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David Warner would like to see the World Test Championship (WTC) final played as a three-Test series instead of a one-off game.Australia take on India at The Oval from June 7, the first step in a big six months for them as they challenge for the Test title, the Ashes and then the ODI World Cup. Warner has played in World Cup finals before – has won them too – but is looking forward to a first five-day title.”I think it’s great,” he said ahead of a training session in Beckenham. “I have been – I won’t say critical – but I do think it should be at least a three-game series with Test cricket only. You play two years of good cricket, then you play on a neutral venue against an opposition. We’ve all played here before but [this game is] not against the same [host] nation.Related

• 'Why cannot it be March?' – Rohit questions WTC final scheduling and venue

• WTC final FAQs: Dukes ball, reserve day, a first-of-its-kind Oval Test, and more

• Neser replaces Hazlewood in Australia's WTC final squad

• David Warner hoping for SCG farewell from Test cricket in January 2024

• Taylor sees potential for Warner to follow 1997 revival

“It’s a great reward for the two best teams. Two world-class bowling attacks bowling with a Dukes ball on foreign land. It’s great and we’re excited for that.”Given an increasingly cramped calendar and the demands on a schedule a three-Test series will make on any host nation, it is unlikely Warner’s wish will become reality anytime soon. Speaking last week, the ICC’s general manager cricket, Wasim Khan said that though there is constant review of the structure, the current feedback from members was that the league and one-off final was “continuing to work as it is”.Members have committed to the league and final for the next eight-year cycle.

Warner cops blow on elbow but he’s good to go

Warner should be fine to play in the final, despite taking another hit to his left elbow in nets a couple of days ago. It hit him on the same spot as the Mohammed Siraj delivery in the second innings of the Delhi Test earlier this year. That blow resulted in a hairline fracture which ruled him out of the remaining two Tests of the series.”It was sore, it got me right on the same point from a different angle,” he said. “It went numb, had to get it strapped. It’s fine now, a little bit sore. Luckily it didn’t hit me on top.”The last one hit from above and had a hairline fracture. This one was a straight blow on the corner of the elbow which was quite sore. Just one of those things, you get hit, you get hit, can’t do anything about it.”Warner goes into the final with questions around his Test form. He averages 26 since the start of 2022 but said he’d been batting in the nets better than he ever remembers.”I remember 2013, I was in the nets and copping it left, right and centre in the media about getting bowled by Mitchell Starc and all the other guys and how I wasn’t in form in the nets. I found that a bit bizarre because I’m probably one of the worst netters going around. But here, I’ve actually been superb, in terms of how my feet have been moving. My energy’s been moving, I’ve been up and about. I’m probably batting better than I ever have in the nets.”David Warner gets cracking as Australia get ready for the WTC final•ICC via Getty Images

With a Test underway at Lord’s already and the Ashes to start in just under two weeks, the WTC final – in England but without England – has had to fight a little for its share of the attention. Warner, at least, was clear about his immediate priorities: Stuart Broad later, Mohammed Shami and Co for now.”I haven’t really worked on that [plans for Broad] yet,” he said. “I’m concentrating on the WTC final. Mohammed Shami and [Mohammed] Siraj and Shardul Thakur is what’s on my mind first. That’s what important to us right now, then I’ll switch on and worry about Stuart Broad if they select him for the first Test this time.””We’ve played some outstanding cricket over the last 18-24 months. We know what India will bring to the table. It’s a great neutral venue, two world-class bowling attacks with a Dukes ball and from a batter’s perspective, I can’t wait to get out there.”

New Zealand Under-19 coach Paul Wiseman talks about the country’s junior programme, which prioritises the development of young players and the production of future Black Caps above results

