Wolverhampton Wanderers are pressing on in their hunt for additions and are now advancing as they aim to bolster the forward ranks, according to a report.
Fer Lopez became the Old Gold’s first arrival of the summer window, and Jorgen Strand Larsen has since joined him at Wolves permanently after an excellent loan spell at Molineux.
After putting up a tally of 14 goals and five assists in the Black Country, the Norway international is now fully focused on improving on his exploits next term under Vitor Pereira.
He stated: “It’s been a good first season in the Premier League. I’m proud of what I’ve done. I’ve been able to take the steps earlier than I’ve done before. Previously, when I moved to a new country, I needed more time to get into it and score goals.
“As a striker, the team need you to score the goals and be on the end of the crosses, so to score 14 goals – and come back after my injuries and a little dip of form – it was a good season for me in that respect.”
Now prioritising other areas, Wolves are interested in Udinese defender Thomas Kristensen again after making a £12 million bid for the Dane during the January transfer window.
Wolves now closing in on deal to sign £4m+ colossus who "wants" PL move
The Old Gold have made progress in their pursuit of a “highly-rated” player, who is keen on a move to the Premier League.
ByDominic Lund Jul 2, 2025
Another potential solution at the back for the Old Gold is Brighton & Hove Albion star Igor Julio, albeit it remains to be seen whether the Seagulls will entertain selling to a Premier League rival.
However, despite Strand Larsen deciding to extend his stay, Wolves are now keen to land another centre-forward to star in the new campaign.
Wolves make approach for El Bilal Toure
According to Africa Foot, Wolves have made an approach to sign El Bilal Toure from Atalanta, though the 23 year-old is also wanted by Marseille, Stade Rennais, Paris FC, Como, Villarreal, Galatasaray and West Ham United.
In an injury-ridden campaign on loan at Stuttgart, the Mali international, who was previously labelled a “major talent” by Graeme Bailey, registered three goals and one assist in 17 appearances across all competitions, exactly mirroring his debut season for Atalanta in 2023/24.
Five similar players to El Bilal Toure (FBRef)
Mateo Retegui
Atalanta
Marcus Thuram
Inter Milan
Nicolas Jackson
Chelsea
Jonathan David
Juventus (to be finalised)
Vinicius Junior
Real Madrid
Nothing has been determined as yet, but the Serie A outfit are set to decide on Bilal Toure’s next move sooner rather than later as he isn’t expected to be a major part of Ivan Juric’s plans in 2025/26.
Wolves are a little short on forward options after Matheus Cunha’s departure. Besides, there is a suspicion the likes of Hwang Hee-chan, Fabio Silva and Sasa Kalajdzic could leave Molineux this summer due to their status as peripheral figures.
Bilal Toure has endured mixed fortunes since arriving in Italy. Nevertheless, a move to the Premier League could be the perfect tonic to get his career back on track.
Manchester United have now held talks with the agent of a “sensational” player, who is among the main contenders for the Ballon d’Or, according to a report.
Man Utd's pulling power called into question
The Europa League loss against Tottenham Hotspur means, of course, that Champions League football has once again eluded Man United, and Roy Keane has suggested his former club no longer have the pulling power to attract top players.
However, Old Trafford clearly remains an attractive destination, even though European football will not be on offer next season, with it recently being revealed that Bryan Mbeumo would still prefer to join United ahead of Tottenham Hotspur.
Man Utd now open talks to sign "world-class" £103k-a-week Barcelona player
He’s won 20 trophies in his career so far.
ByDominic Lund Jun 11, 2025
There have also been suggestions that Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres remains interested in a move, despite the highly sought-after striker attracting the attention of some other top clubs, suggesting the Red Devils clearly still have pulling power.
As such, Man United have now stepped up their pursuit of the highly-regarded Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, making contact with his agent, Enzo Raiola, in order to discuss a potential summer move.
Donnarumma’s PSG contract is set to expire next June, meaning he could be on the move this summer, despite expressing a willingness to remain at the French club, saying: “My priority is to stay at PSG. I don’t think there will be problems in the negotiations.”
