Wayne Rooney has revealed the true nature of his relationship with former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming the pair held each other in high regard, despite their war of words in recent years. And Rooney has also shed light on his feelings over who he thinks is better: Messi or Ronaldo.
Crystal Palace are no strangers to losing some of their best assets to Premier League rivals.
Wilfried Zaha is the first obvious example that springs to mind, with the Eagles academy star ditching Selhurst Park for Manchester United back in 2013, only to then return to solidify his presence among the Palace greats.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka travelled down the same Zaha path in 2019 when he also relocated to Old Trafford, with Yannick Bolasie also another notable exit to Everton in 2016, when the enigmatic attacker left South London for good, for around the £30m mark.
The departure that could sting the most, however, is the impending exit of Eberechi Eze to Arsenal – no, not Tottenham Hotspur – having been catapulted to star-man status at Selhurst Park over the past few seasons, culminating in a hefty haul of 40 goals and 28 assists being tallied up.
Palace will aim to dress up their wounds quickly, though, as some statement arrivals look to be in the works.
Crystal Palace add £45m star to shortlist
The South London outfit already has targets in mind to fill Eze’s void, with the former Queens Park Rangers midfielder’s move away from the club looking inevitable, even if the destination has been altered.
Reports have suggested that the Eagles could explore bringing in Hwang Hee-chan from Wolverhampton Wanderers to add in some needed firepower, alongside other rumours indicating that the top-flight outfit is edging ever closer to adding Bilal El Khannouss from Leicester City to boost their options in the number ten spot on the pitch.
Away from both of those options, other rumours are circling involving Palace going after Southampton youngster Tyler Dibling.
TalkSPORT has recently revealed that the Eagles are the next Premier League club to enter into the queue for the standout teenager’s services, with Palace going as far as to shortlist Dibling as a potential heir to Eze.
It could cost Oliver Glasner and Co. a whopping £45m to land the Saints prodigy, but this might well be viewed as a worthwhile gamble, with the 19-year-old already possessing the potential to be a bigger talent than the soon-to-be Spurs midfielder down the line.
Why Dibling could even be a bigger talent than Eze
After all, when placing both their career trajectories side-by-side, Eze is a relative slow burner in comparison to Dibling’s explosive ascent.
The London-born midfielder wouldn’t make his debut in the bright lights of the Premier League until he was 22 years of age, while the Saints number 33 already has 33 top-flight clashes next to his name, having made his own first steps in the tough division aged just 18.
Senior side
44
4 + 3
U18s
42
11 + 5
U21s
27
8 + 6
Just a mere five clashes into this top-flight journey on the South Coast, Dibling would find the net with some confidence against Ipswich Town, with a further three big chances carved out across his 20 Premier League starts in the league. That reinforces the notion that he is a “special” talent to keep an eye out on, as he was labelled by former U21 coach Adam Asghar.
At a similar point in his own development as a teenager, Eze was making waves in the Championship with QPR, but it would take him a lot longer to get up to speed with the pressures of the Premier League, compared to his 19-year-old counterpart.
His first two campaigns at Selhurst Park would see him collect a reasonable 12 goals and assists from 53 first-team outings, not helped by Achilles tendon issues that derailed his 2021/22 season.
All of this is in the past now, obviously, with Eze going on to be known as an “unbelievable” ace for the South London side, as he was dubbed by Glasner last season, on the way to the Eagles triumphantly lifting the FA Cup in part because of the 27-year-old’s heroics.
While it has taken Eze time to get to the level he is at today, Dibling looks ready-made right now – at just 19 – to take the top-flight by storm, donning Palace claret and blue.
In time, the much-talked-about attacker could be viewed in the same light as Zaha and Eze before him, as the Eagles hope landing Dibling’s signature makes the painful loss of the 12-time England international more manageable.
Crystal Palace eyeing marquee signing of "incredible" £40m Eze replacement
The Eagles have now set their sights on a new target, who could replace Eberechi Eze.
ByDominic Lund Aug 20, 2025
Leeds United are preparing for a season in the Premier League and are looking to bolster their squad with new additions before the end of the summer transfer window.
Football Insider reported earlier this summer that the club are not planning to build their attack around Joel Piroe, who they have doubts over heading into a top-flight campaign.
That may be due to a lack of physicality, ahead of a relegation scrap. In the Championship, the Dutchman lost a whopping 73% of his duels and only won 0.7 aerial battles per game, which shows that opposition defenders found it too easy to get the better of him.
