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Tottenham Hotspur are now very keen on signing an “incredible” £50m forward who’s been likened to Chelsea star Cole Palmer, according to a report.

Spurs eyeing new forward amid Son uncertainty

Thomas Frank has recently implied that Tottenham will soon have to make a big decision about Son Heung-min’s future, with the manager saying: “Right now I have a player that is fully committed and training well, and will play tomorrow. If a player has been at a club a long time, then there will always be a decision for the club to take, of course.

“Because, there is something in it if someone wants to leave at a certain stage. But the club will always decide in the end, of course.”

It doesn’t appear that a move will be on the cards in the near future, with Son clearly still a part of Frank’s plans, but given that the South Korean is now 33-years-old, it could make sense to bring in a long-term replacement this summer.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Spurs are in talks for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, who could be a like-for-like replacement for Son, given that he is able to play at both left-wing and through the middle.

However, Wissa is not the only winger of interest to the Lilywhites, with a report from EFL Analysis revealing that Tottenham are very keen on signing Southampton’s Tyler Dibling, but a deal will be on the expensive side.

Despite suffering relegation from the Premier League last season, the Saints are set to hold out for a fee of £50m, showcasing just how highly Dibling is rated at St. Mary’s.

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There may be fierce competition for the winger’s signature, with Manchester United, West Ham United and Nottingham Forest also named as potential suitors, while the 19-year-old could be tempted to remain at Southampton if he believes promotion is possible.

"Incredible" Dibling likened to Palmer

The Saints were relegated without putting up much of a fight last season, but the youngster still managed to catch the eye, with Dion Dublin even comparing him to Chelsea star Palmer.

Dublin said: “Do you know what it is? I don’t want to put any pressure on him, but he plays his game like Cole Palmer, doesn’t he?He plays free and easy, and he gets himself into good positions, rolls players and takes the ball well.”

Reporter Alfie House was also left impressed by the teenager’s displays, describing him as “incredible” last November, indicating the winger could make a real impact at N17.

£50m is a large fee to shell out for a player who is yet to establish himself at the top level, but Dibling enjoyed an impressive breakthrough season in the Premier League, and a move to north London could be of great appeal, with Champions League football on offer.

You win the toss, you bat. When it comes to playing a Test in Galle, that is not so much as received wisdom as it as an etched in stone eleventh commandment. While this might on the face of it seem a ploy to get the best of the batting conditions, in actuality, it’s more down to not wanting to get the worst of it.In the first Test, Sri Lanka won the toss and obviously batted, but while the notable turn on day one signified a raging turner from the outset, Sri Lanka still managed to run up 305 in the first innings – even accounting for them losing their last four wickets for just 24 runs.And after that, it was in fact New Zealand’s batters that got to utilise the most batter friendly of conditions across the Test – on day two, when the turn had slowed down and Sri Lanka’s spinners struggled for control. But their innings, too, was hampered by a late collapse, going from a pretty strong 269 for 5 to 340 all out.Related

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But as the Test wore on, particularly on the fourth and fifth day, batting became the chore Galle is more commonly renowned for, with 14 wickets falling on day four and two wickets within 15 minutes on day five to wrap up the game.”The pitch can change quite quickly and we saw that,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead noted on the eve of the second Test. “From being relatively good off the straight areas, to then spinning, quite a bit on that fourth day. The conditions can change very quickly.”So I think every run you get in the first innings is very important. And making sure you can post a as large a total as possible, as that means it’s just less runs you have to score in the second innings.”Stead’s sentiment was something shared by Sri Lanka batting coach Thilina Kandamby, who spoke towards the importance of setting the tone early on, be it with the bat or ball.”Setting the tone is key in Test cricket, even with the ball. In Manchester also, if you remember, we had a really bad day starting with the bowling. Then we recovered really well. That’s the positive part of it, whether it comes to bowling or batting our recovery is really good. But setting the tone is really important, and all the players know that.”Both teams are also acutely aware of the areas in which they need to improve, primarily in pressing home hard-fought advantages. With five wickets in hand, 50 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’s first innings total, and a set pair of Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips at the crease at the start of day three, New Zealand might have been eyeing a hefty first-innings lead – particularly taking into account the confidence with which they had approached their batting the previous day.As it turned out, they would lose their remaining five wickets for 86 runs on the third morning, and in the process relinquish the grip they had on the game. With 63 runs the final margin of defeat it’s pivotal passages such as these, that Stead knows proved the difference in the end.”I actually think we had a really good Test match and for the most part it was very evenly contested. I thought that it was just some small moments that we could have done better,” he explained. “We probably should have got more run in terms of that first innings, and the lead from the position we were in.”And then the second session, I think it was of the third day, where we didn’t take a wicket. [Dinesh] Chandimal and [Dimuth] Karunaratne batted very well, but we maybe were just a little bit slow to adjust and adapt to that situation.””We probably should have got more run in terms of that first innings, and the lead from the position we were in” – Stead•AFP/Getty Images

