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The summer transfer window officially slams shut in less than seven days and Celtic do not have much time left to get their remaining business over the line.

So far, the Hoops have brought in Viljami Sinisalo, Kasper Schmeichel, Paulo Bernardo, and Adam Idah on permanent deals, with the latter two having been on loan at Parkhead last term.

Brendan Rodgers is reportedly in the market to make further additions to his playing squad with the Scottish giants before the deadline passes next Friday, though.

The Northern Irish head coach is looking to bring in reinforcements for his defensive unit in Glasgow, with a Championship defender on the club's radar.

Celtic's interest in American titan

According to The Scottish Sun, Rodgers is lining up a late Celtic swoop to sign Sheffield United central defender Auston Trusty before the end of the window.

The report claims that the Hoops are interested in signing the USA international to bolster their defence, a year on from his £5m move to the Blades from Arsenal.

It states that Sheffield United are keen on a deal for Bhoys winger Mikey Johnston, who returned to Glasgow this summer after a loan spell with West Bromwich Albion, and that he could be used as part of a move for Trusty.

However, the outlet does not reveal whether it could be a straight swap or if one team would offer a player and some money in exchange to make a transfer happen, so it remains to be seen how viable it is at the moment.

If Celtic do manage to secure a swoop for the USA international before the end of the window, though, he could come in as an excellent partner for Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Why Celtic should sign Auston Trusty

Firstly, signing another left-footed defender, who can play at centre-back or left-back, makes perfect sense when Liam Scales and Greg Taylor are the only two in the first-team squad.

Trusty could come in to provide both players with competition for their place in the team, particularly for Scales in the left centre-back position, as that is the American's natural role.

He is a naturally left-footed player and could complement Carter-Vickers, who is a right-footed defender and operates on the right side of the pairing, whilst they have already played alongside each other for USA U20s in the past.

As you can see in the table above, Trusty enjoyed far more success on loan with Birmingham in the Championship than he did as part of a Sheffield United team that picked up just 16 points in the Premier League last season.

The 26-year-old titan, who was hailed as "incredible" by former teammate George Friend, won the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air without making a single error that led to a shot or goal in the second tier in England.

If he can recapture that form then he could be a reliable and dominant partner for Carter-Vickers, who won 68% of his duels in the Scottish Premiership last term,

Rodgers could brilliantly replace Oh with Celtic move for "improving" star

The Hoops are reportedly considering a swoop for the young centre-forward this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Aug 20, 2024

Trusty would then provide competition for Scales on the left side of the centre-back pairing and they would both offer a left-footed balance next to the former Spurs man.

There are close to 40 Australians in the IPL bubble comprising players, coaching staff and commentators

Daniel Brettig04-May-2021

A mass exodus of Australian players, coaches and support staff to the Maldives is the expected remedy to a dilemma created by the postponement of the 2021 IPL and the current closure of the Australian border to citizens currently in India during its rampant Covid-19 outbreak. There are close to 40 Australians in the IPL bubble comprising players, coaching staff and commentators.The likes of Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Ricky Ponting, Simon Katich and company are expected to join the commentator Michael Slater, who had already headed to the Maldives as a temporary post in the wake of blanket bans on entry to Australian citizens who have recently been in India, a state of play that will exist until at least May 15.The exceptions will be the likes of allrounder Dan Christian, who has a deal to play in the UK later this year. But the UK is currently allowing only its citizens and residents to fly in from India, so it remains to be seen what route he will take as Dubai – often a stopover between India and the UK – is not allowing flights from India either.Related

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Kane Richardson and Zampa manage to make flight to Australia