Given the step up in quality, Piroe may not have the time and space he needs to score the 19 goals he bagged in the second tier, which is why the physical side of his game will come more into focus.
Leeds remain keen on Premier League forward
This may be why the Championship champions are now reportedly looking at two Premier League centre-forward options who have a lot more to offer physically.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Speaking to LeedsUnitedNews, journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed that Everton number nine Beto, who was signed from Udinese for £26m in 2023, is still an option for the club this summer.
When asked about alternatives to Fulham forward Rodrigo Muniz, the reporter said: “From what I’m told, I still don’t think Beto’s completely off Leeds’ list and off the table.
“I still think Everton are looking at other strikers as well, so if they brought another one in, Beto might still be an option. I wouldn’t rule him out at all. He’s still on the radar and a work in progress still, even if he’s not Leeds’ first-choice.”
These comments from Bailey show that Leeds are working on Beto as an alternative to Muniz, and Daniel Farke could land his own version of Chris Wood if the club decide to pursue the Portuguese forward.
Why Beto could be Chris Wood 2.0 for Leeds
The New Zealand international, as shown in the graphic below, scored a stunning 44 goals in 88 games during his time at Elland Road before being sold to Burnley.
In the present day, Wood plays for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and is coming off the back of a 20-goal haul for the Tricky Trees in the top-flight.
Even when he is not scoring goals, though, the 6 foot 3 marksman provides a strong physical presence in the centre-forward position, which is what Beto, 6 foot 4, has also proven in the division.
24/25 Premier League
Chris Wood
Beto
Appearances
36
30
Minutes played
2,976
1,541
Goals
20
8
Ground duel success rate
34%
38%
Aerial duel success rate
39%
49%
Duels won per game
3.5
5.2
Fouls won per game
0.7
0.8
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Everton attacker may not have scored 20 goals in the league, but he did win his fair share of physical duels and averaged 5.2 duels won per game.
This suggests that he would be a big upgrade on Piroe from a physical perspective, providing the team with a better outlet when they need to alleviate pressure, as Farke’s own version of Chris Wood.
Beto, who reporter Paddy Boyland claimed was “thriving” in the Premier League earlier this year, also scored his eight goals from 7.86 xG in just 15 starts.
This suggests that he has the potential and quality to hit double figures for goals in the division as a fairly clinical finisher, if Leeds are prepared to make him their starting number nine.
Leeds meet £24.5m star's agents and now ready to trigger his release clause
The Whites could have an advantage in their race to sign a talented playmaker.
BySean Markus Clifford Aug 1, 2025
Therefore, Leeds could find their own version of Wood by signing Beto, as he is a powerful, towering, and traditional number nine who has proven that he can score goals in the Premier League, which could make him an ideal signing to fire the team to safety.
West Bromwich Albion have already displayed an outside-the-box approach with their transfer activity this summer.
Whilst Nathaniel Phillips is a well-known name to most Championship fans, Aune Heggebo is definitely more of an unknown entity to the average supporter. Yet, West Brom have gambled on the former Brann goal machine to come good on English shores, having spent £4.7m on the Nordic striker.
It remains to be seen whether Heggebo will go on to be a rip-roaring success in England, but his blistering goal record in his native Norway is definitely encouraging to look at.
Why Heggebo could be a success at West Brom
After all, Erling Haaland infamously hails from the same nation, with the lofty attacker now one of the most feared strikers in world football after beginning his career in Scandinavia.
Of course, nobody will be anticipating Heggebo to storm into his new environment and be as instantly clinical as the Manchester City powerhouse, but the signs are there that he could be a lethal finisher at the Hawthorns if he can manage to navigate the step-up well.
In total, for Brann, the £4.7m forward would power home a potent 51 goals from 146 games, with the Eliteserien outfit no doubt putting up a valiant fight to try and keep their star asset around for longer.
Unfortunately, whilst £4.7m is a steep amount to splash in go, West Brom’s lavish spending has been overshadowed somewhat by near neighbours Birmingham City routinely flexing their muscles.
Across the Midlands, the £10m forked out on ex-Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi around the same time has certainly sent a message to the division’s best clubs.
However, the Baggies could shoot back into the limelight if they manage to get another left-field piece of business over the line, with a new target perhaps going down as Ryan Mason’s very own Kyogo if all clicks into place.
West Brom's answer to Kyogo
Before being renowned as a venomous goal threat with 85 strikes next to his name at Celtic, Kyogo would have been viewed as a bold pick-up by the Hoops, considering the Japanese gem had only ever played in the comforts of the J League, before Glasgow came calling.
