Tag Futebol

Liverpool are now racing Real Madrid to the signing of a promising defender, and one who former manager Jurgen Klopp is a big fan of, according to reports.

Reds pursuing centre-back with Van Dijk future uncertain

Virgil van Dijk’s future at Anfield remains very much up in the air, with the Dutchman yet to commit to a new contract to extend his stay at Anfield beyond the end of the season.

Losing his captain will be the last thing Arne Slot wants in the summer transfer window, particularly with Trent Alexander-Arnold also seemingly on his way out, with a move to Real Madrid looking increasingly likely.

As such, the Reds will have to remain proactive in the transfer market, in order to make sure they are not left reeling by a potential Van Dijk departure, and one replacement they have in mind is Ajax star Jorrel Hato.

Liverpool could sell their answer to Bellingham after receiving £50m bid

Arne Slot may want to take the bold move toward green-lighting this Liverpool star’s summer sale.

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 31, 2025

AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen is another name on the shortlist, following the Spaniard’s breakout season with the Cherries in the Premier League, although there will be competition for his signature from Real Madrid.

Huijsen is not the only centre-back Liverpool may have to battle Real Madrid for, however, with a report from Sky Sports revealing the two heavyweights are both interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie.

A report from Spain has since gone into more detail about the pursuit of Hincapie, stating the defender has a market value of around €50m (£42m).

The 23-year-old has been linked with a move to Anfield in the past, at which point it was revealed Klopp is a big fan, but it could be very difficult to fend off Madrid in the race for his signature.

"Beast" Hincapie could be an excellent signing

The Ecuadorian has predominantly featured at centre-back throughout his career so far, but his versatility would make him a useful signing for Liverpool, given that he can also play at left-back, which is another area Slot is looking to strengthen.

The aforementioned report makes it clear Real Madrid are also considering a move for Ibrahima Konate this summer, however, and should Van Dijk decide to move on, signing a new centre-back is likely to be a priority, with the Bayer Leverkusen star fitting the bill.

The Esmeraldas-born defender places in the 85th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and he is ranked among the best tacklers in the Bundesliga, given his rate of success this season.

Hincapie has proven he could be an excellent signing for Liverpool this summer, but their first priority should be to seal a new deal for Van Dijk, given that it would be extremely difficult to replace the 33-year-old.

da gbg bet： With no Premier League football on the menu due to the international break, most of the talk in the air at Manchester United in recent days has centred in on transfer gossip.

da supremo： Indeed, the rumour mill has linked the Red Devils with a whole host of new personnel particularly in the centre-forward department, with Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike one possible purchase that is being intently looked at.

Another potential signing that is being talked about non-stop is the ongoing pursuit of Everton powerhouse Jarrad Branthwaite, with the Toffees warrior perhaps intrigued by the prospect of calling the Theatre of Dreams his new home if fresh reports are to be believed.

Man Utd's ongoing pursuit of Branthwaite

New reports seem to suggest that the 22-year-old centre-back is considering his long-term Toffees future having been snubbed from Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad.

A move away from Goodison Park could well boost Branthwaite’s chances of more Three Lions opportunities, therefore, with the Red Devils still interested in clinching a deal for their long-term target, alongside the likes of Liverpool now amazingly taking a look.

A deal would well depend on how much United are willing to splash the cash on the Carlisle-born centre-back, with past rumours suggesting that Branthwaite would be available for around the £50m range.

Whilst that isn’t eye-watering money at the end of the day for a club of United’s prestige to splash, they might have a homegrown alternative already to the 22-year-old that will save them plenty of hassle down the line.

Man Utd are brewing their very own Branthwaite

Everton have reaped their rewards now for persevering with Branthwaite when he was still just a raw, wide-eyed defender attempting to cut his teeth.

Amorim and Co will hope their willingness to launch young and hungry talents into their own first-team picture pays off too, with the likes of Ayden Heaven at the back benefitting greatly from the Portuguese manager’s fearlessness in chucking youth products into the main team.

