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Everton are in the infancy of their summer transfer window plans but could be about to step things up a notch after making an approach for a Club World Cup star, according to reports.

Everton close in on Thierno Barry and announce new contract

David Moyes and his side have been slow off the mark this summer as they take time to assess where to strengthen before advancing, though supporters will be relieved to hear the Toffees are closing in on a deal to sign Villarreal striker Thierno Barry.

Set to arrive for around £30 million, he could kickstart a period of significant change for Everton as they finally begin to experience life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Michael Keane has also put pen to paper on a one-year extension on Merseyside and will help shore up Moyes’ backline after rejecting interest from elsewhere to stay at the club.

Upon renewing his terms, the 32-year-old stated: “I love Everton and have been massively proud to play for this club since the day I joined so I’m delighted to extend my stay here. The manager wants a competitive squad and I still feel I have a lot to give to Everton.

“We’ve been through a difficult few years but it’s an exciting time ahead for us as players and our brilliant fans. We’ve got a world-class new stadium to play in, and our form under the manager last season shows there’s a lot of reasons to be positive. I’m looking forward to being part of it.”

Everton’s first five Premier League matches

Leeds United (A)

Elland Road

Brighton & Hove Albion (H)

Hill Dickinson Stadium

Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Molineux

Aston Villa (H)

Hill Dickinson Stadium

Liverpool (A)

Anfield

While some things stay the same, Everton’s latest target could open up the possibility of a change in the guard involving a key position if reports are to be believed.

Everton rival Man Utd for Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor

According to Globo, Everton have made an approach to sign Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor to compete with Jordan Pickford for a starting slot after losing Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia this summer.

Manchester United are also keen on his services, and both clubs have moved to sound out his camp over a potential swoop amid recent reports he may be available for only £6 million.

Everton hold advanced talks to sign "superb" free agent in bargain deal

The Toffees have stepped things up…

ByTom Cunningham Jul 5, 2025

Labelled a “warrior” by Botafogo counterpart Philipe Sampaio, John has kept ten clean sheets in 29 appearances this campaign and was instrumental in Botafogo’s run to the last 16 stage of the Club World Cup.

Naturally, his displays have created a wealth of interest in his services, though it remains to be seen whether he would be willing to battle it out with club icon Pickford for the number one jersey under Moyes.

Either way, Everton are beginning to motor in their hunt for signings, and it feels like the Friedkin Group’s reign in charge could be about to take off.

Manchester City have been making waves so far during the summer transfer window as Pep Guardiola attempts to win back the Premier League title.

Indeed, no fewer than four players have moved to City, and there is scope for plenty more in the coming weeks.

Kyle Walker has left, as has Kevin De Bruyne, with Guardiola streamlining his squad.

With the Englishman departing, City have targeted a swoop for a Serie A player who could add something extra to the right side of their defence.

Man City ready to close in on Serie A star

Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki have all arrived at the Etihad ahead of the 2025/26 season. Despite City exiting the Club World Cup earlier than anticipated, the three players could be vital for the club next season.

Now, according to reports in Spain, City could be set to close in on a deal to sign Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries, with the Etihad side ready to accelerate their move for the rampaging talent.

He has a release clause worth £21.5m, as per the report, but this expires on July 15 and it looks as though Guardiola is keen to activate it before the deadline.

The right side of the defence is a position which needs to be strengthened massively and Dumfries could be an excellent signing.

He could turn out to be Guardiola’s very own Bryan Mbeumo, who has been heavily linked with a move to rivals Manchester United this summer.

Why Manchester City must sign Denzel Dumfries

United’s attack could look very different should they secure a deal for Mbeumo in the coming weeks.

Off the right flank last season, he registered 28 goal contributions in the Premier League – 20 goals and eight assists – proving he would be an excellent signing for Ruben Amorim.

Dumfries could turn out to be Guardiola’s own version of the Brentford forward. Despite not playing in quite such an advanced position, the Dutchman did record similar statistics to Mbeumo throughout last season, with FBref noting the pair to be similar players among wingers across Europe’s top five leagues.

Indeed, according to FBref, the pair performed similarly when it came to shots per 90 (1.74 vs 2.08), shot-creating actions (2.53 vs 3.8) and goal-creating actions (0.18 vs 0.53) in their respective domestic leagues.

Goals

7

Assists

2

Big chances created

6

Total duels won per game

3.9

Tackles per game

0.9

Balls recovered per game

2.2

Both players are superb at bursting forward down the right flank in order to either get a shot away or to create chances in the final third, with Dumfries notably registering 17 goals and assists in all competitions last term as an advanced wing-back.

Journalist Alan Rzepa described Dumfries as a “monster” all the way back in 2021, but fast-forward four years, nothing has changed.

In Serie A last term, he scored seven goals and grabbed two assists. Given that City’s full-backs scored just eight goals between them all season, adding someone like Dumfries would be an excellent move.

For a fee of £21.5m, Guardiola could well be signing his very own Mbeumo-esque figure on the cheap. Someone capable of shining in the Premier League with his attacking talents on the right flank.

If it all works out, Dumfries might just quietly be the signing of the summer for City.

Romano: "Agreement sealed" as Man City win race and sign 18 y/o ex-PSG gem

The paperwork has now been “signed” over a move to the Etihad.

