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Glasgow Rangers supporters have been getting excited about the prospect of watching Djeidi Gassama week-in-week-out at Ibrox in the 2025/26 campaign.

The 21-year-old winger announced himself as a Gers star in the making with two goals in his first two games against Panathinaikos in the club’s Champions League qualifiers.

Gassama stepped up to the occasion in both matches to score off the bench and was rewarded with his full debut against Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

Unfortunately, though, the summer signing from Sheffield Wednesday was unable to make it three goals in as many games at Fir Park in the 1-1 draw.

Why Djeidi Gassama struggled against Motherwell

The 21-year-old forward thrived off the bench against Panathinaikos because the Greek side needed to get back into the match and were committing men forward, providing him with space to exploit on the left flank.

Motherwell, however, were more than willing to sit deep and soak up pressure, which meant that he did not have as much space to work with in the game.

Gassama failed to score and only created one chance in 83 minutes on the pitch, but it was not all his fault. Having right-footed Max Aarons at left-back meant that the Frenchman did not have any overlapping threat to create space for him.

Transfer Focus

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

This is why Rangers need to sign a natural left-back in order to unlock Gassama’s full potential, and Monaco full-back Kassoum Ouattara could be the ideal addition.

Why Rangers should sign Kassoum Ouattara

The Light Blues have reportedly already made contact with the Ligue 1 side to discuss a potential deal for the 20-year-old starlet, who could come in as the dream partner for Gassama down the left flank.

Having a naturally left-footed player who wants to attack down the flank would help Russell Martin’s side to break down teams sat in a low block because it would cause the opposition’s full-back to decide between going with the run on the outside or staying close to the winger.

Of course, it cannot just be any left-footed left-back, though, because they have to offer enough of a threat going forward to be considered a threat by the opposition in order to open space for Gassama.

Ouattara only played 12 times in Ligue 1 for Monaco in the 2024/25 campaign, but the French youth international showcased his creative skills in his limited minutes on the pitch.

xA

0.29

Top 5%

Chances created

1.38

Top 17%

Successful crosses

1.62

Top 7%

Cross accuracy

41.2%

Top 9%

Successful dribbles

1.15

Top 12%

Assists

0.23

Top 9%

As you can see in the table above, the Rangers transfer target has the potential to be an exceptional attacking threat down the left wing with overlapping runs, as he is an efficient and effective crosser who can create high-quality chances for his teammates.

The left-back, who has been described as a “very offensive” full-back by writer Kai Watson, would be able to draw attention away from Gassama and, therefore, create more space for the winger to work with.

This could help to unlock the former Owls star’s full potential at Ibrox, as he would not be overrun by opposition defenders because of the lack of support from Aarons when teams sit in deep.

It is now down to Rangers to get a deal done for Ouattara in the coming weeks, because the talented and attack-minded full-back could be a dream addition to bomb down the left flank in support of Gassama this season.

Warwickshire’s winless season continues despite setting visitors 369 on final day

ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2024Jack Leach gave England’s selectors a reminder of his skills as Somerset’s Vitality Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston ended in a rain-affected draw.The left-arm spinner has been overlooked by England in favour of Somerset team-mate Shoaib Bashir since the opening Test against India in Hyderabad in January but chose a dark day in Birmingham to prove that his talents still shine brightly.On a pitch offering only slight turn, Leach took five wickets for 18 runs in 49 balls, finishing with 5 for 77, to truncate Warwickshire’s second innings at 270, Alex Davies leading the way for the home side with 131 from 225 balls.The 33-year-old’s work set up a potentially exciting final afternoon with Somerset, facing a target of 369 from 68 overs. They were on 13 without loss at lunch only for the rain, which robbed the match of 51 overs on the third day, to return. The loss of another ten overs turned the chase from improbable to impossible and Somerset ended on 206 for 4 (James Rew 55 not out from 24 balls).The draw cost Somerset valuable ground on Division One leaders Surrey who beat Lancashire at The Oval. For relegation-threatened Warwickshire, the frustration was deep after rain prevented them from trying to turn a strong position into their first victory of the season. They remain the only team in Division One without a win, though they have a good chance to change that situation next week when bottom-of-the-table Kent visit Edgbaston.Warwickshire resumed on the final morning on 179 for 5, 277 ahead, and advanced to 218 before Leach unpicked the lower order. He started the slide with three wickets for nine runs in 18 balls. Davies, having compiled a measured century, his 11th in first-class cricket, went back to a full-length ball and was bowled. Dan Mousley charged at one cleverly delivered wide on the off side and was stumped. Michael Rae was bowled second ball, heaving to leg.Olly Hannon Dalby edged to wicketkeeper Rew before Michael Burgess, one of the better No. 8s in county cricket history, left with only the tail for company, lifted to extra cover to complete Leach’s 27th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.Warwickshire’s collapse gave the visitors a glimmer of opportunity. Six weeks earlier, Somerset had amassed 410 for 5 – their second-highest ever run chase – to beat the Bears at Taunton, so a target of 369 did not daunt them. They started purposefully but then yet another rain interruption sentenced the match to stalemate.Openers Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Andy Umeed were caught at deep midwicket. Tom Lammonby and Tom Banton perished to faulty pulls at Rae. Rew helped himself to a 23-ball half-century as match meandered to a draw before the light mercifully closed in once and for all and the tiny crowd departed wondering if, entertainment-wise, they would have been better off salmon-fishing in Sasolburg.