Kandamby had similar grievances with his own side. Sri Lanka lost five of their top six batters (including Angelo Mathews who retired hurt) inside the first 35 overs of day one, before a century from Kamindu Mendis and a Kusal Mendis fifty revived their innings. In the second innings, having got to 153 for the loss of just one wicket, Sri Lanka stumbled to 178 for 4. And then again went from 286 for 6 to 309 all out.”Mindset will be the same [going into the game], but we have discussed where we went wrong, especially in the batting,” revealed Kandamby. “We had a collapse in the third or fourth day, it had happened a couple of times earlier also. The senior players need to take the responsibility because they have played a lot of cricket in Galle. We all knew the wicket would be helpful for spinners.”When we see the stats, I think they swept more than us, which is a concern. We played some good sweep shots as well, but you can’t always trust the defence on a wicket like this. So you’re better always to be in a positive mindset to score runs.”One other area of concern has been the contribution from Sri Lanka’s tail. In terms of batting contributions from those batting at 9, 10 and 11, Sri Lanka know they could be doing better. Across both innings they contributed a total of 13 runs, while Ramesh Mendis batting at eight offered not much more.This has partly been reason for Sri Lanka bringing in Milan Rathnayake – following his impressive showing with the bat in England – in place of Lahiru Kumara, but Kandamby said it was nevertheless an area they were actively looking at improving on.”Yes we’re looking for runs from them [the tail], but more than that it’s about supporting the batter at the other end. It’s only after the recognised batter gets out that we start thinking about how to put the pressure back on the bowlers and get some runs. So honestly if they can get about 30-40 runs, that would be good. Because if you look at it compared the rest of the Test playing nations, our batters at 9, 10, 11, are quite low down.”Whenever we have practice, batting is compulsory for them. And when we’re not playing in a series, they will work the coaches at the HPC (high performance centre) to work on their technical errors.”

Zaheer Khan is in talks with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a mentorship role, with the franchise keen on bringing in a top former India player well-versed with T20 cricket to have a strong presence within their coaching setup following the departure of Gautam Gambhir.Two other franchises are understood to have been keen on bringing on board Zaheer, who was until recently head of global development at Mumbai Indians (MI) – prior to that, he was director of cricket for the franchise from 2018-2022.LSG have been without a mentor since Gambhir’s departure late last year. Gambhir, who was part of the support group that helped Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title in 2024, has since taken over as India head coach. Morne Morkel, the former South Africa pacer who was LSG’s bowling coach, has now joined Gambhir’s lineup in the India men’s team in the same role.Related

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Apart from the role of mentor, LSG are also keen on giving Zaheer a wider profile that will mean involvement with the scouting and player-development programmes during the off season.LSG’s backroom is currently led by Justin Langer, who replaced Andy Flower as head coach ahead of IPL 2024, with Lance Klusener and Adam Voges as his assistants. After securing playoff berths in their first two seasons, the KL Rahul-led side was pipped on net run-rate for a spot in the top four in 2024.Zaheer’s possible return to the IPL fold comes at a time when teams are preparing for a mega auction. The IPL is likely to announce the retention rules by early September.Zaheer was part of three franchises – MI, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils – during his playing career. In all, he featured in 100 games for the three teams across ten seasons, picking up 102 wickets at an economy of 7.59. He last featured in the tournament in 2017, when he led Daredevils, before retiring from all forms of cricket.Elsewhere, Punjab Kings are also on the lookout for an Indian head coach to replace Trevor Bayliss. They had reportedly been keen on bringing in VVS Laxman, but that is off the table with Laxman extending his term as head of the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy. They currently have Sanjay Bangar on their roster as head of cricket development.

