Next season is going to be a massive one for Arsenal.

After finishing second for the third campaign on the bounce last season, Mikel Arteta’s side will be desperate to finally get their hands on the Premier League title.

It would appear as if the board are just as desperate, as the last couple of weeks have seen the transfer rumours really heating up, with perhaps the most exciting of the lot being the links to Eberechi Eze.

Moreover, recent reports have now made it clear who Arsenal’s number one attacking target is, and it’s someone the Crystal Palace star will love playing alongside, someone other than Viktor Gyokeres.

Arsenal's striker search

While Arsenal need to address several areas in the team this summer, and appear to be doing so, it’s not controversial to say that the most critical business they’ll do is signing a new striker.

Transfer Focus

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

It would appear that the club agrees with that statement as well, as, over the last few weeks, they have been linked with a plethora of talented number nines.

Closer to home, there have been suggestions they could go back in for Ollie Watkins after missing out on him in the winter window.

However, another forward who has been even more heavily touted for a move to the Emirates has been Gyokeres.

The Sporting CP ace has reportedly agreed to personal terms with the North Londoners, but that may end up being for nothing, as the club’s number one target is someone else entirely.

At least that’s according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, which reaffirms Arsenal’s intense interest in Benjamin Sesko.

The report has revealed that RB Leipzig’s ace is their top striker target, although due to the German club demanding £80m and the North Londoners being unwilling to go above £60m, they have set a timeline to sign him by mid-July.

It will be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Sesko would be worth fighting for and an incredible teammate for Eze.

Why Eze will love Sesko

While there are a few different reasons why Eze would love playing with Sesko, the most significant one is his output.

For example, despite still being just 21 years old at the start of last season, the Slovenian international scored an impressive 21 goals and provided six assists, in 45 appearances, totalling just 3258 minutes.

That means the “exceptional” talent, as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, averaged a goal involvement every 1.66 games or every 120.66 minutes, which is only made more impressive by the fact that the rest of the team underperformed compared to prior years.

Appearances

45

Minutes

3258′

Goals

21

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.60

Minutes per Goal Involvement

120.66′

Just imagine how much more effective the Palace star would be either playing behind or alongside a striker as dangerous as that, especially as he racked up 25 goal involvements in 43 games last season playing with Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored 17 goals and provided four assists in 46 games.

The second reason the Englishman would love playing alongside the Leipzig star is the fact that he’d be a total handful for opposition defenders.

The former RB Salzburg star is 6 foot 5, able to hit speeds of 35.69 km/h, sat in the top 8% of forwards in the Bundesliga for percentage of successful take-ons last season, per FBref, and is capable of scoring with his head, from long range and inside the box.

In short, he is starting to look like an incredibly complete striker, and therefore, he’ll force defenders to pay more attention to him, thus allowing more space for the former QPR gem to operate in.

Ultimately, if Arsenal want to significantly improve their attacking output this summer, they should do everything possible to sign Eze and Sesko, as together, they could be utterly game-changing.

Ollie Watkins will love him: Arsenal in talks to sign £85m "superstar"

The incredible international could be a total game-changer for the striker and Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 4, 2025

Sunderland supporters will be trying to hold back their excitement ahead of the new Premier League season finally kicking off.

There’s no guarantee in place that signings galore will improve your chances of staying afloat in the tricky division, with Ipswich Town picking up 14 total purchases last season and still managing to fall through the relegation trapdoor.

But, the star-studded quality of signing Sunderland is managing to attract makes being giddy quite hard to contain, with the standout £20m purchase of Enzo Le Fee getting the ball rolling this summer, whilst a £30m deal for Habib Diarra to join from Strasbourg edges ever nearer to completion.

Reinildo is also set to join the Stadium of Light ranks after allowing his Atletico Madrid contract to expire, with plenty more notable names being tipped to call Wearside their fresh home shortly.

Transfer latest at Sunderland

Most Sunderland supporters would have been initially apprehensive about all the business being conducted in this hectic transfer window, considering the window opened with both Jobe Bellingham and Tommy Watson deserting the Stadium of Light.

Now, however, the mood has flipped, with the likes of Georgian superstar Georges Mikautadze being tipped to join Le Bris’ enthused ranks alongside those already named, on top of an alleged £17m bid being lodged by the Black Cats to snap up Nantes attacker Matthis Abline.

