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Nottingham Forest are now preparing to make a new bid for a “special” attacking midfielder, having already submitted one offer for his services.

Forest eyeing attacking midfielder despite Gibbs-White's new deal

Possibly Forest’s most important piece of business in the transfer window to date was securing Morgan Gibbs-White’s future at the City Ground, although talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan was left a little bemused by Evangelos Marinakis’ behaviour in the subsequent interview.

Jordan said: “The fact that he stood there and intimidated the hell out of the player, I think actually controlled the narrative.

“Marinakis is a strong character, like him or loathe him. Some of the things I think I’m quite impressed with him, other things I’m not so impressed with him about. He means what he says, and he’s a strong character.”

Marinakis was clearly determined to keep hold of Gibbs-White, but with the Tricky Trees set to embark on a Europa League campaign next season, Nuno may need a deeper squad, and another attacking midfielder is of interest.

In an update on X, BBC reporter James Lewer has now revealed that Nottingham Forest are discussing making an improved bid for Manchester City’s James McAtee, having submitted an offer of around £25m for the attacker, which was knocked back by their Premier League rivals.

However, Man City may still be open to a sale this summer, should Forest be willing to increase their offer, with a fee of £35m being touted amid links to Tottenham Hotspur, while West Ham United and Everton have also been named as potential suitors.

Alongside Ndoye: Nottingham Forest starting talks to sign £65k-p/w winger

The Tricky Trees are set to open discussions over a deal for a forward.

ByDominic Lund Jul 29, 2025 "Special" McAtee could excel at the City Ground

The 22-year-old has found it difficult to force his way into Pep Guardiola’s star-studded starting XI, but he has impressed at international level as of late, picking up one goal and two assists en-route to England U21s’ recent European Championships triumph.

The Salford-born midfielder was captain of the young Three Lions side, displaying his leadership abilities, while he has also received praise from Guardiola in the past, with the City boss describing the Englishman as a “special” player.

Despite not getting much of a look-in at City, the maestro already has a great deal of senior experience from his time with Sheffield United, picking up 14 goals and eight assists for the Blades across campaigns in both the Championship and the Premier League.

Given that game time at City has been so limited, however, making just 15 Premier League appearances last term, it is evident that McAtee needs to move on this summer, and there are clear signs he could excel at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest are now in pole position ahead of rival interest from Everton in the race for an exciting homegrown attacking player.

Forest reach verbal agreement with new forward

The Reds have already added one attacker in the form of Igor Jesus to their ranks this summer from Brazilian side Botafogo, but given the fact the club are competing in Europe as well as the Premier League next season, Nuno Espirito Santo is keen to add more attacking options to his side.

Nottingham Forest "preparing" bid to sign £26m Europa League goalscorer

Forest are lining up a move for a forward.

ByDominic Lund Jul 20, 2025

Furthermore, Anthony Elanga’s exit to Newcastle United means there is a void in the starting XI, and Forest are keen to fill that by signing Dan Ndoye from Bologna. The 24-year-old has been with the Italian side since 2023 and has impressed domestically and internationally in recent seasons, so much so that he is now a genuine target for the Reds.

Forest have submitted a bid to sign Ndoye from Bologna, but on the player’s side, Ndoye has already verbally agreed a deal with the Reds as they look to beat teams such as Napoli and Crystal Palace to his signature.

Should the Switzerland international move to the City Ground, he could be joined by another forward-thinking player as a possible replacement for Morgan Gibbs-White.

Nottingham Forest lead Everton in Ramsey race

According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest are now leading the race to sign Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa.

Football Insider previously reported that Aston Villa do want to keep hold of the 24-year-old, but an offer between £40-50 million would be enough to convince Villa to sell, and Forest would be able to get to this mark, with the possibility of Gibbs-White’s exit funding the move.

The Reds are not alone in their pursuit, as Everton are also in the race to sign the attacking midfielder, but the fact Forest can offer Ramsey European football places them ahead of the Toffees.

