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The England opener scored only 52 runs in six innings in New Zealand, falling to Matt Henry each time

Vithushan Ehantharajah16-Dec-2024

If there were loyalty cards in Test cricket, Matt Henry would be in line for a free Zak Crawley.Henry bagged Crawley for the sixth time this series – and eighth overall – late on day three in Hamilton, as England went to stumps on 18 for 2, chasing a ridiculous 658.An earlier lbw dismissal off the fifth ball of England’s second innings was overturned successfully on height, after Crawley had made strides down the ground. Henry then pinned Crawley in front with his last delivery of the day. Umpire Adrian Holdstock’s finger went up again and Crawley called for DRS once more, only this time umpire’s call had leg stump clipped by a whisker.Crawley’s walk back was perhaps the first time the torment endured over the last few weeks spilled over on the field. There were a few choice words for Holdstock and a meeting with match referee David Boon could round off what has been a dispiriting tour for the opener.Related

Williamson ton has England staring down prospect of heavy defeat

Kane Williamson's fabulous five at Seddon Park

His series ends with just 52 runs from six innings at an average of 8.66. No England opener has batted as many times in a single series and averaged so little. Factor in 139 runs at 27.80 on the tour of Pakistan and it has been an unhelpful winter for Crawley’s career average. Having moved past 33 after the first West Indies Test in the summer, following strong showings in the 2023 Ashes (480 runs at 53.33) and away series in India at the start of 2024 (407 at 40), it has dropped to 30.51.England’s management has long insulated Crawley from criticism, citing steadfast belief he is capable of other worldly innings against the best teams in the world. His output against Australia last year, along with striking the first ball of the series for four off Pat Cummins, and a domineering 189 in the fourth Test as one of three fifty-plus scores, vindicated their stance.It is a stance that remains, particularly with India and Australia on the schedule for 2025. Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick reiterated their support of Crawley, while also empathising with his struggles as a former opening batter.”It’s always tough when someone gets something over you, and you find it really challenging and you’ve got to come up with plans,” Trescothick said. “I had similar situations in my time when I was playing against other oppositions.”You go away when you’ve got the opportunity, which he has now, to try and think about it before next time they come up against each other.”I think the important part of this is to remember we’re very much focussed on him being the opening batter for a good period to come. We’ve seen the damage that he does and how he goes about it.”I don’t want to give you too much about how he goes about it in the changing room because it’s the private area of what we have… but he’s a strong character. Although it’s challenging when it’s like this, when someone gets you under the pump, it’s tough, but he’ll find a way. And we’ll help him find a way to get back to that point.”Trescothick also confirmed Crawley’s poor form had nothing to do with the fractured finger sustained in the third Test against West Indies which ruled him out of the Sri Lanka series at the end of the summer. Nevertheless, he has scored just 191 runs across 11 innings since.England do not play Test cricket again until May, with a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, in which time they believe Crawley will emerge from his slump. He will return home after this tour and then head out to South Africa for a stint with Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20, which begins on January 9. Free spirited white-ball cricket may be what he needs to emerge out of his funk.

England indebted to rookie as Sri Lanka’s bowlers probe away on rain-truncated day

