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They seem to have become a team driven by big names as much as by success, and results have inevitably suffered

Matt Roller09-Apr-20233:30

Moody: Huge gulf between superstars and the other players at Mumbai

From 100 yards away, the golden letters and numbers on the back of Mumbai Indians’ royal-blue shirts are almost impossible to read. Perhaps that is the point: at this franchise, most players’ identities are obvious from the stands of the Wankhede Stadium. If they are not, then they are not worth knowing.No squad in the IPL is as skewed towards star power as Mumbai’s. Their seven highest earners are on a combined INR 85 crore (USD 10.4 million approx), nearly 90 percent of the salary cap. Their eleven lowest earners are on INR 20 lakh (USD 24,000) each, the league’s minimum wage. They have superstars and squad players, with almost nothing in between.On Saturday night, two of those superstars were missing. It had been apparent for some time that the IPL’s most successful franchise would have to make do without Jasprit Bumrah, the leader of their bowling attack, in 2023; news that Jofra Archer, their other big-name bowler, had picked up a niggle meant that their fixture against Chennai Super Kings was always likely to be a challenge.Related

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Mumbai started brilliantly, racing to 61 for 1 after the powerplay. Rohit Sharma threw his hands at the ball when Super Kings’ seamers offered him width, the capacity crowd roaring in celebration at each of his four boundaries. Akash Ambani watched on from his plush leather sofa in the stands; Sachin Tendulkar smiled in the dugout.After Rohit was cleaned up by Tushar Deshpande, Ishan Kishan took over. He had struck three boundaries off Sisanda Magala’s first four balls and then slapped down the ground for consecutive fours, his sweat-drenched forearms glistening under the floodlights. And then, as the field spread… nothing.In the space of 16 balls, Mumbai lost four wickets for 12 runs, collapsing spectacularly against Super Kings’ left-arm spinners. Mitchell Santner and Ravindra Jadeja bowled with skill and guile, varying their pace and extracting just a hint of turn. There was an unfortunate element to two of those wickets: the ball Suryakumar Yadav gloved behind was sliding some way past leg stump, while Jadeja’s catch off his own bowling to remove Cameron Green was a freak dismissal.ESPNcricinfo LtdYet from that moment on, there was an unmistakable sense of inevitability around Mumbai’s defeat. For the second game in a row, they were a long way short with the bat, scraping up to a total of 157. Shorn of their two star bowlers, their attack never stood a chance of defending it, even against a Super Kings batting line-up missing Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali through injury and illness respectively.It is worth dwelling on the make-up of that attack. Mumbai opened the bowling with two left-arm seamers: one of them made his professional T20 debut last weekend, aged 25; the other was traded from Royal Challengers Bangalore during the off-season. Their change seamer has taken six wickets in his T20 career. Their two fingerspinners are base-price rookies. Their frontline legspinner is a 34-year-old, who went unsold last season even as two new teams were added to the league.Mumbai were taken to pieces in the powerplay, not by Ruturaj Gaikwad or Devon Conway but by Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane is a stylish batter with international pedigree, but went into this game having made nine appearances across the past two IPL seasons, only once passing 30. As he took Arshad to pieces, plundering 23 runs from his second over, Rahane exposed Mumbai’s attack for what it was.Two games into the season, Mumbai are in a mess. They have overcome bad starts before, and the nature of this format is that if a couple of their big names find form simultaneously, they could go on a winning streak that takes them into the play-offs and beyond. But it is harder than it has been previously to see that happening.If this fixture really is Indian cricket’s answer to El Clásico, the meeting of its biggest and best clubs, then Mumbai are in their galácticos era, signing the biggest names in the sport simply to prove that they can, just as Real Madrid did soon after the turn of the century.Rohit Sharma has his head down•BCCIIt is a phase unwittingly personified by Green, who was signed for INR 17.5 crore at December’s auction and has now been thrown into the IPL with huge expectations on him. The only previous time he has played a full season was as a 20-year-old, when he averaged 15 and didn’t bowl a ball for Perth Scorchers.Green is a phenomenal talent, who will doubtless dominate at international level for years to come – but was he really the player Mumbai needed? His two innings of note in this format were as an opener, where Mumbai already have an established pair; with the ball, he is being asked to learn on the job.Ahead of the auction, Mumbai needed domestic bowlers to complement Archer and Bumrah; in their absence, they need them even more now. Ignoring that obvious hole in their squad to throw their money at Green was like adding another layer of gold paint to a Bentley without an engine.More pertinently, it was a signing that would not have been countenanced by the Mumbai of old; a franchise that almost never overpaid for a player, who stuck to a clear set of principles in constructing a balanced squad with depth in every area. Somewhere along the way, they seem to have become a team driven by celebrity as much by success. Results, inevitably, have suffered.Three seasons ago, Mumbai strolled effortlessly to a second consecutive title and their third in four years with a side so strong that it was hard to see how they would ever fade. On Saturday night, they lost for the 12th time in their last 16 games. There is still time for them to climb back to those old heights this season, but it has been a precipitous fall.

