Tag Futebol

DC’s stand-in captain said they were struggling to find momentum in the last couple of games

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-20254:55

Moody: DC panicked when they started to lose

Delhi Capitals’ (DC) stand-in captain Faf du Plessis pointed out that they lost their momentum in the last two overs when Mumbai Indians (MI) were batting after bowling well for 17-18 overs, which eventually led to their 59-run defeat at the Wankhede Stadium. The loss saw DC knocked out of contention for the IPL 2025 playoffs, while MI booked the last spot.Bowling first, it looked like DC would be chasing an under-par total with MI struggling at 132 for 5 after 18 overs. But Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir hammered 48 runs off the last two overs to take MI to 180 and DC were bowled out for 121 in reply.”I thought we were excellent today in the field. The guys showed great fight. Obviously, not the easiest pitch to bat on, so probably made the bowlers’ job a little bit easier. But still, it’s a very strong batting line-up (of MI), and I thought we were excellent,” du Plessis said after the game. “And then [we] just let it slip there in the last two overs which… momentum is a real thing in cricket. So I thought the way that they counterpunched there to get almost 50 in the last two overs really [cost us]. All that hard work that we did for 17-18 overs, [we] lost that momentum.”Related

Opener troubles, missed chances haunt Delhi Capitals' Badani

Depth over daredevilry: Suryakumar's solo show saves the day for Mumbai Indians

Suryakumar, Santner and Bumrah lead MI into playoffs

DC were under pressure in a must-win situation as they were one point behind MI before this game, and had lost four of their last five matches before Wednesday. They further lost their regular captain Axar Patel to an illness for this match, someone who could have been useful on the Wanhede track, du Plessis said, where left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner finished with 4-0-11-3.”I’m a big believer that you’ve got to make sure you take [momentum] and you never take it for granted,” he said. “So when you’re playing like that and you’re performing well, then everything falls your way. And we could feel like the last couple of games, there was really a fight to try and get that momentum back and not doing the basics well in both departments.”So it shows you that when you’re on top of that wave, you’ve got to make sure you don’t lose it as quickly.”DC were a depleted side against MI, without Axar and their star bowler Mitchell Starc, who didn’t return to India once the IPL resumed after a brief suspension earlier this month. DC fielded as many as five uncapped players compared to MI’s one.”I think if you look at the two teams before today’s fixture, it was a case of David and Goliath. So I enjoy that because it gives guys the opportunity to really play together as a team,” he said. “So credit to them. [Sameer] Rizvi today showed some signs. He’s got some talent there. But when you’re playing against a powerful team like this, you need to be at your best all the time.1:49

Moody: ‘DC bowlers should have used the surface more’

“And unfortunately, all 17-18 overs we were, and then the last two overs I thought we were pretty average. And then with the bat, you would need a good start on a surface like that, and we didn’t get going at all with the bat. So it sums up pretty much our season. We’ve been cold in either batting or bowling the last six or seven games.”And to be in the top four in the IPL, you can’t afford to do that. So probably a fair reflection not to make that top four.”Compared to the five wickets taken by MI’s spinners combined, DC’s spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam managed just one between them, which made them miss Axar even more.”Yeah, I think especially [missed] Axar on a wicket like that,” du Plessis said. “If you look at the way that Mitch Santner bowled, they’re very similar bowlers. To bowl four overs, I think [Santner] only went for ten runs. Axar is that kind of class bowler, international, proven left-arm spinner that on a wicket like that, he would love to bowl in it. But unfortunately, he was very, very sick the last two days.”Starcy, yes, of course [we missed him]. Starc is a fantastic bowler. But I think especially the spinners on a wicket like this, it’s worth gold.”

President Joan Laporta hailed Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal as a "genius" and accepted the fact that the 18-year-old can be prone to making mistakes due to the superstardom he has achieved. Yamal, who has been criticised for his lifestyle at times, was defended by Laporta, who added that the attacker is "already more mature than other boys his age."

