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They have had their moments in most games, but still find themselves at the bottom of the points table

Sruthi Ravindranath25-Oct-2025Almost. It’s the word that has defined Bangladesh’s campaign at the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup. They almost defended 178 against England. They almost beat South Africa but dropped catches under pressure. They almost chased down 203 against Sri Lanka.The what-ifs are many, but for a team playing only its second ODI World Cup, Bangladesh have punched above their weight. Yet, despite the fight, they find themselves at the bottom of the points table – even below winless Pakistan – level on number of wins with New Zealand and Sri Lanka, all three teams having split points because of washouts.The gulf between bat and ball has been evident throughout their campaign, and it surfaced once again against Sri Lanka. After their bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to 203, Bangladesh’s batters stumbled, dragging the chase deep but falling short in the final over. After that match, captain Nigar Sultana had admitted to her side’s struggles in crunch moments but refused to attribute their narrow losses to luck.Related

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“It’s really heartbreaking, definitely, because we came here to win,” she had said. “This kind of match, I think we played three games against England, South Africa and now Sri Lanka. I think we need to think about it and we have to learn so many things. [In] this kind of situation, [we should learn] how we should calm our nerves and how we should get runs. And definitely, the young players have been playing in the middle at crucial moments. So, I think they should learn.”It’s definitely our mistake. It’s not just one match; this is the third time it’s happened like this. I think we’re failing to finish properly in the final moments. We shouldn’t need to take it to the last over while chasing this kind of target. That’s our fault. Maybe there were some miscalculations, and we couldn’t use some bowlers properly in the middle overs.”Bangladesh’s batting has shown promise in patches – five different players have scored fifties, including Nigar’s fighting 77 against Sri Lanka – but frequent collapses and a glut of dot balls have proved costly. Their dot-ball percentage of 66.6 is the second-highest in the tournament, underlining their struggles.They began their campaign by comfortably chasing down 130 against Pakistan, but fell in a heap against England, New Zealand and Australia to post totals below 200. Against South Africa, Shorna Akter’s 35-ball 51 – the fastest half-century in women’s ODIs for Bangladesh – took them to 235, but they dropped several chances in the end to lose the match. Against England, they got their catching right, but the third umpire’s decision to reprieve Heather Knight proved costly in the end.There have been a few heartbreaks for Bangladesh at this World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesOne of the factors behind the inconsistency has been their limited preparation. Since early 2024, the only top-ranked side Bangladesh have faced is Australia, back in March last year. Apart from the World Cup qualifiers in April, their build-up featured no international cricket, only domestic training camps. Nigar stressed the need for more exposure against top-ranked opposition. In the current FTP running from 2025-29 though, they are set to face India, Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand across formats.”The more competitive cricket you play, the sharper your skills get,” she said. “In ICC tournaments, we face new situations that we don’t often see in bilateral series, where we play the same opponents again and again. A stronger domestic setup or league system would help a lot. If we get to play more competitive games at home, our chances of losing tight matches will go down for sure.”But there have been other positives too, with their young bowling attack standing out. Fast bowler Marufa Akter, just 20, whose hooping deliveries troubled batters in the powerplay, has impressed many. Their spin department, led by veteran Fahima Khatun, has also shone through the performances of youngsters Rabeya Khan (20) and 18-year-old Shorna, who together have taken more wickets than Khatun. Against Sri Lanka, both youngsters were preferred over Khatun – a call that paid off, as they shared five wickets between them.”Among the eight teams in this World Cup, we’re the only one with three legspinners and all three are different types,” Khatun had said before the Sri Lanka match. “As a senior, I always try to collaborate with them and encourage them. They’re very young and crucial for our team. I often tell them, ‘You’re better than me; I have a lot to learn from you.’ Having three different kinds of legspinners is a big advantage for us.”Shorna Akter have been one of the standout players for Bangladesh in the tournament•ICC/Getty ImagesAt home, Bangladesh’s players feature in two main domestic tournaments, the Women’s Dhaka Premier League and the National Cricket League, both often played on spin-friendly, low-scoring pitches. On the eve of the India game, batter Sobhana Mostary acknowledged that while the level of competition can vary, the domestic structure is slowly improving.”Last ODI World Cup in 2022, only Pinky [Fargana Hoque] scored fifty but in this tournament, you can see around six or seven fifties,” she said. “So, I think that’s an improvement. Scoring a fifty is not easy; I also got my first fifty in this World Cup. If I can keep this consistency, it will help me in the next series. Similarly, [Sharmin Akhter] Supta has been performing well for a long time.”Now our domestic tournament is going good. In [Dhaka] Premier League among ten teams, six teams are good enough but four teams are like 50 – 50. Five years ago, two-three teams were good. But now five to six teams are good. Before, most players came from North Bengal, but now we have players from Chattogram and Sylhet as well. Maybe their parents are also watching the matches now. I think most people in Bangladesh are following this World Cup, which is a great inspiration for us. It motivates us to fight against stronger teams. That’s it, everyone is watching and supporting us, and that means a lot.”Bangladesh are yet to see one of their players feature in either the WBBL or WPL. Mostary hopes that changes soon.”In WPL, every time we send our name, they are not [okay to] pick a Bangladeshi. But we are thinking about this tournament – like Marufa [is] doing very good in Indian conditions. And Rabeya is also very bowling good this tournament. So maybe in the upcoming WPL they are [picked].”Bangladesh will leave the tournament with more heartbreaks than wins, but also with signs of growth. Among bottom-ranked sides, few have shown as much promise, or left as many almosts behind.