It’s the most stunning ball in white-ball cricket. Four staffers weigh in on who sends it down the best

27-May-2021Shaheen Shah Afridi

The best measure of a yorker, everyone knows, is YouTube views. Other metrics are useful, such as the quality of batters it is bowled to, the consistency and accuracy with which the right length is hit, its strike- and economy rates, the ability to bowl it at will and to know when and to whom to bowl it to.But until and unless a bowler’s yorker has produced a warehouse’s worth of compilation clips – all of which play around with the same eight or nine deliveries and in reality are competing on headlines – then it hasn’t arrived. YouTube views are the yorker’s real currency, and by that measure, Afridi is making his way to the hallowed territory that is, specifically, The Pakistani Yorker on YouTube: marvel at the Guldozer, bow to the legend of the Ws, go extreme with Shaibi, pay homage to Imran.Already on YouTube, Afridi is battling with Mitchell Starc: “Shaheen Afridi vs Mitchell Starc Top 7 yorkers – Who is Yorker King?” has nearly 2 million views. There’s a five-minute video of Afridi – filmed from the stands – practising yorkers with other Pakistan bowlers that has nearly a quarter of a million views.The one wicket you will find in most of these videos is a beast of the genre, to Jonny Bairstow, in the third T20I on the 2020 tour of England. By seam position it’s set for inswing, as the clip to leg Bairstow attempts implies. It does shape that way too until the very end, when suddenly it goes straight instead, maybe even swerves away, landing at the base of off stump. The best yorkers are deceptive, and duly, Bairstow indicates he didn’t pick it.If you’re not convinced, watch this one. Bog-standard yorker, angling in from round the wicket, but check the victim: his father-in-law-to-be. How many yorkers do you know can do that?What sets Jasprit Bumrah apart from other current yorker bowlers is that he has the slower, dipping variant•Matt King/Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesJasprit Bumrah

Look, it had to be Lasith Malinga, but the commission for this piece has disqualified him because he has not played serious cricket in a year and therefore does not qualify as a current bowler. I nevertheless believe that if you put Malinga in a suit, give him a bank job and then ask him to bowl an over in his lunch break, he’d still nail them yorkers.And he had a variety of them – the searing quick one, the wide one, and the lethal slower, dipping one with which he ended the 2019 IPL final.In Malinga’s absence, his spiritual heir in limited-overs cricket, Bumrah, possesses the best yorker today. Like Malinga, Bumrah has honed the hyperextension in his forearm to become a deadly accurate bowler. That’s why you rarely see him bowl a half-volley when he is going for the yorker.His idiosyncratic action and a late release, just like Malinga’s, mean the batter picks the trajectory of the ball late. That’s why when Bumrah bowls the yorker, you see batters are late on it, though the radar doesn’t show extraordinary speeds. If he errs and sends down a full toss that is between knee and waist, you still see batters short on time.Bumrah is also happy to try yorkers with the new ball, red or white. What really puts Malinga and Bumrah in a league of their own – ahead of the others in this article and bowlers such as T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult – is the slower yorker.Ben Stokes had no answer to Mitchell Starc’s yorker in the 2019 World Cup•Michael Steele/Getty ImagesMitchell Starc

Since Starc does not play T20s regularly, we do not get to enjoy his yorker as much as we’d like, but just watch the last two ODI World Cups and you will see how special his yorkers are. Since the start of 2015, Starc has bowled 515 yorkers in international cricket and taken 49 wickets. The next closest wicket-taker with yorkers is Bumrah, with 24.Starc does not bowl yorkers just at the death. If there is a bit of swing available, he can be lethal with an inswinging one at the start of an innings, even in Tests.Two Starc yorkers stand out for me: the one against Brendon McCullum in the 2015 World Cup final that set up the game for Australia, and this one against Ben Stokes at Lord’s in the 2019 World Cup. In both cases, the batter was helpless despite picking the length.Can’t stop it if you can’t see it: Lockie Ferguson dismisses Faf du Plessis with a rocket at the 2019 World Cup•Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty ImagesLockie Ferguson

