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The New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter will be available for the entire BBL

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2024Melbourne Renegades have signed New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert on two-year deal as a pre-draft BBL signing.Seifert, 29, will have full availability across those two seasons as Renegades look to improve on last season’s seventh place finish. His BBL deal means he will miss at least part of the Super Smash, New Zealand’s domestic T20 tournament, and won’t be in contention for the white-ball series against Pakistan over Christmas and New Year. Last month he turned down a domestic contract with Northern Districts in order to open up freelance T20 opportunities.Related

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Seifert has played three ODIs and 61 T20Is for New Zealand while has also been part of T20 leagues around the world. Overall in the format he averages 27.43 with a strike-rate of 130.12 including three centuries. Last month he finished as the leading run-scorer in the Lanka Premier League with 400 at 57.14 and a strike-rate of 135.13.It appears likely he will form a power-packed top three for Renegades alongside Josh Brown, who joined from Brisbane Heat, and Jake Fraser-McGurk while he also shapes as a frontrunner to take the keeping gloves after overseas signings Quinton de Kock and Jordan Cox shared the role last season.”I’m thrilled to be here for the next two seasons, I’ll be able to enjoy the environment and get to know the club on that deeper level which doesn’t often happen in franchise cricket so I’m excited to call myself a Gade for the next couple of seasons at least,” Seifert said.”That top three spot would be outstanding and if Cam [White] feels like I’m the man to take the gloves I’ll be ready for that too. At the same time, I’m ready to fit in and play whatever role Whitey and the Renegades need me to play.”Renegades general manager James Rosengarten added: “Tim gives us a double threat; we get a powerful and skilled batter plus an established international keeper and regular member of the Blackcaps program, so we’re excited to welcome into the club.”The beauty is Tim has full availability which is extremely valuable for topline overseas players this BBL season and its fantastic for our club to lock in Tim and still retain our prized Platinum pick.”The BBL draft will take place on September 1. Renegades have pick numbers 2, 10, 23 and 26.

Aston Villa are now one to watch in the race for an “unbelievable” player, with Unai Emery considered a big admirer, according to a report.

Emery may have to reshape Villa squad this summer

There have been widespread reports suggesting that Emiliano Martinez may leave Villa before the start of the new campaign, and the goalkeeper is not the only player who could move on, with Youri Tielemans recently admitting his future is up in the air.

Speaking on international duty, the Belgian said: “There’s nothing definitive or ruled out about whether I’ll stay or leave. But I feel good at Aston Villa; I feel a lot of confidence from the club and the manager.”

As such, Unai Emery could be tasked with bringing in a new central midfielder this summer, while the manager may also have to bolster his attacking options, given that Marcus Rashford’s loan spell at Villa Park has now come to an end.

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Aston Villa are looking at signing a current Barcelona sensation

By
Ross Kilvington

Jun 10, 2025

Rashford featured at both centre-forward and left-wing during his time with the Villans, who have now made an approach for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, while they are also one to watch in the race for Manchester City winger Jack Grealish.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which has revealed that Emery is a big admirer of Grealish, with the manager in the belief the Englishman would add some creativity to his forward line, but there may be competition for the former Villa man.

Everton are now ready to hold talks over a deal for the left-winger, although the Toffees would only be able to orchestrate a loan deal, and Man City would have to be willing to pay a large amount of his huge £300k-a-week wages.

Newcastle United and Napoli are also in the race for the 29-year-old, with City willing to sanction a departure on the right terms this summer.

"Unbelievable" Grealish could reignite career back at Villa

Villa Park was, of course, the place where the Birmingham-born forward made a name for himself, but while he played a key role in Man City’s historic treble in the 2022-23 season, the England international’s career has stalled in recent times.

The City ace picked up just two goal contributions in the Premier League last season, having arguably regressed since the two seasons he spent in the top flight with his boyhood club.

Season	PL appearances	Goals	Assists
2019-20	36	8	6
2020-21	26	6	12

While he has failed to deliver for City in recent times, Villa fans will be well-aware the winger can be a top player on his day, given his previous exploits, and he has been lauded as “unbelievable” by Pep Guardiola.

Heading back to Villa Park would surely be of great appeal to Grealish, given that European football is set to be on offer next season, and the move could reignite his career.

