Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma earn maiden call up to India T20I squad

Hardik Pandya captains the side which will play five games against West Indies in August, with Suryakumar Yadav named his deputy

Alagappan Muthu05-Jul-2023

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma have played together for India in age-group cricket•ICC via Getty

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma’s stellar performances in the IPL have paved a way to the Indian T20I squad with the two quick-scoring left-handers chosen as part of a 15-member squad to play against West Indies from August 3. It is their first call-up to the senior side in the shortest format.Hardik Pandya captains the team which will play five games in the Caribbean and the USA, with Suryakumar Yadav named his deputy. Some of the other heavy hitters are missing though. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli haven’t represented India in T20Is since their semi-final exit at the 2022 T20 World Cup. Ravindra Jadeja, the hero of the 2023 IPL final, was absent as well. Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has not been picked either.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

This is the first squad chosen by the newly installed men’s senior selection panel and they appear to have bought into the idea of needing batters who can go big from ball one, starting with the two rookies. Jaiswal has already developed a reputation as a powerplay smasher, with a particular emphasis on taking apart the first over of the innings. Varma, who had a fan in Mahela Jayawardene even before he faced a ball of IPL cricket, has only grown in stature since then. The middle-order batter averages almost 40 from 47 T20s, without compromising on his strike rate, which is a healthy 142.54.Shubman Gill and Hardik might act as failsafes if things go wrong but Ajit Agarkar, the new chief of selectors, and his panel have put their trust in a line-up that hits boundaries first and asks questions later. Rinku Singh, who became a revelation by playing that very same brand of cricket in this year’s IPL, remains on the outside. This despite the squad looking light on finishers with Hardik being the only recognised option.India last played T20Is in February 2023, against New Zealand, and seven members of that squad have been sidelined. They are Prithvi Shaw, Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar and Jitesh Sharma, who has been left out without getting a go in the XI.Related

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The bowling group will be led by Yuzvendra Chahal, who is India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, and he will have two other wristspinners, including his old friend Kuldeep Yadav, for company. Axar Patel ticks the fingerspin requirement.The seam attack looks a bit inexperienced but it does contain variety with Arshdeep Singh providing swing and seam from a left-arm angle and Umran Malik providing raw pace. Mukesh Kumar retains his place in the T20I team as well having earlier secured his first-ever Test call-up. Avesh Khan, who played the last of his 15 T20Is in August 2022, has been given another shot. IPL winner Deepak Chahar, who returned from injury to play the latter half of the campaign for Chennai Super Kings, wasn’t picked.Sanju Samson, who is part of the ODI squad on tour, and Ishan Kishan are the wicketkeeping options.India’s tour of West Indies begins with the first of two Tests in Dominica on July 12. Then they play three ODIs from July 27 to August 1 before moving on to the T20Is, the final two of which will be played in Florida, USA.

CSK set to release Conway and Ravindra

The five-time IPL champions have decided to invest in youngsters like Mhatre, Urvil and Brevis

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Nov-20258:10

Chatter: Will CSK release Conway and Ravindra?

Five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are set to release their pair of left-hand New Zealand batters Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra ahead of the auction for IPL 2026. While Conway was picked for INR 6.25 crore at the auction last year, CSK got Ravindra back via the right-to-match card option for INR 4 crore. Both players were expected to play a critical role in CSK’s top order but both struggled through IPL 2025, where CSK finished last with just four wins.Ravindra made 191 runs at a strike rate of 128.18 and Conway scored 156 runs at a strike rate of 131.09. It is understood that the CSK think tank opted to release both batters considering they have decided to invest in the development of the young batters that were added to the squad late last season. That includes South Africa batter Dewald Brevis as well as the uncapped Indian pair of Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel, who are likely to be part of the XI for IPL 2026.Both Conway and Ravindra have only played for CSK in the IPL. Conway was part of the team since 2022, and scored 672 runs at a strike rate close to 140 in IPL 2023, which CSK won. Ravindra came on board in 2024, a season in which he struck at 160.86, which was much superior than his T20 career strike rate of 139.78.CSK have now let go of three overseas players from their squad of 2025 – apart from the New Zealand duo, Sam Curran has been traded out, along with Ravindra Jadeja, to Rajasthan Royals.