“If you execute it, [the yorker] is the hardest ball to hit,” Tymal Mills told me earlier this year. “But it can also go wrong just as easily.” Even the most reliable yorker bowlers in the world struggle to land them reliably, and the margin for error is minuscule: T Natarajan, who bowled more than twice as many yorkers as anyone else in the 2020 IPL, concedes more than 12 runs an over when he misses them and bowls full tosses or slot balls instead. Half of the skill is finding a way to avoid going round the park when the delivery doesn’t quite go to plan.That’s the main reason I’ve chosen Ferguson, whose slot balls and full tosses remain relatively hard to hit. The perfect illustration of his effectiveness came in the 2019 World Cup, during the group-stage match against South Africa at Edgbaston. He rushed Faf du Plessis with a 149kph bouncer, leaving him camped on the back foot, then speared through a 148kph yorker to clean him up. A combination of raw pace and his idiosyncratic action makes it tough to pick the toe crusher, and harder still to score runs off it.Ferguson’s yorker highlights reel also includes dismissals of Manish Pandey in the 2020 IPL and Shikhar Dhawan in a 2018-19 T20I series, but even the balls that come out slightly wrong don’t go for many. In T20Is, his 13 full tosses have cost only eight runs and his 54 full balls have brought four wickets and 59 runs.

With a week until the MLB trade deadline, the Athletics remain a franchise in transition. And yet, West Sacramento is exactly where slugger Brent Rooker wants to be.

At 42–62 and in the AL West basement, the A's are hurtling towards a fourth consecutive season below .500, and fifth without a playoff berth. Logically, plenty of A's players find themselves thrown into trade rumors, but Rooker, fresh off of his second All-Star Game appearance, shut down any notion that he could be moved in the coming days.

“Yeah, I'm not going anywhere, Kratzy. We're good. I'm staying," Rooker told former MLB catcher Eric Kratz on .

Rooker, who joined the team via waivers ahead of the 2023 season, signed a franchise-record five year, $60 million extension in January, which could reach six years and upwards of $90 million thanks to a vesting option. Rooker had a career year in '24, hitting .293 with a .927 OPS, with 39 home runs and 112 RBIs.

When asked whether that assurance makes him feel "better" ahead of the deadline, Rooker laid out why he's happy to be with the A's, even amid another difficult season.

"Yeah, for sure. Like I said, I signed the extension because I'm where I want to be. I believe in what we're doing, I believe in the people that we have on our team, on our roster, on our coaching staff, in the building. I believe in everything we have going on, and I want to be a part of that. That's one of the reasons why I decided to sign that extension and stay here, and I will not be going anywhere this trade deadline..”

Conventional wisdom is that the Athletics would avoid trading a player they just inked to a large, but still team-friendly deal. However, conventional wisdom doesn't always work with the former Oakland squad. Before the Rooker extension, the team signed pitcher Luis Severino to the biggest deal in franchise history per total value: three-years, $67 million. Fast forward a few months, and Severino is one of the names most frequently rumored in potential trades, after comments bashing the franchise's minor league accommodations at Sutter Health Park. Severino has struggled pitching at home, and has not been quiet about his frustrations.

Other pitchers like Jeffrey Springs or even fireballing closer Mason Miller could be on the move for the right price. However, even with his impressive bat, Rooker expects to be in West Sacramento and—at some point, presumably—Las Vegas for years to come.

Arsenal’s 18-game unbeaten run is over. In that time, they have defeated their arch-rivals 4-1, defeated one of the most in-form sides in Europe in the shape of Bayern Munich 3-1. They have also been to St James’ Park and to Stamford Bridge without losing.

It’s typical, therefore, that the man who Mikel Arteta succeeded, Unai Emery, brought it to an unsavoury end.

This game will always be Emery’s cup final and that showed on Saturday. The Gunners were far from their best. They looked tired, shaky at the back. A 2-1 loss occurred and after Manchester City won later in the day, the gap at the top of the table was narrowed to just two points.

How Emery got the better of Mikel Arteta

A week ago, Arsenal looked like the runaway leaders in the Premier League. They’ll definitely win the title, some cried. Well, how quickly things can change.

While Arteta’s side are still in the driver’s seat to win it next May, they will need to improve on their last two away games with Chelsea and Villa.

This match was classic Emery. He loves facing his former employers and despite amassing plenty of possession in the Midlands, Arsenal seemed powerless to stop the Villans.

While Arsenal were missing Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba due to injury, Villa’s swift transitions, counter-attacking football and their willingness to get runners in behind really made life difficult for Arteta’s side.

Ollie Watkins – who was once the subject of a bid from the Gunners – didn’t score but several times he was able to get in behind. Jurrien Timber, who was playing at centre-back, was made to look rather silly.

Watkins could well have scored the opening goal of the game when he got in behind Timber and Piero Hincapie, turning them inside out before forcing a strong save from David Raya.

The combination play between him and Morgan Rogers, as well as Youri Tielemans, posed a colossal threat. Between them, they made three key passes.

Usually an offensive line would be met with a brick wall in the shape of Saliba and Gabriel but Arsenal’s centre-backs were a shadow of what we’ve come to expect with Arteta’s usual centre-back pairing on the sidelines with injury again.

