Southampton are looking to bounce back to the Premier League and could be set to pounce for a talented star if they lose one of their higher-profile assets this summer, according to a report.

Southampton look to build with Kamaldeen Sulemana funds

With the window underway at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton have sold Kamaldeen Sulemana to Atalanta for £18 million as they begin to clear the decks ahead of returning to competitive action.

Will Still’s men have also inserted a sell-on clause in the agreement, which will see the Ghana international link up with Ivan Juric after the pair worked together last season.

Joshua Quarshie has come in from Hoffenheim and there will be more signings to come at Saints, with FC Köln striker Damion Downs reported to be on their list.

Previewing how his potential arrival could unfold, German journalist Constantin Eckner has pleaded for caution as the United States international continues to develop.

He stated: “He’s still an up-and-comer with little experience but has developed into an interesting striker. He’s more of a project rather than a finished product.”

Same agent as Downes: Southampton in "advanced" deal talks for "top" star

Southampton are now moving closer to signing a new striker this summer.

ByBrett Worthington Jun 30, 2025

Bobby Clark is reportedly keen on a move to Southampton after being left out of RB Salzburg’s squad for the Club World Cup, and he has all the hallmarks of a smart acquisition that could add some fresh legs in the engine room.

On the other hand, any fee for Downs would likely sit just below £7 million, which would represent good value for money after his return of 11 goals and six assists last campaign.

Making tracks, Southampton could now swoop for a reliable stopper between the sticks who has proven pedigree in the EFL Championship.

Southampton enter race to sign Anthony Patterson from Sunderland

According to Football Insider in conversation with former scout Mick Brown, Southampton are in contention to sign Anthony Patterson from Sunderland as a potential replacement for Aaron Ramsdale.

He explained: “Patterson is a top young goalkeeper and he’s got a good reputation. I personally still have some doubts about him, and it looks like Sunderland might share those.”

Anthony Patterson in 2024/25 – Sky Bet Championship

Appearances

45

Goals conceded

45

Clean sheets

14

Save percentage rate

70.3%

Shots on target against

128

He added: “I’m told Southampton are one of the clubs looking at him because they expect Ramsdale to leave. He’s got a release clause in his contract and clubs have been looking at him.”

Labelled “excellent” by Simon Moore, the Black Cats seemingly do hold conerns over Patterson as they close in on Djordje Petrovic, making first-team minutes difficult to come by at Sunderland, who are worried by his lack of top level experience.

Brown made it clear the ball will be in his court, but Southampton will hope they can convince Patterson to make the move south if Aaron Ramsdale indeed does leave the club for a new challenge.

Manchester United have finally announced the signing of Bryan Mbeumo, with a £71m deal agreed, finally, on Friday.

Weeks of negotiating had cast a grey cloud over the exciting transfer, with doubts beginning to creep in as to whether the Cameroonian would actually be plying his trade as a Red Devil next season.

Mbeumo, 25, is one of the Premier League’s most talented and prolific forwards, posting 20 goals across 38 matches last season. The likes of Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur all registered their interest, but it was Old Trafford that Mbeumo’s heart was set on.

With Matheus Cunha on the opposite flank, the right-sided forward may well wreak havoc under Ruben Amorim’s wing next year, in a new-look United frontline tasked with leading the revival.

However, a new striker is still required.

Man United's need for a new a striker

Rasmus Hojlund appears committed to the United cause. Amorim needs, truly needs, to ensure that an upgrade is signed this summer, even if the 22-year-old remains in the first-team squad.

This wouldn’t actually be the worst thing in the world, for it would package some depth while easing Hojlund’s weight of responsibility, perhaps allowing him to work on his weaker points.

But United need a new centre-forward all the same.

According to Football Transfers, that man might be Nicolas Jackson, who is open to swapping Chelsea for United.

That follows positive talks between Jason Wilcox and the player’s representatives, with discussions still ongoing over personal terms for Jackson.

Chelsea have lowered their exorbitant £100m asking price to £70m; however it’s likely that United will still seek to whittle that figure down.

What Nicolas Jackson would bring to Man United

The duality of Jackson. At times, a rip-roaring, barnstorming menace of a striker; at other points, wasteful and lacking authority at number nine.

