Leeds are reportedly now making a move for an attacker who's been called "such a threat" with his pace, as Elland Road transfer chiefs scour the market for options after losing Georginio Rutter to Brighton.

Farke admits Leeds need to sign two new attackers

Following Rutter's £40 million move to the Amex, which happened due to the Seagulls triggering his release clause, manager Daniel Farke has candidly admitted to the press that his side quite simply need to bring in multiple new attackers.

Leeds now hold concrete interest in signing "fantastic" new promotion rival

The Whites are still looking for attacking reinforcements.

1 ByTom Cunningham Aug 15, 2024

As well as losing Rutter to the Premier League, Farke has also been left wondering who can replace the goalscoring threat left by Crysencio Summerville, who joined West Ham in a deal worth upwards of £25 million around a fortnight ago.

“I stick to what I said. We need cover at full-back, a midfielder, a winger or offensive player and after Georgi a second offensive player," said Farke on Leeds' need for new signings before August 30.

“They need the full package in all areas. You are not a top player unless you deliver goals and assists. They have to fit personality and mentality and be affordable. Not easy to attract this quality. Easier in the PL. This is what we work on.

“I know our key people are working hard behind the scenes. I know when there are no incoming there is stress, but I talk to them every day and they know what I want. I am carefully optimistic something will happen.”

A few names have been linked with moves to Yorkshire, both in the wake of Rutter's exit and beforehand. Leeds still hold a keen interest in Norwich City star Jonathan Rowe, who is viewed as a "priority" target for the Championship side.

"Leeds United would still like Jonathan Rowe," said journalist Ben Jacobs to GiveMeSport this week. "He's a priority name. We know it's Marseille that have been the club bidding, but Leeds could enter that race because Marseille haven't agreed a deal.

Stats

Output

Squad rank

Appearances

34

12th

Goals

12

3rd

Shots Per Game

1.6

=4th

Dribbles Per Game

1.1

2nd

Key Passes Per Game

0.7

6th

Match rating

6.85

3rd

"Norwich want in excess of £10million and maybe with add-ons now even closer to £15million, and it might be that a [Georginio] Rutter departure allows Leeds to make a competitive bid, so that could be one to watch."

As well as Rowe, Leeds are targeting Stoke City's Million Manehof, but it is unclear whether the Potters would sell after only just bringing him in earlier this year.

Leeds going back in for Rangers forward Rabbi Matondo

Farke's side have been linked with another option, Rangers forward and Wales international Rabbi Matondo, but reports during the week suggested their interest had cooled and they would not be signing the Ibrox talent.

The 23-year-old, who registered 10 goals contributions in all competitions under Philippe Clement last term, has been praised by Robert Page for being "such a threat with his pace", and it seems this saga has taken another u-turn as the Whites are now set to go back in for the winger.

As per Football Insider, Leeds are making a move for Matondo this summer and Rangers are open to doing business with them, but is unclear just how much the Glasgow giants will demand for their winger or if Leeds' interest will actually stick this time.

New Zealand opener Georgia Plimmer has been ruled out of cricket for remainder of the year after sustaining a bone stress reaction in her groin. The injury means she will be unavailable for the home ODI series against Australia in December.A New Zealand Cricket release said Plimmer experienced pain in her left hip joint during the recent ODI series in India last month. A subsequent MRI and assessment by a specialist upon return to New Zealand confirmed the injury. She is expected to require six weeks of rest and rehabilitation, with a progressive return to high-speed running in January.Along with the Australia ODIs, Plimmer is also set to miss the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and the Super Smash domestic competitions.”We’re really gutted for this to happen to Georgia when she’s at the top of her game,” Ben Sawyer, New Zealand women’s head coach, said.”She’s certainly a loss for us heading into an important series against Australia. After her recent success at the World Cup and in India it’s disappointing she won’t be able to continue that form for the Wellington Blaze and against Australia next month. Georgia’s determined to rehab well and get back as soon as she can and we’re wishing her a smooth recovery.”Plimmer was New Zealand’s second-highest run-scorer during their successful 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, making 150 runs in six innings. She also made scores of 25, 41 and 39 in the ODI series against India that followed, which New Zealand lost 2-1.

David Warner’s side will be eager to string some wins together after their hat-trick of losses to begin the tournament

Annesha Ghosh24-Apr-20216:13

What should teams do after winning the toss in Chennai?