• The world at Yamal's feet

  Yamal has had a sensation last year-and-a-half. After being named the best young player at the 2024 European Championship, which Spain won, the teenage sensation played an instrumental role in helping Barcelona win a domestic treble in the 2024-25 season, registering 18 goals and 21 assists. His exploits saw him finish as the runner-up to Ousmane Dembele for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, with the notion that Yamal will lift the prestigious individual award sooner rather than later. 

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  Fame and fortune threaten to derail Yamal's progress

  With the world already at his feet at the age of 18, Yamal has often been warned by legends of football and other sports to navigate the pitfalls of fame and fortune very carefully. Boris Becker, who created history by becoming the youngest male Wimbledon champion at the age of 17 in 1985, said last month that Yamal's early success "rings alarm bells" for him, urging the Barca wonderkid to not "make the obvious mistakes."

  The teenage boy wonder often makes headlines due to his lifestyle and his romance with Argentine singer Nicki Nicole. His lavish 18th birthday celebrations were criticised, too, as he invited professional dwarfs for entertainment. At one point, he was even threatened with legal action against him.

• Laporta knows Yamal can be overwhelmed by fame

  Speaking in an interview with , Laporta said: "Lamine is a genius. We have to support him and give him the best advice, but he is already much more mature than other boys his age because of what he has been through. This fame can overwhelm him, but he is handling it very well. He is 18 years old and trains every day. He is disciplined with his groin injury and with what the club tells him, he follows everything to the letter so that he can improve. The way to treat him is to help him. He will make mistakes like everyone else, and perhaps more so because he is very young. He is a lad who makes himself loved."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images
  

  Has Yamal become injury-prone?

  Yamal has already clocked over 9,000 minutes of football in two seasons, having become indispensable for both club and country. However, with his minutes not being managed carefully, the right winger has become prone to injuries, with his latest setback set to keep him out of action for at least another week. His management has sparked tensions between Barca head coach Hansi Flick and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

Antony has accused Manchester United of "rudeness" during his time at Old Trafford, with a forgettable stint in English football being brought to a close when completing a permanent transfer to Real Betis. The Brazil international linked up with the Red Devils in 2022 when completing a big-money move from Ajax, but struggled to produce his best with the Premier League heavyweights.

• Antony flopped at Man Utd & moved on to Real Betis

  Antony registered just 12 goals for United through 96 appearances in all competitions. Having been written off as an £85 million ($114m) flop, the 25-year-old forward was allowed to link up with Betis on loan in January 2025. He impressed during a stint in Spain, gracing the Conference League final, and quickly determined that he wanted to remain in Andalusia.

  A protracted summer transfer saga dragged on until deadline day when a £22m ($30m) move was finally completed, with Antony able to escape the infamous ‘bomb squad’ at United that included fellow exiles under Ruben Amorim’s rule in Manchester. The South American has hit out at the Red Devils on a regular basis since embracing a new challenge, with questions continuing to be asked of how he was treated.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Antony accuses Man Utd of 'rudeness'

  Antony has now told : "Look, I'm not the kind of guy who gets involved in controversies, who names people, in fact, I won't mention anyone's name here. But I think there was a bit of a lack of respect there, even a bit of rudeness too, with no one giving you a good morning, a good afternoon. Not even that. But, anyway, that's in the past, I won't give much importance to these things. Now I'm here, at Betis, I'm living here, that's the most important thing for me."

  He added when asked why things did not play out as planned for him in England: "I am a man who accepts my responsibilities. I think off-field matters affected me a lot, in my performance. I know my potential, I know my qualities, I didn't play in a World Cup for nothing, I didn't return to the national team for nothing. I also take responsibility for it not working out, for not performing as I wanted. But I always try to see the bright side of things, going through this entire process, this time at United, was necessary to see myself."

• Dark days for Antony in England

  Antony has previously told of the dark days that he endured when struggling for form with the Red Devils and tumbling down the pecking order: "[Coming to Betis] changed a lot because I needed to find myself, because of everything I went through in my personal life. I wanted to do things, but they didn't seem to work out because I wasn't happy, I didn't feel that desire to play football, and I needed to find myself and be happy again because playing football was always something I loved. I went through difficult times [at Manchester United] when I no longer felt that pleasure. I even always told my brother, I told him that I couldn't take it anymore."