Now, with the teenage sensation finding himself out of action with an injury, Amorim could look elsewhere for a new starlet defensively, with 17-year-old Godwill Kukonki perhaps ready for his moment in the spotlight.

After all – back in December of last year – Amorim proclaimed that the imposing 6 foot 5 presence was adult enough to “handle the Premier League’s demands”, with the potential for Kukonki to take to the top-flight in a similar way to Branthwaite when he was given his breakout moment at Goodison back in 2023.

Senior centre-back options available to Amorim

Player

Age

League games this season

Clean sheets

Leny Yoro

19

14

0

Lisandro Martinez

27

20

5

Harry Maguire

32

20

1

Matthijs De Ligt

25

27

3

Victor Lindelof

30

8

1

Jonny Evans

37

6

1

Sourced by Transfermarkt

The United target would never look back when entering into the Everton first-team picture with seven clean sheets under his belt in league action this season, whilst Amorim’s current selection consistently let him down when looking at the table above.

With Victor Lindelof also out of contract at the end of the campaign, the time could now be right to start gifting Kukonki more and more senior chances away from the stale senior set-up, potentially winning the Red Devils a cost-effective Branthwaite subsequently.

Celebrated for his aggressive front-footed nature by data analyst Ben Mattinson – an attribute Branthwaite has in abundance – time will only tell if Kukonki can go on to prove himself as a Premier League calibre talent.

But, with United’s terrific track record of youngsters going on to make the grade on their side, the 17-year-old well might be Amorim’s next superstar.

Related Huge Hojlund upgrade: Man Utd favourites to sign "the hottest CF in Europe"

Manchester United need surgery in the transfer market this summer.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Mar 24, 2025

Things might not be going too well for Ipswich Town at the moment, but their journey over the last few years has been nothing short of incredible.

Kieran McKenna has taken the Tractor Boys from a middling League One side back up to the Premier League for the first time in over two decades, and while it’s slight, there’s still a chance the club could be in the top flight this time next year.

Moreover, while the board have backed him considerably across the last two transfer windows, the Northern Irishman is still relying on some of the players who helped the team out of the third tier.

One of those stars is the brilliant Leif Davis, and while the full-back remains an essential part of the team, Ipswich made just as good a signing in the summer.

Leif Davis' Ipswich career

Ipswich paid Leeds United just £1m for Davis’ services in the summer of 2022, and with how well he’s played in the years since, it might just be one of the club’s best-ever purchases.

In his first campaign with the Tractor Boys, the Englishman made 46 appearances across all competitions, in which he mostly played at left-back and managed to rack up a sensational haul of three goals and 14 assists, was named in the PFA Team of the Year and helped the club win promotion to the Championship.

Despite the big jump in quality, the following season saw the former Leeds ace do even better.

For example, in 44 appearances, which all came at left-back this time, the 25-year-old “animal”, as former manager Scott Parker dubbed him, scored two goals, provided 21 assists, was nominated for the PFA Championship Player of the Year and won the club’s own Men’s Players’ Player of the Year award.

Understandably, this season has been a little more challenging for the Newcastle-born maestro, and in 28 Premier League games, he has been able to amass a reasonable enough tally of one goal and three assists.

Appearances

46

44

28

Goals

3

2

1

Assists

14

21

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

0.52

0.14

Moreover, thanks to his impressive form in prior campaigns and the fact he’s managed to hold his own in the top-flight, Davis’ valuation has risen to €25m according to Transfermarkt, which works out to about £21m.

In all, the unreal full-back has to be considered one of Ipswich’s best signings in recent history, which could be said about another star McKenna recruited in the summer.

Ipswich's best signing since Davis

While Ipswich have picked up a number of very talented players in the years since signing Davis, when it comes down to their best acquisition, it can only be one man: Liam Delap.

The Tractor Boys paid Manchester City around £20m for the Englishman last summer, and while there were some questions over how he’d fare leading the line for a Premier League side, he quickly showed he’s got what it takes to be a star.

