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Tottenham are looking to sell a Spurs regular who Thomas Frank no longer wants with the January transfer window looming, according to a new report today.

Tottenham's rumoured plans for the January transfer window

If there’s one thing the last month has taught us, it is that the Lilywhites are still far from the finished article.

Tepid London derby defeats to Arsenal and Chelsea in the last few weeks, where Spurs barely managed to threaten in either encounter, significantly highlight the need for more firepower in particular.

Striker Dominic Solanke remains out with an ankle injury that required minor surgery, while star playmakers James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are still working to come back from their respective long-term problems.

This has left Spurs starved of attacking quality at times, with summer signing Xavi Simons largely failing to impress bar a player of the match display at home to FC Copenhagen in the Champions League.

25/26 Premier League

Spurs

League rank

xG

11.0

17th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

16th

Progressive passes

413

12th

Shots

110

19th

Shots on target

40

15th

Average shot distance

15.6 yards

17th

Stats via FBref

A silver lining for the north Londoners was Randal Kolo Muani’s exceptional outing against parent club PSG in Europe on Wednesday, where the Frenchman bagged a brace and an assist during the thrilling eight-goal thriller in Paris.

However, amid Solanke’s injury problems and the uncertainty surrounding Kolo Muani’s long-term future, considering he is only on a dry loan, reports suggest that Tottenham could look to sign a striker in January.

Co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange are also targeting a winger, with Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo on their radar.

Semenyo, who has stood out as one of the Premier League’s finest attacking players this season, could leave for just £65 million during the early stages of January due to a release clause in his contract.

Related Ex-club chief now tips Tottenham to sign Man City star for £50m in January

A deal is apparently there to be done.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 28, 2025

Some media sources claim that Tottenham are prepared to shatter their winter transfer record by signing both Semenyo and FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, with the latter in excellent goalscoring form right now.

To fund such a big investment, player sales may be needed, and one man believed to be on the chopping block is striker Richarlison.

Tottenham looking to offload Richarlison in January

According to recent reports, despite selecting him 20 times this season, whether that be in the starting eleven or from the bench, Frank views Richarlison as ‘expendable’ heading into 2026.

Now, journalist Pete O’Rourke has told Football Insider that Tottenham are looking to sell Richarlison in January.

Amid concerns surrounding inconsistent form and the fact his contract expires in 2027, it is clear to see why.

The Brazil international has actually scored six goals and bagged a further two assists this term, including two stunning goal of the season contenders against Burnley and Arsenal respectively.

However, Richarlison has still come under criticism this season, and January represents an opportunity to offload for a significant fee before it is too late.

The 28-year-old cost £60 million to sign from Everton, and reports suggest that Richarlison could return to Goodison Park as one mooted destination.

Rob Edwards has the unenviable task of keeping Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League this season. It is fair to say he has his work cut out, with the Old Gold on just two points from the first 12 games.

His first game as manager of his former club didn’t go to plan, either. Edwards’ side were defeated 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace, to continue piling on the misery at Molineux.

Already nine points from safety, it seems a long way back for the Old Gold from this point, if they want to stay in the Premier League.

Things could get worse for the Old Gold soon, with one of their key players, Joao Gomes, linked with a move away as soon as January.

The latest on Joao Gomes' future at Wolves

It seems almost inevitable that Gomes will not be a Wolves player by the start of the 2026/27 season. Of course, if they are relegated, he will be snapped up, but a departure could happen as soon as the January transfer window.

Recent reports suggest that Manchester United are in advanced discussions to sign the 24-year-old this winter, as they look to strengthen in midfield. Indeed, the Old Gold could demand a fee of up to £44m if they are to sell their star midfielder this winter.

It would be a big loss, too. The 10-cap Brazil international has played in all 12 Premier League games this season. His ball-winning ability is imperative. Over the past year, he’s won an average of 2.15 tackles per game, placing him in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.

Yet, there is a silver lining to a potential sale. Gomes would raise a significant amount of funds for the Old Gold to reinvest in the squad, and although they would have to replace him in midfield, they could look to strengthen the squad to help keep them up.