ByHenry Jackson Jul 11, 2025

Liverpool defied expectations when winning the Premier League last season, but now that they have been crowned champions and are strengthening in the summer transfer market, the wider lens on Arne Slot’s project will be heightened.

To put it another way, Liverpool have returned to the top of English football but must now prove they can defend their title while challenging for the bigger prizes across other fronts.

Mohamed Salah will no doubt have his eyes on the Champions League, while defeat to Newcastle United in March’s Carabao Cup final will fuel the desire to conquer one of England’s domestic tournaments, for sure.

With Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz already bagged and more yet to come, there are so many reasons to be excited for Liverpool fans right now, even if a number of first-teamers potentially face exits before the 2025/26 season arrives.

Most notably, Ibrahima Konate has rejected Liverpool’s latest contract offer, while Luis Diaz, 28, continues to be at the centre of exit rumours. If the Colombian winger is sold, sporting director Richard Hughes has worked with Slot to determine that Anthony Gordon is the perfect replacement.

Why Liverpool could sign Anthony Gordon

It almost feels like Gordon is fated to play in a Liverpool shirt at some stage of his career. Last summer, the Reds were interested in completing a deal, but for Newcastle’s success in avoiding financial breaches through less damaging means.

Liverpool are well stocked on the left flank, but if Diaz is sold – Bayern Munich are the latest club to express an interest in the 28-year-old – a move could be revisited for the man who left the Anfield academy when he was just 11 years old.

Recent reports suggest Liverpool would need to cough up around £75m for the Three Lions star, but, aged 24, this could be a worthwhile investment for a tenacious and electric forward.

Such a move, as stated, hinges on Diaz leaving, and the same could be said at number nine, for Darwin Nunez has failed to bring it together under Slot’s wing and is heading for the door.

Alas, Nunez is set to leave. Napoli are set for crunch talks with Liverpool over the Uruguayan striker, paving the way for a superstar to head down the opposite direction.

Liverpool launch bid for striker

According to French journalist Sebastien Vidal, Liverpool have launched an official bid Napoli’s way for Victor Osimhen, who is back from a season-long loan with Galatasaray and expected to leave the club this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Despite Osimhen being one of the best strikers in the world, he fell out with the Serie A side, and there is no route back. The Italian champions, despite their stance, are unwilling to budge on their £64m valuation.

Well, in that case, Liverpool have offered Nunez and Federico Chiesa, both of whom are coveted by the Neapolitans, as makeweights, additionally putting £17m into the package.

Manchester United, Gala and Saudi Arabian clubs also linger in the race.

Why Liverpool should sign Victor Osimhen

We all know that FSG’s dream target is Alexander Isak, who was actually declared “the best striker in the world” last season by analyst Raj Chohan, but the Sweden star is understood to have been valued at £200m, an extortionate fee.

Osimhen, 26, would be a fantastic alternative, having proven himself across a number of years as being one of the most prolific marksmen on the continent and a trophy winner besides.

For sure, he probably didn’t envisage a season in the Turkish Super Lig this time 12 months ago, but the Nigeria international made the most of his season, scoring 37 goals across 41 outings, winning the league title and maintaining comparative prolificness across the span of his career.

Praised for his “world-class” finishing ability by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, Osimhen would certainly prove an upgrade on Nunez, and indeed could be the perfect Isak alternative, for he is athletic and mobile too.

Napoli

133

76

18

Galatasaray

41

37

8

Lille

38

18

6

Charleroi

36

20

4

Wolfsburg

16

0

0

Of course, Osimhen no doubt misses that almost telepathic connection with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at Napoli, the Georgian winger leaving Italy to sign for Paris Saint-Germain for £59m in January, but he could find a dance partner of a similar style in Gordon.

The pacy winger called himself a “nightmare for anyone” he comes up against last summer on England duty, having also averaged 1.1 dribbles and 4.4 successful duels per Premier League match last term, as per Sofascore.

With six goals and five assists to his name across the recent league term, there’s no question Gordon regressed after his incredible 2023/24 campaign, notching 26 top-flight goal contributions and earning Newcastle’s Player of the Year award.

One year ago, Dieter Hamann even went as far as to claim that Gordon would be the better pick for the Reds than Kvaratskhelia, directing praise toward the Englishman’s tried-and-tested record in England’s top flight; many talented players have struggled to adapt to the pace and physicality of the British game before.

He said, “It’s very hard to pick between Gordon and Kvaratskhelia. I don’t think there’s an awful lot between the players.”

Osimhen built quite the reputation with the silky winger, and we might be having a different conversation had Liverpool furthered their interest in the Georgian back in January, before he moved to Paris.

Alas, that door has closed. But no matter. If a dynamic and powerful centre-forward in Osimhen can be paired with a rising star in Gordon, Slot may well have the dream strikeforce to lead Liverpool to glory for many years to come.

Slot's answer to Mane: Liverpool chasing "monster" £70m Premier League star

Liverpool have set their sights on another attacking star this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 24, 2025

Celtic may miss out on a deal to bring Scotland international Lennon Miller to Glasgow before the end of the current summer transfer window.

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, as relayed by 67HailHail, former Scottish forward Ross McCormack claimed that the midfield star is likely to be heading abroad instead.

The ex-Fulham and Leeds star said: “I’ve said it for quite a while that I think he would be perfect in Celtic’s midfield. But from all the noises that I have heard – sort of people who are in and around Motherwell and all that – seems to be that he is going to be going abroad.