For example, while it took him a few games to get up and running, the 22-year-old now has a brilliant tally of ten goals and two assists in just 28 league games this season, totalling 2196 minutes.

Appearances

28

Starts

27

Minutes

2196

Goals

10

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.42

Minutes per Goal Involvement

183′

That means the tremendously exciting “wrecking ball,” as dubbed by Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones, has been averaging a goal involvement every 2.33 games, or every 183 minutes, in the toughest league in world football for a team that are more than likely going to get relegated.

Moreover, it’s not just the former City prospect’s output that makes him such a useful player in the starting lineup, but also how he holds up the ball for others and occupies opposing defenders to free up more space for his teammates.

Finally, if the Suffolk side are relegated at the end of this season, then there are two possibilities for Delap’s future.

The first is that he remains with the club and takes the Championship by storm next year, in turn helping McKenna and Co come back up, hopefully at the first time of asking.

Or, the other possibility is that he does leave in the summer but, in doing so, brings in a massive fee, with some reports from earlier this year claiming he could go for as much as £40m.

Ultimately, both Davis and Delap have to be considered among Ipswich’s best signings in recent years, and if the team do beat the drop come May, then they’ll have certainly played their part.

Ipswich Town want to sign new 6ft 6 giant who may replace Kalvin Phillips

He’s the tallest player in his league.

ByCharlie Smith Mar 19, 2025

da esport bet： If there was any positivity left surrounding Arsenal’s domestic campaign heading into this weekend, then there certainly isn’t anymore.

da betcris： Mikel Arteta’s side had a real chance to close the gap on Liverpool atop the Premier League by beating West Ham United on Saturday afternoon, but instead, they capitulated and fell to a 1-0 defeat.

It was one of the Gunners’ worst performances of the season, and while injuries certainly played a part in that, those on the pitch were dire.

There were poor performances across the board from the hosts, but Martin Odegaard once again stood out for all the wrong reasons, and the manager must be regretting his decision to sell someone who’s now outperforming him in the league.

Odegaard's dismal campaign

At the end of last season, Odegaard was named the club’s Player of the Year for the second campaign on the bounce, and there was a real sense that he might be able to finally lead the club over the line this year.

Unfortunately, the incredible midfielder of the last two campaigns has simply not turned up this year.

While his ankle sprain has likely played a significant role in his poor form, he’s been back fit for long enough now and continues to disappoint.

In all, the Norwegian international has racked up a rather paltry haul of two goals and three assists in 18 league games this season, totalling 1469 minutes, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 3.6 games, but also every 293.8 minutes.

Moreover, his overall tally of three goals and six assists in 27 games isn’t much better, especially when he’s supposed to be the team’s main creative force in the middle of the park.

Worse yet, there has been a feeling among some fans that he’s gone missing in big games this season, with the defeat on the weekend another case of that.

For example, football.london’s Tom Canton gave him a 4/10 match rating at full-time and wrote that the 26-year-old ‘simply didn’t’ stand up as the leader on the pitch.

In all, while he has shown himself to be an incredibly talented footballer in seasons prior, Odegaard has simply not been good enough this year.

That is a situation made all the more frustrating by the fact that a former Arsenal player sold by Arteta is outperforming the former Real Madrid wonderkid in the Premier League this season.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Expand Collapse The former Arsenal star outperforming Odegaard this season

On top of not making a single permanent attacking addition to the team over the summer, Arsenal decided to sell several players who could make a difference in the middle and final thirds, including Emile Smith Rowe.

The Hale End graduate was a firm favourite at the Emirates, but after missing a lot of game time through injury and then losing his place in the team, the club decided to sell him to Fulham for a pretty decent fee of around £27m without add-ons.

However, while the money certainly wasn’t bad, we reckon Arteta and Co would much rather have the player back at the moment, as while he hasn’t been world-class this season, he has been undeniably effective for the Cottagers, and as things stand is comfortably outperforming Odegaard in the Premier League.