The most intriguing purchase of them all could soon come in the form of Almeria goal-machine Luis Suarez moving to England, with reports from Spain now suggesting that Sunderland have enquired about landing the explosive attacker.

Such a deal would result in the Black Cats having to fork out £21m, with the La Liga 2 side upping their transfer valuation off the back of Suarez’s impressive 2024/25 offering.

It could even be argued that snapping up the clinical Colombian would see the newly promoted side land an even bigger talent than Diarra, despite the Senegal international costing Sunderland a club-record £30m to snap up.

Why Suarez could be a bigger talent than Diarra

After all, whilst Diarra was able to boast four goals and five assists from the midfield areas last season for Liam Rosenior’s men, Suarez’s numbers up top for Almeria in another demanding European setting are an even more majestic sight to take in.

Transfer Focus

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

Indeed, the “crazy” South American – as he was once labelled by talent scout Jacek Kulig – would take La Liga 2 by storm with his devastating goalscoring prowess.

That was seen in him collecting 27 of his bumper 31 strikes in the second division, away from also netting four of those efforts in the challenging Copa Del Rey when facing off against opponents from La Liga.

Games played

41

Goals scored

27

Scoring frequency

135 mins

Assists

8

Big chances missed

27

Staggeringly, Suarez would also chip in with eight assists across his 41 La Liga 2 outings, which is three more assists than Diarra managed in the heart of Strasbourg’s midfield, with the hope that the dangerous Almeria marksman can offer up similarly deadly displays when leaping up to the Premier League.

He could instantly displace Wilson Isidor on his arrival, therefore, considering the Frenchman blew hot and cold last campaign with just 13 Championship goals next to his name, away from Suarez wreaking havoc in the Spanish second division.

On the contrary, it doesn’t feel as set in stone that Diarra would instantly dive into Le Bris’ XI – irrespective of his lofty price tag – with Dan Neil already at the Frenchman’s disposal centrally who collected five goal contributions himself last season in league action, alongside Le Bris also possessing the star-quality of Le Fee who could kick on even more up a division.

Whilst Diarra will no doubt go on to be a success story under the ex-Lorient manager’s wing if Le Fee’s trajectory is anything to go off of, it does appear as if Suarez could really burst into life even more as a terrifying goalscorer on Wearside, with his blistering introduction into the English game perhaps helping the Black Cats to maintain their fraught Premier League status.

Better signing than Diarra: Sunderland now targeting "fantastic" £18m star

Sunderland’s rapid summer business is showing no signs of slowing down as a new target now appears on their shopping list.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 1, 2025

حسم الحكم محمود ناجي الجدل حول هوية صاحب الهدف الأول في مباراة الزمالك والمصري، التي انتهت بفوز الفريق الأبيض بثلاثية نظيفة، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وعلم بطولات أن الحكم محمود ناجي قد أدرج في تقريره الرسمي أن الهدف يُنسب إلى الفلسطيني عدي الدباغ مهاجم الزمالك، لينهي التكهنات التي أشارت إلى إمكانية احتسابه كهدف ذاتي على محمد مخلوف مدافع المصري.

وتقدم الزمالك في الدقيقة 29 عبر عدي الدباغ، بعد تمريرة مميزة من ناصر ماهر حاول محمد مخلوف إبعادها، لترتطم بالقائم وتصل إلى الدباغ الذي وضعها في الشباك.

طالع أيضًا | شوبير: عبد الله السعيد حدوتة.. ولاعب الأهلي السابق وجد نفسه في الزمالك

وأضاف عمر جابر الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 64، بعدما تابع كرة مررها له خوان بيزيرا داخل منطقة الجزاء ليسددها بقوة في المرمى.

واختتم عبد الله السعيد ثلاثية الزمالك في الدقيقة 90 من ركلة جزاء صحيحة، حصل عليها الفريق بعد عرقلة أدت لطرد محمد هاشم مدافع المصري في الدقيقة 88.

بهذا الفوز رفع الزمالك رصيده إلى 13 نقطة لينفرد بصدارة جدول ترتيب الدوري الممتاز، بينما تجمّد رصيد المصري عند 11 نقطة في المركز الثاني.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي الزمالك في مباراته المقبلة مع الإسماعيلي، ضمن منافسات الجولة السابعة من المسابقة.