It was even reported back in May that Ramsey is unhappy at Villa Park due to lack of game time last season. Ramsey played 46 games in all competitions last season, but the attacking midfielder only started 25 of those games, as he struggled to get ahead of some of Unai Emery’s regular picks.

Apps

136

Goals

14

Assists

14

Ramsey, who has been dubbed “terrific” by former Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard in the past, is under contract at Villa Park until 2027, so should Forest make a considerable offer, the Villans could use him as a PSR sacrifice.

For Forest, Ramsey would likely be seen as a direct replacement for Gibbs-White, as the former England under-21 international can play as a number 10, while he can also feature on the left flank.

It finally happened: After weeks of waiting, Arsenal announced their first signing of the summer transfer window.

Granted, it might not be the most exciting deal of all time, but acquiring a player of Kepa Arrizabalaga’s quality for just £5m is astute business and helps address the issue of a backup goalkeeper.

However, while the likes of Eberchi Eze and Rodrygo are also being touted for moves to the club, so too is another Chelsea player, Noni Madueke.

Fortunately, another Premier League winger has now been linked with Arsenal, a player who’d be a way better signing than the Blues star.

Arsenal target Madueke upgrade

It’s become something of a running joke that a transfer window is not fully complete until Arsenal sign a Chelsea player, and with Madueke now being linked with the North Londoners, there is a chance they could sign two.

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According to reports from as recently as yesterday, the Gunners might have already submitted an offer to the English international.

It’s not entirely clear how much he’d cost Mikel Arteta’s side, but based on stories from late last month, the fee could be around the £50m mark.

While he might be talented, it’s hard to imagine fans being particularly on board with signing another of the Blues’ seemingly unwanted attacking players, so it’s good news that they’ve now been linked with another winger target: Anthony Elanga.

At least that’s according to a recent report from TBR Football, which claims that the Gunners are one of several sides interested in the Nottingham Forest star.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Newcastle United are all keen on the dynamic wideman, with the Toon already making an offer.

On top of having to contend with the fierce competition, the North Londoners will also have to stump up a fee of around £60m to get their man.

It won’t be an easy transfer to get over the line, but Elanga has shown he could be a valuable addition to a team like Arsenal, and a far better signing than Madueke at that.

How Elanga compares to Madueke

So, if it comes down to signing one winger or the other, why would Arsenal be better off going for Elanga over Madueke?

Well, aside from the fact that a new left-winger feels like a more pressing need following the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri last season, the Nottingham Forest star is simply the more dangerous attacker.

For example, in 43 appearances for the Tricky Trees last season, the Hyllie-born phenom racked up a tally of six goals and 12 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal or assist every 2.38 games.

In contrast, despite playing for a team that finished higher up the Premier League table, the Barnet-born wideman has scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 44 appearances, three of which have come at the Club World Cup, which works out to an average of a goal or assist every 2.58 games.

Moreover, the one-sided nature of the comparison only extends when we take a look under the hood, at their respective underlying numbers from last season.

Elanga vs Madueke

Statistics

Elanga

Madueke

Non-Penalty G+As

0.61

0.44

Progressive Passes

2.27

3.05

Progressive Carries

3.67

6.81

Key Passes

1.80

1.42

Passes into the Final Third

1.15

0.71

Shot-Creating Actions

3.67

3.50

Goal-Creating Actions

0.65

0.35

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

For example, the former Manchester United gem comes out on top in most relevant metrics, including some truly key ones, such as non-penalty goals plus assists, key passes and shot and goal-creating actions per 90.

Finally, on top of having the output and statistics fall in his favour, the Swedish international has one more advantage over the Chelsea ace: his blistering pace.

Now, the Englishman is no slouch, but the Forest star is unusually quick, so much so that he dubbed himself “one of the fastest players in the league.”