Picture this: It’s January 2024, and Liverpool’s collective consciousness is reeling from the news that Jurgen Klopp has provided through the club’s social media channels.

It came out of nowhere. After nearly nine years of thrilling service as Liverpool manager, Klopp announced he was finally sapped of his strength, that larger-than-life engine depleted at last.

It felt like the end of an era, and it was, but in Arne Slot, Liverpool found a new leader to guide them back to the forefront of English football, winning the Premier League only 11 months after his predecessor bowed out with a third-place finish and a Carabao Cup claimed a few months before.

To think that that triumph was achieved with such little first-team investment, Federico Chiesa being the only arrival (before this summer) since Ryan Gravenberch joined in August 2023.

Now, though, the fresh faces are spilling through the gates, with a new centre-forward perhaps next on the agenda. There are plenty of targets out there, but Alexander Isak is the dream.

Liverpool's pursuit of Alexander Isak

Liverpool have a long-standing interest in Isak, and he’s considered Slot’s dream target this summer, but Newcastle United are in no mood to sell after qualifying for the Champions League and have set an asking price of £200m.

The 25-year-old is unquestionably a brilliant player, even hailed as “the best striker in the Premier League” last season by Jamie Carragher, but he’d cost too much money for a Liverpool side already approaching the £200m mark this summer.

Mohamed Salah was the only man to outscore Isak in the Premier League last season, but does 23 goals from 34 matches warrant a £200m fee?

Liverpool need a number nine, in any case, and given the plentiful spending FSG have green-lit this summer, there may be a shrewder option on the market who would still bring the promise of goals.

Liverpool line up Isak alternative

According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are doing extensive work on various striker targets this summer as they look to upgrade on Nunez.

And while Isak remains the dream target, Liverpool continue to keep their name in the hat for Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, who is expected to leave the Liga Portugal champions this summer.

Saying that, tensions are high between player and club, with Arsenal also keen on the Sweden striker but dissuaded by his €100m (£84m) release clause, which Sporting hope will be met.

However, it won’t. Instead, a figure in the region of £60m could prove the ultimate payment, which is certainly an affordable figure for Liverpool to cap their summer spending off with a flourish.

Why Liverpool should sign Viktor Gyokeres

Liverpool might be dreaming of Isak, but they can perhaps sign his international teammate Gyokeres to a similarly emphatic effect.

Having joined Sporting Lisbon from Coventry City in the English Championship two years ago, the 27-year-old has arguably been “the best finisher in the world” – in the words of analyst Spencer Mossman – scoring 97 goals and providing 28 assists across 102 matches and winning the league title in each of his two campaigns.

And yet, the powerful goalscorer has his dissenters, those who feel his qualities would not translate so well to the English game. This simply isn’t the case; he’s not Isak, but the right-footer could certainly play an important part at the front of Slot’s system.

Gyokeres’ doubters must turn toward his hat-trick performance against Manchester City in the Champions League last year before making an opinion on his ability.

This is a centre-forward who knows how to find the back of the net, and has a robust physicality and electric mobility that emphasises his quality as more than just a focal point in the final third.

As per FBref, Gyokeres ranked among the top 12% of strikers in the 2024/24 Champions League for goals scored, the top 18% for pass completion, the top 10% for shot-creating actions, and the top 6% for progressive carries per 90, highlighting the man’s tactical wideness.

The data-driven site even regarded Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Vinicius Junior as his three most comparable players, which offers a taste of the kind of flavour he could add to Slot’s attack.

These are all high-level goalscorers and dynamic forwards besides. True, the attacker has been hailed as a “powerhouse” by analyst Ben Mattinson, but the journalist isn’t denouncing him as a brute; rather, highlighting a physical sheen to his skill set that would be perfect for Premier League football.

Such robustness has allowed him to foster that incredible goalscoring record, with no footballer – including Salah and Isak – scoring more goals across the game’s top ten divisions in 2024/25, which speaks to how ruthless he is in front of goal.

Top Scorers – Top 10 Leagues (24/25)
#	Player	Apps	Goals
1.	Viktor Gyokeres	33	39
2.	Kylian Mbappe	34	31
3.	Mohamed Salah	38	29
4.	Robert Lewandowski	34	27
5.	Harry Kane	31	26
Data via Transfermarkt

It’s clear that Gyokeres has the potential to play at the front of a Liverpool side consisting of some of football’s most exciting attacking players, as illustrated by his exceptional goalscoring record in the table above.