Celtic are now targeting a move to sign Wessam Abou Ali from Columbus Crew, according to reports, with Wilfried Nancy looking to bring one of his star men to Scotland.

At long last, the Bhoys are closing in on a managerial appointment. The Scottish giants have taken their time, waiting for the right appointment, with Martin O’Neill doing an impressive job as interim boss in the meantime.

The 73-year-old has reiterated every week that he will happily step aside once Celtic have found their next permanent option and that looks set to happen sooner rather than later amid recent reports.

The Columbus Crew manager looks set to take his first job in European football and has the task of bridging the gap on Hearts in a shock Scottish Premiership title race.

O’Neill, meanwhile, will bow out of his second stint in charge after steadying the ship. Whether he’s still in charge by the time that Celtic travel to face Feyenoord this Thursday is the big question.

Speaking to reporters, the veteran manager said: “The answer is this: the game is on Thursday so the plane leaves on Wednesday. They better make their minds up very quickly.”

Of course, if Nancy doesn’t arrive in time, then O’Neill will have the opportunity to win his first European game of his second stint in charge to cap off a small tenure full of nostalgia.

The ball will then be in the new manager’s court, who has already reportedly identified the need for a new striker at Celtic Park and set his sights on exactly who that new striker should be.

Celtic now lining up January move for Columbus Crew star

According to the Scottish Sun, Celtic are now targeting a move to sign Abou Ali from Columbus Crew in the January transfer window. The 26-year-old Palestinian striker has been one of Nancy’s best players in the MLS and quickly won the faith of his manager after arriving from Ahly SC.

Celtic chiefs learn Nancy arrival date as personal terms update emerges

The Hoops are closing in…

ByTom Cunningham Nov 20, 2025

Described as “clinical” by Columbus Crew general manager Issa Tall, Abou Ali first grabbed the headlines when he scored a perfect hat-trick against Porto at the Club World Cup as the MLS side watched on, waiting to secure his signature.

Since then, the 26-year-old has only impressed even more in America and may yet be on his way to Scotland to strike an instant reunion with Nancy.

Games

5

Goals

3

Assists

1

With four goal involvements in five games under Nancy, Celtic would be wise to go all out to sign the 6’1 forward, who could solve their own striker problem in January.

Whether Columbus Crew will allow their star striker to leave with their manager is another question, however. Losing Nancy is already set to deal them a blow in its own right, let alone their top star alongside him.

Celtic set to make quadruple backroom appointment to Nancy's staff

The news had been widely expected with Cummins yet to resume bowling

Andrew McGlashan26-Oct-20257:05

Advantage England if Cummins misses first Ashes Test?