Ruben Amorim is keen to bring in an upgrade on Andre Onana, but it could be difficult to tempt the goalkeeper into a move, considering his desire to remain in Paris, and Champions League finalists Inter Milan could provide competition for his signature.
"Sensational" Donnarumma emerges as Ballon d'Or contender
With just one year left on his deal, the Italian could be available for just £34m this summer, which could be a bargain fee for a player vying to win the Ballon d’Or, currently ranked fourth in the 2025 Power Rankings.
In recent times, a player from the Champions League winners has often scooped up the prestigious award, and the 26-year-old kept a clean sheet in PSG’s 5-0 demolition of Inter in the final, although Desire Doue was arguably the star of the show.
Not only did the PSG shot-stopper impress in Munich, but he also caught the eye of Joe Prince-Wright in the semi-final against Arsenal, with the reporter suggesting the Italy international was one of the main reasons his side progressed past the Gunners.
Evidently, Donnarumma could be a fantastic signing for Man United, but it seems unlikely that he would be willing to leave the European champions to move to Old Trafford.
The opener hasn’t played a single T20I this year but knows the next two weeks are crucial with the T20 World Cup looming
Shashank Kishore26-Aug-20224:16
KL Rahul: ‘Playing Shaheen Shah Afridi could have helped challenge ourselves ahead of the T20 World Cup’
KL Rahul is yet to feature in a T20I this year because of injuries, and in the time he has been away, India have shifted towards a new approach to the format from a batting perspective. He may not have been an active part of this process, but he’s aware of it, and happy to buy into it as India look to fine-tune preparations leading into the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.On Thursday, Rahul had his first hit with the T20I squad after arriving from Zimbabwe, where he led India to a 3-0 sweep in the ODI series. With scores of 1 and 30 in the two innings he played in Harare, his own batting form was patchy, and Rahul’s focus in the nets was simply on enjoying an extended session.Even as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav brought out their artistry, Rahul seemed intent on bringing back his fluency. VVS Laxman even jokingly stopped him from coming out of the nets twice. Rahul enjoyed three stints in all, over a three-hour session.Related
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He was edgy against pace initially, and was beaten on length on at least three occasions by Arshdeep Singh’s angle away from him. Rahul held his own against Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s swing, though, getting right behind the line and moving swiftly into position to drive and play straight. His sessions were closely monitored by two cameras – one behind the stumps and another in front of cover, just outside the net.After his first 30-minute session, Rahul cooled off for a bit and went back in for round two against spin. Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin challenged him by pushing him back with a series of quicker ones and sliders. Rahul focused on his back-foot play, and the big shots that weren’t seen in his first session slowly surfaced late into his second as he tonked a straight hit over the sightscreen.In the third session, Rahul was simply focused on meeting the ball with giant forward strides, especially against Arshdeep, who bounded in tirelessly. The left-arm seamer was tossed a new ball that he swung back in from different lines, ranging from fourth stump to middle, just to get Rahul playing straight and ensuring he wasn’t bringing his front pad in the way. For someone who has all the shots in the book, this session was all about the basics.Then, as the last round was called, Rahul had fun, paddling and ramping deliveries before ending with a flat-batted slap to walk off tired and happy. The punch on the bat as he walked off resonated with satisfaction at grinding his way in.KL Rahul last played a T20I in November 2021•BCCIOn Friday, Rahul spoke of India’s new approach and of enjoying the challenge of bringing it to life. At IPL 2022, his most-recent competitive T20 outing, Rahul’s powerplay strike rates barely crossed 100, drawing plenty of chatter from pundits and former players. In the death overs, though, which he seemed intent on building towards, he struck at 198.36. Overall, Rahul ended the season with the second-most runs – 635 in 14 innings at a strike rate of 135.38 – behind Jos Buttler.”This new approach, we’d spoken about it much before when I was part of the team early on in the year as well and just after the [2021 T20] World Cup,” Rahul said. “Last season we had spoken about what we need to improve individually and how as a team we try to be more aggressive, put the bowlers under pressure by going out there and play with a lot of authority, freedom and aggression.”So I was there when that happened. Unfortunately, I have not been able to play too many T20Is since then, but we have played the IPL, and I played with the same approach, tried to see how with that same approach I can be consistent and still contribute to the team. I haven’t played since the last two-three months, and that is a challenge for me, one I am looking forward to.”It’s done really well for us, the new approach. What the team wanted and what the captain needed has been embraced by everybody, every player in the team, which is great to see and that is the biggest step. That big step has already been taken and embraced by the players, so from now on it’s only about building on it and getting stronger and by the time the World Cup comes, everyone knows exactly what to do.”The next two weeks could be another test of Rahul’s work towards returning to being the white-ball destroyer he can be. He isn’t the captain, and he has a middle order that can take apart the best of attacks. From a team point of view, it’s all systems go. Rahul couldn’t ask for a more ideal scenario than this.