While he’s not on the same level as his Swedish compatriot, there’s no reason Gyokeres couldn’t match Nunez’s 25-goal tally in the Premier League. Of course, that’s across three campaigns, whereas Sporting’s man would have his sights set on reaching the target before the end of next season.

Picture this: Liverpool have completed the most extraordinary summer transfer window, are looking to defend their Premier League title, and expand on Slot’s initial success. With Gyokeres fronting the team, it might just happen.

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Arsenal are in the market for a new attacker this summer, and sporting director Andrea Berta has been handed a boost in regard to one target who appears to have his eyes firmly on a move to N5.

Arsenal maintaining Benjamin Sesko talks

The Gunners have been seriously pursuing RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko for the last fortnight.

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Talks have been held with the Bundesliga side over a move for their talismanic forward, who scored 21 goals in all competitions last season, with Arsenal and Leipzig reportedly negotiating to find middle ground on the fee.

While reliable reports suggest that Saudi sides are now expressing a keen interest in Sesko to rival Arsenal, the player’s priority is to remain in Europe, and it is believed by some media sources that the 22-year-old has already agreed personal terms (CaughtOffside).

There appears to be cautious optimism that a move can eventually be struck for the Slovenia international, but in case a deal falls through, Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres remains on their shortlist (Fabrizio Romano).

The Swede is fresh off an excellent campaign, where he bagged 54 goals in all competitions, helping Sporting to their first domestic double in 20 years.

Gyokeres’ ruthless finishing has attracted interest from across the continent, with Man United also rumoured to be contending for his services. However, he definitely won’t be leaving for £59 million, as Sporting president Frederico Varandas confirmed to the media this week.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

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

“I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that,” Varandas said.

“To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres – neither today nor last season.”

Viktor Gyokeres prioritising move to Arsenal with meeting held

While a lot of negotiation still needs to be done over a potential fee, if Arsenal decide to go there in the event they cannot agree a Sesko deal, they can be encouraged by the 27-year-old’s stance on a move to the Emirates Stadium.

According to CNN journalist Nuno Farinha, speaking on CNN Portugal, Gyokeres’ agent held a meeting with Arsenal chiefs on Wednesday to lay groundwork over a potential transfer.

Farinha also says that Arsenal has always been Gyokeres’ preferred landing spot, with the ex-Coventry City star seemingly prioritising a move to north London over Man United.

While a lot of debate is surrounding Gyokeres’ price tag, especially after Varandas’ comments, Portuguese newspaper Record recently stated that Sporting have been demanding around £67 million.

“His overall game is good. He is big and strong, he can play on the ball and his finishing is ridiculously good,” said pundit John Wenham to Tottenham News.

“That would be an exciting signing.”

Manchester United have now made contact with an “unbeatable” goalkeeper as a possible replacement for Andre Onana, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Man Utd chasing defensive reinforcements

United supporters are highly anticipating the Red Devils prioritising strengthening their forward line this summer, given the lack of goals scored throughout this 2024/25 campaign. However, while Ruben Amorim wants to improve his attacking options, he is also in the market to strengthen his defence, given Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans are on course to leave when their contracts expire.

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It’s already been reported that United have held talks over signing centre-back Jonathan Tah on a free transfer. The German international is set to become a free agent as his contract at Bayer Leverkusen expires, and the Red Devils are now interested in a deal. However, they are not alone, as European heavyweights Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Barcelona are also circling with interest.

Tah is not the only defender under consideration, as a report from Spain has stated that United are ready to go all out and sign Ronald Araujo from Barcelona. The defender is a key player for the Spanish giants, but the Premier League giants hope an offer worth £68 million will be enough to tempt Barca into selling, as Araujo is considered a player who can help transform their defence.

Man Utd make contact to sign £17m ace as replacement for Onana

As well as looking to strengthen his centre-back options, Amorim could also be in the market for a new goalkeeper, and according to Fabrizio Romano, Man Utd have Torino’s Vanja Milinkovic-Savic on their goalkeeper shortlist.

Romano states that initial contacts between United and the player’s camp have taken place. The transfer expert also goes on to state that United are now waiting to hear how much Torino would want for their shot-stopper, but it’s been previously reported that he has a release clause worth £17 million from the end of July.

