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Negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen are trundling on, but there’s a willingness from each party to see Liverpool sign Florian Wirtz in the coming weeks.

To be sure, this is a dizzying deal, but one which will provide Liverpool with a truly elite creative player, hailed by former Leverkusen man Patrick Helmes as “probably the best midfielder in the world.”

The thing is, Wirtz, 22, is pretty good. Sure, this is silly money, but is there honestly a player out there worth forking out a British-record sum for, barring, maybe, Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak?

Matches (starts)

32 (26)

31 (25)

Goals

11

10

Assists

11

12

Shots (on target)*

2.2 (1.1)

2.5 (1.3)

Pass completion

85%

82%

Big chances created

12

17

Key passes*

2.3

1.8

Dribbles*

2.5

2.6

Ball recoveries*

4.5

3.6

Tackles + interceptions*

1.1

1.3

Duels won*

4.4

5.2

Liverpool want bang for their buck, and they’ll get it with Wirtz, whose prowess as an attacking midfielder with elite ball-carrying skills allows him to play across a variety of roles, including out wide or in a more focal attacking berth.

It’s been a while since the Reds have had such a profile. Maybe you’d have to date back to Philippe Coutinho to find a player on Wirtz’s technical level, or somewhere similar.

Liverpool want Coutinho 2.0

Dominik Szoboszlai is an attacking midfielder, but he’s more industrious and workmanlike in his football, only clinching 15 goals and 14 assists from 94 Liverpool appearances since joining from RB Leipzig in a £60m deal.

What Slot wants is Coutinho 2.0, with Liverpool selling the Brazil sensation to Barcelona way back in January 2018 for a £142m fee. Jaw-dropping. That facilitated the transfers of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, effectively creating a base from which Jurgen Klopp achieved his illustrious successes.

Hailed by Klopp as a “world-class” player in his final full season at Anfield, Coutinho played an instrumental role in Liverpool’s meteoric rise, so prolific and influential, a cut above for much of his stay.

However, after his sale, Liverpool’s midfield reverted to a more focused and pragmatic style, albeit growing into something more dynamic over the past few years.

Wirtz has been picked out as the man to take the baton. Liverpool are confident they will seal the signing of the German international, but in football, as with life, you just never know.

That’s why FSG are ensuring they have a contingency plan.

Liverpool hold talks with Wirtz alternative

As per The Athletic’s ever-reliable David Ornstein, Liverpool have held talks with Lyon star Rayan Cherki, performing due diligence on a range of targets in case the bid for Wirtz falls through.

In fact, it’s understood that Slot left his holiday and flew to the south of France to have a face-to-face chat with the French talent, who is also being courted by Manchester City in a £25m deal after their withdrawal from the Wirtz race.

If Liverpool are to pip Man City to the 22-year-old, who will cost in excess of €30m (£25m), they will need to be quick about it, with Pep Guardiola looking to seal the deal in the coming days.

What Rayan Cherki would bring to Liverpool

Cherki is one of the most talented players in the world, one of the most gifted and skilful. The caveat is that he’s been tagged with a bad-attitude reputation, but his performances across the past year do speak of a new maturity.

With 32 direct goal involvements from 44 matches in all competitions this term, it’s clear Cherki is the real deal, even regarded by data analyst Ben Mattinson as “a Ballon d’Or level talent.”

Located centrally or toward the right wing, the left-footer is a creative menace with the ability to score a goal with standout finesse. Moreover, he appears to have reached a new level in regard to his output.

24/25

44

12

20

23/24

39

3

9

22/23

39

5

6

21/22

20

2

4

20/21

30

4

4

19/20

13

3

2

Such qualities suggest he would bring a Coutinho-esque style to Slot’s Liverpool, especially when you see the underlying data.

As per FBref, Cherki ranked among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues this season for assists, shot-creating actions and progressive passes, as well as the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90.

Such metrics suggest Cherki is not only a playmaking wizard but a willing driver of the ball himself. Indeed, his flashy footwork and balletic twirls have foiled many Ligue 1 and Europa League backlines this term, something Coutinho produced at Liverpool.

So then, where are we with all this? Well, it’s improbable Liverpool would hijack Man City’s move for Cherki if indeed they reach an agreement with Leverkusen for Wirtz, and while that should happen, every day without a breakthrough is another day for Merseysiders to fret over that dreaded and sinking possibility.

However, if it were to happen, Liverpool could score an absolute blinder in stealing Cherki from Citizen clutches. Truly, he’s got the X-factor about him that players seldom possess. Wirtz is one of those rare geniuses, and Coutinho, back in his heyday, was another.

Salah's new Mane: Liverpool consider making big bid for £80m "nightmare"

Liverpool are prepared to sign a new winger after completing a deal for Florian Wirtz.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 2, 2025

It feels like the walls are starting to close in on Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Australian might be two favourable games away from a Europa League Final, but there can be no denying that domestically, at least, this season has been nothing short of a horror show.

In the Premier League, for example, his side have lost 18 games, which may have been relegation form in seasons past.

Premier League

33

11

4

18

Europa League

12

7

3

2

FA Cup

2

1

0

1

League Cup

5

4

0

1

Total

52

23

7

22

So it’s not been surprising to see reports linking the club to potential replacements again in recent weeks, including one candidate who could be something of a Mauricio Pochettino repeat.

Tottenham's manager search

Before getting to the man in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other names that have recently been touted for moves to N17, such as former player Scott Parker.

The former midfielder has just led Burnley to a record-breaking promotion to the Premier League, his third overall, but it would be fair to say that this feels like an appointment that would upset more fans than it would please, considering how he’s got on in, the top-flight previously.

However, a name that might inspire more hope in the Lilywhites faithful is Marco Silva.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

The Portuguese manager has been in the Fulham hot seat since July 2021 and, to his credit, has done a marvellous job, turning what has been a yo-yo club in the past into a comfortable mid-table side.

Yet, when it comes to managers overachieving with their club this season, it’s impossible to overlook Andoni Iraola, and it seems like Spurs aren’t.

According to a recent report from the Mail Online, there is a feeling at the club that Postecoglou will be axed regardless of what happens in Europe and that the Spaniard would be among the leading candidates to replace him when a decision is made.

It would be a bold, exciting, and potentially risky appointment, but the club should follow through with it, especially as it would feel similar to Pochettino’s hiring.

Why Iraola could be Poch 2.0

So, while it might sound like a reach, there are some clear reasons why hiring Iraola could be something of a Pochettino repeat.

For example, like the Argentine with Southampton, he would be moving from a club he’s transformed from relegation fodder into a genuine top-half contender in Bournemouth.

Moreover, unlike Parker, for example, the Spaniard, who analyst Ben Mattinson claims is “one of the best in the league,” has an evident dedication to playing entertaining, exciting football – his side has scored just nine goals fewer than second-place Arsenal – like Poch, but not to the point of self-sabotage, as Postecoglou has been prone to in the past.

On top of that, he’d be coming in to help build something in North London with a squad that has some more senior stars in it but plenty of young and tremendously exciting prospects as well, like Mikey Moore, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray.

Last but not least, before the current USMNT boss was handed the reins in N17, he led former side Espanyol to two surprising mid-table finishes in La Liga, which saw him get the job on the south coast.