Shashank Kishore in Mount Maunganui20-Jan-2018It’s perhaps a sign of the times that New Zealand Cricket have not quite managed to allocate budgets to allow their Under-19 team the kind of exposure they would have liked leading into the World Cup, but the team management isn’t certainly using that as an excuse. They shouldn’t, too, after winning three games on the bounce in the run-up to the quarter-finals.Between the previous edition in January 2016 – where they finished 12th – and a month before the current one, New Zealand’s Under-19s didn’t play a single international match. Around Christmas, they played a short series at home against Zimbabwe. Then they had two warm-up games organised by the ICC before heading into what was a group of death: games against South Africa, defending champions West Indies, and Kenya. To put things into perspective, even Afghanistan managed to gain more match-time between then and now.New Zealand, though, have benefitted from a talent-identification system that has been built around their six major associations and their coaches who have been working in sync with Paul Wiseman, the overall in-charge and current head coach of the Under-19 side.”The program has been set up around our talent identification,” Wiseman explains. “We have six major associations and six coaches, who I keep in regular contact with. They have been fantastic with their communication. We have worked with 13-man-squad for the last 18 months or so. They have five camps during the winter for a week [each] and we have always tried to know them better. The whole concept is not just around the performance side of things. We view this as development. If you perform well in it, that is a bonus, but we are really trying to develop cricketers for first-class and hopefully the Black Caps [New Zealand’s national team]. We are looking at the whole picture, not just performance.”Ahead of the 2016 campaign, a lot of the players in the squad linked up for the first time before their flight to Dubai, where they played four practice matches before flying out to Bangladesh. This time, though, while match practice has been hard to come by, the players have been given time to gel over the last 18 months through specialised camps and inter-squad games.”We struggled on spinning wickets last time, so we have put a bit of focus on playing spin as well, but like I said, it is long-term development for these guys,” Wiseman explains. “For New Zealanders to learn to play spin better is key because half their games at the international level are played on those sort of wickets.”Also just getting to know the group that we have got coming through better and better, having more time with them and more expertise with them, not just with coaching but sport science stuff as well, has been a big part of it. That is great because they have been ready for this challenge more than what we were the last time. It wasn’t the players’ fault that we didn’t have enough game time.”Felix Murray is playing in his second Under-19 World Cup•ICCOne of Wiseman’s challenges in his role has been to sometimes convince young players where their future lies. Most often, he deals with players having to choose between one or two sport or cricket and academics.”We try to make sure the players have balance. If they are at university, we try to fit things around that as much as we can – like have camps during holidays and things like that. We think that is a very important part of growing the person. If we have a more all-round person we will get a better player. We also encourage them to play other sports as long as they can. Our motto is: play as many sports as you can until you make a decision. We might lose one or two along the way but I think we will end up with good athletes.”Wiseman cites the example of Jordie Barrett who was at the crossroads in 2016, not sure whether his true calling was cricket or rugby. He missed selection for Bangladesh because of an unfortunate injury before the squad was picked. Today, he is a fullback for the All Blacks.”At the end of the day, guys will work out where their heart lies and where they think they have got the best future, which game they love, and we’ll encourage it,” Wiseman says. “Obviously we push cricket but we’ll completely understand if they go elsewhere.”It is because of this ‘time players take’ to figure out where their true calling is that New Zealand haven’t shied away from allowing eligible players to feature in multiple Under-19 World Cups. Four cricketers from the 2016 batch – Rachin Ravindra, Felix Murray, Dale Phillips and Finn Allen – are also part of the current squad.Ravindra has now delivered three back-to-back good performances. His three wickets against West Indies set them back after a solid opening stand. Against Kenya, he struck a sublime hundred. In the final group game against South Africa, he became the first New Zealander to hit a half-century and pick four wickets at the Under-19 World Cup. Phillips chipped in with a cameo to arrest a middle-order slide, while Allen has struck a century and half-century in three innings so far.”It comes down to what we think the player needs,” Wiseman says of the balance between overexposure and opportunities. “We have brought a couple of younger guys who are involved in our camps, and will more than likely be involved in the next Under-19 World Cup. They will be working alongside these players. That is just how it works. It is quite rare to have four guys playing two editions. Preferably we would only have one, but the great thing is we’ve had some of our players have one World Cup experience in the subcontinent and one here at home. These guys could be the guys who play World Cups for our senior team and have had experiences in both now.”These World Cups are brilliant but they are not a career-defining experience. As long as they go away and learn from them and become better from there, [it is] fantastic. It’s the same for a number of players who have missed out but are very close to the side. At the end of the day, they have missed out on a great experience but it’s not a career-defining one. So we try to keep everything in balance and the whole thing is learning and development. It doesn’t really matter if we come twelfth in the World Cup or first, at the end of the day it’s how many Black Caps we can produce and how many players that we can make better.”

Play GOAL's global soccer predictions game and turn matchweeks into moments of glory – are you ready for the challenge?

Welcome to GOAL8, the ultimate football prediction game. You’ve joined thousands of fans competing to win a weekly prize of $100,000, simply by picking the correct scores in eight matches.