However Gomes’ situation ends up, there is a member of the Wolves squad who they could perhaps look at selling first.

Wolves' priority sale should not be Gomes

After losing Matheus Cunha, also to the Red Devils, and Rayan Ait-Nouri to their rivals Manchester City in the summer, this season was naturally going to be harder. Yet, it has not been a season where all of their best players have stepped up after those sales.

One of those players is Jorgen Strand Larsen. The Norwegian was one of the Old Gold’s best players in 2024/25, bagging 14 Premier League goals in 35 games during his debut campaign.

However, things haven’t been as smooth this season for their number nine. In ten Premier League games this term, he’s only bagged one goal, coming in a 3-2 defeat against Burnley. That strike was a penalty, leaving him without an open play goal.

There has been a scathing assessment of his performances this season, too. Former Premier League scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Strand Larsen, who earns £95k-per-week, has made Wolves a “worse side”” this term because of his lack of goals, which were so important in the previous campaign.

There is a huge decline in his underlying stats from last term, too. In 2024/25, the former Celta Vigo striker averaged 1.2 shots on target and a shot accuracy of 69.39%. Comparatively, he’s averaging 0.6 shots on target and 45.45% shot accuracy this season.

Strand Larsen key PL stats in last 2 seasons

Stat (per 90)

2024/25

2025/26

Shots

1.7

1.3

Shots on target

1.2

0.6

Shot accuracy

69.39%

45.45%

Non-penalty goals

0.5

0

Conversion rate

28.57%

9.09%

Stats from Squawka

Newcastle United were said to be interested in signing Strand Larsen over the summer. A fee in the region of £65m was quoted, and whilst the move did not materialise, it might be a sale Wolves now look to get over the line, be it to the Magpies or another club.

Like with Gomes, that is something they can reinvest in January, as they look to build a squad capable of, somehow, keeping them in the top flight. With Gomes’ importance to Edwards’ side, and the fact that he is in good form, it might make sense to sell Strand Larsen first.

It would be a bold call, but he is not scoring, and with prior interest, that is money that could hugely benefit Wolves in the second half of the season.

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Posts ByDan Emery Nov 11, 2025

Manchester United might be in the market for a striker during the January transfer window. The Red Devils signed Benjamin Sesko over the summer, but he picked up a knee injury during their most recent Premier League clash, a 2-2 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur.

Even if that blow doesn’t prove to be a severe one, as is expected, the Red Devils could still be in need of a new number nine in the winter window. When Sesko is absent or injured, it leaves Joshua Zirkzee as the only senior striker in the squad – although 17-year-old Chido Obi could also be called upon.

It seems as though Ruben Amorim’s side may have a centre-forward in mind if they dip into the market.

United’s centre-forward target

At this stage, it is unclear how much INEOS will put into the transfer kitty for Amorim to dip into in the January market. However, there has been a clear plan to back the Portuguese, so there could well be funds made available.

Transfer Focus

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

If that is the case, the Red Devils could be looking to win the battle to sign Brazilian striker Vitor Roque. The 20-year-old is someone United are racing to sign, according to Pete O’Rourke, transfer correspondent for Football Insider.

However, they will not be the only Premier League club looking to sign the striker in a couple of months.

Londoners Chelsea and Spurs are in the frame too, although it could be a deal that is ignited “more in the summer” if reports are to be believed. As for a price, reports in Spain indicated that he could cost as much as £44m.

Why Roque would be a good signing

Whether this is a move that happens in January or the summer, there is no doubt that United would be buying an exciting young talent. Although he struggled during his first stint in Europe at Barcelona, Roque has proven he has plenty of ability since.

Nowadays, the one-cap Brazilian international is plying his trade back in his home country, for Palmeiras. His form has been impressive in 2025, too. In 52 games across all competitions, Roque has found the back of the net 20 times and assisted five goals.

In the Brazilian top flight, the 20-year-old has played his best football. He’s made 30 appearances in the competition this calendar year, bagging 16 times, at better than a goal every other game.

