Benfica have publicly backed Jose Mourinho amid his ongoing feud with referees, issuing a furious statement condemning what they called 'double standards' in officiating. The club claimed recent decisions have systematically gone against them and demanded accountability from the Refereeing Council, insisting such performances 'cannot go unpunished'.
Nottingham Forest are now “preparing a bid” for a “fantastic” playmaker, who has been a subject of interest for a number of Premier League clubs this summer, journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed.
Forest looking to bolster options at full-back
Ola Aina was one of Nuno’s most important players in the Premier League last season, making 35 appearances, but the manager has set out to bolster his options at right-back ahead of his side’s upcoming European campaign.
Neco Williams has also proven himself as a dependable option on the opposite flank, but given that the Wales international is more accustomed to playing on the opposite side, Nuno may look at bringing in another option at left-back this summer.
Earlier this week, it was revealed the Tricky Trees were in talks to sign Omari Hutchinson, and the forward is not the only Ipswich Town player on the shortlist, with Jacobs taking to X to state that Leif Davis has also emerged as a target.
Nottingham Forest are “preparing a bid” to sign the left-back, who is clearly highly sought-after, with the journalist revealing Ipswich have already knocked back offers from different Premier League clubs this summer.
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Jacobs has since offered a further update on Forest’s pursuit, suggesting that it could be difficult to get a deal done, given the Tractor Boys’ unwillingness to sell.
"Fantastic" Davis could be exciting addition for Forest
The Ipswich defender, who was once dubbed “fantastic” by Cartlon Palmer, poses a real threat on the front foot, as showcased by the fact Kieran McKenna’s side were heavily reliant on the full-back as a playmaker during the 2024-25 campaign.
While the 25-year-old struggled to make much of an impact in the top flight, picking up three assists all season, the attacking numbers he chalked up in the Championship and League one were remarkable.
Season
League appearances
Goals
Assists
2022-23
43
3
14
2023-24
43
2
21
As such, the Englishman could be an exciting addition from an attacking point of view, and it could be useful for Nuno to have a different type of player to choose from at left-back, given that Williams flourishes from a defensive standpoint.
There may be some concerns about the fact Forest want to sign the £25k-a-week full-back and Hutchinson, given that both players were relegated from the Premier League last season, but Davis’ attacking prowess means it could be a risk worth taking.
The visitors led by 252 at the close of the third day in the hunt for their first win of the season
AAP26-Nov-2024Tasmania are eyeing their first win of the Sheffield Shield summer after Tim Ward notched a second half-century in the clash with New South Wales at the SCG.Tasmania led by 252 runs at close of play, but will likely need to make a sporting declaration early on day four to have any hope of victory.Related
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“We haven’t won a game this year so we’ve got to put ourselves in a position to potentially risk losing to try and win,” said Tasmania paceman Gabe Bell. “But I think there’s enough in this wicket, as we’ve seen the last three days, to get 10 wickets tomorrow.”In the third session, Ward brought up a third half-century from as many first-class knocks this summer by hitting Australian white-ball spinner Adam Zampa to backward square leg for a single. It came after the 26-year-old top-scored with 92 in the first innings to push Tasmania to their first-innings lead.”Tim’s batted really well this whole match,” Bell said.Beau Webster helped Tasmania beef up their total as he hopes to put himself in the frame as a chance for Test selection later this summer.Despite the hefty loss to India in Perth, Australia coach Andrew McDonald has confirmed he plans to take the same XI to Adelaide. But a spot could open up for Webster at some point following concerns over Mitchell Marsh’s workload, with the allrounder pulling up sore after Perth.The Sheffield Shield’s player of the year last summer, Webster looms as the allrounder next in line should Marsh need a rest.Earlier, Webster showed off his athleticism with a low slips catch to dismiss Chris Green. It was to be the first wicket for right-arm quick Bell , who went on to rip through the tail and ensure NSW would be back in the sheds by lunch.Matthew Gilkes resumed at 38 before that, pulling Kieran Elliott’s short ball for four to bring up his 14th first-class half century before chopping on for one of Matt Kuhnemann’s two scalps.
