Matthew Mott has called for patience with England’s new-era white-ball team as a work in progress, stressing that they’ve only had three opportunities to play together.England succumbed to a four-wicket defeat in Barbados to lose their first series following a difficult World Cup campaign 2-1.A group which featured just four players to have played more than 10 ODIs, found themselves in strong positions in all three matches against a West Indies side going through a similar reboot having failed to qualify for the World Cup.However, a late-innings onslaught from Shai Hope and Romario Shepherd in the opening match saw England slip to a four-wicket defeat in Antigua, before losing by the same margin at the Kensington Oval after a top-order collapse gave England a total of just 188 to defend in a rain-reduced game.Related

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“We haven’t put a complete game together and that’s the frustration,” Mott, England’s head coach, said immediately after the defeat. “We put ourselves in a chance to win all three games and come away with a series loss, so that’s not ideal.”But there are definitely some really good signs there that there’s a group of players who love playing with each other. They’re some really good mates in there and I think it’ll really take the game forward.”In line for particular praise were Rehan Ahmed and Sam Curran. Rehan, described by Mott as a “revelation”, has been tasked with filling the almighty shoes of Adil Rashid and took five wickets across the series at an average of 23.40 and an economy of 4.33. On the other hand, Curran had a mixed series. In the opening ODI, he showed his class with the bat to save England’s innings from the perilous position of 239 for 7, before conceding the worst ever figures of an England player in ODIs as he was taken for 0 for 98.”Sam’s definitely a player that we really want to invest in,” Mott said, with Curran proving his qualities with the ball in the second match where his triple-strike in the powerplay put England ahead of the game. “He’s got a lot of qualities that we like and he’s got the game to really play well.”A point of pride for Mott was the fight England showed to almost steal an unlikely victory from the final ODI. Suffering from the natural disadvantage of bowling second in a rain-affected match, England were faced with greasy conditions that made it harder for their spinners to grip the ball and easier for the West Indies batters to play seam. But thanks to a Will Jacks-inspired performance with the ball, England reduced West Indies to 135 for 6, with 53 runs still required for victory.”I thought today we showed a lot of character and spirit to fight all day,” Mott said. “You don’t want to make excuses, but to hang in there as a team and show the fight that they did, throwing themselves around and nearly snatching one was something that we’re looking for.”After three months of almost exclusive ODI focus, England’s attention now turns to T20s, with the five-match series against West Indies starting on Tuesday in Barbados.”We’ve played really good T20 cricket over a period of time. It’s always good when you lose a series to change the format,” Mott said, also confirming that Jos Buttler will return to opening the batting after spending the New Zealand series in September lower down the order. “You move on pretty quickly. It’s only a couple of days, it won’t be that different. Obviously you’ve got a few new players coming in with experience. But it’s much of a muchness really.”There are five changes to England’s personnel in the Caribbean, with Chris Woakes, Rashid, Moeen Ali, Reece Topley and Tymal Mills joining the squad for the T20 leg. Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley, Matthew Potts, Tom Hartley and Brydon Carse will head home.”It’s probably easier transitioning back,” Mott said. “T20 is, particularly for the batting group, pretty clear, you go out and take the game on, there’s not a lot of dead balls. And from the bowling group, you’re trying to hit your variations as much as you can and deny them hitting opportunities. So I think we’ll be fine. We’ve got a couple of days to work on it and looking forward to it.”Also joining the England set-up is Andrew Flintoff, who will continue the first team mentoring role he took up in the summer as part of his first steps back into the public eye following his serious car crash whilst filming Top Gear.Flintoff, whose role is now paid, was part of the backroom staff for both the New Zealand white-ball series and the home ODIs against Ireland before he flew to Abu Dhabi along with Graeme Swann as part of the England Lions’ red-ball training camp. It has been a high-profile return to coaching for Flintoff, who has also been hired as Northern Superchargers head coach for the 2024 edition of The Hundred.

In what could be their first move after potential promotion to the Premier League, Leeds United and the 49ers have now reportedly set their sights on signing one particular reinforcement on loan.

Leeds and 49ers eyeing loan move

As is often the case, the Championship campaign remains in the balance heading into the final two months with Leeds, Burnley and Sheffield United all vying for automatic promotion.

As things stand, it is those at Elland Road who will be sweating the most after their 2-2 draw against Queens Park Rangers saw Sheffield United draw level on points at the top of the league and Burnley move within two points of the automatic promotion places. With eight games to go, Daniel Farke will simply be desperate to get his side over the line.

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Failing to achieve promotion for the second time under Farke could yet result in another exodus of talent in a repeat of last summer. Promotion, meanwhile, could spark the beginning of a summer to remember if the Whites get things right on and off the pitch.