Described as an “unstoppable” force by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Roque’s underlying numbers back up how well he has played.

For example, he’s averaging 0.76 goals per game, which places him in the top 6% of Brazilian top-flight strikers.

Goals

0.76

94th

Expected goals

0.58xG

92nd

Goals per shot

0.21

89th

Shot-creating actions

4.07

88th

Take-ons completed

1.85

97th

If this deal gets over the line, it could be like the second coming of Matheus Cunha for United. Roque’s fellow Brazilian has not set the world alight in terms of goals and assists, with just one to his name so far against Brighton and Hove Albion.

But, he has still played superbly, and shown exactly why United paid the £62.5m fee to Wolverhampton Wanderers. After a wonderful performance away to Liverpool, journalist Sam Pilger described him as “an incredible signing” for the Red Devils.

If United were to sign Roque, they would love for him to have such an impact, even if he wasn’t able to chip in with goals and assists as much as you might expect. There are similarities between the Palmeiras star and United’s new number 10, with both exciting Brazilian forwards who can be a real difference maker.

For a fee of £44m, this is certainly an interesting move for the Red Devils. They may need him in January, but if they end up getting him in the summer, Roque could be an exciting addition to their attack, just as Cunha has been so far this season.

With Sesko scoring just twice so far this term, injury or not, the Old Trafford side could be in need of a suitable rival in that number nine berth.

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Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper just spearheaded the franchise's NL East title and has hopes of bringing a World Series title to the city of Philadelphia.

In 541 plate appearances this season, Harper is batting .287 with 30 home runs and 87 RBI and remains a force in the middle of the order for the Phillies.

But that doesn't mean that he hasn't contemplated what he will do once his playing career is done. In fact, he has two distinct ways that he wants to remain involved in baseball once he eventually retires. Harper discussed those options with 's Tom Verducci.

"I talk to Scott [Boras, his agent] a lot and I tell him, ‘I want to coach after I’m done, but I want to go to college.’ That’s my dream,” he says. “I want to do it really bad. Scott always gives me crap. He's like, ‘You’re going to be a Hall of Famer … [and] you're going to go back and coach college kids?’

“I just want to put the baseball [playing] version of myself behind me and put my coach’s cap on. I want to do it that way at a college. I would never want to do it at the Major League level."

But just because Harper doesn't want to manage in the major leagues, doesn't mean he wouldn't want to be involved in the professional game entirely once his playing days are done. In fact, he could see himself owning a major league team someday.

“I could be an owner on the Major League level. I would love to do that. I’d rather own and do that. I would like to be an owner/president. I would like to do what [Phillies president of baseball operations Dave] Dombrowski does, but ownership-wise. So, I'd like to be [like Derek] Jeter [was with the Miami Marlins].“That's like my biggest dream. But coaching college would be great. Yeah, I think that would be awesome to work with kids at that age. It’s just a different vibe. Kind of different mindset, too. You know, I don’t want to lie to kids, either. Kids get lied to so much at the college level nowadays, too.

Harper turns 32 in mid-October, and has plenty of baseball left in front of him. But once he's done, expect him to stay involved the game that he loves so much.

West Indies pay price for slow starts with ball and bat to fall 21 runs short in chase

