short-term future, several proposals for how the game can be made viable in the time of coronavirus have been put forward. Many, including the ICC’s cricket committee, have recommended not using saliva to shine balls, with some suggesting an artificial substance should be allowed for that purpose. The West Indies tour of England could go ahead in some form, though there will not be any spectators in attendance, though it is possible Dominic Cummings is due another eye test by then.What else could change? Socially distant bum pats? Close fielders unnerving batsmen with fake coughs, instead of sledges? Spraying hand sanitiser instead of champagne at trophy presentations?And if there are no fans in the stands for the foreseeable future, can it really be a legitimate India v Australia Test series without thousands yelling “Kohli is a w***er” at the SCG? Plus, just who will be around for Ben Stokes to call a “f**king four-eyed t**t”? What kind of future is that?Shane Warne has no problems with Steve Waugh
As there has been very little cricket actually played in the past month, we’ve been trawling social media for theatrics, but one place you will absolutely not find any drama is Warne’s Twitter feed. Just read this tweet about Steve Waugh, in which Warne insists he’s “said 1000 times I do not hate S Waugh at all” before two sentences later going on to say “Steve was easily the most selfish cricketer that I ever played with.” Obviously, there can be no resentment in this relationship. Even though Warne tweeted twice more last month throwing shade at Waugh – specifically about his lopsided run-out record – the man has just spoken out in the clearest terms. Some of his best friends are Steve Waugh. Let it go. It’s nothing. Guys!Rising to the challenge
Wimpy cricketers may all be holed up at home, but the game’s true heroes picked up their briefcases, sucked in their paunches, buttoned up their suits, and got stuck in to the vitally important task of governing the game. A big ICC directors’ meeting was held last week, and with the game in such peril, what better time for cricket’s thought leaders to show real leadership? What exactly does a road map for international cricket starting up again look like? Can biosecure environments actually make tours possible? And what can we do about this hugely anticipated T20 World Cup, which is supposed to start in less than five months? These are all major challenges requiring urgent address. But instead of discussing any of this in depth, the directors just talked at length about an information breach, presumably to the press, and deferred the real meeting to June 10.Further adventures in administrative boldness
Sri Lanka Cricket, meanwhile, insisted forcefully that Colombo needed a huge new 40,000-capacity stadium in order to host future ICC tournaments, for which Sri Lanka had not yet won hosting rights, making a show of inaugurating the project alongside a government minister. Less than a week later, when it was clear public opinion was against the project, the government rowed back on their commitment to providing land for the stadium, and SLC immediately switched to pretending it found the whole idea ludicrous to begin with. “What fifth stadium? What’s wrong with the four we have? And in the middle of a pandemic? Whose dumb idea was this?”Cricket Australia fam
As one of the wealthiest cricket boards on the planet, Cricket Australia is better placed than most to weather the financial storm that the pandemic has wrought. Which is why, in these harrowing times, the board has committed to stick fearlessly by its executives, making an inspiring commitment to pay them 80% of their salaries while the board weathers this challenge. Almost everyone else at the board, meanwhile, gets knocked down to 20% of their previous pay, and now possibly faces redundancy.Next month on The Briefing:- “This is what I’ve been saying the entire bloody time!” Cameron Bancroft reacts to proposals that foreign substances should be used for ball management.- Sri Lanka Cricket revisits the new stadium project. Unless the government doesn’t want to. They don’t? Oh… okay… I mean… yeah, it’s a waste of money. Obviously. Always said that.- Warne’s non-hate for Waugh continues: “Look, I absolutely do not hold a grudge. I just think it’s funny that for that Barbados Test in 1999…”Briefings

The pace bowler continues to impress for Sydney Sixers in WBBL but isn’t ready to move on from soccer yet