Tottenham Hotspur thought they had a deal in place for Morgan Gibbs-White after they activated the midfielder's release clause, however, Nottingham Forest refused to bow to pressure, as they threatened legal action against their Premier League rivals. The transfer saga finally ended last weekend when Gibbs-White signed a record-breaking contract at the City Ground.
How Spurs failed to sign Gibbs-White
Forest threatened legal action
Midfielder signed new Forest contract
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WHAT HAPPENED?
reports that after Spurs submitted their bid for the English midfielder on July 10, Forest were convinced that the north London side had breached a certain level of confidentiality, and there were also doubts whether they matched all the conditions of the release clause.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The report added that Forest immediately sent a notice of legal action to Spurs owner Daniel Levy and also considered lodging an official complaint with the Premier League. The saga finally ended last Saturday when the 25-year-old put pen to paper on a lucrative three-year contract, which will make him the highest-earning player in Forest’s history.
DID YOU KNOW?
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was determined to keep Gibbs-White at the club, as he considered Levy's approach an insult to his team and was not ready to lose this particular battle to Spurs chief.
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WHAT NEXT FOR FOREST?
Forest are in Portugal for pre-season and will play a friendly match against local side Estoril Praia on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka seamer was leading wicket-taker on recent tour of England
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2024
Asitha Fernando took 17 wickets on Sri Lanka’s recent tour of England•Getty Images
Glamorgan have signed Sri Lanka fast bowler Asitha Fernando for the first two months of the season. He is expected to be available for seven County Championship fixtures up until the end of May.Asitha, 27, has taken 72 wickets 26.66 in Tests and impressed on Sri Lanka’s tour of England earlier this year, when he finished as the leading wicket-taker on either side as well as winning a spot on the Lord’s honours board for his first-innings five-for.He has played county cricket previously for Nottinghamshire, and will become the first Sri Lankan to represent Glamorgan.”I would like to thank Glamorgan Cricket so much for this opportunity,” Fernando said. “I am extremely thrilled to be a part of Glamorgan and to return to the county cricket scene this year.Related
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“My last stint helped me to improve my game a lot. I am looking forward to playing with Mason [Crane], Colin [Ingram] and all of the Glamorgan team, and am hoping to do my very best during the upcoming season.”Glamorgan’s director of cricket, Mark Wallace, said: “We’re delighted to be able to welcome a bowler of Asitha’s quality to Sophia Gardens for the start of the 2025 season.”Asitha has good experience of conditions in the UK having played county cricket previously and also while performing very well in Sri Lanka’s series with England here last summer. We look forward to Asitha taking the field for Glamorgan as the first Sri Lankan player to represent the club.”
Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa’s women’s captain, was the big winner at the CSA annual awards, where she picked up five prizes including Women’s Player of the Year following a stellar 2023-24 season. Not only did Wolvaardt accept the leadership role permanently in the past season, she was also South Africa’s leading run-scorer in ODIs and T20Is in the period under consideration.Fittingly, she was named the Women’s ODI Player of the Year and Women’s T20I Player of the Year. Her popularity among her team-mates and supporters was clear as she also took home the Players’ Player of the Year and Fans’ Player of the Year awards.She was joined by Marco Jansen, who was named as the Men’s Player of the Year in recognition of his all-round contributions which included 17 wickets at the ODI World Cup and impressive performances with bat and ball in the Boxing Day Test against India.Related
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The awards recognise achievements from May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024, so performances at June’s Men’s T20 World Cup and in Test and T20I series in West Indies will be considered only at next year’s events. The reason for the awards being held in September rather than immediately after the season in May is because CSA’s sponsors require all nationally contracted players to appear at the ceremony and that would not be possible in May because of the IPL.South Africa only played four Tests in the period under consideration – two against India and two with a second-string side in New Zealand – which made choosing a Test player of the Year tough. David Bedingham, who scored 56 on debut against India and 87 and 110 in his two second innings in New Zealand, was recognised for his efforts. Bedingham was also named the International Newcomer of the Year.In white-ball formats, Quinton de Kock, who has now retired from 50-over cricket, was named the ODI Player of the Year after his four centuries at the 2023 World Cup. Reeza Hendricks, meanwhile, won the T20I Player of the Year award. Hendricks was the only South African batter to score a half-century in the period under consideration which excludes the T20 World Cup. Keshav Maharaj, the left-arm spinner who defied medical odds to make his comeback three months early from an Achilles rupture and play at the ODI World Cup, was voted by his peers as the Players’ Player of the Year.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Two other marquee awards were won by female internationals: the Best Delivery Fuelled by KFC and Makhaya Ntini Power of Cricket Award. Marizanne Kapp’s inswinger that bowled Beth Mooney in South Africa’s first ODI win over Australia was judged the best ball in the season while Masabata Klaas was acknowledged for overcoming the odds to carve a career in cricket. The Makhaya Ntini award, which is in its third year, seeks to recognise players who, like Ntini, have risen above tough circumstances and this is the first time the award has been won by a female cricketer.Klaas had her daughter Rethabile in 2013, just before South Africa’s women’s cricket professionalised, and she has been a single mother though her career. She took three years out of the game but with the support of her own mother, Paulinah, was able to return to cricket and played a key role in South Africa’s automatic qualification to the 2021 50-over World Cup. She became the 10th women’s bowler to take a hat-trick, doing it against Pakistan in 2019. She is seventh on South Africa’s all-time ODI wicket-takers’ list and sixth in T20Is. Earlier this year, she spoke to ESPNcricnfo’s Powerplay podcast about her journey in the game and how she has taken on a mentoring role in the women’s side. Klaas and other cricketing mothers were also on the most recent episode of Powerplay.On the domestic front, legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter who bowled the Lions to victory in the CSA T20 Cup and made his international debut in June was named the men’s Domestic Newcomer of the Season and T20 Challenge Player of the Season. Lions’ allrounder Wiaan Mulder, who was the third-highest run-scorer and took 16 wickets in division one of the four-day division one first-class competition was named four-day domestic Player of the Season. Western Province allrounder Mihlali Mpongwana, the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the one-day cup, won the one-day Domestic Player of the Season award. In the women’s domestic competition, left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba was named women’s one-day Player of the Season, while Tazmin Brits won the women’s T20 Player of the Season award after finishing as the leading run-scorer in the domestic tournament, with three centuries.
Full-backs in today’s game have to be as good offensively as they are defensively, with modern-day managers wanting to see them high up the pitch in the final third.
However, it wasn’t always like that, and we have seen some brilliant no-nonsense left-backs since 1992. But who is the best left-back in Premier League history?
Ranking factors Appearances Longevity Titles Goals Clean sheets What others have said about them 20 best left-backs in Premier League history: in pictures 20 Aleksandar Kolarov Man City
Serbian left-back Aleksandar Kolarov spent seven years at Man City and won two Premier League titles titles, proving to be worth the £16m transfer fee.
A powerful full-back who looked more like a centre-back than a left-back, Kolarov could also get forward and would also be on free-kick duty, scoring a goal in all seven of his top flight seasons at the Etihad.
Games
165
Goals
11
Assists
20
Clean sheets
46
Titles
2
19 Phil Neville Man Utd, Everton
A proper Premier League ‘Barclaysman’, Phil Neville could play as a right-back, holding midfielder or left-back, and was an extremely reliable performer for both Man Utd and Everton.
After winning six titles at Old Trafford, Neville moved to Goodison Park with the Toffees and continued to be a solid option at full-back, captaining Everton as he reached more than 500 Premier League appearances.
