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Aryansh’s 60 off 43 kept UAE in the hunt before they lost five wickets for 21 runs and fell short

Deivarayan Muthu17-Aug-2023

Tim Seifert’s explosive fifty and Tim Southee’s crafty five-wicket haul helped New Zealand scrap to victory in the T20I series opener against UAE in Dubai. Cameos from Rachin Ravindra and Cole McConchie were also vital to New Zealand’s win on a tricky, two-paced track.Returning to the scene of the T20 World Cup final in 2021, when Seifert filled in for the injured Devon Conway, Seifert staked his claim for regular selection with a 30-ball half-century. UAE’s offspin-bowling allrounders Basil Hameed and Mohammed Faraazuddin then triggered a middle-overs meltdown, but late blows from Ravindra and McConchie hauled New Zealand past 150.Eighteen-year-old Aryansh Sharma marked his T20I debut with a sparkling half-century and kept UAE in the hunt until Jimmy Neesham had him holing out in the 15th over. His dismissal left UAE needing 41 off 30 balls with four wickets in hand. But Southee and co put it beyond their reach and bowled them out for 136.Seifert goes bamSeifert’s ability to club the ball had earned him a nickname – Bam Bam – inspired, of all things, . Seifert has drifted away from New Zealand’s first-choice XI in the recent past, but he has now put himself back in the spotlight with runs around the world.Last month, he finished the Zim Afro T10 league as the tournament’s second-highest scorer. He then hit three fifties in the LPL and added another to his CV in Dubai on Thursday. He was responsible for 47 of the 51 runs New Zealand had scored in the powerplay on a challenging pitch.He pumped Junaid Siddique and Aayan Khan over mid-off and then whipped Ali Naseer over square leg. UAE’s bowlers kept bowling slower balls into the pitch, but Seifert kept manufacturing enough pace for himself. Hameed cut his innings short at 55 when he had him splicing a reverse-sweep to point. He then cleaned up Mitchell Santner in the same over to drag UAE back into the game.McConchie, Ravindra put NZ back on trackAfter the powerplay, New Zealand went seven overs without a boundary. Neesham then struck back-to-back fours against Hameed and when he went for another one against Siddique, he was caught at deep square leg.McConchie and Ravindra then forged an unbroken 46-run seven-wicket partnership off just 28 balls to give the innings a leg-up. Ravindra lined up Zahoor, taking him for 11 off six balls, including a drilled four down the ground. Hitting across the line was particularly difficult on this track, so the pair focussed on finding boundaries in the ‘V’.Aryansh Sharma score 60 off 43 balls•Emirates Cricket Board

Aryansh shows promiseThat UAE made a decent fist of the chase was down to Aryansh’s knock. He scored ten boundaries during his 60 off 43 balls. Overall, New Zealand had scored only ten boundaries during their entire innings, but they still found a way to win.Until recently Aryansh was only Vriitya Aravind’s understudy, but in the first T20I against New Zealand, he was their main man, punching and driving with panache. He smashed left-arm quick Ben Lister for three successive fours before treating Kyle Jamieson in similar fashion. Neesham then snagged him to wrestle back the momentum for New Zealand.Santner and Southee stifle UAESantner had given up ten runs in his first over in the powerplay, but he bounced back to concede only 12 from his remaining three while also picking up the wickets of Asif Khan and Ali Naseer.When Asif lobbed one in the air, it seemed destined to fall safely until Santner threw himself to his right and pulled off a stunning one-handed catch, in front of the non-striker. Then, in the 17th over, he trapped Naseer in front to hasten New Zealand’s victory.After making early inroads with the new ball, Southee was just as effective with the old, regularly digging cutters into the pitch. He took care of the UAE lower order along with Santner and Jamieson. Southee is now just two wickets away from surpassing Shakib Al Hasan as the highest wicket-taker in T20Is.

Real Madrid have rejected Borussia Dortmund's bid for academy product Diego Aguado, as coach Xabi Alonso views him as a key player for the future.