Big PictureThis will be Chepauk’s final game in IPL 2021, and setting a competitive target here remains a challenge. The average first-innings score is 154 in the nine games here this edition, and 163 overall in the tournament’s history; in the previous three matches here, none of the teams batting first have reached 140, the chasing sides acing the contests.After rounding off their Mumbai leg with two wins in three outings on the relatively quicker surfaces of the Wankhede, the Delhi Capitals were tested by the pronounced grip and turn offered by the sluggish Chepauk turf. But they one-upped defending champions Mumbai Indians on Tuesday on the back of Amit Mishra’s match-winning four-for and a steady hand from batters Shikhar Dhawan and Shimron Hetymer, whose cautious approach to the small chase was a reflection of better reading of conditions on the night.Related

Axar: Leaving quarantine best moment of my life after Test debut

Natarajan out of IPL with knee injury

An improved understanding of pursuing a target at the venue was also at the heart of the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s first successful chase in four attempts. After a hat-trick of losses to kick-start their 2021 campaign, their first such winless run to begin an IPL season, a better-rounded XI, with Kane Williamson present, alongside an in-form Jonny Bairstow, handed them their first points. That their Indian pace- and spin-bowling personnel showed up with able support for premier bowler Rashid Khan in the win against the Punjab Kings on Wednesday should encourage the side.Expect pacers to play a key role in the second game of Sunday’s double-header, though, despite the slowness of the surface. Sixty-five wickets have fallen to pace at this venue this season, spinners taking 46. The Capitals might consider slotting the more in-form Chris Woakes in for Kagiso Rabada.Team newsSunrirsers left-arm quick T Natarajan, who played only two matches this season, was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament owing to a knee injury he picked up during the Australia tour. The franchise is yet to name a replacement.Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s thigh strain could be a cause for concern for the Sunrisers after he walked off the field having bowled only three overs in the previous match. Should he be unavailable, Sandeep Sharma would figure as a like-for-like replacement in the XI.Capitals allrounder Axar Patel recovered from Covid-19 and returned to the franchise camp on Thursday, having spent almost three weeks in a medical care facility in Mumbai.Smith and Dhawan had put on a vital half-century stand in Delhi Capitals’ win over Mumbai Indians on Tuesday•BCCILikely XIsDelhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Lalit Yadav, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kagiso Rabada/Chris Woakes, 10 Amit Mishra, 11 Avesh KhanSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Kedar Jadhav, 5 Vijay Shankar, 6 Virat Singh, 7 Abhishek Sharma, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Sandeep Sharma, 10 Siddarth Kaul , 11 Khaleel AhmedStrategy punt In the potential absence of Bhuvneshwar, Siddarth Kaul might again be called upon to share death-bowling duties with Khaleel Ahmed. Kaul, however, is among the most expensive bowlers in this phase: among 43 bowlers to have bowled in as many innings at the death as Kaul’s nine since IPL 2019, only Hardik Pandya, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat and Marcus Stoinis have conceded at a worse economy rate than Kaul’s 11.5. Sandeep Sharma fares slightly better, having gone at 9.1 in the end overs since IPL 2020. There may be a case, therefore, to not exhaust powerplay specialist Sharma’s quota up front if wickets are hard to come by in the face of a strong start from the Capitals. Could R Ashwin flick the switch with this game? He has a solitary wicket in four matches so far. In Chennai, he has traditionally been frugal, going for only 6.1 with a strike rate of 19. However, the major roadblock on his path to rediscovering his mojo could come in the form of Williamson, who is yet to fall to Ashwin and goes after him at a strike rate of 148.Stats that matter David Warner is one hit shy of 200 sixes in the IPL. A fifty in the match will take him to 50 half-centuries in the tournament and 46 runs will lift his tally in T20s to 10,000. R Ashwin is four strikes short of 50 wickets at Chepauk in the league. If he gets at least one on the night, he will have reached 250 wickets in T20s. Thirty-six runs for Jonny Bairstow will make him the fourth England batter – after Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, and Jos Buttler – to reach the 1000-run milestone in the IPL.

The CBS Sports analyst and former New York Red Bulls forward joins Mic'd Up to talk Serie A, MLS Cup, and his on air banter with Thierry Henry

Mike Grella remembers the old days – the ones where you couldn't even access soccer in the United States.

"20 years ago you couldn't find a football match on American televsion," Grella tells GOAL. "Now you wake up on a Saturday or Sunday morning and it's in your face. The Premier League is there, the FA Cup is there, the Serie A is there."