Smith Rowe vs Odegaard in the PL

Player

Smith Rowe

Odegaard

Appearances

24

18

Minutes

1589′

1469′

Goals

5

2

Assists

2

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.29

0.27

Minutes per Goal Involvement

227

293

Pass success %

90%

83%

Progressive carries per 90

2.80

3.19

Stats via Transfermarkt & FBref.

For example, the 24-year-old “difference-maker,” as dubbed by Mesut Özil, has scored five goals and provided two assists in 24 games this season, totalling just 1589 minutes.

That means the Croydon-born ace has averaged a goal involvement every 3.42 games, or every 227 games, which, for a team like Fulham, who are fighting outside the European places at the moment, is really quite impressive.

Moreover, when he is on the pitch at the moment, you’d be hard-pressed to find a fan who’d accuse him of disappearing or hiding.

Ultimately, Odegaard is an undeniably talented footballer and may well get back to his very best next year, but this season, he has been underwhelming at best, so we can’t help but imagine Arsenal massively regret the decision to sell Smith Rowe in the summer.

Related Ayto can redeem Arsenal's dreadful January by signing £150m "nightmare"

Jason Ayto has some making up to do after an awful winter transfer window at Arsenal.

Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 24, 2025

Pep Guardiola says it will be "almost impossible" to replace Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City but stopped short of calling for a U-turn on his exit.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• De Bruyne set to leave Man City
• "Almost impossible" to replace him
• Guardiola addresses chances of exit U-turn

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Belgian international announced that this season at City would be his last and that he would run down his contract this summer, something he was not entirely happy with. Some fans have hoped that his recent upturn in performances, including the winner against Wolves on Friday, would make the club change their minds. And while manager Guardiola talked up the 33-year-old, it seems a new deal will not be in the offing.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  He said about De Bruyne on Sky Sports: "Just thank you. His contribution in the game against Crystal Palace when we were 2-0 down and he delivers and today the goal again. I'm happy that it is finishing that way, and we have one more game in the Etihad."

  On whether his stay could be extended, he replied: "I want the best for Kevin so it cannot be possible to have done these many years without him. He has been an incredible player but the situation is what it is. It's almost impossible to replace this kind of player. It is not just the performance, it is what he means to the heart for our fans for many, many years. The success we have belongs to the players."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  De Bruyne will go down as City's greatest-ever player and will make it into many all-time Premier League XI's because of what he's done at City over the past decade. But time waits for no man, with the ex-Chelsea player increasingly struggling with injuries, and his consistency is, arguably, not what it was. He is on a huge salary, and as a result, there will be a parting of the ways but there could be one last hurrah this term via the FA Cup.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  De Bruyne's next City game could be away to already relegated Southampton next Saturday in the Premier League.

da supremo： Manchester City’s mass overhaul of their squad has well and truly begun.

da wazamba： The Citizens spent £180m in the January transfer window on five new recruits which, as noted by Philip Buckingham of the Athletic, is a bigger outlay than all other 19 Premier League clubs combined.

Abdukodir Khusanov and Omar Marmoush were thrown in the deep end for their debuts against Chelsea last month, Nico González appeared for the first time at Leyton Orient on Saturday, while we’re yet to see either Vitor Reis or Juma Bah, the latter having been sent out on loan to Lens.

Thus, the Sky Blues are set to continue this strategy come the summer, but for one problem position in particular, did they already have the perfect future first-team starter on their books that they have just agreed to sell?

Manchester City's right-back issue

Back in early January, following the 8-0 hammering of Salford in the FA Cup, Pep Guardiola dropped a major bombshell, revealing that club captain Kyle Walker had asked to leave the club and “explore options abroad”.

Well, a few days later, having made 319 appearances for the Citizens, Walker departed for AC Milan on loan, starting all four of I Rossoneri’s matches since, including Wednesday night’s 1-0 Champions League defeat to Feyenoord at De Kuip.