الأهلي يعلن عن رئيس البعثة في السوبر المصري

أعلن مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، برئاسة محمود الخطيب، عن رئيس بعثة الأحمر في الإمارات للمشاركة في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري.

ويخوض الأهلي بطولة كأس السوبر المصري بصفته بطل الدوري المصري، والمقرر أن تنطلق الخميس المقبل بمشاركة الزمالك وبيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا.

وقرر الأهلي تكليف خالد مرتجي، أمين الصندوق لرئاسة بعثة الفريق الأول للكرة بالقلعة الحمراء في الإمارات.

طالع.. بالتوقيت الشتوي.. مواعيد مباريات السوبر المصري 2025

ومن المقرر أن يجري مرتجي، التنسيق مع وليد صلاح الدين مدير الكرة للاطمئنان على كافة الترتيبات وتوفير كل سبل الراحة للاعبين والجهاز الفني، قبل السفر ظهر غد للمشاركة في البطولة.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع سيراميكا كليوباترا يوم 6 نوفمبر المقبل الساعة 5 م بتوقيت القاهرة، 7 بتوقيت أبو ظبي على استاد هزاع بن زايد بمنطقة العين.

He'd perfectly replace Kudus: West Ham submit bid for £17m "creative force"

da bet vitoria: The 2024/25 Premier League season was disappointing for West Ham United with the Hammers coming 14th in the Premier League.

da jogodeouro: Whilst they were never in any real danger of relegation, they would have been hoping for a much better performance across the board. They lost 17 games in total in the top flight.

It could be all change for Graham Potter this summer with some big outgoings on the cards. One of those is Mohammed Kudus, who, as recently as the 6th of June, was reportedly offered to Chelsea, according to Sky Sports.

If someone as prominent as Kudus does leave the London Stadium this summer, they will, of course, need a replacement.

West Ham's potential Kudus replacement

It does indeed seem like Kudus could be on his way out of West Ham this summer and considering his performances since moving to the English capital, he will be hard to replace.

Fortunately, the Irons seem to have someone in mind already.

Transfer Focus

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

Indeed, if the Ghanaian attacker does leave West Ham in the next few weeks or months, they could be set to replace him with Anderlecht attacking midfielder Mario Stroeykens.

A report from Belgian outlet Votebal Belgie suggests that he has been on the Hammers’ ‘wish list for some time’.

In fact, they are already believed to have made a bid for the talented 20-year-old.

The report suggests West Ham made an £8.5m offer, which was promptly rejected by the Belgian giants. Instead, they could ask for as much as £17.1m to make a deal happen.

Why Stroeykens would be a good signing

Belgium U21 international Stroeykens has certainly made a big impression for Anderlecht last season. After coming through the club’s youth academy, the attacking midfielder has gone on to become a key player.

Last season in all competitions, Stroeykens featured 39 times across all competitions, contributing to five goals and seven assists. After starting the season strong with nine goal involvements in 13 league games, he suffered from a ligament injury, which slowed his progress.

The 20-year-old, who was born in Zellik, just outside of Brussels, would also bring European pedigree to the London Stadium. He played 430 minutes in the Europa League last term, both scoring and assisting in that time. The goal he scored was a sublime effort, showing his excellent technical quality.

Replacing the 24-year-old Kudus would not be easy for Stroeykens. The Ghana international has impressed for the Hammers in the 80 appearances he has made, scoring 19 times and registering 13 assists.

His first season in Claret and Blue saw him score and assist 23 times, including five goals in nine Europa League appearances. However, last term was not as fluid, with the Hammers’ number 14 managing just nine goal involvements.

Despite the struggles Kudus endured last season, there is no doubt about his importance to Potter’s side when at his best. That leaves Stroeykens with a big job to replace him, but as football scout Antonio Mango said, he is a “creative force” and can certainly look to match the output of the Ghana star.

The underlying stats via FBref suggest that the Belgian youngster, who tends to operate as a number 10, can indeed step up in Kudus’ absence.

For example, last term he averaged 1.54 key passes and 6.63 progressive passes each game, compared to 1.08 key passes and 2.74 progressive passes per 90 minutes for the Hammers star.