West Brom might well look to tap into the Asian markets themselves with their next summer buy, with reports from earlier in the month suggesting that the Championship side had bid £1.1m for Jeonbuk Hyundai attacker Jeon Jin-Woo.
Games played
163
182
Goals scored
32
66
Assists
20
36
Jin-Woo might well follow in Kyogo’s footsteps in establishing himself as a menace up top when making the same daunting geographical leap, having amassed an electric 52 goal contributions plying his trade in Korea for both Jeonbuk and ex-employers Suwon Bluewings.
The brand-new Birmingham buy was able to devastatingly reach double Jin-Woo’s goal tally when starring for the likes of Vissel Kobe, but the two-time South Korea international will surely feel less nervous about taking that next step to the Baggies, knowing others have moved to the United Kingdom and thrived in some challenging environments.
To help the 25-year-old even more, Mason will also have Heggebo available for selection in attack, who will be equally eager to hit the ground running in his fresh location.
It does remain up in the air how well West Brom will do next season, with Mason also being a rookie manager away from their daring summer business, but Jin-Woo could become a firm fan’s favourite at the Hawthorns if he manages to excel in the English game to the same lofty heights Kyogo managed in Scotland.
Dream Johnston upgrade: West Brom submit surprise offer for £1.1m star
West Bromwich Albion could think outside of the box when pursuing a Mikey Johnston upgrade.
2 ByKelan Sarson Jul 16, 2025
استقر عماد النحاس، المدير الفني المؤقت لفريق الأهلي، على التشكيل المقرر له مواجهة إنبي اليوم في بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
ويلتقي الأهلي مع نظيره إنبي، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، على ملعب المقاولون العرب بالجبل الأخضر.
طالع| قائمة الأهلي لمباراة إنبي في الدوري المصري.. عودة إمام عاشور وياسين مرعي
الأهلي يدخل اللقاء وهو في المركز الخامس عشر برصيد 5 نقاط، بعدما خاض أربع مباريات؛ تعادل مع مودرن سبورت 2-2، ثم فاز على فاركو 4-1، قبل أن يكتفي بتعادل سلبي مع غزل المحلة، ويخسر من بيراميدز 0-2.
أما فريق إنبي، فيدخل اللقاء وهو يحتل المركز الثامن برصيد ثماني نقاط، حيث تعادل في مباراتين وفاز في مواجهتين، وخسرفي لقاء وحيد ببطولة الدوري. تشكيل الأهلي المتوقع اليوم أمام إنبي في الدوري
حراسة المرمى: محمد الشناوي.
خط الدفاع: محمد هاني – مصطفى العش – أحمد نبيل كوكا – ياسين مرعي.
خط الوسط: أليو ديانج – مروان عطية – أشرف بن شرقي – تريزيجيه – زيزو.
الهجوم: محمد شريف.
Liverpool are “clearly ahead” of rivals Chelsea in the race to sign a “magnificent” player in the summer transfer window.
Kerkez to join Liverpool this week
The Reds have now officially signed Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a British-record £116m move, in a piece of business that has made the rest of Europe sit up and take notice.
There is unlikely to be a bigger signing made this summer, with Wirtz considered one of the world’s top attacking players, but Liverpool are not expected to be done there, still planning on adding fresh faces to the squad.
It looks as though Milos Kerkez will be the next name through the door at Anfield in the coming days, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming over the weekend that a minor issue has been ironed out and that he could be unveiled as soon as Tuesday.
David Ornstein of The Athletic has gone one better, however, saying that a medical is now expected to be done on Monday after flying into the UK, with the deal set to be worth £40m for the Bournemouth left-back.
Liverpool leading race to sign "magnificent" ace
Now, reliable Sky Sports journalist Sacha Tavolieri [via Sport Witness] has said that Liverpool are “clearly ahead” of Chelsea and others in the battle to sign Lyon winger Malick Fofana this summer.
He states that the Reds’ head of recruitment, Barry Hunter, admires the 20-year-old and has him at the top of his list of summer targets. The Premier League champions will need to sell Federico Chiesa first, though, and Fofana could possibly cost as much as £60m.
Fofana could be a brilliant long-term signing for Liverpool, with scout Jacek Kulig describing him as a “magnificent” prospect last year.
At just 20 years of age, the young Belgian has already bagged 22 goal contributions (15 goals and seven assists) in 62 appearances for Lyon, also winning one cap for Belgium at senior level, and those numbers should only improve as he matures as a player.