The South Africa head coach says that growing the talent pool means sometimes playing youngsters in big series
Firdose Moonda16-Nov-2024
South Africa endured a difficult series against T20 world champions India•AFP/Getty Images
South Africa’s white-ball coach Rob Walter will make “no excuses,” for South Africa’s 3-1 defeat to India but explained the series as a “balancing act,” between fielding the best XI and exposing younger players to top-level competition.In particular, South Africa’s attack, who conceded over 200 three times in four matches, were in focus. They were without the experience of Kagiso Rabada (rested), Lungi Ngidi (injured), Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi (both no longer nationally contracted) and appeared out of their depth, or at least out of practice. Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee both made their returns from months on the sidelines as they recovered from injury and concentrated on conditioning, Andile Simelane debuted in the series, Nqaba Peter played his first internationals at home and Lutho Sipamla returned to the fold after a period of three years, all of which left Keshav Maharaj as the senior-most hand, who lacked support.Walter argued that is in the inevitable consequence of trying to deepen the player pool.Related
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“To grow the net of players, there’s times we have to play younger guys even in big series against good teams. And ultimately, that’s where they’re going to learn the most,” he said in Johannesburg after South Africa’s 135-run defeat in the fourth T20I. “It’s really a balancing act and there’s no right or wrong. We’re trying to get it right, we’re trying to get rest right, we’re trying to get rotation right, we’re trying to get exposure right all at the same time. But it doesn’t excuse the performance. We still need to be better and that starts with me as the head coach of the team.”Since Walter took over in February 2023, South Africa have played seven bilateral T20I series and not won any of them, which he acknowledged is an “incredibly difficult,” thing to accept. But it may be made easier with the knowledge that he is also the only coach to oversee the men’s team to a major tournament final, at this year’s T20 World Cup.Asked to explain the discrepancy between their bilateral form and the tournament success, Walter did not miss a beat. “The easy answer is that when we go to the world tournaments, we’re picking our very best 15 players but we can’t pick those same 15 players every single time we play. It’s just not feasible. It’s just too much cricket. So, the rest of the time we have to build our base of players up to be to the same level, which is what you’re seeing with the Indian side, right?”Only four of the XI that won the T20 World Cup in June were part of the Indian squad that beat South Africa in this series, which speaks as much to the quality of their depth as it does to the concern with South Africa’s and Walter recognised that.Lutho Sipamla returned to the fold for South Africa after three years•AFP/Getty Images
“Their fringe players are stepping up and creating pressure on the guys that are in main XI,” he said. “Ultimately, if you look at the stats around the number of players used by the different international sides, they all sit in the same space over the last two years, in between 30 and 36 players roughly. Everyone’s attempting to do the same thing because the cricket landscape is actually the same for everyone.”And that’s where he may stand corrected, to some extent. India are the only country who do not have to concern themselves with losing players to franchise leagues because they do not allow their active players to compete anywhere but the IPL, which offers sufficient compensation. South Africa, whose home currency, the Rand, is the weakest among SENA countries, are at particular risk of their players opting for hard currency payments in leagues abroad and the two biggest examples are Nortje and Shamsi. Both opted out of central contracts this year – Nortje partly because he wanted to manage which formats he played as he came back from a severe injury – and though they are available for South Africa, there is also a need to look elsewhere.”A guy like Anrich, I certainly wouldn’t doubt his want to play for South Africa and his commitment to do that. But he made a decision personally around contracting so that he could move away from playing Test cricket for a while. I think physically he was finding it a bit tough to do everything and I respect that,” Walter said. “At the end of the day, when it comes to the world tournaments, we want to pick our best side. And if he is one of those best players, we consider him. Shammo has done exactly the same thing. We need to be cognisant of what’s happening in world cricket. It’s not easy and the national side is competing with franchise cricket. The money lies in franchise cricket, not international cricket. That’s the reality that we live in.”There was an audible sigh before he finished that thought. “And so, again, the balancing act continues.”