Pat Cummins has officially been ruled out of the first Ashes Test in Perth due to his back injury but he will return to bowling this week in a bid to be ready for the second match in Brisbane.Steven Smith will captain Australia in the opening Test against England which begins on November 21. The second Test in Brisbane begins on December 4.Cummins’ absence had been widely expected since the news emerged earlier this month that he had not been able to return to bowling after being diagnosed with a lumbar stress injury in September having experienced discomfort after returning from the tour of West Indies.”We’ve run out of time,” head coach Andrew McDonald told reporters in Canberra. “We sort of flagged this a week or so ago that it would take sort of four plus weeks to get him up and running and we’ve run out of time, unfortunately, but really optimistic and hopeful for the second Test match.”So I suppose the next question is what’s the time frame? What does it look like for the second Test? Not really going to be able to answer that other than to say that he’ll be back bowling this week and that’s a huge step. That was the big variable that we wanted to add in and get that information. So we’re on the journey to that second Test and very hopeful that that will be a positive outcome.”How Cummins reacts to his early stages of bowling will now be critical to whether Brisbane is a realistic target or whether a return later in the series will be the aim.”[We’ll] see how he pulls up and then we’ll make decisions moving forward,” McDonald said. “I know that sounds really boring and everyone wants a time frame and what’s the risk associated with it. There’s better people than I to speculate on what that is.”With the nature of this injury, it’s never going to be a clear time frame and I think that’s what everyone here today wants is a time frame to say, this is definitely what will happen. We’re not in a position to do that and I’d never put the medical team under that sort of duress either.”Ashes race: Pat Cummins goes through a running session•Getty Images

Since the back injuries that Cummins suffered earlier in his career, leading to a five-and-a-half year gap between his first and second Tests, he has had a very impressive fitness record.Smith has captained Australia six times as Cummins’ understudy since 2021, winning five of those matches, including once in the 2021-22 Ashes when Cummins was a Covid close contact in Adelaide.Cummins’ absence from Australia’s attack for the first Test means that Scott Boland will likely keep his place from the team’s most recent outing in West Indies where he claimed a hat-trick.”Losing your captain’s not ideal, but when you talk about Scott Boland being the potential replacement, it’s not a bad position to be in,” McDonald said. “Ideally we want the captain available for stability and decision making but…Steve Smith will slide into that position.”I suppose you get excited about when he does come back, what an injection that will be to the group, a fully fit Pat Cummins returning some stage during the Ashes and that’s what we’re hopeful for.”Australia’s squad for the first Test is due to be named next week following the third round of Sheffield Shield matches which begins on Tuesday. Cummins will travel with the team even when he is unable to play.”It’ll almost be one of those things where you’ll see him in work and it’ll almost be a question of why isn’t he playing in Perth?” McDonald said. “That’s where we think he’ll be placed by that stage. So we’re excited by getting eyes on him in a bowling capacity.”

West Ham are braced for an all-important January transfer window that may well define Nuno Espírito Santo’s first season in charge, with David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the Hammers board poised to back their new manager.

Following back-to-back Premier League wins and the first time they’ve won two straight home games since 2024, things are finally starting to click into gear for Nuno.

The Portuguese tinkered heavily with his first West Ham starting line-ups before finally discovering a winning formula against both Newcastle and Burnley, with Nuno naming an unchanged side for both matches as the east Londoners secured vital victories.

However, West Ham reportedly have no intention of resting on their laurels, and credible reports suggest that Nuno has been told they have a transfer budget to spend in the winter (Sky Sports).

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Niclas Füllkrug’s damning injury record and lacklustre spell at the London Stadium is paving the way for him to leave in January, and it is believed that West Ham are actively targeting a striker to potentially replace the German.

While Callum Wilson has done well in West Ham’s last two games, even getting on the scoresheet against Burnley, Nuno won’t be too comfortable relying on the 33-year-old given his own torrid fitness record.

West Ham also want a new defender, and potentially a midfielder if they can manage it (Sky Sports), but it is worth noting that they won’t have a bottomless pit of cash for January either, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The potential sales of Fullkrug, Guido Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse could be crucial when it comes to raising funds, with all three players linked to the West Ham exit door and seemingly not part of Nuno’s long-term plans.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, in an interview with Hammers News, they could also make the surprise decision to sell another squad member who’s only just arrived.