Trent Rockets were victorious in a nervy must-win encounter against Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred at Edgbaston on Monday. The Rockets drew level on points with third-placed Northern Superchargers to keep themselves in the hunt for a place in the knock-outs, as they came out on top by three wickets with just three balls to go in a tense affair.Birmingham Phoenix won the toss and chose to bat, with both sides sitting on six points in the table and looking for the opportunity to keep their seasons alive. Phoenix had to make do without Sophie Devine, forced to miss out through injury.That required a batting order shuffle for Phoenix but their shuffled top order didn’t last long: three wickets fell early for the home side as they lost captain Ellyse Perry, Fran Wilson and Amy Jones in the opening 15 balls before they had reached double digits. Alexa Stonehouse grabbed the big wicket of Perry, Sciver-Brunt dismissed her one-time housemate Wilson and her maid-of-honour Jones first-ball.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“I was very happy with how the ball came out today,” Sciver-Brunt said. “I probably haven’t had that much success or that much consistency, so I was very happy with my personal bowling performance today.”Phoenix’s recovery was as impressive as it was crucial, with Sterre Kalis and Indian international Richa Ghosh putting on 95 for a record fourth-wicket partnership in the women’s Hundred. Ghosh made 41 from 36 and Kalis 47 from 44 as they took the hosts to 112 for 6.After her early wickets Sciver-Brunt finished with figures of 2 for 16. Australian international spinner Ashleigh Gardner also picked up a critical late couple of wickets to take 2 for 17.Nat Sciver-Brunt and Ashleigh Gardner took two wickets each•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Phoenix needed early wickets to help them defend their below-par total and they managed just that, with Bryony Smith and Nat Wraith dismissed in the first 20 balls. Unfortunately for Phoenix, that brought Sciver-Brunt to the crease, the leading run-scorer in The Hundred this year – and indeed the record-holder for the highest aggregate ever in the women’s competition.With Sciver-Brunt and Gardner at the crease the visitors looked to be cantering in the chase, but a flurry of wickets at an inopportune moment from balls 70-80 – including a timely run-out from Perry – made things suddenly appear much tricker for the Rockets. Not for the first time, the Rockets found themselves trying to scrap over the finish line, but this time it was a must-win encounter.They benefitted from a debatable no-ball call, which saw Josie Groves reprieved having initially been given out caught, but on this occasion they had enough in the locker to get over the line – Katie George there at the end alongside Groves to keep alive Rockets’ hopes of going further in the Hundred.”In terms of the chase, we probably got ahead of it a bit earlier and gave ourselves a bit of relief towards the end, so the pressure didn’t build up too much,” Sciver-Brunt said. “For the two batters to come out at the end, who hadn’t faced many balls, they were very brave, and I was really pleased for them to get the job done.”We’ve had so many close games, so to come out on the right side of it this time feels really good. It’s still all in our hands, if we beat the Oval Invincibles in our last game then we will be in that top three.”

Thomas Frank hasn’t been short of talented attackers during his time as a manager, hoping to attract similar talent during his stint as Tottenham Hotspur boss.

The Dane has overseen the development of the likes of Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, with the trio sitting at the top for most Premier League goals scored in the Bees’ history.

Toney left in a big-money deal to move to Saudi Arabia last summer, but Mbeumo is also expected to follow suit, as a £70m deal to join Manchester United appears to be edging closer.

Frank even tried to convince the Cameroonian international to move to North London with him, but the winger stated his desire to move to Ruben Amorim’s side instead.

Such a decision has left the new Lilywhites’ boss with the challenge of landing a new star forward, already making huge waves in the transfer market to potentially land his next big talent in the final third.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new attacking talent this summer

Antoine Semenyo was seen as one of Spurs’ biggest targets in this transfer window a couple of weeks ago, with real belief they could land the Ghanaian if they offered £65m for his signature.

However, it looks as though they are set to miss out on a deal to land the Bournemouth star, after he put pen to paper on a new five-year deal, which will see him remain at the Vitality until 2030.

Such a decision has seen other targets being considered, with West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus someone who’s been mentioned nonstop in recent days.

However, CaughtOffside’s latest update has stated the Hammers star has emerged as the Lilywhites’ number one target this summer, despite having a £85m release clause in his current deal.

It also states that the hierarchy are willing to back the manager in his quest within the market, seeing the 24-year-old as a statement signing ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, potentially able to negotiate a deal at around the £70m mark.