That said, it was a moment of pinball that led to the winning goal. Arsenal failed to clear their lines and despite throwing several bodies in the way, Emilio Buendia was the calmest man in the Midlands, firing the ball past Raya. Bedlam erupted inside the stadium.

Arsenal's summer signing costs them big time

The defensive line of Arsenal has undoubtedly been the best in the country this season. Before their clash with the Villans, the Gunners had shipped just seven goals in the top-flight. Make that nine now.

Any team in world football would miss players of the calibre of Saliba and Gabriel but the league leaders have found out in recent matches just how tricky life is when both of them are unavailable.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Cristian Mosquera was forced off with injury in the 2-0 win against Brentford in midweek which meant Arteta was forced to select Timber at centre-half at Villa Park. Smaller, not as physical, and keen to go to ground, he was no match for Watkins and Co.

Equally, Hincapie – who could sign permanently in a £45m deal – endured a topsy-turvy afternoon in what was just his fourth start in the Premier League. The Ecuador international is a physical beast but arguably lacks the same level of composure we’ve so often seen from Gabriel and Saliba in recent years.

He is, of course, new to the English game but his performance levels in the last two away fixtures have left something to be desired.

Against Chelsea last week, he and Mosquera looked rather unsettled and nervous. Fair enough, really, particularly when you consider they had only played together as a pairing once before.

Hincapie improved against Brentford and for the most part against Villa, he looked strong. Against a robust offensive unit, he won all three of his aerial duels, made a whopping seven clearances, six recoveries and won 50% of his ground duels.

This was not a bad performance until one mistake cost Arsenal the game. It was a moment you’d typically associate with the later days of Arsene Wenger’s reign, or even the Unai Emery era.

During those years, you’d associate Arsenal’s defenders with lapses in concentration and mistakes. Hincapie wasn’t riddled with errors on Saturday but his blunder deep into injury time cost Arsenal.

In the words of The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid, he has been “pretty poor since Spurs” and while that may well feel harsh, the inability to clear his lines late on was certainly poor.

Mins played

90

90

Touches

66

68

Pass accuracy

94%

82%

Tackles won

3/3

1/3

Interceptions

2

1

Clearances

3

7

Recoveries

4

6

Duels won

4/8

6/9

GOAL’s Charles Watts handed the defender a 6/10 rating at full-time and called out his lack of awareness at the end. He had a chance to clear his lines, but instead ran the ball out of play. It was from the Villa throw-in that they ultimately scored the winner.

It felt insignificant when it happened but there was a lack of game awareness. It was like something out of the Emery era. Saliba and Gabriel wouldn’t do that. The dogged defence Arteta has created wouldn’t do that. It could subsequently cost him his place in the team against Brugge in midweek.

Perhaps it’s time to see what Riccardo Calafiori can do at centre-half with Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back?

Fewer touches than Raya & only 7 passes: Arsenal star must be dropped

Arsenal’s title charge got a whole lot trickier after defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 7, 2025

Are the glory days heading back to Stamford Bridge?

Having enjoyed so much success during the two decades of Roman Abramovich’s ownership, Chelsea supporters cannot help but hark back to the past and hope that current players can replicate those from then.

While they may never see a player as good in their position as Petr Čech, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard or Dider Drogba ever again, did an up-and-coming Chelsea youngster put in a display reminiscent of a Chelsea superstar from more recent times against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday?

N'Golo Kanté's Premier League legacy

Given how widespread football and football coverage is in the modern era, it is very rare that any player can be truly described as completely unique.

However, N’Golo Kanté certainly falls into this category, considering we’ve not seen the like before or since.

He was a key figure in Leicester City’s title triumph against all odds a decade ago, before winning another Premier League title, the FA Cup and Champions League with Chelsea, as well as the World Cup with France.

At just 5 ft 6 in (168 cms) tall, he possessed seemingly endless amounts of energy, covering every blade of grass match after match, racking up more tackles, blocks, interceptions and distance covered than anyone else to ever grace the Premier League.

Now 34 years old and playing for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, his unique skillset is underlined by the fact that Didier Deschamps recalled him to his French national team squad last week after a year away, starting against Ukraine at Parc des Princes, still unable to find someone better at being Kanté than Kanté.

Now though, which current Chelsea player put in a Kanté-esque display at Turf Moor?

Chelsea's new N'Golo Kanté

The major talking point ahead of kick off between Burnley and Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime was the fact that Moisés Caicedo was left on the bench.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

With games against Barcelona and Arsenal up next, Enzo Maresca decided to rest his star midfielder, after he had completed 90 minutes in both of Ecuador’s matches during the international break, these friendlies against Canada in Toronto and then New Zealand in Harrison, New Jersey.

This presented Andrey Santos with an opportunity to stake a claim, and he certainly did just that.

The table below documents the Brazilian’s impressive display in Lancashire.