However, 24 goals and ten assists across two Premier League seasons is nothing to be sniffed at, especially when considering that only 59 of his 65 fixtures have come from the outset.

Jackson tapered off across the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, but he posted nine goals and three assists across his opening 15 league games, thus proving that with some more consistency, he could become one of the leading goalscorers competing in England.

Nicolas Jackson – League Stats by Season (past five years)

Season

Apps (starts)

Goals

Assists

24/25 – Chelsea

30 (28)

10

5

23/24 – Chelsea

35 (31)

14

5

22/23 – Villarreal

26 (16)

12

4

21/22 – Villarreal

9 (0)

1

0

Data via Transfermarkt

And partnered with someone like Mbeumo in United’s frontline, he could finally reach the level that his natural talent suggests is attainable.

Mbeumo is chiefly a deadly goalscorer, but he’s also a robust athletic profile and a creative presence besides.

As per Sofascore, he created a whopping 17 big chances in the Premier League last season, averaging 1.8 key passes per game.

In this way, he could be perfect for Jackson, feeding the Senegalese star balls while maintaining his own top-class goalscoring threat.

And Jackson, who has been hailed in the past as a “special” striker by journalist Rahman Osman, is hardly one-note himself, ranked among the top 17% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last year for progressive carries and the top 22% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

Ultimately, this would be a calculated risk from INEOS for a talented striker who has yet to bring it all together and sustain it in the English game.

But with Mbeumo partnering him up top (and Cunha too), Jackson might just prove to be an astute signing for a resurgent Man United side.

Related Bigger star than Mbeumo: Man Utd discussing £78m move to sign "new Haaland"

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim wants to sign an upgrade on Rasmus Hojlund.

Posts 2 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 21, 2025

Leeds United only have two more friendly fixtures left for this summer before the Premier League season finally kicks off.

The remaining matches on the schedule will test Daniel Farke’s Whites ahead of their journey up to the top flight, as Villarreal travel to Elland Road at the start of August, before a trip to Ireland takes place for the West Yorkshire side’s clash with AC Milan.

Anton Stach will hope he’s given his first runout in Leeds white against the visitors from Spain, having just signed on the dotted line for £17.4m.

He is unlikely to be the final signing of Leeds’ action-packed summer, however, as plenty more signings are tipped to join Farke’s camp before Everton come to town next month.

Leeds still chasing £26m attacker

Sunderland have eclipsed Leeds’ spending when considering the business conducted by the promoted clubs, with the Black Cats splashing out £30m on just one player when snapping up Habib Diarra.

The Whites could blow their spending out of the water if they’re willing to fork out a crazy £50m to land Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz, with that high amount being the wild price tag above the Brazilian’s head courtesy of the Cottagers.

There also appears to be a deal now wrapped up for Lyon goalkeeper Lucas Perri to join the club, but the newly promoted side isn’t just looking at Muniz in isolation when it comes to some statement deals in attack.

Indeed, reports seem to suggest that Leeds are still very much chasing after long-term target Igor Paixao, with an update from Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph indicating that Farke and Co. are “closely monitoring” the unfolding situation with the Feyenoord winger.

At one stage, it looked like a formality that Marseille were going to wrap up a £26m deal for the entertaining forward. However, that deal has gone cold, meaning the Whites have returned to the dramatic race.

Leeds have been here before when splashing the cash on a thrilling addition from Europe, with Farke full of hope surely that Paixao can be his next iteration of Georginio Rutter if a move finally gets over the line.

Why Paixao can become Farke's next Rutter

Rutter would join the building for a mammoth £35.5m in January of 2023, and minus a rocky start at Leeds as they were relegated down to the Championship, the Frenchman was a firm fan’s favourite for the majority of his electric Elland Road stay.

Indeed, the 2023/24 campaign would see Rutter consistently dazzle EFL defences under Farke’s wing, culminating in him registering a mind-blowing seven goals and 16 assists across the span of the ultimately disappointing campaign, as Leeds failed to immediately break back into the Premier League.

Rutter’s whirlwind journey in West Yorkshire would then come to an abrupt end here as he moved onto the Premier League anyway with Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Whites shouldn’t hold the same concerns that Paixao will look to jump ship so soon into his stint, however, with the Brazilian looking readymade to cause a storm in the testing division after Farke and Co. clinched promotion, if his Eredivisie heroics are anything to go by.