The 28-year-old, who has been hailed as “unbeatable” for his record of saving penalties, has a history at Old Trafford, as he joined the club back in 2014 before leaving in 2016 to move to Poland. The goalkeeper didn’t play a game for United but did represent their academy side.

Apps

155

Goals conceded

158

Clean sheets

52

Milikovic-Savic’s potential arrival at Old Trafford would likely see him replace Onana, as he is currently first choice for Torino, where he has kept 10 clean sheets in 34 Serie A games this season.

Meanwhile, for Onana, this season has been a struggle, with performances dipping from good to bad, and that inconsistent form is a reason why Amorim may be looking for a new number one. The Cameroon international, on £120,000-a-week, is still under contract until 2028, but United may look to cash in this summer, as there has been a mention of teams from the Saudi Pro League interested in a potential deal for Onana.

It was a case of the same old for Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s side took the lead against the visiting Bournemouth but ended up coming away empty-handed in a match that perfectly summed up their domestic campaign.

Moreover, while he provided an assist for Declan Rice, it was another uninspiring performance from club captain Martin Odegaard, who picked up a 5/10 match rating from GOAL’s Stephen Darwin and made a mess of marking Evanilson for the winning goal.

The Norwegian’s poor form is now a serious concern, but in positive news, the club might have found a solution in a player who could get the best back out of him, a player compared to Kylian Mbappé.

Arsenal's transfer news

While the transfer target in question is someone who could get the best back out of Odegaard in the coming seasons, the club have also been credited with interest in some players who could be seen as out-and-out replacements for the midfielder, like Florian Wirtz and Rayan Cherki.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former could reportedly be available for around £111m this summer, and while that is an outrageous sum of money, it might not be entirely unreasonable, as at just 22 years old, he has scored 16 goals and provided 13 assists in 43 games for Bayer Leverkusen this term.

Cherki, on the other hand, could cost far less at just £30m, and that does seem like a bargain considering the fact he’s already scored 12 goals and provided 19 assists in 42 games for Lyon so far this season.

However, if the Gunners want to get the best back out of their captain, they’d be better off acting on their interest in Eintrach Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitiké.

According to a recent report from journalist Christian Falk, as relayed by Caught Offside, Arsenal want the French forward this summer.

However, Liverpool are also said to want the free-scoring forward, and worse yet, the German side want around €100m for their star striker, which is about £85m.

It would be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given his immense ability, he is one worth fighting for, especially as he’d get the best back out of Odegaard, and he’s been compared to Mbappé.

Why Ekitiké could revive Odegaard

So, before we get into the reasons why Ekitiké could revive Odegaard, it’s worth examining this comparison to Mbappé and where it comes from.

It stems from journalist Graeme Bailey, who three years ago reported that there were some in France who thought that the young forward was set to become “the new Mbappé.”

Now, it’s fair to say he hasn’t quite hit the incredible heights of the Real Madrid man, but it’s not hard to see why people would make the comparison, as the Frankfurt gem is a young, exciting and pretty free-scoring forward who, according to The Athletic’s Alex Barker, likes to “drop into wider areas” and “can create a chance for someone from absolutely nothing.”

It’s these traits that make the comparison seem more reasonable, and then when you add them to his raw output, it’s not hard to see why he could help the Gunners captain get back to his best.

For example, this season alone has seen the 22-year-old monster score 22 goals and provide 11 assists in just 46 appearances, totalling 3466 minutes of action.

Appearances

46

Minutes

3466′

Goals

22

Assists

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.71

Minutes per Goal Involvement

105.03′

In other words, the sensational striker is averaging a goal involvement every 1.39 games, or every 105.03 minutes.

With a forward that prolific and creative starting ahead of him, the former Real Madrid wonderkid would undoubtedly see his goal and assist tallies soar.

Moreover, with the Reims-born star liking to drop back and drift out wide, opposition defenders would have to spend more time trying to cover him off and mark him in games, thus allowing the Drammen-born maestro more space to create.

Ultimately, while he wouldn’t be cheap, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Ekitiké this summer, as not only would he make the team more dangerous, but he could also help get Odegaard back to his imperious best.

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Chelsea has a huge fixture in the UEFA Conference League coming up on Thursday night. Enzo Maresca’s side face Polish side Legia Warsaw in the first leg of their quarter-final clash away from home.