Sri Lanka captain also credits spinners and interim coach Jayasuriya for their first ODI series win against India in 27 years
Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Aug-2024Sri Lanka’s top-order batters were good, and their spinners were even better. This was captain Charith Asalanka’s take on what had enabled his team to overcome India, a side which they had lost to 16 times since 2015, but beaten only on three occasions in ODIs.In this series, played on raging turners, Sri Lanka tied the first match, won the second game comfortably, and then trounced India in the third match by 110 runs.Three times they bowled out their opposition, and spinners took 27 of the 30 India wickets on offer. The three top wicket-takers in the series were all Sri Lanka spinners – Jeffrey Vandersay taking eight despite playing only two of the games, Dunith Wellalage claiming seven, and Asalanka himself taking six.Sri Lanka did not have their premier spinner Wanindu Hasaranga in games two and three either, after he was ruled out with a leg injury.”The biggest positive was winning a series against India after 27 years,” Asalanka said. “The other big positive were the spinners. We had relied on Wanindu Hasaranga, but we’ve had Vandersay and Dunith playing well here too.”Related
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But while on such helpful tracks, the spinners were perhaps expected to thrive, Sri Lanka’s top order also provided the kinds of platforms they have frequently failed to provide, especially against India.The highest score of the series was Avishka Fernando’s 96 in the third match. But fellow opener Pathum Nissanka hit 101 runs in a low-scoring series, and Kusal Mendis also contributed 103, thanks largely to his 59 in Wednesday’s match.”On these pitches, until the ball gets a little older, it’s easier to bat, and it takes less spin,” Asalanka said. “What we planned was for someone in the top order to get a big score, and for others around him to play around him and get to a good score. Today that was really successful, as Avishka got to 96, which isn’t easy on a pitch like this.”But the coaching staff and me as the captain gave that challenge to the batsmen playing up the order, including me. If you look through the series the middle order was a little hit and miss, but the top order was successful, so we were able to get to those targets.”The top order gave great starts and that’s the biggest change I see in this team. If you look at our one-day cricket two or three years ago we weren’t getting good starts. As the No. 5 batter, I was coming in at the 10 over mark quite frequently. But now there’s a foundation, and that’s a sign of us maturing.”For turning things around after their 3-0 thrashing in the T20Is, Asalanka credited a team environment that prioritised freedom, for which he said interim coach Sanath Jayasuriya was also responsible.”As a team we tried to create a good environment, after talking to the coach,” Asalanka said. “We tried to give a lot of freedom to our players and to show their talent. We don’t put much pressure on them. We identify what the positives and negatives are and we back their strength. If they fail it’s not a problem. If you have that backing you can play against a good team like this. In the T20s though we lost there were positives in our top order. I knew as a captain that when we play to our potential, we can compete against the best.”
The IPL is meeting with all ten franchise owners on Wednesday to discuss auction and retention processes
Nagraj Gollapudi30-Jul-20243:35
Should the Impact Player rule stay or go?
Whether to retain or discontinue the Impact Player rule, as well as possibly increasing the number of uncapped players on each IPL team’s retention list feature on the agenda of a meeting between the IPL and the ten franchises, to take place on Wednesday. The closed-door meeting will take place at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai with the franchises represented by members of their ownership teams.Other significant points up for discussion are: have the mega auction every five years instead of the existing three; reinstating the right-to-match (RTM) card option at auctions; the availability (or lack thereof) of overseas players; and a fix on the total number of retentions.All these points have been framed by the IPL after its chief operating officer, Hemang Amin, met various franchises over the past few months seeking feedback ahead of finalising next year’s mega auction.Impact Player – abolish or retain?There were eight 250-plus totals in IPL 2024 including the highest in the tournament’s history – 287, which Sunrisers Hyderabad plundered against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Pundits and team officials agreed the six-hitting spree, especially in the powerplay segment, was a consequence of the Impact Player rule, introduced in IPL 2023, which allowed teams to pick an extra specialist batter or bowler based on the game situation. Nine of the ten highest totals in IPL history have been recorded since the Impact Player rule was introduced.The original motive of this rule was to allow more Indian players, especially the uncapped ones, to get exposure. However, Rohit Sharma, India’s Test and ODI captain, said he was not a big fan of the rule because it would hold back the “development” of allrounders, a skillset that is not easily available in Indian T20 cricket. This view is also shared by a few franchises and one of them told ESPNcricinfo that it had informed the IPL it would be in favour of scrapping the rule.The question for the IPL, though, is whether the bigger totals are contributing to the overall enhancement of their product and whether the fans like it. Or not.13:31
Runorder: Is the mega auction good for the IPL?