Games played

34

Goals scored

16

Assists

10

Touches*

48.1

Accurate passes*

20.6 (78%)

Big chances missed

11

Big chances created

12

The direct, “explosive” nature of the £26m attacker – as he’s been labelled by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – was on full display last campaign in the Netherlands, as seen in his colossal tally of 16 goals and ten assists in league action, which eclipses the total amassed by Rutter during the 2023/24 season by three goal contributions.

The agile 5-foot-6 winger should hopefully be able to slot into the Leeds set-up and be equally as devastating, having also been hailed as “incredible” by his Feyenoord manager Robin Van Persie, who definitely knows a thing or two about exciting forward players.

A handful of a player, like Rutter, Paixao is particularly adept at making his presence felt in the final third, having ranked in the top 12% of Eredivisie wingers for touches in the attacking penalty area last season, at an average of 5.48 per 90, as per FBref. Rutter, for context, averaged a similar figure of 5.49 in the Championship in 2023/24.

Both a goalscorer and creator, like the Frenchman, the Feyenoord sensation also mirrors his attacking counterpart in being able to operate in a variety of attacking roles, be it off his favoured left flank or in a central berth.

Paixao will also already be aware of the hallowed ground of Elland Road and the impact stars like him can have on the adoring masses, with the 25-year-old once sourcing Raphinha as a direct source of inspiration as his career unwinds.

He could even boldly attempt to replicate Raphinha’s success story in West Yorkshire in being another sparkling gem that enables Leeds to stay afloat in the top-flight, as the excitement levels continue to build ahead of the Premier League campaign starting.

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5 ByKelan Sarson Jul 23, 2025

Glasgow Rangers have been focused on bringing players to Ibrox during the summer transfer window, as they have brought in the likes of Thelo Aasgaard, Emmanuel Fernandez, Djeidi Gassama, and Max Aarons, among others.

However, Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell also have to be wary of the size of the squad and the reality that some players will have to move on, amid interest in some of the fringe members of the team.

As you can see in the post above from Sacha Tavolieri, there are at least three teams interested in a deal to sign central defender Clinton Nsiala.

Martin has already admitted that the centre-back, who was not included in the squad to face Panathinaikos on Tuesday, could be on his way out of Ibrox this summer, and the former AC Milan man may not be the only one.

Two teams have major interest in Rangers forward

Nsiala is far from the only player on the fringes of the squad ahead of next season, as there will be plenty of people looking at their futures beyond 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.

According to the Daily Record, Rangers forward Ross McCausland is attracting interest from a number of clubs ahead of a potential move away from Ibrox.

The report claims that Aris Limassol and two teams in the MLS have a ‘major’ interest in snapping up the Northern Ireland international before the end of the window.

It adds that they are weighing him up as a potential loan signing, whilst there are also unnamed teams from England monitoring his situation.

Why Rangers should allow Ross McCausland to go

The Light Blues should allow McCausland to leave, whether that is on loan or on a permanent basis, this summer because he is as dispensable as Nsiala, who Martin has already admitted could be on his way out.

In the 2024/25 campaign, the French centre-back started ten of his 11 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, but ended the season as an unused substitute in the last two matches.

McCausland, meanwhile, only started four of his 13 appearances in the division for the Scottish giants, who have since signed Aasgaard and Gassama to play in the attacking midfield positions.

Appearances

13

Starts

4

Goals

0

Big chances created

0

Key passes per game

0.6

Assists

1

Red cards

1

As you can see in the table above, the academy graduate offered very little in the final third from a right wing position, with zero goals and zero assists in those 13 games.

He ended the season with more red cards (one) than goal contributions in the league, having been sent off for two bookable offences against Aberdeen in April.

Pundit Tam McManus criticised the “poor” Rangers flop after those mistakes, as McCausland made a rash challenge whilst already on a yellow card to end up being sent off.

The 22-year-old dud is, therefore, just as dispensable as Nsiala is this summer, as both players failed to nail down a place as a regular starter in the league last season, and are now attracting suitors from elsewhere.