Predominantly a left-sided attacking player, it seems slightly strange that Liverpool would push so hard for Fofana, though, especially as Chiesa is right-sided in general.
Better than Guehi: Liverpool eyeing one of the best young CBs "in Europe"
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Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo appear to be staying put, so it would arguably only make sense for the Reds to sign the Lyon ace if one of them moves on, or if Arne Slot sees him as a backup option to Mohamed Salah on the right. But his talent is undeniable, so the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt is exciting.
This season has been a long one for Arsenal fans.
Instead of finally getting over the line in the Premier League, they were out of the title race months ago, and in the domestic cups, they were even worse.
Granted, the North Londoners have had to deal with a mountain of injuries, but even then, when fit, most of the attackers in the squad have been subpar at best.
Perhaps the worst of the lot, and one of the worst signings made in the team’s recent history, was Raheem Sterling, and if recent reports are to be believed, the board has been in contact with a player who could prove to be just as disastrous a signing this summer.
Arsenal could sign Premier League winger
Before we get to the worrying links in question, it is worth looking at some of the more exciting transfer rumours for players like Benjamin Sesko and Rayan Cherki.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The former enjoyed another fine season with RB Leipzig this year, racking up a tally of 21 goals and six assists in 45 games, and could be available for just £75m.
On the other hand, the Lyon star could be available for even less at £30m and has enjoyed an even better campaign with the French giants, racking up a sensational haul of 12 goals and 20 assists in 44 games.
However, while both of these players would undoubtedly add something positive to the Gunners squad, we aren’t sure we can say the same about Alejandro Garnacho.
Yes, according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal have been in contact with the player’s representatives.
Now, even though it has been widely reported that the Argentine winger has been told to find himself a new club this summer, Manchester United still want a sizable fee for the winger, a fee of around £51m per Bailey.
While Garnacho is a talented young footballer, we can’t see him as a good fit for Arsenal in any way whatsoever, and with the money required to bring him to North London, this could be another Sterling-esque disaster.
Why Garnacho could be another Sterling for Arsenal
Even if we were to completely disregard the transfer fee required to sign Garnacho this summer – we shouldn’t – there would still be a plethora of reasons why bringing him to the club would be a bad idea.
Despite being labelled as a “superstar,” by football creator Liam Canning, much like Sterling this season, he’d almost certainly struggle to make an impact and establish himself in the starting lineup.
For example, while his tally of 11 goals and ten assists certainly looks good at a glance, things become a lot less impressive when we dive into those numbers.
Of those 21 goal involvements, only eight came in the league, while six came in the League Cup and another five in the Europa League, and worse yet, his only goal against a fellow ‘big six’ side was against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
On top of his underwhelming output, the last week or so has shown that, at his worst, the supposedly “special talent”, as dubbed by football statistician Statman Dave, can be a serious problem in the dressing room.
Premier League
36
6
2
0.22
Europa League
15
1
4
0.33
FA Cup
3
0
1
0.33
League Cup
3
3
3
2.00
Community Shield
1
1
0
1.00
Following the Red Devils defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League Final, the 20-year-old doubled down on his brother’s comments about him not starting.
If there is one thing we know about Arteta, it’s that he does not like troublemakers.
Finally, the Madrid-born ace also has some worrying underlying numbers, with FBref placing him in the bottom 21% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for expected assists, the bottom 12% for goals per shot and the bottom 8% for goals per shot on target, all per 90.
Ultimately, Garnacho may well develop into a brilliant winger, but as things stand, his attitude, output and the money required to make it happen all point towards this being a terrible idea and a transfer that could end up being even more disastrous than Sterling’s last summer.
Odegaard will love him: Berta in talks to sign £75m "monster" for Arsenal
Martin Odegaard would be a fan of this £75m transfer for Arsenal.
ByJack Salveson Holmes May 26, 2025
Crystal Palace now want to appoint an “unbelievable” 4-2-3-1 manager should Oliver Glasner leave Selhurst Park, according to Sky Sports.
The Eagles looked like they were on course to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League on Monday after going 1-0 up against Forest thanks to Eberechi Eze’s penalty. However, the away side soon got back on level terms, and that is how the game finished, meaning Palace picked up another point as they aim to finish in the top half of the Premier League.
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Palace’s priority will be the upcoming FA Cup final, which they play in under two weeks against Manchester City. But despite not much being on the game against Forest, Glasner was pleased with his side’s performance and said the desire to win was “unbelievable”.