Why Spurs’s number one target could be Frank’s answer to Bale

Gareth Bale was a player who was responsible for countless moments of magic during his spell as a Spurs player, reaching levels that no supporter could ever have imagined.

The Welshman joined the club from Southampton back in 2007, originally as a left-back, before making the shift up the field into a winger – a decision that would transform his career tenfold.

In his three years at the Lilywhites, operating in a more attacking role, he registered 50 goals and 26 assists, resulting in an £85m transfer to join Spanish giants Real Madrid back in the summer of 2013.

12 years on from his departure, the club have lacked a real elite-level right-sided attacker, but that could be about to change this summer with a move for Kudus, who possesses some similar traits to the Welshman.

The biggest one is his ability to cut inside onto his stronger left foot, subsequently being able to fire the ball into the back of the net – having the ability to hand the fanbase the chance to get off their seats when he’s on the ball.

His underlying stats in 2024/25 are just as impressive, with such figures certainly helping him reach his tally of five goals and four assists across all competitions.

Kudus, who’s been labelled “generational” by journalist Gary Al-Smith, completed 3.2 take-ons per 90 in the Premier League last season, showcasing his ability to drive inside past the opposition.

Kudus’ stats for West Ham in the PL (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	32
Goals & assists	8
Shot on target accuracy	28%
Pass accuracy	84%
Take-ons completed	3.2
Carries into final third	2.1
Carries into opposition box	1.5
Fouls won	2.2
Stats via FBref

He also registered 1.5 carries into the opposition box per 90, subsequently able to go round the outside of the full-back before cutting the ball back to a teammate and providing them with the tools for success too.

The Ghanaian’s talents don’t stop there, managing to get 28% of his shots on target, whilst also winning 2.2 fouls per 90, highlighting how much of a threat he poses to the opposition.

If the club can land the West Ham star this summer, it would be a tremendous piece of business, having the opportunity to develop further given the fact he’s just 24 years of age.

Should Kudus manage to get anywhere near the levels produced by Bale in North London, it would be a bargain transfer, subsequently allowing Frank to have his next attacking star in 2025/26.

Upgrade on Kudus & Eze: Spurs in contact to sign "world-class" £43m star

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be plotting moves for various attackers during this summer window.

5

By
Ethan Lamb

Jul 1, 2025

England confirm XI for Wednesday’s first Test against Sri Lanka, with Stokes absent through injury

Vithushan Ehantharajah19-Aug-20240:53

Lawrence: Pope doesn’t need to try to be Ben Stokes

Matthew Potts has been announced as Ben Stokes’ replacement in the XI for England’s first Test against Sri Lanka, with Harry Brook stepping into the vice-captaincy role for the series to assist stand-in captain Ollie Pope.Potts, who earned the last of his six Test caps in the one-off Test against Ireland last summer, has been given the nod ahead of fellow quick Olly Stone and uncapped batter Jordan Cox after Stokes was ruled out of the rest of the summer with a hamstring injury sustained during the Men’s Hundred.Potts, 25, is a team-mate of Stokes for both Durham and Northern Superchargers, and will slot in at No. 9 for the fixture at Emirates Old Trafford, which begins on Wednesday. That means promotions up the order for Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson, who will bat from No. 6-8 respectively.While not quite an allrounder, Potts is a handy lower-order batter, as showcased by an unbeaten 149 against Warwickshire earlier this season, which was his maiden first-class century. Nevertheless, the selection adds to the peculiar nature of the XI, which also features Dan Lawrence as opener following Zak Crawley’s finger injury sustained during the last Test against West Indies.Matthew Potts is set to play his first Test since June 2023•Getty ImagesBoth Potts and Lawrence have had to bide their time. Potts’ debut summer in 2022 brought 20 wickets at 28.00 as he featured in the first five Tests of the Bazball era. But beyond a sole appearance against Ireland, he has been a spare body around the squad, including at the start of this summer against West Indies when he was superseded by Atkinson.For Lawrence, this will be a first Test cap in the new era, though he has still yet to play under Stokes. He has been a squad regular for the last 17 Test matches – a run which began at the start of 2023 against New Zealand – including the entirety of the India tour at the start of the year. Lawrence debuted against Sri Lanka in 2021, with the last of his 11 appearances coming at the end of the Caribbean tour in March 2022, which was Joe Root’s last as Test captain.Even within that small sample size, Lawrence has occupied every position between No.3 and 7 and will tick off the opening berth this week. While his early learnings at Essex came as an opener, particularly for their second team, only seven of the 27-year-old’s 203 first-class innings to date have been at the top of the order.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe most recent of those came as a pinch-hitter for new county Surrey against Somerset, finishing 54 not out from 34 balls. While the match situation was something of an anomaly, as Surrey made an ambitious dart at a target of 209 inside 19 overs, it is that kind of aggressive intent Lawrence is looking to channel in his new, temporary role.”I think my natural style is to try and be aggressive, always try to take the game on and score runs,” said Lawrence. “Not necessarily as quickly as possible, but try to take every opportunity. And that won’t change over the next few weeks. Throughout my whole career, I’ve played a certain brand of cricket and that has served me well so I’m just going to do the same thing.”I think it’s kind of the style of cricketer that Baz and Stokes are generally after, and my general way of going about it is to try and be quite aggressive. So I think I fit the mould more in that aspect.”I did actually start my first-class career as an opener and then I’ve gradually kind of moved up and down as I’ve gone along. But I’m only really focusing on trying to really enjoy the week. It shouldn’t be too much different from batting three or four.”England: 1 Dan Lawrence, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope (capt), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jamie Smith (wk),7 Chris Woakes, 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Matthew Potts, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Shoaib Bashir