Increase uncapped retentionsAhead of the 2022 mega auction, the IPL allowed the eight original franchises to retain a maximum of two uncapped Indian players and the two new teams – Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants – could have one each. However, with these players putting in consistent performances, and with the franchises devoting a lot of resources to scout them and develop their game, a change may be coming.It is learned that the franchises have put forward some suggestions to Amin, one of which is to either create a special allowance within the main retention pool for uncapped talent or increase the number of RTM cards, with which a team can match the winning bid at the auction for a player they had on their rolls till the previous season and bring him back in.Incremental performance payDuring discussions, the IPL is understood to have told the franchises about the need to incentivise players financially considering the teams were getting bigger money than before. One of the reasons behind the IPL’s proposal could be that it wants to better the salary of a player who was bought at his base price at the auction and was then retained at the same price even though his stature has grown since.The IPL is believed to have recommended paying players a match fee, but an immediate counter came from several franchises: what about the players who sit on the bench? Currently, as part of their contract, a player gets a discretionary fee from the franchise’s overall auction purse based on where the team finished the previous season. This number is set by the IPL. One of the suggestions given to the IPL is that instead of a match fee it would be better to finalise the amount to be put in the incentive pot, which the franchise could use at its discretion to reward their performers.Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc both went for over INR 20 crore at the last mini auction•KKR Knight ClubOverseas playersThere are various proposals franchises have put forth concerning the overseas players. At least one franchise has told the IPL that there should be no restriction on the number of overseas players it can retain so long as it is within the retention cap. So, if the IPL allows five overall retentions, then the franchise said it should be able to fill all the slots with overseas players if they want.Franchises have also told the IPL that they believe overseas players have been exploiting mini auctions to get record sums of money. Some of these players, the franchises believe, have avoided mega auctions where the purse is evenly spread with various teams looking to build from the ground up and therefore be more mindful about how much money they spend on a single player. At mini auctions, since teams usually have a core already in place, they are able to go all guns blazing for that one player who will complete the make-up of the side. One suggestion on the table is whether the IPL should make it mandatory for overseas players to register for mega auctions.According to a franchise head, the IPL is also looking to impose a bidding cap at mini auctions. This will be based on the amount that a franchise will set aside for its No. 1 retention pick ahead of the mega auctions. Bidding at mini auctions cannot go past that number.For example, if INR 20 crore is what the IPL decides a franchise must pay its highest retained player before a mega auction, then at the mini auction the highest bid cannot exceed that. If there are teams still willing to bid more for that player, then, the franchises have suggested, the option of a silent tie-breaker should come into play.The silent tie-breaker was a method utilised in earlier IPL auctions. Devised in 2010, the tie-breaker was designed to be used in smaller auctions, where there is a smaller purse, to break a deadlock. In the IPL’s history, three players have been bought via the tie-breaker rule: Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians) and Shane Bond (Kolkata Knight Riders) in 2010, and Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings) in 2012.Those privy to Wednesday’s meeting point out that while all the recommendations and proposals are likely to be put forth at the meeting, there is no confirmation on whether IPL will announce its final decision on these matters right away.
After spending more than ever at Anfield, FSG are reportedly looking to show the door to a number of players this summer. One Liverpool star has already rejected the chance to leave, however.