Glasner told BBC Match of the Day: “It was pretty even. After taking the lead, the equaliser was too quick. It was a set-play and a deflected ball. I really liked how the players wanted to win this game. I’m really pleased. The desire to win was unbelievable.
“We had many situations in the 60 or 70 minutes to come from the wing, but our crosses were not good enough. We got the penalty. We found the rhythm, and we had set-plays. You always have to be aware of the transitions – but we did well. We weren’t as efficient as in other games.”
Glasner also went on to provide an update on midfielder Adam Wharton, who had to come off after suffering an injury. He said: “It doesn’t look like it’s really serious. It was more precaution.”
As the Eagles prepare for their Wembley final and look ahead to the future under Glasner, Palace, and by extension chariman Steve Parish, are also preparing for the worse when it comes to the future of their manager.
According to Sky Sports German reporter Philipp Hinze, Crystal Palace are interested in appointing Danny Rohl should Glasner decide to leave the club.
Hinze reports that Rohl, who has been dubbed “unbelievable” by Josh Windass, looks set to leave Sheffield Wednesday this summer. The German has a small exit fee in his contract, and that has alerted Palace as well as Fulham, as Glasner and Marco Silva are being linked with potential exits.
Leicester City and Southampton are also interested in appointing Rohl, who likes to play a 4-2-3-1 formation as a manager, as well as teams from the Bundesliga, but it looks as though he is likely to remain in England.
Sheffield Wednesday was the 36-year-old’s first managerial job, and after guiding the club away from relegation trouble last season, he guided the Owls to a mid-table finish this time around, comfortably away from relegation trouble but not enough to be in the race for the play-offs.
|
Danny Rohl’s Sheffield Wednesday record |
|
|---|---|
|
Games |
89 |
|
Won |
34 |
|
Drawn |
19 |
|
Lost |
36 |
|
Points per game |
1.36 |
Palace’s interest in Rohl comes as the Austrian has been linked heavily with a move to RB Leipzig, as they look for a new manager, while Glasner has also emerged on Tottenham Hotspur’s radar as they look for candidates to replace Ange Postecoglou.
Chelsea have now registered their interest in signing a “monstrous” Premier League star who has been in extremely impressive form this season, according to reliable reporter David Ornstein.
Blues keen to bring in new centre-back
The Blues’ form in the second half of the season has taken a significant downward turn, with the 2-1 loss at home to Legia Warsaw the latest setback earlier this week, underlining the need for Enzo Maresca to strengthen his squad this summer.
One area in which the west Londoners are particularly keen to strengthen is centre-back, making contact to discuss a move for Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae, with the South Korean now keen to leave the German club this summer.
The 28-year-old is on Maresca’s shortlist, but a different centre-back has emerged as the priority target for the summer, namely AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen, and talks over a deal for the 20-year-old have already been held.
Chelsea hold "very positive" Thursday talks with "sensational" £50m player
They were in discussions before losing to Legia Warsaw.
ByEmilio Galantini Apr 18, 2025
Huijsen’s impressive performances for Bounemouth this season mean he is now in the Blues’ sights, but he is not their only target from the Premier League, according to Ornstein (via Nottingham Forest News).
The reliable reporter has now revealed Chelsea have registered their interest in Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, amid the Brazilian enjoying an incredible season with the Tricky Trees, who continue to push for Europe.
A whole host of potential centre-back targets have been identified, however, with Ornstein naming Huijsen and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite as other options.
A deal for the Forest star will not be cheap, with previous reports revealing the Blues’ Premier League rivals are set to hold out for £80m, which would make the Brazilian their record sale.
"Monstrous" Murillo starring for Forest
Forest are making an unexpected push for Europe this season, and the defender has been among their most consistent performers in the Premier League, averaging a 6.99 WhoScored match rating, the joint-third highest in the squad.
The 22-year-old has been an indispensable member of Nuno’s side, making 31 appearances in the Premier League, and he received high praise from journalist Ryan Taylor for his performance against Liverpool earlier this season.
Not only has the Brazil international impressed defensively, but he also ranks highly on some attacking metrics over the past year, placing in the top 2% of all defenders for successful take-ons per 90.
Statistic
Average per 90
Successful take-ons
0.79 (98th percentile)
Blocks
1.95 (96th percentile)
Clearances
6.79 (94th percentile)
Having proven himself as a top defender in the Premier League, Murillo could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea this summer, and at just 22-years-old, he could be a key figure at the back for many years to come.