Andrew Miller22-Aug-2024England 259 for 6 (Smith 72*) lead Sri Lanka 236 by 23 runsAsitha Fernando produced a compelling display of all-purpose seam and swing bowling, while Prabath Jayasuriya chipped in with two bewilderingly brilliant deliveries in an otherwise steady display of left-arm spin, as Sri Lanka fought gamely to stay in touch on a gloomy second day of the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford.By the close, England were indebted to their rookie keeper, Jamie Smith, who justified his promotion to No. 6 with a hard-earned 72 not out, his third half-century in five innings since taking over from his Surrey team-mate Ben Foakes at the start of the summer. Harry Brook added another fifty of his own as England recovered from a dicey 125 for 4 to close on 259 for 6, with a slender lead of 23 in the bank.As had been the case throughout the West Indies series earlier in the summer, the impression after two days of action is that England should yet close out this contest with some ease, but the quality and spirit of the visitors’ bowling has forced them to graft with rather more diligence than might have been the case in previous incarnations of the Bazball era. Asitha in particular was superb throughout his 14 overs, spread across three key spells, including an incisive mid-innings bout of reverse-swing that belied the dank conditions.After sweating under the covers for several hour during a rainy morning in Manchester, the Old Trafford pitch was ripe for seam bowling when play finally got underway at 1.15pm, and Asitha was primed to cash in. With his bustling approach and a commitment to a full length, he posed problems from the outset, under still-dense cloud cover and with the floodlights in full beam.His performance went into overdrive from the first ball of his second over, when Dan Lawrence was pinned on the pad and given out lbw by umpire Paul Reiffel. Although that decision was successfully overturned, with the ball shown to be skimming over the bails, the information was stored away and perfectly processed by the bowler.Two balls later, and now with Ben Duckett on strike, Asitha fired the ball in a good two feet fuller, and was this time the successful reviewee, with the ball shown to be both pitching on and hitting leg stump as Duckett was turned inside-out on his attempted flick across the line.And in his very next over, Asitha served up the piece de resistance of his new-ball spell, an exceptional wobble-seam delivery, pitching half a foot fuller than the Lawrence ball, and straightening off the pitch to smash into the top of Ollie Pope’s off stump. England’s captain was gone for 6, and at 40 for 2 in the ninth over, England had a bit of a rebuild to undertake.Root is no stranger to skinny top-order scorelines, of course, and as he bedded in for the long haul, it was Lawrence who initiated England’s counterattack, with a brace of forceful whips through the leg side as Asitha strayed in length. But, having scored just four of his 30 runs through the off side, his vulnerability in the channel was superbly exploited by Vishwa Fernando, who nicked him off after a change of ends, using the breeze from the James Anderson End to push a lifter across his bows from his left-arm angle.Jamie Smith gets on top of a pull•Getty ImagesDespite the conditions, Sri Lanka were able to find some appreciable reverse-swing off a typically abrasive Old Trafford pitch, meaning that Root and Brook had to be on their mettle even as their 58-run stand clipped along at more than five an over. Milan Rathnayake, Sri Lanka’s first-day hero, was picked off for three fours in an over as he strained for that swinging full length, but it was Asitha’s return to the attack that would prise the most vital wicket of the day.Root had reached 42 from 56 balls in another understated display of touch and timing when he was undone in expert fashion, climbing into a wider line from Asitha while still playing for the inswing that had been the feature of his over to that point. This ball, however, held its line and skidded straight on, and Dinesh Chandimal scooped up the low edge to leave England wobbling at 125 for 4.Brook, however, kept the foot down in his familiarly forceful manner, driving with heavy timing whenever the ball was over-pitched, and working the gaps well, with Sri Lanka’s field still veering towards the defensive given England’s reputation for boundary-hunting. He duly rattled along to a 59-ball half-century, his 14th in just 25 Test innings, and if it was beginning to feel as though something special would be needed to dislodge him, then Jayasuriya obliged shortly after tea.Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner had been diligent without being threatening for much of his day’s work, when out of the blue, he served up something unplayable: a perfectly pitched ripper that gripped and bounced on middle and leg to clip the top of off. Brook could only blink in astonishment – as, indeed, would Chris Woakes, some 18 overs later, when he fell in near-identical fashion, to almost the only other spinning delivery to deviate from the straight all day.Between those two moments, however, there was Smith, with the third fifty of his fledgling career, and unquestionably the hardest-earned yet. He was forced to graft against the swinging ball early in his innings, although one massive straight six off Jayasuriya signalled his refusal to be cowed, but it was the mid-point of his innings that displayed his savvy – in particular a relative grind through the 40s, after Rathnayake had induced two inside-edges in the space of three deliveries with his probing fourth-stump line outside the rookie’s eyeline.Woakes was the ideal ally for a defensively minded rebuild, as England – a batter light in Ben Stokes’ absence – focused on batting long, rather than rushing into a lead. Sri Lanka’s tactics arguably failed to adapt to the dominance that their bowlers were exerting in this period, although in reducing the pair to a run-rate of less than three an over in their 52-run stand, they succeeded in keeping themselves in the game.And when the light began to fail, only minutes after Woakes’ extraction, there was never any thought of Sri Lanka bowling spin in the gloom for the sake of filling out the overs, as had been England’s approach at the same stage on day one. Dhananjaya de Silva marched his players straight off for the pavilion, with six wickets in the bank, and the prospect of a night’s rest for his quicks before they continue their quest to stay in touch with a quietly engrossing contest.

