Leeds United have enquired over the potential signing of a Premier League player in the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

Leeds eyeing Longstaff and others this summer

Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff has emerged a priority target for the Whites ahead of next season, as Daniel Farke looks to bring in players with genuine Premier League experience.

The Englishman is allowed to leave St James’ Park in the coming weeks, with Eddie Howe unable to promise him regular playing time, and he could be a shrewd acquisition for Leeds. In fact, they have even reportedly agreed personal terms with the 27-year-old, although a £12m offer has been rejected by the Magpies.

Longstaff is far from the only player being linked with a move to Elland Road this summer, however, with goalkeeping pair Dominik Livakovic and Angus Gunn thought to be on the Whites’ radar. The former is at Fenerbahce currently, while the latter is a free agent after leaving Norwich City.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa attacking ace Emiliano Buendia has also emerged as a rumoured target for Leeds, with the 28-year-old capable of adding a huge amount of quality in the final third. Now, another Premier League player has been mentioned as an option for Farke’s side.

Leeds enquire over another Premier League midfielder

According to a new claim from Punch Sport [via MOT Leeds News], Leeds have enquired over the availability of Newcastle midfielder Joe Willock this summer during discussions for Longstaff.

The Magpies are reportedly open to the idea of selling the 25-year-old before the new season gets underway, but he prefers the idea of joining a different Premier League rival instead.

The £80,000-a-week Willock could be a top-quality signing for Leeds, and if they could bring in both him and Longstaff, it would feel like excellent business.

Willock has been an impressive servant for Newcastle, scoring 18 goals in 143 appearances from midfield and providing strong box-to-box energy, and he has been likened to Argentina and Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, who the Whites were linked with back in 2020.

Appearances

32

Starts

11

Minutes played

1077

Goals

0

Assists

2

Tackles per game

0.9

Key passes per game

0.7

Pass completion rate

87%

His versatility allows him to shine in a more attack-minded wide role, too, which could appeal to Farke, and Howe has spoken glowingly about him during their time working together.

“It’s part of what his game brings [scoring big goals]. He’s got that unexpected ability to do things that you don’t necessarily know what he’s going to do. I’m sure Joe doesn’t know. He’s one of those players who acts off instinct. Those instincts are usually creative and goal driven.”

Willock has proven that he is a top-level footballer, also making 78 appearances for Arsenal before his move to Newcastle, but he will want to be starting games regularly at this stage in his career, which doesn’t feel likely at Newcastle.

£20m "best in the world" GK now Leeds' number 1 target to replace Meslier

Daniel Farke is looking to replace Illan Meslier this summer.

ByDominic Lund Jul 10, 2025

Leeds could be perfect for him in that respect, allowing him to be a star man, and he possesses the natural talent and work ethic to be a crowd favourite at Elland Road.

Rockets’ decision to retire Imad Wasim out backfires before Jacob Bethell ices chase

ECB Media12-Aug-2024

Tim Southee took 5 for 12 for the Phoenix•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Birmingham Phoenix put themselves back into the knockout positions in the Hundred with an important win at Edgbaston, knocking Trent Rockets out of this year’s competition in the process.Tim Southee claimed a five-wicket haul, to restrict the Rockets to 118, before Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell helped the Phoenix to overtake Northern Superchargers in third with a measured chase.”It was a pretty good performance,” Southee said. “I think the bowlers assessed the conditions well and then the way the batters went about it towards the end, Bethell and Livingstone knocked it around and chose great options. So, I think it was a pretty good all-round performance.”I think we have had really good consistency over the last few games and have got to know each other a bit better. Obviously, Adam Milne and I have played a lot of cricket together, but for everyone else it’s great to have that experience of playing a few games together.”We adapted to conditions as quickly as possible, which helped us tonight and the surface offered us a little bit which we tried to get as much out of as we could.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The Phoenix won the toss and chose to bowl, which proved a great decision from Moeen Ali, as his pace attack put on an exhibition of swing and seam bowling at the start of the first innings. The dangerous quartet of Tom Banton, Alex Hales, Joe Root and Rovman Powell were dismissed in the first 30 deliveries, as the Rockets fell to 22 for 4.Tom Alsop – making his debut in The Hundred – and Pakistan international Imad Wasim rebuilt for the visitors with a fifty partnership, before Imad was retired out on a run-a-ball 29, to be replaced by Chris Green. The Australian allrounder returned for the Rockets, replacing the injured Rashid Khan, but he was to last just five balls before being removed by Adam Milne, who took a well-deserved wicket.Alsop reached his half-century, and was then dismissed by the excellent Southee, who finished with 5 for 12 and momentarily thought he’d taken a hat-trick before being denied by an overturned LBW decision.Trent Rockets set Phoenix 119 to win, and Ben Duckett got the chase off to a flying start with 30 from 16 before Rockets came firing back at them. Luke Wood dismissed Duckett and Jamie Smith in consecutive balls to put the breaks on Birmingham’s fast start.Moeen Ali and Livingstone steadied the ship for a while before the impressive John Turner (2 for 17) removed captain Moeen and Dan Mousley.Livingstone and Bethell celebrate after taking the Phoenix home•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