West Ham now ready to sell summer signing Mads Hermansen

Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen swapped Leicester for the London Stadium in a £20 million deal last summer, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal in August, but the Dane has since lost his place in the starting eleven to Alphonse Areola.

He started West Ham’s first four games of the season, conceding 11 league goals in total, with Areola seizing the number one spot back and West Ham now pondering a shock January call.

According to Bailey, West Ham are ready to cash in on Hermansen if the opportunity arises, but could also send him out on loan to get minutes elsewhere before returning.

If the 25-year-old were to leave permanently already, it would mark one of the shortest stints of any new West Ham player in recent memory, but would it be the right move?

Hermansen’s had just four games to showcase his worth in a turbulent side who seem likely to be battling relegation, and the shot-stopper is still very young in goalkeeping years. His prime is still to come, and goalkeeping coaches like Casper Ankergren have revered the former Leicester star as a serious talent between the sticks.

Manchester City are said to be preparing for Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior, but rivals Manchester United are also among the clubs battling to sign him from the Spanish giants.

The Brazilian is one of the best wingers in world football currently, becoming a superstar at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Carlo Ancelotti heaping praise on him during their time working together.

“Right now, I think he is the most decisive player in the world. Everything he does is a dribble away from a defender, an assist or a goal, and he does it for the full 90 minutes – he just never stops.”

His current situation at Madrid isn’t necessarily the happiest, however, and journalist Guillem Balague has explained why there is some friction with Xabi Alonso.

“The manager has insisted Vinicius will not finish every game, that he needs to rest more, and Rodrygo will challenge him for a place on the left side of the attack. Xabi Alonso’s stance is rooted in authority and planning. Vini Jr, used to being indulged, has found it hard to adapt.”

Man City preparing offer for Vinicius

Now, a report from Spain claims that Manchester City are preparing a bid for Vinicius, with Premier League rivals United and Chelsea also in the mix to sign him.

There is apparently “no apparent intention to renew” his current contract, with Pep Guardiola’s side waiting to pounce and complete a stunning piece of business. He reportedly “doesn’t feel valued as he expected” at the Bernabeu, leading to “mounting tensions” emerging.

It goes without saying that the idea of Vinicius in a City shirt is an incredible prospect, given his status as one of the best footballers on the planet.

The 25-year-old possesses remarkable natural talent and skill, but most importantly, he backs that up with strong end product, bagging 64 goals and 44 assists in 217 appearances for Madrid.

Vinicius has also netted eight times for Brazil, and will likely be one of the star attractions at next summer’s World Cup, with former England international Owen Hargreaves lauding him last year.

“His finishing is crazy. His decision-making in front of goal is amazing. He looked very angry in the second half. I don’t know what Carlo [Ancelotti] said to him, but if he plays like that, he’s definitely unstoppable. We saw those clips there – four or five bodies around him, and they can’t even deal with him.”

Erling Haaland's Man City "escape route" as striker's opinion about Real Madrid shared

This would be a disaster.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 1, 2025

If City were able to pair Vinicius with Haaland in their attack, it would make for stunning viewing, and he has the ability to be a future Etihad great if a move does materialise.

Pep can make Haaland even better by unleashing Man City's "proper maverick"

John Campbell, Brandon King, Shai Hope and Roston Chase offered resistance for West Indies, but they slipped from 153 for 3 to 205 all out

Sreshth ShahUpdated on 10-Dec-2025Stumps New Zealand’s patchwork fast-bowling attack delivered a strong show on the opening day of the second Test in Wellington, dismissing West Indies for 205 inside 75 overs at Basin Reserve. But the sight of Blair Tickner being stretchered off late in the afternoon with a suspected dislocated left shoulder took some sheen off their day of dominance.Tickner, playing his first Test in two years and leading the bowling with 4 for 32, was central to turning a bright West Indies start into yet another collapse, while Michael Rae, the 30-year-old debutant drafted into a severely depleted pace unit, complemented him with 3 for 67 in an energetic outing that gave New Zealand the bite they had lacked in the opening hour. That bite mattered because the first hour had belonged entirely to West Indies despite losing the toss, in a match where the hosts announced five changes and the visitors three.On a pitch far milder than the traditional green seamer, John Campbell and Brandon King put on 66 for the opening wicket. Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes, burdened with heavy workloads from the first Test after the injuries to Matt Henry and Nathan Smith in Christchurch, bowled honest but ineffective spells that allowed scoring opportunities.Campbell drove through the line, King played compactly, and West Indies looked assured.Michael Rae picked up three wickets in his first innings in Test cricket•Getty Images