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If Martin is willing to allow Nsiala to leave, as he has suggested, then the manager should be willing to allow McCausland, who started even fewer games in the league last term, to go as well.

Celtic have developed a strong reputation for buying players and then selling them on for a profit further down the line, and Nicolas Kuhn is the latest example of their expertise in player trading.

The German forward is closing in on a £16.5m transfer to Serie A outfit Como this summer, 18 months on from paying £3m to sign him from Rapid Vienna.

He is set to join that list above, between Odsonne Edouard and Moussa Dembele, and will be above some big names, including Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk.

The Netherlands captain joined the Hoops from Groningen and made 115 appearances before his £13m transfer to Southampton in the summer of 2015.

Celtic's interest in Dutch defender

The Scottish Premiership champions could repeat the blinder they played with van Dijk by swooping to sign another Dutch central defender with potential 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.

Celtic are reportedly keen on a deal to sign £3m-rated Famalicao centre-back Justin De Haas to bolster their options at the back, and a Dutch expert has told them what kind of player they could be getting.

An unnamed Voetbalzone reporter recently told 67HailHail: “He had a good season at Famalicao in Portugal and was part of the Team of the Week seven times. He’s tall, 6′ 4”, strong in the air and a good tackler. He’s strong on the ball and reads the game very well.”

They added: “He has gone a bit under the radar in Holland and I don’t expect Ronald Koeman to put him in his squad soon. But a move to Celtic could change things of course, as that’s a huge club.”

Why De Haas could be Celtic's next van Dijk

At a fee of just £3m, there would be plenty of scope for Celtic to make a profit on the centre-back in the year to come if they manage to strike a deal for him this summer.

De Haas is 25 and heading towards the prime years of his career, which means that the Hoops could sign him at an optimal time right before his value potentially peaks, particularly if he earns a senior international call-up.

In terms of the quality that he could provide in the left centre-back role which is also where van Dijk played for the Hoops, you only have to

look at his performances in Portugal to see that he has the potential to be a solid addition for Brendan Rodgers.

In fact, De Haas faced Sporting superstar Viktor Gyokeres, who has scored 97 goals in 102 games for the club, and kept him quiet in April of last year.

Famalicao 0-1 Sporting (April 2024)
Stats	De Haas	Stats	Gyokeres
Errors	0	Goals + assists	0
Pass accuracy	90%	Pass accuracy	77%
Blocks	2	Shots	2
Clearances	2	Shots on target	0
Interceptions	2	Key passes	1
Dribbled past	0x	xG	0.11
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old defender silenced the highly-rated striker, who did not score a goal, have a shot on target, create a ‘big chance’, or assist a goal.

This shows that the 6 foot 4 titan can step up to lock down elite strikers when he is at his best, which shows the kind of level that he can get to.

De Haas ended the 2024/25 Liga Portugal season with 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game, more than any Celtic centre-back managed in the Scottish Premiership, which speaks to his ability to step in and cut out attacks on a regular basis.

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Dan Emery

Jul 9, 2025

If Celtic can provide him with a platform to showcase his qualities in the Champions League and the Premiership, De Haas could develop into yet another highly-valued star who could follow in his countryman’s footsteps at Parkhead.

حقق فريق ريال مدريد فوزًا مهمًا على خصمه إسبانيول، عصر السبت، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، ولكن لم يمر الأمر مرور الكرام بسبب اللاعب فينيسيوس جونيور.

واستضاف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة ريال مدريد وإسبانيول، في الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإسباني، حيث حقق الملكي فوزًا بهدفين دون رد.

وشارك اللاعب فينيسيوس جونيور في مباراة ريال مدريد اليوم ضد إسبانيول، كأساسي، قبل قرار استبداله من جانب المدرب تشابي ألونسو في الدقيقة 77.

وذكرت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية أن قرار تشابي ألونسو لم ينل إعجاب فينيسيوس جونيو، وأظهر الأخير رد فعل غاضب بشكل ملحوظ عند اتخاذ قرار استبداله من المدرب الإسباني.

وأوضحت أنه بمجرد رؤية فينيسيوس جونيور للوحة الإلكترونية التي تحمل رقمه، من أجل التغيير، ألقى زجاجة مياه كان يشربها على خط التماس، ورفع ذراعيه من أجل الشكوى علنًا أمام أنظار ألونسو.