It’s not easy to make an impact when you face only a few balls and bowl a few overs, but the England allrounder is determined to fulfil that role during the World Cup

Sidharth Monga24-Jun-2024Liam Livingstone has batted just 33 balls in three innings at three venues during this T20 World Cup. He has 61 runs at a strike-rate of 184.84 but he is a disappointed man. Welcome to the world of a lower-middle order batter in a short and sharp tournament in atypical conditions characterised by slower pitches. He is most disappointed with his 33 off 17 against South Africa, when he hit a full toss into a strong wind, leaving England needing 25 off 16.They didn’t make it. The next game a must-win for England in which Livingstone didn’t get to bat but played a role with the ball: his offbreaks to left-hand batters and legbreaks to right-hand batters yielded 4-0-24-1.The thing on slower pitches is that the top order tries to bat deeper, the No. 7 gets to bat either in crisis or when it’s time to go, go, go, and has to adjust to many variables that are hard to train for. After that four-over spell against USA, Livingstone was asked whether he felt like he is the tournament.”It’s a bit different,” Livingstone said. “I don’t really have the most glamorous role in this team, to be honest. I guess my role in the team is to be there, bang on it whenever I’m needed. And even the game against the West Indies, having bowled that one over, getting the wicket of Rovman Powell, I’d probably rather take that 1 for 20 than none for 4 or something.”It’s a different role to what I’ve been used to my whole career. It’s something that takes a bit of getting used to more mentally than anything else, and that’s why I was so disappointed the other day that I didn’t finish it off against South Africa because I felt like that was my time in the tournament, my chance in the tournament to really win us a game. Hopefully there’s a time still to come.”It’s different: bowl when I’m needed, don’t always bat in the games that are finished quite quickly. I guess it’s more a mental challenge for me over the last few months of making sure that I’m right on it whenever I’m needed.”Liam Livingstone has faced only 33 balls in three innings during this T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesIt is difficult because elite cricketers are ultra-competitive athletes who have made it this far by getting involved in every bit of play they can. “As a kid, I always wanted to be involved,” Livingstone said. “That’s the reason I started bowling a few years back. Bating at seven and bowling one over every couple of games or whatever … that’s where the hard bit comes because you want to try and get involved in the game. But yeah, it’s the role that I’m playing in this team and the best way for me to do well for the team is making sure that I’m right on it whenever I’m needed.”Thankfully the last two games I feel like I struck the ball pretty well against South Africa and I feel like I bowled pretty well today. So I guess they’re the last two performances with bat and ball. I feel like I’m in a really good place. So who knows, hopefully I’m not needed in the next two games and we can win a World Cup, but if I am needed, I feel like I’m in a decent place.”When that rare chance comes, though you strike the ball well, you are expected to finish the game, which Livingstone didn’t. But the fact is that nobody has aggregated 100 runs batting at Nos. 6 and 7 this World Cup.”Look, I’m in the team to finish off games with the bat and try and get wickets with the ball when we feel like we’re struggling for one,” Livingstone said. “So yeah, I’m always going to be harsh on myself. I had the chance to finish the game off the other day and didn’t quite do it. But yeah, I feel like I was hitting the ball really well. I felt like I was bowling really well. I guess the most pleasing thing for me over the last two or three years is my body feels really good, and that’s the biggest pleasing thing for me. If there’s an opportunity to affect a game of cricket over the next one or two games, then hopefully I’m ready to do that.”It’s difficult to train for such a role too. Without giving away secrets, Livingstone shed some light on his process. “Anything that you do for a living, you’ve got to find a way to train for that,” he said. “My training’s been a bit different. You’ve got to try and put yourself in pressure situations. Having Polly [Kieron Pollard] around has made things a little bit easier for me, having someone who’s done the role for so long, being able to speak to him about that. I guess I’ve kind of enjoyed the challenge of not getting loads of opportunities, but when it comes, trying to make sure I can deliver.”The physical challenge of this role often doesn’t get spoken about. Livingstone nearly did his knee at the IPL two years ago. He almost injured his side in this tournament. “Touch wood, a lot of wood,” Livingstone said when asked if his side was fine. “Yeah, my knee’s been really good. I had the same sort of thing in an IPL a couple of years ago when I missed the ball, and I think it comes from sitting down for a couple of hours and then trying to hit the ball out the ground first ball.”Yeah, my side feels alright. My knee is really good, which is most pleasing thing for me. So fingers crossed, the last couple of years of niggles are behind me and I’m back enjoying my cricket and that’s the main thing for me. So playing with a smile on my face, which is something that I always used to do.”

Arsenal are ready to spend big this summer and could now gain the upper hand on Chelsea in pursuit of a talented star plying his trade at the Club World Cup, according to a report.

Arsenal ready to make statement signings

The Gunners hope to establish themselves as a frontrunner in the race for the Premier League title and Mikel Arteta is set to be backed this window as high-profile targets are identified at the Emirates Stadium.

In an honest assessment of his former side’s hunt for a striker, Arsenal icon Theo Walcott has pointed out that the club need to pursue someone in Liam Delap’s mould as they search for a new source of goals.

Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres are Arsenal’s two main striking targets, and the latter has given his priority to Arteta’s side following an excellent campaign at Sporting.

That development comes in spite of interest from Manchester United, which will undoubtedly provoke optimism among a support desperate to see the final piece of the jigsaw added over the coming months.

Arsenal approach £170k-per-week forward with Berta ready to pay £53m

The Gunners are making “real moves” for him.

3 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 14, 2025

However, it has to be taken into account that signing a forward isn’t the only requirement to exceed their rivals’ points tally next season; you also need an effective foil to maximise attacking output across the board.

With that in mind, Arsenal now have a winger on their radar that they could steal from under the nose of rivals Chelsea, according to reports.

Arsenal prepare bid to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens

According to reports in Spain, Arsenal are preparing a bid to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, and he is viewed internally as someone who would fit their philosophy to develop talent over the long-term.

Berta and company are ready to put forward an offer that could amount to roughly £42.5 million, while Chelsea have also been heavily linked with Gittens and came close to signing him before the Club World Cup registration window closed. There have even been claims the Blues still want him and could make a new bid in days.

Jamie Gittens in 2024/25 – Bundesliga (FBRef)

Shot-creating actions

73

Goals-creating actions

10

Progressive carries per 90

5.53

Touches in opposition penalty area per 90

5.53

Successful take-ons per 90

3.57

Labelled “fantastic” by Nuri Sahin, the England Under-21 international registered 12 goals and five assists as Borussia Dortmund left it late to secure Champions League qualification.

Bukayo Saka’s injury issues throughout the campaign demonstrated that additional depth is needed for the Gunners to juggle domestic and European endeavours. Taking that into consideration, what better way for Arsenal to secure another talented outlet out wide than to beat Chelsea to Gittens’ signature.

Sheffield United head into this afternoon’s clash with Blackburn Rovers at Bramall Lane knowing that the result of the match is largely irrelevant to them.

The Blades have already finished in third place in the Championship and will head into the play-offs with the aim of gaining promotion back to the Premier League.

Irrespective of whether or not Chris Wilder and his men achieve that goal, Sheffield United are likely to be in the market to bolster their squad in the summer transfer window, and that could be bad news for club captain Jack Robinson.

Why Sheffield United need to upgrade on Jack Robinson

The long-serving defender, who has been at the club since his move from Nottingham Forest in 2020, has been a regular starter in the Championship this term.

Robinson has started 31 of his 34 appearances in the division, but has had some struggles of late. The 31-year-old dud lost three of his four ground duels and five of his eight aerial battles in the disappointing 2-1 defeat to Plymouth Argyle.

Wilder dropped him for the following game against Cardiff and it led to a 2-0 win over the Bluebirds, before he came back into the team for a 2-1 defeat to Burnley.

This suggests that Robinson, who has given away two penalties and made one error that directly led to a goal this season, is a player whom the club could improve upon in the summer transfer window.

Transfer Focus

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

It was recently reported that Sheffield United are one of the teams, alongside Middlesbrough and Norwich City, interested in a deal to sign Oxford United centre-back Ciaron Brown, who could come in as an upgrade on Robinson.

Why Ciaron Brown would be an upgrade on Jack Robinson

Wilder could finally move on from the English defender as a regular starter and ditch him from the side by swooping to sign the Oxford United star this summer.

Firstly, Brown could provide more of a goal threat from the centre-back position. The left-footed defender has scored four goals and provided three assists in 41 matches in the league this season, compared to Robinson’s zero goals and zero assists in 34 games.

The Oxford United colossus, who former manager Gary Holt claimed has “real hunger”, could also be more reliable in his defensive work, as he has not made a single error that has led to a shot, goal, or penalty for the opposition this season.

24/25 Championship	Ciaron Brown	Jack Robinson
Appearances	41	34
Goals	4	0
Tackles + interceptions per game	1.9	1.8
Clearances per game	6.3	4.8
Ground duel success rate	66%	72%
Aerial duel success rate	67%	61%
Error led to shot, goal, or penalty	0	3
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Brown has the beating of Robinson in several key defensive statistics, whilst also providing a greater goal threat from set plays, which suggests that he could prevent Michael Cooper from being worked as much by making vital clearances, tackles, and interceptions.

He is also four years younger than the Sheffield United man and could, therefore, be a longer-term option for Wilder in the left-sided centre-back role.

He pocketed Brereton Diaz: Sheffield United racing to sign "fantastic" star

The Blades know all about his quality.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

May 1, 2025

This is why the Blades must pursue a deal for the Oxford United brute in the summer transfer window because they could improve their play at both ends of the pitch by ditching Robinson to bring Brown into their starting XI next term, whether that is as a Premier League or a Championship club.

Chelsea’s grip on a Champions League spot looks more and more uncertain by the day, especially after Enzo Maresca’s Blues stumbled to an unconvincing 0-0 draw versus Brentford on Sunday.

Indeed, the race for that final coveted spot in the Premier League’s top four is heating up, with the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Manchester City all fancying their chances over the up-and-down West Londoners.

Unfortunately for Maresca, one dud at his disposal is slowly becoming his team’s next version of Timo Werner, with the German a colossal failure in-front of goal for most of his cursed stay at Stamford Bridge.