On that front, a number of potential targets have been mentioned in recent weeks, but one name continues to stand out. According to Graeme Bailey via Leeds United News, the 49ers and Leeds are now plotting a move to sign Kalvin Phillips on loan from Manchester City this summer in what would be his third short-term spell away from The Etihad.

The midfielder has looked more and more desperate for a fresh start ever since completing a move to Manchester City in 2022 and could now at least get an Elland Road reunion.

Following a mixed spell on loan at Ipswich Town, a return to where he was at his best may well provide Phillips with the answers he craves in pursuit of getting back to the player he was in West Yorkshire.

"Fantastic" Phillips needs Leeds return

Out of all the moves that take place this summer, Phillips’ potential return to Leeds is among those that would make most sense if they achieve promotion this season. The midfielder desperately needs a return – perhaps more than they need him – and could instantly reward Farke using his vast Premier League experience.

Having shown glimpses of his quality at Portman Road this season, Kieran McKenna has been full of praise for Phillips at times, telling reporters in the early stages of his move: “As I said when he arrived, he’s followed a very similar pathway to a lot of our players. He’s climbed a mountain, he’s done terrific in his career.

“He went from being a player who played in the Championship for four, five, six seasons, whatever he did, to being part of a newly-promoted team that went to the Premier League, attacked the Premier League, and did fantastic in that division.”

Reportedly earning £8m a year, Leeds would certainly need to negotiate some leeway with Manchester City to make the move happen, but it’s one they should work hard to complete this summer nonetheless.

Manchester City have endured somewhat of a disappointing campaign in 2024/25, with any hopes of retaining their Premier League title out of the window with just eight games remaining.

Pep Guardiola’s side only remain in the FA Cup, but will face an in-form Nottingham Forest side, who have recently beaten them, to have any chance of ending the season on a high.

A rebuild is desperately needed at the Etihad this summer, with groundwork being done in January after the arrivals of Abdukodir Khusanov, Victor Reis, Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez.

However, if it is to continue this summer, the Spaniard will have to brutally part ways with numerous fan-favourites who have helped the club achieve the heights they have in recent years.

One of which could be set for a switch in the coming months, potentially cashing in at the right time and ending his eight-year stint in the Citizens’ first-team.

Real Madrid plot summer move for Manchester City star

According to Spanish outlet DefensaCentral, Real Madrid are keen on a summer move for City midfielder Bernardo Silva – a move that could kickstart any rebuild in Manchester.

The Portuguese international has been a regular in Guardiola’s side since his transfer from Monaco back in the summer of 2017, often being a dependable figure in their success.

However, with Bernardo turning 31 this summer and his deal expiring in 2026, it could provide the right time to part ways and allow for fresh blood at the Etihad.

The report states that the LaLiga giants are huge admirers of Silva and keen to make a move this window, but won’t pay over the odds given his age and contract scenario.

Whilst on the face of things, offloading a player who’s made 40 appearances this season may seem like a big call, the time has ultimately come for the next generation to stake their claim in the first-team.

Why City should look to sell Bernardo to Real Madrid this summer

There’s no denying that Silva has been a modern-day icon for City, racking up just shy of 400 appearances, and winning a total of 14 major trophies during his stint at the club.

However, despite his huge tally of outings this season, the midfielder, who’s valued at £46m by Football Transfers, has ultimately failed to match his usual high standards, with Guardiola needing to inject more energy into the heart of the side.

This summer could prove the last chance for the hierarchy to gain any money back on their investment, risking losing the “world-class” star, as labelled by Statman Dave, for nothing next January – with other clubs able to agree a pre-contract for his signature.

Games played

33

26

Goals & assists

15

6

Pass accuracy

90%

87%

Chances created

2.3

1.8

Dribble success

65%

52%

Duel success rate

50%

47%

Touches per 90

81

68

Gonzalez has already shown glimpses early on in his City career that he’s capable of being a key member for years to come, with a plethora of other young talent waiting in the wings.

Nico O’Reilly has demonstrated in recent weeks that he’s capable of stepping up to the plate, staking his claim for a regular starting role after notching two assists against Bournemouth – helping the club reach the next stage of the FA Cup.

Whilst the 20-year-old operated at left-back against the Cherries, he’s primarily a central midfielder, with Silva’s potential departure opening the door for him to thrive in his natural position.

As for James McAtee, he’s also waiting to get a consistent run in Guardiola’s side, only being restricted to substitute appearances within the Premier League this season.

However, the 22-year-old has still managed to notch two goals to date, showcasing he has the talent to become a regular should the Portuguese international depart in the coming months.