  He added: "[My brother] told me to hold on a little longer, that things were going to change. It even made me emotional, because they were very hard days for me. Only I know what it was like to be there at home, not having the strength to even play with my son, going days without eating, staying locked in my room. So, for me it was very complicated, but thank God, with the help of my family and mainly with the help of God, I managed to get ahead and today I am very happy here."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty
  

  World Cup dream but left out of latest Brazil squad

  Betis are delighted to have Antony back on board, having worked hard to reach a compromise with United that suited all parties, and saw him open his goal account for the 2025-26 campaign in a dramatic 2-2 Europa League draw with Nottingham Forest. He has not, however, been included in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for upcoming friendlies against South Korea and Japan.

كشف عمرو الجزار، مدافع منتخب مصر الأول لكرة القدم، عن الرسالة التي وجهها له النجم محمد صلاح عقب انضمامه لقائمة الفراعنة، كما تحدث عن كواليس فشل انتقاله إلى النادي الأهلي.

وقال عمرو الجزار، خلال مداخلة هاتفية في برنامج “أوضة اللبس” على قناة النهار: “تعلمت الكثير من حسام وإبراهيم حسن على الصعيدين الشخصي والمهني، وأشكرهما على منحي الفرصة لأن أكون جزءًا من هذا الحدث الكبير”.

وأضاف: “منذ اليوم الأول، تحدث إليّ محمد صلاح قائلًا إن انضمامي للمنتخب جاء بفضل جهدي، وأخبرني أن تمثيل مصر مسؤولية كبيرة وليست أمرًا بسيطًا، ودائمًا ما يحرص على توجيه اللاعبين الشباب، وشدد على أننا سنحمل اسم مصر وقميص المنتخب في المستقبل”.

طالع أيضًا | إبراهيم حسن يكشف لغز البكاء عن سماع النشيد الوطني.. ويصرح: أنا وحسام قلبنا ضعيف

وتابع: “محمد صلاح دائمًا ينصحنا بأن نكتسب الخبرات من كل موقف، وأن نستفيد من كل ما يفعله داخل وخارج الملعب، أحاول قدر المستطاع أن أصل حتى إلى ربع ما حققه، فهو يؤكد لنا دومًا أن النجاح ليس بعيدًا ما دمت تمتلك هدفًا وتسعى لتحقيقه”.

وأشار: “ما حققناه في التصفيات لم يكن أمرًا سهلًا، فقد كان طريقًا صعبًا وشاقًا، هدفنا الآن هو التتويج بكأس أمم إفريقيا، خصوصًا وأن منتخب مصر هو الأكثر تتويجًا بالبطولة، ومن غير الطبيعي أن نخرج دون اللقب”.

وعن مفاوضاته السابقة مع النادي الأهلي، أوضح الجزار: “كانت هناك مفاوضات جدية في فترة سابقة، ووصلت إلى مراحل متقدمة للغاية حتى وصلت إلى نسبة 100% من حيث الاتفاق، لكن تأخر نصيبي حال دون إتمام الانتقال في ذلك التوقيت”.

Tottenham Hotspur are in the market for three late-summer signings after missing out on Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, but time is quickly running out for chairman Daniel Levy and the Lilywhites recruitment team.

Spurs were forced to return to their transfer drawing board for a new playmaker yet again earlier this week, after their north London rivals hijacked a once-advanced deal for Eze.

The 27-year-old agreed personal terms to join Thomas Frank’s side, with the finances of a deal also struck with Palace, so it appeared only a matter of time before they welcomed the player to N17.

However, Kai Havertz’s injury prompted Arsenal to mount a sensational late move for their ex-academy gem after weeks of groundwork, despite initially hesitating, and once the Gunners came in, Eze’s choice was crystal clear.

It marks one of the stories of the transfer window, but for Tottenham, it is nothing but frustration.

Since the Eze humiliation, Spurs have been linked with a host of alternatives – including Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, Como’s Nico Paz, Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, Bournemouth midfielder (and boyhood Lilywhites supporter) Alex Scott, RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons, Southampton sensation Tyler Dibling and Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss.