Stroeykens and Kudus key stats compared

Stat (per 90)

Stroeykens

Kudus

Goals and assists

0.41

0.28

Key passes

1.54

1.08

Progressive passes

6.63

2.74

Shot-creating actions

4.02

3.72

Goal-creating actions

0.77

0.35

Ball recoveries

5.21

4.79

Stats from FBref

Those stats highlight the creativity that Mango was talking about. They certainly suggest that Stroeykens has the ability to step into Kudus’ boots and take on some of the creative burden that will be there if, or when, he leaves.

FC Porto's Otavio in action with Anderlecht'sMarioStroeykens

For just £17m, this could be a brilliant addition for the Hammers, who will be hoping Stroeykens can become a key player for the club in the long term.

Free transfer: West Ham in contact to sign £100k-p/w star who Potter loves

The Hammers could land themselves a bargain.

2 BySean Markus Clifford Jun 15, 2025

Mentor Watson on 'showman' Konstas: 'He's built for this stage'

Watson says the 19-year old’s adaptability to different conditions and India’s plans would be a “good test of his evolution”

Andrew McGlashan02-Jan-20252:11

Clarke: ‘Freakish’ debut for Konstas

Sam Konstas’ mentor Shane Watson has admitted the 19-year-old’s audacious start to Test cricket took even him by surprise, both in terms of the strokeplay and the way he carried himself in the field and with the crowd.Konstas scored 60 off 65 balls on the opening morning at the MCG, regularly scooping Jasprit Bumrah, and had a run-in with Virat Kohli who was fined for a shoulder barge. Later in the game he embraced the crowd when fielding on the boundary and was a vocal presence under the helmet, clearly getting under the skin of Yashasvi Jaiswal during the second innings.”I understood what his game plan was, what plan A was anyway,” Watson said as part of the ICC Champions Trophy tour at the SCG. “So when plan B sort of kicked in quite quickly, within a couple of overs, that was a little surprising. But the one thing that we’ve always talked about is trusting his gut.”Related

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While Watson was aware of the range of strokes Konstas had in his locker, even if showing them so early in Test was unexpected, he admitted the character shown in the field was not something he had seen before.”My experience of dealing and working with Sam has been a very quiet, reserved personality,” he said. “[He’s] a very deep thinker and certainly not an extrovert. But obviously what we saw in the Test match is that he absolutely is a showman. And he certainly rose to the occasion, as in he wasn’t overawed.”I know through my experience of debuting…you just put a lot of pressure on yourself because it’s your dream to be able to represent your country, wear the baggy green. But for Sam, it’s superhuman in a way that he sort of just didn’t have any of that at all. You can see it wasn’t put on. That’s just obviously who he is. And again, I hadn’t seen that side of him. It just shows that he’s built for this stage where most people it takes a bit of time to warm up to sort of get into that. Whereas Sam, he obviously just thrives on that.”Konstas has continued to enjoy the trappings of being a Test cricketer since arriving with the squad in Sydney, having photographs with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his fiancée Jodie Haydon during the annual New Year’s Day gathering at Kirribilli House. He also spent time chatting with Kohli, who his brothers took the opportunity to get a photograph with.Albanese joked about his role in Konstas’ rapid rise to the Test side after the century he scored against the Indians in Canberra. “Of course, he got his break in the Prime Minister’s XI [game],” Albanese said. “I’m claiming some of the credit, which is about my only contribution to national cricket.”Shane Watson on Konstas: ‘He’s certainly got all the gears and all the skills to be able to make adjustments’•Getty Images

On Friday, Konstas will become the youngest Australia men’s player to feature in a Test at his home ground of the SCG followed by the prospect of two Tests in vastly different conditions in Sri Lanka. India had already adjusted their tactics by the second innings in Melbourne where Konstas was kept quiet before being bowled by an inducker from Bumrah.”Look it’s going to be a different challenge for him now,” Watson said. “Because he’s shown what his plan B is. And we already saw in that second innings the field positions certainly changed. It’s going to be a good test of his evolution. To be able to continue to work through how he can take the game on against the best bowlers in the world. But he’s certainly got all the gears and all the skills to be able to make those adjustments quickly.”He is technically very correct and waits for loose balls. But he’s also got the other gears to be able to hit the ball down the ground. But when they do have third man fine and fine leg fine, the ramp shot is probably out. But you know what? I thought the ramp shot wasn’t going to come out in the first couple of overs, and it did. Sam will just trust what he feels and go with it. And that’s something very special that he taps into.”Australia captain Pat Cummins said there had been no instructions given to Konstas about how to go about his innings and believed he would be able to adjust to different scenarios.”Think he showed how adaptable he can be,” Cummins said. “That takes a lot of skill first of all, but we always encourage our players just to read the moment, play it how they see fit. For Sam he sensed the moment was to attack and put pressure back on the bowlers and he did that, it might be different this week; it might be ‘I’m going to play a slow game and kind of score runs that way’. Our message is always just to back yourself, have really clear plans and back your decision making.”