The New York-born journeyman has seen it all. After an 11 year professional career that spanned 10 clubs – including stops in England, Denmark and MLS – Grella retired in 2018. These days, he's pitchside or on the panel for Paramount+'s Serie A coverage. He will be on the ground when CBS broadcasts the Juventus-Bologna game this weekend, with pre-match studio coverage originating live from Juventus’ Allianz Stadium, beginning at 11 a.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.

For Grella, it's a landmark moment.

"I think it says a lot about the growth of football in general, and especially for us Italian football fans… I'm hoping it sticks, and it gains more popularity."

And the CBS crew have picked the right season to go big. Reigning champions Inter Milan might just have a little too much for everyone else, but glance at the Serie A table, and it's packed. Seventh placed Milan – home to USMNT star Christian Pulisic – are a good result in their extra game away from getting back into Champions League contention. It's what makes the league great, Grella says.

The American influence in the Italian top flight is palpable. Pulisic is the headliner, and "among the best in the world" according to Grella. But there are others. Weston McKennie and Tim Weah have both impressed for Others will undoubtedly also come. And in the broader soccer landscape, two decades removed from being inaccessible, that's not a bad start.

He discussed all that and more in the latest edition of Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspectives of broadcasters, analysts, and pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and beyond.

• Getty Images
  

  ON THE SERIE A SEASON

  GOAL: You've got this live broadcast of a Serie A ground, this weekend, for a national TV network. What do you think it says about where soccer is in the U.S. right now?

  GRELLA: I think it's really exciting. One of the most important things about football, is the education of football and understanding it, and not just on a tactical level. Falling in love with the game is very important, and I want young kids to see that. 20 years ago you couldn't find a football match on American television. It's very telling. Now you wake up on a Saturday morning or Sunday morning, and it's it's in your face.

  The Premier League is there, the FA Cup is there. Now the Serie A is there. We're making that jump where we're going to be on CBS this weekend, so I think it says a lot about the growth of football in this country. I think it says a lot about the growth of football in general, and especially for us Italian football fans. I think we want to see it move in the right direction. And America's obviously huge market for Serie A also. So I'm hoping it sticks, and it gains more popularity.

  GOAL: Serie A has been interesting so far. I wanted to talk a bit about Juventus, who are yet to lose, but have more draws than anyone else. What do you think is going wrong? Is Thiago Motta just not figuring it out?

  GRELLA: This summer there was a merry-go-round of coaches in Serie A, more than I've ever seen, and I've watched the League my whole life. As we know, being in the game of football, it takes time to understand your teammates. It takes time to implement your way of playing. It just takes so much time to sort of understand what your best 11 is, how you want to play, what that looks like. Obviously, you need more than one transfer market to make it work as well. So I think, for all these managers: Raffaele Palladino, Vincenzo Italiano, Thiago Molta, Paulo Fonseca, even. I think they need time.

  I think they're really good managers. You don't get those jobs in those positions if you're not a good manager. I think we can start to judge them towards the later part of this season and start to say, "OK, well, what have the results been? What is the style of play? What's it like in the locker room? Do they follow them? Do they want to play for them? What are the energy levels like?"

  I think all those things need to be taken into account the end of the season. If you want to know what I think about Motta… I think that it's not been overwhelmingly convincing just yet. I think the squad was made a lot younger. I think that's what a lot of Juventus fans wanted to see. I think the squad plays a little bit better football when it actually has the ball. They have the first or second possession in Serie A. There's been sparks of these games against Inter in San Siro, where they tie 4-4, against Leipzig, away from home, where they're down a man, and they go back and win the game. So there's been these sparks and glimpses of this old Juventus DNA of winning and fighting and feeling them fight to the end.

  And then there's been the reality of growing pains. They [drop points to] Roma and Napoli. I was there for that game. They play Stuttgart at home and they take one shot on target. And they look like they're never gonna score, even if they play 500 minutes of football. It's sideways and backwards, and it's slow, and it's predictable, and it doesn't look great.

