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“We need to grow this habit [of scoring big]… Of course, we should also play more franchise tournaments”

Mohammad Isam10-Oct-2024

Taskin Ahmed: “Most matches in IPL are high-scoring. They know how to chase big targets, and build high scores”•Associated Press

What happens in the aftermath of two huge defeats in India? For Bangladesh, it is less about trying to improve their batting or bowling, rather a discussion about having better pitches back home. Bangladesh’s players have told the BCB that they need to play on better tracks at home to have any chance of improving in T20s and compete against teams like India.Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto had touched on the need for better pitches back home after the loss in the first T20I against India on Sunday, after which the BCB president Faruque Ahmed held a lengthy discussion on the subject in a press briefing earlier this week. Faruque even hinted that they would consider the future of the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s curator Gamini Silva. Now, after the 86-run defeat to India in the second T20I in Delhi on Thursday, Taskin Ahmed further emphasised on the need to have better pitches at home to get used to posting high totals, while admitting there was a “lot of room for improvement” in the team.”We have to improve our skills, but we also need to play on better wickets back home,” Taskin said. “These are the main reasons [for the defeat]. We have informed the board, so I am sure they are thinking about [better pitches]. They gave us hope that they will make things better. It is up to them how they will improve conditions back home.”Related

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Taskin said that Bangladesh bank heavily only on a select few members contributing to a total; so when the top order failed against India in the second game, they had little chance to chase down 222.”The average score in Delhi is more than 200 runs. Both [Gwalior and Delhi] were good to bat but we didn’t bat well,” Taskin said. “We didn’t play to our potential. We didn’t have a good game. We had to go hard at their big total. There’s not much to do in a T20 when the top five or six batters fail.”We haven’t done well as a team in the two T20Is, which is sad for us. We are the sort of team [in which] we need 80% of our team to win a game. We can’t win with [just] one or two [players] doing well. There’s a lot of room for improvement.”Bangladesh’s batting failure was in stark contrast to how India batted smoothly despite slipping to 41 for 3 in the sixth over. Newcomer Nitish Kumar Reddy and finisher Rinku Singh counterattacked with a 108-run fourth-wicket partnership, with both scoring rapid fifties before Hardik Pandya and Riyan Parag took India past 200. Taskin said India playing most of their cricket on good batting pitches has helped them hit big.”Most matches in IPL are high-scoring. They know how to chase big targets, and build high scores,” Taskin said. “What [scores like] 130-150 is for us, is 180-200 for them. We need to grow this habit [of scoring big], but I hope we have better home conditions so that we develop the ability to score and chase big targets. Of course, we should also play more franchise tournaments, which will give us better experience.”If we try to hit shots sitting or lying down in our home conditions, we would get hit in the face” – Taskin Ahmed•Associated Press

“You need everything [to be a big-hitter] – power, technique, ability and adaptation. If you see the way they hit those sixes so fluently, I am sure if we try to hit those shots sitting or lying down in our home conditions, we would get hit in the face. They grew this habit from their childhood to play on good wickets. This is their biggest strength in bowling and batting.”Taskin was Bangladesh’s standout bowler in Delhi, giving away just 16 runs in his four overs while also taking two wickets. The pace bowlers combined to take six wickets in 12 overs which cost 102 runs. The spinners, though, bowled eight overs which went for 14.50 an over, something which cost Bangladesh the game. It is worrying that the spinners couldn’t put together good spells in the first series since Shakib Al Hasan announced his retirement from T20Is.”Shakib is someone who is always an important player for us. The reality is that he will retire soon [from Tests as well],” Taskin said. “We have to stand up without him. Definitely, he is an all-time legend. We will miss him.”I think we started well in the powerplay. They batted really well towards the end to get a big total. Unfortunately, the spinners had a bad day. There was also dew. It is the nature of T20s. Anything can happen any time. I think we could have chased a target of 180 or 190. We failed to make runs, but it was a good wicket.”Taskin conceded that Bangladesh aren’t adapting quickly to better batting conditions too, which is an overall “failure” of their T20 approach.”We haven’t improved in T20s. It is our failure,” he said. “Regardless of wickets back home, we are not doing well in better conditions. We are trying hard to improve, and we are hoping we can improve. That’s all we can do.”

Tottenham Hotspur are working to back new manager Thomas Frank in the transfer market this summer, with the north Londoners not exactly resting on their laurels after sealing a cut-price deal for Mathys Tel.