!AO VIVO! Assista à entrevista coletiva de Abel Ferreira após vitória do Palmeiras sobre o Bahia

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin: O técnico Abel Ferreira, do Palmeiras, fala em entrevista coletiva após a vitória sobre o Bahia por 1 a 0, em jogo válido pela 30ª rodada do Brasileirão. O gol do Verdão foi marcado por Raphael Veiga, que ultrapassou Edmundo no ranking de maiores artilheiros do clube na história do Brasileirão. Agora, o camisa 23 ocupa a 5ª posição da lista com 35 gols. Com este resultado, o Alviverde subiu mais uma posição na tabela de classificação e assumiu a vice-liderança do campeonato. Veja a entrevista de Abel Ferreira no player acima!

continua após a publicidade

da bwin: + Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

+ Veja a classificação e simule os jogos do Verdão no Brasileirão

+ Veja mais detalhes sobre Palmeiras x Bahia pelo Brasileirão

PRÓXIMOS JOGOS DO PALMEIRAS – DATA, HORÁRIO E LOCAL
Botafogo x Palmeiras – Campeonato Brasileiro – Data e hora: 1/11 (quarta-feira), às 21h30 (hora de Brasília) – Local: Estádio Nilton Santos
Palmeiras x Athletico-PR – Campeonato Brasileiro – Data e hora: 4/11 (sábado), às 21h30 (hora de Brasília) – Local: Allianz Parque
Flamengo x Palmeiras – Campeonato Brasileiro – Data e hora: 8/11 (quarta-feira), às 21h30 (hora de Brasília) – Local: Maracanã
Palmeiras x Internacional – Campeonato Brasileiro – Data e hora: 11/11 (sábado), às 21h (hora de Brasília) – Local: Allianz Parque

After Zubimendi: Arsenal hold positive talks to sign "immense" £40m+ ace

da spicy bet: With Martin Zubimendi already on the way, Arsenal have also now reportedly held positive talks to sign a defensive target over Liverpool who’s worth more than £40m.

Arsenal complete paperwork for Martin Zubimendi deal

da bet7: A year on from deciding to stay at Real Sociedad instead of joining Liverpool, Zubimendi is finally set to become a Premier League player. But it’s Arsenal who have reason to celebrate. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners have now completed all the paperwork and the Spaniard will become an Arsenal player for a fee around the €65m (£58m) mark.

Zubimendi could yet have the task of replacing Thomas Partey in Mikel Arteta’s side. The latter is yet to sign a new deal at the club and remains on course to depart as a free agent at the start of next month.

As replacements go, it’s clear to see why Arsenal have turned towards Zubimendi as speculation continues to grow about Partey’s future. The talented 26-year-old would slot straight in.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Martin Zubimendi

Thomas Partey

Minutes

2,962

2,797

Progressive Passes

195

185

Tackles Won

37

53

Ball Recoveries

140

138

Zubimendi’s best work undoubtedly comes in possession and Arteta’s system should provide him with the perfect platform to showcase that ability in the Premier League.

After agreeing a deal to sign the midfielder, however, Arsenal are not done there. They’re looking to deal Liverpool a blow with a focus on signing a defensive addition ahead of the Premier League champions this summer.

Arsenal hold positive talks to sign Jorrel Hato

According to reports relayed by Football Transfers, Arsenal have now held positive talks to sign Jorrel Hato from Ajax this summer. The Dutchman has also attracted the interest of Liverpool, but the Gunners are now hoping to steal a march on their rivals.

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The talented winger would be a brilliant addition to Arsenal’s squad.

