Over the last couple of years, Manchester United have been a side who have splashed the cash in the transfer market to try and take them back to their former glory days.

In the last three years alone, the Red Devils have spent upwards of £800m on new additions, but the vast majority of which have failed to deliver and catapult them up the league table.

The club finished 15th in the Premier League last time around, with pressure piling on manager Ruben Amorim as a result of his lack of impact at Old Trafford.

Despite financial difficulties voiced by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, he handed the 40-year-old funds in the region of £200m to help improve his first-team squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

However, one player already at the Theatre of Dreams has struggled as of late, with a potential exit on the cards from the club in the months ahead, given his lack of impact.

The latest on Zirkzee’s future at Man Utd

Over the last couple of days, it’s been reported that United forward Joshua Zirkzee has been hugely linked with an exit just over a year after his arrival.

Last summer, the Red Devils paid a fee in the region of £36m for the signature of the Dutchman, joining the club from Serie A side Bologna with real expectations to improve the frontline.

However, the 24-year-old only netted three league goals last season and was unable to get himself off the mark in the opening weeks of the new season after staying put.

The big-money spent by the board over the summer has seen the player fall further down Amorim’s pecking order, subsequently failing to make a single start to date.

He’s only registered 74 minutes of league action in 2025/26, undoubtedly leading to his desire to leave the club and pursue a new challenge in the near future.

Current CEO Omar Berrada has previously stated that players who failed to make any impact in two years must be sold to avoid losing huge money – with Zirkzee certainly in that category.

However, he’s not alone in that department, with another current first-team member also on borrowed time given his lack of impact at Old Trafford in recent times.

The United star who’s on borrowed time alongside Zirkzee

United’s lack of success in the transfer market has undoubtedly contributed to their demise in the Premier League, which has increased pressure onto the shoulders of Amorim.

Some of the players already on the books before his arrival struggled to make an impact after his arrival, with Brazilian winger Antony just one player who ultimately failed to hit the ground running during his tenure.

He joined the club in a £86m deal from Ajax back in the summer of 2022, subsequently following Erik ten Hag to the club after his appointment during the same period.

However, the club decided to sell the 25-year-old this summer, with the forward moving to Real Betis for just £21m, seeing the hierarchy take a £65m loss on their investment.

Another example of their failure in the transfer market is highlighted in their move to sign Manuel Ugarte last summer, with the Uruguayan costing a fee in the region of £42m from PSG.

His arrival was seen as the perfect opportunity to improve the options in the middle of the park, but a little over 12 months after his transfer, he’s failed to nail down a place in the starting eleven.

Ugarte, who’s been dubbed a “wet blanket” by former Chelsea star Craig Burley, has only started two games this campaign, along with 22 in the previous season.

Games played

6

Matches started

2

Minutes played

242

Passes completed

40

Chances created

0.3

Fouls committed

3.4

Dribbled past

0.9

Interceptions

0.6

The Uruguayan’s underlying stats from the recent campaign highlight his inability to impress, which could ultimately spell the end of his time at Old Trafford in the near future.

He’s only completed an average of 40 passes per 90 this season, whilst only creating 0.3 chances per 90, subsequently showcasing his

inability to progress the play into attacking areas.

The 24-year-old has also committed 3.4 fouls per 90 to date, whilst also ranking in the 73rd percentile for being dribbled past – highlighting he often resorts to taking out an opponent if he’s struggling to dispossess them.

As a result, he’s often been selected behind the likes of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in such a role, with his move to England undoubtedly failing to reach the heights many anticipated.

After such a disappointing first year in the Premier League, it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone to see him depart in the near future, subsequently raising funds for another talent to arrive in the process.

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Many of Eddie Howe’s trusty Newcastle United old guard now find themselves on borrowed time on Tyneside.

Indeed, with just two wins next to their name from their opening eight Premier League games, it’s clear that the Toon aren’t firing on all cylinders anymore week in week out, with figures such as Dan Burn on shaky ground arguably when it comes to consistent first-team minutes heading their way in the near future.

Burn will be worrying when he will next be reinstated to the heart of the Magpies’ defence with the emergence of Malick Thiaw into the side, with the £30m summer recruit already looking right at home on English shores, hailed by some as their “signing of the summer.”