They hadn’t conquered Asia since 2014, and following their series win in Bangladesh, South Africa are setting sights on higher honours
Firdose Moonda31-Oct-2024It still matters. Winning away from home matters. Winning in the subcontinent matters. Doing both those things as a country that is now seen as one of the Test nations matters most of all, as South Africa have just experienced.Don’t buy into the talk that it’s only Bangladesh, a place where South Africa have never lost a Test and look at the bigger picture. For the last ten years, the subcontinent has been all but insurmountable. Between September 2014 and September 2024, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies collectively played 35 series in the subcontinent and won just six. Of those, England were responsible for three series (Sri Lanka 2018 and 2021 and Pakistan in 2022) while South Africa lost all four series they played.To be able to finally change that is something South Africa’s stand-in captain Aiden Markram described in an understated way as “very special,” while also recognising the significance it has in serving as a marker of progress.”For us as a group of players, we’ve never won a game or a series in the subcontinent so that makes it very special. It’s been a tough journey at times and to slowly be progressing is a really good thing for us,” he said.Related
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Spinners, Rabada's complete performances hand South Africa their biggest innings win
The last time South Africa conquered Asia was in 2014, at the latter end of a dream run that saw them go nine years unbeaten on the road. At the time, Markram was fresh off captaining the under-19 side to the age-group title in the UAE and the future looked bright. They didn’t know it then, but things were already changing.Big-name retirements started with Jacques Kallis in 2013 and every year since then someone else who was considered essential to success stepped away. As recently as last December, former captain and stalwart opener Dean Elgar called it a day which means South Africa have been in transition for almost ten years. The subcontinent became an impossible place to win as South Africa experienced in India in 2015 and 2019, in Sri Lanka in 2018 and in Pakistan in 2021. Of course, it’s not as though SENA countries hadn’t been making use of their own home advantage for decades so they had nothing to complain about, but it didn’t make the losses hurt any less.South Africa’s batting has paid the highest price for that. Since May 2018, they do have a single Test batter with an average over 40 which includes all of the current squad. Tony de Zorzi, thanks to his 177, and David Bedingham, with a hundred and three fifties, are close but both have only played eight Tests.What that means is that South Africa didn’t often have hundreds, which is something they had to play down and Markram is still singing from that hymn book.”As for numbers, it’s all quite relative. You look at different surfaces that you play on, wickets around the world are so different from each other and have so many different types of challenges that you face as a batter so it can be tough to pump that average up but we don’t speak about numbers,” Markram said. “We just speak about making an impact on the game and there can be a time where scoring 60 or 70 is match-winning and then there will be times where big hundreds runs are match-winning.”In this series, the latter was the case. From Kyle Verreynne in Mirpur to de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder in Chittagong, South Africa’s wins were built on big runs which gave their attack a lot to work with. And while there is some sense in what Markram said in that an individual stacking up hundreds may not necessarily equate to a successful team, he also recognised the need for a collective progression in performance.”I’m certainly not too fazed about numbers and I don’t think the rest of the guys are either. It’s one of those things that will take care of itself if you put in good performances consistently. Naturally the numbers will lift. We’re all definitely striving towards that but trying to be more consistent and trying to have a good impact on the game.”With South Africa’s batters focused on the efficacy and not the amount of their runs, it was hardly surprising to hear the leader of their attack, Kagiso Rabada, also play down his own importance. Asked about being back at No.1 on the ICC rankings or taking 300 wickets in his post-match interview, Rabada glossed over that the game “moves on”.Aiden Markram believes South Africa have the players required to reach the WTC final•AFP/Getty Images”You have to keep working hard. don’t look at where I am on the rankings,” he said, acknowledging it is a “good motivator to keep going.” His highest praise was for his team-mates, who he said are all “willing to put their hands up,” to drive success.And they can see the rewards in front of them. Despite playing fewer Tests than almost anyone else in this cycle, they’re in with a chance of making the final. They see the potential to make that happen as brimming with possibility. “We don’t really know what the ceiling is because we haven’t managed to lift the trophy,” Markram said.That’s also one way of South Africa looking at their empty accolades cupboard and wondering whether it will ever fill up. They’ve taken the approach that the things they are capable of are still coming and this year has shown them that.They reached the final of the T20 World Cup in June and now their chance to reach the WTC final lies in their hands. It’s proof that something is working, that the talent pool is starting to play to their potential and that maybe, the impossible could become possible.”We believe that we have the players in the country to be able to do so but by no means will it be easy,” Markram said. “The journey itself has been incredibly difficult but worth the fight, worth the hours, worth the sacrifice. That’s pretty much how we see it.”