Accurate passes

34

11th

Key passes

1

6th

Defensive actions

12

1st

Clearances

4

3rd

Interceptions

4

1st

Tackles won

3

3rd

Duels contested

10

2nd

Duels won

7

2nd

Ball recoveries

4

1st

Touches

63

6th

SofaScore rating

7.3

3rd

The table emphasises Santos’ excellent display against Burnley, leading the match when it comes to defensive actions, interceptions and ball recoveries, as well as winning seven of his ten duels and putting in three tackles, all Kanté-esque traits.

Matthew Judge of Goal noted that deputising for Caicedo is always an ‘unenviable’ task, but the Brazilian put in an ‘excellent’ display, given that he provided ‘a solid shield’ in front of the Chelsea backline, a key reason why Burnley rarely threatened, awarding him an 8/10 rating.

Meantime, Nizaar Kinsella of BBC Sport asserted that it was Santos’ “best performance to date” for the club.

The 20-year-old joined Chelsea from Vasco da Gama back in January 2023, but did not make his debut for the club until the Club World Cup in June against Espérance Sportive de Tunis.

He spent last season on loan at BlueCo’s other club Strasbourg, impressing all Ligue 1 observers, including Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout, who asserted that he is an “incredible midfielder in the making”.

Well, with massive games against Barcelona and Arsenal up next, was this the game Santos came to the fore and asserted himself as a key figure in this Chelsea team, as Kanté was during an ultra-successful period?

Chelsea have Palmer 2.0 with a "left foot made of gold" & it's not Estevao

The promising talent could be the perfect solution to Chelsea’s Cole Palmer problem.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 22, 2025

Celtic appear to be inching ever closer to finally appointing their long-term successor to Brendan Rodgers, who resigned last month after a loss to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

Martin O’Neill has been in interim charge for the Hoops since Rodgers left the club, and oversaw three wins in four matches before the international break, including a 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock last time out.

The experienced boss may not manage another game for the Scottish giants, though, as Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy appears to be on his way to Parkhead.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph reports that the French manager has been given permission to speak with the club this weekend to discuss a move to Glasgow.

If Nancy does take over at Parkhead, he will be looking to build on the success that Rodgers, as shown in the graphic above, achieved during his second stint at the club.

The Columbus Crew tactician should also look to build on some of the good work that O’Neill has done in his interim spell, as the experienced boss has got the best out of Johnny Kenny.

How Johnny Kenny could fit in Wilfried Nancy's set-up

The Ireland international has scored four goals in four matches under O’Neill in recent weeks, having only scored two goals in his first 17 appearances for the club in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

This shows that the former Shamrock Rovers star has stepped his game up since Kelechi Iheanacho suffered a hamstring injury last month, as he has shown that he can be relied on to score goals for the Hoops.

Kenny has been playing as the sole number nine in a 4-2-3-1 system for O’Neill, after playing a similar role in a 4-3-3 set-up for Rodgers, but Nancy’s preferred formation, per Transfermarkt, is a 3-4-2-1.

Diego Rossi, who is a similar profile of player to Kenny in terms of his build and attributes, has typically been deployed as one of two second strikers operating behind a focal point centre-forward in that 3-4-2-1 shape, although he has also played as part of a front two in a 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2.

Diego Rossi under Wilfried Nancy

2024

2025

Appearances

48

37

Shots

112

123

xG

13.14

15.54

Goals

21

19

xA

5.60

6.46

Big chances created

14

11

Assists

7

5

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Rossi has thrived in that role under Nancy in the last two seasons, racking up 40 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

Kenny, therefore, could look to thrive as one of the two players behind a starting number nine, as he perhaps lacks the physicality to play as the focal point on his own in that system.

With this in mind, the Hoops could land an upgrade on him as an out-and-out centre-forward by signing a Premier League player who is a reported target.

Celtic eyeing move for Premier League striker

According to 67HailHail, Celtic are monitoring Brighton & Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson ahead of a potential swoop for his services in the January transfer window.

The report claims that he was linked with a move to Parkhead in the summer transfer window before the Ireland international, understandably, opted to sign for Serie A side Roma on loan.

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It adds that his loan spell with the Italian giants could be cut short, though, in January because of his struggle for form, with no goals in ten matches so far.

Celtic are keeping tabs on his situation with a view to chasing a deal to sign him on loan for the second half of the 2025/26 campaign to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

Despite his struggles with Roma this season, which is why he may become available in January, Ferguson could arrive as a dream first signing for Nancy at Parkhead.

Why Evan Ferguson would be a dream first signing for Wilfried Nancy

The Ireland international would come in as a dream first signing because he could be the focal point that the French head coach needs to play his 3-4-2-1 formation with the Hoops.