Werner's frustrating Chelsea stint

Werner would join the Chelsea ranks back in 2020 with a growing reputation for being one of Europe’s most clinical strikers, costing the Blues a pretty £45m subsequently.

Indeed, the Stuttgart-born star had managed to fired home a staggering 113 goals from 213 games donning a RB Leipzig strip – across his two spells – but his time in the English capital with Chelsea would be anything but lethal.

In total, the former Chelsea number 11 would slot home a weak 23 strikes from 89 games playing for the Premier League giants, leading to Werner retreating back to Leipzig in the summer of 2022 to try and recapture his deadly edge.

Now on the books of Tottenham Hotspur – where he continues to struggle with zero league strikes picked up in 2024/25 – Chelsea will definitely jot down the deal for Werner as a blunder in the transfer market, coupled with the fact the German would relocate back to the Bundesliga for just £25.3m.

History could now be unfortunately repeating itself with this dud in Maresca’s camp, with the wasteful flop also costing Chelsea a hefty amount, only for the expensive attacker to be staring the exit door in the face after one too many passive performances in West London.

Maresca's very own Werner

The Champions League chasers aren’t exactly blessed with plentiful numbers in the centre-forward department, considering both David Datro Fofana and Marc Guiu are sidelined currently, alongside Nicolas Jackson being drip-fed more and more minutes recently after battling back from injury issues of his own.

Therefore, Maresca has had his hands tied behind his back somewhat when it comes to team selections, resulting in a goal-shy Christopher Nkunku having to regularly lead the line.

The Frenchman was particularly below-par away at Brentford on Sunday, with the former Leipzig attacker – which is where the similarities with Werner begin – only registering one shot on goal all game, before Maresca dragged him off at the half-time interval.

With just three goals all season long in the top-flight, Nkunku will now have the same unwanted tag above his head as the German in being an extortionate waste of money, with the 27-year-old only amassing a weak 17 goals on English shores overall, after costing an eye-watering £52m to obtain back in 2023.

Nkunku’s career G/A record
Club played for	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
RB Leipzig	172	70	52
Paris St. Germain	78	11	4
Chelsea	53	17	5
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Moreover, his explosive spell with Leipzig – which saw him collect a stunning 122 goal contributions from 172 games – makes his poor showings at Stamford Bridge even harder to stomach, with Nkunku managing just 18 touches on average this season in the Premier League as a presence now too afraid to leave a lasting mark on a contest.

Even labelled as one of Maresca’s “passengers” versus the Bees according to one football journalist, the beginning of the end for Nkunku at Chelsea already looks to be underway, with the Blues perhaps having to offload the inconsistent Frenchman for way below his past £52m price tag – much like they had to with Werner.

Value soared £68m: Chelsea hit the jackpot with heir to De Bruyne’s throne

Chelsea have already gained £68m value with the heir to De Bruyne’s throne.

By
Connor Holden

Apr 6, 2025

What will England’s 100-ball competition look like in 2025 after ‘Project Gemini’ is complete?

Matt Roller23-Jul-2024Fireworks, live music and a sold-out Oval crowd will herald the Hundred’s return on Tuesday, but there will be just as much interest in what is happening in the hospitality suites as on the pitch. The ECB plan to use the competition’s fourth season as a shop window for potential investors into the eight teams and have invited the “best in world sport” for a look.The governing body rejected a significant offer from a private equity firm, Bridgepoint Capital, to buy a controlling stake in the Hundred in late 2022 and have spent the past 18 months discussing the tournament’s future. Last year, they launched ‘Project Gemini’ to develop their preferred option: a revamped Hundred, with external investors buying stakes in the eight teams in time for the 2025 season.”We’ve seen a huge amount of demand from different kinds of investors,” says Vikram Banerjee, who is running the project as the ECB’s head of business operations. “I would really hope that we have a level of partnerships with some IPL teams… but at the same time, we’ve just sent out a document and a video to some NFL owners that explains what cricket is and what the rules are.”The sales process will not start until late this year but informal talks have been going on for months. Banerjee travelled to India earlier this year and has spoken to the owners of every IPL and WPL franchise “a number of times”. There is also interest further afield: “Interested parties have contacted us from Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, USA and India,” says Andrew Umbers, the co-founder of Oakwell Sports Advisory.Potential investors watching the 2024 edition will see that the Hundred has a solid base. It attracts strong crowds – around 580,000 tickets were sold last year, across 34 matchdays – and has support from both terrestrial (BBC) and subscription (Sky Sports) broadcasters, while the men’s and women’s double-headers have proved to be a hugely successful model.Related

• Lancashire want IPL link for Manchester Originals

• That was the Hundred that was, as tough season finds an adequate climax

• Cricket needs IPL money, but is it good for the future of the game?

• Coaching? It's all about the vibes, man

• Mohammad Amir's in and out exposes flaw in Hundred's tribal gathering

But it also has major issues: the first week of the men’s competition will play second-fiddle to England’s third Test against West Indies, and squads are further depleted by the final stages of Major League Cricket. “We can see who our competitors are in the English summer and we need to be in a position not just to compete but to win,” says Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive.”They’ll want to demonstrate that this is already a competition that’s attracting lots of new fans, and that if you are able to invest more in talent, it could be even bigger,” says Omar Chaudhuri of Twenty First Group, who worked with the ECB on the men’s high-performance review and the revamp of the women’s domestic game. “The pitch has to be: we’ve got this thing that is already good, and we can supercharge it and turn it into something really great with a little bit of money well spent.”Gould said there are “no active discussions” around changing the competition’s format – from 100 balls per side to T20 – but suggested that two new franchises are likely to be added from 2029, when a new broadcast rights cycle starts. “There is an ambition within the game that we would like to see the competition expand at some point,” he said.