With Kieran Trippier not getting any younger in the right-back spot, either, it does feel as if Newcastle are heading towards a situation where a refresh is needed in certain areas of the squad.

Obviously, watching these Toon stalwarts decline in front of their very eyes will be heartbreaking to watch from a Newcastle fan’s perspective.

But, Newcastle have been here before in terms of having to pull the plug on a once regular starter in the form of Miguel Almiron, who was a beloved presence at St James’ Park, even if his playing days in black and white did unfortunately fizzle out.

Almiron's decline at Newcastle

Even if it did end in Almiron being offloaded back to Atlanta United last January for a cheap £11m fee, considering he was once purchased for £20m by the Premier League side, it’s clear from goals such as his outrageous curled effort against Everton that the South American is still fondly remembered as an entertainer on Tyneside.

Back in January of 2019, the Paraguayan entering the building for that high amount meant that he was seen as a statement purchase from the get-go, which had a negative effect initially on him being able to settle in his new environment.

Staggeringly, it took Almiron 27 appearances in the Premier League before he finally broke his top-flight duck with a strike against Crystal Palace.

Thankfully, with a monkey now off his back, the 31-year-old would eventually go on to be seen as a “very special” asset to have around St James’ Park by Howe.

Across a mighty 223 appearances for the Toon, Almiron netted 30 goals and 16 assists for the club, with one of those efforts even pushing the former number 24 into the record books to sit alongside Magpies royalty in Alan Shearer.

Amazingly, Almiron would score Newcastle’s first strike in Champions League action since 2003 when getting the ball rolling during that famous night against PSG at St James’ Park, with Shearer the last goalscorer to bag for the Toon in such an illustrious competition, before Almiron delivered.

With an 11-goal Premier League season also under his belt during the 2022/23 campaign, it appeared as if Almiron would be sticking it out with Newcastle until the very end of his long career, with the 31-year-old continuing to age gracefully as a star capable of serving up “magical” moments, as his manager also waxed lyrical.

However, all began to unravel for Almiron last season, as the adaptable attacker – who can play all over the attacking positions if needed – was frozen out of his manager’s lineups, as injury issues also took a hold of the declining South American.

Almiron’s final season at Newcastle
Stat	Almiron
Games played	14
Minutes played	412
Games missed through injury	8
Goals scored	0
Assists	0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Even when he was fit and free of knee troubles, the once slick and daring forward looked a shadow of his former self, with zero goals or assists coming his way during limited opportunities last campaign.

In the end, Almiron closed out his long-standing affliation with the Toon on a sombre note, with a very real fear in the air now that Howe has an Almiron 2.0 scenario going on.

Newcastle have another Almiron problem

Around the time Almiron joined the club in 2019, Newcastle were splashing the cash regularly on some exciting new gems.

In the summer transfer window after the 5-foot-9 playmaker had moved to England from America, Newcastle also purchased Allan Saint-Maximin, who was guilty of some hit-and-miss moments himself on Tyneside.

Alongside him, the Toon also went all out to land Joelinton for a whopping £40m.

At the start, much like his fellow South American counterpart before him, Joelinton severely struggled in the bright lights of the Premier League, with the-then striker seen as an expensive laughing stock, when scoring just a meagre two league goals during his debut campaign.

However, much like Almiron managed, Joelinton would breathe significant life into his Magpies playing days the more he became attuned to the intense nature of the English game, with Howe’s decision-making to push him into a central midfield spot proving to be a masterstroke.

Even Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher heralded the no-nonsense Brazilian as a “revelation” for what he would go on to offer his side from the middle of the park, with a clear highlight of his 230-game spell in black and white to date surely being the Carabao Cup trophy being lifted earlier this year.

Joelinton was vital in that 2-1 upset being pulled off against Arne Slot’s heavily fancied Liverpool, and although he didn’t add to his goal or assist tally at Wembley – which stands at an impressive 52 goal contributions – it’s clear why Howe once noted that the 29-year-old was “gold dust”, always putting in a shift when needed.

Yet, despite all his past successes making him an undoubted modern icon, time has seemingly caught up with Joelinton in the same way it begun to weigh down on Almiron, with this season – in particular – highlighting the number seven’s alarming drop-off.