Likewise, before making his way to Dorset, the Cherries boss built quite a reputation for himself in Spain, helping guide perennial underdogs Rayo Vallecano to an unexpected promotion in 2021.

Ultimately, Iraola has the CV, the playing style and the potential to be a sensational appointment for Spurs, and the fact that his hiring could so closely mirror Pochettino’s is just the icing on top.

Their new Lucas Moura: Ange has struck gold on "generational" Spurs talent

The promising youngster could be great for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 23, 2025

The South Africa quick on his injury setbacks, a difficult IPL 2024, turning down a CSA contract, and more

Melinda Farrell19-Jun-2024Anrich Nortje is used to feeling the heat on the field but he’s struggling with Antigua’s sultry days, which crank up the heat until a thunderstorm breaks, offering sweet – if brief – relief, before the sauna steams up once more.A day before South Africa’s first Super Eight match in the men’s T20 World Cup 2024, against USA, he’s staying inside the team hotel, nestled by the pale sands and calm turquoise waters of Antigua’s east coast.”This place is too hot,” he laughs. “There’s optional training and maybe a meeting or two left, but otherwise, maybe a little bit of a swim. But yeah, it’s just very hot so I’m trying to be fresh as possible for tomorrow.”Nortje has the added challenge of trying to keep a baby cool. He’s been joined on this tour by his wife, Michaela, along with his daughter, Amelia, who was born exactly 13 weeks earlier, just days before Nortje left South Africa for the IPL.Related

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In India, he faced heat of another kind, a batting paradise of a tournament where bowlers saw their economy rates balloon, none more so than Nortje. In six matches for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, he took seven wickets from 22 overs at an average of 42 and economy of 13.36. But he is circumspect in reflecting on the tournament, which was a major stepping stone in his return from a back injury which sidelined him for more than five months.”It was about finding ways to get better over there,” Nortje said. “And the training after the games was good, working with the coaches there at Delhi, with [bowling coach] James Hopes. I wasn’t worried much about what the scoreboard did at that stage.”Nortje’s cheerful and smiling demeanour is a stark contrast to his reputation as one of the world’s most ferocious fast bowlers, capable of melting speed guns with deliveries in the mid-150kph range. But it kept him grounded when dealing with the latest and most severe of the string of injuries that are a result of pushing his body to the limit.”It’s definitely been tough on everyone, but the time off was great. Starting again was about getting to the right intensity. The medical team did a really good job to assure me that everything was fine with the stress fractures. I played a few games back home, trying to push as much as possible, as soon as possible, and when I was cleared to go ahead, full out.”The lower back stress fractures struck last September, just before South Africa’s ODI World Cup campaign in India. Before he was ruled out of the squad, Nortje was considered one of the team’s key strike weapons, as he had been in all formats since making his international debut in 2019. That year, too, he was also ruled out of the World Cup in England due to a shoulder injury.The times between injuries have been spectacular. From June 2021 to the end of IPL 2023, Nortje took 86 wickets in 61 T20 matches at an average of 18.83, easily the best of 42 fast bowlers to take 75 or more wickets in the same period. If you include spinners, only Wanindu Hasaranga had better returns with 145 wickets at 18.03. His combination of searing pace and venomous late swing made him one of the hottest T20 properties in the world.Nortje took 7 wickets from 22 overs at an average of 42 and economy of 13.36 in IPL 2024•BCCIBut this latest layoff forced Nortje to make a difficult decision, opting to forego the security of a contract with Cricket South Africa (CSA) in order to maintain control over the amount of international cricket he plays. He is keen to make it clear that he had, and has, the support of CSA.”It was my decision. It was just to see how my body goes. I hadn’t had a stress fracture since 2010 and I just had a little bit of ‘nervy’ in the back, so I just wanted to take the time to play when I can, play when I know I’m ready, rather than having to play every series or every whatever is coming up.”So to make that decision on my own according to my body has been good so far. Still happy with the decision, and it’s more just for me to have the calmness and to know that, if I need a break for a week, if I need a break for a month, then I can do that.”The most immediate thing that has a question mark around would probably be the one-dayers, having a Champions Trophy coming up at the start of next year. So that would be the big question mark on how we’re going to go about that. So far, things have been going good, but they’re still chats that I need to have with Cricket South Africa, which I haven’t had. I haven’t really made a decision on what’s going to happen with one-day cricket in the next few months. So we’ll take that as it comes. But for now, it’s obviously focusing on the World Cup and trying to get through this and bring the trophy back home.”Nortje’s impact on South Africa’s success in the T20 World Cup illustrates why CSA is happy to accommodate him. He is their leading wicket-taker of the tournament, and joint second overall, with nine throughout the group stage, conceding just 70 runs at an average of 10.66 and an economy rate of 4.37. The contrast to his returns in the IPL is striking.Nortje pulled his lengths back in the US, where South Africa have played all their matches until now. In fact, 59.38% of his deliveries have been short or short-of-length balls compared to 38.64% at the IPL. Those shorter deliveries have accounted for six of his wickets at an average of 7.83.

“Every game is a big game, but once you start worrying about the next game I think you lose a little bit of focus on what you have to do now. We’re in it to win it”Nortje and South Africa’s focus is crystal clear

This was not so much a preconceived plan as it was a response to pitches that offered plentiful assistance off the surface.”So far, the wickets have been sort of try and build your best delivery, with what we’ve had in the last few weeks. It’s obviously been low scores, but still just trying to put the ball in the right place.”It’s just a case of what’s working on the day. We played three games in New York, so I suppose it was probably copy-paste for those three games, but now it’s changing every game again, with different venues most of the time. So you try and find out and see what’s happening in the first few overs, and then try and adapt to that. I’m sure the lengths will be different, but it’s not really about going out before the game and saying, this is the length, or that’s the length, just about finding it.”If South Africa make the semi-final, their unwelcome tag of never yet playing in any men’s World Cup final will inevitably surface, but Nortje is not phased by any historic hoodoo.”We do know that it is a World Cup and it is a big occasion. I don’t think anyone is downplaying that. It’s not just another game. Every game is a big game, but once you start worrying about the next game I think you lose a little bit of focus on what you have to do now. We’re in it to win it. We’re really focused and well prepped to go all the way.”And for Nortje, that means the handbrake is off.”I don’t think there’s any holding back. The stress fracture, all of that from the injury, has been fully healed. I’m very happy with that, and it’s just about what we need to do to win and whatever I have to do to get to that stage, I’ll do it.”