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now ready to make an official bid for a “complete” player, who could be in line to join alongside Fluminense’s Jhon Arias, according to reports.

Wolves agree deal to sign Arias

Wolves are now closing in on the signature of Arias, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano corroborating reports that a fee has been agreed with the Brazilian club.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about the forward’s seemingly imminent arrival, having performed remarkably well for Fluminense in the 2025 season, regularly contributing goals and assists in all competitions.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Campeonato Carioca

10

1

4

Copa do Brasil

4

1

2

Copa Sudamericana

3

0

2

Serie A

11

1

4

With the Old Gold closing in on a new attacker, it may be wise to now turn their attentions towards strengthening at the opposite end of the pitch, and they are ready to make an offer for a defender.

That is according to a report from Prasinoforos, which reveals that Wolves are preparing to make a formal bid for Panathinaikos right-back Georgios Vagiannidis, given that he has impressed scouts over the past few months.

Wolves table £21m bid to sign "tough" ace who Man Utd have also approached

Wolves have now made a bid to sign a midfielder who is wanted by a few Premier League teams.

ByBrett Worthington Jul 14, 2025

Vitor Pereira’s side have been closely monitoring Vagiannidis for quite some time, and they are now ready to launch an official offer, although the Greek club should be in a strong negotiating position, as the defender remains contracted until 2028.

With an important Champions League qualifier against Rangers on the horizon, Panathinaikos are unwilling to sanction a departure, but reports from elsewhere have revealed that a bid of £13m could be enough to tempt them into a sale.

"Complete" Vagiannidis could be smart acquisition for Wolves

Pereira may be forced into bringing in a new right-back this summer, with Nelson Semedo looking increasingly likely to join a club overseas, and there are signs the Panithinaikos ace could be a solid signing.

At 23-years-old, the full-back is at a good age to be a long-term heir to Semedo, and he has received praise from scout/writer Jacek Kulig in the past, who described him as “complete”, while also likening the Panathinaikos ace to Kyle Walker.

The Athens-born defender has now amassed 104 appearances for Panathinaikos in all competitions, including five in the Europa League, but there may be some concerns over the fact he is yet to prove himself in a major domestic league.

As such, while Vagiannidis could be a smart acquisition for Wolves, they will still be holding out hope that the more-experienced Semedo decides to sign a new contract.

Manchester United are in a race with fellow Premier League side Everton in a bid to sign a £9 million international who has been labelled the “bargain of the summer”, according to a recent report.

Man Utd eyeing new midfield reinforcements

The Red Devils return to action at the end of this week, as they travel to Stockholm in Sweden to face rivals Leeds United in their first game of pre-season 2025. The hope Ruben Amorim will have is that his side will finally have Bryan Mbeumo through the door before that game gets underway.

Man Utd make loan proposal to sign £166k-a-week Bayern ace and get a reply

Man United have submitted a bid to sign a player from Bayern Munich on loan.