Aston Villa have now made contact over a deal for a defender, whose recent performances have attracted the attention of some top clubs, according to a report.

Aston Villa eyeing bargain signings amid PSR concerns

PSR has been a thorn in Villa’s side for quite some time now, having previously been forced to cash-in on the likes of Douglas Luiz and Jhon Duran to raise funds, and having missed out on the Champions League in controversial fashion, NSWE may have to make sales this summer.

After the 2-0 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford, there are now doubts over the futures of Morgan Rogers, Emi Martinez and Marco Asensio, with Manchester City being named as potential suitors for the former in the past.

Martinez also looks as though he could be heading for the exit door, with Atletico Madrid recently entering the race for the Argentina international, alongside Manchester United, although it is unclear whether a move to Old Trafford would be of great appeal after their Europa League final defeat.

Better than Rashford: Aston Villa exploring move for "special" £58m star

It’s set to be a busy summer at Aston Villa, so could they sign a “special player” from a Premier League rival for £58m instead of Marcus Rashford?

By
Ben Gray

May 30, 2025

Amid PSR concerns, it could be a wise idea for Aston Villa and NSWE to make some low-cost additions to the squad this summer, and they have now made contact over a deal for Hellas Verona defender Diego Coppola, according to reports from Italy (via Sport Witness).

Owing to some of his recent performances, Coppola is now attracting widespread interest ahead of the summer transfer window, with the likes of Juventus, AC Milan, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford also being named as potential suitors.

A deal could be on the relatively cheap side too, with the Serie A side expected to receive offers of around €10m – €15m (£8m – £13m) in the coming weeks.

"No-nonsense" Coppola impressing in Italy

The Hellas Verona defender is only 21-years-old, but he has already solidified his place as a regular starter for the Italian side, making 34 Serie A appearances in the 2024-25 campaign, during which time he impressed considerably.

Indeed, the Italian centre-back showcased his defensive quality on a regular basis, perhaps most notably ranking in the top 1% for interceptions per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Statistic	Average per 90
Aerials won	4.09 (98th percentile)
Interceptions	2.21 (99th percentile)
Tackles	2.03 (85th percentile)

Not only that, but the “no-nonsense CB”, as dubbed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, also proved himself to be an attacking threat, scoring with a towering header in his side’s 3-2 victory over Parma back in December.

Coppola has proven he could now be ready to take the next step in his career, and he could be a fantastic low-cost addition to Unai Emery’s squad.

Everton have steered away from relegation trouble over the past few months, the rise up the Premier League ladder owing to The Friedkin Group’s start to their ownership role and the squad’s response to David Moyes’ tactics.

Replacing Sean Dyche in January, Moyes has been nothing short of a revelation, restoring the feel-good factor and driving positive action ahead of the much-anticipated move to Bramley Moore at the end of the campaign.

It promises to be a busy summer for the Toffees; you could make a starting 11 from the first-team players out of contract in a few months, with a few even left over for the substitutes’ bench.

The future of Jarrad Branthwaite will be a major talking point, the star defender attracting attention from some of the Premier League’s finest. Whatever happens there, Everton are going to want a new centre-back or two.

Everton chasing new centre-back

As per Caught Offside, Everton are among the growing list of suitors for Inter Milan defender Yann Bisseck, though with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur also in the mix, it certainly won’t be an easy deal to complete.

Valued at €55m (about £47m), Bisseck has grown into a core part of Simeone Inzaghi’s season, neck and neck with Barcelona for a place in the Champions League final.

Inter view the 24-year-old as one of their most profitable players and would be open to doing business in the coming months.

Yann Bisseck could become Moyes' star man

With Michael Keane slated for a departure from Everton colours when his contract expires at the end of the season, there’s every chance that a player of Bisseck’s quality could be brought in – especially with James Tarkowski sidelined at the moment too.

Branthwaite will only be allowed to leave if a mammoth figure is paid out. Manchester United are known admirers of the England international, with Caught Offside revealing last month that a £50m proposal was being pieced together.