Games
505
Goals
9
Assists
25
Titles
6
18 Mikael Silvestre Man Utd, Arsenal
With Man Utd having plenty of world-class options to choose from at centre-back, Mikael Silvestre would be used as a left-back on a regular basis by Sir Alex Ferguson between 1999-2008.
The Frenchman was able to play there due to his pace and would win four Premier League titles at Old Trafford, with Ferguson calling Silvestre “a great servant and a wonderful professional”.
Games
275
Goals
9
Assists
19
Clean sheets
83
Titles
4
17 Gabriel Heinze Man Utd
Another Man Utd left-back, Gabriel Heinze’s time at Old Trafford was short but sweet and would eventually leave after a falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Signed from PSG and sold to Real Madrid highlights just how good Heinze was, and he was named the Red Devils’ Player of the Year in his first season, winning the title in his last campaign with United.
Games
52
Goals
1
Assists
1
Clean sheets
18
Titles
1
16 Wayne Bridge Southampton, Chelsea, Fulham, Man City, West Ham, Sunderland
Wayne Bridge played for multiple Premier League clubs between 1998-2012, and the Englishman would have won more caps for England if it wasn’t for somebody else on this list.
He liked to get forward and cross at every opportunity, while also being solid defensively, which resulted in Chelsea spending £7m on his services in 2003, with Bridge winning one title at Stamford Bridge.
Games
315
Goals
3
Assists
21
Clean sheets
100
Titles
1
15 Danny Rose Tottenham, Sunderland, Newcastle, Watford
Arguably Danny Rose’s career highlight came on his Tottenham debut against rivals Arsenal, where he announced himself in north London with a brilliant long-range goal.
Rose would go on to have a successful career in the Premier League, with Thomas Tuchel even admitting previously it took him three days to work out how to stop the left-back and his attacking threat ahead of a Champions League clash with Spurs.
Games
202
Goals
9
Assists
17
Clean sheets
42
14 Marcos Alonso Bolton, Sunderland, Chelsea
Marcos Alonso made a name for himself as a left-back who could score from distance at Chelsea following spells with Bolton and Sunderland, winning the Premier League and Champions League at Stamford Bridge.
The Spaniard’s tally of 26 goals and 17 assists in just 179 appearances in defence shows how good he was in the final third, and he was called a “spectacular signing” for Barcelona when leaving the Blues.
Games
179
Goals
26
Assists
16
Clean sheets
63
Titles
1
13 Luke Shaw Southampton, Man Utd
After bursting onto the scene as a teenager at Southampton, Man Utd paid a then-world-record £30m fee for a teenager to sign Luke Shaw.
Since then, Shaw has been named in the PFA Team of the Year on two occasions and voted Man Utd’s Players’ Player of the Year twice. Called “the best left-back in the world” by former Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag, Shaw has also had his critics but there has been more positives than negatives in his Premier League career.
Games
265
Goals
3
Assists
17
Clean sheets
70
12 Gael Clichy Arsenal, Man City
Part of Arsenal’s Invincibles side in 2003/04, Gael Clichy would also win two more titles with Man City and would make himself known as a brilliant attacking left-back in north London and Manchester.
The Frenchman was also solid defensively and had a great passing vision that was hailed by Arsene Wenger, who labelled Clichy as “awesome”.
Games
325
Goals
3
Assists
18
Clean sheets
115
Titles
3
11 David Unsworth Everton, West Ham, Portsmouth, Sheffield United, Wigan
David Unsworth, a left-back who could also play as a central defender when needed, is the highest-scoring full-back in Premier League, becoming somewhat of a penalty king in the top flight.
Best known for his time at Everton, Unsworth, in his prime, was extremely pacey and powerful on the left-hand side, acquiring the nickname of “Rhino” during his time at Goodison Park.
Fabrizio Romano has shared an intriguing update on Arsenal and their transfer plans for the summer window, with one target set to speak to his agents about the possibility of a move to the Emirates Stadium this week.
Mikel Arteta set for talks with Arsenal co-chairman over striker plans
The Times and journalist Gary Jacob shared some very interesting news regarding Mikel Arteta and Gunners co-chair Josh Kroenke.