It has been a flawless campaign in the Conference League for the West Londoners. They have played eight games and won them all, scoring an impressive 29 goals and conceding just six. In the last round, they knocked out Danish giants FC Copenhagen.

One of the key players in the Conference League for Chelsea this season has been Christopher Nkunku, although his form across all competitions has not been as consistent.

Nkunku's form in 2024/25

It has certainly been an indifferent campaign so far for France international Nkunku. The former Paris Saint-Germain star has played 39 times across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and grabbing five assists in that.

The Conference League has really been where he has done his best work. In seven appearances so far in the competition, the former RB Leipzig star has scored five goals and registered three assists. That included two goals and one assist in the 8-0 thrashing of FC Noah at Stamford Bridge.

However, it has not been plain sailing for the Chelsea attacker in the Premier League, where he has just five goal involvements in 26 appearances. He has struggled to break into the starting lineup under Maresca, having played 907 minutes and the equivalent of ten full 90-minute games.

Manchester United legend turned pundit Gary Neville has been critical of the Frenchman this term. After Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat away to Brighton in February, Neville described his performance as “useless” and said it is “time now for him to step up”.

Who knows what the future holds for the Frenchman, with GiveMeSport recently reporting that he could be “plying his trade elsewhere” next season. If this is the case, perhaps the Blues have the perfect replacement waiting in the wings.

Chelsea’s in-house Nkunku replacement

Chelsea’s esteemed Cobham academy has produced some extraordinary footballers over the years. Perhaps the next player from Cobham who could break into the first team at Stamford Bridge will be striker Donell McNeilly.

It has been a sensational season for the London-born 19-year-old. In 19 games for the Blues’ academy this term, he has scored 12 goals and grabbed two assists. That includes 11 goals in 17 Premier League 2 appearances.

There was a spell between the end of September last year and the middle of January when McNeilly simply could not stop contributing to goals. In fact, he had ten goals and assists in an eight-game spell in the Premier League 2.

The teenager’s goalscoring run has continued, and he now has two goals in his last two games in the Premier League 2. One of those was a sweetly struck volley against Aston Villa, which he hooked back across goal with an outstretched right leg.

McNeilly has also impressed for Chelsea in the EFL Trophy in which he scored once against Bromley. As per Sofascore, he won four ground duels and completed 80% of his passes in the same game. It was a similar story against Cambridge United, in which he won seven from ten ground duels.

Mins played

72

60

Touches

29

32

Pass accuracy

80%

75%

Duels won

5/9

8/11

Tackles won

2/2

3/3

Shots

4

3

Goals

1

0

Football scout Antonio Mango described McNeilly as “the most inform youth Striker in England” in 2024, and it certainly seems like that is still the case. He has been on fire at youth level and has continued to impress outside of his goal-scoring prowess.

If Nkunku is to depart Chelsea this summer, they might well have his replacement waiting in the wings, just ready to explode at the highest level.

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England batter’s stamina and endurance to the fore during record-breaking triple-hundred

Matt Roller10-Oct-20240:57

England rewrite the record books vs. Pakistan

It was like watching Eliud Kipchoge run: the pace was remarkable enough in itself, but the ability to sustain it across such a long period of time defied logic. Harry Brook batted for seven hours, spending 97.4 overs in the stifling heat and facing 322 balls – all while scoring at a run a ball. This was Brook’s Multan marathon, an epic feat of endurance and stamina.Brook is 25 years old, and this was the first time in his lifetime that an England batter had scored a triple-century; his 317 was the fifth-highest score in England’s Test history. This pitch was desperately flat, offering nothing to Pakistan’s weary bowlers, but Brook put on a batting clinic which laid bare both his singular focus and his hunger for runs.This was not an innings that Brook could have played 12 months ago. He missed England’s tour to India at the start of the year to be with his grandmother, who was on her deathbed, and spent the time away from cricket “trying to lose a bit of weight and trying to get leaner”. It has reaped rewards, allowing him to withstand the physical challenge of batting in these conditions.Related

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Root and Brook hit big centuries to make Pakistan's 556 look inadequate

