Third India vs Australia Test shifted from Dharamsala to Indore

Poor outfield conditions led to Dharamsala losing the right to host the game

Alex Malcolm13-Feb-2023Indore has been confirmed as the venue for the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after Dharamsala was ruled out because the ground was not ready.”Owing to harsh winter conditions in the region, the outfield [at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala] lacks sufficient grass density and will need some time to develop fully,” a BCCI statement on Monday morning said by way of explanation. It added that the teams would head to Indore for the third match of the four-Test series, starting on March 1, following the end of the second Test in Delhi, from February 17.The board had narrowed the choice of the venue for the third Test to Indore and Rajkot after ruling Dharamsala out following an unfavourable report from the board’s inspection panel.Related

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As reported previously on ESPNcricinfo, the panel visited the ground in Dharamsala on February 11 and noted several bare patches on the outfield, which was relaid recently by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association to install a new drainage system. Another deterrent was the fact that no cricket had been hosted by the venue since the two T20Is between India and Sri Lanka last February.Indore’s Holkar Cricket Stadium has previously hosted two Tests, against New Zealand in 2016 and against Bangladesh in 2019, with India winning both by huge margins. R Ashwin has taken 18 wickets in two Tests in Indore including match figures of 13 for 140 against New Zealand. Virat Kohli also made 211 in that match.India are hoping to maintain their dominance over Australia after a thumping innings victory inside three days in Nagpur in the first Test.

Kyle Walker sent packing! England international set for Man City return with AC Milan declining chance to sign defender for just £4m

AC Milan have reportedly passed up the chance to sign Kyle Walker permanently, with the full-back set to return to Manchester City this summer.

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Walker on loan at AC MilanSet to snub chance to sign himFull-back to head back to Man CityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 34-year-old joined Milan on loan in January for the rest of the season, seemingly closing the chapter on his lengthy spell at City. However, according to, the Italian giants don't want to take up the option to sign the veteran permanently for just £4.2 million this summer.

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Walker has made 12 appearances for Milan but has been out with a fractured elbow that required surgery in April. That injury and Alex Jimenez's impressive form have reportedly convinced the Milan hierarchy against a permanent move. As a result, the England international faces an uncertain future.

DID YOU KNOW?

Although it seemed as if Walker's time at City was over, he did leave the door slightly ajar to a return last month. He said: "After I said my goodbyes, Pep [Guardiola] got up and spoke and said a really nice message to me, just saying thank you for everything. But, listen, it's not over. I'm just on loan here. I've got to take that into consideration that I can go back. Obviously, both parties need to come to an agreement come the end of the season and… listen, the chapter's not fully closed, but we'll see what happens."

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While Walker continues his rehab, his loan club, Milan, take on Bologna in the Coppa Italia final on Friday, whereas City lock horns with Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final a day later.

Andre Onana's horrible history! Man Utd goalkeeper goes into record books for all the wrong reasons after losing Europa League final to Tottenham

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has claimed an unwanted record after his side's Europa League final loss to Tottenham.

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Man Utd lose 1-0 to TottenhamOnana misses out on Europa League trophyKeeper sets unwanted recordFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

With United's 1-0 Europa League final defeat to Tottenham in Bilbao on Wednesday, Onana became the first player to reach three European finals with three different teams – but failed to win a single one of them.

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Onana lost the Europa League final against United while playing for Ajax in 2017, was runner-up in the 2023 Champions League final in Inter Milan's loss to Manchester City, and now he has tasted defeat with the Red Devils against Spurs. This caps off a poor season for United and Onana.

DID YOU KNOW?

Cameroon international Onana has still tasted success in his career, winning three Eredivisie titles with Ajax, an FA Cup with United, and a Coppa Italia with Inter, among others. But a European title eludes him.

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Onana will hope United can end this wretched season on a slight positive when they take on Champions League-chasing Aston Villa at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday.