AAP17-Nov-2025Sydney Sixers teen sensation Caoimhe Bray wants to play elite cricket and soccer for as long as possible, still pinching herself she is following Ellyse Perry’s path.Bray, 16, captured headlines again on Saturday night when she became the youngest player to take a hat-trick in any of the main women’s T20 leagues.Still on modified training in cricket given her age, Bray remains in junior Matildas camps and has played as a goalkeeper in the national Under-17 side.Injury restricted her involvement with soccer last winter, while Bray has prioritised the WBBL over the A-League Women competition after signing a three-year deal with Sixers.The NSW product has conceded she will likely need to choose a sport at some point, but believes there is no need to make a decision imminently.”I have to commit myself to the cricket for the summer part of the season. And when winter comes around, that’s when soccer comes back,” Bray said. “So many people are asking the question will you still be playing soccer or still be playing cricket. People have their own opinions, like ‘go into cricket, surely’.”But so much can change. I have the three years signed with the Sixers and so much can change over that period. If you don’t know the future, neither do I. I don’t know what it will be like in a few years. But I am going to try and stick to [doing both] as much as I can.”Bray’s situation is eerily similar to Perry’s, who famously played in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup for Australia while also playing international cricket.She said she was still pinching herself to be sharing a field with Perry, and doing her best not to bug the 35-year-old too much.Perhaps the most impressive thing about Bray is that her rise has come on largely modified programs.The seamer only did two days a week at NSW training in the pre-season, rather than four, and is still kept from bowling 10 overs in a 50-over game.”There were things during the Breakers pre-season I didn’t do compared to others, just because of my age,” Bray said. “It was just like there is no point for you to do it. They said: ‘you are changing so much in terms of height and body’.”You don’t want to overwork too much because that is when you break down. They are trying to look out for that.”

On the TNT Sports panel for Liverpool’s Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday, Steven Gerrard was hesitant to say that Arne Slot’s side are in a crisis.

But after being dispatched 4-1 by Peter Bosz’s Dutchmen, it’s difficult to argue anything even bordering the contrary. That was Liverpool’s ninth defeat in 12 matches across all competitions, and the crisis – yes, crisis – is deepening.

The most concerning thing is that there is so much talent in this side. Liverpool are chock-full of elite talent. But synergy and belief are in short supply at Anfield.

Slot is steadfast in his belief that he can craft an exit from this rut with the tools at his disposal, but sporting director Richard Hughes is gearing up for a January signing nonetheless.

Who Liverpool need to sign in January

There has been plenty of chatter relating to the need for a centre-back at Liverpool. It’s true. Despite Real Madrid ending their interest in Ibrahima Konate, the Reds are still short at the back after missing out on Marc Guehi last summer.

However, Slot has suggested that Liverpool have another area of the field on their mind, his frontline so imbalanced this season.

As per i News, Liverpool are leading the race for Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, following initial enquiries, with David Ornstein previously confirming the Reds’ interest and that the Ghanaian winger has a £65m release clause in his contract that becomes active this January.

Semenyo is also courting intrigue from the likes of Manchester City, but Liverpool feel they have a good chance of bringing him over to Anfield after opting against signing a like-for-like Luis Diaz replacement this summer.

What Semenyo would offer Liverpool

It is promising to note the incremental progress Semenyo has made since joining Bournemouth from Bristol City in the Championship for about £10.5m in January 2023.

Last season, he was lauded for going to “another level” in the Premier League by teammate Lewis Cook, growing into his skin under the tutelage of Andoni Iraola, instrumental in the Cherries’ 56-point finish.

Ferocious and powerful, he has only gotten better since the summer, notching six goals and three assists across his first 11 matches in the division this term.

There is far more to the 25-year-old’s game than just goal contributions, but he has still managed to post more than all of his teammates at the Vitality Stadium.

Antoine Semenyo

27 + 13

40

Justin Kluivert

23 + 11

34

Dominic Solanke

21 + 4

25

Marcus Tavernier

10 + 11

21

Evanilson

13 + 6

19

His talismanic qualities and “world-class” form, as said by another teammate, Justin Kluivert, underscore Semenyo’s suitability at Liverpool, especially as his pace and power and burgeoning prolificacy has led Reds analyst Josh Williams to dub him “the closest you’ll find to peak Mane right now”.

This, and Semenyo’s big-game ability, suggests he could be one of the Anfield side’s finest signings in a long time, perhaps even since £60m was paid to RB Leipzig to bring Dominik Szoboszlai over from Germany.

Szoboszlai has had his ups and downs in a Liverpool shirt, but has bloomed into a superstar of a midfielder this season, stepping up and becoming a leader of men while applying his tireless energy and sharp technical skills at a time when ailing Liverpool desperately need them.