ByBrett Worthington Jul 13, 2025

Once the deal for Mbeumo is completed, there has been a lot of talk that the next target will be a striker, but INEOS and co are also scouring the market to strengthen their midfield department. It was recently reported that United have made a move for not one but two new midfielders.

It’s been claimed that United have made an approach to sign Richard Rios from Palmeiras, who has been heavily linked with a move to AS Roma. The Brazilian side are said to want at least £25 million for Rios, who could be considered a replacement for Casemiro.

The second midfielder United are chasing is Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha. The Red Devils have submitted a loan approach for Palhinha, but the German side turned it down straight away, with Bayern looking to sell the player on a permanent basis instead. These two players could be very good signings for United, but there is another midfielder firmly on their list of potential summer signings.

Man Utd in race with Everton to sign £9m ace called "bargain of the summer"

According to Football Insider, Man United are very interested in signing Wilfred Ndidi from Leicester City. The 28-year-old has just suffered relegation with the Foxes, and while he is under contract until 2027, the midfielder has a £9 million release clause that can now be activated.

The Nigeria international is expected to leave the King Power Stadium, and while United are an option for the player, Everton, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Juventus are also in the race for the Nigerian international.

Ndidi, who has been dubbed the “bargain of the summer” by Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, has been a Leicester player since 2017. During that time, he has faced the Red Devils on 14 occasions in all competitions, and he has lost 10 times overall, with the Foxes only winning two games.

Apps

220

Goals

7

Assists

14

His potential arrival at Old Trafford could see him be a replacement for Casemiro, who could remain at United but may not have a bigger impact this season than he did last, due to competition for places and the fact he isn’t getting any younger. Despite the Foxes’ struggles last season, Ndidi still managed to impress, recording five assists in 28 Premier League games.

Michael Vaughan warns Brook to “be careful” as loose display sets tone for England collapse

Andrew Miller07-Sep-2024

Harry Brook’s struggles on day two were reflected in a poor England batting performance•PA Photos/Getty Images

Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s interim head coach, said that his team’s success in frustrating Harry Brook had been integral to their fightback on the second day at the Kia Oval, as they reached the close on 211 for 5 in their first innings, trailing by just 114 after bowling England out for 325 in the morning session.England had seemed to be in a familiarly dominant position overnight, having raced to 221 for 3 in barely half a day’s play on day one, but they then lost their last seven wickets for 104 more runs in 24.1 overs on day two, with all ten wickets ultimately falling to attacking shots.Brook, 8 not out overnight, was particularly culpable for setting the tone for a careless batting performance. He was given out to his third ball of the day, after aiming a wild drive at Lahiru Kumara, and though he successfully overturned that caught-behind verdict, he was then badly dropped by Asitha Fernando at deep point on 12, after giving the charge to Milan Rathnayake.And, with Sri Lanka finding movement in the overcast conditions, he then telegraphed his frustration by mockingly taking guard two feet outside off stump, to highlight the restrictive line that Asitha in particular was bowling.Related