Nat Sciver-Brunt: England wanted to 'show everyone what we're about'

Against Pakistan, they made the highest total and secured the biggest margin of victory in Women’s T20 World Cup history

Valkerie Baynes21-Feb-2023Nat Sciver-Brunt dropped to one knee and swung Tuba Hassan perfectly into the gap at wide long-on, cementing a path towards the complete performance England have been seeking at this World Cup.The shot went for four and brought up a 29-ball fifty for Sciver-Brunt but she was far from done and her side will assert collectively that neither are they as they head into a semi-final against either South Africa or New Zealand on Friday. She pulled the next ball for another boundary then advanced on the next, clearing the fence at deep cover.That little stanza in the 16th over at Newlands was indicative of England’s crushing 114-run win against Pakistan – the biggest winning margin at a Women’s T20 world Cup – as they bludgeoned their way to a tournament-record total of 213 for 5.”To put the pressure on them as much as we could with the bat and the ball and in the field, that’s something that we’ve been looking to do over this tournament but not quite got it all right so far, I think that was pretty good, ” Sciver-Brunt said. “I think everyone’s got the confidence that we can repeat that and hopefully get one step further.”Previously in the tournament I think we’ve been building up to a performance like this. We sort of targeted this game as a chance to show everyone as a team what we’re about and, it being the last game in our group as well, a free chance to show off a bit and do the things that we do really well.”The victory was built around Sciver-Brunt, whose unbeaten 81 off 40 deliveries moved her to the top of the tournament’s run-scoring charts with 176 with a strike rate of 147.89, but also contained some other encouraging signs for a side which – along with India – were the pre-tournament favourites to challenge Australia for the title.While Sciver-Brunt’s hot streak continued – she had scores of 40*, 5 and 50 from the previous three games – opener Danni Wyatt ended a lean run in which she has scored just 27 runs in three innings, including a first-ball duck in the previous match, an 11-run win over India on Saturday.Danni Wyatt scored a 33-ball 59 for England•ICC via Getty ImagesHaving recently expressed her heartbreak at being overlooked in last week’s WPL auction on Twitter, Wyatt also brought up her fifty off 29 balls with a powerful sweep for four before clearing the fence at deep square leg off Nashra Sandhu’s full toss next ball. She holed out to long-off shortly after but her boundary-laden knock may prove a valuable boost and showed off England’s impressive depth as they recovered from 33 for 2. Wyatt and Sciver-Brunt are now equal second-fastest to fifty at this event, behind Alice Capsey’s 21-ball effort against Ireland.Capsey and Sophia Dunkley, Wyatt’s fellow opener who has also been hitting the ball well, only managed single figures on this occasion but Amy Jones, followed up her 40 off 27 balls against India with a rapid 47 off 31 before she fell on the last ball of the innings.”People can’t repeat every time,” Sciver-Brunt added. “I mean, cricket’s a weird sport, things happen and someone could get a duck tomorrow that got runs today, but I guess that’s why as a batting group and as a bowling group we’re really strong and especially have the depth and on any day we’re confident that someone will stand up.”An injury depleted Pakistan missing Bismah Maroof (groin) and Ayesha Naseem (hamstring) didn’t help themselves with a sloppy fielding performance and three of their wicket-takers leaked 40-plus runs each.England also made gains with the ball, however. Katherine Sciver-Brunt, who had gone for 19 runs in the final over and returned figures of 3-0-39-0 against India, took 2 for 14 from her four overs against Pakistan, including Sadaf Shamas with the second ball of the innings. Offspinner Charlie Dean, meanwhile, had two wickets from three matches heading into the game also chimed in with 2 for 28.As complete as the performance was, England know they need a double-encore.”To be the best in the world, you have to beat the current best in the world and Australia have been very consistently at the top of their game for a really long time,” Nat Sciver-Brunt said. “At the moment we’re trying to focus on ourselves and not look too outwardly at other teams. In the past, we’ve probably done that quite a lot and it’s not really worked out for us.”As a group, we are working towards wanting to be number one in the world. But the way we’re doing it is the most important thing. And the way that everyone is really brought in and believes in the way that we’re playing will win us games will win us tournaments, and I think that’s the most important thing.”

West Ham now "determined" to sign £108k-per-week striker for Graham Potter

West Ham United are serious about signing a striker who’s already scored over 20 goals in all competitions this campaign, with co-chair David Sullivan and the Hammers board said to be certain that he’s an ideal potential capture.

West Ham targeting new striker this summer

Graham Potter is still waiting to welcome back Niclas Füllkrug from injury, with the German unavailable for large periods of the 2024/2025 season, while Danny Ings is set to leave the London Stadium after his contract expires in June.