From travelling for more than three hours from Baraut to Delhi for training to stepping up for UP, the left-arm spinner is now nearing his destination

Daya Sagar14-Jun-2022When Saurabh Kumar earned his maiden call-up to the Indian Test team, albeit as a net bowler, in February 2021, he expressed his happiness with the above motivational quote on his Instagram account. It was accompanied by a selfie of him in the India practice jersey.Saurabh calls it the realisation of a tiny dream. “It was a big deal to be a part of team India’s dressing room,” he remembers. “My dream right from childhood was to be able to play Test cricket for India. I wasn’t going to realise that just yet, but this was the closest I had gotten to doing so. That was exciting in itself.”For the left-arm spinner from Uttar Pradesh, this was a rare moment of joy after a year that had had its fair share of gloom. The gloom had nothing to do with his performance. If anything, he was on top of his game when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. In the 2019-20 domestic season, Saurabh had 44 wickets at 21.09 in eight Ranji Trophy matches, including five five-wicket hauls. In the previous season, 13 first-class games had yielded 70 wickets at 18.15 with seven five-wicket hauls. He had also begun contributing regularly with the bat.Related

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This consistency was rewarded with a place in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Trophy against Saurashtra. That was around the time Covid-19 struck, and cricket, like everything else that was a marker of normalcy in everyday life, came to a grinding halt.”This was the most difficult phase of life for me,” Saurabh remembers. “I was bowling exceptionally well and felt I was not far from selection for the national team. My selection in Rest of India suggested that too. When Covid struck and everything stopped, I would often sit at home and wonder when things will restart. The way things had come to a halt gave no hope at times. You can play a tournament involving eight teams in a bio-bubble, but you obviously can’t replicate that for 38 teams. The lockdown kept me occupied with a lot of negative thoughts, but I was glad once that difficult phase ended.”However, the best thing for me was that the selectors remembered my performances when cricket restarted. I was asked to join the team as a net bowler when England visited in 2021. That’s when I felt assured that if one keeps performing, then that opportunity has to come, sooner or later.”Things only picked up for Saurabh from there. He was selected in the India A team for the tour to South Africa in the latter part of the year and then retained as a net bowler for the home Tests against New Zealand, before being picked in the main squad against Sri Lanka.Saurabh is currently in Bengaluru, spearheading UP’s spin attack against mighty Mumbai in the Ranji semi-finals. He had inspired his team to a big win in the previous round against Karnataka with seven wickets.None of this has come easy to Saurabh. He was all of 10 when he left his home in Baraut, Baghpat, to pursue his cricket dreams in Delhi. The distance of 60 kms would be covered by a passenger train, which stopped frequently enough for the actual travel time of two-two and a half hours to get extended by an hour everyday. In the initial years, Saurabh’s father Ramesh Chand, a junior engineer at All India Radio’s Akashvani Bhavan, would accompany him and drop him off at the National Stadium cricket academy before heading off for work. Once Saurabh got more familiar with the national capital, he remembers travelling by himself.”If I had practice at eight in the morning, then I would have to catch the 4.20 train. It was a single line, and that meant the train stopped often, and it would usually reach Old Delhi station only after three or three-and-a-half hours. Then I would catch a bus to the academy, where I was coached by Sunita Sharma ma’am and her husband Dinesh Tomar sir. Sometimes if there was a match, I would reach the venue straight from the station. It was tiring, but when you are driven by a dream, you tend to keep walking in spite of all that.”It was Saurabh’s positivity and perseverance that kept him going through the grind of travelling three to four days a week from Baraut to Delhi for practice. When there were tournaments he could be a part of, that frequency of travel went up accordingly. As performances in these events became better and more consistent, he started making his way into UP’s age-group teams. While making his way through Under-13 and Under-15 teams, he also earned himself a cricket scholarship at ONGC at age 15 and became a stipend-bound player for them.It was around this time that he also got an opportunity to train under Bishan Singh Bedi at one of his famed summer camps. “Bishan sir has had a huge role in my development,” he says. “He would organise these camps every summer and I have been a part of a fair few. I benefited greatly from him because he too was a left-arm spinner. When I was named in the Test team, he congratulated me over a video call. He’s a large-hearted man and one can’t help but feel positive after having a chat with him.”Saurabh (second from right, top row) was part of the India A squad that toured South Africa in November-December 2021•Charles Lombard/Getty ImagesWorking through Under-16 and Under-17 levels, Saurabh also turned out for UP Under-19 for three years. However, the pathway to the senior team seemed less obvious. At that point of time, the senior team had first-choice spinners in Piyush Chawla, Ali Murtaza, Praveen Gupta and Avinash Yadav, with the likes of Kuldeep Yadav and Saurabh Kashyap as prospects.With his participation in tournaments in Delhi continuing, he was approached by officials at the Indian Air Force, who wanted him to turn out for them in an inter-departmental tournament of the armed forces. With no immediate prospects of playing for UP, the 20-year-old Saurabh accepted their offer, and with it a job as an airman.An impressive performance for Air Force brought him a chance to realise the first step of his India Test dream with a spot in the Services Ranji squad. His debut season for them in 2014-15 fetched him 36 wickets in seven matches. Soon, the tide turned in his favour in terms of spin resources at UP – Murtaza and Chawla had disappointing domestic seasons and Kuldeep began graduating to senior India honours.The prospect of returning to UP, initiated over a conversation with the state selectors, was not an easy decision for Saurabh or his family. At Services, he had the security of a stable government job in addition to the opportunity to play regularly for the senior team. The UP selectors also wanted him to first turn out for the Under-23 team as a precondition.”It wasn’t an easy decision, but I am glad it was one I took. If I hadn’t taken this decision then, I am quite sure I would have regretted this whole episode,” he says. “I learnt a lot from my stint with the Services. Their training is unlike that of any other cricket team. We would begin at 4.30 in the morning and only wind up around 9.30 at night. I found it challenging physically, but I can safely say that has made me a much mentally tougher cricketer.”Saurabh returned to Under-23 cricket with UP and picked up 21 wickets. This cemented his place in the senior team, and he celebrated his maiden first-class game for his home state with 10 wickets in the match against Gujarat.It’s only been upward and onward for Saurabh since. Before the semi-final this year, Saurabh had 206 first-class wickets at 24.29, with 16 five-wicket hauls and 10 wickets in a match on six occasions. He has also managed 1657 runs in 66 innings at 29.58 with two centuries and nine fifties.This season, his batting came to the fore in UP’s final league match against Vidarbha. Saurabh made 81 as UP avoided an innings defeat at the hands of an Umesh Yadav-led attack, a result that helped the team advance to the knockouts. He shared a seventh-wicket stand of 154 with Rinku Singh, who made 62 himself.”I wasn’t a very good batter to begin with but I have put in a lot of practice since,” Saurabh says. “I always wanted to be a bowler, but with time I realised that you need to contribute to your team’s performance beyond your basic skill. I take my batting quite seriously and work on it quite a bit – I am quite happy with two centuries, nine half-centuries and an average of 30!”Saurabh remembers the Vidarbha game for another reason; it was during this match that he learnt of his selection for India. “When I got hold of my mobile phone at the end of day’s play, I found a huge number of missed calls. I was wondering what might have happened,” he recalls. “When I got to know of my selection, I spoke to my parents and my wife. Being a part of the Indian Test team had been a childhood dream of mine, but it was one I had shared with them. When I got the white jersey of the Indian Test side in Chandigarh, I felt like I was within touching distance of this dream.”The presence of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja meant Saurabh wouldn’t get his India debut just yet. At 29, he realises he might not have much more than four or five years at his peak ahead of him. With India blessed with spin reserves, Saurabh might still have to wait for his turn with the Test team, but it is one he accepts gleefully.”I don’t think of this in a negative way, as that would begin to impact my performances. My job is just to go out there and play cricket with all my passion. I know that I will play Test cricket one day.”