Essex make the running in final fixture but champions close out with pride before lifting trophy

ECB Reporters Network29-Sep-2024

Dom Sibley batted for more than four hours for his third century of the season to ensure there was no last-day embarrassment before Surrey lifted aloft the Vitality County Championship trophy following an attritional draw at Chelmsford.Surrey savoured the traditional champagne-spraying celebrations for the third successive year after a season in which they won eight of their 14 matches. However, apart from Sibley’s 189-ball 125, they were comprehensively second best against Essex as underlined by the fact they only collected two bonus points from the game.Sibley’s innings was a mixture of forcefulness, chiefly through the covers, and watchfulness as he dominated half-century stands with Dan Lawrence and Josh Blake before he was sixth man out with Surrey still nominally 143 runs shy of making Essex bat again.The finale to the Championship season petered out in comedy as Essex bowlers changed bowling styles before handshakes were exchanged at 4.10pm with Surrey 267 for 7.Essex, bowling sensibly at the time, had taken three wickets in 10 overs in the morning to introduce a little frisson to proceedings, but the game meandered towards the draw that had been inevitable since rain washed out all but 111 minutes’ play on the first two days. The draw meant Essex finished fourth, two points behind one-time title contenders Somerset.Yousef Majid extended his nightwatchman duties by just over half-an-hour on a cold, grey morning before he tried to play Harmer to leg but popped up a catch in the opposite direction to short extra cover.Jamie Porter’s sequence of four successful maidens was broken when Sibley drove him straight back so fiercely it almost cut the bowler in half on its way to the boundary. He was equally aggressive against Harmer, coming down the wicket and swiping him past midwicket for another of his 17 fours.Ryan Patel had already been missed at slip by Ben Allison, fielding in place of the injured Dean Elgar, before he was unbalanced by Porter and departed lbw. Ben Geddes did not last long, beaten by one from Harmer that turned and jagged back his off-stump.Sibley dominated the first fifty of the fifth-wicket stand with Dan Lawrence amid a flurry of pushed and well-placed boundaries. Lawrence contributed just 14 of them, and 27 of the 75 runs they eventually put on before Shane Snater trapped him lbw.Runs dried up at that point: seven came off 43 balls and 10 overs passed without a boundary before Sibley stroked back Sam Cook for his 14th four to reach three figures from 168 balls. He celebrated by going down on one knee and launching Matt Critchley out of the ground over long leg for only the second six of the match.However, Critchley gained a measure of revenge when Sibley drove uppishly towards mid-off where Cook took the catch. Harmer was eventually rested and his replacement, Tom Westley, struck with his sixth ball as Ollie Sykes’s debut lasted two balls.With little enthusiasm from the participants, the first over after tea, bowled by Westley, took eight minutes to complete – and 16 minutes for three overs of spin – with questions about changing the ball and sundry other time-wasting manoeuvres.To enforce the sense of farce pace bowler Cook came in off three paces to send down six balls of spin and spinners Critchley and Harmer took the new-ball with a variety of medium-paced dibbly-dobblies to an equally unfamiliar slip cordon of Cook, Porter and Allison.

Tottenham Hotspur were beaten on home soil (again) to conclude their 2024/25 campaign, with Brighton & Hove Albion winning 4-1 to consign Ange Postecoglou to a 17th-place Premier League finish in his second season.

His second season will be remembered for something different, of course, for the Australian tactician made good on his brazen claim earlier in the year, ending Spurs’ 17-year trophy drought after beating Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday night in Bilbao.

But the league form simply hasn’t been good enough, and the manager’s future is up in the air. He’s failed to get a tune out of these players, domestically, at least, and while defensively the squad have been shoddy, there’s been a lot to desire up top too.

That’s why Spurs are gearing up to sign a new forward this summer, with Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap at the top of the shopping list.