GOAL8 allows soccer-loving fans to battle it out with friends, family and fellow supporters throughout the 2025-26 season. The weekly game is FREE to play, and it's quick and easy – none of the complications of Fantasy Soccer. Just click a button, enter eight score predictions and you're done. Easy.

HOW IT WORKS

+ Make your predictions – pick the full-time scores for this week’s eight selected matches.

+ Compete for a massive prize – get all eight correct and win $100,000.

+ Compete with friends – show off your football knowledge in our GOAL8 leaderboard.

Here’s how the scoring breaks down:

Correct score: Exactly predict final score – 50 Points

Goal difference: Correct goal difference, but not the exact score – 30 Points

Correct Result: Right outcome, but wrong score – 10 Points

Missed the mark: No correct prediction – 0 Points

GOAL8 will feature games from both domestic and global leagues – from MLS and NWSL to Premier League and La Liga, among others – to give you a chance to flex your knowledge of the game. Whether you're in Portland, Maine or Portland, Oregon – or any point between – private leagues allow you to go head-to-head with fellow fans to prove your skills.

Miss a Gameweek? No problem. The game's open for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, allowing you to play any week you choose. Get started in less than a minute – log in to your GOAL account, and then enter your first eight predictions before the deadline – for round one, 7 a.m. ET on Aug. 16. That's it. You're IN.

GOAL offers our predictions for this week's game below.

Getty Images SportPREMIER LEAGUE: ASTON VILLA 3, NEWCASTLE 1

GOAL verdict: As it stands, Alexander Isak is not going to be in the Newcastle team for opening day, according to an update from manager Eddie Howe. As a result, Villa are going to take advantage of the moment and drive home three points to kick off the campaign. With the addition of new forward Evann Guessand alongside their already stellar attack – featuring Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen, and Morgan Rogers – this one is Villa's to lose.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportPREMIER LEAGUE: SUNDERLAND 2, WEST HAM 1

GOAL verdict: Sunderland's offseason business has everyone in the Premier League wondering if they could be the shock of the campaign. They've spent north of $130M on transfers. West Ham, meanwhile, lost star attacker Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham and have yet to replace him. They've made some sound signings, particularly in defense and in goal, but without a Kudus replacement, they're going to struggle. Sunderland is going to capitalize on the moment they officially return to the Premier League.

Getty Images SportLA LIGA: LEVANTE 1, ALAVES 0

GOAL verdict: Levante, newly promoted to La Liga, will look to kick things off against an Alaves side who avoided relegation by just two points last season. It will be a close affair, but go with the new boys here. Alaves lost striker Joaquin Panichelli to RC Strasbourg – after a brilliant loan spell with Miranda in La Liga 2 last year, he was expected to be a key player. As it stands, they just don't have the firepower. Levante, meanwhile, brought in eight players this summer as they look to avoid relegation.

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Getty ImagesLA LIGA: VALENCIA 0, REAL SOCIEDAD 0

GOAL verdict: As the La Liga season kicks off, Valencia and Sociedad will both look to begin with three points after underwhelming 2024-25 campaigns. Both ended last season on 46 points, and both missed out on European competition. Valencia lost key defender Cristhian Mosquera to Arsenal, while the Gunners also nabbed midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Sociedad. With both teams shorthanded in different departments, and neither attack particularly improved, this will be a scoreless affair. 

Pep Guardiola has emphatically claimed that it is "over" for him at Barcelona, with a professional return to Catalonia being ruled out.

• Enjoyed spells as player & coach at Barca
• Has no intention of returning to Camp Nou
• Committed to Premier League post for now

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Guardiola stepped out of Barca’s famed youth system to take in 382 appearances for the Blaugrana as a player, helping them to six league titles and a European Cup triumph. He then returned to familiar surroundings when entering the world of coaching.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  He was promoted to first-team manager in 2008 and oversaw an era of tiki-taka-inspired success that saw the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta claim three La Liga crowns and a couple of Champions League triumphs. Guardiola severed ties with the club in 2012 after 247 matches at the helm.

• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  A return has been mooted ever since, but the current Manchester City boss insists that he has no plans to work with Barca again. He told : “It's over. It's over forever. It was very beautiful, but it's over now.”

  He added when pressed on a potential presidential post at Camp Nou: “Noooo! I'm no good at this.”