The Essex, and former South Africa, offspinner talks about his glorious 2019 and looks ahead to his future

Interview by Alan Gardner14-Apr-2020 How are you going during lockdown?
It’s been okay so far – started off a bit slowly. It’s quite easy to get into bad habits, and so the first couple of days was a bit like holiday. And then luckily I’ve got [Essex captain] Tom Westley living up the road. We’ve got a social-distancing running club. We go normally at about lunchtime, for about a 5-6km run. And I’ve picked up some weights from the ground, so I’m managing to try and keep the strength work up as well.So yeah, between that and an online short course that I’m doing, lockdown has been relatively productive, but the novelty has definitely worn off. I’m looking forward to getting my freedom back at some stage.Let’s go back over your 2019 season: you were the leading Championship wicket-taker, helped Essex to another four-day title, and captained the team to success in the T20 Blast. A pretty good summer, in other words?
It was. The County Championship was a little bit more predictable. Somerset really ran away with it, [while] we started off quite slowly, losing to Hampshire in the first game. We were kind of chasing our tails from then onwards because Somerset had got off to such a good start. But we knew we had to play them twice, and if we kept on winning, which we were doing at Chelmsford, and finding ways to win away from home. We knew that if we beat them twice, then we could quite possibly catch them.

“I’m quite a passionate and intense person. Especially when it comes to a competitive environment. I expect a lot – sometimes I think I expect too much”

It turned out that they faltered at the second-last hurdle, down at the Rose Bowl, so it opened the door for us. And then yeah, we always knew that weather was going to play an issue [in the final game]. We always knew that the wicket was going to be a result wicket. So yeah, everything panned out, the weather played its part. Looking back on it now, it was an extremely special season.I think what served us well was, we found ways to outscore opposition at Chelmsford. We all knew that Chelmsford wasn’t the batters’ paradise of yesteryear, but with guys like Alastair Cook and Dan Lawrence and Ravi Bopara in the middle order, we always found ways to score runs. That was the most important thing for us. And then playing at home with the turning ball, it was always fun bowling there, and being assisted by Jamie Porter. Aaron Beard really came through during the season, Sam Cook has become a stalwart of the four-day team. So it was a really good collective effort.The T20 stuff – we were absolutely horrendous at the beginning of the competition, couldn’t string consistent performances together. And it came down to Glamorgan needing to beat Hampshire, and I think Glamorgan’s record was zero from 21 or something ridiculous [16 games without a win]. And Hampshire had been playing really good T20 cricket. So we were pushing the proverbial turd uphill, if I can put it like that. But the stars aligned, we managed to beat Kent at home and Glamorgan beat Hampshire and we were through to the playoffs. I think from there we earned our place.I don’t think Finals Day could have gone any better than it did. So, yeah, it was pretty special being able to lead the team and to lift the trophy. Incredibly special. The club had never won the T20 trophy before.Harmer on Essex’s County Championship title-winning match: “[Somerset] knew the only way they were going to beat us was to prepare a wicket that would only last two days. They paid the price for that”•Getty ImagesIt was your first year as T20 captain. What did you learn about yourself and the team?
That’s a good question. I’m quite a passionate and intense person. Especially when it comes to a competitive environment. I expect a lot – sometimes I think I expect too much. So at the beginning of the tournament, there was probably too much intensity from my part. And as the tournament progressed and we were losing, I started to realise that I couldn’t control everything and I had to trust the guys and understand that everybody’s trying their best and we needed to just find ways to string together good performances and free the players up.Get away from the fear of failure, and understand that T20 cricket is for entertainment purposes. So looking to take wickets versus trying to not get hit for boundaries, and as batters, looking to take the positive option. If you’re unsure, go for the positive option. If you get out doing that, there’s going to be no hard feelings. The same as a bowler – if you get hit for a boundary trying to take a wicket, provided it’s at the right time, not, say, the last ball of an over.We identified the first six overs [as a time] to strike and take wickets. It really opens up the middle period for myself, [Adam] Zampa and Ravi to try and operate in there. That’s where we got it wrong at the beginning of the tournament. We were too defensive playing at Chelmsford, a small ground, trying to defend the whole time and as a captain, I got it wrong there. Once we started to look to play more aggressively, look to take wickets, look to score runs, it really freed the guys up and allowed them to express themselves.You also made some hard decisions, such as dropping Varun Chopra and moving Ravi Bopara down the order into an unaccustomed finisher’s role
Yeah, there were some tough conversations. Varun Chopra and Ravi fell out of contention. We felt like it was the right move having Ravi at six, but he obviously felt differently. I think it was quite well publicised that he wanted to bat higher up in the order. But for me the decision was always about: where is Ravi best for the team? And in my opinion, finishing an innings, coming in when there’s 30 balls left in a game, that’s when he is the most dangerous – in the top three or four batters in the world [at] that.

“It would have been easy for me to just roll into Essex, understand that the standard wasn’t going to be international cricket and I could just coast along, but I wanted to try and make the most of my talent”

The first four games didn’t really work for us. We couldn’t string any performances together and we felt like we needed to make the change. Same as Chops at the top of the order. We felt like we needed a bit more explosiveness and risk-taking, so we decided to tweak the batting order a little bit. It was never the idea that they would stay out of the team for the entire tournament, but we felt we needed to make some changes and bring in some fresh ideas.It was difficult having those conversations and trying to explain to those players, two guys that I feel like I get along really well with, but I guess that’s part and parcel of the captaincy role. The relationships that you have personally and the relationships that you have within a cricket team are different. I think it’s quite important to be able to distinguish that. If I think you’re not doing a job on a cricket field, it doesn’t therefore mean that I think differently of you away from the cricket field. So that was probably a bit of a learning experience, being able to separate those two things and still maintain the relationships off the field.On Finals Day, you had figures of 4 for 19 and 3 for 16, and then hit the winning runs. Another special moment?
It couldn’t have gone any better. Obviously we were excited to be at Finals Day but I didn’t want our attitude to just be that we were happy to be there. The way it worked out, it played into our hands perfectly. The wicket was extremely slow, which suited our bowling – myself, Aron Nijjar, Ravi, and we also had Cameron Delport, who had done an extremely good job for us up the order opening the batting and also was able to turn his turn his arm over and take wickets. Having guys like that in your team on a slow wicket was massive for us. And yeah, I managed to pick up some wickets, which was really nice because throughout the tournament it had always been maybe one – two if I was lucky. To get three and four wickets in the semi-final and final when we needed it was extremely rewarding.There has been a lot of talk in England recently about how difficult it is to produce spinners, with the Championship played in April and September in seam-friendly conditions. What has been your experience?
I think I’ve always enjoyed the challenge. So if somebody tells me that the wickets are green in April and you don’t really bowl a lot of spin, I want to prove you wrong. I’ve had to prove people wrong throughout my career, and I think hearing things like that as well, as an offspinner, that’s what I do. That’s my job. I’m going to try and show you that we can change perceptions and strategies.I’ve always enjoyed bowling a lot and finding ways to make things work. Chelmsford starts turning earlier than most grounds. Come the end of May, beginning of June, it’s probably more like end of July beginning of August [at other grounds]. So it has helped me a lot. The trust that Ryan ten Doeschate put in me, by giving me the opportunity to bowl quite early on – in 2017 I’d bowl a couple of overs before lunch and then start bowling after the seamers had had to go off after lunch. I think as he trusted me more and as he saw what I was all about, he started to introduce me into the game a lot earlier, which is obviously not what batters are expecting, especially in England when the ball’s nipping and swinging. I think from a captaincy perspective, Tendo bringing me into the game earlier and helped me a lot.Since your Essex debut, you have taken more first-class wickets than anyone else in the world (291 at 22.12, 74 more than the next best). Have you thrived on the extra responsibility?I stepped away from international cricket, came over to the UK as a Kolpak. So I felt that I still needed to prove to myself that I was good enough. It would have been easy for me to just roll into Essex, understand that the standard wasn’t going to be international cricket and I could just coast along, but I wanted to try and make the most of my talent. At the end of my career when I look back, as long as I can be the best version of Simon Harmer, that’s the most important thing for me.So coming over and looking for challenges, looking for ways to be better, looking for ways to perform and help Essex win more games. They had just been promoted from Division Two into Division One. The media-day chat in 2017 was all about whether or not Essex would be able to stay up or be relegated again. So yeah, I really enjoyed the challenge of county cricket. I’d followed it as a youngster. It’s very traditional still in England. You get 2500 people down to Chelmsford, which is a 6500-seater stadium. I really enjoyed the challenge, and getting the opportunity which I was looking for when I came over. Essex gave me the platform to showcase my skills and my talent.Talking of spinning pitches – what did you think of the surface Somerset prepared for last season’s title decider?
Well, it’s public knowledge that the wickets at Taunton normally turn, normally produce results. So we knew with weather imminent and going to play a part that the wicket was going to be a result wicket. The groundsman was standing on the edge of the square and when Somerset won the toss, he gave a massive celebration, fist pumping, jumping up and down. There were grooves in the wicket at a 45-degree angle about a quarter of an inch deep, and that was the most surprising thing for me. But I don’t want to get myself into trouble. [The ECB] rated it “poor”, they got a 24-point deduction, 12 of which were suspended. It could be a completely different kettle of fish at Taunton this year, but for the last game, I think they knew that was the only way they were going to beat us, preparing a wicket that would only last two days. So they paid the price for that and we ended up winning the trophy at Taunton, which was that much sweeter.