The away team sensed it was their chance to build the pressure with the ball in the chase and they began to restrict Phoenix’s scoring opportunities, before Luke Wood released the pressure with a no-ball free-hit that Bethell deposited into the stands to give the home side some breathing room.Bethell (38* off 29) and Livingstone (30* off 32) then took Phoenix home with a half-century partnership, as they chased it with seven balls to spare.With one game left each, the result leaves three teams with a chance of joining Oval Invincibles in the knockout rounds – Phoenix, Southern Brave and Northern Superchargers. Defeat for Trent Rockets means that, like London Spirit, Manchester Originals and Welsh Fire, their tournament is over.

Well, it feels like Liverpool and Newcastle United are primed for a summer of fencing over Alexander Isak. The Magpies striker is on FSG’s wishlist, even if there’s a prevailing sense that Eddie Howe’s side are going to ensure their talisman stays put.

In fact, PIF have priced the centre-forward at £200m and are reportedly prepared to make him the highest-paid player in Newcastle’s history.

It’s unlikely that this one will come to fruition for Arne Slot’s side, but the door isn’t completely closed on a stunning summer capture to complement the thick breadth of talent already being added to the Anfield ranks: Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz brought in from Bayer Leverkusen, Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez just announced too.

Isak was only outscored by that man Mohamed Salah in the Premier League last season, and is one of the most mobile and talented nines in Europe, even remarked to have been “the best striker in the world” last season by analyst Raj Chohan.

Of course, in order to get such a deal over the line, Liverpool would need to make sure they offload Darwin Nunez.

The latest on Darwin Nunez's future

25 years old, Nunez should be heading into his prime – and he might be, but not at Liverpool. It hasn’t worked out for the man who cost FSG some £64m to bring over from Benfica (his full £85m fee will not be reached).

Anticipated to be on the move for several months, things are starting to move, with Serie A champions Napoli locked in talks with Liverpool to bring the player – who has green-lit the potential transfer – over to Naples.

Despite his flaws, Nunez remains popular within the Liverpool fanbase and is endowed with the archetypal physical faculties of the modern high-level striker. But consistency has proved elusive across his three years on Merseyside, and now it’s time for change.

Nunez actually regressed under Slot’s management, scoring just seven times across 43 matches in 2024/25. Others rose to the occasion, stepped up, but, tactically, the Uruguayan was incongruent in the system, unable to process the calculated and measured nature of the coach’s vision.

Liverpool might not sign Isak this summer, but it’s pretty clear that a new striker will be required to combat Nunez’s departure. Someone refined and respected as one of the continent’s sharpest marksmen.

And someone affordable at that.

Liverpool open talks for Nunez upgrade

According to Correio da Manha, Liverpool have entered the race for Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, with Arsenal and Manchester United the notable competitors.

The 27-year-old has established himself as one of the most prolific strikers in Europe over the past few years and is believed to have a €80m (£68m) price tag, something Liverpool have confirmed after opening talks with the player’s representatives.

Said to be ‘heartbroken’ after Sporting president Frederico Varandas purportedly went back on a gentleman’s agreement to let him leave for a comparatively modest fee at the end of the 2024/25 season, Gyokeres has no intention of playing for the two-in-a-row Liga Portugal champions again.