That might sound a little arrogant, but it’s true, as his speed of 36.91km/h against Tottenham Hotspur in April 2024 was the fourth-fastest sprint in Premier League history.

Ultimately, Elanga is clearly the superior player to Madueke, and if Arsenal are going to be signing a new winger from the Premier League, they’d be far better off going for him over the Blues ace.

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Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 2, 2025

Celtic are building for another successful campaign north of the border, but they may now have to field a proposal for one of their star players from the Premier League, according to a report.

Celtic finally announce Benjamin Nygren

Typically, Celtic are slow starters in the window as they prefer to take stock before acting on the market, but supporters will be heading into the weekend with a spring in their step following confirmation of Benjamin Nygren’s arrival.

Coming in from FC Nordsjælland on a five-year deal, the versatile attacker has vowed to impress the Bhoys’ support by creating plenty of chances as well as getting himself on the scoresheet, regardless of where he is deployed on the pitch.

He explained: “I feel amazing to have signed for Celtic, it’s so nice to be here. I’ve been looking forward to this so much.

“I’m a player who wants to create a lot of chances and go towards goal. I’m a link between the defence and the offence and I can run a lot. I’m an offensive-minded player but I also work hard and try to do my best in all parts of the game.”

With the recruitment wheels in motion at Parkhead, Celtic could make a move for Girona forward Bojan Miovski to settle their long-winded quest for a number nine following Kyogo Furuhashi’s departure in January.

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Nevertheless, they could also be set for outward movement in relation to their front line after turfing out a £500,000 bid from Bolton Wanderers for Irish striker Johnny Kenny.

Como’s advances for Celtic star Nicolas Kuhn have turned heads, though the Hoops could be set for another shock to the system amid Premier League interest in one of their most productive stars.

Brentford could submit imminent offer for Daizen Maeda

According to a report from Sportiva, cited by the Daily Record, Brentford could submit an imminent offer for Celtic forward Daizen Maeda after Keith Andrews took over at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Tottenham, Fenerbahçe and West Ham have all been tentatively linked with a move for the Japan international, but the Bees are now said to be in pursuit, even if they will give careful consideration to the finances behind any deal before proceeding, though it is suggested they could move for him in “immediate” fashion.

Daizen Maeda’s mercurial 2024/25 campaign at Celtic – all competitions

Appearances

51

Goals

33

Assists

12

Trophies

1x Scottish Premiership, 1x Premier Sports Cup

Labelled a “special player” by Alistair Johnston, Hoops favourite Maeda managed to direct 28 of his 57 shots on target last term and emerged as arguably Celtic’s most important player on the march to a domestic double.

Brendan Rodgers won’t be in a rush to lose his services, but a question mark over his future will continue to remain as his contract at Parkheads ticks down.

Two years remain on his current terms, so nailing Maeda down to a new long-term deal will be a central priority for the Irishman.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is preparing for the Xabi Alonso era, and he wants to back his new manager with an ambitious double-deal for two Arsenal stars worth a potential £101 million.

Arsenal set for busy summer of incomings and outgoings

The north Londoners have already sealed an agreement for Martin Zubimendi, who looks set to become Andrea Berta’s first signing as the club’s new sporting director (Fabrizio Romano).

Arsenal ahead of Liverpool in race to sign £49m forward after Berta talks

The Italian is already getting busy ahead of this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini May 13, 2025

Zubimendi will come as a direct replacement for midfielder Jorginho, who is on his way to Brazilian side Flamengo once his contract expires on June 30, so Berta has acted quickly to fill the Italy international’s boots for next season.

2. Arsenal

68

3. Newcastle United

66

4. Man City

65

5. Chelsea

63

6. Aston Villa

63

7. Nottingham Forest

62

More replacements for squad members are highly anticipated as we fast approach the summer window as well, as Arsenal are believed to be in the market for a full-back to replace Kieran Tierney, who has agreed to join Celtic, and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who Berta is expected to sell.