Celtic, since they sold Adam Idah in the summer, do not have a physical and imposing centre-forward who can act as a focal point, as Kelechi Iheanacho and Johnny Kenny are both more suited to playing with another striker or as a second striker behind a number nine.

Ferguson, standing at 6 foot 2, can provide that natural number nine presence to lead the line as the centre-forward in a 3-4-2-1, acting as an upgrade on Kenny as the main number nine.

In fact, former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker once likened him to Manchester City’s monstrous forward Erling Haaland. He said: “I do see a hint of Haaland about him, his stature, his movement, his youth and stuff like that.”

He has a physically imposing presence that could make him a handful for Premiership defenders to deal with, whilst his career so far also suggests that he could offer more quality than Kenny as an out-and-out number nine.

Stats

Evan Ferguson

Johnny Kenny

Age

21

22

Height

6 ft 2

5 ft 8

Senior Ireland caps

26

0

Senior Ireland goals

8

0

Top 5 European leagues + SPFL games

75

15

Top 5 European leagues + SPFL goals

13

5

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Ferguson has 26 more caps and eight more goals than Kenny, who is older than him, for Ireland, whilst he has also scored eight more top-level goals.

The Brighton loanee has struggled in the Serie A this season, undoubtedly, but he managed six Premier League goals each season as a teenager in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns, per Sofascore, which is no mean feat.

The 21-year-old marksman, whose finishing was hailed as “phenomenal” by James Milner, has shown incredible promise in the Premier League and at international level for Ireland, whilst Kenny has never played at a level above the Premiership and is yet to be capped by Ireland, although he is in the current squad.

This suggests that Ferguson would be an upgrade on his international teammate as an out-and-out centre-forward, potentially taking his place or forcing Nancy to unleash him in the Diego Rossi role behind Ferguson.

Related "I will step aside" – O'Neill says no talks with Celtic board over permanent role

He’s had his say.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

Overall, the Brighton striker would be a dream first signing for the French boss, should he take over at Parkhead, because of the role that he could play in the team, and the quality that he could bring to the pitch.

New York Mets billionaire owner Steve Cohen on Saturday opened up about the club's negotiations with free agent first baseman Pete Alonso, telling the media at a Mets' Amazin' Day event that talk with the four-time All-Star have been "exhausting."

"We've made a significant offer to Pete," Cohen said, moments after Mets fans at the event chanted "We want Pete!" "And what David said is correct, he's entitled to go out and explore his market, and that's what he's doing. Personally, this has been an exhausting conversation and negotiation. Soto was tough, this is worse. A lot of it is, we made a significant offer."

"I don't like the structures [of the offer] that are being presented back to us. I think it is highly asymmetric against us. I feel strongly about it."

New York reportedly offered Alonso a three-year contract worth between $68 and $70 million, with none of the offered money coming in the form of deferrals, the terms of which the two sides were unable to agree upon.

Alonso initially was seeking a long-term deal but is reportedly open to a return to Queens on a three-year deal. And while Cohen and Alonso's camp quibble over the financials, the star first baseman has also been in contact with other teams, most notably, the Toronto Blue Jays, according to SNY's Andy Martino.

Alonso, the 2019 National League Rookie of the Year, set the record for the most home runs by a rookie with 53, and has belted 40-plus home runs two times since his standout first year. He has also earned the respect of his teammates. Count the likes of star shortstop Francisco Lindor, who acknowledged things would be "different" should Alonso not return, and outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who said he "would love" to see the slugger back in Queens, among them.

The Mets, in addition to importing Juan Soto, Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas and A.J. Minter, re-signed Jesse Winker and Sean Manaea this offseason. And Cohen, while saying he'll "never say no,” acknowledged that the longer the talks with Alonso stretch out, the more likely it is the club may move forward with an in-house option at first base.

"I'm being brutally honest," Cohen said. "I don't like the negotiations. I don't like what's been presented to us. Listen, maybe that changes. I'll always stay flexible. If it stays this way, we may have to go forward with the existing players we have."

A fairly low-profile tri-series in Zimbabwe continues to bring a number of high moments for Ish Sodhi. In New Zealand’s opening game, he made his 200th international appearance and then he marked his 201st appearance by becoming the third player to 150 wickets in men’s T20Is after Tim Southee and Rashid Khan. Along the way, Sodhi, 32, bagged his career-best T20I figures of 4 for 12 against Zimbabwe in the lead-up to the final against South Africa.Sodhi is uncontracted – young legspinner Adithya Ashok pipped him and earned his maiden deal – but he certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by new coach Rob Walter. In the final, Sodhi is set to tick off another landmark: New Zealand’s most capped T20I player. He’s currently level with Southee on 126 T20Is.Related