Former Everton and Man City defender Joleon Lescott believes Walker is the “Premier League’s greatest right-back”, but the England international had indisputably not been at his best this season, with Oliver Kay of the Athletic noting that his “speed and athleticism”, attributes that had defined him for so long, were on the decline.

Nevertheless, with no direct replacement signed, Guardiola has been trialling Matheus Nunes at right-back, starting seven successive fixtures in that position, prior to the weekend’s FA Cup tie, with his manager believing the Portuguese international is making a lot of progress as a full-back.

On the contrary, Michael Cox of the Athletic describes Nunes as an “uncomfortable… makeshift right-back”, while Graham Ruthven of Forbes adds that he “doesn’t have the defensive instincts of a natural full-back”.

With 20-year-old Rico Lewis also seemingly out of favour, not starting any of the last seven Premier League or Champions League matches, the Citizens are still searching for the long-term heir to Walker’s throne, but did they just sell the perfect player for this role?

Manchester City's latest transfer blunder

Man City supporters, you have probably never heard of Yan Couto, which is fair enough considering he’s never made a first-team appearance for the club, coming closest in the 2021 FA Community Shield against Leicester, when he was an unused substitute.

Instead, he has spent his five years on Man City’s books out on loan, partially at Braga but mainly with fellow-CFG owned club Girona, spending three seasons in Catalonia, most notably helping Blanquivermells qualify for the Champions League for the very first time during the most recent campaign.

As a result, the 22-year-old was called up to the Brazilian national team for the very first time, debuting in World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay, before remaining on the bench throughout last summer’s Copa América, although this only after a dispute with the CBF, who demanded he change his “signature pink hair”, Couto later stating “they said the pink was a bit stupid”.

His performances in La Liga last season earned widespread praise, with Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labeling him a “superb talent”, while Spencer Mossman of Breaking the Lines claims he is “up there with the best full-backs in the world”.

This attracted the attention of Borussia Dortmund, who signed him initially on loan last summer.

Well, a few months later, die Schwarzgelben agreed to make the move permanent for a fee of €30m (£25m), which represents a massive profit for Man City, who initially paid just £5m for his services from Coritiba.

So, was this a piece of masterful business from the Citizens, or will they regret selling Couto before ever giving him a chance?

Let’s see how the Brazilian compares to Walker, the man he would’ve been replacing.

Couto vs Walker comparison (23/24 & 24/25)

Statistics

Couto

Walker

Appearances

53

55

Minutes

3,223

5,602

Assists

11

4

Touches

2,456

4,588

Pass completion %

85.24%

88.87%

Take on success %

44.98%

76.41%

Tackles

61

68

Interceptions

16

36

Ball recoveries

195

241

Duels contested

359

292

Aerials duel success %

29.83%

67.42

Ground duel success %

46.36%

58.17

Statistics courtesy of Squawka and Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, Walker is more defensively solid, albeit Couto has played the majority of his football since the start of last season as a wing-back, with the Brazilian more of a threat going forward as a result, underlined by his 11 assists.

As noted by OptaFranz on Twitter, Couto carried the ball 286 metres in La Liga last season, the second-highest of any player in the division on a per-90 basis, behind only Frenkie de Jong; third on that list, none other than Savinho.

Still only 22-years-old, the Brazilian clearly has great potential, no defender in La Liga last season provided more assists, so Couto could prove to be the latest in a long line of players Man City may regret selling.

Related He's outscoring Diaz: Man City may rue selling Pep's "incredible" winger

One of Manchester City’s best-ever wingers continue to perform, even after being sold, so do the Sky Blues regret selling the attacker 2 years ago?