Joelinton’s creative spark has now left his game, with zero goals or assists coming his way in league action from seven largely forgettable games, with his energy and determination also lacking, when you consider he has only won 4.2 duels per game across that same span of games. As journalist Mark Douglas noted after Saturday’s defeat to Brighton, the midfielder is now “nowhere near his best.”

Joelinton’s PL numbers vs Brighton
Stat	Joelinton
Minutes played	45
Goals scored	0
Assists	0
Touches	39
Shots	0
Accurate passes	21/26 (81%)
Key passes	0
Total duels won	5/7
Stats by Sofascore

To add context, at the peak of his powers during the 2022/23 campaign, he won a high seven duels per game, with his lacklustre showing last time out against Brighton seeing Magpie Media state that his performance was “tough to watch.”

With Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes still performing at their optimum in the middle of the park – with Tonali boldly being branded as “world-class” by one Newcastle content creator this season – it feels as if Newcastle might need to have some tough conversations soon about ditching Joelinton, with Almiron leaving the building initially hurting, but is now seen as the correct and decisive call looking back.

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Premier League fans will have enjoyed a feast of football after the conclusion of the international break. However, a former player in England’s top-flight calling out Jake Paul may not have been on their bingo card this weekend!

Former Premier League star Curtis Davies claims KO victory over Paddy Kenny

Boxing is a sport that has seen plenty of high-profile crossovers in recent years. On Saturday night, it was the turn of former Hull City defender Curtis Davies and ex-Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Paddy Kenny to pull on the gloves for charity.

The Sun report that Graham Stack was behind the event, one that also saw Jody Morris and David Bentley go head-to-head, among other bouts involving Leroy Lita, Lee Trundle and Greg Halford, but Davies and Kenny grabbed the headlines due to a turn of events in Mayfair that has garnered social media attention.

With both ex-footballers fighting it out looking to raise money for Playskill, Willow Foundation, Helping Hands and Sport In Mind, Davies took the victory ruthlessly, knocking out Kenny in the first round to claim a resounding victory.

Despite showing admirable bravery to carry on after his opponent landed a series of blows, Kenny, a former Republic of Ireland international, was eventually downed after a standing count took place moments earlier, in footage that can be seen below courtesy of The Daily Mail.

Unfortunately, the Sheffield United favourite needed oxygen after suffering the knockout blow. Hopefully, he can recover well following a bruising affair with some noble causes at the heart of the event.

Davies said after the fight: “Really pleased, I’ve worked hard for this, it’s bittersweet, I love Paddy to bits, I didn’t want to have to knock him about, but that’s what we’re here to do. It’s all for charity, yes, but I enjoyed that win.”

Curtis Davies calls out Jake Paul after victory over Paddy Kenny

Later on, Davies took the surprise step of calling out world-renowned influencer and professional fighter Jake Paul, alongside signalling his intention to enter the Misfits boxing scene.

Whether his comments were tongue-in-cheek or not remains to be seen, but he said after speaking about his victory:

Full list of results of charity fight card

Jody Morris vs David Bentley

Winner: Jody Morris (decision)

Leroy Lita vs David Noble

Winner: Leroy Lita (decision)

Anthony Gardner vs Lee Trundle

Winner: Anthony Gardner (decision)

Marvin Elliott vs Greg Halford

Winner: Marvin Elliott (decision)

Curtis Davies vs Paddy Kenny

Winner: Curtis Davies (KO)

In his heyday, Davies was a dominant central defender who would offer a physical challenge to any striker in the English football pyramid, and it appears he may have found a new calling in boxing, becoming part of a growing trend of ex-players who have swapped boots for gloves.

Curtis Woodhouse has carved out a successful career in the sport. At the same time, Danny Simpson have been involved in Misfits, creating some intriguing match-ups in a different setting to test out their competitive nature.

Either way, charity was the real winner on this occasion, and money raised will go towards helping vital causes after a momentous night of action in Mayfair.

With their backs against the wall, the New York Mets staged a stunning comeback in the top of the ninth inning during their 4–2 win in Game 3 of the wild-card round series to eliminate the Milwaukee Brewers. It seems no one was more fired up than Jesse Winker, who was one of the runners who crossed the plate during the late-game rally.