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The deal won’t come cheap, though. Reports are suggesting that Ajax are demanding as much as €50m (£42m) to sell their 19-year-old left-back in the coming months. Alas, it must be said that price tag becomes understandable when assessing just how talented Hato already is at such a young age.

Ajax defender Jorrel Hato.

Among those full of praise for the Ajax teenager, scout Jacek Kulig dubbed Hato a player with “immense quality” and a “fantatsic mix of complete full-back, playmaking full-back, and ball-playing centre-back” in traits that tick all of Arsenal’s boxes.

As the chaos of the transfer window continues, those in North London should do everything to ensure that they beat Liverpool to Hato’s signature this summer.

Rickelton's marathon 259, Verreynne century thump hapless Pakistan

SA’s quicks Rabada and Jansen then tore through a line-up already missing the injured Ayub

Danyal Rasool04-Jan-2025

Ryan Rickelton’s 259 was the second-highest score by a batter at Newlands•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan’s horror day in Cape Town was complete after South Africa ripped through their top order to leave them staring down the barrel of a huge defeat. Having posted 615 thanks to a double-hundred from Ryan Rickelton and a century from Kyle Verreynne, South Africa’s quicks Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen tore through a Pakistan line-up already missing the injured Saim Ayub. So effectively, South Africa are six wickets away from making Pakistan bat again, with the visitors a mammoth 551 runs behind after day two.Having taken command before lunch, South Africa ground Pakistan into the dust in the afternoon. Rickelton ended up with 259, falling just short of Stephen Fleming’s 262 as the highest score at Newlands. Verreynne brought up his fourth Test hundred. Jansen, out of form with the bat all year in 2024, heralded the new year with a whirlwind half-century. Six fours and three sixes helped him get there in 42 balls. Thus, as many as 137 runs were added in the second session, with South Africa having surged to 566 for 7 by tea, already their highest score at home in four years.Pakistan gamely battled on, but their efforts never looked like bearing fruit on a wicket that had long since flattened, and batters that had long since settled. Much of the second session became a milestone-marking exercise. Verreynne continued with the belligerence that had lit up the first session, a boundary off Mohammad Abbas and a single off the next ball bringing up three figures. It brought Newlands to its feet once more; they may have sore legs from the frequency with which they had to do that.Salman Ali Agha struck next over to prise him out as Verreynne went for a slog sweep, but it did little to stymie South Africa’s momentum. With no scoreboard pressure, Jansen let his natural talent speak for itself, swinging freely and timing it beautifully. He took 11 balls to get off the mark, but once he did, there was no stopping him. Two fours and a six off Khurram Shahzad in two successive overs helped bring up the 50 partnership in 46 balls, while each of Rickelton and Jansen helped themselves to sixes off Salman.Kyle Verreynne got to his fourth Test hundred•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan finally saw the back of Rickelton before tea was called. Having slapped Mir Hamza over his head for four, he top-edged the next ball to Abbas at long-on, who hung on to send him on his way, but not before he had nearly doubled his Test tally in one innings.In the morning, Rickelton had become the first South African in eight years to score a Test double hundred as South Africa tightened their grip on the Test. Pakistan began the session with some promise, taking the new ball immediately and striking within four overs, when Abbas tempted David Bedingham into a push outside off stump and induced an outside edge. It gave Pakistan a lift, but Rickelton merely carried on with the discipline that saw him go in overnight unbeaten on 176. He was cautious against the length deliveries and dismissive of everything else.Verreynne, meanwhile, was less discerning in his shot selection, a hook over deep backward square off Abbas revealing his intentions. It was a shot that defined the session for him; he picked up another two sixes off Jamal in the final over before lunch the same way. When Shan Masood put in three fielders close in at cover, he still found a way to pierce them through that region against Hamza, whose attempts to induce cover drives were successful, but just not in the way he had hoped.At the other end, Rickelton got to his double hundred with a punch through the off side, haring off halfway down the field in celebration. But the highlights all belonged to Verreynne, who greeted Salman with a reverse sweep for four off the second ball, and another one to finish the over off. Before the session was out, Verreynne had taken Jamal down by plundering 17 runs in an over.Kagiso Rabada got two early wickets with the new ball•Gallo Images