But once New Zealand turned to Tickner and Rae – fresher workload-wise, and sharper in pace – the difference was visible. They operated either full or short but always at the stumps or the body, and the tone of the innings shifted dramatically.Tickner was the first to strike when he prised out King in the 17th over. King, playing the Test after Tagenarine Chanderpaul picked up a side strain on the eve of the Test, and opening for only the second time in his Test career, was pinned lbw when Tickner’s delivery from a short-ish length jagged in and hit him on the pad. One over later, Kavem Hodge was undone for a duck by a fuller ball from Tickner that tailed in late and struck him in front of middle and leg. The double-blow helped New Zealand quickly erase an indifferent start heading into the lunch break.Rae, who had leaked runs in his first spell in Test cricket, made an impact after lunch. Coming around the wicket, he angled a full ball across Campbell, who leaned into a drive with firm hands and edged to first slip, and at 93 for 3, West Indies’ position was slipping.Shai Hope and Roston Chase attempted to restore stability with a 60-run stand for the fourth wicket. Hope scored freely but never convincingly; Tickner and Rae repeatedly hurried him with the short ball, and he took two blows to the helmet with concussion checks following as the afternoon surface grew livelier. Hope reached 48, but Tickner finally cracked him with another rising delivery that he tried awkwardly to fend off, gloving a catch to Kane Williamson at third slip. That, Tickner’s third wicket, had seemed almost inevitable given the sustained discomfort he had caused the batters, and Chase followed soon after, cramped by a Tickner delivery that jagged in sharply to catch the inside-edge on to leg stump for 29.Justin Greaves, West Indies’ double-centurion in Christchurch, lasted 52 balls before Rae drew a faint outside edge with a tight off-stump line. Mitchell Hay completed the catch behind the stumps, leaving West Indies’ lower order exposed. Rae then trapped Kemar Roach lbw with a fuller delivery that kicked enough to beat the bat and straighten into middle stump, and at 184 for 7, the innings was in freefall.Blair Tickner had to be stretchered off after he hurt his shoulder•Getty Images

But New Zealand’s mood would sour dramatically in the next over. Tickner sprinted across from fine leg to stop a boundary-saving flick from Tevin Imlach and dived full-length near the rope. He landed awkwardly, stayed down, and the players signalled urgently as medical staff from both New Zealand and the venue rushed to him. After several minutes of treatment, he was stretchered off – sitting up, but in pain – to warm applause from the Basin Reserve crowd. He later left the ground in an ambulance, with early indications pointing to a suspected dislocated shoulder.Glenn Phillips, the most prolific wicket-taker in New Zealand’s XI with 31 strikes coming into the game, then removed the last recognised batter, bowling Imlach with a fuller ball that straightened just enough to beat the inside edge.Anderson Phillip was run out soon after attempting a risky single – first surviving a throw from Devon Conway but then succumbing when an alert Kristian Clarke broke the stumps on the rebound. Duffy ended West Indies’ innings by having Ojay Shields edge to third slip to end the innings at 205. West Indies lost their last seven wickets for just 52 runs.New Zealand openers Tom Latham and Conway batted nine overs before stumps, with West Indies’ seamers asking questions occasionally and inducing a couple of edges that didn’t carry to the slip cordon. The 24 runs they added before stumps gave New Zealand the firm upper hand, now behind by only 181 behind going into the second day where batting promises to be easier.

Managing a football club, particularly one the size of Manchester United, is incredibly difficult because you need to make decisions that line up with the short, medium, and long-term goals that are in place.