West Ham battling Arsenal and Liverpool to sign "very rare" £67m striker

Graham Potter’s side are believed to be contenders.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Mar 7, 2025

Michail Antonio also won’t be back in action for the foreseeable future after the Jamaican’s horrific car crash, while Brighton loanee Evan Ferguson will return to his parent club following the conclusion of his temporary stint at the London Stadium.

Everton (away)

March 15th

Wolves (away)

April 1st

Bournemouth (home)

April 5th

Liverpool (away)

April 13th

Southampton (home)

April 19th

Signing a new striker this summer is imperative for Potter, with West Ham transfer chiefs already having one eye on next season as there is nothing left to play for this campaign, bar a respectable Premier League position.

According to various reports from the last few weeks, Potter’s side have identified a few intriguing centre-forward targets ahead of the summer window, with Man United striker Rasmus Hojlund attracting interest from West Ham, among others.

Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitiké is also an ambitious name on West Ham’s shortlist, but the in-form Frenchman will apparently command a lofty price tag of up to £67 million, with Arsenal and Liverpool rumoured to be contending for his signature as well.

Hugo Ekitike for Frankfurt.

There are also suggestions that West Ham are considering a move for ex-Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, who is currently on loan at AC Milan from Roma.

However, one player who’s enjoying a better season than all of these forwards comes in the form of Fenerbahçe star Youssef En-Nesyri.

The Morocco international was repeatedly linked with a London Stadium switch during his Sevilla days, but since departing the La Liga side, En-Nesyri has really come into his own after a very productive start to his Turkish Süper Lig stay.

Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri

The 27-year-old boasts a remarkable 26 goals from 40 appearances in all competitions this term, including six in the Europa League, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed at West Ham.

West Ham "determined" to sign Youssef En-Nesyri

According to a report from Spain, West Ham are “more determined than ever” to sign En-Nesyri after witnessing his exploits throughout 2024/2025, and the Irons boardroom are utterly “convinced” by his quality.

The former Malaga star is also just one goal behind Victor Osimhen in the Süper Lig scoring charts, and two behind the division’s top scorer Krzysztof Piatek, with En-Nesyri firmly in the mix to win Turkey’s “Gol Kralı” award, translating to “Goal King”.

The forward earns around £108,000-per-week at Fenerbache, which could be seen as a reasonable wage for West Ham to match or better if they wish to finally tempt him with a move to England.

Shock twist in AC Milan’s managerial search! Former Juventus boss Thiago Motta emerges as leading contender to replace under-fire Sergio Conceicao

AC Milan could appoint former Juventus coach Thiago Motta as replacement for Sergio Conceicao.

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AC Milan finished out of European places in the leagueSergio Conceicao looks set to leave the club

Milan could appoint Thiago Motta

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A.C. Milan is looking for a reset after a very disappointing 2024/25 season. This could prompt Milan to part ways with Portuguese manager Sergio Conceicao despite winning the SuperCoppa in early January. According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Milan have former Juventus and Bologna coach Thiago Motta as their replacement in mind should Conceicao be sacked.

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AC Milan had appointed Sergio Conceicao at the beginning of the year as a replacement for compatriot Paulo Fonseca. Conceicao had a great start to life at Milan, winning the SuperCoppa in only his second match, but since then, disappointing results saw him finish out of European places in the league and lose 1-0 to Bologna in the Coppa Italia Final. With Milan management appointing Igli Tare as their new Sporting Director, changes are afoot, and the first big change could be in the dugout with Conceicao set to be relieved of his duties. Thiago Motta was a candidate in early 2024 to replace Stefano Pioli, but he chose to join Juventus instead. Now, Motta and Milan's paths could converge as Milan could appoint the former Bologna boss as a replacement for Conceicao.

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Under Motta's leadership, Bologna secured their second-ever qualification to the Champions League when they finished 5th in Serie A in the 2023/24 season. Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Calafiori, now respectively players of Manchester United and Arsenal, were the star players who grew under Thiago Motta before leaving the clubs on their separate paths.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MOTTA AND MILAN ?

Thiago Motta is looking for prospective clubs after he was relieved of his duties by Juventus in early March. Meanwhile, Milan, with their new director Igli Tare, is set to correct the mistakes made from last season and rebuild their squad ahead of the 2025/26 season while convincing star players like Pulisic and Mike Maignan to renew their contracts.