“Once we flew out of Australia we knew we’d signed up for 14 days quarantine coming home so you feel a bit further from getting home, but when the hard border shut no one has ever experienced that before,” Cummins told on Fox Sports. “[It has] added a bit of anxiety for the Aussies over here but we signed up to play the tournament until the start of June so hopefully it all reopens on May 15 and we can get back.”Think we are all hoping we can get home like we would normally plan and the borders open on May 15, whether it’s [a] private [flight] or not we wouldn’t be allowed back in [at the moment]. Cricket Australia have been brilliant along with the ACA, they are working closely with the government to get the latest information, if we can’t get home it won’t be for lack of trying from all those involved.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Cricket Australia’s interim chief executive Nick Hockley, team performance chief Ben Oliver and the Australian Cricketers’ Association CEO Todd Greenberg were all in urgent meetings on Tuesday night aimed at clarifying the situation for the freelancing players.”Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association understand the decision of the BCCI to indefinitely postpone the 2021 Indian Premier League for the safety and wellbeing of all participants,” a joint statement from CA and ACA said. “CA is in direct contact with the BCCI as they work through plans to ensure the safe accommodation and repatriation of Australian players, coaches, match officials and commentators back home to Australia. CA and the ACA respect the decision of the Australian Government to pause travel from India until at least May 15 and will not seek exemptions.CA and the ACA thank the BCCI for their efforts and cooperation for the safe repatriation of all participants at the IPL.”On April 27, Hemang Amin, the interim chief executive officer of the BCCI, had sent an email to all eight franchises saying the IPL understood players and support staff would be “apprehensive” about returning home. But he reassured them saying: “the BCCI will do everything to ensure that you reach your respective destinations seamlessly. Be rest assured that the tournament is not over for BCCI till each one of you has reached your home, safe and sound.”On Tuesday the BCCI was busy working out with franchises what was the best and safest way for players to reach home. On Monday, Hockley had stated that there had been “no suggestion at the moment” of a charter flight for the Australians in the IPL.On Monday Slater had condemned the Australian government’s decision to bar all travelers from India, including its own citizens until May 15. “If our government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home,” an indignant Slater wrote on Twitter, addressing the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison. “It’s a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out [the] quarantine system. I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect.”And for those who think this is a money exercise, well, forget it. This is what I do for a living and I have not made a penny having left early. So please stop the abuse and think of the thousands dying in India each day. It’s called empathy. If only our government had some.”Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson and Andrew Tye had been among the Australian cricketers who had managed to exit India before the IPL was paused and the Australian border shut. Morrison called for patience from citizens currently locked outside their own country on a television interview with Nine on Tuesday morning.”I thank all of those who are in this difficult situation for their patience and their understanding,” Morrison said. “I am working to bring them home safely. I am going to take decisions that I believe will protect Australia from a third wave and help me to be able to reach out and bring more Australians safely home from places where they are in difficult situations.””I’d just ask them [the cricketers], like the many Australians that are in India at present, to be patient and understanding. This is a two-week pause. It’s not a permanent pause, it’s not a four-month lockdown.”New Zealand players at the IPL
New Zealand recently lifted its travel ban for India but there are limited flights between the two countries, and the New Zealand players will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine whenever they get home. NZC issued a statement saying it was liaising with different authorities to find a solution.”NZC remains in contact with the New Zealand contingent in the Indian Premier League. The players are in a relatively safe environment and those within affected teams are in isolation,” the statement said. “We’ll continue to liaise with the BCCI, the ECB and New Zealand government authorities in terms of managing their situation – but at this juncture it’s too early to discuss potential options.”

New South Wales are determined to have left their 32 all out in Tasmania. The defending Sheffield Shield champions were bundled out for their lowest first-class score in the previous round to leave them in a three-way race to reach the final later this month.However, at the start of the final round which begins on Saturday things are still in their own hands when they face Queensland in Wollongong. The visitors were denied the chance to put some daylight between them when their previous game against South Australia in Brisbane was abandoned without a ball bowled.”We were certainly quite honest with each other after the match which I thought was fantastic,” Kurtis Patterson, who will captain New South Wales in place of Peter Nevill, said. “I’ve been in some dressing rooms before where you probably don’t quite address those sorts of innings and you try and move on a little too quickly.”I thought the way Phil Jaques and Pete Nevill handled it post-game was really professional and really honest from the playing group. Once we got on that flight back from Hobart we know there was a big job to do so there hasn’t been any more reflection on it.Related