وأشارت “ماركا” إلى أن فينيسيوس جونيور لم يتفهم قرار تشابي ألونسو على الإطلاق، حيث شعر بحيرة وغضب شديد، وتوجه مباشرة إلى غرفة الملابس بمجرد استبداله، قبل عودته من جديد في وقت لاحق من اللقاء لمتابعة ما تبقى منه.

يأتي هذا رغم تقليل المدرب تشابي ألونسو مما حدث في تصريحاته الصحفية عقب المباراة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا)، ولكن ذلك الموقف يأتي في ظل تقلبات خطيرة تتعلق بفشل مفاوضات تجديد عقد البرازيلي مع ريال مدريد.

Teenager adds 130 to earlier scores of 51 and 154 in what is still only seven innings since his debut

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Sep-2024Minutes after play in the other key relegation match was abandoned for the day without a ball bowled in Worcester, Nottinghamshire at last resumed their own crucial Vitality County Championship match against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge. A 1pm start meant 110 overs have been lost so far.But, easing home anxiety, the locally-raised, left-handed teenager Freddie McCann compensated with a massively impressive 130 to add to earlier scores of 51 and 154 in what is still only seven innings since his debut.From 55 for 3, Notts recovered to 324 for 6 at the close, Jack Haynes offering a more measured 47 and Kyle Verreynne an increasingly rapid unbeaten 76 in support. On what has settled down into a very benign pitch, Nottinghamshire have already secured two batting points and a draw will now be enough now for both sides to escape the drop.Batting in sunshine with blue sky overhead proved entirely less fraught than the ordeal on a seaming pitch that had seen Notts reach 33 for 2 from the 15.2 overs possible on Thursday. But in a strong crosswind Michael Booth, first change, produced a perfect outswinger for his fifth ball of the day to knock back Joe Clarke’s off stump for 12.The 23-year old Zimbabwean, in just his fourth first-class appearance, proved hit and miss, however, and even Olly Hannon-Dalby lost accuracy as McCann raced to a fifty from 87 balls in a period that brought 99 plundered runs in a dozen overs. The true nature of this pitch had become very clear.Reduced to posting a solitary slip for Craig Miles, Warwickshire still struggled to stem an advance that carried the home side to within 20 minutes of tea before another batter fell. Haynes became an early victim for Danny Briggs’s left-arm spin when beautifully held at slip by Will Rhodes.It ended a 127-run stand at better than a-run-a-ball and the interval, coming after 36.4 of the day’s re-jigged quota of 75.4 overs (the last eight were lost later to bad light), arrived with 211 for 4 on the board and McCann just past his century from 147 balls.Warwickshire tightened up markedly through 55 minutes in the evening but found another partnership beginning to accelerate. Verreyyne, the South Africa wicket-keeper with a Test hundred to his credit, settled into his fourth innings since joining Notts and the first batting point came up what proved an hour from the close.With the fifth wicket having added 98, it was a surprise when, from nowhere it seemed, two men then fell in eight balls, McCann yorked by Miles’s second ball back. Next over, Lyndon James had come and gone for 2, edging to the lone slip as Rhodes, the seventh bowler, reprised his knack of invariably grabbing an early success.But the 300 came up, and a second batting point with it, and if Warwickshire can claim their final bowling point on Saturday and also pass 300 themselves, they would not go down whatever happens in either relegation game.Away from play, eyes remain on a threatening forecast – the weather may yet have the last say. With only two days left for Lancashire at Worcester, where just 26 overs have proved possible, they have many miles to make up and rain is feared both there and in Nottingham on Sunday afternoon. Notts and Warwickshire supporters may be breathing more easily at the half-way point of this final round.