Posts ByBen Gray Feb 12, 2025

Usman Khawaja says he has learned plenty from his two underwhelming tours of England as he prepares for what he calls the toughest test for a top-order batter.The 36-year-old opener will be integral to Australia’s chances of retaining the Ashes when the first of five Tests begin in Birmingham on June 16, following the World Test Championship [WTC] final against India at The Oval.Khawaja toured England in 2013 and 2019 for a meagre return of 236 runs in six Tests at an average of 19.66. He was dropped midway through the 2019 Ashes and spent almost three years on the outer before a triumphant return to the Test side that has reaped 1608 runs in 16 Tests at an average of 69.91, including six centuries.Related

• Bowling 'a bit of a challenge' for Stokes ahead of the Ashes

• James Anderson groin strain raises England Ashes fears

• Australia men set to host Pakistan and West Indies in packed home summer

“England is, in my opinion, the toughest place in the world to bat for top-three batsmen,” Khawaja said. “In 2013, I was quite young and it was a pretty s*** tour, if I am being honest. It was tough work. I learned a lot from that tour.””My last series there [in 2019] it was a tough series for batsmen. The whole tour will show you that, other than Steven Smith who was on another planet.”Khawaja said it was a “learning experience” with a couple of key takeaways.”If I’ve learned anything, it is work hard, train hard and [when] going to England, go with low expectations,” he grinned. “You are going to fail as a batsman, but when you do score you try to cash in as much as you can.”It is the challenge against the England pace duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad that has Khawaja enthused.”Anderson and Broad…they are unbelievable bowlers and tough work at the start,” he said. “That’s what makes it so awesome when you do score runs and you contribute to a winning team, which hopefully I’ll do and others will do over there.”When you do it against guys like Broad and Anderson in England, it’s just that much more satisfying.”Khawaja believed that Australia had been too “reactive” in dropping players in the past, including himself, after the odd failure.”I’ve always been big on just picking your best players and sticking with them because they’ll score you the most runs consistently, and I think over the years in selection for Australian cricket, we have chased our tail a little bit trying to pick players in form,” he said.”Form is temporary. Class is not. I think the new selectors, with [coach] Andrew McDonald up the top, understand that part of the game and hence there has been a lot more stability in selecting and picking players and sticking with them.””I’ve been dropped seven times in Test cricket and I’ve come back, and there’s a reason for that…because I’ve always scored runs consistently in first-class cricket and fought my way back.”

Steven Gerrard once called a Liverpool teammate better than Lionel Messi after being stunned by his abilities at Anfield.

Steven Gerrard names greatest Liverpool teammates

The Reds legend spent 17 senior years on Merseyside after coming through Liverpool’s academy, making his debut back in 1998.

During that time, Gerrard would never win the Premier League, however, he has gone down as one of the greatest players the top flight has ever seen. Across the world, Gerrard also became a superstar, having everything you need to be a top midfielder, and was known for scoring goals from distance.

He could have left Liverpool on numerous occasions during his career but remained a Red until 2015, and, following a brief stint in the MLS with LA Galaxy, would call time on his career.

Over the years at Anfield, Gerrard would play with some of the best around, including names such as Xabi Alonso, Luis Suarez and Fernando Torres. The English legend has actually named his greatest Liverpool XI of stars he played with, and Gerrard quite rightly named himself in the side.

Steven Gerrard’s Liverpool teammate XI
GK:	Pepe Reina
RB:	Glen Johnson
CB:	Sami Hyypia
CB:	Jamie Carragher
LB:	John Arne Riise
CM:	Xabi Alonso
CM:	Javier Mascherano
CM:	Steven Gerrard
FWD:	Fernando Torres
FWD:	Robbie Fowler
FWD:	Luis Suarez

However, one name not in that XI once came in for high praise from Gerrard, with the midfielder comparing him to a certain Argentine icon.

Steven Gerrard said Arsenal star was the Premier League 'GOAT' and better than Ronaldo

The Liverpool legend weighed in on the debate…

By
Ben Goodwin

May 21, 2025

Gerrard once called Liverpool flop Joe Cole better than Messi

In 2010, Messi was already a one time, and soon-to-be two time Ballon d’Or winner, regarded as one of the best on the planet.