England seize opportunity after Brook triple, Root double flatten Pakistan

“That three-month period I had at the start of the year was massive for me,” Brook said. “I obviously lost a bit of weight, and tried to get as fit as possible by eating well, running and gymming. If I hadn’t done that, I’d have probably got to 150 and just slogged one up in the air. It’s made a difference, for sure.”Brook ran and ran and ran. During Brook’s time in the middle, the vast majority spent alongside Joe Root in a mammoth 454-run partnership, England scored 199 singles, 55 twos and 11 threes: he covered more than four miles running between the wickets alone. He looked utterly exhausted when celebrating his double-hundred, after batting through the first session.Yet after a nutrition shake, some food and plenty of fluids at the interval, Brook found another gear after lunch. He scored 99 runs off 65 balls in the afternoon session as he laid into the occasional spin of Salman Agha and Saim Ayub, whom he swatted disdainfully down the ground to reach 300. It was outrageous batting, and his scoring rate enabled a declaration before tea.Until he miscued a sweep to backward square leg on 317, Brook looked as though he had a realistic opportunity not only to break England’s record score, Len Hutton’s 364, but to overtake Brian Lara’s world-record 401 not out too. He did not offer a genuine chance at any stage in his innings, or even have a review to worry about.ESPNcricinfo LtdHis one scare came on the third evening. On 75, Brook defended a ball from Aamer Jamal into the crease, only for it to bounce up and hit him on the chin. It dribbled past his attempt to kick it away and into the stumps, but was moving so slowly that it did not dislodge the bails. Having seen both Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett give hundreds away, Brook resolved not to.It was only a month ago that Brook was bored out by Sri Lanka’s seamers at The Oval, letting his frustrations get the better of him as they hung the ball wide outside his off stump. His character and mentality were called into question: this innings was an unequivocal response to that criticism.Perhaps Pakistan should have borrowed the same template. “Our plan was to bowl pretty straight – and when we did that, we did quite well,” Jason Gillespie, their coach, said on the third evening. “But on reflection I would’ve just liked us to just sit in a bit longer, be a little bit more patient and just a little bit more disciplined.”They occasionally tested out the perception that Brook has a weakness against the short ball, and proved that the theory is not watertight. When Shaheen Shah Afridi slammed the ball in halfway down, Brook simply ran down the pitch, gave himself room and flat-batted him away for four.Brook at his best reduces batting to its first principles, hitting the ball where the fielders aren’t. It was the theme of how he played on the fourth day: charging down to launch Jamal over cover; standing dead-still to uppercut Naseem Shah’s short ball over third man, and falling over to the off side to scoop over his left shoulder.Harry Brook became the first England batter in 34 years to score a triple-century•Getty ImagesThis innings also extended Brook’s scarcely believable record in Pakistan, the country where he has felt “at home” since playing for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL two-and-a-half years ago. In fact, he has been significantly better there than when actually playing at home: Brook has now scored more Test runs in Pakistan (785 in six innings) than in England (761 in 21).Root was on 82 when Brook came in at No. 5 on the third afternoon; by the time he was dismissed for 262 on the fourth, Brook had 260. Their partnership was the biggest in England’s history and a combination between the two Yorkshiremen who fuse the past and the future of their Test team with the present.After overtaking Alastair Cook on Wednesday, Root will likely put the England record for Test runs out of reach in the next few years. If there is anyone who can catch him from their current batch of young batters, it is surely Brook: this was his first double-hundred in first-class cricket, let alone triple, but he has a rare blend of talent and temperament.Brook will face new challenges next year: his first full series against India, whom he has only played once, and his first tour to Australia. It remains to be seen how he will fare against two of the world’s best attacks on pitches that will pose more issues than this one, but the evidence of his career so far suggests that he should be up to the task.

The contrasting styles led to a switch between looking at the past enduring into the present and the future happening right in front of it

Vithushan Ehantharajah24-Feb-2023It looked like Joe Root wouldn’t make it. The rains had arrived to fill the Basin at around 4.50pm, the winds blowing across his eyeline as he lined up the leg side for the two runs needed for three figures. Three attempts were shut down by fielders in close. With a ball to go in the over, Root charged, meeting Neil Wagner on the full, eventually puncturing the on side.The celebration came instantly, even though Root had to take a loop around Wagner to make it back for the second. Before he had even finished embracing the acclaim from the grass banks, the umpires were pulling the stumps out of the ground and beckoning the covers on. Off they all went, not to return for the day.Alongside him was Harry Brook with 184* of his own from 169 deliveries – 13 fewer than what Root faced for century number 29. A double-hundred (plus tax) that was on the cards for Brook before the end of play was over. That he didn’t get there was probably no bad thing. A fourth hundred in six innings, the first player to pass 800 runs in his first nine innings outright, a new career-best – you can have too many accomplishments, you know. Then again, he didn’t celebrate much at all today, a cursory removal of the helmet and raising of the arms after he late cut Daryl Mitchell in the middle session. “He [Root] was actually more excited for me than I was getting a hundred,” Brook, like a child embarrassed by a parent, said afterwards.Related