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• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Guardiola remains fully committed to his role in Manchester for now, with City rebuilding on the back of a 2024-25 campaign that delivered no major honours. Their 54-year-old coach said of supposed failures: “Look, one thing about sports is that you can't always win every competition you play. You know why? Because it's impossible. Impossible. So you lose sometimes, well yes, that's part of sports.

  “Michael Jordan was the greatest. He won six rings playing for 15 years. He lost more than he won. Tiger Woods was the greatest. He won 14 Grand Slams. Do you know how many he's played in his life? More than 100. He lost more than he won. In sports, you lose more than you win. I've played in 16 leagues and won 13. So, well, yes, I've lost some. But it hasn't gone badly.”

The PCB has, meanwhile, sent Rauf a show cause notice to explain his decision to pull out of selection for the Australia Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2023

The PCB has granted Haris Rauf a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in the BBL, marking a de-escalation in a stand-off with the fast bowler, after he opted out of the Test series against Australia. Zaman Khan and Usama Mir have also been granted NOCs to take part in the league, which begins from December 7.The trio can play in the BBL until December 28, however, a schedule the board said had been agreed bearing in mind “the workload of players and the future tours programme of the national men’s team.” That likely refers to their potential involvement in Pakistan’s T20I series with New Zealand after their tour of Australia, but those games don’t begin until January 12. At most, Rauf and Mir will end up playing five games for Melbourne Stars and Zaman four for Sydney Thunder.”The PCB understands that this decision is in the best interests of all the stakeholders involved while balancing the importance of game time with workload management,” the board said.Related

Melbourne Stars sign Dan Lawrence as a replacement player

PCB set to delay Haris Rauf's NOC for BBL

'This will hurt Pakistan cricket' – Wahab slams Rauf for opting out of Australia Tests

Hafeez stresses international-first policy for contracted players

Olly Stone, the England fast bowler, has been training with Stars and could be drafted into their squad as cover for Rauf at some stage. Stone plays county cricket for Nottinghamshire in the UK under Peter Moores, who is Stars’ new head coach.The granting of the NOC to Rauf ends worries that his stint with Stars would be delayed, after his decision to not play in the Australia Tests was publicly criticised by PCB officials. It has since emerged that the board has sent Rauf a show cause notice to explain his decision to pull out of selection for the Tests.The chief selector Wahab Riaz publicly criticised Rauf’s decision to not be available for the series at the end of last month. Wahab said Rauf had initially committed to the Test series only to pull out a day later, a version of events Rauf is believed to dispute. But it is a version of events that Mohammad Hafeez, the team director, also doubled down on in a press conference last week, before the team’s departure for Australia.The show cause notice is based on the alleged breach of clauses from the central contract which requires the cricketer to make themselves “available as and when required by the Board” and to “render professional cricketing services… diligently, faithfully and with utmost integrity”.That Rauf was in consideration for the Australia series was a surprise in the first place, given that he has mostly been seen and groomed as a white-ball specialist since his emergence through a Lahore Qalandars’ talent hunt in 2017. But ESPNcricinfo understands Rauf had been sounded out about the possibility of some involvement in the Australia Test series during the World Cup in India. Pakistan’s then management envisaged using him for maximum impact across shorter spells, especially at a venue like Perth, where Pakistan play their first Test. Rauf was said to be sceptical even then but had not ruled it out.That thinking was confirmed by Pakistan’s new captain Shan Masood who said before flying out to Australia that they wanted to use Rauf’s extreme pace across short spells as England had used Mark Wood in the Ashes a couple of seasons ago. Wood though has been managed by England as a red-ball option for a while, having now played 31 Tests and over 70 first-class games.Rauf has only ever played nine first-class matches and a single Test for Pakistan last winter against England, when Pakistan were also short of options. Rauf bowled 13 overs in the first innings of the Test in Rawalpindi and sustained a quad injury that ruled him out of the remaining series. He was not part of Pakistan’s squad to Sri Lanka for their last Test assignment, in July this year.Haris Rauf marks out his run-up•ICC via Getty Images