“I’ve always enjoyed a challenge and getting into a fight when I’m bowling. I think the competition is what fuels my competitiveness, my drive, my desire”

You played for South Africa in 2015 but were dropped after five Tests. Do you think you were unfairly written off in some quarters?
Professional sports is about opportunity and about being in the right place at the right time. I was lucky in the fact that I made my debut for South Africa, because Robin Peterson had stitches in his finger, Imran Tahir came in for the Port Elizabeth Test, and I was in the right place at the right time [in Cape Town] and made my debut.Now on the other end of the scale, getting dropped after five Test matches, two of which were in Bangladesh, which were rained out – so effectively three Test matches. But we had a pretty poor series, to put it lightly, on the 2015 tour to India and there were always going to be casualties. Unfortunately that’s professional cricket.I would have liked a bit more opportunity but perhaps that’s still going to come in international cricket – or not, I’m not sure. But Keshav Maharaj has done well, and taken his opportunity with both hands. So I’ve just got to work harder and if the opportunity presents itself one day, make sure that I’m better prepared than I was in 2015.Do you feel you need to play international cricket again to underline the point about how good a player you are?
I think it’s more about the level at which I compete. I’ve played three years of county cricket now and as a natural competitive sportsman, I’m itching for the next challenge. If it’s not going to be international cricket, I need to start challenging myself in terms of T20 cricket. So I then need to work on my skill set as an orthodox offspinner, who doesn’t normally play an integral role in T20 cricket. I need to find ways for me to be the bowler that a team relies on in order to take wickets. If it going to be international cricket to then compete on that stage, and to prove to myself that I am good enough to play international cricket. But if it doesn’t happen, then that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Unfortunately it’s not something in my control – whether Brexit happens at the end of the year, whether the UK leaves with or without a deal is going to play a role in whether or not I then become an overseas player or if I stay a Kolpak player. So there’s a lot of if, buts and maybes. I’ve just got to make sure that I’m on top of my game and finding ways to get better each and every season.Harmer took five wickets in the Mohali Test of 2015, and another five in the Nagpur match that followed. But that was his last Test•BCCIDo you look at spinners like R Ashwin and Nathan Lyon, see what they’re doing in Test cricket, and think, “I could do those things”?
I don’t think “I can do that as well”. It’s more, I want to see: can I do that? Can I rock up on day five at the MCG and spin a team out? Or am I not good enough to do that? Am I good enough to take wickets in India? I’ve tried it once and failed. Can I deal with the pressures of international cricket? It’s more about that, more unanswered questions versus looking at Lyon and being, “Oh, I can do that.” It’s not that at all.I think I was just happy to be there, when I made my debut in 2015. It was international cricket, everything I aspired to, all my dreams, all my goals, they’ve been accomplished, and I didn’t then reset the goalposts of where I wanted to go. Richie McCaw, in his documentary , speaks about how he had all these goals up until becoming an All Black, and then once he became an All Black, what then? He wanted to be the greatest All Black of all time. I think I could have been more proactive and better than having these goals to play for South Africa, to make my debut in international cricket… and then not resetting my goals once I got there. It’s something that I could have done better and it’s something I feel I’d be better prepared for now, whether or not the opportunity comes. It’s my own fault if it doesn’t.What do you think you’ve learned as an orthodox offspinner in the time since you played for South Africa?
It’s been learning how to adapt in certain situations and finding ways to take wickets when the conditions aren’t in your favour. Dealing with success, dealing with failure. Not worrying about what’s going on around you, not worrying about who’s taking wickets or what everybody else is doing. Focusing all my energy on myself and finding ways for me to get better. There’s been a lot on the field and off the field that I’ve learned over the last few years, but it’s probably the stuff that I’ve learned off the field that’s helped me the most.You bowled seam-up until turning to spin as a teenager. Have you retained that attacking instinct?
Yeah, I’ve always enjoyed a challenge and getting into a fight when I’m bowling. I think the competition is what fuels my competitiveness, my drive, my desire. That’s always been something that I’ve tried to do – get involved in a scrap. And I think it brings the best out of me.

“If I think you’re not doing a job on a cricket field, it doesn’t therefore mean that I think differently of you away from the cricket field”