Alan Gardner06-Jun-2025

Jos Buttler began life back in the ranks of England’s T20I side by making his highest score on home soil, his supremely calculated innings of 96 from 59 providing a reassuring touch of quality to a new-look batting order. Liam Dawson then marked his return to England duty after more than two years out of the side with his best return in any format, figures of 4 for 20 putting the skids under West Indies in the chase.Buttler scored almost exactly half of England’s runs but did most of the heavy lifting to give his successor, Harry Brook, a largely comfortable first outing as T20I captain. Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell were the only other batters to make double-figures on a lop-sided scorecard, but West Indies paid for a profligate start with the ball that allowed England to race away to 78 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.Run-scoring became harder thereafter on a Chester-le-Street surface that was unusually receptive to slow bowling – something England had twigged by only including two seamers in their XI. Having notched a half-century from 25 balls, Buttler added 46 from his next 34 as partners came and went but did enough to steer England to an above-par total.West Indies struggled to get going in reply. Dawson opened the bowling and made the breakthrough in his second over, luring Johnson Charles from his ground, before Matthew Potts removed West Indies’ new T20I captain, Shai Hope, with his second ball on debut. Evin Lewis briefly threatened to fire up the chase during an over from Bethell than cost 24 – but he was caught in the deep from the final ball, and when Dawson claimed the wickets of Sherfane Rutherford and Roston Chase in the space of three balls, the jig was as good as up.Dawson steps up on return
It is only just over a year since Dawson seemed to have turned his back on international cricket, after 20 sporadic appearances across formats since his debut in 2016. He was overlooked for the Test tour of India, and seemed happy to embrace a future on the T20 franchise circuit rather than carrying drinks for England.However, his continued excellence for Hampshire, coupled with the retirement of Moeen Ali and the decision to drop Liam Livingstone, opened up a window of opportunity with the T20I side. He grasped it with both hands on a chilly Friday night in Durham. His first over was Spandex tight, giving up just four runs; his second saw off Charles with a classic one-two, following a speared-in delivery with one that was beautifully flighted.West Indies had been 44 for 2 at the end of the powerplay, but recovered somewhat to be 91 for 3 at halfway, needing 98 more. A tight over from Adil Rashid pushed the required run rate above 10, and then Dawson returned to take the guts out of the innings: Rutherford and Chase were caught in the deep before Rovman Powell was castled by one that skidded through from round the wicket. Afterwards, the 35-year-old Dawson admitted to nerves on making his comeback – but by that stage he was holding the Player-of-the-Match award.Liam Dawson had Johnson Charles stumped•Getty Images

England stick to Smith opening gambit
Without Phil Salt on paternity leave, England opted to simply plug in his replacement at opener. Smith had auditioned for the job with a 25-ball fifty opening the batting in the Oval ODI on Tuesday, and was preferred up top to Tom Banton, back in the side for the first time since January 2022 but asked to bat out of position at No. 5.With England opting to put runs on the board, Smith had a clear brief – one he set about putting into action as he charged Jason Holder, playing his first T20I since February 2024, from the off to pick off three boundaries in the opening over. While Ben Duckett fell to the third ball of the second, duped by Romario Shepherd’s offcutter to send a leading edge behind, that only brought Buttler out to the middle. After a brief period of reconnaissance, the second-wicket pairing went pedal to the metal to ensure England got what they wanted from the powerplay.Andre Russell, back in the side after being injured against England in November, was greeted by Buttler reverse-scooping his first ball for four to start the fifth over. Smith twice launched Russell disdainfully for six over long-on in an over that cost 22 – but worse was to come for West Indies. Alzarri Joseph repeatedly missed his lengths as Buttler crunched 6-6-4-6 through the leg side – two cross-batted, two ramps – as another 23 went on the scoreboard to leave England 78 for 1 after six.Buttler does Buttler things
The introduction of Gudakesh Motie brought an immediate slowdown, and signalled that spin could play a more significant role than expected. Motie bowled four boundary-less overs off the reel, while Shepherd returned to remove Smith, who holed out to deep midwicket after being forced to hit square. Brook was bowled by Chase the ball after reverse-slapping him for four, while Banton fell lbw to a marginal call against Russell as England slipped to 116 for 4.They were grateful for the skill and experience of Buttler in navigating a path through the middle overs. Having notched his fifty in the eighth, he prioritised knocking the ball around with the field out. England had rattled off 11 boundaries during the powerplay, but only managed six more during the second half of the innings; Buttler hit four of them, including another audacious reverse-swat off Shepherd. An edged four to deep third moved him to 95 but Joseph had his revenge in the same over when pinning him in front, the lbw decision confirmed via umpire’s call on DRS.The Chester-le-Street crowd groaned in unison as Graham Lloyd’s finger went up, and Buttler missed out on adding a second T20I hundred to the one he made in Sharjah at the 2021 World Cup. But for England under their new captain, it was pretty much job done.