  Dusan Vlahovic is a microcosm of what's going on at Juventus. There's days where he looks like "That's the player we signed for €75 million!" and there's other days where you say, "My god, I mean he can't be the answer. He can't be a Juventus level striker." Some of the misses, some of the hold up play, some of the just bad games that he has… And I think that's just where Juventus is right now, a giant European Club, with unbelievable history that's just trying to find its feet. But I don't think it's been very convincing thus far.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  ON AMERICANS IN SERIE A

  GOAL: Tim Weah and Weston McKennie have been a bit in and out of the lineup for Juventus. Obviously, McKennie had an injury recently, Weah had one at the start of the season. But what have you made of their contributions thus far? It seems like when they're on the pitch together, things go well.

  GRELLA: I think they're both very good players. I think we've learned to love them. I think they're a major reason why Serie A has grown in this country as well and rightfully so, because they have a lot of great tools.

  We are launching a documentary later on this week about [Christian] Pulisic… Without spoiling too much, one of the things in it was having McKennie on, and his take on what it's been like being in Italy and being in Serie A, playing in Champions League football and he hinted at the fact that he always feels like he's on the out every single season, and then you have to sort of find a way to get him back in, and then he has to re-prove himself every single season.

  So I think it's been a little unfair. I think there is a little bit of a stigma with American footballers. I think if you look at what McKennie's done, he's been their most reliable player. When it comes to professional football, I think you want to know there's got to be seven guys of the 11 that you start, that you know exactly what performance they're going to give you. They might not give you a 10 performance, but they're definitely not going to give you a three. I think McKennie embodies that. I think he's you're always going to give you that seven to eight performance. He's always going to work hard. He's always going to tackle. He's always going to be a good teammate. He's good aerially. And every team needs guys like that.

  Yeah, maybe he's not the most technical. Maybe he's not gonna pick the past that unlocks teams – although he does have that in his locker as well. But he definitely brings an honest, solid performance that you can rely on every single week.

  With Weah, he just has so many tools. You know, [ex-Juventus manager Max] Allegri is quite defensive. So he was playing as a wing back. I think you look at him playing up top now for Vlahovic. He's got four goals, which is the highest total he's had in a very long time, he's got pace, and he can strike a football, and he can play well anywhere.

  With all the American players, even with Pulisic, the attitude stands out a lot. I think they're really good professionals. I think they work hard. I think they're good teammates. I think they have great character, and you can rely on them, and that's been the most important thing for American players.

• AFP
  

  ON CHRISTIAN PULISIC

  GOAL: For sure. And on Pulisic, is this the best version of him we've ever seen?

  GRELLA: Yeah, for sure. The first stage was when, he signed at Chelsea. And then you think, "Oh, it's the big American market. That's why he's there." And he goes on, wins the Champions League, and looks the part in some flashes. And then there's the injury concerns and the physicality of the Premier League…

  And then he comes to Milan. You think, "OK, this is another marketing play. He's probably gonna be a guy that's in and out of the team. He's gonna be competing for a spot with Samuel Chukwueze, who they've also brought in and I don't think he's done very well."

  And then he turned into a guy who was the first name on the team sheet every single week for Milan. I think that was very impressive. Then he notched it up another level to being the leading goal scorer in the team, the leading creator in the team. Then he turned out to be the guy that when moments would go bad for Milan and Fonseca, he was the most reliable player in the team. He still is right now.

  You look at Liverpool right now. That's just as good as Klopp's best Liverpool already, and we haven't even seen them hit their peak yet, and you look at Pulisic. The goal he scores against them is fantastic. Milan's not in a good way. They're playing at home. He carries the footballs 50 yards, half the pitch, to do that at, that speed, at that pace, at that technicality, and know where guys are the whole time, and then be able to slot it.

  I think he's shown a new level of now we're not talking about just an American footballer. We're talking about one of the best, being in the conversation of one of the top footballers in the world, regardless of the country, which I think is special.

  GOAL: Fonseca has kind of played around with him a bit. Rafa Leao seems to be the guy on the left, but Pulisic has sometimes played as a 10, sometimes off the right. Let's say you're the Milan manager, where does Pulisic play for you?

  GRELLA: If you have to pick one spot, I think you could probably say the 10 because Milan don't have a lot of really good options there. I think he's he can play in between the lines, he's super quick on the wing. As a No. 10, he can do a lot of damage.

  But again, he's the type of guy that you just want in the in the team, regardless. You asked me about Motta before. I think this is an interesting point, because we're covering Juventus on the weekend. But you know, Fonseca's come under immense amounts of pressure. I was there and got to interview him after one of the games, when they played Inter away from home and won the game. The relief on this man… you could feel it, you could actually feel it!