How will the process work?

The ECB say that the formal process will begin in the first half of September, “building off that momentum that, hopefully, is created from the tournament,” Banerjee adds. They have appointed financial advisors in Deloitte, one of the ‘big four’ accountancy firms, and the Raine Group, the American bank involved in the recent sales of Chelsea to Todd Boehly and a minority stake in Manchester United to Jim Ratcliffe.The Hundred’s process will be significantly more complicated than recent precedents, such as the BCCI’s auction of two new IPL franchises in 2021. First, the ECB will hand 51% stakes to the eight Hundred ‘hosts’ – seven counties and, in the case of London Spirit, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). Then, the hosts will decide whether they wish to sell some, all or none of their stake. Finally, bids will be invited from private investors.”It won’t be ‘everyone put a big number in an envelope, hand the envelope in, and the eight biggest numbers win,'” Banerjee says. “I’m not going to sit here and say that money’s not important, and we don’t want money coming in. Of course it is, and it’s an opportunity to create fantastic seed funding for the financial sustainability of the whole sport.”But alongside that, how are they going to support English cricket? We’ve got a process that will last three months that will ask partners for, yes, numbers and financials, but also all these qualitative things… it’s a bit more complicated, but the reason for the complication is to ensure we have the right outcome for English cricket in the long term.”The ECB want to process finished in time for the 2025 season•ECB/Getty Images

Slow progress

The ECB’s ambition is to have the details finalised ahead of next year’s draft, but there have already been frustrations with the process from prospective investors. The reported last week that interest had cooled due to a lack of clarity; Gould said it was “fascinating” to see potential buyers trying “to negotiate through the media”. One source told ESPNcricinfo: “The ECB have screwed up, haven’t they?”Some hosts have already held meaningful talks with prospective buyers but the key question is around control, whether that relates to branding, commercial opportunities, naming rights, or cricket operations. “One of the biggest things for any investor, in any sport, is governance and the route to actually getting things done,” Chaudhuri explains.”As much as you can grow the value of your own club through performance, there’s a lot you rely on outside that, with what the league or the governing body is doing. That is hard to do due diligence on: you could speak to people at a county and get a sense of whether you can work with them, but it’s very hard to get a sense of what that looks like across every other team.”Some prospective investors are unclear whether they should be speaking more to counties or to the ECB itself. “They need to be clear on the process and explain where the value is in English cricket,” Umbers says. “They have to detail how governance will surround these new ownership structures, and that the process of sale is going to be determined by the ECB and not the first-class counties.”

The missing one percent

The prospect of owning a minority stake in a franchise – with Surrey among the hosts to indicate they intend to retain their 51% – may not prove attractive to owners. An official at one IPL franchise told ESPNcricinfo that they had no real interest in spending tens of millions of pounds simply to become a “passive investor” with no meaningful control over a team.”It’s going to be a massive challenge for any of these investors not to have a majority stake,” says Adam Sommerfeld, the managing partner of Certus Capital who advise private equity firms on sports investments. “The question will be, can private equity get the returns that they need from these assets? They’re not going to get five-times returns on it.”But hosts could also propose a model where a 49% stakeholder still takes a significant level of control, whether that be over cricketing operations or naming rights and branding. There is recent precedent for this in England’s Premier League: Jim Ratcliffe and his company Ineos own 27.7% of Manchester United, but control the club’s football operations.”You are going to see some different structures of first-class counties separating commercial and economic control,” Umbers says. “You are less attracted to invest in any company or franchise if you are not able to influence where the monies are being spent. That’s why there will be different structures: you see this all the time in private equity in sport, for example with CVC in rugby.”Will IPL owners want to become minority stakeholders in Hundred teams?•Getty Images for ECB

What is a franchise worth?

There will be a significant disparity between the prices of the eight franchises depending on where they are based: clearly, there will be more parties interested in owning a team based at an iconic venue in London which seats 30,000 people (London Spirit) than at a stadium half the size in Cardiff (Welsh Fire). Umbers estimates that the franchises – taking a 100% valuation – could be worth anywhere between £30-120 million.Yet in the short term, teams’ revenue will come primarily from central broadcast income and the draft will ensure that costs are fixed. It means that the smaller teams could prove to be the shrewdest investments. “There’s a big difference between ‘open’ and ‘closed’ leagues,” Chaudhuri says. “In a closed league, revenues are generally distributed pretty evenly and there’s no potential downside of relegation.”That means if you acquire a smaller brand, you have the opportunity to turn it into a much bigger one: there’s no real downside to getting things wrong if you experiment a bit more. A really smart investor could buy Welsh Fire or Southern Brave for a lower price and say, ‘we are really going to double down on performance here, because our brand is not going to carry us globally’ – and that could prove to be quite profitable.”The early indications are that around half of the eight Hundred franchises could have investment from IPL owners, with Reliance – who own Mumbai Indians – said to be early favourites to buy a stake in London Spirit. “Ideally, you’d want a group of owners that not only have the ability to invest in and grow their own teams, but also have the desire to work together and collaborate,” Chaudhuri says.The ECB are also conscious of avoiding a single franchise becoming too dominant and powerful, with Banerjee citing the example of Manchester City in the Premier League. “We can learn from that and go, how do we put those protections and controls in place now to make sure that those [things] don’t happen? That’s the work I’m doing at the moment… we can learn from all the different sports around the world.”London Spirit are expected to be the most valuable franchise•Alex Davidson/Getty Images