This puts the 22-year-old in a similar ballpark to Bisseck. They do approach the game with contrasting outlooks: Branthwaite is more of a steely threat on the ground, whereas the 6 foot 4 Inter star is a commanding aerial presence, winning 71% of his headed duels per Serie A game this season, as per Sofascore.

Having left Danish side Aarhus Gymnastikforening for the Nerazzurri for just €7m (£6m) plus bonuses in 2023, Bisseck has had to bide his time for chances to shine, only starting 13 league fixtures in total this term, but the impression he’s made emphasises the reasoning behind the Merseysiders striking a deal before their divisional rivals swoop in.

Moreover, he’s managed to make a good account of himself when given a chance to shine, with the attacking dimension and ball-playing advantage he would add to Moyes’ team something that stands out handsomely when alongside Branthwaite’s Premier League statistics since the start of the season.

League Comparison 24/25 – Branthwaite vs Bisseck
Stats (per 90)	Branthwaite	Bisseck
Goal involvements	0.04	0.26
Touches	53.61	79.64
Passes attempted	41.57	69.80
Pass completion	81.6%	91.6%
Progressive passes	2.27	5.15
Progressive carries	0.39	1.89
Ball recoveries	3.19	3.65
Tackles + interceptions	2.31	1.96
Clearances	7.21	3.65
Blocks	1.16	0.98
Stats via FBref

The metrics are, of course, skewed somewhat by Bisseck’s role in an attacking outfit compared to Branthwaite’s settlement in Everton’s backline, operating as a counter-attacking team in the Premier League.

But the scope for a modern sheen would only widen with Bisseck in the mix, bearing the technical game that truly could see him stretch higher and higher toward a position as one of the Premier League’s finest.

Described as a “diamond” of a defender by journalist Antonio Mango, Bisseck has the perfect blend of modern flair and deep-set defensive solidity that would see him fit right in as a fixed part of Moyes’ Everton backline.

Looking at the German’s statistics when ranked up against Branthwaite’s, it’s maybe not ludicrous to think that he could surpass the Toffees titan, be that as his central defensive partner or as his successor.

The next Barkley: Everton considering move for "unbelievable" £15m star

David Moyes is looking to overhaul his Everton squad this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 2, 2025

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been scouting a personal transfer target of his, with the tactician asking Stamford Bridge chiefs to replace two players.

Chelsea set to spend again this summer transfer window

Ahead of their participation in the Club World Cup, a competition which could land Chelsea a huge financial windfall of £100 million if they win it, reports have suggested that the west Londoners will be active in the early summer transfer window.

Chelsea "already" preparing bid to sign Liverpool "superstar" for Maresca

The west Londoners are expected to sign players before the Club World Cup.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 1, 2025

Chelsea will have an early opportunity from June 1st to June 10th to make signings ahead of their CWC campaign, with BlueCo already doing some work on potential incomings for the competition.

Tottenham (home)

April 3rd

Brentford (away)

April 6th

Ipswich Town (home)

April 13th

Fulham (away)

April 20th

Everton (home)

April 26th

Ipswich Town star Liam Delap is a key transfer target for Chelsea, and journalist Simon Phillips has already claimed that a large amount of groundwork has been done for the Englishman’s signature.

Phillips also recently reported that Chelsea are expected to “go big” on three positions this summer – a new goalkeeper, centre-back and striker.

Amid concerns surrounding both Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen, who have both attracted criticism in their own right, Chelsea are being heavily linked with a move for Liverpool second-choice Caoimhin Kelleher.

Chelsea are even rumoured to already be preparing a £40 million bid for Kelleher, but he is by no means their only potential target in-between the sticks. Kepa Arrizabalaga could return to west London after his loan at Bournemouth, though he appears out of Maresca’s plans, while the in-form Djordje Petrovic has hinted that he could remain at Strasbourg next season.

Mike Penders will be joining Chelsea this summer from Genk, but the 19-year-old could well be one for the future rather than a direct upgrade for the first team.

All the aforementioned factors have made signing a new keeper one of Maresca’s top priorities, with Torino ace Vanja Milinkovic-Savic now on his radar as well.

Enzo Maresca personally scouting Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic

That is according to Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, who write that Maresca has been following Milinkovic-Savic all season.