Pakistan finally did manage to bring the innings to a close after more than 140 overs under the hot Newlands sun, finishing, with pleasing symmetry, the way they started it. Abbas hit the top of off to knock back debutant Kwena Maphaka’s stumps, just like ball-tracking projected Abbas would have done off the innings’ first ball had Aiden Markram’s pad didn’t get in the way.But as soon as they started with the bat, they might almost have been left wishing South Africa’s innings didn’t end. Masood didn’t see out the first over, pushing at a Rabada delivery that nibbled away and took his outside edge along with it. Saud Shakeel fell in almost identical fashion as he uncharacteristically drove at Rabada, the same edge carrying to the same slip fielder, with David Bedingham making no mistake.In between, extra pace and bounce from Jansen forced Kamran Ghulam into an awkward position that culminated in his stumps being scattered behind him.So threatening was South Africa’s opening salvo and so listless were Pakistan’s batters that it felt the hosts might burrow deep into the tail this evening. But Babar Azam, opening in the absence of Ayub, dug in alongside Mohammad Rizwan, and South Africa’s replacement bowlers were not quite at Rabada and Jansen’s devastating level.It helped Pakistan that made sure they ended a day that had no redeeming features with the hope the next one may delay the inevitable a while longer.

Stansfield 2.0: Birmingham City keen on signing "dynamite" £10m forward

da winzada777: Birmingham City were an absolute joy to behold at the very top of League One last season.

da bet7k: Chris Davies’ rampant Blues would only lose three of their 46 league fixtures, leading to a colossal 111-point total being reached, with standout figures such as Jay Stansfield very much raising the excitement levels with a bumper 19 strikes tallied up in third-tier action.

Come the end of their very enjoyable League One marathon, Birmingham would go on to accumulate a mightily impressive 84 goals.

They won’t be receding into their shell when heading back up to the Championship, with plenty of fresh strikers now being linked to make the switch to St. Andrew’s to boost their already frightening firepower, which includes a promising Premier League-bound talent.

Birmingham monitoring situation of £10m striker

According to a report from GIVEMESPORT, the super-confident Blues are now monitoring the situation of Leeds United striker Mateo Joseph.

GIVEMESPORT states that Birmingham have been interested in the Spanish hotshot for some time now, with Davies’ men potentially seeing this opening in the summer transfer window as the perfect opportunity to strike up a deal.

RC Strasbourg are also noted as an interested party- on top of a January £10m bid from Real Betis being mentioned – but Birmingham have successfully flexed their muscles recently to win a similarly expensive striker from a Premier League side.

Of course, Stansfield cost £15m to pick up from Marco Silva’s Fulham last summer, with everyone at St. Andrew’s hopeful that Joseph can go down as an unbelievable success story much like the former Cottagers forward.

How Joseph can be Stansfield 2.0

It was somewhat of a gamble to fork out £15m for Stansfield’s services, considering the electric number 28 only had 21 strikes next to his name in senior action in the EFL before confirming a permanent Birmingham stay.

Now, that lavish fee doesn’t look too steep, with Stansfield an integral part of the Blues’ promotion story.

When moving up a division, Birmingham will be keeping their fingers crossed that Joseph can play an equal starring role, but this time around he could be the exact figure they desire in helping Davies’ men consolidate themselves as a Championship-worthy outfit.

After all, despite fading into the background at times last season under Daniel Farke’s wing, Joseph would still chip in with three goals and three assists in league action. This is a more than respectable return when you weigh up the fact that the 21-year-old only started 11 Championship contests.

With Leeds now in the big time, Joseph will be worrying that his first-team opportunities will become even more sparse. Therefore, a move to St. Andrew’s could be just what the Spain U21 international needs to kick on as he aims to follow in the footsteps of Stansfield, a fellow young striker who was also on the periphery of his then employers, Fulham, before finally becoming a main striker option in the West Midlands.

Joseph’s G/A numbers for Leeds/Spain

Club played for

Games

Goals

Assists

Leeds

73

6

3

Leeds U21s

33

19

3

Leeds U18s

4

1

1

Spain U21s

11

8

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

That was the case even as Stansfield scored a blistering 38 goals for both the Fulham U18s and U21s combined, with Joseph not that far behind on a healthy total of 20 on the youth pitches at Thorp Arch, away from also hammering home six strikes in the senior ranks.

Staggeringly, Stansfield would only ever reach two senior goals at Craven Cottage, but all of that is firmly at the back of his mind now as Birmingham’s leading star.