For example, it would be hard for the Red Devils to heavily lean on a strategy of signing incredibly young players with potential, with the hope that they turn into a top team in the future, because supporters expect results in the short-term, and rightly so.

This means that INEOS and Ruben Amorim have to be very careful with their squad planning to ensure that there is a competitive team on the pitch in the present, whilst also having a group of players who are for the future as well.

So far this season, United have been competitive on the pitch. They are seventh in the Premier League after 11 matches, with five wins, and are currently unbeaten in five games after their 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur last time out.

One of the players who has been instrumental in the short-term success on the pitch, but is not one for the future, is the incredibly experienced Casemiro.

The Brazil international has been in fantastic form in the Premier League so far this season for the Red Devils, and they need to consider what they will do in the medium to long-term in his position.

Why Man Utd need to find a replacement for Casemiro

Manchester United need to identify their long-term successor to Casemiro because his current contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and he turns 34 in February.

The Red Devils need to make sure that his replacement is a top-quality one, as the former Real Madrid star has been in impressive form for the club alongside Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park.

Casemiro is already one goal away from his Premier League career-high after netting three goals in ten starts in the division so far, with strikes against Nottingham Forest, Brighton, and Chelsea.

Along with his impressive output at the top end of the pitch, the 33-year-old star has been one of the best midfielders in the division in a host of key defensive metrics.

25/26 Premier League	Casemiro (per 90)	Percentile rank vs CMs
Non-penalty goals	0.44	Top 1%
Assists	0.15	Top 22%
Tackles	3.22	Top 9%
Tackles + interceptions	3.96	Top 18%
Dribblers tackled	1.46	Top 14%
Blocks	1.76	Top 9%
Aerial duels won	2.20	Top 11%
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Casemiro ranks highly among his positional peers in the Premier League for tackles, interceptions, blocks, and aerial duels won.

These statistics illustrate why it is important for the Red Devils to find the player who can play in that position in the mid-to-long term, as the Brazilian star may not be at Old Trafford next season.

The only other ‘natural’ defensive midfielder in the squad is Uruguay international Manuel Ugarte, but he has failed to prove his quality since a £42m move from PSG last year.

After the Manchester derby in September, Gary Neville said the midfield is a “massive problem” and that Ugarte is “not good enough”, which speaks to the feeling around his performances for the club over the past 18 months.

Chalkboard

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

With this in mind, Manchester United could save millions of pounds by unleashing one of their stars in a different position, so that they will not need to splash the cash on a replacement for Casemiro and an upgrade on Ugarte.

Central defender Lisandro Martinez has been back in full training in recent weeks after suffering an ACL injury in February, and he could be a wildcard replacement for Casemiro.

Why Lisandro Martinez could be Man Utd's Casemiro replacement

The Argentina international has been away from the action for nine months because of his long-term injury, but he could be the answer to the club’s mid-to-long-term issues in the defensive midfield position.

Per Transfermarkt, all 89 of his appearances for United have come at centre-back or left-back, with 85 in the heart of the defence, which shows that he has not played as a holding midfielder for the club yet.

However, the left-footed star did start 22 matches as a defensive midfielder during his time with Ajax, before his £48.3m move to Old Trafford, and this means that he does have experience in that role.

Even whilst playing as a centre-back, Martinez has shown qualities that suggest that he would excel in midfield. Take the clip above, for example, as he wins the ball back in the opposition half and holds a high position to break into the box to score a wonderful goal.

The Argentine star would have even more opportunities to pull off plays like that as a defensive midfielder, whilst it would also mean that his lack of aerial prowess would be less exposed, as he has won 55% of his aerial duels or lower in all three of his Premier League seasons, per Sofascore.

24/25 Premier League	Lisandro Martinez per 90	Percentile rank vs CBs
Shot-creating actions	1.34	Top 13%
Pass accuracy	89%	Top 35%
Progressive passes	6.01	Top 11%
Progressive carries	1.18	Top 16%
Key passes	0.46	Top 12%
Passes into the penalty area	0.93	Top 2%
xA	0.07	Top 6%
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Martinez excelled with the ball at his feet in the top-flight last term, ranking highly among centre-backs in a host of progressive metrics.