Arsenal are the clear favourites in the race, but Liverpool are there, and they need a striker.

Why Liverpool should sign Viktor Gyokeres

Gyokeres is at the top of his game and has been profiled favourably by some of English football’s heaviest hitters. He might not have the same depth of talent as Isak, and indeed remains at this point unproven in the Premier League, but he’s a “ball-striking monster”, as per analyst Ben Mattinson and could prove a massive upgrade on Nunez.

When you consider he’s available for a fraction of the cost that FSG would need to pay to bring Newcastle’s goal-getter over to Anfield, snapping him up before rivals steal ahead feels like a bit of a no-brainer.

In fact, Isak’s 27-goal haul across the campaign is dwarfed by that of his compatriot, who fired 54 goals home for his outfit across domestic and European endeavours, playing only 52 matches.

1.

Viktor Gyokeres

33

39

2.

Kylian Mbappe

34

31

3.

Mohamed Salah

38

29

4.

Robert Lewandowski

34

27

5.

Harry Kane

31

26

Think of a forward, the best you can. They didn’t outscore Gyokeres in any of Europe’s top ten divisions last season, with the Swede’s 39-goal haul an illustration of his prowess.

His clinical nature – something that Nunez is decidedly lacking in – has even illustrated a sharper ball-striking quality than Isak, and if that can be translated over to English football, Slot will be a happy man indeed.

A fair criticism would be that he plies his trade in Portugal, and Nunez wrapped up his final campaign in the country with 34 goals across 41 matches in all competitions, prompting Jurgen Klopp to spend prodigally on his signature.

However, Gyokeres is far more accomplished, technically, athletically and physically, having been described as a “very physical striker” and a “powerhouse” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Moreover, he’s proven his ability to steal the show against the Premier League’s finest.

And if that’s not sold him, just take a look at FBref’s evaluation, Gyokeres’ data gleaned across a period of 12 months to paint a vivid picture of his completeness, not just a goalscorer.

Indeed, he ranked among the top 11% of positional peers across divisions similar to the Liga Portugal for assists, the top 1% for progressive carries and shot-creating actions, and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90.

Nunez was much younger when he arrived in the Premier League, a raw prospect with the hint of something special. Conversely, Gyokeres is at the heart of his prime years, no doubt robust and confident enough to work well with Salah, Wirtz and the like.

Fans have always clung onto hope that their record forward would come good, but when Slot stated in February that he “can’t accept” his work rate after a string of disappointing performances, it became quite clear that his day was done.

It’s time for change, and Gyokeres would be a fantastic addition given his relatively affordable price tag and the existing depth of creative quality in Slot’s squad.

He'd be Wirtz 2.0: Liverpool stand a "chance" of signing the "next Mbappe"

Liverpool believe they have a good chance to sign a star who would be a Florian Wirtz repeat.

1 ByDan Emery Jun 26, 2025

With Thierno Barry signed and delivered, Everton have reportedly made their first approach to sign a fresh midfield star in a deal that could be worth £30m this summer.

Thierno Barry: "It's a dream to play in the Premier League"

Kicking off their summer business in style, Everton finally unveiled the arrival of Barry earlier this week. The talented striker has arrived in a deal worth around £27m and should put any concerns over Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s departure to rest. Alongside Beto, the former Villarreal star should provide David Moyes with more than enough firepower.

The new striker expressed his delight after putting pen to paper, telling Evertontv: “I’m very happy. It’s very exciting to be here. I just can’t wait to start and I hope to start very quickly.

“Everton is a big club in the Premier League. They have a good history and good players have played here, like Wayne Rooney and Romelu Lukaku. When I was young I liked to watch these players, now I want to do like these players who have gone before.

“I had good conversations with the manager. He told me I have the quality to play in the Premier League. He wants to do good work with me. He wants to help me on my road and I felt the sincerity with him so that’s why I chose to come here as well.