  And I think it's interesting because he's only four points behind Juventus with a game in hand. And so if they win against Atalanta – it's a tall task. But if they win against Atalanta, they're one point behind Juventus. And now we're talking about Fonseca, who everybody wants out, who's put under an immense amount of pressure, and Motta, who everyone's saying he's doing a great job. The lines are very blurred here early on in the Serie A season. Also, Milan have a point more than them in Champions League, so you could really make the argument that Fonseca's really not doing any worse. And Juventus have spent more money in the offseason. So it's a really fun, interesting season this year.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  ON THE TITLE RACE

  GOAL: Who wins the Serie A title?

  GRELLA: I think it's still Inter's to lose. When you watch the way they play football, I think they're comprable to Liverpool in that they can dominate over 90 minutes. They create so many chances out of nothing, can control possession, can control tempo, can defend really well. They have game changers within the team. They have depth. I think they're very similar to Liverpool in that way.

  But there is more parity in Serie A. Inter has shown a little bit of age. They're the oldest team in the Serie A, as well, and they're dealing with a lot of different competitions. So I think it's been difficult for them, but it's theirs to lose because of the quality that they have in their team and the job that [Filippo] Inzaghi has done. He's done such a phenomenal job.

  GOAL: He's unbelievable, isn't he? That Champions League final between Inter and City in 2023, a couple of balls bounce the other way, Romelu Lukaku puts a couple of those away, and you have an Italian winner of the Champions League.

  GRELLA: I think they surprised themselves. I think that was around the time Man City was starting to show some abnormalities and some cracks. The way that they were playing with the high line… they were very nervous as well in that game.

  If [Inter] would have got one, it probably would have been a difficult night for Man City. But in the end, Man City walked away. But that was sort of a snapshot into what Inter is about. I mean, they play really good football. They're fun to watch and hard to keep a clean sheet against… they have so many game changers in Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez. They can bring Mehdi Taremi now off the bench as well. The midfield three are unbelievable, probably the best midfield in Italy as well. They have a long way to go, but I think it's theirs to lose.

  GOAL: Nicolo Barella is one of my favorite players to watch.

  GRELLA: He's a monster, man. One of these little guys that can compete with the biggest. You look at him and you're like: "Well, he's not very tall. He's not the fastest. He's not the strongest." But man, he competes. He'd be great to watch in the Premier League one day.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Grêmio colecionou mais uma derrota no Campeonato Brasileiro. No Mineirão, o time gaúcho encarou o Atlético-MG, mas acabou superado por 2 a 1.

+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

O resultado fora de casa deixou o Tricolor afundado na zona de rebaixamento e cada vez mais perto de atuar na Série B 2022.

Vagner Mancini

Em sua quarta partida no comando da equipe, o treinador gostou da postura da equipe ao longo do jogo, apesar do placar negativo.

‘Importante que o desempenho foi bem superior ao que a gente tinha visto até então. O Grêmio começa a ter a cara daquilo que quero. Time agressivo, que marque alto, marcação mais pressão para que a gente jogue também com um pouco de contra-ataque e transição. Falta alguma coisa? Falta. Obviamente vamos tentar o mais rápido ajustar aquilo que vimos de errado, mas o comportamento hoje (quarta) foi bem diferente’, comentou.

Calendário

Com apenas 26 pontos conquistados, o Grêmio aparece na penúltima colocação do Campeonato Brasileiro. O próximo jogo é sábado, diante do Internacional, no Beira-Rio.

RelacionadasFutebol InternacionalReal Madrid se reúne com representantes do ‘novo Haaland’Futebol Internacional04/11/2021BotafogoTorcida do Botafogo esgota ingressos disponíveis para jogo contra o VascoBotafogo04/11/2021Fora de CampoRicharlison faz apelo e pede diálogo com quem não se vacinou: ‘Cientistas e médicos arriscaram suas vidas’Fora de Campo04/11/2021

In excellent conditions for batting, South Africa’s captain felt his team had finished “about 10 runs short”

Firdose Moonda14-Apr-2021

Heinrich Klaasen was lavish in his praise for Babar Azam after the Pakistan opener scored his maiden T20I hundred•AFP/Getty Images