• Dortmund wanted to sign Madrid's Aguado
• Los Blancos consider him one for the future
• Castilla boss Arbeloa holds him in high regard

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The German club attempted to sign the 18-year-old defender but have been stopped in their tracks by Madrid, reports. Coming out of La Fabrica, the academy product is deemed a perfect Madrid player by Castilla's head coach Alvaro Arbeloa. Alonso also appreciates the player and took him to America trusting him enough to be a part of the Club World Cup squad.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  La Liga giants Madrid are not looking to part ways with the defender currently and want to keep him as a backup option while letting him develop under the guidance of Arbeloa. The versatile defender can play both as a centre-back and a left-back, making him a viable option should the club fall into an injury crisis. The Castilla coach also admits that few players embody the spirit of a Madrid player better than Aguado, making him a player the club is keen to keep around.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Aguado has moved through the ranks at Madrid, joining the youth academy in 2017 before moving to Madrid’s reserve team (Castilla) and then being promoted to the first team in 2024. He made his senior debut for Los Blancos in a Copa del Rey match in January this year and signed a long-term contract with the club, securing his future until June 2029.

• GettyImages
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MADRID?

  Alonso's side are now packed in defence after the signing of Alvaro Carreras from Benfica. The team now want to offload Ferland Mendy to secure finances and give time to developing players like Fran Garcia and Aguado. Reportedly, Alonso wants to start the upcoming season with Garcia in the left after his impressive performance last season and in the Club World Cup.

Liverpool have become one of the most interesting sides to follow on the market this summer and appear primed to announce yet another signing at Anfield, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Liverpool not wasting any time on transfers

Jeremie Frimpong became Liverpool’s first signing of the window, and he has been joined by young goalkeeper Armin Pecsi from Puskas Akacemia, though more headline additions are on the way as Arne Slot gets to work.

Florian Wirtz has passed his medical on Friday ahead of a record move to the Reds from Bayer Leverkusen, and Jarell Quansah’s potential move to Germany has set the scene for the arrival of a new central defender.

Recent reports suggest Liverpool have upped their interest in Crystal Palace central defender Marc Guehi and the Eagles could be compelled to sell the England international, who only has one year left on his deal in South London.

Despite the excitement emanating out of the red half of Merseyside, Mick Brown believes the Reds could entertain selling Andy Robertson, citing the financial incentives involved in a potential switch to Atletico Madrid for the Scotland international.

He stated: “In terms of wages and transfer value, they would make the most back from letting Robertson go. If they get an acceptable offer for him, I think they’ll entertain it.”

Liverpool’s first five Premier League fixtures of the new season

Bournemouth (H)

Anfield

Newcastle United (A)

St James’ Park

Arsenal (H)

Anfield

Burnley (A)

Turf Moor

Everton (H)

Anfield

Admittedly, Liverpool’s Premier League-winning side could form a very different complexion next term. There is a feeling that the dynamic has shifted regarding transfer activity at Anfield, with Slot becoming a ruthless force in his mission to claim further silverware.

In light of this, the Reds are now close to completing another deal for a star who has been edging towards a move to the top-flight holders.

Romano: Liverpool agree deal for Milos Kerkez

According to Romano, sharing the news on Friday lunch time, Liverpool’s negotiations with Bournemouth are complete and Milos Kerkez will now undergo a medical with the Reds.

Kerkez registered two goals and six assists in 41 appearances across all competitions for the Cherries last term as they narrowly missed out on continental qualification.

The Hungarian has been praised by Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola for his improved end product since arriving in the top flight, something which marks him out as the perfect replacement for Robertson, known for bombing down the left flank and whipping in dangerous crosses.

With Robertson potentially on his way out, the 21-year-old appears to be a shrewd replacement that could go on to become a leading light in Liverpool’s side for years to come should the medical go to plan.