Como scout Ben Mattinson once claimed that the centre-back “could become a world class DM”, and it is easy to see why when you couple his natural defensive instincts with his technical quality in possession.

Ugarte, for example, has averaged only 3.08 progressive passes and 0.81 progressive carries per 90 in the last 365 days for United, per FBref, which suggests that Martinez would offer more than he has in possession in the middle of the park.

With his prior experience in the position, time left ahead of him to develop further at 27, and his relevant attributes for the role, Martinez could be the dream long-term successor to Casemiro at Old Trafford.

Their new McTominay: Man Utd in talks to sign £25m future "superstar"

Manchester United look set to make a move for a star who could emulate Scott McTominay.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 21, 2025

Aston Villa are now plotting a £18m bid for a “tremendous” defender, who is also being targeted by Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, with Emiliano Martinez a big fan.

Villa keen on strengthening despite resurgent form

Villa have made major improvements over the past month or so, having won six of their last seven matches in the Premier League, which has propelled them to fourth in the table, and Unai Emery has been impressed by his side’s recent performances.

After the 2-1 victory away at Leeds United last time out, the manager said: “The second half (was) better, but overall, 90 minutes, I am so happy how we competed. Even the first half, we didn’t play brilliant, but we were always trying to set our gameplan on the field, and progressively we did it.”

The Villans went 1-0 down at Elland Road, with Martinez receiving criticism for his goalkeeping in the build-up to Lukas Nmecha’s opening goal.

However, a second-half Morgan Rogers brace turned the game on its head, with the goalkeeper’s blushes being spared, and Aston Villa have now joined the race for one of the Argentinian’s international teammates.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Villa are now plotting a €20m (£18m) opening offer for River Plate defender Lautaro Rivero, having tracked the centre-back for months, and Martinez has provided positive feedback on his compatriot.

The Villans believe the 33-year-old’s personal relationship with the River Plate star could give them the edge in the race for his signature, despite rival interest from Man City and Tottenham.

Although the Argentinian has a €100m (£88m) release clause in his contract, River Plate would be willing to sanction a departure for considerably less, and there is a belief he could make an instant impact at Villa Park.

"Tremendous" Rivero has earned big Premier League move

Hailed as “tremendous” by journalist Juan Patricio Balbi, the 22-year-old may now be ready to test himself in England, having performed very well over the past year, placing in the 93rd percentile for tackles per 90, compared to other centre-backs, courtesy of averaging 2.27.

Aston Villa make Emiliano Martinez sale decision amid Unai Emery comments

There has been a key update on Martinez’s future, following the goalkeeper pushing for a move during the summer.

ByDominic Lund Nov 19, 2025

Villa are arguably well-stocked at centre-back, with Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa forming a reliable partnership as of late, but Tyrone Mings has been unable to put his injury problems behind him, and is potentially in the latter stages of his career at 32-years-old.

Tyrone Mings’ injury record

Games missed

12/08/23 – 30/10/24

70

Remainder of 2024/25

7

2025-26

17

As such, Emery could do with bringing in a younger centre-back, and having recently received his first cap for Argentina, Rivero could be capable of pushing for a starting spot.

Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz was substituted against Manchester City after another torrid performance from both the Germany international and his teammates.

Pep Guardiola celebrated his 1,000th game as a manager with a convincing win over an old rival as Manchester City overpowered Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday. Typically Erling Haaland was on the scoresheet, opening the scoring for a dominant City side at the Etihad Stadium with his 99th Premier League goal after missing an earlier penalty.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk had an equaliser controversially disallowed, but the champions were second best for much of a sodden afternoon and fell further behind to a deflected Nico Gonzalez strike before the break.

The outstanding Jeremy Doku, who tormented Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley, added a sublime third on his 100th appearance for the club. Victory lifted City back up to second in the table and within four points of leaders Arsenal, and condemned Liverpool to yet more soul-searching.

Arne Slot’s side had emerged from a recent slump with impressive back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid, but the defeat was their fifth in six league games and left them eight points adrift of the Gunners. During the game, City fans made a point of criticising one particular Liverpool player as he was withdrawn from the match.