However, the likes of El Khannouss, Dibling and Simons are already in talks over moves to different clubs, so if they’re serious, Tottenham may need to pull off a late hijack of their own.

Tottenham eyeing late moves for number 10, winger and centre-back

To make matters more complicated, according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, Tottenham have other items on the agenda away from their search for a playmaker.

It is believed that Spurs are eyeing late signings of a number 10, winger and a centre-back before the deadline on September 1, so Levy has plenty to do, and with very little time to do it.

In terms of a winger and defender, Tottenham are expected to mount another push for Savinho from Man City, with the two sides going head-to-head today, and there is believed to be an interest in Brentford captain Nathan Collins.

Glasgow Rangers booked their place in the next round of Champions League qualifiers after a 1-1 draw against Panathinaikos in Greece on Wednesday night.

The Light Blues rode their luck at times before they eventually went 1-0 down in the 53rd minute, only for substitute Djeidi Gassama to score his second goal in as many games for the club just seven minutes later.

Whilst it was another positive result for the Gers, who beat the Greek side 2-0 at Ibrox last week, there were some concerning moments and performances on the pitch for Russell Martin’s side.

The team news was met with some surprise as Gassama was initially left on the bench again and Kieran Dowell was selected from the start, and the former Norwich man failed to justify the manager’s continued faith in him.

Why Rangers should drop Kieran Dowell

With the Gers travelling to Motherwell for the opening game of the Scottish Premiership season on Saturday, Martin must drop the English winger from the XI.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe

Dowell started the first leg against Panathinaikos at Ibrox last week, on the right wing, and produced zero shots on target and zero key passes in 75 minutes before being taken off, whilst he also missed a ‘big chance’.

This time around, the Everton academy graduate had zero shots on goal and created zero chances in 74 minutes on the pitch on the right wing, which shows that he was equally as ineffective.

This is why Dowell, who has not offered any threat in front of goal as a scorer or a creator, should be dropped for the clash with Motherwell, but he is not the only player who should face the axe.

Why Rangers should drop Max Aarons

Summer signing Max Aarons was selected at left-back once again and looked too uncomfortable away from his favoured position at right-back for most of the match, before switching to the right for the last 17 minutes.

The former Norwich man, who was handed a 4/10 player rating by The Scotsman, made an almost costly error early on in the match when he failed to deal with a through ball and allowed their forward to race clear on goal, only for Jack Butland to make a vital save.

That mistake seemed to set the tone for Aarons for the rest of the night. He looked hesitant to be aggressive with his defending and looked uncomfortable trying to push forward on his weaker left foot, which is why he was just as bad as the ineffective Dowell.

Jefte came on, replacing Dowell, in the second half, and looked far more comfortable at left-back, as you would expect given that it is his natural position, and should be given the nod over Aarons on Saturday.

As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian defender won more tackles and attempted more crosses in 17 minutes than the Bournemouth loanee managed in 90.

Jefte, as a left-footed player, is more comfortable progressing with the ball to take up crossing positions and more confident at going in for tackles with his left foot, which is why it was not a surprise to see him put up superior statistics in his short time on the pitch.

32 SPFL goals: Rangers could sign "complete" CF who's a dream for Moore

Rangers could land a dream signing for Mikey Moore by swooping for this reported transfer target.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 30, 2025

It is now down to Martin to ruthlessly axe his new signing from the starting XI, unless he plans to drop the captain James Tavernier from right-back, in order to have a natural left-back in the team on that side.