The administrative instability at the PCB has not helped the situation. When the idea of Rauf in Australia was first considered, the people talking to him were completely different to those now in charge: Hafeez has replaced Mickey Arthur as the team director (and is for now the replacement of Grant Bradburn as head coach) and Wahab has taken over from Inzamam-ul-Haq as the new chief selector, the fifth man in that post this year. Masood has taken over from Babar Azam as the Test captain.The issue had led to a degree of frustration among some centrally-contracted players, and the irony that Hafeez and Wahab are taking such stances has not been lost on them. As recently retired players, both found themselves in similar situations in their playing days not so long ago. In late 2019, Wahab took an “indefinite break” from red-ball cricket, pulling out from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy days before the start of the tournament.At 34 years old at the time, Wahab was playing less long-form cricket, but his decision to not make himself available for Tests was heavily criticised by Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s head coach at the time, as well as Waqar Younis, who was bowling coach at the time.In January 2021, meanwhile, Hafeez was excluded from a T20I series with South Africa during which Covid regulations meant he had to return earlier from a stint in the Abu Dhabi T10 to be available for the Pakistan squad. Hafeez, who was enjoying a T20 rebirth at the time, told the PCB he could not make it by that date and eventually missed the series. He had earlier warned the PCB that the overlap between the Pakistan series and the T10 could impact his availability because he had committed to playing in the league.

Former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold has paid an emotional tribute to the late Diogo Jota after his fatal car crash in Spain on Thursday. The Real Madrid right-back, who left the Reds last month, has been left without words after his former teammate's untimely death. Jota, along with his brother Andre, were pronounced dead on Thursday morning after a tragic accident.

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Alexander-Arnold pays tribute to JotaReal Madrid and TAA hold minute of silenceJota and TAA played five years togetherFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Jota and Andre lost their lives in Spain in a tragic car accident in Zamora as they were travelling to Santander to catch a ferry back to the United Kingdom, as the Liverpool star looked forward to preparing for the pre-season under Arne Slot. Alexander-Arnold has now paid tribute to his former teammate as he revealed he wants to 'remember Diogo with a big smile'.

AdvertisementAFPALEXANDER-ARNOLD'S TRIBUTE TO JOTA

On Instagram, Alexander-Arnold wrote: "It’s so difficult to find the right words when your head and heart are struggling to accept that someone you care so much about has gone.

"Diogo, your family was your world. They were everything. For Rute, his children, and his parents, all of our hearts are broken. And for Andre as well. Brothers and best friends.

"When it’s less painful, I want to remember Diogo with a big smile. So many laughs and happy moments. He was such a great teammate and a true friend.

"Forever number 20. Rest in peace, Diogo."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Prior to their training session at the Club World Cup, Alexander-Arnold joined his Real Madrid teammates in observing a minute's silence in honour of Jota. For five years, the two were teammates at Liverpool, appearing in 144 games together. Together, Jota and Alexander-Arnold scored ten goals while playing for the team and won multiple honours, including the Premier League this season.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Alexander-Arnold was one of a number of Jota's current and former teammates who paid tribute to the Anfield favourite. Andy Robertson and Virgil van Dijk also paid tribute to Jota.

Liverpool are now keen on signing a “total footballer” in the summer transfer window, but there is set to be fierce competition from a number of rival Premier League clubs, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Reds set to continue Premier League title pursuit vs Everton

Despite Arsenal’s 2-1 victory against Fulham on Tuesday, the Reds remain in a strong position to win the Premier League title, and they have the opportunity to restore their 12-point lead at the top of the table in the Merseyside derby at Anfield.

Having crashed out of the Champions League before going on to lose the EFL Cup final, the league title is the last remaining piece of silverware up for grabs this season, but if they manage to go all the way, it will undoubtedly still be considered a successful campaign.

One of the slight criticisms that could be made of Arne Slot’s side this season is perhaps their overreliance on Mohamed Salah, with Diogo Jota struggling with injuries while the likes of Federico Chiesa and Darwin Nunez haven’t exactly set the world alight.

Liverpool make contact to sign "world-class" £62m striker ahead of Arsenal

The Reds are now in the race to sign a “world-class” striker, having made the first move towards getting a deal done.

1

By
Dominic Lund

Apr 1, 2025

As such, Slot seems intent on bolstering his attacking options this summer, and Liverpool are now keen on signing RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, as reported by Romano for GiveMeSport.

There is a concrete chance Simons is on the move this summer, despite only recently signing for Leipzig permanently from Paris Saint-Germain, and several other Premier League clubs are also in the race for his signature, such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

The Dutchman could be available for a fee of around £58m – £62m, and the Premier League is one of the top destinations in his mind, particularly with Barcelona’s financial issues making it difficult for the La Liga side to compete for his signature.