The women’s Hundred

Even the Hundred’s harshest critics would not contest that it has accelerated the growth of women’s cricket in England and Wales. “The Hundred has helped provide an outstanding platform to boost the visibility of the women’s game, and given more opportunities to showcase exceptional female athletes,” says Tammy Parlour, the CEO of the Women’s Sport Trust.The Trust’s research found that 1.3 million people – around one-fifth of the Hundred’s total TV audience in the UK – only watched games in the women’s competition, and indicated this could be even higher with access to primetime slots. “Games broadcast in the evening have received more viewers than those shown in the afternoon,” Parlour says. “Visibility drives engagement, so it’s important that women’s sport is given access to more of these prominent platforms.”Umbers believes that the double-header model is “incredibly appealing” to prospective buyers. “The investors we have been speaking to are absolutely interested in, and want to back, the growth of women’s cricket within the Hundred,” he says. Chaudhuri, meanwhile, believes that a genuine interest in the women’s competition must be “a red line” for potential owners.

Why now?

Within three seasons, the Hundred has gone from competing for talent with one other men’s short-form league between July and September to three, with MLC and Canada’s relaunched Global T20 joining the pre-existing CPL. “We need to be able to ensure that we retain our best players,” Gould says. “If we were to delay too much, others may end up stealing a march on us that would be to our disadvantage.”Banerjee believes cricket is experiencing “a moment” that makes it particularly attractive to investors. “If you take a step back, globally, cricket’s in a really great place… we need to move – and move relatively quickly – to make sure that we have that truly world-class, global tournament. That comes with investment into tribalism and investment into those players.”England’s home international season also underlines why the ECB invested in the Hundred in the first place: in both the women’s and men’s games, the relatively weak line-up of touring teams has seen English cricket struggle to attract much interest outside of its core fanbase, particularly while competing against European Championship football and, next month, the Olympics.Pat Cummins chose Major League Cricket over the Hundred•MLC”If there aren’t meaningful narratives in the international game then it is hard for fans to stay engaged,” Chaudhuri says. “In the domestic game, you have more ability to engineer things by attracting top talent through salaries, ensuring competitive balance… you can make sure that your product stays healthy. It’s much harder to do that in the international game if it’s not a summer where India or Australia are here for a Test series.”The ECB have also watched other boards miss opportunities to attract private investment. “The Hundred is going to be ahead of every other tournament outside the IPL,” Shane Watson, the former Australia allrounder, tells ESPNcricinfo. “Good on them for having the foresight to try and get some of the smartest people in world sport involved who really know how to grow it.”Watson has been hugely frustrated by Cricket Australia’s reluctance to follow the same course of action with the Big Bash League. “They should have done it six years ago, minimum,” he says. “Things were going incredibly well, and then the powers that be butchered it by putting too many games on and extending the season. They’re trying to reel that back, but the horse has already bolted.”English cricket has already had that experience with short-form cricket once before: the ECB brought T20 to the professional game in 2003, but lacked the vision for it that India showed in launching the IPL five years later. The Hundred’s sale process is not only an attempt to raise funds, but to avoid repeating the same old mistakes.

It’s a tactic that the pacers have loved using in IPL 2022. Find out which bowlers have been the most successful, and which batters have struggled

ESPNcricinfo stats team, Illustration by Kshiraja K18-May-2022ESPNcricinfo Ltd

We break the match into six phases, and see who is likely to gain and lose in each

Sreshth Shah in Potchefstroom08-Feb-2020

India’s batting innings

Overs 1-15
India openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyaansh Saxena have to be watchful, looking to build a strong foundation with a steady start. Shoriful Islam, the left-arm seamer, has been accurate all tournament and will have the responsibility of getting Bangladesh the early breakthrough – there will be lateral movement for him, and that’s something for the openers to watch out for. Tanzim Hasan Sakib, the right-arm seamer, is the quicker bowler, but that might play in the hands of Jaiswal and Saxena, and they will look to pick him off for runs. Left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan and offspinner Shamim Hossain will have to be introduced early, and the India openers will look to play them out without much risk.Overs 16-35
Foundation in place, India will look to consolidate here, but a variety of spin and pace may earn Bangladesh some wickets in this period. Tilak Varma and Priyam Garg, who have had a quiet World Cup, will look to push on in the spin-heavy middle overs – with one of the openers around for a while, ideally – when Rakibul, Shamim and Hasan Murad will operate. Shoriful’s second spell will be crucial for both teams as India will look to score off him but not lose wickets in the process. Bangladesh have an opportunity in this period to dent India’s progress with quick strikes, perhaps even exposing their lower-middle order earlier than usual, but India will want to chug along at a decent rate.Siddhesh Veer has a variety of shots in his repertoire•ICC via GettyOvers 36-50
Siddhesh Veer, the swashbuckling allrounder, will be key here. If India are four or five down, he will look to take the innings as deep as possible before really changing gears. Veer’s reputation as a 360-degree batsman could create some doubts in Bangladesh captain Akbar Ali, and the rate will increase in the early part of this stage with India looking to wrest back some control – in case they have conceded any. Although wickets may continue to tumble, the impetus on scoring at a quick pace will be high. India’s lower-order batsmen will try to chip in with some handy runs but it’s also likely that Tanzim and Shoriful will be tough customers to deal with at the death. Expect a few expensive overs and a total in the 240-260 range, which will be very competitive, especially in a final.