Asalanka, Buttler, Babar and Warner round out top five performers

ESPNcricinfo stats team15-Nov-2021Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga is the MVP of the T20 World Cup 2021 according to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats (all matches from start of Super 12s have been considered). In the Super 12s, Hasaranga took ten wickets and conceded runs at just 5.84 per over in the so-called Group of Death. Hasaranga also took a hat-trick against South Africa, but that was not enough to get his team over the line.ESPNcricinfo LtdNumbers, however, do not do full justice to Hasaranga’s impact.To gauge that, we need to look at Smart Stats, which looks at every batting and bowling performance through the prism of match context, and the pressure on the batter and bowler at each delivery when they batted or bowled.The games against England and South Africa stood out. All ten wickets that he took were of batters in the top seven.Hasaranga bowled three overs at the death too, taking four wickets at 6.66. In the middle overs, he bowled 14 overs and conceded just 6.14 runs per over. Hasaranga was the partnership breaker for his team, taking key wickets when they were required. He dismissed Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma and Dwyane Pretorius against South Africa, while he got Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Eoin Morgan against England.Hasaranga took wickets when others struggled, which also helped him top the impact charts. Hasaranga’s match impact of 71.6 was way ahead of his team-mate Charith Asalanka, who was next.Asalanka had a match impact score of 55, and scored 225 runs at an impressive strike rate of 153.06. No one had a better strike rate than Asalanka among the top 20 run-getters in the competition. Asalanka’s unbeaten 80 against Bangladesh was a knock under serious pressure, with his team struggling at 79 for 4 in the tenth over chasing 171.Openers Jos Buttler, Babar Azam and Player of the Tournament David Warner complete the top five.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Most impactful bowler

The list of bowlers with the highest Smart Wickets is different from the list of top wicket-takers, because Smart Wickets takes into account the quality of batter dismissed, their score at the time of dismissal, and the match context at that point. Considering all those factors, Trent Boult and Josh Hazlewood take the top-two positions with 15 and 14.6 Smart Wickets respectively.Adam Zampa, who is first on the actual wicket-takers’ list with 13 wickets, is fifth on the Smart Wickets tally with an aggregate of 11.8. Hasaranga and Ish Sodhi complete the top five, while five of the top-ten bowlers are wristspinners.There was not much to separate Boult and Hazlewood. While Hazlewood took the most wickets in the powerplay with seven, Boult was the second-highest wicket-taker at the death with six wickets. Both quicks were instrumental in containing runs or taking crucial wickets. Boult conceded five runs or less in four out of seven games in not-so-favourable conditions for quicks. Hazlewood, on the other hand, had a big impact by either picking crucial wickets early in the match or reducing the run flow, like he did in the final against New Zealand and in the first game against South Africa.Interestingly, both Boult and Hazlewood had very poor semi-finals, conceding more than ten runs per over without taking a wicket.The legspin trio of Hasaranga, Sodhi and Zampa all had excellent impact through the middle overs. Zampa took 13 wickets in this phase and went for less than six runs per over in the competition. Although some of his wickets did come about when the match result was a formality, or were of tail-enders, he made some crucially important strikes too. The former added to the tally for conventional wickets, but didn’t add much to Zampa’s Smart Wickets count. His five-wicket haul against Bangladesh was worth just 3.29 Smart Wickets, while his spells against South Africa and Pakistan counted for a lot more.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Top batting and bowling performances in a match

While Hasaranga and Boult took pole positions in terms of MVP and best bowler, the match-wise best batting and bowling performance went to Martin Guptill and Shadab Khan respectively. Guptill’s 93 from 56 balls in tough, humid conditions against Scotland was the top batting performance.This was the only game that was won by a team batting first in Dubai. Guptill single-handedly powered his team, hitting seven sixes and six fours. His partner in a century stand for the fourth wicket, Glenn Phillips, scored at a strike rate of just 89, making it that much tougher for Guptill.\The only century of the tournament was by Jos Buttler. His brilliant unbeaten 101 against Sri Lanka in tough batting conditions was the second best batting performance of the tournament. Buttler scored 62% of his team’s runs, and at one stage had made only 35 from 38 balls. In his next 29 balls, he smashed 66 runs in bowler-friendly conditions. Kane Williamson’s 85 in the final, Najibullah Zadran’s 73 against New Zealand and Asalanka’s 80 from 40 balls against Bangladesh complete the top-five best batting performances.ESPNcricinfo LtdAmong the impactful bowling performance, Shadab’s 4 for 26 in the semi-finals topped the chart.Defending 176, Shadab took the key wickets of Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith and David Warner. He conceded just 6.25 runs per over when all other bowlers went upwards of 8 per over. Shadab’s four wickets were worth almost seven Smart Wickets. What should have been a match-winning performance sadly ended in a losing cause. Hasaranga’s two spells against England and South Africa are in the top five along with Hazlewood and Boult’s efforts in the final.