Whilst losing Silva would be a huge call, it’s one that is needed if the side are to return to the top of the English top division, needing new blood to take the side back to where they belong.

Investment from the hierarchy could help soften the blow, but it’s important that the manager hands the likes of O’Reilly and McAtee the opportunity to fulfil their potential at their boyhood outfit.

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David Moyes has come into the Everton hot-seat and been just the breath of fresh air needed to pull the Toffees away from relegation danger, with a draw to Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out signalling his side’s eighth straight game in the Premier League without defeat.

Whilst many faces in the Everton camp looked dejected and lost towards the end of Sean Dyche’s troubled tenure, a large portion of the Blues first team personnel now look rejuvenated under the Scotsman’s newer methods, with Beto one star very much benefitting from the inspired managerial switch-up having now scored six top-flight strikes.

But, a renewed belief is coursing throughout the team at this moment in time, with a defensive star really sticking out as another figure who has taken to the return of Moyes.

Jake O'Brien's improvements under Moyes at Everton

Whilst the Toffees weren’t exactly leaking goals for fun under the dogged managerial style of Dyche, some of the defenders at Goodison Park have shown signs of improvement already under the ex-West Ham United boss.

That is definitely the case for Jake O’Brien, with the young Irishman a regular on the bench under the previous regime, only to now be a solid first-team option.

The former Olympique Lyonnais defender even grabbed his first-ever Toffees goal on the road at Brentford to finish a sterling February on the best possible note, with that month also seeing him star against Manchester United with five duels being won, on top of a clean sheet being collected at home to Leicester City.

Therefore, it looks now as if Everton have a fantastic long-term candidate to be their right-back, with both Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman towards the end of their careers, compared to the ever-improving O’Brien who has a valuation of £13m according to Transfermarkt.

Amazingly, the breakout star at the back is now worth more than a former Toffees star who was sold for a big fee to a Premier League rival back in 2022.

The Everton "machine" now worth less than O'Brien

Everton have sold on a number of players over recent years for high fees, with Amadou Onana’s name sticking out from last summer’s bumper transfer window, having won the Merseysiders £50m when he moved onto pasture new with Aston Villa.

This isn’t the only time Villa and the Toffees have had a healthy working relationship, however, with former owner Farhad Moshiri losing French full-back Lucas Digne to the Villans in January of 2022, costing the West Midlands side £25m in the process.

The Frenchman was a beloved figure when he was strutting his stuff at Goodison, with Digne going on to notch up six goals and 20 assists across 127 appearances, before inevitably breaking hearts when a move to Villa came calling.

Whilst the 31-year-old has taken to his new challenge at Villa Park well, Everton definitely hit gold selling the ex-Barcelona “machine” – as he was once lauded by football journalist Ty Bracey – when they did.

Why? Well, his steep £25m valuation has taken a hit the more his Villans career goes on.

Whilst Digne has continued to be an exciting option down the left flank with four goals and 14 assists tallied up, his valuation has slipped all the way down to a lesser £10m as per Transfermarkt, representing a £15m decrease.

He has also looked shaky at points this season for Unai Emery’s men in Premier League action, with only two clean sheets coming his way from 28 encounters a worrying statistic to chew over.

Whilst Digne is still remembered as a stellar defender throughout his time on Merseyside, Everton did cash in at the best possible time with hindsight firmly on their side, as Moyes goes about picking up more and more positive results at Goodison with his revitalised troops.

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da 888： Chelsea have now submitted a £1.4m bid for an attacking midfielder following a recent scouting mission, according to a report.

Blues plotting youth recruitment drive

da bwin： Under the helm of BlueCo, Chelsea have maintained a heavy focus on bringing in talented young players, with Sporting CP’s Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo becoming the latest additions to the squad last month.

As we approach the summer transfer window, it appears as though the Blues are set to continue stockpiling young players, with Real Madrid striker Endrick becoming the latest subject of interest, having submitted a £59m offer for the 18-year-old striker.

In terms of central midfield options, 21-year-old Barcelona ace Marc Casado is on the shortlist, with Todd Boehly plotting a £33m bid for the Spaniard, while breakout AFC Bournemouth star Dean Huijsen remains a target at centre-back.

The aforementioned targets all have experience in a major European league, but there have now been suggestions the west Londoners could also be willing to take a risk on more of an unproven quantity.

According to a report from Africa Foot (via Sport Witness), Chelsea have now submitted a €1.6m (£1.4m) bid for Malian wonderkid Seydou Dembele, who is currently playing in Qatar.