What are the technical differences between bowling spin with a red ball and with a white ball?
The biggest thing is being able to nail your skills under pressure. As an orthodox offspinner, you need to be able to nail a yorker, you need to be able to bowl a ball that doesn’t turn. You need to be able to read a batter and understand when they’re going to be looking to take you on. Normally as an offspinner, from the first ball you bowl, the batter has already decided that they’re going to take you down. So it’s then trying to find ways to get the ball to turn away from the batter, and disguising it as well as you can. Whether that be a carrom ball or a conventional legspinner, undercutter, whatever it is that works for you. It’s finding ways to add that to your arsenal and being at the top of your run and being able to say, “Okay, I’m going to bowl a carrom ball” and knowing exactly where it’s going to land. Because it doesn’t help that you can bowl it but you’re too nervous to bowl it in a game or you bowl it halfway down the wicket. So I think that’s the biggest skill in terms of T20. Obviously, there’s a lot of technical aspects that go into bowling a carrom ball, bowling a legspinner, whatever it may be, but it’s being comfortable in that skill that you can then implement it in a game when you really need it.That’s very different to red-ball bowling, which is all about repetition and subtle changes.
Yeah, absolutely. In terms of four-day cricket, you need to be as consistent over a long period of time as you can be, and looking to keep the batsman at one end. And if you can bowl six balls at a batter, you can put a lot more pressure on him than if he’s getting two singles an over and getting off strike. They are two very different disciplines but each one brings positives and negatives.You’ve mentioned Brexit. Your contract with Essex runs until 2022. What does it say about the situation where Kolpak qualifications are rescinded?
I agreed terms with Essex that if the UK leaves without a deal at the end of the year, for the last two years of my contract I would then be an overseas player for Essex.And could that open the door to playing for South Africa again?
There haven’t been any discussions from Cricket South Africa’s side, proactive discussions, about what would happen. And I don’t know how happy Essex would be if there was a three-month tour during the English summer, to just release me and be like, yep, no worries, you can go. My main responsibility lies for the foreseeable future with Essex. I came over here for the opportunity, and the security that county cricket brings, so there would need to be a lot of discussions between Cricket South Africa about what they were willing to put on the table before I would consider that option, but it’s still a long way off yet and a lot can change.What about playing for England? Is that still a possibility?
I think it started in the press, with people who didn’t really know what the implications were or how it all worked saying that I’d become England-qualified in 2020. Or can we get him involved? I think it’s all talk. The way that the visas are structured at the moment, the power lies with the ECB. All the Kolpak players are currently on a tier-five visa, which means that you would have to be in the UK for ten years before you could apply for indefinite leave to remain. There is the possibility of moving to a tier two-visa but the ECB doesn’t want to explore that, even though all the counties have a licence to issue tier-two visas. There’s still discussions between some of the counties and players and the ECB to try and move the Kolpak players to a tier two.My immediate need for that would be in order for me to buy property. The banks won’t give me a mortgage because I don’t have indefinite leave to remain, so I can’t buy property in the UK. I can’t do any other form of work in the UK. I can only play county cricket, I can’t play club cricket. I can’t do any coaching. And my girlfriend’s on a visitor’s visa, so she can be in the UK for a maximum six out of the 12 months of the year, which obviously poses its problems. There’s a lot of reasons that I would want to move to a tier-two visa.I think English cricket has given me the opportunity to become a better person and a better player. So I would ultimately like to get a British passport and be naturalised in the UK, especially for my future family. But there’s a lot of unanswered questions and a lot of dead ends at the moment. In terms of playing for England, as far as I’m aware, that’s off the table for the foreseeable future.You were in South Africa during the southern summer, playing in the Mzansi Super League. Did you follow the upheaval at CSA?
Yeah, I think they are starting to move in the right direction, in my opinion. I think Graeme Smith has a lot of experience and having him in a director of cricket role, being the bridge between the players and the board, is a smart decision from Cricket South Africa. And it’s the same with Mark Boucher. He’s got a lot of experience in international cricket, somebody that the players would have the highest level of respect for, and when he speaks about situations or game scenarios, he speaks with international cricketing experience. We know that international cricketers don’t necessarily make good coaches, but it’s a hell of a good starting point, and especially with a young group of players, which South Africa has at the moment. Getting those players to buy in and to trust somebody, I think it’s a lot easier when you’ve got somebody like Mark Boucher at the helm.

“The biggest thing is being able to nail your skills under pressure. Being comfortable enough in that skill that you can implement it in a game when you really need it”

Given there has been a lot of player turnover, retirements and so on, would South Africa benefit from having some of the Kolpak players return?
I think when you are blooding new players, there’s always an element of experience and youth. I’m 31, I’ve played a lot of cricket, but I haven’t necessarily played a lot of international cricket. I think somebody like Kyle Abbott has been around the block – he’s played in T20 leagues around the world, he’s played more than a fair amount of international cricket. So I can’t see how it would be detrimental to have guys like that in your set-up. But there’s a lot of bad blood towards the Kolpaks, and it would take South Africans and perhaps Cricket South Africa to swallow their pride and seek for those players to return. There’s been a lot said in the press about the return of Kolpak players, but the public perception still is not great.I can’t really speak for all of them. I don’t know what their feeling is in terms of playing for South Africa again. But if the Kolpak situation is taken away, then I’m pretty sure there’ll be a few more players putting their hands up for selection in South Africa.Finally, what are you hoping for from the English summer, once the coronavirus restrictions lift?
Any cricket to start off with would be great. From there, I’d really like to play in the Hundred. It’s a new tournament and I felt like I did well to get picked up in it. With the change of rules that could potentially come in at the end of the year, it could quite possibly be my only opportunity to play in it. Being a Kolpak, I qualify as a local player. If that was taken away, I would then be an overseas player. So yeah, it would be extremely disappointing if it didn’t go ahead.I don’t really see the point of having [the County Championship, curtailed] – unless you’re going to play seven or eight Championship games, so that you can play everybody once. But I think if you’re playing four or five games, it’s not really a true reflection and you’re probably better suited to playing a regional tournament, just among the sort of London and south of England clubs or whatever it may be. But all of the cricketers at the moment are just hoping for any cricket.In the meantime, you have a law degree that you are aiming to finish at some point.
I’ve registered through Open University, but it can only start in September because of the way the academic year runs. So I’m busy doing an eight-week course through the University of Cape Town in property development and investment. That’s been keeping me busy. Property is something I’m quite keen to get into in the UK. I’m invested in South Africa, but it’s something that I’d like to do here as well. It’s been pretty insightful and has made the days not boring and more productive.

It's not every day that this version of Arsenal lose. In fact, Saturday's late 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa was just their second defeat of the 2025-26 season, following on from August's 1-0 loss at Liverpool, a result which hasn't aged well at all in glorious hindsight. There's still, however, a feeling that the Gunners are under increasing pressure to deliver this season more than any before under Mikel Arteta.

The Premier League title favourites heading into this campaign were the reigning-champion Reds, who spent over £400 million ($533m) on new signings such as Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz over the summer. Arsenal splashed the cash as well to the tune of a cool £250m, though this was largely on squad reinforcements rather than flash new starters.

But as we exited the autumn and entered winter, it was clear that Arteta's men are the best team in England. If not the most complete side, they are the most reliable. What helped was the lack of a serious challenger coming up the rear.

That picture has changed again, however. After this latest setback, Arsenal sit only two points clear of Manchester City in the table, and three ahead of Saturday's conquerors Villa. It gives the impression that there is a title race to be had, and though the Gunners are still in line for to finish first, they cannot afford to be dragged back into a battle when it's seemed for weeks as though there wasn't one on the horizon.

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  Downturn in form

  Arsenal's 4-1 demolition of north London rivals Tottenham on November 23 propelled their season to new heights. Summer signing Eberechi Eze, who was acquired from under Spurs' noses at the eleventh hour, bagged a hat-trick to send his new side six points clear of second-placed Chelsea, with their next Premier League fixture coming at Stamford Bridge. A 3-1 win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League effectively confirmed Arsenal's status as the best team in Europe at the moment, too.

  The energy exerted into those outings, however, almost certainly took a toll on their next three performances, starting against Enzo Maresca's Blues. Chelsea dominated the opening proceedings in west London, in similar fashion to how they eventually tore apart Barcelona earlier that week, before Moises Caicedo's red card threatened to turn the tide. However, Trevoh Chalobah headed the hosts into an arguably deserved lead after the break, with Mikel Merino coming to the Gunners' rescue to salvage a point. Arsenal registered eight shots to Chelsea's 11 despite that one-man advantage for a sizeable chunk of the contest.