He may not have wanted it but Heinrich Klaasen can recognise he had a front-row seat to one of the smoothest T20I innings the game has seen, as Babar Azam notched up his first century in the format, and added 197 for the first wicket with Mohammad Rizwan, to ease Pakistan through their highest successful chase.”It was something [to see] from behind [the stumps],” Klaasen said. “We tried a lot of things. We tried to go death [bowling] early to them because they were hitting the ball nicely. They made a lot of good balls that were well-executed look bad by very good placement and strokeplay.”Klaasen introduced Lizaad Williams, whom he has previously identified as one of his end-of-innings bowlers, in the fifth over, and with some success. Williams conceded just four runs after the new-ball pair of George Linde and Beuran Hendricks had given away 42 in the first four overs. That blazing start included what may be the classiest shot Azam has played on this tour so far, off Hendricks, when he opened the face of the bat at the last millisecond to run the ball wide of short third man.Despite that, Hendricks was given another over which began with Azam breaking his bat off the same ball he hit for six, and ended up costing 18 runs, in an early sign that South Africa would run out of ideas. “It was difficult from a captaincy point of view to try a lot of things because on a wicket like that you don’t want to try too many things,” Klaasen said.One of the things South Africa didn’t try was using another of their death-bowling specialists, Andile Phehlukwayo, who has only bowled two overs in the series to date. “His confidence is a little bit low but he is picking it up and I had no need for him,” Klaasen said. “We’ve got specialist guys in the positions.”But the specialist guys were not able to pull off their specialities, such as Tabraiz Shamsi, whose task is to take wickets in the middle overs. Though he didn’t concede a boundary in his first over, Shamsi did not threaten at all, and by his third, Azam was ready to take him on. He pulled a long-hop for six before driving a tossed-up ball through the covers to bring up a century off 49 balls. “Babar has a special manner,” Klaasen said. “When a guy like that comes off, it’s very difficult to defend on this ground.”Aiden Markram scored his third successive fifty of the series•AFP/Getty Images

Maybe the best method of defence was attack and the only way for South Africa to win the game was to dent Pakistan’s chase with dismissals but, as Klaasen put it, “the question is how do you take wickets on pitches like this? There’s no turn, the wicket is skidding on, the slower balls are not gripping, and the ball travels [through the air] at the Highveld. It’s difficult to strike. So the way you get your wickets is to be defensive and make sure they can’t bat easily at 10 an over like they did tonight.”Or to get the batsman to make a mistake in reaching for a wide delivery, like Hendricks did against Mohammad Rizwan, who did not get enough bat on it and sent a chance to Pite van Biljon at backward point. Van Biljon put it down. “We have were very poor in the field as well tonight,” Klaasen acknowledged.Overall, South Africa have been no worse than Pakistan, who dropped five catches in the ODIs and four in the T20Is so far. South Africa have spilled four in each format, but as an outfit that prides itself on this discipline, that simply isn’t good enough. “We try not to be so bad in the field and at training we are brilliant. It’s guys maybe trying too hard and not being calm enough in the field,” Klaasen said. “It’s been a trend that we have to get rid of.”So is their record in defending big totals. Three of the four highest successful T20 chases have come against South Africa, while Pakistan have reached the highest and second-highest T20I targets in this series. Although Klaasen has not played in all of those matches, he was part of the team that England chased 223 against at the same venue last year. The conditions may have something to do with why South Africa have struggled even when they put big totals on the board, but Klaasen was careful not to blame the surfaces and rather pointed the finger at the South African line-up. “We were about 10 runs short,” he said, perhaps a conservative estimate since Pakistan won with two overs to spare. “It’s a very good wicket and we had both openers going past 50. We are guilty in that not one of the guys over the last three games, the guys that scored runs went on to be there at the back end like the Pakistani batters.”Aiden Markram racked up his third successive fifty in this format, Janneman Malan recorded a career-best 55, and the pair shared an opening stand of 108, but were both dismissed in the third quarter of South Africa’s innings. In the end, their milestones will lurk in the shadows of a much bigger achievement: Azam’s first T20I ton and Pakistan ensuring they have one hand on the trophy. As Klaasen put it: “Tonight it was just a case of some brilliant batting from their side.”

Jude Bellingham will be looking to emulate Lionesses star Mary Earps when the 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award is handed out.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Lionesses keeper landed prize in 2023Three Lions star among 2024 contendersAward to be handed out on December 17Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Some 12 months ago, having starred for England during their run to the Women’s World Cup final, goalkeeper Earps landed the prestigious individual prize. She is now preparing to pass on that crown – potentially to another familiar face from the world of football.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

It has been revealed that Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham is among the contenders for the latest SPOTY award. The 21-year-old hit 23 goals for Los Blancos last season, helping them to La Liga and Champions League titles. He then played a prominent role in the Three Lions’ run to the final of Euro 2024.