Scouts from a number of Europe’s top clubs have been watching the U17 Africa Cup of Nations, and Dembele has seemingly stood out above the rest, having impressed the Blues, Barcelona and Red Bull Salzburg.

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As the starlet is just 16-years-old, he will not be able to move to Stamford Bridge until he turns 18, should Boehly’s bid prove to be successful.

However, there are signs that it could be worth the wait, given that the youngster has been performing very well for Mali U17s, and he has earned the nickname of “Messi” from his friends.

Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Ipswich Town (h)

April 13th

Fulham (a)

April 20th

Everton (h)

April 26th

Liverpool (h)

May 4th

Newcastle United (a)

May 10th

"Real talent" Dembele is one for the future

With the Malian unable to sign for Chelsea until he is 18, we won’t see him in a blue shirt anytime soon, but his displays for his country indicate he could go on to be a top player, with the report stating he has twice received Man of the Match awards at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Not only that, but scout Felix Johnston has also given the attacking midfielder very high praise, describing him as a “real talent”, while also detailing that he is a “really nifty” left-footed number 10.

Understandably, the news may once again call into question the fact that Chelsea are stockpiling a huge number of young players, with Enzo Maresca’s squad at risk of becoming very bloated again in the future.

However, the move for Dembele is relatively low risk at just £1.4m, and he is showing very promising signs for his country.

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ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2017

Kylian Mbappe has been told the "timing is not right" for him to compete for the Ballon d'Or, even if he helps Real Madrid win the Club World Cup.

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Mbappe had prolific debut season at RealBut ended up without a major trophyMalouda suggests 2025 Ballon d'Or is out of reachFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Mbappe completed a long-awaited move to Real Madrid last summer after leaving Paris Saint-Germain and has enjoyed a prolific first season with the Spanish giants. The France international scored 43 goals in 56 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos, including 31 in La Liga to clinch the European Golden Shoe for the first time in his career.

AdvertisementGetty Images/GoalTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mbappe also got his hands on the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup, but major silverware proved elusive for Real as they finished runners-up to arch rivals Barcelona in both La Liga and the Copa del Rey, while suffering a painful Champions League quarter-final defeat to Arsenal. It has been suggested that Real's failure on the biggest stages will prevent Mbappe from scooping the 2025 Ballon d'Or, with PSG's Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal now being billed as the frontrunners for the prestigious individual prize.

Watch every game of the FIFA Club World Cup live on DAZNStream nowWHAT MALOUDA SAID

Mbappe does have one final chance to boost his chances of Ballon d'Or success as Real head to the United States for the first edition of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup. However, former France and Chelsea star Florent Malouda does not think this is the year that the stars align for Mbappe as Los Blancos enter a transitional period under new head coach Xabi Alonso.

When asked whether Mbappe can challenge Yamal and Dembele for the Golden Ball if he fires Real to global glory on American soil, Malouda told GOAL: "Kylian Mbappe is always a Ballon d’Or contender and always will be. When you look at his numbers, his personality and his personal ambitions, it’s his dream to achieve that. He wants to break all records and he wants to compete for these individual awards.

"Regarding Real Madrid, they are in a transition. They lost the manager and for a number nine it all depends on the balance of the team and how confident they are. He is in a new position in that nine and he is playing in a competitive environment when it comes to Barcelona, in which they lost all four times.

"They are competing against top European teams, world-class teams and they still look vulnerable. I don't think it's the right timing for him to compete for individual awards at the moment. The goal will be about being involved in building a strong, strong team for next year."

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Mbappe played down his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or this year after starring for France during the latest international break. The Real superstar scored in Les Bleus' Nations League semi-final defeat to Spain and their third-place play-off victory over Germany, but he still feels Golden Ball recognition is out of his control.

"I'm not the one who gives it (the Ballon d'Or) out. I have opinions, and I've had different opinions about the last winners, by the way," he said. "The only trophy that depends solely on my feet is the Golden Shoe. The rest, I don't vote for."

The Kings XI opener’s unbeaten 99 followed an old-fashioned ODI template, featuring a distinct middle-overs slowdown

Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Apr-2019Chris Gayle has hit six centuries in the IPL. The slowest of them, in terms of strike rate, was his unbeaten 104 off 63 balls last year, for Kings XI Punjab against Sunrisers Hyderabad.Today, at the same ground, he finished one run short of scoring an even slower hundred. He was far from his most fluent during his unbeaten 99 off 64, and his hitting – which on his best days isn’t fettered by who is bowling or at what stage of the game – was extremely selective. The innings followed an old-fashioned ODI template, featuring a distinct middle-overs slowdown.By the end of the Powerplay, thanks largely to a 24-run sixth over from Mohammed Siraj, Gayle had run away to 48 off 23 balls, with six fours and three sixes. From there until the end of the 16th over, he hit only one more boundary – a leg glance off Yuzvendra Chahal – while adding 20 off 27 balls to his score.A notable feature of his batting in this phase was his caution against the spinners, Chahal and Moeen Ali, whom he was happy to push for strolled singles to the deep fielders. Apart from that one four off Chahal, all his runs against spin came in singles (11) and a solitary two.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the last four overs, he picked up the pace again, even though he didn’t look at his most fluent – Mayank Agarwal later told the commentators that the pitch slowed down considerably through the innings. In the last four overs, Gayle hit 31 off 14 balls, with two sixes and three fours.Overall, the bulk of Gayle’s runs came off two bowlers, Siraj and Umesh Yadav, off whom he hit 70 off 30 balls. Of the other three Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers, he only made 29 off 34.

أدلى أولى هونيس الرئيس الشرفي لنادي بايرن ميونخ الألماني، بتصريح مثير للجدل بشأن صفقة نيكولاس جاكسون المنضم للفريق من تشيلسي الإنجليزي.

وانضم نيكولاس جاكسون من تشيلسي إلى بايرن ميونخ على سبيل الإعارة في اليوم الأخير من سوق الانتقالات الصيفي.

ويأتي ذلك بعدما حاول تشيلسي إلغاء الصفقة عقب إصابة ليام ديلاب لاعب الفريق، وتراجعت المفاوضات بالفعل، لكن تجددت في وقت لاحق وحسمها بايرن ميونخ لصالحه بنجاح.

وكشف أولي هونيس، أن خيار تفعيل انتقال جاكسون الدائم من تشيلسي إلى بايرن ميونخ لن يحدث، إلا بمشاركة اللاعب أساسيًا في 40 مباراة خلال الموسم.

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وقال هونيس في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ذا صن” البريطانية: “يساهم اللاعب ووكيله بمبلغ 3 ملايين يورو، لذا ندفع 13.5 مليون يورو رسوم إعارة”.

وأضاف: “بالتأكيد لن يكون هناك عقد دائم، هذا لن يحدث إلا إذا لعب 40 مباراة من البداية، وهذا لن يحدث أبدًا”.

ويستعد بايرن ميونخ لملاقاة هامبورج يوم السبت القادم، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الألماني، عقب انتهاء فترة التوقف الدولي.

ثم يخوض بايرن ميونخ مباراة أمام تشيلسي الإنجليزي في الجولة الأولى لمرحلة الدوري ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، يوم الأربعاء الموافق 17 سبتمبر الجاري.

Khaled Ahmed was the standout performer for East Zone, as he completed an 11-wicket match haul to take East to victory in Sylhet. The 11 wickets made it a chart-topping 18 wickets for Khaled in just two games in the BCL, well ahead of second-placed Abu Hider of Central Zone, who returned 12 wickets in three games.After East won the toss and opted to field, Rejaur Rahman Raja and Khaled returned identical figures of 4 for 40 in the first North innings to bowl them out for 108, with Abdullah Al Mamun’s 26 the best individual effort for North. East’s reply was led by Mominul Haque, who scored 117 in just under four hours, and Parvez Hossain Emon, whose 90 came in 200 balls in over four hours of batting. Shahadat Hossain also chipped in with a quick 56.Behind by 244 runs, North needed a stronger batting display, but after a steady start from Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Sabbir Hossain, which took them to 43 by the eighth over, it started to go downhill. Abu Jayed picked up the first wicket, of Joy, and it was over to Khaled after that to run through the batting with returns of 7 for 50. Rejaur took his match tally to six with the wickets of Pritom Kumar and North captain Akbar Ali.East, who had earlier beaten Central by seven wickets after drawing their opener against South Zone, finished on 20 points, double that of second-placed Central.A dramatic batting collapse in their second innings cost South a chance to make a match of it against Central, who needed to chase just 16 runs in the fourth innings after South only managed 49, having conceded a 34-run first-innings lead.Asked to bat, South put up 214, with good hands from Moin Khan (75) and Fazle Mahmud (46), as Shohidul Islam, Hider and Shuvagata Hom all got among the wickets.Central’s batting effort wasn’t much better, but good enough to get them a lead, as they scored 248. Naeem Islam led the way with a 181-ball 89, while Mahidul Islam Ankon scored 66.But there was almost no resistance from South in their second innings. Opener Prantik Nawrose Nabil batted ten balls before going off, and the procession was on. Hider picked up four, Shohidul three, and Salauddin Sakil two. Mohammad Naim then proceeded to knock off the required runs in just one over.