After a first-day washout in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final at Trent Bridge, Glamorgan managed to beat both Somerset and the weather to regain the title that they last won in 2021, in a competition that was pragmatically reduced from 50-overs-a-side to 20 to maximise the prospect of a result.It was, as Sam Northeast, Glamorgan’s matchwinning batter, said: “the right thing to do in the circumstances”. That sentiment was echoed by Somerset’s captain, Sean Dickson, who insisted his over-riding emotion was one of pride even as his team saw a third title slip through their fingers in the space of a week, after their loss in the T20 Blast final at Edgbaston and Surrey’s County Championship triumph on Friday.”We hadn’t played any Twenty20 for a while so it was strange coming into a 20-over contest,” Northeast told the ECB Reporters Network, after top-scoring for his team with 63 not out from 49 balls. “We didn’t even know we were going to get a game at all, so the change from 50 to 20 overs, about 40 minutes before, meant we had to adapt as best as possible.”In the event, it started to rain just as we were coming off, so somebody was clearly looking down on us. I’m glad they did make the change. It was the right thing to do in the circumstances, to get the game on.”Somerset had made the early running after winning the toss and choosing to bowl, with Alfie Ogborne, their 21-year-old left-armer seamer, claiming two wickets in his first over. However, the team’s inexperience was exposed at key moments of the contest, particularly while Northeast, Billy Root and Timm van der Gugten were accelerating through the back-end of their innings to add 115 in the final ten overs.”We didn’t really know what a good score was,” Northeast said. “So from my point of view it was just about building partnerships, getting a bit of a platform and trying to accelerate once we had a feel for the pitch.”At one point we thought 160 might be okay but that little innings from Timm van der Gugten at the end gave us what we thought was a pretty good score, one that we knew would be competitive. Timm hit the ball really cleanly and Billy Root through the middle too, and the way Will Smale got us off to a bit of a flyer meant we had something to build on.”With Somerset choosing to back the players that had carried them through to the final, it meant they were missing 11 players who had featured in this year’s Men’s Hundred, which had run concurrent with the group stages. Their most experienced player on the day was England’s left-armer spinner, Jack Leach, but between the damp conditions and the List A regulation fields that limited the number of out-fielders through the middle overs, he did not get a bowl.”As a county, we’ve ended up winning nothing when we would have liked to finish with at least one or two trophies,” Dickson said. “But the bottom line is that we have just competed for three trophies and we are really proud as a squad that we have been able to do that.”In this competition, we have resisted the temptation to bring back guys that we lost to the Hundred, so I’m hugely proud that this squad in particular made it all the way to the final.”And we were much happier today to be able to go out and try to win on the field, rather than have had a total washout and shared the trophy. No one wants to share a trophy, everyone wants a bash at trying to be a winner.”We were fine playing it as a T20. We just wanted to get a game on, as did they. We had a discussion with the umpires, the match ref and the ECB ref that was there so we were all on board.”We could analyse all day where the game was won and lost but I think they obviously bowled better than us. With the fresh pitch, it definitely offered something with the new ball up top.”Our bowlers were slipping and sliding all over the place, which was unfortunate, but that’s what you get for choosing to bowl first and we just have to take our medicine and move forward.”

Essex director of cricket leaves Chelmsford after nine years of success across formats

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2024

Anthony McGrath oversaw Essex’s double-winning season in 2019•Getty Images

Yorkshire have announced the acquisition of Anthony McGrath as their new men’s head coach to replace the outgoing Ottis Gibson.McGrath, who joins on a five-year deal, returns to his home county having developed through the age-groups at Headingley as an allrounder, going on to earn 28 England caps, including four Test appearances. The 49-year-old began his coaching career at Yorkshire following his retirement in 2013 before moving to Essex, where he was appointed director of cricket as recently as July.The move south proved particularly fruitful for McGrath. He joined Essex initially as assistant coach to Chris Silverwood, and helped oversee promotion in 2016 followed by a County Championship title the following year.He was promoted to head coach when Silverwood left to take the England job and led Essex to a Championship and T20 Blast double in 2019, followed by the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020. A second-place Division One finish came in the 2023 season, in which they were also beaten finalists in the Blast.This season, McGrath juggled coaching duties at Chelmsford with a director of cricket role as part of a management restructure triggered by the resignation of chief executive John Stephenson in July.He inherits a Yorkshire team that has returned to Division One following relegation in 2022. The club were then docked 48 points in the 2023 season over their handling of the racism scandal that centred around allegations made by former player Azeem Rafiq. McGrath’s remit will be the performance and management of the men’s first team, and starts officially from November 1.”It is a great honour to be appointed Head Coach of Yorkshire Cricket’s Men’s team, and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead,” McGrath said.”I know the history of this great club and the passion of the members and supporters, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve.”It was an extremely tough decision to leave Essex, and it’s one that I have taken a great deal of time to think about. I’ve been part of this club for almost nine years, and we’ve achieved so much together and created so many unforgettable memories in that time.”While I obviously spent all of my playing career at Yorkshire, Essex has become a second home to me, and I’d like to thank everyone for the warmth of their support over the last nine seasons.”Tom Westley, Essex’s captain, hailed McGrath as “one of the most influential figures I have come across during my career”, and wished him well in his new role.”Everybody within the club knows of his qualities as a coach and leader, but it’s the person that he is that we will all miss the most. It’s no coincidence that the success we have achieved over the last decade has coincided with [McGrath’s] time here. Although he would never accept it, he has been a huge factor in the trophies we have won in recent years.”Sanjay Patel, Yorkshire’s interim CEO, said: “We’re delighted to appoint Anthony as Head Coach.”During the past nine years with Essex, Anthony has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in English cricket. He is renowned for his team’s attractive, attacking cricket, supporting and developing world-class talent, and commitment to youth.”In the club’s conversations leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Yorkshire Cricket to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that.”We look forward to welcoming him to the club this Autumn.”