Rahul out with injury as LSG look to extend CSK's losing streak

Rahul’s absence could mean an overhaul of the LSG line-up

Sruthi Ravindranath02-May-20235:58

Dasgupta: CSK will be favourites for a day game in Lucknow

Big picture – LSG look to course-correct after RCB dramaWhat’s an IPL without a little bit of drama, amirite?When Lucknow Super Giants lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday night, Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir and Naveen-ul-Haq picked up big fines. But, more crucially for LSG, KL Rahul injured his hip flexor while fielding and walked off in the second over of the match, and has also been ruled out of the match against Chennai Super Kings*.LSG will want to quickly put all of that behind them as they enter this match. This is the same team that smashed 257 in Mohali less than a week ago, but on Monday, their batting looked toothless, with most of their batters getting out trying to attack on a slow surface at the Ekana Stadium.Related

LSG receive injury blows to Rahul and Unadkat

With Rahul out, will Quinton de Kock finally get a chance? If they do want to get de Kock in, then one of their options is to bench Naveen-ul-Haq and bring in Avesh Khan. But that makes it an all-Indian bowling attack. They could also make Ayush Badoni play up the order. Or even Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Manan Vohra or Prerak Mankad. Options aplenty there.CSK are coming off back-to-back losses, which have taken them from No. 1 on the points table to No. 4, but the Lucknow pitch might work for them. The surfaces have been slow and have aided turn, and though this one is likely to be played on a red-soil strip, CSK have quality in their line-up.LSG lost to CSK in a high-scoring contest in Chennai the last time these sides met this season.2:41

Should Dhoni bat ahead of Jadeja for CSK?

Team news – Unadkat ruled out, question marks over RahulSuper Giants’ left-arm quick Jaydev Unadkat has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL because of a left-shoulder injury, which he picked up while training in the nets on Sunday**.Krunal Pandya, who stood in for Rahul on Monday, is likely to lead the team. Mark Wood is expected to be available for their next two games before flying home for the birth of his daughter, and LSG would be tempted to give him a go if a red-soil pitch is in use.Form guideSuper Giants LWLWL
Super Kings LLWWWImpact Player strategyLucknow Super Giants
Super Giants will have to make a forced change because of Rahul’s injury. De Kock could finally get a game, but it would mean many changes to their make-up. The likelier option is, perhaps, to get an Indian batter to fill in.Probable XII 1 Kyle Mayers, , 3 Ayush Badoni, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Krunal Pandya (capt), 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 8 K Gowtham, 9 , 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Amit Mishra, 12 Naveen-ul-Haq/Mark Wood.The big questionChennai Super Kings
Mitchell Santner had been performing well but was dropped once Maheesh Theekshana became available. Theekshana has taken just five wickets in six innings at an economy of 8.4 this season and he hasn’t taken a single wicket in nine overs in the powerplay. CSK could be tempted to bring Santner back, given he’s also a gun fielder and can contribute with the bat.Probable XII: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Moeen Ali, 5 , 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 9 Matheesha Pathirana, 10 Tushar Deshpande, 11 Maheesh Theekshana/Mitchell Santner, 12 Pitch and conditionsA red-soil pitch, instead of the black-soil surface for the RCB game, is expected to be used at the Ekana Stadium, which will mean more bounce on offer. Despite expected cloud cover in the afternoon, there is no forecast of rain. The average first-innings score at the venue this season has been 147.Stats and Trivia Kyle Mayers has taken on spinners with confidence, striking at 175 against them this season, which is the second highest for batters who have at least 75 runs. But Moeen Ali has dismissed him twice in three meetings in T20s. Against CSK earlier this season, Mayers brought up a 21-ball half-century before getting out to Moeen in the sixth over. Amit Mishra has dismissed Ajinkya Rahane three times in ten meetings. LSG have the lowest win percentage (33.3%) while chasing in the IPL since 2022, losing eight out of the 12 matches in which they have batted second. Ravindra Jadeja has struggled against spin. This year, he’s scored 21 off 16 balls against that style of bowling. Tushar Deshpande could be on his way to setting a dubious record. With 17 wickets in nine games, he is the leading wicket-taker so far in IPL 2023, but he’s also leaked runs at an economy rate of 11.07. Of all previous Purple Cap winners, Mohit Sharma (23 wickets in 2014) had the poorest economy rate: 8.39.* GMT 8.24am: The preview was updated with information on KL Rahul’s availability for the match
**GMT 4.50am: The preview was updated with the news of Jaydev Unadkat being ruled out

10x ball lost, 50% duels lost: 6/10 Man City man is now Pep's new Zinchenko

Pep Guardiola said after last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest that his Manchester City team have “ten finals” to ensure they’ll be playing Champions League football next season.