The Italian specifically watches Torino matches due to the 28-year-old’s outstanding performances this campaign, with Chelsea’s manager on the lookout for new keepers as he looks to replace Sanchez and Jorgensen.

The £110,000-per-week duo have apparently failed to convince Maresca, leading to the head coach requesting a new signing for that area of the squad. A potential swoop for Milinkovic-Savic is made all the more tempting by his £17 million release clause, which would make him a very astute option financially.

Chelsea would have no issue paying this fee, according to Tuttosport, but it is worth noting that Maresca faces stiff competition from Premier League and CWC rivals Man City if they wish to win the race.

“I think Milinkovic-Savic is an underrated goalkeeper and I told him that too,” Torino boss Paolo Vanoli told DAZN in February.

“Some of our work this season has been letting him realise his genuine potential. He is a goalkeeper who gives you many options too.”

Not many, Indians or otherwise, have achieved what Nitish Kumar Reddy did at the MCG on Saturday

Sampath Bandarupalli28-Dec-2024105* – Nitish Kumar Reddy’s score at stumps on the third day of the MCG Test is the highest for batter from No. 8 or lower in Tests in Melbourne. Australian Reggie Duff’s 104 from No. 10 in 1902 was the previous highest.5 – Visiting batters to score Test hundreds batting at No. 8 or lower in Australia, including Reddy. It is also the first century by a No. 8 (or lower) batter for India in Australia, with Anil Kumble’s 87 in 2008 at Adelaide the previous highest.Reddy is only the second Indian to reach a century while batting at No. 8 or lower against Australia, following Wriddhiman Saha’s 117 in Ranchi in 2017.127 – Partnership runs between Reddy and Washington Sundar for the eighth wicket. It is the joint-third-highest for India against Australia, behind the 140 between MS Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the ninth wicket in the 2013 Chennai Test and 129 by Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh for the eighth wicket in the 2008 Sydney Test.The 127-run stand is also the fourth-highest for India in away Tests for the eighth (or lower) wicket in Tests.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 – Instances of two players facing 150 or more balls for India in a Test innings while batting at No. 8 or lower (where data is available). Syed Kirmani and Shivlal Yadav did this against New Zealand in Auckland in 1981, and now Reddy and Washington have done the same in Melbourne.It is also the third such occurrence for any team in the past 25 years, with the previous two coming in the same Test – Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder for West Indies in their first innings and Zimbabwe’s Regis Chakabva and Graeme Cremer in their second innings in the 2017 Bulawayo Test.21y 214d – Reddy’s age coming into the Melbourne Test. He is the third-youngest India player to score a Test hundred in Australia, after Tendulkar (18y 253d) and Rishabh Pant (21y 91d). Reddy is the third-youngest visiting batter to score a Test hundred in Melbourne.2 – India batters to score their maiden Test hundred at MCG: Vinoo Mankad (in 1948) and Reddy. He is the first visiting batter to score his maiden Test hundred at the venue since JP Duminy in 2008.8 – Sixes by Reddy in this series are the joint-highest by a visiting batter in a Test series in Australia. Michael Vaughan in the 2002-03 Ashes and Chris Gayle in 2009 also hit eight sixes each.

South Africa’s hopes of reaching the WTC final were dented by their series defeat in Australia

Abhimanyu Bose08-Jan-2023Have Australia booked their spot in the final?With the 2-0 home series win over South Africa, Australia have 75.56% points and have all but secured their place in the final. The only scenario in which they will miss out is if they lose all their four Tests in India and Sri Lanka win both their matches in New Zealand.A 4-0 defeat in India will see Australia’s percentage drop to 59.65 and a series sweep in New Zealand will take Sri Lanka up to 61.11. If Sri Lanka win 1-0 in New Zealand, their percentage will only go up to 55.56, which will below Australia’s even if they lose 4-0 in India.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe minimum Australia need to do to not depend on other teams is to draw one Test in India, provided they don’t concede any penalty points. If they earn a draw and lose 3-0 in India, and don’t concede any penalty points, they will finish on 61.40%, marginally ahead of the maximum that Sri Lanka can achieve. However, a single penalty point will push them down to 60.96%.Related