A new central defender is also on Berta’s ever-growing reported to-do list this summer, with Arsenal among the many contenders to sign Bournemouth starlet Dean Huijsen, who is being courted by a host of top sides.

Their concrete interest in the 20-year-old is perhaps an indicator that the long-term futures of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes aren’t yet clear, despite Arsenal’s attempts to lock them down.

Arsenal have opened talks with Saliba over a contract extension, amid Real’s heavily reported interest in the France international, and it is quite simply imperative that Berta manages to keep hold of the former Saint-Étienne starlet.

Los Blancos are said to be eyeing up a few Arsenal players alongside Saliba, with goalkeeper David Raya also on their radar. However, as per a new report from Spain, left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly is now also turning heads at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid planning £101m double deal for Arsenal stars Saliba and Lewis-Skelly

Indeed, as per the Spanish media source, Real president Perez is personally hatching an ambitious plan to lure both Lewis-Skelly and Saliba to La Liga in a “double deal”.

It is reported that Real could splash £101 million on the signings of Lewis-Skelly and Saliba from Arsenal.

While the latter is seen as their priority target, Fran Garcia and Ferland Mendy’s unconvincing performances have prompted Real to consider Lewis-Skelly as an option as well, with the 15-time European champions pondering ways to orchestrate a deal with Arsenal.

Both Lewis-Skelly and Saliba have been vital cornerstones of Arteta’s backline, and there would be uproar over any green-light to sell both men, especially after Arsenal lost out on this year’s Premier League title to Liverpool by some distance.

It is highly unlikely to materialise, unless a truly unthinkable offer were to come Berta’s way. Even then, it would arguably need to be high above the mooted £101m mentioned by this report.

With their return to the Premier League on the horizon, Leeds United have now reportedly made their first enquiry about signing a Champions League winner for a club-record £40m fee.

Leeds set for crucial summer

As celebrations gradually begin to end around Yorkshire, all eyes will be on the summer transfer window. It’s one that the 49ers simply cannot afford to get wrong and one which must see them spend if they are to keep Leeds in the Premier League at the first time of asking.

For two consecutive seasons now, all three promoted sides have suffered instant relegation from the top flight. Southampton, Ipswich Town and Leicester City failed to learn from Luton Town, Sheffield United and Burnley before suffering themselves as a result. Now, Burnley, Leeds and one other club must avoid following that same path. They must break a concerning trend.

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To do that, the 49ers will need to ensure that Daniel Farke’s side are robust enough for the Premier League. Compared to their style in the Championship, Leeds will have to suffer out of possession if they want to enjoy any success next season, whilst they may need to avoid falling into the trap of adopting the same modern style in possession that could yet earn Southampton an unwanted record.

The transfer window will, of course, play a large part in what happens next at Elland Road. If rumours are anything to go by, then the 49ers are ready to spend too. The likes of Beto have particularly threatened to steal the headlines this week as the Whites look to bolster their frontline.

The Everton forward endured a slow start to life at Goodison Park but has shown his quality under David Moyes. If Leeds want robust then he’d certainly offer that. Meanwhile, in the goalkeeper department, those at Elland Road have set their sights on the opposite end of Merseyside and signing an instant upgrade on Ilian Meslier.

Leeds make first enquiry to sign Kelleher

According to Graeme Bailey for Leeds United News, Leeds have now made their first enquiry about signing Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool, who are reportedly set to demand as much as £40m to sell their goalkeeper this summer.

With Alisson Becker staying put and Giorgi Mamardashvili on his way from Valencia, the Irishman is heading for the exit door at Anfield, potentially allowing Leeds to take advantage for what would be a club-record transfer fee.

He may be Liverpool’s second-choice, but Kelleher hasn’t exactly seen his opportunities limited in recent seasons with Alisson continuing to struggle on the injury front. Any concerns that he wouldn’t be good enough to step up have quickly been put to bed in that time too, including against Real Madrid when he saved Kylian Mbappe’s penalty in a 2-0 victory back in November.