West Ham United are looking to build some momentum under Nuno Espirito Santo, though they now appear to have suffered an injury blow at the London Stadium.

Nuno Espírito Santo makes early judgements on West Ham squad

Nuno has only been in East London for a matter of weeks. However, the former Nottingham Forest boss is already laying down the law as he aims to secure Premier League survival at a minimum this term.

Coming as a surprise to some, West Ham have put James Ward-Prowse up for sale, with Guido Rodriguez also an apparent target for Saudi Pro League clubs.

Nevertheless, the Argentina star reportedly rejected a switch to the Gulf region despite being offered a £30,000 pay increase, as an unnamed agent delivered the lowdown on his situation, via Claret & Hugh.

They said: “Rodriguez had five interested clubs in the summer but didn’t want to move. One offer from Saudi would have given him an extra £30k per week, but he said no.”

On the other hand, Ward-Prowse has been withdrawn from West Ham’s matchday squads against Arsenal and Everton, signalling that Nuno isn’t willing to offer any chance of redemption to players he doesn’t believe will fit his tactical framework.

Taking decisions for the benefit of his group, Nuno will be keen to add a sense of physicality to his side, who have been too passive this term and easy to cut through, conceding more than anyone else in the top-flight with 16.

The Hammers have also scored the joint-second fewest goals at just six, and they may now be struggling for firepower even more following the latest developments coming out of the international break.

With George Earthy out until November after sustaining a hamstring problem (ExWHUemployee), Nuno has been dealt another injury blow.

West Ham star Niclas Füllkrug suffers injury blow

As relayed by Kicker, Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann confirms that West Ham striker Niclas Füllkrug has suffered a “torn muscle bundle in his thigh” on international duty, and will now be out for ‘several weeks’ as he looks to work his way back to fitness.

The 32-year-old has gone through a series of unfortunate absences since arriving in London and will now be out for the foreseeable, leaving Callum Wilson and youngster Callum Marshall as Nuno’s only two available strikers for Brentford.

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Struggling to get his West Ham career off the ground, Fullkrug, on around £90,000 per week at the London Stadium, has netted three times in 27 appearances for the club and is yet to get off the mark this term.

Jarrod Bowen may also be a candidate to feature through the middle in his absence, with Nuno searching for his first win ahead of a potential six-pointer next weekend.

Luck hasn’t been on Fullkrug’s side since joining the Hammers from Borussia Dortmund, albeit everyone connected with the club will hope he can make a speedy recovery as West Ham look to kick on after a poor start to the campaign.

Everton battled well at Anfield on Saturday, but – unfortunately – the unbelievable quality of Arne Slot’s Reds in attacking positions would be the Toffees’ undoing in the Merseyside Derby.

Hugo Ekitike – who cost a bumper £79m to sign – would gift his new Premier League employers a two-goal cushion in the first half with a calm finish under pressure, with Ryan Gravenberch also opening the scoring in style with a first-time finish that beat the usually formidable Jordan Pickford.

Idrissa Gueye would try to get David Moyes’ men back into the contest with a late long-range effort, but the damage had already been done at a rain-soaked Anfield.

Iliman Ndiaye would set up the 35-year-old for that consolation strike, with the former Marseille attacker standing out once more, even if his Toffees side were largely second best in the overall clash.

Why Ndiaye is so important to Everton

Indeed, while the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Beto faded into the background versus the Reds, Ndiaye was a vibrant livewire throughout for Moyes’ underdogs.

Staggeringly, away from assisting Gueye’s second-half effort, the gung-ho 25-year-old would also come away from his 86 minutes on the pitch with a mighty 14 ground duels won, on top of a blistering nine successful dribbles being completed that constantly kept the hosts on their toes.

Unfortunately, despite his constant willingness to get stuck in and be involved, Ndiaye would fail to join Gueye in catching Alisson out, despite having two Premier League strikes next to his name heading into the fierce contest.

With 13 strikes now in total for the Toffees, it’s clear that the 25-year-old was the original trickster down the flanks, before Jack Grealish’s emergence onto the scene.