The dream squad Everton can build: £88m quintet & "beast" sign after Barry

A look at how Everton’s dream squad could shape up next season

1 ByJoe Nuttall Jul 10, 2025

“For me, it is a dream to play in the Premier League. I think I proved in my career so far that I can adapt. For example, last season I went to LaLiga, which is a top league, and I think I had a good season for my first season. I’m not scared to play here and do the same.”

The Toffees aren’t waiting around to admire their new signing, however. Instead, it’s full steam ahead in pursuit of further arrivals and perhaps even a Premier League rival.

Everton make first £30m John McGinn enquiry

As reported by Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Everton have now made their first enquiry to sign John McGinn, telling Aston Villa that they’d be willing to pay £30m to welcome the midfielder this summer. Despite reports that the Scotland international is unhappy about his current role under Unai Emery, though, the Villans have swiftly rejected that approach.

Alas, this saga may be far from over. Everton are reportedly still optimistic that they can strike a deal to sign McGinn in the latter stages of the transfer window, especially if Aston Villa welcome a midfield reinforcement of their own.

If their optimism turns into a summer move, then McGinn will be bringing an end to an excellent seven-year spell in the Midlands, in which he has earned plenty of praise.

Emery, among those with plenty of positives to say about his captain, told reporters in 2023: “He is a very good example, of how he is consistent and trying to help and to be an example, a very good example for players. I really, really appreciate a lot as a person how he is, but as a professional, he is fantastic.”

Leeds United now want to sign an “amazing” attacker who was once the top goalscorer in the Europa League, according to a new report.

Leeds chasing new attacking signings after Nmecha

The Whites have already added Lukas Nmecha as an attacking signing to their squad this summer, but it appears, given recent speculation, that Daniel Farke is keen to add more options to his forward line.

Related 49ers now weighing up Leeds move to sign "electric" £20m+ Ligue 1 striker

Contact has already been made by the Whites.

Posts 2 ByBrett Worthington Jul 13, 2025

Lecce centre-forward Nikola Krstovic remains a mooted target for the Yorkshire side, and it has been claimed they could be ready to make a new offer for the striker. But the Championship title winners do face a problem, as Krstovic is reportedly keen on either staying in Italy or playing for a team competing in Europe.

Meanwhile, Graeme Bailey has revealed that Leeds are also eyeing a move to sign Josh Sargent from Norwich City. The USA international has worked with Farke before at Carrow Road, and the German is thought to be keen to reunite with the player once again, but they face stiff competition, as fellow Premier League rivals Burnley are also keen on striking a deal.

But the list of attacking options doesn’t stop there, as the Whites are even considering a move to sign Evann Guessand, who is expected to leave OGC Nice this summer. Leeds reportedly made contact with the player last month, but they face competition from fellow Premier League teams Sunderland and Brentford.

Leeds want to sign "amazing" attacker who was once Europa League top scorer

As well as a new striker, Farke is also looking at improving his attacking midfield options, and according to RMC Sport, relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds are interested in signing Yusuf Yazici from Greek side Olympiacos.

The attacking midfielder only joined the Greek giants in September last year, but given he only made one appearance before suffering an injury that has seen him on the sidelines for eight months, he could now be on his way out. Despite his injury, Yazici is attracting transfer interest, as the Whites and an unnamed French side are keen on signing the 28-year-old.

It is unclear how much Yazici could cost Leeds, but he is still under contract until 2027. The Turkey international is very versatile, as he can operate anywhere as an attacking midfielder, right-winger or centre-forward. In fact, despite his main position being an attacking midfielder, Yazici surprised many during the 2020/21 season, as he finished the Europa League campaign as the top goalscorer with seven goals for Lille.

Yusuf Yazici’s club career stats

Clubs

Apps

Goals

Assists

LOSC Lille

135

29

15

Trabzonspor

120

27

22

CSKA Moscow

12

8

2

Olympiacos

1

0

0

In the past, Yazici has also impressed many high-profile players, with former Real Madrid and Arsenal midfielder Mesut Özil labelling Yazici as an “amazing” number 10. Ozil said: “Yusuf Yazici is an amazing No. 10. We have a lot of similarities his left foot, his position, his passing, and his calmness on the ball.”