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“Think it’s quite simple, it’s about trying to absorb that pressure for longer periods of time and that’s what we didn’t do. How that looks for every individual is different but we have to find a way to absorb that pressure early. Queensland is a very good bowling attack so it will present a nice opportunity for us.”There have, though, been ramifications from the record low which was the second time this season New South Wales had been skittled by Tasmania having been bowled out for 64 during the first part of the campaign – although on that occasion they responded to secure a remarkable victory.Nick Larkin and Daniel Solway have been dropped which could open the way for a first-class debut for Lachlan Hearne, while young wicketkeepers Matthew Gilkes and Baxter Holt are both in the squad. Queensland’s attack with include Michael Neser and the fit-again legspinner Mitchell Swepson.The home side will also be without their two leading run-scorers with Moises Henriques at the IPL and Sean Abbott ruled out with the split webbing he picked up against Tasmania although they still have an impressive bowling line-up including Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.Patterson, who has captained New South Wales once before in a Shield match, urged his younger players to savour the occasion.”I know from experience that sometimes it comes from within that you need to be someone difference or do something else because you are playing at a higher level, but it will be a pretty simple message from me that we’ve picked you all for a reason and we don’t need any more from you for this game. On top of that I really just want everyone to enjoy themselves…stay calm, be yourself and enjoy the opportunity.”

Rangers’ pursuit of a European midfielder who could replace Todd Cantwell has been dismissed by a reliable journalist. The Scottish giants are now a few games into their 2024/25 season, picking up their first win in the league over the weekend as they beat Motherwell 2-1 at Hampden Park.

Philippe Clement’s side have been very busy this summer, as they have made eight new additions, but as speculation mounts over a player like Todd Cantwell, the club could still be looking for fresh faces in what remains of the transfer window.

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The Light Blues are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the midfielder this summer.

Posts ByDan Emery Aug 13, 2024 Cantwell expected to leave Rangers

Cantwell has been at Rangers since January of last year, when he joined the club from Championship side Norwich City. The 26-year-old has gone on to feature heavily for the Scottish side since arriving, playing 64 times in all competitions.

During that time, he has scored 14 goals and chipped in with 12 assists, scoring five goals and recording four assists in the Scottish Premiership last season. However, his future now looks away from Rangers, as earlier in this window Clement confirmed that the midfielder had asked to leave the club.

Since then, Cantwell has been training with the club’s B team, as interest has emerged from Turkey, in particular Trabzonspor. However, a bid has yet to arrive, but with his future looking away from Ibrox, Rangers will be looking at potential replacements.

Rangers move for Gustavo Puerta is now unlikely

It was reported earlier this week that Rangers had made an offer to Bayer Leverkusen to sign midfielder Gustavo Puerta. The report stated that they faced competition from Brondby as well as Belgian side Anderlecht, but those reports have now been dismissed.

According to Football Scotland’s Mark Hendry, Rangers have not made any contact with Leverkusen to sign Puerta. The 21-year-old was on the club’s radar during the January transfer window, when Clement was looking to bolster his midfield options.

But according to this latest update, Puerta is not on the club’s radar now, and Rangers haven’t been in touch with the German side since their initial interest. The Gers’ interest now seems to have faded, with reports in Denmark stating that other teams are moving ahead for the midfielder.

Puerta joined Leverkusen in the January transfer window last year and has gone on to play 10 times for the German club, with all those appearances coming last season.

Gustavo Puerta's Bayer Leverkusen stats

Apps

10

Goals

0

Assists

0

Stats as per Transfermarkt

The midfielder played seven times in the Bundesliga and three times in the Europa League, totalling 229 minutes of football. The 21-year-old signed a five-and-a-half-year contract when he joined the Bundesliga side in 2023, which means his contract still has four years left to run, and it is a contract that sees him earn a reported £4,000-a-week.

Puerta has shown great versatility in his short career, as the 21-year-old is able to operate as a central midfielder, both in attacking and defending roles, and he has also been known to play out wide when needed.

The 17-year-old midfielder has attracted the attention of several top English clubs after impressing in this season's Champions League

Ayyoub Bouaddi turned 17 on October 2. He spent the evening helping Lille beat Real Madrid in the Champions League. Shortly after the full-time whistle, the crowd at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy sang him ''.