Yet, Grealish and Ndiaye might not be the only slick wingers Moyes has at his disposal shortly, with a homegrown version of the Senegal international amazingly being brewed in the U21 picture.

Everton's homegrown Ndiaye

Ndiaye will know all too well the trials and tribulations of the men’s game, having once been a rising youngster at Boreham Wood, before embarking on a formative adventure at Sheffield United that eventually led him to Everton.

Justin Clarke will hope he can make similar waves in the first team in the near future, having also been thrust into the spotlight from a very early age, considering he made his senior debut for ex-employers AFC Wimbledon at just 15 years of age.

That record-breaking debut for the Dons would clearly catch Everton’s eye, leading to Clarke swapping South West London for the daunting environment of Merseyside last year, with the early signs pointing in the direction that the teenage sensation could be Ndiaye 2.0 if everything goes to plan.

The U21s breakout star has now even penned a senior deal at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Clarke also already powering home 14 strikes for both the U18s and U21s from just 25 appearances, which is one more effort than Ndiaye has managed to put away in the men’s ranks.

The similarities don’t end here between the hotly tipped Englishman and his Senegalese counterpart, however, with Clarke also showing off an adaptability that Ndiaye is well-known for when looking at the table above.

Amazingly, from just three career appearances as an out-and-out centre-forward, Clarke has a lethal six goals next to his name. Ndiaye isn’t quite at the same level of clinical finishing himself, but he does have 22 goal contributions to shout about from 42 career appearances up top.

But, while he does have this versatile edge up his sleeve, Clarke is also well-equipped to cause full-backs problems with mazey darts forward, much like the ex-Blades attacker, with one surge into the area in Premier League 2 action recently seeing him tee up fellow starlet Braiden Graham for a goal.

Once branded as a “fantastic” talent for the future by former Dons boss Johnnie Jackson, it will be intriguing to see if Clarke can reach Ndiaye’s insane heights down the line, knowing that he is in the same esteemed academy set-up that one produced the likes of Wayne Rooney.

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The left-arm fast bowler became the first Indian to take a four-wicket haul on IPL debut

Alagappan Muthu31-Mar-20253:07

Does Rohit have a technique issue?

Ashwani Kumar became the first Indian bowler, and sixth overall, to pick up four or more wickets on IPL debut and on the back of his performance Mumbai Indians wrapped up Kolkata Knight Riders for 116 in their first home game of IPL 2025.The 23-year-old left-arm seamer from Punjab tripled his career tally of wickets – from two to six – over the course of one evening. He dismissed the KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane with his first ball. He took down Rinku Singh and Andre Russell. This league does not present many higher quality of wickets.The most impressive thing about Kumar was how hard he was to line up. He had an orthodox bowling action. His speeds were largely in the early to mid 130kph range. Those are the kind of bowlers that get smashed around in the IPL. But try as they might, KKR were never able to do it. Kumar came to prominence because of his performances in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 trophy last year where he displayed an affinity for the death overs. He didn’t really bowl in that phase of the innings against KKR but he did show why he could find success in high-pressure situations. It was his control of length.Rinku tried to take him down, but one ball after coming down the track and hitting him for four, he was caught on the deep-point boundary. Kumar pulled his length back to surprise the batter. Russell tried to take him down, but one ball after clearing his front leg and smacking him through the line, he was beaten by a bouncer and then knocked over by a 140kph good length delivery that surprised the batter again.Mumbai are almost surely looking at their first win of IPL 2025 after losing their first two games. KKR, meanwhile, were left wondering what had gone wrong. They were put in to bat and they seemed very conscious of putting up a par-plus total, their batters going on the attack even though they lost Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock in the first two overs. Angkrish Raghuvanshi looked good for his 26 off 16 but he fell immediately after the powerplay. That left KKR five down and forced them to bring in Manish Pandey as an Impact Player, which meant they will be going into the bowling innings short of options. The move didn’t work with Pandey falling for 19 off 14.