“When he sees the success your Lewis Ferguson, Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour are having over in Serie A, he might just want a piece of that and sort of get out of the limelight which Glasgow would bring.”

SportsBoom recently reported that both Celtic and Rangers have explored a deal to sign the FWA Young Player of the Year, amid interest from Premier League side Sunderland.

If what McCormack has heard is true, though, then the Hoops are set to miss out on a move for the Scottish central midfielder this summer.

Why missing out on Lennon Miller is a blow for Celtic

Missing out on a deal for the Scotland international should be seen as a blow for the Bhoys because he is a talented young star who could have been a key player for Brendan Rodgers.

The 18-year-old star, as aforementioned, won the FWA Young Player of the Year award in the Scottish Premiership, which illustrates just how impressive he was in midfield for Motherwell this season.

Miller started 32 of their 38 league games and caught the eye with his contributions in and out of possession, with two goals and eight assists for his side.

As you can see in the table below, the teenage starlet also stacked up well against his positional peers in a host of key defensive metrics in the Premiership.

24/25 Premiership

Lennon Miller per 90

Percentile rank vs midfielders

Tackle success rate

68%

Top 28%

Duels won

5.84

Top 36%

Duel success rate

53%

Top 31%

Interceptions

1.38

Top 14%

Ball recoveries

6.52

Top 10%

Blocks

0.48

Top 28%

Stats via FotMob

These statistics illustrate why it is a blow for the Hoops to seemingly be on course to miss out on a deal to sign the Scotland international from Motherwell this summer, as he has shown that he can perform well in and out of possession in the top-flight already.

However, this does also provide Celtic with an opportunity to look elsewhere and find alternative midfield targets, which is the case with their latest reported pursuit of a Scottish star.

Celtic ramp up pursuit of Premier League midfielder

According to Football Insider, the Premiership champions are interested in a deal to sign £1.6m West Ham United central midfielder Andy Irving in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Hoops are set to ramp up their efforts to bring the Scotland international to Parkhead to bolster their options in the middle of the park for next season.

Transfer Focus

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

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It adds that West Ham are prepared to cash in on the left-footed maestro after he rarely featured for Julen Lopetegui or Graham Potter in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign.

Former scout Mick Brown described him as a top-flight level player, though, as he told Football Insider: “They’re in a difficult market, it’s not easy to sign Premier League-level players, but if one becomes available like he has, I think they’ll be all over it.”

Football Insider also reveals that Irving is a leading target for the Hoops, as they eye a new midfielder, and that they are set to accelerate their plans to sign him now that the window is open again.

Why Celtic should sign Andy Irving

Celtic should sign Irving as a dream alternative to Miller as a midfield signing because he may be a better stylistic fit for the Hoops than the Motherwell man would be.

The 18-year-old star is not used to playing in a team that dominates possession with plenty of touches and passes each game, whilst the West Ham gem’s form in the 2024/25 Premier League season suggests that he would suit Celtic’s way of playing.

Per 90

Andy Irving (Premier League)

Lennon Miller (Premiership)

Passes made

60.00

28.26

Pass accuracy

90.0%

72%

Long passes made

3.89

3.34

Long pass accuracy

87.5%

42%

Cross accuracy

50%

25%

Touches

87.78

61.36

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed midfielder is far more used to handling the ball and controlling games as an efficient passer, taking plenty of touches per 90, which is needed in a Hoops team that averaged 75.1% of the ball per game in the league this season.

Irving did not provide any goals or assists in his ten outings in the Premier League, though, but he did catch the eye from an offensive perspective during his time with Klagenfurt in Austria in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.

The 25-year-old whiz racked up 14 goals and ten assists in two seasons with the Austrian side, which shows that the potential is there for him to provide quality in front of goal, as Miller did for Motherwell this term.

Irving also made 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game and won 50% of his duels in the 2023/24 Bundesliga season, illustrating that he can also offer defensive strength when needed.

Overall, the West Ham outcast appears to be a dream alternative to Miller because of his suitability to the ball-dominant style of play, his attacking potential, and his competency defensively.

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It is now down to the club to ensure that they can agree a deal with the Hammers to bring Irving over to Glasgow before the end of the summer transfer window, now that it seems unlikely that they will be able to snap up Miller from Motherwell.

Mikel Arteta decided to star Leandro Trossard up top again for Arsenal’s game against Bournemouth on Saturday, and it would be fair to say it didn’t really pay off.

While not terrible, the Belgian international was pretty anonymous throughout the match, failing to score or assist a goal and fully deserving of the 6/10 match rating he received from the Standard’s Simon Collings.

Like most of his fellow attackers, it’s not been as good of a campaign for the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace as it was last season, when he managed to rack up a tally of 20 goal involvements in 46 games.

So, it’s not surprising to see the club linked with an exceptional international winger ahead of the summer transfer window, a winger who’d be a significant upgrade on Trossard.

Arsenal's winger search

With their attack being the biggest problem this season, Arsenal have been linked with a number of top wingers in recent weeks, such as Nico Williams and Francisco Trincão.

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, who has racked up 11 goals and seven assists in 44 games this season, has been a long-term target, and with a £50m release clause in his current deal, could finally make the move to North London this summer.

The latter is a more recent target, and while his reported £66.5m price tag seems steep, he’s been nothing short of spectacular for Sporting CP this season, chalking up a tally of nine goals and 18 assists in 51 games.