Australia sweat over captain Healy’s fitness ahead of the knockouts

Sruthi Ravindranath16-Oct-20242:46

Aus vs SA match-ups: Can Schutt trip up Brits?

Australia vs South Africa
Dubai, 6pm local timeAustralia squad: Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Heather Graham, Tayla Vlaeminck (ruled out)South Africa squad: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe TryonTournament form guide: Australia are unbeaten in this T20 World Cup, winning all four of their games so far. In their last group match, they beat India in a high-octane clash by nine runs. South Africa have a 3-1 record having lost their second match of the tournament to England.News brief: Australia were without captain Alyssa Healy for their match against India. She arrived at the game in Sharjah on crutches having sustained a foot injury while batting on 37 against Pakistan on Friday. Tahlia McGrath led the side in her absence, with Ellyse Perry deputising and Beth Mooney keeping wicket.”As it stands, it’s the same thing for Midgie [Healy],” Perry said on the eve of the semi-final. “The medical staff and the team are going to give her every opportunity and possibility of playing tomorrow night but I don’t think anything’s changed in that respect. We’ll just have to see in the next 24 hours.”Alyssa Healy watched Australia’s win against India from the sidelines•ICC/Getty ImagesFast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck, who hurt her shoulder on her T20 World Cup return against Pakistan, was ruled out of the tournament with Heather Graham named her replacement. Grace Harris and Darcie Brown came into the playing XI as replacements for the India game.South Africa do not have injury concerns and are unlikely to make changes to their winning combination. Their record against Australia is not great, having won just one out of the 10 T20Is they’ve played each other. Their first-ever win came in Canberra in January this year in a bilateral series. South Africa have not won a single World Cup game against Australia in either format. Thursday will be a rematch of the 2023 T20 World Cup final, in which South Africa suffered a heartbreaking loss in front of their home crowd in Cape Town.South Africa have played three matches in Dubai this tournament while Australia have played just one match – against Pakistan – at the venue. The average first-innings score is 126, with India posting the highest total of 172 against Sri Lanka last Wednesday.Player to watch: Experienced pacer Megan Schutt’s miserly spells have been crucial to all four of Australia’s wins. She started the tournament with 3 for 12 against Sri Lanka on a spin-friendly track, finished with stunning figures of 3 for 3 against New Zealand and followed it up with 1 for 7 in her three overs against Pakistan in Dubai. Against India, she gave away 24 runs in her first three overs but returned to turn the game on its head in the 17th over by conceding just one run, leaving India with 40 to get off 18 balls.Tazmin Brits’ solid starts have been among the biggest positives for South Africa. After a 57 not out to start the competition, she crossed the 40-run mark in each of her last two matches. Against Bangladesh, on a slow track, she played a patient innings of 42 off 41 balls to help South Africa to a comfortable win. She also played an important hand in South Africa’s first and only T20I win against Australia earlier this year, scoring a fiery 41 off 28 with eight fours in a chase of 143.