A couple of batters after Pete Alonso's three-run homer gave the Mets a 3–2 lead, Starling Marte batted Winker home on an RBI single. After crossing the plate and giving New York a two-run cushion, Winker was so fired up he removed his helmet and promptly smashed it on the ground with both hands in celebration.

His helmet didn't survive the collision with the ground, as pieces of it could be seen scattering after Winker spiked it into the dirt.

It's not difficult to see just how much it means to him, despite having joined the franchise ahead of this year's trade deadline. Winker swiped second base in order to get into scoring position, and that proved to be a game-changing stolen bag, as he was able to come around to score after Marte's base hit.

Here's another look at just how fired up Winker was after crossing the plate.

That's postseason baseball, folks.

Winker, who played for the Brewers in 2022, was ushered back into the dugout by his overjoyed teammates, who knew they had just put themselves within three outs of an NLDS berth. They managed to get those three outs with David Peterson on the mound in the bottom of the ninth, stunning the crowd at American Family Field.

The Los Angeles Dodgers closed out a five-game World Series against the New York Yankees in the Bronx, staging a dramatic comeback in Game 5 to clinch the franchise's eighth championship.

During a Monday appearance on Mookie Betts's podcast, manager Dave Roberts admitted that he's relieved the series didn't shift back to Los Angeles for a Game 6.

Elaborating, Roberts said that he was afraid of the pressure the Dodgers would face if tasked with having to avoid potentially blowing a 3–0 series lead. Roberts, who was part of the Boston Red Sox team that staged a 3–0 comeback in the ALCS against the Yankees in 2004, made it clear he was hoping to avoid ending up on the wrong side of history.

"When you're down 3–0, you're at the point where you have nothing to lose now… When you're down 3–0 everyone is expecting you to lose anyway. So now, that, for me, is freeing. And they played free, won Game 4. And I will tell you this now, publicly, I was so afraid to come back to Los Angeles for Game 6," said Roberts, when asked if he managed Game 5 with more urgency than usual.

"If we were to come back, the noise, the pressure becomes real. Because then, you're going to start potentially being part of history in the wrong way."

Roberts's urgency in Game 5 paid off, as a disastrous series of Yankees defensive miscues gave life to the Dodgers' comeback. They managed to secure the World Series win on the road, much to the relief of their manager.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl is looking to do something tonight that Russell Martin did not achieve in his time at the club: back-to-back wins in the Scottish Premiership.

The former Gers boss only won five of his 17 games in charge of the Ibrox giants, and he only won one match in the league before his dismissal earlier this month.

Rohl arrived to replace him in the dugout at Ibrox and won his first Premiership game in charge of the club at the weekend, beating Kilmarnock 3-1 in front of the home support.

The Gers face Hibernian away from home in the Premiership this evening, and the German boss must ruthlessly ditch Thelo Aasgaard from the starting line-up.

Why Thelo Aasgaard should be dropped

The Norway international should be dropped from the XI against Hibs tonight because his performance against Kilmarnock last time out left a lot to be desired.

Aasgaard, per Sofascore, came off the pitch in the 81st minute after failing to register a single shot on goal or create any chances for the team at the top end of the pitch, which shows that he was ineffective as an attacking force.

Thelo Aasgaard’s Premiership season
Opponent	Manager	Goals + key passes
Kilmarnock	Danny Rohl	0 + 0
Dundee United	Stevie Smith	1 + 4
Falkirk	Russell Martin	0 + 0
Livingston	Russell Martin	0 + 0
Hearts	Russell Martin	0 + 1
Celtic	Russell Martin	0 + 0
St Mirren	Russell Martin	0 + 0
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Luton man’s only impressive attacking outing in the Premiership came during Stevie Smith’s match as interim manager.

Chalkboard

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

The English-born playmaker has not proven that he can be relied upon, as evidenced by his dismal league form, which is why he should be dropped for a tricky away game against Hibernian, who are third in the league.

The Rangers star Rohl should replace Aasgaard with

Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Aasgaard from the team in order to bring hard-working central midfielder Connor Barron into the middle of the park alongside Mohamed Diomande and Nicolas Raskin.