Dwayne Bravo, the highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket, has announced that he will retire from the CPL after the ongoing season. Bravo, who will turn 41 in October, made the announcement public hours before Trinbago Knight Riders’ opening game of CPL 2024, against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in Basseterre.”It’s been a great journey. This season will be my last one and I’m looking forward to a playing my final professional tournament in front of my Caribbean ppl,” Bravo posted on Instagram. “TKR is the place where everything started for me and will end with my team.”Related

• Russell and TKR pay tribute to CPL legend Bravo

• Jordan joins TKR; Amazon Warriors captain Tahir out for ten days with injury

• Five young West Indians to look out for at CPL 2024

• Everything you need to know about the new CPL season

• Klaasen pulls out of CPL 2024 for family reasons

Bravo is also the highest wicket-taker in the CPL currently, with 128 strikes in 103 games at an average of 22.40 and economy rate of 8.69.Bravo’s CPL retirement comes almost three years after he ended his T20I career following West Indies’ early exit at the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. Then in 2023, Bravo retired from the IPL, and has served as Chennai Super Kings’ bowling coach since in the league.At the CPL, Bravo is the most decorated player, having won five titles in all, including three with TKR alone. Bravo is hoping to end his CPL career with his fourth title with them.He had led TKR to back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 before captaining Patriots to their first title in 2021.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In 2020, Bravo was part of the TKR title-winning side as a player. During that season, he became the first player to 500 T20 wickets as TKR enjoyed an unbeaten run to the title amid the Covid-19 pandemic.Ahead of CPL 2021, Bravo moved to Patriots for a new challenge and ended up winning his first – and only – CPL title for a non-Trinidad franchise. It was a comprehensive turnaround from 2020, when Patriots had finished at the bottom.Pete Russell, CEO of the CPL, paid tribute to Bravo. “We are so grateful that Dwayne has been a part of our tournament since its inception in 2013 and his contribution to making the league what it is today is immeasurable,” he said in a statement. “The CPL has become known around the world as the biggest party in sport and Dwayne’s enthusiasm and amazing personality has done as much as anyone to bring that to life. We are certain that ‘Sir Champion’ will continue to play a massive role in T20 cricket going forward and we wish him all the best in the next chapter.”In a number of T20 leagues around the world, especially at the CPL, Bravo has been harnessing his experience to nurture youngsters, settling into a role like MS Dhoni has been fulfilling for Chennai Super Kings for a while. During CPL 2021, for example, he took allrounder Dominic Drakes under his wing and helped transform him into a match-winner. Drakes came away with the Player-of-the-Match award in the CPL 2021 final and continued to work with Bravo in other leagues, including IPL (Chennai Super Kings) and T10 (Delhi Bulls).Bravo has also worked closely with Ali Khan, the USA fast bowler, who also often fronts up to bowl at the death for TKR. Bravo had first spotted Khan in the US Open T20 tournament and signed him on for the Winnipeg Hawks in the Global T20 Canada, before recommending him to TKR.At the CPL, Dwayne Bravo performs a mentorship role that MS Dhoni has been doing for CSK•BCCI

Coach Simon Helmot, who was earlier part of the leadership group at both Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel and Patriots, delivered a glowing appraisal of Bravo’s captaincy during an interview with ESPNcricinfo in 2021.”In 2021 [at St Kitts & Nevis Patriots], I saw a difference again from 2014-16. He wasn’t just the captain, he was the ultimate leader,” Helmot had said at the time. “He’s invested in our staff and players, he’s invested in our ownership and the entire organisation. Maybe that’s with him being involved with CSK and their strong organisation. But I’ve seen this guy grow around 15 years now from being a quality captain, player, and now the whole gamut.”Game intelligence and game starts in T20 cricket is crucial. Yes, T20 can be known as a young person’s game, but it’s also for the person of experience – one who can problem-solve and work out situations, not just for themselves but also for team-mates around.”Then, ahead of CPL 2023, Bravo returned to TKR and formed a fearsome core along with his good friend Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran. They progressed to the final where they lost to Imran Tahir’s Guyana Amazon Warriors.While CPL 2024 will be his last tournament on home soil, Bravo will be in action in other franchise competitions around the world. He is currently contracted to MI Emirates, who have retained him ahead of the third season of ILT20 in the UAE. He is set to reunite with Pollard and Pooran in the Emirates. Last month, Bravo had also turned out for Texas Super Kings in the Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA.