Arsenal: Berta now targeting £80m Premier League star as Rodrygo talks stall
They’re having problems in pursuit of the Brazilian.
ByEmilio Galantini May 26, 2025
According to their information, amid a plethora of reports linking them with a striker, Arteta and Kroenke are set for internal talks over signing a prolific centre-forward in the next few days, with Arsenal looking to solve their goalscoring problem.
Arsenal surrendered the Premier League title to Liverpool, finishing 10 points behind Arne Slot’s side, with the north Londoners failing to reach their previous heights in terms of ruthlessness in the final third.
19/20 – winter
£0
20/21 – summer
£81.5m
20/21 – winter
£900k
21/22 – summer
£156.8m
21/22 – winter
£1.8m
22/23 – summer
£121.5m
22/23 – winter
£59m
23/24 – summer
£208m
23/24 – winter
£0
24/25 – summer
£101.5m
24/25 – winter
£0
Arteta’s men drew more games than any other side in the top ten over 24/25, scoring just 69 league goals in total, which is far fewer than the 91 and 88 they managed over the previous two seasons.
There has never been a more clear indication that Arsenal are in dire need of a striker, and Arteta publicly suggested that they have every intention of solving that issue among other concerns in the squad.
“Believe me, we are on it,” said Arteta about Arsenal potentially making a signing up front.
Arsenal manager MikelArteta
“We will try to squeeze and think and turn every stone that we possibly can, to make this club even more successful. But I think what these boys have done, the team has done, regarding everything that has happened, I repeat myself, I think they deserve a lot of credit.”
The result of these sit-down talks with Kroenke could have a profound effect on their chances of mounting a better Premier League title challenge next season, amid serious links to Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.
Viktor Gyokeres set to speak with agents about possible Arsenal move
The Swede ended 24/25 with 54 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, potentially signing-off on his Sporting career with a strike in the Portuguese Cup final against Benfica on Sunday.
Gyokeres is a top striker target for Arsenal, alongside RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, but it remains to be seen which marksman ends up at N5.
The 26-year-old has plenty of options, including Arteta’s side, with Romano sharing an update to GiveMeSport on Gyokeres’ plans after what was potentially his last game for Sporting.
Romano reports that Gyokeres is set to speak with his agents “in the next days” and assess all new destinations, including a possible move to Arsenal, and the ex-Coventry City star will make a decision on his next club “soon”.
Gyokeres’ rumoured price tag comes in at around £63 million, which could be seen as a bargain considering his exceptional goalscoring record, and it is peculiar that he hasn’t managed to seal a big-money move until this summer.
It adds further weight to some belief that Gyokeres is “massively underrated” in terms of strikers, and while you can make a case for a lack of quality in the Primeira Liga, the forward’s haul is hugely impressive no matter what division you’re playing in.
Incredulity at The Oval as cloud cover causes umpires to intervene mid-over
Andrew Miller07-Sep-2024After an opening day dominated by a lengthy delay for bad light, the third Test between England and Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval plumbed farcical new depths on the second afternoon, when Chris Woakes was forced to bowl spin midway through an over, due to the on-field umpires’ concerns about the deteriorating conditions.The incident occurred two balls into the seventh over of Sri Lanka’s innings, moments after they lost their first wicket when Dimuth Karunaratne was run out for 9 by Olly Stone’s direct hit from the covers.Kusal Mendis came in at No. 3 to face his first ball, but with an increase in cloud cover between deliveries, Joel Wilson and Chris Gaffaney decreed it was now too dark for quick bowling, albeit Woakes’ average speed in this Test match has been in the region of 80mph.The decision was met with a chorus of boos from a capacity Oval crowd, as well as bemusement in the commentary box. Michael Atherton declared on Sky Sports that “the game’s gone mad” as Woakes served up a first-ball long-hop that Mendis pulled to deep midwicket for a single, then added “oh, that’s filth” as Woakes’ next delivery pitched three feet outside off stump.Joe Root reacted with an amused raise of the eyebrows, while Ben Stokes – on the England balcony – gesticulated his disbelief before turning to walk into the dressing room.A third-ball long-hop was then dragged for four by Pathum Nissanka, meaning that the interlude cost England six runs from four balls. The farce was then compounded moments later, when the cloud cover rolled away, and Gus Atkinson, England’s fastest bowler on show, was permitted to continue after a subsequent