The box-to-box star could help to make Rangers solid and difficult to beat, rather than having a natural attacking player like Aasgaard in there, which could help them to record back-to-back wins in the league.

Prior to Martin’s arrival in the summer, pundit Andy Haliday claimed that Barron “was Rangers’ best player for the first few months of the season” in the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he is capable of outstanding performances for the Light Blues.

Connor Barron (Premiership)	24/25	25/26
Appearances	28	7
Pass accuracy	90%	86%
Passes made per game	40.8	23.4
Key passes per game	0.8	0.1
Tackles per game	2.2	1.7
Interceptions per game	0.6	0.3
Ball recoveries per game	3.8	3.0
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Scotland international’s performance levels in and out of possession were much higher before Martin arrived at Ibrox earlier this year.

Barron was a defensive force, averaging 6.8 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game, for Rangers in the Premiership last season after his move from Aberdeen, buzzing around the pitch to disrupt the opposition and win possession back for his side.

Rohl should be looking to unlock his talent, which was seemingly hidden by Martin’s tactics, by unleashing him in midfield against Hibernian ahead of Aasgaard this evening, as he could provide the bite and drive that they may need to come away with all three points in a difficult away match.

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Rohl has made it clear that he is not wedded to one style of play or system, which is why taking a creative midfielder like Aasgaard out for a pitbull like Barron could make sense for a tougher match away from home, as it is a pragmatic move.

Harry Kane has reportedly emerged as Barcelona's top target to replace ageing striker Robert Lewandowski at the end of the 2025-26 season. Lewandowski is expected to depart Hansi Flick's side as a free agent when his contract with the Catalan giants expires next summer, with Barca considering triggering the £57m release clause in Kane's contract at Bayern Munich.

• Kane on Barca's wanted list

  Barcelona are expected to invest in a new No. 9 next summer to replace Lewandowski and have put Kane at the top of their wanted list, according to . The England captain has enjoyed a prolific time at Bayern since moving from Tottenham in 2023 and won his first major trophy last season by firing the Bavarian giants to the Bundesliga title. Kane turned 32 back in July but has scored an incredible 108 goals in 113 appearances for Bayern, making him one of the deadliest strikers in Europe. The England captain does have an exit clause in his contract at Allianz Arena, and it's thought Barca could be preparing to trigger it to bring him to Camp Nou.

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• Getty
  

  Barcelona line up Lewandowski replacements

  Kane is not the only player being linked with a move to Barcelona to replace Lewandowski. Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez is also thought to be a target, while Barcelona president Joan Laporta is said to be "obsessed" about trying to bring in Erling Haaland to the club. More recently, Etta Eyong has also been mentioned as a low-cost option, due to Barca's continued financial issues.

  Meanwhile, Lewandowski, now 37, has spoken about his future while on international duty with Poland and insists he has not yet decided his next move. He told reporters: "I still don’t know the answer. That’s why I’m not in a hurry, I’m at peace with myself. And that is the most important thing. Even if, for example, the club contacted me now, I still wouldn’t answer that question. Because I also have to feel what’s best for me. Now I’m calm, I’m not in a hurry and, at the moment, I don’t expect anything else."

  Lewandowski has had to accept a reduced role at Barcelona in the 2025-26 season, due to injury and with Ferran Torres gaining prominence, but is still the team's top scorer currently. The veteran striker has seven goals from nine La Liga outings, which also means that only Kylian Mbappe has netted more times than Lewandowski in Spain's top flight in 2025-26.

• What has Kane said about his future?

  It remains to be seen if Kane could be tempted to Barcelona, but he will surely be well aware that England team-mate Marcus Rashford has been posting some impressive statistics since joining the club on loan from Manchester United. Rashford has received plenty of praise after contributing six assists and two goals in his debut La Liga campaign and making the most of his first-team opportunities while Raphinha is out injured.

  Meanwhile, Kane has spoken about his future this season, saying he's happy at Bayern and is willing to discuss a new contract. He said: "We can certainly talk about that. I have almost two years left. It's not like I'm in the final year of my contract and anyone is panicking. I'm fine. The club is fine. I think they're happy with me, and I'm happy with them. Those discussions can take place." 