On a night to remember, Kelleher earned the praise of Liverpool boss Arne Slot, who dubbed his shot-stopper “outstanding”. For £40m, Leeds would be getting themselves a goalkeeper who’s ready to become a No.1 and an impressive one at that, after winning the Champions League, Premier League and domestic trophies throughout an excellent Liverpool tenure.

An “unbelievable” forward “would be open” to signing for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, according to former scout Mick Brown.

Spurs' summer transfer plans taking shape

Son Heung-min has been one of the shining lights in a poor Tottenham side this season, picking up seven goals and 10 assists in the Premier League, but there are signs a long-term replacement for the 32-year-old could be brought in this summer.

Talks have been opened over a deal for Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane, with Spurs incredibly interested in signing the former Manchester City man, while they are also increasingly likely to make a move for AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

Semenyo is not the only Premier League player on the shortlist, however, with a report from earlier this week revealing the Lilywhites are leading the race for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, who could be available for a fee of £60m this summer.

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There has now been a promising new update on Tottenham’s pursuit of Eze, with former scout Brown telling Football Insider he believes the winger would be interested in making a move across the capital this summer, despite Palace’s determination to keep hold of him.

Brown said: “They want to keep him and I don’t expect he’s the type of player to force through a move unless Palace’s asking price is met.

“Tottenham have been interested for a long time and he’s their type of player.

“If Eze has the opportunity to move to a team like Tottenham, I think he would be open to that, and it’s not slight on Palace and what they’ve done.

“So that move wouldn’t surprise me, but it will only be on Palace’s terms and they want to keep him.”

"Unbelievable" Eze could be fantastic signing for Tottenham

Tottenham’s summer transfer plans are likely to be heavily affected by whether Ange Postecoglou remains in his role as manager, but regardless of who is in charge, Eze could be a fantastic addition to the squad.

The Palace star has proven himself across a number of seasons in the Premier League, and he is enjoying another impressive season with the Eagles, having picked up six goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Not only that, but the England international ranks highly across some key metrics for wingers over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Statistic

Average per 90

Assists

0.34 (89th percentile)

Shot-creating actions

4.85 (81st percentile)

Successful take-ons

2.58 (88th percentile)

Having also been lauded as “unbelievable” by BBC Sport’s Nizaar Kinsella earlier this season, there is every indication that Eze could be a fantastic signing for Tottenham this summer, so it is exciting news that he could be open to a move to north London.

Batter finishes grim tour with 55 runs in five innings, and no sense that he’s answered doubts about role