You know what you’re going to get from Trent Boult, but that doesn’t make it any easier to face

Karthik Krishnaswamy02-Apr-2023Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane. KL Rahul and K Gowtham. Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi .Three times now, Trent Boult has taken two wickets in the first over of an IPL innings. He’s done it once for Mumbai Indians, and twice for Rajasthan Royals, most recently on Sunday against Sunrisers Hyderabad. No other bowler has done more than twice.ESPNcricinfo LtdOutside the three times in the IPL, Boult has taken two wickets in the first over of an innings once in the Big Bash League, for Melbourne Stars against Sydney Thunder last December, dismissing Matthew Gilkes and Rilee Rossouw and making a defence of 122 look plausible.Only one other bowler has matched Boult and done it four times in all T20s – Sohail Tanvir.Tanvir might not be the first left-arm quick, or even the first Pakistani left-arm quick, you thought of when you thought of frequent wreakers of first-over havoc, but it’s notable first of all that Tanvir, like Boult, is a left-arm quick. A swinging new ball is a dangerous weapon in any fast bowler’s hands, but a quality left-arm quick is perhaps the hardest kind of bowler for a top order to face first up.And since Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mitchell Starc don’t play in the IPL, Boult is easily the biggest new-ball gamechanger in the league.Since the start of IPL 2020, Boult has taken 33 powerplay wickets, ten more than his nearest challenger Mohammed Shami. Of the eight bowlers with at least 15 powerplay wickets in this time, Boult has the best average (22.69), and is one of three with an economy rate below 7.His method is utterly straightforward and time-tested, swinging the ball at pace against the angle from left-arm over, but it takes immense skill to make a straightforward method work as often, and as devastatingly, as Boult does. There were three left-arm quicks playing this game in Hyderabad, and while it’s possible that there was more swing available to Boult in the evening than there had been for Fazalhaq Farooqi and T Natarajan in the afternoon, it was only Boult who made the new ball look anything like menacing.When Sunrisers began their chase of 204, in fact, they may have viewed the new ball as their likeliest source of quick runs. The Royals batters had taken the new ball to the cleaners, scoring 85 for 1 in their powerplay, but had found it a lot harder to find the boundary when the ball became older. They scored 122 in their first 10 overs, and just 81 in their last 10.During the innings break, viewers may have wondered if Royals had failed to make the most of their start.It took Boult just five balls to erase all those doubts. The left-handed Abhishek Sharma looked to go inside-out to his third ball, and lost his stumps to an outswinging near-yorker. The right-handed Rahul Tripathi charged at his fifth ball, possibly looking to hit over the covers, and ended up slicing a catch to slip, possibly yanked out of shape by the ball swinging less than he expected.Abhishek Sharma lost his off stump to Trent Boult•BCCINow this is T20 cricket and there’s a high degree of randomness to what balls get wickets and what balls fly towards un-aimed-for boundaries. Boult’s new-ball spell was as good as it was because its quality wasn’t confined to two wicket-taking balls. Unlike the Sunrisers quicks earlier in the day, he constantly swung the ball, and constantly kept the stumps in play, without feeding the batters slot balls.The last ball of Boult’s second over, to Harry Brook, summed up the effect he was having. Brook shaped for a booming, on-the-up drive, backlift high and front foot unweighted to move towards the line of the ball. He’d made those same movements in the previous over and launched KM Asif thrillingly over mid-off. But this Boult delivery forced him to curtail his ambitions – it wasn’t quite as full, and it swung back late, threatening lbw if Brook continued his front-foot thrust.That Brook stilled his front foot, adjusted to the swing, and brought down a vertical bat to defend this delivery spoke volumes about his gifts of eye and balance, gifts that portend a long and sparkling career. In the context of this steep T20 chase, though, it was just another dot ball Sunrisers couldn’t afford.There were 13 dot balls in Boult’s new-ball spell, which he ended with figures of 3-1-8-2, figures that had seemed unimaginable on this surface before he began bowling. It’s what only he and a handful of others in world cricket can do.Viewers in India are fortunate to watch Boult do his thing time and again in the IPL, but the IPL has contributed to restricting his ability to do it in international cricket. Between them, New Zealand Cricket and Boult have handled the situation as well as any board and player could have, but at least one difficult decision remains to be made.Would it be unfair for New Zealand to pick Boult in their squad for the ODI World Cup later this year, ahead of a fast bowler who’s been a consistent part of the build-up to the tournament? It probably would. But given Boult’s quality, his experience, and the fact that the tournament will be in India, it might be one of those decisions that are both unfair and correct.