However, to take the club to the next level, the Gunners might have to make a statement signing and bring in an established superstar, someone like Rodrygo Goes.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have inquired about the £204k-per-week star, who Real Madrid are actually considering selling.

Alongside the North Londoners, the report has revealed that Premier League rivals Manchester City are also keen and that the winger should be available for around €100m, which is about £85m.

It would be a costly and potentially complicated transfer to get over the line, but it’s one Andrea Berta and Co should push for, as Rodrygo is one of the “best players in the world” in the eyes of Carlo Ancelotti.

How Rodrygo compares to Trossard

While Rodrygo’s most played position is right wing, he’s also incredibly accomplished playing off the left, and, with Bukayo Saka being as essential as he is to Arsenal, the left is undoubtedly where the Brazilian would play.

Therefore, one of his primary competitors for a starting berth would be Trossard, so who comes out on top when we compare them?

Well, when it comes down to their output, it’s the Real ace who emerges victorious.

For example, in 50 appearances, totalling 3290 minutes, the 24-year-old has scored 13 goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.17 games, or every 143.04 minutes.

In contrast, the Belgian has scored ten goals and provided eight assists in 52 appearances, totalling 3241 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.88 games, or every 180.05 minutes.

Rodrygo vs Trossard
Statistic	Rodrygo	Trossard
Non-Penalty Expected G+As	0.37	0.44
Non-Penalty G+As	0.60	0.48
Progressive Passes	4.68	3.75
Progressive Carries	5.06	2.76
Shots	2.64	2.62
Shots on Target	1.02	0.86
Passing Accuracy	85.7%	74.5%
Key Passes	2.08	1.38
Passes into the Final Third	2.88	1.86
Passes into the Penalty Area	1.12	1.65
Crosses into the Penalty Area	0.10	0.36
Shot-Creating Actions	4.56	3.15
Goal-Creating Actions	0.42	0.42
Successful Take-Ons	2.15	1.14
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Season

The one-sided nature of the comparison continues when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

For example, in almost every metric, the “spectacular” Champions League winner, as dubbed by manager Carlo Ancelotti, comes out ahead, including but not limited to non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, key passes, shots and shots on target, passes into the final third, shot-creating actions, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Trossard remains a useful player for Arteta and Arsenal, it’s clear that, in practically every way, Rodrygo is a massive upgrade and, therefore, someone the club should be going all out to sign this summer.

He'd revive Odegaard: Arsenal aiming to sign "the new Mbappe" in £85m deal

Arsenal need to sign a player who could revive the fortunes of Martin Odegaard.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 5, 2025

Arsenal have held discussions over signing a quality attacker “in recent days”, with manager Mikel Arteta and new sporting director Andrea Berta continuing to make a head start on the next transfer window.

Andrea Berta identifies Arsenal transfer target with groundwork done

Berta’s arrival at the Emirates Stadium in late March signalled the start of a new era for the north Londoners, who have one eye firmly on the summer window amid their promising Champions League campaign.

Arsenal: Berta set to table bid for "top player" after £202m transfer boost

The Italian will have a big warchest to reinvest into Arsenal’s squad.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 11, 2025

Arsenal smashed Real Madrid 3-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night, taking a comfortable three-goal cushion into their quarter-final second leg at the Bernabeu next week, but Liverpool are about to win the Premier League title by a seismic distance.

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Domestically, their season has been nothing short of a real disappointment, with Berta expected to splash the cash in an effort to rejuvenate and bolster Arteta’s squad ahead of a more fruitful title challenge next term.

Arsenal are already expected to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, and they’ve been in advanced talks since January (Fabrizio Romano), but it is widely reported that yet another Spain international could be on his way to N5 as well.

Indeed, that man is Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, and Berta is reliably believed to have met with the 22-year-old’s representatives last week.

While Berta is attempting to make a head start on negotiations with Williams, it is believed by some sources that the highly-rated forward is demanding around £250,000-per-week to agree a move away from Bilbao this summer (GiveMeSport).

This would make the player Arsenal’s third-highest earner behind Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, but Williams’ £48 million release clause is still viewed as a “bargain” by some following his exceptional exploits over the last 12 months.

Bilbao’s sensation played a vital role in Spain’s triumph at Euro 2024 and registered nearly 20 assists in all competitions last season, so it is clear he would give Arsenal a completely new dimension going forward.

Arsenal hold "high level" talks over signing Nico Williams

Now, according to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, Arsenal have held “high-level” talks over signing Williams “in recent days”, but there is a stumbling block in this potential move.

Berta and Arteta both want him at the Emirates Stadium, but his overall package, including wages, could still pose a problem considering they’re also attempting to save funds to buy a proven centre-forward.

A swoop for him remains on the cards for Arsenal, but they’ll have to find a way to navigate this situation regarding his salary, amid interest from Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, who could also swoop for Williams.

“Nico is unique, he is wonderful,” said Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho late last year, raving over the Spanish starlet’s obvious quality.

“During the European Championship, people were talking a lot about Lamine Yamal, who is obviously another wonderful kid, but I personally prefer Nico.”