Spurs chasing new forward

Dominic Solanke scored from the spot on Sunday afternoon to seal his 16th goal of the season across all competitions, having also laid on eight assists for his teammates.

However, injuries have prevented him from quite living up to the initial £55m fee, which could rise to a club-record £65m with add-ons, and he needs more frontal support, especially with Heung-min Son entering the twilight of his Premier League career.

That’s why there may be substance to rumours the Lilywhites are preparing to bid for Delap, with GIVEMESPORT reporting earlier in May that Postecoglou’s side are in the race for the English goalscorer, who was relegated with Ipswich this term but impressed throughout, scoring 12 goals across 37 outings.

If Spurs are to make their move, they may need to part ways with one or two, not least because this squad needs a shake-up.

Richarlison may well be at the top of that list.

Levy must sell Richarlison this summer

If Richarlison leaves this summer, he will do so as a Europa League winner, part of the squad whose names are immortal having triumphed on a stage so many before them failed to reach.

However, the versatile star has fallen by the wayside, all in all, especially when considering he cost Daniel Levy a whopping £60m figure when joining from Everton in 2022.

Having overcome a woeful debut campaign, the 28-year-old has enjoyed more clinical results over the past two terms, but it’s not enough to turn the tide.

24/25

24 (11)

5

2

23/24

31 (21)

12

4

22/23

35 (17)

3

4

And against Brighton this weekend, Richarlison failed to leave a positive mark when called into play, albeit he was likely nursing a hangover with the rest of the squad after the midweek merriment.

The Brazilian forward was introduced with less than an hour still on the clock but was still criticised by football.london’s Alasdair Gold for failing to influence the game, branded with a 4/10 match rating.

As per Sofascore, the £90k-per-week star only completed two passes after replacing Solanke, Tottenham trailing by just one goal. He also failed with his one attempted dribble and lost five of six duels.

As per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Richarlison is now considering his Tottenham future, with Everton and Flamengo back in his homeland both interested. The robust player wishes to enhance his prospects of playing for Brazil at the 2026 World Cup over the pond.

Tottenham need reform this summer, and Richarlison is a big part of the struggling crew who need to be shipped out, creating space for a new era which could take the success of this season and build something special. Something fit to last.

Spurs hit gold on "sensational" monster who's becoming their new Dembele

The impressive international could be a star for Spurs.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes May 24, 2025

David Payne’s latest white-ball masterclass proved in vain as in-form Gloucestershire suffered a frustrating eight-run defeat to Kent Spitfires on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in a rain-affected Vitality Blast match at Cheltenham.Needing to win to enhance their chances of achieving a top-four finish in the South Group and a place in the knockout stages, Gloucestershire found themselves in a strong position after bowling the visitors out for 150 in 19.2 overs at the College Ground.Veteran campaigner Payne was outstanding in taking 4 for 25 in four overs, while Ollie Price finished with 2 for 26 after skipper Jack Taylor had won the toss and elected to bowl. Daniel Bell-Drummond did his utmost to rescue the visitors, scoring 76 off 52 balls and dominating partnerships of 56 and 54 with Joey Evison and Grant Stewart for the fourth and seventh wickets respectively.Gloucestershire openers Miles Hammond and Cameron Bancroft then raised 23 in three overs to ease ahead of the DLS requirement, only for the rain forecast for early evening to arrive ahead of schedule with two overs more needing to be bowled to constitute a game.When play finally resumed an hour later with the home side chasing a revised target of 145 from 19 overs, Kent reasserted themselves, Nathan Gilchrist removing Bancroft and James Bracey in the space of four balls in the fifth over. Umpires Alex Wharf and Ben Peverall took the players off for the second and last time when heavy rain moved back in with Gloucestershire on 29 for 2, now eight runs behind the newly-revised DLS figure, their hopes dashed by a disappointing two-over passage of play which served to fundamentally alter the outcome. The game was abandoned soon afterwards.Kent’s fortuitous win just about keeps alive their outside chances of progressing to the knockout stages, while fifth-placed Gloucestershire head to Taunton needing to win Sunday’s West Country derby if they are to keep pace with the leaders.Gloucestershire went into this fixture on the back of three straight wins and that momentum was further buoyed when left-arm seamer Payne claimed three wickets in a devastating 10-ball burst with the new ball from the College Lawn End.Making his debut after joining on loan from Essex, Feroze Khushi was pinned lbw without scoring in the first over, while new batter Tuwanda Muyeye fell second ball, driving uppishly to Jack Taylor at mid-on.Payne then accounted for Kent captain Sam Billings in his next over, the former England man top-edging a hook to Josh Shaw as the visitors subsided to 17 for 3 in the third.Charged with the task of rebuilding, Bell-Drummond plundered three successive fours in an over from Shaw that cost 15 runs, helping Spitfires recover to 40 for 3 at the end of the powerplay. Evison also adopted an aggressive approach in a 50 stand that occupied just 36 balls.When Evison chanced his arm once too often and hit Beau Webster straight to Hammond at long-off for a 16-ball 22 and Jack Leaning attempted to pull offspinner Ollie Price and contrived to hit his wicket, departing for a six-ball duck, Kent were 70 for 5 off 10.1 overs and badly in need of renewed impetus.Bell-Drummond was fast running out of partners, Marcus O’Riordan hoisting Price to deep backward square and falling into a carefully laid trap as the visitors further subsided to 89 for 6. Taking matters into his own hands, Bell-Drummond launched Price over the covers to raise a 39-ball 50 with his first six as the innings realised three figures in the 15th.Stewart came out swinging, contributing a 15-ball 21 in a revitalising stand of 54 in 4.5 overs before hitting the returning Payne straight down the throat of long-on. Bell-Drummond fell in the penultimate over, hoisting Shaw to deep midwicket, having accrued 10 fours and 2 sixes and almost single-handedly carried his side to a respectable total.