Matt Roller25-Oct-2024There were only 22 minutes between Ollie Pope walking out to bat and bad light bringing the second day in Rawalpindi to a premature close, yet it was hardly a surprise that he was already back in the England dressing-room. Pope has become an all-or-nothing player, and will return home next week with only 55 runs to show for his tour to Pakistan.This has been a chastening trip for Pope, who has been heavily backed by England’s management over the last two-and-a-half years but is not delivering the returns that such investment demands. Since falling second-ball to a superb catch at midwicket in the first Test (a match in which his team-mates racked up 823 runs between them), he has managed 29, 22, 3 and 1 and has looked out of his depth on two turning pitches.Pope played one of the great England innings in January, a hyperactive 196 which set up an improbable comeback win over India in Hyderabad, but it increasingly looks like an outlier. He has played 23 Test innings since, averaging 26.21 with more ducks (3) than hundreds (2); in Asia, he has batted 13 times and averaged 13.30, without reaching 40.He stared back at the pitch after this latest dismissal, edging Noman Ali to slip as the sun set behind the Sohail Tanvir Enclosure. The ball did turn and bounce to take the shoulder of his bat, but what else was Pope expecting on a dry pitch that Pakistan have openly tailored to suit their spinners? He jabbed at it with hard hands, away from his body: the outcome was predictable.This was Pope’s first dismissal to Noman after three in a row to Sajid Khan, the ebullient offspinner who has changed the complexion of this series. In Multan, Pope was beaten on the inside-edge by a ball that spun sharply, and then chipped back to the bowler via the inside-edge while looking to drive through mid-off; in the first innings here, he was pinned lbw on the sweep.It has taken England a long time to find a settled top seven and with series against India (home) and Australia (away) looming next year, they will rightly be reluctant to make a change unless they are confident that the alternative is better. The problem for Pope is that the route to that change has never been as clear as it is now.England are set to name their squad to tour New Zealand at the end of this Test and it is highly unlikely that Pope will be dropped. But Jamie Smith’s impending paternity leave means Jordan Cox will play at least one match on that tour, and potentially all three: if he succeeds with the bat and Pope fails, there will be a decision to make.Noman Ali removed Pope in the penultimate over of a terrible day for England•Getty ImagesPope was presented his 50th cap by Zak Crawley ahead of the first Test in Multan, who said his ability to “really seize the moment” had helped him become “one of the best players in the world”. It felt like a platitude rather than a genuine belief: Pope has played some exceptional innings, but the world’s best find a way to contribute in between those big scores.Crawley reached the same landmark in Rawalpindi and has also endured a quiet series, falling to Noman four times in a row since his 78 in the first Test. The biggest difference between the two is that Crawley has already proven himself against Australia and India. Pope averages 22.05 in 35 innings against them, including 11.16 on his previous Ashes tour.Six of Pope’s seven Test hundreds have come since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took over as England’s coach, as he has clearly valued their backing. But more than half of his dismissals in that time (28 out of 51) have been for scores below 20: that is the record of a lower-middle-order strokemaker, not a reliable No. 3.There has been one England batter who looked the part in that role on this tour, but it was not Pope. Joe Root was forced up the order in the first Test after Ben Duckett’s dislocated thumb prompted a reshuffle and had to walk out in the second over after Pope’s duck, but exuded calm on the second evening and eventually piled on a career-best 262..Root has expressed a clear preference to bat at No. 4, dating back to his time as captain. Back then, England’s openers would rarely bat long enough to give him a breather after he had exhausted his mental energy in the field, and often left him exposed to the new ball. The situation is very different now he is back in the ranks, with Crawley and Duckett’s established partnership one of England’s biggest strengths.In any case, Pope’s regular failures at No. 3 mean that Root already comes in soon after the first wicket more often than not. Root and Harry Brook moving up one spot each would either allow Pope a stay of execution in a more suitable No. 5 role, or Cox to be eased in: promoting Root is an option that England must at least consider revisiting.Unless England can manufacture an implausible comeback in Rawalpindi, they will suffer only their second series defeat under McCullum and Stokes. The first, in India, prompted ruthless and decisive change, with Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes and Ollie Robinson not seen since. If he survives until New Zealand as expected, then Pope can count himself lucky.

Fast bowler shows he’s not content with stand-in status after stealing the show in Karachi