As birthdays go, Bouaddi's was truly special. But then, this is a truly special player – one that has already broken a number of records and been linked with a string of Europe's top clubs, including Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

So, who is Bouaddi? And just how far could he go in the game? GOAL is here to tell you everything you need to know about a classy defensive midfielder being touted as the best player to come out of Lille's academy since Eden Hazard…

GettyWhere it all began

Bouaddi was born in Senlis in northern France and began playing football at the age of five in nearby Creil. Despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco, he chose to join Lille in 2021, when he was still only 13.

"Ayyoub was an obvious choice: tall, at ease in midfield, with great technique and vision," former coach Georges Tournay told . "He was destined for success, a bit like Raphael Varane."

Just over two years after arriving at Lille, Bouaddi signed his first professional contract with the Ligue 1 outfit. "I'm very happy," Bouaddi told Les Dogues' official website. "Becoming a pro here was a goal for me. What's next? I just want to continue performing and working every day to eventually join the senior squad."

He would achieve that particular goal far quicker than anyone expected.

AdvertisementThe big break

Bouaddi progressed rapidly through Lille's youth sector and had already appeared for the reserves in the fifth tier of French football when then-first team coach Paulo Fonseca named him in his starting line-up for the Conference League clash with KI Klaksvik on October 5, 2023.

Bouaddi was just 16 years and three days old – making him the youngest player ever to appear in a UEFA club cup competition, as well as Lille's youngest player since 1981. Fonseca enthused at the time, "We have discovered a player for the future." But also one for the present, as it transpired.

Just two weeks after featuring against KI, Bouaddi came on as a second-half substitute in a game against Brest, thus becoming the youngest Ligue 1 player of the 21st century, and he would line out for the senior team a further 16 times before the 2023-24 campaign concluded. It did not come as a surprise, then, to see Lille extend Bouaddi's contract until 2027 during the summer.

"I am proud and happy to be able to continue the adventure with LOSC, the one that gave me my chance and allowed me to make my professional debut," the midfielder enthused. "My ambitions for next season? To give everything to achieve the club's objectives and make our supporters proud."

How it's going

Lille fans couldn't have been any prouder of Bouaddi after his ridiculously composed display in the shock but fully deserved 1-0 win over reigning European champions Madrid. Despite being pitted against the likes of Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, the teenager was the picture of composure in the middle of the park, completing 43 of his 44 passes on the night.

"You saw exactly what I did," coach Bruno Genesio told reporters in his post-match press conference. "He showed all the potential and talent he was. We all know what he's capable of. He has the talent to play at this level."

Bouaddi proved that again in Lille's last Champions League match just before the November international break, with the youngster named Player of the Match after the 1-1 draw with Juventus thanks to another incredibly composed display in front of the back four.

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Getty ImagesBiggest strengths

Bouaddi is still very young but he appears to have that rare ability to know exactly what's going on all around him no matter where he is on the pitch. He's highly adept at both winning the ball (no Lille player regained possession more times against Juve) before using it swiftly and effectively. He's not just content to pass to just his centre-backs, either, as Bouaddi is always looking for team-mates in space in the final third.

He also never seems to be ruffled, even when receiving possession in tight spaces, probably because he knows he can always rely on his combination of awareness and quick feet to get him out of trouble.