Pakistan’s premier domestic first-class competition has undergone major overhaul

Danyal Rasool22-Oct-2024

Days after the 2024-25 Quaid-e-Azam trophy was delayed, the PCB have announced the final schedule for Pakistan’s premier domestic first-class competition. The tournament will begin on October 26, with the final on December 19.In a major overhaul, the days of parsimony when it came to the number of teams have flown out of the window. This year’s QeA will see 18 teams spread out into 16 regions take part; Lahore and Karachi have two teams each. Last year, just eight teams played the tournament, with the four years prior seeing just six participants. Karachi Whites are the defending champions.”Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is the pinnacle of domestic cricket in Pakistan as it is not just a tournament but also an event that showcases the immense talent across the country and prepares them for the challenges of international cricket,” Abdullah Niazi, the director of domestic operations, said in a statement. “As always, we will continue to provide the best possible platform for players to excel and show their capabilities on the biggest stage in domestic cricket as they will be rubbing their shoulders with the best players of the country.Related

It's October 19, and there's still no clarity on Quaid-e-Azam 2024-25 schedule

“Earlier we demonstrated a successful Champions One-Day Cup, and are fully committed to strengthening our domestic structure. The successful execution of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy remains at the heart of this commitment.”Just days ago, though, the fate of this year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was uncertain. ESPNcricinfo understands the tournament was delayed, with the domestic cricket department awaiting the chairman’s sign-off for the tournament. The QeA was tentatively scheduled to start on October 20.The start date of October 26 is considerably later than usual. Just two of the last 15 years have seen the tournament begin after this date. The PCB opted to host the Champions One-Day Cup in September, Pakistan’s only meaningfully empty window until May, pushing the first-class competition deeper into the season.This means the Quaid-e-Azam trophy starts while Pakistan’s Test season – it’s busiest this century – will already be well into the fifth of seven home games. The final begins on December 19, a week out from the first Test in South Africa on December 26. Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan vice-captain Saud Shakeel suggested the first-class competition could be used to prepare for the tour of South Africa by attempting to replicate those conditions.”If you want to prepare for SENA [series in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia], you can do it during practice and first class cricket,” Shakeel said. “If there’s first-class cricket before South Africa, we could prepare those kinds of pitches there. But we should prepare pitches and conditions series-by-series, and according to the opposition.”

حقق فريق النصر السعودي فوزًا كبيرًا على مضيفه استقلال دوشنبه بنتيجة 5-0، مساء اليوم الأربعاء، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن مواجهات بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا 2.

وأقيمت المباراة بين النصر واستقلال دوشنبه، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات لمسابقة دوري أبطال آسيا 2.

وافتتح عبد الرحمن غريب التسجيل مبكرًا عند الدقيقة 14، وأضاف البرازيلي أنجيلو جابرييل الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 17، قبل أن يعزز ويسلي التفوق بالهدف الثالث عند الدقيقة 59.

وسجل الفرنسي كينجسلي كومان الهدف الرابع في الدقيقة 89، واختتم السنغالي ساديو ماني الخماسية في الدقيقة الأخيرة ليؤكد تفوق الفريق السعودي خارج دياره. أهداف فوز النصر أمام استقلال دوشنبه في دوري أبطال آسيا 2

شوف أهداف فوز النصر السعودي 5-0 على الاستقلال الطاجيكي

#النصر_الاستقلال
#دوري_أبطال_آسيا_الثاني
#قنوات_الكاس || #منصة_شوف pic.twitter.com/FUOlCohl18 — قنوات الكاس (@AlkassTVSports) September 17, 2025

وشهدت المباراة غياب القائد كريستيانو رونالدو عن القائمة بقرار فني من المدرب البرتغالي جورجي جيسوس، الذي فضل إراحته.

بينما شارك كومان وساديو ماني من على مقاعد البدلاء ونجح الثنائي في ترك بصمتهما بهدفين في الدقائق الأخيرة.

ويشارك نادي النصر، في بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا 2، بعدما احتل المركز الثالث في الدوري السعودي الموسم الماضي، حيث لم يتأهل للمشاركة في بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة البطولة الأكبر في آسيا.

ويتواجد نادي النصر في المجموعة الرابعة من بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا 2، بجانب كل من الزوراء العراقي واستقلال الطاجاكستاني وجوا الهندي.