light-meter reading.It was the third time in as many Tests that Ollie Pope, England’s stand-in captain, had been required to make a decision about how England responded to the umpires’ concerns.At Old Trafford, he had chosen to stay on in gloomy conditions, bowling 12 consecutive overs of spin that arguably helped Sri Lanka to recover from a nadir of 113 for 7 to reach 236. At Lord’s, on the other hand, he chose to take his players off early rather than risk wasting the new ball, a decision that brought strong condemnation from England’s former white-ball captain Eoin Morgan.Pope then chose to stay on the field while the light faded once more after tea on the second afternoon at The Oval, with Bashir, Dan Lawrence and Joe Root bowling 17 consecutive overs of spin in the final session, as Sri Lanka again capitalised through Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis, who added 118 unbeaten runs for the sixth wicket before the umpires took the players off for good.According to Law 2.7.1, which pertains to bad light and other weather-related issues, “it is solely for the umpires together to decide whether either conditions of ground, weather or light or exceptional circumstances mean that it would be dangerous or unreasonable for play to take place”.However, the law subsequently adds: “Conditions shall not be regarded as either dangerous or unreasonable merely because they are not ideal.”The Woakes incident followed on from a frustrating opening day of the contest, which featured a near three-hour delay from 12.18pm to 3.10pm, in which barely a drop of rain fell but a dense layer of cloud cover prevented a resumption. Play was then suspended again at 5.54pm, and abandoned shortly before 6.30pm, with just 44.1 of the day’s scheduled 90 overs possible.Speaking at the close of the opening day, however, Ben Duckett defended the decision, and argued that England’s batting – led by his 86 from 79 balls and a first home-ground century for Pope – had given the fans their money’s worth.”I think they saw quite a good day’s cricket in the short amount of time there was,” Duckett said. “That’s living in England and playing cricket in England, they’re the conditions. It’s very easy to sit there as a supporter and want to see more cricket but if it does get really dark and more dangerous, we’re the ones out there playing.”
It was remarkably just over six years ago that Marcus Rashford enjoyed one of the greatest moments of his Manchester United career, with the Englishman rifling home from the penalty spot to send Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The United academy graduate had been the undoing of Paris Saint-Germain with that last-gasp spot-kick, while he also netted again in the Parc des Princes during the 2020/21 campaign, to clinch another famous win for Solskjaer and co.
Something about the Ligue 1 side appears to bring the best out of the 27-year-old, it would seem, with the in-form forward having again been electric when facing off with the Parisien outfit – albeit this time in Aston Villa colours.
The Red Devils outcast put in a simply masterful display through the middle for Unai Emery’s side, having notably produced a breathtaking assist for Villa’s third of the night as the hosts flipped the encounter on its head. In truth, it was vintage Rashford.
Frustratingly for the Villans, they could not complete the comeback after bravely crashing out, while for those back in Manchester, such a fine individual display may have Ruben Amorim thinking twice over his decision to exile the £300k-per-week marksman.
But would a return to Old Trafford really be in the best interest of all parties this summer?
Why Rashford still needs to be sold this summer
As far as Rashford is concerned, the decision to make the move to Villa Park back in February could hardly have gone better, with the Midlands side also still in the mix for a top five finish in the Premier League, while having also reached the last four of the FA Cup.
The polarising sensation has been central to Emery’s plans in recent months, with the assist for Ezri Konsa last night taking his total tally to nine goal involvements in just 15 appearances since making the move. Jesse Lingard at West Ham United anyone?
Free from the shackles and the scrutiny of being a Manchester United player, Rashford has looked reborn in claret and blue, with Tuesday night seeing him create four big chances in total – more than any other player on the pitch.
That display backed up Emery’s decision to once again select his loan star ahead of compatriot, Ollie Watkins, in the centre-forward berth, with the Villans boasting attacking depth that Amorim can only dream of – not least with Joshua Zirkzee now sidelined with injury.
Speaking on Amazon Prime, United legend Wayne Rooney suggested that he would “love” to see Rashford back playing for the Red Devils next season, while also claiming that the player himself “wants” to be back at the Theatre of Dreams.