DID YOU KNOW?

The other candidates for the 2024 gong are Olympic gold medal runner Keely Hodgkinson, teenage darts sensation Luke Littler, record-breaking cricket centurion Joe Root, Para-cyclist Sarah Storey and triathlete Alex Yee.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT BBC SPORT SAID

Director of BBC Sport Alex Kay-Jelski, who has been involved in some big decisions involving Gary Lineker and Match of the Day this year, has said of the battle for SPOTY supremacy: “It's a fantastic shortlist. All six have kept us on the edge of our seats this year, showing us how sensational they are. I'm looking forward to reliving each of their successes on the night and finding out who audiences want to be crowned BBC Sport Personality of the Year 2024.”

Everton are reportedly interested in completing the loan signing of an "incredible" player who has been voted his country's Footballer of the Year four times.

Everton transfer news

The Toffees continue to be linked with new signings as an up-and-down summer transfer window at Goodison Park slowly reaches its conclusion.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Carlos Soler is one of the most recent players to have been backed to join Everton before the window slams shut next week, with a possible hijack of West Ham's move for him taking place. The Merseysiders have made contact with him over a switch to Goodison Park, but it remains to be seen what the Spaniard's decision will be.

Kieran Trippier has also emerged as a reported target for Everton in the coming days, with the England international wanting more regular football than he is being given at Newcastle United. Eintracht Frankfurt ace Junior Dina Ebimbe is being looked at as another target.

Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has been linked with Everton at times, too, with the Scot in a similar situation to Trippier, while Roma's Edoardo Bove could also come in and provide Sean Dyche with more depth in the middle of the park. Now, an intriguing new transfer update has emerged as the Premier League side look to complete a high-profile piece of business.

Everton eyeing "incredible" player on loan

According to a new update from Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Everton are in the mix to sign Milan Skriniar on loan from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

The centre-back finds himself out of favour at the Ligue 1 giants, with a number of clubs eyeing him up on a temporary basis. Brighton and Juventus are also mentioned as possible suitors, with the Slovakian's wages a potential stumbling block for the Toffees.

Skriniar could be a signing of real intent by Everton, even if only on loan, considering the 72-cap Slovakia international has been considered one of Europe's leading central defenders for a number of years.

Granted, his time at PSG doesn't appear to be going smoothly with Luis Enrique casting him aside, but he has been voted his country's Footballer of the Year four times, taking home the award in successive years between 2019 and 2022.

Slovakia may not be a hotbed of footballing talent, but that highlights Skriniar's consistency as a footballer and what a star he is in his homeland, while journalist Jerry Mancini once said of him: "Best defender in Serie A. Milan Skriniar has been incredible the past two seasons. Credit to Antonio Conte who helped him take his game to another level."

Related Sky Sports: Everton in contact to sign £20m player and hijack West Ham move

The Toffees are looking to beat the Hammers to a signing.

Posts ByBrett Worthington Aug 23, 2024

It would be a surprise if Everton managed to pip a club like Juve to Skriniar's signing, especially considering the likely finances involved – he currently earns £266,000 per week at PSG – but the idea of him alongside Jarrad Branthwaite is a mouthwatering prospect, with all due respect to the reliable James Tarkowski.

Ricky Ponting, the Delhi Capitals coach, has urged the overseas players at his franchise to “keep talking” about the “grim” Covid-19 situation outside the IPL bubble, especially to their Indian colleagues to help them stay in a happy headspace. He also feels that the IPL can “bring a lot of joy” to people in India, where a massive number of positive cases are being reported daily.Related

• R Ashwin leaves IPL 2021 to 'support family' amid the pandemic

• Can the IPL wield its power to aid a country in crisis?