On a 35-degree third day broken up into sessions of uneven length – including a three-hour morning session – to accommodate Friday prayers, Bangladesh’s batters weathered a period of early hostility before asserting themselves on Pakistan’s bowlers as the Rawalpindi Test witnessed a riveting fight for first-innings honours.Shadman Islam laid the foundations for Bangladesh’s resistance with a 93 spanning more than five-and-a-half hours, and Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das built on this with half-centuries of their own. At stumps, Bangladesh were five down and 132 adrift of Pakistan’s first-innings total, with Mushfiqur and Litton at the crease, having added an unbroken 98.Litton joined Mushfiqur at a pivotal moment in Bangladesh’s innings. Mohammad Ali had nipped out Shadman with the last ball before tea, and Shakib Al Hasan had fallen early, chipping the part-time spin of Saim Ayub to the fielder at cover. The sixth-wicket pair took quick charge of the situation, rattling along at more than five an over and launching a decisive counterattack against Pakistan’s quicks when they took the second new ball late in the day. Bangladesh scored 67 off the last 11 overs of the day, with Litton unfurling some exquisite strokeplay along the way.The high point of this came in the 89th over of Bangladesh’s innings – the 77th of the day – when Litton tore into Naseem Shah. He stepped out and chipped the first ball of the over straight back over the bowler for a one-bounce four, and followed up with an exhibition of pulling and hooking – two unstoppable fours and a massive six over square leg – to race past the half-century mark.That over went for 18. Having conceded just 15 runs from his first 12 overs of the innings, and picked up a wicket in that time, Naseem gave away 62 in his last eight. Those numbers reflected Pakistan’s wider fortunes: Bangladesh’s scoring rate went from 2.97 in the first session to 3.33 in the second to 5.08 in the third.Pakistan, though, still have a 132-run cushion, and will begin day four knowing they are two wickets away from Bangladesh’s lower order.They had to work extremely hard for the five wickets they did take, though, in conditions that were excellent for batting once the first new ball lost its shine. Pakistan’s discipline and persistence for most of the day, however, ensured that Bangladesh also had to work hard to earn their late scoring spree.Starting the day on 27 for no loss, Bangladesh scored just 12 runs in 12 overs before the first drinks break, losing Zakir Hasan along the way. Naseem and Shaheen Shah Afridi were relentless with their probing in the channel and found enough movement to imperil on-the-up shots, and Bangladesh’s top three resisted them for most part through a combination of skill, judgment and a bit of luck.Pakistan made their breakthrough in the fifth over of the day, however, when Naseem’s angle across the left-hander, and a bit of away seam movement and extra bounce, coaxed Zakir into a hard-hands push away from the body. Mohammad Rizwan – back as keeper after going off the field with cramps late on day two – flew to his left to complete the catch off the edge.Runs flowed slightly quicker when the third and fourth seamers came on, and Najmul Hossain Shanto drove Shahzad crisply for fours through mid-off and extra-cover when he overpitched. But those were marginal errors from Shahzad as he bowled to a plan, bringing Shanto forward with fuller lengths while angling the ball into him from round the wicket. Having habituated Shanto into front-foot drives and blocks into the cover region with a slightly open bat face, he pulled his length back slightly and got one to nip back in off the seam and bowl him comprehensively through the gate.Bangladesh were 53 for 2, and the seven overs before the next drinks break brought Shadman and Mominul just 12 runs.Through all this, Shadman batted with poise, except for a couple of ungainly moments against the short ball when he top-edged pulls off Mohammad Ali and Shahzad, the ball falling safely in front of the long leg fielder both times.Pakistan players celebrate the dismissal of Shadman Islam•AFP/Getty Images