The “dynamite” Leeds forward – as he was once glowingly labelled by U23 scout Antonio Mango – will want to be held in the same high esteem soon, rather than fighting it out for scraps at Elland Road.

Therefore, another statement striker deal could soon be on the cards at St. Andrew’s, as Joseph possibly joins and fires in the goals to make Birmingham’s transition to Championship life as smooth as possible.

Birmingham City want to beat EFL rivals to sign Klarer 2.0 this summer

Birmingham City could land their next Christoph Klarer by signing this gem from Germany.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 18, 2025

عضو اتحاد الكرة السابق يفجر مفاجأة بشأن عقوبات السوبر.. والزمالك يترقب موقف دونجا

تجددت أزمة عقوبات كأس السوبر المصري الخاصة بنادي الزمالك ولاعبيه، بعد تصريحات متضاربة خلال الساعات الماضية بشأن أحقية نبيل عماد دونجا في المشاركة ببطولة السوبر المصري المقبلة المقرر انطلاقها يوم 6 نوفمبر 2025 في الإمارات.

وكانت الأزمة قد اندلعت عقب مباراة السوبر المصري الموسم الماضي، التي شهدت واقعة اعتداء داخل الاستاد، تورط فيها كل من نبيل عماد دونجا، ومصطفى شلبي (لاعب الزمالك السابق)، وعبد الواحد السيد (مدير الكرة السابق)، ما أدى إلى احتجازهم مؤقتًا في الإمارات، قبل أن يتم الإفراج عنهم بتدخل من الجهات المعنية في البلدين.

وفي أعقاب الحادثة، أصدر الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم عقوبات بحق الثلاثي، تضمنت الإيقاف لأربع مباريات في بطولة السوبر المقبلة، بالإضافة إلى غرامات مالية على اللاعبين والنادي.

لكن مؤخرًا، ظهرت أنباء تؤكد عدم وجود عقوبات رسمية ضد لاعبي الزمالك، حيث صرّح محمد أبو الوفا، عضو مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة السابق، بأن اللاعب نبيل عماد دونجا يحق له المشاركة بشكل طبيعي مع الفريق في النسخة الجديدة من البطولة، مؤكدًا أن الاتحاد لا يملك قرارات سارية تمنع ذلك.

طالع أيضًا | اتحاد الكرة يكشف لـ بطولات مكافآت الأندية المشاركة في كأس السوبر المصري

إلا أن إيهاب الكومي، عضو اتحاد الكرة السابق، خرج ليدحض هذه الرواية، مؤكدًا أن العقوبات ما زالت قائمة، حيث نشر عبر صفحته الرسمية على موقع “فيس بوك” نص البيان الرسمي الذي أرسله اتحاد الكرة إلى نادي الزمالك بتاريخ 31 أكتوبر 2024، والمتضمن تفاصيل العقوبات الصادرة من لجنة المسابقات آنذاك.

وجاء في منشور الكومي: “بخصوص عقوبات السوبر، بتاريخ 31 من شهر أكتوبر 2024، تم إرسال العقوبات الخاصة بمباراة السوبر إلى نادي الزمالك، وتضمنت العقوبات التي أقرتها لجنة المسابقات بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم بحق الكابتن عبد الواحد السيد، وعماد دونجا، ومصطفى شلبي، إلى جانب تغريم نادي الزمالك عشرين ألف جنيه”.

واختتم الكومي توضيحه قائلاً: “لا أدري سبب هذا الجدل في هذا التوقيت، الأمر لا يتعلق بالزمالك أو الأهلي، فقط أردت توضيح الحقيقة وما تم إقراره رسميًا في حينه”.

يبدو أن الجدل حول عقوبات السوبر المصري لم يُحسم بعد، في ظل تضارب التصريحات بين مسؤولي اتحاد الكرة السابقين، وتباين الروايات بشأن الموقف القانوني للاعب نبيل عماد دونجا وبقية الأطراف المعنية.

ومع اقتراب انطلاق البطولة في 6 نوفمبر المقبل بالإمارات، ينتظر الشارع الكروي المصري توضيحًا رسميًا من الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم لوضع حد لهذه الأزمة، وضمان سير البطولة في أجواء من الشفافية.

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