Matt Roller21-Sep-2022Pakistan is the spiritual home of left-arm fast bowling so the team-sheets in Tuesday’s night opening T20I seemed incongruous: England picked three left-arm seamers in their side to Pakistan’s none.Along with Reece Topley, who was unavailable for the first game of the tour due to an ankle niggle, Sam Curran and David Willey will both travel straight from Pakistan to Australia ahead of the T20 World Cup, but the left-armer who will fly home to the UK from Lahore in two weeks’ time was the star of the show’s first act.Luke Wood had known for a couple of days that he would make his England debut in Karachi. After getting the nod from Jos Buttler, he told his parents, then had to check his dad would keep the news quiet – “he’s quite keen on Facebook, he likes to post things”. Buttler duly presented him with his cap in the pre-match huddle.Buttler’s injury meant that Wood had the familiar feeling of being captained by Moeen Ali – they won the Blast together in 2018 when Wood was on loan at Worcestershire – but the sense of occasion was not lost on him as he stood at short midwicket. He had played at the National Stadium for Quetta Gladiators earlier this year, but the crowd was then capped at 25% by Covid-19 restrictions.”The start got delayed because they were moving behind the bowler’s arm so you got a full chance to take it in,” Wood said. “I remember being stood at midwicket thinking ‘this is proper’. It was so loud. You know they love their cricket but it was pretty special. To have that on your debut makes it even better – it’s like ‘wow, this is international cricket’.”The crowd were vocal throughout the first half of Pakistan’s innings but died down as England’s bowlers dragged the game back. They fell collectively silent when Wood took his first international wicket, ripping Mohammad Nawaz’s off stump out of the crowd before leaping and punching the air in celebration.He finished with figures of 3 for 24, conceding only 12 runs from his two overs at the death. His second and third wickets were less spectacular – both caught in the deep, one off a full toss and the other off a slower ball – but were just as important in restricting Pakistan.”Your first wicket is the one that stands out in your memory and thankfully it was a good one,” Wood said. “That’s how I always play my cricket: there’s always a smile on my face and that’s something I really pride myself on. It just shows my love for the game. It was just about trying to enjoy my debut as much as I could.”Wood is well aware of Pakistan’s tradition for producing left-arm seamers, having idolised Wasim Akram growing up – “him and Ryan Sidebottom were my two” – and had the chance to pick Wasim’s brains at the PSL earlier this year: “That was pretty cool. I’ve always wanted to meet him.”He is also keen to play his part in busting the “huge myth” that left-arm seamers are only picked to provide variety. “Teams can play four right-armers but can’t play four left-armers? I’ve just never understood that,” he said.Related

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“Obviously England have a lot of good left-arm fast bowlers now so the options are there, but also, we’re all different: different heights, speeds and attributes. Just because they’re all left-arm, it doesn’t make a difference.”Wood earned his place in this squad through an impressive domestic season, playing in the final of both English short-form competitions. He took 14 wickets for Lancashire in the Blast and 10 for Trent Rockets in their victorious Hundred campaign, regularly hitting 90mph/145kph and bowling aggressive new-ball spells.He is one of several England players in an unusual situation during this series, one mirrored in Australia’s tour to India: even if he finishes as the leading wicket-taker on either side, he will not be part of their World Cup squad, barring an injury to one of England’s first-choice seamers.But he knows that strong performances will come in handy down the line. “We had a big chat before this series started about the fact it’s not just about this series, but going forward. Being pretty new into the squad, it’s about trying to perform and showing what I have. Everything changes so quickly.”And after missing out on an England cap in the Netherlands earlier this year – he was the only unused squad member during their ODI tour – Wood is not taking things for granted. “I would have loved to have made my debut there,” he said, “but at the same time, I feel like because they don’t just give them out, you feel you have earned it. In a way, it makes it feel more special.”

Also: why are there so many sixes in Sharjah?