As hard as Pakistan were pushing, however, the three-hour first session was always going to be a test for them. Having gone without a boundary through the first two hours of the day, Shadman found his release when Shaheen served up a pair of freebies in the 24th over of the morning, driving a half-volley to the cover boundary and punching a full-toss back past the bowler. Then he stepped out to Salman Ali Agha and drilled him through the covers for another boundary to enter the 40s.Naseem returned to the attack, and his day, which had begun so brightly, began to unravel with three fours conceded in his last two overs before lunch. Mominul hit two off successive balls – a cheeky uppercut over the slips followed by a premeditated step back and across to flat-bat a marginally short-of-length ball wide of mid-on – before Shadman closed out the session with a pulled four that brought up his fifty.Shadman and Mominul put on 94 for the third wicket, before Shahzad broke the partnership in the fourth over after lunch. The wicket was near-identical to that of Zakir: a fullish length from round the wicket drew Mominul half-forward to defend, and inward seam movement pierced the bat-pad gap.Pakistan twice came close to getting an lbw soon after this, with Shahzad reviewing a not-out call off an inducker against Mushfiqur Rahim and Shadman reviewing an out call against a slider from the offspinner Salman Ali Agha. Both reviews went Bangladesh’s way.As the second session wore on, Shadman began to look dangerous, rushing from 64 to 93 in just 25 balls, hitting six fours in that time. Then Ali took a leaf out of Shahzad’s playbook and bowled him with the last ball before tea: once again, a ball from round the wicket that nipped into the left-hander and bowled him through the gate.

Liverpool hardly need a rebuild, and could likely go again next season, qualifying for the Champions League and competing for major trophies, with just minimal investment.

But FSG are prepared to reward Arne Slot for winning the Premier League in his first year in charge by making a ferocious statement of intent in the market.

Already, the Reds have signed Jeremie Frimpong to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold; Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz are in talks to follow.

But it’s not just incomings on sporting director Richard Hughes’ mind. Liverpool have a few potential high-profile exits to contend with.

Liverpool transfer exit news

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez is expected to leave this summer, having been persistently linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League. La Liga giants Atletico Madrid have also shown an interest.

Having scored only seven times across all competitions for Slot’s side, the 25-year-old would probably be best off wiping the slate clean and trying his hand elsewhere, especially since plans have been drawn up for a new number nine.

Though Nunez is tenacious and likeable, there’s no doubt he’s regressed in a Liverpool shirt over the past year, incongruous and ineffective as the frontman of Slot’s set-up.

On the note of players in need of a switch, Harvey Elliott has admitted on England U21 duty that he may need to leave Anfield this summer.

Elliott, 21, is a boyhood Liverpool supporter and a special creative talent, but his opportunities have been limited since Klopp departed, and a move away might be for the benefit of his career.

However, Liverpool may not just be selling those they wish to part with. Indeed, Luis Diaz is being mooted for a move to Saudi Arabia, and it might prove a bigger mistake than many are anticipating.

Why selling Luis Diaz would be a mistake

Liverpool acted swiftly to replace Sadio Mane with Diaz before their Senegalese legend had even left the club. In January 2022, FSG purchased Diaz from Porto in a deal, rising to £49m, and his predecessor stayed on until the end of the campaign.

When Liverpool sold Mane to Bayern Munich, however, they perhaps didn’t grasp how out of kilter it would knock Klopp’s side. The 2022/23 season sits as an infamous outlier across the illustrious span of Klopp’s tenure, a dark and permanent blot on his copybook.

Though Mane objectively reached a higher level of quality than Diaz, the Colombian is still one of the most important parts of Slot’s system, and he’s just come off his most productive campaign too, having posted 17 goals and eight assists across 50 appearances.

Regarded as a “world-class player” in the view of his former German boss, at least, Diaz’s unique value for Slot has been further underscored by his regular deployment as a false nine, combating an absence of reliable central striking options.

Diaz might be happy at Liverpool, but the riches of the Saudi Pro League could tempt him to pack up and leave off the back of winning the Premier League.

According to Foot Mercato, talks appear to have already begun, with Al-Hilal having established contacts with the 28-year-old as they sound out a bid.

Liverpool were warned that losing the “irreplaceable” Mane would “knock them sideways” by former star Dean Saunders in 2022, and this proved to be the case – in the short term, at least.

Diaz has done a rather good job in the years since, now a Carabao Cup and Premier League champion in the seasons since Mane’s departure.

Given the need to make numerous signings this summer, maybe Liverpool would be better off warding away interest in their dynamic left winger.

Move over Wirtz: Liverpool can sign Salah's next Firmino in £84m "magician"

Mohamed Salah is going to have some exciting new attacking talent alongside him next season.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 8, 2025