The spin-bowling consultant says the team is heading in the right direction and could start winning more away from home

Mohammad Isam15-Aug-2024Bangladesh’s spin-bowling consultant Mushtaq Ahmed says that Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim have lifted the team’s morale ahead of the Test series against Pakistan.”All the players are excited about the first Test match,” Mushtaq said. “Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim are the senior players. They are playing a positive role with the guys. I also give credit to the management who has been good with the players. The focus is on cricket now.”The Bangladesh players arrived in Pakistan on August 13 upon invitation from the PCB, after the BCB could not arrange a full team practice session with head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe due to political upheaval in Dhaka. Shakib reached Lahore on Wednesday and joined the team in their training sessions hours later.Related

• T20 WC blues behind them, Pakistan and Bangladesh switch focus to red-ball cricket

• Shakib and Mushfiqur: the yin and yang of Bangladesh cricket

• Hathurusinghe on the protests in Bangladesh: I hope the students' questions will be answered

• Bangladesh look to shut out the noise and find rhythm in Rawalpindi

• Injured Mahmudul out of first Test against Pakistan

Before that, he was playing for Bangla Tigers Mississauga in the Global T20 Canada where he had an eventful week. He played a match on August 5, mere hours after the Awami League government fell in Bangladesh and the prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India. As a result, Shakib lost his seat in the parliament and was booed by fans during the game.He was then embroiled in controversy for not showing up for the toss in Bangla Tigers’ eliminator match against Toronto Nationals, which led to his team forfeiting the game.Mahmudul Hasan Joy was among several Bangladesh Test regulars to get some game time ahead of the Pakistan Tests•PCB

Mushfiqur is currently playing a four-day game against Pakistan A in Islamabad. This is a rare occasion when a Bangladesh A tour is connected closely to the senior team’s tour of the same country. Although the match has been affected by rain, it provided much needed game time for Mushfiqur, who last played a Test ten months ago. Other red-ball regulars – Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nayeem Hasan and Hasan Mahmud – are also playing in this match.Bangladesh have only won one Test series of two or more matches abroad, against West Indies in 2009. But Mushtaq believes they could start winning more Test matches away from home.”A cricketer has to have basics and belief to do well at this level, otherwise he loses the battle,” Mushtaq said. “Skill-level looks after itself. We will give them the belief that you can beat anyone. Bangladesh is a good side. You saw that they challenged good teams in the World Cup. They are getting good fast bowlers. They are going towards a good direction. If they keep learning and keep believing in themselves, hopefully, they can start winning games outside.”Mushtaq also praised the Bangladesh spinners, saying they were eager to learn and quite receptive to his suggestions Legspinner Rishad Hossain has really levelled up under Mushtaq’s guidance and was the joint fifth-highest wicket-taker at the recent T20 World Cup.”The spinners are very mature. They are keen to learn. My role is to talk about tactical and technical things. You have to wait for the technical things for after the match. Tactically, you have to tell the spinners which angle to use, how to read the pitch, what pace to use, field settings for particular batters. You need reminders despite your experience.”Taijul [Islam] and [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz are match-winners. They are a great bunch of guys. They are coachable people. They are good listeners. I am honoured to be working with them. Hopefully, I can make a difference for them.”