• Bracewell replaces Phillips for NZ's first Test against Zimbabwe

A numbers man, Sodhi is savouring every high. “It’s really nice. I’m really proud of the achievement. To get 150 wickets in a format for your country, obviously you have to play for a long period of time to be able to do that. It’s something I’m really proud of and hopefully there’s a lot more on the bank.”On Thursday, Sodhi also took a moment to reflect on his early years. Born in India, Sodhi moved to Auckland with his parents when he was a child. After impressing Daniel Vettori during an Auckland playing trial he broke into the New Zealand squad when he was 20. He has since become a key player for New Zealand, especially in white-ball cricket.”It has been an incredible journey,” Sodhi said. “I think something came out of the other, I think I debuted in 2013. I think my first ODI was here in Harare. It’s nice to be here and still being able to perform for New Zealand. Hopefully it’s something I can still do for a time to come.”Contracted or not, Sodhi is eager to play for New Zealand and win games for them. Having been thrown a lifeline by Walter, Sodhi could form a potent partnership with captain Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell as New Zealand tune up for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.”There’s always incentive to win games for your country, I like playing international cricket,” Sodhi said. “Growing up, it’s the only thing I ever wanted to do and I think it’s probably the same for all the guys that are in there now. International cricket is really special. You pop the fern on, certainly things you dreamed of in the backyard growing up playing. Any game for New Zealand, there’s always motivation out there to be playing your best.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean was a forgettable one for Sodhi and New Zealand. In spin-friendly conditions, Sodhi sat out three of New Zealand’s four games, but in the lead-up to the next World Cup, he’s trying to reinvent himself. On Thursday, he fronted up to bowl in the powerplay – after Zimbabwe had run away to 21 for 0 – and claimed figures of 2-0-5-3 during this phase. Sodhi had also operated in the powerplay against South Africa in New Zealand’s series opener. This tri-series is the first time since 2021 that Sodhi has bowled in the powerplay in T20Is and it’s a role he relishes playing for the Black Caps.”It’s quite a new role for me and I haven’t bowled a lot in the powerplay in my career,” Sodhi said. “So, this is a really strong New Zealand side nowadays, so trying to get into the side and almost have to learn to be able to bowl in the powerplay. So, it’s really nice it could come off as it is relatively a new role. I’m trying to play for New Zealand and yeah to get some wickets was quite pleasing and it shows me I can do it at this level and yeah something I want to keep building.”Sodhi also delivered a glowing appraisal of Tim Seifert, who is currently the leading run-getter in the tri-series, with 166 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 145.61. Sodhi believes that Seifert has become a more versatile and dangerous batter after playing franchise T20 cricket around the world. In the lead-up to the tri-series, Seifert was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL and San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC, and his next franchise assignment is with CPL champions St Lucia Kings.”Yeah, look Seife is incredible,” Sodhi said. “I’ve sort of seen him come through when he was 18 years old playing cricket in all the districts he came through. A lot of talent, hit the ball really nice and cleanly. But I think the product of franchise cricket that’s made him such a good player is that he’s been able to play on surfaces that aren’t actually that great for batting.”If you look at that surface out there, it wasn’t the truest of surfaces but to score at the rate that he did shows great growth in his game. It shows that he’s rallied around a lot of great players all around the world in the franchise tournaments that he’s played and it’s making him a lot better player. It’s a huge asset for New Zealand cricket the way that he’s playing and he’s still so young.”The way he’s batting is showing a lot of leadership. He’s leading from the front and it’s great to see him being in my shoes having seen him come through when he was an 18, 19-year-old. It’s brilliant to see.”

Jamie Vardy described his first home start for Cremonese as a “special feeling” but admitted frustration after being held to a 1-1 draw by Udinese. The former Leicester City striker, who completed a shock move to Italy this summer, came close to scoring in a lively full debut but couldn’t prevent his side from dropping points at Stadio Giovanni Zini.

• Vardy’s full Cremonese debut ends in frustration

  The veteran English international Vardy’s first home start for Cremonese ended in mixed emotions as his new side were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Udinese in Serie A. The 38-year-old, who joined the Italian outfit on a free transfer after ending his legendary 13-year spell with Leicester City, played the full 90 minutes and showed flashes of his trademark energy and movement despite not finding the net.

  Cremonese made an electric start at the Stadio Giovanni Zini, taking the lead in the fourth minute through Filippo Terracciano’s header from a well-worked set piece. However, Udinese hit back early in the second half when Nicolo Zaniolo levelled the score with a powerful header. Despite several late chances, including two near misses from Vardy himself, the hosts were unable to reclaim the lead.

  The draw leaves Cremonese mid-table after seven league games, boasting two wins, four draws, and just one defeat,a promising start for a team newly promoted to Serie A. But for Vardy, the night was tinged with disappointment after missing two clear chances to secure all three points in front of an excited home crowd.