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What do India need to reach the WTC final?If India win the home series against Australia 3-1 or better, they will qualify for the final regardless of the results in other series. Currently second on the table with 58.93% after their 2-0 series win in Bangladesh, they will go to 68.06% if they win 4-0 against Australia, 62.5% with 3-1, and 56.94% if the series ends 2-2.So, if the series ends 2-2 and Sri Lanka win 2-0 in New Zealand, India will finish outside the top two.India could also slip behind South Africa if they collect fewer than 21 points against Australia and South Africa win 2-0 at home against West Indies. Thus, India will stay ahead of South Africa even with a 1-0 series win or a 2-2 draw (24 points), but not with a 1-1 draw (20 points).India’s 2-0 series win in Bangladesh pushed them up to second in the WTC standings•Associated PressSo South Africa still have a chance?The 2-0 defeat in Australia has hurt South Africa’s chances, but the draw in a rain-affected match in Sydney was useful. They are currently fourth with 48.72%, and if they win both home Tests against West Indies, they can go up to 55.56%.For South Africa to go through to the final, they will need to win both their matches, Sri Lanka to only get one win in New Zealand or worse, and for India to get fewer than 21 points.Can Sri Lanka make the final?Yes, third-placed Sri Lanka do have a chance. Assuming they sweep New Zealand away from home, they will get to 61.11%. In that case, they would need India to either win 4-0 against Australia or for the series to end in a draw, or for Australia to win the series so they can finish above India.If Sri Lanka draw the series 1-1, they will finish on 52.78%. For them to qualify with that percentage, they will need India to get no more than 12 points from the series against Australia (3-1 or 1-0 series defeat), and for South Africa to get no more than 16 (1-0 series win).What about the rest?England, West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh are the remaining teams, and among them, New Zealand and West Indies are the only two teams among the lot to have fixtures left. For New Zealand, even maximum points from these matches won’t be enough for them to make the final.West Indies, with a 2-0 win in South Africa that would take their percentage to 50, can reach the final if Sri Lanka get fewer than eight points against New Zealand and India fewer than 10.England, with 46.97%, have an outside chance of sneaking into the final, but only in the unlikely event of India and Sri Lanka losing all their remaining games, and South Africa getting no more than two draws.

Also, Rabada has failed to take a single wicket in the powerplay this season. Why is that?

Matt Roller27-Oct-20203:37

Warner or Saha – who made the bigger impression?