• Officials back bubble, have no plans of shifting Delhi IPL matches

• Chappell: This year will test cricket administrators' resilience

“This IPL, probably more than any other, has become more about what’s happening outside than what’s happening here,” Ponting, one of the first major voices to speak on the subject, told the Capitals’ media on Saturday. “We right now are probably the safest people in the country being in the bubbles that we are in. Continually I’m asking the boys at breakfast every day how’s everything going on the outside, how’s family, (is) family safe, (is) family happy. That’s a really important thing.”It is really important, we are thinking about the extended family, not just us, but we’ve got to be talking about what’s happening outside because it is quite grim.”Large parts of India, including the cities where the IPL matches have been scheduled, are in the grip of the raging pandemic, and despite concerns in several quarters, the BCCI is confident that the tournament is safe as it is being held in bio-secure set-ups without crowds. But even within those bubbles, there has been the occasional setback – the Capitals’ allrounder Axar Patel rejoined the team in Chennai this week after spending 20 days in a medical facility in Mumbai. Patel called the experience one of the toughest of his life and rejoining the Capitals one of the best.Ponting acknowledged that the Indian players, across teams, would be distracted and concerned about their families and friends outside the bubbles. “It is hard for the players to be away from their families. I can’t imagine… Even if I put myself in this situation, guys that live in Chennai are actually home now, but can’t see their families,” he said. “It must be incredibly difficult. So the more we can share these experiences, the better off we are.”The people that aren’t from India, the more that we can be talking to the locals about what they are going through the better off we are all going to be. We will just keep our fingers crossed. And hope people remain safe. That’s a big thing for me: the players are taking the best care of their families where they can from the outside.”The other key responsibility that teams and coaches had, Ponting pointed out, was to ensure the quality of the cricket in the IPL remained high. “Even with the country being in a situation that it is, I think cricket can still bring a lot of joy to people,” he said. “So it is important for us to be doing what we can as cricketers and as coaches and as a franchise to putting on the best show as possible to give the people something that they’d like to see.”

Celtic are back in Scottish Premiership action this afternoon as they prepare to travel away from Glasgow to take on St Mirren in the lunchtime kick off.

The Hoops progressed through to the quarter-finals of the League Cup last weekend with a 3-1 win over Hibernian, who they had beaten 2-0 in the league the previous week.

Brendan Rodgers is now preparing his side for a third Premiership match of the season and will be hoping to continue the team's perfect start to the campaign.

One player who has enjoyed a near-perfect start to the season is forward Nicolas Kuhn and the manager has a decision to make over who starts up front as part of the attacking three with the German.

Nicolas Kuhn's brilliant start to the season

The former Rapid Wien star may have left supporters excited for the new campaign after his return of two goals and one assist in a 4-3 win over Premier League champions Manchester City in pre-season.

So far, he has lived up to the promise that his pre-season performances created with goal contributions in all three of his appearances for the Hoops.

He started the term with a deflected effort against Kilmarnock after a surging run inside from the right flank on the opening day of the Premiership season.

Kuhn followed that up with a tap-in from close-range and then a short pass to Callum McGregor for his screamer from distance in the 2-0 win over Hibernian in the division.

The 24-year-old ace was also a key figure in the win over Hibs in the League Cup with another goal and an assist, taking his tally to three goals and two assists in three competitive games.

Who Celtic should start at striker alongside Kuhn

Rodgers must now unleash Adam Idah for his second full debut at Celtic, following his loan spell at Parkhead last term, after his permanent move from Norwich City was confirmed last week.

The Ireland international came on as a substitute against Hibernian in the League Cup, with Daizen Maeda having started the game as the lone striker.

However, Maeda should be moved into the left wing position to allow Idah to lead the line as the centre-forward, as he has the potential to be a lethal threat alongside Kuhn.

Appearances

15

Starts

5

Goals

8

Big chances missed

7

Conversion rate

27%

Minutes per goal

76

As you can see in the table above, the 6 foot 3 ace caught the eye with his clinical displays in the Premiership during his loan stint in Glasgow last term.

Rodgers went as far as to say that the striker was "immense" for Celtic and his statistics back that up, which is why he should be unleashed from the start alongside Kuhn.

In fact, the pair have already shown signs of being a fantastic duo for the Hoops as Idah set up the winger for his first goal for the club in the 1-1 draw with Aberdeen in February, with the forward perfectly weighting a lay-off for the German ace to fire a shot into the corner.

Celtic in talks to sign £8.5m magician who's a Kyogo and O'Riley hybrid

The Hoops are reportedly pursuing a deal to sign the versatile attacker this month.

ByDan Emery Aug 22, 2024

With Kyogo Furuhashi dealing with a shoulder injury, Idah may be the only senior, natural, number nine available and should be handed his first start since joining on a permanent basis.