Well, we’re no closer to finding out if the Sky Blues will secure a top-five finish after the first of these ten fixtures produced a stalemate.

On Saturday afternoon, the soon-to-be dethroned champions were held to a 2-2 draw by Brighton at the Etihad.

They led twice, Erling Braut Håland converting an early penalty before Omar Marmoush struck on the cusp of half-time, but an unfortunate own goal by Abdukodir Khusanov saw the Seagulls earn a first-ever Premier League point in East Manchester.

Marmoush

Ahead of the international break, this draw highlights a defensive conundrum in Guardiola’s team; something to ponder, not just before an FA Cup quarter-final at Bournemouth in a fortnight, but also as the Citizens look to reconfigure their squad long-term.

Indeed, it looks as if the former Barcelona boss may well have unearthed his next Oleksandr Zinchenko…

Oleksandr Zinchenko's time at Manchester City

Zinchenko joined Manchester City from Russian Premier League side FC Ufa for a reported fee of £1.7m back in 2016, very much an unknown teenager at the time.

He was immediately loaned out to PSV Eindhoven, making 17 appearances for the Dutch giants, as Phillip Cocu’s team finished rock-bottom of their Champions League group and came third in the Eredivisie, so not the best season to be at Philips Stadion.

Upon his return to Manchester, everyone expected Zinchenko to be an attacking midfield option, but Guardiola had other ideas, with more than 90% of the Ukrainian’s appearances for the club coming at left-back.

Guardiola described him at left-back as “important” to how the team functions, adding that he possesses “incredible quality”.

Meantime, Neel Shelat of Breaking the Lines believed Zinchenko’s ‘ball progression’ and ‘importance in build-up’ makes up for his ‘defensive weakness’, James Robson of the Evening Standard described him as ‘outstanding’, while the Ukrainian himself admitted left-full-back may now be his “best position”.

His performances convinced Mikel Arteta to bring him to Arsenal for a reported fee of £30m, and almost all of his 85 appearances for the Gunners have come at left-back.

Chalkboard

Now, does Guardiola face a similar conundrum but in reverse, with one of his full-backs potentially better off in midfield?

Man City's new Zinchenko

Rico Lewis’ statistics from Saturday’s draw with Brighton leap off the page but not for the right reasons, losing 50% of his duels, relinquishing possession on ten occasions and contributing zero key passes. That led to a 6/10 match rating from Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News.

As noted by Bajkowski previously, Lewis has ‘struggled’ for consistency this season, used ‘infrequently’ in recent months, with Guardiola admitting he over-played the 20-year-old during the early part of this campaign.

Joe Bray of MEN, meanwhile, notes that Lewis’ ‘inexperience’ cost him against Real Madrid, while Jason Burt of the Telegraph believes his future could lie in midfield, thereby going on the opposite transition to Zinchenko.

So, let’s compare the two players’ respective Manchester City careers panned out.

Statistics

Lewis

Zinchenko

Appearances

87

128

Minutes

5,828

9,365

Goals

4

2

Assists

9

12

Pass completion %

91.8%

89.1%

Progressive passes per 90

4.7

8.1

Shot-creating actions per 90

71

161

% of dribblers tackled

57.1%

51.6%

Interceptions per 90

0.79

1.3

Ball-recoveries per 90

4.6

5.7

Take on success %

47.6%

52.2%

Touches per 90

70

108

As the table outlines, Zinchenko largely comes out on top when compared to Lewis, albeit the England international is still only 20 years old, meaning the vast majority of his appearances have come as a teenager.

Nevertheless, Lewis’ pass completion percentage is outstanding, currently ranked joint-seventh in the Premier League this season in this metric, while his chance creation and defensive metrics aren’t too bad either.

Nevertheless, his passing prowess suggests Lewis’ long-term future could be as a midfielder, which is certainly something for Guardiola to consider going forward.