He could also become available for the ODIs against West Indies next month

Mohammad Isam01-Dec-2020

Mashrafe Mortaza bowled in the nets for the first time since recovering from a hamstring injury, with one eye on returning to competitive cricket. Although he is not part of any of the Bangabandhu T20 squads, it was mentioned during the players’ draft that he can join any of the squads after recovering from the injury.Mortaza, whose last competitive appearance was during the Dhaka Premier League in March, has had a rough time since the pandemic began, having tested positive for Covid-19 in June. Members of his family also contracted the virus in the past few months, and he hurt his hamstring while training last month.Tushar Kanti Howlader, the BCB trainer, said that Mortaza bowled four overs in the nets after completing his fitness work on Tuesday.”I am helping him with his return to training,” Howlader said. “He had been doing some work after recovering from Covid, so now he wants to get into a better position, fitness-wise. He is just bowling now. We cannot talk about match fitness just yet. He can be fit if he continues to train in this way. He doesn’t have to work on technique, it’s only his fitness that is the main concern.”Howlader said that Mortaza also lost a lot of weight which could pave the way for a comeback in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup, in which eight matches have been played and another 12 league games remain before the playoffs begin on December 14. So far Gazi Group Chattogram have lost Mominul Haque to injury, but any of the five participating teams would love to take Mortaza in their squad.”He has bowled four overs with full run up. I think he is around 84kg, after losing ten kilos,” Howlader said. “He will reduce more, I am sure. I think the match fitness is also up to him. He is Mashrafe, quite different, and he can do a lot of things. It is up to him, if he wants to play. He has to bowl four overs in the middle, so if he can manage it, then he will have match fitness.”Mortaza, who resigned from ODI captaincy earlier this year with a 3-0 win over Zimbabwe, could still become available for the ODI series during West Indies’ scheduled tour of Bangladesh next month.

A highly thought of player has "picked Rangers" over a huge English club worth a whopping £2.1bn, according to an update from reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Rangers transfer news

Excelsior attacker Couhaib Driouech is the latest player to be linked with a move to Ibrox in the summer transfer window, with the Gers expressing interest in signing him this week. The 22-year-old bagged six goals and assists apiece in the Eredivisie last season, and could add much-needed firepower to Philippe Clement's attack.

Ryan Sessegnon is another individual to emerge as a reported target for Rangers, having not kicked on his career at Tottenham, once being tipped to be a regular for England. That's not to say that the 24-year-old doesn't still have a lot to offer, however, and he is viewed as someone who could dovetail nicely with Oscar Cortes in 2024/25.

Meanwhile, Scotland international Kenny McLean has also been backed to sign for the Scottish Premiership outfit in the summer transfer window, being looked at as an ideal replacement for the outgoing Ryan Jack. Currently at Norwich City, the 32-year-old made 48 starts in the Championship last term, primarily in midfield, helping the Canaries reach the playoffs.

Theo Bair has impressed for Motherwell in recent times, too, registering 21 goal contributions (15 goals and six assists) in just 41 appearances for the club, and he is being considered by Rangers, coming in as a possible upgrade on Cyriel Dessers.

Rangers agree new deal with Arsenal target

Taking to X on Friday morning, Romano confirmed that Alexander-Smith has signed a new deal with Rangers, with Clement's men fighting off competition from Arsenal, who are worth £2.1bn:

"Alexander Smith has signed a three year professional contract at Rangers, deal done. Eligible for USA & Scotland, Smith picked Rangers ahead of strong options in MLS and Premier League."

This is a massive coup for Rangers, considering what a highly thought of prospect Smith is, with so much expected of the 15-year-old, hence Arsenal's interest in him.

The attacking midfielder is clearly still an extremely young player who won't be playing a part in the first team just yet, but retaining his services feels significant, suggesting that he feels the Gers are the ideal place to be currently. He is eligible to play for either Scotland or the USA, and it will be interesting to see who he eventually chooses, with his country of choice having a big talent on their hands.

USA journalist Tom Bogert labelled him as a "highly-rated" player when Rangers were pushing to sign him, also confirming interest from the Gunners. The key now is for Rangers to allow Smith to progress at his own pace however, not putting too much pressure on him to make the grade too soon, with the aforementioned Sessegnon an example of a player who has struggled to live up to the hype.

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He would be an exciting addition to the Ibrox outfit.

ByTom Coates Jun 28, 2024

It will be fascinating to see how the teenager fares over these next three years, but given his potential, it would be a surprise if he wasn't blooded by Clement at some point during that period.

Leeds United failed to earn instant promotion back to the Premier League as they were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the Championship play-off final at Wembley last month.

The Whites are now preparing for a second season in the second tier after they were relegated from the top-flight at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Their relegation from the top division resulted in a host of first-team players sealing temporary exits from Elland Road; including the likes of Jack Harrison, Max Wober, Brenden Aaronson, Robin Koch, and Rasmus Kristensen, among others.