da realsbet： Liverpool are now stepping up their pursuit of a £84m striker, with FSG considering the addition of a marquee signing this summer.

Reds eyeing striker with Nunez heading for exit

da fazobetai： It appears as though Darwin Nunez’s time at Anfield could be coming to an end this summer, having fallen down the pecking order, often being utilised as a substitute rather than being a regular starter in the Premier League.

Nunez is now attracting widespread interest from across the continent, with bids in the region of £50m being made by Serie A side Napoli and Bundesliga team RB Leipzig, which means the Reds could recoup a large portion of the £85m they paid for the Uruguayan.

While the 25-year-old has played a sporadic role for Arne Slot’s side this season, the manager will need to bring in a replacement this summer, should he decide to cash-in, and FSG are now weighing up the addition of a marquee signing.

Related Better signing than Frimpong: Liverpool ready bid for "world-class" talent

Liverpool are looking to make sweeping changes to Arne Slot’s squad this summer.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair May 14, 2025

That is according to a report from GiveMeSport which states Liverpool are stepping up their pursuit of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, with scouts set to watch the striker in action for the German side this weekend.

A summer deal for Eiktike will not be cheap, with Frankfurt setting an asking price of £84m, which FSG have reservations about paying, so a delegation of scouts will watch the Frenchman against SC Freiburg to assess whether he is worthy of such a hefty price tag.

Should the Reds be impressed by what they see, they could enter negotiations over a deal for the forward over the coming weeks, with the player himself willing to consider a move to the right club.

"Phenomenal" Ekitike could be Nunez upgrade

The move to Paris Saint-Germain early in the 22-year-old’s career may not have worked out, but he has certainly managed to prove his worth to Frankfurt in the Bundesliga this season, picking up 22 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Football scout Ben Mattinson has been particularly impressed by the Frankfurt star’s performances, taking to X to lavish him with praise earlier this season.

There are also clear signs the Reims-born forward could be an upgrade on Nunez, having outperformed the Uruguay international across a number of key attacking metrics over the past year.

Statistic per 90

Hugo Ekitike

Darwin Nunez

Non-penalty goals

0.51

0.35

Assists

0.27

0.17

Successful take-ons

1.95

0.69

That said, Liverpool are right to have concerns about forking out £84m, given that Ekitike is yet to prove himself over a sustained period of time, and they should look to get a deal done for a lower price if possible.

Whether it’s Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez or Luis Diaz, Liverpool’s central striking position has lacked something crucial this season. Arne Slot, without a doubt, has been left wanting.

And so have the rest of Merseyside’s red half. Liverpool are heading toward the Premier League title, with only the most startling of collapses enough to foil the Reds – who need to win four of their remaining nine fixtures.

Curiously, Understat record Liverpool to have created the highest xG (expected goals) of any outfit in the English top flight this year (72.90), having also outstripped their divisional rivals considerably with actual goalscoring numbers (69 goals; Manchester City are second in the scoring charts with 55).

So what’s the issue with the attacking Red arrows, then? Chiefly, Mohamed Salah’s incredible campaign has seen him tally up a remarkable haul of 32 goals and 22 assists across all competitions, 27 and 17 in the Premier League alone.

The general wastefulness of Liverpool’s forwards will leave fissured memories, but this will no doubt be mitigated by the probable lifting of the league title.