  Arteta's men returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory at home to Brentford the following Wednesday, but they were made to work every inch for those three points by Keith Andrews' dogged side. The week culminated with conceding in the fourth minute of added time at Villa Park, bringing an end to Arsenal's 18-match unbeaten run across all competitions, and was the second time in their last three away games they had been breached with so little left on the clock, following on from November's 2-2 draw at Sunderland.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Emotional' warning

  Prior to the Villa defeat, Jamie Carragher wrote an article for the in which he claimed there is a "danger Arsenal want it too much". He praised Arteta for building a team "ready" to finally win the title, but stressed he needs to improve in the "emotional management" department if they were to end their 22-year wait to become kings of England again.

  "There was a feeling in the past couple of years that the Arsenal players, coaching staff and fanbase has a habit of using too much emotional energy too soon," Carragher wrote. "Too often it feels like the title run-in starts from August, every setback received in the context that anything less than 90 points could be fatal to title hopes.

  "When big wins have come, there have been ecstatic scenes involving senior players which have been more in common with sides sealing title-defining victories. All of them proved premature. It was never a case of being the 'celebration police' to wag a finger at people savouring the moment. Supporters should embrace every three points as the most important yet. However, players and staff need to remain composed and move on to the next game.

  "The alternative might drain energy too soon – something Arsenal have been accused of over the last three years. They just need to keep doing their stuff, not getting too high after a win or too down after a setback. This should be their time."

  Had Carragher penned this piece after Arsenal's trip to Villa Park, he would have almost certainly referenced their players' reaction to Emiliano Buendia's winner with the final kick of the game. A sea of bodies in their white-and-maroon third kit collapsed to the floor in disbelief and despair, while David Raya crawled across his six-yard box like a stropping toddler. It might mean nothing come May, but if Arsenal end another season without silverware, this is a moment that will be come under the microscope as a sign of when their mental state began to unravel.

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  Injury crisis

  For the second season running, Arsenal are having to deal with a barrage of injuries. It's always difficult to know where the finger of blame should be pointed with such situations, though doomsayers will always level it at management and coaching staff for any supposed lack of rotation. It could still just be bad luck.

  Regardless, the north Londoners have built a squad built to withstand such a crisis far better than they did in 2024-25, during which they tailed off considerably and ended up tallying only 74 points. The difference this time around is they have been hit hardest in their most important position.

  First-choice centre-backs Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have sat out recent games and are unlikely to play alongside one another again until January, while new deputy Cristhian Mosquera has now been ruled out for over a month with an ankle issue. This saw Arteta turn to right-back Jurrien Timber and left-back Piero Hincapie as his partnership in central defence at Villa. Unsurprisingly, it proved an erratic combination that provided nowhere near the same protection as his preferred duo.

  The rotating cast of minor injuries from week to week has upset the balance a little over the last few games. The compliment to Arsenal is they have had enough quality to stave off defeat for so long.

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  Reasons to remain calm

  Beyond the headline names on the treatment table, Kai Havertz has missed pretty much the entire season so far with a knee problem, while Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke have only recently returned to full fitness. They barely missed a beat when Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were ruled out for several weeks apiece, and Arteta hasn't yet had the chance to use this deep squad with everyone available. In that sense, the best may still be to come from a team who went three whole months unbeaten.

  If, as Carragher warned, Arsenal are able to regroup mentally and keep themselves fresh in that aspect, then they will be primed to stack together another lengthy run of wins when they welcome back their injured stars.

  Speaking after the Villa loss, an optimistic Arteta said: "Everything that they [the squad] have put in the last two weeks and the results that we got, the performances and to lose it that way emotionally is very touching. You just feel that everything that you put in, it hasn't been worth it. But it is worth it, because we will learn again from today and it will make us a better team again.

  "It's five months into the competition and so far we've coped. But we're going to have to prove that we can cope again and again and again for another six months, that's the level. If think we are going to be in this moment with 10 points clear, I think we're living in a different world."

Harry Kane has been offered “is it the same” advice as a 2026 transfer for the prolific England international striker continues to be mooted. Ex-Tottenham star Stephen Carr has been discussing future plans for the Bayern Munich talisman, with GOAL being told why a stunning return to Spurs is unlikely but a switch to “somewhere else in Europe” could happen.

Transfer clause: Fee that will trigger exit talks

It has been revealed that Kane has a clause in his contract at the Allianz Arena which can be triggered in upcoming windows. If a bid of £57 million ($76m) is tabled, then the 32-year-old frontman will be allowed to enter into talks with interested parties.

Tottenham have the option of matching any offers, having stipulated as much when sanctioning the sale of their all-time leading goalscorer in 2023, and would love to welcome a home-grown icon back to familiar surroundings in north London after seeing him break his trophy duck in Germany.

AdvertisementGettySpurs return: Will Kane head home?

Kane is, however, happy at Bayern and has been linked with other heavyweight outfits such as Barcelona and Real Madrid. With that in mind, a retracing of steps to the Premier League is not considered to be a top priority.

Quizzed on whether Kane will ever don a Spurs jersey again, Carr – speaking with Casino.org, where you can review online gambling – told GOAL: “I’m not sure. He’s having unbelievable success in Germany. He’s a goalscorer and will score goals wherever he goes.

“I’m sure he will have other offers. He has the buyout and do Tottenham have first refusal? Is it ever the same when a player comes back again? Not really. The team he left, he had a great relationship with him and [Heung-min] Son playing together – that worked really well. It would be a completely different team that he came back to if that evolved. I think he will have offers from big clubs if he wants to move on. He has proven that he just scores goals. He’s phenomenal.”

Never go back: Kane remains a legend at Tottenham

Football folklore dictates that you should “never go back”, with Kane aware that a return to Tottenham – if things did not work out as planned – could lead to his legacy being tarnished somewhat. That will be factored into his thinking.

He will also be turning 33 next summer, with Spurs likely favouring more long-term solutions. Carr added on what happens next for a fan favourite at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium: “He left and even the fans in the end understood that he needed to leave in order to win something. He deserved to win something, which he has now. I’m sure he will win more this year.

“He had unbelievable success there [Spurs], is a legend there, and I think he is still looked at like that. He scores goals regardless but whether he would have that same success, I don’t know. It would be great if he did go back, but I think he will be looking at it differently. After leaving Tottenham, giving up on the English goal record – he would have caught [Alan] Shearer the way he was going – he’s not going to get younger, he does adjust his game, but I get the feeling he will stay there or go somewhere else in Europe. He might want another challenge, rather than going back to Tottenham.”

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GettyKane contract: New challenge or extension at Bayern?

Kane has offered no indication that he is considering a change of scenery, having spoken on a regular basis of how happy he and his family – including wife Kate – are in Bavaria. He is tied to a contract through to 2027 that may yet be extended.

Bayern are understandably reluctant to part with their free-scoring No.9. They have seen Kane register 110 goals through 117 appearances – winning back-to-back Golden Boots. He became a Bundesliga title winner last season and is ready to chase down more major honours in 2026 – including the World Cup crown as captain and record-shattering all-time leading marksman of the England national team.

Tottenham Hotspur have submitted an official bid for Ferran Torres, with Barcelona chiefs now in a debate over whether to sell the forward.