One of those players – Aaronson – is now set to be reintroduced to the squad in Yorkshire for the 2024/25 campaign after spending the year away on loan.

Leeds' decision on Brenden Aaronson's future

It was recently reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post that the USA international will be an option for Daniel Farke after talks with the German head coach this summer.

The outlet claimed that the 23-year-old midfielder held discussions with both the manager and the club and it has now been decided that he will be a part of the team next season.

It stated that the former RB Salzburg star had the option to return to Union Berlin for a second loan spell with the German side and had interest from other clubs to move on from Elland Road over the coming weeks and months.

However, Aaronson decided that he wanted to come back to Yorkshire in an attempt to help the club to earn promotion back to the Premier League, and that Leeds believe the young ace will be a 'considerable asset' in the second tier.

The Whites must now bring another loanee back into the fold by persuading central defender Wober to come back and compete for a spot in the defence.

Why Leeds should bring Max Wober back

It was reported last month that Borussia Monchengladbach were not willing or able to meet Leeds' £14.5m valuation of the Austria international.

The player himself has also said that he now wants to wait until after Euro 2024 to decide where his future will be, whether that is at Elland Road or elsewhere, having previously wanted it to be sorted before the tournament.

Farke must now take advantage of his former club, Gladbach, being unwilling to stump up the cash to sign him permanently by convincing the 26-year-old ace to be a part of his plans, like Aaronson.

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed colossus has the potential to offer more at the heart of the Leeds defence than current left-sided defender Pascal Struijk.

He could cut out opposition attacks far more frequently, thanks to his tackling quality and ability to read the game to make interceptions and clearances, than the Whites academy graduate to prevent Illan Meslier from being worked as much.

Speaking to Leeds United News, journalist Graeme Bailey claimed Wober is "too good" for the Championship and that is backed up by his fantastic defensive statistics at Bundesliga level, as he outperformed the Dutchman despite playing in a major European league.

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The £35k-per-week titan could be an excellent performer in the second tier, given his form in Germany's top-flight, and that is why Farke must follow up on this Aaronson decision by reviving the Austrian star's Elland Road career, as a possible upgrade on Struijk next term.

On changes in the women’s game she’s witnessed since entering cricket administration:The shift’s been enormous [at the ECB]. I’ve been working for the ECB for a decade now. There were no women on the board [when I started out]. It wasn’t independent, and it was, therefore, by definition, self-interested. We now have 30% of our board members as female; I think we might be just over that now. We did have some ethnic diversity with Lord Kamlesh Patel but we need to be better in that space as do virtually all national governing body boards in this country.Regardless of the actual diversity of the board, there’s a deeper understanding of the role that women’s cricket can play for the whole game in terms of relevance, sustainability, engaging families, and the fact that our sport is competing with so many other sports and lesser opportunities for families and children. It is understood and accepted that women’s cricket has been the biggest growth area and there’s still huge potential for growth. That evolving understanding of the role that women’s cricket can play and why it matters has been great to witness.The ICC – there’s been a huge shift, but it’s been slower than what I have witnessed in my own country and committees and boards here. By virtue of being the chair of the ICC Women’s Committee, I sit on the chief executive’s committee as well, and I think there’s been a big shift there, probably led by James Sutherland before he left as the Cricket Australia chief executive officer.A huge shift around the discussion of the women’s game, and a deeper understanding of and commitment to investing in it, the way the ICC board is comprised. There are 18 members on that board, 14 Full Members, three Associate Members and one female independent director. Therefore, the discussions of those chairs who are on the board – they’re all male and they are going to have the interests of their own organisations first and foremost. Therefore, getting independent, diverse debate and thinking and innovation around that table – whilst I can’t say from first-hand experience because I haven’t sat in there – is going to be difficult.ALSO READ: Cricket for some, not for all. Where does the women’s game stand?On potential innovations in the women’s game to make it more popular:The most important thing is to have a really good rationale for making a change – to the playing conditions or formats. We knew why we created the multi-fomat Ashes: it was to protect that one-off Test. There was so little Test-match cricket being played in the women’s game but we wanted to protect it and create a narrative about the women’s Ashes, and that was well-received by the media and fans.We’ve got to stop this comparison between women’s cricket not being as good as men’s cricket, because of you’re a six- or eight-year-old girl now and you’re getting into cricket really young, you know you’re on a pathway to playing women’s cricket. If that’s what she’s aiming for, she’s not making comparisons.We’ll be seeing women’s cricket in the Commonwealth Games here in England for the first time [in Birmingham in 2022]. How do we use the opportunity to play in a multi-sport Games, with huge free-to-air coverage that we’ll gain, and how do we use that reach and platform to drive women’s and girls’ cricket in this country but also cricket more widely? With that opportunity to play in a multi-sport Games comes the obvious conversation: if men’s and women’s cricket is ever going to be in the Olympics, would that be a T20, would that be a shorter format even than the T20 because of the number of games you’d have to play? I can’t see a world where you’ve got men’s and women’s cricket in the Olympics with enough pitches and enough days to factor in all of the games you need, with T20, I think it’s still too long. So if the ambition is to be there, how does cricket get there?On contingency plans for England women’s summer after the Covid-19 pandemic took hold:It’s been challenging. It hit us right at the start of the English summer or spring. But you keep some perspective on all of this: it is just cricket after all.For the women’s game it’s been frustrating because we were due to host India and South Africa women in this summer and one by one they fell away. But we’ve been resolute; we knew the importance of that visibility – the Women’s T20 World Cup on March 8 and that amazing day which was broadcast around the world, with 1.1 billion digital views, showing what an amazing product and appetite there is for international women’s cricket. So we knew we had to get some international women’s cricket on this summer and we’re really thankful again to the West Indies women [for touring England].ECB managing director of women’s cricket Clare Connor•Getty Images