"Total footballer" Simons could be destined for the top

Freelance scout Ben Mattinson is clearly a huge admirer of the 21-year-old, having lauded him as a “total footballer”, while also claiming he has “superstar potential” and the IQ to play all over the pitch.

Since then, the attacking midfielder, who can also play on the wing, has continued to impress for RB Leipzig, picking up seven goals and four assists in 19 Bundesliga outings this term, building on an impressive first season in Germany.

The Netherlands international has also been in top form for his country during the recent international break, being lauded as a “game-changer” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig after scoring against European champions Spain.

Liverpool could do with some more attacking depth if they are to compete on all fronts next season, with Jamie Carragher of the belief there are four or five players Slot doesn’t rate in his current squad, and Simons has proven he could be an excellent addition.

كشف مصدر مسؤول داخل النادي الأهلي، عن العروض التي تلقاها الفلسطيني وسام أبو علي لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، للرحيل عن صفوف القلعة الحمراء.

وأبدى وسام أبو علي رغبته القوية في الرحيل عن الأهلي وخوض تجربة احترافية، رغم أن بطل الدوري المصري كان يستهدف الإبقاء على خدماته.

وقال المصدر لـ بطولات: وسام أبو علي تلقى عرضًا من الوصل الإماراتي بقيمة 7 ملايين دولار للأهلي وراتب 4.5 مليون دولار للاعب سنويًا”.

طالع أيضًا.. الأفضل في القرن العشرين.. أول تعليق من يانيك فيريرا بعد تدريب الزمالك

وتابع: “وتلقى وسام أبو علي أيضًا عرضًا من الريان القطري مقابل 8 ملايين دولار للأهلي وراتب 4 ملايين دولار للاعب سنويًا”.

وأتم: “العرض الثالث جاء من ريد بولز الأمريكي مقابل 5.5 مليون دولار للأهلي وراتب 3 ملايين دولار للاعب سنويًا”.

وعلم بطولات في وقتٍ سابق، أن مندوب نادي الريان القطري متواجد في مصر حاليًا للتفاوض مع الأهلي حول انتقال وسام أبو علي.

وسام أبو علي كان قد انضم إلى صفوف الأهلي في يناير 2024، بعقد يمتد مع القلعة الحمراء حتى يونيو عام 2028.

Once again in his Manchester City tenure, Pep Guardiola will need to oversee something of a squad rebuild this summer, with the treble-winning side of 2023 looking to have perhaps run its course.

When the Catalan coach arrived through the door in 2016, he inherited an ageing side that also needed revamping, with the likes of Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero slowly being phased out over the next few years.

History looks set to repeat itself in the present day, albeit with there more likely to be a swift mass exodus this time around, rather than a gradual transition.

Of those who helped the Citizens to treble glory less than two years ago, Kyle Walker has since moved out on loan to AC Milan, while reports have indicated that both Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne could follow suit at the end of the season.

A new goalkeeper could also be on the cards, while 2023 arrival, Mateo Kovacic, has also been heavily linked with a return to Spain, amid interest from former rivals, Atletico Madrid.

It also remains to be seen whether long-serving star, Bernardo Silva, will finally secure a long-awaited exit, with the Portuguese playmaker having endured a muted campaign at the Etihad.

Bernardo Silva's future at Man City

Once again, those of a City persuasion head into a summer window anticipating speculation surrounding the former Monaco man, with the 30-year-old having repeatedly been linked with an exit in previous years.

As per The Athletic, the midfielder’s contract – which is set to expire next year – is now ‘dealt with on a summer-by-summer basis due to his previous desires to leave’, with a move to Barcelona having long been touted.

Perhaps, the £300k-per-week star will actually depart this time around, with recent reports indicating that he may have even agreed terms over an exit, with Paris Saint-Germain viewed as a likely destination.

That potential switch to the French capital would bring to an end what has been a magical eight-year spell with the Citizens for Silva, with Guardiola memorably lauding the diminutive talent as “one of the best players [he’s] ever seen” back in 2023.

Since signing on a £43m deal back in 2017, the Lisbon-born genius has racked up 69 goals and 69 assists in 394 games in all competitions, playing a vital part in the string of major honours that Guardiola and co have claimed.