"Special" Tottenham forward spotted at another club amid talks to leave

Spurs are in negotiations over his exit.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 17, 2025

Despite agreeing an option to buy Tel for around £45 million in January as part of his initial loan, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy managed to negotiate a lower fee with Bayern Munich, with the Frenchman making his stay permanent for £30 million instead.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025	Average match rating
Son Heung-min	7.00
James Maddison	6.98
Pedro Porro	6.95
Dominic Solanke	6.84
Dejan Kulusevski	6.83
via WhoScored

Bayern sporting director Max Eberl admitted last week that Tottenham were in ongoing talks over Tel’s transfer, and those negotiations were concluded pretty quickly, as Spurs announced their capture of the 20-year-old on Sunday morning.

However, Tel’s arrival is by no means the end when it comes to their pursuit of new forwards.

In January, Spurs held “concrete” talks with the representatives of Southampton winger Tyler Dibling, and he’s now re-emerging on their radar.

The 19-year-old impressed for an otherwise dismal Saints side who finished at the foot of the Premier League table last season, chalking up four goals and three assists in all competitions whilst cementing himself as a firm regular under both Russell Martin and Ivan Juric.

Dibling is a “world-class talent” boasting enormous potential, amid comparisons to treble-winning Man City star Jack Grealish, but his price tag has been a major stumbling block for interested sides like Spurs.

Southampton were demanding as much as £100 million to let Dibling go earlier this year, as reliably reported by The Times, but Southampton’s relegation to the Championship could see him depart for significantly less.

Tottenham consider Tyler Dibling move after near-£50m price drop

According to CaughtOffside, Southampton now value the teenage sensation at around £51 million, and Frank’s side remain in the running for his signature.

As per their information, Tottenham are considering a summer deal for Dibling, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United all named as fellow English contenders.

RB Leipzig have also seen a £30 million bid rejected for the Englishman, so the Under-21 international could soon be at the centre of a tug of war between sides both domestically and abroad.

Dibling is fast garnering a reputation as a creative player with excellent technique on the ball, mobility, acceleration, agility and good passing range, but it remains to be seen if the near-£50 million price drop will still be enough to entice Levy into making a formal bid.

Even his heavily discounted new valuation could still be seen by many as a major gamble, especially if Levy wants to reinforce other areas of the squad with Tottenham’s Champions League riches.

Liverpool are firing on all cylinders in the transfer market this summer, but as is becoming frustratingly habitual, Real Madrid’s encroaching shadow has loomed above Anfield.

It didn’t come as much of a surprise when Trent Alexander-Arnold announced he would leave at the end of his contract and join Los Blancos.

And neither did it shock the Premier League when Spain international Dean Huijsen opted to reject the crowd of interest in England last month, instead moving to the Santiago Bernabeu when Florentino Perez activated his £50m release clause at Bournemouth.

Liverpool had a vested interest in Huijsen, whose breakout year has been a special thing. The archetypal modern defender, Huijsen, who is two-footed, would have been the perfect long-term heir for captain Virgil van Dijk, who turns 34 next month.

As it is, Liverpool will need to turn their attention elsewhere, not least because Real Madrid are now sniffing around for Ibrahima Konate.

The latest on Ibrahima Konate's Liverpool future

Arne Slot has created a hothouse for sustained success at Liverpool, but if Konate is tempted by the pull of Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid, it might be that he’s played his last in a Liverpool shirt.

Indeed, the French defender is entering the final year of his contract, and while he’s one of the best centre-backs in England, FSG might need to cash in if he attempts to run his contract down, with Madrid looking to snap him up on a Bosman in 12 months.

Konate, 26, has come off the back of his best campaign in a Liverpool shirt, winning the Premier League and starting 30 times, notably completing 90% of his passes and winning 66% of his duels, as per Sofascore.

Some at Liverpool maintain it would be a good idea to sell the hulking star this summer, with a figure of around €60m (£51m) settled as a fair price.

If this is the case, Liverpool will need to find an alternative to Huijsen and bring him over to Slot’s brood.

Liverpool chasing new centre-back

As per Reds insider DaveOCKOP, Liverpool are interested in signing Marc Guehi this summer, with the Crystal Palace defender’s homegrown status appealing given Jarell Quansah may leave the club for Bayer Leverkusen.

Guehi, who is wanted by a host of teams including Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, the latter of whom saw a £70m offer rejected in February.

With one year left on his deal, it feels like Eagles owner Steve Parish’s resolve will waver at some stage this summer, and a pathway will be cleared for a club such as Liverpool to swoop.