CD Gopinath talks about facing Ray Lindwall and Sonny Ramadhin, and being part of India’s first Test win

Alagappan Muthu16-Oct-20243:25

CD Gopinath: “There was no strategy on how we were going to beat England”

As CD Gopinath starts talking about cricket, it becomes clear that India’s oldest living Test cricketer has a mischievous soul.”See, when a legspinner bowls, and the ball is spinning, you cut him, the ball will go like this,” he says, extending his right arm and performing a clockwise turn. “I love watching it. I’ve seen fielders thinking the ball will come straight to them, but it bounces and goes somewhere else and they couldn’t stop it. I loved playing that shot and I loved seeing that happen.”Just as he enjoyed watching flummoxed fielders during his career, which included eight Tests for India, Gopinath, now 94, enjoys making light of that time in history.”Some people from the UK came and interviewed me on the Test match that India won for the first time in 1952. I think they were going to write a book or make a video, and I said to them: How can you write a book on one Test match? One season or five Test matches, okay. Why only this Test match? What is there to write so much about? They said, ‘No, we regard that win as a turning point of the cricket history of India.’ In one way it is true. And I am very lucky. I had that for India and I had that for Madras. I asked them: Who else are you interviewing? They said, ‘Nobody else, because there’s nobody else alive. You are the only one from that team that is there.’ I said, ‘So I can say anything I want!”Unfortunately, the lore that surrounds that victory, by an innings and eight runs over England in Madras, is disappointingly strait-laced. And Gopinath did not go through with his scandalous idea of saying whatever he wanted. He did, however, escort that crew to Chepauk to show them exactly where he took the catch to dismiss Brian Statham, England’s eighth wicket in the second innings, which brought India to the brink of history.Related

• Sailing with the stars (2016)

• When I met India's oldest living Test cricketer (2016)

• 'Why I was dropped is still an unsolved mystery' (2014)

• The India I remember (2011)

India were well worth the 1-1 scoreline. They parked memories of Wally Hammond bashing them around and Alec Bedser tying them up in knots in previous years to begin the five-match series with back-to-back 400-plus first-innings totals. Then, in Kanpur, they came undone on a spin-friendly pitch and were left with only one chance to level the series. The batting had class – having already contributed five hundreds to England’s two – and that number would rise further in Madras, where Polly Umrigar scored a crucial 130 not out from No. 7, which turned 216 for 5 to an eventually match-winning 457 for 9 declared. Gopinath was at the other end when Umrigar got his hundred. Shortly after Statham hit Vinoo Mankad up in the air, after 20 years of trying, India had pulled off something they never thought possible.”[The crew] asked me how I felt,” Gopinath said, “and I said, look, my job was, as a fielder, I had to take the catch. It’s not an achievement. If you can’t take a catch, why would you be in the team? Yes, we were very pleased that we won, because we didn’t expect to win. That too against England, we never thought we’d ever win. We were very happy, but beyond that, there was no… [at] that time nobody demonstrated. They didn’t make fists and things like that.”Today when a fellow takes a catch, the whole team runs there – carries him, kisses him, hugs him – not only in cricket, in every game. In football, when someone scores a goal, they almost smother him. Those days you were not meant to express yourself openly out to the world. The catch I held was a straightforward, simple catch, nothing to it. If you held a brilliant catch somewhere in the slips, someone may say: ‘Well held.’ That’s it. You didn’t go running around the whole ground or carrying people. It was considered vulgar to show your feelings to the outside world. So our celebration at the end of that game was: we went to the dressing room, we said to each other, ‘Well done’, we packed up and went home. That was the end of the matter.Gopinath on the tour of England in 1952•Edward G Malindine/Getty Images”Maybe it didn’t quite dawn on us, because we were the weak team. When we went into that Test match, we didn’t expect to win. We were not even trying to. If we draw, we were very happy. was like winning a match. So long as we didn’t lose. That was the first time that we realised, oh, it’s also possible to win. You realise, oh, it’s also possible to score hundreds or 200s.”Gopinath’s lack of excitement – apart from being typical of his era – might also stem from the fact that he never had any intention of becoming a cricketer. That was destiny’s doing, placing him in the same college house as the captain at Madras Christian College, creating a situation where they needed, first, a wicketkeeper – “They saw me playing tennis, so they called me and said your job is to not let the ball pass you” – and then an opener (“You mean face the new ball? No way I can do that”). Except he did, and began scoring a lot of runs.”I got a duck in both innings of my Ranji Trophy debut, so [team-mate] Balu Alagannan came to me and said, ‘Hey, watch out. Bad things come in threes.’ Next match, I was so scared. It was all I could think about. I don’t even know how I got to the crease but somehow I got there and I got off the mark.”Gopinath was an uncut gem. “When I was young, I didn’t know anything. I suppose what happened was, my reflexes were good, my footwork was good, my eye was good. I could hit the ball.”So the cricket association sent him to train with Bert Wensley, the former Sussex allrounder who played 400 first-class games, and Madras cricket legend AG Ram Singh.Their mentorship helped him move up the levels of the game. It was batting that interested Gopinath the most, to the extent that he named his home in Coonoor “The Cover Drive”.Gopinath (front row, third from right) at a felicitation for Tamil Nadu’s Ranji Trophy winners from the 1954-55 and 1987-88 seasons•TNPL”There was a West Indian bowler called [Sonny] Ramadhin,” Gopinath said. “Those days, his early days, he was called the wonder bowler, and the previous season, West Indies toured England and they beat England because Ramadhin took so many wickets and the English batsmen could not spot what he was doing. He was a peculiar bowler. I don’t know how he did it. He would bowl the same way, one would go offbreak, one would go legbreak and you could never spot which way it was going.”I played against him in an unofficial Test for the Combined Universities against the Commonwealth Second Team in 1950. Again, because of destiny or luck or whatever, I happened to be at the non-striker’s end and I was watching him. I wanted to see if I could figure him out. Then some intuition told me that he normally bowled an offbreak, which was fairly quick, and when he tossed it a little bit, it was a legbreak. It was a blind kind of assessment. Just happened I was right and I hammered him all over. Every time he bowled a legbreak, he’d toss it up a little bit and I’d be ready for the square cut and I’d get four runs. I was top scorer that game. I made 93.”Gopinath had an instinct for batting and he was not shy about following it.”I was very thrilled when I faced Ray Lindwall for the first time. He was damn fast. By the time he played against me [in 1960], he must have been slower. But he was still really fast. One fast one on the leg side and I hooked him and I missed the six by five or ten feet. Immediately my captain said, ‘What are you doing? Don’t take chances!’ I said: what can you do with a short ball on the leg side!”Cricket allowed Gopinath to meet to new people.”I became friends with Lindwall that game, sitting and chatting. We became such good friends that we exchanged caps. I still have it somewhere.”Gopinath at home in Chennai•Alagappan Muthu/ESPNcricinfo LtdIt brought him recognition.Gopinath scored a hundred in the 1954-55 Ranji Trophy final when Madras won the tournament for the first time.It helped him win over his family, who once regarded him as an example of who not to be.”When my mother passed away and we were looking through her things, we found so many newspaper cuttings of me. She never told me, but all of it was there: I saved this match, I scored this century. And when my daughter saw that, she made a book of it.”The simple pleasure of picking up a bat and swinging it around changed Gopinath’s life and he never let the joy fade.”My coach Mr Wensley once advised me not to play the cut because I was getting out to it. ‘You play your drives and everything, you’re okay, but stop the square cut,’ he said. ‘That’s very difficult and you’re getting out.’ I tried to stop it and after a couple of matches, I went back to him and I told him, ‘I love that shot. I can’t do it.’ So he said, ‘Okay, if you’re that keen, don’t go opening. Move two-down, three-down.’ So I did and I never stopped the square cut.”Seeing me square-cut in that Combined Universities game, against Ramadhin, a foreign scribe, the Commonwealth team manager actually, wrote that I was the best exponent of the square cut in India. It was so funny!”I have never had any ambitions. I never wanted to get anywhere. Whatever happened to me happened because of my [destiny]. If I wanted to play for India and so on, I’d have been disappointed. But I never even thought about it. I never dreamt that I would play for India. It just came by. Same thing has happened to me in my life, in my work, and some of the things which at that time was, ‘Oh terrible, a terrible thing has happened’, now I realise I’m so glad that happened.”At some point, people grow up. They realise the perils of living for the moment, of chasing fleeting highs, like the feeling after playing a great shot, and weigh it against the downsides: its potential to get you out. It’s human nature. You want to do the best you can, so you strip the fun out of things.But take it from a 94-year-old who used to play tennis until four years ago, who was friends with Raman Subba Row, Frank Worrell and Denis Compton, who has seen the snowy peaks of Alaska and the breathtaking splendour of the Nile, who was chairman of the Madras Chamber of Commerce and who still serves on the board of several trusts: sometimes doing something just because it feels good is good.