'Just do it' – Brook to trust his instincts on England captaincy debut

Stone, Hull get full marks for effort on day of larking about

Pope passes character test to dispel captaincy clouds

Dhananjaya, Kamindu fifties add to Sri Lanka fightback

More bad-light farce at The Oval as Chris Woakes is forced to bowl spin mid-over

His torrid stay eventually ended on 19 from 39 balls, when he flashed another drive to Kamindu Mendis at short cover, to trigger a collapse of 7 for 64 in which only Ollie Pope, eighth out for 154, emerged with any credit among England’s batters.”He was frustrated, yes, because we bowled well, with the right line and length,” Jayasuriya said at the close. “We go through each and every batsmen, like they go through our batsmen. We know their very strong areas, and where we can keep them tight and frustrated.”They love to play their shots. So we just thought of bowling a more tight line and length just outside your off stump. When you keep doing that in these conditions, when the ball is moving, it’s not very easy.”England’s unfocused performance attracted the ire of Michael Vaughan on the BBC, who warned the team at large that sterner challenges lie in store for the team, particularly when they take on India and Australia in five-Test series next year. He singled out Brook for particular criticism, given the extraordinary strides he’s already made in his career, particularly in his breakthrough winter of 2023-24, when he racked up 809 runs in nine innings, at a strike-rate of 98.77.”England are ultra-aggressive,” Vaughan said. “They go towards the danger. If the ball is swinging away they are not thinking about leaving it. That is their method.”Just be careful, Harry Brook. That is all I will say to him. He is a brilliant player. He is as good as I have seen. I am going towards Kevin Pietersen-style. He is an incredible player. But don’t take the mick out of the game. Be very, very careful.”There are cricketing gods up there and in a year’s time there are tougher challenges. When you don’t treat things as you should, you might be getting the rub of the green now, but against the very best teams when it really matters, you will need a bit of luck, a toss to go the right way, the DRS to work for you.”I would ask England, were you on it all day like you would be against India and Australia? If they look themselves in the mirror and say they were, I would say they are lying. They weren’t on it today.”England delight me a lot in the way they play. But this game has a way of biting you. When you are so far ahead of the opposition, don’t take the mick. Don’t think you can do things no other player has done in the history of the game – dance down the wicket and whack an away-swinger over mid-off.”Jayasuriya himself was one of the great attacking batters in Test history – as shown on this ground in 1998, when his brilliant 213 from 278 balls set Sri Lanka on their way to their most famous Test victory. And at the close, he added his own advice after watching Brook’s struggles to manage his tempo.”Sometimes you go to the top gear, and sometimes you have to put the gear back, and you slow it down a bit,” he said. “You can’t go in top gear all the time when you play this type of cricket.”You play your natural game, but you need to take the less risk as much as possible, when the field is back on the off side, or the leg side. You need to fight it hard. So this is a part of the game. You need to work hard, and mentally you need to be strong.”

Nottingham Forest have submitted a £10 million bid to sign a new 23-year-old ace, and they have already had a reply, according to a recent report.

Nottingham Forest face fierce competition to sign a new winger

The Reds have just seen Anthony Elanga swap the City Ground for St James’ Park, so for what remains of this transfer window, Forest and owner Evangelos Marinakis are going to be in the market for a new winger to replace the Sweden international.

Related Nottingham Forest among frontrunners for £20m+ Elanga replacement after talks

The Reds are progressing in talks to sign a player who will replace the departed Anthony Elanga.

Posts 1 ByBrett Worthington Jul 13, 2025

It was revealed over the weekend that Forest were progressing in talks to sign Johan Bakayoko from PSV Eindhoven and were even considered one of the frontrunners to sign the Belgian. The 22-year-old is out of contract next summer, and a deal of £22 million could be enough to bring him to England.

However, the Premier League side now face strong opposition in their pursuit of Bakayoko, as according to Florian Plettenberg, RB Leipzighave reached a verbal agreement with Bakayoko. The Bundesliga side are in talks with PSV over agreeing a fee, which could be less than the £22 million that was originally reported. The Belgian international has already agreed terms with Leverkusen on a five-year deal.

Fortunately for the Reds, he is not their only option when it comes to replacing Elanga, as Forest are ready to return with their pursuit of Yoane Wissa, but they do face competition from Tottenham Hotspur to secure his signature.

Nottingham Forest submit £10m offer to sign new 23 y/o and have had a reply

As the Premier League side weigh up their attacking options, according to Turkish outlet Sporx, relayed by Sport Witness, Forest and Marinakis have placed a €12 million (£10 million) bid to sign defender Arseniy Batagov, which has been turned down by Trabzonspor.

The report states that while Batagov has impressed during his time with the Turkish outfit, and they would ideally like to keep hold of the player, they are looking to get around €17 million, which is roughly £15 million, instead of the £10 million Forest bid.

The Reds are not the only team chasing the 23-year-old, as Brighton & Hove Albion and Lazio are interested, with the Italian side said to have made an offer worth €10 million, which again was rejected.

Arseniy Batagov’s 24/25 Süper Lig stats

Apps

18

Starts

18

Goals

1

Passing accuracy per game

54.8 (87%)

Big chances created

3

Clean sheets

8

Interceptions per game

1.5

Tackles per game

1.6

Clearances per game

5.4

Total duels won

3.8 (59%)

The Ukraine under-21 international, who is under contract at Trabzonspor until 2028 with the club having a one-year option, played 18 times in the Süper Lig last season, during which he grabbed one goal and recorded one assist.

Forest already have the likes of Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic, Willy Boly, and Morato, to name a few, in central defence, but Nuno Espirito Santo is obviously keen to strengthen his options further, and the fact that Batagov can play left-back and midfield as well as centre-back means he would bring versatility to the Reds.