What Marc Guehi would bring to Liverpool

Guehi has been an instrumental part of Crystal Palace’s progress in recent years, reaching his crescendo in May as he helped Oliver Glasner’s side defeat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Joining Selhurst Park from Chelsea in a £18m package back in 2021, Guehi has only gone from strength to strength, playing 155 matches across all competitions and bringing major silverware to the south Londoners for the first time in their history.

Also proven on the international stage, the 24-year-old was even regarded by one content creator last year to be “England’s best centre-back”, indeed having been one of the better performers under Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024.

Liverpool would only improve with such a refined and established Premier League defender in their mix. His combative and composed defensive qualities have been elevated by an ever-improving passing game that would allow him to potentially even outgrow Konate.

Rarely hit with injuries, Guehi is sturdier on the fitness front than his Les Bleus counterpart, and, moreover, has a more dangerous attacking element to his skill set that would help Liverpool find firmer footing in regard to their set-piece efficiency.

When looking at how the defenders ranked up in the Premier League last season, you begin to see why Slot is so keen on bringing Guehi over to Merseyside, with his rounded performances bespeaking a level which will only shoot upwards playing in a team competing at the forefront of domestic and European football.

Matches (starts)

34 (34)

31 (30)

Goals

3

1

Assists

2

2

Touches*

64.9

71.6

Pass completion

84%

90%

Key passes*

0.5

0.3

Dribbles*

0.4

0.1

Ball recoveries*

4.3

3.2

Tackles + interceptions*

2.6

1.8

Clearances*

4.6

4.0

Duels won*

4.9 (59%)

4.4 (66%)

There’s a reason why so many top English outfits want to bring Guehi into their mix, and if Liverpool to find themselves cashing in on Konate this summer, the Palace man could prove to not only be a fitting replacement but actually an upgrade, making the necessary tweaks to his skill set that playing at Liverpool would hand to him.

Described as “one of those versatile CBs who can play both sides equally as comfortably” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the Englishman could even succeed Van Dijk later down the line, playing on that left-hand side in a role that was envisaged just a few months ago for Huijsen.

His ball-carrying and -playing skills proved he would has the capacity to become one of the best, that and his dynamism.

Ultimately, Liverpool know that losing Konate will prove a big blow: he’s settled into the Anfield side as one of the most impressive and rounded centre-halves out there. He works so well as Van Dijk’s foil.

But Guehi has his best years ahead of him and could absorb the fruits of Liverpool’s skipper’s final labours over the next two years, before taking the prize as Liverpool’s star man in the rearguard in just a few years.

Could Konate achieve that too? Of course. However, Guehi’s incremental growth suggests he might just take the cake.

He'd be better than Gyokeres: Liverpool in talks to sign "world-class" CF

Liverpool are looking to sign a centre-forward this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 18, 2025

The summer transfer window officially opens for business next month and Leeds United will know that they have to be very busy between now and the end of August.

Since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, all six newly-promoted teams have been relegated from the Premier League at the first time of asking, which illustrates the difficulty of the task facing Daniel Farke and his staff.

The German head coach’s team won the Championship title with a staggering 100-point haul, but that does not mean that his team does not need to be improved upon during the summer transfer window.

In fact, the rumour mill is already spinning and one player who has been linked with a move to Elland Road ahead of the 2025/26 campaign is Newcastle United centre-forward Callum Wilson.

TalkSPORT claimed that Leeds are the frontrunners to land the former England international on a free transfer, as he could be on his way out of St. James’ Park this summer.

Why Leeds should sign Callum Wilson

Signing Wilson on a free transfer from the Magpies could be a masterstroke by the 49ers because he is a Premier League proven centre-forward who could provide the team with quality and experience in abundance.

The 33-year-old attacker has played 237 matches in the top-flight in his career to date, scoring 88 goals, and could provide the younger members of the squad with someone they can lean on when they need help adapting to the division.

24/25

1

0

23/24

9

9

22/23

21

18

21/22

16

8

20/21

23

12

19/20

32

8

18/19

29

14

17/18

23

8

16/17

16

6

15/16

9

5

As you can see in the table above, Wilson has been a prolific scorer in the Premier League during his time with Bournemouth and Newcastle when you take his starts into account.

This explains why the Magpies forward could be an excellent signing for Leeds because they would be bringing in a striker who has proven that he can find the back of the net at an impressive rate in the top-flight, potentially boosting their chances of achieving survival next season.

However, Wilson has also missed 57 matches through injury since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, and has missed 11 games or more through injury in seven separate seasons in the Premier League throughout his career.

This shows that the 33-year-old striker is a bit of a liability with his availability, which is why it should come as good news to supporters that Leeds are reportedly eyeing up another deal for a younger, less injury-prone, centre-forward to bolster their squad this summer.