Liverpool's summer business off with a bang
When Liverpool won the Premier League in the 2019/20 campaign, they decided to settle for what they had – enduring a quiet transfer window in the summer that followed. Soon enough, Manchester City were back on their throne as a result. Five years on, however, FSG have learnt from that harsh lesson and are investing more than ever to build what could be a dominant Liverpool side.
Having already signed Jeremie Frimpong, the Reds are set to welcome his former Bayer Leverkusen teammate, Florian Wirtz, for a British record fee. Simply put, it has so far been a statement summer from Richard Hughes and Michael Edward, who are not stopping there.
Liverpool now want "complete" £51m+ defender ahead of Man Utd and Newcastle
The Reds want to win the race for his signature.
BySean Markus Clifford Jun 14, 2025
Wirtz has been one of the most talented players in his position for the last two years, recovering from an ACL injury to help Leverkusen to an invincible domestic season before performing at similar levels last season. Now, by joining up with the likes of Mohamed Salah, he could finally take his seat among the very best that European football has to offer.
Appearances
92
Goals
34
Assists
35
Although their spending will excite Liverpool fans, it is unlikely to come without sacrifice this summer. With Giorgi Mamardashvili, Wirtz and Frimpong arriving – potentially among others – the likes of Darwin Nunez and now Andy Robertson have been linked with moves away.
The Scot has most recently attracted the interest of Atletico Madrid, as per Fabrizio Romano, and talks are already reportedly underway. Of course, it’s in Madrid that Robertson could square off against Trent Alexander-Arnold in what would add an interesting narrative to a derby already so fierce.
It’s not just Robertson attracting interest, however, as FSG have now seen one big-money player reject the chance to leave this summer.
Alisson rejects Galatasaray move
Despite the fact that FSG have already welcomed his replacement for years to come in Mamardashvili, it looks as though Alisson Becker is set to stay put. According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Alisson has rejected a “concrete enquiry” from Galatasaray and will be staying put at Anfield in the coming months instead of joining the 25-time Turkish Super Lig winners.
The Reds initially agreed a deal to sign Mamardashvili last summer before loaning him back to Valencia. Now, a year on, he’s set to join up with his new teammates.
Given that Caoimhin Kelleher has already left for Brentford, there will be a place in Arne Slot’s squad for Mamardashvili, but Alisson is not budging. The £150,000-a-week goalkeeper has seemingly made the decision to keep hold of his No.1 spot even as his long-term replacement arrives.
Leeds United have been given a boost in their efforts to sign Manor Solomon on a permanent transfer this summer.
Leeds on course for Premier League return after crucial Championship weekend
The Whites and Daniel Farke enjoyed a brilliant afternoon in the Championship on Saturday, winning 2-1 against Preston North End at Elland Road thanks to goals from Solomon and Jayden Bogle.
Promotion rivals Sheffield United also threw away a victory at bottom placed Plymouth Argyle, conceding twice late on at Home Park to lose 2-1.
As a result, Leeds now sit top of the table and are five points clear of the Blades in third, while also having better goal difference with four games to go.
Sheffield United also have to go to second place Burnley, meaning Leeds need a maximum of seven points from their remaining four games to all but guarantee promotion on goal difference, providing the Blades win all four of their remaining fixtures.
Leeds (88 pts)
Sheffield United (83 pts)
Burnley (88 pts)
Oxford United (a)
Cardiff City (h)
Watford (a)
Stoke City (h)
Burnley (a)
Sheffield United (h)
Bristol City (h)
Stoke City (a)
QPR (a)
Plymouth Argyle (a)
Blackburn Rovers (h)
Millwall (h)
If Leeds go up, 49ers Enterprises may quickly look to seal a number of new signings while also expanding Elland Road, and one target is loanee Solomon.
Leeds given boost in permanent Solomon deal
There have been claims that the winger, on loan from Tottenham, is wanted by Leeds on a full-time basis, should promotion be achieved.
Now, according to reliable reporter Alasdair Gold for football.london, ‘Solomon would certainly consider a move to Leeds if they got promoted after enjoying his time at the West Yorkshire club’.