Bangladesh’s batting innings

Overs 1-15
Looking at the target, the first priority for Parvez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan will be to not lose their wickets in the early overs. They can’t afford to get bogged down either, so expect them to wait for the loose balls and cash in. The pace of Kartik Tyagi and Sushant Mishra might work well for Bangladesh, but they must tread with caution. If a wicket falls early, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, the centurion from the semi-final, will be in with the agenda to consolidate, but legspinner Ravi Bishnoi, India’s primary wicket-taking bowler, will come in to try and change the script. Bangladesh will stay in touching distance of the required run-rate, but two (or more) early wickets could hurt their chances.Mahmudul Hasan Joy acknowledges the cheers for his century•ICC via GettyOvers 16-35
Bangladesh’s middle order, which has been very prolific, will have to ensure they don’t crumble. Consolidation remains the key, but not at the cost of runs – too many dot balls will, as always, add to the pressure. Bishnoi and left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar are perfect when it comes to applying the choke, but Bangladesh know the latter can often err in his lengths. Left-arm seamer Akash Singh is probably India’s weakest link and Bangladesh will have to make full use of the overs he gets. It’s the best time for Bangladesh’s middle-order to send India captain Garg scampering for other bowling options, and it will be in Bangladesh’s advantage if he is forced to use up some extra overs from Tyagi and Mishra, which will leave Singh to bowl more in the back end.Overs 36-50
Bangladesh wouldn’t mind a required run-rate of around 6-7 in the final 15 overs, but only if they have wickets in hand. But, as it often is at the death, this is when they are most likely to lose wickets. If one of the top few manages to bat deep, as long as Akbar or Shahadat Hossain are at the crease, they would still be confident, even against a required run-rate of more than 8 in the final five overs. Bishnoi and Ankolekar will be bowled out by then, and if things go according to Bangladesh’s plans, India will be left with Singh and another pacer to bowl the final overs. Tyagi’s yorker-length deliveries will be key at this stage for India to prise out wickets, and how Bangladesh play his final overs out will determine the result.What strategies can the teams employ if it’s a rain-curtailed game?For India, it’s about how they best use their batsmen. Jaiswal, who has batted within himself so far despite being the tournament’s run-scorer, will need to up his strike rate, something he is famous for in domestic cricket. Barring his hundred against Pakistan, his strike rate has been below 80 in the other four games. Varma, Veer, and Ankolekar are best suited to score at a faster rate, so they could bat ahead of Garg and Dhruv Jurel. India could also be tempted to use Bishnoi inside the powerplay, instead of sending him too late.As for Bangladesh, they may be tempted to not play left-arm spinner Murad and opt for a quick bowler instead. Shahin Alam, the medium-pacer who can also bat, could be a good option. In the batting line-up, Hridoy could bat at No. 3 while Joy drops to No. 4. Shahadat, who has been unbeaten in his last three innings, is another pinch-hitting option whose potential they should not let go waste if it’s a short game.

The World Cup draw, which is supposed to be a celebration of soccer, instead turned into a tribute to Donald Trump

WASHINGTON – Donald Trump could do anything he wanted – at least, that's what Gianni Infantino told him. 

That exchange – something that took no longer than 10 seconds as Trump clearly disrupted the schedule during the 2026 World Cup draw – summed up the baffling ceremony. Infantino tried to direct the President across the stage in a certain way. Trump took a different route. Whether it was a power play or simply a misunderstanding of directions, the FIFA President allowed it. 

"Mr. President, this way, this way. Oh, this way, you can do what you want," Infantino said, allowing Trump to play main man at his own party. 

But a draw is supposed to be something else entirely – not a stage for a single man.

It is supposed to let us forget the bad stuff – sportswashing, exploitation, and the uncomfortable political tensions between countries that will soon play each other.

Instead, it was an imperfect and inaccurate representation of what a World Cup should be. They are, from a hopeless football romantic’s point of view, about coming together, celebrating differences, and showcasing the world’s elite. This draw was about the exceptionalism of one country and, more specifically, one man – which misses the point altogether. What should have been the fun bit became a strange ode to one man – and that isn’t what a World Cup draw, or a tournament itself, should be about.

And everyone knew it. 

"I do not, like it, but we could have done it like, without all of this. I don't need it. But of course, it's a huge stage, and it's big entertainment. I was very well aware that it's not about the deep insight of football today," England manager Thomas Tuchel told reporters.

Getty Images SportThe circus

It all started, of course, with Infantino. The 55-year-old Italian aimed to be the hype man in a room full of executives, coaches, celebrities, and dignitaries. It was over the top at times, but it was justifiable in his view. 