On the road ahead for women’s cricket in the Covid-19-affected world:Ultimately it comes down to decision-making about investments, both in our own Member boards and at the ICC level. I would be really worried if there weren’t right voices around the table having those debates about how we continue to carry on the momentum from March 8, and whatever comes over the next six months or two years, it’s going to be a challenge.There’s huge uncertainty around schedules, and if the people around the table making decisions on investments and visibility of what’s going to be shown, if there isn’t that diversity to represent the women’s game across all of those discussions, then that’s concerning. We have to really look at it as an opportunity and think what kind of sport we want to be, how we can protect and drive this. You know, never let a crisis go waste.We’ve identified women’s cricket as a huge growth opportunity, so we can’t now let this crisis narrow our ambition and lens because all of that remains true. That would be my one kind of plea, if you like, to those people sitting around those important decision-making tables: to remember that we have the sport here, it’s growing in interest, popularity, credibility, entertainment and commercial value. We shouldn’t forget that.

It's an emotional time on the red half of Merseyside, with Liverpool preparing to say goodbye to Jurgen Klopp after a veritable rollercoaster of a journey over the past nine years.

Liverpool fell by the wayside last season but Klopp and stand-in sporting director Jorg Schmadtke dissembled the midfield and pieced it back together with trendy new parts to secure the Carabao Cup and a third-place Premier League finish, only falling behind in the three-horse title race at a late-stage fence.

Now, it's all changing, FSG moving to make sweeping structural changes from wall to wall. Further change is afoot, with the summer transfer window likely to see tweaks to the playing squad: central defence is a priority position and the need for a wide forward is also pressing.

And on that latter note, let's take a look at an exciting transfer target that might wind up at Anfield. This one feels very Michael Edwards-esque.

Liverpool transfer news

According to the Daily Mail's Craig Hope, Liverpool are among the contenders to sign Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville, who will be transfer-listed for more than £30m should the Whites fail to get promoted to the Premier League.

Leeds were relegated last season but, headed by Daniel Farke, have been excellent this term and recently thrashed Norwich City to advance to the play-off final, which will be contested against Southampton or West Bromwich Albion next weekend.

Hope explains that Leeds will be forced into raising £100m in player sales if they are felled next Sunday, and Liverpool have joined Aston Villa, Chelsea and Newcastle United in observing the Dutchman's progress.