Why did Sunrisers Hyderabad drop Jonny Bairstow?Jonny Bairstow has been a revelation for Sunrisers in the IPL: he scored 445 runs in 10 innings while striking at 157.24 in his debut season in 2019, and while this year had been slightly less productive (345 runs in 11 matches, 126.83 strike rate) he was still their second-highest run-scorer coming into this game. But with Rashid Khan an automatic pick, and the management keen to pick a fifth frontline bowler in Jason Holder, “one of the top three batters had to miss out,” explained head coach Trevor Bayliss. “Jonny was the odd one out on this occasion.”The logic was that leaving Bairstow out allowed Wriddhiman Saha to bat at the top of the order. The move worked on this occasion, with Saha’s blistering start setting the platform for a convincing win. Kane Williamson, included at Bairstow’s expense to bolster the middle order, made only 11 not out off 10 balls, on his return from injury, but it hardly mattered with 170 on the board when he walked in during the 15th over.David Warner and Wriddhiman Saha started strongly•BCCIShould Ajinkya Rahane have opened for Delhi Capitals?In a chase of 220, it seemed an odd choice for the Capitals to send Ajinkya Rahane – a man with an IPL career strike rate below 120 – out to open the batting alongside Shikhar Dhawan. Perhaps their logic was that he would be most useful in the powerplay, with the opportunity to loft the ball over the infield, but their batting order looked particularly strange: Shreyas Iyer, a significantly faster-scoring player than Rahane, and no doubt a more complete T20 batsman, ended up walking out at 55 for 4 with the required run rate comfortably above 12.Either way, there could be little doubt that Sunrisers were significantly happier to see Rahane walk out to the middle than they would have been if Prithvi Shaw had been selected in his place. Despite his poor run of form in the second half of the season, Shaw’s ceiling as a T20 opener is much higher, and he could well be picked for their next fixture against Mumbai Indians.Does Marcus Stoinis have a problem against spin?The short answer to this question appears to be yes: he has scored at a strike rate of 129.16 against spinners this season, compared to 173.49 against seamers, and struggles against spin have dogged him throughout his IPL career. Stoinis has been watchful this year, generally opting to rotate the strike against spin early in his innings and doing so relatively successfully, but when he came in at No. 3, he had no choice but to attack in the powerplay.David Warner saw an opportunity to bowl left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem to two right-handers, and the move paid off: Stoinis looked to give himself room, Nadeem followed him, and he slapped a length ball straight to Warner at mid-off. In all T20s since the start of 2018, Stoinis has scored at a strike rate of just 92.94 against left-arm orthodox spin.Did the Capitals underestimate Saha?While few would have expected Saha to be quite so explosive on his return to the side, he has regularly been a fast-scoring opener; coming into this season, he had the fifth-best powerplay strike rate in the history of the IPL.ESPNcricinfo LtdOut of the 45 balls he faced, 24 arrived either in line with the stumps or down the leg side, allowing him to score heavily on the leg side. In all, 52 of his 87 runs came between fine leg and midwicket, and it seemed that Capitals didn’t have a specific plan against him.What is Rabada doing wrong in the powerplay?Despite holding the Purple Cap, Kagiso Rabada has failed to take a single wicket in the powerplay this season. That is not because he has not bowled with the new ball – in fact, he has now bowled 16 wicketless powerplay overs in 2020, overtaking Jasprit Bumrah for the most in a single IPL season. He also ended a 25-match streak that saw him take a wicket every time he bowled, dating back to 2017.ESPNcricinfo LtdDigging deeper into his record suggests that is largely due to the fact batsmen have attacked him only rarely. According to ESPNcricinfo’s shot-type data, 17.7% of the balls he has bowled in the powerplay have been attacked, compared to the overall figure of 20.0% across all bowlers.His economy rate is the first six overs has been only 7.62, despite conceding 37 in his only two overs tonight. He has largely bowled on a length, with 63.5% of his balls on a length or back-of-a-length, and has only landed two yorkers in the powerplay. Either way, it provides a further illustration of the fact that wickets alone do not always tell the full story.How has Rashid turned it round against Pant?Coming into this season, Rashid Khan’s head-to-head match-up with Rishabh Pant was not good, from his perspective: he had bowled 37 balls to him while conceding 54 runs, and dismissed him only once. But in 2020, he has completely turned it around, bowling 20 balls to him, getting him out once, and conceding only seven runs.While that record has been emblematic of Pant’s wider struggles across this season, it also illustrates Rashid’s ability to work players out and adapt as a bowler. He has generally bowled fast, flat length balls to Pant this season – 15 of the 20 balls he has bowled to him have been a good length, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data – and has used his googly regularly to keep him guessing.Today, he conceded four runs from 11 balls against Pant, despite coming on when the required rate was 11.85. Rashid’s spell was the most economical four-over return this IPL season, and he has two other entries among the six cheapest four-over spells of the tournament.

The Yankees were riding high on Memorial Day, as the club held a seven-game lead in the American League East. Since that point, the Yankees have been decidedly mediocre, playing to a 39-40 record, falling in the standings to the second wild card spot in the American League, and at times, not passing the eye test as a playoff-caliber club while making puzzling mistakes on the base paths and in the field.

Of course, it's the New York market, so everything—good or bad—will be dissected ad nauseum under the microscope. And the prognosticators have largely determined that this Yankees team doesn't measure up as a World Series contender.

Just don't tell that to Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Chisholm, following the Yankees' 10-4 romp of the White Sox on Thursday, was asked if winning the division is still a target goal in the eyes of he and his teammates.

"We're never satisfied with second place or third place," Chisholm said. "We just lost the World Series last year—that's second place and we still wasn't satisfied so I don't think we're gonna be satisfied with coming in second or third in the division. That would be even more upsetting than losing the World Series.

"We're gonna go out and win that [the division] and then we're gonna go and win the World Series."

Bold words from Chisholm, but the confidence is admirable. In order to achieve the first of Chisholm's goals, the Yankees will need to do something they thus far haven't been able to do: beat the teams ahead of them in the division, the Blue Jays and Red Sox.