Liverpool’s Hungarian general is a masterful midfielder, cut and dry as the outfit’s best player this term; it is not even close.

While he is a wholly different type of player from Semenyo, they share an athletic likeness and have both established themselves as leading lights at their respective sides.

If Liverpool can both add balance to their side while infusing the squad with more in-form ability than has been on show this year, it will only be a good thing as Slot and Szoboszlai and the rest fight to steer the club out of the ditch they have slipped into.

Such a signing could be a catalyst for change, and at a comparatively shrewd £65m figure, Semenyo might just prove to be one of Liverpool’s best signings in a number of years.

Better than Isak: Liverpool join race for "one of the best RWs in the world"

Arne Slot’s Liverpool tenure is crumbling before him, and FSG are considering changes.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 28, 2025

Aiden Markram says the squad tried to simulate spinning conditions during a training camp in Pretoria

Firdose Moonda06-Oct-2025South Africa are expecting a slew of spin when they begin their World Test Championship (WTC) title defence in Pakistan later this week and stand-in captain Aiden Markram is confident his players are ready.Though this South African unit has not played red-ball cricket together since the previous WTC final in June, some of their players were involved in a two-Test series in Zimbabwe in June-July and others have been at the county championship. Their main preparation took place over the last two days at a training camp in Pretoria, where they tried to replicate the home advantage Markram believes Pakistan have every right to exploit.”If it’s your home game, you can pretty much prepare whatever wicket you’d like to prepare. That’s how I see it,” Markram said ahead of the team’s departure on Monday. ” Ultimately, if it’s going to be extreme like it was in the English series, then it’s going to be difficult for both teams from a batting point of view. For us as a squad, we’ve just got to be happy with what we have, whatever the conditions look like and to back whoever it is on the day to get the job done. So I’m not too fussed by it.”Markram’s reference to “the English series,” harks back to this time last year, when Pakistan hosted England. After losing the first Test, Pakistan won the next two on pitches that turned square after using everything from industrial fans and heaters to windbreakers to dry out the surfaces. Those games were played in Multan and Rawalpindi. South Africa will play in Lahore and Rawalpindi, where 29 of 31 wickets in the England Test fell to spin.No pitch in South Africa can behave that way but they tried at the High Performance Centre. “There’s three pitches that are spinning quite a bit and two out of those three are really exaggerated,” Markram said. “The one that’s a little bit in between is still sharp spin but slightly easier to bat on. And then we’ve got one strip in the middle as well where it’s pretty normal. We try to keep it as dead as possible but it’s not always that easy, just to have the ball squat a bit low. It’s difficult to do that on the Highveld, but we’ve tried our best. We’re trying to tick all the boxes.”South Africa have also picked a spin-heavy squad, which includes left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy and offspinners Simon Harmer and Prenelan Subrayen. “They’re all quite different. If you look at the two off-spinners to start with, Simon and Subs, especially having faced them now where it is spinning, it’s two completely different challenges they throw at you. That’s something great to have as a squad,” Markram said. “You don’t really want similar types of spinners. They are each quite different, different paces, different types of spin in terms of side spin and overspin and stuff like that, which reacts differently off the wickets. They’ll play a massive role for us there if what we’re expecting is going to be the case.”South Africa’s first-choice spinner Keshav Maharaj will only join the squad for the second Test, when they will have four specialist spin options. They will not, however, enjoy the return of their regular Test captain Temba Bavuma, who was ruled out of the series with a calf injury. While Markram is used to standing in for Bavuma, and did on South Africa’s tour to Bangladesh last year, making up for Bavuma’s place in the batting order is not as simple.As South Africa’s leading run-scorer of the last WTC, Bavuma provides stability and experience at No.4, which South Africa will have to find elsewhere. One replacement option is Dewald Brevis, who debuted in Zimbabwe and has an aggressive approach across formats.”He’d definitely be an option, especially with the way he plays spin,” Markram said. “If the conditions are going to be exaggerated, he can quickly change the momentum of the game doing what he does and playing the way he does. He’ll be a definite consideration.”He won’t be the only one. South Africa have also recalled Zubayr Hamza, who recently played for the A side against New Zealand A and scored a second-innings hundred in the first match, and WTC squad member Tony de Zorzi, who proved his credentials in the subcontinent with 177 against Bangladesh last year. “He played incredibly well in Bangladesh and scored big runs there, where it was also quite challenging. So I don’t think it’s necessarily that Dewald is a dead-given straight swap, but I’m very sure he’ll be in the conversation.”The first Test of the series starts in Lahore on Sunday.