However, Liverpool had just signed Joe Cole on a free transfer following his departure from Chelsea, and in his early days at Anfield, caught Gerrard’s eye.

In fact, Gerrard said Cole left him shocked in training and said that his fellow Englishman can do things better than Messi.

Gerrard may have backed Cole for the Player of the Year award in 2010/11, however, he scored just two Premier League goals in 20 appearances, and the following season, was sent out on loan to Lille before eventually leaving to join West Ham on a permanent basis in January 2013.

Joe Cole’s Liverpool stats – all competitions
Games	42
Goals	5
Assists	3
Yellow cards	2
Red cards	1
Minutes played	2,117

Things didn’t work out for Cole at Liverpool the way he and Gerrard imagined, and it’s fair to say his and Messi’s careers went in completely different directions after that 2010/11 campaign.

New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr has been ruled out of the remaining two ODIs against India after tearing her left quadricep muscle. Kerr picked up the injury during the opening game on Thursday, which India won by 59 runs, and is expected to take approximately three weeks to recover. She will not be replaced in the ODI squad.This also puts her WBBL participation in serious doubt for Sydney Sixers with the tournament set to start on Sunday. Amelia was a big-name pre-signing for Sixers as a platinum-category pick and could miss eight of Sixers’ 10 league games even if she recovers in three weeks.An NZC release stated Amelia was taken for scans on Friday morning, which revealed a grade-one quadricep tear, and that she would return home on Sunday to start her rehabilitation.”We’re really gutted for Melie,” New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said. “Injuries are always a challenging time for a player and we know how disappointed she is to not be able to play these games.”Everyone knows how much of an integral part of this team Melie is so we’ll certainly miss her but we’re wishing her a speedy recovery.”Soon after playing a pivotal role in New Zealand’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 15 scalps, Amelia was New Zealand’s best bowler in the opening ODI too, taking 4 for 42 before scoring an unbeaten 25 off 23 in the chase. The remaining two ODIs are on October 27 and 29, also in Ahmedabad.Amelia’s absence could hurt New Zealand’s hopes of climbing the Women’s ODI Championship table, where a top-six finish will ensure direct qualification for the ODI World Cup in 2025. New Zealand are currently placed sixth out of 10 teams and will next play Australia in December.

Jack Wilshere has reportedly turned down an opportunity to return to Arsenal in favour of chasing his ambition of pursuing senior football management. The former England international had been one of the names in contention for the club’s vacant Under-21 head coach position, but after careful thought, he has opted to remove himself from the running.

Wilshere rejects Under-21 roleEyes move into senior managementLeaves the door open for future returnFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Arsenal’s hierarchy had approached Wilshere earlier this month to gauge his interest in taking over the Under-21 side, a role left open following Mehmet Ali’s departure to join Brentford’s coaching setup. The position was designed not only to put Wilshere in charge of the club’s top academy squad but also to give him a wider influence on player development strategies across the youth system.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While a return to the Emirates dugout could have been a sentimental and strategic step for the 32-year-old, Wilshere is said to have informed Arsenal that his current focus lies on breaking into senior first-team management. The discussions were understood to be cordial, with no tension between either party. The decision was reportedly met with mutual respect and understanding, with Arsenal leaving the door open for a possible reunion in the future.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Gunners’ plan was reportedly to hand Wilshere control of the Under-21s, a crucial bridge between academy football and the first team. The job would have seen him working closely with Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s backroom staff to prepare young talent for Premier League readiness. However, it seems that the former midfielder has set his heart on something grander. 

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR WILSHERE?

Wilshere’s coaching career took its latest turn last season when he left Arsenal’s U18s to join Norwich City as first-team coach under Johannes Thorup. When Thorup departed in April, Wilshere was promoted to interim head coach, giving him a taste of life in the senior dugout. Although he left Carrow Road in the summer following the arrival of new boss Liam Manning, that brief spell as a head coach seems to have intensified his appetite for full-time management at the senior level.