What do the selectors’ decisions suggest about the immediate future in the two formats?

Karthik Krishnaswamy22-May-202211:36

Shastri: On current form, India might just play Malik against SA

A recall, and a farewell?

Cheteshwar Pujara is back in the Test squad, and he pretty much forced that decision on the selectors with his rollicking form in the County Championship. How do you ignore 6, 201*, 109, 12, 203, 16, 170* and 3? The selectors possibly factored another reason into his recall as well: in the first four Tests of the series that will end in Edgbaston, he was arguably India’s best-performing middle-order batter, his series average of 32.42 masking the vital contributions he made. His third-innings knocks of 45 (off 206 balls) and 61 helped India claw their way back to victory after conceding first-innings leads at Lord’s and The Oval respectively, and he top-scored for India with 91 in their defeat at Headingley.Another senior stalwart, however, isn’t part of the squad, and you may wonder whether there is a way back now for Ishant Sharma. For so long an ever-present face in India’s attacks overseas, he has slipped behind both Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav in the fast-bowling queue over the last year-and-a-half, and now it would seem Prasidh Krishna as well, as India look for a successor in the tall, hit-the-deck department.There was no way anyone was leaving Cheteshwar Pujara out of the Test squad after his run for Sussex•Getty ImagesA lack of match practice, however, could be a more immediate reason behind Ishant’s non-selection; he hasn’t played any competitive cricket since a pair of Ranji Trophy games in February-March, and those were his only matches since India’s home Test series against New Zealand in November 2021. But with India’s pace reserves constantly growing, you wonder where Ishant will get his next opportunity to turn heads and demand a recall.Intent machines ignored