Rico Lewis

All things considered, finding the best positional fit for the England international is proving something of a dilemma, much as it was with the aforementioned Zinchenko.

Man City have already sold their own Adam Wharton for just £7m

As Man City continue their pursuit of Adam Wharton, they may regret having sold a “similar” talent

ByRobbie Walls Mar 13, 2025

Finger injury rules Shakib out of third ODI, could also miss Afghanistan Test

Allrounder picked up injury on his right index finger while attempting a catch in the second ODI against Ireland

Mohammad Isam13-May-2023Shakib Al Hasan has been ruled out of the third ODI against Ireland on Sunday. Shakib suffered a finger injury during Friday’s second game in Chelmsford. The incident took place when Shakib dropped George Dockrell’s catch off Mehidy Hasan Miraz in Ireland’s innings.He however batted during Bangladesh’s chase, making 26 with five boundaries. Shakib added 61 runs for the third wicket with Najmul Hossain Shanto, whose maiden ODI hundred helped Bangladesh in winning by three wickets.”Shakib hurt the tip of his right index finger while attempting a catch yesterday in the second ODI,” Bangladesh physio Bayjedul Islam Khan said. “An X-ray today confirmed a fracture on the base of the index finger. Such injuries usually take around six weeks to heal. Unfortunately, this means he is not available for the last match against Ireland.”The BCB hasn’t named any replacement. A six-week recovery period means that Shakib is all but out of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June.Bangladesh had training in Chelmsford on Saturday, the day before their third game against Ireland. It will be their tenth match in two months against the same opponents, with the three matches in Chelmsford being part of the ICC ODI Super League.

Ange is fed up: Spurs now planning to sell £75k-p/w star alongside Bissouma

Tottenham Hotspur could now look to “get rid” of a midfielder this summer, as Ange Postecoglou is not happy with his options in the middle of the park, according to former scout Mick Brown.

Tottenham planning midfield revamp

There are signs Tottenham could be planning to revamp their midfield in the summer transfer window, having identified a number of potential targets, most recently making the first move to sign Sunderland’s Chris Rigg by submitting a £38m offer.

Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney is another name on Spurs’ shortlist, having recently entered the race for the 22-year-old midfielder, who could be brought in as a replacement for Yves Bissouma, with the Mali international’s future now in major doubt.

Plans to sell Bissouma in the summer are said to have been approved, with the 28-year-old playing a more sporadic role in the Premier League this season, often being limited to appearances as a substitute.

Tottenham now making moves to sign “magical” star with 144 career goals

Ange Postecoglou could make a statement signing in the off-season.

1 BySean Markus Clifford Mar 22, 2025

Everton are interested in signing the former Brighton man, with Tottenham now ready to sell, but he is not the only central midfielder who they could look to cash-in on this summer.

According to former scout Mick Brown, Postecoglou is unhappy with his options in the middle of the park, casting Rodrigo Bentancur’s future into doubt.

“Ange Postecoglou is not happy with his midfield options. It’s such a key area of the team, and the players at his disposal have not been good enough.

“They’ve failed to impress when called upon so far this season, and Bentancur now is not part of Tottenham’s plans moving forward.

“So if they can get rid of him and bring in a decent fee, it’s definitely something they’ll consider. I hear there are clubs in Europe who have been looking at a move in the summer.”

Bentancur impressing defensively

It has been a disappointing season all-round for Tottenham, and Bentancur hasn’t exactly stood out, with WhoScored ranking the midfielder 11th in terms of average rating in the Premier League.

That said, some of the Uruguayan’s defensive performances over the past year indicate he could be worth keeping hold of, ranking highly on some key metrics, when compared to his positional peers.

Statistic

Rank vs midfielders in big 5 leagues

Interceptions

2.14 (99th percentile)

Clearances

2.01 (81st percentile)

Blocks

1.67 (87th percentile)

Aerials won

1.69 (87th percentile)

The 27-year-old has predominantly featured in a defensive midfield role this season, which may have hindered his ability to contribute going forward, having picked up just two goals and one assist in all competitions.

However, the £75k-per-week midfielder’s defensive contribution cannot be questioned, so it would feel a little harsh for Tottenham to sanction a departure this summer, but reports from February suggest Bentancur signing a new contract is also a possibility.

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