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• Vardy admits 'special feeling' but rues result

  After the final whistle, Vardy took to Instagram to express both pride and also disappointment following his first start in Italy. “A special feeling to make my home debut last night. Another point on the board but I really wish it could have been more,” he wrote, reflecting on a night that could have easily ended in triumph.

  It was a performance that encapsulated the spirit that made Vardy one of English football’s great late bloomers, tireless running, sharp instincts, and relentless determination. He may have had the fewest touches of any outfield player to complete the match, but his work rate and pressing caused problems for Udinese’s back line throughout.

  Playing alongside Federico Bonazzoli in a two-striker setup, Vardy was tasked with leading the line for Davide Nicola’s side, and despite the lack of goals.

• A new chapter after Leicester legacy

  Vardy’s journey to Cremonese has been one of the most surprising moves of the summer. After scoring 200 goals in 500 appearances for Leicester City, including a fairy tale Premier League title in 2016, he opted to leave the Foxes following their relegation to the Championship.

  The veteran forward was linked with several clubs across England and Europe, including Brentford, West Ham, Celtic, Wrexham and even Manchester United, before ultimately choosing to take on a new challenge in northern Italy. The deal, a one-year contract with the option to extend if Cremonese avoid relegation, gives both parties a fresh opportunity to write another chapter in their respective stories.

  In Cremonese, he’s found a club that mirrors some of that underdog spirit, newly promoted, full of fight, and aiming to defy the odds once more. 

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  What’s next for Vardy and Cremonese?

  Cremonese’s next challenge comes at home against Atalanta this weekend, where Vardy will be eager to get off the mark in Serie A. Vardy’s continued integration will be key to their survival hopes. His experience in high-pressure games could prove invaluable in guiding Cremonese through the winter fixtures, particularly as they prepare for back-to-back clashes against Juventus, Roma and Napoli in December.

  For the English striker, the coming weeks present a chance to turn promise into productivity, and if his debut is any indication, Vardy’s trademark resilience and hunger remain very much alive, and Italy might just witness another chapter of his impressive career.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has been told by one source that a potential £70 million bid could be accepted for an unsettled PSG star, with Mikel Arteta’s side now taking a “concrete” interest.

Arsenal back Mikel Arteta with new deals and £255m summer spend

Arteta is under serious pressure to deliver the club’s first Premier League title in over 20 years, especially following Berta’s undisputed backing.

Liverpool

£415,000,000

£187,000,000

£228,000,000

Chelsea

£285,000,000

£288,000,000

-£3,000,000

Arsenal

£255,000,000

£9,000,000

£246,000,000

Newcastle

£250,000,000

£152,000,000

£98,000,000

Man Utd

£216,000,000

£68,000,000

£148,000,000

Nottm Forest

£205,000,000

£107,000,000

£98,000,000

Tottenham

£181,000,000

£36,000,000

£145,000,000

Sunderland

£162,000,000

£44,000,000

£118,000,000

Man City

£152,000,000

£53,000,000

£99,000,000

West Ham

£124,000,000

£55,000,000

£69,000,000

via BBC

After spending north of £250 million on eight major signings in the summer transfer window, Berta also tied down star defender William Saliba with a brand-new contract which will run until 2030 — thwarting Real Madrid in the process.

This comes after he agreed fresh terms with Gabriel earlier this year too, with reports suggesting that Arsenal are also in talks with Bukayo Saka over a new deal which could be sorted before Christmas (Football Transfers).

Defender Jurrien Timber could also be rewarded for his exceptionally consistent displays over the last 12 months, as Arsenal are in negotiations to take his Emirates Stadium stay past 2028.

Off the field, Arsenal are doing basically everything right (except maybe player sales), and Berta is still showing some intent in the transfer market even after a record-breaking transfer window for the Gunners.

Now, as per reporter Mark Brus, the Arsenal transfer chief is registering a serious fondness for PSG sensation Warren Zaire-Emery.

Arsenal told £70m bid for Warren Zaire-Emery could be accepted

Sharing what he calls “exciting information” via the journalist’s Daily Briefing, Brus says that the “elite” Ligue 1 starlet is growing unsettled under Luis Enrique and wants more clarity over his role in the team.

The 19-year-old has played as the defensive midfield anchor, a traditional centre-midfielder and even at right-back over his nine games in all competitions so far, and this is believed to be slightly frustrating Zaire-Emery.

Arsenal are described as having a “concrete” interest in signing Zaire-Emery, alongside the likes of Man City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but Pep Guardiola’s side are believed to be the biggest admirers, as City’s boss is a major fan.

As well as this, the source goes on to state that a £70 million offer from Arsenal, or any interested side, could be enough.

The teenager has already drawn comparisons to Cesc Fàbregas, and club legend Thierry Henry was effusive in his praise of Zaire-Emery’s star potential when speaking on CBS Sports in late 2023.