Could Daniel Farke be the next Premier League manager in line to face the sack?

While Leeds United have picked up a promising three wins so far in the Premier League, fans of the Elland Road giants will also feel that there’s been a lot of other games this season where their side have been outplayed, with their 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday falling into this category.

The Seagulls tallied up 14 shots on Lucas Perri’s goal compared to Leeds’ weak five on Bart Verbruggen’s largely untested net, as Fabian Hurzeler’s confident hosts never looked in danger of slipping up throughout their comfortable 90 minutes.

Farke will surely have to ring the changes for Leeds’ next Premier League clash away at Nottingham Forest to try and lift his side to bounce back, and to also save his skin, with Brenden Aaronson at risk of dropping out despite scoring a week prior.

Aaronson's poor performance vs Brighton

Aaronson wanted to kick on in the Whites’ first team picture away at the Amex, having been an exhilarating watch throughout Leeds’ 2-1 home win against West Ham United, with his bundled-in opener after three minutes nearly upstaged by an insane solo strike sailing in.

Yet, the Jekyll and Hyde American was way off it on the South Coast to add to Leeds fans’ frustrations surrounding his inconsistent performances.

Come the close of the match on Saturday, Aaronson failed to complete one single successful dribble from two attempts, failed to hit a single meaningful shot at the home side’s goal, and also only won a weak three duels from the ten he attempted.

It’s night and day from his high-octane showing against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, where he was 100% successful with all his dribbles, on top of winning a hefty eight duels.

Patience must be extremely thin; therefore, when it comes to Farke choosing to pick Aaronson week in week out, knowing that an unbelievable display is often followed up by the number 11 putting in a disastrous no-show.

But, Aaronson is not the only underperformer in the German’s bad books.

Farke must drop 4/10 Leeds star

Brighton ran the Leeds defence ragged all afternoon long, as Jayden Bogle continually failed to lay a glove on the rampaging Diego Gomez, who would finish the one-sided match with two Premier League goals next to his name.

Joe Rodon also looked way below his usual standards, but the Welshman definitely has enough credit in his bank this season alone to demand he’s still in the first team frame, having popped up with two goals from the back.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

81

Accurate passes

73/78 (94%)

Tackles won

0

Interceptions

0

Clearances

3

Blocked shots

0

Ball recoveries

6

Total duels won

1/3

On the contrary, his centre-back partner on the South Coast in Jaka Bijol, is yet to establish himself as a fan’s favourite, and he certainly won’t have endeared himself to the hardened West Yorkshire masses with his ropey showing against Hurzeler’s runaway hosts.

Indeed, away from spraying the ball about with some assurance, the brand-new Leeds’ number 15 struggled to contain the likes of Danny Welbeck throughout, leading to just one duel being won.

On top of that, Bijol would also fail to go in for a single tackle, leading Brighton to find it easy when carving open the away side’s frail defence at will.

Moreover, the former Udinese man very much lacked the pace and determination to track back when Yankuba Minteh and the aforementioned Gomez ran riot, with Pascal Struijk perhaps the better-suited centre-back option for this showdown.

Leeds fans had been crying out for their £15m summer recruit to start more games, but after his 4/10 afternoon against Brighton – which is the low score that was handed to him post-match by Leeds Live’s Isaac Johnson – he will surely be dropped back down to the bench, for the Dutchman to return to the XI.

Farke will pray that the changes that are made spur his team on to a rare away win against Nottingham Forest next, with a loss at the City Ground only pulling Leeds even closer to the relegation zone.

Farke can unleash Stach by dropping Leeds star who's "not good enough"

Leeds United boss could bring Anton Stach back into the starting line-up by dropping this star.

ByDan Emery Nov 1, 2025