Bernardo Silva’s PL decline

Stat (*per game)

2023/24

2024/25

Games

33

26

Goals

6

2

Assists

9

4

Big chances created

13

8

Key passes*

1.9

1.6

Pass accuracy*

89%

89%

Tackles*

1.5

1.5

Interceptions*

0.5

0.7

Successful dribbles*

1.2

0.9

Stats via Sofascore

For all his majestic quality, however, Silva’s impact has been limited in 2024/25 it must be said, having contributed just three goals and four assists in all competitions, albeit while largely operating in a deeper role.

Even though he has previously been described as “irreplaceable” by his manager in the past, now might actually be the perfect time for City to cash in, with the club already boasting the ideal replacement.

Man City's in-house Bernardo Silva replacement

It’s fair to say that the Etihad outfit aren’t short of creative talents who could fill the shoes of Silva in the side, with Guardiola blessed with a raft of young stars, namely Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb and James McAtee.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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That said, one man who could represent the “ideal successor to Bernardo” – as per analyst Ben Mattinson – is recent arrival, Claudio Echeverri, with the 19-year-old making his belated move to Manchester earlier this year.

The highly-rated Argentine was actually signed by City from River Plate back in January 2024, on a £12.5m deal, although he was immediately loaned back to the club for the year.

Now officially confirmed as a Man City player, the teenager is still waiting to make his first appearance for his new side, albeit while having been pictured pitchside for Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Brighton.

Guardiola had previously teased that he would like to introduce the Argentina U20 international before the end of the season, or ahead of the Club World Cup, albeit with it set to depend on how quickly Echeverri can adapt.

City supporters may not have seen much of their new man yet, although, in the words of Mattinson, they now have a “proper superstar” on their hands, with talent scout Jacek Kulig previously suggesting that the playmaker is “destined for greatness”.

Much like Silva, Echeverri has typically operated in an attacking midfield role in his career thus far, having recorded four goals and eight assists for his former employers, from 48 senior outings.

It will take time for the teenager to adapt to life in his new surroundings, although if he can follow in the footsteps of another ex-River Plate star, Julian Alvarez, then the Citizens could well be on to a winner.

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Renuka Singh’s five-for against England lifted her to No. 5 among bowlers, as Lea Tahuhu moved from tenth to seventh

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2023

Richa Ghosh has become the fifth Indian in the top 20 for batters in the ICC T20I rankings for women following useful contributions in the past week at the women’s T20 World Cup. That’s a career-best for Ghosh in the batters’ table, and she is joined there by Amelia Kerr and Muneeba Ali, who have also reached career-high numbers.Ghosh scored 44 not out in 32 balls in a win over West Indies, and 47 not out in 34 balls in the defeat to England, which gave her enough points to finish the week up 16 spots to 20th despite a first-ball duck against Ireland. Smriti Mandhana (No. 3), Shafali Verma (No. 10), Jemimah Rodrigues (No. 12) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (No. 13) are the other Indians in the top 20.Full rankings tables

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Meanwhile, Kerr, also the 13th-best T20I bowler in the world, hit a match-winning 66 against Sri Lanka to get to No. 16 in the batters’ list, her best to date. She is also up at No. 3, a one-spot rise, among allrounders in T20Is.Also, another of Ghosh’s India team-mate to make big moves was Renuka Singh, who picked up a career-best 5 for 15 against England. That meant a rise of seven spots to fifth among bowlers.On February 15, Muneeba scored 102 in 68 balls against Ireland to become the first Pakistan batter to score a century in women’s T20Is. That lifted her ten spots to 64th position, the best she has ever been at.Muneeba Ali became the first Pakistan woman to score a T20I century•ICC/Getty Images

Within the top ten for batters, Meg Lanning has moved up one place to fourth after scoring 48 not out against Bangladesh, while Suzie Bates has climbed two places to No. 6 after her 81 not out and 56 against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, respectively.Some distance behind, Tazmin Brits (up six places to No. 21), Amy Jones (up two places to 26th), Orla Prendergast (up eight places to 38th) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (up four places to No. 39) were the other batters to move up.On the bowlers’ table, Lea Tahuhu has not only moved up from tenth to seventh after picking up eight wickets in four games – including a three-for against Australia – but has also breached the barrier of 700 rating points for the first time in her career.Darcie Brown, still only 19, has also entered the top ten for the first time – at No. 8 – while Hayley Matthews has got to the tenth spot after a 2 for 14 against Pakistan.Among allrounders, Ashleigh Gardner remained at No. 1, but Deepti Sharma has dropped a couple of places to fourth, with Matthews and Kerr moving up, and Nida Dar reaching the fifth spot after going up two spots.