حجز منتخب مصر لكرة اليد تحت 17 عامًا، بطاقة التأهل إلى نهائي كأس العالم لكرة اليد، والتي تقام في المغرب عقب الفوز على إسبانيا، في نصف النهائي. 

وواجه منتخب مصر لكرة اليد تحت 17 عامًا، نظيره منتخب إسبانيا، في الساعة الـ 10:15 بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين في نصف نهائي كأس العالم لكرة اليد. 

طالع..منتخب مصر يهزم إسبانيا وتأهل إلى نهائي كأس العالم لكرة اليد تحت 17 عامًا

وتمكن منتخب مصر لكرة اليد تحت 17 عامًا، من الفوز على منتخب إسبانيا في نصف النهائي بنتيجة 31-28.

 يذكر أن بطولة كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا، تقام  في الفترة من 24 أكتوبر وحتى 1 نوفمبر 2025، في المغرب، وتضم 12 منتخبا مقسمة على 3 مجموعات.

ومن المقرر أن يواجه منتخب مصر تحت 17 عامًا، نظيره منتخب ألمانيا، في نهائي بطولة كأس العالم لكرة اليد، عقب فوز ألمانيا على قطر في نصف النهائي بنتيجة 39-22. موعد مباراة منتخب مصر تحت 17 عامًا وألمانيا في نهائي كأس العالم لكرة اليد 

وسيواجه منتخب مصر تحت 17 عامًا نظيره منتخب ألمانيا في نهائي كأس العالم لكرة اليد تحت 17 عامًا، يوم السبت المقبل الموافق 1 نوفمبر الساعة 9:15 مساءا بتوقيت القاهرة في الدار البيضاء بالمغرب.   

Having prioritised Test cricket last year, the batter hopes to get better and more consistent in T20 as Sunrisers eye another SA20 title

Firdose Moonda05-Feb-20252:34

Bedingham: ‘I don’t think I’ve found the sweet spot yet’

David Bedingham, intentionally or not, became the traditionalists’ hero last summer when he revealed he decided not to put his name in the SA20 draft so he could play Test cricket, specifically on South Africa’s tour to New Zealand. The SA20 was finishing as those Tests were starting and all South Africa’s first-choice players were contractually bound to stay behind for a T20 tournament still finding its feet. As expected, an under-strength Test side lost but Bedingham, with a defiant second innings century in the second Test, confirmed his reputation as a red-ball specialist.Fast-forward a few months, with schedule clashes out of the way and his spot in the Test side fairly secure, and Bedingham did enter the draft. He was picked up by defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape, for what has been one of the biggest tests of his career. “I’m still trying to learn my trade in T20. I don’t think I’ve found the sweet spot yet,” he told ESPNcricinfo from Johannesburg, where Sunrisers will play the Eliminator against Joburg Super Kings on Wednesday. “Hopefully, the more I play, the better I’ll get and the more consistent I’ll get.”Perhaps, his role will become more defined. Bedingham started the campaign batting at No. 7 for Sunrisers and was promoted to opening in their third game, It took another match before he started to show glimpses of what he is capable of with a 20-ball 39 against Durban’s Super Giants. He has since also recorded two scores in the 40s which suggests he is most comfortable at the top. Indeed, of the 80 T20s Bedingham has played, he has batted in the top three in 53 of them.Related

Batters find life tougher in the SA20, but is it all the pitches?