Sreshth Shah27-Sep-2020Can Sanju Samson buck his trend and carry his good form deep into the IPL?After hitting a 32-ball 74 against the Chennai Super Kings and a 42-ball 85 against the Kings XI, it seems Samson can do very little wrong this season. This start is nothing new for Samson, though. He has been a supremely good starter in past IPL seasons too. The question that needs answering is whether he can keep this momentum going – a point of concern in his batting since IPL 2017.In 2017, 30% of Samson’s runs came in his first two games. In 2018, his first-three innings contributed 45.5% of his season’s runs and in 2019 his first three outings earned him 41% of the season’s runs.It is also worth noting that both his half-centuries have come in Sharjah, which is the only venue where teams have scored over 200 in each of the four batting innings so far.How underrated is Jofra Archer the batsman?In 100 T20s, Archer has batted 51 times, facing an average of 6.09 balls per innings, but that low figure is probably because he usually comes in with very few balls left – subsequently, he has been not out 26 times. His 459 T20 runs have come at a strike rate of 147.58, and 250 of his runs have come in fours and sixes – a boundary-percentage of 54.47% and a ball-per-boundary ratio of 5.86.That he can be a game changer with the bat came to the fore in the Royals’ win against the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2020 when he struck his second, third and fourth ball for a hat-trick of sixes in a 30-run over that pushed the Royals from 186 in 19 overs to 216 in 20. Royals ended up winning that match by 16 runs. It was a skill he repeated again against the Kings XI today, when the first two balls he faced after Robin Uthappa’s dismissal went for sixes, bringing the target down from 21 off 11 balls to 9 off 9. On both occasions, he did that against international bowlers in Lungi Ngidi and Mohammed Shami.Having scored 40 off 11 balls this season, the Royals could consider giving him the opportunity to play more than just a few balls in the coming games.Jofra Archer celebrates after helping Rajasthan Royals pull off a record chase•BCCIWhy did Rajasthan Royals send Rahul Tewatia in at No. 4? And why did he struggle in the early stages of his innings?Royals captain Steven Smith said after the game that Tewatia had impressed all in the Royals’ camp by hitting plenty of big shots in the nets. A combination of that, along with a T20 strike rate of more than 150 and the fact that he was the only left-hand batsman in the Royals’ XI probably prompted his promotion to No. 4 as a pinch-hitter.Sending in a left-hand batsman gained significance because the Kings XI had two legbreak bowlers in M Ashwin and Ravi Bishnoi, who together had a maximum of six overs up their sleeves when Tewatia walked in after the dismissal of Steven Smith in the ninth over. Traditionally, a legbreak bowler turns the ball into the left-hand batsman, creating a natural arc to hit straight or across the line.However, the reason Tewatia struggled early on – he was on eight runs off 19 balls at one stage – possibly was because the Kings XI introduced offspin in the form of Glenn Maxwell against him, and Bishnoi brought out his googlies. It’s not that Tewatia wasn’t picking the googlies, but that he couldn’t execute the inside-out shots over cover. The only six he hit off Bishnoi was off his 20th ball, when he came down the track, effectively cutting down the amount the ball could turn, and then hitting it over long-off.When Sheldon Cottrell, a left-arm seamer, bowled the 18th over to Tewatia from over the wicket, the angle coming into him worked in his favour, and he clattered five sixes, taking his score of 17 in 23 balls to 47 in 29 balls.In hindsight, we wonder whether KL Rahul should’ve handed the 18th over to Ashwin instead of Cottrell, considering how much Tewatia was struggling against Bishnoi. Ashwin had bowled just one over in the match till then, but then traditionally spinners are kept away from the death overs. Tewatia duly feasted on Cottrell instead.Why is Sharjah seeing such high totals?In the four batting innings in Sharjah this season, a total of 865 runs have been scored in 79.3 overs, at an economy of 10.88 runs per over.The pitch hasn’t been as conducive to the pace bowlers, as has been the case on the semi-grassy decks on offer in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Also the smaller ground dimensions in Sharjah have played a role.Let’s compare the dimensions of Abu Dhabi – based on the game played there on Saturday between the Knight Riders and the Sunrisers – and Sharjah – based on today’s game – from one end. The straight boundary at Abu Dhabi was 77m long; in Sharjah it was 73m. The boundaries at long-off and long-on were 74m and 77m respectively in Abu Dhabi, but in Sharjah it was 71m and 65m. The square boundaries in Abu Dhabi were 65m and 73m, in Sharjah they were 60m and 61m. Lastly, the third-man and fine-leg boundaries in Abu Dhabi were 59m and 64m, while they were 58m and 55m in Sharjah.So, shots that just clear the boundary in Sharjah are likely to offer chances on the boundary in Abu Dhabi. So far in this IPL, in two Sharjah matches a total of 62 sixes have been hit. In the other seven games, there have been only 55 sixes.