Leeds United may have to brace for the departure of a “fantastic” player, who now wants to leave the club this summer, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has revealed.

Leeds' summer rebuild well underway

Having been promoted from the Championship last season, Leeds have been busy assembling a squad capable of surviving in the Premier League, with centre-back duo Sebastian Bornauw and Jaka Bijol recently sealing moves to Elland Road.

Striker Lukas Nmecha has also secured a move to West Yorkshire, with Daniel Farke looking to bolster his options in attack, despite already having the 2024-25 Championship top scorer at his disposal in the form of Joel Piroe.

Lecce centre-forward Nikola Krstovic also remains of interest to the Championship title-winners, with it being revealed they are now pushing to get a deal over the line, which means one of Farke’s current striker options may need to make way.

"Done deal" as Leeds sell 6 foot 2 player who Farke called "great"

A “full agreement” has been reached.

1

By
Charlie Smith

Jul 3, 2025

In an interview with Leeds United News, Bailey has now revealed that Mateo Joseph could be on the move this summer, with the forward eager to seal an Elland Road exit and return to his home country of Spain, amid interest from La Liga side Real Betis.

The transfer expert said: “From what I’ve most recently been told, he does want to go back to Spain. But Leeds have got to be careful, in my opinion. You can’t just let Mateo Joseph go and do whatever and then be left short. That’s the consideration.

“But I think Joseph will end up back in Spain. Betis have sold a forward in Jesus Rodriguez to Como and that’ll be used to help pay for Joseph.

“From what I’m hearing, he could be accelerated into the first-team squad for Spain very quickly. And I think that’s probably in his consideration as well.”

Krstovic could be excellent replacement for Joseph

Piroe was Leeds’ main man in attack last season, scoring 19 goals in the Championship, but Joseph also featured regularly, picking up seven goal contributions in the second tier, and his departure could be a blow for Farke.

At just 21-years-old, the £13m-rated youngster still has a lot of room to develop, but he has already caught the eye of scout/writer Jacek Kulig, who described the forward as “fantastic” a little over a year ago.

That said, Krstovic could be a solid replacement for Joseph, given that the Montenegro international was regularly amongst the goals for Lecce last season, netting 12 times across 38 appearances in all competitions.

Competition	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Serie A	37	11	5
Italian Cup	1	1	0

Having already proven himself in a major European league, the Lecce star could be an instant upgrade on Joseph, so if the starlet makes it clear that he wants to leave this summer, Leeds should not stand in his way.

Ollie Pope in the spotlight as England choose not to bowl final 22 overs of third day

Matt Roller31-Aug-2024Eoin Morgan criticised England and Ollie Pope for a lack of killer instinct with “everything in their favour”, as their refusal to continue bowling spin from both ends brought the third day of their second Test against Sri Lanka to a premature close at Lord’s.Pope brought on Shoaib Bashir and Joe Root to bowl in tandem for three overs with Sri Lanka 24 for 1, after umpires Paul Reiffel and Joel Wilson determined that the light was too poor for seamers to bowl. It briefly improved enough for Matthew Potts and Olly Stone to return – with Stone dismissing Pathum Nissanka – before Bashir and Root returned for five further overs.With 22 overs left in the day, the players then left the field – with Pope seemingly keen to avoid further wear on the new ball – and did not return for the rest of the day. It was a notable contrast to his decision to stay on the field in similar bad light in the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford, where Root and Bashir bowled 12 consecutive overs of spin as Sri Lanka’s No.9 Milan Rathnayake made 72 in his debut innings.”I think it’s a questionable decision,” Morgan, who spent seven years as England’s white-ball captain, said on Sky Sports’ coverage. “The reason behind that is just the whole context of the last hour or so: it is dark. There’s a reason the seamers can’t bowl: it is dangerous for everybody concerned.”If you’re sitting in Sri Lanka’s changing room, you’re thinking, ‘Jeez the last place I want to be is out there with the bat in hand – facing anybody.’ It’s a lose-lose situation. I totally understand the concern for the condition of the ball, but you’re talking about England’s premium fingerspinner in Shoaib Bashir, who needs to bowl. The ball is turning and bouncing.”Sri Lanka had promoted Prabath Jayasuriya, who batted at No. 9 in the first innings, to No. 4 in a bid to reach the close of play unscathed. “They’re bowling at a No. 9 at one end. Everything is in England’s favour,” Morgan said. “I question the decision… you have runs to play with, you have two or three new balls, everything in your favour. And yet you’re sitting in the changing room.”Related