The Isreal international is expected to have more interest from Premier League clubs and from teams abroad, but it seems as if the 25-year-old is open to moving to Yorkshire on a permanent basis.
Back in January, Solomon said on Leeds: “I love it here. I love the fans. I love the club. I love the players, the manager. Especially now, I’m really enjoying it and I love living here. Of course, it’s different to London, less things to do and we have less friends here. All the Israelis, they live in London, but we found our place here.”
Farke was also quick to hail Solomon on the weekend after he scored his eighth goal of the campaign and registered his 10th assist.
Leeds and 49ers now considering £3.5m bid to sign 26 y/o to replace Wober
Daniel Farke and co. have their eyes on a player who is likely going to replace Max Wober.
1 ByBrett Worthington Apr 14, 2025
“Always a joy to work with. A top character. Yes can be tricky, he’s emotional! Especially when he doesn’t finish a game. But top.”
It has been rumoured that Solomon could cost up to £20m this summer amid interest from Everton, so it is a boost for Leeds knowing that the attacker will consider a permanent transfer to Yorkshire.
South Africa, meanwhile, have now lost five successive ODIs
Deep Gadhia10-Feb-2025150 Matthew Breetzke’s score against New Zealand in Lahore is the highest by a batter on ODI debut, breaking Desmond Haynes’ 47-year-old record of 148 against Australia in 1978.Breetzke is only the fourth South Africa batter after Colin Ingram, Temba Bavuma and Reeza Hendricks to score a century on ODI debut.ESPNcricinfo Ltd7000 – Kane Williamson became the second-fastest batter to complete 7000 ODI runs, getting there in 159 innings. Only Hashim Amla has got there quicker than Williamson, in 150 innings.305 – New Zealand’s target of 305 was the second biggest they had chased down away from home. Their chase of 307 against Scotland in Edinburgh in 2022 remains their highest successful chase away from home.This is also their highest successful chase in multi-team tournaments, with the previous best being the chase of 298 against the same opponents in a memorable World Cup semi-final in 2015.5 – Losses on the trot for South Africa in ODIs, after their 3-0 loss to Pakistan at home and defeat in the last ODI against Ireland in Abu Dhabi. This is their third-biggest losing streak in the format. They have lost ten consecutive matches twice – in 1994 and 2004.187 – Partnership between Devon Conway and Kane Williamson for the second wicket, New Zealand’s highest for any wicket against South Africa, as well as in Pakistan.It is also the third-highest second-wicket partnership for New Zealand in ODIs, bettered only by Conway and Rachin Ravindra’s mammoth 273-run stand in the 2023 World Cup opener against England, and Martin Guptill and Will Young’s 203 against Netherlands in 2022.133* – Williamson’s unbeaten knock of 133 was the second-highest individual score for New Zealand in a successful 300-plus chase. Ross Taylors 181* against England in a chase of 336 in 2018 remains at the top of the pile.Williamson needed 72 balls to get to his century, his second fastest by balls faced in ODIs, bettered only by his 69-ball ton against Zimbabwe in 2011.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 – Tom Latham became only the fifth New Zealand batter to have three consecutive ducks to his name in ODI cricket. He is also the first New Zealand batter to bag a duck in three consecutive ODI innings while batting in the top seven.Latham’s 13 ducks as a wicketkeeper are now the second-most for New Zealand going past Brendon McCullum’s 12. Adam Parore is the only New Zealand keeper ahead of Latham now, with 16 ODI ducks.
Alan Gardner is joined by Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to reflect on England’s Test squad announcement, and Jofra Archer’s injury woes
ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2023England’s squad announcement for the Ireland Test contained all manner of subplots… among them, the omission of Ben Foakes in favour of the returning Jonny Bairstow, and the desperate news of Jofra Archer’s latest injury setback. Alan Gardner, Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah digest the implications, both short- and long-term. There’s also a snippet from our new women’s cricket segment, as Valkerie Baynes and Firdose Moonda reflect on the retirement of the mighty Katherine Sciver-Brunt.