Leeds lining up move for £4.6m striker

According to the Sunday Mirror (page 68, 18 May), Leeds United are lining up a move to sign St. Gallen striker Willem Geubbels in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites were interested in a swoop to land the French marksman in the January transfer window, but they were unable to get a deal over the line ahead of the second half of the season.

Transfer Focus

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

It states that the West Yorkshire outfit are now set to revisit their interest in the 23-year-old forward as they look to bolster their squad for a Premier League campaign.

The report also reveals that the Frenchman has a release clause in his current contract with St. Gallen that would allow clubs to snap him up for a fee of £4.6m, and that could be activated at the end of the current campaign.

With this in mind, Farke should push the 49ers to strike a deal for £4.6m by activating the release clause for Geubbels because the club could strike gold by landing moves for both him and Callum Wilson in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Why Leeds should sign Willem Geubbels

The 23-year-old attacker would be a bit of a gamble of a signing for the Whites because he has not proven himself in the Premier League to date and is not currently playing in one of Europe’s major leagues, playing in Switzerland.

Geubbels did, however, play 39 games in Ligue 1 for Monaco and Nantes combined before he made the move to the Swiss side, which means that he does have some experience in a major European division.

After he scored the goal in the clip above for Monaco, the French ace was described as a “future star” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, but he was unable to live up to that hype in his home country in the next couple of years.

However, his move to St. Gallen in the 2022/23 campaign provided him with a chance to revive his career away from France, which is exactly what the forward has done.

Appearances

17

32

31

Goals

2

8

14

Key passes per game

0.2

0.9

1.4

Big chances created

1

9

7

Assists

0

5

3

As you can see in the table above, Geubbels has improved in every season he has played for the Swiss side, with more goals and more key passes per game in each campaign, which shows that Leeds would be signing a player who is on the up and improving.

The 23-year-old ace, who was described as “quick” and “powerful” by RangersJournal writer Kai Watson, has also only missed 13 matches through injury in those three seasons, which suggests that he is more likely to be available week-in-week-out than Wilson would be.

Signing both of them could be a masterstroke by the 49ers because Wilson would provide proven quality and experience in the Premier League, whilst Geubbels is a young and hungry forward with all to prove, and an impressive goalscoring record in Switzerland that continues to grow.

Therefore, Farke could end up with a good variety of options at his disposal, particularly when you throw Joel Piroe into the mix as well, to ensure that his team has enough firepower to stay in the top-flight beyond next season.

Huge Byram upgrade: Leeds make contact to sign £15m-rated star for free

Leeds United could land an upgrade on Sam Byram by signing this Premier League defender.

1 ByDan Emery May 15, 2025

Manchester United are believed to be in contact about the signing of another exciting player this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim.

Man Utd set to sign Kana-Biyik as INEOS plot youth overhaul

The Red Devils won 3-0 away to Athletic Bilbao on Thursday evening, allowing them to start dreaming of a place in the Europa League final, and some intriguing transfer business was reported at the same time.

At the same time as the game was going on, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano took to X to report that United have agreed a deal to sign Le Havre attacking sensation Enzo Kana-Biyik on a five-year deal.

At 18, Kana-Biyik is still clearly a raw talent, but it is a further sign that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are targeting young players with huge potential this summer, as well as focusing on signing star men who can come in and be an immediate hit.

Winning the Europa League will only help United bring in the right players, ensuring qualification for the Champions League in the process, and now a new update has emerged alongside Kana-Biyik.

Man Utd make contact to sign La Liga 2 gem Christian Kofane

According to reports in Spain [via Sport Witness], Manchester United are among the clubs in contact to sign Christian Kofane from Albacete Balompie this summer. The striker has a £4.2m release clause in his contract that can be triggered this year.

The update claims that “half of Europe” have been in touch about signing the 18-year-old, with fellow Premier League clubs Newcastle United and Aston Villa mentioned, as well as Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Villarreal, Real Betis, Lille and Monaco.

Kofane may not yet be a household name, but he is a teenage star who could grow into a special player over time, having already scored six goals in 15 appearances for Albacete at senior level.

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Meanwhile, Under-23 scout Antonio Mango has hailed the “pace”, “technical skills” and “movement” that the Cameroonian has in his locker, showing that he is an attacker with many key attributes.

As is the case with Kana-Biyik, Kofane isn’t the immediate solution for United, and could be loaned out given he has only thrived in the second tier in Spain so far, but the level of interest in him shows what a mouthwatering prospect he is.