Issues from the present term can be used as a springboard for future endeavours, but Liverpool do need a new number nine, someone who can emulate the club’s former greats – like Fernando Torres, for example.

Remembering Fernando Torres

Objectively speaking, Luis Suarez is the most talented striker Liverpool have ever yielded, certainly the most devastating in the modern era.

But there was just something about Torres. The Spaniard evokes the most dreamy memories: headband on, gliding run, fearsome striking ability. The movement. So silky and purposeful. He felt indestructible, unbeatable, at Anfield, and they loved him for it. Most still do.

Fans want that feeling again. Salah is one of the greatest forwards – if not the greatest – in Liverpool’s storied history, but he’s not a centre-forward. Even Roberto Firmino, so revered, so successful, was not really the free-scoring type.

Torres scored 81 goals and laid on 19 further assists across 142 matches in all competitions. His strike rate eclipsed all other clubs – and Spain – across his career. El Nino’s connection with the city was something different, and it would take a special striker to bring that back.

Nunez, cheerful and likeable and all the rest, can’t seem to shake his tactical maladies, can’t seem to find the rich vein needed to star as Liverpool’s star forward – and most expensive in history at that.

Liverpool need something new and better. In order to achieve that, landing someone to emulate the likes of Torres and Suarez, they may need to break the bank as never before.

Liverpool lining up the new Torres

Spanish sources have some interesting news regarding Alexander Isak. You may have heard of him. It’s claimed Newcastle United’s goalscoring general is interested in jumping ship this summer, with Liverpool leading the race.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Barcelona are interested. Financial mess notwithstanding, there are few reasons why any elite-level player worth their salt shouldn’t prioritise a move to Catalonia, but Liverpool are some institution themselves, and Isak is only willing to hear Camp Nou’s proposal should the Reds opt against a bid. As the report states, the in-demand talent is ‘dreaming’ of playing at Anfield.

A bid, however, would be constituted by a £150m payment. This is an audacious sum; it would make Isak, 25, both Liverpool and the Premier League’s most expensive player in history.

But Liverpool’s coffers are full. There is money to spend. There are few better ways in football to spend £150m than on this Swedish sensation, truth be told.

Why Liverpool should sign Alexander Isak

A comprehensive reshuffle of a title-winning frontline would be a reckless gambit, but Nunez is expected to depart and perhaps Diaz will too. It would make sense to keep Jota on the books, experienced and – for the lion’s share of his Liverpool career – deadly in front of goal.

But Liverpool fans have been treated to Isak’s prowess on several occasions this term and it has only magnified the need for something new – him, preferably.

The cost would be steep; some would call it extreme. However, Isak is the best of the best, proclaimed to be “the best striker in the Premier League” by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher. Indeed, teammate Anthony Gordon admitted he could be the “best striker in Europe”.

Below, you can remind yourself of the Sweden star’s catalogue from 2023/24. You best believe there have been some new additions since last summer.

There’s little doubt he has what it takes to become a superstar on Merseyside, with the kind of completeness that Slot could make perfect use of.

Aged 24, Isak’s best days may well sit ahead of him too. He’s improved in seasonal increments since joining Newcastle from Real Sociedad in a club-record £63m deal almost three years ago.

Like Torres, the 6 foot 3 Isak made his name in Spain. The retired nine joined Liverpool from Atletico Madrid for about £20m in 2007. He was 23 and – like Isak at Sociedad – had demonstrated high-level qualities that had not yet been fully developed.

Isak hit 50 Premier League goals in just 76 appearances, taking marginally longer than Torres, who did it in 72. It’s not quite Erling Haaland (or Salah, for that matter), but it puts both at the highest table.

But there’s more. Isak’s stylistic approach offers shades of an in-prime Torres. The Magpies man ranks among the top 4% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 18% for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

Both tall and agile players, both endowed with blistering speed and an innately easy manner in front of goal, there’s every reason FSG should throw the kitchen sink at St. James’ Park this summer.

You can see why Liverpool – and Barcelona and Arsenal and Manchester United and more – are all so keen on the maverick. Hardly just a goalscorer, Isak gets involved, works tirelessly and effectively. He’s the real deal, very much good enough to sit alongside the likes of Torres in Liverpool’s pantheon.