Over the last three IPL seasons, Prithvi Shaw has managed a strike rate of 152.84 in the powerplay. In the middle overs, meanwhile, Sanju Samson has achieved strike rates of over 150 against both pace and spin. No other India contender comes close to matching those records.But that sort of intent always has a flip side – both Shaw and Samson average under 30 in IPL 2022, and this, perhaps, is the reason why neither is part of India’s T20I squad even though Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been rested and Suryakumar Yadav is out injured.Instead of powerplay enforcers and intent machines, the selectors seem to have preferred – as they have over a number of years – top-order batters with a penchant for big scores, even if it entails slow starts. The likely opening combination of KL Rahul and Ruturaj Gaikwad says as much.Prithvi Shaw has scored at a strike rate of 152.84 in the powerplay in the last three IPL seasons•BCCI/IPLEqually, though, the selectors could point to Ishan Kishan and Deepak Hooda – whose approach could be termed similar to those of Shaw and Samson respectively, even if their phase-wise IPL numbers don’t necessarily match up – as counter-examples to suggest they aren’t entirely wedded to an old-school approach.Long rope for long-term prospects

Kishan (strike rate of 120.11) has been far from at his fluent best during IPL 2022, while Venkatesh Iyer (average of 16.54, strike rate of 107.69) has had a horror season. But both have kept their places in the T20I squad, suggesting that the selectors are backing the players they have identified as long-term prospects, and that IPL form is neither a guarantee of selection nor a deal-breaker.It helps, too, that both are left-handers who can bat in multiple positions, and that one offers a wicketkeeping option and the other a sixth bowling option.New quicks on the block

IPL 2022 has been a goldmine for India’s selectors in terms of the sheer number of uncapped fast bowlers who have made an impact with their pace, skill, and execution under pressure. Out of that group – which also includes the likes of Mohsin Khan and Mukesh Choudhary – two have earned first-time call-ups to the T20I squad.4:40

Ravi Shastri: ‘Central contract straightaway for Umran Malik’

The two bring dissimilar but equally exciting skillsets to the table. Umran Malik’s sheer pace – consistently upwards of 150kph – and nose-or-toes lengths offer India a bruising middle-overs option that can upset any line-up in the world. Arshdeep Singh isn’t as quick, but he’s a left-armer with superb defensive skills, as his death-overs economy rate of 7.31 in IPL 2022 (the best in the league among bowlers who have sent down at least ten overs in that phase) would suggest.With these two in the mix alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan and Harshal Patel, India’s squad has a fast bowler for nearly every situation.How do you fit Hardik and Karthik into the same XI?

Hardik Pandya was always going to be back in India’s white-ball plans the moment he resumed bowling. And he hasn’t just resumed bowling; his speeds have often veered past 140kph, he’s used hard lengths and changes of pace most cleverly, and he sent down his full quota of overs in his first four matches of IPL 2022. A groin issue has reduced his bowling output since then, but India don’t necessarily need him to bowl four overs every game. If he can bowl two while striking the ball at even 80% of his potential, he would walk into most T20 line-ups in the world.2:40

Manjrekar: ‘Don’t think Pant is under pressure from Karthik’

Speaking of ball-striking, have a look at Dinesh Karthik’s death-overs numbers from IPL 2022: 91 balls, 206 runs, a best-in-the-league strike rate of 226.37. At nearly 37, Karthik probably reckoned his best chance of knocking on the selectors’ doors was to take an axe to them. He’s long been one of the best finishers in Indian cricket, and was distinctly unlucky to have been out of the T20I squad for so long despite boasting world-class numbers during his most recent run in the side; but then again, where do you fit him into the XI?If Karthik’s other skill was part-time spin rather than keeping wicket, India would have no trouble answering that question. They would simply bat Rishabh Pant, Hardik and Karthik at Nos. 5, 6 and 7. As things stand, however, Karthik is a specialist finisher who is significantly less comfortable batting up the order, and he isn’t the first-choice keeper. With Hardik not a guaranteed deliverer of four overs, Karthik is left competing with a second allrounder (Axar Patel in the current squad) for the No. 7 slot, which is a difficult contest to win.If he can grab the chances he gets during the series against South Africa, however, Karthik could still make a major case to be picked as India’s reserve keeper for the T20 World Cup.

As the MLB regular season winds down, the races for a playoff spot in both the AL and NL are heating up.

So, here at SI Betting, we are going to share a detailed look at the playoff picture every week so fans can see where their teams stand and bettors can potentially find some value in a team that is just outside the wild card race.

Last week, it was pretty clear where each division leader stood, but a huge winning streak by the Seattle Mariners has flipped some things in the American League.

Meanwhile, the New York Mets and New York Yankees are struggling, and the teams trailing them in the wild card picture are starting to make a real push to enter the top three.

Let’s break down the odds for every team that still has a shot to make the playoffs at this point in the MLB season. 

American League Playoff Odds

Division Leaders

• Toronto Blue Jays: -3000
• Detroit Tigers: -3000
• Houston Astros: -1400

The AL division leaders have remained the same week over week, but the Seattle Mariners are making a real push in the AL West.

Seattle, which is -1100 to make the playoffs, has won seven games in a row and nine of its last 10 to pull within half a game of the Astros in the standings. Houston still has the inside track to a playoff spot (-1400), but it could end up in the wild card picture if it loses its early-week series with another wild card team – the Boston Red Sox.

Meanwhile, Detroit (six-game lead in the AL Central) and Toronto (four-game lead in the AL East) both have pretty comfortable margins – for now – atop their divisions. An 8-2 stretch by the Cleveland Guardians has tightened things for Detroit, which has a worse record than Toronto in the 2025 season. 