Liverpool signing Wirtz was a "waste of money"

Though they would spend more on Alexander Isak just weeks later, Liverpool broke the British transfer record when they signed Florian Wirtz for £116 million in the summer. Much has since been said about the German, who has struggled to swiftly adapt to English football.

Across all competitions, not including the Community Shield, Wirtz has racked up no goals and two assists in 14 games, hardly the return expected by a player who commanded such a transfer fee. Due to his form, questions have been asked about Wirtz’s position in the first team.

Against Man City, Wirtz’s Premier League struggles continued. The German was replaced by Federico Chiesa in the 83rd minute and as per Adam Bate of Sky Sports, was serenaded by the home support.

Florian Wirtz Against Manchester City
Minutes Played	83′
Goals	0
Assists	0
Key Passes	0
Shots on Target	0
Total Shots (Shots Blocked)	2 (2)
Accurate Passes in Opposition Half	11/16 (69%)
(All stats are from SofaScore)

Given the money spent across the summer, there is little excuse for Liverpool’s form throughout the 2025/26 season. Wirtz, however, similar to fellow new arrival Isak, has yet to showcase anything that represents the fee that was paid for him. The German midfielder is still, of course, in the infancy of his Liverpool career, but it is apparent that he needs to quickly find a vein of form on Merseyside.

Liverpool want another Newcastle star after Isak

Oval Invincibles 226 for 5 (Cox 86*, Henry 2-39) beat Welsh Fire 143 (Bairstow 50, T Curran 4-15) by 83 runsOval Invincibles, led by an inspired Jordan Cox, smashed the highest score in the history of the Hundred, racking up 226 for 4 from their 100 balls as they crushed Welsh Fire by 83 runs at the Kia Oval.Asked to bat first in front of a packed home crowd, the Invincibles’ innings sprung into life inside the first 10 balls, Will Jacks hitting Matt Henry for back-to-back boundaries.Tawanda Muyeye then deposited David Payne for two sixes in a row as the home side started to put their foot down, racing to 54 for 0 after the 25-ball powerplay.Saif Zaib came into the attack and made a fortunate but much-needed breakthrough, Muyeye pulling a half-tracker into the hands of Payne on the square-leg boundary.Henry returned to the attack to remove Jacks, Chris Green taking yet another fine running catch in this year’s tournament. Invincibles reached the halfway mark of the innings on a very healthy 89 for 2.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Cox deposited Ajeet Singh Dale, playing his first game in the Hundred, for three consecutive sixes over the leg-side boundary and then sent him over the rope again from the final ball of the set with an incredible reverse-scoop.Sam Curran joined the party, hitting Green for back-to-back sixes to bring up the Invincibles 150, both he and Cox targeting the shorter boundary to devastating effect.Singh Dale dropped Cox at short-third and the batter took advantage of the life, striking Paul Walter for three sixes in a row, bringing up a 21-ball fifty in the process.Curran went caught in the deep off Green, which brought Donovan Ferreira to the middle, the South African promptly clubbing his first ball down the ground for six.Ferreira launched another six before being caught at long-on by Steve Smith to a chorus of boos. Cox, notably not named in England’s white-ball squads for the upcoming matches against South Africa and Ireland, closed out the innings with 14 runs from the final three balls, finishing 86 not out from 29 deliveries, with 10 sixes.Welsh Fire’s chase started dreadfully, Steve Eskinazi slapping the first ball from Jason Behrendorff to Muyeye who moved well to hang on at backward point.This set the tone for what would be a muted second half, the task just too tough. Jonny Bairstow made an aggressive 50 and Tom Kohler-Cadmore played enterprisingly for 31 from 16, but Fire could only make 143 all out, Tom Curran taking 4 for 15.Cox, named Meerkat Match Hero Cox, said of his power hitting: “Last game I unfortunately lost that front leg and basically had no power then. I did a bit of work in the nets with Donovan, he’s all about base, and it helped.”On the Invincibles, he added: “It’s a proper team and a privilege to be a part of it, to be honest. The depth we’ve got is incredible and it gives you that freedom for sure. We’re playing some pretty good cricket.”