More bad-light farce at The Oval as Chris Woakes is forced to bowl spin mid-over

Alastair Cook hails 'genius' Root after England-record 34th Test hundred

Joe Root notches record 34th Test hundred as England close in

Root breaks records with twin tons at Lord's

Clenched fist in a velvet glove as Joe Root comes good when it matters again

England’s decision to come off meant a near-capacity crowd at Lord’s headed home early – in the face of the team’s stated desire to entertain. “We pride ourselves on wanting people to come into the ground and feel like they’ve had a really enjoyable day of cricket, and can walk away wanting to come back for more Test cricket,” Joe Root said, after the early close.Pope, who is deputising for Ben Stokes against Sri Lanka, has already come in for heavy criticism as captain, with Michael Vaughan suggesting that he is “not the kind of personality” for the role. After he was caught in the deep for 17 on Saturday when attempting to upper-cut Asitha Fernando over point, he has now scored 30 runs in four innings across the first two Tests.Jayasuriya successfully saw out 23 balls as Sri Lanka’s ‘lightwatchman’, with Dimuth Karunaratne 23 not out overnight. Sri Lanka still require a further 430 runs across the final two days for an improbable series-squaring win, but their batting coach Ian Bell suggested they still have some hope of saving the game.”The more we can spend time in the middle and that ball gets a bit softer…” Bell said. “This wicket has been quite a new-ball wicket, if you can get through that. There’s still plenty of batting, and that’s probably been the strength so far this tour: that middle-lower order have got some good runs. Tomorrow, the first hour is important and we’ll go from there.”Bell said he was pleased with the “character” that Sri Lanka showed on the third day: “What we asked the guys last night was to come in with the attitude that we saw in Manchester… A bit unfortunate to lose a second wicket in that little period of an over or two in between the bad light, but more of the same tomorrow.”It’s more the character we want to see, that we’ve seen so far in this tour. Obviously, you want to win games, but also want to see the guys fight for everything they’ve got in these conditions, which are a bit more tricky than what they play in in Sri Lanka.”

أرسلت رابطة الأندية المصرية المحترفة، برئاسة أحمد دياب، خطابًا رسميًا إلى اتحاد الكرة المصري لكرة القدم، برئاسة هاني أبو ريدة، بشأن مباراة القمة بين فريقي الأهلي والزمالك.

ومن المُقرر أن يلتقي الأهلي مع الزمالك يوم 29 من سبتمبر الجاري، ضمن مواجهات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وجاء هذا التحرك من رابطة الأندية بعد تلقيها طلبًا رسميًا من النادي الأهلي، طالب فيه بضرورة وجود طاقم تحكيم دولي للمباراة، ضمانًا للحيادية وتحقيقًا لأعلى معايير العدالة التحكيمية في مثل هذه المباريات الحاسمة.

طالع أيضاً.. الأهلي يُعلن نقل إمام عاشور إلى المستشفى

ومن المتوقع أن يدرس اتحاد الكرة الطلب ويتخذ الإجراءات اللازمة لضمان سير المباراة بسلاسة ونزاهة، حيث تكتسب هذه المباراة أهمية خاصة كونها قد تُحدث تغييرًا كبيرًا في مسار بطولة الدوري، حيث يسعى كل فريق لتحقيق الفوز لتعزيز موقفه في المنافسة.

وتُعد هذه الخطوة جزءًا من الجهود المستمرة من رابطة الأندية المحترفة لضمان تنظيم مباريات الدوري بأفضل شكل ممكن، وتجنب أي جدل قد ينشأ حول القرارات التحكيمية.