Australia captain Steven Smith withdrew an appeal against Noor Ahmad in the 47th over of Afghanistan’s innings, after wicketkeeper Josh Inglis whipped off the bails at the striker’s end to catch Noor out of his ground before the over was called.Noor had not been attempting a run – he had drifted out of his crease to meet batting partner Azmatullah Omarzai mid-pitch, mistakenly believing that the ball was dead. The ball is live until the umpire calls “over”, however, and umpire Alex Wharf had not yet called.Replays showed Noor to be well out of his ground, but Smith was quick to signal to the umpires that the appeal should not be considered, despite some enthusiasm from Inglis. Noor had just completed a single after Omarzai struck Nathan Ellis through midwicket and called Noor – the No. 10 batter – through, in order to keep strike for the next over.Although Afghanistan were not attempting to gain an advantage, the rules of cricket are clear. Run-outs are a viable dismissal until the ball is dead. If Smith had not withdrawn the appeal, Noor would have been ruled out, likely by third umpire Chris Gaffaney.

Noor had been on three off three balls at the time, and went to make six off eight. But of more consequence was the fact that Afghanistan would have been 248 for 9 after 47 overs had Smith not withdrawn the appeal. They were less likely to have hit the further 25 runs they managed if they had only had one wicket in hand. Noor was eventually dismissed off the last ball of the innings.Australia have in the past upheld appeals against batters ambling out of their crease, even if they were not looking to take a run. Most famously, this occurred in a Test at Lord’s against England in 2023, when Alex Carey underarmed the ball into the stumps after Jonny Bairstow had wandered down the pitch before the ball was deemed dead.Muthiah Muralidaran had also been dismissed in similar circumstances in a Test in Christchurch in 2006, when he had wandered out of the crease to congratulate Kumar Sangakkara on completing a century before the ball was dead (though that had not been at the end of an over). Brendon McCullum broke the stumps on that occasion, and captain Stephen Fleming upheld the appeal.In the 2011 Trent Bridge Test, India recalled Ian Bell to the crease after he had been run-out in similar circumstances at the stroke of tea on day three, when he ran a three and proceeded to walk down the pitch and towards the dressing rooms, before the fielder Praveen Kumar had had a chance to throw the ball in from the boundary. India captain MS Dhoni agreed to recall Bell after England captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower approached him during the tea interval with this request.

قدم نجم منتخب النرويج، إيرلينج هالاند، أداءً مثاليًا في مباراة اليوم ضد الكيان الصهيوني، في إطار التصفيات المؤهلة إلى بطولة كأس العالم نسخة 2026.

واستضاف منتخب النرويج نظيره الكيان الصهيوني في خضم تصفيات قارة أوروبا المؤهلة إلى مونديال العام المقبل، حيث حقق أصحاب الأرض فوزًا كاسحًا بخمسة أهداف دون رد.

وأهدر هالاند ضربة جزاء، مرتين، بعدما تمت إعادتها، قبل أن يتألق ويسجل 3 أهداف، هاتريك في المباراة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. “مواجهة بين المُر والحلو”.. أعلام فلسطين تجتاح ملعب مباراة النرويج في تصفيات كأس العالم

ووصل هالاند بذلك إلى هدفه رقم 51 رفقة منتخب النرويج، وأصبح أسرع لاعب يصل إلى 50 هدفًا مع منتخب بلده، حيث حقق ذلك في 46 مباراة فقط، متفوقًا على نجوم مثل هاري كين (71 مباراة)، نيمار (74)، كيليان مبابي (90)، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي (90)، ليونيل ميسي (107) وكريستيانو رونالدو (114).

وسجل هالاند 21 هدفًا في 12 مباراة رفقة مانشستر سيتي ومنتخب النرويج، ذلك الموسم، مسجلًا أهدافًا في آخر 10 مباريات متتالية.

كما سجل هالاند 8 أهداف في آخر مباراتين رفقة منتخب النرويج، بواقع هاتريك ضد الكيان الصهيوني وميجا هاتريك ضد مولدوفا، وكلتا المباراتين في تصفيات كأس العالم.