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Ultimately, it was the differences between two of Yorkshire’s favourite sons that allowed England to emerge from the morning’s assault by New Zealand’s quicks to surge into a remarkable position.The only thing in common before they set about their currently unbeaten stand of 294 was the score of 21 when they arrived at the crease. Root had faced just one delivery by the time Brook arrived at the fall of the third wicket. The common goal was to rebuild, but they had very different ideas of how to go about this escape. Root opted for the Shawshank approach, spooning through the walls while Brook went straight for the sledgehammer. When Root brought up 100 balls, he had scored just 36 with the sole boundary. Brook, at the same stage of his innings, had 96 by virtue of 15 boundaries – two of which were monster sixes down the ground off Mitchell.It was the treatment of Mitchell that was perhaps an example of how they tag-teamed the recovery. Root only scored 12 off 23 from Mitchell, who was brought on as the first-change bowler, opting to tee his partner up to land the more telling blows. Brook delivered, in style: three fours and four sixes contained within 31 deliveries reaping 49.Scoring areas were varied: Root primarily leg side, particularly through square leg and midwicket; Brook pretty much everywhere, but largely down the ground and through extra cover, with 101 coming in those regions. The most bombastic of those were when stepping away and slap-shooting Wagner back over his head. Such was the ease of execution from the 24-year-old Brook that Tim Southee ended up stationing Kane Williamson beyond Wagner’s shoulder.

While the situation put in front of Root narrowed his focus, it was the work of Brook at the other end that enabled him, enough that he brought out his patented reverse scoop to move to 92, barely a week on from when it brought about his downfall in the previous Test

The duo adopted unique guards to mess with the bowling attack. The early success of Matt Henry and Southee came through a length that targeted the top of off stump and then let whatever green from that area of the pitch that wanted to come to the party do its thing. Rotating the strike was one way to ensure the bowlers could not get into a groove, but Root and Brook took it a step further.”There was a period in the middle where he was batting near the five-foot line and I was batting right back on my stumps,” Brook revealed at stumps. “And obviously as a bowler you can’t really see that when you’re running in so that was probably quite tricky for them to bowl at.”Much like seamers varying their positions on the crease, both batters made constant little shifts here and there to instil bits of doubt in the minds of an attack. An attack that was dangerously close to being run ragged before the weather intervened, leaving them with a lot of soul-searching to do before Saturday.But beyond the technical aspects, there was a real soul to this Root-Brook stand. It was the cricketing equivalent of a Rorschach test: depending on which of them was on strike, you were either looking at the past enduring into the present or the future happening right in front of you.Brook went straight for the sledgehammer as he produced a familiar attacking innings•Getty ImagesEven Brook’s words speak of an emotive stand that began in the seventh over and carries over into the weekend: “I’ve always enjoyed watching Rooty bat and probably enjoy batting with him more than I enjoy watching him.” And to go back to the reaction to the centuries, there was a sense of roles being reversed.Root needed his century more than Brook needed his. Earlier in the week, the former captain spoke honestly (perhaps too honestly) about his struggle to find his rhythm in this line-up. The compulsion to push the game into fast-forward was affecting previously immaculate decision-making. And while the situation put in front of Root narrowed his focus, it was the work of Brook at the other end that enabled him. He brought out his patented reverse scoop to move to 92, barely a week on from when it brought about his downfall in the first innings of the previous Test in Mount Maunganui.Having reasoned the early strong form under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes was due to him giving up the captaincy, Root’s first century since July 2022 marks the beginning of a new chapter. That it was Brook at the other end, a player Root had previously failed to keep up with, was all the better and added to the fascination with this England team at the moment; particularly that one of these two is starting to fit in, and the one who really gets it has only just arrived.