Almost half of his matches (38) have been for Durham, where he averages 21.47 and has a strike rate of 141.19. Those numbers probably best explain the struggles he has had between trying to make an impact and searching for consistency in the shortest format. “For me, it’s just trying to find the balance of attack and defence,” he said. “In this tournament, I’ve probably found it harder to attack, so that’s why I’ve probably leaned more to [have] a defensive mindset and then in previous tournaments, let’s say in the Blast or the CSA T20, I’ve probably attacked too much.”And that approach has earned him 200 runs from ten league games which put him second on Sunrisers’ run-getter’s list, behind Aiden Markram. That tells as much of a story about how much they have struggled as it does about who they have relied on in a campaign that started with three defeats and has since been revived despite the challenges.Playing for Sunrisers has been one of the biggest tests of David Bedingham’s career•SA20

“I’ve found it quite tough. But I also feel that the bowlers that we played against have been quite good as well, so it’s probably a combination of both,” he said. “But speaking to the guys that played the first two seasons, they’ve definitely said that the wickets have played a bit tougher. I’ve spoken to Russ(ell Domingo, Sunrisers’ batting coach) and he said that in India, and England, those types of countries are probably a lot easier to bat in the first six overs, whereas in South Africa, you probably have to be a bit more circumspect. So especially in this tournament where the wickets have played quite tough, I think those first six overs have been crucial. And I think a lot of the teams, including us, have probably struggled in those first six overs.”All told, this edition of the SA20 has seen the lowest run-rate of the league phase with an average powerplay score of 45.6. Sunrisers have averaged 38.1 in their powerplay. Their opening pair has the lowest average of 15.60, and the second least number of runs, but they’re still working on their batting blueprint, particularly Bedingham.”I’ve basically tried to just play one-day cricket in those first three or four overs,” Bedingham said. “Obviously, if we have wickets in hand, then you can maybe push the tempo a bit but I’ve either been out in the first couple overs or we’ve three or four wickets in the first three overs, so it’s been quite tough to kick on and try and hit quick runs. But in saying that we’re in the Eliminator, so hopefully we can start off well and win that game.”Sunrisers are the only team to have won the SA20, and they’ve done it twice under the same coach Adi Birrell and captain Markram and seemed to have mastered the recipe for success. Now, it’s just about whether all the ingredients can come together to do it again.

Manchester United’s need for new additions this summer is evident, falling way below the expectations demanded by the fanbase throughout 2024/25.

The Red Devils ended the year in a measly 15th in the Premier League, subsequently missing out on any form of European football and resulting in a huge financial loss.

Ruben Amorim’s side will have to recruit well during the off-season if they are to have any chance of rising up the table and pushing for a place among the top four once again.

Sales will likely need to take place, with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho just two first-team talents touted with respective moves away from Old Trafford.

Any funds generated will likely go a long way in their pursuit of new attacking talent, something which is desperately needed if the Red Devils are to reach the next level under the current management team, overseen by Jason Wilcox.

The latest on United’s hunt for new talent this summer

Bryan Mbeumo is a player who’s been firmly on United’s radar over the last couple of months, with Wilcox and co placing two separate offers for the Brentford star.

However, the two sides are no closer to agreeing a fee for the Cameroonian international this window, putting doubt over any potential deal for the 25-year-old star.

He’s not the only star being considered by the hierarchy, with Boca Juniors’ midfield sensation Milton Delgado another player in their sights, according to Argentine outlet Canal 26.

They claim that the Red Devils are preparing an offer for the 20-year-old this week after racking up 30 senior appearances across the last two campaigns.

It also states that the offer is in the region of €11m (£9.5m), a deal that could prove to be a potential bargain if he can replicate the levels produced by one of Europe’s leading talents.

Why United’s latest target could be Amorim’s answer to Bellingham

Jude Bellingham has been a player constantly on United’s radar over the last couple of years, but they have missed out on his signature at every opportunity to land the youngster.