"Because we are in America we need to make a show,” he said. 

This was Infantino-fest 3000. He rolled his favorite line, that the World Cup would be like '104 Super Bowls.' He then led the room in chants of "USA", "Canada" and "Mexico." 

That was one of the few times he split equal attention between all three hosts. Aside from that moment, there was little discussion of what this meant for the “other” two homes of the tournament. 

Canada coach Jesse Marsch, a U.S. citizen who was once an assistant coach for the USMNT, admitted he was unsurprised. 

"It was some serious pomp and circumstance, and like they said, very American, very American, to do it that way," Marsch said. 

There was little mention of Mexico, and a brief word for Canada. Otherwise, this was an event built entirely around Trump. 

The President, meanwhile, was given a chance to flex his football knowledge. Trump, supposedly a massive football fan, said he 'assumed' that Pele "was one of the greats."

After, he got in on the running gag that Infantino, a stand-up comic for the ages, had pushed, suggesting that the U.S. should conform to the rest of the world, stop using the word 'soccer', and 'come up with another name for the NFL.' 

Very few laughed.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe FIFA Peace Prize…

And then it was Trump's moment. It is worth acknowledging, first, that this is a World Cup that will have three hosts – even if U.S. soccer said as late as 2016 that it wanted to hold the tournament alone. Sure, the U.S. will host 78 of the 104 games, including the final. This event was also held at the Kennedy Center – reportedly due to its proximity to the White House. This does feel like the United States’ tournament. But the Prime Minister of Canada and President of Mexico were also in attendance. This should belong to all three nations. 

Yet Trump went solo for a while. FIFA announced that it would hand out its inaugural peace prize on Nov. 4. Some within the organization reportedly didn't even know that it would be awarded. But it didn't take long to figure out that this would be handed to the President. On Nov. 5, Infantino outlined the premise for the award: 

"The FIFA Peace Prize… will recognise the enormous efforts of those individuals who unite people, bringing hope for future generations," he said via Instagram. 

To further outline just how peaceful the prize was, that notion was reinforced by a video introducing it. 

"Throughout human history, a call for peace has echoed across generations and civilizations," it began. 

"The inaugural peace prize is presented on behalf of the billions of people who love this game and love peace," it continued. "In this spirit, we acknowledge a dynamic leader who has engaged in diplomatic efforts that created opportunities for dialogue, de-escalation, and stability, and who has championed the unifying power of football of the world's stage. The inaugural 2025 FIFA Peace Prize is proudly bestowed upon the President of the United States of America… Donald J. Trump." 

And then he appeared. 

Infantino gave him a glowing introduction and handed him a gaudy, glistening medal. Trump waited no time for it to be presented, and immediately threw it on. 

"I'm gonna wear it right now," he said as he slung it around his neck. 

“You can wear it wherever you go,” Infantino replied.

Getty ImagesThe underlying reality

And then Trump started preaching. It was a confusing work of self-promotion. He spoke for two minutes. First, he listed his achievements – his efforts for peace, the wars he claimed he has stopped, the ceasefires he claimed he was solely responsible for. Next, he praised Infantino for his ticket sales efforts, conveniently ignoring the fact that prices have spiked on the resale market, making the 2026 tournament the most expensive World Cup on record. 

After that, he reassured the world that Canada and the U.S. have an excellent relationship, something that contradicts well-known comments from the President over the past year. 

The sobering reality is that the spectacle on stage didn’t reflect the wider geopolitical picture. Iran threatened to boycott the event after members of its delegation were denied visas. Haiti is among several countries whose citizens face restrictive travel policies to the United States. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has called on FIFA to “act on human rights” ahead of the 2026 tournament, even suggesting that relocation should be considered if protections aren’t guaranteed under current U.S. immigration policies.

In a way, it closely mirrors the human rights concerns that were raised before the 2022 World Cup. Back then, Infantino addressed human rights violations in Qatar by pointing out that he knew what it was like to face discrimination because kids used to make fun of him for having ginger hair.

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AFPA baffling draw

The rest of it was deeply puzzling. FIFA rolled out of slew of big names to get involved. Matthew McConaughey popped up in a not-very-funny skit to give Rio Ferdinand some advice as to how to lead a World Cup draw (glossing over the fact that he himself has never hosted a draw for a major tournament). 

For the event itself, which didn't start until one hour and 23 minutes into the ceremony, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neill, NFL legend Tom Brady, and Yankees star Aaron Judge all showed up. There was a bit referencing Brady's skill as a quarterback, before the NFL great pointed out that he 'believed in America'.

Ferdinand quipped that Judge – who hit 53 home runs last year – would 'knock it out of the park'. Wayne Gretzky, the only Canadian presence on stage, who spent the latter half of his career playing for American teams, struggled through the pronunciation of countries, breaking out the infinitely quotable 'Mac-A-Doe-ne-yah'. 

The draw itself took around 20 minutes. 

"I felt like football was second, and entertainment was first," Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said. "I’ve done a few draws for Euros, for Gold Cup, for Copa America, so I’ve done a lot of these kinds of events. Football should always be first." 

In one final flourish, the Village People showed up to lip-sync "YMCA". 

The show closed with Trump dancing in the rafters. The giddy President had owned the World Cup draw. And he knew it, too.