Wild Card Race

• Seattle Mariners: -1100
• Boston Red Sox: -370
• New York Yankees: -330
• Cleveland Guardians: +200
• Texas Rangers: +275
• Kansas City Royals: +700
• Tampa Bay Rays: +1800
• Minnesota Twins: +1800
• Los Angeles Angels: +5000

Last week, I wrote about the Yankees fading in the AL playoff picture, and they’ve continued to do so by losing a weekend series to the Astros.

New York has a half-game cushion on the surging Guardians and just a 2.5-game cushion on the Texas Rangers in the standings. So, it’s very possible the Yankees could find themselves behind multiple teams if they don’t turn things around sooner rather than later.

Texas has lost four in a row, allowing the Guardians to leapfrog it in the standings. Cleveland may be the team to bet on right now, as it’s peaking at the right time and has a shot at both a wild card spot and the division lead. 

New York and Texas are both third in their respective divisions. 

National League Playoff Odds

Division Leaders

• Milwaukee Brewers: N/A
• Los Angeles Dodgers: -20000
• Philadelphia Phillies: -10000

The Milwaukee Brewers have been so good, winning nine games in a row, that their odds to make the playoffs are off the board, a sign that oddsmakers expect them to be in the playoffs no matter what.

Milwaukee could move to 30 games over .500 with a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. 

Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ lead in the NL West is just two games, as the San Diego Padres (7-3 in their last 10 games) are making a serious push. As of now, it seems like the team with the best record in MLB will come out of the NL, but a lot could change over the final weeks of the regular season.

Wild Card Race

• Chicago Cubs: -2500
• San Diego Padres: -1200
• New York Mets: -280
• Cincinnati Reds: +320
• San Francisco Giants: +550
• St. Louis Cardinals: +650
• Arizona Diamondbacks: +3000
• Miami Marlins: +50000

The Chicago Cubs have the best odds to make the playoffs of any wild card team, but I think the Padres may be the safest team here since they are still within striking distance of their division lead.

Chicago is six games back in the NL Central, while the Mets, who have lost seven in a row, are 5.5 games back in the NL East.

If New York continues to struggle, there is a real path for the Cincinnati Reds (1.5 games back in the wild card) to make the playoffs.

Cincy doesn’t have as talented a roster as the Mets, but it did go all in at the trade deadline by adding Ke’Bryan Hayes, Zack Littell, and others. The Reds are +320 to make the playoffs, which is good for an implied probability of 23.81 percent.

However, with the Reds just 1.5 games out of a playoff spot, they may be undervalued at this price.

Former India seamer Venkatesh Prasad has vowed to bring top-flight cricket back to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium if elected as president in the upcoming Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) elections slated for November 30.Prasad has teamed up with Sujith Somasunder, the former India and Karnataka opener, with the duo receiving a strong endorsement from two India stalwarts, Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath. Vinay Mrutyunjaya, another former KSCA officer bearer, will contest for the secretary’s post.Both Prasad and Somasunder were earlier part of the KSCA administration when Kumble and Srinath had served as president and secretary. Prasad served as vice-president while Somasunder, who is currently head of education at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), was part of the managing committee.Two other women cricketers are part of Prasad’s camp – former India Women captain Shantha Rangaswamy and V Kalpana. While Rangaswamy is ineligible to contest elections due to the age criteria, Kalpana is likely to be part of the committee in some capacity.Prasad will be contesting against KN Shanth Kumar, who has the backing of Brijesh Patel, the former India batter and veteran KSCA administrator. Kumar is a former board member of the Indian Golf Union, and represented India as a non-playing captain at the golf competition at the 2002 Asian Games.Related

• Venkatesh Prasad: 'Want to bring cricket back to Chinnaswamy'

“Karnataka cricket has been suffering and Venky is here to make a difference,” Kumble told reporters on Tuesday. “All the work we had put in during our three-year tenure [2010-2013] has been undone over the past many years. The most common question we get asked is ‘when are you returning?'”Two key stakeholders have been neglected: cricketers and fans. Last week we won the Women’s World Cup, and it was a landmark occasion. But we [Karnataka] didn’t have a single representation. That needs to change.”Kumble also touched upon the horrific stampede that claimed 11 lives outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory parade after winning IPL 2025. Describing June 4 as a “black mark, black day”, Kumble urged Prasad & co to ensure they do everything they can to “bring glory back to Karnataka” and the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which he likened to a “temple.”Prasad, meanwhile, underlined his panel’s readiness to hold constructive dialogue with the Karnataka government and other key stakeholders to bring back cricket to the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Only club games have been played at the venue, which recently lost out on the Women’s World Cup – including the final – due to the stand-off between there KSCA and the state government over the stampede row.The KSCA has also been in a tussle with the state government over power issues. Until earlier this month, BESCOM – the state’s electricity department – had cut off power to the entire facility due to non-compliance with fire safety norms. Recently, the KSCA submitted an undertaking of compliance, since which power has been restored.”We believe in having a proper dialogue with the government, and adhere to whatever the safety audit report has told us,” Prasad said. Somasundar added: “The stadium renovation work needs to be done in a phased manner, and is something we will take up on priority. We may not be able to increase the capacity, but we should certainly comply with safety norms and ensure cricket returns to one of India’s storied venues.”Another key area of focus, Prasad said, was the development of a full-fledged women’s academy at the same premises where the National Cricket Academy, now BCCI’s CoE, operated.