The Englishman even met higher-ups at the club during his time at Birmingham City, but decided to make a move to join Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund back in 2020.

The Red Devils also tried to land the 21-year-old before his subsequent switch to Real Madrid, with the youngster undoubtedly now one of the best players in the midfield department within Europe.

He’s registered 38 goals and 27 assists in his 99 appearances for the LaLiga giants, with Amorim certainly wishing he had such a talent at his disposal at Old Trafford.

However, he could land his own version of the Englishman with a deal for Delgado this summer, as the Argentine has similar qualities of breaking up the play and being able to control possession, as seen by his stats from the recent campaign.

The youngster, who’s been labelled “complete” by one South American journalist, has managed to complete more of the passes he’s attempted, along with more passes into the final third per 90 – showcasing the quality he possesses with the ball at his feet.

He’s also thrived without the ball at his feet, winning more tackles and making more interceptions per 90 – handing Amorim that added defensive quality he’s craved at the heart of the side.

Games played

20

31

Minutes played

847

2488

Pass accuracy

89%

86%

Passes into final third

4.8

4.7

Tackles won

2.1

1.2

Interceptions made

1.8

1.1

Clearances made

1.2

0.8

Take-on success

67%

54%

Recoveries made

7.8

3.5

When regaining the ball, Delgado has further demonstrated his talents, completing more take-ons than Bellingham last season, potentially being the perfect deep-lying midfielder for the Red Devils.

Whilst the 20-year-old may have a lot of work to do if he is to match the levels produced by the Real Madrid star in Europe, he’s already demonstrated that he has the ability to star in key areas.

£9.5m for a player of his talent and potential could prove to be an excellent pickup for Wilcox and the United hierarchy, having the chance to land a leading midfield talent, whilst also having the chance to develop further, given his tender age.

Their own Zubimendi: Man Utd in talks to sign "strongest DM in the world"

Manchester United are looking to sign a central midfielder this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 8, 2025

A Manchester United star who regrets moving to Old Trafford is in advanced talks to quit this summer, according to a new update.

Players who could leave Man Utd this summer

After an early deal for Matheus Cunha, plenty of talk has been on who INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe will sign next for Ruben Amorim ahead of his first full season in charge at Old Trafford.

Bryan Mbeumo could well be the next to arrive for the Red Devils, however, when it comes to departures, the club may have plenty of work to do.

INEOS submit "new" £60m+ Man Utd offer to sign star likened to De Bruyne

INEOS are pushing to secure their target.

1 ByTom Cunningham Jun 24, 2025

A number of big Man Utd earners have been linked with exits, including goalkeeper Andre Onana, with Amorim and co looking to bring in a new first-choice shot-stopper.

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jason Sancho may all be on the search for new clubs after returning from their loan spells at Aston Villa, Real Betis and Chelsea respectively.

Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahce could be the next destination for Sancho, with claims that the winger has accepted a £160,000-a-week offer to move to Turkey and work under the former United manager.

Earlier in the window, AI actually predicted nine players Man Utd could sell for a combined £320m this summer, one of which was midfielder Casemiro.

Marcus Rashford

£50m

Alejandro Garnacho

£60m

Rasmus Hojlund

£50m

Jadon Sancho

£35m

Antony

£30m

Casemiro

£20m

Andre Onana

£40m

Luke Shaw

£20m

Tyrell Malacia

£15m

The Brazilian reportedly regrets his move to Old Trafford from Real Madrid, despite picking up more than £18m per season and being the club’s highest earner, and a new exit update has emerged.

Advanced talks for Casemiro to leave Man Utd and join Al-Nassr

According to reports from Saudi outlet Sport Jazirah, relayed by Man Utd News, a move to the Saudi Pro League for Casemiro is at an advanced stage.

Negotiations appear to be progressing for the midfielder to join Al-Nassr and play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 33-year-old has just 12 months remaining of his £350,000-a-week Old Trafford deal, and it remains to be seen what sort of fee United could bring in for Casemiro, should he seal a move to link up with Ronaldo once more.