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• AFP
  

  What next for Kane and Barca?

  Barcelona's continued financial issues will affect any transfer plans and it remains to be seen if the club can afford to trigger Kane's release clause and add him to the squad in time for next season. Lewandowski's priority is thought to be to stay at Barcelona, as he is not tempted by a lucrative transfer to Saudi Pro League, and he may well hope he can earn a new contract if he can continue to deliver goals and titles for the Catalan giants. Barcelona will also have to make a decision on Rashford's future. The forward's contract at Barcelona includes a purchase option, but the club have already ruled out triggering it in January and there's no guarantee yet that his loan spell will be made permanent.

Puttick, Troughton and Lee also added in support staff reshuffle ahead of the ILT20 auction on September 30

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2025Gulf Giants, the ILT20 franchise, have appointed Jonathan Trott as head coach and Shane Bond as bowling coach for the upcoming season. They replace Andy Flower and Ottis Gibson, respectively.Apart from being Afghanistan’s head coach, Trott was also the head coach of Pretoria Capitals in SA20 and was replaced by Sourav Ganguly there. Bond’s recent stints have been with Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and with Paarl Royals in SA20.”The Gulf Giants have quickly become one of the ILT20’s most successful teams,” Trott said in a statement. “My goal is to empower players to excel and help shape a championship-winning squad through the first-ever ILT20 auction.”Related

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The ILT20 auction will be held on September 30 in Dubai for the fourth season which is set to run from December 2, 2025 to January 4, 2026.”The team’s ambition is clear,” Bond said. “I’m excited to sharpen our bowling attack and make a decisive impact this season.”Giants have also added Andrew Puttick as batting coach, Jim Troughton as fielding coach and Nick Lee as fitness coach.Their squad currently includes James Vince, Aayan Khan, Mark Adair, Blessing Muzarabani and Gerhard Erasmus as their retained players. Their new signings are Moeen Ali, Azmatullah Omarzai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Giants had won the inaugural edition of ILT20 in 2023, were eliminated in Qualifier 2 in 2024, and finished second from bottom earlier this year.

Tottenham have a few decisions to make on the futures of first-team players, with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, star defender Cristian Romero and other highly-rated prospects tied down to new contracts.

Tottenham extend deals of highly-rated stars in boost for Thomas Frank

Luca Williams-Barnett, Tynan Thompson, Dante Cassanova, George Abbott, Yusuf Akhamrich and Callum Olusesi are on the long list of exciting talents who’ve committed their futures to Spurs this year, while more senior players have joined them.

Mikey Moore, Djed Spence and Cristian Romero have also put to paper on fresh terms recently, and the latter comes as a particularly welcome boost for Thomas Frank after the Argentine attracted summer interest from Atlético and Real Madrid.

Most recently, midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, whose deal was due to expire next summer, agreed to extend his stay in North London as well, coming amid his stellar partnership with summer signing Joao Palhinha in the engine room.

The Uruguay international, who’s made over 120 senior appearances since his move from Juventus, has been a key player for Frank so far, and the Dane is thrilled by Bentancur’s prolonged involvement at N17.

Reports suggest that Tottenham are also prepared to double Micky van de Ven’s wages in an effort to convince the Dutchman to sign a new deal of his own, coming as both Real Madrid and Chelsea express an interest.

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

8.08/10

Tottenham 3-0 Burnley

7.44/10

Man City 0-2 Tottenham

6.76/10

Tottenham 1-1 Wolves

6.72/10

Tottenham 0-1 Bournemouth

6.58/10

via WhoScored

However, despite their contracts expiring in under two years, the future is far more uncertain for both Yves Bissouma and Richarlison.

The former was left out of both Tottenham’s Super Cup squad and 22-man Champions League list, with Bissouma tipped to leave either in January or next summer once his terms run out at the end of the season.

Richarlison, meanwhile, has attracted some criticism for his inconsistent displays, with MLS side Orlando City already flying to London and holding talks over a potential transfer next year, even if he’s a “key player” for Spurs right now (Fabrizio Romano).

Richarlison has "already" held talks over Tottenham exit next year

This is backed up by former Tottenham employee and scout Mick Brown, who told Football Insider that Richarlison’s exit past the new year is a real possibility.