New York's upcoming schedule will give them an opportunity to do just that, as they'll take on Toronto and Boston in a particularly tough stretch of games to begin September.

Despite spending over £200m on new additions during the summer transfer window, Manchester United have still found themselves short on quality in the midfield department.

Ruben Amorim has made it clear he wants added quality in such an area in the months, especially considering the current situation he’s presented with in the Premier League.

Casemiro has started 13 out of a possible 15 games in the league this campaign, but the Brazilian looks set to leave the Red Devils next summer when his current contract expires.

Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo are two other options in such an area, but they have both started two combined league matches in the 2025/26 campaign to date.

As a result, the hierarchy have been hunting for a player to operate at the heart of the side, which could see an excellent partnership being formed in the near future.

United’s potential midfield partnership after January

In an attempt to bolster United’s midfield, INEOS have been on the hunt for added reinforcements, which has led to Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson becoming their main target.

The 23-year-old has been in phenomenal form during the ongoing campaign, even topping numerous rankings in the Premier League compared to other players in his position.

He’s won possession on 126 occasions in England’s top-flight to date, with no other player managing to do so over 100 times – subsequently showing his ball-winning capabilities.

Anderson certainly would offer the perfect deep-lying option, something which Amorim has desired, but any deal would be a club record with Forest demanding a fee in the region of £100m.

Such a move would be a huge investment from the hierarchy, but it would also allow captain Bruno Fernandes to have the partner he’s craved in the middle of the park.

The Portuguese international has operated in a deep-lying position in 2025/26, but has still managed to star in possession, as seen by his tally of ten combined goals and assists in the Premier League.

He’s also constantly offered a creative source for the Red Devils, as seen by his tally of 3.1 chances created per 90 – the best tally of any player in the division at present.

A partnership of Anderson and Bruno would likely be one of the best in England’s top-flight, which could allow the club to finally challenge for a title once again.

The United star who’s a hybrid of Anderson & Bruno

United’s work in the transfer market over the last couple of years has certainly raised eyebrows across the division, with the hierarchy wasting huge funds on countless players.

Over £800m has been splashed in the last four years alone, which has seen numerous players fail to deliver and resulted in a measly 15th-place finish last campaign.

However, Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system requires a very specific type of midfield pairing, which has led to the rumours of a big-money move to land Anderson in the coming weeks.

It would be yet another huge addition made by the board, but one that could set the first-team up for many years, especially considering his tender age, which could see him explode into life in the years ahead.

A player of Bruno’s calibre is also extremely rare in the modern game and would likely cost a pretty penny, but it appears the Red Devils have already got ahead of the curve.

In recent weeks, they completed the €1m (£750k) addition of 17-year-old midfielder Cristian Orozco from Colombian side Fortaleza, with the teenager set to join the academy squad.

The move for the youngster has certainly taken a few supporters by surprise, but it’s one that could allow them to have a huge talent in the future at Old Trafford.

Despite his tender age, he’s already been a star for his boyhood club, which has led to him featuring at the U17 World Cup for his nation – even catching the eye of many people.

Orozco has been dubbed “a midfield destroyer” by one analyst, with his showing against El Salvador last month highlighting why he would be the perfect hybrid of Anderson and Bruno.

Minutes played

90

Touches

107

Pass accuracy

75%

Passes completed

63

Tackles made

2

Duels won

9

Recoveries made

9

Dribbles completed

2

The teenager produced a superb defensive performance on the international stage, subsequently making two tackles and coming out on top in nine of the duels that he entered.

Such figures showcase his remarkable ball-winning ability, something which has made Anderson such a desirable target for the Red Devils in the last couple of months.

Regaining possession is one thing, but the youngster has also thrived with the ball at his feet – subsequently producing numbers that Bruno would be proud of.

In the same game, he completed 67 passes at a completion rate of 75% – with such numbers reflecting his incredible ability to find his teammates when driving forward with the ball.

There’s no doubt that Orozco has a long way to go in his development before he nails down a starting role at Old Trafford, but there’s little denying that the club have secured a top young talent.

His numbers from his recent showings at international level showcase his incredible talents, with the teenager having all of the tools to be the perfect hybrid of Anderson and Bruno.

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