That said, it was only in December that the England international outlined his desire for a “new challenge” after being given the cold shoulder by Amorim, with it difficult to see any form of reconciliation occurring ahead of next season.
Indeed, having found his groove at Villa, why would Rashford risk enduring another stop-start campaign back at his parent club – not least considering three of the last four seasons have been rather underwhelming for him in a United shirt.
Rashford’s last five Man Utd seasons (all comps)
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2024/25*
24
7
3
2023/24
43
8
6
2022/23
56
30
11
2021/22
32
5
2
2020/21
57
21
18
*Not including record at Villa
Stats via Transfermarkt
As for the club itself, the chance to rake in a £40m fee from Villa – a deal that would represent pure profit – is no doubt difficult to turn down, with it perhaps best for everyone that a permanent separation occurs this summer.
That said, even if Amorim and co do change their mind, at least they have only opted to loan out Rashford thus far, with the option of a homecoming still on the table. The same can’t be said for everyone that INEOS have let go…
Man Utd may have made a bigger mistake than Rashford
It appears to be a growing theme that players who have left Old Trafford have gone on to shine elsewhere, albeit with the club having largely been correct in moving those players on.
Indeed, in the case of Anthony Elanga, the Swedish speedster had scored just four goals in 55 games for United prior to departing for Nottingham Forest. David de Gea, meanwhile, was public enemy number one for his mistake in the FA Cup final, before being allowed to leave for nothing.
Equally, the likes of Antony and Jadon Sancho – now on loan at Real Betis and Chelsea – had hardly pulled up any trees following their £86m and £73m arrivals, respectively, with the pair netting just 24 goals between them in 179 games.
Antony’s Man Utd record vs selected wingers (past and present)
Player
Games
Goals
Assists
Total G/A
Antony
96
12
5
17
Anthony Elanga
55
4
4
8
Amad
57
12
10
22
Jadon Sancho
83
12
6
18
Alejandro Garnacho
135
25
20
45
Dan James
74
9
9
18
Angel Di Maria
34
4
12
16
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
63
13
11
24
Memphis Depay
53
7
6
13
Stats via Transfermarkt
Even Rashford had endured a miserable 18 months after scoring just 15 goals for United following the start of the 2023/24 campaign, with few of a Red Devils persuasion having contested with any of those exits at the time.
In the case of Scott McTominay, however, it may well be a different story, with the Scotland star having actually been one of Erik ten Hag’s key men last term, before sealing a £25m move to Napoli over the summer.
Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries in action with Napoli's Scott McTominay
Indeed, the 28-year-old was the Dutchman’s rescue act having repeatedly delivered the goods in an attacking sense, with the rampaging midfielder – who notably netted a brace at the death against Brentford – ending the season with ten goals to his name in all competitions.
The joint third-highest scorer for United in the end in 2023/24, McTominay appeared to be thriving in an advanced midfield berth, albeit with the desire to meet PSR regulations – and the pursuit of fellow midfielder, Manuel Ugarte – leading to INEOS deciding to cash in.
Scott McTominay
Ten Hag has since admitted that he “didn’t want” to sell the 6 foot 4 giant, yet was almost “forced” into agreeing to the decision due to the club’s financial constraints.
As it is, McTominay has gone on to dazzle in Naples in 2024/25 to date, with the midfield “monster” – as hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson – notably netting twice last time out to keep Antonio Conte’s side in title contention.
Those latest strikes – both of which were assisted by Romelu Lukaku, no less – showcased just what the Lancaster-born hero is all about. Indeed, for his first of the night, McTominay charged from deep before curling home from outside the area. For his second, the ex-Red Devil expertly headed home after towering above the Empoli defence.
The emerging Naples sensation now has eight Serie A goals to his name this season, with only Bruno Fernandes able to match that tally for league goals back in Manchester.
McTominay is then picking up where he left off last term, with INEOS having made a rare move for United by selling a player who was actually in form – unlike the exiled Rashford.
With the Red Devils now in the midst of their worst-ever Premier League campaign, that bold call doesn’t appear to have aged well…
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