The 28-year-old enjoyed a major purple patch midway through Ange Postecoglou’s first season in charge, but his 2024/2025 campaign was marred by injuries.

Richarlison also bagged a brace against Burnley on the opening Premier League weekend, including a phenomenal overhead kick, which was an early contender for goal of the season.

Before the Brazilian eventually departs, with all signs pointing towards a 2026 exit, he could still have a significant role to play, and certain sections of the media believe he’s actually quite “underrated”, as Micah Richards claimed in 2022.

Australia’s captain has spent the off-season working on her technique after a run of injuries

Andrew McGlashan31-Jul-2025

Alyssa Healy will return to keeping against India A during August•Getty Images

Australia captain Alyssa Healy has made some technical adjustments to her wicketkeeping technique in a bid to ease the strain on her body ahead of the ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.Healy has not kept in a competitive fixture since the ODI series against England during the Ashes in January. She played the Test in that series as a specialist batter having suffered a recurrence of a foot injury that she first sustained at last year’s T20 World Cup, while a knee injury curtailed her WBBL season.Healy explained that the changes won’t be hugely visible but consist of her starting in a slightly more upright position, something she termed a hybrid technique between what is generally coached differently in Australia and England.Related

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Healy rules out World Cup farewell as keeping comeback nears

“We’ve been taught how to wicket keep a certain way in this country for an extended period of time,” Healy said at the announcement of Westpac as a new partner with Cricket Australia. “At the end of the day, it’s not overly efficient on our bodies, and doing it at 35 is not ideal.”We’ve just been looking at ways to make it a little bit easier for some ageing joints and trying to keep things moving the way they should. It’s been a nice learning experience later in my career, so hopefully it pays off.”Speaking separately to ESPNcricinfo, Healy went into more detail on how the changes came about following discussions with a podiatrist she was working with around her latest injury.”One of them actually worded it to me like when, and I’m not comparing myself to him, but when Cristiano Ronaldo started to get towards the back end of his career, they changed positions for him to make it a little bit easier on the body,” Healy said. “It was interesting and I said, well, how do we do that in the game of cricket? Like you can’t really change positions, but can we change things technically to make things more efficient? And we just played around with it.Alyssa Healy has battled injury over the past year•ICC/Getty Images

“[Looking at] some of the stressful parts of my job and what it’s doing to some of the joints in my body and how do I get the best out of myself for the back end of my career. So we just tinkered around with it and it’s just really simply, it’s kind of like a bit of a hybrid model between what the English do and what we do.”We’ve all been traditionally taught to stay low and come up with the ball and that’s fine until your knees and your feet can’t allow you to do that anymore. So just been playing around with how to get to my power position a little bit differently.”Healy will return to keeping in the upcoming Australia A series against India A with the hope she can play a full role behind the stumps at the World Cup which starts in late September. Australia will prepare for that tournament with three ODIs against India.”I’ll get a red-hot crack at it in the ODI fixtures in that A-series, so we’ll get a better look at how things are working,” she said. “My goal is to be there and playing in the World Cup as a wicketkeeper, so hopefully that pans out.”While Australia have a significant prize ahead of them as defending champions at the ODI World Cup, the team won’t be seen on home soil until the middle of February when they face India, with the WPL now permanently in January and forcing them out of the school holiday window.The multiformat series against India involves three T20Is, three ODIs and finishes with a day-night Test at the WACA in Perth.”Not having an international fixture in that school holiday period does hurt a little bit, but in saying that, it kind of extends the cricket season, which isn’t completely a bad thing for our sport,” Healy said. “At the back end of the Ashes [last year], I felt like that was really cool to have it at the end of the Border-Gavaskar, so hopefully there’s similar sort of momentum this year at the end of the men’s Ashes, that there’s still some more cricket to watch.”We’re playing India, which is one of the biggest series for us, so we’ll wait and see how it plays out. I think it’s going to look different for a little period of time until we work out the right balance for us in Australia with WPL shifting.”On the prospect of the pink-ball Test, Healy said: “Hopefully we get a nice fast, bouncy wicket, and we can show the Indians how good our pace stocks are.”