The Liverpool supporters are a firebrand lot, passionate for their team, its success. It’s a measure of Liverpool’s brilliance over the past decade that the anticipated triumph in the Premier League carries a slight air of ruefulness.

With Isak at the bow of the ship, there’s every chance Slot’s project can rise to the next level next season. With the spirit of Torres returned Liverpool may know no bounds.

He's like Isak: Liverpool plot move for "sensational" £55m Diaz upgrade

Liverpool are reportedly interested in the £55m star who is similar to Alexander Isak.

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By
Dan Emery

Mar 24, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da jogodeouro： Após abrir negociações com Vanderlei Luxemburgo, o Corinthians encaminhou a contratação do técnico de 70 anos. O treinador, que estava desempregado, vai assinar até o final de 2023, período que termina o mandato do presidente Duílio Monteiro Alves.

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da pinnacle： + Róger Guedes e Paulinho são os melhores na derrota do Corinthians no Dérbi

Luxa está no CT Joaquim Grava para tratar os últimos detalhes e assinar o contrato. Caso o negócio seja concretizado, ele comandará o treino desta tarde com o elenco alvinegro. Contudo, apresença dele à beira do gramado contra o Independiente del Valle, nesta terça-feira (2), pela Libertadores, é incerta. OBID (Boletim Informativo Diário) da CBFnão funciona aos finais de semana e feriados nacionais, como o caso do dia do trabalho, nesta segunda-feira.

Caso a Conmebol não permita que Luxa comande o time contra o Del Valle, oTimão poderá ter Danilo, com uma licença provisória, à beira do gramado. Ele comandou a equipe na derrota por 2 a 1 diante do Palmeiras, mas não possuia licença PRO da CBF, mínimo exigido para que profissionais comandem alguma equipe na competição continental.

Com três pontos, o Corinthians está empatado com o Independiente del Valle, adversário desta terça. O Argentinos Juniors lidera a chave com seis pontos, enquanto o Liverpool, do Uruguai, está zerado no Grupo E.

+ Assine o Star+ por R$32,90 por mês e acompanhe o Timão na Liberta quando e onde quiser!

Como o LANCE! havia antecipado, Luxemburgo despontou como favorito após a saída de Cuca, mas ele enfrentou rejeição interna da diretoria. O nome de Luxa voltou a ganhar força no departamento de futebol corintiano após as recusas de Tite e Mano Menezes, primeiras opções da direção, e a rejeição da torcida com Róger Machado.

+ Veja tabela e a situação do grupo do Timão na Libertadores

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet esporte： O Ceará oficializou a contratação por empréstimo de Léo Santos, que pertence ao Corinthians. O zagueiro de 24 anos será cedido ao Vozão até o final da temporada, quando acaba seu vínculo com o Timão.

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da spicy bet： + Com Barletta, Corinthians chega a 19 reforços na gestão de Duílio; relembre todos os reforços

Como informado anteriormente pelo LANCE!, caso o atleta cumpra determinadas metas, o Ceará irá comprar o jogador ao final da temporada, e os clubes farão uma divisão dos direitos econômicos do defensor. Durante o Paulistão desta temporada, Léo Santos atuou emprestado na Ferroviária.

+ Guia Corinthians: onde assistir, análise dos adversários e tudo sobre o Timão na Libertadores

O zagueiro de 24 anos foi revelado na base do próprio Corinthians. No profissional do Timão, não conseguiu se firmar e disputou só 30 jogos com a camisa alvinegra. Na última temporada, atuou emprestado à Ponte Preta, onde fez 16 partidas: 10 no Paulistão, cinco na Série B e uma na Copa do Brasil.

Léo Santos não teve tanta sequência em sua curta carreira porque sofreu com diversas lesões. Ele chegou a ficar ausente dos gramados por mais de dois anos devido a uma fratura no joelho e uma tendinite no mesmo local, quando estava emprestado ao Fluminense, em 2019.

+ Veja tabela e todos os confrontos pela terceira fase da Copa do Brasil

O zagueiro se recuperou no Corinthians e foi cedido à Ponte Preta, mas voltou a ser desfalque por contusões durante sua passagem na Macaca.

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