Crysencio Summerville's season in numbers

Summerville was anointed as the Championship's "Player of the Season" after an exemplary campaign that built on a cautiously promising breakout year in the English top flight last season, his highlight scoring the late winner at Anfield against a beleaguered Liverpool team.

That Merseyside-silencing strike arrived in the second match of a four-game scoring streak stretching from October through to November that forms the entirety of Summerville's goalscoring success in the Premier League, sitting on an 18-match barren run thereafter.

But he's only 22 years old and Summerville has made the most of Leeds' plummet to sharpen his tools at the forefront of the Championship, praised as a "monster" with "crazy" motions by analyst Ben Mattinson, a lightning bolt in transit with the trappings of an elite-level forward.

But why has he won the division's best player of 2023/24? Why not Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, champion with Leicester City, or why not Blackburn Rovers’ Sammie Szmodics, top scorer with 27 goals?

Well, the left-tilted winger has put together a fine seasonal tally himself, posting 19 goals and nine assists throughout the league campaign as well as netting during his side's play-off victory over the Canaries this week.

As per Sofascore, he's also completed 84% of his passes, created 17 big chances and averaged 2.6 key passes, 1.4 tackles, 3.4 ball recoveries, 2.3 dribbles and 5.8 successful duels per game.

It's clear that Liverpool have taken note not due to his goals and his assists, but the numbers underneath that suggest that Summerville has everything it takes to succeed at Liverpool, perhaps growing into the club's best left forward since Sadio Mane.

Why Crysencio Summerville is perfect for Slot

Liverpool enjoyed illustrious success with Mane, the Senegalese hailed for his "unbelievable level" and "world-class" quality by Klopp, integral in winning the Premier League and Champions League.

Luis Diaz was signed from Porto for an initial £37m fee to replace the iconic forward but he has only scored 24 goals from 97 appearances and, aged 27, might be sold this summer for maximum profit, with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain known admirers.

Signing Summerville, endowed with relentless running and a growing potency in front of goal, could be a masterful move from Liverpool, handing Slot the perfect cog to improve his system, the 46-year-old sure to make good use of his countryman.

Indeed, the Leeds ace would likely dovetail into the system through shared countryship with the gaffer, but, moreover, Slot's aggressive, front-footed style would see Summerville flourish, succeeding the fleet-footed Diaz by adding pace and power and prolificness.

Edwards' data-driven, Moneyball approach to transfer activity has paid dividends in the past. Summerville can't replace Mane off the bat but he can help to replace him in the aggregate.

As per FBref, the Netherlands native ranks among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers across divisions similar to the Championship over the past year for goals scored per 90. Fantastic, plenty of promise there.

But he also ranks among the top 3% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive carries, the top 13% for successful take-ons and the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90. That denotes his underlying progression-heavy style, something that would make him a tailor-made fit for Liverpool and, specifically, Slot's high-octane system.

Of course, he couldn't assume Mane's role to the same degree, not – as stated – off the bat. However, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota have proven themselves on the left and Slot could tweak and tinker to his liking.

Left winger

194

80

31

Right winger

44

21

8

Centre-forward

29

19

3

Now let's take a look at the existing Liverpool options at left wing – barring Diaz. Each player offers a rate of clinical success that can bolster the squad alongside Summerville, who will need the workload distributed.

Darwin Nunez

21

9

4

Cody Gakpo

15

5

3

Diogo Jota

56

23

6

Indeed, they differ in varying regards but Liverpool's left-sided forwards are analogous in the sense that all boast impressive finishing ability and are interchangeable.

To put it another way, Slot could finally provide Liverpool with the prolific left-winger to supercharge his style of play, incorporating different cogs at different stages to maintain a dynamic attacking line.

This would allow Summerville to blossom into a wide forward capable of playing to the level of Mane at Liverpool without feeling the crushing weight of responsibility pinned on his shoulders at a premature stage.

Liverpool are set to undergo a period of transition but there is no reason that with signings such as Summerville adding that extra ingredient to the frontline, Slot cannot find success in that first, post-Klopp year.

Liverpool star who's worth more than Trent & Diaz could explode under Slot

This dynamic Klopp star is starting to prove his worth at Anfield.

ByAngus Sinclair May 17, 2024