After signing back in 2022, Casemiro has made a total of 125 appearances for Man Utd, contributing to 29 goals and winning the FA Cup and League Cup under Erik ten Hag.

He played a key role in United’s route to the Europa League final last season with five goal contributions in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, however, his days at Old Trafford appear to be numbered.

If he does leave, Amorim could look to bring in a new midfielder, and there have been suggestions that Juventus’ Douglas Luiz is of interest to Man Utd. Richard Rios of Palmeiras is another rumoured target, so Casemiro’s exit may be the starting point of a new midfield addition at Old Trafford.

Leicestershire’s quarter-final hopes dented as Hose sets up Rapids win

ECB Reporters Network11-Jul-2024Worcestershire Rapids ended a run of seven successive defeats in the Vitality Blast and dealt a blow to Leicestershire’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages with a 16-run victory at New Road.Worcestershire achieved their highest score of the season thanks chiefly to Adam Hose’s 63 off just 39 balls, beating last weekend’s previous best of 181for four versus Lancashire Lightning at Emirates Old Trafford.The Leicestershire spinners, Lewis Goldworthy and Rehan Ahmed, both bowled excellent spells which gave them combined figures of 8-0-45-3 before Hose’s late onslaught.But their powerful batting top order line-up was blown away by Tom Taylor and youngster Harry Darley as they were reduced to 28 for 5.Louis Kimber revived Leicestershire’s hopes with their fastest-ever T20 fifty off 21 balls including five sixes in a two-over spell and he and Ben Cox added 85 in eight overs.But his dismissal for 53 ended their hopes of a remarkable win against the odds despite Ben going onto complete a fine 50 off 35 balls. Matthew Waite cleaned up the innings with a stream of late wickets including Cox in the final over for 55 to give him a career-best Blast return of 5 for 21.The injury-hit Rapids have lost several games by tight margins but this was a convincing performance whereas Leicestershire have now gone four games without a win courtesy of two defeats, a tie and a wash-out.Adam Hose top-scored for the Rapids•Getty ImagesLeicestershire received a treble boost with captain Peter Handscomb (shoulder), Rehan (concussion) and leading wicket-taker Scott Currie (Injury niggle) all returning to the side.Hanscomb won the toss and put the Rapids into bat and Jimmy Neesham made the first breakthrough when Brett D’Oliveira sliced his shot into the hands of third man. Kashif Ali got into his stride with four and a massive six over backward square leg off successive balls from Josh Hull.Josh Cobb inside edged Mike for four but was then caught down the leg side by former Worcestershire keeper Cox off the same bowler. The Rapids reached 61 for 2 in the powerplay but then Gareth Roderick made room to hit Rehan through the off side and was bowled.Kashif, having hit Goldsworthy for a straight six, was given out lbw next ball aiming a blow to the legside. His 41 came off 25 balls with two sixes and three fours. Ethan Brookes also perished aiming to hit Goldsworthy to leg and was bowled but Hose looked in good form and kept the scoreboard moving at a decent rate for the Rapids.Ed Pollock fell to a good catch over his shoulder at long off by Kimber off Currie who next ball trapped Waite lbw as Worcestershire lost momentum. But Hose ensured a sizeable total with a series of big hits as he completed a 33-ball half-century before on 63 he was caught by Cox attempting to scoop Neesham.When Leicestershire replied Rishi Patel, the competition’s leading scorer with 400 runs, was bowled for a duck driving at Taylor. There was joy then for Darley with his first Blast wicket as Rehan sliced the ball to Brookes at wide third. Darley then bowled a wide but his second legitimate ball accounted for Handscomb who clipped straight to Pollock atmid wicket to leave the Foxes 9 for 3.There was no let-up for the visitors and Taylor struck again as Sol Budinger went for a big hit and was caught behind and Waite then disposed of Neesham in the same manner. Then came the remarkable hitting from Kimber to revive the Foxes; chances before he holed out to Cobb in the covers off Brookes.Two wickets in two balls from Waite ensured there would be no late heroics from Leicestershire as he got rid of Mike and Goldsworthy. He struck twice more in the final over in sending back Cox and Currie to complete his five-for.