ويحتل الزمالك صدارة جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 13 نقطة، بينما يتواجد الأهلي بالمركز الخامس عشر، ولديه 6 نقاط.

Leeds United have had a busy summer transfer window already, making four signings, including three defenders and a striker on a free transfer, namely Lukas Nmecha.

Now, it seems like the Whites have moved onto a midfield target, with Sean Longstaff of Newcastle United now in their sights.

A recent report from Sky Sports suggests that Daniel Farke’s side have had a bid worth around £12m for Longstaff rejected by his boyhood club. Leeds may well go back in for the midfielder, but it’s also revealed they are now considering their options ahead of bolstering their central options.

The Yorkshire outfit might not be done there, and are said to be eying up another new addition, who could prove to be an even more important signing than Longstaff.

Leeds' next signing after Longstaff

So, it certainly seems like Leeds are doing all they can to bring in their fifth new signing of the summer to Elland Road.

Transfer Focus

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

Once they’ve bolstered the midfield, they must move on to an even more important area; the goalkeeping department.

According to a recent report from Turkish news outlet As Marca, the Whites are lining up a move for Fenerbahce and Croatian international goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. The 30-year-old is reportedly the subject of a £6m bid from Leeds.

However, that does not come close to the price tag the Turkish side are holding out for. Instead, Jose Mourinho’s side want in the region of £11m to make a deal happen.

Leeds will have to be quick, with Livakovic also of interest to fellow Premier League sides Sunderland, Aston Villa, and Chelsea.

Why Livakovic would be a good signing

If there is one criticism people had for Leeds last season, which was not easy given they reached a century of Championship points, it was the lack of consistency shown by first-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Well, perhaps signing a new goalkeeper in the form of Livakovic is the answer to Leeds’ struggles between the posts. The Croatian star had an impressive campaign in 2024/25 for Fenerbahce, playing 32 games across all competitions, conceding just 38 goals and keeping nine clean sheets.

He was also Croatia’s first-choice goalkeeper at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. There, he was the hero in penalty shootouts against Japan and Brazil as his side came third in the tournament. Statman Dave described him as a “big-game” player as a result of his efforts.

As for Meslier, his initial numbers last season might not suggest any goalkeeping frailties. In 39 Championship games, he conceded 27 goals and kept 21 clean sheets, which you’d be happy with at the end of a campaign.

Yet, digging a little deeper tells the full story. He made three errors leading to a goal and prevented -2.73 goals. To put that number into context, of the 50 goalkeepers who played a game in the second tier last term, only six glovemen had poorer records between the sticks.

It was undeniably a calamitous year for Meslier, which included that bizarre mistake against Sunderland. Ex-Leeds man Aidy White told BBC Radio Leeds that “they have got to drop” the Frenchman.

For that reason, Livakovic would be a better addition than Longstaff. The simple fact is that Leeds need to improve in goal, more than they do in the middle of the park where the likes of Ao Tanaka, Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu are consistent figures.

A look at the underlying numbers also suggests that the Croatian number one would be a huge upgrade on Leeds’ current first-choice shot stopper.

As the stats on Sofascore show, Livakovic averages 2.5 saves compared to Meslier’s 1.7 saves per 90 minutes. The numbers also suggest that the Fenerbahce star is better with his feet, and last season averaged 5.6 accurate long balls compared to just 2.5 accurate long balls each game from the Frenchman.

Goals conceded

1.2

0.7

Saves made

2.5

1.7

Save percentage

67.8%

70.7%

Penalty save percentage

40%

25%

Accurate long balls

5.6

2.5

All the evidence suggests that Livakovic would be a far better signing than Longstaff. Whilst the Newcastle man would bring experience into the midfield, having a reliable man between the sticks is exactly what Leeds need this season.

Meslier had some poor moments last term, and bringing in Livakovic could help solve their issues and allow more consistency in goal. He may certainly end up being a better signing than Longstaff.

More exciting than Longstaff: Leeds pursuing deal for "unplayable" £20m ace

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing up a star who would be an even more exciting signing than Sean Longstaff.

1 ByDan Emery Jul 10, 2025