Spurs’ interest in a new forward may stem from the fact they have struggled in front of goal at times this season, perhaps partially due to Dominic Solanke’s absence, recording an xG of just 0.10 across the entire match in the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea earlier this month.

Not only that, but it would be fair to say some of the summer signings haven’t hit the ground running, with Randal Kolo Muani failing to find the back of the net in his opening eight matches across all competitions.

Pundit Johan Derksen has also been very critical of Xavi Simons, saying: “That Simons, he is physically incompetent. In England, they are all skilled on the ball and can all play football, but you also need physical strength.

“Tijjani Reijnders has that, and so do the guys at Liverpool, but Simons is getting lost in the onslaught. Simply because he is physically incompetent.”

Although it is still early days for Simons and Kolo Muani, it is no surprise Thomas Frank & co want to bring in a new forward this January, and they have now made an official approach for a La Liga star.

Tottenham submit offer for Ferran Torres

According to a report from Spain, Tottenham have now submitted an official offer for Barcelona star Torres, with club chiefs now debating whether to cash-in, given that they could do with generating funds, in light of their financial situation.

Spurs’ proposal amounts to €65m (£57m), which is tempting, but there are hints that the north Londoners may even be willing to offer more, as they are ‘determined’ to get a deal done, even if the La Liga club reject the opening offer.

Barca are yet to make a decision about the Spaniard’s future, but if they do end up being willing to sanction a departure, the 25-year-old could be a statement signing for Frank’s side.

Having initially struggled to make an impact at the Camp Nou, the former Manchester City man has developed year-on-year to become an important player, chipping in with seven goals in all competitions already this season.

Ferran Torres’ goal record by season

La Liga appearances

Goals

2021-22

18

4

2022-23

33

4

2023-24

29

7

2024-25

27

10

2025-26

11

5

Should he continue scoring at the current rate, the Spain international, who has been lauded as “world-class” by Xavi, is on course to have his best season yet, so it is understandable that Barcelona are hesitant about cashing-in.

However, should Tottenham be able to get a deal done, Torres could be the ideal addition to Frank’s squad, not least because the manager’s current options are struggling, with Mathys Tel on just two goals in all competitions this term.

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India captain Suryakumar Yadav has said there has been no instruction to tone down aggression or keep emotions in check, even when they play Pakistan in the Asia Cup on September 14 in Dubai. The question was asked in the context of the prevailing geopolitical tensions between the two countries.”Temper? Aggression is always there when we take the field,” Suryakumar said. “And without aggression, I don’t think you can play this sport. I’m very excited to take the field.”Pakistan captain Salman Agha echoed the sentiment, saying there was no need for special instructions to his players either.Related

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“You don’t need to say anything to any player,” Agha said. “Everyone is different individually. If someone wants to be aggressive on the field, they are more than welcome to do that. When it comes to fast bowlers, they are always aggressive and you can’t stop them because that’s what keeps them going.”From my side, there is no instruction to anyone, as long as it stays on the field.”The other aspect of the India-Pakistan clash – their first in T20Is since last year’s World Cup fixture in New York – is that both teams have moved on from their superstars. India are without the retired Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while Pakistan have chosen to move on, for now, from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.Unlike Pakistan, coming off a steady diet of T20I cricket over the past three months, reigning champions India will be playing their first T20I since the England series in January. Despite looking strong on paper, Suryakumar brushed off suggestions that India were runaway favourites.Both teams have moved on from their superstars, with Virat Kohli now retired from T20Is and Babar Azam out of the side•AFP/Getty Images

“? (Who said?),” he asked with a laugh.When told that was the [discussion] on social media, Suryakumar responded: “I haven’t heard of it. But you have played in this format and you know how your preparations are. If your preparations are good, then you will be very confident when you take the field.”We are playing T20 as a team after a long time. But we were here three-four days back, had some good time together as a team, and we are really looking forward to this tournament.”In the lead-up to the Asia Cup, Agha led Pakistan to a tri-series win over Afghanistan and UAE just two days ago. Prior to that, they had mixed outings – beating West Indies 2-1 in the USA and losing 1-2 to Bangladesh in Bangladesh. Agha felt the format was far too fickle to have clear favourites.”In T20, I don’t think anyone is favourite,” he said. “On a particular day, you just have to play good cricket. T20 is a very fast game. In one or two overs, the game can completely change.”The tri-series was always preparation for the Asia Cup. If we won it, that’s very good, but the focus was always on this tournament. We still have to come here, play good cricket, and win the Asia Cup. That’s all that matters.”We are playing very good cricket. I think for almost four months, we have won three series out of four. So we are doing very well as a team and at the same time, we are very excited. A lot of the boys will play in the Asia Cup for the first time but they are ready for the challenge.”

Liverpool slumped down to eighth in the Premier League table after they were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City at The Etihad in the last game before the international break.

The Reds have now lost seven of their last ten matches in all competitions and five of their 11 games in the Premier League, in what has been a dismal defence of their title so far.

Arne Slot will be disappointed with his side’s dreadful run of form and should use the international break to come up with a new way of approaching matches to turn the season around.

One thing that the Dutch head coach must look to do is to revive Mohamed Salah’s form, because the reigning Premier League Player of the Year has not been at his best.

How far Mo Salah's numbers have fallen this season

The Egypt international won the Player of the Year award by delivering 29 goals and 18 assists in the top-flight last season, helping the Reds to the Premier League title.

Unfortunately, the left-footed superstar has not quite been at his sparkling best for Slot in the current campaign, although he has still delivered four goals and two assists in 11 league games.

Appearances

38

11

Goals

29

4

Minutes per goal

116

246

Big chances missed

24

6

Conversion rate

22%

15%

Key passes per game

2.4

1.9

Assists

18

2

As you can see in the table above, Salah is scoring and assisting goals less frequently than he did last season, with a lower conversion rate, which is why the manager needs to find a way to get him back to his best.

Per Sofascore, the winger registered three shots without any going on target and created three chances without any of them being ‘big chances’, but he was not the only Liverpool forward who failed to deliver.

Why Hugo Ekitike's place in the XI should be on borrowed time

Hugo Ekitike put in a disappointing performance in the number nine shirt and his place in the starting line-up may be on borrowed time come the other side of the break.

The France international was given the nod to lead the line for the Reds against the Cityzens, but he was just as ineffective as Salah at the top end of the pitch.

Per Sofascore, Ekitike did not take a single shot in the match and only made one key pass, whilst he also lost 100% (2/2) of his duels, which speaks to how underwhelming his display was.

In his 11 minutes on the pitch after the post above, the former Eintracht Frankfurt centre-forward did not take any shots or attempt any dribbles, but he did create one chance in what was an “anonymous” performance.

Ekitike has now failed to score in his last five appearances in the Premier League for the Reds, per Sofascore, and has only scored three goals in ten games in the division in total.

Unlike Salah, the French striker does not have an incredible career at Liverpool to buy him more time in the starting XI if performances like his one against Manchester City persist, which is why he may be on borrowed time in the XI.

On top of that, Alexander Isak returned from injury to make the bench on Sunday, which puts further pressure on Ekitike. The former Newcastle man scored 23 goals in the Premier League last season, per Sofascore, and could take his place in the starting line-up unless the ex-Bundesliga star improves his performances.

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